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Grimes Art Angels
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Art Angels – Grimes

by Ian Rodgers on

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Grimes (the stage name of ex-McGill student, Claire Boucher) is not your dream girl. In a music industry that wants to turn performers into a unified brand, Grimes falls into an odd position. She defies easy characterization: She is too weird to be a true pop artist, but is too connected to the genre to fully discount it. Her latest project, Art Angels works through this complex image.

The album moves from relatively simple pop ballads like “California” to the more bizarre pieces like “SCREAM,” all without missing a beat. While she was known on her previous album for grimy, synth-driven songs like “Oblivion,” Art Angels features punchy guitar riffs that sound straight off of a soft-rock mix—especially in tracks such as the title song, “Artangels.” These instrumentals are woven in with Boucher’s ethereal voice in a way that recalls dreamy days of summer.

What makes Art Angels such an interesting listen is that it acts as a great pop record, but never loses the unique and eclectic DNA that made Grimes such a weird and fun musician in the first place. Melodies move in unexpected directions, but the payoff is always something you can dance to. Album closer “Butterfly,” is an excellent example of this variety within the music, moving from a bubbly melody to a pounding chorus punctuated by screams and a multitude of layered synths.

Lyrically, the album tells Grimes’ story since her last album Oblivion (2012). She is moving away from home, having others try to define her career, and dealing with a history of drug abuse. Throughout, there is a common element of Grimes’ defiance towards all these factors. Of particular note, lyrically, is the weird and wonderful “World Princess Part II,” a callback to her second album, Halfaxa (2010), which speaks to her frustration with being seen as frail, and having ‘big men’ try to take creative control. “Venus Fly,” featuring Janelle Monáe, is a badass feminist anthem that challenges men who attempt to objectify women. Ultimately, Grimes wants to show that she is “too scary to be objectified,” and this album shows it.

Grimes’ three years away from the music industry were well spent. She has developed her sound past the more basic and unpolished work of her earlier albums without allowing her individual aesthetic to fall away in the process. The result is a complex and layered album as a whole, backed by excellent, uplifting, and powerful singles. “Flesh Without Blood” is easily one of the best tracks she has ever made, mixing guitar and synth with a punchy, whip sharp beat.

The result is a complex and layered album as a whole, with production that has a lot of stylistic flourishes that come out through repeated listens. Grimes has talked repeatedly about her frustration with male producers trying to push her to the sidelines, and this album serves as a middle finger to all of them, both in concept and through its excellent production. This is the Grimes album her fans were waiting for; she has kept what makes her fabulous and relatable despite her ascension to pop heaven.

Standout track:

“Flesh Without Blood”

Best lyric:

“B-E-H-A-V-E aggressive/tell me I'm a monster looking so fresh-uh”

Sounds like:

Pop written by Daenerys Targaryen in space.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: Nov. 16

by McGill Tribune Sports on

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In this week’s edition of the week that was for McGill Athletics the McGill Tribune Sports team looks at Gladyz Hakizimana and Sebastian Boyer, our athletes-of-the-week; Redmen basketball and Martlet basketball; as well as our weekly edition of by the numbers.

Beyond the box score

Redmen Basketball

McGill dominated the Bishop’s Gaiters 94-68 in their season opener on Saturday in Lennoxville. Junior point guard Jenning Leung had a career high 29 points on 9-20 shooting and was complemented by third year shooting guard Dele Ogundokun’s double-double—he scored 21 points and reeled in 10 rebounds. McGill dominated Bishop’s in every aspect of the game—they never conceded a lead, they outrebounded the Gaiters 44-29, and shot an excellent 44.9 per cent from the field. McGill also won the turnover battle and outrebounded the Gaiters on the offensive glass 24-8, contributing to their lopsided victory. McGill will face rivals Concordia next weekend at Love Competition Hall on Nov. 19.

