The Bull & Bear January 2013 Issue

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A publication of the

January 2013 Issue 005 Vol. 10

McGill ON DRUGS

THE BULL & BEAR

Your Survey Results

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PQ Cuts Betray Quebec’s Students Your Guide to the BCom Office Austerity Has Failed The Daily Referendum

Editor’s Note Jessica Simmonds MANAGING EDITOR

O NEWS 4 McGill Prof: PQ Cuts Betray Quebec’s Students 7 Your Guide to the BCom Office

MARKETS

9 Austerity Has Failed 11 Why You Should Avoid the Surf/ Skate/Snow Sector 12 The Ignorant Cliff 14 Price Indicators

LIFESTYLE 15 McGill on Drugs: Your Survey Results 17 New (School Year) Resolutions

OPINION 18 If You Don’t Like the Daily Then Don’t Read It 20 The Morality of Immortality 21 Baring it All 22 Repeal the Second Amendment 23 Hot or Not

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nly a week back into school and we’ve already received looming deadlines and a slew of midterms bad enough to make me question whether I should take that beach vacation in March after all. While I’m desperately trying to hold onto the tryptophan from holiday turkey of yore, I’m also open to the victories and challenges of a new year.

This time last year, students protested the tuition increase.

This semester we will face the repercussions of the now frozen hikes compounded by the need for McGill to cut nearly five percent of its operating budget. It appears the state of our institution – and, accordingly, our education – hangs in the balance. While tests and homework always receive at least our divided attention, we urge you to consider what is going on behind the scenes, and to speak with your professors and peers. When resources look slimmer than ever, we are reminded again that our students are a crucial cavalry.

At The Bull & Bear, we realize this is an important semester for a number of staff members, as well as the rest of 2013’s graduating class.

January, for me, has started off with a quiet rumble, but already our campus is brimming with conversation. Our issue discusses the fate of the Daily referendum, which is not only a matter of dollar signs but also about the value of campus publications. We also present opinions on Greece’s austerity measures and the PQ cuts. The takeaway here is that whether discussing issues of budgets, or weight loss-related New Year’s resolutions, the core question is that of exploring alternatives.

January will certainly be a month of choices – for us as individuals and as a student body. Some doors will close and others will open, but hopefully I’ll walk through mine with a vigor only achieved by the regular use of an elliptical.

We hope you enjoy this issue and use it as basis for thought. Roles and rules are shifting on campus, so cheers to change in 2013.

Cheers,

Jessica Simmonds jessica@bullandbearmcgill.com

Briefs

BRIEFS Science Games January 31st-February 2nd Montreal Throw on your lab coats and get ready for the re-vamped Science Games!

Your guide to events around campus Management Carnival 2013: The Clash of Empires January 13th-19th Montreal You may not remember last year, but Carnival is here at last!

DepARTmental Cup January 31st-February 2nd Montreal Represent your department at the cup, presented by AUS’ EPIC!

Igloofest January 17th-February 9th Old Port An international selection of DJs spinning in sub-zero temperatures.

Desautels Management Achievement Awards

McGill Cancer Auction

February 1st 11:30am Ritz-Carlton Montreal An annual luncheon that focuses on networking with past and present award winners.

January 18th 12pm Bronfman Basement A live charity auction to support The Canadian Cancer Society that raised $20,000 last year.

Desautels Entertainment Management Conference (EMC) February 1st-2nd Bronfman Building Desautels’ newest conference and the first of its kind, with two days of panels, workshops, and simulations pertaining to entertainment management.

Desautels Business Conference on Sustainability January 24th-26th McGill Campus Empowering students to learn, connect, and foster their mutual desire for corporate and environmental sustainability.

McMUN January 24th-27th Sheraton Montreal Canada’s #1 Model United Nations Conference with over 1400 delegates and 500 McGill student staff.

Work Your BA with Guest Speaker Consul General Roy Norton January 28th 5:30-7:00pm Brown Building Room 5001 Each summer, selected McGill intern(s) participate in a popular internship program at the Consulate which Norton heads.

The Bull & Bear - January 2013

Dan Novick Executive Editor Jessica Simmonds Managing Editor Alessandra Hechanova Chief Layout Editor Jean Moirez Media Editor Aimee Pellegrino Lead News Editor Jules Eustache Doron Lurie News Editors Sameer Rizvi Lead Markets Editor Max Feinsot Markets Editor

April Wu Lead Lifestyle Editor Vidal Wu Lifestyle Editor Zain Alimohamed Lead Opinion Editor Marisa Samek Opinion Editor Matthew Hunter Brian Lau Michael Tong Layout Editors Kapil Mehra Advertising Director Sami Jaber Henry Fuz-Keeve Diana Cheptene Web Editors

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PHOTO BY DORON LURIE

McGILL PROF:

PQ CUTS BETRAY QUEBEC’S STUDENTS Quebec universities forced to reduce services and course offerings

The Bull & Bear - January 2013

Doron Lurie

NEWS EDITOR

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NEWS

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P

auline Marois’ PQ government surfed into power on a wave of angry students. Clamouring for the protection of accessible, high-quality education, many in the movement felt vindicated by the decree blocking planned increases in tuition.

However, recent events suggest that the PQ’s commitment to their student constituents may not be as strong as could be expected. On December 6th, 2012, Education Minister Pierre Duchesne announced a wide range of budget cuts to the university sector, slashing over $124 million from postsecondary budgets across the province.

The cuts provoked a strong reaction across the Quebec academic community, with critical statements being issued by McGill and Université Laval. McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum has been particularly vocal, calling the cuts “draconian, unpredictable, [and] ineffective to running a qualityaccessibility university system.”

Munroe-Blum has even called into question the feasibility of the cuts to begin with. “It is unrealistic to imagine that a top research-intensive university with a broad range of underfunded programs could make such cuts at all, to say nothing of doing so two-thirds of the way through its fiscal year,” she affirmed in an email to the McGill community.

Munroe-Blum’s statement highlights the fact that the cuts being imposed

by Pauline Marois’ Parti Québécois government are extreme, not only monetarily, but also for the short timeframe in which they are being enacted. “McGill has been asked to cut around $19.1 million, approximately five percent of its budget, in four months,” said Economics and History Professor Philip Slavin in a recent interview with The Bull & Bear. “To make things even worse, we’re talking about retroactive cuts. All of a sudden, the University is in debt to the government because of spending expectations from the previous year.” Slavin, one of McGill’s

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$ $ most popular professors, was informed in late December that he will be let go by the University and will not be returning next school year.

“Instead of taking on the responsibility for the province’s horrible economic performance by increasing their own debt, the PQ has been trying to transfer this responsibility to the universities. In fact, this hurts McGill, in particular considering how we’ve always been underfunded compared

$ $ by freezing the tuition fees,” explains Professor Slavin. “Fair enough, that should have worked just fine. However, with the cuts, they have managed to achieve the exact opposite.” He elaborates on what this could entail for the student experience. “Before the cuts we were not doing too bad, even with the tuition freeze limiting revenue.

However, what we will see now is an increase in the student-faculty ratio from about 16-to-1 to about 20-to-1, a

“I don’t see how McGill can remain competitive with other top universities worldwide in such an environment.” to other Quebec universities.” Slavin is skeptical of this trend in funding. “What makes this especially irrational is how much McGill contributes to the Quebec economy: a recent study has shown that for each government dollar invested in McGill, the rate of return is thirteen dollars. The government could have put more thought into their funding decisions, but rational planning and the PQ do not seem to go hand in hand.”

