Latest News

a, News, SSMU

SSMU Council endorses funding for anti-oppression training

by Sam Pinto on

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Last Thursday’s Council also endorsed funding an anti-oppression training program that would teach students and floor fellows in McGill residences how to deal with issues of discrimination, oppression, and harassment. The project was presented to Council by Emily Clare, an alumnus and former vice president of University Affairs.

“The 2011 McGill Diversity Survey found that 20 per cent of students stated that they had experienced ‘somewhat to very much’ discrimination on any basis, whether due to language, race, ability, [or] gender,” the motion reads.

If its application for funding is approved through the SSMU Sustainability Projects Fund, the Anti-Oppression Programming Project would run as part of Rez Project—a mandatory information session on the subject of consent and sexual identity that is required for all students living in McGill residences.

SSMU President Katie Larson expressed support for the project, and the use of the sustainability fund to provide students with a different form of a sustainable service.

“I think it’s really great that you are applying to the Sustainability Fund for something that’s outside of environmental sustainability,” Larson said.

a, Sports

Sports briefs

by Mayaz Alam on

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Cross country 

This weekend, the McGill Martlets’ Cross Country squad travelled to London, Ontario for the CIS National Championships. Junior Jessica Porfilio led the way for the team, finishing 27th overall among the athletes that ran. Although no Martlets were able to finish in the top 25, the team as a whole was buoyed by its solid depth and finished seventh out of 20 teams that competed on the women’s side. Ali Barwick, Jullien Flynn, and Madeleine Williams all placed within the top 50 competitors, while Georgia Hamilton finished 62nd to round out the scoring for the squad.

This has been a successful year for the Martlets, who captured their fourth straight RSEQ Championships and their 24th championship in 25 years. Head Coach Dennis Barrett was named conference Coach-of-the-Year for the 24th time, and all five of the runners that placed at Nationals were named to the All-RSEQ squad. McGill should be in contention for another league championship next year as all five return to once again dominate the landscape of Quebec cross country.

 

Swimming

It is safe to say that senior swimmer Pierre-Alexandre Renaud has cemented his status as the best university-level individual swimmer in Quebec as he garnered two gold and two silver medals during the third leg of the Coupe De Quebec this weekend. In addition to adding to his medal tally, Renaud was named Swimmer-of-the-Meet for the second time in three opportunities. However, the Redmen collectively fell back into third, following a second-place finish at their last meet. The Martlets once again solidified their position as the no. 2 ranked team on the women’s side as 13 different swimmers took to the podium. At this point in the season, the most important indicator of success is how many athletes have qualified for the National Championships. By this standard, McGill had a successful weekend as five swimmers—Valerie De Broux, Jeong-Wan Hong, Rayven Snodgrass, Christine Aglot, and Marc Andre-Benoit—made the cut, pushing the teams’ combined total to eight athletes—one more than they had achieved in the two previous years. The rest of the season looks promising for both squads, and they should once again bring a deep and talented roster of swimmers to the National Championships.

 

Martlet Hockey

The no. 1 ranked McGill Martlets (6-0) posted a pair of tight victories this weekend to continue their reign as the best hockey team in the country. The program has enjoyed multiple undefeated regular seasons in past years, but repeating such a tremendous feat is becoming tougher with the emergence of the no. 2 ranked Montreal Carabins team that won last year’s CIS Championships. The Martlets needed to come back from an early two goal deficit to beat the Carabins 3-2 in this matchup. McGill’s other game of the weekend against the Carleton Ravens proved to be an ever stiffer challenge as the team narrowly escaped defeat. Forward Gabrielle Davidson was able to score the game winner in overtime. The goal was the third of the weekend for Davidson, while Stefanie Pohlod, Adrienne Crampton, and Katia Clement-Heydra also found the net. Next up for the hockey juggernauts is a game against the Concordia Stingers on Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. at McConnell Arena.

a, News

PGSS passes three new non-optoutable student fees

by Eman Jeddy on

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Members of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) have approved three new fees as a result of the PGSS Autumn 2013 Referendum By-Election.

