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Recipes, Student Life

STUDENT LIVING: Recipe-Ah, zee Franche cuisine

by Conor Graham on

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Even the most particular person always has at least one thing to marvel at when they think of the French: food. French food is one of the oldest, proudest and most regulated gastronomical traditions in the world. This is not to say that Indian, Thai, Spanish or any of the other traditions are lacking in some way, but they were not institutionalized as early as the French. For example, just check out L’Express (3927 Rue St-Denis). If you ever end up eating there, you will see why it is known simply as “the Institution”; mirrored wooden walls, small tables, waiters in butcher aprons… everything in the restaurant could have been pulled straight out of 1930s Paris.

The point remains: good French food is good. The recipes are always tasty, rarely strange or odd and are probably older than you by a good 40 years, minimum.One of the oldest recipes you will find is Coq au Vin. There are hundreds of different versions out there, and this one is on the traditional side.  Ingredients1 Whole young bird or 2 kg of deboned chicken fillets1 Bottle of Red Wine (preferably French, of course)1 oz. Cognac200 g of Thick-Cut Bacon (from a butcher)4 tbsp. Butter10 Small white onions, cut in half2 Cloves Garlic1 Bunch Herbes de Provence200 g small mushrooms2 tbsp. FlourSalt and Pepper

Procedure – Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. – Cut the coq into large pieces. Cut the bacon into small chunks, removing the fat. Mince the garlic.- Melt the butter in a large pot. Brown the coq on all sides by placing it in the pot over medium heat, making sure all sides of the meat brown in the butter. While browning, add the onions, garlic, bacon, herbes de Provence, mushrooms, salt and pepper.-Warm the cognac in a small saucepan. Light the cognac and flambez le coq (pour on the burning cognac). -When the flames die naturally, pour in the red wine. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. -Place the covered pot in the oven for about an hour for a 2kg bird. Add seven minutes for each additional ½ kilo. n

Serves six to eight people depending on the size of the bird.

Features

FEATURE: Sainte-Catherine did…what?

by Rachel Melnik on

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During a drunken night out on the town, no one thinks to question the political affiliation of his or her favourite street. Enjoying the bars on St-Denis? You might be promoting a military regime. Walking along Stanley? You could be a potential colonizing bastard.

Like the city itself, Montreal’s streets have a complicated history of politics, evolutions and crisis. To satisfy the natural curiosity of those interested in Montreal’s past, here are the origins of the names of some famous Montreal rues:

RUE PEEL: Named after the infamous Robert Peel (1788-1850), former English Prime Minister. In 1846, Peel instigated a law that repealed dues on all cereals, a measure that had great economic consequences in Canada. Peel Flakes, anyone?

RUE SAINTE-CATHERINE: No one knows the true origin of the name. However, historians claim that the street underwent a name change, as well as a sex change. Before 1817, Rue Sainte-Catherine was originally named Rue Saint-Jacques.

ATWATER AVENUE: Although this street was once descriptively titled Pipe Track Avenue, it is now named after Edwin Atwater (1808-1884), president of the high-profile Montreal Aqueduct Commission.

RUE de BLEURY: This quaint little street past Avenue du Parc was formerly known as Rue Saint-Pierre. It was once a part of Jean-Clement de Bleury’s charming farm. Aww.

RUE de la MONTAGNE: Dating back to 1761, this street used to be an old “Indian” road leading to the mountain. Thought geographic names were politically neutral? Not if their origins are politically incorrect.

AVENUE de PINS: Home to the McGill gym, this road was named after a specific pine tree, which, due to the construction of buildings and roads, probably no longer exists.

RUE SAINT-DENIS: Opened around 1818, this street was named after the handsome Denis-Benjamin Viger, barrister, publicist and politician of Montreal. Apparently, he was also a captain in the War of 1812.

MCGILL COLLEGE AVENUE: Always suspected McGill of being a totalitarian regime? Perhaps you’re right. Once called Sainte-Monique Street, the avenue’s name was usurped and altered by the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning.

RUE McTAVISH: “I always thought that Shatner was haunted!” The street’s namesake, the honourable Simon McTavish (1750-1804), was a so-called “boss” of the well known grocery chain, the Northwest Company. A wealthy proprietor, McTavish died before completing the construction of his lordly residence at the foot of the mountain. Later on, the house was nicknamed “McTavish’s Haunted Castle.”

