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a, Student Life

Spring fashion features refreshing outfits

by Tiffany Le on

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With the rise in temperature over the past week, it is evident that spring weather is just around the corner. After experiencing the long winter and cycling through the same combinations of outfits warm enough for the Montreal winter, it’s time to let loose and experiment. Put away the common McGill winter apparel of puffy parkas, Canada goose jackets, and chunky boots.

  • Artsy minis

    Montreal springs are not quite warm enough to forgo a coat, which is an advantage. Break out your houndstooth trenches, waterproof windbreakers, and cool jean jackets. Complement them with a loud, eye-catching miniskirt. Any bright pattern, colour, or textured material would be flattering in an A-line shape and would look vivid peeping out under a jacket. After a long season of drab neutral tones, a pop of colour could be refreshing. On top of that, the tennis-skirt fit is fun but not too provocative and is comfortable enough for lecture hall seats. To \create a classic look, add a turtleneck shirt on top. Finally, you have the option to finish the outfit with tights.

  • These rain boots are made for walkin’

    Although rain boots may seem to be more of a utility than a fashion statement, there have been a much wider variety of trendy rain boots available to choose from lately. Whether it’s a sturdy-looking zip-up boot with a slight heel, a rubber Chelsea boot, some clear lace-ups, or the classic tall black rain boots, rain boots are a handy fashion statement. With the melting snow and probable precipitation, rain boots will shield you from the discomfort of wet socks. They also offer a new way to play with texture and shape. Mixing knits with the shiny rubber will instantly add interest to your outfit. Wearing a longer skirt and tall rain boots to expose only the knees offers a unique shape. It’s also easy to go in the opposite direction and commit wholeheartedly to the plastic—this means glossy raincoat, clear bag, and maybe some reflexive shades.

  • Flair for flare

    It’s always exciting when classics re-emerge under a new shape and form. Flared pants used to be the emblem of the hippie movement during the ’80s, but today, they’ve also taken on a modern twist. Wide-leg flared jeans that skim the floor give a structured and powerful look. They can be easily matched with a light sweater, white dress shirt, or boxy jacket, and topped off with a wide-brim hat and dark sunglasses. An alternative would be comfortable satin pants that flares just above the ankles. With just a sliver of skin showing above some chunky platform boots, this look is edgy with minimal effort. Skinnies are easy to wear and super flattering, but once in a while, it’ll be nice to work with something new.

a, News, SSMU

SSMU Cafeteria’s Bambou Bol closed due to failure to pay rent

by Jessica Fu on

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Bambou Bol, one of three food service options at the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) cafeteria, closed on March 11 due to a default on its annual lease of the space.

According to Kathleen Bradley, SSMU Vice-President Finance and Operations, Bambou Bol had previously experienced difficulties paying rent.

“Bambou Bol was in default of its lease several times, and so we terminated the lease contract,” she said.

SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa explained that plans for the future of the restaurant have not yet been determined.

“[Options are] still being discussed,” she said. “There are not any concrete plans for the space yet.”

Bradley outlined the process by which the future of the space would be decided.

“The space decision is up to the VP Finance and Operations, the Executive Committee, and Council,” she said. “There has already been work and planning done to plan for the future of space within the SSMU building. This report will be presented to Council and, depending on the decision made there, steps will be taken to implement [it].”

Bradley noted that although the default appears as a loss on SSMU’s budget, it will not impact the association’s financial situation.

“The loss in rent revenue has already been included in the 2015-2016 budget,” she said. “So there will be no effect on SSMU's financial standing.”

Yushu Wang, U3 Arts, expressed dismay that the closure has resulted in fewer food options in the SSMU building.

“Occasionally I do like to go to Bambou Bol, because of the location,” she said. “[The closure] is pretty inconvenient for me—I do like the staff there a lot.”

The SSMU cafeteria located on the second floor of the Shatner building continues to house two food options—The Nest, a student-run café established January 2014, and Bocadillo, a Venezuelan grill.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

It feels good to let go

by Elie Waitzer on

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Co-produced by legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (of Volver (2006) fame), Wild Tales will make you laugh, shake your head, and turn to the stranger next to you to make eye contact.

In his first feature-length film, Argentinian director Damián Szifron threads the common theme of revenge through six disconnected vignettes, each lasting around 15 minutes. Revenge might not actually be the right term in this case—it’s more about the pleasure of losing control, giving into the animal urges held in check by human propriety. Each story line thrusts characters into stressful or otherwise extreme situations, and lets the viewer watch as they crumple up the script dictated by society and release their inhibitions. 

Perhaps most impressive is Szifron’s ability to pack so much into so little time. Constructed with the economy of a good short story, the viewer is given all the information needed within the first few minutes of each vignette. The first one begins with a woman asking a flight attendant if she can still get air miles on a company-purchased ticket. On the plane, the woman strikes up a conversation about her lousy ex-boyfriend, Pasternak, with the passenger beside her, who happened to ruin Pasternak’s budding career. Several other passengers overhear, stepping forward as Pasternak’s grade-school teachers, therapists, and classmates, and they gradually come to the sickening realization that everyone on the plane had their tickets bought by the same company. Pasternak, of course, is in the cockpit, at the controls of the fate of his tormentors.

Throughout the movie, Szifron uses images of wild animals to establish the duality of freedom versus society. In the title sequence, each name is set against a still of a safari animal, and in the plane feature, the woman flips through a National Geographic feature of a lion chasing a gazelle. While the transformation from human to animal often results in gruesome violence, the strength of this film is the degree to which which Szifron manages to infuse the violence with whimsy, hilarity, and pleasure. In each vignette, there is a specific turning point when something snaps and you can see the last strand mooring the character to the dock come undone. And once the characters let go and float away, there’s no going back. The clarity and force of these moments is in part due to superb acting by several unknown faces such as Ricardo Darín, Leonardo Sbaraglia, and Erica Rivas, but the bulk of the praise is owed to some genius directorial choices. 

After a futile battle against the wrongful towing of his car leads to the destruction of his marriage, job and reputation, a demolition engineer proceeds to exact revenge by loading his trunk with explosives and having it towed on purpose. Set to dreamy pop music, the decisive scene shows the man thoroughly enjoying a French breakfast at the window seat of a luxurious restaurant. The camera pans across a buttery croissant before following the man’s line of sight out the window and onto the street, where his car is being towed. Szifron uses music to the same effect in other vignettes, providing a joyful soundtrack to these turning points as his bloodied characters gorge themselves on wedding cake and consummate the marriage on top of the crumbs. 

While the movie is undeniably a comedy first, the intense situations often yield genuine insights into the power that society holds over our actions. Throughout the movie, the most savage violence occurs when no one is watching. In the third vignette, an encounter between an urban yuppie and a redneck on the open road results in both parties ending up as blackened skeletons. Furthermore—with a few exceptions—male characters carry out most of the revenge, which may or may not have been an intentional gender commentary on Szifron’s part. The exploration of the spectrum between restraint and abandon is fascinating, but don’t go see this movie for the deeper meaning—go for the pleasure. 

Wild Tales is playing at Cinema du Parc (3575 Parc) and Cineplex Odeon Forum Cinemas (2313 Ste-Catherine W) at various times this week.

a, McGill, News

SSMU Council addresses mental health initiative and women-only gym hours

by Morgan Alexander on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council met last Thursday to discuss women-only gym hours, mental health initiatives, and the SSMU budget.

Discussion regarding women-only hours at the gym

Law Councillor Pierre Fullerton began by attempting to address misinformation about the proposal, citing a conversation he had with Soumia Allalou, the student who raised the proposal.

“This whole idea was not about excluding men whatsoever, but about accommodating people who have different preferences,” Fullerton said.

Fullerton continued by explaining that Allalou had recently met with the McGill Athletics administration in hopes of finding a solution that would appeal to both men and women, including potentially having a separate room for women to exercise.

Vice-President University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan expanded upon Fullerton’s report, explaining that Allalou had initially approached McGill Athletics in January, but that the matter had only recently been addressed by the McGill Athletics administration.

“The director of Athletics was not aware that a staff member had spoken with her several months earlier and asked her to come and speak with him,” Stewart-Kanigan stated.

Councillor Rachel Weaver raised the question of how ‘woman’ would be defined. According to Fullerton, Allalou believes the hours should be trans* inclusive, and trans* people should be accommodated if they are also asking for their own hours.

VP Finance budget presentation

VP Finance and Operations Kathleen Bradley presented the February budget, addressing multiple long-term projects that SSMU has been working on. Fullerton raised concerns as to whether the the student-run café, the Nest, which is still running a deficit, was a profitable venture. 

Bradley claimed that she was fairly confident the cafe would break even by next year. She also stated that the Nest’s budget had greatly improved in terms of funding compared to last semester. 

In addition, Bradley emphasized that Gerts, which previously had the greatest surplus in SSMU, was continuing to face lower sales. Bradley stressed the importance of Gerts in raising money for the SSMU, and encouraged Council members to continue holding events at the student bar.

“If you think Ace is the place, it hurts your student union,” Bradley said. “So come to Gerts instead.”

Notice of motion regarding mental health policy and the five-year plan

Stewart-Kanigan explained that current implementation of the SSMU mental health policy did not require additional funds through a fee levy.

“The mental health fee levy—we haven’t identified a need for it yet, we haven’t spent all of our budget from SSMU [on it],” Stewart-Kanigan stated. “We’re going to check in with student groups on whether they would need a fee as opposed to mandating it now.”

According to Stewart-Kanigan, changes to the current mental health policy include creating a collaborative website with McGill Mental Health, which would help reduce costs; changing the date of Mental Health Week to coincide with Rez Life as opposed to lining up with the Students in Mind conference; doubling the number of mental health coordinators from one to two; and decreasing the amount of councillors on the committees.

When asked by Medicine Councillor Joshua Chin about the purpose of the committee composition change, Stewart-Kanigan explained that the initial make-up was too large for the task at hand, and the new composition would include members from a more diverse range of groups.

“It would be preferable to have one fewer councillor and one more representative from student initiatives,” Stewart-Kanigan said. “We’ve been trying to reach out to groups like the Sexual Assault Center of the McGill Student’s Society (SACOMSS) that deal with mental health in a more indirect way.”

St. Viateur Bagels
a, Student Life

Famous Montreal bagel locations

by Meghan Collie on

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It’s no doubt that one of Montreal’s claims to fame is its legacy of consistently fantastic bagels. Notable differences when contrasted with other popular types of bagels—namely the New York bagel—include the smaller size, the sweeter taste, and the denser quality. Montreal bagels are always baked in a wood-fired oven, and they contain malt, egg, and honey-sweetened water. Below is a compiled list of Montreal locations that serve the best bagels.

  • St. Viateur

    Myer Lewkowicz moved to Canada from Poland in the wake of a post-Holocaust world. Having no previous experience with baking, Lewkowicz’s experience with hunger led him to help individuals find good food, and eventually found the iconic establishment in Montreal in 1957. At present, there are four St. Viateur bakeries, all run by the Morena family, who are continuing the 55-year long reputation of the company as one of the most authentic and welcoming Montreal-made restaurants to see the 21st century. From generations of families that will exclusively buy bagels from St. Viateur, to celebrities stopping in for the world famous taste of Montreal, the shops scattered across the city remain one of the pillars of the unique culture.

    The bagels—which are made with 100 per cent natural ingredients and no preservatives—are always fresh, warm, and doughy. Each bagel is hand-rolled, which becomes evident upon visiting stores. The bagels are then boiled in honey water and cooked in a wood fire oven. The chewy and delicious result is mind-blowing—there’s no turning back to store-bought once you’ve tasted them.

  • Fairmount Bagel

    Isadore Shlafman arrived in Canada and opened up the Montreal Bagel Bakery in 1919—the very first bagel bakery in Montreal, and the city’s very first experience with the unique Montreal recipe. The restaurant originated on Saint-Laurent and later settled down on Fairmount Street. Today, Isadore’s grandchildren continue the Shlafman legacy. All the bagels are rolled by hand and baked to perfection in a wood-burning oven. Fairmount Bagel has also solidified its position as a supporter of the community by donating to various organizations, including the Diabetic Children Foundation, Opération Nez Rouge, and Children Now.

    With a few more flavours than St. Viateur, Fairmount Bagel features various unique styles of bagel, including chocolate chip, cinnamon and raisin, and blueberry. They also sell pretzels, Matzoh bread, and bagel chips, all baked in-store. But it doesn’t stop there; various sandwiches—including smoked meat—top the lengthy menu of the iconic restaurant.

  • Café Elmundo

    Popular among the McGill community, Elmundo boasts some of the best coffee in the city. However, the well-known café also makes fantastic bagels. They take the bagels and fill them with flavourful and fresh ingredients. Chicken salad, BLT, and smoked salmon are among several of the bagel assortments. Two delicious sides are served with the bagel—either soup or salad— for under $10.00.

    With an ideal location situated on the corner of Parc and Milton, you can also pair your bagel with a drink from Elmundo’s fresh juice bar, a steaming hot latte, an espresso shot, or a pastry for dessert. The staff will gladly bring the bagel and other assorted goodies over to your table for you—but be sure to ask for your bagel to be heated, since they are not baked in store.

  • Bagel du monde

    Bagel du monde is a combination of minimalism and bagels. Without even a website, the restaurant located on Rue Beaubien Est simply describes itself as a landmark bakery producing assorted Montreal-style bagels. If you stop in on any given day, you will find that almost everyone in the shop has been there before. It’s the type of place where visitors make a point to stop in at each time they visit Montreal.

    With reviews using words like “terriblement délicieux,” Bagel du monde is short and sweet. Its menu covers all the classics like sesame and poppy seed, but sells few toppings or spreads. Though it does not offer as many unique assortments as other locations listed, it only takes one stop at Bagel du monde to understand that its bagels rank among the most fresh and most tasty in the city. The minimalism and simplicity of the bagels offered is what makes it unique—it almost seems a shame to cover them up with loads of toppings.

a, Martlets, Sports

Basketball: Silver medal finish for Martlets in best season ever

by Zikomo Smith on

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McGill Martlets
47

Windsor Lancers
60

Although it was a historic season for the McGill Martlets, it was ultimately not a perfect one. This past Sunday, the top-ranked Windsor Lancers defeated McGill 60-47 for their fifth straight CIS Championship under McGill alumnus Chantal Valée.

The Martlets recorded their best finish at the CIS Championships since they won bronze back in 1996. They were also the first RSEQ team since 2002 to play for the Bronze Baby Trophy.

McGill displayed the same tenacity in the final that characterized its play throughout the playoffs. The Martlets’ frontcourt effectively matched Windsor’s all game, outrebounding the Lancers 37-34 and forcing 16 turnovers. Junior forward Mariam Sylla led the way for the Martlets with a double-double, and senior forward Gabriela Hebert pulled down 10 boards.

They fell behind 21-10 by the end of the first quarter, but reduced the deficit to eight points at the half, and closed to within two points in the third. In the end, however, Windsor was able to weather the Martlet surge over the final quarter to take the game and the title. The Lancers were led by CIS Defensive Player-of-the-Year Korissa Williams, who posted a stunning stat line with 21 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.

“We knew it was going to be a grind,” Martlets Head Coach Ryan Thorne said. “Their experience and their discipline came through and I think that was the difference in the game.” 

The Martlets came out cold, and ultimately, it was a poor team shooting performance that hamstrung McGill. While Windsor shot a below-average 37 per cent from the field, it was more than enough to edge the Martlets, who made just 26.4 per cent of their 72 shots.

“We shot well all season, [but] one bounce can decide a game and it wasn’t our game,” Thorne said.

McGill had a wild ride to get to their first gold-medal game ever. On Thursday, they defeated the Saint Mary’s Huskies 67-59 on the back of a strong defensive effort. Hebert recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds and the team shot 91 per cent from the free throw line to advance to the semifinal game against perennial powerhouse UBC.

Against UBC, the Martlets needed an overtime period, but came away with a thrilling 59-57 victory to clinch a spot in the finals. Senior point guard Dianna Ros sunk the game winning free throws, and McGill kept the Huskies from scoring to seal the win.

In his 12 seasons coaching the Martlet basketball squad, Thorne has overseen a transformation marked by consistent, yearly improvement of the program. His high standards helped the Martlets develop into a tough team with the tools to compete with anyone. Thorne also endured seven losing seasons before winning five consecutive RSEQ Championships. This year, he was excited to make it to the title game. Next year, he expects that his team will win it all.

a, McGill, News

Student Services establishes Innovation Fund

by Catherine-Laure Juste on

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The Student Services Innovation Fund (SSIF)—a new fund that will be used to promote student-led ideas for students’ well-being and health—is currently taking applications for projects. The fund will partially be financed through a reallocation of a surplus that Student Services had accrued. 

According to  Executive Director of Student Services Jana Luker, the Student Services budget, which is formed from student service fees and government transfers, had accumulated a surplus over the last few years.

“Over the last couple of years […the fund] has grown more than what we need,” Luker said. “We like to have $1 million in there just as a cushion [because] things happen. But it was increased to around $6 million at one point, and [it] seemed like we should be doing things.”

According to Erin Sobat, U2 Arts and member of the McGill Senate’s Committee on Student Services (CSS), the idea to create the SSIF came from students and Student Services staff. 

“The idea was originally suggested by [Luker], and I think it was catalyzed by concerns around the Deputy Provost’s proposal in Fall 2013 to reallocate some of the funds elsewhere on campus,” Sobat said. “We and other students wanted to ensure that this student money remained where it was intended to go and not simply used for maintaining status quo service levels.”

Sobat explained that the SSIF would help expand student-service related projects.

“We are looking to push the envelope in Student Services in the face of both the current fiscal climate and increasing student needs for resources such as mental health, counselling, and services for students with disabilities,” Sobat said.

The members of the committee look forward to support ideas that are geared towards McGill students. 

According to Luker, students who propose projects will be paired with a member of the Student Services staff.

“[That] is in order to ensure that whatever the project is enhances the strategic plan of student services and falls within the parameters of what student services would do,” Luker explained. 

Luker also stated that both short-term and long-term projects would be accepted for the SSIF. The proposal submission deadline for projects requiring above $5,000 in financing is March 25. Projects under $5,000 will be accepted on a rolling basis.

“I am hoping to see projects that do take two or three years to implement fully to have much more long-term vision with the larger amount of money,” she said. “Up to now, [funding] has been under $5,000 for short-term [projects].” 

Courtney Ayukawa, who spoke in her capacity as ECOLE co-cordinator for the 2013-2014 school year, explained that she believes that funding for student projects is important.  ECOLE is a student-run sustainable-living community on campus. Ayukawa highlighted how another fund, the Sustainable Projects Fund (SPF), helped the ECOLE collective last year.

“Funds for student projects are crucial since they facilitate student leadership [and] development,” she said. “There are so many incredible and passionate students [who] have taken initiative and are working on their own projects outside of school. I think it’s important for the university to support them.”

Sobat explained that students would take part in evaluating proposed projects through involvement in the CSS. 

“There has been an impressive level of student involvement in the development process up to this point, and we will continue to be an active part of the application review process,” Sobat said.

The SSIF will be officially  and fully launched in Fall 2015.

“This is the first time [running the fund], in the first round—this is what we are calling the soft launch,’” Luker explained. “We will be able to implement some of these projects that were approved in September [2015] by September [2016]. Then we will be able to do [the] hard launch with publicity and communication.”

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves

by Chris Lutes on

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A long time ago, we lost sight of something fundamental: The connection we had to the natural world has been severed—maybe permanently—and humanity has been left to suffer as prisoners to the cerebral and abstract. This is what Modest Mouse’s first album in eight years, Strangers to Ourselves, argues.  

You can see it in the album cover, depicting a sprawling trailer park built around a few square metres of greenery, and lyrics like “Well, we’re the human race/ We’re goin’ to party out of this place/ And then move on” require no further explanation. Modest Mouse fans will recognize this bleakness from earlier albums, but singer Isaac Brock has clearly spent the past near-decade choosing his words very carefully. Every line is delivered with maximum force, and there’s a sense of urgency and timeliness that was missing from previous albums.  

