Latest News

a, News, SSMU

SSMU to bring question of seventh executive, membership fee increases to special referendum

by Ashley Kong on

More in a:

The Students’ Society of McGill (SSMU) Council voted to hold a special referendum at the end of the month in which students will be able to vote on a proposed base fee increase as well a the creation of a seventh SSMU executive position, the vice-president (VP) Operations. As discussed in the Jan. 14 Council meeting, the membership fee would see a $5.50 increase. The two questions will be asked independently in the referendum.

Motion to hold special referendum for a $5.50 membership fee increase

A SSMU referendum is scheduled at the end of this month regarding a $5.50 membership fee increase. The fee is collected once every term and is non-opt-outable.

If the special referendum passes, the membership fee will increase from $44.75 to $50.25 per term for full-time students in Arts, Architecture, Education, Engineering, Music, Management, Nursing, Physical & Occupational Therapy, Science, and Arts & Science, and $22.44 to $27.94 per term for part-time students in the same category. As for faculties of Law, Religious Studies, Dentistry, and Medicine, the proposed increase will bring the fees from $33.56 to $39.06 per term for full-time students, and from $16.83 to $22.33 per term for part-time students.

According to VP Finance and Operations Zachariah Houston, a portion of the extra revenue will be spent on improving student clubs and services.

“Basically, [a] $5.50 [increase] will haul in $242,000 roughly in revenue per year,” he explained. “We want to increase the club fund allocation by $25,000 [.…] We want to cut [independent] student group leases in this building a little bit, so that we’re not using that as a primary source of profit.”

The extra revenue will also be invested into other priority areas such as mental health programs and student space maintenance.

“We want more funding to go into mental health programming such as the Happy Lights program, Mental Health Space, etc.,” Houston explained. “We want to increase the amount of money that goes into the space fee, which […] goes out to student areas outside of [SSMU] Building on campus […] and student space in this building.”

According to the Base Fee Estimations document released on SSMU website on Jan. 15, it is estimated that $5,000 will go into mental health services. The increased space fees will cost $10,000, and the costs for SSMU building maintenance and related services will cost another $10,000. Additionally, independent student group leases will be cut by 15 per cent, costing yet another $10,000.

The campaigning period for the referendum question will begin on Jan. 18 and end on Jan. 29, with polling will take place between Jan. 27 and 29.

Motion to hold referendum on restructuring of executive portfolios

Council passed a motion to pose a second referendum question regarding the restructuring of executive portfolios, which if passed, will create a new executive position, known as VP Operations. The position of VP Clubs & Services will then be renamed VP Student Life.

According to the proposal, some responsibilities currently undertaken by the VP Finance & Operations will be transferred to the new VP Operations, such as the management of the SSMU building, Gerts, and MiniCourses. Meanwhile, VP Finance will take up new responsibilities including human resources, which is currently within the the president’s portfolio, as well as overseeing SSMU Daycare, while continuing to be in charge of SSMU funding, student fees, and the budget.

“[Human resources] will fit better into the portfolio [of VP Finance],” Houston said. “There is currently a lot of overlap between [SSMU President Kareem Ibrahim] and myself due to salaries, budgets, and the way that the VP Finance gets involved in the administration.”

It is estimated that an additional executive will cost approximately $35,000 a year, including stipends, benefits, and taxes.

“What an executive makes after tax is roughly $25,000 [per year],” Houston explained. “But before taxes, […] it’s roughly $30,000. On top of that, SSMU has approximately 16 per cent of different benefits it has to pay, for example, Quebec pension plans, [Quebec Parental Insurance Plan], et cetera.”

Houston clarified that the membership fee increase is not a precondition to the expansion of the executive team.

“We don’t require an additional $35,000 to pay a new executive,” he said. “The SSMU [annual] revenue is around $4 million. We can find that money if we need to. We can adjust other staff salaries, reduce some of our student staff research positions, […] or start cutting executive portfolios [and] service areas to the society—but I would love to not do that.”

Houston expects that the initial costs of restructuring will be covered by the long-term advantages it brings.

