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Memphis Depay
a, Soccer, Sports

UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 review

by Adrian Knowler on

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The UEFA Champions League is back! This week marked the beginning of the group play, and all 32 teams left in the competition have completed their first matches. There was plenty of drama and goals to discuss and analyze. Here are the important takeaways from the first match day's biggest games.

Group A

Two of Europe’s biggest and richest clubs, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), both took care of their opponents handily this week. PSG, quarter-finalists last year, improved its squad by signing Argentine winger Angel Di Maria. Madrid made it a step further to the semifinals in 2014-2015 before losing to Juventus. Both clubs should top the group, with Madrid as slight favorites to win the group outright.

Group B

Despite qualifying for the group stages with ease, Manchester United lost its first match against PSV Eindhoven. United’s new signing, electric winger Memphis Depay, scored first for the Red Devils against his former club. It soon, however, fell apart for the English squad. Not only did the heavy favourites cough up a lead to lose 2-1, they also lost starting fullback Luke Shaw to a freak double leg fracture for the rest of the season. United can still qualify for the next round, but they have an uphill task.

Group D

Given their strong start to the domestic season, Manchester City looked surprisingly weak in their home loss to Juventus. Despite being Champions’ League runners-up last time around, Juventus lost key players this off-season such as Carlos Tevez, their top goal scorer last year, and box-to-box midfielder Arturo Vidal. City are now in the hole from the get-go, and will have to drastically improve if they want to survive the group, let alone win it.

Group E

The goal of the competition might be settled after just one match: Roma fullback Alessandro Florenzi lobbed FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from the middle of the field to help Roma draw 1-1 with the reigning champions. Barça are favourites to repeat their Champions League victory. They should still win the group easily despite this disappointing result. Look for them to take out their frustration on Bayer Leverkusen when the Bundesliga side visit Spain next week.

Group F

Arsenal outdid themselves in their 2-1 defeat to Zagreb, and not in a good way. Their decision to  rest key players in preparation for the weekend’s league match against Chelsea  backfired as they lost both in Croatia and at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal cannot afford to do the same against Olympiakos next week; They will need three points heading into their clash with European superpower Bayern Munich.

Pagans in Vegas Metric
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Pagans in Vegas – Metric

by April Barrett on

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Metric is a band that has yet to make a misstep in their 17 year career, and they have become known as founders of the Canadian indie-rock scene. Their latest album Pagans in Vegas, the band’s sixth overall and first in over three years, attempts to follow this trend. Frontwoman Emily Haines evokes comparisons to Debbie Harry of Blondie: Blonde and bored, backed by a gang of indistinguishable white guys, emoting aggression and listlessness with an interesting, rather girlish voice. After all these years, Haines has even been granted some of the do-no-wrong idolatry bestowed on the aforementioned Harry. A tone of confidence is present throughout Pagans in Vegas and sonically the album is more electronic than ever. In “Letter to You,” an open letter to fans published on Metric’s official site, Haines discusses the album as homage to the great British new wave artists of the ’80s like Depeche Mode. She conveys the band’s desire to participate in the “next wave of electronic music.”

Pagans’ 8-bit production certainly evokes an exaggerated Jetsons-style future sound. Lead single, “The Shade,” opens with a riff appealingly identical to a Pac-Man game. “Cascades” takes this one step further, distorting Haines’ voice into a robotic recitation of the advice, “just keep going strong.” Lyrically, Haines’ vague, self-righteous critiques often come across as irrelevant. “Holding off your freedom of speech / Rage against the dying of the light,” she sings, after making a comment about how an indistinguishable “you” lobotomized and commodified her,  which could be compelling if it didn’t sound so contrived. At other times, however, her lyrics get an emotive burst. On “Fortunes” she sings, “she cracked right on the dance floor/ but I won’t.” Haines promises in a forlorn attempt to get the listener to “stay / to soften the blow.” Unfortunately, these moments don’t last long.