RUE STANLEY: Yes, that’s right, this street is christened after the charming Lord Stanley (1799-1869), English statesman and Minister of Colonies under Sir Robert Peel.

Features

FEATURE: Party on, Quebec!

by Elizabeth Nieto on

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Montreal is a politically charged city in a politically charged province; even the most insulated McGill ghetto resident knows that. When put to the task, it is a good bet that most students could also tell you a bit about Quebec’s beef with Canada, Canada’s beef with Quebec, and do a half-decent impression of Jean Chretien (hint: as you’re talking, move your mouth like you are, in fact, chewing beef). Secession, Bill 101, The Quiet Revolution… these are important, but rather thoroughly covered subjects in political science classes and the Canadian media (If they are not, go ahead and check out the Quebec Buzz-words chart below).

While Canadian students know the history and the gripe, do they really know the basics? It is rather shocking to discover that the majority of undergraduates probably could not even name the parties in Quebec provincial politics, much less who their local representative is. For shame! Here is an overview of the major parties currently on the Quebec politic scene. There are three; feel free to join one at your leisure.

Note: To every Montrealer who finds themselves constantly shaking their fist at other students’ political ignorance on campus, perhaps this will help. Or, at least provide more content to fuel harder fist- shaking, and to use in conjunction with some French profanity if you are feeling especially belligerent (see Swearing Chart in Student Living for ideas).

To begin in alphabetical order, first comes

The Action démocratique du Québec. Interestingly, the party has no official translation of its name; it is referred to as the ADQ even in the English media. This fiscally right-of-center party was founded in 1994 by former members of the Parti Liberal du Quebec (don’t fret, we’ll get to them soon) following the defeat of the Charlottetown accord. ADQ members are the conservative hotshots in the Quebec political food chain, though considerably less Harp-y and more Mulroney-y, in a manner of speaking. If you should chance to meet an ADQ-er one day, you can call him/her an adéquiste, which is a nickname derived from the French pronunciation of the initials.

The current leader of the ADQ pack is a man named Mario Dumont; who was an Economics major at Concordia University back in the day, but don’t hold that against him. These conservative cats were associated with Quebec soveriegnty during the 1995 referendum, and are currently pushing for Quebec to adopt its own constitution and collect federal taxes. Although Dumont may have adopted the nickname ‘Ti cul (a french term of endearment for a child), don’t be fooled: he has claimed that his party would be willing to break federal laws, if necessary, to ensure the development of the province’s hydroelectric capacity. The lesson? He may seem cute as a button, but don’t mess with Mario.

Next, comes the good ol’ Parti Libéral du Québec, or the Quebec Liberal Party. The party was founded in 1867 from the remains of The Parti Canadien, which included the boys that supported the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion, though they also stole some of their style from Les rouges, who were another Lower Canada-based group. They are, not surprisingly, Quebec’s major left-from-center party. However, they have not actually been affiliated with the federal Liberal Party since 1955.

This party’s hot button is that they support Quebec federalism (Quebec remaining within the Canadian confederation), and it is the only one of the three major parties that does so. The head honcho of this party since 2003 – and current Quebec premier – is a man named Jean Charest. Some Quebec Liberals are critical of Charest because of the party’s recent adoption of more fiscally conservative policies. He is a former federal Progressive Conservative, and many believe the Federalist movement is the result of the direct influence of those ideals. But, more significant than any of this economic hooplah, is the controversy surrounding Charest’s real name: is it Jean, or John? His response: “When you’ll have curled hair like me, you’ll decide what my first name is.”

And, of course, you can’t talk Quebec politics without la crème de la crème of Quebec parties: Parti Québecois (PQ). Founded in 1968, these guys mean business: They make up Quebec’s main sovereigntist and social democratic party. The party head is the media-adored poster boy André Boisclair, who came to power in 2005. This Harvard alumnus – who actually attended lectures by the current Liberal-leadership contender Michael Ignatieff during his time there – was the first openly gay person in North America to lead a major political party. Go, Boisclair! Unfortunately, though, and to the horror of many PQ supporters, in the midst of his 2005 campaign he publicly admitted to having used cocaine while he was cabinet minister in the 1990s. Luckily, he was still elected PQ leader despite the scandal. Phew.

