The McGill Tribune Vol. 31 Issue 21

r i b u n e

Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 21

Tliesday, March 13, 2012

M a n f r e d i's s e c o n d O p e n F o ru m Erica Friesen

News Editor

On March 12, McGill students, staff, faculty, and other community members assembled to discuss the issues surrounding the events of Nov. 10, in Christopher Manfredi’s (Dean of Arts) second Open Forum meeting. Around 30 people attend­ ed the event, including Principal

Heather Munroe-Blum and Provost Anthony Masi. Mandated by Munroe-Blum, the Open Forum is in response to Dean of Law Daniel Jutras’ report on the events of Nov. 10. In his re­ port, Jutras recommended the cre­ ation of an Open Forum to discuss “the meaning and scope of the rights of free expression and peaceful as­ sembly on campus.”

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Attendees were quick to point out the difficulty of defining terms like “peaceful,” but came up with several suggestions for McGill’s treatment of space on campus. One student recommended that McGill create designated spaces on campus grounds for both protests and coun­ ter-protests, while another suggested designating spaces where people can’t protest, as opposed to space

where they can. “[These would be] two plac­ es where people are not going to be protesting, [and] where people would know [they] can walk onto campus here and not cross a picket line,” Adam Bouchard, second-year masters student, said. “Instead of saying ‘You’re free to do anything you want here,’ say ‘Be anywhere but right there.’”

Other students, however, ex­ pressed concern over the idea that the university may designate spe­ cific space on campus for protesting or not protesting. “I think it might succeed in sep­ arating out the more moderate folks from the people who really want to butt heads with authority, but I’m not sure that that’s helpful and I’m See “OPEN FORUM” on page 2

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CAMPUS

S u m m it fo c u s e s o n th e n e e d s o f in te rn a tio n a l s tu d e n ts A t t e n d e e s d i s c u s s t u i t i o n i n c r e a s e s f r o m a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l p e r s p e c t i v e a n d c h a l l e n g e s lik e f i n d i n g a j o b in M o n t r e a l Enbal Singer

Contributor

On March 9, the SSMU hosted a strategic summit on the needs of international students in the SSMU Building. The event included a dis­ cussion of Juhi Sujan’s research on international student services at McGill, followed by a student-only discussion about the problems fac­ ing international students at McGill. Sujan, the president of the Mc­ Gill International Student Network (MISN), surveyed 196 international undergraduate and graduate students at McGill. Students generally re­ sponded that it was easy for them to adapt to social and academic life at McGill, although they complained about the difficulty of navigating the McGill administration. Sujan also looked at McGill services like international orienta­ tions, drop-in hours, and introduc­ tory workshops, which deal with immigration and provide social sup­

port to help integrate students into Montreal. The student-only discussion included a conversation on the sig­ nificance of tuition increases and protests for international students. While they pay much more than Quebec students, international stu­ dents could also be impacted by a strike if, for example, the semester is extended. Students also expressed con­ cerns with how different values can change each student’s view of the strike. While some students oppose tuition increase because they believe education is a right, some interna­ tional students don’t see it that way. “Education is never talked about as a right in some places,” SSMU VP University Affairs Emily Yee Clare, who came to McGill from Alberta. “It’s a privilege be­ cause of how much you have to pay [in the U.S.]. That changes the way you’re willing to approach tuition hikes. So the right to education ... is

S e c o n d O p en F o ru m C O N T IN U E D FROM COVER

not sure that’s going to keep in spirit with the university,” SSMU Presi­ dent Maggie Knight said. Concerns about university limi­ tations on the location of protests brought up broader concerns about the role of the university in shaping student life. “Our university has a proper function ... of training future critical citizens, [so] we should always err on the side of free speech,” Lorenz Luthi, an associate professor in the department of history, said. Students also expressed con­ cern with the way the administration handled past and current discussions with students. “Often students feel like they are either used as a marketing cam­ paign or they are not really advo­ cated for in terms of the university,” SSMU VP University Affairs Emily Yee Clare said. “We’re viewed as being people that need to be con­ trolled instead of students that [the administration] can work together with.” “[At this forum] we’re talking about the university’s response to

something that a lot of people can’t associate with.” International students also have problems paying for tuition through work study programs and bursaries, and many students feel that partial scholarships and campus jobs are not enough. “Financial aid is often based on how much your parents could in theory give you, but for instance if you’re queer and you come out to your parents and they don’t like that one bit and decide to cut you off ... the criteria for financial aid makes no sense in some cases,” Joel Pedneault, SSMU VP External, said. Some international students have difficulty finding a job in Mon­ treal because they may be unable to speak French or may have difficulty managing their time between studies and work. Josh Redel, an American U4 engineering student, explained that he didn’t realize that he would need French in order to work here.

“I don’t think it’s one of those things you consider,” he said. “There [are] so many things going on when you’re applying for school ... Mon­ treal is very English ... I think [stu­ dents are] often caught off-guard.” Katie Larson, an American U2 music student, explained that she is forced to work 55 hours a week dur­ ing the summer to make up for not being able to work throughout the rest of the year. “I can’t afford to spend a month of my free time [to] go do something academic, something like an unpaid internship,” Katie explained. Some international students try to solve this problem by working under the table in Montreal, but this type of employment leaves students vulnerable to abuse. “I’ve heard so many night­ mare stories about students who are getting things like painting jobs throughout the summer and they end up working for two weeks and they don’t get a single cent. [Employers]

just cycle in new international stu­ dents,” Clare said. Clare suggested workshops for international students on their rights in Canada. Other students said that managing school and work is an ongoing problem and that McGill could help them more. While McGill may cause some problems for international students, Sujan believes that McGill’s interna­ tional students, who make up 21 per cent of the student population, help build community within the univer­ sity. “Through MISN, we’ve helped not only international students but all McGill students,” Sujan said. “We encourage the attendance of all students ... lots of Canadians think our events are super cool and well organized [and] people generally flock to our events.”

c o n t.

protests in general, but we haven’t talked about the response to the ac­ tual specific issues,” Haley Dinel, religious studies senator, said. “We’re addressing the way [students are] upset, but not necessarily the reasons why.” According to some students, discussion on students’ rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are especially important at this time of year, because the uni­ versity may soon face similar chal­ lenges if students decide to join the Quebec-wide student strike against tuition fee increases. “I think the university is going to have a very tall order on their hands, making sure that students can still make it to class if they’re choos­ ing to not boycott or to strike [and] that students who are boycotting and striking have the opportunity and the place to be able to freely express themselves,” Bouchard said. Masi said that the university is obligated to support students who wish to attend class during a student strike, but does not have measures in place to support students who choose to strike. “It’s a student’s right to decide

how he or she chooses to act in the face of an organized protest,” he said. “They have a right to protest [and] they can exercise that right ... [but] there's no obligation on the part of the professor to accom­ modate a student who chooses to go out on strike ... the professor has to make that choice.” After the forum, Manfredi said he will consider the various student suggestions on how to better ad­ vertise the forum, but is generally happy with the diversity of commu­ nity members attending the meet­ ings. “We’ve been getting a good va­ riety of members of the university community here,” he said. “It’s the variety of voices that’s important, the fact that we’re getting in one room—students, faculty, senior ad­ ministrators, non-academic staff ... That doesn’t happen very much at McGill and I think that’s a unique aspect of this process.” Manfredi’s next Open Forum meeting will take place on March 27 at Macdonald Campus from 1:303:00 p.m.

M C SS a n d PG SS v o te to g o o n lim it e d s tr ik e Last week, the Macdonald crease and voted in favour of acces­ Campus Students’ Society (MCSS) sible education. The PGSS Annual General voted to go on a one-day strike on March 22. The Post Graduate Stu­ Meeting on March 7 also exceeded dents’ Society (PGSS) also voted to quorum, with 185 members in atten­ go on a three-day strike from March dance, more than twice the required quorum of 80 students. Mariéve Isa­ 20 to March 22. March 22 is the National Day bel, PGSS VP External, explained of Action against tuition increases, that although the motion originally when thousands of students are ex­ called for a one-day strike, it was pected to take to the streets in pro­ amended on the floor by members to test of the Quebec government’s become a three-day strike. "The goal, as mentioned in proposed tuition fee increases. Tu­ ition is set to increase this Septem­ the motion itself, was to encourage ber by $325 every year for the next graduate students to participate [in] the province-wide demonstration five years. “The one day strike is a sym­ on March 22 and to show our sup­ bolic action,” Kerry Blake-Savery, port [for] the Quebec student move­ ment,” Isabel said. MCSS president, said. “We are going to use the extra MCSS’ General Assembly on March 8 required a quorum of 170, two days to organize activities and but attendance reached 304. Ac­ information sessions about peace­ cording to Blake-Savery, the last ful demonstration, tuition fees, etc. time an MCSS GA had quorum was We want to make sure that as many in 2005. The motion had originally students as possible can attend these called for a three-day strike, but was activities and the demonstration on amended to a one-day strike. Dur­ March 22.” ing the assembly, MCSS members voted against the present tuition in­

— CarolinaMilldnRonchetti

This week, read more news at www.mcgilltribune.com

CAMPUS

M U N A C A r a l l i e s in f r o n t o f J a m e s A d m i n B u ild in g U n i o n m e m b e r s p r o t e s t d e l a y in f i n a l i z a t i o n o f c o l l e c t i v e a g r e e m e n t r e a c h e d in D e c e m b e r Carolina Millân Ronchetti

News Editor

On March 9, approximately 250 members of the McGill Univer­ sity Non-Academic Certified Asso­ ciation (MUNACA) demonstrated in front of the James Administration Building to protest about a delay in finalizing and signing a collective agreement with the McGill admin­ istration. The agreement, ratified by MUNACA’s members on Dec. 5, 2011, was reached after months of negotiations, ending the union’s three-month strike. Since the end of the strike, the McGill administration and the la­ bour union have been translating and finalizing the collective agree­ ment before signing it. The rally started at the Rod­ dick Gates at 12:30 p.m. and moved in front of the James Administra­ tion Building. After addressing the demonstrators, MUNACA president Kevin Whittaker entered James Ad­ ministration to deliver a letter ad­ dressed to Principal Heather Munroe-Blum. “[MUNACA members] are concerned—they’re very angry ac­ tually,” David Kalant, VP Finance of MUNACA, said. “They expect­ ed maybe a month, month and a half to settle everything, have [the agreement] translated properly, get it signed. And now it’s been three

months and we don’t know when it will end.” Whittaker explained that the delay has to do with an article that addresses individuals whose salaries exceed the pay equity line drawn in 2001, and would allow them to re­ ceive salary increases as a one-time lump, sum. MUNACA had requested a list of the individuals who would be af­ fected by this article and received 80 names from the administration. However, according to Whittaker, the administration recently an­

nounced that over 40 names have been added to the original list, but MUNACA has yet to receive the up­ dated version. “If they could tell us three weeks ago that there were [over] 40 people, they had to have known who they were, [and] they could have provided us that information,” Whit­ taker said. “It should not take three weeks to do that. We’re asking them to stop stalling and get us the infor­ mation so we can proceed.” The letter delivered to MunroeBlum’s office further elaborated on

the union’s concerns. “At [a Feb. 17] meeting the Em­ ployer’s representative, Mr. Robert Comeau, among other things, stated that the Employer has added mem­ bers to the already provided list of 80 employees that the parties had al­ ready agreed upon,” the letter reads. “It was clear during negotiations, however, that only those members who were clearly identified by the university and agreed upon by MU­ NACA, would be affected by Article 23.10.” A statement released by Mc­

Gill on March 6 cites a portion of the conciliator’s report, which states that “the collective agreement will provide that economic increases are paid as a lump sum payment (pen­ sionable) for employees whose sal­ ary is over the maximum of the em­ ployer’s current salary scale.” “Both parties agreed on this and all other items in the report, which was then signed by each party,” Mc­ Gill’s statement reads. “The union now wants this clause to apply to a limited number of employees. The university disagrees and is waiting for the union’s position.” Whittaker said that the union will be holding information sessions in upcoming weeks to keep its mem­ bers informed. “Our hopes are that the admin­ istration will realize that the mem­ bership [is] very upset about this,” Whittaker said. “They’ve been out for three months and now we’ve been waiting for an additional three months. We would like the adminis­ tration to honour its commitment to get this contract signed and for us to get [a] resolution in this matter.” Michael Di Grappa, Vice Prin­ cipal Administration and Finance could not be reached for comment at the time of press.

SPEAKER

E c o lo g ist s p e a k s a b o u t n e e d to c o n s e rv e c a n o p ie s N a lin i N a d k a r n i d i s c u s s e s w a y s t o b r i n g e c o l o g i c a l i s s u e s t o d i f f e r e n t a u d i e n c e s Laura Douglas

Contributor

On Thursday, March 8, the Mc­ Gill school of environment hosted a lecture by Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, a re­ nowned forest ecologist and profes­ sor at the Evergreen State College in Washington. The event, which took place in New Residence Hall, was preceded by a round table with Nadkami and students from the school of environment. Nadkarni spoke about her re­ search in tropical and temperate for­ est canopies, a field of study that she pioneered in 1981. Previous study of forest ecology focused on the for­ est floor, but Nadkarni began using mountain climbing techniques to reach the canopies. Her canopy re­ search in Costa Rica opened up the field of study and led to the discov­ ery of many new insect and plant

species. Nadkarni also works exten­ sively in scientific outreach, devel­ oping new ways of connecting the public with science. “The marriage between sci­ ence and communication is a very important one,” she said. “We’ve come to a time when forest canopies are being destroyed. I realized that I have a responsibility as a scientist to do something about this, and I decided that what I can do is com­ municate.” Her goal is to reach out to groups of people who typically would not have an interest in or ac­ cess to information regarding eco­ logical issues. “There are many people out there who may never pick up a natu­ ral history magazine or turn on a Na­ tional Geographic program,” Nadkami said. “[But] there is something

really important, really basic about trees that even people with no expe­ rience with them can understand.” She spoke about a wide variety of programs and initiatives she is in­ volved in that aim to bring ecology to a new audience, and to create a discourse between people with di­ verse value systems. “[I aim] to link the ecological values of treetop forests and cano­ pies to spiritual values, aesthetic values, and social justice values,” Nadkarni said. “We need to think of this as a two-way communication, because that will keep it sustainable. We are trying to expand this to as many fields of science and as many different audiences as possible.” Nadkarni’s work with scien­ tific communication includes work­ shops with artists and school groups, as well as design and marketing of a refurbished Barbie doll called Tree-

top Barbie, which comes dressed and accessorized like a canopy field. “Treetop Barbie acts as an edu­ cational ambassador to the little girls and families that we send her to,” Nadkarni said. Another product of Nadkami’s vision is the Sustainable Prisons Project, a collaboration between Ev­ ergreen State College and the Wash­ ington State Department of Correc­ tions. The project began because moss was being stripped in dam­ aging quantities from old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest for horticultural use. To re-grow the mosses, Nadkarni and her students needed a lot of people and space and made use of the prisoners to help with the project. The Sustainable Prisons Proj­ ect has since expanded to include guest lectures, gardening, beekeep­ ing, recycling, and composting. The

project has saved the Washington Department of Corrections around $2.5 million since it began. Audience members on Thurs­ day were fascinated by Nadkami’s life and work. “Nalini has been able to truly capture the spirit of what is meant by interdisciplinary—bringing to­ gether science, art, music, dance, the media, and more. This is the very spirit of McGill’s school of environ­ ment,” Chris Buddie, Professor in the department of natural resource sciences at McGill’s Macdonald Campus, said. “She is really inspiring,” Si­ enna Svob, a masters student of geography, said. “School is really stressful right now and her passion is a great reminder of what it’s all for.”

