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a, Art, Arts & Entertainment

If you die in real life, do you die on Facebook?

by Luka Ciklovan on

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From the highly nuanced political arguments that inhabit its comment sections, to the hordes of cuddly critters that distract us from our ever-present deadlines and chores, Facebook is undeniably an important aspect of our modern lives. Regardless of whether you are a casual user, dabbling in the occasional post, or a full-fledged comment crusader, Facebook has forever changed our relationship towards the world we inhabit. Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild, however, reaches far beyond the realm of the living. “Commemorative” Facebook accounts are the central focus of this fall’s creepy but brilliant exhibit at the McCord Museum, which are accounts of deceased users saved for the purpose of indexing a comprehensive human database. 

Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal, a contemporary photography biennial, and the McCord Museum, an institution that frequently explores the interaction between past and present, join forces this fall to display the eerie consequences of digital immortality in After Faceb00k: In Loving Memory <3. It sets out to explore the ethics of ‘virtual soul-keeping.’ While humans have historically sought to enshrine themselves in other worlds, whether in the form of death masks, effigies, and other sorts of funerary art, the Facebook page too can be seen as a vehicle for remembering the dead and immortalizing them in the confines of cyberspace. 

The exhibit defines itself as reflecting a ‘post-photography’ culture; where the traditional, purely aesthetic mode of appreciating photography has been replaced by prioritizing cultural, social, and political communication. These “commemorative” Facebook pages are rather questionable, but somehow perfect, medium with which to mourn the dead in our hyper-connected society.  

Through a collaborative effort of numerous artists, who scanned hundreds of real Facebook profiles, the McCord Museum now houses perhaps the world’s first digital graveyard, and it is, as the disclaimer at its entrance notes, definitely not for the faint of heart. Upon entering the museum and following seemingly innocent emoticons towards the exhibit, the reality and dread of the espoused ‘post-photographic’ condition truly sets in. Silent, stone tombstones are replaced by droning data machines. Epitaphs are replaced by Facebook photos of the deceased that are shown on digital displays. 

Even the funeral procession itself is replaced—or rather infinitely perpetuated—by hundreds of comments and condolences for the departed. Though on the surface the exhibit may have resembled a weirdly modern graveyard, it ultimately did not succeed in conveying the somber sense of respect that typically accompanies such places. However, this is most likely intentional to reflect the lack of sentiment our society now contends with.

A closer look at each grave’s computer screen, something unavoidable due to the awkward, facedown positioning of each monitor, sheds some light on the true character of these “commemorative” Facebook pages. Each monitor has not one, but numerous Facebook profiles tabbed open at the same time. Every five seconds or so, before fully processing all of the photos, comments, and people involved in the profile, the display changes to an entirely different set of Facebook profiles. Moreover, monitors often randomly flash, blur all the different Facebook pages together in a psychedelic fashion, or even all simultaneously turn off to leave the viewer in near complete darkness. These artistic choices portray the  “commemorative” Facebook page in a questionable light; the fragmented and often confusing assortment of images leads viewers believe that there is no individuality, or uniqueness, to each of the deceased parties. Any form of connection or respect one might have with a set of images is immediately washed away by the hundreds about to pop up or by the random whims of faulty technology. 

While unfortunately being a one room exhibit, After Faceb00k: In loving memory <3 is nonetheless a small piece that packs a powerful existential punch. 

The exhibit is on display from Sept 10, 2015, up until January 10, 2016, and is located at the McCord Museum at 690 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1E9. Admission is free.

a, Science & Technology

Can you change your mind?

by Andy Wang on

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Creating Frankenstein’s monster—taking bits and pieces from different people to make a whole—is an idea conceived by fiction, not real-life; however, Dr. Sergio Canavero, Italian neurosurgeon, plans to undertake what he describes as the first human head transplantation with spinal linkage.    

This venture, named The Head Anastomosis Venture (HEAVEN), was published in 2013 in the International Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences. The project was initially met with cynicism from the medical community and failed to garner any significant media coverage. As the project moved forward, however, more and more people, professional and public alike, began to display interest. After acquiring a willing patient—Russian computer programmer Valery Spiridonov, who is currently suffering from Werdnig-Hoffman disease, a type of spinal muscular atrophy—Canavero announced a definitive operation date—December 2017. 

“The only thing I feel is a sense of pleasant impatience,” Spiridonov explained in an interview for Central European News (CEN). “Like I have been preparing for something important all my life and it is starting to happen.”

Indeed, with an imminent death sentence imprinted onto his genome, Canavero is perhaps Spiridonov’s only option. 

Following Canavero’s announcement, Chinese doctor Ren Xiaoping from Harbin Medical University announced his support for the project. Initially a researcher at Chicago’s Loyola University, Ren decided to pursue his career in China due to more government support for his research. Overall, he has performed over 1,000 head transplantations on mice. 

Doing this on humans, however, will be much more difficult admits Canavero.

