Latest News

a, McGill, News, PGSS, SSMU

Senate discusses implementing recommendations of Mental Health Working Group

by Julie Vanderperre on

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McGill’s mission statement and principles

Senators raised concerns about the wording of McGill’s mission statement—specifically the linkage between  academic freedom and responsibility. 

“In fulfilling its mission, McGill University embraces the principles of academic freedom and responsibility, integrity, accountability, equity, inclusiveness, and respect for cultural and individual diversity,” the proposed statement of principles that has been under work currently reads.

Several Senators claimed that this phrasing could put forward the idea that McGill scholars are being directed and restricted by the administration.

University Libraries Senator Marc Richard stated that he was concerned with the use of the term “responsibility” in the mission statement because of its negative connotations. 

“Linking [academic freedom with responsibility] actually constrains what we mean by responsibility,” McGill University Principal Suzanne Fortier responded.

Fortier concluded the discussion of the mission statement by saying that the concerns would be forwarded to the Academic Planning Committee (APC), who will then submit motions to the Senate.  Fortier emphasized her hopes that the APC would bring back a strong mission statement that the Senate would later vote on, and which all Senators would feel is an accurate portrayal of the university’s values.

Budget Planning

Provost Anthony Masi discussed the Budget Planning 2015-2016 Report at the meeting, emphasizing that McGill has taken measures in 2014 that are allowing the university to mitigate current budget cuts. 

According to Masi, McGill went into the fiscal year projecting a $7 million deficit, which was then re-calculated after the Quebec government announced a $20 million budget cut. According to Masi, McGill was prepared for the additional reductions, and will still finish the year with a deficit of $7 million. 

Masi further emphasized that the budget cuts that McGill is facing should not affect any of the university’s actions central to its values.

“We can’t keep doing everything we’re doing,” Masi said. “Something has to give, [but] we just don’t want that ‘give’ to be core to our academic mission.”

Mental Health Working Group recommendations

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan posed a question to Senate regarding the implementation of recommendations published by the Mental Health Working Group (MHWG) on May 2014. The MHWG is a committee with a mandate to review the current state of mental health, counselling, and student services at McGill, and to make recommendations regarding improvement to Executive Director of services for students Jana Luker and Deputy Provost, (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens.. 

One recommendation was for McGill to create a position dedicated towards implementing the recommendations of the working group.

“[Will] the person who has been hired to implement this plan be empowered to task the university committees […] to look into specific university policies with a mandate of implementing the findings of the working group?” Stewart-Kanigan asked.

Dyens responded by stating that the revision of university policies is the responsibility of the university’s mutual governance structure, which includes the Enrolment and Student Affairs Advisory Committee (ESAC), the Academic Policy Committee (APC), the Committee on Enrolment and Student affairs (CESA), Senate, the Office of the Dean of Students, and several other governance bodies.

 “The actual revising of the policy is our responsibility, members of [the Senate], and others that are responsive to Senate,” Dyens explained.

Stewart-Kanigan posed a supplemental question, asking if the individual tasked with implementing these policies would be affiliated with academic staff, given that mental health issues at universities can be tied to academic practices.

In response, Dyens stated that the person hired for the position would work with academic staff although it remained unclear whether McGill would be hiring specifically for that position.    

“There would be a lot of horizontal discussion, and, if hired, the individual tasked with implementing the policies would work collaboratively and try to implement the most positive changes to regulations to impact students,” Dyens said. “There is a balance that we must keep in mind between helping students and the demanding nature of McGill [….] But there is transparency, there is collaboration; there’s no point in keeping these thing siloed.” 

a, News, SSMU

J-Board publishes recommendations in GA speaker case

by Shrinkhala Dawadi and Cece Zhang on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Judicial Board (J-Board) published a recommendation on the Nadir Khan and Zain Ali Syed vs. the SSMU Council and Speaker case this Friday. 

The recommendation is a result of the mediation session that resolved the case, which Khan and Zyed filed in October 2014 following the Fall General Assembly (GA). The complainants had stated that the Speaker’s practices at the Fall 2014 GA suppressed discussion on a controversial motion that called for SSMU to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The mediation stipulated that the J-Board was mandated to investigate the meaning of Article 5.2 of Bylaw Book I-5 of the SSMU bylaws.

