The McGill Tribune Published by the Students Society of McGill University
Vol. 2 No. 10, Tuesday, November 9, 1982.
M cGill and Concordia Secession Plan
R .A .E .U . Loses Support by Joanne Bayly E x ecu tiv e C o m m itte e last W ednes d ay d ec id e d , by a 5-0 vote, to p ro p o se to S tu d e n t C o u n c il to m o rro w th a t M cG ill d ro p o u t o f R A E U (R e g ro u p e m e n t des a sso c ia tio n s é tu d ia n te s u n iv ersitaires du Q u éb ec), th e largest univ ersity stu d e n ts’ u n io n in Q u eb ec. T h is decisio n cam e o nly d ay s a f te r M o n a R ainville, V .P. E x te rn a l o f C o n c o rd ia U niversity S tu d e n ts' A sso c ia tio n , a n n o u n c e d th a t a u n iv ersity -w id e referen d u m w ould be held a t C o n c o rd ia to decide w h eth e r o r n o t to pull o u t o f R A E U . B enjie T riste r, M cG ill’s V .P .-E x te rn al, e x p lain e d E xecu tiv e C o m m itte e ’s d ecisio n . “ W e d o n ’t feel w e’re gettin g o u r m o n e y ’s w o rth . R A E U h asn ’t re sp o n sib ly rep rese n ted M cG ill. W e got n o th in g fo r th e $8,000 we paid last year in fees.” M o n a R ainville also c o m p lain s th a t R A E U has nev er served th e C o n c o rd ia
c o m m u n ity ac cu rately . C o n c o rd ia even refused to p ay its fees a t on e p o in t b ecause o f th e se rio u s p ro b lem s it had. R ain v illç c o m p la in s o f a “ sy stem atic b lo c k in g o f d ecisio n m a k in g p a tte rn s” . R a th e r th a n aid in g th e m an y stu d e n t unio n s in p rese n tin g a unified fro n t, th e re has been a ste erin g aw ay fro m rele v an t to p ic s, su ch a s lo an s a n d b u rs a ries, tu itio n , an d c u t-b a c k s. T riste r c o m m e n ts th a t “ th e d is c u s s io n ( a t R A E U m eetin g s) is u su ally o f a p h ilo so p h ic al n a tu re in stead o f seeking o u t p ra g m a tic so lu tio n s to th e p ro b lem s w hich we all face.” A c o m p a riso n o f th e a s so c ia tio n fees paid to R A E U last y ear is very reveal ing. M cG ill, w ith its 17,000 stu d e n ts, paid fees o f $8,000 w hile U niversité de Q u éb e c à M o n tré a l (U Q A M ), w ith a stu d e n t e n ro lm e n t o f 16,000, paid only $80. B ishop ’s U n iv ersity , w ith an e n ro l m ent o f 700, paid $600 in fees w hile
H u ll, w h ich b o a s ts an eq u iv a le n t n u m b e r o f stu d e n ts, 600, pays no fees. T h is d is trib u tio n o f fees sh o w s an o b v io u s a ttitu d e by R A E U th a t th e E nglish in sti tu tio n s m u st s h o u ld e r a d is p ro p o rtio n ately g re a te r sh a re o f th e fin an cial b u rd en . B oth T riste r a n d R ain v ille c o m p lain o f th e unw illin g n ess o f R A E U to p resen t its fin an c ial s ta te m e n ts to asso cia tio n m em b ers. S o m e m b er stu d e n ts’ asso c ia tio n s c a n n o t see w h ere an d how th e ir m oney is b eing spent. M o n a R ain v ille believes th a t A N E Q (A sso c ia tio n N a tio n a le des E tu d ia n ts d u Q u éb ec) is th e o n ly v iab le a lte rn a tiv e to m e m b ersh ip in R A E U . “ A t least A N E Q is try in g to unify th e stu d e n t m o v em en t in Q u eb e c.” A n a l te r n a tiv e to m e m b e rs h ip in R A E U , a c c o rd in g to Benjie T riste r, is O bserver sta tu s in th e o rg a n iz a tio n . T ris te r believes th a t M cG ill co u ld have
