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Science & Technology

Daylight savings affects industry and human health

by Sam Min on

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On Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ended, and we were gifted with an extra hour of sleep. 2 a.m. reverted back to 1 a.m., and clocks were changed.

Benjamin Franklin first suggested the idea of implementing DST in 1784, joking that extended daylight would save candles. He also found several people around him sleeping and waking up late. Franklin speculated how much more productive people would be if the local time were to be set one hour ahead of Standard Time, forcing everyone to wake up early and thereby ‘saving candles.’

George Vernon Hudson, a New-Zealand astronomer, officially proposed DST for the first time in 1895. Then, golfer William Willet supported DST, which would reward him with an extra hour of golf after work. Up until his death in 1915, Willet lobbied the House of Commons for DST, but to no avail.

Germany and Austria were the first countries to opt for DST in 1916. Soon after its implementation in 1916, support for DST spread across Europe. The United States followed suit in 1918 to conserve electricity during World War I. After the world wars ended, DST fell from federal to state jurisdiction. Some neighbouring states follow different time systems. Although these were the first countries to implement DST, the people of modern day Thunder Bay in Ontario turned their clocks back in 1908.

However, DST affects our lives beyond the extra hour. Some studies show that workplace productivity diminishes significantly for an entire week after DST has begun, because workers lose one hour of sleep. The number of admitted patients for heart attacks has also been known to spike during DST shifts, linked loosely to a lack of sleep. According to a study completed at the University of Colorado, the incidence of traffic accidents increases by 17 per cent on the Monday after DST. Despite these burdens, DST has now been implemented in 76 countries around the world.

Furthermore, despite having a longer day, studies argue that DST does not actually reduce energy consumption. According to Michael Downing, lecturer in the Department of English at Tufts University and author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time, an extra hour of daylight from DST would allow consumers to spend more time outside by shopping, driving, or even honing their golf skills.

“This change was spurred by a large number of lobbies: golf and golf equipment, home improvement, the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association and the gas and fuel industries, which saw a potential boon to their sales,” Downing said in an interview at Tufts University.

As people spend more time outside in daylight, they could negate the reduced cost of energy from fewer hours of indoor lighting.

The sweeping momentum for DST laid out by the retail industries led to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in the United States, which extended DST to eight months from seven. Candy retailers also lobbied for a DST extension by giving out Halloween candies to every senator to extend DST to the first week of November.  

DST spans from the second week of March until the first week of November, leaving us with eight months of DST and four months of Standard Time. Students should take advantage of the hour gained over the next week, and work on adjusting to the time difference. The aforementioned studies show health risks from the one-hour sleep deprivation, and the harms could be prevented if we applied DST all year round.

Commentary, Opinion

Made in Canada doesn’t mean Canadians will watch

by Gabriel Rincon on

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On Sept. 28, the federal government announced a partnership with Netflix. The online streaming service agreed to invest $500 million over the next 10 years to create “Canadian content” as part of Justin Trudeau’s cultural strategy, which will in turn pledge $125 million towards promoting Canadian content. Netflix will be creating a Canadian production house. However, “Canadian content” is hard to define, particularly because pop culture in Canada is strongly influenced by the United States, making popular Canadian entertainment often just repackaged American content. This lack of a unique identity makes it unclear what will make the Netflix content distinctively Canadian, beyond a “Made in Canada” label. Thus, the government’s deal seems more like a quid pro quo trade with Netflix to subsidize the Canadian film industry than a way to promote Canadian culture, as Trudeau has claimed.

In Quebec, where there is a strong sense of cultural identity tied to the French language, there have been many Canadian-made French-language shows that have drawn fantastic ratings in the province. Outside of Quebec, however, Canadian content isn’t very popular. In 2017, ratings were very poor for Canadian entertainment: The 50 most-watched network series were all American, the most watched was the National Football League—a staple of American culture. Of the most-watched Canadian-made shows in 2015, several are remakes of American competition shows, and the others—with the exception of The Book of Negroes—lack distinctly Canadian identity. Rookie Blue is just a cop show; Vikings is set in Scandinavia.

