The McGill Tribune Vol. 24 Issue 21

1

cSjgp

, *,’r _ fir

-----------! i5 —-y

I 1

O P IN IO N : All girlfriends love Valentine's Day... even yours, buddy.

Curiosity delivers. Vol. 24 Issue 21

Tribune P UBLI S HED BY THE S T U D E N T S '

A&E: G o in g to C alifornia w ith an aching in m y heart... and brain.

lO 16

SPORTS: Is Sidney C rosby the n e w G retzk y o r th e n e w C oke?

Tuesday, February 15, 2 0 0 5

S O C I E T Y OF M C G I L L UNI VERS I TY

S trik in g a h o llo w n o t e Music building nears completion but students still lack practice space TRACI JOHNSON

Le d to b elieve that university is sim p ly the next step in life, so m e students are unaw are of the intellectual benefits of a fo u r-ye a r degree. O n the o ther h an d , so m e are o verly interested in the cerebral aspects, a n d neglect the extras. W h ere's the h a p p y m e d iu m ? See Features, p age 14.

insi

NEWS

4&5

ayton here, Prentice th e re ... politicians everyw here! O n ly one p a rty has been missing in recent weeks: the governing party. Politicians court student support w h ile C harest plays hide a n d seek. O u r intrepid reporters diligently w ent on a pub craw l — an d attended speeches— to tell you w h ether there w as a n y sub­ stance to w h a t N D P lea d e r Jack Layton an d C onservative M P Jim Prentice had to say.

L

The sounds of jackhammers and wer drills on rue Sherbrooke will soon replaced by the melodies of string quar­ tets and piano concertos. Most of the con­ struction at the new Music building on the corner of rue Aylmer will be completed by April, with the facility scheduled to open in time for classes this fall. The opening will mark the end of a decade-long, $50-million project that has been highly anticipat­ ed by the Faculty of Music, but it fails to solve a longstanding problem for Music students—inadequate practice space.

Although the building design was first submitted in 1994, funding concerns and a redesign phase delayed groundbreak­ ing until June 2003. The new building is supposed to help alleviate space con­ straints at Strathcona, the current music building. It also contains state of the art music technology research space and recording studios that place it in the com­ pany of a select few facilities around the world.

The main recording studio, which doubles as a performance space, is buried two stories beneath the ground.

Designed to guard against outside vibra­ tions, the floating room is supported by a base of neoprene rubber sandwiched between two slabs of concrete and has a soaring 50-foot ceiling. Music Professor Richard Lawton, who has been involved with the project since its conception, described the studio as “one of the most quiet rooms on the planet."

The building also contains a com­ pletely soundproof opera rehearsal studio, a 200-seat recital hall, and facilities for research in sound recording and music psychology. Floors three, four, and five will house the Music library, which will move from its current leased space across the street at 550 rue Sherbrooke. The library boasts a climate-controlled rare book room, a video viewing room with motor­ ized drop-down screen, and a view of downtown Montreal. The buildings glass

facade takes full advantage of this view and allows in plenty of natural light.

Marring the excitement surrounding the opening is the fact that floors six and seven of the eight-story building will not be finished for next year. The two floors had been tagged for office space for the Music Faculty, freeing much-needed space in the Strathcona building for more practice rooms.

"Students will be stuck with the same amount of practice rooms we have now, which is completely inadequate for a pro­ gram of our size,” said Dave Matthews, U2 Music and president of the Music Undergraduate Students' Association.

"When the building opens, it will be great, but it's not the [ultimate] solution."

Most of the funding for the building came from private donors, along with a $1 7.5-million grant from the government, but that money was specifically designat­ ed for the research facilities. The extra $2million in funding necessary to complete floors six and seven has not been secured, leaving no space for more practice rooms in Strathcona.

Long lines for practice rooms have been an issue for Music students for years.

Practice time is essential to their curriculum, just like Biology labs are for Science stu­ dents and language lab practice is for for­ eign language students.

"It's a real hassle trying to book rehearsal or get a practice room. Theres just not enough space," said Samuel Blais, U3 Music. "I'm in my last year, and they've been talking about opening the new build­ ing ever since I got here."

Meanwhile, construction on rue Sherbrooke continues to progress. Lawton led a small group of students on a tour of the site last week. The students, outfitted in hardhats and steeltoed boots, seemed impressed.

"I came and took a tour of McGill in grade 11 said Mallory McGrath, firstyear representative to MUSA. "The site was just a huge hole in the ground then, so it's really cool to see what it looks like now." ■

T h i s W e e k in M c G i l l A t h l e t i c s S a t .,

F e b .

1 9

a t

9 a m

M

c G ill

M

o n t r e a l

O p e n

S u n ., F e b . 2 0 a t 7 p m R ed m en H ock ey v s UQTR Feb . 2 0 v s U Q TR 7 pm

news CAMPUS

NEWS

A hearing for the H e r r i n g Cash-strapped magazine appeals for help JENNIFER JETT Daniel Oettl had big dreams for the Red Herring this year.

The editor of McGill's only satirical magazine mapped out a schedule that included four issues, two stand-up comedy shows, and a film festival—mostly to raise awareness of the student publication.

"Generally we feel that the buzz is getting better and big­ ger," said Oettl, a secondyear Political Science and History stu­ dent.

So it came as a blow last Tuesday when the Students' Society denied the Red Herring's application for a grant from the Campus Life Fund. Through the Finance Committee, SSMU has granted the Red Herring two payments this year totalling $ 1,900, compared to $2,500 last year. This year's payout included $900 for a November comedy show that ended up losing money. That loss, combined with errors in the budget the Red Herring submitted, sank the magazine's application.

The Finance Committee meets today at 9:30am to recon-

"Cutting funding right now is as counterproduc­ tive as [it] really could be."

—Daniel Oettl, Editor, The Red Herring sider the Red Herring's case—Oettl is asking for about $2,000.

Members of the Finance Committee argued last week that the Red Herring can raise money through fundraising. But if the committee denies Oettl's appeal, it will be a death knell for the publishing of this year's magazine, said committee member Eric van Eyken.

"You can't run a publication on bake sales," he said.

The Red Herring published twice last semester. While the first issue had a circulation of about 4,000, the second dropped to 3,000 because of a lack of funds.

Cutting funding right now is as counterproductive as [it] really could be," Oettl said. "We finally have a really good working team, everything's going really well, [and] improve­ ments have been made. We just need that minimal capital to keep us going."

Oettl said this is not the first time the Red Herring, which first published in 1988, has faced funding shortfalls.

For 16 years now, SSMU has been underfunding the Red Herring," he said. "Based on that underfunding, they then try and use that as grounds to stop funding entirely because they feel its a lost project, when they're not putting in enough to get it started properly."

Without a SSMU subsidy, the Red Herring is liable for $900 in rental fees for its second comedy show, which took place last night in Moyse Hall—leaving little or no money to print future issues. Unless the Red Herring publishes regularly, Oettl said, it cannot attract enough advertising to make it finan­ cially self-sufficient.

Not all students agree that funding the Red Herring is worthwhile.

"It's not particularly funny," said Benjamin Havumaki, U1 History. "Some of the pieces are a little bit cutting in an offen­ sive way, creating humour through shock value. I'm not particu­ larly impressed with it."

Out of the $45,000 in the Campus Life Fund, the Finance Committee has allotted slightly more than $29,000 this year. ■

CAMPUS

NEWS

Budding student politicians d eb u t Candidates vie for spots on AUS exec EMILY & KELLY HARRIS Visibility and accountability were the buzzwords at Thursday's Arts Undergraduate Society election debate. Many of the candi­ dates for vice-presidential positions said that giving the Society more of a presence on campus is a priority. Arts students can cast their judgment on the campaign ideas by vot­ ing online from today through Thursday.

Vice-President (Finance) The three candidates for vice-president (finance) all have experience working with budgets.

Mike Pinsky was treasurer of his high school and of a body that represents all Vancouver high schools. He said that more revenue should be generated and proposed expanding AUS Snax, one of the few prof­ itable AUS initiatives. However, Andrea Navin, the current vice-president (finance), told the candidates that this option was not possible because of an agreement between AUS and the university.

Donny MacMillan sat on the Students' Society finance committee and managed SnoAP. The biggest problem facing AUS in the upcoming year, he said, is the rising costs of insurance.

"I believe that we should form a collec­ tive agreement with other faculties to bring the cost down," he said.

Téo Leroux-Blackburn has three years of accounting and bookkeeping experience with various organizations. Bilingualism makes her better able to communicate with the Montreal community on behalf of AUS, she added. She said she would focus on informing students about funds available to them for special projects.

Vice-President (Communications) Lisa Ross, U2 Sociology, and Gillian Prendergast, U2 Political Science, the two candidates for vice-president (communica­ tions), hope to continue in the tradition ofJane Park, who currently holds that portfolio.

"I like Jane's listserv," Ross said. "I know that a lot of people think that it is spam email, but even if you get 50 per cent of people to open it, way more people are being reached and will know what is happening with AUS." Ross pointed to her experience as a McConnell Residence floor fellow.

"I'm responsible for keeping students involved in what is going on all around McGill and Montreal," she said. "I'm respon­ sible for delegating and planning events, vis­ ibility and accessibility—there is a huge con­ glomeration of things in one job."

Prendergast agreed that the AUS web­ site is helpful and wants to update the online calendar. She also noted that she would make the table-booking policy a priority.

JULIASHONFIELD A d rian A n g u s was acclaim ed A U S vice-presid en t (academ ic).

"It is my understanding that outside opponents, he believes that students care groups can now book tables [just as easily as about politics.

McGill students]," she said. "We should "You need to know how to appeal to make priority for student groups at McGill, stu­ them," he said. "For example, francophone dents first and then if there is space we should students are extremely isolated on campus. open it to the public."

They make up a large proportion of the pop­ She said that her role as Canadian ulation but their voices are rarely heard."

Political Science Student Association In contrast, Jennifer O'Dell thinks that stu­ President as well as her job as an administra­ dents at McGill have lost a passion for poli­ tive assistant at Pfizer Canada qualifies her tics. She said that her first year was discon­ for the position. certing.

"I was expecting everyone to be all, Vice-President (External) 'rah, rah, politics,"' she said, "and I've been Both candidates for the vice-president really disappointed. It is my hope to change (external) position—Michael Dineen and that."’

Jacob Itzkowitz—are first-year McGill stu­ Chris Sullivan concurred with O'Dell. dents.

"Most students don't care. Some stu­ Dineen said that although he does not dents in student government don't care," he have much experience with student politics, said. "I'm disheartened, but I continue to "an outsider's vision might help with bureau­ care, we can accomplish things even if that cratic machinery." means that the people who care have to The most important facet of this job work that much harder.” would be to reach out the Montreal commu­ Cory Shefman said that he is familiar nity, he said. Dineen has not attended any with the workings of SSMU. SSMU council meetings, where the vice-pres­ "I know how to get around the SSMU ident (external) must represent Arts. administration boondoggle," he said.

Itzkowiz, who has attended SSMU He also stressed that sometimes "the council, said that his experience as Molson most popular decision isn't necessarily the Hall vice-president (internal) and his participa­ best one." tion in Inter-Residence Council has helped Kay Turner emphasized the need for the prepare him for the job. He identified over­ AUS council to work together as one cohe­ enrolment as the biggest problem facing the sive unit. faculty.

"The most important thing I've learned this year [from my experience on IRC] is that Arts Representatives to SSMU it is important to work out council issues first Several candidates are competing for before you can get anything productive done the two remaining spots as Arts representa­ for students." ■ tives to SSMU. —Additional reporting by Theresa Murphy Max Silverman said that his experience as a New Democratic Party candidate in the Democracy of a local kind: Visit last federal election shows his commitment to www.ovs.ssmu.mcgill.ca to vote in the AUS the political process. Unlike many of his election.

ACCLAMATIONS

AUS president others crowned without opposition ore Arts Undergraduate Society the job I've done for the AUS [as repre­ executive positions were sentative to the Students' Society] over acclaimed this year than last, the past year." which has led some candidates to won­Scace hopes to hold monthly press der whether students are interested in conferences to create a greater aware­ undergraduate politics. ness in the McGill community of what "There are a lot of students not AUS is up to. engaged in the process," said Adrian Next year's vice-president (internal) Angus, who was acclaimed as vice- Katie Schaeffers does not believe that president (academic) on Tuesday. an acclamation undermines her man­ AUS President-elect Patrick Scace date. She is excited about the upcoming said his acclamation was a compliment. events that the faculty will be able to "I really believe I was the most offer. experienced person for the position," he "More Arts Taverns would be one said. "I think the fact that no one ran great thing," she said. "I'm hoping to against me shows that people respect get more people involved in planning

M

and attendance at these events."

Angus is not sure what else AUS can do to get students involved. He said there are ebbs and flows of student involvement and that he is encouraged by the increasing numbers of first year students running for political positions this year.

"We send out mass emails [and] put up posters. It seems like those that want to be engaged know about [events]," he said. “Obviously the mes­ sage is getting out [because] all kinds of first-years are involved." ■ —Emily Harris

the mcgill tribune I 15.2.05 |news

STUDENT

3

NEWS IMAGES

C harest to o busy for students

Hitting the books to a different beat

Premier cancels scheduled speech amid protest federal lobby group.

"We were going to try to shut the speech down," said GRASP member Montreal students gathered at the Lazar Konforti. "As long as he denies Roddick Gates Wednesday to protest the right to education he can't show an appearance at McGill by Jean up at universities."

Charest, but their protest faltered when A spokesperson at Charest's the premier cancelled his scheduled Quebec office said that the premier speech on health care, leading some was held up by a meeting of the min­ to speculate that he did so to avoid isters that ran late, so he could not confronting student groups. make it back to Montreal in time for The protest was set to begin at the speech. the Roddick Gates and work its way to However, the demonstration's the McIntyre Medical Building on rue head organizer, CFS-Q Chair Tim Peel, where Charest's speech was to McSorley, claimed the no-show as a be held. However, the organizers ELISHA SIEGEL

main doors, which building security had locked. Montreal police formed a protective barrier between the protest­ ers, and the building doors. The stu­ dents responded by chanting, The police are used by the rich and the fascists," but no violence occurred between students and police.

Students' Society Vice-President (Community and Government) Daniel Friedlaender did not take part in the protest. While SSMU is not a member of CFS, he did not rule out collabora­ tion with the association on this issue.

"I am completely open to work­

"He cancelled because he realized that the cuts he's m ade upset people. He can't go anyw here without a protest."

^

^ Sorley

C hair of the C an ad ian Federation of Students-Quebec

decided to move the demonstration to victory for those opposed to the $ 103the avenue McGill College building million in cuts to financial aid by the that houses Charest's Montreal offices Charest government last spring—a after they discovered that he was not policy that has drawn a great deal of coming. opposition from Quebec students.

"The - Charest Welcoming "He cancelled because he real­ Committee," as the demonstration was ized that the cuts he's made upset peo­ called, was organized by various stu­ ple," said McSorley. "He can't go dent groups, including McGill's anywhere without a protest."

Grassroots Association for Student The group of fewer than 100 pro­ Power and the Quebec division of the testers chanted slogans in French and Canadian Federation of Students, a tried to enter the building through the

ing with [CFS]," he said. "We agree with the goals, with putting the money back."

Friedlaender said that Charest did not necessarily cancel his speech because of the protest.

"He has often shown up at events with [much larger negative presences] in the past." ■ —Additional reporting by Katherine Fugler

T h e Student Parent N etw o rk often org an izes S aturday gatherings for M cG ill students w ith yo u n g children, providing a children's activity so that parents can study for a few hours. T h is w eek.

M u sic Education students held a d ru m m in g class at the N e w m an C e n tre on rue Peel.

E n jo y b e in g in p o s itio n s o f t h e

A U T H O R IT Y ?

RUN f o r e le c tio n s ✓

S tu d e n ts * S o c ie ty of M cG ill U n iv e r s ity ♦ P r e s id e n t • V F (C lu b s © S e r v ic e s ) • V F (C o m m u n ic a tio n s €* E v e n t s ) * V F (C o m m u n ity €* G o v e rn m e n t) m V P (O p e ra tio n s) * V F (U n i v e r s i t y A H a irs ) v”' S tu d e n t r e p r e s e n ta t i v e t o th e M cG ill B o a r d o i G o v e rn o r s / U n d e r g r a d u a te S tu d e n t S e n a to r s ✓ F in a n c ia l E th ic s R e s e a r c h C o m m iss io n e rs ✓ R e p r e s e n ta tiv e t o th e C K U T B o a r d of D ir e c to r s

F icle u p a n o m in a tio n h i t to d a y ! d u s t v i s i t th e E le c tio n s M cG ill O ffice, S u ite 40S» S h a t n e r U n iv e r s ity C e n tr e o r lo g o n to o u r n e w w eb sites w w w * e l e c t i o n s m e g i l 1. e a

CO n t a c t

# e lee t i o

n s m

c gill, c a

4

news j 15.2.05 j the mcgill tribune

NEWS

ANALYSIS

Layton returns... to McGill, anyw ay NDP leader speaks to full house GENEVIEVE JENKINS Students hit boulevard St.-Laurent last Monday for a pub crawl with New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, following a speech he gave to a crowd composed mostly of NDP support­ ers.

In the predominantly left-wing environment that often exists on university campuses, the NDP is cherished as the stronghold of idealistic policies within Canadian politics. Switching fluidly between French and English, Layton addressed major NDP con­ cerns such as the eradication of poverty, environmental conser­ vation, and funding for post-secondary education.

Layton devoted much of his discussion, however, to the US missiledefence system, an issue that will be crucial in the com­ ing weeks as Prime Minister Paul Martin's government decides whether to get on board.

"There will be a marked growth in insecurity as a result of this unbelievably expensive initiative," he said.

Layton argued that the program will fail because it is inef­

fective and since other countries will feel compelled to build up their own weaponry.

"Thirty to 40 years of global disarmament is about to be reversed, he said. "[Bush] will be back in an arms race."

U1 Political Science student Erin Smith wanted to know what options the Canadian government will have if it does not join the US plan.

"Basically, I'm concerned with losing [Canada's] seat at the table," she said.

Layton said Canada should be sitting at the disarmament table instead.

"What do we actually think we'll get to do?" he asked the crowd rhetorically.

Fie then drove the point home with his apparent sense of humour, mocking the existence of any such "table" and any real involvement on the part of Canada.

Time and again, Layton re-emphasized the NDP's rele­ vance to "real" Canadian viewpoints. As far as the missiledefence system is concerned, Layton said that Canadian citi­ zens share the NDP viewpoint.

"I have no doubt where Canadians are going to on this," he said, "but I wonder where our government is going to go."

Chris Taylor, a vocal NDP party member, seemed to take Layton's speech as an affirmation of his own political sentiment, but the question Taylor posed to Layton was perhaps the most pressing of the night: "What do you think should be done about medical care?"

Layton skipped through many of the problematic areas of the question—namely the economic sustainability of the current national health care system, as well as the problem of long waits for routine surgeries.

He invoked the original spirit of former Saskatchewan pre­ mier Tommy Douglass health plan.

"Every person gets the same high quality health care," he said.

However, even Layton acknowledged that the system is fail-

UnTraitement Gratuit!

W W W .DERM AM ODE.COM

ae

Appelez nous pour plus details avant cette promotion se termine!

que

Call us for details before this promotion ends!

VENEZ NOUS VOIR POUR UNE

É V A L U A T IO N G R A T U IT E . ÉPILATION AU LASER POUR FEMMES ET HOMMES

PROFESSIONNEL LIGHT SHEER

Students receive a 10% discount with a valid Student ID‘exceptonpromotions **certainesrestrictionss’appliquent etpeutpasbe êtrecombinéavecd’autrepromotion" **certainrestrictionsapply &cannotbecombinedwith anyotheroffer”

700 M A N S F IE L D

M O N T R E A L, Q C H 3C STB 514- 223-0787 info@ dermamode.com W W W .D ER M A M O D E.CO M STATIONNEMENT GRATUIT / FREE PARKING

jjjjjjj S«NAV£}cTl:*£

ing.

