Dec newsletter by MSVUSU

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

HELLO MYSTICS!

President’s Message

Exam Study Tips

Re-branding

Volunteering

Campus Updates

Keep in Touch

Hi Mystics! This is it, you did it! Classes are over for the term, and now the only thing between you and home are just a few exams (you got this)! It has been a great semester, and as much as I’m happy for the break, I’m excited, knowing that next semester will be just as good, if not, BETTER! Wanted to take this time to thank all of the volunteers and workers of the Students’ Union for what they have done this year thus far. I can see the difference you make each and every day to better the Mount community and help other students. You are all incredible leaders! Keep your eyes peeled for our #LoveIsLove campaign next term! The theme this year is “#LoveIsLove: 1000 Strong”, as we try to get 1000 students, staff, faculty, administration, community members, and celebrities from across Canada to participate in our campaign! Getting involved is as easy as getting a photo of yourself in front of a plain background, with a quote about love or love equality! We will have photo booths set up in the new term so make sure to get your picture taken. To those going through exams, make sure to take time for yourself during this study period, and don’t get too stressed out! Develop a routine that works for you, with regular breaks, ‘brain food’ such as nuts and berries, and lots of water! You’re going to make it through this! Keep Calm and Keep on Keeping On, Zach Gallant President, MSVU Students’ Union

Photo by Kiana Riego

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

STUDENTS’ UNION UPDATES Exam Study Tips from the SU It’s that time of year, exams are just around the corner – will you be ready? We’ve come up with some helpful tips to get you through exam season! 1. Give yourself enough time to study Not allocating enough time for studying is the most common source of panic and anxiety for students. Start scheduling out your study time for each exam now, and stick to your time table. Although some people say they work best under pressure, you are simply adding stress to your life that can be avoided. 2. Organize your study space Remove all distractions from sight. Hide them in drawers, put them under your bed – just move them. Make sure you are in a bright space and away from your bed. We know how tempting it is to crawl in a cozy bed and take a nap. Tidy your desk and have ample space to spread out your textbooks and notes. If you’re a person who likes to have background music, make a playlist on your ipod/phone or find a study mix on 8tracks. 3. Ask questions Go over your material and write down questions you have for your prof’s as you go. Remember, they are here to help you and welcome any questions that you have.

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

STUDENTS UNION UPDATES Exam Study Tips Cont… 4. Take regular breaks If you study for too long in one sitting, your brain won’t properly absorb the material. Develop a study/break pattern (for example 30 minutes of studying and ten minutes of break) that will give your brain time to absorb the material. 5. Snack on brain food Eating protein-rich foods can lead to greater mental awareness which can help keep you on task during the study crunch time. Some snack foods to consider on exam day are: walnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese. There are also dried fruits that are considered brain food such as dried apricots, or figs. 6. Get enough sleep Your brain needs time to process what you’ve studied, so ensure that you’re not staying up late trying to cram stuff in. The night before your exam ensure that you have at least 7-8 hours so you wake up fresh and ready to preform your best. We wish you the best of luck with your exams and final projects, and have a Happy Holiday Season! We’re looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year! 3

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

SU SERVICE REBRANDING The MSVUSU has rebranded a lot of the services beginning the reclaiming Rosaria as the Students’ Union Building (SUB). The SUB is the campus core for student service, interaction, experience and social activity. Some of the other services that have gotten a facelift include: The Crow’s Nest Café is now the Crow-n-Go Snack Bar. Open Monday to Friday, the Crow-n-Go is the Mount’s one & only on-campus student owned and operated grab and go convenience store. The Crow-n-Go offers a wide range of convenience items as well as a wide variety of quick meals for students on the go. This includes baked sweets, yogurt, wraps, coffee, smoothies, pizza, soups and more. This service will continue to grow and evolve as renovations begin to take place this year. You can also find Mount clothing here. Open 7 days a week, the Crows Nest is the Mounts only 24hr student computer lounge. Attached to the Crow ‘n Go, the Crows Nest has a lounge space and offers students access to a number of computers, Wi-Fi, group meeting space, modular furniture, a bookable meeting room, printing ability and a bookable meeting room. The Crows Nest is monitored by campus security for any students and groups working late nights. Lots of furniture changes were made last year and now it has a new logo. The HUB is the new name for the Students’ Union information desk which provides Mount students with a large number of services. The HUB is every Mount students one stop shop for: Printing (B/W, Color and large format printing), photocopying, faxing, clothing, Mount gear, school supplies, International Student Identity Cards, ticket sales, stamps, society mail, outgoing mail pick up and more! In addition the HUB also provides the SUB lobby with wifi, music, vendors, events and a cell phone charging station. suinfo@mountstudents.ca The MSVUSU Wellness Centre is now a combination wellness and diversity centre and Food Bank that provides Mount students with a variety of services, information & resources. Physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual wellness is an integral part of our university community and is embraced by the Students’ Union. wellness@mountstudents.ca 4

