Student Handbook & Agenda 2008-09

Welcome to McGill and to the 2008-2009 edition of the Students’ Socie t y of McGill Uni versit y Handbook!

Each year, SSMU publishes a handbook filled with anything and everything you might need to know about life as a student at McGill and in Montreal. This year, with a combined 6 years of McGill experience between your loving editors, we’ve set out to create the best guide we could in order to make your first year at McGill a little easier. Even if this isn’t your first year, you will probably discover something you didn’t know before while reading these pages.

As you might’ve guessed from the cover, this year’s handbook theme is maps.

We want these 200-something pages to serve you as your roadmap to exploring both inside and outside McGill’s walls. Plus, we spent many, many hours editing, designing, laying out, re-editing, re-designing, and re-laying out each and every page so we hope you make good use of it.

The SSMU section is, well, all about your Students’ Society. Find out who they are, what they do, and how you can make the most of their services.

The McGill section covers everything from how to calculate your GPA to what courses we recommend. Check out the handy campus map at the end.

The Student Life section gives useful advice on how to live cheaply, where to eat on campus, and generally how to make the most of your stay here as a student.

The Health section covers things like eating disorders and drugs, and how to avoid a nasty infection in your va-jay-jay. Real talk.

The Clubs & Services section helps you figure out how to get involved and who’s out there to help you.

The Montreal section will help you take advantage of this glorious city.

The Reviews section fills you in on where to get the best poutine, what bar is hopping on a Tuesday night, and how to wine and dine that special date of yours.

In the end, this is YOUR university experience, so choose your adventure wisely. We want you to make the most of it, and we hope that this guide helps you do just that.

Enjoy, Melissa da Silva (Design & Layout Editor) Shana Elbaum (Content Editor)

Tell us what you loved. Tell us what you hated.

Send your feedback to handbook.ssmu@gmail.com

4

Table of Contents SSMU McGill Student Life

He alth Clubs & Ser vice s

Montre al Revie ws Agenda

7 25 45 69 93 107 145 159

5

SSMU The Students’ Society of McGill University

In This Section...

• Meet the SSMU Executives • How the SSMU Works • The Student Movement • The Shatner Building • The Brown Building • Haven Books • Gerts • A Message from the Office Staff

What is the SSMU? What is the SSMU?

Y

ou may hear people on campus saying a word that they seem to have heard from a confused cow “Smoo,” or the Students’ Society of McGill University/ l’Association Étudiante de l’Université de McGill (l’AEUM), represents undergraduates on the downtown campus. SSMU provides you with advocacy, representation, and countless opportunities for getting involved, gaining leadership experience, and having fun.

As a student society, not just a government or a union, SSMU relies on your participation. You elect the Executive, you can sit on Council or the McGill Senate, become a Commissioner, be on O-staff for SnowAP (all explained later), and generally reap what you sow.

Engaging and paying attention to what SSMU is up to keeps SSMU accountable for its various (and sundry) actions. There are five Vice-Presidents on the Executive Committee, whose portfolios represent the main functions of the SSMU, and a President who works in conjunction with the other Executives to preside over the Society’s functions.

Representation: Within the University, SSMU represents you at Senate, the Board of Governors, and in other corners, working to ensure that student voices are taken into account when decisions are being made. If you are frustrated by the lack of variety in your on-campus food choices, want to see more clickers in your classes, or think that the lack of handicap accessible buildings at McGill is ridiculous, talk to Nadya Wilkinson, your Vice-President University Affairs, who is also SSMU’s chief equity officer.

Outside the Roddick Gates, SSMU deals with the Canadian and Quebec governments and student movements. As SSMU is newly independent from any larger student federation, it’s up to us to lobby

independently or within smaller coalitions for our interests and rights and to mobilize according to the issues that concern McGill students. Devin Alfaro, Vice-President External Affairs, is your go-to guy for everything to do with tuition, ancillary fees, the student movement, and the big picture.

Operations: SSMU runs four operations: Gert’s Bar, in the basement of the Shatner building; Haven Books, a student-run bookstore on rue Aylmer below Sherbrooke; a day-car; and a student health and dental plan.

The Vice-President Finance and Operations, Tobias Silverstein, oversees these as well as the financial aspects of the Society. The William Shatner University Centre, i.e. the Shatner Building, is home to numerous offices, non-Chartwells food offerings, a ballroom, and more.

Campus Life: Whether you want to party it up with friends, watch movies on lower field, or mobilize with like-minded students to pick up trash in the student Ghetto, there is a large variety of on-campus programming.

SSMU also organizes mini-courses, so you can learn a new skill, language, or dance in your “spare time.” All of this is put together by your Vice-President Internal, Julia Webster.

There are over 200 SSMU clubs and independent student groups for various interests, ethnicities, politics, religions, cultures, foods, arts, volunteers, alcohols, etc., and always room for more. SSMU volunteers also run nearly 20 Services, from the McGill First Aid Service to the Union for Gender Empowerment to the McGill Mature and Re-entry Student Association. Services are there for you when you need advice, aid, or a walk home. This year’s Vice-President Clubs and Services is Samantha Cook.

President pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca

H

Kay Turner

ey Downtown Undergrads!

My name is Kay Turner and I am your SSMU President this year. At SSMU, my role is to lead the executive, facilitate their goals, act as the public face of the Students’ Society and represent your needs to the administration. To me, my job is to make the society the most inclusive and productive organization that it can possibly be, and I am constantly seeking input on the best ways to do that.

In terms of big picture goals, my main projects this year are defending and ideally improving student access on campus (in as many ways as that can mean), addressing the long term environmental sustainability of the SSMU, and getting a broader cross section of students involved. These may sound pretty broad, but come drop by my office and I will explain how I intend to do all of those things. My goal is also to try and allow more students to feel like they are able to get their opinions and ideas heard and their initiatives off the groundso please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca to set up a time to sit down about anything and everything SSMU. Another huge part of my job is representation to the university and the government. I hold the only downtown undergraduate student seat on the University’s Board of Governors (BoG as we SSMUshies call it) as well as a seat on the University senate and a number of committee seats. My office is the first line of defence for dealings with the University and I work in conjunction with our VP Uni-

10

versity Affairs (the lovely and talented Nadya Wilkinson) to ensure that students are getting the most effective and thorough representation possible. I also work with our VP External (Devin!) to craft external policy on how we interact with other schools and the provincial and federal governments. This means I tend to have a pretty good sense of what is going on in and around the University, so please never hesitate to ask me questions about current issues at McGill or how we interact with the outside world.

This year at SSMU will only be as great as the people involved, so please check out what we do, figure out what interests you and get involved- you will be happy you did.

Have a great year!

VP External Affairs Devin Alfaro external@ssmu.mcgill.ca

H

ello everyone! My name is

Devin Alfaro, and I’ll be your VP External for the 08-09 year. I am a U3 Urban Systems and Sociology student.

When I’m not externalling, you can find me playing with kittens, drinking port, and wearing tweed jackets. The VP External is the person charged with dealing with everything off campus. In practice this mainly consists of running SSMU’s political and lobbying campaigns, as well as community relations. I am your representative to government, and your main advocate to the world outside “the bubble”.

On the political level, I’ll be working on a number of important issues. One of the biggest issues facing Quebec universities is underfunding. For too long, a series of federal and provincial governments have been more interested in cutting taxes than properly investing in our public institutions, like universities. Quebec is also undergoing a defreeze of university tuition fees. This means that students have to pay more, and it gives the government an excuse to invest less. Moreover, as fees go up it becomes harder and harder for people to afford a university education.

These are troubling trends which hurt the quality of education that we receive. I’ll be working hard this year to speak out for quality, accessible education, and to mobilize students on these issues.

For most of the last few decades, SSMU has been a member of some sort of student federation. Now for the first time in a while, SSMU is completely independent. In the end we decided that none of the federations out there would really serve McGill students well, and that we’d be better going it alone. This gives us a

lot of freedom to call the shots, but at the same time, it’s entirely up to us to remain active on the political front. On of my top goals this year will be to ensure that we remain an active part of the Quebec and Canadian student movement now that we’re independent.

Beyond the political, the VP External also deals with community relations.

With so many McGill students coming from outside of Quebec, there is often a disconnect between McGill and the surrounding community. Montreal is an amazing city to live in that has so much to offer. Whether you’re just passing through for a few years, or if you plan to make Montreal your new home, there is so much to discover. This year SSMU needs to do a lot more to build links with the Montreal community and provide students with ways to engage.

Many of these issues are dealt with in more detail elsewhere in the handbook, so take a look and read up. Feel free to contact me for more info or ways to get involved.

11

VP Internal Julia Webster internal@ssmu.mcgill.ca

H

ey McGillians new and old,

My name is Julia Webster and I’m your 2008-2009 SSMU VP Internal. I’m finishing my 4th year at McGill in the BA&Sc degree program studying Cognitive Science and History. Over the past 3 years I’ve contributed to student life all over this campus either as a Director of Snow Air Pub, the President of BASiC (Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Integrative Council), working on Residence Council, as a member of SSPN (Students’ Society Programming Network), as a Faculty Olympics O-Staff or as a participant in the Froshes and Winter Carnivals of McGill.

My hometown’s Toronto, but I love our city of Montreal.

First, I’d like to say that I’m really excited for the year ahead. I’ve been busy here over the summer planning, organizing and practicing my French to make this year unique, inclusive and most importantly, fun. Hopefully we can all work together to start some new traditions and improve some long-standing events.

The Internal portfolio covers everything from communications to events. I, alongside the Director of Communications, oversee the SSMU website, the list-serve and advertising for SSMU events. As well, I plan large campus events, like Frosh and maintain relationships with all of the faculties.

I’m dedicated to a vibrant student life on campus with events representative of all of our students. I’m also committed to working with the SSMU and its members to make our larger consumption events more environmentally sustainable and responsible. I am going to work hard to carve an identity for the porfolio’s new name as ‘VP Internal,’ whether that’s mobilizing students for on-campus causes, bringing motions to council or hosting the events that showcase student

12

life at McGill.

This year is already shaping up to be a winner with the return of Faculty Olympics, 4 Floors and Movies in the Park in the fall semester and Snow Air Pub to kick off the winter semester. Keep your eyes and ears alert for the introduction of new faculty co-sponsored events. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises at once…

Finally, my door is always open! I encourage everyone to be a part of campus life and to come and see me (at the SSMU office), e-mail me (internal@ ssmu.mcgill.ca) or phone me (514-3986799). If you want to get involved, find the SSPN at activities night to get a head start and learn about campus life at McGill!

Sincerely, Julia Webster

VP Finance & Operations

Tobias Silverstein

operations@ssmu.mcgill.ca

G

reetings and salutations! My name is Tobias Silverstein and I will be your VP Finance & Operations for the next academic year. I am a fourth year Management student majoring in Finance, concentrating in Accounting, with a minor in Economics.

The university is a dynamic and exciting setting, where students can explore new interests as well as cultivate expertise at old ones. My job is to ensure that the SSMU is able to help each of you pursue your various interests. In addition, I am charged with the responsibility of running our operations, which include Gerts Bar, Haven Books, the Health and Dental Plan, and Mini-Courses.

Gerts Bar is a great place to grab a drink with a few friends after (or during) a long day. Centrally located in the basement of the Shatner Building, Gerts offers an environment where you can watch a hockey game or political debate, play pool or foosball, rock out to a student band, or chillax while listening to jazz. Whether you host a party at Gerts or just meet up with friends for a few drinks before heading out for a night on the town, Gerts is a friendly bar that’s perfect for you.

If you have questions or you just want to chat, come visit me in the SSMU office.

-Tobias Silverstein

While studying sometimes takes a back seat to partying and socializing, it is the primary reason why we are all here at university, which means we all need to buy textbooks. Haven Books is your student bookstore that provides textbooks for cheap. Instead of paying top dollar or scavenging the McGill Classifieds for used books, Haven Books provides an easy and cheap one-stop shop. Located just off campus on Aylmer (below Sherbrooke), Haven is the place to buy your textbooks and consign your old ones.

Plus, with all the money you save on textbooks, you can spend an extra night out at Gerts!!!

13

VP Clubs & Services Samantha Cook cs@ssmu.mcgill.ca

H

i everyone/ Salut, tous le monde!

My name is Samantha and I am excited to be part of the 2008-2009 SSMU Executive. I am from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and I am (slowly) getting my B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Sexual Diversity Studies. I did my first year of university at Connecticut College, so I would like to extend a big hello to all you transfer students, as well – welcome to a fantastic new school and city! When I’m not at SSMU, I can be found drinking coffee, hanging out with my friends and my cat, and having weird dreams about SSMU. Before becoming an Exec, I worked in Health Services, was a Rez Project facilitator, trained Frosh leaders through the First Year Office, sat on the Joint Senate Board Equity Subcommittee on Queer People, and was co-Administrator of Queer McGill.

As your Vice-President Clubs and Services, I am looking forward to a tough but rewarding – for you and me – year ahead. I see my job as the VP C&S as an opportunity to help student groups start and grow, from preventing things from falling apart to helping decades-old clubs expand what they offer. So much of student life and the connections we make with each other come from our shared interests, passions, and drive to volunteer, and I want to facilitate these activities to the best of my ability.

This year, I will be working on a multitude of issues related to how Clubs and Services run, to ensuring your representation within SSMU and the McGill administration. I am also a building manager of Shatner, and I am here to ensure that it runs smoothly and provides you with the tools you need – from food to photocopying to sleeping on the comfy blue couches – to get through the day and make an impact on SSMU and the University. My job is multi-faceted and my days are filled with a lot of random and time-sensitive issues, but I still have room for some long-term goals to percolate in my brain.

14

This year, I will be helping the Services and interested Clubs make their materials, events, and day-to-day workings accessible to Francophones, and ideally completely bilingual. While we are an English-speaking school, the presence of thousands of French-speaking students within the University makes the inclusion of French within SSMU an important and pressing topic. I will also be working to ensure that groups keep the right to have “McGill” in their name. McGill students tirelessly volunteer their time and effort to the well-being of their community and have been doing so for decades. We are capable and responsible enough to safeguard, respect, and promote the name of our University, and I want to ensure that we can continue to make an impact under the banner of McGill.

There’s always more to say, but I’ll leave you with that. From starting a club to putting on a conference to where the International Student Services office is, I’m your go-to Exec. If you have any questions, comments, or interesting stories, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

VP University Affairs Nadya Wilkinson ua@ssmu.mcgill.ca

H

ello all! My name is Nadya Wilkinson and I am your Vice-President University Affairs. What does this mean to you? McGill can be a big, complicated place. I’m here to make sure we students are being heard by those who make decisions affecting your university experience.

Basically, I represent you, the undergraduate students of McGill’s downtown campus, to all levels of the McGill Administration. It’s my job as Vice-President University Affairs to know how decisions are made and how we can affect them.

I do this in many ways, from tête-à-têtes with senior administrators, to sitting on committees, to asking tough questions at Senate.

One of the key ways I represent you is at the McGill University Senate. Senate is the highest academic decision making body at McGill.

It brings together over one hundred members of the McGill community representing every part of the University, from the Principal and senior administrators, to professors, to staff, to students. I present the student perspective at Senate as one of your thirteen undergraduate student Senators. Get to know who your Senators are and let them know what issues are important to you! Alongside Senate representation, I work to ensure that students are consulted when the University makes major decisions affecting the lives of students – anything from when we start class in September to who provides the food we eat on campus to what programs are created.

Some of my priorities for the coming year are the integration of sustainability into McGill’s decision making structures and the encouragement of openness, transparency, and involvement in governance at McGill. By running a blog, holding consultations, and being available to students and campus press, I want to make my portfolio as accessible as possible. Whatever the issue, there is a way to get involved.

You can also think of me as your student ombudsperson, your problem solver, your scissors slicing through McGill’s red tape. I will work hard to ensure that I have the resources, knowledge, and contacts to help you solve most problems you may have with the University. I have an open door policy; drop by any time. To represent you best, I need to know what you think. Topics can include (but shouldn’t be limited to) your thoughts on university governance, 1920’s German cinema, environmental advocacy, baking tips, and European integration.

This year, I hope you will get involved, make you voice heard and let your representatives know what moves you!

15

How

the

SSMU Works

The political structure of the Students’ Socie t y can seem a lit tle bit complicated- but it doesn’t have to. Here is the basic bre akdown of how to navigate the decision-making st ructure s of SSMU.

The SSMU Executive As you probably know, there are six executives in charge of the basic functioning of the society. They are six part time students who work full time (and then some) in their different portfolios to run the society. They are often upper year students with some experience in some facet of life at SSMU, but the only requirement to run is to be a downtown undergraduate student enrolled at McGill in satisfactory academic standing. The elections take place in the spring (generally in or around early March) and each individual is elected independentlythat is to say, there are no political parties or slates here at McGill. Each executive has an office located in the SSMU general offices on the ground floor of the Brown Building (or a right hand turn from walking through the doors of the Shatner Building) and all of them are available either by drop-in or appointment to answer any questions you might have. Chaired by the President, these executives meet weekly for executive committee which this committee governs the basic functioning of the organization. It is important to note that no decision from executive committee can be binding without the ratification of SSMU Council.

General Assemblies (GAs) The general assembly is the most important part of the political decision making process at SSMU. The idea behind the GA is for students to be able to participate in direct democracy and be able to debate in an open forum the current direction, policies

16

and future goals of the SSMU. The GA does not, however, have the ability to make financial decisions on behalf of the SSMU. There are two regularly scheduled general assemblies each academic year, but special general assemblies can also be called. Any motion can be put on the agenda by any student who is able to collect 100 signatures from four different faculties, with no more than 50% from any one faculty, and must be submitted two weeks in advance of the GA. To learn more about how to write a motion, how the process works and the rules of order (and pretty much anything else you might want to know about GAs) check out the GA page of the SSMU website to figure it all out!

Make sure to come out to both GAs this year, tentatively scheduled for September 25th, 2008 and February 5th, 2009.

SSMU Council This is the basic hub of student politics and is where the vast majority of decisions get made as to what goes on at SSMU. Meetings are every other Thursday at 6pm in the Lev Bukhman council room on the second floor of Shatner. There are representatives from all undergraduate faculty associations as well as senate caucus, inter-residence council, clubs and services committee and the first year committee of council. All six executives also are voting members of SSMU Council. Decisions at Council get made both through the ratification of the executive’s reports and executive committee reports, as well as through motions introduced by councillors. All policy motions and financial decisions made here are completely binding on the society.

This is the only body actually able to make any financial decisions for the students’ society.

There are also a number of committees of Council that deal with specific issues pertaining to what goes on at SSMU and make recommendations to Council. These range from the external affairs committee to the Students’ Society Programming Network (SSPN) to the environment committee. These committees are made up of both councillors and members at large and applications are opened at the beginning of the academic year. Sitting on a committee can be a great way to start getting involved with and understanding what SSMU does.

Judicial Board This is the highest dispute resolution body for the SSMU. It is made up of law students and is the body that hears and rules on complaints on actions contrary to the constitution, by-laws and policies of the society. Ideally, you will never find yourself before the judicial board (or J-Board, to which it is generally referred).

Senate Caucus This is where the 13 undergraduate downtown student senators that sit on the McGill University senate meet to decide the policy and direction of what they would like to accomplish at senate. Elections for the 11 seats (the VP University Affairs and SSMU President make up two of the seats) take place at the same time as SSMU executive elections in the spring time.

Elections McGill All of SSMU’s elections are run by an impartial and separate body called Elections McGill. Information on upcoming elections as well as how the electoral process works and the rules and regulations associated with them can be found on the Elections McGill website, www.electionsmcgill.ca.

How to get involved with/ effectively use the system The most obvious way of getting involved is, of course, to run for a representative position on either SSMU Council or one of the faculty councils or executives. Not quite ready to make the jump? Start by attending GAs, check out a meeting of council or look into sitting on a committee (a full list is available on the SSMU website). SSMU is also always looking for volunteers for social events like frosh or SnowAP- read the weekly list serve to find out more about opportunities around SSMU. You can also schedule a meeting with any of the executives to figure out what you might be interested in doing.

17

Student

Movement

While some time s McGill may seem like a lit tle bit of Ontario in the middle of Montre al, we are at the end of the day part of Quebec, especially when it comes to education. The decisions made in Quebec Cit y af fect us just as much as they do any other students in the province. Students in Quebec are arguably more organized than any where else in North America, and have a lot to show for their ef forts.

Quebec uni versitie s have the lowe st tuition in North America, and college s are ne arly f ree. Ever ything definitely isn’t perfect, but the student movement has achieved tangible gains that have made education more acce ssible.

Quebec The recent high point of the Quebec student movement was the 2005 student strike. In 2004 the Quebec government decided to change $103 million worth of grants into loans, a move which hurt the poorest students. Students mobilised and protested, culminating in March 2005 when over half the entire student population (over 230,000 students) were on strike simultaneously. One march in downtown Montreal attracted an estimated 80,000 supporters. McGill students voted to join for 24 hours to show our solidarity. In the end the government was made to withdraw most of the proposed changes and students scored a major victory for accessible education.

A notable characteristic of the Quebec student movement is its vitality and constant healthy debate. In Quebec, there are two large province-wide student associations. The two groupings that exist today are representative of two competing traditions of student organisation in Quebec that go back more than 30 years.

The largest is la Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, know as la FEUQ. Their approach is based mainly on lobbying and detailed policy research.

They were founded in the early 90s, and up until last year, they represented the majority of university students in Quebec.

They’ve been steadily losing members over the past few years. SSMU has been a member on and off over the past decade. Most recently, we left the organisation in the fall of 2006 after a referendum was held on the issue.

18

Throughout its history SSMU has had a troubled relationship with la FEUQ. When we joined in 1994, they gave us their guarantee that they wouldn’t take a position on Quebec sovereignty. When the 1995 referendum came, they officially came out for the “yes”-side and campaigned hard on the issue. Moreover, when the tuition freeze for Quebec residents was first put in place, la FEUQ agreed to allow differential fees to be created for out of province students in exchange. In general, we’ve seen that la FEUQ is slow to react and quick to back down against government.

The other main player in the Quebec student movement is l’Association pour une solidarité sydicale étudiante, l’ASSÉ.

This is a more radical student group, which tends to be more ideological in its approach. Their strategy is based on mobilising and demonstrating, and their main demand is free tuition. While they have a smaller membership than la FEUQ, they have historically been very good at getting their people into the streets and were the main initiators of the 2005 strike.

It is also important to note that there are increasingly many associations who are choosing to remain independent. SSMU is an example, as are the undergrads at Laval, and the majority of student unions at UQÀM. Many students are uncomfortable with the current province-wide associations and are just as happy to make it on their own, independent. This doesn’t have to mean working in isolation, though. A new Table de concertation has been formed to serve as a sort of forum for independent student unions to remain in contact and to plan joint campaigns.

English Canada The political tradition in English Canada is quite different than that of Quebec. Many student associations use a “student government” model, which is heavy on services and light on advocacy. There are, however, a good number of student unions and student groups fighting for accessible education. Nevertheless, the student political culture in Canada is generally less vibrant than that of Quebec.

Of the two main players on the federal level the smaller is the Canadian Alliance of Students’ Associations (CASA), which SSMU helped found in the 90s. It takes a very lobbyingcentred approach to advocating for education, and is mainly formed by associations that see themselves more as “student governments” than student unions. Three years ago SSMU council voted unanimously to leave the organisation. The general view across the political spectrum was that the organisation had very little to show for 10 years of existence and that it was largely ineffective.

in each world. On one hand, we’re a Quebec university that is very directly affected by policies formulated in Quebec City and by the Quebec political culture. On the other hand, we’re a research intensive Anglophone university with a diverse student body that likes to compare itself to universities in English Canada and the States. Despite McGill’s tendency to look towards English Canada, education is under provincial jurisdiction and our greatest prospects will lie in working with other Quebec students.

After years of trying to make it work in both Quebec and Pan-Canadian federations, SSMU has found that nothing currently out there suits us. For the foreseeable future, the best course for McGill students is to remain independent. We’ve managed to build good working relationships with other independent associations, building campaigns on an issue by issue basis, and we will be continuing this model of collaboration for this coming year.

The biggest player on the federal level is the Canadian Federation of Students. It has members in every province except PEI, and its members represent over half a million students.

This organisation takes as its basic premise that education is a right, and is far more active than CASA on mobilising students and calling for progressive change of post secondary education in Canada. SSMU was a prospective member for much of the 06-07 year, and part of last year as well. We were supposed to have a referendum last spring, but the organisation refused to extend our prospective membership. In the end, we found that the CFS had many internal problems and didn’t live up to its own rhetoric.

McGill So where does SSMU fit into all this? Well, it’s hard to say, since we have a foot

19

Shatner

Building

Welcome to your ne w home! The William Shat ner Uni versi t y Centre, other wise known as a vortex where your time gets sucked away, of fers you and SSMU a base of operations. Once you have got ten involved with the bizarre world that is 3480 McTavish, you will have a hard time le aving. Here is what it of fers: The Basement Gert’s Bar, one of the cheapest places to buy a round (or a glass of orange juice), well, around. Students congregate here to relax after or between class, watch TV, play pool and foosball, and listen to music.

In the daytime you can find pizza, falafel, and salads through Al’Taïb, a great cheap food option. Just outside the entrance to Gerts, by the main staircase is the new Bike Collective, which you can go to in order to learn how to fix your bike and volunteer. The Muslim Students’ Association office is temporarily next to the Bike Collective. TVMcGill, housed just under the main staircase in B-23, puts out a variety of programming, and it covers many of the major social and political events on campus. The McGill Daily and Le Délit, its sister and francophone newspaper, are the independent rags on campus. They are hidden in their offices in B-24. The Daily prints on Mondays and Thursdays, Le Délit on Tuesdays. The Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) is down the hall opposite from the Daily in B-27. It is open to anyone who wants support, information, or to volunteer.

The Sub-Basement is where the porters, Information Technology, parking garage, and a Gorilla Composting drop-off point reside. Not much else.

Main Floor On entering the building, to your left is the lounge, a wonderful place for napping, studying, using the internet, massage chairs, or making free local calls. Just next to it is Caférama, soon to be replaced by Café Suprême, a convenient and fast place to get a muffin or a meal, if not the most delicious or friendly. Following the corridor, you find the McGill Tribune, SSMU’s newspaper, though it will be independent by winter of 2010. On the other side of the stairs you

20

find Voyages Campus, your one-stop shop for deals on student travel and reading week destinations. Next door is the Legal Information Clinic, staffed by law students, which will give you information on your rights, responsibilities, and help you out with any number of legal questions and difficulties.

Down the hall to the Brown Building you will find the SSMU offices.

Second Floor The second floor has a cafeteria on the left as you come up the stairs, home to Tiki Ming, Franx Suprême, and Cultures. On the other side of the floor is the Organic Campus food corner, when it is too cold for them to operate outside. Next door is the Lev Bukhman Room, the traditional home of SSMU Council. It is available for your nicer events, equipped with video and sound equipment.

Third Floor Here you will find the Ballroom, used for large events, though it can be partitioned off for small ones. To the left is Players’ Theatre, a black box theatre with small stage and costume shops, and on the right is the Midnight Kitchen, from which vegan meals are served for a small suggested donation every day of the week (though they sometimes migrate downstairs or outside).

Fourth Floor The Clubs Lounge has four computers and printers for the use of SSMU groups, and one for public use, as well as a piano. The floor is taken up by offices for Clubs and Services, who tend to switch around every year.

Voila! That is your building in far too small of a nutshell. Have fun exploring its nooks and crannies through the years – the ugly concrete may even become endearing.

Eventually.

Brown

Building

What are Student Ser vices? Why should I know where they are? Student Ser vice s at McGill are the support systems that enhance your e xperience here at the Uni versit y. Student Ser vice s are all available within a cent ralized geographical are a, mostly within the Brown Building.

Acce ssible f rom McTavish St ree t and the SSMU Building , you will find the Brown Building di vided into t wo wings, e ast and we st.

East Wing The staff at the First-Year Office (Suite 2100) is there to help you transition to life at university, no matter what your program.

Services for Francophone students are also available here.

Career & Placement Services (Suite 2200), better known as CAPS, provides a range of services to students and recent graduates, by offering workshops, on-line job listings and much more.

Scholarships and Student Aid (Suite 3200) aims to connect students with the resources necessary to help with the financial cost of school and other related expenses.

They even offer individualized budget counselling.

Office for Students with Disabilities (Suite 3100) facilitates the integration of students with disabilities by liaising with university departments and administration.

International Student Services (Suite 3215) provides a wealth of information on diverse issues, providing assistance with immigration rules, regulations related to your studies or employment opportunities. They have all the key contacts and can lead you in the right direction.

The Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of the Executive Director, Services for Students (Suite 4100) work to promote and support student success. The Office of the Dean of Students oversees student rights and responsibilities, academic integrity, academic advising, the student disciplinary process and student recognition. The Executive Director works with student associations and through a number of committees and collaborations on both campuses to ensure that the Student Services proactively address emerging

needs. The Offices work together when students are affected by crises, whether at the individual or group level, on campus or anywhere in the world.

Counselling & Tutorial Services (Suite 4200) share the same office space. Counselling focuses on assisting students in dealing with personal, academic, and vocational concerns in a relaxed and confidential atmosphere. Tutorial offers private tutoring by matching your request for academic assistance with a qualified student selected from their bank of tutors.

West Wing The Brown Building also houses the SSMU Daycare (Suite 2300).

Student Health (Suite 3300) offers drop in clinical appointments with a doctor or nurse, a dental clinic on the 5th floor, immunizations, medical laboratory service and the Shag Shop, a safe sex boutique.

Chaplaincy (Suite 4400), a multi-faith service sponsored by a wide range of faith traditions, puts emphasis on community building and service.

Mental Health (Suite 5500) offers consultations and treatments for a range of emotional and personal problems. Psychotherapy and psychiatric treatments are provided. The service strives to provide a secure, non-judgmental space for students of all orientations and backgrounds.

Other Services The First Peoples’ House (3505 Peel Street) is located next to the Brown Building. This service provides support and advocacy for Aboriginal students who have left their home communities in order to pursue their education.

21

Haven

Books

Have you ever gone to purchase your textbooks and been shocked at the outrageous prices? Well, now you have a cheaper alternative. Haven Books is the Student Bookstore where you can buy new and used books. This is how it works: · Bring your books · Set the price · Get paid when your book sells And while you’re there, check out books you’ll need for next semester. You’ll make money, and save money. It’s a win-win situation! We have used and new books, so come by and see if we have what you need. If you don’t find what you need, you can order it through us and still save money.

We are located on 2070 Aylmer, between Sherbrooke and PresidentKennedy. If you can’t make it to the store, search for your books online at www.havenbooks.ca or call us at 514-844-8881.

Gerts Gerts is your pre-party destination. Whether you stop by between classes for beer and pizza, come to watch the Habs game, party with your friends, or listen to jazz, Gerts is the bar for you.

Located in the Shatner basement, it’s the ideal location to relax with friends.

So hop on down to booze and schmooze.

22

A Me ssage f rom the SSMU Of fice Staf f Hello!

Bonjour!

On behalf of all the employees at the SSMU, it is my pleasure to welcome you to your Student Society!

Au nom de tous les employés de l’AÉUM, il me fait plaisir de vous souhaiter la bienvenue au sein de votre Association!

The Shatner Building is your building!

Within its walls, one will find an impressive array of clubs and services that are here to serve all your daily student needs!

This year there are many new projects in the pipeline: Liquid Nutrition will open its doors in September 2008 and a new café, Café Suprème, will also open in Shatner in January 2009!

L’édifice Shatner, c’est votre édifice!

Vous y trouverez une panoplie de clubs et de services qui sauront certainement répondre à vos besoins. Cette année beaucoup de changements au programme : Liquid Nutrition ouvrira ses portes en septembre 2008 et un tout nouveau café, Café Suprême, ouvrira également ses portes en janvier 2009!

This year we, as a Society, are taking on the responsibility to make all the events and activities that take place in the Shatner Building more environmentally friendly and refocusing our organization to become more ‘green’. Also this year, thanks to the reinstatement of our Ballroom capacity, we will be reviving our ‘4 floors party’, the largest and most fun Shatner event of the year!

Malgré toutes les activités qui se passent au cours de l’année dans le Shatner, nous avons pris l’engagement cette année de rendre cet édifice écologiquement durable en éliminant tout ce qui peut s’avérer ne pas être « vert ». Aussi, cette année, nous aurons le bonheur de revivre nos « 4 floors party » puisque nous avons été en mesure de récupérer nos capacités antérieures et même plus!

So come on by and meet a friend for coffee, have a drink at Gerts, or grab a bite at Tiki Ming, Cultures or Frank’s Supreme on the 2nd floor.

Venez rencontrer vos amis, venez vous divertir chez Gerts ou encore prendre une bouchée chez Tiki Ming, Cultures ou Frank Suprême au 2e étage.

Our offices are located in the Brown Student Services building, suite 1200. Don’t hesitate to stop by or give us a call, we are here for YOU! In closing, we at SSMU would like to wish you all luck and success in the 2008-2009 academic year!

Nos bureaux sont situés dans l’édifice Brown, à la suite 1200. N’hésitez pas à faire appel à nous, nous sommes là pour vous servir! En terminant, nous vous souhaitons une formidable année universitaire 2008-2009!

Pauline Gervais General Manager

Pauline Gervais Directeur Général

23

McGill University Profile

In This Section...

• McGill in Profile • The Administration • Student Rights & Responsibilities • Grading • Tuition & Fees • Libraries • Computing on Campus • Academic Advising • Studying Abroad • Campus Map • Bird Courses

McGill

in Profile

Welcome to McGill! You are now attending a university with a long and somewhat illustrious histor y. Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights, depending on how you look at it); brainwashing , militar y re se arch, and glorious, glorious virginit y. Yup.

1889 – Royal Victoria College, the women’s residence, is established, and dedicated by one official to “the preservation of glorious virginity.”

1907 – Sir William MacDonald establishes McGill’s MacDonald College, 32 km west of Montreal.

1908 – The McGill Students’ Society is founded. No girls allowed!

1908 – Former McGill Physics Chair Ernest Rutherford wins a Nobel Prize. His desk is so radioactive it has to be incinerated.

1813 – Fur trader and slave owner James McGill bequeaths his 46-acre estate and $10,000 to found the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, the predecessor of McGill University.

1821 – McGill receives a Royal Charter and becomes a university.

1829 - McGill opens its first faculty, the Faculty of Medicine.

1860 – A near-bankrupt McGill takes out a $40,000 loan from the Province of Canada.

According to the Six Nations, $8,000 of that loan came from the Six Nations Trust Fund and was never reimbursed. With interest, the alleged outstanding loan comes to $1.7 billion.

1875 – James McGill’s remains are dug up and reburied in front of the Arts Building.

1884 – Women are admitted to McGill for the first time. They are called “Donaldas” after businessman and philanthropist Donald A. Smith, who offers $50,000 to start a women’s college.

26

1925 – The McGill Women Students’ Society is founded. It becomes the Women’s Union in 1931-32.

1957-60 – The CIA funds McGill researcher Dr. Ewen Cameron’s brainwashing experiments as part of MKULTRA, an attempt to develop mind-control techniques during the Cold War.

1963 – With funding from the Pentagon and Canadian Defense Department, McGill professor Gerald Bull begins test-firing new missiles he calls “martlets,” named after McGill’s mascot. He later sells weapons to apartheid South Africa and, most infamously, works on the Project Babylon “supergun” for Saddam Hussein. In 1990, he is assassinated under mysterious circumstances.

1965 – Law student Sharon Sholzberg becomes the first woman president of the Students’ Society.

1967-71 – During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Department of State gives McGill $831,415, of which more than $663,000 was for military contracts.

2000 – A year long battle culminating in a student-initiated referendum forces SSMU to withdraw from the proposed cold beverage agreement between the Students’ Society, McGill, and Coke, which would have given the soft-drink provider exclusive rights to sell drinks on campus. Over the next four years, McGill takes over most of the SSMUrun cafeterias on campus.

1969 – Students gain eight seats on McGill’s governing body, Senate, after years of pressuring the administration through sit-ins and occupations.

1970 – The McGill Black Students’ Association is formed.

1972 – Gay McGill is founded with funding from the Students’ Society.

1977-89 – Two McGill professors conduct research in fuel-air explosives, a type of shock-wave bomb that has been roundly condemned as inhumane. The 1987 SSMU Handbook argues that “the ivory tower has no place on the battlefield.”

1980 – The McGill Daily becomes fully independent from student government.

One year later, McGill starts the McGill Tribune.

1985 – 1,200 students demonstrate outside a board of governors meeting, calling on McGill to divest from apartheid South Africa.

1988 – A campus referendum created McGill’s branch of QPIRG. 1991 – The Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society is founded – the first of its kind in Canada.

1993 – McGill student Carelin Brooks becomes the first openly queer woman to receive a Rhodes scholarship.

2004 – Student pressure derails another exclusivity contract that would have handed over all of McGill’s cafeterias to catering giant Chartwells.

2004 – McGill bans large protests on campus and limits small protests to two areas. The policy remains in effect.

2004 – McGill evicts the Sexual Assault Centre from its office and the Muslim Students Association from its campus prayer space.

2006 – SSMU Council bans blood drives from the Shatner building, arguing that blood-collection policies are discriminatory because they forbid men who have had sex with men since 1977 from donating blood.

2008 – SSMU Council votes to make the McGill Tribune independent from SSMU by 2010.

2008 – McGill administration refuses to renew the lease on the house used by the McGill Outdoors Club, and puts it on the open market despite uproar from the student population and the community at large.

2008 – The union of TAs at McGill votes to strike for better working conditions and pay; they are subsequently fired from their non-TA jobs at McGill, and strike for 72 days before a back-to-work agreement is reached.

1996 – In a referendum, undergrads vote to condemn Pepsi for its connections to the Burmese military regime, in response to the SSMU’s decision to give the company the exclusive right to sell beverages at SSMU cafeterias. The vote also created a Financial Ethics Research Committee to oversee SSMU’s investments and business deals.

27

Administration Constrained by limited funds, limited time, and limited space, the past few ye ars have seen McGill’s Administration limit, rather than promote, student life on campus. Controversies include their campaign for higher tuition, the e victions student groups, and re st rictions to the use of the McGill name. But there has also been some e xciting movement on such issue s as campus sustainabilit y, course e valuations, and advising.

Chancellor: Richard (Dick) Pound While your only interaction with him may be a handshake on the day of your graduation, the very lucky will get a chance to discover the frank humour behind our Chancellor, the former vicepresident of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Principal and Vice-Chancellor: Heather Munroe-Blum (HMB) Recently reappointed for a second term (2008-2012) as the head of McGill University, Munroe-Blum continues her restructuring of the University’s Administration & decision-making structures. She remains focused on fundraising initiatives and external representation.

Munroe-Blum’s major concern has been combating McGill’s horrendous under-funding. While she has lobbied all levels of government for a reinvestment in post-secondary education, the Principal has turned her energies toward forging public-private partnerships, de-freezing tuition, and attracting philanthropic donors. Her biggest project to-date is the fundraising Capital Campaign, which aims to raise $750 million. While helping McGill dig our way back to solvency, Munroe-Blum has been accused of corporatizing the University through the hiring of non-academics as head administrators, increasing private donations, and creating too strict a divide between the University’s Administration and Governance structures.

The Principal addresses these and other concerns at bi-annual Principal’s Town Halls where all members of the McGill community are invited to ask questions. You can find more information at

28

http://www.mcgill.ca/townhall/.

Munroe-Blum is married to screenwriter Len Blum, the brains behind such classics as Beethoven’s 2nd and Over the Hedge. She is said to be an avid gardener.

Provost: Anthony (Toni) Masi With the Principal frequently called away from campus, the self-described “2IC” (Second in Command) Provost Masi oversees pretty much everything at McGill: the use of space on campus, the University budget, hirings, and so forth. This sort of structure is called the “provostial model” and is relatively new to McGill. It allows for greater cohesion but hazards stricter centralization.

Professor Masi has been teaching at McGill since 1979. His areas of research include the sociology of the labour force and the relationship between institutions and economic development in Italy. An administrator since 2001, Professor Masi has been appointed as Provost for the years 2005-2010.

Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning): Morton J. Mendelson (MJM) McGill’s first Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) is a long-term McGill psychology professor and an administrator with his job cut out for him. Appointed in 2006, Mendelson has been tasked with “fixing student life issues” at McGill. (Yes,) This is the man who oversees the miles of red tape associated with room bookings, academic advising, financial aid, course feedback, residence life, exchange programs, whether student groups can use the word “McGill” in their names, etc.

Vice-Principal (Administration & Finance): François Roy Formerly the Chief Financial Officer of media conglomerate and commercial printing giant Quebecor, Roy now prepares McGill’s annual budget and manages its finances. Since (Appointed only fairly recently in the spring of 2007, we will continue to watch his work as VP as it effects student life. Mr.Roy is said to have a deep love of opera.

Vice Principal (Development & Alumni Relations): Marc Weinstein Five years of fundraising at the McGill University Health Center Foundation landed Weinstein this gig in the spring of 2008. He is now responsible for the University’s fundraising and donor relations as well as for McGill’s relations with alumni (read: future donors).

An unabashed fan of McGill University, Weinstein is the man behind the University’s Capital Campaign.

Vice Principal (Research & International Relations): Dr. Denis Therien Long-time Computer Science researcher, McGill professor, and die-hard fan of complexity theory, Thérien became the first official VP (Research & International Relations) in November 2005. He now oversees research policies – including private-public partnerships, animal testing, military contracts, ethics – and works with external bodies to shape research priorities for McGill, Quebec, and Canada (and to get them funded). Apparently, he also juggles.

Interim Vice Principal (Public Affairs): Vaughan Dowie This interim VP comes to us with experience in various areas of the public sector. Most notably, Dowie served as Assistant Deputy Minister in three different ministries of the Government of British Columbia. Dowie is now charged with maintaining McGill’s relationship with private institutions and all levels of government –vital funding sources. An Advisory Committee will begin the selection of a new VP (Public Affairs) in September.

29

Senate

Senate is a huge governing body that handle s the policie s and guideline s governing most of the Uni versit y’s acti vitie s. It is an e ssential forum for information and consultation.

While it may be made up ent irely of profe ssors, st udents, administ rators, and union members, it can be a bit insulated f rom the re st of the McGill communit y. Concerned? Ge t to know who your repre sentati ve s are and le t them know what mat ters to you. Be t ter still, come see Senate for yourself.

Senators will proudly tell you that Senate runs on a collegial model.

Col-le-gial: (adj) of or characterized by the collective responsibility shared by each of a group of colleagues, with minimal supervision from above. (Dictionary.com Unabridged v 1.1) Navigating the corridors of power Alienated? Confused? Feel like you’re just a number or like just another brick in the wall?

Get heard! If direct action isn’t your preferred way to right wrongs, Senate meetings are open to listeners (but not speakers,) so you can go to Leacock 232 at 2:30pm every third Wednesday to remind Senators that they are responsible to the wider community.

But what if you want more? If you want to shape the decisions before they hit Senate, consider talking to your Senators about issues that matter to you before they hit Senate.

Senators sit on committees ranging from the Committee on Libraries to the Academic Policy Committee to the Committee on Physical Development. These meetings are where Senators craft the recommendations they will send to Senate for an official vote. Debate can be much livelier here, so committees can have a lot of power. Talk to student or faculty Senators about committees of interest to you. Your Dean sits on Senate, as do some of your professors. You can find out who sits on what committees at http://www.mcgill.ca/senate-handbook/ standing-committees/ter ms/ and then search for their contact information in the box below (if students) or at http://www. mcgill.ca/directory/staff/ (if academic or support staff). It’s that easy.

Who represents you?

You have thirteen student Senators representing you. The SSMU President and VP University Affairs sit on Senate and many Senate committees. Eleven additional Senators (see contact information below) represent their faculties in discussions with each other but represent the undergraduate student body as a whole at Senate and in

30

committees. Contact any student Senators representatives with questions, comments, or concerns.

Your Student Reps Arts zachary.honoroff@mail.mcgill.ca; william.johnston2@mail.mcgill.ca; ivan.neilson@mail.mcgill.ca Science andrew.ling@mail.mcgill.ca; ryan.luther@mail.mcgill.ca; matthew.mcintosh@mail.mcgill.ca; Music alexander.dyck@mail.mcgill.ca; Engineering alexandra.bishop@mail.mcgill.ca; Management barbara.dourley@mail.mcgill.ca; Medicine carl-eric.bouchard@mail.mcgill.ca; Law faizel.gulamhussein@mail.mcgill.ca

An-cil-lar-y Fee: (adj + noun) a fee charged to students in addition to tuition; ex: Athletics Fee. The Administration increases these fees to get around the freeze on Quebec tuition and chronic under-funding to provide such benefits as Mental Health Services. As with any fees, accountability can be an issue.

