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Science & Technology

A chat with this year’s three Tomlinson Prize winners

by Anand Bery on

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Andrew Hendry , Department of Biology

Tell us about your current research.

In essence, my research is trying to understand how ecology and evolution interact. So trying to understand how ecological differences in the environment shape the evolutionary trajectories of populations and shape evolutionary diversification, that’s the origins of biodiversity.

On the reciprocal side I investigate how, as things evolve, that evolution then feeds back to influence ecological properties.

We and others have now shown that things can evolve quite rapidly as you change environments. If those things evolve rapidly, you might expect that as they do so they will have effects on the environment.

When most people think of evolution, they tend to think of the effect of evolution on ecology. Can you give an example of the reverse – evolution having an effect back on ecological populations?

Part of my work is on Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands. What we’re attempting to do there is figure out how adaptation to different food types drives the radiation of that group. There are 14 or so species that all evolved from a common ancestor in the last 2-3 million years. Those species evolved by the process of adaptation to different food types—different seed types and sizes and different plant matter. We try and examine how a variation in food resources and competition among the finches for them has led to the diversification of the finches. So that’s the ecology to evolution side—the plant community shaping the finches.

At the same time, we know the finch beaks will influence what they can feed on. The finch beak present in the environments—the number of species and the size of their beaks, and the number of individuals in each species—will presumably deplete different food resources to different extents. Large-beaked birds will differentially deplete large seeds from environment, and small-beaked birds will differentially deplete small seeds from the environment.

As finch beaks evolve, this would then feed back into shaping the plant community. The  plant community shapes the beaks and the beaks shape the plant community. People are realizing that evolution can proceed rather rapidly, and if that’s so, we need to think about the consequences of that evolution and not just the causes.

What direction do you see your work taking in the coming years?

We have a fairly good understanding now of how environmental change drives evolutionary change. Really what we have for evolution influencing ecological change is a series of scattered examples. What I would hope is to build up a general framework for considering when and how these events occur, what drives them, and then having some nice experiments which test these various hypotheses for what’s going to be important or not.  I would hope that’s where we’d be—to have a general framework and context for predicting these kinds of effects.

Karim Nader, Department of Psychology

What is some of the research you’ve been involved with?

One main theme in the lab is trying to understand the mechanisms that will change whenstore a memory. The old thinking was that once memory is stored, it could never be manipulated or changed and that it stayed there forever. What we found is that if you remind a rodent about a fixed memory, the memory becomes unfixed, or unstored, and needs to be restored. Now this has been found across many species and across tasks.

How might this be used to treat human afflictions?

There are a few clinical implications of this. A lot of psychopathologies have to do with certain circuits acting incorrectly. For example, if you are somebody with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), then the circuits in the brain that control that are just going to be rewired in such a way that it mediates obsessive compulsions. If you are somebody who is an addict, the brain mechanisms that control that kind of behavior are also going to be changed to maintain drug-taking behavior. If you’re somebody with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), then the traumatic memory in your brain has been so strong and stored in such a robust way that the neurons and the mechanisms important for storing memories have been wired into the brain.

Looking into the mechanisms that mediate memory storage doesn’t just tell us about memories,  but about the basics of how neurons change their wiring or connections together in terms of whether that neuron’s contribution is to a memory of trauma or to a memory of OCD or to a memory of drug addiction. What we’re trying to do now is take some of the basic work, and try to translate that to patients.

Now we’re working on patients to see if we can reduce cocaine cravings in human addicts by using that same restorage mechanism. We’re also trying to see if we can come up with a model in rats that will allow us to block circuits from reconsolidation and shift the rats away from compulsions in OCD.

What’s the connection between memory and an affliction like OCD? Are they stored in the brain the same way?

A neuron that is storing a traumatic memory uses the same mechanisms of storage as neurons that are, say, in the spinal cord controlling chronic pain. It’s the same mechanisms as in the circuit that control OCD or addiction. All changes in behavior are going to engage the same kind of mechanisms that undergo a storage mechanism initially, and a restorage mechanism when the circuit seems to be reactivated. The nice thing about reconsolidation is that it extends beyond post-traumatic stress disorder.

