Research In Motion (RIM) unveiled a next generation platform for its Blackberry smartphones on Oct. 18 at a developer conference in San Francisco. The operating system, known simply as BBX, aims to merge Blackberry’s current smartphone platform with that of its PlayBook tablet, QNX. In an attempt to encourage developers,[Read More…]
News
News, off and on campus.
McGill waves goodbye to 40-year Book Fair tradition
After over 40 years, McGill’s annual book fair has closed its doors for the last time. The volunteer-run fair, which took place this year from Oct. 18-20, will be the last of its kind at McGill, not due to budget cuts, but rather because those who run it are retiring[Read More…]
MUNACA strike update: tensions arise
Sam Reynolds The MUNACA strike continues without advances at the bargaining table. Outside the negotiating room, however, relations between the two parties have taken a sour turn. The last few weeks have seen the confrontation of alumni by picketers over homecoming weekend, the picketing of several administrators private homes, the[Read More…]
Academic Amnesty fails to gain ground at Senate
A motion that failed in Senate on Oct. 17 sought to protect the academic standing of students with moral objections to crossing MUNACA picket lines. The motion argued that students should not be penalized for failure to submit work out of their desire to respect the picket line. It would[Read More…]
Occupy Montreal takes over Square Victoria
Sam Reynolds What started as a small protest in Vancouver and gained momentum on Wall Street became a global force on Saturday, Oct. 15, with occupations taking place in hundreds of cities globally. Montreal’s Square Victoria, in the downtown financial district, became the meeting point for almost a thousand ralliers[Read More…]
Academic Amnesty proposed
Until now, students who wanted to avoid crossing the picket line in solidarity with MUNACA could not do so because of their required presence on campus. Fortunately for these students, SSMU proposed an “academic amnesty” measure to McGill’s Senate that could offer them some protection from any penalties they might[Read More…]
SUS motion budgets up to $4,000 for executive iPhones
On Oct. 6, the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) General Council passed a controversial motion which allocates up to $4,000 of the society’s budget to provide SUS executives with iPhone 4 devices and paid data plans. The motion, which passed with a vote of 14-9, had the support of all six[Read More…]
Homecoming weekend draws parents, alumni to campus
Anna Katycheva This past windy, rainy, weekend, students had a glimmer of hope: their parents came up to visit, and alumni from past years met current students at homecoming. “Every year McGill welcomes back thousands of graduates for homecoming. Alumni not only get the chance to reconnect with the university[Read More…]
Life after Gaddafi roundtable discussion
Sam Reynolds Montreal may seem worlds away from Libya and Muamar Gaddafi, but McGill professor Rex Brynen would argue otherwise. Having spent the summer in Benghazi as a consultant to the rebel leadership, Brynen is all too connected to the Libyan situation. Brynen took part in a roundtable presented by[Read More…]
BaSIC survey gives voice to students on MUNACA strike
Sam Reynolds On Oct. 1, the Bachelors of Arts and Science Integrative Council (BaSIC) asked its students what stance they wanted to take on the MUNACA strike. When the results came in, the favoured response, with 44 per cent of the vote, was to maintain neutrality. Supporting the strike was[Read More…]