Martlet Basketball

The Martlets also dominated Bishop’s in Lennoxville on Saturday, winning 70-44 and holding the Gaiters under 10 points in three of the quarters. Captain Diana Ros continued her excellent form, leading the team with 13 points. McGill never conceded the lead and were buoyed by an excellent overall shooting performance—they hit 44.8 per cent of their field goals and went 7-18 beyond the arc. McGill’s bench was also on fire—they outscored their opponent’s bench 36-13. On defence, they held the Gaiters to 30.2 per cent from the field and comfortably won the turnover battle 13-26. The No. 3 ranked Martlets will face the Concordia Stingers next week at Love Competition Hall.

Tribune Athletes-of-the-Week

Gladyz Hakizimana

Shooting Guard, Martlet Basketball

Freshman – Social Work

Rookie shooting guard Gladys Hakizimana came off the bench to post a career-high 12 points in the Martlets’ 70-44 win over Bishop’s on Saturday. In just 18 minutes of court time, Hakizimana went an efficient 4-for-7 from the floor while playing lockdown perimeter defence. The most impressive aspect of her game was is the ability to draw contact and get to the free-throw line. Hakizimana went 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. While she’ll be utilized as a bench sparkplug at the time being, her continued development will be crucial for the Martlets as she could crack the starting lineup at some point this season.

Sebastian Boyer

Back Row, Redmen Rugby

Freshman – Arts

Freshman Sebastien Boyer was the hero in the Redmen rugby team’s improbable comeback win against Montreal in the RSEQ Finals on Friday night. With his team down by six in extra time, the league’s Rookie-of-the-Year wiggled his way into space and dove just over the line for a game-tying try to set up a walk-off conversion from senior centre Thomas Stokes. Boyer’s try gave McGill its ninth rugby title in the last ten years, and helped the team avoid a heartbreaking loss in the Finals for a second straight year.

By the numbers

Hover over the numbers to learn more. If you're on mobile all you have to do is click!

16

Margin by which the Redmen basketball team outrebounded Bishop’s in their season-opening win over the Gaiters

31:24.9

CIS cross country Rookie-of-the-Year Jeremy Briand’s 10 kilometre time.

997

Record breaking attendance at the RSEQ Final played at Molson Stadium between McGill and Montreal on Friday night.

(Photos courtesy of McGill Athletics)

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

From the viewpoint: BØRNS at Petit Campus

by Ellie Solloway on

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As I stuck out my wrist for a stamp guaranteeing entry into Petit Campus on Tuesday, I was expecting tonight’s experience to be pretty much in line with the average night out at Café Campus: Too many strangers moving together with all the synchronicity of two non-matching puzzle pieces, and too many casual encounters that lack any kind of emotional connection. BØRNS’ performance, however,  was nothing like that: It was emotionally charged, intimate, and bordering on familial—the show embodied all that’s good about small venue concerts.

My friends and I wandered into Petit Campus at what I like to think of as the ‘sweet spot’ for smaller-scale shows—just enough time to catch the last half of the opening act without having to endure an hour’s worth of songs we don’t particularly know or care about hearing. The venue was about three-quarters full, and all concert goers were leisurely bopping their heads, carrying on their conversations over the melodies of the first act. I was pleasantly surprised with the opening act, Avid Dancer, who I had never heard of but found myself instantly enraptured with. At this point, we had wandered to the 4th pseudo-row (the venue is standing room only), and we had a good vantage point for the rag-tag collection of instrument-wielders, particularly the bassist, who had one of the most passionate ‘bass faces’ I’d ever seen. When prompted by an enthusiastic crowd member who yelled, “nice bass face!” he chuckled and increased his ardour on the next song, which pushed the audience towards more involved and active listening. Interactions like this reflect the unique, reciprocal nature of small-venue concerts, in which the experience feels more like a feedback between audience and performer than a one-sided appreciation for talent.

As Avid Dancer yielded the stage to make room for the main act, BØRNS, conversations resumed once again, and concertgoers meandered around the bar as the sound crew tinkered and rearranged on stage. I struck up conversation with the strangers on either side of me, and everyone around us did mostly the same; the audience was very cozy and welcoming. After an agreeable 30 minute break, the venue was packed much tighter than it had been when we first arrived, and the main act took stage to a full-capacity Petit Campus crowd of around 200 people.

