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News, SSMU

Igor Sadikov resigns from SSMU BoD, Legislative Council to consider motion to remove him

by Nicholas Jasinski on

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Following votes not to remove Director and Arts Representative Igor Sadikov from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) and the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council, SSMU Legislative Council will consider a motion to remove Sadikov at its March 9 meeting.

“Be it Resolved that Igor Sadikov be formally removed from his role as Arts Representative to Legislative Council, effective immediately, for impropriety and for violation of the provisions of the Constitution,” reads the motion.

On Feb. 23, Sadikov issued a statement to fellow SSMU representatives, members of the McGill administration, and campus media announcing his resignation from the BoD, citing pressure from the McGill administration.

“Due to the interference of the administration, my continued membership on the [BoD] is, at this juncture, a legal liability for the Society, and it is in the Society’s best interest that I resign my position,” Sadikov wrote. “It has been a privilege to serve the Society as a director, and I hope to continue contributing to the Society’s activities through other avenues.”

On Feb. 6, Sadikov tweeted “punch a zionist [sic] today” from a personal Twitter account, causing significant controversy on campus. The BoD voted on Feb. 13 to retain Sadikov in his position as Director, but issued a formal censure against him and released a statement from Sadikov apologizing for his actions.

“I regret that members of the McGill community have felt unsafe as a result of the tweet, which, without context, appears to be a genuine call to violence,” Sadikov wrote. “[…] I do not wish to enact, and would not condone, violence of any kind toward anyone in my community. I hope that, despite the high level of attention it garnered, my tweet can be understood for what it was: a misguided joke with a political meaning, rather than a credible call for violence.”

Shortly following the BoD vote, a meeting was held between Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier, Sadikov, and SSMU President Ben Ger. It was alleged that during this meeting, Fortier threatened to withhold student fees collected on behalf of SSMU if the Society did not publicly call for Sadikov’s resignation.

“The University’s senior leaders shared their strong belief that the SSMU executives should ask for the resignation of SSMU Board member Igor Sadikov, who recently sent a Tweet inciting violence against a specific group,” Fortier wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “While McGill’s administration normally does not recommend a course of action to the SSMU leadership, this situation is exceptional. With any incitement to violence, it is the administration’s duty to intervene.”

Ger said that SSMU’s Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the university gives the administration the ability to exert influence over SSMU affairs.

“The MoA was referenced in viewing the situation,” Ger said. “The university was [saying], ‘Look the constitution lays out specific principles. You need to adhere to those.’ They basically [said], ‘Here’s the constitution. It’s our opinion that this is the case, is it yours?’ Ultimately, the executive said, ‘Yes it is our agreement between our bodies because technically, we’re tied to it.’”

In an email sent to the student body on Feb. 17, SSMU Vice-President (VP) Internal Affairs Daniel Lawrie announced that the SSMU executive board recommended Sadikov’s resignation due to his violations of the SSMU Constitution (16.1 Standard of Care), which requires every Director, Councillor, Officer, and member of any committee of the BoD or Legislative Council of the Society to conduct himself in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Society.

“Every [member of the SSMU BoD or Legislative Council] must uphold the Standard of Care for all members of the community as outlined in our Constitution,” Lawrie wrote. “It is the decision of the Executive Committee that Councillor Sadikov’s recent actions did not uphold this responsibility. More specifically, we believe that Councillor Sadikov’s actions were an incitement of violence and, for that reason alone, we have recommended that he resign from his position as a Director and as an Arts Representative to the Legislative Council.”

Sadikov did not comply with the calls for his resignation and condemned the university administration for involving itself in student-run institutions.

“This level of interference in student government is a new low for the university,” Sadikov told The McGill Daily on Feb. 17. “The Principal made it very clear that what she cares about in this situation is bending to political pressure from donors and alumni, rather than acting in the best interest of the campus community and respecting the decisions of the student groups affected.”

On Feb. 22, AUS Legislative Council voted 22-16 not to remove Sadikov. The motion was moved by a collection of departmental representatives.

“The movers of this motion […] feel that Representative Sadikov’s attempts to apologize for his tweet have failed to properly reassure constituent members of the AUS that he can represent them impartially and in good faith, particularly if those members are Jewish and/or Zionists,” read the motion. “[…] The movers of this motion strongly believe that his service and presence on both this council, and at the SSMU, is damaging to the society, a failure of service to the membership, and cannot continue.”