“Standing rules for the General Assembly which make Roberts’ Rules easier for students to understand procedure must be adopted by Council at least one week in advance of the General Assembly,” Article 5.2 reads. 

The J-Board explained in its recommendation that this bylaw should be interpreted as imposing a positive obligation on Council to adopt standing rules for the GA in order to promote accessibility to the average SSMU member.

“Council must, under Article 5.2 and following, adopt standing rules which seek to make a General Assembly’s rules of order understandable for the average member at least one week in advance of a General Assembly,” the recommendation reads. “These rules must be published at least five calendar days before the General Assembly.”  

SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa previously responded to the original J-Board petition, saying that SSMU convention treated Article 5.2 as a recommendation rather than an obligation.  The J-Board addressed convention but found it insufficient to defend such an interpretation.

“While convention can be helpful in interpreting bylaws it cannot be used to trump clear, express, and non-ambiguous wording,” the recommendation read.

The J-Board was also mandated to investigate if a special two-thirds majority rule for a motion to postpone indefinitely constituted a valid standing rule that could be adopted in lieu of the simple majority rule in Robert’s Rules. In its recommendation, the J-Board distinguished between standing rules and special rules of order. 

“Standing rules are not rules of procedure, but a means of regulating the details of the administration of a society,” the explanation reads. 

The J-Board explained that changing the rule for a motion to postpone indefinitely would constitute a special rule of procedure, which SSMU Council does not have the jurisdiction to amend. 

The J-Board explained that this amendment could be applied to GAs if the SSMU Board of Directors adopted it. The General Assembly as a body would also have the power to amend and suspend rules of order. 

“The J-Board finds a positive obligation on the part of SSMU Legislative Council to create, publicize, and bring to all General Assemblies a set of standing rules that promote an effective and accessible process for students as stated in article 5.2 of SSMU By-Law I-5,” the explanation read.

In response, Ayukawa said that SSMU would strive to adopt standing rules at future GAs.  

a, Soccer, Sports

Taking stock of the Barclays Premier League

by Raphael Uribe Arango on

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With 12 games left in the Barclays Premier League, Chelsea is five points clear at the top, putting the Blues in prime position to win. This Premier League season has marked the resurgence of Manager Jose Mourinho, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One,’ and his Chelsea squad. But no one—including Mourinho—is foolish enough to think that Chelsea is going to coast to victory. The Premier League is notorious for wild finishes, and even this late in the season, there are six other teams still very much in the running.

  • Favourites

    Chelsea: It’s not at all surprising that Chelsea is leading the Premier League this season. Mourinho’s coaching has brought consistency on defence and made Stamford Bridge a near impenetrable fortress for opposing teams. On offence, Chelsea has a myriad of scoring options. The team can rely on the League’s top scorer Diego Costa, who is having an outstanding debut season with 17 goals so far. Over Chelsea’s last 20 games, they have conceded goals in only four. That statistic is practically unbelievable—especially in the Premier League—and explains why they are favourites to win the League this season.

    Manchester City: This is a very talented team, filled with perennial stars such as Sergio Agüero, David Silva, and Yaya Touré, but is one that has performed slightly below expectations this season. Manager Manuel Pellegrini has orchestrated a hyper-offensive style of play, which has pumped up the team’s scoring this season. Unfortunately for City, the team has tied far too many games and that has cost crucial points in the race to keep up with Chelsea. Second place for Manchester City would be a step back for the defending champions, but is the most likely outcome at the moment.

    Manchester United: United has bounced back tremendously from last season’s disastrous performance. New Manager Louis van Gaal has rejuvenated the team and has helped his players perform significantly better on both sides of the ball. The addition of Ángel Di Maria from Real Madrid has had a positive impact on the team and has helped United’s attacking options, but fellow newcomer Radamel Falcao is performing well below his usual form, and is unlikely to be staying with Manchester United much longer. If United were to finish third, it would not be a surprise to anyone, but a few slip-ups down the stretch could mean that the Champions League might not be in the cards next season.

