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Arts & Entertainment, Books

Sex, violence, and more violence

by Carolyn Yates on

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Joy Fielding’s The Wild Zone begins when a personal trainer, a dishonourably discharged Afghanistan war veteran, and a Princeton philosophy Ph.D. walk into a bar and make a bet over who can sleep with the pretty, quiet girl alone with her martini. Suzy Bigelow, naturally, has secrets and an agenda of her own, and she leads them all on a wild and deadly ride which, though two-dimensional, is remarkably compelling.

Although the plot is fast-paced, the characters are flatter than a set of popped breast implants.

Jeff is bachelor number one: a moderately well-dressed guy who always gets the girl, or at least gets into her pants. He’s dating Kristin, a hot bartender who lets him sleep around, and whom he treats like crap. While he has a momentary lapse of character development, by the end of the novel he seems to have gone down an all-too-expected path.

Bachelor number two is a quiet, insecure grad student writing a dissertation on Heidegger. Unlike Jeff, his half-brother, Will never gets the girl and is bad at even trying. The most likeable of the trio, Will’s opportunity to shine is nonetheless tarnished by the indecisiveness that plagues him throughout the novel.

Bachelor number three isn’t a bachelor at all – at least, not until his wife’s divorce papers go through. Tom was dishonourably discharged from the Army after raping a young Afghan girl, and falls into an ex-army-guy mould in the worst way. He’s angry, he’s a misogynist, and he works at the Gap. Everything is everyone else’s fault.

And where the male characters are shallow and abusive, the women are too submissive, too stereotyped, and too neurotic to induce reader interest. Every single one is abused – in most cases several times – by page 48. The men have their own troubled childhoods fraught with mommy issues, daddy issues – or both. But the women are exposed to a world of horror that Fielding seems to excuse almost completely until the very end. And even that isn’t enough to make readers care about what happens to them.

Surprisingly, The Wild Zone is listed under the Gay & Lesbian fiction category – a listing that doesn’t become relevant until 98.9 per cent of the way through the book. In an ending that reads more like a sensationalized, ratings-boosting cop-out than a genuinely rewarding conclusion, readers are left wondering what just happened. For a novel filled with stereotypes, this one is the worst – and while the ending is a welcome relief in some ways and a shock in others, it is too little, too late when it comes to saving the rest of the novel.

The Wild Zone presents a world in which people are judged by the colour of their pomegranate martinis. A world where people are described by height and hair colour, not personality. A world where women are merely the punch lines to jokes by slightly drunk, very desperate men. And while Fielding seems all too familiar with this world, it’s time she grew out of it.

 

Science & Technology

Car-puccino

by Iain Macdonald on

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Many people drink coffee to wake themselves up in the morning or stay focussed throughout their day. But a team of scientists from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory have taken the term “running on coffee” to another extreme: they have built a car that runs on coffee rather than gasoline.

The modified 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco, aptly named the Car-puccino, functions just like a normal car, but instead of guzzling gas, it chugs coffee. Even though coffee might be cheaper than gasoline, it contains far less chemical energy, so the car is actually 25 times more expensive to drive than a conventional car. On average, the Car-puccino consumes more than 50 espresso’s worth of coffee beans per mile.

In order to make it run on such unconventional fuel, the car had to be heavily modified. It now features a large brown pipe running down the side, and a canister for fuel on the back. When running, the car burns the coffee to break it down to hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which are used to run the engine. The gases are liquefied before being filtered for any solid, or otherwise harmful parts. The resulting fuel is sent to the engine for burning. Unlike for humans, the caffeine in the coffee is not the most important part.

The car will be driven the 210 miles from London to Manchester for presentation at the Big Bang Science Fair. During the journey, it’s expected to use about 70 kilograms of coffee, not counting the drivers.

Student Life

A weekend in Munich

by Francesca Ferenczi on

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I should know better than to order anything off a German menu when the only German phrase I know is “beer, please.”

