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a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

Swimming: Martlets, Redmen make a splash in second University Cup meet

by Mayaz Alam on

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McGill Martlets
2nd

 

 

 

 

 

 

McGill Redmen
3rd

 

 

 

The youth movement was on full display for the Martlet and Redmen swimming teams this past Saturday at the second RSEQ University Cup meet of the year held at McGill’s Memorial Pool. The Martlets, who have nine rookies, finished second on total points while the Redmen, who have 10 rookies, finished in third.

Team captain Simone Cseplo, junior Katerina Cardi, and rookie Rebecca Gillis led the way with two medals each for the Martlets, who are coming off a ninth place finish at CIS Nationals last year. Cseplo placed second in the 200m freestyle (2:02.59) and qualified for the National Championships. She also combined with Jennifer Henderson, Cardi, and Katie Caldwell for a silver in the 4 x 100m freestyle (3:58.21). Caldwell, one of two seniors for the Martlets and a former RSEQ swimmer-of-the-year, is optimistic about her team’s outlook for season.

“The team this year is really young and it’s a very different dynamic […] but it’s bringing a good vibe to the team,” she said. “I know on everyone’s mind is bringing home banners at provincials [….] That’s definitely our goal. It’s very possible this year, we have a great team.”

Although the Martlets had a strong showing this weekend, individual University Cup meets during the regular season have little effect on the final RSEQ standings. Instead, the primary focus is on sharpening the technical aspect and taking steps to be successful later in the year.

“Every cup meet is focused on trying to get the qualification and trying to get as many people at the CIS standard,” Caldwell explained. “Because they are all in-season meets we’re not really tapering down for them [….] It’s hard to be swimming at best times so we’re just trying to push as a team […] to win the battles to get qualified.”

17-year-old freshman Kade Wist was sensational on the Redmen side, finishing with two golds and two silvers as the highest-scoring swimmer of the meet. Wist, who had three gold medals in the first University Cup meet of the year, is quickly cementing himself as one of the best swimmers in the RSEQ despite being far younger than his competitors.

“I try and not to think about it,” Wist said about the age difference. “I just try and focus on getting my hand on the wall.”

William Dixon, another rookie, finished with a silver and a bronze while junior David Whiteside also finished with two medals. Only four Redmen swimmers qualified for last year’s National Championships where they placed 12th. This year, with only one senior on the team, the Redmen have the potential to lay the foundation for something special over the coming years

“We’re looking to become a dominant force at the CIS level and just place higher and higher every year,” Wist said. “Personally I’d like to make a final and then compete for a medal at CIS.”

The McGill swimmers will make the short trip to Outremont for their next meet as the Montreal Carabins host the third leg of the University Cup on Nov. 7.

Sound Bites

“Training with an injury is always a challenge. It’s mentally hard and it’s physically hard. Going into this last year […] I’m just trying to push through for these last six months […] and have fun” – Caldwell on battling through injuries during her junior year.

Stat of the meet

McGill’s combined score was 185, just one point behind the Laval Rouge et Or, pushing the home team to third best in the meet.

Moment of the meet

In a hotly contested 100m butterfly race, Wist held off Pascal-Hugo C. Cantin of the Rouge et Or by just a hundredth of a second .

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Trib Mix: Creep

by Hailey MacKinnon, Elie Waitzer, and Zikomo Smith on

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Late October is synonymous with Halloween. To get you in the scary mood the staff at the McGill Tribune has compiled 25 tracks that define what "creep" means for them. Remember to scroll down to the end to check out the Spotify playlist and happy listening!

The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”

Halloween may be scary and chilling, but there is also something surprisingly sexy about pretending to be someone or something else for one night only. No song is able to float within this enticing and mysterious space as confidently as The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games."

The clinching factor in “Wicked Games” is the enigma enveloping the song. Its slow, slinky pace is neither creepy nor soothing—the firm base line makes it comfortable to sway along to, yet singer’s desperate plea of “Even though you don't love me/Just tell me you love me,” is surprisingly unsettling. The song opens with seemingly white noise, most reminiscent of a foggy night—the perfect kind of Halloween night—followed by The Weeknd’s gentle and alluring first note. The lyrics “Bring your love baby I could bring my shame/Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain,” takes the song from a standard R&B song to a dangerous and thrilling level.

If Halloween is the time to be joyously intoxicated with fear and uncertainty—Wicked Games is the perfect song to accompany you as you do it.

– Hailey MacKinnon

Rihanna – “Disturbia”

The same year the global economy fell apart, a naive beauty combusted and out from the wreckage stepped a fully-formed, unstoppable Rihanna. If 2007’s Good Girl Gone Bad was a subtle attempt to hint at the Barbadian diva’s demonic conversion, 2008’s Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was a roundhouse kick to the heart. Jay-Z anticipated precipitation, but even he couldn’t imagine the torrential downpour that Rihanna would unleash upon the mortal world with her single Disturbia, released shortly after the Shia LaBeouf horror flick of the same title.

The song kicks off with a chilling scream and a driving chant: “bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum.” Rihanna asks “What’s wrong with me? / Why do I feel like this?” before giving a terrifying description of some ghastly being that “can creep up inside you / and consume you.” The music video is set in a subterranean torture chamber, where a possessed Rihanna twitches against her rusty shackles and gyrates on top of a rickety insane asylum bedframe, her milky eyeballs rolling back in their sockets. The imagery is scary enough, but the thought that will give you the spooks is that this song marks the dark fork in the road between “Pon The Replay” and “Rude Boy. As YouTube commenter Daniel Almir put it, “It’s hard to believe that this woman is the same from ‘Bitch Better Have My Money.’ How time changes people….”

– Elie Waitzer

TLC – “Creep”

TLC’s Creep either has you grooving to the rhythms and the raspy timbre of the backing horns, or reflecting on the singer’s dysfunctional relationship with her unfaithful boyfriend.

Tionne Watkins, in sultry tones, explains “I love my man with all honesty, but I know he’s cheating on me”. She then turns her lyrics towards the listener, saying she in turn cheats on her boyfriend, but “it’s only because I need some affection.” The vocals are intense and smothering. It’s as if the singer is creeping on the listener, while justifying her actions and rationalizing her loyalty her boyfriend.

Dissonance between the off-putting lyrics and the attractive beat, as well as the singer’s love for her unfaithful boyfriend despite her infidelities, is a key theme in this song. In fact, it was too much for Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC, who refused to rap on the track because she felt the song advocated staying in bad relationships.

The second verse shows the singer lamenting the emotional distance in her relationship: “And we don’t talk / like we used 2 do / now it seems pretty / strange but I’m not / bugging cause I still feel / the same yeah yeah.” She has now accepted her own unfaithful lifestyle as viable with her relationship: “Love you forever baby soul and mind” she tells her boyfriend.

She concludes ominously, however: “I creep around because I need attention/ don’t mess around with my affection.” The listener is constantly confused by the singer’s motives. It’s probably best to forget all the emotional turmoil and just dance to that fire beat.

– Ziko Smith

a, McGill, News

Senate discusses plans for internationalization

by Laura Hanrahan on

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Last Wednesday’s McGill Senate meeting saw discussions on the role of McGill in providing higher education to refugees, McGill’s strategy for internationalization, as well as a presentation on the current state of research misconduct within the university.

Access to education for refugees

During the previous Senate meeting, a question was brought forward by Law Senator Benjamin Brunot regarding McGill’s plans to facilitate access to higher education for students fleeing war or persecution. In a written response, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens cited massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a current initiative that will provide refugees with education opportunities.

“University [and] MOOC-provider partnerships are being designed to allow asylum seekers, without regard to their status or place of stay, to attend free online courses before settlement and then transfer to traditional university setting, obtaining an official degree at the end of their curriculum,” Dyens wrote in his response.

Brunot, however, raised concerns over the impact that MOOCs will have on international refugees.

“I was just worried about how McGill can actually reach refugees through MOOCs,” he said. “Maybe [the refugees] might not have easy access to either reliable internet connections or just basic technology where they are.”

Dyens acknowledged Brunot’s concerns, but stated that MOOCs are the most feasible option to offer education to refugees.

“As long as a person is a refugee, any access to McGill education will be a difficult thing to do,” he said. “I think what we’re trying to do is have a better presence online. [We want to] give as many as people as possible access to a McGill education and to do it as cheaply as possible [….] Access to internet and smartphones is better than having people come all the way here, take a plane, and pay all of these expensive costs.”