Don’t just get used to it; get informed about where that money’s going. CSS is where Senators and student reps decide what to hike and by how much. It’s a place to call for accountability and better support for student life on campus. The government has put out new regulations that ancillary fee increases over $15 need your say-so.

Keep an eye out for the first referendum to decide on fee increases and service expansion this fall.

31

Board of

Governors

So by now you may be thinking , “Governance is so much fun.

But I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface. Who’s re ally pulling the st rings at McGill?” Well done, grasshopper.

You have passed your first te st. Re ad on!

The Board of Governors (BoG) is McGill’s highest governing body. It has final authority over all of the University’ affairs: financial, academic, legal, property maintenance, you name it.

As it only meets around six times a year, Senate exercises day-to-day control in a lot of areas. Nevertheless, the BoG is kind of a big deal.

There are twenty-five voting members on the BoG and two non-voting student observers. The SSMU and McGill’s Administration had a bit of a tiff over our seat during the Principal’s restructuring of the BoG but all is restored. We have a seat and the right for the SSMU President to sit in it. Success!

Membership breaks down like so: - Chancellor - Principal and Vice-Chancellor - Twelve members-at-large - Three Alumni Association representatives - Two Senate representatives - Two administrative and support staff representatives - One undergraduate student representative - One graduate student representative - One undergraduate student from MacDonald campus (voice, no vote) - One Continuing Education student (voice, no vote)

31

Probably the best-known fact about the BoG is that it has more representatives from the business world than students, faculty, and staff combined; eleven of its twenty-five members come from the business world (including large corporations and corporate law firms) while students, faculty, and staff hold just two seats each. Additionally, eleven of the fifteen non-Board members who serve on BoG committees also come from the business committee.

That being said, some board members have proven themselves sympathetic to student concer ns and can be lobbied on important issues. Former BoG members are sometimes appointed as “governors ermeriti,” who cannot sit on the Board or vote, but are often members of BoG committees where they have full voting committees. To see the full list of committees and find out who sits on them, go to https:// home.mcgill.ca/boardofgovernors/ membership/.

Student Rights

& Responsibilities

As a student at McGill, you are entitled to enjoy all the rights and f reedoms recognized by law. Most importantly, this includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. These documents protect, for example, your religious f reedoms, f reedom of e xpre ssion, and f reedom of association.

YOUR RIGHTS McGill being an academic institution, you have other important rights and freedoms, and the University recognizes many of them.

You can, for example, submit your papers and write any exams either in English or in French (provided learning a language isn’t the aim of the course). For more on these and other rights, check out the so-called Green Book (officially and encumberingly entitled “a Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities”), which you can download at http://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/handbooks/student or pick up from the Office of the Dean of Students in the Brown Student Services Building. Here are some the exciting document’s highlights:

of an advisor, from the McGill Legal Aid Clinic), and the committee will decide on the appropriate action to take.

Sexual harassment policy At the end of 2005, the university adopted a “Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Discrimination Prohibited by Law.” The policy outlines the procedures for addressing an allegation of sexual harassment. If you make an allegation of harassment, sexual harassment, or discrimination, your complaint can spark an investigation, and your name cannot be made public by the person investigating the claim.

Grievance procedure You can lodge a grievance with the Senate Committee on Student Grievances if you believe that your rights under the Charter of Students’ Rights have been infringed by some University official in a position of authority. Your first step, though, should be to go through the informal conflict-resolution procedures (for example, in your department or faculty, by consulting the ombudsperson for students, or the Office of the Dean of Students). The grievance procedure is something like a court case: You, the complainant, and the person who is the subject of your complaint, the respondent, will be called to the Committee on Student Grievances and will present your cases (with the help

32

Text-matching software Some professors have, in the past, required the use of what the university calls “textmatching software” to “prevent” plagiarism.

Basically, a piece of software reads your paper and compares it to a database to see whether there are portions of it that are the same as parts from any other paper in the database. Not only this, though; it also adds your paper to the database, in what can be considered a significant infringement of students’ intellectual property rights. You DO NOT have to agree to this requirement.

Instructors who use the system are required to inform the class in writing of the use of text-matching software and of the possibility of using alternative methods to “attest to the authenticity of their work.”

YOUR RESOURCES Got a problem with something, or think you might? Here are your resources for finding out more about your rights and making sure they are respected.

Ombudsperson for students The ombudsperson for students was recently established to provide students with a place to go before embarking on the lengthy formal grievance procedure. The ombudsperson tries to resolve conflict through informal mediation. The ombudsperson is also an excellent resource for finding out more about the rules and regulations of the university. The office of the ombudsperson for students can be reached at 514-3987059 or at ombudsperson@mcgill.ca.

Grievance procedure This is where you go when the going gets tough. It’s an adversarial, court-like system.

To lodge a complaint, you have to submit it in writing to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Student Grievances. Once you lodge a complaint and the committee judges it worthy to proceed, there will be a hearing, where you will have an advisor (probably from the McGill Legal Aid Clinic) – as will the person against whom your grievance is lodged. You can call witnesses, submit evidence, etc., and so can the other party. At the end of it all, the committee will issue a decision. As a very last resort, you can appeal the decision of the committee, but only if either new evidence becomes available or if there was a “breach of natural justice.”

Your peers Plenty of McGill students have had runins with McGill, and you can also talk to your SSMU VP University Affairs (ua@ssmu. mcgill.ca).

The Green Book Again, the handbook for students, unofficially known as the Green Book, is where this information and more can be found.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES McGill won’t coddle you – we promise.

You’ll have to be pretty on top of your shit. Here’s how.

Doing your own work You might have gotten great training in high school about plagiarism and doing work that is fair. Then again, you might not have.

Either way, you can get in serious, serious trouble – including expulsion – for plagiarism and other academic offenses such as cheating. To plagiarize, according to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, is to “take and use (the thoughts, writings, inventions, etc. of another person) as one’s own.” McGill defines it as representing someone else’s work as your own. Basically, it’s not being honest about where ideas, phrases, and other things have come from.

So how can you avoid it? Pretty easily. First of all, do your own work. Second, make sure you know where your information has come from. Third, and most importantly, give credit to the people whose work has informed yours. Using properly formatted footnotes or parenthetical citations is the standard way of giving credit to others in academic work. The library has a bunch of stuff to help you make sure you know how to cite, and even a (very difficult to learn) program called EndNote that does your citations for you. Check out http://www. mcgill.ca/library-assistance/how-to/citing to see what they have to offer. See also http://www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more information.

Graduating There are both faculty and departmental advisers who are able to help you figure out the requirements you have. Don’t wait until your last semester to see an adviser, in case you’ve done something wrong.

33

Grading Ever wondered where your CGPA comes from or what it means that you can spell “DULL” with the letters on your transcript?

Look no further – here’s a quick primer on McGill’s confusing alphabe t soup of grade s.

There are a few types of grades you can receive at McGill – letter grades, numeric grades and percentage grades. Most letter grades at McGill correspond to numeric grades and percentage brackets.

Individual grades for courses are given in letter format on your unofficial transcript. The corresponding numeric grades are used to calculate your Grade Point Average (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Your GPA indicates your average for one specific term, while your CGPA indicates your calculated average for all of the terms you have studied at McGill. Be aware that some courses are worth more than the usual 3 credits - courses with mandatory tutorials or labs in addition to 3-hour lectures can count for 4 credits or more. Grades for courses that are worth more credits are weighted more heavily and therefore have a greater impact on your CGPA than grades for courses worth fewer credits. In addition to courses worth more credits, the dreaded D (Conditional Pass) and F (Fail) will also greatly affect your GPA so try to steer clear of these at all costs! Another grade to avoid, as it will lower your GPA, is the J letter grade. J (Absent) indicates that the student did not take the final exam. This grade counts as an F in the GPA calculation.

There are several letter grades that do not correspond to numeric grades. For instance, the letter grade K will not affect your GPA. K denotes an extension of the deadline for the submission of a course assignment. You must complete a ‘Submission of K’ form which can be found in departmental offices. An acceptable reason for the extension as well as the alternate arrangements for the submission of course work must be provided on this form. L (Deferred) will also have no impact on your GPA - it indicates that the student did not write an exam but

34

Letter

Numeric

Grade

Grade

Bracket

A

4.0

85-100%

Percentage

A-

3.7

80-84%

B+

3.3

75-79%

B

3.0

70-74%

B-

2.7

65-69%

C+

2.3

60-64%

C

2.0

55-59%

D

1.0

50-54%

F

0

0-49%

had a valid reason for not doing so (e.g. illness). You must submit a request for a deferred exam to the Associate Dean (Student Affairs).

A course taken using the S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) option does not count toward your GPA either. S indicates that the student has received a grade of A to C and has passed the course, while U indicates that the student received a failing grade or equivalent. You are permitted to take one course using the S/U option per term. The course must be an elective and cannot be required for the completion of your program.

If you are confused about the grading system, speak to your academic advisor, whose name can be found on your unofficial transcript on the Minerva website. You can also seek advice from a professor or teaching assistant (TA).

For more information concerning McGill’s grading policy, go to: http://www.mcgill. ca/artscisao/general/grading/#F

Tuition

& Fees

Here’s a quick rundown of where your money’s going and what it’s doing there. For more information on the fee s you’re paying , go to mcgill.ca/student-accounts.

Tuition Tuition at McGill varies depending on the nationality and/or place of residence of the student. There are three categories: Quebec residents, non-Quebec Canadian residents, and international students. Quebec residents pay $62.27 per credit, for a total of $186.61 per 3credit course. Non-Quebec Canadian residents pay $179.28 per credit, and $537.84 per course. International tuition varies based on faculty: - Arts, Education, Law, Continuing Education, Religious Studies: $465.50 per credit/$1,396.50 per course - Management: $500 per credit/$1,500 per course - Arts & Science: $490 per credit/$1,470 per course Agricultural & Environmental - Sciences, Engineering, Music, Nursing, Science: $514 per credit/$1,542 per course Additionally, there are eight categories of International students who can pay tuition at the rate of Quebec residents.

There are: - Citizens of France - Citizens of countries that have signed an agreement with the Ministere de L’Education, Loisir et Sport du Quebec - Dependents of diplomats, consuls, other representatives of foreign countries, United Nations staff, and other international agencies.

- Students with refugee status recognized by the Canadian government - Students whose spouse or parent holds a Temporary Work Permit in Quebec - Students enrolled in an eligible French degree program - Students employed by, or whose parents are employed by, certain recognized NGOs - Participants in a Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec program

Annual tuition depends on the number of courses taken throughout the year.

A typical full-time course load would be 8-10 courses per year, for a total of 24-30 credits.

Compulsory Fees Along with tuition, McGill charges students a series of fees that aid in financing its operations. These fees increase regularly.

Confusingly, for the purpose of calculating fees, McGill classifies part-time students as those who are taking less than 12 credits in a term, while SSMU classifies them as those who are taking less than 9 credits in a term.

Student Services fee $115.50 per term for full-time students, $69.50 per term for part-time students.

This fee is used to fund services offered at the university, descriptions of which can be found in the Clubs & Services section.

Athletics fee $107 per term for full-time students, $64 per term for part-time students. This fee covers the use of athletic facilities, campus recreation (intramurals, fitness), and intercollegiate sports.

Registration charge $20.70 per course. This fee is charged when you register for a class.

Information Technology charge $20.22 per course. This fee funds technology services provided by McGill. It also provides training and support for students using new technology.

Transcripts & Diploma charge $3.66 per course. Students are entitled to freely order unofficial transcripts throughout the year. This fee covers such expenses, as well as covering the costs associated with your graduation.

Copyright fee $2.19 per course. This fee covers the costs associated with photocopying copyrighted material.

35

Tuition

& Fees

cont’d

Administrative Fees These fees are associated with applications, late registration, outstanding balances, and student ID cards. A few administrative fees are: - Application fee: $80 - Late registration charge: $50 - Monthly interest on outstanding balances: $1.24 per cent - Supplemental examinations: $35 - Late Course Change fee: $25 per course

SSMU Fees These fees go to your students’ society, not to McGill. The only way to introduce or revise these fees is through a referendum, which can be introduced during either the fall or the winter election periods.

SSMU Base Fee This fee is what keeps SSMU operating. It pays for administrative fees, upkeep of the University Centre, governance, operations such as Gerts and Haven Books, and is where the funding for clubs and services comes from. $1 of this fee is set aside for the Safety Network: Drivesafe, Walksafe, and First Aid. You’ll pay either $38.44 per semester full-time/$18.19 per semester parttime or $28.29 per semester full-time/$13.12 per semester part-time, depending on what faculty you’re in.

McGill Undergraduate Student Fund This fund supports libraries, bursaries for students, and campus events and activities. $19 per semester for full-time students, $9.50 per semester for part-time students.

SSMU Health Plan Go to page 72 or to aseq.com for more on the health plan.

University Centre Renovations The name really says it all. $11.84 per semester, ends in 2010.

Referral Services All SSMU members contribute $1.75 per semester, split between Queer McGill, the Union for Gender Empowerment, and McGill Nightline. This fee is opt-outable and ends in 2011.

SSMU Daycare A daycare accommodating 32 children was

36

created by SSMU in response to increasing demand. Members of SSMU contribute $1.50 per semester to this initiative, which also receives funding from parents and the Quebec government.

Midnight Kitchen The Midnight Kitchen collective serves vegan food in the third-floor kitchen of the Shatner building. Students fund this service with an opt-outable $1.25 per semester, ending in 2011.

Environment Fee Instituted by referendum, this $1.25 per semester opt-outable fee is intended to promote more sustainable practices on campus.

Independent Fees You also pay fees to a few groups independent of both SSMU and McGill. These groups include CKUT ($4/semester), Daily Publications Society ($5/semester), QPIRG ($3/semester) and the McGill Legal Information Clinic ($3.25/semester).

Libraries Though not as exhausti ve as some, McGill’s librar y holdings are more than comprehensive enough to get you through most of your school work. As well, with 14 librarie s on the downtown campus with a varie t y of amenitie s and architectural st yle s, there’s plent y of choice for study space. Here’s a primer to the librarie s you’ll most likely need to know about, and more info can always be found at ht tp://w w w.mcgill.ca/librar y.

Humanities and Social Sciences, 3459 McTavish Also known as McLennan-Redpath, this huge and imposing building on the west side of lower campus houses most of what you’ll need for Arts courses, and also has a sweet DVD collection. Textbooks and coursepacks are available on reserve, unless your prof forget to order them. Hours are extended during midterms, and it’s open all night during exams – trust me, you’ll be taking advantage of this. There’s a new, theoretically comfortable Cybertheque in the basement, with study space and computers (we’ll leave it to you to decide how comfortable you find it), along with over-priced but sanity-saving food and coffee.

Schulich Library of Science and Engineering, 309 Sherbrooke Ouest This library connects to Adams and McConnell Engineering, and through underground tunnels to Burnside. You’ll find your math, science, and engineering textbooks here, as well as some imposing portraits of dead rich white men. Also, laptops are available for loan, though the late fines are steep.

There’s a nice but windowless study space in the basement, and bright, beautiful areas on the upper floors. Usually a good place to find an available computer work station – computers can be found on the fourth and fifth floors.

then again, it is Management.

Education Library, 3700 McTavish Street It’s worth the trek up McTavish if you have a taste for children’s or YA literature. Well, maybe not in winter because it gets treacherously icy, but you probably have to go to Education for conferences anyway, so stop in while you’re there.

Blackader-Lauterman Library of Architecture and Art, 3459 McTavish On the third floor of the Redpath building, connected to McLennan. Cozy and cramped, but great lighting and usually quiet.

Birks Reading Room, 3520 University Grandiose and imposing, but you can’t beat it for atmosphere. And peace and quiet. You have to take your shoes off to enter. Open limited hours.

Nahum Gelber Law Library, 3660 Peel Law students are serious about their studying, so if you want some elevated company, here’s where you’ll find it. Also, very comfortable and open late.

Marvin Duchow Music Library, 527 Sherbrooke Ouest New and minimalist, with an awe-inspiring collection of music and places to listen to it. Definitely worth a visit, even if you never take a music course while you’re here.

Howard Ross Management Library, 1001 Sherbrooke Ouest Found on the second floor of the Bronfman building. There are individual and group study space, and a fair amount of computer work stations. It feels very commercial, but

37

Libraries cont’d Theft Nothing is more frustrating than typing your 20-page term paper, saving it to your laptop, getting up to grab a donut and finding your laptop gone upon returning. Keep an eye on your stuff, and invest in some security options, like laptop locks. Also, there’s a small chance that your stuff has not been stolen, and Security Services has grabbed it for safekeeping – give them a call at 514-398-4556. In fact, do that anyway to report the theft.

Horrible, Horrible Fines McGill’s library fines are fairly harsh. You can be charged 50 cents a day for regular items, and up to five cents a minute for items on reserve. DVD late fines are also quite hefty. If you owe more than $10 to the library, you can’t borrow anything, and if you owe ANYTHING then McGill will refuse to send you copies of your transcript upon graduation. Pay those late fees!

Public Libraries The Montreal public library system seems hard to navigate, but isn’t really. Along with a smattering of private and independent libraries throughout the city, each borough or arrondissement of the city has its own branch. More info here, though mostly in French: http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/ biblio/index.htm

Your best bet for a public library is the Quebec National Library, or le Grand Bibliothéque. This place is huge and beautiful, and does have English holdings. Easily accessible at Berri-UQAM metro, go early in the semester and you might find that you can check out a couple of your textbooks here. But you’ll have to get a free membership card first, so make sure you bring the required proofs of residence. http://www.banq.qc.ca/

If you want to check out how Montreal’s tony Anglophones like their library, check out the Westmount Library at 4574 Sherbrooke Ouest, which is about a half hour walk from campus.

Membership is steep, but study space is free. http://www.westlib.org/

And finally, a quick note about one of Montreal’s oldest libraries. The Atwater

38

Library is a stone’s throw from the Atwater metro (which means very close for you Solinites), small, and comfortable. Definitely great when you need a change of place! http://www.atwaterlibrary.ca

Other Options?

If libraries really don’t do it for you, you can always live the café-studying cliché. The 24-hour Second Cup on Parc and Milton is the usual venue of choice for this, but you can easily find something less frequented if you walk a little further east or south of campus.

If you want to stay on campus your options are: the SSMU lounge or cafeteria in the Shatner building; the computer labs (3rd floor) or lounge (2nd floor) of the Ferrier building; or, your faculty or department lounge (for Arts students’, that’d be the Leacock basement). Poke around campus a bit and you’re sure to find a cozy study space.

Computing

on Campus

Here’s a guide to where that $100 “information technology charge” is going , and to where you’re going to need to spend the night at le ast once while you’re here.

Computer labs McLennan and Redpath Libraries have pretty sizeable computer labs. Anyone can use them, and there’s printing available in all of them. Be prepared to stand in line for a computer around midterms and finals, though. The newly opened Cybertheque, in the basement of Redpath, has made it significantly easier to get work done in the main libraries; there are plenty of computers, comfy study spaces, printers, photocopiers, and above all, natural light!

Other campus libraries have at least one or two computers you’ll be able to use.

Many, including Shulich, have their own computer labs.

Only Arts students can log into computers run by the Faculty of Arts, which is pretty silly, but unavoidable for the time being.

There are a bunch of Arts computers placed around the first floor of Leacock, a small lab in the Arts Lounge, and a large new lab in the Ferrier Building, with both Macs and PCs. Printing is marginally cheaper in Ferrier, and it’s usually pretty easy to find a free computer, although it’s more out of the way than other labs. Access to the Ferrier labs is 24 hours a day, if you find yourself needing to pull an all nighter or just yearning for the gentle hum of a hundred computers all working at once.

Science students can log into computers sprinkled about the science buildings. The main lab is in Burnside Basement, though, where you lucky Science kids will also get free printing credits. Free!

Resources Sign in with your McGill email username - firstname.lastname@mail.mcgill.ca. Your mailbox gets 200 MB of space. McGill’s official policy is to only send emails to your McGill email address, so even though the interface is pretty useless, it’s a good idea to check it regularly. You can also access your P: drive from the McGill computers – this drive contains 100 MB of storage, and is really useful because you can access it

from home as well. See ICS’s website for instructions on setting the home connection up (www.mcgill.ca/ics).

McGill’s library system subscribes to thousands of online journals, databases, and the like. You can access these resources from any campus computer, and you can even set up your personal computer to view them at home via VPN (again, see the ICS website for how this works). Incredibly useful for when you’re settling down for some hardcore research and don’t want to make the trek to campus.

McGill’s wireless network can be accessed from all over campus! You’ll have to set up your laptop to access it – see mcgill. ca/ics/tools/wireless. It’s quite the speedy connection.

Websites The MyMcGill portal (my.mcgill.ca) logs you in to four important websites and gives you a handy organised set of links when you log in. Here’s a really quick rundown of those websites: Minerva This is where you’ll register for classes, change your major, pay tuition, and look at your grades.

Webmail As already mentioned, every McGill student gets a mailbox with 200 MB of space, and this is the only email address to which McGill will send you things. Check it frequently; you could miss something pretty big.

Library You can renew books online, see your overdue fines, put books on hold, and search the catalogue.

WebCT This is a sluggish, crash-prone web application that some of your professors will probably use for assignments, announcements, and communication with students.

Some profs use it extensively, some probably don’t even know it exists; either way, learn to quash the hatred you will come to have for WebCT and check it once in a while.

39

Academic

Advising So, it’s September 5th - you’ve se t tled into rez, stumbled your way through frosh week, and come to the somber realization that classes have actually begun. But wait, you think; this anthro class is way too hard. And are mandatory conferences really mandatory? Is it too late to drop a course? Will anyone ever truly love me? Advisers can help you with most of these problems. McGill has a fe w dif ferent t ype s of advising , which are as follows:

Faculty advisers can be found in Dawson Hall, and are there to provide you with, well, advice, on all matters pertaining to your faculty. Got questions about course load, the Freshman Program, studying abroad, or how big of a deal it is that you failed that one class? They’re there to help you with these and other issues that you might come up against in your time at McGill. If you’re in a spot of academic hot water, your faculty adviser is also your go-to person for sorting out your options and helping you make an informed decision.

All students are assigned a faculty adviser upon enrolling at McGill. You probably got an email from yours introducing themselves and letting you know when their office hours are – if not, their name can be found on your unofficial transcript on Minerva.

You can drop in during their office hours for a short conversation, or make an appointment via email if you think you’ll need more than a few minutes. U0 students, you won’t get a specific faculty adviser until the end of add/drop period in September, but before that time, you’ll be able to meet with an adviser during the last week of August when you get your ID card in Trottier, or on a first come-first served basis during business hours at Dawson Hall once classes start. Be prepared for long lines!

Departmental advising is a different sort of beast. It’s a lot more individualized than faculty advising - your departmental adviser is there as an expert on the programs in their department, and as such they have fewer students to contend with than faculty advisers do, and can get to know you a lot better. They’ll help you with program requirements, course selection, and planning your program, as well as deter mining course equivalencies and information on internships, specific study away programs, etc., in their field.

You’ll be assigned a departmental adviser when you decide on a major, and you can email them to set up appointments.

The Student Affairs Office now also offers a peer advising service. Peer advisers are akin to faculty advisers, except that they’re McGill students too and can only be seen on a dropin basis. They can help you out with general academic concerns and questions, and can also give you a bit more of a firsthand perspective on juggling the many responsibilities of a university student.

Now go forth and…well, just keep on going forth, but if you get a bit confused don’t be afraid to seek out an adviser!

40

Study

Abroad

Go on, ge t out of here! Er, just kidding , sort of – studying abroad is a gre at thing. You can broaden your horizons, have gre at le arning e xperience s, or just have fun! McGill has a fe w options for you, but you should start planning about a ye ar before you want to go. It can ge t confusing , and McGill will probably gi ve you the run-around for a while, but in the end, it’s worth the t rouble.

You have two main options, and a smaller third. Bi-lateral exchange and Study Away are the big ones.

The third is only applicable at other Quebec universities – McGill is part of an agreement between all Quebec universities through which you can take classes at any. Lots of people use this as an easy way to take classes at Concordia for credit, but you could just as easily go off to Quebec City for a bit.

On to the big two! Bi-lateral exchange is an exchange in the actual sense of the words – some McGill kids go there, an equal number of their kids come here, everyone’s happy. McGill has a list of schools with which this is an option, where you’ll be able to take a parallel program while still paying McGill tuition. There are, however, a limited number of spots available at each school, and the competition for those spots can get pretty tough.

The programs approved by McGill can also be quite limited in scope.

Head to the Student Exchanges and Study Abroad Office (Room 206 in James Admin, 514-398-8342) for a list of schools and programs and to get more information on your options.

double-check that you’ll get all the credits you deserve!

Before you start sending out applications all over the world, take care of a few things here at McGill first. First of all, check out your program’s requirements and restrictions on studying abroad. They may not agree to recognize other universities’ courses as equivalent to McGill’s, or may not want you taking certain courses while abroad – find out these restrictions before you start searching, as they could limit the scope of your search.

Also, meet with your faculty adviser to ascertain exactly what it is you need to do, what McGill wants from you in terms of paperwork, where to send them to, and so on. The gears of bureaucracy can take a while to get moving here, and you want to make sure you’ve got a head start so that all your wildest study abroad dreams can come true. Well, some of them, at least.

If your interest has been piqued, go to the Student Exchange and Study Abroad Office and find out more about your choices, or go to their website at http://www.mcgill. ca/studyabroad.

All the applications and paperwork for Study Away are done through the school you want to go to. If the limited options of bi-lateral exchange don’t offer what you’re looking for, Study Away is your best bet. You will, however, be paying tuition to your host institution instead of to McGill, and although this option is significantly easier than an exchange, getting credit for your classes can be a bit tricky. Make sure you meet with your departmental adviser first and

41

Campus

Map

A

B

C

D

1 Despite how condensed it is, McGill’s campus can be pretty hard to navigate. To be totally honest, this map probably won’t help you much with that, considering that most of the buildings you’ll be looking for are clustered in C4 and C5. But on the off-chance that you’ll find it useful, here you go! An interactive version of this map can be found at www. mcgill.ca/maps.

2

3

4

5 6 C5 C4 A3 C4 B5 B5 B4 C5 D2 A3 C4 B4

D2 D2

B3 B3 B5 C4 D1 B4 A3 A3 B4

42

ADAMS Building ARTS Building BEATTY Hall BIRKS Building BOOKSTORE BRONFMAN Building BROWN Building BURNSIDE Hall CURRIE Gymnasium DAVIS House DAWSON Hall CHANCELLOR DAY Hall DOUGLAS Hall DUFF Medical Building DUGGAN House EDUCATION Building FACULTY CLUB FERRIER Building GARDNER Hall GELBER Law Library HOSMER House HOSMER Annex HUGESSON House

C4

C4 C4 C5

C4

C5 A4 C4 D1 D1 C6 B3 C5 B3 B3

B3 D1 D2 D2 C4 D1

JAMES Administration C4

Building D5 JAMES Annex D2 LEACOCK Building B5 MAASS Chemistry D5 Building C5 MACDONALD B3 Building A4 MACDONALD Library C5 MARTLET House C5 McCONNELL Building C4 McCONNELL Arena D5 McCONNELL Hall C3 McCORD Museum B4 McINTYRE Building D2 McLENNAN Library

MEREDITH Annex

Charles MEREDITH B4 House C3 Lady MEREDITH HouseD5 MOLSON Hall

MOLSON Stadium B4 Neurological Institute C3 MORRICE Hall C4 Bishop Mountain Hall C3

MOYSE Hall MUSIC, New Building OBSERVATORY PETERSON Hall POLLOCK Hall PULP & PAPER Centre PURVIS Hall RABINOVITCH House REDPATH Library REDPATH Hall REDPATH Museum RVC Residence RUTHERFORD Building SHATNER Centre SPORTS CENTRE & TOMLINSON Field house STEWART Bio Building STRATHCONA Building STRATHCONA Music Building THOMSON House TROTTIER Building WILSON Hall WONG Building

Bird

Courses

So-called “bird” courses are a great way to lighten your academic load and boost your GPA. If you’re looking for a fun and relatively e asy class to take, here are some sugge stions:

MUAR 201 - Basic Materials: Western Music I Learn to read music, sing scales, and draw notes on a staff. Be careful you don’t register for its similarly-named but much more difficult counterpart, Basic Materials: Western Music II. Part one of this duo promises to be a breeze for anyone who has any music background.

Bonus: If you’ve ever taken piano theory, you’re likely qualified to teach this class.

MUAR392 - Popular Music after 1945 Listen to The Beatles. Discuss. Listen to The Beach Boys. Discuss. Listen to De L a S o u l . D i s c u s s . Yo u g e t t h e i d e a .

EAST216 - Chinese Action Film A hidden gem. Spend your afternoons watching Jet Li, Jackie Chan and other kungfu masters dance across the big screen. This class has one lecture each week, while the other lecture day is spent watching a movie.

EPSC250 - Natural Disasters Out of all the Earth & Planetary Sciences, Natural Disasters is arguably the easiest of them all. Unlike learning how to identify different rocks based on their formation (Understanding Planet Earth) or memorizing what elements are found in a given planet’s atmosphere (The Terrestrial Planets), Natty-D teaches you about volcanoes, tsunamis, and ice storms. Much more applicable and easier to understand. Plus, they print and bind all the slides for you in advance, making note-taking virtually non-existent.

EDEE325 - Children’s Literature Although it lacks any mental stimulation, boring most people into saying it isn’t a bird course, Children’s Literature remains on the list for the enjoyment it brings in re-reading childhood favourites like Robert Munsch. The final project is writing/illustrating an original children’s book, perfect for the artistically-inclined.

43

Student life Sur viving On Your Own In This Section...

• • • • • • • • •

Your First Week Li ving in Re sidence Li ving Che aply Li ving Green Li ving Independently Gainful Employment Student Acti vism La Vie Francophone Campus Life • Athle tics, Food Ser vice s, Hangouts, Culture

• Queer Student Life • Events

Your

First Week

You may feel a lit tle warm as you re ad this sentence. That might be because it is summer where ver you are. You might be sit ting on the deck with a cool drink, or stre tched out on the be ach tanning. You are chillin’, relaxin’ and doin’ a whole lot ta nothing.

Your first week at McGill will be nothing like this. Pink y swe ar.

Ge t re ady for fun, and enough adventure to warrant a movie script featuring Angelina Jolie. Well without all the blood, sex and car chases (probably). You are going to be busy with chore s and whole barrels of fun but tr y not to st re ss out. Here, why don’t I walk you through it?

Registration Okay, so technically this part should have happened before your first week at McGill, but it’s part of the whole preparation process. The most important thing is to choose courses ahead of time so you aren’t just winging it on R-day. When that fateful date comes, I suggest getting up early and befriending someone with fast fingers. It helps to be one of the first people logged in if you have limited class sizes to contend with. If you don’t get into that special class don’t freak out - plenty of people drop courses before the end of the add/drop period, so you could still get in. If all else fails, talk to the prof and explain why you need to get in to the class, and usually they’ll get you in.

Don’t get all stressed out about choosing the perfect major either. It’s not like the heavens will open up and a beam of light will show you which academic path to choose. You may not know right now.

Who cares? You can always change your major. It’s no biggie, really. Isn’t first year all about experimentation?

ID Cards Oh boy. The infamous ID card picture.

Smile big, kids, because this picture comes with you EVERYWHERE. Try to get your student card as soon as possible because it really is your key to McGill.

Without it you can’t take exams, use your meal plan, get into events or even possibly sign up for Frosh. The line is usually long enough to rival the one that leads to the ladies room at a bar on Friday night, but you have to do it anyways. You could

46

always knit a sweater, or befriend the person behind you. They’re probably in your faculty and they might even be nice.

This piece of plastic is super important.

Surgically attach this baby to your body if possible. I wish I had.

Books Assuming you’ve chosen your classes, I have some bad news for you. Not only do you actually have to go to these things you’ve chosen, you have to spend money and buy books for them. But wait! Stop!

Don’t rush out to the McGill Bookstore right away. Sit down and catch your breath. You have plenty of time. Some professors post the textbook list early, but that could change at any time. It’s best to wait until the first day of classes and check the syllabus the professor will hand you. Then you may go and buy books. If you decide to buy them new, prepare to take a big hit to the wallet. But if you’re trying to stretch your student loan just a little further, then consider buying used books. The McGill Bookstore will occasionally have secondhand books for sale but they’re still fairly expensive. You can look on Facebook Marketplace or McGill Classifieds, or check out used bookstores nearby. The Word (469 Milton) is a great source for used textbooks, as is SSMU’s bookstore Haven Books (2070 Aylmer).

Events Finally, we’re moving on to the fun stuff.

There are plenty of events to keep you occupied during your first few weeks in Montreal. Hopefully you will be kept busy and well fed.

Discover McGill This is one of the more tedious first year events. You basically get herded into large groups, determined by faculty, and you listen to a bunch of speeches.

Then you will be taken on a tour of McGill – this part is often fairly useful, if you don’t already know your way around campus. You will get fed lunch, though, and that’s always a plus. And hey, maybe you’ll score some free McGill merchandise, like a Frisbee.

Activities Night Have you ever wondered, “Gee, how do I know which McGill clubs are for me?” Well if you have, go to Activities Night and let every club on campus try to convince you that they are the right one. The night can be extremely busy and sometimes borderline violent but if you are serious about joining a McGill club, then it can be worthwhile. Who knows, maybe there really is something for everyone. Why not try it?

focuses more on social and environmental issues and less on getting trashed.

Although there will be plenty of BEvERages flowing, Frosh isn’t just about the alcohol. It’s about having fun, meeting new people and getting to do exciting things you wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience. Past Frosh activities have included boat cruises, concerts and plenty of school spirit.

Just remember to sleep it off, and don’t forget to eat.

Making Friends It may seem intimidating to go to a new school, maybe even a new city, and not have any one to fall back on. Try to think of the first week as a test drive. You get to meet a plethora of new people, some of whom you will like and some whom you won’t. Inevitably, some will have unbelievable body odor. You just need to put yourself out there. Everyone is new and looking for new friends. Introduce yourself to anyone you meet, start up a conversation if you can think of something to say, ask questions that require more than one word answers beyond the standard where are you from/what are you taking. You never know whom you will meet! If all else fails you could always talk to the lonely drunk stranger who badly needs a friend. There’s one at every party.

Frosh This is possibly the most fun you will have all week, but remember to pace yourself. Sign-up for Frosh can usually be done online before you get to McGill, but bring extra money, in case your check didn’t quite make it. Head down to lower field to collect your bracelet and get ready for plenty of awesomeness. You potentially have three choices for Frosh and only room for two. You can do any of the faculty Froshes, although choosing your own faculty is a good idea so you can make friends with similar interests. You can choose to do SSMU Frosh, which includes all the first year students for that year, or alternatively you could choose Rad Frosh, which

47

Living

in Residence

So you’ve decided against living at home or living alone. You’ve also realized that though sleeping on the streets of Montreal may make perfect financial sense, the cit y gets a little chilly in the winter. Besides, how on earth could you check Facebook?

Welcome to the fabulous world of McGill Student Residences.

Trust me, you will ne ver have another e xperience like it.

Rez is a great place to live during your first year because it can take a lot of pressure off of a student. You have a warm bed, regular me als and a social ne t work . Unfortunately, you do have to do some things on your own. So wave buhbye to Mommy’s three-bean casserole and hello to Smelly McAlways Naked, your potential roommate.

MUSH OR MUNCHIES Here’s the good news: you won’t starve.

Here’s the bad news: next year you might.

If you live in a dormitory style rez you are lucky enough to have a five day meal plan that may start to feel like dinner with the (extremely large) family. RVC’s plan also gets you brunch and dinner on weekends.

The plan includes three meals a day with a choice of entrees and desserts. It’s more food than you could ever possibly consume. If you live in New Rez you will be on a swipe card meal plan. Want sushi at 3 AM? No problem!

If you are on the five day meal plan, the weekends may be a lonely time for Mr. Tummy, but stock up on cafeteria fruit during the week or pull the ol’ one meal-a-day “dinlunchfest” if you have to. But who are we kidding? It’s not like you’d get up for Saturday brunch anyway.

WHAT? NO DRY-CLEANER? Thankfully McGill doesn’t rely on those spawn of Satan coin operated machines. You will, however, have to buy a laundry card, and do that ASAP because they run out fast and you don’t want to end up like I did, forced to buy new underwear after three weeks when my supply ran out. Also, plan your trips carefully. Avoid the weekend rush and do your laundry early in the morning, or midweek.

Be sure to guard your machine carefully

48

because once a cycle ends, a washer is fair game. Nobody wants to walk in on that cutie from the next floor man-handling their lacy under things. Lastly, don’t rule out air drying because despite basic mathematical logic, 3 washers + 3 dryers (always) = you waiting 7 hours to pounce on a free machine. And for Pete’s sake, kids, separate your whites and colours.

THE STANK Your residence will inevitably stink. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. But one Sunday morning you will wake up, hung over, to the stank of a million preschool bathrooms. News flash: nobody’s parents are cleaning up after you anymore, so you’d better start. Invest in a broom and a dustpan. You and everyone on your floor will thank me. Don’t leave dirty dishes around.

Seriously, they smell and will start to grow something fuzzy. Just use the golden rule and clean up your messes, and do it quick. The sooner you clean, the easier we all breath.

YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND Ok, maybe that isn’t the exact wording in their job description but your Don/RA is one of the most useful people in your new life. Basically, they’re there to make sure you are still breathing every morning and that you didn’t burn down the rez the night before. They are usually good for advice or help, but they aren’t there to police you.

They don’t want you to get into trouble anymore than you would want to be in it.

was on council. There is a President, VP, Treasurer and Secretary, all of whom you get to vote for. SSMU gives these people some money and they get to decide what to do with it. Will the residence buy more dryers? Should we have a coffee house?

How can we plan an awesome party?

They may even try (and fail) at building an ice rink on the Douglas Hall front lawn.

They will make your residence experience better. Maybe “they” will be you?

HAIR IN THE SHOWER The most important advice: don’t slack on the personal hygiene. The others will start to notice. Some residences do have co-ed bathrooms, but they aren’t as big a deal as you might think. Invest in a bathrobe and plan your toilet time for 3 AM (it also helps to wear inconspicuous footwear). You should buy some flip-flops too. Bare skin should never ever touch the shower tiles. And please please, please don’t leave hair in the shower! (or in the sink, or on the floor, or on your new roommate’s pillow before bedtime...)

SMELLY McALWAYS NAKED I’m not saying you are doomed to have a nudist roommate, or even one that smells, but the chance of a problem arising from a personal space issue is high. Even if you don’t have a roommate you will have floor mates or suitemates or something like that, and you will need to get along. Respect the space you share with others and their possessions. If someone violates these basic rules, mud wrestling will solve any disputes. The survivor wins.

REZ COUNCIL Remember how in high school, student council was the snobby, pretty, popular jerks whose most creative idea was a lame spring fling? Well, rez council is nothing like that, mostly because the people on it are less jerky, don’t believe in rhyming dance themes, and aren’t very good looking.

Actually, maybe that was just when I

THE HILL OF DEATH If you live in upper rez you will have to climb the hill every day. It is steep and the climb is hard. I don’t have any magical solutions for you, or secret underground escalator passages. All I can tell you is that it will get easier. Your legs will get stronger. You can start going to the gym less. And hey, go ahead and use that dessert ticket.

49

Living

Cheaply

Life as a uni versit y student isn’t che ap. Most of us are on our own for the first time and simply don’t have the e xperience of daily budgeting. With student loans and credit card debt burdening many students, ever y lit tle saving you can squeeze out helps in terms of spending wisely. The good news is, by the time they graduate, many students will have perfected the craf t of thrif t y li ving. Either way, here are some nif t y guidelines and tips that can help for now.

MCGILL FEES A huge chunk of your change goes to McGill by way of tuition, insurance, and other fees.

There’s not much you can do for high tuition unless you qualify for Quebec rates, but be sure to check all of the circumstances possible.

It’s possible to save a lot by opting out of SSMU’s insurance plan if you’re covered under another plan, like your parents’.

Finally, not without controversy, McGill has made opting out of several student fees available on Minerva for two weeks at the beginning of each semester. However, these fees are many student clubs’ main source of funding and the money you could get refunded back to your account is minimal (around $25 a semester if you opted out of every single fee.)

The most expensive fees, including the Athletics Fee, Registration Fee, and Information Technology charges, are each around $100 yearly and are NOT opt-outable, even if you haven’t stepped foot in a gym since high school.

50

BOOKS If you can, buy your books outside of the ridiculously expensive McGill Bookstore.

The Word, a used books store on Milton, is an excellent source for copies of the classics and textbooks. More and more profs are listing their books there, so try to beat the rush and the helpful staff will point you in the right direction. SSMU-owned Haven Books on Aylmer is also a good option.

McGill Classifieds is another popular way for students to both sell and buy secondhand books; just be sure to check for the edition!

Amazon and other online booksellers usually have bargains for textbooks, and while you’re waiting for your order to get in, visit the library. Your required texts will be available on reserve. *Cough cough* the copy ro o m i s u s u a l l y n e a r b y * c o u g h * .

FOOD You don’t need to live on Kraft Dinner and Maruchan ramen alone! Provigo has a student discount every Monday: 10% off on purchases over $50.

For even better bargains, go to markets like Jean-Talon and Atwater (even Chinatown has dirt cheap veggies) rather than the chain stores.

While on campus, don’t underestimate the dollar-saving heft of bringing a sack lunch from home. Check out cheap and free cheap alternatives to the Chartwells cafés: Architecture Café, Midnight Kitchen, and the bake sales in Leacock.

There’s also an ingenious “Free Food at McGill” group on Facebook where students can list lectures, events, and club things offering free grub.

SHOPPING Okay, thrift shopping is cool and all, but so many thrift/vintage/secondhand stores in the Plateau are still totally expensive. There are still a few cheap stores on St. Laurent, but you’ll have to do some searching.

Value Village has several locations in Montreal (a couple are relatively close to metro stops.) Get there early!

IKEA, though a bit of a hassle to find, is pretty famous for its affordable house wares and home fur nishings. Go with a group so you can carry everything back.

Dollarama is similarly awesome for super cheap things to fill up your apartment. They even have Christmas lights!

Craigslist is usually the second best secondhand source after the McGill Classifieds. Bonus: a chance for pictures of items, and you know, people outside of McGill.

ENTERTAINMENT There is always some kind of guest speaker, concert, recital, film showing, or other event happening on campus and at nearby universities. Just flash your student ID, and who knows— there might even be food afterwards! Check bulletin boards on campus and read the SSMU listserv.

The libraries at McGill have tons of new and old movies, documentaries, and musicals available for students to rent for free.

If you prefer an actual theatre, consider going to matinees rather than night showings when tickets are more expensive. Or, try the big Scotiabank Movie Theatre on St. Catherine on Tuesdays: it’s $5 for any show all day.

Museums around town usually have at least one free day a week. Scope them out according to your tastes.

ALCOHOL University students spend billions of dollars on alcohol every year.

Here’s how to ease the pain.

Pre-drink, pre-drink, pre-drink. Buy your own drink of choice in bulk to sip before going out to bars where a single drink can cost as much that one bulk purchase. Invite your friends over for a booze potluck.

Watch out for drink specials at bars and clubs: they’ll sometimes have them for early birds or the late crowd. Don’t take a lot of money with you so you won’t be tempted.

There are tons of Bring Your Own Wine/Beer restaurants in Montreal; go to them instead of paying for a huge markup on a glass of wine with dinner.

LAUNDROMATS Laundromats can get expensive, especially if you don’t have a lot of clothes or wash them often.

Try to hook up a line somewhere in your apartment and hang your clothes up to dry instead of paying for a dryer’s convenience.

Ask your friends in other nearby apartment buildings how much they’re paying for laundry. If it’s considerably cheaper than your other options, see if you can do a load whenever you visit.

BANKS Take your time to shop around for a bank that offers a free checking and savings account or one with minimal fees. Many have student plans.

