What is Mac Campus?
The Macdonald Campus is one of the two McGill University campuses. It's located at the west end of the island of Montreal and is known for its green open spaces and outdoor research environments. Don’t worry about the distance from downtown, because the campuses are connected by a shuttle bus that runs year round. As a Mac Froshie you will get to primarily experience the Mac Campus while also spending plenty of time with students from different faculties downtown!
What is MCSS
The Macdonald Campus Student Society (MCSS) is the student government for Mac Campus, and is proud to present Frosh, Halloween, and plenty of other events on campus throughout the year to Mac students! In addition to events, MCSS provides resources, space, and more to clubs and students!
What is the difference between Macdonald Campus Orientation and Mac Frosh? Do I have to pick between them?
Macdonald Campus Orientation is run by the Faculty and the Macdonald Campus administration whereas Frosh is run by the Macdonald Campus Student Society (MCSS). In terms of events, orientation is about making sure you (as a new Mac student) have the right tools to succeed in your studies and are familiar with the resources available to you as a McGill student (i.e. very important things). Frosh events are about meeting other new students and integrating yourself into the Mac community. Think of Orientation as work and Frosh as play! Bottom line: you don't have to pick between them because Orientation events and Frosh events never overlap (expert insider tip : do both).
When does Frosh week happen?
Frosh week this year begins on Monday, August 26th and ends on Sunday, September 1st. This means you never have to miss any class in order to participate in Frosh!
Where do I pick up my bracelet and Frosh gear?
Before beginning Frosh week you MUST receive your Froshie pack which includes your mandatory participation bracelet and t-shirt (along with tons of other goodies). There will be a registration/pick-up table in front of Laird Hall from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, August 25th. If you cannot make it to this table, there will be another table in front of the Centennial Centre on Monday, August 26th, before the opening ceremonies that evening. Although you can register at these tables, we STRONGLY recommend you register online before, as we can’t guarantee that there will still be available spots that close to Frosh.
I have friends doing a bigger faculty Frosh downtown, why should I do Mac Frosh?
The temptation to follow your high school or CEGEP friends in Frosh— regardless of faculty— can be powerful, but we strongly encourage you to participate in Mac Frosh if you will be studying at the Mac Campus during the year. Mac Frosh is the best place to meet the people you’ll be sharing classes with all year. A smaller faculty Frosh does not mean less fun, and we don’t gear our events towards only Mac-related activities! We have plenty of parties and concerts downtown where you can hang out with other faculties, and our Mac events are also pretty rad! Not to mention that Mac Frosh lasts a full week, as opposed to the shorter, 4-day Froshes downtown.
Who can/cannot participate in Frosh?
!Frosh is intended to get incoming undergraduate McGill students accustomed to life on campus. That being said, you are able to participate in Frosh if you are entering into your first year of undergraduate studies at McGill University, are a new student who entered in the winter term of the previous academic year, are a new McGill transfer student, or are a new exchange student. Unfortunately, returning students, family members, and non-McGill students are not permitted to attend Frosh. If you are a new Macdonald graduate student, be sure to check out Macdonald Campus Graduate Frosh!
I won't be able to make it to all of the events. Can I pay only for those that I plan to attend?
Unfortunately, Frosh pricing is offered as a full package that includes the entire week of events. Although we encourage students to attend as many events as possible, it is totally possible to miss certain events while still having a rewarding experience. You can always message us for advice and more information!
I will be under 18 during Frosh, can I still participate?
Of course! A majority of our events are inclusive to all ages, and for any 18+ events, an underage alternative is proposed!
Will there be alcohol during Frosh? What if I don’t drink?
We do offer light alcoholic beverages to froshies of age in Canada at certain events, but no event during frosh is a “drinking” event! This means that froshies 18 years or older are welcome to responsibly enjoy alcoholic beverages during these events, but by no means is anyone required to. We strictly adhere to an opt-in, rather than an opt-out, drinking policy. Our goal is to make frosh as inclusive to everyone as possible, regardless of whether they choose to drink or not!
Is Frosh some kind of initiation?
Absolutely not! Frosh is for meeting new people and getting to know your surroundings. It's all about welcoming you to the Mac community, never "hazing" you or making you prove something; you're already all Mac-McGillians in our eyes!
I experience mental/physical barriers in certain situations, how will this affect my participation in Frosh?
Our main goal throughout Frosh is to make this week as fun, inclusive, and accessible as possible to every froshie, regardless of the potential barriers of the events. We have a designated Inclusivity Coordinator that you are welcome to contact if you have any extenuatin circumstances you would like us to be aware of. All of our leaders and coordinators are trained in Active Listening, and certain leaders have undergone extensive additional training in accessibility and resources available at McGill.
Please reach out to our Inclusivity Coordinator, Jonathan Salama-Siroishka (jonathan.salama-siroishka@mail.mcgill.ca) for any additional help, resources, or concerns!
Please reach out to our Inclusivity Coordinator, Jonathan Salama-Siroishka (jonathan.salama-siroishka@mail.mcgill.ca) for any additional help, resources, or concerns!
