Welcome Back

2010 is getting off to quite a start here at SSMU! Week 101 was a huge success and a great way to welcome 2010 and the new semester. To everyone who attended, I hope you had a great time and thanks so much for participating! And to everyone who didn’t, you missed out and just hope that it becomes a tradition.

Activities Night is tomorrow! Heading out to Activities Night is the best way to see what is happening on McGill’s campus and find out how you can get involved. Stop by the Shatner building between 4 and 9 to get in on the action.

Another important way you can get involved this month is through the General Assembly. GA motions are due on January 28th at 12PM for the February 10th General Assembly. See our website for more information on writing and submitting a GA motion.

In other SSMU news, we are starting a recycling and composting project in the Shatner Cafeteria. We are trying to start the new year on the right, green foot. If you have any questions about our sustainability initiatives, you can always check out the environment commission’s website.

Happy New Year and remember, winter semester is never too late to get involved.

Vaccination Clinic on Campus!

Even if you keep telling yourself that you’ll be that one person who doesn’t get H1N1, it can still happen to you. Remember that the best way to stop the spread of H1N1 is to get vaccinated. Let’s all end 2009 vaccinated and ready for a healthy new year!

A special H1N1 influenza vaccination clinic for McGill staff and students will be open on the downtown campus for two days only next week.

The clinic will operate Monday, December 14, and Tuesday, December 15, from 12 noon to 7 p.m.

It will be held on the 4th floor, West Wing of the Brown Student Services Building, 3600 McTavish Street, at the corner of Doctor Penfield.

What to bring: You need only bring your McGill ID card and your Medicare card if you have one.

Getting vaccinated is the single best way of protecting yourself from H1N1 according to Quebec, Canadian and international public health authorities.

To learn more about the H1N1 influenza and the vaccine you can see a five minute video and find other resources at http://www.mcgill.ca/health/h1n1/

Quebec’s vaccination clinics are still open if that is more convenient for you. Please check http://vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.php to find the one closest to where you live. Those clinics are open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, until December 18.

Note that two vaccination centres near Macdonald Campus are still open:
Allancroft School in Beaconsfield
265 Allancroft, corner Rowan Avenue and Chemin Allancroft.
You can take Bus 200 going east from Sainte-Anne and Macdonald College to
Saint-Charles and Sherbrooke. Switch to the 217 going west at Elm and Brown and get off at Sherbrooke and Chemin Allancroft.

Spring Garden School in Dollard-des-Ormeaux
175 promenade Sonata, corner of Kingsley and Sonata
You can take bus 210 heading east from John-Abbott College to the Fairview Terminus. Switch to the 208 bus going east and get off at Spring Garden and Sonata.

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La semaine prochaine, le personnel et les étudiants de l’Université McGill pourront recevoir le vaccin contre le virus H1N1; pendant deux jours, une clinique sera mise sur pied sur le campus du centre-ville.

La clinique sera ouverte le lundi 14 décembre et le mardi 15 décembre, de midi à 19 h.

Elle sera située au Pavillon de services aux étudiants Brown, aile Ouest, 4e étage – 3600, rue McTavish, à l’angle de l’avenue Docteur-Penfield.

Vous devrez présenter les documents suivants :

* Carte d’identification de l’Université McGill

* Carte d’assurance santé du Québec, si vous êtes résident

Selon les autorités de santé publique du Québec, du Canada et de l’étranger, la vaccination est la meilleure protection contre le virus H1N1.

Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements au sujet du virus H1N1 et du vaccin pour s’en prémunir, nous vous invitons à consulter une présentation vidéo d’une durée de cinq minutes ainsi que diverses ressources, accessibles au http://www.mcgill.ca/health/h1n1/

Si cela vous convient davantage, vous pouvez aller à l’une des cliniques de vaccination de votre quartier. Pour trouver l’adresse de celle située le plus près de votre domicile, veuillez consulter le http://vaccination.msss.gouv.qc.ca/index.php Ces cliniques sont ouvertes chaque jour, de 8 h à 20 h, jusqu’au 18 décembre.

Vous pouvez également vous rendre à l’une des deux cliniques de vaccination situées près du campus Macdonald.

École Allancroft (Beaconsfield)
265, chemin Allancroft, à l’ange de l’avenue Rowan et du chemin Allancroft
Prenez l’autobus 200 en direction est, à l’angle Sainte-Anne et Macdonald College, descendez à l’angle Saint-Charles et Sherbrooke. Prenez ensuite l’autobus 217 en direction ouest à l’angle Elm et Brown et descendez à l’angle Sherbrooke et chemin Allancroft.

École Spring Garden (Dollard-des-Ormeaux)
175, promenade Sonata, angle Kingsley et Sonata
Prenez l’autobus 210 en direction est au Collège John-Abbott jusqu’au terminus Fairview. Prenez ensuite l’autobus 208 en direction est et descendez à l’angle Spring Garden et Kingsley.G100571_ENG vaccination on campus poster_FINAL1

Holiday Greetings from the office of the President

Here in the SSMU office, we want to facilitate your paper writing with a little holiday cheer! Take a break, celebrate the end of the semester and get ready for the snowy months ahead with our tasty holiday events.

First, there will be free HOT CHOCOLATE on Thursday (December 3rd). Yes, I said free and chocolate in the same sentence, add hot, marshmallows and whipped cream and things are starting to sound too good to be true. But they aren’t, all you have to do is bring your own mug and stop by the Y intersection between 11 and 2.
just in case you have questions (although, free hot chocolate is pretty self explanatory) see the facebook event.

Then, on Friday, from 4-7, SSMU and Milton-Parc Present: The Holiday Fair! This is a great way to spend some time outside the McGill gates and in the community that many of us call home. The parking lot at Milton and Hutchison will be host to free drink and baked goodies, arts and crafts and performances. Sounds like a great way to get in the holiday spirit.

But before you get too busy with spirit and the holidays, don’t forget to take care of yourself. During this hectic time of year when people aren’t sleeping enough and cramming for exams, getting sick would really throw a wrench in the works. The H1N1 vaccine is now available for everyone of all ages. Check out this link for information on where and how to get vaccinated.

If all of this isn’t enough to get you through exams, you can start thinking about next semester! SSMU has some great plans. SSMU Council has wrapped up for this semester, but things will start up again next year with the first council of 2010 on January 7th.
Also, get excited for… Week 101!
Wondering what Week 101 is? All I’ll say is that the event has been described as “dedicated to capturing the back-to-school spirit and turning it upside-down.”

Happy Holidays and stay warm (I recommend hot chocolate)!

The end of the semester is quickly approaching…

I hope finals are not too daunting and that the semester has been going smoothly for everyone.

The referendum results are in! Thanks so much to everyone who voted, I’m very happy with the turnout. 25.5% of students took the time to make their voice heard which (according to this source) is the largest turnout ever in a fall election.

The last Council of the semester is coming up on Thursday. It will be an opportunity to wrap up any unresolved issues and address budget revisions.

As the days get shorter and with winter just around the corner, I want to remind everyone to remain vigilant about H1N1. Everyone under 19 can now get vaccinated. For more information please see the McGill health website: www.mcgill.ca/health. Check there to see when you can get vaccinated.

Stay healthy!

-Your President

Fall Electoral Period: Don’t Forget to Vote

Now that we are past the GA, I’m sure most students are wondering how else they can influence SSMU policies and fees. The answer is simple, the Fall Electoral Period!!

The campaign period kicked off this morning at 12:01 A.M, so you will surely start seeing posters around campus. This November, First Year students will have the opportunity to elect the First Year Council, and all students will have the chance to vote on three referendum questions and two non-binding plebiscites.

Referendum Questions:

Ambassador Fee
MLIC Fee Renewal
Sustainable Projects Fund

Plebiscite Questions:

RE: Add / Drop Period
RE: Online Coursepack Materials

Full Text of all Questions available here

FYC Candidates:

President:
Sankalp Modwal
Larah Maunder

VP Academic:
Simon Liu

VP Communication:
Sophia Su
Mohamed Azfan Jaffeer

VP External:
Lisa Hartman
Sarah Lazure
Brendan Steven
Faria Tanzeem Antora

VP Finance:
Benjamin Comeau

VP Internal:
Valerie Mathis
Sharon Gai

Voting opens on November 6th and runs until the 12th at 5PM. Voting is easy, just go to The Online Voting System located at ovs.ssmu.mcgill.ca

There will be an all-candidates / referendum debate on Thursday November 5th at 5PM, in Shatner 302. Check out the Facebook Event

To contact the CEO, or get more information on elections, visit Elections McGill

Fall 2009 General Assembly Results

Results from the Fall 2009 General Assembly

Last Wednesday, the SSMU held its first of two regularly scheduled General Assemblies. The results were as follows:

MOTION RE: STUDENT EMPLOYMENT IN THE SHATNER BUILDING (Passed)

MOTION RE: ENERGY USAGE IN THE SHATNER BUILDING (Passed)

MOTION RE: PORN! (Passed)

MOTION RE: SPACE EFFICIENCY IN THE SHATNER BUILDING (Failed)

MOTION RE: THE USE OF STYROFOAM IN THE SHATNER BUILDING (Tabled)

MOTION RE: SHATNER BUILDING LEASE (Tabled)

MOTION RE: SEAFOOD ON CAMPUS (Tabled)

MOTION RE: SELF-FUNDED TUITION MODEL (Tabled)

*Full text of the motions is available at ssmu.mcgill.ca/ga

The meeting started when the assembly reached the required quorum of 100 students. For any questions pertaining to quorum or the procedure for General Assemblies, please go to http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/ssmu-documents/ and consult the SSMU Constitution Section VII, and Section I-5 in Book 1 of the Bylaws.

All of the tabled motions were not voted upon because quorum was lost when attendance dipped below 100 students. These will automatically appear on the agenda for the next General Assembly, scheduled for early February.

Despite being scheduled for the Winter GA, these motions can be voted on sooner! Any student can contact a SSMU Councillor to have a motion submitted to Council and voted on at the next meeting. A full list of Councillors, their constituencies, and email addresses is available at http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/about/ssmu-legislative-council/

The SSMU would like to thank all those who attended, and encourages every student hoping to create SSMU Policy to submit a motion for the winter GA. If you have comments or suggestions about the previous GA, or the process in general, please contact SSMU President Ivan Neilson at pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca

FALL 2009 GA Motions now available

Hello Again!

The Fall 2009 General Assembly is quickly approaching! It will take place next Wednesday October 21st, at 2:30 in the Shatner Cafeteria. Come one, come all, bring you friends! We will be giving away some fabulous door prizes, so be sure to come check it out. We have several intriguing motions coming, including several resolutions reaffirming SSMU’s commitment to sustainability. We also have motions on student employment, tuition, and even pornography!

World Wide Web: ssmu.mcgill.ca/ga

The Facebook Event

For information, contact either the President (pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca) or the Speakers (speaker@ssmu.mcgill.ca)

Events on Campus

The SSMU and Mcgill have taken different approaches to events on campus. SSMU Council passed this motion at last week’s Council:

Resolution Regarding Echoes of the Holocaust Event
WHEREAS “Echoes of the Holocaust” is an event by the SSMU club Choose Life scheduled for Tuesday, October 6 at 6 pm in Leacock 232, and;
WHEREAS at the event, speaker Jose “Jojo” Ruba will discuss how “the dehumanization and denial of personhood has justified some of the greatest affronts to human dignity that the world has seen, including [abortion and] the Holocaust,” and show both graphic Holocaust and abortion imagery, and;
WHEREAS this comparison between abortion and the Holocaust insults and slanders the millions of post-abortive women who made the incredibly difficult and personal decision to have an abortion, and belittles the racist and hateful motivations of the Nazi movement and genocide of six million people, and;
WHEREAS according to the SSMU Constitution and Equity Policy; the SSMU has a responsibility to “demonstrating leadership in matters of social justice,” and to“promote an anti-oppressive environment that fosters a culture of respect,” and;
WHEREAS this event violates tenets of social justice, anti-oppression, and respect.

THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that the SSMU officially and publically censure this event, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SSMU inform the Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning) Morton Mendelson that the SSMU has censured this event and inform him that permitting it to continue contravenes the desire of this representative body, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if Choose Life so decides to continue on after its censure, Choose Life will automatically become ineligible to receive SSMU funding for the remainder of its existence as a SSMU club.

Respectfully Submitted,
Sarah Olle, VP Clubs & Services

Co-signed:
Sarah Woolf, Senate Caucus

Professor Mendelson submitted this response to the Resolution:

Dear Sarah,

I am acknowledging receipt of the Resolution Regarding Echoes of the Holocaust Event. In particular, I note that SSMU has censured this event and that it believes that my permitting it to continue contravenes the desire of this representative body. However, Choose Life duly applied for, and was given, permission to book their event, and the SSMU resolution does not justify reversing that decision.

No one should construe that, by allowing groups to schedule an event on one of our campuses, McGill necessarily supports or agrees with the views represented at the event.  McGill is, however, steadfastly committed to the principle that universities are places for full exchanges of views. Debate, free of constraint, is appropriate at the University as long as the discourse remains civil and does not violate the law or McGill’s Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.

We work and study at a university where we can express and hear strongly held views on a wide variety of issues across our two campuses. This is a privilege afforded us by Canadian society and an essential part of a vibrant learning community. Of course, this privilege comes with responsibilities and obligations: to be accountable for what we say; to ensure that we do not create a hostile environment for members of our diverse community; to uphold civil discourse; and to refrain from imposing our views on others.

It strikes me that these tenets are upheld in this case for the following reasons: No one is compelled to attend the event; it is scheduled in a room that is not an open public space; the publicity advises individuals about the nature of the graphic imagery that will be shown; and the graphic imagery will be confined to the room.

Open discussion may well test our tolerance for free speech. But the value of open discussion is lost, if it is limited to noncontroversial issues. A commitment to free speech necessitates a tolerance for the expression of views that are at odds with our own and that we may find difficult, challenging, or even deeply uncomfortable.

I appreciate the intensity of the feelings held by many individuals in our community on this important issue, but I am sure that you understand the need for universities to be forums for the exchange on diverse views.

Regards,

MJM

Morton J. Mendelson, Ph.D.
Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning)
James Administration Building, Suite 621
McGill University
845 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T5

Tel:  (514) 398-3109
Fax: (514) 398-4768

We look forward to discussing these issues more in depth at the Controversial Events Townhall, co-hosted by Vice President (Clubs and Services) Sarah Olle and Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson. We have different opinions on free speech – where do you stand?

(Posted by Vice President (Clubs and Services) Sarah Olle)

In the swing of things

September is coming to a close, add/drop has passed, we’re all settling into our routines. My routine involves a lot of meetings, meetings I want to make sure the student body is informed about. Read on, my curious colleagues if you care to know what your SSMU president meets about-

Last week was the first Board of Governors meeting. I met the governors at large, a bunch of interesting characters and it should be an entertaining and interesting experience. I’ll update with stories from this group.

I’ve also attended the first Senate meeting. We asked a few questions of the administration, including how the new McGill Secretary General would be hired and why course packs were so late at the bookstore. I don’t know about you, but I like at least SEEING my first course pack reading before it’s due.

The first SSMU Council of the year went well for the most part. People need time to get used to the format, but it is important to give them time to get comfortable with the procedures because I never want technicalities to discourage people from getting involved. Do things that might scare you a little or that you might be unfamiliar with, there will be other people adjusting as well! And that’s how it is with Council, we’ll be running at full speed soon. Retreat for councilors is Octover 2-4, which will help immensely.

Outside of my usual, Presidential routine of meetings and trying to voice student concerns at those meetings, I have hired people to fill many of SSMU’s crucial positions. Council now has 2 speakers, Elections McGill is fully staffed and the Judicial Board positions have been filled. I’m excited because the individuals are all extremely qualified for their jobs.

I am now interviewing for two Green Positions, the Green Events Coordinator and the Green Building Coordinator (both positions were recommendations from the 5 year plan adopted last year). It will be exciting to see this plan begin to unfold.

Welcome Back!

…and welcome to all the new students!

As your SSMU president, I’m excited for the year ahead and I hope you are too! I’ve jumped right into the year and have been busy hiring people all this week for the positions of Speaker, Chief Electoral Officer, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, 2 Election Coordinators, and the Judicial Board. I want to make sure that all of these people are working for the student community. Remember, these are all ways that you can get involved with SSMU and your community so think about applying next year!

I am meeting with the Environment and Francophone Commissioners this week. If you are at all interested in getting involved in either of those committees, check the website. Committees make a difference, but we need students to fill them.

You can also become a member at large for committees of Council. If you’re interested, contact me! I will also be tabling at activities night, which is a great way to learn more and talk to people face-to-face.

Hope the year is off to a productive start for everyone and I hope to see you at Activities Night!

Keep checking the blog for updates about what is going on around the SSMU office.