International student heads-up: the Global ATM Alliance—get money out of your overseas bank account through Scotiabank ATMs without fees (usually). Though the list isn’t large, it does include various countries.

51

Living

Green

Cutting Down on Plastic The manufacture and disposal of plastic product puts a major strain on the environment; manufacturing plastic releases carcinogenic chemicals and plastic takes a very long time to decompose. One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic production and the amount of plastic waste going into our landfills is to cut back on the number of plastic bags you use. When you go grocery shopping, be sure to bring a cloth bag along with you to transport food items. Many larger chains even sell such reusable bags in-store at a very reasonable cost. Another option is to reuse plastic bags from previous grocery runs.

Another way to reduce plastic production is to stop buying plastic water bottles. There is a range of alternatives to buying such bottles. Nalgene bottles are a very popular choice and come in a variety of colours. Aluminium water bottles can also be used and keep water cool for a surprisingly long time.

You can find these at sporting goods stores, more specifically bike stores.

When you’re at the grocery store, try to choose products that don’t have a lot of needless packaging. Many food items such as cheese or yogurt are packaged into individual portions.

Try buying a block of cheese and cut it up yourself instead. Even if you use a little plastic bag to carry the cheese with you for a snack, you can reuse that bag. As for yogurt, buy a big tub and put the yogurt into a smaller container to carry around with you.

An added bonus to this approach is that it’s less expensive to buy bigger portions of a product; you’ll be saving the environment and some cash at the same time!

Instead of buying a set of plastic lunch containers, save yogurt containers, glass sauce and jam jars, wash them out and use them to store food. Flimsier containers like those used for yogurt can be used for drier foods. More

52

sturdy containers like glass jars are more durable and generally have tighter seals than plastic ones do. Use old glass jars for moist foods or liquids. If you’re worried about spills all over your laptop and textbooks when toting food around to eat on campus, place food containers in one of the few plastic bags you will have accumulated.

Conserving Water & Electricity Buy biodegradable or all-natural shampoos, soaps, dishwashing liquid and detergent whenever possible.

Instead of buying household cleaner, make your own environmentally-friendly concoction. For an all-purpose surface cleaner, put about half a cup of baking soda into a spray bottle and add water until it dissolves. Slowly add a cup of vinegar to the mix, then add water to fill the rest of the bottle. Baking soda on a damp rag can be used to scrub areas like sinks and bathtubs.

Use warm water for laundry instead of hot water. Better yet, buy laundry detergent specifically designed for cold water and keep hot water out of the equation altogether. Avoid powdered detergent entirely. It may not dissolve in colder water and you’ll be left with residue on your clothes.

If you want to go even further to conserve water, turn off the shower while you are lathering up and turn the water back on to rinse off. However, be warned – this can be especially challenging during the winter, so only do this if you’re hardcore!

Other Simple Steps RECYCLE – This may seem like a very obvious suggestion, but there are some items that should never go into the recycling bin. The City of Montreal accepts newspapers, magazines, writing paper (letters, bills, etc), books, cereal boxes, and so on. However, things like dirty pizza boxes and Kleenex should not be put in the green bin. Cans and aluminium products are recyclable, whereas paint cans and aerosol cans are not. Put plastic items such as water, soft drink and shampoo bottles in the recycling bin but keep plastic solvent containers (even if empty), plastic utensils and Styrofoam products out.

On the other hand, there are also things that can be recycled that you may not have thought of, such as the end of the toilet paper roll, flattened milk cartons and cardboard egg cartons.

Recycling is such a simple way to reduce the amount of garbage going into landfills, so try to avoid throwing recyclable objects in the garbage just because you happen to come across one before you find a recycling bin.

Holding on to that empty fruit cup or

juice bottle won’t hurt you, but it will do wonders for the environment!

Another step to help the planet stay green is to keep the amount of paper you use to a minimum by taking lecture notes on a laptop. Not only will this dramatically reduce the amount of paper you use, but it will also make editing and sharing notes much easier. Going over your notes, you will probably find that you have written the same ideas several times using different words. With your notes in an electronic format, you can cut out repetitive phrases so that even if you choose to print out your notes, you will end up using less paper than you would otherwise.

Eventually, these easy, virtually effortless ways to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle will become a habit. You will find that you won’t even think about it anymore and the greener way will be the automatic choice. Yes, you are only one person, but if everyone takes these simple steps to reduce their carbon footprint, it will make a big difference.

The planet and your children will be grateful!

53

Living

Independently

Glorious f reedom! No longer will you have to li ve by your parents’ curfe w; no longer will you have to e at rez cafe teria food. Ah, bre athe in the swee t smell of…garbage? Was yesterday trash day? And you forgot again? Damn! Here are some tips that’ll help make sure your independent apartment paradise doe sn’t become the land that dish soap forgot.

Cleaning People create a lot of waste, and if you don’t clean your apartment regularly, it will get really gross really quickly. Make sure you know when your garbage and recycling days are, and get your stuff out to the curb on time, or else fruit flies will gather and everything will start to smell like, well, garbage.

If you prepare to open your fridge by plugging your nose, it might be time to clean the whole thing out, terrifying as that may sound; throw out whatever’s rotting, toss last month’s leftovers, and wipe it all down. Putting an open box of baking soda in smelly places like the fridge, bathroom, etc. will do wonders to reduce odors.

Laundry You will, eventually, have to wash your clothes. Unless you have a washer and dryer in your apartment, it’s time to locate the nearest laundromat, load up on loonies and quarters, and have at it. Just for the sake of argument, let’s assume that you’ve never done laundry before. Get yourself some detergent – preferably the liquid sort, as the dry kind can leave residue on your clothes.

Separate your clothes into white and lightly coloured garments, colourful stuff, and dark or black clothes, so that they don’t bleed colours all over the place and ruin one another. Also, check the labels to see if you need to hand-wash anything or if you’re not supposed to machine-dry it. It can also be a good idea to separate your delicates and put them in a little mesh bag when you wash them; this is so they don’t get all torn up, and you can find delicates bags at most grocery stores.

The next steps: put the clothes in the washer, put the detergent on the clothes, put the money in the washer, select a cycle, and go!

54

Change a fuse If you’ve got a lot of lights and appliances on at once, you run the risk of blowing a fuse. Make sure you know where the fuse box is in your apartment so that you can quickly fix it if this happens! If you’ve got an older apartment, you might have to physically change the fuse; if this is the case, examine all the fuses to see which one looks different and buy a replacement for it at the hardware store. If you’ve got a different sort of fuse box, with switches instead of actual fuses, find the right switch and flip it off, then on.

Major problems If the roof is leaking, your heating won’t turn on midwinter, or some other sort of major problem is going on, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to fix it as soon as they can. Let your landlord know what’s going on, and if they don’t take care of it within a reasonable timespan, contact the Regie du logement and they can make sure it gets done. You can also pay for the repairs yourself and get reimbursed by your landlord.

Bugs/mice If there are things living in your apartment other than you, your roommate, and your pets, well, you’ve got a problem. For mold in your bathroom and the like, call your landlord if it’s too widespread for you to clean it yourself. Unless it’s really bad, they probably won’t do anything, but keep calling; being annoying gets results.

If you’ve got fruit flies, cut a two-liter soda bottle in half, pour some cider vinegar into the bottom, put the top half upside-down into the bottom half, and tape it all together. The idea is to create a funnel so they can get in but not out. For mice, the best thing is really strategically placed mousetraps baited with peanut butter. If the thought of mousetraps appalls you, there might be some “no-kill” traps at your local hardware store, and Googling “no-kill mousetraps” will pull up some clever options that there’s not really room to get into here.

The toilet Lots of things can go wrong with this fairly essential thing, and it’s good to know how to take care of most of them. The most basic: if it won’t flush, it’s probably clogged, so take your plunger in your hand and plunge away. The slightly more complicated: if it won’t stop running, you need to open the back and make sure that the plug at the bottom of the tank is fully covering the hole. The gross: clean your toilet, dude! Get a toilet brush and some cleaner and make that toilet sparkle. The green: putting a few heavy rocks into the tank will stop your toilet from wasting quite as much water.

Appliances Oh no! Broken stove! If your appliances were included in your lease, it’s up to your landlord to fix them.

If not, you’re on your own. Make sure that the repairs needed aren’t things you can easily do yourself, like replacing a stove element, before paying someone else lots of money to come in and do them.

Roommates Living with other people can be either unpleasant and touchy, or awesome and friendly. Keeping the space livable is something that pretty much everyone usually agrees is a good thing, so if things aren’t spontaneously cleaning themselves (hint: they never are), having some sort of cleaning schedule can be helpful. If you’re just not getting along, try bringing up what’s bothering you; you never know, talking it out might make things better. If it really doesn’t, though, you may want to consider moving.

55

Gainful

Employment

So universit y’s expensive, eh? Even the most spoiled of trust-fund kids is going to be hurting for cash pre t t y quickly if they don’t have some source of income, also known as a “job.”

Before you start sending out re sume s willy-nilly, it can be helpful to sit down and take stock of your school and spending habits; how much time do you need to do schoolwork, and how much time doe s that le ave for a paid job? How much e xt ra money do you need?

Are you willing to go into debt, and by how much? Once you’ve answered all the practical que stions, you’ll have a good ide a of what sort of job you need to find. Here are some place s you can start looking , and some helpful re source s at McGill.

Starting points on campus Work-study If you have sufficient financial need, you can apply to the work-study program, which will find a job at McGill for you. Head to the Student Aid Office (Brown Building, Suite 3200, 514-398-2551) for an application, or apply on Minerva. Some of the best on-campus jobs, such as library work, are only available through the work-study program.

Teacher’s Assistant Get in good with your professors and they might ask you to TA for them. You probably won’t be able to land one of these jobs until late in your university career, but ask your profs and your department to see what’s going on, and you never know what’ll turn up. Science courses always need TAs for their lab components.

Cafeteria kids BMH, RVC, and Douglas Hall are frequently in need of cafeteria workers, as are some of the other campus cafs. You’ll get free food and an in to what seems to be a pretty tight community of cafeteria kids. Ask around and see what there is!

SSMU SSMU is often searching for employees; available positions are posted on their website (ssmu.mcgill.ca). They’re also sometimes mentioned in SSMU’s listerv emails – yet another reason to actually check your McGill webmail. Other gigs you can get with SSMU that have stipends attached include things like Equity Commissioner (or other sort of commissioner…there are many), Frosh Coordinator, or even the prestigious Handbook Editor.

Floor Fellows and Dons If you can finagle one of these positions, you’ll get room and board courtesy of McGill.

The job entails being available for support, advice, and generally hanging out with the kids on your floor, as well as being “on-duty” one night a week.

Athletics The gym is frequently hiring, usually for referee and intramural facilitator positions.

These are pretty sweet jobs if you can get them, which isn’t that difficult; good pay, low time commitment, etc. They’re also always looking for people to sell concessions at games. The McGill Athletics website is supposed to list available jobs, but the jobs section hasn’t been updated in about a year, so your best bet is to stop by the Client Services office (in the gym, 475 Pins O.) and fill out an application.

56

The Job Search There are a whole bunch of resources out there for you to help with the often excruciating job search process. Here are a few, both on-campus and off: CAPS McGill’s Career and Placement Service offers one-on-one career advising and resume help, as well as job finding workshops throughout the year, a career resource library, and extensive online job listings. Find them in the Brown Building in Suite 2200, or call them at 514-398-3304.

Job listings can be found at csm-caps. mcgill.ca/students – log in with your DAS username and password. CAPS itself also sometimes hires part-time employees.

Faculty Internship and Career Offices The Faculties of Engineering and Management both have great job fair and career workshop lineups throughout the year, with some of the most prestigious companies worldwide showing up. Check out www. mecc.mcgill.ca (Engineering) and ccliason. musonline.com (Management). If you’re not in either of these faculties, check your faculty’s website to see if they have an internship office.

McGill Classifieds The jobs listed here are generally of the sketchy scam variety, but once you learn to tune those out some real job opportunities start to pop out. Babysitting jobs are frequently posted here, as well as positions at businesses near McGill. McGill Classifieds is also your entrance point to the psychstudies-for-money circuit, through which you can make some pretty hefty cash if you’re willing to be MRI’d or participate in multi-stage studies. If you’re of an entrepreneurial mindset, advertise your services here and you can be pretty sure they’ll get good exposure.

Facebook/Craigslist If you’re looking to work out in the city instead of at McGill, free online job listings are a great place to start looking. Send lots of emails, make lots of phone calls, go to lots of interviews, and something’s bound

to pan out. A grasp of French is important for working in most areas of Montreal, so if French isn’t your strongest suit you may be better off looking at McGill or in the immediate downtown area. International students, remember you’ll need to get a work permit before you can work off-campus!

Networking The McGill Alumni Association and CAPS collaborate to offer a mentor program, where you’re paired up with a McGill alum, presumably working in the field you’re interested in. Your mentor will be able to advise you on your career path and be a generally good resource, and perhaps will be the connection that gives you a leg up in your career of choice? Also, other people are your best resource. It sounds cheesy and kind of obvious, but don’t underestimate the importance of just asking people if they know of anything available. Lots of jobs aren’t posted at all and are advertised mainly through word-of mouth, so don’t be shy and let your profs, friends, parents’ friends, and so on know that you’re looking for a job, and one of them might come through with something really great.

Get involved McGill’s clubs and services are all awesome ways to get started on a particular career path. “President of the Such-and-such association” looks great on a resume, and many clubs are career-oriented to begin with – for example, a new interim club called MedSpecs offers prospective med students the possibility of shadowing a doctor on the job. TVMcGill alums are working for MTV, CNN, NBC, VICE, PBS, and SONY BMG, and Daily and Tribune editors have gone on to some pretty notable journalism pursuits.

57

Student

Activism

Campus life is not limited to the classroom, so why should student presence be? Student groups are a crucial complement to every academic curriculum, serving the full range of student needs and activities that aren’t covered by tuition fees. As integral to campus life as libraries and courses, it is critical that student groups remain autonomous.

Only by remaining independent can autonomous student groups continue to provide the services that make a campus ‘student-centered’.

Over the past few years, the McGill administration has undertaken an aggressive campaign to wrest control over the activities and operations of independent student groups. From a unilateral decision to change and control opt-out procedures to the co-opting of the Architecture Café, from the general lack of student voices influencing administrative decisions to the limits placed on the use of campus space by students, the administration has shown a severe lack of faith in its student body. This is a serious threat to student autonomy—and by extension, to student life on campus.

McGill has a rich and diverse array of student-run services, clubs and organizations. These include studentrun newspapers and campus radio stations, independent food services, initiatives for a sustainable campus,

58

and a gamut of activist and community organizations. These groups were founded by students, for students, to engage with a broad range of issues and to provide a better, more accessible university experience.

Under the guise of accountability and democracy, the university administration has been using a system of referenda to threaten the existence of independent student organisations. Thankfully, the student body is in support of these organisations and has always overwhelmingly voted in favour of funding them. In the past year, these groups have banded together and successfully campaigned to pass both General Assembly and referendum questions that are in favour of these organisations managing their own affairs. The administration has been forced by students into a position where it must decide whether or not to respect the democratic means that the student body has at its disposal. Unfortunately, so far these demands from student groups have been outright rejected by the Administration.

We urge all of you to get to know your student-run campus groups and communities and to support their autonomy!

La Vie

Francophone

Être francophone à McGill, c’est faire partie d’une minorité plus ou moins visible au sein d’un Québec à majorité francophone. Mais n’est-ce pas là une contradiction? En tant que francophone, lorsque je passe par les portes Roddick, j’ai toujours l’impression d’entrer dans un autre monde. Dès mon premier semestre à McGill, j’ai tout de suite su apprécier ce dépaysement. Malgré tout, je n’ai jamais oublié que j’étais avant tout une étudiante francophone au sein d’une université anglophone qui octroie certains droits à une minorité francophone. En effet, les 17 % de francophones présents à McGill, qui soit dit en passant que ce pourcentage a déjà atteint près du quart des étudiants, ont le droit de rédiger leurs examens, thèses et dissertations en français ou en anglais. Désormais, l’article 15 de la Charte des droits des étudiants de l’Université McGill apparaîtra sur tous les plans de cours.

C’est beau toutes ces statistiques et informations officielles, mais qu’en estil de la vie étudiante francophone?

Une grande partie des francophones à McGill n’habite pas sur le campus.

Ils ont souvent un réseau d’amis à l’extérieur du campus et ne sentent donc pas le besoin de s’impliquer.

Par contre, une autre partie de ce 17 % s’implique grandement dans la communauté étudiante. En tant que commissaire francophone de l’Association étudiante de l’Université McGill (AÉUM), j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer des francophones passionnés et impliqués. La Commission des Affaires Francophones (CAF) de l’AÉUM est un comité permanent regroupant divers clubs étudiants ayant pour objectif premier l’amélioration de la situation du Français à McGill. Que ce soit par des activités, événements, résolutions ou par la Francofête, la CAF fait tout en son pouvoir pour accroître la visibilité des francophones sur le campus.

La Francofête est une célébration de tout ce qui est en lien avec le Français ou la Francophonie. Durant ces dix jours d’événements se déroulant à la fin du mois de janvier, diverses activités et conférences ont lieu afin de rappeler aux Francophones ainsi qu’aux Anglophones que McGill est une université anglophone dans un Québec francophone. Il s’agit donc de rappeler aux francophones qu’ils ne sont pas seuls, mais aussi de rappeler aux anglophones que nous existons.

Outre la CAF qui est l’organe principal de la vie francophone de l’AÉUM, divers clubs francophones, bilingues, ou tout simplement à saveur francophone, existent aussi tel que le comité souverainiste, l’action indépendantiste, le PLQ-McGill et le NDP-McGill. Dans une optique un peu moins politique, le French Student Society (FSC), le International Students Network (MISN) et le McGill Afrtican Students Society (MASS) ont tous quelque chose en commun avec la culture francophone. Sur un plan plus artistique, le Théâtre de la Grenouille et le journal le Délit français, publié par la Société des publications du Daily, vous offrent la chance de vous exprimer en français.

Peu importe la façon que vous choisirez de vous impliquer, ce qui est primordial : c’est de s’impliquer. C’est la meilleure façon de vivre pleinement votre passage à McGill en tant que francophone.

59

McGill

Athletics

Always wanted to be a le t tered-athle te, finally feel like ge t ting in shape or just want to play some b-ball af ter school? Then take note of the Sports Complex at 475 Pins O. Home to students in the department of Physical Education, Varsit y Athle tes, Intramural Sports, Memorial Pool, Love Competition Hall, Tomlinson Fieldhouse and the Redbird Sports Shop, your uni versit y e xperience is not comple te without a visit!

You already pay a base fee for athletics in your student fees which gives you access to change rooms, a weight room, the fieldhouse, the pool and more. For approximately $15 a semester you can upgrade your membership to have access to the McGill Sports Centre, newly remodeled and fully equipped for all of your physical activity needs. The schedules and availabilities for all the facilities appear on the Athletics website and many of them change weekly, so make sure you check out www.mcgill.ca/athletics before your work-out. As well you can rent equipment like snow shoes or cross country skis for cheap (514-398-7011) or pay a small fee to rent a squash court or a specialized gymnasium (514-398-7001).

Intramurals and Classes Intramural sign up usually occurs during the first two weeks of the Fall and Winter semesters. Grab a motley crew of friends and pick a ridiculous team name, choose your skill level and make sure to pick up an Athletics magazine (found in the Brown Building or the Sports Complex) for a complete list of team availabilities and registration fees.

If you don’t have enough people to put together a team, not to worry, there is a ‘free agents’ night that allows other teams to scout/ pick up players.

There is also a plethora of fitness classes and instructional courses available– from kickboxing to power yoga. You can sign up for a class by semester or pay-per-class. But sign up quickly, as these affordable chances for fitness can fill up in a flash! (Check the Athletics magazine for dates and times) Varsity Sports McGill’s Varsity sports teams are the Redmen (men’s) and Martlets (women’s). Most teams have try-outs in mid August as most exhibition games, regular games and training camps begin at the end of the month. If

60

you’re playing on a larger budget team like hockey or football, you’re probably already recruited, but teams are always looking for new talent. If you’re serious – get in touch with the coach of the team!

Being a Fan If you’re not the most athletic of the bunch, but still love to watch a high jump, a freestyle timed swim, or a rugby match, and love to wear your McGill red and white garb, then joining the HYPE team is for you! The HYPE team is a group of dedicated students who love McGill athletics and run the promotions for most Varsity games. They also get to wear kick-ass red jump suits. McGill now boasts a National Champions Women’s Hockey team and a QSSF Championship Men’s Rugby team. Hockey Games are the ‘must-attend’ event amongst McGill students, who trek up to McConnell Arena to boo the Queen’s team and drink Molson beers on a regular basis during the season.

But, that being said, don’t forget about our lower tiered teams like sailing!

There are also lots of job opportunities with McGill Athletics; you can work at the front desk, at the fitness center, the Redbird Sports Shop, or serve concessions at games. As well, the SSMU hires an Athletics Commissioner every year to liaise between the SSMU and Athletics!

Food

Services

Thinking abou t ge t t ing a cool bar is ta job on campus? G ood luck . There’s a cons tant s t r ug g le b e t we e n McG i l l a n d s t u de n t s re g a rdi ng f o o d . St u de n t s de s i r i ng s p ac e and au tonomy in se r v ing f o o d are f orce d to compromise w i t h t he admin’s re gulat io n s f av o r i ng Ch a rt we l l s, a c o r p o rate f o o d se r v ice pro v ide r. Why s uch a f us s?

Mone y isn’t goi ng b ack to s t ude n ts di re c t l y anymore ; i t ’s go i ng to c or p orat ions.

Every Chart wells-run operation basically has the same kind of food: overpriced sandwiches and gross microwave able me als. But there’s still hope for af fordable and tast y grub on campus. Student-run and other non-Chart wells e aterie s on campus (the one s still lef t!) of fer you a choice that’s e asier on your taste buds, your walle t, and your conscience.

Grr… it’s everywhere!

Chartwells (your rez, Redpath Oasis Café, the University Bookstore, Bronfman, the cafeterias in most department and faculty buildings, etc.)

Your ubiquitous and obnoxious on-campus provider for blah overpriced food and uncomfortably stale atmosphere. You basically have to buy from them if you’re in Rez, but check out all the places that take your meal plan.

Redpath’s got a Pizza Pizza and a Tim Hortons that generates mile-long lines all morning and day until after lunchtime.

Don’t count on being able to snag a Double-Double during those wee 10 minutes between classes, but it’s open 24-hours during exam season!

The Bookstore hosts a small café on the 2nd floor that serves Starbucks coffee and drinks. It’s a bit limited, though.

The Eats at Shatner Gerts Bar/ Al-Taïb (Basement, Shatner) Cheap drinks + falafel + way more bang for your buck pizza-wise compared to the tiny/pricy pies found in Redpath. Plus, the people behind the counter are always super friendly.

Café Supreme, Liquid Nutrition (1st floor, Shatner) Café Supreme will be opening in early January, in the space that once held Caferama. Liquid Nutrition will also be new this year, selling smoothies in the former University Bytes space. It opens September 1st.

Tiki-Ming, Frank Supreme, Cultures (2nd floor, Shatner) The Shatner trinity of craveable cheap-ish

Chinese food, the classic combo of burgers & fries, and a healthier option including salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.

Student-run, yay!

Architecture Café (Basement, MacdonaldHarrington) Though it was almost taken over by Chartwells last year despite fierce student protest and lots of publicity, this popular and beloved food nook still can be found selling fair-trade coffee (50 cents if you bring your own mug!) and delicious pastries and sandwiches. A chill place to relax and read while eating if you’re not too distracted by the awesome music.

Midnight Kitchen (3rd floor, Shatner) Free food! Volunteers cook and serve up delicious and nutritious vegan lunches Monday through Friday at 12:30 PM. Bring your own Tupperware and a small donation if you can for a tasty meal that’s both good for your body (c’mon, where else are you going to get your vegetables?) and the environment.

The First Floor of Leacock (1st floor, Leacock) Around lunchtime in Leacock, tantalizing smells of warm samosas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and homemade baked goods try to lure you in on your way to class, that is, until you stop by the booths of daily food sales hosted by various student clubs.

Other mentionables: McConnell Engineering food sales, Frostbite in McConnell Engineering for ice cream, AUS SNAX in Leacock for snacks (and sandwiches.)

61

Relax On Campus Someday, you may find yourself wondering what people do on campus when they’re not in class or studying. Do they “hang out” or “talk with f riends”? Do they “drink beer ” and “shoot pool”?

Do they add “unnecessary” quotation marks to their sentences?

Here are some places where you can go and do most of those things.

Three Bares East of Redpath Museum Pros: OAP, a beautiful fountain, and shade.

Cons: Not such a happening place come winter.

Stairs to Nowhere In front of Burnside Hall Pros: Often sunny, and out-of-the-way enough that there aren’t a million people there.

Cons: Once the snow flies, this place is out too.

The Hill In front of Redpath Museum Pros: The social scene when there’s no snow. It’s sunny and close to everything, so it’s no wonder you’ll see everyone you know there. Lower field is great for throwing around a football or a pick-up soccer game.

Cons: An absolute lack of shade make sunscreen and a beverage necessities.

Reservoir East of Education Pros: Great for sports, and views of downtown.

Cons: Softball games usually take over most of the prime field space.

Shatner – downstairs Shatner first floor Pros: Prime study/sleep space with the most comfortable sofas on campus.

Cons: No food, and way too much PDA. Arts Lounge Leacock Basement Pros: Free pool, and Thursday night A r t s Ta v e r n s o f f e r c h e a p b e e r.

Cons: Only Arts students have access, and the new sofas are not great for sleeping.

Science Lounge Burnside Basement Pros: Quiet, free printing for Science kids, great café.

Cons: Somewhat small, short on comfortable seating.

62

MUS Lounge Bronfman Basement Pros: Recently renovated and boasting video games and a candy store.

Cons: The Bronfman High atmosphere is definitely an acquired taste.

Architecture Café McDonald-Harrington basement Pros: 50¢ coffee if you bring your own mug, delicious goodies, student-run.

Cons: Always busy because everyone shares the love of cheap coffee. The lines are longest right after classes let out, so try to beat the rush.

Bookstore Café Upstairs in the Bookstore (McTavish St) Pros: Starbucks coffee and nice sofas.

Also, New Rez meal plans work here.

Cons: The possibility of supporting two evil corporate empires: Starbucks and McGill.

Gerts Shatner Basement P r o s : C h e a p b e e r, c h e a p p o o l , good pizza, and big screen TVs. Cons: Somewhat lacking in atmosphere, and there’s only pizza during the day.

MACES Back lane, behind Bronfman Pros: Cheap, delicious sandwiches with big screen TVs and a patio.

Cons: Busy at times, and impos sible to tell people where it is.

Cafeterias Trottier, McConnell, Arts, Redpath, Shatner, Bronfman, McDonald-Harrington, Stewart Bio, McIntyre, Education Pros: Food, a place to sit.

Cons: Overpriced food, not many places to sit.

Campus

Culture

So you think McGill is lacking in the fine arts department? Take a closer look, and think again. McGill has an e xtensi ve, if low-key, arts scene; the music facult y pre sents li ve performance s f requently, Players’ The at re e t al are always up to some thing , and other student run art-oriented groups abound. Here’s a look at what’s going on.

Theatre Okay. So you’ve squashed your dream and accepted Academic McGill instead of auditioning for the National Theatre School, the Conservatory, ConU, or a real drama school…don’t sweat it. McGill may disown anything artistic, but believe it or not, there is indeed a Drama & Theatre degree hidden within the depths of the English department.

There are practical classes like performance I, stage scenery and lighting and voice & speech that you can take if you’re in the mood to do yoga for credit. Otherwise, there is a small but vibrant extracurricular theatre community at McGill. Both Players’ Theatre and TNC have year-long seasons, not to mention the McGill Drama Festival and ARTifact. Plus, let’s not forget the Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society’s big-budget musical (HAIR!), the Engineering Theatre Society plays or Theatre de la Grenouille’s annual French production. On top of all of this, the Director’s Projects will be presented at the end of the year. Check the drama board in the Arts building for audition notices and general information.

Who says McGill has no thespians?

Even Concordia kids come audition here. Pffft.

Creative Writing Steps is published quarterly by the AUS. Their issues are usually organized around a theme, and they welcome submissions of writing as well as photography, art, comics, and probably anything else you can think of. Check out stepsmagazine. ca for more information! Issues are distributed for free around campus.

Scrivener Creative Review is like their grown-up older sister; it began as a Canadian literary review published by the English Department, and now

attracts international contributors and has interviewed such greats as Leonard Cohen and Margaret Atwood. Visit scrivenerreview.com, and look for issues for sale at bookstores around Montreal. The McGill Daily also publishes an annual literary supplement – look for calls for submissions in the issues leading up to it!

Music The Shulich School of Music is your best bet here – there’s constantly some concert or other performance going on, and most of the time they’re free!

Head over to the music building and pick up a schedule. Also, there are a number of choirs and acappella groups floating around McGill (uh, not literally) – make sure to go to Activities Night, where if you have the slightest hint of a singing voice they will leap on you and flatter you until you audition. Even if you’re not looking to perform, head out anyway and see when they’re performing!

Art This one’s a bit more difficult. AUS has recently started a Fine Arts Council, which is meant to oversee fine arts initiatives and possibly provide funding – contact AUS for more on that. If photography’s your thing, check out the McGill Undergraduate Photography Society (MUPS) – they run photography contests and have a fully equipped darkroom and studio available for members.

63

Queer

Student Life

If you’re ne w to the queer scene, or if you’re no t f rom around here, you may h ave ne ve r he ard the word “quee r ” be fore, e spe cially no t in this conte xt. In mos t circle s queer is the mos t accep te d word to de scr ibe the LGBTTIQ (the lis t goe s on…) communi t y. Use d this way it’s an umbrella term , and a whole lo t e asier than remembering all the le t te rs of th at acronym . Ho we ve r, lo ts of pe ople also ide n t if y simply as “queer ” rather than gay, le sbian, bise xual or whate ver else.

CAMPUS RESOURCES Queer McGill (queermcgill.ca) is a studentrun organization for queer folks and their allies. There’s usually something going on, be it social, political or both, so keep an eye out for their events. The office on the 4th floor of the SSMU building is a hang out space, and is a good place to meet new people. If you’re intimidated, you’re not alone. Watch out for QM’s welcome sessions for new students, to give you an introduction to the group and the space without the pressure. Also, check out the Coming Out discussion group, held weekly. Queer McGill also has lots of volunteer opportunities, which is a great way to meet friends.

Queer Line (514-398-6822) is an anonymous and confidential peer support line that can help you with anything from coming out to your parents to finding a place to party.

Give them a call if you’re confused, need more resources or just want to talk.

The Union for Gender Empowerment is another popular hang out spot for queers.

They have a very chill office, huge library, and are especially notable for their wide variety of resources for trans people.

Be sure to check out QPIRG and Q-Team, one of their working groups. They’re a good introduction into more radical queer politics and parties.

64

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS There are plenty of organizations offcampus whose services are available to you, or that you can do volunteer work with. Project 10 (www.p10. qc.ca/) is a support service for queer youth that’s always looking for volunteers. AlterHeroes (alterheros.com) is another volunteer based support organization you can get involved with. AIDS Community Care Montreal (accmontreal.org) and Head & Hands (headandhands.ca) are queer-friendly health and education centres that are worth looking into.

BEING QUEER IN MONTREAL Being queer in a new city can be scary, but you’ve probably come to the right place.

While violence is not unheard of, Montreal has one of the largest queer populations in North America, and a very visible one at that. In most neighbourhoods no one will look twice if you’re holding hands or making out with someone of the same sex or gender. However, be warned that you’ll still have to deal with people who make incorrect assumptions about your sexuality and/or gender identity, and if you’re trans be prepared to struggle to get people to use the right pronouns.

You should also know that “queer” (and indirectly the meaning behind it) does not translate into French. Similarly, genderneutral pronouns and genderqueer are almost impossible to navigate. This is not to say that there’s a huge divide between within the queer community, but you’ll definitely notice this if you do much political work in Quebec. Francophone organizing around queer issues tends to be much different than Anglo organizing, and a lot of that reflects the power of language.

tons of queer parties hosted by campus groups at McGill, Concordia and the other Montreal universities.

DIY Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Something piss you off? Pressing political concerns? Do something about it! Queers are well known for grassroots activism and organizing so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. If you need some help starting out, don’t hesitate to contact any of the organizations listed here. If they can’t help you themselves, they’ll be sure to know where you can find the resources and people power that you need.

CLUBS, BARS, & PARTIES Some of the most popular places in Montreal’s queer village include Le Drugstore (1366 Ste. Catherine E), a multi-level bar that’s great for relaxing, and the closest thing you’ll find to a dyke bar on the strip. Club Date (1218 Ste Catherine E) is a low-key karaoke venue. If you like dancing, check out Parking (1296 Amherst) on Thursdays, and Unity (1171 Ste. Catherine E.) on Fridays.

Sky (1474 Ste. Catherine E) has both dance floors and a terrace for chilling out. While the Village is where most people get their introduction to queer life in Montreal it’s certainly not the only way to do it. Check out Le Cagibi (5490 St. Laurent) in Mile-End for coffee, a vegetarian meal and queer hipsters (quipsters?). Meow Mix (mimproductions.org) is a popular event for “bent women and their buddies” that happens near monthly at Sala Rosa (4848 St. Laurent).

Keep an eye out for Faggity Ass Fridays, a quipster dance party organized by Head & Hands. You’ll also find that there are

65

Events Your Students’ Socie t y and facult y associations are going to be throwing some killer events throughout the ye ar. Here’s a small sampling of what they’re planning for you right now – keep your eye s peeled throughout the ye ar for more announcements and invitations!

SSMU Frosh August 30-31 The SSMU’s university –wide orientation!

48 hours of fun as you meet incoming students from every faculty and participate in a wide array of activities.

Movies in the Park September 16-18 Bring some popcorn and a blanket and come and enjoy a classic film under the stars on downtown campus’ lower field. Movies start just after dusk!

Faculty Olympics September 23-27 A selection of teams from our 14 faculties battle neck-and-neck to be declared the winner of this new event.

Taking place over five days, teams participate in athletics, academics and extra-curricular activities on campus and in the downtown Montréal area.

4 Floors October 30 4 Floors Halloween is the biggest party of the semester! Students take over all levels of the Shatner building from Gerts to the Ballroom with a different DJ and bar on each floor. Cheap tickets and drink deals make this a not-to-miss event!

Snow Air Pub Early January Back to school getting you down?

Come and chill out with your friends and celebrate the beginning of a new semester at Snow AP. A long standing tradition, Snow AP is a heated tent-pub on lower campus serving beer and pizza at the beginning of the winter semester.

66

ARTS Arts Pub Night Thursdays, 5-9 The perfect place to warm up for the weekend, the AUS hosts weekly pub nights in the Arts Lounge (Leacock B12). Besides featuring many attractive bartenders, the drinks and food are ridiculously cheap and the pool always free. There are also often weekly themed events and competitions, and any McGill group is welcome to host parties there. So next Thursday, grab some friends and head down to the cavernous Leacock basement to get your party started.

OktoberhAUS October 1-3 This year with the help of the McGill Swiss Club, the AUS is bringing Bavaria to McGill. Think live music, chilled beverages, and best of all sausage on a stick all under one big tent! If you’re really into lederhosen and yodeling, why not help out? Just e-mail events@ausmcgill. com to get involved!

Nuit Blanche Early March Nuit Blanche, held by the Fine Arts Council and the AUS, is a night to celebrate all artistic endeavors by McGill students. We take over Shatner for the night and have four floors of artistic mess! There are student bands (of all varieties), ArtAttack in the caf, cookie decorating, dancing, fashion, CKUT, the Bike Collective, singing and even finger painting!

AUTS Musical January After two incredibly successful years, the Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society is proud to announce its 2009 production, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. As the only contemporary musical theatre group on campus, AUTS gives students from all faculties the opportunity to be part of a full-scale mainstage musical production Red and White Late March To end the year with a bang, each March the AUS, together with the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), hosts the splendid Red and White ball. A celebration of the of the graduating class, Red and White is a time to come together with your friends and celebrate one last time before approaching exams.

MANAGEMENT 4-7 The management tradition where we all meet up at the service counter every Thursday to enjoy some $1 liquid craze. If you have to ask what time it’s at, maybe it’s time to consider Concordia.

Ballroom Parties Once a semester, management students get together and party as a faculty up in the Shatner Ballroom under some great and crazy theme.

Management Frosh Well, if you’re reading this, Frosh is already over and you’ve seen what it is. Great times mingling between the years.

CASCO Commerce and Administration Students Charity Organization; essentially a huge fundraiser bringing in over $25,000 through a phenomenal dance show.

Carnival Like Frosh, but there are teams and you know everyone’s name now. Did I mention it’s a full week long?

P[h]assion The passion for fashion! We put on a runway fashion show and fundraise for charities!

The faculty associations of Science and Engineering were too important to give us any info on their events. Off the top of our heads, both run Frosh and Carnival events, and Engineering has Blues Pub in their lounge on Friday afternoons, and also organizes Open Air Pub in the fall. You can try contacting them for more information – perhaps you will succeed where your intrepid handbook editors have failed.

Science Undergraduate Society, susonline.net Engineering Undergraduate Society, mcgilleus.ca

67

HEALTH Resources & Information

In This Section...

• Emergency Re source s • The He alth Plan • Alternati ve Menst rual Products • Nutrition • Physical Acti vit y • Mental He alth • Se xual Assault • Safe Se x • STIs • Contracepti ve s • Abortion • Alcohol • Drugs

Emergency

Resources

Chance s are that you’ll have a need for some of the se re source s at some point during your time in Mont re al. If not, well, aren’t you luck y. Here are some place s that’ll cure what ails you, f rom the disastrous (“Uh, t wo of my toe s are gone”) to the mundane (“Uh, t wo of my toe s are stubbed”).

In case of emergency 911 Royal Victoria Hospital 678 Pins O., 514-842-1231 Montreal General Hospital 1650 Cedar, 514-937-6011 Montreal Hotel-Dieu Hospital 3840 St. Urbain, 514-843-2611 Montreal Jewish General Hospital 3755 Chemin Côte-Ste-Catherine, 514-340-8222 St. Mary’s Hospital 3830 Lacombe, 514-345-3511 Appointments and Drop-in Visits McGill Student Health Services 3600 McTavish, Suite 3300, 514-398-6017 Health Services is where you’ll wind up for most of your health problems while you’re at McGill, since it’s convenient, offers most things, and is totally free for full-time students.

You can call and make an appointment, or if it’s urgent, go to drop-in hours between 9 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday. Show up early, because there’s always a long line, and patients are seen on a first-come-firstserved basis. Health Services is also the most convenient place to go to get medical notes if you’re too sick to take a test – remember though that you have to get the note on the day of, (professors’ decisions are not bound by them), and you’ll really only get one if you’re actually sick.

Also at McGill are a Dental Clinic (514398-3155) and Mental Health Clinic (514398-6019), both on the fifth floor of the Brown Building. The Office for Students with Disabilities (514-398-6009) is on the third floor of the Brown Building, and there’s also a Sports Medicine Clinic in the gym (514-3987007, 475 Pins O).

CLSC If Health Services isn’t open, CLSCs (centres local de services communautaires) and other clinics may be your best bet. They’re the main source for health and social services in Quebec, and most of them offer appointments and drop-in hours. Students from outside Quebec will have to pay up front and get reimbursed later. CLSCs only

70

serve people from within their defined areas.

Some of the clinics McGill students may live near are CLSC Metro (1801 Maisonneuve O., 514-934-0534), Clinique Medicale de la Cite (300 Leo-Parizeau, 514-281-1721), and CLSC Plateau Mont-Royal (4689 Papineau, 514-5217663), which only offers appointments.

Phone Lines Copy this list and stick it on your fridge – I guarantee at least one of these numbers will come in handy sometime.

Campus Security – emergencies: 514-3983000, general information: 514-398-4566 Urgence Toxico – 514-288-1515 24/7 information on drugs, alcohol, and gambling.

Suicide-Action Montreal – 514-723-4000 Support service for anything to do with suicide.

Nightline – 514-398-MAIN Open 6 pm-3 am, 7 days a week. A confidential listening, information, and referral service operated by students.

Queerline – 514-398-6822 Open 8-11 pm Monday-Saturday, a nonjudgmental listening, support, and referral service for people who identify as queer or want to discuss queer issues.

SACOMSS helpline – 514-398-8500 Info-Sante – 811 24/7 number for a nurse who can give you health advice and information on nearby resources.

Sexual Assault Resources Your first resource in emergencies is always 911, but there is also a 24 hour network of sexual assault services. For more complete listings, email main@sacomss.org.

S.O.S Violence conjugale Helpline: 514-873-9010 or 1-800-363-9010 Deets: 24/7 resources for female victims of domestic violence Montreal Sexual Assault Centre 1801 Maisonneuve O., Suite 400

Helpline: 514-934-4504 Deets: French/English, 24/7, free Services: Listening service, counseling, accompaniment services for court cases of clients in counseling, emergency services with accompaniment.

NB: If the assault happened over six months ago, the waiting list is over a year long. No TTY. Groupe d’intervention en violence conjugal chez les lesbiennes 514-526-2452, givcl.qc.ca Deets: French-only organization devoted to addressing lesbian domestic violence, based in the Plateau.

Services: support groups, intervention, information Gayline gayline.qc.ca Helpline: 514-866-5090 Deets: English-only helpline and information resource from 7-11 pm, based in Montreal, for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people.

Head and Hands 5833 Sherbrooke O., 514-481-0277, info@ headandhands.ca Deets: French/English organization dedicated to addressing youth sexuality Services: medical clinics, legal clinics, counseling, food pantry, young parents’ program, information and referrals.

CLSC Metro 1801 Maisonneuve O., Suite 400, 514-9340354, clscmetro.qc.ca Helpline: 514-934-4504 Deets: French/English daytime medical services 8 am-5 pm, free.

Services: Ambulatory services, health line, legal information clinic, and medical services including the morning-after pill, assault kits, anonymous HIV testing, followup for people living with HIV and their loved ones, and counseling. Special services for women with HIV. NB: Wheelchair accessible, but no Braille or TTY services. Call ahead for the hours of special services.

Hotel de Dieu Montreal 3840 St. Urbain, 514-843-2645 Deets: 24 hour French medical service for sexual assault survivors.

Services: Consultation, evaluation, treatment (medical and psychological), listening, referral, legal information.

Montreal General Hospital Emergency Department 1650 Cedar, 514-934-8090 Deets: English nighttime medical services

5 pm-8 am.

Places to sleep If you find yourself without a place to lay your head, try these addresses: Spectre de rue 1280 Ontario E., 514-528-1700 A drop-in centre for street people.

Salvation Army Men’s hostel: 880 Guy, 514-932-2214 Women’s shelter: 2000 Notre-Dame O., 514-934-2214 Maison du pere 550 Rene-Levesque E., 514-845-0168 Shelter and therapy for 25+ homeless men.

Auberge Alternative du Vieux Montreal 358 St. Pierre, 514-282-8069 $18 per night.

Montreal’s Youth Hostel 3541 Aylmer, 514-843-3317 $25 per night.

L’Issue 1819 Rosemont, 514-270-6633 Shelter and therapy for men 18 and older who have had problems with the law.

Women’s shelters Here are a few. For a more complete listing email main@sacomss.org.

Auberge Shalom…pour femmes 514-731-0833, fede.qc.ca/maisons/AubergeShalom.html Deets: French/English shelter for female survivors of domestic violence and their children. Free.

Services: Counseling, resources, 3-month stay.

Chez Doris 1430 Chomedey, 514-937-2341, chezdoris@ yahoo.com Deets: French/English/Inuit non-profit, noquestions-asked daytime shelter for women.

8:30 am- 3 pm. Monday to Thursday, closes at 1:30 on Friday. Free.

Services: Drop-in, meals, legal program, medical program, clothing and hygiene, workshops.

NB: Accessible to people with mental disabilities. Not wheelchair accessible.

Passages Confidential downtown location, 514875-8119 Deets: French/English non-directional assistance and short-term shelter open 24/7. Free for short-term stays.

Services: Shelter for women aged 18-30, 3-day stays with some long-term residency available, meals, and non-directional assistance.

