The McGill Tribune Vol. 25 Issue 15

8 OPINION: Cristina shuffles off into the wild blue yonder

Curiosity delivers. Vol. 25 Issue 15

A&E: Some CDs and movies are better than others...

T r ib u n e W ednesday, Janu ary 4, 2006

PUBLI SHED BY THE STUDENTS' S OCI E T Y OF M C G I L L UNI VERSI TY

E-skipping the line New site guarantees spots in full courses NIALL M ACKAY ROBERTS

A frustrated Concordia student launched the CourseAlerts Web site after he was unable to register in capped McGill courses.

inside Y

et again, we enter January—a blasé month save only for the fact that millions of Canadians opt to torture themselves with various attempts at self-betterment and reinvention. The beginning of the New Year represents both the ambitious undertak­

ing of life improving resolutions as well as the subsequent failure to accomplish and main­ tain them. Features examines the importance of resolving your past before looking toward future change, and the reluctance of resolution-makers to confront the skeletons in their closet

A Web site promising to notify McGill students when spaces appear in fully registered courses has raised security concerns in both the Registrar's Office and Information Systems Resources, the administrative unit responsible for Minerva. CourseAlerts.ca charges five dollars per student per course to send an instant text message or e-mail as soon as registration for a class drops below its predetermined»capacity. According to Alexandre Roche, the Concordia student responsible for CourseAlerts, just over 20 students have used his serv­ ice thus far.

Roche describes the service as a relatively cheap way of ensuring that participating students need not set­ tle for less desirable courses simply because they are unable to find space in their first choices. On his site, Roche explains that he was frustrated at being locked out of the classes he was most interested in taking at McGill, and that several McGill students encouraged him to develop this service as a solution.

"I would say that, within a week, almost 100 per cent of people who sign up [to CourseAlerts] get into the course they want," Roche said.

However, the code running CourseAlerts has attracted the attention of the McGill administration, as its heavy use of the system is a potential drain on access speed for others. According to 1SR, Roche's use of Minerva has been monitored, and records indicate that his code is active every five seconds.

Roche himself said that the delay between the opening of classroom space and the notification to CourseAlerts subscribers is nearly nonexistent, suggest­ ing that his service is continually active. On his Web site, Roche also describes CourseAlerts as "constantly check­ ing Minerva... twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

Roche declined to reveal the exact workings of his program, but he argued that the effect of CourseAlerts

See TIRED, page 5

This week in Athletics

Fri., Jan. 6 Redmen Hockey vs Ottawa 7pm Sat., Jan. 7 Basketball vs Concordia (W) 4pm & (M) 6pm Martlet Hockey in the Theresa Humes Tournament at Concordia Fri., Jan. 6 vs D aw son 2pm (Loyola cam pus) Check website for Saturday & Sunday game times www.athletics.mcgill.ca * advance student tickets at Sadie’s

news

cover photo by LUKAS BERGMARK

CAMPUS

Holiday hiring spree McGill marches on with staff appointments when nobody’s looking JAMES G O T O W IE C Most students had their minds on things other than school over the holiday break, but the McGill administration took advantage of the time off to announce a number of new staff appointments.

Just before exams ended, the university announced that Interim Provost Anthony Masi would be appointed to the Provost position. The post had been vacant since last March, when former provost Luc Vinet left McGill to become rector at the Université de Montréal.

According to Max Reed, Students' Society vice-president university affairs and a member of the search committee, out­ side consultants performed an international search that looked at "candidates from all over the world." Reed said the commit­ tee interviewed several candidates, but could not reveal who was on the short list due to confidentiality concerns.

"The end result was not unanimous," he said. "Other than that, it was a fairly standard process."

Masi has held many positions at McGill on his way through the ranks. He came to McGill as an assistant professor of soci­ ology in 1979 and later took an active role in setting up the Faculty of Arts Computer Services, which became the largest computer network on campus. In 2001 Masi became vice-prin­ cipal (information systems and technology), where he stayed until he was promoted in 2003 to deputy provost and chief information officer, with responsibility for most of the computer infrastructure at McGill as well as the university's planning department.

As provost, Masi is now McGill's chief academic officer and

has authority over most of the school's academic policies and programs, as well as faculty finances. He will also chair the important Academic Policy and Planning Committee of Senate, which has jurisdiction over, among other things, whether McGill adopts an A+ grade.

SSMU President Adam Conter welcomed Masi to his new post, while acknowledging the challenges inherent in working with the new provost. "[Professor Masi] is a very organized and dedicated person in his job," Conter said. "Sometimes it will leave us with some struggles but sometimes we'll have some good relations.

"I welcome Professor Masi's appointment and we look for­ ward to working with him," Reed said. "1 hope that, like his pred­ ecessor, he takes the time to work with the student societies and respects us as the legitimate democratically-chosen voice of students."

Reed said he was unsure about whether a search would commence for a new deputy provost, to fill Masi's now-vacated post, or whether Masi would appoint his own deputy.

Three days after confirming Masi's appointment, the uni­ versity announced that Ann Dowsett Johnston would become the new vice-principal (development, alumni and university relations). Dowsett Johnston has a high profile in academic cir­ cles as the woman in charge of M aclean's annual University Rankings feature, in which schools continually vie for the top spot.

Dowsett Johnston said that she became involved with M aclean's "right out of university" and has done all she can do in terms of establishing a distinct part of the magazine that focused on higher education. She said she is now "ready for a

Up to Speed *4* C % H ■i Welcome, dear reader, to the Up To Speed U j si | i | j h i lu . ' ?

Post-Holiday Update. A lot has happened while « ; , we've been off, so let's see if we can catch you r “ “ ‘ up. • US President George W. Bush received his share of headlines over the holidays. He is current, j • •t . ly in hot water for authorizing a National Security f, ' Agency program that taps the phones of US citizens without warrants, the first time the NSA has been grantI ed such powers domestically. News of the program was leaked to the New York Times, and the Justice Department V has begun an investigation into the matter. • New York «I City was paralyzed in late December by an illegal strike of '? Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, which represents most of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's employees. The strike, which was the first such job action in 25 years and ' At fb lasted more than 60 hours, jammed the city's bridges and roads with cars and forced millions of commuters to walk, bike or squeeze into packed commuter trains to get to work and finish their holiday shopping. New York Mayor Michael I Bloomberg said the strike cost local businesses $1-billion in * .'I ; l .‘ lost revenue. • Now for something completely different: Nineteen-year-old Chris Garnett, youth outreach coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has legally changed his name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com, in support of PETA's campaign against KFC's alleged poor treatment of its ■ chickens. Pamela Anderson, who narrated a PETA video sup: posedly showing a KFC supplier mistreating its chickens, sups ports Garnett's, or should we say KentuckFriedCruelty.com's, move. And since Pam's onboard, clearly the rest of us should be too. • On Saturday, Lake Superior State University released its 2006 "List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness." The list was compiled by a univer­ sity committee, which went through a list of more than 2,000 nominations. Among the year's most annoying phrases: "breaking news," "hunker down" and "person y -r of interest," a favourite of law enforcement agencies, w , The list's authors were quick to note that such a per­ son is "seldom encountered at cocktail parties." Over the years Lake Superior State has banned "metro. , sexual," "chad" and "baby boomers." ■ i y j.

Sources: Associated Press, bbc.co.uk, ctv.ca, globeandmail.com, nytimes.com

brand new challenge."

“I'm fortunate to be going from one great Canadian institu­ tion to another one," she said. "I feel really honoured to be able to take that position. McGill is an outstanding institution, and I think Heather Munroe-Blum is an outstanding leader."

Dowsett Johnston said that over the years a number of uni­ versities have offered her positions, and she received a number of offers again this year. Trying to decide which offer to accept was easy, she said.

"There are a handful of institutions in this country that can really change the fate of Canada, and I think McGill is one of them," she said.

Dowsett Johnston replaces Interim Vice-Principal (Development and Alumni Relations) Janyne Hodder and will lead a team of 140. Hodder returns to focusing full time on her role as vice-principal (inter-institutional relations).

Though she officially takes office on Feb. 6, Dowsett Johnston has already started to work on one important aspect of her job: her French.

"My French is not good," she said. "I will therefore be tack­ ling that—in fact, I already have. It’s going to be hard. I have many educational challenges ahead of me."

Rounding out the list of December appointments was Johanne Pelletier, appointed to the post of secretary-general effective Jan. 1. The secretary-general oversees the McGill Secretariat, which keeps the records and minutes of McGill bod­ ies and controls the use of the name and logos of the universi­ ty. Pelletier replaces Interim Secretary-General William Foster and was previously the associate secretary-general and univer­ sity archivist. ■

Was your New Year's resolution "Get more involved on campus"?

Even if it wasn't, come to the first news meeting of 2006.

There will be cookies.

So don't come if your resolution was to lose weight.

Today, Shatner 110, 6 p.m. news@mcgilltribune.com

VLADIMIR EREMIN

This girl was one of the lucky few to find a computer on the first day of class.

the mcgill tribune | 4 .1.06| news

NATIONAL

3

Campaign lumbers on Lacklustre election period likely to heat up in 2006 ROBERT CHURCH A federal election campaign that has been described as unwanted, unnecessary and lack­ lustre continues as students return to classes this week, and with just under three weeks to go until Election Day, many hope that the real campaigning is about to begin. While the feder­ al political parties were relatively quiet during the holiday season, with the New Democrats even trying to negotiate a failed Christmas "truce" that would have suspended campaign­ ing entirely over the break, the last stretch of a two-month-long election race will undoubtedly see the most zealous scrambles for votes.

A Globe and Mail and CTV News poll released this week has support for the Liberal Party sitting at 33 per cent nationally if the elec­ tion were held today, the Conservative Party at 31 per cent, the New Democratic Party at 17 per cent and the Bloc Québécois at 14 per cent. While the Liberals have been relatively sta­ tionary in the polls in recent weeks, with sup­ port hovering in the low 30s, the Conservatives appear to have the momentum going into the final stage. However, the Conservative Party has not been able to move past the 31 per cent support mark so far in this campaign, and it remains to be seen whether Stephen Harper will emerge as a hero or liability for his party.

Liberal leader Paul Martin, however, appears unscathed by both the Gomery Commission findings and opposition party attacks. The Liberals have chosen to showcase the Prime Minister during their campaign, creat­ ing signs with the slogan “Paul Martin's Liberals" to capitalize on their leader's supposed lack of knowledge about the sponsorship scandal,

while distancing themselves, particularly in Quebec, from the scandal-tainted, old-guard Liberals of Jean Chrétien.

Candidates offer much in rhetoric, little in substance Harper has wasted no time reminding vot­ ers and Martin why he believes this election was called in the first place.

"We have to remember why we are in the middle of this election in the first place," Harper said at a Conservative rally in Ottawa on Monday. "Not only did the Liberal Party steal money from all Canadians, but that money was used to buy the votes of Quebecers. Whether you see yourself on the right, the left or the centre, all Canadians must agree that this kind of abuse cannot be tolerated in this country."

Harper has also been hammering the Liberals on the issues of violence and gun con­ trol, particularly to voters in the battleground province of Ontario. Toronto saw a startling increase in gun violence in 2005, and both the Liberals and Conservatives have been attempt­ ing to take advantage of voters' concerns.

Martin was in Winnipeg yesterday, speak­ ing to an audience of several hundred in what his handlers billed as a "campaign-turning event." Martin attacked Harper's commitment to Canada, as well as the Conservative Party's plans for social programs.

"I see a Canada we can build on, improve on, move forward," said Martin. "But [Harper] speaks of moving in an opposite direction, away from all we have achieved together and towards a very different country."

New polls released by The Canadian Press suggest that one of the main Liberal vote-grab­

bing tools, the fear among Canadians of a Conservative majority and Harper's "hidden agenda," is becoming less effective. Voters are increasingly comfortable with the idea of a Conservative government, though the most uneasy with the idea were Ontario voters who represent a significant battleground for the right-leaning party.

Martin also drew ire from NDP leader Jack Layton when he said that this election would mean a choice for Canadians between Martin's Liberals and Harper's Conservatives.

"It's frankly offensive for Mr. Martin to tell Canadians that they're limited to two choices, that they're limited to a choice between corrup­ tion and Conservatives," Layton said after a campaign speech in Oshawa, Ont. Layton called the Prime Minister's words "a desperate attempt to manipulate Canadians on the fram­ ing of the ballot question."

While Layton's New Democratic Party gained more than a million new voters in the 20 04 election compared to the previous race in November 2000, it remains to be seen how many voters will be swayed this time around.

Canada's parliamentary system, known as "firstpast-the-post," ensures that only the first-place candidate in every riding with a plurality of votes will be elected. The NDP will also have to over­ come voter worries about "vote-splitting," or the impression that voting for an NDP candidate means essentially voting for a Conservative can­ didate by siphoning votes away from the Liberals.

Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, who only campaigns in Quebec, has been try­ ing to capitalize on the concerns of Quebecers over the supposed corruption and trust issues

Rock the vote For those students wishing to cast a ballot in the Jan. 23 election, here are some handy tips about voting in Montreal. McGill is located in the Westmount-Ville-Marie rid­ ing, currently represented by Liberal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Lucienne Robillard. The candidates for the riding are: Robillard for the Liberals, Louise O'Sullivan for the Conservatives, Eric Steedman for the NDP, Julie Sabourin for the Green Party of Canada and Sophie Fréchette for the Bloc Québécois. Advance polling will take place on Jan. 13, 14 and 16 at specified polls, and anyone wishing to vote immediately can do so at the local Elections Canada office. To find out more about how to register for the list of electors and how and where to vote, visit the Elections Canada Web site at www.elections.ca. To vote you must be a citizen of Canada and aged 18 years or older on Election Day.

surrounding the Liberals. With the emergence of a scandal over the alleged leaking of Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's budget announce­ ment concerning income-trusts, and an ongo­ ing RCMP investigation into who leaked the information, the Bloc is polling at well over 50 per cent in Quebec. Duceppe has challenged Martin to a one-on-one debate in Quebec, an invitation the Liberal leader has declined but Conservative leader Harper has accepted (Duceppe declined Harper's offer). ■

Leaders in review Let's face it none o f the federal party leaders have made the grade when it com es to post-secondary education in Canada. The issue has hardly been one o f note during this campaign, and we at the Tribune don’t expect the leaders to com e to us pledging m oney and support any time soon. Therefore, ju st to let them know we care, here are our thoughts on how each federal political leader has perform ed thus far, both inside and outside the bedroom. All right ju st outside-w e don't want to scare you.

Liberal Party leader Paul Martin, Jr.

Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper

New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton

Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe

If Paul Martin can be commended for anything lately, it's his ability to keep his head above water after the succession of scandals that has plagued the Liberal Party.

Martin, to his credit, made it out of the Gomery Commission reports relatively unscathed, with the big question on peo­ ple's minds being, if he didn't know anything shady or ethical was going on, is he political­ ly adept or politically aloof? Junior should step out from Paul Martin Sr.'s shadow and stop reminding people that he's been a Washington... er, we mean Ottawa insider for the better part of four decades. The Liberals are playing a dangerous game by banking that Canadians are not against the idea of electing a party firmly ensconced in government. While some of his campaign posters are arguably creepy as hell, Martin has exhibited a passion during this cam­ paign that hasn't ever been seen during his tenure as Prime Minister. It's understand­ able: He is, in every sense of the term, fight­ ing for his political life.