Overall, Pagans in Vegas reveals that Metric’s status as a ‘modern classic’ is at odds with its desire to stay provocative and relevant. In “Letter to You” Haines described the album as “a gift, a burden, a time capsule, an escape, an alarm, a question, and a call with no answer, leave a message at the tone,” but even that leaves some serious questions: Mostly the glaringly obvious, ‘what does that even mean?’ After listening to Pagans In Vegas, it’s hard to know for sure if she even knows herself.

Mac Miller GO:OD AM
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: GO:OD AM – Mac Miller

by Jackie Houston on

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It’s always darkest before the dawn, and while the slew of mixtapes, EPs, and two studio albums leading up to Mac Miller’s latest release, GO:OD AM, might not constitute darkness, it’s been a long-winded journey for the 23-year-old rapper. While his debut album Blue Slide Park was generally perceived as lackluster and repetitive its successor, Watching Movies With the Sound Off, captivated its supporters with innovative, psychedelic production. On GO:OD AM, Miller returns with an adolescent swagger now tempered with a healthy dose of self-reflection; however, it is Mac Miller the producer that ultimately elevates GO:OD AM to his best executed work yet.

Opener “Brand Name” sets the stage accordingly; a lush sax introduction gives way the sort of crisp, calculated beat that speaks to the rapper’s experience as a producer. Stylistically, the album jumps around. “Rush Hour,” “When In Rome,” and the Chief Keef-aided “Cut the Check” take cues from Drake and his mainstream ilk. The songs feature bass-heavy minimalistic beats and monotone hooks, which isn’t a necessarily a bad thing. “Cut the Check” stays dynamic thanks to its constantly shifting pace, while “When In Rome” fuses tightly viscous flow with a club-ready beat. Comparatively speaking, these are the weaker points of the album. The more melodic cuts are the true gems. On “Two Matches,” Miller muses on the continuum of life while muted horns swell in and out. “In The Bag” marries pure swagger—“I don’t know bout you but I’m important,” Miller crows with sax punctuations. “100 Grandkids,” the album’s first single, is an earworm so deftly produced that you really don’t mind having it stuck in your head all day.

Lyrically, the Pittsburgh native doesn’t stray far from the content his audience has come to expect. He likes to drink, he likes to party, and to quote “100 Grandkids,” he “may be a little arrogant.” All this is articulated with trademark wisecracking wordplay in “Perfect Circle/ God Speed: “I know that life is a bitch / I thought we’d put her in a cab by now.” Now and again, however, he drops bars that approach the genuine and near vulnerable. Mac Miller still remains juvenile, but maturation and experience have injected self-awareness into his music. If his career thus far has been the weekend bender that never ends, then GO:OD AM is that first morning you wake up without a hangover—renewed, focused, and aware.

 

Bob Moses Days gone By
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review – Bob Moses / Days Gone By

by Anna St. Clair on

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Deep house is always a somewhat difficult genre to analyze. With its steady beats and minimalist instrumentation, it’s meant to set an atmosphere rather than move and inspire. Armed with a laptop and sound equipment, making mediocre deep house isn’t terribly difficult, and these days it seems like everyone is doing it. Thus, making truly creative and complex deep house that stands out for its artistic value is certainly a challenge. On Days Gone By, Brooklyn duo Bob Moses shows off depth and emotion with an innovative blend of electro-pop and deep house.

The electro-house group is comprised of Jimmy Valance and Tom Howie. Valance and Howie first met in high school in Vancouver, and after pursuing separate music careers in Brooklyn they formed Bob Moses in 2012, naming their band after New York City’s infamous urban planner. After producing several EPs, their first full-length album was released earlier this year. Their previous sound has been rhythmic deep house with subtlety beautiful vocals and on Days Gone By, Bob Moses stays true to their roots.

Days Gone By gets off to a good start with “Like it or Not,” which begins with swelling synths, sharp percussive beats and ominous piano chords. The reflective swells of the production put the listener into an almost infinite dome of sound. Electronic effects mimic the sound of water and paint a lush, dreamy rainforest as this song’s musical universe.

