The Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Legislative Council convened on Feb. 25, where council members voted on the Motion Regarding the Adoption of the Divest for Human Rights Policy. The policy encourages SSMU to lobby the McGill administration to divest from companies that are complicit in a variety of[Read More…]
Articles by Nina Russell
Floor fellows cite lack of support during Fall 2020 semester
In interviews with The McGill Tribune, six floor fellows across residences reported that lack of support and communication from McGill’s administration had impaired them from doing their jobs and upholding safety standards in residences during the Fall 2020 semester. All residences have been operating at a lowered capacity due to[Read More…]
Panellists convene to discuss human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in China
McGill’s Muslim Law Students’ Association hosted a panel titled “What’s happening to China’s Uyghurs?” on Nov. 11 to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) imprisonment of the minority Muslim group in the Xinjiang province in northwestern China. The discussion featured Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Garnett Genius, who currently sits[Read More…]
SSMU’s Legislative Council votes to condemn proposed Quebec LNG project
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its third legislative council meeting of the semester on Oct. 8, approving several questions for the upcoming Fall 2020 Referendum. At the start of the meeting, the council returned to discussing amendments to the motion to Ensure Equitable Communications from the previous[Read More…]
Sustainable peace for a sustainable future
McGill often touts its research credentials as among Canada’s best: According to the latest QS rankings, it boasts the 43rd highest research output and 36th best faculty globally. It is no wonder that students flock to Montreal in hopes of rising up through the ranks of distinguished academics. After all,[Read More…]
Studying politics in a society that is rigged against you
When news reports came out on Aug. 26 about yet another incident of sexist harassment outside the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna’s office, I felt a familiar sinking feeling in my stomach. Since I began engaging with politics in my early teen years, my awareness of gendered attacks[Read More…]
McGill Governance 101
STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY (SSMU) What it does: SSMU is McGill’s highest level of student government responsible for supervising undergraduate clubs and extracurricular activities, managing and ensuring the sustainability of long-term operations such as the student bar Gerts’, advocating for student interests in the McGill Senate, and planning social[Read More…]
McGill failed its exchange students amid the CoronaVirus crisis
Standing toward the back of the line snaking its way around the grocery store, my cart full to the brim with frozen foods and canned soup, was not the way I had expected to spend my semester abroad at the University of Copenhagen. The night before, the Danish prime minister[Read More…]
Experts discuss threats to the international nuclear order
Experts convened to discuss threats to the global nuclear order on Nov. 1 at Thomson House. Hosted by McGill’s Centre for Peace and International Security Studies and moderated by Jennifer Welsh, Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill, panellists discussed the shift in global power after[Read More…]
Student senators call on administration to adjust use of ‘Made by McGill’ funds
At the second McGill Senate meeting of the year, Arts Senator Henrique Mecabô called on McGill’s administration to increase the allocation of funds raised by the ‘Made by McGill’ campaign for student services. In the next five years, funds from the campaign will be dedicated into four areas: Bursaries and[Read More…]
Indigenous student leaders call for SSMU VP Internal’s resignation
Indigenous students are calling on Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Internal Sanchi Bhalla to resign in a letter after allegedly failing to support Indigneous students. The letter asserts that she has failed to fulfill her mandate by declining to allow Indigenous students to use SSMU’s Listserv to[Read More…]
Meet the federal election candidates
Lianna Canton Cusmano, Green Party of Canada For Cusmano, a spoken word poet, writer, and arts educator, the Green Party isn’t running on a one-issue platform. While the Greens’ focus on the environment is important to them, Cusmano was primarily motivated to run because of the experiences they have had[Read More…]
SSMU hosts federal election candidates debate
Candidates running in the Montreal riding of Ville-Marie—Le-Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs clashed on Oct. 1 at the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) federal candidates’ debate, in anticipation of the Oct. 21 federal election. Marc Miller of the Liberal Party, Sophie Thiébaut of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Liana Canton Cusmano of the[Read More…]
AUS votes to strike in support of climate march
On Sept. 25, approximately 900 members of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) voted to strike in support of the Sept. 27 climate march, exceeding the 500 minimum needed to reach quorum. In response, Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM), a group which promotes social and environmental justice, sent a petition to[Read More…]
McGill Faculty of Law votes to strike for climate change march
On Sept. 24, 92 per cent of McGill law students voted to strike on Sept. 27 to support the global march for climate justice. Held by the McGill Law Students Association (LSA), the general assembly saw a turnout of 63.6 per cent of all eligible members. Larissa Parker, L2 Law[Read More…]
Meet the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Executives
Bryan Buraga, President What are your three main goals as SSMU President? “Three of my main goals include governance reform, advocacy for student issues, and just better communication with the student body. Governance reform is a project that will take about a year to unfold. We are consulting with a[Read More…]