“I believe that in the long run, through a very intentional restructuring of the staff positions, you could afford a seventh executive without a significant increase in salaries,” he said.

VP External Affairs Emily Boytinck suggested that given the flexibility of SSMU’s current financial situation, students should not feel obligated to cast their votes for the two referendums in bundle.

“[Students] have free vote over either [issue],” she said. “They don’t have to vote [the same] to each [of the question]. They can vote yes for one and no for another.”

In order to avoid conflict of interests, SSMU executives will not campaign for this referendum during their working hours, or use any SSMU resources for this campaign.

“This is not a council-initiated ‘Yes’ [campaign] committee,” said President Kareem Ibrahim. “No SSMU e-mails or resources for this campaign whatsoever.”

The campaigning period will run between Jan. 18 and Jan. 29, and polling will be open Jan. 27 through 29.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Basketball: No.2 ranked McGill grind past Laval 69-58

by Zikomo Smith on

More in a:

McGill Redmen
69

Laval Rouge et Or
58

With 30 seconds to go at Love Competition Hall on Thursday, junior swingman Michael Peterkin dunked on an outlet pass to sign off the McGill Redmen’s (5-0) 69-58 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or (3-4).

The slam brought the crowd to its feet and allowed the CIS no.2 ranked Redmen to breathe a sigh of relief.  It capped a 6-0 run to finish the game and helped them claim the RSEQ top spot. They had overcome a poor 14.3 per cent three-point shooting performance.

“We missed some easy shots in the third quarter that we made in the fourth quarter,” Redmen Head Coach David D’Aveiro said.

McGill overcame a torrid third quarter, where they missed all of their three pointers and struggled with Laval’s full court press. Laval’s guards caused havoc driving to the rim, and kicking the ball back out to their perimeter shooters. It was ultimately some late free throws and a stunning spin move by sophomore centre Noah Daoust, who was playing on a hurt ankle, that allowed McGill to enter the fourth quarter with a slender 46-45 lead. Daoust had 16 points on 64 per cent shooting for the night.

“[Laval] are a very good defensive team,” D’Aveiro said. “They caused us problems with their athleticism and their switching defense [….] It’s never an easy game when you play Laval.”

McGill’s bench came to the fore, outscoring Laval’s. Peterkin was the player of the game, providing energy with a number of put-back scores, and nine rebounds. He was excellent under the basket, with important reverse layups to keep the Redmen afloat in the third quarter. He ended up with 16 points on 7-11 shooting.

“It was Michael’s best game,” D’Aveiro said. “He was influential offensively and defensively.”

McGill did start the game strong, however, racing to a 24-15 lead. McGill’s passing, rebounding, and defence was excellent all game, and ultimately staved off the Laval threat. They out-rebounded the Rouge et Or 49-27, had four more steals—with some important takeaways coming in the fourth quarter—and also hit seven more free throws than Laval. Backup point guard Isaiah Cummins kept a cool head down the stretch, moving the ball effectively and driving for a couple scores

“Isaiah did some good things for us,” D’Aveiro said. “He did a good job running the show, and getting to the rim a couple of times […] in a pressure situation.”

The Redmen will play Concordia twice next weekend, the first away on Jan. 21 and the next at home on Jan. 23.

Quotable

“[Peterkin] showed what he could do when he comes up the floor and plays with […] energy.” — Coach D’Aveiro on Peterkin’s performance off the bench.

Stat Corner

Peterkin’s stat-stuffing 16 point, nine rebound, two block, one steal performance came in only 17 minutes of court time.

Play of the game

With the clock running down at the end of the third quarter, Daoust caught the inbound pass and posted up his defender. Cummins bubbled around Daoust. Daoust’s defender anticipated a pass to Cummins, and Daoust duly faked him out, spun and layed the ball in to give McGill the 46-45 lead at the end of the quarter.