Garrett Borns, who performs under the name BØRNS, resembles some sort of Jesus/Harry Styles/Kurt Cobain hybrid, sporting dark, shoulder-length unruly curls and a flashy-casual outfit. His musical style could be interpreted similarly—a unique mix of the flair of a pop star, and the emotional intensity of a grunge legend, speckled with passionate crescendos that border on spiritual fervor. It shouldn’t have been as surprising to me as it was, then, that most of the audience at Petit Campus seemed familiar with the majority of his setlist: He’s got all the qualities of a cult following in the making. I had blindly—and admittedly somewhat pretentiously—assumed the rest of the concert-goers would be casual fans, perhaps familiar with nothing else besides his biggest hit, “Electric Love.” As he made his way through his short setlist, I realized that my friends and I were only a few of many BØRNS super-fans in attendance. There was an odd but engaging juxtaposition between a lesser-known artist at a smaller venue with the fact that everyone was belting out all the words like preteens at a One Direction concert.

As the crowd sang along to his energetic, layered melodies, BØRNS seemed to feed off of that passion, and the set snowballed into further intensity as the night went on. BØRNS is still in that rewarding stage of relative anonymity for artists where they are still surprised to hear their own words parroted back to them, and his subsequent awe and enthusiasm in turn exacerbated that of the audience. The small venue really intensified the performance, as the crowd felt more connected to both each other as well as the people on stage.

After the raucous encore finale of “Seeing Stars,” the crowd filtered out of the room, spilling onto Rue Prince Arthur; it was barely 10 p.m., hardly a late night. Overall, though, BØRNS’ performance was absolutely stellar—worthy of selling out stadiums, even. But with all due respect, he’s best suited to play in small venues like this one, where his exuberant and exotic personality can be more intimately appreciated.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: Pompei comes through against Warriors

by David P. Stein on

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Less than 24 hours after a dominant 4-0 win at home against Laurier, the McGill Redmen hockey team (11-1-0) won its eighth game in a row, defeating the Waterloo Warriors (4-8-0) 5-2 at McConnell Arena on Saturday evening.

Despite surrendering the first goal to Warriors forward Colin Behenna, McGill stayed the course, and senior defenceman Vincent Bernard’s fourth goalof the season evened the scoring heading into the first intermission.

McGill’s persistence was on full display throughout the game, as the squad’s strong core of veterans led a ferocious attack. Fourth-year centre Mathieu Pompei stood out in particular—he scored twice in the third period to put the game out of Waterloo’s reach.

“We’ve asked guys to step up this year,” Coach Nobes said. “[Pompei] is a guy in his fourth year who stepped up. He’s providing us with offence, and he’s playing the right way away from the puck. He’s a real dependable 200-foot player, and he’s getting rewarded offensively for it.”

Pompei scored the game-winning goal at 1:29 of the final frame, and he was also responsible for an insurance marker less than four minutes later.

Waterloo’s Joe Underwood cut the lead in half at 14:22 of the final frame to make the score 4-2, but that was the closest the Warriors would get before rookie centre Frederic Gamelin put a bow on the contest by scoring an empty net goal with a minute and 20 seconds left in regulation time. Redmen goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard contributed an impressive 38 saves.

Nobes was pleased with his team’s effort on Saturday, but he acknowledges that his team could still play much better.  

“I didn’t think we were great in tonight’s game, it was a ‘B’ game for us,” Nobes said. “Although I did think we had a good third period in terms of our energy.”

Like any successful coach or teacher, Nobes is never satisfied, but he can’t be too disappointed in the 11-1-0 record that has the Redmen sitting atop the OUA East standings.

“We’ve kind of built steam,” Nobes explained. “I think the focus has been on just growing as a team. [Not just] as individuals, but as a team [….] We’re just playing hockey day by day, and I think that’s the biggest reason we’re having success.”

