McGill Tribune Vol. 33 Issue 12

Volume No. 33 Issue No. 12

TRIBUNE THE mcgill PX

Published by the Tribune Publication Society

CURIOSITY DELIVERS

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Special GA addresses $21,000 frosh deficit, seeks input for Student-Run Café SSMU General Assembly meets attendence requirement to ratify Board of Directors appointments

SSMU’s special GA met quorum of 100 students needed to pass binding resolutions. (Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune) Jessica Fu and Aislinn Kalob News Editor and Contributor A $21,000 deficit from frosh and the opening of the student-run café were at the forefront of discussion at last Wednesday’s special General Assembly (GA) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).

Reasons for the special GA The special GA took place following the Oct. 9 GA, which failed to meet quorum—an attendance requirement of 100 students who must be present for the GA to pass motions as binding resolutions.

With only approximately 50 students in attendance, October’s forum could not pass motions such as ratifying appointments to SSMU’s Board of Directors (BoD), the society’s highest governing body.

The special GA maintained quorum throughout the evening.

SSMU President Katie Larson said councillors had made a greater effort to advertise the special GA on campus.

“We were a little bit more active in trying to communicate the urgency,” Larson said. “I did make a bunch of materials for councillors to distribute at meetings and

reminded them that it’s their obligation per our constitution and bylaws to promote the event.”

The GA voted in favour of appointing 15 councillors to the BoD. An active BoD is required for some decisions regarding SSMU’s financial matters. For example, SSMU needs a BoD to purchase stocks to add to its investment portfolio and to hold a liquor licence for Gerts.

“In order to hold [a liquor permit], you have to have a company that’s in legal standing,” Larson said. “If we don’t have a BoD, we can’t declare our corporation to the government [….] If our corporation status is in jeopardy, eventually it would go down the chain and we could get our liquor licence revoked.”

Following the special GA’s success in reaching quorum, Larson said Council would make additional efforts to advertise and promote awareness for the Winter GA. “We’re going to probably hold an open forum or some kind of session at the beginning of the Winter semester […] to say, what is the GA and what are [students] expecting from it,” Larson said. $21,000 Frosh deficit Students at the GA also

called on executives to explain the $21,000 deficit frosh incurred this year, which was announced last Thursday at SSMU’s Legislative Council.

“Who is responsible for the $21,000 loss in frosh, and why hasn’t there been a clear explanation on this?” asked Luis Pombo, U2 Engineering.

According to SSMU VicePresident Internal Brian Farnan, there were a number of factors involved with the loss.

“A couple of things were miscalculated months in advance of the actual event of frosh,” Farnan said.

“Of all money that was funneled through frosh, a percentage goes to PayPal, [but] this was not actually accounted through the budgeting process [.…] Certain mistakes were made when calculating the taxes [.…] In addition, there was a brand new system implemented that actually split up sponsorship revenues with faculties this year.”

Pombo said the deficit indicated “incompetence” in frosh planning.

“If you’re going to use an online payment system, you should know that they charge a fee to use their services,” Pombo said. “Same

with the issue with the sponsorship money—whoever was in charge of it should have known.”

According to Farnan, SSMU’s in-house accounting services will review proposed frosh budgets in future years to avoid these problems.

“Most of these mistakes were budgeting; so, as you can see, there is a very, very simple explanation,” he said. “Our plan is to actually involve the accounting department next year, since it is such a sizable budget—$200,000. This can’t just be handled by students anymore.”

Student-Run Café seeks student engagement Josh Redel, manager of the Student-Run Café (SRC) and former SSMU president, gave a presentation that encouraged students to become involved with the project as it moves towards its January 2014 launch.

According to Redel, SSMU will host sessions in the upcoming weeks to hear student feedback on the existing plans. Discussion topics will include how the physical space should be used, what the true meaning of “student-run” is, and what the ultimate mission and vision of the café should be.

Redel said the café will make an effort to keep students engaged throughout the year.

“You’ll be able to text in feedback after your meal,” he said.

“Additionally, we’ll be holding events on the regular—once, if not twice a month—having big community conversations about SRC.” Redel said the menu will include low-cost vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Although it will accept debit, credit, and cash, the café will not be able to accept Martlet meal plans this upcoming semester—although he said it could be possible in the future.

“Unfortunately, McGill is going through a pretty big change right now with how they accept meal plan cards on campus, so they will not be able to provide us with a system for that,” Redel said. “But they’re very much on board for future endeavours with the meal plan.”

Discussion sessions will take place in the Madeleine Parent room on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 4:00 p.m., and Friday Nov. 29 at 12:00 p.m.

NEWS campus

BoG and Senate tackle prevalence of mental health issues Discussion centres on future strategies to combat problems surrounding mental health Access of mental health resources

Cece Zhang Staff Writer Mental health at McGill was the subject of the joint Board of Governors (BoG) and Senate meeting last Tuesday.

Provost Anthony Masi spoke on the impact of mental health issues at McGill and the reason for the theme of the discussion.

“Many members of the McGill community, whether directly or indirectly, have lived with varying degrees of mental health issues and their consequences,” Masi said.

“Today we focus discussion on the aspects of McGill’s environment that we can and should change in order to promote a helpful environment.”

At the meeting, Lynne McVey, executive director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, gave a presentation on the stigmatization of mental illnesses in both academic settings and the workplace.

“There is an increasing demand and openness to consider that mental illness can be talked about, and the stigma is beginning to lift,” McVey said. “[But] from our perspective it isn’t beginning to lift enough. People who live with mental health problems say the stigma is often worse than the illness.”

McVey called on McGill to use education to take a greater part in the

Comparison of McGill students who have accessed mental health resources with students at U.S. universities and the U.S. national average

9% McGill students (463 respondents)

7% 6%

Association of American Universities Peer Group (3,191 respondents)

4%

U.S. National Average (29,686 respondents)

Currently receiving counselling or other therapeutic services on campus

6% 6%

5%

5% 4%

3%

3% 2%

Currently receiving counselling or other therapeutic services off campus

Currently taking prescribed medication for a mental health concern

Registered with the office for disability services

Infographic by Maryse Thomas, statistics from mcgill.ca/senate fight against stigmatization.

“Seventy-five per cent [of mental health problems] are not treated, so the 8,000 we are treating at our mental health services facility here at McGill University may not just be the ones that we need to be treating,” she said. “[The] 2013 National College Health Assessment found that nearly 90 per cent of university and college students in Canada reported feeling overwhelmed by stress in the previous 12 months.”

McVey showcased the efforts of other universities in Canada to reduce stigma through education, such as the Jack Project­—a mental health aware-

ness project that includes fundraisers and awareness initiatives at Queen’s University, and “The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness,” an open, online, not-for-credit course run by the University of Toronto.

McVey also praised the efforts of Students in Mind, the first studentrun conference on mental health at McGill, hosted last October.

“This level of leadership and student engagement is exactly the kind of initiative that is needed for us to increase wellbeing both on the McGill campus and in our community,” she said.

Following the presentations,

members of BoG and Senate suggested ways to improve support for mental health issues at McGill.

Some ideas included training teaching assistants to deal with student mental health issues and inclusion of a mental health component for Rez Project—a workshop given to all students living in residence about sexual assault, gender, and sexuality.

“There’s also the idea of creating a more positive university environment,” said Katie Larson, president of the Students’ Society of McGill University. “The message of McGill right now focuses on the idea that McGill produces the best

students, which could be negative towards students’ mental health, when they internalize that competition and feel ashamed at accessing these mental health services.”

Principal Suzanne Fortier said the administration would use suggestions as a basis for future action.

“Mental health plays a very important role in our personal and professional lives, to employees, staff, students at the university,” Fortier said. “There is hardly a topic that deserves more attention than mental health [....] What’s important is not only the discussion, but also to take action.”

CAMPUS

Protestors interrupt class of professor accused of death threat Group of students call for McGill to cancel Dunphy’s class; demonstrators face potential disciplinary action Jessica Fu News Editor Last Wednesday, a group of approximately 10 student protestors caused the cancellation of a class taught by a McGill professor accused of issuing a death threat against a former graduate student.

The protestors are demanding that the professor’s class be cancelled.

The protest comes after professor Gary Dunphy’s decision to appeal a ruling by McGill’s Committee for Student Grievances (CSG) that his behaviour constituted harassment.

The incident in question comes from an exchange between former McGill graduate student Amr El-Orabi and his then-supervisor, Dunphy, which El-Orabi recorded and sent to Global News.

In the recording, El-Orabi tells Dunphy he is leaving his studies prematurely. When El-Orabi asks, “Is there anything else that you want from me?” Dunphy responds, “Yes, your death.”

After returning to his home in Egypt, El-Orabi filed a grievance against Dunphy through McGill’s CSG. In September, the committee ruled in El-Orabi’s favour, though the university will not disclose the contents of the ruling.

Participants in last Wednesday’s demonstration said they were unsatisfied with McGill’s response to the case. Ten students entered Dunphy’s Insect Biology and Control class with signs calling for Dunphy’s resignation. “[Dunphy’s] behaviour […] was qualified as constituting harassment and threat of physical violence by university instances,” announced a demonstrator who wished to remain anonymous. “These types of behaviours are one instance of a broader university system imbued with racism and rape culture. It is unacceptable that the university administration does not take this matter seriously and take the appropriate steps to protect its students.”

Due to the demonstration, Dun-

phy’s class ended one hour earlier than scheduled. The demonstrators chanted and followed the professor as he left the room.

Natascia Borsellino, U3 Science, said she was frustrated that her class was cut short because of the demonstration.

“I think it’s just absolutely disrespectful to do that during class,” Borsellino said. “It’s not okay; we have exams. I get it—they can protest outside his office, they can protest in the streets—but in the classroom, it’s a bit much. I have a midterm today, and I came to this class, and I just wasted my time.”

Dean of Students André Costopoulos said there were other ways by which the demonstrators could have conveyed their message.

“We’re always listening and always wanting to improve our policies and procedures, which are far from perfect,” Costopoulos said. “There’s a question of respect for the rights of others here. We have to respect the rights of others to complete their aca-

demic training and to perform their academic duties in a safe, respectful environment.”

Before leaving, the demonstrators announced that they would continue to protest Dunphy’s position at McGill.

“Until professor Dunphy resigns, or until the university cancels his classes, we are going to be taking it into our hands to prevent him from teaching,” one demonstrator said.

Another protestor, who also wished to remain anonymous, said the group chose this method of protest because it expressed their belief that Dunphy should not be teaching at McGill.

“Other types of protests may not have put that belief into action in as effective of a way,” the protestor said.

“Protesting outside his office would not have stopped him from teaching.

Our intention was to stop him from teaching, and thereby, to achieve the goal that we see the administration [is] totally unable to achieve.”

Costopoulos said the university

has no plans to cancel Dunphy’s class, and that McGill is exploring options to minimize the possibility of future disruptions “We have to respect the rights of the students to complete their semester and to complete their courses,” Costopoulos said. “The course is continuing, and it will be in a safe, appropriate environment.”

Costopoulos added that the demonstrators are being investigated in accordance with McGill’s Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures, due to several complaints his office has received about the incident.

“When we receive complaints from members of the community, this could result in an allegation of a breach of the Code,” Costopoulos said. “If disciplinary officers find that there’s potentially a breach of the Code, they will bring formal allegations against students, and that may result in disciplinary action.”

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

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Student government

Students vote “yes” to Midnight Kitchen, SSMU Daycare fee increases Fall Referendum period sees approval of revised SSMU constitution Emma Windfeld News Editor Undergraduate students voted “yes” to all four questions in the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Fall 2013 Referendum. As a result, SSMU has adopted their revised constitution; the Midnight Kitchen will remain in existence and raise their opt-outable student fee by $1 to $3.25 per semester; and the non-optoutable student fee for SSMU Daycare will increase from $1.50 to $2.50 per semester.

Midnight Kitchen The motion to increase the fee for the Midnight Kitchen— a service that provides vegan lunches by donation to over 200 students per weekday—said that the increased fee would allow them to consider serving breakfast in addition to lunch, and for them to remain free for students

who cannot afford to donate money in return for lunch.

Arts Senator Claire StewartKanigan is not involved in running the Midnight Kitchen, but was a mover of the motion when it was brought to SSMU Council.

She said she was happy to see that the questions passed.

“It’s a great service on campus, and the opportunity for them to have a bit more financial leeway in order for them to expand that service makes it even more useful and accessible to students,” she said.

SSMU Daycare SSMU Daycare’s fee increase will allow it to continue regular operations without cutting services. Since its most recent fee increase to $1.50 in 2006, the daycare has opened a nursery and has been paying increasing rent for the space they occupy within the SSMU Building.

Prior to the referendum period, the daycare made cuts to services to prepare their budget as a precautionary measure in case the fee increase was denied.

Now that the fee increase has been approved, the daycare aims to reinstate these services next semester.

“The most notable of these cuts was the bursary program that is available to parents who are in especially tight financial situations,” said Stefan Fong, SSMU vice-president clubs and services. “The decision to cut the bursary program this semester was a divisive one, but ultimately [was] made because it wasn’t strictly essential to the functioning of the daycare.”

SSMU Constitution According to SSMU President Katie Larson, updates to the SSMU Constitution consist of a revision of the Board of Directors (BoD) selection procedure,

as well as changes recommended

by SSMU’s legal counsel, including the clarification of many definitions and changes to format that will make the document more understandable.

Larson said executives are now working to ensure that other SSMU documents are compatible with the revisions to the constitution.

“We are very pleased that the constitution passed,” Larson said. “The next step will be working on the Internal Regulations (bylaws) to be in line with the new document and to include things that were removed from the constitution back into the governance documents.”

Voter turnout The referendum saw the same voter turnout as last year’s Fall Referendum, with 18 per cent of undergraduate students voting. Ben Fung, chief electoral officer of Elections SSMU, said

this year’s turnout is typical, but that he is pursuing methods to increase participation for next semester “We’re satisfied with the turnout, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to keep trying new things,” Fung said. “It’s Elections SSMU’s responsibility to always look for different avenues for improving turnout.”

According to Fung, Elections SSMU is currently undertaking a project that seeks to apply the methods used by other universities to increase turnout.

“This semester, we’re doing an intensive research campaign into the bylaws and turnout campaigns of other universities so as to improve our [electoral] bylaws and initiatives,” Fung said.

“If we can find something that can feasibly be applied to SSMU, you may see something happen in the Winter semester.”

campus

Professors and students debate state-mandated secularism Attendees grapple with effect of proposed Quebec values charter on Muslim women Paniz Khosroshahy Contributor Professors and students tackled issues of secularism in the public sphere in a Canadian parliamentary-style debate on Nov. 14.

The event was hosted by the McGill Interfaith Students’ Council (MISC), in collaboration with the McGill Debating Union, the Political Bouillon, and the Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA).