71

The Health

Plan

The SSMU He alth and Dental Plan costs $184.60 per ye ar and provide s e xtended he alth and dental coverage, de signed specifically for students to fill the gaps lef t by provincial he alth care and o ther pri vate he alth coverage. De tailed information about the Plan is available at aseq.com.

Who’s covered?

All undergraduate students who are members of SSMU and who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada are automatically covered. International students are covered by a different, university-administered plan (http://www.mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/ health/), but have dental coverage under the SSMU plan.

New students starting in the Winter semester are not automatically covered, but may enroll themselves and their spouse/dependants between January 16 and 30. These dates are subject to change; check the ASEQ website in August for more definite dates.

If you’re not sure of your coverage status, contact Alliance pour la santé étudiante au Québec (ASEQ).

What’s covered?

The Plan includes coverage for a bunch of things (see chart to the right), including prescription drugs, vaccinations, ambulance, eye exams, contact lenses, laser eye surgery, dental checkups and cleanings, physiotherapists, naturopaths, and travel insurance.

If you go to health professionals who are members of the ASEQ Dental, Vision, and Chiropractic Networks, you get additional coverage on top of the insured portion. At the time of printing, the benefits for 20082009 were still subject to change. The cost Benefit

of the Plan is part of your student fees. For a full list of benefits and details, as well as fee information, visit aseq.com.

Can I enroll my family?

The Plan gives you the option to enroll your family (spouse and/or dependants) by completing an enrolment process and paying an additional fee. Common-law and same sex couples are eligible. Visit aseq. com between Jan. 16 and 30 (these dates subject to change) and follow the on-screen instructions for enrolments.

What if I am already covered?

If you’re already covered by another plan (i.e. parent or spouse’s employee benefit plan), you can get out of the SSMU Health & Dental Plan and receive $184.60 credit to your student account for the amount of the Plan. All opt-outs must be completed within the Change-of-Coverage period.

Visit aseq.com between September 14 and 28 and follow the on-screen instructions for opting out.

Where can I get more information?

Visit aseq.com or call 514-789-8775/toll-free 1-866-795-4435

Coverage Per Year

Prescription drugs & vaccinations The SSMU Health Plan covers most oral contraPrescription drugs

ceptives, anti-smoking aids, and insulin. Visit aseq.com for additional information concerning prescription drugs.

Vaccination

72

Up to $150 per policy year.

Benefit

Coverage Per Year

Vision Care Eyeglasses or contact lenses

Up to $75 dollars for new or replacement eyeglasses or contact lenses, every two years.

Eye Exam

Up to $130 for one eye exam

Laser eye surgery

Up to a maximum of $150

Health Practitioners Physiotherapist, chiropractor, naturopath, osteopath, registered dietician (upon referral by a medical doctor), podiatrist/chiropodist, athletic therapist, speech therapist

Up to $20 per visit and up to $400 per category of practitioner per year. One x-ray per policy year is included in the overall maximum for chiropractors, osteopaths, and podiatrists/chiropodists.

Massage therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, homeopath, acupuncturist, ayurveda, siddhi, Not covered. unani Medical Equipment & Services

Medical Equipment

With doctor’s authorization, the plan covers 80% of the cost of hearing aids, crutches, wheelchair rentals, hospital-type beds, permanent prostheses, rigid and semi-rigid braces not for athletic use, orthotics, and orthopedic shoes. Before incurring any medical equipment expense, contact ASEQ for the eligibility and applicable maximums of all equipment.

Ambulance

Up to $250 per occurrence.

Hospitalization

The plan covers the cost of an upgrade from a public ward to a semi-private hospital room, and provides a cash benefit of $50 per day of hospitalization to offset any incidental expenses, payable from the first day and up to a 30-day maximum.

Diagnostic services, accident benefits (tutoring, Yes. For details on coverage, visit aseq.com. nurse) Travel Health Coverage

Travel health benefits

Reasonable charges from a hospital, physician, and other services for emergency treatment of an injury or illness while travelling outside of the province in which you reside (including international travel) for up to a 120 day trip and a maximum of $5,000,000. Check aseq.com for important limitations and conditions.

Trip cancellation

Up to $1,500 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses.

Trip interruption

Up to $5,000 for each trip taken during the policy year.

Recognized academic exchange

Notify ASEQ before you leave for exchange to have health benefits extended if you continue to pay fees to SSMU, McGill, and are under provincial healthcare. Check aseq.com for details.

Dental Care

Preventative services

Cleanings, recall exams, bitwing x-rays, and fluoride are 70% covered once every 12 months, or 100% if you go to a member of the ASEQ Dental Network. Extraction of impacted teeth counts as surgery and is only 20% covered. NB: You can only get a first-exam-ever with a dentist covered once every 3 years, so stick with one dentist.

Basic services

Fillings, oral surgery, root canals, and gum treatment are 60% covered, or 80% with an ASEQ Dental Network practitioner. Fancy white fillings, rather than basic metal ones, are covered for front teeth and pre-molars only.

Major restorarative

Crowns, bridges, and posts are not covered, unless you go to an ASEQ Dental Network practitioner, where they are 20% covered.

Orthodontics

Not covered.

73

Alternative

Menstrual Products Probably most people have he ard of the dangers of tamponsToxic Shock Syndrome, ble ach, e tc. But what a lot of people don’t know is that there are a number of alternati ves, most of which are che ap and e asy to use!

For those of you who like pads, but don’t like the waste they cause, reusable cloth pads are the way to go! Not only are they better for your body and the environment, but they can make a fun DIY craft project. Cloth pads Velcro or snap in place and can be washed and reused again and again (you can also make inserts for more absorbency and to make them last longer). If you’re not the crafty type, lots of groups make pads in fabulous designs and sell them at-cost.

If you feel like pads are like wearing a diaper, an internal menstrual cup is a great alternative. These products, including The Keeper and The Diva Cup, are small plastic/latex or silicone cups (respectively) that are folded and inserted like a tampon and then open up to hold the blood in. They don’t leak and can be kept in for hours and overnight. They simply need to be emptied and rinsed a few times a day, and then washed well at the end of your period. They can last for many years- so while they cost $35-45 once, think of what you can do with all that saved cash over the years! These are safe for your body and there’s no risk of TSS. They also cut way down on waste, and The Keeper is even biodegradable.

And ask anyone who has one- you never feel it!

Some people like using natural sea sponges. These are inserted and are absorbent just like tampons. The only difference is they are reusable- they just need to be rinsed out every few hours. Sea sponges are natural and last between 4-8 months.

74

For those who still want to go the tampon route, there are safer options than the Playtex or Tampax that you’ll find at the Phar marpix. There are brands that are not only made from 100% Organic Cotton (instead of a cotton-rayon mix), but also contain no bleach and no chemical additives.

While there is still the risk of TSS, these tampons are safer for you, and for the environment.

Cloth pads (and free instructions on how to make them!), The Keeper, sea sponges, and organic tampons can all be acquired in the Union for Gender Empowerment in Shatner room 413.

The Diva Cup can also be purchased from the Shagalicious Shop, located in the Brown Building, across from Health Services. Come find out more- these products protect your health!

Nutrition Maintaining a balanced die t while t r ying to e at the value of your me al plan is no e asy task . Making wise choice s, ge t ting regular e xercise, and using some common sense is the be st way to ensure that you don’t end your ye ar with the dre aded Fre shman 15 or an unhealthy Body Mass Index (BMI). A he althy diet involves e ating several helpings of fresh f ruits, vege table s, and whole grains. Consume fat, salt, sugar and alcohol in moderation, and always drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.

REMEMBER: No food is “bad” food if you eat in moderation.

Healthy Eating Tips: - Do not count calories. Instead, eat slowly and chew more to allow your body to tell you when you are full.

- Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast. Being hungry causes your metabolism to slow down and your body to store fats.

- Snacking is good if you eat nutritious snacks. Try fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, or raisins. Opt for pretzels or nuts over cookies and chips at a vending machine.

- Healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes. Calculating your BMI can help to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

Calculate your BMI: Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703 Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5’5” (65”) [150 ÷ (65)2] x 703 = 24.96

BMI Below 18.5 18.5 – 24.9 25.0 – 29.9 30.0 and above

Weight Status Underweight Normal Overweight Obese

EATING DISORDERS: Eating disorders stem from preoccupations with body image and food. Most eating disorders are not simply about food, but are influenced by many societal, familial, and individual factors. The three most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder (BED). If the way you eat and think about food interferes with your life and keeps you from enjoying life and moving forward, then that is disordered eating. Take it seriously and talk to someone who can help. You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis by a doctor. Friends and family of someone with an eating disorder should show support, concern, and caring, while respecting the person’s need for privacy and autonomy.

If you think you might have an eating disorder or are concerned someone you know might have one and/or for more information on nutrition, healthy eating, exercise and support groups, contact McGill Student Health (3986017), McGill Counseling Services (398-3601), or McGill Mental Health Services (398-6019).

75

Physical

Activity

Scientific papers know it; Oprah Winf rey knows it; your more enlightened f riends know it: Physical acti vit y is pre t t y damn good for your he al th. So ho w do you ge t s tarte d, no w that you’re li ving on your own as a uni versit y student and want to balance li ving a he althy acti ve lifest yle with studying , part ying , and e njoy i ng e ve r y t hi ng e lse t h at Mon t re a l h as to of fe r?

THE BIG THREE: Health Canada recommends you get 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. Luckily, for the time-crunched, these 30 minutes can be broken down into chunks (say, into 10-minute exercise sessions throughout the day). Try to incorporate three types of exercise into your physical activity:

targeted, with the last couple of repetitions feeling hard but not painful. Work your way up to three sets and increase the weight when it gets to be too easy.

For those who just want to be fit but not become bulky, this method works great.

1. Endurance activities: Most days of the week This is whole-body activity that uses large muscle groups but is maintained for longer periods of time (anywhere from 20 minutes to longer). This includes stuff such as jogging, biking, dancing, swimming, kickboxing, squash, and aerobics. It’s good for you because it strengthens your cardiovascular system, thus decreasing your risk for heart disease and improving circulation.

PLACES TO GO: McGill gym: For 15 bucks a semester, you get access to McGill’s newer fitness center with weights and machines for endurance activities. Also cool are all of the group fitness classes offered, where you can try everything from aerobics to yoga to dance to boot camp training.

Even if you’re a cheapo and don’t want to fork over the $15, you will still have access to McGill’s weight room that’s on the ground floor. There’s also a track, swimming pool, and squash courts that are free.

2. Flexibility activities: 3-7 days of the week Stretching improves your flexibility by lengthening your muscles and improving the mobility of your joints. Having more flexibility and joint mobility means you can move more efficiently and smoothly.

Stretching also releases muscle tension and stress. Essentially, stretching should pull your muscles, but you should never feel pain from overextending. Besides simple stretching, also check out yoga or pilates.

3. Strength activities: 2-3 times per week Strength activities, also called resistance training, are weight-bearing activities with the goal of strengthening muscle and bone. Lifting weights increases the strength and endurance of your muscles, and also has other bonuses, such as increased bone strength and a reduced risk of osteoporosis. For beginners, do one set of 8 to 10 repetitions per muscle

76

Everywhere else: Montreal is a big place, so get out of the McGill bubble and explore the city. Check out Mount Royal, which has paths for biking and jogging, as well as a lake at the top. Also, bike, rollerblade, or run down the Lachine Canal, close to Atwater and Solin Hall.

Finally, consider checking out Parc Jean-Drapeau and its beach or Parc Lafontaine, both easily accessible from downtown.

The bottom line is to try to have fun when doing physical activity. It sounds like such a cliché, but the truth is that it’ll feel better if you don’t see it as a chore or burden. If you skip a day of working out, there’s no need to feel guilty. Looking at the big picture, doing physical activity and getting fit is a matter of celebrating your body, taking care of it, and seeing what it can do.

Mental

Health

Feeling like you need a bit of e xt ra support, or curious about whe re to go to discuss me n tal he al th issue s? He re’s an over vie w of re source s on campus and beyond, brought to you by He adspace.

What are my options on campus if I think I need to talk to someone?

Your faculty adviser is a good resource if you are having questions about your major, academic path, program, course requirements, and possible future career options. This person is assigned to help you accomplish your major in a way that works with your interests and talents, and to inform you of your credit obligations in a clear and expedient manner. Many people find that their adviser is helpful to them, but others feel that they are led around in circles, misinformed, and forced to do everything by themselves.

If your adviser is not living up to your expectations, than you should contact the head of your department in order to get a new adviser.

McGill Counseling Services is a good resource for people who have general vocational concerns, want help in managing a particular area of their life that is problematic, or are facing sudden relational, social, identity or mood-based concerns. The counselors at McGill Counseling Services are trained to listen to you and to help provide you with tools and perspectives on managing your life.

At Counseling, you will be expected to be ready and proactive, to come to the sessions with a clear set of expectations, and to take steps to make these expectations a reality. Counseling also has, in the past, offered group-based therapies.

It often sees students that are relatively stable save for certain aspects of their lives, which need extra support.

McGill Mental Health Services Mental Health bases its services on the most current and useful therapeutic models. This means that although they do provide talk therapy, what they consider to be the most important are therapies that encourage people to empower themselves in the present instead of focusing solely on the past.

Though counseling will often follow the

same student for years, Mental Health will focus on shorter time periods such as semesters. Mental Health often encounters students with disruptive life patterns or a mood disorder that affects every aspect of the student’s life. The counselor helps the student until (s)he reaches a more stable state, at which point the student is encouraged to face life with the new perspective learned and reinforced in the sessions.

Another difference between the two services is that as well as employing psychotherapists and counselors, Mental Health employs psychiatrists with a medical background. Psychiatrists, in addition to being familiar with the biological structures of the brain and the mind-body connection, can prescribe medication that may be useful in managing aspects of your illness. Mental Health Services generally believes that medication is only one aspect of therapy, however, and that, if prescribed, it should be used in conjunction with talk, behavioral therapy, and/or some other type of support.

If your advisor, counselor, or therapist turns out not to be accepting of issues such as gender expression, sexual orientation, race, class differences, etc., you should stop seeing this person and request a new therapist. If you wish to lodge a complaint, please contact Headspace at safe.minds.mha@gmail. com. We act as an ombudsperson between students and the Mental Health and Counseling Services, and we direct all complaints to the director of Mental Health Services and to the director of Student Services in the Brown Building.

77

Mental

Health

cont’d

What if I don’t have a diagnosable mental disorder? Should I really be seeing a therapist?

You need not have a diagnosable mental health disorder to see a therapist at Counseling or Mental Health Services.

Many people feel distressed and anxious but do not have symptoms that fit neatly into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-IV). This does not mean that they do not need the support of a professional. Anyone experiencing stress, difficulty managing one’s life situations, anyone who would like guidance, anyone experiencing insomnia, overeating, under eating, low self-esteem, anxiety, malaise, or grief should seek these services if necessary.

Use your judgment— if your mental state is currently precarious (as is the case with many people undergoing the extreme stress of transferring from home to a new environment), do not hesitate to seek help, whether that means seeking support from fellow students or from a trained counselor.

What if I want to seek help outside of McGill?

This is certainly an option for those who feel that they want to address their personal situations in an environment away from campus. Unfortunately, although seeing a psychiatrist for medication is free with a provincial health card, many private counselors in Montreal charge fees for multiple sessions. Luckily, these fees will probably be placed on a sliding-scale based on your income.

Seeking help outside of campus is a good option for those who want alternative therapies, such as art or music therapy, or those who have the financial means to do so.

One wonderful group that exists in Montreal is Head and Hands. They offer free services for youths from age 12-25, have a queer-positive mandate, and work based on “humanistic principles of equality, confidentiality and client self-determination (Headandhands.ca).”

For more information on their services, which include legal counseling and a young parents program, please contact 514-481-277.

78

What is Headspace?

Headspace is a non-hierarchical student collective looking to improve the way issues surrounding mental health is dealt with on campus and in society as a whole. We believe that people benefit from forming a community of support and friendship, and that dialogue about our problems should not only be dealt with in a therapist’s office, but when situations pop up in our everyday lives.

Next year, we hope to be launchi n g m e n t a l h e a l t h - re l a t e d w o r kshops, discussion groups, a resource library, and more and we would like your help! If you are interested in for non-judgmental peer support, a resource library, information about Montreal and McGill mental health services, or any combination of the above, than we would love to have you get involved with Headspace.

Sexual

Assault

Consensual se x is hot – se xual assault is definitely not. Here, the Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) helps you understand the myths, the facts, and what you can do.

SACOMSS defines sexual assault as any unwanted act of a sexual nature, or any type of sexual activity in which one partner does not consent. Sexual assault is first and foremost an act of violence. It is not natural, and is not the result of some uncontrollable urge. No one ever asks to be sexually assaulted.

Sexual assault happens to people of all experiences and backgrounds. It often reflect power imbalances due to race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, age, religion, ethnicity, education, citizen status, political views, occupation, and physical appearance. There is no such thing as a stereotypical example of sexual assault.

Myths & Facts Here are some common MYTHS about sexual assault: - Rapists are most often strangers and sexual assault occurs in dark deserted places, like alleys and parking lots.

- Men can’t be raped.

- Women are incapable of committing sexual assault.

- If a male experiences erection or ejaculation during sexual assault, he “really wanted it” or consented to it.

- It is not a real sexual assault if there are no weapons of physical violence.

- If someone didn’t scream and struggle, they must have secretly wanted to be raped.

- People frequently lie about being raped.

These are all myths. IN FACT, sexual assault occurs most often in a familiar place with a familiar person. Anyone can be sexually assaulted. A weapon, physical size, and violence are obvious forms of power that an assailant may wield, but they are not the only ones. Many forms of power are much more subtle and difficult to perceive. Not struggling or screaming in no way means that someone “asked for it,” and a physical response does not mean that they enjoyed

it. Sexual assault is the most underreported crime, and has the same rate of false accusations as any other crime.

Boundaries and consent It is important to recognize differences in people’s boundaries. Different people have different ideas of what is comfortable, what is intimate, and what is enjoyable.

Even simple activities such as making eye contact, holding hands, or hugging may have very different meanings to different people. Communicate: find out what your partner enjoys and be clear about your own boundaries. GET CONSENT.

Help is available You have the right to make your own decisions about your body. That being said, if you are sexually assaulted, you may want to address your immediate health and safety by calling 911 or seeing a health professional. The CLSC Metro (514-934-0354) is one of the clinics in Montreal where anyone can get care, even if they have no health insurance card, ID, or money.

Seeking medical help does not obligate you to discuss the assault or to report it to the police. If it is something you decide to do, nurses and doctors are able to collect evidence, but will ask for your consent during the steps of the procedure.

SACOMSS offers a phone line, support groups, accompaniment through the McGill harassment procedures, and infor mation and workshops about sexual assault. We are open to individuals of all communities and identifications. We can be reached at (514) 398-8500, main@sacomss. org, or in room B-27 of the Shatner Building.

79

Safe

Sex

Se x. Chances are that in however many ye ars you spend at McGill, you or some one you’re close to will e ngage in th at three le t te r act. So whe the r you’re he ading to the se x-Olympics or are a blushing br ide of abs t inence, here are some important things to keep in mind.

Oral sex is still sex, so treat it with caution.

Cunnilingus, rimming, blow jobs, and so on come with a risk of contracting STIs, such as gonorrhea and herpes, so the need for condoms and dental dams still applies.

Lacking a dental dam? Make one out of a condom or plastic wrap, or go buy ‘em at the Shag Shop in the Brown Building!

Activities with lots of tearing of membranes are high risk, so use extra precaution during anal sex and fisting. Lube is your best friend - use lots. And then use more. Condoms and gloves (the kind doctors use, not winter gloves!) are a great idea. Not to mention, putting lube on latex makes it feel amazing!

in some of these activities. Montreal is a great city to play in – just Google and find!

Unfortunately, lots of fetish gear is expensive, so try thinking of alternative ways to play - i.e. plastic wrap makes a great bondage tape alternative.

Communication is key. You’ll never know if that moan was a good moan or a bad moan unless you ask. You’ll never get what you want unless you tell your partner what to do.

So talk to each other. It may be awkward, but trust me, an improved sex life is worth it.

Also, never underestimate the importance of consent. Don’t you want your partners to want to be there with you instead of doing something else?

Self-lovin’ is good lovin’. Masturbation is a fun way to find out more about your body and how to please it. Mutual masturbation is a great way to minimize your risk of getting STIs. Think of it this way, you get the pleasure of watching your partner enjoy themselves without having to do any of the work!

Just cuz you’re older doesn’t mean you should stop playing. So go out and buy some toys! Sex toys such as dildos, vibrators, butt plugs, anal beads, handcuffs, crops, nipple clamps, and so on are a great way to play with yourself and others. Be sure to change condoms or clean your toys thoroughly every time you use the toy on someone else, and never use silicone lube with a silicone toy.

Sugar + vagina = yeast infection. So if you plan on having interface with genitalia, avoid flavored lubes and food (almost all foods have some kind of sugar, not to mention pathogens foreign to your body). If you want to use food products with the vagina be sure to use a condom with them in order to prevent yeast build-up.

Kinky sex is a fun way to play. Be it BDSM or a school teacher fetish, we all have our kinks and exploring them is fun. Ask your partner(s) if they would feel comfortable in joining you

80

Best of Montreal Sex Shops: Joy Toyz (4200 St-Laurent, Suite 415) and Priape (1311 Ste-Catherine St. Est) Free Condoms: Queer McGill Office/ events Place To Learn More About Sex : Head and Hands, Shag Shop, Union for Gender Empower ment, Queer McGill

STIs Condoms can help ef fecti vely pre vent the t ransmission of any of the infections below, but it is important to be aware that condoms are never 100% ef fecti ve. Condoms are succe ssful, ne verthele ss, at pre venting dise ases and should always be used! The message here is: be aware, know your partner, and always use protection. Sex has risks, so take precautions and don’t be carele ss. You can ge t te sted regularly for f ree at He alth Ser vice s. It is absolutely f ree, take s only a fe w moments, and can save you f rom any number of unde sirable ef fects. Though HIV, herpe s, and HPV are incurable, the other dise ase can be t re ated. If you are having se x, make an appointment and do the te sts! If you think you may have contracted an STI, go to the doctor immediately and ge t checked right away. Also, remember that the list of STIs below is not comple te; if you think you have some thing don’t wait to ge t checked!

Crabs Got the itches down under? Have you noticed any clear looking bugs about the size of a ballpoint with large black eyes?

Don’t even think about shaving your pubic hair because that nasty little infestation of crabs you seem to have contracted has burrowed much closer to your skin than you may realise. Instead try going to your local Pharmaprix and picking up Kwellada, an effective substance for ridding yourself of these pesky little explorers. Crabs are highly transmittable; it is advised that you also buy Kwellada for your roommates.

The effects are only limited to the short term discomfort.

Chlamydia Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection worldwide. In fact, there were 3498 cases in Montréal last year alone. Chlamydia is very asymptomatic, especially since most of the damage is internal—nearly 75% of women who have it have no idea that they are infected. If left untreated, Chlamydial infections can cause long term reproductive consequences, leaving both men and women sterile. For men, Chlamydia causes about 250,000 cases of epididymitis in the U.S. each year which can cause sterility in men if not treated within 6 to 8 weeks. The disease can linger for months or years until finally symptoms, such as painful discharge and abdominal pain, become apparent.

Chlamydia can be spread to the eyes from the fingers, shared towels or cloths, and coughing and sneezing; the eventual effect being blindness.

Herpes Herpes seems to be the infection with the most confusion surrounding it. In fact, there are 8 herpes infections that are known to infect humans, including chickenpox and shingles. The two infections that fall under the category of STIs are herpes simplex type 1 and herpes simplex type 2.

Herpes simplex type 1, also known as oral herpes, causes cold sores around the mouth. Cold sores are herpes! A little unknown fact about simplex type 1 is that it can, in rare cases, be responsible for blindness when it spreads to the eye or even encephalitis when it spreads to the brain. Though simplex 1 can NEVER turn into simplex 2, simplex 1 can affect the genital area. Herpes simplex 1 infects about 80-90% of the population. Not only is it more prolific than herpes simplex 2 but recurrent infections in simplex 1 are also much more common. It is most contagious in the days prior to the sore appearing during a period called shedding. So if you think you are going to avoid transmission by simply inspecting your partner’s mouth, think again!

Simplex type 2, also known as genital he-

81

rpes, causes very painful outbreaks of sores around the genitalia which can be accompanied by fever, painful burning and cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix) in women. Be aware that there is evidence that women with herpes are at a higher risk for cervical cancer! About 2/3 of people who have genital herpes will never know they had it because it can remain dormant in the body. As with other herpes infections, these two STIs are spread through lesion contact or contact with bodily fluid. About 25% of the population has genital herpes.

There is no cure for herpes infections because they are viral. Also, once infected, the herpes infections will never leave your body. Condoms can reduce the transmission of herpes but are not really considered effective because herpes viruses are spread through contact and often times the condom will not cover the sores.

Gonorrhoea Gonorrhoea is spread through sexual contact (vaginal, oral, or anal). This includes penis-to-vagina, penis-tomouth, penis-to-anus, mouth-to-vagina, and mouth-to-anus contact. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhoea to be transmitted or acquired.

Gonorrhoea is a very common STI. Symptoms of gonorrhoea are very limited for women, but for men the symptoms include burning sensation while urinating and yellowish whitish discharge from the penis. There are very few symptoms of oral gonorrhoea.

Lastly, for anal gonorrhoea, symptoms include itching, swelling, painful bowel movements, bleeding, and discharge.

The symptoms of gonorrhoea, in whichever form, usually take between 2-5 days to show up. Primary effects of gonorrhoea are not immediate.

Women can develop pelvic inflammatory disease, whereas men can

82

develop epididymitis which can lead to infertility. As usual, a condom can help prevent the transmission of gonorrhoea; however, a condom is not 100% effective. Don’t wait to get treated!

HPV There are over 40 types of HPV that can infect humans. HPV is spread primarily through genital contact, and since most HPV infections have no symptoms, it can be spread without either partner knowing it. Effects of HPV are varied.

Certain forms of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women, whereas other forms of HPV can cause cervical cancer or other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. There is absolutely no cure for HPV. It is very important to be aware that there is a vaccine available that acts as a preventative to the strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer and genital warts.

Syphilis Syphilis is a destructive infection which, up until the introduction of Penicillin, was not curable. Syphilis has a number of stages. The first two stages are the most important.

The primary infection develops fairly quickly. First symptoms appear approximately 10-90 days after it is initially contracted. The symptoms usually include a large ulcer where contact with syphilis was made and swelling of lymph nodes. The secondary stages of syphilis have symptoms occurring approximately 1-6 months after initial contraction. Sores can appear on the palms of the hands, soles of the feat, and around the genitalia. Patients are most contagious when they have secondary syphilis.

Approximately 35-40% of patients with secondary syphilis also have some central nervous system involvement.

In some cases this involvement can cause psychosis and mania. The later stages of syphilis are the most destructive and occur many years after the initial symptoms have gone away. Effects of the later stages of syphilis include serious damage to the brain, eyes, bones, heart and blood vessels. These symptoms can be serious enough to cause death among other serious effects such as paralysis. Syphilis also acutely increases the risk of contracting the HIV infection.

Fortunately, syphilis is a curable disease, usually with penicillin or some other antibiotic. Syphilis can still be contracted even with the use of a condom, although condoms do significantly reduce the risk of syphilis transmission.

HIV/AIDS HIV is a virus that infects the human body and that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS, which causes the immune system to weaken making the invasion of other viruses much easier. HIV is transferred via blood, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, semen, and breast milk. Since AIDS was first discovered, it is estimated that it has claimed more than 25 million lives.

Once HIV progresses to AIDS the average lifespan of a patient taking medication is 5 years. Without the medication, death usually occurs within a year from opportunistic infections.

Symptoms include the development of a flu-like fever after initial contraction and later symptoms include frequent sickness. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is very difficult. Today there is neither a cure nor a vaccine. If, however, you think you have had sex with an HIV infected partner seek treatment at a hospital within 24 hours. There is a treatment called post exposure prophylaxis which, after a severe month of steady treatment, can prevent the development of HIV. The most effective way to prevent HIV transmission is using a condom. Getting tested frequently is also another way to prevent the HIV virus from turning into AIDS. The sooner you know you have it, the sooner you can get treated. HIV can be detected by tests one to three months after exposure.

83

Contraceptives Choose Your Own Adventure...

Nothing take s the fun out of se x like worr ying about an unplanned pregnancy or having to Google “genital herpes”.

For pe ace of mind and to protect that temple you call your body, use at le ast one of the se cont racepti ve options.

Hormonal methods of birth control: For a lot of women, hormonal methods of birth control are a good choice to protect against pregnancy. These include the Pill, aka the Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill , which uses a combination of estrogen and progestagen to prevent ovulation and to thicken cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. When taken properly, that is, every day, the Pill is 99.9% effective. The birth control patch, worn externally, and the birth control ring, which is inserted into the vagina, appear to be just as effective as the Pill taken orally. The Pill isn’t for everyone though, and often is not recommended for smokers or women who are prone to blood clots. If you fall into these categories, the mini-Pill, aka the Progestogen-Only Pill, might be a good option for you. The mini-Pill has to be taken at the same time every day to be effective so it requires a bit more attention, but it is also 95% effective in protecting against pregnancy.

If you don’t want to take a pill every day or if you’re finding it difficult to remember your pills, you can get the same hormones from a Depo-Provera injection given by a doctor every three months. It’s also 99.7% effective in prevention of pregnancy and you only have to think of it four times a year.

These hormonal methods of birth control do not protect against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) or HIV, so it’s wise to use them together with a barrier method of birth control.

Barrier methods of birth control: Barriers keep out unwanted invasion; I mean, the Great Wall of China kept out Genghis Khan and he impregnated one third of Europe. The most popular barrier method is probably the male condom. They’re easy to use and available at even the worst depanneurs when your situation is dire. They also come in a variety of fun colours, styles and flavours. A condom is rolled over an erect penis and functions by preventing the release of ejaculate. This means that the condom

84

prevents against pregnancy, STIs and HIV with 97% effectiveness when used properly.

Condoms can even make things more fun: you can make condoms sexy by learning to put one on your partner with your mouth.

If you’re a lady who likes to be in control, there is also the option of the female condom. It can be inserted into the vagina hours before sex and operates as a barrier in the same way as the male condom. It is slightly less reliable with 95% effectiveness, but it protects against the same things. Or, you can get fitted for a diaphragm by your doctor. Diaphragms are also inserted before sex and give a woman privacy and control with a 4-8% failure rate when used properly.

Other woman-controlled barrier methods are the contraceptive sponge and the cervical cap, which both prevent sperm from entering the cervix. The contraceptive sponge has a failure rate of 10% when used alone, and 2% when used with a male condom, and the cervical cap has a failure rate of 10-13% even when used perfectly. Because of this, the cap and the sponge are often paired with spermicide foams or creams that destroy sperm on contact. The failure rate of spermicides can be between 6% and 21%, and they don’t protect against STIs or disease so pair them with another barrier method.

IUDs: Women can also use intra-uterine devices or IUDs to prevent pregnancy. They are little T-shaped devices that are inserted into your uterus by your doctor only once every five years. You can get either a copper IUD or a hormonal IUD. The copper in a copper IUD changes the chemistry of your uterus to destroy sperm and is 99% effective. The hormonal IUD releases levonorgestrel, which makes the lining of the uterus thinner and cervical mucus thicker to prevent sperm from entering the uterus.

Hormonal IUDs are more than 99% effective.

“Natural” methods of birth control that might leave you crossing your fingers: The so-called “natural” methods of birth control are the rhythm method and withdrawal. The rhythm method requires a woman to monitor her cycle, temperature and cervical mucus to avoid having sex when she is most fertile. This is pretty intense stuff for a university student, and even amongst women with predictable cycles, 20% will still become pregnant within the first year of using this method properly.

Withdrawal is precisely what it sounds like: the guy pulls out before ejaculating.

However, if you’ve sat through a health class you know that this method isn’t terribly effective. Pre-ejaculate that is on the penis can still lead to pregnancy or infection, and withdrawal requires self-control and trust.

When there is no other method available, withdrawal is better than nothing, but do yourself a favour and don’t count on it.

So in conclusion…

Sex is more fun when you’ve got no reason to worry, so protect yourself however you think is best. And make sure to visit the Shag Shop in the Brown Building. It’s a veritable sex boutique, and you can get 12 condoms for less than $3, an unbeatable bargain if you’ve visited a drug store recently. Now go forth and sin.

Oral Contraceptive Pill Advantages (+): It’s just one pill every day for peace of mind, plus you know when to expect your period.

Disadvantages (-): It doesn’t protect against STIs or HIV. Effectiveness (%): 99.9% when used properly.

Availabitily (?): See your doctor or go to McGill Health Services for a prescription.

Male condom (+): Protects against pregnancy, STIs and HIV so it’s like killing three birds with one condom.

(-): They can rip so some people like to have a back-up method of preventing pregnancy. (%): 99.7% when used properly. (?): Any drug store, depanneur or dive bar.

Grab 4 for $1 at the Shagalicious Shop in Health Services.

Female condom (+): Prevent pregnancy, STIs and HIV and can be inserted hours before sex.

(-): They’re more expensive than male condoms and you’ve got to be comfortable with inserting them. (%): 99.5% when used properly. (?): At some drug stores, or at the Shagalicious Shop for $1.50 each.

Depo-Provera injections (+): The injections don’t contain estrogen, and you don’t have to remember to take a pill.

(-): It doesn’t protect against STIs or HIV. 50% of women stop getting periods while on it, which can be good or bad news. (%): 99.7%. (?): Administered by your doctor four times per year.

Diaphragm (+): Offers privacy and control, it can be inserted hours before sex.

(-): You have to get one fit by a doctor, and it can’t prevent against STIs or HIV. (%): When used perfectly, diaphragms have a failure rate of 4-8% (?): Fitted by your doctor, a diaphragm should last you 1-2 years.

Contraceptive sponge (+): Offers privacy and control, offers 12-24 hours protection.

(-): Doesn’t protect against STIs or HIV. (%): When used alone the failure rate is 10%, and it’s 2% when paired with spermicide. (?): From your doctor or a pharmacy. Also now available at the Shagalicious Shop.

Cervical cap (+): Offers privacy and control, it can be inserted before sex.

(-): Doesn’t protect against STIs or HIV and the cap itself isn’t very effective against pregnancy. (%): When used perfectly the failure rate is at least 10-13%. (?): Fitted for you by your doctor and can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Intra-uterine devices (+): Offers peace of mind from pregnancy for up to 5 years after being inserted.

(-): Doesn’t protect against STIs or HIV There is also an increased risk of infection in the uterus and/or tubes. (%): 99% effective. (?): You can have one inserted by your doctor or at a family planning clinic.

85

Abortion No me thod of birth cont rol is 100% ef fecti ve, and it’s good to know your options should you have to de al with an unplanned pregnancy.

You can carr y your pregnancy to term and keep the baby, you can gi ve the infant up for adoption, or you can choose to terminate the pregnancy. Information surrounding abortion can be a bit hazy, so here are the answers to some que stions you might have.

Where do I go?

You can choose to go to either a public or private clinic. In public clinics, the procedure is free with valid Quebec health insurance, but you might have to wait as long as ten days for an appointment. Private clinics charge between $200 and $400 but you can expect a shorter wait.

Is it legal in Quebec?

Abortions are legal in Canada and funded

by Medicare. In Quebec, around 30,000 abortions are done annually. Abortions are available in Quebec up to twenty-two weeks of pregnancy.

Is abortion safe?

Though no medical procedure is without risk, abortion is considered a minor medical procedure and has a low rate of complication. In fact, abortion is considered to be twenty times safer than childbirth. And despite what you may have heard, abortion won’t make you infertile.

What about the morning after pill?

The morning after pill can end a pregnancy within 72 hours of having unprotected sex.

Also called “Plan B”, you can get the morning after pill over the counter at most pharmacies and public clinics.

What is a medical abortion and what is a surgical abortion?

A medical abortion can be performed with a pregnancy of less than 49 days. One medication is given to stop the growth of the pregnancy and another to expel the tissue.

It’s non-invasive and similar to a miscarriage.

Surgical abortion can be performed up to twenty-two weeks of pregnancy. It’s a more invasive procedure, but the good news is that there’s only a 1% complication rate and there’s minimal pain.

86

What can I expect at the appointment?

You should plan to be at the clinic for three to four hours. First you’ll be asked to fill out a medical file, and then you’ll meet with a counselor alone. You can talk about how you’re feeling, or get advice about contraceptive methods. Then you’ll have an ultra-sound to determine how many weeks into the pregnancy you are. After your ultrasound a doctor will review your file and perform a gynecological exam. Local anesthetics are given for the procedure and you’ll be offered narcotic medication. After the procedure a nurse looks after you in the recovery room. You’re free to leave after an hour with a friend or partner.

Who can I contact?

Montreal Morgentaler Clinic 514-844-4844 morgentalermontreal.ca Centre de Sante des Femmes de Montreal 514-270-6114

Alcohol

For many ne w McGill students, alcohol can be a prominent part of social life. If you do choose to drink, there are a number of ways to make the e xperience both safe and fun.

General Alcohol Safety So you’ve never had more than half a pint of Bud Light before, and now you’ve been challenged to chug a beer or six. What do you do? Well, that’s up to you. But if you do end up getting a little tipsy, here are some ways to prevent the worst effects.

- Drink water in between alcoholic drinks!

This has the effect of diluting the alcohol that your body is processing and will prevent you getting drunk too quickly.

Boozing also dehydrates you, so drinking water is important to stave off dehydration and the accompanying headaches.

Being well hydrated before falling asleep will reduce the effects of a hangover, as well.

- Eat before and after drinking! Drinking on a full stomach will prevent the alcohol from hitting you all at once, giving you more control over how intoxicated you become. After the night is over, it’s good to eat bread which will help to absorb the alcohol in your stomach and reduce your hangover the next day.

- Don’t leave drinks unattended! It’s always best to be safe when it comes to this. Either leave it with an attentive friend or finish it before you leave for the powder room.

- Alcohol makes you feel warm, but it actually lowers your body’s mean temperature. This is particularly problematic for the cold Montreal winters, so make sure to dress appropriately!

- If a person is unresponsive, breathing slowly and has bluish tinged skin they may have alcohol poisoning. If this is the case, be sure to call for medical help immediately!

- If a friend passes out drunk, there is a danger that they might vomit in their sleep and choke. Be sure to make sure they are lying on their side, so if they do vomit, they will not choke.

How & Where To Enjoy Alcohol Montreal offers a number of different types of alcohol. Let this section be your guide to what to savor and what to avoid.

Wine You can buy wine in just about every store in Montreal. If you’re on a budget, get some “Dep Wine”, which is simply wine purchased from a Depanneur (cornerstore).

This wine is almost universally horrid, but hey, it’s cheap. For better wines, check out an SAQ store. The employees there know their stuff, so tell them what sort of occasion the wine is for (To accompany a meal? To bring to a party?) and a price range, and they’ll help you pick from the many options.

Beer You can also buy beer in just about every store in Montreal. For the penny pinchers among us, “40s” of beer such as Colt 45 or Black Label are a good choice. Usually around $6-7, they’re also often stronger than normal beer. Win-win! If you actually enjoy drinking beer for more than getting drunk, there are a number of bars in Montreal which brew their own beer such as Benelux, on the corner of Sherbrooke and St. Famille, or Reservoir, which is on Duluth just east of St. Laurent.

Hard Alcohol The only place to buy hard alcohol is usually in an SAQ store, and the selection varies between them.

87

Drugs Bre athe in deeply. Can you smell it? Freedom. The long-awaited day has arri ved when you are f ree f rom the watchful eye of your parents and can finally fe ast in the orgiastic smorgasbord of pills, powders, plants, and potions that are drugs.

But wow, wait a minute, not so fast; there are a fe w things to consider before di ving in. First of all, most of them aren’t legal. Second, not all drugs are the same, and not ever ything you’ve le arned about the se drugs is accurate. It’s important that we go over some basic precautions in regard to some of the more common drugs you might encounter at McGill.

Below is a list of the most common campus drugs and what you should know about them.

If you want more information, t r y the Harm Reduction Cent re at McGill, located on the fourth floor of the Shatner Building , where you can find books, referrals, and acti vism re source s, all to do with drugs!

Marijuana While there is no medical proof of marijuana’s neurotoxicity, habitual use in some has the potential to cause lethargy, a loss of words, and general spaciness. Marijuana also has four times as much tar as tobacco. Although THC’s anti-carcinogenic effects mean that marijuana users may not develop lung cancer, breathing troubles like bronchitis can result from habitual marijuana use. Marijuana also decreases circulation, lowering immunity, so it may not be the greatest idea to puff while you’re sick – especially in rez, where mono has its heyday. Consider rolling personal joints rather than sharing.

One study indicated that a vaporizer has the highest THC-to-tar content, with the ubiquitous joint in second place, pipe in third place, and bong in fourth. Another option is eating marijuana in baked goods, which eliminates the associated breathing problems but takes a long time to kick in (pace yourself) and a longer time to come down off of. As well, many users report increased negative side effects of marijuana when it is eaten, such as delusional behavior and nausea (although this may be due to large amounts of sugar).

It is important to consciously regulate your marijuana use, since its cheap price, lack of hangover, and pleasurable effects can lead to a dependency that might hinder school work and social relations.

88

Cocaine Cocaine is an expensive habit. The hourly cost is quite high, even compared to other drugs. If you are having problems with cocaine use, please – don’t steal your roommate’s DVD player. Get help, and limit the amount you can spend by leaving your ATM card at home. Taking coke repeatedly in higher and higher doses leads to irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This can (in severe cases) lead to full-blown paranoid psychosis. Hallucinations, terror, and other uncomfortable sensations are usually associated with this drug, and usually go away once the drug leaves the system.

Have a bottle of nasal spray handy; a saline spray up can help clean out your nose, getting rid of those nasty chunks in the back of your throat. Also, the simultaneous use of alcohol and cocaine simultaneously results in a totally different substance being produced – cocaethylene. In rats, cocaethylene is associated with seizures, liver damage, and compromised functioning of the immune system; in humans, some studies have shown that cocaethylene is less potent than cocaine with respect to cardiovascular and subjective effects.

Please err on the side of caution and don’t risk it.

Study Drugs It is only an exam/paper – relax. In the long term, there are many opportunities to make it up, and getting all stressed out makes it more unlikely that you will be able to complete the task ahead.

Recreational amphetamine use has serious health implications. At the same time, many students use speed as a way of keeping up with studies, partly as a result of the highly competitive nature of university and the parental pressure that often heightens it. This is certainly not a healthy personal mental environment. Please, do not compromise your personal health for school.

If you choose to use study drugs, there are ways of reducing harm. Snorting, smoking, or injecting and of these substances are going to make you too spun to do any work. Swallowing them will make them last for the longest possible time at the lowest possible level.

When best to use a study aid for an exam: a few days before an exam, particularly if it is one that you have been procrastinating studying for. This is essentially the best thing about ‘study drugs’ – you can do work for hours and it becomes fun. They can get you over the hump by doing a lot of work in the evening, and you can do the rest with just coffee and hard work.

When best to use a study aid for a paper: Starting out or finishing a paper is the best time to use them. They can help with writer’s block, but shouldn’t be relied upon. Leave lots of time to proofread a paper, the ideas will be on the page but

they will likely be without punctuation or good grammar.

If you are totally fucked, you can do more speed than Johnny Rotten and still fail. If your task is impossible, avoid speed; go talk to the professor and try to get an extension. You’ll quickly figure out that sleeping before an exam and organizing your time will always win out over being cranked out on methamphetamine – for both your schoolwork and yourself.

Ecstasy MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a serious drug and should not be taken lightly. The repercussions of long term MDMA use are not extensively known due to the drug’s more recent popularity. However, in the short term, MDMA prevents the reuptake of serotonin on a large scale, and to a lesser degree, dopamine. To combat this, your brain produces more reuptake receptors, so as the drug begins to wear off, serotonin becomes rapidly depleted.

As a result, there are more reuptake receptors than serotonin, so dopamine fills the empty receptors. Dopamine’s reaction with a serotonin receptor is very toxic; it creates hydrogen peroxide (industrial bleach) and causes oxidative stress on brain-cells’ serotonin receptor axons, which control mood.

This stress can be minimized. It is important to take lots of anti-oxidants, such as vitamin C, before, during, and after MDMA use. 5-Hydroxy-tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin capable of passing the bloodbrain barrier, also helps restore previous serotonin levels, and can be purchased at any pharmacy.