"Only now are people realizing that we are involved in a lifelong project [of public health care]," he said.

The state of medical care in Canada was one of a few top­ ics Layton addressed only superficially. Layton hardly touched upon the political subject currently getting the most press—mar­ riage rights for homosexual couples.

Most who filed out of the auditorium were impressed by the power of Layton's beliefs and oratory. Nevertheless, there were disbelievers in the crowd.

He's a good speaker, very persuasive," said Smith, a reg­ istered Liberal from Saskatchewan. "But he's only putting forth his side of the coin." ■

Are you looking for a place where what you think is valued?

One Treatment Free!

514-223-0787

TREVORCRAIG W h y doesn't Layton m o ve his up p er b o d y ?

There is a community like that here in Montreal.

People from many diverse backgrounds gather each week to celebrate life and to build a vibrant, socially-active group where feelings and values really count.

We get together every Sunday at 10:30 am and there’s room for you.

The Unitarian Church 5 0 3 5 d e M a is o n n e u v e W . ( V e n d ô m e M e tro ) (5 1 4 ) 4 8 5 -9 9 3 3

w w w .u c m tl.c a

Children's program every Sunday, also a t 10:30 am.

N E W S BRIEF Engineers Without Borders holds famine fundraiser The McGill chapter of Engineers Without Borders held its | first annual 24-hour famine at the Macdonald campus on Friday to | raise funds to send volunteers to Africa. Volunteers for the event, who I had to raise or pledge a minimum j of $20 each, fasted from 6pm ; Friday until around 7pm Saturday.

The proceeds wifi pay to send stu­ dents Lindsay Mitchell and Martin Fogl on development projects to Africa, which are being coordinat[ ed by the national EWB office.

EWB Vice-President Communications (External) Liette Connolly-Boutin said that she was pleased with the interest shown by students—she expected about 50 participants.

"Student response has been very positive and we may exceed attendance expectations," she said.

ConnoiyBoutin said that EWB held the event on the Macdonald campus to try and make EWB actively involved with those stu­ dents.

"We have made it our goal this year to fully integrate the Macdonald campus students [in]fo ' our activities," she said. "We are also very excited about introducing Mac to the main campus students."

—Robert Church CORRECTION: An article last week ("Bush touts American values" — 8.2.05) incorrectly identified Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Their titles | are US Senate Minority Leader and House Minority Leader, respectively.

The Tribune regrets the error.

the mcgill tribune | 15.2.05 j news

Former Conservotive leodership co n d id o te c h o n g e d his mind P re n tic e

n o w

in f a v o u r o f s a m e - s e x

DAVID NATAF Canada's Liberal government is failing to fulfill its respon­ sibilities and lacks vision, Conservative Party Indian Affairs and Northern Development critic Jim Prentice said in a Thursday speech at McGill.

"It's just unbelievable," he said. "This is not a government that we have—it's a non-government."

Prentice, a runner-up in the 2003 Progressive Conservative leadership race and briefly a candidate in the 2004 Conservative leadership race, spoke at length about Liberal inaction on issues such as education and Aboriginal affairs. He drew the loudest applause, however, when he expressed support for same-sex marriage.

"My own position has attracted attention as of late," he said. "I Delieve it is the libertarian constitutional entitlement of gay people to be married."

Prentice said he studied the issue extensively before com­ ing to his decision.

"In our society, what moral authority, what right do we have to say no if they are not doing anything to harm other people?"

As the official opposition, the Conservative Party current­ ly holds 99 of 308 seats in the House of Commons. Four of its MPs have decided to support pending legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage.

"I can tell you as somebody who is in that caucus that our position is treated with respect, Prentice said.

Prentice added that he saw the same-sex marriage issue as an opportunity to demonstrate the range of opinions within the party to Canadians.

Indeed, the Conservative Party has recently witnessed an upward trend in support. While polls in the aftermath of the federal election in June showed the party s popularity dipping to 25 per cent, three consecutive polls released by SES

m a rria g e

in urban Canada, particularly among youth.

"It's a [perception] problem the party faces in general," said Conservative McGill President Matthew Kenney. "Weird notions [such as] we're all anti-abortion, we're all anti-samesex marriage—we just have to convince people otherwise."

Prentice spoke extensively about the state of Aboriginal people in Canada, and the lack of atten­ tion the current government grants them.

"What this government has offered to do for Indian peo­ ple is to improve the way in which we measure fetal alcohol syndrome [and teen suicide]," he said. "That's how bereft of vision this particular government is."

One aspect of Liberal Aboriginal policy that Prentice finds particularly neglectful is its inequitable educational standards.

"Every other child in Canada has protection of the School Act," he said. "If you're an Indian child, you have nothing."

Prentice admitted that the Aboriginal standard of living will not reach that of the average Canadian anytime soon.

"I'm not going to tell you it's going to be accomplished in my lifetime—it won't," he said.

Prentice argued that efforts should be focused more on accountability than on investing more money.

"We have spent $350-million relocating the communi­ ty—$400,000 per person," he said. "Nobody built a detox centre-, nobody built a centre for battered women... [There have been] allegations a lot of the money has disappeared and has been used to buy alcohol or drugs.

KEIRACOSTANZA Prentice also spoke out against rising student debt loads.

"My generation didn't have to deal with that, and your K in d of looks like Joe C lark, doesn't h e ? generation shouldn't have to deal with that," he said.

The Conservative Party will hold a policy convention in Research in the past month show the party holding steady at Montreal from March 17 to 19. ■ 29 per cent.

However, while the Conservatives may be gaining David Nataf joined the Conservative Parly in December 2003, nationally, the crowd of 30 students who attended Thursdays but has since let his membership lapse. speech speaks volumes about the inroads the party must make

5

6

news J 15.2.05 |the mcgill tribune

ANGLES C A M P U S

NEWS

P eacet Are w e there y e t?

An ethical caffein e fix Campus club promotes fair trade products M IR IA M A R O N O W IC Z

It is Fair Trade February for the McGill Management club STOP— Shaping Tomorrow's Organizational Practices. The student organization is raising awareness to change the rules and make trade a solution to poverty, rather than its cause.

Fair trade is a growing interna­ tional movement that ensures produc­ ers in developing countries receive a fair price for their goods, covering the cost of production and guarantee­

Cancer Support Groups

ing a living income. Oxfam Canada reports that under the current system of coffee trading, less than 10 per cent of what consumers pay for cof­ fee reaches the farmers. The trade system is often a cycle of exploitation that enriches a minority while leaving producers in poverty, fair trade advo­ cates argue.

"We do a theme every month— November was Consumer Awareness Month, January was Energy and February is Fair Trade February," said Manon De Raad, a U3 Strategy student and president of STOP. In an increasingly corrupt busi­ ness world, she said, STOP has been working to introduce more fair trade products into the Bronfman building.

"We've actually been able to talk to the people in the cafeteria and get them to sell fair trade coffee... and the little dépanneur in the build­ ing, we got them to sell fair trade chocolate as well," said De Raad.

Fair trade coffee and other prod­ ucts have proven popular. "[Fair trade coffee] goes as fast as the others," said Ashley Malet, a U3 Education student and employee at Veggirama.

Yet many students are still deterred from purchasing fair trade on

WHAT™

Hip Hop Dance Classes

u-> </>

WHO...

Chariot &TL

WHEN...

Sundays l-2pm

a E

WHERE...

Studio Bizz 551 Mont Royal E., third floor

U

CONTACT..

DO C

CO

3

'D

A

S

I K

M

P

t's been a bad week for balls. and worked swiftly towards a Either you're cutting them off, or truce, but just try to extract any­ people are wondering whether thing concrete from Israeli Prime you have enough to follow through Minister Ariel Sharon, who's on your promises. vowed to break the agreement if Last weekend, a Welsh rugby violence continues—which it has. fan was so distraught over the Moreover, a truce does not a seemingly-sure loss to rival peace make. It may, however, England, that he promised the facilitate discussion of the substan­ guys at the pub to cut off his testi­ tive issues, none of which were cles if Wales won. Wales won. addressed at Sharm el-Sheikh. Not The guy went home to grab a knife that silence is necessarily bad— and returned to the pub, balls in the Quartet-sponsored "road map" hand. to peace was vocal on every con­ In lighter news, yet another tentious issue, and that didn't truce between the Palestinians and work. If it had, we'd already have the Israelis has been made. a functional Palestinian state and One might predict more suc­ we could sit around laughing cess for peace this time around. about how silly we've been.

This optimism would be based Abbas did well to achieve a upon the demise of Yassir Arafat, truce so quickly—but as an archi­ who for decades acted as the fig­ tect of the Oslo Accords, he is a urehead of the Palestinian move­ veteran of programs that gleam ment. brightly at first and fade away.

Arafat made a poor negotia­ Dismissing security officials for fail­ tor. He so valued direct refugee ing to prevent attacks by return to Israel and the unencum­ Palestinian insurgents is a good bered possession of Jerusalem that move but his inability to rein in he was unwilling to accept any­ Hamas may haunt him. And who thing less. For example, in Taba, knows how dedicated Sharon when the Israelis made their most actually is to peace? expansive proposal ever, Arafat Violated promises and empty remained stuck on full right of words only strengthen frustration. return even as his own advisors And when people believe a des­ pleaded with him to accept the perate situation to be permanent, offer. When he changed his mind they think little of committing a few weeks later, the opportunity unthinkable acts. Just look at that for negotiation had passed.

Welsh guy—and that was just But the road ahead isn't clear over rugby. now that Arafat's gone. Palestinian So I guess the question is: President Mahmoud Abbas may Who's got the balls to see this have declared his good intentions peace through? ■

I

charlot_tl@hotmail.com, 514.918.5452

ASEQ P

The calm which will prevail in our lands starting from today is the beginning of a new era. "—Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, February 8 [The Economist/.

LASER VISION C OR R E C T I ON

D

S tu d e n t

S p e c ia l

p

||M

i p

r

Starting a t

m

h f

^ -j f *

^

o riy d r a w n REBECCA C R A B ER

For only a toonie, you can get a listing in the print ond online editions of the Trib. Drop by the SSMU office (Brown Student Building, Suite 1200J to pick up a form. Deadlines are Fridays at 3:30pm. For more information, e-mail calendar@tribune.mcgill.ca.

cancer.society@mcgill.ca

L

R o a d

products because they are more expensive. "[The higher price] is the com­ mon knockoff, and it comes [from] a lack of understanding of what fair trade is about. When it comes to 50 cents more for a cup of coffee, that's going to pay a living wage," said Rob LeBlanc, U3 Strategy. "If you let people know what it is all about, then people will be more willing to pay."

Likewise, De Raad emphasized the need to educate people about fair trade, explaining that while cof­ fee and rice are the best known fair trade products, sugar, cotton, and milk are also available. STOP is trying to negotiate a deal with the Bronfman cafeteria to offer discount­ ed fair trade products to students who bring their own mugs, in an attempt to address the impact business prac­ tices have on both global society and the environment.

STOP members' ultimate goal is to see the Bronfman.cafeteria sell fair trade products exclusively.

"When you are dealing with [a] corporate cafeteria it is a little harder to get them to pay attention to that, unless they see that there is a lot of demand for it," De Raad said.

"Students need to mobilize and show that there is an interest." ■

”

-, W r ¥

1 4 L. —_____________ 1_________I_____ .

Dr. Pierre Demers Dr. Avi Wallerstein Dr. Mark Cohen Experience Across Canada, LASIKMDdoctors have performed over 250,000 laser vision correction procedures, more than any other group.

W

Results The large majority of our patients achieve 20/20 vision.

Those are results you con see.

A T T iN T I O N : F O R E I G N S T U D E N T S

J / e y <

Save over $300 !

ASEQ Student Special Includes: • Pre-procedureexamination • Losertreatment • OneYear FreeVisionCare Planfor followupvisits • ASEQhealthinsuranceplanwill cover a portionofthecost of procedure CALL TODAY ( 5 1 4 )

Technology We offer patients state-of-the-art technology ond eye evaluation equipment, including the Bausch &Lomb Zyopfix™laser.

f

D O C T O R S 3 6 2 -8 6 7 7

Are you here on a student visa ?

Do you wish to transform your status to Permanent Canadian Resident ?

N o m atter w hat y o u r situ a tio n , o u r im m ig ra tio n p ro fe ssio n a ls ca n h e lp .

Calf t o d a y f o r a FREE a n d CONFIDENTIAL c o n s u lta tio n .

1250 René-Lévesque Boul. West Bonaventure

514-499-8082 Permanent Residency * Family Sponsorship f i x in g sarmaex couples) Investors • Citizenship • Visitor’s Visa * Student Visa ♦ W ork Permit Care-giver Program * Refugees

w w w .la s ik m d .c a

* For a limited time. Prices moy vary based on prescription strength. Applicable to surgery on both eyes.

Montreal • Ottawa • Kingston • Toronto • Niagara Windsor • Calgary • Vancouver

A p p ly to b e c o m e a p e r m a n e n t C a n a d ia n r e s id e n t t o d a y !

Falls

TH E C A N A D IA N IM M IG R A T IO N C O U N C IL

400 St-Jacques Street West, suite 300, Montreal (Quebec) H2Y1S1

______ w w w .iinm igrationcouncil.com

the mcgill tribune | 15.2.05 |news

CAMPUS

7

NEWS

Why p a y tw ice?

Coursepacks may be electronic by this fall Management program for Engineering the tutorship of ing- Rapps said an online option students—under Professor Michael Avedesian.

Line-ups and high prices are a fix­ The group said that e-coursepawould also reduce the time and work ture of the textbook-buying experience, professors put into course preparation. cks will be "cheaper, easier, and more but student initiatives may lessen these "Profs wouldn't need to compile convenient than coursepacks." annoyances by finding alternatives to or edit the reading material, and could The idea behind e-coursepacks is coursepacks. just refer students to specific para­ to use digital material, available At the last university Senate meet­ through electronic library catalogues he said. ing, Law Senator Michael Rapps said graphs," A possible solution to the and other sources, to create a data­ he is dissatisfied with McGill coursep­ coursepack problem is being pro­ base accessible to professors and stu­ acks, calling them unnecessarily inflex­ posed by UbiLearning eSolutions, a dents for use in their courses. ible and expensive. Rapps said that the current format of coursepacks does not allow professors to add, remove, or update required reading material over the duration of the course. As an "McGill pays copyright on material in d atab ases alternative to coursepacks, he suggest­ ed posting the reading material through subscription fees, so w e a re double paying online, on WebCT or elsewhere, as for m any articles in the coursepacks." some professors already do.

He said this would "allow for flex­ — Law Senator Michael Rapps ibility in adding and removing texts from the reading material."

Rapps said that posting readings online would reduce costs as well.

"McGill pays copyright on mate­ McGill group of entrepreneurs com­ According to Avedesian, the stu­ rial in databases through subscription posed of students Denis Gikunda, Alex dents have formed a working relation­ fees, so we are double paying for Ouimet-Storrs, Renatio Rispoli, and ship with Eastman Systems Inc., the many articles in the coursepacks,' he Ken C.C. Lu. They have created a pro­ current supplier of coursepacks to said. gram for electronic coursepacks that McGill.

McGill has already tried to cut The program is still in develop­ could potentially complement, if not down on costs by carrying out its own replace, the current coursepack for­ mental stages, but if the planned sales printing, which Vice-Principal pitch to McGill later this semester is (Administration and Finance) Morty mat. E-course packs is a product of the successful, e-coursepacks might be Yalovsky said has reduced the price of Minor in Technological used in pilot form for some classes as coursepacks by two cents per page. Entrepreneurship program—a early as this fall. ■ Posting readings online would further MIKELIS STEPRANS

lower the price of copyright and print­

Choose from hundreds of day and evening Arts and Science courses Pick up credits toward your degree at your home university Take advantage of U ofT s great libraries and athletic centres Experience the excitement of summer inToronto

Aw*K‘ M urf-ii» ItJMgei*. h 1 ft1*» H ■ : if •. fl I . : V-. | ■ i l f t i ' W „ut> ! ifM a m Hit 'v , c . i r M uîpl*) IX ii ' c c f r H If you have a spare $2,500 lying around, please contact the Trivia f h c ;r4f>’v t»u It* « *>» M* I Club. A team of four has won the «V .if ** undergraduate division of the Canadian Sectional Championship Tournament. If they can raise enough money, they will represent A «Ht: m i U i t r ?

McGill at the National Intercollegiate A ï\b ~ n rlh „ .

Championship Tournament, to be held in New ” Orleans from April 8 to 9. • Venice's gondoliers have gone on strike to protest a city ban on boating . between the hours of lam and 10:30am. • A dri­ «-■. -*• - ;* y1 ver's education instructor in Georgia was run over by one of her students. She was pinned under the car for *15 minutes and suffered broken bones and a shoulder injury. • The Virginia state House voted to fine anyone wearing their pants low enough for their underwear to be t \ . S . 'w t t ■ visible. The state Senate did not approve the "droopy lifts pants" bill. • A fouryear-old Michigan boy drove his moth­ er's car to a video store in the middle of the night. He hit Ifc " * . * two parked cars and backed into the police car that was jit ! r > <*vc tailing him, but was not hurt. • Animal rights activists are try c \ d t M f e v ing to prevent New Delhi from giving an elephant to the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia as a gift, saying that the weather in ftw C4ÎÏ Armenia is too cold for elephants. • A woman in Leeds, v ?<t b-fvj vfi England who was on a course of mild birth control is now pregnant with identical quadruplets. • Researchers have The discovered that a "broken heart syndrome" does exist—a condition called stress cardiomyopathy, whose symptoms are similar to that of a heart attack, can be triggered by the loss of a loved one. • A cellphone company in l|* Australia is offering a solution for disaster dates. All you K have to do is dial a number and hang up, and the serv,Ssg:i®:.. ice will call you back with an excuse to leave and talk M W U ® * u * you through getting out of the date. • To the praise ft irai* rtu fif, of Canada's Ukrainian community, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission has pulled two K c ,<l Ukrainian wines because they carry labels featurr-tnr n o hiffi inq the late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. ■ O p c t l TOT SOURCES: ASSOCIATED PRESS, H e ■*** <« 4 a i«t* BBC.CO.UK, CBC.CA, CNN.COM, c <> :> .

M* IM l REUTERS.YAHOO.COM

to S p e e d

B

opinion

Living the American dream SAM GOFFMAN

Forget trying to talk the talk Politicians are the same all over they promise to build a bridge even where there is no river. " —Nikita Khrushchev ihey came, they spoke, one of them went on a pub crawl with students. But did the spate of politicians who visited McGill recently con­ quer anything or gain any new footholds?

And, more important, do students—apart from small groups of partyyouth-wing members who were able to feel self-important and brag about the politicos they attracted to our institution—actually benefit from having them come?

The answer to that first question seems to be a resounding "no," judging by the crowd of only 30 that turned out to hear a talk by Conservative Party member Jim Prentice, who is reputed to be the heir to leader Stephen Harper, or the fact that New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton addressed a group that consisted largely of NDP diehards. As much as it's great PR for party higher-ups to give speeches at a university—that apparent bastion of unbridled idealism, where, in their minds, thousands of malleable potential voters congregate—it seems the only people who turn out are those who were already going to vote for them, or opponents who want to trip them up with a trick question or pelt them with rotten fruit. The same goes for pseudo-politi­ cians, like Diana Kerry, who was at McGill in October; most everyone here who could had already voted for her brother, and she would have been better served by visiting Toledo rather than Trottier.

The fact remains that only 24 per cent of Canadians aged 18-24 voted in the 2000 election, and while full statistics aren't yet available for the 2004 election, overall voter turnout was down, and it's likely that the youth vote plummeted as well.

While politicians—like Green Party leader Jim Harris, another recent visitor to McGill—may have big dreams of creating a groundswell of student sup­ port in the next election through well-placed rhetoric on key student-related issues, most of us just don't care enough to listen. We're smart enough to make our own decisions as to how to vote, or we're social­ ized into certain voting patterns by our families and communities. Despite what middle-aged politicians and their over-eager aides may think, a few words aren't going to sway us. Plus, we already have plen­ ty of our own smarmy student politicians trying to

T

sweet talk us.

