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a, Opinion

Commentary: A progressive paradox

by Justin Hatherly on

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Across North America, left-wing politicians are proposing a raft of new spending programs. In Canada, both Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair have plans for universal, government-funded childcare, and in the United States, President Obama wants to introduce tuition-free community college. There are good arguments both for and against these programs, but they come with indisputably high costs.

To finance his community college initiative, Obama planned to tax college savings accounts. These tax-exempt savings vehicles are popular among upper-middle class Americans as a means of paying for higher education. Upon announcing the proposal, there was an immediate backlash, even among members of the president’s own party. As such, the proposal was quickly tabled.

This episode reveals the inherent contradiction at the heart of North American centre-left politics today. Politicians realize that the appetite for new social entitlements is large, yet they seem unwilling to ask the primary beneficiaries of many of these programs—the middle class—to pick up a reasonable share of the tab. Instead they target narrow groups in society. For example, Obama and Mulcair both wish to target corporations, the financial services industry, and high income earners, while Trudeau claims he will not raise taxes at all.

Much of this paradox can probably be traced to the large-scale tax cuts that have been enacted over the past decades. Though this trend was far more prevalent in the United States, the extent of similar political developments in Canada should not be trivialized. As politicians cut taxes, they also seemed more than happy to go on both enhancing the generosity of existing programs and implementing new ones. The tax-cutting wave gave the broad public the financial benefits of lower taxes, but did not reduce services.

While these actions may have seemed sustainable in the boom years prior to 2008, the financial crisis and tepid recovery since have laid bare the stark reality of persistent structural deficits.

Politicians realize that the appetite for new social entitlements is large, yet they seem unwilling to ask the primary beneficiaries of many of these programs—the middle class—to pick up a reasonable share of the tab.

The present fiscal conditions of many governments have left them with few means of paying for their desired spending initiatives. In Ontario, for example, Premier Kathleen Wynne suggested a modest increase in the provincial gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure improvements. The hostility from the public was so great that she quickly cancelled the broad-based tax increase and instead announced an increase in income taxes for high earners, which would only amount to a small fraction of the money she initially wished to spend.

The United States is also on an unsustainable budgetary trajectory, yet Obama continues to peddle the illusion that the public finances can be put on a sound footing and current levels of government services can be maintained by reversing income tax cuts only for the very wealthy. It has always been hard to raise taxes on the largest swath of constituents, but now it seems tantamount to political suicide.

If the centre-left in Canada and the United States wants this expansion of government, it will have to pay for it. Taxing the rich will only yield so much revenue and economic evidence suggests that high marginal tax rates can discourage savings, investment, and economic growth. Thus, they would be well-advised to learn from the social democratic bastions of Scandinavia. Contrary to popular belief, the Scandinavian nations such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland do not derive most of the revenue needed to pay for the welfare state from the rich. Sweden, for example, has a less progressive tax code than the United States. Instead, these Scandinavian governments primarily raise revenue from far-reaching and somewhat regressive consumption taxes like a Goods and Services Tax. These taxes, while regressive, do less damage to the economy than alternatives like progressive income taxes or capital taxes, as they don’t penalize savings, investment, or work. They also provide a stable source of funding for the welfare state by ensuring that most of the population is involved in its financing.

Given demographic pressures that existing social benefits face, expanding the welfare state will be difficult without substantial increases in revenue from the middle class. If the centre-left desires a larger government, it should try to address the tradeoffs inherent in that goal. It will have to convince the broad taxpaying middle class to pay for the new programs they say they want to ensure that they are fiscally sustainable. To do otherwise would leave Canadians without a debate over the costs and benefits of new government programs.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Grunge that’s not Nirvana

by luka ciklovan on

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“Touch Me I’m Sick”

