Marianopolis Climate Strike Referendum: Response from Congress and Director General
On Friday, September 24th, a climate strike took place on Mount Royal. A referendum was held in Congress to request permission from the Director General to cancel classes on that day so students could participate in the strike. However, the Director General denied their request for a day of canceled classes.
We contacted Pratham Mehta, president of the MSU Congress, who provided us with the following statement:
“The referendum was decided because of the results of the Townhall in which 95%+ of students voted yes to support the climate strike. We collected about 270 votes. We asked The College to have the referendum to be held on Omnivox, however, the request was refused. The results of the vote are on the MSU FB group. We do not know how many students attended the strike because all students did not attend the contingent at the same time.”
Response From Director General
The Director General, Mr. Christian Corno, also provided written responses to some of our questions pertaining to the situation.
Was the message that Congress sent to you the first time you heard about their referendum plan or had you been aware of their plans before they contacted you?
“Shortly before I received the request, the Student Affairs office informed me that the MSU was consulting its members on the issue. “
When did you receive the message from Congress and what influenced your decision?
“I received the request on Wednesday, September 22.”
In the past, more specifically September 2019, you have approved a strike day for similar reasons, what made this time any different?
“The context was very different in 2019. The MSU at that time had prepared their case weeks in advance, allowing the College time to change the academic calendar in order to make up the day of missed classes. The MSU had also garnered an overwhelming level of support among the student body for joining the Montreal rally to see and hear Greta Thurnberg in person. Two years ago, this was seen as a one-time opportunity; a moment in history. We had also not yet experienced a pandemic that forced us to cancel in-person classes for over a year and that continues to impact how we organize this semester.”
What would students have to change in order to receive approval?
“I will always consider a proposal that is thorough and prepared well in advance. That being said, the College does not cancel classes except in very extenuating circumstances. Striking is not part of the Marianopolis culture – there are other ways to advance important causes, especially through education.”
The reason for the referendum being held was due to Congress wanting to assess students’ interest in the climate strike. Before proposing the suggestion to cancel classes, Congress wanted to be sure a clear portion of the student body was interested. The Director General did receive Congress’ request only two days before the climate strike since Congress had to hold a referendum first. It was a hot topic for students, as 270 voted, with over 95% of them in favor of the strike. Despite that, there was an underwhelming amount of students who actually attended the strike, with our writers reporting only about 20-30 students from Marianopolis attending.
Edited by Huanan Liao