In one demonstration with my colleagues Alain Brunet and Scott Orr and Roger Pitman, we showed we could reverse the strength of traumatic memories in PTSD patients—and some of these individuals had trauma for about 30 years. We could reverse that down to below PTSD range with a single 15-minute intervention. No one expected that.

Xue Liu, School of Computer Science

For those who don’t have a background in computer science, how would you describe the research that you do?

My research is focusing on the study and design of scientific foundations and engineering frameworks for building modern cyber-physical systems—computer systems which feature tight integration and close coordination between computational, communication, and physical elements.

During the past several decades, we have seen tremendous growth of computation and communication technologies. They are now more pervasive in our everyday lives than ever before. We see them everywhere, from the automotive industry (autonomous driving, drive-by-wire), to civil infrastructure (smart buildings, smart bridges), to energy (smart grids), to healthcare (intelligent hospitals),  to manufacturing (computer integrated manufacturing systems—CIMS), to entertainment (Wii, XBox), to mobile phones and consumer appliances.  Many of our everyday activities depend heavily on these systems.

What is the Cyber-Physical System Lab?

At McGill, our Cyber-Physical System Lab (CPSL) studies state-of-the-art cyber-physical systems, including the science of designing and building such systems. For example, we have been carrying out research on sensor and actuator networks, industrial control systems, power management of Internet Data Centers, and real-time and embedded systems. Many of this research has practical applications, and we have teamed up with industries such as Bombardier, Bell Canada, Microsoft, and IBM.

The award aims to promote research in new directions. What do you think the future of parallel computing will be?

With the support of this award, we target the development of innovative and enabling technologies in Green Information Technology. In a recent report released last year, Google reported that the energy used by its data centres is emitting 1.5 million tons of carbon annually. In fact, the IT industry is estimated to account for 2% of global CO2-emissions which is approximately as much as the aircraft industry, and is one of the fastest growing energy-consumption industries. In a world facing the pressing concern of climate change and the sustainability of its natural environments, we hope to create an environmental-friendly IT industry.

The overarching goal of our research is to develop more energy efficient IT infrastructures and technologies to significantly reduce the energy consumed everyday by a range of computing systems including embedded computers, servers and data centers. We will also study pairing Green IT with new technologies including smart grids, and renewable energies such as wind power.

—Interviews have been condensed and edited. Compiled by Anand Bery.

Student Life

ADHD can add another level of stress during exams

by Jimmy Lou on

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The fast-approaching exam season tends to be the time of year when stress and fatigue peak for students. With heaps of information to memorize, review, and understand, many students face challenges and performing below their full potential. Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may find this period even more challenging.

Dr. Annick Vincent, a psychiatrist at Quebec City’s Focus Clinic at the Centre Medical l’Hetrier, and clinical professor at Laval University, said that experts are still unsure about the causes of ADHD.

“We don’t know why ADHD happens, but we find that in 80 per cent of the cases, family genetics have some correlation,” she said. “ADHD is thankfully controllable in most cases, but those with severe symptoms still lack resources from [the] government, especially in Quebec.”

Vincent described the disorder as having two sets of symptoms—attention symptoms and hyperactive symptoms.

“[For attention symptoms] you have difficulty paying attention, maintain[ing] attention, and seeing the errors you may commit,” she said. “You may be more forgetful, lose your things more often, and it may be more difficult to organize your life [and] your tasks. For the hyperactive symptoms, you are unable to stand still while you wait, and you talk when you want to talk. You may interrupt others, like your teacher, and read too fast.”

Of course, not everyone with these symptoms has ADHD. Depending on the duration, severity, and scope of the symptoms, psychologists and other experts diagnose symptoms based on a set of criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM).