Canadian television pop culture doesn’t contribute to the uniqueness of broader Canadian culture or identity. Canada is a relatively small consumer market, so Canadian superstars, like The Weeknd and Drake, have to appeal to the U.S. market to make significant sales and achieve real fame. To make original content to specifically target the Canadian market is risky, since this kind of entertainment rarely goes international, making it less profitable. For example, The Trailer Park Boys never achieved international acclaim. Unless Canadian content becomes a Canadian cultural staple––say, Tragically Hip––it’s hard to sell. It’s easier to make a profit simply repackaging American entertainment.

 

Surely the government can think of better ways to promote Canadian culture—like direct sponsorship of public art—than by subsidizing Netflix and the film industry.

When Melanie Joly, Canadian Heritage Minister, announced the Netflix deal, she promoted it as support for the Canadian film industry and part of Trudeau’s “culture strategy.” But, it is unclear what exactly Netflix will do to support Canadian culture––nor what is meant by Canadian culture––other than buying Canadian services. So the deal’s benefits for the film industry—and Netflix—appear to be the central goal. There are really only two reasons Netflix would agree to this partnership. After all, Netflix is a for-profit company and must be benefiting somehow. Either the Canadian market is a profitable investment, so Netflix was already going to invest and just got some free press; or the investment isn’t profitable without some sort of subsidy. It remains to be seen what exactly Netflix is receiving for partnering with the government. However, it is noteworthy that a June 2017 parliamentary report recommended a uniform broadband high-speed internet tax to correct for a trade disadvantage faced by Canadian streaming firms competing with Netflix. The disadvantage comes from nuances in how sales taxes are collected in Canada, but ultimately Trudeau dismissed the proposal. In the meantime, Netflix continues to benefit from the trade imbalance.

Trying to analyze the Netflix deal from the perspective of promoting Canadian cultural content is fruitless. Canadian pop culture is, as near as makes no difference, American pop culture, which calls into question what exactly Netflix is going to pass off as Canadian content. Surely the government can think of better ways to promote Canadian culture—like direct sponsorship of public art—than by subsidizing Netflix and the film industry. Hopefully, Trudeau isn't surprised when the Canadian content Netflix makes is strikingly similar to Stranger Things, except you can catch a glimpse of Toronto or Montreal in the background.

 

 

Gabriel is a U2 Economics student at McGill. He loves cooking and sharing his food with his friends and family.

 

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 

 
Laughing Matters, Opinion

Lies I tell myself about my upstairs neighbours

by Sydney King on

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At 19 years old, it seems like I’ve lost the privilege of deciding when I go to bed and when I wake up. No, I don’t live with my parents, and no, my roommates aren’t dictators. I just have really loud, obnoxious upstairs neighbours. Their anonymity makes it easy to bash them in the relative privacy of my own apartment, but standing up to them would shatter my otherwise painstakingly friendly exterior. Not being one for confrontation, I prefer to share my opinions in a newspaper and pray they don’t read it. However annoying they may be, there is always more than one way to look at the story.

So your upstairs neighbours are loud. They stomp. They might be bodybuilders—based on the weight of the stuff that they throw on the ground. You can track their heavy footsteps throughout their apartment, and maybe they shake the hangings on the walls. This behaviour is categorically inconsiderate, but not necessarily intentionally rude. Sure, at night, after a couple hours of sweet peace and quiet, they reappear in the early hours of the morning to yell at each other, and do some late-night home improvement or possibly demolition. But, at least you know that they are home safe, and you don’t have to be up all night worrying if they’ve been kidnapped. You’ll still be up all night because they’re building a roof-top garden shed in their living room, but peace of mind comes at a cost.

On one hand, hearing “Call Me Maybe” 20 times a day might make you want to pull your hair out. On the off chance you actually like their music, it can save you money on your electric bill!

