Ashlinn Pennell, a student organizer with MUN students for Palestine, and Kerri Claire, MUN alumna and ex-regent, were left with injuries Saturday after a 47-year-old man allegedly assaulted them.
Pennell and Claire were safety marshals at the Pro-Palestine march held weekly on Water Street. According to Pennell, a man got out of his car and allegedly assaulted her, knocking her to the ground.
“He walked up, said no words and tried to punch me in the face. I moved, I don’t really know what you do when someone comes at you with a fist, but instead he got my neck, and that is when Kerri Claire saw what happened and ran to my aid because there was a man still coming after me while I was on the ground. And that is when he punched her.”
According to Claire she had seen the situation unfold and ran over to help.
“I saw him kind of lean out and punch her. She fell to the ground. And at that point, I didn’t know what to do except to run over. I started yelling at him, he punched me and my glasses go flying and I just keep yelling at him … he proceeded to take my tambourine and hit me over the head with it and throw it at me.”
Police were called to the scene, however, the man left in his vehicle before they arrived. According to the RNC, officers located the 47-year-old suspect and placed him under arrest. He is charged with two counts of assault and assault with a weapon. He was released to appear in provincial court at a later date.
A 47-year-old man allegedly assaulted two women at Saturday’s pro-Palestine march. A student organizer with @MUNStudents4pal and a community member were left with injuries. The man was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and assault with a weapon: @RNC_PoliceNLpic.twitter.com/Uq4gDRUdkc
In a statement made by MUN Students for Palestine, Pennell says that “this act of violence against our community is unacceptable, but it does not deter us.”
“These Saturday marches are tangible action we take every week to put pressure on all levels of our government and institutions, including Memorial University, to recognize this genocide, advocate for a ceasefire and divest from these war crimes and atrocities.”
President pro tempore Neil Bose was the highest paid employee at Memorial this past year earning a total of $406,300. For comparison with other leaders in the public sector, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, is currently paid $400,000 per year, and NL Premier Andrew Furey makes $160,525. However, in comparison with the top 10 paid university presidents in Ontario, Bose would be number ten.
Last month, salaries and compensation for MUN employees earning over $100,000 were released through the provincial Government’s annual Sunshine List. 1,181 MUN employees have made the list, with an average compensation of $135,065.05, and a total of $161,132,600.
One individual was granted exemption on the basis that the disclosure of their compensation could “threaten the safety, or mental or physical health of that employee.”
In the interest of students and the broader public, the Muse has collected the top figures from this list and ranked the highest salaries.
Base Salary includes the minimum agreed amount which is paid to an individual at Memorial. Total salary includes other payments received from MUN such as overtime, bonuses, and retroactive pay. It excludes other compensation that comes from Eastern Health for clinical work, or other outside funding.
For the purposes of accessibility, we’ve visualized this data through a series of charts, shown below.
Figure 1: Represents the distribution of base salaries between the highest and lowest-paid.Figure 2: Shows the breakdown of the top twenty-five base salaries at MUN compared to total salaries.Figure 3: Represents the proportional shares of the top ten total salaries in size and comparison to one another.
According to the report, MUN has the highest administrative costs in Canada, $2,369 per student as of Winter of 2023, $893 higher than the national average. Additionally, some executives were granted packages allowing ninety-five days of annual leave, this amounts to over a third of the working year. The report also found that there were no position descriptions for 97% of positions in one sample, which included twenty-nine management jobs and seven vice-president positions.
“The university and the Board of Regents are committed to addressing the recommendations while maintaining the university’s autonomy and continuing to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. … Memorial is committed to ensuring the best possible use of public resources while attracting and retaining professionals with the necessary skills and experience to run its operations effectively. Memorial aims to pay its employees fairly by comparing their salaries to what is typical in the job market. The university strives to keep salaries around the middle point of what similar jobs in similar markets pay.”
