Watch a quick video of it here (and this was only the beginning... a weak cry compared to what followed!):
The MUNACA strike here at McGill has now been going on for three official weeks. If you want to read an article about it in the McGill Daily (student-run newspaper), you can here: http://issuu.com/mcgilldaily/docs/vol101issu2/1. But I'm not going to detail the strike issues at this point, because I don't want to relay any incorrect information, and I don't want to bore you if you don't want to stay up-to-date on current events here in Montréal...
Anyhow, at this very moment, I am sitting in the giant lecture hall in one of McGill's less beautiful buildings, Leacock, beside one of McGill's more beautiful students, my lovely friend Schmall. And ABOVE US, McGill students who have decided to take their support of the strikers to the next level are chanting "SOLIDARITÉ!" (In case you didn't make the connection, yes, "solidarité" does mean "solidarity"!) Even in terms of picket lines, I noticed today that strikers had moved from just marching at campus entrances to walking up and down the street, blowing whistles, banging drums, and chanting all the while. And now the ever so supportive students have deemed it suitable to bring the noise ON campus, into the buildings. I'm trying to focus on my Psychology class (and yes, this blog posting :P), but it's almost impossible. The sound comes in waves (haha, pun! and we're talking about sensory perception in class today) as the group picks up energy and yells more and more loudly. They have drums too! I'm kind of surprised that they're allowed to be here, right by all of the lecture halls and classrooms... And drums, really?
Ah well, I understand the point of annoying us: so we'll DO something.
Oh gosh, they're cheering (loudly) for themselves now! This is an energy-pick-up moment to be certain. Huzzah, more yelling. Maybe I will send an email to our allegedly over-paid and over-benefitted principal...
Read about that here: http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/09/principal’s-salary-contract-reveals-details-of-perks-2/.
Oh no! Would you look at this: Psych class is ending early because our professor (who happens to be one of the nicest profs/people I've yet met - he walked through the aisles and said hi to everyone today!) said that "the demonstration got to [him]". So... time to pack up I suppose - twenty minutes before the lecture officially ends. I guess the strikers are making themselves heard.
From what I know about the strike, it's all good. But as far as the principle's salary goes, I think people should just mind their own business. Some people are rich, and whether they've earned it or not, that's the way it is.
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