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a, Opinion

An & in the wilderness

by Esther Vinarov on

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Last year, I transferred from the Faculty of Arts into Arts & Science after falling in love with the Cognitive Science program. Having entered McGill from the U.S., I had actually expected Arts & Science to be the default––at most universities in the United States, it is the largest faculty, not one of the smallest. My fellow ArtSci peers have deemed this degree to be the best option for us, but we still worry a lot about our post-graduation plans—perhaps more so than most other students.

The McGill Bachelor of Arts & Science (BA&Sc) website cautions, “The breadth that is characteristic of the BA&Sc programs necessarily comes at the expense of depth in the Arts and the Science components viewed separately.” That’s all. Thanks for the warning, but McGill should do more to help assuage our fears. In an increasingly competitive job market, why are BA&Sc students content with spreading ourselves so thin? As one of many students unsure of the future, I am both comforted and terrified in my decision to choose an interdisciplinary academic program. I’m excited to be graduating with credits in philosophy, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, and psychology, but I won’t be trained enough in any of these fields to stand out to a prospective employer in any specialized area. All I can hope for is that knowing the fundamentals in all of these disciplines will give me a unique edge, enough to propel me in my yet-to-be-declared future.

Recently, I came across a quote by science fiction writer Robert Heinlein, which captured the BA&Sc mentality: “A human being should be able to […] design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem […] cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, [and] die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

All ArtSci students will have to struggle with the benefits and drawbacks of our broad academic program. On the one hand, we are limiting ourselves from several higher-level courses and highly-specialized career opportunities, but on the other, we are striving for well-roundedness, holding on to the faith that a degree in Arts & Science will open more doors than it closes. We all have a conviction that dabbling in various fields is a better fit for us––personally, academically, or professionally.

Still, we need more exposure to interdisciplinary career opportunities, and we need encouragement to be creative and entrepreneurial. We need mentors and role models, and we need more integrative courses. The ampersand symbol is a source of anxiety as well as inspiration––it represents our rewarding multidisciplinary curriculum, but it also reminds us that we are caught between two faculties, without a real home. More often than not, we are swallowed up by the umbrella that is the Faculty of Science for issues related to advising and exchanges.

The ampersand thus serves as the perfect emblem for the Bachelor of Arts & Science Integrative Council (BASiC), which does what it can to relieve the anxiety and harness the creativity of Arts & Science students. While the university should be doing more to support its students, BASiC provides two initiatives through which students support each other: a conference and a journal, both entitled Ampersand, that serve as resources and outlets for the Arts & Science community.

This month, the conference will be bringing together students and leaders from all disciplines to network and engage with one another in order to generate dialogue and creativity. BA&Sc students stand at the intersection of potential cultural, technological, and artistic innovation, but McGill needs to do more to mediate discussion and engagement among its small population of Arts & Science students, and to give us the support we need to finish our degrees and do something useful with them.

Esther Vinarov is involved in organizing Ampersand: the Conference, which will take place on March 21 and 22. To learn more, join the Ampersand McGill Facebook group and follow the link to buy tickets ($7 for two days, $5 for one day).

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Run River North—Run River North

by Morgan Alexander on

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California based indie-pop group Run River North’s self-titled debut album exudes youthful passion and creativity that flows over kempt beats and calming lyrics. The six-member ensemble hailing from the San Fernando Valley area has perfected their unique brand of orchestral pop, trotting out one whimsical ballad after the another.

The opening track “Monsters Calling Home” introduces the band’s vocal harmonies, which are infused into every track and make for an interesting acoustic choral sound. Looking to “Growing Up” and “Banner,” the band’s true talent is evident in these ethereal group choruses. Beyond these lyrical nuances lies the band’s knack for exuding West Coast calm, even in their more ominous, soul-searching tracks.

The band faltered slightly in its unwillingness to take any musical risks. While they’ve solidified their skills in graceful folk beats and expansive lyrical themes, they remained reserved in their more rock-fueled tracks, such as “Fight to Keep” and “Somewhere.” Understandably, this is only their first full album; but if the band wants to establish itself in the music world, it needs to be willing to leap out of its narrow musical box.

Undeniably cool, calm, and collected, Run River North is precisely as it presents itself to be: a folky collective enhanced by waves of electric hooks and chamber pop vocal backings, and creators of a very promising debut.

a, Martlets, Sports

Track and field: Men’s 4x400m relay team captures silver at Nationals

by Wyatt Fine-Gagné on

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After a long season, the McGill track and field team made its final trip of the year last weekend to Edmonton to compete in the CIS championships. McGill broke several records at the recently renovated Butterdome as the nation’s best competed in one of the country’s premier track and field facilities. McGill’s lone trip to the podium came from the men’s 4x400m relay, which captured silver on the meet’s final day, breaking a team record in the process.

