The first time I really saw Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 World War II revenge fantasy, I was with 20 other classmates at a high school screening. It wasn’t my first time seeing the film, but it was my first time experiencing it in a group. Seen in front of a large,[Read More…]
Articles by Andras Nemeth
Cargo ships contribute to spreading alien species
In 1988, the arrival of the zebra mussel irreversibly transformed the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. The introduction of the species was, and continues to be, a disaster for North American waterways. By 2009, the species had spread as far as Manitoba and Texas, driving out local species and costing[Read More…]
Spaced out
In 2024, Canadarm 3, an artificially-intelligent robotic arm designed and manufactured in Canada, will move autonomously over the surface of a space station orbiting the moon. Designed to operate without human supervision, the arm, and the operating system that controls it, will be trusted with the maintenance of the Lunar[Read More…]
Environmentalism takes on gas and Guinness at Board-Student Forum
Representatives from groups, associations, and organizations across the McGill community presented their initiatives to the 2019 McGill Board of Governors (BoG) Board-Student Forum on Feb. 28. Moderated by BoG Senate Representative Edith Zorychta, the event included information sessions led by members of Divest McGill, the First Peoples’ House, the Black[Read More…]
Blunting your mental resilience
Legalized in October 2018, cannabis is becoming an accepted part of mainstream society. However, researchers from McGill and the University of Oxford suggest that its effects may not be as well-understood as commonly believed. Their analysis has garnered international attention for linking cannabis use to depression and suicide risk in[Read More…]
AUS executive decision to approve POLI 339 fee suspended
Motion to Ban Recording of Legislative Council Meetings Carries Prior to discussing the POLI 339 vote, the Legislative Council approved a motion to institute a standing rule banning the taping or recording of AUS Legislative Council meetings. Under the approved motion, campus media may be exempt from the ban if[Read More…]
St. Valentine’s Capitalist Manifesto
It seems that, every year, the public outcry against Valentine’s Day threatens to overwhelm the holiday itself. Browsing through the opinion sections of online publications, it is impossible to escape the feeling that a war is unfolding against the holiday. According to recent trends, the percentage of the population celebrating Valentine’s[Read More…]
‘First Man’ shoots straight for the moon
Halfway through First Man, Janet Shearon (Claire Foy), wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), confronts a NASA official (Kyle Chandler) to demand information about her husband after a near-fatal test mission. Her response to the official’s attempt at reassurance is one of the film’s more memorable lines. “You’re a[Read More…]
McGill best university in Canada for 14th year in a row
McGill University retained the top spot in Maclean’s magazine’s annual ranking of Canadian universities. The report, published on Oct. 11, evaluated 15 Canadian universities in the ‘medical-doctoral’ category, a comprehensive classification for research-focused universities with a wide range of graduate programs. This is the 14th consecutive year that McGill has[Read More…]
SSMU VP External Marina Cupido resigns
The executive board of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is one member short as of Wednesday. On Oct. 10, SSMU announced the resignation of vice-president (VP) External Marina Cupido in a statement emailed to SSMU members by VP Internal Matthew McLaughlin, which cited mental health concerns as the[Read More…]
Trib Explains: Defamation and tenure
What is defamation? In the Canadian legal system, defamation law protects an individual’s right to their reputation and good name. Defamation law is classified under tort law, a branch of Canadian law that provides compensation to those who have been injured or have had their property damaged by the wrongdoings[Read More…]
What record voter turnout means for the McGill community
Voting for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) 2018 Winter Election and Referendum closed on March 21 with a voter turnout of 32.8 per cent. Despite less than a third of all eligible SSMU members voting, this figure represents the highest voter turnout in the past 14 years. 7,100 of[Read More…]
McGill professors debate the effectiveness of fossil fuel divestment
“The research shows that [divestment] does make a difference,” Mikkelson said. “The most comprehensive study [of divestment movements] was done at Oxford, and they looked at other divestment campaigns that didn’t necessarily cripple the industries they were targeting, but what they did do is make a big public impact, and that spurred governments to take action [….] Divestment creates impact by raising awareness, stigmatizing target companies, and influencing legislation.”
Etzion further emphasized the status of divestment as a social rather than economic movement.
“I don’t really perceive [fossil fuel divestment] as a financial tactic,” Etzion said. “It’s about something much bigger than what you invest in, it’s actually a social movement. And the objective of this tactic is to de-legitimize an entire industry. [Universities] are very influential in how the world perceives issues, and [divestment] empowers people to envision a world that is not running on a path to destruction.”
Report on anti-Semitism discussed at Board of Governors meeting
The McGill Board of Governors (BoG) convened on Feb. 15 to discuss the University’s report on allegations of anti-Semitism, the new Vision 2020 Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, the new Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) terms of reference, and budget affairs. Two hours of the BoG’s[Read More…]
McGill professor investigated for theft of U.S. military technology
McGill Associate Professor Ishiang Shih’s home in Brossard was raided on Jan. 19 in connection with an investigation of his possible role in the theft of military technology from the United States. I. Shih was suspected of conspiring with his brother, Yi-Chi Shih—an adjunct professor at the University of California,[Read More…]
Faculty and student committee to review Student Life portfolio
The position of Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning (DPSLL) will come under review as current DPSLL Ollivier Dyens’ plans to allow his contract to expire on July 31. “Beginning in early 2018 I will undertake a comprehensive review of the scope and orientation of the Student Life and Learning[Read More…]
McGill outlines plan to reach Carbon neutrality by 2040
On Dec. 1, McGill University launched its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. As the product of the Vision 2020 Sustainability Strategy’s consultations with over 500 McGill community members, the Action Plan outlines two long-term goals for the university: Obtaining a Platinum Ranking from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System[Read More…]
McGill administration conducts investigation into divisive SSMU GA
On Oct. 25, McGill University announced the launch of an investigation into whether anti-Semitism was present at the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall General Assembly (GA). The announcement, sent via email to students and staff, was a response to allegations of religious prejudice at the GA when three[Read More…]
Black Students’ Network holds panel on racial profiling and how to combat it
Writers and activists Desmond Cole, Robyn Maynard, and Andrea Ritchie visited McGill on Nov. 8 for a panel discussion on the nature of racial profiling and police violence, hosted by the Black Students’ Network (BSN). In conversation with McGill Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Professor Rachel Zellars, they discussed the history of[Read More…]
SSMU General Assembly ratifies Board of Directors
On Oct. 23, The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2017 General Assembly (GA) ratified the SSMU members of the SSMU Board of Directors. The GA also passed motions that urge McGill to become involved in the Institute of International Education’s Syria Consortium, mandate SSMU to develop an action[Read More…]
Director of Facebook AI Research on its disruption in the workplace
On Oct. 11, Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) Director Yann Lecun, in collaboration with McGill’s Integrated Management Symposium Series, gave a talk on how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts the modern workplace at Centre Mont-Royal. Lecun discussed the development of artificial intelligence in the 21st century. Lecun began with a description[Read More…]
Echo chambers on autoplay: How social media news videos hurt political dialogue
Flashing through countless newsfeeds with bold lettering and eye-catching, often shocking imagery, online news videos have become intrinsic to users’ experience on social media. Painstakingly engineered for maximum impact on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, these brief videos are just one embodiment of social and news media’s increased reliance on one[Read More…]