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a, Arts & Entertainment

6Party documentary examines the morning after

by Max Berger on

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Shutting down university parties is something that police officers are well accustomed to, but the 6Party occupation brought them face-to-face with an unorthodox gathering that only some could describe as festive. In 6Party and The After Party, an hour-long radio documentary written, produced, and co-narrated by fourth-year arts student Davide Mastracci, that exact group takes the spotlight in this revisiting of the event.

‘6Party’ refers to the six-day occupation of the James Administration Building that occurred in February 2012. It was a political event that directly involved a small group of occupiers and administrators, but had a polarizing effect on McGill’s entire campus as many students found themselves either sympathizing with the occupiers, or condemning their tactics.

The documentary retells the story of the 6Party occupation, with commentary and reflections in hindsight of the event from administrator Doug Sweet, McGill’s director of media relations; Louise Burns, a representative from campus radio station CKUT; and a slew of current and former students that participated in the occupation.

Absent from the program are students who did not support the occupation when it occurred. In a written statement about the documentary, Mastracci explains that the piece “focuses on the story of the party from the angle of the party guests themselves.” Although the documentary’s ambition is no secret, it is disappointing to hear zero commentary from a student with a stake on the other side of the fence regarding such a sensitive issue in McGill’s recent history.

This is not to imply that the opposing viewpoint is ignored entirely—perspectives of students who did not support 6Party, such as those who joined the Facebook event “The James Sixth Floor Occupiers Do Not Represent Me,” are briefly discussed, and Mastracci reads a letter from one of the organizers of an anti-6Party event that outlines their views. Co-narrator and arts student Hannah Besseau laments that no leaders of ModPAC, a political campus group that formed to promote a more moderate discourse between students and faculty, agreed to be interviewed for the documentary. Still, even the voice of an average opinionated student would have been a welcome addition to a slate of student interviewees that is oversaturated by occupiers.

The documentary succeeds in accomplishing its main objectives: giving the listener a thorough explanation for why 6Party occurred, discussing how it was organized and executed, and giving the occupiers a chance to reflect on the experience. Mastracci transports listeners back to 2007, where changes to the opt-out system regarding student fees for student-sponsored organizations CKUT and the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) laid the groundwork for the issues that would characterize 6Party. Later, the occupiers discuss the entire process of the occupation and share anecdotes such as planning it in Gerts using code words, and delivering food to the occupants on the 6th floor of the James Building using a pulley system.

Some may be surprised to hear the variance in opinion that is offered about the impact of 6Party, both in how it was able to assist CKUT and QPIRG, and its more general consequences. “I think the occupation probably had a negative effect on the [winter CKUT] referendum,” reflects one occupier in the documentary. He continues to add that “a large group of students who wouldn’t normally be particularly political were politicized in a reactionary way.” In contrast, another occupier felt that “at least it shook up the McGill status quo enough that the people who embodied that status quo wanted to take action. If only because of that, it was worthwhile.”

A promising aspect of the documentary that goes unfulfilled is its integration of non-vocal audio, which is greatly underutilized throughout. Initially, Mastracci draws the listener in with a pulsing background noise that creates an unsettling ambiance as he revisits the Quebec student protest movement during the tumultuous 2011-2012 academic year. After the introduction, however, that auditory element disappears until the conclusion, save for the repetitive five-second sound clip that separates the various sections of the documentary, and a short audio clip that records the initial moments of the occupation. Such little variance from the regular speaking that comprises the bulk of the program often comes across as monotonous.

Both literally and figuratively, 6Party and The After Party aims to empower the student voice at McGill; it unravels the threads of a long standing point of contention, provides a forum for the occupiers to express their thoughts on what they did, and also allows them to connect with a new wave of students who didn’t witness the occupation or its immediate effects firsthand. However, its preoccupation with the occupiers’ perspective leaves a vacant space at this after party for the missing, perhaps more moderate student voice that 6Party helped to awaken.

6Party and The After Party will be aired Sept. 13 at 5pm on CKUT (90.3 FM).

Hear the documentary: https://soundcloud.com/davide-mastracci/6party-and-the-after-party-documentary  

(Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)
a, News

McGill rules in student’s favour in harassment case

by Emma Windfeld on

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McGill University’s Committee on Student Grievances (CSG) recently ruled in favour of former McGill graduate student Amr El-Orabi, who returned to his native Egypt last November after alleged harassment from his supervising professor, Gary Dunphy.