  • Still in the race

    Southampton: Southampton is having a phenomenal season. With the departure of key players such as Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, and Rickie Lambert to Liverpool, the team’s prospects looked grim. However, with the arrival of new Manager Ronald Koeman, the team has defied all expectations on its climb to the top of the standings. Fourth place and a coveted place in the Champions League would be a massive achievement for a team that only returned to the Premier League in 2012-2013 after being relegated seven years prior.

    Arsenal: Since the departure of Thierry Henry in 2007, Arsenal has put together a string of roller coaster seasons. Inconsistency has always plagued Arsenal and if the team does not close strongly, a spot in the Champions League next season is out of the picture. The addition of Alexis Sanchez has been one bright spot for the team this year.

  • Long shots

    Tottenham: The emergence of Harry Kane has been a blessing for the Spurs this season. A stunning victory against Chelsea at White Hart Lane has definitely given the team the confidence it needs to make the leap from good to great. If it can keep its momentum going until it faces Manchester City and Manchester United in the final games of the season, a Champions League berth is within reach.

    Liverpool: A terrible first half of the season has cost Liverpool dearly. The second half of the season has seen a revival from Mario Balotelli and the Reds, but its path back to the top is steep. If Liverpool can keep this run going, they may be able to jump up from sixth. Digging yourself out of a first half hole is hard in any league, but with one of the toughest end-of-season schedules, getting to fourth place will be a true test of this team’s character.

    (Photos courtesy of: Nick Potts / PA; wallabet.fr; thisisanfield.com) 

     

     

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

I’ve got a blanket space, baby

by Luka Ciklovan on

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It is four moves of the little hand until bedtime. You sit within your blanket fort and glance over your United Plushdom consisting of strategically fortified pillows, stuffed animals, and bed sheets. Your squire, Tedsworth Bear, informs you that the castle provisions of cookies, milk, and video games are healthy, and that no dragons have been sighted. All is well. 

The childhood joy enveloped in a blanket fort is a special feeling that almost every child has aspired to attain. DF, a musical duo comprised of saxophonist Dustin Finer and light designer Daniel Freder, set out to recreate this ultimate childhood memory by staging a whole concert within the halls of an enormous blanket fort. The result was a unique experience that recalled cherished memories—all while donating dozens of blankets to charity. 

Within the confines of the part-library, part-bookstore La Passe (1214 rue de la Montagne), DF—along with acoustic opener Brigitte Naggar—performed last Friday in what was easily a child’s dream come true. An epic mountain of Beanie-Babies guarded the entrance to the fort, immediately triggering a wave of nostalgia upon entering the venue. Past the parted entry curtains to the blanket fort was a massive, wooden room where the floor, ceiling, and walls were entirely covered in plush objects. From the nostalgic Disney, Garfield, and ABC-themed blankets to the warm, upright piano in the corner, the fort oozed of kid-power. Complementing the venue’s good vibes, the event staff handed out free popcorn for sharing among the mostly pajama-sporting concertgoers. 

The atmosphere was perfectly set for Naggar’s acoustic set. Performing soft indie tunes alongside comical renditions of modern R&B and hip-hop songs, Naggar put on an intimate set that constantly engaged with the audience. Upon request, the crowd accompanied numerous tunes—ranging from Bill Withers’ somber “Ain’t No Sunshine” to a hilarious acoustic cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”—with singing, snaps, and claps. While participation from the audience is standard concert procedure, the confines of the blanket fort allowed for a more intimate feel to the show as the faces and voices of both crowd and artist were easily discernable. The intimacy of the venue, however, let musical mess-ups easily seep through. Though Naggar frequently forgot lyrics, cut songs halfway, and cracked her voice, these mistakes only furthered the feeling of intimacy that permeated the blanket fort, as the crowd laughed and cheered them away in solidarity. 

After the simple and sparse acoustic set by Naggar, DF’s set—with its numerous sound interfaces, light boxes, and projections—established a tone of a ‘grown-up’ childhood that lingered as they began to play pieces that drew from classical, jazz, and minimal music. Delivering an “interactive space where sound and light influence one another,” DF carefully matched the swaying moods of each piece with an accompanying light show. 