Artist: Mudhoney

Album: Single

Released: March, 1988

Mudhoney stands as one of the major—yet completely overshadowed—forerunners of the Seattle Grunge scene. “Touch Me I’m Sick,” their debut single, brought the dirty, fuzzy, bass-driven sound pervading the city’s indie scene to the cultural fore, paving the way for many larger acts to follow. The track’s biting lyrics, snarling vocals, and raw, ‘untrained’ vibe garnered widespread appeal from youth across the U.S., who, tired of the overly sexualized rock stars of glam metal, were seeking something heavier. Punk and heavy metal influences run rampant in this historic track, and truly cemented early grunge as a genuine counterculture movement.

c“Even Flow”

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: Ten

Release: August 27, 1991

Often marked as a grunge band, Pearl Jam remains one of the most commercially successful bands of the ’90s era, yet its lack of ‘hardcore’ elements, or edge, makes the grunge labeling, which prizes counterculture notions, seem questionable. “Even Flow,” with its axe-tastic shredding and wah-powered guitars, is by no means a bad track, offering a new take on an old hard rock sound; however, when compared to early bands under the same genre, there is hardly a resemblance. “Even Flow” highlights the broad—and ever broadening—nature of the grunge genre label that ultimately led to its demise.

“Rain When I Die”

Artist: Alice In Chains 

Album: Dirt

Released: September 29, 1992

Despite not being a single off of Dirt, “Rain When I Die” succeeds in encapsulating the sounds of a more ‘mature,’ or technical grunge. The pleasantly nauseating psychedelic intro, haunting vocal harmonies of the verse, and overall heavy but relaxed groove of this track is notably different in terms of complexity and feel when compared to  the classic garage grunge band. It nonetheless aggressively plucks at the same heartstrings of melancholy and angst pioneered by earlier bands. 

“Black Hole Sun”

Artist: Soundgarden 

Album: Superunknown

Released: March 8, 1994

This classic track off of Superunknown demonstrates the blessed union that can exist between sorrow and serenity common within grunge music.  The brooding, surreal lyrics drenched in gloom are brilliantly contrasted with the bubbly, mirthful sound of the arpeggiated guitar throughout the track, forming a dreamscape like no other. Chris Cornell, Soundgarden’s frontman, has himself explicitly confirmed the ‘lack’ of direct meaning within the track. While this lyrical openness may turn off many modern listeners, at the time of its release, it was believed that such subjectivity was a way to make music more accessible and personal in lieu of expanding mainstream monoculture. 

a, Editorial, Opinion

Editorial: Bridging the gap between students and mental health resources

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among university students have been increasing, as seen in recent studies conducted by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, prompting the need for increased access to mental health services on campuses.

Although financial constraints have put a damper on increasing mental health support, university-offered resources and student-run services are still widely offered across campus at McGill. Despite the vast array of mental health services, there are still many students who are not receiving the support they need. Whether this is due to a sense of alienation from institutional resources, a lack of student awareness, or any other number of reasons involving symptom recognition or stigma is uncertain. However, in order to bridge that gap at McGill, the university must improve communication with students about the resources available, and the campus discussion surrounding mental health must continue to move towards destigmatization.

Awareness and support for mental health have improved at McGill and within society in recent years, as evidenced by initiatives such as the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Mental Health Awareness Week, and Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk campaign to promote conversations about mental health. Still, there is a long way to go before the stigma surrounding mental illness is eradicated. Destigmatization requires raising widespread awareness of the realities of mental illness in order to gradually eliminate peoples’ notions of mental illness that are based on judgments. Education about mental health must exist on a spectrum, and discussions about different factors mental illness are necessary steps towards eliminating stigma. Until destigmatization happens—not only at McGill, but throughout society—many people suffering from mental illness might not seek support out of fear of being judged.

Another barrier that inhibits students from seeking help is that they might not be aware of the different services at their disposal and what they offer. If the vast array of services offered by the university is not clearly communicated, students will likely not access the mental help support that they may need.

Open and healthy discussion on mental health is also needed to make the mental health services at McGill more approachable. McGill should seek to promote these services as more personable in order to further prompt students to use them. In addition to the promotion of mental health resources by McGill, peer support is also required to encourage students to seek help. Friends and classmates should be cognizant of issues that others might be facing, and provide the positive encouragement that people need to go seek out help. Encouragement from people within a student’s daily life is crucial to getting them help early on.