One of the most common complaints about living with upstairs neighbours is their music—specifically their volume control. While blasting rap music may help them study, you are often left out of the decision-making process. Maybe you are trying to fall asleep, or work on a paper, or just listen to your own music. But, your neighbours leave no room for sonic discourse. They simply dominate the discussion. On one hand, hearing “Call Me Maybe” 20 times a day might make you want to pull your hair out. On the off chance you actually like their music, it can save you money on your electric bill! Your neighbours have spared you the trouble of hooking up your own speakers to blast deep house remixes at all hours of the day. Moreover, if your upstairs neighbours like to rehearse their acoustic, breathy dream-pop music covers, and somehow they make it big, you now have the material to write a bestselling memoir about your experiences living underneath greatness. Aren’t you lucky?

If you think your obnoxious upstairs neighbours are probably playing sports inside—hockey, soccer, basketball, you name it—remember that there might be more to the story. Maybe their squash partner bailed on them, or they’re just too lazy to get off the couch to play outside. It’s hard to know what people are going through.

Last, and probably worst of all, upstairs neighbours seem to have a proclivity for loud sex. Honestly, I cannot spin this one. I am sincerely sorry to anyone who has to deal with loud sex noises at all hours of the day and night. This is the more explicit aspect of the intimacy of the relationship with our upstairs neighbours, definitely to the detriment of others’ mental wellbeing.

If you don’t have annoying upstairs neighbours, then you are probably the annoying upstairs neighbour, and there is nothing I can do for you. If you’re like me and you, too, suffer from the heavy-footedness of those above you, these are some lies that I tell myself to suppress the temptation to call the cops on them.

 

Sydney King is a U1 Political Science major. She is perpetually debating dropping out and going to culinary school.

 

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 
Student Life

The mental health benefits of being organized

by Nina Russell on

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The concept of organization often conjures up the image of pastel bullet journals, meticulous desks, and obnoxiously-healthy salads stacked neatly inside an immaculate refrigerator. But for the majority of McGill students, whose busy academic and social lives often take priority over everything else, this interpretation of organization as an art form can feel inconvenient and unsustainable.

However, staying organized can be simple. Small tasks, such as keeping a clean room, planning out meals, or making the bed in the morning, have far-reaching benefits. For McGill students especially, organization is crucial for keeping track of one’s responsibilities, even contributing to healthier eating, reduced stress, and improved relationships by creating more time to live a balanced life.

A 2011 Princeton University study further proved the benefits of organization by looking at the effects of decluttering a desk on the brain. When studying in a disorganized space, clutter competes with the task at hand, restricting one’s ability to focus. The simple act of clearing a workspace may prove beneficial when studying.

For many students, however, the issue is deeper than decluttering; it’s finding the time to stay organized given McGill’s academic demands. Cleaning out a closet with three midterms and two essays due the next week can feel like a waste of time and energy, and isn’t always possible. But even the smallest actions can have powerful effects on mental health, making them worth the effort in the long run.

Although students have their own self-care routines, organization can be a simple way to maintain a healthy headspace. To Darian Mavandad, U0 Arts, organization is bliss.  

“[Being organized] relaxes me,” Mavandad said. “Being able to come home and having a clear desk where I can put my things down and begin my work is the most important thing. I’m always at ease when my room is clean.”

Staying organized can also help to ease the anxiety that those who aren’t as organized may have. Traits such as lateness, unresponsiveness to texts or emails, and messiness are all stigmatized, which can create a fear of peer judgement in some.

This is true for Emma Orazietti, U0 Arts, who worries that qualities associated with disorganization affect how others—particularly employers and professors—view her.

“[Being disorganized] absolutely has a negative impact on people’s perception of me,” Orazietti said. “No one wants to be thought of as lazy and disorganized, but that’s how it looks to the outside world.”

For students who consistently find themselves disorganized, there are tools that can make tidying up feel like less of a chore and more like an act of self-care. Apps such as 24me, a virtual personal assistant, and Evernote, which can be used to take notes and sync to-do lists across different devices, can help students organize their lives and manage their time, reducing stress levels.

