2016
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INTRODUCTION In recent years, a series of increasingly vitriolic electoral campaigns and a rising tide of student apathy have deepened the divide between the leadership of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and its members. As an unfortunate result, many now regard SSMU as an inefficient organization, marginal to the lives of most McGill students. Here at The Daily, we firmly believe that SSMU remains an integral and worthwhile part of student life at McGill. That being said, however, the coming year’s executive team will have to work hard to earn the trust and respect of its constituents. At its best, a student society should foster a diverse, supportive, and accessible university experience, and SSMU certainly has the potential to enrich the lives of its members. In preparing our endorsements, The Daily spoke to each of the ten candidates about their platforms, relevant experience, and understanding of SSMU’s political role. These interviews have been condensed and paraphrased in order to give a brief overview of every candidate, and the endorsements represent the consensus of our editorial board. Each candidate’s stance on SSMU as a political actor was crucial in informing our decisions. In the wake of a contentious Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) motion at the Winter 2016 General Assembly (GA), there has been a troubling increase in calls for political neutrality on campus, culminating in a proposed amendment to the SSMU Constitution to screen GA motions deemed “external and divisive.” We must remember that any stance, including both silence and so-called “neutrality,” is inherently a political one, and that such stances can have a disastrous impact on marginalized communities. Now more than ever, candidates must understand that the notion of an apolitical student society is a dangerous myth to cling to. Finally, we were disappointed to note that the majority of this year’s executive candidates are white and men. Combined with the language of neutrality employed so frequently throughout this campaign, a largely white, male executive could create a leadership ignorant of its own privilege, and incapable of adequately representing women, racialized people, and other marginalized groups on campus. Take the time to make an informed decision, and make your voice heard. The voting period runs from
The McGill Daily | SSMU Elections
March 16 to 18.
President
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VP Internal
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VP University Affairs
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VP External
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VP Operations
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VP Finance
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VP Student Life
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Referendum Endorsements
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PRESIDENT The SSMU President is the leader of the SSMU executive team, in addition to being a key player in interactions with the administration. The President is the only undergraduate representative on the Board of Governors, and sits on Senate. The President is also responsible for the maintenance of SSMU’s governing documents and the enforcement of its Constitution and Internal Regulations. Furthermore, the President is tasked with supporting the rest of the executive team as need arises.
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Ben Ger
en Ger is a U2 student in McGill’s School of the Environment, and has been actively involved with SSMU since last summer. He was also a part of former SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa’s presidential campaign. Before that, he served as the VP Finance of the McGill Environment Student Society (MESS), President of Molson Hall, and Sustainability Ambassador for the SSMU Environment Club. Ger also sat on the Internal Regulations and Constitutional Review Committee of SSMU, whose objective has been to convert all of SSMU’s by-laws into internal regulations and to streamline the Constitution. Ger cites his reduction of the number of signatures required to hold a referendum from 100 to 50 as increasing accessibility and facilitating “grassroots change.” Ger’s platform prioritizes student mental health. While mental health is technically not a part of the president’s portfolio, SSMU presidents can choose to prioritize issues that are important to them. Within the scope of his platform, Ger proposes giving “Mental Health 101” training to faculty members, as well as creating mental health clinic spaces and group therapy sessions in the Shatner building. As far as SSMU’s role as a political actor goes, Ger thinks that SSMU has the potential to have international influence, but promises to listen to what the student body wants. He seems to have conflicting opinions about the controversial constitutional amendment that seeks to limit “external” and “divisive” motions from coming to General Assemblies. On one hand, he says that the two-thirds majority rule “makes sense,” and on the other hand, he recognizes that it may silence student voices. If it passes, Ger said that he will support it as president, regardless of his personal views.