Report on research misconduct

Research Integrity Officer, Abraham Fuks, presented the annual report concerning the investigation of research misconduct at McGill.

“There were six [allegations] received this past academic year,” Fuks said. “Three dealt with issues of plagiarism and authorship, one dealt with falsification of data, and two were a more global category of issues of misconduct.”

Fuks additionally underlined a lack of attention to detail on the part of graduate research supervisors, specifically in regards to authorship attribution.

“A number of cases over the years have involved allegations from students who feel that they have not been treated fairly and acknowledged properly in publications,” he said.

During a discussion of the report, Education Senator Alenoush Saroyan asked what could be done to diminish the number of allegations even further. According to Fuks, both post-graduates and faculty members will need to put more emphasis on regulations.

“Encourage faculties […] to engage more resources and more time and energy into education of both faculty members and graduate students,” he responded. “[There are] many individuals who work very hard and […] don’t always have time to familiarize themselves with the regulations and demands of authorship, [which are] become more technical [and] more specific. The second [step] is to encourage graduate supervisors to pay attention to the mentorship of students.”

McGill’s international strategy

Saroyan raised questions regarding the distinction between international and internationalization, and asked for clarity on the motives behind the intended internationalization of McGill. Internationalization includes bringing in students and professionals from around the world to McGill.

“They’re two different things,” Saroyan said. “Internationalization has a lot to do with student mobility, equivalencies, and the motive behind it is revenue generating.”

McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier disagreed with Saroyan’s understanding, citing enhancement of research and learning opportunities as the prime motivation for internationalization.

“I believe that the motivation in this university for internationalization, for bringing people from outside of our country as students, as professors, as colleagues in the research partnership area has not been financial money,” Fortier said. “In fact, as you probably know, Quebec is such that we don’t retain those dollars for the most part, […] so it’s not a prime motivation.”

Fortier, went on to explain that the primary motivation for internationalization is in fact the potential for exposure to a wider range of minds and viewpoints that the university will gain.

“I think it’s been a belief within the university that for a long time a richer learning environment is created when you can bring together different perspectives, which comes from having people of different cultures, ethics backgrounds and so on,” she explained. “The motivation is very much linked to excellence in learning, teaching and research.”

3 Women
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Flashback: 3 Women (1977)

by Nico Wada on

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3 Women is an understated wonder by the iconoclastic director, Robert Altman. The film itself unfurls like a dream, most likely because Altman first dreamt of the film before proceeding to shoot something that he was still figuring out. Altman was known for his almost laissez-faire filmmaking philosophy; he was one of the first directors who allowed his actors to stray from the script with a cheerful nonchalance and was known for leaning strongly on improvisation. “I feel the medium of film has not yet been explored,” Altman once said in an interview with Dick Cavett, expressing his creative desire to use the platform of film to create something entirely original. He does just that with 3 Women, a film that perfectly mimics a dream in its juxtaposing elements of lucidity and haziness.

The film explores the entangled lives of Millie Lamoreaux (Shelley Duvall), Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek), and Willie Hart, (Janice Rose) three women living in an apartment complex in a California desert. A shot-by-shot scrutiny of 3 Women demonstrates Altman’s particular fascination with twins or doubles, and the idea that every individual searches for their perfect match. Millie, Pinky, and Willie are all solitary characters, even outcasts, who in the end seem to fuse into one monotone characterization of the female identity.

One of Altman’s fortes is his ability to create lively characters by giving them individual quirks and traits. In 1977 Duvall was won the Cannes Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Millie—a chirpy consumerist always dressed in yellow, blithely unaware that she’s ignored by those around her. Millie’s dialogue is a subtle but hilarious aspect of the film, as her conversation consists of a stew of clichés and brand names.

Pinky is the archetypal stranger-comes-to-town character who arrives mysteriously from Texas and joins Millie at her workplace, a geriatric therapeutic spa. Pinky is charmingly puerile, in one scene blowing bubbles into her coke glass at lunch with impish delight. When Millie is instructed to show Pinky the ropes at work, Pinky immediately idolizes Millie, going as far as reading her diary and moving in as her new roommate. Willie, the preganant wife of the owner of the apartment building, is the third woman. She is a sullen and mostly mute character who dresses like a pioneer from the wild west and spends her time painting mysterious murals of menacing serpentine creatures. Gerald Busby’s flute-heavy soundtrack picks up whenever Willie enters a shot, establishing Willie as a tragic, feminine force.