Students who voted for the PQ because of their promise to cancel the tuition hikes have voiced their opposition to the cuts to university funding. Le Fédération Étudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), the province’s largest student group, is concerned by what the cuts could mean for the quality of education in Quebec universities. “We fear that the administrators might cut teaching, research or student services in order to balance their budgets,” said Yanick Grégoire, the Executive VicePresident of FEUQ. “These particular components are at the heart of the universities’ missions and should never be the targets of these cuts.”

“The PQ came to power on the promise to make students happier

drop in the quality of student services, and a sharp decline in course offerings,” he explains. “I don’t see how McGill can remain competitive with other top universities worldwide in such an environment.”

Slavin is particularly concerned about the impact of reduced course availability. “To me, I see this meaning that more students have to delay their graduation, spending more time and money on their education. All of a sudden students will have fewer courses open to them than they’ve ever had before, and in many cases the maximum capacity cannot be increased. Some students will have no choice but to wait another semester to take the last outstanding courses and finish their degree.”

In an attempt to absorb some of the burden, he has already agreed to increase the capacity in both of his upper-level classes far beyond what the assigned rooms would normally allow.

“I ended up with insane numbers in both of my courses, but I think it would be unfair of me to prevent you guys from graduating on time.”

PHOTO BY JEAN MOIREZ

MARKETS

Your Guide to Navigating The BCom Office Director of BCom Program offers his advice and responds to criticism Glenn Zabowski

DIRECTOR, BCOM PROGRAM DESAUTELS FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT

PHOTO VIA JEAN MOIREZ

The Bull & Bear - January 2013

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NEWS

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ou’re trying to get into a class for the winter term, so you step out of the frigid January weather and right into the line-up at the BCom Student Affairs Office. You are frozen solid from the walk over to Bronfman, you have a zillion things to do at the start of a new term, and now it seems you’ll be standing idle for awhile if you want to pick up that last course.

You start to wonder how your tuition dollars are being used. Hey, who is running this place anyway?

Well that would be me. This January was my 12th add/drop period in the BCom Office and I actually feel that our system has evolved quite well, from our front counter screening, to advising, to records. However, the system is not perfect and the BCom Office is continually looking to improve where it can.

The only way for advisers to effectively handle the volume of 2,300 BCom students, as well as a fair share of non-management and prospective students, is by our drop-in system, where we take names and assign them to advisers based on the reason for visit. Advising appointments are taken outside of the add/drop period and due to popular demand, an online appointment system has now been implemented.

As a longtime instructor in the Operations Management area, I was brought to the BCom Office five and a half years ago for just that: operations.

All of our procedures are written down, the staff has a clear workload allocation, and all functions have backup staff. Staff know what they need to know to do their jobs effectively, thanks to regular staff meetings, a shared drive on the Faculty’s network, and my daily supervision.

That must sound great to you, but you are still waiting in line! In addition, the last time you came to the BCom Office, your request was denied!

Is the BCom Office there to provide student services? You bet it is. But, no matter how good your operations are, there are several realities, constraints and challenges the BCom Office must contend with.

As a program office, we are mandated to implement the official academic requirements of the BCom

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program as stated in the Undergraduate Calendar, as well as the many rules and regulations of the Faculty and University. To change an academic requirement, an area (if it wishes) would have to go through several committees and the proper channels.

Thus, the BCom Office is obligated to abide by the calendar.

This is why anyone you speak with in the BCom Office will indicate that pre-requisites are not waived and courses that are not on the respective list cannot count for your major, concentration, etc. I realize that sometimes students are a little upset when we cannot give them what they want, but that is to uphold the BCom Program’s integrity and ensure that our decisions are consistent, fair and equitable for all students. When we

have paid particular attention to hiring the right people. Staff are dedicated and passionate about their work, and truly care about helping students and doing the best job possible. During the add/drop period, an adviser may see upwards of 40 students a day, in addition to answering numerous emails after the office closes at 5pm!

While the BCom Office is the first point of contact on any student-related issue, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many things the office does not do. Admissions and Final Exams are administered centrally at the University level. We never interfere in a Professor’s course management.

The BCom Office does not handle timetabling; the BCom Office will advise but it’s the different areas (Finance, Marketing, Accounting, etc)

To change an academic requirement, an area would have to go through several committees and the proper channels. have to say no to students for these reasons, they sometimes feel we are not being helpful. But, we are not Starbucks where the customer is always right and where for every frown we provide a free latte on the house. However, we will help by providing options and advice to help students make informed decisions.

Resources are always an issue.

Keeping a large office staffed is more challenging than what many might think. There is turnover in staff; over the past five years, staff are getting pregnant at a rate of one every 4.6 months. No, there is nothing in the ventilation system; we checked! Throw in a labor disruption and some sick leaves, and we are perpetually hiring, training and short-staffed. And with all that we are hearing in the media lately concerning Quebec universities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain optimistic about resources for student services in the next few years.

I think that many would agree that this group of BCom staff is the most cohesive the office has ever had. I

that staff their courses. When student demand exceeds these offerings, much traffic in the BCom Office is due to closed course requests. The office’s closed course procedure has been e-mailed to all BCom students and posted on the BCom website.

Still frozen and waiting in line?

Well, sometimes students cannot avoid peak time visits at the start of a term, but many can by registering on time, being on top of their academic record, and by understanding the rules, regulations and deadlines. Simple things like researching the website or reading those BCom Program e-mails in your inbox will improve your educational experience.

Hey, the front counter just called your name! It’s time for you to see one of the expert BCom staff. While you were waiting, I hope I gave you some perspective on the BCom Office. And that Montreal January weather? Well, we’re going to need a whole lot more resources before we can tackle that issue. Have a terrific semester!

MARKETS

Austerity Has Failed Time for Greece to let go of the Euro Sameer Rizvi

LEAD MARKETS EDITOR

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as it a bad idea for countries so different to enter a monetary union? Has easy movement of factors of production justified giving up your authority to manipulate interest rates? Undeniably, there is no value added by answering these questions after what has already transpired in Europe. The only question worth answering is: should the EU become a complete fiscal and political union or should Greece now leave the Euro and readopt the Drachma?

Greece’s Debt Over the last decade or so, Greece has taken on a risible amount of debt by issuing long-term bonds in the capital markets to finance ambitious spending programs. In a standard government debt situation, borrowing a certain percentage of the country’s GDP is justifiable as long as the GDP grows at the same rate as the national debt, thereby maintaining a constant debt-to-GDP ratio. This was not the case in Greece. By year-end 2012, The Bull & Bear - January 2013

Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio reached an unreasonable 176.7%, rising over 70% in 10 years.

Contingency Solutions So what is a country to do to reduce its debt-to-GDP ratio? A country like the US (a nation also facing possible austerity measures as a result of its debt) can use monetary policy and interest rate manipulation techniques to manage its debt. By reducing the risk-free rate of borrowing to almost zero and increasing the money supply by printing more dollars, the debt-ridden country can benefit in three ways: (1) the existing debt does not increase in value relative to GDP; (2) the low cost of borrowing pushes consumers to borrow and spend rather than save; and (3) the firms and individuals can borrow and invest in the equity markets.

With this strategy, and by not taking on any further debt, the GDP of the country increases and the debt-toGDP ratio should start to fall eventually.

This is what the US is attempting with

the Federal Reserve’s “Quantitative Easing” measures. However, as Greece is part of the Eurozone, the European Central Bank (ECB) controls Greece’s monetary policy. Thus Greece does not have that option.

The other seemingly viable strategy that a country in Greece’s position can adopt is austerity. By cutting down government expenditure, the government can use the additional disposable money to pay off its debt.

However, development projects, welfare, and other social spending are common programs that are targeted for cuts.

According to a known critic of austerity, Paul Krugman, in periods of recession and high unemployment, austerity policies are counter-productive, because: (1) reduced government spending can increase unemployment; (2) reduced government spending reduces GDP, which means the debtto-GDP ratio does not improve; and (3) short-term government spending financed by deficits supports economic

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MARKETS growth when consumers and businesses are unwilling or unable to do so.