Now that Laurier and Waterloo are in their rearview mirror, the Redmen return to practice in preparation for dates at Brock Badgers (5-4-3) on Friday, and at York Lions (7-1-3) on Saturday.

Moment of the game

Pompei's third period goals sealed the game for the Redmen, as Waterloo was unable to recover momentum and mount a comeback. Pompeii's clutch start to the third period earned him the honor of being the game's first star.

Quotable

“We have weaknesses that we know, and we’re working on them. We’ll continue to work on them. I thought tonight that Waterloo did a good job on their penalty kill in different places that we need to address. We’ll scout Brock and York, and we’ll be doing that video [Sunday] and Monday, and then we’ll address some areas of their games that we need to make sure we’re aware of. But it’s a work in progress. We’ve got a long way to go to be the team we want to be at the end of the year.” – Nobes on McGill’s areas for improvement

Stat corner

Waterloo outshot McGill 40-38. It was only the second time this season that McGill has had fewer shots than their opponents.

[URIS id=38658]

a, News, SSMU

SSMU VP Internal by-election results in “No” vote for Alexei Simakov

by Aislinn Kalob on

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This article was updated on Nov. 16.

Alexei Simakov will not be the next vice-president (VP) Internal of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). The by-election that was held to fill the position vacated by Lola Baraldi in October resulted in 51.7 per cent of students voting “No.” Voter turnout was 16.7 per cent. As a result, SSMU will enter into another by-election immediately.

According to Article 21 of Elections SSMU bylaws, the next election for the VP Internal will include a nomination period of four business days, an election campaign period of five days, and a polling period of two business days. If no candidates run during this nomination period, the decision on whether or not to hold the by-election, or to leave the position vacant, will be left to SSMU Legislative Council.

Simakov stated that he will be petitioning the SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) over alleged by-law violations throughout the election.

“The J-Boards are not with the purpose of overturning the election,” Simakov wrote in an email to the Tribune. “They are because of numerous infractions of the by-laws to my detriment. Our campaign team is currently in discussion with both [Elections SSMU] and the SSMU VP University Affairs and hope to be able to resolve these concerns in mediation without the need for a lengthy trial process.”

Simakov explained his concerns over the contentious climate of this election.

“I am further concerned about the extremist language, including absolutely unacceptable accusations of Nazism and homophobia against myself and my supporters, that was hosted on the [Unofficial “No” Vote Facebook page],” Simakov wrote. “This wasn't just unpleasant for me, it was hurtful to my campaign team and supporters who felt uncomfortable participating in the public debate. It is exceptionally hypocritical to argue that you are opposed to the election culture of personal attacks only to create a forum for that exact purpose.”

Following Céleste Pagniello’s withdrawal from the VP Internal race on Nov. 12, Simakov ran uncontested. Pagniello cited threats to herself and her family as the reason why she withdrew.

SSMU VP Clubs and Services Kimber Bialik noted that the process of running for student government can be strenuous, especially in light of recent elections.

“Campaigns have gotten uncontrollably aggressive and personal and […] at this point, it’s pretty detrimental to a person’s mental health to be put through that rigorous scrutiny,” Bialik said.  “At this point, it’s not at all sustainable to have people running for these roles. People are not going to run for these roles if they know that’s what they have to put themselves through, that’s not how you sustain an organization.”

The Fall 2015 referendum question on the creation of a SSMU safety network fee passed by a vote of 75.3 per cent, while an increase in the CKUT fee failed by a vote of 54.7 per cent.  The plebiscite questions resulted in “Yes” votes for all three: 79.0 per cent for SSMU involvement in student-run cooperatives, and the two part question on the reforming the Old McGill yearbook by 56.9 per cent and 76.6 per cent, respectively.

Additional reporting by Morgan Alexander.

Changing seasons
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Trib mix: Changing of the seasons

by Julie Vanderperre, Julia Dick, Natalie Wong on

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Now that the temperature has settled below 10 degrees a dreaded fact can no longer be ignored: The seasons are changing, and winter is coming. The editors at the McGill Tribune are taking this seasonal defeat particularly hard, and have compiled 24 tracks to express their sorrow over the beginning of the end of sunshine. Keep scrolling to find the official “changing of the seasons” playlist.