Tom Brady Cam Newton
a, Football, Sports

NFL Divisional matchups preview

by Josh Blatt on

More in a:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers

The first NFC divisional match will be a showdown of heavyweights: The 15-1 Carolina Panthers and the 2015 Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks face off. Although superstar signal callers Russell Wilson and Cam Newton are sure to provide entertainment, the key matchup will be between Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. In a matter of two months, Baldwin has gone from a middling fifth-year player who’d never topped five touchdowns in a season to a household name with a league-leading 14 scores. Across the line of scrimmage stands Norman, ranked fourth in coverage and surrendering a measly 0.66 yards each coverage snap, per Pro Football Focus. To Baldwin’s advantage, however, has been Norman’s sluggish performance to close out the regular season. If the Panthers hope to avenge last year’s divisional loss, Norman will need to shut down the red-hot Baldwin.

Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals

In a repeat divisional matchup from last year, the Green Bay Packers face off against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite high pre-season hopes for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his squad, the Packers have fallen short of expectations with some unwatchable performances. Conversely, the Carson Palmer-led Cardinals have been firing on all cylinders, finishing as the top-ranked offence in yards and fifth best defence in yards allowed per game. The key matchup in this battle will be between the Packers’ shaky offensive line and the Cards’ stout front seven. Rodgers has been the victim of extreme pressure and a frequently collapsing pocket, evidenced by a league-worst 33 sacks since Week 9, eight of which were in fact dealt by Arizona in Week 16. Led by Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, the Cards front seven is a matchup nightmare for just about any team and only two running backs have burned Arizona for triple-digit rushing yards. The return of Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga and possibly left tackle David Bakhtiari should help stop the bleeding; nonetheless, slowing down Campbell will be a stiff challenge.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wildcard victory could not have been more bittersweet; in a legendary come-from-behind win over the Cincinnati Bengals, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got temporarily knocked out with a sprained shoulder and torn ligaments, while stud wideout Antonio Brown was levelled by a dirty hit in the closing seconds that knocked him out of the divisional match against the Broncos with a concussion. Big Ben is likely to play through the injury as per usual; as such, it will be essential that the Steelers get their ground game rolling against the Broncos fearsome defence. The Broncos have been by far the NFL’s best defensive unit in nearly every respect and is now back to full health. Steelers running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will have to lead the way in a Pittsburgh backfield that is missing DeAngelo Williams; however, there may be little space to run with defensive backs Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Brandon Marshall plugging the gaps.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots

The Chiefs travel to Gillette Stadium as 4.5-point underdogs, fresh after pummeling the Houston Texans. With wide receiver Julian Edelman expected to suit up, the Patriots should be an even bigger offensive juggernaut than they were at times this season. It’s hard to see ultra-conservative Chiefs signal caller Alex Smith keeping up with the Patriots’ NFL third-best 29.1 points per game average. Should the Chiefs emerge as the victor, it will likely be due to their pass rushers. Slowing down future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady will be no easy feat and can only happen if he is not given the time to cycle through his many passing options. The Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston is tasked with setting the edge and will be going up against Patriots tackle Marcus Cannon. If Houston can disrupt Brady just enough to force him into poor throws, the Chiefs may find a way to pull off the upset.

tom coughlin new york giants
a, Football, Sports

The end of an era: New York City says goodbye to Tom Coughlin

by Nicholas Jasinski on

More in a:

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as head coach of the New York Football Giants,” the outgoing Tom Coughlin said after announcing his resignation as chief of the Giants’ coaching staff. “This is not a sad occasion for me.”

The 69-year-old Coughlin, who has spent the last 12 seasons of his 46-year-long coaching career at the Meadowlands, went 102-90 with the Giants in the regular season and 8-3 in the playoffs. His greatest coaching accomplishments will always be the pair of astounding, underdog Super Bowl wins after the 2007 and 2011 seasons, both against the heavily-favoured New England Patriots.

