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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.

around the world daft punk
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Deep Cuts: Michel Gondry music videos

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the music video was being redefined. A series of visionary directors were beginning to imagine the music video as more that just a means of promotion, but as an opportunity for artistic expression in itself. Last week, the Tribune took a look at some of Spike Jonze’s best work. This week, French Director Michel Gondry is under the spotlight.

“Everlong” – Foo Fighters 1997)

Equal parts Evil Dead (2013) parody and surrealist dreamscape, “Everlong” is an introduction to the snappy editing and camera tricks that Gondry would later perfect in 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A suburban bedroom, a cabin in the woods, and a crowded party scene are blurred together as Dave Grohl and the gang seamlessly shift through space and time. It’s a little bit like an alternative rock Alice in Wonderland—and don’t even try to deny that Taylor Hawkins looks good in pigtails.

”Let Forever Be” – The Chemical Brothers (1999)

If you think “Everlong” is trippy, “Let Forever Be” is positively kaleidoscopic. The video follows the dreams, nightmares, and everyday experiences of a young woman in possibly the least ‘everyday’ way possible. Simple, mundane scenes seem to explode in every direction. A simple visit to the drug store becomes a dizzyingly choreographed dance routine. A street drummer seen outside the protagonist’s window suddenly appears in her bedroom. Technically cutting-edge and visually captivating, “Let Forever Be” is arguably Gondry’s most ambitious video.

”Fell in Love With A Girl” – The White Stripes(2001)

How much time must this have taken? In “Fell in Love With a Girl,” Gondry animates an entire world out of LEGO bricks, frame by frame. Despite its status as the definitive White Stripes music video—“The Hardest Button to Button”, also directed by Gondry, is a close second—“Fell in Love With A Girl” almost never happened at all. According to Jack White, Gondry was actually hired by accident after the record label mistook him for Mark Romanek. White, who was a fan of Gondry’s work anyway, decided to go ahead with the video. The rest is history.

“Around the World” – Daft Punk (1997)


Like Daft Punk’s best music, the video for “Around the World” is a simple idea, done really, really well. A departure from Gondry’s typical camera trickery, “Around the World” instead features a continuous shot of five sets of dancers, each representing a different element of the song. For example, men with tiny prosthetic heads boogie to the pulsing bass while the task of interpreting a bouncy synth line is given to group of women in synchronized swimming outfits. The choreography, initially devised by Gondry and amended by Spanish choreographer Blanca Li, is as impressive as it is weird.

“Bachelorette” – Bjork (1997)

“One day I found a big book buried deep in the ground,” said Bjork at the beginning of the video for “Bachelorette.” To Bjork’s surprise, the book begins to write itself, setting off a chain of events that chart the course for this mind-bending Matryoshka doll of a music video. While “Bachelorette” lacks the dazzling visuals of “Everlong” or “Let Forever Be,” it more than makes up for its shortcomings with a stronger narrative than some of Gondry’s feature films (looking at you, Green Hornet). Watch and be amazed.

a, McGill, News

Remembrance Day ceremony met with protest by Demilitarize McGill

by James Ward on

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On Wednesday Nov. 11, students active in the Demilitarize McGill campaign unravelled a banner from the roof of the McLennan-Redpath Library Complex during the Remembrance Day Ceremony held by the Royal Canadian Legion on McGill’s Lower Field.

“Canada kills: Colonialism here, imperialism abroad. End occupation, resist Canada,” read the banner, which failed to completely unfurl, but was widely visible before being removed by McGill security.    

Demilitarize McGill issued an official statement on its website, citing Canadian colonialism and imperialism as the impetus for the banner.

“The ceremony is designed to manufacture sympathy for the Canadian Forces despite their inherently imperialist and colonialist missions and their continued perpetration of atrocities and genocide both here and abroad,” the statement reads.

The ceremony, which was held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,  included a military parade and helicopter flyover. Local and national dignitaries laid wreaths at a temporary memorial and the Act of Remembrance, a stanza from the poem “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon, was read. A 21-gun salute was fired throughout the proceedings.

Chelsea Cureé, Montreal resident, attended the event to reflect on what it represented.

“I think it’s important to think about something bigger than ourselves and to think about the sacrifices that were made for our freedom,” said Cureé.

Ken Helfer, a Montreal resident whose son marched in the parade, agreed with Cureé.