“The greatest technical hurdle to such endeavour is, of course, the reconnection of the donor’s and recipient’s spinal cords,” wrote Canavero in his HEAVEN outline.

In 1970, Dr. Robert White of Case Western Reserve University performed a head transplant on a monkey. While White’s monkey was able to smell, taste, hear, and see the world around it, and even at times attempted to bite some of the staff, it could not move any body part located below the neck, the Cleveland Scene reported in 1999.

Canavero plans to tackle the problem of reconnection of nerve tissue from the transplanted head to the assigned body in three ways. First, he plans on using some of the most precise medical cutting devices to-date: Either a specially fashioned diamond microtomic snare-blade or a nanoknife made of a thin layer of silicon nitride with a nanometer sharp cutting edge. These tools will decrease the amount of force required in severing the spinal cord to roughly 10 Newtons (N), minimizing the mechanical damage done to the neurons and the surrounding tissue. To put matters into perspective, the average force experienced during a spinal injury is 26000 N. Next he will then apply polyethylene glycol (PEG) immediately following the procedure to facilitate neuronal reattachment. Finally, the patient will be put in a chemically induced coma for roughly one month allowing neural connections to be reestablished.

“The current medical technology is not advanced enough for us to even start thinking about head transplantation,” McGill Biology Professor Joseph Alan Dent explained.

Despite Canavero’s modifications to the procedure, many still doubt his chances of success.

“The current medical technology is not advanced enough for us to even start thinking about head transplantation,” explained McGill Associate Biology Professor Joseph Alan Dent.

Despite Canavero’s modifications to the procedure, many still doubt his chances of success. 

“The current medical technology is not advanced enough for us to even start thinking about head transplantation,” McGill Biology Professor Joseph Alan Dent explained.

Despite the pervasive controversy surrounding the subject, Dent does not feel that there are any significant ethical dilemmas associated with this procedure, seeing as it is–in principle–no different than a heart or a lung transplant.

In light of the ethical considerations surrounding this operation, it is unlikely that the U.S. will volunteer as host country. On the other hand, China is more than willing to invite Canavero and HEAVEN into its borders. 

“China is going to do it. I can already tell you this,” Canavero claimed in an interview with The Daily Mail.

There is still much to be done in the way of scientific research and trials for this procedure to be clinically viable. Even Canavero admitted that the success rate for his procedure would be roughly 10 to 15 per cent. 

a, Science & Technology

Getting into the app game

by Chloe Nevitt on

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Entering the app world is equal parts intimidating and exciting. McGill alumnus Nathaniel Blumer (BSc. Computer Science 2013) has developed several apps since graduating from McGill. He’s worked for private contractors in Canada and the U.S., and has even received offers for his apps from multinational companies. His most recent venture, an app called StudyBuddy, is fine-tuned to the needs of students. The path to success, he explains, is most definitely not an easy one.

McGill Tribune (MT): You developed this app StudyBuddy; can you tell me exactly what it’s used for?

Nathaniel Blumer (NB): It was an idea I had while at McGill, and really just didn’t know how to do it. I didn’t know how to make apps and I didn’t have the time because a degree at McGill, as everyone here knows, is tiresome and takes up a lot of your time [laughs]. So the StudyBuddy app—very simple principle—you put in what you’re studying and it shows you people nearby studying similar things or, ideally, your course. And then you can message them and say “Hey, are you working on the assignment?” Or, if it’s a class you don’t know anyone in, like [those in] Leacock 132, this can be a way for people to reach out and find someone working on the same thing.

 MT: Did you find that there was a need for [an app like this one] when you were in university? And [did that] push you to create this app?

NB: That was mostly it. There was a lot of times when I was working on an assignment in a busy library and I saw people that looked familiar but I wasn’t sure if they were actually in my class [….] So when I thought of StudyBuddy, I thought it’d be great if I could type in, you know, ‘computer science,’ and find people nearby who were also studying computer science or had taken the class and then reach out to them.

MT: While you were at McGill, did you ever do any internships? Did you start this process during university?

NB: I wish I had. I actually [recently] did a project with one of my old professors who needed an app made and I volunteered. There wasn’t much at McGill back in the day. I know they just started a web design course—McGill has finally [gotten] with the times and has a course to give you the basics and get you on your way.

MT: Where did you go to find other tools, if you were to give references to a first-time app-maker?

NB: There’s this great resource that helped me a lot called the Internet [laughs] and YouTube. That’s where I really had to start. For me, the best way was to think—I want to make an app, I want it to have this feature, how do I do this for iPhone—[and then I’d look it up online.]

MT: What language did you use? Did you start with one and switch to another, or have you been using the same coding skills the whole time?

NB: A lot of programming when it comes to web and mobile development has a lot of languages. I decided to specialize in Apple. I use their language, called Objective C. 

MT: Traditionally apps were created either on a web-based design [and] had a web-interface, similar to Facebook, versus an exclusive ‘app-esque’ format. Do you have a preference for either of these? Do you think one is better than another?