We have reached out to Neil Bose and Memorial for comment and will update with their response.
An investigation has concluded that Board of Regents Chair Glenn Barnes violated the privacy of a MUN Alumna by forwarding her pro-divestment email to her father. As a result, privacy training has been recommended MUN’s Information Access and Privacy (IAP) Office.
Late Friday afternoon, Memorial announced that an IAP investigation has determined there was “an unauthorised disclosure of an email” by a “member of the Board of Regents” with reference to “recent media reports.” By the university’s definition, this is a privacy breach.
MUN has reported the incident to the NL Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Access to information request comes back empty
Memorial is a public body, and emails sent as part of the Board of Regents’ business are subject to the Access to Information Act. MUN Students for Palestine (MUN S4P) filed an access to information request for emails Barnes sent or forwarded in response to the divestment email campaign. The IAP said they have no records to provide.
The IAP asked Barnes to provide the requested emails. However, he informed them that he was experiencing technical issues with his email and was unable to provide any records. It is unclear if this issue also affected the IAP investigation.
MUN S4P filed a complaint with the NL Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner seeking the records. In their complaint, they say that “the content of the email we have suggests that there are additional breaches,” referring to when Barnes wrote that he is “telling parents that I know just what their kids are doing.”
In response to the complaint, an Access and Privacy Analyst from the provincial office says their investigation into the complaint is ongoing.
Code of Conduct review underway
The Board of Regents is also reviewing the incident “through the processes set out in the Board of Regents’ code of conduct.” In the case of potential non-compliance by the Chair, the Vice-Chair, alumni representative Anik Rahman, has “the power to make a resolution to the Board for a recommended course of action.”
Possible outcomes of the Board of Regents review outlined in the code include a warning, a temporary suspension, or termination.
The sections of the code that could be relevant to the review are Confidentiality and Respect: “Members are expected to respect the confidentiality of any materials provided as part of their duties as a Member of the Board,”
and “Members will recognize the diverse views, opinions, and experiences of Members and the University Community and look to build and support a culture free of harassment, discrimination, and intimidation.”
At the time of publication, Glenn Barnes has not responded to request for comment, but in a previous statement provided by Media Relations Manager Chad Pelley, he said that he was “committed to participating in the investigative process and will not be speaking publicly on this matter.”
On June 21st, Becky Winsor, an alumnus, sent an email to members of the Board of Regents as part of a student-led campaign for MUN to divest from companies involved in Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The next day, she received a call from her father. He informed her that Board Chair Glenn Barnes had forwarded him the email and followed up with the message:
“I and other regents have received over 100 of these. They are intrusive and insulting. I am telling parents that I know just what their kids are doing. Theres (sic) is not the only viewpoint but this group think (sic) they are correct and that MUN ought to be in lock step with them. They need to grow up. Glenn.”
According to Windsor, her father replied to Barnes to say that he should direct his comments to her and that it was not appropriate for him to send the email to outside parties.
“My first response was, I’m 35. I have two children of my own. I’m not a kid. And, certainly, neither are any university students.”
“I’m an alumni, so I’m not a current student, but for any person, community, student, alumni, whomever, it’s very concerning that someone in that position … would be tattling to parents of adult children.”
Becky Winsor is a teacher with a B.A. (2011), a B.Ed (2013), and a M.Ed (2018) from MUN. (Submitted)
Winsor, a former MUNSU executive, says she is fortunate to have parents who have always been supportive of her advocacy but that “there are definitely parents out there who would not be supportive and would probably be really upset if they knew that their children were involved.”
She says this kind of action discourages young people from “wanting to speak up or wanting to be involved in any sort of activism or protest … because they don’t necessarily want their parents to find out, or they don’t want their employer to find out.”
“I didn’t even really say anything about this for a while after it happened because I was a bit intimidated.”
Winsor says she has filed a privacy complaint with the NL Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Office but has yet to receive a response.
