Latest News

a, McGill, News

Senate discusses funding for Office for Students with Disabilities

by Jack Neal on

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Allocation of government funding for students with disabilities

Arts & Science Senator Chloe Rourke expressed concerns regarding funding for services for students with disabilities, including the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), in conjunction with the uncertainty behind McGill’s budget cuts. 

In response, Provost Anthony Masi stated that although it is difficult to balance the needs of each aspect of McGill, every effort is being made to ensure a fair allocation is attained.

“We are not cutting full support because it is an important part of education,” Masi said. “For example, we had a $1.4 million grant marked for internships [from the government], which has completely disappeared [….] We cannot increase funding just because it’s an important service, a whole educational system has to be considered here.”  

Engineering Senator Morgan Grobin stated that there had been OSD workshops cut in favour of giving money to internship funding. However, numerous people, including Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens stated that they were unaware of such transactions. 

“I wasn’t made aware of the fact that the [OSD] wasn’t able to function,” Dyens said. “I take issue with this and and I will go back and discuss this with Student Services.”

Principal Suzanne Fortier added that McGill has the largest funding for students with disabilities in the province. 

“When I look at the figures, [the fact that] 40 per cent of students recieve [services] is not because we have more people in need, but because we offer more [services],” she said.

Arts Senator Jacob Greenspon requested increased transparency in all of McGill’s funding. 

“How are we going to ensure that this office is going to be supported at the same level it is now with future emerging needs?” he questioned. “Would it be possible to have all the different breakdowns of where the money is going?” 

Masi denied this request on the grounds that it would be impossible to accomplish.

“We can guarantee only what we can afford to guarantee,” he said. “I cannot guarantee to put more money into [the OSD] because of budget cuts. There are aspects of it that may need to be ‘redimensioned,’ but it is impossible to be [completely transparent].” 

Faculty advisors to student ratios

Greenspon also asked a question regarding the disparities in the ratio of faculty advisors to students, as well as how McGill planned to address them.

In their written response, Masi and Dyens pointed to a number of initiatives McGill has undertaken in previous years to address a shortage of advisors to students, including the online resource ‘Ask an Advisor,’ an interactive database of frequently asked questions; ‘AskMcGill,’ and the Staff-Student mentoring program. 

Dyens stated that were many factors contributing to student dissatifaction.

“There are many things that [students] are not satisfied with,” he said. “It can be an [administrative] thing or the fact that sometimes the wait on the phone is a bit too long [….] That’s why we have a number of initiatives to address these things.” 

Presentation of Royal Victoria Hospital plans

Fortier also discussed plans for the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital, which will become vacant next month. She announced that McGill has paired with the Quebec government in order to conduct a feasibility study on McGill ‘s expansion to the grounds to ensure that there is a clear sense of the problems that may be faced and the costs that would be incurred. 

“It would be a splendid addition to the campus, but we will only do it if we believe we can support it and we will progress with great care,” Fortier said.

a, Recipes, Student Life

Making the Simple Exquisite: Tips to make a classic broth

by Alycia Noë on

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Knowing how to make a good and flavourful broth is a helpful tool to have in one’s repertoire. Broths have so many uses in the kitchen, ranging from making a delicious homemade chicken noodle soup to adding flavour to sauces. The key to an amazing broth is patience—let the broth reduce after straining to concentrate the flavours. Also, don’t hesitate to make a large batch, as broth freezes well and can spice up a dish in minutes. Broths can be either vegetarian or meat based. In this recipe for chicken broth, simply replace the chicken with about 5 cups of mushrooms if you want to make the broth vegetarian. 

Essential ingredients:

2 kg of chicken (whole chickens, legs, thighs, drums—not only breasts)

6 large celery ribs (roughly chopped)

4 large carrots (roughly chopped)

2 large onions (roughly chopped)

2 leeks (roughly chopped, optional)

10 garlic cloves (crushed) 

4 litres cold water

Essential spices:

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of rosemary

4 sprigs of parsley

4 sprigs of thyme

6 black peppercorns

Instructions:

Step 1

 Add all ingredients and spices to a large pot.