NB: Before there was an app store and people could make their own apps, Apple had started with these mobile apps that were basically websites. Once the App Store came out, you could have an app that worked on a specific phone. [Web-designed apps] could be the future, but I’ve always found that an app always works better when it was designed for the phone it’s on. It’s one size fits all versus [having] more of a custom fit.

MT: What kind of hurdles can you anticipate meeting as an app developer?

NB: A developer will always hit a roadblock that takes hours or days to solve. Thankfully, these days [app-making is] quite welcoming of an industry. [There are] lots of services that are free. I love this one service [called] Parse. It’s basically a server that stores all your data [and] it’s totally free—until you reach x amount of users or x amount of traffic and then you have to pay.

MT: How and why do you think certain apps become through-the-roof successful?

NB: Sheer luck combined with a need. Instagram, Uber, Airbnb—if we think about Angry Birds, all these [apps] had competitors, [because] when a need exists, everyone jumps on it. [Then,] you get one guy that stands out, either they have a great marketing campaign or slogan. Uber, back in the day, spent a month giving free rides. [And] then you’re the guy. [On the other hand,] if you’re lucky enough to find a real need before everyone else, [it’s] a matter of figuring out how you’re going to get your idea out there.

MT: Finally, if you had words of wisdom to impart on an interested student about app development, what would you tell them?

NB: It’s a lot of fun and it’s very easy to be passionate about it. Some of the things you have to worry about [is] ‘How long are you willing to go before making any money.’ There is a bit of a learning curve to get into new industry and a new way of making things. Overall, I’ve loved it. I’ve had setbacks; I’ve had apps that go nowhere [or] people that don’t pay. You just have to be ready to put in a lot of hours. It’s a lot of fun overall; I’ve always wanted to do it, and when I was here, I didn’t have the time, and I was scared to make the leap and just do it. Once I did it [though,] no regrets. 

Blumer’s survival guide for new app developers

RayWenderlich: Go here for amazing tutorials.

GitHub: Commonly used in the industry to backup code, it is also filled with free, helpful, open source code to make everyone’s life easier.

StackOverflow: No developer will be unaware of this community-run Q&A forum that is a real lifesaver.

Parse: Basic services for any project: Push Notifications, server, user sign-up/login, and analytic information.

Helpshift: Customer service.

Branch: Marketing analysis and management.

Fabric: Crash reports.

NSHipster: Weekly blog on subtle iOS topics that are often overlooked.

LaunchKit: Creates and hosts a simple website for your app, creates screenshots for the App Store, and sends notifications when a new app review is given

Notman House: Montreal-based technology hub. Good for meeting other people in the industry.

a, Science & Technology

Cracking the Canadian cell phone code

by Mingye Chen on

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The quest for the best cell phone deal is not unlike finding the Holy Grail. Everyone knows a friend of a friend that somehow secured a $40 six-gigabyte plan, but nobody really knows how they got it. Cell phone salespeople offer cryptic promises and deals, but are they just padding the company’s bottom line? Understanding and navigating “cell-hell” can seem daunting, but it’s not impossible—if you know what to look for.

Phones can be separated into three price ranges. Low-end devices retail for under $250, mid-range devices retail for $250 to $450, and high-end devices retail from $450 to over $900. Choosing between these categories depends on what you’re specifically looking for. Consumers should opt for high-end devices if they rely heavily on their phones for multimedia and camera functions, and don’t want to sacrifice speed. Those who are moderate app users would be perfectly happy with a mid range device—if they are willing to sacrifice brand recognition.

Choosing a price plan becomes a lot easier once you’ve chosen a phone. Price plans are directly related to the price of the phone you pick; a typical iPhone6 plan is on the high-end price scheme (upwards of $60 per month). This can be explained through the concept of economic inducement—the idea that your chosen service provider will subsidize the cost of your new device knowing that your future monthly service charges will work towards paying off that subsidy. 

Pricing schemes for devices and plans will also change depending on the type of service provider you choose. There are two types of service providers: The premium parent companies, Rogers, Bell and Telus; and their subsidiaries, Fido, Virgin Mobile, and Koodo. Premium service providers offer larger subsidies, up to $500, on high-end devices and better high-usage service plans. Their subsidiaries will offer better Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) pricing, which allows the consumer to save a minimum of 10 per cent on monthly fees, as well as not being responsible for any economic inducement. 

Don’t be fooled by websites and promotions; all companies generally follow the same pricing scheme.

It’s important to consider what sort of network you prioritize before deciding on a service provider. Don’t be fooled by websites and promotions; all companies generally follow the same pricing scheme.

Take the 2GB Share Everything plan from Rogers. It comes with unlimited nation-wide calling, caller ID, voicemail and two-gigabytes of data. It costs $75 per month if you want to buy a high end device like the iPhone6. The price will be the same with Bell and Telus. With Virgin and Fido, you can get that same iPhone6 for a minimum of $75 per month that includes unlimited nation-wide calling, caller ID, voicemail and four-gigabytes of data.