If you are taking an MAOI or SSRI for depression or anxiety, it is extremely important that you do not take MDMA. Such a combination can cause irreversible brain damage, such as the potentially fatal ‘serotonin syndrome.’ Also, stay hydrated with water and juice!

There is a tendency for MDMA to be used in clubs. However, its first usage was actually for marriage counseling. Many have found that MDMA can be much more gratifying, emotionally rewarding, and spiritually deep experience if used in a warm, personal

89

Drugs

cont’d

environment, as opposed to the shallow debauchery of a club.

Mushrooms Though there is no indication that mushrooms, or ‘shrooms, are neurotoxic or physically dangerous, their effects on the psyche might be hard to grapple with. For this reason, it is important that mushrooms be used in a comfortable setting with a trip sitter – a trusted friend who will stay sober to ensure your physical and mental health.

If you choose to use mushrooms, start your dosage small, at about half an eighth, to see how you react to the drug. If you find you are comfortable with the effects, and wish to go further, try taking a whole eighth. At this dosage, many feel comfortable. However, you may wish to take higher doses. If you do venture to these depths of subconscious illumination, use caution – high doses lead to emotional disturbances, terrifying revelations, and potentially harmful consequences.

LSD With all drugs, but especially with hallucinogens like LSD, it is a good idea to have a trip sitter. A comfortable, safe space with plenty of music is an ideal setting, since acid usually amplifies whatever the user is feeling at the outset of their trip. Initial states of depression and anxiety often become overwhelming after consuming this or other hallucinogens. This can lead to a ‘bad’ and possibly (depending on what you do) dangerous trip. Always start your dosage low – you can always increase it.

There is no way to know how intense a ‘hit’ could be, so begin conservatively with an unfamiliar source.

LSD does not pose a risk to your physical long-term health. Mental health, however, is a different matter. Periodic ‘flashbacks’ (short periods during which you feel like you are on acid even when you are not) are a relatively common side effect of repeated use. These tend to decrease in frequency and intensity the long you have not used acid. You should avoid LSD if you have a history of mental instability in your family, as

90

it has been known to trigger latent schizophrenia and psychosis.

For more drug info, visit: ssmu.mcgill.ca/hrc erowid.org or lycaeum.org.

clubs & services Getting Involved

NIGHTLINE BROWN BUILDING

ORGANIC CAMPUS

QUEER MCGILL

DRIVESAFE

BIKE COLLECTIVE SACOMSS WALKSAFE

MIDNIGHT KITCHEN

BLACK STUDENTS’ NETWORK STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY

Clubs & Services Index CLUBS Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) African Students Society, MASS Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association Amnesty International Animal Liberties Anime Club Anti-Racist Coalition (MARC) Arab Students’ Association Arab-Israeli Peace Alliance Armenian Students Association, McGill Art of Living Club Ashraya Initiative for Children Association for Psychology and International Development Studies Baha’i Studies Association (ABS) Bangladeshi Students’ Association Best Buddies, McGill Students Big Buddies Tutoring Club Borderless World Volunteers Brazilian Association of Students Bridge club Burma Solidarity Collective Campus for Christ Cancer Society McGill CANFAR Car Tuning Club Caribbean Students’ Society Central America Relief Program (CARP) Chess Club China care Chinese Students and Scholars Association Chinese Students’ Society, McGill Choral Society, McGill Christian Fellowship, McGill Classical Music Club Classics Club Club of World Domination Comite Souverainiste Community Outreach for Immigrants Compassion United Conservative Society of McGill University Crisis Relief Association Cystic Fibrosis Society, McGill Debating Union Dignitas Youth Club Educate!

EERT Effusion Acapella

94

Engineers Without Borders Esperanto Club Ex-Yugoslav Society Fantasia Feel Good Day Filipino-Asian Students’ Association, McGill University’s (MUFASA) Financial Markets Group Fine Arts Club Fit or PHAT Flintknappers Club Free the Children French Students’ Community Friends of Thailand Gamers’ Guild Global Aids Coalition, McGill Green Party Habitat for Humanity Healthy Minds Hellenic Students’ Association Hillel Jewish Student Society, McGill Hong Kong Students Ass. I.C.O.N. St. Cyril Coptic Orthodox Association I*Create Improv McGill In Africa, McGill Indian Students’ Association Indo-Pak Student Association (MIPSA) Inertia Modern Dance Collective Inter-Greek Letter Council International Student Soccer Association Investment Club Iranian Students’ Association Ismaili Students’ Association Israel in Montreal Japanese Student Association Journalists for Human Rights Korean Students’ Society L’action independantiste Lebanese Students’ Association Liberal McGill Making Waves Malaysian and Singaporean Students’ Association (MASSA) MANABA Mauritian Students’ Association Medicins Sans Frontieres Moroccan Student Network Mosaica Musicians’ and Performing Artists’ Network Muslim Students’ Association National Society of Black Engineers Naturalists’ Club New Democratic Party of McGill New Earth Voices Newman Students’ Society

North Korea Freedom Network Orthodox Christian Fellowship Outdoors Club, McGill OXFAM Pakistani Students’ Association Peace by PEACE Pearson House Photography Society, McGill University Polish Students’ Association Political Issues Club Punjabi Association, McGill Radius Red Herring, The Redpath Museum Club Religious Studies Graduate Society Rotaract Students’ Club of McGill University Russian Language and Culture Club SALSA Salseros Santropol Roulant, McGill Students’ Savate Kickboxing Club Save the Children Scottish Highland Dance Society Shelter Wakadogo Simply Sweetly Choir Ski Team Snowboard Club Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) Soulstice Acapella South Asian Women’s Aid Association STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) Students for Literacy, McGill Students for Obama Swing Kids Society Swiss Club Table Tennis Club Taiwanese Students Association, McGill Theatre de la Grenouille Think Pink Tonal Ecstasy Trivia Club Turkish Students’ Society of McGill University Ukrainian Students’ Association Ultimate Club UNICEF Urban Groove Hip Hop Dance Ensemble V-Day Water Polo Club WaterCan White Ribbon Club women without borders WUSC (World University Service of Canada) Youth Action International

INTERIM CLUBS Abhilasha American Democrats Anarchy Animal Rescue Network Association of Alternative Energy Resources (AAER) Badminton Club Billiards Association Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA-NUS) Centre for International Relations Children of Ankasina, Madagascar Cognitive Science Student Society (CSSS) Cricket Club Cunning Linguists Dream Corps Canada Edible Karma Education Without Borders Electronic Gaming Org. End Poverty Now Epilogue Fencing Club Film Society Fondation pour l’Amour de Sarah (FPAS)McGill Chapter Geographic Information Systems Club (GIS) Go Club Green Party of McGill Headspace Himalaya Sarvodaya Indonesian Student Association Junior Hong Kong Canada Business Association Keep a Child Alive Kesher Korean Martial Arts Club Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation Labrar La Tierra Latter Day Saint Student Association Liberated Bodies LPQ (Quebec Liberal Party) Live in the City Make-A-Wish McGill Management Foosball Association Med-Specs Musical Theatre Club Neglected Tropical Diseases Society Opera da Camera Our House Music Society (OHM) Positive Authentic Learning (PAL) Save A Child’s Heart Scotch Appreciation Club Soka Gakkai International Student Club (SGI) Soup Kitchen

95

INTERIM CLUBS CONT’D...

Student Microfinance Organization Students for DC Vote Students for Global Health Students for International Rights and Equality (SIRE) Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Students with Buduburam Youth Supporting Parents and Reaching Kids (SPARK) Symphonic Band Tackle Football in the Snow Club Teaching Tomorrow The Club of World Domination Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Club Unitarian Universalists at University Unite (UUCrew)

SERVICES Black Students’ Network Drivesafe McGill First Aid Service McGill Nightline McGill Tribune McGill Walksafe Midnight Kitchen MISN MRSA Players’ Theatre Queer McGill SACOMSS SSMU Volunteer Program TV McGill (PUBLICATION) Union for Gender Empowerment Savoy Society SSMU Bike Collective Harm Reduction Centre Organic Campus The Plate Club Elections McGill

INDEPENDENT STUDENT GROUPS Karate Club MLIC (legal information clinic) SOAR Gorilla Composting McGill Daily QPIRG CKUT Inter-Residence Council IRSAM Toastmasters’ Club, McGill Golden Key Society FYCC AIESEC

96

How To Start A Club 1. Find at least 5 other students (graduates or undergraduates) who share your interest.

2. Prepare a constitution for the group, including name, mandate, executive structure and membership. Your constitution should follow more or less the Sample Club Constitution, which can be found at the SSMU front desk or online.

3. Review your constitution with the Interest Group Coordinator, ensuring that your constitution doesn’t conflict with the SSMU constitution or overlap with any other SSMU group. The SSMU constitution may be found online or at the SSMU Front Desk.

4. Submit your final constitution with an explanation letter and Interim Status Application form to the SSMU front desk or by email to igc@ssmu.mcgill.ca.

5. Once a group is granted interim recognition, it maintains that status for a minimum of 3 months. During that time, you will need to sign up 25 members and fill all Executive (or other) formal positions mentioned in your constitution through the appropriate channels. You must also host at least 3 substantial activities during that time.

After 3 months, if the club has met the above requirements, you may apply for full status by submitting a Full Status Application. If more than 3 months are needed, please contact the Interest Group Coordinator with an estimate of when the group will be able to apply for full status.

The Clubs and Services Committee will then review your application and contact you if any further requirements must be met. Otherwise the application will be taken to SSMU Council for approval.

Full Status clubs have all the privileges of Interim Clubs and can also: - apply for funding directly from SSMU, - use the SSMU fax machine and long distance telephone, and - apply for office space.

For more information, please contact Sarah Olle, Interest Group Coordinator, at igc@ssmu.mcgill.ca

CLUBS

These are just some of the clubs that exist.

Be sure to check out all of them at Activities Night in September!

Abhilasha http://www.abhilashaproject.org The main purpose of the Abhilasha Project is to build a boarding school and healthcare clinic that offers free education to disabled children in India. The school will allow children to realize their strengths and enable them to create self-sustaining lifestyles so that they can be integrated into their society. The McGill chapter activities include raising funds to build the school and providing volunteer opportunities for McGill students, as well as organizing conferences, concerts, photo exhibitions, galas etc.

Amnesty McGill amnestymcgill@gmail.com Amnesty McGill is a certified member of Amnesty International, led by students at McGill. We work cooperatively to raise awareness about human rights issues through hosting speakers, showing films, and running Amnesty campaigns at McGill. We also run a fabulous film festival, and other events to raise money and awareness for people in need. Join Amnesty McGill if you are interested in learning about human rights and representing those who are unable to have a voice!

Animal Liberties animalliberties@gmail.com http://www.animalliberties.co.nr The Mission of Animal Liberties is to stimulate dialogue and raise awareness of animal rights issues by engaging in research, outreach and activism on campus and within the local community, educate the McGill community about the ethical, social and global implications of the production and consumption of nonhuman animals, and encourage the transition to a sustainable vegan lifestyle. We hold potlucks, engage in outreach activities, host speakers and movie screenings, and much more.

The Art of Living Club artoflivingmcgill@gmail.com www.artofliving.ca We provide regular stress-relief and energyboosts for anyone and everyone! Our

weekly meetings include free Yoga and/ or meditation. We also have awesome retreats, Saturday Night Yoga, cooking courses, community service, fundraising for the Care for Children program, guest speakers, and other marvelous activities! We are affiliated with the Art of Living Foundation, the largest non-profit, humanitarian NGO in the world.

Borderless World Volunteers seizethedaylivethelife@yahoo.ca borderlessworld.org/mcgill.htm Borderless World Volunteers is a student-run, non-profit organization that focuses on local and international development projects.

Aside from providing community aid within Montreal, Borderless World Volunteers sends student volunteers to developing countries every summer to conduct humanitarian projects. Founded in 2003, the organization seeks to foster links between communities in need and students with a capacity and desire for leadership and support in areas of social and community development.

Bridge Club mcgillbridgeclub@gmail.com http://www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/bridgeclub Hey! Do you play bridge, or did your grandma try to teach you ten years ago and now you’d maybe like to give it another go? The Bridge Club plays weekly, at a selection of awesome places on and off campus.

We also organize a number duplicate tournament and hold teaching clinics and bridge lessons.

McGill Cancer Society cancer.society@mcgill.ca The McGill Cancer Society promotes awareness on campus, helps students through support groups and raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. This years tentative events include: Terry Fox Run, CIBC Run for the Cure, Luminaries, Shave-to-save, Bake sales, Valentine’s Speed Dating, Daffodil Days and a continued partnership with the Montreal Canadian Children’s Foundation.

Members can volunteer to help organize and/or work at any of the above events, or plan an event of their own. For more information on how to volunteer, event dates, support groups or educational information, please contact us!

97

McGill Christian Fellowship tiffany@mcgillcf.com http://www.mcgillcf.com We’re a diverse group of students on campus who have come together because of our shared faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or are simply seeking answers to some spiritual questions, we’d love to get to know you! We meet regularly for Bible studies, discussion, and prayer; we organize outreach events in the community; and we get together randomly for various bits of planned spontaneity!

Clothing Swap Club clothingswapclub@hotmail.com We are a group of people interested into swapping primarily clothes, but also accessories, CDs, books, etc. We meet once a month at one of the members’ places; it’s a great way to meet other people, it’s ecological, and all of the remaining items at the end of the swap go to a charity. We currently have almost 300 members of diverse origins, languages and fields of study/work.

Conservative McGill timothy.mak@mail.mcgill.ca If you’re a fan of the Conservatives or just want to learn more, then you belong in Conservative McGill. Our club is for those who want to be politically engaged, believe in conservative principles, and support the Conservative Party of Canada. We host speakers, hold movie events and have regular meetings and pub nights. Conservative McGill also provides an opportunity to volunteer in election campaigns and other Party events.

Dignitas Youth McGill dignitasmcgill@gmail.com http://dignitasmcgill.weebly.com Dignitas Youth is a network of young leaders engaging their communities in the international response to AIDS. This club provides meaningful opportunities for youth to take action against global AIDS by facilitating community involvement around HIV/AIDS issues; connecting youth to a global network of young leaders; and creating innovative programming to raise funds for and awareness about HIV/AIDS and the initiatives of Dignitas International, a medical humanitarian organization dedicated to providing a quality of life with dignity for children, youth and families affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world.

98

Fantasia McGill fantasiamcgill@gmail.com Fantasia McGill is a group of student volunteers who perform at numerous hospitals and senior residences in great Montreal area. Our members are from a wide diversity of faculties, background, and talents; yet we share the same value of entertaining people with disabilities and illnesses. On top of organizing volunteer concerts on a monthly basis throughout the year, Fantasia also holds annual benefit concerts for charitable causes (e.g. Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Red Cross). Fantasia is always looking for passionate new members to join the group.

Feel Good Day feelgooddaymcgill@gmail.com http://www.feelgooddaymcgill.com We here at Feel Good Day are the epitome of happiness. Extra laid back, super slack and the most friendly bunch of people on campus; we specialize in making YOU and EVERYONE’s days! So if you like free candy, parties, compliments and just making people feel good hit us up!

Ghetto Shul ghettoshul@gmail.com http://www.ghettoshul.ca Ghetto Shul: A grass-roots, student run synagogue. Come join us for our weekly, dynamic Carlebach-style Friday night services, which are followed by a delicious meal. We also offer an array of classes and activities related to different aspects of Judaism.

Healthy Minds healthymindsmontreal@hotmail.com We are a group of McGill students who create activities and lesson plans for kids at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the McGill Daycare. The focus of the group is to allow children a few hours of their day to have fun while learning something about the world around them.

ICON: The St. Cyril Coptic Orthodox Association icon.mcgill@hotmail.com http://quebec.copticstudents.com The St. Cyril Coptic Orthodox Association is an Orthodox Christian group that meets regularly on campus. ICON aims to serve the McGill and greater Montreal community spiritually, introducing the Orthodox faith through Bible studies, prayer meetings, and

community service. The Coptic Orthodox are Egypt’s indigenous Christians. Though ICON was founded by Coptic students, many of our members are non-Copts, and we have never been limited to Coptic or McGill students. Check out ICON for a taste of Coptic Orthodoxy on campus, all are welcome!

Journalists for Human Rights jhr_jdh@yahoo.ca http://www.jhr.ca The Journalists for Human Rights McGill Chapter actively engages in infor ming others about human rights issues through media campaigns and projects on campus. We publish a bi-monthly newsletter, have a periodic show on CKUT and actively raise funds throughout the year.

MedSpecs medspecs@gmail.com Calling all prospective medical students!

Medicine is a popular career choice for many students at McGill, and what a better way to learn everything about it than to shadow doctors, residents or med students? As a new club at McGill, MedSpecs will enlighten you with these exciting opportunities, along with series of medical themed workshops and speakers.

With these knowledge and experiences, you will be able to decide whether a career in medicine is really right for you!

New Earth Voices newearthvoices@yahoo.ca Like to sing? New Earth Voices is the choir for you! We’re a small a cappella choir, and we sing music from various cultures, time periods, and languages. We welcome singers of all backgrounds and abilities. No auditions! Email us for more info.

Newman Students’ Society newman_students@yahoo.com www.mcgillnewmanstudents.ca The Newman Students’ Society is a home for Catholic students at McGill University.

We are a vibrant faith community fostering spiritual growth through the celebration of Mass and the teaching of Catholic moral tradition; a social club, offering many activities to foster a friendly and fun-filled atmosphere; a social justice club, deeply involved in charity outreach and Catholic social justice work; and a common interest group where interests and passions are inspired, and friendships are built.

OHM Society http://www.ohmsociety.ca Our House Music Society (OHM Society) is McGill’s electronic music club. We aim to bring you the best of the Montreal electronic music scene, from the belly of the underground all the way to the mega-raves where you’ll find some of the best talent the world has to offer. More than anything else, we are about bringing people together.

Whether you’re an aspiring DJ looking for tips, bookings, or production help - or a fan of the music looking for the best beats the vibrant Montreal EDM scene has to offer, this club is for you. Check us out.

McGill Outdoors Club info@mcgilloutdoorsclub.ca http://www.mcgilloutdoorsclub.ca The McGill Outdoors Club runs outdoor trips year round. Want to learn how to rock climb, canoe, telemark/downhill/ cross-country ski, ice climb, or horseback ride? Want to find other people who love hiking, cycling, and camping as much as you do? We also rent all the outdoor gear you need to head out of the city at affordable prices.

McGill Polish Students’ Association m_p_s_a@yahoo.ca http://www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/polska So you think you know everything about Polishness? Wait until you join the McGill Polish Student Association. Better known as the MPSA, this cultural club provides a wide variety of activities and events that promote the Polish culture, while simultaneously bringing everyone involved together.

So far, we have introduced numerous wine & cheeses, pierogi sales, special guests, movie nights, cooking lessons, sport outings, road trips, and more. So, we are waving you in with our white and red flag in the hopes of making the MPSA a better and more influential organization.

McGill Rotaract mcgill.rotaract@gmail.com mcgilrotaract.blogspot.com McGill Rotaract Club is a global community service organization for youth. We are affiliated with Rotary International, the largest volunteer group worldwide. We concentrate on local volunteering (i.e. volunteering at a homeless shelter, a senior’s home or a local community centre), international fundraising (via concerts, samosa/bake sales, game nights etc.), and professi-

99

onal development (guest speakers at meetings, meeting Rotarians). Basically, we are a group of fun students who like to get together and have some fun while helping out with a wide variety of worthy causes.

Spanish and Latin American Students’ Association (S.A.L.S.A) salsa.execs@gmail.com http://www.salsamcgill.org The Spanish and Latin-American Student’s Association (S.A.L.S.A) is a non-profit organization which aims to promote folkloric, linguistic and gastronomic richness of a variety of regions, and to unite and strengthen the bond among members in our community.

S.A.L.S.A achieves this through social and cultural events that create the perfect setting for a positive attitude towards all activities that aid the development of the LatinAmerican culture at McGill University.

The Sarah Foundation - La Fondation pour l’amour de Sarah (FPAS) FPASMcGill@gmail.com http://www.maisonsarah.org The first university chapter of La fondation pour l’amour de Sarah is dedicated to providing help, support and funding to the Sarah Foundation, a deserving local charity founded in 1999. The foundation operates a foster home and provides children with or affected by HIV/AIDS a place in which they can learn and grow in a loving and stimulating environment. Our chapter has three general objectives: to fundraise, along with the other chapters, for La fondation pour l’amour de Sarah; to organize volunteer rotations to visit the Sarah House in order to help alleviate the work that comes with providing a nurturing home to children as well as provide valuable experience to our student volunteers; and to work in conjunction with the other chapters to raise public awareness of the ongoing need for services catering to the needs of children affected

by HIV/AIDS. Soulstice Acappella soulsticeacappella@gmail.com http://www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/soulstice/home. html Calling all singers and beatboxers!! Soulstice wants YOU. Soulstice a Cappella is a vibrant, eclectic group of fifteen talented McGill students who meet twice a week to share their passion for singing, learning new music and simply rocking out. Founded in 2000, Soulstice now has three CDs in its

100

name, annually competes in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and performs gigs with other a cappella groups from Canada and the US. Known for their dynamic stage presence and contagious energy, Soulstice has established itself as a unique and refreshing presence in the McGill and Montreal community. Look out for our table at SSMU Activities Night in September to sign up for an audition!

South Asian Women’s Aid Women in many parts of the world, particularly South Asia, are subjected to persistent marginalization and disempowerment. We at SAWA strive to be able to voice their aspirations and spread awareness about their needs and struggles through various mediums of art & communication.

Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND McGill) mcgill@standcanada.org http://www.standcanada.org Our goal is to make it easy for Canadian students, citizens, and decision makers to end the crisis in Darfur, and to respond to future threats of genocide. We focus on political advocacy, and human rights awareness.

Please contact us if you are interested in getting involved with our group.

Swiss Club chmcgill@gmail.com Love chocolate, mountains, cheese and watches? A place for all the Swiss or lovers of Swiss culture to unite. We organize monthly fondue nights as well as some random Swiss cultural events throughout the year.

Think Pink thinkpinkmcgill@gmail.com http://www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/thinkpink Think Pink is a committee of McGill students with two main objectives: to raise awareness about the realities of breast cancer, breast health and the importance of early detection and fundraising for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Our annual events include bake sales, guest speakers, Awareness Week in October, The Breast Night of the Year party, and the Paint the Town Pink gala.

Breast cancer affects us all as 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, while 1 in 27 will die from it. The good news is that each year more survive and we hope that our efforts will help turn that 1 into 0.

Urban Groove Dance Project ugroove.mcgill@gmail.com Heart stoppin’, chest poppin’ and feet stompin’. Urban Groove Dance Project invites all levels of dancers ranging from beginner to advanced who want to build themselves as dancers or just have fun.

Our group explores different styles of dance such as hip hop, lyrical, jazz funk, krumping, house, popping and locking, and breakdancing. Dancers get the opportunity to perform within McGill as well as in the Montreal community, learn choreography from professional choreographers, and even choreograph their own piece for our own year-end show. Urban Groove is excited to welcome new dancers to help build a new and better year.

V-Day McGill organizer.vdaymcgill@gmail.com http://vday.mcgill.ca V-Day is a global movement to end gender based violence. V-Day McGill is a proud participant in the V-Day College Campaign, collecting thousands of dollars per year to be given to worthwhile charities in the Montreal area. We raise money by hosting parties, concerts, art shows, workshops, discussions, screenings and most notably, by putting on a yearly production of “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler.

Recently, we were honoured as SSMU’s 2007 Club of the Year.

Women Without Borders mcgillwomenwithoutborders@gmail.com Women Without Borders is dedicated to women’s issues locally and internationally - in the spheres of politics, media, conflict, economics, and cultural. Through the year we host events and activities, fundraisers, and organize publications like the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women’s annual International Women’s Day Newsletter. If you’re interested in gender issues globally, feel free to contact us to find out more!

SERVICES

These are some of the services offered to students by SSMU.

throughout the year including an event series for Black History Month. BSN also offers mentoring and resources as well as a space on campus for Black students.

Career and Placement Service Brown Building, Suite 2200 careers.caps@mcgill.ca 514-398-3304 The Career and Placement Service (CAPS) is principally funded by McGill student services fees and receives support from corporate and alumni sponsorships. CAPS assists students in their career development and search for permanent, part-time, and summer jobs, as well as internships, by providing a variety of workshops, individual advising, a comprehensive job posting service, and an extensive Career Resource Center.

McGill Chaplaincy Brown Building, Suite 4400 514-398-4104 University life presents many new challenges, from financial survival to questions about life-choices, relationships, and identity. Our team of Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Muslim, and Buddhist chaplains strives to help students on their way. Our student communities provide opportunities for fellowship, study, prayer, outreach, and play. We recognize the importance of a good meal shared with friends, of someone who shares our values and understands our roots.

McGill Counseling Service Brown Building, Suite 4200 514-398-3601 The focus of the McGill Counseling Service is to assist students in dealing with personal, academic, and vocational concerns.

Eligible students are seen on an individual basis throughout the year, and also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of groups and workshops. The service is confidential and free of charge to eligible students.

Drivesafe http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/drivesafe 514-398-8040 Drivesafe offers a safe way to get home from campus after events.

Black Students’ Network http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/bsn BSN offers social and political events for and by Black students, as well as hosting a number of political and social events

101

McGill First Aid Service mcgill.first.aid@gmail.com http://www.mcgillfirstaidservice.org 514-398-1562 A student run volunteer organization dedicated to providing first aid services at the first responder level. We are on call every night in upper rez from 11pm-7am. We also work at intramural hockey, blues pub, and other special events.

First-Year Office Brown Building, Suite 2100 firstyear@mcgill.ca http://firstyear.mcgill.ca/essentials The First-Year Office is a support for you, and a link to the many services for students. The First-Year Essentials website has a wealth of information you can use before and during your stay at McGill. The Adjointe aux étudiants francophones also can be found in the FYO. For help in making sense of life at McGill, you can rely on the First-Year Office all year long.

Harm Reduction Centre harm.reduction.center@gmail.com http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/hrc The HRC provides students with resources and information regarding safer drug use while also providing education regarding drug use, abuse, and legality to the community at large. The also do advocacy on harm reduction as a policy towards drug use.

McGill International Student Network http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/misn 514-398-MISN MISN has a great lounge in Shatner that is a safe space for students of diverse nationalities to meet people. In addition, they organize trips and parties throughout the year.

International Student Services Brown Building, Suite 3215 514-398-4349 International Student Services (ISS) is responsible for providing programs prioritizing growth, progress, and success of international students at McGill. We hope to ease their transition to a new school and act as a home away from home in a new country.

And if you are ever in trouble, we have a wealth of information on diverse issues as well as the key contacts to direct you to someone who can give you answers if we don’t have them.

102

Mature and Re-entry Students’ Association mcgillmrsa@gmail.com 514-398 5680 The MRSA has a lounge space in the basement of the Arts building as well as a social network and peer counseling for students who are somewhat older than your average undergrad.

Mental Health Service Brown Building, Suite 5500 514-398-6019 The McGill Student Mental Health Service offers a range of psychological and psychiatric services for all McGill students who have paid the mandatory Student Services fees. The service strives to provide a secure, non-judgmental space for students of all orientations and backgrounds. A team of psychiatrists and psychologists are available by appointment for assessment and treatment of many conditions which may inter fere with psychological well-being.

Students suffering from problems with anxiety, depression, problems with sleep, attention, obsessions of concentration, relationship difficulties, eating disorders, severe winter blues, etc., may make an appointment by phone or in person. Appointments are usually available within two weeks of initial contact.

Midnight Kitchen mk_info@riseup.net http://themidnightkitchen.blogspot.com The Midnight Kitchen is a non-profit, volunteer-run collective dedicated to providing affordable, healthy food to as many people as possible. MK serves pay-as-you-can vegan lunches 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, at 12:30 on the 3rd floor of Shatner building on McGill campus. MK also offers workshops on a variety of topics concerning food politics and workers’ rights, as well as a library of cookbooks, non-fiction and zines.

Bring your friends and your tupperware!

McGill Nightline 514-398-MAIN Nightline offers peer listening and support as well as resources and random snippets of information to callers 6pm-3am throughout the school year.

Off Campus Housing 3641 University 514-398-6010 Off Campus Housing provides access to an online listings of apartments for rent, apar-

tments to share, and rooms for ret in private homes in the vicinity of both the downtown and Macdonald campuses. The Off Campus Housing Office is open year-round and offers courtesy phones and computers, as well as lots of friendly advice to help students in their housing search.

Organic Campus organiccampus@gmail.com http://organiccampus.blogspot.com Organic Campus is a non-profit student organization that is determined to bring local, low cost, organic produce to the McGill community on a weekly basis. Every Tuesday from 2-6 in front of Shatner (or at the Organic Corner, 2nd floor Shatner, if conditions are poor), students can pick up and order baskets filled with fresh vegetables and fruits along with organic vegan baked goods.

Players’ Theatre foh.player@gmail.com 514-398-6813 Players’ Theatre is a student run organization dedicated to the development of innovative and fresh theatrical art. Each year, the intimate black box theatre features four plays and hosts the McGill Drama Festival. The 2008-2009 season includes “Dark of the Moon” by William Berney and Howard Richardson, “Closer”

by Patrick Marber, “Can You See Me Yet?”

by Timothy Findley and “A One Man Show for My Brother” by Anna Trowbridge. For further information or ticket reservations, please call or email us.

The Plate Club theplateclub@gmail.com The Plate Club is the wildly successful plate lending initiative started by Greening McGill. The club lends out plates, cups and accessories to anyone who wishes to have a more ecological event. Contact us for more information or to volunteer for last year’s New Club of the Year.

Queer McGill admin.qm@gmail.com http://www.queermcgill.ca Queer McGill is a social / political / information / support service organization for queer students and their allies. We welcome members from every racial, ethnic, and linguistic background; all socioeconomic classes, religions, cultures or subcultures; and regardless of sex, gender, sexual

orientation, ability or age group. Queer McGill is open to undergraduates, postgraduates, staff, as well as non-students in the Montreal community. We offer several discussion groups and social activities at McGill and across the city. We have an extensive library and resource centre as well as two subsidiaries; Queerline, a confidential and non-judgemental peer support hotline, and Allies, a student run outreach group that works with middle and high school students in Montreal.

Sexual Assault Centre of McGill’s Student Society (SACOMSS) sacomss@gmail.com http://sacomss.org 514-398-8500 SACOMSS offers an anonymous, nonjudgmental and confidential hotline as well as a drop-in services to sexual assault survivors of all genders and sexual orientations. In addition, they also provide workshops on sexual assault issues and support groups.

Scholarships and Student Aid Office Brown Building, Suite 3200 514-398-6013 We aim to connect students with the financial resources necessary to help cover the cost of school. You will find information about government aid programs, McGill loans and bursaries, scholarship funding, debt management, individualized budget counseling, and our Work Study program.

Student Health Service Brown Building, Suite 3300 514-398-6017 Student Health offers you the following services: drop-in clinic daily, appointments with a doctor or nurse, dental clinic, and the Shagalicious Shop safer sex boutique.

SSMU Volunteer Program ssmuvolunteer@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/mgvolunteer The SSMU Volunteer Program organizes a campus wide volunteer fair once a semester and helps students find volunteering opportunities on campus and off campus, around Montreal.

103

Union for Gender Empowerment unionforgenderempowerment@gmail. com 514-398-6823 The Union for Gender Empowerment is an alternative library (with about a thousand titles!); a co-op with at-cost ecologically-responsible menstrual products, diy sex toys, safer sex supplies, and gender empowerment items; a zine distro; and a safe(r) space for people of all genders.

The UGE collective runs trans workshops for other clubs and services, and every year takes part in the Rez Project. The UGE office also houses a resource binder, a free and private phone line, counseling referrals, and mugs of tea. We are always looking to expand! Come find us in room 410 in Shatner, call us, or email us.

McGill Walksafe execute@walksafe.ca http://walksafe.ca 514-398-2498/1-877-WALKSAFE McGill Walksafe is a fast, safe and empowering alternative to walking home alone or using public transportation at night. Walksafe operates seven nights a week and will walk anyone, anywhere in Montreal. You can contact Walksafe by phone or approach a team on the street and we’ll be happy to walk you wherever you’re going.

More On Starting Your Own Club

Interim Status Clubs Can...

- apply for funding through the Campus Life Fund - book rooms in the Shatner Building for free - participate in Activities Night at no cost - get a mailbox in the Shatner Building, and - get an email address and webspace from SSMU

104

PUBLICATIONS The Bull and Bear http://www.bullandbear.ca This is the Faculty of Management’s official newspaper. Published monthly, expect plenty of Management content, as well as culture and sports news.

CKUT http://www.ckut.ca See page 115.

The McGill Daily Shatner B-24 514-398-6784 http://www.mcgilldaily.com The Daily is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected student newspapers in Canada. It is published twice a week – Mondays and Thursdays – and took home the 2007 SSMU award for best publication. To get involved, drop by our office in Shatner B-24, give us a call, or send an email. No experience required – just enthusiasm!

Le Délit Shatner B-24 514-398-6784 http://www.delitfrancais.com Le Délit est un journal francophone hebdomadaire, produit pendant les semestres d’automne et d’hiver par les étudiants de l’Université McGill et distribué à différents points sur le campus, au centre-ville de Montréal. Le journal est indépendant de administration de l’Université et de l’Association étudiante de l’Université McGill (AÉUM). Le Délit est financé en partie par les étudiants de McGill qui contribuent 5$ par semestre à la Société de publication du Daily (SPD).

La SPD est responsable de la publication du Délit et de sa consoeur anglophone, le McGill Daily. La rédaction du Délit encourage tous les étudiants à contribuer à la création du journal soit en écrivant des articles, soit en participant à la mise en page lors des soirées de production.

Aucune expérience n’est requise.

Old McGill oldmcgill@gmail.com Old McGill is the official campus yearbook, and has been published every year since 1897. They always need new staff, so if you’re looking a low-key way to get involved in campus publications, or just an excuse to write or take pictures, get in touch with them.

The Red Herring dmgroves@gmail.com http://www.theredherring.net The Red Herring is McGill’s official unofficial on-campus comedy magazine. For the past twenty years, McGill-ians with an itch for humour and a well-developed ability to offend have laboured under the Red Herring banner, providing the university a much-needed dose of bad taste. The Herring is published four times a year, hosts a stand-up show now and then, and even got itself a professional-looking website to run. As with any publication staffed and run by the laziest portion of the McGill undergraduate community, the Herring is always looking for new, talented writers, cartoonists, and photographers to exploit.

team – swing by our office, or email info@mcgilltribune.com. No experience necessary.

TVMcGill admin@tvmcgill.com http://www.tvmcgill.com TVMcGill gets you in to all the major news and events throughout campus and Montreal. McGill’s only student run film production and television station produces content for students by students from covering major happenings to entertaining you with the best shows your fellow students can offer. At the end of the year, TVMcGill’s annual FOKUS Film Festival offers filmmakers the chance to showcase the Scorsese within them and proves that you can major in engineering and still beat out the cinephiles.

Get in on the action by going to the weekly workshops. This is a chance to learn how to make your own stories or produce a film from the TVMcGill pros. The workshops cover everything from basic on-camera tips and tricks to advanced video editing.

The McGill Reporter The staff and faculty newspaper of McGill. Published bimonthly, the Reporter is where you can read about the latest awards won by alumni and the latest research breakthroughs, but has very little in the way of news that’s immediately relevant to students.

Steps stepsmagazine@gmail.com Steps Magazine publishes short fiction, poetry, photography, art, and magazine-style journalism. Steps is committed to creating and discussing culture in Montreal, and offers students interested in publication an alternative to broadsheet print media and literary journals. We are supported by AUS McGill.

The McGill Tribune Shatner 110 The Trib is run entirely by students! With five sections (News, Opinions, Features, Arts & Entertainment, and McGill’s only Sports coverage), we’re your one-stop shop for campus buzz. Pick up a copy every Tuesday, or come and join our

105

Montreal Knowing Your City

In This Section...

• Montreal in History • Quebec Politics • Municipal Politics • Local Media/CKUT • Language Divide • Other Universities • Neighbourhoods • Your Own Place • Tenants’ Rights • Biking • Mass Transportation • Stuff To Do

• Professional Sports • Montreal Activism/ QPIRG • Festivals • Movies • Music • Art • Theatre • Parks • Montreal Police • Shopping • Volunteering

Montreal

History

Montre al is a fascinating cit y with a rich histor y that se ts it apart f rom any where else in North America. Since its foundation, it has been a mee ting point of culture s. It is a multi-face ted cit y, with its dif ferent communitie s some time s forming a complimentar y mosaic ye t some time s cre ating a cit y di vided. To understand this rich social tape st r y, one must look at Mont re al’s histor y.

In the centuries preceding French colonization, the island of Montreal was inhabited by the Iroquois, and for thousands of years prior there had been a native presence on the island. The first European to visit was Jacques Cartier, in 1535. He reported visited a village named Hochelaga, at the base of Mount Royal. When later explorers came to the island, the village had mysteriously disappeared. After centuries of marginalization, the native history of Montreal and Quebec has only recently begun to be recognized.

The City of Montreal was originally founded as an outpost of the French colonial empire in 1642, by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne-Mance. For its first few decades the settlement remained small, and was constantly at war with the region’s Iroquois inhabitants. In 1701 the Great Peace of Montreal was signed with French, Iroquois, Huron, and Algonquin leaders, establishing stability and clearing the way for broader French settlement. Montreal became a centre for the fur trade, and an entrepôt for raw materials coming in from the hinterland.

Despite its central position in New France, it was still a small town by modern standards, with at most a few thousand residents.

With the Seven Years’ War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Montreal was transferred to the British. This marked a dramatic shift for the city. Many newcomers arrived in the city, which quickly took on a British face. Montreal became a centre of commerce. From this time until the middle of the 20th century English would be the language of prestige in Montreal, and for a decade or so in the mid 1800’s, Montreal was even majority Anglophone.

From this position, Montreal quickly became the city of Canada. Much of Canadian business and industry was centered in the city. Many of the old factories along the Lachine Canal and the opulent bank

108

buildings along St. James’ Street are a testament to this era. Montreal also became a centre for immigration, drawing both French Canadians from the countryside and immigrants from around the world. While the Anglophone and Francophone communities have always formed the two main poles of Montreal society, from this point forth the city became host to all sorts of communities from across the globe. It was a city of great inequality, with the Anglo elite building stately mansions in what is now the McGill ghetto, and poor French Canadian and Irish workers living in slums in neighborhoods like Griffintown. Despite the inequalities, many consider this time to have been Montreal’s Golden Age. After World War II, the changing economy of North America began to threaten Montreal’s economic position. Its position on the St. Lawrence seaway had previously been a major advantage when much of Canada’s economy was based on exporting raw materials to Europe. As Canada’s production and economic system became more North America-focused, Montreal began to face major competition from Ontario’s industrial cities. Business (and a good number of Anglophone Montrealers) began migrating to Toronto. By the 1970’s Montreal was surpassed by Toronto as Canada’s chief city.

After World War II, the changing economy of North America began to threaten Montreal’s economic position. Its position on the St. Lawrence seaway had previously been a major advantage when much of Canada’s economy was based on exporting raw materials to Europe. As Canada’s production and economic system became more North America-focused, Montreal began to face major competition from Ontario’s industrial cities. Business (and a good number of Anglophone Montrealers) began migrating to Toronto. By the 1970’s Montreal was surpassed by Toronto as Canada’s chief city.

continual sovereignty debate created lead to economic stagnation as capital left the province for English Canada, compounding the difficulties Montreal had adapting to deindustrialization and other changes in the North American economy.

Despite its slip from first city status, Montreal also underwent many changes as it sought to cement its status as a world city. This was the period of the Quiet Revolution, when Quebec quickly modernized itself and left behind its former rural, Catholicbased identity. The institutions of the Church were largely put aside, society was secularized, and the Quebec Welfare State was constructed. Montreal was the epicenter of these changes. It hosted Expo ‘67 and the 1976 Olympics, which served to put Montreal on display as a modern, world-class city. Many symbols of Montreal, like the metro and the Olympic stadium were also built during this era. Despite the progress made, many of the projects of the time are now widely seen as examples of poor urban planning, like the Ville-Marie autoroute and “slum clearance” style urban renewal. Regardless of the errors, it was a time of great hope and rapid change.

While the issue of Quebec sovereignty is still divisive in Montreal, the issue is less prominent these days. Montreal has been undergoing a period of economic growth, and many of the city’s neighborhoods are undergoing redevelopment and gentrification. Despite the influx of money, there are many deep divisions in the social fabric of Montreal that stem from the very different realities of the city’s many communities. Montreal still remains a city of many facets.

The rise of Quebec nationalism also served to radically change the face of Montreal.

Bill 101 ensured that Montreal would once again be a city that functioned in French. The election of a Parti Québécois government at the provincial level and the following referendum on sovereignty led many Anglophone Montrealers to leave the city and reestablish themselves in English Canada.

While Montreal is still a largely bilingual city, the pendulum has swung much farther to French than it has been since the British conquest. Instead of being the leading city of Canada, it has become the leading city of Quebec. The uncertainty that the

109

Politics

in Quebec

Summarizing Quebec’s politics in 500 words is an impossible task . That having been said, here is an extremely abridged, extremely oversimplified version of Quebec histor y bringing us up to today’s political scene.

Over 400 years ago, the first traders arrived in Québec. By most accounts, it was the “great vision” of an arguably insane Bishop Laval that turned Québec into a settlement for the colonizers rather than a trading post.

Well, that and capitalism. The need for cheap labour, the trade of raw materials, and a somewhat eschatological vision of a new Catholic homeland all resulted in the establishment of colonies. After their final battle with the British on the Plains of Abraham, the French abandoned their claim to their colonies in 1760, and the British began direct rule of Quebec. The situation on the ground changed very little for the impoverished colonizers of Quebec, as the British ruled Quebec in much the same way as the French: as a colony administered

by London-appointed Governors, with the Catholic Church as their lapdogs, keeping the people scared into submission and away from rebellion.

From this period until World War Two, not much changed in Québec’s political history.

For almost a century, various leaders used French-Canadian nationalism to win over the Québec electorate. While spewing French nationalist discourse, all of these leaders continued a policy of maintaining two important alliances: with the Catholic Church to keep the people in hand and with English-language business leaders to keep the money flowing. The pinnacle of this political trend was the Premiership of Maurice Duplessis from 1936-1939 and 19441959. In spite of his intensely French-nationalist rhetoric, Anglophone business leaders made massive profit during this period while most French-Quebecers slipped further into poverty than before.

At the end of this period – called la grande noirceur, or The Great Darkness in Québec – Duplessis died in office, and was replaced

by Premier Paul Sauvé, who immediately began to refor m the Quebec education system. At the same time, Québec’s intellectuals, artists, and unions began to demand change. This was the beginning of the Quiet Revolution. In 1960, the Liberal Party under Jean Lasage came to power.

In 1961, the education system was secularized. In 1962, Hydro-Quebec was created,

110

the first in a series of Crown Corporations that were created to promote Frenchlanguage employment and to guarantee that capital stayed in the province. In 1967 the CEGEP system was established, providing a college-level education for any Quebecer for free.

At the same time as these social reforms were progressing, the 1960’s saw the birth of civic nationalism in the province. In 1968 sovereigntists formed the Parti Quebecois, with René Levesque as its first leader.

Since this decade of rapid change, politics in this province have been dominated by the federalist-sovereigntist dichotomy. The Liberal Party – in an attempt to separate itself from the social-democratic Parti Quebecois – moved further and further to the right, while the PQ twice made failed attempts to win a mandate for separation in referenda in 1980 and 1995. In the past half-decade, the farrightwing Action Democratique Du Québec has emerged as a major player, coming just a few seats short of winning the last provincial election. As the PQ abandoned its support for progressive causes and the labour movement, two new forces emerged in progressive politics in Québec. Québec Solidaire was created in 2006 as a merger of previous, small leftwing parties and groups.

Despite a second-place showing in its first by-election and receiving the endorsement of major union councils and social groups, it has yet to manage an electoral victory.

The Green Party of Québec – independent of the federal party – has recently reemerged in the province, after its collapse and disappearance from Québec politics in the late 1990’s.

