The Bull & Bear | April 2015 – Campus Politics Issue

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The Bull & Bear

WOMEN ONLY HOURS RISK AND REWARD VICOLO RESTAURANT: A REVIEW A CONSCIOUS UNCOUPLING

APRIL 2015

A Publication of the

Table of Contents Issue 8, Volume 13

EDITOR’S NOTE

NEWS 4 Women Only Hours

FEATURE 7 Running Alone 11 Dear SSMU, Silence is Golden 12 Simakov and Nikoletos File J-Board Cases Against

BUSINESS 14 We Just Need One More Revolution 15 Risk and Reward 17 Watch Manufacturing: An Industry in Transition

OPINION

19 A Conscious Uncoupling 20 The Genesis of ISIS

LIFESTYLE 22 Sex Ed: Not as “Sex-y” as It Should Be 24 Vicolo Restaurant: A Review 26 420 28 Get Hard: Movie Review 30 Hip Hop Week Montreal

The Bull & Bear is published by the Management Undergraduate Society.

The content of this publication is the responsibility of the Management Undergraduate Society and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University.

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gainst all odds, we made it.

Yup, that’s right folks: it’s finally April.

Although the fact that I’m now 20 and finishing my third year of university is personally terrifying, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the end of this academic year could not have come sooner. The past eight months have been coloured by growing tensions within SSMU, highly contentious GA motions, the politics of austerity, as well as what seems to be the increasing polarization of the student body on pretty much everything and anything. Thankfully, for all and especially those students for whom the political drama of McGill’s own “House of Carbs” is still nothing compared to the real thing (#UnderwoodforPresident), there’s always OAP, which, “Lite” an inebriated phoenix, resurrects from the beer-soaked ashes of the Three Bares Park at the end of every April.

As much as I wish we could use this April issue to discuss the finer points of day drinking, I’d like to believe The Bull & Bear has at least a modicum of self-respect – but truthfully that’s always up for debate. All the same, we’re going to stick to the #trending topic of student politics instead. This month we explore SSMU and why everyone seems to harbour a certain distrust (because we’ve all been taught that “hate” is too strong a word) for the student organization mandated to represent us all. Although the reasons for this peculiar aversion to campus politics and student bureaucracy are many, this issue contains a peek into the full discussion we will also be having in our online feature, which will be tackling the full extent of the debate and its underlying political divisions.

In the spirit of politics, one of our business writers discusses the forces underlying the imminent liberalization of the Cuban economy. In Lifestyle, a writer takes on the changing landscape of sex education in Canadian high schools, while the Opinion section offers a honest and critical evaluation of the merits of our so-called SSMUtocracy. We also have an article on the wristwatch market – so there’s that.

But seriously, cheers to April everyone! The seconds until the official start of summer are ticking, so do check that wristwatch, and make these last few weeks count.

Chukwubuikem Nnebe Executive Editor

BRIEFS YOUR GUIDE TO EVENTS AROUND CAMPUS & THE CITY RuPaul’s Drag Race at Mado’s Mondays at 8:30 pm at Cabaret Mado Watch the world’s fiercest queens vie for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar at Montreal’s premier drag club.

Free Cone Day All day April 14 at local Ben & Jerry’s locations You scream, I scream for (free) ice cream. Get excited.

Editorial Board April 2015 Chukwubwuikem Nnebe EXECUTIVE EDITOR Julia Rodriguez MANAGING EDITOR Ana Maljkovic FEATURE EDITOR Yuliya Gorelkina Sijia Ye CHIEF LAYOUT EDITORS Elizabeth Emerson Suzanne Ma Lucia Mkhitarova Kathryn Wittoesch LAYOUT EDITORS Stella Lee Jenny Liao Elizabeth Wu MEDIA EDITORS Kathleen Tully LEAD NEWS EDITOR

The Beast of the East VIII April 25 - April 27 at Arena Saint-Louis Watch Roller Girls from across Eastern Canada compete to be the “The Beast of the East.”

Natalya Hibbert Arash Nayerahmadi BUSINESS EDITORS Jennifer Yoon OPINION EDITOR Chelsey Ju Jessica Farber LIFESTYLE EDITORS Kosa Akra Victoria Paskannaya Ebuka Ufondu WEB EDITORS

Sufjan Stevens April 30 at 7:00 pm at Salle Wilfred-Pelletier Hipsters unite – and don’t forget that you heard of him first.

Alain Kasparian BUSINESS DIRECTOR Paul de Bretteville ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Annie Tseng COVER ILLUSTRATION

NEWS

Women Only Hours: At an Impasse or Just a Hurdle?

The development and shutting down of the proposal for women-only hours at the McGill Fitness Centre

PHOTO VIA DREAMSTIME

Jessica Lyver, News Writer

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fter finding out McGill does not offer specialized hours, McGill Law student Soumia Allalou brought forth the idea for women-only hours at the McGill Fitness Centre toward the beginning of the 2014 academic year. Allalou explained, “I was told by a friend that if this is something I wanted to see, I should go ahead and request it.” She was joined by fellow Law student Raymond Grafton in bringing the idea to SSMU. Despite initial progress in the discussions, on March 16, the Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning, Ollivier Dyens, informed SSMU that negotiations between McGill Athletics and Allalou were being shut down.

SSMU VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan insisted that Dyens meet with Allalou before releasing a statement regarding the issue. That meeting didn’t take place until March 19, well after the Provost’s statement had been released. Allalou points out that she does not feel that his decision is final, citing that, during their meeting, Dyens mentioned he could make a stronger case with more statistics and endorsements.

However, the shutting down of negotiations came as a shock to both Allalou and Stewart-Kanigan. As Allalou was in the midst of discussions with the university there was no indicator of a potential halting of negotiations.

Stewart-Kanigan feels that there are options that would be acceptable to all parties and should be fully explored; she and SSMU were hoping for a solution based on compromise, which looked promising leading up to the shut-

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ting down of negotiations.

The statement released by the Deputy Provost states that “McGill is a community where every form of diversity is celebrated and encouraged. We do not believe in the segregation of our services,” and goes on to claim that “to address concerns about modesty, we have established women-only hours at the swimming pool.” In response to the claim made by Dyens, Allalou feels that “no one should be judging what modesty is because modesty is different for every woman.”

The Initial Idea Allalou and Grafton initially brought the idea to Stewart-Kanigan, whose job as SSMU VP University Affairs is “to help students navigate the channels of McGill for their own advocacy purposes.” The implementation of women-only gym hours was never drafted into a formal proposal and was only discussed through channels of negotiations. After the idea was brought forth, Stewart-Kanigan’s initial suggestion was for Allalou to gather more information on student support and need for this service to be able to push her proposition forward.

“With that information,” Stewart-Kanigan stated, “I would be able and more than happy to bring a motion forward to council, to see if the motion is supported.”

The idea of women-only hours is not unprecedented, given that they have been implemented at universities throughout Canada and with the McGill pool having also implemented such hours, as described above. Addition-

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NEWS ally, the University of Toronto, where Allalou completed her undergrad, has had these hours since the 1990s.

During talks with McGill Athletics and Recreation, Allalou and Jill Barker, McGill Athletics Manager of Marketing and Communications, came up with a possible solution: hold women’s hours in a separate space at the gym while the main room remained co-ed. Allalou sees this solution as “equitable accommodation,” and when Stewart-Kanigan presented this concept to council they seemed pleased with the advancement of the proposal towards a compromise.

The Argument for Women-Only Hours Allalou initiated the proposal to improve access to McGill athletic facilities for women who feel they cannot work out in front of men. “Personally, I want to be religiously accommodated,” she explained, “but I would not request something only for me. There are many women who have multiple reasons for not wanting to workout in the presence of men.”

Through her research for this proposal she found that many women, regardless of religion, feel intimidated and uncomfortable in the gym alongside men, with some referring to the gym as a “male dominated environment.”

Grafton decided to get involved because, as he states, “I recognized that this concern was not uniquely hers. There are a multitude of women who feel uncomfortable working out around men and unable to use the fitness centre.”

In terms of how her proposal has progressed, Allalou states that she is “very happy with all the support [the proposal] has been getting, especially with women who are recognizing that I am not strictly asking for religious accommodation. It does not matter for what reason women are not going to the gym - we need to ensure the gym is accessible to women.”

On behalf of SSMU, Stewart-Kanigan stated that “while SSMU has not taken an official stance, it is my job to ensure students [are] able to ask questions of their university and push for change on issues that are important to them.” The Law Students’ Association has endorsed these women-only hours and Allalou has been working with members of the Feminist Collective on the advancement of her proposal.

Opposition towards the Idea This proposal has sparked a great deal of criticism and debate both on and off campus. There have been a magnitude of articles written both for and against the implementation of women-only hours that can be found in gender forums and throughout the Opinion sections of campus publications. When the proposal first broke in the media, there was a petition circulating, via McGill’s subreddit and popular Facebook page Spotted: McGill, titled, “We oppose women-only hours at the McGill Fitness Centre.” The petition managed to collect over 600 signatures before the original links were removed.

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“Personally, I want to be religiously accommodated, but I would not request something only for me.”

- Soumia Allalou, Law Student In terms of the sheer mass of criticism, Allalou was shocked. In her opinion, a great deal of the critics seemed to be misguided. “I think a lot of people are assuming a lot of things. Some people seem to think that women are asking for this privilege. It’s not really a privilege when we don’t even have access. Many of the critics don’t seem to really understand what we’re asking for. We are asking for one hour a few times a week, which is less than 5% of total gym hours.”

