BY ALEX STEWART
It’s Friday evening, Sept. 14. The sun is coming down but the night is just getting started at Sheridan’s Trafalgar Campus. The atmosphere is lively at the campus bar, The Marquee, and karaoke is about to begin.
Karaoke night is one of many events that the Sheridan Student Union (SSU) runs during the semester. The SSU, which currently employs over 260 students, runs multiple events during the first two weeks of the year across all three campuses (Trafalgar, Davis, and HMC). This year the SSU kicked off the new semester with their #Genfrosh activities.
These events included a live concert at the Marquee, a pool tournament at Davis Campus’s Den and specialized pub nights at the Hazel McCallion Campus. Over the semester’s first few weeks these events are focused on promoting student engagement and interaction with the college.
Enrique Ponce, president of the Sheridan Student Union feels the same way when considering the importance of these student run events.
“Its vital for the student experience,” he said. “We’re here to advocate a positive experience for all Sheridan students across all three of our campuses.”
Events like sexy bingo, which took place on Sept. 11, 2018, was a night focused on adult-themed comedy while also talking about important topics such as safe sex, consent and many other topics revolving around the human sexuality.
Ponce also clarified the objectives of the SSU when planning and running the student events.
“Our primary objective is that these events are meant to be inclusive/fun for everyone involved, that being said we are a not for profit organization but we do have to invest money into these events. So another objective is that we want these students to come to these events and fill the room.”
The process of choosing which events involves the students who attend Sheridan. “We gaze trends set by our students through feedback and interaction with the students themselves,” Ponce said.
Along with the events that the Student Union runs, it also provides services to help the student population. Programs such as Wellness Wednesdays will be available every Wednesday from Sept. 12- Dec. 5. These weekly-guided meditation sessions will be available for students at all three Sheridan campuses. The focus of these gatherings is to increase attention and focus, and help students recharge their bodies and minds while managing stress from daily life.
Ponce also added that the best way for students to get involved or stay updated for upcoming student events is through the SSU website.
“We are very proud of the work our team has put into keeping the website updated and informative for the future” he said.
Information is also available for anyone who follows the Student Union’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.
