The voting members of SSMU’s Legislative Council comprises thirty councillors elected by specific constituencies, including school and faculty associations and councils representing particular student demographics, and the 6 SSMU Executives. The Speakers, General Manager, and Recording Secretary are non-voting members.
Councillors’ primary responsibility is to represent the interests of their constituencies in SSMU governance. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your representatives!
Check up on your Councillors: 2011-2012 Legislative Council Attendance (Updated 2011-12-01)
This year’s representatives are:
| Faculty | Name | Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Wen Jie Cao | |
| Arts | Dylan Doyle | external.aus@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Arts | Justin Fletcher | artsrep2@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Arts | Isabelle Bi | artsrep1@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Athletics | Hector Hernandez | hector.hernandez@mail.mcgill.ca |
| C & S rep | Seat vacant | |
| C & S rep | Adam Winer | adam.winer@mail.mcgill.ca |
| C & S rep | Sahil Chaini | csreps@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Dentistry | Shuang Liu | shuang.liu2@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Education | Kady Paterson | kady.paterson@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Engineering | Alexander Kunev | alexander.kunev@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Engineering | Tariq Khan | tariq.khan@mail.mcgill.ca |
| FYC | Michaël Lessard | michael.lessard@live.com |
| Law | Ian Clarke | clarke.iane@gmail.com |
| Management | Seat vacant | repssmu.mus@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Management | Samuel Latham | samuel.latham@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Medicine | Laurence Bernard | medicinerep@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Music | Tyler Cannon | tyler.cannon@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Nursing | Angela Herman | angela.herman@mail.mcgill.ca |
| PT/OT | Meagan Lepitre | meagan.lepitre@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Religious Studies | Seat vacant | |
| Residences | Raphael Uribe Arango | raphael.uribearango@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Science | Julia Kryluk | julia.kryluk@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Science | Jim Niu | jim.niu@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Science | Zhizhen Qin | zhi.qin@mail.mcgill.ca |
| Senate Caucus | Matt Crawford | artssenator2@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Senate Caucus | Haley Dinel | religiousstudiessenator@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Senate Caucus | Usman Bin Shahid | engineeringsenator@ssmu.mcgill.ca |
| Social Work | Echo Parent-Racine | vp.external.2.swsa@gmail.com |
For the Councillor’s Office Hours for this year, please consult the following document.
More about your representatives and their goals for the year:
Arts
Isabelle Bi
Year: U3
Faculty: Arts
Program: Economics and Mathematics
Goals: Getting McGill students to pronounce my last name correctly.
Dylan Doyle
Hello! My name is Dylan Doyle, and I currently serve as the Vice-President, External for the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) for the 2011-2012 year. A little bit about myself: I’m originally from a small town in Ontario, and am in my U3 year, with a double major in Political Science and History. I have a passion for student representation, and alongside the Arts Representatives to SSMU, my primary aim is to ensure parity and inclusiveness for all Arts students. This year, I am working towards delivering a balance of new and innovative academic and social events, and working with the SSMU VP External to better relations with the Milton-Parc community. I’m looking forward to serving on SSMU Council for the upcoming year, and am wholly excited for the future endeavours to be undertaken by the SSMU this year. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any ideas, initiatives or inquiries for the upcoming year at external.aus@mail.mcgill.ca. Prost!
Athletics
Hector Hernandez
This will be my first year serving as the SSMU Athletics Representative as well as my second year serving as the Varsity Council Vice president of Internal. I have been heavily involved in athletics and sport since I can remember, participating in soccer, hockey, skiing and swimming just to name a few sports. As I grew, however, swimming began to play a bigger role in my life, big enough to motivate me to swim for McGill. This will be my fourth year on the team and I couldn’t be more excited! Since last year, I have also had the opportunity to understand what goes on behind the scenes at McGill Athletics by becoming heavily involved as one of the Varsity Council Execs. Apart from my athletic career, I am studying for my Mechanical Engineering degree. As SSMU Athletics Rep. this year my duty will be to represent all students involved in Athletics & Recreation at McGill and allow their voices to be heard in SSMU council. I will not be afraid to stand up for wellness, recreation and the prosperity of sport at McGill. Please feel free to contact me should you have any suggestions or comments regarding Athletics at McGill.
Clubs & Services
Sahil Chaini
Hi! My name is Sahil Chaini and I will be one of your Clubs and Services Representatives this year. I am in my third year at McGill and am majoring in Environment with a minor in Economics. I am very excited to be working in the Clubs and Services portfolio as it represents a major aspect of student life at McGill. Students gain so many valuable experiences from clubs and services and I would like to make them the best that they can be. I am looking forward to working with students to make sure clubs know what SSMU has to offer in terms of funds, information, and support and are able to get what they need to cater to their members. Feel free to approach me with any questions, concerns, or queries! If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does. Here’s to a fantastic year!
