concordia’s independent newspaper dead wrong about velcro since 1980 april 3, 2012 • thelinknewspaper.ca STARTING OVER • 19 volume 32, issue 27 • tuesday, 03PAGE Current Affairs FIFTEENTH FLOOR HELL-RAISERS: FINE ARTS STUDENTS OCCUPY PRESIDENT’S HALLWAY • PAGE 5 Cost of an Occupation STRIKE UPDATE • COMPLIED BY COLIN HARRIS With the Concordia Stu- dent Union no longer hold- ing General Assemblies to address strike mandates, things are happening on the departmental level. Here’s the current status of student associations that have held strike votes. CASA The Commerce and Admin- istration Students' Associa- tion is NOT on strike. COMS Guild The Communication Studies Student Guild is ON strike. ECA The Engineering and Com- puter Science Assocation is NOT on strike. FASA Unhappy with the way their administration handled a fee levy referendum, 23 students occupied the sixth floor of the James Administration Building for PHOTO SAM SLOTNICK The Fine Arts Student Al- five days in February before leaving peacefully. Thirty-five students, including first-floor sympathizers like these two, faced charges. liance is ON strike. McGill Admin Reveals #6party Racked Up 141K Tab GUSS The Geography Undergrad- • PIERRE CHAUVIN nearly a billion dollars,” said it ended peacefully after five days passed yet, as far as I know,” said uate Student Society is ON McGill University spokesperson with an eviction conducted by the Buck-Moore. strike. It’s been almost two months Doug Sweet. “We’ll just have to Service de police de la Ville de He and another McGill student since the James Building occupa- suck it up. Montréal, the consequences ex- also lost their jobs as residence as- tion at McGill University ended, “If every time someone occu- tended beyond the financial ones. sistants in the Solin Hall residence JSA but the party isn’t over just yet. pied a space and the university McGill made the headlines for building as a consequence of their The Journalism Student As- An Access to Information re- ceded to their demands, what several days as approximately 35 involvement in the occupation. sociation is ON strike. quest submitted by The Link re- would happen?” students were charged under the “We just hope that due process vealed that the #6party occupation Not all McGill students share Code of Student Conduct and Dis- is observed; that they are not tar- came with a #6figure price tag, Sweet’s view of the #6party ex- ciplinary Procedures. geted above and beyond what’s al- PSSA costing McGill University over penses, saying this large bill might These include not only the 23 ready provided for based on the The Political Science Stu- $141,000. have been avoided if the university students who started the occupa- political nature of their protest,” dent Association is NOT on Calling the occupation a “sur- had engaged in a dialogue with tion, but also those who occupied said Knight. strike. prise resignation party” for Deputy protesters. the building’s ground floor in soli- In an interview with the Daily, Provost Student Life and Learning “Everything about how the ad- darity. Two editors from The McGill Principal Heather Munroe- Morton Mendelson, 23 students ministration handled the occupa- McGill Daily who were reporting Blum commented on the new secu- SoPhiA demanded that administration tion showed that they had all the on the occupation were also rity measures and long-term The Students of Philosophy overturn a decision to invalidate a resources they needed to do every- charged by the administration. consequences of the occupation. Association is ON strike. referendum that granted funding thing but engage with their stu- Sweet refused to disclose any “There are 300 people who for CKUT and the Quebec Public dents about the reasons they were information about the state of the come in and work really hard,” said Interest Research Group. there,” said Danji Buck-Moore, proceedings. Munroe-Blum. “[They] felt com- SASU Heightened security and over- one of the sixth floor occupiers. “I don’t know what is happen- pletely unsafe in the building, had The Society and Anthropol- time pay account for over Students’ Society of McGill Uni- ing and I’m not supposed to know their space intruded; some of them ogy Student Union is ON $134,000 of the money spent dur- versity President Maggie Knight, because it’s confidential,” he said. [felt] physically very threatened. strike. ing the five-day protest that began wasn’t surprised by the costs re- Sweet added that, under the So there’s an aftermath to that.” on Feb. 7. lated to the occupation. disciplinary process, there were Many students, however, are Other costs are split between “It’s up to the McGill commu- provisions for fines. still waiting for signs that