According to El-Orabi, the harassment included a death threat and comments on his religion, some of which El-Orabi recorded. He said the incidents began in May of 2012, and culminated in his decision to leave McGill on Nov. 29. On Feb. 14, under the advice of McGill’s Ombudsperson for Students Spencer Boudreau, El-Orabi filed a grievance with McGill’s CSG the grounds of a death threat, intrusion of his privacy, and offences on his cultural and religious preferences.

El-Orabi told Global News Montreal that while he was pleased with McGill’s ruling, he had hoped for financial compensation for the $10,000 in travel and study expenses he incurred during his time at McGill.

“I did move on with my life, but I still have the feeling that this person ruined what I was looking for,” El-Orabi said, adding that he is now pursuing his Flight Inspector licence after recently graduating from the Egyptian Aviation Academy.

According to Global News Montreal, El-Orabi is considering a civil lawsuit to recoup his losses, and has been offered legal advice from the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

Professor Ken Ragan, chair of the CSG, explained in an email that El-Orabi did not follow the usual steps required to receive compensation.

“Redress is usually sought through established review or appeal procedures prior to launching a student grievance,” Ragan said.

As a member of the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM), the university’s teaching assistants’ union, El-Orabi had the option of filing his grievance either through AGSEM or through the university.

“Had AGSEM been able to file a grievance on Mr. El-Orabi’s behalf, with his permission, we certainly would have sought monetary compensation for the wages that he lost due to having to discontinue his teaching assistantship,” AGSEM Vice-President Suncica Avlijas said.

Avlijas explained that grievances filed through AGSEM proceed through a legal process under the jurisdiction of Labour Law, while those filed through McGill—as El-Orabi’s was­—follow an internal process and are decided by the Provost.

Harassment and discrimination grievances must be submitted to AGSEM within 90 days of their occurrence, so El-Orabi no longer has the option of pursuing this route.

“We are […] surprised to hear reports in the news that Mr. El-Orabi did not receive any compensation for lost wages despite a decision in his favour,” Avlijas said.

According to Avlijas, AGSEM has been working to make members feel more comfortable filing grievances, such as informing TAs of their rights at orientation.

“We have taken steps to increase our accessibility to members, including adding union representatives at Mac Campus, speaking to new Teaching Assistants at orientations and welcome events, and making sure our delegates who are the union representatives within departments are aware of the issues and know how to deal with them,” Avlijas said.

a, Arts & Entertainment

An eclectic phaeleh

by Jack Tokarz on

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Under the stage name Phaeleh, Bristol-native Matt Preston creates and performs electronic music of an indeterminate genre. Also indeterminate, for some, is the pronunciation of his stage name. Matt corrected my initial pronunciation of Phaeleh to “fella,” although he added, “I did not have a certain pronunciation in mind when I created the name, I just liked the shape of the letters. The visual balance and the combination of letters and ideas spoke to me.”

Though Tides, Phaeleh’s most recent album, was released to mostly positive reviews, Preston downplayed the importance of critical acclaim.

“I’m glad my fan-base likes the album because that’s who I make the music for. If some critics don’t give it a good review that’s fine; they probably would never like my style of music [anyway].”

Preston’s music does challenge definitions of several genres within the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) umbrella. It could technically be labelled ambient dubstep, but with the direction dubstep has taken in the past several years, that classification may give the wrong impression. “I struggle as much as journalists do to describe it,” admits Preston. “Chilled electronic music with quite a bit of emotion is the closest I can come [to a precise definition].”

Each track on Tides varies in construction; some use dub-inspired beats while others seem more akin to trance. Additionally, a few tracks prominently feature vocals from frequent collaborator Soundmouse and other vocalists. The combination works, providing an album that keeps the surprises coming until the last song.

Perhaps Phaeleh’s music is so unique because he does not have a concrete mindset while creating each track. When he sits down to work, he lets his present mood dictate the song he works on; whether his day has been full of joy or pain, he makes sure to imbue each song with its own moody edge. This provides the emotional connection fans feel to his music, eliciting atypically powerful responses at shows. Due to the variety in sound, Phaeleh’s music draws out different audiences at each show. He enjoys seeing how new cities respond to his music and catering his set to the crowds’ mood of the night. Some crowds simply want to dance and yell and jump around whereas others find his music therapeutic and find essential meaning in the sound. He finds improvisation to be critical when performing: “I don’t want to play songs no one will like.”

When asked about the recent drug-related tragedy at Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in New York, Preston says that he feels great sympathy towards all affected, but does not agree that EDM as a genre should be punished for the mistakes of a few. The opinion many people are forming of EDM fans is unjust, according to Preston.

“Some may enjoy drug use but many more find meaning in the music sober. Nobody should need drugs to enjoy this music.”

Though Phaeleh’s music is all over the place in the subgenres of electronica, his heart certainly seems to be in the right place. He may be on the way to bigger things,  but we shouldn’t worry about him forgetting those who helped him get there: his fans.

Phaeleh will perform at Le Belmont (4483 St. Laurent) with opening act Shigeto and Beacon on Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. Admission is $12.

a, News

Hearings continue on McGill’s ability to deny ATI requests

by Emma Windfeld on

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Last Thursday, the first hearings took place regarding a motion in which McGill requests the ability to deny past and future Access to Information (ATI) requests. Filed last December, the motion seeks to deny ATI requests submitted by a total of 14 present and former McGill students, as well as the power to deny all future ATI requests that are similar in nature to those of the respondents.

The hearing was a preliminary meeting in which the respondents motioned to strike a clause that allows McGill to set out criteria that they would use to deem future ATI requests void. This clause requests a change from the procedure that typically applies to public bodies, which must submit a request to the Commission d’accés á l’information if they wish to deny any ATI.

McGill’s original motion requested the ability to deny ATI requests due to the “serious impediments to [McGill’s] activities” posed by the volume of ATIs that students were submitting. The university received 170 ATI requests last year—133 more than the year before.

Thursday’s hearing was scheduled to extend over a two-day period, but lasted only three and a half hours. Only four of the 14 respondents were present. The Commission will not reach a verdict for several weeks.

Kevin Paul, a McGill law student named as a respondent in the case, said he left the hearing feeling confident.

“There are no instances in the past where the Commission has delegated to a public body its power to determine what an acceptable request is,” Paul said. “The Commission’s power is limited to ruling on existing requests […. McGill] seeks unprecedented powers to judge ATI requests in place of the Commission and relies on fabricating a retaliatory conspiracy on the part of students against the university.”

However, McGill Secretary-General Stephen Strople said that there are more factors at play in the case than students’ ATI request rights.

“The law does not only give rights to those asking for documents; it also gives rights to those from whom the documents are requested,” Strople said. “At the hearing, we amended our application to provide for an alternative. If the Commission does not want to grant us permission to ignore future requests of the type we describe, then it could require that such requests for access first be submitted to the Commission for review before the university has to deal with them.”

Richard Kurland is a Vancouver-based lawyer who is not involved in the proceedings but has experience in ATI cases. He said that the phrasing of the students’ initial ATI requests should have been more specific in order to provide McGill with questions of an answerable scope, and that McGill should be granted the power to deny similar ATI requests.

“It’s a desirable result given the ineptitude that was manifested here by whoever drew up these questions,” Kurland said. “They ought to have consulted a professional.”

Cadence O’Neal, U1 arts and a respondent in the case, said she feels it is important for students to retain the right to request information from McGill on any topic, regardless of the wording of the questions.

“Necessitating that curious students ask legal professionals prior to sending in ATI Requests seems like it would deter a lot of folks from asking anything at all,” O’Neal said.

Robin Reid-Fraser, U4 environment and another respondent, expressed a similar sentiment, arguing that McGill’s request is unreasonable.

“From the information our lawyer presented, what McGill is asking the Commission to do goes well above and beyond its mandate as set out by the law,” Reid-Fraser said.

According to Kurland, while students have the right to request information, they should refine their requests to ask for more specific records that would be manageable for the university to procure.

“If students are worried about a policy at McGill, democracy means people have the right to know and McGill has the obligation to disclose,” he said. “But there’s a need for their requests to be crystal clear, manageable, and deliverable. The easiest thing to do is start fresh and get it right.”

A verdict is expected to be reached within several weeks. Trial dates are set for October and December to determine whether or not the ATI requests of the 14 respondents will be denied.