“I think a lot of the controversy could have been avoided if there was more consistency in information,” Stewart-Kanigan explained. Added Grafton, “Not all criticism is bad. Just because I support this idea, does not mean I am universally against the argument for the other side. However, there are parts of the criticism that I found to be Islamophobic and reflective of ideas that are not particularly progressive.”

The Plan Moving Forward Allalou, with the help of SSMU and her colleagues, hopes to collaborate with students in order to collect data and endorsements in the hope of being able to make a stronger case for the implementation of these hours for women. “SSMU will continue to advocate for the re-opening of negotiations on this subject. Students have the right to have their advocacy projects taken seriously and not subjected to differential treatment due to a heated media context,” Stewart-Kanigan explained.

The plan outlined in the Deputy Provost’s statement includes continuing efforts to “create the best environment possible, where everyone is treated equitably; encourage feedback from the community; [and] promote education and training for our staff to ensure they understand the needs and sensitivities of a diverse clientele.”

However, Allalou is less than convinced that this plan will address her concerns. “What [Dyens] is suggesting is a communications plan, but that is essentially what they [already] have in place now and it is not working,” she explained. “He needs to grasp that nothing is going to change overnight and women are still going to [feel] restricted from the gym.” McGill already has a no-tolerance policy for intimidation and harassment, and both Allalou and Grafton feel that without the establishment of women-only hours there will be no creation of a safe and accessible space for women.

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THE STUDENT POLITICS FEATURE IMAGE VIA OXFAMBLOGS

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APRIL 2015

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PHOTO VIA FORGETTHEBOX

Running Alone Uncontested SSMU executives speak about the student society, its shortcomings, and the state of student democracy at McGill

Julia Rodriguez, Managing Editor

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he SSMU executive elections are over and will partially be remembered for how little they mobilized students to actually run for positions: three of the six SSMU executive positions were unopposed and no candidates came forward during the normal election period for the VP External Affairs position. The Bull & Bear sat down with all three uncontested candidates to discuss what motivated them to run, their thoughts on why their portfolios failed to generate interest from other candidates, and the state of student democracy at McGill.

B&B: Why did you run for your portfolio rather than another?

Kimber, VP Clubs and Services: The Clubs and Services portfolio is the one that I have the most experience in and, therefore, it’s the one that I’m most passionate about. I’ve

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been involved with clubs since my first year here, I’m on a bunch of club execs, and I work in the portfolio now doing all the clubs admin, so its something I’m familiar with and something I know I’ll enjoy.

Zachariah, VP Finance and Operations: It’s where my interests and experiences lie. I’ve been really involved in the Finance and Operations portfolio through working at the Nest and the SSMU Funding Committee, as well as finance in general in other societies like the SUS Finance Committee. I’ve seen some major problems with the SSMU audits and funding processes for groups, so I have some ideas for how those areas can be improved.

There are other examples too. The Nest definitely has in my opinion, established itself in the past year, but there is a lot more to do with the student run café to make it student serving.

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Feature Chloe, VP University Affairs: I decided to run for the position of VP University Affairs because I am very passionate about every aspect of the portfolio and truly believe in its importance to the McGill community. I could seriously talk for hours on all the ideas I have for each part of my portfolio; however, I will list some of the main highlights.

I can honestly say that the overall undergraduate student experience is very close to my heart, and I am so excited to work with a portfolio that I love and on issues I truly care about. I’m not sure what other reason you could have to run for this position besides genuinely caring. The hours are long, the pay isn’t great – less than minimum wage when you consider all the 60-hour-long weeks – and it is extremely difficult to balance the polarizing opinions of students on campus and navigate competing priorities of the University administration and the student body in a climate of austerity.

B&B: Why do you think your portfolio failed to generate interest from other candidates?

Kimber: There was a second candidate who dropped out on the first day of campaigning, so technically there were two of us. I’m not sure. It’s not a glamorous portfolio.

The other portfolios are a lot more politics- and advocacy-based. Clubs and Services is definitely the most administratively heavy position, which could have something to do with the apathy toward the position. It’s something I’ve wondered as well, especially considering how many Clubs and Service executives there are. You would think that all these people who are being directly affected by the actions of VP Clubs and Services every year would want to get involved.

Zachariah: I think that, in general, it’s not just the fact that I [ran] unopposed. There are other unopposed positions and even the contested positions only have two candidates, and one position had no candidates. I think that there is: A) some barriers to running for SSMU because it requires you to be a part-time student, which creates access barriers for students especially pre-Med or pre-Law students who [don’t have the flexibility] to do that. But that’s a problem that can’t easily be fixed. There are other ways to get involved with SSMU if you can’t be a part-time student. I also think that: B) some of the attention that SSMU has gotten over the past year, and even in what we have seen in this election with regards to personal attacks on candidates, is an example of why people don’t want to subject themselves [to the process]. I’ve asked people from other societies why they don’t run for VP External and a lot of them are like “Why would I do that to myself?”

They see it as too much negative attention. I think that there is also the overall problem of student apathy. We see it all the time when we try to do consultation with students that there is a lack of response from students, which is a greater problem that I hope we can tackle next year.

About my portfolio specifically, there does seem to be a lack of interest in SSMU’s finances. People always say that

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they aren’t transparent enough and I don’t really agree with that. I don’t think it’s a major problem but I think its more about accessibility – like the fact that the budget is 75 pages long and not easy for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience with budgets to comprehend. I think that the portfolio itself is kind of complicated and that makes people back away from it.

Chloe: I know there was interest from other students, but ultimately they decided not to [run]. I can’t speak for why an individual student did or did not decide to run. The decision to run is one that I made after careful consideration, and I don’t believe it should be taken lightly.

B&B: Why do you think so many candidates ran unopposed in this election?

Kimber: I think its been a particularly bad year for people being disillusioned with SSMU and although it’s something that happens every year, this year people have had a lot of really strong feelings about what happened with Elections SSMU last year and the invalidation of [election results]. People were really passionate about what was happening at the GA last semester as well as this semester. It could’ve gone either way with people being upset; it could either mean that everyone was going to run or no one was going to run. I’m surprised that it went this way.

People have been a lot more involved this year than they have been in previous years so you would think that that would encourage people to come forward.

B&B: SSMU has been criticized for having a democratic deficit. Do you feel that SSMU is democratic?

Kimber: I think you can [call SSMU a democratic organization]. I think the problem isn’t that SSMU itself is being undemocratic in what it’s doing, I think it’s that students aren’t interested. What SSMU needs to be doing better is getting students interested. If [we want SSMU] to be more democratic, it’s our job to be doing outreach, to be making sure that people know that they can go vote or that they can go talk at the GA and present [their concerns]. In matters of an actual social injustice, leadership seems to trump representation just given the way the preamble is written right now. Sometimes leadership has to be there because SSMU is absolutely mandated to be a representative body. But, that doesn’t always mean that you have to represent the opinions of the majority all the time: it means that you have to be representative of the needs of the students.

Zachariah: I think one of the big issues that we’ve talked about a lot in this election is that there are a lot of students who don’t feel represented. They draw away from SSMU because they write [it] off as an insular group of people who all have one political ideology and [therefore] feel that their interests will never be represented in SSMU. I don’t think thats true. I do think that SSMU can improve the way it represents and consults with its students which is something that I’ve talked about through this elections.

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Feature A large part of student apathy is that there is a big group of students who have completely drawn away from SSMU, don’t see it as beneficial, and don’t totally understand what SSMU does for them either.

B&B: How do you account for that student apathy?

Zachariah: I don’t think that SSMU is always representative of a majority of its constituents’ opinions, but its hard to call it undemocratic because [of the fact that] all the representatives are elected. Its a catch 22: students maybe aren’t voting and engaging enough because they don’t think that SSMU is representative. [On the other hand] its hard for SSMU to be representative when students aren’t engaging. There is a disconnect there. I can’t think of any examples that would make me go so far as to call SSMU undemocratic. If you look back and read minutes from past years, the amount of healthy debate is decreasing which comes from students not caring because they think SSMU is ridiculous. We had two instances in the past year where SSMU generated very negative media attention and a lot of students lost faith in SSMU. B&B: You’ve all mentioned the effect that the past two GAs have had on the student body. Do you think that contentious political questions have a place at SSMU? Kimber: Thats a big question. In terms of clubs and services specifically, I don’t know if there is space for the VP Clubs and Services to be taking on a political [role]. There are so many clubs and services with diverse interests who you are supposed to represent [that its hard to take a political position]. In terms of SSMU as a whole, there is really no other place on campus for people to be having those discussion. If there are student groups who want to bring those things up then I think we should definitely support them in that. But, without a very clear mandate from students, I’m hesitant about SSMU as an organization taking on political roles.

Zachariah: The SSMU Constitution as it’s written right now is clear: it calls for SSMU to be a leader in terms of social justice and it lists specific examples of that. The problem comes from when that [principle] clashes with representation. You can still be leader in matters of social justice without being unrepresentative. You can still represent the student body’s view in how you want to be a leader and be representative in how you engage students.

There are a lot of ways that SSMU can represent the views of its students and be a leader that are clear cut.

For example, advocating for increased services on campus and better mental health services. We do that through Senate and thats not controversial. That’s representation that doesn’t require lots of consultation. I think that, in order to be a leader in these matters, I would prefer that its democratic, going through something like a GA, to give students the opportunity to, ideally, engage, give their opinions, make amendments [and] to make leadership as representative as possible.