MUN has confirmed that the issue is under investigation by their Information Access and Privacy Office. In a statement provided by Communications Manager Chad Pelley, MUN says that
“In the event of a privacy breach, the university has a process to investigate such matters. The matter to which you refer is being investigated. The university will not comment further while this matter is under investigation.”
Barnes ‘experiencing technical issues with email’
MUN Students for Palestine submitted an access to public information request for emails sent from Barnes related to the email campaign.
The decision letter from MUN’s University Privacy Officer says they
“reviewed this request and Memorial University has no records responsive to your request. Please note that the individual asked to conduct a search for records had been experiencing technical issues with email.”
When asked for clarification, MUN’s Information Access and Privacy Office confirmed that Barnes has informed them that he does not have access to the requested emails due to technical difficulties.
MUN Students for Palestine has filed an access complaint with the NL Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, seeking the records.
Barnes has not responded to our requests for comment. However, MUN Communications Manager Chad Pelley provided us with a statement from Barnes:
“Potential privacy breach matters are investigated pursuant to a university process. I am committed to participating in the investigative process and will not be speaking publicly on this matter.”
Students gathered at the clocktower this past Thursday, July 18th, to show solidarity with student protesters in Bangladesh. Organized by the MUN Bangladeshi Cultural Community, participants say they are trying to spread awareness of the current situation to the international community.
Shaira, a MUN student from Bangladesh, says she wants the world to “talk about what’s happening in Bangladesh so that there’s pressure on our government to do better.”
Following the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, a quota system gave 30% of public servant positions to ‘freedom fighters’ of the war. As the population of ‘freedom fighters’ at working age reduced, the quota was extended to their children and grandchildren. Amidst a high rate of youth unemployment in Bangladesh, protesters see this policy as unfair and that more positions should hire applicants based on merit.
MUN students hold flags and signs to show solidarity with student protesters in Bangladesh. (John Harris/The Muse)
In 2018, mass student protests called for reform of the quota system, which led to the government cancelling it altogether. This changed on June 5th, 2024, when a Bangladeshi Supreme Court ruling reinstated the law. On July 1st, protests began on university and college campuses.
According to Amnesty International, protests started as peaceful demonstrations when protesters faced violence from police and groups affiliated with Bangladesh’s ruling party- the Bangladesh Awami League. Violence has continued to escalate, as the police response includes the use of guns, teargas, and rubber bullets. At least 115 people have been killed.
Mahdi, a MUN student, holds a sign with the names of student activists killed by police in the ongoing protests. (John Harris/The Muse)
Mahdi, a MUN Student, says that his friends back home have been participating in the protest, and at least one of them is “hospitalized and had been beaten up very badly.”
“I would rather be in Bangladesh and help the protest, but the most I can do is ask the government over here to tell our Prime Minister to stop the killing of students.”
At the time of the rally, a telecommunications blackout had left MUN students from Bangladesh with little contact with their friends and families back home. Jawad Chowdhury, a recent MUN graduate, says that’s left many MUN students from Bangladesh worried.
“There’s a lot of Bangladeshi students here at Memorial who cannot contact their family members, the internet has been completely shut down for hours now.”
Jawad Chowdhury, Deputy-Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. (John Harris/The Muse)
Chowdhury says, “It’s important that we show support from our university and get attention on the situation in Bangladesh.” Chowdhury says that the right to protest must be protected and that in the history of Bangladesh, students have been at the forefront of the fight for progress, including the movement for Bangladeshi independence.
“Student protest and student activism has played a crucial role in the roots of forming Bangladesh, and it’s very important that we preserve that right.”
On Friday, MUN President Neil Bose released a Message of Support “to remind all members of our community of the resources available to them.” In the statement, he obliquely references the situation in Bangladesh. Bose writes that the “Internationalization Office regularly reaches out directly to students whose home countries are experiencing turmoil, most recently to Bangladeshi students.”