In today’s NFL, finding a coach with a tenure as long as Coughlin’s is a difficult task. Finding a coach in any sport in the high pressure, media frenzy New York market with a tenure as long as Coughlin’s is a nearly impossible task. The expressive, red-faced, and gesticulating figure of Coughlin on the sidelines every Sunday has become a quintessential part of the Giants’ image. Behind the scenes players and assistant coaches remember Coughlin as obsessively hardworking, maniacally devoted to detail, and intensely caring for all the members of his organization, both on and off the field.

"I learned so much from him.” Giants quarterback Eli Manning told the press after Coughlin’s annoucement. “He's a great example of how you should do your job. He's a great coach."

“I love Coach Coughlin.” said star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at the press conference “He’s always going to be my coach.”

When he arrived at Giants’ headquarters in 2004 after leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin had all the clocks set five minutes forward. Players who arrived less than five minutes early for a team meeting were fined for being late because everyone had to be five minutes early for everything. Coughlin was known for being the first person to arrive each morning and the last person to leave at the end of the day. Sometimes he wouldn’t leave at all, spending the night in his office going over film and drawing up new plays.

“No one worked harder, no one demanded more and I love [Coach Coughlin] for it.” said former Giants defensive end Justin Tuck in an emotional Instagram post.

 

 

As I sit back and reflect on Coach Tom Coughlin, I remember all the one on ones in your office talking football, game plan, etc. I think back to when I was named captain and I used to try and beat you to the facility. I would get there at 6, you where there. I got there at 530 and you were there. 5 am… I knew I would beat you then.. NOPE YOU WERE THERE. I remember feeling the hood of your car and it was cold. Come to find out there were nights you slept in the office. No one worked harder, no one demanded more and I LOVE YOU for it. I chose this picture for one reason and one reason only. Everyone knows you for your dedication to your team and how intense you are on the football field. But I will remember you for helping me become a man and challenging all of us to be better husbands and fathers and men. You did it the right way Coach. And you might be retiring from coaching but I'm sure this isn't a goodbye. That's not in your nature. #halloffame #5minutesearly #areyoush*ttingme

A photo posted by THEREALJUSTINTUCK91 (@therealjustintuck91) on

 

Perhaps most impactfully, Coughlin not only expected but earned the respect of all his players. He involved himself in their personal lives, visited them at their homes, and met their families and made them into not just better football players, but also better husbands, better fathers, and better men. He spent generous amounts of time in the locker room talking to his players and broke up his work day to eat lunch with them in the team cafeteria downstairs.

“He was like a father to me and a lot of other guys.” said Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz in a series of player tributes to Coughlin in The Player’s Tribune. “He’s always been there for me, whether I was going through something and needed someone to talk to, or whether I was struggling on the field and just needed to vent. His door was always open, and it was open to everyone, whether you were an undrafted rookie or a team captain.

Both of Coughlin’s Super Bowl wins will never be forgotten for how truly unexpected they were. Both came after seasons with poor starts and a struggle to find team cohesion until the second half of the season—just in time for the Giants to earn a wild card spot in the playoffs. In New York, a city blessed with wealthy franchises and the ability to attract talented players based on location and market size alone, rooting for the underdog is a rare phenomenon. The Yankees, the Rangers, and the Giants have been perceived more as Goliath than David for the majority of their appearances in their respective post-seasons, but Coughlin’s two runs to the Super Bowl—during which the Giants played only one total home playoff game—to face the mighty Patriots were an undoubted reversal of roles for the New York fans. Playing David gave them something new and exciting to cheer about.

It’s why, after missing the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in 2011 and going 19-29 in his last three seasons, all 83,00 fans in MetLife Stadium nevertheless thunderously cheered Coughlin off the field after his last game. This was in spite of the Giants falling to division-rival Philadelphia Eagles in a disappointing end to a 6-10 record season. It’s why, along with his never-give-up-no-matter-what attitude, Coughlin will always be remembered as a hero and icon of New York sports after a never-boring, often erratic and always entertaining tenure as coach in the Meadowlands.

a, Music

Trib Mix: Comeback / Clapback

by William Burgess, Hayley Lim & Matt Smith on

More in a:

January doesn't have to be all about New Year's Resolutions and turning yourself into a perfect being of health, holiness, and forgiveness. If anything, it's the perfect month for rising from the ashes and taking charge of everyone and everything around you. This month, the editors at the McGill Tribune have compiled their best triumphant comeback tracks and their most biting clapback tracks, all aimed at taking down the competition and rising to the top. Scroll down to hear the full playlist on YouTube.