 

Step 2

Put pot over medium heat.

 

Step 3

Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and allow broth to simmer for at least three hours.

 

Step 4  

Skim any fat from the top of the broth as necessary.

 

Step 5

Pour the broth through a strainer and allow broth to cool.

 

Step 6

Transfer broth to containers and refrigerate.

 

Step 7

Broth will last approximately four days in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.

a, Student Life

McGill Sikh Students’ Association hosts second annual Turban Tying Event

by Mingye Chen on

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Many McGill students chose to spend the afternoon on March 17 learning about Sikh culture and supporting The McGill Sikh Students’ Association (MSSA) at the second annual Turban Tying Event. Completely free and volunteer-run, over 100 students attended the event, which was held in the Madeleine Parent room in the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) building. The event aimed to educate students on various aspects of Sikh culture and the religious practice of wearing a turban. Attendees learned of the significance of the turban, experienced traditional music, and were exposed to the Gurmukhi language. Traditional food was also served from a local community kitchen.

The event was first held in 2014 as a response to the controversial charter of rights and values proposed in 2014 by the Quebec government—which would have restricted religious symbols in public institutions. It was seen by the MSSA as the perfect incentive for the club to increase student awareness of the purpose behind religious clothing and Sikhism. This year, students joined together once again to learn about and celebrate religious freedom and expression.

"It originally began in response to the outright disgrace that was the Quebec charter of values, which completely went against principles of religious freedom in Quebec, as it didn't allow for [the] public display of religious symbols, including turbans,” said Kareem Ibrahim, who attended the event. “Thankfully this did not pass, and SSMU spoke out against the charter as well. Religious expression is a fundamental right for all and is integral to ensuring that our communities area safe space for all. I was happy to see this event continued this year."

Langar, or communal kitchen, is one of the mainstays of Sikhism. It represents the need for equality and sharing within a community. MSSA sought to embody Langar through its annual turban tying event.

Sukhmeet Singh Sachal, a U2 Anatomy and Cell Biology major and one of the leaders of the MSSA, praised the openness and enthusiasm of the McGill community.

"One of the main reasons I chose McGill was for its diversity—today proved just that,” Sachal said. “Students from various walks of life came together to learn about Sikhism, whether it was [through] learning about the significance of why [individuals] wear a turban and keep a beard to learning about the basic principles of Sikhism.”

Despite the fact that it was held on St. Patrick’s day, the MSSA’s second annual Turban Tying Event was undeniably a success. The celebration of cultural, social, and religious differences continues to draw in the support of the McGill community. The MSSA has big plans for the future to further expand the club and raise awareness and accessibility of the turban tying event. According to Sachal, next year will be seeing a big change in the way the event is held.

“We are planning to possibly have the turban tying event on lower field where more people can see,” Sachal said. “We also plan on having a huge community meal where everyone can join, whether they are a McGill student, a non-McGill student, a businessman, or any local really.”

a, McGill, News

Proposal for women-only gym hours halted by McGill administration

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens released a statement on Friday expressing that McGill will no longer be considering the implementation of women-only gym hours at the McGill Fitness Centre.

“McGill is a community where every form of diversity (cultural, linguistic, gender, religion, etc.) is celebrated and encouraged,” Dyens’ statement reads. “We do not believe in the segregation of our services [….] We encourage and will continue to encourage all our patrons to engage respectfully with one another, just as we expect all members of our community to treat each other equitably and respectfully in whatever context. Accordingly, we have determined that separate hours for women will not be established at the fitness centre.”

The proposal was spearheaded by two McGill Law students, Soumia Allalou and Raymond Grafton. Allalou expressed disappointment with Dyens’ statement.

“I’m shocked that the McGill administration [and] the deputy provost would decide to shut down negotiations when some other actors in the university were already willing to accommodate [the proposal],” Allalou said. “We had come up to […] a possible solution that could have been implemented and that I’m sure would be accepted by most of the campus.”

