A seemingly sudden move to Microsoft 365 serves as a reminder that universities need to do a better job of understanding student opinions in a pandemic
C/O Tadas Sar on Unsplash
Change is hard. That is a fundamental lesson every McMaster University student has learned throughout this once-in-a-lifetime year. While we can all appreciate our ability in being able to personally overcome the transformative changes life throws at us, more often than not, our everyday lives yearn for little moments of stability.
Even though we all have our own individual definitions of what stability looks like for us, there are some facets of our life which we completely take for granted. We might only realize with great annoyance how detrimental their loss was to our day-to-day routine.
For example, when you lose your favourite metal straw, or your AirPods somewhere in your house, this seemingly small hindrance often does a remarkable job in souring your day. In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.
In a time where the fundamental truths of being a university student — such as enjoying an in-person year on campus — are under attack by our time of uncertainty, McMaster at the very least could soothe some of the unprecedented student anxiety by maintaining a small modicum of stability.
How can Mac do that you ask? By staying in touch with student opinions? By being aware of the actual, unfiltered realities of its students (especially new ones)?
Aside from the obvious cases of proctoring and online education, Mac in subtler ways has implemented some systems this year which greatly annoyed students, solely because they were so small, yet so infuriating. Mac plans on switching its primary student hub in Google over to Microsoft — as in students will no longer have a Google Drive, but an OneDrive, and instead of a Gmail, they will have an Outlook.
While the reason for this change was announced via Mac Daily News, it nonetheless faced controversy from the student body due to the impracticalities associated with accommodating the changes (like having to move several gigabytes of data from Google Drive to OneDrive), but also with the disastrous performance of Microsoft Teams this year.
In my experience, the Microsoft Teams application was so functionally inefficient with large class sizes, that instructors often took up class time in switching to alternative platforms such as Zoom. Some went as far as switching instruction to taking place only on Zoom.
This is discounting the fact that countless students heavily relied on Google services such as Gmail and Google Drive in middle school, throughout high school and university until these new IT changes were approved. For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips.
For many Gen Zs, (who will soon inevitably comprise the majority of Mac’s student demographic), anything Microsoft-related is a draconian relic of the past and many of us strongly believe there are much sleeker, easier to use and more compatible options are already available to us, right at our fingertips.
This is particularly worrying as there is a very real possibility that fall 2021 might be online and if not, it may shift online in accordance with health guidelines. Online workspaces are our way of life now, and we have already made enough changes than we expected, for better or for worse.
Students have earned the right to retain one simple facet of online school, which allows them to retain some semblance of their previously normal life. A change that might seem little and from the outside appears to be nothing more than technical difficulties, could have drastic real-life implications for students in their online environment.
Mac, once again, please be mindful of the choices you make on behalf of the student body. Listening to students might surprisingly help with that.
By: Hess Sahlollbey
Pokémon has always been about venturing out and searching for the those elusive little creatures. Whether you tried to collect your favorite cards or you just "gotta catch em all" on Nintendo's Gameboy- that feeling of joy when we caught a new one kept us all hooked. Now with Pokémon GO, we have come even closer to feeling like a Pokémon trainer. Sadly the game does have a tutorial outside of a few messages at the start. If you are struggling to figure everything all out, don't worry- I got your back, fellow Marauder.
Developed by Niantic for Android and iOS, Pokémon Go is an augmented reality, real world adventure game. Emphasis on real world adventure.
Exploring the World (or in our case, McMaster)
After logging into the game for the first time and creating your avatar, the game will find your present location using GPS and Google maps. Within a few seconds, Pokéstops started popping up for me to travel to and I was off. Pokéstops are what trainers need to find to stock up on supplies for their quest.
All of those cubes are Pokéstops. Approaching one of them activates it. Swipe left and right on the screen to collect all of the resources at that stop. Once you have them all, the cube will turn pink for five minutes before you can replenish again. You do not need to be standing right next to the icon, but you do need to be close enough for your phone to detect it. You will find the most Pokéstops with premium items in and around BSB, JHE, Mills library, Health Sciences Library and the Student Center. Stay clear of DBAC as there are not many stops around there.
Capturing Pokémon:
As you walk around, Pokémon will appear on your screen. Tapping on one will then activate a sequence where you can try to capture that Pokémon.
The trick to capturing Pokémon is to wait for the circle on them to become as small as possible before throwing a Pokéball. If the ball is green, then the likelihood of success is higher too. Spinning your finger on the screen before releasing will also allow you to throw trick shots for bonus XP. As your level goes up, so will the level and the rarity of the Pokémon in the wild. One of the best hotspots on campus is in front of Togo Salmon Hall where you can find Jigglypuff and Koffing. Attaching a lure to a site, like in the picture on the left to the Nikola Tesla tree outside JHE, will draw out more Pokémon for you and anyone else around you too.