While many people make the mistake of thinking that the PQ and the Bloc (see below) are the same party, they surprisingly are not. They are, however, political allies… sovereignty associates, if you will. They often support each other during elections, and share both candidates and the majority of their members. The official PQ Web site even has a link to the Bloc on their main menu. What is the real difference between the two? The Bloc is a federal party, while the PQ is provincial. Make no mistake, though, the Parti Quebecois is not the provincial wing of the Bloc. At the end of the day, they are still separate parties.

Opinion

VOX POPULI: Canadian citizenship is not a right

by Adam Heller on

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As pointed out by Andrew Coyne in the National Post on September 23rd, approximately 7,000 of the 15,000 Canadians evacuated from Lebanon have since returned. The cost of the evacuation, around $85-million, will not be picked up by the evacuees but rather by taxpayers.

It is clear that current laws do not reflect the view held by many that Canadian citizenship is a reciprocal, materialand moral connection. It is painfully problematic that the benefits of Canadian citizenship are extended to those with no real ties to this country.

Since 1977, thanks to Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau, Canadian citizens no longer automatically forfeit their citizenship if they acquire citizenship in a foreign country. The concept of dual citizenship is now somehow accepted as an inalienable right. Obvious problems exist, however, when someone who has lived outside of Canada for the majority of their life has the same rights as someone who has loyally and permanently resided in Canada. Some may never intend to return but do not renounce their citizenship because they know it may be useful. Canadian citizenship should not be “useful” and should be viewed instead as a bond that ties all those that care about Canada to a common goal and ideology.

Simple physical separation from Canada is compounded by the fact that the most basic duty that unites resident citizens-paying taxes-is avoided by many non-resident citizens. As of 1998 non-residents citizens were not required to pay taxes to the Canadian government if their earnings originated in a foreign country. This means that citizenship has been degraded to a type of abstract label that one can summon at any time despite the lack of any real connections. A person living outside Canada for their entire adult life, holding citizenship and paying taxes to a foreign country, and at the same time being able to appeal to the Canadian government and vote in Canadian elections (Sec. 3, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) is unacceptable. It is representation without taxation and is insulting to the average citizen, who does pay taxes.

It is clearly written within the citizenship laws that becoming a Canadian citizen entails a “substantial connection to Canada” and a “knowledge of Canada”. Following this it makes sense that if such criteria are no longer fulfilled, one’s true citizenship must be questioned. This is not to argue that citizenship should necessitate weekly tests and grading mechanisms, rather that citizenship should not be accepted as a lifelong right with no reciprocal responsibilities.

At the most basic level being a Canadian citizen requires meeting two criteria: residing in Canada and paying tax to the Canadian government. The interpretation of these criteria- for how long one is permitted to leave Canada and how much tax should be paid by temporary non-residents-is subject to debate.

However, citizenship is synonymous with responsibility. The services of the Canadian government should only be allotted to those who provide a service for Canada in return.

Many Canadians regard citizenship as a gift and see government spending as a means of reflecting the Canadian ideal. With this in mind one must ask how much of the $85-million given away by Canadian citizens during the Lebanese evacuation was given to Canadian citizens.

News

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS: Don’t call it ‘Islamo-facism’

by Frances Shaprio Munn on

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With the United States’ foreign policy, engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan and war on terrorism making international headlines daily, Canada’s role in the war on terror has received less scrutiny. To fill the void as well as to combat the negative views of Islam, the Muslim Students Association organized a conference last Wednesday night entitled “Canada and the War on Terror.”

Professor Yakov M. Rabkin of Université de Montréal and Professor Rachad Antonius of Université du Québec à Montréal spoke of the “Islamo-facism” message pushed by the media and government. They were particularly critical of what they perceived as a changing discourse in politics.  

“There is an impact on the discourse of the War on Terror on our everyday life,” said Rabkin, who recently published A Threat from Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism.

“Today you can say stuff about Islam and Muslims you could not dream about saying before.”

The war, which Rabkin described as a war on values,” is being fought along ethnic and religious lines, with no effort made to understand rational arguments for Islamic anger.

“There is no point in arguing with those who do not accept reason. That’s the message the Pope gave. That’s the message you hear from our government,” Rabkin said.

Antonius admitted that although there was a small security risk to Canada, it did not legitimize the wars currently being fought. The real cause of the Afghanistan and the Iraq war, he said, was “the oil game.”

Like Rabkin, Antonius warned Canadians against the changing political dialogue.

“You see anger as hatred, you explain it with religion and you legitimize the discourse,” Antonius said. 