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Chloe: The question of whether or not SSMU should be taking stances on controversial political issues is one best left up to the student body itself. I do not believe that it would be a fair or constitutional use of the powers of a SSMU Executive to restrict what can or cannot be brought forward to the General Assembly by petition from members of the society, assuming it does not contradict our by-laws. However I would encourage students to remember that they always have the right to vote “No,” either at the GA itself or through online ratification. If you personally disagree with a motion being brought to the GA or even if you would simply rather see SSMU prioritizing more relevant or tangible issues that affect the McGill community. then do not be afraid to voice those concerns and to ensure those views are represented.

B&B: Given that you ran uncontested can you claim to represent the students best interests?

Zachariah: I don’t like saying undemocratic because it is democratic in the sense that anyone can run and people can still vote “No.” At the same time, in practice, “No” votes don’t happen, or at least in my time at McGill they haven’t happened. I just see it more as indicative of a larger problem. Next year, we need to really ask ourselves why are students not engaged, why are students not wanting to be more involved with SSMU and run for these executive positions? That could make the democracy more effective in practice but I do not believe that it is undemocratic given that all the possibilities were there.

Chloe: [While] I agree that fewer candidates limits the choice of voters, the election was conducted according to our by-laws and was therefore democratic. Every member of the society had the opportunity to run and all the unopposed candidates required a majority “Yes” vote to be elected. I was personally very disappointed that I was running unopposed. I would have prefered to be elected because the student body believed I was the best person for the position, not because the alternative was a “No” vote. Also, I think that the platforms of the unopposed candidates got far less attention and were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny as the contested candidates. This is incredibly unfortunate not only because debate is a critical aspect of the democratic process but also [because] campaigning is one of the best times for students to engage with and question their future representatives.

The question of representation is an interesting one. There could have been ten people running against me in the election and it is certainly possible that, as a voter, you could feel that none of them represent your views accurately. With such a diverse and often divided student body, it’s not possible to completely represent the opinions of the entire student body. I think that the most important requirement of a representative is to listen to their constituents and ensure open, accessible, and ongoing communication to determine the majority opinion and advocate for it. ■

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EXECUTIVES

SSMU

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Kimber, VP Clubs and Services 10

Chloe, VP University Affairs

Zachariah, VP Finance and Operations APRIL 2015

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Dear SSMU, Silence is Golden

The SSMUtocracy is unraveling, and taking all of McGill down with it Ryan Ehrenworth, Opinion Writer

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t seems that SSMU and controversy are synonymous these days. Wrongful dismissals, dirty politics, campus-wide outcry: the comedy of errors goes on and on. If disenfranchising the student body is on SSMU’s agenda, they have certainly been successful. While the student organization is not entirely responsible for the lack of pride at McGill these days, they are certainly contributing to it.

SSMU’s mission statement states that its purpose is to advance the diverse needs of McGill’s undergraduate students – a statement which I feel they have fallen short of in the last few years. From the “Choose Life” debacle to Farnangate, I shudder to think about what this arrogant organization will do next. Sometimes, I feel like Sarah Palin and George Bush are the de facto role models of SSMU – even talking out of one’s ass takes practice.

The moral decay surrounding SSMU has a lot to do with its underlying egotism. When elections are based solely on popularity, false promises, and Facebook spamming, is it a surprise that the voter turnout is so low? Circumstances have gotten so terrible that the satirical motion to turn SSMU into a Chuck-ECheese’s last semester actually garnered some considerable support.

It’s time for SSMU to start contributing to and

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achieving real progress at McGill instead of basing their campaigns around the sale of sandwiches at Snax. While a cheap sandwich in Leacock does sound appealing, our plummeting academic standing and poor reputation – even within our own community – are what campaigns should really be about.

SSMU, as an institution, has too many ghosts of controversies past. The SSMU building is no longer a place of student participation; rather, it is a place to drink away the thought of another referendum. I just pray that Kareem Ibrahim can keep SSMU out of the notorious spotlight.

The goal of SSMU amid such controversy should be silent progress. Keep your mouth shut and contribute slowly to the school in positive ways. Don’t alienate a chunk of the student body by condemning Israel. Don’t entertain sexist thoughts of women-only gym hours, and don’t pull a Nixon by tampering with a running mate’s campaign.

Here’s to hoping for a brighter future. Or cheaper drinks at Gerts.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Bull & Bear.

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Simakov and Nikoletos File J-Board Cases Against Elections CEO The two candidates separately seek improvements in electoral practices Kathleen Tully, News Editor Chukwubuikem Nnebe, Executive Editor

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wo candidates who unsuccessfully ran for SSMU executive positions this year have filed separate Judicial Board cases in response to an allegedly biased treatment during the campaign period by the Elections SSMU Chief Electoral Officer, Rachelle Bastarache. Alexei Simakov, former candidate for President, and Johanna Nikoletos, former candidate for VP Internal, both claim that the uneven use of sanctions and improper monitoring tarnished the democratic spirit of the elections procedures and may have affected the number of votes received by each candidate during the election.

Simakov’s case accuses Elections SSMU of mishandling an instance when Kareem Ibrahim, the SSMU President-elect, and his campaign team conducted libel “through serious allegations of privacy invasion.” Specifically, Simakov was referring to Ibrahim’s assertions that he was aware of – and possibly implicated in – the now-infamous “Karaldigate” screenshots before they were posted online. Simakov claims that the CEO attributed the online accusations to Ibrahim’s “exacerbated state of mind” although Ibrahim never submitted a formal apology or retracted the comments. According to the filing, Simakov accuses Elections SSMU of ignoring two bylaws broken by Ibrahim and his campaign team, namely “14.6 Interference with Campaigning” and “14.2 Spirit of a Fair Campaign.”

Additionally, Simakov claims that sanctions were unevenly applied by the Election CEO in this instance and in others: “she threatened to give me sanctions for screenshots I didn’t post or didn’t approve to post,” expressed Simakov.

Simakov emphasized that the object of the case is not Ibrahim or his team, but rather the conduct of the Elections SSMU office.

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Loose Interpretation of Bylaws According to Simakov, the office placed improper and uneven focus on sanctioning online conduct: “in this election there were many tangible and visible violations happening around campus and within residence, and those things should be punished instead of things such as liking statuses or posting comments”.

Simakov attributes the varying applications of the bylaws to the amount of power and discretion held by Elections CEO when implementing sanctions. “Throughout the election, I was regularly threatened to be disqualified by [Rachelle, the Elections CEO]. I don’t think that this type of decision should be left to the discretion of a single person,” Simakov explained.

Another issue mentioned by Simakov was the lack of accessibility of electoral rules to the public. “During the campaign period, Rachelle set a rule: ‘if you’re unsure of anything contact me first.’ I think this is wrong because, why should we assume that something is illegal, and how will the public know what they can and cannot do?” posited Simakov.

Additionally, Simakov thinks more policies should be set concerning who runs for SSMU executive. “There are currently no rules specific to floor fellows. I think there should be certain regulations on floor fellows because of their exposure to students [and the fact that] campaigning also takes away their ability to address their responsibilities to the students they are hired to be responsible for.”

Nikoletos Submits Another Case Nikoletos’ filing comes on the heels of her appeal to the Election Review Committee (ERC) last week, which deemed that there was insufficient evidence to invalidate the VP Internal election. Nikoletos lost to the winning

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Feature candidate, Lola Baraldi, by a margin of only 13 votes. Her previous filing focused specifically on bylaws broken by Baraldi while campaigning in the New Residence Hall lobby and cafe.

“When we petitioned for the ERC, we based it off of a bunch of testimonies. A lot of people started coming forward to us about events in the New Residence lobby,” explained Nikoletos. “Basically we found out about some serious campaign infractions, and asked the ERC to look into these. They deemed that we ultimately didn’t have enough evidence to invalidate the election, but they did acknowledge that the infractions did happen.”

As opposed to the ERC appeal, the case Johanna is bringing forward to the J-Board is not aiming to invalidate the elections, but rather to uphold the democratic process at McGill. “We’re petitioning because we think that the elections team didn’t do their job in upholding a fair campaign and making the candidates feel that they were treated equally,” expressed Nikoletos.

Following the rejection of Nikoletos’ case by the ERC, the committee released a public censure on Baraldi for the bylaw infractions uncovered in their investigation.

Nikoletos believes that the public censure illustrates how the elections office mishandled the campaign period.

“Because the sanctions were issued after the campaign was called, the censure was pointless in terms of making the elections fair,” explained Nikoletos.

Like Simakov, Nikoletos’ evidence features the office’s approach to online campaigning. “There are a lot of discrepancies that don’t add up; [notably] the office ruled that cover photos and profile pictures are not campaigning. However, these items can be perceived as written

materials for the purpose of campaigning,” Nikoletos stated. “People would have a picture of one person as their profile picture, and a picture of another candidate as their cover photo, and the appearance of two candidates together creates a certain association that infringes on elections bylaws,” she continued.

Nikoletos also believes that the elections office allowed behaviour on social media that allowed some candidates to gain more exposure than others. “When you submit your nomination package, you have to state your privileged access. During the campaign, Lola posted in the Faculty of Arts Facebook group in which she is an administrator, and when an administrator posts in a group, every member of the group gets a notification, and therefore draws attention to one person’s name,” Nikoletos noted.

The elections office deemed that, because of the varying notification settings of Facebook users, it was impossible to assess how many people were reached through the posting. Nikoletos suggests that their investigation was too lenient, and that Lola’s use of the Facebook page was an abuse of her position, an infraction that Nikoletos feels should have prompted sanctions.

