Mask Awareness and Frosh Week and Club Fair, oh my!

Written by Sophia El Bakir

The week of September 7th 2021 was a busy week for Dawson. Not only were students still getting acclimated to the beginning of the semester, but the DSU had a triple-event week: mask awareness campaign, frosh week and club fair!

MASK AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

While not as spectacular and attractive as frosh week and club fair, this event was quite important. With students coming back to school in person for the first time in sixteen months, COVID-19 rules had to be reiterated for the sake of keeping the school open year-long.

Nonetheless, the DSU and their volunteers still managed to keep it fun and informative. Beautiful artistic posters were made; gift bags with hand-sanitizers and candy were handed out; masks dispensaries were put in place. All to ensure student safety through and through.

“I feel like the Mask Awareness Campaign was very informative for students and teachers. I think that it taught them the importance of wearing their mask and covering their mouth and nose.” – Brendan Schwartz

FROSH WEEK

Tuesday, Conrod’s was turned into a circus carnival. Every table presented a game. From dart-throwing to Jenga to Russian Roulette, there really was a game for every taste. Even if it had encountered a few hitches at the beginning, it ran smoothly the rest of the day and attracted many students.

 “Out of all the events that had occurred the past weeks, this one had the most engagement.” -Gurpreet Kaur

But games were not the only treats students were in for, because for the volunteers, Frosh Week was a quizzical, potluck social experience. It was the perfect opportunity to mingle with other students at a time where beginning-of-the-semester jitters were still very present.

“I met so many people and some of them became my best friends. Thank you guys for everything and for making it lively and fun.” – Mayesha

The tumultuous activities of frosh week finished off with a karaoke café. Students were able to go to Conrod’s, grab a cup of steaming hot cocoa and listen to some grade-A entertainment: students singing karaoke to their heart’s content.

CLUB FAIR

Clubs from all different ranges had set up their kiosks in hopes of recruiting new members. Although some clubs should have been a bit more prepared according to certain students, they still gained many new members as the sign-up sheets filled to the brim would testify.

This semester, student engagement reached a new high with seven newly founded clubs, such as Dawson Vocal & Instrumental Club, Japanese Culture Appreciation club, Freedom Alliance, etc. in addition to the veteran clubs, such as Sci-Fi, Feminist Union, Chill Club, etc. With all these new groups, campus life will surely be quite eventful the next few semesters.

For more information on clubs, visit: [link to club page on DSU website]

Summary for newsletter: The beginning of semester started off with many activities to welcome students back on campus. The DSU organised frosh week by setting carnival games and cafe karaoke that allowed students to socialise, the clubs presented themselves to this year’s student body and started collaboration for possible events in the near future. Finally, a mask awareness campaign took place to ensure safety persists through the semester. Click here to read more.