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Jordan Sinder
Endorsement: Ben Ger, with reservations Both Sinder and Ger have stressed the importance of consultation in their platforms, adopted disappointingly ambivalent attitudes toward the political nature of SSMU, and represented themselves as capable negotiators whose status as relative outsiders will allow them to better address SSMU’s flaws. However, while Sinder appears fairly unfamiliar with the intricacies of the presidential role, Ger has worked under the presidential portfolio and has gained an understanding of the position and of SSMU’s inner workings. He has expressed a firm commitment to both the administrative side of the president’s work and their support role for the other members of the executive team. This being said, Ger’s platform remains vague on certain crucial issues. Although he has highlighted the inadequacy of both mental health services and equity within SSMU, he has proposed few concrete strategies for dealing with these problems. Furthermore, his repeated refusal to take a concrete public stance on the proposed amendment to the Constitution that would block “external and divisive” GA motions, suggests a disturbing willingness to sacrifice political integrity in favour of electability. As a result, while The Daily endorses Ger, it does so with strong reservations.
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lthough only in his second year at McGill, Jordan Sinder believes he has sufficient experience to successfully lead the SSMU executive team. As last year’s president of La Citadelle, Sinder represented the students of his residence on Inter-Residence Council (IRC), and he has since served as an executive for several clubs, including DECA McGill and TVM: Student Television at McGill. He has never been a member of SSMU’s Legislative Council, but Sinder argues that this actually makes him a stronger candidate. As an outsider, he says, he will be better equipped to identify SSMU’s flaws and effect change. A key component of Sinder’s campaign is the political neutrality of the SSMU executive, although it remains unclear how he could enforce this single-handedly through the presidential portfolio. He argues that SSMU should foster political engagement and activism among its members, including on so-called “divisive” issues, while maintaining a balanced stance at the executive level in order to avoid alienating a substantial portion of the student body. However, Sinder has also indicated that while SSMU has been mandated to advocate on behalf of various social and environmental causes to the McGill administration, the majority of his own advocacy would focus on “real student interests,” such as building maintenance, mental health, and increased financial aid. He would work more efficiently with the administration than previous presidents, he argues, by being less “accusatory” and more willing to compromise. Sinder views behind-the-scenes “administrative work” as a crucial part of the presidential role, but he also stressed the need for the president to represent the interests of the entire student body and work closely with faculty representatives on Council. He hopes to bridge the gap between SSMU’s leadership and its members through increased financial transparency and a campaign that informs students about SSMU’s inner workings.
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VP INTERNAL The VP Internal is responsible for communication between SSMU and students and sends out the SSMU listserv. Responsibilities also include the Old McGill Yearbook and various events, including the 4Floors Halloween party, Frosh events, and Faculty Olympics.
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Daniel Lawrie
awrie is a U1 Materials Engineering student with no formal experience in student government. Lawrie has emphasized that, to prepare for the role, he has been communicating with outgoing VP Internal Omar El-Sharawy, as well as VPs Internal from the past three years. Lawrie is running his platform on the three tenets of “communication, organization, and trust.” Like many of his predecessors, Lawrie has noted that the SSMU listserv is largely ignored by students, which leads to an under-informed student population. Lawrie said this led to a turnout of “only” 900 people at the Winter 2016 GA. He proposes supplementing the listserv with information disseminated via the official McGill or MyMartlet apps, which he believes are more accessible. He also emphasizes the use of mobile platforms to “understand what students actually want to see in our school.” He would also work toward making the Old McGill Yearbook financially viable, since its annual deficit averaged $20,000 by Fall 2015. His suggestions include such options as making the yearbook digital rather than print, as well as introducing a yearbook fee for all students, an idea SSMU entertained this year. He would also work toward increasing attendance at events like 4Floors by returning to hard-copy ticket sales and publicizing the event more vigorously in advance. Lawrie has expressed that SSMU should not have a political stance to avoid “polarizing” the student body.
Endorsement: No While Lawrie is confident that the VP Internal role hinges more on enthusiasm than experience, The Daily is less convinced. His efforts to consult with former VPs Internal are commendable, but they are no substitute for first-hand experience with the inner workings of SSMU. Broadly speaking, Lawrie has shown a lack of understanding of SSMU’s operations. His platform is platitudinous and generic, and his opposition to SSMU acting as a political entity is deeply concerning. As such, The Daily endorses a “no” vote.