Editor-in-Chief S h a n n o n K im b a ll e d i t o r @ m c g i l l t r i b u n e .c o m

Managing Editors K y la M a n d e l k m a n d e l@ m c g il l t r i b u n e .c o m R y a n T a y lo r r t a y l o r @ m c g i l l t r i b u n e .c o m

Production Manager

EDITORIALS

I a in M a c d o n a l d i m a c d o n a l d @ m c g i l l t r i b u n e .c o m

News Editors

T h e T r ib u n e 's w i n t e r r e f e r e n d a e n d o r s e m e n t s

E r i c a F r i e s e n a n d C a r o l i n a M i ll â n R o n c h e t t i n e w s @ m c g i l l t r i b u n e .c o m

Opinion Editor R ic h a r d M a r ty n - H e m p h i l l o p i n i o n @ m c g i l l tr ib u n e .c o m

Composition of SSMU Coun­ cil: Yes

Reform of Judicial Board to comply with Quebec law: Yes

The most significant change in the composition of the SSMU council proposes the removal of the Architecture Councillor seat. This reform represents a fairer represen­ tation process as the Architecture Students’ Association is already represented by the Engineering Un­ dergraduate Society. The Architec­ ture Students’ Association has also agreed to this change. The Tribune is therefore voting ‘Yes.’

The Tribune supports the rule of Quebec law, which states that the final authority of a corporation has to be the Board of Directors. As the current structure states that the Ju­ dicial Board (J-Board) has the final authority, the current structure of JBoard needs to be reformed to fall into compliance with Quebec law. The Tribune encourages voting in favour of this reform, which simply includes changing the terms of the SSMU constitution so that the Board of Directors is the final authority in determining whether the rulings of the J-Board are valid.

Addition of interfaculty arts & science rep: Yes Interfaculty arts and science students are underrepresented on council. Many of the faculty’s major and minor programs are distinct from the individual arts and science faculties, and thus they require their own representative. In addition, 98.11 per cent of students in a recent BASiC (Bachelor of Arts & Science Integrative Council) referendum voted in favour of this change. The Tribune believes this to be an over­ whelming advocation of the change.

J-Board procedural account­ ability: Yes

more transparent to the rest of the SSMU community by ensuring that the board makes public its rules of practice. SSMU health and dental plan: Yes The price of the SSMU health and dental plan has not gone up since 2005. The costs of running the plan have risen due to inflation and an increase in claims being made. The proposed fee increase of $35 is therefore acceptable in order to maintain the quality of the service. The total of $220 is still a very rea­ sonable price to pay for a year’s worth of dental insurance, and the plan is optional. The Tribune there­ fore has no qualms with voting Yes. CKUT opt-out: Yes

Currently the J-Board’s internal rules of practice are not easily acces­ sible to students. There are no stated specifications on how the J-Board’s rules are changed, or even what notice needs to be given to SSMU members. The Tribune supports voting ‘Yes’ because it will make the J-Board’s procedures subject to ratification by the SSMU legisla­ tive council, and will make J-Board

The Tribune strongly encour­ ages students to vote ‘Yes’ to make CKUT’s fees non-opt-outable. Radio CKUT is McGill’s only stu­ dent radio station and is a worthy compensation for the fact that Mc­ Gill does not have a formal journal­ ism program. CKUT provides ex­ cellent training for those interested in radio as well as being a valuable

broadcasting service to the McGill community. A non-opt-outable fund­ ing system is desirable to ensure CKUT’s financial viability, giving CKUT a more dependable income flow. This financial independence is also an important bulwark to defend CKUT’s editorial independence from interest groups.

Features & Student Living Editor J a c q u i G a lb r a i t h f e a t u r e s @ m c g i l l t r i b u n e .c o m

Science & Technology Editor A n a n d B e ry s c i t e c h @ m c g i l l tr ib u n e .c o m

Arts & Entertainment Editor N i c k P e t r i l lo a r ts @ m c g il l t r i b u n e .c o m

Sports Editors S te v e n L a m p e r t a n d C h r i s t o p h e r N a r d i s p o r t s @ m c g i l l tr ib u n e .c o m

Photo Editor

Composition of J-Board: No The Tribune finds this proposal to change the composition of the JBoard to be a flawed one. It is hard to see any reason why the J-board should make allowances for un­ dergraduates to sit on the J-Board. Without any legal education, we do not believe that undergraduate mem­ bers would have sufficient knowl­ edge of the law to contribute much of value to the J-Board’s rulings. Participation on the J-board should therefore remain the preserve of law students who know a lot more about the legal process than undergradu­ ates. A member of J-Board who was not acquainted with legal procedures would simply serve to undermine the credibility of the board’s rulings. The Tribune therefore votes ‘No.’

S a m R e y n o ld s p h o t o @ m c g i l lt r i b u n e .c o m

Senior Design Editor K a th l e e n J o l ly k j o l ly @ m c g il l t r i b u n e .c o m

Design Editor S u sanne W ang d e s i g n @ m c g i l l tr i b u n e .c o m

Online Editor V ic to r T e m p ra n o o n l i n e @ m c g i l l tr ib u n e .c o m

Copy Editor M a r r i L y n n K n a d le c o p y @ m c g i l l tr ib u n e .c o m

Advertising Manager C o rin a S fe rd e n sc h i c p m @ s s m u .m c g ill .ca

Publisher C h a d R o n a ld s

TPS Board of Directors Jam es G ilm an (C hair): chair@ m cgilltribune.com Johanu B otha, K athleen Jolly, S hannon K im ball, Iain M acdonald, A lex M iddleton, Z ach N ew burgh

Contributors H rant B ardakjian, Ilia B linderm an, Johanu M adeleine

C u m m in g s.

G raem e

D avidson.

D ouglas, R ebecca F iegelsohn, C olleen

B otha, Laura

M cN am ara.

A braham M oussako, Enbal S inger, and A kiva T oren.

The Tribune is calling for applications fo r the 20 12-2 013 Editorial Board. The follow in g positions are open:

THbune Offices Editorial

Managing Editor (2), Production Manager, News Editor (3), Opinion Editor, Features Editor (2), Science & Technology Editor, Arts & Entertainment Editor (2), Sports Editor (2), Copy Editor, Online Editor, Photo Editor (2), Design Editor (3)

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COLUMNISTS

The return of the Jets

Any self-respecting columnist writing on Canada cannot let this year saunter by without spending at least one—I pitched ten, but my editor emphasized one—column on the Winnipeg Jets. This story of prairie power should be trumpeted from the rooftops, but given the country’s current milieu of potential election fraud and economic pertur­

a m o u s s a k o @ m c q illtrib u n e .c o m Abraham M oussako

The view from Tuesda In defence of tuition hikes: why frozen tuition is folly This week, students will de­ cide whether an important fee will be raised, in the words of those who support this increase, to “maintain the current level” of service. The fee increase I refer to, of course, is the SSMU dental plan. Not really. But my point is that, like this year’s tempestuous tuition hikes debate, the real issue with dental fees is how much service we will get for our dollars. For those who don’t know, the tuition increase would be $325 annually over five

When normal experiences become pathological

The Diagnostic and Statisti­ cal Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)—the primary reference tool for psychologists and psychia­ trists—is undergoing a makeover. The DSM-5, set to be released in May 2013, may include a newer, more exclusive definition of autism, and the inclusion of the soon-to-bedefined absexuality and relational disorders. However, one of the more troubling of the proposed additions

bation, it’s tough to get in a word for a hockey team. And so, here’s a per­ sonal trip down memory lane for all those readers aching for some honest scribbling on the return of the Jets. I swept into Winnipeg, Manito­ ba on the threshold of teenagerdom, staring stupefied at the flat land that stretched forever into the horizon. It was a far cry from the mountain­ ous South African countryside of my childhood, and if I had not just finished a 32 hour plane journey, I might have hopped on the next flight back. But Manitoba was home now. Greasy John Deere baseball caps bobbing inside combines dur­ ing summer, and kids who couldn’t yet walk, somehow skating through winter, would become part of every­ day life.

Although the process of un­ derstanding and appreciating a new culture was a steady one, there are two things I learned after roughly 24 hours in Manitoba: it is very, very cold, and the Jets are coming back. If the elderly gents in the din­ ers weren’t talking about how low temperatures would plummet come November, they would be chatting about how inevitable it was that the Jets—cruelly relocated to Phoenix in ’96—would come back. Like a mourning but ever-hopeful father awaiting the prodigal son, Manitoba was in perpetual preparation for the return of the Jets. And so when it came to pass, in 2011, everyone was ready. Ru­ mors had made their way through the fields, across the lakes, past

the polar bears, and into the urban heart of Winnipeg since 2009, but now everyone knew for certain. And such a celebration ensued, the likes of which had not been seen since homegrown rock band The Guess Who were making interna­ tional waves. Crowds gathered at the famed Forks, policemen smiled misty-eyed, and ‘tobans stuck in other parts of Canada stared long­ ingly at the TV screens broadcasting the welcome tidings. The second half of this story is just as invigorating. Everyone expected that tickets to Jet games would fly off the shelves at twice the speed of limited edition Tim Hortons’ role-up-the-rim cups, but nobody was certain how the Atlanta team would perform in its new home.

Commentators and columnists took one look at the team on paper and became stock market analysts. There seemed to be no way that the prod­ uct could live up to its hype. Like the Blackberry playbook of the sports world, the Jets could turn out to be all glistening cover, but few stellar parts below the surface. But oh, how the naysayers weep now! There is a lot of hockey to be played, to be sure, but the Jets have excelled in their new home. As the Leafs and Habs saw their earlier successes nosedive into a whirlwind of coach replacements and disillu­ sioned fans, the Jets have delivered strong performances that exhibit a good-looking whole, even if it is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s official: the Jets are back.

years, to a total increase of $ 1,625. From an economic standpoint, not raising tuition is folly because of inflation. Quebec’s tuition in real dollars is substantially less than it was in 1968. With inflation, the costs of running a university are signifi­ cantly higher than in the past. Interestingly, many of those who are protesting these hikes would decry any proposal to freeze the wages of workers on campus, such as those of a certain union with a popular line of buttons. Yet in the same way that freezing workers’ wages would leave them ill-equipped to handle the annually increasing costs of living, freezing tuition would hamper a university’s ability to handle education costs. Others argue that raising tuition is simply a cover for a nefarious right-wing scheme to reduce gov­

ernment support for higher educa­ tion. This view is completely unsup­ ported by the facts. The budget report reveals that along with the tuition hikes, “From 2002-2003 to 2016-2017, annual operating grants from the Québec government to universities will in­ crease from $1.9 billion to $3.3 bil­ lion.” Furthermore, the government estimates that of the $850 million of extra revenue universities will have after the hikes are fully in effect; 50.6 per cent of that fee will also come from additional government contributions. Over 60 per cent of university income in 2016-17 will be comprised of government funds, with students only paying 16.9 per cent and donations comprising a pal­ try 3.4 per cent. Then there’s the idea that much of the increase in funding will go

to fattening the salaries of univer­ sity administrators. Again, the actual budget disabuses us of that notion; 65 to 85 per cent of the additional revenue is scheduled to go to “Qual­ ity of teaching and research,” with only 10 to 15 per cent slated to go to “improvement of administration and management.” Now to “accessibility”: in­ creased tuition, some argue, will freeze out lower-class students from the educational system. A study by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy undermines this notion by looking at the university participa­ tion rates of low income students across the provinces. The results show that participation rates of students from lower income fami­ lies were not significantly higher in lower tuition provinces overall. Even taking into account that CE-

GEPs have some programs that are counted as “university” programs in other provinces, the wider sweep of the data shows that lower tuition is not correlated with higher rates of low-income university participa­ tion. Furthermore, the government has set aside 35 per cent of the sums resulting from the hike towards the bursary program, and this does not include additional tax credits given for pursuing a university education. The anti-hikes faction counters by pointing out that remaining 83 per cent of students will have to cover the full price. This assertion, how­ ever, does not even explain what portion of that 83 per cent actually would be unable to support paying the additional amount. To protest against the tuition hikes, therefore, is to protest against the facts.

to the DSM is that grief follow­ ing the death of a loved one can be classified as major depression. The current edition of the DSM excludes bereavement from the clinical defi­ nition of a major depressive episode. Reversing this decision medicalizes a common human experience and is only likely to muddy the waters of the DSM. A possible explanation for the proposed addition is that the symp­ toms of grief usually mirror those of depression: listlessness, fatigue, in­ ability to focus, and most obviously, profound sadness. However, there is one crucial difference: depression, as it’s currently defined, is a chronic condition and does not always have a direct environmental cause. Grief, on the other hand, has a direct cause, and in most cases, diminishes with time. Failure to adapt to the loss of a loved one may result in chronic

mental disorders, but this is rare. Proponents of the addition may see an underrepresentation of re­ sources for the grieving in society. Pulling oneself up by the bootstraps is, after all, the American way. Disorders listed in the DSM are conditions which lead to an un­ fulfilling or unhappy life. Grieving certainly fits the bill, but it typically fades relatively quickly compared to depression. Additionally, grieving is an unfortunate obligation of the human experience. Most people who live beyond the age of 30 experience the loss of a loved one. While the bereaved often describe such times as the hardest in their lives, humans and societal norms have evolved to adapt to this challenge, which is ap­ parent in grief’s comparatively short duration. The DSM is notorious for medicalizing conditions and providing

vague definitions for many mental disorders. Defining grief in psy­ chiatric terms implies the need for pharmaceutical treatment, but treat­ ing similar symptoms with similar treatments—typically antidepres­ sants—is reactionary. Counseling and social support may be more appropriate. Professionals should determine appropriate treatments for grief, but the widespread use of an­ tidepressants, which are not without strong side effects, may foreshadow medical treatments for a rough day or existential crises. In the Holmes and Rahe Scale of Stressful Life Events, the death of a spouse is considered to be the most impactful event of the human expe­ rience. Death of a family member is fifth. Divorce, retirement, marriage, changing jobs, and pregnancy are all in the top fifteen. While all of these events are stressful and certainly

life-changing, social practices have evolved to help people deal with these stressful events. Defining grief in psychiatric terms will exclude the many social ways to process grief. Certainly depression can fol­ low some of these events, but the automatic classification of grief as depression broadens the definition of depression to the point of being meaningless. Both depression and grief can be seriously harmful to individuals, but unnecessary psychiatric diagno­ ses for common human experiences creates more confusion than good. Victims of grief often know that resilience and hope will get them through the grieving process, not abstract definitions of their experi­ ences.