Which brings us to the second question: what does the average student get out of having a Layton, Prentice, or Harris come to McGill? Apparently, not much in terms of concrete results. Indeed, we proba­ bly tune these politicians out because we consider their appearances patronizing, as we realize that in terms of formulating policy and voting on bills, when push comes to shove, students are tossed aside in favour of those constituencies with deeper pockets, or those who can actually be counted on to show up at the polls.

For instance, while the front page of the Conservative Party's Web site lists nine central issues, nothing that specifically relates to students or post­ secondary education is among them. The NDP's site, meanwhile, presents the vague policy goal of "[pro­ viding] for a student loan system that is more support­ ive of students"—whatever that means. The Quebec Liberals are not exempt from criticism, either. Jean Charest was supposed to speak.at McGill last week on the topic of health, completely sidestepping the education-funding issue that has plagued his first term (to say nothing of the fact that he apparently avoid­ ed his scheduled appearance entirely).

So what should these politiciàns do? In short, skip the shallow university tours. While this applies to all the parties, it's especially relevant for the NDP, which already has a significant amount of student support. Although a few undergrads might bemoan losing the chance to share a pitcher with Jack, true New Democratic loyalists should prefer that their party spend more time wooing undecided voters from across the country so as to—what a concept! — gain some seats in Parliament, rather than attempting to "build from the grassroots" with students, an idea that, despite its auditory appeal, doesn't seem to have much success at actually getting party represen­ tatives elected.

Meanwhile, they can make up for the missed speaking engagement by truly emphasizing students in all facets of the party, and not merely paying lip service to our concerns. Perhaps, then, if politicians stop acting condescendingly towards us, we might actually look up to, listen to, and maybe even turn out to vote for them. ■

anadians who support the Republican Party are a dying breed. On election night in November, the few pro-Bushies in Gert's were squeezed, albeit defiantly, into a lonely corner, and at the University of Toronto a Canadian who wanted Bush to win was so hard to find that when one actually popped up, he was interviewed on the nation­ al news. This widespread anti-American sentiment has instigated a host of negative feelings in Americans living in Canada—anger, frustration, and, perhaps worst of all, embarrassment. In a place where America-bashing isn't just a given but a doctrine, well-meaning Americans often hang their heads in shame.

Canadian obsessions are not limited to American politics, however— they include American movies, American music, and American sports as well. During the baseball playoffs, not a day went by where, in some classroom, conversation didn't turn to the latest Red Sox victory; yet, when it comes to hockey, lecture halls are usually silent.

The fervour that Canadians show towards American goings-on is only matched by Americans' extreme indifference to what happens here. When Bush came to Canada in the fall, the handful of his supporters waiting to greet him at the airport was overwhelmed by the masses of protesters on the streets of Ottawa. But the President didn t care. Upon hearing from one reporter of his abysmal ratings in a recent Canadian poll, Bush cheerfully confessed that he hadn't even heard of the poll in question, and added, as if to clinch the rebuke, "We just had a poll of our own"—an indication of how little Americans care about the concerns of their neighbours to the north. Common American questions might be, "Who is Jean Chrétien? A hockey player? And the capital is Toronto, right?" Of course, once such inquiries are addressed most American students living in Canada become really glad to be here, and not just because they can drink legally. But for the vast majority that has never gone beyond the comforting US.border to venture into the frightening world beyond, Canada has remained a blurry mystery as one Onion article once headlined in mock amazement, "Perky 'Canada' has own government, laws"—and the American mentali­ ty tends to regard Canada, if it does at all, as just another state.

That is, as long as it behaves itself. Once Canada starts doing any­ thing too crazy like, say, initiating the legalization of gay marriage, Americans start paying attention. Hence the barrage of calls some MPs have recently received from peeved Americans decrying Canada's recent advances in that arena. Hamilton Mountain MP Beth Phinney, for example, said she has received about 30 such calls, including one from a woman who said, Yes, I'm out of state, but I'm concerned."

This lobbying effort has not only been received coldly by MPs, but by Canadians actively fighting gay marriage as well. As Michelle Dow, founder of the Calgary-based conservative group United Mothers, said in the Hamilton Spectator, "I wonder how an American senator would take to having a Canadian call to say 'I'm out of state, but I'm concerned.' I bet that would go over like a ton of bricks." Another opponent of same-sex marriage said, It seems like an undue level of interference. There's a pro­ tocol to engaging with other countries' governments... You go through the embassy."

Even Canadians_ who devote every effort to stopping the legalization of gay marriage refuse solidarity with Americans who treat Canada as just another state. That kind of dismissive attitude merely serves to stoke the small but important part of Canadian identity that is formed through not being American. Canada may be saturated with goods from the US, but arrogance is an import Canadians can do without. ■

C

*

D an ce with a b a n d o n , not with MTV BENJI FELDMAN here's nothing new in the over-played dance clubs—it's the over their work. They decide what instruments or samples to use same sexy girls you can't get with, .the same guys standing and, of course, how much snare to employ. But what's different on the side waiting for a miracle, the same cokehead club in this era of music television brainwashing is these artists are managers trying to impress the clientele. I know exactly wherenow controlling the accompanying dance moves. things went wrong: ladies and gentleman, the dance floor is Picture this: You're in the club, and Usher's "Yeah!" starts crowded with boredom. I declare dancing dead and I am pounding through the speakers. Vibes filter into your ears, brain pointing the finger directly at music video choreographers, waves start doing whatever they do to interpret sounds—sorry, music television, and the musicians that create club beats.

I never took biology—and the imitation, not creativity, begins.

You try to picture Usher's video. You just watched it in Caférama—special thanks to the staff that keep BET on all day.

If you think you're getting in the middle of the ass But you're at a loss. So distracted were you by that 5'1 1" buffet, you better figure out what's after that cuff cleaning. blonde while studying Usher's dance moves, you can't remem­ ber what comes after the "dust my hat, clean my cuff" line.

Everyone else seems to remember, you realize, as you're forced to watch three girls shaking their asses in a poor attempt to imi­ The over-budgeted music video productions are weapons, tate those beautifully endowed "ghetto girls." If you think you're the MTV/MuchMusic channels are the plotters, and hip hop getting in the middle of the ass buffet, you better figure out artists and music video directors are the killers. what's after that cuff cleaning move.

With the changing face of capitalistic music companies, The solution? You call MuchMusic posing as a 14-year-old the rise and profitability of music videos have created an girl and, in a pathetic effort to produce a prepubescent voice, inseperable association with album singles. you request Usher's video so you can re-learn the dance. You Musicians have and should always have creative control sit in front of the screen, perhaps even taking notes. If you're

T

smart enough, you record the video. And thus the global con­ trol of dancing continues.

There is a music industry conspiracy here. Who's benefit­ ing? Music television channels provide a means to conform to the standard club environment, meaning everyone watches, meaning ratings go up as do advertising rates, meaning the artists' media attention skyrockets and album sales go through the roof, while new starlets bathe in their "Bling bling" and brag about it in their next single. Who suffers? All of us. Blinded to the potentially innovative moves that we could create on a dance floor, we get bored by the generic dance floor, and that expressive feeling only dancing can release is repressed.

Artists are free to express themselves as they see fit, but when the excessive broadcasting of their music videos creates an inseparable bind between music and its specific dance moves, the death of "interpretive dance” becomes inevitable.

I say, when the beat is dropped and you get that orgas­ mic nerve reaction to move your limbs in some way, fight the urge to throw your hands over your head as if to "shoo" a fly away, and battle the wiggle you feel pulsing in your ass.

Dance music is made for a purpose—let yourself decide, not a Dave Myers music video. ■

th e mcgill tribune | 1 5 .2 .0 5 [ opinion

Deconstructing the facade

The

IV lc G ill

S y s te m ic ts u n a m is

T r ib u n e Curiosity delivers.

E d it o r - i n - C h ie f

Natalie Fletcher editor@tribune.mcgill.ca M a n a g in g E d it o r

James Scarfone seniored@tribune.mcgill.ca N e w s E d it o r s

Jennifer Jett Laura Saba Lisa Varano tribnews@tribune.mcgill.ca F e a t u r e s E d it o r s

Liz Ailemang Panthea Lee features@tribune.mcgill.ca A&E E d it o r s

Daniel Chodos Lise Treutler arts@tribune.mcgill.ca S p o r t s E d it o r s

Mohit Arora Andrew Segal sports@tribune.mcgill.ca

9

BRETT SCHREWE

brett.schrewe@mail. mcgill. ca I live with my justice I live with my greedy need I live with no mercy I live with my frenzied feeding —Dave Matthews and Alanis Morrissette, Don't Drink The Water

I

n recent weeks, while the world has opened its pockets and hearts to the victims of the tsunami disaster, another question has been brewing.

Why is it that, in a span of only seven weeks, there has been such a rapid and somewhat effective response to this disaster, while for years there remains incoherence, inertia, and indifference towards the suffering inflicted by poverty, econom­ ic inequality, and infectious diseases? Thanks to the tsunami relief, we are now sitting on hard evi­ dence that previous explanations—flow of materi­ als, integration of resources, and the sheer magni­ tude of the task—no longer excuse our complacen­ cy. This leaves us with political will; why are we—as The Lancet recently asked—"more willing to relieve an acute event than a chronic crisis ?

By definition, acute disasters are sharply defined and demand immediacy of action, if someone comes into an ER bleeding profusely from a motor vehicle accident, for example, one has neither the luxury of time to decide whether helping is in her best interest nor to consider the reasons the person deserves help. In a sense, this type of "first thought, best thought" response is

humanity's finest hour, for our natural tendency towards compassion is unchecked as it flows out­ wards spontaneously from us. Further, forces of nature are great equalizers; they remind us that death is an experience common to everyonel.

Above all, they defy meaning, responding freely to queries of rationality while stubbornly refusing to answer the spiritual connotations of "why?

When it comes to the chronic inequalities that plague our times, however, we react differently.

While HIV is by no means a man-made virus, the determinants that allow its unchecked proliferation are tied to the very foundations of our society. The tangibility of race and gender-based power differ­ entials, trade inequalities, and an unjust sociopoliticoeconomic system has been unmasked by its spread through marginalized populations at rates far exceeding that of the developed world. In the last few years, the advent of highly active anti­ retroviral therapy has turned HIV from a death sen­ tence into a disease with which one can live for many years. And yet, cases continue to increase, children continue to be orphaned, and the world seems unperturbed by the fact that, as Bridget Jones' Diary screenwriter Richard Curtis put it, "[today,] 3 0 ,0 0 0 real people died totally avoid­ ably."

Paradoxically, then, in a situation where we largely operate without much experience, a glob­ al relief effort locks solidly into place, while simul­ taneously, calamities for which we have concrete

answers go untreated. Here, the question of "why" transforms from one of incomprehensibility to one of disbelief. Whereas with the tsunami one could write a cheque, drop it in the mail, and go back to sleep, the current state of suffering demands a harder look in the bathroom mirror. As I look out and see a table for the SPCA, it is safe to say that in a world where one has to advocate for ethical treatment of living creatures and lobby governments to enforce the universal right to health care, systemic change is needed, for having to be reminded to act with compassion implies that we have forgotten who we are as a species.

The harder look in the bathroom mirror, though, is not to be undertaken just at the govern­ mental level. Rather, it must occur with each of us, to begin to question the system that socialized us and to understand that our everyday comfort is not without cost. It is not an easy look, as it asks us to change the practices to which we have become accustomed, and to put first the community rather than just ourselves. We must be the generation strong enough to heed the lyrical wisdom of one of its pop culture mouthpieces, and recognize through witnessing the continued pain of much of the world what unconsciously has become accept­ able to us. Perhaps finally the watershed of wis­ dom resulting from a wave of annihilation has destroyed, as well, our willingness to drink freely from the poisoned well of inequality. ■

Radically respectable

......jjE.....j

P h o t o E d it o r s

! |

Æ * flnL

Vasemin Emory Iwona Link photo@tribune.mcgill.ca

1

y S

.

0^%

i

K

i

W h e re th e

s tre e ts h a v e

Sam Goffman sarrLgoffrnan@mail.mcgill.ca D e s ig n E d it o r s

Lara Bekhazi Benji Feldman Heather Kitty Mak design@tribune.mcgill.ca O n l in e E d it o r

Lyrine Hsu online@tribune.mcgill.ca A d v e r t is in g M a n a g e r

Paul Slachta advmgr@ssmu.mcgill.ca A d T ypesetter

Shawn Lazare P u b l is h e r

Chad Ronalds C ollaborato rs

Sachin Anand, Miriam Aronowicz, Dave Barber, David Blye, Dave Brodkey, Robert Church, Susan Cooke, Keira Costanza, Trevor Craig, Elisha Denburg, Mike Dineen, Kim D'Souza, Tony Esteves, Katherine Fugler, Joseph Gilgoff, Rebecca Graber, James Grohsgal, Emily Harris, Kelly Harris, Matthew Howatt, Genevieve Jenkins, Seema Jethalal, Traci Johnson, Catherine Lemery, Ben Lemieux, Dan McQuillan, Devin Montgomery, Theresa Murphy, David Nataf, Caroline Olechowski, Sid Pharasi, Melissa Price, Julia Raponi, Fatima Rizzo, Brett Schrewe, Julia Shonfield, Elisha Siegel, Mikelis Steprans, Zenah Surani, Steve Waldman T r ib u n e O ffices Editorial. Shatner University Centre, Suite 110, 3 4 8 0 McTavish, M ontreal Q C Tel: 514.398.67 89 Fax. 514.398.1750 Advertising. Brown Student Building, Suite 1200, 3 6 0 0 McTavish, M ontreal Q C H 3 A 1Y2 Tel 5 1 4.398.68 06 Fax. 514.398.74 90

n am e

KIM D 'SO U ZA

kirn.dsouza@mail.mcgill.ca

C o p y Ed t o r

no

prominent feature of their auto-dependent resi­ uburbs are increasingly where North and head back home, I took a stand: I would hate dents. suburbs with a passion.

Americans choose to live, irrespective of their But lately I've been rethinking suburbs. On my In the short time before I left suburban hell class, race, or cultural background. Dating last visit home, I noticed the thrilling improvements behind to do Environmental Studies at McGill, I back to Roman days when there was lovwdensity in my regions transit system, and was impressed housing outside the main cities, suburbs have discovered I was justified in hating suburbs for the when I realized most people from my neighbour­ simple reason that they don't foster community life. become an interesting subject of study for those Save for the occasional strip mall and car dealer­ hood were well informed about local government fascinated by the culture and lifestyle they create. activities. Further, changes in the family atmos­ Even scholars who have long argued against the ship, housing developments create only private, phere of surburban settings have made such com­ and not public, spaces.

There are very few places suburbia phenomenon on environmental or socialmunities more conducive to community life: soccer justice grounds are seeing that suburbs are not to socialize casually. Going to peoples houses is moms have no problem making friends in their a step that most aren't comfortable with until friend­ going to go away or morph into mini-cities any ships are formed. Although the recreational zones neighbourhoods. time soon.

There's still a lot wrong with suburban life.

Yet, as McGill students, our love for our cur­ of newer developments cater more to kids and Social stratification and racial segregation haven't teenagers, there is still very little social space for rent urban existence, however recently acquired, gone away. Urban sprawl is still environmentally causes a kind of contempt for suburbanites who adults. Most adults commute to work from different unfriendly. The streets still look the same. But to fix suburbs, so they can't even socialize much with like their cul-de-sacs too much to move to city these problems, I think we need to understand sub­ friends they might make at work. neighbourhoods. urbia on its own terms. Until I come across the sub­ At McGill, all the literature describing dam­ My own dislike for suburbia developed short­ urban equivalent of Jane Jacobs' The Death and ly after my family moved from Africa to a suburb of age to the environment, race relations, and fami­ Life o f Great American Cities, which dispelled lies reinforced my dislike of suburbs.

Its a carica­ Toronto five years ago. I went for a bicycle ride some myths about the dangers of urban areas, I'll and couldn't find my way home, not merely ture of environmentalists that we hate suburbs be trying to figure out suburbia through observa­ because we hate cars, and private property even because I have a terrible sense of direction tions. Perhaps I'm getting an early start, because if which I do—but also because all the streets looked more. The fact is that suburban life seems to be the trends are any indication, I—and many other unhealthy in a multitude of ways.

Garages are the same and had rather unremarkable names.

McGill students—might end up being suburbanites often the most prominent feature of suburban hous­ Until then, I had been altogether indifferent to sutx ourselves in the not so distant future. ■ urbs. In the 10 minutes it took me to reorient myself es, and bulging waistlines are often the most

S

Unfathomable ignorance While originally allowing the contro­ versy that followed Edwin Frank's first let­ ter in the Daily go without personal com­ ment, his latest display of ignorance regarding the Greek system has reached an unfathomable level. Frank portrays his opinion as factual; in reality, his lack of knowledge about the involvement of fra­ ternities and sororities in the community is embarrassing.

Each year, fraternity and sorority members devote hundreds of hours volun­ teering at women's shelters, SunYouth, soup kitchens, and as Big Brothers and Sisters to Montreal's youth, as well as numerous other causes. Each fraternity

he McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the, « Thrust and Reaction Engine must include contributors name, program ancI yea..andI contact s t ^ lh ^ lb f t e ^ K ^ n d 'd o ^ ^ n iS L ^ f^ e ^ / V Æ

and sorority also raises hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to charities of their choice—HIV/AIDS research, the Canadian Cancer Society, and UNICEF, to name a few. In fact, this volunteer work is required of them in order to be a mem­ ber of the Inter-Greek Letter Council, as stated in the council's constitution. Last week in the Daily, Greek Week was described as an "Olympic-style alcohol fest." While in previous semesters, a onenight event of this sort was organized dur­ ing Greek Week, this is no longer the case. Greek Week is a week of fun and friendly competition between sororities and fraternities that participate in events such as Talent Night and pool tourna­

ments. The most important (and most high­ ly scored) event of the week, however, is philanthropy. On January 31, Greeks braved the cold to collect over $ 2 5 0 for War Child Canada, which will be added to all donations and sponsorship that is received for a benefit concert to be held on March 30.

This charity event is IGLC's biggest this year, and the involvement of all the fraternities and sororities in its organiza­ tion proves our dedication and commit­ ment to being socially responsible not only at the local level, but also world­ wide.

—Courtney Watts, U2 Management

to Publication ri ht to a||contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. e^ors or its s?aff. Please recycle this newspaper. Subscriptions are available for $ * . 0 0 per year.

10 opinion | 15.2.05 [ the mcgill tribune

H ave your sm ok ed m eat an d

BY A N D R E W S E G A L

e a t it, t o o

& L A U R A SABA

Across

1. Tree of enlightenment 6. Tolkien creature 9. Contstricting snake 12. Sculpted The Age of Bronze 13. Drawing close to 15. 48fh state abbr.

16. Knickknack 18. Sailor 20. Med. term for swimmers ear 21. Soaked with liquid 24. In the yr. of our Lord (Latin) 26. Sicilian volcano 27. African xylophone 29. Town in Provincia de Cabo Delgado, Mozambique 30. Hold your fire 32. Nightmarish street 33. Making money 34. Discount 36. Male bovine output (abbr.)

37. Be abundant 39. In reference to 40. Baby stroller 42. Stomach ailments 46. Analyses of a literary work 48. Puts stories on the wire (abbr.)

49. Opposite of perigrees 50. Strainer 52. Slang for no 53. Spring forward to it (abbr.)

54. Rap producer Sam

3. Precedes 51 down 4. Jamaican contract killer?

5. Rendered unfit 6. Lennon's wife 7. Parts of the eye 8. Paris stock exchange 9. Queen: Get on your___ s and ride 10. U2 song 1 1. Silver, scientifically 14. 17th letter of Greek alphabet 17. Pacific Standard Time in Fr. 19. Car, with Martin 22. Picture 23. Grad, school exams 24. Can do 25. Stop (esp. a river) 26. Lilly and Manning 28. Fracas 29. World Billiard Union (Fr., abbr.)