Universities must undertake concrete actions to ensure that students have access to mental health services. The mere presence of these services is not enough to ensure their practical use.

The professional mental health services offered by the university don’t have the capacity to handle all of the cases that are brought to them, which also leads to students not receiving adequate support. Understaffing and lack of financing for these services have forced them to adopt policies that limit student access. There are long waiting times and high rates for appointments with Mental Health Services (MHS). In addition, the Counselling Service (CS) limits the number of visits allowed per person to 15 per year. The inclusion of professional mental health workers in student-run services, which are easier for students to access, could help to improve the ability of campus resources to meet students’ needs.

Outside of the McGill Residence system, there is also a lack of a support structure that provides information and encouragement to students in a small community atmosphere. For upper year students or the many first-year students not living in residence, this requires promoting services to students in a targeted way. A mention of different mental health services from a professor at the start of the semester, for example, could provide a similar sense of accessibility, communication, and support that would encourage students, within their daily lives, to use the service. The substructure of mental health resources needs to be connected to university and student life in a meaningful way that doesn’t separate the resources from the students’ normal environment.

The unfortunate truth is that the majority of individuals with mental health problems remain without support. People often minimize their own symptoms and may think that their problems are not serious enough to require help. In addition to working toward systemic destigmatization and increased awareness of mental illness as a gradient of wellness, universities must undertake concrete actions to ensure that students have access to mental health services. The mere presence of these services is not enough to ensure their practical use. Students require transparent communication of campus resources for treating mental illness, and targeted encouragement from different actors to seek the support that they need.

a, Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Campus Spotlight: IMA

by Audrey Carleton on

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With a student body as diverse and international as McGill’s, it should come as no surprise that many students plan to continue travelling the world after graduation. The International Management Association (IMA) of Desautels caters to the aspirations of these students. 

“The International Management Association is a club for people who are interested in working internationally, as well as International Management majors,” explained Saul Muskin, IMA president and U2 Management student. “We try to be what we call a ‘networking resource platform.’” 

The IMA’s primary goals are to provide students with events and networks that help them build professional connections and expand their international basis.

“We have social and professional events,” said VP External and U2 Management student, Quentin Godefroy. “The social ones include pre-drinks, apartment crawls, [and] frosh. The professional [events] include guest speakers and events like speed networking.”

Additionally, the IMA aims to help students build relationships with professionals through their various and multi-faceted events, creating networking opportunities with both local and international professionals. 

“Often when people say they want an international career [or] they want to work everywhere, they don’t really know what that entails,” said VP Media and U2 Management student Dhruv Janmeja. “It’s harder for people who want to [work in] international management to connect with international professionals [.…] Our role is to connect people to professionals [with whom] they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”

In addition to building business connections overseas, the IMA also aims to help students build connections with important people on campus, including professors. 

“It’s really cool because a lot of [our] speakers are our own [professors],” Janmeja said. “Students get to hear their own experience and be able to connect with them past what they teach in the classroom.”

The IMA also serves as a liaison between students and faculty, listening to the needs of the students and vocalizing them to the International Management board.  The International Management major within Desautels is still relatively new, founded within the past 10 years. According to Janmeja, the program still has some areas of improvement.  

“One of our roles is to take feedback from students, and then take it to the International major board,” he said. “Having that connection from a group that gives feedback from students to professors is something that’s important.”

Beyond bringing students closer to professionals and their professors, the IMA hopes to bring internationally-oriented students closer to one another. 

“We definitely have a few different goals, one of which is to create and strengthen the community around internationally-minded people,” Muskin said. “Especially those who are driven and want to achieve something right out of school.”

The diverse composition of the McGill student body is also reflected in the diversity within the IMA. 

“Desautels is 40 per cent international students, and McGill is 25 per cent,” Muskin said. “We […] just want to create a community around that and leverage the [cultural diversity] of McGill.”  

The executive team alone is comprised of students from a mosaic of different backgrounds. 

“I really like the fact that our team is made up of people from everywhere,” Godefroy said. “We have [executives who are] Greek, American, French, Swiss, [and more.]”

