Ttif MCGILL TRIBUNf ■
T uesday October 25,1988
■
■ ■ ■ ' Published by the Students' Society of McGill University
Volume 8 Issue 8
G e n e ra l A s s e m b ly
C r o w n to
G e n e r a lly E m p t y
d e c id e o n r a p e c h a rg e s
be supported by their parents, while receiving financial aid. Differing opinions existed with The General Assembly which was respect to the resolutions but there was called by Students’ Society Council consensus on one issue; the dismal on Thursday October 20 failed to at turnout at the General Assembly. Most tract the 200 people needed to form of the audience pointed a finger at by Robert Steiner quorum. As aresult, the meeting served SSMU, blaming the poor turnouton an Crown prosecutors will decide in an advisory role and the SSMU (Stu less than two weeks whether or not to dents’ Society of McGill University) charge three suspects with sexual as promised to consider the proposals sault stemming from September’s al voiced by the approximately 50 stu leged rape at Zeta Psi fraternity, Mon dents who did attend. treal’s chief sexual assault prosecutor The Assembly was called to decide told the Tribune yesterday. whether ornot the Society should adopt Aprosecutor met withMontreal UrANEEQ’s (Association nationale des ban Community (MUC) police inves étudiants et étudiantes du Québec) tigators to discuss the case yesterday, policy for a three day general strike to Louise Villemure said. pressure the government on the issue “The prosecutpr will now study the of loans and bursaries reform. evidence gathered by police and will Mark Cameron, SSMU VP Exter probably want to speak to the plaintiff nal Affairs, opened the meeting with a before making a decision on how to discussion about the need for reform. proceed with the case,” she added. He pointed out that Québec provides “The case is notvery complex so we most aid in the form of loans, and that shouldhave adecision before toolong.” students are required to obtain a spe MUCpoliceLt.Det. AlanTrepanier cific amount of money in loans before said police finished interviewing they can be given a grant or bursary. people involved in the case shortly As a result of the Liberal government’s after the sexual assault complaint was policy, student indebtedness is on the filed three weeks ago. rise. Presently, 30% of all students are Strike option rejected at poorly attended assembly. Photo by Paul Stanley “We have a case, but the crown will on loans and bursaries. have to decide how sound it is,” TreANEEQ, the largest student organi to and from both Lafontaine Park and ineffective advertisingcampaign. Mark panier said, explaining that police had zation in theprovince, ofwhich McGill Cameron accepted this criticism and gathered no physical evidence to sup is not a member, proposed a three day the picket in front of Liberal headquar adding thatlackof sufficientpublicity, port rape charges. ters; and finally, the formation of a general strike to be held October 26, “This isn’t the samekind of case we 27, and 28. The strike would protest mobilization committee of five stu mid-term exams and general apathy among students were also to blame. get everyday, there’s the matter that the government’sdelay tactics regard dents who will serve as ex-officio members of the External Affairs ing reform in the loans and bursaries program. ANEEQ’s resolution also Committee in order to carry out the SSMU resolution. advocates participation in a province The Assembly addressed another wide demonstration in Montréal on SSMU resolution, calling for the gov October 28 and an “unlimited general and appliances will be supplied, but by Shannon Aldinger strike from October 31”, pending cer ernment to “immediately adopt sub stantial improvements relative to the details such as dishes are still being McGill University recently pur tain conditions. status of independence”. As the policy chased a building to be converted into worked out. The SSMU rejected ANEEQ’s call “I’d like to see the apartments for a general strike, considering it an now stands, it is close to impossible for an off-campus student residence. The students who are not deemed inde one acre site is located two-and-a-half completely furnished so that the stu ineffective pressure device. The Coun miles south-west of the campus on dent only has to bring in him/herself cil formulated its ownresolution which pendent to obtain loans or bursaries. andhis/her personal belongings,” says involves a “campus wide information The SSMU believes Québec must Lionel Groulx Avenue. “It’s too bad this residence won’tbe Battaglia. campaign ... including a petition and/ broaden its policy and allow a student to be granted independent status when on campus: we don’t want to lose the Battaglia would like to see more or letter writing campaign” on loans thanjustphysical differences between feeling of a McGill community by and bursaries. The SSMU also sup he/she “leaves the family home, re having students separated,” says Ma the residences; she’d also like