Of course, having a consistently-tidy desk and healthy meals lined up days in advance isn’t always possible. For some students, it’s just not realistic. But by starting with small actions, such as creating to-do lists, students can decrease their stress levels and spike their productivity in the long run.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Loving Vincent: first ever oil-painted animated film pays homage to Van Gogh

by Avleen K Mokha on

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Loving Vincent, to put it simply, is a work of art. Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, the film advertises itself as “the world’s first fully painted feature film.” Each shot in the film was hand-painted in Vincent Van Gogh’s style by a team of over 100 artists. A Polish-British co-production with a budget of US $5.5 million, $70,000 of which were raised in a Kickstarter campaign, the film succeeds as being the first of its kind, engaging viewers in its immersive, dramatic story.

The events of the film take place one year after Van Gogh’s (Robert Gulaczyk) death. The postman (Chris O’Dowd) who collected Van Gogh’s many letters, requests that his son Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) personally deliver Van Gogh’s last letter, written to his brother, Theo. On this journey, Roulin meets people who interacted with Van Gogh in different ways. Listening to all of them speculate on the cause of Van Gogh’s alleged suicide, Roulin must distinguish fact from fiction in order to get to the truth.

The hand-painted nature of each still creates a distinct visual dynamism. The film finds its appeal not in a speedy plot, but in sequencing its 65, 000 meticulously painted stills. From European cafes to scenic backyards and starry nights, the film’s scenery wonderfully replicates Van Gogh’s aesthetic. The animation never comes across as abrupt or unpolished—even shots of clouds and cigarette smoke feel fluid and realistic. The project is ambitious, depicting a range of technical scenes, including distorted point-of-view shots, nightmares, and dramatic flashbacks.

Loving Vincent is reflective but also, surprisingly, investigative. Roulin’s attempts to uncover the truth by retracing Van Gogh’s steps could be straight out of an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery novel. The film’s score (composed by Clint Mansell) employs string instruments and choir vocals to produce a mystical, curious mood. The balance between dialogue and music is highly effective; while the film does rely heavily on dialogue to develop its characters, the dialogue recedes in the more emotionally-charged scenes, which fittingly swell with cinematic music.

The actors’ voice work breathes life into the characters. Jerome Flynn’s stiff voicing communicates the sophisticated—at times arrogant—personality of Paul Gachet, Vincent’s friend and psychologist. Eleanor Tomlinson’s performance as Adeline Ravoux, the caretaker of the inn in which Vincent dies, is lively and charming.

The film develops an immersive narrative with a limited host of characters, but in doing so cannot create a complex plot. The movement from one scene to the next, especially in the first half, is predictable and repetitive. Over the course of his journey to deliver Vincent’s letter, Roulin gets constantly redirected to different locations. The screenplay does not make this inconspicuous, perhaps for the worse; the turns in plot are very explicit, at times even on-the-nose. Nevertheless, this conventional structuring becomes less visible in the latter half, in which the suspense of the story culminates.  

Loving Vincent successfully depicts Van Gogh  as a likeable character, without  romanticizing  his  mental state. The film praises Van Gogh’s eccentric creativity, while also capturing the mistreatment he faced at the hands of those who saw him as a “nuthead.”

Ultimately, Loving Vincent’s storytelling is simplistic but charming, prioritizing characterization over development. With dynamic visuals and a palpable mood, Loving Vincent is a visually stunning and moving depiction of the complexity of human emotions and the difficulty of processing the death of a loved one.

Features

Making an icon

by Marie Labrosse on

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Most know Leonard Cohen as the first vocalist of the iconic “Hallelujah.” Others may know him as a poet, a musician, a novelist, or a songwriter. Some may even know him as a painter. And that’s exactly how he would have wanted it. He is a jack-of-all-trades, who deftly evades any labels we may try to ascribe to him, preferring instead to lurk in the shadows of changeability with a fickle smirk.