"FACTS" – Kanye West

"Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman." While far from his best work, Kanye West's “FACTS” is both a diss track against Nike, and represents the return of G.O.O.D. Fridays, as Kanye prepares to release his next album, SWISH.

“FACTS” opens with a classic Kanye-style sample of doo-wop group Father's Children, but quickly ditches the a capella soul, in favour of a Metro Boomin-produced minimal beat, over which he raps the song’s hook, "Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman," to the tune of Drake and Future's track, "Jumpman.” The track revolves around Kanye's dissatisfaction with Nike—Air Jordan sneakers in particular—in favour of his partner, the brand with the three stripes, Adidas. Kanye had previously said that he and Don C. were the reason why Jordan's are popular at all. Clearly, since partnering with Adidas, Kanye feels differently, having traded in his Jordan's for a pair of Yeezy boosts. Kanye calls Nike out for treating employees like slaves (which maybe Adidas doesn't?), and paying LeBron a billion dollars for his lifetime contract.

The song's hook refers to the fact that while Jordan's still are top sellers, they sit on shelves, while you can't find a pair of Yeezy's anywhere due to their batch-limited release, as well as the massive amount of hype surrounding the sneakers. “FACTS” is, at the end of the day, a song about just that. Almost everything in the song is, a collection of (almost) facts about Kanye's successful foray into shoes, and his surpassing of Jordan's as the ultimate hype items.

"Obsessed (Remix)" – Mariah Carey ft. Gucci Mane

Many vindictive R&B songs are written from the perspective of a scorned lover about the object of the artist’s affections. On this 2009 single, however, Mariah Carey flips the script to call out her obsessive stalker. Carey’s cheeky, flippant lyrics laid over a club beat make for a horn-and-handclap-filled clapback, a beat that plays well to Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane’s hype man role on this remix. The subject of her humiliation? Presumably Detroit rapper Eminem, who previously dissed Carey on tracks such as “Superman” (“What you trying be? My new wife? / What, you Mariah? Fly through twice").

A true banger that is both funny and relatable, “Obsessed” makes rejection fun again. Its accompanying music video (which in this cut is interlaid with clips of Gucci Mane mugging for the camera and pointing suggestively at Carey’s recumbent figure) gives a not-so-subtle glimpse at who this diss is directed at. If the context and lyrics weren’t enough of a hint, Carey herself dresses up in Eminem’s signature oversized hoodie, staring longingly at her glamorous counterpart. That is, until he gets hit by a bus while trying to take a fan photo. Oops!

Released amidst a burgeoning beef, this track takes the rap diss formula and makes it less threatening and more, well, amusing. Mariah truly has no chill in this teardown of Eminem, and yet, unlike him, seems on the whole unperturbed by their former “relationship.” A perfect illustration of a clapback, it’s only appropriate that this scornful anthem sets off this month’s Trib playlist.

"White Boy" – Bikini Kill

This blunt chorus, courtesy of genius lead singer Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, is the core of the song “White Boy.” The song begins with an audio recording of a discussion between Hanna and an anonymous white boy. He so graciously explains to Hanna how most girls “ask for it,” by being “slut rocker bitches walking down the street,” essentially victim-blaming women for just existing. Hanna starts her rebuttal by poignantly shouting, “I’m so sorry if I’m alienating some of you / Your whole fucking culture alienates me.”

“White Boy" was released on Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (1993), the split album by Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear released by the label Kill Rock Stars. Staying true to Bikini Kill’s feminist lyrics and aggressive, unrelenting guitar lines, “White Boy” is the ultimate diss track aimed at the patriarchy and ignorant white boys of the ’90s who prevented girls from participating in punk rock music through their aggressive moshing and unwelcoming audience presence. Prior to the Riot Grrrl movement, girls at rock shows were considered girlfriends and punk rock girls were considered sluts and bitches; overall, they had very little representation in the underground culture. “White Boy" is just one of the many songs Bikini Kill made that stabs at the obtuse arguments made by many men and subsequently carves a place for women to be treated as equal members of the punk rock scene.

