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a, News, SSMU

Khan and Syed v. SSMU Council case resolved through mediation

by Philippe Dumais on

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On Jan. 17, Judicial Board (J-Board) case Khan and Syed v. Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council and Speaker was resolved through a mediation session. Participants signed an agreement mandating the J-Board to investigate and make recommendations on whether adaptations to Robert’s Rules should be adopted in regards to motions to postpone indefinitely during General Assemblies (GAs). The motion to postpone indefinitely prescribed by Robert’s Rules currently allows participants in a meeting to not decide  on a motion, while also avoiding the possibility of bringing up the motion later. 

The mediation session followed a petition filed by Zain Ali Syed and Nadir Khan over the Speaker’s practices at the SSMU GA held on Oct. 22.  The petition accused the Speaker of stifling discussion on a motion that called for SSMU to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine at the Fall GA by allowing an indefinite postponement to go through. In effect, the mediation agreement has terminated the proceedings of the suit.

The mediation agreement states that both parties have agreed to resolve their differences on the basis of the following two questions that the J-Board will be investigating.

“Does a special two-thirds majority rule instead of a simple majority for the ‘Motion to Postpone Indefinitely’ constitute a valid standing rule according to Article 5.3.3 of By-Law Book 1-5?” the first question reads, challenging whether the number of votes needed for the motion to pass can be raised.

“[The J-Board will] analyze and clarify the meaning of Article 5.2. of By-Law book 1-5.  If the J-Board deems that there is an obligation, it shall elaborate on the nature and extent of the obligation therein implied,” the second question reads.

Article 5.2 of SSMU’s bylaws specifies that standing rules for GAs must be adopted by Council at least one week in advance and publicized five calendar days before the meeting.  Article 5.3 adds that “the General Assembly may amend resolutions and motions in accordance with the standing rules.”    

The investigation, starting immediately, will be overseen by Chief Justice of the J-Board Munavvar Tojiboeva. Tojiboeva is expected to clarify the constitution and outline the procedures to follow, although she did not specify the time frame in which SSMU would have to change its by-laws if requested to do so by the J-Board.

“I am [planning] on having the report ready by the end of February,” Tojiboeva said. “It all depends on whether the questions are answered [by the J-Board] in the affirmative or the negative and what the recommendations will be [….] Maybe there will be nothing to ratify if the answer to the questions is negative.” 

The agreement also specifies that if the J-Board deems that there is an obligation regarding question 2, the J-Board must outline the procedures for SSMU to comply with the decision it will make.

“The rules of the GA have being reviewed in the past.” Tojiboeva explained. “I believe last time the By-Law Book I-5 has been changed, but I am not aware of when it has been done.” 

“I am happy that we were able to come to a common ground with the petitioners that everyone is content with,” SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa said, highlighting that the agreement is non-binding. “What proceeds after the J-Board makes their recommendations is mostly up to how the [SSMU] Council votes.”

According to Khan, the complainants hope that the J-Board investigation will result in a change in SSMU’s procedural rules.  

“We reached a compromise that fell somewhat short of we would have liked,” Khan explained. “Still, hopefully this will help clarify the bylaws and raise awareness amongst the student body [….] We are optimistic that we can bring about changes in SSMU procedures. It’s very important that Robert’s Rules are accessible to all students.”

a, News

Management Undergraduate Society raises $45 thousand for cancer research

by Cece Zhang on

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The Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) organized the Winter Carnival and the Cancer Auction, raising approximately $45,000 towards cancer research this year, a significant increase from last year’s events, which raised $30,000.

“The whole goal of this week is the idea of school spirit and philanthropy,” MUS VP Events Jony Tabuteau said. “We work closely with the Cancer Auction committee, so it’s a combination of Winter Carnival and the Cancer Auction committee.”

The funds raised will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Canada’s largest national cancer charity which funds cancer research. The MUS has had a partnership with the CCS since 1976.

“This was our 39th Cancer Auction […and] around 75 to 80 per cent of the total [donation] is raised by the auction, but there are also smaller initiatives throughout the year,” MUS President Sean Finnell said.

According to Tabuteau, this year’s fundraising has been particularly successful partially because of new projects such as selling toques.