Adam Winer
I’m Adam, a U2 Philosophy student (and Arabic minor), and I’m excited to serve as a Clubs and Services Representative this year! As a longtime participant in McGill’s vibrant clubs and services life, I hope to serve as a resource for any students looking to find a meaningful or enjoyable outlet, and as both a resource and advocate for clubs and services at SSMU Council. One major priority for me is making environmentally friendly events a reality for the many groups who would eagerly follow sustainable practices, but often lack the know-how, money, or time to make that happen on their own. Another goal is to reach out to first-year students in order to better connect them to the avenues of involvement and support systems available for them. Looking forward to a great year, and don’t hesitate to be in touch with any questions!
Dentistry
Education
Kady Paterson
My name is Kady Paterson, and I’m a U3 Education student, specializing in Secondary; History, Geography, and Religion. This is my second year serving as the Education representative to SSMU, and I spend a large portion of my campus time either in the Shatner building or up the hill. This year on council I’d like to work towards improving communications between fellow councillors as well as the executive, as well as targeted apathy campaigns to increase voter turnout. In my last year on council, I enjoyed being on SSPN and having the chance to witness all sides of colleagues through countless session of Council. I hope for much of the same fun for this term!
Engineering
Alexander Kunev
Hi, my name is Alex Kunev and I am a SSMU representative for the Faculty of Engineering. I am truly excited about the interesting year that’s ahead of us, and ready to take on the challenges presented to the student body. In the coming year, I want to strengthen connections between SSMU Council and Enginering, as well as to ensure that important forums like the General Assembly are reformed and made more democratic.
As a U3 Mechanical Engineering student, I have participated in campus life for the last couple of years, and I understand perfectly the inner workings of the SSMU. I would like to see the continuation of sustainable initiatives, as well as include more engineering students in such committees in order to provide technical knowledge. Furthermore, engineering competitions are happening regularly and I want to make sure that such events become well known on campus, for all students to enjoy them.
Law
Ian Clarke
My name’s Ian Clarke, and I’ll be the law rep for SSMU Council for the 2011-2012 academic year. Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, I’m entering my second year at the Faculty of Law. I was recently elected as the VP-External for the Law Students Association (LSA), and I have the pleasure of representing law students at SSMU Council.
Traditionally, law students have avoided interaction with SSMU due in part to the age of students and academic demands. The LSA is able to serve most students’ social, academic and extra-curricular needs; however law students miss out on several valuable resources as a result. My primary goal is to identify these resources for my faculty, to communicate them to students through the LSA, and to make sure these resources are delivered in an efficient manner.
The other reason I was interested in representing law students is an issue facing all Quebec students this year: tuition increases. With McGill accumulating a high level of debt while across-the-board cuts are being made, the university must be able to increase its revenue to maintain a certain standard of excellence. Whether that be done by increased provincial or student funding, it an important discussion for SSMU council.
Management
Samuel Latham
Sam is currently entering the last year of his Bachelor of Commerce degree. Majoring in accounting, with a concentration in strategic management, and a minor in political science, Sam has been actively involved in the McGill community in the last few years. Such involvement has included being a Floor Fellow in McGill Residence, a member of the McGill Redmen Varsity Track Team, and an organizer of the McGill Management International Case Competition. Sam’s previous experience with SSMU has been as a member at large on the SSMU Finance Committee in 2009. He is looking forward to working with his fellow management representative, Anna Kourilova, to ensure that the voice of management students is heard on SSMU council this year.
Medicine
Laurence Bernard
I am the Medical Students’ Society Representative, and I’m a Medical student, Class of 2014. I hope to achieve a good liaison between the medical Faculty and the other faculties, to bring forward the medical students’ concerns to the general student body and work with the other faculty representatives to advocate for the general students’ rights.
Music
Tyler Cannon
My name is Tyler Cannon and I am the VP External for The Music Undergraduate Student Association. I am a 3rd year Bass Trombone Performance student. I hope to bring the music school closer to SSMU and to help make the student community much stronger.
Nursing
Angela Herman
Hi! My name is Angela Herman and I will be the Faculty of Nursing representative for the 2011 – 2012 school year. Here at McGill I am a U2 student studying Nursing.
As my title suggests, during my term on SSMU Council I will be representing the Nursing Undergraduate Society. With this representation I will be the liaison between NUS and SSMU. As this go to person for any Nursing related issues, I will be keeping SSMU informed of nursing related events while communicating with my faculty the subjects discussed during General Assemblies. Overall, on behalf of the NUS, I hope to maintain a good communication and a strong connection with all faculties and student associations at McGill.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns do not hesitate to contact me!
Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy
Meagan Lepitre
Greetings from your POTUS VP External! My name is Meagan Lepitre and I am the 2011-2012 representative for the school of physical and occupational therapy. I am in my second year in the physical therapy program in the faculty of medicine. As PT/OT is a very small program (with roughly 300 undergraduate students) I would like to use my position this year to work towards getting physical and occupational therapy more known to the rest of McGill. I expect to be the voice for POTUS when communicating outside of our own undergraduate society, whether it be with SSMU representatives or other faculties, and to make our opinion known.