According to Urban Dictionary, a clapback means “to return fire” and Hanna certainly does that by condemning the party in question to simply “just die.” Some may say this isn’t a clapback but citing a real recording of a person and then proceeding to burn him and his whole faction is an ultimate diss to me.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Anonymous Monsters: Players’ Theatre examines the legacy of evil in East of Berlin

by Christopher Lutes on

More in a:

Part of growing up is coming to the realization that your parents aren’t exactly who you thought they were when you were a child. They lived for a relatively long time before your birth, had their own careers, loves, and transgressions. Though that specific version of them is lost forever by virtue of having children, the shadows of the past still play an active role in the psychology of the present. This is the ostensible theme of Players’ Theatre’s first production of the Winter season, East of Berlin, which unfortunately fails to delve much deeper than that.

Written by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch and directed by McGill’s Anna Fitz, the play follows Rudi (Francesca Scotti-Goetz), the son of one of the infamous ‘Nazi doctors’ of the holocaust who has to come to terms with his father’s evil. Born in Germany at the end of the war, but whisked away to South America to avoid capture, Rudi meets the son of a Polish officer (Guy Ettlin) who informs him of Germany’s actions. After finding out the true nature of his father’s transgressions, Rudi travels back to Germany and meets a daughter of concentration camp survivors (Sophia Metcalf). The play unfolds in an alternating series of monologues given by Rudi and more traditional dialogues.

While the transitions between the monologues and scenes are fantastic in their fluidity, the script suffers from a lack of subtext or restraint, spending too much of the monologues with exposition that could have been delivered in a less obvious way. The play seems to use its subject matter as an easy shortcut to provoke an emotional response, rather than letting it flow naturally from the characters. The production also seems to be trying its darndest to be edgy, as evidenced by a scene of homosexual fellatio next to a picture of Hitler, or another where one character proposes to another in the parking lot of Auschwitz. The production seems content to coast on the symbolic weight that such images bring without the specificity needed to warrant their inclusion.

Since the material is so overwrought and intense, all of the emotional heavy lifting of the play falls on the actors. Ultimately, this is too big a burden for the cast to bear, and the acting mostly oscillates between too much and too little. Generally, the performances are delivered in a distractingly mannered cadence, though each actor gets at least one scene where they knock it out of the park. Scotti-Goetz is at her best when she lets small parts of the character’s vulnerability slip through, but largely neglects to believably sell her character’s inner turmoil or anger at his father. Metcalf is the clear standout of the production—she brings a nervous physicality to the role that makes her character almost instantly sympathetic, and delivers her lines with the gravitas needed to fully express her character’s conflicting feelings.

The stage is surprisingly bare, with an aesthetic that could charitably be called minimalist, perhaps by necessity because it has to serve as the setting for three or four different countries. It serves its purpose for the most part. The same goes for any sound design–with one notable exception, it’s entirely absent, and when it is does play a role, it sounds like it was played from a sound effects board.

The lighting is the most consistently impressive element of the production, greatly aiding the transitions from monologue to dialogue. The monologues are cast in yellow-blue pall, giving Rudi’s confessions a tone of eerie reflection. The dialogues are more versatile, with orange glowing representing the sunniness of Paraguay, and a breathtaking scene later on, where two characters share an intimate moment under a soft yellow light.

Overall, East of Berlin has some cogent points to make about legacy and how it can be corrupted and influenced by evil; however, those are mostly overshadowed by the play’s attempt to tease a narrative out of what should have been more meditative reflection. Adapting such poor source material would be difficult for even the most experienced theatre troupe, so it’s understandable that this production wasn’t able to overcome it, despite having a few elements that made it worthwhile.

