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Abominable Bride
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Sherlock’s “The Abominable Bride” leaves fans hungry for more

by Morgan Alexander on

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Warning: This review contains spoilers

Sherlock, by its very nature, is designed to keep fans feeling constantly under-satisfied and begging for more. In the six years since its first season came out, Creators and Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have blessed viewers with just nine actual series episodes, each hovering around 88 minutes. Each is so intricately complex and captivating that binging each series in full is almost an insult to the art, prohibiting viewers from obsessing over every twist and turn that makes the show so entrancing. After a nearly two-year hiatus—each new season premieres a minimum of a year after the former—Moffat and friends committed the greatest affront to viewers’ decency: They released a special episode into British cinemas on New Year’s Day and then to U.S. theatres on Jan. 5 and 6. Only afterwards, on Jan. 10, would the show be available for worldwide online streaming on BBC’s website, illegal streaming notwithstanding. The obvious question that arose from all of this gaudy cinematic flair and taxing delayed release dates is: Was the special episode worth it?

Of course, the answer is yes.

For the first time, Sherlock opened in Victorian-era London, where the original stories were set. Incidentally, The Abominable Bride is not based on any actual Holmes story. Along with the other episodes in the series, it is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works and specific passages from his many books. In this case, the title and the idea come from Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual,” in which there is a line speaking of “Ricoletti of the clubfoot and his abominable wife.” The episode itself begins simply enough; it’s another case in another era, presented in such a way that viewers would think the special episode was just that—a fun foray away from the actual plot— an amusing one-off to satisfy fans while the cast filmed the real show. The revelation about two-thirds through the episode is that the period setting was in fact a delusional projection of a drug-addled Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch)—still seated in the plane seat where viewers last left him at the end of season three—made it that much more exciting. 

As could be expected, the script was incredible, the cinematography divine, and the score the perfect mix of time-appropriate and heart-poundingly scary when necessary. The bits of humour that are always scattered throughout this show were equally wonderful, as viewers got a glimpse at a grossly obese Mycroft (Series Creator Gatiss) gorging himself as a result of a bet with his little brother as to how long it will take him to die, and an eager Watson (Martin Freeman) poorly signing to a front deskman about a potato. What really made this special so ‘special’ was its cleverness in tricking the audience into distancing themselves from the main plot before being thrust back into centre stage, just as confused as Watson, and as desperate for answers as Mycroft. 

The Abominable Bride perfectly whet the appetites of every fan without unduly releasing the full course. Sherlock could have done itself in by releasing a major plot point and leaving fans on a cliff-hanger, considering that Series 4 isn’t expected to air until 2017 (Moffat has said that filming wouldn’t even begin until this spring). Instead, the producers released an episode that was equal parts creepy, intriguing, and banal in the long-term, making it the perfect placeholder to keep people interested without making them antsy, or worse, irritated. In a way, the show did answer one climatic question that eclipsed the end of Series 3, but it did so in such a way that felt natural and exciting, not forcefully explosive. It didn’t give viewers much to ponder over, but it will certainly make them want to rewatch the previous seasons to get excited for what’s to come.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Star Wars: The fans awaken

by Luka Ciklovan and Anna St. Clair on

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The force is strong with this one

Ten minutes into The Force Awakens, viewers witness a stormtrooper’s moral struggle between right and wrong, and it’s here where the question on everyone’s mind is answered: The Force Awakens works. Showing how stormtroopers deal with morality just as much as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo is totally new ground for the Star Wars saga, and yet it fits perfectly with the themes of the franchise and all that it stands for. The Force Awakens embodies the spirit of the original Star Wars trilogy, but also manages to go deeper, show us what we have never seen before, and create a strong setup for the next two films.