According to Allalou, a compromise was being discussed with Jill Barker, manager of marketing and communications for McGill Athletics and Recreation.

“[Barker’s] idea was [to have] a separate varsity room,” Allalou said. “She was saying that we could open it tentatively for a few hours a week […] and do a trial run.”

Allalou added that the additional varsity workout space would not affect the hours or access of the fitness centre.

Claire Stewart-Kanigan, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs, expressed that she believed that the McGill administration only approached the proposal on religious terms, leaving out the other benefits that having the hours might confer.

“In my reading of the situation, the university is anxious to distance themselves from […] what they’re reading as a question of religious accommodation to Muslim women, which is a hot topic right now,” she said. 

Stewart-Kanigan also highlighted examples of similar gym policies in place at other Canadian universities. 

“From the start, the students pushing for this have been clear that this is not exclusively an issue of religious accommodation,” she said. “[The University of Toronto and] other schools have adopted women-only hours. Their adoption was not separate to religion, acknowledging many reasons [for] why there are demands for women-only hours.” 

According to Stewart-Kanigan, the administration had not consulted with the student body before deciding to terminate the proposal.

“The statement states that [the] administration met with students and myself on Thursday to gain a better perspective […] before making their decision,” she said. “This is false [….] The decision to halt negotiations on the subject of women-only hours towards finding a compromise solution was already made on Monday.”

Allalou agreed with Stewart-Kanigan on the lack of consultation. 

“On Tuesday, [Stewart-Kanigan] messaged me and she informed me that the deputy provost was going to shut down negotiations,” Allalou explained. “This is even before he ever spoke with me.”

Attention from both the media and individuals on campus has increased since the discussion was introduced by Allalou and Grafton, with many divided on the issue.

U2 Arts student Frances Lash, who opposes women-only hours, expressed disappointment at the administration’s actions on the issue.  

“I do think that the administration’s decision to not continue negotiations was correct,” Lash said. “Although it is laudable that the women who proposed it strongly advocated for their cause, the gym is not covered fully by [student] tuition: It is an optional service which [individuals] pay extra for [….] Beginning to make exemptions in a service that is optional impedes others from benefiting from the service they have paid to receive.”

However, Lash added that she did not agree with how McGill administration had phrased their statement.

 “The words the university used were inflammatory and condescending, and more tact should’ve been used by the administration on such a hot topic of debate,” Lash said. “Gender discrimination and diversity are important discussions to be had and to be taken seriously—and it seemed like the university was too [flippant] in its response. Words like ‘segregation’ and ‘modesty’ are problematic because they have a long history of misuse.”

a, McGill, News

McGill medical students vote to strike against Bill 20

by Ashley Kong on

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On Tuesday, the Medical Students’ Society (MSS) voted at its General Assembly (GA) to strike on March 30 as a form of protest against Bill 20. If passed, the bill would restructure family care in Quebec.

“Every general practitioner […] must, to the extent provided for by government regulation, provide medical care to a minimum caseload of patients, and perform a minimum number of hours of medical activities,” the bill reads.

The strike motion passed with 89 votes for, 19 votes against, and eight abstentions. As a result of the vote, the MSS will participate in a demonstration against Bill 20 on March 30 led by the Fédération Médicale Étudiante du Québec (FMEQ), a union for medical students in Quebec.

“[The] MSS [will] organize a class strike (levée de cours) from mandatory teaching (and clinical) activities for all students (Med 1-4), in order for our students to participate in this strike on March 30,” the motion reads.

According to David Eidelman, McGill University Dean of Medicine, some family physicians are already cancelling their plans to teach because of Bill 20, which will negatively affect training provided at McGill and other medical schools in Quebec.

“The family physicians […] are so unhappy with the bill altogether, they’ve already starting to propose to withdraw from teaching,” Eidelman said. “They are worried that by next year, when this bill passes, there’ll suddenly be an increase in the number of patients they’ll have to see in clinic, and they don’t want to be caught in a cut in pay just because they’ve agreed to do some teaching.”