East of Berlin runs from Jan. 20 to 23, 8 p.m. every night at Players’ Theatre (3480 Rue McTavish). Tickets are $6 for students, $10 general admission. Email [email protected] for reservations.

a, News, SSMU

SSMU appoints a new general manager

by Jenna Stanwood on

More in a:

On Jan. 10 the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced that Ryan Hughes had been appointed the new general manager (GM). The announcement was released in a written statement from Vice-President (VP) Clubs and Services Kimber Bialik. The GM position had been vacant since August, when the previous manager resigned citing personal reasons after only six months. Hughes’ predecessor had been hired in a rushed process, without the standard consultation of an outside hiring firm. According to Bialik, the GM is an important part of SSMU and is a source of institutional memory. 

“The General Manager role is integral to the smooth operations of the SSMU, working closely with both the permanent staff and the Executive team,” wrote Bialik in the press release. “The General Manager is responsible for ensuring the financial stability of the SSMU in collaboration with the Vice-President (Finance and Operations), managing the Society’s human resources in collaboration with the President, and managing the University Centre in collaboration with the Vice-President (Clubs and Services), while acting as the hub for institutional memory within the Society and facilitating the governance of the Society.” 

Hughes previously served as SSMU’s building director until going on parental leave in October. 

“Prior to his hiring for the General Manager position, Ryan Hughes held a variety of positions at the SSMU, including the Archivist and Communications and IT Director roles,” wrote Bialik. “As the building director of the SSMU, [Hughes handled] building administration and the implementation of projects.”

Hughes was selected through an extensive process that involved the hiring of an outside firm to aid in the selection of a capable candidate. 

“We placed extra emphasis this year on ensuring that the process was thorough and involved as many stakeholders as possible because the last process was not successful,” said Kareem Ibrahim, SSMU president. “We therefore hired an external recruitment firm [….] It cost $18,000 overall which is very expensive for us obviously […] but we really [thought] that this was not something that we were willing to risk whatsoever [….] The failed recruitments can have very drastic impacts on the society financially […that] severely outweigh the money we [paid] them so we were definitely not hesitant to […] invest a lot of money into ensuring this process was thorough.”

The GM’s contract began on Dec. 21, although the appointment was not announced until Jan. 9. Hughes plans stay in the position for a significant time in order to ensure the quality of SSMU’s services. 

“I’ve enjoyed my time at the SSMU thus far and I am rather excited for the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Hughes wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I have no desire to leave anytime soon [….] My first priority is to engage with the executives and staff members, to listen and to take their information, ideas and insight and create a stronger organization.” 

Bialik had assumed the responsibilities of the building manager while Hughes was on paternity leave. SSMU will now move forward with seeking new candidates after revising the job description for the position.

a, Student Life

Hello from the other side (of the world)

by Keara Campos on

More in a:

The proclamation “Exchange changed my life!” that many McGill students profess after a semester or two abroad may be clichéd, but it is rooted in genuine and unique experiences. As the upcoming Jan. 15 deadline for McGill’s study abroad program approaches, students will be deciding whether an exchange is right for them. The Tribune interviewed four McGill students who travelled to Australia, South America, Europe, and Asia, to hear about their experiences abroad. If McGill’s FAQ page about exchanges doesn’t have enough information and you’re still hesitant about applying, consider these testimonials so you don’t end up feeling like Justin Bieber wondering if it’s too late now to say sorry.

  •  

    Bria Hiebert (The Netherlands)

     

  •  

    Josh Berman (Chile)

     

  •  

    Alex Norman (Hong Kong)

  •  

    Lauren Miller (Australia)

 

a, Features

Questioning Coding: The rise of coding raises as many questions as it answers

by Zikomo Smith on

More in a:

The 21st Century is the age of nerds. It might be an overplayed think-piece trope, but smart people are a huge part of popular culture—no longer stuffy personalities stuck in an ivory tower. This phenomenon is happening concurrently with the infiltration of data, analytics, and technology in life, as well as the code that underpins it. Film heroes reflect this change—John McClane is no more, and Iron Man reigns supreme. If the 2004 superhero film The Incredibles were made today, perhaps the physically powerless yet tech-savvy antagonist, Syndrome, would be the winner in the fight against the physically superhuman Parr family. Along with the proliferation of coding in popular culture, coding is evolving as an important skill in the job market and life in general.

a, Science & Technology

Understanding El Niño

by Lydia Kaprelian on

More in a:

El Niño has been the latest buzzword explanation for  Montreal’s—and the world’s—unseasonably warm weather. 

