Ever heard of the Undergraduate Sociology Students’ Union (USSU)? If you’re currently enrolled in a sociology course or program, or you’re thinking about enrolling in a sociology course, check out USSU to learn more about the Department, recent curriculum changes, and take advantage of their upcoming academic seminars and fun socials! If you’re interested to meet other like-minded individuals via socials held by USSU as well as receive opportunities to further develop your sociology career, you have to go to one of their events this year. I met the executive during Clubs Carnival last week and it was amazing to see their energy amongst other excited students during Orientation Week. If you missed them then, be sure to read on for more information regarding what they’re all about, and how you can see them at their upcoming events.
Name of club: Undergraduate Sociology Student Union (USSU)
Social media links:
Website: http://ussu.sa.utoronto.ca
Facebook: @Undergraduatesociologystudentunion
Instagram: @ussu_uoft
Sign up for our email listserv for event updates!
Email: ussu.uoft@gmail.com
Twitter: @ussu_uoft
Answers provided by:
Jina Aryaan: Co-President, 4th year, Sociology major, French and Latin American studies minor, University College
Zakerie Farah: Vice President, 4th Year, Sociology, Political Science, Innis College
Peter Magnuszewski: Academic Events Director, 4th Year, Psychology; Sociology; Biodiversity Conservation Biology, Trinity College
Krall Yu: Social Events Director, 3rd year, Sociology specialist, New College
Patricia Dimakos: Creative Director, 4th Year, Sociology & Art History, Trinity College
Tell me a bit about USSU in a few sentences or less
Krall: USSU is a student union that aims to enhance student’s experiences in Sociology. It not only serves as a gap between students and faculty, but also provides Sociology students opportunities to engage in student life, whether that’d be through academic advice, updates on curriculum changes, and both academic and social events.
What made you interested in becoming a part of this club?
Jina: I like challenges and investing my time and efforts in initiatives that can allow for great progress and improvement. I see USSU as a challenge – the Union has always been great, but it can be even greater, as it should. Our student members deserve nothing less, and I, along with the rest of the executive team, aim to lead our Union in that direction this year. One way or another, you’ll be hearing of USSU a lot more this year, as we will definitely reach a lot more people through various campaigns and events.
Zakerie: Honestly I found all my sociology courses so cool, so I had to figure out a way to get more involved. I saw an event page about USSU Election and I was like “Yup, I’m going to do it”. I am glad I did, the execs seem so cool and invested. We are planning a jam packed year. As Vice-President, I hope to strengthen the connection between sociology students and our union.
Peter: Sociology is such a vast and diverse field of study. This is reflected in the many ideas and people you meet. Personally, I found USSU to be an inseparable component of my sociology experience at UofT. USSU was a fantastic way to meet other students who are studying sociology and a place where I could further tailor my academic interests. I joined the club as an event director due to the fact I found events to be the best way for other sociology students to meet each other beyond the classroom, get exposed to new ideas, as well as explore their career and academic opportunities. USSU has been very important for me and I wish to help USSU be part of other sociology students’ experiences.
How does USSU as a student union fit within the Arts&Science faculty and within the Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU)? Do you feel that it is important for individual departments/faculties to have their own student union?
Krall: USSU as a student union can cooperate with Arts&Science faculty to hold some academic events to enhance student’s experience under Arts&Science. USSU can also serve as a bridge between students and faculty that student can learn more about the faculty and the resources it provides. On the other hand, the faculty can also get closer to students to learn their needs[…] Through ASSU, students who are under multiple programs and have engaged in USSU can find other students union that they want to get involved. Another way around, students do not know USSU can find us within ASSU. Most importantly, students can gain more through exchange ideas and thoughts with other students. I personally feel that it is important for individual departments to have their own student union. By having the union, students can work together to make their program better and to create a better learning experience altogether. It can give students a sense of belonging that it can make students feel that they are not alone. There are many students study under the program just like you. And whatever challenges you meet during your studies, there are people have the same problem as you. A student union is a good place that you discuss your problems and find out the solution with other students.
What is the role of Sociology as a study in school? Do you feel that students outside of Arts&Science (i.e Engineering, Architecture, Pharmacy, etc.) can benefit from taking a sociology class?
Jina: The unique quality of sociology courses is that they all provide you a distinct sociological lens from which you can view the world very differently. Once you acquire all of these diverse perspectives, you really do become more understanding and critical in the manner in which you reason and make judgments. You become inquisitive and solution-oriented – granted, these are skills that you may develop in other academic fields, but they’re guaranteed in sociology classes. Many people go through University without having experienced one single eye-opening class – enjoying a course is not the same as being personally affected and influenced by it for the rest of your scholarly career. Sociology classes offer this unique experience, and they are especially beneficial to students of other academic disciplines who are aiming for a well-rounded academic background.