to make ports joining forces with ANEEQ for gardless of the student’s age, level of the demonstration in Lafontaine Park education, or marital status”. This ria Battaglia, SSMU VP University room for a greater variety of occu pants. (scheduled for October 28) andpicket revision designed for students who are Affairs. unable to rely on their parents, re “I’d like to include room for stu “We did look into many other pos ing the meeting of the Québec Liberal ceived support at the Assembly. sibilities closer to McGill, but all the dents other thanjust freshman and first Party in Montréal on October 29. buildings in the immediate area were year. I think we should supply some Both resolutions were discussed at However, many pointed out that the already owned and occupied,” she space for married students, graduate the Assembly and a majority voted in proposal contained a loophole: stu dents wholive away from home could explains. students and students with children.” favor of the SSMU proposal. Oppo Battaglia is confident that the Board Due to government regulations, apartment buildings cannot be con of Governors will okay at least some of verted to student residences because her recommendations, but she is con the existing tenants have “acquired cerned that her suggestion that stu rights” to their apartments. Therefore, the purchased building had to be nonresidential with the potential to be converted. Last year, Devencore Realties was even come close. by Paul Michell hired by the executive committee of “I’m only going to get one percent Students who are generally apathetic the Board of Governors (BoG) to about Canadian federal elections may of the vote,” says Longley. conduct a search for an appropriate But the Student Party offers some find Blair Longley’s Student Party building. The one purchased is located thing to campaign contributors that no platform attractive. in an industrial sector which will be other federal political party does. Not because Mr.Longley espouses rezoned by the end of November to Cold cash. any particular views on political is allow residential occupancy. Longley’s scheme is a beautifully sues. He doesn’t. The site consists of a two building simple one. In what he calls “Lon Not because the Student Party, unit connected by underground serv founded at Longley’s alma mater, the gley’s Loophole,” he has developed a ice tunnels. Occupants will share a two University of British Columbia, has a process by which persons who concontinued on page 3 bedroom apartment fullyequipped with chance at winning any seats. It won’t a washroom andkitchenette. Furniture
by Rhonda Yarin and Suzy Costom
nents feared SSMU’s planned action would provide “insufficient clout”. Suggestions by students to strengthen SSMU ’sresolution were incorporated into the original, and formed three friendly amendments calling for: directclassroom contact for the dissemi nation of information; shuttle service
_ _____ ___ _ « L . «->•>! a t / i / I p n r ' P 11 V f* we ihave no physical evidence like a crime site or sperm samples. Those things are by no means conclusive,but they do substantiate verbal evidence, ” said the detective. “What we have now is a lot of ver sions of what happened from a lot of people, but contradicting evidence is normal in a case like this and a group of people saying a rape took place is better than sperm samples anyway.” Trepanierexplained that only crown prosecutors can lay criminal charges. "Lots of people think the police lay charges when in fact all we do is build files on a complaint, “ he said
“Charges against the three suspects could range from out-and-out rape to simple assault, to no charge at all, depending on how conclusive the crown thinks our case against themis.” In an unrelated event, MUC police said yesterday a 21-year old woman, whose name they would not release will appear in municipal court Janu ary13 to face vandalism charges stem ming from an attempted spraypainting of the word “rapists” on the sidewalk in front of Zeta Psi fraternity October 17
New residence finally bought
How to vote and make money
dents with children be given a chance as well may meet with opposition. The property location is approxi mately 30-40 minutes by foot, 15 minutes by metro,25-30 minutes by bus and 10 minutes by car away from the university. Battaglia predicts that occupancy will cost approximately $300-5350 per student per month. This price does not include a meal plan as do the other oncampus residences. “You must consider that the exist ing residences cost about $500 with meals, so the amounts will end up approximately the same,” sheexplains. Sam Kingdon, Associate Vice-Prin cipal of Physical Resources at McGill, estimates the total cost of the prefect to be approximately $13 million. Completion for the project is sched uled for September 1990.
Inside this week: Billy Bragging................ page 10 Crumbling the walls of apartheid.......................page 8 Football Redmen Jose again............................page 6)j