This is precisely what has happened in Greece. Several layers of austerity measures have been implemented year over year and the result has worsened Greece’s financial situation.

Final Direction This just leaves one final alternative option: Greece must leave the Eurozone, readopt the Drachma and convert its debt from the Euro to the Drachma. The following steps will need to be carried out: 1. Declare a banking holiday so that the financial institutions can adopt the new currency.

2. Let the currency markets determine on a conversion rate from Euro to Drachma.

3. Convert all the government debt from Euro to Drachma – which would be referred to as a default on debt.

4. Use loose monetary policy over a long-term to pay back the debt.

Though these steps seem straightforward, in reality, there are serious repercussions of doing this.

Ignoring t h e further rise in

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social unrest and immediate drop in GDP, the most important repercussion will be the effect on Greece’s financial

institutions, causing all bank deposits to be depleted and forcing every Greek bank to declare bankruptcy days before

Several layers of austerity measures have been implemented year over year and the result has worsened Greece’s financial situation. This just leaves one final alternative option: Greece must leave the Eurozone, readopt the Drachma and convert its debt from the Euro to the Drachma. institutions. The Greeks know that the Drachma will be undervalued compared to the Euro, and that their savings will lose a large percentage of its value overnight. Thus this realization may cause mass bank runs on the Greek banking

the currency change.

Despite the fact that leaving the Eurozone is not a clean or painless situation, this seems like the only direction and option that Greece has remaining. Over time, with both monetary and fiscal freedom, Greece can and will implement age-old macroeconomic measures that have proven to work in the past and will help Greece become the successful Hellenic Republic it once was.

MARKETS

Why You Should Avoid the

Surf/Skate/Snow Sector Billabong, Burton, and Quiksilver Andrew Marcovitch MARKETS WRITER

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he last five years have not been favourable to the surf/skate/ snow industry. The major players, including Burton, Volcom, Quiksilver, Billabong, and Nomis have had a hard time competing. Recently, Burton shut down three of its brands: Special Blend, Foursquare, and Forum Snowboards.

Yes, you read that correctly, they shut them down; there was no buyer. Volcom sold out to PPR International for $24.50 per share, significantly less than its all-time high of over 50$ per share in 2007. Since going public in 2009, Billabong (BBG) shares have steadily dropped to the current price of $0.88 per share. Quiksilver (ZQK) has endured a massive downturn since 2010, and holds $1.4 billion in debt after an effort to open corporate-owned stores across the globe all at once. Shares trade at around $5.00 today, while debt exceeds book value by 50%. One thing remains true in the surf/skate/snow sector, the cool factor sells, but can it be a source of sustainable profitability?

A number of factors have caused economic hardship for most of the players in the sector. At the most basic level, the economic recession reduced consumer spending. The recession took a toll on the industry specifically, because the wholesalers and retailers in the sector tend to be small firms. The customers, who value the cool factor of authentic brands, shop at smaller, cooler retailers. When spending decreases, retailers automatically cut back their purchases, reducing revenues for the entire value chain of the sector. For the last two years in the Northeast, the lack of snow from October to December, the key winter shopping season, has hurt the snow companies as well.

Nomis Streetwear recently filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by a Montreal-based competitor. According The Bull & Bear - January 2013

to its new President, “the reason industry sales are dropping is because there are way less small, authentic shops than ever before. The sheer size of these stores makes it very difficult to survive during tough economic cycles. As more stores close up shop, the brands are forced to compete for the remaining customers.” Many of these brands sell to big-box retailers as a

their prices to become the most appealing brand to the retail stores. This causes revenues and profits to decline across the industry.

As a result, some firms shut down as profit opportunities seem bleak. The exit of these firms reduces the competition and supply of product, eventually driving prices back up over time. Once profits

There are way less small, authentic shops than ever before. The sheer size of these stores makes it very difficult to survive during tough economic cycles. way to strategically manage inventory. The idea is that the brands can over-purchase from their suppliers and never lose sales to shortages, knowing they can sell their overstock to big-box retailers at near-cost prices at the end of the season.

Today, in order to sustain operations, the brands are selling more and more to these big-box retailers, and being less selective in what they offer them. While this may be the only way for small brands to survive, selling at discount prices outside of edgy stores harms the brand image. What used to be a strategic move for these brands to avoid overstock is becoming part of the core business. The brands are shifting from selling to many, small stores, to fewer, larger discount stores, and losing market power in the process.

From an economic perspective, the industry is in profit-declining mode. “As we compete for market share, the industry enters a price war, driving prices lower and lower,” says the President of Nomis Streetwear. To increase sales, individual firms continually lower

begin to rise again, firms will re-enter the industry, thus continuing this never-ending cycle of market exit and entry. Therefore, in economic terms, the surf/skate/snow industry is experiencing the waning side of a cycle that all monopolistically competitive markets face; one where profits are lower in the short-term, but should restore to normal levels in the long-term.

For the time being, I would recommend a ‘hold’ position for stocks in this industry. I expect the industry index to sustain further losses prior to rebounding.

In the long-term, as many small firms are pushed out of the market, revenues and profits should rise. However, there is a risk that overall market demand for surf/skate/ snow products has dropped permanently.

In such a case, the market prices for these stocks may never fully rebound.

Disclosure: I have no financial position in any of the aforementioned publiclytraded stocks, and no plans to initiate a financial position in the next 72 hours.

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PHOTO BY CBS NEWS

MARKETS

A

The Ignorant Cliff

Overlooked economic remedies that avoid fiscal cliff pain

s President Obama and Congress try to reduce the fiscal cliff to a mere “fiscal incline,” so as to avoid the shock of going through painful austerity measures all at once, many alternative solutions to the United States’ economic and fiscal woes are being overlooked. While both Democrats and Republicans will most certainly call for their own versions of dramatic fiscal reforms, the best possible options to simultaneously reduce deficits and return America to full employment may not even be on the table. America may have expensive problems, but that does not mean the solutions will have to be painful.

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Maximilian Feinsot MARKETS EDITOR

In the New York Times article “Nation’s Choices Needn’t Be Painful,” Robert H. Frank, economics professor

on a path toward a balanced budget in the long-term. These remedies include accelerated infrastructure spending

Accelerating infrastructure spending will provide a quick stimulus to the slowly-recovering American economy. at Cornell University, calls for a and the gradual introduction of cocktail of remedies that will both carbon, congestion and consumption stimulate the economy in the short- taxes. term and set the Federal Government Accelerating infrastructure spending

PHOTO VIA J.SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP

MARKETS

will provide a quick stimulus to the slowly recovering American economy and provide much-needed improvement to crumbling American bridges, highways, waterways and airports that cash-strapped states and municipalities have not been able to properly maintain since their budgets were hit by the 2008-2009 recession.

back to a precarious full employment has more far-reaching consequences including less revenue for the federal government over time. In the short term, unemployment and underemployment should and must be the focus of Congress’s attention.

Increasing taxes now will immediately decrease the amount of money that

In the short term, debt is not the issue that threatens America’s sustainability the most.

Unemployment has more far-reaching consequences.

These infrastructure improvements become more expensive over time as they continue to crumble into disrepair, so the federal government should jump on this opportunity to save money in the long-run.

The farthest-reaching folly that brought about the fiscal cliff is the prevailing narrative in the United States that suggests that the biggest threat to American prosperity is its crippling debt. In the short term, debt is not the issue that threatens America’s sustainability the most.

The struggling workforce crawling The Bull & Bear - January 2013

goes into Americans’ pockets and will slow the recovery even further.