“I thought it was a great ceremony,” said Helfer. “It’s fantastic to commemorate both those who are with us and those who are no longer with us, and I think it should be done every year.”

While objecting to the demonstration itself, Helfer additionally defended the activists’ right to protest.

“Everyone is allowed to express their opinion; however, I don’t feel that it’s appropriate at a time when you’re commemorating the people who have given their lives for their right to do that,” Helfer said.

Responding to accusations of disrespect, Isaac Stethem, a student invovled with Demilitarize McGill, said that the limited focus of Remembrance Day ignores those outside of the military who have lost their lives in battle.

“The absence of the victims of Canada’s colonial and imperial violence from Remembrance Day—and official discourse as whole— is not only disrespectful, but a denial of history,” Stetham wrote in a statement to the Tribune. “Our objection is not to the mourning of individuals that have [been] lost in wars, but to the selectiveness of whose memory is worthy of official commemoration, and in what context.”

Master Corporal Jack Milly, who was involved in logistics for the ceremony, defended Demilitarize McGill’s right to undertake these actions.

“I believe in freedom of speech, and if people have messages they want to put out [then they should be able to],” said Milly.

In its statement, Demilitarize McGill specified a number of issues that the organization sees as ignored.

“By dropping a banner [the activists] seek to highlight the histories and voices absent and forgotten in nationalist Remembrance Day ceremonies,” the statement reads. “These include the Indigenous women and girls who have been disappeared, murdered, and/or sexually assaulted, the theft from the Kanien’kehá:ka of the lands on which McGill is located, and of the waters into which the City of Montreal, with federal government approval, now wish to dump eight billion litres of raw sewage. These also include those affected by Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya, by Canada’s […] support of Israel’s apartheid regime, and by […] Canadian mining companies across Latin America.”

Students active within the Demilitarize McGill campaign have undertaken similar actions in the past. During last year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, the organization held a rally on the steps of Redpath Museum which provoked controversy in the McGill community, with some arguing that the rally discredited the organization whose primary goal is to oppose and disrupt military research at the university.

This article was updated on Nov. 17.

a, Basketball, Sports

Takeaways from the start of the NBA season

by Arman Bery on

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1. Stephen Curry and the value of pace and space

Stephen Curry has by far been the most entertaining player of the opening week of the NBA. Through the first week he recorded a 28-point quarter, a 24-point quarter, a 21-point quarter, and 25 three pointers through his first five games—an NBA record. Curry and his “splash brother,” Klay Thompson, have led the Golden State Warriors to a pristine 6-0 record, all with Head Coach Steve Kerr away from the team recovering from multiple back surgeries.

Some have called the defending champions lucky because they faced an injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals, but when you recognize how dominant they were in last year’s regular season as well, it’s difficult to dismiss this team’s greatness. If the start to this season is any indication, Golden State will be storming deep into the post-season.

2. All the huge personalities on and around the Sacramento Kings

Rajon Rondo, Demarcus Cousins, George Karl, Vlade Divac, Vivek Ranadive—these men possess egos big enough to fill a Wall Street firm. These very egos were too big during a summer league game, where Cousins and Karl disagreed to the point that they had to sit on opposite ends of the court. Hopefully Rondo, Karl, and Cousins can develop chemistry, but when you have an impulsive owner like Ranadive it makes the process much more difficult. The enigmatic point guard, the supremely sensitive cornerstone centre, the stubborn and opinionated head coach, the inexperienced general manager, and the controversial owner all combine to make the Kings one of the most entertaining franchises to watch.

3. Defensive calamity, offensive monotony: The Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Nation has long used Kobe Bryant as a trump card to argue that the Lakers are better than everyone else—an argument now met with outright mockery. Fans, management, and even Bryant have gravitated away from talk of ‘chasing championships’ and ‘building dynasties’ to mentioning the ‘process’ and preaching patience. D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle are budding stars, but the Lakers still hurt their rebuilding process this past summer by missing out on marquee free agents. The allure of L.A. and the tradition of the franchise are not what they used to be, especially with an incompetent owner such as Jim Buss at the helm, and the recent history of high coach turnover. The apparently ‘defensive-minded’ Head Coach Byron Scott continues to confuse fans nightly while the Lakers have a consistently porous defence.

