Coinciding with the recent rare appearance of the Super Blue Blood Moon on Jan. 31, SSMU’s fate will be decided on April 1 when students vote on whether they would like to see its home, the University Central building, immolated in a ritual bonfire hosted by the McGill Outdoors Collective[Read More…]
Articles by Domenic Casciato
SSMU candidates wrestle with eroded student trust, building closure at debate
Corrine Bulger, U2 Arts, is running on a platform of increasing the number of SSMU community spaces, following through with incumbents’ projects—including creating a SSMU sexual violence policy and improving relations with the Milton-Parc community—and making SSMU governance more accessible by incorporating multimedia.
Tre Mansdoerfer, U2 Engineering, wishes to develop closer relationships with faculty associations and increase their participation and representation in Senate, re-establish students’ trust in SSMU’s governance, and advocate for initiatives including a Fall reading week, improvements in mental health services, and redressing McGill’s Sexual Violence Policy.
First Impressions: Drake’s “God’s Plan”
On Feb. 16, Drake dropped his newest music video, “God’s Plan.” The video, which heavily implies that Drake is, in fact, God, has already gone triple platinum, further proving Mr. Graham’s messianic claims. The McGill Tribune Arts & Entertainment team gives their first impressions on the most controversial Drake video since[Read More…]
Son Lux charts a dissonant journey in ‘Brighter Wounds’
Son Lux is incapable of making an uninteresting song. On their new album, Brighter Wounds, Rafiq Bhatia’s hypnotizing guitar licks, Ian Chang’s slurred drumming, and founder Ryan Lott’s warbly falsetto and intricate production give listeners a glimpse into the eclectic future of music. The trio are known for a wide[Read More…]
The guilty male conscience in the age of #MeToo
On Jan. 13, the website babe.net published the controversial exposé, "I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life,” sparking conversations across the media about the #MeToo movement, verbal consent, and women’s’ agency. The report—and the conversations it provoked—diverged from the dominant contemporary[Read More…]
Rap loses its rockstar
On the night of Nov. 15, Gustav Åhr, known by his stage name Lil Peep, was found dead inside his tour bus outside of a venue in Tucson, Arizona. He was set to perform in the second to last stop on his Come Over When You’re Sober tour, a 68-day tour[Read More…]
Students challenge SSMU Board of Directors’ authority to add GA quorum Referendum
“We are concerned about the power currently held by the Board of Directors—an unelected body whose power has been increased through constitutional amendments in the past few years,” Kirwin wrote. “This referendum question was brought by the BoD unconstitutionally, and as SSMU members, we must insist that constitutional modes of decision-making are upheld, and that power is not taken from the General Assembly and consolidated at the top of the ladder.”
A legacy of student activism
Quebec’s student unions and federations are some of the most politically active and mobile student networks in the world. Since the first general student strike in 1968, national student federations have organized six more massive strikes in Quebec. Twenty-first century political activism in the province has largely become organized around[Read More…]
SSMU Legislative Council deliberates AVEQ affiliation and President Tojiboeva
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council convened on Oct. 19 amid debate over a lack of transparency, questions about breaches of confidentiality, and allegations of underhanded politics. Structural projects such as the building closure, the libraries improvement project, and the proposed bike facility were discussed, but the[Read More…]
SSMU Vice-President Finance suspended from the SSMU Board of Directors
The Board approved a motion mandating SSMU General Manager Ryan Hughes to investigate alleged leaks to student media during their Sept. 24 meeting. At the Oct. 16 meeting, Hughes presented the findings of his investigation to the Board. SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva, VP Internal Maya Koparkar, and VP Student Life Jemark Earle were asked to leave the SSMU boardroom for the length of the closed session, and Khan, who was attending the Blueprints for Success conference in Los Angeles on behalf of SSMU, was absent from the meeting entirely.