Left-wingers beware: Scary Stephen Harper appears to be no more. Since the beginning of the campaign, Harper has stopped wearing a necktie in campaign com­ mercials, worked on his ability to appear per­ sonable and comfortable around crowds, and improved his speaking skills to the point where some of his jokes actually sound funny.

Harper even sounded cool when, in response to a Martin demand for an apology, he told reporters that he could "take a punch." But he now needs to get out from under the shadow of the Liberals and convince Canadians why it should be him running the country instead of convincing us why it shouldn't be them. While his early mentions of rescinding gay marriage have been largely forgotten, all it takes is one "Harperism" to drive Ontario and all its undecideds away from the Tories. We'll have to wait and see what kind of tantrum Harper throws if he manages to lose another election, and how the small-c conservative base of Canada will react when they realize that Stephen Harper just cost them Ontario. Again.

It's unfortunate for Layton and the New Democrats that this leader lends himself to so many jokes and humourous character attacks.

We do give Layton props for jumping up and down on Martin when he implied that this election is essentially a choice between the Liberals and Conservatives, because it might endear him a little more to the electorate and make him sound like less of a fringe candidate.

Unfortunately, if he hasn't yet done this, Layton needs to come back to this planet and realize that at the end of it all, he's still going to be in fourth place. They still don't award medals for fourth, much less credibility. Layton and the NDP should use this election, like every elec­ tion since the early nineties, as another step toward reaching their goal of once again becoming a viable alternative to the country's two dominant parties. And yes, Jack, we all know how cute you and wife Olivia Chow are together on the campaign trail. Maybe she can actually win her Toronto riding this time so you two can bring the love to Parliament. It needs it.

One word: separatist. We all go to McGill. We all live in Quebec. We like Quebec. Just as it is. Do not vote for this man. Or this party. That being said, Duceppe has made quite a turnaround in image since the 1990s, a remarkable feat for any politician once photographed wear­ ing a hair-net. Perhaps it's the Bloc's (wise) decision to use heavy airbrushing wherever Duceppe’s photo appears. Perhaps it's the fact that Duceppe can promise Quebecers happiness, riches and the ability to fly with­ out ever having to answer for his lies in government. In either case, over half the province supports the Bloc, and Duceppe has made some moderately successful inroads in Montreal's "ethnic" communities.

Of course, the Bloc's attention to the "eth­ nic" vote should tell you all you need to know. Hyper-nationalism, ethnocentrism, newly veiled xenophobia... It's enough to make a person vote Green.

-Com piled by Tribune News team

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the mcgill tribune | 4 . 1.06 | news

5

NEWS ANALYSIS NEWS

Youth hit campaign trail Livin’ young, large and politically in charge JENNIFERJETT

5 the New Democratic Party

A

candidate for MP in the Lac St. Louis riding in June 2004, Daniel Quinn was already fighting an uphill battle. So it didn't help when he encountered a heckler during a mini-rally at a busy inter­ section.

"We were on St. Charles Blvd. and a middle-aged man drove by in a convertible," Quinn said. "He just stuck his head out the car and said, 'Hey, are you even old enough to vote?"'

In the current federal election, Quinn, now 22, is giving it another go. Students and young people are prominent among the current crop of federal candidates, especially in Quebec, home to 11 of the 17 VLADIMIR EREMIN Liberal candidates under 30. Of 75 NDP candidates in the province, 18 Hey, at least he s voting. ically involved. The visibility of youth candidates are 26 or younger. may also encourage further youth involvement.

The mantra among youth candidates seems "I think that young people... who don't feel a to be if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. In part of the system might have a better chance of June 2004, Quinn received about 3,800 votes, or becoming involved and voting if they see another 7.55 per cent. Quinn was disappointed with the results, but he realized it was a significant improve­ young person who's involved to this point," said McLauchlin, BA '03. ment over the 1.2 per cent the NDP had received McLauchlin, 24, met more resistance when in his riding in 2000. he ran in the 2000 federal election and 2002 by"The last election was just the first step and election. this election is a continuation of everything we "The first time I ran, I was 18, and I had to put accomplished during the last election," he said.

"We're promoting the same ideas and our mes­ up with a certain amount of accusations that the NDP was stuffing its ranks when in fact I request­ sage has remained consistent.” ed to run, sought the nomination, and ran a seri­ Sometimes the youth of such candidates, ous campaign," he said in an e-mail. "Naturally, I however, can stand in the way of conveying their ideas. One of the largest obstacles young candi­ was also somewhat inexperienced at that age, but of course we all start from somewhere. Having dates face, as Quinn found out, is voter reluctance started early will be just that much more of an to take them seriously. advantage in the future."

"I know that I might have to work harder at the Young NDP candidates generally perform as beginning to prove that I am capable to do the well as older ones, said Ana Gray Richardsonjob," said Maxime Thériault, 20, who is the Liberal Bachand, communications agent and administrator MP candidate for the Terrebonne-Blainville riding. for the NDP in Quebec and regional organizer for "However, this is not a major factor. It will only help the election. me to become a better politician."

"We. also have young candidates who are in One local newspaper snubbed Quinn initially in 2004, when he was by far the youngest candi­ good ridings for us," Richardson-Bachand said.

"Matt McLauchlin is a good example." date among at least five in his riding. When the Running youth candidates has a huge influ­ reporter finally agreed to interview him, Quinn said, ence on parties that reflects in their platforms, said he seemed surprised that Quinn was serious about Brigitte Legault, president of Young Liberals of his campaign.

Canada (Québec). Young Liberals were instrumen­ Student candidates also face the challenge of tal, she said, in pushing forward the issue of samebalancing schoolwork with campaigning. sex marriage. Now they are loudly calling for a ded­ "This is the most difficult thing," said Thériault, icated education transfer. The new ideas that youth a second-year economics and politics student at bring forward ensure a future for the party, Legault the Université de Montréal. "I had five courses in the fall semester so at the beginning of the cam­ said.

"People are recognizing that there are new paign in December, I definitely found it slightly faces in the Liberal Party and the party is not dead hard to study for my finals and start my campaign at the same time. However, I got through by plan­ or not surviving well," she said. "It's surviving very ning my days carefully to utilize as much time as I well with 11 youth candidates who are new faces."

Parties benefit in other ways as well. could. Managing stress is also important. You must "I think it gives us more credibility because stay calm and do one thing at a time."

Quinn, a third-year history and political sci­ we're more representative of the Canadian population," said Richardsonence student at Concordia, agreed—even when he Bachand. is not campaigning, he said, politics is always in the Quinn stressed that young people need to back of his mind. become involved so that they are well represent­ Young people also often lack the resources of ed. their older opponents, including money and the "If the House of Commons is to truly be rep­ ability to take time off work. resentative of the citizenry of this country, then "It's much easier to run for office when you're MPs should be of all ages," he said. 'The best way already well-established," Quinn said. to ensure that students' and young workers' inter­ Youth is not without its advantages, however. ests are represented is to have at least some Thériault and Quinn both cited their energy as an young, vocal and passionate members of asset, while Quinn and Matthew McLauchlin, the Parliament who will bring a new perspective to the NDP MP candidate in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, say national debate." ■ voters are impressed to find young people so polit-

BRIEF SSMU pres wins seat on Board

After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Students' Society President Adam Conter will soon take his seat on the Board of Governors, the universi­ ty's highest governing body.

When the Board downsized last year from 45 to 25 members, the SSMU president lost his non-voting seat. In response, last year's executive put for­ ward a referendum question eliminating the position of representative to the Board of Governors, and mandating that the SSMU president take the under­ graduate seat. The question passed in the spring referendum period, but the president wasn't allowed to assume the seat, since Board rules require the undergraduate representative to take at least 18 credits per year-SSM U exec­ utives typically take lighter course loads.

Last year's SSMU executive asked Board Representative Matt Howatt to present a motion amending Board rules to allow the president to assume the seat. It was overwhelmingly defeated, prompting Conter and Vice-President University Affairs Max Reed to meet with every member of the current Board.

"Rather than telling the Board what to do, we asked them what they thought was going on," said Conter. 'We were able to conclude that student representation on the Board is something that [the Governors] would like."

"So what we were able to do, in my discussions with the Chairman, the Chancellor, and the Principal, was negotiate a way for the president to reclaim his voice, so that the student voice can be heard at the highest level of gov­ ernance."

As a result of the discussions, Interim Secretary-General William Foster invited Conter to sit on the Board as a Student Resource Person, with the same status as a vice-principal. He now has a seat with voice but no vote and can be invited to meetings of the Board's Executive Committee. SSMU will also maintain the current voting undergraduate representative.

W h at this secures is my ability to sit and discuss issues with the Board," he said. "The idea is that every year the student president gets invited back as a resource person. The job remains mine to secure it for next year."

To confirm the new arrangement, students will have to vote on a new ref­ erendum question reversing last year's constitutional change. They will also have to elect a student representative to the Board, a position being filled in the interim by former Management Senator Kalanga Joffres.

—Jam es Cotowiec

Tired of hitting Refresh?

CourseAlerts will do it for you was using the publicly accessible online McGill calendar to provide stu­ upon McGill server speed was negligi­ dents with class-capacity information.

On Dec. 20, after Kapelos-Peters ble. reported the site, this information was "I really don't think it's too much limited to Minerva, which is passload on the server," he said. "If [the administration] were to give me sanc­ word-restricted, though neither Roche nor McGill administrators will confirm tioned access to the site, I guarantee any connection between these there would be a lot less load." events. Regardless, Roche has regu­ Roche added that he expected larly altered his program to allow his further use of CourseAlerts to siphon service to continue functioning in away a certain amount of student spite of Minerva's password restric­ demand on Minerva. tions.

Doug Jackson, director of ISR, Sylvia Franke, registrar and exec­ said his department would continue utive director of ARR, is responsible investigating the effect of CourseAlerts on server speed. Jackson also ques­ for the decision to remove classtioned the fairness of providing cer­ capacity information from public tain, paying students with an advan­ access. She was not available for immediate comment. tage in course registration.

In spite of her initial concerns, "I think this particular service is Kapelos-Peters recently used the unfair to students because it creates a CourseAlerts service to register in two two-tier system for course change," previously at-capacity classes. he said. "Students who are aware of "I used CourseAlerts, and I love the service and can afford it are going it," she said. "I just wish I didn't have to get an edge over those who don't to shell out five bucks for something know or can't afford it."

For the time being, however, it McGill should do for free."

In fact, a number of other univer­ appears that McGill policies do not sities do provide a similar service prevent the use of any pay service through class waitlists on their online such as CourseAlerts. registration systems. Minerva already 'There are McGill policies in provides for such a service, should place, but I'm not sure they're going administrators choose to implement to apply in this case," said Jackson. it. According to Jackson, trial waitlists "We have to look at how will open on Minerva in March, for Fall [CourseAlerts] actually works first."

While Roche has not been con­ registration in the Faculties of Law tacted by McGill administration, it and Continuing Education.

While course waitlists could spell appears that the university has been aware of his Web site since at least the end of CourseAlerts.ca, Roche said he supports the idea. mid-December. It was then that "I think it's good," he said.

Alexandra Kapelos-Peters, U2 English, "Implementing a feature like that-or reported the service to ISR security. sanctioning me to do the same Kapelos-Peters discovered the site through a CourseAlerts advertisement thing—would reduce the load on the site because people [won't be] check­ placed on Facebook.com.

At that time, CourseAlerts— ing the site four or five times a day." ■ which launched in early December—

Continued from cover

CAMPUS RECREATION

INTRAMURAL SPORTS DIVISIONS

COST

REGISTRATION DATES

# PLAYERS TO REGISTER

BALL HOCKEY

Men A & B Women A & B

$110.00 per team

November 28, 9:00 to January 12, 17:00

BASKETBALL

Men A & B & C Women A & B

$110.00 per team

INDOOR SOCCER

Men A & B Women A & B Corée A & B

INNERTUBE WATERPOLO

GAME DAYS

LOCATION

8

Mon & Tues Sunday

Fieldhouse A& B

November 28, 9:00 to January 12, 17:00

8

Tues, to Fri. Sat. & Sun.

Gymnasium 1&2

$110.00 per team

November 28, 9:00 to January 12, 17:00

8 4 Men & 4 Women

Mon. to Thurs Sat. & Sun.

Fieldhouse C&D

Co-Rec A& B

$110.00 per team

November 28, 9:00 to January 12, 17:00

5 Men & 5 Women

Sat. & Sun

Currie Pool

VOLLEYBALL

Men A & B Women A & B Corée A & B & C

$110.00 per team

November 28, 9:00 to January 12, 17:00

8 4 Men & 4 Women

Mon. Wed. & Thurs.

Gymnasium 1&2 Fieldhouse A&B

VOLLEYBALL

Co-Rec

$30.00 per team

TBA

2 Men & 2 Women

TBA

Gymnasium 1&2

4 ON 4 Tournament

PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION DEADLINES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED - SPACE IN MOST SPORTS IS LIMITED - REGISTER EARLY !

IN TRA M U RA L Sports Officiating Students interested in working part-time for the McGill Intramural program should complete an application form at the Campus Recreation office (G35), or email a resumee to perry.kamofsky@mcgill.ca

IN T R A M U R A L S P O R T S BALL HOCKEY BASKETBALL INNERTUBE WATERPOLO VOLLEYBALL INDOOR SOCCER

Experience is an asset, but not a necessity!

FREE Are you looking for AGENTS a team to join?

Attend the Free Agents' M eeting and come prepare to pay your portion of the team entry fee.

BALL HOCKEY, BASKETBALL, INDOOR SOCCER INNERTUBE WATERPOLO and VOLLEYBALL

T U E S D A Y JA N U A RY 10, 2006 The Free Agents' Meetings begin @ 17:30 in the Tomlinson Hall Atrium (2nd Floor Fieldhouse)

SCH ED U LE INFORM ATION i R

,

McGill ATHLETICS

W in te r E q u ip m e n t R en tals Same Day Overnight 2 Nights 3 Nights 4 Nights Week Ski Package $10.00

$12.00

$15.00

$20.00 $25.00

$30.00

Poles

$2.00

$3.00

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

$7.00

Boots

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

$7.00

$8.00

$9.00

Skis

$5.00 .

$7.00

$9.00

$11.00

$15.00

$19.00

Snowshoe Package

$10.00

$12.00

$15.00

$20.00 $25.00

$30.00

Study Break Package $30.00 Feb. 17 to Feb. 27, 2006 »

Equipm ent rentals fo r w inter activities can be purchased a t Client Services (Office G-20C).

Equipm ent fitting and returns are made a t the n ew equipm ent room (G-48).

For m ore in fo rm a tio n : Phone: 398-7011 o r visit w w w .athletics.m cgill.ca

Schedules for intramural sports can be found on the Department of Athletics website: www.athletics.mcgill.ca

IN F O R M A T IO N : 3 9 8 - 7 0 1 I

WINTE

FITNESS AND RECREATION COURSES DAY & TIME

COURSE

COST

WKS

2

0

0

6

REGISTRATION INFORMATION • Register in the Client Services Office of the Sports Centre - Monday through Friday 08:30 - 18:00 hrs. • Non-members registered in courses may use the facility only during their designated class times. • Most classes begin the week of January 9, 2006 • Pay-As-You-Go classes begin January 9 and run until April 30, 2006 • Classes w ill not be held Friday April 14, Sunday April 16 8i Monday April 17.