With a weak minority government in place and strong opposition parties waiting in the wings, a provincial election during this school year seems inevitable. As students, we are both some of the biggest contributors to the province’s political scene and some of the people most affected by political decisions. From campus clubs, to a diversity of media in the province, to a massive blogosphere, take the opportunities to get informed, get involved, and get active in the most interesting political jurisdiction in North America!

Politics

in Montreal

The Setup The City of Montreal is organized on a two tier model. At the bottom are the 19 Boroughs, each of which covers a specific neighbourhood. These authorities are responsible for local issues like snow removal, park maintenance, and issuing permits. Overarching the boroughs is the City Council and the city-wide administration, which deals with largescale issues like transportation, long-term planning, social housing, and policing.

This system was put in place in 2002, when the Parti Québécois provincial government put in place the “une île, une ville” policy which sought to bring all the cities on the Island of Montreal under a single municipal government through municipal mergers.

Previously, the Island had been composed of a patchwork of municipalities. The intent of the provincial government was to make local government more efficient and equitable, but it proved to be a highly unpopular policy among residents, who resented the lack of consultation, and the loss of their local communities’ autonomy.

With the election of the Liberals in 2003, a series of referenda were held in formerly independent municipalities. Much of the Anglophone-majority West Island chose to leave the megacity. While this issue has died down over the past few years, local government is still undergoing growing pains as the new system matures.

The Players Unlike most cities in Canada, Montreal’s city politics are based on political parties.

Forming government under mayor Gérald Tremblay is Union Montréal. Tremblay rose to power in 2001, riding a wave of popular discontent regarding the municipal mergers. He was reelected again in 2005, winning a larger mandate.

Forming the official opposition is Vision Montreal. After six years in opposition the party seemed to be losing steam. This changed with the election of their new leader Benoit Labonté, for mer mayor of the Ville-Marie Borough (downtown).

Labonté is a former member of Tremblay’s team who decided to jump

ship and take on his former boss.

In practice, it’s hard to really tell the two major parties apart. Both parties are more personality than policy driven, both having been created to further the mayor of campaigns of specific politicians. Montreal has a long tradition of elected strong-man mayors who run the show, with their parties serving less as coherent political organizations, more as platforms for one man’s career (Montreal hasn’t had a woman mayor).

The one other player on the scene is the relative newcomer Projet Montréal. This progressive, environmentalist party has only contested one general election, and remains a third party. In contrast to the other two parties, it isn’t based around one charismatic leader and is instead issue-driven, focusing on greening the city, investing in transit, and building more social housing.

The Issues There are a lot of issues that will be coming up in the next year. Big will be the issue of public transit. Montreal has recently committed itself to extending the metro, increasing bus service, and building new tramway lines. It remains to be seen where the funding will come from, and if the government will follow through. Also, important is the issue of affordable housing and inclusive urban renewal. As the city undergoes a period of economic growth the municipal government needs to make sure that redevelopment benefits the entire community, and not just real-estate investors. 2009 is an election year, so be prepared to see plenty of political posturing and media coverage of municipal issues.

For more information, check out these websites City of Montreal www.ville.montreal.qc.ca.

Projet Montréal www.projetmontreal.org Union Montréal www.unionmontreal.com Vision Montréal www.visionmontreal.com

111

Local

Media

Want to know who’s playing where? What the big ne ws is on the political scene? The late st stock figure s? Luckily for you, Montre al’s got a whole bunch of ne wspapers, some in English, some in French. And then there are the magazine s, the online ne ws source s, the blogs…you could spend all your time finding out the answers to the se que stions. To narrow the field, here’s some media you should keep your eye on.

La Presse is probably the best mainstream Montreal daily for political news, sports, and international affairs, and even though it’s a great paper, the level of French is pretty accessible. It does a great job of covering Montreal politics and provincial-federal relations, and they’ve got a great sports sections (dedicated almost exclusively to the Habs and the Alouettes).

Other mainstream print sources include the thin but often trenchant Le Devoir, a higher-brow French-language paper that often contains as few as eight pages. The CanWest-owned Gazette is your best bet for mainstream English news in Montreal, but carries many of the same stories and editorials as the National Post. The tabloid Le Journal de Montreal always seems to have a strong indictment of McGill on hand, be it for our Principal’s almost $400,000-a-year compensation package or the lewd conduct of students at Management Carnival.

Montreal also has a great set of “independent” (or at least free, since many are owned by media giants like Quebecor) newspapers: the Hour, the Mirror, Voir, and Ici do a great job of covering the real communities in Montreal and keep pretty good track of local politics. Their columns and regular pieces are a little more fun and playful than what you’ll find in the mainstream press.

There are also about a million zines and magazines coming out of this fair city.

Maisonneuve is by far the biggest, and offers a bi-monthly selection of cute cultural criticisms and off-beat reporting. The ubiquitous and free VICE magazine offers a sometimes-shocking, sometimes-irritating dose of soulless, offensive hilarity each month. Zines are invented and abandoned every day. The best of them can be picked up in Plateau and Mile End cafés, and the

112

biggest selection can be found at Expozine, a yearly zine festival (expozine.ca).

Of course, newspapers and magazines will only get you so far. Online news sources are updated through out the day, and you can get a much wider perspective online than you can in the few, centrally controlled newspapers. The Montreal weblog (w5. montreal.com/mtlweblog) pays someone to read all the news and post articles of interest throughout the day, and is a good way to keep on top of it all. For a broader focus, check out the CBC website, or the much better BBC website, which has plenty of world news.

Some news is best found online. Check out, for example, rabble.ca, which tries to do journalism from a different perspective, and the Dominion, a free alternative monthly paper, which you can download from dominionpaper.ca or pick up at QPIRG.

CKUT

CKUT Radio McGill 90.3 FM 3647 Uni versit y St ree t (just below Ave de s Pins) 514-448-4041 w w w.ckut.ca

Radio McGill was conceived of as a student radio club in the basement of the Shatner Building back in the ‘60s. Forty years later, CKUT 90.3 FM is proud to be one of the primary radio broadcasters in Montreal, representing the interests and work of the students of McGill University and the many communities of Montreal. We have an estimated 100,000 listeners per week and for the past decade have been voted “Best Local Radio Station” by the Montreal Mirror’s “Best of Montreal” reader’s poll.

Our signal reaches south to upstate New York, north to the Laurentians, east to the Sherbrooke area, west to the Ontario border and of course internationally over the Internet. WeFunk, a longtime show on CKUT, even has a fan club in Iceland!

CKUT consists of a production department, funding and outreach, ads and sales, and three programming departments including music, news, and arts & culture. Volunteers are welcome to participate in any of these areas. As a volunteer with CKUT, you can be a producer, a contributor, a technician, a sound-brarian, a sound artist, a journalist, a dj, a promoter, or almost anything else you can come up with. CKUT also invites volunteers to participate in the decisionmaking process at the station by taking part in the Annual General Meeting, the weekly Steering meetings where administrative decisions are made, or by participating in the weekly programming meetings.

CKUT is licensed as a campus and community radio station. As such, CKUT is permitted only a limited number of advertisements per hour and cannot play any Top 40 tunes.

This is one of the beauties of CKUT; we do not answer to any commercial interests, our airwaves are not saturated with an onslaught of advertising, and our programming covers an incredible spectrum of information, ranging from African news coverage to Heavy Metal. We advocate diversity on our airwaves and aim to represent the many different voices here at McGill and in Montreal.

The first step to becoming an active member of CKUT Radio McGill is to attend an orientation session. Orientations happen every Thursday in September and January and every third Thursday of the month throughout the rest of the year at noon, 3pm, and 6pm. Keep an eye out for CKUT around campus and throughout the city. Drop by our back-to-school CD sale in September, participate in one of our monthly broadcasts from campus, and join our email list to win free tickets to concerts and festivals around town.

CKUT programming info, a live stream, the archives, and additional information can be found on the website at www.ckut. ca. Come check out CKUT and learn to make radio!

McGill students are automatically members of CKUT through a small levy that is part of the annual student fee; community members are asked to pay $10 per year to maintain their membership to the station.

Membership to CKUT includes access to all CKUT facilities, trainings, equipment, and the extensive library of music that has been compiled over the past 40 years.

There is a wealth of knowledge, history, skills, and hands-on-experience to be gained at CKUT.

113

Language

Divide

“Americans who travel abroad for the first time are of ten shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages” - Dave Barr y, American writer and comedian.

Québec is a French-language province. The majority of its residents speak, the official language for business and government is, and the default language for communicating in this province is French. That said, Montréal is an extremely bilingual – if not multi-lingual – city. Similarly, most provincial government departments have resources in English and most services can be attained in English. Further, there still exist (particularly in our little isolated bubble inside the province) many unilingual English speakers who live and work in Québec with little to no problems.

So why does it seem like language is so controversial in Québec? Because it still is.

Read the section on Quebec history and politics for more history, but suffice it to say that Québec was first colonized by the French nation, who brought French settlers who established a new, French-speaking society. In 1760, after the battle of the Plains of Abraham, the British Empire took over control of Québec. While the majority of the citizenry were still French-speakers - or, francophones - the emerging urban centres and commerce of the 18th and 19th century, which the British were establishing, were dominated by English speaking settlers, or anglophones. The result was that government services, business, commerce, and most higher education was conducted in English, totally inaccessible to the majority – francophone – population. Again, see the Politics and History article for more details, but one of the primary goals of the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s in Québec was to re-balance the scales in favour of the francophone majority, who until that time were confined to minimum wage, mostly industrial or agrarian jobs. Any sort of service or business job required that the worker “speak white,” the racist call of the day. This meant “speak English,” a skill the Church-run education system did not teach.

Through the establishment of francophone education institutions, the creation of local, nationalized businesses that hired primar-

114

ily in French, and ultimately through the French Language Charter, the government attempted to turn the de facto reality of a majority of French-speakers into a de jure policy approach that made French the language of business, government, and society.

The French Language Charter is one of the more controversial aspects of this policy change. Also called Bill 101, it makes it a legal obligation to have French as the primary language of business and government.

It also obliges all children in the province to attend school in French right through high school, unless their parents went to an English-language institution.

Some people – mostly anglophones – are offended by this stringent approach to the French language. However, one must always remember the history: for centuries (literally) the anglophone minority used its position vis-à-vis the government and business to make sure that the majority – francophones – could never fully integrate into their economy or society.

Multilingualism in the 21st century is an advantage. Take advantage of being in the only francophone jurisdiction in North America to learn a second language.

McGill offers for-credit courses, and there are many places around the city that offer government-paid-for (and thus free) French classes.

Other

Universities

Montre al is ver y much a student’s cit y. In spite of 3 other full uni versitie s and a di versit y of other post-secondar y institutions, it is of ten the case that McGill students see ourselve s as ver y alone in the cit y.

Concordia University is the university in the closest proximity to McGill. Founded in 1974 as a result of a government-requested merger of two previous English-language education institutions (Loyola College and Sir George Williams University), Concordia used to specialize as a technical university. While many McGill students regard Concordia with an air of superiority, there are some programs deemed to be superior at Concordia than at McGill. First and foremost, Concordia has many programs McGill is lacking in: communications, an actual department of women’s studies, a well-regarded practical engineering program, a very well-sponsored business school, and more. However, there is no doubt that if you want to boost your GPA in, say...Poli Sci...take a year of courses at Concordia!

Concordia is often viewed by the public with an air of controversy. In 1969 it was the site of the largest student riot in Canadian history, in which 2$ million worth of (then just-emerging) computer equipment was destroyed. In 1992, Concordia was the site of Canada’s first-ever school shooting, in which 4 professors were killed by a colleague, Valery Fabrikant, a professor of engineering. Most recently, in 2002, Concordia was the site of an eventually-cancelled visit by controversial former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was met with aggressive protests, colloquially called “The Netanyahu Riots”.

UQAM is the University of Quebec in Montreal. Founded as one of the central institutions of the University of Quebec system (see Quebec Politics) during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960’s, UQAM remains one of the foremost institutions for progressive and radical academia in North America. While McGill’s political science department offers a course in ‘radical thought’, UQAM has specialized courses in every major Marxist and Anarchist thinker and philosopher of our times.

UQAM has no central student association, and the students are represented on a faculty-to-faculty basis. UQAM is often considered the hub of student activism in Montreal: during most major student mobilizations and strikes, UQAM is always the first to embark, and the last to give up the fight.

Last year, UQAM was the site of major mobilizations following a financial crisis that put the University essentially under government trusteeship. After going broke on a major construction project, UQAM was forced to cancel many of its ‘non-profitable’ programs (such as fine arts), raise its student fees, and place a moratorium on hiring new professors for about a decade.

Students mobilized – and will continue to mobilize – to stop this direction in the university.

The University of Montreal was originally the Montreal chapter of the University of Laval, a Vatican-owned university in Quebec City.

In 1967 they became an independent, public university. Located just on the other side of the mountain (literally, walk to the cross, then keep going straight and you’ll get there) UdeM students often view McGill with great suspicion and hostility. From their perspective, they are Montreal’s university (given the name and all) yet ask anyone around the world what Universities they know of in Montreal, and McGill will always be the first response. Approach UdeM’ers with great caution and hesitation.

All of Montreal’s universities have exchange and mutual-benefit agreements. For the most part, with prior approval, you can take a course at any of the universities or use the libraries of any of the universities so long as you are a student at one of them.

Ask your faculty or department advisor for more information.

115

Neighbourhoods Mon t re al is huge! You are t iny. He re are some vague descriptions of tiny subse ts of Montre al that you can fit your tiny self into. That is to say, neighbourhoods.

McGill Ghetto University to St. Laurent, Sherbrooke to Pins At its worst: the invisible force field also known as the McGill Bubble, shoddy (potentially windowless) apartments for exorbitant prices, 3am pukey wake-up calls from random drunkards in the street, people who appear unable to put their trash in bags before putting it on the curb, neighbors who own tam tams and good speaker systems.

At its finest: waking up 15 minutes before class and making it on time, walking distance to St Laurent/Ste Catherine/St Denis, extreme proximity to many of your friends (aka easy access to parties and fun times), Marche Lobo, brunches at Place Milton, neighbors who own tam tams and good speaker systems.

Concordia Ghetto Peel to Atwater, Ste. Catherine to Dr. Penfield Don’t be fooled by Crescent, there is more to this part of town than the drunken American tourists will have you believe. While it may be the place for mainstream Anglophones to get overcharged for their nights out, the Irish pubs, Cock & Bull’s Arts and Crafts Night and Upstairs Jazz Bar are still good ways to lighten your wallet. Beyond drinking, the neighbourhood is surprisingly quiet and residential. Everything is within less than five minutes walking distance and the PA Supermarket is full of all that’s wonderful for a good price. Familiarize yourself with Concordia University, and enjoy free vegan lunches at the People’s Potato, free political film screenings most Monday nights through Cinema Politica and stay close to home but do all your late night cramming in their libraries.

116

The Plateau St. Laurent to Papineau, Sherbrooke to Laurier Everyone and their mother are always raving about the Plateau and how wonderful it is. They’re not far off; the Plateau is full of great restaurants, bars, family-owned businesses, and beautiful houses and parks. It will soon also be full of students, who are spurring the rapid gentrification of the area. Rents are rising quickly, and the southwest Plateau is being swallowed by the Ghetto, so if you’re looking to get away from campus, you may want to look farther afield.

Mile End North of the Plateau to Van Horne Sometimes Mile End is described to me favourably as a “cheaper Plateau,” which kind of makes me groan because that means that students are gradually catching on to the glory of this neighbourhood and will shortly steamroll it, bringing with them gentrification, higher rents, and that aforementioned pukey wakeup call. You, dear reader, would of course never do that, so read on and learn! Mile End has a friendly, diverse community of residents, low rent, and there’s always something going on. As long as you don’t mind being far from campus, it’s a great place to live.

St. Henri Decarie to Atwater, the Lachine Canal to St. Antoine Students are flocking to St. Henri not only for the low rent but also for a more residential vibe. This is where you will go for the best potlucks of your university years and maybe some of the best house parties too.

It’s a great place if you’re up for bike rides along Lachine Canal, eating pastries from Atwater Market and are willing to pick up the bill for frequent taxiing from nights out. Don’t be too deterred by the distance though, it’s well connected to the metro and when you’re coming home from clubbing check out the Rene Levesque night bus to Atwater- and don’t feel too guilty about the cost of taxis either, think of all you’re saving in cheaper rent.

NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grace) West of Decarie, north of Sherbrooke NDG is a primarily Anglo working class and middle class neighbourhood.

Most students think it’s a bit far, but if you’re willing to brave a 20-30 minute bus ride, you should take a look at this affordable and fairly nice area. Hey, your apartment could even have a front yard, which is more than those Plateau-dwellers can say.

Latin Quarter Bleury to Berri, Sherbrooke to ReneLevesque Neighbouring the Plateau and the Village, this small section of downtown is bustling with European styled nights out. All with their alternative flair, there’s an endless collection of restaurants, boutiques, and bars (weren’t you there that one night after some club in one of those hookah bars?).

Say goodbye to cab fare- everything is a metro ride or short walk away, including some of the best nightlife.

There are also lots of cultural events held here, and the National Library is an amazing study space. If you love the feel of being in the centre of the action, this is a great place to emerge yourself in the real Montreal, but if you prize retreating into quiet enclaves you may want to venture somewhere else.

The Queer Village Ste. Catherine east of St. Denis, and surrounding streets While many only know the Village as a clubbing destination, people do live here too. It’s still quite inexpensive, and you’ll always be right where the action is. Beaudry metro station is right in the heart of the Village, which means easy access to the green line to get to McGill. UQAM’s also nearby, so you may get to know some nonanglo students and break out of the McGill-centric mindset.

117

Getting

Your Own Place Apart me n t se archi ng is usual l y s t re s sf ul , bu t i t doe sn’t have to be. Check out the se tips for avoiding crazy landlords, neighbours who have constant loud se x, and Verdun.

Location Where do you want to live? Montreal is a fantastic city to live in and has many great neighbourhoods, so picking one can be tough. Ask yourself how you’ll get to classes - do you want to live within walking or cycling distance? If not, are you near a metro or bus stop? How long will it take you to get to and from class? Where is the closest supermarket or laundromat? Are you living near the things that are important to you, whether those are parks, libraries, nightclubs or restaurants?

If you’re interested in life outside the Ghetto, consider living in one of Montreal’s many other popular neighbourhoods.

Go to page 118 for descriptions of them, then go and check them out and see if you like what they have to offer.

Costs It’s important that you have a realistic budget which should take into account not just how much rent you pay each week but other expenses such as utilities (if it’s not already included in the rent), internet access, travel costs (for instance, a transit pass), groceries, and money you’ll spend going on other activities, such as eating out, or going to bars. If utilities aren’t already included, keep in mind that heating during the Montreal winter will be expensive. If you don’t know the previous tenants, get their contact details and ask how much they spent on utilities while they lived there. Hydro-Quebec will give you this information, too. Sharing with people is usually a good way to save money.

Who Are You Going To Live With?

Are you moving into an established group house or are you looking to find a vacant apartment with a friend or friends? Keep in mind that your best friend may not

118

make an ideal housemate because what makes someone a good friend does not necessarily make them a good housemate. Whether you’re considering moving in with someone you know or moving into an already established group house, think honestly about your household habits and ask yourself whether they match with your potential housemates. Ask yourself: are you an early riser, do you like to have friends over, do you like your place kept tidy and clean, do you prefer quiet or noise and activity.

Where To Start Looking Once you know where you’d like to live, how much you can afford and who you are going to live with, start looking at some advertisements.

The McGill Off-Campus housing keeps a searchable list of available properties that is updated daily at www.mcgill.ca/offcampus (you will need your student ID number), or you can drop by the office at 3641 University or call them at 514-3986010. The McGill Classifieds website is another good source for vacant properties or people looking for roommates www.mcgill.ca/classified/housing. Craigslist is increasingly the first place for both people advertising a place and for people looking for a place http://montreal. en.craigslist.ca/. Word of mouth is also a great way to find a place as some properties aren’t advertised, but are just transferred from one group of friends to another. Also, wandering around Montreal, especially during the summer, you will see plenty of ‘A Louer’ signs around town.

Things To Look For Montreal has some beautiful places and quality can vary quite a bit within one price range so you should see a number of places in the same area and within your budget to get a good idea of what is available. Also, it should go without saying but is nonetheless worth mentioning that you should always see a place before signing a lease or agreeing to anything. If you’re unable to check out a place for yourself and are getting desperate, find someone you can trust and have them go and check it out for you.

When you’re looking at a place, you should consider security (do the locks work, do the windows close properly), check the water pressure, things that might be damaged, whether there are leaks, and the age of the apartment.

Also, before you agree to anything, clarify with the landlord what to do in

the event of repairs, both urgent and non-urgent. Make sure you have a number to call in case a water pipe bursts in the middle of the night. You can’t always get an idea of what your neighbours will be like, but when you’re in the apartment, listen to see if you can hear them and ask some strategic questions to get a sense of what they’re like - do they have young children or pets, do they play loud music, and so on.

Once You’ve Moved In Utilities If utilities aren’t included in your rent, you need to arrange for them. Call Hydro Quebec (514-384-7275) or Gaz Met (514598-3222), and be sure to tell them the date you moved in or else they might charge you for the previous tenant’s utilities. If you want a landline, call Bell (514-310-BELL) – it’ll cost you around $50 to get it set up.

Internet You have a couple of options here.

Videotron, Bell, and a whole bunch of other companies can provide you with high-speed internet. Poke around for deals and promotions, and be warned – customer service at most Montreal internet providers is notoriously bad. You can also definitely manage without the internet at home - you can always hook up to McGill’s wireless network with your McGill email address, and there’s a host of cafes around the city where you can get free internet access.

Other Basics Find out when trash and recycling get picked up as soon as you move in – those full garbage bags get stinky quickly, and you can incur a serious fine for putting it out on the wrong day.

Garbage inspectors will actually go through your trash to find out who you are, and you can get fined as much as $500. Same goes for putting non-recyclables in the recycling.

Check out Canadian Tire and Dollarama for household supplies. Life can be rough without a plunger or dish soap.

119

Tenants’

Rights

So you’ve found a swee t apartment and are about to sign the le ase. But your landlord said he’s always out of town, come to think of it you’re not entirely cle ar on what the rent’s going to be, and your roommate said he couldn’t come but it would be fine if just you signed. Ok ay, this is a worst case scenario, but when picking an apartment, make sure you know what you’re ge t ting yourself into! Here’s a quick run-down of your rights and obligations as a tenant.

Quebec’s laws are pretty tenant-friendly, but sometimes landlords are not. The Régie du Logement (rdl.gouv.qc.ca) regulates leases and your rights as a tenant, so look on their website or contact them if you think you’re being screwed over.

Signing the lease Some landlords will require you to sign an application for the apartment. They can do a brief background and credit check, to make sure you’re good for the rent, and if they’re satisfied then the application can become legally binding. Moral of the story: don’t sign more than one!

Your landlord is permitted to ask for advance payment of the first month’s rent – nothing else! No last month’s rent, damage deposits, key deposit, or any other form of cash. If they did, and you already paid, go to the Régie to get compensated.

Once you sign a lease, the landlord is required to give you a written copy within ten days. Make sure that you do sign one!

You can buy a standard lease form at most depanneurs for cheap.

If you have roommates: Whoever’s name is on the lease is responsible for the rent. If only one of you signs the lease, then they’re responsible for everything, and can be pursued by the landlord if any of the other occupants fail to pay. If you cosign, you’re either jointly liable or solidarity liable; jointly liable means everyone’s responsible for their own portion of the rent, and solidarity liable means each tenant can be held accountable for the full rent. Unless your lease states otherwise, you are jointly liable.

Your landlord must tell you what previous tenants paid in rent. If you think it’s been unreasonably raised, contact the Régie and

120

they’ll adjust it to what they feel is reasonable. If your landlord lied about the previous rent, you have two months from when you find out to bring it to the Régie.

Sometimes you’ll get charged finder’s fees by the previous tenants, who seem to want a reward for moving out. Don’t pay! These are completely illegal, make housing inaccessible, and are just a really nasty move to pull. Don’t charge them either.

Living in your apartment If you’re more that three weeks late on rent, or are frequently late, your landlord has grounds to evict you. So pay on time! You can ask your landlord for a receipt, in case you need proof of payment later.

Minor repairs are up to you, but major repairs are your landlord’s responsibility. If they don’t take action immediately, you can pay to get it fixed, and your landlord will need to reimburse you. If there’s conflict over how major the repairs are or if the cost was reasonable, contact the Régie.

Your landlord can’t just drop by the apartment all the time. They must give you 24 hours notice first, and they can only do non-urgent repairs between 7 am and 7 pm. If they’re showing the place, it has to be between 9 am and 9 pm. In the case of an emergency, no advance notice is required.

Renewing the lease Your lease will be renewed automatically unless you inform your landlord three to six months before it ends that you intend to move out.

Your landlord can only refuse to renew for certain reasons, such as rent being over three weeks late or if they’re repossessing the space for their family’s use.

Rent can only be increased within certain

limits set by law, and the landlord must contact you about a proposed increase three to six months before the renewal of your lease. You can refuse a rent increase if you think it’s unreasonable; check out the increase with the Régie first if you suspect it’s unreasonable.

Moving out If you’ve signed a lease, you’re responsible for all 12 (or 6, or …) months of rent. So what if you want out? Find a subletter, or assign your lease.

Subletting is a great way to avoid paying rent if you’re going on vacation but want to come back to the same place. Essentially, you are renting your place out to another tenant. You’re still responsible to the landlord for rent and damages, so make sure you choose your subletter well, and have a written agreement. Look on the Régie’s website for subletting contracts.

You must inform your landlord about a potential subletter, and they can only refuse the subletter for serious reasons.

Lease assignment is for when you want someone to take over your lease permanently. They replace you on the lease, and you are no longer responsible to the landlord for anything. Again, you must get your landlord’s approval, but they can only refuse in extreme circumstances.

Print a contract off the Régie’s website and sign away.

121

Biking

in Montreal

O n a n y g i ve n d ay, h u n d re d s o f cyc l i s t s b r ave t h e s t re e t s o f Mo n t re a l , n av ig at i ng t h e m any ob s t acle s f ac i ng t h em , m o s t n o t a b l y t h e c i t y ’s n o t o r i o u s l y r e c k l e s s d r i v e r s .

Be lie ve i t or no t, Mont re al is a re lat i ve ly bike-f r ie ndly ci t y.

According to Vélo-Québe c, ab o u t 5,000 pe ople t rave l downtown Mont re al on bike s e ver y day. With the right ge ar, a lit tle knowledge and a lot of caution, you too can tackle the st ree ts by bike. So what are you waiting for?

Buying a Bike You may think you will get more for your money by buying a more expensive, goodquality bike that should theoretically last longer. Wrong. Montreal is the city of bike theft. Hold out until you move elsewhere before splurging on that 500$ beauty.

don’t see one you like the first time around, chances are, he will post more in a few days.

(But if you must: Velo Villeneuve (75 Villeneuve O., 514-282-8356), located in the heart of the Plateau, can help you out.

Here you can purchase a good quality bike with a life-time guarantee on the work.)

For bikes in the 30$-150$ price range, you have endless options.

For new bikes check out sporting stores like Canadian Tire (1500 Atwater, 514939-1820) to see what they’ve got.

For both new and nicely restored used bikes, head towards the old port and check out Velomakak (215 Murray, 937-355).

Depending on what you’re looking for, a solid vintage bike may run you about 150$.

The streets are brimming with used bikes adorned with “For Sale” or “à Vendre” signs. Just keep your eyes peeled.

You can also check out the McGill Classifieds or Craigslist Montreal. Often you can bargain the price down a bit.

Another option is to look out for the guy who sells refurbished bikes outside the Word bookstore on Milton and Durocher. He locks a bunch of bikes to a pole there every spring and fall and sells them at reasonable prices (around 50$). He usually has a wide variety of models for you to pick from and if you

122

Maintenance With Montreal’s harsh winters, constant construction, and layers of broken glass, its no surprise your bike will need a little TLC every once in a while. Your one-stop-shop for all things maintenance is J.R.’s (151 Rue Rachel E., 514-843-6989). Don’t be deceived by the mountains of bikes packed into the store, your bike will get fixed, and promptly too. The staff is friendly, the prices are affordable, and you will get a personal phone call letting you know when your bike is ready.

An even more affordable option is to go to the new student-run SSMU Bicycle Collective, located in the Shatner Building (3600 McTavish Street, room B-04). Here, totally free, you can learn the basics about bike repair and maintenance from knowledgeable student volunteers. Bring your bent fenders and squeaky brakes and watch and learn how to fix it yourself. The collective has limited hours, so make sure to double check it’s open before you stop by.

Bike Safety There’s no doubt about it, Montreal isn’t the safest town to ride a bike. Nonetheless, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of staying alive.

- Wear a helmet.

- Try to stick to bike paths whenever possible, especially those with concrete barriers. But don’t get too blasé about your safety along these routes because cars can still zip in front of you when turning or pulling into driveways.

- Whenever you are riding close to parked cars, be wary of car doors opening directly in front of you. It happens a lot.

- At the beginning of bike season, take your ride into the shop for a full tune up. It will run you around 30$, but its well worth the money.

- Put a light on your bike and wear reflective gear at night Winter Biking Biking in the dead of a Montreal winter is not for the faint at heart…or those with crappy vintage bikes. All I can say is get some serious gear (layered clothing, goggles, special tires, pedals, good fenders and boots), be incredibly careful and good luck!

Avoiding Theft By the time you’ve lived in Montreal a few years, I’ll bet that just about everyone you know has had at least one bike stolen. But don’t fret, there are a few ways to keep your ride safe.

- If you live on a first floor or in a building with an elevator, store your bike inside whenever possible.

- Look into investing in a hardcore U-lock (for example, Kryptonite’s New York line of locks or a Stockslock, around 100$). Avoid using cheaper U-Locks. They may look sturdy, but are often less than adequate.

- By sticking to cheaper vintage bikes, it is less likely yours will get nabbed…and if it does, you won’t care as much.

- If you have quick release tires, make sure to lock them in too.

Bike Paths With 400 kilometers of bike lanes and a new municipal transportation plan aimed at doubling the existing network over the next seven years, cruising around the city by bike has never been sweeter.

Montreal’s bike lanes come in various for ms. The most effective are those guarded by either posts or concrete barriers which help to protect defenseless bikers against aggressive motorists. While many others are merely painted on the streets, they are still better than nothing.

In Montreal, bikers can travel from one end of the city to the other, almost totally along designated bike paths.

In the downtown and Plateau area, traverse the city from north to south along Clark, St. Urbain and Parc. Or try the East-West lanes along Rachel, Milton, and Prince-Arthur. The four-kilometer de Maisonneuve path connects the bike lane networks on either side of the city and is great for getting through and around the often treacherous downtown core.

If you are coming from the West, you can ride along de la Montagne, Greene, and Atwater, as well as St. Antoine.

Try a scenic ride along the Lachine Canal, which cuts across from east to west. This path can get fairly busy, as it is a cruising hot-spot for weekend riders.

General Resources Velo-Quebec (velo.qc.ca): A not-for-profit provincial-wide organization whose goal is to make Quebec more bike-friendly. Some initiatives include the implementation of cycling policies and the development and maintenance of the bike lane network.

They also run large events for cyclists.

Check out the Tour un Nuit and Tour de l’ile.

Critical Mass: An international movement working to reclaim the streets for cyclists. Mass bike rides are held monthly in many cities.

SSMU Bike Collective (Shatner Building, 3600 McTavish Street, room B-04): Bring all your biking questions or concerns here and the enthusiastic volunteers will help you out!

123

Mass

Transportation

Metro/bus Montreal’s public transit system, the STM (www.stm.info), will take you pretty much anywhere you need to go on the island. The metro runs right through the downtown core and stretches its underground tentacles through the city to Laval in the north, rue Honoré-Beaugrand in the east, Vieux Montreal in the south, and Autoroute Decarie in the west. Buses go almost everywhere else.

Fares are $2.75 for individual tickets, $12 for strips of 6, and $36 (student price) for an unlimited monthly pass.

To get student fares, you’ll need to go to Speq Photo, in the underground complex next to McGill metro station, and get a STM student photo ID. Bring proof of residency (like a copy of your lease), a letter from McGill stating that you’re a full time student (you can get this at James Admin), and around $10.

Starting in September 2008, the STM will introduce a smart card that you can recharge with fares or monthly passes! The process for getting your student discount will probably be pretty similar.

The metro is open from 5:30 AM to 12:30 AM (weekdays) or 1:00 AM (Saturdays). Trains come about every 5 minutes during weekdays and a bit less frequently at night and on the weekend. Bus frequency varies - some of the busier routes run until around 1 AM, and there are several all-night routes. Check the STM website for more information on bus schedules and night routes.

Tous Azimuts is a truly magical tool on the STM website. You plug in your origin, destination and time you’d like to arrive, and it tells you how to get there through some combination of metro and bus.

124

Biking There’s so much to say about biking in Montreal that we gave it a whole separate section! See page 124.

Bus There’s a Greyhound terminal on Berri and Maisonneuve, accessible from the Berri-UQAM metro station. Get student discounts when you show your McGill ID card, and if you buy tickets 7 or 14 days in advance, they cost a whole lot less.

Planes It’s a $40 cab ride from downtown to the airport in Dorval. There’s also a shuttle (the Aerobus) that goes from the bus station to the airport, costing $24 round trip. Check schedules on their website (www.autobus. qc.ca/anglais/horaire_an.html). You can also get to the airport via public bus, but plan for the trip to take at least an hour.

Trains Trains come in to the Gare Centrale, on the corner of Rene-Levesque and University. It’s accessible via Bonaventure Metro station, or through the underground maze/mall. Get an ISIC card for $16 from Voyages Campus or any VIA Rail station for a 35% student discount. You can also buy a ‘6pak’ of tickets back and forth from the same destination, which will get you even more discounts. Mmm, saving money.

Rideshare Find a rideshare at http://montreal. craigslist.org/rid. People are always g o i n g t o O t t a w a a n d To r o n t o and looking for passengers, and occasionally to more distant destinations. Usually the expectation is that you’ll split gas costs. Rideshares can be cheaper than other options, but take logical precautions before hopping into a stranger’s car for a 14 hour ride - try to travel with a friend, and don’t get in the car if you’re not comfortable with the driver.

125

Things

To Do

As well as all the other fun stuff to do in Montreal that’s mentioned in this handbook, here are some more ide as on how to spend your days.

Go Ice Skating by the Saint Lawrence in Old Montreal In winter, the Quays Skating Rink opens daily from 10am to 10pm. It usually opens in December and closes in early March, and part of the rink can be artificially frozen to accommodate these dates. Look out for the day when it’s open 24 hours in case you feel like a 3am skate.

Find a Sloth at the Biodome Now I’m not suggesting you take up camp in the tropical forest enclosure of the Biodome but that might be what it takes because these slowmoving furballs have been eluding visitors for years. There are rumoured to be three of these guys but you’ll be lucky if you find one. Oh, and if you’re at the Biodome anyway, check out the crazy penguins, but try not to break out into Happy Feet tunes.

Check out the Berlin Wall It’s closer than you think. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, parts of it have been given to institutions or cities around the world. In 1992, one meter of the wall from a location near the Brandenburg Gate was given to Montreal and is on display at the World Trade Centre (747 Victoria Square).

Join the Circus Trapezium opened in Montreal in 1998 and offers your inner circus perfor mer the chance to fly through the air on a trapeze. An individual class costs about $40, www.trapezium.qc.ca/en/index.html 2350 Dickson St, Studio 50, 514-251-0615.

Meet a Prince or Princess at the Formula 1 Admittedly, this one might be hard to plan but ever since Montreal local and McGill graduate Autumn Kelly met, and later married, the man eleventh in line to the English throne after meeting at the Formula 1, it’s out there as a possibility. Finally, you can use the royal ‘we’.

Jonesing for Some Poutine?

La Banquise (994 Rachel Est) is open 24 hours and has 25 different types to satisfy all your wildest poutine desires. Just probably don’t try them all in the one sitting.

Unless you’re into that kind of thing.

126

Climb a Mountain And not that figurative triumph over adversity, a real mountain. Sure, it more closely resembles a tall hill, but for some reason Mount Royal has always been called just that, a mountain. The view from the top of this Montreal landmark is impressive and the exercise can’t hurt.

Is it Cold Outside?

The ground covered in lots of white stuff? Think you’re probably suffering from seasonal affective disorder? Go tobogganing! Mount Royal is probably the best place to go, just watch out for the natural hazards (trees) and the moving hazards (people, dogs etc). You can buy something cheap to slide on from Dollarama or something more substantial from Canadian Tire or Zellers.

Obey the Beat at Tam-Tams Every Sunday, when the days heat up, a cool mix of people spread themselves over the base of Mount Royal near the angel statue on Avenue du Parc to play tam-tams (drums), dance, smoke, eat, play hacky-sack and just have a good time. Further up the hill, some folks dress up as medieval warriors and battle it out. Bring along your drums or sword and join in the fun.

Free Museums Day One day each year most of the museums in Montreal open completely free of charge. But – be warned – practically every man, woman, child and dog in Montreal will be there with you (particularly at the more popular attractions like the Biodome). Be prepared for long lines and lots of people.

Get Artsy Montreal is supposed to have some of the most beautiful metro systems in the world because of the artwork displayed in most stations. Montreal also set the trend in this area, with other cities, such as Brussels, following suit. Some stations don’t have any art yet but check out some of the more notable, such as the giant mural in Cremazie and the stained glass pieces in the Place-des-Arts, McGill and Berri-UQAM stations. The giant statues guarding the exits at Monk are also impressive. See www.metrodemontreal.com/history/art/ for more information on what art can be found where.

Chinese Lanterns at the Botanical Gardens Like pretty lights? From September to October each year, the Chinese Garden at the Botani cal Gardens lights up the night with “The Magic of Lanterns”.

127

Professional Sports

C on t rar y to popular be lie f, profe ssion al sports i n Mo n t re a l a re mo re t h a n jus t a n e xc us e t o g e t d r u n k i n i n te re s t i n g l o c a t i o n s a t e xc e ssi vely inflated price s. Mont re alers are intensely p as sio n ate ab o u t t h e i r sp orts te ams s o i f yo u chee r for the Br uins, Le afs or Se ns, watch ou t.

HOCKEY: Montreal Canadiens After winning the Eastern Conference final in 07-08 the Habs were the talk of the town. Winning their first round playoff series against Boston led to the biggest riot Montreal has seen since they won the Stanley Cup in 1993 (the last Canadian team to do so). Unfortunately they couldn’t pull it together against Philadelphia in the second round and only won one game in the series. Next season, however, looks promising for the Habs. Star forwards Alex Kovalev and Saku Koivu are locked in for at least one more season, and rookie phenom Carey Price will be between the pipes again. Tickets are pretty easy to get from scalpers at the Bell Centre, and weekday games usually go as low as 40$ for nosebleed seats. The Bell Centre is the biggest arena in the league and seats 21500, and when the home team scores it’s evident that everyone partakes in the 10$ beer. It also goes without saying that should the Habs make the playoffs, every bar in the city becomes party central.

N.B. If you want to see some good hockey but not pay Habs prices, M o n t re a l i s re v i v i n g t h e C l u b de hockey junior de Montreal.

They play in the QMJHL, at the Verdun Auditorium. One of the obvious benefits of “the Q” is the fighting, which is not hindered by the same rules as the NHL. The Habs play at the Bell Centre, 1260 de la Gauchetiere ouest. It’s within walking distance from campus, but if you want to Metro, it’s at Lucien L’Allier. The Verdun Auditorium is at 4110 boulevard Lasalle, Metro de L’Eglise.

FOOTBALL: Montreal Alouettes For those who think four down football is for the weak, the CFL offers a manlier version of gridiron madness. In case you haven’t heard, the CFL features only

128

three downs, less running, more long passes, higher scores, and is vocally supported by Cosmo Kramer. And unlike all other professional sports teams in Montreal, the Alouettes play in the McGill bubble, at the Molson Stadium. Als games always promise a good time close to home, and this year Montreal hosts the Grey Cup at the Olympic Stadium.

The party will be epic, even more so if the hometown team makes it to the big show.

That is a real possibility too, with quarterback Anthony Calvillo coming off a 3600 yard season, big time Canadian receiver Ben Cahoon returning, and expectations for new acquisition Bashir Levingston to rip it up on kick and punt return.

Molson Stadium is at 475 avenue des Pins Ouest, just north of the Ghetto.

SOCCER: Montreal Impact Soccer fans can get their fix with the Montreal Impact. Though they play in the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, there are plans in the offing to move them up one league to Major League Soccer to compete with Toronto FC and Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy. Playing in the newly built Saputo Stadium, tickets will run you $10 and pints at $4. Last year they placed 3rd in the regular season, but lost in the quarterfinals, and this year they’ll be trying to improve on that record.

Saputo Stadium is at 4750 rue Sherbrooke est, Metro Viau.

BASEBALL: Montreal Expos Though the Expos now exist in Bizarro form as the Washington Nationals, their awesomeness deserves a shout-out. Their one shot at the ‘ship was ruined by a lateseason strike in 1994, and 10 years later the dream ended when the team left Montreal.

Baseball fans now need to make the 4 hour hike to Toronto to catch a game, but the Jays’ retro Fridays should satisfy those who long for the early 90s and the heyday of Canadian MLB.

M

Montreal

Activism

Montre al has a long histor y of st rong , di verse social movements that continue to fight against oppre ssion, e xploitation, and marginalization. Students play a cent ral role in a whole array of struggle s, and with good re ason; the se issue s are all around us. If you’re looking to sur vey a varie t y of local st ruggle s and issue s, then he ad to masse s.tao.ca/ lists/listinfo/act-mtl to join the semi-bilingual Mont re al-wide listser v for social justice and acti vist events. But if you’re looking to plug in with the re volution right away, here’s a short list of groups looking to bring down The System.

Anti-colonialism and Anti-imperialism For those of you with the Middle East on the mind, check out Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (sphr.org). If you identify as Jewish and the occupation pisses you off, then the Jewish Alliance Against the Occupation may be just what you’re looking for.

Up for some Lebanese solidarity activism?

Join up with Tadamon! (tadamon.resist. ca).

Check out the anti-capitalist and antiimperialist Block the Empire to work against the occupation if Iraq. Echec a la Guerre (aqoci.qc.ca/ceg) is a less confrontational Montreal-based anti-war group.

Queer Radicalism Free your ass and your mind will follow!

Montreal’s radical queer groups try to articulate an alternative vision of queer community, one not based on niche marketing or makeover shows. Working out of the McGill and Concordia QPIRGs, the Q-Team (qteam@riseup.net) offers film screenings, panels, workshops, and zine distribution, as well as throwing dance parties.

Les Pantheres Roses (lespantheresroses. org) is a francophone group focusing on direct action and video activism.

Feminism STELLA (chezstella.org) is an organization by sex workers, for sex workers, aimed at improving working conditions and quality of life. PINAY (pinaycan@yahoo.com) helps organize and empower Filipino women in Quebec.

The 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy (centre2110.org), formerly the Concordia Women’s Centre, offers peer counseling, referrals, a needle exchange, and other services.

The South Asian Women’s Community

Centre (sawcc@cam.org) located at 1065 Rachel E. offers services to South Asian women and is one of Canada’s oldest surviving South Asian women’s groups.

Anarchism and Anti-authoritarianism The Anachist Bookfair Collective hosts the largest gathering of anarchists in North America every May at its annual bookfair.

Check out anarchistbookfair.ca for more info on this amazing event. L’Insoumise is an anarchist bookstore and infoshop located as 2033 St. Laurent, and DIRA (2037 St. Laurent) is its library counterpart.

Formed from the ashes of the legendary Anti-Capitalist convergence – better known by its French acronym, CLAC – the Anti-Capitalist Network of Montreal is a coalition of 17 groups (reseau-anticapitaliste.blogspot.com). For anti-authoritarian activism focusing on police violence, check out the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (cobp-mtl.ath.cx).

Immigration and Anti-racism Solidarity Across Borders (solidarityacrossborders.org) is a Montreal-based network of migrants, immigrants, refugees, and allies demanding the regularization of all non-status people, an end to deportations and detentions, and the abolition of security certificates.

No One Is Illegal (nooneisillegal-montreal. blogspot.com) is part of the struggle for the self-determination of migrants and indigenous peoples – there are no illegal human beings, only inhumane laws and unjust states. The Immigrant Workers’ Centre (iwc-cti.ca) supports immigrant workers in their struggles to gain social and union rights, while the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (caircan.ca) aims to educate Canadian and empower Canadian Muslims.

