On 24 November, the Marc Garneau Student Activity Council (SAC) held its first open meeting of the year. Students and teachers were invited to spectate and contribute to a typical SAC meeting, as a glimpse into the behind-the-scene workings of MGCI’s student council. SAC also hoped to receive student feedback and address questions. The event took place in the library after school, with the meeting officially commencing at 3:40 pm.
Topics discussed during the meeting included a possible Clubs’ Night event in spring, plans for an upcoming pancake drive, and advertising methods for future SAC events such as sweater sales and Christmas show auditions. In response to a prior inquiry from The Reckoner, SAC also discussed the possibility of posting club budgets to the public, debating amongst themselves as well as accepting input from the student audience.
The meeting was run by Vice-President Arora Chen, due to the absence of President Maria Kashif. Student Council decided to run the open meeting in an effort to strengthen communication between the student body and SAC.
“Students have the right to know what is going on in SAC discussions,” said Spirit Convenor Mara Gagiu. “They can also contribute to meetings by bringing their own questions with them.”
The event was promoted on the morning announcements and through social media. A total of four outside members of the student body attended, a lower number than SAC was expecting. SAC members primarily attributed the low attendance to lack of interest and insufficient awareness about the event.
“I believe face-to-face advertising would be an effective way to increase attendance next time,” said Gagiu. “People will care if you talk to them in advance.”
Future open meetings are planned, with the exact dates to be decided. In the meantime, detailed meeting minutes are posted online on a weekly basis, and can be found here.