(via /www.calebwojcik.com)
a, Science & Technology

Ask Scitech: You snooze you lose; why you should avoid the snooze button

by Caity Hui on

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You spend one third of your life sleeping, according to a recent study conducted by Statistics Canada. Based on an average life span of approximately 90 years, 30 of those are commited to sleep.

Despite this commitment, a huge percentage of the population seems to be waking up too early—and on the wrong side of the bed— thanks to an unusual culprit. Add on to the list of caffeine, all-nighters, drinking, and anxiety; the revered snooze button.

According to The Chronicle, a publication at Durham College, 90 per cent of college students are sleep deprived. In addition, 3.3 million Canadians over the age of 15 (about one in seven) report difficulty both falling and staying asleep.

However, while the snooze button is a tempting option, snagging a few extra minutes of sleep doesn’t help you to wake up. Instead, smacking the snooze button and drifting off resets your sleep cycle all over again. The next time the alarm sounds, you are disturbed in a deeper and earlier part of your sleep cycle, which translates to a grumpier and less-rested you.

In addition, artificial wake-up cues disturb the natural processes your body undergoes to help you wake up. These include chemical changes, namely the release of dopamine and cortisol (‘wake-up’ hormones), an increased body temperature, and a lighter sleep. According to Assistant Director of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center Yizhak Kupfner, using an alarm clock often interrupts your sleep cycle and cuts these processes short. As a result, you are bound to feel more tired depending on what stage you were in before the alarm went off.

Mayo Clinic sleep specialist Timothy Morgenthaler recommends seven to eight hours of sleep per night for adults, and up to 11 hours of sleep for school-age children. It may seem like a lot, but this number shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sleep is an incredibly important human necessity. As a result, interruptions to your body’s natural wake-up cues can have negative effects on performance throughout the day.

When we sleep, we are allowing our bodies to execute a variety of tasks to assist us in the coming day. These include physical processes, such as the manufacture and release of hormones, tissue growth and repair, and the replenishment of energy to the brain and body. Sleep also extends to help us perform better in our studies.

In fact, sleep has been proven to aid declarative memory, which is the retention of facts and knowledge. It plays a particularly important role in allowing individuals to retain facts when challenged with subsequent, competing information.

A study conducted by Jeffrey Ellenbogen of Harvard Medical School in 2007 showed that participants who received a good night’s sleep prior to testing performed better than those who did not. He compared subjects who began learning at 9 a.m. and returned for testing at 9 p.m without sleeping (the ‘sleepless’ subjects) with those who began learning at 9 p.m. and returned for testing at 9 a.m. after a night’s sleep (the ‘sleepers’).

The sleepers barely outperformed their sleepless peers when the groups were asked to memorize 20 pairs of random words, such as blanket and village. However, when given a twist—the subjects were forced to learn a new set of word pairs 12 minutes prior to testing—the well-rested participants recalled 76 per cent of the initial pairs, compared to a mere 32 per cent by their peers. The researchers concluded that “memories after sleep are resilient to disruption,” which goes to show that resting before an exam could improve your ability to retain the information, despite nerves and other distractions.

Furthermore, a poor quality and quantity of sleep has been shown to affect students’ performance at school. Sleep is a basic human necessity. So when you go without it, you experience symptoms that make it difficult for your brain to perform well, like low concentration. It’s the same as if you were to study while starving; it’s nearly impossible to focus on the task at hand because your body is craving another basic necessity.

While hitting the snooze button might be tempting, experts recommend adopting a more regular sleep schedule rather than ‘snoozing’ for hours to achieve a higher quality of sleep. Your body loves predictability, and the more consistently you fall asleep and rise in the morning, the better it will adapt to your routine and naturally wake itself up.

a, Sports

Redmen prevail over Concordia for first time in 11 years

by Aaron Rose on

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Senior quarterback Jonathan Collin knelt down in front of 2,845 rambunctious fans to seal McGill’s first victory over Concordia in 11 years.

It was McGill Football’s home opener, as the team took to the field against the Stingers on Friday night for the 45th annual Shaughnessy Cup game.

The match started slowly, with mental mistakes and costly penalties from both teams. McGill opened the scoring with a 29-yard field goal by capitalizing on a Concordia fumble.

In the final minute of the second quarter, the McGill offence strung together a series of six completions, working their way 55 yards down the field. With the ball at Concordia’s 32-yard line and less than 10 seconds remaining in the half, Collin threw a deep ball that was intercepted in the end zone.

