As the new year rolls in, so does the prospect of glow-in-the-dark bacon and neon pork chops. Last August, two researchers at the South China Agricultural University in Guangdon Province—Zhenfang Wu and Zicong Li—successfully injected biofluorescent genetic material taken from jellyfish directly into pig embryos, resulting in the birth of 10 transgenic pigs that glow when subjected to ‘black’ or ultraviolet light. Although the idea of glowing food is more of a joke than a serious prospect, Wu and Li intend for this research to serve a very practical application. The scientists explained to CBC that the method may be used to create more efficient and less costly medicines for humans suffering from many types of ailments.
“Patients who suffer from hemophilia need blood-clotting enzymes in their blood. We can make those enzymes a lot cheaper in animals rather than a factory that will cost millions of dollars to build,” explained Stefan Moisyadi, a bioscientist at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Biogenesis Research—home to where this technique was originally developed.
“[The green glow] is just a marker to show that we can take a gene that was not originally present in the animal [which] now exists in it,” Moisyadi said.
Wu and Li are not the only researchers to investigate transgenic animals. Scientists all over the globe are pioneering this technique. Scientists in Turkey used the same method to create the world’s first glow-in-the-dark rabbits, and they are currently working to create a glowing sheep.
A spoonful of sugar makes the migraine go down
A study published this January in Science Translational Medicine concluded that placebo pills have strong enough therapeutic effects to reduce patient symptoms—even when they know they are consuming sugar pills.
Professor of Medicine at Harvard University Ted Kaptchuk performed an experiment using the same 66 patients for each test. The patients first experienced a migraine attack without treatment. During six subsequent attacks, they were either given the migraine drug Maxalt or a placebo pill. Kaptchuk reported that patients experienced significant pain relief, compared to the untreated migraine attack, even when they knew they had swallowed nothing more than a sugar pill.
While the American Medical Association (AMA) considers the use of placebos without a patient’s consent to be “bad medicine,” Kaptchuk’s results suggest that in the future, labeled placebos could be used to treat conditions like migraines.
Kaptchuk is not the only researcher to investigate the beneficial use of placebos. Italian neuroscientist Fabrizio Benedetti demonstrated in neuroimaging studies that placebos might play a role in changing the circuitry and chemistry of the brain in a similar fashion to certain medications. Other studies have shown that placebos induce the release of opioids—a chemical produced by the brain to relieve pain.
Although Kaptchuk’s results need to be reproduced by other researchers before “open-label” placebos are put into practice, his studies show promise in the field of placebos.
After a year of living in Rez, I was overwhelmingly excited to finally find my own place. Not that I didn’t enjoy my experience in university housing—I was simply anxious to have my own furniture, decorate my own room, and cook in the kitchen I would share with my roommate.
When my roommate and I finally decided on a place, we barely glanced over the lease before signing it. Without doing any real research about Quebec leasing laws, we thought looking around the apartment and skimming through the agreement would be sufficient.
The landlord sent notice that our rent was going to increase as our first year of leasing was coming to an end, I couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated. Why was our rent going up? There weren’t any changes being made to the apartment or the building. Why did he choose to increase it now, and why by that particular amount?
Not entirely sure what to do, I followed the instructions on the notice, signing the paper to recognize that I accepted the increase. I wasn’t even too certain about what it meant to “accept”—what alternative did I have besides moving out? Out of frustration and without any real understanding of its reasoning, I complained that the increase was drawn out of thin air. I didn’t realize until much later that rent prices were a little more complicated than a haphazard decision by one person. Though increases are quite typical in the housing market, there are often other components of a lease that are decided upon by the landlord, not Quebec law. If my landlord was to add unique demands to the contract, I would not be aware that I did not have an obligation to adhere to it under provincial regulations—until I signed the lease, that is.
Luckily, there weren’t any other major stipulations attached to the contract, but my roommate and I were surprised to find that a few of the conditions on the lease were unique to our landlord, not standards established by the Régie du logement.
In fact, I didn’t even know what the Régie was. I was simply another student looking to sign a lease for the next three years until my time at McGill was over.
What is the Régie du logement?
Quebec’s Régie du logement is an institution that holds jurisdiction over residential leases in the province. It works to create the standards and procedures for leasing, serve as a resource for potential tenants and landlords, and ensure the protection of leasing rights. In ambiguous or contentious situations between lessor and lessee, the Régie would provide jurisdiction, whether through pre-established laws and regulations, or via an application for a recourse submitted by either party.