Ultimately, both Simakov and Nikoletos maintain that the objective of their judicial board cases is not to invalidate the results of the elections. Rather, both aim to bring to light what they consider unfair inconsistencies in the application of sanctions and the interpretation of by-laws by the Elections SSMU CEO. Considering the growing importance of online campaigning in student elections, these cases may actually serve to prompt a review of those regulations that some deem too vague and conducive to partiality.

IMAGE VIA SSMU FACEBOOK PAGE

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Business

WE JUST NEED ONE MORE REVOLUTION Cuba faces a turning point in its history.

How well can it adapt to 21st century capitalism?

Sébastien Grégoire, Business Writer

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uba is one of the last bastions of communism in the 21st century. It has survived on a centralized economy since its 1959 Revolution when Fidel Castro became president. Since then, the country has had a disappointing level of growth. It has failed to push through economic reforms and liberalize its economy, unlike its Asian counterpart, China. The US embargo on Cuba, in place since 1962, has deeply undermined Cuba’s economic potential as well as its ability to alleviate poverty. In the last 50 years, Cuba has requested 20 times at the United Nations General Assembly to end the embargo, and 20 times the US has said No. Fortunately, the Cuban economy shows signs of liberalization, and President Barack Obama’s administration has exhibited a desire to improve relations with the island.

Cuba doesn’t have a strong and thriving economy. In fact, from 1990 to 2013, the average annual GDP growth rate was a mere 2.13 percent. However, social and economic indicators point out the relative success of the communist regime in other areas. The nation spends more than 10 percent of its national budget on education, which explains its remarkable literacy rate, impressive academic enrolment in higher studies, and highly educated workforce. Its unemployment rate is as low as 3.3 percent, while its inflation rate is 5.5 percent – a low number in comparison with other developing countries.

Life expectancy in Cuba is 81.2 years and 77.2 years for women and men respectively, one of the highest in the world. According to the UN, the country boasts an unbelievingly low crime rate. The country’s GDP per capita, at purchasing-power-parity, stands at an estimated $13,000,

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IMAGE VIA WIKIPEDIA

making it a middle-income country. However, that figure varies widely between different sources, all of them legitimate, such as the World Bank, the UN and the CIA. These impressive achievements are benefits of equality brought about by the Communist Party. But today, the country faces new problems, and cannot hope to address them without changes to its economy and law.

According to the CIA, the average Cuban’s standard of living is lower today than before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Before the 1990s, the island relied heavily on foreign aid from the communist superpower in forms of oil, concrete, food and other basic commodities. The fall of the USSR caused a devastating recession in Cuba. Many were quick to point out that such a catastrophe might have been avoided if the country had diversified its economy and its trading partners. Today, an implosion similar to the one 25 years ago remains possible, as the country has not learned from its mistakes. Cuba is still totally dependent on a trade agreement with Venezuela for its oil imports; every day, the island receives 100,000 barrels in exchange for providing the constant services of 30,000 medical professionals in rural parts of Venezuela. It is also dependent on remittances from Cuban exiles, which systematically sustain its consumption but amplify the current account deficit. In addition, the Cuban government, which employs 80 percent of the workforce, depends on a captive labour force that must accept low wages from the least competitive labour market possible.

For these reasons, Cuba is highly exposed to shocks such as the liberalization of the labour market, a possible coup in Venezuela or higher restrictions on remittances

april 2015

Business from other countries. To reduce risks the government must encourage entrepreneurship, the creation of new sectors and the development of existing ones. Presently, 75 percent of the labour force works in the service sector, a situation that must be addressed for sustainable economic development to be attained. The party needs to relax regulation on credit markets – which are currently nonexistent – foster investment in small businesses, and allow private enterprises to trade internationally. For the time being, only state enterprises enjoy such a privilege.

Raul Castro, Cuba’s current president, acknowledges these issues. In one public speech he declared: “We reform, or we sink.” Far from being hypocritical, he has gradually liberalized the economy. The government has officially declared that, among its many objectives, it hopes to have 50 percent of GDP held in private hands in 5 years’ time.

To reach this bold objective, it has loosened limits on the number of employees that small businesses can hire and has given more leeway to self-employed workers. According to the latest figures, small businesses now employ 400,000 workers, a 154 percent increase since 2010.

The government has also launched a wholesale company to sell supplies bought from international companies to local businesses at preferential prices. Moreover, state land has been given to private farmers to increase food production, which has been met with great success.

Today, private farmers possess 25 percent of arable land

but produce 57 percent of all crops. In return for such performance, they are now allowed to sell their products to hotels. More ambitious projects include the renovation of the Mariel harbor by the Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht, with financing from the Brazilian National Development Bank. This port would make Cuba a major shipping hub in the Caribbean. Another venture will soon be the Mariel zone, a 180 square mile Special Economic Zone in which foreign companies may open factories to employ Cuban workers under special laws. This would considerably encourage foreign direct investment in Cuba.

The changes undertaken by the government are the cause of many debates in Cuban society, but are seldom the subject of public debates between party officials. While it is believed that members of the Party disagree on how to steer Cuba’s economy in the years to come, there has been no public dissent – maybe for fear of looking weak, divided, or unprepared. Instead, as in any democratic society, it is the people that take up the responsibility of discussing such matters, and in this case, opinions differ widely. Cubans are not afraid to express their opinion to foreign journalists. Some fear the lack of modernization and liberalization, while others despair at retaining equality and fulfillment of basic needs – symbols of Cuban solidarity. While it remains to be seen, regardless of the course of action, what matters is how well the transition is made. All anyone can hope for is a job well done.

Risk and Reward:

How financial innovation is transforming the (re)insurance industry Tony Nguyen, Business Writer

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ecuritization – the process of transforming an illiquid asset or a pool of illiquid assets into a financial instrument buyable and tradable by investors – has become something along the lines of a “bad” word since its role in unraveling the global financial system in 2008.

Indeed, the securitization of mortgages fuelled a massive borrowing spree, and, as investors flocked toward these highly-rated securities, it seemed that the housing market would only keep growing. However, the housing bubble could only exist for a finite period of time before bursting and in doing so, it dragged down the entire global financial system (which was overexposed to securitized mortgage products).

Since the crisis, the mortgage securitization craze has slowed significantly but securitization itself is far from

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disappearing. As investors seek yield in this low-interest environment and as stock markets hit all-time highs, alternative assets such as securitized products are once again gaining popularity. One particularly unusual securitized product has gained traction among investors. Rather than being backed by an underlying asset that holds a true financial value, such as a mortgage, a loan or even credit card debt, this type of security takes its value from risk – or insurance risk, to be precise.

Welcome to the world of insurance-linked securities Although there are a variety of insurance-linked security (ILS) instruments, the most common are “Catastrophe Bonds,” or cat bonds for short. With a name like that, one would imagine these are the result of complex

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Business financial engineering that allows investors to speculate whether a certain catastrophe will occur. Although this statement would not be entirely false, the purpose of cat bonds is actually much more sensible. In essence, these securities have emerged as a way to transfer a portion of the risk held by insurance and reinsurance companies to capital markets – and investors have been loving them.

IMAGE VIA SWISS RECAPITAL MARKETS

So how exactly does a cat bond work? Simply put, when investors buy a bond, they agree to cover a specified amount of a (re)insurer’s losses should a specific catastrophe occur, such as a Japanese earthquake or a windstorm in Western Europe. In exchange for their commitment, investors receive above-market-rate interest payments. Like most securitization processes, this entire transaction is completed through a special purpose vehicle (SPV), a subsidiary company created by the sponsor, which, in this case, is the insurer seeking coverage. The SPV, usually located in areas such as Bermuda for tax and regulatory advantages, is the middleman taking in proceeds from the cat bond sale and bringing it to investors to invest in low risk assets, such as money market funds. At the same time, the SPV also collects premium payments from the insurer being covered and uses these payments, in addition to the capital gains on its investments, to pay a periodic coupon to the investors.

Despite their sophistication, cat bonds have been around since the 90’s. Growth in the market was somewhat sluggish until 2005-2006 when Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the demand for additional loss coverage and when securitization was a hot topic in the financial sector. After reaching its peak in 2007, the market hit a bump with the financial crisis. It has since made a strong recovery with the market reaching an outstanding value of $24.1 billion, an all-time high. The pace appears to be picking up with new bond issuance growing consistently over the past four years.

So why are investors suddenly flocking into the (re) insurance market? Well, as mentioned before, the current investment environment does not uphold the best conditions for generating returns. Stocks are getting expensive and more importantly, bond yields across the globe are at record lows. All in all, it has become much more difficult to make steady money.

This is where ILS and cat bonds come in. These prod-

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ucts, because of their higher risk level, have always offered much higher yields than ordinary bonds. Just a few years ago, they offered yields as high as 12 percent, but because of increased demand and lack of significant catastrophes, the yield spread between cat bonds and traditional bonds has narrowed significantly. Despite this, cat bonds still offer higher-than-average return potential.

However, the main attraction, especially for long term investors, is the portfolio diversification that cat bonds offer.

Because cat bond losses are entirely dependent on a certain event, they are completely uncorrelated to market conditions which would typically affect other assets like stocks or bonds. This phenomenon was clearly demonstrated during the financial crisis where returns on traditional assets plummeted but cat bond returns remained fairly stable.

Despite the advantages that cat bonds seemingly offer, not everyone is convinced. Although the market now seems to be far from a bubble state, some have warned against the potential dangers that could arise from the widespread use of cat bonds by institutional investors like pension funds. The most obvious danger of a cat bond is the risk of losing your entire investment in the case of a severe catastrophe. Although these types of events rarely occur, when they do, the impact can be significant. For example, following the 2011 earthquake off the coast of Japan, a $300 million cat bond was wiped out completely.