As of July 21st, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has ordered that much of the quota be scrapped, although not removed completely. Following a top court ruling, 93% of jobs will be filled with merit-based processing, 5% will be allocated to veterans’ descendants, and 2% will be reserved for minority groups such as ethnic minorities and those with disabilities.
Another protest in support of Bangladeshi student protests takes place tomorrow at the clocktower, July 23rd at 4:30.
Memorial University of Newfoundland Student’s Union (MUNSU) is currently holding events all across campus to celebrate inclusion and pride in the community. Between July 15th and July 21st, 2024, MUNSU’s Pride on Campus has events for beginners to try drag, students to get gender-affirming haircuts and headshots, and more.
All eight events are free to attend and open to all students. The events range from a casual art day and movie night, to a protest for queer rights. The events look to give a place for everyone, engage a healthy community, and reaffirm the strength and importance of empathy for all individuals regardless of their gender, race, or sexual orientation.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alida Zedel, one of the organizers of MUNSU’s Pride on Campus event. Alida is the Executive Director of Campaigns at the student union.
Q: When did being a leader of queer pride and inclusion begin for you?
A: I have activist roots, I came up through Fridays for Future. As a queer person myself, I am non-binary and I also noticed coming up through that I saw the struggle, I feel it, I live it, it is my day-to-day, but I also see that within activists communities, most of the people I am around are queer. It is really wonderful to see but there is a reason for that, and I come back to all liberation is connected. We can’t be free until others are free and I really hope to embody that and bring it in to my work, this role, and my portfolio.
Q: Can you speak on why Pride on Campus and Inclusive events are important not only for the community, but important for an educational institution where people come to seek continued education?
A: Finding a queer community and finding friends within the queer community is wildly important. I know there were times where I didn’t have a really good group of friends and offering supporst and offering opportunities for the community to gather and to hang out and make connections is the most important thing. We want to be able to support the community and give them these opportunities to connect and grow.
Posters of Pride on Campus events in front of the Loft. (Kyle Phillips/The Muse)
Q: For continuing students, are there active clubs, societies, or committees to join to continue celebrating and embracing pride and the queer community?
A: SAGA and Intersections are two; we are working with SAGA on the event Gender Affirming Haircuts and Headshots. They will be there and tabling with Gender gear, and if you want to reach out and get involved they will be there and you can talk to them about how their group operates. Intersection to intersections is mostly a women’s space, but there are lots of queer women and it is a great way to get involved with clubs and societies. You can also join my committee, the Campaigns and Actions Committee. It’s not necessarily as pride-focused, but very intersectional, and lots of interesting things are happening this year so if you want to join, feel free to email campaigns@munsu.ca!
In response to a request from Memorial University, the RNC charged three participants of the occupation of the Arts and Administration Building with petty trespassing late Friday night. Charged protesters have received a court date, and could face up to a $200 dollar fine if found guilty.
Since June 7th, student protesters have occupied the building as part of MUN Students For Palestine divestment campaign. It has since been revealed that $7,144,370 of Memorial’s portfolio is invested in two companies with direct ties to Israel’s invasion of Gaza and a third involved in the establishment and maintenance of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territories.
Devoney Ellis, one of the student protesters who was charged, says she is “feeling very disappointed in my university,” but is not dissuaded from continuing to protest. Ellis’s message to MUN is that they “are not going to silence us in the face of a genocide, thats simply not going to happen.”
Additionally, Campus Enforcement Patrol officers were given orders from MUN to dismantle and remove all tents from the science building courtyard. This encampment dubbed Yazan’s Yard by student protesters has now been cleared.
In a statement posted to Instagram, MUN Students For Palestine says they are “outraged by Memorial University’s gross misuse of resources” and says that their “methods were chaotic, disorganised and showed a complete disregard for safety, especially the safety of racialized and international students.”