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F ro m s a i n t h o o d t o S t. S u lp ic e

B a th ro o m

A c l o s e r l o o k a t t h e m a n b e h i n d t h e S t. P a t r i c k ' s D a y c e l e b r a t i o n

A ra n t o n t h e q u a lity o f c a m p u s w a s h r o o m s

Jacqui Galbraith

Features Editor

While most people find an ex­ cuse to get out and party on St. Pat­ rick’s day, such as “my great uncle was Irish,” or “Liam Neeson is my favourite actor,” or “I just really, really love Lucky Charms,” many don’t really know why they’re cel­ ebrating, or even who Saint Patrick was. There are a lot of reasons to love Ireland, so there’s no better place to start than having a little crash course on the history of St. Patty. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary from Wales and the most widely recognized patron saint of Ireland. While the precise dates of his life aren’t known, he is thought to have worked in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century. We celebrate him on March 17, the anni­ versary of his death. And while most of the world joyously celebrates all things Irish, the occasion is some­ times observed with much more so­ lemnity in Ireland itself. Patrick was captured and worked as a slave in Ireland for six years before he fled back to his native Wales. He joined the church there and returned to Ireland years later as a missionary. A “two Patricks” theory has casued some contention among historians. The theory states

that the efforts of two men, Patrick and Palladius. have been blended to­ gether into a single account of one man, today’s widely-recognized St. Patrick. However, historians have made efforts to distinguish the his­ tories of the two men, and have been fairly successful, citing evidence of the differing chronologies of Irish presence between the two men. The two things most common­ ly associated with St. Patrick are shamrocks and snakes. St. Patrick’s banishment of all the snakes from Ireland is a story many have heard, but one which seems to have been embellished, since Ireland appar­ ently never had any snakes to begin with. The shamrock became associ­ ated with St. Patrick when he used it to illustrate the idea of the Holy Trinity existing together in one en­ tity. However, the shamrock was sa­ cred in pagan rituals as well, as its colour and shape represented rebirth and eternal life. Interestingly, St. Patrick was never formally canonized by the Pope. This is because during the first thousand years of Christianity, when widely-recognized holy people died, the local church, and not the Pope, would decide if they could be cel­ ebrated as saints. Nevertheless, he is on the Catholic List of Saints, and March 17 is a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal

Church. As interesting as St. Patrick’s history is, North Americans have taken the day as a reason to cel­ ebrate everything we love about the Emerald Isle. From Guinness to James Joyce, we have a lot to thank the Irish for, including music and those enticing accents. We all have our favourite actors who claim Irish ancestry, like Patrick Dempsey, Jon­ athan Rhys-Meyers, Colin Farrell, Peter O’Toole, and Conan O’Brien. Ireland has also given us some amazing musical talent over the years; Niall Horan of One Direction fame, Enya, The Irish Tenors, and of course Bono all spring to mind, and even Bruce Springsteen has a little luck of the Irish to his name. General knowledge or not, many great authors are of Irish descent too. The likes of Samuel Beckett, F. Scott Fitzgerald, C.S. Lewis, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, and Oscar Wilde all owe some of their heritage to Ireland. So when you raise your glass of green beer or Irish whiskey on March 17, give a toast to the man of honour himself along with the many contributions Irish culture has given us.

RECIPE

Jacqui Galbraith

For many McGill students, St. Patrick's day means green beer and an excuse for a little Irish mischief. It’s the one day a year that every­ body and their dog claims ancestry from the Emerald Isle, because being Irish means one heck of a good time come March 17. But think back to the days before Irish "carbombs" and pints of Guinness; remember the innocent childhood celebrations filled with green beads, the music of the Irish Tenors, and ridiculous nov­ elty hats that most of us wish we still had. Irish Lace cookies were a staple of my childhood celebrations, and are paired equally well with plush shamrocks or Irish Coffee. Whether you're two, 22, or 82, these delicious treats are sure to delight your taste buds and bolster your Irish pride.

2. Beat in the flour, milk, and vanilla, and mix until the mixture is w ill u eed : fluffy and without lumps. 3. Stir in the oats until they are 'A cup of unsalted butter evenly distributed within the batter, % light brown or brown sugar and drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto (brown will give you a richer, stron­ an ungreased baking sheet, making ger taste) sure to leave at least 3 inches be­ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour tween each one (they expand more than you would believe). 2 tablespoons milk 4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, but 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1h cups old-fashioned rolled take care to keep an eye on them because if they're left baking for too oats (leave out about 1/4 cup if you want a softer consistancy) long they will melt into one giant cookie blob. 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees 5. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool Celsius (350 degrees Farenheit). Soften the butter in the microwave completely before you try to remove (time will vary; ideally the butter them. Make sure not to move the should be soft but not melting when cookies too soon, because they fall you take it out). Cream the but­ apart easily. Lying flat, the cook­ ter with the brown sugar until the ies look almost like a lace doily — hence the name. two are completely integrated, and the mixture is reasonably light and 6 . Eat and enjoy! smooth.

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b reak

of these, though, the most striking facility I have come across is the women’s bathroom on the second After four long years of an floor of the Otto Maas Chemistry abusive relationship with McGill Building. Upon entry, the first thing campus public restrooms, it’s time I noticed was a formerly-used urinal for me to speak out about the frus­ covered up by the typical bathroom tration, the repulsion, and the anger fix-it tool: the garbage bag. Regard­ they have caused me. Too many less, I admired the soft pink tiling times have I entered the facilities on surrounding the entire bathroom, the ground floor of Redpath across reminding me of some sort of ideal from the fishbowl and found myself early’90s bathroom a teenage girl wanting to just go home and douse would have. myself in bleach. Unfortunately, the widespread It’s undeniable that the McLen- gender separation of washroom fa­ nan-Redpath complex bathrooms cilities has reduced my knowledge are the most offensive on campus. of men’s correspondence with Mc­ Toilets covered in garbage bags, Gill’s bathrooms to myth, hearsay, carelessly constructed out-of-order and stories of personal experience. signs, and toilet paper that would One of the most prevalent bathroom even be deemed unfit for jail cells commentaries is the story of “Sean characterize each stall, from the Turner,” a student who had his name most frequently visited in the base­ plastered over stalls across campus ment outside of the Cybertheque, all as a practical joke, sparking a wide­ the way up to the illogically min­ spread bathroom graffiti epidemic, iscule facilities on the sixth floor. and ultimately elevating this elusive Discovering that only two of the character to campus celebrity status. five stalls in the basement are work­ That’s about as far as my knowl­ ing while florescent lights scream at edge goes for the men’s rooms, but your eyes only enhances the usual I can assume they don’t have marble library frustration levels to a new floors, gold sinks, magazine racks, degree. And you can’t help but feel or silk couches. extremely uncomfortable on the McGill finds new and excit­ sixth floor as anywhere from two ing ways to perplex us every day. to seven people are quietly waiting Maybe the unruly bathrooms are outside of the single stall listening to just another one of those character­ your every move. building exercises to prepare us for In other campus bathrooms, the big, bad, harsh world out there. one can’t help but feel that there If we have problems tolerating a was an utter lack of logic when the stinky bathroom, then we will have blueprints were being drafted. High­ problems in the professional world lighter yellow doors in the Educa­ too, right? Maybe, maybe not, but tion Building to match the brick one thing’s for sure: I won’t be re­ walls? Why not. Seven hundred and turning to the second floor bathroom fifty stalls in the quiet basement of of the Otto Maas Chemistry Build­ Leacock? Sure. Two-hundred stu­ ing anytime soon. dents eat lunch at Bronfman every day? Two stalls will be fine. In all Colleen McNamara

Contributor

W rite fo r s tu d e n t liv in g !

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ODDS AND ENDS

B e c o m in g fo n d o f s k i-d u -fo n d O n e s t u d e n t fin d s t h e jo y s o f C a n a d ia n w in te r s p o r ts d e s p it e h a r sh c o n d it io n s Richard Martyn-Hemphill

Opinion Editor

Strolling past the McGill gym window last week was a deeply unsettling experience. The sight of weightlifters was worrying enough, with each lifter solemnly hulking over vast weights, staring them­ selves down in the mirror for lengths of time that would have impressed Narcissus. But what really disturbed me was the haunting spectacle of all the treadmill runners—each runner looking both bored and determined, with earphones lassoing round their faces as they jogged mechanically, sweatily, and ceaselessly. They re­ minded me of hamsters in a wheel, wired up for lab tests. The saddest part was that it was actually a lovely day outside. It got me thinking that there had to be better ways of exercising during the Montreal winter, another means of keeping all those midnight

poutines from making themselves at home around one’s waistline. The best way to exercise, I’ve always thought, is outdoors with the fresh air and changing scenery for com­ pany. Yet the idea of outdoor exer­ cise during the Montreal winter, for obvious reasons, appears prepos­ terous: the golf courses, the tennis courts, and the football fields are all covered in thick layers of snow; the sidewalks are devilishly icy, and far too treacherous to run on with any kind of certainty. Fortunately, some family friends provided the simple, bril­ liant answer to my conundrum: cross-country skiing. Or ski-dufond, as the Québécois call it. Ex­ tracting me from the warm comfort of the McGill bubble, my friends took me over to Gatineau National Park, just outside Ottawa, where we competed in the Gatineau Loppet, a 51 km ski marathon of 2,300 cross­ country skiers. The abilities of the

competitors ranged from Olympians of the sport to babies being dragged along by their parents in sleds. My fear, since I was a complete novice, was that I would end up finishing neck-and-neck with the latter group. But as we set off, my expectations changed; my fears became centered around whether I would finish at all. The beginning of the race was utter carnage. It was -14 degrees at the starting line, and we all set off in a sprint to warm ourselves up. There were over 2,000 of us skiing side-by-side, with the less able of us occasionally tumbling down into our fellow competitors’ paths. Survival instinct was not enough to keep my­ self from falling numerous times. In a moment of delirium, I began to see myself as a noble Lion King, doing his best against the odds not to tumble into the antelope stampede. It was a strange moment. Then came the grind, which thankfully brought with it a bit more

space to manoeuvre. Cross-country skiing is hard, especially over 51 kilometers, but it is rewarding in so many ways: the distance covered gives you a chance to glimpse some stunning views of mountains, lakes, trees, and wildlife. Getting up some of the hills, though a true test of grit which can make you want to call the rescue helicopter, is always worth it for the exhilarating downhills that follow. When I skied past the finish line after four and a half hours of non­ stop skiing, with my legs as stiff as an Englishman’s upper lip, my first reaction was that I would never do this again; yet the moment I arrived back in Montreal, I missed it dearly. I was addicted. Fortunately, I soon found out how easy it is to satisfy one’s ad­ diction right here in Montreal. It is extraordinarily cheap and easy to rent a decent set of cross-country skis, boots, and poles from the Mc­

Gill sports centre (just $10 for the whole day, $30 for the entire week), and give it a go on Mount Royal. It is the ideal place to learn. The pathways are not too steep, and it is incredibly beautiful round the Lac Aux Castors. The technique can be picked up quickly; it is pretty much the motion of ice skating—a motion Canadians are supposedly bom with. Besides, according to cross-country skiing even bums more calories per minute than mnning on a treadmill; what more could you ask for? So with an early spring on the horizon, and thoughts of beach volleyball beginning to take shape in our minds, take the op­ portunity to give cross-country ski­ ing a try. Or, keep it in mind as a new activity to test out next winter.

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VPINTERNAL sure people are doing their

McGill, a lot of social causes. When I first started off I was ... [involved] w ith Greenpeace, Organic Campus, Midnight Kitchen, a lot of these types of things. Outside of McGill I've been part of so-called com m unity centres which are very informal and very effective, I think. I've also worked for the last six years at a family restaurant; lots of budgets, human resources, making

let what Montreal [show what

biggest challenge is going to

types of things. With SSMU and McGill related things, I've been on the periphery of the formal.

it] has to offer, Montreal has a lot to offer, [such as] ... jazz bars, lofts, poetry readings.

be next year?

I've been to BoG meetings,

How would you address

round table, [where we] discussed more broad issues [sometimes including] meetings with Masi and Heather Munroe-Blum. And

I've been to Senate, I've sat in on AUS .... I've been mostly [an] informal, periphery kind of person and I think I have the experience to be in SSMU

those who may be more critical of the role you played in the sixth floor occupation?

because I've worked a lot with

irrelevant

What are your thoughts on the Frosh reforms and what do you hope to change next

I would like to continue the tradition of diversification.... One thing that I really want to do is diversify events and integrate them] w ithin the Montreal comm unity and integration w ithin M cGill.... [I want to have] off-residence people come into M cGill and feel w elcom e ... because the McGill bubble not only leaves people in the bubble, it also leaves people out of it so it's a lot to do w ith popping the McGill bubble. And what I

mean

I find this question to be

any of the international, diverse values on campus that you feel when you are living in residence. So I'd like to focus on that, but that's not including other stuff like speakers coming for positive change for the community. Do you think you have an advantage for this position as a Francophone student? Yeah, I definitely see that as an advantage because I think that residence is a kind of

me because I'll try to present and bring on campus Quebec culture as much as possible. Working for Le Délit and seeing how [Francophones] don't have that much of a voice makes me aware that it's important to show [students] what Montreal really is—not only the four blocks of the M cGill Ghetto, [but] something much bigger. How w ill your experience in the Biochemistry Undergraduate Society (BUGS) prepare you for the position? I think that coming from the departmental level, we at BUGS are really tight—we

can intermix, and have a lot

of SSMU VP Internal. I am not an ideologue, and I do not like to be characterized as essentially this or that; I strive to critically assess

doing w ith each other, but it's about being able to find the information, aggregate all of that information and then be able to sit down and analyze and implement the

and question all positions I take, I do not stand by them dogmatically. I w ill have to let my platform, one of accountability, openness, dialogue, equity, community, and accessibility, speak for

information. So it's a really big project to undertake.

If you could high-five anyone in history, who would you high-five?

I see [myself] as having a very broad experience. As president of a faculty association I do a lot more work

Diogenes or N eill Tyson.

in my platform I try to make faculties and departments work together ... because if they become friends it w ill be easier for them to have interfaculty activities and interdepartmental activities ... I think that BUGS is a major [advantage] for me because I learned all the tools of politics, and most of my ideas come from my BUGS

then my experience as VP External last year ... that was more organizing charitable events, and I also sat on legislative council, which gave me really great insight into SSMU. In addition, I worked on the SSMU interest group comm ittee, so I have a good idea of the overall scope of clubs and services, which is the core of SSMU. Do you have any ideas for new events next year?

What experience do you have that w ill prepare you for the position?

itself.

we can, or most of us try to come to [each others'] events ... So I think that really is what I want to create, the tightness between people so that they become buddies. So

I'm going for small events, like cultural discoveries, so that people can be aware of the diversity on campus. Being a Quebec resident, I did not live in residence, so I have not been in touch with

that as a buzzword, but it's difficult because McGill is very big. There are so many different departments that of great things they could be

the

by

bubble, and McGill students tend to live in the McGill Ghetto. Living in Quebec culture w ill definitely help

I think the biggest challenge is communication. I know everyone drops

position

to

do parties together and we try and help out as much as

What are your ideas for new events?

also had the opportunity this

job, throwing events, all these

year? I've been in many different types of grassroots movements throughout

What do you think the

year to sit on the president's

Joel, who is External of SSMU this year. What relevant experience do you have to prepare you for the position?

diversification of events is ...

on

the

ground

...