With cat bonds experiencing tremendous growth, one has to wonder if investors are still properly assessing securitized products’ risks. Considering just how large some cat bonds can be, all it takes is a major, unpredictable catastrophe to blow a significant hole in the portfolios of many investors.

IMAGE VIA SWISS RECAPITAL MARKETS

ILS and cat bonds do have a strong case for existing.

For the (re)insurance industry, they provide an alternative for transferring risk; as an asset class for investors, they offer unique characteristics that could be beneficial for investment portfolios. Even though they have avoided a major market-wide loss thus far, with the number of outstanding cat bonds growing, more and more risk is being transferred towards institutional investors such as hedge funds and, more critically for us, pension funds. These risks must be taken into account and should not be underpriced, or else many funds will likely end up as collateral damage in the event of a catastrophe.

april 2015

Business

Watch ManufactuRing: An Industry in Transition Disruptive Technology: Can Apple Trigger a Transition in the Watch Industry?

Maud Chiche, Business Writer

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he launch of the Apple Watch is approaching and watch manufacturers are holding their breath.

The introduction of this new product could mark the beginning of a transition in the watch industry from a market dominated by Swiss mechanical watches to Silicon Valley wearable devices.

The Birth of a New Industry On March 9, 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the launch of what he then called “the most advanced timepiece ever created.” The Apple Watch will be launched on April 24 costing as low as $349 for the less sophisticated version and as high as $17,000 for the gold version. Equipped with an eighteen-hour battery life, it will possess most of the attributes of our beloved smartphones and more. The Apple Watch is more personalized than any other watch available. By combining sensors and Apple technology, it gives users important health-related data – it goes as far as knowing whether the user is sitting or standing.

FBR Capital Markets’ Managing Director, Daniel Ives, discussed the Apple Watch on Bloomberg and how it will impact the tech and watch industries: “When you think about this market – a fifteen to twenty billion potential market down the road – it all starts today, where Apple Watch really needs to open up that door for wear-

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PHOTO VIA FORBES

ables. And competitors really need Apple to be the trailblazer here to get consumers over the hump.” Apple, who Ives described as the “gold standard of technology,” might be the best suited candidate to initiate the transition of the watch industry.

Why the Fuss?

The success of smart watches lies in the hands of individuals and businesses. Consumers may be attracted to the watches for their ability to help the wearer monitor their lifestyle. On the other hand, companies may find the facilitated access to personal information very appealing.

These watches could, for example, revolutionize the insurance industry. By analyzing each client’s health data, insurance companies would be able to assess more precisely each client’s risk and charge customized prices.

However consumers may fear for their privacy. Nevertheless, privacy concerns didn’t stop the expansion of smartphones and social media – so there is no reason to think it should be any different for smart watches.

Other businesses could find wearable technologies useful for monitoring workers’ productivity, coordinating activities, and to gain a higher degree of control over their business’ operations. Disney World in Orlando already uses similar devices as digital identities for its visitors: the “MagicBand” allows visitors to get on rides, pay within the

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Business park, and access their hotel rooms.

Checking the time with these devices will become a secondary feature, analogous to using the iPhone for communication purposes. The smartwatch has new functions that can improve the business strategies of other industries.

Ready to Innovate Swiss watch exports hit a record high of $23.9 billion last year and, according to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, represented 41 percent of the country’s exports in 2014. It is primordial for Swiss watch manufacturers to stay in the game and it seems that they are ready to follow the “smart watch” trend.

The Apple watch will compete directly against technology and watch companies. Therefore, it is not surprising to see partnerships emerging between the two industries. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer is teaming up with Google and Intel to develop a smart watch. President of Watches at LVMH Jean Claude Biver claimed that they are creating “the greatest connected watch [on the market]” by combining beauty with utility. Such an alliance could bring a type of luxury and style that the Apple Watch might lack. Further collaborations between Google and other LVMH brands are likely to follow.

Swiss watchmakers don’t seem concerned by the launch of Apple’s new product. Some analysts even think it might be beneficial for the industry. The Director of Research of CCS Insight, Ben Wood, explained that it can potentially bring a “rising time” for the whole industry by bringing people who don’t want wearable technology back to the market.

Is a Complete Transition Likely to Happen?

It appears that smart watches and mechanical

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watches meet two very different types of demand and it is hard to imagine one significantly replacing the other.

Firstly, the position of smart watches is not well defined. They are very similar to smartphones, but don’t have the same diversity of applications. Furthermore, smart watches aren’t substitutes for smartphones. In fact, smart watches aren’t complete without them-- users must carry their smartphones in order for their smartwatch to be entirely functional. Moreover, they are not as stylish as luxury products and their designs cannot compete against those of Swiss luxury watches.

Secondly, even though the Apple brand image and notoriety can generate enough demand for the Apple Watch to be launched successfully, a survey led by Morgan Stanley showed that most people are not willing to pay as high as $349 for the Apple Watch. There might be a gap, in general, between the price of wearable technologies and what people are ready to pay for them.

Finally, a study by the Endeavour Partners consulting firm concluded that one third of Americans who buy a wearable device stop wearing it within six months. Maybe consumers aren’t ready for the new technology just yet.

The Swiss Can Sleep Tight The launch of the Apple Watch is expected to be successful and its impact potentially far-reaching. It could even impact the price of gold: according to The Economist, the demand for the $17,000 version of the product could supposedly account for 746 tones of gold, one-third of annual production.

However, wearable devices and luxury products target different profiles and are meant to be used differently. New technologies do not simply replace old ones.

Some people will always prefer authenticity and quality to innovation and technology.

april 2015

Opinion

A Conscious Uncoupling A harrowing look into the possible implications of recreational drug use, through a personal and brutally honest lens of mental health

Anonymous submission to The Bull & Bear

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he summer of 2013 was the best time of my life. By day, I tanned at the beach, read novels until early afternoon, and smoked a little bit of pot. By night, I smoked far too much pot, and got drunk by a beach bonfire while surrounded by friends.

In the spring of 2013 – just two months before adopting this utopian, teenage lifestyle – I was in hell.

I was unrecognizable: emaciated, pallid, hollow.

If you had seen me then, you would have found me shivering in a warm bathtub and hugging my raw, blotchy knees. I would stare at a bottle of aspirin, and debate whether or not I should pull out a razor blade from the paper box next to me and tear open my veins.

You might have seen me on the edge of a bridge, looking down at the inky waters below. I’m clutching onto the railings, my palms subconsciously glued to the steel bars, trapped by fear, but intoxicated by the vision of numbness and the anticipation of the icy water. You’d find me fighting the sick rush of gratification that I get when I imagine the image of a corpse – mine – floating face down.

I hope you can understand why that shell of a person I once was continues to terrify me. What scares me more, though, is how quickly I transformed from being the hollow skeleton to living the West Coast Tumblr daydream. I took my medications piously and I went to therapy; but what helped me the most, I think, were the generous doses of marijuana I self-prescribed. The capacity to puff away my tension and stress was a godsend during the summer. It was a miracle cure.

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PHOTO VIA WEEDIST

Smoking pot changed me from the skeleton I was back into a human being.

My perfect relationship with pot changed when I came to McGill, as all relationships do, with time and circumstance. I smoked when I felt anxious, when I felt stressed, when I felt like no amount of Prozac, Wellbutrin or Seroquil could help. With a couple of bowls, my mind would feel elated. I could block out all the immediate stress that froze me. Pot became my blindfold, keeping me well insulated from spiralling levels of stress. I would wake up, feel paralyzed by the thoughts of all the things I should have done, haven’t done or could never do; I would light up a joint – and so the poisonous cycle continued.

Pot can do really wonderful things for people – hell, it saved my life. But it’s not a miracle plant that can solve every ailment. Because it saved my life, I mistakenly believed it could do no wrong. Overbearing expectations often ruin friendships and romances and this rule applies to drugs, too.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Bull & Bear.

We have chosen to publish this piece while conserving the anonymity of the writer because of the sensitive and personal nature of the subject. However, as a publication, we still believe that such an open discussion of the implications of recreational drug use can be beneficial for those on both sides of the debate – especially in this lead-up period to the annual 4/20 festivities.

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Opinion

The Genesis of ISIS Will this violent group be a permanent fixture in the Middle East?

Ludovic Van Den Bergen, Opinion Writer

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veryone remembers the way ISIS unexpectedly emerged. What are the reasons and the factors behind this craze? What was the influence of Syria, Saudi Arabia and Wahhabism in the creation of ISIS, and what explains the stunning and seemingly incomprehensible mania of international youngsters who join Daesh (as the group is also referred to)?

ISIS’ social origins can be traced to Iraq and – to a lesser extent – Syria. It was born from an unholy union between an Iraq-based al-Qaeda offshoot and the defeated Iraqi Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein.

ISIS found a haven in the heart of the Levant during the aftermath of the Iraq war, which left the country further fractured after bleeding from decades of war and economic sanctions. The absence of economic support, concrete reconstruction efforts, and solid institutions made the country even more vulnerable to attacks. The dismantling of the Ba’ath Party and the army created a political vacuum that unleashed a fierce power struggle, allowing non-state actors to infiltrate the fragile polity.

This fragile political system divided power along communal, ethnic, and tribal lines that bolstered the Shiite government’s treatment of Sunni Iraqis as second-class citizens. Indeed, the Al-Maliki presidency enhanced both their marginalization as well as their bitterness over the prospect of a partial, Iran-influenced government. These occurrences created an opening for ISIS to step in and instrumentalize the grievances of

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these marginalized Sunnis, thus facilitating the rise of fanaticism as a rallying point for the vindictive, poor populations devoid of any hope or future.