By phasing in taxes in several years, after giving the economy more time to recover, Frank argues that the government accomplishes two things: “First, anxious credit markets would be reassured about the nation’s capacity to pay down government debt. And second, the delayed new taxes would speed the recovery by encouraging immediate increases in private spending.”

What should the American government tax? Taxes serve two

purposes: they generate revenue and they provide disincentives to participate in the actions that are taxed. Current taxes include income taxes and payroll taxes, which disincentivize working, but is there a workable alternative? Consumption taxes have generated some discussion in the past but have not been given enough consideration. A steeply progressive tax on consumption, calculated by taking a given percentage of income minus savings, would both incentivize savings and investment and generate a new source of revenue for the federal government.

Though a carbon tax is seen as damaging toward some industries, if its implementation were delayed by several years, it could force investment in technological advances that would offset the costs of the tax.

A congestion tax could help reduce road congestion and pay for further infrastructural improvements. Other taxes such as a tax on sugary drinks have been offered in Congress but have yet to generate enough traction to make it to the President’s desk.

America is faced with some expensive choices, but these choices do not have to endanger the economic recovery.

Austerity measures will only further deleverage an already fragile economic recovery. The fiscal cliff is a product of politics, not sound economic theory.

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MARKETS

Price Indicators Are they resourceful or a waste of your time?

Maxime Riahi

MARKETS WRITER

E

ver wonder why traders have a bunch of fancy, colourful lines and waves moving around on their charts when they look at prices?

Those colorful gadgets are indicators.

They help traders find underlying patterns in price. But what are indicators exactly? Essentially, an indicator is a mathematical formula that serves to derive a specific exploitable pattern in price.

Prices are always moving and traders who trade only based on the behaviour of price movement are said to be ‘price action traders.’ They recognize and take advantage of patterns in these price movements. Some of the patterns that prices make are openly recognizable with a little skill, but some are difficult or even undetectable to see with the naked eye.

Let’s take momentum for example.

Momentum is just a fancy word that markets use to explain the strength of direction that price has. Strong bullish momentum means that there is a heavy flow of buying in the market at the moment. Momentum is a specific characteristic of price that is hard to gauge using price action alone. When using indicators, however, momentum changes are much easier to spot. The reason for this is that indicators can compare the current market price with past market data, and infer relationships and discrepancies in the comparison of past and present.

One of the most famous, if not the most famous, indicators of all time is the moving average. The moving average takes the average price for a given period of time and prints it out along with price. This helps traders ‘smooth out’ price action, resulting in clearer trends and directional signals. There are many different types of moving averages:

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simple, exponential, weighted, and more. The difference is in the method of averaging prices. Simple, for example, gives equal weight to each price. The simple moving average does not carew hether it was price from 20 days ago or from yesterday.

The exponential moving average, however, gives greater weight to more recent prices. This makes the exponential moving average more responsive to current data, as today’s data has much more of an impact than data from three days ago. Regardless of which moving average we use, or any indicator for that matter, the basic point remains the same – we are representing price in a different way in order to find some sort

so many indicators giving us so many different signals. My advice is to keep your trading screen as well as your trading strategy as simple as possible.

Make sure that you absolutely need the indicators you are using before you add them to your charts. This brings me to my second piece of advice for you.

Know your indicators. When it comes to markets, there is a lot we cannot control, like the direction of price for example (too bad, right?). One of the main things we do control is our plan. Your trading plan is your road map, your rock in the ever changing sea that is the market. So do yourself a favor and know your plan. This includes intuitively understanding the indicators

Know your indicators. When it comes to markets, there is a lot we cannot control, like the direction of price for example (too bad, right?). One of the main things we do control is our plan. of repeatable behavior that can then give us buy or sell signals to trade with.

Indicators are neither good nor bad; all that matters is the way you use them.

I have two main pieces of advice when it comes to indicators: 1. Do not use too many indicators.

2. Fully understand each indicator you use.

When we use too many indicators, our trading screens get cluttered, which hinders our ability to make intelligent and coherent decisions. We begin to doubt ourselves and we no longer know what to listen to, because there are

you are using. Do a little research and find out what the mathematical formula is for the indicator you are thinking of using.

Look how the indicator behaves historically. See how it behaves during periods of low volatility versus periods of high volatility. Basically, test it as much as you can, to the point where you can explain its purpose to my tenyear old cousin. If you can’t do that, then the chances are you still haven’t grasped the nature of the indicator you are exploring. In that case, what is it even doing on your chart?

LIFESTYLE

7%

DRUG SURVEY OF OUR RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADD/ ADHD AND HAVE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION TO TREAT IT

53.5%

OF THESE RESPONDENTS HAVE TAKEN A HIGHER DOSAGE THAN PRESCRIBED TO HELP WITH ACADEMICS

39.5%

11.6%

STRONGLY DISAGREE 9.3%

DISAGREE

23.3%

NEUTRAL

27.9%

AGREE

IS IT ETHICAL FOR STUDENTS TO BE TAKING ADD/ADHD MEDICATION WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION TO HELP THEIR STUDYING?

27.9%

STRONGLY AGREE

HAVE DONE SO FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES

51.5%

377 respondents

HAVE SOLD THEIR PRESCRIBED MEDICATION TO ANOTHER STUDENT

HAVE TAKEN ADD/ADHD MEDICATION WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION

89.2%

OF THESE RESPONDENTS HAVE DONE SO FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

APPROXIMATELY HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE ADD/ADHD MEDICATION?

ONCE PER SEMESTER OR MORE

12 60

ONCE PER MONTH OR MORE

ONCE PER WEEK

DAILY OR MORE

64.6%

WHICH RECREATIONAL DRUGS DO YOU CONSUME?

UNDIAGNOSED RESPONDENTS HAVE CONVINCED A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TO PRESCRIBE THEM ADD/ADHD MEDICATION

29.8%

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS THINK THAT THEY USE STUDY AND/OR RECREATIONAL DRUGS IRRESPONSIBLY

OF 550 RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT ADD/ADHD MEDICATION IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF TREATING ADD/ADHD

MARIJUANA

98%

COCAINE

33%

MDMA

57%

ECSTASY HEROIN

23% 5%

CRYSTAL METH KETAMINE OTHER

{ {

18%

ACID 5%

10% 15%

RESPONSES INCLUDED SHROOMS, LSD, ALCOHOL, AND SPEED

GRAPHIC BY ALESSANDRA HECHANOVA

NO LONGER TAKE ADD/ ADHD MEDICATION

OF 590 SURVEY PARTICIPANTS SAY THAT THEY CONSUME RECREATIONAL DRUGS

TOTAL RESPONDENTS: 626

ARTS: 41.8% MGMT: 25.9% SCI: 16.1% ENG: 7.1% ARTS & SCI: 5.5% OTHER: 3.7%

The Bull & Bear - January 2013

15

LIFESTYLE

McGill on Drugs Your Survey Results Vidal Wu

LIFESTYLE PHOTO EDITOR VIA KERR HENDERSON

W

e conducted this survey partly as a social experiment (What would you do for a pair of passes to Igloofest?), but also because we wanted to see the extent to which McGill students—who have a bit of a reputation for being smarty-pants—are willing to go to succeed academically. While we don’t have enough responses to offer a thorough analysis of McGill’s study drug culture akin to a scientific study, the results offer a glimpse into McGill’s overall drug culture, one that flirts between pills, plants and psilocybin with impunity.

The vast majority of respondents don’t have a prescription for ADD/ADHD medication (92.6%), and the ones that do have held a prescription for more than two years (64.3%) and have used it for either academic or recreational purposes (77.6%). Y’all are givers too, with 81% having supplied another student with pills at some point. Of those who elected to tell us how they’ve used their ADD/ADHD medication, almost all of you cited some academic purpose (89.2%), and less than half cited recreational purposes (43.8%), among other reasons like pooping and dealing with last night’s hangover.