Events planning is a big part of the position, but it's not the only thing. There's a lot

I think homecoming is a good idea. Then again, McGill is known for having low school spirit ... Logistically, [homecoming] kind of falls by the wayside to Frosh because you have to plan it so far in advance over the summer, but that'd be something I'd like to look into. I really want to do more

more talking to individual students and dealing with individual academic issues. I

diverse events ... stuff that really engages people on a more academic level

What are the most important issues facing the

other ideas do you have, since you're focusing on frosh?

idea of working w ith smaller faculties to either bolster something they want to do at a faculty level, or maybe hold small events or info sessions around campus. I want them to say "We're SSMU. We're on campus. We're not just here at the Shatner building we're everywhere." If you

could

high

five

anyone in history, who would you high five? I'd probably go with Susan B. Anthony.

VP Internal next year and what do you think the biggest challenge w ill be? I think the most important issues involve a renewed com m itm ent to student life.

I think that the main problems with frosh in the past have been a lack of communication with the administration. There were only

two

meetings

with

... I want to make a strong brand value for SSMU events. I want to make the first few events really high quality for incoming students, really

administration this summer and they only happened in the middle and at the end ... We needed an outline of what the administration expected from

making SSMU frosh relevant again. And also increasing the visibility of M cGill events— so not only w ith the list serve, but also making the

us ... Also, a lot of the clubs in frosh can be all-ages even when they are serving alcohol, they just cost significantly more. I think it's SSMU's responsibility to ensure that these events are inclusive and

If you could high-five anyone in history, who would you high-five?

SSMU website more usable. Also, having faculties focused on assisting each other. I think the VP Internal's job is to meet w ith these

Being French, I would say Napoleon. I like what he did. He was impressive, especially how he conquered all of Europe, and he was just a genius. And the

people throughout the year to create a sense of community so they know they can rely on each other and on the VP Internal's office. It would be great to help support the smaller faculties, because

military tactics he used were completely new for the time.

they really do have some great initiatives.

experience.

w ithout stepping on what the university can already offer ... I want to look into the

Frosh has undergone quite a few changes recently. What

w ith all its resources. What are your goals for the events later in the year? I would work to strengthen the events that are already there—so Four Floors, Week

101. I'm looking into not just an end of the year concert, but also the feasibility of having a music festival —something that really showcases local talent and our own student talent, and

that could generate a lot of interest in the community. N ot everyone likes a certain type of music, but it would be great to showcase the diversity of m usic w ithin our community. If you could high five anyone in history, who would you high five? I'd have to choose James McGill, because I've really grown as a person here ... I think this school has really allowed me to discover a part of myself I never knew.

Frosh or during the broader

I think the VP Internal

school year, there's actually a chance to explore som e of the awesome events that are going on downtown.

should take a principled position w ith regards to the issue of tuition fee increases. I think the current political debate and discussion is important to foster no matter what side of the political spectrum you may be on, but I do think that the current political issue is one that w ill affect students if tuition fees go up. It w ill lim it accessibility for students to

What kind of realm of experience do you have for this position? A big part of m y campaign is the fact that I'm not affiliated with SSMU. I think there's a culture of insiderness

What do you think is the most important aspect of the VP Internal's job? I think the most important aspect is providing radically diverse experiences for incoming students. The portfolio has been far too focused on the same sets of events every single year, and not broadening the horizons to the great experience that Montreal has to offer.... I'd like to see more collaboration w ith events that are often done by M cGill students but don't occur on campus, so that instead of leading people around the same little circuit for one week during

associated with the SSMU. I come from a background that's been invested in an informal sense in organizing and planning events in various cultural institutions throughout the city—m usic events, artistic events. I've also done work promoting and managing restaurants, so things like working with a budget are definitely within my purview. I've done informal work on campus to promote and facilitate general assemblies. There’s been some polarization on campus this year. What do you think is the VP Internal’s role in addressing this divide?

also preserving the diversity. Frosh underwent

A lot of different opinions have surfaced on campus lately.... The VP Internal has to find common ground to connect students via events, regardless of their other interests. You need to bring people together, make them work together, even have fun together, so that we get that unity back on campus, and get a more integrated student body ... I think the biggest challenge is going to be uniting the comm unity while

engage w ith the political issues that we face on our campus and w ithin this province.

I would high five that Invisible Hand in the marketplace.... I mean, what

VP Clubs and Services. The Internal should be not just a party position—they should be doing cultural events,

bigger hand could you high five?

tradition and I don't think

What kind of events do you have in mind to bridge the difference between students with events? In terms of events, I don't

political events, and they should really be encompassing the entire student body.

What's

one

thing

that

Todd’s done really w ell this year and what’s one thing that you would have done differently? I think Todd has done a good job w ith the events that he's planned. Everything this year has been pretty much successful.... What can be improved? There needs to be more done. Also, I would use the subcommittee differently by having people from various different groups sit in on the subcommittee so that when we're planning events, we're getting opinions from different people and not just the same partiers who plan everything. You ran for this position last year. What makes you a better candidate this year? So much ... I'm happy I ran last year, [because] it helped me learn a lot about the politics, but I'm a lot more experienced now. I've worked with a lot of different student groups, and my experience doesn't just revolve around SSMU. I understand that people want a bit more.

I've worked w ith faculties, departments, and clubs, so I understand how they work. I also gained another year of experience with SSMU and worked very closely with Todd on all the events, so I know the Internal's position very well. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? I would be Superman because he's pretty awesome. He has strength and is a support system for everyone.

want to abolish the big party events. I think they're a we should get rid of things like Four Foors or Frosh, but I would also like to see more events that involve McGill students doing something together. For example, I was thinking about getting students together and painting a mural on one of McGill's walls, so that basically a wall at McGill is dedicated to the students. We need a fun

have to be available to their students on a monthly basis, talking about different issues that first years face.

future. We've seen a lot of VP Internals focusing on the same events—Frosh, Four Floors, and Faculty Olympics-that are all based around drinking and partying. I think it's given the VP Internal a bad name because that's all they seem to be doing. The Internal should be communicating more to the student body, keeping them

If you could high five anyone in history, who would you high five?

a few

aspect of it ... there should be more stress on the Frosh leaders to be good mentors. We need a strong leadership training for them to introduce them to this new role ... We also need to have SSMU put resources in place that w ill allow for a strong follow ­ up component. So say that, first semester, frosh leaders

I think that's how it's been used in the past, but not how it could be used in the

aware of what's happening, what events other clubs are doing, and what services we have at M cGill. The way I see the Internal next year is as a service for students, collaborating with the projects of VP External and

changes this year. What do you think of the recent reforms? What changes would you propose for next year? What I didn't see [in this year's changes] was a follow ­ up component for the Frosh leaders. I think it's very important that, if you're going to make Frosh shorter and focus more on the orientation

What are the most important issues facing VP Internal next year?

come to McGill and that's very important to recognize and address as VP Internal. The position should really focus on creating more spaces for students to discuss and

Many people describe the VP Internal as a party planner. Do you agree with that statement?

project to get people working together in a creative way to leave that lasting imprint on the university. N ot only would this help students feel like they're an integral part of the university, but they would also get to paint alongside people they wouldn't necessarily be talking to, and explore the student culture a little better. If you were a superhero, what would you superpower be? The first thing that comes to my head is to read minds, just because I love to know what people are thinking and what they want., ,

Of the seven candidates running for VP Internal, the Tribune endorses Katie Larson. As president and former VP External of the Music Undergraduate Students' Association, Larson brings a unique point of view to a portfolio that's often dominated by larger faculties. Her experience in event planning and accommodating the needs of students in her faculty w ill translate w ell to the position of VP Internal. There's only so much that a VP can do in a oneyear term, so we're skeptical

of candidates who want to overhaul the portfolio entirely. However, there is certainly room for improvement, and Larson represents a balance between the old and the new. She recognizes the success of bigger events such as Frosh and Four Floors but w ill hopefully improve them through a com m itm ent to SSMU's sustainability and equity policies. However, we don't agree w ith her suggestion to bring back Homecoming, w hich has flopped in the past. We

commend

Larson

for looking to expand the portfolio beyond the large SSMU events. Larson wants to provide support for other members of the executive and their events, such as strategic sum mits. Her concern for supporting her colleague's events and communicating them to the student body w ill be integral to facilitating debate next year. However, this may be easier said than done, as she may find that the larger events like SSMU Frosh dominate her schedule.

? Î W Ü - iS $ ï 8 ! - f P « y « •W W -W 3 1 S M Ü J B M lH if llM I I H I

ER»-HHEIIBDI-SIltfWMiiw'lISS^'-îiii^^

SBttWB

M 8 $ h•ja m —ffwmsi S M É -O ttl^ lS H R IH I^ I think the consultation fairs are cool because they let us react to things, talk about things, and build on issues

great because they just posed their question again.

and address them.

we move forward?

The candidates are very diverse. How would you work to get your executive together as a team?

It's going to be very tough. We need to provide fact-based guidelines on things because right now some students

How do you propose that

think we take stances based

How has your experience as EUS president prepared you for this position? EUS president has been interesting because when I

they're not afraid to be honest w ith me. Then two days later I can go to a meeting with the same group of people and be super productive.

first came into it I saw it as a very engineering-centred role. Over the course of the year I've been working on lots of projects that don't just work w ith our faculty, but we work

As SSMU president, how would you address the tension

w ith administration, w e work w ith 15-20 different units at M cGill for different projects. I've been able to build really strong, healthy relationships with the administration as a

people of what's going on. We often treat the listserve as if it were an active means of talking w ith people, and it's

whole. And I think the other thing that I've gained through that is that I'm not a yesman or a sympathizer with the administration. I've developed a relationship of trust and respect. I can have a really heated argument with, for example, Morton Mendelson over the EUS logo and get really passionate about it and angry, and they do the same thing back and

on campus? One of the m ost important things is actively informing

not. We don't go out, reach out to people in different ways. Beyond that I don't have a solution because it's just been crazy this year.

One of the things I'm really proud of w ith EUS is that we have a diverse crowd of people. We have nights out

on our own opinions. We need to make it clear that we've done our research. I oppose any and all tuition

where we just put everything aside and have a nice supper, go to karaoke, go for drinks in the Village or just have new experiences. We have a really strong exec that thinks together but it has not

hikes, not because of my background, but because I understand the university's budget. Personal backgrounds are important, and extremely valid, but when you can back them up w ith something that

muted the people's personal opinions. What do you think is the most important part of the SSMU president's portfolio?

How has your experience as VP Finance and Operations this year prepared you for the role of president?

At the very core of it, it's holding the team together. Without a team you can't fight for accessible education, you can't provide successful

I had a lot of fun as VP Finance. The role is usually very technocratic and I made it very hands-on and interactive. It's a great way to move forward as president because I understand SSMU.

platforms

I know what works and what

for

clubs

and

services to exist. If you could high-five anyone, who would it be?

What do you think about the strategic sum mits and

There's a company called IDEO that focuses on the concept of user-centred design. I would high-five them because they've started a big change in how we think

consultation fairs?

about design.

doesn't work. I've been in the office, and the year before I was the planning coordinator as part of student staff. Two years before that I was part of tw o groups, so I had to go through a bureaucracy, which I really hated. My experience is ideal because it's three dimensional. What's the most important part of portfolio?

I think they're really good. I think the strategic summits are more idea-generation. They're really cool because it gives people an opportunity to just talk about new ideas.

the

president's

N ext year, the lease w ill be our main priority. The MOA was signed, but the lease was not. If there's a completely

new executive, they have to learn the lease from the start. Moreover, the lease is financial. Whatever we sign impacts SSMU in the long term financially. Secondly, the president should reach out to students, but often student leaders still don't know how to do that. This year I had office hours, and I would do the same thing next year. What are your thought on the two occupations of fames Admin? Right now a lot of the actions on campus are by students who are disenfranchised. The problem was that their demands were not clear and the information was not disseminated properly. I think w e need to move forward. I don't like consultation forums where we come and sit and talk and the plan of action is to talk more. That's not productive. We just need to move

presidents often preach lofty goals during the campaign pe­ riod. However, it often takes

different types of consultation events, which are often poorly attended. Patel would rather

VP Finance and Operations at SSMU and we believe that his institutional knowledge, fea­ sible platform, and diplomacy w ill serve the society w ell if he is elected. Patel has worked behind

one semester to get over the learning curve, leaving little time to accomplish these goals. Patel's platform indi­ cates that he knows which issues w ill be the most im ­ portant to SSMU next year and he already knows how he w ill address them. We are impressed by his prioritiza­ tion of the Shatner Building's lease, something that w ill

move past the issues of this past year and we applaud his action-oriented attitude. Patel would come into the position after a tum ultu­ ous year between students and the administration. The presi­ dent must serve a listening and speaking role, and Patel has demonstrated a steady com m itm ent to listening to others both at Council and his

affect nearly every campus

office hours. He is nuanced in his opinions and very reason­ able. While many students have let their ideologies get the better of them this year when dealing w ith the admin­ istration, Shyam's analytical

knowledge of the organiza­ tion's red tape and the impor­ tant issues of the past two years w ill allow him to be an effective president. A peek through the Tri­ bune's archives shows that

group. We appreciate Patel's pragmatic approach to com ­ munication and student apa­ thy. The events of the past year have prompted many

Why are you candidate? I'm

the

best

the

best

candidate

because of m y experience. I started off as a student group member. Making sure students get the services they deserve is really important to me. I can help them through the SSMU bureaucracy. I can do it pretty w ell, som e of it w ith m y eyes closed. If you could high-five anyone in history, who would it be? I would high five my paternal grandfather because I never met him. He is someone in my family who I think is a great guy. Where he and my grandmother grew up was less privileged, so they definitely worked really hard.

forward. What CRUT did is

After much deliberation, the Tribune endorses Shyam Patel. Patel is currently the

the scenes at SSMU for the past tw o years. The executive turns over every year, often leading to confusion and abandoned projects. Patel's

makes sense, I think that's better.

approach to this year's issues, particularly tuition increases, would serve him well as presi­ dent. We have no doubt that he would be a representative and reasonable voice on Sen­ ate. Patel's breadth of experi­ ence w ill allow him to better assess the needs of the stu­ dent body. Both candidates are pas­ sionate leaders, but we think that Patel's institutional knowledge and proven diplo­ macy make him the best can­ didate.

VP UNIVERSITYAFFAIRS experience prepared you for this position? I'm on a lot of com m ittees which bring me into close contact with the admin and I have a good working relationship with them. I'm not afraid to fight them on certain issues, but they actually listen to me. So for example, after Nov. 10, the principal called in the group What are the most important issues facing the VP UA next year? With what's gone this year w ith all

on the

protests,

without fear of somebody ganging up on them. What w ill your role w ill be in addressing this divide?

the

All of the senators try to

most important thing is to maintain a healthy and effective relationship with the university. Protests have legitimacy and can be a great way to voice opinions,

engage w ith their faculties as much as possible. I really think it's important to have everybody's voice heard. A lot of the tim es you get the same kind of people out to

but they're not always the

the SSMU events, so reaching

most effective way to create change. The best way is to work within the system to try to get things done.

out to the faculty associations or clubs and services, even trying to integrate the different portfolios, just trying

Equity is also a really big

to get as many people aware and involved as possible is important. You can't force people to participate, but you can at least make them aware

strikes,

etc.,

part of the portfolio. We've just had a new equity policy put in through council. Safe space is also a big part of my plan for next year. Making sure that everyone has the ability to say their opinion

of 15 senators, and myself and Kady Paterson were the only undergrads called in and we suggested that our session be livestreamed and that there be an open forum discussion that was also livestreamed and that's actually what

has

your

past

Things like the discussion [on] free speech, the discussion on how students need a safe space to express dissent, continue the discussion on equity and how the university doesn't really have a solid concrete equity policy right now. I want to im plement the SSMU vision of equity. Our university's efforts on equity aren't as solid as SSMU's, and equity should be something relevant to all facets of our university life. I want to work especially with professional faculties and

governance levels. We're so busy w ith condemning people, but we tend to forget that we all want the same thing. We all want a

are being threatened, I think the UA and Emily's team, her various collaborators, have done their best to put forward these pressing issues.

quality education, we want accessible education. And what is accessibility? It's not just financial, it's also making sure that things like equity and social sustainability are

[Next year] I want to bring [academics] back to the VP UA's role. I want to present a stronger com m itm ent to maintaining our learning and learning space and keep

being implemented.

this university comm itted to

happened the next week. I'm also a councillor, so I know SSMU pretty well, and I've worked on the financial ethics and review comm ittee so I know sort of how the

understanding their unique needs in terms of academia. They have professional needs that need to be understood.

financials work. And I'm also on the Board of Directors. I think of all of the three combined has given me a rounded perspective on the

polarization on campus this year. How w ill you address this?

what the UA does.

instrumental in making sure

differently next year?