A similar story of Sunni resentment has unfolded in Syria, where the minority Alawite sect (led by Bashar al-Assad, and comprising 16 percent of the population) dominates the 74 percent Sunni majority.

Thousands of embittered Syrian Sunnis fight under ISIS’ banner even though many do not subscribe to its extremist Islamist ideology, which is embodied by the group’s claim that they have established a “caliphate” in the territories it now controls.

Furthermore, like the Taliban in Afghanistan in the 1990s, ISIS has created a semblance of stability and garnered support from a downtrodden population, developing a rudimentary infrastructure of administration and governance in captured territories, which are now as large as the UK. ISIS’ swift military expansion stems not only from its ability to terrorize enemies but also to co-opt local Sunni communities using networks of patronage and privileges, such as the redistribution of the petrol benefits that were gained on the black market.

ISIS is a symptom of the chaotic politics dominating much of the Middle East, coupled with the fraying and increasing delegitimization of state institutions.

Note that for almost two decades, “al-Qaeda Central” leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri were unable to establish the kind of social movement

APRIL 2015

Opinion that the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has created in less than five years.

Whereas the genesis of ISIS stems from a chaotic and discriminatory politico-economic situation in Iraq, its extension into Syria and its ever-expanding influence may be of Saudi Arabian origins.

The ideological basis of Saudi Arabia comes from an 18th century Islamic fundamentalist - Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Wahab’s ideas were incorporated

by Muhammad bin Saud, who built the entire Saudi state and the Saudi dynasty along the lines of Wahab’s religious ideas. To this day, their descendants remain the leaders of Saudi Arabia.

This means that the relationship between Saudi Arabia, the Salafist (radical Sunni, promoting the return to a “pure,” “untouched,” “original” Islam-like) surrounding monarchies, and ISIS is two-faced: religious and political.

Under the direction of Bandar ben-Sultan, prominent member of the Saudi family and secret services director general from 2012-2014, Saudi Arabia especially has held a controversial relationship with ISIS. Before ISIS made clear that it does not rely on theology to justify its actions (“The only law I subscribe to is the law of the jungle,” said Baghdadi’s right-hand man, Abu Muhammed al-Adnani), Saudi Arabia and Salafist monarchies in the region considered ISIS to be a Sunni group aligned with their own precepts, which could further promote Salafism and Jihadism in Iraq.

Such groups could canalize the promotion Salafism in this region (and worldwide) through Al Jazeera superstars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who have more than 60 million followers on Twitter. Ultimately, more than a thousand Saudis have now joined ISIS. Although it would be presumptuous to assume that this rise in Saudi support for the extremist group is solely the result of the media company, it is important to note that Al Jazeera is funded by the Salafist monarchy of Qatar, a country that promotes Jihadism.

Politically, Syria is a proxy battlefield for Saudi Arabia and Iran with devastating sectarian repercussions. While Saudi Arabia exercises considerable influence on Islamist rebels, Iran is crucial to Assad’s survival. Therefore, by financing Islamist groups like ISIS, Saudi Arabia’s goals include weakening Iran’s influence, thus abating that of Hezebollah and the Syrian regime at the same time. However, these Saudi-funded extremist organizations have now come to represent terrorist threats on Saudi Arabian soil, as the country’s government has lost the fragile control it initially exercised over them. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is now fencing itself south, with a 950 km, five layer barrier, and its religious institutions are now rejecting ISIS’s legitimacy, something they were not eager to do a few years ago. The absence of support for the civil war’s refugees (over 3 million according to the UN)

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continues to contribute to ISIS’s growth.

All these chaotic factors that explain ISIS’ ascent make the question of European “jihadists” even more inexplicable. Why do men, women, and families leave a peaceful, relatively comfortable standard of living for a devastated, chaotic and impoverished warzone?

What leads people that come from our very same society to undertake a completely divergent path? What leads youth in Western countries to become disillusioned to a point where they choose to join ISIS or other extremist groups to be part of a tight-knit community with a potent identity and the sense of serving a sacred mission?

Since God died in the western world, people have been endowed with a sort of absolute, negative liberty; people are free to do anything they want, as they are not mandated by law to certain responsibilities. However, there are certain things that people are restricted from doing. People are told what not to do, but are not told what to do. Though the difference may sound trivial, there are profound implications on a population’s psychology. With an absence of purpose in place, disaffected youngsters wander and have a hard time determining their motives in life which were previously directed by religion. They ask the same questions posed by the great existential philosophers: what is the point of living an absurd, empty, meaningless existence? Those who cannot face the existentialist idea of absolute vacuum and absurdity either succumb to great depression, or search for a purpose.

Extremist faiths serve exactly that purpose, by giving those who are lost within themselves a reason to live. In ISIS’ case, this raison d’être is to fully establish its global Caliphate. Democratic rights come with tremendous responsibilities and decisions. Granting the individual freedom of thought obliges the latter to face one of the deepest existential considerations of his life; specifically, the setting of one’s life objectives.

Failure to face that question can leave one vulnerable to extremist ideologies such as that of ISIS. What ISIS’ ideology lacks in depth is made up for with what it offers in temporary existential relief, but, nevertheless, there remains a glimmer of hope in this dark cloud. Once Baghdadi’s killing machine is dismantled, he will leave behind no ideas, no theories and no intellectual legacy. The weakest link of ISIS as a social movement is its poverty of ideas. It can thrive and sustain itself only in an environment of despair, state breakdown and war. If these social conditions can be reversed, its appeal and potency will wither away and leave fewer marks than expected. The future is full of hope.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Bull & Bear.

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Lifestyle

IMAGE VIA JAKE SKINNER

Sex Ed: Not as “Sex-y” as It Should Be In the wake of the Ontario School Board’s controversial decision to revamp their sexual health curriculum, the question remains: who is really educating today’s children?

Jeannie Richardson, Lifestyle Writer 22

APRIL 2015

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hannon, a U1 student from Toronto, doesn’t remember much about sex ed in elementary and high school. “It was silly,” she said, “and mostly anatomically based.” When asked where she learned about sex, her answer was simple: “Google.” The story is the same for many others in this generation. Out-of-date and old-fashioned sex education curriculums have persistently ruled the country’s school boards, forcing kids to learn more about sex from older siblings and ill-informed internet searches rather than in the classroom. However, this is about to change.

Recently, the Ontario School Board announced its decision to implement a new sex education curriculum starting in September 2015. The program, which hasn’t been updated since 1999, will now cover topics such as gender identity, sexting, and consent, among other topics.

This will arguably make it the most progressive curriculum in Canada. Many other provinces only provide the bare minimum of sex ed, and lack information on some of today’s pressing issues like the dangers of online interactions. Though some have applauded the reform, it has nonetheless caused immense backlash from parents of all backgrounds. Protests have begun to form all over the province. Outside Parliament Hill, one parent waved a sign that read, “MATH, NOT MASTURBATION. SCIENCE, NOT SEX.” Many criticize the potential loss of a child’s innocence while others insist they would rather teach their children at home. However, is it the child’s innocence that is at risk of being lost? Or is it their parents’?

Children, in fact, begin exploring themselves quite early. On average, according to the University of Michigan’s Development and Behaviour Resources program, most children discover some form of masturbation around age six. With Ontario’s new curriculum, students will be introduced to the topic in grade six. This will not only help children learn about their bodies, but also take away the shame that is often associated with masturbation. Additionally, promoting these talks might be particularly informative for girls. Though masturbation is natural for all sexes, lasting gender norms of sexuality sometimes make it harder for parents to acknowledge a daughter’s exploration than a son’s. And while we are constantly bombarded with sexualized pictures and videos of women, girls are more often seen as passive, rather than active, in their sexuality; in other words, givers, not receivers. It’s not just commercials and pornography that are guilty of this either: Hollywood and the Motion Picture Association of America have frequently come under attack for censoring scenes focused on female pleasure while allowing other sexually explicit or violent material to remain. All in all, by denying students access to a proper sexual health curriculum, we risk exposing them to potentially negative media influences.

Cindy Gallop, a British advertiser, summed up in her TED talk what she believed the problem was with today’s youth: “We live in a puritanical double standards culture where people believe that a teen abstinence program will

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Lifestyle actually work, where parents are too embarrassed to have conversations about sex with their children, and where educational institutions are terrified of being politically incorrect if they pick up those conversations.” She went on to say, “it’s not surprising that hardcore porn has picked up that responsibility.” And unfortunately, she’s not too far off from the truth. Because of its widespread availability, children are accessing pornographic material, whether accidentally or intentionally, at increasingly earlier ages. Pop-up ads and viruses make it almost impossible to avoid sexually explicit material on the Internet. Today, on average, children are around eleven years old when they first see porn.

And it certainly can be detrimental. A recent Dutch survey showed that those who were frequently exposed to porn were more likely to believe sex was a purely physical function and were more likely to see women as sexual objects.

However, this isn’t to say kids shouldn’t be online. In fact, children have become increasingly Internet-literate and are more likely to use it in a positive and productive way.

So, what can be done?

It’s perfectly normal for kids to have questions about their sexuality. This only becomes problematic when they are not receiving any real information on it. Lyba Spring, a sex educator with Toronto Public Health, explained that, although children are exposed to everything on the internet, in reality, they want to hear it from a teacher. And it seems to be true. Two grade eight students, Lia Valente and Tess Hill, have been petitioning for consent and the importance of safe sex to be a focus of the new curriculum. Hill insists that her peers want to learn about sex, and points to a lack of proper education as the reason why kids are seeking porn at such a young age. Campaigns like Valente and Hill’s place an emphasis on how important it is to consider the opinions of the recipients of the curriculum.