The latest film in the franchise takes place about 35 years after Return of the Jedi (1983). While the Empire has been defeated, a new authoritarian regime called the First Order has taken root. It’s led by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke (played by Andy Serkis through motion capture) whose paleness and snake-like face suggests a Lord Voldemort-type villain. Under his command is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is more angsty teen with anger issues than ‘terrifying villain.’ Ren’s character is particularly well done. He’s obsessed with carrying out the legacy of Darth Vader, yet is clearly trying too hard. Where Vader wears his suit and mask for survival, Ren dons it merely to look badass. The scene where Ren lifts his mask, revealing a perfectly normal face definitely results in a few snickers from the audience.

With new villains come new heroes. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is an orphaned scavenger on the desert planet Jakku, where she lives a desperately lonely existence. Ridley plays Rey as quick thinking, tough, and a bit emotionally distant, making her a compelling hero for the new trilogy. Finn (John Boyega) is a rogue stormtrooper who chooses not to be a pawn to the First Order and reluctantly joins up with the Resistance. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is the dashing Resistance X-wing pilot. He’s a political fighter and passionate about the Resistance cause to the last. Much has been said about the main heroes being female and black, respectively, and the diverse cast is overdue. The Star Wars saga has always been about how anyone can be a hero, yet the rebels of the original trilogy were overwhelmingly white and male.

Along the way, the new heroes receive help from the old ones. Harrison Ford returns as Han Solo to guide Rey and Finn, functioning as a much cooler Obi-Wan Kenobi. The decision to make Han Solo a major character in the film shows that Director J.J. Abrams can please fans without sacrificing quality. Solo has always been a favourite character and it’s Ford that gives both the new and old films their reckless and adventurous spirit, juxtaposed to the pious journey of the hero. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) also returns and now leads the Resistance against the First Order, dropping the ‘princess’ title for ‘general.’ Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has become a mythical hero throughout the galaxy but has since gone MIA.

Abrams also shows that he can bring the humour and light heart along with the deeper themes. The Force Awakens is fast paced and doesn’t shy away from visual comedy, especially in regards to the new lovable droid, BB-8. Where the prequel trilogy often went overboard with CGI and effects, The Force Awakens uses them skillfully to create beautiful, colourful, and emotional images. Shots of Rey scavenging through a ruined imperial starship, half sunken in sand are hauntingly beautiful and sad.

Probably the biggest criticism of The Force Awakens is that it is nothing more than a remake of the original 1977 Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope. The plotline of The Force Awakens clearly and deliberately echoes the plotline of Star Wars, yet the similarity only shows off Abrams and screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Ardnt’s skill. The characters, the emotions and the motives couldn’t be more different from A New Hope and where the original film could often feel campy, The Force Awakens brings a darker and serious tone.

—Anna St. Clair

$TAR WAR$: Nostalgia at a price

Given the sheer force surrounding Star Wars (cultural, not midi-chlorian) the notion that J.J. Abrams’ latest entry into the saga did not live up to the hype is dangerous ground to tread on; however, the heavy-handed nostalgia, the pervasiveness of one-dimensional, flat characters and settings, and a fear of expanding upon what little novelty is presented, arguably posits Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens as a film fuelled by a thirst for profit rather than the imagination and wonder that drove Creator George Lucas’ works. Before the ‘bantha poodoo’ hits the fan, it is important to acknowledge that Star Wars, despite whatever childhood or nostalgia might be tangled up with it, can and must be critically examined like any piece of art in order to better understand the work itself and the medium it belongs to.

One of the most notable features of the newest entry into the Star Wars canon is how much it borrows from the pre-existing films. At best, Abrams’ appropriations come off as necessary tools to ease the audience into the reboot of an old classic; however, in actuality, the film’s borrowing extends far, far beyond merely preparing the audience for new material, as it simply revamps the exact plot of Lucas’ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, albeit with some name changes and flashier special effects. This time around, the Death Star is bigger, shoots multiples lasers at a time, and looks a hell of a lot more high definition. As the film progresses, it increasingly seems to take on the form of a ‘hype man,’ in a sense, presenting familiar faces and places to pump up the audience instead of trying to explore a new dimension of the vast Star Wars universe. There certainly is a magic to seeing Han Solo and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) aboard the Millennium Falcon again, yet that in itself does not a good movie make.