 

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the AUS Legislative Council motion to remove Igor Sadikov was moved by AUS executives. In fact, it was moved by a group of departmental representatives.

News, SSMU

SSMU General Assembly approves Motion Regarding Policy Against Ancillary Fee Increases

by Julia Metraux on

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On Feb. 20, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Winter 2017 General Assembly (GA) passed motions to oppose increases in ancillary fees and to formally ratify the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The GA was delayed by one hour in order to meet quorum. Although quorum was eventually reached, it was not held long enough to approve the final motion regarding floor fellow bargaining.

Motion Regarding Policy Against Ancillary Fee Increases

This motion proposed that SSMU call for a moratorium on overhead fee increases from the university until Feb. 20, 2022. Additionally, the creation of a committee with student parity representation was proposed in order to review and approve budgets of ancillary fee-funded units. These units include Student Services, Athletics and Recreation, Athletics Facilities Improvement, Access McGill, and the World University Services Canada (WUSC) Refugee Program. This motion passed with a majority vote.

Ancillary fees are mandatory student fees that are often increased through motions submitted by the fee-funded. These units are subject to overhead charges from the university for expenses including accounting, legal, and maintenance services. Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Erin Sobat said that overhead charges for Student Services have increased from $30,679 in 2010 to $651,385 in 2017.

Sobat, one of the movers of the motion, responded to a concern from the audience that halting ancillary fees increases will result in services being cut.

“The university has certain financial obligations to maintain,” Sobat said. “In the context of student services, in particular, we would not expect that because they do have a surplus."

Motion Regarding the Formal Ratification of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a set of 17 SDGs in order to combat climate change and promote cooperation among member states. This motion proposed that SSMU ratify the SDGs in order to make a tangible impact on its members’ awareness of sustainability. Attendees of the GA voted to pass the motion.

Joelle Moses, U1 Arts, moved the motion and said that McGill would be the first educational institute to ratify the UN SDGs if approved at the GA.

“These 17 goals provide [the background] for policies for universal prosperity, peace, and equality,” Moses said. “These goals include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, encouraging economic growth.”

Some students at the GA, including Rez Life Coordinator Lucie Lastinger, questioned the productivity of this motion, as existing like Divest McGill which strive have the the same goals. Moses responded that spreading awareness about the UN SDGs alone will help members of SSMU.

“If the GA [passes] this motion, it goes onto all [SSMU] students at McGill,” Moses said. “If a student looks up SDGs, that step has positive implications.”

Motion Regarding Support for Floor Fellow Bargaining

Since October 2014, McGill floor fellows have been lobbying the university to receive monetary compensation for their work. Before this motion was voted on, some students left the GA, breaking quorum and causing the GA to become a consultative forum. Remaining attendees voted to support the motion, but could not officially approve it due to the loss of quorum. The motion will be presented for approval at the SSMU Legislative Council meeting on Feb. 23.

According to the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) VP Floor Fellow Isabelle Oke, floor fellows do not receive a wage but are instead given room and board as remuneration. Senate Caucus William Cleveland said that  against the Quebec Act Regarding Labour Standards, which states that workplaces must provide employees a minimum wage for their labour.

In a post made on Feb. 3, AMUSE announced that representatives from both parties had signed an agreement in the presence of an arbitrator, but McGill ultimately backed out. Oke said that this motion would require SSMU to assist floor fellows attempting to improve their working conditions as the administration has not been receptive thus far.

“Floor fellows are currently being paid $0 an hour and are without a proper union,” Oke said. “This motion is to mobilize SSMU members to support Floor Fellows.”

McGill, News

‘Conversations with Muslims’ encourages discourse after Quebec City mosque attack

by Laura Oprescu on

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In response to the Quebec City mosque attack on Jan. 29,  Conversations with Muslims was an open discussion between Muslim volunteer speakers and primarily non-Muslim participants. By organizing the event, international Community Action Network Executive Director at the McGill School of Social Work Amal Elsana and Egyptian Canadian Coalition for Democracy Chairman Ehab Lotayef sought to show that Islam isn’t inherently violent. During her opening speech, Elsana conveyed the need to organize this event following the shooting.