Clearly this wasn’t the case after I found myself at the Haufbrauhaus in Munich, staring down at a plate of something that looked more or less like pig ankle (although I imagine it could have been an elbow or knee). Curious, and fearing retribution for wasting, I dug in, but not before a friend reminded me to take the furry skin off. I got through it unscathed, and it wasn’t so bad – it actually tasted like ham.

After this somewhat dramatic start to my weekend in Munich, things did improve. Saturday morning we woke up early and picked up some brezel (soft, salted pretzels), senf (spicy German mustard), and apfelschorle (a sparkling apple cider). These classic treats tided us over during our drive through the Bavarian countryside on our way to Neuschwanstein Castle, the most photographed building in Germany and the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle.

Ludwig II commissioned Neuschwanstien, but he died before he ever got to live there. Although the castle is a little far from Munich, the history and beautiful views make the trek well worth it. Also, although we drove, Neuschwanstein is accessible by public transportation.

After a groggy drive back into Munich, we thankfully found ourselves at the Viktualienmarkt, a beautiful outdoor market filled with family-run stalls selling everything from flowers and honey to cheese and milk. We had our dinner at the market, capping a wonderful day full of architectural delights, spectacular vistas, and a whole lot of food.

On Sunday, we visited central Munich. First we went to the Residenz Museum, which was originally built in 1385 and was used by the Wittelsbach rulers as a residence and seat of government until 1918. Make sure to splurge on audio tours – they were crucial to making sense of this sprawling palace.

After some time indoors, we headed to the Nymphenburg Palace and Park. The Nymphenburg Gardens, which were influenced by French artists and architects, have a distinctly Versailles-like layout. When we arrived, we sat outside and ate Bavarian sausages, spätzle (a German version of gnocchi), and kaiserschmarrn (a large, lightly caramelized pancake that is shredded into strips and topped with powdered sugar). This delicious lunch gave us the energy we needed to explore the sprawling gardens.

We could have wandered aimlessly for hours, but our weekend was drawing to a close. We were sad to leave this friendly town with its stunning architecture, but I have no doubt that I will return to Munich the next chance I get. In the meantime I will just have to brush up on my German. Bier bitte!

Student Life

For Anglo-Montrealers, Super Sandwich is the place for lunch

by Theo Meyer on

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Though downtown Montreal is filled with dépanneurs, the small establishment in the basement of the Cartier Building on Peel and Sherbrooke Streets is the only one that has several hundred loaves of bread delivered fresh every morning.

That dépanneur, known as Super Sandwich because of the red-and-blue neon sign advertising “Super Sandwiches” mounted in the window, needs the loaves in order to make the hundreds of sandwiches it sells each afternoon. The dépanneur is a popular lunch spot for professionals downtown as well as students and staff at McGill, most of whom order in English.

“I would say maybe 80 per cent are Anglophones and 20 per cent are Francophones,” said Mathis Lo, 31, who runs the dépanneur with his sister.

Lo’s parents, originally from Mauritius, a tiny island nation in the Indian Ocean, immigrated to Canada from Norway, where Lo was born, in the late 1980s. They purchased the basement dépanneur shortly after arriving in Montreal, which Lo estimated sold only about 50 sandwiches per day under the previous owners. As Lo’s parents expanded the menu, however, adding items such as chicken salad, sandwiches became a more important part of the business.

According to Lo, sales increased dramatically when he and his sister began running the dépanneur after his father suffered a stroke four years ago. He now sells 200 to 300 sandwiches per day. Though the dépanneur still stocks the typical assortment of canned goods, batteries and cigarettes, sandwiches now make up about 70 per cent of its sales when school is in session.

A large portion of Super Sandwich’s business comes from the dépanneur’s loyal customers, many of whom buy several sandwiches per week.

“We have a lot of regulars who come three or four times a week,” Lo said. “There’s one McGill student who buys two sandwiches a day and has been coming for the past four or five years.”

One of those regulars is Jonathan Pollack, a third-year mechanical engineering student at McGill who has been coming to the dépanneur for the past two years and usually orders the chicken salad.