Law professor Robert Leckey and student Ezra Cohen, U3 Arts, argued in favour of state-enforced secularism, while political science professor Mark Brawley and student Mwanza Tshimbalanga, U3 Arts, represented opposition to this stance. Participants’ stances in the debate did not necessarily represent their personal views.

Cohen began the debate by arguing the importance of eliminating religious symbols in the public sphere.

“When the state erects a religious symbol [in] a public space, we think that it sends a very clear message: it says that to be Quebecois is to be Catholic,” Cohen said. “If it has some cultural value, lovely—put it in a museum. If it doesn’t, recycle or auction it.”

According to Brawley, however, not all religious symbols are

used for the purpose of religious dissemination.

“Lady Gaga wears a cross, [but] not because she is trying to convert people to Christianity,” Brawley said. “People have the freedom to choose to wear certain things.”

Brawley went on to argue that enforcement of laws such as the Parti Québécois’ proposed Bill 60, formerly known as the Charter of Values, which seeks to prevent government employees from wearing obvious religious symbols in the workplace, would be very arbitrary, if not impossible. “[What the government is] trying to do is to infer things about the intent of the other person,” he said. “When is a headscarf a religious symbol and when is it a scarf? You have to think about the practical impact of this resolution if it was enforced. It’s going to have the exact opposite impact of secularism.”

At the event, Sarah Malik, equity educational advisor at McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education Office, criticized the format for not including speakers who will personally feel the impact of the proposed charter.

“It’s really important for people who are directly affected to be given space [and for] the format of these events to give voice to

people who are most affected, in particular Muslim women,” Malik said. “I take the hijab very close to my heart, but I do acknowledge that there is a difference between someone like me who [...] gets a certain amount of respect because I don’t wear the hijab, versus my hijabi sisters.”

In a panel following the debate, Pearl Eliadis, human rights lawyer and lecturer in the Faculty of Law, took a feminist approach in her criticism of the charter, saying it is particularly unfair to Muslim women.

“Let’s face it—this [charter] is about hijab,” said Eliadis. “[It is] a double-whammy against Muslim women, not only with regards to the fact that they are Muslim, but also with regards to the fact that they are women. Because men wearing beards are not going to be interrogated with regards to the reason they are wearing beards.”

Manjit Singh, the director of Chaplaincy Services at McGill, compared the PQ’s support of the Charter to other examples of oppression in history.

“I keep asking myself ‘what’s the difference between Parti Québécois and the party of Lenin and Stalin?’ They amended things, and people had to endure the suppression,” Singh said. “Is [the] Parti Québécois heading the same

Professor Leckey argues for secularism. (Suvij Sudershan / McGill Tribune) way?”

According to Trisha Islam, U3 Arts and an organizer of the event, the debate was a starting point for future mobilization against the Charter of Values.

“There are a lot of resources out there, and we definitely don’t want this event to be the [end] of anything,” Islam said. “We want to trigger other things.”

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

CAMPUS

Provost Masi explores effect of course digitization on university learning Lecture examines potential of McGill’s first Massive Open information technologies Eman Jeddy Staff Writer The effect that new technologies such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have on the way universities operate was the subject of a lecture by Provost Anthony Masi on Nov. 14.

MOOCs are free, online courses, which provide traditional class content and are open to the public. In addition, individual MOOCs feature online forums, which allow for discussion between students, teaching assistants, and professors.

Although MOOCs are not graded and do not count for credit towards a degree at the host university, participants receive a certificate of completion if they finish the program and any activities that accompany it.

According to Masi, MOOCs are one indication that students

are changing their expectations for education due to a digitization of resources; MOOCs have begun to alter the mechanisms for the delivery of information in higher education.

“The generation of students now coming to university are the first generation growing up as digital owners,” Masi said.

“They have expectations about the ways these [devices] will be used in their education, but we as educators have not prepared our own professors to think about structures to accommodate this new generation of students.”

On Nov. 3, McGill announced plans to unveil its first MOOC using non-profit website edX.org. Founded by MIT and Harvard last May, edX.org provides university-level courses online for free to a global audience.

Since its announcement,

over 5,000 students from across the world have enrolled in the course. Named “Food for Thought” and indexed as CHEM181x, the course will be formally available on Jan. 22 2014 and will be instructed by McGill Professors Ariel Fenster, David Harpp, and Joe Schwarcz.

Masi spoke further on the potential growth and accessibility that MOOCs can offer, citing the example of an introductory engineering course, named Circuits, which the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently ran.

“10,000 students were able to complete the course,” Masi said. “That’s more than a professor at MIT can teach over his or her whole lifetime.”

Masi said one of the criticisms against MOOCs is the cost of production, which ranges between $100,000 to $200,000 per

MOOC. Masi pointed out that MOOCs are not simply re-creations of traditional classroom teaching.

“The very first MOOCs are extremely expensive to make because they are really not just lecture recordings, they are courses redesigned to fit this mode of delivery and interaction with students,” Masi said. “You can’t just do 50 minutes of lecture; each hour of a MOOC has 10 to 20 additional hours of labour before you get to see it, so there certainly a cost to produce it.”

Helen Walsh, president and co-founder of the Literary Review of Canada, spoke on the necessity for student engagement in the conversation about MOOC development.

“Continual innovation of education is not just important to professors but students as well,” Walsh said. “[MOOCs] don’t

necessarily need to replace how you’re studying now, but they do have the potential to complement how you’re studying [...] and to impact the learning outcomes for the physical course that you’re taking as well.”

Marianne Chervier, a second-year masters student in the Faculty of Education who attended the event, said she is optimistic about the possibility of a greater integration of technology at McGill.

“Professors think quality assurance is their business, and they have a lot of forces pulling at them,” Chervier said. “I think [Masi] is doing a great job at understanding them and integrating them and I hope we will see some exciting changes and progressive technologies at McGill.”

campus

Updated version of Leacock restructuring plan presented at AUS Council TA cubicles and reorganized administrative hubs added to People, Processes, and Partnerships plan Anna Ma Contributor The latest version of the People, Processes, and Partnerships (PPP) restructuring plan for McGill’s Leacock Building features two additional administrative hubs and more teaching assistant (TA) cubicles.

Faculty of Arts Associate Dean Gillian Lane-Mercier announced the changes to the plan at the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Council meeting last Wednesday.

The PPP was introduced in April 2013 as a project that aims to reorganize the administrative services in the Faculty of Arts in light of staff reductions through the voluntary retirement program and decreased funding from the Quebec government. “[We are] trying to make these administrative unit hubs robust enough to sustain the early retirement departures and upcoming normal retirements which will continue as we are not allowed to hire,” Lane-Mercier said. “There is a complete hiring freeze, and we do not know how long it will last.”

She went on to say that the PPP initiative will ensure sufficient administrative services for the Faculty of Arts in the face of unpredictable funding from the province.

“We don’t know if the Quebec government will begin to reinvest in Quebec universities,” Lane-Mercier said. “We are not 100 per cent convinced that they will be reinvesting in administrative services, so we wanted to be ready to really remain robust.”

In the initial floor plans announced in April, the third floor of Leacock was the designated space for administrative services.

However, Lane-Mercier said current plans will leave the third floor unchanged. Instead, there will be two administrative hubs on different floors—each responsible for its own set of departments.

The first administrative hub will be located on the fourth floor and include the departments of Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy. On the seventh floor, a second hub will be devoted to the departments of History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Jewish Studies. “[The groupings] took a lot of thinking and statistics,” LaneMercier said. “We have huge units, small units, and a couple of more medium-sized units [in Leacock], so we just wanted to make sure we were not overburdening one hub with respect to the other hub. We tried to really get the work load for the administrators to be balanced and also to ensure balanced student services.”

Along with the two admin-

istrative hubs, revisions to the restructuring program include the construction of seven more TA cubicles inside Leacock 111 and the repurposing of room 608 into a seminar room.

AUS President Justin Fletcher said the two additions will be beneficial to students.

“The discussion of adding seven TA cubicles in Leacock 111 is really important,” Fletcher said.

“It’s a good study space right now, but there’s a lack of TA-student meeting areas. This not only allows for confidentiality, but after hours, it’s a group study area and allows for collaboration in a quiet space.”

Lane-Mercier emphasized that the question of space in Leacock is most pertinent to students. “[We have a] good opportunity to rethink inner spaces, how to repurpose inner spaces for students,” she said. “I think sharing is a great idea. There’s no reason why undergraduate students couldn’t have a shared student space with two or more departments.”

According to AUS VicePresident Communications Lucy Ava Liu, students can get involved through various sub-groups of the PPP. “Students can be involved by communicating the AUS their concerns,” Liu said. “The most direct impact for students is the concrete

TA cubicles will be added to Leacock 111. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) change in departmental administrative locations, and students in certain departments will need to familiarize themselves with new office locations for their departments’ administrative staff.”

Fletcher highlighted the importance of receiving input from students in order to ensure that the restructuring project is beneficial to them.

“Interior spaces in Leacock are going to be decided by departments,” Fletcher said. “It’s important for students involved in their

departmental association to speak with their department chair to say […] how we would like space to be utilized. Students need to be active in discussing the allocation of these interior spaces.”

The move is scheduled to begin this summer in order to reduce disruptions. The additional TA cubicles are expected to be completed by next Fall semester.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Student Government

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Students plan to promote safer spaces in Faculty of Engineering Possible solutions include incorporating social equity education into workshops, curriculum Chelsey Ju Contributor Members of the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) are looking to integrate social equity and sustainability into the Engineering curriculum.

An open discussion held on Nov. 10 addressed the creation of safer spaces for Engineering students.

EUS Equity Commissioner Christopher Tegho led the discussion on possible methods for promoting awareness of sexism, racism, and other issues within the faculty. He referred to various incidences that he saw as violations of individuals’ rights.

“Examples include problematic titles for events, or events [like] frosh that are all about drinking and do not include non-drinking options,” Tegho said. “There is also lots of rape culture in various engineering events. The Engineering chants during frosh mock people from other schools and other facul-

ties, [and] some are misogynistic.”

Former EUS president Josh Redel spoke on the challenges facing students who wish to integrate social equity into the curriculum. “[One of the] biggest challenges experienced in Engineering is that because of the extremely rigid curriculum, there is no space for courses that relate to sustainability, let alone to social equity,” Redel said.

He went on to say that the Faculty of Engineering tends to be “the target of conversations surrounding equity,” due to the disproportionate number of men to women in engineering, and because Engineering is often assumed to be a masculine program.

According to Lydia Ochieng, U3 Engineering, classrooms can be the site of problems regarding social equity. “[There are] complaints about professors that use ‘he’ to describe inanimate objects,” Ochieng said.

“Preventing the genderization of inanimate objects might be a good

idea.”

When considering possible methods to combat these issues, participants agreed that incorporating social equity promotion and education into the Engineering curriculum would be the most effective way to promote social awareness.

In order to do this in a way that is accessible to Engineering students, Redel suggested incorporating analytical exercises related to Engineering into classes that were already mandatory or workshops targeted towards Engineering students.

“Is there an opportunity to add in a more social [class] that covers something like […] social equity?”

Redel asked. “For example, perhaps critical thinking [about] how events were run, number of people invited, beverages served, etc., in a study of problematic scenarios.

That’s a very Engineering thing to do.”

Changing the curriculum is not a simple process, and would in-

volve associations and members of the faculty, as well as consultation with students. It would also have to meet the standards outlined by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, which accredits undergraduate Engineering programs across Canada.

However, updating the EUS equity policy is possible, according to Redel, who helped write the original EUS policy.

“EUS’ policy [is] reactive as opposed to active; if you feel something happened at an event, you can follow this complaint procedure, and talk to these people,” Redel said. “[The] Arts Undergraduate Society’s policy is a bit more active. The EUS should be active as well, [by stating]: if something happens, do this, when you’re planning an event, do this.”

Tegho brought up further methods to involve not only students but also professors in the process of integrating social equity into the Engineering curriculum.

“For instance, there are two

courses that Engineering students take throughout their curriculum where the subject of equity can be discussed—FACC 100 and FACC 400,” Tegho said. “Some students mentioned that the prof [sic] currently giving this course is looking for ideas and inputs. I hope to approach this professor by the end of the year.”

According to Tegho, FACC 100 and FACC 400 would be the ideal courses to implement material on equity because they are both mandatory for all Engineering students.

Redel said any ideas that the EUS puts into action will take time to become effective.

“Hosting workshops as well would be very easy for EUS to accomplish; it just takes dedication,” Redel said. “The long-term goal of making these sessions mandatory will be more difficult, but would come naturally, especially if the education component became a reality.”

Speaker on campus

Malcom Gladwell talks university “prestige“ factor, newest book Author speaks on his take on the “underdogs” of society and the development of his literary career Remi Lu Sports Editor Last Thursday’s Seagram Lecture featured Canadian author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell, who spoke on the drawbacks of attending elite institutions, the place of the underdog in society, and his controversial stance on performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

Gladwell is the award-winning author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. The event was part of the 2013 Seagram Lecture series hosted by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, and was moderated

by Eleanor Wachtel, host of CBC Radio’s Writers and Company.

“Malcolm Gladwell is a phenomenon, frequently described as one of the most [well-known] and influential writers in his generation because of how he’s able to explore and capture social trends and behaviour in ways that defy the age,” Wachtel said. “He writes with a kind of clarity that makes you think, ‘Of course.’”

On the topic of universities, Gladwell said there are drawbacks to attending elite institutions. He argued that students should not choose their university based on its prestige, because students are much more likely to be discouraged and drop out if they feel unsuccessful in comparison to their classmates.

“When we make judgments about how good we are at something, we compare ourselves not to the universe, but to those who are in our immediate surroundings,” Gladwell said. “When you’re a student […] you compare yourself to students in your classroom studying that science [….] But if you fall into the bottom half of your class at an elite institution such as Brown, Harvard, or McGill, you could wrongly reach the conclusion that you’re not any good.”

Gladwell also discussed his newest book David and Goliath, in which he argues that those whom society considers “handicapped” are not necessarily disadvantaged, but rather afforded an advantage due to their unique position as the underdog.

According to Gladwell, the disadvantaged state of, for example, dyslexic children, allows these individuals to pick up skills that others would never develop.

“We have a romantic attachment, I think, to sometimes exaggerating the plight of the underdog,” he said. “In fact, underdogs don’t win once every billion times—they win tons of times.”

To illustrate his current view of underdogs, Gladwell, a track and field fan, explained a childhood experience—watching Dwight Stone, a renowned high jumper favoured to win the competition, slip into third

Malcolm Gladwell and CBC Radio host Eleanor Wachtel discuss his new book. (Suvij Sudershan / McGill Tribune) place at the 1976 Olympics.

“Here I am, 10 years old, [and] watching this broke my heart,” Gladwell said. “Because I realized that when the favourite loses, he or she experiences far more emotional distress than when the underdog loses. The underdog expects to lose.