With pulsating beats and wandering synth rhythms, “Keeping Me Alive” is another standout track. While much of the album works with long and smooth house tracks, the duo veers into the pop realm in this song. Though much of Days Gone By is permeated with themes of loneliness and loss, “Keeping Me Alive” is an oasis of passion and love.

Throughout the album Bob Moses explores themes of loss and being lost, of possibility and of missed chances. “Before I Fall” changes things up by opening with classic guitar riffs and Howie’s layered, almost choral vocals bringing raw emotion and pain. The poetic lyrics encapsulate a sense of vulnerability and loneliness, which resonates through the rest of the album.

Yet for parts of Days Gone By listeners are given music with little substance. “Touch and Go” is a relatively boring track with 7.5 minutes of simplistic beats and inane, repetitive lyrics. Bob Moses has proven that deep house doesn’t need to be boring, but “Touch and Go” loses creative energy and innovation and settles for mediocre house music.

On Days Gone By Bob Moses shows that deep house can have all the beauty and intelligence of any other genre of music, while still staying true to its minimalist style.

Pop Montreal
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Pop Montreal 2015 round-up

by Ian Rodgers on

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Orbiting the musical enormity of Stars of the Lid

Stars of the Lid combined creativity, classical composition, and raw musical power to create soundscapes that are simply incredible. The two composers—Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie—remained mostly in darkness for their performance at the Ukrainian Federation. The quartet of accompanying string musicians were slightly illuminated; however, the visual aspect of this show was not directed towards the performers, instead it took the form of patterns projected across the stage.

The excellent acoustics of the space allowed the subtle resonance of their music to hush the audience. Stars of the Lid took simple melodies and built and layered them until they shook the crowd to the core, physically and emotionally. Their closer, “December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface,” evolved from a simple yet beautiful melody into a tidal wave of sound before descending back into simplicity in a glorious resolution. Stars of the Lid, who have not released an album since And Their Refinement of the Decline (2007) performed both on the last Saturday and Sunday of the festival. No other artist was given two headlining performances, and it’s not hard to see why Stars of the Lid was given the honour.

Braids bring intimacy and intensity to Rialto

Beneath a strange lobby lined with bean bag chairs and Monster sponsorships, a late night of female-fronted acts filled a small dance hall as part of POP Montreal. The headlining performance came from Braids, an ambient rock trio initially from Calgary, Alberta. The bandperformed songs from their recent album Deep in the Iris with gusto; the percussion from Austin Tufts gave a backdrop of urgent energy to the lyricism of Raphaelle Standell-Preston.

The enthusiasm of Braids was visible even before they arrived on stage—it was possible to see the band psyching each-other up for the performance in the backstage area. This enthusiasm bled into the crowd, who cheered and danced enthusiastically to tracks such as “Blondie” and “Taste.” Preston’s voice was powerful and ethereal, filled with character that fleshed out the subtle nuances of the deeply personal album. Long-time fans of Braids got a taste of their older, more ambient flavour in the interlude leading to “Warm Like Summer.” To close the show, they played the fiery and feminist “Miniskirt,” an anthem which combines personal tragedy with defiance of gender roles. Overall, this show had the audience and the performers share a fun space of excellent musicality.

Tim Hecker challenges the concept of a ‘Concert’

Tim Hecker’s performance at the Phi Centre was simultaneously a show and a contemporary art installation. In a room filled with scented fog and dimly lit in changing colors, Hecker’s overwhelming sounds roared and resonated. Eager fans trying to slide closer to the front of the room would have been surprised to learn that there was no “front.” Hecker performed from behind a glass screen, probably unseen by most of the audience, who formed a circle with no real central point to focus on. Some people closed their eyes, some sat down on the floor, but everyone seemed quiet and overcome by the multi-sensory assault of Hecker’s creation.