Scott  stated that he prioritizes players with experience over promising young players, and that he doesn’t believe in analytics. The Lakers are in flux, and once Bryant retires, the team will lose what little winning identity and edge it has left. This will leave the difficult burden of developing a similar identity for the team in the young hands of Russell, Randle and Jordan Clarkson.

4. Is there an ‘alpha male’ between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and does it even matter?

Most of Kevin Durant’s 2014-2015 season was lost to a Jones fracture in his right foot; this season he is back with a vengeance while playing alongside superstar teammate Russell Westbrook. The duo have exploded out of the gates and currently are respectively the second and third leading scorers in the league, dominating the Orlando Magic at the start of the season.

There has been a ceaseless debate in NBA circles about who the true leader is on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The early results of this season suggest that Westbrook and Durant are not very concerned about making such as a distinction and genuinely love playing alongside each other.  

As long as they keep up the chemistry, the Thunder will go very far this season on the backs of their two superstars.

5. The ever changing roles and responsibilities LeBron James imposes unto himself

The Cavaliers entered the 2015-2016 NBA season as odds-on favourites to win the championship. Owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager David Griffin, however, understand they cannot waste LeBron James’ second tenure in Cleveland. James is entrusted with unprecedented control of the Cleveland’s decision-making, both on and off the court. With injuries to Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, James has the to pick up the slack while also facilitating a bigger role on offence for Kevin Love, who signed a five year deal with the Cavs this summer.

The early results are promising, as after their opening night loss to the Bulls, the Cavs have rolled onto a 4-1 start. James has realized that he must concede ball handling duties to Mo Williams and the other guards, make sure Kevin Love is consistently aggressive, and keep his big men Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson happy. He also has to  play great defence and provide whatever combination of scoring, passing, and rebounding that the team needs on a given night. James is also integral to ensuring that the new Cavaliers embrace the team’s system, while adding to the team’s overall chemistry instead of taking away from it. His role ever-changing and evolving; his greatness is how consistently and seemingly effortlessly he has been able to do this throughout his illustrious career.

6. The constant progression of the San Antonio Spurs

Head Coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs have been a model of consistent success for the past two decades despite an ongoing evolution of their offensive and defensive identities. This summer, they were able to to cash in on some of the ‘respect capital’ that they have generated around the league in order to sign the coveted LaMarcus Aldridge. As the big three of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan head into the twilight of their careers, more responsibility will shift onto the shoulders of Kawhi Leonard and Aldridge, with Danny Green also playing a vital role. Popovich made a promise to Aldridge that he would continue coaching the Spurs at least until the end of Aldridge’s contract, which is great news for the Spurs and the NBA as a whole. Through Popovich, San Antonio has been able to change their team identity from defensive juggernaut in the early 2000’s to an openly flowing offense that is the NBA’s gold standard. Their style of play helped revolutionize the modern game and helped bring the idea of pace and space to the forefront of the NBA; many other top teams, such as the Warriors, are emulating that standard. The Spurs will have an adjustment period as they incorporate Aldridge into their offence, but their adaptability is well-chronicled and thus the offence will be back at full force soon.

a, News, SSMU

SSMU VP Internal profile: Alexei Simakov

by The McGill Tribune on

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Alexei Simakov is a U4 International Development Studies student running uncontested for the position of Vice-President (VP) Internal of the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU). 

Equity, inclusivity, and accessibility

With regards to overseeing and implementing equity and inclusivity at SSMU related events, Simakov believes that current efforts by SSMU and related organizations are effective.

“We definitely have a lot of equity […] as it currently stands,” he said. “We have in place a lot of individual organizations that focus on that: We have the equity commissioner [… and] we have student services. I think in terms of creating infrastructure, I feel more or less comfortable that most of it is in place, and the gaps that I'm sure are there aren't very prevalent.”

Simakov stated that his approach to overseeing equity would be to identify specific concerns, when they are raised.

“I don't see a lot of conversational concern from students,” he said. “If this is risen, we have to address this absolutely [….] I get a lot of concerns being raised on the [Facebook page….] The concern is: What will you do to raise equity and accessibility? Ok, well where do you identify the problems that we need to increase accessibility for? That's a conversation we need to have first. We keep talking about it without understanding what we're trying to fix.”

The Old McGill Yearbook

One of Simakov’s platform planks is to decrease the cost of producing the Old McGill Yearbook. During the 2014-2015 school year, the yearbook had a deficit of $8,468.