31. Foes 35. Trigonometric acronym 38. Part of a Hawaiian dress 40. Bow of a ship 41. A big truck 43. Use with mass nouns, not counting nouns 44. An enthusiastic reaction 45. Drove too quickly 46. Taxman (abb'r:) 47. Don't pay this on groceries (abbr.)

49. Prefix meaning without 51. Follows 3 down

The Dose

elisha.siegel@mail.mcgill.ca

T h e r e 's

s o m e th in g

a b o u t

A le x is

ELISHA SIEGEL

A

nother Valentine's Day, another cold and lonely night of Mario Kart with my room­ mate. Yes, ladies, the rumours are fate. As much as it may shock my readers and drive mother crazy, I don't have a girlfriend. And I don't plan on finding one. I already have a soulmate: Alexis Nelson.

I still maintain that I passed my sexual prime by 13. It was grade seven and I was a budding adult—not quite five feet tall (but all man), I had­ n't yet lost any of my hair, and I had a way with the short girls. I started the year dating a good friend of mine named Sasha Talsky. I think it all started with a hot and heavy game of spin the bot­ tle in Sean McManamie's basement. We shared a smooch and I was sure she was the one. But we Down broke up a month later because someone started 1. Breast supporters a rumour that I had a third nipple. (It's not true, I 2. Ninja Turtle genesis swear.)

Then I fell for a girl named Caitlin Henningson who was the. new kid at school. She had a mystique about her because nobody knew Ain't nothing but a P thang if she was slutty. We shared a beautiful Valentine's Day where I surprised her with a red rose and a ring that my mom picked out for me to give her.

Things were getting serious between us, but she In p r a i s e o f K is s y W is s y D a y broke my heart when she told me that I lacked direction. panthea.lee@mail. mcgill. ca PANTHEA LEE | Spring came to New Hampshire and the hormones were out in full force. Everywhere I he holiday everyone loves to hate has just pink, and heart-shaped, and could know that, doesn t matter, we don't have to do anything looked, little grade sevens were sneaking off to passed. As a columnist, I tried desperate­ at the end of the day, they would receive 20- special"—I will fill you in on a little secret: girls tongue kiss. My tongue kisses would come, I told ly to avoid the topic for I would hate to be odd validations in the form of cheap cards. like. And that, my friend, is probably the ulti­ myself. I just had to find the right girl, and that girl tossed into the "another lonely writers rant onAnd not just any cheap cards, but the pack-ofmate girl lie. Girls love Valentine's Day. And was Alexis Nelson.

Valentines Day" bin—hi there, Mr. Siegel. Yet, 24 kind your mom picked up from Dollarama don't you "but-my-girlfriend-is-different" me. All I have my drama teacher to thank for bring­ as member of the female sex whose estrogen featuring cartoon bears and phrases such as "I girls love Valentine's Day, for when God was ing us together. Alexis and I were placed in a levels have been raging in overdrive as of like you .beany much." Precious. making little girls, stuffing them full of sugar, scene that included a steamy kiss. Booyah! late—the full sixth season of Sex and the City Even the dorky kids who got shoved into spice, and everything nice, he also put in a Before you could say "awkward stage," Alexis just came out—I just couldn't pass up the lockers every recess got Valentines. Now, my need-for-romance gene. This gene is triggered and I were in love. Maybe it was our matching opportunity to rant about the ultimate girlie hol­ point is this: if these bully baits did not have every February 14. Thus, no matter how much braces or perhaps it was her ability to kick my ass iday. that one day of the year to look forward to, a they insist, "Honey, you don't have to plan any­ in every sport, but she made me feel special.

But what can be said about the day that day where they were liberated from the. con­ thing," you do have to. No matter how much But fate has a crazy way of getting in the hasn't already been said? It has become fines of a locker and got some dollar-store they claim, "Darling, it doesn't matter," it does way of love. My mom received a grant to study trendy to hate Valentine's Day and all argu­ lovin' instead, who knows where they would matter. It matters a lot. in Israel and I was supposed to go with her. As ments against the rogue holiday have been be today? They probably would've gone mad And if you disappointed her yesterday, the school year came to a dose, Alexis and I had recycled and rehashed time and time again. and be seeking revenge for the pathetic exis­ don't worry... she won't say anything, for it a tearful phone conversation and parted ways, McGill campus yesterday was no exception.. tences that were their childhoods by going would be neither progressive nor cool of her to never again to ignite the flames of our passion. I "It's just another Hallmark holiday!" cried the after the bullies of yesteryear. And we all know do so. But you will pay. Hell hath no fury like was heartbroken. Alexis was my world and it was embittered singletons as they rolled their eyes. that bullies are just poor, misunderstood kids— a woman let down on February 14. For one, all taken away from me. Then I moved to Boston "If you really love someone, why not express it all right, fine, so I really had no excuse for wet you can kiss BJ Week goodbye; next time Aunt and Alexis and I stopped keeping in touch. I the other 364 days of the year?" demanded willying Snotty Sammy every day.

Flo comes to visit, you won't be so lucky. Not would see her a few more times over the years, boyfriends desperately hoping to be relieved Okay, stop. Who am I kidding? That only will she make you suffer, she will blame but the grade seven spark was gone. of V-Day commitments."**’ argument is, even for the Panthea Institute of PMS as the reason for her bitchiness and deny I still think about her sometimes and wonder Yet what most failed to realize is that Over-analyzation, way too out there. What the fact that it had anything to do with your what could have been. She's the reason I get Valentine's Day is essential for the survival of a am I trying to prove? I might as well just come lack of romantic initiative on V-Day. But don't queasy every time I drive through New healthy society. The day doesn't get enough out and say it: Valentine's Day is great holiday, be fooled.

Hampshire on the ride up to Montreal. She's the credit—it is an unsung hero, one that protects dammit. Yes, it is neither modern nor hip to Yes, picking an arbitrary day of the year reason that There's Something About Mary gives us all against mentally unbalanced sociopaths. admit liking this pathetic excuse of a commer­ as the time to express your love for your signif­ me the creeps. And she's the reason I can't fall in Don't believe me? Read on. cial holiday, but I refuse to hide my feelings icant others is silly. And I agree, it is a poor love again.

Back in elementary school, Valentine's any longer. Now, for all you guys thanking excuse for not doing it the rest of the year. But Now some of you may be saying, "Siegel, Day was the one day where everybody got your lucky stars that you don't have a girlfriend for grade-school losers everywhere and for the that was almost a decade ago. Get over it, man." along. It was a day where kids everywhere like me—undoubtedly, many of them said survival of Hummer Week, boys, you might as But that's the problem with a guy like me: I'm a glue-sticked shoeboxes with all things frilly, something along the lines of "Oh, sweetie, it well suck it up. ■ hopeless romantic and my heart belongs to her. ■ S.J '

T

z x i-

o _i u 00

o_ X to

PRI M A T O L O G Y —So THANKS To VMSuVEfMOR I WILL Now THEREFORE Powers of Persuasion , l HAVE OBTAINED FROM THE DISPLAN THE SNLl ABOS TWWSPARENCI ON THE UM1VEBSTP) A SMAU_ OVERHEAD PROJECTOR allowance FoR utilisation OF SCHOOL ELEOTRIOTN Pop. THE NEXT No SECONDS,

BY S T E V E W A L D M A N

& TO N Y

ESTEV ES

c a m p u s SI L H O U E T T E

F in a lly , a

c lu b

w h ere

a ttr a c tiv e

p e o p le

c o n g re g a te

T h e M c G ill O u t d o o r s C l u b a p p e a l s t o r u g g e d , o u t d o o r s y t y p e s a n d t h o s e w h o d r o o l o v e r t h e m CAROLINE OLECHOWSKI

T

he McGill Outdoors Club may be one of the oldest clubs at McGill, but it sure isn't showing its age. Though MOC has been "gettiri outside” since 1936, it continues to lure many of our campus' finest adventure lovers—so much so that ELLE magazine once dubbed it one of the top places for women to meet attractive, available men. Pretty good publicity, but are the claims true? 'Partly true,” says club president Erin King, MA2 Linguistics. And the ladies aren't half bad either.”

While some might join purely for the possibility of meeting good-looking members of the opposite sex, the MOC is more than just an unconventional dating service. The club offers two or three trips a month, with activities ranging from ice climbing and hiking to canoeing and horseback riding. Some trips are instructional, such as the upcoming cross country ski school, while others cater to more experienced adventurers. One of the groups biggest trips, called "Freaks on .Planks," takes members downhill skiing, snow boarding, and telemarking—a style of downhill skiing where your heels are not attached to the skis. Trips are led by a membership made up of McGillians as well as other students and non-students from the Montreal area. t For those wishing to plan a more ambitious trip, the VUU MOC Adventure Grant offers members that chance. "We want to encourage people to take larger trips, to take the initiative to do out of the infamous McGill bubble could be the reason that many of the MOC's members are international or exchange students who something on their own and to be more adventurous, says King. would otherwise have few chances to experience the Canadian Proposals are due to the MOC Executive by mid-February and the wilderness.

11A . . winning trip will take place during Reading Week.

One such member is Doga Kerestecioalu, a UO Arts student Living in the downtown core of Montreal limits the types of near­ by ventures to activities like cross country skiing and cycling. To from Turkey, who points out another benefit of being an MOC mem­ ber: "The rental prices are ridiculously cheap!" The club rents gear for accommodate trips that require, well, wilderness of some sort, the MOC has its own house in the Laurentians where adventurers can activities including climbing, camping, and snow sports which means that members don't have to fork out tons of dough for their crash after a long day of rugged recreation. This opportunity to break

TRIBUNEPHOTOGRAPHER own equipment in order to participate.

This last feature of the club really underlines the spirit of the MOC: it aims to give anyone and everyone a chance to experience the great outdoors. King sums up the club in a nutshell. We re real ly just a focal point for people to come out, meet, and then go have a good time!" And really, if the people you meet just happen to be attractive and available, that can t hurt, can it?

The MOC meets Wednesday nights at 7:30pm. Check out www.ssmu.ca/moc for meeting locations and more informationM

!P r

i

c Construction on M osaique Soutbam has begun. Prices for this spectacular new cond om iniu m in th e heart o f th e Q uartier International will be rising along with the construction.

M AKE YO U R M O VE NOW W H IL E T H IS P R O M O T IO N L A S T S . D O N O T M IS S Y O U R O P P O R T U N IT Y

Owe ■ V

PRICES FROM THE LOW $200's TO THE $450's.

M:iV A V ,

SALES CENTER: Monday to Friday: 1 1 :0 0 to 1 8 :0 0 Saturday - Sunday: 1 2 :0 0 to 1 7 :0 0 1061 Rue Saint-Alexandre, Corner of la G auchetiere, QUARTIER INTERNAI IONAL t e l : ( 5 1 4 ) 3 9 7 - 0 0 0 2 fax: (5 1 4 )3 9 7 -9 0 7 0 www.MosaiqueSoutham.com Brokers welcome

GROUPE

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

PAC I

S ki L ift: 1

M an: 0

FUNNIER WHEN YOU SEE IT IN VIDEO.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

VIDEO

PHONES

»

RECORD

> > > > >

> SEND

Chat N' Send Bonus: Unlimited minutes and messages."

B e tte r p h o n e s f o r y o u r w o r ld . > > > > > >

> PLAY FR O M

$29 9 9On a 3-year term No Term- $269.99

Nokia3220 SonyEricsson2500 M otorolaV5S1

£

WIRELESS

ROGERS Y o u r W orld R ight N ow

GO TO ROGERS.COM, 1-800-462-4463, A ROGERS’" WIRELESS, ROGERS PLUS OR ROGERS VIDEO STORE FOR DETAILS

( j t ) R a d io S h a c k .

0

ROGERS 0

v id .o m « „ g i n9 If supported 6 , y o u , Phono. S o . i n - s t t c t o full b o m » * « . » > .

ROGERS

WIRELESS

« o g .„ W if e ly .

Battærim

ON TR É ALeSt. W 1104(5 St.M a8th rin 1t.4C )L 7u7er-0 0t9B 0 .

3573(5S a e 14)288-0n 600lvd.

2360(5N otre-D m .

83a-M 16ea6r6Siet.W P(5 la1c14e4))9 V ille 3 9 4 -0 0 0 0 8984del'AcadieBlvd. )re 38e7n-9e9A 9v 9e.

12(5 011144G (5 ) 9 3 3 -8 0 0 0 .

5150(5Je n3-T lo 1tr4a)o 4oa1lita -2n 2n2S1Bt.lvW 5954M e p d.E. (51S4t.)Ja 25c7q-8 6224A ue08s0206St.W .

(5 1 4 ) 3 6 9 -4 Ale x1is4)N o-9 n9P4la9za (5 8Bih 6o5u P la c e r a s s a (5la1c4e)V 324-3 180s P aille (5 1a4le )r3ie5e5srs-0 00n 3 Les(5 G d 'A 14)356-0356jou Roc1k4la n C e0n8tr6e 73d -4in 99(5 7St.)A n5to eW .

(5 1 4 ) 8 6 6 -3 3339(5 L1d4e)s6S8o3u-3 rc33e32s36Blvd.

275(5 8S4t.)C lesBlvd.

4h 2m 8ar-9 845(5711N ew an0000B00lvd.

4 ) 3 6 8 -4 Car(5 re1fo urA g2rig 8n 30non P4la)c3e6V e-4 rtu (5 1 4 ) 7 4 5 -0 7 4 5 2100(5 M 1a4r)ce8l-L 56a-1u8r8in4Blvd.

740(5C ô te -V e r tu B lvd.

1w 4)P 7o 8in 9-0te1-C 01la Fair(5 vie ire 1 4 ) 6 9 5 -1 5 5 4 Com es2ja8r8dins (5p 1le 4)x8e4D 2-0 BeO UCH V Prom e4s4E9R M oIL n9L ta8Erville (4n 5Ba0Rd )O -4 9D S S A R 5002(4T ascher-7 ea5u22Blvd.

M a55il00))C66h77a21m p3la0in (4 -3 0 P(4 la5c0e)6 Po rto b7e4llo 7 1 -4 4 C A N D IA C 87B-4Marie-VictorinBlvd.

(45À 0T )4A 4U 4-2 1A 00Y Gtis U 129SC t.(4H Je a)nE6-B a-2 p lvd.

5 0 9 2 2 0 1teaB CentreRégionalChâte uguay (4 5 0 )6 9 2 -5 1 3 6 O N D ILlv LE 9D 6R 5U S1M t.9)M Jo p hV d.

4D 7sre8u -9 9m 7B7o Promen(8 a d e s m ndville (81G 9A )T4I7N 5E-5 0 2 4 A U 442(H St.ullJodsis ep h tr ic3t)7B7lvd.

(8 1 9 ) 7 7 6 -4 360MaloneyBlvd.W ., Suite1 (8 6e3-8 58u0taouais Prome(8 na11d99e))s65d I'O 6 1 -3 0 3 1 575G BR oA ivN inBY Blvd.

(450)777-6612 H U LsLdeHull Les(8G ie 1La9Ele )P7rE 7R 5R -3O 6T87 Î 15D(5 on14Q u ic h-5 otte ) 4 2 5 5 05Blvd.

JO LsIE ToTrE 517St. C h a r le -B r o m .

(450)ie7s5Jo 5-5lie 00tte 0éeSt. N G (4a5le0rL )A 7V 6A 0-3 0 0 0 L esBlvd.

2142d (4es50L)a6u2r9en -6tid 060 379(4 C5u0r)é-L a b elle 622L-0 3a0l3Blvd.

C e n tre a v (4 )9a7r8tin -10B8lv 1d.W 1888(4 St.5500M )a6m 8s2o-2 6B 4lv 0d. .

24(4 1C S n 5 0 ) 9 6 9 -1 7 7 1 Ca5r0re)fo av l 8ua7rb -5L 8a6B 1273(4 u r)é66-L e23lle lvd.

(4C 5 0 8 0 -1 3 4 N G U EbU ILRd. 14(49L50O C h a m ly 0)4 4G 2O -1 A G5S6t.6W 221(8P1r9M in c4ip a-4 le )8 3 45Y5 .

EPdEu N T IG N 11(4 0R5In s tr ie l .

0)rie 65s7R -3iv6eB 6lv 6d LesG (4a5Rle 0O )S5E8M 1È -7R7E5-N 6ord P la5c0e)9R7o1s-2 em r0e (4 0è0O SA IN T-B RSU N Prom e n a d e s t.

B uno (4IN 50T)-E 6U 5S 3T -7A 4C 7H 2rE SA 360E A r th u r -S a u v é B (45T 0-H )9Y 74C -9IN 29T9HElvd.

A LesS G aIN lerie sSA t. H yacinthe (450)261-9991 SAIN Ta-JE Nu -SrU Ric -R IC HELIEU C r(4r5A e0fo R h )359-494e1lieu S A IN T -JÉ R Ô M E Ca(4 rre0fo u8N ord )u 4r36d-5 6(4055B er359S55t.

0)éla 43n1g-2 SALAB EeR RY-D E-VA LLEld YFIELD C (4n5tre 0)3V7a3lle -0y5fie 19 S H E R B R O O K E 2980KingSt.W .

9)u5r6d6e-5l'E 55s5trie Car(8re1fo (819S )O 8R 2E 2L -4650 Pro(4 m a7d4e6s-2 d0e7S9orel 5eR 0n)R ToE EB BO N NE 10 1270M o d y lv (4 0)s9d6e4Td 1e.,9r6rS4eubite LesGa(4 le55rie 0)964-8403 onne Rd O IS-R IV IÈ Slvd.

533T 5 g e0R s0EB (8 9ea)sn 3F7oX 2rX -5 0lv 563(8 511Je III B 9)372R -5iv 005d.

Ce(8 ntre 19)6L9es4-6 81iè2res

A

I

I O

Go VOTE on W ednesday, 16th and Thursday, 17th February a t: Leacock, Shatner (University Centre) and th e Redpath Library or, starting Tuesday 15th, vote online at

o v s .s s m u .m c g ill.c a F o r m o r e in fo r m a t io n o r q u e s t io n s , c o n t a c t E le c tio n s A U S a t e le c t io n s _ a u s @ h o t m a il.c o m

VP Finance

President

VP Finance

VP Finance

MynameisMichael Pinsky andIcomefromVancouver BC.ThereIsat astreasurer formyhigh-school andas treasurerfortheentire school district (of Vancouver) aswell. CurrentlyIsitastreasurer ontheReligiousStudiesUndergraduateSociety andamalsotheirrepresentativetoAUS. I'll do what ittakestomakenextyear great Vote experience! VoteMike!

HeyOhArts, I'mDonnyMacMillanand I'mrunningforVPFinance.

Inmythreeyearsat McGill I'veseenthepotential of theAUS, andIknowthat it canuseyourmoneyforyourbenefit! Iplanon increasingjournal fundingandexaminingcur­ rentexpensestomakesuretheyareserving youbest Ihaveplentyofexperienceforthe position: SSMUFinanceandOperations Committees, SnowAPManagerandmemberof SSPN. I'mrunningontheMore4ArtsSlate withLisa. AvoteforDonnyisavotetomake themostofyourstudentfees.

(A C C LA IM ED )

HeyHeyHeyArtsStudents!

MynameisAdrianAngus andnextyearIwill beyour VicePresident - Academic.

Iwill represent you- the students- totheFacultyof Artsandtothedepartments. ThiscomingyearI intendtoworkonkeyissuesconfrontingarts students. Iwill worktoimproveadvising, to improvethelibrarysystem,andget International DevelopmentStudies(IDS) recog­ nizedasadepartment! Ihopethat inthecom­ ingyeartomakesomepositivechangesto FacultyofArtsandbeanexcellentVP Academic. Justwatchme!