“It’s truly a super sandwich,” Pollack said with a laugh.

Because the dépanneur’s prices are fairly low – the most expensive sandwiches cost four dollars, Lo said – business has not been affected by the recession. Raymond, a Francophone regular who declined to give his last name, called the prices cheap enough to be “a joke.” And Lo noted that Super Sandwich’s closest competitors, the three or four Subway restaurants within several blocks of the Cartier building, charge significantly more for their sandwiches.

Despite all the regulars, Super Sandwich doesn’t offer a discount for customers who buy a certain number of sandwiches, which Lo said he couldn’t afford. This has proved frustrating to James Shubin, a staff member at McGill’s School of Computer Science who visits Super Sandwich twice a week and habitually requests receipts with his sandwiches.

“One day I’ll have a thousand Super Sandwich receipts and I’ll get a free sandwich,” joked Shubin, who usually orders brie or egg salad.

Recipes, Student Life

Tofu vegetable stir-fry at the drop of a hat

by Carolyn Yates on

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Stir-frying random ingredients is a simple way to cook an impressive meal without culinary skill or expertise. I lack all three, but I can still make a passable tofu stir-fry without setting something on fire.

The following recipe takes 10-30 minutes to prepare, depending on how many vegetables you use, and about 10 minutes to actually cook. Remember not to overcook the vegetables: they should be crunchy, not mushy.

Ingredients (choose several of these vegetables):

  • 1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper
  • 1 medium carrot (or a handful of baby carrots)
  • 1 cup of snow peas
  • 6 medium-sized mushrooms
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 small onion
  • 5 ears of baby corn (canned)
  • 1 broccoli stalk
  • 1 cup of bean sprouts*

And add these:

  • 1/2 pkg. firm or extra-firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil (preferred), vegetable oil, or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. orange juice

Directions

  1. Prepare the vegetables by washing them, removing any stems and seeds, and drying them lightly. Cut into approximately 3-centimetre long pieces, leaving the snow peas, baby corn, and bean sprouts whole.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice, and 1 tbsp. oil. Pat tofu dry and cut into 2-cm cubes. Add to bowl. Ideally, let it marinate for several hours, but realistically, 30 seconds will do.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, remove the tofu from the marinade, and stir-fry for one to five minutes, according to taste. The tofu should feel slightly undercooked. Remove from frying pan and set aside.
  4. Add the onion, bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots. Stir-fry for about two minutes.
  5. Add the celery, mushrooms, and zucchini. Stir-fry for about two minutes.
  6. Add the snow peas, bean sprouts, and baby corn. Stir-fry for about one minute.
  7. Add the leftover soy sauce and orange juice; stir thoroughly.
  8. Add tofu; stir-fry for one minute.
  9. Serve warm.

*Note: Other things I have successfully added to a stir-fry include slivered almonds, pecans, red apples, lemon juice, red cabbage, green cabbage, ginger, and hearts of palm. I don’t suggest trying them all at once, however, and the same goes for these vegetables.

Arts & Entertainment, Books

John le Carré: the spy who loved fiction

by Kyle Carpenter on

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The 2010 International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) in Montreal kicks off on March 18, featuring 230 films from 23 countries. Shortlisted from this group are a competitive selection of 43 films from 14 countries (including eight entries from Quebec). Buzzed films from the competitive group include Je M’Appelle Denis Gagnon, a documentary about the Quebec fashion designer who made quite an impression at Montreal Fashion Week; The Real World of Peter Gabriel, on the Genesis lead singer; and perhaps most intriguing, King of Spies: John le Carré, a documentary about the life’s work of a spy-turned-fiction writer.