“If we create a situation where more students are buying [the yearbook], it allows us to lower costs,” he said. “The best way that’s being discussed is that we have a fee in place […] My campaign promise is to have a referendum [about this] this Winter [….] The advantages of [a fee] is that […] we can predict how much money we’re getting [….] Also, instead of collecting the money at the end of the year, SSMU will have it at the start.”

The creation of a yearbook fee where students would not be able to receive a yearbook if they opted out, is being raised in a plebiscite during the ongoing Fall 2015  referendum period. Simakov explained that his plan was to make yearbook to available to students who had opted out.

“I don't think it's realistic that if a student opts out in first year, that means they're no longer allowed to have a yearbook by the time they graduate in four years,” he said. “I feel our accounting capabilities are enough to work within that range of having students who are going to opt-out.”

Electoral reform

Although not explicitly outlined in the VP Internal portfolio, Simakov seeks to enact electoral reform if elected.

“There's no consistently enforced rules [about campaigning], they are by design arbitrary,” he said. “What I envision is a system [that …] sets out very clear guidelines of what [candidates] can and cannot do without having a [… Chief Electoral Officer] that can arbitrarily […] enforce [rules] of the campaign.”

Simakov would also encourage the formation of slates, where certain candidates can campaign together based on shared ideologies, policy ideas, and goals.

“Another conversation I want to have is about slate campaigning,” he said. “We're clearly not having a surplus of too much people running […] some of the concerns are ‘Oh, what happens if we get like Ottawa, for example, [and have] two parties that are fighting each other, [so] no one else can get in and vote?’ I’d rather have those two parties fighting against each other than no one engaging. It has to be done intelligently [….] If we make slates it’s much easier to understand [candidates’] messages and I think avoids personal attacks [on candidates] because it's more of a slate.”

Francophone Affairs 

Another aspect of the VP Internal portfolio is overseeing the Francophone Affairs commission.

“In terms of promoting bilingualism, I think my position is somewhat similar to the conversation we had about equity and accessibility,” he said. “There's a lot of talk about ‘What can we do?’ But not a lot of talk on what we're doing it about. Are French students feeling uncomfortable on campus? [….] I haven’t really seen that sentiment [….] If they exist, I definitely want them to reach out to me […] because we can't address these issues until they're raised.”

Simokov explained that he did not believe that additional initiatives were necessary for this issue.

“I don't think it's responsible for us to be overly proactive and putting in initiatives to solve problems that don't exist right now,” he said. “We need to be listening to identify the problems before we act on [them ….] We already have a lot of initiatives to promote French, all the SSMU materials are written in French. Some of the concerns [that] were [raised] at the [General Assembly] (GA), if we were to get some translators there, we could have a half French-half English GA. The reality is that McGill is a fundamentally English speaking school and students come here from France, from Quebec to study and live in English. Any other language here, if you have friends in that language, you can speak it with them.”

The Tribune's endorsement for the VP Internal position will be published on Friday evening

a, News, SSMU

Céleste Pagniello withdraws from SSMU VP Internal race

by Jenna Stanwood on

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On Nov. 11 the Elections Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced via e-mail that Céleste Pagniello, a candidate for the vacant vice-president (VP) internal position, has withdrawn her candidacy. The e-mail included a written statement from Pagniello citing threats as her reason for withdrawing.

“Due to personal attacks and threats directed towards my family, and myself, I have decided not to continue with my campaign to be VP Internal of SSMU,” Pagniello wrote. “These messages have escalated far beyond the appropriate level of a student government campaign, and I have decided to end this campaign in order to protect myself and all parties involved.”

The threats followed an anonymous Reddit post accusing Pagniello of blocking a McGill student from her election Facebook event. The other VP Internal candidate, Alexei Simakov, has since announced that it was his campaign that published the original accusation against Pagniello on Reddit.

The post accused her of creating false profiles to forge evidence that she had not intentionally removed anyone from her event, but had instead made an accidental change in the privacy settings of her personal profile that affected the event.

“Our purpose with this was it came to our attention that a student was saying he was blocked from the event which we found to be in bad behaviour by Céleste and we wanted to bring light to this because it would be obviously beneficial to our campaign,” Simakov said. “Afterward she posted this evidence refuting the blocking. Those we found very suspicious [… and] a lot of these accounts [used for evidence] are fabricated Facebook profiles.”