I'mexcitedaboutthe upcomingelectionsandthe possibilityof beingyour AUSpresident 2005-2006 isabigyearfortheAUS wehaveseveral contracts torenegotiateincludingtheonewithMolson. I planonseriouslyexaminingtheAUS' relation­ shipwithitsmembersandtheMcGill staff inan efforttoget all Artsstudentsthemost from theirstudents' society. Asthisyear'sArtsRep, SSPNCommissioner, andMcConnell Floor FellowIhaveplentyof experienceforthisposi­ tion. Inthewordsof PedroSanchez: "Votefor meandall ofyourwildestdreamswill come true."

H VP Communications

Atriptothebank, or why weshouldopenajoint bank account.

BecauseIwill havedone myresearch, andknowthe questionstoaskabout whatbest suits you...BecauseIwon'tforgetthe details...Becausewhilestandinginline111 makeadedicatedandcharismaticconversation partner...BecauseIcaneasilyaddressour bankerinFrenchandEnglish...Becausemy professionalism,associatedwiththreeyearsof accounting, budgeting, managingandadminis­ teringbigbudgetswill earnboththeirrespect andyours...Becausethrowingawaymoney bumsaholeinmypocketlikeitdoesin yours...Becauseyoucantrustme.

VP External Jacob Itzkowttz

IwanttobeVP Communicationssothat I caninformyouabout everythingthat'sgoingon inthefaculty. Iwillwork hardtoensuretheAUS functionsat itsstrongest capacitytoserveyou best ThisyearIwasresponsibleforcoordinat­ ingtheCharityfairfor Political Science; fundraisingfortheCanadianPolitical Science Student'sAssociationConference(CPSSA), and IwasalsoelectedasthenewCPSSApresident for2005-2006.1havetheexperience, andI'd lovetoputittowork. Givemetheopportunity toprovehowIcanbeanintegral part of AUS.

Arts Rep to SSMU H Jennifer O'Dell Ahh...l likecats. Ohwait! I likemorethingsthan that..l alsolikeCatch-22.

Yah, thatwasagoodbook.

Ireallylikestudent politics.

1Yah, yahIknow*yawn*. I onlygotahundredwordssohere'samontage of mylife. Enjoy: Ultimate, highschool (ya!) prez. SuddenlyShakespeare, “communication", S.O.U.L'01, theHumaneSociety, Radiohead, Improv, president again(rez) (ya!). Debate Judge, McMUNpaging, poster: Tiananmen Square, 24hrplay, l*Create, WorldReligion 207, ThePhiladelphia, Ireland, YorkRegion Presidents' Council, I.M.PAC.T'03, HtotheL, yahwhat?Alrightfolks, happyvoting. Enjoy life. Enjoycats.

What UpArts, Haveyoueverfeltoutof theloopwiththegoingson oftheAUS? I'msureyou have, becauseinall hon­ estysohaveI. Artsisthe best facultyat McGill, andtheAUShasthe greatest potential ofanyundergraduatesociety.

IfelectedasVPcommunications, Ipromiseto keepyou, thestudentsinformedabout theins andoutsofyourAUS. I'vehadplentyof expe­ riencedealingwithbothstudentsandfaculty duringmytimeasaMcConnell FloorFellow.

I'mrunningwithDonnyasaMore4Artscandi­ date.

Arts Rep to SSMU H

IwanttobeVPExternal to serveyou. Artsstudents, as yourrepresentativetothe McGill Community.

WhetheronSSMUcouncil, Facultyof ArtsCommittee, orwithother Faculties, Iwillworkhardtopas­ sionatelyandstronglyrepresenttheopinions andneedsof Artsstudents. Ihaveexperience representingResidence&Artsstudentsonthe Inter-Residence&UniversityResidencecoun­ cils, theFacultyofArtsCommittee, andthe CommitteeonUndergraduateStudent Advising, aswell aspresentingtotheDMAC. Lookat what I’vedone, imaginewhat 111dofor younextyear, andpleasevoteJakeItzkowitz forAUS

VP External

IamaSWMseekinga rewardingpositioninthe AUSasVPExternal. A Gemini, Ienjoypuppies, cuddling, andlongwalks onthebeach. Inmyfirst yearat McGill Ihavefoundthatverylittlegets donearoundhereunlessyoutakesomeinitia­ tiveandmakethingshappen. I'vegrowntired oftakingonthisbureaucraticmachinefromthe sidelines. IamrunningforVPExternal inthe hopesofbetter connectingArtsStudentstothe greaterMcGill communityandtothecityof Montreal. PlusI'mliketheonlyguyatschool whohasamustache.

Iwanttobeyourrepresen­ tativetoSSMUasIam committedtorepresenting you, theartsstudent This year, Ihavebeenserving asVPCommunicationson theInter-residenceCouncil «idworkingasa liaisonbetweenRezkidsandthepeoplewho makethedecisionsthateffecttheirlives. Iwant tocontinueinthiscapacitynextyear, onalarg­ erscale, asamouthpieceforartsstudents, to transferwhatyouwant intowhathappensin ourfaculty. Keepthat inmind, andvoteKay TurnerforAUSreptoSSMU.

VP Internal (A C C LA IM ED )

Max Silverman MaxisafirstyearArtsstu­ dentfromToronto. Inthe lastfederal election, Max wastheyoungestcandidate inthecountryrunningfor theNDPinhishomeriding of Eglinton-Lawrence. Maxisastrongbeliever ineducationasahumanright andwantsto seetheSSMUdoingmoretostanduptofund­ ingcutsfromtheCharest government Max bringswithhimadministrative, campaignand activistexperiencefrom2federal, 1provincial, and2municipal electionsaswell asfromthe NGOsandhumanrightsgroupshehasworked with.

Arts Rep to SSMU

Michael Dineen

Arts Rep to SSMU

Corey Shefman ArtsStudentsUnite! Artsif thebiggest andbest faculty at McGill andbecauseof thatweneedtomakesure thatwehavestrongrepre­ sentationonSSMU Council. Electmeasyourrepresentativeto SSMUandstrongrepresentativeisexactlywhat you11get Ifelected, Iwill nothesitatetofight fortheinterestsofArtsUndergrads. Iwill make surethat SSMUspendsOURmoneyonwhat WEwant andIwill worktomakeSSMUmore accessibletoall McGill Undergrads. Most importantly, Iwill listentowhatYOUwant and makesurethatYOURvoiceis

Also, Iwon't embezzlemuch!

Hey, I'mChris, afirst-year currentlystudyinghistory andpolitical science. Iwas electedpresident of First YearCommitteeofCouncil (FYCQ,andcurrentlyserve as FirstYearCouncilloronSSMUCouncil. If elected, IwillworkhardonSSMUCouncil like I'mcurrentlyworkinghardformyfellowfirst years. Formoreinformation, pleasevisit www.artsrepsmcgill.tk

Katie Schaeffers U2Political Science. Vice Presidentof McGill Dance Pak. SNOWAPManager.

D.U.S.T.E.D.Coordinator.

Froshleader2003.0-Staff Throughmyinvolve­ à ’ i 2004. ment inplanningthese events, Ihavegainedvaluableexperience workingwiththepreviousVPInternal and otherstudent groupsoncampus. AsyourVP Internal, Iwanttobringthisexperiencetogeth­ erwithmyownoriginalityandcreativityto planagreat Frosh, gradball, andotherevents forArts!

Tliefollowingam endm entswerepassedbytheArtsUndergraduateSocietyCouncil andwill bebrought to referenda duringtheelectionperiod:

Whereas the number of Arts Senators and Representatives to SSMU Council has changed.

D oyouagreetotheproposedconstitutional am endm entstothecurrent C onstitutionoftheA rtsU ndergraduateS ocietyof M cG ill U niversity?*

Whereas B.A. & Sc Students are already represented to Council through Department Associations,

Whereas all other changes to the Constitution are clarifications that reflect current practices,

* Both copies of the current and the revised constitution will be available at staffed poll stations. For an advanced copy, go to the AUS website at wywv.ausmcgill.com/docs.php under "Jan. 25, Proposed Constitutional Amendments", or to the AUS office in the basement of Leacock Building, Room B12.

Whereas the First-Year Committee of SSMU Council has not created a position of Arts Representative.

Voting on this referendum question will be held February 16th & 17th, or, vote online starting from Tuesday the 15th

Whereas total bilingualism has not been the practice of AUS for the last several years,

For fu rth e r questions o r in form a tion, contact ElectionsAUS at elections_aus@ hotm ail.com

T h e r e 's m o r e t o u n iv e r s it y t h a n M c G ill W e

g e t w h a t w e LISETREUTLER

g iv e !

m a k in g

th e

m o s t o f in te lle c tu a l g r o w th

should.

Attending university is not simply "the next step." ever offend people with style when you can offend Students are here, hopefully, with goals of graduating with them with substance," advises jazz musician Sam more than they matriculated with—and not just a fancy Brown. If students, the ones with supposedly unlimit­ piece of paper. A degree is an excellent addition to anyed access to knowledge, take this quotation and direct ones it at CV, but what students should really be demanding themselves, then Brown's words become the most brilliant from their time at McGill is the chance to understand and ever spoken. While it is entirely acceptable to look your be able to use their cognitive skills in the most efficient and absolute best for a night on the town when you know you effective ways possible.

"It definitely depends on what students choose to do will bump into your very recent ex—and would love to see a jaw smash down to the floor—how effective is flaunting outside of McGill as well as in," sàys U1 IDS/Religious your physical assets in any other situation? Your best Studies student Kiran Sunar, when asked whether this aca­ demic institution aims to produce one kind of "smart." weapon is actually the lump of grey matter inside your skull.

Brain, meet self—combine your amassed knowledge on "There's a lot of choice within the university, and a lot more everything from The Simpsons trivia to quantum physics with in Montreal, to find things that appeal to you." She empha­ a little bit of when-and^vhere etiquette, and you will have a sizes taking advantage of the choices offered, both on and off campus: "I like the fact that I can attend a spoken word power greater than that of France's Foreign Legion.

Before you think, however, question: what is intelli­ event one night, a bar with $5 pitchers the next, and a gence? What is this "substance" Sam Brown speaks of? protest for keeping students' tuition low the day after."

That is the ultimate truth about university life: what you How can you use your brainpower correctly? Though there is an obvious distinction between lighting your living room get out of it correlates to what you put in, and where you on fire and singing "I am so smart! S-M-R-T!" à la Homer Jay put it. Many a disillusioned student has questioned the value Simpson, and engaging in a compelling debate on the sig­ of churning out paper after paper and of learning to dissect the wording of tricky multiple choice questions. Though it is nificance of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, the matrix of your own intelligence is not one with an easy- undeniable that they are learning, there comes a point in almost every undergraduates career when the value ques­ to-navigate map. tion takes over. Is any of the information in our course-packs valuable beyond the final exam?

The point of academics is...

"Importance, in the academic world, seems very illuso­ It's easy enough for students to order a copy of Shakespeare's Insults: Educating Your Wit off Amazon.ca ry, comments Sunar. "What does Foucault really have to and bewilder their intellectual opponents with quotations do with the real world? From an arts perspective, [academ­ from-Hamlet, yet understanding the true nature of our intel­ ic intelligence] is about delving deeper into this world; it's lectual capacity is far more difficult. Have you ever won­ the analysis of it."

This interpretation of post-secondary education is a dered if that B+ on your term paper is a true reflection of common one. Unless you are in a program directly related your abilities? When choosing your classes each semester, do you question which topics and professors will best to a future career—many of which are offered through tech­ encourage you to develop your intellectual skills? If not, you nical colleges rather than universities—what you learn is not

N

likely to surface in your day-to-day life after graduation.

Lately, more and more universities seem to be realizing that the theoretical nature of a university education will not nec­ essarily translate into real-world smarts. So instead of arbi­ trarily choosing a major right away—or ever—students at a variety of schools are able to dabble in nearly all areas of the arts curricula.

For first year students, Canadians have long been familiar with the Foundation Year Program at King's College in Halifax or Arts One at the University of British Columbia.

Under the direction of Associate Dean of Arts John Galaty, McGill has recently approved a similar first-year program entitled "Making Modernities," a program that introduces students to the humanities, with a special emphasis on clas­ sical civilizations. The consensus among academic staff and students appears to be that if you're going to learn for the sake of learning and broadening your horizons, why not keep them as broad as possible?

Education combination This is not to say that a university education is essen­ tially useless after graduation. Students, aside from the wide variety of information offered to them, are taught discipline in time management, and lessons on how to deal with situ­ ations—academic or interpersonal—in which they'd rather not partake. However, if they wish to make the most of their academic years, they must look beyond their campuses and delve into the "real world" piece by piece. Learning the legalities of signing a lease and how to balance your books—yes, we adults should be past the "allowance years"—are just as important, if not more so, than the grades received on midterms.

How many of McGill's student services—Mental Health, CAPS, and others—advise students to take advan­ tage of life outside the "bubble?" How often do students hear the merits of taking on a part-time job, of getting involed with extracurricular activities, of expanding their cultur-

th e mcgill tribune | 1 5 .2 .0 5 |feature 1 5

P la y in g w ith a

fu ll d e c k

information. Recent research has linked high intelligence with a bigger volume of grey matter in several parts of the ne of the biggest obstacles to brain. It seems that what one is good at figuring out the roots of intelli­ is related to the pattern of brain areas in gence is figuring out its nature. which the individual has more neurons.

No longer a mere score on a standard­ Not surprisingly, this pattern of smartness ized test, intelligence now means more is, to a large degree, inherited. The way than just one's ability to understand Al's one's brain develops has a lot to do with theory of relativity. Research has shown genetics, which backs up evidence from that there are many kinds of intelligence, studies performed on twins. When the from musical aptitude to language abili­ IQs of separatel^raised identical twins, ties to mathematical skills. The revised who have exactly the same genes, are definition claims that intelligence is a compared, they tend to be about 76 measure of one's ability and speed in per cent similar. So yes, you can blame various kinds of problem solving, rea­ your parents if you're failing stats. soning, and other useful aptitudes. { * ‘ PLEASE PROVIDE SOURCE FOR Back in the day, the theory of intel­ THESE STATS!!***} ligence was pretty simplistic: humans Genes, however, aren't the whole are bigger than animals, and smarter story. Fraternal twins, those who share than animals, so brainpower must be the same number of genes as normal linked to brain size—or, to avoid giving siblings, have IQs more similar to each elephants genius status, the weight of other than to their brothers and sisters. the brain compared to the body. This This is probably because they're treated worked, to a point: human brains aver­ more similarly than non-twin siblings. age one-fortieth of body weight, which Environment is most important early in is more than most animals. However, life, when connections formed in the humans also get severely beaten by the brain can be encouraged and strength­ brilliance of small birds, whose brains ened by surroundings that give opportu­ can be up to one-twelfth of their total nities for problem solving and learning weight. A nice big hint was given by skills. looking at Einstein's brain. The brain that The bottom line? No one really came up with “E=MC^'' weighed about knows exactly what produces intelli­ the same as everyone else's, but the gence. It's safe to bet-that it's a combina­ upper back part was indeed larger than tion of nature and nurture: your genes average. This part of the brain, called give you what you have to work with, the posterior parietal lobe, is involved in and your environment determines what integrating and interpreting sensory you do with it. ■ MELISSA PRICE

O

- a

I

PHOTOS BYIWONA LINK

CELEB P RO W L If y o u ' r e s e x y a n d .—

Put the "A" back As witty and loaded as The Simpsons may be, surely stu­ dents do not want to end up proclaiming how "S-M-R-T" they are post-graduation. They must take advantage of the endless opportunities at their feet. To follow the increasingly popular liberal arts philosophy, aim for diversity. If you re a Science student, try more artistic extracurricular activities. Get a job, now, and start padding that CV to avoid the pre-graduation panic attack. Discuss philosophy with your Chemistry major friend, or don't run when that poli sci student you met in frosh tracks you down to discuss world affairs. A major can always be changed to suit your interests, so why not give it all a try?

Intelligence is no longer a vertical scale. Today, intelli­ gence is horizontal, reminiscent of the Renaissance when learning was a constant process. Albert Einstein reminds us that "education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." In other words, we should meas. ure our intelligence by our ability to keep learning, because in five or 10 years, we probably won't even remember what "CGPA" stands for. ■

■

Æ

/

know

it...

L to beU™,. «(,illr-i ti toko /icol Ru t \Awork, /nrk riskv vestments, anand t an education at riskyin investments, h, beautiful!

Oh, bevA wise!

But to be both—therein lies a true chal­ University of Pennsylvania's prestigious lenge. Indeed, God-given gifts in one Wharton School of Business. department must surely be compensated byAnn Coulter: This deranged blonde is lacking gifst in another, and intelligence and sexy in a very twisted way. Her outrageously right-wing comments and ideals have shocked sex appeal, two much sought-after qualities, often seem inherently immiscible. After all, the us to the very core. There is, however, a cer­ combination of attractiveness in both mental tain je ne sais quoi about someone so outspo­ ken and pigheaded, especially when it's a and physical capacities can be intimidating; and yet, McGill campus boasts many cases of woman. It's amazing that she can spew out those who have been blessed with both—after such filth, and still seem like the Paris Hilton of all, the school is renowned for its hot girls, who a generation past.

Hugh Hefner: The original Playboy him­ undoubtedly had to have some academic merit to be accepted. The world of celebrities self. He took hot women with an affinity for and public figures, however, also provides nudity and exploited them for his self-made many examples of this elusive breed of individ­ empire. Hef has almost single-handedly rede­ fined sexual openness and revolutionized the uals both sexy and smart.

Bill Clinton: Not only moms and 21 -year- world of men's magazines. What's more, he old interns with bad hair thought that this for­ has got himself a lot in Westwood, California, mer president of the United States, with his beside the ultimate Playgirl herself, the one smooth talk and symmetrical face, was the ulti­ who started it all, Marilyn Monroe.

Other beauties with brains... Kate mate charmer. Yale Law graduate and Rhodes Scholar are only minor achievements when Bosworth... accepted at Princeton • Natalie compared to the title of leader of the free Portman... just graduated from Harvard • Will Smith... turned down a scholarship at MIT to world. Power like that is oh so irresistible.

Hedy Lamarr: Famous for saying "Any pursue his acting career • Matt Damon... still woman can be glamorous, all you have to do has his degree at Harvard on hold • Pis stand still and look stupid," this forties silver Diddy... he's got the bling, but it definitely took screen siren did more than entertain World some intelligence on this rapper's part to make War II soldiers with movies like Samson and it to where he is today • Brooke Shields... first Delilah. Lamarr also had the ingenious idea of there were Guess ads, then there was using a hopping radio frequency pattern, to Princeton • Isaac Newton... he extended the binomial theorem, invented Calculus, discov­ guide torpedoes to their intended target.

Donald Trump: To the naked eye, all that ered gravity, and still had enough spare time is visible is a bad comb-over. But there must be left over to prove that white light is made up of . something there we can't see, because Mr. all colours. Then he celebrated his 25th birth­ Trump has had more than his fair share of day • Julia Stiles... studying English literature beauties over the years. Perhaps it was his at Columbia. How fitting considering her scent—the pungent stench of money—that devotion to the Shakespeare-goes-toattracted them. No matter what the reason, it's Hollywood genre. evident that Donald is more than just a pretty —Lara Bekhazi face—chalk his success up to years of hard

O

al horizons beyond Café Campus and Le Swimming? To quote education philosopher John Dewey, "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. At McGill, stu­ dents are lucky enough to take advantage not only of an intense academic experience, where they are free to choose what to learn and when to learn it, but of a city offering an endless variety of enrichments.

