The McGill Tribune Vol. 25 Issue 9

NEWS: SSMU vs. Admin: at odds over frosh.

9 _

Curiosity delivers. Vol. 25 Issue 9

OPINION: Stay out of my (in)box.

T rib u n e

A&E: Ladies of burlesque leave it on to get us off.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

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G en d er union up in the air M e r g e r g e ts th u m b s MARIT MITCHELL

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9

A Students' Society propos­ al to merge the Union for Gender Empowerment with Queer McGill has drawn strong protests from members of the SSMU-funded service.

Recently, a lack of staffers has made it difficult for the UGE to remain open. Most of its members graduated last year, leaving the UGE to be run by Tara Kuhn, U3 IDS and Women's Studies, and Smaranda Grajdieru, U4 Computer Engineering. Both admit that their focus has not been on recruiting new mem­ bers.

'For the past two years we've been either trying to pass our constitution, trying to recov­ er our old space from which we were moved after the new con­

1

While the home of the Redmen football team should have been filled on Saturday as McGill was set to take on Laval, it was instead empty, a poignant symbol of a foot­ ball team—and university—in disarray.

But just because the Redmen were on the sidelines following the O ct 18 announcement of the season's can­ cellation doesn't mean that we were. Instead, the Trib was all over the story like a linebacker jumping on a fumble.

On page 20, Adam Myers has the team's reaction to

T i | ! |

the decision, and David Blye asks where Canadian sport's governing body w as in all of this. Sports columnist Mohit Arora suggests an alternative job possibility for football Head Coach Chuck McMann on page 21, while our very own funambulist, Cristina Markham, gets inside the foot­ ball players' childish minds on page 8 . To top all that off, on page 22, Liz Allemang ran ragged around campus looking for the man that launched this whole brouhaha.

Football scandal fever: catch it, only in the Tribune !

| S j :

Fie witching hour is almost upon us. Before the terror of All Hallow's Eve, read Features for a new perspective on death, the scariest stories of Montreal, the horror your future may hold and the best places to spend your Halloween weekend. Even McGill may be haunted by the ghosts of seasons past... encounter the spirits that still lurk in our shadowy halls.

This Week in McGill Athletics F r i., O c t . 2 8 F r i., O c t . 2 8 F r i., O c t . 2 8

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stitution, and generally justifying our existence to SSMU," said Grajdieru. "It's exhausting."

The two-member execu­ tive is precisely why Students' Society Vice-President Clubs and Services Leon Mwotia is looking to restructure the UGE. "My concerns are simple— it's about administrative capabil­ ities," Mwotia said. 'The majori­ ty of services have seven to 14 execs, and the UGE has two. I understand that they serve a select section of the McGill pop­ ulation, but quality of service and numbers of people are inversely proportional. As the number of people involved in the club goes down, the quality of service you provide needs to go up, and I don't feel that with two administrators that they can do that."

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cover photo by VLADIM IR EREMIN

news CAMPUS

M cG ill: no referen d u m fo r C K U T F a ll e l e c t i o n

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JOSHUA FREEMAN A crucial referendum on the future of CKUT, McGill's cam­ pus radio station, has been postponed. During the fall referen­ dum period, which begins Friday and also includes elections for the First Year Committee of Council, students were to vote on whether to continue paying $4 per semester in order to support the station.

Students' Society Council made the decision Thursday night after the university administration voiced dissatisfaction with the phrasing of the question being put to students. Although the uni­ versity is not a party to the formal agreement between SSMU and CKUT, it does collect CKUT's student fees.

Mathew Hodgins, the CKUT administrative coordinator, said in a statement on Thursday night that the administration "has made it unequivocally clear that it will no longer collect those fees if the referendum question is not reformulated."

Explaining the administration's stance, he stated that the university is worried that the approved question does not address the question of whether students think that CKUT is a "viable student activity."

After Council made the decision to postpone, CKUT received a written guarantee from Morty Yalovsky, vice-principal administration and finance, that the university will collect and remit CKUT's funds through the winter semester. Council also passed a motion ensuring that the current SSMU-CKUT agree­ ment will stay in place until a referendum can be held.

SSMU President Adam Conter told councillors the major reason behind the postponement was that last year's executive failed to inform the incoming team about the need for Yalovsky

o n ly f ir s t - y e a r c o m m itte e

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to approve the question. He emphasized that claims about McGill "meddling in our affairs" are false.

"They have done everything in their power to communicate with u s... to see that this happens properly," he said.