The first half ended with Concordia on top 7-5 despite strong play from the Redmen defence. With the exception of a few mistakes, McGill  forced a fumble recovery, two sacks, and two tackles for losses.

As the temperature in the stadium dropped at halftime, the offence was getting ready to heat up. McGill quickly siezed momentum coming out of halftime with a 46-yard drive that culminated in a 32-yard field goal by senior kicker Samy Rassy.

After a quick stop by the defence and a subpar 16-yard punt by the Stingers, McGill regained possession of the ball. Collin proceeded to air it deep to sophomore wide receiver, Jean-Philippe Paquette, for a 31-yard gain. Immediately following the big play, running back Luis Guimont-Mota kicked it into high gear, breaking numerous tackles en route to a 21-yard rushing touchdown. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)

After another defensive stop for the Redmen, sophomore receiver Joel Brtka hauled in one of his 11 receptions for a 15-yard touchdown.

The Stingers tried to turn the tide in the final quarter, clawing away at a 15-point deficit. After a McGill punt, Concordia marched 97-yards down the field for a touchdown. Down by nine, the visitors attempted to fool the Redmen special teams unit by attempting a fake extra-point conversion. However, McGill was prepared and smothered wide receiver Shayne Stinson’s rush attempt.

Concordia’s momentum was  short-lived as freshman running back Pelle Jorgen electrified the crowd with a 70-yard kick return. Rassy connected on a field goal once more before Guimont-Mota put the nail in the coffin with his second rushing touchdown of the night.Concordia scored a late touchdown, but by then the game was already out of reach.

It was a big win for a team that has shown consistent improvement since Head Coach Clint Uttley took over three years ago. Despite the success, Uttley did not allow the team to get complacent. “We’ve still got to get [the running game] going,” Uttley remarkedIf Guimont-Mota can continue his rise as a key cog in the offence, the veteran line should clear enough open holes for him to plow through. This will present yet another viable option for the offence as the team looks to broaden its attack possibilities.

For Defensive Coordinator Mickey Donovan, the game represented a victory over his alma mater. Donovan noted that beating Concordia feels, “great, because last year we lost a heartbreaker to them, and that should have been our game then. So for us to bounce back this way and finish with a ‘W’ for these guys and get the Cup, that’s what it’s about.”

The game tied the two schools’ all-time Shaughnessy Cup series at 36-36.

The Redmen now hold a 1-1 record. Next week, the team is set to travel out to Sackville, New Brunswick to take on the 0-1 Mount Allison Mounties in the latter’s home opener. Look for another victory on the road before McGill returns to Molson Stadium to play the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Sept. 20.

a, Science & Technology, Student Research

Interview with Alex Gershanov

by Caity Hui on

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Often, research requires a lot of precision and patience, which is exactly what Alex Gershanov, a U2 chemical engineering student, discovered this summer while working at Associate Professor and Chemical Research Chair Nathalie Tufenkji’s  lab, the Biocolliods and Surfaces Laboratory, in ground water remediation.

“My research surrounds zero valent iron nanoparticles, which are these iron particles that are between 100 nm and 1000nm in size—they’re really tiny [and good at degrading chlorinated solvents],” explains Gershanov. “A lot of times these solvents are stored in underground tanks that can leak or get into ground water. The problem is that they do not degrade by themselves—they just hang out there—and eventually with the current they are going to get into wells that are used for drinking water, and this isn’t good because they are toxic chemicals.”

In order to tackle this problem, Tufenkji’s lab is working on using zero valent iron nanoparticles to dechlorinate these toxic compounds. However, these particles pose a problem, as they have a tendency to clump together. According to Gershanov, the problem is two-fold.

“It reduces the surface area, so [they are] not as reactive, and they get stuck between the sand and soil grains and they don’t get where they need to go, so they’re useless.”

The lab discovered that by coating these particles with lipids or polymers, they will act as arms to keep the particles apart from each other, making them significantly more stable and preventing them from lodging in the ground.

Currently, the lab is trying to model the mobility of these particles with various factors, such as different concentrations of sodium chloride and calcium chloride in ground water, as well as in clean quartz sand compared to sand that contains the bacteria Psuedomonas aeruginosa which creates biofilm.