Those familiar with Hecker’s repertoire could hear aspects of many albums in his catalogue, which gained new power in the uncommon setting. The show concluded with relentless high pitched vocal sounds coordinated with a blast of more and more fog, until you could barely see your hand in front of your face. As the short 45 minute set came to a close, with a quick “gracias” from Hecker, it was difficult to gauge the reaction of the audience. Ultimately, this show felt like an intriguing way to give music new meaning and a practical joke at the same time—a feeling one would hope the artist himself intended.

NFL Fantasy Football
a, Football, Sports

Fantasy Football: Week 2 takeaways

by Josh Blatt on

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Week 2 was highlighted by a flurry of scoring and an onslaught of injuries. Seven teams broke the 30-point threshold on the back of huge games from several fantasy studs. Nevertheless, many owners will be crying themselves to sleep after key performers such as Tony Romo, Lamar Miller, Eddie Lacy, Jordan Cameron, and Jay Cutler were knocked out of games, reminding owners everywhere why depth is crucial in fantasy football.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ backfield is a soon-to-be murky situation

When fantasy owners dished out a high pick for the talented Jeremy Hill, they were hoping for a repeat of the sophomore tailback’s 1124-yard, nine-touchdown 2014 campaign. After scoring two touchdowns  in Week 1, Hill promptly had an eventful Sunday that included a brief injury exit, two fumbles, and a benching. Hill’s back-up Giovani Bernard has already amassed an astonishing 37 touches and 227 yards. With numbers like those, the Bengals are going to have a hard time taking Bernard off the field. It may be the right time to buy low on Bernard, but be warned, a timeshare is looming—one that is sure to provide owners with weekly headaches.

A disastrous day in Dallas

As the brilliant Ron Burgundy once said, “Boy, that escalated quickly.” Only one week ago things were looking just fine for the Dallas Cowboys. With Romo under centre and wide receiver Dez Bryant primed to tear up the league, this team appeared poised to build on last season’s 12-4 record, but no such luck. Bryant is out for six-plus weeks with a broken foot bone and now—to Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones’ delight—the franchise quarterback has been diagnosed with a fractured left clavicle. Oh, and tight end Jason Witten supposedly suffered injuries to both his ankles and a knee to add injury to injury. The rest of the Cowboys’ season may be difficult to watch as they will have to rely on a mediocre run game to hide the abysmal quarterback play of Brandon Weeden.

The Steelers are a force to be reckoned with

Things are heating up in Steel city after Pittsburgh  dismantled the San Francisco 49ers 43-18. Big Ben was sharp as usual, putting up 369 yards and three touchdowns, along with a herculean 195-yard effort by Antonio Brown. Backup halfback DeAngelo Williams also managed to score three touchdowns. With Brown quickly cementing himself as the league’s most consistent receiver, and the impending returns of all-purpose superstar Le’Veon Bell in Week 3 and up-and-coming wideout Martavis Bryant in Week 5, the Steelers offence is going to be a wrecking ball. Invest heavily in this team if given the opportunity—it is sure to be a fantasy goldmine.

The implosion of the Eagles

Upon receiving the go-ahead to rebuild his squad this off-season, Philadelphia Head Coach Chip Kelly did not hesitate to make some pretty drastic moves. In only a few months, the football community watched as star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin relinquished his Eagles uniform and veterans LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles were shipped out and replaced with Demarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Kiko Alonso, and Sam Bradford. The result was an unwatchable Week 2 performance. The fiasco of a game included a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, picks, fumbles, and an Eagles run game that finished with a measly seven total yards. Until Kelly fixes the offensive line, the offence as a whole will continue to suffer.

Julio Jones and Matt Ryan: The best tandem in football

Hot off a two-touchdown, 141-yard torching of the Eagles in Week 1, wide receiver Julio Jones once again put up an awe-inspiring performance this week against the New York Giants. He reeled in a franchise-record 13 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in the win. Julio’s speed, pass catching ability, and overall athleticism make him a mismatch for nearly every corner in the game. As long as quarterback Matt Ryan maintains his elite performance, Jones will be a threat to break 100 yards and find the end zone every Sunday.