m o re o f a voice in R A E U if it w ere to act as lia iso n betw een all th e p resid e n ts o f th e a sso c ia tio n s , r a th e r th a n a n a c tu a l m e m b er. “ W h en we feel th a t th e issue is o f c o n c e rn to all stu d e n ts, w e sh o u ld seek to c o o rd in a te th e effo rts o f all th o se in volved by p ro v id in g th e o p p o rtu n ity fo r th e p resid e n ts o f all th e asso cia tio n s to m eet a n d p la n a co m m o n strateg y . T h is so lu tio n w o u ld e n a b le M cG ill to freely voice its co n c ern s a n d allow o u r u n iv ersity to act as a u n ify in g force a m o n g all stu d e n t a s so c ia tio n s.” T riste r believes th a t M cG ill sh o u ld also c o n s id e r o b se rv e r sta tu s in th e o th e r stu d e n t u n io n s in Q u eb ec, such as A N E Q an d M A C A (M o n tre a l A n g lo p h o n e C égeps A sso c iatio n ). A t least o b se rv e r s ta tu s will en su re th a t M cG ill m a in ta in s a voice in Q u eb e c stu d e n t politics.
Talking of Sports-with Prin. David Johnston by Patrick H .F. Baillie and Sarah Marshall While attendance at R edm en a nd M artlet sporting events m ay n o t show it. there is great student interest in the M cG ill sporting life. A t the fo r e fr o n t o f the athletic charge is our Principal, an intercollegiate athlete during his univer sity career a n d an a d m inistrator who continues to have a strong concern with
the physical well-being o f the M cG ill co m m u n ity. Principal Jo h n sto n can he seen jo g g in g through the campus, kick-' ing fo o tb a lls f o r the R edm en a n d cam paigning f o r the new athletics facilities. His participation is not just a fa n c y public relations ploy, but reflects a genuine passion f o r sports, fitn e ss and physical health. Presented here are som e o f the opin ions o f M cG ill's athletic enthusiast about the new gym , the role o f sports in university affairs an d (he level o f student participation. The text is taken from a re c e n t in te r v ie w w ith T h e M c G ill T rib u n e.
M cG ill Principal a nd Vice-Chancellor D avid L. Jo h n sto n crosses th e fin is h line o f the 198(1 M ontreal M arathon
*
“ 1 th in k th a t th e re is a g rea t p a rt o f th e U niversity w h ich ex ists o u tsid e o f th e classro o m in e x tra c u rric u la r activities a n d in ath letics. I w as in terested in a th le tics w hen I w as a t u n iv e rsity an d have, th e re fo re , q u ite an in te rest in w h at we d o here at M cG ill. O n e o f th e th in g s th a t 1 feel we d o e x tre m ely w ell is p ro v id e th e o p p o rtu n itie s an d th e ch e m istry th a t is need ed fo r a v ery b ro a d b ase o f p a rtic ip a tio n . W e ra n k n ea r th e very to p , if n o t at th e to p , o f C a n a d ia n univ ersities w ith o u r p erc en ta g e o f stu d e n ts w h o p a rtic i p ate in so m e fo rm o f o rg an iz ed levels o f a th le tic activ ity (i.e. in te rco lle g ia te, in tr a m u ra l o r in stru c tio n a l levels). O v er tw o -th ird s o f o u r fu ll-tim e stu d e n t p o p u la tio n are involved in th ese o rg a n -