Despite all having very similar plans and pricing, Bell and Telus offer the best coverage outside metropolitan areas; however, Rogers offers the best coverage for city-dwellers and has considerably faster network speeds in large metropolitan areas. Average download speeds were 32.7Mbps for Rogers, 23Mbps for Bell and 17.2Mbps for TELUS. Indeed, Rogers has heavily biased speed-over-latency across its network; it offers the fastest ISP both on the mobile and cable side. Bell and Telus have a better range and more reliable coverage on the East and West Coast  respectively.

The wireless network quality study, conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, measured how often Canadian customers suffered service interruption. BCE Inc.’s wireless arm Bell and Telus Corp. were graded as the best in Ontario, while Rogers was rated worst in both Western and Eastern Canada.

Before stepping into a cell phone store, always be conscious of what you need your cellphone to do for you. Furthermore, it is important to do your own research before commiting to a phone. While today, smartphones only really last two-or-so years, monthly service fees last a minimum of two years. The initial big savings afforded to you by the service provider can often trick consumers into taking too high a monthly fee. 

a, Editorial, Opinion

Editorial: On sexual assault, unacceptable gaps remain in McGill’s redress procedures

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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As McGill works on drafting a new sexual assault policy, one survivor’s experience demonstrated that our administration and faculty associations are failing in their responsibility to provide adequate redress to students who have been sexually assaulted. After an incident at an undergraduate departmental event where the survivor was allegedly sexually assaulted, the survivor did benefit from McGill’s support measures—which will be formalized in the new policy—but was unable to have her accusations investigated by McGill due to the fact that the incident happened outside of a “McGill context.” The incident is also demonstrative of a wider failing on McGill’s campus: Namely, the failure of the McGill administration and of faculty associations to address a policy that does not adequately protect survivors. 

Under McGill’s current system, faculty associations are technically separate corporate entities from McGill, only connected through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). MoAs permit faculty associations to use McGill’s name, among other technicalities, but do not make McGill liable for any misconduct that falls within the perview of those associations but outside of the McGill context. A “McGill context” refers to an activity that is on campus or hosted by the university. Therefore, it does not apply to events hosted off-campus by faculty associations or clubs. For example, if a student is sexually assaulted at a Frosh event that is held off-campus, McGill can only provide support measures and not redress procedures. The university would be unable to launch an investigation against the accused due to the parameters of the McGill context. This is a fact that most students at McGill are not aware of, and that Dean of Students Andre Costopoulos acknowledged as a “perception issue” in an interview with the Tribune. 

Any attempts to fill these gaps in the policy in recent years have not led to concrete changes. Two years since the coverage of the former players on the McGill Redmen football team who were arrested on charges of sexual assault, McGill’s sexual assault policy has not accounted for the shortcomings created by the McGill context. It still lacks procedures for redress when a case falls outside the stipulated McGill context, which has prevented survivors from receiving the recourse they have asked for. The policy draft as it currently exists will not change this.  

Short of a major reform of the way that McGill defines the univeristy context, which would be a lengthy and not necessarily fruitful process, more must be done to inform all students about how to navigate the procedures for handling sexual assault at McGill. Students must be made aware of the current limitations of the sexual assault policy. There also needs to be an improvement in the support measures and procedures for handling sexual assault allegations within faculty associations to ameliorate the university’s current limitations in supporting and providing recourse to survivors. 

The survivor who spoke to the Tribune showed great bravery to approach the administration and faculty association for assistance. The survivor met with the Dean of Students and spoke with the student representatives within their faculty; ultimately, the system failed them. Although the alleged perpetrator was banned from study spaces on campus so that the survivor could study in peace, that is not enough by itself. These steps at the administrative level must be replicated at the faculty level, which should also develop pro-survivor, synthesized, and codified procedures so that survivors do not have to jump through hoops to receive basic rights. 

McGill’s sexual assault policy has not accounted for the shortcomings created by the McGill context. It still lacks procedures for redress

 The McGill administration provides support measures to any student who is a survivor of sexual assault, but more still needs to be done to expand preventative measures. Students who live in residence are expected to grapple with issues of sexuality, equity, and consent during the mandatory Rez Project program. Unfortunately, there is no equivalent for approximately half of McGill students who never live in residence. Holding mandatory workshops throughout the year for all incoming McGill students who don’t go through Rez Project, or creating a mandatory online exam about sexual assault for new students will raise awareness and strengthen preventative measures by ensuring a more educated campus population.

For survivors, the current process is opaque. McGill already has a commendable support system in place, but its method of recourse is neither clearly advertised nor explained. The parameters within which McGill can legally enact sanctions and provide recourse measures for survivors who are assaulted beyond the scope of the McGill context is unclear. In order to address the gaps in sexual assault policy on campus in both the short and long term, entrenchment of pro-survivor procedures must be accompanied by higher standards of accountability within all organizations that bear McGill’s name. 