This over-reliance on nostalgia found in Episode VII is intimately tied to its very surface-level settings and characters. The film’s portrayal of desert planet Jakku, a conscious callback to Lucas’ Tatooine, stands as perhaps the best example of the vacuous settings that pervade the film. Tatooine, in Lucas’ films, comes across as a living place where we can truly empathize with the plights of either Anakin, under the yoke of his master Watto, or Han Solo, in his deliberations with the greedy gangster Jabba the Hut. Lucas gives us a tangible, emotive face to the alien world of Tatooine, and thus allows us to better connect with the protagonists as they confront dynamic characters who oppress them. Abrams’ version of Jakku provides the necessary template for such a conflict, but with no dynamic characters for the audience to form meaningful relationships with. Pinning Abrams’ characters on a planet that, only in the background, has slavery and sand simply cannot inspire the same amount of character intrigue and attachment that Lucas’ Tatooine did.

This phenomenon pervades the entire film: Poe Dameran is simply an awesome badass good guy, not because we witness some strength in his character or moral growth in the face of adversity, but simply because. The destruction of the Republic by Starkiller base is emotionally trivial when compared to the destruction of Alderan in Episode IV, as the Empire’s torture of Leia and the relationship we develop for her throughout the movie gives us a reason to care about Alderan. Abrams’ work goes through the motions of Star Wars, but isn’t really a Star Wars his film makes viewers care about, aside from the fact that it’s Star Wars of course.

The movie does however, provide a glimpse of some very interesting and promising stories. Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), aside from delivering some of the strongest acting in the movie, offer interesting and never-before explored sides of the Star Wars universe. Watching a stormtrooper defect from his platoon, musing on Rey’s origins, and watching the dynamic between Han and villain Kylo Ren were truly fascinating moments, but the film ultimately only scratches the surface on these tales and instead chooses, in the all too literal words of Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), to make them a ‘story for another time’ and another $13 movie ticket, presumably.

Ultimately Episode VII seems to be preoccupied with finding widespread commercial success, comforting audiences with familiar faces and cashing in on the success of prior films, rather than standing truly on its own as the first episodes of the prior trilogies do.

—Luka Ciklovan

a, Sports

10 Things: Cross-Country Skiing

by Nicole Spadotto on

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  1. Cross-country skiing has a bit of an obscure beginning, but experts agree the sport is quite ancient. It is believed to have originated in what is now France as a method of hunting over 22,000 years ago. In present-day China, it is used as transportation. By the time cross-country skiing permeated into Scandinavia, it was bequeathed the current vernacular name of “skiing.” Tax collectors in Norway in the 10th century were actually sent out on skis to collect taxes from laypeople, and  by the 13th century, cross-country skiing was used by troops in war.
  2. Physicists rejoice! Cross-country skiing relies solely on the locomotive ability of the skier to propel themselves using hand-held poles and forward-pushing leg movements, rather than the gravity of downhill skiing and motorized assistance like ski lifts. As a result, cross-country skiing is practiced mainly on flat terrain or small hills.
  3. Much like sprints and distance running, cross-country skiing races have varying lengths, ranging from a 1.5-kilometre sprint to a 50-kilometre marathon. Events can be individual races or team-driven relays.
  4. Cross-country skiing became an Olympic sport in 1924  at the inagrual Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. Events in the Olympic repertoire have since expanded to include team relay, separate classical, and freestyle races. Cross-country skiing is the only event present at every single Winter Olympic games. 41,000 athletes identify themselves as cross-country skiers worldwide, lending to the growing popularity of the sport.
  5. Different types of cross-country skiing exist, with different types of skis needed for each. The two most popular categories of cross-country skiing are classical, using poles and skis in a linear fashion within constrained track parameters; and freestyle, employing skating-like techniques with skis used as a type of long blade to gain momentum across terrain.
  6. The Globe and Mail reports that the benefits of cross-country skiing outweigh almost every other type of exercise. Skiers have almost twice the cardiovascular and muscular fitness than other athletic individuals, and skiers have the lowest mortality risk of the entire population.
  7. Raisa Smetanina, a cross-country skier from the former Soviet Union, is currently tied for the most Olympic medals won by a woman at the Winter Olympics (her last Olympics was in 1992). She was the first woman to win 10 medals, and at the time of her last medal, she was the oldest woman to ever win a Winter Olympic gold at 39 years old. The torch was passed onto Stefania Belmondo of Italy who tied the Russian powerhouse with 10 gold medals won—her medal torrent commencing the same year Smetanina won her last gold.
  8. Whilst cross-country skiing is pretty contingent upon snowfall, avid skiers have found a technique to continue dry-land training. Invented in Italy, roller skiing is the tarmac equivalent of cross-country skiing. Wheels are attached to the ends of the skis, allowing for a similar technique to snow skiing. Roller skiing has developed into a sport in its own right, with competitions popular in Northern Europe.
  9. The biathlon is built upon cross-country skiing, with the added element of shooting to create a new event. The most decorated Winter Olympian in history, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway, has won 13 medals in the biathlon. Interestingly, Norwegian cross-country skiers Bjorn Daehlie and Marit Bjorgen rank as the second- and third-most decorated men in Winter Olympic history, with 12 and 10 medals respectively.
  10. Cross-country skiing was introduced as one of four Special Olympics snow sports in 1977. Canada has a strong Special Olympics cross-country skiing program in place, with offerings ranging in location from Nova Scotia to Alberta, to Yukon. 
a, Opinion

