UNews - Andrew Williams

Bill Nye visits U of L campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:27:04 +0000

This event is sold out

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Graduate Students' Association (GSA) are proud to welcome Bill Nye to campus as part of the ULSU's Annual Student Speaker Series.

"One of our primary mandates is to increase student engagement on campus and create a unique and memorable experience for our students," says Andrew Williams, the ULSU vice-president academic.

With that in mind, Williams began the process of courting and finalizing a deal with Nye's camp over eight months ago. It was a lengthy process but Williams believes it will pay off in a very big way with the Monday, Jan. 23 (Noon to 3:30 p.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre) appearance.

"I chose to bring Bill Nye to the U of L for a number of reasons," says Williams. "He is a man, who for many current students, ignited a passion for learning and pursuing knowledge, and that passion and enthusiasm are contagious."

Bill Nye popularized the study of science for a generation of youngsters.

For over 15 years, Nye has been providing audiences with exciting, educational science entertainment. His most prominent persona, Bill Nye the Science Guy, began in September 1993 and ran for five years. Nye hosted a total of 100 episodes to much critical acclaim and captured 19 Emmy Awards.

The excitement from both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community and the greater Lethbridge area to the event is apparent in the brisk ticket sales. Williams says the ULSU has already sold more than 2,200 tickets.

"My hope is that Bill Nye's appearance will remind students of their strong passion and desire to learn, as well as recharge their batteries, so to speak, before mid-terms begin."

The event's attendees are not the only ones who stand to benefit from Nye's colloquial monologues. All proceeds from the event go to the ULSU Food Bank, helping to ensure that its shelves remain full and at the ready for all those who seek its services.

"The ULSU Food Bank is there to provide students in need with one of the most basic of human necessities," says Williams.

The 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium will host the noon event, with the popular ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chem Guys – John Eng & Wayne Lippa – serving as the opening act.

For more information about the Bill Nye appearance, or to purchase tickets, contact the ULSU at 403-329-2222 or stop by their office on the first floor of the Students' Union Building (SU180).

This story first appeared in the January edition of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

SU events; there's an App for that

trevor.kenney — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:34:04 +0000

By KYLE DODGSON

As the halls of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge fill with both new and returning students, a familiar, incessant hum accompanies them – the tunes and tones of mobile devices.

Smartphones and mobile devices have become an integral part of campus life and this month, looking to capitalize on this trend, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) unveils its new mobile application.

The brainchild of SU vice president academic Andrew Williams, the mobile application traces its roots back to December 2010 when Williams was a member of the ULSU General Assembly.

"I noticed that an increasing number of universities were building and releasing iPhone applications that allowed students to access maps, news, events and other informational items on the go. It was something I really wanted to bring to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge," says Williams.

Over the ensuing months, Williams researched numerous application developers and created a detailed document covering all aspects of development and implementation. He then presented his proposal to the Executive Council and General Assembly. Despite initially receiving a lukewarm reception, Williams continued developing the project.

Once he was elected to the VP academic office, Williams received an offer from Canadian developer CollegeMobile, who sought to develop the proposed application for a much lower cost than other competing developers.

"I worked together with the incoming council and the SU staff for about a month on the final details of the application until we had something we were all satisfied and comfortable with," says Williams. "Since then, I've been beta testing each version of the application to make sure there are no errors in the final product."

The mobile app delivers up-to-date information on ULSU events and news, information on every council member, Pronghorns athletic events, an interactive campus map and it integrates both Moodle and Facebook.
"I think that most students will be surprised at how much information it contains and how easy it is to navigate," says Williams.

The ULSU Mobile App is another building block in the Executive Council's strategic initiatives, reinforcing its aspiration to boost the ULSU's on-campus presence, improve communication and promote sustainability on campus.

"The goal of the application is to allow the ULSU to communicate with students through a medium which has become a part of everyday life for most of them," says Williams. "Best of all, the application is free, and I think students will find it to be extremely useful and convenient."

The ULSU Mobile App is available for download from the Apple, Android and Blackberry App stores.

Incoming executive excited about opportunity to boost student engagement

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:43:49 +0000

The spring winds bring an annual changing of the guard at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU). As another successful year at the Students' Union comes to an end, a new Executive Council is poised to usher in new, and what it expects will be prosperous, student initiatives.

"All of the initiatives and projects we will be working on will fall under at least one of six headings: increasing the effectiveness of our communications, increasing our presence on campus, strengthening our lobbying voice, improving our events, expanding our service base and promoting sustainability on campus," says newly appointed ULSU President Zack Moline.

Executive Council has taken a particular interest in boosting the organization's digital presence and online services. Numerous initiatives are taking shape that will make the Students' Union available on more media platforms and subsequently to a larger audience.

One particular undertaking is part of two Executive Council members' campaign platforms. Andrew Williams and Leyland Bradley are guiding a venture that would see the creation of an online tutor database.

"Students are currently forced to refer to cluttered posting boards, giving them only a small chance of actually finding the academic assistance they require," says Andrew Williams, ULSU vice-president academic. "I see this as simply unacceptable."