129

QPIRG The Quebec Public Intere st Re se arch Group at McGill (QPIRG McGill) is a student funded, non-prof i t organizat ion t h at s t r i ve s to raise aware ne ss and mo t i vate grassroo ts act i v ism around di verse social and env ironmental just ice issue s. They seek to make campus-communit y links and inspire social change through engaging , inclusi ve and nonhierarchical approache s. QPIRG is a re source centre for student and communit y acti vism that is independent f rom the McGill administ ration and the student union.

Aside f rom QPIRG’s own e vents, collaborations and projects, QPIRG ser ve s as an umbrella organization with many autonomous organizations and projects working with us. The se projects range f rom working groups to summer re se arch stipends, f rom Radical Frosh to School Schmool, just to name a fe w.

Board QPIRG McGill is run by a student volunteer Board of Directors, elected through campus wide elections each March. The Board of Directors is responsible for all decisions pertaining to the operation of the organization. The Board defines the vision and direction of the organization, allocates the budget, and also organizes independent QPIRG events.

QPIRG McGill’s constitution demands that representatives from both undergraduate and graduate student union representatives sit on the Board of Directors. This ensures that the organization benefits all of its member constituents.

Funding For QPIRG to accomplish the mission of being an effective, long-term force through which students can affect social change, it is necessary to have steady and substantial funding. They are established, funded, directed and supported by McGill students.

McGill students voted in 1988 (and reaffirmed in 2006) to pay $3 per student per semester to support our mandate. All undergraduate and graduate students at McGill are charged this fee when they pay tuition. Students who, for whatever reason, do not want to contribute financially to QPIRG may request a fee refund during QPIRG’s opt out period.

It is QPIRG’s belief that opting out is a basic principle of democracy.

130

Events The rich variety of workshops, speaker series, film screenings, and conferences we organize reflect not only how active QPIRG McGill is in the wider Montreal community, but also how QPIRG McGill is an important link between students and the community, as a majority of events occur in or around campus with the intention of engaging McGill students. Our events seek to connect, educate, and engage the two through a variety of means.

During the course of the last three years, QPIRG McGill has prioritized collaborating with other McGill student groups in order to have concentrated progressive interventions on McGill campus. Social Justice Days, Culture Shock and Pride events are just a few examples of these successful collaborations.

The Alternative Resource Library The QPIRG Library offers McGill Students and the general public hundreds of books, films, zines, and magazines that you won’t find at university or public libraries in the city. Use the library free of charge and learn about the wonderful world of social justice including: race/anti-racism, dis/ability issues, radical feminism, queer issues, and much more. The library is open during regular office hours and all students and community members are welcome to browse and/or borrow books.

Working Groups Working Groups are the heart of QPIRG. They do the issues-related projects-research, education and action for social change. All QPIRG working groups are initiated by volunteers, and must be approved by the Board of Directors in September.

Working Groups work on relevant issues or campaigns for McGill students or they may also be groups that work to bridge the gap between campus and the rest of the city.

In fact, many of McGill’s student advocacy groups started as QPIRG working groups and then developed into autonomous entities. QPIRG’s Working Groups have been directly responsible for many positive changes on McGill campus: starting a recycling program on campus, starting a plate club, various important conferences, and many more.

Radical Frosh The Radical Frosh program is part of McGill’s orientation activities for incoming first-year students. Running alongside the SSMU Frosh program, Rad Frosh brings a fresh, political and active approach to introducing new students to student life. Radical Frosh focuses on social and environmental issues, in a space which fosters discussion and the sharing of ideas in a fun way.

Radical Frosh aims to provide students with useful information about university life, volunteer and activist opportunities, facilitate discussion about social, political and environmental issues, and orient students to the larger Montreal community.

With activities such as walking tours, social justice workshops and panel discussions the participants are introduced to a myriad of different issues ranging from immigrant and refugee rights to environmentalism to anti-poverty organizing. Currently, Radical Frosh is QPIRG’s most successful and fastest growing program.

Discretionary Fund This is a fund maintained by QPIRG to provide support for external groups and individuals to conduct short-term, actionoriented social change projects or events.

Proposals are reviewed by QPIRG’s Board of Directors bi-weekly.

Summer Research Stipends QPIRG’s Summer Stipend is intended to provide individuals or groups with a budget/honorarium of $3,000 to work over the summer doing research leading towards action and change within the Montreal community. Projects must fit into QPIRG’s social justice mandate and priority is often given to projects which have barriers to getting funding elsewhere in the community.

School Schmool This project originally started as an alternative handbook in 1994. It was published every two years with the purpose to break down boundaries between McGill and the outside world. Since then, School Schmool has re-created itself with an editorial collective that is autonomous of QPIRG. It takes the form of a day planner that introduces the McGill and wider Montreal social justice community to McGill students. It has truly become an agenda with an agenda.

For more information: Drop by, email or call 3647 University, 3rd Floor Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2P3 Tel. 514-398-7432 Fax. 514-398-8976 Email: qpirg@ssmu.mcgill.ca www.qpirgmcgill.org

131

Festivals No mat ter what you’re looking for, Mont re al probably has some kind of fe sti val that will at the ver y le ast warrant a lit tle bit of inve stigation.

Good ol’ Google or Wikipedia can help you find the fe sti val that’s right for you, whe ther you’re into film st raight out of Latin America, tat toos, theatre, reggae, anime, kinky sex, or just about any other possible festi val theme you can think of. Here are a fe w highlights: Pop Montreal October 1-5, 2008 This Mile-End based music festival includes art, films, a cultural fair, and a conference in addition to its over 200 musical acts. If indie music is your thing, Pop Montreal will make you jump up and down with rhythmic glee. Last year marked a collaborative effort between the festival, The Future of Music Coalition, the Center for Intellectual Property Policy and McGill, from which came the Music Fast Forward policy summit. http://www.popmontreal.com/ Festival de Nouveau Cinema October 8-19, 2008 For nearly 40 years, this film fest has been pushing boundaries and making film accessible – all at surprisingly affordable prices. The Festival de Nouveau Cinema is the largest world-cinema festival in Montreal! Oooo! http://www.nouveaucinema.ca/ Nuit Blanche February 28, 2009 Have you ever wanted to wander the Musée des Beaux Arts at 5am? Or to ride down a gigantic ice slide in the old port as the clock strikes midnight? If yes, you are in luck! Nuit Blanche provides the opportunity for all kind of shenanigans all over Downtown, the Old Port and the Plateau. Museums open their doors to the public until dawn while the Old Port hosts a silent rave and sugar shack, among other things. As part of the Montreal High Lights Festival (which runs from February 19th to March 1st in 2009), Nuit Blanche is not to be missed.

Art Matters Late February/early March Art Matters began in 2000 when a group of Concordia students decided to create a platform for Fine Arts Students to exhibit their work. In 8 years, Art Matters has grown into a 2 week celebration of art in all of its forms – animation, dance, design, film, spoken word, theatre, and visual art. Helpful hint:

132

when planning to attend a specific display, try to go on opening night, when the wine is flowing and the cheese is free. Mmmmm. http://artmatters.concordia.ca/ Mondial de la Bière Late May/early June This little gem is pretty straightforward. Beer.

And lots of it. http://festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/ St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival June The rules of Fringe include no artistic direction, no censorship, accessibility to artists, and accessibility to audiences. This means artists are selected by lottery, artists can present ANYTHING (oh, yes), anyone can apply to said lottery, and tickets are super cheap. What more could you want? http://www.montrealfringe.ca/ Montreal International Jazz Festival Early July Jazz Fest is responsible for bringing over 2 million people together over the course of 10 days, flooding downtown with tourists and locals alike. 350 of the concerts and events are outdoors and free. Jazz Fest celebrates diversity, including Aretha Franklin, Bran Van 3000 and RZA in its 2008 lineup. This is one of the definitive Montreal summer festivals and should be attended at least once over the course of your studies at McGill! It doesn’t hurt that it is conveniently located directly beside the McGill Ghetto… http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

Osheaga Music and Arts Festival August 3-4, 2008 Held at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Osheaga is basically a two-day mix-up of international stars and local talent. Past performers at this eco-conscious event include M.I.A. Feist, Metric, Kid Koala, Wolf Parade, Sonic Youth, and The Smashing Pumpkins. http://www.osheaga.com/en/

Movies Here are some place s where you can pay to sit in a cold dark room for t wo hours wi th st rangers and snack food, staring at a screen.

AMC Forum 22 2313 Ste. Catherine O., 514-904-1250 The first word that comes to mind is “freakin’ huge.” Yeah, I know that’s two. It’s a two-word sort of place. It has, as the name would indicate, 22 screens, which are usually showing standard blockbuster fare but sometimes feature foreign films, francophone films, and indies. With 22 movies playing at most given times, one of them is bound to be some good, if you can navigate yourself to the right escalator on the right floor at the right time.

Dollar Cinema 6900 Decarie Square, 514-739-0536 Amusingly, they’ve upped their prices – admission will now set you back a toonie.

Still, though, take a look at AMC’s ticket prices and tell me $2 doesn’t look good.

Getting here takes a bit of effort - you have to take the metro to Namur and walk along the Decarie freeway for a bit - but, well, it costs two dollars. Check their schedule online first, sometimes they show good movies, and sometimes, not so much.

Cinema du Parc 3573 du Parc, 514-281-1900 Oh, Cinema du Parc. Amazing! They show glorious (and some not-so-glorious) indie flicks, and lots of film festivals that hit Montreal come through here. They’ve raised their prices a bit over the last year, but are still totally affordable, and you’ll usually get your money’s worth. Pick up a monthly schedule and go crazy.

Ex-Centris 3536 St. Laurent, 514-847-3536 Both a film production complex and a cinema, Ex-Centris is a repertory theatre where you’ll buy tickets from talking heads on a computer screen. It’s a pretty bizarre, or if you’d prefer, “avante-garde,” space, and shows art cinema from around the world, priding itself as a last bastion of artistic integrity against the scourge of commercial multiplexes. It’s worth at least one trip, just for the experience.

Cinerobotheque 1564 St. Denis, 514-496-6887 Operated by the National Film Board, this cinema has thousands of documentaries, animations, shorts, and narrative films that cover the entire span of Canadian cinema’s history. You pay two bucks for an hour’s use of a personal viewing station (generally a much better use of a toonie, I might add, than the Dollar Cinema) with a recliner and headphones, pick your poison, and a robotic arm will grab the film you’ve selected and start it up. Definitely worth checking out more than once.

Scotiabank Cinema (formerly Paramount) 977 Ste. Catherine O., 514-842-5828 The main draw of this multiplex cinema is its $5 Tuesdays. It has many floors, big-budget blockbusters, and unsurprisingly expensive popcorn. Bring a winter coat or something, because they keep the temperature in their theatres hovering around freezing.

Also, there are IMAX screens, if you like your abnormally large talking heads to be even larger.

133

Music Welcome to the Montre al music scene – it is weird, amazing , confusing and be autiful. The cit y is currently in the midst of its musical zenith. We are done with the stagnancy of shit t y Canadian rock in the 1980s and 1990s. No longer do we have to revere the Guess Who and Kim Mitchell; now Montre al harbours internationally-revered artists that se t the t rends – bands that were doing mash-ups while you sucked on your mother’s teat, bands that wore American Apparel hoodie s while you collected pogs, bands that Mozart would cover if he were ali ve. It’s a wonderful time for music; it’s a wonderful time for Mont re al. Take advantage of it while you’re here.

Bands: Depending on how many rocks you’ve been living under the past five years, you surely have heard the hype of the “Montreal music scene” from Spin, New York Times, BBC, etc.

But just a quick recap: Arcade Fire release their epochal Funeral (2005), the world turns its head to our snowy city, and suddenly Montreal’s all the rage. A few big-named journalists begin defining the Montreal sound – it’s orchestral, it’s cinematic, it’s eclectic, it’s strange. Here are a few of the bigger names: Wolf Parade: the neurosis of a band like Wolf Parade makes them unappealing for the ears of many; but for those who stride past the initial discomfort of dissonant guitars or screeching vocals will find a band whose music is utterly arresting and innovative.

Vocalist Dan Boeckner fronts the band Handsome Fur while Spencer Krug, the other vocalist, fronts Sunset Rubdown.

Chromeo: disco-pop group Chromeo pride themselves as the only successful Jew-Arab collaboration since the dawn of time.

Yet, their undeniable funk, quick wit, and tongue-in-cheek attitude bring more to the table than merely a successful mixing of religions. Chromeo is a band likely to be heard throughout the city – whether sampled

by DJs, blasting through bars/lounges/clubs, or enjoyed on your iPod.

134

Miracle Fortress: this is the recording project of Graham van Pelt, whose debut “Five Roses” is a stunningly-beautiful record of love-had and love-lost. Deeply influenced by the lush harmonies of the Beach Boys and the synth-drones of Brian Eno, Miracle Fortress’s airy melodies soar when Pelt’s endearingly-shaky vocals come in.

A-Trak: at age fifteen, Alain Macklovitch (aka, A-Trak) won a DJ Championship in 1997.

As the younger brother of Dave in Chromeo, A-Trak has seen tremendous success in DJ’ing in Montreal, and internationally. After all, he is the DJ for Kanye West.

Pop Montreal: The best description of Pop Montreal comes from its own biography: “Montreal is a special place, populated by a lot of amazing people who adore music. And we know it’s an amazing place to have a five-day party.” So there it is; from October 3rd-7th, nearly every venue in the city, big or small, will feature a concert. You can buy a $70 wristband which will get you into every show at the festival, or alternatively, buy tickets to individual shows.

Wanna write about music? Gnarly! How about starting off by stopping by the office of the McGill Daily’s culture section and doing some music-related reviews? The Daily has access to concerts, interviews, and many other cool musical events they need writing about.

This is a grass roots festival which means it was started by a group of people trying to bring as much music as possible to Montreal. And even YOU can get involved.

They always need volunteers, so check out www.popmontreal.com and see if you can do your part.

Venues: The following venues are ones that you might be heading to for big name shows; here are their locations and the approximate capacity of each.

Bell Centre: 1260 de la Gauchetière St W, capacity 20 000 Metropolis: 59 Ste Catherine E, cap.

2500 Club Soda: 1225 St Laurent, cap. 750 La Tulipe: 4530 avenue Papineau, cap.

700 Le National: 1220 rue Sainte-Catherine Est, cap. 600 Club Lambi: 4465 Saint-Laurent, cap.

350 La Sala Rossa: 4848 St-Laurent cap. 300 Casa del Popolo: 4873 St Laurent cap.

100 How Can I Get Involved?

Wanna see shows? Great! Refer to www. montrealshows.com for a comprehensive list of upcoming shows. Information on buying tickets varies for each show.

Wanna play shows? Radical! Get that sitar-a-rocking by checking out various open-mic nights throughout the city. Go talk to bar-owners and promoters about getting your band to play at their bar. www.montrealmusicscene.com

Websites: www.montrealshows.com: The most comprehensive listing of upcoming concerts in Montreal. www.pollstar.com: A general listing of concerts in all cities around the world. www.midnightpoutine.com: Blog about Montreal’s art, music and food scene. www.pitchforkmedia.com: An influential website that reviews new music daily.

135

Art Montre al’s art scene is di vided be t ween a se t of world-class museums and a bustling and young local art scene fuelled mostly by the cit y’s schools and uni versit y art programs.

How to sum up the scene in 500 words or le ss? First, the t wo biggie s, followed by the be st of the smaller museums peppered through downtown, and finally a couple of sugge stions for walking tours, if you want to ge t re ally oversaturated.

Montréal Museum of Fine Arts 1379 and 1380 Sherbrooke, mmfa.qc.ca It’s worth visiting regularly for both its extensive permanent collection of art and design and its line-up of world-class temporary exhibitions.

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal 185 Ste. Catherine O., macm.org The city’s other world class museum that merits regular visits. It attracts roving international exhibitions but devotes the majority of its gallery space to exhibiting the work of Canadian and Quebecois artists. And admission is free for students on Wednesday nights!

Canadian Centre for Architecture 1920 Baile, cca.qc.ca Think “architecture” defined broadly. Exhibitions range from the literal an concrete to the very conceptual and theoretical – last year it hosted “Sense of the City,” and exhibit that played with sensorial experiences in urban space. Admission is free on Thursday nights.

McCord Museum 690 Sherbrooke, mccord-museum.qc.ca Directly across the street from campus, this small museum is devoted to the history of Montreal rather than to art, and is worth visiting once. Écomusée du Fier Monde 2050 Amherst, ecomusee.qc.ca Another history museum worth one visit, this place applies socialist ideologies to its programming, chronicling the history, development, and gentrification of the Gay Village.

The most vibrant aspect of Montréal’s art scene is its vast number of tiny pedestrianfriendly galleries. If you want galleries with conservative artistic taste, try Sherbrooke’s

136

Golden Mile, between the MMFA and rue Guy, or Old Montréal, on St. Paul and de la Commune.

For a dense concentration of contemporary art, head to the Belgo Building (372 Ste. Catherine O.), which houses several of the city’s best galleries on its upper floors, and nearby Concordia-student run VAV Gallery (1395 Rene-Levesque O., vavgallery.com), which exhibits new works by Fine Arts students. Also affiliated with Concordia are the Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery (1400 Maisonneuve, ellen-gallery.concordia.ca) and Faculty of Fine Arts Gallery (1515 Ste. Catherine O., fofagallery.concordia.ca).

A couple of metro stops east, UQAM has two noteworthy spots: the Galerie de l’UQAM (1400 Berri, galerie.uqam.ca), with exhibitions by famous Canadian artists, and the Centre de Design (1440 Sanguinet, centrededesign. com), which mounts exhibits tracking trends in design.

Outside of downtown, galleries on and around St. Laurent specialize in photography (VOX Contemporary Image, 1211 St. Laurent, voxphoto.com), emerging local artists (Gallery Gora, 279 Sherbrooke O., gallerygora.com), and not-for-profit artist-run exhibitions (La Centrale Gallery Powerhouse, 4296 St. Laurent, lacentrale.org).

Further north, Mile End houses a smaller set of art venues that specialize in abstract art, like the artist-run Centre Articule (262 Fairmount, articule.org), Galerie Simon Blais (5420 St. Laurent, galeriesimonblais. com), and the Outremont branch of Galerie Clarence Gagnon (1108 Laurier, clarencegagnon.com).

Finally, Montréal’s streets are well-supplied in public art (ville.montreal.qc/publicart) and contemporary and historical creations pop up on the McGill campus now and then.

And if you’re not totally oversaturated yet, there’s loads of graffiti.

Theatre Mont re al’s the at re scene has mostly f rancophone of ferings; you’ll have to se arch a bit to find Anglophone productions, and they generally have smaller venue s and smaller budge ts. Here’s a guide to help you snif f out the be st the both language s have to of fer.

Theatre at McGill McGill’s academic theatre program falls under the department of English, and is quite small. The senior classes have open performances for their end-of-year productions. The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society (AUTS) puts on one big show a year – in 08/09, it’ll be Hair. Past shows include Little Shop of Horrors and Urinetown.

Extracurricularly, we have Players’ Theatre, Tuesday Night Café, and the Savoy Society (and yes, we know that musicals aren’t the same as theatre!). Each of these venerable student groups puts on at least one big show, usually in the winter, so keep your eyes open for posters announcing auditions and performances. Check out the campus culture section for a more in-depth look at McGill’s theatre scene.

Professional Theatres As far as theatre-going in the city goes, the best choices are francophone. Northeast of campus on Rue Saint Denis above Ave des Pins, you’ll find le Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (3900 St-Denis) and le Théâtre du Rideau Vert (4664 St-Denis) within a couple of blocks of each other. They showcase contemporary and mostly Canadian plays, which certainly makes for interesting fare.

Also worth a look for edgy pieces are Usine C (1345 Lalonde) and Theatre Prospero (1371 Ontario E.), both southeast of campus near the gay village. Usine C is located in a multidisciplinary theater space in a renovated factory building, and is definitely worth at least one visit.

With regards to English theatre, Mainline Theatre (4398 St. Laurent) is a great starting place for anglophone theatre pursuits in the city. It’s both geographically and financially accessible to McGill students.

There’s also the National Theatre School (1182 St. Laurent), whose bigger budget and strong actors lead it to put on some of the best student productions in the city.

It also hosts French shows and bilingual professional companies. Concordia’s Theatre Department (7141 Sherbrooke O.) is a good bet for larger-budget-than-McGill productions. Since Concordia actually has a theatre department, their productions are generally of higher quality than McGill’s, and hey, it’s not too far away…

Also, the Theatre Sainte-Catherine (264 Ste. Catherine E) features interesting work in both English and French. Their shows tend to be a bit more innovative and edgy, and frequently feature the work of recent Montreal theatre school grads.

If opera’s your thing, head to the Opéra de Montréal, located inside Place des Arts. Their 08/09 season features Verdi’s Macbeth, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, and more.

137

Parks Montre al has plent y of green space, so when the concre te and glass of downtown starts ge t ting you down, you can go hang out in one of its many parks and roll in the grass and forge t all about that paper you’ve got due tomorrow. Here’s some information about parks around Montre al, so that you can go and do whatever it is you do in parks. God, I don’t know what you do. Just go to the park!

Parc Mont Royal This is Montreal’s largest park, and takes up most of the land on that large mountain you see looming over McGill’s campus (the mountain happens to be Mont Royal, Montreal’s namesake). It opened in 1876, and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. Its nearly 500 acres contain many kilometers of footpaths, bike paths, and ski trails.

Also, Beaver Lake, some great sledding hills, and a giant illuminated cross. On Sundays when the weather’s warm, the area of the park at the intersection of Parc and Duluth fills with drummers, dancers, and people dressed as medieval warriors for Tam-Tams, a wonderfully bizarre event. Take a couple of hours some day to hike to the top, have a picnic, and enjoy the amazing view of the Montreal skyline.

Parc Lafontaine Bordered by Sherbrooke, Papineau, Rachel, and avenue du Parc Lafontaine, this is probably my favorite of Montreal’s many parks. A bike path runs around the perimeter, and there are footpaths everywhere - it’s a gorgeous destination for a quick jog, or just a bit of time spent walking around greenery. There’s a large pond with a fountain that runs in the summer in the center, and in the winter when the pond freezes over, you can rent skates and slide about on the ice. There are also baseball diamonds, soccer fields, wading pools, an open-air theatre, and a dog park.

Parc Jean-Drapeau This park is composed of two islands - Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame. Île NotreDame was built with displaced dirt from the construction of Montreal’s metro tunnels in the early 1960s. Today, the park is accessible by the yellow line of the metro or by bike path over the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. There are many kilometers of footpath, and the park is full of trees, streams, and waterfalls.

Parc Jean-Drapeau also contains many other

138

attractions – Six Flags La Ronde, the Montreal Casino, a beach, the Formula 1 racetrack, and the list goes on. Many events are also held here, such as the Osheaga Festival in early August and Piknic Electronik, an electronic music dance party that happens every Sunday until the end of September.

Square St. Louis One of many small squares around the city, Square St. Louis is pleasant, sunny, and full of trees. In the summer, the fountain starts running and an ice cream shop opens up in the gazebo. It used to have a seedy reputation but it’s fairly nice now - that having been said, I’ve seen five undercover cops converge on someone here and handcuff him to a bench before arresting him. Stick around long enough and you might too!

That’s just a glimpse of what Montreal has to offer. If none of those appeal to you – well, go out, take a walk around, and before long you’ll come across countless other parks, some of which you’re bound to love.

Montreal

Police

Police Partou t, Jus t ice Nulle Part (Police Ever y where, Jus t ice Nowhere) is a fairly common slogan among young Mont réalers.

This is because Mont réal’s cops are in many ways some of the nastie st cops around. In other ways, though, they are some of the chille st cops around. It depends on your e xperience.

Most people are lulled into a sense of fondness towards les boys en bleu after they first accidentally walk past a cop car with a joint or beer in hand and the cops don’t give a shit. Don’t be fooled. Montréal’s cops are internationally recognized as some of the nastiest cops in a ‘western democracy’.

Montréal’s cops have been condemned by the United Nations for brutality and attacks on fundamental human rights. Yes, the body that normally deals with ethnic cleansing, genocide, war crimes, and other heinous acts saw fit to take time to hear a case against the Montréal police, based on their use of a tactic called mass arrest: when a protest isn’t moving fast enough, or there’s some trouble-makers in the crowd, instead of dealing with problematic individuals, the Montréal police will arrest hundreds of people at a time, simply for having been present. The goal of such a tactic is of course to discourage people from attending protests, out of fear. (“Wait, you were just standing on the sidewalk and they arrested you? Fuck that, I’m not going to the next protest. Let’s go eat poutine instead.”) The UN Human Rights Commission saw this – rightfully – as a blatant attack on human rights, and the very fundamental Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Speech.

Further, Montréal’s cops are the only police force in modern, western history that has ever had a class-action lawsuit authorized against it by the courts. Again, for

mass-arrest. Anyone who has ever seen a peaceful protest be arrested en masse, with elderly men carrying flowers being shoved onto the sidewalk, and many more McGill students being hit, arrested, or ticketed for having spoken back to a cop on a powertrip, or any street punk who has ever had the crap beaten out of them for the “crime” of sleeping peacefully in a park can attest to the Montréal cops being some of the biggest assholes around.

There are some basic tips that will help you deal with the police better: - Eat, drink, party, and be merry. Just don’t piss anyone off while you do it by yelling loudly in a residential neighbourhood or pissing on someone’s front lawn. Live and let live is the order of the day for partying in Québec.

- Be extremely deferential when speaking to cops. Even if you have to fake it, feigning politeness, not interrupting, keeping your voice calm and relaxed, apologizing for taking up their time, and the use of the formal pronouns will get you far.

Arrogant assholes love having their egos stroked.

- Speak French if you can. Englishlanguage education in this province is fairly minimal, and most people don’t end up as cops for having excelled in school.

- Know your rights! Go to educaloi. com/en/loi, and check out the “Citizens” and “Offenders & Accused Persons” links.

Those four tips will help you get by a little better with the police of this city. And of course, if you ever have any problems with the police, your greatest ally is a lawyer, and your first stop can and should be the McGill Legal Information Clinic located on the first floor of the Shatner Building, and at 514-398-6792.

139

Shopping Alterations/Drycleaning For dry-cleaning and clothing alterations, head to the Nettoyeur La Cite in Les Galeries du Parc (3575 Parc Ave).

The staff is extremely friendly and they have special prices for students!

Bookstores For used books right in the McGill Ghetto, check out The Word (469 Milton Street, 514-845-5640) where they have a good selection of classic literature, contemporary novels and great art books. They also sell used course books, so pop by before your shell out a ton of cash at the McGill bookstore. Haven Books (2070 Aylmer) sells new and used textbooks, and you can consign your old books. Another option for used books is Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe St., 2nd floor). For a wide selection of new books, stop by at Paragraphe Books (2220 McGill College Ave., 514-845-5811) or the second floor of the McGill University Bookstore (3420 McTavish Street, 514-398-7444).

Clothing Stores For shopping along the Main, check out Boutique EXTC (19 Prince-Arthur Street W., 514-282-1083) for a large selection of jeans, Lola and Emily for beautiful clothes in a boutique with a lovely vibe, U & I (3650/3652 St-Laurent Blvd., 514-844-8788) for both men’s and women’s designer stuff (think Phillip Lim, Chloé), and Marché Mtl (24 Des Pins Avenue Est., 514-907-2482) for vintage finds alongside products from independent designers. If you are looking for the bigger chain stores, check out St. Catherines Street and the Eaton Centre, while for boutique and vintage shopping head over to St. Denis and Mt. Royal.

Cobbler For all of your shoe needs, head over to the Cordonnerie du Parc downstairs in Les Galeries du Parc (3575 Parc Ave).

Grocery Stores Provigo (various locations including 3421 Parc Ave) and Metro (various

140

locations including inside Galeries du Parc) are your standard huge supermarkets. You’ll be able to find most of your basic foodstuffs here, and their prices are pretty much what you’d expect - not exactly cheap but not too unreasonable either. Provigo has a 10% student discount on Mondays, and both of them deliver. Secret tip for grocery shopping superstars: buy your produce at Marche Lobo then head over to Metro and do the rest of your shopping, and the friendly folks at Metro will deliver your Marche Lobo bags too if you ask nicely.

Marche Lobo (3509 Parc Ave) has the cheapest produce ever. They have a fairly wide selection of other foods as well; bread, rice, beans, tea, oils, etc., Marche Lobo is where it’s all at.

Segal (4001 St-Laurent) - cheap, usually crowded, smells like salted fish because of, well, the piles of salted fish. Their produce is generally dubious-looking but they have amazing deals on nonperishables. Bring your own shopping bags, since they stopped using plastic bags earlier this year. They’ll also deliver.

Eden (inside Galeries du Parc) sells pricey organic foods. They have a great Asian food section, and all sorts of specialty foods that aren’t too easy to find elsewhere, but oh boy are they expensive.

Marché Atwater (138 Atwater) and Marché Jean-Talon (7075 Casgrain) are great destinations for locally grown fresh produce as well as local meat, fish, cheese,… They’re both a bit of a hike from downtown, but well worth the trip.

4 Frères (various locations, including 3701 St-Laurent) is expensive and doesn’t have the greatest selection.

The main draw of 4 Freres is that it’s open 24 hours a day, so if you’re stumbling home down St. Laurent at 3 in the morning and absolutely must eat some frozen juice concentrate, 4 Freres is there for you. Waiting.

IGA is the same sort of place as Provigo and Metro. This is the closest grocery store to Solin, right across from Atwater Market. There’s also one just outside of Plamondon Metro that has a large kosher foods section.

over to Blockbuster Video (3745 St. Dominique, 514-285-8868).

Music Stores If you are looking to go the old school route and actually buy your tunes from a physical, rather than virtual, store head over to L’Oblique for both new and used products (4333 Rivard, 514-499-1323) or check out Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe St., 2nd floor) for all kinds of goodies. If you are in the market for more new and/or mainstream items, I would stick with HMV (1020 St Catherine West, 514875-0765).

Pets If you are looking for a furry (or scaly) companion, visit Animalerie Too Zoo (4072 St Laurent, 514-842-9996) or the Montreal SPCA (http://www. spcamontreal.com/).

Photocopiers For photocopying, faxing or printing documents, visit Copie Nova (1015 Sherbrooke W., 514-848-0423) or head down to the basement of the Redpath Library Building and check out the McGill Copy Service (514398-5560).

Hair Salons For a new ’do check out Coupe Bizarre (3770 St. Laurent, 514-8433433), Funky Toque (3688 St. Laurent, 514-985-2999), or Tonic Salonspa (3613 St. Laurent, 514-499-9494).

Hardware Stores For building, painting or house supplies, Rona pretty much has you covered (4100 Boul.St-Laurent, 514844-1963).

Movie Rentals For a good selection of new, old, and international films, visit Movieland (3575 Parc Ave, 514-843-5206) in Les Galeries du Parc. But don’t bring your movies in late, the fees are ridiculous.

If you are in the Plateau, you can pop

Pharmacies Though the Pharma Prix in the Galeries du Parc is the most convenient for McGill ghetto dwellers, their merchandise is limited and the pharmacists can be rude. For a full-range of products head to the Pharmaprix (3861 St. Laurent) and for the best pharmacy service visit the gentlemen at Pharmacie Arthur Goldstein (455 Rue Sherbrooke O, 514-849-6019) Post-Office Post offices are located downstairs in Les Galeries du Parc complex (3575 Parc Ave.) and inside the Centre de Variété Saint-Laurent (3644 St. Laurent, 514-288-7538). If you miss a package delivery, this is the post-office your goods will be sent to if you live in the area.

141

Volunteering Re alizing that there’s more to life than grade s, Facebook and empt y bot tle s of Bore ale?

Volunteering is a bloody good way of mee ting like minded folk, building on your skills and gi ving back to your communit y. And not that it would e ver cross your e ager McGill mind, but future employers and grad schools e at it up. None thele ss, helping and working with others is one of the be st ways to ge t beyond the academia and le arn about the re al world - and le arn about yourself too.

Activities Night is the simplest way to get involved in the community. There’s a club for just about every cause and interest. Choose only a few to sign up for, otherwise your wee head will get overwhelmed and e-mail box bombarded.

But seriously- volunteer to run an event, staff an office, or join an executive committee.

The Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Student Society (SACOMSS) is an amazing McGill service. You can volunteer for the helpline, listening and providing info to sexual assault survivors and their allies, help run support groups, or do workshops in local schools on sexual assault. Check them out on Activities Night or call 514398-8500 and tell them you want to get involved.

The Yellow Door is right in the heart of the McGill ghetto and is always looking volunteers- to help organize small acoustic gigs or vegan lunches but their big thing is the Elderly Project.

Chill and cheer up some otherwise isolated, darling older folk by keeping ‘em company every once in a while. Go to yellowdoor.org for more details.

Head & Hands are dedicated towards providing more accessible healthcare, support, and raising awareness on physical, mental and sexual health, especially to otherwise marginalized community members and youth. There’s a bunch of ways you can help them out, including tutoring and babysitting if you’re missing kiddies in your life.

Visit headandhands.ca or e-mail info@ headandhands.ca.

Food Not Bombs is a no commitment, every Sunday gathering of a small group of laid back radicals cooking up a vegetarian storm. All the food goes down to Berri Square and you can dine

142

away with the homeless people you serve the food to. Cooking locations change so e-mail fnbmontreal@linuxmail. org for more information.

AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM) can send you off into local schools to do presentations focusing on providing young people with information on HIV/AIDS prevention and stigma busting.

Contact them at 514-527-0928.

QPIRG is a great resource for finding out about more volunteer opportunities in the city. They also do a lot of work organizing events and raising awareness through their Working Groups, which focus on a particular social justice issue. Swing by their office at 3647 University and press the buzzer or go to their website qpirgmcgill.org.

QPIRG Concordia has a good range, too (qpirgconcordia.org).

Summer internships are a wicked way of filling those preposterously long summer’s months. The Arts Internship Office has an on-line database of internships available- in Montreal and around the world- or you can find your own. If you’re an Arts student you may even be able to get 3 academic credits and/or financial support for your endeavors.

Don’t procrastinate, early organizing is key. E-mail aio@mcgill.ca to set up an appointment or check out their website at www.mcgill.ca/arts-internships.

If none of these quite suit that big, compassionate heart of yours, Montreal is full of opportunities. Call the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal (514-842-3351) and arrange a meeting to get set in the right direction. Also, visiting cabm.net is a good heads up.

So come on, you’re out of excuses now; quit lounging and get a move on!

reviews Where to Wine & Dine

Reviews

Where to take your date? Where to ge t your parents to buy you dinner? Where to drink, where to dance, and where to e at on the long drunk 3 am walk home? We’ve enlisted an army of re staurant revie wers to answer the se and more que stions. Re ad on!

RESTAURANTS $: less than $5 $$: 5-10 $$$: 10-20 $$$$: 20-30 $$$$$: 30+

Afghan Khyber Pass 506 Duluth E., 514-849-1775 A warm and intimate restaurant with an unusual menu – so if you’re unfamiliar with Afghan food (as most of us likely are) you may want to go with the table-de-hote option ($14). The Afghan chutneys and braised lamb shank were both delicious.

Affordable, BYOW, all-around lovely. $$$

out the french toast, served with fresh fruit, and omelettes (with such winning combinations as mushrooms, chevre, and fresh herbs; fresh tomato, basil, and gruyere cheese). If you’re feeling more lunchy, check the sandwiches; the salmon + dill wrap is fab; as is the Zen chicken sandwich. There’s also duck. $$$

African Blue Nile 3706 St. Denis, 514-285-4628 Ethiopian cuisine can’t just be eaten; it is a unique experience to be had, where utensils don’t exist and you use your hands to eat with spongy, naan-like pancake bread. It takes a while to get used to, but we guarantee it is lots of fun.

Here, the setting is quiet and sweet, and there are plates you can split between two, allowing you to save some cash.

For those who have never had Ethiopian food, don’t miss out. $$$$

Cafeteria 3581 St. Laurent, 514-849-3855 Looking for a chic first-date breakfast joint that doubles as a trendy hotspot by night? Then Cafeteria is the place for you! Known amongst McGill students as an affordable you-can-wear-your-clubclothes-from-last-night joint - you should try their chive scrambled eggs in the morning and their juicy burgers by night! $$$

Abiata 3435 St. Denis, 514-281-0111 With an identical menu to its cousin Blue Nile, this smaller restaurant offers a convenient alternative when the St. Denis Ethiopian favourite is mobbed. The African décor and utensils-free eating style make a meal at Abiata more than worthwhile, but the beef and lamb dishes tend to be a bit under par. $$$ Breakfast Cafe Art Java 837 Mont Royal, 514-927-9990 After the requisite rounds of Eggspectation, Chez Cora, and other touristy Montreal brunch faves, Cafe Art Java is a breath of fresh air. For brunch, check

146

L’Avenue du Plateau 922 Mont Royal E., 514-523-8780 Pricy and always busy (expect a line), but worth it. 3-egg enormous omelets, delicious fresh fruit and berry juice, and a lively young crowd make this place a treat. There’s a huge menu, so there’s something for everyone. $$$

Chez Jose 173 Duluth E., 514-845-0693 Fun, colorful, delicious. Café feel. Good service. Think hippie-hipster clientele and hence vegetarian friendly. $$ Fuschia 4050 Coloniale, 514-842-1232 A set menu of eggs with salad, tea or coffee of choice and pastry, all for $10. It’s a beautiful place with a gentle and friendly resident husky. Also sells its homemade teas, meat rubs, bathing salts, etc. Go on Saturdays for some live morning jazz. Great if you want to have a relaxing morning. $$ Petit Marche 5035 St. Denis, 514-842-1994 If you like fruit with breakfast, you’ll love this place. All sorts of fruit is served with

every dish ranging from crepes to simple eggs. Your meal comes with freshly squeezed juice, friendly service, lots of coffee, and beautiful atmosphere. Great for large groups of friends. If you’re looking for a cheaper breakfast, be sure to check out the regular menu instead of the brunch menu. $$-$$$ McGill Pizza 625 Milton, 514-845-8011 With the cheapest breakfast around town McGill Pizza is buzzing after 11am on Saturdays and Sundays serving up eggs, toast, bacon, home fries, juice and coffee for $4.25. Easy and close comfort food, McGill Pizza also serves up an array of lunch and dinner foods including burgers, club house sandwiches and pizza! $ Place Milton 220 Milton, 514-285-0011 Another popular ghetto locale, you’ll find most students there on weekend afternoons exchanging stories from their previous evening jaunts over hearty breakfast food. With everything from crepes to omelettes and a variety of breakfast meats, Place Milton serves it up fast and affordable! $$ Le Vieux St-Laurent 3993 St. Laurent, 514-848-0983 The Place Milton of St. Laurent. Eggs are served with roasted potatoes, a meat of your choice, toast, and a bit of melon fruit cup. Breakfast is quick, cheap and with unlimited coffee. $$ Cafes Arts Café 201 Fairmount, 514-274-0919 Cozy place in Mile End with each dish named after a different famous artist. Good food for all meals, and with the internet, a patio, and space enough to lounge around for an afternoon without getting in the way, it’s also a good place to study or slowly get drunk. $$ Brulerie St. Denis Various locations, including 3965 St. Denis, 514-268-9158 The food and desserts are pretty overpriced, but Brulerie St. Denis is a great place for coffee and pastries. There’s no

wireless, but the interior at all their locations is pretty nice; it’s a great place to study if you don’t need a computer. $$ L’Escalier 552 Ste. Catherine E., 514-670-5812 Formerly L’Utopik, this cute café on the edge of the Village offers delicious vegetarian fare and fair-trade coffees and teas. This former residential space is a maze of colorfully painted rooms with comfy couches and frequent live performances, of music, storytelling, and probably anything else you can think of. It has mostly francophone clientele, and is a frequent studying destination for nearby UQAM students, and the cozy atmosphere can’t be beat. $$ Laika 4040 St. Laurent, 514-842-8088 Probably one of the hippest hangouts in the Plateau/St. Laurent area. The glib clientele occasionally includes some actual contenders in the Montreal film, music, fashion, blah blah scene, and usually an array of wannabe’s. It turns into a lounge later in the evening, with a DJ, drinks, and the usual St. Laurent rigmarole. The brunch is well-known, the food is good, and the menu extensive, but prices can be steep for the portion size. $$$ Mimi & Coco 4927 Sherbrooke O., 514-482-6362 This made-in-Montreal clothing store offers more than print dresses and shirts. The well-kept secret (not anymore!) boutique serves delicious salads and sandwiches in the back. Try the Asian salad with chicken, avocado and crunchy noodles. There are three M&C in Montreal, but only this one has the edible goods. $$ Pi 4127 St. Laurent, 514-286-4828 Pi, the ‘in-crowd’ chess café on the Plateau, with its bleeding red interior and cavernous depth, is surprisingly hospitable. Small tables, local artwork, and good music floating on the air-waves – classical in the mornings, indie rock later on. There’s an array of snacks and meal-time food as well as wine and beer, and, best of all, fair-trade coffee and chocolate, mate tea, and veggie-chicken burger. Nothing costs more than $8. The staff is cool, and don’t

147

be intimidated by the percentage of older clientele; Pi would be incomplete without this goodhearted, chess-loving crowd – they are children at heart. $ Cafe Republique 3563 boulevard Saint-Laurent, 514-8409044 It’s a chain, so it’s a pretty safe bet with no surprises. The western style meals are delicious, huge, reasonably priced and the all day breakfast is great. Centrally located, it’s worth a visit. $$ Chinese Maison Kam Fung 1111 rue Saint-Urbain, 514-878-2888 Maison Kam Fung offers casual Chinese dining in the heart of Montreal’s China Town. Their Sunday Dim Sum will do just as the name implies and “touch the heart” and your stomach, but not your wallet as its fits any student budget. Our suggestion: the pork buns and for the more adventurous – chicken feet! Come for the atmosphere as much as for the food. $$$

Niu Kee 1163 Clark, 514-227-0464 Just above the gates of Chinatown at Clark and Rene-Levesque, you’ll find the city’s best hot-and-spicy Szechuan cuisine.

This family-run restaurant features secret homemade sauces and fresh ingredients to buzz the senses. Unusual fare, great prices, and vegetarian-friendly offerings make for a memorable eating experience. $$$ Restaurant de Bonheur 1441 St. Mathieu, 514-935-2321 Awesome and authentic (and spicy!)

Chinese food. Helpful tips: ask for the tea (it’s free); get the hot and sour soup, put in a little soy sauce; some of the best dishes are the mau-pau tofu without pork (unless you like the pork), the chicken and eggplant, and the chicken and cashews. $8 pitchers. $$-$$$ Diners Alto’s 3462 Parc, 514-844-9898 Deity of diners and delivery, Alto’s has got it all, and for cheap: pizza, burgers, fries, subs, Greek and Italian fare. Though Mamma’s comes a close second in price and deliciousness, Alto’s finishes first for its bigger selection and more vegetarian options. $$

148

Amère a boire 2049 St. Denis, 514-282-7448 This brew pub has a large selection of wild game and locally-produced meats to go with their wide variety of home-made liquid bread. Get some rabbit, lamb, or pheasant and pair with suggestions from your server, you won’t be disappointed. Their vegetarian options are interesting, but don’t compare with La Paryse down the road. $$-$$$ La Belle Province Various locations Pretty much the spot for late-night fast food cravings. With a location on the corner of St. Laurent and Prince Arthur (as well as pretty much anywhere else you might be), it’s not hard to find, and the food is surprisingly edible. Vegetarians – they’re too cheap to use real meat in their gravy, so the poutine is veggie-safe! $ Bofinger 5667 Sherbrooke O., 514-315-5056 A great stop for beef ribs and other meatfilled delights. Sides include macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and fries. A cute dinerstyle atmosphere and outdoor picnic tables make this a worthwhile stop. $$ Frites Alors Various locations, including 1710 St-Denis / 3497 St-Laurent / 5235 Parc, 514-948-2219 Belgian fries. Caribou burger. Vegetarian croque-monsieur with goat cheese, avocado, onions, mushrooms and asparagus. Sausages. Tintin. Ten spiced mayonnaises to choose from. Curry. Pink Pesto. Garlic.

Belgian Beers. You can get all this and more at the Frites Alors around Montreal…if you are unable to go to Patati Patata. One piece of advice: go the Parc restaurant; it’s the original, and if the cook is there he might give you a free piece of fried sole.