Basic Laws and Regulations
The Régie outlines a series of regulations that dictate both the tenant and the landlord’s legal allowances. For example, the Régie’s website says it is legal for landlords to ask for references for credit checks and to require co-signers for students without an income, but it is not legal for them to ask for social insurance numbers or increase the rent mid-lease. Similarly, it explains that tenants must inform their landlord of a decision not to renew a lease, usually three months before the end of the lease —otherwise, the lease is automatically renewed.
(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
Rebecca Dawe, the executive director of the Legal Information Clinic at McGill—a non-profit and student-run service that provides legal information to McGill students and community members—explained that in general, Quebec’s laws only delineate certain expectations from landlords.
“Some conditions can vary from lease to lease; for example, sometimes heating will be included in the rent, and sometimes it will be paid by the tenant,” Dawe said. “The law in Quebec does, however, have certain obligations that are mandatory for landlords. For example, a landlord cannot opt out of the obligation to deliver a rental dwelling in good habitable condition.”
Common Misconceptions
After realizing that my confusion over rent increases could be solved by looking into the Régie’s regulations, I set out to understand the guidelines I should have researched prior to signing a lease for the first time.
The Régie does not place a fixed rate for rent increase every year. Instead, it calculates rent variation by considering “the income of the building and the municipal and school taxes, the insurance bills, the energy costs, maintenance and service costs,” according to its website.
But then I realized that my options weren’t simply limited to accepting the increase or moving out. According to a document on lease renewal created by the Régie, the tenant can also “refuse the proposed modifications” and still renew the lease. In that situation, the landlord would then be able to file an application with the Régie. A commissioner will then follow the criteria for deciding on a rent increase for the apartment—which could be even more than what the landlord initially requested. However, the landlord and the tenant can still negotiate while an application is being processed at the Régie.
Just as I was under the impression that some of the conditions listed on my lease were standard procedure, many students have also fallen prey to misconceptions involving their apartment or lease. Unfortunately, when the turnover year-to-year is so high for apartment leases, students can get caught in a trap of common assumptions. According to Pamela Chiniah, the McGill Off-Campus Housing Coordinator, one of the biggest confusions students will have is with lease transfers.
“The big mistake that students do is they don’t contact the landlord when taking a lease transfer,” Chiniah said. “Let’s say I’m transferring my lease to you; I’m paying $700 rent. When you carry over my lease, for the four months you’ll be paying $700, but as of September, your rent [might] go up. Students don’t contact landlords to get this information [or…] get a previous copy of the tenant’s lease. Sometimes there are rules of the building that they don’t know. And very often when students do a lease transfer they don’t do the paperwork as they should.”
Another issue that students often aren’t aware of is known as a “finder’s fee,” an illegal practice often advertised as “buy my used furniture” for lease transfers.
(Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune)
“Finder’s fees started close to 10 years ago,” Chiniah said. “There was a housing shortage in Montreal [at that time].”
Chiniah explained that many people use furniture as an excuse to validate a finder’s fee.
“Let’s say I have an apartment [lease] that runs until August, but I’m graduating,” Chiniah said. “I want to give up my place, so I advertise; and when a student contacts me, I show them the place. But then I say, ‘If you want this place, you have to take it with the furniture [.…] So the person asks you for money, and [he or she does] not process the lease transfer until they get the money for the furniture.”
Because many McGill students are not from Quebec, it is common for people to assume that these finder’s fees are simply part of a standard procedure in apartment leasing. However, finder’s fees are illegal, and should be reported to the landlord if they become a problem.
But sometimes it’s not just the tenants who create extra charges against Quebec law.
“We see a lot of landlords asking students for key deposits, [which] is not allowed,” Dawe said. “According to the law in Quebec, they can only ask for the first month’s rent.”
Students from out of town will also frequently be misinformed about the relevant paperwork.
“Students […often] don’t know what the application form is in Quebec,” Chiniah added. “It’s a pre-lease. If you fill it out, bring it to the landlord, and he accepts it, you are legally presponsible for the apartment. Every year we have students with [multiple] application forms. Sometimes landlords are flexible, but they [might] say that deposit you gave [them…] will not [be given] back.”
Student Resources
For those who are looking to sign a lease—or for anyone who encounters issues with their apartment or landlord—there are many resources both on campus and around the city that can be useful. McGill Off-Campus Housing not only features an online apartment listing system, but also provides a collection of legal information on its website. It also provides “Apartment Hunting Info Sessions,” held annually for students seeking more information on leasing an apartment.