Unsurprisingly, McGill (and perhaps by extension, Montreal), is on everything that has a name. Of the more than half (376) that listed their recreational substances, almost all of you smoke a bowl (97.6%) or casually pop MDMA (57.2%), and just because we couldn’t really do an exhaustive list, 55 of you gave us your own descriptive lists prompting some very curious Googling, including: mushrooms (which came up 37 times), LSD, PCP, salvia, speed, opium, steroids, bath salts, mescaline, kratom, Valium, and peyote.

Even more interesting is how McGill students view the efficacy of ADD/ ADHD medication, with more than half (52%) unsure of how the drugs treat this

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PHOTO VIA STOCK FREE IMAGES

condition. One commenter noted, “I think that they’re effective, but that the disease is over-diagnosed and therefore there’s no ethical problem with taking them without a prescription—so many people are already on them without having ADD.” The jury is out on this one, and our collective knowledge of mental health is cursory at best, so we’re as much in the dark as the “real world,” i.e. adults with jobs and stuff.

We wouldn’t care about these results without some kind of social framing, and of course, this is only one interpretation, so allow me to indulge for a moment.

The McGill undergraduate community is largely composed of students that floated academically through high school and got As on the regular. Even if academic work under the influence of study drugs toes a libertarian line bordering on the dishonest, the realities facing a McGill student—which are a far cry from other universities—demand some firm selfevaluation and decision-making.

Where else could you find such a depressingly underfunded university crumbling under the weight of aging building infrastructure, an over-worked mental health service and a disgruntled, smart-ass student populace, in one of the most culturally #relevant and consistently frigid places on the planet? If you’re even remotely involved in student life, it isn’t hard to imagine or even find highfunctioning drug addicts sitting next to you in lecture or standing next to you at the bus stop. They’re not the seedy underbelly of society, and are certainly no less capable— prescription or otherwise—than any other able-bodied non-user. Besides, everyone gets through their day differently, so don’t be rude about it because it’s kinda none of your business, y’know?

Dispelling the stigma around casual drug use and encouraging responsible

consumption is pretty much where we’re at now, right? White lies to cover white lines aren’t conducive to the kind of conversations we should be having about staying safe and having your shit together.

As the stellar Rez Project shows, keeping your friends in the loop about where your head is at is the best way to take care of yourself and others. Do your part for yourself and others by keeping an eye out, and getting help where appropriate.

Stay safe and stay classy, McGill. It’s 2013, you got this.

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

The McGill Student Mental Health Service offers a range of psychological and psychiatric services for McGill students.

The service aims to provide a secure, non-judgmental space for students of all orientations and backgrounds. A team of psychiatrists and psychologists are available by appointment for assessment and treatment of many conditions that may interfere with psychological wellbeing.

Mental Health Services Brown Building 3600 McTavish, West Wing, Suite 5500 To book an appointment: 514-398-6019 At the McGill Counselling Service, professional counsellors and psychologists provide counselling and therapy to help students deal with a wide range of psychological and adjustment issues.

Counselling Services Brown Building 3600 McTavish, Suite 4200 To book an appointment: 514-398-3601

New

LIFESTYLE

(School Year)

Resolutions

Fresh semester, fresh beginnings Claire Llewellyn

LIFESTYLE WRITER

H

appy New Year Bronfmanites!

Now, I know you all have set your New Year’s Resolutions, whether they be shedding some poundage at the gym or following up on that diet you have been intending to start since January of last year. As far as students are concerned, the New Year starts in September.

But halfway through the semester, I realized that January 7th, 2013 could be considered another new beginning. As far as McGill is concerned, I gave 100% in every class. It’s a fresh start, ladies and gentleman. Going forward, I figured I would set up a few new semester goals of my own. Feel free to copy.

to go. As internship and case competition season starts, my goal is to be regular, on time, and on the ball.

Do Not Let The Weather Get In My Way

Create More “Me Time”

I have great plans to catch up on my missed TV episodes, go to the gym, read for leisure, and living life outside of school.

For all of you other out-of-the-loopers, new seasons of New Girl, Mad Men, Girls, Californication, House of Lies, Community and more are coming up. I know it sounds lazy, but TV really helps me rejuvenate, veg out and have time to myself.

Wean down my Starbucks addiction

Yes, it has been said that Starbucks can burn some major holes in your socalled “college budget.” So, after my holiday gift cards run out, I am going to be toning down my gourmet coffee intake. But let’s be reasonable here, I need my coffee.

What I propose is a step-by-step plan. I will slowly break my addiction as I move down the ranks from Starbucks, to Second Cup, to Tim Horton’s, and finally to the $1 McDonald’s variety.

Make A Point To Do Something Cultural Monthly

Just Apply For It

There are so many fantastic events coming up at McGill and within Bronfman this winter season. My motto this semester is going to be, “Just Apply For It.” For those of you who like to ignore MUS mass e-mails, Career Services e-mails, and whatever other Facebook event invites you have floating around in the cyber abyss, maybe you should consider paying a bit more attention.

Deadlines for exchange, EMC, DMLS, Be Efficient Desautels Business Conference on A new year means a new agenda. This Sustainability, Ace the Case and so many semester I took my time and picked out a more are coming up. You have CVs and lovely McGill crested agenda book, and cover letters written anyway. Honestly, I would like to believe that it will make just apply for it! me more organized, on time, and ready The Bull & Bear - January 2013

Even though Jack Frost has been nipping at my nose these past few days, I refuse to let him get in the way of my own Winter Wonderland. Now, I am no Quebecer in my abilities to bear the cold, but I look forward to ice-skating, Igloofest, Snow Jam, mulled wine, and “grown up” hot cocoa spiked with Baileys. Last winter I used the snow as an excuse to stay in, but 2013 will be different.

Rumour has it there is a world outside of the McGill Ghetto and Bronfman High.

I only have one year left in Montreal, and I plan on making the most of it. Montreal has so many festivals, cultural activities, and if anyone knows how to keep a city alive in the winter, it’s Montreal. Upcoming in the near few weeks is Nuit Blanche, Igloofest, The Clark Collection at La Musée des Beaux-Arts Montréal, Snow Village and Montréal en Lumière.

Good luck this semester, McGill! My key takeaway from last semester was to forbid academics from ruling my life. I am not going to stop doing my homework any time soon, but rumour has it that there is more to a resume than your GPA, and more to your life than school. Crazy!

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

17

If You Don’t Like the Daily Then Don’t Read It

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNIE TSENG

OPINION

Vote “yes” in the upcoming referendum

David Lin

CONTRIBUTOR

T

he upcoming existence referendum will once again challenge the financial stability of the McGill Daily.

Every five years, the Daily Publication Society (DPS), the student-run publisher of both the Daily and Le Délit, hosts a referendum for the continuation of student funding for its newspapers. Currently, undergraduate and graduate students pay a non-opt-outable fee of $6 and $3.35 per semester, respectively. These fees cover the majority of the DPS’s operating costs, the bulk of which include printing costs, rent for their office in the SSMU building, and monthly stipends to their editors.

The current referendum reads, “Do you support The McGill Daily and Le Délit continuing as a recognized student activity supported by student fees, with the understanding that a majority “no” vote will result in the termination of undergraduate and graduate student fees for The McGill Daily and Le Délit?”

Before I critique arguments from both sides of the debate and finally offer my own stance, I will first attempt to debunk a few myths regarding the DPS’s financial dependency on student fees. The referendum states that without such student funding, both papers would “cease to exist at McGill.” Three underlying assumptions are at play here: the cutting of fees from students will eliminate all rev-

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enue streams to the DPS, students have no other option of offering financial support than in the form of a non-opt-outable levy, and a cut to funding from students would pressure the publication to succumb to “commercial interests,” which in a sense would metaphorically kill the idea of the Daily from a more ideological standpoint.