3 Women attests to Altman’s love for developing strong female characters, making him a particularly unique figure in Hollywood. While male roles exist in 3 Women, it seems only Willie’s philandering husband Edgar (Robert Fortier) drifts into focus, and even his character remains vague and distant. Edgar is an embodiment of traditional male stereotypes, defined by his motorcycles, beer, lust, and gun-slinging, but the other men in the movie are merely objects of Millie’s fascination.

Of particular curiosity is the intriguing use of water throughout the film. During a climactic scene, Pinky jumps into the pool in an attempt to kill herself, and when she wakes up from her coma, her character has endured what seems to be a rebirth as she and Millie have exchanged personalities. Altman has stated that the water that flows occasionally between his shots should be seen as the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus. The opening scene of the film depicts old people descending into an exercise pool at the geriatric spa; a clear juxtaposition of birth and impending death. Altman, however, warns against the overuse of allegorical interpretations saying, “it's the weirdest thing. We're willing to accept anything, absolutely anything, in real life. But we demand order from our fantasies. Instead of just going along with them and saying, yeah, that's right, it's a fantasy and it doesn't make sense.”

Daring in its sheer bizarreness, 3 Women contains a power that can only be described as ‘Altmanesque’ and is an unforgettable, spellbinding cinematic masterpiece that should be viewed more than once.

NFL Fantasy Football
a, Football, Sports

Fantasy Football: Week 6 takeaways

by Josh Blatt on

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Week 6 in the NFL was marked by two historically memorable and wacky moments.San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw for over 500 yards with no interceptions and still lost the game, and, the Indianapolis Colts ran the most inexplicable fourth-down play that had the looks of a Madden video game glitch. Here’s the other key fantasy football takeaways from the week

The Seahawks’ legion of gloom

The Seattle Seahawks have been good at losing football games this season. The 2015 Super Bowl runners-up blew their second consecutive fourth quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Sitting at 2-4, Seattle has been outscored 61-27 in fourth quarters and overtimes the season. Poor offensive line play has limited quarterback Russell Wilson to just seven passing and zero rushing touchdowns this season, while running back Marshawn Lynch has failed to top 73 rush yards in any of his four games thus far. Owners can only hope that upcoming matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys will prove to be the cure for Wilson’s and Lynch’s troubles.

A Stark change in Green Bay

Second-string Packers running back James Starks has carved out a substantial role in the Green Bay offence at the expense of fantasy bust Eddie Lacy. Starks has leapfrogged the injury-hampered Lacy by recording 286 yards on 63 carries thus far. Head Coach Mike McCarthy will likely ride the hot hand between Starks and Lacy after Green Bay’s Week 7 bye, making for a murky fantasy situation. Despite this, Starks needs to be owned in all formats because of his immense potential.

The spotlight Steeler

With wide receiver Antonio Brown struggling to produce elite numbers since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wideout Martavis Bryant, fresh off his four-game suspension, picked up the slack against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. In a shocking victory over the Cards, Bryant reeled in six catches for 137 yards and two scores with the inexperienced Landry Jones, who started the season third in the Steelers QB depth chart, throwing the ball. The Clemson product appears poised to pick up from where he left off in last year’s breakout season. Treat him as a second or third wide receiver with huge weekly potential that will only grow with Big Ben’s eventual return.

The Jets’ Ivory tower

In his third season with the New York Jets, running back Chris Ivory is finally proving to be a legitimate fantasy football asset. Ivory has topped 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in three of the four games he has played. His aggressive downhill running style, and ability to generate yards after contact have drawn comparisons to the Seahawks’ Lynch. Most notably, Ivory is averaging a league-leading 115 yards per game and is running the ball 20.8 times each contest. Look for Ivory to keep the good times rolling next weekend against the New England Patriots.