According to Muskin, with over 190 members, the IMA has grown a lot in the past few years. Huskin has hopes to keep the organization on this path. 

“Its a pretty new club, so I think there’s definitely a lot of room to grow,” Muskin said. “Ideally, I would love to have it where every single International Management major is involved.” 

As they prepare for their largest annual event of the year, the executives are feeling the impact of their growth as an organization. From Feb. 9-12, IMA will host a three-day Globalization Forum, featuring an African Business Summit, Chinese Business Summit, and a Professor’s Roundtable. 

“This is our biggest event of the year, so of course we care a lot about it,” Muskin said. “We have some really interesting speakers—we have people from all sorts of different fields. We have everything from non-for-profit, to finance, to consulting [and] marketing.”

To Muskin, the variation in the types of guest speakers they will have is representative of the variety of academic concentrations found within the International Management major itself. 

“[The] one thing that’s really important about the IMA is that […] International Management is not a specific discipline,” Muskin said. “You can incorporate finance and marketing and consulting and whatever else into it— it’s just under the context of international. It’s just multicultural, and the fact that you are doing work in a place that’s not necessarily your home.”

Godefroy echoed a similar sentiment.

“I guess what we’re trying to get people to [do] is to get out of their bubble, and maybe consider an international career, ” Godefroy said. “We want to expand their horizons and teach them that it might be a little bit frightening at first to meet people from other cultures, and have language barriers [and] cultural barriers […] but once you get over all of that, it’s such an enriching experience that it’s definitely worth it.”

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Pop Rhetoric: Musical mutability

by Wyatt Fine-Gagné on

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A couple of weeks ago, Sufjan Stevens announced that he will be releasing a new album in late March called Carrie & Lowell. The album will be his first studio release—not including Christmas albums—since 2010’s The Age of Adz. The news came shortly after Death Cab For Cutie and Modest Mouse announced new albums of their own, both scheduled to be released in late March as well.

In response to an article on Stereogum about Stevens’ new album, a user on the site commented, “[It’s been] a great week for people who were in college in 2005.” I was not in college in 2005, but it was a great week for me anyway. All three artists were staples for me in my early teens thanks to both a dad who listened to indie rock and exposure to the popular television drama The O.C.—a show that no doubt also exerted some influence on what was being played in college dorm rooms as well.

It’s easy to see why these artists and others like them were so popular with young adults at the time. The lyricism on Death Cab For Cutie’s Transatlanticism (2003) is sad, to say the least. The album’s title is meant to define the emotional gap between two lovers, but the music has a pop sensibility that made it easy to absorb. The same sort of thing can be said about Modest Mouse’s Good News For People Who Love Bad News.

For many people, university is the first time in their lives that sadness, confusion, and uncertainty truly bubble to the surface, and so it is a logical time to turn to this type of music. But when I first listened to these albums, those emotions weren’t what I was feeling. At 13, I had romantic ideas in my head about the pain that these songs aimed to capture, but I didn’t truly feel anything like it myself. I bobbed my head along with the bouncing guitar in “Title and Registration,” but the song didn’t floor me in the way that it does now. I liked the idea of being sad, brooding, and heartbroken because I felt there was something mysterious and intriguing about people who wrote those sorts of songs.

Listening to Transatlanticism now is a completely different experience than it was for me a decade ago. The album hasn’t changed, but I have. When I first heard “The Sound of Settling,” it felt incredibly happy and bright. But when I listen to it now, I can’t ignore the idea of growing old alone and unsatisfied that permeates throughout it.

Who you are in a given moment affects the way you perceive any piece of art. This isn’t necessarily a new revelation for some, but it has been for me. Certain things may seem brilliant to you if they happen to find you at the right time, but can just as easily become schlock once you’re past that moment.

This is perhaps most apparent when going back to watch shows or films you loved during your childhood. While some have staying power, many become tiresome once you push past the nostalgia and sentimental feelings you associate with the content. Even if you’re still able to enjoy them, it is often for different reasons.