Normally, the prevailing wind patterns in the Pacific Ocean, known as trade winds, blow east to west. When these winds are weaker than usual, a buildup of warm and wet weather along the West Coast of the Americas and drier conditions in Indonesia and Australia occurs, known as El Niño. Conversely, when the cycle enters a cooler phase, marked by stronger winds, it is known as La Niña.

Part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, the two terms are used by weather scientists to describe specific temperature and atmosphere conditions in the Pacific. Because El Niño is connected to many other wind currents, any changes in the system can dramatically alter global weather patterns. For example, the ‘super El Niño’ of 1998 resulted in frequent and severe ice storms that devastated parts of southern Quebec. 

Predicting the effects of an El Niño, however, is difficult. While El Niño is not caused by climate change as it is a naturally occurring phenomena, a changed climate means that the impact of an El Niño is becoming greater and increasingly unpredictable. 

For example, an ENSO cycle generally takes place every two to seven years, although a 2014 paper published in Nature suggests that climate change will likely bring about an increased frequency of extreme El Niño events.

Recently published data collected by Environment Canada reports that the average temperature in December 2015 was 1.65 degrees Celsius. The average temperature in December 2014 was -3.45 degrees Celsius—a difference of over 5 degrees. 

While these differences are dramatic, it’s important to note that they cannot be directly correlated with the El Niño. Rather, the weather system is likely a contributing factor to the latest of Montreal’s abnormally pleasant winter temperatures.

On Jan. 7, United Nations (UN) officials warned of the effects of the anticipated intensified 2016 El Niño. Stephen O’Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, urged the international community to prepare for the changed weather. O’Brien cautioned that combined with the impacts of climate change, the 2016 El Niño phenomenon is pushing into “uncharted territory.”

While El Niño may have favourable effects on some areas, such as a potential amelioration to the endemic drought in southern California, in many other areas of the world dramatic weather events are expected to cause humanitarian emergencies. Already, there have been intensified drought conditions throughout Eastern Africa, notably affecting Ethiopia. Projections for 2016 predict that food insecurity will affect 22 million people across the region, and at this moment, 10.2 million people are in need of emergency food assistance. Additionally, El Niño increases the possibility of typhoons and cyclones occurring, which will affect countries throughout the Pacific. 

ENSO cycles rarely last longer than one year, but their impact has no end-point. And because El Niño events are often associated with droughts, O’Brien anticipates high levels of food insecurity throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. 

“The impacts, especially on food security, may last as long as two years,” he explained. 

Montreal’s latest mild temperatures are expected to persist throughout February. Long-term forecasts predict mild winter conditions across Canada with less persistent and less intense cold spells compared to those that have dominated the past two winters. The unseasonal rain that has replaced Montreal’s usual winter precipitation is likely an effect of this year’s particularly powerful El Niño event. While precipitation patterns are expected to remain relatively normal, it is difficult to predict what form the precipitation will take; this will likely result in less-than-ideal ski conditions.

“Every El Niño event is unique unto itself,” explained Chris St. Clair, a weather broadcaster for The Weather Network. “This El Niño will weaken in the coming months.”

While the 2016 El Niño has so far led to many atypical weather events across the globe, there is reason to believe that the weather patterns will return to normal in the later half of the Canadian winter. There is preliminary evidence that the Pacific Ocean temperatures are already beginning to cool, leading many meteorologists to believe that the wackiest of El Niño weather-related events are behind us.

1 … 775 776 777 778 779 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue