October 31st, 2025

Dear fellow students and peers,

Happy Halloween! I hope that the grind of midterms hasn’t crushed your spirits too much and that you found time for yourself over the Thanksgiving long weekend. October is a wonderful time to engage with your campus community as there are a plethora of events happening all month long.

This month I had the pleasure of attending some events put on by various student groups. It can be hard to stay in touch with the student experience when spending a majority of my days stuck in meetings and writing emails, so I deeply enjoy connecting with fellow student leaders and making new friends. If your group is having an event, please feel free to send me an invite. So long as I don’t have a scheduling conflict, I will try my best to be there!

October started off with a very special event, Mâwacihitowin, meaning ‘Gathering Together.’ In collaboration with the Indigenous Students’ Union, we hosted the event on the Main Quad, bringing together Indigenous student groups, vendors, and a land-based learning hide tanning demonstration for a day of celebration and community building. This was a key platform goal of mine in strengthening outreach and rebuilding trust between the UASU and our campus community. Visibility is the first step towards accessibility, and this event gave students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, the opportunity to engage with and learn more about Indigenous cultures and ways of being in an open, friendly, and accessible manner.

Learning how to scrape the fur off a hide                 Your UASU VPs and ISU President

Thank you to Winston Wadsworth for coming and sharing your knowledge with us

October also saw the Annual General Meeting of the Campus Food Bank. We had students and community members show up to vote in our new board members and approve CFB’s 2024-25 financial statements. Some updates from the 2024-25 annual report include the beginning of Saturday service, a new partnership with Prairie Urban Farms, and an average of 1100 visits per month to the CFB. As a part of my platform, I hoped to encourage student groups to consider sponsoring the Rutherford Food Pantry. As a result, this was a discussion item at this month’s meeting of the Council of Faculty Associations (CoFA) Member Services Working Group.
    
During my campaign, I made a promise to conduct data collection and make recommendations to the University on areas of improvement for poorly lit paths. This month, I was able to create a survey alongside our Research and Advocacy department, which we then launched on UASU Perks. We have received a lot of data regarding outdoor accessibility concerns and lighting improvements and I look forward to bringing this up in future meetings with administration.

Earlier this month it was brought to my attention by a student that the washrooms in SUB contained signage that was utilizing language that was outdated and not gender-inclusive. Following these concerns being raised, I spoke with our staff and was able to have the language on the signs updated to better reflect the inclusive and destigmatized language we utilize in regards to menstruation.    

I was honoured to attend the launch of the Student Mental Health Action Plan at Campus Saint-Jean, and was invited to share a few words. As a student who has overcome my own mental health struggles in my time here, I believe this plan is a step in the right direction of ensuring students are supported on this front.

Logan speaking at Campus Saint-Jean                                   25/26 STRIDE Cohort!

October saw the first session of STRIDE, our cohort program for women and gender minorities to learn more about governance and develop their leadership skills. Katie and I, alongside our wonderful Councillor for Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, Paige, were invited to speak as a panel for the incoming participants. As a graduate of last year’s STRIDE program, it felt like a full circle moment for me. I wish all the participants in this year’s program the best of luck, and if you feel like you’re missing out, applications are open until Monday, November 3rd, so go sign up!

As a student leader heavily invested in addressing issues of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) across our campuses, it never hurts to get a refresher on consent education and how to support survivors. That is why I attended Working for Change, a workshop put on by the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre. I found it to be very educational and valuable and I highly recommend attending their future workshops and engaging with their programming.

One of the highlights of the month for me was attending the University of Alberta Safety and Security Committee meeting alongside President Almeida. We were able to bring key priorities to the forefront of the conversation, particularly in regards to ONECard access. We look forward to continuing these discussions as well as those that address campus safety more broadly.

Another highlight was the meeting for the Committee on the Learning Environment and Student Affairs, which I attended with Katie. As a result of discussions at my SGBV Task Force meetings, I was able to bring up concerns around the accessibility of the SGBV in Work-Integrated Learning Toolkit. I was assured that the toolkit and site will be more accessible with the roll out of the new Experiential Learning Policy, but for now I have also linked it above.

Finally, my letter would not be complete if I did not mention attending the UASU Awards Gala. It was such a privilege to present some of the awards for the evening and to see our students be recognized for their excellence and achievements. I am incredibly proud of the students who were honoured at the Gala, and I feel lucky to be peers with such inspiring people. It was also a nice opportunity for your UASU Execs to get a rare group photo together!

I'd say we clean up pretty nice!

As we continue through the Fall semester, I wish you all the best of luck with midterms, and encourage you to find some time for yourself over Reading Week. Remember: it is impossible to pour from an empty cup. To my peers, friends, UASU staff, and fellow Execs, thank you. And for those of you who have stuck around to read this in its entirety, if you ever need anything at all, you know where I am. Second floor of SUB, 2-900, just ask at the front desk if Logan is available. If I am, I would love to make time for you. Even if it means booking over my scheduled nap time. You can also always email me at vp.studentlife@uasu.ca.

With love and gratitude,

Logan West
Vice President Student Life