CKUT, which is not wholly controlled by any one party, receives 40 per cent of its funding from student fees. Although it is not operated by the SSMU, there has been a legal agree­ ment between both parties since January that requires McGill student involvement in 50 per cent of all the station's operations.

That same agreement calls for a student referendum to deter­ mine whether students wish to continue supporting the station.

CKUT welcomed the delay of the referendum, however.

"We see this as a positive turn of events," Hodgins said.

"We're not upset about it any way. This will give us an opportu­ nity to develop a solid relationship with SSMU. CKUT under­ stands SSMU's concerns."

SSMU, CKUT and the administration must formulate a new referendum question by Dec. 15.

First-years only past this point In the meantime, elections will go ahead as planned for FYCC, which represents all first-year students to SSMU. Positions are open for all six executive spots.

Advanced polling, during which candidates may still cam­ paign, begins Friday. Regular polling runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.

While most voting will take place online, Elections McGill plans to set up polling stations in the Shatner University Centre, RVC, Bishop Mountain Hall and New Residence Hall. ■ JAMES GOTOW IEC

V isit www.electionsmcgill.ca to vote.

That McGill sign is staying put—until students can vote on it

CAMPUS

Faith-based recru itin g on cam pus?

R e lig io u s c lu b

r a is e s t h e

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ROBERT CHURCH A new faith-based club on campus is drawing attention for its activities, which some define as proselytizing but supporters say are simply a form of expressing interest in religion.

CRU's name derives from the Campus Crusade for Christ, an international and interdenominational Christian organization with the goal of "helping take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations." The organization is present at many American universi­ ties and last month CRU gained interim club status at McGill.

Before the club was approved, members had to assure Students' Society council that they would not actively try to con­ vert or recruit students on campus. The experience of at least one student suggests otherwise.

Matthew Watson, U2 History, described his recent encounter with a CRU representative in the Shatner University Centre cafeteria.

"I was eating lunch in Shatner, by myself, and a man approached me and asked if I would take a five-minute survey," said Watson. "He was wearing a yellow hoodie that said CRU on it. I asked what the survey was about, and the man said it would be a survey about religion. There were maybe nine questions, such as whether I believed God exists, who is Jesus of Nazareth, do you practice any religion, and what is the purpose of life.

Midway through the survey, I asked where he was from. He stat­ ed he was working for an organization called CRU, and explained it was a Christian organization on campus."

Watson noted that the man was not a McGill student.

"He told me he ran a Bible study group and he offered me a chance to join, and he gave me his card and a pamphlet about Christianity."

Watson said the man discussed his own views on Christianity, and that he had evidently been talking to other stu­ dents as well.

o f s tu d e n ts , S S M U

c o u n c il

"He explained why he believed Jesus was our saviour-he drew me a diagram to try and explain it," Watson said. "I'd say our conversation lasted 10 to 15 minutes. I saw him approach other students in the cafeteria right after me. I wasn't the only one.

When he was flipping through to find me a pamphlet, I saw a stack of other surveys, and there were at least 15 different sur­ veys that were completed. He said he had been to other univer­ sities in Montreal as well."

CRU President Jessica Zetzman, who was present at the Sept. 22 SSMU council meeting at which the club was approved, said that CRU members often distribute spiritual interest ques­ tionnaires.

"We don't necessarily do day-to-day activities," she said.

"Bible studies meet on different days, and there are some days we do spiritual interest questionnaires, where we ask people what they think of Jesus of Nazareth, ask them background infor­ mation on their religious beliefs and give them opportunity to talk with us about spirituality."

SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Leon Mwotia said that he has met with CRU regarding their status, but that he was unaware of any proselytizing activities.

"I have concerns from a member of council about [the club's] affiliation with Campus Crusaders for Christ. I suggested that they quickly select their official name, and they're going to be called CRU," Mwotia said. "I didn't know [about pamphlets or sur­ veys]. What I do know is that the McGill Christian Fellowship hands out Bibles on campus, but I haven't heard about anything like this."

Final club approval rests with Mwotia, who must ratify .the club's existence after a three-month trial period.

At the Sept. 22 council meeting, Zetzman said that the group does not engage in recruiting but often hands out religious questionnaires.

"There was never any forcing of ideas," she said. "Students

were given an opportunity to talk more about the issues being presented, but never forced."

At council, SSMU Vice-President Operations Eric van Eyken explained that while clubs can exist with religious recruitment mandates, the question is whether SSMU will support those mandates. The club was granted approval by a vote of 12-8, with seven abstentions.