Photo by Matt Atkinson

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Become a student volunteer with the Mount Recruitment Team! The Mount Recruitment Office helps prospective students discover our school and programs, and we offer two volunteer opportunities for current students: The Student Ambassador Program and Mount Student Representative Team. Student Ambassadors are Mount students who assist the Recruitment Office by sharing their positive Mount experiences with prospective students through social media, campus tours, on-campus events, and visiting high school with the student recruitment officers. Applications for the 2014-2015 academic year will be available online at msvu.ca/studentambassadors next Spring. Mount Student Representatives help out with on-campus events for the Recruitment Office, and with events for other departments in the Mount Community. Student Representative duties may include: working event registration desks, directing people around the campus, and assisting with group campus tours. Become a Mount Student Representative now by visiting Nicole LeBlanc in Evaristus 333 or apply online at msvu.ca/studentambassadors. Symmetry Public Relations Write for us! Are you creative, like writing and looking to add written pieces to your portfolio? We are currently seeking new writers to join our team! Whether you’re a student, professor or professional, we’d like to hear from you. If interested please contact Emma Robertson at emma.robertson@msvu.ca. Www.symmetrypublicrelations.com

Photo by Matt Atkinson

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Vinnie’s Pub Specials: Monday: Nacho Night Tuesday: Sliders Deals Wednesday: Pizza Specials Thursday: Wing Night Upcoming Events: Dec 2: CLUB NIGHT - Last Class Bash Events subject to change, keep up-to-date with Vinnie’s on Facebook and Twitter @vinniespubmsvu Important Notice for Closing Dates Vinne’s Pub and the Crow n’ Go will be closing December 2nd The Hub will be on exam hours (10-3) until December 13th

Photo by: Gill Graves

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Exam Information December 2013 Examination Information Classes will end on Monday, December 2. Reading Day will be December 3. Final examinations begin on Wednesday, December 4 at 09:15am and end on Saturday, December 14 at 09:00pm. With this in mind, students are reminded to familiarize themselves with the General Exam Rules for Students. Please review the General Exam Rules prior to the start of examinations, which can be found on page 30 of the 2013-2014 Undergraduate Academic Calendar or clicking on the following link: http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/studentservices/ registrarsoffice/exams.aspx Distance students please note: Students who reside within a 100 km radius of MSVU are expected to write their final exam on campus.

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Athletics and Recreation Volunteer Opportunity Jan 3-5, 2014 Dyrick McDermott Invitational Benefits: 

A fun team environment



Free toutnment pass to all games



Work experience in a sport event environment



Volunteer t-shirt



Co-Curricular Recognition

Duties: 

Team hospitality



Door/admission



50/50 ticket sales

How to sign up: Drop into the Mount Fitness Centre, Athletics & Recreation Office and sign up on the volunteer board or Phone: 457-6370 or email: june.lumsden@msvu.ca Teams in tournament: Mount Saint Vincent University University of King’s College Champlain Saint-Lambert Mount Allison University Lakeland College St. Francis Xavier 8

University of Prince Edward Island

Krista Hill Photography

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Athletics and Recreation Cont…

Group Fitness Class Schedule December 9-5 January 2014

Time

7:458:30am

9:30 to 10:30a m

12:15 to 1:00pm

6:15 to 7:00pm

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

STRESS BUSTER BOOT CAMP

DEC 9 ONLY

DEC 4 & 11 ONLY

DEC 6 ONLY

PAT

CARDIO MIX ‘N PUMP IT PAT

PUMP IT STRENGTH NO CLASS DEC. 24 Terri

CARDIO MIX ‘N PUMP IT NO CLASS DEC. 25 & JAN 1

PUMP ‘N POSE IT NO CLASS DEC. 26 Jennifer C.

PAT

YOGA FIT

PUMP IT EXPRESS

YOGA FIT

NO CLASS DEC. 23, 30

NO CLASS DEC. 24 & 31

NO CLASS DEC. 25 & JAN 1

Ashley

Jennifer C.

CORE ESSENTIALS—HIIT

STEP ‘N PUMP ((TO 7:15)

CORE ESSENTIALS—HITT

NO CLASS DEC. 23 Eric

NO CLASS DEC. 24 & 31

NO CLASS DEC. 25 & JAN 1

Delores

Eric

CARDIO MIX ‘N PUMP IT NO CLASS DEC. 27 Terri

CORE ESSENTIALS—HIIT NO CLASSES DEC. 26 & JAN. 2 Brigitte

STEP ‘N PUMP (TO 7:15) Delores

The Mount Fitness Centre reserves the right to cancel any class due to low attendance. 9