Things can work the other way around as well, with art that once barely affected you becoming meaningful years later. Growing up, Bruce Springsteen’s big hits were the only songs of his that I cared about. I never had patience for Nebraska (1982), but now it’s among my favourite Springsteen albums. For whatever reason, I eventually became hooked on the album in a way that would have been unthinkable to me 10 or 15 years ago.

I have no idea if I’ll enjoy Carrie & Lowell. With Sufjan Stevens, it’s a pretty good bet that I will. Regardless, the album will almost certainly mean something to me, and a decade from now it’ll mean something entirely different.

a, Chill Thrills, Student Life

Chill Thrills: Embracing the cold at Igloofest

by Caroline Shenoda on

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As the New Year rolls in every year, Igloofest opens its doors to Montreal’s partygoers. Started in 2007, this winter music festival has attracted crowds to the city’s Old Port year after year, despite sub-zero temperatures. Hosted by Piknic Electronik and the Quays of the Old Port from Jan. 16 to Feb. 8, this four weekend long party is the perfect way to escape the constraints of midterms as well as the McGill bubble. The party is set up right by the Saint Lawrence river, with the city’s skyline painting the sky behind the icy architecture.

Activities

Alcohol sponsored activities are set up throughout the venue to keep everyone’s blood pumping and mind off the cold. The centrepiece of the ice-capped site is a slide carved from ice, on which bundled up people can slide down. Throughout the venue, various beverage stands offer activities from “Sapporo Hero,” a game similar to the widely known Guitar Hero, where contestants beat to drum patterns attempting to outdo their friends—to Bacardi’s curling game, in which rivals slide a miniature puck back and forth on an ice table for points. Rivals can make amends at the picture booth while showing off silly warm clothing. When all the activities leave folks parched, the many ice bars located around the site are available, and when the cold becomes unbearable, there are fire pits to help regain feeling in your toes.  

Scène Sapporo

Dancing the night away, the crowd huddles by the main stage with the clear star-studded sky watching over the picturesque party. The event hosts some of the biggest DJs in the electronic music industry. During Igloofest 2015, the stage welcomed names such as Dubfire and Flosstradamus, while entrancing lights beamed across the masses. Many colourful and abstract visuals play on the high wall of screens, right above the stage. The friendly atmosphere encourages everyone to let loose. The top of the crowd stays lined with elated people on their friends’ shoulders, while some even surf the crowd.

Iglooswag

One way to know Igloofest is in full swing is by noticing the popular accessories sold at the event. Soon after the festivities start each year, the growing appearance of Igloofest gear makes its way into downtown, primarily on the McGill campus. Meanwhile, at the event, individuals rock their wackiest winter apparel to partake in the Sapporo Iglooswag contest, which welcomes people in snowsuits and various costumes to compete for the craziest outfit and determine who wins a prize trip for two to Cuba. Many people wear onesies and jumpers over their winter apparel, disguising themselves as animals and cartoon characters. While there are themes for every weekend, there are also smaller scale prizes awarded more regularly.

a, Science & Technology

The element of truth

by Clare Lyle on

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“Where did I spend my 18th birthday?”

Derek Muller asked a packed Leacock 232 on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The question sparked confused laughter from the audience. However, this was only the start of a presentation that would continue to amuse. 

Muller—the man behind the YouTube channel Veritasium—explores a huge range of topics through videos, including explanations of quantum entanglement and how a slinky falls in slow motion. 

Muller spent his 18th in Montreal. Perhaps the more relevant question, though, was why he asked that in the first place.

“When you’re giving a presentation, you want to make the audience feel close to you,” he explained. This technique came into play in his talk, but is also evident in his online presence, where his videos have made him a familiar face to millions of people.

The path to YouTube fame is a winding one, however. Muller initially studied engineering physics at Queen’s University in Ontario, although he said the decision was difficult to make.

“I wanted to be a filmmaker, and I was also incredibly interested in science and engineering,” Muller explained. “The world itself is incredibly interesting—it’s hard to pick one thing.”

