Former GSS director of finance at the York sit in.
Oh, Hussey, you radical!
Oh, Hussey, you radical!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Gingerbread folks!
These gingerbread folks are made possible by history grad students! (Because one of them gave me some supplies from their gingerbread decorating party so I could do some with my son). Any suggestion for names?
Bird on holiday
I know grad students never really get holidays, but bird is taking a tropical vacation none the less. He promises to submit a draft on Dec 26. Ginger Punk is taking over for the rest of the year.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
McGill's Thomson House struggling
McGill's famous (at least to me) Thomson house is having financial difficulty and is restructuring, according to an article in the McGill Daily.
For those not familiar, Thomson House is the grad centre for McGill, a lovely old Montreal home converted into a luxurious private club for grad students.
As an undergrad I used to gain entry by getting "signed in" as a guest of my friend, a fellow QPIRG staffer doing her MA at McGill.
I look back nostalgically on the beautiful wainscotting, small cozy rooms, the gorgeous ball room upstairs (used for dances and movie screenings) and the dingy basement caf ($3.99 dinner! -- ok it was prego pasta sauce on spaghetti), and in truth it is my dream to bring more of that cozy, club like, atmosphere to the Halpern Centre. Without the Prego on spaghetti or sign in sheet.
We have achieved some of this in our renovation by making the smaller "David Clode Room" a grad student hangout centred around the fireplace, and we are currently purchasing some new furnishing (booths!) for the large room in the restaurant. Also, we finally have some art back on the walls after many trips to the Maltwood where their patient staff let us comb through their offerings looking for just the right thing.
Today, I am fascinated by the story because I, too, deal with housing a restaurant within a grad students' non profit, and trying to find the best way to structure everything to make sure its not too expensive, it feels like grad students' own space, and we don't lose a ton of money! The world is not designed for businesses who aim to make things both high quality at a low cost for members, and running a bar is a risk for anyone, not less for a non profit student government. Those who attend our AGM's have heard me and executive members speak about the tough times we had a few years ago, and also know we have managed to rebuild financially, although we are always nervously watching the books... but I have no doubt McGill's PGSS will rebuild as well--Thomson house is too good to lose!--and I wish them luck with all the work ahead!
For those not familiar, Thomson House is the grad centre for McGill, a lovely old Montreal home converted into a luxurious private club for grad students.
As an undergrad I used to gain entry by getting "signed in" as a guest of my friend, a fellow QPIRG staffer doing her MA at McGill.
I look back nostalgically on the beautiful wainscotting, small cozy rooms, the gorgeous ball room upstairs (used for dances and movie screenings) and the dingy basement caf ($3.99 dinner! -- ok it was prego pasta sauce on spaghetti), and in truth it is my dream to bring more of that cozy, club like, atmosphere to the Halpern Centre. Without the Prego on spaghetti or sign in sheet.
We have achieved some of this in our renovation by making the smaller "David Clode Room" a grad student hangout centred around the fireplace, and we are currently purchasing some new furnishing (booths!) for the large room in the restaurant. Also, we finally have some art back on the walls after many trips to the Maltwood where their patient staff let us comb through their offerings looking for just the right thing.
Today, I am fascinated by the story because I, too, deal with housing a restaurant within a grad students' non profit, and trying to find the best way to structure everything to make sure its not too expensive, it feels like grad students' own space, and we don't lose a ton of money! The world is not designed for businesses who aim to make things both high quality at a low cost for members, and running a bar is a risk for anyone, not less for a non profit student government. Those who attend our AGM's have heard me and executive members speak about the tough times we had a few years ago, and also know we have managed to rebuild financially, although we are always nervously watching the books... but I have no doubt McGill's PGSS will rebuild as well--Thomson house is too good to lose!--and I wish them luck with all the work ahead!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Representation Campaign Victories
The GSS is currently campaigning to guarantee representation for graduate students in departmental meetings. Grad students in Sociology lost their long standing right to voice and vote in department meetings last summer. Philosophy students are similarly fighting to maintain their full rights, having been reduced from full representative status to attending the beginning of the meeting and speaking to items in the previous minutes.
Read the Grad Rep Council motion in support of graduate student representation here.
Come to the GSS and sign the letter to support grad students in philosophy who are fighting to save their seat at the table!
Read the Grad Rep Council motion in support of graduate student representation here.
Come to the GSS and sign the letter to support grad students in philosophy who are fighting to save their seat at the table!
CAMPAIGN NEWS
- History in Art grad students have won a guarantee of representation in their department--including voice and vote.
- Physics & Astronomy grad students have increased their representation to include a grad student from each discipline at the table.
- Changes to Senate elections policy have been won. Previsouly, although no policy precluded their candidacy, graduate students had been refused the right to run as the senator from their home faculty and had been directed to run for the sole Faculty of Graduate Studies seat. Due to lobbying by the GSS the interpretation of the rules has changed and graduate students can now run for all student seats on the Senate.
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