VP UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS
The VP University Affairs plays a pivotal role in student advocacy, sitting on Senate and representing SSMU and its constituents to the McGill administration. This coming year will see some responsibilities removed from the University Affairs portfolio, such as mental health and student services, leaving the VP University Affairs to oversee the SSMU Library Improvement Fund, work with student senators on advocacy projects, oversee student research initiatives, and implement equity initiatives.
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Erin Sobat
obat has been actively involved in student politics since 2012, most recently serving as an Arts Senator and Senate Caucus Representative during the 2015-16 academic year. He cited his working knowledge of McGill’s bureucracy as an asset, and said he hoped to “mentor” those newer to student politics. He has pledged to continue the portfolio’s existing advocacy work with mental health initiatives and the Sexual Assault Policy, as well as pushing for more Indigenous course content. He has noted that as he is not Indigenous himself, his goal to increase Indigenous course content was informed by a report published by an Indigenous McGill student. However, he is also wary of placing too much of a burden of consultation on McGill’s small Indigenous student population. Sobat told The Daily that, in his opinion, the administration’s view of the university is “disconnected from the student experience,” citing the most important part of the University Affairs role as “bridging that gap.” Sobat describes his extensive platform as “ambitious.” Among other initiatives, he seeks to empower student advocacy through the “Know Your Rights” campaign, helping students navigate McGill’s confusing policies regarding regarding syllabi, exams, and assignments. He would also fulfil the yet to be completed mandate from the Winter 2015 GA to develop a policy on unpaid internships, which Sobat said would necessitate a summer research project by student staff. Sobat noted that he’d also prioritize publicizing the advocacy work that SSMU does, calling the work “underappreciated.” He aims to launch a University Affairs website and listserv, neither of which currently exist.
Endorsement: Yes Sobat’s term as a student senator has prepared him well for the role of VP University Affairs. This experience should allow him to successfully navigate McGill’s bureaucracy and to effectively advocate on behalf of SSMU members to an administration that too often fails to prioritize students’ interests. The care with which Sobat has formulated his plans to continue pushing for Indigenous course content – stressing the need for more Indigenous consultation while acknowledging the disproportionate burden this may place on Indigenous students – shows both thoughtfulness and pragmatism. The Daily also commends Sobat’s platform, which is among the most comprehensive and nuanced in recent years. His unwavering commitment to SSMU’s political nature and social justice priorities is not mere rhetoric, but clearly informs his platform in concrete ways. In light of these considerations, The Daily wholeheartedly endorses a “yes” vote for Sobat.
VP EXTERNAL
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The VP External is responsible for connecting SSMU’s constituents to the wider Montreal and Quebec community. The portfolio includes communication with other postsecondary institutions and McGill’s labour unions, and lobbying the government on behalf of SSMU. The VP External is also mandated to provide support for student-run social and environmental justice campaigns.
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David Aird
ird is a U3 Political Science and Philosophy student, and is the current Political Campaigns Coordinator, working under the present VP External. In this role he was responsible for the new McGill Against Austerity group, which fulfilled SSMU’s anti-austerity mandate, and focused on educating students about austerity measures. He’s currently working within the campaign on formulating alternatives to austerity and starting the advocacy portion of the campaign. Aird says that the VP External should be “an effective voice for students.” He would focus on accessibility and quality of education, as well as keeping tuition costs low. With the recent restructuring of the executive, Francophone Affairs has been institutionalized under the VP External portfolio. Aird, who is bilingual, intends to appoint two new francophone commissioners. He’d also work toward extending the visibility of Commission des affaires francophones (CAF) during Orientation Week, and work with the VP Operations on French-language SSMU MiniCourses. Aird believes is it is “dangerous to think of SSMU as an apolitical entity” because students, as part of Quebec society, are necessarily invested in broader social issues like provincial spending on education. Regarding the Winter 2016 GA, Aird expressed that it is possible to “mitigate division in constructive ways,” and that the solution is not to erase disagreement or shut down debate. Aird sees joining a student federation as the “most important aspect of the VP External job,” saying that student federations have a proven track record of success, such as in their opposition to provincial tuition hikes in 2012. He is strongly in favour of SSMU joining the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ).