The favourite expect to win. When the favourite loses, they’re crushed [….] The truly human and empathetic position is to cheer for the favourite.”

During the talk, Gladwell also tackled a number of controversial pieces he has written, including his Sept. 9 article in the New Yorker

about athletes’ use of performanceenhancing drugs in professional sports. In his article, Gladwell argued that Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez’s use of performance-enhancing drugs was justified.

“The thing about Lance Armstrong and the other cyclists that use drugs is that they doped in order to train harder,” he said. “Isn’t the whole point of living in the modern world to use outside technologies to level the playing field?”

Gladwell also spoke on the content of his books throughout his career, saying that his scope has

changed as his style has evolved.

“I’m interested in bigger questions now than I was in the past,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s natural or not. Maybe I’ll cycle back and write something that’s very narrow again [….] I love the notion that you can look into a very specific, seemingly trivial thing, and let the larger lessons come up naturally.”

The McGill Seagram Lecture with Malcolm Gladwell can be found online at CBC.ca and is scheduled to broadcast on CBC Radio’s Writers and Company on Nov. 24 and Nov. 26.

opinion editorial

THE Mcgill

Editor-in-Chief Carolina Millán Ronchetti editor@mcgilltribune.com

Harassment of students not an answer to student harassment Last Wednesday, about a dozen protesters interrupted the class of professor Gary Dunphy, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. The protest was in response to allegations that surfaced in early April that Dunphy had repeatedly harassed, and made a death threat against Amr El-Orabi, a student he was supervising. The student claims that the harassment drove him to go back to Egypt out of fear. In September, the university ruled in favour of ElOrabi in the harassment case, a ruling that Professor Dunphy recently appealed. Although there is much controversy around this issue, the tactic of disrupting the class was an unconstructive form of protest.

This is not the first time the issue of class disruptions has surfaced. During the anti tuition-increase protests of 2011 and 2012, several departments in the Faculty of Arts held hastily arranged General Assemblies after the defeat of the strike vote in the heavily attended Arts Undergraduate So-

ciety (AUS) General Assembly (GA). These guerilla GAs, in turn, successfully passed resolutions that were used as ‘mandates’ for a series of protests that disrupted classes in their departments, including the English department.

At the time, this newspaper argued “any picketing done by those who do strike should not go so far as to deny other students’ right to education,” as such would constitute an act of hypocrisy. While we belive in the right to protest, and some aspects of the situation are different, the underlying principle remains the same; protests in the classroom cross the line.

The protest this past Wednesday was objectionable for a variety of reasons. From a purely strategic perspective, the protest was erratic and unfocused. While it ostensibly was about the allegations against Dunphy, the statement read during class also dealt at length with both the recent sexual assault allegations against the former members of the Redmen football team, as

Commentary Making STEM less sexist

Julie Vanderperre

Columnist The overt sexism that was once present in academia has largely disappeared. Women are finally accorded the same opportunities as men for success, or so it seems. The reality, however, is that subtle vestiges of sexism remain, limiting the ability of female students to reach their maximum potential. Remnants of sexism seem most visible in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, where women remain dramatically underrepresented.

Despite its persistence, the presumption that women lack the intellectual capabilities to excel in science and math has often been proven wrong. However, unconscious bias is a remnant of this long-standing stereotype. A 2012 study conducted

by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences is an excellent illustration of this. Faculty participants were each told to rate applicants—­which had been randomly assigned male or female names­­­­­—for a laboratory manager position. The faculty consistently rated the applications with male names higher than those supposedly belonging to women, despite their identical content. Participants believed the applications attributed to men were significantly more competent than those belonging to women.

Even more surprisingly, female faculty members were just as biased towards the male applications as their male colleagues. Similar studies regarding gender biases in science fields have been conducted with comparable results. Whether or not the perpetrators of gender bias are conscious of their discrimination, these studies clearly illustrate the degree to which gender stereotypes remain entrenched in society.

Female STEM students themselves often have subconscious biases regarding their own capabilities. Although they may be fully

well as a complaint filed by a Social Work professor who claims he was victimized by what he termed “systemic racism”. This overly broad list of grievances gives the impression that the Dunphy case functioned more as a pretext for protest than the actual point of the protest.

“Much as we hold our instructors and professors to high standards, we should expect the same of our fellow students.

”

Secondly, the protesters actively disrespected and antagonized the students in the class. When one of the students in the class challenged the protesters, complaining about the fact that they were interrupting a class they had paid to be in, a protester told the student to “go [expletive] yourself”. Aside from a matter of basic respect to fellow students, such conduct also

alienates the protesters from garnering the support of the student body at large.

This stance on the efficacy and legitimacy of the Wednesday protest should not be taken as a statement on the substance of the allegations against Dunphy. There are real questions about his conduct towards El-Orabi, which will be sorted out in the appeal and possible civil action. However, much as we hold our instructors and professors to high standards, we should expect the same of our fellow students. Harassment and intimidation of students who happen to be enrolled in a course they may have had minimal choice in taking is a hypocritical response in protest of alleged harassment and intimidation. While these students’ actions are within their rights under both the Student Code of Conduct and broader protections of free expression, they represent a divisive form of protest that should not be encouraged.

Managing Editors Ben Carter-Whitney bcarterwhitney@mcgilltribune.com Erica Friesen efriesen@mcgilltribune.com Jacqueline Galbraith jgalbraith@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Steven Lampert slampert@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Jessica Fu, Emma Windfeld, and Samuel Pinto news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Abraham Moussako opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Caity Hui scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Marlee Vinegar studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Jenny Shen features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Max Berger and William Burgess arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Mayaz Alam and Remi Lu sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Alexandra Allaire and Wendy Chen photo@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Alessandra Hechanova ahechanova@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Yael Chapman and Maryse Thomas design@mcgilltribune.com Online Editor Brontë Martin online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Spoon Jung and Daniel Kang ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

capable of attaining the same levels of success as their male classmates, females have been known to have lower confidence in their abilities.

Several factors could be contributing to the lack of confidence among women in STEM; one main reason may be a deficit of encouragement.

Since these fields have traditionally been male-dominated and conventionally unwelcoming towards women, female students are less likely to have encountered the same degree of positive reinforcement as men when entering these professions.

A second factor contributing to the issues women face is that they often have been socialized away from these fields since birth. Society conditions women—and men— to act and think in certain ways.

The preference of women to enter into arts-related fields rather than science or engineering can be seen as a direct result of societal norms, which stereotype all women as being more empathetic and better at communicating than men. Why are we surprised when young boys who have been socialized into playing

with construction sets and assembling train sets, are more likely to want to be engineers, for example, than their sisters, who were given dolls?

For thousands of years, humans have been socialized to believe that women are inferior to men. While we have come a long way, gender biases linger within society. In order to close the gender gap in STEM fields at universities, and, more generally, to ensure gender equality in all educational and professional spheres, we must try to limit the effects of the latent preferences that are still present. In addition to acknowledging our prejudices and rectifying our tendencies, efforts also need to be made to encourage women to enter these fields.

As more and more focus is placed on progressing technologically, we must take advantage of all society’s bright minds. Continuing to focus on the contributions of only half of the population by limiting the opportunities for women to reach their full potential constitutes a large and unfortunate loss to science and technological progress.

TPS Board of Directors

Shadi Afana, Anand Bery, Jonathan Fielding, Abhishek Gupta, Adrien Hu, Steven Lampert, Chris Liu, Carolina Millán Ronchetti, Elisa Muyl, and Simon Poitrimolt

Staff Writers

Prativa Baral, Max Bledstein, Wyatt Fine-Gagné, Osama Haque, Eman Jeddy, Alycia Noë, Kia Pouliot, Aaron Rose, Julie Vanderperre, Elie Waitzer, Diana Wright, and Cece Zhang

Contributors

Morgan Alexander, Abhishek Gupta, Mark Haydn, Chelsey Ju, Arslinn Kalob, Paniz Khosroshahy, Lauren Konken, Alex Kpeglo-Hennessy, Hayley Lim, Anna Ma, Alexander Messina, Jack Neal, Samiha Sharif, Andrew Su, Suvij Sudershan, Jack Tokarz, and Ruidi Zhu

Tribune Office Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff.

Have your say.

Write for Opinion.

Meetings Mondays at 6 p.m. in the Tribune office (Shatner 110) opinion@mcgilltribune.com

Please recycle this newspaper.

7

columnists Ford sputters in media circus

Lauren Konken

Commentary

Rob Ford, with all of his latest foibles, has now achieved worldwide infamy. In just a matter of weeks, the mayor of Toronto has revealed himself to be a crack user, drunk driver, and ultimately unfit for office. What’s missing in this list of labels the media has conjured? That the man is a liar.

The Ford case highlights two major issues with the nature of politics today: the media remains caught

Letter to the editor Divest McGill turns one year old

Divest McGill About a year and a half ago, Bill McKibben wrote an article in Rolling Stone magazine outlining the climate crisis and urging the world to take action against its main perpetrator, the fossil fuel industry. This call to action saw the conception of over 400 divestment campaigns around the world, and six months later, gave birth to Divest McGill.

If you’re a student at McGill today, you most likely grew up learning about climate change and the myriad of environmental crises facing our planet. But it can be hard to appreciate just how urgent climate change is.

In the year since the beginning of our campaign, we’ve released 31 gigatons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. That’s 6.5 per cent of the 469 gigatons of CO2 equivalent scientists say we cannot surpass without facing irreversible and catastrophic climate change. This means that if Divest McGill is still around for its 15th birthday, we will have already surpassed this carbon budget.

Of particular interest to us as members of this institution is the fact that Canada’s tar sands hold upwards of 400 gigatons, a staggering 85 per cent of the global carbon budget. And, of particular interest to us as young adults is the increasing rate of hurricanes, floods, droughts, sea level rise, and tropical disease to which we’re condemning ourselves and our children.

The fossil fuel industry is pushing for the destruction of our planet. They drive relentlessly

up in the man’s private life, while failing to account for the fact that he spent months working to cover up his actions.

On May 16 2013, Gawker editor John Cook reported that he had viewed a cellphone video of the mayor of Toronto smoking crack cocaine. The Toronto Star shortly followed suit, claiming to be following the same tip, and to have seen the video. Gawker proceeded to raise $200,000 to purchase the video, only for the seller to disappear.

Amidst the rising tide of allegations, Mayor Ford took it upon himself to repeatedly deny the existence of the tape, and claimed that he had never smoked crack.

The Toronto police announced on Oct. 31st that they were in possession of the tape; days later, after five months of denying his habits,

Ford admitted publicly to having smoked crack cocaine, though he was careful to deny being addicted.

Since then, further details from police reports have emerged, revealing allegations from Ford staffers that Ford was a drunk driver, engaged with prostitutes, and has drank on the job. The media has been more than happy to cover each accusation, and the hoopla of just what Mayor Ford has done has garnered international attention. The incident has become a wellspring of material for the late-night comics, featured most recently in the cold open of the Nov. 16 episode of Saturday Night Live.

The horse-race narrative of politics has generated a superficial discussion of Ford’s private life.

Journalists and news anchors have become overly concerned with his weight, potential drug addiction,

and poor life choices. While entering public life as a politician opens up scrutiny of the private life, is this standard truly applicable to a mayor? Who are we to judge? Do Ford’s choices in his private life affect his ability to enact decisions in the best interest of the City of Toronto? While Ford has a predilection towards drugs and profane words, it stands aside from the fact that he is a habitual liar to the public on matters pertaining to his private life. Moreover, the fact that the media continues to focus on his drug use, weight, and poor choice of words has left him in a position of power, while also generating negative international attention to a major Canadian city.

Ford is an elected official. His actions have diverted attention away from far more pressing issues. He has lied about a serious offense for

over five months. He has also lied about other illicit activities. His efforts to dance around the sensitive issues in his private life may have him lying about major matters of public policy. Does it matter that he’s done drugs? That is for the justice system to decide, not the media.

What matters is the fact that he’s unaccountable to his constituents.

The Toronto City Council moved on Nov. 15 to strip Ford of all executive powers, essentially making him into a figurehead. He may as well be left in a clown suit to dance around for the world to see. Still, at the end of the day Ford is still the mayor, and so long as he is, he will continue to make a mockery of himself and our country. Unfortunately, our media outlets will be more than happy to keep pouncing on him.

for the continued consumption of oil and other resources, they lobby against stronger climate change policy and obfuscate the truth about climate science. By targeting them, we can begin meaningful progress in the fight against climate change.

In December 2012, McGill had around $29.2 million invested in the fossil fuel industry in a $1 billion fund known as the endowment. McGill has already divested from tobacco companies as well as those involved in Myanmar because McGill deemed those investments to be against its values.

As a university, McGill is a moral beacon for society and this impacts public attitude. When a series of universities divested from tobacco beginning in the ’90s, we saw a string of new antitobacco legislation across the globe. As highlighted in a recent study from Oxford, divestment campaigns serve to delegitimize and stigmatize the industries it targets and have catalyzed largescale legislative change.

While we need to continue encouraging individual actions like biking instead of driving or eating less meat, these actions alone will not be enough. The core business plan of the fossil fuel industry—to burn through the planet’s carbon reserves—is a threat to our very survival on this planet, and their focus on shortterm profits means they will continue to defend their ability to carry out this business plan with all the wealth and political power they possess. Fighting climate change successfully will require limiting the social, financial, and political power these companies have, and divestment is an important start to this. Along with over 400 campuses and other institutions across the world, we are calling

on McGill to divest from the top 200 fossil fuel companies that plan to extract more carbon than our climate can afford.

McGill’s divestment would give us all a better chance of a livable future.

The McGill community is responding with real momentum to our call for action on climate change. Divest McGill gained mandates from the three major student unions (The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU); the Post Graduate Students Society (PGSS); and the Macdonald Campus Students’

Society, representing over 30,000 students), campus groups, workers unions, and in just a few months over 1200 signatures from students, faculty, alumni, and staff. With this backing, last winter we presented to the Board of Governors’ Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) as to why McGill should divest from the fossil fuel industry.

Despite this overwhelming support, and the undeniable evidence that investing in the fossil fuel industry is a threat to society, we were deeply

disappointed CAMSR didn’t recommend fossil fuel divestment to the Board of Governors.

But climate change isn’t going away, so neither are we; we’re going to continue turning up the heat on campus before it gets too hot to live on our own planet. Keep an eye out for Divest McGill’s actions and events this year as we mature into our terrible twos, and join the fastest growing divestment movement in history.

Find out more, and sign the petition at www.divestmcgill.com

Université d’Ottawa

|

University of Ottawa

THE KNOWLEDGE

EXCHANGE Come and find out about the cutting-edge research projects happening at University of Ottawa and exchange with some of our brightest researchers.

WHERE: Palais des congrès de Montréal WHEN: November 26, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

COST: Free

LEAD. INSPIRE. CHANGE.

Details and registration:

discoveruOttawa.ca

Student living Kazu: a hidden treasure of Japanese cuisine Bite-sized restaurant’s long lines are worth the wait Alycia Noë Staff Writer Who would have thought a restaurant barely the size of a bedroom would serve impressive food? With its handwritten menu thumbtacked to the wall, most people would walk by without giving Kazu a chance. A holein-the-wall authentic Japanese restaurant that opened in 2011, Kazu may not have the best outward appearance, but the food surely delights.

Kazu’s sign is easy to miss, as it blends in along the main strip of downtown Montreal, but the long lines extending daily from its door pique the interest of passersby.

Inside, the service is quick, efficient, and friendly, meeting the high customer demand. Mistakes may oc-

casionally occur due to the distracting environment, but the hosts always try their best to ensure the best experience. Unlike other eateries, they apologize if, for example, they forget your drinks.

From the bar, you can observe the chefs as they quickly turn out delicious food. One highlight of the menu is the shrimp burger—a homemade shrimp patty served on a lightly toasted bun with spicy mayonnaise, crisp lettuce, and a thin rice patty that provides a much-needed crunch. This lightened-up burger is the perfect fusion, serving an American classic with a Japanese flavour profile.

Another highlight is the 48-hour pork bowl, which serves juicy, tender pork atop onions and a generous bed of rice. The fresh ginger adorning this

dish further enhances the deep pork essence developed through slow simmering.

Kazu is well-known for having some of the best ramen in all of Montreal, but this crave-worthy dish is served only at lunch (Monday, Wednesday to Friday, and Sunday) from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Their claim to fame lives up to the hype, as the delicious broth isn’t overly salty like many other ramen houses, and the noodles provide a perfect textural contrast to the soft egg and edamame bean toppings. Since this seemingly simple dish is actually quite difficult to make, Kazu’s ramen is an impressive reflection of the the chefs’ understanding of Japanese cuisine, and is further enhanced with a few homemade seaweed chips for more umami.

Photo courtesy of Kazu Kazu is also vegetarian-friendly, since the chefs make their own homemade tofu. They take pride in serving well-cooked vegetables in a creative fashion, such as their eggplant dip and rice balls.

If you’re a more adventurous eater, you can venture to try pork neck and cheek, tuna belly, or kimchi. Originally a Korean delicacy, kimchi is a spiced, fermented cabbage that provides the ideal juxtaposition between piquancy and a slightly sweet quality to soothe and tantalize the tongue as you eat. For dessert, there are homemade soft ice creams in flavours that include wasabi and black sesame.

To experience the delights inside Kazu, however, you must have patience. Complaints regarding the wait times—which can reach upwards of

half an hour—are common. For the busy student, there is a way around this issue. The eager eater can call ahead to place an order for pick up (unfortunately, Kazu still doesn’t offer a delivery service). Something else to note is that prices at the cash-only restaurant tend to be slightly higher than average because the chefs insist on sourcing only quality ingredients.

Nonetheless, Kazu does not disappoint with its boldly-flavoured Japanese dishes that excite all palates.

1862 Saint Catherine Steet West (514) 937-2333 Mon., Wed.-Fri., Sun: 12:00-3:00 p.m., 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Tuesday: closed Sat: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Campus Life

Student-run not-for-profit to hold Local Artists Market featuring student and Montreal talent Marlee Vinegar Student Living Editor The twinkle of festive lights decorating downtown Montreal is a sign that stores will soon be overcrowded with shoppers in search of gifts for family and friends. As an alternative to this preholiday tradition, McGill’s Local Artists Market on Nov. 21 provides an opportunity to buy gifts you probably won’t be able to find in the mall.

Organized by the Market Cooperative and the McGill Farmers’ Market, Thursday’s market will take place in the SSMU Ballroom and will feature around 44 vendors showcasing and selling their work.

About half the expected vendors are students, and the rest are people from the Montreal community. Vendors will sell everything from photography and homemade candles and soaps, to jewelry and locally produced tea and food.

Local bands will also provide live entertainment.

“The idea is to really bring people like McGill students, the Montreal community, musicians, artists, sort of everyone together into a community space where goods [are available],” Market Cooperative Co-founder Sam Gregory said. “People can find things for around the house, for Christmas, [and] for the holidays.”

Gregory and co-founder Amelia Brinkerhoff started the Market Coopera-

tive in 2012.

“It was a venue that was lacking at McGill to show off [people’s] passions or creative hobbies on the side and really share it with the community,” Gregory said.

He stressed that the Market Cooperative is “not just for the holiday season.” Since their first event in February 2013, Gregory and Brinkerhoff have held several markets to provide opportunities for students and others in the community to share their artistic and creative work.

“Having low table prices mitigates the risk of trying out new ideas and crafts,” said Madeleine Pawlowski, a repeat vendor as part of the jewelrymaking sister duo, Les Arts Plastiques.

Pawlowski is an Arts student at McGill, while her sister Alicia Pawlowski is a graduate student at the University of Alberta studying pediatrics.

“Market Cooperative is on its way to having a loyal and diverse following, and once it does, it’ll be an excellent testing ground for artists and crafters who want to see if they can make a go for it if there’s a real demand for their products,” Pawlowski said.

For the consumer, the market atmosphere provides an enriching and cost-effective shopping experience with the organizers bringing in reasonably priced vendors who aim to meet student interests. “[A student] could go to Urban

Outfitters and buy something there that’s 50 or 60 bucks, or they could come to the market and get something that’s locally produced, supporting the local economy and the community,” Gregory said. “It’s going to be more sustainable because it’s made in local places, not being shipped […] and it’s going to be more affordable, too.”

On a broader community level, the founders hope to better connect McGill with the rest of the Montreal community.

“It’s giving that opportunity to create a sense of belonging in the city and interact,” Gregory said. “Markets are a great place for people to come together.

[Market-goers] spend half an hour walking around and they’ll see friends and they’ll chat.”

Pawlowski noted the more practical advantages of the markets for vendors. “[Bringing] together the McGill crafters and Montreal ones […] fosters a connection between both communities, and [they can] share their experiences and knowledge of ‘what works’ in the handmade world,” she said.

Despite their plans for two upcoming markets in the Winter semester, the cooperative currently faces several challenges because they do not fit into SSMU’s framework due to their current operational structure. The non-profit organization generates revenue through the sale of tables to the vendors, of which a small portion goes towards a stipend

(marketcooperative.org)

for the four main organizers.

“Because of that, we can’t be a student club and there [are] a lot of barriers,” Gregory said. “[SSMU] is not supporting us being an [Independent Student Group], or seeing value in us.

That’s been one of the biggest frustrations for us, [since] we’re paying $800 for the ballroom [….] Every market, we’re just trying to cover the cost.”

Internal groups, such as student clubs and Independent Student Groups, receive priority room booking in the SSMU Building, and do not have to pay for the rent. Since the Market Cooperative is an external group they have to pay rent for the ballroom, which means they

have no money leftover to help the initiative grow.

According to Gregory, the Market Cooperative is not looking to become a student club because the associated bureaucracy would unnecessarily complicate the market’s operation. They hope to find a way to move past these hurdles—for example, by negotiating a lower rental fee.

“We’d like to see a compromise so we can pay half price,” Gregory said. “$400 less is $400 more we can put into the market to help it grow.”

McGill’s Local Artists Market takes place Thursday, Nov. 21 in the SSMU Ballroom at 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

student

Eirn Boparai U3 Anatomy ( Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune)

Eirn Boparai is well-versed in the the art of being a good listener.

As Vice-President Public Relations for McGill Students’ Nightline, Boparai helps spread the word about the various situations that volunteers at the phone line are trained to assist with—whether that’s helping a firstyear student understand Minerva, recommending a restaurant, or dealing with a mental health emergency.

Nightline is a student-run initiative that provides confidential listening services from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day of the week. “[Volunteers] have been taught how to talk to students who may have depression, any sort of mental health issues—even students who just want someone to talk to, de-stress, and get everything off their shoulders,” he said.

Boparai launched Nightline’s promotional team last semester and currently acts as the liaison between the promotional team and the operational branch. Members of the promotional team advertise the service on campus, but do not know the identity of Nightline’s anonymous volunteers who take calls.

Although Boparai has given up

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

by Erica Friesen

taking calls in his current role, he was initially drawn to Nightline in second year because of the skills it allowed him to develop as a confidential listener.

“I thought it would be the best way for me to change as a person and learn to adapt to different situations; if you pick up that call, you don’t know what you’re getting so you have to be ready,” he said. “I felt that it was a service that I can give a lot to, and I can get a lot back as well, because the skills I’ve learned from Nightline have really made my life easier in terms of how I interact with others.”

Nightline volunteers approach their telephone interactions through a technique called “active listening,” which Boparai described as listening to a person’s situation “without really saying anything.”

“When you’re talking to your friend, you might feel judged,” he said.

“But our volunteers don’t know the person on the other end of the line, so it gives them the opportunity to talk about something freely [.…] The goal of active listening is to avoid judging, to not give advice, and not to tell callers what to do, but to just listen and help callers come to conclusions on their

own.”

These listening skills also translate to Boparai’s work as a floor fellow at New Residence Hall.

“I’m there as an upper year to guide [first year students]—kind of like a big brother—to give them different strategies that I’ve used, and just generally [to] be someone who’s there to listen to them and to help them any way that I can,” Boparai said. “It’s tough making that transition from high school to university. It’s nice having someone there who’s an upper year who can help make that transition easier.”

While Boparai said his skillset from Nightline prepared him well for the position, he said New Residence provides him with new challenges every day.

“There are so many people, so many names to remember,” he said.

You’re constantly meeting new people because with 750 people there are a lot of people to meet. I enjoy it though [….] It is a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge.”

Contact the McGill Students’ Nightline at (514) 398-6246.

6 p.m. - 3 a.m.

9

If you could be one kind of food what would you be?

Chicken wings. They’re spicy, hot, and delicious.

Which fictional character would you meet if you could?

Spiderman—he’s my hero! He’s a geek and a nerd and a loser, but when he puts on that mask, he becomes the coolest guy ever.

What was the last book you read for fun?

A Thousand Splendid Suns.

If you could be involved in another club or service on campus, which one would you pick?

TV McGill. Me and my friend in second year used to make really funny skits and YouTube videos [….] I think I would like more of McGill to know about how silly and ridiculous I can be [.…] Sometimes their videos are really funny, so being part of that would be really cool!

nominate a student of the week!

Email us at studentliving@ mcgilltribune.com

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Navigating the next steps: graduate school applications

Expert on university admissions explains ins and outs of gaining acceptance to graduate school Samiha Sharif Contributor Undergraduate degrees today are gradually becoming the high school degrees of yesterday. According to Shawn O’Connor, founder of Stratus Prep New York’s test preparation and admissions consulting firm, graduate degree programs are increasingly receiving more and more applications.

O’Connor regularly travels with universities’ admissions groups across North America. On Nov. 11, the Political Science Students Association (PSSA) brought in O’Connor, who shared advice from an insider’s perspective on applying to graduate schools, law schools, and business schools. Topics included financial aid, personal statements, and standardized testing.

He explained the long-term importance of putting together a strong application in order to get into the best schools.

“Graduate school is a brand which you will purchase, [one] that you will be associated with for the rest of your life,” O’Connor said. “If you go to business school at McGill or [the University of Toronto], which are the top two [business schools] in Canada, your median starting salary will be 85,000-86,000 American dollars. If you go to business school in the United States, your starting

salary will be between on average 115,000—145,000 dollars. These are the best schools in the world; you will be getting a global degree.”

According to O’Connor, graduate schools have two aims: they want their acceptance rate to be low, and their yield rate to be high. Yield rate is the number of people who accept their offer of admission; it’s considered a matter of brand strength. To increase their yield rate, universities offer scholarships to the most compelling applicants.

O’Connor said that universities sort applications into three categories based on GPA and standardized test scores: “auto admit,” where exceptional marks guarantee admission, but essays and recommendation letters are important for scholarship prospects; a “debate” category where GPA, LSAT, essay, and recommendation letters are equally important for admission; and “auto rejects,” where the applications will never be looked at by a human, but will be sorted by software.

Getting into the “auto admit” category takes foresight and effort, which students don’t necessarily realize.

“It’s not last minute; [applications] actually take a lot of preparation, so this was good slap in the face to wake you up,” event attendee Guellermo Renna, U3 Arts, said.

O’Connor’s TIPS for success

Standardized tests

You should begin planning for standardized testing in advance. For business and graduate school, you’ll need a four month window to study because the standardized tests are easier.

For law school, you need a six-month time frame. Never take the February LSAT exam; since it is not publicly released, it includes more difficult questions. Instead, take the June exam, and keep the October one for backup.

Applying for financial aid

Canadian students often assume they cannot afford schools in the United States. Schools like Georgetown and Columbia are good options; they give around 50 meritbased scholarships. Furthermore, by applying to multiple schools—for example, 15-16 schools in the U.S. and six to seven schools in Canada—if you receive a scholarship at a lower-ranked school, you may ask a higher-ranked school to which you were accepted without scholarship for merit-based aid. A school may oblige in order to prevent you from turning down their offer to keep their yield rate high.

Personal statements

The personal statement is im-

perative, and any “optional” or “diversity” essay is not really optional.

A personal statement should be about why you want to go into law, business, or graduate school, and why that particular school. The optional statement is for the applicant to get personal, and write a memorable story. You should not write about your study abroad experience— that’s the number one thing that people write about in the U.S. Be distinctive. Law schools want to know what type of law the applicant wants to practice; they want the applicant to have a purpose, and not just go to law school for “self-discovery.”

(Andrew Su / McGill Tribune)

Recommendation letters

Business schools prefer insight from someone who has worked with the applicant, whereas law schools desire people with high credentials to share insight on the applicant’s achievements.

For other graduate schools, the letters must come from someone working in the specific discipline for which the applicant is applying. The more customized the letters of recommendations are to the applicant, the better. You should prepare materials for professors to aid their recommendations, for example, letters for law school and PowerPoint slides for business school.

10 | FEATURES

Tra n s i t ioning from CEG EP Exploring Quebec’s unique u n i v e r s i t y p r e - r eqUISIT E B y A BR A H A M M OUSS A K O With its pride of place in the heart of downtown Montreal, McGill is often seen as a global university, not solely a Quebec or Montreal institution. However, students from the province of Quebec make up a large portion of the university, comprising over two thirds of Canadian undergraduates and just over 40 per cent of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Fall 2012 incoming class. Students entering McGill from in-province generally apply from a Collège d’enseignement général et professionel (CEGEP), a stage of the Quebec educational system that functions as a bridge between the end of high school and university, employment, or other alternatives thereafter. At McGill, applicants with a CEGEP diploma generally receive 30 credits, or the equivalent of a full year of classes.