“It was the day after the tragedy in Quebec City where I felt we have to do something,” Elsana said. “As a Muslim woman coming from a conflict zone in the Middle East, I believe deeply that ignorance breeds fear, fear breeds hate, and hate leads to violence. If we don’t meet, if we don’t know each other on a personal level, then we will miss the point.”

The audience split into small groups, each with one Muslim volunteer and two moderators. Once everyone had introduced themselves, participants took turns directing questions towards the Muslim volunteer. Volunteers expressed their desire to answer questions in order to break down myths about Islam and to make the Muslim community more relatable.

“What I hope people take from this is that it is important to push the hatred to the side and accept our differences,” said Adham El-Khouly, U2 Engineering and volunteer speaker at the event. “To become more compassionate and accepting of others, and to try to relate to other people as much as we can.”

Most of the speakers present were McGill students who wanted to describe their personal understanding of Islam. Elsana did not look for experts on Islam when creating the event. The volunteers answered broad questions about Islam to the best of their abilities, and designed the discussion to be a window into the life of a Muslim student.

“I came here because I felt that I had a duty to come here, that I had a responsibility,” said El-Khouly. “There are people out there [who] are misrepresenting my religion and there are horrible acts that are being done in the name of my religion and I think I have a responsibility to be here and present the other side.”

Moderators, who mainly consisted of McGill faculty and alumni, ensured that the discussion remained both inclusive and constructive. Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and moderator Lucyna Lach believes that open dialogue is key to fostering cross-cultural acceptance and understanding.

“I am concerned about students,” Lach said. “We should be teaching students to seek out alternate perspectives and understandings. To be able to take a stand, to choose a position and defend it.”

Both Lach and Elsana hope that if people are allowed to ask questions in a non-judgmental setting, this will deepen their understanding of other cultures.

“When disparate groups come together with different beliefs, a greater understanding can be reached,” Lach said. “Ideally, we could eliminate these binary positions that we sometimes operate from, that are not that helpful. I hope that anyone in attendance here was able to deepen their understanding.”

Elsana believes that open discussion and communication is the first step to building trust and understanding between individuals of different backgrounds. After a turnout of over 80 people at Tuesday’s event, Elsana hopes to organize more discussions in the future.

“I believe that the nature of a person is full of love and I want people to experience that,” Elsana said. “I saw it in the room today. I saw all of these people of different backgrounds coming together, talking and asking questions, and I felt the room was full of love.”

News, SSMU

McGill administration and SSMU meet to discuss Igor Sadikov

by Domenic Casciato on

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On Feb. 17, protesters demonstrated around the James Administration Building in response to the McGill administration’s alleged threat to terminate the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) if SSMU did not release a public statement calling for the resignation of Arts Representative Igor Sadikov. Sadikov caused controversy after posting a tweet reading “punch a zionist [sic] today,” on Feb. 6.

At a meeting on Feb. 13, the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD) made the executive decision to censure Sadikov, who is also a Director on the BoD, but not to impeach him. The BoD posted a press release that included a formal apology from Sadikov. Protesters claimed that sometime after SSMU’s decision, a meeting was held between Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier, Sadikov, and SSMU President Ben Ger. It was alleged that during this meeting, Fortier threatened to revoke all funding from SSMU if the Society did not publicly call for Sadikov’s resignation.

Kyle Shaw, U3 Arts, and protester said that this threat is a breach of student democracy.

“This is the administration way of overstepping its boundaries,” Shaw said. “[I believe] one of the main reasons [the university is] doing this, and Suzanne Fortier said it herself, is because they’ve been receiving a lot of pressure from donors [….] It’s purely plutocracy  in that regard, where the rich donors are deciding what’s going to happen in our student democracy […] and I find that deplorable.”

Ger wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune that the administration never threatened to withhold student fees collected by the university on behalf of SSMU. A prior report in The McGill Daily on Feb. 17 suggested that Fortier had made such a threat, citing an anonymous source close to the SSMU executive. The claims expressed in the The Daily were corroborated by Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Erin Sobat.

“The MoA and Constitution were both referenced in the discussion, however it was not said that they would take away SSMU’s funds,” Ger wrote. “The University was considering putting [a statement] out but it wasn’t a threat. Where VP Sobat was coming from […] the executive can see where that interpretation could have happened, but he was acting on his own. It was not our interpretation that [the administration] was doing that.”