Quarterback play at its finest

Derek Carr, Tyrod Taylor, Colin Kaepernick, Carson Palmer, Andy Dalton. What do these men have in common this week? Surprisingly, they find themselves in the top-10 quarterback fantasy performers of Week 2, ahead of superstars like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Although these signal-callers aren’t the most attractive names to have in bye-week or two-quarterback lineups, they have proven that the NFL does have quarterback depth, and that they can pay dividends from time to time if you’re willing to take the risk. To grieving Romo owners looking to swing a big name replacement in a trade, consider streaming some of the aforementioned names based on weekly matchups. Solid picks this week include Taylor against the Dolphins and Carr versus the lowly Browns.

McGill Lower Field
a, McGill, News

The dirt on Lower Field: Budget cuts prevent maintenance

by Laura Hanrahan on

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The Lower West Field of McGill’s Downtown campus— commonly known as Lower Field among students— has, over the past two years, developed a large area of the field that is barren of grass. 

McGill Grounds and Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor Franco Nardi explained the origins of the damage. 

“The Lower West Field has been, for many years, the preferred location for the McGill community to hold memorable events and activities including […] Convocation ceremonies,” he said. “These great events have a devastating effect on the lawn due to the massive size of the tent, which covers the area we now see as barren.”

While these practices have been ongoing for quite some time, Nardi explained that the past few years have seen an especially detrimental effect on the field.

“In previous years the damaged area was revived with new grass after the Convocation ceremonies ended,” he said. “It has now been over two years since the last efforts were made.”

According to Nardi, overall funding cuts have contributed to the the lack of maintenance on Lower Field.

“The funding was stopped due to the fact that the practice was no longer sustainable and also coincided with budget cuts announced during that same period,” he said. 

In December 2012, due budget cuts within the Quebec government, McGill announced sudden and severe university funding cuts. According to a Senate presentation given by Provost Anthony C. Masi this past April, the university is currently tackling an estimated $1 billion-plus in deferred maintenance needs.

Nardi explained the Grounds department’s future plans to minimize further damage to the field. 

“We have been working on more sustainable solutions and scenarios, which include better management of field activities with the implementation of restricted and alternate play areas during the summer months and the use of rainwater recuperation systems,” he said. “We are presently replacing and planting 15 to 20 new trees as a better and sustainable option, and also as an ongoing practice for the time being.”

Senior Campus Planner for the Office of Campus and Space Planning Brian Karasick echoed Nardi’s sentiments. 

“The level of outdoor activity within the lower campus, especially for large events, has been steadily increasing,” Karasick said. “As noted, we have experimented with many ground cover options and ground preparations over the years, but none has managed to stand up to the intensity of use and to endure beyond a single season. We clearly need to find a more permanent and sustainable solution, but this will involve some careful consideration of the various activities and their respective impacts [and] needs. This initiative is currently underway.”

Karasick explained that all plans for the initiative are still in a preliminary stage and have yet to be solidified.

“This involves a number of McGill departments, and we’re still in the data gathering stage, so it’s too early to speculate on potential solutions,” he said. “Safety, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability will certainly be key determinants.”

Ben Ger, U2 Environment, agreed that the practice of maintaining Lower Field is not sustainable. 

“To some extent, front lawns in general are not completely sustainable,” he said. “Though there [are both] costs and benefits to it, at the end of the day, plain grass lawns, especially massive ones like McGill’s, do waste water.”

Ger suggested other potential uses for Lower Field that might make the land more sustainable and effective.

“Alternative uses for those spaces [include] interactive green spaces on Lower Field— specifically greenhouses to study in like Concordia’s— or expanding Campus Crops […] potentially onto Lower Field,” he said. “[Providing] places for community building [has] shown to have significant positive effects on productivity, and can be beneficial to mental health for many people.”

Ger, however, did acknowledge the complicated intricacies that come with making changes to McGill’s green spaces.