“We’re trying to combine charity with things students want to donate to in a way they want to donate,” Tabuteau said.  “Every year builds on the competitive spirit of the last year. There’s [a] drive to break last year’s record. Everyone in Carnival from top to bottom [was] really into the cause this year.” 

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: January 27th

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Athletes of the week

Samuel Labrecque

Labrecque led the Redmen over the Queen’s Gaels this past weekend with a spectacular three-goal night, becoming the first McGill defenceman to score a hat trick in 19 years. In his first year with the Redmen, Labrecque has had an immediate impact, leading all CIS blueliners with nine goals in 22 games, all while playing All-Star-calibre defence. He should provide stability to McGill’s defence over the next few years as he matures and develops on both ends of the ice.

Leslie Oles

Oles capped off the Martlets’ wild come-from-behind win over Concordia on Sunday night, scoring the overtime winner with 44 seconds remaining. She also added an assist for good measure. Oles has been her usual dominant self over the past five games, tallying 10 points on five goals and five assists. The Martlets have gone 4-1 over that span. Oles last earned Athlete-of-the-Week honours back in September, when she single-handedly willed the Martlets past Wilfrid Laurier 7-6, scoring a hat trick and dishing six assists.

Beyond the box score

Martlet Hockey 

With a 3-2 overtime win over Concordia on Sunday, the Martlets put the final nail into the Stingers’ coffin, effectively turning the RSEQ title into a two-horse race between McGill and Université de Montréal. After being held scoreless for the first two periods, the Martlets came back from a 1-0 and then a 2-1 deficit in the third on goals from Katia Clement-Heydra and Gabrielle Davidson to force an overtime period. With under a minute left, speedy forward Leslie Oles sliced through the Stinger defence and snapped in the game-winner. The Martlets have six games left on their schedule, and will take on the first-place Montreal Carabins on Friday in what should be an exciting showdown. 

Martlet Volleyball

The Martlet volleyball team dug deep and came away with perhaps their biggest victory of the season thus far, defeating the CIS No. 3 ranked Université de Montréal 3-2 on the road. The match featured gruelling points and marathon sets, but after two hours and five minutes, the Martlets emerged with an upset win by set scores of 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, and 17-15. This marked only the sixth win McGill has managed against the Carabins in their last 45 meetings. Juniors Ashley Norfleet and Catherine Amyot led the way on offence, scoring 14.5 and 14 points, respectively. Also notable was rookie middle Myriam Robitaille, who contributed 12 digs, seven kills, and an ace in the win. After this weekend, a mere one and a half games is all that separates last place from first in the tightly packed RSEQ. 

By the numbers

31 – The positive difference in shot total between the Martlet ice hockey team and the Concordia Stingers in McGill’s 3-2 overtime victory.

63 – Points scored by the Martlet volleyball team in their 3-2 victory over the Montreal Carabins.

3599 – The new McGill record in the pentathlon set by Dylan Golow, a senior neuroscience major from Barrie, ON, during the annual McGill Team Challenge.  

Gadgets

Amazon Echo: This is what a smart home should feel like

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AmazonEcho
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As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

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a, News, PGSS

Post-graduate students vote to leave Canadian Federation of Students

by Will Burgess, Julia Dick, Jenna Stanwood on

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Last Thursday and Friday, members of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS) voted against continued membership with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a national union for post-secondary student societies. (more…)

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Peer review: McGill Classics Play

by Max Berger on

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In a world where Hollywood churns out high-budget Classics-themed blockbusters like Troy (2004) and 300 (2006) every few years, it’s pretty common to find these types of ancient stories being retold in a dramatic form that’s accessible to modern audiences. What’s far more rare though, is to come across a live production that actually stages ancient drama more or less as it was written; but three weeks from now, that’s exactly what will be happening when Thyestes, the fifth instalment of the McGill Classics Play, begins its four-show run at the Plateau’s La Sala Rossa.

Formed in the 2010-2011 school year by Classics professor Lynn Kozak, the McGill Classics Play is an organization which aims to provide a space for the exchange of arts and ideas around classical texts in the Montreal community. Its main annual project is staging a production of one of those dramatic texts—but only after it has undergone an original translation. This year, the responsibility for that daunting task fell on the shoulders of director Duncan McDonald (U3 Music and Greek Language), who had never tackled such an assignment before signing on for Thyestes.