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Alexei Simakov
Endorsement: David Aird Aird’s work under the current VP External as the Political Campaigns Coordinator and his active membership in McGill Against Austerity have equipped him for the position of VP External. His well-informed commitment to joining student federations is also a strong point in his favour. Meanwhile, Aird’s opponent has remained vague regarding whether or not he is in fact running, and has failed to produce a clear and comprehensive platform. The Daily endorses Aird for this position.
Culture editor Kateryna Gordiychuk was not present for, or involved in, the discussion of the VP External endorsement, as she has been involved in Aird’s campaign.
The McGill Daily | SSMU Elections
ver the past two years, Simakov has gone from a self-described “typical student” to a full-blown campus celebrity. His rise to fame began when he ran against current SSMU President Kareem Ibrahim in the 2014-15 SSMU elections, campaigning with a platform aiming to “depoliticize SSMU.” Following former SSMU VP Internal Lola Baraldi’s resignation earlier this year, Simakov ran for the VP Internal position, but was not elected. Third time may be the charm for Simakov. He told The Daily that he is vying for the VP External position, because he believes that in elections, the “absence of choice is not democracy,” and that “candidates should be opposed.” Simakov is the president of the Conservative Association at McGill, and the job has given him experience working with campus clubs across the country. Simakov’s vague platform highlights “repairing [SSMU’s] relationship with the Board of Governors” and calls for “services and affordability, not political activism.” Simakov argues that it is not SSMU’s job to be the “cheerleaders” of the many existing on-campus campaigns. He told The Daily that energy spent on political actions would be better spent on student services, the quality of food services, the air conditioning in our buildings, and the sustainability of our heating systems. On March 6, he announced “informally” on Facebook that he would be withdrawing his candidacy. Nevertheless, he has since told The Daily that he may stay in the race. Simakov was absent from the press debates that took place on March 9 and did not campaign during the first week of the campaign period.
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VP OPERATIONS
The VP Operations position was created just this year, breaking off from the previous VP Finance and Operations position. The new portfolio will likely include managing the use and coordinating the development of the Shatner building, overseeing the management of SSMU’s business operations including Gerts, MiniCourses, and the Student-Run Cafeteria (SRC), and operationalizing SSMU’s goals of environmental sustainability.
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Sacha Magder
agder is a U2 Biochemistry student. He started his McGill community involvement at the Biochemistry Undergraduate Society (BUGS) as a BUGS representative and continuing this year as president. His experience with SSMU has consisted of working on community relations under the VP External portfolio in Summer 2015, acting as a main liaison between the Frosh community and the Milton-Parc Community Council, as well as serving as a Science Frosh coordinator. He sees the VP Operations position as “very special,” since it is not yet fully defined, but he would like it to be an “opportunity for SSMU to connect with [the] student body.” He emphasized Gerts and the Student-Run Cafeteria (SRC) as an important means through which SSMU interacts with students. In his platform, Magder outlines his ambitious project of providing sleeping spaces in the Shatner building for commuter students, to be implemented as a proof-of-concept for Frosh 2016. His platform also includes soliciting fresh ideas from students regarding Gerts and the SRC, using raffles, surveys, and forums to solicit feedback. He also seeks to “expand” MiniCourses, though without clearly stated goals for doing so. While Magder sees SSMU’s role as both advocating for student interests and providing essential services to them, he emphasizes that he is not running for the position for political reasons, but rather to “make a difference in this community” in what he describes as “a very neutral portfolio.”
Endorsement: No
The Daily endorses a “no” vote for Sacha Magder. His platform focuses heavily on consultation, but contains few concrete proposals, and entirely fails to mention operationalizing environmental sustainability, one of SSMU’s policy priorities. His plan to create sleeping spaces within SSMU for commuter students, meanwhile, would require the hiring of full-time staff, as well as renovations to the Shatner building. Given the recent failure of the SSMU base fee and all the budgetary constraints SSMU is facing, it is difficult to see how such an ambitious project could be carried out. Magder is not closely acquainted with SSMU, and The Daily is not convinced that his previous experience has adequately prepared him for the VP Operations position. Furthermore, Magder’s emphasis on the political “neutrality” of his platform suggests a basic misunderstanding not only of the role of SSMU executives as voting members on the SSMU Legislative Council, but also of the deeply political nature of SSMU itself.