McGill graduate and event organizer Reem Eid said the event’s foremost purpose was to be informative, but hoped that it might inspire some to take action.

“There are a lot of human rights issues being violated at the moment that we need to be aware of,” she said. “We have a lot of people here who are against the war and I don’t see why our government is making decisions without seeing what the public thinks.”

She said the media has influenced the way Canadians view Muslims and believes that Canada’s image as well as that of McGill as a tolerant and multicultural society might be in danger.

“[McGill is] welcoming a lot of Muslim students from around the world,” Eid said. “At the same time, it’s denying them a prayer space. That’s one way of denying people here their rights in a country that’s considered multiethnic.”

Fellow organizer and McGill professor Ehab Lotayef agreed.

“There is no time like now to try and get people aware of how the word terrorism is being used as a tool of oppression,” Lotayef said. “Things have changed over the past five years-have changed for the worse.”

Student reactions to the event were mixed.

“I felt like this topic really showed me more about different views on the War on Terror,” said Lawrence Huang, U2 Physiology. He admitted that most McGill students seem apathetic to international events, but added, “It’s given me more awareness. When confronted with somebody who has different opinions than I do, I can say something now.”

Other students, who chose to remain anonymous, were disappointed that the lectures were one-sided, and pointed out that the event was advertised as Canada’s place in the War on Terror, and not as a criticism of current policy.

McGill, News

CAMPUS: Thieves break into Leacock lockers

by Margaux Carson on

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Last Thursday, 74 lockers in the basement of the Leacock Building were vandalized. A still unknown person or persons cut the locks and rifled through the contents of the lockers most likely between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. As of Friday evening, some students had reported missing items, mostly of little value.

Arts Undergraduate Society Vice-President Communications Phil Holdsworth was in the AUS office when the vandalism occurred, but was unaware of it at the time. He only found out later when a student approached him asking why his lock had been cut. It was then that Holdsworth checked the lockers and realized that there was more than just one lock that had been cut.

After speaking with AUS President R.J. Kelford, all of the members of AUS Executive were called and told to report to the office. McGill Security was also called but the AUS Executive found them to be very unhelpful.

“We were looking to them for help, and when we explained the situation all they had to say was ‘Yeah, that is bad.’ They didn’t offer any support or guidance,” said Kay Turner, AUS VP external.

Kelford also had problems with security. He said that he found security rude in dealing with the situation. According to Kelford, they didn’t show up for 20 minutes after the first call was placed and left before any conclusion about the situation was reached.

The Executive did find out that there are no cameras in the basement of Leacock, preventing any possible identification of the culprit. There used to be a camera outside the AUS office door, but it was removed several years ago.

“We camped out in the hallway until the building closed to make sure nothing else got taken,” Kelford said.

Kelford was concerned with what to do with all of the students’ belongings that were now left in open lockers. A decision was made to bag everything individually according to the locker number and keep it locked up in a conference room in the AUS lounge.

“There wasn’t any precedent for this, so we finally figured that all liabilities aside, locking up students’ belongings would be in the best interest of the students. If we didn’t, their possessions would be left open to opportunists,’ Kelford said.

So far, all of the students have been grateful for the actions AUS has taken. Most students have been lucky and had all of their belongings returned to them. However, a few had gym bags stolen and one student reported a digital camera missing. The AUS is selling combination locks at cost at SNAX in Leacock so students can immediately use the lockers again. A few students have requested a refund on their lockers because they no longer feel safe storing their belongings at school.

None of the students’ belongings are covered under AUS insurance or McGill insurance. The only time McGill is responsible for theft in the Leacock Building is Christmas Day because it is the only day that access to the building is completely restricted. Students will have to rely on any personal or family insurance policies to claim their losses.

Lack of security in the Leacock Building is an issue that building director Professor Michael Bisson has addressed in his annual reports for several years. He has made multiple recommendations that more security cameras should be in place in the Leacock building, especially because it is such a high traffic area.

There are no security cameras at the third floor entrance to the building, which could have allowed the culprit to vandalize the lockers and leave the building without ever being caught on tape. The third floor doors also exit onto a public street making it easy for anyone to make a quick getaway.

A police report will be filed this week when all students have claimed their belongings.

McGill Security was not available for comment at press time.

If your locker was broken into, please report it to the AUS office, Leacock B-12, to pick up any belongings that were left and file a report if anything was taken.