Josh Donaldson and Mike Trout fight
a, Baseball, Sports

Point Counterpoint: AL MVP Debate

by Adrian Knowler and Sason Ross on

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The AL MVP debate has the Tribune Sports baseball experts charged up. Adrian Knowler thinks Josh Donaldson has the award locked down, but Sason Ross is not ready to count defending MVP Mike Trout out of the conversation.

Click each perspective to read more

Josh Donaldson

Adrian Knowler

At this time last year, the American League (AL) MVP debate wasn’t worth having. Outfielder Mike Trout was surely going home with the award, following two years of finishing a close second to Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera. He mashed 36 home runs and accumulated a massive 7.9 wins above replacement (WAR)—a stat that measures a player’s value in terms of wins for his team—in a season that saw him lead his Los Angeles Angels to a Major League Baseball (MLB) best 98-64 record. Sure enough, Trout won the AL MVP by unanimous decision. This season has unfolded differently for Trout and the Angels, however. Los Angeles is staring up in the standings, and the playoffs seem beyond their reach.

In the East, the Toronto Blue Jays are trending in a different direction, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Leading the charge for the Jays this year is off-season acquisition Josh Donaldson, brought via trade with the Oakland A’s in November. The deal is looking like a bargain for the Blue Jays now, with Donaldson as the frontrunner for MVP. Donaldson leads the majors in both runs scored and RBI, and is third in home runs; but his success runs deeper than these traditional stats.

In 2015, Donaldson so far has a wRC+ of 161. wRC+ is an advanced statistic that demonstrates a player’s offensive value—adjusting for park dimensions and league disparities—when compared to league average offensive production. A wRC+ of 100 represents the league average, which means that Donaldson’s wRC+ of 161 is a full 61 per cent better than the average.

In addition to being one of the AL’s top run creators, Donaldson saves runs due to his excellent defence. As an above average defensive third baseman, Donaldson makes all the routine plays expected of him, with a .954 fielding percentage. But he also has a flair for the dramatic, regularly making superhuman barehanded plays and diving stops. His best was on June 24: With Blue Jays’ starter Marco Estrada’s perfect game on the line in the eighth inning, Donaldson dove into the second row of seats to catch a foul ball with no regard for his safety. His play on the defensive side of the ball has saved a cumulative nine runs above replacement for the Jays this year, according to Fielding Bible.

While Donaldson may not swipe bases like Trout, he has produced 3.4 base-running runs above average in comparison to Trout’s 1.5 according to Fangraphs. He displays excellent instincts to go first-to-third and make crafty slides. In terms of WAR, Donaldson has posted a MLB-leading 8.0 to date.

In the current AL standings, the Blue Jays sit seven games ahead of the Texas Rangers for the second wildcard spot. Without Josh Donaldson’s almost eight wins worth of production, the Blue Jays would likely on the outside looking in with the Twins.  He has done what an MVP should and put his team in a position to compete for a World Series

Donaldson’s impact is the single largest factor that transforms Toronto from a decent team to a truly great team—a team that will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Much like last year, this season’s AL MVP decision shouldn’t be a difficult one for voters. Donaldson has made the jump from being just another big bat to being the complete package, and has been by far the American League’s most valuable player.

 

 

Mike Trout

Sason Ross

Standing at 6’2”, 235 pounds, Mike Trout, outfielder for the Angels, is undeniably the best overall position player in the MLB.

At the age of 24, Trout is batting just shy of a .300 average (.292), with 76 RBI, 34 HR, and getting on base four out of 10 times (.395 OBP). There are still weeks left in this season, and with Trout’s ability to catch fire like no other player in baseball, he will close the wrongly perceived gap between him and Donaldson.

As the reigning AL MVP, he has put together a fantastic stat line for a disappointing Angels squad, who are in the hunt for a wildcard spot. The lineup that was supposed to protect Trout has fallen flat, with players such as Albert Pujols going through second-half swoons. Trout has had to do it all by himself. Josh Donaldson, on the other hand, has batted in the two-spot for a historic offence all season long.

Some have called Donaldson, infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, a lock to win the AL MVP award this year. The reasoning behind this argument is because his stats seem to usurp those of Trout, and his team is currently in a position to not only win the pennant, but also take a shot at the World Series. Donaldson is a great player on a great team.

Donaldson is surrounded by the batting talents Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion. The foursome makes one of the most dynamic and dangerous batting orders in the major leagues. The team’s current +203 run differential is the best mark since the 2011 Yankees finished the season +210. Meanwhile, the punchless Angels’ offence recorded the third-worst wRC+ in the AL, its mark of 95 is better only than the Twins’ and White Sox’.

These two players are in completely different situations, and one simple stat proves that. Donaldson is one of 10 Blue Jay hitters who have been better than league average hitters this season (wRC+ greater than 100). On the Angel’s, Trout stands alone. He is playing great baseball with a poor supporting cast.

