McGill Tribune Vol 35 Issue No. 9

The McGill Tribune TUesday, november 3, 2015 curiosity delivers

Volume No. 35 Issue No. 09

Editorial: balancing representationand competence in the VP finance position pg. 5

feature: the Mile end’s musical history

m c gilltribune.com @m c gilltribune

pg. 8 - 9

PG. 7

Past vs. Present

JANE EYRE VS. CRIMSON PEAK Anna St. Clair Contribuor Warning: Spoilers

Emma Vincent and Dr. Russel Jones of the Goodman Cancer Research Centre look on at their work. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

McGill researchers expand possibilities for future cancer treatment Discovery of new survival pathway sheds light on the adaptability of cancer cells Sihara wickremasinghe Contributor Researchers from McGill University, in cooperation with the University of Bristol, Washington University in St. Louis, and ITMO University, have revealed an important alternative metabolic pathway used by cancer cells. The study, published in the journal Molecular Cell on Oct. 15,

outlined the process by which cancer cells attempt to propagate in an environment lacking their primary nutrition source, glucose. The mutated cells activate the enzyme PEPCK, which can break down the amino acid glutamine to fuel certain metabolic and biosynthetic pathways. “That’s part of why cancer’s so difficult to treat,” said Emma Vincent, lead author of the study and a McGill University

research associate. “When we take away glucose, the cancer cell adapts and it’s able to keep proliferating,” The team examined the presence of PEPCK in 30 lung tumour samples, and found that over half had elevated enzyme levels. According to Dr. Russell Jones, associate professor of physiology from the Goodman Cancer Research Centre at McGill, this means two things.

“[First of all,] this may be an important pathway in cancer, so we have to do more research to test that and develop therapeutics,” explained Jones. “The second thing is that, now we have a biomarker. We have an actual protein that would predict how the tumour would behave and so you can use this as a screening tool.”

Continued on pg. 11

The mansion in Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak is a character in itself. It breathes, bleeds, and moans. It’s rotting and sickly, yet simultaneously vibrant and beautiful; it’s also an accomplice to the brutal murders that have plagued its inhabitants for decades. With an ancient manor, a mysterious suitor, and an innocent, yet cunning heroine, it’s clear to see why Crimson Peak has been called a revival of the 19th century gothic. While gothic tropes abound in Crimson Peak it is also thematically similar to the quintessential gothic novel, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Crimson Peak begins in 1895 in Buffalo, New York, when aspiring novelist Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) meets the English aristocrat Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). Sharpe is trying to get Edith’s father to invest in a clay-digging machine, and although he can’t gather the capital, he does win Edith’s heart. While her father disapproves of the match, he’s mysteriously murdered, leaving lonely Edith with no other choice but to marry Thomas.

Continued on pg. 10

SNAX may resume sandwhich sales pending MoA negotiations with McGill Parties also agree on health and safety stipulations Calvin trottier-chi Contributor After a six month ban, students may once again be able purchase sandwiches from SNAX. Ongoing Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) negotiations between the McGill administration and the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) concerning the future of the AUS student-run business, appear to be coming to a

conclusion. These negotiations follow the McGill administration’s decision in Winter 2015 to ask SNAX to stop selling sandwiches, as McGill stated that the practice violated Appendix E of the current MoA ,which barred the sale of “any kind of processed or prepared foods, such as sandwiches or any kind of hot food.” In response, SNAX management cited confusing wording within the MoA to defend their sale

of sandwiches.

Topics of negotiation According to AUS President Jacob Greenspon, the potential for the sale of sandwiches at SNAX still exists as he is confident negotiations will result in a mutually beneficial agreement. “McGill has met us on most of our negotiating points, such as being

able to sell sandwiches, pastries, and other products at prices we manage,” Greenspon said. “We believe these are the most important points to students, and thus they are the most important stipulations to us.” Before sandwich sales may resume, proposed changes to the MoA must be agreed upon and signed by both parties. AUS and the administration have already agreed on health and safety inspections, a new

point of sale system, and the need for mechanisms to ease resolution of future disputes that potentially violate the MOA. Price control stipulations have been removed from negotiations. Greenspon offered three main reasons as to why the AUS was opposed to the idea.

Continued on pg. 3

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NEWS

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Senate discusses future plans to aid student refugees Law senator raises concerns over efficacy of MOOCs as primary form of outreach Alexia Martel-Desjardins Contributor McGill has encountered challenges in its efforts to enable more student refugees to enroll in its academic programs. On Oct. 21, the McGill Senate addressed the university’s role regarding the current Syrian refugee crisis, and measures for allowing more refugees to study at McGill. A question addressed to Senator and Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens from Law Senator Benjamin Brunot, inquired about the procedures and possible improvements in McGill’s contributions to support student refugees.

Funding Brunot questioned whether McGill planned on maintaining its level of funding to the Student Refugee Program (SRP), and what measures the university would take if there was insufficient funding for this program. The SRP is run by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and enables student refugees to pursue their post-secondary studies in Canadian institutions. In response, Dyens explained McGill’s plans to allocate supplementary funds to the SRP, in addition to WUSC’s annual $1 student levy.

“We [...] have allocated $130,000 this year to increase the number of student refugees through the WUSC program,” Dyens wrote in his response. According to Gabriel Siow, Vice-President (VP) internal for WUSC McGill, the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis has increased the need for the program. The additional $130,000 provided by McGill will allow for the acceptance of four more students from Syria for the 2016-2017 academic year. Since 1987, McGill has accepted 36 students through the WUSC program. “WUSC has been relying on a $1 student levy, per student, every year in order to cover virtually every cost of our incoming refugee students for their first year, after which they will resort to government loans for their education,” Siow said.

Admissions The Quebec Ministry of Education does not currently allow undocumented students to be admitted into post-secondary institutions. According to Brunot, this may create a barrier for student refugees who do not have all their personal documents in their possession when they arrive in Canada. In Dyens’ response to Brunot’s question, he described an individual-based ap-

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additional Syrian refugee students will be accepted for the 2016-2017 academic year

Infographic by Cassie Lee proach for admission of students in precarious situations. “Students who apply for admission and who, due to catastrophic circumstances such as war or natural disaster, are not able to present formal, official documentation to substantiate their prior academic studies, are considered on a case by case basis,” Dyens wrote. Dyens additionally explained that McGill has been lobbying provincial and federal governments to increase the number of Syrian refugees welcomed in Quebec, but the federal government has been hesitant to accelerate the process. “Immigration issues are complex, involving both the provincial and the federal governments,” Dyens wrote. “Quebec has been quite vocal in its desire to increase the number of Syrian refugees

coming to the province; however, the federal government is more reserved in its desire to speed up the process.”

Efficacy of MOOCs In his response, Dyens suggested Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a solution for increased access to a McGill education for refugees. During the Senate meeting, however, Brunot raised concerns about the difficulty of using MOOCs to reach out to students in precarious situation. MOOCs are online courses delivered through a non-profit consortium, EdX, which includes 36 institutions around the world. McGill joined EdX in 2012, and currently offers four courses through MOOCs.

“I was just worried about how McGill can actually reach refugees through MOOC’s,” said Brunot. “[Refugees] might not have the access to either [a] reliable internet connection or basic technology where they are, and where they need a higher education.” While acknowledging that the services offered by McGill through MOOCs and WUSC at the moment are meager, Dyens stated that the best way to reach as many refugee students as possible at the moment is through Internet access. “I think that as long as a person is a refugee, any access to a higher education will be difficult,” Dyens said. “Our offering is very limited at the moment, but I think our idea here is that as many people as possible have access to McGill education. We think internet access […] is better than people having to come all the way here.” According to Siow, while there is still much room for improvement in oppurtunities for student refugees, he is hopeful that McGill will be able to support more of these individuals in the future. “There are many more [students] who are going through the same thing as Syrian refugees,” said Siow. “Hopefully the awareness of the magnitude of the world’s refugee crises will spur more to action.”

AUS forum on cultural appropriation discusses insensitive Halloween costumes Panellists highlight misrepresentation of aboriginal cultures Josh Dimakakos Contributor On Friday, Oct. 29, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) held a forum in the Arts Lounge on the topic of cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes. Led by AUS Vice-President (VP) External Becky Goldberg, as well as Equity Commissioners Kelsa Ferguson and Nicole Kim, the forum aimed to shed light on many elements surrounding cultural appropriation, including why it happens, how it happens, and what those involved in it can do to try to understand and reduce it. “The biggest issue has been the lack of cultural sensitivity people display at Halloween, and the tendency for people to act on predetermined assumptions and stereotypes of marginalized identities for the sake of celebration,” Kim said. The event began with a discussion on the differences between cultural appropriation, cultural exchange, and cultural imposition.

“Cultural appropriation is defined as taking elements of a culture that is not your own, and using them without understanding or respect for their value in the original culture,” Kim explained. According to Kim, the concept of cultural exchange is more difficult to define. “For something to be [a] true cultural exchange, there has to be an element of mutual understanding, equality and respect,” she said. Cultural imposition is defined as the tendency of a person or group to impose their values and behavious onto other persons. The forum continued with a showing of a video by Amandla Stenberg, a 17-year-old actress best known for her portrayal of Rue in the Hunger Games films, titled Don’t Cash Crop My Corn Rows: A Crash Discourse on Black Culture. Stenberg explains in the video the harm that can come from cultural appropriation, using the example of the corn row hairstyle.

“Hair has always been an essential component of black culture,” Stenberg said. “Corn rows are a really functional way of

“

Cultural appropriation is defined as taking elements of a culture that is not your own, and using them without understanding or respect for their value in the original culture

keeping black textured hair unknotted and neat [….] Braids and corn rows are not merely stylistic.” Stenberg explained that ce-

lebrities like Kylie Jenner wearing corn rows is cultural appropriation because it disregards their original purpose and treats them as something shallow. The forum then moved onto a discussion of Halloween costumes, focusing significantly on costumes that misrepresent aboriginal cultures. The discussion revolved around topics like how one would approach a six-yearold child wearing a Pocahontas costume to explain that it is offensive and damaging. According to Alex Lavkulik, U4 Education, a lack of education surrounding cultural sensitivity is responsible for ppropriation in Halloween costumes. “Maybe it’s not as clear or obvious to other people, but dressing up as a Native American trivializes their culture, and is equally offensive as dressing up as someone of another race,” Lavkulik said. The discussion closed with an explanation of how to determine if a costume is culturally appropriative. AUS VP Social Christine Koppenaal, outlined

criteria that should be met to determine if a costume is culturally appropriative or not. “Does your costume: A. Mock or condescend historically oppressed people and/or cultures; B. Include painting one’s face to match the skin colour of a specific person/people; C. Incorporate sanctified objects [or] clothing of others’ cultures, [or] D. Caricature oppressive, historical and/or current conditions of marginalized groups or persons in a way that may serve to trivialize them,” Koppenaal said. If an individual answers “yes” to any of these questions, the AUS reccomends that the costume not be worn. According to Kim, the forum reflected an increased awareness of cultural appropriation at McGill. “Obviously, there is always more progress to be made, but McGill’s student body has been effective in holding each other accountable and reducing the relative ‘cool factor’ of dressing up in culturally appropriative ways,” Kim said.