“To translate it yourself, not in a class setting, and to have that goal of a performance-ready version, it’s a whole different experience,” said McDonald. “Because you’re thinking about way more things than you normally would [….] You’ll try and match what’s in the Latin word for word, but that doesn’t sound good in English, so it’s really turning it into a good English version that’s the most difficult.”

On top of the translation, which was mainly done over the summer, McDonald needed to completely add directorial vision to a text that may not have actually been performed.

“[Thyestes] is written by Seneca, who was basically prime minister for the Emperor Nero in the first century AD, and he wrote a series of tragedies in Latin on Greek mythological themes. What’s interesting about those is that we’re not actually sure if they were ever performed or if they were plays written for recitation in a room without being staged, the scholarly consensus isn’t there,” he explained. “So these plays have no stage directions, all you have is the text [….] You had to basically think of what you wanted before you started translating.”

In arranging Thyestes, there was another more genre-specific challenge McDonald needed to work through.

“One of the big things in classical drama is that there’s always a chorus, which at certain points in the play comments and kind of sums up the action, and it varies: Sometimes they can be part of the action or they’re separated from the action, so you have to decide what to do with them,” described McDonald. “And the way they speak, it’s these kind of ornate speeches [….] so deciding what to do with those is also a challenge. How do we make these big speeches interesting and engaging?”

Challenges aside, McDonald is excited about presenting Thyestes since there’s a lot that appeals to him in terms of its background and themes.

“The Classics Play had done four straight years of Greek plays, so I thought it would be cool to do a play in Latin because there’s a different sort of feel to the language, different structure,” McDonald said. “Also, the story itself is really attractive because you have this supernatural stuff—ghosts, demons. The language is completely over the top extravagant, and [there’s] cannibalism, murder, betrayal [….] I could really see a dark, baroque, spooky production.”

While the play is fairly sinister and dark, McDonald expressed that it’s been a pleasure working with its 12-person cast and the crew members.

“It’s a good, manageable group; it’s a good energy, and I think we’re looking forward to an exciting production.”

Thyestes will be performed from Monday, Feb. 9 to Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. at La Sala Rossa (4848). Student tickets are $8.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: Redmen turn up for Carnival Game, send Ravens packing

by Zikomo Smith on

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McGill Redmen
2

Carleton Ravens
0

Invigorated by the bumping capacity crowd, the McGill Redmen [16-5] secured a well-fought 2-0 victory over the Carleton Ravens [16-5] in this year’s Carnival game. McGill stretched their undefeated streak at Carnival games to 13, while improving their overall record against Carleton to 27-20-1.

The 950-seat McConnell arena appeared way over capacity, with McGill fans crammed into the bleachers. Countless supporters stood to watch the play unfold so that they could be a part of the unique atmosphere.

Revelers turned up in all sorts of fancy dress: stars-and-stripes onesies, blue cows, and black ‘pukesuits.’ Students came prepared with signs such as “This is a Carleton Diploma.” The section behind the Carleton goaltender Patrick Killeen was heckling him relentlessly for the entire game.

This created an intimidating, almost unsavoury atmosphere for the visiting Ravens. And while McGill outplayed them start to finish, Carleton did rise to the challenge. In particular, Killeen had an impressive game. He made 20 saves on 22 shots, keeping his focus sharp while being screamed at by McGill fans for a full 60 minutes.

McGill’s puck movement was better than Carleton’s for the entire game, and junior right wings Max Le Sieur and David Rose led the attack with crisp passing and shooting. The two disrupted Carleton’s rhythm with a strong fore-check, and helped to break up many potential counter-attacks. McGill always seemed to have more bodies on defence than Carleton did because they were so effective at shutting down the counter-attack.

Despite McGill’s strong pressure, their shooters were denied on the power play on each of the team’s five chances. Carleton was excellent at clogging up scoring lanes in their third of the rink. The Redmen, as usual, returned the favour—shutting out the Ravens 0-5 on powerplays. McGill goalie Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, made 27 saves on his way to his first shutout of the year.

In such a defensive battle, McGill’s superiority on offence proved the difference. Senior forward Jonathan Bonneau tapped in a rebound off of freshman defenceman Dominic Poulin’s slapshot with four minutes to play in the first period to take the lead. The second goal came from 6’4” winger Neal Prokop, just minutes into the third period.