Does intersectionality benefit activist movements?

by Kyle Dolph on

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Campus organizations frequently work together on political and social justice issues. Last Fall, Divest McGill worked with Aboriginal groups on campus during the simultaneous Fossil Free and Aboriginal Awareness Weeks, and Divest McGill and Demilitarize McGill oftentimes collaborate. While the methods of each of these organizations have been criticized and praised in kind, less has been said on the intersection of these groups. At the start of a new semester, with many opportunities for collaboration on the horizon, it is important to consider whether such ties are effective or deleterious for these movements.

While intersectionality focuses on where social categories and social issues overlap and interrelate, pure inclusivity runs the risk of blurring the important distinctions between these categories and causes. A discussion that works to ensure a balance of these forces must take place on this campus, especially within and between activist movements.

It’s easy to frame the discussion into the classic dichotomy of breadth and depth. On one hand, attempts to link seemingly distinct causes is one way of building a broad coalition. For example, in an article published by the McGill Daily, one member of McGill Against Austerity stated that provincial cuts to social welfare programs disproportionately affect women. The argument is that such connections between the groups affected by austerity­—such as women, students, and public sector employees—is essential to mobilization against the provincial policy. Divest McGill has collaborated with Aboriginal rights groups, citing the negative effects that the industrial activities of fossil fuel companies and the provincial government’s Plan Nord have had upon Aboriginal communities. Intersectionality is therefore effective in bringing both more breadth of support and depth of policy to a movement.

While intersectionality focuses on where social categories and social issues overlap and interrelate, pure inclusivity runs the risk of blurring the important distinctions between these categories and causes.

In order to succeed, a social movement must have broad support, as well as an informed and comprehensive agenda. Intersectionality broadens support by connecting advocates from distinct groups. Thus, those inclined to activism benefit from sharing their causes with one another as they gain lobbying and staying powers. Not all activist movements are large, but people power can be the difference. And this power is easier to accumulate when the issues are more clear cut, such as with tuition hikes. For students, increasing the tuition is clearly a negative proposal; thus, mass protests ensue. For issues of austerity, divestment, demilitarization, Aboriginal awareness, etc., the causes and consequences are far less clear-cut. Intersectionality thus provides thoroughfares between these issues, and connects groups who share similar perspectives and objectives.