Furthermore, Donaldson does not lead in some crucial stats. While Donaldson’s batting stats are generally slightly better than those of Trout, Trout has committed zero errors in the field compared to 18 by Donaldson. While it is true that voters tend to be more forgiving of infielder errors compared to outfielder errors, this gap seems indefensible. Furthermore, Trout gets on base at a .395 clip compared to Donaldson’s .374.

People will continue to argue that the stats are the dominant factor on voters’ minds. That may be true, but Trout still has three weeks left in the season. If the Angels are to make the playoffs, Trout is going to need to put the team on his back and blast off. If Trout is able to single-handedly bring his team back into the playoff picture, he is going to make an extremely strong case for the AL MVP.

This is not a wash by any means. Mike Trout is the best pure talent in Major League Baseball, and should be the MVP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor's Pick: Donaldson
While you can never count Mike Trout out of the MVP discussion, Josh Donaldson is having a season for the ages and carrying the Blue Jays to their first playoff appearance in 22 years.  

a, Off the Board, Opinion

Off the Board: 21st Century Fox/National Geographic partnership signals decline in accessible education

by Chloe Nevitt on

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On Sept. 9, 21st Century Fox struck a 725 million-dollar deal with National Geographic, thus ending the 127-year-old magazine’s era of non-profit existence. Under this deal, Fox will own 73 per cent of the new joint media venture—National Geographic Partners—making Fox the majority stakeholders. Only 27 per cent will remain under the control of The National Geographic Society.

While the news seems surprising, a 21st Century Fox and National Geographic partnership has existed since 2001. The National Geographic Channel—National Geographic’s foray into television —was launched for the first time in the U.S. on Jan. 12, 2001 as a joint project between National Geographic Television & Film and Fox Cable Networks. At the time, it was met with great excitement and praise; however, after 14 years, the tides have turned in favour of mass media reality TV.

This partnership puts the future of National Geographic as we consume it today at risk. It echoes steps taken by many channels in the past (such as The History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and TLC) that led to a sharp decline in diverse, educational, and reliable content. And when the U.S. education system—which relies on standardized testing—is clearly in dire need of a reboot, the reduction in outlets that produce, and thus provide access to, educational content is gut-wrenching.

Declining standards of of educational media sacrifice the intellectual prospects of future generations for short-term fiscal gains. While the decision may have partially been a response to a lack of demand for educational content on TV, the solution should not be to reduce its supply.

Declining standards of of educational media sacrifice the intellectual prospects of future generations for short-term fiscal gains.

National Geographic settled this deal mainly due to fiscal struggles, but its decision to choose Fox as the partner for this undertaking is an unfortunate one. Fox is controlled by News Corp., one of a few large corporations responsible for controlling 90 per cent of the media consumed by Americans. National Geographic will likely become just another media puppet for Fox to control, thereby reinforcing and likely accelerating the rate at which education-oriented media declines.

Companies are clearly prioritizing a target-for-profit strategy over education. In the U.S., only 13 per cent of programs were deemed “highly educational,” by a 2008 Children Now report. Arguing about the morality of such a decision is fruitless—this is a world where money speaks. Such a shortage of educational content carries heavy long-term repercussions, especially in light of shortcomings in public sector education. In a 2012 Council on Foreign Relations report, the U.S. Task Force warned, “Educational failure puts the United States’ future economic prosperity, global position, and physical safety at risk.” Therefore, this investment in mass media is the wrong one.

The deal is ominously similar to The Learning Channel’s (TLC) buyout by Discovery Communications. In the years following its purchase, TLC began phasing out educational material opted to use TLC for all marketing purposes—no longer “a place for learning minds.” On The National Geographic Channel, we could watch Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, Dead Zone, and Diggers. On TLC: 19 Kids and Counting, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and My 600-lb Life. These shows are thrilling, entertaining, and not educational.

This partnership adds to ever-increasing media consolidation. National Geographic will ultimately begin to forgo unique, educational, and in-depth stories for the sake of pleasing their new corporate overlords and the public that is growing increasingly averse to using TV as an educational outlet. As media integrates and seeks revenues, the editorial process is lost and create homogenized opinions. In times like this, we turn to you PBS.

a, Opinion

Commentary: Desautels Faculty of Management’s new female dean a testament to women in leadership

by Meghan van Aardt on

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McGill has achieved a new milestone—appointing the first female Dean of McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou. Despite the overwhelming majority of male business executives, a Fall 2014 statistic shows that 48.3 per cent of the students enrolled in the Faculty were women, and little has changed since 2005. Bajeux-Besnainou’s presence in Desautels thus feels like it’s been a long time coming. The faculty has a vibrant female presence, greatly contributed to by the Management Undergraduate Society and Desautels National Women in Business Conference. Bajeux-Besnainou’s appointment should not come as a surprise; instead, it should be seen as a manifestation of women increasingly occupying positions at the top tier of leadership within the faculty.