All three of these assumptions are wrong.

From a financial standpoint, the DPS has done quite well for itself. In a March 2012 issue, the Daily published the DPS’s financial performance and position of the two previous years. In 2011, it raked in a very impressive $168 thousand in advertising revenues, which accounted for nearly 40% of their cash inflow that year; the other 60% (nearly $280 thousand) came from student fees. Somehow, they still managed to operate at a loss from over $446 thousand in operating expenses, but that’s beside the point.

Let’s suppose, hypothetically, that all student fees were scrapped. With more than $150 thousand in advertising revenues and more than $220 thousand of working capital (all current assets minus current liabilities) on their balance sheet, the DPS could still very well manage to retain their position as McGill’s most widely distributed publication. Sure, cuts would have to be made to either the volume of copies in circulation, the number of pages

printed in colour, or both, but even if they cut half of their current weekly circulation, it would still be larger than that of the McGill Tribune and The Bull & Bear combined. I would argue that any tactful editorial board would, and should, adapt to changing budgetary environments, so any cuts to the Daily’s printing budget should be viewed by the editors as an opportunity to expand their online platforms and not merely as a threat to their on-campus presence.

The notion that the only solution to what would otherwise be a decline in publishing standards is to charge all downtown McGill students (aptly termed “members of the DPS” in one of the opening clauses of the referendum) is nonsensical. The obvious alternative would be to levy an optoutable fee of the same amount, thereby giving the students of McGill, whom the DPS strives to serve, more freedom to choose if and when they would like to become a “member.” The reality is that the vast majority of students would not take the 30 seconds to go on Minerva and opt out, and with only a handful of zealot opponents to worry about, this alternative would not scar the DPS’s financial position to any serious detriment. The question, which I will address later in this article, then becomes whether or not you should fund the Daily at all.

OPINION The third myth concerns the Daily’s self-proclaimed moral principles. The newspaper, as far as I am aware, is the only publication on campus with a mandate to preserve what they term to be a non-hierarchical organizational structure, opposed to all forms of oppressive control, whether it be from the mahogany-covered halls of the Administration or the glaringly dull cubicles of corporations. A logical flaw emerges from the argument that if students stop funding the publication, the DPS would naturally submerge into the depths of corporate puppeteering whereby their content would inexorably be swayed by commercial interests and fall victim to James Admin’s totalitarian grasp. If you ignore the (very real) possibility that editorial autonomy can in fact co-exist with budgetary restrictions, then this vague outline of a worry might gain some validity. In theory, however, money should have no influence on free speech when operating in a democracy, so unless the implication is that without student fees the DPS would be forced to take bribes, then I see no reason why the publication cannot continue to follow whatever political mandate they choose in the absence of a $280 thousand income from students’ wallets.

To decide whether or not to fund the DPS in the first place is to understand the functions of student media. I have always maintained that student press serves three primary objectives: to provide a forum of dialogue on campus, to provide student groups and clubs a platform to reach out and create connections, and most importantly to inform, without bias, students on what is happening on campus. In two of these functions, the Daily reigns supreme over all other competitors at McGill, including The Bull & Bear.

The Daily’s large reach by default, puts them in a position of influence.

Whether or not you agree with their commentary is secondary to the fact that you’ve read it and have absorbed the messages that the paper has tried (and succeeded) in disseminating. Furthermore, anyone can write for the Daily. The DPS’s publication model and its reputation allow the editorial board to skip the rigorous process of selecting full-time staff, which is a requirement that smaller publications like The Bull & Bear are faced with if they are to have any chance of securing a dedicated writing force and maintain a competitive position on campus in the shadow of larger The Bull & Bear - January 2013

competitors. In this sense, the combination of a large reach coupled with a very open article-selection process creates a unique opportunity for any student at McGill to be heard, loud and clear, amongst all their peers at school. This is an invaluable service that McGill’s oldest paper has provided since 1911, and the generation of the next century shouldn’t take it for granted.

Opponents to the referendum cite laughably under-reasoned articles as reasons not to continue “wasting money” on “garbage.” Such popular hits, like “Don’t Make Excuse for Rape Culture,” “Whose Campus? Our Campus?,” and my personal favourite “You Are Racist,” seem to reinforce this claim. To go one step further, some people feel the moral obligation to remove themselves fiscally from a publication that offends them with gems such as “Dear Boot-Licking Apologists” and “All Racism Happens Because of Whiteness.”.

First, your right to not be offended does not overrule the right of others to write and publish potentially offensive material. Second, all those examples listed are commentary pieces. They have been published because of the open policy to publish, under certain restrictions, whatever is submitted to the Daily. In other words, the paper serves only as a platform for insolent morons to voice moronic diatribes and have very little to do with the actual endorsing of such material themselves. If you don’t like what you read, feel free to submit to them a counter-argument in the form of a better-written Opinion piece, or even a Letter to the Editor, but please don’t whine that it’s the Daily’s fault.

My problem is with the evident news bias. Section 2.2 of their constitution states that “Within this optic, The Daily recognizes that all events and issues are inherently political... involving relations of social and economic power and privilege. ... We also recognize that keeping silent about these relationships helps to perpetuate oppression. To help correct these inequities, to the best of its ability, The Daily should depict and analyze power relations accurately in its coverage.” Ironically, I find this mandate to be a direct contradiction to “5.6 Racial, sexual, and socioeconomic bias or prejudice has no place in the editorial policy or content of the newspaper.”

If you’re thinking that it is indeed difficult to publish content without any “socioeconomic bias” while maintaining a mandate to “correct inequalities,” then you are right.

Every news piece I read that covers campus politics falls victim to selection bias, the cancer of journalism. I have yet to read a Daily investigation that doesn’t cut and paste the facts to only report what they deem “progressive.” To this end, the Daily has failed in providing clean, unbiased news to the public.

The big picture presides: while some articles are simply better than others, and while I take issue with their editorial discrepancy of news pieces, the value the Daily provides extends beyond merely what you read, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Student media provides a training ground for would-be journalists, or even just a medium for people who love writing.

By defunding the Daily you are stripping McGill of its oldest tradition of mass communication; this widely-circulated paper has been around long before the advent of the radio, TV, cell phone, email, and Facebook. That said, I would argue that imposing a non-opt-outable fee is the equivalent of The Montreal Gazette striking a deal with the government to charge all permanent residents of Montreal a mandatory levy in taxes. This is not how the free press should function, and it should not be how student papers are run. An option to optout would not only reinforce the DPS’s objective to make their paper “accessible to all students” and remove such a hypocrisy, it might also incentivize the editorial board to diversify its content scope to appeal to larger masses of students from all political and socio-economic spectrums, adding more value to the community.

Polling period ends at 5 pm on January 31st. After this, one of two things will happen. If the referendum passes, the Daily will continue publishing as it has been for the last century. There will be articles that you cringe at, cartoons that make you facepalm, and commentary that make you question the future of humankind.

The other outcome is that the referendum doesn’t pass, and all too soon, in a wisp of nostalgia, you will wonder to yourself, “Why don’t people talk about campus life as much anymore?” You decide what outcome you’d like to see.

Disclaimer: David Lin is a former Executive Editor of The Bull & Bear.

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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OPINION

The Morality of Immortality Implications of radical life extension Zain Alimohamed

LEAD OPINION EDITOR

“

None of you are invited to my 200th birthday party!” I proclaim, somewhat facetiously, to a group of friends in an attempt to open a discussion on one of my favorite topics: radical life extension. My statement is met with an assortment of eye rolling, dismissive (and rather rude) hand gestures and arguments of all shapes and sizes as to why I will not and, indeed, should not live that long.