“Knowing whether or not one has ADHD is very important not only because treatment will be delayed, but also since individuals’ symptoms may cause many problems in the people’s lives,” Vincent said. “Having difficulties in sleeping and studying can be detrimental to a student who does not receive help.”

U2 arts student Leah Brainerd says her ADHD makes it difficult to concentrate, especially during exams.

“The noise and movement can distract me really easily, and writing down ideas and structuring them can be pretty challenging too,” she said. “It is much better when I write exams in quiet, isolated rooms because I don’t think about other things as much and can concentrate on the questions.”

Fortunately for those who have ADHD, there are resources both on and off campus that can help. At McGill, students with ADHD can seek help from the Office for Students with Disabilities both before and during exams. Services range from academic planning and professional support to special arrangements for exam situations, like providing a distraction-free room.

These special accommodations require a certified written diagnosis, but the office will also provide assistance or advice for students who are unsure or have recently discovered a disability.

Outside McGill, students can seek help from various clinics and hospitals within Montreal. There is virtually no cost for students who seek minimal assistance from professionals due to government subsidies. However, for students who require intensive private treatment, the costs can be quite steep, usually running from $50 to $150 per session depending on the therapist’s background and experience.

Vincent used glasses as an analogy to understanding the treatment of ADHD.

“Glasses help you read, but [don’t] teach you how to read,” she said. “Treating ADHD is very much the same. We help you to adapt to the environment and adapt to yourself with mental strategies and medications, but it’s still up to yourself to make it work.”

For more information, students should refer to the online website http://www.mcgill.ca/osd/, or contact specialists directly at the McGill Office for Students with Disabilites. 

Opinion

How to say goodbye when you’re not Schwarzenegger

by Tara Richter Smith on

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For graduating students, April is the season of goodbyes. Everyone hates goodbyes, especially when the ones in question are more adieus than hasta la vistas, but we say them anyway, in one way or another. We wave to teachers as classes come to a close. We pack our student apartments into boxes to move into new ones. We hug our friends and board planes, trains, and automobiles for faraway places that some call—drum roll please—the “Real World,” where people don’t go to Korova on Mondays (though we haven’t done that since first year, we swear) and don’t wake up at three on Friday afternoons and call it morning. These people have nine-to-five jobs, cars, apartments not paid for by student loans or parents, plans for a babied future, and what society at large considers a progressive life.

But the question to ask ourselves is: to what, exactly, are we saying goodbye? When we leave our McGill bubble, are we abandoning it for the “Real World”? Are our lives here lived in a fantasyland where fairies complete our homework as we dance beneath snowflakes in winter and among drum circles in summer? Are we really just overreacting when we become stressed by exams, or lonely when we spend Tuesdays pulling an all-nighter?

I say no. How is our McGill bubble not a real world? Our lives here unfold in a world as real as any other—just another side of a multi-faceted universe we will never see in its entirety. What we are saying goodbye to is our world, one of greasy breakfasts at McGill Pizza,  one of too many hours spent in our cubicles at McLennan, of too much PBR, and of too little time spent with the people who make this world incredibly real.

Call me quixotic, but standing at the top of Mount Royal looking out at the St. Lawrence river and breathing in crisp still-wintry air is—according to most philosophical arguments—based in reality; it is the Real World that strikes me as a fiction. MTV founded a reality TV series twenty years ago that co-opted the title The Real World but the ensuing 26 seasons turned out to be anything but a world based in anyone’s version of reality. The other realm we call “The Real World”—this rat race in the big cities, where the aim is to out-strive those around you, that many a graduate will flock to upon receiving their diplomas—is equally deceiving.

Even in our McGill bubble, we’ve caught onto the fact we’re in a recession. Most of us, if we’re employed at all, will end up in a career that does not immediately relate to our undergraduate degree. Unemployment in our age bracket is at an all-time high. If Quebec is anything like our neighbours to the south—which, with the Charest government’s proposed tuition hikes, it’s trying to be—85 per cent of graduates will be moving back in with their parents. Social security stats suggest that the Baby Boomers have stolen our thunder. If this is the real world I have to look forward to, I’d rather stay in this one, thanks.