Highly qualified, passionate about student interests, and ready to “listen and learn”, Professor Bajeux-Besnainou has the opportunity to become an icon of female presence and empowerment in the management community. But from an outside perspective, the Faculty appears to be dominated by men. While part of this misperception of male dominance in the faculty of management may be due to growing awareness of a gendered wage-gap with degrees in management, stereotypes associated with gender inequality in business are not necessarily representative of gender dynamics within the Faculty itself. As the first female dean, Bajeux-Besnainou stands as testament to the improving circumstances for women to take on leadership roles at the highest level within Desautels. 

Women have already been bringing as much to the table as men in student associations, such as executives for the Desautels Leadership Management Seminar (DMLS), Fashion Business Uncovered (FBU), and the Entertainment Management Conference (EMC). In comparison, in the corporate world, the percentage of women who are executives in Fortune 500 companies is increasing at a snail’s pace. The appointment of Bajeux demonstrates that the gap in executive leadership is less troubling within the Faculty of Management than in the industries for which it is preparing its students. 

In order to catch what may be a positive wave of female leadership, the Faculty should supplement the work done to promote the female community within the faculty. Women as mentors in positions of power and decision-making can inspire, motivate, and provide mentorship to other women—a process that is already underway in the Faculty, as now women enjoy executive leadership positions at all levels. Perhaps this very public crystallization of female leadership will help Desautels to maintain and improve its enrolment of women, especially in light of the declining recruitment of women into Canadian management programs. Leadership has already come from female students to ameliorate the gender gap at the student level, such as in the organization of functions such as the Desautels National Women in Business Conference. The creation of support networks and communities of women is crucial, and will help to increase the presence of females in the faculty. 

While McGill has had a history of strong female academics, this trend is not commonly associated with the Faculty of Management. Bajeux-Besnainou’s presence in Desautels is a promising step forward for the faculty, both in terms of demonstrating the capabilities of female leaders and that, despite appearances, the Faculty of Management is leading the way towards greater inclusion of women in business.

 

a, Student Life, The Viewpoint

The Viewpoint: Café Melbourne

by Rachel Summers on

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I’ll be the first to admit that I sometimes embody the ‘annoying-girl-who-won’t-stop-talking-about-her-exchange.’ My semester in Melbourne definitely left some of my peers and family members feeling tired of my frequent references to my time abroad, and I find myself comparing all aspects of life back home to my time in Australia. This is most acute when I pass a Second Cup or Starbucks, and wish that I were back in Melbourne—the coffee capital of the world. It is hard to find a café that competes with the quality found Down Under, but Café Melbourne, owned by two Melbourne natives, brings Aussie style and expertise to this bright café in the Plateau.

Café Melbourne, situated just north of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Avenue Mont-Royal East, is a little slice of the café culture that is one of the cornerstones of the Melbournian identity. The café’s owners, Xavier Martinelli and Angus Castran, have compiled a food and coffee menu that one would find while walking down the streets of Melbourne, where every café serves craft coffee and almost always has an accompanying mouth-watering food menu. 

The café has a relaxed vibe and unique atmosphere, with decorations that incorporate recognizable Australian symbols. Upon entering the café, Australian coins are immediately spotted on the counter, and if you take a look around, you’ll notice that the shelves hold an Aussie Rules football, a stuffed Koala bear, and a book on the flavours of urban Melbourne. Café Melbourne  also pokes fun at its lack of ‘French-ness’ by putting a sign out front that reads in French, “Our French isn’t very good but our coffee is.” They have also jokingly added a “Le” in front of “Melbourne Café” on the window facing the street, a cheeky joke dripping with Aussie humour. 

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The city the café is named after is home to a foodie culture that brings a whole new perspective to the term “brunch game” and what it means to serve craft coffee. People in Australia, especially Melbourne, take their coffee seriously and have a great deal of pride in their craft. Filtered coffee is virtually non-existent, and there is a café on almost every corner. 

This standard is maintained at Café Melbourne, where all the coffee is espresso-based and the coffee art is amont the best. If you want to try a flat white, an Australian classic, Café Melbourne is your spot. It is served with a beautiful decoration and has a silky texture, a combination that can only be produced when the milk is foamed and then poured in the espresso shot with expertise. While it’s still hot outside, an iced version of any coffee, like the iced Americano pictured above (or long black if you want to use the Aussie term) might be the most refreshing. 

To accompany the coffee, there are also Australian sandwiches, called jaffles, on the menu. They are different from a toasted sandwich in that a jaffle press seals the bread along the edges, leaving room to stuff the sandwich with things like mac and cheese, or beans in tomato sauce. There are eight jaffles to choose from, including a breakfast jaffle with eggs, ham and Swiss cheese. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something really Australian, the Vegemite jaffle is for you. Vegemite is a food paste made from yeast extract and various vegetable and spice additives, resulting in a salty mixture that is popular among Australians. On the lighter side, there is smashed avocado on toast, another Melbourne staple. 

The quality of the food and coffee in addition to the relaxed atmosphere of the café makes it a great place to study. There are plenty of tables inside to work, read, or chat with friends. There is also a small patio— ideal for the summer—in the front and one in the back. The prices are reasonable, $3.50 for the coffees and $7.50 for the jaffles. 