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NEWS

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

AUS considering changes in VP Finance appointment process Possible solution to years of financial chaos Ashley kong Contributor On Oct. 21, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Council passed a motion to hold a referendum to change the appointment process for the VicePresident (VP) Finance position. “[Option one: The] future AUS VP Finance will be appointed solely by [the] AUS Council,” read the motion. “[Option two:] Future AUS VP Finance candidates, before being allowed to run for election, will be screened by a screening committee which shall objectively determine […] whether each candidate has met pre-set criteria of accounting qualifications [.... Option three:] Hire an external bookkeeper.” Jacob Greenspon, AUS president explained that the changes were proposed due to problems AUS has encountered in the past from delayed tax filing and audits. “AUS did not file taxes from 2008 to 2012, resulting in the government freezing $120,000 from the AUS bank account,” said Greenspon. “AUS also [failed] to send McGill its audited financial statements in that time period

[....] As a result, McGill withheld our student fees.” According to Greenspon, the lack of financial expertise among VP Finances has resulted in incorrect assumptions about the AUS budget. “When our current VP Finance started his term, the AUS operated under the assumption that 2014 Frosh had ran a $10,000 deficit, and that the AUS on a whole ran a healthy surplus,” Greenspon said. “The auditors and the VP Finance were able to spot these mistakes and uncover the actual […] situation from 2014-2015 [which was] a $30,000 Frosh deficit, and [a] $65,000 overall AUS deficit.” Traditionally, the VP Finance was democratically elected in the AUS General Elections along with rest of the executive committee. As no one ran for the position this year, AUS Council appointed Mirza Ali Shakir to the position. He previously sat on the AUS Financial Management Committee, and served in the society’s Department of Internal Audit. Greenspon believes that appointing a VP Finance with accounting qualifications will effectively ensure the financial safety for AUS. The pro-

posed screening committee will consist of the AUS chief electoral officer (CEO), the incumbent VP Finance and president, up to two financial management committee members, two members at large, two Councillors, and

AUS did not file taxes from 2008 to 2012, resulting in the government freezing $120,000 from the AUS bank account [...]

the manager of SNAX, a student-run kiosk in the Leacock Building. “The VP Finance position is unique […] in that there are many specific, technical skills required for the job,” Greenspon said. “These include a

background in accounting, knowledge of tax-filing, and experience with auditing, to name just a few.” Greenspon also had reservations about the third option—the hiring of a bookkeeper externally—being presented in the referendum. “While accounting remains a technical job, the accountant’s understanding of the organization is crucial to their maintaining accurate accounting records, especially given the unique stature of an accredited student association,” Greenspon said. As outlined by the motion, the hiring of an external bookkeeper would require an increase of around $3 in the student fee paid by each AUS member, per semester. AUS will not be the first student society to implement a separate hiring process for the VP Finance position. The Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) President Mariam Hachem explained that the EUS’ VP Finance is not elected. Rather, the candidate is chosen by a selection committee, whose decision is then ratified by the EUS Council. “The outgoing and incoming execs sit on this selection committee,

[as well as a] number of members-atlarge to the EUS, as deemed by the chair [of the selection committee],” Hachem explained. The EUS additionally employs an external bookkeeper, who is responsible for bookkeeping and auditing. “The bookkeeper has to be a certified accountant,” said Hachem. “[Candidates for VP Finance are] not required to have any accounting qualifications, […] but if they do, then it is obviously looked favourably upon.” Tracey Cui, U3 East Asian Studies, believes that reform is needed in order to put an end to the long history of financial mismanagement in the AUS. “I might [go with] option two - at least there will be some criteria set up by the screening committee that covers the basic skills candidates should have,” Cui said. “Or option three, [since] we can’t trust Arts students with accounting.” Full disclosure: Morgan Alexander is a managing editor for the Tribune as well as an employee at SNAX. She was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

SNAX may resume sandwich sales pending MoA negotiations with McGill Parties also agree on health and safety stipulations Calvin trottier-chi Contributor Continued from page 1. “[We want low prices] to give students good products at good prices, but also because SNAX is part of the AUS, which [is] a registered non-profit corporation [… so] the mechanism McGill proposed for settling pricing disputes—basing the ‘fair market prices’ for SNAX products on an average of its competitors’ prices—is unworkable given that SNAX uses entirely different suppliers,” he said. “Finally, it was alleged that SNAX prices are low because SNAX avoids paying input costs such as for electricity and janitorial services, however, these costs are already paid by the AUS.”

Implications for SNAX and Student-Run Businesses McGill has a long but tenuous history of student-run businesses, and many of the campus’ cafeterias and food outlets were run or owned by students until the early 2000s. Coinciding with this history is a repetition in negotiations similar to the one revolving around SNAX, with many cases concluding with McGill forcing closure of the operation. The most recent case was the

shutdown of the Architecture Café in 2010, a move that led to over 300 students demonstrating outside of a McGill Senate meeting. “Although many will say there’s nothing to be gained from picking at these old wounds, I think it’s important to recognize that student-run food businesses have not always been in the minority on campus—for most of McGill’s history, they were the norm,” Greenspon said. Following the McGill administration’s initial prevention of sandwich sales, there was immediate backlash from both SNAX and the McGill student body. Currently, both Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens and Greenspon emphasized the significant improvements in understanding between the parties. “McGill has recognized the arguments behind most of our positions, and fortunately, has moved to cooperate on many issues, notably SNAX selling sandwiches,” Greenspon said. “We are not yet at an agreement but I believe we are closer than we have been in the past to signing the MOA and again selling sandwiches at SNAX.” Dyens echoed Greenspon’s sentiments, describing the meetings as a pleasant experience. “All the meetings we had with AUS were excellent,” Dyens said. “Both sides negotiated in good

SNAX may soon be allowed to resume the sale of sandwiches. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune) faith and very respectfully.”

Climate after latest round of negotiations In ongoing negotiations regarding SNAX, Dyens believes that the outcome will be wholly supported. “My office reached out to AUS this summer and told them, we were happy to discuss the SNAX related section of the MOA so that we could come to an agreement that would be positive for both sides,” Dyens said. “I have no doubt that both sides will be very happy with the outcome.” According to Greenspon, precautions are being taken to support

a satisfactory outcome - notably the intention to have the negotiated agreement expire in less than five years. “There are some unfortunate claims of skepticism around the negotiating table and this more flexible timeline will allow for each side to prove its worth before we return to the model of a longer agreement,” Greenspon said. Greenspon is hopeful for the future of SNAX, although he is unsure what implications the resolution will have for other similar businesses. “It’s encouraging to see, in the case of SNAX, [that] McGill move away from restricting a student-run food business,” Greenspon said.

“However there are several other student-run food businesses on campus, so it remains to be seen whether these recent SNAX negotiations represent an aberration in the pattern or a reversal of the trend.” SNAX will continue to serve students within the parameters of their agreement with McGill. As SNAX Manager Emma Green stated, they have worked to reconcile the restrictions with customer demands throughout the negotiations. “The previous SNAX managers and I have done our best to diversify our offerings this past year, in ways which hopefully suit our customers’ wants, sans sandwiches,” said Green.

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NEWS

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

WUSC event sparks campus debate Student activists speak out against the use of a “mock refugee camp” Kyle Dolph Contributor A campus event which intended to raise awareness for Canada’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) erupted into controversy this past week after the Facebook page for the event was titled “Mock refugee camp at the Y-Intersection.” The McGill chapter of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) sought to construct a “refugee tent” at the Y-Intersection on Oct. 27. According to event organizer Daniel Kent, the construction of the tent was intended as a symbol of the refugee experience that would increase awareness of the SRP on campus. “When we try to raise awareness about [refugee] issues, we try to talk about [the SRP],” Kent said. “We’ve been having a lot of events, but at [our last event, only] around six people showed up.” The SRP’s mock refugee tent sparked public backlash, however, and a heated online argument almost immediately ensued on the event’s Facebook page. In a response to heavy criticism, the name of the event’s organizers changed its name from “Mock Refugee Camp” to “Info Station.” Anne-Sophie Tzeunot, U3 Political Science and vice-president (VP) of the McGill African Students Association (MASS), explained why she was concerned by the event’s use of a mock tent. “We think that having a refugee camp would not look authentic,” Tzeunot said. “Any kind of visual embodiment would not look respectful. We don’t think a simple tent can represent [the experiences of refugees].” According to Kent, however, who arrived to McGill in 2011 from Kenya with the assistance of the SRP, the refugee experience is familiar to many of the WUSC event’s organizers. Kent hoped the event would allow him to share his own experiences as a refugee. “Our SRP committee has eight refugee students and six who are active day to day,” Kent said. “[I thought] if I was able to show how I lived in a refugee camp, if I was able to recreate how I ate, slept, studied, and lived, people would be interested and would want to hear my story.” MASS in turn acknowledged that many of the event’s organizers had past experiences as refugees, but still objected to the construction of a refugee tent. “We’re not undermining the experience of the refugees themselves [...], we just don’t think that the experience of a refugee can be reduced to a tent,” Tzeuton said. “There’s so many experiences and perspectives.” WUSC released a statement on the event’s Facebook page, emphasizing a misunderstanding and

WUSC info station at the Y-Intersection. (Photo courtesy of WUSC McGill / Facebook) misrepresentation of the event. “The event’s original description and title were poorly worded, and many well-meaning community members misinterpreted them as implying that we were attempting to romanticize or simulate what it means to be a refugee,” the statement read. “This was far from our intention, and we apologize for the distress we may have caused any member of the McGill community through the description of our event.”

Event-related discussions The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) VP (Clubs and Services) Kimber Bialik acknowledged that the situation is complex. “This is difficult for both parties involved because there are students on both sides [of the argument] who were refugees, or have close family and friends who were refugees,” she said. The controversy was first brought to Bialik’s attention after complaints and a petition—started by student activists—began to circulate over Facebook, demanding that WUSC organizers refrain from using tents or other objects to erect a “mock refugee camp.” The petition has since been removed. Bialik referred the matter to the VP University Affairs, Chloe Rourke, and SSMU equity commissioners. “Our equity commissioners try to be proactive and ensure that all students are comfortable with what happens on campus,” Bialik said. “The Equity Commission and the VP University Affairs helped WUSC write the statement that appeared on [the event’s Facebook page].” Kent noted, however, that one such Equity Commissioner, Marilyn Verghis, also serves as VP Education on MASS’s executive board, a potential conflict of

interest. “[Verghis] made [her role in MASS] clear. She just told us that she had to put on a ‘MASS hat’ when she had to talk as an exec of MASS and that she would put on an ‘equity commissioner’s hat’ when she had to talk about that,” Kent said. “[Verghis], as the equity commissioner, told us the best thing would be to get rid of the tents.” According to Rourke, Verghis’ involvement in both MASS and as an equity commissioner allowed her input to be even more valuable. “I disclosed in my initial email that Marilyn was involved with MASS as an executive, and suggested that her perspective would be valuable in understanding the different views held by the student body on this matter,” Rourke said. “WUSC agreed and myself, Marilyn, and four members of WUSC met to discuss the sequence of events that occurred over social media including the open letter.” Rourke also noted that the decision for WUSC to release a public statement addressing the issues that had arisen amongst the McGill community. “I believe the meeting helped to clear up a number of misconceptions on both sides, and it was agreed a public statement should be released on behalf of WUSC to address the community’s concerns,” she said. “The event was always meant to provide a platform for individual members of WUSC to share their experiences and not meant to represent the diverse experiences of millions of refugees and displaced people [....] I believe a large amount of this conflict was spurred by miscommunication and a misinterpretation of WUSC McGill’s intentions and the actions they took in response to concerns.”

The event’s outcome Without the presence of a tent, the event ultimately went ahead on Wednesday. Kent deemed it a success that allowed students to gain a better understanding of WUSC. “I think that a lot of people got their misconceptions [of WUSC] cleared when they visited us,” Kent said. “A lot of people reached out saying that they had signed the petition, but didn’t really understand what was going on.” Dean of Students André Costopoulos discussed the beneficial outcomes of the event. “I think that it was a positive event and it went well,” Costopoulos said. “It was interesting to me that we had students who were refugees who wanted to tell their story.” Costopoulos went on to praise those involved in the planning of the event for their attempts at resolving the dispute. “[The organizers] were respectful of viewpoints that were expressed to them,” Costopoulos said. “Universities are about discussion, they’re about negotiations and expressing opinions— and we accomplished that.” Going forward, Kent expressed his desire for good relations amongst everyone involved. “I don’t think that there was any conflict,” he said. “We think that it was a misunderstanding and tried to clear things up. It was unfortunate that [MASS] released a statement without consulting us. We have many members who are also members of MASS. I’m hoping they will come together and work with us.” Tzeuton struck a similar chord, also acknowledging the success of WUSC’s event. “We think that WUSC did an amazing job,” Tzeuton said. “We

don’t want an environment of conflict. There are WUSC members who are MASS members. MASS also has events upcoming to benefit refugees.”

