"We've misplaced our VP Academic," proclaimed Students' Union President Matt Stambaugh at the last Students' Legislative Council meeting, on Tue., Jan 14.

Rosie Nagra isn't exactly lost, though, just lost to the SU. On Fri., Jan. 10, Nagra submitted her letter of resignation to Stambaugh, ending her term as VP Academic four months early.

Though early speculation for her resignation included disillusionment with her position and an SU-retreat scandal, Nagra quit for educational reasons.

It's that time again.

The Students' Union is looking for nominations to fill its five full-time and 32 part-time elected positions for the upcoming year.

"It's the ultimate altruistic dream," said SU President Matt Stambaugh. "The Students' Union is the direct mechanism by which students can effect change, because we are a main communication body with many areas of the university."

A motion to add a referendum question to increase the Students' Union Health Plan fee to the next general election ballot passed first reading at the Tue., Nov. 19. Students' Legislate Council meeting. If passed by undergraduate students in 2003, the price for the Health Plan will increase by $7.50 to $59.00 per session for full-time students.

Students may get to double their support for the refugee student program in the next SU general election. The Students' Legislative Council passed the first reading of a resolution to include the referendum question which will ask part- and full-time students for $0.50 more per session.

SU Vice-President Operations and Finance Robbie White brought the motion to council on Tue. Nov. 19.

A festival atmosphere filled the MacEwan Student Centre on Wed., Nov. 6. A number of services available to students were showcased at the Students' Union-sponsored Academic Carnival.

"It's not the same old approach to getting students to get educated about the services here," said SU Vice-President Academic Rosie Nagra.

The event featured displays from groups like the Disability Resource Centre and Student Legal Assistance.

Students can both help the United Way and have a chance to win $3,000 toward tuition in a campus-wide fundraiser.

"It's a tuition lottery with all proceeds going to the United Way," said Students' Union Events Commissioner Brett Pearce, who represented students on the U of C United Way Tuition Lottery Committee.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased by anyone on or off campus. Should the winner not be a student, the prize is transferable to one student of the winner's choice.

How does a four-minute meeting turn into a four-hour long discussion? Simple: mention the words "Den" and "closure" in the first meeting, and involve the Students' Union in the second.

Due to recent violence, the Den will immediately reduce operating hours, increase beer prices, and require students to sign in off-campus guests.

According to Students' Union President Matt Stambaugh, the changes are due to university demands. University of Calgary Vice-President Finance and Services Phyllis Heaphy notified the SU in a letter dated Oct. 8 that last call would be made earlier immediately.

In a nearly unanimous decision, the Students' Legislative Council decided to re-implement the discontinued Thought Swap Forum Tue., Oct. 1. Established in the fall of 2001, the forums were an on-line meeting place for university students to share thoughts, concerns, criticisms and questions regarding the activities of the Students' Union.

It will be business as usual when the Students' Union runs its by-election from Oct. 9-11.

"A great deal of preparation has been going into this election," said Chief Returning Officer Shuvaloy Majumdar. "It's been meeting after meeting after meeting."