“Green spaces are complex issues that encompass mental health, spaces on campus, environmental cost and benefits, and fiscal feasibility. So I hope somebody who in a position of power on campus is paying attention.”

a, Private, Science & Technology

Ten-billion-year-old galaxy cluster discovered

by Daniel Galef on

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This week, NASA announced the discovery of a galaxy cluster found billions of light years from Earth. The finding, published in The Astrophysical Journal, identified a unique property of the cluster, named SpARCS1049+56. It hosts what physicists call a wet merger, which is a unique type of galactic joining in the presence of hydrogen gas. In the cluster, two component galaxies at the center are joining and creating new stars. Galaxy clusters, which can consist of anywhere from fifty to a thousand galaxies, are the largest things in the universe that are bound together by gravity.

Galaxy mergers are far from rare. SpARCS1049+56, which has been nicknamed Sparky, is special because its wet merger occurred in the center of a galaxy cluster, where it was thought that there would be no gas for new stars to form. As a galaxy drifts through a large cluster to settle at the center over immense periods of time, the raw stellar material is generally stripped away, creating a too old and too resource-poor galaxy that cannot form stars.

“Usually, the stars at the centers of galaxy clusters are old and dead, essentially fossils,” explains McGill physics Professor Tracy Webb.

The cluster was discovered primarily using the Spitzer Space Telescope. This telescope scans in the infrared (IR) spectrum, enabling it to detect the radiation emitted by bright starbursts created by the galaxy merger, far above the distortion created by Earth’s atmosphere. More information about the cluster’s properties was derived from data collected by the Canada France Hawaii (CFHT) Telescope and the Keck Telescope (amongst the largest terrestrial telescopes in use) as well as scans done by the Hubble Space Telescope.

SpARCS1049+56 is unique in more than one way. Not only is it undergoing this extremely unlikely type of rebirth—creating new stars—as a result of the wet merger, but it’s doing it at an incredible rate. The merger is thought to produce well over eight hundred new stars per year. In comparison, our own galaxy, the Milky Way, only births one or two stars per year.

A tell-tale sign of new star formation is the formation of gas pockets. This phenomenon, described as by astronomers as ‘beads on a string,’ was observed by the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes.

“With Spitzer's infrared camera, we can actually see the ferocious heat from all these hot young stars,” stated Jason Surace, Senior Research Astronomer at Caltech, another coauthor of the paper.

SpARCS1049+56 is 9.8 billion light-years from Earth. To put this into perspective, if Pluto were 7 μm away from the Earth (the width of a single red blood cell), the cluster would still be 133,000 km away.

SpARCS1049+56 is 9.8 billion light-years from earth. To put this into perspective, if Pluto were 7 μm away from the Earth (the width of a single red blood cell), the cluster would still be 133,000 km away (more than the diameter of Saturn).

But even though SpARCS1049+56 is extremely far away and very old. Also, any information we know about it ten billion years out of date, because that’s how long it’s taken light to travel the distance separating us from the galaxy cluster. However, astronomers believe that the cluster is still around today. Unlike other celestial bodies like stars and nebulae, whose expiration dates are astronomical but existent, galaxy clusters are essentially endless.

According to Webb, the fascinating galaxy wet merger that makes SpARCS1049+56 so special is by now long over, having lasted about a billion years. However, the object, now wholly merged into one gargantuan galaxy of mature stars, still very much exists and is probably one of the largest things in the universe.

“Today Sparky is probably a very massive galaxy but not one that has much going on,” said Webb.

 

a, Opinion

Commentary: What austerity means for the children of Quebec

by Albert Park on

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Every week, I go to Ecole FACE to volunteer at an after school program, taking the students around Montreal to explore the community. As I arrived for my shift last week, I was surprised to find myself greeted by gloomy expressions from the children, shades different from their usual chipper smiles. Cautiously, I asked them what was wrong. As it turned out, they were worried that their annual camping trip could be cancelled due to the teacher’s strike.