Ballots for the VP Internal by-election will now include a Yes or No vote on the remaining VP Internal candidate. According to the SSMU elections by-laws, if the vote fails, SSMU’s Legislative Council will have several options.

“If a position is vacant after the extended Nomination Period or as a result of withdrawals, the electoral period shall carry on,” reads Article 6.9 of the Elections and Referenda section of the Internal Regulations of the Presidential Portfolio. “To fill the position, Legislative Council may call a by-election, fill the vacancy by appointment, or delegate the responsibilities to a sitting representative.”

Simakov, while not feeling responsible for Pagniello’s withdrawal, is disappointed that students no longer have two candidates to choose from, and hopes that if he is elected, election reform will be brought before SSMU.

“I’m sad that there’s no longer an option in the race,” he said. “Last year I ran [for president] by presenting that [students] should have an option and I was hoping that this would be the outcome. So I don’t feel responsible for it, and all I can do is run. Hopefully someone else would have been running but […] we’re hoping that moving from the future, if we enact electoral reform then we can move away from these types of situations to talk about the issues.

Pagniello did not respond to requests for a comment.

Jose Bautista
a, Baseball, Sports

The Sport Authority Episode 1: Toronto Blue Jays off-season edition

by Elie Waitzer and Aaron Rose on

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This is The Sport Authority, the McGill Tribune sports section's podcast. In Episode 1 Staff Writer Aaron Rose and Sports Editor Elie Waitzer get you prepared for the 2015-16 Toronto Blue Jays off-season amid swirling rumours swirling and a scorching hot stove. Will Marco Estrada be the first player ever to accept a qualifying offer? Should the Toronto Blue Jays fork over the big bucks for David Price? Can you imagine Chris Davis rocking the blue-and-white in between Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki? Could Jose Bautista and Darren O’Day set aside their differences in Toronto? The 2015 season ended in heart break, but with the offense returning intact, the 2016 Blue Jays look poised to return to October. If the Blue Jays can lure a top tier pitcher to Toronto and rebuild the bullpen, new team President Mark Shapiro should be able to erase the name Alex Anthopolous from Blue Jays fans’ memory! Listen on to find out what The Sport Authority thinks:

NFL Fantasy Football
a, Football, Sports

Fantasy football: Week 9 Takeaways

by Josh Blatt on

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With only four weeks to go until playoffs, fantasy football owners are in need of wins now more than ever. Week 9 showed that late-season pickups are the keys to success. Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams, playing in place of injured Le’Veon Bell, racked up 225 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, while Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte’s backup, Jeremy Langford, amassed 142 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion. Time to turn to the key takeaways of this week in fantasy football:

Down goes Dion

New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis went down with a non-contact injury against the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon. The team later confirmed that Lewis had in fact torn his ACL and will be out for the season. The Patriots have been unstoppable this season, but losing Lewis and his electrifying game will surely take some wind out of their sails. Expect an even heavier usage of LeGarrette Blount going forward, while running backs Brandon Bolden and James White will slide into Lewis’ role.

Sammy Watkins rises from the dead

In his first appearance since Week 6, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins exploded for eight catches, 168 yards, and a touchdown in a win over the Miami Dolphins. Watkins has only suited up for five games in an injury-plagued season, but has proven to be a difference maker when healthy. With the Bills facing the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 10, Watkins presents an intriguing boom-or-bust fantasy option as he matches up against premier cornerback Darrelle Revis.

The Red Rifle keeps firing

There may be no player in the NFL with more critics than Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. The fifth-year signal caller has had an up-and-down career that led many to question his poise under pressure and his viability as a long-term solution in Cincinnati. Now nine weeks into the 2015 season it appears those questions have been answered. Dalton’s three touchdown performance against the Browns this past Thursday puts him on pace for a career-high 4,452 yards and 36 scores. The Bengals will look to extend their record to a perfect 9-0 versus the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football. The time may have passed to buy low on Dalton, but owners can expect top-five production going forward.

Allen squared

Danny Woodhead’s big day With wide receiver Keenan Allen on Injured Reserve, San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead assumed a larger role in the offence on Monday Night Football. Although the Chargers fell to the Bears in the final drive of the game, Woodhead’s shifty moves and pass-catching abilities kept the Chargers afloat through most of the contest. Woodhead rushed six times for 33 yards, and caught six passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. He should continue to see an expanded role in the offence when the Chargers emerge from their Week 10 bye.

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