In sum, while Ontario’s new curriculum has its fair share of critics, the intention to build a more comprehensive program for both students and teachers should be applauded. Provincial governments across Canada should be striving to avoid the situation that Cathy Wing, the co-director of MediaSmarts, observes: “there seems to be less of a stigma about looking for pornography, because everybody's doing it, than there is for looking for good information about sexuality."

However, the purpose of this article is not to demonize pornography, but rather to acknowledge the fact that sexually explicit material is easily and frequently accessed by youths and will continue to be. What is needed then are healthy and informative conversations. Finally, as Tessa Hill stated, “Teaching kids about sex doesn’t make them want to have sex. And not teaching kids about sex doesn’t make them not want to have sex.” By creating a safe environment for students to learn about sex, sexuality, and consent, we reduce the risk of them falling victim to presumed norms and insecurities. *Some names in this article have been changed.

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Lifestyle

VICOlo restaurant:

a review

if you’re looking for classic italian food, look no further

Meghan Collie, Lifestyle Writer

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estled in a rather industrial portion of Boulevard René Lévesque, you might be surprised to find Vicolo, a warm and inviting Italian restaurant, sticking out like a sore thumb. With large windows looking out at the never-ending construction (#Montreal), the interior is anything but inhospitable.

Although the décor is certainly influenced by industrial scenes with black iron detailing and hardwood floors throughout, the golden glow of the lights creates the perfect atmosphere for a feel-good meal. We were seated within a minute of approaching the hostess stand, and it quickly became apparent that the employees were just as pleasant as the ambiance.

First things first: we perused the drink menu (like typical McGillians), and we were disappointed to notice that we had missed a fantastic drink deal by a mere two minutes. From Monday to Thursday each week, Vicolo has Happy Hour from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This isn’t a hoodwinked Happy Hour that makes you feel cheated either: whole cocktails are actually $4.50! I filed away this piece of information for the next time my parents are in town.

The service was fantastic – fast and personable – but we were one of the only tables eating in the restaurant,

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PHOTO VIA VICOLO

so I can’t say if the same would be true on a busy night.

Despite the notorious silence of a Monday night in Montreal, there are two floors of seating and I struggled to understand how they could ever have a full house. The location of the restaurant is less than ideal and rather far away from the city center. It may be that “full” is only ever when there is a Canadiens game or for Happy Hour.

Once wine was brought to our table, we examined the menu. This is always hard for me – I find the sheer number of choices overwhelming. Fortunately for me, the menu was only one page long with six general “sections”: Antipasti, Contorno, Pizza, Primi, Secondi, and Dolci.

The fairly small menu was both a blessing and a curse: the indecisive part of me was relieved, but the part of me thinking about the approaching summer months was disappointed by the lack of carb-free options. But, in the battle between carbs and a beachbody, carbs always win, so I decided to order pizza.

Before you make the trip out to Vicolo there is one other thing to consider: the prices. Unless you are celebrating something huge (i.e. along the lines of an acceptance to medical school), this is definitely not a student restaurant. The main dishes started around $20.00, but went up to as high as $32.00.

APRIL 2015

Lifestyle

My Prosciutto Affumicato Pizza came with toppings like Italian sausage, speck, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce – short and sweet. For those of you that don’t know, speck is Italian meat that is cured in salt then slow-smoked using pine or juniper wood for several months. The combination of the few yet powerful toppings was delightful.

If you appreciate prosciutto, I would highly recommend this pizza. Prosciutto can quickly become either too fatty or too salty but Vicolo’s offering was a harmony of both tastes. The dough was absolutely delicious, with a crunchy exterior and a soft and sweet interior. Altogether I was very happy with my choice, though it can be difficult to go wrong with pizza.

We also ordered a classic three-cheese pizza called Tre Formaggi. With white goat cheese, gorgonzola and pecorino, this pizza captured all of my favourite (and least favourite when dieting) ingredients: cheese, cheese, more cheese and bread. Garnished with arugula, the dish had a slight bitterness that complemented the sweetness of the cheese and bread.

What would be a meal at an Italian restaurant without pasta? Our final order was the Agliatelle Primavera, with tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, chili, olives, sundried tomatoes and basil. While not very aesthetically pleasing, our taste buds were definitely satisfied. The roasted vegetables were perfectly browned: warm and tender, but not limp. The chili gave the palette a bit of a bite, but nothing unreasonable. The olives were not pitted, which was a huge advantage because their salty flavor was a good add-on to a forkful of pasta, vegetables and sauce.

While rather expensive, I would probably return to Vicolo for the excellent quality of the food. The location may not be ideal, but it is definitely a restaurant to keep on your radar for when you are seeing a show or catching a game in the area. Every employee was warm and welcoming, and the décor was very hospitable. With a full house, the multi-layered seating arrangement would surely make the restaurant resemble the bustling establishments on Crescent or Bishop.

PHOTOS VIA GEORGES ALEXANDER

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25

Lifestyle

420

IN OTHER WORDS, 840 DIVIDED BY 2 Kimberly Evans, Lifestyle Writer

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20 will be here soon: an event that possibly draws more crowds than Jesus at Easter.

A festival that celebrates cannabis culture, 420 occurs on the 20th of April of every year (surprise, surprise). Historically, the event was associated with the pot culture in California during the 1970s, but it wasn’t until marijuana activists in Vancouver held a day-long rally on April 20, 1995 that 420 became an official occurrence.

Traditionally, everyone lights up at exactly 4:20pm. In Montreal, however, tradition has been replaced with innovation: everyone starts pre-ing well before the designated time. On 420, Montréalais, you will see a haze forming beside the mountain by noon.

The gathering occurs at the base of the Mount Royal Park, by the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument, otherwise colloquially known as the Tam-Tams statue – the primary hippie territory of Montreal. It is impossible to miss the mushroom cloud of smoke rising, so if you are curious to see it for yourself, just follow your eyes and nose. Somewhat reminiscent of springtime pagan celebrations, 420 draws Montrealers out of hibernation and gets them ready for a summer of debauchery and bliss.

The police are around, but only to “ensure the safety of participants.” Ladies and gentlemen, for one day, and one day only, the law takes a backseat; openly smoking up in public is tolerated. However, the selling of drugs remains illegal, so please don’t start dealing under a police officer’s nose.

Increasingly relevant due to the recent spate of marijuana legalization in the US, 420 brings to light the recurrent question: should weed should be decriminalized?

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PHOTO VIA AYLA TSE

Attendees are unwaveringly in the “yes” camp. But, the event is not simply a celebration of the joys of *ahem* spring buds: it also marks “marijuana activism.” Therefore, a quick rundown of both sides of the debate is definitely worth a peek.

First off, a definition of legalization. According to a 2002 Canadian Senate Committee report , the definition is as follows: “Legalization: Regulatory system allowing the culture, production, marketing, sale and use of substances.

Although none currently exist in relation to “street-drugs” (as opposed to alcohol or tobacco, which are regulated products), a legalization system could take two forms: without any state control (free markets) and with state control (regulatory regime).”

In Canada, the approach to weed is tolerance.

Although federal law prohibits the possession or distribution of cannabis, unless you have a license issued by Health Canada, it is rare for someone to actually get a criminal record for possession. A government poll in 2014 showed that 37.3 percent of Canadians agree that marijuana should be legalised, and over 70 percent agreed that marijuana laws should be “softened.”

YES The 2002 Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs Report put forward the following arguments for decriminalizing marijuana: “The continued prohibition of cannabis jeopardizes the health and well-being of Canadians much more than does the substance itself.” Thus, the arguments for decriminalization are focused on health

APRIL 2015

Lifestyle

PHOTO VIA MTL BLOG

and economic arguments. Some studies show that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Economically, many argue for decriminalization, with the current cost of enforcing drug laws being between $1-1.5 billion per annum, and public policy costs on cannabis alone running at an estimated $300-500 million.

NO On the other hand, two thirds of Canadians are against legalization. 38.4 percent of Canadians believe that legalization would lead to increased use of the drug, and studies have shown that cannabis can be termed a “gateway drug.” This means that it facilitates contact with other illegal substances, namely through the mechanics of

the supply chain, meaning that dealers often have more substances on them, and curious users can access other drugs with ease.

There is no certainty as to the long-term effects of weed, although there have been recent advances in research. One article states that “it is possible that intake of cannabis has produced minimal cognitive impairment” in users who have used the drug for 11-15 years. However, there is no conclusive evidence as of yet.

There will always be pros and cons for marijuana, and debate on whether it should be legalized or not. In any case, we do not have enough evidence that provides conclusive proof that goes beyond speculation. Ignorance is bliss, so happy 420 if you celebrate!

PHOTO VIA JARED GNAM

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Lifestyle

GET HARD: MOVIE REVIEW

PUNNY, BUT NOT THAT FUNNY PHOTO VIA GETHARDMOVIE

Charlie Harkness, Lifestyle Writer The Soft tan Cohen’s Get Hard is the story of an idiot savant, James King (Will Ferrell), working at the top of a stock broking firm before being charged with fraud and sentenced to ten years at the San Quentin maximum security prison. Given his sub-par mental capabilities, King is unable to fully understand and cope with the dangers of prison, thus causing him to enlist the help of Darnel Lewis (Kevin Hart), a car wash owner who takes advantages of King’s simple nature by tricking him into believing he is an ex con – for him to “get hard” for prison.

Lewis plays a Robin Hood type character who is charging King $30,000 to teach him prison school in order to put a down payment on a home in a better neighbourhood and a better school district for his daughter.