John le Carré is one of the most celebrated spy fiction authors, with a career spanning the past 50 years. Our generation would recognize him as the author of The Constant Gardener, which led to an Academy Award-nominated film in 2005. However, le Carré is best known for his Cold War novels from the 1960s, most notably The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

Le Carré is a former agent for MI5 and MI6 (now known as the Secret Intelligence Service), but unfortunately that’s about as much detail as anyone can give you, as le Carré is unwilling to discuss his involvement in the British government. And rightfully so – as he says in the documentary, there are two reasons why he does not reveal his past: he would never allow himself to put anyone he knows in danger, and nobody would believe what he told them anyway. While it’s understandable that we don’t get to learn about le Carré’s experiences as an agent, it’s still disappointing. Instead, the documentary is chiefly about his writing career, which is almost inseparable from the politics of the Cold War. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold marks a trend in le Carré’s work: the jaded, overworked agent who is anything but a James Bond-esque hero. The key difference, as explained by a former KGB agent, is that Ian Fleming’s novels provided readers with a form of escapism, while le Carré’s showed the gritty reality of the Cold War.

The bulk of the documentary is made up of various interviews with le Carré, as well as with former politicians, ex-agents, and academics who discuss both le Carré’s legacy and the politics of the era. Le Carré is an interesting speaker: he is both charming and well-versed in the art of fiction. Some of the film’s most interesting moments are le Carré’s anecdotes about famous figures: when describing his love of subtext in literature, he quotes Alfred Hitchcock, who was once asked how long he could film a kissing scene, to which Hitchcock replied “20 to 25 minutes … but I would put a bomb under the bed first.”

The film incorporates more than just interviews, splicing in footage from films based on le Carré’s novels, and many scenes made up of grainy footage of England with the narrator reading passages from le Carré’s work. These scenes are far too numerous, and it feels as though the directors were trying to lengthen the film rather than strengthen it.

The portrait of le Carré that the documentary paints is a man who has seen it all. The viewer gets the impression that there’s an authenticity to le Carré’s writing, because he seems to have seen the world he represents on paper first-hand. From his youth at a boarding school, where there were “different types of beatings for different imaginary offences,” to his career during the Cold War, the viewer begins to wonder if the hardboiled, cynical secret agents that he creates are really just a reflection of himself.

As the Cold War came to a close, many expected that le Carré’s writing career would end with it. He has gone on to write many subsequent novels, however, after switching his focus from the Cold War to globalization, a concept he is very critical of. However, just because the war has ended does not mean that its effects are not felt today: “When you travel the world a bit, you’ll find that victims have a terribly long memory,” says le Carré, making the viewer once again question just how fictional the king of spies’ fiction really is.

King of Spies: John le Carré is playing as a part of FIFA, which runs from March 18 to 28 at nine theatres: the Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the National Film Board Cinema, the Cinémathèque québécoise, the Goethe-Institut, the Musée d’Art Contemporain, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Place des Arts and Concordia University. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased on-line at www.artfifa.com or at any of the nine theatres on the day of the screening, one hour before the film begins.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

The White Stripes trade stage lights for Northern lights

by Laura Tindal on

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Jack White is a busy guy. Playing in three successful bands (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather), taking on small roles in feature films, and running a production company in Tennessee doesn’t seem to be enough. White claims he likes to make things difficult for himself, so within a single year he signed on for two documentary films; It Might Get Loud was released at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, and Emmett Malloy’s The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights – filmed during the band’s tour across Canada in 2007 – premiered there last year. The latter is being released on DVD on March 16.

Under Great White Northern Lights documents a tour that deserved to be recorded. The band set out to hit every province and territory in Canada – something most Canadian bands haven’t managed – and not just the big cities, either. The White Stripes not only wanted to play towns off the beaten path, but “venues” a big band like themselves wouldn’t normally play. What follows is the ultimate tour doc, mixing band interviews, concert footage, and footage of secret, intimate performances the duo put on for fans in the far reaches of the Canadian North.

Most of the film focusses on the Northern part of the tour, when the band was playing in Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqaluit; these remote locations – far more than surprise shows in urban centres – are what make the tour so unique. Malloy skillfully captures the unique Northern Canadian moments, such as Jack and Meg playing for square-dancing Inuit elders in Nunavut, and leaving a late-night show with the sun still out.