Beginning next semester, graduate students will pay a $1.50 per semester fee to the McGill Writing Centre and a $0.75 per semester fee for to the McGill Tribune. In addition, postdoctoral fellows voted in support of a non-optoutable $136.44 per semester fee that allows them access to various student services.

The non-optoutable fee for the McGill Writing Centre will allow graduate students to use the university-run service, which assists students in refining academic and professional writing skills.

“PGSS asked for a report on usage and satisfaction [of the Writing Centre] several months ago,” Mooney said. “We found that about one third of the users are post-graduate students and the satisfaction report indicated seemingly unanimous approval for the quality and usefulness of the services provided.”

The new McGill Tribune fee means that graduate students will pay a non-optoutable fee of $0.75 in the 2014 Winter and Fall semesters, with the option of renewing the fee in Winter 2015. Elisa Muyl, chair of the Tribune Publication Society’s Board of Directors, emphasized the importance of graduate students providing financial support to the newspaper.

“It’s important for McGill as a community to have a newspaper that covers it in its entirety, to have as many voices as possible that represent it in as many different possible ways,” Muyl said.

The third new non-optoutable fee provides postdoctoral fellows with access to student services including Mental Health Services, Chaplaincy Services, and Career Planning Services.

Postdoctoral fellows are individuals who have completed their doctoral studies but continue research in their field under a supervisor or principal investigator. Currently, the university considers postdoctoral fellows to be staff, although the Quebec Government classifies them as students, which leaves them with limited access to the benefits of either classification.

According to PGSS Secretary-General Jonathan Mooney, the new fee will help integrate postdoctoral fellows into the McGill community and allow them access to more of the services offered to other students.

“I think this is one way of better integrating postdocs at McGill and meeting their unique needs.” Mooney said. “The Career and Placement Office will now develop programming targeted at postdocs [and] postdocs will all be eligible to use health services, Mental Health Services, [and] Counseling Services.”

12.6 per cent of McGill’s 8,500 graduate students voted in the referendum—a high number for a by-election according to Chief Returning Officer Colby Briggs. In addition, 26.5 per cent of postdoctoral fellows voted.

“The goal is not necessarily turnout in itself, but member engagement,” Briggs said. “From the feedback I have received from members, the grand majority of students that we represent were well informed of the referendum options and its effects [….] The turnout of postdoctoral fellows is really quite striking, […] especially for a group that is often somewhat disengaged with student affairs due to their status between students and employees.”

Emma Vincent, president of the Association of Postdoctoral Fellows, said she hopes the referendum results will lead to positive changes for post-doctoral fellows at McGill.

“This will bring the postdoc community closer together, increase the visibility of the community at McGill, and initiate provision for postdoc-specific needs,” she said. “The next steps for the Association of Postdoctoral Fellows will be to work with those who provide the services to ensure that postdocs will be catered for to the best of their abilities.”

 

a, Opinion

A charter of values but not inclusion

by Lauren Konken on

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On Nov. 7, the Parti Québécois  (PQ) moved to table the controversial Charter of Values, revealing the document with its new, lengthy title—the “Charter affirming the values of secularism and the religious neutrality of the state, as well as the equality of men and women, and the framing of accommodation requests”—or, more simply, Bill 60. This piece of legislation remains hotly contested; some see the charter as a way for the present Quebec government to refocus attention away from other pressing matters, such as the Montreal corruption scandal or tuition protests of last year. Nonetheless, it remains a blatant assault on the rights of those who chose to wear religious symbols and attire.

While the charter’s proponents call it a measure for equality, it is actually an assault on the religious freedoms of those who wear such symbols as the hijab, kippa or turban. The only way religions can be treated equally is to either allow no one to openly wear conspicuous symbols, or to let everyone wear what they please. Regulating the size of crosses and openly banning specific religious objects while allowing others shows that the government privleges certain faiths over others. How can a measure be labeled equal if it’s openly biased against certain religious groups? The simple answer is that it can’t.

The Quebec Human Rights Commission has condemned the bill; according to the commission’s chairman, “Part of the problem is it all aims at one group—this is systemic discrimination.”