Melvin Gordon is losing charge

Playing in front of 60-plus family and friends in his return to Wisconsin, Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon spent the majority of the nail-biting battle versus the Packers on the bench. Gordon rushed seven times for 29 yards and turned the ball over twice, increasing his fumble total on the season to four. Pass-catching back Danny Woodhead, who has been ultra-effective for the Chargers, took on a larger role following Gordon’s benching. Gordon will be a very risky play next week against the Oakland Raiders, as it’s likely he has lost grip of his early-down duties.

a, McGill, News

No say for students in Student Services appointment

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Following backlash from the McGill community over last month’s appointment of Robyn Wiltshire as the interim senior director of student services, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), Ollivier Dyens, has apologized, admitting student consultation should have been a part of Wiltshire’s hiring process. Wiltshire succeeds Richard Zereik, who served as interim director of Student Services from November 2013 to May 2015.

The interim senior director of Student Services

In September, the executive bodies of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Post-Graduate Students’ Society, the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), and the Macdonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society (MCGS) published a statement denouncing the lack of student consultation in Wiltshire’s appointment. According to the statement, an advisory committee for the selection of the senior director of student services was created in May, but the search was halted after the summer.

“The committee’s work was postponed as of Sept. 15,  2015, when members were informed that the search for a new senior director was being placed on hold while Student Services underwent substantial changes over the coming year,” the open letter reads. “Neither the committee, students, faculty, nor staff were consulted or previously informed of the appointment of a new interim senior director.”

In response to the statement, Dyens apologized to the members of the advisory committee.

“I understand the students didn’t like the fact that I didn’t consult with them, and you know what, they probably have a point,” Dyens said. “I should […] have consulted with them. I think they’ve made a good point, and I’ve told them so. And I’ve […] apologized to the [advisory] committee.”

Dyens continued to explain that Wiltshire was hired to allow the McGill administration to prioritize its review of the Students Services framework before hiring a permanent director of student services. According to Dyens, this review is intended to explore how Student Services can be more proactive in terms of providing resources to students.

“Right now we’re a downstream service […] students come to see us and we try to help them,” he said. “We have great challenges right now—mental health is an issue [….] We believe that thinking of a more proactive approach is the best way to provide services to our students. We tried to [find a candidate] during the summer and were not successful at it. One of the reasons […] was that we were saying to the people we want to rethink student services, but it was more of a general notion. And then I thought, why don’t we rethink the best way to […] have more upstream types of services […] and then go after the [candidate] we’d like to have.”

Arts Senator, Erin Sobat,  who sits on the Committee on Student Services (CSS), disagreed with Dyens’ viewpoint.

“There’s a concern that if you’re totally changing up the system, it’s not the best time to bring someone [new] in,”  Sobat said. “I’m a bit skeptical of that because I think that the best people to lead the kinds of changes that we want to see in Student Services are student services professionals […] with professional associations in research and literature. I think they’ll very much understand this context [….] What McGill’s looking at is not very groundbreaking in terms of […] building linkages and collaborations between units.”

Sobat also has concerns over the competencies required in the job description for the position of director of Student Services. This includes the possession of a master’s degree in a field relevant to student affairs.

“We would have loved to see someone with that [Student Services] background in the position to be leading that change, and it’s unfortunate that that’s not happening.” he said. “[Somebody] who meets the basic requirements of the committee that were in the position profile that was sent out [….] the current interim senior director does not have a master’s degree, or a degree in the area of student affairs.”

The hiring process at McGill

The hiring process for senior administrative positions at McGill, such as the provost, the deans, and the principal are outlined in McGill’s Statutes, which describe the procedures for government of all university affairs. Article 3.4.1 of the Statutes stipulates the creation and membership of an advisory committee for the hiring of such employees.

“Before recommending an appointment for the office of provost, deputy provost, or vice-principal, the Principal shall have consulted an advisory committee consisting of four representatives of the Board of Governors, four representatives of the Senate and two students,” article 3.4.1 reads.

Dyens explained that advisory committees suggest high-level candidates for the position.

“What the committee does, is that it brings forward recommendations on a number of candidates that the search committee believes are above the bar,” Dyens said. “Then we start negotiating with [the candidates].”

According to Sobat, the selection process for positions like the interim director of Student Services is much less structured. Following the CSS’s request to increase student representation on the advisory committee to select the senior director of Student Services, the student membership on that committee was raised from two to three individuals.

“The actual composition of the [advisory] committee in the end, we were very happy about. It was a good balance of students […] and administrators,” Sobat said.

Nevertheless, Sobat continued to underscore the challenges of student involvement within selection committees.