However, intersections may be taken too far, and so limit the benefit of such connections. An organization’s message of inclusivity can sometimes reach too far beyond the beliefs of the majority of its supporters, and the resulting linking of two causes has the potential to alienate would-be supporters. Such is certainly the case where mainstream movements work in tandem with more radical ones, such as when McGill Against Austerity marched alongside communists and anarchists shouting “1-2-3, fuck the bourgeoisie [and…] class war” as part of a collective strike in early November. In such situations, an association can easily blemish the movement as a whole in the eyes of a less-informed, more moderate observer.

Campus activists are thus in a quandary. Isolate themselves, and they lose the power of collective voice. Expand their message too much, and it may well appeal to a substantially smaller proportion of people. The solution is a pragmatic one. Theory, in activism, much as anywhere else, should only be applied to the degree that it obtains results. This means that groups should make careful decisions based on Realpolitik—decisions based on real circumstances rather than on ideological precepts—before lending support to any movement. The calculation of such considerations may fly in the face of the idealism that serves as a foundation for many of these movements, and as such, may be difficult to reckon for those with many strong sympathies; however, leaders of such movements must be both passionate and strategic, and wager small victories against grand defeats.

 

 

 

@McGillTribuneOp | [email protected]

 
a, Basketball, Podcasts, Sports, The Sport Authority

The Sport Authority EP. 2: The evolution of small ball

by Aaron Rose on

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At 35-2 the Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA by far. They’re revolutionizing the game in a way never seen before. For decades bigger was better, but now that’s not necessarily the case. Basketball fans are seeing a confluence of two phenomena: A heightened value on the three-point shot and taller players becoming more skilled. In 1999, Dirk Nowitzki transformed the game, becoming the first seven-footer to attempt 300 three-point shots. Now, it seems common place for teams to have their big men shooting outside the paint, sometimes from beyond the 3-point arc. 7’3” rookie Kristaps Porzingis has taken the league by storm, shooting a quarter of his shots from 3-point range. 

It is interesting to note, however, that while ‘small ball’ has only become popular recently in the NBA, collegiate teams have been trotting out squads with three or four guards for decades.

Starting in the late 1930s, Princeton basketball Head Coach Franklin “Cappy” Cappon invented the so-called “Princeton Offence.” Unable to recruit the country’s best big-men, Cappon innovatively predicated his offence on having five players who can all pass, shoot, and dribble at a relatively high level. CIS basketball teams have been finding ways to deal with the same issue for decades. After two seasons as the Redmen’s starting small forward,junior Michael Peterkin has moved to the bench as Head Coach Dave DeAverio has elected to play more ‘small ball.’ This podcast talks with both Peterkin and Coach DeAverio about the recent trend and how it has affected the Redmen.

a, Private, Recipes, Student Life

A healthy smoothie to keep your New Year’s resolution

by Liz Willcock on

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Getting back into the swing of things in the Winter term can be hard after a relaxing holiday break, but it’s even harder if you’ve resolved to be healthy this year. Around New Year’s, after a holiday season of sugary desserts and multiple course meals, a common resolution students make is to get their health back on track. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. When school starts to get busy again, it’s easy to let those resolutions fall by the wayside. Breakfast can quickly transition from a healthy balanced meal, to a greasy breakfast sandwich from whatever café is closest to the first class of the morning. The key to keeping resolutions past the first week of school is making them sustainable. This green smoothie is simple, takes less than three minutes, and can be carried on the go. It’s not laden with insanely healthy ingredients like spirulina or kale, but it is straightforward and easy to keep making when things get hectic. Although a smoothie might seem meagre for breakfast, the peanut butter and chia seeds make this ‘green monster’ filling and will keep hunger at bay until lunchtime. With two servings of fruits and vegetables, this smoothie checks all of the health boxes, and will make keeping New Year’s resolutions a little bit easier. 