ULSU Executive Council also plans to utilize new avenues of communication to diversify and improve on-campus events.

"Students have such great and unique ideas. I want their input," says Lisa Rodych, the vice-president of Internal Affairs.

This year's council is also excited about the opportunity to advocate for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students' interests. As members of both the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Council of Alberta ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Students (CAUS), Moline and his colleagues intend to make major strides in improving the post-secondary experience at not only the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, but for students as a whole in Alberta and across Canada.

"Every year, every new council puts student engagement at the top of their list of priorities for their year in office, and I feel that our council will exemplify this," says Leyland Bradley, vice-president Operations and Finance. "We want to ensure that our campus events and our advocacy efforts are parallel with the opinions of our students."

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Kassam eager for challenge

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:54:58 +0000

While it may have taken two votes to fill out executive council and general assembly, there was no question who students wanted as their next ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union president.

ULSU president-elect Taz Kassam, a BA and BMgt student, is one of only four women to ever hold the position and she is looking forward to the challenge.

"I am deeply appreciative of the support, both during and following the election," says Kassam. "I am very excited about the opportunities ahead and am ready to serve as a representative for the ULSU."

Due to a lack of nominations in the general election, the Students' Union was forced to hold a by-election to fill out remaining vacancies on executive council and general assembly.

Kassam will be working with Allan Hall, vice-president administration, who held this position last year; Keith McLaughlin, vice-president academic. The position of vice-president Internal Affairs, will be decided in a by-election, which was held after the public.

"I'm excited to pass the torch to next year's executive team," says Alex Massé, vice-president academic. "They're all solid people with relevant experience. They've also been very perceptive of some of the areas that they can improve upon over the past year."

Kassam is no stranger to the ULSU as she has been an active volunteer for the organization. The 22-year old, who grew up in Calgary but has called Lethbridge home for the last five years, does not lack the skills necessary to be successful in the demanding position of ULSU President. She acquired invaluable experience while serving on the executive council with the Management Students' Society and Jeux de Commerce West Business Competition, where she served as event co-ordinator of the 5th Annual Chillin' for Charity Polar Bear Dip that raised more than $16,000 for the Lethbridge United Way.

Kassam aspires to decrease student apathy through activism and communication. She describes her platform as one that encompasses a grassroots approach, and she has decided to work on matters that will most benefit students. After all, ULSU is an organization for the students, and run by the students.

"I believe the low levels of student engagement stem from a lack of communication from the ULSU and a lack of knowledge about the Students' Union," says Kassam. "It is my hope, along with the executive council, to reverse this increase in student apathy and decline in student empowerment. The longer we travel on this road the less likely the opinion of the student will matter."

Increasing the importance of post-secondary education in the eyes of the government is important to Kassam and she intends to battle this by generating student involvement through lobbying efforts for affordable and quality education.

The ULSU 2010/2011 General Assembly currently includes Andrew Williams, Lisa Rodych, Zack Moline, Tyrell Dasilva, Shane Groarke and Cole Schneider, who are all arts and science representatives; Kyle Hammond as the organization of residence students representative. The remaining General Assembly positions will also be decided in a by-election. Visit www.ulsu.ca for full election results.

The ULSU exists to represent students' interests at the provincial and federal levels of government and to provide value-added services, spaces and programs to enhance the campus community.

Kassam elected ULSU President

trevor.kenney — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:39:49 +0000

Management student Taz Kassam is the President-elect of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) and the fourth woman to hold the position since the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's founding in 1967.

Kassam's executive team includes Allan Hall, a veteran SU contributor who returns to the SU governing body as vice-president administration, and Keith McLaughlin, a former news editor of the Meliorist and recent winner of the SACPA Student Speaker Challenge, as vice-president academic.

More than 21 per cent of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students cast their ballots last week in the ULSU 2010/2011 General Election.

"I'm excited to pass the torch to next year's executive team," says Alex Massé, the current vice-president academic. "They're all solid people with relevant experience. They've also been very perceptive of some of the areas that they can improve upon over the current year."

Kassam, who takes office May 1, 2010, says she was deeply appreciative of the support, both during and following the election.

"I am very excited about the opportunities ahead and am ready to serve as a representative for the ULSU."

The position of vice-president internal affairs remains vacant; the ULSU is currently in the process of running a by-election to fill this position and other general assembly positions that are also vacant for the 2010/2011 year.

"We have a phenomenal and talented group of people who have just been elected and I am just as excited to find out the results of those who are running in the by-election, which will complete the ULSU team," says Kassam.

The ULSU 2010/2011 General Assembly currently includes Andrew Williams, Lisa Rodych, Zack Moline, Tyrell DaSilva, Shane Groarke and Cole Schneider, who are all arts and science representatives; Kyle Hammond is the Organization of Residence Students Representative.

The ULSU exists to represent students' interests at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as well as on the provincial and federal levels of government and to provide value-added services, spaces and programs to enhance the campus community.

UNews - Andrew Williams

Bill Nye visits U of L campus

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