Prices do not include GST & PST

K ID S ' A Q U A T IC S O ly m p ic W a y - W h it e

(3 -1 4

yrs)

10 :30- 11:15

S a tu rd a y

3.6 .51/53.90

B lu e ( 3 - 1 4 yrs)

(3 -1 4

11: 15- 12:00

S a tu rd a y

yrs)

C a p o e ir a

(3 -1 4

Judo K a ra te d o K endo

yrs)

1 B e a in n e r)

S a tu rd a y W edn esday

A d u lt s L ea rn T o S w im (L e v e l

2

&

3

18:30- 19:25 11: 15- 12:10 18 :30- 19:25 11: 15- 12:10

M onday

A d u lts Lea rn T o S w im (L e v e l

j T u esd a y 8 Friday M on & W ed

A ik id o

S ilv e r ( 3 - 1 4 yrs) G o ld

S atu rd ay

In t e r m e d ia t e )

8

36 . 51/53.90

1/2 hr 1/2 hr 8 8

S w im (S e m i-P r iv a te )

b y a p p o in t m e n t

S w im Fit (C a r d io -R e s p ir a to ry E n d u ra n ce)

Tu es & Thurs

18:30- 19:25

S tr o k e Im p r o v e m e n t

W edn esday

18:30- 19:25

23 .47/40.86

B a lle t

F riday

B e lly D a n c in g

M onday

16:30- 18:30 17:00 - 17:55 17:00 - 17:55 19:40 - 22:00

73 .02/94.76 36 .51/58.25 36. 51/58.25 31.30

20

19:00 - 20:25 18:00 - 18:55 19:00 - 19:55 19:00 - 19:55 18:00 - 18:55 20 :00 -21:30 17:00- 18:25 18:30- 19:55 19:00- 20:25 19:00-20:25 16:00- 17:25 20:30- 21:55 18:00- 18:55 19:00- 19:55

48 .68/70.42 32. 17/53.90 32. 17/53.90 32 . 17/53.90 32 .17/53.90 47 .81/69.55 78 .24/121.75 78 .24/121.75 38 .25/55.64

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8

47 .81/69.55 38 .25/55.64 32 . 17/53.90 32 . 17/53.90

10 8 10 10

17:00- 17:55 12:00- 12:55 12 :00 - 12:55 16 :00 - 16:55 18:00 - 18:55 18:00 - 18:55 19:00 - 19:55 08 :00 - 17:00

34 . 77/78.24 34 .77/78.24 17.39/39.12 39 .99/83.45 39.99/83.45 34.77/78.24 39 .99/83.45 99 .97/108.66

09 :00 - 17:00

58.25/66.94 39 .99/44.34 204 .29/234.72 30.43/65.20 30.43/65.20 30 .43/65.20 47 .81/91.28 38.25/73.02 30 .43/65.20 38 .25/73.02 38.25/73.02 38.25/73.02 38 .25/73.02 34 .77/78.24 204 .29/234.72 47 .81/73.89 47 .81/73.89 47 .81/73.89 38 .25/81.72 38 .25/81.72 39 .99/44.34 39 .99/83.45 39.99/83.45 57.38/100.84

W edn esday F rid a y

F la m e n c o

W edn esday

H ip H o p

T u esd a y ( b e g ) T h u rsd a y ( b e g ) F rid a y (b e g .)

F rid a y (a d v ) T h u rsd a y

Irish D a n c e

1&

Tu es & Thurs

II

Tu es & Thurs

J a z z In te r II & III

M onday

L a tin D a n c e

T u esd a y M id d le E a stern D a n c e

S u n da y

S o c ia l D a n c e

T u esd a y

1

T h u rsd a y

S w in g D a n c e - L in d y H o p II

T h u rsd a y

S w in g D a n c e - L in d y H o p

Tu esday, T h u rsd a y

8

K ic k b o x in g - S a v a t e II

F riday Tu esday, T h u rsd a y

8

M o o K w a n g Tae K w on D o S h a o lin

Friday M onday M onday

M o n d a y & Thurs

8

B od y W orks

M onday

B o d y D e s ig n

S a tu rd a y

W ed

B o o t Cam p

T u esd a y & T h u rsd a y T u esd a y & T h u rsd a y

C a r d io Jam

M onday & W ed

C o r e Basics

M onday & W ed Sat, Ja n u a ry

CPRXFirst A id

28 8

Sunday, Ja n u a ry

28

CPR R e-C ert

Sat, Janu ary

Fitn ess A p p r a is a l

b y a p p o in t m e n t

F itn ess In s tru c to r T ra in in g

M onday

H a th a Y o g a I

M on

8

W ed

Tu es & Th u rs

M on & W ed

H a th a Y o g a il

Tu es & Th u rs M id C u tz

M onday & W ed

P e r s o n a l T ra in er D e v e lo p m e n t

W edn esday

P ilâ te s

T u esd a y

P ilâ te s

T h u rsd a y

P ilâ te s I & Il

F rid a y M on & W ed

Pow er Yoga

Tu es & Thurs P r iv a te W e ig h t T ra in in g

b y a p p o in t m e n t

S te p & P u m p

T u esd a y & T h u r

8i

T u esd a y & T h u r

S te p

Sw eat

T u esd a y & T h u r

Spin

T u esd a y & T h u r S pin

8i TTim

M onday & W ed

Spin - R a ce & P a ce

I

T u esd a y & T h u r

8

S te p E x tre m e

M onday

Ta e B o x

M on. & W ed.

W ed

Tai Chi

T h u rsd a y

10

F e n c in g II

10

H ockey i H o c k e y il S k a tin g M

M onday F riday Friday W edn esday

S k a tin g (P r iv a te ) S k a tin g (S e m i-P r iv a te )

S a tu rd a y S a tu rd a y b y a p p o in t m e n t b y a p p o in t m e n t

19:00 -22:00 08 :00-08:55 12:00- 12:55 16:00- 16:55 18: 15- 19:25 19:30- 20:40 08 :00- 08:55 16:00- 17:10 17: 15- 18:25 17:00- 18:10 18:30- 19:40 18:00- 18:55 19:00-22:00 13:00- 14:15 13:00- 14:15 14 :30 - 15:45 13:00 - 13:55 17:00 - 17:55 13:30 - 14:25 08 :00 -08:55 08 :00 -08:45 18: 10- 18:55 18:00 - 19:25 19: 10- 19:55 16:30- 17:25 17:00- 17:55 20 :00 -21:25

M onday S atu rd ay

Tae B ox

Tu es

A e r o b ic s

S u n da y

B o o t Cam p

W edn esday

B o d y D e s ig n

T h u rsd a y

S pin

F rid a y

P o w er Yoga

F riday

18:00- 18:55 11:00- 11:55 17:00 - 17:55 12:00- 12:55 17:30- 18:25 17:00- 17:55 17:00- 17:55 17:30- 18:25

1 1 14 8 8 8 10 8 8 8 8 8 10 14 10 10 10 10 10 1 10 10 10

S qu a sh In tro

$ 2 . 17/57.39 $ 2 . 17/57.39

10 10 10 10 8

16:00 - 16:45 17:30- 18:15 16:45 - 17:30 17:30- 18:15 12: 15- 13:00 13:00- 13:45 16:00 - 16:45 16:45 - 17:30 08 :30-09:15 09 : 15- 10:00 ■14: 30 - 15:15 15: 15- 16:00 16:00- 16:45 10:45 - 11:30 11:30- 12:15 16:45 - 17:30 17:30- 18:15 11:30 - 12:15 12 : 15- 13:00

M onday M onday T u esd a y Tu esd ay W edn esday W edn esday Th u rsd a y T h u rsd a y Friday Friday F riday

S qu a sh In te r

F riday Friday S a tu rd a y S u n da y M onday T h u rsd a y S a tu rd a y

S qu a sh (P r iv a te ) S qu a sh (S e m i-P r iv a te ) T en n is In tro

Sunday b y a p p o in t m e n t b y a p p o in t m e n t

15:00 - 15:55 16:00 - 16:55 09 :00 -09:55 11 :00- 11:55 14:00 - 14:55 16:00 - 16:55 15:00 - 15:55 16:00 - 16:55 16:00 - 16:55 14:00 - 14:55 10:00- 10:55

M onday T h u rsd a y Friday

Ten n is In te r

Friday M onday T u esd ay W edn esday T h u rsd a y

Ten n is (P r iv a te )

T u esd ay W edn esday Friday b y a p p o in t m e n t

T en n is (S e m i-P r iv a te )

b y a p p o in t m e n t

T en n is A d v a n c e d

1

69 .55/134.75 62 .59/106.05 62 .59/106.05 62 .59/106.05

10 10 10 10

47 .81/113.00 47 .81/113.00

10 10

69 .55/134.75

10

62 .59/106.05 47 .81/91.28

10 10

40 .85/75.63

8

40 .85/75.63 45 .20/62.59 53 .90/71.29 47 .81/65.20 33 .03/50.42 33 .03/50.42 15.65/20.00 11.30/15.65 22 .60/35.64

8 8

E q u estria n Ice C lim b in g K a y a k in q S n o w - S h o e in g (refer to printed receipt for departure times & location) '

1

8

1/2 1/2 6

22 .60/35.64

6

16 . 52/20.87 12.60/16.95 29 .56/42.60

45 45 6

29 .56/42.60

29 . 56/42.60 19.99/24.34 13.90/18.26

Î

1

22 .60/26.95 22 .60/26.95 126.05/134,74 126.05/134.74 65 .20/69.54 86 .95/104.32 39 . 11/43.47

2 2 6 6 1 8 1

$ 13.04

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

O U T D O O R P U R S U IT S

C ross C o u n tr y S k iin g

S atu rd ay S u n da y S a tu rd a y S u n da y Sat, F e b ru a ry

13:00 - 14:55 10:00 - 11:55 13:30- 15:25 13:30- 15:25 18

W edn esday Sunday, Janu ary Sunday, Ja n u a ry

A ll D ay

21 :00 -22:30 15 22

S atu rd ay, F e b ru a ry S atu rday, F e b ru a ry S atu rd ay. M a rc h 4 S unday, M a rc h 19

A ll D ay

4 18

S T A F F FIT N E S S

8

A q u a Fitn ess

M onday

B a d m in to n

M on d ay & W ed

B e lly D a n c in g

in T h e R in g

8 F riday 8 T h u rsd a y T u esd a y 8 T h u rsd a y T u esd a y 8 T h u rsd a y M on d ay 8 W ed T u esd a y 8 T h u rsd a y T u esd a y 8 T h u rsd a y M o n d a y 8 F riday

in tr o t o P ilâ te s

M ond ay and W ed

B o d y D e s ig n

86 .06/125.18 57.38/100.84 39 .99/83.45 34 .77/78.24 39.99/74.76

10

______ I

08 :00 -08:55 19:00 - 19:55 20 :00 - 20:55 13:30- 14:45 14:45 - 16:15 ... 15:00-16 1§ 10:30- 11:20 11:30- 12:20

8 T h u rsd a y 8 W ed 8 W ed

T u esd a y

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1

19:30- 21:25 20 :30- 22:00

W ed W ed

F e n c in g i

29

F IT N E S S & W E L L N E S S (P A Y - A S - Y O U - G O ) S te p

'

8 8

78. 24/121.70

l SPO RTS

F IT N E S S & W E L L N E S S A e r o b ic s - Classic C a rd io

Fri

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M onday

C o n te m p o r a r y D a n c e (Students ONLY - Audition Required)

8

18:00 - 19:55 17:00- 19:55 16:30- 17:55 17:30- 19:25 19:30- 21:25 20 :00-21:55 09 :00- 10:55 15:30- 16:25 20 h 30 -2 l h 25 20h 30 -21h 25 19:00 -20:25

M onday & W ed M onday & W ed T u esd a y 8 S atu rd ay M o n ., Thur., Fri.

K ic k b o x in g K ic k b o x in g - S a v a t e

15.65/20.00 11.30/15.65 32. 17/66.93

b y a p p o in t m e n t

S w im (P r iv a te )

J a zz In tro

WKS

M A R T IA L A R T S

G re e n ( 3 - 1 4 yrs) B ron ze

COST

DAY & TIME

COURSE

W h it e A d v ( 3 - 1 4 yrs)

E a sy R id e r L a tin A e r o b ic s R id e rs o n t h e S to rm H a th a Y o g a i H a th a Y o g a II

W ed

M onday

T u esd a y

it’s Quittin' Time - Stress Release Yoga

Friday

P ilâ te s

T u esd a y

P o w e r Y o g a L ite

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8 T h u rsd a y 8 W ed

$ 2 . 17/57.39

R ecess

M o n d a y , W e d , Friday

$2 . 17/57.39

Ten n is

M onday

$ 2 .17/57.39

Tai Chi

M onday

8 8

W ed W ed

12: 15- 13:00 12:30 - 13:15 12:00 - 12:45 12:30- 13:15 13 :00 - 13:45 12: 30- 13:15 13:00 - 13:45 13:00 - 13:45 12:00 - 12:45 13:00 - 13:45 12:00 - 12:45 16:30- 17:15 12: 15- 13:00 12:00- 12:45 12:30- 13:15 13:00- 13:45 13:00 - 13:45

$ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 $ 13.04 IÏ

364

$ 2 . 17/57.39 $ 2 . 17/57.39

or www.athletics.mcgill.ca

McGill ATHLETICS

hr hr

m in m in

opinion

Funambulism

Exit, pursued by a bear

A-musings

CRISTINA MARKHAM

Starting the new year off right...

TIFFANY C H O Y

...w ith a rant, o f course. After all, we irascible stu­ dent- (and especially student-press-) types could­ n't let all that “jo y o f the holiday season" stuff go unchecked for too long. love the feeling of going home, but hate that 12 hours into "quality time" with the parents makes you regret your decision to come home in the first place.

I love how I go to a university that is recog­ nized internationally, but hate the way that many (cough, Western, cough) Canadians ask me, "McGill... is that in Ontario?." Umm, no... think a little further than that.

I love being able to get dirt cheap stuff at Wal-Mart, but hate the way people curse at you for exploiting their "always low prices." Sorry, but I'm a student with limited funds.

On the other hand, I love drinking Starbucks coffee, but now people frown upon me because they think I paid too much. Fine, I'll admit it: I indulge myself!

I love the way that struttin' it out when you know you look good is a great ego booster, but I also know that running into every person you know on the one day you look like a hobo is very, very bad.

I love that there are many ways to comple­ ment someone's intelligence—smart, bright or clever, for example—but it's frustrating that there's a limited number of ways to comment on some­ one's stupidity, I love sitting outside at dusk on what was a scorching sunny day, but hate that when you

I

return indoors 20 minutes later, you're complete­ ly covered in bug bites.

I hate how fast food isn't fast (nor cheap, for that matter) but when you've got that craving after knocking a few glasses back, I love the way it totally hits the spot.

I love the fact that having^a driver's licence means a new sense of freedom, but I'm not so crazy about how it also makes you the newest errand runner, all of which just happen to span across the entire city.

Conversely, I love having a chauffeur to take me around. However, it's disappointing when their technical title is "bus driver" or "train opera­ tor."

I love the great sense of contentment that comes from noticing someone's ridiculous mis­ takes (Avenue Q, anyone? It's schadenfreude— happiness at the misfortune of others!) or when a person is being asinine, yet it's awful when you're caught in your own moments.

I love unwinding at a club with friends on a Friday, but it becomes a downer 30 minutes into the evening when it feels as if you've been listen­ ing to the same music for the past three hours.