The Legal Information Clinic at McGill also offers free presentations on landlord-tenant law, which can be tailored to fit the needs of any student’s requests.
If your go-to meals alternate between pasta and pizza, soups are an easy and delicious way to help you survive the Montreal winter. These basic recipes are tasty on their own, but may also act as springboards for experimental chefs to show their own flair.
Chili con carne with tomatoes Serves 4-5
Chili often seems like a daunting task for beginner cooks, but with the right spices anyone can create a great crowd-pleaser.
milk-and.blogspot.ca
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped 1 cup green pepper, chopped1 can (796 mL) tomatoes
1 can (398 mL) tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne red pepperPinch of paprika
1 can (460 mL) kidney beans, drained
Instructions: 1. Cook and stir beef, onions, and green pepper in a large pot until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Drain off fat.
3. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, cayenne red pepper, and paprika.
4. Heat to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in kidney beans and heat through.
White bean’n’ham soup Serves 4-5
The beans and ham in this soup create a thick, flavourful favourite for those cold days.
(simplyrecipes.com)
Ingredients: 2 cans (460 mL) white beans (great northern beans preferred) 2 medium carrots, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp margarine
2¼ cups water
1½ cups cubed ham
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
Instructions: 1. Mash one can of beans and set aside.
2. Sauté carrots and onions with butter in a saucepan.
3. Stir in all other ingredients.
4. Heat through.
(seasaltwithfood.com)
Egg drop soup
Serves 4-5 Simple, yet classy.
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken bouillon1 egg
2 green onions, chopped
Instructions: 1. In a medium-sized pot, boil chicken bouillon.
2. Crack egg into bouillon, stirring constantly.
3. Add green onions.
Beef stew Serves 4-5
Stews may take longer than your average soup, but this one is totally worth the wait.
Instructions: 1. Place ingredients in a large glass baking dish.
2. Cover with foil and bake at 250°F for 5 hours.
Cheese and corn chowder Serves 4-5
Creamy and rich, the corn in this chowder adds a nice pop of colour. You can also experiment by adding a few spices for an extra kick of flavour.
onceuponacuttingboard.com
Ingredients: ½ cup water 2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced1 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups cream-style canned corn
1½ cups milk
⅔ cup grated cheese
Instructions: 1. Combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper in saucepan.
2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add milk and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and chowder is heated through—do not boil.
Photos courtesy of simplyrecipes.com, Sea Salt with Food, Taste Food Blog, and The Curvy Carrot
NHL—The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames engaged in a line brawl for the ages when the two rivals faced off on Saturday night. Eight players involved were issued game misconducts, and the two sides amassed a whopping 142 penalty minutes. Unsurprisingly, both squads now rank within the top five in the league for penalty minutes. Afterwards, Canucks Head Coach John Tortorella told his Flames counterpart Bob Hartley, to meet him after school near the teatherball court to settle things once and for all.
NFL—Richard Sherman wants the world to know that he is the best corner in the game. I think. I’m not sure. Actually, I’m sure. After the All-pro cornerback tipped the game-clinching interception into a teammate’s hands, he proceeded to launch into an epic post-game rant to Fox’s sideline reporter Erin Andrews. The Seattle Seahawks find themselves in the Super Bowl after dispatching hated rivals—the San Francisco 49ers. It is uncertain whether the Commissioner of the No Fun League, Roger Badell will issue a fine to Sherman for “not being boring.” The Seahawks will battle the AFC champion Denver Broncos in the big game after Peyton Manning decided to be Peyton Manning.
MLB—After a meeting with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford last week, New York Yankees third-baseman Alex Rodriguez, commented on his use of performance enhancing drugs saying, “Yes, I have used steroids. Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors.” With that, the league has decided to suspend A-Rod for the entire 2014 season, costing him his hefty $28 million paycheck. The notoriously thrifty Evil Empire rejoices at the thought of cutting salary and avoiding the luxury tax.
NBA—Kevin Durant’s 54-point night was overshadowed last week by the man taken one pick ahead of him, Greg Oden. The former Portland Trail Blazer had six points and two rebounds in just eight minutes, bringing his total career games played to just over one season in five years. Portland finally has a team worth supporting after being bitten repeatedly by the injury bug. The league is collectively waiting for the next time that the franchise chooses an oft-injured 7-footer over a future Hall-of-Famer, because twice isn’t enough.