ized levels o f ath letics. T h a t’s q u ite re m a rk a b le as it d o e s n ’t even ta k e in to a c c o u n t th o se peo p le in th e rec re atio n al p ro g ra m w h o a re ju s t o u t fo r a sw im o r a so ftb a ll g am e on th e u p p e r ca m p u s o r a sq u a sh g am e w ith a frien d . C o n sid erin g th a t o u rs is a u n iv e rsity w ith a large c o m m u te r p o p u la tio n , it is n o te w o rth y . O n e w o u ld ex p e ct th a t so rt o f reco rd fro m a u n iv ersity w ith an in-residence p o p u la tio n . T h a t b ro ad base o f p artic ip a tio n , th o u g h , p ro v id es an e n o rm o u s s tra in on o u r old a n d d ecrep it ath letic facilities. O u r stu d e n t b o d y has resp o n d ed to th a t need a n d n o t ju s t said th a t th ese facili ties w hich w ere d esig n ed fo r a u niversity o f th re e o r fo u r th o u s a n d stu d e n ts are in a d e q u a te , b u t has g o n e b ey o n d th a t an d o rg an iz ed a referen d u m an d agreed to raise $4 m illion fo r new ath letics facil ities. As 1 trav el to t e l l alu m n i g ro u p s o f o u r new p lan s, y o u can be su re th a t th e ir in te rest in th a t s o rt o f stu d e n t p a rtic ip a tio n is very w elcom ing. In a n sw e r to q u e stio n s a b o u t th e U n i v ersity ’s in terest in th is p ro ject, th ere a re a c o u p le o f p o in ts th a t sh o u ld be n o têd . O v er th e n ex t five y ears, th e new a th letic co m p lex will be th e o nly m a jo r new b rick s a n d m o r ta r p ro jec t o f th e U niversity. Y es, th e rest o f th e U n iv ersity is su ffe rin g th ro u g h to u g h ec o n o m ic tim es an d th e re a re g o o d a rg u m e n ts a b o u t sp e n d in g o n th e ath letics facilities, b u t th e s tu d e n ts have sh o w n th e in itiativ e by
p u ttin g u p $4 m illio n w h ich goes a v ery long w ay to w a rd s th e c o m p le tio n o f th a t p ro jec t. T h a t’s o nly h a p p e n in g because th e stu d e n ts have said th a t it is so m e th in g su fficien tly im p o rta n t to th em th a t th ey a re w illing to reach in to th e ir ow n p o ck e ts an d pay fo r it. A side fro m th a t, M cG ill receives a c a p ita l im p ro v e m en t b u d g et fro m th e P ro v in c e w hich is q u ite a p a rt fro m th e o p e ra tin g budget. T his m o n ey m u st be sp e n t on re n o v a tio n o r re c o n stru c tio n , b ut in th e p ast n o t m uch has g o n e to th e a th le tic s a re a , so now it is a p p r o p r ia te th a t som e claim be p u t on th a t by facilities th a t are used in such a w id esp re ad w ay by o u r s tu d e n t body. W e ca n only go on so long ig n o rin g o u r facilities an d th a t stu d e n t interest. S p e a k in g o nly fo r m yself, 1 loved sp o rts d u rin g my tim e a t u n iv ersity a n d I c o n tin u e to en jo y a sp o rtin g k ind o f life. 1 p a rtic ip a te d in fo o tb a ll, h o ck ey an d b aseb all a t th e in terco lleg iate an d recre a tio n a l levels an d I enjo y ed each in its ow n w ay. 1 d o it b ecau se 1 th in k th a t th e' d riv e to excel, to d em an d m o re o f o n e self, is an ex c itin g p a rt o f being a p erson. 1 believe in th e old ad a g e a b o u t a h ealth y m in d a n d a h ea lth y b o d y . I realize, th o u g h , th a t th is is n o t fo r ev e ry o n e a n d 1 co u ld m ak e rela ted a rg u m e n ts a b o u t m usic, th e a tre an d o th e r a rtistic p ro g ram s. It is w ise to b ro a d e n o n eself b ey o n d a n a rro w ran g e o f activ ities, be it ih S h a k e s p e a re o r in sp o rts, b u t d efin itely to b ro a d e n oneself.”