“There’s a very strong emphasis [on] the advisory role of pretty much all of these selection committees,” he said. “We had, in fact, asked if [McGill] would consider making [the advisory committee for the selection of a director of Student Services] a formal selection committee instead of just an advisory committee, and that request was denied.”

Going forward, Sobat stressed the importance of student consultation in the hiring process.

“[Students] are the minority in the [committee…] in a way, that’s not reflected by the actual composition of McGill,” Sobat said. “You do need to work a bit harder just to have your voice heard in a more convincing, effective way. When the McGill administration really works as hard as they can to incorporate student feedback into the process, then it tends to be better in the long run for the success of the individual in the position.”

This article was corrected on October 20, 2015. The Tribune regrets these errors.

a, Science & Technology

Great Scott! The sci-fi world of Back to the Future

by Daniel Galef on

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Back to the Future, the 1985 sci-fi classic, is in the news this week for a special anniversary. The protagonist of the movie, Marty McFly, time-travels from 1985 to 1955 and back again. In the process, he saves his mentor, mad scientist Doc Brown, and assures his own existence by setting up his parents as high school seniors. At the end of the movie, Marty arrives home again only to be whisked off an another adventure—this time, to the future. When Marty and his companions fly off in Doc’s DeLorean-sedan-cum time-machine, they’re headed to October 21, 2015: This Wednesday. Director Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale’s vision of the future—shown four years later in Back to the Future Part II—doesn’t disappoint. Featuring hoverboards, flying cars, and robotic dogwalkers, the movie’s version of 2015 offers a number of technological marvels. But how close were their predictions?

Hoverboards and flying cars

Flying cars have long been a mainstay of science fiction books, movies, and comics. Despite their absence in the average consumer’s life, flying cars have actually been both theoretically and practically possible for decades—but haven’t caught on for safety and price reasons. In 1917, the first flying car was developed by Glenn Curtiss, a rival of the Wright Brothers. The Curtiss Autoplane looked like a streamlined sedan with a giant propeller and wings, and was operated like an airplane. Since then, dozens of prototypes and test models have been created by Ford, Hiller Helicopters, and the U.S. Army.

Hoverboards were initially pioneered by Hiller in the ’50s. Today, boards are being made to fly using the technology found in hovering maglev trains, known as magnetic levitation. A video published on Yahoo Tech shows the article’s author attempting to ride a hoverboard prototype, called the Hendo Hoverboard. Developed by Arx Pax, a California-based company, the board is far from perfect. Balance is precarious, and the vehicle operates only on metallic surfaces; but the invention takes us one step closer to emulating the technology shown in the film.

Smart watches & smart glasses

Wearable tech is a major step towards living in the world of science fiction. Today, gadgets like Google Glass and the Apple Watch are probably the most comparable technologies to the ones that Zemeckis predicted. Besides being featured in Back to the Future, wearable radios and computers have been depicted in other famous science fiction franchises such as Star Trek, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers.

The technology used is called augmented reality, and it’s at the cutting edge of modern entertainment and computer interface design. Augmented reality allows for the incorporation of digital information and simulated graphics into a new perception of the world that is halfway between virtual reality and reality.

Interestingly, the reason Google Glass and the Apple Watch haven’t caught on is very different from the factors that shot down the flying cars. Whereas this type of technology was perceived as being sleek and alluring by futurists in the 20th century, today these techno-accessories are being viewed as silly and impractical—impeding further development.

Widespread automation

In Back to the Future, robots walk dogs, pump gas, and take orders at cafés. This type of widespread automation could be possible today, but the development of these robots faces the same issues as flying cars: High cost and low interest.; however, progress is being made. 

A new type of robot has been created by Rethink Robotics. The general-purpose robot, called Baxter, is unspecialized and able to watch and then learn a variety of simple tasks—making it likelier to replace humans for certain jobs.

However, specialized robots exist, too, and have already begun to be put to work in several industries. Robot-staffed restaurants are open to the public in Germany, China, and Singapore, and plenty of other automations have become common since the ’80s, such as package-delivery drones, automated gas pumps, Siri, and self-driving cars. 

