Post submitted by Caitlin Cimowsky.

Rotman Commerce Women in Business presents:
Women’s Leadership Symposium (WLS)
Friday, March 23, 2012
Four Seasons Hotel Yorkville

Our annual Symposium is an innovative and exciting opportunity for the brightest and best women to gather and share experiences. It is meant to unite and empower business-minded women while also celebrating professional women who have already created their own paths in their respective industries.

The conference will offer students a platform to broaden their knowledge of business opportunities in various fields and expand their skills. In one exciting day, delegates will be exposed to numerous inspiring stories, tips for success and networking opportunities. This will all be held through mediums such as multiple keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, seminars and panel speakers.

With this year’s theme “Leave Your Mark” we aim to inspire delegates to step outside their own boundaries by positively impacting and contributing to their local and global community.

The day includes breakfast and lunch, and it starts at 9am and ends at 5pm.

The symposium is open to ALL students, and is not just for business students! There are panelists from many exciting industries ranging from fashion, entertainment, PR, hospitality, advertising, accounting, and finance, and it’s a great way to learn more about an industry that you’re interested in working in one day or to explore different career paths.

We are thrilled to announce Arlene Dickinson of Dragons’ Den as our keynote speaker! Each ticket price includes a free copy of her best-selling book, Persuasion.

Check out our website at http://rcwib.students.rotmancommerce.utoronto.ca/, and then head over to http://rcwib2012.eventbrite.com/before February 18th to take advantage of early bird prices!
Early bird prices for NON-Rotman students are $50 and are $40 for Rotman students- this is a great deal considering it includes 2 meals, Arlene’s books, and lots of other goodies!

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On January 23rd, Oohlala Mobile announced the transformation of University of Toronto’s St. George campus into a virtual playground. By downloading the app, Oohlala, students become contestants in a digital treasure hunt, utilizing the GPS on their smartphones to locate and acquire the treasure. The hunt involves three simple steps:
Step 1: Locate the treasure chest using the app.
Step 2: Obtain the treasure chest.
Step 3: Prevent others stealing it from you!
Other students using the app are able to snatch the chest if they are within 50m of the prize holder. Students must use their wits, determination and speed while trying to hold on to the prize over a 5-day period! The person holding the chest on Thursday, February 6th at 5pm is the winner of a high-end Macbook Air, while the person who has held on to the chest the longest without its capture gets a semester’s worth of text books for free.
Check out the game here: www.CampusApp.com

Virtual Capture the Flag is OOHLALA Mobile’s latest initiative to enhance campus life via the OOHLALA mobile app. The app also allows students across Canadian universities and colleges, along with their student unions, to connect with one another, form study groups, trade books, get notified of campus events, and access exclusive student deals from local and national retailers. Student unions (such as the UTSU, which has adopted Oohlala as its official app) and clubs are able to view metrics to gauge student engagement and success of events, allowing them to deliver a more tailored and engaging student experience. “Oohlala Mobile is all about energizing the student experience and fostering a more close knit feel on campus. We help students navigate their campus life and have a good time while doing so,” said Danial Jameel, CEO and founder of Oohlala Mobile. “An interactive and action packed approach, Virtual Capture the Flag represents our commitment to finding unique ways for students to explore their campus and meet new people without relying on clichéd forms of marketing such as campus flyers on crowded bulletin boards and Facebook posts. Mediums that are effective in theory but have become saturated to the point that a lot of useful information is lost in the noise.” Danielle Sandhu, President of UTSU, remarked, “Traditional forms of mass communication are often drowned out in a sea of information and are often ineffective when it comes to reaching many target groups. Today’s students suffer from stimulus overflow and short attention spans. We need to keep things dynamic. When people know they are in for an interesting experience – in this case, being a part of not only a live adventure but an inaugural use of a new technology – not only does it create awareness of their university activities, but it strengthens their affinity to it.” Concepts like these are challenging the paradigms of media and interaction. Live gaming apps are just but one of the innovative ideas Oohlala has planned for engaging the North American student populace. Students want and deserve to get the most out of their time in college and that is our mission.

Oohlala Mobile’s motto is to “Energize the Student Experience”. Since its launch in September 2011, the company, composed of students and recent grads, has been selected by tech/startup accelerator FounderFuel, adopted by the Canadian federation of students, and numerous student unions including those at University of Toronto, Ryerson, McGill. The company has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including top honors at the Rotman ADventure business competition, Kinnear Business competition, NBTC 2011 entrepreneur competition, Queen’s Entrepreneur competition, Bank of Montreal’s Apex business competition, and the Quebec entrepreneur competition.

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

Not too long ago, I posted a press release for Green Dot Week and, this Wednesday, I decided to attend a Green Dot talk at Innis to learn more.

I’d first like to mention how impressed I was with the presenter, Cheryl. Incorporating personal experiences with violence to show how the Green Dot may actually be applied to everyday life, she also illustrated that the person doing the hurting is not necessarily the only one with a choice to make.

If you didn’t read the press release, you’re probably wondering what the heck the Green Dot is. Here’s a brief summary:

The Green Dot initiative focuses on ending act of power-based personal violence – Red Dots – which include partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking, through the use of the three Ds. As written on the postcard I received at the talk, the three Ds are:
Direct: ’If you think someone you know could be in an abusive relationship, tell them you’re concerned.’
Distract: ‘If you see someone trying to isolate someone else who has been drinking heavily, find an excuse to get that person safely out of the situation.’
Delegate: ’If you’re concerned for someone’s safety, but it feels dangerous to intervene, get other people to help, including security or police if necessary.’
(Please note that not all Ds will be appropriate for every situation – it’s up to you to decide which one will work best.)
The Green Dot initiative also works to support survivors and create a culture less tolerant of violence.