The CEGEP system consists of 48 public institutions throughout Quebec and is a feature unique to the province. It includes five that provide instruction in English and several other private colleges which provide the same diploma credentials but are not officially CEGEPs. Since Ontario phased out its “grade 13” program a decade ago—though many students still repeat grade 12 classes —no other jurisdiction in the U.S. or Canada sets up for another year of education beyond grade 12 and prior to university.

Students in Quebec enter CEGEP after grade 11 and attend either a two-year university preparatory program which gives a Diplome d’études collégiales (Diploma of College Studies), or a three year vocational program which awards

an Attestation d’études collégiales (Attestation of College Studies in English); both are designed to facilitate direct entry into the workforce in a particular trade.

The vocational degree, however, is not designed to preclude later entry to university.

The CEGEP system was established in 1967 in the wake of recommendations made by the Parent Commission, a widereaching inquiry into the state of education in Quebec instituted by then-Premier Jean Lesage. This was just one in a sweeping array of changes to Quebec society in the 1960s, often known as the “Quiet Revolution.” The creation of the CEGEP also represented an equalization of the length of French and English education in the

School Boards) released a report recommending the abolition of the CEGEP level, and in its place adding a year to high school.

The argument in these cases has largely centred around the cost savings that could come from removing this additional administrative apparatus.

The value of the CEGEP program, however, has been defended by many stakeholders, and;there are currently no serious plans to revamp or eliminate the system. Donna Varrica, communications coordinator at Dawson College—an Englishlanguage CEGEP—argues that the system performs a valuable service in preparing students for university-level material.

“The expectations placed on

CE G E P provided a t ran sit ion period where st udent s c ould b e i mmersed in some of t he c on c epts of universit y-level learn in g. province. Previously, the French educational system consisted of three extra years of schooling through the end of university, while the English system was two extra years, totalling 15 years.

After the introduction of CEGEP, both languages had 16 years of instruction.

The abolition of the CEGEP system has been suggested multiple times in recent years.; In 2003, the Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec (Federation of Quebec

the student are more rigorous than high school,” she said. “There is no hand-holding, there is no one to ensure that you go to classes, do your work, [or] track your progress on a day-to-day level.

Students are taught by teachers with minimally a [master’s degree and] a large percentage [of instructors at Dawson] have PhDs. [These instructors] chose to stay in the college system to focus on teaching as they were less interested in research.”

Varrica also emphasized that

CEGEP offers affordable access to post-secondary education—public CEGEPs like Dawson are heavily subsidized.

According to Varrica, the education offered at CEGEPs also represents a unique blend of the high school and university experience.

“Most CEGEPs as a rule have smaller class sizes than in university—40 maximum,” Varrica noted. “While that is different than university, it serves the purpose of giving students more individual attention to tackle subjects that are new to them and more difficult, [...] such as philosophy, [and] the social sciences, [that] they may not have been exposed to in high school.

This method better prepares them for university. They are dealing with curriculum that is often university-level.”

Despite the academic preparation, adjusting to the workload of university from CEGEP can still be jarring for some students.

Ryan Cons, a U3 political science student at McGill who attended Dawson, said he thought that even though the program helped him develop a sense of independence, there was still a disconnect.

“The level of material was good, but the expectations and the amount of work was nothing like what’s at McGill,” Cons said.

“An essay I would have handed in at Dawson and gotten maybe high 80s on would maybe get a B- here.”

Matthew Eidinger, also a U3 political science student, had a similar view.

“I feel that going to high school and then CEGEP [helped me] make

11 | FEATURES Clockwise from left: Collège Dawson, Collège d’Études Osteopathiques, Collège de Maisonneuve.

(Jack Neal/ McGill Tribune)

the transition in that I got to learn a lot of themes in university,” Eidinger said.

“But the methodology in learning those themes was lacking, [there was] a jump that shouldn’t be there.”

Eidinger said that his CEGEP, Vanier College, did enable him to learn about many of the basic liberal arts concepts that students in a four-year program would only learn about in first year. “[However,] the methodology [of how] it was taught and the workload was lacking,” Eidinger said. He also noted that the reading load was inadequate preparation for McGill.

The jump from a French-language CEGEP to an English-language university also heightens these transition issues.

Joan Barrett, the students affairs advisor in the Faculty of Education, stated the recommendations that advisors often make for those who studied at French CEGEPs. “The Student Affairs Office (SAO) and departmental advisers refer [students] to the services at the First-Year Office and advise them of the fact that they can submit papers in French,” Barrett said.

“Depending on the student and the program, it might be suggested that they take 12 credits instead of 15. We would also communicate to them in French as needed.”

U2 physical and occupational therapy student Ariane Vaillancourt faced a significant language transition from her CEGEP, Collège Ahuntsic.

Switching from French to English was difficult for her

at the beginning because of the nature of in-class interactions.

“One of the teachers [will] ask a question and you need to really answer fast,” Vaillancourt said. “And sometimes the words just don’t come out in English—I will say something in French [instead].” While Vaillancourt said she had been speaking English since she was six, she expressed the necessity of “[setting] your brain to English mode,” which she wasn’t able to do as quickly at the time.

Marion ChampouxPellegrin, a U2 Arts student, also had difficulties transitioning from Colleèe de Maisonneuve to McGill. “[The language transition] was an odd one,” Champoux-Pellegrin said. “Because I’ve always been bilingual, I’ve always watched movies and read books in English, I’ve always talked to my parents in English [...] it’s more the vocabulary [that was an issue]. Focusing on one language which wasn’t French [...] and catching up with all these words being thrown out in lecture [was a challenge].”

McGill does, however provide some programs to help students handle the transition from CEGEP to university.

Barrett outlined one initiative, the CEGEP Student Information session (CSI), which is designed to help CEGEP students become acquainted with university.

She also cited other options, such as academic skills workshops during orientation week, as well as departmental advising sessions.

Barrett noted that advisors from all of the faculties often have conversations with CEGEP advisors about ways to smooth the transition, though she did not have any recommendations for adapting programs at the CEGEP level.

However, students such as Sarah Gold, U2 international development studies, are critical about the transition workshops coming out of CEGEP. “There was one workshop that was held in May to explain registration, which was completely confusing,” said Gold. “We still had to figure it out ourselves.”

Kelly Guy, a U3 psychology student, took a similar view.

“I would have liked to see a little more presence in the CEGEPs, perhaps even past students coming back and just speaking casually to CEGEP students,” Guy said.

Despite these challenges, students who came out of CEGEP have positive outlooks on the role it played in their education. It provided a transition period where they could be immersed in some of the basic underlying concepts of university-level learning without the complete loss of supervision and small class sizes that go along with education at a large institution such as McGill.

“I found that high school prepared [us] for CEGEP, and CEGEP prepared us for university,” Guy said. “The workload was heavy, but nothing that a little extra push couldn’t help.”

Data from mcgill.ca

Chart adapted from cicic.ca

Science & technology Science from

SCIENCE FICTION :

Researchers search for more effective modes of interstellar transport Alexander Messina Contributor The itch to explore has always played a key role in our culture. It has also been an important anchor upon which many works of science fiction are based; many stories feature tales about exploration. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfaall featuring a man visiting the moon by means of a balloon is agreed to be one of the first works of science fiction and was published in 1835.

Unlikely modes of transportation aside, we have reached a point in history where most of the globe is quite well known, and only the stars remain to be explored and discovered. So it is not so surprising that space travel has become such a staple of so many science fiction tales. From Star Trek to Futurama, we seem obsessed with exploring space.

The conventional mechanism of propulsion for spacecraft is relatively well known. The product of highly exothermic chemical reactions which expel a great deal of energy is expelled through a nozzle at the base of the rocket.

Newton’s Third Law, which states that “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction” takes care of the rest.

This method of propulsion may be simple, but it has a few flaws. First, it is a very inefficient process. Only 35 per cent of the energy expelled from the chemical reactions actually goes towards moving the ship; the rest

most likely escapes as heat. Although the reactions do generate a great deal of acceleration—the rate at which their speed increases—their top speed is limited to about 8000 meters per second.

8000 meters per second might sound fast, but the speed of light is 300,000,000 meters per second—quite a big difference.

Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our own solar system is 4.3 light years—the time it takes for the light to travel to us—away.

This means that there’s roughly 40,000,000,000 kilometres in between us and the closest star.

One reasonable alternative to internal combustion engines is the use of ion drives. Espoused by science fiction writers, these propulsion systems have recently emerged into widespread use, as they tackle a few of the problems raised by chemical propulsion.

The ion drive was first described in 1947 in the short story called The Equalizer, written by Jack Williamson. Later, George Lucas uses ion drives in the Twin Ion Engines—small, manuverable spacecrafts—featured in Star Wars. Both writers emphasize the faster and more efficient means of space travel that this alternate method provides.

An ion is simply a particle. It can be an atom or a molecule, and is either positively or negatively charged. Ions are interesting because they can be manipulated using currents. The concept is not so different from moving a magnet around using another magnet.

In the case of ion propulsion,

electric current is used to push charged particles out of the nozzle rather than chemical products.

The advantage of this system is not so evident, but it relies on the fact that the ions are being pushed out of the rocket by an electric current. Ion engines use plasma, which is a neutral gas consisting of equal amounts of positive and negative charges.

Plasma is considered its own state of matter because of its fairly unique properties. Prime among them is the fact that it is a good conductor of electricity.

Using electric current as a method of propulsion is better than simply using a chemical reaction because the heat of the reaction limits the latter. The voltage applied to ion thrusters is the limiting factor in their top speed, and voltage is theoretically unlimited.

Furthermore, rockets have top speeds of 90,000 meters per second—a great deal faster than chemical thrusters (rockets with a single propellant force). The downside is that their acceleration is not high enough to exit the earth’s atmosphere. While rockets require a great deal less fuel, they must be used in conjunction with other methods to escape the earth’s pull.

Although both these technologies are great strides in the effort to explore beyond our solar system, the incredible distances between us and other cosmic bodies are limiting. If we truly want to navigate interstellar distances, we would need newer and better

Ion propulsion is being explored as a potential means of space travel.

(Ruidi Zhu / McGill Tribune) modes of transportation.

One group of researchers called Icarus Interstellar have spearheaded such attempts with various projects involving numer-

ous contributions from researchers around the world. The company, along with others such as SpaceX, seeks to maybe one day make our wildest dreams come true.

TECHNOLOGY

Start-up Grind hopes to educate, inspire, and connect Director and McGill alumnus Rami Sayar brings the event series to Montreal this November Abhishek Gupta Contributor Fifty cities; 15 countries; 15,000 entrepreneurs—this is the ground covered so far by the Startup Grind. Founded by entrepreneurs Derek Anderson and Spencer Nielson in Feb. 2010, the event series will soon be making an appearance in Montreal.

With the intention of creating a place for friends to come and help each other in their start-up endeavours, the event has expanded its scope and presence in the past few years. This includes Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and now

Montreal as the latest addition to this growing list.

“Montreal was missing an event where the start-up community really got together and discussed in detail and without any inhibitions and constraints how somebody managed to succeed,” said Rami Sayar, director of the Montreal chapter of the Start-up Grind and McGill alumnus.

Described as an event series that seeks to help educate, inspire and connect local entrepreneurs, the Montreal edition of this international event is taking place on Nov. 21. Entrepreneur Greg Isenberg will be the keynote speaker

for the event. Isenberg will talk about his experience with 5by—a company that transitioned from the idea phase to acquisition in a very short span of eight months. 5by is a video concierge website that rummages through the Internet to find videos that fit particular moods.

Isenberg will share his story about the journey of an entrepreneur in the start-up ecosystem and discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what he’d do differently the next time around.

Montreal is known for its entrepreneurial community, and events like the Start-up Grind will continue to expand options avail-

able to emerging founders to discuss and network.

Although many entrepreneurial events have taken place in Montreal this fall, the Start-up Grind is unique because its focus is on bringing together some of the most successful Quebec business leaders to share their insights and experiences. According to Sayar, “It’s not about pitching ideas or demoing [sic] products, it’s about understanding how someone went from A to B—from idea to success.”

“We’re trying to do something special in Montreal,” He said, “Each event will be a little differ-

ent from the last. [Compared to the Start-up Grind in other cities], we won’t be having just a meet up every month […] it’s going to take place at different venues.”

An additional highlight of the event is a performance by two local indie groups The Panda Attack and Raquel Pearl & Kimberly—both of which are start-ups themselves, so to speak.

“There will also be an after party—because everything in Montreal must have an after-party,” Sayar added. He hopes these additions will make the event unique from other series held in previous cities.

Curiosity delivers. |

science & technology

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

13

SCIENCE

When philosophy and linguistics meet neuroscience

Cognitive Science brings together five disciplines: philosophy, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience, and psychology. (mcgill. ca/cogsci)

Cognitive Science Research Day brings undergraduate students together to learn from experts Caity Hui Science and Technology Editor Jeremy Cooperstock studies human-computer interactions in an effort to augment environmental awareness for the blind community, treat lazy eye syndrome, and train medical and music students, among other endeavors. As an associate professor of the department of electrical and computer engineering and director of McGill’s Shared Reality Lab, he was just one of many distinguished speakers to address the undergraduate community at the Student Association of Cognitive Science’s (SACS) fifth Annual Cognitive Science Research Day on Nov. 13.

“Cooperstock’s presentation covered some of the lab’s latest research,” said secretary of SACS Ponarina Aleksandra. “[He discussed] music lessons facilitated by computer mediated human-to-human inter-

action and a fascinating computer generated surface that appears indistinguishable from real snow, ice, and even ocean waves.”

The event also included talks from other professors within the department, including associate professor and neurologist Lesley Fellows, and Kristine Onishi, who teaches child development (PSYC 304). Fellows focused her presentation on describing the use of brain lesion studies to gain insight into the inner workings of the frontal lobe and valuation (decision making) systems. It was clear that the audience was intrigued with her research and made eager use of the opportunity to ask questions.

Onishi focused on exploring the way infants understand the world.

She presented various studies to address two major questions: what and how do infants know about the sound structure of their own language, and do infants have a bias for speech sounds over other sounds?

Morgan Sonderegger, associate professor of linguistics, also attended the event. Sonderegger presented an overview of the varying stability of sound systems within individuals and communities. He used the television show “Big Brother” to complete this research.

The purpose of Cognitive Science (CogSci) Research Day was to draw awareness to the work conducted by professors at McGill University that relate to the field of cognitive science—this includes computer science, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and philosophy, or will connect ideas between those topics. “[We wanted to] allow undergraduate students to explore the potential fields that their studies can lead to and encourage students to engage with professors outside of the lecture halls,” VP academic of SACS Nicole Lai said.

The SACS council selected researchers that fit into the program’s

interdisciplinary profile. “Since the council is comprised of students with interests spanning many disciplines, we were able to come up with a list of researchers [based on the professors we knew],” said Guido Guberman, a neuroscience stream representative.