VP FINANCE
The VP Finance and Operations position was split into two separate positions this year, VP Operations and VP Finance. The VP Finance portfolio includes ensuring the long-term financial stability of SSMU in cooperation with the General Manager, overseeing funding and operations management committees, providing the Executive Committee and Board of Directors with regular reports on the financial status of SSMU, and developing the annual budget of SSMU, among other tasks.
The McGill Daily | SSMU Elections
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Niall Carolan
arolan is a U3 Strategic Management and Accounting student. He is currently the SSMU Club Auditor, the senior accountant for the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS), and a member of the Funding Committee. Outside of McGill, he worked as the Finance and Operations Manager for a chain of Tim Hortons franchises in the Greater Vancouver area. Carolan has emphasized his desire to help as many students as possible through the VP Finance position. As such, he cites streamlining the club funding application process as one of the main pillars of his campaign, since many have expressed frustration over how long it takes for funding requests to be approved. This would involve standardizing event budget applications, holding a meeting with all available McGill club financial representatives at the beginning of each semester, and potentially overhauling the funding committee structure. Carolan also seeks to make SSMU’s finances more accessible and transparent for students by putting relevant information on the SSMU website. As this is the first year that the VP Finance portfolio does not include operations, Carolan plans to work closely with the VP Operations to ensure the long- and short-term financial stability of SSMU. He further recognizes the need for constant communication with the VP Operations to ensure that operational decisions match the financial context in which they are made. While Carolan recognizes the political nature of SSMU, he believes the VP Finance position should not be politicized, going so far as to say that if the VP Finance focused on politics this would be detrimental to their work. Carolan maintains that SSMU should represent all students’ interests, and thus only take a political stance if that is what the students want. Asked about the tension between leadership and representing a diverse student body, Carolan said that both should be taken into account when making decisions collectively.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations
Carolan is an exceptionally qualified candidate, with impressive financial experience both at McGill and in external contexts. His platform directly and thoroughly addresses the issue of delayed and disorganized club funding – a major complaint – and demonstrates a robust understanding of the position’s responsibilities. However, Carolan appears to subscribe to the common misconception that the VP Finance position is, and should be, thoroughly apolitical. He has also expressed a desire to seek out corporate sponsorships and wants to reprioritize the commercial tenants in the Shatner building, indicating a lesser emphasis on student-run services. Ironically, of course, these are deeply political priorities. As such, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote, with reservations.
VP STUDENT LIFE
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The VP Student Life was previously named the VP Clubs & Services. The restructured portfolio now deals with clubs and services, student services, mental health initiatives, and independent student groups.
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Elaine Patterson
laine Patterson is the current VP Communications of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). Before that, she was the Living Learning Communities (LLC) Rez Life Facilitator and the VP Communications for the Carrefour Hall Council. She told The Daily that she is “passionate about working with other students,” and that she really likes “how much facetime this position gets with students.” She is also very excited that the mental health portfolio was added to the position during the restructuring, saying that this is one of the reasons why she is running. For Patterson, the most important aspect of the VP Student Life position is being a liaison between students and the McGill administration. In addition, she believes that the VP Student Life should be approachable, meaning that any student should absolutely feel free to consult her with any matter regarding her portfolio, be it conflict resolution, budgetary issues, or other concerns. For the mental health portfolio of the position, she wishes to harmonize McGill’s mental health services. She promises to host a Mental Health Services roundtable each semester, where all eleven mental health services can talk about their initiatives and plans for the future. She also wants to be a liaison between residence and off-campus floor fellow communities and McGill mental health services, to make sure that first-year students can easily access these services. Patterson sees SSMU as a political actor, arguing that students are “invited to share their opinions with and through SSMU [with] the rest of the student body and [with] the McGill administration.” To that end, she promises to try her best to represent the views of constituents who are involved in SSMU clubs and services. Furthermore, she believes that it is difficult to determine which issues can be considered “external” to campus, given how international McGill is. In addition, she believes that it’s natural that students are divided on issues and that it’s important to make sure that “both sides, or however many sides there are about a certain issue” are being heard.