“What I am doing this year is testing divalent salt (calcium) and the biofilm, with three different lipids [to keep the particles apart], but so far we have had set backs, so we have only done the first lipid and are starting the second one,” Gershanov says.

Although environmental engineering was not exactly what Gershanov was considering pursuing, after completing a class in environmental bioremediation and working in Tufenkji’s laboratory, he is now considering the field as an option in the future.

What Gershanov found most valuable, however, was the opportunity he received through the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) program, which funded his summer project, to get a taste for the field of research.

“I definitely learned how to handle different equipment and stuff, and I learned some lab techniques, [but] the most I learned was just what research was like,” explains Gershanov. “In engineering there are really two ways you can go, one is industry and one is research. Research is more academia based and it’s frustrating a lot of the times, because we do a bunch of experiments and we try to change only one variable for the next day. [However] even though you think you’re doing the exact same [thing], you find there are variables and little things that happen that you can’t really control. [I learned that sometimes] you’ve just got to kind of go for it and hopefully the results will come out still okay.”

Favourite lab task:

“I worked with a machine called a Zetasizer, which does dynamic light scattering. Basically you have a cuvette that you put into the machine and you shoot a laser through it. As the laser hits the particles, the light diffuses around it and the computer monitors the shaking of the particles—this shaking is called Brownian motion—which correlates to size, [allowing you to] compute that. So that was pretty cool.”

Least favourite task:

“When we were preparing our solution, we had to adjust the pH of it to 7.7, which is roughly like ground water. When we started doing it with calcium […] I’d stir it and the pH would shoot up and come back down, and I would just be like, ‘…what?’ It took us a little while [before] we just realized there must be a reaction going on with the oxygen, forming calcium carbonate, but that took weeks of it being really frustrating.”

Advice for students applying to a lab:

“I would definitely say to try it out and see what it’s like. I would consider myself a quick learner, and in the summer jobs I had [in the past], I would get the ropes really quickly. I came in here and assumed it would be the same, but it’s a little harder—it takes a lot more repetition, care and thought […] When you start, it is going to be frustrating at times, but in the end you actually get a really good idea of what you’re doing.”

If you could be a mad scientist, what would you do in your lab?

“[I would] try to genetically modify plant cells to use photosynthesis to create some form of harvestable energy for us—it’s kind of where I want to go with my education. I want to go into artificial photosynthesis and plants do that a lot better than solar panels. So if you ask why I went into chemical engineering then, it’s because I didn’t know what chemical engineering was, and I [was] like, “But now, I see that this is still a field I can dive into with a chemical engineering degree.”

 

Favourite ice cream flavour:

“Cookie dough Oreo.”

 

a, Features

Word on the street

by Jenny Shen on

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When asking someone to put together a list of top destinations here in Montreal, it should come as no surprise that restaurants and other foodie favourites will take up a massive chunk of that list. Whether you find yourself partial to the world-famous smoked meat from Schwartz’s Deli, or to a T-Rex poutine from La Banquise, Montreal offers an eclectic and unique dining experience, be it in the heart of downtown, or way out past the Plateau. Students and residents alike will travel far and wide and even brave the biting cold weather just to grab a dish from their favorite joints. Luckily for them, this year, they might not have to go further than campus.

This summer, students had the opportunity to try food trucks that came to McTavish Street. “McTavish Street [had] been selected as an official site for the food trucks to be stationed, [even though] the university was never consulted on the site selection,” explains Mathieu Laperle, the Senior Director of Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) at McGill. His team met with the city during the summer and came up with an agreement that transferred permission to McGill under the management of McGill’s SHHS. “In the future, McTavish Street won’t be used as an official food truck location,” Laperle says. However, McGill foodies will have reason to be excited once again. Why? Because the food trucks have returned to McGill’s campus.

Beginning on Tuesday Sept. 3, food trucks will be parked on Mondays through Fridays behind the Redpath Museum on the Downtown campus and on most weekdays in front of the Centennial Centre Building on Macdonald campus, according to Laperle. Although meal plans will not be accepted at these food trucks, this new option will add variety to campus cuisine.

“We’re very excited,” says Laperle. “We’re now able to provide something different […] for our community. It’s local and trendy!”