WUSC funding The SRP, a nationwide initiative first introduced to McGill in 1986, and funded with a $0.50 student fee each semester, supports two international refugee students studying at the university each year. Though the fees are collected by the university, much of the administrative work is handled by WUSC’s volunteer SRP committee, which also helps those selected by the program with immigration paperwork in securing a spot in residence, and coordinating travel. Four refugee students will be accepted this year, as part of McGill’s response to the crisis in Syria. Costopoulos also mentioned financial challenges currently facing the SRP program. “It’s an expensive program, and they’re going to have to do something a little different [in the future],” Costopoulos said. It was originally intended that the current fee, levied in 1986, would be adjusted for inflation over time. This has never been done, and 30 years later, it is proving insufficient to fund the SRP. “One of the ideas that they’re considering is raising the fee,” explained Costopoulos. Bialik explained that whether or not to raise the fee, and how to do so if deemed necessary, was currently being considered by McGill’s fee advisory committee. “[The SRP fee] isn’t actually a student fee,” she said. “The money doesn’t go to WUSC, but to McGill, and WUSC never touches any of the money. They just help to settle the refugees.”

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OPINION

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

editorial Editor-in-Chief Mayaz Alam editor@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Sam Pinto spinto@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Hayley Lim hlim@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Shrinkhala Dawadi sdawadi@mcgilltribune.com Morgan Alexander malexander@mcgilltribune.com Julie Vanderperre jvanderperre@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Jenna Stanwood, Laura Hanrahan, Aislinn Kalob news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Julia Dick opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Chloe Nevitt scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Hailey MacKinnon studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Natalie Wong features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Jack Neal and Christopher Lutes arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Elie Waitzer and Zikomo Smith sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editor Cassie Lee design@mcgilltribune.com

Balancing representation and competence in the VP Finance position The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) is currently undertaking a revision of the election process for the VicePresident (VP) Finance position. Given the society’s recent record of high turnover in the position and financial turmoil, the outcome of this revision will be key to defining the sustainability of the VP Finance position—a lesson that may be transferable to other executive positions. The issue of under-qualified executives is not unique to the AUS; all faculty associations must consider adding a screening process to the selection of executives prior to elections. As student-run associations, improving the sustainability of executive positions is in the interest of all students. In paying fees to faculty associations, students have a financial stake in the success of the various undergraduate societies. In theory, democracy is the best method for representation; however, the past few years of turmoil demonstrate that student executive candidates should be screened for their ability to fulfill the responsibilities of their portfolio before being put on a ballot. A hybrid system, wherein a committee vets candidates to make sure that they have the necessary skills for the position, would fulfill the democratic and practical ideals of all faculty associations. Students will thus

Photo Editors Natalie Vineberg and Hayley Mortin photo@mcgilltribune.com

Advertising Executives Mingye Chen and L-A Benoit ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors

Audrey Carleton, Zachary Carson, Luka Ciklovan, Sara Cullen, Evelyn Goessling, Nick Jasinski, Clare Lyle, Eric-Noble MarksAlbert Park, Aaron Rose, Elizabeth Willcock

Contributors

Karina Alibhai, Keara Campos, Genna Citron, Cordelia Cho, Kyle Dolph, Josh Dimakakos, Miray Eroglu, Emma Hameau, Alexandra Harvey, Joe Khammer, Ashley Kong, Jin Lee, Alexia Martel-Desjardins, Ian Rodgers, Elli Slavitch, Calvin Trottier-Chi, Justine Touchon Fawad Ud Din, Emma Wang

Tribune Office Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

seen an increase in the responsibility for taxes and accounting, then AUS should consider more ways to reduce the burden of these duties on the VP Finance. One method would be to look into hiring a part-time professional accountant who could work alongside the VP Finance, similar to the EUS. While this would incur a cost, it would be another safety net; even if a qualified candidate is elected, there must be a sustainable and permanent position that will help mitigate the effect of any unforeseen circumstances, such as resignations, that arise. All options for paying for an additional employee must be considered so that the burden does not necessarily fall on students in the form of a fee levy. As more student faculty associations look to hiring professional staff, their executives should consider collaborating so as to share the services of such an employee as familiarity with McGill and the corporate structure of student societies is a necessary component on the job. In voting on a referendum question within AUS, Arts students should bear in mind that changing the application process and hiring an accountant are not mutually exclusive; indeed, the two changes would complement one another in protecting the financial viability of the society.

Beyond cows and cars: Censorship issues in the TPP

Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com

Staff Writers

MUS is the only executive elected by MUS members—all other positions are appointed by the MUS’ Board of Directors—while the EUS VP Finance is appointed by a selection committee, and is supported by a part-time professional accountant. By requiring candidates to first submit an application that is reviewed by a committee of experts­—like MUS and EUS—anyone running for a position will fulfill at least the minimum requisites of a portfolio. AUS has proposed two options for the application process: Either AUS Council will act as the committee that reviews applications, or it will be a committee formed of experts. The latter option will go further to mitigate any implicit biases within the committee by expanding the selection process beyond the AUS Council. It would also represent the diversity of groups that has a stake in the success of a specific executive portfolio. But so far, the proposal is vague. Before the referendum, the AUS must clearly outline the tasks of the committee; in so doing, it must define the requirements for each candidate while making the deliberations as transparent as possible. Measures to elect a qualified candidate cannot be the only shield against financial trouble. If recent years has

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have a choice of candidates that are both willing and able to fulfill their duties. Student leadership positions are tasking and time-consuming. Add these demands on top of the regular full-time student trials and tribulations and the roles seem even more challenging, especially when the burden falls on a student without adequate training or experience. Recent events showed that a combination of these factors can be disastrous—the first round of internal audits had to be redone, costing the AUS $20,000, and revealed significant accounting errors to the tune of a $65,000 AUS deficit. The VP Finance position was left in tatters; no candidate ran for the position, and so the current VP Finance was appointed by the AUS Council. While such an issue is not common to all faculty associations, it proved the risk involved with relying on popularlyelected yet incompetent executives. Reforming the process of selecting candidates would mitigate the risk of electing an inexperienced VP Finance. Faculty associations such as the AUS and the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) can look to the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) and the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) as examples of an alternative election process. The president of the

ZAChary CARSON Columnist At its core, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal between Canada and 11 other Pacific rim nations that seems to be incensing Canadian dairy farmers and car makers by increasing imports in these sectors. But the TPP contains a myriad of new copyright protection that will make the lives of Canadians much more difficult. It is surprising, then, that these aspects of the deal have been overshadowed by those talking about the dairy and automotive industries. Some of this rooted in the secret nature of the negotiations—especially during the recent Canadian federal campaign; but such obscurity should not be replicated in the public discourse. The government line need not determine the public’s priorities. Now that more information regarding the TPP’s changes to copyright law has been leaked, it needs to be discussed. The majority of the media’s

focus on the deal has been on the potential effects that it could have on these two industries; however, outside of those Canadians who are directly employed in the dairy and automotive industries, the effect will be dispersed. Cheese might be a bit cheaper at Provigo, and you might see a few more Japanese cars driving down Rue Sherbrooke. The potential changes that the TPP will have on copyright law, however, could affect everyone in Canada who has a website, uses the internet, or maybe illegally downloads an episode of Last Week Tonight. First, the deal has the potential to alter the current ‘notice-and-notice’ system that Internet service providers (ISPs – i.e. Videotron, Bell, etc.) are required to use when copyright complaint is lodged to a ‘notice-and-takedown’ system. With the notice-and-notice system, ISPs are required to let a website know if it has received a complaint. Only when copyright holders convince a court of law of the violation can they have the content in question removed from the website. Alternatively, a noticeand-takedown system will block or remove content from a Canadian website as soon as a complaint is made. A notice-and-takedown is a significant step backwards. Not only does it increase the amount of content blocked by ISPs, but

The extension of copyright will negatively impact individuals who desire access to large amounts of created content.

eliminating the judicial process reduces the ability to discern whether the content was even copyrighted in the first place. The deal also creates civil or criminal penalties for Canadians who transfer content they already own from one device to another, or for simply uploading or reposting professional sports highlights—is that gif of Batista’s bat flip really worth jail time? Under this system, authorities would be able to seize and destroy devices used for copyright infringement. Don’t start hiding your laptop under the floorboards yet though. Even if Canada adopts these strict regulations, it doesn’t mean that they will

be actively enforced. Some changes could have more easily enforceable effects. The TPP will extend the terms of copyright from the life of the author and 50 years thereafter, to life of the author plus 70 years. This could easily cost the country over $100 million a year in lost public domain content. The extension of copyright will negatively impact individuals who desire access to large amounts of created content. Take a university library as an example. Library costs could easily increase as a result of copyright extensions, as content previously in the public domain will now have to be paid for. As usual with any increase in operating costs, universities will most likely pass these on in the form of increased student fees. Most students currently perceive the TPP as being about cows and cars and as such, don’t really see it as having a big impact on their lives. But beyond these highly publicized aspects of the trade deal, the TPP could have profound effects on how Canadians can use the Internet and easily access created content. Despite this, most of the discussion of the deal has been centred around its affect on a relatively small group of Canadians. People cannot express their opinions about things they are not aware of, which is why the discussion needs to shift from cows and cars to copyright.

6

Opinion off the board

ZIKOMO SMITH Sports Editor Current students should focus their energy on climate change because it is the defining issue of our generation. It threatens the livelihood and existence of the human species; scientists argue a temperature increase of more than two degrees celsius will have an unpredictable and destructive impact on ecosystems, food sources, and cities across the globe. The environment also greatly affects humankind’s social existence in matters of health, equity, and economic decision-making. As demonstrated by key moments of historical social activism, students are well-placed to protest in protection of the environment. Similar to U.K. students in the 80s protesting descriptions of the South African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela as terrorists by prominent members of the British Conserva-

C O MME N T ARY

ALEXANDRA HARVEY Contributor “In Canada, better is always possible,” Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau boldly proclaimed to a room full of beaming supporters shortly after leading the Liberals to victory on Monday, Oct. 19, at the conclusion of one of the most predictable, ferocious, and drawn-out election campaigns in the country’s history. Trudeau pledges to instigate “real change,” and work towards a more progressive, dynamic, and united Canada. In a visible first step towards fulfilling said change, Trudeau announced that his cabinet, to be appointed on Nov. 4, will feature equal gender representation—a first in Canadian federal politics. While the possibility for women to have an equal voice in parliament evokes immense pride, these feelings are marred upon considering what the implementation of such a strict standard of equal gender representation will actually mean for Canada. Yes,

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Students instrumental in the battle against climate change tive Party, students’ college-bred critical thinking can wrest the climate narrative away from those who deny climate change. Divestment movements have not yet had success in Canada in the form of a complete divestment, but have had a significant impact on the discourse surrounding climate change. They have led protests against investment in oil and gas companies and started petitions against people who refute scientific reasoning with arguments that climate change models are imprecise and hence invalid. While such methods have yet to reach a boiling point in terms of concrete change, they serve as the impetus for greater discussion on the role of institutions in perpetuating systems of oppression; in this case, a system of environmental degradation. Unlike business professionals or politicians, students usually don’t have jobs that would encourage them to support environmentally irresponsible enterprises. Students had more leeway to lobby the British Conservative Party in the 80s to economically boycott apartheid South Africa despite the government’s resistance to doing so; then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opposed a full economic embargo on the grounds that they hurt British interests as well as poor South African blacks while favouring ‘constructive engagement’ in countering apartheid. It cannot be forgotten that Thatcher had a husband with deep business ties to South Africa and

was staunchly committed to economic liberalism. Thatcher’s policy promoted capitalism over human rights, even if the end goal was dismantling apartheid. Think tanks, like the Cato Institute, arguably behave the same in terms of climate change. Students are not as susceptible to similar moral compromise due to their ties, and so they can vigorously protest countries and companies that fail to live up to climate standards. Students are in a unique position to think critically about technology and human progress as the sole means of combatting climate change. Yes, as Bill Gates argues, a strong culture of innovation will help mitigate the effects of rising sea levels and find alternative energy sources. Students cannot allow a ‘we’ll figure it out eventually’ attitude to undermine the drive to find new ways of taking responsibility and protecting the environment. With their incredible scope to be thoughtful and proactive in responding to climate change, students can pressure governments to follow their lead. Students are exposed to new ideas daily through classes, social media engagement, and talking to other people;

Climate change will be the issue that defines our generation. (Cordelia Cho / McGill Tribune) anyone taking McGill’s Philosophy of Environment class, for example, will learn that the Whanganui Iwi River in New Zealand was granted legal personhood (similar to a corporation’s rights) in 2012 in order to protect the ecosystem. Knowing that there is a precedent of ‘nature rights’ can help students bring forth creative solutions to governments and hold legislation to a higher standard. This is necessary considering that the

United Nations recently stated that the climate change plans of 146 countries were insufficient. Students are equipped to grapple with the complexities of climate change and protest them in a unique manner. Historically, students have been successful agents of change through protesting and clamoring for changes in the status quo. With the future at stake, now is the time to speak up.

