2015 WUSCrazy, 2016 will be Mayhem… and we’re ready for it!

Reflecting upon this past semester, it can be said that the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has experienced tremendous growth here at Trent.

We settled two students through the Student Refugee Program (SRP) last semester. As a result, our SRP committee has grown from two members to four, thereby ensuring a strong support system. There are currently over a dozen WUSC members at Trent, which includes executives, faculty, and volunteers. Growing awareness is evident on campus: at Clubs and Groups day in September, we received more interest than ever before.

This growth is largely due to the strength of our local committee and the commitment from our partners. The successful de-stress bake sale in December proved the former point with Syria: Looking Back, Moving Forward (a collaborative event involving KWIC, SAID, and yours truly) proving the latter. We here at WUSC cherish these bonds and welcome future relationships with open arms. In fact, our committee solidified a brand new partnership this past autumn. Lakefield College School welcomed five WUSCies into their chapel in November for a speech and WUSC presentation. That Saturday, our members were welcome back to Lakefield for a Coffee Night Fundraiser, with all proceeds going towards our SRP. The experience benefited both institutions: aside from raising funds, all participants witnessed the giving nature of the people in our community. We anticipate a great partnership with Lakefield College School moving forward, along with other post-secondary institutions.

Moving forward, 2016 will be our biggest year without a doubt. The #TRENTUHELPS campaign contributed over $35,000 to our SRP and we are very proud of this achievement. By effect, we will be settling four SRP students this year. Meanwhile, our focus in other areas will remain intact. The annual Shine-a-Light Campaign will be kicking off this spring. This will include a glow-party in February alongside other fundraisers. We are in talks with regional groups to host other collaborative events and fundraisers, so keep an ear open for updates!

Finally, WUSC is jumpstarting the #educationchangestheworld campaign this January. The point of this campaign is to appreciate the privilege we have as Trent students. We promote the idea that education is entitled to all while recognizing that education helps us grow as people. For further details on this campaign, keep up with WUSC editions in college newsletters. Again, we thank all members and supporters. Here’s to another great year for WUSC at Trent!