the uni- UPA overtime agency personnel, cater- nity whether they consider that The charges include disruption, versity has their interests at heart The Urban Planning Associ- ing, and cleaning. During the first money well-spent or what they unauthorized entry and/or pres- with regards to the fallout from the ation is ON strike. three days of the occupation, the think should have happened in- ence; unauthorized or fraudulent occupation. university spent a combined stead,” said Knight. use of university facilities, equip- “A lot needs to come from the $60,867. By comparison, the fol- During the occupation, the ad- ment or services; and physical administration,” said Knight. “The WSSA lowing week, the costs dropped to ministration gradually cut the oc- abuses, harassment and dangerous more powerful party needs to take The Women’s Studies Stu- about $11,570 per day. cupiers’ access to food, electricity activity. the first step as a sign of good dent Association is ON “The university has a budget of and functioning plumbing. While “No final judgment has been faith.” strike. the link • april 3, 2012 04 current affairs thelinknewspaper.ca/news Talking With the Presidents Outgoing CSU president, Lex Gill says she is “ready to be done.” PHOTO RILEY SPARKS Incoming CSU president Schubert Laforest has begun meeting with Gill to discuss his term. PHOTO ERIN SPARKS Gill and Laforest Talk CSU, Board, Prez and More • JULIA WOLFE Having this whole tuition dia- ways the same thing. around and let the Board do its volved in that process, and the logue, which hasn’t really been had thing. They want to be in the know, CSU should be acting as bridge to As Your Concordia vacates at Concordia before, brought to the Laforest: It’s important to have they want to be on the front lines, get them there. their offices on the seventh floor of surface this activism that was kind a chair that respects students. […] they want to be involved in every- the Hall Building, A Better Con- of dormant at Concordia. People Right now, [the Governors] don’t thing. Laforest: [Chartwells] is some- cordia is figuring out how to rep- on both sides of the issue came out treat students as equals, they treat thing we’re going to be negotiating resent the students in a university in droves to voice their opinions us as people who should act as if ON THE CFS and looking into sustainable alter- on the eve of sweeping administra- and that was something that we they are lucky to be here not as if natives to. [VP Sustainability] An- tion change. want to foster and keep alive. this is our right and we should be Gill: With the [Canadian Feder- drew Roberts is very adamant that The Link sat down with Lex Gill Students felt [the CSU was] taken seriously when we are bring- ation of Students] lawsuit, the it is a sustainable model, not just in and Schubert Laforest, the current spitting information at them, say- ing out concerns to the table. wheels are in motion. It’s just terms of the environment but also and upcoming Concordia Student ing you need to strike because of One of the main fights is to get about serious carry-though and both in terms in the way it’s run Union Presidents to get their takes this and this reason and that there the alternate member an actual making sure that those things and that it’s cost-effective. on the state of affairs and plans for wasn’t enough of the opposite seat on the board. I know it’s going don’t get neglected. Being in a the future. opinion. Just giving a venue for the to be a long, arduous battle […] I’m long-term legal battle is not glam- opposite opinion to take place is not going to stop until we get it. orous, but it’s work that needs to ON JOHN MOLSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS really important. And if it’s something we can’t get done. ON THIS YEAR’S CSU Not only does it add legitimacy achieve by the end of our mandate, If the CFS were allowed back on Gill: When I think back on the that you have equal representation we want to actually have made ac- this campus right now, it would de- year, my executives have spent a Gill: We had one of the most of both views, but it also makes tive steps towards getting that sec- stroy three, four years of really im- lot of time building really strong difficult times at the union and I students more comfortable to par- ond seat. [With only one student portant work. Given the relationships specifically in fine think that my executive have done ticipate in the process. rep,] you’re kind of put in a posi- organization’s history with Con- arts and arts and sciences, but we a really good job of making it tion where you’re at the mercy of cordia, it would just open the open had trouble in engineering and through that.