After graduating, Muller moved to Australia, and while he contemplated going to film school, he eventually pursued a Ph.D. in Physics Education. His thesis explored ways to make multimedia physics education more effective. The results that he produced seemed to oppose the traditional lecture model for physics education. 

As it turns out, simply telling students facts about physics does little to improve their understanding. In fact, after students watched an expository educational video, they performed equally poorly on a physics test, but were more confident in their answers. At this point, he hadn’t shown them their results from the physics test.

“When I asked [the students] to describe the video […] they used words like ‘simple’ and ‘easy to understand,’” said Muller.

In contrast, students who watched a video, where an actor’s misinterpretation of Newton’s laws was clarified, found the simulation much more confusing. But when it came time to take the test after, they performed significantly better.

This effect was most pronounced in novices—students who’d had little to no exposure to physics beforehand. 

After finishing his Ph.D., Muller starting working with a tutoring company. Although he was happy to be financially independent, he was also dissatisfied.

“I realized I’d been living a life of back up plans,” he said. 

So he cut back his hours at the tutoring company and followed his passion for filmmaking to make YouTube videos about physics.

His strategy for educating people about physics built on his Ph.D. research by dispelling people’s misconceptions about physical phenomena.

“It was often while doing this kind of work that I realized how vast [the general public’s] ignorance is,” Muller said. 

Initially, the videos remained relatively obscure, but as time went on the presence of Muller’s channel grew, aided by a number of videos that went viral. One in particular, a slow-motion shot of a slinky being dropped, even ended up on CBS.

Muller ended his talk the same way he began it—with a question.

“What is […] Veritasium?” Muller asked. “Is it a real element? For me, [Veritasium] was that moment in my life when I stopped pursuing backup plans. Know what you really want, and do that.

a, McGill, News

Fortier confirms 2015-2016 budget cuts at Board of Governors

by Remi Lu on

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Increased budget cuts

Principal Suzanne Fortier confirmed a budget cut from the Quebec government for the 2015-2016 academic year at the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Feb. 2.

Fortier announced that she attended a meeting with representatives from other Quebec universities and the Deputy Minister of Education Marie-Claude Champoux on Jan. 21.  The meeting discussed the most recent report from the “Chantier sur la politique de financement des universités,” a working group that researches university funding policies in Quebec, and recommended substantial changes to the current funding formula for universities in Quebec. 

While the proposed plan by the working group was rejected by the university and government representatives at the Jan. 21 meeting, the Quebec government committed to using the report as a starting point for funding discussions.

“The positive news from our perspective is that I think the government is really intent on making changes to the funding formula in this province,” Fortier said. “So we are being cautiously optimistic about changes in this province regarding funding for universities.”

According to Fortier, McGill will work to prepare for a new funding formula by the province. However, she declined to reveal the details of the government’s implementation plan.

“The plan is to do our work between now and Fall 2015, leading to an implementation plan of the new funding formula in 2016,” Fortier said. “[We] still have a lot of work to do before we get to the implementation.”

Varsity eligibility review and student satisfaction

Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens gave his annual report, in which he revealed that McGill is in the process of reviewing and rewriting the university’s varsity sports principle and eligibility criteria for student athletes. The commitment comes in the wake of several controversies involving the McGill Redmen football team.

Student satisfaction

In addition, Dyens commented on student satisfaction at McGill, stating that the university had high student engagement in student governance, but has received criticism on its advising. Dyens also stated that students are increasingly feeling under pressure at McGill, which is something the university needs to pay attention to.

“Students […] want this university to be demanding, and this university actually is very demanding,” Dyens said. “We are working very closely with the associate deans to make the McGill rules and regulations a bit more understanding of some of the things students are going through [….] It is important we make the rules and regulations more flexible so students can take some time off. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re moving in that direction.”

Research funding and revenues

The BoG was also given an update on McGill’s research relative to other Canadian universities in Associate Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) Sarah Stroud’s annual report on research performance and innovation. In her report, Stroud stated that McGill solidified its place in FY2013 as second in the country in research funding intensity—a measure that takes into account the relative size of universities—placing behind the University of Toronto. 