The provincial government has proposed a massive $360 million budget cut to the education system. In order to accomplish this, the Quebec Education Department intends to increase class sizes by up to nine additional students, eliminate funding towards school programs for special-needs children, and impose a salary freeze on teachers. Needless to say, these are tough demands to make to a system that has already lost over $800 million in funding over the past five years. As a result, the teachers have banded together and agreed not to work beyond their paid 32 hours per week. This means no more after-school activities, school clubs, or field trips for the students.

Surprisingly, none of the students at Ecole FACE expressed any blame or contempt towards their teachers. It was apparent that the children understood the reason behind the strike, and knew what was at stake for themselves as well. While the strike may harm the students, it is easy to understand that the government’s demands must be challenged to protect their education and benefit Quebec in the long run.

Simply put, the demands imposed by the government will hurt students’ education. The high teacher-to-student ratios will mean that some classrooms will end up having up to 40 students. On top of the elimination of funding for special needs students, it is highly unlikely that Quebec’s children will have access to a satisfactory standard of education if these changes go through.

Many make the mistake of thinking that the strike is about teachers’ salaries. While this is far from the truth, it is still reasonable to consider the Quebec teachers’ demands regarding their wages. Quebec teachers have amongst the lowest salaries in Canada. While sacrifices may have to be made somewhere, when it comes to education, these sacrifices must be spared.

While the budget cuts may save money now, it comes at the risk of future generations that are less prepared for higher education and the job market.

In the future, these students will be the ones that will be responsible for restoring Quebec’s economy and making decisions regarding austerity. It goes without saying that in order for these students to be successful, they need the best education possible. While the budget cuts may save money now, it comes at the risk of future generations that are less prepared for higher education and the job market.

It is hard to shake the concern that the strike will not accomplish its goal, however, talking to the students at Ecole FACE, I realized that there is more to the issue than just demands and negotiations. The younger students of Quebec care about social and political issues—I often hear them mention things like the “orange people” (NDP) during their playground chats, as well as constantly questioning the high rates of homeless people in the city. Teachers must lead by example. This is a perfect opportunity for educators to teach their students a valuable lesson about austerity. Whether cognizant of the government’s policies or not, this experience will encourage the children and teens of Quebec to think critically about the government’s policy of cutting public spending.

In order to create a better Quebec, teachers, parents, and students alike must all rally in support of the strike and challenge the government’s cuts to education funding.

Professor Allan Downey McGill University
a, Features

Visible Changes

by Jenna Stanwood on

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Walking through the Roddick Gates, one of the first things to draw the attention of passersby is the statue of a wind-blown James McGill clutching his hat and walking stick. Few students know that before reaching this statue, they’ve passed another monument honouring a completely different side of the university’s history. In fact, lying beneath a line of trees facing Rue Sherbrooke is the Hochelaga Rock. A large stone, with a metal plate drilled to its front, is placed in a patch of dirt facing a bench. A tiny description inscribed on the plate explains that the rock is a memorial to an Iroquois village that once stood on the land now spotted with McGill’s classrooms and libraries, all built on territory that was never ceded to the university to begin with.

“[The rock] really is symbolic of the way that the indigenous community is treated on a lot of campuses,” Allan Downey, a professor in the Department of History and Classical Studies, said. “Sure, it’s here, but it’s pushed into a corner and most people don’t know it exists.”

This summer, after working for a year as an academic associate, Downey accepted a tenure-track position in the Department of History and Classical Studies. Upon accepting the job, Downey, who is Dakelh, a member of the Nak’azdli First Nation, located near Fort St. James, British Columbia, became the only tenure-track indigenous professor currently employed at McGill; a fact that was very publicly celebrated by the university.

Downey’s road to the front of the classroom was somewhat serendipitous. Growing up in Waterloo, Ontario, he travelled on the pow wow circuit, helping with his mother’s native arts and crafts business.

“When I was younger going through the educational system […] I didn’t see myself, or my family, or my history, in the books I was reading,” Downey said. “As an indigenous person, you’re almost [always] confronted with different versions of racism or just ignorance.”

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