Winter Olympics—Cool Runnings is back, mon! After a 12-year wait, the Jamaican bobsled team returns to the track for the 2014 Winter Olympics. While the program looks for funding to send it to Russia, the world waits, hoping to see the two-man team heat up the track as they look to take home Jamaica’s first Winter Olympics medal. A generation from now, the effects of this momentous occasion will be apparent as Jamaica will sweep bobsledding instead of Track and Field.
On Jan. 12, Canada lost one of its most renowned and revered neurosurgeons. William Feindel (O.C., G.O.Q., MDCM, D. Phil) passed away quietly at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) Hospital after a brief illness, according to the McGill Reporter. Feindel was a pioneer in the field of neurological medicine, and contributed numerous discoveries to both Canadian research and surgery.
William Howard Feindel was born 1918 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He attended Acadia University, where he received a B.A. with a major in Biology, followed by a M.Sc. from Dalhousie University. Feindel completed medical school at McGill in 1945, after which he studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Merton College, Oxford University, earning his D. Phil in neuroanatomy. As a physiology professor at the MNI, Feindel researched new treatments for nervous system injuries during the second world war alongside Wilder Penfield, the MNI’s founder and first director. In 1955, Feindel founded the Neurosurgical Department at University of Saskatchewan’s medical school, where he also worked to develop the first radioisotopic brain scanner.
Upon Feindel’s return to McGill and the MNI, he established the William Cone Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research and contributed to over 500 research articles in the field of epilepsy and brain disease detection. Together with Penfield and Herbert Jasper, Feindel helped to invent the “Montreal Procedure,” a groundbreaking epilepsy treatment that involved the surgical removal of the antero-medial temporal lobe—a region of the brain involved in retaining visual memories and processing sensory input—in a conscious patient.
In 1972, Feindel became the third director of the MNI and proceeded to revolutionize brain-scanning technology in Canada. In addition to developing one of the first positron emission tomography (PET) units in the world, Feindel and his clinical neuroscience team also brought the first computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit to Canada. He oversaw the MNI’s impressive growth both in size, with the addition of two new wings, and in worldwide prominence as a premier brain-imaging centre.
During his time at the MNI, Feindel wrote and published extensively on his scientific research as well as on the topic of The MNI’s history. His work and contributions have been recognized with many awards and honours, including honorary degrees from four universities, an induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and the titles of Royal Society of Canada Fellow, Officer of the Order of Canada, and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec.
“Dr. William Feindel personified the best of McGill’s teaching hospitals. He was a caring doctor, an outstanding researcher and a team player with a fertile and inquisitive mind,” said Normand Rinfret, CEO and director general of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), to the McGill Reporter.
Feindel’s legacy will live on through his medical innovations, his contributions to neuroscience literature, and the generations of students and colleagues whose minds he inspired.
The long-awaited Student-Run Café (SRC) opened for business on Jan. 6, two months after the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) announced plans for the venture in October.
Named The Nest, the café is located in the second-floor cafeteria of the SSMU Building, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
According to SRC Manager Josh Redel, opening the café on the first day of the new semester was challenging.
“We really wanted to open on Monday—the beginning of the semester—to have a semester full of work; but that meant fitting a million different puzzle pieces together in the right order, so we could open on time,” Redel said. “When you’re actually on the ground, a lot of it is in building relationships with vendors, be it suppliers of food, coffee, tea or equipment […] and working with different deadlines.”
Head Chef Kathleen Bradley said student feedback in the opening week has been mainly positive, though the SRC will remain open to feedback in the next few weeks.
“People like how it tastes, they like the price,” Bradley said. “Another thing that has been really good is the speed. It takes four minutes to get your order.”
In the coming weeks, the SRC will continue to collect feedback from students. Customers will be able to send feedback to the SRC through text messages, online, or in person. For example, one of the required tasks of the cashier is to ask for feedback from students. Formal meetings will also be organized later in the semester.
“[Things to consider include] how do you see the space change in the future?” Bradley said. “What really is student-run? The size and scope will change based on the type of feedback we and students think they need to give.”
Redel said the SRC has been successful in achieving a main goal so far—the promotion of sustainability.
“Financial sustainability, social justice, social sustainability in anything—how you hire, how you purchase and environmental sustainability—has been one of the focus points and everything we’ve done has been put through that checklist,” Redel said. “Everything you’ve been served is compostable—containers, lids, spoon, everything.”
