What is Citadelle council and what does the council do?
Citadelle council is a student council for the residents of the Citadelle residence. It is comprised of 16 people including a president, five vice presidents (external, internal, sports, food and events) and floor representatives. My position within the council is as a floor representative. Our aim as members of Citadelle council is to give students something to look forward to, participate in and make new friends via a variety of events. Indeed, we organize different events to accommodate everyones’ needs, whether you drink, play music or like singing, within our budget. In my opinion (admittedly slightly biased) we have been pretty successful at doing this! We have organized coffee houses where people can mingle and play instruments, poker nights and most recently a lip dub for all residents, which was a lot of fun!
What motivated you to become part of Citadelle council?
When I got into residence at first I had a hard time making friends because there are so many people and it is such a sudden experience. At first I hung out with a lot of my high school friends, but I soon realized that I wanted to be more involved with the people at my residence. I thought being part of council would be an ideal way to do this, as fellow members are interested in the same things that you are. I was also involved with the student government in high school and thought I could apply those skills to this position.
As the council has allowed you to expand your network of friends and engage more, do you feel more part of McGill as a result of it?
For sure, I think it’s a lot easier to be part of your residence’s council than immediately join an on-campus group. For example, you are with people of your own age, in the same position as you and as it’s based around where one lives, so it’s easy to meet and interact with people. I find that when you join on-campus groups, the people are a lot more experienced than you, as they are in senior years, and it’s hard to organize meetings with the variety of people. The council was a great way to start at university and get engaged with it. Not only have I made friends here, but you also meet people from different residences too. It’s a lot of fun!
Which activity or event organized by the Council do you consider the most memorable?
Both the parties, the Halloween party and the Toga party were the best events for various reasons. Firstly, the Halloween party was the first event organized by the council so it was all new and exciting for us. We were able to make cocktails, had a dance floor and there was a costume competition with really amazing costumes. The Toga party was also a big success and a lot more people than expected actually wore togas. There was a really great turn-out for both parties!
The Citadelle council organized a lip dub, can you tell me more about that?
The lip dub was part of a residence war video contest. Last year Citadelle was the only hotel residence to make a lip dub as it is really hard to move through an entire building. As it ended up being super successful, this year we wanted to reach the same level as before. It took an entire weekend and a lot more time than expected. It’s a lot more complicated to plan than it seems! You need to plan where everyone is going to be each second. There were also not enough people so we had to “recycle” people and they had to run to new locations. On the day of the filming however far more people came, everyone was really excited so it was super fun and everyone added their own personal touch to it. It was lots of fun but it looks deceptively simple!
Can you in three words summarize your experience being part of the Citadelle council?
That is difficult but they would have to be funny, collaborative and efficient.
Leaving Citadelle in a month, what advice would you give the next wave of Citadellers?
If at the beginning you do not think you like being in residence, don’t give up because it gets so much better. Be friendly and open because that’s the only way to make friends who you will keep throughout university. It’s really important! So keep socializing as much as you can so you, find the people you like as they make your university life and experience!