Nebras Warsi, MSS president, expressed concerns that prospective medical graduates might be less inclined to join family care.

“By getting in the way of allowing a family physician to teach medical students and to conduct independent research […] I think you’re really taking away a lot from what makes that specialty so attractive,” Warsi said. “Especially [at] McGill, we’re particularly research-focused [… so] taking that away is really detrimental in our eyes.”

Physicians who are currently practicing find that Bill 20 falls short in addressing individual complexities, according to Joshua Chin, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) MSS representative.

“What if the physician happens to be pregnant or has young children?” he said. “[They’ll] have to keep up with this patient quota [….] There’re still a lot of unknowns. The bill needs to be properly studied.”

Warsi explained that he felt that consultation of the medical schools in Quebec came in too late. 

“One of the first times there was really proper consultation was two weeks ago, [when] the deans [of all four medical schools in Quebec] actually had a chance to speak at the National Assembly,” Warsi said. “This discussion should have been taking place a year, or two years, or three years before the bill was even put into motion.”

Chin added that the Quebec government is rushing the legislation process.

“The message we’ve been getting from the government is that it will be rushed through,” he said. “The minister wants this bill to be implemented by early this summer.”

Members of the MSS will head to Quebec City on March 30 along with the representation from other three medical schools in Quebec: Université Laval, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke. A joint press conference will be held by the four delegations that day. 

Medicine Senator David Benrimoh expressed that he was happy with the GA strike vote.

“I’m very proud that [the MSS] decided to take this stand,” he said. “I’m very proud that we decided to stand up against something that we believe is socially unjust and contributes to negative changes that will hurt the patients we care for.”

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Back to Bukowski’s future

by Luka Ciklovan on

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In an age dominated by tweets and texts, it is quite easy to forget—or at least be distanced from—the chaos and warfare that ravages the world today. Kim Kardashian ‘breaks’ the Internet while Russia breaks international laws. Dresses change from white to blue on Facebook while the situation in Syria stagnates. ‘Tinderites’ incessantly strike out while U.S. drone strikes still affect countless families. Luckily, TNC’s latest production offers a great reality check.

Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame—the lovechild of 1984 and Brave New World—explores the moral, social, and physical complications that plague four war veterans in the year 2045, and is inspired by the work of author Charles Bukowski. By tracing the personal struggles of veterans prior to their military-induced reliance on “ephembrium,” a drug that erases the users’ memories and places them in a state of perpetual present, the play raises much needed awareness for the often-neglected struggles of war veterans, questioning the nature of a contemporary society that can ultimately lead people to surrender choice. Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, due to an immersive, multi-media set, fantastic acting, and unique writing, ultimately shines and succeeds in generating much needed human empathy in a world that risks losing it.

Upon entering the theatre hall, the play immediately began to break down the gap between audience and actor. A lone actor was onstage to inhabit the veteran care facility while seats were still filling up, the house lights were on, and audience members were free to converse. This allowed director Ali Vanderkuyk to create a sense of inclusiveness with the audience that permeated the entire play. It felt like walking into a real care facility that operates independently of any audience.  

Nicole Coon’s set arrangement also ensured that actors primarily entered and exited through the audience, thus creating a link between the actors—fictional war veterans of the future—and the viewers. Most notably, this immersion was cemented by the incorporation of a large projector screen into the set that often simulated the world beyond the confines of the care facility and even visualized text messages between characters. The set’s immersion, however, is so powerful that it slightly hindered the play by creating moments of awkward uncertainty on whether the acting was actually over. Regardless, the set design forced the audience into having an emotional stake in the play, and by extension, the human problems it tackles.