Album Review: ‘Luv is Rage 2’ – Lil Uzi Vert
Hip hop artist Lil Uzi Vert made waves earlier in 2017 with his triple-platinum single “XO Tour Llif3.” As with many artists’ debut albums following a hit single, Luv is Rage 2 strives to hit the same mark as its single with varying degrees of success. The album opens with “Two,”[Read More…]
SSMU Board of Directors discusses constitutionality of current membership at public session
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) held a public session on Sept. 24 to discuss the constitutionality of the composition of the current membership of the body, among other agenda items. SSMU Vice-President (VP) Finance and Director Arisha Khan introduced a motion to add the discussion to[Read More…]
Governance 101
STUDENTS' SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY Who They Are The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is the representative and governing body for all students pursuing undergraduate and professional degrees at McGill. Its base of operations is the University Centre—also known as the Shatner Building, named after a particularly famous graduate.[Read More…]
The allegory of Trump in Canada
As an American student at McGill, many of the things I’ve heard some Canadians say about the United States—particularly its politics—have been false, absurd, and, on occasion, hypocritical. More concerning, however, is the apparent failure of many Canadians to understand American politics and learn from our mistakes. In my experience,[Read More…]
SSMU to develop Sexualized and Gendered Violence Policy
On March 23, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced plans to hold an open forum on April 11 to discuss the creation and implementation of a SSMU Gendered and Sexualized Violence Policy (GSVP). The creation of the GSVP was proposed after former SSMU vice-president (VP) External David Aird[Read More…]
Floor fellows to vote on tentative agreement with McGill
On March 23, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) reached a tentative agreement with the McGill administration regarding the employment of floor fellows. AMUSE Unit B represents floor fellows and has been bargaining with the university since October 2014 on floor fellow salaries, values, and job security. AMUSE[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP University Affairs
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) University Affairs represents student interests at level of the university administration. The VP University Affairs sits on the McGill Senate, maintains relations between SSMU and all levels of the university—except for the Board of Governors, which falls within the President’s portfolio—oversees[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: President
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President is the spokesperson of the Society, enforces its constitution and internal regulations, and manages relations between SSMU and McGill. The president is also responsible for coordinating the SSMU executive team. The three candidates are Lukas Shannon, Helen Ogundeji, and Muna Tojiboeva. At[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP Finance
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Finance is responsible for developing and managing the annual SSMU budget, authorizing agreements between SSMU and external groups, and overseeing the disbursement of funds to student groups. Arisha Khan is the only candidate for the position. Her platform includes plans to[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP Operations
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Operations is responsible for managing the SSMU building, operations including Gerts Bar and Sadie’s, and overseeing SSMU’s sustainability efforts. Anuradha Mallik is the only student running for election as VP Operations. Her platform includes reviewing SSMU’s unethical and unsustainable investments, continuing[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP External
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) External represents the society’s interests to local and provincial governments, other student associations, and groups, including McGill labour unions. The VP External is also in charge of SSMU’s political campaigns and mobilization efforts. After Mazin Gasim withdrew from the race after[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP Internal
Maya Koparkar is the only candidate running for the position of Vice-President (VP) Internal, which is tasked with overseeing the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) first-year outreach activities, communications, and student engagement. Koparkar aims to expand the portfolio of VP Internal in order to diversify the events offered to[Read More…]
SSMU Election 2017: VP Student Life
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Student Life manages relations between SSMU and its clubs, services, and independent student groups. In pursuit of this, the position is tasked with helping student groups coordinate events, assisting student groups with resources, managing the Society’s mental health initiatives, and collaborating[Read More…]
McGill administration and SSMU meet to discuss Igor Sadikov
On Feb. 17, protesters demonstrated around the James Administration Building in response to the McGill administration’s alleged threat to terminate the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) if SSMU did not release a public statement calling for the resignation of Arts Representative Igor Sadikov. Sadikov caused[Read More…]
