The McGill Tribune Vol. 16 Issue 19

Page 1

Published by th e Students’ S ociety o f M c G ill U n iv e rs ity

TRIBUNE

February 18th, 1997

http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/tril

Volume 16 Issue 1

Controversial budget proposals S tu d en ts, fa c u l t y in s is t on a n ew d e a l By Benii W einstein After presenting her memo outlining ideas for the 1997-98 university budget to the M cGill Senate, V ice-Principal Admin­ istration and F inance P hyllis Heaphy met with a wave of con­ cern from both student and faculty senators. The memorandum, which Heaphy presented to Senate at the February 12 meeting, was meant to serve as a list of considerations for the upcoming budget, which has not yet been put together. While the document deals with a range o f factors that affect the budget — including governmentmandated tuition increases and the accumulated deficit — the vast majority of discussion was devot­ ed to the proposals for accomodat­ ing the Q uebec governm ent’ s promised cut in M cGill’s operat­ ing grant. “It has been a very difficult few months as we have tried to grapple with the expected govern­ ment cuts,” Heaphy told Senate. “We don’ t know the grant cut number yet. Our share will proba­ bly be around $18 million, and this model is built on an $18 mil­ lion grant cut.” Heaphy’ s memo includes a

Continued on Page 5 Full coverage of SSMU ELECTIONS Starting this week, the Tribune will be bringing you complete coverage of the SSMU election. In this week's issue, you will find features on the positions of VP Finance, VP Internal, and Board of Governors rep. In the next issue, coming out the week after Reading Week, there will be coverage on the races for President, VP University Affairs, and VP External. We will also be featuring the annual Tribune candidates' quiz. Readers can also expect to see ongoing cov­ erage of various debates and results from faculty elections.

? Z

C A N D IN E

Vikings take over Moyse Hall in their production o f Mad Boy Chronicle, which plays until February 22.

Rebecca Catching

S tu d e n ts u s e ‘g u e r r illa t h e a tr e ’ to r e s is t N e w because they were denied the oppor­ tunity to participate in discussion. Art Attacks member Miranda In the absence of an officially sanctioned vent for student angst Ortiz sees guerrilla theatre as a about the proposed privatisation and viable alternative to an o fficia l forum such as an Estates-General. A m ericanisation o f the “New “Since from the first our voice McGill,” one student group is resort­ has been squelched, it’s important ing to guerrilla tactics. Art Attacks, a fledgling student we create our own space for access,” group, is shooting for the jugular said Ortiz. “I can’t get on television with a creative form of protest — a to make myself heard, but I can go out on the street and do a little skit.” futuristic video offering a satirical Art Attacks has made several portrayal of what the “New McGill” appearances at school events and would be like. The video w ill consist o f a demonstrations in the past. One series of faux infomercials advertis­ member placed herself in a casket to ing McGill to potential corporate symbolise “death to accessibility” at buyers. Televisions will be set up a CEGEP and university tuition hike across campus for students’ viewing protest last November. Cafeteria raids against PepsiCo were also pleasure by September at the latest. Students’ determination to be staged in honour of International heard stems in part from the failure Burma Day. However, the infomercial for­ to obtain an open forum for discus­ sion. In the fall of 1995, Principal mat was chosen for this latest pro­ Bernard Shapiro assembled a task ject because it is catchy and can be made instantly accessible to students force to exam ine his proposal, “Towards a New McGill.” The Task as they walk through halls to their Force Report of January 1996 pro­ classrooms. It also provides a tidy posed, among other things, that capsule in which the sentiments of McGill hold an Estates General — a different student groups can be three-day open forum for the entire linked thematically and played in a McGill community to discuss the continuous loop. The artists aim to promote soli­ university’s future. The McGill Senate rejected the darity among student interest groups proposal of an open forum in April by establishing “a forum for lasting 1996. This left many students angry alliances among [them],” and to get By Alex Mathias

FO R

$4.99

*

* includes two flame-broiled Whopper* sandwiches and two medium fries. Please present this coupon before ordering. Not valid with any other offer. No cash value. Applicable taxes payable by bearer. Valid only at 2001 University, McGill Metro. Expiry Date: Feb. 28, 1997

2

the attention of apathetic students, according to Ortiz. They do not pre­ tend to be producing a balanced report on proposed changes; fair play is not part of their mandate. “W e’re going to focus on the negative side [of the New McGill]; the positive side will have large enough venues to exercise their [voice],” laughed Ortiz. “We want to crystallise what everyone’s feel­ ing.” Approximately ten students from various departments and one McGill staff member from Newman House, who wishes to remain anonymous, showed up for the first meeting and brainstorming session. Possible ideas included skits of professors wearing McDonald’s uni­ forms, a professor lecturing spliced into a soccer stadium classroom, and the Arts building being destroyed by a black dot wrecking ball. A voice of dissension from one chemistry student at the meeting argued that the focus of the infomer­ cial was based simply on proposals that remain hypothetical. Paul Beaulieu, Art Attacks member, shot back: “Amalgamating faculties, decreased diversity in programs, increased tuition — in one way they’re just proposals. A lot of these things are already coming into place piecemeal.”

CAN D IN E FOR

$ 4 .9 9 * T h is offer valid only at:

BURGER KING

2 0 0 1 U niversity • M cG ill M etro ncludes two flame broiledWhopper* sandwiches and twomedium

2

M c G ill

Whether the McGill adminis­ tration will take the satire in good humour remains to be seen. Director o f U niversity R elations Kate Williams said that she did not object to the project in principle, but hoped that it would not provide an over­ simplified picture of McGill’s situa­ tion. “I think all institutions should be satirised,” said Williams. “[But] in order to be true to itself [Art Attacks] needs to be informed. The issues are complex, and satire often can’t take that into account.”

Find the Art Attacks web page at http://w w w .geocities.com / SoHo/Lofts/2624

Featured Inside Corporate funding: York University allows sponsorship of individual courses.............. Pg. 4 Serbian students: protest, fight for civil society........ .................Pg. 12 Seasonal Affective Disorder: a legitimate cause for the winter blues...................................Pg. 13 The Inbreds: a duo like no other.................................Pg. 14 Redmen hockey: clinches a play­ off berth...........................Pg. 17 What's On listings..........Pg-19

C A N D IN E

$4.99*

* includes two flame-broiled Whopper* sandwiches and two medium fries. Please present this coupon before ordering. Not valid with any other offer. No cash value. Applicable taxes payable by bearer. Valid only at 2001 University, McGill Metro. Expiry Date: Feb. 28th, 1997

F O R "!


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.