This silver lining came on the heels of a frustrating weekend for the program. McGill’s women finished near the bottom of the pool, placing 20th of 22 teams. The men, on the other hand, managed a 12th-place finish thanks to the late medal.

“The men’s [4x400m team] winning a silver was definitely [a highlight of the day,]” McGill Head Coach Dennis Barrett said. “[We were] missing one runner who couldn’t make it out for personal reasons, which didn’t help our [4x200m] relay. But the guys who were there did well.”

The weekend was dominated by the York Lions and Guelph Gryphons, who captured the men’s and women’s championships, respectively.

For York—the winners of the McGill Team Challenge in January—this championship is its first in 30 years. The Lions’ score of 103 points was just good enough to top the defending men’s champions from Guelph, who finished with 97 points. The Gryphons’ women’s squad scored a point fewer than its male counterpart, but still came out on top for the second title in their program’s history.

The three-day event capped off what was a difficult year for the squad. The team battled injuries throughout the season and never fully hit its stride. Fortunately for McGill, a number of its key competitors should be returning in the Fall. Of the silver-medal winning group, Vincent Parent-Pinchette and anchor Javier Montaivo will be returning, with Alexander Steinbrenner and Eric Ellemo graduating after this year. The foursome earned a time of 3:17.86—barely a second back of the gold medal-winning group from York.

McGill’s sophomore high jump star Caroline Tanguay put in a solid performance with one of her best jumps of the season measured at 1.73m. The jump, however, left Tanguay short of medal territory as she placed fourth, just 0.03m back of third-place Rachel Machin of Calgary. Still, the fourth-place finish was an improvement from the 2013 Championships in which she placed seventh. With plenty of time left in her university career, Tanguay still has room to improve and will have her sights set on a podium finish come next season.

Another of McGill’s rising stars, Dylan Golow, also managed to come within striking distance. The junior from Barrie, Ontario placed fifth in the Pentathlon, scoring 3637 points, 45 points fewer than the bronze medal-winner. This is a big step in the right direction for Golow, considering he failed to crack the top 10 last year. Barring any surprises, Golow—like Tanguay—will be back in the Fall and could be a favourite to medal this time next year.

Barrett has high hopes for next season’s team­­—especially if McGill is able to land the top recruits that it is after.

“We try and recruit as best we can,” he said. “We need a lot of athletes for our track program, unless we get 10 blue-chip athletes for both the men’s and women’s side.  Some of the recruits on our list right now […] first [have] to get into McGill and then we go from there.”

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: Redmen win fifth OUA East title in six seasons

by Remi Lu on

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After sweeping the OUA East quarter-finals and semifinals with ease, the McGill Redmen entered the OUA East Finals riding a seven-game win streak to take on the no. 4 Carleton Ravens. The Ravens began the series with a statement win of 5-2 over the Redmen before dropping the second game to a resilient McGill team, 3-2. The seesaw series set the table for the last match on Sunday at Carleton, in which the Redmen prevailed 2-1 off of a game-winning shot by defenceman Jean-Philippe Mathieu. The win clinched the Redmen’s fifth  OUA Eastern Conference Championship in six years.

Characteristic to its starts in the two previous games in the series, the Redmen opened the match by scoring in the first period. This time the goal came by way of rookie Neal Prokop, who was assisted by 5’10” centre Cedric McNicoll and fellow left-winger Patrick Deslisle-Houde on the play. A frustrated Ravens team was unable to get on the board before the end of the period.

With its season on the line, Carleton increased its physicality as the match moved into the second frame, posting four penalties after a penalty-free first period. The Ravens’ scrappy play led to a goal at the 14:48 mark, which evened the score at 1-1. However, Mathieu paid Carleton back in turn, as the second-year defenseman scored on a power play with 2:43 remaining in the second period to clinch the game. The goal was Mathieu’s second of the series, after he netted a similar game-winner in Saturday’s matchup at McConnell Arena.

The Ravens were unable to get past McGill netminder Jacob Gervais-Chouinard in the third period despite posting an overall shot advantage of 34-27. The match improved the rookie goalie’s overall playoff record to 6-1.

The OUA Eastern Conference victory is the Redmen’s first since the 2011-12 squad, which went on to win the National Championship. Last year McGill finished its season with a disappointing loss to Nipissing University in the OUA semifinals after posting a conference record of 17-11. This year’s roster is relatively young, with 23 first- and second-year players, in contrast to the veteran-laden squad that hoisted the University Cup two seasons ago.

After the weekend’s loss, the Ravens will now go on to host the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the OUA bronze medal game. The winner of that game will earn a wildcard berth to the CIS National Championships.