Zakerie: Most definitely, all students can benefit from a sociology class! In sociology, we tackle questions that we all ponder about, ranging from everyday social interactions to the institutional inequalities that are profound in our world. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter what field you are in as long as people are involved, a sociologist can be of assistance. Companies like Facebook use sociologists to advise on questions surrounding social networks. Tinder employed a sociologist to make their dating app more equitable to folks in the transgender community. Sociology is one of the most versatile bodies of knowledge.
Peter: We are all part of social groups, so regardless of our academic backgrounds, it is beneficial to learn a little bit of sociology. Sociology is a very interesting field and might encourage a new critical and analytical approach to many pressing social issues. Moreover, sociology is a very diverse field of study so there are courses that may appeal to students studying in a variety of subject areas. Examples include economic sociology, sociology of health care, gender and society, crime and deviance or social policy, to name a few. Students outside of Arts and Science may have an opportunity to learn something they care about in their social lives or something that interests them. Moreover, sociology can provide a whole new critical and analytical approach to a topic, allowing for new perspectives and depth to anyone’s areas of interest. Because of the variety of sociological topics and the fact that we are intertwined in society, taking sociology courses is beneficial regardless of academic backgrounds.
What are you most excited about this academic year involving USSU?
Jina: I am most excited about increasing our campus and online presence through frequent and consistent engagement with our Union members and the UofT student body as a whole.
Zakerie: We are starting a new initiative this year making Facebook groups for many sociology courses. Facebook Groups for your classes allow students to post notes, ask questions about the course and get them answered by your fellow classmates. Sometimes these groups are created naturally by students in the class and can be a great help, many times it doesn’t happen and that sucks. USSU wants to make sure these groups are created to help students with their learning.
Peter: I am most excited for the many social events and academic events planned for this year. This will be a chance for sociology students to meet each other and engage with the faculty. There will also be career events to help students explore their career opportunities if they choose to study sociology. I am excited for the new academic year and would like to see people who are interested in sociology take advantage of these exciting initiatives this year!
Patricia: I am most excited about playing a part in the growth of USSU this year and the role of USSU in connecting like-minded peers from a variety of academic backgrounds, all with common interests and/or studies in Sociology.
How can one get involved with USSU?
Jina: Events, events, events! Honestly, it takes a lot of effort to make time to hit the social scene in university with all the other commitments everyone has to manage, so why not come out to our events and meet like-minded people with similar interests all in one place? Students should also run for our by-elections in late September if they’re interested in holding a more formal executive role and contributing to the Union’s activities in a more meaningful way.
Zakerie: Make sure you go to our AGM coming up, we have a few spots on the exec left. We want you! Learn more about this by liking our page on Facebook
Krall: Student can connect with our social media and get information there. They can get involved through joining our social or academic events. They can also come to our office hours to learn more about us.
Favourite Sociology course you’ve taken?
Jina: Almost everyone in the sociology program enjoys a good Crime and Deviance course (SOC212). While there is an executive consensus on this one, it’s a little harder to pick between all the other great SOC courses out there.
Patricia: It’s hard to choose a favourite as I have taken many interesting and unique courses, but two Sociology courses that I really enjoyed and recommend are Introduction to Social Network Analysis (SOC355) and Crime and Deviance (SOC212).
Any events students should be looking forward to?
Jina: We’ll be holding our Annual General Meeting and By-Elections on Sept. 27th from 4 to 6 PM, followed by a fun pub night to mix and mingle with the new executive and other sociology students. It’s a great opportunity for students, especially first years, to come out and either run for an executive position or meet the current exec team and learn more about our Union. To learn more about the available executive positions, interested students should check out our events page. We’ve also got tons of activities planned out for the rest of the year, and we can’t wait to share these events with our student members in the next few weeks.
What exciting initiatives/campaigns do you have prepared for the upcoming year?
Jina: Besides our many events, after months of discussion, we’re finally getting office space at the Sociology Department! We won’t just be online anymore, we’ll actually have a physical presence on campus. Our execs will have office hours so we can offer in-person academic advice, interact with our student members, and offer some office services that can make their lives a little easier come midterm season. We’re also planning out the logistics of having our first Sociology Journal for all students who have taken a sociology course in the past to have their research and academic papers formally recognized by the Department and shared with their peers. This initiative is still being worked on, but it’s definitely something to watch out for later in the year.