With Montreal now Canada's second largest city, the question remains: does attending McGill make students "street smart?" The cultural opportunities are endless, from open-mic nights to art galleries to small theatres just waiting for you to attend a performance or even audition. Students must not limit themselves to the lecture hall—to do so would be cheating themselves. Only by combining what is learned in class with day-to-day experiences can students emerge in caps and gowns truly fulfilled.

you

a & e

V b n c o u v e r

S o u th

o f

O

Frand&le* ■

♦ Wî

rovence has always been a frequent Havel destination for European and North American I travellers alike, but tourism has been veritably boom­ ing since the region was immortalized by Peter Mayle's books. The South ■ >. ; of France provides one of the most hospitable climates to travellers (out­ side of June and July, when outdoor temperatures can easily rise above 4 0 degrees Celsius) and scores of quaint, picturesque villages where the sun shines daily without failure. Almost all the buildings, houses, and hotels in the region date back hundreds of years, with a rich history accompanying every tiny town in the region. The rural charm of Ollières, Rians, Jouques, and St. Maximin is unforgettable and a pleasure to explore, while larger cities such as Nice, Marseille, and the absolutely sublime Aix-en-Provence, provide a little excitement for the restless. Visit St-Maximin's infa­ mous Chateau d'lf, the tomb of Mary Magdalene, take a swim in the Mediterranean, dine in some of the finest yet unassuming French restaurants in the country, and discos er a vast array of locally bottled wines available for under five euros—all this in less than a week and 1,000 km of mileage. If you're an avid linguist, practice your French! fife just doesn't get any sweeter.

R e f p tÿ r ^*,»

-B e n Lemieux

kay, so maybe Vancouver isn't the ideal winter travel des­ tination, but as long as you can handle a little rain, you'll be just fine there. Whatever time of year, Vancouver pro­ vides access to three amenities that are available together in very few places: water, mountains, and a budding downtown core.

Right now, the Van is one of the fastest growing cities in North America, partly because of the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2 010. The enormous slopes of Whistler/Blackcomb pro­ vide great skiing conditions; Stanley Park and its surround­ ing areas offer an ideal location for mid-afternoon strolls along the bay; Grouse Mountain is the place for more treacherous—and potentially deadly—hikes. And any time you get bored, just sit along the shore, and .. ■■■ i . enjoy a breathtaking view of the snowcapped mountains aligning the Pacific Ocean —try to ignore the fog. If nothing else, Vancouver's mild winter temperatures are an excellent way to escape the minus 30 degree weather we regular­ ly experience in Montreal. You can't beat that with a stick.

—Daniel Chodos Top-5 Student Travel spots according to Voyages Campus...

1. London, England

w e 'v e b e e n ! p lan s. W h e th e r y ou w a n t t o v e n tu r e n e a r o r far, t h e T ribun e is you r o n e - s t o p s h o p fo r fa st m in u te spring b r e a k d e stin a tio n s. E v en if y ou r b u d g e t d o e s n o t p e rm it v en tu rin g a w a y fro m o u r fair city, c o n ­ sid e r o u r titillating v o y a g e r e c o m m e n d a t io n s w h e n b rain sto rm in g for p o te n tia l su m m e r ex cu rsio n s, o n c e all this silly s c h o o l stuff is o v e r a n d d o n e with for t h e y e a r. (Try t o g iv e y ou rself m o r e th a n a w e e k

;;; •*

S y d n e y

.

I hold tightly to my belief ■ Hay market, that you can't visit a where you can easily walk—or ride— new city without learn­ to any attraction. Don't be afraid to live ing its subway system. My deter­ like a local! Take the South Line to Circular mination to do so has exhausted— Quay and explore the markets, the famed and subsequently impressed—my moth­ Opera House, and the Botanical Gardens. er, ’who has followed me on my quests to The sense of accomplishment from being able better understand public transport from to get from your hotel, through your day, and Vancouver to Sydney, Australia. While the chal­ back by yourself will more than match the thrill lenge of learning a new transit system usually brings of being in the spirited "land down under." If you to mind London or New York, Sydney, with a complex restrict yourself to tours and hotel packages, will London-inspired suburban rail network complemented you leave actually knowing Sydney? Instead, drop by the beauty of a tropical destination, is one of the best by a friendly didgeridoo retailer and get a quick les­ places to perfect the technique. A plane ticket to son—you will leave with rather humbled lungs, but Australia doesn't come cheap, but the spirited country quite a story to tell. Begin to know your opals. And to across the world is one of McGill's most popular up your skill, don't leave without expanding your transit exchange choices for mahy reasons. With endless skills by taking the ferry to the beautiful beaches of sun, endless sights, and a gorgeous accent, how Manly. could a holiday get any better?

Yes, your travelling companions may hate you at Not sure where to stay? first, but once they realize that you really don't need a Whether hotel or hostel, Aim for map, they will be forever indebted, and far happi­ a central area, such as King's er for having gotten acquainted with the city Cross, the Rocks, or they've visited.

—Lise Treutler

I

O h , t h e p la c e s

n e v e r t o o l a t e t o m a k e you r r e a d in g w e e k tra v e l

*

2. New Zealand / Australia 3. Vancouver 4. Mexico 5. Brazil

,

N o t in to a d v a n c e p la n n in g , e h ? Tisk tisk. Weil, it's

\

to p la n your trip n e x t tim e, b u d d y b o y !)

HANDS

OFF

THE

C A N V A S S c o ffin g

a d v ic e

fo r th e

lo v e lo r n LAURA SABA

D

ear Bitter and Lonely in Berkeley, I'm sorry to hear that they should respect each other, and you decide your guy has you just spent Valentine's Day eating seven pints of no respect for you because he bought you carnations instead cookie dough ice-cream while indulging in a hate- of roses. You seem to have forgotten that Dr. Phil's couple was every-manyou-know marathon, but don't worry, you're noton thethe show because they kept verbally abusing each other. only one. This Valentine's Day alone, I have received more Books such as he's just not that into you by Greg than 5 0 0 letters from languishing individuals, all blaming their Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo purport to help you understand men loneliness on the contemptible men they have been dating better. They tell you that most of the men you have been dat­ and asking me where they can find men who are worthy of ing have been shamefully undeserving of you, either because them. they are too blind to see all you have to offer, or because they Now, I hate to tell you this, but it's partly your fault. are only after one thing.

Perhaps not so much your fault as the fault of what you've "There are some wonderful men out there," they assure been reading, watching, and listening, but you are at least you. "You're just with the wrong guy." half-responsible nonetheless.

"Hold out for the man that wants to spend the rest of his We are in the midst of a "you deserve better" culture, life with you," they scream. and you seem to have fallen victim to its false promises. . And each time you turn the page, you are told what an It's hard not to—you watch Oprah interviewJulia Roberts, amazing woman you are, and how much more you deserve who tells millions of viewers how perfect her cameraman hus­ from a man. band is, and you decide: that's the kind of man I want. Of Howéver, the end result is not, as they promise, that you course, during the 40-minute interview, Ms. Roberts neglects find the perfect guy—you know, the one who calls you five to mention all the silly little fights she has with him on a daily times a day just to say "hi," does something romantic every basis. Silly fights over which you dump the men you date. day, eventually asks you to marry him and have his beautiful You watch Dr. Phil, who tells a young newly-wed couple blue-eyed babies, etc.

Instead, you end up breaking up with a perfectly good man in the earliest stages of a relationship because he did not write a sonnet in honour of your twoand-a-half week anniver­ sary.

In no way have these books been written to help you.

They are there to feed off your low level of self-esteem, give false senses of self-worth, and, most of all, to sell millions of copies. If I told you the reason you were single was because everybody was too much of an asshole for you, you'd buy my words, too.

Let all these silly notions go, and you might just find your­ self in a lasting relationship.

Remember, if your guy doesn't sleep with some slut he found outside a club, he's doing a commendable job of fight­ ing his instincts. Cut him some slack, because he's never going to be [insert generic perfect guy from the movies here].

So here's my advice—burn those books, cancel your cable, end your Blockbuster membership, and learn not to expect men to do these ridiculous things.

It's not settling. It's accepting that the perfect men are usu­ ally fictional. After all, you really do deserve better than all those extra calories. ■

th e mcgill tribune j 1 5 .2 .0 5 |a&e ] 7 O h , th e

p ia c e s

w e 'v e

a ls o

b e e n .,.

PREVI EWS

H ittin g

th e

s lo p e s

s tu d e n t

o n

MUSIC. Masta Ace—Foufounes Electriques— 87 rue Ste-Catherine E. —February 22. In the game for over 15 years, Masta Ace has released a slew of critically acclaimed, underachieving albums that feature tight, intelligent rhymes and top notch pro­ duction. Ace's witty and sophisticated lyrics have been reflecting "consciousness" since before Talib Kwali knew what the word meant. Billed as his Final Tour, Masta Ace will be rollin' into Foufounes Electroniques on February 22, with local emcees and deejays opening up the show.

a

b u d g e t

FESTIVAL. Montreal High Lights Festival—vari­ ous venues—February 17 to 27. Feeling sleepless at times, penniless most of the time? The Montreal High Light Festival's main event will run the night of Saturday February 2 6 till the wee hours of Sunday February 27: an all-nighter composed of over 7 0 activities, 5 0 of which will be free. Gallavant around in the breezy outdoors, the smoky dance clubs, and the chic galleries. There will also be a free shuttle service from 8pm until 6am operating every 10 minutes. You can choose to either dance the night away to the exotic beats of Brazil or tap your feet to the rhythmic beats of jazz. Also, join Globesonic deejays for a free dance party at Club Soda. Visit www.montrealenlumiere.com for the complete schedule.

tWONAUNK you rèturn. To keep your fun cheap, experience the best of Killington by arriving on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

Packages start at US$71 per person, per night, and include nstead of sleeping away your Reading Week, why not three nights and three days' lift tickets. Countless other deals take a skiing or snowboarding road trip. We Montrealers are offered depending on group size and arrival date—but are privy to some of the top mountain resorts in all direc­ head down now, lest the recent warm weather force the tions. Here are a few with student-friendly packages to resort to back away on their advertised deals' lasting until explore.

Mont Tremblant. It's a short drive from Montreal, and a great April.

Driving directions: take Highway 10 east to Highway place to ski and party. The small village at the mountain's foot 35 south. Exit at Route 133 south, and follow to Interstate 89 gives the resort a true winter atmosphere. Depending on your south. Exit Interstate 89 at exit 3 in Bethel, VT and follow VT schedule, you can ski for $55 a day, or get a package 107 west to VT 100 south to Killington. including lodging for 2 nights, 2 days of skiing, breakfast Vail. For those of you who have a little more money to spend and lunch, a free guided tour of the mountain, free parking, over the break and want to venture somewhere other than and discounts on other selected activities for $89.

Whistler—because everyone will be there—check out Vail, Driving directions: take autoroute 15 north to SainteCO. Vail, ranked for three years straight as the top ski resort Agathe. After Sainte-Agathe, the 15 merges with 1 17. in North America, is located in the Rocky Mountains chain.

Continue on the 117 north past Saint-Jovite. Take exit 1 19 Known for its size, Vail has 5 ,2 8 9 acres of terrain with an (Montée Ryan) to Chemin Duplessis, and follow signs for average of 2-4 skiers per acre. Though tickets are US$77 a Tremblant Resort. day, with this much space to play with, seasoned skiers will Killington. Only three and a half hours from Montreal, definitely get their money's worth.

Killington is great for enjoying the beauty of Vermont plus, Driving directions: get yo' ass on a plane! ■ you can brag about your border-crossing adventure when CATHERINE LEMERY

I

FESTIVAL. Les rendez-vous du cinéma québé­ cois—various venues—February 17 to 27. Stuck in Montreal for reading week? Not to worry: the 23rd annual Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois has you covered, offering a myriad of cultural options. In addition to being a showcase of French film and video projection from around the Belle Province, the festival, founded in 1982, brings together the com­ munity with artists that inspire and entertain.

Beginning in 2 0 0 3 , the organizers incorporated La Tournée des Rendez-vous, which challenges resi­ dents in even the most disparate areas of Quebec to compete in dozens of different cinematic genres.

Among the stars at the festival is Roy Dupuis, who you might have seen on, well, every poster for French films, including the acclaimed Les Invasions Barbares. Check out the web site at www.rvcq.com for details.

THEATRE. Danny King o f the Basement—D.B. Clarke Theatre—455 rue de Maisonneuve O .— February 18 to 27, various showtimes. Child pover­ ty is no laughing matter... but that doesn't mean a playwright can't see its bright side. Danny King of the Basement tells the story of Danny, a poor child who has moved eight times in the last two years, but always maintains his enthusiasm and his smile.

Now living on downtrodden Clinton Street, Danny rallies his newest friends to focus on what they have, not what they lack. Presented by Concordia University's D.B. Clarke Theatre, which is locally renowned for its high quality performances for young and old, Danny King of the Basement was recognized by the National Anti-Poverty Organiztion for its eloquent portrayal of child pover­ ty. Call 848-4742 for tickets.

W h e re n o t to s p e n d y o u r R e a d in g W e e k MIKE DINEEN

A

Couch in Shatner. You wake up, not knowing where you are, but something is eerily famil­ iar. Then, in a moment of panic, you realize: you're stuck on campus and your bladder aches, but you risk losing your prime real estate of blue, velvety softness.

Hide your tears—it's time to wipe off that drool, roll over, and make the most of it.

The city of Winnipeg. In case you thought "Armpit of Canada" was an affectionate term..

The state of New Jersey. See above, but replace "Canada" with "America" and rethink your travel plans.

An Ashiee Simpson concert. No, no, no. Instead, have your younger sister dress up and lip synch to the wench's album. She's probably better-looking, anyway.

T rav el A q u a tic DEVIN M O N TG O M E R Y ccammodation is often the most expensive and problematic part of travelling. Though there are / \ways to get around this ordeal, booking hostels or hotels in advance often takes the spontaneity out of your trip. The solution? Bring your accommodations with you.

I was introduced to sailing at infancy, and took my first trip on a "house boat" when I was five years old. Ever since then, my family has enjoyed the experience of travel­ ling by sea. Among other things, living on a boat cute the cost of eating, as you can buy groceries at the local KwikA

(

FILM. Onk-Bak: The Thai Warrior—now play­ ing at various theatres. Move over, Bruce Lee there's a new martial arts king in town. Tony Jaa plays Ting, a Thai kickboxer who seeks revenge on a group of thieves who steal his town's local stone idol, Ong-Bak. But here's the real kicker: there is not a single special effect or stunt man in this film. Hot on the heels of more traditional martial arts flicks as Hero and House o f Flying Daggers, Onk-Bak is a refreshing take on the genre. Director Prachya Pinkaew tries to depict not only severely impressive Muay Thai kick boxing moves, but also incorpo­ rates a humorous element in his film, as martial arts meets backyard wrestling in this all-out, bloody mess of a movie.

Third Circle of Hell. Activities include lying facedown in mud whilst being besieged by snow, hail, and dirty water. Rumoured to be unpleasant this time of year. Also see: "NewJersey."

A "Friendly" Stranger's Van. No matter how enticing his offers of candy may be, at how poor you may be, avoid this transportation method at all costs. Unless, of course, you like being trapped in a basement for a week without food or water, forced to bathe in \bseline. ■

CREDITS: spitkickers.com; montrealenlumiere.com; rvcq.com; napcronap.ca; hour.ca E-Mart and cook on the boat.

The Caribbean is a prime sailing locale for first-timers, as it lends itself to short distances between destinations, and provides great beaches. If you are planning to find non-tourist style areas, sailing is the best way to discover relatively deserted beaches and true Carib culture. A per­ sonal recommendation is to head to St Vincent, the capi­ tal island to The Grenadines Yacht charter companies Barefoot Yacht and Moorings are two of the best known largescale sailing options out there. Just south of St. Vincent there is Bequia, then Mustique, and the Tobago Cays, three of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, untapped by the general tourist population. ■

C a n c e r

S u p p o r t G r o u p s

cancer.sodety@mcgill.ca

18

a&e I 1 5 .2 .0 5 |th e mcgill tribune

€>

g ^ )a ra d e

o e tr y

T h e

q u e s t fo r

m e ta p h o rs

U p c o m in g

R o y a l l y Ir is h

V a liu m to

k eep

la u n c h

a im s

p o e t r y o liv e

T h in k j u s t a n y o n e can

b e

Q u een ?

JAMES GROHSGAL

KATHERINE FUGLER

LISETREUTLER

ures—save for Miss Vicky of potato chip fame. The candi­ dates themselves, dubbed “Colleens” for the night, were obviously motivated by community involvement rather than money or fame. No prospective American Idol ever pro­ fessed a desire to be a teacher—here, many of the contest­ ants emphasized their goals in child education. minutes To an outsider, the competition itself can appear a little hokey: there's no food, only expensive drinks, and the enter­ tainment highlight of the evening amounts to ogling the legs of preteen highland dancers. But for the families that sat cheering their daughters, sisters, cousins, and friends on for hours, or the singers who crooned at least three versions of “Danny Boy," it's an annual event to mark down on every new calendar.

This year's Irish Queen—and winner of a trip to Ireland—is 19-year-old Stephanie Glezos, a Concordia stu­ dent. Her court is made up of four princesses, three of whom are or have been McGill students. Tara Taylor is a recent graduate, while Sarah Evangelista and Amanda JeanScullion are both current students. The last princess, Dominique McGovern-Lefebvre, is just 18 and is still attend­ ing CÉGEP. Wondering what comes next? Before heading to the bars on St. Paddy's Day, attend the parade and see the Irish community's spirit in action.

G

S

o much of today's literary world is devoted to prose, whether in short story or novel form, that we seem to forget about the existence of poetry outside of classical British poets and Shakespearean sonnets. It's com­ mon to overhear students recommend VALLUMAAAG.COM new works of fiction to each other while meandering across campus; coffeehouses of popular imagery. If so why do we rarely hear of new poets many of us fear opening a poetry col­ breaking ground on the literary scene? lection, be it published by a single Vallum, a Montreal-based biannu­ author or an anthology, simply al journal devoted to "contemporary because there is no consistent plot to poetry," continues its missions to follow or to keep the pages turning out explore and debate this dilemma on of excited curiosity, then perhaps a glossy pages filled not only with new themed issue of a poetry journal is just and well-known poets, but also the place to start. Luckily, this Sunday essays, interviews, and book reviews night launch coincides with the begin­ all devoted to the common theme. ning of Reading Week, so there's no Though the journal has existed since assignment- or midterm-related excuse 2 0 0 0 , on February 2 0 Zeke's Gallery to keep you away.

(3955 boul. SRaurent) will play host to the launch of the first themed issue The "Reality C hecks" launch of Vallum: "Reality Checks." begins at 7:30pm at Zeke's Gallery Flipping through the current issue the $ 5 admission charge includes on only proves further that yes, poetry copy o f the current issue and entry into continues to be publishable, and is not the on-site raffle. For more details on limited to the smoke-filled underground Vallum, visit www.vallummag.com. ■

reen beer, move aside—selecting the Irish Queen to herald Montreal's St. Patricks Day celebration is seri­ ous business. On February 5, the Irish Queen selec­ tion committee wasted little time debating: within 2 0 of being escorted out by the piper, they returned to cut the 10 semi-finalists down to five.

Choosing a young lady to lead a parade means a lot to the tightly-knit Irish community in Montreal. Before the selec­ tion, each contestant had heavy requirements to work through, including selling a table of seats for the event, preparing a speech on an aspect of Irish life, history, or pol­ itics, and yes, looking pretty in a dress. This is not your aver­ age swimsuit pageant.

Though none of the young ladies chosen to compete had an accent and very few had red hair, each boasted a love for the Irish community—a love that motivated them to pit their answers against those of their peers, all the while wear­ ing high heels and holding bouquets.

Before you brush off the Irish Queen tradition as some lame excuse for a publicized get-together, understand how rare it is for such a diverse and evolving community to contin­ ue—for over 6 0 years—to choose someone to lead and be a role model for their entire group.

Continuing in its atypical fashion, the Irish Queen selec­ Montreal's St. Patrick's Day parade takes place March tion night was not a talent competition, and the judges, not 13 along rue Ste-Catherine, between rue du Fort and rue particularly caustic or demanding, were local community fig- Jeanne-Mance. ■

Fly for FREE to London when you book on of the following Contiki Tours that departs Canada by May 1 8 / 0 5 : - E u r o p e a n E x p lo r e r

- E u ro p e a n A d v e n tu re r

- U ltim a te E u ro p e a n

- 3 7 o r 4 7 D a y C a m p in g

Applies to departures from M ontreal.