I love the amusement that can be derived from the way people will sacrifice their dignity at three in the morning when in need of a wash­ room, but it sucks that guys lose a lot less social cred than girls.

But perhaps most importantly, I love the way I can rant about anything and everything— even though most people will probably hate the fact that they took the time to stop and read it. ■

n all of my favourite movies, the end is always marked by a fabulous songand-dance number. All of the charac­ ters resolve their differences and come together, if only for three-and-a-half minutes of pirouettes and jazz hands.

As the music swells, the dancers leap higher, the protagonists gyrate as though their lives depended on it and the intensity reaches a fever pitch. The dancers strike their final poses, the music hits its final harmonious chord and the audience leaves with a sense of completion and satisfaction.

If only I could choreograph such a number for my exit from the opinion page.

To the tune of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," all of the key players from Neurotica/Funambulism would come dancing onstage single­ file. The zombies who haunt my apart­ ment, the incredibly waify and impossi­ bly bitchy boutique employees, and the avitaphobic Luddites from my train trip from hell would come prancing in from the right, while a line of Ugg-dad McGill girls would come in from the left, preferably doing some kind of can­ can in time with the trumpets. Just as the lyrics began, Rosalie (m y some­ what deranged best friend) and Dana (my overly-praised roommate) would be lowered from the ceiling in a bird­ cage, wearing Madonna-style micro­ phones and fabulous rhinestoneencrusted leotards that would make even the cast of Chicago envious.

As they sang all of the highlights of the past year-and-a-half in perfect har­

I

mony (a true feat, since one of them is painfully tone-deaf—you guess which, I'm not telling), a billboard with pink scrolling lights would flash out lame jokes and painfully bad puns. As the music reached its final bars, everyone would erupt with the most jubilant jazz hands the world has ever seen, and strike their final poses with perfect accuracy.

Why oh why can't I do my farewell column in dance form?

Regardless of the limitations of my medium, I feel as though the past yearand-a-half has been quite the song and dance number. This little bi-weekly space has definitely been the highlight of my years at university, and while it saddens me to know that I will no longer be able to share my nonsencical, psychotic rants with the lovely Tribune readership, I know that I'm leaving the opinion section in the capa­ ble (though most.likely groping) hands of Brandon Chudleigh. And I'm not too worried about the overall quality of the paper going into a freefall without me, for I'm not sashaying out of the Trib altogether—you'll be able to read my (slightly more research-intensive) ramblings in the features section, where I'm taking over as editor for the remainder of the year.

So, my charming readers, thank you for tolerating, and at least pretend­ ing to enjoy, the past 18 months of insanity I've foisted upon you. And now, with a flourish and a flash of lights, this funambulist will bid you adieu. ■

In the Right

National insecurity LEIGH ASLATEEI hat Paul Martin just can't keep a promise. When the cur­ rent Prime Minister succeeded Jean Chrétien in December 2003, he pledged to improve on his prede­ cessor's shameful handling of Canada-US relations. But now, two years and two election campaigns later, Martin has left us with even less goodwill in Washington, choosing instead to boost Liberal fortunes at the ballot box by plugging away at the widespread anti-American sentiment of the Canadian electorate.

He was counting on that feeling during a Dec. 7 cam­ paign stop at the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal. Our resident shipping magnate singled out the US for not ratifying the Kyoto Accord, calling it a "reticent nation” lacking a "global conscience." The inequity in Martin's pro­ nouncement, though, was the fact that Canada has increased its greenhouse gas emissions 24 per cent over 1990 levels, while the American rate has gone up only 13 per cent. And as the conference's American delegation so aptly observed, the US, unlike Canada, has actually achieved emission reductions: Between 20 0 0 and 2003, US emis­ sions declined almost one per cent despite population growth of 8.6-million and economic growth of $ 1.2-trillion.

The prime minister's caviling and pharisaic rhetoric drew

T

the ire of David Wilkins, the American ambassador to Canada. What Wilkins said should be self-evident to Martin: Taking cheap political swipes at our closest friend and biggest trading partner will compromise bilateral relations, and could slow down the $1-billion of daily cross-border trade that indirectly or directly accounts for half of all Canada's jobs.

Our titan of the seas, though, is not concerned with such trifles. Along with Chrétien, he has swapped goodwill for political gain, and it led to a long and protracted battle with the US over Canadian beef. Meanwhile, the softwood lumber dispute drags on. Former PM Brian Mulroney, who made Canada-US relations a top priority, would have solved these disputes with a phone call.

Indeed, Joseph Jockel, director of Canadian studies at St. Lawrence University in Rochester, NY, says that the Bush administration's dissatisfaction with Canada comes not from the substance of policy disagreements, but from the manner in which they are conveyed. Take the ballistic missile defence program, for example: Martin and his senior minis­ ters grandstanded about joining the program, and then at the last minute, rejected it. What a game to play—the nation­ al security flip-flop.

To be fair, it's not only Martin who is full of antiAmerican vitriol. Commenting on the recent Boxing Day shootings in Toronto, Mayor David Miller neglected to men­ tion the city's gang problem as a cause of gun fatalities. But he did make sure to emphasize that 'The US is exporting its problem of violence to the streets of Toronto." It appears that anti-Americanism in Canadian society is not even just reserved for the Bush admin and Republicans—it's a persist­ ent, all around Yankee-hatred. In fact, according to one sur­ vey put out by the Dominion Institute, 4 0 per cent of Canadian teens view America as "evil." Among francophone teens, that number rises to a staggering 64 per cent.

Given its position as Canada's economic and security lifeline, our mainstream loathing of the United States is trou­ blesome. But it goes far beyond that: A national identity sit­ ting atop a foundation of "We are not American, therefore we are great" only represents smug stupidity, not pride. AntiAmericanism is not pro-Canadianism. It's treasonous for Martin to harm our national interests south of the border and then pass it off as patriotism, as he did with his "I will stand up for Canada-period" jab at Ambassador Wilkins.

It's just one more reason to send Paul and his crew out to sea on Jan. 23. ■

the mcgill tribune | 4 . 1.06 | opinion

9

The

EDITORIAL

M cGill Tribune

T h e G rin ch es w ho stole C hristm as (and Labour Day)

Curiosity delivers.

E d to r -in-C hief

"There's no point in being a grownup if you can't be childish sometimes.

—Dr. Who

Liz Allemang editor@mcgilltribune.com M anaging E ditors Jennifer Jett A n d rew Segal seniored@mcgilltribune.com Production M anager Lara Bekhazi production@mcgilltribune.com N ews E ditors Robert Church Jam es G otow iec Niall Mackay Roberts news@mcgilltribune.com F eatures E ditors Genevieve Jenkins Lise Treutler features@mcgilltribune.com A&E E ditors Ben Lemieux Melissa Price arts@mcgilltribune.com S ports E ditors David Blye Adam Myers sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo E ditors Lukas Bergmark Vladimir Eremin photo@mcgilltribune.com C opy E ditor Traci Johnson copy@mcgilltribune.com

housands of McGill students spent Monday packing up their clothes and Boxing Day steals, and bidding goodbye to their families and friends. And if they were anything like the members of our editorial board, they probably spent most of the day grumbling about how they had to head back a week earlier than all of their friends.

Yep, it's becoming a time-tested truth about our school—the admin enjoys continually beating all of us students with a stick. We were the first ones back in September (before Labour Day! Who starts before Labour Day?), the first ones back in January, and we're going to be the last ones to finish in April.

All this extra school might make some think we were getting more value for our money than all of our friends at U of T, Queen's, Bishop's, Western, UBC, Dalhousie, or pretty much any other school you can think of. But it just isn't true.

Instead, we're actually disadvantaged by these policies.

Sum m er contract jobs traditionally run through to the end of the Labour Day weekend.

Since classes started on Sept. 1, students either had to miss the first days of class (losing some of the precious few days devoted to shopping around for classes during the add/drop period) or the last days of their jobs (losing precious few dollars as a result).

Meanwhile, in January, those who have to fly back to this icicle of a city lose out. If they choose to come back for the start of classes (and many don't, instead thumbing their noses at the stickwielding admin) air travel is more expensive, as Jan. 2 is part of the holiday travel season, where prices are sky high and points blackouts abound.

And during the past few years, study breaks—those prized moments between the last day of classes and the beginning of exam s-have gotten ever shorter. In the fall semester, w e were

T

weekends as well (a practice common at many given only a weekend, and in April exams start on other schools). This would free up class time for the day after classes end. The only redeeming lectures, meaning that fewer classes need to be feature, for those who don't have all their exams scheduled to get the same number of lecture in the first week, is that we don’t write over the hours. four-day Easter weekend.

But it's unlikely that this is ever going to hap­ Unfortunately, it seems like McGill is poised pen, for the simple reason that many don't want to keep this sorry schedule for at least another couple of years, for reasons beyond understand­ to have to supervise exams on weekends or go ing. But lest we be accused of merely complain­ to the trouble of reworking the exam schedule to add an extra time slot. So if it's a status quo exam ing, there are some easy ways to fix the problems policy that people want, we propose a deal. In with the schedule. exchange for some study days between the end For one, we can reduce the duration of the of classes and the start of exams, and maybe an exam period by writing finals on the weekend or extra week off at Christmas, we could always by increasing the number of time slots through copy arch-nemisis U of T, and extend finals into adding an evening exam slot to the current mornthe first week of May. ing/afternoon regime. The extra days this would Hey, you can't blame us for trying. ■ free up could either be used at the beginning of the examr period, giving

by Jamie Goodman us time to study, or at B a c k “fo S c kooJ the end, giv­ ing us extra 4 W t / C r td time off.

McGill C W r î | > ï » e a A « .a , could also I Ik e mandate that m idterm C ftfb exams be O/V given outside of the lecture period. They could get k re d k f j around the lack of class space in which to give exams by allowing our profs to give midterms on

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D esign E ditors Tiffany C ho y

OFF THE

BOARD

G eneviève Friesen design@mcgilltribune.com

Twenty-one going on menopause

O nline E ditor M arco A vo lio

LIZ ALLEMANG

online@mcgilltribune.com A dvertising M anager Paul Slachta advmgr@ssmu.mcgill.ca Publisher Chad Ronalds ONLINE AT WWW.MCGILLTRIBUNE.COM

R hetorical question Is it painfully obvious that we only had one design editor here this week?

G o n e but not forg otten —thanks , M c G ill

Spenser Sproul

Bird course M cGill should add Ballroom dancing C ontributors—we

love all four of you

Leigh Aslateei, M ohit Arora, Jam ie Goodm an, Kyoko Gotanda T ribune O ffices Editorial. Shatner University Centre, Suite 110, 3 48 0 McTavish, Montreal Q C Tel: 514.398.6789 Fax. 514.398.1750 Advertising. Brown Student Building, Suite 1200, 3 6 0 0 McTavish, Montreal Q C H 3A 1Y2 Tel. 514.398.6806 Fax. 514.398.7490

've always fancied myself to be a bit of a young'un. I came to McGill having spent just four years at an Ontario high school rather than the standard five, am the baby of my family and tend to socialize with a mature posse. I still get carded at the liquor store, and manage to con­ vince others that my brattiness is amusingly feisty rather than age-inappropriate. And so, with 21 years of rowdy youth under my belt, it came as a complete shock when I recently realized that I had entered middle age.

Alas, there were no obvious warning signs.

Unlike most women who realize that they have reached that particular stage in life, I had not yet adopted mother's vices (a fondness for all things with tassels and being a pack rat). The gray hairs— knock on wood—had yet to appear and the need for bifocals was still pending. Imperceptibly seam­ less, the gradual transition away from youthful characteristics and inclinations did not provide me the opportunity to object.

My worst fears started coming to fruitation somewhere between first and second year when my junk mail inbox saw far fewer JPEG forwards and an increased number of Botox party e-vites.

The tradeoff was questionable: Though thrilled to bid adieu to pictures of monkeys drinking their own urine, the reminders of looming worry lines

I

and crow's feet were unsettling. I'd hit delete immediately, of course, superficially convinced my youth was still packing peak potency. But doubts lingered beneath the surface, and I now place the responsibility for my early senescence squarely on the shoulders of that Texan salon that electronical­ ly encouraged me to pump myself full of injectable botulism.

Take it from someone who has already fallen into the trap: Once any time is devoted to the middle age mindset, whether contemplating a wrinkle here or an RRSP there, adapting the mid­ dle age lifestyle is an inevitability. I am hard pressed to think of the last time I went to a bar in Montreal (too noisy/smoky/tiring), actively picked someone up (I'm too old to risk diaper sniping), dressed like a floozy (high heels are uncomfort­ able), or pursued in any of the other reckless exploits undergrads are supposed to engage in.

To be truthful, I don't particularly mind trad­ ing in late-night partying for Saturdays spent decked out in sweats, watching Dateline and falling asleep on the couch before the clock strikes midnight. It hardly bothers me that I am becoming exponentially more forgetful, often regaling friends w itfrtales they've already heard several times. And while it was initially hurtful that the older men I once chased found my barely

legal incarnation less enticing than my jailbait one, I have coped with the rejection.

Instead, what concerns me is that I am not concerned about m y impending aging. Rather, I am—perhaps even enthusiastically—relinquishing myself to fate. I'm letting middle age in and I'm settling down with it, prepared for the long haul.

This no doubt gets me shunned from some social groups around campus; hell, even my par­ ents berate me for not going out on a regular basis, disappointed in the fact that I have not met the socially imposed quota of youthful indiscre­ tions. Tongue-lashings are also doled out by those who covet the commitment-free years of an undergrad. But these sentiments led me to a rev­ elation that helped me to accept my new per­ sona: Maybe I'm wrong-or just one of the quiet few to have figured it out-but it seems the things we 20-somethings do to fit the mould aren't actu­ ally things that make us happy. ' So while I am considered boring because of my lifestyle, which cherishes stability and is negli­ gent in its use of efficient hangover recovery, I'll gladly let others flirt with every STI known to the CDC and spend their meagre incomes on drug paraphernalia. I'm much more content doing crosswords at home in my pajamas than compet­ ing with the cougars at pick-up bars. ■

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' Society of McGill University, in collaboration with the Tribune Publication Society. Letters to the editor may be sent to le tte rs @ S the contributor's name, program and year, and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic, or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

10 opinion | 4.1.06 | the mcgill tribune

Letters to the editor

SUDOKU, W OO

WOO!

I • FO RFI

A very open letter to the PQ leader Andre Boisclair, you have seduced me. Like Antony with Cleopatra and Malinche with Cortez, my patriotic allegiance gives way in the face of you. Reason is out the window.

There are various explanations for the interest you arouse generally. Your relative youth, your sta­ tus as the first openly gay political party leader, even your past indiscretions point to a dynamic, rounded personality. Some are drawn to your toothy grin, your boyish face—what the New York Times calls your "matinee idol good looks."

But my feelings for you are more sophisticat­ ed. To the extent that I gave it any thought, I always identified as a straight and narrow federalist. Now I see that the awakening began when I moved to Quebec for school: I was struck by the sheer dif­ ference of the place, resolute against the odds.

Underdogs have a sympathetic appeal.

And then I saw you, for the first time, in an interview. The topic was separatism, naturally, and, for once, I listened. You weren't wrinkled like the other ones. To surrender to your vigour was thrilling in an edgy way, carrying with it a hint of treachery. How often does a person get to feel seditious these days? It's a 17th-century senti­ ment.