Trudeau’s gender equal cabinet quota is not “real change” women may be given the opportunity to have a more equal voice, but forcing it in terms of a quota cannot be the only way. Quotas have encouraged the criticism and questioning of the female voice in political bodies, thereby reducing gender equality to statistical rather than substantive progress. A recent Status of Women Canada report ranks Canada 52nd in terms of female representation in parliament (for every female member of parliament, there are three who are male). According to the report, Canada is behind other parliamentary democracies, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, in terms of pay equity, support for childcare and parental leave, and strategies to prevent domestic violence. It is no coincidence that a lower representation of women in politics correlates with a lower level of support for women’s issues. The shortfall in these categories is felt by female politicians. Parliament must strive to reflect the authentic gender-makeup of society, in order for all concerns to be given the appropriate consideration and support. A gender quota in cabinet—Trudea’s cabinet will be under 30 members—is not the most effective way to boost representation. In politics, a quota refers to the enforcement of a minimum percentage for the representation of a certain group. Quotas are meant to help marginalized groups transcend the barriers that inhibit

Crimmon’s commitment to the Canadian Forces, and Catherine McKenna’s work as a legal advisor for the United Nations, will all be unfairly overlooked. Reducing their experiene in, for example, defense and justice, will come in second to their gender. Each female appointment will be seen as a contribution to Trudeau’s promised 50 per cent. Trudeau has the right idea. “Real change” is a bold goal, and the promotion of Gender equality is about more than numbers. (Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune) higher female representation their involvement in the political sphere promise of a gender-equal cabinet will in parliament undoubtedly deserves to and in so doing entrench equal represen- provide ammunition to skeptics of fe- be on the top of his list towards attaintation into political and cultural norms. males in politics, who will have the ing this goal. Although enforced genIn Canada, the 33 per cent female rep- opportunity to attribute the women’s der representation is an effective way resentation in the House of Commons appointments to obligation. Criticism to begin shifting perceptions in favour look feeble in comparison to the fact that has already manifested in Canadian of women in politics, Canada needs to almost exactly 50 per cent of Canada’s commentary, most notably with An- eliminate gender discrimination and population is female. Gender quotas can drew Coyne’s column that argued the barriers—both social and physical— potentially inspire a new perception of “Liberals’ idea for gender quota leaves that prevent women from becoming inthe role of women in politics: By forcing out the principle of merit.” Citizens may volved in politics, such as limited childhigher female representation, there is the question Canada’s democratic system, care options. Women should be selected and wonder whether the people sitting to fill influential cabinet positions bepossibility to set a new norm. Numbers are worth striving for, in some of the country’s most influential cause they deserve these roles, without but are not necessarily indicative of a positions were selected based on their any prior ‘announcement’ of equal representation, which only serves to further true shift towards a new era of gender merit or their gender. The Liberal caucus is filled with stigmatize women’s role in politics. The equality. Canada’s intellectual, empowered, and dynamic women deserve a immensely qualified, powerful women, message that needs to be spread is one platform to exercise “real change” in who all have the potential to provoke of equal ability and potential. Women parliament—a platform where achieve- lasting and positive change; however, deserve to be in office because of their ments and qualifications will not be Chrystia Freeland’s impressive jour- unique skills and experiences as people, overshadowed by their sex. Trudeau’s nalistic accomplishments, Karen Mc- not just as women.

7

Arts & Entertainment

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

In a world of their own TAME provides a choreorgaphed look at the nature of movement and space EVELYN GOESSLING Staff Writer TAME, a new exhibition showcasing dance by choreographer Lara Kramer immerses its audience in a world of dreamy experimentation through unconventional movement. The set of TAME was reminiscent of a first apartment, stuffed with the gleeful accumulation of garish, yet cohesive ‘70s and ‘80s ephemera. Crowded with clothing and magazines, the stage of TAME felt familiar— like an exaggerated version of an adolescent bedroom. According to the choreographer, the vintage set was developed over a course of two years; as the piece came together, so did the set’s theme. Most contemporary dance pieces are minimal in their costuming and stage design; presumably not to distract from the dancers’ movements, however, the busy set of TAME didn’t draw away from the dancer’s performance at all—in fact, it was much more engaging and cohesive with the concept behind the piece. In this informal environment, the three dancers experimented with concepts of physical, mental, and personal space. This aforementioned space was created and manipulated through interaction and movement

between props and bodies, often in bizarre or comical ways. Kramer excellently utilized props such as rope, marshmallows, popcorn, and paper towels to raise questions about the space within humans and the space that they occupy on a daily basis. An eerie silence was interrupted by the soft sound, akin to the crackling of paper, as one dancer sat in a wheelchair covered in medical paper, before the loud music and screaming was reduced once again to silence. One of the best moments of the piece was when a wild dance party deteriorated into a screaming tantrum, which eventually subsided to reveal an orchestral cover of “Hotel California” playing softly from an onstage stereo. However, the set wasn’t the only theatrical element of the piece. The three dancers developed their characters distinctly through small solo sections that utilized different props. There were sections with interaction between the dancers, but often, the three performers separately experimented the space around them. But whilst the theatrical elements were organic and the dialogue between the characters dramatic, it ultimately felt out of place with the rest if the piece. The final product contained dialogue between the dancers, but it was mostly background

F r o m T h e V i e w p o i n t

noise—softly spoken and improvised. The beginning of the piece was hardly recognizable as a dance production, and instead felt more like the opening scene of a play, whilst the dancers’ movements were subtle yet affected. The simple act of walking across a room, feeling one’s feet on the floor, or turning the pages of a magazine were elegant and careful—a reminder that every movement can be a part of a larger dance routine. The nature of the choreography as well as the props provided room for improvisation. Instead of a strict choreography where the audience could often anticipate dancers’ next movements, like in music, this choreography was constantly surprising and changing, which made the show all the more engaging and comedic. Spontaneous moments such as a glass full of juice spilling onto the floor made the scene feel more immersive and real.

TAME offers an immersive meditation. (Photo courtesy of Robert Zbikowski / TAME) At some points, the sexual nature of the piece wasn’t explicitly obvious. The characters in the show are all presented as sexual beings in an entirely natural way. For example, the causal femininity of their costumes— one wore a crop top and tights, another shuffled around in slippers, underwear, and a quintessential ‘80s windbreaker—revealed the natural, languid, and comfortable femininity that many women wear while not in the male gaze. Other moments were more obvious, such as when one

dancer used a rope hanging from the ceiling in an amateur quasi-pole dance, or when another pretended to be a male masturbating to the TV. TAME was exciting in the way characterization and media such as props and music are used to discover different experiences of individuals and the space they inhabit. Subtle movements and sounds were juxtaposed with dazzling and bizarre displays of energy to create an enchanting and provocative experience.

s i n - h a l l o w ee n h a u n t e d h o u s e

make us all feel alienated and uncomfortable. Out of the gloom, a hooded figure appeared, taking the rope and dragging us around through an alley to a back entrance. T h i s a l t e r n a t e entrance was the least of a series of surprises, but like the best horror movies, SIN did not rely on jump scares. Instead, it used close quarters and interaction with SIN transforms a small theatre into a formless nightmare (theatresaintcatherine.com) its audience nightmare that played with to make the space feel ominous IAN RODGERS the audience’s vulnerability. and foreboding. The constraint Contributor The experience began with the of the rope took away any sense participants being attached to a of control and forced you to SIN: Halloween Haunted rope by the wrist, while standing look at the scenes playing out. House at the Theatre Sainte- outside the theatre—with no A woman in white sang an aria, Catherine was an intense and explanation as to why—then the always remaining slightly ahead disturbing experience, unlike order in which we were lined up of the group. The space was any other haunted house. The was switched around. I was left divided using cloth and garbage theatre’s small space was separated from the friend I came bags into countless rooms, each transformed into a formless with, a clever way to immediately of which showcased a twisted

vignette. These scenes made it obvious why advertisements for the program warned that “NO CHILDREN OR TEENS WILL BE ADMITTED.” One of the earliest, and tamest, scenes was of a woman being dressed by a stylist before her wedding, until the stylist suffocated the to-be bride with a plastic bag and stole her ring. The performance featured a large amount of nudity, both male and female, and this manipulation of sexuality was where the event really shined. For a good amount of time, the rope was pulled by a mute, fully nude man, and the apprehension between not wanting to follow too close to him and not wanting to be left behind in a room created an uneasy dynamic. The most memorable scenes were the ones which took advantage of my apprehensiveness about nudity and sexuality. Particularly memorable was a room which mainly featured a man in a wheelchair masturbating and speaking in Spanish. I found myself unable to watch but also unable to completely look away. Another scene showed a woman seducing a man praying in front of a candle, stripping and taunting him. The dynamic

between the two almost acted as a mirror of my experience as an audience member, again unsure where to look or how to respond to the experience. The conclusion of this scene resulted in the man self-mutilating his genitals with candle wax. Even though I knew this couldn’t be real, I was stunned. Other scenes blurred the line between performer and audience, with cast members latching onto my legs. There was an excellent segment in which we were brought to the rooftop and warned to stay low as we travelled through a boardwalk, then were told to run to a door. This culminated in me shouting at my friend to close the door behind us. I was immersed in the experience. Overall, I was extremely impressed by the cast members’ ability to stay in character and control the experience. The performance kept me constantly uncomfortable and off-balance. It used its theme of sin extremely well, and scared me through the use of my discomfort with the human body. Overall, this was a uniquely disturbing experience, and I can’t wait to return next year and travel through hell once more.

The Mile End’s musical history The evolution of a neighbourhood’s creative industry Chloe Nevitt

Photos courtesy of The City of Montreal’s Archives

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or aspiring musicians, Montreal’s Mile End is the place to be. The likes of Arcade Fire, Grimes, and BRAIDS have emerged from its streets. Montreal is already famous for being a cultural and artistic hub, so it begs the question: What made the Mile End so unique? “The Mile End is a neighbourhood that has gone through many different waves of socioeconomic levels and origins of its people,” said Justin Bur, one of the directors of Mile End Memories, a non-profit organization dedicated to the heritage, history, and culture of the neighbourhood. “Originally, [the Mile End] was a working village, where you would find the occasional manager. Later, the realestate workers [came.] By the 1920s, it had [also] become the most important Jewish community in Montreal.” The Jewish community then left en masse in the ’50s when an influx of lower class immigrants arrived from Italy, Greece, and Portugal. By the late 20th century, however, these communities were replaced by middleclass professionals. Nevertheless, the architecture, food, and culture of the area continued to reflect the people who had once resided there. Hebrew high schools remained alongside public schools, many restaurants offered both Portuguese and Greek food, and churches such as the Church of St. Michael and St. Anthony, adopted a primarily Irish Catholic parish that would later evolve into a Polish and Italian parish. This cultural hybridity— where a unique person, place, or thing could be found at every corner—made

the Mile End a distinct place to live for anyone. But it’s because of the industry that developed from of one of its most recognized landscapes—the miles of abandoned rail houses and railroads— that today, the Mile End is a hub for artists. “A major railway headed to the St. Lawrence was built here [to be] joined up to the brand new railway to B.C. in ’86,” Bur said. “Along the railway line, industries started setting up, and the clothing industry [then] became very important in the ’90s.” The clothing industry met its untimely end by the late ’90s, as more and more products were outsourced. What was a left was a huge collection of empty buildings—ideal spaces to host young and struggling artists, like Sebastian Cowan, a co-founder of Arbutus Records. Cowan came to Montreal eight years ago to start a warehouse venue— similar to the ones he had seen in his hometown, Vancouver. A series of events led him to the Mile End, where he experienced the growth and evolution of the area’s creative industry. “I thought there was a lot potential for [a warehouse venue in Montreal],” Cowan said. “[My friend and I] came [to the Mile End] to look at a jam space. There was a record store on the fourth floor in the [building on the] corner [of Avenue Durocher]. [So,] we went to [there] and [they] said to talk to the landlord because the whole third floor was unrented.” Cowan and his friends—who would later became his partners— decided this floor would become the