Their illumination, however, was far from ordinary: Orange lights inside cardboard boxes carved with intricate patterns showered the blanket fort in incandescent waves. Since most of DF’s songs follow a general pattern of ascension—starting very slow and building up to an epic climax—the varying intensities of light nicely complemented the music. 

Lone saxophonist Dustin Finer packed the punch of a sax quartet with a quarter of the people by using his looper. It was amazing to see so many layers of harmonies, rhythms, and effects come from one source. At times, DF would abandon the sax to focus on more effects-driven pieces, but these proved to be slightly monotonous and often droned the same two chords for far too long. However, beautiful gems such as “Telesim” more than made up for this and cemented DF as a solid experiment into the modern realm of visual jazz.

DF and Brigitte were able to push the bounds of what a traditional concert can be, all while helping the community by donating the blankets from the fort to the charity Renaissance Quebec. 

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

McGill earns one medal at CIS Championships

by Nicholas Jasinski on

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McGill Redmen
12th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McGill Martlets
9th

 

 

 

 

Eighteen McGill swimmers competed at the three-day 2015 CIS Swimming National Championship at the University of Victoria this past weekend. UBC won both the men and women’s titles, hauling in an incredible 34 individual medals in the process and extending the Thunderbirds’ winning streak at Nationals to four in a row on the women’s side.

McGill’s lone podium finish came on day one as a bronze in the women’s 400m individual medley, in which Martlet team captain Katie Caldwell of White Rock, BC came in third with a time of 4:51.53. The 2013 CIS Rookie-of-the-Year, Caldwell’s performance is made all the more impressive given that she has been battling back, knee, and shoulder injuries since late in the 2013 swim season.

“She’s been dealing with injuries for two years now,” McGill Head Coach Peter Carpenter said. “For her to battle through […] and prepare herself physically and mentally to the point where she was able to swim the 400m [individual medley], which is a very difficult event, and win a medal is remarkable.”

The 14 Martlet qualifiers combined for 136 points, finishing ninth overall out of 23 teams competing—falling just short of last year’s performance, where the Martlets finished seventh. The four Redmen at the meet totalled 84 points and matched last year’s performance with a 12th place finish.

Redmen captain Marc-Andre Benoit, a native of St. Hyacinthe, Québec, just missed the podium in three events, coming in fourth in the 50m butterfly (0:25.03), the 100m freestyle (0:51.21), and as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay (3:30.57). Second year psychology student and Toronto native Simone Cseplo came in fifth in the 50m backstroke, finishing in 30.19 seconds, beating her personal best by 0.41 seconds. This came after last year’s CIS National Championships, after which she went home with a silver medal in the same event.

The meet featured a number of standout performers, including UBC senior Coleman Allen. Allen, the reigning CIS Swimmer-of-the-Year, set three CIS National records in the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly, winning gold in all three events to go along with another gold in the 4x200m freestyle and a silver in the 4x100m medley.

On the women’s side, rookie Katerine Savard of the Montréal Caranoms earned Rookie-of-the-Year after claiming a whopping seven total gold medals in the 50m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle,  4x100m medley, 4x100m freestyle, and 4x200m freestyle.

UBC Thunderbirds Head Coach Steve Price was awarded men’s Coach-of-the-Year, with Université de Montréal’s Pierre Lamy winning the honour for women’s coaching. The Carabins came in second among women’s teams with University of Toronto rounding out the podium in third. On the men’s side, Toronto and the University of Calgary came in second and third place, respectively.

Moving forward, Carpenter is excited about the talent and energy that next year’s class of rookies will bring to his squad.

“There are a number of good recruits who have shown interest, and if we get a good number of them then things are going to look up, both on the guys and the girls side,” Carpenter said.