The production’s great set also houses wonderful actors. The fact that Ali Vanderkuyk wrote the script in conjunction with the cast is evident in how natural each line delivery felt. Ruthie Pytka-Jones’ (Lane) fidgety movements and masterful stuttering are downright hilarious, and, in particular, her close interactions with Jedidah Nabwangu (Haydee), who rarely raises her voice and speaks in closed body language, are impressive acting moments. Nicholas LePage (Marty) and Thoby King (Tate), with their eerie, hollow-eyed addresses to the audience and palpably deteriorating friendship brilliantly conveyed the alienation that permeates the human condition with or without warfare. Ruby Iacobelli (Lola), alongside the more temperate Claire Morse (Chloe), dominated the second act of the play with her assertive line delivery and booming voice.

The highlight of the play lies within the writing. Drawing directly from the works of Bukowski, Vanderkuyk weaves the author’s pervading themes of human isolation, alcoholism, and the frailty of human relationships seamlessly throughout the play. She then makes these themes more accessible to a modern audience through various pop culture references—Rock Band being my personal favorite—and a diverse set of characters that encompass core human archetypes. 

A rare downside was the perhaps intentional gloom and doom of the first act, which dragged on far too long and created a stressful test of mental endurance before the second act. This aside, if you’re looking for an introduction into the lonely world of Bukowski, but with a modern and war-stricken setting that mirrors and addresses many aspects of today’s world, definitely check out /Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame/. 

Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame runs from Wednesday, March 18 to Saturday, March 21 and from Wednesday, March 25 to Saturday, March 28. Performances are at 8 P.M. at Tuesday Night Café Theatre (3485 McTavish). Student/senior tickets are 6$ and adult tickets are 10$.

a, Opinion

Commentary: Reconsidering the legacy of Brian Mulroney

by Justin Hatherly on

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When he left office in 1993, Brian Mulroney had the lowest approval ratings of any Prime Minister since the Second World War. Even today, over 20 years after he stepped down, Mulroney is still regarded negatively by a large majority of Canadians. However, the hostility towards Mulroney is largely unjustified. Far from being one of Canada’s worst Prime Ministers, he was actually one of the better ones. 

When Mulroney was elected in 1984, Canada was in the midst of an economic recession. The previous Trudeau government had bequeathed its successor with the largest peacetime deficit in Canadian history at eight per cent of gross domestic product, inflation and interest rates in double digits, anemic productivity growth, and record levels of unemployment. Rather than merely playing it safe or tinkering around the edges, the new government decided to implement a bold set of reforms to get to the heart of Canada’s economic malaise.  

Industries ranging from oil and gas to finance were opened up to greater competition. Mulroney was able to both improve the efficiency of the tax system and sharply reduce individual and corporate income tax rates by introducing the GST. The centrepiece of this bout of radical change was the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1987, which exposed Canadian industries to greater competitive pressures and gave Canadian exporters unfettered access to the world’s largest economy.

These reforms took time to yield benefits. There is no doubt that the adjustment process was painful for many who lost their jobs or whose businesses went bankrupt. However, these reforms were a necessary remedy for an ailing Canadian economy.  In 1999, the International Monetary Foundation  concluded that almost all of the stellar economic performance Canada enjoyed could be attributed to the restructuring that the Canadian economy had undergone in the 1980s. Despite the fact that the reforms cost him political popularity, Mulroney showed that he had a keen sense of the national interest by staying the course.

Mulroney also succeeded in improving Canada-U.S. relations. Under Trudeau, relations with Americans had deteriorated dramatically. Mulroney, on the other hand, struck up friendships with Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. Because of this, many in Canada accused him of being nothing more than a lackey to the United States. However, this perception is again unfair. Though Canada emphasized areas of close cooperation on many files that ranged from defence to trade, Mulroney was unafraid to diverge from U.S. foreign policy when he felt it was in Canada’s best interest. Under Mulroney, the Canadian government would not try to create false differences or distance itself from the U.S. simply to appease an immature and shortsighted sense of Canadian nationalism. 

In 1991, Mulroney finally reached an agreement with the U.S. in which the U.S. promised to sharply reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in order to curb the acid rain that industrial pollution in the U.S. was causing in Canada. The agreement, which was sought by many of his predecessors, continues to bring environmental benefits to Canadians today. 