Above all, this is a tour video. Unlike It Might Get Loud, which included an outsider’s exploration of Jack White as a musician, this is an insider’s depiction of one of the world’s biggest bands. The interviews are interesting but sparse, and the majority of the film is of the band putting on amazing shows. White Stripes fans will soak in the music and be inclined to clap after performances, but non-fans will feel out of place. While the music is great, the exchanges and encounters amusing, and the footage beautifully shot, Under Great White Northern Lights is for fans who wish they could have been on the bus Jack and Meg played on in Winnipeg, or the bowling alley they surprised in Saskatoon.

Emmett does explore the dynamics of the duo, but he raises more questions than answers. It’s always a treat to listen to the talented enigma that is Jack White speak about his work, but Meg speaks only occasionally in the film, and her quiet words are often subtitled. In a very funny scene, Jack tries to convince the interviewer that Meg is just quiet and it’s not because he speaks over her that she doesn’t talk in interviews. He says this while talking over her, drowning out whatever she wanted to say.

The film ends with an out-of-place scene, with Jack playing “Little Ghost” on piano next to Meg, bringing Meg to tears and Jack close. The scene is touching, but it’s a sharp divide from the rest of the film and leaves the audience unclear as to what the filmmaker is trying to say.

Under Great White Northern Lights is an amazing and entertaining tour documentary, but do not expect an investigative look at the White Stripes. The film upholds the illusion that Jack and Meg White are brother and sister instead of divorced, and as usual, it’s never clear when Mr. White is being sincere on camera, or just adding to the act that is the White Stripes But as the documentary shows, maybe the act is all that matters.

News, SSMU

Newburgh wins SSMU presidency

by Matt Essert on

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Hillel Montreal President and former EUS and SSMU Speaker of Council Zach Newburgh was elected SSMU president on Thursday evening, narrowly edging out his competitors with 28.6 per cent of the vote. Newburgh’s margin of victory was only 1.5 per cent of the vote over AUS Senator Sarah Woolf.

“It was an extremely close race,” said Newburgh. “All of the candidates ran a tremendous campaign.”

In the other contested elections, Myriam Zaidi earned 46.7 per cent of the vote to win the position of vice-president external. Josh Abaki pulled out a victory in the VP university affairs race with 49.3 per cent of the vote-winning on a platform of a “student-centered university.” Abaki, who claimed that he was the underdog, was overjoyed with his victory.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “I’m really, really glad. I didn’t think it would happen, especially after not getting the endorsements and so many things happening, but I am really glad. I think I was able to get through to students and the hard work that I’ve put in through the year has finally paid off.”

In another contested race, Tom Fabian was elected VP internal with 54.9 per cent of the vote, the highest percentage of all the races for SSMU executive positions. Fabian credited the victory to his platform of promoting athletics and expanding university social affairs, although he felt the race was hotly contested until the last minute.

“I’m speechless,” said Fabian. “Five minutes before this I was stressing out so much, I just had it in my head all day. I’m very relieved.”

In the acclaimed elections, Nicholas Drew and Anushay Kahn were approved for the positions of VP finance and VP clubs and services, with 67.8 per cent and 66.4 per cent of the vote, respectively.

Among the referenda questions, The McGill Tribune won its independence with 49.9 per cent of the vote, ensuring that the Tribune will become an independent organization funded by a non-opt-outable $3 student fee. A referendum to insert the words “bodily sovereignty” into the SSMU Constitution was also approved, with a 64.2 per cent “yes” vote. TVMcGill also secured a 50-cent per semester opt-outable fee with 50 per cent approval.

“At the bottom of our souls, we thought we weren’t going to get it, but we’re so happy we did, and we can’t wait to really make a big impact on campus next year and really make our presence felt,” said Alex Seltzer, features and series producer for TVMcGill.