Yet since we can’t really stay here indefinitely, we have to come up with a good way to say goodbye when we do. Since it’s my time, I’ve decided to say goodbye a little differently. I’m going to leave without saying “goodbye” at all, but more along the lines of an optimistic “au revoir.”­ So au revoir, oh Lower Field, with your budding green grass; hasta la vista, Arts Building, with your billowing flags;  and  ciao for now, Leacock lobby, with your samosa and bake sales … until we meet again.

Opinion

What the devil is Canada’s status quo?

by Johanu Botha on

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Let’s imagine that the peculiar universe that is Canadian politics has a referee hulking in the shadows. Careful not to infringe on the Game of the Great North, she—Canada’s ref would naturally reflect anti-gender discrimination policies, and will preferably belong to visible minority—hasn’t called a time-out in decades. But, given the toll the first 10 years into the 21st century has taken on Canada, she notes that it’s time for a wee break. After checking that the phrasing of her decision is progressive-sounding enough for the NDP, double checking that her position hasn’t been cut by the Conservatives, and triple checking that the Liberals are still around, she calls for half time.

In the locker rooms of Canada’s main parties, then, the big questions are asked: where are we? How will the lines play in the next half, who will get benched, who will fade into oblivion? Most importantly: who will be leading the rankings come next season?

Rumours from the NDP camp has it that Captain Mulcair, formerly of the Liberals, is having issues rallying his entire team behind him. The veterans are adamant that the old playbook is the way to go, while some rookies—many of them still bedazzled about their unexpected draft from the minors last season —believe in their bearded leader’s plans to bring the centre through their team. Or their team around the centre. Or whatever. What’s important is that they will not quite be the centre.

Meanwhile, Rae of the Liberals, formerly of the NDP, is rallying his troop(s?) for battle. Ready to get back at it, the Libswill start the next half by standing steadfast in what they believe. Whatever that happens to be. The game plan will mainly revolve around convincing Mulcair to face Justin Trudeau in the boxing ring, and running a series of attack ads about Harper stealing candy from babies.

The Conservative front is quieter than usual. Their leader has taken the break as an opportunity to welcome other nations into the game. He was last seen offering home-made Albertan oil to a panda bear in China. His starting line-up is still strong too. The expert advice that counselled them not to pursue those fighter jets—advice they ignored—has turned out to be, well, expert advice. Hopefully the expert advice they received not to table their omnibus penalty box bill—advice they ignored—will be anything but expert advice. One small ray of sunshine is the high job growth of last month, which may distract spectators from accusations that the Tories have been rigging the game since last season.

Half-time analysts highlight the identity formation of both the NDP and the Libs. As the former juggles the fine line between holding onto its social democratic fan base while providing fiscal strategies that most Canadians find realistic, the latter needs to offer more substance than just We’re-The-Moderate-Option rhetoric. The Tories, on the other hand, are busy with identity protection. They’ve carved a brand for themselves in the West, Canada’s new economic heartland, and need to keep the small-but-safe team management product they’ve been selling attractive.

Home ice will be important for all teams as they emerge from the break. Fortress Calgary should give Harper’s crew enough spark to continue dominating the game, even while Montreal provides the NDP with a fertile incubating ground for retaliation. Where exactly the Libs have relocated remains a big question mark. A beleaguered Ontario does not bode well, but it will play a key role in the Great North’s ability to sustain all three of its most popular teams.

But whatever predictions one can make about the next half, the next season is thoroughly up in the air.

Opinion

Letter to the Editor

on

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The Plate Club would not exist if not for QPIRG. From our humble beginnings hand-washing in 2007 to today’s solid collective complete with an incredibly hygienic dishwasher (SSMU Best New Club 2008, now a full SSMU service), we have maintained the original mandate of QPIRG/Greening McGill’s reusable plate initiative to reduce styrofoam waste through our daily lunch service, lending reusable plates in the SSMU cafe, and through event rentals, which give students organizing events free access to our inventory.

