Student organizations
The campus has an active students' union represented by the undergraduate Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Post-Graduate Students' Society of McGill University (PGSS). In addition, each faculty has its own student governing body. There are hundreds of clubs and student organizations at the university. Many of them are centred around McGill's student union building, the University Centre. In 1992, students held a referendum which called for the University Centre to be named for actor and McGill alumnus William Shatner.[125] The university administration refused to accept the name and did not attend the opening. Traditionally, the administration names buildings in honour of deceased members of the university community or for major benefactors—Shatner is neither.[126] McGill has had a student club supporting lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender students since 1972. The group, originally named "Gay McGill", was renamed "Queer McGill" in 1998 to better identify with the diversity of its members.[127] Queer McGill supports both students and non-student members of the McGill community.[128] Membership in 2002 was over 400.[127]
McGill has two English-language student-run newspapers: the McGill Daily and the McGill Tribune, both of which are financially independent publications. The McGill Daily was first published in 1911. The Daily is the oldest daily student paper in Canada; it currently is published twice weekly.[129] The Délit français is the Daily's French-language counterpart. The combined circulation of both papers is over 28,000.[129] The McGill Foreign Affairs Review is a student-run journal about international affairs. Since 1988, The Red Herring has been the main satire magazine of Mcgill University. CKUT (90.3 FM) is the campus radio station. TVMcGill is the University TV station, broadcasting on closed-circuit television and over the internet.[130]
While fraternities and sororities are not a large part of student life at McGill, some, including fraternities Sigma Chi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Upsilon, and Zeta Psi, and sororities Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Alpha Omicron Pi, have been established for many years at the university. Phi Kappa Pi, Canada's only national fraternity, was founded at McGill and the University of Toronto in 1913 and continues to be active to this day. Events including Greek week, held annually during the first week of February, have been established to promote Greek life on campus. With just over 2% of the student body population participating, involvement is well below that of most American universities,[131] but on par with most Canadian schools.
The three oldest a cappella groups on campus are Tonal Ecstasy, Effusion and Soulstice. These groups perform multiple times during the year at on- and off-campus events.
Student organizations at McGill are internationally recognized in a variety of ways. Many larger organizations and NGOs have a local presence on campus. The International Relations Students Association of McGill (IRSAM) currently has consultative status with the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).[132] Since 1990, IRSAM has hosted an annual Model United Nations, McMUN, for university students and since 1993 it has hosted an annual Model United Nations, SSUNS, for high school students.
Numerous other humanitarian groups can be found: UNICEF McGill, Oxfam McGill, End Poverty Now, Right to Play McGill, and Free the Children are just a few. Numerous student interest groups enhance university life while representing a variety of interests and perspectives.
Athletics
McGill is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) by the McGill Redmen (men's) and the McGill Martlets (women's). The school fields between 45 and 53 varsity teams on an annual basis.[133] McGill's unique mascot, Marty the Martlet, was introduced during the 2005 Homecoming game,[134]
The downtown McGill campus sport and exercise facilities include: the McGill Sports Centre (which includes the Tomlinson Fieldhouse and the Windsor Varsity Clinic),[135] Molson Stadium, Memorial Pool, Tomlinson Hall, McConnell Arena, Forbes Field, many outdoor tennis courts and other extra-curricular arenas and faculties.[136] The Macdonald Campus facilities, include an arena, a gymnasium, a pool, tennis courts, fitness centres and hundreds of acres of green space for regular use.[137] The university's largest sporting venue, Molson Stadium, was constructed in 1914. It seats over 20,000 people and is the current home field of the Montreal Alouettes.[138]
Fight song
The McGill University song book, compiled by a committee of graduates and undergraduates, was published in Montreal by W.F. Brown, circa 1896.[139] Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement and convocation, and athletic games are:
'Alma Mater McGill,' with words by J. McDougall;
'L'Enfant du McGill,' with words by Louis-Honoré Fréchette, and music by Guillaume Couture;
'God Save McGill,' with words by W.M. Mackeracher, tune 'God Save the Queen';
'A Health to Old McGill,' with words by R.W. Huntingdon, and music by Mrs W.C. Baynes;
'McGill,' with words by C.W. Colby, sung to the tune 'The Gay Cavalier';
'McGill Revisited,' with words by John Cox,
'McGill Students' with words by W.N. Evans;
'The Student of McGill,' with words by R.D. McGibbon[140] |