Ingredients

1 cup of almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1 cup of spinach

1 large  ripe frozen banana, chopped into chunks

1 tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter

1 tablespoon of chia seeds 

A pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions

Place  all of the ingredients in a blender, with spinach on the bottom. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.

a, Opinion

Media needs to increase pressure on Liberals to deliver on national policy

by Zachary Carson on

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In the early days of 2016, refugees have dominated the news cycle in much of the world. While in the United States, most Republican politicians seem to be arguing over the best plan to keep refugees out, up North the discussion is the opposite. Canadians are wondering why only 6,000 of the 10,000 refugees promised by Trudeau—a number already lowered from the previous 25,000 refugee target—have made it into our country.

This has largely been seen as a failure on the part of the Liberal government, either because it fell short of its pledge or because it made a promise that it knew they could not keep; however, while criticism is being levelled against the only policy of the new government that has already achieved concrete results no one seems to be talking about how the government is going to fulfill the other promises the Liberals have made: Marijuana legalization, electoral reform, and the inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women. The Canadian public and media must light a fire beneath the government when it fails to deliver on domestic policy in addition to any perceived shortcomings in humanitarian responses.

An earlier article for the Tribune discussed the limitations of political pledges, with specific focus on Trudeau’s pledge to admit 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015. One of the main points was that the fixation on a certain target overshadows long-term policy, policy that would perhaps be more beneficial to the cause. This same logic can be used to debunk the argument that falling short of the 10,000 refugee goal is a political breakdown that requires a response from the government. Though this is a setback, in no way should it be seen as a failure.

 

Of all the promises that the prime minister and the Liberal Party made during the campaign, accepting refugees is the only one that has actually had concrete results so far.

Of all the promises that the prime minister and the Liberal Party made during the campaign, accepting refugees is the only one that has actually had concrete results so far. Over 6,000 refugees have been accepted, and, although the timeframe for admittance has been revised, there is no sign that the government is planning on altering the substance of its refugee policy. The campaign to legalize marijuana is only in its infancy, with the two secretaries to the Minister of Justice who will handle the case only being named last month. On top of that, both election reform and an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women have only been discussed vaguely. Despite this, it is the failure to meet the 10,000 refugee target that has received the most attention.

This is not to completely excuse the government from breaking its promise. The Liberal party pledged to bring 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015. Although the pledge was unrealistic, the policy has yielded results. Refugees are coming to Canada and will continue to do so in 2016. It is time to move on from the fact that not quite as many refugees got to Canada by the end of 2015 as we would have hoped. Trudeau and the Liberals made that promise as outsiders without a full understanding of the political and logistical realities that they would encounter once actually faced with bringing 25,000 refugees to Canada.

Yes, it is now 2016. No, there have not been 10,000—let alone 25,000—refugees admitted into Canada. Trudeau deserves some flak for that. But there are over 6,000 refugees of the Syrian crisis who have been brought to Canada since the new government formed, and more are on the way. Meanwhile, none of the other promises that the government made seem any closer to reality than the day they were announced. Let’s stop nitpicking the time and numbers on which the promises that the Liberals are actually starting to deliver, and begin to question them about the ones that they are not.

 

Zachary Carson is a fourth year joint honours political science and international development student. He enjoys listening to Canadaland podcasts, watching Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and dogs.

 

@McGillTripOp | [email protected]

 
a, Science & Technology

What the galaxies have in store

by Daniel Galef on

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Last year was an exciting year in space. In 2015, the Dawn orbiter visited the dwarf planet Ceres, scientists photographed the surface of Pluto in unprecedented detail, and Matt Damon even got stuck in space again. But knowing what’s already happened is easy—it’s predicting the future that’s hard. But that doesn’t stop scientists from trying. Here are the astronomical and astrophysical events scheduled and predicted to occur in 2016.

Total solar eclipse

What: The moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring it and casting a dark shadow.

When: March 9, 2016

Where: The event will be visible from much of the Pacific Ocean, as well as most of Asia and Australia, who will only see a partial eclipse.