Mulroney was far from perfect. His forays into the national unity debate with the Meech Lake constitutional settlement proposals were in many ways foolhardy. The proposals went too far for English Canada but were too timid for many Quebecers and unfortunately stoked further secessionist sentiments in Quebec. After crusading against patronage and other forms of soft corruption as opposition leader, Mulroney happily dispensed favours to many of his fellow Conservatives after taking office. Yet in spite of all this, Mulroney actually had a very respectable record as prime minister. His actions in office, while unpopular, resulted in long-lasting benefits. The economic reforms of the 1980s were pivotal in revitalizing Canada’s stagnating economy and improved relations with the United States allowed Canada enhanced global influence. The greatest testament to Mulroney’s legacy may be the endurance of the policies he brought in. Upon gaining power, his political opponents, who once called for a reversal of his reforms, left them in place.

a, Basketball, Sports

March Madness Preview 2015

by Abdulaziz Atta, Aaron Rose, Elie Waitzer, Zikomo Smith, Wyatt Fine-Gagné on

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  • Cinderella Picks

    Wofford

    Although they’ve appeared in the tournament three times in team history, the Wofford Terriers have never escaped the first round. This is a tough, physical team that is a perfect candidate for catching a high seed off guard. During its last tournament appearance in 2010, Wofford gave the heavyweight Wisconsin a scare, losing by just four points. It doesn’t hurt that the Terriers are a 12-seed—since 1985, 12-seeds have held the best record out of any seed lower than 10, winning 37.6 per cent of first-round match ups. If Wofford is going to succeed, it will rely heavily on senior guard Karl Cochran, who led the team in scoring while jacking up 256 three-pointers this season.

    — Wyatt Fine-Gagné

     

    Valparaiso

    Boasting a 28-5 record and top spot in the Horizon League, Valparaiso has the tools to upset traditional NCAA powerhouses. It ranked 47th in the nation in defensive efficiency and shot an excellent 38 per cent from the three-point line this season. It has excellent rebounding in Alec Peters and Darien Walker, and can move the ball around well on offence. They have the profile of every sound Cinderella pick: Good discipline, high basketball IQ, and a high pressure, persistent defence. Watch out for Peters, who is averaging 16.7 points per game this season on 49 per cent shooting and 46 per cent from distance. On defence, expect some huge plays from centre Vashil Fernandez, who controls the paint with three blocks per game.

    — Zikomo Smith

     

    SF Austin

    The Lumberjacks pulled off the unthinkable last season, nailing a four-point play to upset VCU in the first round. This year, three of SF Austin’s five starters are returning players and the team looks poised to improve after a second-round exit to UCLA last year. They face off against the Utah Utes in the first round, a team that hasn’t been in the tournament since 2009, and has won just three of their last seven games. If the Lumberjacks can upset the Utes, they’ll likely match up against the Georgetown Hoyas and Duke Blue Devils, two perennial chokers. The Lumberjacks have a potent offence loaded with veterans, and could quickly become this year’s Cinderella story.

    — Aaron Rose

     

    Belmont

    Sneaking into the tournament as the 15-seed after clinching the Ohio Valley Conference with an upset win over Murray State in the conference tournament, Belmont has the potential to go far if it can get past its first match up against Virginia. This team’s defence doesn’t stack up well against Virginia or any elite team in the tournament, but it does have a roster of deadly shooters and an offence heavily dependent on the three ball. This is an offence that can go red-hot or ice-cold at any time. If the defence can be at least average, Belmont has a shot at the Elite Eight.

    — Elie Waitzer

     

     

  • Players to watch

    1. Jahlil Okafor (C) – The next Tim Duncan? That might be high praise, but the Duke star is a double-double machine with lethal post moves.

     

    2. D’Angelo Russell (PG) – The stars seem to always shine brightest in March. The Ohio State guard has a deadly shot and great ball handling skills.

     

    3. Frank Kaminsky (PF) – After a Final Four appearance last season, the senior big man is back and looking for a championship. He’s already won Big Ten Player-of-the-Year honours, and he’s the favourite for the Naismith College Player-of-the-Year award.