My federalist friends dismiss this all as a phase, tracing it back to my purchase of a fleur-delys key chain. But what you have made me real­ ize, ironically, is that there is a middle ground, even on the unity question. What happens, happens. If you are the victor, let me be a spoil.

Tim Wood Law 1

Upset at coverage of dyslexia Who ever Brandon Chudleigh is, he's in trou­ ble again. Does Brandon even know what dyslexia is ("The boy who cried dyslexia," 29.11.05)?

Dyslexia is contained in the title of his column and then the' disorder is not even mentioned in the text. The implication appears to be that students who claim they are dyslexic do so in order to get out of writing exams, that they are fakers.

There are quite a few students at McGill, in Arts, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Science and Music, undergraduates and graduates, who have a docu­ mented case of a life-long cognitive disorder that has caused them to struggle with reading. Dyslexia

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ON

doesn't go away. Imagine how hard they work at the university level, and they graduate well, in spite of their disability.

These university students are the smartest and most hardworking bunch of students with whom I have had the pleasure to work. They are not slackers. Who are you to imply that these stu­ dents "use" their disability to avoid being account­ able for their choices, that they are simpering weaklings, looking for an excuse to avoid work?

Walk a mile in their shoes (or read their anatomy text and do the multiple choice exam) and then we'll see who's whining.

Elaine Ransom-Hodges M cGill Office for Students with Disabilities

Hey, this high-quality newspaper is free So let me see if I've got all this straight: We, the students, are against corporate sponsor­ ship in the university. We are against the high tuition for international students ("cash cows," as it were). We oppose lifting the Quebec tuition freeze despite the fact that the university loses more and more every year thanks to inflation. And now the Canadian Federation of Students feels that private donations "may compromise the quality of educa­ tion by infringing academic freedom."

See, I understand all that. What continues to stump me, however, is from exactly which orifice we expect the university to pull out the cash to keep our school up and running? Oh, the govern­ ment, you say? Let it be their rectums from which we extract our financing. Well, guess what: The government, too, has limited funds. Even with a mass increase in government subsidy, there are a lot of schools the money has to reach. Do we real­ ly think there will be enough to keep McGill com­ petitive with international schools? And moreover, what do we do until then: Allow our buildings to crumble and classrooms to overflow?

We don't want to pay for our education and then we complain about the quality. Well kids, I happen to think the two just might be related. So please, take a step back from your rabid accusa­ tions and think about reality. You can't have it both ways. Nothing comes for free.

Elizabeth Campbell U2 Political Science & Religion

Write us: letters@mcgilltribune.com, what what

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I

features

M o v in g f o r w a r d ,

looking >bfid without

u a n

ieath the surface; Is a clean slate really the most effective?

LIZ ALLEMANG

Though failure to self-improve can no doubt be attributed to a loss of drive, a roadblock also lies in how people have long approached elements of personal dissatisfaction. Rather from learning from past behavioural and judgmental errors, many who resolve to live a better life deny previous wrongdoings with the hope that they can focus on the positive and move forward. But this is a concept utilized by those unwilling to truly change.

Without facing the underlying issues and triggers behind our bad behaviour, how can resolution occur?

Duart Maclean, who trains and leads seminars in Montreal on rebirthing-an alternative therapy which focuses on con­ fronting and releasing past negative experiences-notes that it is difficult to move forward and accomplish goals without facing the past..

"As an analogy, can one move forward with a kitchen chair attached to one of our legs? Of course, but it will be more labour intensive and frustrating" Maclean explains, "So the best strate­ gy is to get rid of the chair rather than keep dragging it along with us."

Unresolved issues can take both subconscious and con­ scious forms which bar, or at least hinder, growth and accom­ plishment. And while these issues may not always be apparent, they start to rear their ugly heads as progress on the resolution stalls. Maclean illustrates this theory with the example of an adult who has resolved to have "better relationships" but was abused as a child.

Because they were raised in an environment lacking both physical and emotional safety, the adult is not only afraid of their abuser but also afraid to express anger towards them and, in turn, makes the conscious or unconscious decision that it is dan­ gerous to show anger. As a grown up their relationships are dys­ functional and alienating as a result of this lack of communica­ tion. To make a solely present-oriented resolution in such an instance, thus ignoring the problem at the heart of the matter, accomplishes nothing.

It is Jan. 2 at a downtown Montreal health club. Though the rest of the city is sleepy and slow in its recovery from the holi­ days, a handful of ambitious resolution-makers pound the (mock) pavement of the track, while other spandex-clad men and women race to keep their heart rate up after 363 days of inactivity.

"I've been working here for three years," says the reception­ ist. "The gym is dead quiet from February to December, but sud­ denly on January 1 we have hour-long waits for the stair climber."

Though there are no concrete figures, Stephen Shapiro, author of Coal Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want Now?, recently released a study that approximated that 45 per cent of Americans make New Year's resolutions, representing a substan­ tial and longstanding movement towards self-improvement.

But most of the millions of people who have freshly vowed to lose weight, harbour non-dysfunctional relationships, work harder and be better individuals will be back to their former toxic selves in a matter of weeks or months. A 1997 study conducted by the University of Washington found that only 40 per cent of people successfully achieved their top resolution on the first try.

"The rest made multiple tries, with 17 per cent finally succeed­ ing after more than six attempts," notes Elizabeth Miller, a UW doctoral candidate in psychology who worked on the study.

Though the persistence required to try and lose the beer belly for eight straight years deserves kudos, it must also be questioned to understand what prevented the subjects from meeting their goals on the first go.

For many, once the initial vigour with which most approach their resolutions wears thin and the challenging reality sets in, the inclination to give up becomes greater. The probability of fail­ ure is so discouraging that it is often used as a justification for failure itself. Knowing that the odds are not in one's favour pro­ vides ample excuse for a loss in motivation and, subsequently, ceases efforts to revamp one's self.

Continued on page 12

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the mcgill tribune | 4 .1.06 | features

Just making a resolution can’t always make it so Continued from page 11 Addictive behaviour It may seem like tough love, but forcing people to confront their past shortcomings is a proven means of affecting change. Treating bad habits like we would an addiction, rather than handling our flaws with kid gloves, is a tool that would prove useful to those who are actually committed to keeping their resolutions. The well-known 12 Step program created by Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that AA mem­ bers should admit to a powerlessness before opening themselves up to the possibility of change. This approach is attributed with aiding the path to sobriety of the over two-million members who have taken the pledge.

A key difference between those who have

successfully overcome addictive behaviour and those who fail by merely making resolutions is, in part, taking responsibility and making a com­ plete commitment to change. "Recovery is about people seeing themselves as capable of recovery rather than passive [receptacles]," explains the UK-based charity Rethink. "It is about working out strategies and taking control."

Taking control ensures that individuals will remain focused and not give up when the task becomes arduous.

Too much, too soon?

Having to examine oneself under a micro­ scope can be daunting to the student looking to move past their imperfect history. In the grey area between young and legitimate adulthood, it seems somewhat unfair that we must con­ front every deep-seated issue and personal demon in order to drop a few pounds or get better grades in the New Year.

Not coming to terms with- all things unresolved could take a heavy emotional toll, but com­ ing to terms with them can be extremely stressful. And with ongoing research being con­ ducted through the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggesting that recurrent depression may be triggered by stress, seeking out the source of one's bad habits could result in more negative ramifications than the behav­ iour itself.

Indeed, resolutions can be kept and life made better without hours spent on the

therapist's couch discussing paternal abandon­ ment and playground bullying. "The keys to making a successful resolution are a person's confidence that he or she can make the behav­ iour change and the commitment to making that change," says Miller, the psychologist.

But while one can move forward while mentally erasing the past anyone who does so should be wary. They could easily create new negative behaviour that could, in future, be problematic. "Resolutions are a process, not a one-time effort that offer people a chance to create new habits," says Miller. And likewise, not a one-time effort that offers a chance to create a new you. ■

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BORN AGAIN... VIRGIN

Erasing /our sexual history with the flick of a stitch Hymenoplasty: the new boob job LIZ ALLEMANG mid suppressed memories of fumbling with the Durex wrapper, awkward post-coital socialization, and the scent of a musty rec room still etched into their con­ sciousnesses, it is safe to assume that many men and women pine for a do-over in losing their virginity. Once the fodder of weepy evenings spent with a bottle of tequila rehashing the many mistakes of sexcapades past, having a second chance at the first time is a movement that is gaining ground in North America.

A

Making sex 'special' People magazine and USA Today have both reported that, in recent years, a growing number of engaged couples are choosing to abstain from intercourse for weeks, months, or even years prior to their wedding in order to become revirginized.

The legitimacy of the secondary virginity concept is questionable at best: refraining from sex doesn't actually reverse past encounters, whether regrettable or enjoyable.

But in an era where premarital sex is commonplace— Statistics Canada reported that, as of 2000, the average age of first-time brides and grooms was 31.7 and 34.3 years, respectively, while a StatsCan survey released in May 2005 found that the average age for losing one's virginity was 16.5 for both sexes-it has become a method to regain some of the significance of the wedding night.

When tighter is better More dedicated types, and those with a couple thou­ sand dollars to burn, are taking a different approach that is gaining recognition for its controversial nature.

Formerly commonplace only in culturally conservative societies such as Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, where women bring shame to their families if they have lost their virginity prior to marriage, hymenoplasty has become a booming business in the United States and is slowly popping up in Canada. The surgery, which is a simple two-hour pro­ cedure that requires only a local anesthetic, secures the hymen back in place using dissolvable stitches or, if the membrane is too damaged, attaches a flap of skin from the vaginal wall across the opening. The end result of the surgery hides any evidence of prior virginity loss. Once the hymen is reconstructed, it will bleed and cause pain upon being bro­ ken.

Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Stubbs told M aclean's magazine that most requests came from Muslim women, though a notable number of non-Muslim patients opted to have the surgery for superficial reasons. The trend has had noticeable growth: Vaginal surgery has become the fastestgrowing segment of the plastic surgery industry, according to a December 2005 article on revirgination surgery in the Wall Street Journal.

While the procedures roots are planted in cultural demands, its future is in the designer vagina movement, which allows women to tailor their genitals to their (and their

partner's) preferences. "Sagging groin skin and limp labia are going the way of crooked noses and post-nursing breasts, courtesy of new cosmetic surgeries focused on this onceneglected hinterland of female beauty," exclaims Daphne Merkin in a January 2 0 0 6 New York Times Magazine article.

A pretty vagina trumps reason The prospect of cosmetic procedures performed on pri­ vate parts becoming mainstream is of some concern: Once the concern of porn stars and the eccentric affluent, regular women are now forced to consider their tightness and appearance-down there. What's more troubling is the per­ ceived notion inherent to revirgination that a couple of stitch­ es will eliminate the existence of a checkered sexual history.

Though for some there may be sexual encounters that are worth filing under forgettable, outright denial that the experi­ ence occurred is both mentally and physically unhealthy.

"It's ontologically ungraspable how stitching a hymen back together vitiates the psychological experience of having already lost your virginity," Merkin notes.

Mistakes exist to educate us. So while it is unlikely that women will rush to get their hymen patched back up after every disappointing one night stand, so as to pretend it never happened, the increasing acceptability of revirgination opens the floor for people to be more reckless in their sexual mis­ adventures. Perhaps women so interested in protecting the pristine image of their vaginas should close their pocketbooks and consider their lovers more carefully. ■

the mcgill tribune | 4 . 1.06 | campus | 3

campus

CHATTERBOX

It’s elementary

SILHOUETTE

Education prof dishes the dirt on

«

W o rld ’s Religions after

his love life, his food faves and being

September 11 : A Global Congress Group attempts to re-establish human rights, make them compliment religion GENEVIEVE JENKINS From Sept. 11-15, 2006, McGill students will have the opportunity to see history in the making. McGill's Faculty of Religious Studies will join scholars and impor­ tant religious figures from around the world in the World's Religions after September 11 : A Global Congress, where they will attempt to re-work the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions.

After the shock and horror of 9/11, many people

The group might or might not meet here. gave up on religion's potential to do good in the world; the goal of this conference is to turn the current think­ ing on its head. * Says Professor Arvind Sharma of McGill's Faculty of Religious Studies, "We're hoping to change the popular perception of native religion. People have formed the impression after 9/11 that religion is a negative thing, and we want to point out the positive side. We want to emphasize that religion can be a force for good."

Though the Congress' steering committees are run

by McGill faculty members, "theme chairs,” advisers and consultants for the project hail from around the world.

In addition, the project has some impressive patrons

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W H A T ...

(touted in a full-page add of a recent edition of the New York Times) backing the cause, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bishop Belo of Timor Leste and Shirin Ebadi. One of the most supportive backers of the Congress is the Council for a Parliament of World's Religions, which met most recently in 2004 and plans to meet again in 2009.

It may seem strange to host such a conference five years after 9/11, but the events may only now be rele­ vant subjects for discussion. "The timing of the project has something to do with the Declaration, as it struck many of us that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 after the Second World War, an event which came to be looked upon as an excess of secular ideas," says Sharma. 'The proposed Universal Declaration is an antidote to the ill effects of extremism on the rise now—this is the time to get the document out, before we see the same problems."

Indeed, this may be the time. But is it the place?

It's a surprise to many that a conference being held in Canada to so explicitly address a US event. But, says Sharma, "Canada is more liberal. The Parliament met in Chicago [in 2004] and som e scholars were prevented from speaking in the US. 9/11 happened in America, but it was a global event."

Moreover, Professor Gerbern Oegema of the Faculty of Religious Studies believes, Montreal is the ideal setting. "The idea that it will take place in Montreal, where the people are very open and unbiased provides a chance to meet so many people.

"Students are often part of many religions and Canada is a mixture of religions," he says, so combining student participation and Canadian location seems close to perfect.

Professors Oegema and Sharma have high expec­ tations for the Congress. "We hope," says Sharma, "because it's an international gathering, to have 2,000 people, because it will indicate that religions do not always fight with each other and that the division between religion and the secular is not something that cannot be breached."

Updating the Declaration will be a way of garnering more support for human rights and global peace.

Moreover, Professor Oegema believes that a turn in ideas is already beginning to show. "We're already in the process of change. That this conference is happening shows that..''

Students looking to get involved in the conference can participate as spectators (for the rather hefty price o f S200-S250 for the five days), volunteers or speakers. Visit www.worldsreligionsafter911.com to find out more. ■

W H O ...

surrounded by lots of women Professor Jon Bradley has been teaching at M cGill since 1972, but has the enthusiasm o f an untenured p rof and doesn't think twice about spilling details o f his personal life for student readers. He has a long history in Montreal, though he was born in South America. And, surprise!

He was one o f few male elem entary school teachers before he becam e a pro­ fessor here. In the last 33 years, he's been teaching teachers at McGill and in First Nations com munities throughout northern Quebec. The jo y o f the jo b has never left him : Professor Bradley clearly loves his profession and his students, and he hopes that Canada will som eday rec­ ognize the importance o f teachers in today's competitive world.

My favourite food is... roast beef.

I'm really a meat and potatoes kind of guy. My second favorite is fresh salmon.

KIYOKO GOTANDA

My favourite place to vacation... is Hawaii, no question. I'm not sure which island, and it doesn't matter. My wife and I have been three times, once for my son's wedding. I love the location and the food from the sea. It's slightly laid back.

I would go back tomorrow.

About my love life... I met my wife when she was 16, got married at 21, and we're still married. She's a special education teacher.