News, SSMU

CAMPUS: SSMU Flying Squad getting its wings

by Matt Campbell on

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Students’ Society Vice-President External Max Silverman is looking to make some noise on campus with his latest initiative, the SSMU Flying Squad. The group, which is still in its early stages of planning, plans to make it easier to mobilize students for issues that require support. According to Silverman, this may range from campus protests to educating the student body on a number of issues to be decided at a later date.

Drawing from his experience during the 2005 student strike, Silverman is proposing the squad be modelled on the strike unions in order to facilitate the mobilization of SSMU in a more timely manner. The new initiative had a table at Activities Night, where those supporting the idea of a mobilization committee asked students to attend their first meeting the following week.

Roughly thirty students attended the meeting late Wednesday evening in the Shatner building. Silverman took a passive role in the first meeting and said he was eager to listen to others.

“I don’t want it to be Max Silverman’s Flying Squad,” he said.

Attendees attempted to flesh out the club’s mandate and voiced their opinions of how the Flying Squad should be structured, what positions should be created and how the group would operate.

Several different ideas were put forward concerning the group’s structure: becoming a loose network of activists who meet on a need basis; the creation and maintenance of a moderated student list-serv for mass emails; and the assignment of permanent publicity coordinators.

The Flying Squad faced its second challenge later in the week at SSMU Council, where it was decided that the only autonomy the Flying Squad would have is that of organization. The members of the Flying Squad would be allowed to mobilize on campaigns within the SSMU mandate which SSMU doesn’t have means to mobilize for. However, this also may mean that council has purview over the squad and can veto causes adopted by the squad.

SSMU President Aaron Donny-Clark, who chaired the council meeting, felt that councillors reacted positively.

“The issue of the Flying Squad came up during Max’s report,” he said. “There were a few questions about it from council, notably on the procedure,” he said. “It seemed to be quite well received.”

However, not all councillors were as supportive.

One SSMU councillor, who wished to remain anonymous, disagreed with Donny-Clark’s impression of events.

“I’ve been talking to a few people, and councillors are concerned about the level of autonomy, but overall think it is a good idea. We’re in favour of a mobilizing body, but these kinds of decisions on issues should be made by elected bodies.”

The councillor also added that these concerns were brought up during council, but not heavily.

“We’re going to wait and see how it goes before taking any further action,” the councillor said.

The issue of autonomy was also raised during the initial Wednesday meeting. Arts councillor Rachel Abs explained there that she was confident that SSMU would be on the same page as the Flying Squad and would not quash any of their initiatives. Silverman added that if a protest was blocked by SSMU, students can still act outside of the group and participate regardless of their affiliation.

-Additional reporting by Kate Spirgen

News

NEWS BRIEF: International Peace Day connects with students

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International Peace Day connects with students

Baha’i students joined together to raise awareness and promote a message of peace to the campus community on Thursday for the first International Peace Day. This is the first time that the Baha’i organization has planned an event like this.

Tara Nakhjavani, chairperson of the organization and a Baha’i follower, believes that this event had a positive effect on students.

“If we transform the hearts of the individuals, then the whole will benefit and peace will be achieved,” she said.

Although this was the first International Peace Day at McGill, it is not the first time that the organization has sought to become more visible on McGill campus. Previous events have included speakers and workshops to educate and create discussion about its mission. This time, however, the organization opted to share a different event with the McGill community.

International Peace Day aimed to connect with the students and faculty in an interactive setting by emphasizing the message of peace in the midst of the chaos and war in the world. Students could sign a message of peace on the Baha’i banner and enjoy cupcakes.

The Bahai’i faith is an independent world religion that began in Iran in 1844. Today, it is known as the second most SPREAD [??] religion in the world with about 6 million followers. The teachings of the Baha’i are based on the beliefs of the unity of mankind, one’s relationship to the environment, individuals and society as well as its institutions, all of which are based upon the understanding of God’s will and purpose.

The Association for Baha’i Studies at McGill University was founded in 1975 and currently has about 85 members. There are approximately 30 Baha’i students at McGill and 10 professors in different faculties. The mission of the association is to promote the study of the Baha’i teachings and how they relate to society today through lectures, student workshops, regular prayer and inter-faith devotion meetings. Their hopes for the near future are to expand and collaborate with other religious groups on campus.