The neighbour I knew
One night in August of 2012, I was torn from my sleep when gunshots rang through the air. I remember the rest of the night in pieces—my mom jumping on my bed to peer out my window over the driveway, sitting on my living room couch as my dad called[Read More…]
Signed and sealed
As soon as she heard the allegations, University of Windsor Law professor Julie Macfarlane felt as though she had to speak up. In 2013, Macfarlane learned of a fellow professor who had allegedly pursued predatory relationships with certain groups of students while alienating others. Yet, it wasn’t until early 2015[Read More…]
Governance 101: An introduction to McGill’s governing bodies
STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY (SSMU) What it does: SSMU is responsible for supervising undergraduate clubs and extracurricular activities, managing and ensuring the sustainability of long-term operations such as Gerts’, advocating for student interests in the McGill Senate, and assisting in planning social events such as Frosh. SSMU is led[Read More…]
Quebec legislature passes controversial secularism bill
After a marathon 16-hour debate, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) passed Bill 21, an Act respecting the laicity of the State, late at night on June 16. The new law is designed to promote state secularism by prohibiting public sector employees from displaying religious symbols while working. The bill affects[Read More…]
Quebec Order of Dentists finds former McGill professor guilty of sexual misconduct
CW: SEXUAL VIOLENCE Nareg Apelian, a former assistant professor in McGill’s Faculty of Dentistry, has yet to receive a date for his disciplinary hearing, where the Quebec Order of Dentists (QOD) will decide on the consequences for his sexual misconduct. Back in February, the Order found him guilty of groping[Read More…]
Climate change consensus and denial at McGill
For many students, climate change is a daily consideration when making choices like bringing reusable bags to the store or using refillable coffee cups. Environmental awareness is as prevalent as its effects are terrifying, exemplified by the 150,000 people who walked at the Montreal March for Climate Justice on March[Read More…]
Student activists hang ‘Change the Name’ banner from the roof of Leacock
A group of approximately thirty McGill students gathered on the Leacock Pavillion on March 27 to watch an unknown individual unfurl a banner from the roof with the words ‘Change the Name.’ The banner hung for about 20 minutes, after which two members of McGill Security Services personnel removed it.[Read More…]
Climate March organizers reflect on the future of climate activism
In an attempt to utilize the momentum generated by the worldwide march for climate justice on March 15, the organizer of the Montreal contingent, La Planète s’invite à l’Université (LPSU), will hold two more marches in April and September. Additionally, LPSU representatives met with Quebec Minister of Environment Benoit Charette[Read More…]
SSMU and McGill join forces for a Fall Reading Week
As students return to classes from a week off, they can rest assured that the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is working in conjunction with the McGill administration for the implementation of a similar break in the Fall semester. Following a referendum question in Winter 2018 where 96 per[Read More…]
Candidates discuss accessibility, mental health, and equity at AUS elections debate
With the voting period for Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) executives now underway, AUS Elections hosted a debate on Feb. 12 for candidates to discuss their platforms and respond to questions. All executive positions except for Vice-President (VP) Academic are uncontested. Meanwhile, there are six candidates up for the position of[Read More…]
Consultations on Sexual Violence Policy aim to promote student engagement
As part of the revisions to McGill’s Sexual Violence Policy, students will be able to attend consultation sessions to provide feedback on McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence from Feb. 6-13. Hosted by the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU),[Read More…]
SSMU executives discuss plans for Spring semester at Town Hall
The executives of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted a Town Hall meeting on Jan. 29 to discuss their priorities for the current semester. Topics included updates about a Fall Reading Week, the selection of a new Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning, and mental health initiatives. [Read More…]
McGill misses provincial deadline for sexual assault and violence policy
The McGill administration missed the Jan. 1 deadline set by the Quebec government to adopt an updated sexual assault and violence policy. The deadline was part of Quebec’s Bill 151, which was passed in Dec. 2017 and requires all higher education institutions to revise their sexual assault and violence policies[Read More…]
The Tribune Explains: The McGill Budget
As McGill continues to cut important services, such as the Eating Disorder Program, while financing seemingly-endless construction projects, it is easy for students to wonder how the university prioritizes funding for its projects. With a total revenue amounting to around $1.33 billion, creating the budget is a year-long process and[Read More…]
TEDx McGill brings in experts to talk development
On Nov. 24, TEDx McGill hosted a conference entitled Climbing Ladders, which featured 10 presentations and performances by scholars, journalists, and students. Emilie Nicolas Emilie Nicolas, a board member of the socially progressive Broadbent Institute think tank and co-founder of Quebéc inclusif, a non-profit organization that advocates for inclusivity[Read More…]
Freeland and EU High Representative Mogherini affirm transatlantic unity
Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Nov. 6 to discuss trade relations between the EU and Canada. The public discussion, titled “Navigating uncharted waters: EU and Canada closer than[Read More…]
