The McGill Tribune Vol. 23 Issue 21

Page 1

Smitty on the international stage.

Poet Clarke cap­ tures award.

Montreal shows its fashion flair.

SPORTS, PAGE 20

A&E, PAGE 18

FEATURES, PAGE 12

R I B U N E Vol. 23 Issue 21

Published by the Students' Society of M cG ill U niversity since 1981

Tuesday, February 17, 200 4

Council confused on CASA M a ra th o n

s e s s io n

e n d s w ith o u t d e c is io n

James G o tow iec

After a long and passionate debate over whether the Students’ Society should remain part of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, a federal lobby group, councillors voted Thursday to sus­ pend debate and return to the issue next month. Last year council voted to down­ grade SSMU to associate member status in order to evaluate the merits of membership, leaving the final decision on whether to stay with the organization to the current council. Ewa Krajewska, chair of the Community and. Government Committee, outlined CASA’s inade­ quacies. They included problems with CASA’s structure, its lack of effort in mobilizing students, and its inability to effect change in Quebec. In its report, the committee said that CASA was no longer suitable for SSMU. “We cannot be satisfied with being a member of an organization that does not represent our views,” said SSMU Vice-President Community and Government Brianna Hersey, who introduced the motion to withdraw from CASA. “Our primary concern here must be the students of McGill. ” SSMU President Kate Rhodes

Bottles of liquid courage lined up for your drinking pleasure. See page 16 for a guide to all the hot spots.

SSMU proposes cutting McGill Student Fund in half N ew Laura Saba

The Students’ Society has decided to send the McGill adminis tration the message that students should not have to pay for services that it believes the university should be responsible for providing. The McGill Student Fund, which has been in effect since 1999, expires at the end of this semester. The MSF currently finances library services and student bursaries. In its place, SSMU is proposing the McGill Undergraduate Student Fund, for which an amount equal to

fe e

w o u ld

b e

$ 1 9

Governors representative to SSMU. He cited decreased student represen­ tation on the Board of Governors in j its proposed restructuring as well as recent takeovers of student run cafe­ terias by the university. He said that library resources are a fundamental responsibility of j the university. SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Vivian Choy, referring to the university’s takeover j of copy services, said, “Were being pinched from all sides and we re also

half of the previous fee will be col­ lected from each student. The pro­ posed fee would be $19 per student per semester, compared to the cur­ rent $38, while part-time students would pay $9.50 per semester. Students will still be allowed to opt out of the MUSF. “Tthink going straight to half sends a very powerful message to the university,” said SSMU President Kate Rhodes. “The university has begun to devalue student input from the rep­ resentatives that students elect,” said Philip Carpenter, Senate/Board of

J See ALUMNI, page 5

also spoke in favour of withdrawing from CASA. “It is very difficult to say positive things about CASA at this time,’ she told councillors. “Increasingly its membership is asking CASA to be something that it is not.” CASA National Director James Kusie took issue with the committee’s view of his organization. He said that CASA has been one of the most effective lobby groups for students and that in withdrawing, SSMU would lose important influence at the federal level. He also said that SSMU executives might be failing CASA, and not the other way around. “CASA has always been struc­ tured as a member-driven organiza­ tion,” Kusie said, adding that SSMU will get out of CASA what it puts into it. “For seven years the SSMU executives were at the forefront of CASA operations... [but] over the last year, that has changed. If you’re not participating, then you’re not get­ ting your money’s worth.” Current and former members of council disagreed with the commit­ tee’s recommendations as well. “What CASA presents to us is very reasonable in terms of federal representation,” said SSMU ViceSee SSMU, page 5

“Some places have become so well known that you only need one visual image to know where you are.“ NEWS, PAGE 7 “Enter Jesse Rosenfeld—saviour of McGill University’s social action scene.” OP/ED, PAGE 9 CD CÔ

“Does Canada have its own version of Fox News?” SPORTS, PAGE

Q S S F S w im m in g C h a m p io n s h ip s This w e e k e n d HERE at M em orial P ool! ___________

SATURDAY, FEB. 21 10 am & 5 pm SUNDAY, FEB. 22 10 am & 5 pm w

w

w

.

a

t

h

l

e

t

i

c

s

.

m

c

g

i

l

l

.

c

a

C h eer on y o u r M c G ill s w im m e rs to a c o n fe re n c e title !

McGill ATHLETICS


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.