Have Your Voice Heard

The Western Sikh Students Association has been in contact with local MP Irene Mathyssen of the NDP, and this Sunday she will be addressing Sangat at the London Sikh Society Gurdwara.

In previous exchanges with Ms. Mathyssen she has expressed an interest in having some sort of dialogue with Sikh Youth. Therefore, this Sunday the London Sikh Society has asked us to meet with her briefly. If you are interested being a part of an organized group of youth for this occasion we ask that you contact us immediately

As executive of WesternSSA and Board Members of COSS (Canadian Organization of Sikh Students) we encourage our members and affiliates to attend Gurdwara this Sunday or provide us with what they feel are issues that should be addressed. These issues can focus on anything that you feel is important both inside and outside of the Sikh community. We anticipate that we will be in contact with Ms. Mathyssen in the future as well, and that this Sunday will merely establish formal contact with her office.

We look forward to hearing from you and remind you that if transportation to the Gurdwara is needed, that the "need a ride" application can be filled out at www.westernssa.com or you can simply reply to this email with your information.

WesternSSA Bowling Night - The Pins Be Rolling While We Be Bowling

This Monday, January 22nd, WesternSSA will be holding its Annual Bowling Night. The weekly meeting for this Monday, will be replaced with Bowling. If you are interested in attending please let us know! For more details read below and view the flyer!

COST

$5 - 1 Game + Bowling Shoes
$8 - 2 Games + Bowling Shoes

There will also be Glo Golf (indoors).

TIME

We will be meeting up at the KRESGE BUILDING (beside Nat Sci) at 6:30 and taking the Bus (6 Richmond) from there. There also be some alternate transportation available which will be arranged on a first come, first serve basis.

The night is scheduled to go from 6:30 - 9:00pm

LOCATION

Fleetway Bowling Center

Manmohan Singh: The Sikh Solution or Problem?

Ever since the introduction of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister of India, socially conscious Sikhs have faced a fair amount of criticism. The most often comment thrown at revolutionary minded Sikhs is that "how can Sikhs be treated as second class citizens, when the Prime Minister himself is a Sikh". Howevever, what these invididuals fail to recognize is that one is not simply born a Sikh and is not a Sikh by default. Being a Sikh entails having a character or attempting to uphold the characters prescribed to us by the Guru.

The video below demonstrates how Manmohan Singh and Captian Amrinder Singh clearly do not uphold the values and basic teachings of the Guru. Please watch for further details.

The Return Of The House Keertans

WesternSSA has always been fortunate enough to have families within the local sangat in London, Ontario that have been eager to help students in anyway possible. Last year, we were fortunate enough to be invited as a group to attend the monthly keertans at the residence of Ajeet Singh and Rajbir Kaur (son and daughter of Sardar Beant Singh). The keertans became a monthly event that all the students looked forward too.

The morning program including Keertan done by youth, followed by langar provided by local sangat to deprived and hungry students, topped off by video games and adding to the collage of Satwant Bhenji attempting to eat and put food in her mouth, only made it THAT much more exciting.

Check out previous posts of events at Sardar Ajeet Singh and Bibi Rajbir Kaur's and don't forget to read the comments!

To See Last Years Event Click Here

WesternSSA has again been invited to attend a Keertan this weekend and we encourage all to attend, below we have pasted the invitation.. So check them out! Oh and if you need a ride or transportation please email us at westernssa@gmail.com and transportation will be arranged!

Oh and in case you thought we forgot Ajeet, we still have some baby pictures we jacked from your house... its for the people to decide if you still look like a.... well you know ;-)

THE INVITATION

Waheguroo jee ka khalsa Waheguroo jee kee fateh

This weekend Verraich family from the Sikh Community would like to invite WSSA and its members to a keertan program at their house.

It will be held on Sunday January 14, 2007 at 641 Tennent Ave, for any directions please call (519) 667-2190 or (519) 859-2190.

The program will start at 5 p.m. were there will be keertan and rehras which will be followed by langar at 7:30.

