The Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) met for its first Legislative Council meeting of the semester on Sept. 19. Speakers discussed various departments’ progress on projects throughout the summer, reviewed the McGill Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF), and addressed a motion for a call-to-action to advertise a pro-2SLGBTQ+ demonstration.
The SSMU Executive Committee began the meeting by providing updates on its work over the summer. The Committee noted that it worked with the Dental Students’ Association and Macdonald Campus Students’ Society to adopt a new online voting system with Simply Voting now that the groups’ elections are no longer supported through myInvolvement. Additionally, the Committee explained that it has been working to bolster student engagement. Lastly, the Committee discussed amending the SSMU Constitution with the aim of addressing issues within the Judicial Board. The proposed amendments would give the Judicial Board power to produce binding decisions on SSMU governing documents and create a process for appeals.
The meeting then turned to the SPF’s summer activities. The SPF approved numerous projects including the distribution of compost bins and materials for Science Frosh and the creation of a sustainable materials library for students in architecture and engineering. Budgets for the SPF’s projects ranged from $500 to $5,000 CAD.
Lastly, the Legislative Council heard a call-to-action proposed by Vice President University Affairs Abe Berglas. Berglas asked that SSMU share information on its Instagram story about a pro-2SLGBTQ+ protest organized by P!NK BLOC, a Montreal-based queer revolutionary collective, on Sept. 20. The demonstration was organized in response to calls for national protests by Hands Off Our Kids, an organization advocating for the regression of civil education and free expression, and Ensemble Pour Protéger Nos Enfants, a Quebec-based group that champions similar ideas. Berglas’ call-to-action requested SSMU to share counterprotest information. With a slight amendment to the final section of the call-to-action, the motion passed 15-0 with four members abstaining.