Leonard Cohen’s artistic career was prolific, to say the least. This in itself makes it difficult to attribute any strict epithet to him or his work. Over the course of his life, Cohen published 12 books—10 poetry collections as well as two novels, ///Beautiful Losers/// and ///The Favorite Game///. The publishing house McClelland & Stewart also plans to bring out a final posthumous anthology, ///The Flame///, in October 2018. Completed in the last months of Cohen’s life, the collection will be made up of previously unpublished poetry, notebook excerpts, and illustrations by Cohen himself. Writing was Cohen’s initial calling and he only turned to music later in life: He released his first album, ///Songs of Leonard Cohen/// (1967), at age 33. He had already enjoyed some degree of public acclaim for his four published poetry collections and his first novel. Between 1967 and 2016 he then released 25 albums, and collaborated on tracks with other accomplished artists such as Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan. Cohen passed away in November 2016.

Student Life

Conscious clothing: Ethical fashion in Montreal

by Leyla Moy on

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Many students know about Nike’s use of sweatshop labour, but when it comes to the brands they love, the desire to buy comfortable, trendy athletic wear tends to trump the desire to shop with a guilt-free conscience. Consumers share a sense of collective denial of their influence on the deeply flawed world of fashion, believing that they, as individuals, cannot change the larger system, and thus changing their shopping behaviour will have little effect.

Teen Vogue reported in July that fast-fashion brands, such as Zara, H&M, and ASOS, sourced materials from factories that were polluting local waterways and emitting noxious gases in their production of viscose, a silk lookalike that is cheaper to produce. The quickly-changing tides of consumer taste in fast fashion have led to an irresponsible consumption culture; trends fade too fast for brands to keep up while sourcing sustainably and employing fair labour practices.

“When most people shop, […] they don’t really reflect on what they buy,” Marine Trouillez, U1 Management and fashion devotee, said. “Fashion changes so quickly that it’s just thrown away.”

To alleviate their contributions to the issue, mass-market labels are quick to jump on what has become a trendy ethical bandwagon. H&M now places garment collection boxes in stores for a ‘take-back’ recycling program and releases a recycled denim collection annually.

Yet, despite the troubling influence of fast fashion, there is promise for change in Montreal’s local-clothing scene. Montreal-native Genevieve Paquette founded Kazak, an ethical clothing and accessory line, after a trip to Mongolia. The project quickly evolved into Les Coureurs de Jupons, a storefront that showcases 110 local designers. Paquette uses material from couch companies that would otherwise be thrown away and produces her designs locally, reducing emissions from transportation. For Paquette, a local focus is key for both the brand’s sustainability and its heart.

“[I] relate to the people in my store and my neighbourhood,” Paquette said. “I know them, and that keeps me […] grounded to the people around me, grounded to my customers.”

This personal connection between designer and customer contrasts the impersonality of global mass-market brands lining Sainte-Catherine street. In Paquette’s eyes, connecting her brand to her customers was crucial to opening up a dialogue. In understanding materials, production, and inspiration, shoppers learn the story behind their clothes.

OÖM is another Montreal-based clothing store that focuses on its environmental footprint; it places a focus on sustainable textiles, such as organic cotton, hemp, recycled polyester, and flax.

Larger brands founded on the principles of sustainability and ethical production have also emerged worldwide. Everlane and Reformation bring simplicity and slickness to a predominantly-online consumer base while providing the total cost of production and environmental impact—including pounds of waste, gallons of water, and CO2 emission levels—of every item on sale.

The cost of purchasing new ethically-sourced and fair-trade clothes can stretch a student’s budget. But it’s still possible to subvert the fast-fashion buying cycle; Montreal is home to several stores that are kind to students’ wallets and consciences. Perusing the city’s many thrift shops is one way to add high-quality used pieces to a wardrobe while staying budget-conscious. Another option is simply cutting down on consumption and assembling a workable capsule wardrobe of a small number of versatile essentials to mix and match for any situation.