McGill’s sharpness extended to face-offs. McGill won 37 of them against 28 for Carleton. This was impressive given the spirited atmosphere and the number of penalties both teams accrued. Carleton’s Van Stralen was ejected in the second period for a game misconduct penalty. McGill racked up penalty minutes for roughing and high sticks. However, their play was more disciplined over the night, and it showed in the final result.

On Saturday, McGill beat the winess Royal Military College (0-17) 4-3 in a thriller. Junior centre Jonathan Brunelle, scored the winner with seven minutes left in the third period after McGill had given up a 3-0 lead against the scrappy RMC squad. In a rather stunning performance, RMC goalie Evan Deviller made 53 saves to keep his team in the game. With the win, they clinched a playoff spot, and are quickly closing in on the top spot in the conference.

On Sunday the Redmen went to the Bell Centre to take part in the Montreal Canadiens’ annual skills challenge. After a whirlwind weekend, the Redmen get a few days to rest before taking on the Queen’s Gaels at home Friday at 7 p.m.

a, Features

In conversation

by LA Benoit on

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“We’re all very happy to be working here actually. It’s a unique place, and we enjoy being here to serve the students. We all have kids—my kids are [in their 20s.]I see a lot of students grow up; they graduate and we talk, so [it’s a] very rewarding job for me.”

Why did you decide to move to Canada?

“I moved to Canada in 1991. When I came here, [it was through an] exchange [program] from China [that had] just opened [its] doors. Basically, everything we wanted to learn and to see outside of China was out there, and […] I came to Canada as an exchange fellow to study Medicine. I then […] graduated from McGill. I was a doctor before [in China. Then] I did a PhD at the MNI here, and I worked for the federal government. When I finished [my] PhD, I did several fellow exchange programs in different places. I think that the main reason I had to switch [careers] was because of my health. I wasn’t able to work at the labs; it had affected me a lot.”

ow long have you been working at Second Cup?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What is your most cherished memory?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What kind of struggles did you have?

“[Focusing] and having to do my homework. I had no one at home to actually help me with it, so it took me a little longer to grasp [subjects] like math and French, even English sometimes. It was so hard to focus. Sometimes I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ Also, I had to deal with the bullying, you know what you get in high school and what not. It was a struggle. They called me a whole bunch of names, because I would always look down on my paper in order to focus.””

How did you manage to cope with that?

“I joined a whole bunch of sports, like track, which kind of helped me. If you push through, hopefully they’ll leave you alone.”

What frightens you the most?

“I think that [it is] moving forward. There’s always a scare: Am I going to make it in the real world? Am I going to be able to wake up the next day and tell myself ‘Okay, I can do this?’”

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be a doctor—a pediatrician. It didn’t [happen] because only my mom [worked], so we couldn’t afford for me to go to university. I had to go to work.” “The most gratifying job I had [lasted] for 10 years. I ran an OASIS care centre. It was for pregnancy resources, helping young girls that got themselves in trouble, helping them make the right decision [….] I was the executive director.” “We ran out of funding, and we had a really hard time getting [new] funding […] and I was having a hard time [recruiting] volunteers. I’ll start it up again if I can get the volunteers—it’s getting the volunteers that’s hard.”

What was the happiest moment of your life?

“My happiest moment I think would be the day [that] my granddaughters were born! I have two granddaughters—one is seven and one is 10. I have two sons as well and that was gratifying, but I think [the happiest moment was] the day [that] my granddaughters were born. I adore them.”

What is the biggest obstacle you have faced?

“The biggest obstacle [I’ve faced] was deciding whether [to continue] my studies or whether to get involved in the business. It was a very hard time for me to choose between them—whether [to continue] school until I became an engineer, or whether I should quit school and work and become [involved in business. That’s why it was my biggest obstacle; [it was] the obstacle that made the decision of my life.”

Are you happy with your decision?