The place I'd most like to visit... is the Middle East It's the birthplace of history as we know it. Call it a Mediterranean jaunt to satisfy an abiding interest in history. I'd want to see Greece, Egypt and Rome, to go back and sit under an olive tree and imagine what it must have been like to be a philosopher. I have a secondary interest in doing a European thing to pay homage to the battlefields of Europe.

I've lived in Montreal... since I was six-months-old, but I was born in a country that no longer exists—British Guyana. My parents were working for AlCan, helping to mine bauxite from 1938-1964.

The best thing about a degree in education... Education is a subject that's so people-oriented that it's hard to be a loner or an introvert. It opens many doors because our credential of teaching from the Minister of Education is recognized worldwide. We have alumni teaching in Australia, Germany, Japan, China, the US and all the provinces in Canada. The credential can take you anywhere.

Before I came to teach at McGill... I was a grade four teacher. For a cou­ ple of years after graduating, I taught grades four, five and six at Rosedale Elementary in NDG. Then the faculty here was looking for a male who had a graduate degree in history and elementary teaching. Elementary schools are pri­ marily a female environment. Knowing this, the faculty went out of its way to get a male elementary teacher.

My take on the predominance of women in education... I don't think any profession should be single-gender; where would you get interesting ideas? Only about five per cent of students who come into elementary education [at McGill] are male. There are 70-75 per cent females at the secondary level. Clearly, the faculty has a gender imbalance.

—com piled by Genevieve Jenkins

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Y E A R IN R E V I E W

The best (and rest) of 2005

Autolux. Future Perfect. With any luck, this album will dictate the future of grunge and garage rock. Drawing from late nineties underground greats Swirvedriver, Sparklehorse and Starflyer 59—as well as drummer Carla AzaFs and guitarist Greg Edwards' previous work with Ednaswap and Failure, respec­ tively—Future Perfect is loud, rugged and epic, in a "you broke my heart so I broke your dog's spine" kind of way. The album kicks off in admirable fash­ ion with the grinding guitars and mesmerizing drum beats of 'Turnstile Blues," carried on throughout the album along with the consistently minimalist chord work and atypically, yet effectively, light and glassy vocal turns of bassist Eugene Goreshter. A thrilling listen.

Your valiant A&E editors sum up a year of

Elliott Brood. Am bassador. This Canadian

musical culture in two pages or less '

BEN LEMIEUX The Frames. Burn the M aps. Ireland's stellar quintet has outdone itself and every­ one else this year. Released in North America last January, Bum the Maps is a J2-song mas­ terpiece that keeps intact the group's signa­ ture folk-rock stylings, while drawing influ­ ence from the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pink Floyd, Mono and the Pixies.

Glenn Handsard's vocal work is extraordinarily subtle, emo­ tional and moving; the music writing itself—spearheaded by the equally understated melodies of guitarist Rob Bochnik and violin­ ist Colm Mac Con lomaire—genial through­ out. After over a decade of hard work and nearly 10 albums, this one ought to finally put The Frames on the map.

Innaway. Innaway. It's not everyday that a previ­ ously unknown band from Chicago springs out of nowhere to make the best indie rock record of the new millennium. In fact, count on this being the first time for a long time. Windy City five-piece Innaway have crafted a sharp and engrossing record, highlighted by powerful, melodious guitar work and clean, pitch-perfect vocal harmonies, which are supplemented by an outstand­ ing, polished rhythm section and oddly fitting splashes of harmonica and accordion. Think of a slower, more harmonious and less gothic Black Sabbath. With any % luck, this band will further penetrate the Canadian landscape in coming years. ^

Mind of a Squid. Wish. After this year's chronic over­ amplified praise of painfully mediocre national prides such as the Arcade Fire, the Wolf Parade and Matt Mays & El Torpedo, we have finally been blessed with a Canadian band truly worthy of attention. Citing Pink Floyd, Portishead, Mogwai and Tool among your core influences requires a hefty bit of balls. To craft a poignant, smooth-flowing album that does your antecedents justice implies a degree of skill great­ ly exceeding what a compote des aforementioned musicians could ever yield. Mind of a Squid, as you may have guessed, has both. Equipped with sleek, sinuous ambient guitar work and a sound firmly rooted in acid jazz, funk and blues, Wish commands attention from back to front, be it for a first or tenth listen. Mind of a Squid stands along­ side Broken Social Scene, Metric and Luke Doucet as one of the best emerging acts in Canada.

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JL

triad stands as one of the few reasons worthy of publicly stating you love country music. Moody, well-written and multi-layered, Am bassador is com­ posed of all the elements that make country music great. Affecting, edgy vocals, tasteful interplay between banjo and acoustic guitar, soft prairie ballads to take your mind off that darned city grind—this one's got the works.

John Butler Trio. Sunrise Over Sea. It's got blues, reggae, roots-rock, psychedelic washes, spiffy use of effects pedals, hearty upright bass backbone and some of the I t slickest guitar work you're likely to come upon these days. There's nothing not to like about this album.

Robert Plant & the Strange Sensation.

The M ighty ReArranger. Label this one Comeback Album of the Year. The ex-Led Zep frontman joins forces with distinguished members of Massive Attack and Portishead—among others—to produce a fine assortment of soaring classic rock, moody, melancholic acid jazz, Eastern-influenced jigs and heartbreaking acoustic ballads. While Plant may not have the pipes he did 35 years ago, his singing on The Mighty ReArranger is infused with a riveting emotional quality which, in retrospect, wasn't as much at the forefront of his music in the gold­ en days of old. Of note, to that end, is the warm, intimate acoustic lullaby "All the King's Horses,” a song of such subtle, mesmerizing beauty it'll give your soul goose bumps. NoJ only one of the year's best, but Plant's strongest work since Zeppelin's tragic split a quarter century ago.

HANDS OFF THE CANVAS

Just shut up and appreciate Coldplay espite their three multiplatinum album releases and waves upon waves of both popular and critical praise of their summer success X&Y, there has been an equal­ ly powerful backlash against Coldplay—the British pop/rock quartet rapidly ascending to the status of biggest band in the world.

Those who dislike the group seem to do so vehement­ ly, many music listeners claiming to despise the band for their pompous demeanor and bland compositions. This year, Rolling Stone omitted X&Y from its yearly Top 50 record list in favour of the Rolling Stones' lamentably juvenile, poorly-exe­ cuted A Bigger Bang, Bruce Springsteen's tired, insipid Devils & Dust and Daddy Yankee's utterly laughable Barrio Fino.

Here's the thing: If you don't like a band, you don't like a band. One can't be blamed for his musical taste any more than he can for (dis)liking the colour green. But anyone who says that Coldplay is indisputably awful or beyond apprecia­ tion is full of it. If you are one of these people, the following is an enumeration of why you're wrong.

Chris Martin is a fantastic singer. Moving into an age of indie dominance, the forefront of which is led by plainly incompetent vocalists like the whiny, pitch-challenged Win Butler of The Arcade Fire or the dreary, mid-pubescent Conor Oberst, Martin is the sigh of relief we’ve spent years waiting for. His vocal range is one of the most impressive in pop

D

music today, his lyrics (especially on the first two albums) ingenious, poetic and soulfufly rendered, his vocal melodies gorgeous and inventive. How often will a singer throw an unexpected, non-lyrical vocal melody line into the middle of a pre-chorus, which Martin so elegantly does on X&Ys "White Shadows"? Seldom.

The rest of the band is pretty damn good too. Jonny Buckland, despite citing virtuosos like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton among his core influences, exercises enormous restraint in his playing, always approaching songs with a finer, more subdued and high-brow textural feel than technically extravagant fretwork. We've spent years crediting Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour and King Crimson's Robert Fripp for taking sim­ ilar musical routes. Buckland is cèrtainly not on par with these legendary guitarists, but he's definitely on the right track.

Guy Berryman is one of the most tasteful bassists in pop music. His lines add terrific rhythmic propulsion to Coldplay's songs, while drawing funk-influenced melodic vibes that add character and dimension to lesser-known gems like "Sparks" or "Everything's Not Lost." That's already more than can be said for most bass players in punk, Brit-pop and mainstream rock music.

Drummer Will Champion is a seasoned multi-instrumen­ talist who concocts layered, interesting rhythms and, on X&Y, experiments extensively with a deliciously off-beat, eighties

BEN LEMIEUX

drumming style. And he's one of the only figures in main­ stream pop music who is naturally bald, They are down to earth. Following the groundbreaking success of their 20 00 debut, Parachutes, the band remained modest about their accomplishments and the increasing international accolades. During their 2003 U.S. tour, when Buckland's cell phone number was leaked over the Internet, he would regularly answer calls from fans and hold lengthy conversations with them.

A healthy change from Bono's self-involved, image­ boosting world aid gimmick, all four members of Coldplay have been firmly committed to raising awareness about fair trade. As opposed to the U2 frontman's wankish 10-minute speeches about the brotherhood of man between songs at most concerts, Coldplay's past two albums have sponsored the Carbon Neutral program—to reduce carbon emissions caused by manufacturing. They discuss the details of free trade in radio interviews and by 2003 their Make Trade Fair campaign petition had received more than one million signa­ tures and counting.

You may not be able to enjoy all, or any, of Coldplay's material, but it seems nearly impossible to lack any apprecia­ tion for the values and talent they embody. Face it, when it comes to radio-friendly, mainstream pop music, who can real­ ly do better? ■

Nikka Costa. Can'tneverdidnothin'. It's about bloody time someone made a decent girl pop album. While Costa's tone is as playful and catchy as any Ashlee Simpson or Lindsay Lohan of the music biz, she's also able to reawaken the pop, funk and soul sounds that worked oh-so-well for Michael Jackson, Prince and Lenny Kravitz (who lends his tal­ ents to several of the album's tracks). With songs that feature a punchy Latin brass section or a groovy rhythmic interplay between steel drums and Costa's heavy-duty vocals, Can'tneverdidnothin' is likely one of the most consistently engaging yet varied listens in its genre. Costa's performance is nothing short of exemplary, her thick, soulful voice acting as a com­ pelling central force through­ out the album. Her lyrics, though not always the most emotionally profound, display clever phrasing and all that sassy je ne sais quoi that made us love Aretha Q Franklin and Gloria Gaynor. *

Ramachandra Borcar. Steel and Class. Hands down the best contemporary jazz album along with Brad Mehldau's Day is Done and Bill Frisell's East/W est.

Borca^s variety is a meshing of sharp, accented—yet unobtrusiveelectronic grooves and some of the smoothest, film-noir nightclub jazz fuelled by Montreal's finest assem­ blage of musicians.

Buddy Guy. Bring 'Em In. A lovely new milestone in a career that has spanned over four decades. Guy's latest puts the blues back in style, showcasing the depth of his voice and vibrant guitar work.

Of note are stellar collaborations with Carlos Santana and a memo­ rable reworking of "Ain't No Sunshine" with Tracy Chapman.

Five more great albums of 2005 n no particular order, here are five of the releases that made 2005 sonically awesome. This list is by no means exhaustive, since I'm a poor student who can't afford even a fraction of the albums I want, but hey, no one's perfect.

The Bled. Found in the Flood.

In which a hardcore band figures out that a few snatches of melody can make a heavy song even more powerful. Found in the Flood is an apt title: Not only is the theme of water a strong one throughout the album, but musically, it even sounds like flooding. In the quieter parts, the notes trickle in like raindrops, until the guys turn up their distor­ tion pedals and crash out a tidal wave of hard, metallic punk. The deceptively delicate start of several of the tracks just sets you up to be torn limb-from-limb by the sawing bass and harsh, eroding vocals that follow. Wicked.

Broken Social Scene. Broken Social Scene. Hey, it turns out that 2003's amazing You Forgot It in People was only a glimpse of what was to come. I love it when that happens. If anything, this Canadian supergroup—whose numbers often swell to the mid-teens, including members of Metric and Stars—has

I

become more scatterbrained and less focused in the past few years, but for some reason, that's a good thing. Every song reveals the strength and diversity of the collec­ tive creative force that shaped it, as the album skips from dreamy shoegaze-style swirls of guitar to solid, cascading rock and sugar­ voiced lullabies. It sounds like a ran­ dom but artful collage.

Shpongle. Nothing La sts... But Nothing is Lost. They've been miss­ ing in action for a few years, but thank goodness Shpongle is back, because sometimes you just need to have your brain melted down to puddles of pure liquid colour. Their brand of psychedelic trance is the kind that can get you lost for days, just because there's so much going on. Tempered with visceral acoustic guitar, warping vocals that some­ times sound vaguely alien, and snippets of everything from tribal drumbeats to a sample from Waking Life, the driving electronica French-kisses your neurons into beautiful oblivion. Parts of this album sound like angels taking off.

It's a sp arin g ly bewildering headtrip.

Nine Inch Nails. With Teeth.

Trent Reznor finally got off his ass

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REVIEWS M em oirs o f a Geisha. I'm always slightly apprehensive when books I really like get made into movies. With very, very few exceptions—A Clockwork Orange is the only one that quickly comes to mind—the movie is never as good as the book, and in some cases the translation to screen completely ruins it. This came dangerously close to happening to M em oirs o f a Geisha.

The thing is, one of the things that makes the book so great is the way in which the author, Arthur Golden, puts the readers right into the head of the main character. Sayuri's journey from her childhood in a small fishing village to one of the most famous geishas of her time is richly narrated, and her voice comes through so clear­ ly in the novel that it is, at first, difficult to believe that it's a work of fiction.

Sadly, this distinctive spark of person­ ality is all but lost in the film.

This is by no means the fault of Zhang Ziyi, whose portrayal of the adult Sayuri as a woman struggling to reconcile the desire and intrigue of her MOVIESONLINE.CA profession with her own romantic wishes leaves little to be desired. The problem has more to do with the fact that the adaptors have tried to follow the structure of the book too close­ ly, and a lot of the emotion simply fails to resonate without the interior monologue to give it force.

Of course, there's give and take involved in any movie adapta­ tion, and M em oirs almost makes up for the loss of character develop­ ment with amazing cinematogra­ phy. From sweeping shots of land­ scape dotted with cherry trees to the expressive and almost jarring blue of Sayuri's eyes, the filmmak­ ing is easily commendable.

Unfortunately, that's not quite enough. Once you stop being dis­ tracted by the breathtaking eye candy of the sets and costumes, the narrative starts to drag. Zhang and co-stars such as Li Gong as Hatsumomo, Sayuri's nasty but tor­ tured nemesis, try valiantly to carry the movie with strong performanc­ es, and to some extent, they suc­ ceed. Overall, though, the movie seem s to plod from one wellSONYPICTURES.COM arranged shot to the next, with the occasional truly emotive moment. It's pretty but, well, it’s kind of boring. I'd suggest watching it on mute while reading the book.—M elissa Price

Playing at 10 theatres, including AM C Forum 22 (2313 Ste-Catherine Ouest) and Cinema du Parc (3575 avenue du Parc). For more information, visit www.dnemamontreal.com.

Do you want to force your musical tastes

DO YOU SU F F E R FRO M PR EM EN STR U A L S Y N D R O M E W IT H M O O D D I S T U R B A N C E ? =>A re y o u a h e a l t h y m e n s t r u a t i n g w o m a n b e tw e e n th e a g e o f 18 to 4 9 ? =>A re y o u w illin g t o t a k e a c o m b i n a t i o n o f o ra l c o n tr a c e p tiv e p ills ?