The Daily wrote that Fortier called Sadikov’s behaviour a violation of the SSMU Constitution. According to sections 12 Event of Default and 13 Remedies of the MoA, SSMU violating its own constitution is a breach of its MoA with McGill, enabling the university to withhold SSMU funding. Fortier acknowledged that members of McGill’s senior leadership team met with members of the SSMU Executive Committee on Feb. 15 to remind the executives that they had an obligation to abide by the terms of SSMU’s constitution.

“The University’s senior leaders shared their strong belief that the SSMU executives should ask for the resignation of SSMU Board member Igor Sadikov, who recently sent a Tweet inciting violence against a specific group,” Fortier wrote in a comment to The Tribune. “While McGill’s administration normally does not recommend a course of action to the SSMU leadership, this situation is exceptional. With any incitement to violence, it is the administration’s duty to intervene.”

Ger said that, during the meeting, the administration sought to confirm SSMU executives' interpretation of the constitution.

“The MoA was referenced in viewing the situation,” Ger said. “The university was [saying], ‘Look the constitution lays out specific principles. You need to adhere to those.’ They basically [said], ‘Here’s the constitution. It’s our opinion that this is the case, is it yours?’ Ultimately, the executive said, ‘Yes it is our agreement between our bodies because technically, we’re tied to it. We consulted legal to see what the potential threats were and one of us [Sobat] came away with a different grasp of the situation.”

In an email sent to the student body on Feb. 17, SSMU VP Internal Affairs Daniel Lawrie announced that SSMU recommended Sadikov’s resignation due to his violations of the SSMU Constitution (16.1 Standard of Care), which requires every Director, Councillor, Officer, and member of any committee of the Board of Directors or Legislative Council of the Society to conduct himself in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Society.

“Every [member of the SSMU BoD or Legislative Council] must uphold the Standard of Care for all members of the community as outlined in our Constitution,” Lawrie wrote. “It is the decision of the Executive Committee that Councillor Sadikov’s recent actions did not uphold this responsibility. More specifically, we believe that Councillor Sadikov’s actions were an incitement of violence and, for that reason alone, we have recommended that he resign from his position as a Director and as an Arts Representative to the Legislative Council.”

Hockey, Sports

Habs dump Michel Therrien for Claude Julien

by André Morin on

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Only in Montreal will a hockey team sitting atop their division fire their head coach. This was exactly the scenario last Tuesday Feb. 14, when the Canadiens terminated Head Coach Michel Therrien.

Earlier this year, Therrien was selected to coach the Atlantic Division at the NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29. At the time, his team had a comfortable lead in the Atlantic Division and he was in the running for the Jack Adams Trophy for best NHL coach. Two and a half weeks later, he now finds himself unemployed.

On what must have been a heartbreaking Valentine’s Day for Therrien, the 53-year-old was dismissed to be replaced by former Canadiens’ head coach Claude Julien. Longtime Habs fans probably brushed aside the initial headlines, thinking they were just old news. Julien was hired by the Canadiens in the middle of the 2002-2003 season to replace Therrien after his first stint with the team. Fifteen years later, there’s a combination of shock and déjà vu in Montreal.

While firing a winning head coach might sound ridiculous anywhere else, job security isn’t part of coaching in Montreal. Canadiens fans demand more than just a winning team: The expectation year in and year out is to win the Stanley Cup. Being first in the division meant nothing to the Habs’ front office who doubted Therrien’s ability to lead the team down the final 24 game stretch and into the playoffs. After starting the season 13-1-1, the Habs went a mediocre 18-18-7. In Therrien’s final 10 games as head coach, they were a pitiful 3-6-1.

Last year, the team had a similarly strong start and early Stanley Cup favourites, but the squad imploded soon after goaltender Carey Price was injured. Refusing to endure another disappointing season without change, Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin made the proactive decision to replace Therrien.

Besides the team’s recent struggles, Julien’s departure from the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7 likely pushed the Canadiens to make their coaching change. Simply put, Julien is a talented coach who can speak French. While linguistic skills shouldn’t be the key factor in hockey coaching, in Montreal, if you can’t speak French, you can’t coach the Habs. Luckily for Canadiens fans, their new coach is also a proven commodity. During his ten-year stint with the Boston Bruins, he took them to the Stanley Cup finals twice, winning in 2011. Having a francophone coach of that calibre, along with current problems the Canadiens are experiencing, likely pushed Bergevin to offer Julien the position.