Martinelli is thinking of moving to Toronto soon as he “finds it to be most like Melbourne of the Canadian cities.” Torontonians may therefore find themselves stumbling across some Aussie specialties in the near future. In the meantime, the Montreal café will satisfy those nostalgic for authentic Australian coffee and treats.

This is good news for myself, because when I sought out the Café Melbourne here in the Plateau to see whether or not the name held up to my memories of the quality I found in Melbourne,  my pretentious, obnoxious study-abroad self was pleased with what I found.

Martlet soccer
a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

Fall 2015 team previews: Part 2

by Nicholas Jasinski, Zikomo Smith, and Eyal Wilk on

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  • Redmen Soccer

    McGill Redmen soccer comes into the 2015-2016 season with a youthful and energetic team, looking to improve on last year’s fourth-place league finish.

    “Our team is young but talented,” Head Coach Marc Mounicot commented. “After four weeks of intense preparation, the players are ready for the season.” 

    The team will feel the loss of scoring-machines Alexander King and Massimo Di Ioia, but incoming rookies Alexander Goldman from Scarsdale, New York; Roberto Bonalumi from Credaro, Italy; and Takeshi Kakudo from Tokyo, Japan will join sophomores Antoine Chauvel and Conor O’Loughlin to keep McGill’s offence clicking.

    The midfield will continue to be anchored by RSEQ All-Stars Alexandre De Santis and Michael McIntyre, who dazzled crowds last year with their intricate passing and ability to control the pace of the game. Players to watch on defense include goalie and captain Max Leblond from Lille, France, playing out his final season. All-Stars Davide Salvoni and Alexander Lamont will be joined by two talented freshmen, Sanchit Gupta and Justin Dragan to complete McGill’s defensive core. 

    The Redmen started their season on Friday with a low note: A 4-0 loss to local rivals, Concordia but followed up with a 5-0 result against Sherbrooke in their home opener.

     

     

  • Martlet Soccer

    The Martlets hope to build on last year’s middling season, where they finished fourth in the RSEQ with a 4-6-4 record. Senior forward Rebecca Green will captain an experienced squad—the Martlets lost only two players to graduation. McGill will be pleased with a promising, if relentless, off-season that saw the Martlets go 2-1 against CIS opposition and runners up in the Old Four Soccer Tournament.

    Zoe Fasoulakis, a pre-season standout, will return as the rock of McGill’ defence. The fourth-year student was the Martlets’ best player in 2014 and was awarded RSEQ All-Conference honors along with midfielder Claudia Agozzino. Second-year forward Audrey-Ann Coughlan is also one to watch. She was a RSEQ Indoor League All-Star in 2015 and she has already scored two goals in the Martlets’ first two games of the season.

    McGill commenced the season on Sept. 11 with a dominant victory over Concordia before falling to Concordia in their second game. They play UQTR and UQÀM next weekend, before facing the No. 1 ranked Laval at home on Sept. 25.

     

     

  • Redmen Rugby

    After eight consecutive RSEQ Championships, the McGill Redmen rugby team fell to the Concordia Stingers in last year’s final in a heartbreaking double overtime loss. This season, the team will look to build on their legacy of success over the last decade despite losing to graduation two RSEQ All-Stars in prop Kylan Gibbs and flanker Usman Naqvi. Reigning RSEQ Rookie-of-the-Year Calvin Simpson, an Arts student out of Victoria, B.C. will be a leader on the team. He will be flanked by returning fullback Thomas Stokes and centre Emeric Durand de Bousingen to form a potent scoring trio.

    Head Coach Eric Van Sickle brings a steadying presence in his third full season at the helm, having previously served as associate and forwards coach for the team after spending many years playing rugby professionally. The Redmen kicked off their season against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or with a 19-5 win.

     

     

  • Martlet Field Hockey

    The Martlets single victory was one of a few brightspots in a tough 2014 campaign that saw the team stumble to a 1-9-3 record. Even with dominant individual performances by 2014 OUA All-Star Kylie Nabata and last year’s Goalie-of-the-Year, junior Marianne Elmer, the Martlets avoided the OUA cellar by only three points last season; however, with a young team this year that features 10 rookies on the 17 player roster, the Martlets are looking to make 2015 the year that will mark the beginning of a new era for McGill field hockey. Team captain Kylie Nabata, a biochemistry student from North Vancouver, B.C. will look to build off of her stellar 2014 season that established her as one of the league’s most dominant midfielders. Assistant captain Julia Rogers and senior defender Alice Podmore will also have to play key roles if the Martlets hope to do well this year.

    The Martlets will kick off their season next weekend with a three-game road trip that features matchups versus Guelph, Queen's and Western. With Guelph and Queen’s taking two of the top three spots in the OUA last year, the outcome of this weekend will be a good indicator of what to expect for the remainder of the season.

     

     

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