But our QPIRG-funded history is not the only reason why the Plate Club wholeheartedly supports QPIRG McGill’s referendum. QPIRG’s consistent support for environmental justice initiatives has been a source of inspiration and support for us as we put in long hours at the dishwasher. Plus, we can thank Rad Frosh for leading many members and supporters to involvement in sustainability at McGill at all, and QPIRG events always remember to green their events by using our service.

We are excited to see what other innovative and successful seeds future working group initiatives will plant. Voting “YES” ensures new voices can be heard, powerful lasting initiatives can start, essential student services can grow, a whole world of ideas can inspire and your community, from the Plate Club to all of McGill, Montreal and beyond  will be stronger because of it.

Check out theplateclub.blogspot.com for more information about what we do, and qpirgyes.ca for more about the referendum. Remember to vote Yes to QPIRG McGill’s right to exist.

 

—The Plate Club (a SSMU service) executive, 2011-2012

Opinion

QPIRG should admit to its mistakes

by Calvin Elsman on

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As an organization that funds many worthwhile causes, I find no fault with the goals and actions of QPIRG as a whole. Where I take exception, rather, is with the duplicity and incoherence with which QPIRG has made, and continues to make, its case regarding opt-outable fees.  In particular, its public statements regarding the constitutionality and legitimacy of the question it put forth during the fall referendum period, in addition to their reasoning for doing so, have been consistently misleading and dishonest.

Before and after the referendum, and particularly in statements and arguments made by interveners during the J-Board case, QPIRG maintained that firstly QPIRG’s future existence was contingent on the elimination of online opt-out fees through Minerva, and secondly, that the “reasonably informed average voter” would understand this. Accordingly,QPIRG argued that the result of the referendum question, which passed with 65 per cent voting in favour, was legitimate.

But if QPIRG contends that students who voted ‘yes’ knew what they were doing and supported both parts of the question (the “opt-out” portion and the “existence” portion) because they saw them as “philosophically connected,” then they must also, logically, contend that if the two questions had been separated, they both would still have passed. Indeed, if 65 per cent supported both the opt-out changes and existence of QPIRG, both questions separately would have received the exact same 65 per cent.

Why then, even when faced with the prior concerns raised by the McGill administration as to the legitimacy and clarity of the question, did QPIRG not decide to run two separate questions in the same referendum, especially if, according to their own statements and logic, they expected both to yield the same outcome? Or why, for that matter, when faced with the possible invalidation of the results by the J-Board, or even the administration before that, did they not prepare to put forth two separate questions during the winter referendum period? Surely if the QPIRG BoD believed students had supported both propositions combined in the previous question, they could again be counted on to support both, only this time separately.

The reason, of course, is that they didn’t expect both outcomes to be the same and anticipated, likely correctly, that many students would vote for existence but against a change to opt-outs.  To that effect, I believe they deliberately crafted a question which they knew would force some students to vote for something they did not believe in, despite their repeated assurances that all those who voted ‘yes’ did so because they wholeheartedly believed in both. It is, by all standards, the only plausible and logical explanation.

I hope that QPIRG’s new question in the exceptional referendum period does not meet the same fate that CKUT’s did. I sincerely do want it to pass, and wish for QPIRG to keep receiving the money it needs to continue its good work. But I also hope that QPIRG and its leaders admit to the real reason behind the creation of their referendum question. The high moral and intellectual standard which they so often argue for and praise demands it. More importantly, we, as McGill students, deserve it.

 

—Calvin Elsman 

U1 Biology

Opinion

Letter to the Editor

by Brian Keast on

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The current situation in Queer McGill (QM) is one of corruption and infighting which continues to push the organization further and further towards irrelevance. In Tribune columnist, Abraham Moussako’s article “Safe Space Strife” on March 26, he outlined how I had been dismissed from my position as QM Treasurer due to violations of its anti-transphobiamandate by SSMU Equity as claimed by QM Political Action Co-ordinator, Libby Bouchard. While the SSMU Equity recommended my resignation, they have yet to provide any reasoning for their recommendation.