There has been a recent surge in media coverage of Islamophobic incidents amongthe public here in Montreal—the most notable being a video of a man harassing a woman on a city bus for wearing a hijab. A Quebec women’s coalition claims there has been a marked increase in the number of veiled women being harassed and insulted in the public since the charter was proposed earlier this year. This raises the larger question of whether the charter has made a former non-issue into a larger problem within the community. It’s quite possible that the legislation has become a platform for some to attack those expressing their faith. The harassment shows a darker side to our society. For all the talk of multiculturalism, there remains a tension over the vast array of religious denominations, races, and sexual orientations of individuals. The charter has served to highlight this, for better or for worse. Perhaps most importantly, the charter will allow us to remember that we are far from a homogenous society, which is a good thing.

As we approach the holiday season, there is no doubt that many groups will come forward, frustrated with “Merry Christmas” greetings and Christmas concerts in elementary schools the country over. Every season, parents mob the media, complaining about school officials for turning to the more secular title of holiday concert. Last year, there was great debate after rumours that the White House had banned the name “Christmas” trees, calling them “Holiday Trees” instead. It’s not hard to run across someone during this time of year who tells someone not of the Christian faith to just assimilate and deal with Christmas, even though at heart, it is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. If a hijab or turban is going to be banned under the proposed Charter of Values, should not the open symbols of Christianity be as well? It may well be that the trees and lore offend people not of the Christian faith. There remains a similar blatant favouritism of Catholicism and Catholic symbols within the charter, as well as similar Christian emblems.

It sounds like a joke to go so far as to remove Christmas from the public eye. It’s is very much part of our society, but so are the turban, kippa and hijab to those who wear them. Taking any of those away from the people who value them is a clear infringement of their rights of expression and religious freedom. It goes without question that equality is clearly not at stake here, only the blatant discrimination of members of specific religious affiliations.

a, Art, Arts & Entertainment

High concepts

by Will Burgess on

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McGill students window-shopping west of campus may encounter a different display on the exterior of Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts (FOFA) Gallery. Just east of the windows showcasing North Face jackets, something else is being sold: conceptual art.

A large print of Sol Lewitt’s Sentences on Conceptual Art is roughly circled in various places, as if the important bits have to be highlighted. Thirty-five axioms, like “perception is subjective,” and “formal art is essentially rational” attempt to propose a structure for a structureless art form. When Sentences is already justifying conceptual art, the mark-ups take on a sort of absurd meta-explanation of what conceptual art is, or what it can be. This theme, unfortunately, extends to the art itself, which is hit or miss mostly due to its sincerity in stretching simple ideas to their conceptual limit.

Explaining “concepts” was a task assigned to art history students at Concordia, and their efforts are on display at FOFA’s COMBINE 2013, an exhibition of artwork by those undergraduate students. Most students seem to have had an easy time with their assignment; they earnestly provide the intimate details of their peers’ work. The statement on Michelle Lundqvist’s line paintings explains her art “gives the viewer a sense of who the artist is personally,” but in the same breath states “there is no specific message Lundqvist wishes to convey to the viewer through this series.” Lundqvist’s ambiguity in this exhibition actually benefits her work—the paintings’ static greys and precise lines are aesthetically alluring without trying to be something more.

Other concepts in COMBINE 2013 are executed dully, or, in some cases, even obnoxiously. Eli Kerr’s Four Frames With Their Sandpaper displays pieces of sandpaper that were used to create the frames that hold them, but the lack of wear on the sandpaper (each called a “footprint of labour”) appears to reflect the rather unpolished concept that they represent. Megan Moore’s Home 1963-2013 is a projected video series of photographs of the artists’ grandmothers’ home, apparently “necessary interventions in order for marginalized groups to reclaim normative spaces” which “challenges normative dichotomy between private and public spaces.” In execution, however, the photos appear as a last-minute photo-montage created during a weekend at Grandma’s.

J’VLYN’s Holy Trannity is a triptych film of the artist sarcastically repeating homophobic comments they have encountered on Grindr, while staring at the viewer over a background of psychedelic pixellated images, but the only thing memorable about the brief film is his obnoxious mantras that echo throughout the entire gallery.