Both the Redmen and Martlets are expected to lose just three seniors each to graduation, setting the stage for an even stronger showing at next year’s Nationals with a more experienced, but still youthful team.

a, Student Life

Know your rights

by Meghan Collie on

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A common lack of knowledge for students regarding real estate processes can leave them vulnerable. Applications, contracts, leases, joint tenancy, and subletting, all make up the whirlwind of real estate jargon that can leave anyone mystified. House hunting for the first time can be overwhelming, stressful, and confusing. While it is true that most housing situations will come to fruition in a safe, legal, and generally decent manner, there are still several things to be aware of before pursuing your first real ‘home.’ There are a few possible routes students can take when starting the hunt for a new house:

  • Look for leasing opportunities

    This is the most popular option for students, because a lease is temporary and much less expensive than purchasing a house, apartment, or condominium. Generally speaking, a leased apartment has usually been previously occupied by several other tenants, so the structure of the unit has the chance to deteriorate. For this reason, one should be inspecting the quality of the appliances, the heating and cooling systems, the alarm or safety systems, and the general state of the house. If something appears to be worn down or broken, it should be addressed before any rental agreement is signed so that the tenant can ensure it will be fixed at some point during the lease.

    It is also important to distinguish between Joint Tenancy and Occupancy. Signing a Joint Tenancy lease means that all those who sign are responsible for the terms of the lease. It includes entering into a legal relationship with the landlord as well as with the roommates. If any member of the lease does not fulfill the obligations on the lease, all members will be held partly responsible. For example, if one roommate pays their portion rent in full but another does not for several consecutive weeks, the landlord could cancel the lease and evict all the tenants.

  • Purchasing a house

    Although this is a much more expensive and permanent option, it can be attractive for students hoping to live in Montreal for an extended period of time. Even if staying Montreal may not be permanent plan, purchasing real estate can be a worthwhile investment—buyers can use it to rent out to students in the future. However, there are still some notable differences that anyone interested in this route should be aware of.

    Before putting down an offer on the house, students should be cautious in looking over every aspect of the house. It is important to inquire with the previous owners and the real estate agent about information regarding appliances—their model and make—and when they were purchased.

    Moreover, there are a few Quebec-specific considerations to be made when purchasing a house. For example, home buyers are required to pay a “Quebec Welcome Tax” ­—a fee to the provincial government.

  • Become the nominal owner of a house owned by parents

    If a student’s has parents decided to purchase a house in Quebec, there is the supplementary option for the student actually living there to become a nominal owner of the house. By becoming the nominal owner, the house, apartment, or condo that has been purchased will be legally under the student’s name, even if he or she does not handle the finances.

    Below are interviews with students in this situation to provide further insight regarding what being a nominal owner entails.

     

    Kira S. is a U1 Arts student, and has been living in a Quebec apartment for one year.

    McGill Tribune: Has your landlod upheld all of his obligations?

    KS: He has not upheld all of these [obligations of a landlord]. He neglected to fix our front porch, [which was included in the lease]. He neglected to give us 24 hours notice for maintenance people entering the apartment [as per Quebec law]. These two factors contributed to our apartment being robbed once, and having intruders twice.

    MT: Have you ever felt unsafe in your apartment because of the lack of action by your landlord?

    KS: Yes, we’ve felt unsafe. For approximately six weeks, I slept [roughly] four hours during the night […] because I was afraid of intruders. We then had a security system installed and more locks put on the doors, so after about seven weeks of living in the apartment, I finally felt safe. We have also had mice and broken appliances, which the landlord has not dealt with in a timely manner.

    MT: Where did you turn to for help?

    KS: We weren’t initially aware, but once we began to have issues, I started doing some research online, and I called the Régie du logement. [Quebec’s website on residential leasing laws.]

    MT: What will you do differently before you sign a lease for your next apartment?

    KS: We’ll ask specific questions pertaining to rodents [and] infestation. Asking, “Have there been mice, rats, [or] pests?” directly leaves no room for evasion. We will look to live in an apartment in a building [instead of] in a walk-up; this will hopefully reduce heating costs and reduce the possibility of rodents/pests. Also, the enhanced security of an apartment in a building is attractive. Tip for anyone moving into a new place: Skim all of the available information provided online through the Régie du logement, specifically the tenant-landlord relationship [….] Don’t hesitate to call the Régie du logement or see McGill Student Housing if you are unsure of something.

     

    Freddy L. is the nominal owner of his condominium—financially purchased by his parents—and he is a member of the Management Board of the building he lives in. He is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has been living in his condo for approximately two years.

