Imagine

a campus community built on critical social awareness, personal exploration, and lifelong learning beyond the classroom . a Dalhousie culture that prioritized health, sustainability, diversity, equality and the vibrancy of the human spirit a dynamic student union that was a source of community and empowerment for all 18,000 of its members and a catalyst for broader social change We can make it happen.

On January 11 13 , 2013 the DSU is gathering three dozen student volunteers to descend to Windhorse Farm for what will be an inspiring and challenging weekend. We want you. Together we will be spending 2.5 days creating a base upon which to reach out and build a mass mobilization of students. The Windhorse weekend will be bringing together volunteers from all realms of work within the DSU. We are seeking a broad cross section of individuals from different faculties, years of study, and levels of engagement within the Union. Whether your passion is related to student advocacy, social events planning, mental health, academic innovation, or anything in between, we need you. Over the course of the 2.5 days we will seek clarity about our own leadership styles and our projects. We will learn from each other to better understand the landscape we are working within, and build relationships across project groups to create a united and visionary DSU community. This will feed into the Hands On, mass volunteer recruitment nd project we will be working on throughout 2 semester; kicking off with an orientation event on January 13.

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Want to attend? We would love to have you.

Please submit an application to at http://svy.mk/TWas6s by December st 31 . Space is limited to 35 participants.
Costs: The DSU will be covering costs for accommodations. However, participants are asked to chip in $35 each to help cover the cost of food and transportation. Alternative arrangements are available if cost is a barrier. Eligibility: To participate you must be a registered Dalhousie student and must be playing a leadership role within a hands on, DSUsponsored project. You must be prepared to enter a space of open-minded exploration and committed to applying your learnings on campus upon your return.

Who are w e collectively? What is the mission that is driving our work? What can we learn from each other? How can we leverage our current projects to build a thoughtful and courageous cam pus community? What are our individual roles within the bigger picture? What do we need to challenge within ourselves to bring our dreams into reality?

Transportation: We will be departing from Halifax early th in the afternoon on January 11 and returning late afternoon on the 13th. Transportation will be done via carpooling (to be coordinated by the DSU). Why Windhorse? Windhorse Farm has become the DSUs home away from home; a sanctuary for visioning, reflection, and teambuilding in between the periods of hectic work that go on inside the hallways of the SUB. Located in New Germany, Nova Scotia, Windhorse exists on 200 acres of Acadian forest. In addition to providing accommodations, the farm is also the longest running site of sustainable forestry in Canada, officially tracing its roots back to 1840. Be prepared for some magic!

To learn more about Windhorse visit www.windhorsefarm.org

About the Hands On Campaign

This retreat is part of a broader effort to create a Student Union driven by its members and grassroots representatives. By introducing forums such as Soapbox, by reforming the elections process of our council, by offering incredible events of all sorts, and through increased focus on our communications, we have built an organization ready to grow. Now, we want to invite in the masses. In second semester we will be engaged in trying to engage hundreds of volunteers to create a tipping point of engagement within our union. There are a number of initiatives already in the works that provide a sample of this vision. -

eg. students from the Dal Investment Society, Enactus, DSU Sustainability Office, and International Development Studies department coming together to develop a $2.5 million ethical investment strategy for DSU holdings eg. dozens of students from the School of Social Work leading an initiative to create a mental health focused peer partnership program for the DSU eg. hundreds of volunteers from across campus committing five full days of their lives to support incoming students each September during Orientation Week, and dozens more committing their entire summers helping to plan it eg. students from the Schools of Architecture and Planning leading the consultation process to guide renovations of our Student Union Building eg. dozens of students working tirelessly to build a mass movement of awareness and action around student debt and tuition fees

and lots lots more! These projects are part of a bigger picture that prioritizes grassroots engagement to create a student union that is relevant for all 18,000 of its members.

The Windhorse weekend is designed to bring together individuals who already have some level of involvement in DSU projects to create a more united community across working groups. On th January 13 , upon our return to Dal, we will be hosting a large-scale event designed to invite in dozens of new volunteers into our working groups. It starts by building a vibrant and dynamic community driven by a sense of collective vision. From there, our potential is unlimited. Help shape this vision. With questions, please contact dsu.sandbox@gmail.com