McGill Senate discusses 2017-2022 Strategic Academic Plan
The McGill Senate met on Feb.15 for an open discussion on McGill’s Strategic Academic Plan for 2017 to 2022, a presentation of the Staffing Report for 2016, and to pass a motion formally recognizing the celebration of Black History Month by the university. Open discussion on the McGill University Strategic[Read More…]
Mayor Coderre holds consultations to open Montreal Urban Aboriginal Health Centre
The Montreal Urban Aboriginal Health Committee (MUAHC), an organization mandated to empowering the health of Montreal’s Aboriginal communities, has successfully brought the city’s mayor, Denis Coderre, and his cabinet into public consultations to open an Aboriginal health centre in Montreal. The health centre would provide free services to those of[Read More…]
The McGill Commitment advances experiential learning
The McGill Commitment, a project spearheaded by the Office of the Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning Ollivier Dyens, has gained significant traction after being granted a $300,000 yearly fund from the Office of Provost and Vice-Principal Academic Christopher Manfredi in May 2016. Since its conception in Fall 2015, the[Read More…]
AUS to research free course pack material, plans to expand SNAX management
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council met on Jan. 25 to discuss ongoing and future projects within the Faculty of Arts, including upcoming AUS executive elections, the creation of an ad-hoc committee for the management of the SNAX stand, and negotiating with professors to dramatically reduce the price of[Read More…]
AMUSE members secure collective agreement with McGill
Two years of negotiations conclude in agreement On the night of Jan. 9, members of the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) voted 86 per cent in favour to ratify a new collective agreement with McGill. The union, which represents over 1,500 casual employees on campus ranging from floor[Read More…]
McGill Senate approves Policy against Sexual Violence
Policy against Sexual Violence On Nov. 23, the McGill Senate unanimously approved the Policy against Sexual Violence. With the Senate’s approval, the Policy will now proceed to the Board of Governors for approval on Dec. 1. Student staff and administration representatives will form a committee for the implementation of the[Read More…]
Drop in appointments overhauled at McGill Counselling and Mental Health Services
Starting this October, receiving medical notes for exam and assignment deferrals has been made substantially more difficult. With the ongoing integration of McGill Counselling and Mental Health Services (MCMHS), drop in appointments at the student mental health clinic have been overhauled. As a part of this change, students will no[Read More…]
University Provost hosts town hall to discuss McGill budget
McGill’s Office of the Budget held a town hall on Oct. 25 to discuss the McGill budget for the 2017 fiscal year, explain how it was created, and allow the public to ask questions and give their input about what they would like to see included as the budget is finalized[Read More…]
Tuition-paying students not complicit in McGill’s investment practices
McGill’s endowment fund is a hot button topic. Since September alone, there has been a disruption of McGill’s Board of Governors by Divest McGill to raise awareness of sustainability, a series of open forums on sustainability, and a presentation about global growth and the environment. Many McGill students are passionately[Read More…]
AMUSE calls for five-day strike for casual employees at McGill
On the morning of Oct. 29, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) went on strike. AMUSE met with members of the university administration on Oct. 28 to discuss proposed changes to their collective agreement with the university regarding the Work Study program. AMUSE announced that they would go[Read More…]
AMUSE general assembly authorizes strike mandate
With 82 per cent approval, the Association for McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) pursued a mandate on Oct. 20 to authorize the union to strike. AMUSE began in Fall 2008 in hopes of unionizing work study employees. According to the AMUSE website, there are currently 1,500 union members, representing both[Read More…]
#ConsentMcGill annual campaign teaches students about consent, sexual violence, and healthy relationships
The #ConsentMcGill campaign kicked off its third year with a week of speaking panels, workshops, and other activities designed to educate members of the McGill community about consent, sexual violence, and how to build healthy relationships. Events were scheduled from Sept. 26 to 30 and covered a variety of topics[Read More…]
McGill Senate raises concern over high rates of sexual harassment complaints
At its first meeting on Sept. 21, the McGill Senate reviewed reports on research misconduct, sexual harassment, and social equity from the past year. During the session, Senate appointed a new assessor under the Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law, and laid out the plan for[Read More…]
McGill replaces clickers with online cloud system in Fall 2016
As of Fall 2016, courses at McGill University will no longer use clickers for in-class surveys. Instead, Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) has introduced TurningPoint Cloud, a new web-based polling technology. Unlike clickers, TurningPoint Cloud is free for students, allowing them to mark their attendance and participate in quizzes and[Read More…]