ADD ON $ 1 0 0 to the above fares to fly from Quebec Qty

«te wBJ tom WY % far wftff&sCa&adaC

WESTjET TICKETS WITH HO SERVICE FEES, CASH PAYMENTS ACCEPTED!

Westjet tirets «rrf «rn chances to win - visit www.travelcuts.com for more details.

B u y y o u r a ir f a r e a n d i n s u r a n c e to E u ro p e w e ’ ll g iv e t h e B E S T p r ic e a n d g e t ALL t h i s s t u f f f o r FREE i FREE ! : S ie m e n s A 6 5 W o r ld p h o n e iimmmmK.rS't.W,

FREE ! M p 3 P la y e r O R D ig it a l C a m e r a FREE ! V o ic e m a il a n d C a ll d is p la y fo r 1 2 m o n t h s O ffer a p p lie s to a irfa re s d ep a rtin g b etw ee n April

M c G i l l U n iv e r s it y , S h a t n e r B u i l d i n g , 3 4 8 0 M c T a v i s h - 3 9 8 * 0 6 4 7

ttgjK

m c g ill@ v o y a g e s c a m p u s .c o m

É? till

w w w .v o y a g e s c a m p u s .c o m

1

- O cto b e r

31 2 0 0

s

VOYAGESCAMPUS S 'é v a d e r p o u r v r a i

th e mcgill tribune j 1 5 .2 .0 5 |a&e 1 9

REVI EWS

^ ^ ilm

x- m e

in

m sx m m trn

mm

m m m m m m sm im m

CD. Midnight is the Answer by C'Mon.

Following the vein of the Libertines, C'Mon brings listeners the high-energy sound of pure garage rock.

Frontman Ian Blurton, on vocals and guitar, garnered prior fame with his pro­ duction work for the Weakerthans, while bassist Katie Campbell's experi­ ence playing with Nashville Pussy pays off, as her musicianship shines through on Midnight. Randy Curnew brings diversity to the band with his drumming experience, as he continues to play with a variety of groups outside C Mon. Alas, despite being accomplished musicians, C'Mon have nothing extraordinary to offer in terms of breaking new musical ground. What they lack in creativity, they make up in musicality. The groove on Deliver yr desire" is reminiscent of the Cure, while the power riff that kicks off "Underneath the Xray" brings the trio closer to Black Sabbath. How's that for variety?

Alas, most other songs are fairly generic, albeit worth appreciating for their consistent, quality sound. Moreover, Blurton's punchy vocals set an ener­ getic vibe that permeates throughout the album. Perhaps a true test of this band's chops and their no-nonsense rock appeal will come when they swing

by Montreal for a live show. After all, a band doesn't have to create an entirely new qenre in order to kick ass on stage.

—Sid Pharasi :7

S h o rt a n d

b itte r s w e e t

D a v i d U l o t h lik e s t o

m e s s w ith y o u r h e a d

CD. Inspiration Flow by Kokoro.

JULIA RAPONI

premiering at the Montreal World Film Festival last August, The Pick-Up has been creepily compelling enough to win n the international scene, David Uioth's short films the outstanding cinematic achievement award at the Prends are well known for both their originality and their Ça Courtl film festival.

In sharp contrast to his first film, The Interview has Uloth wide-ranging appeal. The two latest works from dabbling in dark comedy, a genre which brought him pre­ the Montreal filmmaker and former McGill student—The Pick-Up and The Interview—are perfect examples of his the­ vious critical acclaim with 2003's Shine. As with his earlier effort, he takes a mundane concept and manages to twist matic versatility.

The Pick-Up is set in Montreal, but was actually filmed it into something both strangely horrifying and hilarious: in Berlin during the Berlin International Film Festival. The actors from comedy troupe the Bionic Yahoos perform a job opening scenes seem innocuous enough; boxes lie helter interview gone to hell. The focus is on a decidedly twitchy skelter around an apartment, although it's not evident at first interviewee with an obsession for drawing ducks on every­ whether the resident is coming or going. One shot includes thing—including the office walls. One wouldn't think this a Just Noodles menu, which seems to confirm the place is would make him prime hiring material, and Uloth happily a student haven and nods to the city in which the story takes plays along with this assumption until the final scene. place. An older man's recollection of his son, from child­ Shawn Baichoo's stellar turn as the twitch boy employee hood onwards, gives the impression of a loving tribute, but was enough to earn him a special mention award for best as the film continues the current switches from love to some­ performance.

While Uioth's works may run in the six-minute range, thing much more bitter. While the film itself is rather short on dialogue, the images are more than enough to convey the and are thus unlikely to be seen by the masses, The Pick-Up wide range of emotions, and the final scene manages to and The Interview certainly make a case for more wide­ leave the viewer's original impression in shambles. Since spread short film distribution. ■

O

8 th

A n n u a l Y o u th

Despite Spin's recent lauds and nods to the musical cool factor of our city, the rag only scratches the surface.

Montreal truly is the next big thing, Mm w because the vibrancy of its artistic com­ C K ’l a E s r munity never fails to create new, inspir­ ing sounds. Case in point: Kokoro.

It's easy enough to discount a col­ lege jam-band as just another pea in the pod. However, this McGill-based four­ some doles out a distinct flavour: a unique blend of jazzy jams and soulfilled vocals. With Inspiration Flow, the group trades the beer-soaked floors of OAP and Le Swimming for the clean, well-finished confines of the studio.

The final product is a unique debut album propelled by the vocal talent of front man Dan Weiskopf. Unlike some of their live performances, where songs turn into sprawling epics à la Phish, most tracks clock in at less than four minutes. This serves only to make the record all the more riveting, from the mindAvandering words of "Possibly Possible," to the sharp swooning of "Liquid Knife." Kokoro keeps you on your toes, even if you're not dancing to the instrumental grooves they constantly turn out.

—Dave Barber

E m p lo y m e n t S e rv ic e s

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE This full day conference includes:

CATCH

the

S P IR IT

71

Workshops on starting, growing &financing your business—and more Networking opportunities Panel discussion with successful Montreal entrepreneurs Exhibition of local organizations and businesses providing support to entrepreneurs Continental breakfast and three-course lunch Networking cocktail

71

K e y n o te A d d re ss b y

7» 71 71

THE

DREAM

7»

H e rs c h e l S e g a l, Founder & Full-time Student Registration: $60

(under 35 yrs of age with a valid student photo ID) Early Bird Registration: $75 (no later than February 25th)

ceo,

Le C h a te a u In c.

M arch 1 2 , 2 0 0 5 D elta C entre-V ille Hotel

Regular Registration: $95 Successful futures start with i «i

CanadS

In fo o r to re g is te r Y outh E m ploym en t S e rv ic e s (Y E S) ( 5 1 4 ) 8 7 8 - 9 7 8 8 , w w w .v esm o n treal.ca

YES is a non-profit organization

630, bout. René-Lévesque ouest, P-185, M ontreal, QC H3B 1S6 Tel.: (514) 878-9788 F a x :(5 1 4 ) 878-9950 Email: info@ yesm ontreal.ca w w w .y e s m o n tre a l.c a

O BTAIN PER M AN EN T RESID EN CY IN

I W ife R o b in s o n S h e p p a r d S h a p iro ': practle^fy* a full servic«|lcw!’WH^opr [ w i i p t J L' j Uî I« m. r* **r>*i$>i A 7*7 % **4 $I The Im m ig ro tio n h lW T Smrarstice aroupuf I f r ie n c e în'cfll C a n a d ia n la r g e s t im m ig ra » )« « :ta a m _ w ilh e x p e rie '*“** wnw flpagg immigration «ùjtter».

^

^

__

*****

Skilled workers (Federal luieTOfuebacp v ^ IsMMtiTOmMontiip .

• Bustpéjs efrjjsT g .. yVork aWf^rixatlon/amfTbyment visa

t

We encourage you t* yiwfW website at www.r: and complete a FREE dsseetfhent form.

For o telephone consultation kindly telephone: Alice Ooghavarian Toil free 1 866 404 7600 Or 1 514 393 7600

T

-

J !* V 1

,,,

HOCKEY

-

REDMEN

3,

QUEEN'S

2 (OT)

R ed m en steal g a m e from G a e ls U n u s u a l e m p ty -n e t dan

M cQ u il l a n

KINGSTON—The latest chapter in a rivalry more than a century old unfolded Saturday night at a packed Jock Harty Arena, and in terms of providing hockey enthusiasts with drama and uniqueness—and Redmen fans with a monumen­ tal victory—it couldn't have been written any bet­ ter.

The Redmen overcame a second straight slow start to escape with their third consecutive 32 win, defeating the Queens Golden Gaels on a rare empty-net goal by Greg LeBlanc with less than a minute to go in overtime. McGill had claimed the Corey Cup and Montreal hockey supremacy on Wednesday by beating Concordia, and that conquest, combined with Sunday's 4-1 triumph over Royal Military College, gave the Redmen a six-point week, good enough for a one-point lead in the Ontario University Athletics Far East division.

Only a few Redmen faithful made the trek to the Limestone City, and Queen's supporters egged their team on as the Gaels dominated much of the game. Following an early powerplay goal by Doug Orr—his 21st of the sea­ son—the Gaels ratcheted up their effort, but Billy Burke evened the score a minute later. Burke then drew an assist on Michael DiLisio's goal at 18:31 of the frame, giving the Gaels a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

Redmen Ffead Coach Martin Raymond said he was not surprised that Queen's came out so strongly.

"They were playing desperate," he said of the Gaels, who needed a win to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. "They play very well in this building; the small rink is very suited to them."

Raymond was perplexed, however, as to why his normally deferisively-solid team had allowed two first-period goals in each of the last two games, but was encouraged that his team was able to recover.

"We seem to struggle on the start," he said.

THE

RED

g o a l

in

e x tra

fra m e

g iv e s

M c G ill

th e

w in

"If we knew why, we would have solved it. But we battled back and had a strong third period."

McGill shuts the door FHowever, just as they fought back earlier in the week, the Redmen regrouped defensively, allowing few Queen's rushes and holding the Gaels to just 19 shots on net in the last two peri­ ods and overtime. The Redmen offence also began to come alive, especially in the third, when they peppered Queen's goalie Michael Studli with 18 shots. Although the Redmen were pressing for most of the final stanza, it took until the dying minutes for Sebastien Langlois to get the equalizer and send the game to overtime.

Langlois credited his linemates for the extra passion he displayed as the game wound down.

"The guys with me were playing well and creating and I just got into it with them," he said.

"I would have been really disappointed to leave with a loss."

To say the bast, though, Langlois's marker was not pretty, as he just dug the puck loose and jammed it home during a scramble in front of the Queen's net; indeed, the whole McGill offence was lacking in creativity and movement through­ out the game. According to Raymond,' this was a significant part of why the Redmen were unable to break through and score more than once, despite dominating the Queen's zone in the third period.

"It all boils down to moving feet, foot speed," he noted. "If you're not moving, there are not any holes to exploit."

Raymond did, however, give credit to a Gaels team that was battling for its playoff life.

"They played with a lot of intensity and smarts," he said. "They made us work for the points."

An OT oddity Although Queen's challenged the Redmen for 6 0 minutes, all bets were off once overtime came. The Gaels entered the game three points behind RMC for the final playoff spot in the Mid

COURTESY OF QUEEN'SJOURNA After the weekend trip to Kingston, Shawn Shewchuk (9) has 12 points in his last six games East division, and with only two games left for each squad, the Gaels' situation was urgent. This desperation prompted the Queen's coaching staff to pull Studli for an extra attacker late in the extra session, while the home side was applying some rare pressure in the McGill end. But Poitras made a big stop on the Gaels' chance and the Redmen got the puck out of the zone when Mathieu Leclerc broke out down the wing. He shoveled a pass to Ken Davis, who found a streaking LeBlanc, who potted the winner into the yawning cage.

While the Redmen came through with a

win, their seventh straight, playing this sort of hockey on a regular basis is risky business.

While turning up the intensity the end of the past two games has been enough, eventually slow starts will come to haunt any team, and if the Redmen hope to defeat the reigning Far East champs from the Université du Québec à TroisRivières, on Sunday to secure a first-round playoff bye, they'll need to play 6 0 minutes of consistent hockey. For now, though, McGill sits in first place in the division this late in the season for the first time since 1946, and the view from the top sure is nice. ■

ZONE

T h e

G o ld

vs, th e

R e d : fa r b e tte r th a n

th e

R o u g e **

T

o call a Queen s-McGill hockey game just a good night at the merely served to justify the singularity of the competition between rink is to do a great injustice; instead, think Harvard-Yale com­ the two schools. Afterwards, when talking to some of my friends bined with Ohio State-Michigan. Each year, the two schools, from Queen's about the game, we all agreed that we wanted separated by just a short stretch of highway, vie for national brag­more of Queen's and McGill battling for superiority, but were ging rights in seemingly every facet of university life—most notably resigned to the fact that the two wouldn't meet again until next in Maclean's national rankings—and sports, such as the annual year.

Challenge Boatrace and hockey games, bring out the best of the However, the conversation got me thinking. Had my friends rivalry between Canada's premier universities. and I been having that same discussion six years ago, we would The battle between the Redmen and the Golden Gaels dates have been brimming with optimism. Just before the turn of the cen­ back to February 2, 1895, making it the second oldest rivalry in tury, we would have been able to look forward to the fall and the Canadian university sports, and when the schools meet in these annual encounter between the two universities' football teams; twiceyearly games, students take notice. On those two nights, sadly, because of politics and bureaucracy, that is currently impos­ McConnell and Jock Harty Arenas are sold out. The chants of "Kill sible.

McGill" and "Queen's Fucks Sheep" resonate from the crowd. In From 1898 to 2000 the Queen's-McGiII rivalry was defined particular, I remember one night in my first year when 200 not just in the hockey rink, but also on the gridiron. As in hockey, Queen's students—who made their way up to Montreal by school the football game was a highlight of the season. Alumni from the bus—invaded McConnell Arena to cheer on their Gaels, only to two schools talk fondly of the good old days, when they would be silenced by the boisterous home crowd and a Redmen victory. spend all morning travelling to the game, before storming the field It definitely ranks up there as one of the great nights I've had at if their team was lucky enough to steal a victory in the opposition's McGill. backyard.

This past weekend, while in Kingston, I checked out the But after the 2000 football season, Canadian Interuniversity 148th clash between the two sides. As always, it was an emotion­ Sport decided that it would be better to face fabricated foes than ally charged affair, especially with the Gaels' playoff hopes hang­ historical ones. Following that campaign, Queen's was moved into ing in the balance, and the incredible finish to Saturday's game the QUA, with McGill being placed in the new Quebec

e t O r DAVID BLYE

Intercollegiate Football Conference. CIS seemed to believe that— even though McGill had no history or tradition with Laval (and later Université de Montréal and Université Sherbrooke)—fans would rather see games involving these provincial "rivals"—and I use the term extremely loosely—than partake in a 100year-old tradition.

Because of this, McGill and its students are stuck with a farfrom-beneficial situation. We don't gain anything by playing against Quebec schools that no one at McGill could give a damn about, in a league in which the Redmen will soon be playing for fourth place every year because the French-speaking universities are able to mine the CÉGEP system's older, more talented players.

McGill is forced into an "interlocking" schedule with Atlantic University Sports teams, which provides a spectacular union of unnecessary travel costs and general indifference. And we certain­ ly lose out by CIS messing up the greatest rivalry in Canadian uni­ versity sports.

Whether or not either school—or the CIS brass—wants to admit it, we all need this game back. We need the drama. We need the intensity. We need that atmosphere that hockey engen­ ders, but on a grander scale. We need all of those students from Queen's and McGill at Molson Stadium on a Saturday afternoon, screaming their lungs out for their respective school. Without this, the Queen's-McGill rivalry, and the schools themselves, are only half complete. ■

th e mcgill tribune ] 1 5 .2 .0 5 |sports 2 1

PERSPECTIVE

The heart of lacrosse b ea ts o n c e ag ain M o n t r e a l a t c e n t r e o f C a n a d a ' s o f f ic i a l s p o r t 's r e v iv a l ZENAH SURANI

T

he October 2 0 0 0 edition of US Lacrosse magazine describes the sport as being "born of the North American Indian, christened by the French and adapted and raised by the Canadians." Indeed, Canada's national summer sport may have declined in the latter half of the 20th century, but is regain­ ing steam at the professional and amateur level all across the coun­ try, including its birthplace in Montreal.

Lacrosse has a unique history. Once a brutal game called baggataway, lacrosse was invented by the native people of North America five centuries ago. Baggataway was a spiritual game, and the players played to honour and respect their tribes. The Cherokee played lacrosse as a form of military training, and their version of the game took on a much more epic form. Goals were placed miles apart, teams consisted of hundreds of players, and a single match might have lasted several days. The Iroquois evolved the game to the dimensions we are now familiar with, and formal­ ized its rules. Europeans in Canada took to the "jeu de la crosse," meaning "game of hooked sticks," and lacrosse was popularized in 1636 by Montreal native Jean de Brébeuf, and named Canada's national sport in 1859.

In Montreal, the hub of 19th-century lacrosse was at the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. "We were originally cen­ tred around the snowshoeing, bicycle, and lacrosse clubs of Montreal," explains Jocelyn Robert, general manager of the MAAA, now an elite fitness club on rue Peel.

Outdoor to indoor Entrepreneurs and promoters of the game in the 1930s devel­ oped a version of the sport called box lacrosse, an indoor, fastpaced combination of hockey and lacrosse that took the nation by storm. By the mid-1930s, box lacrosse had almost completely replaced field lacrosse as the official sport of the Canadian Lacrosse Association.

But field lacrosse, the outdoor game played by McGill teams, has made a dramatic comeback in recent years. “They're two totally different sports," says Guillaume Lessard, a U1 Management student and Redmen midfielder. "I was trained as a box lacrosse player, and when I started playing field [lacrosse], I totally hit a wall. In box lacrosse you use a single hand, whereas in field lacrosse it's a necessity to be ambidextrous."

Lacrosse at McGill has come a long way since 2 001, when then first-year student Sachin Anand decided to start up a lacrosse team. "It was initially a pretty hard process," recalls the U3 Finance major and present team captain. "I put up signs all over campus, and I was surprised when I got a lot of positive feedback from guys wanting to play lacrosse. It was tough sometimes. I had to be a player and a coach at the same time, and I'm sure some of the older guys didn't like to be told what to do by a first-year [student]." The team was given a huge boost in 2003 with the addition of FHead Coach Tim Murdoch.

Help is on the way With the help of Murdoch, a midfielder and defender on the Princeton University lacrosse team from 1981-1984 and playercoach of the Ffarvard Business School lacrosse club while pursu­ ing his MBA, Anand and then co-captain Ryan McGrath were able to secure a threeyear contract with the National Bank of Canada for $ 3 ,6 0 0 . This support enabled the team to reduce each player's cost by $ 100 and covered other incidentals such as jerseys and accommodations. The team is also supported by the Students' Society and Martlet House.

With these extra resources, the team hopes to be able to attract top lacrosse players from the US—where the talent pool for

BOX

VS.

W h a t 's

COURTESYOF THEMAAA/SACHIN ANAND Lacrosse has evolved from a gentlemanly pastime into a fierce, fast-paced, physical battle; bowties are no longer necessary. field lacrosse is much larger. The hiring of Assistant Coach John Threshiejr. this year was another plus for the team. Threshie, invit­ ed to try out for the US national team after playing for the University of North Carolina, was delighted to join the Redmen. "I was excit­ ed to come to Montreal, the original home of lacrosse, and pro­ mote the sport of field lacrosse which isn't as popular in Canada as it is in the States," he says.

The team, however, is still in a transition phase: "We're still somewhere between a club and an actual varsity team," says Murdoch. "Obviously having fun is important, but so is winning.

We want to recruit competitive players from the States, and to do that, we have to be more competitive ourselves."

Grassroots production In addition to McGill and other universities, the popularity of lacrosse in Quebec and the rest of Canada is on the rise. Chuck Baranowski initiated the West Island Lacrosse Association in 2 0 0 0 , and since then, the program has grown to include 6 0 0 players, aged seven and up. "We need to start at the grassroots

FIELD th e

d iffe r e n c e ?