    MT: Can you give a brief explanation of the way the Management Board works?

    Freddy L.: The [Management] Board manages many aspects of the building, including general maintenance and upkeep of the condo as well as minor and major works to the interior and exterior, security, and all related finances. Within the residents, we work to improve communication, transparency, and importantly, a sense of community. Currently, I hold the secretarial position on the Board. This role entails overseeing all works pertaining to maintaining the building, organizing general documents, keeping minutes, acting as [a] signing officer, as well as everyday inspection of the building. I was elected to this position by the members of the condo, which include owners and/or their proxies, along with four other dedicated individuals who work to uphold the integrity of the building.

    MT: Are there any rules you agree or disagree with? Why?

    FL: The Board is entitled to receive compensation for its members’ work even without the approval of all condo members. In other words, the Board may ask for a fee for its work—with the amount up to the Board’s discretion—without an overall agreement. I disagree with giving such a responsibility solely to the Board as it may easily lead to irresponsible demands. From my experience, the Board is usually comprised of voluntary members who want to work to make the building a better place for its residents, but a monetary incentive may influence the type of people attracted to such positions.

    Although this information will give students a foundation for expectations and self-protection, there is still much more to be aware of. To discover more about residential leasing, read the Law of the Régie du Logement (http://www.rdl.gouv.qc.ca/fr/accueil/accueil.asp) and the articles of the civil code (Code du civil du Quebec).

a, Science & Technology

Programming until sunrise

by Chloe Nevitt on

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In a test of will power, determination, and innovation, McHacks presented an incredible challenge to its participants—twenty-four hours’ worth of non-stop creative coding fueled by energy-drinks. Traditionally, ‘hackathons’ are 24 to 36 hours long and invite coders to develop an application, website, or program. Those with the best, most creative, and useful program are judged by a panel and the top 10  teams are awarded prizes. However, the success of hackathons largely relies on sponsorship provided by industrial companies.

“Hackathons are only made possible by industry sponsors,” explained Deepanjan Roy, a U3 computer science and math major, and one of the 18 co-organizers for McHacks this year. “These sponsors come into the hackathon and stay up for the whole event and interact with the hackers, and there’s a lot of opportunity to talk to people in industry.”

These interactions help students better understand the technology they’re using and to better understand how the industries are operating. The representatives who come to the hackathons from these companies are generally engineers and possess a strong understanding of what the students are trying to accomplish. This year, some of McHacks’ major sponsors are Nuance, Vungle, Namecheap and Shopify. 

Hack McGill, which is responsible for organizing McHacks each year, was created by computer science students at the beginning of last year.

“There wasn’t really anything encouraging people to explore their own ideas, work on their own projects, meet people who wanted to do the same thing, and share common goals,” explained Xavier Denis, a U3 computer science student and one of the original founders of Hack McGill. “[After creating Hack McGill], we had over a hundred people, and since then, we’ve been trending upwards. We have around 1,000 members [today.]”

McHacks is not a McGill exclusive event, and welcomes students from other universities as well. 

“McHacks currently has 622 people attending this weekend,” Denis explained. “We have between 100 to 200 McGill students [as well as] people from Waterloo, from Philadelphia, from Maryland.” 

Part of the appeal of attending McHacks is that students often emerge after a grueling night of programming with job offers from the industry. According to Denis, around 10 per cent of the participants find jobs.

Furthermore, there is a wide range of projects that participants approach. Teams build funny, useful, and technical applications.

This year’s winners—hailing from Ontario—were Adrian Pawliszko, Karan Thukral, Julian Nadeau, and Vinny Crupi. The team developed an app called ‘Tendr’—a play on the word ‘Tinder’—that matches the user with restaurants in the area. The software is a native iOS app developed in Objective-C, a programming language. Other notable creations included ‘Banana for Scale,’ which converts any unit to ‘banana-size,’ a speed-reading app called ‘Parrot,’ and ‘Shades of Grey,’ an app that lets you know how many shades of grey are in a photo. ‘Mad Curves’ was given the HackBoard’s Choice award, designated for the organizers’ choice of best app. It was developed by Miles Cranmer, U0 Science, that uses Oculus Rift DK2—a virtual reality headset—to navigate a 3D graph of any equation. 