McMaster sites of Interest:
Having already been a student at McMaster now for a couple of years, I know my way around campus pretty well. That all changed however as I started finding all the sites on campus significant enough to be deemed as Pokéstops. Soon I was discovering hidden terraces, gardens, statutes and sculptures in places I've overlooked and walked past dozens of times. Clicking the profile of the Pokéstops pulled up a brief description of the landmark that further increased my appreciation for the app and my little discovery. Often times, my favorite little discoveries on campus where statues or plaques that were hidden off of the beaten path. The same happened on James Street North when I started finding murals, monuments and plaques in places I have walked past countless times.
One of my favorite discoveries was the Chimeric figure outside of 1280. Thanks to the description of the site in Pokémon Go, I finally understand why there is a giant non-descript concrete tower in the middle of the patio area.
Gyms and Combat:
When you reach level five, you'll have the option of joining a team. Once you pick either red, blue or yellow it's time to stake out your turf. Most of the gyms on campus are the major sites where lots of student congregate and lots of battles can occur. As of writing this, the Blue team has the most control but it will likely fluctuate as time goes on.
The major gyms right now are the McMaster Children's Hospital, Health Sciences Library, the Engineering Technology Building and the Mohawk-McMaster Institute for Applies Health Sciences. If the gym is the same color as the team you belong to, you can assign a Pokémon to it to defend it. If it is a different color, you can battle to capture it. Battling is very simple: tap the screen to attack, swipe left and right to dodge and tap hold your finger against the screen to use your Pokémon's special move. Remember that some Pokémon types and attacks are more effective than others! Once you have beaten all the Pokémon, you can assign a Pokémon of your own to defend that gym. The longer you defend that gym (about every 20 hours) the more prizes you can win.
Levelling up:
To level up, choose the power up option. By paying in Stardust and Candy, your Pokémon's Combat Power and health will go up. Catch more of the same Pokémon to collect more candies and level up faster. Pokémon that you no longer want can also be transferred to the Professor for an additional candy.
Deciding when to level up can be hard, but know that you will be spending the same amount of Candy and Stardust to max out your Pokémon's power. Make them evolve when it feels best for you and know that reaching the final level doesn't always guarantee the most powerful Pokémon!
While it may not be officially released in Canada yet, I was surprised by the sheer number of players that I kept running into. Whether I approached people or they approached me, the only icebreaker needed to meet someone new was to simply ask them; "Pokémon?". Over two dozen people responded to me enthusiastically and were quick to compare what they've caught, what team they've joined and any other strategies or tips they had. I've had more positive connections through this app than I have any other planned social event on campus. Gone are the days of wandering around the playground with my Gameboy and a Game Link Cable in hopes of meeting another gamer. Now, any person with a Smartphone is a rival and anyone can be Pokémon master in the works. Right now, trading and player-to-player battling is not featured by it was originally advertised in the September trailer, so we should expect this to happen at some point.
Pokémon Go might just be the best fitness/lifestyle app available right now. Over the past three days, I've walked 17 km across McMaster and James Street North and gained countless insight about landmarks that had been under my nose all along. It is important to note that in your quest to be the very best like no one ever was- the constant use of GPS could potentially consume a lot of data and put a heavy strain on your battery. To avert this, make sure to connect to Wi-Fi when possible and to have a portable battery on hand if you're planning on going on any extended excursions. It is also imperative to make sure you are alert of your present surroundings to avoid walking into anything or falling. Stay safe out there and good luck!
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By: Rob Hardy
With society having been in the digital age for about two decades now, we are not unschooled in the many problems that technology can bring, along with its purported conveniences. But with the explosive outreach of global communication and new smartphone apps every day, old problems are multiplying and morphing, while new ones are also rearing their ugly heads.
Viruses, Malware and Spyware are expanding their reach
It might seem all dandy that we have a plethora of tech options these days but the more avenues for digital plug-ins, the more opportunities for malicious programs to reach us. And with the number of devices most people have today, these problems now also easily spread to all of them, forcing us to debug not just our computers but phones and tablets as well.
Everything is becoming “linked in”
It feels convenient to have your Facebook linked to your email linked to your phone linked to everything else. But when our goals are to diligently divide our casual selves from a more cultivated professional image, sharing anything can cross paths and wind up on the wrong platform, clashing disastrously.
More automation means more to manage
Things going online have become a no-brainer that has made life convenient — until everything else did as well. Accessing your bank account, messages and grad school application on-the-go is a breeze, but multiply these online accounts by ten and suddenly having dozens of passwords, secret questions and website policies to keep up with is anything but effortless.
Even toasters are about to go digital
It's being sold as wonderful that we can now run our heating and home-security systems by using a smartphone. As the presence of these devices in our homes becomes normalizes, we are not paying enough attention to the security and privacy issues that arise. And fixing them will be hopelessly more elusive when they break down, as their very functionality depends on their electronic rather than mechanical components.
Meeting people often happens online
Gone are the days when we always met people face to face. Whether we are looking for employees or dating partners, we now demand to screen profiles so that abstract judgments can be made on whether to bother meeting for real. In this way, the days of scary science fiction have arrived. Don't like that “creepy” person on the bus? Just pretend that you need to text. It's a neat way to avoid unwanted interactions until you find yourself on the receiving end.