Even though the new coach arrives late in the season, he will face the same pressure–if not more–to win as Therrien. Being a former Canadiens coach means he knows the expectations placed upon him. The Canadiens and their fans have no patience when it comes to winning and, as seen with Therrien, can be heartless. While going back to an ex isn’t always the best idea, when they’ve gone out and made something of themselves, it can’t be all bad to try again to make the most of it.

News, PGSS

Fostering student innovation in Montreal: QISS Innovation Seminar Series hosts event

by Micaela Wiseman on

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On Feb. 15, the Quartier de l’Innovation Students’ Society (QISS) hosted Montreal City Councillor Harout Chitilian as part of their Innovation Seminar Series. Chitilian discussed Montreal’s Smart and Digital City Initiative, which he is currently spearheading.

The smart city initiative aims to integrate advanced technologies into as many spheres of civic management as possible in order to improve Montreal’s mobility, connectivity, and productivity. The City of Montreal, one of the leaders in the global Smart City movement, began this undertaking in March 2014 and spent a year developing a detailed action plan.

“We start with the intent […],” Chitilian said. “Ours was to become one of the world’s smartest cities.”

Chitilian outlined the five building blocks of the plan—Data, Connectivity, Mobility, Collaboration and Innovation—while emphasizing how he envisions the Smart City will serve its citizens.

“To be a Smart City is not to be the most technological city,” Chitilian said. “It’s to be a city that puts humans first, that puts openness and transparency first, that puts quality and services first, and uses technology for that end.”

Specific goals that the Smart City team is currently working towards includes publicizing 800 municipal government-related data sets (for example, citizen travel patterns) by 2018. The Smart City team ultimately seeks to bridge the gap between the municipal government and its constituents through various digital services.

Public and private partnerships with the city hope to streamline mobility within the city as well as to integrate all transit, traffic, parking, BIXI, and car sharing management. One such partnership is with the Waze traffic and navigation app.

Montreal’s Smart City project focuses on fostering innovation by helping to finance start-ups and developing several outreach programs to accelerate smart ideas, in line with the vision of the Quartier de l’Innovation’s (QI) Innovation Seminar series.

Jacob Lavigne, the organizer of the Innovation Seminar Series and External Affairs Officer of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), explained that the event raised awareness for the opportunities that the QI offers to young entrepreneurs. QI is an organization intent on promoting innovation.

“McGill is in the [QI] as a partner,” Lavigne said. “[The university has] invested time and [resources] into [QI], yet students don’t know about it [….]”

Christian Gilroy, U2 Civil Engineering, said that the event assured him of the professional opportunities available to him after graduation.

“It’s definitely nice to hear that there’s a market for this, that the City of Montreal is even investing in these things, and that big companies are interested in coming to Montreal for these reasons,” Gilroy said.

Both Lavigne and Chitilian emphasized that undertakings such as the Smart City and the QI intend to emphasize that individuals have the ability to make an impact on their city.

Chitilian commenced his presentation by explaining the role of citizens in helping Montreal to become a Smart City.

“[The Smart City Initiative] is not for me, we want to work with you, for you,” Chitilian said. “So there needs to be a continuity of that. The project has to be sustainable. For it to be sustainable, […] we need people to get involved and drive these agendas.”

Lavigne echoed Chitilian’s sentiments, underlining students’ contributions to the Smart City project.

“[The Smart City initiative and the QI] value students and there’s so many opportunities out there,” Lavigne said. “They want you [students]. You are the motor, you are what runs the city and this argument that ‘I’m only one person,’ [is not sufficient]. No, you can do something with high impact [….] That’s really what I want to come out of [The Innovation Seminar series].”

Private, Student Life

Studying to Stravinsky: The benefits of listening to classical music during midterm season

by Marie Labrosse on

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In the midst of the dreary midterm season, concentrating on studying for long periods at a time can be a challenge for any McGill student. The advent of technology makes a plethora of hacks to circumvent distraction available to students at the mere click of a mouse, from time management solutions, such as the Pomodoro Technique, to distraction blocking apps, like the infamous “Cold Turkey” application. Just one click also produces one of the most basic productivity methods of all: Access to an appropriate study soundtrack. 