“Bad Weather" – Superhumanoids

Trudging to the library in the rain can feel like pulling teeth, especially as the semester nears its end. “Bad Weather,” a track off of the Superhumanoids’ 2013 album, Exhibitionists, evokes the mellow lethargy of a dark November afternoon spent studying. It begins with the soft pattering of keys, leading up to the ethereal lilt of the main singer Chernoff chanting, “open your mouth,” as if inviting you to lean back and catch the raindrops on your tongue. She continues, crooning, “No shelter, we can’t deny,” as you duck into the library to find refuge from the downpour.

In the video, a handsome, scruffy young man stands in front of a mirror brushing his teeth. Upon realizing that his mouth is bleeding, he pulls out a large molar. He is shocked at first, and yet he can’t stop. He continues pulling out more and more teeth with blood gushing in large spurts. The feeling of inevitable dread—one shared by many students at this time of year—is aptly conveyed through the music video, and the continuous reverberating of Chernoff’s soft voice echoing, “open your mouth,” takes on a new meaning as you sit down this gloomy November with your books.

– Julie Vandeperre

“Deadwater” – Wet

Teasing the upcoming release of their LP, Don’t You, “Deadwater” by Brooklyn-based band Wet, is appropriate for any weather—though it’s title does admittedly evoke images of grey, salty sludge at the roadsides in a wintery Montreal. The intention behind their recent humorous tweet, “Putting on long underwear turn up,” encapsulates the tone of their debut single perfectly. It's also hopefully a sign of what is to come in the LP—a testament to the beauty of simple narratives and relaxed, unhurried instrumental layering. Put simply, it's music to listen to while lounging around in an over-sized sweater and waiting for the kettle to boil.

The beginning of the song is reminiscent of a romantic beach scene. Picture a more ethereal, romantic scene from Baywatch—replacing Pamela Anderson with a svelte, indie beauty, likely dressed in a black leather jacket and faded jeans. Lead singer Kelly Zutrau’s voice is a mingling of confidence and vulnerability. Her soothing vocals match the relaxed cadence of the song, contrasting to the uncertainty of what the future will hold following a break up. The relationship may be over, but the singer has confidence that there is something better out in the nebulous ‘there.’ As winter descends on Montreal, this lesson can be taken to heart.

Julia Dick

“The Other Side” – Woodkid

Woodkid’s album The Golden Age (2013), withers into deep, dark territories within the human psyche. This album, echoing the title, is about the end of a golden age, whatever that may be, and the theme emphasizes on escaping a harmful past and attempting to reclaim a sense of pure individuality.

“The Other Side” is the final track, entering with chiming church bells. The piano echoes a mix of major and minor tones, alternating between a positive escape and that of a more sinister path. Singer-songwriter Yoann Lemoine’s vocals and military-like drums enter this path and marches the band towards an eminent end. This leads the audience towards the finale of the album. Background choir vocals add to the orchestral element, and the orchestra gains in momentum with the addition of instruments like the violin.

The orchestra echoes that of a movie soundtrack when a scene features a military marching soundlessly, wordless towards their cold destruction. As Lemoine ends the song with these lyrics, “And in the arms of endless anger / Will end the story of a soldier in the dark,” he accepts his descent into darkness.

Natalie Wong

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Rugby: Boyer’s late try lifts Redmen over Carabins in RSEQ Final

by Aaron Rose on

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“I  could tell everyone was exhausted,” captain Mitchell Cuillerier said. “But when I looked in their eyes, I could see nobody was going to quit.”

With the RSEQ Championship on the line, the Montréal Carabins (5-2-0) held the McGill Redmen (6-0-1) in check for 80 minutes. But as the clock ticked down in extra time, McGill, trailing 9-3, mustered up one final attack.

“I was just thinking about all the hard work we’ve put in […] since day one,” RSEQ Rookie-of-the-Year Sebastian Boyer said. “Especially for all our graduating players, I just couldn’t fathom losing out like that.”