     

    4. Karl-Anthony Towns (C) – The entire Kentucky roster is essentially made up of ‘must-watch players,’ but Towns is a defensive stud. If you’re into shutdown defence, Towns is your guy.

     

    5. Kyle Wiltjer (SF) – Gonzaga is an offensive powerhouse and Wiltjer is the centrepiece as a versatile scorer with a deadly stroke from deep.

     

     

  • Legendary NCAA coachecs

    1. John Wooden – Won a record 10 national championships at UCLA, including seven consecutive ones from 1967 to 1973. Arguably the greatest legend in college hoops history, and one of the greatest coaches in sports history.

     

    2. Bobby Knight – Knight won 902 Division I games over a 42-year career, but his success was trumped by his temper. Sportswriter Bob Ryan said he never met anybody who cared less about what other people thought than Bob Knight.

     

    3. Mike Krzyzewski – ‘Coach K’ played for Knight at Army, and has since led Duke to four national championships, won several Olympic gold medals as Head Coach of Team USA, and been inducted twice into the Hall of Fame.

     

    4. Dean Smith – The legendary Tar Heel made North Carolina a household name in his time, guiding the team to 11 Final Fours and two national titles over his 36-year coaching career.

     

    5. Adolph Rupp – Kentucky has won more college basketball games than any other school in NCAA history and Rupp is largely to thank for that. He led the Wildcats to four titles over his 41-year career.

     

     

  • All-Name teams

    Best names in the NCAA in 2015

     

    1. Four McGlynn (Towson Tigers)

     

    2. Staats Battle (NC State Wolfpack)

     

    3. Ya Ya Anderson (Radford Highlanders)

     

    4. Pookie Powell (Memphis Tigers)

     

    5. Scoochie Smith (Dayton Flyers)

     

    Best names in NCAA history

     

    1. Scientific Mapp (Florida A&M)

     

    2. Chris Porn (Elon Phoenix)

     

    3. Daddy Ugbede (Drake Bulldogs)

     

    4. Cookie Belcher (Nebraska Cornhuskers)

     

    5. God Shammgod (Providence Friars)

     

     

a, McGill, News

Hundreds gather in Montreal to protest proposed anti-terrorist legislation Bill C-51

by Laura Hanrahan on

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Hundreds of Canadians came together in Montreal and other Canadian cities last Saturday to take part in the Canada-wide day of action against Bill C-51, a proposed federal anti-terrorism bill.

Bill C-51 encompasses a wide range of proposed changes to Canadian legislature, in particular to the Criminal Code. It will affect disclosure of crime-related information and evidence within the government and criminalize the expression of terrorist-related ideas. 

The bill was introduced by the Conservative government in January and is currently being reviewed by the House of Commons. It passed its second reading in the House on Feb. 23 with a vote of 176-87. The bill will still need to undergo four more stages, including a Committee stage and a third reading, before it can be passed.

The bill also broadens the scope of police powers as they would be able to arrest a suspect if they believe a terrorist act may be carried out, whereas without the bill, sufficient proof was required. Consequently, many Canadians fear that the bill will violate their civil rights and liberties, namely their right to privacy. Elizabeth Viatkin was one such protester who expressed this view.

“I value my privacy, I don’t think that’s necessary information for the government to have,” Viatkin said. “They’re trying to rush [the bill] through [Parliament] right now. I think this is the kind of bill that you should think about a bit more before just trying to rush it and [hope] people won’t have time to protest.”

Protester Mariah Gillis, a Concordia student, expressed concerns about what C-51 defines as a terrorist act. 

“I really think that C-51 is terrible,” Gillis said. “The part about how if you disrupt natural resource extraction, you could be considered a terrorist—that’s pretty scary. Also, all of the spying and everything—it’s just pretty draconian.”

The Montreal march began at Parc Jarry and ended outside the office of Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau, who has said he supports the bill. 