Religious Studies
Seat currently vacant
Residences
Raphael Uribe Arango
Hi Guys my name is Raphael Uribe Arango, I am the residence representative and I am from London , England. I am currently a U1 student in Arts studying History and Economics.
My Goal: My aim for this year is to give the wonderful people in residence a greater voice on the SSMU council. I decided to run for this position to make student life better for resident students and intend to fulfill that objective during my one-year mandate. I wish to make the work done on the SSMU council as transparent as possible for the Inter-Residence Council so that as many people are made aware of what groundbreaking work is being done.
Also an international student I will to the best of my ability give international students in residence a voice on council as they to deserve to be heard. Let’s make this a great year and work hand in hand. Cheers
Rafa
Science
Julia Kryluk
My name is Julia Kryluk and I am super excited to be one of three SUS SSMU Reps! I am entering my second year at McGill majoring in physiology and minoring in French literature. Although I have only spent one year at McGill I feel that I have learned a tremendous amount and have become very involved. I sat on the Molson Hall Residence council in my 1st year and learned a ton about residence and the ins and outs of student life at McGill. I was also a member of the McGill Cheerleading Team in my first year. Being a part of this team really provided me with a sense of community and school spirit, as well as the skills for time management and a sense of balance. I learned a vast amount from my first year experiences and am thrilled to be a part of this year’s 2011-2012 SUS and SSMU Councils! SSMU works hard every year to promote student issues and provides an opportunity for students to be involved and engaged outside of the classroom. I am honoured to be part of the SSMU Council! I promise to work hard and to always fight for the science students needs! I will do everything I can to promote and communicate the important issues relevant to science students from SUS to SSMU.
Jim Niu
Hello! My name is Jim Niu, I’m a U3 Biochemistry student who will be serving as one of the Science Undergraduate Society representatives to SSMU. In this position, I act as a liaison between the SUS and SSMU, but more importantly, I’m also here to make sure the needs of science students are heard at McGill! So if you have any questions or concerns you wish to bring up, feel free to send me an email, it’ll help me know how to best truly represent you!
Zhizhen Qin
Hello McGillians!
My name is Zhi Zhen Qin, pronounced “zi zen queen,” which always reminds me of Queen Victoria. My last name “Qin” does descend from the greatest Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and I myself came from China two years ago. This is my U2 year in McGill Biology, minoring in international development study.
It is my greatest honour to be science students’ representative in SSMU legislative council this year. I will strive to represent science students’ interests and highlight students’ concerns to show the world that McGill Science students do not shut ourselves up in an ivory tower, but actively immerse ourselves in our student community!
Speakers of Council
Michael Tong
Born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Michael is a U3 student studying Anatomy and Cell Biology at McGill. Michael joins the SSMU staff as one of the Speakers of Council and brings a fervent interest in student politics along with almost nine years of experience with model United Nations. He is anticipating a very productive year for SSMU and is looking forward to making Council meetings and the General Assemblies approachable and inclusive for the entire student body. In his spare time (not so much when, but if he has time off from studying) Michael enjoys good food, watching comedic, dramatic or reality television, and listening to audiobooks. If you ever have any questions regarding Council procedures, General Assembly motions or Robert’s Rules of Order, please do not hesitate to send him an email or start up a conversation in the Schulich Library stairwell.
Senate Caucus Bios
Haley Dinel – Religious Studies Senator
I’m in my 3rd year at McGill doing a Bachelor of Theology. But don’t let that fool you – I love hanging out with friends, playing sports, and singing along with my guitar. Sitting on Senate gives me the opportunity to represent YOU, the students, so please feel free to chat me up. My goals are to give us a voice and rapport to the Admin as well as ensuring that McGill is on the cutting edge of education; thus continuing to provide a LEGEN – wait for it – DARY school full of AWESOME students.
Usman Bin Shahid – Engineering Senator
Hi, I’m the Engineering Senator, and also the senate caucus representative on SSMU Council. My Job is to make sure YOU are well represented and spoken for at the various levels of administration I have access to. I’ve been representing engineering students at the SSMU council last year as well in the SSMU Council and this year I decided to take it a step further to the senate. It’s my mandate to serve you to the best of my abilities and bring any concerns to the front, so feel free to contact me so I can help you to the best of my abilities.
Matthew Crawford-Appignanesi – Arts Senator
Hey McGill! My name is Matthew, a U3 double major in Political Science and English Lit, Montreal native, and tickled pink to be serving as one of your Senators this year! After a much needed sabbatical from student politics at the CEGEP level, I’m back and ready to tackle issues like the University’s commitment to sustainable initiatives, working for the preservation and expansion of classes within the humanities (with a particular interest in creative writing courses), and taking a leadership role in the movement for a more open University that really values improved accessibility and community input. Have a look at the SSMU ‘who represents you’ page to see the committees I sit on. Please email me your concerns, feedback, issues you’d like to see addressed or just to schedule a friendly chat!