There is a growing faction within the scientific community that holds the belief that it is entirely possible for people alive today to live for hundreds of years. Raymond Kurzweil, a prolific inventor and ardent futurist with the freshly minted title of Director of Engineering at Google Inc., is one such scientist. He believes that through advances in bio and nanotechnology, the human lifespan could be, for all intents and purposes, indefinite. He argues that there is a “law of accelerating returns” inherent in technological evolution that makes its growth exponential, suggesting that the pace at which our technology improves is itself quickening.

Though Kurzweil will be working primarily with language possessing and machine learning artificial intelligence, his influence will no doubt be felt throughout one of the of the biggest and most forward looking firms out there.

The question of scientific viability, however, is not one I expect to fully address here and so we will proceed on the assumption that radical life extension is possible and, indeed, inevitable.

Overpopulation, crushing boredom, greater economic inequality and playing God are the typical challenges to the normative question of indefinite life spans.

These arguments are often used by opponents of technological enhancements and therapies that extend life dramatically such as Leon Krass, a professor at the University of Chicago. The policy implications of life extension such as assuring proper allocation of scarce resources and keeping people productive for centuries would no

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doubt be a defining issue of a future where radical life extension is pervasive. Furthermore, humanity’s new challenge will be feeling around for that fine line between self-improvement and self-destruction.

It would be foolish to suggest that there are no drawbacks to humans living indefinitely; the widening of a socio-economic gap that is already tragically large in many countries is a very real potential ramification of radical life extension as the rich gain access to therapies before the rest of society.

A vision of the future in which a society is divided between a wealthy, immortal elite and everyone else is decidedly dystopian in nature. Nevertheless, one must keep a sense of perspective. Initially, access will be limited to those with means but it is hardly controversial to suggest that in the last century all people have benefitted from improvements in medical technology in absolute terms. Aging, along with the physical and mental deterioration that characterizes it, is undesirable. Potential economic and social difficulties notwithstanding, living longer and healthier lives is a positive and productive premise. Acceptance of the preceding premise leads to the conclusion that the technology that would facilitate radical life extension ought to be pursued.

Dr. Aubrey De Grey, a Cambridge gerontologist with a formidable beard, offers the argument that it would be morally dubious of us not to develop these technologies and deprive future generations of the benefits therein. To have the ability to develop therapies that lead to longer and healthier lives makes it our responsibility to do so. Policy decisions concerning the adoption and implementation of the policies should be left to those generations in which they are most relevant; it is presumptuous of us to make those decisions for them by not developing these therapies. In his view, it is not only desirable but a moral imperative to give future generations the choice and allow them to

PHOTO VIA GIZMODO

decide on implementation. Our hesitation in diverting resources to the development of these therapies is actually condemning future generations to a life span that is far shorter than it could be were we to actively pursue life extension technology.

Furthermore, we cannot presume to fully understand the social and political landscape of the future and their priorities – they will be best suited to make a choice and we should allow them to do so.

Without going so far as to characterize those opposed to life extension technology as luddites, there is a serious risk of preventing the potential benefits of these technologies from reaching us, or our children, in time. Some people’s fear of what may happen if people live ever-longer lives is not a basis for pre-emptive policy decisions.

In a world dominated by dualism – white and black, hot and cold, matter and anti-matter – we are readily willing to accept life and death as an inevitable part of the universe. Yet still, humanity has always been enamored with the concept of immortality. Fortunately, human fascination with the fountain of youth is accompanied by commensurate ingenuity. It is this ingenuity that will allow us both to achieve great strides in life extension and tackle the resulting externalities.

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

OPINION

Baring it All Naked Resolutions for the New Year Marisa Samek OPINION EDITOR

A

re you resolved to revamp your life for 2013? Have you promised yourself to hit the gym at least three times a week, avoid eating after 7pm, bid adieu to tobacco, and give your bod an overhaul? Gym memberships nearly triple during the first month following NYE (that number remains strong for about the first month then steadily dwindles until it surges again a month before bikini season.)

When I hit the YMCA, I face more of a social dilemma than a personal commitment issue. My problem is that I can’t seem to make it in and out of the locker room without brushing elbows with teachers from my high school. This would be fine if it weren’t for my unfortunate timing to always run into them just as they make their way from the showers, drop their towels and reach for their underwear. We all come into contact with nudity in different ways.

When I started practicing Hot Yoga, I kept seeing people I know naked in the locker room but for the first time I saw women around my age strip down to their Lululemon thongs—or less. 17-year-old girls crossing the chasm from adolescence to adulthood, women I recognized from classes at McGill, baby-mommas, liposuction-enthusiastic-mommas, and lithe yoga teachers alike would let it all hang out in the Argan-oil scented changing room.

These events contextualize how seldom we come into contact with nitty gritty nudity. I mean nudity on a more than youand-your-significant-other scale. I mean more than the near-nude, airbrushed ideals sprawled across ads for Buffalo, Victoria Secret, or Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. I mean the type of nudity that caused uproar at the Salon des Refusés in 1863 and continues to cause uproar today in ads for American Apparel’s bottomless tights.

“The History of Impressionism” exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts offers a glimpse at how shocking the ImpressionThe Bull & Bear - January 2013

ist painters came across to a 19th century audience. They rejected the conventions of the academic style art on every level from brush work to composition, choosing to represent the commonplace in a raw, violent, and powerful way. Manet’s Realist masterpiece, “Déjeuner sur l’herbe,” a painting not exhibited at the MFA paved the way for the defiance of the Impressionists and scandalized every spectator at the Salon des Refusés. The canvas portrays an afternoon picnic attended by a commonplace woman sitting completely naked, her two fully-dressed, male companions, and another woman in the background, draped only in a chemise, wading in a pond. When the artist unveiled this painting, the critics cried “pornography!”

Has anything changed since the 19thcentury? Do we not continue to cry “pornography!” at the provocative American Apparel ads featuring women untouched by Airbrush, bearing nipples, cellulite, and pubic hair? Meanwhile, we accept La Senza models from the store windows on St-Catherine because these women, Photoshopped to excess, merely showcase the latest underwear trend. The New Year is about change. Maybe it’s not your body that needs an overhaul but the way in which you perceive it. We live in an age that fosters striking individualism and greater acceptance of social diversity.

When will the media catch on? The cultural moment dictates the general opinion of beauty and the cultural moment of emaciated, graphically enhanced Kate Moss has passed. 2013 calls for a celebration of Manet’s nudes, a celebration of the women in the yoga studio changing room and yes, even a celebration of ex-high school teachers in their birthday suits. In essence, 2013 calls for a celebration of the unaltered, unadorned, and unusual human body.

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

PHOTO VIA DEVIANTART

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OPINION

Repeal the Second Amendment We don’t need guns anymore Ameya Pendse OPINION WRITER

O

nce upon a time, there were thirteen British Colonies in North America that needed guns. Rather than shooting innocent children in Newtown, Connecticut, they needed guns for self-defense; they needed guns to protect their liberties from an imperial and tyrannical government that taxed them without representing them. In response to living under a system they didn’t like, the Patriots took matters into their own hands, demanding for either liberty or for death. A revolution took place which, at the end led to the creation of a new republic. This republic would be special, for it was born on the notion that all men were created equal. The very founding documents of this republic enshrined the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, serving not only as the values of this new nation, but as a model and source of inspiration to every other nation in the world. This republic was born out of guns, but times were different back then.