“I could say yes, I could say no. I see that I wasn’t made to work in an office, sitting down to work. This is why I told myself that, even if I ended up as an accountant or as an engineer, [an office job] wasn’t my type. I said [to myself that] it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be involved in a restaurant business. It was something that I wanted for a long time.”

a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

The peculiar ethics of The Bachelor

by Evelyn Kaczmarek on

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In light of both the show’s season premiere just two weeks ago and former Bachelorette Andi Dorfman’s recent split from her reality TV lover, Josh Murray, I think it’s time that the Tribune take a deep, fleshy bite out of one of the most peculiar, borderline tragic, and simultaneously popular pieces of our mainstream culture: ABC’s The Bachelor. (more…)

a, Student Life

A ‘fin’tastic workout

by Laura Plamondon on

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After graduating from HEC Montréal in 2012 and working shortly at Bell Canada, Marielle Chartier Hénault decided to follow her passion for the underwater world by creating AquaMermaid, a mermaid school based out of Montreal.

“I’ve always been known for loving the water,” Hénault said. “When I was younger, friends and family used to call me the little Mermaid. With my name being Marielle, [and] Ariel [as] the mermaid in The Little Mermaid, I guess it was just meant to be.”

Hénault embarked on a mission to find a way to combine her creativity and business education.

“When I was in business school, everyone around me would always tell me, ‘You are so creative, you have to do something with it,’” she said.

Hénault finally found her niche through the mermaid community.

“I have always been an active person and had previously done quite a bit of modelling,” Hénault continued. “So when a friend sent me an article about a mermaid school in Germany, I thought it would be the perfect way to combine my passion with my business education.”

As a school, AquaMermaid offers a new experience to anyone who has ever considered of learning how to be a mermaid or merman.

“[Mermaiding] is a mix of synchronized swimming, freediving, and regular swimming that involves performing dolphin kicks and undulating movements that you do when you practice the butterfly stroke,” said Hénault. “However, here, your legs are bound ogether by a neoprene mermaid tail.”

Unlike similar schools in Germany, the U.S., and the Philippines,Hénault’s school was developed to be slightly more formal. She wants to establish the concept beyond a gimmick that simply fulfils children’s dreams of becoming merpeople, which is frequently used by parents for their children’s birthday parties.

Hénault explained that her classes are a fun alternative to traditional workouts for adults to enjoy. She hopes that a new approach to this highly specialized sport will be more attainable for families.

“Fin-swimming is actually a niche sport that divers usually practice and compete in that involves all the muscles in your body,” Hénault said. “Not only does it reinforce your breathing and cardio, but you also strengthen your core and arm muscles However, as soon as you add a mermaid tail to the mono-fin, you forget about the challenging [task] you are doing.”

Hénault sought out many supporters for AquaMermaid to help her with the challenges young entrepreneurs face. For example, she had to find pools that would welcome her services, and she needed consulting for the legal regulations required for dealing with children.

“I was delighted at the number of people and professionals who supported my project and went out of their way to help me without expecting to make money,” Hénault said.

AquaMermaid also offers photo-shoots for individuals who wish to create a mermaid themed photo. The inspiration for these photoshoots originated from Hénault’s time as a model. She has been able to use her experiences and contacts to create successful photoshoots with professional photographers.

Hénault is also breaking into the retailing business and is starting to sell mermaid fish tails, which are made locally in Canada.

“I’ve realized that some clients love mermaiding so much they want to own their own mermaid fishtails,” Hénault said. “So I’ve decided to start selling my mermaid tails, [which are]purchased in Ottawa.”

In the future, Hénault wants to see the growth of a “mermaid community” in Montreal and Quebec with the organization of mermaid synchronized swimming competitions and races. She also has hopes of creating partnerships with holiday resorts in Cuba and other tropical destinations.

“I would like to offer my services to hotel guests who would enjoy a photoshoot on the beach or a mermaid session,” Hénault said.

Moreover, Hénault hopes that AquaMermaid will inspire other creative entrepreneurs.

“For the future, I hope that my academy become a reference for mermaid schools in Canada, and hope many people will be willing to jump in with me,” she said.

However, despite mermaiding’s appeal to some people, others are more skeptical.

“I like the idea, but for me, I think practicing this activity in a pool amongst many people might kill the magic of mermaids for me,” said Estelle Chappert, a U3 Management student.

Although mermaids may be a legend to some, Hénult’s launch of AquaMermaid may have turned the myth into somewhat a reality.

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