“Since I became more aware of fast fashion [and its downsides], I’ve definitely shopped less,” Chelsea Jang, U0 Arts, said.  “When I do buy something, 99 per cent of the time it’s something I love wearing and […] am proud to wear.”

Interrupting the vicious cycle of cheap production and high turnover can change consumers’ mindsets around clothes as well. Students have the power to combat the idea that clothing is disposable; whether that means capping consumption, recycling used pieces, or supporting more responsible brands, valuing where clothes come from will go a long way.

Editorial, Opinion

Fall 2017 SSMU Referendum Endorsements

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Motion Regarding Sustainability Projects Fund Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

The Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) is an open fund that students can apply to to finance community projects and environmentally friendly ideas, thereby promoting sustainable initiatives across campus. Some projects sponsored by the SPF currently are The Plate Club, Rez Life, the McGill Farmers’ Market, and Community Engagement Day. This motion does not change the nature of the SPF on campus, rather, it is an increase in fees from $0.53 to $0.55 per credit. This increase incorporates the estimated inflation for the the next five years, until the fee is brought up again in 2023. The SPF was founded in 2009 by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), in collaboration with the McGill administration. McGill matches every student contribution. In sum, this motion promotes the continuation of sustainable community building, empowers students to take initiative on this front, and facilitates student participation and leadership.

Motion Regarding First Year Council Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

First Year Council (FYC) is an elected SSMU body that represents and organizes social events for all first-year students, regardless of academic program, residence, or age. It aims to ease students’ transition into university and consolidates relations across all first-year organizations on campus. This fee will support the Council’s activities and events, and was first approved in Winter 2014. FYC has encountered some difficulties in the past: It failed its service review in 2016, for not meeting the requirements of a “Service,” and needing stronger “Executive-level” support. However, now under the portfolio of the Vice-President (VP) Internal, the Council is broadening its scope to cater to more underrepresented groups—such as off-campus students and varsity athletes. According to current Vice-President (VP) Internal Maya Koparkar, it is also planning on conducting sustainability initiatives. While the $0.50 fee is opt-outable, the FYC provides new students an opportunity to get involved in the McGill community and engage with fellow students.

Motion Regarding Peer Support Centre Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

The Peer Support Centre (PSC) is a SSMU student service that provides one-on-one support for a range of student needs, from general support and listening services to suggesting appropriate resources. This motion would create an opt-outable fee of $0.62 for a designated fund for the PSC, charged to all SSMU members from Fall 2017 until renewal in Winter 2021. As McGill’s pattern of deprioritizing mental health issues bleeds into another school year, the PSC strives to address the waitlists and gaps in the administration’s services. The PSC is run entirely by student volunteers, who commit to hours of rigorous training to prepare themselves to help anyone who walks through their doors. Unlike McGill Counselling Services, the PSC is available on a walk-in basis, or by appointment. Located in room 411 in the University Centre, the PSC offers a reliable, accessible support system for students in need. A sustainable source of funding would provide it needed security.

Motion Regarding Renewal of the SSMU Ambassador Fee: “Yes”

The SSMU Ambassador Fund, established in 2010, subsidizes McGill student clubs and services to attend academic competitions and conferences in Canada and abroad. Through SSMU’s Funding Committee, student clubs and services can consult SSMU to plan and receive funding for cost-effective trips that help further their education. One of the most applied for of SSMU’s funds, the Ambassador Fund has subsidized a diversity of projects, including the Chemical Engineering Student’s Society (ChESS) Council’s trip to the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Quebec City, the McGill Muggle Quidditch Club attendance at the Canadian Eastern Regional Quidditch Championship in Mississauga, and the McGill Formula Electric’s presentations at local CEGEPS. Without a renewal of the fund’s opt-outable fee of $2 per student per semester, many clubs and affiliated organizations would be unable to send their members on such trips, and students would lose valuable opportunities to interact with peers and professionals outside of McGill.