The pillars of this country would be created with a Bill of Rights embedded into the Constitution. Its First Amendment guarantees its citizens the right to follow any religion, the right to speak their mind, freedom of the press, the right to gather, and the right to petition the government with any grievances they may have. The amendment that followed, the right to bear arms, was considered to be a safeguard, a mechanism to ensure that the rights and freedoms given to the citizens in the first amendment would be protected. After all, guns were seen as the reason citizens could enjoy these liberties, not as a tool to kill innocent children. The purpose of owning a gun was for defense, not aggression. Times were different back then.

Over 200 years later, this republic did not only survive, but it strived to be

22

the most powerful nation the world has ever seen. Elections and the peaceful transfer of power demonstrate that the Founders got it right. However, while the Founders’ dream for a strong republic has come true, it is foolish to say that things have not changed.

The incident in Newtown, Connecticut was not only heartbreaking because a gunman went into an elementary school and killed innocent six and seven-yearold boys and girls, it is also heartbreaking because we have been witness to this too many times. Whether it was the massacre at Virginia Tech, or the recent shooting at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, tragedies like this have occurred before, but there is little change happening to stop events like these from happening again. While they are both important, mourning those who have been lost and pursuing the monsters responsible are not sufficient enough to stop this from happening again. It is time to be on the offensive rather than the defensive. It is time to attack the source rather than each incident. We need to drastically strengthen our gun control laws. It’s not about these guns falling in the wrong hands, but the fact that they are in a pair of hands in the first place.

The Founders’ rationale for having guns is outdated. If the government was to violate your individual right today, someone of a sound mind would start a petition or protest. They would take the matter to the courts or even run against the candidate in a future election, but they wouldn’t get a gun. These rights that guns are supposed to protect are not only in our founding documents, but in our politics today. A little over a year ago a pastor from Florida wanted to publically burn Korans on the anniversary of 9/11, causing public outcry and international backlash. No matter how destructive the

act would have been, the government could not do anything about it. President Obama said that the most they could do is give him a ticket for starting a public fire. Allowing the pastor to go through with it shows that the government is protecting the rights and freedoms of its citizens, even when their actions are harmful. Any amendment to the Constitution must be ratified by three-quarters of the states, which would take an extraordinary amount of time.

The second rationale behind having guns was the fear of the British returning, an argument not even worth rebutting in this article, but important to state as it was one of the principle reasons for permitting guns. Times have changed; we are a country that has “fewer horses and bayonets.” The Patriots needed guns back then, but we don’t need them now. Their sacrifices have allowed many of us to live in a well-functioning republic where we are able to use peaceful methods to settle our disputes with each other and the state.

What happened in Newtown was a disaster; just the thought of this happening in an elementary school makes me sick to the core. Growing up, my mom used to worry that something could happen to me on the way to school. It’s sad that parents now have to worry about their child’s safety while they are at school, a space supposed to be safe and off-limits to violence. For those who are thinking and praying for the victims’ families, please pray that this never happens again, because until we have some major gun reform, there is little hope in preventing a tragedy like this from occurring.

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

OPINION

Hot Not orr

Our guide to your next opinionated conversation Vidal Wu

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Igloofest

Cuts on Cuts

My body is ready to freeze myself silly jamming out to Kaytranada, Kannibalen, and Joy Orbison.

$19 million in cuts is the worst thing to happen to McGill since McGill.

#IdleNoMore

McGill Blackout of January 10th

After centuries of subjugation, it is about damn time voices were heard and change is made.

Professors complain about getting their voicemails cut, students complain about getting the power cut. Are students being #cut by these budget cuts?

Reading Week in March

The Paradise Edition

A late reading week carries all the panic and anticipation of a late period, with the added stress of more schoolwork. McGill, get your shit together.

New albums from old favourites: Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, A$AP Rocky and Azealia Banks.

Carnival Hangovers

The Golden Globes

♪ Wake up in the morning feeling like a drunk biddie/Grab my coolers I’m out the door I’m gonna need some pity ♪ Carnival is here at last!

Glenn Close looked trashed, Lena Dunham is pond scum, Amy and Tina were perfection embodied, and Anne Hathaway is forever blacklisted.

The Second Amendment

A Revamped Redpath

After Sandy Hook, some serious discussion should be happening down south about how necessary personal armament is, especially regarding developing domestically produced 3D printed guns.

Space and organization on campus has taken a turn for the better. The real question is, is it sustainable with the newest onslaught of budget cuts?

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

The Bull & Bear - January 2013

23

NEED TO REACH OUT TO NEED TO REACH OUT TO McGILL STUDENTS? McGILL STUDENTS? Print and Online Print and Online starting at Advertisements Advertisements starting at

The Bull & Bear is the official media outlet of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, with readershipBull widespread across all faculties within The & Bear is the official media outlet of the the university.

Desautels The paper is published monthly and released on the first Faculty of Management at McGill University, with readerWednesday.

A digital version of the magazine is also postship widespread across all faculties within the university. ed on our official website for theand month duringonwhich it is The paper is published monthly released the first running.

Wednesday. A digital version of the magazine is also post-

$100 $100 By the Numbers

By the Numbers

22,155 Undergraduate students enrolled at McGill (2011 figures) 22,155

ed on our official website for the month during which it is A circulation of 1,000 copies is distributed throughout running. the Bronfman Building, home of the Desautels Faculty of well ascopies the Redpath library, the Leacock AManagement, circulation ofas 1,000 is distributed throughout building, University Centre (SSMU) and other buildings the Bronfman Building, home of the Desautels Faculty of frequented byas McGill andlibrary, staff. the TheLeacock online Management, well as students the Redpath edition features up-to-date coverage and photo gallaries at building, University Centre (SSMU) and other buildings bullandbear.musonline.com. frequented by McGill students and staff. The online

Undergraduate students enrolled at McGill (2011 figures)

17,930 Number of unique website visitors (March 2012) 17,930 Number of unique website visitors (March 2012)

edition features up-to-date coverage and photo gallaries at In 2012, The Bull & Bear switched from a newspaper style bullandbear.musonline.com. format to a magazine style format which increased readership by 30%.

In 2012, The Bull & Bear switched from a newspaper style format to a magazine style format which increased readerWithby a highly ship 30%. international faculty and student body, McGill University has the most selective and rigorous admission standards of any undergraduate program Canada.

With a highly international faculty and studentinbody, McGill University has the most selective and rigorous admisOur readers include 2,200 undergraduate Managesion standards of anyMcGill’s undergraduate program in Canada. ment students as well as faculty members, MBA students, andreaders other McGill students anundergraduate interest in business.

The Our include McGill’swith 2,200 ManageBull & Bear caters to the multicultural, cosmopolitan, and ment students as well as faculty members, MBA students, intelligent student body atwith McGill University. and other McGill students an interest in business. The

62 Countries Scope of online readership 62 Countries Scope of online readership 6 +1,300 Likes on Facebook, and counting +1,300

Likes on Facebook, and counting 1,000 Copies in circulation 30% Increase in readership since switch to magazine 1,000 Copies in circulation

Bull & Bear caters to the multicultural, cosmopolitan, and 30% Increase in readership since switch to magazine intelligent To student body at McGill University. further discuss advertising opportunities for the 2012-2013 academic year, please contact us.

Kapil Mehra

Dan Novick

Kapil Mehra Rosalie Lesser Daichi Ishikawa To further discuss Advertising advertisingDirector opportunities for the 2012-2013 academic year, please contact us.

Executive Editor Advertising Director Advertising Representative Advertising Representative ads@bullandbearmcgill.com dan@bullandbearmcgill.com bullandbearads@gmail.com bullandbearads@gmail.com 514-632-3625 bullandbearads@gmail.com 514-887-6622 Kapil Mehra Rosalie Lesser Daichi Ishikawa

Advertising Director bullandbearads@gmail.com

Advertising Representative bullandbearads@gmail.com

Advertising Representative bullandbearads@gmail.com