This passion for gastronomy may well be the reason why, when mayor Michael Applebaum announced back in April that Montreal would be featuring a wide variety of street food through a two-year pilot program (after a 66 year ban), the whole city exploded with piqued interests and excited talk. As it turns out, the city of Montreal actually banned street food in 1947 due to concerns about the cleanliness of the city streets. Undoubtedly, having a meal in an open, public space could easily lead to excess littering and the occasional bit of ketchup dripping from the edge of a seemingly harmless hot dog.

Except that’s the thing— the trucks that are out and about on the streets of Montreal are not your typical New York City hot dog and pretzel stands. In fact, potential vendors were required to go through a strict application process, through which a selection committee chose the vendors that would be able to sell their food when summer finally rolled around. This choice was based not only on the quality of the products used by each vendor, but also the overall uniqueness of menu. The committee “favours gourmet street food coherent with sustainable urban and touristic development in Quebec,” according to the Quebec Street Food Association (QSFA) website.

In other words, don’t expect to be buying three churros for five dollars on Montreal streets any time soon. “I think that if you’re already going to sacrifice frugality to order from a food truck, you might as well get something more ‘exotic’ than a hot dog to make it more worth your time and money,” Andy Gao, a U3 physiology student who dined at a handful of Montreal’s food trucks this summer, said in defence of the ‘gourmet vibe.’

Because these food trucks have a distinctly gourmet flair, prices aren’t necessarily wallet friendly, especially on a tight student budget. The lower end of price ranges for most food trucks are around eight or nine dollars, while most choices average in the double digits. While not completely outrageous, these prices have turned quite a few students away from food truck dining. While some students don’t mind shelling out the cash, others find it much more cost-effective to either cook at home or seek out cheaper alternatives for dining out.

“I think the prices tend to be inflated, but given what they’re operating out of and the circumstances they’re in, like the price of fuel for example, it’s understandable,” Gao reasons. “A lot of places also tend to use organic or locally grown ingredients, so that tends to elevate the prices, too. Aside from that, I think a lot of it is [the food trucks’] novelty value.”

But the rules and regulations don’t end there. With Montreal being a congested and busy place, the city also opted to pick out seven specific locations based on suggestions from all Montreal boroughs, ranging from the Mont-Royal Park to Square Victoria to Cité du Multimédia all the way over by the Lachine canal.

There are 27 trucks with city-wide permits that allow them to rotate between the seven pre-determined locations. Fourteen other trucks, such as Dic Ann’s, are located only at one location with a specific lease—for instance, in Old Port. Anthony Zammit, the franchise consultant from Dic Ann’s, explained the difference between having a specific lease as opposed to a city-wide permit.

“Those food trucks that go around [with the city-wide permit] have to prepare their food at their home based restaurant [before hitting the road],” Zammit explains. Dic Ann’s specializes in burgers and fries, and they do cook their patties and fries in the truck with a fryer, which the city-wide trucks do not do.
Trucks also differ in that some are extensions of preexisting restaurants and others are independent vendors. For those who have not started their business from a typical brick and mortar restaurant—which is usually a much more expensive investment— food trucks can provide an opportunity for budding restaurateurs and entrepreneurs who might find potential in this street food market. On the other hand, food trucks can increase business for pre-existing establishments. “Serving the public is similar [between the two],” Nick Morena, the owner of St. Viateur Bagel & Coffee says of the differences between running a restaurant and running a food truck, “But we are driving to [the customers], and people are happy about that.”

In order to overcome any business and marketing obstacles, vendors have been using what thousands of other marketing teams worldwide have been taking advantage of: Twitter, and other forms of social media. In fewer than 140 characters, street vendors have been broadcasting online where they’ll be, when they’ll be there, and whether or not they’ve sold out for the day— which happens all the time. “It helps get your name out there,” Zammit says of social media. “One time, I saw a customer come in and he told me he’d never tried our food before, but he saw a friend posting a picture [of our food] on Instagram, so he wanted to come in to give it a shot. If you have friends posting positive feedback toward your brand, the word will spread—and there’s nothing better than word of mouth.”

Whether you are a hungry student, a hopeful food truck owner, or perhaps even someone aspiring to get into the business, the reintroduction of street food to Montreal through this temporary pilot program— with the potential to become a more permanent fixture— has unarguably created some major buzz in the city, and you might find yourself embracing it as another slice of Montreal’s already dynamic culture.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Juicy J: Stay Trippy

by WIll Burgess on

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For Juicy J, being ‘trippy’ is both a state of mind and a lifestyle, and in Stay Trippy, he raps about living it for 20 years. Throughout, the former Three 6 Mafia member condones codeine, crime, and cannabis, detailing his experiences with each. Dipping between tempos, he will rap pointedly over a beat and then continue in double-time. In his intro, ‘Stop It,’ he speaks of “getting high like I’m eighteen but I been rich since the late eighties,” and continues to reference themes of intoxication and career longevity throughout the album.