If anybody needs a ride or has a question please don’t hesitate to ask just call (519) 667-2190, (519) 859-2190 or e-mail westernssa@gmail.com or ajeet_s_13@hotmail.com.

We hope to see you there!

Waheguroo jee ka khalsa Waheguroo jee kee fateh

2007 Toronto Sikh Retreat

Educate, Enlighten, Engage

In his best-selling book, Thomas Friedman asks the provoking question “Does your society have more memories than dreams or more dreams than memories?“

• How would the Sikh Panth answer this question today?

• Are Sikhs focused on dreams or memories?

• What are our dreams for a global Sikh community?

Find out at the Toronto Sikh Retreat and get EDUCATED, ENLIGHTENED AND ENGAGED.

www.torontosikhretreat.org

University Application Help For Western!

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!
Waheguroo Jee Ke Fateh!

All across Ontario, Grade 12 students are currently filling out their university applications. This time of the year can be very stressful and at times confusing. Therefore, The Western Sikh Students' Association from The University of Western Ontario would like to extend a helping hand to any students interested in applying to UWO or any of its affiliated colleges. Many students may not like the idea of applying to an affiliated college, however they are unfamiliar with the structure of UWO colleges.

There are 3 affiliated colleges at the University of Western Ontario as well as main campus uwo.

1. Kings University College
2. Brescia University College (all girls)
3. Huron University College
4. Main Campus (uwo)

All 3 affiliated Colleges are basically branches of UWO and are located on campus so that you are not isolated or more than a 5 minute walk away from anything located on main campus. Brescia, Kings and Huron are all considered faculties of UWO. A great way to explain it, is by drawing a comparison between the two different faculties of Social Science and Health Sciences, the affiliated University/Colleges would essentially the samething. Also, affilated colleges, are not colleges but are a part of the university (UWO) and you will recieve a UWO degree and not a diploma. You will also be given the option of taking classes on main campus or any of the affiliated colleges. It is also easy to transfer to main campus at any time during your 4 years (this is beneficial for those who want to attend main campus but do not have the marks, as affiliated colleges entrance grades are often a few percent lower).

On a side note, UWO has consistently been named as one of the the top academic school in the nation and is known to have one of the nicest campus layouts in Canada.

Therefore, if anyone is interested in applying to UWO, Brescia, Kings or Huron and has any questions, The Western Sikh Students' Association will be glad to lend a helping hand. We can be reached via email at westernssa@gmail.com or our website www.westernssa.com

Your Sevadaars,
WSSA Exec

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!
Waheguroo Jee Ke Fateh!

Happy New Years!

WesternSSA would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and advance Happy Gurpurab (Celebration of the Birth of Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj). Below is a clip of New Year Celebrations and the Countdown from Ontario Khalsa Darbar, more famously known as Dixie Gurdwara.

Paramjit Singh - The Original Judgment

In a nation that so proudly claims to be the "worlds largest democracy"; the true colours of corruption, oppression and abuse have again been revealed in the state of Punjab.

In a recent case, the Punjab Police have demonstrated their fear of an awakening. Admidst numerous reports it appears as though the Police have resorted to practices of torture, abuse and the ever so common practice of framing ordinary citizens for personal gains.

The police allegations state that 3 Sikh men have been detained on the grounds of carrying and hiding weapons in a conspiracy to carry out attacks during the upcoming elections. It has also been hinted that the Police believe that the attacks were part of a greater plan to revive the 1980's revolution.

Among those arrested, it has been revealed that one of the three men, Paramjit Singh, is a British citizen. In efforts to shed light on the current developments of the case and in an attempt to help truth prevail (in accordance to the spirit of the Khalsa Panth). WesternSSA has obtained documents of the original judgment against Paramjit Singh.

We encourage that these be distributed and published freely without permission, and that Sikh Youth spread awareness about the issue to the greater community through both a united stance and voice.

Below we have attached the original judgment.

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