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Dushan Tripp
Endorsement: Elaine Patterson While both candidates have experience relevant to the Student Life portfolio, Patterson’s term as an AUS executive should better prepare her for the role of a SSMU VP. Furthermore, her work with Living and Learning Communities (LLC) has provided valuable experience interacting with and coordinating student groups, a core duty of the VP Student Life. Also, in contrast to Tripp’s vague “holistic approach” to mental health, Patterson’s platform contains several concrete ideas with respect to the mental health component of the Student Life portfolio, such as a semesterly mental health services roundtable. As such, The Daily endorses Patterson for this position.
The McGill Daily | SSMU Elections
ripp, a U3 student, currently serves as a Clubs & Services Representative to SSMU Council. Within SSMU, he is also a member of the Funding, Club, and Referendum Committees – the latter of which he is using to campaign for an opt-outable Club Fund fee. He hopes to bring this experience, as well as his tenure as VP Finance for the Tonal Ecstasy A Capella club, to the position of VP Student Life. Citing space and funding as main concerns for the over 230 clubs at SSMU, Tripp plans to make these issues the pillars of his campaign. In that vein, he aims to work with the incoming VP Operations to continue changing the distribution and booking of club rooms on the fourth floor of the SSMU Building, to create more bookable rooms as well as new storage rooms by the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester. Additionally, he plans on taking a second look at the viability of an online information and resource portal for clubs. Other campaign points include efforts to make the club creation process easier and more transparent, to promote the visibility and accessibility of SSMU’s mental health projects, and to maintain a balance between transparency and efficiency. This is the first year that the position of VP Clubs & Services has been expanded to include many of the former duties of VP University Affairs; Tripp recognizes that it will be difficult to do both jobs, but remains optimistic about the goals he has set. To be fair, those goals are quite modest, and, in the case of his transparency versus efficiency claim, incredibly vague. But with the possibility of services shutting down to balance SSMU’s budget, having modest goals is perhaps the most realistic approach. While recognizing the political nature of SSMU, Tripp sees the Student Life position as focused on improving administrative structures. Thus, he says if elected he will vote in accordance with the majority opinion amongst the student body, not necessarily his own personal opinion.
REFERENDUM ENDORSEMENTS
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Constitutional amendments – YES/NO The Daily endorses a “yes” vote on the first part of this question, which concerns proposed changes to the SSMU constitution outlined in the question’s Appendix A and Appendix B, and a “no” vote on the second part, which concerns the changes in Appendix C. The first part of the question proposes maintenance changes to the SSMU constitution, such as grammatical changes and the removal of outdated information. The amendments reflect the restructuring of the SSMU executive portfolios that recently took place, and include the important addition of an acknowledgement of McGill’s location on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory to the constitution. As these changes are required to accurately reflect SSMU as an organization, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote on this part. The second part of the question suggests the creation of a steering committee, whose composition is not specified, to reject motions it deems “external and divisive” from SSMU General Assemblies (GAs). The GA could still discuss a rejected motion if it votes by two-thirds to disregard the committee’s decision, but the motion would also require a twothirds vote to pass, as opposed to the simple majority normally required. This amendment is a slap in the face for student democracy. With “divisive” defined as anything that “one could reasonably expect significant opposition to,” the GA steering committee would be tasked with maintaining the status quo. The Daily rejects this attempt at creating a watchdog for student activism. Some of the most noteworthy successes of student activism, such as divestment from South African Apartheid, were divisive and overcame “significant opposition.” Coming on the heels of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) motion at this year’s Winter GA, this amendment mirrors the language of divisiveness that was used extensively by the “no” campaign, the mainstream media, and even Principal Suzanne Fortier to shut down a movement that challenges the oppressive status quo and has significant support on campus. This amendment is also clearly underprepared, as there are serious logistical gaps – for example, it proposes no procedures for motions brought from the floor and does not specify how motions in question are ratified online. The Daily supports student democracy, activism, and challenges to the status quo; as such, we endorse a “no” vote on this reactionary proposal.
