The St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU) has announced that it will be proroguing its activities “until early 2017.”
SMCSU announced on Facebook that council members met today to “discuss a path ahead, in wake of the public attention it has been receiving this past week.”
“This will allow members the opportunity to reflect on whether or not they feel they are able to continue in their current capacities on SMCSU,” the statement continues. “Please continue to monitor our social media channels for further updates in the New Year.”
The statement likely refers to two Snapchat videos involving SMCSU representatives that were widely circulated on social media and have been called Islamophobic.
The videos were recorded by then-SMCSU Vice-President Kevin Vando at a birthday party hosted at the home of former SMCSU Vice-President Joseph Crimi. They show former SMCSU councilor Sara Gonsalves reading a book called Islam for Dummies and singing, “Would you be my Muslim boy?” to the tune of Estelle’s “American Boy.”
Vando resigned from SMCSU on Monday. SMCSU President Zachary Nixon also appears to have resigned his post, a public update on Facebook shows. It is unclear who is currently at the helm of the union.
The Varsity has reached out to Nixon and the SMC administration for comment.