“My favourite part of Research Day would be the question and answer periods after each professor gave their talk,” Lai said. “The conversations and interactions between the professors and the students was the main purpose of the conference, so these sessions were what I think most of the students attending were coming for.” “[These sessions] were the most helpful part of Research Day since it allowed students to pose their own

questions about current research,” Lai said. “It serves as a good starting point for students to decide what kind of research they would eventually like to pursue.”

2011

By Caity Hui

Science Capsule

Living without a heart In March of 2011, two doctors from the Texas Heart Institute Billy Cohn and Bud Frazier helped Craig Lewis set a world record. They replaced their patient’s heart with a device that allowed blood to circulate throughout his body without a pulse.

Essentially, the device uses blades to keep the blood flowing, which allows the patient to live without a detectable heartbeat or even a pulse. The device seemed effective, as Lewis was up and speaking with the physicians within 24 hours of his surgery.

Cohn and Frazier had previously tested this device on nearly 50 calves. By removing the calves’ hearts and implanting the device, they were able to monitor how the calves responded to this technology.

According to the results of the study, the calves were eating, sleeping, and moving the following day. However, they were performing all of these activities without a heart pumping blood through their bodies.

Lewis suffered from amyloidosis, which was what prompted the doctors to try the surgery. Amyloidosis is a condition that occurs when

Research brief Traffic Lights Arguably the very worst part of commuting is hitting one red light after the other, and it’s all the more frustrating when you’re hitting these reds while driving on an otherwise empty street.

A University of Toronto Postdoctorate Fellow, Samah ElTantawy, recently installed a new system in Toronto traffic lights as part of a Toronto-Cairo pilot program. The aim was to increase traffic efficiency by designing an artificial intelligence program that allows traffic lights to com-

abnormal proteins known as amyloid proteins build up in your organs.

Treatments are available to help patients manage symptoms and limit the production of amyloid protein; however, there is no definitive cure.

Without surgery, Lewis was projected to live for only another 12 hours.

Though Lewis was ultimately unable to combat the disease—he passed away five weeks after the surgery—doctors hope this technology will offer a future alternative to those with full heart failure when a pacemaker cannot solve the problem.

CHOOSE YOUR CERTIFICATE

ADVERTISING – MEDIA MANAGEMENT

By Jacqueline Galbraith

municate with each other and use decision-making strategies using Game Theory, rather than the current system of a centralized command center using algorithms.

“In lay language, [traffic lights] act as a team of players cooperating to win a game—much like players in a soccer match, where each player [wants] to score, but at the same time, considers the ultimate goal of the entire team which is winning the match,” El-Tantawy said in a University of Toronto press release, according to Yahoo! Canada

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION EVENT MANAGEMENT FASHION MANAGEMENT & PROMOTIONS

News.

Essentially, the lights are able to use up-to-date, real-time information to make logical decisions that will keep traffic flowing smoothly. This system was installed on approximately 60 intersections in Toronto and reportedly reduced traffic by around 40 per cent. Commute times were also cut down by approximately 25 per cent, meaning that the widespread implementation of this technology could have huge implications for urban traffic congestion, as well as carbon emission levels.

FINANCIAL PLANNING GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MARKETING MANAGEMENT PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

business.humber.ca/postgrad

arts & entertainment Performance

CASCO hosts circus-themed annual fundraiser Jacqueline Galbraith Managing Editor I really had no idea what I was in store for as I took my place in the audience of the 13th annual Commerce & Administration Students Charity Organization (CASCO) charity fashion and dance show last Friday night at Telus Theatre. A quick glance at the McGill student-driven charity’s program informed me I could expect a few speeches—which were kept mercifully short and sweet—a live auction, and a slew of musical performances.

The event also featured a silent auction, as well as a raffle, with all proceeds going to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. According to the program, CASCO aimed to “raise $12,000 to complete [their] pledge” to the Foundation, which has, over the past 13 years, helped to build a new wing for the hospital. The remaining funds would be split between the Tiny Tim Fund and the Music Therapy program, both of which are run through the hospital.

After Effusion A Capella opened the show with an impressive three-song set featuring some refreshingly unexpected rap, the event’s ‘ringleaders,’ Sean Finnell

and Daniel Sorek, moved things right along, with opening speeches from CASCO executive directors Majd Steitieh and Ruth Talbot, representatives from CASCO’s University of Ottawa chapter, and a speaker from the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. The “Cirque du CASCO” theme was bolstered by cotton candy and popcorn sales, and circus music.

Dance performances from the CASCO committee and the San Tropez Dance Company followed, and then came the live auction, auctioneered by Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) Career Advisor Peg Brunelle.

The level of professionalism of the event had impressed me thus far, but with increased audience interaction came the pointed reminder that we were most certainly at a college event.

Many guests had made generous use of the bar, perhaps rightly so; after all, this was a charitable occasion. Nevertheless, a live auction doesn’t work its best when students are bidding on behalf of each other, and the look on a student’s face as someone else volunteers $350 of their money is much less funny when the whole point is to raise funds for a rather serious cause. By and large, how-

CASCO’s wide array of talent. (Adrien Hu / McGill Tribune)

ever, attendees were extremely generous, and personal commentary by Brunelle kept the whole affair particularly entertaining.

Performances from Mosaica, which were incredibly skilled, and Brosaica, which were cleverly self-aware, wrapped up the first portion of the evening. Intermission featured a vocal performance from first-year McGill student Kat Garcia, who has opened shows for Karl Wolf and Danny Fernandes, among others. The second part of the show featured enjoyable dance performances, including jazz, lyrical, and bal-

let. Interspersed with these were banter from the hosts, as well as raffle draws and announcements of a few of the silent auction winners. The event lineup, while well-rounded, was also extensive, which made for a bit of a long night. It’s difficult to strike a successful balance between hyping up the crowd and keeping things moving, which Finnell and Sorek, though bursting with energy, fell just short of. Granted, I didn’t visit the bar myself, but there are only so many times I can chant “raffle” before it stops being fun.

Urban Groove finished the

show strong, proving they deserve their campus reputation as the dance project to watch. Finally, the thank-yous and final bows brought the focus back to the point of the evening, and reminded us just how much hard work goes into an undertaking like this.

The performances were attentiongrabbing, and the event was entertaining, if at times slightly informal and on-the-fly. For those who enjoy musical performances, or who appreciate a little bit of pageantry for a good cause, CASCO certainly didn’t disappoint.

Theatre

Players’ Theatre delivers an engrossing adaptation of the Bard’s island tale Alex Kpeglo-Hennessey Contributor

The Tempest, the latest production by McGill’s Players’ Theatre, is the third installment in a season where the mission is “to juxtapose reality with what is magical and imaginative.” This play, believed to be the last written work of William Shakespeare, certainly does just that. Director Juliet Paperny blurs the lines between audience and actors, frequently breaking the fourth wall in order to expose the fragility of the world the characters inhabit.

The set is not ornate, but presents the island locale as isolated and unidentifiable.

The comedy concerns itself with an exiled Italian noble Prospero (Ashkaan Mohtashami) who was left shipwrecked on a distant island with his young daughter Miranda (Katie Scharf). The architect of his banishment was none other than his own brother Antonio (Malachy Clearly), seeking to usurp Prospero’s position.

Fortunately for him, Prospero

possesses potent magic, which he uses to dominate the spirits that inhabit the island. He presides over each event, smirking from above as he nonchalantly engineers everything. It is with this power that he raises the titular storm and brings his foes to his doorstep.

At this point, with the passengers of a ship embroiled in vicious winds, the narrative begins.

This scene is perhaps too tumultuous, as some of the dialogue becomes briefly incomprehensible. Wild spirits, including the impressively chaotic Ariel (Kay Min)—who delivers one of the most convincing performances of the night—blow the ship to shore and separate its inhabitants. Min is as mercurial as the wind she commands, and her energy never ceases in its relentlessness. As Prospero’s plans begin to unfold, the inhabitants of the island meet the outsiders, setting off a series of comedic, romantic, and malignant interactions.

The most nuanced of these is between the only true na-

Caliban’s new master indulges his revenge fantasies. (Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune)

tive of the island, Caliban (Yves Abanda); jester Trinculo (Nick LePage); and an inebriated butler Stephano (Anurag Chaoundhury).

Caliban is the disfigured servant of Prospero, treated cruelly by his master for trying to rape Miranda.

Abanda’s performance is unerring as he traverses the character’s disparate moods and fits of grovelling insanity. He is one of the characters to engage with the audience, perhaps suggesting a ten-

uous hold on his own reality. He finds a new master when Stephano introduces him to alcohol and, in a series of misadventures and misidentifications as amusing at times as they are distressing, begins to plot the death of Prospero with the help of his bumbling new companions.

In yet another example of the thin barrier between reality and imagination, the spirits of the island also display their awareness

of the people watching the events on the island unfold. They remain wild and ethereal throughout The Tempest, appearing in varied forms as disparate as dogs and gods.

All of these characters and more venture around the isle— the approximately two and a half hours of the play occur in real time—and are eventually brought together in a reunion that will determine their collective fates.

Overall, this production is a fine display of student talent.

There are several incredible performances that provide a visceral representation of a widely read story. Although the thought of Shakespeare is daunting to many, The Tempest captures your attention without letting it go, and makes the performance feel like a brief trip to an unknown island.

The Tempest runs from Nov. 20-23 at Player’s Theatre. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Student admission is $6.

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

15

Film

Stones Throw: skipping through hip-hop history

RIDM selection Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton chronicles the story of L.A.’s underground Stones Throw record label (artwedensday.com)

Mark Haydn Contributor Chronicling almost 20 years of eclectic activity, Jeff Broadway’s Kickstarter-funded film ushers viewers into the vinyl-lined living rooms of the founders of L.A.’s Stones Throw record label, crafting a social history of underground hip-hop against a backdrop of crate digging, studio sessions, and release parties.

Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton weaves diffuse material into a cohesive whole, meshing hazy, digitised-VHS transfers of early Lootpack television spots with glossy, bleached-out views of its California locations. Its all strung together by a propulsive Madlib score repurposing beats from key label releases. The documentary tracks the development of Stones Throw from

its origin—a vehicle for the music of Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf, aka founder Chris Manak—through its gradual assembly of a roster of unheard heavyweights operating under various guises: Madlib & Quasimoto, MF Doom & Madvillain, and producer James Yancey, aka J Dilla.

Broadway takes an admirably democratic approach to his subject.

He dedicates as much space to the current crop of Stones Throw artists and to the commercial misfires endemic through the label’s post-Dilla period of reorientation, as to the first generation of MCs and producers, with whom the label remains most closely associated. The narrative is non-linear, frequently winding back to remind us of overlapping timelines and tracing the individual threads of careers that would later intertwine.

Eventually, it stretches beyond its

initial geographic parameters to visit Detroit and New York, exploring the fringes of the underground music scenes the label now serves.

Stones Throw remains distinct among contemporary labels, maintaining a uniquely ‘boutique’ identity. Its roster reflects the idiosyncratic tastes of its major players, and the audience is well-exposed to the raw material that makes the stable significant, whether through Talib Kweli’s praise for 2004’s Madvillain LP or Tyler, The Creator’s enthusiasm for Connecticut trio The Stepkids.

Our Vinyl’s crop of talking heads is involved and insightful, supported by the first-person testimony of the Roots’ ?uestlove and punctuated by the awed recollections of Kanye West, who describes the “pressure bust pipes” mentality common among underdog institutions.

The film’s most commanding passages regard its heavy hitters, some of whom did not survive to contribute to the narrative. A chapter on J Dilla’s Donuts, relaying memories of Yancey walking to the park as a child wearing 45s on his wrists like bracelets, pulses to the rhythm of the record, the strain and grind of its refigured soul loops conferring additional weight upon late footage of the producer. Throughout, Broadway and Madlib successfully combine video and audio to work cinematically: in a rephrasing of Dilla’s Lightworks, synced to complement the metallic pounding of record pressing machinery on-screen, or in the expletive-deletion bleeps censoring Tyler’s effusive Stepkids praise, seemingly modulated to a piercing frequency in keeping with the label’s house style.

Above all, the documentary

functions as a reminder of the label’s accomplishments: its tracking shots scan across shelves and through studios, and linger on stray Yesterday’s New Quintet records, or half-forgotten MED LPs, each a product of the label’s low-key, steadily-prolific operation. In a music-documentary saturated climate that thrives on rediscovery, Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton provides a valuable focus on a music source that has continued to thrive both in and out of the spotlight, whether or not anybody’s listening.

Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton plays again at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday November 24 at Cinema du Parc, as part of Rencontres Internationales du Documentair de Montréal (RIDM). More information is available online at RIDM.qc.ca.

Film

Heroes of Hebrew humour When Jews Were Funny has some good laughs, but ultimately falls as flat as Matzo Jack Tokarz Contributor Although Jewish people represent only 0.2 per cent of the world’s population—according to a Hebrew University of Jerusalem study—they hold a much larger portion of social attention when it comes to comedy. Director Alan Zweig made the documentary When Jews Were Funny to investigate why Jewish people have been so famously humorous throughout the 20th century in the United States. The film does not give any definitive answers, but does offer funny ones, as Zweig interviews various Jewish comedians between the ages of 30 and 80, ranging from Howie Mandel to Bob Einstein.

This documentary feels like an E! channel special where a panel of comedians give their opinion on a celebrity or current event, except it lasts a full hour-and-a-half, and all of the comedians constantly refer to the fact that they are Jewish. By featuring only comedian interviews and short clips from Jewish 60s stand-up acts, the repetitive documentary loses any ability to engage the audience beyond the

substance of the interview responses. During the entire film, the camera never moves—it is always the same distance from every comedian’s face. This static approach gets boring well before the 90-minute mark.

However, the film is not meant to be a visual spectacle; it focuses on the content of the dialogue, which ranges over many topics while remaining firmly centred on Jews. The inclusion of two generations of JewishAmerican comedians brought some interesting disparities to light. Older comedians don’t see any connection between their Judaism and comedy, while the current generation attributes all of their success to their Jewish upbringing and lifestyle. The comedians’ responses to the same questions vary quite significantly, some making light of dark periods of Jewish history while others express strong outrage at any hint of anti-Semitism. Some do not see any pattern of Jews being funnier than anybody else, while others see humor as fundamental to Jewish life as food.

Due to the documentary’s narrow topic and fairly homogenous cast, it sometimes shifts

into awkward territory. The film increasingly makes borderline anti-Semitic Jewish jokes or stereotypes as it progresses, while using the term “we” as if to reassure the viewer. However, these comments made me, a non-Jew, uncomfortable, knowing that if I ever repeated any of these jokes, I would immediately be branded as racist.