The Back to the Future films were hugely influential. They not only marked a milestone in special effects technology and were quoted in the 1986 State of the Union address, but caused an entire generation to mispronounce the word ‘gigawatts.’ At least a few inventions were developed specifically because they existed in Back to the Future—like Nike’s  limited edition version of Marty’s Hyperdunks (though they do lack the coveted auto-lacing feature)—because someone saw them in the film and thought, “I could build that.” So, in a way, Doc Brown did take us to the future after all.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Redmen blow out Voyageaurs in home opener, fall against Lakers

by Nicholas Jasinski on

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McGill Redmen
7

 

 

 

 

Laurentian Voyageurs
2

 

 

 

 

McGill Redmen
2

 

 

 

 

Nipissing Lakers
3

 

 

The Redmen hockey team (3-1-0) outscored their opponents by a combined score of 9-5 across the six periods played last weekend. The Redmen went into their first home game of the season on Friday with a perfect 2-0 record, and outplayed the Laurentian Voyageurs (1-2-0) to remain undefeated. McGill quietly dominated the first two periods, leading 2-0 on the scoreboard and holding a 31-13 advantage in shots on goal, before exploding in a prolific last period, putting 22 shots on goal and scoring on five of them. The Voyageurs also managed to net twice in the period. Freshman left-winger Daniel Milne of Unionville, ON scored twice while five other Redmen forwards also found the back of the net once a piece. 

“We had a really solid game against Laurentian,” Head Coach Kelly Nobes said. “We were moving our feet really well, chipping pucks, clearing pucks, running our routes, and our execution was really good.”

The Redmen finished the match with a 52-22 margin on shots, but went just one for eight on the power play. Overall, McGill dominated the game in front of an excited home crowd with superior teamwork, possession, and skating. 

Saturday’s match against the Nipissing Lakers (2-0-2) was another story entirely. 

“Tonight was essentially the opposite of [Friday’s game],” Nobes said after the loss. “We stopped moving our feet, we stopped running our routes, and our execution wasn’t what it needed to be.”

Despite a fast-paced and exciting first period, the teams remained scoreless after the first 20 minutes of play. The climax of the game came in the 10th minute of the second period, when a solid shot from second-year defenceman Samuel Labrecque broke the tie. It seemed like the breakthrough that would seal the outcome of the match, but the Lakers weren’t ready to give up yet.

The third period started much like the first two: Fast skating, ambitious passing, and a lot of back-and-forth action across the rink. About halfway into the period, disaster struck for the Redmen. Goaltender interference was called on McGill’s centre, Rock Regimbald, sending the freshman to the penalty box. The Lakers would capitalize a minute into the power play to tie the game at 1-1. Two minutes later, McGill conceded another penalty. Nipissing scored on the subsequent power play to secure a lead. Much to the exasperation of the home fans, McGill committed yet another penalty three minutes later. The result was a third goal for Nipissing in just five minutes.

Down by two goals, the Redmen snapped back into the game. Labrecque scored again on a six-on-four power play after Nobes pulled junior netminder Karel St-Laurent. But the late push was not enough to force an overtime and the Lakers celebrated their first win of the season. 

“I was happy to see the push in the last three or four minutes, and we almost tied it up, but we were essentially just chasing at that point,” Nobes said. “We need to be better as a group. We need to play 120 minutes in a weekend, and we only really played one period [on Saturday].”

McGill will look for revenge on Jan. 9 when they travel to Nipissing; but for now, the team will focus on preparing for next weekend’s games against UQTR (3-1-0) and Concordia (2-2-0). 

Sound Bites

“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on—it’s a really young team. Lots of new guys, and guys still trying to figure out their roles, so there’s still lots of room for growth with this group in almost any area of our game.” —Coach Nobes on the team’s development 

Moment of the Game

The entire third period was insanity: The Redmen erupted for five goals on 22 shots. 

Stat of the Game

The Redmen outshot their opponents by nearly double over the weekend, 96-54, for a combined score of 10-4.

a, Features

Beyond Rhetoric: Investigating McGill’s Student Political Clubs

by Christopher Lutes on

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federal election is finally over after the longest campaign period in modern Canadian history. Over the past 11 weeks, the three political parties with the strongest chances of forming government—Conservative Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, and the New Democratic Party(NDP)—have been hard at work trying to win the hearts and minds of undecided voters. But by now, the NDP and Conservative party leaders have gone home disappointed. Their months of hard work—while not in vain—certainly did not pan out the way they might have hoped. 