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and proved that while he's still inca­ pable of releasing new material fewer than six years apart, time has done nothing to mellow him. He still has plenty of baggage to write angry songs about, and the lung capacity to scream them at us. With Teeth is a churning mass of appallingly catchy piss and vinegar, only sprinkled with more technoinfused glitches than NIN's earlier offerings. The best part is the surre­ al, dreamlike final track, in which Reznor starts to wonder if it isn't all in his head after all.

Bright Eyes. I'm Wide Awake, It's M orning. This album was released the same day as Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Conor Oberst's foray into The Faint-style electro­ rock. Let's just say he did a good job of demonstrating that experimenta­ tion isn't always positive. Digital Ash isn't horrible or anything, but Oberst's strength is in the creation of beautifully heart-wrenching acoustic songs. I'm Wide Awake demonstrates this point with a series of lovely alt-country tracks, including several duets with Emmylou Harris and the plaintive morning-after hangover ballad "Lua." Hey, if it ain't broke...

—M elissa Price

the mcgill tribune | 4.1.06 | a&e | 5

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Y E A R IN R E V I E W

Movies we should have

And now for the visuals...

seen but haven’t

The five best movies we got around to seeing MELISSA PRICE Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee throws away the mold for big budget Hollywood romance movies and ends up with something I sure as hell never thought possible: a movie about two cowboys featuring a beautiful love story that doesn't seem stale. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger's characters slowly and reluctantly discover their attraction to each other against the backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming, as half the people in the movie business slowly and reluctantly discover that it is indeed still possible to write a great romance that doesn't resort to tired clichés. A brave undertaking plus a great execu­ tion results in the kind of movie that's both fantastic and crucially important as more than just a piece of art.

Crash. Through a series of intricately intertwined sto­ rylines spotlighting a rather eventful day in the lives of sev­ eral Angelenos, Paul Haggis proves that no matter what our ethnicity, we're all racist assholes. The movie features one of the most impressive casts assembled ever, includ­ ing Thandie Newton, Don Cheadle, and Matt Dillon, and a plot that never comes close to taking the easy way out.

It's shamelessly emotionally manipulative, but so damn good at playing you that you can't stay mad. And hey, Ludacris can act. Who knew?

C.RA.Z.Y. From Quebec's very own Jean-Marc Vallee comes a sometimes tragic, sometimes hilarious portrait of one of those families everyone's glad they don't have.

Seen through the eyes of Zac, the second youngest of five brothers, the film is a sort of trainwreck of self-discovery.

Set to a soundtrack of Patsy Cline, David Bowie, and godawful Québécois music from the seventies, it follows him through 20-odd years of dealing with his chaotic fam­ ily, which includes a brother hell-bent on living like Jim Morrison, as he tries to work out his own identity. It's basi­ cally just a coming-of-age movie, but damn, it's powerful stuff.

One of the saddest parts about the fact that this isn't our day job is that we can't devote the entirety of our lives to watching movies. So, don't tell anyone we didn't see these flicks and we won't tell anyone that you were first in line for Herbie: Fully Loaded, you dirty old man.

20 46. Someday soon, we're going to rent the whole Wong Karwai trilogy.

Cowboys do it... horsey-style.

Last Days. Gus Van Sant's biopic about a suicidal, heroin-addicted rock star, whose resemblance to Kurt Cobain is purely coincidental, is fragmented, meandering, and really hard to follow. Michael Pitt, who plays Kur... uh, "Blake", spends most of the film nodding off and/or mumbling incoherently to himself. Some people seem to think that this means it's boring, pretentious, or any num­ ber of synonyms for "not good". These people are stupid and crazy. It's a weird, unsettling, and sympathetic sketch of a few days in the life of someone deciding to make them his last.

Syriana. This ensemble drama untangles the amoral web of US oil interests overseas, safeguarded with the aid of bribes, corruption and assassinations. The interwoven stories are reminiscent of Traffic—no surprise, considering Syriana director and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan also penned the 20 00 film. Gaghan, who consulted bureau­ crats, CIA agents and Middle Eastern officials in his research for the film, reportedly had to tone down the intrigue because audiences wouldn't believe what actual­ ly goes on. Don't be frightened by reviewers who throw their hands in their air and dismiss the plot as too hard to follow. It isn't. Besides, you're university students: you can handle it. ■

A History o f Violence. Sounds nice and violent.

Capote.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman channels the late crime novelist with aplomb, but that vo ice...

March o f the Penguins. An hour and a half of penguins sounds tedious. But with more than $ 100-million in worldwide earnings, all those people can't be wrong. Right?

The Squid and the Whale.

Because Jeff Daniels is not just "that guy from Dumb and Dumber'.'

He's so much more.

You and M e and Everyone We Know. We get this one confused with Squid.

Where the Truth Lies. Anything

by Atom Egoyan is probably some­ thing we should see. ■

Why did they make this movie?

Filmmakers should know by now to leave well enough alone, but the lesson doesn't seem to be sinking in. Here, a sampling of the unnecessary remakes and sequels studios crapped on audiences in 2005: Bad News Bears Be Cool Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Deuce Bigalow: European Cigolo The Dukes o f Hazzard Fun with Dick and Jane

Guess Who Herbie: Fully Loaded The Honeymooners M iss Congeniality 2 : Arm ed and Fabulous Son o f the Mask Transporter 2 Any National Lampoon released last year

movie

And the So-Unnecessary-lt-WentStraight-to-DVD Award goes to..

American Pie: Band Camp. Same jokes, different Stifler. ■

—With additional reporting by Jennifer Jett

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UNIVERSITY CUP WRAPUP

Redm en suffer shootout sh o cker in mid-season tourney McGill defeats Queen’s, falls to W aterloo at Montreal University Cup DAVID BLYE For most teams, the mid-season break is a chance to rest up and improve on the first half of the campaign. But for the number-two ranked McGill Redmen, the winter interval just meant that whatever games they played didn't count in the CIS standings. Thankfully, this meant that the Redmen's perform­ ance in the Montreal University Cup, which included their first loss in 13 games, will not be remembered when playoff seedings are set at the regular season's end.

On Dec. 27, the Redmen joined five other Ontario University Athletics schools to play in the mid-season tourney at the Sportplex 4-Glace arena in Pierrefonds. McGill, which entered the tournament undefeated in OUA play, went into the competition with confidence having already defeated four of their five opponents in league play.

Head Coach Martin Raymond felt the team had played decently in these games.

"We played alright," Raymond said. "It wasn't our best but we competed. We know what we have to do to improve on it."

In their tournament opener, the Redmen took on their arch-rivals Queen's Golden Gaels. Early in the affair, leading scorer Shawn Shewchuk opened the scoring for the Red 'n' White with a goal, assisted by Sam Bloom and Guillaume Demers. Queen's would respond with an early marker in the second period, only to see McGill retake the lead with a goal from Charles Gauither. Defensemen David Urquhart and for­ ward Eric L'Italien would round out the scoring for the Redmen, earning the team a 4-2 victory. Super rookie Jean-Michel Filiatrault earned the win between the pipes, stopping 26 shots.

"It was a good game," Raymond said. "No one really sur­ prised me, with the performances pretty similar to the entire first half. By now, I know what these guys are really capable of."

Warriors wax the Redmen in a shootout In McGill's second game, they took on the ninth-ranked Waterloo Warriors. Going into the tournament, the Warriors were the only team that the Redmen had yet to play, and the unfamiliarity seemed to hurt the Redmen. The game itself started well for McGill, with defensemen Steven Pearce hitting the mesh twice in the opening frame. Pearce's power play dou­ ble put the Redmen in front 2-0, but it would not stand. In the

THE

third period, Waterloo would even the affair at 2-2 with goals from Shane Hart and Adam Metherel. Although McGill's Mathieu Leclerc managed to give the Redmen the lead back, Waterloo's Doug Spooner would respond less than two minutes later to even the game and force a shootout.

Coach Raymond felt that had the team played better at even strength than they would have been able to avoid going to a shootout.

"We need to play better 5-on-5 for the rest of the season," Raymond said.

"Especially against teams like Waterloo."

The shootout saw an astounding 16 shooters, with neither team able to score with their first five men. However, once the deadlock w as broken, the floodgates opened up. Waterloo's Sean Roche finally managed to score, prompting two more goals on both sides, putting Waterloo up 32. It was up to Lucas Madill to keep the game alive, but he missed the net, giving the Warriors the victory. Goaltender Mathieu Poitrais, who made 34 saves in the game and four more in the shootout, took the loss for the Redmen, only his second of the year.

The team was especially upset with the shootout loss, as many believe it has no place in hockey.

COURTESY QUEEN'S JOURNAL "I've never liked [shootouts],'' Raymond said. "Hockey is a team game McGill may have lost to Waterloo, but at least they beat the sheep shaggers. that is never decided by just one player.

Even when one individual has had a par­ the University of Ottawa on Friday. ticularly good night, he needs the entire team to help him out "There's no reason this team shouldn't keep up its play there, or else we're going to get nowhere. These games are too from the first' half," Raymond said. "We have a tougher sched­ important to have them be decided by a simple one-on-one ule which includes a lot more division games. But th ? team is situation. Fortunately, that's not how it is in the CIS." solid and they should produce another strong half like the first."

The Gee Gees, who managed a tie with the Redmen ear­ Gee Gees on the horizon lier, sit fourth in the OUA East. As always, they have a strong While the loss to Waterloo hurts, McGill must regroup and squad and like everyone else, they are looking to end McGill's focus on the task at hand: Specifically, the second half includes undefeated season. The game goes Friday at McConnell. ■ much more clashes with fellow OUA Far East teams, including

RED Z O N E

It was supposed to be MY day DAVID BLYE here are certain things that I love about the holidays.

Dinners with the family, opening presents, partying on New Year's Eve and a whole host of others. But possi­ bly the one thing that I loved above all else was college foot­ ball on New Year's Day. Every year for the past decade, I have spent January 1st on a couch with the remote in my hand and a bowl game on the tube. Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Outback Bowl—I really couldn't care which one it was. As long as one of the pletho­ ra of games was on, I was satisfied. No, strike that. I was in heaven.

However, this year, a situation five years in the making arose, leaving me annoyed and upset with both the National Football League and the powers that be at McGill University.

Prior to the 2001 season, the NFL began its season Labour Day weekend, meaning that it would conclude around Christmas Day seventeen weeks later. If New Year's Day happened to fall on a Sunday, the networks would put two NFL playoff games on Saturday and one on Monday, meaning that on January 1, there would be just one game in the evening and college football would have the rest of the

T

day for itself.

But starting in 2001, the NFL began its season a week later, meaning that it would conclude the week of January 1.

Quietly, college football fans noticed that if New Year"s Day occurred on a Sunday, the two would clash with each other.

Granted, this would only happen once every five or six years, but the possibility existed for there to be no college football on a day that has been traditionally belonged to it. This year, the disaster occurred. New Year's was on a Sunday. Who won? The big league, of course.

Now while I love pro football as much as the next sports nut, January 1 has always been sacred. It was the NCAA's day to-shine on a national scale. But this year, it was reduced to just another NFL Sunday. Oh, there were important football games played. And I watched as many as I could, wanting to see how the playoff picture was going to turn out. But many of the games were complete jokes, and Sunday was missing that certain cache of being the most important college foot­ ball day of the year.

Fortunately, the NCAA was given January 2 as sort of a make-shift day to compensate for the total miscarriage of jus-

tice that had occurred the day before. For many, this was be okay. A lot of people were given the day off because New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. But, the brilliant schedule mak­ ers at McGill couldn't find it in their cold, black hearts to give us poor college football fans just one more day of break.

Instead of delaying school by a single day, McGill elected to start the second semester yesterday, which meant that the college football fans were forced to destroy a time honoured tradition of watching every bowl game under the sun. Rather than watching Ohio State thump Notre Dame at the Fiesta Bowl, many of us were stuck on or in a plane, train or auto­ mobile. It just wasn't fair.

So, NFL and McGill, I say damn the both of you. All I ever wanted was a hangover day to watch college football.

One day that no one could tell me what to do with, lest they suffer the wrath of an angry football fan. Instead, I get screwed on both ends. No college football on New Year's and no day to devote to the game I love. Good work every­ one.

What's next? Are you going to tell me the Stanley Cup's cancelled? Hey, wait a m inute... ■

18 the mcgill tribune | 4.1.06 | sports

TWO-POINT

Gimme some Mo

CONVERSION

No longer the

Orange Bowling you over Intrepid reporter A D A M M Y E R S gets the scoop on fun in Florida, the swanky life of a college football player and the cutthroat world of beach volleyball wasn't expecting it to happen this way, but it seems that lately stories have been falling right into my lap.

After an eventful week—nothing how­ ever, that is appropriate for this arti­ cle—I was preparing to write a story on vacationing beach volleyball players.

You know the type, the guys who go to the court every day late in the after­ noon, thinking that they're in the Olympic beach volleyball finals. The guys who give you dirty looks if you miss a shot, the kind that scream at lit­ tle kids to get off the court. Well, that story would have been entertaining and all, but it just so happened that my cousin had a baby. That resulted in vacation number tw o...

My cousin lives in Florida, so that meant six more days in the sun—great news for my tan. As our taxi left Miami International en route to the Sheraton Bal Harbour, I was still thinking of dif­ ferent angles to attack this piece on beach volleyball. I mean, if I was lucky, I would get a few more games in with a few more really competitive 40year-olds—the sort that turn out to be the hockey dads who scream at their eight-year-old kids after they play a bad game, reminding them that they will never make the NHL with that kind of lame effort. However, every­ thing changed as we pulled up to the hotel.

As I got out of the cab, I saw the man who is arguably the most impor­ tant person in US college football over the past 50-odd years. Penn State Nittany Lions Head Coach Joe Paterno was standing outside the hotel with his entire team. Yes, the third-ranked team in the country was staying at my hotel prior to the Orange Bowl, which

I

LASER VISION

was played last night. After my initial excitement subsided, I figured I had better dig down and try to find a story.

NCAA Division-1 football is the biggest non-professional sports rev­ enue generator in the world. Schools give their athletes full scholarships and in return, successful seasons by these kids in their teens and early 20s can result in millions of dollars of profits for the schools. This would seem like an unfair trade-off: A free education is wonderful, but realistically, no one wants to play for free while the school gets rich off their backs.

That is, until you hear the rest of the story. Along with the full scholar­ ships, the Nittany Lions players are getting an all-expenses-paid trip to Florida. Now, don't get me wrong, the trip is not all partying—they still have practice and curfews—but it's still a pretty sweet deal. These guys get to stay on Miami Beach—no sign of the area's newest police officer, Shaq, yet—in a beautiful hotel. All they have to do is try to keep their focus until the game against Florida State. I decided to get the scoop on this life. It can't be as easy as it seems, right?

"It's a little bit of hard work," said junior running back Austin Scott. "We practice every day. But it is snowing up where we come from, so the sun­ shine is the best part We have been here since the 18th and practicing every day. We don't have any trans­ portation either, so we are kind of stuck."

"It's an excellent opportunity but it is a lot of hard work," said defensive end Ross Muir. "Before this we were staying at the Delray Beach hotel and going through two-a-days."

Muir, who was converted from offensive lineman, was also quick to point out that there isn't much time for partying.

'There are curfews every night and lots to prepare for during the day," he said. "And we leave the day after the game."

I'm not sure I buy all that, though.