What Moussako failed to mention is that this was the last of several attempts to remove me. Notable among these is, one week after my election, call for an investigation by a disciplinary body by Kevin Paul, former QM Treasurer who claimed I had misappropriated $18.10, despite not yet knowing its accounting system. Another involved an email from QM Administrator, Francesca Buxton, claiming that there was some accusation against me by someone for which a Disciplinary Committee would be struck and that I could resign immediately or fight the unknown allegation.

Queer McGill is an organisation which has strayed far from its mandate. It provides little in the way of social or support services, yet finds the time and money out of its $35000 budget to support anti-police riots, the current protests over tuition hikes, or $250 sushi dinners and an $1100 hotel for executives. Last semester, three executives resigned in frustration. Maybe it’s time for Queer McGill to stick to its mandate: serving and listening to the queer community.

 

—Brian Keast

News

As exam period nears, students still on strike

by Kyla Mandel on

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On Monday, April 2 the McGill Social Work Student Association (SWSA) voted in favour of renewing their unlimited strike against the Quebec government’s proposed tuition fee increases, with 49 for, 30 against, and 2 abstentions. As of today, SWSA has been on strike for four weeks.

Over the past several weeks, the SWSA has seen open support from the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, the Canadian Association of Social Workers, and the Ordre professionnel des travialleurs sociaux du Quebec (OPTSQ). In addition, SWSA has gained support from some tenured faculty members.

“We were the first department [sic] to go on an unlimited strike and I feel like that was instrumental in helping other departments that choose to do so,” Leah Freeman, a first year social work student, said.

Radney Jean-Claude, one of two VP externals for SWSA, noted that support for the strike grew as time progressed.

“We’re supporting this [strike] because we’ve been mandated to do so, regardless of how we feel about it,” Echo Parent-Racine, SWSA’s  other VP external, said on student support for the strike.

However, Jean-Claude pointed to the lack of support from McGill faculty members for the student strike.

“At McGill the dynamic is different, the professors are willing to  accommodate at the discretion of the student, however, there’s no real open support for the strike as it is,” Jean-Claude said.

Other student groups saw mixed reactions following Quebec minister for education Line Beauchamp’s statement on April 5 that Quebec would be improving the loans and bursaries program for students. McGill’s Association des étudiant(e)s en langue et littérature françaises inscrit(e)s aux études supérieures (ADELFIES) has been on unlimited strike for four weeks.

“People mostly think it’s a proposition that would benefit the banks more than the students, who would only be even more indebted,” ADELFIES President Mathieu Simard said in an email to the Tribune.

“I think that it just shows [Beauchamp is] starting to listen,” Freeman said. “I don’t think it’s going to bring anybody from striking to not striking, but I do think that it’s a sign the government’s starting to reconsider its position and is open to talking with student groups.”

“I think it’s going to galvanize the groups,” Freeman added. “We’re going to stay strong because of that; it just shows that our activities are working.”

“I don’t think it’s a proposition we necessarily want to jump on because it will only indebt students,” Jean-Claude said. “The reason we’re on strike is to exactly prevent …  people from getting indebted because they want to pursue post-secondary education.”

The next strike renewal vote will happen today. “I don’t see any reason why social work students would vote now to not continue. I think we’re encouraged by our beliefs and by other departments and by the province-wide activities,” Freeman said.

With the end of semester quickly approaching, another topic of discussion will be on what the SWSA strike’s end goal will be in order to determine how and when they will end the strike, outside of a renewal vote.

“A lot of the student associations throughout Quebec are willing to stop striking at least when the government opens up dialogue on the tuition fees, not on Quebec loans. So maybe we will go that way,”  Jean-Claude said.

However, until the discussion opens, it remains to be seen exactly what will happen.