If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

that this wedge that has been driven through our campus disappears, because the UA is the person to represent

When we're talking about students being victim s of violence, and when our

students

university

living and learning spaces

It would be Aung San Suu Kyi.

While all of the candidates for VP University Affairs have extensive SSMU, faculty, and Senate experience, we endorse Haley Dinel because of her exceptional diplomacy. N ext year's SSMU

Dinel is committed to achieving student goals through the appropriate

safe spaces for all students' voices, we are confident in her ability to help the McGill

channels, evident in her collaboration in livestreaming Senate meetings and a question and answer

comm unity move forward next year. While both Matt Crawford and Emil Briones

period with the Principal following Nov. 10. Dinel is one of a select group of students which

have similar experience as senators, we believe that Dinel is particularly suited to bridging the divide between the student body and the administration next year.

of what's going on How

What are the most important issues for the VP UA next year?

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

been

a

lot

of

The VP UA is arguably very

at

What did you like about the VP UAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance year, and what would you do

making sure that we come out of here w ith meaningful degrees. If you could high five anyone in history, who would it be?

The ability to come in and save the day.

to the occupation which has gone unaddressed because

What are the most important issues facing the

discussion for a midday break. That would be a really

VP UA next year?

great university-wide policy.

w e focused on tactics, not substance. I don't necessarily agree w ith all the tactics that were used. ... But at the same time, I think the reason those people were up there ... was the fact that the administration had taken an executive decision in our democratic process. We don't serve at the pleasure of the university,

the its

What would be your role in addressing divide between

we serve at the pleasure of students and we serve at the pleasure of the society that represents them. There

com m itm ent to accessible financial aid. That's going to continue to be a priority because McGill's committed to giving 30 cents on every net new dollar from the tuition increases to financial aid, but we need to make sure that it stays accessible. We need to work with the resources that we have. So looking at ways we can

students and admin? I would be an effective communicator. If you consult my senate speaking record, when student rights have come under attack I've been the one who has been the most consistently vocal at

is a minimal acceptable standard for interacting with the university: they should respect the democratic decision-making that they have given us. It's well established that we have the power to self-determination

Senate. We need people who are willing to stand up and talk about these things.

in certain respects, and that needs to be a fundamentally protected right.

promote library services which are really phenomenal but underused. One of m y platform points is the reintroduciton of the

How would you address those who are critical of your role in the sixth floor occupation? There's an underlying issue

If you were a superhero what would your power be? Maybe having a really loud voice so everybody could hear me.

Making university

sure that continues

executive w ill have to focus on rebuilding a healthy relationship w ith the administration. Her extensive list of working relationships with senior administrators have prepared her very well for this role.

senior members of the administration takes seriously. Coupled with her com m itm ent to creating

of the role you played in the

w ith universities, give the students the opportunities to travel. I would give students the opportunity to explore the global world.

occupation? I think that we learned a lot over the course of that occupation.... There was just this huge conversation that was happening on campus because of it and I think that's really important ... I think that at this point we need to be able to kind of step back

Why do you think you're the best candidate? I'm a motivated individual, I'm very passionate about what I do. Obviously it's

What kind of experiences have you had which would prepare you for the role of VP

makes information available to students. A person who listens to students on campus

very unusual for a first year to run for this position, but I thought hard about it and I love McGill and I love the community, and I would not run but for the love I have for the comm unity at large. I work very hard and I'm a very good listener; I listen to any view, regardless of the opinion. I'm very open minded, I make myself as

External?

and also a person who takes initiatives w hich he thinks w ill benefit the student society and the campus.

transparent and as available as possible. I also speak three languages; English, French, and Spanish.

Could you evaluate Joel’s

If you were a superhero, what would your super power

I've attended national student meetings in England, which is where I'm from; I've attended meetings at TASEQ and CLASSE, so I have experience w ith student unions and how to deal with them. I'm a member of Amnesty International ... I'm an avid person who's willing to stand up for people and support and debate for them. What do you think the VP External's role is?

performance this year and say what you would do

I've worked w ith Joel on SSMU Council ... He's done a tremendous job raising awareness for tuition hikes ... He's obviously been very strong in student activism. I would focus more on the international perspective

the student society and all the students on campus. He's also supposed to be as transparent as possible. He has to promote

because I'm an international student. The strike is not going to last forever and the tuition fee hike w ill soon be an issue of the past and I

the current affairs not just

would focus on establishing

in Montreal and Quebec, but worldwide, so he also

links w ith universities, set up exchanges, share research

It's to be a spokesperson for

be:

differently? I guess it would be flying. I've always felt the thrills and chills of flying, I was a cadet at the Royal Airforce for two years. Flying for me is a passion that really drives me.

What do you think the biggest challenge w ill be for

sure that McGill students are part of things that are going

VP External next year?

on off of campus. Obviously it's historically been a very political position, so things like tuition [are important] obviously, but I think that it's important to just ... make it easy for [out-of-province students] to really understand the issues that are going on in this province and some of the political things that a university of this size and

I think that it's sort of hard to say because the past couple of years the main focus has been on the tuition stuff but we just don't really know what's going to happen with that at this point. ... I think that keeping M cGill students informed about what's going on about [tuition increases].... Being able to continue that effort and especially because there's been so much happening this year and kind of making sure that people aren't just totally exhausted

reputation can get involved with, if students want to. What was your involvement with the sixth floor occupation?

and burnt out and tired of it,

What is the most important role of VP external?

I was a member of 6Party, I was one of the ones who stayed there for the whole time.

I think that it's just really important to be able to make

How would you address people who might be critical

you know?

The Tribune was con­ flicted over the selection of candidates for VP External. The VP External must act as a spokesperson for McGill

ternal to SSMU VP External may be too big. His focus on international issues and creating international part­ nerships with universities

students and is often the first point of contact with major media outlets. He or she must be well-versed on the issues facing M cGill stu­ dents and must listen to the opinions of the entire stu­

may be theoretically sound, but the primary issues at hand next year w ill likely be local—notably Quebec tuition increases. After only one year on this campus, we are not convinced that Uribe

dent body. For these reasons, we are disappointed w ith the selection of candidates for this position. Raphael Uribe Arango's

Arango has a comprehensive understanding of local issues and we are not confident in his ability to speak to the press about these issues. On the other hand,

relative lack of experience is concerning. He is keen to become involved in student politics, but we worry that the jump from IRC VP Ex­

Robin Reid-Fraser has dem­ onstrated an understanding of McGill issues—so much so that she took part in the

from that kind of action that is really divisive and makes people feel alienated and be able to have conversation about these broader issues. It was very clear to us that there were problems that needed maybe a more direct approach. But there are a lot of students who have not been involved in the same way, and I think it's really great that that conversation was happening ... that's where we need to be really focusing and making sure that students kind of understand some of the history around these things and can also have an environment that is very safe for them to come and voice their concerns and ask their questions. If you could high-five anyone in history, who would you high-five? My first thought was Jack Layton ... I've been involved w ith the NDP for many years and he did some really amazing things ... and now he's gone.

sixth floor occupation of the James Administration Build­ ing. The VP External must be passionate about their role in the community, but they must also listen to the student population. We don't have confidence in her abil­ ity to act as a spokesperson for the student body. Her ac­ tions speak louder than the words contained in her plat­ form. Ultimately, one of these two candidates w ill be elected. We hope that Uribe Arango can get over a steep learning curve quickly by observing those around him.

VPCIOBS&SERVICES which I'm really impressed that we managed to pull together. ... So on Nov. 11 that project started, and we had our preliminary report out, which I think was really comprehensive, by I think Dec. 1, two weeks before Jutras. It's a really long report,

I realized this year was that the clubs and services representatives are not utilized to the maximum potential that they could be. I feel like if I were VP Clubs and Services I would have a set of projects that I'd want m y clubs and services representative to work on

and I think very professional. The amount of organization that took was definitely a lot, and our final report actually just came out, it's also really comprehensive. Within clubs and services on that end of the paperwork side and then working at the front desk, all of this sort of administrative, organizational stuff is so important. Without it it

and report back to m e, and they would do the research and really try to get out to the clubs and services on campus. And that way I would be able to prioritize things like the building, which has been in the past ... kind of shoved aside. The HVAC system in this building has not been maintained or replaced in 60 How has your experience as SSMU Clubs and Services representative prepared you lor this position?

year, we struggled so much w ith mailbox, applications, lockers, bank accounts— there's so many things to start up and they're not all in one

Well I've represented clubs

place on the website, so it's really confusing.... There's no information online so there's a lot of miscommunication, and most clubs honestly don't know how to do a lot of it ... So I've dealt w ith a lot of frustration from a lot of club executives even w ith office allocation, that's one of the biggest aspects of my

and services all year, so far at least, and I have received a lot of feedback. We have office hours every week, and we ... m eet w ith clubs and services to see what feedback they have. I've also sat in council and advocated for clubs' rights and all the things they stand for, especially w ith the McGill name issue. I'm also the president of the Indian Students' Association, so I know the other side. I'm kind of saying I'm the "average Joe club"— you know, w e apply for funding, even personally this

platforms. The

clubs

and

services

portfolio is pretty big. How would you go about prioritizing your responsibilities?

years since it's been around, and I mean this building approximately uses as much as a small hospital, which is kind of ridiculous ... Usually the priorities are split

What do you see as being the biggest challenge in this position?

between that kind of clubs and services and building, and I really plan to ... really have [the clubs] be more involved.

at the front desk is just sort of general administration of clubs. Something they've been trying to do a lot this year that Carol has been doing a lot of work on has been really categorizing all of the clubs. ... If [people] m iss activities night to get involved with clubs, they go to the website, so it's really important

If you were a superhero, what would your power be? I think I'd want to be invisible, because I think that way I'd be able to tell what people really think. Sometimes people don't tell you what they really think ... I'm not a judgmental person, but I've always wanted to know what people really thought about issues.

I think one really big challenge that we see a lot

that it has all the contact information for groups and all the information about them. Having them in categories like "environmental groups,"

"charity groups," "musical would just be a mess. groups," "athletics groups" •is a really great way to If you were a superhero help administer clubs, and what would your power be? I'd really like to see then representatives from groups that are in a similar category get together and talk about their shared needs.

■ I have to pick one power? I want to say healing powers, but really I would just want to fly.

The clubs and services portfolio is huge, overseeing all of these clubs and services. Do you think that you’re organized enough and have the management skills to handle such a big portfolio? Yeah, I mean one example of how I've been able to do that recently is as a lead author of the Independent Student Inquiry this year,

One of the things that

sive document regarding the events of Nov. io. We hope her management ability and initiative w ill transfer w ell to the role as VP. Cooper understands one of the broader issues

dealing w ith one of the most contentious issues among clubs and services this year: the use of the McGill name. Her role as Clubs and Services Rep­ resentative undoubtedly makes her a viable can­

the inherent bureaucracy

and Services must have tremendous organizational and management abilities. Cooper played an integral role in the compilation of

facing McGill clubs and services: institutional memory often fails to de­ velop within clubs and services. Cooper hopes to continue current VP Carol Fraser's efforts to digitize club documents. We were also impressed by her in­

didate for VP Clubs and Services, and w e welcome her ideas to increase clubs' awareness of how SSMU can help them develop and thrive. Ultimately, w e think that Cooper's experience with red tape—and en­

of the position. She has the most comprehensive understanding of the chal­ lenges faced by clubs and

the Independent Study In­ quiry, processing dozens of interviews and drafting a lengthy and comprehen­

terest in promoting sus­ tainability projects. That said, Sahil Chaini is experienced in

thusiasm for dealing with it—makes her the best can­ didate.

Both candidates for the VP Clubs and Services position are w ell qualified for the position. However, w e have the most confi­ dence in Allison Cooper for fulfilling this role. Cooper has had ex­ tensive experience as a club member and leader. However, we believe that her experience as a re­ ceptionist behind the the front desk at SSMU is the most relevant and has pre­ pared her for dealing with

services them selves, from paperwork to complaints. Working behind the front desk, Cooper has effec­ tively been training for this role all year. The scope of the VP Clubs and Services port­ folio makes it one of the most challenging. With over 300 clubs and services at McGill, the VP Clubs

VPFINANa &OPERATIONS time. What

How has your experience as science representative prepared you for this position? My experience as a representative prepared m e to serve the students and hear what students want and that's different from representing myself on legislative council. I think this position requires connecting between students because we're here to manage student fees and provide maximum resources for students. That experience has

other

kind

of

floor

are

provides aid for auditing and budgeting for the clubs and

next year's VP Finance and Operations? It's the importance of financial planning and

services. Accessibility is a big point of being an executive. A lot of the tim es he's operated behind the scenes. Being out there to

I was working in the operation management com m ittee and at the financial ethical review committee. I also directly worked with the student run cafe working group. I was involved in

incoming operations such as the café, the biggest challenge w ill be to manage both new operations, old operations, and the renovations.

oversight in the operations.

promote the resources that

Money is being taken out of the investment portfolio that has been accumulating wealth over the past couple of years to be used for the

are available is important.

small student clubs such as QMG and W ikiNotes. Some clubs have never heard that SSMU has funding for them, and some of them have never heard about [the] campus life fund. The application process is hard for small and new clubs, because they don't have the resources to start from scratch. The SSMU funds clubs based on audit scores, and this audit score [is] hard to understand as a non­ management student.

basement.

renovations

at

the

same

What did you like about the way this year's VP FOPS ran their job, and what would you do differently? I really liked that this VP Finance worked very hard on the the student run café, including in the working group and a financial review comm ittee. He was really proactive this year. Shyam did a really good job of accomplishing the second

renovation of Gerts. And Gerts is also adapting its business model to offer a seated lunch. Renovating the second-floor cafeteria is also another priority. So next year's VP Finance w ill have to

ethical business purchasing policy that's going to come out. Additionally, I want to improve the Marketplace. We need to better manage this website to streamline the user

What's one thing that the current VP Finance and Operations has done w ell, and what's one thing you would have done differently?

experience. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? Maybe seeing the future.