An offside late in extra time gave the Redmen the ball at the Carabins’ five-yard line. Seconds later, scrum half Quentin Dubois passed it from the back of the ruck to Boyer who burst through the Carabins line for a try.

“One of the [Montréal] players was out of position,” Boyer said. “I just thought, ‘This is it’ [….] It felt unreal—on my birthday, in front of all my friends, my family, and a huge McGill crowd, you just couldn’t have scripted it better.”

Fifth-year centre Thomas Stokes stepped up to kick the title-clinching conversion. As the ball sailed through the uprights, the McGill faithful exploded into mayhem.

“When I struck the ball and saw it go through the uprights I felt relief first, then immense elation,” Stokes said, “My immediate reaction was to run over to my teammates and celebrate the moment with them.”

McGill jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after second-year fly half Kyle Makischuk connected on a 33-yard penalty kick; however, the Redmen struggled offensively with the absence of All-Star centre Augustus Hill. With the ball inside the five-yard line late in the first half, McGill squandered a great scoring opportunity when a costly knock-on turned the ball over. The Redmen held a tight line, but the Carabins’ captain Pierre Constantin converted two kicks to put Montreal up just before the halftime break. Constantin connected again on a 53rd minute penalty kick, but missed kicks in the second half left the window open for McGill’s late-game heroics.

“Credit to them, they put a lot of pressure on us,” Head Coach Ian Baillie said. “They played a very good tactical game.”

After a heartbreaking loss in the RSEQ Finals last season, the victory marked McGill’s ninth conference title in the last 10 years. With nine seniors expecting to depart, the Redmen will have some holes to fill next season, but with the RSEQ Coach-of-the-Year Baillie, and talented underclassmen such as Boyer returning, the future’s bright for Redmen Rugby.

Quotable

“The greatest part about playing Redmen Rugby is the connection and bond you make with your teammates.” –Captain and hooker Mitchell Cuillerier on the Redmen’s team culture.

Stat corner

McGill has been to 15 consecutive RSEQ Finals since 2000.

Moment of the game

After his game-winning try, Boyer was mobbed by his teammates, who lifted him onto their shoulders and carried him off the field.

a, Editorial, Opinion

SSMU VP Internal endorsement: Alexei Simakov

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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In order to present the most informed endorsements as possible, we attended the debate and conducted an interview in person with the candidate. The Tribune Editorial Board debated and discussed the candidate in depth and voted on our endorsement for the position. The endorsement required a two-thirds majority vote. Should you have questions about our endorsement process, please email us at [email protected].

Endorsement: "No"

According the Vice-President (VP) Internal portfolio, the role of the VP Internal is to act as the chief programming and communications officer for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). This person promotes student interests at the executive level, engages students in various ways, including through the hosting of events, and is the primary point of contact between students and SSMU. The Tribune endorses a “No” vote for Alexei Simakov’s candidacy for the Vice-President (VP) Internal position because of a clear disregard for its core tenets.

Simakov’s desire to promote change within SSMU and speak on behalf of students whose voices aren’t heard—evidenced by his tenacious campaigning for a position within the SSMU executive—is laudable. A large portion of the student body is dissatisfied with SSMU as an institution. However, his continued efforts to join the SSMU executive team in any capacity show that his intentions do not lie in fulfilling the duties of the VP Internal as laid out by the executive contract. Instead, his platform features a preponderant focus on issues outside of the scope of the VP Internal position, such as reforming SSMU’s electoral system and the promotion of free speech on campus.

Reforming SSMU elections is necessary to improve the democratic process and representing the best interests of all students; however, successfully enacting change would require a large amount of time and coordinated efforts which are not the priority of the VP Internal. Working on electoral reform as VP Internal would detract from his ability to perform the duties which are mandated within his contract.

If elected, Simakov intends to limit his focus on event planning, favouring the delegation of these responsibilities to event coordinators.  The VP Internal is responsible for planning events such as Orientation Week and 4Floors. While these events have already occurred this school year, he has not demonstrated that he will lay the groundwork for the next VP Internal during his extremely short term in office.