Simard expressed the same plan with regards to the ADELFIES  strike, stating that they would continue their strike activities past the end the semester until the Quebec government agrees to stop tuition increases.

Freeman remained optimistic about the coming weeks.

“It’s been a short amount of time in the context of the whole strike and I’m encouraged by these gains and I think in the next week we’ll see more collaboration and activities from McGill as a whole,” she said.

News

QPIRG, online GA ratification questions on ref. ballot

by Erica Friesen on

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Polling for SSMU’s exceptional referendum period opened  on Tuesday, April 10.  The voting period features two referendum questions—one regarding the existence of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG), and the other concerning the online ratification of motions passed by the SSMU General Assembly (GA). Created following a two-thirds majority vote in SSMU Council, the exceptional referendum period runs until Monday, April 16, when Elections SSMU will announce the results.

QPIRG

QPIRG’s referendum question asks students to support the existence of the organization. Student support for QPIRG will allow the organization to enter into negotiations with the administration over the renewal of its Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), allowing QPIRG to keep its office space and student fee collection for the next five years.

Members of the organization have worked all year in preparation for their current MoA’s expiration on May 31. Students voted in favour of an existence question that QPIRG ran in the fall referendum period, but the administration invalidated the results, stating that the single question dealt with two separate issues—the organization’s existence and its bid to become opt-outable offline.

To avoid another invalidation, the administration proposed the wording of QPIRG’s new question, which asks only that students support the organization’s existence. Student fees will remain opt-outable only online.

Lena Weber, QPIRG board member and member of the ‘Yes’ committee, said that the most important challenge QPIRG faces this referendum period will be reaching quorum during such a busy time of the semester.

“We’re very confident that we have student support, but we [have] to get people out to vote,” she said. “Fortunately we have the campaign from last semester to build off of, [when] we reached out to a lot of people.”

According to Weber, if the question does not pass, QPIRG will cease to exist as a McGill organization and will no longer have access to their office space. They could try to return as a new student service, but that bureaucratic process could take a long time.

Even if students support QPIRG’s existence in this referendum period, Weber said that the organization will continue to struggle with increasing student opt-outs, and will be forced to scale back on their programming.

“We’re excited to put all of this behind us and then just continue to work on how we’re going to sustain ourselves as an organization,” she said.

However, chair of the QPIRG ‘No’ committee Elissa Brock argued that student money should not support the specific political views of organizations like QPIRG. She also said that only 39 per cent of QPIRG’s money supports student life on campus.

“The whole point of [McGill student] groups is to unite students on campus,” she said. “QPIRG didn’t start as a campus group. We think that the fee levy program should be going to student-run activities that support student activity on campus.”

Last week, the QPIRG ‘No’ committee received two sanctions from Elections SSMU, both dealing with online campaigning. One sanction dealt with “slanderous campaigning” for posting false information about QPIRG on the committee’s Facebook event, and the other  was for sending Facebook messages promoting the ‘No’ committee events page to ‘friends’ of the QPIRG opt-out Facebook profile. Brock declined to comment on the sanctions.

 Online ratification

The second referendum question proposes that all motions passed at the SSMU GA should be submitted for online ratification, and that the quorum of these ratifications be fixed at 10 per cent. The referendum was prompted by a survey in the fall, when 88.8 per cent of students indicated support for moving the final vote in the GA online.

Chair of the ‘Yes’ committee Kathleen Sheridan pointed to the current GA’s many problems, including the current unrepresentative nature of the GA, where quorum is only 100 students.

“The idea that 0.4 per cent can make a binding resolution on the other 99.6 is insane,” she said. “Feeling like my voice is being silenced because of my schedule feels innately wrong to me. Online voting will give me my voice back.”

Sheridan emphasized that the referendum will not change the basic nature of the GA and that students will still be able to debate and propose amendments in the GA before the motion is submitted for ratification.

“We think that this online voting system will actually strengthen the results coming out of the GA,” she said. “In fact it may encourage more people to get more involved in politics as they see these motions coming out of the GA.”