AVEQ affiliation referendum – YES This motion concerns SSMU’s proposed affiliation to the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), a new provincial student federation, at the cost of $3.50 per student per semester, adjusted yearly to reflect the Consumer Price Index. Membership in a student federation would greatly amplify SSMU’s ability to mobilize and lobby the provincial and federal governments to defend student interests. With a lower membership cost than other associations and simple disaffiliation procedures, and having so far shown itself to be sensitive to the needs of anglophone and international students, AVEQ is a good fit for SSMU. The Daily endorses a “yes” vote on this motion.
Creation of a Club Fund Fee – YES This opt-outable fee of $2.75 per semester per student would be used to solidify and increase the Club Fund, which is currently an allocation of up to $50,000 per year from the SSMU operating budget. The number of SSMU clubs has more than doubled since 2005; at its current size, the Club Fund is insufficient to meet the needs of the more than 240 clubs, which requested over $117,000 in funding in Fall 2015. Further, due to budgetary constraints amplified by the failed SSMU membership fee increase, the existing Club Fund is likely to be reduced without this fee. SSMU clubs are an integral part of student life on campus that SSMU is mandated to support. As such, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote.
Creation of a Mental Health Fee – YES With one of five McGill students using mental health services each year, mental health is a major concern requiring immediate action on the part of McGill University. The Student Experience Survey conducted in 2014-15 indicated that SSMU members want more resources for mental health advocacy and programming, but budgetary constraints will likely decrease funding of SSMU’s mental health initiatives without this fee. The motion proposes the creation of an opt-outable fee of $0.40 per student per semester to fund such initiatives, projects, and events. Recognizing that SSMU is necessarily picking up the slack on mental health with insufficient support from the administration, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote on this motion.
Increasing the SSMU Health Plan Fee – YES The SSMU Health Plan is an opt-outable insurance plan that automatically enrolls Quebec and out-of-province students at a current cost of $120 per year. Despite wide acceptance of the fact that mental health is part of the full definition of health and wellbeing, the plan does not currently provide coverage for psychology and psychotherapy services. This motion would add a $25 fee to the plan to provide such coverage. While more must be done to improve the long wait times and insufficient resourcing of the McGill Mental Health Service, access to external mental health resources in the meantime is important for students who need timely care. The Daily endorses a “yes” vote for this question.
Renewal of the SSMU Access Bursary Fee – YES The SSMU Access Bursary Fund has been funded by an opt-outable student fee since 1999, and funds bursaries to undergraduate students in financial need. At a rate of $8.50 per full-time student and $4.25 per part-time student per semester, the fee is matched dollar for dollar by a contribution from the University and alumni. Given SSMU’s mandate to support accessible education and the importance of this fee to students, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote for this question.
Renewal of the SSMU Equity Fee – YES The SSMU constitution emphasizes a commitment to social justice and to programs devoted to promoting the wellbeing of historically marginalized groups. This question asks to renew the $0.50 opt-outable Equity Fee, which provides about $10,000 of funding each semester to the Equity Fund for initiatives, research, and policies that improve the representation or experiences of marginalized peoples. There is always a need for equity-related projects on campus, and the demand for such funding far exceeds availability. Recognizing the importance of funding for such projects, The Daily endorses a “yes” vote.
TVM fee increase and renewal – YES/YES This two-part question concerns the renewal of Student Television at McGill (TVM)’s opt-outable fee of $1.50 per full-time student and $0.90 per part-time student per semester, and the increase of those fees by $0.75. As McGill’s only student media outlet that exclusively focuses on film and television production, TVM serves a unique purpose at a university with no journalism or media production programs. TVM has recently expanded its services to include live-streaming and workshops, justifying a fee increase. As fellow student press, the Daily emphasizes the importance of TVM and endorses a “yes” vote for both of these questions.