The best art in COMBINE 2013 is made by students who don’t take themselves so seriously. Steffie Bélager’s Diane’s Garden is a wooden sculpture of a loudspeaker supported on ridiculously fragile metal rods, directed at an audience of faceless wooden planks, and its satirical message is well-executed and funny. April Martin’s Pink Clouds, the poster work of the exhibition, is similarly lighthearted: giant pink balloons and a column of bright plasticine compliment a large print photograph of “polar night,” or Kaamos, an optical phenomenon in Rovaniemi, Finland.

Lewitt’s thirty-third statement on conceptual art states: “It is difficult to bungle a good idea,” but the thirty-second one admits “Banal ideas cannot be rescued by beautiful execution.” If I learned anything from COMBINE 2013, it’s that a concept needs both in order to transcend mediocrity.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Lucius – Wildewoman

by Morgan Alexander on

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Rolling Stone nailed it when they referred to Lucius as “the best band you may not have heard yet.” Led by Brooklyn-based vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, the indie-pop act emerged on the scene in 2012 and has been on the fast track to fame ever since.

Wildewoman is absolutely infectious. The harmonies of the lead singers just beg to be sung along to, while the upbeat backgrounds call for dancing, particularly in the song “Turn It Around.” Arrangements aside, the finesse of Lucius rests simply in the fact that these girls can sing. Reminiscent of ‘60s girl groups like the Shangri-Las while incorporating the sound of modern indie-folk singers such as Jenny Lewis, this band has been able to craft a unique, vibrant sound for themselves.

My biggest qualm with the album? Trying to pick a favourite song. On the one hand, you might be drawn to the singers belting their hearts out in “Nothing Ordinary” and feel ready to take on the world; but then there’s the title track, “Wildewoman,” a smooth folky song with a beautifully empowering message. This favourable dilemma alludes to a core feature of Wildewoman: it’s overall versatility and uniqueness.

From the heart-melting “Go Home” to the remixed relationship anthem “How Loud Your Heart Gets,” Lucius has crafted an album full of raw emotion and unbridled vocal prowess. If you still aren’t convinced that Wildewoman is a must-hear EP, check out their creepily awesome music video for “Go Home” for some vocal and visual inspiration.

 

 

a, Editorial, Opinion

Why this SSMU GA matters, and why you should be there

on

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This Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is holding a special General Assembly (GA)—its second one in less than two months. Much has been made in the past about the accessibility and relevance of GAs, as the events themselves consistently suffer from poor attendence. While the broader debate about procedure and format will no doubt continue, the fact is that this GA does matter, and students really should care.

A main reason for this assembly is that October’s regularly-scheduled GA barely achieved half of the required quorum, which left SSMU unable to appoint a Board of Directors (BoD) for this year, a requirement dictated by its constitution. While SSMU’s daily functions are not affected by it, this failure does compromise the association’s ability to perform some of its broader administrative tasks. Without a BoD, SSMU is unable to update its investment portfolio, and may have trouble renewing its liquor licence for Gerts.

Another pressing issue to be addressed at this GA is SSMU’s budget. At last week’s Council meeting, VP Finance Tyler Hofmeister presented this year’s budget report. The budget raises many questions, most notably about the financial management of frosh. While the event was planned to break even, as per SSMU policy, the omission of taxes in estimated sponsorship revenue and of PayPal fees caused frosh to run a $21,000 deficit. These errors boil down to pure mismanagement, yet there has been no word regarding responsibility nor accountability for the errors. At the very least, SSMU owes its membership an explaination for the needless loss of several thousand dollars.

Furthermore, Council’s subsequent question-and-answer period was held behind closed doors, restricting access for the media and its membership at large to fully understand the implications of this year’s budget. This GA will be an opportunity for students to seek answers as to how their money is being spent.