Annular solar eclipse

What: Solar eclipses usually come in pairs due to interactions between orbits. About 177 days after an eclipse on the southern intersection of the orbit will be another eclipse on the northern intersection. This will not be a total eclipse, but rather an annular (ring-like) one, as the sun will still be visible as a bright ring around the edges of the moon.

When: Sept. 1, 2016

Where: Visible from almost anywhere in Africa.

The ExoMars trace gas orbiter

What: A probe designed to search for trace amounts of methane and other gases that are signs of organic activity. It will be launched by the European Space Agency and Russia’s Roscosmos.

When: March 14, 2016 The launch was originally planned for Jan. 7, but was delayed due to technical reasons.

Where: Mars

First partial lunar eclipse

What: As the moon will pass through the Earth’s penumbra, but not its umbra (i.e., if you were standing on the moon, you would see the Earth block part of the sun, but not all of it), the event is not a total eclipse, but will be striking, and visible from Canada.

When: March 23, 2016

Where: Visible to the naked eye from most of the world except Europe and Africa.

Second partial lunar eclipse

When: Sept. 16, 2016

Where: Visible from anywhere except the Americas.

Transit of Mercury

What: A planetary transit occurs when a planet passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, and shows up as a black dot on heliograph plates (like a solar eclipse, it is harmful to observe with the naked eye).

When: May 9, 2016

Where: Visible (with a sun telescope) from any point on Earth except the Far East and Australia.

Juno meets Jupiter

What: The Juno spacecraft is a NASA research probe which will offer new data on Jupiter’s history and makeup using microwave radiation as a sort of lower-frequency radar.

When: The probe is scheduled to arrive on July 4, 2016. It was launched in August of 2011 and is expected to provide useful information well into 2017.

Where: The orbit around Jupiter

Perseid meteor shower

What: One of the most striking and visible meteor showers, easily viewable because of its frequency (about a meteor per minute) and brightness. The spectacle occurs when the Earth passes through the debris trail of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which orbits the sun every 133 years, and the meteoroids burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The meteors have been referred to as “The Tears of Saint Lawrence.”

When: August 12 to 13, 2016

Where: Anywhere, but ideally in a grassy park, at night, far from city light pollution.

China builds FAST

What: The behemoth Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), when completed, will be the largest and most precise radio telescope in the world. It is similar to the famous Arecibo Observatory in design, but will greatly surpass the South American telescope in ability.

When: Slated to be complete by September 2016 (construction began in 2011).

Where: The Tai Wo Taipa depression, a karst depression—a type of large natural basin—in Guizhou Province, China.

NASA sends probe to collect samples from asteroid

What: The OSIRIS-REx craft (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is a part of the New Frontiers Program, and its mission is to collect rock samples from the 495m-long asteroid 101955 Bennu, discovered in 1999. Bennu is cited as one of the most potentially dangerous asteroids likely to strike Earth in the near future.

When: Launch set for September 2016. If on schedule, the craft will return to Earth with the samples in 2023 after reaching Bennu in 2019.

Where: In an irregular orbit, well outside the more populous asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

SSMU Building at McGill
a, News, SSMU

SSMU 2015-2016 budget review

by Aislinn Kalob and Sara Cullen on

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The November 2015 revision to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Global budget, approved on Nov. 30, 2015, reflected changes from SSMU’s earlier financial plan approved this past June.  The largest changes were seen in the Student Fees and University Centre Operations sections of the revision.  

A difference of over $55,000 between the June and November budgets can be seen in the Student Fees department, with SSMU noting that revenue from fees was initially estimated conservatively and ended up generating more funds than predicted. The updated budget projects approximately $1.77 million in revenue from total student fees in the 2015-2016 academic year. 

Administrative fees also saw a significant drop from the June budget, from $1.36 million to $1.35 million.  This is due to a decrease in salary expenses following the resignation of the building director, the general manager (GM), and the SSMU Vice-President (VP) Internal.  This change  is only around $7,000 because of an increase in  paid student staff to offset the effects of the permanent staff resignations.SSMU also spent $17,000 in GM recruitment and $5,000 in legal fees. 