Sustainability is also a key theme in implementation of the SRC’s daily activities, according to Bradley.
“I also wanted to […] eliminate as much food waste as possible while still giving a nice variety,” Bradley said. “So, that’s why we have our menu designed with burritos everyday and the soup and the sandwich rotate. That lets us control waste and labour costs in the back of house a little bit better so we can still really streamline operations in the front while still giving people a different option everyday.”
Redel said future goals for the SRC include potentially extending opening hours and expanding their menu options.
“For example, a lot of people have been asking about sweets and desserts either at breakfast or after their meal,” Redel said. “So, we’re probably going to be working with Organic Campus to sell their stuff to the café, to offer products that are already on campus.”
Taylor Lowery, U3 Education, was a customer at the Nest this week. She said she found the prices to be affordable, and suggested expansion of options as a potential future improvement.
“The prices—I kept on hearing about the cheapness of it—it’s true,” Lowery said. “I guess when they get a little more established […] more options would be good.”
With Sinfully Asian’s contract scheduled to expire in May, McGill Food and Dining Services (MFDS) will determine in the coming months what will happen to its location on the main floor of the Bronfman Building.
Upcoming decisions include whether MFDS, which works under under McGill Housing and Hospitality Services, will renew its lease with Sinfully Asian or allow a new restaurant to take its place, as well as additional decisions concerning renovations or other changes to its physical location.
According to MFDS Director (Food and Hospitality Services) Mathieu Laperle, Sinfully Asian and other businesses will have the opportunity to submit proposals for using the space early this semester. A committee comprised of students, MFDS staff, and employees from various departments and services will make the final decision in March.
Laperle said Sinfully Asian is currently one of the most popular destinations on campus, but MFDS is also open to changing the partnership.
“We need to [always] make sure the food is safe, [has] affordable prices, and with nice concepts, and also to be different on campus,” Laperle said. “Who would be the best partner to provide that service?”
To determine the needs of students, Laperle said he has met with students from the Faculty of Management—the main clientele of the location. Last semester, the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) conducted an online survey of over 1,600 students from all faculties regarding their opinions of Sinfully Asian.
According to Joël Taillefer, president of the MUS, the survey indicated that students enjoy Sinfully Asian but want to see some changes.
“They liked the food, but it’s just too expensive, and the quality is not really there,” Taillefer said. “The variety of food too, like vegetarian options in cooked meals— there are not a lot of them—and gluten-free alternatives. There needs to be a little more consideration for all the students.”
In November 2013, U1 Management student Henri St-Pierre created a group on Facebook entitled “Students for Chipotle at McGill,” which tried to gather support from the McGill community to bring a Chipotle Mexican Grill to Bronfman to replace Sinfully Asian. The group has over 900 members.
“The Chipotle [idea] just took off,” Taillefer said. “The thing is, it’s very cute, but the problem is there is no Chipotle in Quebec for a very good reason. I’m pretty sure they don’t have the licenses.”
Often restaurants find it difficult to franchise in Quebec due to the province’s unique set of laws and language policies.
In addition, Asian cuisine remained a popular suggestion within MUS survey.
“That is one thing that [MFDS] told me—that they don’t want to walk away from the Asian cuisine type,” Taillefer said. “What I’ve heard is maybe they were thinking of a mix of two kinds of food in one area. So maybe half would sell Mexican food and the other half would sell Asian food.”
If Sinfully Asian renews the space, Laperle said he would still like to see some renovations in the location.
“We need to do some investment in the location in terms of the serving, the way we get the food,” he said. “We [also] need to find a way to work with the flow, because it’s very busy.”
Laperle added that renegotiating a contract with Sinfully Asian or a new tenant will allow MFDS to put on paper the tenant’s commitment to initiatives that have become important at McGill in the past five years, such as buying fair trade products and using more produce from Macdonald Campus.
“[The owner] was willing to step in, to work with us, that was wonderful […] but we want to put that in the contract right now,” he said. “At the moment it’s verbal; next time it will be more clear this is what we want to see.”
For students, Sinfully Asian’s accessible location is the restaurant’s major strong point.
“It’s easy,” said Robin Patricia-Windchip, U1 Arts. “Its accessible if I want to go to class or the library.”
However, other students complained of its lack of variety and its prices.
“The food can be repetitive because I eat there a lot,” said Marion Furio Lannoy, U2 Managment.“It’s expensive for what it is, for the quality, and it’s not open long enough.”