However, chair of the ‘No’ committee Chris Bangs suggested that 10 per cent quorum would be difficult to reach for non-controversial motions, and that this kind of online ratification will weaken the motions passed by SSMU since the majority of voters will not be engaged in the debate.

“A general assembly is a very community-based political choice,” he said. “You are there to make a decision as an individual, but you do so in the context of an event that’s shaped by a narrative and an experience that’s defined by the groups that [are] there. If you’re sitting at a computer screen clicking ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ that is an individual experience.”

Bangs said online ratification would create additional bureaucracy and make time-sensitive motions impractical. Bangs suggested other ways of making the GA more effective, such as simultaneous online voting, secret ballots, and proxy voting.

“I think there are really good ways to make General Assemblies more representative so that more people show up and vote at them,” said Bangs. “I think that we should explore those first, without going to extreme and radical steps like this.”

Student Life

An educational outing with a sweet twist

by Marri Lynn Knadle on

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The island of Montreal is encircled by sugar shacks. Every spring, workers tap into the melting, sugary ichor of the maple tree, and together produce 77 per cent of the world’s maple syrup. This year, a mild winter and an early burst of heat may have put a damper on the bottom line profits that harvesters can expect, both from their trees and the people that leave the island to see them. Sugaring off just isn’t the same when the snow you’re using to cool hot syrup for the stick has been dragged out of a freezer.

A visit to a sugar shack has become a rite of passage, a must-do for anyone in the city during the maple season. The sugar shacks have responded accordingly, vying for attention by specializing in certain types of maple experiences. You can have a massage with your syrup at the Handfield sugar shack, enjoy orchard apples on the side at the DenisCharbonneau maplery, or play sports to work up an appetite at the Sucre des Sportifs. Maple has even been elevated to a gourmand ingredient, slathered throughout the offerings at L’Hermine Maître Sucrier and Au Pied de Cochon.

While fun, the flash of these places does little to put our Canadian maple pride in its crucial historical context, reducing culture to consumption. There are alternatives that provide an authentic experience, one which nourishes as much as it pleases your sweet tooth, leaving you with something more to chew on.

The First Nations Culture House (La Maison des Cultures Amérindiennes) is located at the foot of the St. Hilairemountain, which is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in addition to being a time-honoured symbol and source of legend for both the Algonquin people and colonists. The setting is idyllic, and plays host to Canada’s only “urban bush” maplery, which surrounds the cultural house. Inside, a permanent exhibit showcases the painted and sculpted art of the centre’sfounder, André Michel, who enjoyed a life-long friendship with the Innu of the Seven Islands region of Quebec.

The centre connects visitors with the origin story of maple syrup, and the related traditions and technologies of First Nations peoples. They discovered how to turn the sugar-water inside of maple trees into a thick, golden syrup that provided them with energy as well as a delicious accompaniment to many meals.

The centre’s cooks serve up a delicious opportunity for you to enjoy the fresh maple syrup batch. Savour it alongsidebannock, drizzled on a potage of the ‘three sisters’ of the First Nations (squash, maize, and beans), sparingly in the vinaigrette of an Iroquois salad with wild herbs, and both in and on an Atikamekw-style sugar pie (without crust). Anherbed chicken on wild rice, or a vegetable ragout for vegetarians, is the keystone of the meal and shouldn’t go without a little touch of maple on its own. Experiment, but don’t over-indulge: there’s more maple waiting outside, where you can sugar off with your friends, armed with sticks and a snowy trench that turns liquid syrup into a chewy treat.

It’s worth it to get a group together and reserve the meal and the showroom presentation, in which a staff member welcomes you to the house with a burning sage cleansing ceremony, a song of welcome accompanied by drum, and information on the centre’s history and the surrounding area. Note that for the full package experience, reservations are obligatory, but the gallery and gift shop can be visited by dropping in.

The First Nations Culture House is located just off of the island, at 510 Montée des Trente, Mont Saint Hilaire.

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