Nobody had a job, everybody was broke, [and you paid] as little as you could for rent—[but] never once did anyone feel poor. place to host their events. After acquiring their jam space, they began an art collective called Lab Synthèse, based on a concert series his friends had already been hosting. Progress was slow, and the artists, as well as their producers, often had to struggle to get by. “I feel like my kids are going to ask me what it was like during the Great Recession,” Cowan explained. “Nobody had a job, everybody was broke, [and you paid] as little as you could for rent—[but] never once did anyone feel poor.” In 2009, Lab Synthèse evolved into Arbutus Records as not only a way to legitimize their work, but also as a way for Cowan to grieve over the loss of a friend. “One of the people I started Lab Synthèse with—my best friend through most of high school—ended

up committing suicide in the room next door to me,” Cowan said. “That was the single most traumatic thing that has happened in my life, and Arbutus was a way to get over it.” In the Mile End, near the railway yards, artists could loudly produce music late at night, find others to collaborate with, and use the large lofts as ideal concert spaces. It’s no surprise it drew in creative people—all that was missing was getting the music to the rest of the world. “Arbutus [as a] label was an excuse to record my friends,” Cowan said. “[It was] a way to help the things go beyond the walls.” The content produced by Arbutus is edgy, unique, and hypnotic. Their current contracted artists include BRAIDS, an ‘art rock’ band originally from Calgary; Blue Hawaii, an electronic duo from Montreal; and Lydia Ainsworth, an experimental indie singer from Toronto. Their most famous alumnus, however, is synthpop artist Claire Elise Boucher—known better by her stage name, Grimes. But Arbutus doesn’t have a specific ‘recipe’ they use to sign an artist. “The whole process of finding a band, competing with other labels for that band, to me is a huge turn off,” explained Cowan. ‘Maybe it’s healthy for business, but I don’t think it’s healthy for art.” BRAIDs studio debut album, Native Speaker was met with critical acclaim, though the album itself only cost around $500 to produce. This was largely due to the fact that the music was made using a lot of vocal overlays and sounds made from homemade instruments and objects. But this low-budget production yields a final product that is raw, exciting, and beautiful—a trademark of the unique, home-grown spirit that emanates from the Mile End. Though the Mile End’s unique spirit is a vital part of the development of its artists, another more pragmatic reason presented itself: The neighbourhood’s cheap rent. “[When] all of these buildings stopped being textile manufacturing [factories], [everything was only] partially occupied, [or] there were just junkies living there,” explained Cowan. “[Here,] we could have 10,000 square feet [for] really cheap.” However, as the Mile End became more popular, rent began to increase in much of the area. “Ubisoft arrived [to the Mile End] in 1997 and renovated [many of the apartments] that the artists had been living in,” Bur explained. “The artists [soon] realized that the price would not [remain the same.]” In response to the rising living costs, the creative community in the Mile End unionized, calling themselves Regroupement Pied Carré—“Union for Square Feet” in English. The group’s mission was and continues to be the preservation of creative spaces in the Mile End, which included keeping the artists in the neighbourhood. To do that, the issue of rising rent had to be dealt with. “The borough was behind the artists, so they put a zoning hold on the buildings,” Bur explained. “[The

union] negotiated with [the building owners] and came up with a 30-year lease. This was important because [the union] could [then have] two levels of rent. 70 per cent [of the building would be] rented out to poor starving artists, [with] the price brought way down. The remaining 20 per cent [could be] rented out a bit higher to those who can afford to pay that.” Not only does this create a sustainable solution for the artists, but the landlords will have tenants for the next 30 years, a new guaranteed security. This sustainability is essential for maintaining the variety of creative venues found in the Mile End, but wouldn’t be possible without the community’s ongoing support. This support has been largely due to The Mile End’s Citizens Committee, which, since 1982, has hosted a variety of activities and concerts to create links between people in its area. “The [Mile End’s] Citizens Committee had an important role to play because of their annual street party on St. Jean-Baptiste,” explained Bur. “They were deliberately working to create links between people of different origins, [and] make it [a] national holiday for everyone.” Every year, for St. Jean-Baptiste Day, the Citizens Committee would get local musicians to play concerts on Saint-Viateur. In the late ’90s, however, when the crowds became too large to safely accommodate, the festival had to be shut down. But the artistic spirit never left the area. “There’s the Fairmount theatre, where Club Soda [used to be,]” said Bur. “There’s Resonance [Cafe], which is relatively new, there’s Casa del Popolo, there’s Hotel del Tango, there’s Cagibi, there’s a record shop called Phenopolis, [and more].” Resonance Cafe has live jazz performers every night; Cagibi hosts daily open-mic performances, where local artists are able to able to signup for a specific recurring time slot (allowing them to build a fanbase); and Phenopolis features a new local artist in their window display every week. A special example, Casa del Popolo— Italian for “house of the people”— was established in 2000 by Mauro Pezzente and Kiva Stimac, members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor—a Montreal-based post-rock band. Since then, it has become on of Montreal’s top venues for indie rock music. “Casa del Popolo is fundamental,” explained Bur. “[It’s] very intimately involved in the development of the Mile End music scene because [Pezzente and Stimac] were musicians to begin with.” The variety of places to create, promote, and host artistic content in the Mile End have been essential to the growth of its music scene. But it is the support of the Mile End’s community that solidified its role as a creative hotspot. In a world where artists are continuously forced to produce content that will sell—regardless of their vision—it is the places that not only build up the artists, but protect their voice, content, and style, that will continue to dominate the creative industry.

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ARTS & Entertainment

Tuesday November 3, 2015

Past vs. Present A look at two gothic tales of love and murder ANNA ST. CLAIR Contributor Warning: Spoilers Continued from page 1. Edith and Thomas move to his English manor, the collapsing Allerdale Hall. Soon after she arrives, skeletal, blood red spectres begin to haunt Edith, warning her of the dangers of the house. Colder than the ghosts themselves is Thomas’ aloof, but forceful sister Lucille, expertly played by Jessica Chastain. Jane Eyre follows a strikingly similar plot. Jane is an orphan who is shipped off to a strict boarding school by a disdainful aunt. Upon graduating, Jane is hired by the eccentric Edward Rochester to be the governess for his ward. But whereas Thomas Sharpe is a master of the art of charm, Rochester is difficult to fall for. He’s objectively unattractive, and in a bizarre incident disguises himself as a fortune-telling gypsy woman in order to confront Jane. Yet after many late-night conversations, Jane and Rochester find themselves falling

in love, and like Sharpe, Rochester inhabits an ancient and large manor that is hiding more than a few secrets within its rooms. In both Crimson Peak and Jane Eyre, reality is more horrifying than the supernatural. For Jane, the discovery that Edward Rochester keeps his first wife chained in the attic after she has gone insane is far worse than the other-worldly projections of her active imagination. There is a logical explanation to the strange cries and sudden fires that happen at Thornfield Hall but the reality offers Jane little comfort. For Edith, ghosts are entirely real. She’s seen them since she was a child and upon moving to Allerdale Hall grotesque, malformed spectres visit her nightly. As disgusting as the ghosts may appear, they become Edith’s allies. Edith’s supernatural sight guides her in her investigation into the truth of Allerdale Hall and the Sharpe siblings. In Crimson Peak as in Jane Eyre, it’s not ghosts that haunt the manor—it’s the inhabitants. The ancient manour homes oppress and trap each heroine in both Crimson Peak and Jane Eyre.

Thornfield Hall and Allerdale Hall represent the lineage and traditions of the English aristocracy. In these homes, women must take on a traditional role and are expected to be subordinate to their husbands. Jane and Edith aren’t supposed to ask questions, and they’re certainly forbidden from looking into rooms that are off limits. Both Thornfield Hall and Alerdale Hall encapsulate Jane and Edith’s isolation, and the isolation of many women in the 19th century. These houses are all the young women have. They can’t go outside without permission and there are no other homes around for miles. When Jane and Edith try to escape, they are met with cold and snow. Both heroines face the ultimate choice: Do they leave their oppressive, dangerous home and risk dying in the cold, or stay and face the horror of their home and husband? Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak sees the director returning to an aesthetic and thematic tradition pioneered in the 18th century. While

Ghosts of the past haunt Jane and Edith. (Justine Touchon / McGill Tribune)

Jane Eyre and Crimson Peak share themes and symbols, the two works diverge in stylistic choices. Crimson Peak is a major motion picture in 2015, abound with murder, violence, sex, and suspense. At almost 600 pages and a multitude of lengthy detailed descriptions, Jane Eyre can

be a chore for the modern reader. With 168 years between the release dates of the two respective works, it’s no surprise that the conventions of popular entertainment have changed, yet the themes and messages of the two works successfully bridge the past and the present.

Little Women grow up from the page to the stage Opera McGill brings timeless classic to life Miray eroglu Contributor Little Women, Opera McGill’s first production of the season, is based on the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott, as well as the opera written and composed by Mark Adamo in 1998. Set in Massachusetts in the 1860s, Little Women is brought to the stage in a way that celebrates the classic and revives it for a modern audience, bringing to stage the nature of family ties and the cycle of life. The opera takes audience members on a journey through the lives of the four March sisters, Meg (Simone McIntosh), Jo (Kaylee Gallagher), Beth (Chelsea Rus), and Amy (Lauren Woods), moving across happy and sad times in their life as seen through the eyes of Jo. Jo alternates between the life she could have had, and the life she ultimately chose to lead, constantly yearning to bring back the times when the family was all together. The set captures the March family home, and the costumes are reflective of the time period. The show opens with Jo writing, while Amy works on a painting; these acts are reflective of each sister’s respective hobby, and what they ultimately do in life. The opera revolves around the blossoming of Jo and Laurie’s (Torrence Grick) friendship throughout the years, ultimately

telling a story about Jo’s coming of age. Jo takes the audience back in time with Laurie’s arrival as their new neighbor. Laurie becomes friends quickly with the March sisters, and as they grow up, Laurie falls in love with Jo and hopes for more than just friendship; however, his longing for Jo blinds him from the affection he receives from other people. Gricks captures Laurie’s devotion to Jo extremely well, however, it would have added more to his overall performance had Gricks further developed Laurie’s strength of character, not just his role as Jo’s love interest. The talented cast of Little Women features Bruno Roy, one of eight finalists from across Canada who will compete in the final round of the Canadian Opera Company (COC), as Brooke—Laurie’s tutor and Meg’s husband. Gallagher gives a stellar performance, playing Jo—the most ambitious of the four sisters—with ease, giving a voice to both the trials and successes of herself and her sisters. McIntosh provides a contrast to Jo’s independent character and personifies Meg’s conflicting responsibilities towards her family and the man she loves in a standout aria “Things Change, Jo.” Rus portrays Beth angelically. Though her character is the most withdrawn of the March sisters, she serves as a strong figure through her devotion to her family. This can be felt in her aria sung on her deathbed,

The March sisters sing their way through adolescence. (Miray Eroglu / McGill Tribune) “Have Peace Jo.” At this moment, the audience is given a glimpse into Beth’s character, which Rus personifies well. Woods portrays Amy as the childlike, at times frivolous, youngest March sister, adding comic relief to some of the more serious scenes. During the rising action of the production, Meg falls in love with Brooke and the March family dynamic dramatically shifts. Jo is caught in between her happiness for her sister and her own sadness that life will not ever be the same again if her sister leaves the family

for her husband. Jo realizes her fears are unwarranted, and ultimately comes to terms with the idea that, although life is full of changes, the family bond will always stay the same. The opera is tied together and comes to a riveting ending with its final aria, “Let Me Look At You,” sung by Gallagher, McIntosh, Rus, and Woods, where the four sisters— although no longer all together— reflect on their childhood memories in recognition and celebration of the past and future. In this manner, the opera closes reflecting on the sisters’ gratitude for one another,

and how each has matured over the years. Little Women ultimately focuses on Jo’s memory of the past, and its role in the future—bringing to light how although the past often is reminiscent of fond memories, it is impossible to turn back the clock. Little Women is showing November 6 to 7 at 7 P.M. and November 8 at 2 P.M. at Pollack Hall, at the Schulich School of Music (555 Rue Sherbrooke). Student tickets cost $17, and general admission costs $28.