If Sinfully Asian were to leave, Lannoy did not think that Chipotle is the right option, but rather a healthier alternative.
“Not Chipotle, I honestly find it is too specific, and not enough variety,” Lannoy said. “Something very easy, with more salads. I would like to see more salads at Sinfully Asian [too].”
I watched a man drive a hovercraft last week. The vehicle cruised over the San Francisco Bay, churning up a bed of bubbles as the crowd cheered. He sat behind the steering wheel, thousands of miles away from me and my computer screen. The man’s name is Matthew Riese, and I had been watching a video of his Delorean Hovercraft, built through the crowdfunding phenomenon Kickstarter. Though thousands of people like Riese have found success through crowdsourcing, we have not yet seen its full potential for solving issues in our communities.
The concept of crowdsourcing has skyrocketed in popularity these past few years. Along with Kickstarter—which allows online communities fund a wide range of projects—many other initiatives have sprung up with the aim of using community numbers to achieve goals. Massdrop is a company that organizes group buys to lower the price of goods; Gustin is a men’s clothing company that produces apparel based on the community’s desires; Amazon’s recent foray into television, the political comedy Alpha House, was based off a script chosen by customers; and there is even a Kickstarter-modelled website called Offbeatr which specializes in funding adult fetish projects.
Perhaps the greatest example of modern crowdsourcing has been through online educational platforms. Khan Academy, the famous learning source created by Salman Khan in 2006, has opened its doors to online community teachers and translators. More recently, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have taken the world by storm. Websites such as edX and Coursera offer free courses from world-renowned institutions, including McGill. Many of these courses allow the enrolled participants to grade their peers’ work, with a dynamic network of communication between students and professors.
However, I still believe that we are not using the concept of crowdsourcing to its full potential. In a recent TED talk, Roger Stein, a finance lecturer at MIT, drew attention by proposing a community-funded method of revolutionizing drug trials. To combat the back-up of potentially life-saving drugs due to a lack of funding, he proposed a model where community stakeholders would help fund a larger baseline pool of drugs. This would allow the drugs to gradually make their way up the approval process, creating a self-funding cycle and producing gradual returns for stakeholders.
In a similar vein, why are we not using crowdsourcing to draw attention to other issues around the world? On a social level, many people in conflict-ridden countries possess smartphones with cameras, allowing them to document international situations first-hand. Why haven’t we focused our efforts on providing a medium for these people to show the world what they see? In the world of science, there have been small pockets of effort to engage “citizen scientists,” an initiative that uses those with an interest in science to help facilitate scientific breakthroughs. If more labs and institutions around the world were willing to do this, how much quicker could we reach new scientific frontiers? Locally, crime prevention, peer teaching services, entertainment ventures, and community engagement could also stand to benefit from a greater emphasis on crowdsourcing.
It is clear to me that the crowdsourcing model has great potential beyond what has been achieved thus far. As a global reach becomes increasingly accessible with the spread of internet access, it will hopefully not be too long before we begin to see artwork, ideas, books, and achievements credited to communities instead of individuals. With the world’s population on a highway to exhausting the earth’s resources, approaching the sheer number of people from a different perspective is a refreshing take on a tough situation. In a technological age where valid complaints are made over the breakdown of real communities, perhaps crowdsourcing can be the way the world saves itself.
Students residing in a McGill-owned MORE house were evacuated from their residence on Jan. 5 due to a fire that broke out in the three-storey apartment building next-door.
The 15 students who have been affected will not be able to return to their residence at 3601 University St. in the upcoming weeks, due to an ongoing investigation of the fire and assessment of damages, according to Janice Johnson, Managing Director of Residences Life and Customer Relations.
“Firefighters were on the roof of 3601 fighting the blaze,” Johnson explained. “They had hoses in the building to make sure that, should the fire spread, they were ready to fight it in the building.”
In taking such precautions and using the MORE house as a station for extinguishing the fire, firefighters had to break windows and a skylight, causing smoke infiltration into the residence. According to Johnson, the MORE house experienced both water and smoke damage.
“There was no fire in the building at all in 3601, but there was smoke and water damage, and people were on the roof, so we want to make sure there’s no damage to the membrane that’ll cause leakage into the building,” Johnson said.
Of the 15 students living in the MORE house this year, seven were present and had to be evacuated. Pierre Panhard, U1 Arts, had just arrived at the MORE house after returning from winter break when he saw smoke coming from an adjacent window.