MUN Campus Enforcement Officers inform student protesters that they are removing all tents from Yazan’s Yard (John Harris/The Muse)
MUN Cites Ontario Superior Court ruling as Basis for Shutting Down Protest, Legal Expert Says Other Provinces Rulings are ‘not binding’ in NL
In a statement published in the Gazette, MUN defends their actions to shut down protest by writing that they align with the Ontario Superior Court decision that granted the University of Toronto an injunction to dismantle the pro-Palestinian student encampment on their campus.
MUN asserts that “the legal principles around property ownership and control of property are equally applicable,” however according to law professor Heidi Matthews, MUNs statement is misleading, and ignores whether or not Charter rights apply in this context.
Heidi Matthews, Associate Professor at Osgoode Law School (Submitted by Heidi Matthews)
In a comment provided to the Muse, Matthews writes that “different provinces each have different regulatory regimes governing the relationship between provincial governments and universities. A court in this province may well decide the question of Charter application to campus differently than the Ontario court did in the UofT case; indeed, the Court of Appeal of Alberta has recently decided that universities are not ‘Charter-free zones’.”
Matthews explains that the facts of the UofT case and what’s happening on MUN campus are very different:
“The harm identified by the judge in the UofT case emanated from the fact that encampment members had ‘appropriated control’ over Front Campus in a way that excluded others and prevented the university from using the space.”
Student protesters hold up sign following charges. (John Harris/The Muse)
In what Matthews calls “language taken from the UofT case,” MUN’s statement asserts that “students have been occupying the lobby of the building to the exclusion of others.”
However, according to Matthews “there does not appear to be any evidence that the Memorial students occupying the Arts and Administration building had ‘appropriated control’ over the building.”
As for the three protesters who were charged with petty trespassing, Matthews says they may choose to challenge their charges on the basis of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly rights granted by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Off Balance: A Contemporary Circus Comedy premiered at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre on June 23rd, 2023. Directed by Anahareo Doelle and Krin Haglund, the show promises to dish out “Circus Therapy” to “leave you feeling a little better.” Celebrating Canadian circus acts and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Year of the Arts, the show plants itself strongly in a gathering of offerings throughout this province.
“Hold your breath”
What should one expect when going to see a circus comedy show? Circus shows will set the stage to surprise the audience and keep them on their toes, whether through impressive athletic feats or swift arrangements. Most importantly, they seek to bring life to the stage and the audience. Audience interaction is not a given; however, the minds behind Off Balance made sure to start their show by including the audience in their act. Be a part of the community, pick a club to join, and follow along.
“I’m just here for the lost and found”
One of the most satisfying moments for an audience member is feeling the payoff of foreshadowing. One of the best tools to use in entertainment, arts, and literature, foreshadowing can make a show or play feel complete. Despite the show emphasizing the comedy aspects of circus and life, there are emotional character arcs followed throughout. Comedy proves to be a good medium for exploring complex emotions, as long as you don’t mind reading between the lines.
“We could be friends” & “The Meaning of Life”
Leave it to a comedy circus show to bring people together at the theatre while also exploring how to bring people closer as a theme through the show. I would be lying if I said the show doesn’t hint at the meaning of life along the way. It’s up to the audience whether this “Circus Therapy” show “leaves you feeling a little better,” but it had something for everyone. Come for the juggling, aerial acrobatics, dancing, music, production, audience engagement, or just to see a circus show!
An American Hymnal – A Terra Bruce Production premiered in St. John’s last month with shows running between May 16th-25th 2024.
The show follows Father Paul Barry as he has left his home in Ireland to move to America, determined to do good. He soon encounters a jazz singer, Dinah, as she tries to make it big in the New World. Taking place throughout the ’50s and ’60s, An American Hymnal combines a soundtrack of gospel and rock & roll music that ripples through themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and hope.
The production continues through June 21st-23rd at the Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, ON.
The Majestic Theatre
The Majestic Theatre is planting itself in the heart of Downtown St. John’s with a constant stream of new and revamped plays, musicals, and more.
