I thought I knew who I was before I came to university. I thought, for instance, that I wasn’t a racist. But when I told two girls tabling against Israel that the State had a right to exist, they cleared that up for me. Which was lucky, because after a year of educating my Jewish youth group on the dangers of Islamophobia, I might have gone my whole life not knowing how much I hated people different from me.
Author: Admin
EDITORIAL: J-Board should throw out case against Newburgh
On Friday, the Students’ Society’s Judicial Board will hear Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights’ case against Zach Newburgh, SSMU’s speaker of council and SSMU president-elect. SPHR claims that by acting as chair of the Winter General Assembly, Newburgh “placed himself in a serious conflict of interest, making it impossible for him to perform his task in an impartial manner” during the debate over the motion “Re: The Defence of Human Rights, Social Justice, and Environmental Protection.
A final fireside chat with Students’ Society President Ivan Neilson
What were your biggest accomplishments this year? I was happy with the style of management that we had this year. The individual vice-presidents started new initiatives and new projects, assisting one another. I’m also thrilled that we were able to reform the committee structure.
University of Toronto seeks tuition hike to reach balanced budget
The University of Toronto’s Business Board has proposed a tuition fee schedule that will include an average fee increase of 4.31 per cent for domestic students and 6 per cent increase for international students. The fee increases are part of the Business Board’s plan to balance the budget for the upcoming years.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The democratic hacky sack
Last Thursday, as I sat through Students’ Society Legislative Council, I felt like my nails were being pulled out of my fingers. I heard the word “democracy” being thrown around like a hacky sack as councillors took turns accusing others of infringing on their ‘democratic right’ to speak and then carefully stroking their own and, indeed, everyone’s ego with a passionate appeal to the ‘democratic process.
SSMU Council votes to reinstate Choose Life’s club status
After a semester of meetings on the future of Choose Life – the controversial pro-life group whose club status was suspended last semester – the Students’ Society Council officially reinstated the group’s club status last Thursday. Choose Life’s club status was suspended last year on November 12 in light of the conflicts surrounding the club’s “Echoes of the Holocaust” event.
COMMENTARY: TA (NGST)
I arrived in Montreal in Fall 2008 eager to begin my graduate career at McGill as a master’s student in political science. I knew McGill had a reputation for academic excellence and talented, open-minded, and intellectually stimulating students and faculty members.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Brahnaphobia
Re: “Sportsophobia” by Brahna Siegelberg (30.03.10) I always wanted to attend a great academic post-secondary institution, and I thought that McGill was the right school. However, after reading “Sportsophobia,” written by a fellow McGill student, my impression of the school is somewhat diminished.
PIÑATA DIPLOMACY: Ricky’s regret
If I regret any of my columns from this year, it would be February’s “Middle-class guilt.” My regret isn’t so much over the views I tried to express, but over the fact that I haven’t yet negotiated a comfortable balance between the nuanced views I try to maintain and my emotional writing style, which tends to be excessive and – as my mother complains – angry.
SSMU REPORT CARDS: IVAN NEILSON – President
When Ivan Neilson was elected last year, the Tribune was confident that he would be a competent president. We thought his pragmatic nature would allow him to work effectively with the vice-presidents and build a good relationship with McGill’s administration.