Judy Gold, one of the comedians interviewed, says it’s fine to say anything as long as it’s funny—and the comedians are amusing. Obviously their humour is evident while telling jokes, but it also seeps through

when they are answering serious questions. Over the course of the film, each comedian tells their favorite “Jewish joke,” which are amusing and help to illustrate the culture this film hopes to explain.

There is no final opinion on what, if anything, makes Jews funnier than any other ethnicities. But there is a deep exploration of the psyches of over a dozen Jewish people in the entertainment business, a format that isn’t necessarily enlightening, but is interesting nonetheless.

When Jews Were Funny does not produce any startling information. Is not particularly well-

shot, and offers no surprises. It seems to simply be a film where Jews can talk about being Jewish.

For anybody deeply interested in modern Jewish culture or willing to watch a 90-minute film for a dozen good jokes, this film could be worth checking out. Otherwise, it’s flat, repetitive, and frankly, a little bit offensive.

When Jews Were Funny was originally released on Sept. 10 and makes its Montreal debut from Nov. 25 to Dec. 5 at Cinema du Parc (3575 Parc). Student tickets are $8.50.

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013 |

arts & entertainment

ALBUM REVIEWS

Where have all the role models gone?

Lady Gaga Artpop

Sebastien Grainger Yours to Discover

Karneef Love Between Us

Interscope

Last Gang

Club Roll Music

Although ‘dull’ isn’t a word you would usually associate with the avantgarde, publicity stunt-loving ‘Queen of Monsters,’ the first time I listened to Lady Gaga’s new album, I skipped pretty much every song. The only one I managed to listen to all the way through was piano ballad “Dope,” which abandons Gaga’s predictable synth-laden, EDM sound and features emotional, stripped-down vocals. Regrettably, despite its fresh sound, it remains a mediocre track, and falls short of the exciting energy of her 2011 release Born This Way. ARTPOP continues Gaga’s obsession with fame, fashion, and pop culture in general—and you better believe that it gets tiresome. Many of the tracks on this album are immediately forgettable, and sound like rejects from Born This Way, or even her first album, 2008’s The Fame.

For example, “Fashion!” and “Donatella”—which are pretty much the exact same song theme-wise—directly mirror the sentiments of Born This Way’s “Black Jesus + Amen Fashion,” as well as “Beautiful Dirty Rich” from The Fame. I’ll give you one guess what the topic of those songs are.

Some tracks are also embarrassing and obviously trying too hard to be controversial. Evidence of this are selfexplanatory songs “Sexxx Dreams,” and “Jewels and Drugs” (featuring T.I., Too Short, and Twista), which contain a background track that sounds like it was taken from 50 Cent’s first album. Even though Gaga has never been celebrated for her subtlety, this time, her bluntness she misses the mark.

It’s this predictability that makes it feel like Gaga’s shtick is starting to run thin; what used to be groundbreaking and individual in her music now feels stale and forgettable. And for an artist like Gaga who relies on as much attention as she can get, being banal is probably the worst turn of events possible.

In this LP, Canadian Death From Above 1979 singer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger deftly embraces the breezy Los Angeles style into his past punk persona. After signing with Saddle Creek Records in 2008, he is now releasing his second solo album Yours to Discover.

The album flows from one electronic synth ballad to the next, allowing for the listener to get lost in the hypnotic haze of Grainger’s cool vocals and upbeat guitar riffs.

Admittedly, many sections of the album can be perceived as a bit dry. A good portion of the tracks are rather repetitive in nature, and Grainger’s need to be groovy and mellow is far overdone in “I Want Sebastien Grainger.” However, the album does contain a number of surprise highlights that exude creative passion and excitement. “The Streets Are A Mess” is an excellent head-bobbing track that intersperses heavy beats with Grainger’s iconic synth hooks. In terms of lyrical depth, “I’m Looking For A Hand” exposes a lot; underneath the relaxed beats, a raw, frantic undertone that displays the vulnerability that comes with moving into a solo career.

Overall, the album lives up to its name. Fans of Grainger should be excited to experience the album’s move from his punk-rock past into a more pop-leaning future. New listeners can find their niche either in his toe-tapping beats within “Waking Up Dead” or in his smooth, romantic melodies within “Going With You.”

What place does retro pop have in the contemporary indie and electronic soundscapes of Montreal? Local musician Karneef doesn’t seem to care, and his debut LP Love Between Us presents his fastidious funk vision, with all its offbeat lyrics and diverse instruments, largely arranged and played by Karneef alone.

Karneef drives words into the gaps within his mellow rhythms in an articulate but offhand, almost sarcastic manner—half-speaking his train of thought in a way that is strongly reminiscent of David Byrne. In fact, with Karneef controlling almost all of the sound on this album—aside from the rhythm section—it is easy to criticize him personally as being too derivative of the legendary Talking Heads frontman. However, Karneef’s nonchalant, jokey mannerisms, mixed with the sincere lushness of his funky riffs, makes his lack of originality easily forgotten.

Despite the album’s essentially medlied melodies—in an interview with Indecent Xposure, Karneef calls the LP a “circumstantial thing”—his satisfaction with the result is infectious. On “We Found Money,” Karneef winkingly croons “We found money/ so I’m gonna blow up/ this house just won’t do/ so I’m gonna buy two” over a languid slow rhythm, and one can’t help but smile.

Other highlights of Love Between Us include half-hearted serenade “Swimming” (“Why don’t we go swimming, girl/ I’ve got a lot of stuff to do, but the only thing missin’ is some deep sea kissin’”), “Talking Man,” a lament of a tediously verbose stranger over an anxious string melody, and single “So Trippy,” which features Edmonton rapper—formerly the city’s poet laureate—Cadence Weapon.

Overall, Karneef’s precise individual control over the vocals, instruments, and production of Love Between Us results in a well-arranged, sardonically joyous debut.

— Diana Wright

— Morgan Alexander

| Curiosity delivers.

— Will Burgess

In our sexGirls’ message that was saturated socialways clear to me: ety it’s easy to girl power. It was wonder where their mantra, and it all the ‘positive’ became mine—and female role modhas remained so to els in pop music this day. have gone; tweens So, when I and young women are see a female artbombarded with imist asserting her ages of barely-clothed opinion in an women writhing interview, or subaround on the floor, verting the culturor, oddly, humping ally acceptable foam fingers. ‘norm’ in some Sometimes, non-destructive (fanpop.com) even the few female artway, I tend to graviists who don’t have hyper-sextate toward her. ualized public images—like Sky Although many people autoFerreira—prove, in other ways, to matically assume that female pop be poor role models for young, im- artists are entirely manufactured pressionable females. Ferreira was and controlled by some male Ozarrested earlier this year for ecstasy type character behind-the-scenes, possession, surely something that is this assumption is a bit too simplisnot encouraged for those who wish tic. Who’s to say she doesn’t have to maintain a clean record. the power to choose what she Though some feminists might wears, or what she does on stage? say it is unnecessary for there to Haven’t things changed a bit since be female role models at all—es- the ‘60s, when men engineered fepecially since they seem to be put male pop? The reality is that with under a microscope and picked more and more female pop artists apart by the media more frequently participating in the writing and prothan their male counterparts— duction of their own songs, there’s they are important because they no doubt that some of their opinprovide young women with hope ions feature in their music. in the face of a society that so There are, however, some feoften seems to discourage strong male artists whose messages are women. Put simply, established not obscured by their images, and and influential women are inspir- are therefore, easier for feminists, ing. and forward-thinking men and Role models also offer women women who may not identify as a sense of belonging. As a teenag- feminists, to get behind. er, there was nothing better than lisLorde (aka Ella Yelichtening to a female artist’s lyrics and O’Connor)—the 17-year-old New identifying with her, feeling like Zealand indie-pop sensation—is I wasn’t alone in whatever I was undeniably one of those artists: experiencing in life at that moment. she always appears fully clothed Although the female pop star’s on stage and purveys a femalepublic appearance often muddles positive message. But Lorde is still the message of her music, espe- young, and it’s difficult to predict cially if it’s as controversial as how her personal style and sound Cyrus’ or Ferreira’s, it is their mes- will evolve over the next few years. sage—even if it’s simply to “be Lily Allen also maintains an who you want to be and have fun unsexualized image, but her recent while you’re doing it”—that is most video for “Hard Out Here” features influential on developing women, images of the same sexist female and not their image. objectification that its lyrics, which For example, I grew up in the include a re-appropriation of the age of the boy band, the mid-90s word “bitch,” denounce. invasion of Brit-pop, and, most imNo matter what, contempoportantly, the Spice Girls. Starting rary female pop artists are anyfrom the age of five or six the Spice thing but boring, and the conversaGirls were pretty much the only tion they inspire about feminism is music I listened to, and I believed perhaps the most important and inthem to be goddesses. fluential thing about them. As long In retrospect, it’s obvious how as feminist discourse continues in a sexualized the Spice Girls’ image constructive way, it can only be a was: Ginger Spice regularly good thing. Hopefully we’ll soon stepped out in skin-tight ensembles stop looking only skin deep and with her cleavage pushed up near shift our focus to what these women her ears, and Baby Spice was un- are in the spotlight for: their music. doubtedly the result of some sort of perverted fetish.

—Diana Wright Nevertheless, it was the Spice

SPORTS From the

Cheap

Seats

By Marlee Vinegar

Remembering the Raptors

My on-again, off-again relationship with the Raptors began when my family purchased nosebleed tickets during the “Vince Carter years.” We’d cheer and shout “DEFENCE” as prompted by the giant letter D and picket fence displayed on the jumbotron. If we were lucky, we’d catch the cameraman’s eye and make it onto the screen. The pinnacle was being serendipitously chosen to sit on the court during warm-ups; my eyes glued to Carter and to thenpoint-guard—and personal hero for short people everywhere— Muggsy Bogues.

But as the Raptors’ game wore thin, so did our purple pride.

It was about another six years before I found my way back. Chris Bosh, José Calderon, and Andrea Bargnani reignited my Raptors flame—at least for a little while— when current starters like DeMar DeRozan were just creeping in.

Maybe it was moving to Montreal, or a lack of familiarity since the franchise rebuilt after losing Bosh, but the NBA largely fell off my radar.

I still followed the team a little, even if only on Twitter, but I’d be lying if I said I watch more than two full games a season. My mom, who had acquired two tickets to a game against Utah through work, used what was left of my loyalty to lure me home to Toronto.

Going into the game at the Air Canada Centre, I didn’t know what to expect; I didn’t even know half the names on the roster. The Jazz, our opponents that night, were coming off a 0-6 losing streak, which gave me high hopes for a win. Certainly we couldn’t be that bad.

While I sported my retro purple sweatshirt, the Raptors donned their camouflage uniforms in honour of the Canadian Forces for

(huffpost.com) Remembrance Day. With veterans lined up across the court, the game started off with a heart-warming rendition of the national anthem.

Fuelled by Canadian pride, or not, the Raptors were in it from the beginning. Within the first minute, Jonas Valanciunas landed the first basket, asserting himself despite only being 21 years old. From there, it was basically Toronto’s game. With Utah putting up a minimal fight, the Raptors held a near 30-point lead for a good half of the game and landed a 115-91 win.

However, the buzz of excitement I remembered was missing.

It seemed like the days of a collective call for defence were gone; the cheers after a slam-dunk or three pointers were muted. I don’t think it’s a matter of me being older and more reserved—the win appeared to have more to do with Utah’s ineptitude than the Raptors’ prowess. This less-than-desirable performance makes it a challenge at times for Canadians to be enthusiastic about their team.

I took away a few things com-

ing out of the Air Canada Centre.

The first is how to pronounce Valanciunas’ name. The second was the realization that this new incarnation of the Raptors is mediocre, and that’s all I can ask for. I’m not going to get excited about them yet—nor would I expect others to. But being Canada’s only team, they’re all we’ve got. Even if it’s only because of my patriotism, the Raptors will forever have a special place on my Twitter feed and in my heart.

Rugby— Redmen 24, Carabins 6

Slow out the gate, McGill seeks eighth straight Redmen advance to 13th consecutive RSEQ Championship game

half.

Mayaz Alam Sports Editor Eight straight—that’s been the only thing that’s left to accomplish for the Redmen rugby team this year.

From the first whistle of the season, an eighth straight RSEQ Championship was the goal. Now, the Redmen (7-1) are one win away from hoisting another RSEQ Championship in their 13th consecutive appearance in the title match following a 24-6 domination of the Montreal Carabins (2-7) in the RSEQ semifinals this weekend.

This season provided a different experience for a program that is used to blowout victories, as every yard, every try, and every win had to be earned. The team’s first three games were all victories, but the total margin of victory was only 13 points, compared to last year’s total of 42 after the same number of games.

The squad didn’t waste any time on Friday, looking determined from the outset. It was clear that the visiting Carabins were outmatched in both physicality and talent. McGill overcame the troubles it had

McGill mounts a forward attack. (Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune) faced earlier in the season handling the ball and making plays, blanking the visiting Carabins 17-0 in the first half.

Junior scrum-half Humza Turab explained that the strong start is a result of disciplined execution.

“We followed our game plan

really well,” Turab said. “Everyone knew what their job was and did it to the best of their ability.”

Centre Hugo Peurois put the first points on the scoreboard early at the 23-minute mark, while junior forward Noam Berson rounded out the scoring in the first half with a try of his own in the 36th minute.

Berson was also named MVP of the game for his efforts off of set pieces and in open play.

Cameron Perrin, McGill’s senior fullback, was stellar once again as he led the squad in scoring with nine points. Perrin was perfect on his conversion attempts, and added a penalty goal in the first

The team now moves on to the finals to play cross-town rival Concordia. McGill and Concordia’s rugby programs have a very rich and recent rivalry. Two years ago, the Redmen won 28-7 over Concordia to notch its sixth consecutive championship. In last year’s RSEQ final, the Redmen eked by the Stingers with a score of 24-18 to claim the title. The lone blemish on McGill’s record this season comes from Concordia, who broke the team’s 12-game winning streak in a 19-13 victory at Concordia Stadium. Needless to say, the squad will have ample motivation for the chance to beat the Stingers once again; but in order to do so, the team needs to make a few adjustments.

“We will need to make sure everyone is on the right page, and we need to cut down on the penalties—especially [on] our own half [of the field],” Turab said. “If we can do that, we have a really good chance of going for the eighth straight banner.”

The RSEQ Championship will be held at Molson Stadium on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:00 p.m.

Curiosity delivers. |

THIRD MAN IN

sports

| Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The beauty behind the brawn

Remi Lu Sports Editor It’s the closest you can get to floating: the light whisper of feet brushing over canvas, the natural rhythm of the body, and the push and pull of the dance. Everything quiets when you step on the floor; it’s just you and your partner.

I always get weird looks when I characterize my favourite sport, because what follows can only be described as one of the most painful and violent activities ever practiced. Dislocated shoulders and elbows are expected; broken orbital bones are common; and it’s not a normal night unless one or both participants are covered in blood by the end of the evening.