The Redmen’s next task will be to face the Windsor Lancers in next Saturday’s OUA Queen’s Cup gold medal game. The series win against Carleton also guaranteed a spot for McGill at the CIS National Championships, which will take place in Saskatoon from Mar. 20-23.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Deep Cuts: Songs to cure your insomnia

by Jacqueline Galbraith on

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Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey

Artist: John Mayer

Album: Born and Raised

Released: May 22, 2012

This peaceful track off of John Mayer’s fifth studio album stands out as a thoughtful lament, ornamented with simple harmonica and sparing guitar. Mayer’s soulful vocals create a comfortingly repetitive effect, evoking feelings of both melancholy and contentment in the listener. The barebones chorus manages to be both sad and beautiful in its minimalism.

Kiss Me

Artist: Ed Sheeran 

Album: +

Released: September 9, 2011

Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran penned this ballad for his godparents, who got engaged after years of friendship. The couple asked him to sing at their wedding, but none of the covers he tried felt quite right, so he decided to write them their own love song. Sheeran dips into the lower end of his register for this one, and a guitar riff that can only be described as heartfelt make this number the musical equivalent of a warm hug.

A Cold Night Close to the End

Artist: Said the Whale

Album: Islands Disappear

Released: October 13, 2009

Vancouver-based indie rock band Said the Whale has a bevy of up-tempo tunes, but “A Cold Night Close to the End” slows things down, giving it a calming effect despite the slight rockabilly feel provided by the lead guitar. The band is known for incorporating natural imagery into their songs, and this tale about a nighttime hike in winter is no exception. This track will have you drifting off to its steady beat and gentle vocals in no time.

The Temptation of Adam

Artist: Josh Ritter

Album: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

Released: August 21, 2007

Ritter’s expert guitar skills set the perfect backdrop for this Cold War love story. Relaxing you into the rhythm, this number offers one lyrically intricate verse after another. The soothing instrumental breaks keep the track from feeling too busy and Ritter’s folksy vocals create a cozy atmosphere despite the final stanza, in which he raises the troubling question of temptation alluded to in the title.

a, News

Initiative seeks to create city-wide policy on affordable and accessible student housing

by Jenny Shen on

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A new initiative to study and develop affordable student housing in Montreal is gaining support from universities around the city.

After being approached by independent research organization L’Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE), the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has begun to take part in UTILE’s citywide initiative.

UTILE is a non-profit organization created in Jan. 2013 by students from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Université de Montréal (UdeM), and other Montreal universities. The organization is currently working on a project called Prospection des habitudes et aspirations résidentielles étudiantes (PHARE).

The purpose of the project is to collect data about student housing from a variety of universities in Montreal, with the intention of creating options for affordable student housing in the city.

“We created this non-profit because we realized that there’s absolutely no one that’s working on affordable student housing in Quebec,” Laurent Levesque, UTILE executive director, said. “One of the things we want to push forward is to record and have data on [the] Quebec student housing situation.”

According to SSMU Vice-President External Samuel Harris, UTILE initially approached SSMU and other student associations in the city in hopes of collaborating in data collection.

“There’s a lot of [data] about affordable housing, social housing—and those are very important—but [with] affordable student housing [….] a lot of advocacy and research has not been done,” Harris said. “There’s a lack of hard data, as opposed to anecdotal stories about the experiences of students.”

Similarly, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) also saw value in participating in this type of data collection.

“We’re very aware of the fact that housing is often a very serious concern for many students,” said Gene Marrow, CSU vice-president academic and representative for CSU in the PHARE initiative. “Through our Housing and Job Bank, which also acts as a sort of legal information clinic, we have the chance to learn about a lot of the individual situations facing students. However, without solid representative data, it is hard to dress a portrait of the average student at Concordia.”

On March 7, SSMU sent out a survey via email to a sample of SSMU members. It asked questions focused on the student’s current housing situations, factors considered when deciding on a new lease, and price ranges that are within the student’s budget.

“In April, we’ll have the data [and] what’s really exciting about this project is that the firm will produce the market […] for affordable student housing,” Levesque said.

After the data has been collected, UTILE and the student associations hope to use that information in order to develop student-housing policy. While a concrete policy has not been determined, the goal would be to ask the city to develop student housing policies that would make housing more affordable.

“We hope to publish this to make a case for the need for affordable student housing for Montreal , especially at a time where the need is recognized by private developers who are making luxury student housing in very high numbers,” Levesque said.

Levesque noted that the city has already expressed interest in the research.

“The city wanted to have more information on the student housing situation before going forward on the policy,” he said.

Alongside the current research initiative, UTILE is also looking for a location to build its first co-ops for student housing. Levesque said it will have 100 to 200 rooms, and construction will hopefully be completed by 2016.

“It’s already almost entirely funded […] from the government of Quebec, which created a pilot program [from] the Societé d’Habitation du Quebec (SHQ), which is funding our first building,” Levesque said. “Our project will be the first inside that program.”