There’s a certain stigma when it comes to talking about violence. Yes, violence can be difficult to talk about, but it needs to be addressed if we ever want to see a world without it. Cheryl noted that you may need to overcome some personal obstacles, social/peer pressure, and/or the bystander effect (assuming that another person is going to deal with the problem), in order to work up the courage to put the Green Dot initiative into action. But you know what? In putting the Green Dot to work, not only could you be protecting someone from a dangerous situation, you could also be letting them know that you care about their wellbeing. In doing so, the Green Dot makes violence more visible, and offers survivors a sense of hope that they don’t have to suffer in silence.

I fully support this initiative, and I wear my Green Dot button to serve as a constant reminder of my duty to put the Green Dot to work and put an end to violence.

Are you interested in learning more? Check out Green Dot’s official website or Facebook Page, or attend the talk on January 24. Also, Green Dot is offering Green Dot Bystander Training Days, which are taking place on the following days:
January 28, 2012 at UTM
February 4, 2012 at St. George
Reading Week – All Campuses
Each training days will offer a full day of skills development and, at the end of the day, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

So, what’s your Green Dot going to be?

Note: The original text has been slightly altered.

What kind of community do you want to live in?

The Green Dot campaign aims to create a community that doesn’t tolerate violence, one that cares about others, and supports a safer campus for everyone.

A Green Dot is any action that reduces the risk of power-based personal violence like sexual assault, partner abuse, and stalking. U of T is the first to implement the Green Dot strategy in Canada, and is supported by many different partners across the three campuses in student health services, campus safety, and beyond. Developed by Dr. Dorothy Edwards at the University of Kentucky, Green Dot is grounded in research that looks at the bystander effect, and why people do not get involved. Green Dot training helps students identify their personal obstacles in becoming an active bystander, and teaches specific skills to help students those obstacles, while staying safe themselves. The three Ds – Direct, Distract, or Delegate – are the skills students learn so that they can help their friends or acquaintances when they see the risk of violence.

The first annual Green Dot week, January 16-20, 2012, will showcase Green Dot and give students a chance to learn more.

Why a Green Dot? We start with the experiences of violence in our students’ lives – the red dots. A student has sex with another student when they are drunk and can’t give consent. A student is abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend, whether gay or straight, or stalked after a breakup. A red dot is an act of power-based personal violence, or choices to tolerate‚ justify, or perpetuate violence. The solution is the green dot – the individual choices that people make to do something – anything – to help others and make our community safer. A reactive green dot is pulling a friend out of a high-risk situation; a proactive green dot is striking up a conversation with a friend about how much this issue matters to you. What’s your Green Dot going to be?

To learn more about Green Dot and upcoming events, visit www.greendot.utoronto.ca.

Change calls for action. That’s why hundreds of people will lace up their sneakers on Saturday, November 12 and literally take steps toward change by participating in the Covenant House Step Up for Street Kids 5K walk, an event that raises money and awareness in support of homeless youth.

Why walk the walk? The 2,000 or so kids who sleep on Toronto’s streets are 2,000 or so good reasons. And last year, about 4,000 kids found shelter and support at Covenant House, an organization that relies on donors for more than 80% of its $18.8-million operating budget. Covenant House provides 24/7 crisis care 365 days a year, as well as services like education, health care, counselling, and employment assistance.

Kids who make it out there are the lucky ones. The street is a perilous place for young people, many of whom are desperate and alone after fleeing or being forced from homes where they’ve experienced abuse or neglect. Sometimes kids just fall in with the wrong crowd and end up trapped in a cycle of substance abuse and crime.

Just about anyone can wind up on the street. Homeless youth come from every part of the country and every background. About half come from middle- and upper-class homes – like Michelle, the leader of the Covenant House Step Up team. Michelle is a former resident who was able to turn her life around because of the support she received at Covenant House.

Michelle grew up in the GTA, got good grades, and didn’t get into trouble until she got to high school, where she met a new crowd and started using drugs. Once she was hooked, Michelle began to steal from her family to get her fix. She shares more about her story here.

Thankfully, Michelle found her way to Covenant House, where she spent a year getting back on track. Now she’s a college graduate looking for work in community support services. Michelle is dedicated to supporting the people and the place that helped her find her way through troubled times.

If you can’t walk the walk this year, you can still step up by sponsoring Michelle and her team. The event takes place on Saturday, November 12 at 3pm at Yonge and Dundas Square. For more information, check out http://www.covenanthouse.ca/walk or visit Covenant House on Facebook and Twitter.

On October 20th, from 7-9pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre, VUSAC’s Education and Equity Commission and Invisible Children are screening ‘Tony’, a 50-minute documentary that will open your eyes to a world of terror in Northern Uganda.

Northern Uganda has been a war zone due to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) for the past 25 years. The LRA is largely comprised of child soldiers who were violently abducted from their homes.

Watch the movie, discuss the content, meet the Invisible Children staff, and buy some Invisible Children gear to support their work.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

Too many people don’t know about UTM/TV. Get ready to laugh!