Even a brief glance at the almost exclusively headphone-clad McLennan population exemplifies the extent to which many university students already apply the simple act of listening to music when studying. 

“I can only study with music playing because I feel like it makes time go by faster,” Johanna Cottin, U3 Arts, said.

Listening to background music not only makes studying a more pleasant experience; researchers have also discovered some demonstrable benefits for productivity. A study conducted at the University of Helsinki found that engaging in intellectual activity while simultaneously listening to music has a variety of effects on brain activity. Listening to classical music encourages the activity of genes associated with dopamine secretion and transport, synaptic transmission, and learning and memory. The heightened presence of the dopamine neurotransmitter engages the brain’s reward system, while synaptic transmission contributes to the process of communication between neurons. The effect of both of these processes illustrates classical music’s positive impact on intellectual capacity. 

Brayden Culligan, U2 Arts, who listens to classical music as well as jazz and ambient electronica music, reports similar boosts in his productivity when he studies while listening to music.

“Classical music certainly feels as though it heightens my ability to focus, and seemingly aids in pacing my thoughts,” Culligan said. “I can’t focus well without [music], so I suppose that’s demonstrative of the, at least perceived, benefits of listening to these kinds of music.”

The advantages of listening to classical music extend beyond stimulating the efficiency of study sessions—it can ease mental health issues, including those related to the stresses of academia.  University of Toronto researchers found that listening to the classical genre before bedtime alleviates insomnia symptoms by helping listeners fall asleep faster and achieve a better quality of sleep. According to the Duke Cancer Institute, listening to classical music can also reduce anxiety. Listening to classical music can, therefore, alleviate both academic anxiety and stress-induced sleeplessness before exams. 

However, in order to reap the benefits of music on study productivity, it is important to listen exclusively to classical or other similar low-intensity genres. A 2010 study published in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning conducted in Taiwan shows that music with a higher intensity, such as hip hop, is more distracting and negatively affects concentration and performance. Researchers have coined the phenomenon wherein a subject’s attention capacity is “drained” by a distraction the “Attention Drainage Effect Theory.” After testing hip-hop music on participants, the Taiwanese study suggests avoiding music with heavy beats and fast tempos in order to avoid the “Attention Drainage Effect.”

Instinctively, students tend to gravitate towards instrumental music as a low-intensity musical backdrop for their study sessions. 

“I’m definitely exponentially more efficient while listening to lyric-less music, there’s no chance I can focus with lyrics—sung or spoken—playing through my headphones,” Culligan said. 

Nevertheless, even within the instrumental genre, some musical pieces can still have an “Attention Drainage Effect” on students. As a rule of thumb, the most effective soundtrack to a study session consists of restrained pieces that provide a neutral setting for working. Solo piano pieces, for instance, are favourable to large orchestral pieces, as is music with a consistent tempo and dynamics. 

Studying with instrumental music provides a simple yet surprisingly effective productivity boost. Classical music and other low-intensity genres create a serene atmosphere, which both enhances brain activity and soothes qualms before big tests, making this a useful study tool during midterms.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

‘(Sm)all Good Things’ blends humour and street art

by Sophie Brzozowski on

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Whether it’s due to genuine humility or  intentionally contrived coziness, the Station 16 gallery feels approachable. Sandwiched between an Irish pub and a stylish hair salon on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Milton, the gallery specializes in graffiti and street-art inspired exhibits, making it the perfect location to house Eric Clement’s most recent exhibit, (Sm)all Good Things.

Born and raised in Montreal, Clement’s career dates back to his CEGEP days at John Abbot, where he first began studying fine arts. Not long after starting his degree, he took an extended leave of absence from school to pursue music with his band, Side C. Several years later, he returned to university to finish education at Concordia. Although he never saw success as a musician, Clement’s musical career was certainly more than just the experimental phase of a wayward artist—hip hop culture has inspired his current work.

Hip hop’s influence on contemporary street art is nothing new. From Kehinde Wiley to Jean-Michel Basquiat, artists have been incorporating urban culture into their work for decades; however, Clement’s work is a departure from his predecessors. His aesthetic is devoid of all the grittiness that is typically characteristic of hip hop visual art. Instead, his pieces are a whimsical fusion of contemporary cultural references and the nostalgic style of ’60s pop art. One painting, entitled “Thor,” features a stern viking head covered in what appears to be melted chocolate sitting atop a pez dispenser.