However, according to Stroud, McGill remains about average in Canada in terms of revenue from innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In terms of the inputs from our research, we’re doing really well,” Stroud said. “In terms of our outputs of our research into the community and market, we’re only about average. However, through the Quartier de L’Innovation and the McGill University Business Engagement Centre, we’re really making a concerted effort to improve.”

Renewal of health care contracts

The BoG also passed a motion that called for the approval of contracts of affiliation with health care bodies in Quebec. The motion renews McGill’s teaching and research relationships with its health care establishments, including its largest partner, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The new contracts will be signed prior to Quebec’s Bill 10—set to be implemented on April 1—in which the government has proposed a revised structure for health care bodies.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Bob Dylan – Shadows in the Night

by Morgan Alexander on

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Bob Dylan is a folk hero and a masterful songwriter. His lyrics speak to a generation of people who went through a history of turmoil and conflict that culminated in the rebirth of American cultural society. In a recent interview with NPR, the musical legend described growing up listening to Sinatra and how he always aspired to be as great a singer Sinatra was. It is this long-term adoration of Sinatra that led Dylan to re-record some of Sinatra’s best in his latest album Shadows in the Night.

While the project is not surprising—musical legends often seek to emulate the other legends who preceded them—it’s still odd hearing someone as enigmatic in the music world as Dylan speak of Sinatra with such reverence. However, Dylan’s sincerity illuminates every note in the album, a necessary plus considering the obvious—Bob Dylan really cannot sing. While skeptics would read this and assume that the resulting album would be a garbled mess, Dylan surprises by sticking to Sinatra’s slower ballads and interpreting them in a way that complements his shaky folk vocals.

“Stay With Me” in particular highlights the raw beauty and of this album. “I grow cold/ I grow weary/ And I know/ I have sinned,” Dylan croons to a gentle backing guitar. For older fans of both Dylan and Sinatra, the album is sure to bring back faded, loving memories. For newer audiences, the album is slow and steady, one that will stay with you just as these two great singers have continued influencing and inspiring musicians from past to present.

a, Arts & Entertainment

What’s happening in Montréal

by Morgan Alexander and Max Berger on

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  • COMEDIC OPERETTA — H.M.S. Pinafore

    McGill’s Savoy Society brings you your annual dose of Gilbert & Sullivan.

    Friday, Feb. 13 to Saturday, Feb. 14 and Friday, Feb. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Moyse Hall. Matinees will also take place for both Saturday shows at 2:00 p.m. Student tickets are $10.

  • VALENTINE’S DAY — Chocolate Love Songs

    Do you really love your valentine or are you just a worthless scrub? Prove yourself via tickets to the über fancy gala hosted by the McGill Chamber Orchestra.

    Saturday Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Sofitel (1155 Sherbrooke Ouest). Tickets are $180.

  • VALENTINE’S DAY — Valentine’s Day Metal Massacre

    Hallmark™ created Valentine’s Day to sell mass produced cards and candy and everyone knows it. Fight back against consumerism, capitalism, and corporate greed with a truly metal V-day extravaganza.

    Saturday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. at Les Katacombes (1635 Saint Laurent). Tickets are $10.

  • LITERARY THEATRE — The Art of Preforming Aural Sex

    Presenting the clitoris: Now just as elusive in the theatre as it is in the bedroom.

    Sunday Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. at Le Belmont (4483 Blvd. Saint-Laurent). Tickets cost $25.

  • MUSIC — Swans

    Because how often do you get the chance to see an experimental rock band from the 1980s New York no wave scene?

    Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. at Le National (1220 Sainte-Catherine Est). Tickets are $32.25.

  • MUSIC — The Bombadils

    Their name is a reference to a Tolkien character and their music sounds like it came straight out of the Shire.

    Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at La Vitrola (4602 St. Laurent). Admission is $10.

  • MUSIC – Shred Kelly

    A west coast Canadian band with banjos, synths, and a new music video in ’80s ski attire.

    Monday, Feb. 16 at 9:30 p.m. at Quai des Brumes (4481 Saint. Denis).

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