Published by th e Stu d en ts’ S o ciety o f M c G ill U niversity
Shakespeare showbiz The Bard's “cultural authority ” examined in McGill prof’s new book B y M ic h a e l U l l y o t
More than Madonna or O.J. Simpson, “Shakespeare,” writes Michael D. Bristol, “has hit the big time.” The M cG ill English profes sor’ s latest book, B ig - tim e S hakespeare, rigorously outlines the “sheer vulgar celebrity Shakespeare has enjoyed for sever al hundred years.” Within the last six months, a barrage of the Bard has descended on today’s cultural industries — f ilm ve rsio n s o f R om eo & J u lie t, H a m le t, T w e lfth N ig h t, The W in te r ’s T a le , and L o o k in g F o r R ichard, best depict the heightening
O n a c o ld w in t e r ’s d a y , lo v e a n d roses w i l l keep y o u w a rm . S ta r tin g o n p a g e 13, f iv e p a g e s o f lovenotes, s e rve d u p a s p ro m is e d .
invasion. Locally, Shakespearean is rampant both in traditional produc tions and in the salient allusions within other works. M a cb e th cur rently runs at Monument-National and was recently injected into Players’ Theatre’s L ittle Shop o f H o rro rs . The English department’s M a d B o y C h ro n ic le , opening this week, apes H a m le t, and Dawson did their take on M u ch A do A b o u t N o th in g in December. According to Bristol, Shakespeare exists beyond his time, transcending both history and the division between high and low cul tures. “[In the book] I try to articu late Shakespeare’s long-term cul tural authority, where specific works take on a life of their own in a culture because they’re so richly sedimented with meaning, and because they have ways of reveal ing new meanings to successor cul tures far removed in time from the original composition.”
UQAM and Carleton cancel CRC blood drives B y E r ic L a m a r r e
Blood drives have been can celled at two university campuses this month because of disagree ments w ith the C anadian Red Cross. At the Université du Québec à Montréal, disagreement centred on Question 15 of the C R C ’ s Donor Health Assessment Questionnaire which reads, “I f male, have you had sex with another male, even once since 1977?” Anyone who answers affirmatively is not permit ted to donate blood. The nature of this question has provoked a reac tion among mem bers o f the Association des Lesbiennes et Gais de U Q A M . “W e received com plaints regarding the discrifninatory nature o f this questionnaire. W e have, since then, decided to take action against the Red Cross until our objective is complied w ith,” said A L G U Q A M spokesperson Denis Paquette. A L G U Q A M ’s main objective is to have the C R C m odify Question 15 to comply with the demands o f the gay community. The group feels that adding the phrase “having unprotected sex with another male” would elim i nate the discriminatory tone of the
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confrontational, the CR C pulled out of M cGill. They returned at the end of January, however, to hold a blood drive in conjunction with the E ngineering and Science Undergraduate Societies. In an e ffo rt to m ediate the issue at U Q A M , the C R C and A L G U Q A M formed a discussion group called les Services à la vie étudiante. Members o f the S V E include A L G U Q A M President Catherine Hamel, executive council member o f the U Q A M students’ society Alain Thibeault, and a rep resentative fro m the C R C . Discussion among SVE members has not yet resulted in any concrete solutions. “Unfortunately, the meeting did not reach the conclusion that we had hoped fo r,” said André Ménard. The situation that took place at Carleton University was along a slightly different line. Although Question 15 was of concern to the G ay, Lesbian, and B isexual Community of Carleton University, their main focus was on the con duct of CRC staff during the blood drive that took place last October. According to Michael Macky, spokesperson for the G LB C, “the Red Cross staff were explicitly dis criminatory” in some of their com
ments during the blood drive. “Com m ents such as ‘ here comes another bad apple o f the bunch,’ were heard by gay individ uals,” he said. As a result, the Students’ Society o f C arleton U n iv ersity decided to cancel the blood donor clinic that was scheduled for this week, as well as all future clinics, until the C R C agrees to certain conditions such as a mandatory sensitivity training course for its staff. “This s en sitivity train in g course can be taken at Carleton or elsewhere as long as it corresponds
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Aboriginal People: Royal Commission debated at McGill conference............................. Pg.2 Science: Using waste to treat water pollution.......................... Pg. 9 jobs: Student entrepreneurs cruise the m arket......................Pg. 9 Michael Franti: An interview with Spearhead frontman....Pg. 79 Basketball: Martlets recover from loss with blowout victories..Pg. 23 W hat's On Listings..........Pg.27
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question. In addition, however, A L G U Q A M has supported more stringent means of action against the CRC. “I f the previous means aren’t e ffe c tiv e , we are n ’t afraid to encourage gay students to respond inaccurately to the question,” said Paquette. Citing the threat to the safety of its blood supply, the CRC can celled its blood donor clinic at U Q A M scheduled for this month. “The cancellation is a result of the gay and lesbian community’s decision to challenge the present [C R C ] system ,” said A ndré M én ard , spokesperson for the CRC. “W e can’t subject potential patients to the risk that the blood might be infected with H IV . Giving blood is a privilege not available to all persons such as sexually-active gays, IV drug users and individuals having sexual relations with H IV positive partners.” Relations between M cG ill stu dents and the CRC were disrupted last November when the CRC can celled a blood drive sponsored by S S M U . S S M U President Chris Carter sent a press release to the CRC in order to draw attention to the fact that as a gay man, he is prohib ited from g ivin g blood. Interpreting C a rter’ s actions as
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