“We know TVMcGill isn’t a huge organization, but this is the next step,” said Executive Producer Arthur Cormon. “It’s what we want to do to keep going and become more legitimate. This was definitely the year for this to happen, and we’re super excited. We’re not the Daily or the Tribune yet, but we’re getting there.”

In the senatorial elections, Matt Reid was elected management senator, securing 34.9 per cent of the vote in the six-candidate race.

“I feel spectacular,” said Reid. “I’m in first year now, but I’m ready to make changes. It’s a really great opportunity for me.”

Claudette van Zyl, Amara Possian and Tyler Lawson were elected as arts senators, earning 28.5 per cent, 25.3 per cent and 16.2 per cent of the vote respectively. All of the new senators were excited by their victories.

“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” said Lawson. “I’m so excited. … It’s going to be fantastic and I’m pumped. I’m just so taken aback right now.”

Andrew Doyle and Simon Liu were both elected as engineering senators. Hui Long Li and Annie Ma won 25.6 per cent and 33.6 per cent of the vote, and will serve as science senators next year. In the race for law senator, Randall Blom captured 53.6 per cent of the vote. Catherine Ready was also approved as music senator, with an 81.3 per cent approval rate in the uncontested race.

News

Tribune to become independent newspaper

by Tori Crawford on

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After 29 years under the Students’ Society, the McGill Tribune will become an independent newspaper next year.

A referendum question that asked students if they would support a $3 non-opt-outable fee for an independent Tribune passed with 49.9 per cent voting yes, 29.7 per cent voting no, and 20.3 per cent spoiling their ballots.

Tribune Editor-in-Chief Thomas Quail was thrilled with the results.

“It’s the dawning of a new age for the Tribune as an independent newspaper,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it.”

The referendum marked the end of a two-year process that began in March 2008, when SSMU Council mandated that the Tribune become independent. Matt Chesser, Tribune opinion editor and former editor-in-chief, said the result was indicative of the paper’s progress.

“It’s been a long two years-and a very stressful two years-but I think this is a reflection of how far the Tribune has come, and a reflection of the quality of the content we put out every week,” said Chesser. “I’m just ecstatic people think the Tribune is worth $3 per semester.”

Over the past week, the Tribune had been working with a skeletal staff-with approximately half of the editorial board resigning in order to campaign as part of the “yes” committee. After a week of campaigning, the editorial board was optimistic about the future of the paper.

“I’m ecstatic with the results. Going into campaigning we were all a bit nervous, but deep down we had the confidence that this was going to go well,” said Managing Editor James Gilman. “We’re looking forward to starting the Tribune’s new life as an independent organization.”

Opinion

The Tribune’s 2010 winter referendum endorsements

by on
  • Author

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Eight referenda and a plebiscite question appear on the Students’ Society winter electoral ballot. After careful deliberation, the Tribune editorial board has endorsed a position on each of the questions. Our candidate endorsements appear on pages 10 & 11. Even if you choose to ignore our reccommendations, make sure you vote between now and Thursday at ovs.ssmu.mcgill.ca.

Tribune Independence

Nebulous Elections’ McGill bylaws prevent the Tribune from endorsing its own referendum question, but you can read letters from former editors on pages 8 & 15. A “yes” vote on this question would establish the Tribune as an independent newspaper, while a “no” vote jeopardizes the future of the newspaper you’re holding.

Policies on matters external to the Society: YES

This is the third consecutive year in which GA reform has been on the referendum ballot. This year’s question seeks to make it harder to consider motions external to SSMU’s normal activities, requiring a 500-person quorum and a two-thirds majority vote before an external issue can be debated at a GA. This is clearly aimed at preventing motions similar to the “Israel motions” introduced at the last two winter GAs.The Tribune feels that this motion is a step in the right direction. GAs are most useful when they set internal policy, rather than when they attempt to pass symbolic motions on divisive external issues. If we’re going to keep the GA, let’s use it for setting achievable policy directives. The Tribune is also in favour of the 500-person quorum, which would help prevent fringe groups from passing motions unrepresentative of the general student body.