11

Science & technology

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

F RO M THE B RAIN S TE M Clare Lyle Staff Writer Today, women make up less than 20 per cent of software engineers in the workforce (the precise numbers range depends on who is collecting the statistics and how the observer defines ‘software engineer’). Even in universities, where women outnumber men almost 3:2, only 12 per cent of computer science degrees are awarded to women. It’s up to industry leaders and academic institutions like McGill to recognize this and take action, or else risk missing out on capitalizing on the problem-solving power of half the world’s population. “Out in Silicon Valley, companies are struggling to hire software engineers—even top companies like Google and Facebook,” Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of Cracking the Coding Interview, explained in response to a question on Quora. “This is hurting the U.S.’s ability to grow [good tech] companies. If as many women went into engineering as men, this would be a huge win for the U.S. and for the world.” McGill has not been immune to this trend. According to an analysis of the School of Computer Science enrolment data by U3 Computer

The Leaky Pipe: Where are all the women in tech?

Science student Pascale Gourdeau, women comprise less than 30 per cent of students enroled in computer sciencerelated majors. In the honours stream, this number drops below 20 per cent. The decline hasn’t been continuous, either. After steadily increasing from just over 10 per cent in the 1960s to 35 per cent in 1983, the percentage of female computer science majors in American universities dropped to below 20 per cent 10 years ago, and has flatlined since. Researchers have proposed a number of reasons for women’s low enrolment rates in computer science. The emergence of the personal computer and its subsequent marketing as a toy for boys in the ’80s and ’90s is one suspect. Also frequently cited are a lack of female mentors, negative stereotypes, and toxic work environments in the tech industry that discourage women from pursuing careers in technology. In spite of the grim statistics, there’s growing evidence from a number of universities that it’s not a lack of interest that’s keeping women from majoring in computer science. In fact, the evidence indicates quite the opposite: Stanford University recently revealed that Computer Science was the most popular major among female students. At Harvey Mudd College, 40

The annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference celebrates female programmers. (wics.ics.uci.edu) per cent of computer science majors are women. Their administration attributed this number to three major strategies: Practical, interesting introductory courses, research opportunities, and community-building activities, such as visiting the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, a conference dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements in the field of computer science. “The way people interacted [was] much more [exciting] than I’ve ever felt—you could just flag down anyone and not feel awkward about it,”

explained Li Xue, a U2 Economics and Computer Science student who attended the event this year. “Even extremely important people like Satya Nadella [the CEO of Microsoft] were on the floor of the convention centre, so it was a very ‘flatly’ structured conference where everyone was approachable. I think because the attendees were self-selecting, you just get the most motivated, talented, and open-minded people.” The demographics of the Grace Hopper Celebration are the reverse of those seen all too often at tech

conferences. Women made up 96 per cent of attendees, representing all corners of industry and academia. What Grace Hopper, Harvey Mudd, and Stanford all show is that, when presented with the right environment, women engage and excel in computer science just as much as their male counterparts. The dearth of women in computer science represents an immense resource of untapped intellectual potential, and as technological innovation becomes increasingly critical to solving the world’s problems, that needs to change.

McGill researchers expand possibilities for future cancer treatment

Discovery of new survival pathway sheds light on the adaptability of cancer cells Sihara wickremasinghe Contributor

Continued from page 1. Cancer occurs when the body’s cells begin growing and dividing at abnormally high rates. Cells that should die off due to mutations, which can be caused by a number of carcinogens such as radiation (UV), chemicals (tobacco), age, or injury, continue to replicate, sometimes forming tumours. Not all tumours are dangerous, however. A growth is only malignant when it spreads, or metastasizes in the body, otherwise it’s a benign tumour. “It’s this metabolic flexibility, the ability to use different fuel sources that keep the engine going,” Jones said. “There are benign tumours that continue to proliferate and grow, but

Emma Vincent (left) and Dr. Russell Jones (right) have discovered a novel metabolic pathway for cancer cells. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune) they’re sort of within an enclosed region and truly malignant cells can actually leave and grow elsewhere.” Despite the diversity, resistance, and versatility of cancer, the human body has processes in place to defend

itself from tumour development. DNA recognition and repair mechanisms are one of these defence against mutations. Another is the immune system, which can also identify and eliminate early fledgling tumours.

“The fact remains that the majority of people who develop cancer are older in age where you’ve had longer time to accumulate mutations that bypass the immune system,” Jones explained. “We

have inherent mechanisms to keep everything in check. The challenge is when we have a cancer that is able to bypass all of those mechanisms. They’re the deadly ones.” Currently, surgery to physically remove tumours, drug intervention, and radiation therapy are used to treat cancer; however, due to negative side effects of these types of treatments, researchers are constantly looking for new options. A study like this one points to the possibility of targeting enzymes like PEPCK, involved in cancer cell metabolism. “If you know how the tumour adapts and you can take that option away from it by targeting the adaptation strategies then you’re limiting its options,” Vincent explained. As new options for cancer prevention emerge, the chances for success with treatments increases.

design me. Have Experience using adobe creative suite? The tribune is hiring a design editor. email editor@m c gilltribune.com with 3 design Samples, a CV, and letter of intent by monday nov. 16

12

Science & technology

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The latest poison has been revealed—and you’re made of it The World Health Organization annouces the dangers of eating processed meat

leads to liver failure and brain cell death. In desperation, I recall that wonder of cheap, accessible health food, and reach for the carton of juice before recoiling in horror at the latest scientific dispatch—fruit juices are empty and sugar-laden, and in physiological effect, are entirely no different from soda. So I reach for the next jug, a white cardboard prism decorated with a suspiciously cheerful cow. But milk is more fattening than it is healthful; it actually depletes the bones’

calcium; it predisposes the body to type 1 diabetes, and it causes unpredictable hormonal effects in humans, left over from doping cows to increase milk production. But nothing can detract from pure, clear, wholesome water, the stuff of life and free on tap to all! Nothing, that is, except bacterial contamination, heavy metal poisoning, overfluoridation, sewage backflow, and decomposing bodies in the water supply. Perhaps bottled water? That, at least, is pristine and purified, and originates from some

gleaming arctic glacier? Absolutely, if it isn’t from the vast majority of bottlers that do little more than package and hugely markup normal, unfiltered tap water. In terrified indecision, I sit stock still, but even that isn’t safe. Of course, an inactive lifestyle is a leading cause of obesity and heart disease—not that overexertion isn’t risky, leading to heatstroke and heart attack. At some point I’d better get some sleep, lest I have an aneurism or semi-catatonically walk into traffic. Maybe just a good nap, assuming that I don’t oversleep and suffer a cerebral hemorrhage, have an overexciting dream leading to heart failure, fall out of bed and break my neck, or spontaneously develop sleep apnea and suddenly asphyxiate—as has actually been known to occur. Frozen, I take a deep breath—as it happens, rampant air pollution means that every breath taken in a developed urban area is equivalent to inhaling diluted cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust, and, who knows, probably live nuclear waste. After a while, it sounds an awful lot like that famous quotation: “Living may be hazardous to your health,” WHO said that? I don’t know.

Arane has been working on this project with fellow U3 Software Engineer students Daniel Macario and Brett Leighton. For the past year, they’ve been tackling quite a complex issue. “We’re tying to do a proof of concept for a crowd-sourced, machine-learning, event detection [robot],” Arane explained. A proof of concept is the first step towards deciding whether or not a specific method is feasible; it’s the theory before the application. Their idea—machine-learning event detection—involves building a robot that is able to determine the events in real time. “There are already a lot of [robots] out there that can [recognize] an event,” Arane said. “[However], they’re all very catered for a specific event—it’s not generalized.” Machine-learning robots, like the one they’re hoping to develop, have a variety of applications, but require huge amounts of data to work. This is because the computer must essentially be ‘taught’ what an event is—for example, a kiss— by showing it the event a thousand times. “To get all this data, we want to crowd-source YouTube videos to the general public, [so] they can start labelling events in the video,” Arane said. “[For example], they can mark an event where three people meet up in an intersection,

[or] when a fire is moving in a certain direction.” These labels will then get fed into their data system, which can be used to develop algorithms that will allow a computer to detect in real time when these events are occurring. “The applications [for something like this] are wide,” Arane said. “[It can be used in] surveillance, safety, [and particularly] in the medical field.” In theory, a computer program like this could allow surgeons to use a robot instead of another nurse or physician to detect an aneurysm, heart failure, or a collapsing lung. Using a machine could mean faster, more accurate, and reproducible results. Since starting this project, Arane has encountered a number of programs and languages that he’s never worked with before— but which are necessary to develop these algorithms. This has caused some unpredicted setbacks. “This was definitely an extremely daunting project to take on,” Arane explained. “[Macario, Leighton, and I] knew nothing going into the project—the first month and a half was just pure research—going into the field, contacting people, and reading papers.” They first had to deal with getting dependencies—the programs and languages needed

to run the project—on their computers. They expected the task to take around 30 minutes, but it ultimately ended up taking a week and a half. “A lot of libraries are poorly documented or maintained,” Arane said. “[We were] jumping from language to language, and it was definitely a frustration, but [we] got past it.” Arane and his partners just finished their first prototype last week. The prototype is a collection of concepts and tools that could be later combined to build their computer program. Their next challenge is to come up with a full, cohesive system design which they’ll be able to use to begin their data collection. “Big-data machine learning is something the world [and I] are very interested in at the moment,” Arane said. He hopes to continue in the field of machine-learning, and is currently looking for jobs in this field. Without the exposure and experience he had gained from his time in Cooperstock’s lab, Arane would not have known whether or not machine-learning was a good fit for him, thus, he encourages young engineers to do the same. “Don’t do something you’re familiar with,” said Arane. “Try to go deep and try to learn something [....] I’m so grateful I did that.”

daniel galef Contributor The World Health Organization (WHO) has just announced that processed meat—and possibly all red meat—has been confirmed to be carcinogenic. I was at my computer when I first heard of the news in the form of a Facebook post and I was skeptical. At first, I briefly considered switching to tofu, before realizing I had already cut out soy products the week before due to hazards from pesticide contamination, just as I had similarly done fish (poisonous mercury accumulation), meat (arterial deterioration), and poultry (unethical farming procedures). For some time, I had been holding out on the hope that one day, soon, meat could be grown artificially without harm to living beings, but then I found out about the dangers of stem cell research, the potential for serious breaches of bioethics in genetic engineering, and the mass extinction of domesticated animals suddenly rendered obsolete. It is at this point that I set an alert on my computer to notify me of new findings. I don’t want to inadvertently consume something that was harmless a minute ago— when everyone was eating it—but

Many popular pork products have been deemed cancerous by the World Health Organization. (pigaddiction.tumblr.com) has now suddenly turned to poison with the stroke of a researcher’s pen. In fact, eating may be a tricky subject overall. The sweeping obesity epidemic speaks to that. Not that undereating is a solution, either—a death by malnourishment is protracted and torturous. Even thirst is an almost insurmountable obstacle, with dehydration and overhydration having almost identical symptoms, leaving aside the trials of maintaining a precarious balance of electrolytes. Soft drinks lead to diabetes and obesity; alcohol

This month in

Yarden Arane

U3 student Yarden Arane is developing a thinking computer. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

chloe nevitt Science & Technology Editor Most engineering students take on a year-long project during their final year at McGill, where students must work with a professor or in an industry position. When Yarden Arane, U3 Software Engineering had to pick his, he chose Professor

Jeremy Cooperstock, the director of the Shared Reality Lab at McGill. “[I] approached Professor Cooperstock and he gave [me] a proposal,” Arane said. “[Because] the Shared Reality Lab is a giant AI [Artificial Intelligence] research machine, [the project] would involve using AI to build augmented realities—similar to Oculus Rift.”

13

Student Living

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Five meals on and around campus for $5 or less Food options for students that are affordable and convenient By Keara Campos, Mayaz Alam, and Hailey MacKinnon snacks. Super Sandwich features a variety of both vegetarian and deli meat sandwiches—from ham and cheese, to tuna, to crab meat—all for under $5. The sandwiches are made with fresh, warmly-toasted bread, which is delivered to the store each morning. Due to their simplicity—with only the essential toppings like tomato, lettuce, mustard and mayo, the(mcgill.ca) sandwiches are made in under 15 seconds. Super Sandwich is therefore a great spot for a quick grab-and-go meal in between classes.

Being a student comes with responsibilities other than studying, completing assignments, and writing exams—namely, budgeting and eating. It can be frustrating to spend a full day on campus without any affordable meal options—especially when it’s the end of the month and students are strapped for cash. Whether you’re rubbing your last few pennies together or are just a frugal individual, check out these five options for meals on campus or close-by for under $5.