While McHacks may have ended, these students will continue to code and program for years to come. And the experiences they gain from events like these are invaluable.

 “[In computer science], the stuff you learn in school is not often very practical and applicable, so we have hackathons that teach you to build something instead of just learning the theory behind it,” Roy said.

a, Basketball, Behind the Bench, Sports

Behind the bench: Nothing but Nets

by Mayaz Alam on

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As long as I have been watching the NBA, I have been a New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets fan. Yes, those Nets. The team that has had a cumulative .447 winning percentage since the 2003-2004 season, the year I started following them. However, this is also the franchise that was purchased by a charismatic Russian oligarch in 2010, plays in a state-of-the-art arena in one of the most exciting cities in North America, and has been to the playoffs in six of the last 12 seasons  Supporting the Nets is very much a roller coaster of an experience.

Fandom is a complicated concept. At its core, it involves people spending incredible amounts of time and money supporting another group of people who play games in a particular uniform. A fan’s highs and lows can be reflected in how their team is faring, a phenomenon psychologists call ‘basking in reflective glory.’ Ever I became a Nets fan, there hasn’t been much glory to bask in. The Nets—both their New Jersey and Brooklyn iterations—should be a lesson in mismanagement for other franchises. Consider the facts: The Nets have cycled through eight coaches in the past 12 seasons, only two of their first round draft picks in the same time period still play with the team, and their basketball operations are running a $144 million dollar deficit—$131 million more than any other team in the league last season. 

The franchise hasn’t been a perennial cellar dweller by any means; rather, the Nets have been oscillating between functional and dysfunctional for more than a decade, and most often end up being mediocre. The Nets aren’t just mediocre though, they’re the worst kind of mediocre.They reel you in under the false promise of future success before collapsing under a heap of overvalued assets and perplexing losses—Toronto Maple Leafs fans should know this feeling very well.

This year’s wild trade deadline—nine per cent of the league’s players were moved—was more of the same. Early reports suggested that Brooklyn was a frontrunner to land Oklahoma City guard Reggie Jackson, a dynamic yet disgruntled player who had the potential to be a future cornerstone. In typical Nets fashion, they lost out on Jackson to the Detroit Pistons. They did, however, pick up Thaddeus Young, an above-average, albeit undersized power forward while only giving up a limited and aged Kevin Garnett. Two steps backwards, one-and-a-half steps forward.

The thing that bothers me most about the Nets is that they have no on-court identity, they are undeniably boring to watch, and they have no identifiable long-term plan. At least with the Philadelphia 76ers, who started off this season with 17 straight losses, fans know that there is a ‘process’ that the organization is trying to follow. 

 

It’s time to start over in Brooklyn. The endless .500 seasons need to end if the Nets ever want to achieve success with the way that the NBA is currently configured. The treadmill of mediocrity is the NBA’s wasteland, and the Nets have been residents for 12 tumultuous years now, pretty much the entirety of the time I have been an avid fan. What will make me happy as a fan now is not another playoff appearance and early exit, but rather a fresh start and a complete overhaul. Maybe then, the Nets will be more than nothing.

a, Science & Technology

The brightest and boldest futures

by Chloe Nevitt on

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Students from the Faculty of Science often find themselves struggling to pick a path after graduation. Sometimes, when it feels like an M.D. or Ph.D. is the only option, a science major can feel trapped. In a series of presentations, McGill’s Biochemistry Undergraduate Society (BUGS) showcased the possibilities and the flexibility that a biochemistry degree can provide at its 2015 Alumni Career Symposium on Saturday, Feb. 21. Speakers included high school teachers, industry representatives, MD-PhD students, and urban gardeners.

“We want to show students that there are many other opportunities out there,” explained Alexandr Magder, U2 Science and representative from BUGS.

While the paths taken by these individuals were all unique, they all had one thing in common—they chose their path because they were interested in it.

“People are like ‘be a doctor or be a scientist,’ and I [said] no, I wanted to do both,” explained Adam Fontebasso, a graduate of the Honours Biochemistry program, who is in the clinical phase of medical school within McGill’s MD-PhD program.