One of them is definitely

In the debates last night

the student run cafe because

you touched on changes to

students really want to see this. At the winter GA we saw that students voted to continue the project. It's really important to put that

the mini courses, could you elaborate on that?

business plan through and make it happen. How would you do that? We'll have to negotiate with McGill probably about

What are the most important issues facing the VP Finance and Operations next year?

second

most facing

undergoing renovations and Gerts w ill be closed for renovations. SSMU doesn't know how much revenue they're going to lose. With

helped me understand what students want. For example, during the occupations I held special office hours on Thursday night in Burnside

I have been the VP Finance of my departmental association since January 2011. As recording secretary, I am aware of SSMU's budget, as presented at council. At Executive Committee meetings, I record the presentation of the financial statements by SSMU's comptroller on a monthly basis.

the

What are the important issues

experience do you have that would help with the VP Finance and Operations position?

What do you think is the most important issue facing the VP FOPS next year? I can see the biggest issue being coordinating between different projects and operations and the

What experience do you bring to the table?

and

This summer, Gerts

space. We need to hire a manager, one that's really on top of their stuff so nothing happens like Haven Books. We also need to look for suppliers and things like that. What are your other goals for next year?

Very simple

things like

having a greater presence on campus, attending events, going to club meetings. Things like putting the budget online or showing where your funds go. Simply streamlining the funding process, because som etim es the paperwork is redundant. Would you continue with any of Shyam's projects next year?

What is the most important role of the VP Finance and Operations? Functioning as a liaison between clubs and services, the various committees, the executive council, and just being able to communicate with a lot of the student groups. It's a lot of teamwork.

There's a whole transition period in May when the execs walk you through everything they've done to the littlest detail to make sure you can carry that forward. The student-run cafe is the biggest project that he has. That's something I would carry on.

If you could high-five anyone, who would it be?

The Tribune endorses Zhi

interest in developing ethical

Her focus on reaching out to

Zhen Qin for the position of VP Finance and Operations. We admire her concrete platform and her willingness to

investm ent policies w ill also be relevant in the coming year. Zhi Zhen Qin also recognizes some of the financial failures of SSMU— notably Haven Books—

clubs w ill undoubtedly make her a strong VP. In addition, w e hope she continues Patel's initiative of holding office hours. While we weren't impressed by her performance at the debates last week, most of the work of the VP is behind-the-scenes. We're confident that she can grow into her speaking role with

Shyam as a whole has done a fantastic job. He's very organized and he's initiated a lot of great projects which can provide amazing services.

Churchill.

He also started a group that

It wouldn't be changes to the existing system, it would be an addition to the existing system w ith a pay-as-you-go option. I think it would be great to involve clubs and services in this and clubs and services could put on minicourse services. Salseros already does their own sort of course in Gerts and they charge for that. I think that SSMU would be a good way to connect these clubs that have skills to other students that may be interested. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower

I have a goal for more outreach. I want to reach

be?

out to faculty associations, residences, and diverse spaces on campus, to let them know more about funds, because funds have increased this year

My favourite superhero is Iron Man because he came up w ith his own suit. He was able to figure it all out, work w ith what he had, and come up with something amazing.

but a lot of funds, especially the Green Fund, is underused. All of these funds should be used by more diverse groups.

take that business plan and try to implement it successfully w ithout negatively impacting any other clubs and services that need funding.

How would you be more visible and accessible?

continue many of the current VP's initiatives, including the student-run cafe and SSMU marketplace. Given the obvious student support for the student-run cafe, it would be a shame if next year's VP Finance and Operations didn't share this priority. She has a firm understanding of the work that w ill be required to bring the cafe to fruition. Her

and understands the risks involved in launching new initiatives. She understands issues that many clubs face in acquiring funding: many students are either unaware of financial opportunities at SSMU or are unaware of SSMU in general.

more experience at SSMU Council.

TECHNOLOGY

CAMPUS

N a tu re M e d ic in e editor talks science journalism Ilia Blinderman

Contributor

Nature Medicine, Nature TheScientist Nature,

Last Wednesday, Elie Dolgin (BSc ‘03), the associate news edi­ tor at the prestigious journal returned to McGill to speak about science journalism and reflect on his time at McGill. “I did my undergrad in this very building. If you go upstairs, you’ll see one of the window box­ es—I did this one on carboniferous flora,” he said, standing in front of an amphitheatre of about 30 students and alumni. Although Dolgin briefly wrote for the during his time at McGill, he did not think he would pursue a career in journalism. After graduating and being rejected from a job in a natural history museum, he decided to pursue a PhD in evo­ lutionary genetics at the University of Edinburgh. “I didn’t even want to go to grad school—it’s terrible to say, but I got in, so I went,” he said. At Edinburgh, he began a sci­ ence broadcast on student radio, and eventually moved on to a monthly podcast for his department. Writ­ ing, however, was a serendipitous discovery. “My dad’s quite active in his local synagogue, and he wanted me to give the sermon when I was back for his 60th birthday,” Dolgin said. “I gave it on the only thing I knew, which was evolutionary biology. I spoke about the section where Jacob divides his inheritance between his sons, but he doesn’t do it equally, and I [approached it from an evolu­ tionary] perspective. Jacob married two of his cousins and two of his non-cousins. From an evolutionary standpoint, he actually gave out his inheritance better.” According to Dolgin, this talk led to a promising connection. “I gave this talk, and a profes­ sor came up to me and said, ‘I never thought I’d hear about evolutionary biology in a synagogue. You should come to the Banff Science Commu­ nication program.’ It was sort of on a whim,” he said. Dolgin said he soon realized he had found his passion. “For the last six months of my

Medicine,

Daily

PhD, I probably spent more time pitching science stories than writing my thesis,” he said. At where Dolgin arrived following stints at and he covers issues such as ethics, politics, fund­ ing, and business, amongst other medicine-related fare. To those interested in a similar career, he suggested getting a foot in the door by applying for internships, such as those offered by his maga­ zine, as well as the media fellowship offered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dolgin also emphasized that stu­ dents who want to become science journalists need to pitch stories. “The thing I'm so surprised with when looking at applications is how few people have gone beyond writing for their science writing pro­ gram’s publication or graduate the­ sis,” he said. “They [could have] just gone and pitched it to a newspaper or a magazine.” Some attendees, however, were unsure of the relevance of Dolgin's talk. “I like the way he spoke, but I don’t know how applicable the con­ tent was to people in Canada,” Nata­ sha Campbell, a recent graduate of McGill’s psychiatry program, said. Dolgin, who holds a U.S. pass­ port, admitted that the situation in Canada isn’t promising. “I'd love to work here, but I like having a staff job, and it’s hard in Canada right now,” he said. After the presentation, Dol­ gin stayed behind to answer some further questions. When a young woman asked which magazines would be best to write for first, he thought for a moment, and then ex­ plained that it was more important to find an interesting story. The talk was organized by Sci­ ence Outreach, the science faculty’s effort to disseminate information and raise interest in science within both McGill and the wider com­ munity, and was generally well re­ ceived. “I thought [the talk] was really informative,” Sabroma Ali, a U1 MSc, said. “It’s unusual to hear so much tangible advice.”

r W rite for Scitech! E-m ail scitech @ m cg illtrib u n e.co m for m ore inform ation. Co m e to our m eetings at 5:30 PM on T u esd ay in S h a t n e r iio

L

M o n t r e a l s t u d e n t s l a u n c h U n iY u N e w w e b s i t e g iv e s a c c e s s t o n o t e s a n d a d v ic e o n c o u r s e s a n d c lu b s Anand Bery

Science & Technology Editor

A group of Montreal stu­ dents have launched a new uni­ versity-centric website which encourages students to share ad­ vice on professors, classes, and student groups. The site, called UniYu, launched a beta version last week. Unlike existing online re­ sources, which often only focus either on note-sharing or course advice, UniYu hopes to unite a range of information in one easy place. The project’s creators thought there was no unified platform where students could build a profile and interact with students in their classes beyond sharing notes. One of the project’s co­ founders, Michael Shapiro, who graduated from McGill last spring with a degree in math­ ematics and computer science, spoke about the difficulty some students have with getting in­ volved. “If you can’t come to Ac­ tivities Night, you have no way of knowing [what’s going on],” Shapiro said. “I spent four years at McGill and was never part of

any clubs, not so much because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know about a lot of them.” As with any online service, attracting users has been a dif­ ficult task. UniYu’s content is entirely user-generated, and en­ couraging users to contribute to an empty site is no easy feat. “Getting people to sign up is the major hurdle. If everyone used it, it would be amazing and it would be such a great tool,” Shapiro said. “We’re hoping we can convince students, yeah it’s empty and no one is using yet, but if you convince other people to start using it you can really build a great community.” Shapiro and the project’s creators hope to entice students with innovative features like a

location-based chat platform. “We’ll be launching a new feature called UniTalk, where you can live chat in your class­ room or in the library,” he said. “If you’re in a 600-person class and you’re sitting in the back and you can’t see something [on] the board, you can type in [a question] and somebody will answer you.” Shapiro hopes that one day UniYu might be a one-stop re­ source for student advice. “That’s an ideal goal. It’s a dream and everything, but I’d love for UniYu to become the one place you go for whatever you need.”

SSMU AWARDS Recognizing Excellence in Student Life D E A D L I N E : M a r c h 19th a t N oon Each year the SSM U awards students and student groups who have shown themselves as outstanding in a variety o f w ays. It is time for Y O U R hard work and dedication to be recognized! For information on what the application package should containg, please visit our homepage at h ttp ://s s m u .m c g ill.c a . A w a rd s you can a p p ly fo r :

1. Volunteer o f the Year 2. Coordinator o f the Year 3. President of the Year 4. Young Alumni Award 5. New Club o f the Year 6. Club o f the Year 7. SSMU Service o f the Year 8. Faculty o f the Year 9. Campus Group of the Year 10. Committee o f the Year 11. Publication o f the Year 12. Web Site o f the Year 13. SSMU Campus Life Fund Project o f the Year 14. Political Event o f the Year 15. Social Event o f the Year 16. Charitable Event o f the Year 17. Councilor o f the Year 18. Fred Sagel Memorial (Senator o f the Year)

LITERATURE

T h o m a s D 'A r c y M c G e e : t h e e x t r e m e m o d e r a t e B i o g r a p h y t r a c k s t h e i n c r e d i b l e life o f o n e o f C a n a d a ' s F a t h e r s o f C o n f e d e r a t i o n Richard Martyn-Hemphill

Opinion Editor

second volume in David A . W il­ son’s two part biography o f McGee. The whole project—involving ex­

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the most conventional starting point for a book review. The only reading usu­ ally done on St. Paddy’s tends be a

haustive research through Canadian Government archives and thousands o f M cG ee’s personal correspon­

ence in Canada nonetheless, so it can still be deemed a most fitting occa­ sion for reviewing a new biography on Thomas D ’Arcy M cG ee—one o f the finest Irishmen ever to have sat

dences, writings, and speeches—has taken W ilson 10 years to complete, and the result is a magnificently vivid portrait o f a prolific man. Written in lucid, lively, and concise prose, The Extreme Moder­ ate tracks the trajectory o f M cG ee’s Canadian political career, from his

in a Montreal pub. Attempting to historically de­ cipher McGee is a noble but daunt­ ing task. M cGee was the precocious

immigration to Canada in his assassination in Ottawa later. M cG ee’s political life where triumph went hand

maverick o f Canada’s founding fathers. A poet, a politician, a pam­ phleteer, a playwright, an orator,

with tragedy, and W ilson’s narra­ tive reflects that poignantly. On one hand, it dotes on M cG ee’s highly impressive achievements in Cana­

cursory glance at a drinks menu. Yet it is a celebration o f the Irish pres­

a journalist, and a drinker, he was the most eloquent, multi-talented spokesman o f Canadian Confedera­ tion. But alongside his talents, M cGee possessed a cryptic com ­ plexity o f character. In particular, any historian w ill have a torrid time trying to make sense o f a very intel­ ligent man’s dramatic conversion from a being an ardent Irish nation­ alist revolutionary—with a deepseated hatred o f British rule—to an exemplary loyalist o f the British Empire in North America, and the “poet o f Confederation.” The Extreme Moderate is the

1857 to 11 years was one in hand

dian politics. On the other hand, the book evokes deep feelings through reflective passages that dwell on M cG ee’s tumultuous family life, his descent into alcoholism, his heavy

Author David A. Wilson captures of poignancy of McGee's triumphant and tragic political career, (smashinglist.com) Law School as a mature student. Not only did he manage to excel at his degree, but he also did so in tandem with som e astounding extra-cur­ ricular activities: being a full-time Canadian MP; conducting a series o f lectures across North America; writing a play; writing A Popular

Canadian vision. McGee believed that Canadian society should cher­ ish its diverse, multicultural roots, allowing each culture, ethnicity, or religion its own separate, inviola­ ble space to grow. To M cGee, this meant not only tolerance, but also

book is W ilson’s consistent ability

students would reserve solely for St.

appreciation o f the other cultures which make up the Canadian na­ tion. Importantly, M cG ee’s vision gives room, as W ilson alleges, for a dual nationality—allowing a vibrant Quebec culture under the federal

to convey M cG ee’s extraordinary dynamism and prodigious work ethic. The most inspiring and hum­ bling example o f this is the passage

Patrick’s Day. Above all, W ilson makes the book highly relevant to contempo­ rary Canadian readers through his

umbrella o f Ottawa, and for immi­ grants to continue to be able to asso­ ciate them selves with both their old country as w ell as their new Cana­

where M cGee enrolled at M cG ill’s

excellent discussion o f M cG ee’s

dian home.

political setbacks, his lambasting in the Toronto press, and his tragic, premature death at the hands o f the Fenian Brotherhood. The most striking part o f the

History of Ireland; being

a full time father and husband; and—on top of it a ll—indulging daily in the sort of drinking habits that most o f today’s

Using this creed o f a tolerant multiculturalism, McGee fought— ultimately at the cost o f his life — to keep the Old World hatreds and prejudices o f his day back in the Old World. Canadians have a lot to thank for M cG ee’s courage in “frowning down” intolerant organizations like the Orange Order that threatened to exert excessive control over Cana­ dian society and would do w ell to continue living by M cG ee’s m es­ sage: a fair and liberal creed to bring Canadians together with, as he once declared, “a unity in diversity.”

P o p I ffie to r ic Is art moral?

partially, for an artist’s bad actions if

celebrities

they consume his art? To put it suc­ cinctly: if I buy a scumbag’s music, am I a scumbag too? The classic example o f an art­

are in no short supply, controversy

ist with an abominable personality

shook the Grammys last month when Chris Brown won Best R&B Album for his latest release, FAME. He may be a good R&B artist, but many were outraged—how could the music industry endorse someone who physically abused his girlfriend

is Richard Wagner. The great opera composer was a narcissistic, shame­ less anti-Semite. Along with Tristan und Isolde and The Ring, he com ­ posed essays, such as Judaism in Music, in which he sought to isolate detestable traits in Jews and argue

(in his case, Rihanna)? Regardless o f his talent, isn ’t an endorsement of his music also support for domestic violence? These are important issues for

that they corrupt music and Ger­ man culture. For m e, it’s hard not to think about these things every time I listen to his music. Am I somehow

judging and consuming music, but the questions at hand need to be ana­ lyzed. First, is awarding an artist for his output despite his questionable

ten to The Flying Dutchman? Some believe I am. It is for this reason, among others, that performances o f Wagner are strictly prohibited in Is­

character necessarily a justification o f his behaviour? Second, if the artist is indeed a bad person, does that make the music “bad”? Third, is the listener responsible, at least

rael.