On campus, the story is similar, but on a smaller scale. Each major  political party has a corresponding student group at McGill, run semi-autonomously by student leaders. These leaders; Alexei Simakov of the Conservative Association at McGill University (CAMU), Greta Hoaken of Liberal McGill, and Malaya Powers and Jacob Schweda of the McGill University chapter of the NDP, have campaigned tirelessly in and around the McGill community. These parties had to contend with a demographic that is statistically less likely to vote, and an issue space full of topics that aren’t always directly applicable to young Canadians, such as universal childcare or changes to income tax. 

Creating further barriers is a campus discourse that tends to create tension, making it difficult for political moderates and undecided voters to ask questions or have their voices heard without being shouted down by either end of the political spectrum. Political polarization is a real issue on campus, but it’s also one that the parties cannot address without conflicting with the strong notion of party centralization in Canada. While these student parties are guilty of making the campus conversation more rigid along party lines to a certain extent, the individuals behind the parties share a common goal: the desire to reduce voter apathy and create a meaningful discourse to enhance youth voting in general.

 

 probably the hardest job changing people’s minds on McGill’s campus, where left-leaning discourse seems to take precedence. Simakov, the leader of CAMU, finds himself out of step with this discourse. A self-professed libertarian, he differs from the popular conversation on campus. 

“I believe […] that we have a government that’s willing to do less because it gives the opportunity for Canadians to do more,” Simakov said. 

Simakov espouses a lot of ideology that’s reactionary to certain elements, like his upbringing in interventionist Russia, from where he emigrated at a young age. After arriving in Canada at the age of eight, Simakov began campaigning in the eighth grade. He joined the Young Liberals of Canada, but left because he became fed up with their take on human nature.

“I saw a mentality of coddling, of superiority complex of most amongst the Liberals I worked with, and the belief that, yes, the people are great, but they need a bit of our help, and they need a bit of our leadership, and a bit of our support to make sure they can get through their lives’,” Simakov said. “I didn’t believe that.” 

While both the Liberals and NDP are able to position themselves as parties that represent youth issues, the federal Conservative party doesn’t give student Conservative groups the same kind of rhetorical ammunition. Basing off of the idea that young people tend to vote for left-leaning parties, encouraging young people to vote is less advantageous to the Conservative Party than others.

a, Recipes, Student Life

Pumpkin cookies for chilly October nights

by Liz Willcock on

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There comes a point in life when one realizes there is more that can be done with a pumpkin than carve a misshapen ghoul into it and leave it on the front step. This coming of age occurs in many shapes and forms—from the first slice of pumpkin pie, to a certain variety of pumpkin beverage from Starbucks. You taste it suspiciously at first, but are quickly won over—it’s warming, it’s sweet, and it smells like heaven filled with fall-scented candles from Bed Bath & Beyond. This realization usually occurs around October or November when the cold air suddenly justifies putting pumpkin flavour in anything and everything. 

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, while suited for fall, are worthy of becoming a year-long staple. They are moist, tasty, and are a perfect snack to bring to school.  They can be made gluten free by using certified gluten free rolled oats. Adding ground flax seeds is also recommended if you want to add a healthy boost and a little more crunch.

Although it is easy to find canned pumpkin in the grocery stores, one should take advantage of the real thing during the fall. If you’re so inclined, you can easily make your own purée with a pumpkin from the McGill Farmer’s Market on Thursdays, or from your local produce store. All you need to do is cut the pumpkin in half, scrape the seeds out, bake it for an hour at 325 º F, and then purée the meat. While it is commendable to go the organic route, you also have the option to buy the jumbo tins of pumpkin purée at Segal’s Market on Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Either way, these cookies won’t disappoint. 

Recipe inspired by BLDG25

Pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 

Makes two dozen 

 

Ingredients: 

2 cups of almond flour 

2 cups of whole rolled oats 

1 cup pumpkin purée or one small pumpkin

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of olive oil or coconut oil (if using coconut oil, make sure it is melted)

1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup 

1 large egg 

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup of chocolate chips 

1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (optional)

 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 375º F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.

1. Combine the dry ingredients: Almond flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, in a mixing bowl.

2. In a large bowl, first whisk together the oil and honey then add in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stir to combine well, add chocolate chips, and stir until combined.

4. Spoon dough onto baking sheets in balls and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. 

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