Motion Regarding the Proposed Bike Centre Facility: “Yes”

The proposed bike centre facility is a jointly-funded effort between SSMU, McGill University, and the SPF, with $800,000 coming each from the former two and $300,000 from the latter. In a 2016 plebiscite, 83 per cent of undergraduate students indicated strong support for this project. SSMU’s portion of the funding will be withdrawn by McGill from the existing Internally Restricted Endowment Fund (IREF); therefore, it does not come out of SSMU’s operating budget and students are not paying for this facility. The bike centre is an ideal use for this fund, as the IREF has numerous restrictions placed on it, making it difficult to access. For example, funds must be spent on improvements to the University Centre, and cannot be used for profit generation. A significant portion of the seemingly hefty cost to this project goes towards renovating the parking garage underneath the SSMU building that is currently vacant. This renovation will repurpose the space to house parking for 350 bikes, shower facilities, a new space for The Flat Bike Collective, and additional space for SSMU clubs and operations. This project is much more than just an additional 350 bike parking spots: It represents a symbolic commitment by McGill and SSMU to sustainable and active transportation, it makes it easier for cyclists to bike to school throughout the year, and it will benefit students by upgrading a currently unused space.

McGill, News

SUS talks upcoming events and constitutional change for FUSS

by Caitlyn Atkinson on

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The Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) held its bi-weekly General Council meeting on Nov. 1 to discuss upcoming social events, student mental health, and a motion to approve changes to the Freshman Undergraduate Science Society’s (FUSS) electoral by-laws.

 

Gert's Event Night promotes community bonding and a possible science bar

Following a brief question and announcement period, Vice-President (VP) Academic Ellie Joung reported on academic events taking place over the next few weeks. VP Internal Soud Kharusi focused his report on upcoming social events. The Society's first social event night, titled Kill the Keg, will take place on Nov. 7 at Gert's. In addition to giving students in the faculty an opportunity to socialize, Kharusi feels the event will serve as a measure to gauge student interest in opening a science bar, similar to those of other faculties, such as Bar des Arts and Blues Pub. 

“We’ll see how [Kill the Keg] goes,” Kharusi said. “It’s kind of a trial run to see how a science bar would actually turn out. Based on this event and the next couple of weeks, we’ll decide whether or not to move forward with the project.”

The SUS also plans to host a wine and cheese event on Nov. 16 to introduce themselves to first-year students.

VP External Michelle Guo reported that the SUS Environment Committee’s (SUSEC) first vegan baking workshop, held on Oct. 27, was successful. She also discussed SUS Charity month, which began on Oct. 31 and will run until the end of November. The committee plans to raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation throughout the month with samosa sales; other committees were also invited to propose fundraising ideas, but only samosa sales have been planned thus far.

 

SUS survey on student mental health

Guo also updated Council on the SUS survey on student mental health. The survey was released on Oct. 29, but has since been taken down at the request of Dean of Science Bruce Lennox , who asked to review and approve it for re-posting. When announcing the survey’s removal, Guo emphasized the SUS’s commitment to student wellness.

“It’s very important for [Lennox], and also the students to know that we genuinely care about their wellness,” Guo said. “And if that’s not on board with [Lennox…] that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll go forward with [the survey, regardless].”

 

Motion to approve changes made to FUSS constitution passes

Council addressed VP Communications Reem Mandil’s proposed motion for changes to the FUSS constitution. The motion’s primary objective is to officially replace “Freshman” with the term “First Year” to be equally inclusive to U1 and U0 students in their first year at McGill.

The motion also sought to eliminate the election of first-year students to Council, and rather have the Council select candidate for the executive positions of FUSS from a pool of applicants that includes both U0 and U1 students. Previously, only U0 students were hired by the FUSS. Mandil cited low candidacy interest, minimal electoral participation, and the need to ensure the qualifications of candidates as reasons to forego the elections, without resistance from the Council.

The motion also suggests removing bylaw 2.4 of the SUS Constitution, which states the Presidential candidates need a minimum of 30 constituent signatures, and those running for other executive positions need 25. Without an election, the bylaw would therefore be unnecessary.