Saturday

STEP ‘N PUMP IT (9:00-10:00) Delores

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Athletics and Recreation Cont… BellyFit: A mind/body fitness class that fuses ancient and modern dance movements with Pilates and Yoga conditioning. Cardio Mix ‘N Pump It: A combination class of aerobic activities and muscle conditioning done in a variety of formats. Core Essentials—HIIT: A high intensity interval training class that teaches you to use the body’s “core” to improve strength, stability, balance, and enhance movement; whether for daily living or athletic performance. Pump It Express: A compact, fast paced strength and tone class using a variety of resistance equipment. Pump It Strength: An all strength class using a mix of body weight exercises, hand weights and elastic bands. Great for beginners to advanced. Pump ‘N Stretch: A strength and tone class including a combination of yoga styles. Step It Up: An up tempo cardio class using the Reebok STEP. Step ‘N Pump It: A combination STEP and muscle conditioning class. Yoga Fit: A combination of yoga styles and stretches designed to improve balance, flexibility, strength and relaxation. Notes: 7:45-8:30am is a FREE STRESS BUSTER class for Members. Classes are Dec. 4, 6, 9, & 11 ONLY. 12:15-1:00pm classes go until December 20th. 7:10-7:55pm T/Th classes are combined with the 6:15pm class for a one hour Step ‘n Pump class . No 7:00pm or 7:10pm classes until the Winter Schedule which begins Jan. 6, 2014.

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Fountain Play Centre Jennifer Burgess and Laura Amson are our November Volunteers of the Month!

Jennifer has been volunteering with us since September 2012. Her favourite thing about volunteering with the FPC is the interactions with the kids. She says, “It is always the highlight of my day to see their bright smiles and giggles.” Laura just started volunteering mid-semester and we’ve been so pleased to welcome her to the team! So far, her favourite thing about volunteering at the FPC is helping the kids develop their skills, like learning counting and colours. Thanks Jennifer and Laura for your dedication and hard work!

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Spiritual Life Peace & Quiet During Exams Is studying for exams making you stressed out? Drop by the Peace Room (EV-C410) for some quiet time. It's a space where you can rest your eyes, ears and mind for a bit and relax from the chaos of exams. Please remember: it is a quiet space for people to pray, meditate and relax, so no conversations. Also, keep in mind that the Peace Room is scent free. It is important that there are no scents brought into the Peace Room, as it may trigger others' allergies. An on-going class in the Peace Room is "Calm-Abiding Meditation & Self-Reflection" every Sunday morning (poster attached). For more information, please contact Kim MacAulay at kim.macaulay@msvu.ca All the best with your exams from the Spiritual Life Office, and joyful wishes to everyone in the holiday season of Chanukah, Advent, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice/Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa and all other celebrations!

Photo by Jiill Mason

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Library Library feedback: We appreciate your thoughts on how to improve the space, services and resources of the Library. Recent themes emerged on the whiteboard poll in the foyer, including requests for longer hours, better defined quiet space, more bookable group work space, more computers and comfortable furniture. Most interesting was the library cat request phenomenon which dominated this term. Night Owls: Extended hours at the Library will begin on Saturday Nov 30. For more info please see the Library Hours page: http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/library/aboutthelibrary/ hours.aspx. Study room booking: You can now book the group study room online up to seven days in advance. With an active library account in good standing, you can book the study room for up to two 1-hour sessions per day. For more information check our booking page: http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/library/services/ circulationservices/groupstudy/default.aspx. Photo Contest Winner: Thanks to everyone who participated in the voting process, the results are in! Congratulations to our photo contest winner Katherine Baird and our runner up Roberta Hibbert Denyes. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who submitted photos and told us about their favourite study space and how we might improve it. Everyone's a winner - all those who submitted photos will be given a prize for their efforts. Good luck with your exams and Happy Holidays from all the staff at the Mount Library! 13

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

CAMPUS UPDATES Art Gallery Ongoing: Flesh Arianne Pollet-Brannen Organized by MSVU Art Gallery Ingrid Jenkner, Curator 2 Nov through 15 December 2013 Incorporating found materials such as discarded shoes, Pollet-Brannen creates evocative garments that are part sculpture, part satire. Notions of haute couture are deformed, mutilated, and mutated to produce a provocative, gender-bending “Travesty of Fashion.” Concurrent with this exhibition, PolletBrannen will be working in a temporary studio at MSVU Art Gallery. The public are welcome to visit the artist in the mezzanine project room adjacent to the exhibition on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during Gallery open hours. For more information visit our website www.msvuart.ca<http:// www.msvuart.ca> or contact Susan Wolf, program coordinator, susan.wolf@msvu.ca<mailto:susan.wolf@msvu.ca> Ongoing: The Annual Mount Community Show Organized by MSVU Art Gallery 21 Nov through 8 Dec 2013 This annual exhibition includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, writing, performances and much more by MSVU students, staff, faculty, alumnae and their families. For further information contact Susan Wolf (Program Coordinator) at 902-457-6291 or susan.wolf@msvu.ca

December 2013

Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union Newsletter

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SU Like us on Facebook to stay up to date with our events, contests, and more. facebook.com/MSVUSU

Find out more about upcoming events, societies, services for students, & current contests all in one place on our website. mountstudents.ca

If you have any questions, you can just text 1-902-809-MSVU (6788)

You are always welcome to bring your questions or concerns directly to Students’ Union. Rosaria Student Centre, 118