The Tribune

A recent controversy over the content of the SSMU handbook has resulted in a three week delay in its realease due to the firing of the two original editors. Genevieve Friesen and Sara Kipp-Ferguson, the original editors for the handbook, were let go in August when the finished product was deemed unacceptable by Students’ Society executives, said Vice-President University Affairs Finn Upham.

Making good on a central campaign promise, Students’ Society executives announced last week that rooms in the Shatner Building can now be booked free of charge. Beginning last Friday, internal clubs, faculty associations, media, SSMU recognized groups and others are now able to use the rooms without the customary bill.

Adding the Shatner building’s fourth floor to last week’s Activities Night received mixed reviews from clubs and services. According to Students’ Society Vice-President Clubs and Services Floh Herra-Vega, the decision to open the top floor was made because this year SSMU recognized more clubs than ever before.

Thanks to a motion passed last Thursday by the Students’ Society Council, McGill vegans may soon have more food options available to them in the Shatner Building. The motion, put forward by Emil Briones, the representative from the Faculty of Music requires SSMU to encourage its food service tenants to offer more vegan-friendly choices, though it does not mandate tenants to provide vegan options.

Hillel Montreal President and former EUS and SSMU Speaker of Council Zach Newburgh was elected SSMU president on Thursday evening, narrowly edging out his competitors with 28.6 per cent of the vote. Newburgh’s margin of victory was only 1.5 per cent of the vote over AUS Senator Sarah Woolf.

STEFAN LINK How will your past experience influence your approach to the presidential portfolio? I have always been looking at the basic student services that affect the majority of people. So in the Physics Society, I knew that the math department had a really functional help desk that lots of students use and I didn’t understand why physics didn’t have a similar service, so I just wanted to start something similar for the physics people, and I did.

STEFAN LINK How will your past experience influence your approach to the presidential portfolio? I have always been looking at the basic student services that affect the majority of people. So in the Physics Society, I knew that the math department had a really functional help desk that lots of students use and I didn’t understand why physics didn’t have a similar service, so I just wanted to start something similar for the physics people, and I did.

Question RE: Bodily Sovereignty This question is a toned-down version of the General Assembly motion concerning discriminatory groups, which sought to amend the Students’ Society constitution to prohibit pro-life clubs from existing. A “Yes” vote would require SSMU to take action against groups that compromise “bodily sovereignty.

JOSHUA ABAKI What has Rebecca Dooley done right this year, and what would you do differently? One of the things she has done well is getting student opinion – for example, “The McGill We Want.” I think that’s a very important task force, because it shows the McGill administration that we are actually going out there and getting the student mandate.

After sustaining losses of over $200,000 over the past three years, the Students’ Society has decided to close Haven Books. On the recommendation of then-Vice-President Finance and Operations Dave Sunstrum, SSMU purchased Haven Books – a consignment bookstore located on Aylmer Street just below Sherbrooke – from Kevin Bozzo for approximately $40,000, according to Vice-President Finance and Operations Jose Díaz, in March 2007.