The Constitutional Affairs Committee (CAC) approved all proposed changes after they were reported in the previous Council meeting. Following the question period, SUS President Jasmine Leung expressed her support for removing the electoral process and thus the motion itself.

“[Mandil] has had a lot of experience with the actual electoral process of FUSS and how much effort goes into that election and how little is actually gained from having it.” Leung said. “The amount of people that come out to put themselves out there to be elected is never the same amount of positions that are available.”

With all votes in favour and two abstentions, the motion to alter the official title of FUSS and its constitution passed.

SUS Council will next meet on Nov. 15.

 
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that SUS consulted Dean of Students Chris Buddle about its survey on mental health. In fact, SUS consulted Dean of Science Bruce Lennox. The Tribune regrets this error.
Science & Technology

Printing in 3D: Easy as 1-2-3

by Oceane Marescal on

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For many, 3D printing seems futuristic and inaccessible. However, in reality 3D printing is easy, available, and relatively cheap. Those looking to get involved need look no further than right here at McGill.  

Christophe Paganon is one of four board members of the McGill 3D Printing Design Team (M3DP) and has been involved with “everything 3D printing” at McGill for the past two years. He explained the different aspects of his club, as well as how McGill students can get started in the growing and exciting field of 3D printing.   

The first responsibility of the M3DP Design Team is competition. According to Paganon, members of the team compete in online 3D modelling challenges where they create  computer aided design (CAD) for various objects, which can range from jewelry to GoPro mounts.

The innovation lab—a mix of open projects and student initiatives—is the club’s second area of interest.

“This [lab] is [for] more open projects,” Paganon said. “[If] a student has an innovative initiative, something they want to build [using] 3D printing, we facilitate this. We have four or five projects this year. We are making a prosthetic hand for a student at McGill. That’s the project I am working on.”

The club also hopes to make 3D printing more sustainable by using recycled plastic bottles to make 3D printer filament, the material used for printing.

The club has also partnered with the Redpath Museum for the past three years to scan artifacts from the museum. The scans are then used to make a digital museum where you can view models of fossils, rotate them, and look into them. The project is still in the works, but the club hopes the digital museum will be accessible online sometime in the near future.

For students who want to try their hand at 3D printing, there are plenty of resources at McGill to get started. The first thing to learn is how to use CAD software. CAD software creates a 3D model, which can then be used by the printer to create the object of interest. M3DP offers CAD training classes—starting at the beginning of next semester.

Once students familiarize themselves with CAD, 3D printing at McGill is actually quite accessible.

“It’s crazy how available 3D printing is at McGill and people don’t actually know about it,” Paganon said.

McGill students and faculty have access to 3D printers and scanners in the McLennan Library Research Commons, Room B. Users need only complete a short training session, create an account, and reserve a time prior to printing.

Chantal Petgrave, a 3D printing peer tutor, described the training sessions and gave some words of reassurance for beginners. Tutors guide inexperienced students through useful tutorial websites, among other tools.

“[We] explain how to book [printers] and how to use our software in order to ready the designs for printing […] as well as how to pay for prints and what to do in case a print fails,” Petgrave said. “[Beginners] do not have to worry because we have 3D printing peer tutors who are here to help.”

Another easy way to get involved is through The Cube, McGill’s largest operating 3D printing service run by the Engineering Undergraduate Society. Anna Henley, manager of this service, claims that The Cube differs from other 3D printing options on campus because of its quality customer service.

“Our techs are quite experienced, and we provide a bunch of ways for students who are inexperienced and unsure about a design to seek advice,” Henley said.

The Cube helps prepare users who don’t know how to use CAD software with a mentor to help make their ideas a reality.

Henley has seen a variety of “cool prints” at The Cube since its foundation in 2015. These prints include anatomical models of hearts that can be taken apart into sections, and a model of a brain for which the model was constructed from an actual patient scan. Right now, The Cube is working on printing keychains for various student groups.

Whether it be a prosthetic hand or a heart replica, the possibilities for 3D models are endless. All one has to do is get involved, get excited, and get printing!

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