An MD-PhD program gave Fontebasso an opportunity to fulfill his desire to work both in the lab and with patients. 

However, not everyone’s a ‘lab rat,’ explained Dr. Donna Rindress, who co-founded BioMedCom Consultants—where healthcare technology is adopted using evidence and rationale. Rindress, after completing a Ph.D. in biochemistry from McGill, delved into the industry world. 

“To work with industry, the most important thing to realize is that it’s not academic research, it’s pragmatic research—[you] have to give someone something that is useful,” she explained. 

Paul Farkas, now a Human Resources (HR) representative for industrial engineering giants in Calgary, echoed this need for pragmatism.

“Virtually every organization in the world will say, ‘In this company, we pay for performance,’” Farkas said. “I was interviewing for an [HR position in a] large nuclear energy company, and I asked the president, ‘How do you determine your compensation?’ He said it’s easy, ‘I pay for performance.’”

To prove this, Farkas, on his first day on the job, then using a series of performance analysis programs, found zero correlation between pay increase and performance—the company’s president wasn’t paying his employees for the quality of their work. Their salaraies, Farkas found, were solely correlated to their starting salary. According to Farkas, his ability to approach a problem like a scientist and to look at a problem empirically is due in part to his training at McGill. 

Powerful problem-solving skills are what helped Lauren Rathmell bring fresh fruits and vegetables to urban areas. Rathmell is the Greenhouse Director and a founding member of Lufa Farms, a for-profit urban farm located in Montreal. 

“There’s a huge greenhouse industry in Canada, but we’re doing things differently—strategizing and coming up with our own methods to do things,” Rathmell explained. 

While creating one’s own start-up is not necessarily the easiest task in the world, it is extremely rewarding, explained Rathmell—with this company, she is living and breathing her work.

While the idea of following a so-called ‘unconventional path’ can seem overwhelming, breaking the standard is something McGill bioinformatics professor Michael Hallet encourages everyone to do.

“Learn how to program, take some Bioinformatics, move to San Francisco, and walk into Google with some good ideas,” Hallet said. 

While that path may not be the one for everyone, the message remains the same.

“There are opportunities to work in other areas such as management consulting, teaching, or [even] becoming a patent agent,” explained event organizer Larischa DeWet, VP Internal for BUGS.

For a person who is bored by the idea of research or medical work, many options remain open—it’s just a matter of looking for them. 

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Imagine Dragons – Smoke and Mirrors

by Jack Neal on

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“I’m sorry for everything I’ve done,” confesses Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds on the opening song of the band’s second album, Smoke and Mirrors—something he should absolutely feel the need to apologize for. Whilst their debut, Night Visions (2012) was, albeit a bit of a mess, it was an exciting mess with huge, soaring choruses and energy to match during live performances. Smoke & Mirrors isn’t necessarily a step forward; it’s more of the same, but less. 

With “Shots,” the album begins with an upbeat, galloping drumbeat supported sound and showcases Reynolds’ surprisingly strong vocals. It’s an airy, falsetto-abound sound; however, that same airiness lacks a proper grounding and sincerity in the lyricism to support the emotional statements.

 This plagues the entire album. On “It Comes Back To Me,” Reynolds claims that it’s “all the things that worry are all the things you don’t believe,” without actually digging any deeper than proclaiming this. He then repeats “It comes back to you” numerous times as if to reiterate the point. It ends up being monotonous, uninspiring, and it would be nice if in fact the band didn’t ‘come back’ with more surface-level rubbish in the next song, “Smoke & Mirrors.” 

 Yet it doesn’t get any better; “I’m So Sorry” is a blatant rip-off of The Black Keys; “I Bet My Life” is a generic, overarching, swooping indie-anthem—a well-trodden path. “Gold,” despite its ‘Black Skinhead’-esque intro, is one of the most annoying and disjointed songs you’ll ever hear.

 Reynolds’ vocals are pretty good, and songs such as “Polaroid” excel with its stripped-back production and nursery-rhyme style. But even this fails to properly convey any sort of sincerity, and when coupled with lackluster production, Smoke and Mirrors is a lot of smoke without any fire.     

 
 
 
 
 

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