yes it true I have joined the student union cult (read as student council) just as stephs life can tend to revolve around the cult of drag boat my life is looking that it will go in the same direction. After spending a weekend with class rep training adn having there idologoy of activism infiltrated in my mind I become one of the sheep who is willing to give up all free time for student activism. Although I have become one of them at least I'm one to the few who realize how brainwashed that I am letting myself become. I mean all the first years who have joined this lefty union don't realize that its not always liek this, they just assume it is the norm to organize sit-ins for example. They dont' realize that this year is an anomily in the student union- a backlash to how right it had become. It is wonderful and exciting to see the little sheep orgnaizing on every issue you can imagine because they think it is what happens . . . .:)

So the main campaign that I have been part of is SSAS; staff and students againsts sexism. If you remember I was ranting about the sexist posters on campus, well we have done really well, there arn't anymore for the time being, it has been taken to the equality board and the society officer who refused to recognize them as offenisive is being called to the equity board. We have organized a petition, a letter writing campaign, and are doing a talk on the effects of sexist posters and ads that objectify women. We have the director of the womens institute speaking, the director of equality studies, a prof in visual arts and representation of women, and the director of women studies from Trinity. We are sending out invites to all the societies that put up the sexist posters and even thought they have taken them down still don't recognize them as sexist.

Here are just a few examples: the debating team: an image of just a womens chest saying "get it off your chest"
the poker team a pic with a women wearing very little saying "become a player"
the waterpolo team with a pic of a women in a bikini saying "let me play with your balls"
a random societies: a guy between tow women in bikinis "everything you want from a society"
madonna and britney kissing again "everything you want from a society"
the bunny ball: with a pic of a playboy bunny girl
the cherry ball: with a pic of a cherry saying "once you pop you can't stop"
another ball: a pic with a women in her bra and underwear with a open jacket sitting legs apart "sue me screw me" written on it plus you had to come dressed as a suit if you were a guy or a secretary

it blows my mind that people do not see this as sexism!!

so that is what we are up againsts on this campus . . . I can only image what these events are like, the posters set up an energy of sexism, aparently the cherry ball had other flyers that said if you don't pop it here you won't all year. Whar kind of sexual expectations are they setting up for there parties, its as if they are asking for date rape . .

so that is one of the things that is taking up my time, as the LGB officer I have to go once a week to the executive meeting, and once every two weeks to the general council meeting. Right now twice a week to the SSAS meetings, twice a week to the LGB society meetings (its my job to keep good relations- which I take to mean show up to there events support them, get them to support me BUT don't sleep with any of them!!) And starting in a few weeks the safe space campaign meetings and pride week planning meetings. There are other campaigns I'm involved in to but I am more of a follower in those events and not part of planning or leading in any real way other then making annouchments to my class.

The gender queer group is still going on, we have a meeting this upcoming monday, I created a poster for it yesterday, and will have to start postering soon, too many tech difficulties ahhh some times I dispise technology, it can really drive a person mad really!! you should have seen me last night after I finished the poster I tried to send it to the group to approve and then to the girl who can print them. But the network was down, then when it was up yahoo wasn't working, then when I got it, attachments wouldn't work, when they did only one worked. It took so many hours, I thought I would go crazy . . . I swore to take up the Harry potter route of owls, damn if I had an owl that poster would already be up today instead of just heading to the printers.

I have been thinking about quiting my job or at least cutting back my hours. I still have the money that I saved from the summer which could get me through 3 or 4 months if I am very carefull. And I am getting a small bursary for having a learning disabilty witch could get me through another 3 or 4 months. That is if I do almost nothing and am carefull to make my meals. That would free me for the year but then when my rez runs out I would have no money adn no place to go - that would be a problem . . .