Simakov has stated that he doesn’t believe that listservs, one of the main responsibilities of the VP Internal, and the primary communication method of SSMU, are effective at engaging students; however, his suggestions for how SSMU can communicate important information to the general student body who remain disengaged with campus politics are lacking.

The VP Internal also has the responsibility of coordinating the meetings of the Commission des Affaires Francophones, which serves an important role in promoting the use of French language on campus. Simakov has justified a lack of attention to this aspect of the portfolio by citing the fact that no one has raised the relative invisibility of Francophone affairs as an issue to him directly. This mindset ignores the responsibility that he would hold as VP Internal to oversee this issue and determine how the visibility of French on campus could be improved.

Delegating tasks will not meet the needs of the portfolio. Student staff who are not executives are restricted to a certain amount of hours, and hiring more staff is an arduous process. Simakov has stated that the current efforts by SSMU to oversee and implement equity and inclusivity are sufficient without articulating how he envisions his own role within that process. In short, Simakov will have to fulfill aspects of the VP Internal position that he is currently assuming he will be able to delegate.

The only pillar of his platform that directly touches on the position’s responsibilities—reforming the funding structure of the Old McGill Yearbook—is largely borrowed from the plebiscite question in the Fall 2015 referendum period. During our interview with Simakov he was unaware that his plan and the plan proposed in the plebiscite had an opt-outable fee, one feature he said differentiated his plan from the plebiscite.

At the end of the day students are voting for the next VP Internal. With this position comes certain duties; shirking these core responsibilities under the guise of limiting micromanagement, and instead favouring other projects, defeats the purpose of filling the position.

Justin Trudeau
a, Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Letter to the Editor: The balancing act of gender parity in cabinet

by Greta Hoaken on

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I distinctly remember the day this summer that then-leader of the third party Justin Trudeau announced gender parity in cabinet as a campaign promise. I also remember rolling my eyes, and muttering something about merit and tokenization, deciding this would just be a campaign promise I disagreed with. Now that the dust has settled, and Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet have been sworn in and are hard at work, I cannot help but reflect on how wrong I was.

In a piece published by the Tribune on Nov. 3, “Justin Trudeau’s gender equal cabinet quota is not ‘Real Change,’” Alexandra Harvey claimed “women deserve to be in office because of their unique skills and experiences as people, not just as women.” In theory, this makes sense, but in practice we see too many deserving and capable women who are passed over in favour of their male counterparts. Women are more often not in cabinet because they are women than they are in cabinet because of their gender.

A lot has been said about the new cabinet, but one concept has stood out among the cacophony of opinion pieces and blog posts: Merit. For all its use, it is a word that very few have actually tried to unpack. What does it mean to merit a cabinet position? Looking at the Trudeau cabinet, I cannot help but be impressed by every individual's experience and energy. That’s not to say that other individuals would not have also done a good job—such is always the case when a caucus is stacked with intelligent and impressive individuals. That being said, every individual who was sworn in on Nov. 4 brings something different to the table and has a remarkable background.

What most commentators seem to miss in their critiques is that gender parity in cabinet is actually a way of recognizing meritorious individuals who, because of traditional bias and systemic obstacles, might otherwise be overlooked. It recognizes that for a man and a woman to get to the same place in politics, the latter has, on average, likely faced greater obstacles and has had to work harder. It puts women in positions of power, which allows them to prove their worth and their merit. Many were surprised that Judy Wilson-Raybould was named to the position of Minister of Justice, and yet she brings with her a resumé and breadth of experience—not to mention a personal perspective that has been historically misrepresented or unrepresented in her portfolio.

If we really want to discuss merit, there are far better evaluations and criticisms. Cronyism—namely the appointment of personal friends and favorites of the prime minister—is a much better target of our anger. And yet, the flurry of op-eds on the issue has noticeably avoided this consideration.