“Basically when I arrived at the house I talked to a few people and they had no idea there was a fire,” Panhard said. “I had literally just arrived when the fire was smoking out of the window.”
Panhard, along with the other affected MORE students, was relocated to the Holiday Inn hotel on Sherbrooke Street. for one week before they were offered new accommodations in other residences.
“We had a meeting with one of the residence officers who basically gave us a list of residences based on where they had space on campus—so Solin, New Rez, Citadelle, and MORE houses,” Panhard explained. “Most people decided to take apartments and didn’t want to go back to residences. Four of us decided to go back to residences.”
Students who opted for apartments are not required to pay the remaining rent to McGill.
According to Johnson, initial assessments of the residence predict that it may take up to 12 weeks for the MORE House to undergo necessary repairs.
The emergency call alerting the fire was received at 2:17 p.m. on Sunday and described by Elise Breault, a communications agent at the Montreal Fire Department, as the highest classification of an assignment within a formula that is based on the amount of firemen and resources needed to fight a fire.
“The fire was typical intervention, although more firemen had to be sent on site so it was a five-alarm fire,” Breault said. “Firefighters had controlled the situation by 4:40 p.m., and the last firefighters left the scene of the fire at 10:20 p.m.”
In the process of extinguishing the fire, five firefighters sustained injuries that required medical attention. Two firefighters were treated at the scene for minor injuries, while three had to be transported to the Montreal General Hospital for more serious injuries and were discharged the following day.
As a precaution, the electricity to the surrounding area was shut off while the fire department acted on the fire. Following an inspection once the fire was extinguished, it was confirmed to have been caused by an accidental electrical fault.
Johnson encouraged students who have been affected to get in contact with services available on campus that could be of assistance, such as Student Services, Mental Health and Counselling Services, and academic advisers.
“The Student Services and Dean of Students kick into gear in a situation like this,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to support them as best we can.”
As fun and compelling as Homeland was at first, the show’s inherently limited premise left viewers wondering where the series could possibly go in future seasons. However, the central concept of a possible undercover terrorist on the loose in the United States was so compelling that it seemed worthwhile to see where showrunners Alex Gordon and Howard Gansa would take it. Unfortunately, the latter half of the second season confirmed viewers’ anxieties with a number of wild plot twists that neither made sense, nor made much of an emotional impact. The third season continued the downward spiral as the story went in even more outlandish directions. Even worse, the characters simply didn’t seem to matter anymore—Carrie’s feelings for Brody felt pathetic rather than moving; and Dana’s soapy arc felt plucked from daytime TV. Star Damian Lewis acknowledged the limitations of the story when he admitted in an interview that Brody was supposed to die in the first season, and was only kept alive because of Showtime’s desire to retain the high viewership numbers the show was attracting. At this point, 2014’s upcoming fourth season seems unlikely to be anything more than a further tarnishing of the legacy Homeland secured in Season 1.
Community (Season 4)
After months of wavering by NBC, Community’s fervent fan base rejoiced when “October 19”—its original premiere date as well as the hashtag that hardcore fans tweeted to mock the delay—arrived on February 7, and Season 4 was underway. Unfortunately, the excitement was short lived as the show sputtered to fill the void left by departed writer Dan Harmon. Greendale’s quirky characters and meta-narratives were still there, but the on-screen product felt undeniably awkward —think Jeff’s father-son reunion, Britta and Troy, and the ridiculous ‘Changnesia’ storyline.
Girls
Despite continued Internet-wide outrage, Lena Dunham’s story of twenty-somethings struggling to find themselves continues as Girls airs its third season. While the continuous woes of the characters began to feel tiresome towards the end of the second season, the upcoming episodes should still be notable thanks to Dunham’s witty writing and quirky acting. Of particular excitement is the return of Dunham’s co-star Adam Driver as a love interest for protagonist Hannah—though the loss of Christopher Abbot (Charlie) yields some concern.
New Girl
Halfway through its third season, New Girl continues to provoke laughter through its relatably imperfect characters. Just like its leading lady, Zooey Deschanel, New Girl is all about quirky charm. Although it remains true to life and funny, some of the show’s pull has diminished this season now that the “Will they? Won’t they?” tension between Nick and Jess—so prominent in previous seasons—has been taken care of. Winston’s character has also become a little too pathetic to the point where at times it stops being funny and just gets a little bit creepy. Despite these minor setbacks, the essence of the show has not been lost; New Girl should still be an entertaining way to spend 30 minutes in 2014 as it continues its third season.