An American Hymnal is a bold addition to the company and fits well in the space. The production design beautifully blends projection visuals with practical sets to immerse the audience in the world of the Eastern United States in the ‘50s. With professional choreography mixed in, a multitude of things are happening at once, without taking away from the story.
The musical does not shy away from the darker parts of American History. Characters are subjected to abuse, addiction, adversity, and racism to name a few. Some are given the time to reflect on their capacity for change, while others provide the groundwork for differing perspectives.
The musical promotes values of forgiveness; embracing mistakes instead of running from them, and learning from others to allow oneself to grow. The performances sell the emotions, particularly concerning the reimaginings of popular songs from that era and the vocal performances of those pieces.
Luckily, I was able to sit down with one of the actors after the show to talk about the production.
Julia Dunne
Julia is a Resident Artist from Mount Pearl, NL, with Terra Bruce Productions. She graduated from Sheridan College with an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theatre Performance. Julia plays Jessa, a sex worker who Paul encounters as he is still learning how best to aid his community.
Jessa exemplifies the depth of the characters built throughout the musical. To be human is to carry momentum always, and with that momentum comes change.
Julia is a resilient example of how you can combine two separate passions and maneuver through both seamlessly. As an actor and lifestyle coach, I spoke with Julia about how she is able to find a balance between her creative side and her health.
Being in the public eye means those in the creative industries are subjected to many differing opinions. Good stories are inherently vulnerable, and the reactions to the stories we tell can range drastically.
The performing arts place actors and creatives on a stage for people to see, and a bad review or lacklustre audience can be hard to handle. Julia spoke on finding the balance of being a creative individual and taking time for your health.
Musicals and plays take months -and sometimes years- of production, rehearsals, late nights, and performances. Burnout in any industry is a real problem, and understanding what you need on an individual level to keep going at a healthy pace is important to continue doing what you love. Julia’s lifestyle coaching has been built from this framework, and she continues to expand her life and others in many ways while staying healthy.
Catch Julia and other members of the crew through Majestic’s Summer at the Majestic, to celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador Year of the Arts, 2024.
On Friday, June 7th, students gathered in the Arts and Admin lobby at MUN for a teach-in about intersectional feminism and liberation when they were approached by Campus Enforcement and Patrol (CEP). A representative from MUN Students For Palestine states, “A group of approximately 6-10 students were assembling in the Arts and Administration lobby for a peaceful teach-in about intersectional feminism and liberation. At 5:50, students were approached by CEP who instructed them to leave. Students expressed concerns at the revocation of their right to use the space for peaceful assembly.”
Credit: Memorial University Student Union (via Instagram)
CEP then locked the doors while continuously allowing other students and faculty members to enter the building. The representative says “CEP attempted to intimidate students by implying there would be consequences to their presence in the building, despite the fact it was during regular working hours.”
The students stated they then consulted a lawyer to affirm their right to remain in the building, who confirmed that their presence was permitted as students and protestors. They added, “After relaying this to CEP and reiterating our right to be in the building, they changed tact and agreed that students did have a right to be in the building, but said that they had been instructed to get students to leave.”
The student said they were not permitted to speak with the individual responsible for the decision despite their requests, as the individual was supposedly unavailable due to it being 6 pm on a Friday.
Following this discussion, a group of protestors committed to remaining in the building “to remind MUNL admin that students will not be dismissed.”
MUNL has released a statement surrounding the protest saying, “While we respect the students’ right to peaceful protest, Memorial is not condoning these actions as buildings are typically closed at night for security reasons.” Affirming that, “Memorial will continue to work with organizers to maintain their safety and security, as well as the safety and security of students, staff and faculty. The Arts and Administration building remains open for usual business.”
Meanwhile, student protestors stress, “We will continue our occupation until a genuine effort has been made to negotiate with us in good faith.”
