On February 6th Stephane Dion came to Calgary to debate senate reform with Senator Bert Brown.  Afterward, he joined the UCLA and MRU Liberal League for pints and politics at the University of Calgary Grad Lounge.  It was great to have a visit from a wonderful politician.  Thanks Mr. Dion for paying us a visit!

On February 3rd the UCLA and the UofC Vegan and Vegetarian club hosted Dr. David Swann, former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, and current MLA for Calgary-Mountainview, for a discussion on vegetarianism and the politics of what we eat.  Dr. Swann is a physician and vegetarian, so he was able to lead a fascinating discussion not only on the impacts of our dietary choices, but also on healthy living.  With almost 40 people at the event, it was a lively and engaging discussion.

A big thanks from our team goes out to our awesome panelists from the environmental panel on January 26th!  It was a great discussion, an awesome crowd, and a very important topic.  Thanks to Patricia Cameron from Green Calgary for talking to us about building community and the small steps we can take to become greener.  Thanks to City Councilor Brian Pincott for reminding us to be mindful of what we are doing, and to work harder to conserve our valuable resources for the next generation.  Thanks to MLA Laurie Blakeman for encouraging us to keep caring about and talking about the issues, and encouraging us to run for office!

Hello University of Calgary young Liberals!  If you are a club member, welcome back to what is sure to be another exciting semester, and if you are a new person looking to join our group we look forward to meeting you.  Here are a few of the events coming up in January (and early February):

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UCLA Events

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– Clubs Week –

From January 16th to 20th the UCLA will have a booth in Mac Hall for clubs week.  Be sure to stop by to sign our mailing list, purchase a membership, grab some swag, or just to say hi.  We look forward to meeting you.

– Is Sustainability a Possibility for Alberta? –

Join the UCLA along with Edmonton MLA Laurie Blakeman and Calgary City Councilor Brian Pincott as we discuss sustainability, and how it ties to the economy and society of Alberta.  This is an open event so bring your friends and your questions.  This event takes place on January 26th from 7 – 8:30pm in Science Theatres (ST) 132.

– Meet and Greet with Dr. Swann and the Vegan and Vegetarian Club –

On February 3rd we are collaborating with the Vegan and Vegetarian club to host a discussion on vegetarianism and environmentalism with our favourite vegetarian, former Alberta Liberal Party leader Dr. David Swann.  Non-vegetarians are welcome!  Check back soon for room location.

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Local Events Around Town

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– Bollywood Night –

Come enjoy some Indian cuisine and dancing with local Alberta Liberal Party candidates Christopher Tahn, Narita Sherman, and Iqtidar Awan.  This event takes place on January 27th at 7pm at Thorncliffe Community Centre (5600 Centre Street North, Calgary) and event tickets can be purchased at http://calgarybollywood.eventbrite.com/.  For more information or to volunteer contact Dawn at dawn@aquashell.com.

– Bleeding Heart Liberal Ball –

The Calgary East Liberal riding association will be hosting the second annual Bleeding Heart Liberal Ball on February 11th, 2012 at Fort Calgary.  This is a black tie affair, complete with a live band, food, dancing, and much more.  It is a great opportunity to dress up and meet some federal Liberals from all over Calgary.  If you are interested in volunteering for this event please email us at liberal@ucalgary.ca and we will connect you with their volunteer coordinator.  More info to come soon!

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Volunteer Opportunity

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Interested in helping with the provincial election?  Send us an email at liberal@ucalgary.ca and we will connect you with your local candidate.

On December 2nd, 2011 we hosted Zero Force Calgary.  We had an interesting discussion about the issue of child soldiers, and what young people can do to work towards ending the use of child soldiers worldwide.  We discussed Romeo Dallaire’s work with child soldiers, then watched Shake Hands with the Devil.  Thanks to everyone who braved the windy weather to attend the event!  We are pleased to announce that the University of Calgary Liberal Association has made a donation of $200 to Zero Force.  Check out their website at http://zeroforce.org/.

On Thursday Nov 24th the UCLA will be having a visit from Mike Crawley, one of the candidates for LPC President.  This event is open to any Calgary young Liberal, as Mike wants to talk to young Liberals about rebuilding the party.

When: November 24th, 2011

Time: 4:30 – 5:30pm

Location: MSC Executive Council Chambers (the round room in Mac Hall beside STOR and across from the Info Centre)

This is an open event so feel free to bring your friends!  Light refreshments will be served.

On November 30th the UCLA will be hosting our Delegate Selection Meeting for the 2012 Biennial Convention in Ottawa. The UCLA can send four delegates – 2 male and 2 female. If you are interested in attending the convention as a UCLA delegate please let us know at (liberal@ucalgary.ca) as soon as possible, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions about convention.

When: November 30th, 5 – 5:30pm

Where: ST (Science Theatres) 063
If we have more than four students interested in attending the convention we will work with the local riding associations to ensure that every Calgary young Liberal gets the opportunity to attend convention.

Here’s a quick look at what’s happening in October:

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Biennial Convention Info Session (UCLA Event)

When: October 11th,  5:30-6:30pm

Where: ST (Science Theatres) 064

Details:  Come learn about how you can become a delegate to attend the Liberal Party of Canada Biennial Convention in Ottawa from January 13 – 15th, 2012! We will be discussing what happens at Convention, what you need to do to become a delegate, and what kind of funding is available to you to help pay for the trip. Convention is a great opportunity to become more involved in the party and meet other great Liberals from across the country.

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Calgary Regional Oktoberfest (Calgary Regional Liberal Event)

When: October 11, 6:30-9:30pm

Where: Falconridge/Castleridge Community Centre, 95 Falshire Dr. NE

Details:  Liberal Oktoberfest with Ralph Goodale, beer, and Spolumbo’s sausages.  Tickets: $20.

Thanks to everyone who visited us a clubs week and attended our annual Kickoff pub night!  It was a great week, and we finished with a fun night of pizza and drinks with some awesome young Liberals as well as Dr. Janice Kinch (federal candidate for Calgary West), Kent Hehr (MLA for Calgary Buffalo), Bruce Payne (provincial candidate for Calgary Varsity), and Dr. David Swann (MLA for Calgary Mountainview).

If you missed us at clubs week and couldn’t make it to Kickoff, don’t worry, it’s never too late to join the UCLA.  Just send an email to liberal@ucalgary.ca and we’ll add you to our mailing list so you can make it to our next events.  You can also find us on facebook…

We at the UCLA would like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Raj Sherman, the new leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.  Dr. Sherman, we look forward to working with you!