Gender parity in cabinet also recognizes that considerations of what constitutes being the ‘best candidate’ for an individual position must be weighed against what is the best choice for the cabinet overall. Canadians have generally valued regional representation in cabinet because we understand the need to have different voices at the table that represent the geographical and cultural differences of our country. Out cabinet is ‘better’ for this diversity, and this improvement through breadth of representation is only furthered through a gender quota

Cabinet should represent Canadians, and part of representation is physically being at the table. I would argue that a good cabinet is one that achieves this. In short, it isn’t about ‘deserving’ a position, it is about who is best going to serve Canada—representation is a huge part of that. The makeup of cabinet should not be reflective of an entitlement for those who meet certain criteria as the only qualification (although they must of course be capable individuals)—rather, it must be about building a team that will represent and serve Canadians properly.

If we want women’s voices at the table, we have to put them there, and recognize the aforementioned obstacles they face. The dust has settled, and while those crying merit have largely calmed their protests and moved on, the women appointed are still at the table, making decisions, and showing Canadians that women can (and should) belong in politics, including in important roles.

Greta Hoaken is the president of the Liberal Party of Canada at McGill University.

Drake and the Smiths
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Past vs. Present: “This Charming Man” vs. “Hotline Bling”

by Alfie Crooks on

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On the evening of Oct. 19, 2015—a night when Canadians voted overwhelmingly for a party with a Hollister model as its leader and the Toronto Blue Jays scored 11 runs to win their first game of the ALCS—Drake dominated the internet. Now weeks removed from the initial release, vines of Drake’s gyrating body aptly photoshopped with lightsabers or ads for pizza still continue to filter through social media as the “Hotline Bling” fever fails to cool.

More than 30 years ago, in 1984, a very different video by a very different group was released. “This Charming Man”—a chart-topping release from The Smiths—was accompanied by a video of the band performing on a bed of flowers. Truth be told, there isn’t a huge amount of things that links a group of white guys from Manchester playing music and ‘Champagne Papi’ at his most exuberant; however, the self assurance from the stars of the videos is what truly connects these pieces and make both incredible viewing experiences.

The video begins relatively calmly: It looks like a group of dudes, hanging out, playing music, all being very cordial and very boring. A nice 'chill sesh.' Then the maniac that somehow became lead singer, also known as Morrissey, comes into this floral set up, and absolutely lets loose. He opens up completely, unhinging his jaw in physically impossible ways to moan out some lyrics, while waving flowers over his head in some kind of performance mimicking the tantrum of a 3rd grade child. It’s really just passionate bedroom dancing. But instead of his bedroom, he has a set of bandmates and directors, all doing what they should be to make this video work. In this, the performance echoes the voice of Mr. OVO himself.

Take the beautiful background in the “Hotline Bling” music video, or the rich colours in the outfits designed and the amazing dancers who have all gone through painstaking auditions just to get their big break to dance in one of the biggest rap videos of the year. Think about how much time and money and planning was devoted to creating such an aesthetically pleasing set.

Then there’s Drake’s dancing, seemingly unchoreographed and questionably good. The way in which he attacks the cha-cha and shakes his legs indicate a preference for passion over coordination. Drake looks like he showed up on set, put on his finest pair of Timberlands, and busted out his dance moves reserved exclusively for use after finishing one too many tequilas. Everyone else had to spend time to get the video to where it was, while Drake steals the show with his spontaneous moves.

This overlap is crucial in figuring out what the appeal is of “Hotline Bling.” There’s something incredibly attractive about thinking that a performer needs no preparation. That at any spontaneous moment, they could break out and do exactly what you want them to do. It’s all just so natural and unforced, like they woke up, drank a cup of coffee, and decided that their bedroom dance is what the people were really itching for.

Maybe hard work isn’t valuable anymore. Maybe the time and care put into making something creative has become ‘uncool.’ But it’s also not as if the stars in these videos aren’t putting in work, rather the appeal is that these performers are being true to themselves. They’re not taking themselves too seriously, they’re not manufactured by a team of creatives, they’re just being themselves. And no one wants to live in a world where Drake is too embarrassed to cha-cha.

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