I am, of course, talking about mixed martial arts (MMA)—and I love it.

MMA is, perhaps, the most misunderstood sport covered by major media outlets. It can be tough to see the appeal in an activity of which the only purpose appears to be putting the other person in a hospital bed. Fighting sports have been described as barbaric, chaotic, dangerous, and pointless.

I, on the other hand, vehemently disagree. This past weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Competition (UFC) hosted UFC 167, the 20th anniversary of the world-renowned MMA event.

(Hayley Lim / McGill Tribune) While the organization has not been immune to the parasitic presence of media—primarily seen through the superficial creation of “rivalries” and trivial muscle flexing—the essence of the sport has remained the same. Fighting cannot be about playing to the crowd or seeking the spotlight; the participants must remain locked-in at all times, or risk losing the contest.

Once the referee drops his hand, the world quiets down and there exists nothing but the other person in the ring.

I appreciate martial arts the same way a sommelier savours

wine, or a cigar expert smokes a Cuban. It may be strange to say that a sport that hits as hard as MMA has depths of accents and nuances, but it truly is all about the subtleties. Whether it’s Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, or wrestling, each specialty excels in the smallest of details: the half millisecond when an opponent drops their hand, the minor shift in hip position, the angle of foot placement, or the slight intake of breath before a jab. Similar to other art forms, it is the minutiae that gives fighting its beauty.

Martial arts are extremely

Sports briefs Compiled by Remi Lu

Martlet Volleyball The Martlets (6-3) took to the court against the Montreal Carabins (7-2) for the first of four regular season meetings. McGill defeated no. 2 ranked team in the country three sets to none in rounds of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-19. Ashley Norfleet, a sophomore power hitter, led the way for the Martlets with 11 kills and 10 digs, while middles, Marie-Pier Durivage and Virginie Hebert, added seven kills apiece. The home team dominated

Martlet Basketball The McGill Martlets (2-0) beat the UQAM Citadins (2-1) 54-44 this weekend, as the two teams faced off for the first of three matches this season. Sophomore forward Mariam Sylla led the way for the

the Carabins in hitting efficiency, posting lopsided stats of .207 to .182, and .345 to .212 in the first and third sets respectively. Thirdyear setter Yasmeen Dawoodjee posted a remarkable 24 assists in helping set the tone for the Martlets’ style of play.

Despite their strong start to the season, McGill has struggled to defeat perennial rivals Sherbrooke (5-4) and Laval (7-2). In order to make the playoffs this season, the team must learn to stay consistent

and finish off games. In two losses against Sherbrooke and one against Laval, the Martlets failed to close out sets and lost by narrow margins.

The team will travel to Sherbrooke, Quebec to play in the RSEQ-AUS Interlocking League Tournament this weekend from Nov. 23 to Nov. 24.

Martlets, posting a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 6-of-11 on field goals and going a perfect 2-for-2 on free throws. 5’6” point-guard Francoise Charest followed Sylla with 13 points, while guard Helene Bibeau added nine.

McGill defeated the Citadins primarily on the back of its shooting prowess from threepoint range and the free throw line. The Martlets shot 20 per cent from range and 62.5 per cent from the foul line, compared to 14.3 per cent and 41.7 per cent on

intimate. It is the very definition of contact sport, which coincidentally is its biggest strength. There are no lies or pretenses within the ring; what you give within the lines is what you have. Contrary to appearances, this creates the highest level of respect between opponents. Losing within the ring allows for no excuses—defeat means you aren’t working hard enough. This breeds a culture of constant improvement and elevated skill—the holy grail of competitive sports.

I started martial arts when I was eight years old. My mom

Redmen Basketball The Redmen (2-0) trounced the UQAM Citadins (1-2) 87-52 this past Saturday as the team won its second conference game. Shooting-guard Vincent Dufort and forward Nathan Joyal both notched 17 points, and veteran guard Simon Bibeau added 12 points in the victory. McGill shot an incredible 51.6 per cent from the field, making 33 of 64 shots, and also had made 8 of 16 three-point shots. The Redmen led the game throughout, scoring a dominant 31 points in the second quarter to open up the lead to 52-30 by halftime.

The Citadins’ Alexandre Bernard led the way for UQAM with 20

threes and free throws for UQAM, respectively. Both teams were also subpar while handling the ball as McGill had 30 turnovers while the Citadins posted 29.

The Martlets will face the Concordia Stingers (1-1) this Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6:00 p.m. in

18

signed me up for karate class, and I hated it. However, as I grew older, martial arts anchored my life as things changed; I could always count on a good workout session to gather myself. My appreciation for the sport only grew as I became a sensei and began teaching karate; they say that getting your black belt only means that you’re ready to learn.

As I began to explore and experience other martial arts, I realized that they all shared a common theme: the values of hard work, patience, dedication, and respect.

How can you not believe in the value of hard work when you see your technique improve after countless repetition? How can you not be humbled and develop respect for others when you’ve been tapped out a hundred times by those smaller than you?

Martial arts in every form embodies the beauty of sport in a very basic way. At its core, fighting is about maximizing your physical and mental potential, both in and out of competition.

Whether it’s Ronda Rousey defeating her opponents through impeccable technique, Royce Gracie breaking the boundaries of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or Bruce Lee living Jeet Kune Do as a philosophy for life, martial arts act as a vehicle for self-discovery and elevation.

Fighting, as with all art forms, is never as simple and blasé as it first appears.

points, while Philippe Tamba and Marvin Pierre tallied 12 apiece.

McGill posted a worrying 20 turnovers for the game, with freshmen guard Dele Ogundokun and forward Francois Bourque posting five turnovers apiece. However, the mistakes should decrease as the team settles into the meat of its regular season, as the 10 rookies on the Redmen roster mature.

McGill will play the winless Concordia Stingers (0-2) on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m. in Love Competition Hall.

Love Competition Hall. McGill will look for their 10th consecutive win against RSEQ opponents dating back to Feb. 1, 2013.

19

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 |

sports

NFL–It looked like the weather patterns from Toronto’s political storm drifted south, wreaking havoc on the Windy City. The Chicago Bears’ contest against the Baltimore Ravens was delayed by two hours due to tornado storm warnings.

Chicago overcame the weather delay to defeat Baltimore in overtime in a five-hour game that left the reigning Super Bowl Champions looking like the empty bottle in Mayor Ford’s desk drawer. It was also a tough week for starting quarterbacks across the league as Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, and Case Keenum all found themselves glued to the bench after turning the ball over a combined six times.

W

Around the

NHL–The Lightning haven’t missed a beat without Steven Stamkos, as the team has churned out back-to-back wins. However, Stamkos’ injury leaves Canada’s Olympic team in disarray as they look to be without one of their top players. Despite a thorough investigation by Canadian officials, it appears that the KGB was not involved in the injury. In marginally related news, the Canadian Olympic and Detroit Red Wings’ Head Coach Mike Babcock is set to receive an honorary law degree from McGill on Nov. 25th. This decision has caused hundreds of McGill students to seek head coaching opportunities in an effort to avoid writing their LSATs.

ater cooler

Aaron Rose Staff Writer

In case you were too busy enjoying your weekly fix of Mayor Ford news, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports…

10 THINGS

1

NBA–Don’t lie, you thought the Spurs were too old…again. After being one rebound away from winning the NBA title, the boring Spurs are up to their usual tricks. They continue to ruin fantasy basketball teams with their balanced attack and unusual rotation. Coach Greg Popovich

you didn’t know about...

College basketball is the home of the most exicting post-season tournament in sport. Sixty-eight teams face off against one another every spring in a single elimination knockout tournament to earn the right to be named national champion. The last four rounds of the tournament are called the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four and the National Championship game ....

2

…. After which the newly crowned champions cut down the nets from the baskets while the song, “One Shining Moment” by David Barrett is played. Barrett wrote the song specifically for the NCAA Tournament in 1986 and the song was used for the first time following the 1987 championship game.

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There are 351 schools in 32 conferences currently playing in Division I. The smallest of these schools is the Centenary College of Louisiana, a liberal arts college with an undergraduate enrolment of 680 students. The largest basketball school is the University of Central Florida which also happens to play in the same conference as ….

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The college game is different from its professional counterpart—the NBA— in many ways. College games are eight minutes shorter and are split into two halves as opposed to four quarters. The shot clock is also 35 seconds as opposed to 24 seconds, which leads to lower-scoring games as teams keep the ball longer. The NCAA also has a shorter three-point line and a smaller painted area inside of the three-point line.

loves to periodically bench Duncan because he is ‘old,’ but The Big Fundamental just keeps on fooling Father Time. The squad also holds the record for being the winningest team never to be mentioned on ESPN. In other news, riots are on the verge of breaking out in Brooklyn and New York as the teams continue to under-perform.

NCAA Basketball–The Utah Jazz can barely wait after Tuesday’s March Madness preview. The basketball season—now known as the ‘How long until we get paid?’ season—saw freshman Julius Randle post a monstrous game, recording a game high 27 points while posting a double-double.

Despite Randle’s performance, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans squeaked out a fourpoint victory in the final minutes. The big game was followed up with a showdown between the top two freshmen in the country. While the Great White North’s great new hope Andrew Wiggins’ Jayhawks took home the win, Jabari Parker made it rain from three-point range and narrowly beat out Wiggins on the score sheet.

NCAA Football–With Ohio State, Florida State, and Alabama all winning this weekend, it looks like the BCS will be going out in a Rob Fordsized controversy. The Buckeyes and Seminoles don’t play another ranked team this season and will likely finish the season undefeated. On the other hand, Alabama has a tricky schedule ahead as they take on the sixth ranked Auburn Tigers on Nov. 30. Be assured, riots will also break out in Columbus if another undefeated season ends without a berth in the BCS championship game.

NCAA

BASKETBALL

by Mayaz Alam

Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski is the winningest coach in Division 1 history with an astounding 958 wins. Coach K’s first win was in 1975 with the Army Black Knights. At his current winning percentage of .763, he stands to get his 1000th win midway through the 2014-2015 season during which ….

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…. The recent frenzy of conference realignment in college basketball will finally stop. The landscape of college athletics has changed profoundly in the past five years as universities have sought more and more money for their media rights. The Big East, which set the record for having the most teams qualify to the NCAA Tournament in 2011, lost more than half of its membership at the start of the season.

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In 2003 the University of Kentucky and Michigan State University played each other in the “Basketbowl.” The game set the record for the largest attendance ever at a college basketball game with 78,129 fans in attendance, and was held at Ford Field in Detroit, a football stadium. Since 2009, the Final Four has been played at a football stadium, which isn’t even the least orthodox venue used by the NCAA ….

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The Louisville Cardinals, last year’s NCAA Tournament champions. UCLA currently leads the all-time total with 11 championships, 10 of which were won during a 12-year period by legendary coach John Wooden. Kentucky has eight championships while North Carolina, Indiana and Duke round out the top five with five, five, and four national titles respectively.

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| Curiosity delivers.

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…. In 2011, the first of five ‘aircraft carrier games’ was scheduled. The University of North Carolina and Michigan State played aboard the USS Carl Vinson. More recently, to honour the military, games have been played at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and at Camp Humphreys in South Korea.

Pistol Pete Maravich, who played at Lousiana State University from 1968-1970, holds the record for the most points scored in a career with 3667 and the highest career per-game scoring average with 44.2. Pistol Pete accomplished this before freshmen were allowed to play—a rule overturned in 1972—and before the creation of the three point shot in 1986.

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Ice Hockey— McGill 3, St. Lawrence 2

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Martlets send Saints marching out Davidson leads the nation in goals after weekend scoring outburst

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Sophomore winger Gabrielle Davidson puts on a clinic against Concordia. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) Ben Carter-Whitney Managing Editor There is no match in the CIS for the dynamic duo of Gabrielle Davidson and Katia Clement-Heydra. Davidson, a sophomore winger exploded for a total of five goals and an assist, while Clement-Heydra, a senior centre scored two goals and added five assists, leading the no.

1 ranked Martlets (7-0) in back-toback victories over Concordia (1-5) and NCAA opponent St. Lawrence at McConnell Arena this weekend.

The Concordia matchup on Friday night was a thoroughly onesided affair, much like the past 50 encounters between the two teams—all McGill victories. Following a fruitless first period in which the Martlets tested the Stingers with 16 shots on goal, ClementHeydra opened up the scoring just 30 seconds into the second stanza.

Concordia responded minutes later, but Davidson soon put the game out of reach, registering three goals in under six minutes. Clement-Heydra finished the job with another tally in the third, bringing her point total for the game to five to seal a 5-1 Martlet victory. Davidson’s hat-trick was enough to put her atop the CIS leaderboard in goals scored despite playing in five games fewer than the next highest scorer.

Saturday afternoon’s showdown with the St. Lawrence Saints proved to be a greater test for the Martlets, who had to rally from behind to seize the 3-2 victory in the dying minutes of the game. The Saints, who sit in fifth place with a 4-2 record in the NCAA’s ECAC division, came out strong and jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the second period.

McGill began its comeback with a timely goal from Davidson, but despite sustained pressure, was unable to strike again for the

remainder of the period. Down by a goal at the second intermission, Martlet Head Coach Peter Smith urged his team to carry its momentum into the third period. Once again, Davidson obliged, tying the game on a low shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle just 14 seconds after the opening draw.

“We talked about reinforcing the good things that we were doing in the second period, and one of the things that we wanted to do is shoot quickly,” Smith said. “[Davidson] came out—and she’s got probably the quickest release on the planet— and really did a good job in scoring a nice goal.”

The deciding marker took a bit longer to materialize, but it arrived just in time. With only a minuteand-a-half left in regulation, Leslie Oles neatly deflected a saucer pass from Davidson into the top corner, before crashing into the net herself. The speedy fourth-year was slow returning to her feet, though Smith later confirmed that she had not sustained any serious injury on the play.

The Martlets were able to hang onto the lead to clinch the 3-2 victory, a retributive result for the team after last year’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Saints. This was the seventh of McGill’s eight matchups with NCAA teams scheduled for this season, of which they have won four. Smith praised his team’s ability to come away with the win in a very close game.

“We’ve had a couple games this year that we ended up losing that I thought we should have won—the Providence and Northeastern games come to mind—and today I thought we deserved to win,” he said.

Although they do not count towards RSEQ standings or CIS rankings, the Martlets prepare for these exhibition matches against American foes as they would any other,

and see them as an opportunity for growth, especially considering their dominance against conference opponents.

“The NCAA teams are strong, so for us it’s trying to compete and show them that Canadian teams can be as strong as them, and I think it’s a good test for us,” Davidson

said. “It really helps in our development.”

The Martlets will look to build on this weekend’s momentum next Saturday in Ottawa where they will take on the Gee-Gees (5-3), before returning home to host the Montreal Carabins (4-2) at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24.

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