Arrested Development
After a seven-year hiatus, Arrested Development made a much anticipated return in 2013, re-launching with a fourth season on Netflix. Attempting to pick up the pieces of the Season 3 finale, we see how the Bluth family fell apart after the showdown aboard the Queen Mary, leading to an even darker dark humor than the show previously possessed. This season also takes a new approach in that every episode focuses on single characters rather than the whole family at once, which sometimes leads to uncomfortable pacing. Although certain aspects could use some fine-tuning for the rumoured feature film, the Bluth family remains as hilariously dysfunctional as ever.
Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black proved the ability of Netflix to create content which equals, and in many cases, surpasses that of its premium cable brethren. Though star Taylor Schilling anchored this tale of a New York yuppie forced to serve in a women’s federal prison, her co-stars provided the show with a vibrancy and authenticity rarely found elsewhere on TV. Although many of the male characters were too blandly acted or simplistically written (or both) to be engaging, the female cast members more than picked up their slack. More importantly, in the often staid-feeling TV world of grimacing male anti-heroes, Orange is the New Black felt genuinely new and different. The upcoming season in 2014 should continue the show’s success. Piper’s quest to survive life in jail while she maintains her real-world relationships presents showrunner Jenji Kohan with enough options to keep the series unpredictable while maintaining the bubbly tone that was a hallmark of its first season.
Mad Men
TV’s most well-regarded and talked-about soap opera marched on in 2013 as Mad Men showrunner Anthony Weiner brought Don Draper through a whirlwind of historical events (most notably Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination). The sixth season worked best—as the show always has—in episodes such as “The Crash,” which displayed a self-contained aesthetic approach. However, Megan’s fights with Don began to cross the line between impactful and exasperating, and the office drama in general gave off a whiff of predictability and staleness. That being said, Mad Men still had some of the best acting on TV, and the show was always fun to watch even when it didn’t feel dramatically satisfying.
Community (Season 5)
Early results are in, and it looks like Dan Harmon has brought the magic back to his idiosyncratic brainchild. “The Greendale Seven” (minus Pierce) eagerly return to campus after following their graduation with mostly unsuccessful stints in the real world. Notable changes include Jeff joining the unimpressive ranks of Greendale’s faculty and Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks signing on as a criminology professor and token old man in the group. Community thankfully feels like itself again, and if storylines like “The Ass-Crack Bandit” are any indication, we’re in for a great semester. The highlight so far? Abed going full-frontal Nicolas Cage.
The Americans
If Homeland seemed like 24 for grownups in the promising days of its opening season, The Americans feels like Homeland for those grownups who became disillusioned with the latter’s later shenanigans. Anchored by outstanding performances from Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, the show tells a Cold War era tale of two Soviet KGB officers undercover as an American couple. Their machinations are interrupted early on in their new lives when they discover that their neighbour is an FBI agent. Even if the initial premise is a bit contrived, the marital crises and battles of espionage are anything but. Season 2 kicks off Feb. 26.
House of Cards
The blessing and curse of Netflix is that it can keep you in front of a TV screen for 13 hours straight, and House of Cards is one of those shows that can easily make you forget about the other priorities in your life that would stop you from watching the whole season at once. Season 1 is an exploration of what happens when a frighteningly ambitious democrat gets passed over for secretary of state and proceeds to put his vengeful mind to work. As Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) taught us, the results are occasionally disturbing, but highly entertaining. By season’s end, Frank had secured the vice-presidency; but as the final shot of him jogging into the night suggests, he doesn’t plan on sitting around in that role as other cards fall into place—he still wants to be the one dealing them. All the while, the shadow of Congressman Peter Russo’s apparent suicide looms large and threatens to unhinge all of Frank’s progress if journalists on his trail discover the truth and make it public. Season 2 will be released on Valentine’s Day, and if you’re riding solo at that time, a fresh batch of House of Cards episodes isn’t a terrible consolation.
The Office
Say what you will about The Office A.M. (After Michael), but its Season 9 and series finale arguably made up for any drop off in the show’s quality since the iconic boss’s Season 7 departure. Although Michael Scott returned for an appearance as Dwight’s best man, the episode was rightfully a celebration of the entire Dunder Mifflin family. The endings were mostly happy for the characters (sorry Andy and Creed), and the show—whose documentary camera style drastically altered the last decade of television—got the ending it deserved.