Photo courtesy of Station 16 Gallery.
Photo courtesy of Station 16 Gallery.

The paintings, true to the title of the exhibit, are small—about the size of a standard paperback novel—and simple. The exhibit is composed of 33 canvases and one T-shirt. Often featuring a familiar, but slightly altered logo or cartoon character alongside some sardonic phrase in a comic book font, the colourful paintings seem to be satiricalof the apathy and ennui of the millennial generation.

It might seem strange for a graffiti artist, whose best known work is a graphic mural on the wall of an alleyway between Saint-Laurent and Clark, to suddenly start a project that limits him to the confines of a 6×8 inch canvas—especially with subjet matter that includes Drake lyrics and poop emojis. But perhaps this is the point: His work has a sense of humor, setting him apart in an industry that is notorious for being pretentious and elitist. 

In a world where one can purchase a t-shirt with a Banksy print on it at Urban Outfitters for $40, this free exhibit is a welcome change. Using a cheeky mix of sincere humility and contrived charisma, Clement is making a name for himself as a new kind of artist. (Sm)all Good Things is perfect for anyone looking for a laugh. 

 

(Sm)all Good Things will show at Station 16 until March 4 with free admission.

Photo courtesy of Station 16 Gallery.
Photo courtesy of Station 16 Gallery.
McGill, News

McGill Senate discusses 2017-2022 Strategic Academic Plan

by Domenic Casciato on

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The McGill Senate met on Feb.15 for an open discussion on McGill’s Strategic Academic Plan for 2017 to 2022, a presentation of the Staffing Report for 2016, and to pass a motion formally recognizing the celebration of Black History Month by the university.

Open discussion on the McGill University Strategic Academic Plan 2017-2022

Vice-Principal and Provost (Academic) Christopher Manfredi presented McGill’s Strategic Academic Plan for the next five years. The Plan identifies five key objectives for McGill’s academics: Be open to the world, expand diversity, lead innovation, connect across disciplines and sectors, and connect to [the Montreal] community.

The plan includes reducing McGill’s carbon footprint, doubling the number of students enrolled in enriched learning opportunities, such as studies and internships abroad, increasing the number of female full-time professors by 25 per cent, and increasing student aid to 30 per cent of net tuition revenues from the current 10 per cent.

Associate Professor Ronald Gehr of the Faculty of Engineering raised concerns that expansion of enriched learning opportunities should not come at the expense of existing programs.

“I’m speaking specifically about the Bellairs research institute in Barbados, at which there are two full session internship programs,” Gehr said. “[…] They literally do not have a working blackboard, [and] the wastewater from this facility is discharged into a hole. We’ve been trying for many years to upgrade this facility and we’ve always been told, ‘Well sorry, there’s no budget.’ If we’re going to make this commitment to [enriched learning], we really should start at home.”

The university’s Strategic Academic Plan will be finalized and presented to Senate for approval in April 2017.

McGill University Staffing Report 2015-2016

Manfredi also presented Senate with the 2015-2016 McGill University Staffing Report, which details the increase of 522 staff employed at McGill from 2011 to 2016. Of these 522 new hires, 464 are Contract Academic Staff (CAS), a classification including lecturers and professors who are employed for temporary contracts. The report attributes this growth to the expansion of student services, an increase in the number of staff necessary for external reporting, and shifts in competency and skill requirements for multiple faculties. The report also notes that the rate of hiring is slowing, likely due to financial constraints imposed by reduced provincial government funding.

Manfredi responded to concerns about the university’s increased reliance on CAS hires, who lack the same job security as tenured academic staff.

“Our philosophy is that we should be delivering most of our teaching programs through the use of tenure-track faculty, which is, in fact, what we do,” Manfredi said. “I would suggest […] that among research universities in North America, McGill probably makes less use of CAS. [….] Yes, we have 464 more CAS now than we did five years ago, but 428.2 of those are in the Faculty of Medicine. [….] Quite frankly, when I look at this, I’m not concerned.”

Motion Regarding the Annual Celebration of Black History Month

Senator Charles Keita of the Faculty of Arts drafted and presented a motion calling for the formal recognition and celebration of Black History Month by McGill.