Dozens of protesters placed tape over their mouths and held signs bearing messages that read “Stop Harper” and “C-51 is an act of terror” while chanting: “Harper terrorist, Trudeau complicit.”

New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) leader Thomas Mulcair, who is also leader of the official opposition, has argued against Bill C-51 as well. He joined the Montreal march and gave a speech reiterating his intentions to oppose the bill.

“C-51 is a bill that could seriously endanger our right to protest peacefully, to stand up against a government or an infrastructure or an economic policy,” he said. “Mr. Harper has never been able to give a single example of why this bill is necessary.”

Viatkin agreed with Mulcair’s statement, suggesting an ulterior motive for the bill’s implementation. 

“Honestly, I don’t think we have that much of a problem with terrorism here,” she said. “We have maybe more of a problem with xenophobia.”

Gillis shared her hopes that the protest would help more Canadians become aware of the issue. 

“I think it’s important that we voice our opposition and that we make it really clear that a majority of people are really against this,” she said. “If more people see others voicing their opinions about it, they might start to think about it more and might start to get involved. Obviously, this march is not going to change everything, but I think it’s a small step towards something better.”

a, McGill, News

AUS SNAX sit-in raises awareness about MoA negotiations with McGill

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Last Wednesday, members of the McGill community participated in a sit-in organized by SNAX, a food-retail outlet managed under the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). The sit-in aimed to raise awareness and support for SNAX in light of McGill’s recent stipulation that SNAX would not be able to sell sandwiches. This stipulation was mandated in AUS’s memorandum of agreement (MoA) with McGill, but has only recently been enforced.

Deputy Provost (Student Life and Engagement) Ollivier Dyens previously addressed AUS Council in January, stating that McGill chose to enforce its MoA clause with SNAX due to liability issues. 

“As you know, we’re very, very conscious about food safety,” Dyens said at the time. “If somebody gets sick while going to SNAX, people aren’t going to go after SNAX or AUS, they’re going to go after McGill […] and it’s going to have ramifications for the university.”

SNAX Manager Hasan Nizami explained that SNAX had responded to McGill’s concerns regarding food handling and safety protocols at SNAX. 

“[McGill] raised a concern about liability issues […] and as a response to that, we got all employees certified and trained in food handling and safety by [the Quebec ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation],” he said. “The admin appreciated that stance of ours, but [there was] still nothing from [the administration’s] side.” 

The current MoA is for 2010 to 2015, and negotiations for a new MoA started in December 2014. Nizami expressed his frustrations with the current state of MoA negotiations, highlighting the current proposed MoA draft sent by McGill to AUS in December 2014. 

“What I see in that draft is that whatever we proposed for in the negotiations is just not there,” he said. “It seems like we are missing from the picture.” 

Ali Taghva, U1 Arts, stated that he attended the sit-in so he could express his stance against the administration’s decision.

“Right now, we have a situation where students are taking up an initiative to provide an option to the student body,” Taghva said. “Seeing so many people from different sides come in and help is a great thing [….] The best thing it’s doing […] is connecting people. Even if this doesn’t work today, you have a larger network of people who tomorrow are [going to] sit down, talk, and make sure it happens.”

Taghva also explained that he enjoyed how accessible SNAX is.

“Yes, we have a billion businesses on campus providing food, [and]snacks,” he said. “[But] not all of them are affordable, not all of them provide for vegans or vegetarians.” 

Nizami echoed Taghva’s opinion, stating that he was happy with student turnout at the sit-in.

“Once we made the Facebook event, people just came out themselves. We didn’t really have to approach anyone,” he said. “This shows that people are frustrated.”

Nizami also explained that SNAX is not seeking to expand its retail presence on campus and underscored that AUS’ negotiations with McGill served to represent student issues on campus.

“All we want is what we had before [….] Let us try to provide the service we have been providing to students at a cheap rate,” he said. “This sit-in is […] not to have an aggressive stance against the administration [….] I believe that this issue is not just about sandwiches—it’s about the general representation of students in policy making.”

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