Finally, students should take an interest in the upcoming Student-Run Café (SRC), which is slated to open in the SSMU building at the beginning of January. Tomorrow’s GA will feature a presentation from SRC Manager Josh Redel about the plans for the café, after which Redel will be taking questions. Although SSMU has been successfully engaging students in the ongoing name campaign for the café, all decision-making to this point has been handled internally by the SRC team. This update will give students a voice in the development of a café purported to reflect student interests.

Many of SSMU’s operations take place behind closed doors, and we don’t learn about them until they have already happened. The GA is an opportunity for all of us to lend our voices to the process, and to demand accountability from those we have chosen to speak on our behalf the rest of the academic year. Whether you are concerned about the spending of your money, want to know more about the development of the SRC, or simply want to make sure Gerts can keep its liquor license, this GA impacts you. Although we are under no illusions that the GA will be fun or engaging, we encourage each and every member of SSMU to attend.

 

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

M.I.A. – Matangi

by Diana Wright on

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As an M.I.A. fan, it feels like I’ve been waiting eons to hear a satisfying amount of new material from the London rapper and singer. Fortunately, Matangi doesn’t disappoint.

This album has been a long time in the making, and is quite a departure from her last noise-heavy release, 2010’s /\/\ /\ Y /\.  I’ve always found M.I.A. (née Maya Arulpragasam) to be at her best when she’s catchy and upbeat, and Matangi captures quite a few of these moments. Tracks like “Walk With Me” and “Double Bubble Trouble” are playful, and both feature incongruous (but enjoyable) Bollywood-esque breakdowns.

It seems that M.I.A. has only grown bolder in the years since /\/\ /\ Y /\: “Walk With Me” references the classic “Bamboo Banga,” but this time includes the unmistakable camera sounds of Apple’s Photo Booth program.

Some of M.I.A.’s previous work has tried too hard to be serious or unpalatable; but, surprisingly, Matangi is a lot of fun. “Only One You”—produced by the singer herself—may not be this year’s “Paper Planes,” but it’s dance-evoking and features chantable, computer-altered vocals.

In contrast, menacing album opener “Karmageddon” and sexy groove “Know It Ain’t Right” show a more mature, evolved side to M.I.A.’s repertoire—instead of being low points in the album, they are evocative and compelling.

The one qualm I have with the album is that I’m not entirely sure what the difference between “Sexodus” and “Exodus” is: both tracks sample Canadian crooner The Weeknd, and one features more helicopter noises than the other…but that’s about it. Either way, I can’t really complain: M.I.A. has delivered—this time.

 

a, Sports

Winter team previews

by Osama Haque on

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Redmen basketball

The McGill Redmen basketball team has a target on its back this year. After a spectacular 2012-13 season, which culminated in winning the RSEQ championship for the first time since 1986 and finishing fifth at the CIS nationals, McGill is hungry to repeat that success and appears to have the capability to do so. Seven players are returning this season, and their development should play a vital role in the team’s success. Sophomore shooting guard Thomas Lacy is one of those players, and has already shown flashes of brilliance with 19 and 20-point scoring outings so far this season.

“We lost a few key guys, but we picked up some real talent and depth from our rookie class,” Lacy explained. “We definitely have the potential to make noise come March, [but] right now we have a lot of learning to do.”

The Redmen must integrate a whopping nine rookies into the program this season—a tall order for fourth-year Head Coach David DeAveiro. These rookies will have to adjust to the pace and style of the CIS to quickly have an impact on the team’s season. Leading McGill will be guards Simon Bibeau, an All-Conference player, and Vincent Dufort, last year’s team MVP. However, a lack of size up front—no current player stands above 6”5’—and the challenges of integrating this many young players will make the early season an uphill battle.

This challenge is evidenced by the Redmen’s 5-6 record in the pre-season. Nonetheless, the team ranks ninth in the nation and has won their lone game against an RSEQ opponent—a narrow 62-59 victory over Laval in which freshman guard Dele Ogundokun led the way with 15 points. The Redmen open their season on Nov. 21 against the Concordia Stingers at Love Competition Hall.

 

Marlet basketball

The McGill Martlets are undoubtedly the team to beat in the RSEQ this season. They are coming off back-to-back RSEQ Championships and appearances at the CIS National Championships. Their fifth-place showing last year is their most successful so far under 11th year Head Coach Ryan Thorne.