Vua Sandwiches Located at 2020 Boulevard RobertBourassa, Vua Sandwiches—a Vietnamese restaurant only a couple block from campus—is an excellent option for students on-the-go. They specialize in Bánh Mì, which are sandwiches filled with a selection of meats, such as minced chicken and fermented pork, as well as tofu and vegetables, and comes with the standard fillings of carrot, radish, coriander, and jalapenos. The bread is fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside—the pickled daikon, radishes, and carrots are both sweet and tart. When coupled with any of the various meat choices, the resulting flavour and texture profile is delicious. Although it is primarily known for its wide selection of Bánh Mi, Vua also has 13 non-Vietnamese sandwich variations on its menu such as shish taouk or roast beef. Seven-inch sandwiches

Students ordering Bánh Mì at Vua Sandwiches. (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune) go for $3.75 while the 10 inch version is $4.25, which goes up to $4.89 with tax. Vua is filling, delicious, and extremely affordable—students can grab their food quickly and be satisfied for the rest of the day.

Meatless Mondays at RVC While upper-year students don’t generally think to return to McGill residence cafeterias after finishing their year in residence, Meatless Mondays at Royal Victoria College Cafeteria (RVC) may in fact lure students back to this familiar dining spot. Meatless Mondays provide a $5 meal that features anything from the hot steam counter. This often means options like macaroni and cheese, beet tacos, veg-

etarian casserole—all served with two sides, including steamed veggies, rice, and potatoes. If you don’t have time to wait among the hordes of people lined up, you can always head to the sandwich counter and get a meatless panini for $5 as well. For those with roll-over money on their student cards, Meatless Mondays are the perfect way to use up remaining meal plan dollars; it’s also a healthy and inexpensive option for students thinking of topping up.

Pizza Navona Pizza Navona is an off-campus establishment, but since it’s location on Rue Sherbrooke is almost across from the Roddick gates, it might as well be considered on-campus. Known by most

students for their pizza’s sesame-seed crust, Navona offers a deal that includes two slices of cheese pizza and a drink for $4.34 without tax. Aside from being convenient for a quick meal, Navona is also a strong supporter of many McGill-run student initiatives like Right to Play, the McGill Ultimate Team, and the Arts Undergraduate Society, so you can be sure you’re giving your money to a company that will use it to give back to you and the McGill community in some way.

Super Sandwich Tucked away in the basement of the Cartier Building at the corner of rue Peel and Rue Sherbrooke, this depanneur sells more than just beer and

Midnight Kitchen Midnight Kitchen is one of McGill’s best food resources for students. It runs Monday through Friday at 12:30 p.m. in the SSMU Building, either on the third floor in room 302, or upstairs in the fourth floor Clubs Lounge. The Midnight Kitchen Food Collective serve vegan meals on a pay-what-youcan basis. Their meals typically include a serving of vegetables, rice, and some sort of dessert. The organization works to be environmentally sustainable by also asking students to bring their own tupperware containers/plates, as well as utensils for the daily lunch service. Midnight Kitchen is an ideal option for students looking for an inexpensive meal on campus that is both healthy, and environmentally responsible.

A universal approach to accessibility on campus McGill continues with plan to create an accessible environment for all students julie vanderperre Managing Editor McGill is seeking to incorporate universal design—an approach towards the establishment of an environment that adapts to everyone’s needs—to the physical layout of its buildings and accessibility of the university as a whole. The thinking behind universal design is that disabling situations within people’s environments are what affect individuals with impairments; disability stems thus from the environment, attitudes, and systems, instead of from the individual. It is this approach that is guiding the administration in adapting the design of McGill’s Downtown and Macdonald Campuses to create an accessible environment for all students. Due to the age and layout of many McGill buildings, the promotion of physical accessibility is challenging; however, under Article 15 of McGill’s University Policy Concerning the Rights of Students with Disabilities, there is an ongoing effort to remove all architectural barriers that limit students with disabilities from full participation in university life. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides a collection of campus access guides, which are down-

loadable as PDFs, and detail the accessibility of all buildings through maps that highlight wheelchair accessible entrances, elevators, wheelchair accessible washrooms, and accessible parking. The campus access guides also list drop-off locations for Paratransit, Montreal’s adapted public transport system. In addition, McGill campus has its own adapted mobility bus, which is a free service available to all individuals with impairments and injuries that compromise mobility. The adoption of universal design at McGill applies to more than physical barriers, and includes the modification services such as OSD’s note-taking service to make it more accessible to all McGill students. “We have dozens and dozens of diagnoses, whether they be physical or related to mental health—so it becomes literally impossible for disabilities service providers to be targeting specific knowledge to specific situations,” said Frederic Fovet, the director of the OSD. It is therefore far more sustainable to provide these services to all McGill students who request them. The universalization of services and buildings on campus stands to benefit all students and move McGill towards a more sustainable system of promoting accessibility.

McGill is attempting to create a more accessable campus, one building at a time. (Julie Vanderperre / McGill Tribune) There is also still much work to be done, however, in making the campus accessible to all students. Specifically, there is room for improvement with regards to student housing at McGill and the creation of more wheelchair-accessible dorms. Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) and OSD have collaborated to make more equitable and accessible spaces in residence. They have created the Accessibility Hub, a centralized resource on accessibility and housing at McGill, for this purpose. SSHS and OSD have also compiled a residence comparison chart,

which allows students to view which residences include universally accessible rooms. While there is still much work to be done, McGill’s adoption of the Standards for Barrier-Free Campus, a list of goals to remove access barriers, means that the university is working towards eliminating disabling situations on campus. The standards include efforts such as adopting universal design for all building entrances so that people with disabilities may enter and exit through the same places as the general university population. Other initiatives include:

Providing barrier-free washrooms at the main entrance level of every McGill building when feasible, creating spaces for wheelchairs in auditoriums, theatres, lecture halls, and classrooms, and providing at least one exterior accessible parking space outside of every major building complex. While it is a gradual process, the promotion of equity and the removal of access barriers on campus, in terms of architecture, availability, and visibility, will allow for more people to have access to a McGill education and reap all of its benefits.

14

Student Living

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Productivity apps to keep you on track Five types of apps to relieve stress and stay focused By Karina Alibhai With just over a month of classes left, term papers and final exams are on the horizon, and stress levels are on the rise. Since students are consistently on their phones and laptops, applications are a productive and easy way to use technology to deal with academic-related pressure. Here are five different kinds of apps to help control anxiety, minimize distractions, and increase productivity.

1 Stress management apps There are many free apps that help mediate the stress and anxiety that university life can undoubtedly entail. MindShift, created by BC Anxiety and BC Mental Health & Addiction Services, has strategies for overcoming situations relevant to students like test anxiety, social anxiety, and performance anxiety. In addition to tips to battle specific stress-inducing situations, the app lists general coping strategies such as connecting with others, getting physical activity, listening to relaxing music, taking a hot bath, and setting goals. Breathe2Relax is another app which teaches people mindful breathing techniques, which can help with stress management and mood stabilization. The app is a great way to take a break and keep calm if school begins to feel too overwhelming.

2 Background-noise apps Researchers have found that people work better with white noise in the background. In a study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany investigated the effects of white noise on the brain during a memory task. The study concluded that, “white noise changes activity in the midbrain that is linked to learning and reward pathways.” Two popular apps for white noise are Coffitivity and Noisli. Coffitivity, a free app, recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to increase creativity and help users stay focused. Noisli, which costs $2.29, allows users to choose from sounds like a fire, coffee shops, white noises, and rain, among others, in order to drown out distracting noises and enhance productivity.

3 Distraction-minimizing apps If you find yourself getting distracted when working on the computer, the following are three free applications to keep you on track. FocusWriter is an application that provides a simple, distraction-free documentwriting interface. It has a fullscreen blank page for writing, which includes timers, alarms, goal setting, statistics, and spell checking, in order to minimize the need to use the web and the possibility of getting sidetracked. SelfControl is another app for Mac users that temporarily blocks any distracting or addicting sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube. Cold Turkey has the same functions for Windows users.

Students are drowning in school work, and coffee. (Cordelia Cho / McGill Tribune)

4 Pomodoro timer app The Pomodoro Technique says that when working on a timeconsuming task, the best way to increase efficiency is to work for 25 minutes, followed by a fiveminute break. After four 25-minute sessions, take a 15-30 minute break. Studies have shown that short breaks can increase the amount of information one can retain. Apps to practice the Pomodoro Technique include Pomodoro Time, which costs $2.29 and helps you list your tasks, time your sessions, and keep track of the number of sessions that have been completed.

5 List app One way to get more done in less time is to know exactly what it is you have to do. Writing down tasks in a list and crossing things off as you complete them is a satisfying and effective way to keep organized. Writing a physical to-do list is great; however, there are apps that allow you to keep your list close-by and up-to-date at all times. Wunderlist is a free app that allows users to collaborate on lists; insert documents; images, and files; as well as set deadlines and reminders. For the extra-organized, the app also has the option to separate lists by dates, or group them into different folders.

st u d e n t o f t h e w ee k

Katie duff u 3 e n g i n ee r i n g

Hailey MacKinnon (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

Katie Duff, U3 Electrical Engineering, is using her passion for her field of study to further cancer research, and create new modes of early detection for aggressive forms of cancer. Duff began her journey in the Faculty of Science, but after changing programs five times, she finally landed in the Department of Electrical Engineering, with a minor in software engineering. Duff switched to engineering in order to focus less on theory and more on solving problems, like operating with budgetary and material constraints, and work on tangible projects with finished products. Although she took part in interesting projects in her classes, including building robots and AM radios, Duff’s favourite project is the one she has been working on outside of class since the beginning of last summer. Duff is assisting Milica Popovich, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in designing a bra that uses low-energy microwave radiation to detect breast cancer tumours. X-ray mammography has ionizing radiation and can actually cause breastcancer if used too often. For this reason, it is only safe to use once or twice a year—which can be a problem for aggressive forms of cancer that can go from Stage I to Stage III in as little as six months. Low-en-

ergy radiation, however, is safe to use more frequently, and can help prevent the spread of aggressive cancers through earlier detection. Duff first heard about the project at a banquet for the International Association of Electrical Engineers (IEEE), which she had been asked to co-host. She was keen to pursue the project because it utilizes both aspects of her degree: Signal processing, which involves electrical engineering, and computer programming, which requires knowledge in software engineering. She also cites recent family events, which convinced her this was an especially important project. “My aunt recently had breast cancer and the problem [was] that it developed super quickly between her two mammogram scans—and that’s the exact situation that [this project] is trying to deal with,” Duff said. “If you detect [the cancer in] its first stage, there’s a 99 per cent survival rate. But when you get to the third stage, it drops down to [around] 24 per cent.” Although Duff wasn’t initially eligible to assist with this research as she lacked the prerequisite courses, her passion for the project drove her to seek out Popovich and convince her to take her on. “I emailed [Popovich] and was like, ‘I know that I’m not eligible at all but meet with me any-

way,’” Duff said. “I [told her] ‘I will learn anything, I’m a hard worker, [and] I really care about [the project]. You will not regret this.’” The bra has just recently been approved by the ethics board, and will hold clinical trials throughout November, which Duff will continue to be a part of. This will allow her to work with doctors and patients, and practice communicating the details of her project in a clear and accessible manner. Duff has plenty of communication skills experience conveying information thanks to her position as manager and math tutor for the Peer Tutoring Service in the Faculty of Engineering. She enjoys the opportunity to help younger students stay positive and feel confident in their abilities. “I think there’s a lot of pressure in engineering [...] that you’re supposed to just ‘get it’ [and people think] ‘If I can’t just get it, I shouldn’t be here,’” Duff explained. “[I like] having people say ‘I get it,’ or have people email me and be like ‘You’re the reason I passed this class.’ I think that’s the most rewarding thing—to have someone [say], ‘You know what, I’m not bad at this; I can do this.’” Duff strives to maintain a well-rounded university experience that is not confined to academic study. She is a choir singer, a former athlete on the McGill

Nordic Ski Team, and a member of a mentorship group for students called Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering (POW) McGill. She is passionate about increasing female representation in engineering—a field whose ‘boys club’ image can be intimidating. “The biggest thing is that [often] girls who go into engineering are girls who excel—[they] know that they can be good at it because [they] had to be really good at it in high school,” Duff explained. “But there are guys […] who are not top students—they’re doing fine, well enough to get into the program but they by no means feel they are the best or the most brilliant—and still [think] they can do [it]. My vision for […] girls in engineering is to meet a girl who’s doing badly in engineering, and to have her not feel like she should drop out.” Duff hopes to increase female visibility by being a role model and support system for other female engineers. With one year left to go in completing her degree, she is looking forward to spending it immersing herself in the music, sports, clubs, and academics that she thoroughly enjoys within McGill and Montreal alike, and is excited about the prospects for future research opportunities that her degree will lead to.