Though

crooked

supporting anti-Semitism when I lis­

However, it is crucial to note that even though a musician may be a terrible person, it does not neces­ sarily follow that the art is terrible

as well. For instance, Carlo Gesualdo’s masses aren’t questionable because he murdered his wife in the sixteenth century. I may dislike them for his relentless chromaticism and hackneyed word painting, but

may argue that the symbolism o f not performing Wagner is an important message against anti-Semitism in general, that, again, is different from his art and from the consequences o f giving money to the performers. His

There is still one question left unanswered: was the music indus­ try wrong in giving Chris Brown an award? Though it is consistent to believe that an artist is morally contemptible and therefore assert it

these have no direct connection to his murderous action (though it may perhaps be attributed indirectly to his insanity). It is entirely possible for a bad person to produce good art, and therefore aesthetic quality can be separate from morality. But things get stickier when talking about contemporary mu­ sicians. Though perhaps Chris Brown’s music bears no reflection

descendents today certainly do not bear the same view s that he main­ tained and, hopefully, neither do the performers. But to support Chris Brown, or any questionable artist today, could still be an issue. It’s for this reason boycott and sanction movements

this same logic apply to the Gram­ mys? Not necessarily. The Grammys do not serve to determine who is a good person and who is not; it rewards the production o f good art, and art, as repeatedly stated, is not necessarily a moral

exist on a number o f issues around the world. The products themselves may not be intrinsically bad, but the act o f supporting the producer may

production. The award does not serve to support domestic violence, both in intent and in consequences. If Wagner was alive today,

dead. The only people I’m support­

very w ell pose problems. In this way, I may be partially responsible for choosing to support a person en­ gaged in abominable behaviour. If

moral fibre and all, would he still be eligible for “Best Opera”? A bso­ lutely. It would be up to us protest his view s, not his work.

ing with my money are the various choirs that choose to perform his compositions. To listen to Wagner is not nec­ essarily to support Wagner. Some

one truly believes Chris Brown is a scumbag, then it is not absurd for one to believe that necessary action against him may necessitate avoid­ ing his music.

o f his detestable private affairs, it’s conceivable that listeners are sup­ porting them by consuming his music. In contrast, Gesualdo is long

immoral to support him or her, does

-Akiva Toren

V IS U A L A R T

O u t s id e

t h e

c a n v a s

Art Mûr exhibit plays with perception Rebecca Fiegelsohn Contributor

Art Mûr, Montreal’s dynamic contemporary art gallery, is cur­ rently featuring the works of four accomplished visual artists who all explore how the nature of percep­ tion is taken for granted. Although each artist’s collection might seem acutely different from the others, each piece is more than it appears when submitted to closer inspection. Magalie Comeau’s fascinating collection, “Le vertige de l’organe à habiter sur le vide. Les petites Architactrices” uses oil paint to ex­ plore the viewer’s relationship to, and interaction with, space and ar­ chitecture by creating images with distorted angles of interior and ex­ terior spaces. Comeau dissects a space, splicing specific elements of an area together with other diverg­ ing spaces to contort angles and cre­ ate an image that reflects the city’s gritty urban environment as well as its banal domesticity. Using sharp lines, bold shapes, and a muted pal­ ette of greys, Comeau's work cre­ ates familiar and unrecognizable images. At times it is possible for the viewer to detect areas of reality in a sea of chaotic blending, but even after close scrutiny it is difficult to discern where one area begins and another ends. “Meditations on Black Lake,” a compilation by Nadia Myre, might appear to be large at first because of its colourful circular paintings. Upon closer inspection, the works are revealed to be replicated ver­ sions of glass-beaded patterns woven together with thread. Myre is inspired by themes of loss, identity, and yearning, and this collection acutely reflects her interests. The colour black is central to her works and infuses the images with a som­ bre and claustrophobic feeling. Al­ though the horde of similarly hued beads can easily blend together and make individual detection difficult, her random placement of beads with

contrasting colours reflects the ‘self’ located within a vast connection of others. Myre’s artwork is thoughtprovoking yet aesthetically simple in its attempt to divulge the human condition of solitude. Laurent Lamarche explores the limits between the art world and the scientific sphere in “Magnification,” a series of images made of reappro­ priated plastic. The pictures resem­ ble items one would more likely see in a biology class than an art gallery. The circular shape is akin to a Petri dish or microscopic lens—the im­ ages he produces are ambiguous, but give the impression of being viewed from outer space, or of living organ­ isms. Lamarche attempts to confuse and manipulate his audience, urging the viewer to ponder their under­ standing of authenticity by question­ ing whether or not the items being magnified are what they appear to be. The stunning detail and textural elements of each are impeccable and a definite feast for the eyes. “4 Colour Separation,” an in­ stallation by artist David Spriggs, reflects on the contemporary digital age. His work is presented as four distinct units of colour; the prima­ ries used in the CMYK process in print media: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Spriggs’ images are hazy and unfocused, giving the appear­ ance of three-dimensionality and re­ sembling a static television set. His minimalist artwork, which he de­ scribes as “stratachromes,” referring to images developed from layers of colour, explores perception and the hidden elements that cannot be de­ tected in the CMYK process. Art Mûr’s newest exhibition presents four independent artists who each hold unique perspectives on the materials and methods used to create stunning visual art.

The exhibit runs fromMarch 3-April 21at Art Mûr(5826St. Hu­ bert). Admissionisfree. Visit www. artmur.comformoreinformation.

One of Laurent Lamarche's "Magnifications." (artmur.com)

Big K.R.I.T. is a rapper with very few vices. Sure, his carefree attitude and occasional codeine ref­ erences are consistent with most upand-coming MCs, but besides these infrequent mentions, he’s the clos­ est thing to what hip-hop fans could call straight-edge. While the rest of southern rap remains fascinated by drug-themed lyrics, K.R.I.T.’s latest mixtape, is his con­ scious attempt to steer hip-hop in a more wholesome direction. Unlike other young rappers who might only skim over the per­ functory lyrical concept of over­ coming personal obstacles, K.R.I.T. makes a mixtape largely dedicated to the idea. But at times, he can’t help himself from falling into some stale hip-hop conventions. On “Handwriting,” he thumbs his nose at those nasty record execs who just can’t understand his so-called real­ ness, and there are too many songs that dwell on the gentle quaintness of the southern lifestyle. Lyrically, it might border on filler material, but the production of nearly every track is impressive. His smooth voice and sharp accent nicely complement his self-produced beats, which often switch from funk to jazz to soul. Optimism dominates most of the album, which not only shows enthusiasm for his own career pros­ pects, but extends words of advice for his listeners too. K.RJ.T.’s so­ liloquy on the death of his mother in “Yesterday” is a brief digression from his positivity, but it’s prefaced and followed by two standout tracks (“Wake Up,” “Boobie Miles”) that balance these emotional opposites perfectly. His exuberance is refresh­ ing, and his darker subject matter doesn’t sound forced or faked. It’s the faith he holds in his audience and himself that makes it easy for the listener to enjoy his music. So even when he falls prey to occasional slip-ups and gimmicks, there’s enough here that makes Big K.R.I.T.’s story worth hearing.

Primal Rock Rebellion: Awoken Broken

Rose Cousins: We Have Made a Spark

Primal Rock Rebellion is the rather unlikely collaboration of Adrian Smith and Mikee Goodman: the former a guitarist from one of the titans of metal, Iron Maiden, and the latter a vocalist from the under­ ground, and now dissolved, progressive/mathcore/avant-garde group SikTh. Their first album together, is a competent, if rather unambitious, effort. The album is a fairly straight­ forward meld of industrial and heavy metal, with a few quirks and twists here and there. As usual, Smith’s guitar work is excellent if not flashy, and its grounded nature is an effective counterpart to Goodman’s versatile and aggressive vocal delivery. It is fairly easy to pinpoint the respective contributions of each in the music, and while they are compatible, they fail to deliver a truly compelling whole. Part of the problem is that much of the album feels like a re­ tread, either of itself or of several decades of pre-existing variations within the same style. Several of the tracks fall into a morass of midtempo plodding, lacking any arrest­ ing elements to seize the attention of the listener. A few songs stand out, particularly the opener “No Friendly Neighbour” and up-tempo rocker “Search for Bliss,” but the album never reaches (nor seems to aspire to) greatness. I would have liked to see Smith and Goodman indulge a bit, either in the prog tendencies of the former or the extreme stylings of the latter; the material might have benefited from a little spice. Given the talent of those be­ hind the music, feels like a disappointment. While it is certainly a decent album, espe­ cially when compared to the genre’s most recent big collaboration, Metallica and Lou Reed’s bizarre it is also far less compelling. And ultimately, it’s far less memorable.

Part of what makes Rose Cous­ ins’ music so touching is its deeply personal nature. While her slow and folky strumming might be a far cry from Adele’s upbeat pop ballads, the two songstresses’ music have one thing in common: raw emotion. Like Adele, Cousins grants her lis­ teners an all-access pass to her heart. Cousin’s soul-bearing songs have yet to make her millions, so when it came time to make the Canadian singersongwriter reached out to friends and fans for financial support, of­ fering advance copies of the album, exclusive video-updates, and other inventive prizes in exchange for do­ nations. For example, any supporter who pledged $500 or more received a double batch of homemade cook­ ies. Twelve batches of cookies and 451 “backers” later, she raised $25,000. The album is, at its core, a stunning celebration of the support that binds folk music communities in Canada and the United States. For the uninitiated, Cousins sounds something like a sweeter, sloweddown Sarah Harmer. This album has her characteristically smooth and soothing voice complemented by layers of female vocal harmonies, drums, and strings. While the songs are sad, the underlying optimistic themes of letting go, moving on, and finding a bit of light in life’s dark moments still shine through. Her cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall Behind” is reinvented successfully as a duet with Mark Erelli, and though the instrumentation on is richer than previous albums, several songs stun with even the simplest piano accompaniment. In this era of digital download­ ing, it’s nice to see online commu­ nities supporting artists instead of stealing from them. is proof that by doing so, we all benefit as listeners.

— NickPetrillo

— GraemeDavidson

Big K.R.I.T.: 4Eva N A Day

4EvaNADay,

AwokenBroken,

Awoken Broken

Lulu,

MadeASpark,

WeHave

WeHaveMadeASpark

ASpark

WeHaveMade

— MadeleineCummings

H O CKEY —

M A R T L E T S 4 , L A U R IE R 0 (C IS C H A M P IO N S H I P B R O N Z E M E D A L G A M E )

M a r t l e t s

m is s

g o l d e n

o p p o r t u n it y ,

w i n

C IS

b r o n z e

With bronze medal, Martlets' season ends win twelfth consecutive CIS medal Christopher Nardi Sports Editor

There are few athletic organ­ isations that have been pegged with “win gold or bust” expectations. Canada’s Olympic hockey teams, however, are always held to this high standard. Thanks to their con­ sistant success in the past 12 years, the team is now held to the same standards as the Canadian Olympic hockey teams. Coming into the CIS tournament this weekend as defend­ ing champions, they were once again amongst the favourites to bring back golden honours. Yet neither an incredible 18-11 regular season record nor an 8-1 tournament goal differential could get them through pool play and to the gold medal game. Instead, they were relegated to the bronze medal game, in which they destroyed Lau­ rier University 4-0. Before the tournament began, McGill was placed in pool B, which soon acquired the nickname “the pool of death.” The pool featured the Martlets, the Alberta Pandas, the most decorated team in CIS wom­ en’s hockey history, and the Calgary Dinos, featuring the best player in women’s hockey history, legend Haley Wickenheiser. The Martlets’first match against Calgary pitted four-time Olym­ pic medalist Wickenheiser against

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Millions of people, devout and non-devout fans alike, engage in fantasy football leagues every year. As fantasy team managers, we often cheer for opposing teams’ players to get hurt and miss a few quarters for the purpose of winning our match­ ups. Cruel, perhaps, but the moral lines in fantasy football are blurry at best. Contrasting the fantasy world is the actual NFL, a league that spends much energy on improving the safety of the game. Football is a violent sport no doubt—the nature of the game is to hit the player with the ball—but the morality of the sport is rarely compromised. The NFL’s moral facade was put into question last week when news spread that the New Orleans Saints, a previously admirable franchise, had instituted a bounty program among its defensive unit spanning from 2009 (the year they won the Super Bowl) to 2011. The program financially rewarded play­

Despite allowing only one goal all weekend, the Martlets came home with bronze. (Rick MacWilliam / Edmonton Journal)

two-time Canadian Olympic hero Chari ine Labonté, arguably one of the top goalies in women’s hockey. The game was as intense as expect­ ed, with only two penalties handed out during the game and each team battling over every inch of the ice. Both teams put up an incredible ef­ fort, yet McGill committed a small defensive error in front of the net at 11:47 of the first period that allowed Calgary’s Sinead Tracy to score the

N

game’s only goal. Labonté finished the game with 23 saves while Dino Amanda Tapp registered the tourna­ ment’s first shutout with her 20-save effort. Knowing full well that a win was needed in their second game in order to make it to the medal rounds, McGill stepped up to the plate in their matchup against the Alberta Pandas. What was expected to be another intense matchup turned into

a blowout by the Martlets as they scored four unanswered goals en route to a 4-0 win. Labonté regis­ tered her first shutout of the series, Leslie Oles scored twice while Gil­ lian Ferrari and Chelsey Saunders each added a goal. The game was notably more physical, with both teams combining for 11 penalties and 22 penalty minutes, all of them coming off physical misconducts. Thanks to the win, the Martlets

jury during a playoff game in 2009, noticeably accepted the Saints’ ac­ tions, even after looking back on a few of the questionable hits in that playoff game. Other current play­ ers have come out to say that these bounty programs exist among many of the NFL teams. With all of these players speak­ ing out, it’s not out of the question to believe that the majority of NFL teams have these bounty-type pools in place. Then, if it’s so embedded into the league’s underlying culture, so much so that it evaded the pub­ lic eye for years, is it so wrong and should we be that surprised? The goal of any NFL franchise is to win, and undoubtedly, the chances of winning significantly in­ crease if the opponents’ star players are knocked out of the game. More­ over, football is a game that is fu­ eled by intimidation. Tough, hard­ hitting teams like the Ravens and Steelers are feared because their hits are known around the league to

be harder. However, intimidation tactics and being financially rewarded for intentionally attempting to injure opponents are completely different. The bounty system exemplifies ev­ erything against the league’s code, both from a legal and moral stand­ point. You try to hit the player with the ball as hard as you can, but to affect their next games, seasons, or even their lives after football is sim­ ply classless. Furthermore, the NFL’s repu­ tation is affected beyond the field, as it sends a terrible message to kids who aspire to play football at any level, and may make parents even more reluctant to let their children play what is already considered a violent sport. The difference between the Saints and the rest of the NFL (at least according to current reports) is that the coaches were involved. Even Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey

qualified for a bronze medal match­ up against the tournament’s topseeded Laurier Golden Hawks. Not wanting to end their medal streak in 11 consecutive tournaments, the Martlets once again stormed out of the gate and peppered Laurier goalie Erika Thunder with 26 shots. Their effort was once again rewarded with four unanswered goals, two of which came from McGill all-stars AnnSophie Bettez and Melodie Daoust. Michelle Daigneault also scored her first and Leslie Oles tallied her third of the competition to round out the scoring. Labonté was still visibly frustrated over the team's first loss against the Dinos, as she stopped all 23 shots Alberta sent her way to reg­ ister a tournament best two shutouts. Unfortunately for the team, this season marked the final year of eli­ gibility for many key players on the team. Five-time all-Canadian for­ ward Ann-Sophie Bettez, four-time all-Canadian defenceman Cathy Chartrand, and fifth-year forwards Jordanna Peroff and Lainie Smith will not be joining the team next year. Yet the team’s greatest loss is two-time Olympic gold medal­ ist Charline Labonté, who ends her CIS career with a 160-17-3 overall record, a .98 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.