This is also Modest Mouse’s most technically proficient album since The Moon and Antarctica (2000). Blaring guitars over the rambling patter of Brock’s lyrics grab you by the shoulders early in the album and don’t let go until it’s over. Songs like “Sugar Boats” dredge up memories of Modest Mouse’s avant-garde influences as accordions and strings build into a crescendo of exuberance. “Lampshade on Fire” makes a solid case for bass being the most important instrument in a band. Brock’s lyrics serve as a counterbalance to the upbeat music, reminding us that part of our humanity is missing—or maybe it was never there to begin with.

 
 
 
 
 
 
a, McGill, News

Winter 2015 General Assembly sees turnout of around 550 students

by Sara Cullen on

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Last Sunday, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its Winter 2015 General Assembly (GA), drawing approximately 550 students to vote on the proposed motions. In order to increase efficiency, a new check-in procedure was implemented and the GA venue was changed from the SSMU cafeteria to Leacock 132. Three motions were on the agenda, with no new motions moved from the floor. These motions included a call to divest from companies that profit from the Palestinian occupation, one to stop the promotion of illegal unpaid internships, and another to oppose tuition increases and austerity measures. Approved motions are required to go through an online ratification, open to all SSMU members, following the GA. 

Motion regarding divestment from companies profiting from the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories

Students voted against the motion that called for lobbying McGill to divest from companies profiting from the occupation of Palestinian territories. 

Daniel Albega, U2 Management, argued against the motion, saying that the companies targeted by the motion also provide economic opportunities to Palestinians.  

“There seems to be a dangerous double standard […] here, whereby the moment a company sells goods to Israel, it is guilty of human rights abuses, regardless of the fact that the identical product is sold to Palestinians on the other side of the green line,” said Alberga. “Voting against this motion will not only institutionalize the deep divide that exists on campus, but will squander further advance for dialogue.”

A proponent of the motion to divest, Dina El-baradie, U3 Management, discussed the reasoning behind the motion and expressed her support for it.

“The list of endorsements that we have on this motion, is […] a list of a number of […] the marginalized groups on campus,” El-baradie said. “We don’t want to be associated with the occupation [of Palestine]; this has nothing to do with Israel’s right to exist [….] We just want to dissociate from the occupation and not be held complicit.”

Michael Schwartz, L1 Law, spoke in opposition to the motion.

“I question the ability and the wisdom of an organization like SSMU […] dictating foreign policy,” Schwartz said. “This said, I appreciate [that] there are people of good will who believe it should be involved in these matters. That said, this resolution is completely flawed, it should and […] will fail.”

Many other students expressed concern for the possible repercussions that the motion would have on the McGill campus.

“[Many] of us have showed up here to have a dialogue—hopefully that dialogue will not be shattered by the passing of this motion,” L1 Law student Simon Paransky said. “I find that we should vote against this motion to preserve the values of academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas that we have come to value here at McGill.”

A motion to conduct the vote through secret ballot was moved from the floor and approved. The motion to seek divestment ultimately failed with 273 against, 212 for, and nine abstaining, after which the majority of the audience left the GA.

Students expressed their satisfaction with the level of participation in the GA.

“I am very happy to see that the [voting] margins are closer than [at the last GA],” Sarah Albouz, U2 Engineering, said. “I realize that the motions are unrelated, but it’s nice to see that a lot of people came and that the cause is gaining support.” 

Motion regarding unpaid internships

Students voted in favour of the motion moved by the New Democratic Party of McGill University (NDP-McGill) to condemn illegally unpaid internships and actively promote paid internships that adhere to employment laws.

Volunteering to motivate the motion, Law student Jacob Schwayduh outlined the motivations behind the proposed motion pertaining to student employment.

“The first idea behind [this motion] is that young people are valuable, educated, [and] creative, [and] deserve to be paid a wage,” Schwayduh said. “The second [idea] is that the laws we have on the books related to employment and labour should be respected not only by employers but also by McGill University and by students. The motion therefore asks SSMU, working with McGill University, to respect labour laws [….] It also asks us to focus our resources […] towards finding quality paid internships.”