Advanced technology is disposable
It's ironic that with all the technological advances, things last for a much shorter time. And when even “advanced warranties” lapse after a few short years, it's clear the company is telling you that whatever you are buying will break very quickly. Television sets used to last for 30 years — I still have one that works great. The future, however, is a landfill overflowing with broken electronics we have to perpetually replace, if we can even afford to do so.
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By: Emma Mulholland
Next month, McMaster is saying farewell to its mainframe computer, which will no longer be open to general access as of March 18.
The mainframe computers have been used at McMaster since the late 1960s. The computer that is currently in the process of being decommissioned was initiated at McMaster in the 1980s.
“[The mainframe computer] refers to a specific machine, that actually sits in a space … in a larger, more abstract sense it’s a set of applications that are on a specific hardware, that use a specific operating system, coded in specific ways … it’s the whole operating system,” explained Sheldon Smart, Public Relations Manager with the McMaster Office of Public Relations.
Most of the technology used in the mainframe date back to the mainframe’s beginnings in the 1980s, and include applications no longer beneficial to the university. “We no longer use those applications, or we’re phasing them out. There are a few left that we’re just in the last stages of turning off, then we will get rid of that hardware,” said Smart.
McMaster is now transitioning a new Enterprise Resource Planning system. “[The mainframe] was quite high performance hardware in its time. Back in the day, mainframe computing was all there was. But now there are many options, some of which suit what we are doing here better,” said Smart.
Mosaic, the student service centre introduced last year, is part of the new ERP system. With the introduction of the ERP system, it is no longer necessary to maintain the old mainframe hardware and software, so the university is in the process of shutting it down.
“Mosaic uses different hardware, software and base operating systems than the previous system, the mainframe … we no longer need the mainframe — this is just part of a natural transition,” said Smart.
With the introduction of the ERP system, it is no longer necessary to maintain the mainframe hardware and software, so the university is in the process of shutting it down.
Mosaic’s ability to integrate information from various sources, such as student records and financial accounts, is representative of the new ERP system as a whole. “The hallmark of ERP is that it tends to combine multiple pieces: our finance system, human resources system, student administration system . . . they all interconnect with each other,” explained Smart.
The new system allows easier access to transcripts and the ability to independently choose class timetables. McMaster is not the first institution to make the move to more integrated systems. Western University and the University of Waterloo both use similar programs to what is now implemented at McMaster.
As with any new structure, it will take some time to get used to the new system. Regardless, there are many advantages to the new ERP system when compared to the mainframe, which was limited in its capabilities due its age.
“It will take some time for the university to become completely comfortable with all the new functions, but in comparison the system it replaced was set up in the early 1980s,” said Smart. Anyone who is interested in keeping track of the mainframe’s last days can visit the University Technology Services website to find a timer counting down to the mainframe’s official end, as well as a more detailed history of computing at McMaster.
Photo Credit: Sheldon Smart
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By: Saad Ejaz
DeltaHacks, an event organized by the HackitMac, held their second annual student hackathon at McMaster University on Jan. 16 and 17. The event proceeded with great momentum as over 300 students across Ontario came together to hack for positive change.
Beginning on Saturday morning, teams from different disciplines worked together for 24 hours to create a hack for positive change. A number of professionals, including doctors and professors, assisted the student-led teams. Coding mentors were also present, and helped students apply their ideas.
The event was focused around encouraging students to build and hack for social change. This could include health and wellness, sustainability or education.
The event yielded a total of over 50 unique project submissions. The winning project was a healthcare initiative by “Hips Don’t Lie”, a team of three: Mushfiqur Rahman, Hassan Muhammad and Stephen Murray. The trio worked with a McMaster orthopediatrician to create a web-app that uses x-ray images to diagnose a physiological condition known as femoroacetabular impingement through image processing algorithms.
Mohamed Fouda, a member of HackitMac, explained that the initiative started with the intent of creating positive change. “Here at McMaster we have great attention to social impact … we have a society program, we have Engineers Without Borders, we have Doctors Without Borders … we thought, okay, our hackathon should focus on projects that have a meaning to them. So we tried to encourage students to not just build anything, but try to give a thought before building, for a problem your hack would be able to solve,” said Fouda.
Students were encouraged to continue refining and building their projects even after the competition. Melissa Lam, a second year mechatronics student and a member of HackitMac, stresses on the importance of trying new things. “You got to go out and try new things … you got to give it a try, you got to fail,” she said. “You got to see the road, and that’s what university is for, to go out and do new things.”
Fouda added that the group hopes to do more in the future. “In terms of our long term vision, we have hit our milestones but we are still far from [finished]. The reason why we have HackitMac and DeltaHacks is because we are trying to create this community of people here at Mac just building stuff. They are trying, they are failing, and then they are trying again and then they are failing again … And they keep learning from mistakes and keep building … collaborating between different faculties, backgrounds, they share knowledge, they innovate and they build and solve problems.”
The team at HackitMac and DeltaHacks has received a great response and support in their first two years. They hope to continue inspiring groups to take on new ideas and work towards positive change.
Photo Credit: Jin Lee
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