From here the story takes off, relying on the differences between the racialized class stereotypes of King’s elite background and the “thug” tropes of Lewis’ upbringing. This polarization offers a glimpse into the larger societal issues currently facing America.

The development of the relationship between King and Lewis bridges the gap between two different social groups and opens the door for a plethora of scenes depicting the dangers and corruption of the prison system; the challenges faced by American minorities; gang violence; and other contemporary issues. The turning point in the movie is King’s acceptance by the Crenshaw Kings, a local gang with whom

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Lewis is affiliated through his cousin. Cohen captures the essential role played by inner city gangs in disadvantaged black communities by using King as a focal point for demonstrating the need for acceptance and protection in a group when faced with the struggles of marginalization. Although King is from an affluent background, the position he is put in allows him to align with the issues faced by minority groups, while his simple nature prevents him from succumbing to racial prejudice, thus enabling him to find acceptance within the gang. This scene, along with several others, paints a realistic picture of the issues and difficulties faced by minorities.

The Hard Or, maybe Get Hard is a subpar comedic movie that uses race, the social class system, prison jokes, gay jokes, and the double entendre of its title to produce a few cheap laughs. Indeed, Get Hard has its brief moments of solid, unexpected comedy, in addition to strong performances by Ferrell and Hart, but the plot and driving forces behind the comedy make the viewer question whether the laughter is really worth it, especially when you consider the nature of what they are poking fun at.

Perhaps by being a bit more subtle, Get Hard would have steered clear of the obvious depictions of stereotypes, class systems and greater racial issues.

The fact that King enlists Lewis as a black man, who

APRIL 2015

Lifestyle he believes must have gone to prison because “one third of all black people have gone to prison,” doesn’t beat around the bush. Lines like this leave the audience to consider if that moment is funny because King is stupid, or if that joke was funnier than the depiction of racism and a startling statistic. Overall, the movie creates jokes on the backs of predetermined stereotypes, and does a poor job suspending disbelief throughout. Furthermore, Get Hard doesn’t incorporate fresh material, using the same old stereotypical tropes. If you haven’t had your fill of prison, rape and erection jokes (notably the title joke of Kevin Hart making Will Ferrell “get hard”), don’t worry, by the end of the movie, the comedic horse will surely be dead as the writers take their last few swings.

Overall, Get Hard is okay. It has its brief moments of comedy coupled with many moments of unsubtle jokes, plot devices based on current issues and a few childish antics. But, in the end, the audience can walk away with a bit to think about and a few cheap laughs.

I’d rate it 6/10: maybe not worth watching in theaters, but a reasonable pick for a slow afternoon.

bullandbearmcgill.com

PHOTO VIA GETHARDMOVIE

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Lifestyle

Hip Hop Week Montreal

PHOTO VIA MATILDE CLEMETSEN

A look into this effort to create a space for Hip Hop at McGill Chukwubuikem Nnebe, Executive Editor

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ast month, we had the chance to sit down with the four ladies behind Hip Hop Week Montreal: Sta Kuzviwanza, Dina El-baradie, Nusra Khan, and Katia Fox. During this first half of the interview, we mainly discussed the origins of this student-run initiative; the need for a space dedicated to Hip Hop on campus; as well as the role the genre plays in the Montreal music community. For the full interview, please visit our website!

B&B: What motivated you guys to start a Hip Hop Week?

Sta: The idea came from me, and I brought it up to them.

[I explained to them that] as part of the SSMU Equity Committee this year, I have access to resources, we can book a room, and we already know people, so why don’t we?

Katia: The exciting thing about what motivated us is that we’ve never been to anything like it, and we wanted to go to something like this.

Nursa: We sat down and talked about what we each wanted to see in the week. We reached out to a bunch of people and they would respond, and they also found us.

Sta: In terms of motivation, it was also the [positive] response we got when we [told others] that we wanted to bring a Hip Hop event that’s not just about music, but also about education, community, and celebrating art outside of the club.

According to Sta, it’s through those parties held at Factory and Korova that they were able to meet many of

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the Hip Hop heads in Montreal’s effervescent community.

For her, “the main context of knowing a lot of these people was that’d we’d meet up and we’d all have a good time. At the end of the night, we’d hug each other and [part ways until the following week].” Ultimately, the relationships they developed with these music lovers only ever occurred through these weekly, fleeting interactions at night. Then, they realized, “We actually want to do an event and get to know these people outside of them just being artists, because they have a lot of interesting things to say. Once we got that really positive initial response from these people, [it became obvious] there really is a demand and a need for this type of [event] in the community and educational sphere.”

In terms of McGill specifically, Nusra believes that what they found was a “huge interest in it and that people are very willing [to attend such an event] because they like the idea. But, what really propelled some of the people we got on board for funding, like the Department of Education, was that this hasn’t happened at McGill, and that’s exclusively a McGill problem.”

B&B: Why do you think it’s taken so long for McGill to hold such an event? After all, McGill touts all the time that it’s the most international school in Canada, and that it’s located in Montreal, which is one its most culturally diverse cities. So, why has it taken so long for actual concrete actions, in terms of demonstrating the cultural diversity of McGill, to come to the foreground?

APRIL 2015

Lifestyle It’s so much to say that the students come from tons of different countries, but when there’s nothing to actually represent those diverse interests, it’s takes more than just having those students here.

Sta: Part of my big thing with this is that, when I was starting my job as Equity Commissioner at the beginning of the year, there were these types of events that were done by private parties or groups on campus [for example, the MUS Twerk Circus party, and other types of “ratchet”-themed nights], and there was a lot of conversation happening about cultural appropriation. What I realized from a lot of students in the McGill population is that a lot of them are bumping Rap music and Hip Hop, and they’ll tell you that they’re Hip Hop/Rap heads. But, when you really ask them “What do you know about Hip Hop or Rap?”, “Do you think there’s such a thing as cultural appropriation?”, “Do you know about the class and racial implications of Hip Hop?”, there’s a complete blank. So, for me, coming from an equity perspective, I had to think about that [because] there did come a point when I realized there is clearly something weird going on.

Nusra: In terms of McGill’s own representation issues, when we were trying to find funding, we found that there’s nothing really in place for arts or initiatives coming out of marginalized communities or that are exploring issues of a certain class. For somebody trying to organize an event [like this], it takes literally twice the effort because you don’t have a fund that you can just tap into. In terms equity and Hip Hop culture, I don’t even think it’s so much an issue about Hip Hop heads not knowing the history of Hip Hop per se. But, recently in popular culture, we’ve seen major events [and individuals like Iggy Azalea and Eminem] that bring this conversation to the foreground. And, to see the response to that in popular media has been really...

B&B: You mean, the ignorance in the response?

Nusra: Yeah, that! It’s been really difficult, because its easier to live your life not expecting this kind of opinion to come out of somebody; you assume it must not be [as much] an issue in their life as it is for me. But, what I found is that people are actively against and opposed to seeing people of colour (PoC) and people of certain classes, and just acknowledging where Hip Hop and certain art forms originate.

Dina: From a community engagement perspective, in addition to the equity issue, I find that, at McGill, it’s very traditional and elitist, [especially bearing in mind] that you have courses taught on Hip Hop at Concordia. When we spoke to the Music Department, they were just blank.

Sta: They were like, “We have a Jazz department!”

Dina: And they have classical music, so it’s very much traditional, old-school and elitist. In the community at McGill, everyone has heard of the McGill bubble, and a lot of people live in it. For me, as the [SSMU] Community Engagement Commissioner this year, I also wanted to do

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something that pushed McGill students to engage with the wider Montreal community. So, when Sta brought up the idea, I thought, “This is perfect.” It can fit in my portfolio because so many of even my friends at McGill don’t leave McGill, they don’t leave their circle of friends here, they don’t know the crazy art that exists [in Montreal].

I’ve just been lucky to know it because [the four of us] discovered it together.

Nusra: It’s funny because, as a university, McGill touts Montreal’s art scene and culture [as one its selling points], and then, you have [the reality] of it being closed off.

Katia: But, it all comes back to McGill being a business, and who is funding McGill and giving them money, right?

B&B: What do you mean by that?

Katia: [laughs] Not to be controversial, but I’m part of a program that teaches piano to kids. We have zero problem getting funding. We have a lot of funding because it’s a classical art, and it’s seen as a classical way of teaching music and involving people in music. Whereas for Hip Hop, these funders, who might be older or from a more elite background, don’t see Hip Hop as a mode of education or as a form of true art. So, that’s not going to get funded, and there’s no reason for McGill to support that if there’s not going to be an outcome from it.

Nusra: That just leads to this weird, almost polarization of how Hip Hop and other non-classical art forms are treated at McGill, [where they’re] not supported at all at the institutional, higher level. Events-wise, on every event planning committee I’ve ever been part of, [they already] cater to a certain group that has a certain amount of capital and can come out to that event. So [on campus], there’s nothing in between, no room to bridge that divide between the really shallow coverage of popular culture and media on Hip Hop and what it actually means.

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Hot

or

Not

Our guide to your next opinionated conversation

Hot

:)

SelfDenial I still have plenty of time to write that paper ‌

OAPlite The anticipation is killing me #daydrunk

Signing a Lease Hooray for doing grown-up things!

Getting Hired When all else fails there is retail. A job is a job.

Not Finding a spot at the library As if we need more reasons not to study.

Group projects Exercises in frustration and futility. RIP my GPA and social niceties.

:( Your Great Summer Plans I already know you got a better internship than me.

You can stop talking about it now.

Graduating I’m sorely unequipped for the real world.