ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES

Report On Argentina

Buenos Aires is a city of 11 million people, or about one-third of Argentina's population, and as its name implies, enjoys "good air" or pleasant winds from the neighbouring sea. The change from the smog-heavy Santiago, Chile, which I have just left behind, is immediately noticeable. Those few lonely historians who specialize in Canada's position in the Inter-American system would be quick to point out the Canadian penchant for conducting just about every official visit in the dead of our own winter. And so, if I were to tell you that it was a warm November day when I slunk into Buenos Aires, that would not be entirely surprising.

Less than four percent of all foreign students at Canadian universities are from Latin America, and the situation at McGill is not much different. Hence, McGill graduates in South America are exotic by virtue of their scarceness of numbers. As part of the world-wide branch network, McGill maintains contact in Argentina thanks to our Alumni Association branch leader, Guillermo (Bill) Murchison, BCom'63, who runs a family business specializing in shipping and stevedoring. The office is located in bustling downtown Buenos Aires, not far from Avenida Florida, a boulevard swarming late into the night with people of all ages.

There are 32 McGill graduates in this country of 33 million; some, like the Murchisons, have Canadian connections -- Bill Murchison's grandfather came from the Prince Edward Island of pre-confederation times -- and yet others found themselves in Montreal by virtue of an affiliation with the United Nations agency, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Bill attended McGill in the early sixties, and played rugby along with other sports. His son, Andrew, studied agricultural economics at McGill's Macdonald College, graduated in 1988, and currently manages the farming operation brought into the family through Bill's wife, Mary (nee Corbett), who has similar anglo-Argentinian heritage. They met as children and kept in touch through letters while Bill attended McGill. The first year was difficult, he recalls, because of culture shock. "I think I was in Canada for one year before anyone invited me to their home."

It was at McGill that Bill Murchison became friends with John Cleghorn, BCom'62, now Chairman of the Royal Bank, a friendship that continues. "We were married on the same day on separate continents," Bill recalls. Owing to his desire to pursue an accounting designation, Bill and Mary Murchison spent their honeymoon flying back to Montreal, where they lived on Mountain Street. Two of their four children would be born in Canada.

Bill Murchison has invited both me and Rhatna Ghosh, Macdonald Professor of Education and acting director of McGill International, to dinner at an historic private club. "Argentinian beef is low in cholesterol because it is range fed," Bill Murchison advises. Our conversation centres on the teaching of ethics and values. Professor Ghosh argues that values and ethics should permeate the curriculum, but that specific courses are valuable. "By putting courses on ethics in the curriculum you are legitimizing the concept of the course and giving it importance," she asserts. Professor Ghosh's recent book Redefining Multicultural Education is published by Harcourt Brace (Spring 1996). Of grave concern to Bill Murchison is the formation of Argentina's business and political leaders, and the deterioration of Argentina's higher education system over the last 30 years. As with much of South America, full-time professors are rare, and hence there is little research. "Argentina relies on copying ideas from other parts of the world, and on rote learning," he comments.

To address the problem, he helped found St. Andrew's University (Universidad de San Andres), a private university of about 300 students located on seven hectares in a suburb of Buenos Aires. The difficulties of such a venture were immense. The value of the donations was severely diminished with hyperinflation. Still, today the university is flourishing and expanding into graduate programs. The tuition is US$5,150 per term, with a scholarship program available. A glance at the university prospectus shows such educational objectives as "the ability to think lucidly and to express ideas and convictions with precision and elegance." In 1993 the university developed a code of ethics calling for the principles of justice and for freedom of speech and thought. According to Murchison, the ability to discuss issues freely in Argentinian society has been a recent development. "In this country, we could never discuss things before, such as the deep- rooted lack of morality. Now, society is condemning corruption, such as tax evasion," he comments. Murchison argues that three factors have brought about the change in attitude: hyperinflation, which caused a lack of confidence in the government's ability to manage the economy; the revelations of the dirty war; and the lies told during the Falklands War. "Everyone was convinced we were winning the war right up until the day Argentina was defeated," Murchison says. "There are not many sacred cows left in Argentina anymore. Everything is subject to questioning now."

Class Action

For the first time, the McGill Alumni Association joined with the Annual Fund to coordinate Class Action '96. Through Class Action, graduating students canvass their classmates for three-year pledges of between $105 and $140, to fund a specific project in their faculty. (Projects this year include scholarships for nursing, a specialized photocopier for architecture and a clinical camera for dentistry.) This is the fourth year of the program begun as a project by McConnell Fellow Mary-Pat Cormier, BA'90, LLB'96, BCL'96. Co-chairs Ele Balders, BA'96, and Peter Mazoff, BCom'96, along with 40 students, joined academic deans and department directors for the inaugural luncheon in January. Class Action '96 will continue into the spring when SOAR and the McGill Young Alumni unite with Class Action volunteers to launch the first "Graduating Class Reunion." At a giant outdoor reception at the end of spring classes in April, the Graduating Class Reunion will welcome all graduating students to their first McGill reunion/homecoming.

A Garden Party in the Spirit of James McGill

On June 6, 1996, McGill University will turn back the clocks of the Roddick Gates to the early nineteenth century -- a time when Montreal was a bustling fur trading centre and McGill College was still a dream. In the spirit of James McGill and those affiliated with the early development of this Royal Institution for the Advancementof Learning, a special Garden Party will be hosted to commemorate the 175th anniversary of McGill University. Guests will be invited to stroll the lawns and debate important issues of the day, while period sports and activities take place. Graduating students, alumni, faculty and staff, and members of the Montreal community will be invited to celebrate this Canadian milestone. For more information, please contact the office of McGill 175 at (514) 398-5874.

Sending along some T.L.C.

In December, the lives of 438 exam-stressed students were made more pleasant through SOAR's (Student Organization for Alumni Relations) Exam Care Package Program. The Program enabled parents to purchase "stress buster" packages distributed to their children just before exams. Parents from Toronto to Hong Kong ordered SOAR packages that included such goodies as fresh fruit, chocolate bars and passes to University sports events. Many parents took the opportunity to send along notes as well. The most common: "Eat the fruit, give away the chocolate."

The McGill Alumni Directory

A few months ago, the Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company mailed a directory questionnaire to all McGill alumni. If you have not already done so, please return your completed questionnaire as soon as possible. In April, representatives of Harris will be telephoning alumni to verify that your information is correct.

The McGill University Alumni Directory will allow you to easily locate fellow alumni. To guarantee receiving your personal copy, remember to place your order when the Harris representative phones.

Annual General Meeting and Awards Banquet

The Annual General Meeting and the Awards Banquet will take place on Friday, June 7, 1996, to coincide with Branch Leaders' Weekend, the Garden Party and Residence Reunion.

The Annual General Meeting will be at the McGill Faculty Club, 8:30 a.m. Special agenda items will include the appointment of new officers and amendments to the Association's by-laws. A continental breakfast will be served. The Awards Banquet will be at the St. James's Club, 6:30 p.m. Call (514) 398-5000.