Bodily Sovereignty in the SSMU Constitution: NO

While the Tribune is pro-human dignity and bodily sovereignty, we question the need for this change to the preamble. Our reasons for opposing this question are strictly in regards to concerns over vagueness and misinterpretation in the future. While changing the preamble of the Constitution in the short term might seem like a good idea, we are concerned that a ‘yes’ vote could restrict pro-life groups from exercising their right to respectful free speech. Is advocating a pro-life position fundamentally incompatible with bodily sovereignty? If so, then this change would stifle a legitimate viewpoint. SSMU proved that the current model for dealing with pro-life groups works, giving Choose Life the right to form, and then correctly taking away their club status when they acted inappropriately – so why try to fix something that isn’t broken?

Environment Fee Renewal: YES

This question seeks to renew the $1.25 per semester (opt-outable) SSMU Environment Fee, which expires at the end of this year. The Tribune strongly endorses a “yes” vote for renewal, as the funds from this fee go towards a number of student-run green services, including the Plate Club, Gorilla Composting, and a number of sustainability conferences and events. It’s also important to note that the new Sustainability Projects Fund – into which students pay $7.50 per semester – doesn’t make the Environment Fee redundant. The SSMU Green Fund can prioritize student projects that try to make day-to-day SSMU operations more environmentally friendly, while the SPF focusses on large-scale, campus-wide initiatives.

TVMcGill Funding: YES

TVMcGil’s opt-outable 50-cent fee would allow them to continue to provide resources and training for students interested in media and audio-visual production, acquire more much-needed equipment, and to produce additional content. The Tribune would like to see them continue to make strides in their programming quality and scope. We therefore endorse this fee.

QPIRG Bylaw Changes: YES

No matter how you feel about the Quebec Public Interest Research Group’s policies and politics, a “yes” vote is the only sensible choice on this referendum question. QPIRG is asking that they be able to change their bylaws at Annual General Meetings, rather than through campus-wide referendum. This is standard practice for not-for-profit organizations, and eliminates the unfair current system where students who opt-out of QPIRG’s fee can still have a say in the group’s bylaws.

WUSC Scholarship Fund: YES

The World University Service Committee receives 50-cents per semester from undergraduates to provide financial aid to refugees attending McGill. This referendum, if passed, would allow WUSC to provide financial support to students from developing countries if there are no eligible refugee students. While in an ideal world there would be more eligible refugees attending McGill, it makes no sense for this money to sit unused while there are deserving recipients who could use the assistance.

Plebiscite question: Funding the TaCEQ: YESThe Table de Concertation Étudiant du Québec is a lobby group co-founded by SSMU in 2009. While still in its infancy, TaCEQ seems to be preferable to bloated organizations like La Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), of which SSMU used to be a member. The Tribune encourages a “yes” vote so that TaCEQ can lobby to receive the provincial funding it deserves, instead of levying a student fee to finance its operations.

Constitution Section III: Yes

Students’ Society President Ivan Neilson has made restructuring SSMU committees a personal focus throughout the academic year. In keeping with this practice, this referendum would transfer Section III of the SSMU constitution – which describes the role of the Constitutional Review Committee, the Financial Ethics Research Committee, and the Nominating Committee – into the bylaws. Since all the duties of all other committees of council are found in the bylaws – which are easier to alter than the constitution – it is unclear why these committees were included in the constitution. The Tribune, therefore, unanimously urges you to vote yes on this initiative. Student Life: Yes Currently, unspent money from student fees intended for clubs and services, or unspent surpluses from those clubs or services, is automatically placed in a capital expenditures fund – which can only be used to acquire or upgrade physical assets, such as the Shatner building, furniture, or equipment. Should it pass, this referendum would reallocate money earmarked for clubs and services into a fund that can be accessed in future years to finance student projects. There is no reason that these surpluses should not go toward worthy causes including McGill First Aid Service, Drivesafe, the Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society, the Green Fund, and other valued services. The Tribune unanimously supports this referendum.

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