I N

ers for great performances, big hits, and knocking opposing players out of games. While players contribut­ ed to funding the pool, Gregg Wil­ liams, the coach of this defensive unit, was the man in charge. It was later reported that Williams had im­ plemented similar programs in his previous coaching stints in Buffalo and Washington—stand-up guy, to say the least. The reaction from the media has been incredibly negative. Peo­ ple are calling for Roger Goodell, the NET- commissioner, to suspend, fine, and serve other punishments that would be detrimental to the Saints franchise. What’s more interesting is the reaction from both current and for­ mer players. While some players have openly expressed disgust with Williams and the Saints’ players, others have been quite tepid with their responses. Retired quarterback Brett Favre, a victim of the Saints’ program who sustained an ankle in­

Loomis admitted to being aware of the program, but neglected to do anything to stop it after being ad­ vised to do so. It’s the coaches’ and management’s resonsibility to keep their players in check and discipline them when necessary. Condoning these actions, like Williams did, or neglecting to do anything about it, like Payton and Loomis, taints the entire Saints leadership team, fran­ chise, and the NFL. I hope that Commissioner Goodell drops his hammer on the Saints by doling out appropriate punishments for this unsportsman­ like program. And to those Saints involved: go home, hardly anyone wants you marching into NFL sta­ diums anytime soon.

—StevenLampert

Tuesday, March 13, 2 0 1 2

gram organized by then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams be­ tween 2009 and 2011 was brought to light. The investigation revealed that players would receive a bonus of $1,000 for a hit that led to a “cart-off” and $ 1,500 for a knock­ out hit, with payouts doubling or tripling during the playoffs. Though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to sanction the team, the punishment is expected to be ex­ tremely harsh. Secondly, Indianapolis Colts superstar quarterback Peyton Man­ ning was released from his contract on March 7, making him the great­ est and most sought-after free agent in NFL history. Let #peytonpallooza begin!

In ca se y o u w ere to o b u sy g e ttin g m e n ta lly p r e p a r e d f o r th e d e b a u c h o f th e y e a r, h e r e ’s w h a t y o u m isse d th is p a s t w eek in th e w o rld o f sp o rts ...

FOOTBALL - The foot­ ball world was shaken twice over

H O CKEY —

the last week as two major stories dominated NFL headlines. First, the New Orleans Saints’ bounty pro­

HOCKEY - To the surprise of many, the Leafs dominated re­ cent hockey headlines when GM Brian Burke decided to fire Head Coach Ron Wilson and hire exDucks Head Coach Randy Car­ lyle. Considering that many saw Burke and Wilson as BFFs, Burke announced that what was happen­ ing to the team under Wilson “was akin to 18-wheeler going right off a cliff.” Apart from seeing the Leafs

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SOCCER — With the Cham­ pions League tournament in full swing, many experts expect defend­ ing champion Barcelona to remain the favourite to win it all. That status was only confirmed when Barce­ lona’s star player, and current best player in the world, Lionel Messi went ahead and scored five goals

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Contributor

There is a saying that two is company, but three is a crowd. For­ tunately, that logic doesn’t apply to trophy cases, as the Redmen trium­ phantly defended their Queen's Cup title against the Western Mustangs on Saturday. The victory marks a hat trick milestone for McGill as the Redmen are champions of three consecutive Cups, and four in the past five years. McGill stormed out of the gate with an early goal courtesy of An­ drew Wright to pull ahead 1-0. Team captain Evan Vossen had the lone assist. Within minutes, the Redmen padded their lead and shifted the momentum completely to their side as Benoit Levesque buried the even­ tual game winning marker. Chris­ tophe Longre-Poirier and Francis Verreault-Paul were credited with the primary and secondary assists, respectively. The McGill Redmen were re­ lentless throughout the rest of the period as both teams headed into the first intermission with McGill own­ ing a 17 to eight advantage in the shots department. The Mustangs cut the deficit

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McGill defend their Queen's Cup title for third consecutive year Hrant Bardakjian

against Bayer Leverkusen. Despite the fact that he’s only 24 years old, he already has 228 career goals for Barca (seven away from tying Cesar Rodriguez for the club’s career scor­ ing record). Messi had never scored five goals in a Champions League game. And guess what? No one else in history ever has either, making the feat yet another reason to put Messi’s name in the history books. So how good is Messi actually? “Messi[’s talent] is a joke. For me the best ever,” Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney wrote on Twitter. So there you have it.

S aturday 8c S

R E D M E N 4 , M U S T A N G S 1 ( Q U E E N 'S C U P )

T h r ic e

crash and bum, Habs fans were ec­ static for the return of star defenceman Andrei Markov on Saturday against the Canucks. Playing only 17 minutes, Markov already picked up one assist en route to a huge 4-1 win for the Habs. Now is about time to cue the “the Habs are absolutely making the playoffs this season” talks in Montreal.

down to one and managed to make things interesting when centreman Dominic DeSando beat Redmen netminder Hubert Morin just two minutes into the second. Western had a glorious opportunity to tie the game with their second power play opportunity of the evening when McGill forward Andrew Wright was called for interference. However, Morin stood tall in his crease and the penalty killing unit managed to shut down the opposition to preserve the lead. Still in the second, the Mus­ tangs would become their own Achilles’ heel as rightwing Keaton Turkiewicz was charged with a trip­ ping penalty. A man down, Mustang Geoff Killing accidently deflected a shot by Verreault-Paul into his own net, re-establishing McGill’s two-goal lead in the process. Things went from bad to worse for Western as Furlong’s 10 minute misconduct penalty for a hit to the head thwarted any momentum the Mustangs had mustered following Verreault-Paul’s goal. At 8:47 of the third, the McGill Redmen put the game on ice when Longre-Poirier buried the puck past Josh Unice, who was peppered with 37 shots in the evening. The scoring play was the result of some crisp

passes from both Verreault-Paul and Marc-Olivier Vachon, who was rewarded with his first point of the match. The animosity reached a tip­ ping point near the end when 42 penalty minutes were handed out in the final minute and a half to both teams. McGill and Western each received two offsetting 10 minute misconduct penalties, but the Red­ men would end the game on the power play with an extra roughing call going against the Mustangs’ lone scorer Dominic DeSando. The player of the game was undoubtedly McGill’s own Francis Verreault-Paul, who was awarded the Jack Kennedy Trophy for his onice heroics. Verreault-Paul finished the game with a power play marker and two key assists for the Redmen. The McGill Redmen can now look forward to the CIS Cavendish University Cup championship tour­ nament in Fredericton, New Bruns­ wick on March 22-25. The team hopes to avenge their loss in the finals last year to defending cham­ pion University of New Brunswick by bringing CIS hockey gold back, to McGill.

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AND WATCH THE ACTION fro m o u r C r esc en t S treet terrace & bar

SOUTH P re v ie w : The number one overall seed, Kentucky, head­ lines the east region, and they are loaded. While their starting lineup is inexperienced, con­ sisting of three freshman and two sophomores, they were the most consistent team in America this season, and pose a stifling defensive presence in forward Anthony Davis. When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Terrence Jones start making shots on the offensive end, this team is scary. The number two and three seeds in the East are Duke and Baylor, respectively. Duke, while being a bit inconsistent this year, have stepped up their game of late led by freshman guard Aus­ tin Rivers, and should have no trouble getting through to the Sweet 16. Baylor was never able to win the big game this year, despite possessing a ton of tal­ ent both on the perimeter and inside, led by the anemic Perry ^

Jones III. Overall, this region is packed with top NBA prospects and should be fun to watch for any basketball fan. Final Four Bound: Ken­ tucky is too talented at both ends of the court, so it's tough to see them not advancing through this bracket. If Duke are hot from the outside, they could give the Wildcats a run. While we love Baylor's talent, they are just too inconsistent and don't possess the mental toughness necessary for the Big Dance. B ra cke t B u ste r: Sixthseeded UNLV has played well all season and have experience against the ACC's best, as they defeated North Carolina ear­ lier in the year. They're led by forward Mike Moser, and may give Duke a ton of trouble in the Sweet Sixteen. We also like the fifth-seeded Wichita State Shockers to take down the fourth-seeded Indiana in the third round in a mini-upset. If you're looking for a huge upset, Baylor might also have trouble in their second-round matchup against 14th-seeded South Da­ kota State.

..................................Ill....■■■... .......

EUTE EIGHT

SWEET 16

FINAL FOUR

KENTUCKY

KENTUCKY

WICHITA STATE /

asm

KENTUCKY

UNLV

UNLV

DUKE

WINNER:

MISSOURI

WEST P re v ie w : The number-one seed in the west region is Michi­ gan State, who are fresh off a Big Ten title. The Spartans are very tough inside, led by powerful for­ ward Draymond Green, and also have a couple of strong guards, namely Keith Appling and Bran­ don Wood. The Spartans will be without one of their young start­ ers, Branden Dawson, who tore a knee ligament in the regular season finale, but if the Big Ten conference tournament was any indication, this team has depth and is mentally tough. The rest of the bracket is interesting, with Missouri, who went 30-4 on the year and looked to be a poten­ tial top-seed. Third-seeded Mar­ quette are feisty and led by star guard Darius Johnson-Odom. The fourth seed is Louisville who are coming off a Big East tourna­ ment victory, which is no easy feat. Last year's NCAA Cham-

.......

pions, UCONN, much like Lou­ isville, came out of nowhere to claim the Big East title. Look for Louisville to be a tough out with their strong defensive pressure. Final Four Bound: We're sticking with the popular pick and going with the Missouri Ti­ gers. We think they'll be pitted against Michigan State in anoth­ er 1-2 seed Elite Eight matchup. The Tigers' unorthodox style and fast-paced tempo will give the Spartans fits, and missing Daw­ son will hurt Michigan State as they get deeper in the tourna­ ment. B ra cke t B u ste r: If you're looking for major upsets, this region has the potential to bust your bracket. Memphis has tons of talent and will prove to be a tough test for the Spartans in the third-round matchup. Sixthseeded Murray State went 30-1 this year, which is extremely im­ pressive no matter the weakness of their conference. Marquette is a solid sleeper to make the Final Four, but their lack of size and re­ bounding may come back to bite them.

MISSOURI

MICHIGAN STATE

MICHIGAN STATE \LONG BEACH STATE MISSOURI

MARQUETTE MISSOURI MISSOURI

F in a l Fo ur: Missouri will end Kentucky's dominating season, as the Tigers' guard-play and defensive tenacity will be nothing like the Wildcats has faced all season. Syracuse will match up well against Kansas, who don't shoot the ball all that effectively. Look for Syracuse's zone to neutralize Thomas Rob­ inson. In the championship game, we're going with Missouri, whose dribble penetration and wealth of strong shooters amount to the perfect formula to handle the Or­ ange's zone. After being denied of a number one seed, the Tigers will be the last ones dancing in New Orleans.

P re v ie w :

Syracuse

tops

the East, finishing the season with an impressive 31-2 record.

ELITE EIGHT

FINAL FOUR

They rolled through the Big East,

SWEET 16

arguably the toughest confer­ ence in all of college basket­

SYRACUSE

s

SYRACUSE

VANDERBILT ( SYRACUSE

ball, and are led by Head Coach

Final Four Bound: Syra­

Jim Boeheim, one of the best in

cuse hasn't let up all season and

America. The Orange's zone is

look poised to make the Final

deathly, and they only seem to

Four. They'll get a scare from

be vulnerable to strong outside

Vanderbilt, who has the poten­

shooting teams. Ohio State is

tial to beat the Orange if Jen­

the second ranked team in the

kins is shooting the lights out.

region and are led by bruising

Florida State

forward Jared Sullinger and de­

Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen,

FLORIDA STATE

but the Orange's zone defence

They receive scoring help from

will slow down the Seminoles'

the wing, namely William

momentum. Look for Syracuse's

Bu­

ford. The Buckeyes have strug­

Scoop Jardine

gled against some of the Big

huge shots during crunch time.

best

teams,

particularly

B ra cke t

to

make

some

B u ste r: St. Bo-

those with a strong inside game.

naventure

Two hot teams are third-seeded

Florida

Florida

State and fifth-seeded

round in what has the makings

Vanderbilt, both coming off of

to be the biggest upset of the

conference

OHIO STATE

will take down

fensive specialist Aaron Craft.

Ten's

FLORIDA STATE

EAST

tournament

is matched

State

in

the

against second

wins.

tournament’s opening round. If

Vanderbilt will likely meet Syr­

the Bonnies pull off the upset,

acuse in the Sweet Sixteen, a

it'll be in large part due to the

nightmare for 'Cuse fans. Vandy

contributions of one of the best-

is incredibly proficient from the

unknown big men in the country,

outside, led by the best shooter

Andiew

in college basketball, John Jen­

notorious for their recent early

kins. Florida State is meshing

exits from the tournament, are

Nicholson. Vanderbilt,

at the right time, as they just

matched

beat Duke and North Carolina in

who make their first appearance

back-to-back games.

in the Big Dance since 1946.

P re v ie w : and

Kansas

seeds

North are

in the

the

up

against

Harvard,

Carolina two

Midwest

top

Region.

M ID W E S T

Both programs are two of the top in college basketball, hoist­

roads to the Elite Eight, compared

2008, respectively. UNC bolsters

to other 1-2 seeded pairings in

one of America's best lineups, led

the rest of the field. Kansas will

by the strong inside duo of Tyler

dictate the tempo and slow down

Zeller and John Henson. Point

the Tar Heels. Their toughness

guard Kendall M arshall provides

and defensive effort will be the

stability for the Tar Heels, and

difference in an incredibly tight

the team rolls with him. Kansas

contest. A surprise team could be

seemingly puts out a top team

Temple, who have already beaten

year after year, this season being

Duke this season.

no different. Thomas Robinson

R

C

H

M

A

D

N

B ra cke t

B u ste r:

While

anchors the inside, Tyshawn Tay­

North Carolina and Kansas gen­

lor rules the backcourt, and Tra­

erally have easy roads to the

vis Releford plays the important

regional final, 14th-seeded Bel­

duty of "glue guy." The Jayhawks

mont could surprise Georgetown

have had their bumps this year,

in their opening round matchup

but they've played many of col­

and then San Diego State in their

lege basketball's best both inside

next, placing them in the Sweet

the Big 12 and outside of it. The

Sixteen. Watch out for Califor­

third-seed,

nia, assuming they get past their

Georgetown,

is

all

about defence, but they are a

First Four matchup to challenge

team prone to upset.

Temple.

Final Four Bound:

A

and Kansas have relatively easy

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