Delicious. $$ Mamma’s 75 Pins O., 514-288-1128 The restaurant of choice for drunken ghetto kids, Mamma’s also makes for good sober dining if you like meat, cheese, and grease.

But beyond good pizza and fries, this is no place for vegetarians; vomit-inducingly enough, the veggie poutine replaces gravy with tomato sauce, and the pasta tastes like it’s right out of a can. $$

The Orange Julep 7700 Decarie, 514-738-7486 A Montreal landmark. The food is nothing special – it’s basically a regular cassecroute – but they are famous for their “orange julep,” which is something like an orange milkshake (but better than a milkshake). If you’re up for an adventure, hop on the Metro’s orange line, get off at Namur, and then follow the gigantic orange…you’ll understand when you get there. $$ Patati Patata 4177 St. Laurent, 514-844-016 Patati Patata: Basically, the best place to eat in Montreal. Everything is less than five dollars, and it’s absolutely delicious. Go for Tiny Burgers, tofu sandwiches, onion soup, fish & chips, and legendary fries. It might be smaller than your dorm room, but it’s the best our city can offer. $ La Paryse 302 Ontario E., 514-842-2040 The king of diners. Everything on the menu is delicious, and the three different types of veggie burgers they offer are all phenomenal. Their regular burgers aren’t too shabby either, and don’t miss the chance to top your meal off with a milkshake. $$ Restaurant Lafleur Various locations Quebecois fast food at its finest. The poutine is glorious (I dare you to order the ‘family-size’…), the fries are soggy, and the burgers are cheap. Like La Belle Province, the poutine is vegetarian. $ St-Hubert Various locations, including 4462 St-Denis, 514-342-9495 Like poutine, you can’t live in Quebec and not have St-Hubert chicken. The timetested brand of rotisserie chicken, served with fries and the legendary gravy is not to be missed. It is true that their gravy is the reason to go. Here’s a tip: next time you go, ask for a “poulet poutine.” It’s not an item on the menu, but it’s definitely the best, and self-explanatory. $$$ French Café Cherrier 3635 St. Denis, 514-843-4308 Located right at Cherrier and Saint-Denis, this Parisian-inspired spot is a little taste

of elegance in the plateau. Their vinecovered summer terrace with black and white awning makes it hard to miss as a cool place to beat the heat. If you’re a fan of seafood or a steak and frites kind of guy, then this bistro is for you. A little pricy for an average night out, but if it’s pay day we suggest their pistachio-encrusted salmon and shrimp tempura to start! $$$$ Claremont 5032 Sherbrooke O., 514-483-1557 You probably don’t know about this delicious eatery because it’s situated at the border of Westmount and NDG. For a mere ten dollars, you can taste food that should be sold for thirty. From sweet potato fries to tiger shrimp flambéed in sambuca, to walnut ravioli in a white wine & roast garlic reduction – it’s scrumptious. $$$, cheaper at lunch.

La Charade 4115 St. Denis, 514-842-7916 You’ll find all the classic French bistro offerings at this dining spot in the heart of the Plateau. Everything on the menu looks tempting, but especially recommended are the bruschetta appetizer and leg of duck. There are also two terraces open in the summer, one of which looks onto the bustling St. Denis. $$$-$$$$ La Colombe 554 Duluth E., 514-849-8844 Located in the heart of the Plateau, this is the classiest BYOB restaurant in Montreal.

Marked by its cozy wood-dominated interior, its New French Cuisine and its knowledgeable yet surprisingly unpretentious staff, La Colombe is an unforgettable dining experience. There are usually four table d’hôte selections (set menus) to choose from. Some common dishes include a delicate salmon, a succulent tenderloin of pork, and a savory duck breast. $$$$$ Cuisine et Dependance 4902 St. Laurent, 514-842-1500 Possibly one of the best restaurants in the city. The menu changes regularly and prices can range up to $100 per person including wine, but are definitely worth it. All the dishes are creative and the cooks and waitstaff are always happy to advise you and talk to you about the food. Vegetarians beware, the only thing that you’ll be able to eat are desserts, but those are amazing too. $$$$$

149

L’Entrecote Saint-Jean 2022 Peel, 514-281-6492 Only blocks from main campus, this restaurant recreates the feel and flavour of an old-fashioned French bistro. There’s only one plat principal on the menu, but they do it so well that there’s no reason to worry (unless you’ve gone vegetarian); steak and fries in a mustard-based sauce, which is preceded by baguette and a Boston-lettuce and walnut salad. Option to add a soup (often a cream of some vegetable or other) and profiteroles, a sort of pastry stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce and slices of almond. Everything is elegantly, almost perfectly, simple. The service is outstanding and unpretentious. $$$$ L’Express 3927 St. Denis, 514-845-5333 Feel like dropping a lot of money on a memorable French dining experience?

Look no further than L’Express. The décor is comparable to that of a Parisian café; a long room with black-and-white tiled floors and brass railings awaits you. The real catch here, though, is the food. You can expect authentic, classic French gastronomy. Foie gras, steak-frites and an extensive wine list are just a few delights to get your mouthwatering. $$$$$ Figaro 5200 Hutchinson, 514-278-6567 Figaro is one of my favorite little French bistros in Montreal. The ambience is perfectly French with marble tables, an outside seating area surrounded with wrought iron fencing, and the cuisine is a perfect match, with an array of homemade croissants and fabulous coffee. They offer a lunch menu with great sandwiches and salads, and a dinner menu with more traditional hot meals like lamb and tortiere. The service is charming and the sangria is better than average. They take reservations – and if you don’t have one, be prepared to wait. $$ Holder 407 McGill, 514-849-0333 Holder is a nice restaurant in Old Montreal that doesn’t break the bank. Spending less than $30 is feasible, but then you’d have to scrimp on the food (mmm, the goat cheese appetizer...), and you really shouldn’t do that. Get the whole shebang – entree, meal, dessert, bottle of wine – it’s worth it. $$$$-$$$$$

150

Laloux 250 Pins E., 514-287-9127 The lavish flavours here come with a hefty price tag, so this is only for when family is in town. (Forget it for dates – the lighting is too bright). While the menu is creative and the plates ornately presented, the chicken has come out lukewarm, sweetbreads too salty, and crème brulee, um, over-bruleed.

They do have great wines, if that means anything to you. $$$$-$$$$$ Lemeac 1045 Laurier O., 514-270-0999 This is one of the classics for Montreal foodies and yuppies. It’s a French-style bistro with home-smoked salmon, among other things.

Try their homemade ice cream – it’s one of the less publicized things on the menu, but it’s delicious. $$$$$ Greek Milos 5357 Ave. du Parc Get ready to be transported to a small seaside town in Greece as you step from Avenue du Parc into Milos’ white-washed, terracotta stoned and lantern lit atmosphere. You’ll be dining on fresh seafood hand-selected by you amongst the crème de la crème of Montreal society. Before your entree arrives you must sample their tomato salad and their ‘Milos special’ – zucchini chips. Definitely not a regular watering hole of McGillers - if you’re a foodie (into really good food, no matter the price) or looking for a place to celebrate something important then Milos makes the short-list. $$$$$ Villa de Souvlaki 5437 Sherbrooke O., 514-489-2039 One bus ride away from McGill (24 west, get off at Decarie), this place has some kick-ass souvlaki. The best thing is that the souvlakis taste even better cold, so feel free to over-order and put a souvlaki or two away for the next day (or late-night drunken binges). $$$ Indian Asha 3490 Parc, 514-844-3178 Everything you expect from an Indian restaurant in a city without great Indian food (outside of Parc Ex), Asha has all the choices from spicy to mild, meat to veggie, with a friendly staff and great location for postschool dining. It’s been on Parc longer than any other establishment in the area, so

they must be doing something right. $$$ Nouveau Delhi 3464 St. Denis Nice place but perhaps not the best Indian food you’ll ever have. Nevertheless, the meals are filling and not too oily. The vegetarian options were lacking flavour, but there’s beer on tap and with nearly every main priced around $8 to $12 it’s hard to complain. $$-$$$ Pains de L’Inde 2027 St. Laurent, 514-982-3724 From this hole in the wall one could imagine great undiscovered culinary genius delivered undiluted by recent arrivals from the Indian subcontinent. Instead, it’s greasy, un-fantastic but totally satisfying fare served simply in the kind of laid-back environment that makes a great cornerstone of student cuisine. $$ Pushap 5195 Pare, 514-274-3003 This cozy Indian restaurant near Namur metro requires a trek, but the long metro ride and short walk afterwards are certainly worth it if you’re looking to eat cheap. The vegetarian fare is filling though far from gourmet, but the real reasons to go are the 3/$1 samosas (yes, the same ones sold for 1/$1 at campus fundraisers -- buy 15 straight from the source for $5, keep them in the freezer and save your loonies for a week or two!). The great array of Indian sweets is also worth sampling. $$ Italian L’Academie 4051 St. Denis, 514-849-2249 L’Academie is probably one of the more overrated restaurants in the city. It’s BYOW, which makes it popular, with a nice location and classic French and Italian dishes. However, if you’re a big snob, you’re probably better off paying a bit more for a better restaurant or going through your own trial and error with vongole sauce at home. They don’t take reservations, so get there well before you want to eat as there will definitely be a long line. $$$$ Amelio’s 201 Milton, 514-845-8396 Known among students as THE ghetto date spot, Amelio’s brings fine Italian food to McGill students’ door. Not literally, but the prime location along Milton and St.

Famille makes it an easy destination for most students, but you better plan on a line! Most nights Amelios’ line runs out the door…don’t worry, it goes quickly. Some favorites include their 4 cheese pizza, pan-prepared lasagna and of course it’s apportez votre vin! $$$ Euro Deli 3619 St. Laurent, 514-843-7853 Need a quick Italian fix? Then Euro Deli’s your dealer. Want it cold or hot? Then Euro-Deli’s your spot. They specialize in popular Tuscan delights ranging from lasagna to large buffalo mozzarella. Served cafeteria style, you can enjoy your meal in their trendy Saint-Laurent store front location or take it to go. They even have tiramisu and an array of popular Italian soft-drinks. $$ Le Petit Italien 1265 avenue Bernard, 514-278-0888 Deep in the heart of Outremont, Le Petit Italian stands out amongst avenue Bernard’s plethora of restaurants. Their modern atmosphere is juxtaposed with the gourmet Italian soul food that could rival any gastronomic dish from Bologna.

Their mushroom risotto with a glass of red wine from their large wine collection is the perfect meal to end any cold Montreal winter day. $$$$$ Pasta e Basta 896 Sherbrooke O., 514-288-7874 It may look a little sketchy, but if you’re aching for a quick bite around campus, Pasta e Basta does a great panini. Their pastas and calzones are good too. It’s the odd hours and overpriced menu that keeps this place from honing in on the McGill market despite their 15% off deal for us card-carriers. Avoid it between noon and 1 pm – it’s swamped with suits from downtown scar fing down pasta trio specials. $$$ 99-cent pizza There are far too many 99-cent pizza joints into this town to go into every single one. The highest concentration of them is probably on the Main, just above Prince Arthur. Some of the highlights: Pizza 1+1’s garlic sticks are a perfect realization of all that is good about greasy late-night food, and Pizza Exquise, on the corner of Prince Arthur and de Bullion, has the best pizza, with a sesame-seed sprinkled crust, and the friendliest staff. $

151

Japanese Odaki 3977 St. Laurent, 514-282-1268 If you’re a huge sushi fan and literally cannot get enough, no matter how big your maki set or bento box then you must visit Odaki.

A little on the pricey side – this is an evening you must plan in advance with no lunch or mid-afternoon snacking. Odaki is all you can eat from miso soup to chicken teriyaki and everything wrapped in seaweed in between. $$$$ Kanda 2045 Bishop, 514-845-8868 Good all-you-can-eat sushi deals, with chefs preparing the food right in front of you. In addition to basic sushi items (maki, sashimi, etc .), tempura, as well as teriyaki chicken and salmon are included in the set price for sushi. Go here hungry. Cheaper at lunch. $$$ Yoy 4526 St. Denis, 514-844-9884 Yoy manages to provide all things at once for the insomniac student. Yes, they have sushi and sahimi, Thai noodles, spare ribs, even green tea ice cream. But the real kicker is that they also have a full espresso bar, bake their own croissants, are open 24 hours, and have free wireless. $-$$

Mexican Carlos and Pepes 1420 Peel, 514-288-3090 With $1 Tacos on Mondays, drink specials all week long and margaritas the size of your head, C&Ps is a friendly student spot.

Downstairs dining is more formal, but if you walk up the steep flight of stairs it’s a fiesta for students with free chips and salsa at every table! Our choices – beef tacos or enchiladas… Olé! $$ Marche Andes 4387 St. Laurent, 514-848-1078 The closest thing you’ll get to Tex-Mex here.

Appetizing taco trios stiffed with vegetarian black beans or meat, with your choice of fine salsas, avocado, and cheese. It’s also a grocery store, so grab some cold Jarritos Tamarindo to wash it down, or pick up some Charras and refried beans for easy tostadas at home. $ Maria Bonita 5269 Casgrain, 514-807-4377 Probably the city’s best Mexican restaurant,

152

if you’re willing to dish out some money. The highlight is definitely the cazuelitas, which are kind of like tapas served with tiny tortillas for scooping. The cohinita pibil is heavenly, as are some of their vegetarian dishes (nopales, anchos,...) $$$$ Taco Bull 3677 St. Laurent, 514-227-2855 Aptly-named doesn’t even cover it. With its flashing lights and clean premises, Taco Bull aspires to be a trendy taco stand along the lines of Chipotle, but without the variety.

Of course, if you’re hung over, you probably won’t notice too much. Most disappointing is the salsa, which is squeezed out of a bottle.

It’s worth walking a little further up St. Laurent for Taqueria Mex, where they have an entire homemade salsa buffet. $-$$ Tamales 124 Prince Arthur E., 514 848 0440 Tamales offers the standard range of enchiladas, nachos and burritos, with mains mostly in the $15-$25 range. The meals are tasty and a window seat (or outside, weather permitting) offers great people watching opportunities and a festival feel during summer from street buskers. $$$ Three Amigos Two locations, including 1621 St. Denis, 514-987-6868 Beloved across Montreal for its poorlyacted and vaguely racist commercials, Three Amigos is the place to go if you like slow service and overpriced food. On the plus side, if it’s your birthday you get a free sombrero. $$$ Pakistani Halal 786 786 Jean-Talon, 514-270-0786 Do you like really spicy, really greasy food?

Then this is the Pakistani place for you. It’s definitely worth the trek to Parc Ex even for the staunchest McGill ghetto kid. Highlights include the mustard greens with chickpeas and whole hot peppers. And as the name implies, everything is halal. $$ Persian Cafe Rumi 5198 Hutchinson, 514-490-1999 Located in the heart of Outrement (just up the street from Fairmount Bagels), Cafe Rumi is a well-known stop for locals and tourists alike. Though a bit on the pricey side, the warm ambiance and generous portions

make it ideal for a dinner out. The mezzes are especially good, and the lamb/chicken mains are infused with apricots, dates, and citrus fruits. $$$$ Portugese/Spanish Janos 3883 St. Laurent, 514-849-0646 Delicious Portugese food. Everything is very good, but I recommend getting the simple yet spectacular quarter chicken breast, with Portugese chips instead of fries (very important! these chips rock!)

Everything comes with fresh olives and a salad appetizer. Make sure you lather on plenty of their special sauce on both your meat and the chips (which should also be dipped in mayo). $$$-$$$$ Rotisserie Romados 115 Rachel E., 514-849-1803 You’re standing in line, chatting with friends.

You order ¼ cuisse avec frites et salade, get your soda, pay, and head to the park up the street for the most mind-blowing chicken and perfect fries this side of the Atlantic. $$ Sala Rossa 4848 St. Laurent, 514-284-0122 Montreal is not much for Spanish restaurants, but Sala Rossa is not bad at all. It has the advantage of being open relatively late for a nice-ish restaurant and having great sandwiches and tapas with vegetarian options. $$$

Soup & Sandwich Casa del Popolo 4873 St. Laurent, 514-284-3804 Every sunny evening not spent on Casa’s back patio with a sandwich and a pint is a waste of your life. The 5-to-7 deals are amazing, the coffee’s cheap and delicoius, the food is the kind you actually feel good eating, and blah blah blah the shows are okay too. $$ Navarino 5563 Parc, 514-279-7725 Although there are a lot of cafes and bakeries in Mile End, this Greek one is my favourite, particularly in the winter. All of their pastries are special, and you can also get very decent, and cheap, lunch and coffee. Because it faces onto Parc traffic, its outdoor seating isn’t as picturesque as nearbly rivals’. No matter the month, though, it’s still a haven. $

Pagel 231 St. Viateur O., 514-271-3082 This Mile End patisserie/boulangeris has amazing pastries, breads, cakes, chocolates, and Sicilian pizza. There are a couple of tables inside and out, so eating onsite is always an option. It’s kind of the Mile End version of the Plateau’s Patisserie Belge (just below Milton on Parc). Except even better. $-$$ Santropol 3990 St. Urbain, 514-842-3110 Located on the southeast corner of Parc Jeanne-Mance, this cafe is known for their humongous, creative sandwiched and their variety of teas and milkshakes.

Almost everything they serve is poached with as much fresh fruit as possible, which can get a little tiresome. An ideal choice only when you’re not in a rush because the service is slow, but at least they don’t mind if you loiter – er, study, for long stretches of time. $$ Schwartz’s 3895 St. Laurent, 514-842-4813 If you do nothing else while you’re in Montreal, eat at Schwartz’s. There is no smoked meat sandwich better than a Schwartz’s smoked meat sandwich. There’ll be lines out the door but it’s worth the wait; don’t even bother looking at the menu until you’ve already been here a few times, just order the smoked meat with a side of slaw and a black cherry pop, and dig in.

SoupeSoup 2 locations, including 80 Duluth E., 514380-0880 If you like soup, go here for lunch. Even if you don’t you can get excellent sandwiches. I’d advise arriving before 2 pm, or else you’ll be disappointed; by then, nearly every menu item has been (distressingly) crossed off their wall menu, which they write in chalk every morning. $$ Super Sandwich Basement of Le Cartier, corner Sherbrooke and Peel Close to campus in the basement of Le Cartier, this sandwich counter in the building’s dep has lots to offer. Good prices, decent selection, and friendly staff who memorize your favorite after a couple of visits. For better quality, it’s worth the extra couple blocks to Clafouti. $

153

Cafe Via Crescent 1414 Crescent, 514-843-3896 After working at Crescent and Ste. Catherine for a year, there is but one local restaurant with food I can stand, and it’s this little unassuming (broken sign, dingy patio) Italian joint.

The simple pasta dishes are straight from Nonna to you, and the salads and paninis are better than any downtown.

Wilensky’s 34 Fairmount O., 514-271-0247 A landmark, immortalized in Mordecai Richler novels and family-owned for 75 years. The staff are frank to newcomers, but warm quickly. Their flagship sandwich is “The Special,” a grill-pressed onion roll filled with assorted meats. Visitors are expected to have one. It must come with mustard. Old fashioned frappes and unbeatable sodas are hand-mixed. $

Vegetarian Aux Vivres 4631 St. Laurent, 514-842-3479 If you’re vegan, this will be your favourite restaurant in the city. Absolutely everything is vegan, ranging from the tasty vegelox that tastes, well, lox-y, to their joices and smoothies. Some of the bowls are a little bland, but if you’re into kale and the like you’ll probably be pretty happy with them too. $$$ Le Cagibi 5490 St. Laurent, 514-948-3303 Formerly Pharmacie Esperanza, the recently re-opened Cagibi maintains an all-vegetarian, all-delicious menu, including great dinner and brunch specials, stunning baked goods, great coffee, and a hearty selection of booze. The atmosphere is super relaxed ; the found-object decor and huge ‘zine library make it easy to lose an afternoon as your allonges turn into whiskey shots. $-$$ Chu Chai 4088 St. Denis, 514-843-4194 Shrimp, duck, chicken, beef – all fake ? Made from processed bean curd ? It sounds bizarre, but while it may not taste like chicken, it still tastes like it was sent from heaven.

They also have simpler stuff like pad thai and mushroom dumplings if you aren’t a believer. Relatively affordable, it’s a great place to go with friends, especially if you opt for the no-frills Chuch, the BYOW sister next door. $$$-$$$$

154

Le Commensal Various locations, including 1204 McGill College, 514-871-1480 Vegetarian self-serve heaven: Commensal offers a wide range of food, from Kashmir rice to couscous to avocado-orange salad.

However, be smart when you serve yourself: the lighter the food you eat is, the cheaper your plate will be. A smart Commensal eater will pay only 7$ for a satisfying plate, while someone whose eyes are bigger than their stomach can easily see it go up to 15 or 20. Don’t forget to ask for the student discount! $$$ La Faim du Monde 4110 St. Denis, 514-906-0432 Move over Aux Vivres, there’s a new game in town. With rich, earthy flavours Faim du Monde satisfies your hunger – and the world’s need for less meat and animal products – with a seasonal menu with many tasty options. The soups and homemade vegepate are unbeatable, and try the samosas and vegan desserts to go. $-$$$ Lola Rosa 545 Milton, 514-287-9337 This gem located only a block away from the Milton Gates offers up vegetarian fare that is fresh and tasty—you’ll never leave with a heavy stomach. The hearty—yet light—ratatouille is a stellar choice on a cold winter’s night. The easy-on-the-grease nachos are also a tasty option. Often overlooked though, are the breakfasts. The fresh fruit, savoury omelettes and homemade bread provide a delicious alternative to Chez Cora or Place Milton any day. $$$ Spirite Lounge 1201 Ontario E., 514-522-5353 If its name hasn’t already given you an idea of what to expect, this vegan joint on the cusps of the Village is the wildest place that you can dine in Montreal—hands down! From the tinfoil on the wall, to the exotic plants, to the ubiquitous crucifixes on the wall, you’ll feel like you’re tripping on LSD in some far-away place. What’s more, the food is delicious…just make sure you eat everything on your plate, otherwise the owner makes it clear that you’re not welcome back. $$$ Yuan 400 Sherbrooke E., 514-848-0513 Easily accessible from campus at Sherbrooke and Saint Denis, this vegetarian restaurant

specializes in fake meat, though that’s kind of a misnomer. Dishes such General Tao Vege-Chicken aren’t made to taste like meat, it’s more that the various vegetarian proteins (mostly soy-based) are cooked the same way meat is. The results are unique and delicious, and the prices are reasonable but not super cheap. $$$

Vietnamese Chez Van 288 ave. Laurier O., 514-278-6753 Chez Van has established itself as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Montreal.

This little restaurant perched on a favorite Outremont sidewalk is apportez votre vin and very, very good. Their menu ranges from a la carte to an affordable prix fixe.

Whether you start with a hot Tonkin soup or a cold spring roll, the warm and friendly atmosphere will leave you coming back for more! $$$ Le Clafouti 2122 Drummond, 514-272-5339 The widest selection of meats and cheese and the cheapest prices of any Vietnamese sandwich shop in town. Plus the baguettes are fresh and per fect, and occasionally even whole wheat. Tucked away downtown, this place is popular, so avoid the lunch rush. $ Zyng 1748 St. Denis, 514 284 2016 Another one of those trendy ‘modern’ Asian stir fry places where you can design your own meal or order from the smaller menu. Fairly standard and not the largest servings but the food comes quickly and there’s a good feel when the place gets busy. Location means it’s suited for a quick bite before you head out. $$$

BARS & CLUBS McGill Ghetto Bar des Pins 3714 Parc, 514-845-6760 Known as BDP for short, this place is everything you could want in a dive bar: cheap beer, washed-out regulars, pool and foosball tables, and weekly beer pong tournaments. Its proximity to campus, and especially to New Rez, will make this watering hole a weekly destination for

some students, and a daily destination for others.

Benelux 245 Sherbrooke O. This former bank turned bar opened two years ago and quickly became a hit with students, boasting great drink specials (2 pints of microbrew for $7, anyone ?), the best smoked almonds around, and a private room inside the old vault. Come with a group of friends for a relaxed and chill evening or come to watch the game during playoffs. Great atmosphere + great beer = great times.

Gerts 3480 McTavish, in the basement Your friendly campus bar, with the cheapest drink specials around, a pool table, delicious pizza and zaatar from Al Taib during the day, and student group parties hosted here nearly every night. The music is either great or totally nonsensical, and there’s occasionally live jazz. Also, big screens to watch whatever game happens to be on. Oddly, it hasn’t caught on among McGill students.

St. Laurent/Plateau B-Side 3616 St. Laurent One of St. Laurent’s many clubs, B-Side may not strike you as anything special with its mirrored street-side window adornment, but a young and hot crew can stir it up on Friday night. With a DJ playing hits from the 90s and a long bar, the entire place is electric, especially when an old top ten hits the deck. As well, B-side has an awesome rooftop terrace for you to cool down on a sweaty September night.

Bifteck 3702 St Laurent Don’t let the name fool you, the only meat in this place is playing pool in the back! This Montreal institution has been frequented by such rockers as the Foo Fighters and Nirvana, back in the day. Biftek’s drink specials, cheap pitchers and free supersalty, yet delicious yummy popcorn keeps a regular clientele satisfied year-long. You’ll be bound to run into everyone you know and even a prof or two. We recommend: Jager Bombs, making any new haircut’s night out.

155

Blizzarts 3956A St. Laurent A little north on St. Laurent tucked away from some tackier elements, this little hipster niche dishes out hot beats and cool treats all week long. From Electro Tuesdays to Plateau Saturdays, it gets really busy past 1am. Bring your dancing shoes and your wallet because some nights have cover charge.

Blue Dog 3958 St. Laurent This new locale has become an instant hit amongst McGill students. With cheap bear and a retro-funk atmosphere, everyone and your aunt Lucille will be pleased. Sunday nights are the most popular with a cover and keg specials.

Dieu du Ciel 29 Laurier O. A microbrewery with delicious seasonal fruity beers. The atmosphere’s great, but get there early if you want to relax a bit, as it gets crowded quickly.

Frappe 3900 St. Laurent Huge and oddly empty. The drinks are reasonable, and there are lots of pool tables if that’s your thing. There’s also a foosball table and an upstairs terrace – this is a great place to go with a large group of friends.

Pistol 3723 St. Laurent At St. Laurent and Pins, you have to eat if you want to drink, but drinking should be done during happy hour martini specials.

With great sandwiches, burger, nachos, vegetarian platters alongside a wide-array of bar food, Pistol is a super trendy spot for a weary St. Laurent shopper or a great chillaxed date/conservation with an old friend.

Owned by a Montreal rocker’s (Sam Roberts) brother, if you look cute and become a regular you may just meet him!

roof-top terraces, dance the rest of the night away and leave alone.

Vol de Nuit 14 Prince Arthur Cheap beer, decent music from the 80s and 90s, and big screens if you’re there for the game. It’s a great dive bar, with a terrace right on the cobblestones of Prince Arthur.

Latin Quarter Jello Bar 151 Ontario E. Decidedly swanky, boasting over 50 martinis (including the “Canadian,” made with maple syrup and gin) and a live band…hence, the $20 cover. For those who shirk at such cost, band-less nights are cheaper, although drinks go up to $10. Things to look out for: the weird owner in a leather bomber jacket and aviation goggles, and the occasional celebrity.

La Distillerie 300 Ontario E. A low-key bar that creates amazing concoctions in mason jars that are often stronger than necessary…if there is such a thing. Bring a date here to impress them with how well you know the Montreal bar scene, or if the line for Sulpice is too long.

St. Sulpice 680 St. Denis THE place to drink in Montreal when it’s warm. A patio almost as big as lower field (with just as many people you know) filled with every type of Montrealer. You will end up here on the last day of exams in April, because it’s the only place that fits everyone you know. Hint-sneak in through the hot dog place on the south side of the bar if the line out front is too long.

West of Campus Tokyo 3709 St. Laurent Known for its ‘Tokyo Thursdays,’ this upstairs club will have the biggest line and the shortest skirts of any club on the St. Laurent strip. Why? Because everyone sitting in your LEA132 class tomorrow morning at 8:30 is there! This is the Thursday night see and be seen spot of McGill. The DJs play popular tracks and the drinks are reasonable. Our advice: arrive early, chill on the amazing

156

Brutopia 1219 Crescent Notes on Brutopia: A brewpub, you can get many house beers for $5.50 per pint. Try the raspberry. Crowd mainly university students.

Live music. Full complement of mixed drinks and hard liquor. Kitchen. Terrace. Staff is pretty nice. Happy hour all night Monday, and trivia night as well, which can win you free beer; be ready for Dave to make fun

of your ignorance.

McKibbins 1426 Bishop Two bars in one! On the main floor, there is an Irish pub (with Irish pub selection and prices), live music, and a yummy kitchen (authentic Irish food and great fries!)

Upstairs, there is a dance floor that’s often packed – especially on Wednesdays, when there’s always a line down the street for open bar ladies night. The clientele is diverse and varied.

Cock’n’Bull 1944 Ste. Catherine Why Cock’n’Bull? a) Good priced Keith’s on tap b) Mondays are arts and crafts nights…they provide the supplies and the theme varies from week to week, from collage to popsicle stick art to beaded jewellery to anything you might dream of c) Tuesdays are bingo nights d) Wednesdays are karaoke. It’s close to Solin so Solinites will wind up here frequently.

Peel Pub 1196 Peel Love it or hate it, Peel Pub is an institution among the McGill first-year scene.

Cheap drinks and all your friends are the main draws. Terrible atmosphere, long line, and all your friends are the reasons to stay away.

ladies interested, this is your only night to party in this exclusively male joint. Through inviting the best international DJs, a roof-top patio, drink specials and reasonable cover, Parking has carved a great reputation for partying in Montreal.

Sky Pub 1474 Ste. Catherine E. If Thursday nights is Parking, then Friday night is Sky for those who frequent the Village. This four floor complex has the capacity for thousands, but on Friday the 3rd floor cabaret is where it’s at. Playing hits that span decades and periodic guest DJ appearances help to make this a good spot to get to know the person you’re grinding up against.

Stereo 858 Ste. Catherine E. As the party is winding down and you realize you only made it to the club an hour ago, Stereo’s speakers are just warming up.

Offering the best sound system in North America, this after-hours is an experience within itself. Drawing an interesting crowd, including a number of regulars, there is nothing quite like it. Party from 3 am until 12 pm with some of the best DJs in the world and then head out for brunch.

Village Le Drugstore 1366 Ste. Catherine E. This place has been around for ages and has managed to stay popular while pretty much every other lesbian-oriented bar has closed. The crowd is really mixed (from twinky fashionistas to middle-aged lesbians to CEGEP punk-rock dykes) and some of the cheapest pitchers in the city on weekdays.

It has two terraces during the summer, a dancefloor and a number of pooltables spread out over six floors.

Parking 296 Amherst Located in the heart of the Village, Parking puts Queer as Folk’s ‘Babylon’ to shame.

Parking’s Thursdays is THE night, attracting a mixed crowd of young Montréalers who love electro and love to dance! For the

157

Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We Thursd Saturd Mond day.We

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

2008-2009 Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.

Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.

Monday.Tue sday.Wedne sday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tue sday.Wednesday.Thursday.Friday.Saturday.Sunday.Monday.Tuesday.Wednesday.

Agenda

160

25

24

/31

18

26

19

27

20

13

28

21

14

FRIDAY

29

22

15

17

12

7

11

6

10

5 8

THURSDAY

4

WEDNESDAY

3

TUESDAY

1

MONDAY

SUNDAY

August

30

23

16

9

2

SATURDAY

August

8

15

22

29

14

21

28

1

MONDAY

7

SUNDAY

September

30

23

16

9

2

TUESDAY

24

17

10

3

WEDNESDAY

25

18

11

4

THURSDAY

26

19

12

5

FRIDAY

27

20

13

6

SATURDAY

September

161

162

20

27

19

26

28

21

29

22

15

13

12

14

8

7

6

WEDNESDAY

5

TUESDAY

1

MONDAY

SUNDAY

October

30

23

16

9

2

THURSDAY

31

24

17

10

3

FRIDAY

25

18

11

4

SATURDAY

October

3

10

17

24

9

16

23/30

MONDAY

2

SUNDAY

November

25

18

11

4

TUESDAY

26

19

12

5

WEDNESDAY

27

20

13

6

THURSDAY

28

21

14

7

FRIDAY

29

22

15

8

1

SATURDAY

November

163

164

8

15

22

29

14

21

28

1

MONDAY

7

SUNDAY

December

30

23

16

9

2

TUESDAY

31

24

17

10

3

WEDNESDAY

25

18

11

4

THURSDAY

26

19

12

5

FRIDAY

27

20

13

6

SATURDAY

December

5

12

19

26

11

18

25

MONDAY

4

SUNDAY

January

27

20

13

6

TUESDAY

28

21

14

7

WEDNESDAY

29

22

15

8

1

THURSDAY

30

23

16

9

2

FRIDAY

31

24

17

10

3

SATURDAY

January

165

166

2

9

16

23

8

15

22

MONDAY

1

SUNDAY

February

24

17

10

3

TUESDAY

25

18

11

4

WEDNESDAY

26

19

12

5

THURSDAY

27

20

13

6

FRIDAY

28

21

14

7

SATURDAY

February

2

9

16

23

30

8

15

22

29

MONDAY

1

SUNDAY

March

31

24

17

10

3

TUESDAY

25

18

11

4

WEDNESDAY

26

19

12

5

THURSDAY

27

20

13

6

FRIDAY

28

21

14

7

SATURDAY

March

167

168

20

27

19

26

28

21

29

22

15

13

12

14

8

7

6

WEDNESDAY

5

TUESDAY

1

MONDAY

SUNDAY

April

30

23

16

9

2

THURSDAY

24

17

10

3

FRIDAY

25

18

11

4

SATURDAY

April

11

18

25

10

17

24

/31

4

MONDAY

3

SUNDAY

May

26

19

12

5

TUESDAY

27

20

13

6

WEDNESDAY

28

21

14

7

THURSDAY

29

22

15

8

1

FRIDAY

30

23

16

9

2

SATURDAY

May

169

33-5Ö(EALTHÖ Ö$ENTALÖ0LAN %NQÕLNQDÕHMENQL@SHNM Õ Õ

IHAVEAPLAN CA

18Monday

19Tuesday

August

20Wednesdsay

170

August

21Thursday

22Friday

23Saturday

TO DO:

24Sunday

171

25Monday

26Tuesday

August

27Wednesdsay

172

August

28Thursday

29Friday

30Saturday

TO DO:

31Sunday

173

1Monday Labour Day

2Tuesday Ramadan begins Lectures begin

September

3Wednesdsay

174

September

4Thursday

5Friday

6Saturday

TO DO:

7Sunday

175

8Monday

9Tuesday

September

10Wednesdsay

176

September

11Thursday

12Friday

13Saturday

TO DO:

14Sunday

177

15Monday

16Tuesday Add/drop deadline

September

17Wednesdsay

178

September

18Thursday

19Friday

20Saturday

TO DO:

21Sunday

Deadline to withdraw with full refund

179

22Monday

23Tuesday

September

24Wednesdsay

180

September

25Thursday

26Friday

27Saturday

TO DO:

28Sunday

181

29Monday

30Tuesday

September-October

Rosh Hashana

182

1Wednesdsay Rosh Hashana

October

2Thursday Ramadan ends

3Friday

4Saturday

TO DO:

5Sunday

183

6Monday

7Tuesday

October

8Wednesdsay

184

October

9Thursday Yom Kippur

10Friday

11Saturday

TO DO:

12Sunday

185

13Monday Thanksgi ving Day

14Tuesday

October

15Wednesdsay

186

October

16Thursday

17Friday

18Saturday

TO DO:

19Sunday

Deadline to withdraw with no refund

187

20Monday

21Tuesday

October

22Wednesdsay

188

October

23Thursday

24Friday

25Saturday

TO DO:

26Sunday

189

27Monday

28Tuesday

October

29Wednesdsay

190

October-November

30Thursday

31Friday

1Saturday

TO DO:

2Sunday

191

3Monday

4Tuesday

November

5Wednesdsay

192

November

6Thursday

7Friday

8Saturday

TO DO:

9Sunday

193

10Monday

11Tuesday

November

12Wednesdsay

194

November

13Thursday

14Friday

15Saturday

TO DO:

16Sunday

195

17Monday

18Tuesday

November

19Wednesdsay

196

November

20Thursday

21Friday

22Saturday

TO DO:

23Sunday

197

24Monday

25Tuesday

November

26Wednesdsay

198

November

27Thursday

28Friday

29Saturday

TO DO:

30Sunday

199

1Monday

2Tuesday Lectures end

December

3Wednesdsay

200

December

4Thursday Exam period begins

5Friday

6Saturday

TO DO:

7Sunday

201

8Monday

9Tuesday

December

10Wednesdsay

202

December

11Thursday

12Friday

13Saturday

TO DO:

14Sunday

203

15Monday

16Tuesday

December

17Wednesdsay

204

December

18Thursday

19Friday

20Saturday

TO DO:

21Sunday

205

22Monday Hannuk ah begins

23Tuesday

December

24Wednesdsay

206

December

25Thursday Christmas Day

26Friday

27Saturday

TO DO:

28Sunday

207

29Monday Hannuk ah ends

30Tuesday

December

31Wednesdsay

208

2009 January

1Thursday

2Friday

3Saturday

TO DO:

4Sunday

209

5Monday Lectures begin

6Tuesday

January

7Wednesdsay

210

January

8Thursday

9Friday

10Saturday

TO DO:

11Sunday

211

12Monday

13Tuesday

January

14Wednesdsay

212

January

15Thursday

16Friday

17Saturday

TO DO:

18Sunday

213

19Monday

20Tuesday Add/drop deadline

January

21Wednesdsay

214

January

22Thursday

23Friday

24Saturday

TO DO:

25Sunday

Deadline to withdraw with full refund

215

26Monday

27Tuesday

January

28Wednesdsay

216

January-February

29Thursday

30Friday

31Saturday

TO DO:

1Sunday

217

2Monday

3Tuesday

February

4Wednesdsay

218

February

5Thursday

6Friday

7Saturday

TO DO:

8Sunday

219

9Monday

10Tuesday

February

11Wednesdsay

220

February

12Thursday

13Friday

14Saturday

TO DO:

Valentine s Day

15Sunday

Deadline to withdraw no refund

221

16Monday

17Tuesday

February

18Wednesdsay

222

February

19Thursday

20Friday

21Saturday

TO DO:

22Sunday

223

22,4Õ'D@KSGÕ Õ#DMS@KÕ/K@M

4RAVELINGÖ!BROAD Ö 8NTQÕ'D@KSGÕ/K@MÕHMBKTCDRÕSQ@UDKÕBNUDQ@FD Õ

Õ ÕC@XRÕODQÕSQHO Õ ÕODQÕHMBHCDMSÕ

Õ ÕENQÕSQHOÕB@MBDKK@SHNMÕ

Õ ÕENQÕSQHOÕHMSDQQTOSHNM

%NQÕLNQDÕHMENQL@SHNM Õ Õ

IHAVEAPLAN CA

23Monday

Reading Week

24Tuesday

February

25Wednesdsay

224

February-March

26Thursday

27Friday

28Saturday

TO DO:

1Sunday

225

2Monday

3Tuesday

March

4Wednesdsay

226

March

5Thursday

6Friday

7Saturday

TO DO:

8Sunday

227

9Monday

10Tuesday

March

11Wednesdsay

228

March

12Thursday

13Friday

14Saturday

TO DO:

15Sunday

229

33-5Ö(EALTHÖ Ö$ENTALÖ0LAN %NQÕLNQDÕHMENQL@SHNM Õ Õ

IHAVEAPLAN CA

16Monday

17Tuesday

March

18Wednesdsay

230

March

19Thursday

20Friday

21Saturday

TO DO:

22Sunday

231

23Monday

24Tuesday

March

25Wednesdsay

232

March

26Thursday

27Friday

28Saturday

TO DO:

29Sunday

233

30Monday

31Tuesday

March-April

1Wednesdsay

234

April

2Thursday

3Friday

4Saturday

TO DO:

5Sunday

235

22,4Õ'D@KSGÕ Õ#DMS@KÕ/K@M

4RAVELINGÖ!BROAD Ö 8NTQÕ'D@KSGÕ/K@MÕHMBKTCDRÕSQ@UDKÕBNUDQ@FD Õ

Õ ÕC@XRÕODQÕSQHO Õ ÕODQÕHMBHCDMSÕ

Õ ÕENQÕSQHOÕB@MBDKK@SHNMÕ

Õ ÕENQÕSQHOÕHMSDQQTOSHNM

%NQÕLNQDÕHMENQL@SHNM Õ Õ

6Monday

IHAVEAPLAN CA

7Tuesday

April

8Wednesdsay

236

April

9Thursday Passover begins

10Friday Lectures cancelled

11Saturday

TO DO:

12Sunday

Easter

237

13Monday Lectures cancelled

14Tuesday Lectures end

15Wednesdsay

April

Exam period begins

238

April

16Thursday Passover ends

17Friday

18Saturday

TO DO:

19Sunday

239

20Monday

21Tuesday

April

22Wednesdsay

240

April

23Thursday

24Friday

25Saturday

TO DO:

26Sunday

241

27Monday

28Tuesday

April

29Wednesdsay

242

April-May

30Thursday Exam period ends

1Friday

2Saturday

TO DO:

3Sunday

243

4Monday

5Tuesday

May

6Wednesdsay

244

May

7Thursday

8Friday

9Saturday

TO DO:

10Sunday

245

Thank

You!

Aww, it’s over!

So many people helped put together this handbook, it would be nearly impossible to thank all of them on this one page. But we’re going to try anyway! All of these people have been instrumental to this whole thing coming together on time. Thank you thank you thank you!

Julia Ivonoffski wrote about grading and living green. Serica Mackay gave tips on the apartment search and random things to do in Montreal.

Tasmia Sher wrote about libraries, helped out with both theatre and arts, and wrote restaurant reviews!

We suspect that Max Silverman is a super hero; he came through with pieces on Quebec politics, other universities, and the police, as well as two pieces on activism and accessible education that we weren’t able to use. Mike Cranston wrote about Montreal’s music scene, Alexandra Hill-Mann wrote about the ghetto and the city’s festivals, and Graham Splawski wrote about both sports and places to hang out on campus. Devin Alfaro may also be a superhero; he did municipal politics, Montreal’s history, and the student movement. Other SSMUshies who came through were Julia Webster with athletics, SSMU’s events, and about a million restaurant reviews, Kay Turner with a rundown of how SSMU works, Samantha Cook with the Shatner guide, “What is SSMU?”, and how to start a club, Tobias Silverstein with blurbs on Haven and Gert’s, and Nadya Wilkinson with your guide to the administration.

Kristen Dobbin wrote about biking and shopping, Steph Ouaknine wrote about theatre at McGill, and Sarah Golightley covered volunteer opportunities and wrote about her previous homes, St. Henri, the Latin Quarter, and the Concordia Ghetto. Taylor Berry wrote about contraceptives and abortion, Josh Stark wrote about

246

alcohol, Sophia Bachilova covered safe sex, and Zachary Smallwood gave us a meticulously detailed piece on STIs. While we’re on the topic of the Health section, Yun Gao talked about exercising, Headspace gave you the piece on mental health, and the sexual assault section came from SACOMSS. Raimi Marx also gave us the section on alternative menstrual products, as well as the master list of clubs and services.

Becky Goodwin is your guide to settling into Montreal; she wrote about your first week and life in rez. Katrien van der Kuijp handled living cheaply and food on campus, Ren Haskett wrote about queer student life, QPIRG and CKUT wrote about themselves, and Alana Boileau wrote all about francophone student life. We are also forever indebted to the editors of previous handbooks, from which we borrowed shamelessly.

Paul Slachta and Matthew Ward were both tremendously helpful, especially when the going got tough.

This handbook would not have been possible without them.

We had many great restaurant reviewers, handbook superstars such as Steph Ouaknine, Safia Lakhani, Tasmia Sher, Serica Mackay, Vikas Godara, Sophia Bachilova, Julia Webster, Sam Mickelson, and Josh Stark.

We h o p e y o u ’ v e e n j o y e d t h e Handbook! Whether you rip out all the pages but the agenda, or commit the bar reviews to memory, we hope we’ve created something that will be useful for all.

Love, The Editors

Melissa da Silva & Shana Elbaum