Also, because of the smaller playing surface, players o many lacrosse neophytes, it may be difficult to grasp just how different field and box lacrosse can be from can get much closer to the opposing goal much more easily each other. They are both still lacrosse, right? Not exact­ in box than in field lacrosse. Field nets are six feet by six feet, ly. Consider the dimensional differences between the two.whereas box nets are only four by four, and box goaltenders Field lacrosse is played on the same surface as soccer and are more heavily padded.

Finally, box lacrosse has a 30-second shot clock, which rugby, whereas box lacrosse is played within a standard gives the game a feel similar to that in basketball. Each team hockey rink, on the ice.

The impact of condensing the game cannot be overstat­ tries to milk the clock in creating a shot, but the game often ed. Field lacrosse's 10 players on each side find themselves opens up to a run-and-gun pace, too.

So while newcomers to the game may see field and box with plenty of open space and time to make passes to find the open man, whereas six-aside box lacrosse is much more fast- lacrosse as essentially the same thing, those in the know can paced, and players often find a defender on them within sec­ appreciate the little differences between the two variations of onds of receiving a pass. As a result, box lacrosse is the much our country's oldest game.

—Mohit Arora more hard-hitting game.

T

and develop players at a young age," explains Murdoch. "We need to keep on giving them opportunities so that there is a con­ tinuation and improvement of their skills."

To that end, Lessard, the Redmen midfielder, was honoured to get the opportunity to help coach next year's team at Jean de Brébeuf High School, his alma mater, and a school with an exten­ sive lacrosse history befitting its namesake.

Murdoch, also a voluntary coach, says that it's all about the love of the game. "I came to McGill and saw the sport I loved being played in the mud," he says. “I decided to start coaching because I love the sport so much and felt the need to support them.

Coach Threshie and I have full-time jobs, but coaching is just a total escape for us."

Murdoch sits on the world lacrosse board and has a direct hand in organizing the 2 0 0 6 Lacrosse Games in London, Ontario.

Lacrosse may have a small fan base, but 3 8 0 ,0 0 0 fans are expected to show up to witness the fast-paced action taking place.

Hockey out, lacrosse in?

Although lacrosse is Canada's national summer sport, its pop­ ularity pales in comparison to that of its winter companion and progeny, hockey. But with the NHL locked out this year, lacrosse is getting more media exposure than ever before. And while profes­ sional hockey players may be perceived as overpaid, the lives of professional lacrosse players are hardly glamorous.

In the National Lacrosse League, one of two professional leagues in North America, the top salary is only $ 2 5 ,0 0 0 . "There aren't too many players who can make a living playing lacrosse," remarks Anand. "So many players work very demanding jobs, and they play lacrosse because it's what they love to do and can't imagine their lives without it. Some are coaches, others are fire­ fighters and executives."

For Anand, who will be graduating at the end of the semes­ ter, the future is yet to be determined. He will leave the team that he founded to flourish without him as he passes the torch on to future team leaders, such as Patrick Kitchen.

And yet, the optimism at McGill is but a microcosm of the sport's future worldwide. Lacrosse is making inroads in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. But what's most encouraging is that the original sport of Canada is slowly making its way back to its former glory on home soil, and Montreal is right at the centre of this renaissance. ■

22

sports I 1 5 .2 .0 5 |th e mcgill tribune

25 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN IMMIGRATION

INTER-CANADA M U L T IL IN G U A L S E R V IC E S

ENTER-CANADA

STUDENTS SPONSORSHIP INVESTORS

119 Mont-Royal Ouest Montréal, Québec.

Canada H2T2S9 TEL: 514 - 842-7924 514 - 842-7046

YVON GUERIN

FAX: 514-842-5191

IMMIGRATION INTERNATIONAL EXPERT MEMBER OF CSIC M041753

E-mail: into@enter-canada.com

National Defence

Défense nationale

Options make all the difference

Les options font toute la différence

No m a tte r w hat

Peu im p orte

your university

la n atu re d e

ed u catio n ,

v o s é tu d e s

you c a n en jo y

u niv ersitaires,

a c a r e e r with

v o u s pouvez

a d iffe re n c e

b é n é fic ie r d ’une

in th e C an ad ian

ca rriè re d ifféren te

F orces.

d a n s le s F o r c e s

CAMPUS

T h e C ro sb y

sh ow

co rn e s

to

M c C o n n e ll

Q u e b e c j u n i o r h o c k e y s t a r p r a c t i c e s a t M c G ill

WORKERS CITIZENSHIP

READY TO HELP YOU!

1-888 - 842-7924

ON

dan

M cQ u il l a n

The Rimouski Océanie of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, along with a certain notable junior hockey player, rolled into town Thursday night, on their way to Gatineau for a Friday night tilt with the Olympiques. But before Sidney Crosby and Co. left Montreal, they got a quick prac­ tice in at McConnell Arena—the home of the Redmen, who must be hoping that some of Crosby's magic rubs off on them as they head into the playoffs.

The Océanie chose McConnell over several other sites in the city because Rimouski Assistant Coach Guy Boucher, who is one of the Redmen's all-time leading scorers, played with cur­ rent McGill Head Coach and close friend Martin Raymond.

And so the large contingent of media that flocks the 17-year old Crosby descended on McGills home base to speak with the player Wayne Gretzky believes could break his NHL records.

Indeed, although the Redmen have been drawing goodsized crowds this year, it is nothing compared to the circus-like throngs that show up wherever the QMJHL scoring leader goes. For his part, though, Crosby is nonchalant about all the attention.

"I just accept it as part of my hockey life, just like coming to the rink every day," he said.

To be sure, it's somewhat surprising that a team of 17-, 18-, and 19-year-olds from a city of just 4 0 ,0 0 0 is drawing so much consideration. And although close scrutiny can come along with the intense media focus, Crosby doesn't let that bother him.

"I think gbout it a little bit, but I don't read the papers that much," he said. "[When it comes to being criticized], I'm in the best position to see if that's the way it happened, since I was there."

Crosby also downplays the impact of the current NHL dis­ pute and the possibility that there will not be a draft this sea­ son, threatening his status as the consensus first-overall pick.

"It's not something I think about a lot," Crosby replied. "It's totally out of my control. I haven't even thought [about next NHL season being lost], I'm just worrying about this year; I've always been this way."

While the Redmen are likely not thinking of the loss of the

MATTHEW HOWATT Crosby is a seasoned vet at dealing with the press. upcoming draft—the players are instead concentrating on school and retaining first place in the Ontario University Athletics Far East division—some members of the McGil squad do have a spot in their hearts for the Océanie. Star cen­ tre Benoit Martin and rookie forward Eric L'Italien both played part of their junior careers with Rimouski, and L'Italien played with Crosby last season.

While Crosby has been the catalyst for Rimouski's recent 13-game win streak, the Redmen are also on quite a run, hav­ ing won eight of nine since returning from France and the Mont Blanc tournament, where they played over winter break.

During that same time, Crosby was suiting up for Team Canada and winning a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Champion-ship, an experience he describes as unfor­ gettable.

"It was the best feeling of my life," he related. "I remem­ ber watching every year on TV. It's just great having the whole country behind you."

Meanwhile, the Redmen also appear on the road to greatness this season. Perhaps having a hockey champion drop by the arena is just another sign that this might finally be McGill's year. ■

c a n a d ie n n e s .

• E n g in eers

TWO-POINT

• P hysiotherap ists

• Ing énieu rs

• S o c ia l W orkers

• P h ysio th érap eu tes

• P ilots

• Travailleurs

• D o cto rs

sociaux/

• N u rses

tra v a ille u se s

• P h a rm a c is ts

s o c ia le s

• Naval O fficers To learn m o re, c o n t a c t u s today.

T h e

• M éd ecin s • infirmiers/

p h a rm a c ie n n e s • O fficie rs d e

r e a l v o tin g

s c a n d a l

JOSEPH CILGOFF

• P ilo tes

infirm ières 3K3£ • P h arm acien s/

CONVERSION

•

While so much attention is devoted to voting scandals that swing elections upon which the fate of the world is depen­ dant, a much more egregious electoral disgrace is largely overlooked—one that has involved worldwide voter ignorance and abuse for decades. I'm talking, of course, about the annu­ al NBA All-Star voting process.

Each year, fans across the globe cast their ballots in NBA arenas and on the Internet to select the starters for the mid-season classic, while coaches pick the reserves. With this season's All-Star Game on Sunday fast approaching, it is time to take stock of the crisis at hand and search for solutions.

m arine Pour o b ten ir d e plus a m p le s re n s e ig n e m e n ts , veuillez co m m u n iq u er av ec nous d ès au jo u rd ’hui.

BENII FELDM AN

The NBA has seen an infusion of undeserving all-stars.

S tron g . P roud . Today’s C anadian F o rces.

D écouvrez vos fo rces d an s les F o rces can ad ien n es.

P P S SB P T P ! c r r .- x r m r »

1 8SS 856-8488 www.forces.ge.ca

Canada

One of the feel-good selections of this year's voting was Orlando forward Grant Hill, who has made a courageous comeback from multiple career-threatening injuries back to prominence. History would indicate, however, that Hill relies upon his performance on the court for votes about as much as certain politicians rely on their ability to pronounce big words.

In the 2CXD2 and 2003 voting results, Hill finished in the top three for Eastern Conference forwards despite the fact that he spent more time under general anesthesia than on the bas­ ketball court. In fact, Hill played four games in 2001 before

u n c o v e re d

submitting to his annual surgery and pool rehab sessions, but was still voted in as a starter! While all those other fools were diving for loose balls, Hill was dogg^paddling in his backyard and watching the votes rack up.

That same season also saw the beginning of Vince Carter's four-year streak as the league's leading vote-getter, as Canadiansjoyally propelled their talented but lazy star ahead of more coftetete arid deserving players. Of course, his pres­ ence allows for other NBA stars to be showcased, as they rou­ tinely torch him while he futilely tries to guard them, so little is made of this transgression.

Due to other misguided votes, declining stars like Anfernee Hardaway have continued to receive hundreds of thousands of votes into the new millennium, even though he hasn't been valuable on the court since Chris Rock lent his voice to the Lil' Penny doll in Hardaway's Nike commercials.

Now that the problem has been stated, the next step is to identify the culprits. While it is tempting to place full blame on the red states, they actually might have accomplices in this one. Unlimited voting in arenas and Internet voting in 19 coun­ tries makes for a lot of uninformed participants. Drastic and immediate measures are needed to ensure that someone like Hill is only elected if he can dress himself without assistance.

Luckily, there are such measures that the NBA can take.

A cap could be applied to arena voting in cities like San Antonio, where the choices of what to do include going to the rodeo for the eighth time that week, or voting excessively for players like Rasho Nesterovic.

Another option is to throw in a dummy vote; say a Tiger Woods or Barbra Streisand. Anyone stupid enough to vote for either of these two would have their ballots discounted and sent to the lab for fingerprint analysis to ensure a lifetime ban.

Most importantly, though, it is up to the fans to right this wrong. If you haven't watched a game since Jordan retired or you still identify your favourite team as the Vancouver Grizzlies, just do the rest of us a favour and sit this one out.

If everyone does their part, the All-Star Game can be a truer reflection of player skill and performance. Of course, this just applies to the rest of you. As for me, I used to live for those Chris Rock ads and I rocked the Penny's with the silver suede and the big air bubble, so you know who's getting my vote. ■

th e mcgill tribune | 1 5 .2 .0 5 |sports 2 3

R O U N D THE HORN Martlet cagers stun Concordia The McGill women's basketball team surprised a lot of peo­ ple Saturday night, coming back from an 18-point deficit to upset 1Oth-rankea Concordia 57-49 at Love Competition Hall.

After dropping a 58-41 decision to Laval the night before, the Martlets started slow and trailed 32-14 at the half. But the women clawed their way back, relying on a defence that pres­ sured the Stingers into 20 turnovers, and the outside shooting of Marie-Eve Beaulieu-Demers, who made three of four three-point­ ers on her way to a game-high 21 points.

Kelly-Rae Kenyon added 10 points for McGill, and Isabelle Provencher chipped in with eight points to go with her game-high nine rebounds.

The win was McGills first at home this season, and ended a 20-game losing streak to the cross-town Stingers. McGill is now tied with the Université du Québec à Montréal for the final playoff spot, though UQÀM has two games in hand.

Redmen drop two over weekend The men's basketball team didn't fare as well as their female counterparts, falling to Laval and Concordia on consecutive nights.

The Redmen gave fifth-ranked Laval a scare on the strength of Denburk Reid's 37 points, but came up short in a 77-72 loss Friday night. Derek Armstrong added 14, and Greg Rembeyo poured in 13 as well as getting nine rebounds in a losing cause.

Reid's 3 7 points tied his season-high as well as the record for most points in a game by a Redmen point guard.

The next night saw the Red 'n' White return home to host the third-ranked Stingers, and they couldn't overcome a balanced Concordia offence that saw five players record 10 points or more on their way to an 81-72 win over McGill. Armstrong led the Redmen with 17 points, and rookie J.P. Begly set a careerhigh with 10 points. Rembeyo grabbed a game-leading 11 rebounds, helping McGill mount a 35-22 edge on the glass. But the Redmen were undone by 25 turnovers in the match.

Hockey Martlets thump Carleton The women's hockey team had its way with winless Carleton Friday night, skating away with an 8-1 win and extending its win streak to seven games.

Véronique Lapierre scored twice for the Martlets, and other McGill scorers included Mary Maglieri, Shauna Denis, Brittany Privée, Véronique Sanfaçon, and Katherine Safka. Kalie

Townsend stopped 18 of 19 shots to record the win for the Martlets (8-4-2), who now sit one point behind first-place Concordia with one game left in the regular season.

Bell, Castonguay dean up at provincials François Castonguay had a big weekend for the swim team at the provincial championships in Ste-Foy, collecting four gold medals and a bronze in helping McGill's men's team capture third place at the meet.

Castonguay won the 100-metre and 200m backstroke events, as well as the 200m and 400m individual medleys. He also swam the leadoff leg for the 4x100m medley relay team that finished third. Castonguay was named QSSF Rookie of the Year, and earned all-conference honours.

On the women's side, Heather Bell led the Martlets to a sec­ ond-place finish by totaling three gold and two bronze medals.

Bell swept all three breaststroke events, added a bronze in the 200m butterfly, and swam the third leg of the bronze-winning 4x200m freestyle relay.

McGill qualified two men and eight women for the CIS championships, which will be held at the University of Alberta from February 25-27. ■

H EN T A K E A 1 0 0 1 A T T H E S E TO N

VOLUNTEER^ OPPORTUNITIES NO TALENT WILL CO TO WASTE! D ISC O V E R M cG IL L McGill’s one-day, campus-wide University Orientation day needs you! Get involved & represent your faculty as one of our volunteers and make a difference by creating a great McGill experience for our new students, right from the start Your day will be fun & action packed. A Group Leader guides a group of new students throughout the day's activities, assisting them by providing personal leadership and sharing your advice & experience; Logistical Staff provide invaluable assistance behind the scenes, helping with various tasks, e.g., staffing information kiosks, handing out the pizza, etc. Discover McGill will take place on Thursday, August 25, 2 0 0 5 . Volunteers will also need to be available on Wednesday, August 2 4 for training and coordination meetings.

ORIENTATION C EN TRE A FIRST-Y EA R R E S O U R C E ROOM Another great opportunity to have fun, meet people and help out is through the Orientation Centre & Resource Room. Student volunteers greet new students, provide information on McGill and Montreal, help with registration on MINERVA and generally dispense wisdom and comfort to new and returning students. The Centre & Resource Room will be open weekdays from Monday, August 2 2 - Friday, September 9, 2 0 0 5 .

FIRST-Y EA R BU D D Y PRO G RA M Perhaps you would like to act as a mentor, friend, trouble shooter or just be a "buddy" to first-year students in general? First-Year Buddies will be connected with first-year students throughout the summer and are encouraged to communicate with one or two first-year students by e-mail, to address their concerns or to alleviate anxieties. A "Starters Kit” is made available to all First-Year Buddies to assist with answering ques­ tions and providing accurate referrals.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT BU D D Y PRO G RAM If you are a returning international student (or even if you're not), this is also a great way to help ease the transition for new students. The International Student Buddy FYogram,

e r r in v o l v e d - t h e r e w a r d * a r e m a n y !

NAME:______________ (la s t N am e)

(First N am e)

(M s /M r.)

YEAR:

ID NO:

FACULTY: McGILL E-MAIL:.

OTHER E-MAIL: (1) {

C A R E E R P E E R EDUCATOR PRO G RAM Participate in this great program! You love people and want to help your peers find the job of their dreams. In return, you will be trained to facilitate informal group workshops on effective work search strategies and assist in the planning and delivery of career forums. Think of the possibilities!

M cG IL L PHONE-A-THON Are you interested in helping students choose McGill? Then volunteer for the annual Recruitment Office's Phone-A-Thon. The goal is to encourage individuals to accept McGill's offer of admission by calling potential students and congratulating them for being accepted to McGill. You will help answer any questions they may have about the University or refer them to the right places for answers. You will have the opportunity of talking with individuals who are interested in your area of study and who are poten­ tially from the same high school or area you grew up in! The Phone-A-Thon takes place in the evenings from 5:0 0 -8 :0 0 on various days during April, May and June. If you have one or two evenings free, come chat with other students and enjoy dinner on us!

M cG IL L SU M M E R S E N D -O F F The McGill Summer Send-Off is a social event for new students coming to McGill, host­ ed by the McGill Alumni Association. The knowledge and experience of McGill students is invaluable to incoming students since you know the challenges, surprises and fun stuff going on at McGill and in Montreal. They are held all over the world - there is prob­ ably one in your home town! Most send-offs take place between the last two weeks of July and first two weeks of August, so if you like meeting new students and answering their questions, then let us know you'd like to be involved.

* t u d e n t * e r v i c e * - p r o m o t i n g «t u d e n t * u c c e * * !

I am interested in participating in the following volunteer program(s): (Check as many as your want!)

PLEASE PRINT

PHONE N0(S).

administered by our international Student Services, assists new international students with their initial adjustment to McGill and Montreal. "Buddy" duties are flexible depend­ ing on the needs of the incoming students.

).

M ontreal H om e Phone

(2) (

Discover McGill: Group Leader [ ] and/or Logistical Staff [ ] Orientation Centre & Resource Room [ ] First-Year Buddy Program [ ] International Buddy Program [ ] Career Peer Educator Program [ ] McGill Phone-A-Thon [ ] McGill Summer Send-Off [ ] Home Town______________ Prov./State_ PLEASE RETURN TO: OR BY M AIL TO:

L Cell Phone Num ber

F ir s t-Y e a r O ff ic e First-Year Office Brown S tudent Services Building, Suite 2 1 0 0 3 6 0 0 McTavish Street M ontreal, Quebec H3A 1 Y 2 In fo r m a tio n : 3 9 8 - 6 9 1 3 / 8 2 3 8

REGISTRATIONS STILL OPEN II!

V O T E A N D E N C O U R A G E Y O U R F R IE N D S A S T H E Y C O M P E T E A G A IN S T E A C H O T H E R

7h30 pm to 9h30 pm at Gert’s Bar Entrance fee: $ 5 . 0 0 including a free glass of draft Monday, Feb

th

Tuesday, Feb

1 5

th

Wednesday, Feb

A n d rew

C h a n g & Lu

A m a n d a Di G e n o v a

E m ily & A l e x a n d e r

D re

T ra g e

A s s o r t e d S k ills

S te v e B u sb y

W h ite G u y

A nar

T h e D u a lity T h e o r e m

E u ra n a Soul

M ary

T a n ia

A n d ré e -A n n

C la re

Hosted by

g

1 4

&

fs n ig h tclu b

CYCY D eeana Jim m y The R usty Trom bones S teak This T hick Juicy Jizzy Jessie Bob & Jeff A ndrea

1 6

th