The squad has nine players returning from last year’s roster. Headlining the team will be Gabriela Hebert, Dianna Ros and Mariam Sylla. Hebert, a junior forward, was recently named to the All-Tournament team of the Redbird Classic. Ros is back to orchestrate the offence in her role as point-guard, and is fresh off of an appearance with Team Canada this summer at the Summer Universiade.  in Kazan, Russia. Sylla is the reigning CIS Rookie-of-the-Year, and was also named the MVP of the Redbird Classic. Sylla is a force to be reckoned with on the boards and the paint, and should be a nightmare matchup for opposing teams.

The Martlets currently boast a 5-1 overall record, which includes their three-game sweep and ensuing tournament victory at the Redbird Classic. The team looks primed for another league championship behind their standout players. If they can withstand the rigours of the regular season and develop solid depth from their group of four rookies, a medal at the national championships is not out of the question. The Martlets are currently ranked ninth in the CIS after coming off of a gritty 44-33 victory over Laval. They host the Concordia Stingers on Nov. 21 in their first home game of the regular season.

a, Student Life

One man’s TRH is another man’s treasure

by Rebecca Babcock on

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Word of a skateboard park inside a bar often elicits stares of disbelief. TRH Bar (pronounced ‘trash’) is a near-mythic bar that no one ever really believes exists until they’ve been there. You may never have heard of TRH or even noticed it in passing, but inside is a fully functional skateboard park with a ramp on the second floor and a bowl on the first. A popular bar for snowboarders, surfers, and skateboarders alike, it’s easy to find if you know to keep a look out for its small, black and red sign and the packs of skateboard-baring youths outside its door.

When I ventured into the bar just south of Tokyo Bar on St. Laurent, the first thing I noticed was the graffiti. It’s on the walls, the doors, and even on the mirrors in the bathroom—no need to check how your makeup or hair is holding up anyway. Other items decorating the walls are stickers from various skate and surf companies such as Hurley and Roxy, as well as numerous skateboard decks, all of which add a cool and colourful atmosphere.

In TRH, comfort is the rule. I watched the action in the bowl from one of the many couches and worn-in chairs scattered around the space, reminiscent of the comfortable furniture in the SSMU lounge. This relaxed set-up and atmosphere made TRH feel like a night out at someone’s house; it’s a non-threatening environment that falls within most people’s comfort zone.

This laid-back attitude was also evident in the clothes the patrons wore—apparel included sweaters, baggy jeans, beanies, loose shirts, snapbacks, and snowboarding jackets.

If you want to participate, all you have to do is pay a $1 fee and sign a waiver.

The bowl—an obstacle requiring very little pushing—allows the skateboarder to focus on technique while undertaking lots of tricks.

People weren’t trying to do anything too crazy—mostly 180s, ollies, and aerials on occasion. For spectators, it’s also amusing to watch the odd wipeout—not to worry though, the bowl and ramp are netted off to protect from flying skateboards. The boarders took turns and either after a spill or a couple good runs they would switch out to let another skater have a go.

Everyone I met at TRH was incredibly friendly and welcoming, which was a welcome change from the Montreal club scene. We danced and bonded over the incredible drink deals: $2 shots. At $5, a beer isn’t too hard on the wallet either.

Just a warning—the TRH vibe may not be right for everyone. If you plan on going to TRH you have to be able to roll with the punches and have a good time. Televisions played an odd Jackass-esque video where a group of guys tried to fit condoms over their heads. I also had beer literally thrown in my face when two guys fell over while dancing to the remixed dance rap pumping from the speakers for most of the night.

Nevertheless, TRH has a great vibe and provides boarders with an awesome venue for skateboarding throughout the winter season in Montreal. Since everyone just does his or her own thing, it’s a great place to practise whether you’re a beginner or have been skateboarding for years. For a different way to spend a night out, TRH is definitely a spot to check out.

 

3699 St. Laurent

(514) 419-1416

Tues.-Sun: 8 p.m.- 3 a.m.

http://www.trh-bar.com

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