University Centre Operations is budgeted at $371,644, more than 60,000 more than SSMU projected in June. This is due in part to increased expenditures of materials and supplies, as well as maintenance costs, such as the repairs on the ramp to the main entrance of the SSMU Building.  Under this portfolio, increases in both Gerts’ profits and security costs are stated to be the result of the accounting change. Due to the fact that security costs are no longer charged to Gerts, the bar saw an increase in profits while security showed an increase in expenses.

Additionally, the president’s portfolio is budgeted at $3,576 more than in the previous budget, following the establishment of the Family Care department at McGill. This sum of money will be used in the planning of orientation events for student parents, and undergraduate membership in the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Study Sundays program, a monthly event for student parents to study and receive free childcare. 

SSMU reported a negative $22,000 change in the Food and Beverage Operations Department, mostly due to budgeting of the Student-Run Cafe (SRC). Prior to the revision, the Cafe was budgeted as if it had reached full sales potential right after its opening. The SRC reported a decrease in food sales revenue by approximately $90,000 net of food cost and salaries. 

The VP Internal’s portion of the budget review states that the 2015-2016 Old McGill Yearbook is not predicted to run a deficit.  This is attributed to a plan for the Yearbook to be covered by a separate fund or be published online.

a, Hockey, Martlets, Sports

Montreal out-shoot McGill in thrilling shoot-out

by Zikomo Smith on

More in a:

Is this one of the tightest RSEQ regular season hockey races in recent memory?

“Absolutely,” Head Coach Peter Smith said after McGill’s hard fought 1-2-shootout loss to Montreal on Sunday in McConnell Arena.

The first place Montreal Carabins (8-3-1) are only two points ahead of the third place McGill Martlets (7-3-1)—the two teams are separated by the Ottawa Gee Gee’s (8-4-0).

In a gritty, low-scoring performance, McGill outshot Montreal 38-33, and converted on one of their three power plays. Montreal opened the scoring in the first period, with McGill sophomore forward Marie Philip-Lavoie retaliating with a score seven minutes into the second period.

“I think it’s two real good teams and I think the game […] was indicative of that,” Smith said. “It was two teams playing hard, and playing fast. It was, all in all, a good game.”

It is a testament to both teams’ excellent defence that neither scored until Montreal won in the shootout. Both teams were also stuck in a stalemate in the first overtime period.

“As a team we defend very well,” Smith said, “We play well in our own end, we defend the rush well. I think all six players on the ice have a real good focus on that. I would not consider us to be a defensive team, but we are defensively sound.“

McGill could not get it done in the shootout, however. Marion Allemoz of the Carabins was the only player out of four able to score, while the martlets missed all of their shots.

“I think we are disappointed with our performance in the shootout,” Smith said. “But it’s not like we don’t work at it, and we’ll get better at it.”

McGill beat the Concordia Stingers (3-7-2) 5-2 on Friday at McConnell Arena, earlier in the week. Senior centre Melodie Daoust, fresh from captaining Canada to a gold at the Nations Cup tournament in Germany, had two assists and a goal just six hours after returning to Canada. Senior forward Gabrielle Davidson scored a brace, with the other goals coming from fifth-year forward Joanne Cagianos and sophomore forward Alexandria Serpico.

The 1-1 start to the new 2016 year also proved that McGill had got over its early season power play blues. McGill were 2-4 on the power play against Concordia and 1-3 against Montreal.

McGill will play away against Carleton next weekend. With the race for the RSEQ  regular season title heating up, every game is a must-win game for all teams around the league.

Quotable

“We want to be defensively sound so we can get back on offense. Our team does a good job of playing with structure when we don’t have the puck.”—Smith on the Martlets defensive style.

Moment of the game

The Montreal Carabins’ shootout goal was the only one scored in nine combined attempts between the two sides.

Stat corner

The Montreal Carabins lead the McGill Martlets 13-11 in their last 24 head-to-head games, a testament to how closely fought these games are.

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