Students expressed support for this motion due to the concern that many unpaid internships are in violation of labour laws.

“Just because something is illegal doesn’t mean that people are actually taking that into account,” Arts & Science student Kiana Saint-Macary said. “ I think it is important for McGill to actually regard the fact that some of these unpaid internships are not working under legal grounds. Further on, I think it’s important that McGill emphasizes paid internships and tries to prioritize those over unpaid internships. [It’s] fine if people want to take unpaid internships, but […] making paid internships more accessible is really important; this motion does both of those things.”

SSMU VP External Amina Moustaqim-Barrette pointed out that regulating all clubs who endorse unpaid internships would be difficult. Moustaqim-Barrette moved to amend the wording of the motion in order to avoid imposing requirements that would prevent clubs from promoting unpaid internships.

Amendments made to the motion included the addition of a complaint procedure within SSMU to ensure compliance with applicable laws and the creation of workshops and announcements that allow SSMU to inform clubs of employment laws. Additionally, clauses were edited in order to restrict the proposed internship promotion requirements to new clubs only.

Motion regarding the SSMU’s policy on accessible education

During the voting period for the last motion, the 100-person quorum was not met, resulting in a consultative student vote. Students voted in favour of the motion “specifically oppose any mechanism to raise tuition for any and all [SSMU] members.” Due to the consultative vote, however, this motion will be brought to SSMU Council for approval as per constitutional bylaw requirements.  

Moustaqim-Barrette introduced the motion and explained its importance.

“This is extremely important right now in the context of the austerity measures in Quebec,” Moustaqim-Barrette said. “It is important that SSMU has a policy on [austerity measures] and has this for the next five years [….] This will allow SSMU to continue working to oppose any mechanism to increase tuition in the next five years.”

VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan also spoke in favour of the motion.

“This [motion] is for future matters [and] would allow us to take a stance, in advance, [on] these measures which would do a disservice to the interest of many of our students,” she said.

The remaining students voted in favour of the motion 58-24. The voting procedure for this motion was consultative due to the lack of quorum. 

a, News, SSMU

AUS VP Finance resigns, citing society’s work dynamic

by Cece Zhang on

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The Vice-President Finance of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS)’s resignation was announced at AUS Council last Wednesday.

Xue cited the AUS work environment as motivating factors for her resignation.

“The work dynamic that I experienced within the AUS and the decreasing meaningfulness of the work I found myself having to do was very alienating,” Xue said. “In the end, I could no longer justify such a large time and energy commitment to something that made me unhappy.”

She continued to give examples of the issues in work dynamic she experienced.

“The VP Finance portfolio, as an operational portfolio, can very heavily be affected by other portfolios,” Xue said. “I experienced several issues within the AUS work dynamic that disrupted my ability to run my portfolio the way it was intended to be run. The cash flow stall in January is one serious example.”

Xue explained that she had already made logistical arrangements for her portfolio to ease the transition.

“I’ve […] put memos on files that need to be taken care of in the future,” she said.

As there are only around two weeks before the new VP Finance for the next term will be elected, there will be no interim position. AUS Finance Management Committee (FMC) Chair Rona Hunter said the duties of the VP Finance position would be managed by the FMC until the next year’s VP Finance is elected.

“Members of the [FMC] of the AUS will be working to keep the finance portfolio running smoothly for the remainder of the year,” Hunter said.

AUS President Ava Liu elaborated on the division of work, stating that the tasks of the VP Finance position are currently split between Hunter, Executive Assistant Grant Whitham, SNAX Manager Hasan Nizami, and herself.

When asked about whether the organizational structure of AUS contributed to the large turnover on the executive team, Liu said she felt this year’s high turnover was largely due to bad luck, and that there weren’t any plans to restructure the executive committee.

“[Resignations] don’t usually happen that frequently,” Liu said. “We have discussed some of the more operational roles, such as [the VP] Internal and [VP] Finance, being staffed. It’s something that was discussed two years ago and it was shot down, so it’s not currently open for discussion.”

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