15

Sports

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

NBA Season Preview Check out the McGill Tribune online to read our Northwest and Southeast division previews by Nick Jasinski, Aaron Rose, and Mayaz Alam

At l a nt i c

C e nt r a l

(Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski / USA Today) The Atlantic Division might be the weakest in the league as it features many teams in a rebuilding phase. The Boston Celtics, who boast a war chest of future draft picks, are likely to top a weak division behind the backcourt duo of Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, as well as the sixth-man scoring prowess of Isaiah Thomas. They went 24-12 in their final 36 games last year and will hope to keep the ball rolling this season. The Toronto Raptors, who topped the division last year but crashed out of the first round of the playoffs, should see improvement on defence—they re-signed centre Jonas Valanciunas and acquired DeMarre Carroll in the off-season. The Raptors, however, will continue to lack bench depth and will rely heavily on All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. Many questions remain about the New York

Knicks even with Carmelo Anthony back and healthy. How well can the newly-acquired starting players such as Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, and Derrick Williams mesh on offence and defence? Will Derek Fisher’s coaching evolve from last year? Can fourth-overall draft pick Kristaps Porzingis adjust to the NBA? The Knicks need all these pieces to come together to even consider a playoff seed—but that may be too much to ask. The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers—two teams in polar opposite situations— round out the Atlantic Division. The Sixers are packed with inexperienced youngsters loaded with potential, and General Manager Sam Hinkie will look to add depth through the draft. The Nets, meanwhile, should be worried about their aging core: Joe Johnson is old, and Brooklyn doesn’t have a first round draft pick until 2019.

s o u t h w e st

(Photo courtesy of Eric Gay / Associated Press) In an otherwise mediocre Eastern Conference, the Central Division stands out as an outlier. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls are arguably the two best teams in the East, but all five teams have a chance to make the playoffs. The most interesting thing to watch with the Cavs this year will be how second-year Head Coach David Blatt manages minutes and keeps his players healthy. New Bulls Head Coach Fred Hoiberg will bring far more creativity and pace to the team’s offence, but the defence will miss ex-head coach and defensive guru Tom Thibodeau. Chicago has a deep bench and is a dark horse championship contender. The Milwaukee Bucks, on the other hand, are a sleeper pick to get to the conference finals. Head Coach Jason Kidd has a phalanx

pacific

(Photo courtesy of Darren Abate / Associated Press) With a frontcourt of Kawhi Leoard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs are a serious contender for the best record in the league. Head Coach Gregg Popovich will maximize the skill of every one of his players; expect plenty of ingeniously drawn-up and masterfully executed plays to make the highlight reels every week. The Houston Rockets will need Dwight Howard healthy for 82 games, and another MVPcalibre performance from James Harden this year. If the supporting cast holds up, last year’s Western Conference runners-up should be exciting to watch in the post-season once more. The Memphis Grizzlies were effective this off-season, retaining key core players like All-

Star center Marc Gasol. They will, however, continue to be a step behind the top tier of the West. The New Orleans Pelicans’ main strength is superhuman basketball machine Anthony Davis. He’ll compete for MVP this season, but it’s unclear whether he has the teammates to carry the Pelicans far into the playoffs should they sneak in with the last seed again. The Dallas Mavericks had a tough summer, losing talent to free-agency and failing to steal DeAndre Jordan from L.A. Acquiring JaVale McGee, Wesley Matthews, and Deron Williams won’t be enough to compete in a stacked conference. Dallas will likely miss the playoffs this year for only the second time since 2000.

of young, athletic, and rangy wings that can smother opposing offences, and the addition of Greg Monroe will add a sorely needed interior threat. In his second year at the helm, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has fully molded the Detroit Pistons in his ideal image. Centre Andre Drummond will be tasked with anchoring the defence and terrorizing opponents on the boards. If Detroit’s shooters can space the floor effectively and the defence is stout the team will be in the playoffs. The Indiana Pacers are a team in flux. Lumbering centre Roy Hibbert and veteran big man David West are gone, while superstar wing Paul George is now the team’s new power forward. The Pacers’ wholesale shift to small ball will be an interesting experiment to watch throughout the season.

(Photo courtesy of Christian Petersen / Getty Images) Steph Curry is hands down the most exciting player in the NBA, and when you add Nick Young, Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, and DeMarcus Cousins, it’s clear that the Pacific is going to be the most fun division to watch in the league. After an epic emoji Twitter battle waged by the players on the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks respectively this off-season, DeAndre Jordan is back for the L.A. Clippers. The additions of Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson make the Clippers serious championship contenders. If Chris Paul and the Clippers are finally going to get their first championship, however, they’re going to have to slow Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. With practically everyone returning this year, the defending champions are

still the team to beat in the NBA. For the Sacramento Kings, the Rondo-Rudy Gay-Cousins trio has the potential to be as entertaining as Khloé, Kim, and Kourtney this year; and with George Karl behind the bench, this team has the makings of an offensive timebomb ready to explode all over incoming defences. The return of Julius Randle will pay dividends for the Lakers in what could be Kobe’s last season, though they will continue to struggle. Expect the Phoenix Suns to underwhelm this season—the addition of Tyson Chandler will certainly help, but in an ultracompetitive Western Conference, Phoenix could be stuck in NBA purgatory.

16

Sports

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

know your athlete

S ARAH D U B OI S martlet soccer goalkeeper By Nicole Spadotto (Natalie Vineberg / McGill Tribune)

REdm e n h o c k e y

mcgill

Sarah Dubois is the type of person who is at ease in any setting—at one moment, she’ll be talking seriously about her passion for environmental sustainability; the next, she’ll put on a Quebecois accent and tell a funny story about a teammate at practice. Dubois sees life as a balance between responsibility and having fun. “I do my laundry because I’m an adult,” she laughed. “But I still have Doctor Who on in the background.” This philosophy transitions onto the soccer pitch. Dubois came to McGill after goalkeeping for Team Alberta, turning down several other elite North American university soccer programs. She has always aimed to balance her academics and athletics, and hopes to become an environmental lawyer after finishing her degree. Dubois’ love for soccer, however, would be tested in her sophomore season. “Second year I came into training camp with a weak back,” she explained. “And at one of our pre-season tournaments I went up for a ball, and lost all feeling in my one leg and had shooting pains down my other leg.” She was told she might never walk, let alone run, again. Threatened with permanent paralysis, Dubois was told to stop physical activity and spent the autumn in hospitals instead of on the soccer field. “I had bone scans, X-rays, MRIs, blood tests, was tested for degenerative diseases, I saw a rheumatologist—which is a doctor for arthritis—I was getting tested for possibly cancer,” Dubois said without a

8 - 3

hint of negativity. “Nobody could tell me exactly what was wrong.” Dubois’ desire to rejoin her Martlet soccer family, however, proved greater than her physical limitations. “I would have had a spot with the team in a managerial role or as their No.1 fan,” Dubois said. Playing, however, was always the goal. She started rehab and underwent a difficult therapy program. Dubois was quick to give others credit for supporting her through her recovery. “My team was there all the time when all I was feeling was loneliness and pain, and I was going to all the practices even when I couldn’t play,” she said. “Our team physio helped me through everything, whether it was hot water baths or even just musclestimulation to help me get through my classes.” Ultimately, doctors found no conclusive diagnosis for Dubois’ pain and muscle atrophy, and she was eventually cleared to be on the field and help train the other keepers. By the indoor soccer season, which occures in the winter, she was allowed to practice and play. After persisting through several medical procedures over the summer, Dubois finally went full tilt for the first time post-injury at the Martlets’ August training camp. She’s recovered so well that she has even started a few games as goalie this season—a privilege she doesn’t take for granted. “It was one of the best feelings,” she said. “Knowing I might have never played again, I’m so much more thankful whenever I’m

on the field.” This year, her goal is for the Martlets to make the CIS National Championships. Dubois is confident that if the team pulls together, with their strong players, young talent, and drive from coaches, they will succeed. Dubois recently spent time off the pitch after taking a hard hit, but she’s been cleared to play this week if she can work through the pain. She can’t help but grin—of course Dubois can handle a bit of pain to play the game she loves. As she says, competing post-injury is “like being alive.”

McGill Tribune (MT) : What was the last book you

read?

Sarah Dubois (SD) : The Kite Runner. It was pretty emotional. Not my typical type of book.

MT: Pizza or poutine? SD: Pizza. MT:What is a song that always makes you dance? SD: Oh. Jeez. “I Can’t Dance” by Genesis. MT: Who was the last person who texted you? SD: You (laughs). But before that, my mom. MT: Who is your favourite superhero? SD: I’ve got to go with probably Superman. MT: Is there any reason why? SD: Because he stands for hope. Don’t write

that (laughs).

lakehead

Pompei saves the day, Redmen take first place McGill erupts for 13 goals in weekend sweep of Lakehead

The players wait to face-off. (Elie Waitzer/ McGill Tribune)

Elie Waitzer Sports Editor Mathieu Pompei put on a clinic over the weekend, scoring seven points over two games to power McGill (7-10) past the Lakehead Thunderwolves (0-6-0), and stretch the team’s winning streak to four. Unsatisfied with his two goal performance in Friday’s 5-1 win, the senior centre netted a hat-trick in Saturday’s 8-3 victory, and added an assist for good measure. Up 3-0 going into the second period, it looked like McGill was on its

way to another easy two points against the hapless Thunderwolves. Three minutes into the frame, sophomore blueliner Alex Chenevert made it 4-0 on a quick feed from junior winger Pietro Antonelli. Maybe it was the prospect of heading back to Thunder Bay without a win on the season, but Lakehead came out of a timeout midway through the second period with an energy that caught the Redmen off guard. Thunderwolves’ forward Cody Alcock got his team on the board with a slap shot from the point, and 30 seconds later, Alcock broke

through the Redmen defence for another goal. Not even five minutes after the fateful time-out, the lead was down to 4-3. The Redmen defence that looked so impenetrable in the first period was now in disarray. All of a sudden, Lakehead was Ivan Drago, standing over the battered body of Apollo Creed. “[We lost] our focus,” Head Coach Kelly Nobes said. “We got loose, and we got away from our structure. When we play with structure, we play the right way. When we get away from that like [we] did in the second, stuff like that happens.” With momentum completely against the Redmen, it looked like Lakehead would be able to snatch their first victory out of the jaws of defeat. But when McGill needed it most, Pompei stepped up to pick his team up off the mat. Skating into the Thunderwolves’ zone with Pompei, senior David Rose tried to wrap the puck around the back of the Lakehead net to fellow winger Daniel Milne. Instead, the puck jumped off the glass and landed right in front of Pompei, who tapped it into the wide open crease. Thirty seconds later, Pompei went full Rocky, scoring on an assist from Milne to complete his hat-trick and make it a comfortable 6-3 lead. “He’s a skilled offensive guy,”

Nobes said of Pompei. “He got some chances tonight, and he executed.” The 5’7”, 167 pound centre isn’t the biggest guy on the team, but in his final year at McGill, Pompei has been huge for the Redmen as the leader of the team’s top offensive line along with Rose and Milne. “We’ve been trying to find chemistry with our group,” Nobes said. “Rose and Pompei have turned the corner in the last couple weeks and really come on strong for us and provided a […] spark for us along with Milne […] so it’s been a good line for us.” The Redmen will try to keep the streak alive next weekend as they head to Ontario to take on Ryerson (5-2-0) and Toronto (2-4-1).

Quotable “We’re getting better all the time; we’re learning lessons every game. [But] we still have a long way to go if we want to win at the end of the year.” - Nobes on the team’s improvement

Moment of the game The two teams had to be separated after frustration boiled over for Lakehead as junior Redmen goalie Jacob Gervais-

Chouinard smothered the puck on the goal line to kill a late rally.

Stat corner The Pompei-Rose-Milne line racked up a combined 16 points over the weekend.