“Women, Media and Politics”: the changing role of women in politics
McGill Students for UN Women hosted “Women, Media and Politics: A Panel Discussion” on Nov. 8 to examine how the changing media landscape has affected women’s roles in the public sphere. The panel, moderated by Political Science professor Elisabeth Gidengil, included Jennifer Maccarone, a Liberal Member of the National Assembly[Read More…]
SSMU Legislative Council address resignation of VP External
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council met on Oct. 18 to address the resignation of the SSMU vice president (VP) external, Marina Cupido. Cupido resigned on Oct. 10 due to mental health concerns partially stemming from the heavy workload of the position. The position itself also fell[Read More…]
Concordia becomes first Canadian university to name an engineering faculty after a woman
On Sept. 24, Concordia University made history by becoming the first Canadian university to name its engineering faculty after a woman. The decision to rename the faculty the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science came after engineer and entrepreneur Gina Cody, a Concordia alumna, donated $15 million to the[Read More…]
Student issues discussed at Concordia provincial elections debate
On Sept. 21, a week before Québec’s provincial election on Oct. 1, candidates gathered at the D.B. Clarke Theatre at Concordia University to discuss issues pertaining to students including climate change, tuition hikes for international students, unpaid internships, and sexual assault. The debate was organized by the Concordia Student Union[Read More…]
Number of harassment complaints double in 2017-18
McGill announced that Sinead Hunt has been appointed to the position of Senior Equity and Inclusion Advisor (SEIA) in an email to the student body on Sept. 9. The SEIA acts as a first contact for students attempting to report instances of harassment or discrimination on campus. The number of[Read More…]
University Centre reopening delayed until 2019
Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has postponed the opening of the University Centre building until the end of the 2018-19 school year due to construction delays, according to an Aug. 14 Facebook post. The construction, which began on March 17, was initially scheduled to be completed by the winter[Read More…]
Victims of McGill brainwashing experiments seek compensation
In 1962, Montreal resident Marilyn Rappaport’s sister was admitted to the Allan Memorial Institute (AMI) at McGill University to treat a minor psychological condition. Instead of receiving the expected care, however, she was subjected to a number of experimental procedures including 107 electric shock treatments and multiple drug-induced comas. Additionally,[Read More…]
SSMU adopts revoked EU working definition of anti-Semitism
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has been plagued by allegations of anti-Semitism since its General Assembly (GA) in Fall 2017, where students failed to ratify a Jewish student to the Board of Directors (BoD) allegedly based in part on his pro-Israel affiliations. In response to these accusations, SSMU[Read More…]
Liberal’s Budget 2018 invests heavily in research
In the Liberal Party of Canada’s Budget 2018, the government of Canada announced that it would invest heavily in research, allocating a total of $6.6 billion to science and innovation. This is a $1.2 billion increase from the 2017 budget. For students at McGill, the increase in funding will allow[Read More…]
AUS Council discusses bringing debit and credit payment options to SNAX
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council met on Feb. 21 to discuss amendments to its financial by-laws, the introduction of debit and credit card payment at SNAX, and institutional changes to the position of Equity Committee chair. Motion to Replace the Financial By-Laws AUS President Erik Partridge presented[Read More…]
Desautels MBA Program ranked best in Canada
McGill’s Desautels Master of Business Administration (MBA) program was ranked first in Canada and 78th in the world in the 2018 Financial Times (FT) Global MBA ranking. Desautels was one of only three Canadian schools to make the top 100 list, alongside Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto[Read More…]
AUS to create people of colour committee
At its latest Legislative Council meeting on Jan. 24, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) passed a motion to create an Ad hoc People of Colour Committee to provide a forum for people of colour (PoC) to talk about their experiences as Arts students. The committee aims to help foster dialogue[Read More…]
Creation of people of colour committee discussed at AUS Legislative Council
At its second meeting of the Winter semester on Jan. 24, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) created the Ad-hoc People of Colour Committee and approved AUS budget changes. The motions to amend the Financial By-Laws and call for both departmental elections and a Winter referendum also passed. Motion for the[Read More…]
SSMU launches food discount app
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) launched its first ever app on Dec. 8, with the release of SSMU Eats, a program designed to provide students with discounts from restaurants throughout Montreal. It is available on both iOS and Android, offering deals of up to 70 per cent off[Read More…]
The mental health benefits of being organized
The concept of organization often conjures up the image of pastel bullet journals, meticulous desks, and obnoxiously-healthy salads stacked neatly inside an immaculate refrigerator. But for the majority of McGill students, whose busy academic and social lives often take priority over everything else, this interpretation of organization as an art[Read More…]
Which is mightier: The pen or the keyboard?
The debate over whether or not students should be allowed to use laptops during lectures is a heated one that has sparked controversy at McGill for years. There are cases for both sides; a number of studies vilify laptops as distractions inhibiting students from fully processing information, yet, many students[Read More…]