There are definitely more benefits than the Nittany Lions players are let­ ting on. For instance, the hotel is over­ run with Lions fans. On Monday morn­ ing, I was in an elevator with two older women—potentially friends of Joe Pa's from grade school—discussing how well Larry Johnson played yesterday as well as how Deion Butler has made a huge impact on the team this year, when another older woman and a younger man walked in. Immediately, they recognized the guy as an ex-Lion from the eighties. These women were hardcore fans coming down to Florida to cheer on their beloved team.

So now I have my proof that the life of a NCAA star athlete is incredible.

As a long time admirer of the West Coast's biggest pimp, Matt Leinart, I understand exactly how great the perks are for all these players, espe­ cially considering not many of these guys even had to take ballroom danc­ ing. Seriously though, ft's a nice little reward for an incredible season, get­ ting to spend three weeks down in Florida.

The only question that remained was what the players do the day before the biggest game of their lives.

On Monday, I got to the bottom of that one, too: Besides chilling by the pool, I saw a bunch of them engaged in an intense game of beach volleyball. ■

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

“W h o ?” Jays MOHIT ARORA

ow that we're back to school, we're once again likely to have the same conversation over and over again for the next month. All the small talk about our time off, how the holidays went, and what we did for New Year's Eve can get pretty unbearable, so I'm going to mix it up this January. How was my break? Not nearly as good as the Toronto Blue Jays' has been!

After signing free agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan, and trading for two big bats on the corners in Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay; the Jays possess a strong team with few holes and no glaring weaknesses for the first time since I thought Vanilla Ice was cool. The American League East had essentially turned into Groundhog Day, with the Yankees winning while the Red Sox make it interesting and the Jays come an inconsequential third.

But now, my team is back in the mix and I love it.

Having all this pent-up excitement about baseball coursing through my veins, I read Bill Simmons' Now I Can Die in Peace and Stephen Brunt's Diamond Dreams, recent releases about the Sox . and Jays, respectively. Oddly enough, despite the comparatively short existence of the Jays, Brunt convinced me that being a Toronto fan was equally as torturous as being a Sox fan.

The Red Sox have Bucky Dent in 1978, and the Blue Jays have Jim Sundberg in the 1985 ALCS. Red Sox fans have Buckner's error and the collapse of 1986, and Blue Jays fans have Manny Lee's error and the collapse of 1987. Boston fans have Aaron Boone's home run, an d ... okay, we got nothing to compare to that, I admit.

Maybe it's not fair to compare Boston's history with that of Toronto, because in absolute terms, one is obviously more tragic than the other. But though we didn't have to endure the supposed Curse of the Bambino, we instead had the Blow Jays, a reputation our boys had earned by failing to seal the deal countless times.

The Sox were like the guy at the bar so dreadful with women that he's left to serve as wingman for his more popular friend, the Yankees. The Jays, on the other hand, had everything: looks, charisma and a sense of humour. But just as they were about to get the girl's number, they'd make an inappropriate comment about her chest and all would be lost.

The point is, it's all relative when it comes to sports. You can have your team, and I'll have mine. The important thing is that you have something to care about. And that's been the problem of being a Blue Jay fan in the last decade. The Blow Jays have become the Blah Jays—though it is convenient how the state of the team always seems to allow for a snappy nickname.

I've always felt that there are certain teams that just never seem to register on the radar. If someone in a league office acci­ dentally deleted the Atlanta Hawks or the Arizona Cardinals, would anyone miss them? I know I wouldn't. And it's not just a matter of being a bad team. This kind of irrelevance goes beyond wins and losses. Consider the Indiana Pacers. Before Ron Artest brought his own brand of crazy to that team, I didn't have any opinion on them. Sure they made the playoffs every year, but they really did­ n't cause any ripples. Maybe it was the fact that of their two best players, Reggie Miller and Rik Smits, one looked like the thing that popped out of the guy's chest in Alien and the other was a 7'4" centre who couldn't grab more than six rebounds a night.

Whatever the reason, they never mattered, just like the current incarnation of the Vancouver Canucks. Has a consistent 100-point team ever been so uninspiring?

And that's what the Jays have been since the strike in 1994.

Even though we had three Cy Young award winners (Rogers Clemens, Pat Hentgen, Roy Halladay) and three 40-home run guys (Carlos Delgado, Shawn Green, Jose Canseco), we didn't really have much. Basically, the only appeal to watching the Blue Jays was knowing that every four or five games, you'd see a pitch­ ing masterpiece or a mammoth home run. That's it. Baseball was in a veritable Cold War, and we were Turkmenistan.

But now, after all the wheeling and dealing Toronto has done in the last month, it's a whole new ballgame. Everyone who's any­ one is talking about the Jays, about the improvements they've made and about them making the playoffs. Baltimore Orioles star Miguel Tejada even demanded a trade because his team hasn't - done anything in comparison. Ladies and gentlemen, Turkmenistan has WMDs! The Blue Jays fell quickly from their perch back in 1993, but now the team is back to a place where we fans can feel confident expecting a win every night, and be genuinely upset with a loss.

Maybe we get into the playoffs this year, maybe we don't. But if nothing else, what the Blue Jays do actually matters again. And that's all that matters to me. ■

N

last call S T A N

AROUND

compiled by DAVID BLYE and ADAM MYERS

D I N G S

HOCKEY (M)

W

McGILL*(F-East)

10

THE

HORN

Martlets slay Lancers, close year on winning note L

T

McGill

7

1

0

14

CONCORDIA

5

2

1

11

OTTAWA

3

3

1

7

CARLETON

0

9

0

0

22

0

14

0

21

6

UQTR (FE)

10

3

1

PTS

HOCKEY (W)

0

5

T

L

PTS

2 4

W

OT

0

RMC*(M-East)

OTTAWA (FE)

7

5

1

1

16

CONC'DIA (FE)

4

4

3

3

14

QUEEN'S (ME)

4

10 0

0

8

TORONTO (ME)

0

11

1

0

1

RYERSON (ME)

0

11

1

0

1

ON

the mcgill tribune | 4.1.06 | sports 19

*Represents division leaders OUA hockey ranks the two division leaders first and second, and then ranks the remaining six team according to total points. Six teams make the playoffs.

DECK

W

V-BALL (W)

GF

L

GA

LAVAL

10

0

30

3

McGILL

8

2

24

11

MONTREAL

8

2

27

9

SHERBR'K

6

4

24

12

UQTR

3

9

13

29

Redmen blow fourteen-point lead, fall to Bobcats

BOX SCORE Tue. Dec. 27, 2005 McGill Redmen 4 v. Queen's Golden Gaels 2

Redmen Hockey—Ottawa @ McGill; Friday, 7 p.m. at McConnell Arena The Redmen will attempt to continue the second half the same way they ended the first—undefeated. The Redmen are 10-0-2 in OUA play and ranked second in the country. Ottawa has been tough for McGill, accounting for seven of the 13 goals scored against the Red 'n' White so far, but if McGill's two-headed goalie tandem can hold the fort and pull off a shutout, they will set a new CIS record for most in a season.

Martlets Basketball-Concordia @ McGill; Saturday, 4 p.m. at Love Competition Hall The Martlets open the second half of the season looking to move above the .500 mark. They play a disappointing Concordia squad that has not yet won a game; McGill has defeated Concordia both at home and on the road this season already.

Redmen Basketball-Concordia @ McGill; Saturday, 6 p.m. at Love Competition Hall Fresh off snapping their 14-game losing streak at a tournament in Halifax, the Redmen cagers will attempt to get its first Quebec con­ ference win of the season against the Stingers. It will be difficult against a Concordia team that is 3-1 on the year and looking to move into first place in the Quebec conference. The Redmen's task will be made tougher by the absence, of centre Olivier Lamoureux, who broke his wrist in the final game before December break.

NCAA Football-The Rose Bowl-Texas vs. University of Southern California; Wednesday, 8 p.m. on ABC The Granddaddy of them all, featuring a plethora of future firstround NFL draft picks such as Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young, should be the game of the year. The only undefeated teams in Division 1-A will battle it out for that ugly crystal football. The loser will be awarded a broom.

SCORING SUMMARY FIRST PERIOD: 1. McGill: Shawn Shewchuk (S. Bloom, G. Demers),

5:20 SECOND PERIOD: 2. Queen's: Andrew Gilbert (unassisted), 2:08 3. McGill: Charles Gauthier (S. Leclerc, S. Shewchuk), 14:01 (PP) 4. McGill: David Urquhart (G. Demers, E. L'Italien), 16:00 Penalties: McG: C. Churchill-Smith (slash, 10-min. misconduct), 3:32 THIRD PERIOD: 5. McGill: Eric L'Italien (P.A. Paquet, L.S. Allaire), 16:00 6. Queen's: Wilder Weir (C. Johnston), 2:08 GOALTENDERS: McGill: Jean-Michel Filiatrault (W, 6-2-1 ; 60:00, 2GA, 26 saves) Queen's: Matt Kenney (L, 59:42, 4GA, 26 saves) Empty-net: (0:18, OGA) SHOTS BY PERIOD: McGill: 14-12-4 (3 0 ) Queen's: 6-8-14 (2 8 )

NFL—Jacksonville @ New England; Saturday 8 p.m. on ABC NFL poster boy Tom Brady will attempt to win his 10th consecutive playoff game. This will be the New England's first time during their recent run of three Super Bowl titles that they have not had a firstround bye, but that doesn't mean they won't win this game and set up another matchup with Indianapolis.

THIS WEEK IN McGILL SPORTS HISTORY Friday, Jan. 7, 2000 The Redmen bailers fell 69-57 to rival Concordia. The loss dropped McGill to 3-4 for the campaign. The Redmen put up a valiant charge, led by guard Domenico Marcario, who fired a team-high 15. Unfortunately, no one could best the perform­ ance of Concordia centre Real Kitieu, who amassed 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks for a very impressive triple-double.

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2001 The Martlets hockey team defeated the CEGEP all-stars 42 in Concordia's annual Theresa Humes Invitational Tourn­ ament. The Red 'n' White earned the game-winner courtesy of forward Sophie Acheson, whose breakaway goal put the Martlets up for good. All-world goaltender Kim St-Pierre stood on her head all night, making 39 stops for the win.

Sunday, Jan. 10,1999 The Martlets basketball team lost in overtime to York 70-61.

The loss dropped the Martlets to a dismal 1-6 for the season.

Guards Jennifer de Leeuw and Colette Anderes led the charge for the Red 'n' White, each netting 15 points a piece. De Leeuw hit a vital layup in the dying seconds to tie the game a 51 and force overtime, but the Yeowomen were too strong for the Martlets in the extra period, earning the W.

Guard Marie-Eve Beaulieu-Demers scored a gamehigh 14 points as McGill closed out 2005 on a high, defeat­ ing Windsor 60-54 at the Lancers Invitational basketball tourney on Saturday.

Centre Julianne Noseworthy and toward Sarah Gagné added 11 points apiece to help the Martlets' cause.

Noseworthy also had four blocked shots and three rebounds while hitting 5-of-7 from the field. Other impres­ sive statistics for McGill, which led 27-17 at halftime, includ­ ed nine points from Christine Kennedy and four steals from Nathifa Weekes.

In Friday's tournament opener, Manitoba defeated the Martlets 73-55. McGill sits at 6-6 against CIS teams and resumes regular season play at Laval on Jan. 6. The Martlets' home game will be Jan. 7 against Concordia.

It was one step forward, two steps back for the Redmen over the break, as they lost a 14-point lead against the Brandon Bobcats on their way to a sixth place finish at the eight-team Rod Shovellor Memorial men's basketball tournament in Halifax on Saturday. McGill was up 34-26 halftime disadvantage and led 42-28 with just over 18 min­ utes remaining, but it wasn't enough to put away Brandon.

The Bobcats chipped away and finally took the lead 53-52 with 9:12 remaining.

In a game that featured eight players who reached double figures in scoring, Sean Anthony led the Redmen with 13 points. He also shared the team lead in rebounds with Phillip Letourneau, with each grabbing eight. Daniel Martin and rookies Yannick Chouinard and Louis-Philippe Lagredelle added 12 points apiece for the Redmen.

Turnovers played a role in Brandon's comeback, as McGill, committed 19, compared to just 11 by the Bobcats.

McGill held a 43-39 edge in rebounding, but shot just 37.1 per cent from the field and 68.4 per cent from the charity stripe. The Bobcats, meanwhile, shot 41 per cent from the field and 81.8 per cent from the line.

The loss came just a day after the Redmen knocked off Lakehead 82-69 in the consolation semi-final, as McGill snapped a 14-game losing skid. Anthony led all scorers with career-high 28 points. The Redmen's win was their first since beating College Edouard-Montpetit 79-53 on Oct. 7.

They improved to 2-16 overall, including a 1-11 record ver­ sus CIS teams.

Two other players reached double figures in scoring for the Redmen, who led 39-34 at halftime. Lagredelle and Chouinard, added 18 and 11 points, respectively.

Lagredelle, a 6'6" forward, also chipped in with 10 rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.

Even though the victory was encouraging for the Redmen, they remain winless in Quebec play. The team will try to turn that around over the weekend as they visit Laval and host Concordia.

Matrix add more former McGillians # Ijj

W H A T ' S

Y O U R

B E E F ?

The Miami Dolphins are 9-7? Excuse me? I don't get it?

What kind of joke is this?... The last win shouldn't have counted, though. Doug Flutie's dropkick showed just how seriously Bill Belichick and the Pats took the gam e...

Among others, Mike Tice, Mike Martz and Jim Haslett were fired following disappointing seasons with their teams. These firings were definitely long overdue.

However, it's no longer easy to debate among the worst/most idiotic coaches in the NFL. My vote always did go to Martz.... On the other hand, Green Bay Head Coach Mike Sherman's record during the previous five years and the fact that his team was down to its sixth­ string running back should have earned him a reprieve from the chopping block. Even though he's still got something left, it looks like we've seen the last of Brett Favre... Maurice Clarett is becoming a punch line as funny as Ryan Leaf. Once a promising prospect, Clarett turned himself in following a police manhunt that had him wanted for armed robbery. That's a pretty far fall from just three years ago... The debacle that was the "Bush Bowl"—the way the Texans all but handed the game to the 49ers, including a suspicious injury to David Carr and a shanked 31-yard field goal, was sham efulshould give the NFL reason enough to get with the rest of the sporting world and institute a draft lottery. At least Dom Capers lost his job after that travesty the Texans tried to call a season... Larry Johnson just walked into the hotel I am staying at. That was pretty hype.

The Montreal Matrix of the American Basketball Association have appointed Nevio Marzinotto as assistant coach. Marzinotto, who brings 33 years of coaching experi­ ence, was head coach with the Redmen basketball team from 2000 to 2004 after serving as assistant for seven years.

Marzinotto also coached the Quebec provincial team 11 years, winning two national championships at the Canada Games in 1993 and 2001 while placing second earlier this year.

"I'm glad to join the Matrix and head coach Ed Jones," Marzinotto said. "I also welcome the opportunity to work with older players at this level where the approach to the game is different."

Throughout his career, Marzinotto had a chance to coach many current Matrix players, including Bobby Miller, Denburk Reid, Derek Armstrong, Manix Auriantal, Philippe Langlois and J.J. Brade.

Hate shootouts? The BCS driv­ ing you nuts? Or have you just had enough of the Colts?

Then write for Sports and get your opinions in print sports@mcgilltribune.com

T h e h o t t e s t , m o s t e x c it in g CONTEST IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! Gert's invites you to be part of its Second Annual talent show.

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