Juicy J never strays far from his mantra of sex, drugs, and other vices, and his articulate and frank lyrics result in a series of reckless, escapist anthems. With a total of 16 songs, Juicy J would have done well to cut weaker tracks, such as “So Much Money” and “No Heart No Love,” where extended and repetitive hooks are grating rather than exciting. On nearly every other track, however, Juicy J’s charisma shines through. Ridiculous lines like “Got a house on the hill cost a couple of mill/Juicy J got bank like Uncle Phil” cleverly combine braggadocio and over-the-top, jokey hyperbole.

As a rapper in the midst of the third stage of his career—he is now signed to Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Records after 2002 and 2009 solo releases that resulted from his split with Three 6 Mafia—Juicy J is a rarity, and one would expect new ideas and artistic progression to be the only way to succeed in a subgenre that creates such transient artists. Juicy, however, easily surpasses trendy raps that lack his experienced, confident flow. On Stay Trippy, Juicy J ultimately succeeds by doing what he does best—producing party bangers better than any of his imitators.

a, News

International students face visa delays

by Sam Pinto on

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As thousands of international students begin their Fall semester at McGill this week, visa delays caused by a strike at Canada’s foreign embassies may prevent some students from starting classes on time.

A strike conducted by the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) in 15 of some of Canada’s busiest foreign embassies has increased the time it takes to process a visa request by 65 per cent, according to a notice released by the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU). As a result, some international students may have to defer their enrolment by a semester or even a full year.

Currently, there are approximately 8,000 international students attending McGill, including 1,500  students who reside in a country where civil servants are on strike.  The affected embassies include Paris, London, Beijing, Moscow, Delhi, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi .

Since 2011, PAFSO and the Canadian Government have been in a deadlock to form a new agreement. The strike started in April, when PAFSO announced it would cease its activities in 15 foreign embassies following a standstill in collective bargaining procedures. Their collective bargaining agreement expired in 2011.

At McGill, international students still waiting for their visas will be allowed late registration until Sept. 17. However, those affected by the visa delays may face serious challenges upon their late arrival at McGill.

“Students who arrive late—for example, as late as Sept. 17—will miss the first two weeks of class and orientation activities,” Kathleen Massey, University Registrar and Executive Director of Enrolment Services, said. “They will have to catch up on their studies and learn about McGill in a condensed period of time.”

“Those who cannot arrive by Sept. 17 have the opportunity to apply for a deferral of their admission offer,” she continued. “In most cases they can begin their studies at McGill in January. In some cases, their program may be structured in such a way that the deferral will be for one full year.  These options are helpful, but the students will lose some time in terms of beginning their university studies.”

According to Pauline L’Ecuyer, director of the International Students Office, the number of students affected by the delays is hard to estimate, but the majority of international students now have their visas.

“Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) transferred files to offices that were not affected by the strike; some visas got processed in Canada,” L’Ecuyer said. “In some offices, the processing delays are similar to last year’s. Certain countries [such as] India and China will take longer to process their visas.”

Janice Johnson, Interim Director of Residences and Student Housing, said that the effects of the strike have so far been minimal on the 800 students from outside the United States and Canada who live in McGill’s student residences.

“We have really not yet seen any impact of the visa delays—96 per cent of students with residence room assignments have moved in,” Johnson said. “To date, the number of students who have cancelled or not yet moved in is almost exactly the same as at this point last year, and on track with the numbers for the last five years.”

McGill has set up a series of accommodations for students who have been affected by visa delays. Residence rooms will be held for students until Sept. 17. Campus Life and Engagement will also be providing extra orientation and information sessions for new students until Sept. 17.

Furthermore, international students will be able to delay their August e-bill if they are unsure as to whether or not they may have to defer. Interest will be deferred from their August payment and they will have until the end of September to make their payment.

International students who are currently in Canada, who need simply to renew their documents will not be delayed, as the processing centre in Vegreville, Alberta was not affected by the strike.

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