“Until [SEDE started organizing its celebration] this year, there was no official body on the campus that celebrated [Black History Month],” Keita said. “Quebec, Canada, […] all of North America [celebrates Black History Month], and it would be frowned upon if McGill, as an institution, didn’t decide to equally celebrate it.”

The motion, which also called for McGill to explore academic opportunities that highlight the contributions and scholarship of the black community, was unanimously approved.

News, PGSS

PGSS Legislative Council strikes motion to increase Athletics ancillary fees

by Aaron Rose on

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On Feb. 15, the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Legislative Council vetoed a motion from McGill Athletics and Recreation proposing an ancillary fee increase. Council members also discussed potential changes to the status of postdoctoral students at McGill, their legal battle with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), and a new grant program for postgraduate students.

Athletics Ancillary Fee Increase Referendum Advisory

The Legislative Council struck down a motion to increase the McGill Athletics student ancillary fee. According to McGill Athletics and Recreation Executive Director Marc Gélinas, the proposed three per cent raise to the postgraduate fee is due largely to an increase in staff salaries and the cost of building upkeep. The new fee would be $3.63 per term for postgraduate students.

“The new AMUSE agreement was [the reason for] a significant portion of that increase in salaries,” Gélinas said. “We probably employ about [500] or 600 students [who are members of AMUSE].”

Despite McGill Athletics and Recreation presenting statistics regarding postgraduate student gym usage and a budget adjusted for the fee increase, Council members wanted to see alternative methods of boosting revenue, such as increasing ticket sales, sponsorships, and efforts to rent out gym facilities more often. The Associate Director of McGill Athletics Philip Quintal explained their intentions to diversify revenue.

“We want to increase our revenues outside of those generated from student fees, with minimal impact to student programs,” Quintal said.

The McGill Athletics and Recreation fee increase will be voted on at the General Meeting on March 15.

Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) settlement

The CFS is a student union that represents universities across Canada. The ongoing struggle over the validity of PGSS’ 2010 referendum regarding their continued membership as part of the CFS has concluded, with PGSS reaching an undisclosed settlement with the CFS. In 2009, PGSS decided to hold a referendum to split from CFS. After CFS refused to acknowledge the validity of the 2010 referendum results, the two organizations became entrenched in a lengthy legal battle.

“We have had to deal with PGSS bleeding money on this CFS case,” Secretary General Victor Frankel said. “Now that we can finally stop the bleeding, we can finally get some blood flowing to the other systems.”

Pleased with the results of the settlement, Frankel assured the Legislative Council that PGSS’ legal and financial situation has improved since last year.

Change in status of postdoctoral students

After McGill’s decision to reclassify 400 postdoctoral candidates as university employees instead of postgraduate students, PGSS has been concerned with the potential loss of all postdoctoral PGSS members.

“What we're trying to do is plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Frankel said. “We think [McGill] is going to try to [make] them all employees, rather than students.”

Due to this change, PGSS will have to account for fewer students in next year’s budget and postdoctoral events.

Graduate innovation fund

With a mandate to promote and expand McGill’s innovation agenda and create entrepreneurship opportunities for McGill students, Associate Vice-Principal of Innovation and Partnerships Angelique Mannella is creating the new Post-Graduate Campus Organisation program for postgraduate researchers to collaborate and receive funding from the university.

“The goal of this initiative is really to catalyze a community of innovators and entrepreneurs […] at McGill,” Mannella said. “Part of that will be to provide capital, but also opportunities to learn about innovation, product development, entrepreneurship, [to] help build the community, and additionally […to] provide mentorship for [the] teams that do receive the funding.”

Aside from standard application grants, Mannella envisions a “pitch night” where groups present their ideas to a panel. According to Mannella, this event will allow McGill students to receive funding for their research more easily.

“Investment in an ecosystem has long-term benefits that will come back,” Mannella said. “What I've seen […] from innovation entrepreneurship ecosystems that are really thriving is that where people get their first lift for their ideas, [that support] actually comes back and returns in other ways [….] I think that by looking at the long-term benefits, you will see that there are returns.”

Council members did not have time to vote on a proposed fee to fund Mannella’s initiative before the meeting ended. The motion will be voted on at the next PGSS meeting on March 15.

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