-Isis Ortiz

News

NATIONAL: First Nations’ new station

by Kate Spirgen on

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In hopes of preserving First Nations language and promoting world peace, the first of a network of radio stations sponsored by the Global Country of World Peace was launched Thursday. The station will broadcast from Fredericton, New Brunswick in the native languages of the area, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq and Passamaquoddy. Programming will include songs, chants and stories produced by local people with the help of teachers.

The response to the station has been overwhelmingly positive.

“As soon as the station began to play more programming, elders have come into the station to help,” said Dr. Christopher Collrin, Representative of the GCWP in New Brunswick.

The station is independently owned and operated, but funded completely by the GCWP as part of the “Global Initiative to Strengthen Mother Tongues in order to Re-enliven the Natural Law of the Land.” This initiative was started to restore the mother languages of the world. Organizers hope to help the First Nations people reconnect modern life with their origins and bring peace to all of Canada.

The GCWP is a non-profit organization that promotes world peace through Natural Law which, according to Collrin, is the unified field of law that governs the entire universe. This law is expressed first in sound and structures the topography of the land, including rivers, lakes, mountains and valleys. He went on to explain that through the broadcast of the mother languages of the earth, the entire world becomes more connected and harmonious.

“When we hear the [mother languages] spoken, we become more in touch with the universe and more at peace with ourselves. There is more interconnectedness and we don’t see so much what is different,” Collrin said. “We can see the whole universe rather than parts. We get a broader perspective and there is more connectedness and less self-centeredness.”

According to this line of thought, the First Nations languages will bring peace to all of Canada, even those who do not understand the programming.

“The language just needs to be present in the world. The First Nations languages contain the sounds of natural law. When a language is lost, our connection to Natural Law is lost.”

The radio station will reach around 80 per cent of the First Nations in the area, around 10,000 people, through the single stations and repeater transmitters that are also funded by the GCWP.

Of all the languages native to the people of Canada, there are only three that are not in imminent risk of disappearing, according to the Director of McGill’s Office of First Nations and Inuit Education, Donna-Lee Smith. This station is one of many on-going projects to help keep First Nations languages alive.

“Language is absolutely crucial because if you don’t know your heritage language, then you can’t express your worldview,” said Smith. “What happens to your self esteem and your view on the world if you can’t express yourself?”.

She went on to explain the necessity of keeping First Nations languages alive.

“There’s a difference between a lived language and a learned language. If it’s a learned language, it might as well be Latin.”

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the GCWP, also expressed his belief in the importance of indigenous languages.

“When children in the schools are not taught in their mother tongue, it creates stress and strain in the brain and greatly weakens their full development, which then leads to mistakes and suffering in life.”

Eventually, the GCWP plans to work within all of Canada and has already begun discussions with four other reserves in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

News, SSMU

SSMU prepares inaugural year for Faculty Olympics

by Trip Yang on

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Have you always known that your faculty could beat the crap out of any other faculty on campus? You might have to put up or shut up this winter with the introduction of the first ever Faculty Olympics.

Although the idea has been around since at least last year, the Faculty Olympics have never been realized. However, SSMU has been persistent this year in making the Olympics a reality, working with organizers Aneerudha Borkotoky, U3 Finance and Marketing, and Sheera Gendzel, U3 Marketing, to launch the event.  

“We’re still in the preliminary stages, but we already have a lot of ideas formed,” said Students’ Society Vice-President Communications and Events Gill Prendergast. “Now we need to select the best ideas and realize them.” 

There are many possible events already and more to come.

“One idea is to have one activity within each faculty that is naturally inclined toward that faculty,” Prendergast said. “For example, we could have lighthearted scientific experiments for Science and similarly styled trivia for Arts. Another example would be to have one huge immersive activity for all the faculties. Then again, it’s certainly plausible to combine both examples.”

The Olympics are hoped to create camaraderie between McGill’s faculties rather than competition.

“The main goal is to increase faculty interaction,” Prendergast said. “A lot of times, students unconsciously interact chiefly with other students in the same faculty. What we’d like to do is to promote more interaction between the faculties, to stimulate more out-of-faculty relationships. Ultimately I think it’ll be a really productive event.”  

The Faculty Olympics has been tentatively scheduled over a four-day period in mid-winter, possibly January and all the faculties have received invites.

The location of the event has not yet been decided, but everyone involved is working hard to make it a success.

“I hope the event gets a warm reception,” Prendergast said. “If we could get a strong start in the initial year and make this an annual event, all the hard work put in would have been worth it.”

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