Levesque explained that the co-op is just one example of the direction that UTILE hopes to take with this new concept of student housing. UTILE wants to create a more communal style of student living, with students from  different universities living together.

“We don’t want to only build student housing as we’ve been building [it] for 40 years,” said Levesque. “We think that it’s a great opportunity to rethink student housing and adapt it to the needs of students of the 21st century [….] The model we’re developing […] is based [on] communal living.”

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

Sports briefs – Mar. 11

by Ben Carter-Whitney on

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Basketball

The Martlets completed a three-peat on March 1, claiming their third consecutive RSEQ title with a 63-50 win over the UQAM Citadins. Leading the way was RSEQ Player-of-the-Year, Mariam Sylla, who recorded a double-double—her 10th of the season—with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

The game featured a strong defensive showing from the Martlets, who held their opponents to a mere 21.2 per cent from the floor and 28.6 per cent from outside the arc. Particularly dominant defensively was co-captain Hélène Bibeau, who earned six of her nine rebounds on her own in what was her final RSEQ game.

The championship win came after a 46-35 takedown of Laval the day before, in which senior guard Françoise Charest led the way with 15 points. Sylla also had a strong night, chipping in seven points and 13 rebounds which, along with her performance against UQAM, earned her RSEQ Athlete-of-the-Week honours.

With the RSEQ title in hand, the Martlets will move to the CIS Championship weekend, to be held in Windsor, Ontario from March 14-16. They enter the tournament having placed seventh and fifth in the past two years respectively, and will be looking to continue their rise by improving on their past results.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

The Fray—Helios

by Jack Neal on

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The Fray is back! Just over a year since releasing the commercially-successful Scars & Stories, the alternative rock band from Colorado have returned with their fourth—and ultimately, fairly predictable—studio album, Helios.

The first 10 seconds of the opening track “Hold My Hand” are as brilliant as anything they’ve previously released, highlighted by their signature irresistible piano-based sound. But at the 20-second mark, it changes. In comes an electronic undertone, pulsing and very much present—perhaps a new musical direction for this band? A pounding drumbeat follows, succeeded with an intricately designed guitar riff before the song climaxes with a massive choir-backed final chorus.

But nothing else on the album comes across as particularly different. From there on, Helios is a mix of up-tempo stadium fillers and subtler yet still catchy piano ballads. The Fray has delivered strong performances on each song: vocally, musically, and even lyrically. It’s clear that the songs are well produced, and Isaac Slade’s lead vocals are as brilliant as ever—but maybe that’s the downfall.

Songs like “Wherever This Goes” are good songs—easy to listen to, with a clear beat, and pleasing vocals. However, once it’s over, it’s over. There is no lasting impact. It’s the kind of song one hears, enjoys it, and then moves on, and it’s unfortunately the same with the album as a whole. Helios has its noteworthy moments; “Our Last Days” is truly a great song, but it suffers in the sense that realistically, it isn’t that far from anything The Fray have done before. While the faint electronic influence is present, and the band have clearly developed their sound into Five For Fighting territory, it is very much a typical Fray record.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Spring—Celebrations

by Evie Kaczmarek on

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In listening to Celebrations by Sprïng, a band that self-identifies as a “psychedelic rock band,” it’s hard to determine whether the multifarious tracks are true exemplifications of intelligent prog-rock, or if they’re too distracted and overdone to make a serious impression.

Although the latter may be true for the average, one-time listener, those with a keen ear and taste for a more unorthodox, experimental style might notice that the band’s credentials do impress. The Vancouver- based bunch more or less morphed from the band SSRIs—a highly acclaimed, prog-punk group, which made waves in the scene for more than five years. Sprïng features a handful of talented musicians and composers. Many of the group’s sonic experiments do contain praiseworthy elements: expert finger picking, complex, perpetually changing time signatures, and incredible layering of major and minor harmonies. However, these virtues somehow fall short of coalescing into an enjoyable, meaningful listening experience.

When SSRIs rebirthed as Sprïng, they certainly matured; the over-processed electronics and keyboard use in SSRIs’s album Effeminate Godzilla Sized Windchimes, has been replaced with softer vocal harmonies and intricate acoustic instrumentals in Celebrations. It’s reminiscent of a college kid coming back home for Christmas break and wondering why he or she was ever so rebellious in high school. However, this kid still gets mad when mom and dad impose a curfew on Friday night—the sporadic, head-banging, electric guitar riffs are more annoying than pensive.

Too ‘angst-y’ to really settle on a concrete sound, Sprïng flits back and forth between a palatable, more traditional indie groove (similar to Fleet Foxes or Belle and Sebastian), a pop ‘60s British psychedelic feel (like Magical Mystery Tour at some points), and a good amount of cumbersome, ambient babbling. Interesting in its own right, I wish Sprïng the best in honing its diverse abilities into a more clear-cut niche

a, Creative

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