Max Silverman, Arts representative to SSMU, feels that recruiting activities are not confined to Christian groups.

"Activities that can be construed as proselytizing are not con­ fined to Christians, they can be done by all religious groups on campus as well," said Silverman. 'While walking through activities night, I was approached by a representative from a Jewish group who asked me to come to their services. I said it wasn't my kind of thing, and they asked me to give it a try. It's not that different from what's done by Christian groups. I don't support proselytiz­ ing on campus, but since other groups do it, I'm okay with CRU doing it." Silverman added that he could not recall which club had approached him, but was sure it was not Hillel.

Watson recalled that the cafeteria encounter did not make him feel uncomfortable.

"I was taken aback by some of the questions, but I don't think I felt uncomfortable," he said. "I just don't know what the purpose of the survey is. I could see how other people could be made uncomfortable by it. I wasn't because I'm familiar with Christianity, but for someone who wasn't, I can see them being uncomfortable with it" Zetzman said that she has never experienced a negative reaction to the questionnaires.

'You know what, I personally haven't [met any resistance]," she said. "People are just caught off guard. Pretty much every time I've talked to someone it's been all right.... More often than not I've had people thanking me for sharing it with them." ■ —A d d itio n a l re p o rtin g b y Ja m e s G o to w ie c

the mcgill tribune |25.10.051 news

CAMPUS

3

C o s t ly cla ssro o m re sp o n se system shelved T e c h n ic a l p r o b le m s s a id t o TERRI A LD ERFER A number of "Personal Response Systems" installed in physics, chemistry and engineering classrooms at great expense are no longer being used due to widespread technical problems.

Installed in 2003, the system is comprised of numerous beige receivers placed on classroom walls and individual "click­ ers" that allow students to respond electronically to questions in class. The results are displayed on a screen instantaneously, pro­ viding students and professors with a way to communicate more effectively in larger classe'.

This semester, many professors discontinued use of the technologically innovative system, including program originator Richard Harris, who teaches Physics 131.

"In principle, the technology is good," said Harris, but "stu­ dents are were sufficiently frustrated [with the technology] to the point where they stopped working," he added.

Dr. Marcia Knutt, who teaches Physics 142, also expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the Personal Response System in her classrooms.

"In a 300-student class, I never got responses from more than about 90," she said.

Joshua Pelletier, U1 Chemistry, took Dr. Knutt's class in 20 04 and said that it was both technical problems and lack of student participation that caused the project to dwindle.

"I think it was a good idea to have students interact in class," said Pelletier, but added that the inability of the receivers to process all answers at once led to student frustration.

"It was the lack of seriousness that students put toward it that made it a failure," he said.

The reason for this ineffectiveness is unclear. It is possible that the receivers are incapable of processing such large num­ bers of answers at one time, Knutt said. The other possibility is that only a fraction of the 300 students were actually using the clickers.

The latter reason seems most probable. Although students

d o g p i l o t p r o j e c t , b u t is i t j u s t s t u d e n t a p a t h y ? are asked to purchase the clickers from the McGill Bookstore at a cost of about $29 to $39, very few have been purchased, according to a sales associate.

Khalil Guliwala, U1 Physics, said the clickers are neither cost effective nor necessary.

"My feedback won't make a difference," he said.

Guliwala said that online quizzes are a better way for pro­ fessors to gauge how well students understand the concepts dis­ cussed in class, partially because they are not so technologically risky.

"Even 100 students sending waves at once would cause a lot of interference [in the classroom]," he said.

The installation of the Personal Response Systems was par­ tially funded by the Tomlinson University Science Teaching Project, a $65-million dollar endowment that McGill alumnus Richard H. Tomlinson gave to the Faculty of Science in July 2002 to support the development of more effective teaching methods.

Laura McEwen, professional associate to the Tomlinson Project, admitted that the use of the Personal Response Systems deserves some re-evaluation. Technical issues in the classroom take away from the focus on course content, she said.

"As with any technological innovation, it is how the technol­ ogy is used that makes the difference," she said. "Technology needs to be integrated into the design of the course."

Professor Harris attributed the failure of the PRS to the use of infraredtechnology, which he hopes will be replaced by a wire­ less system in September 2006.

"In retrospect," he said, "we should have perhaps done [wireless] directly."

For the moment, Knutt still sees some value in using the system to improve learning in the classroom.

'The 90 responses are enough tb get a rough idea of whether or not the students understand [the concepts], encour­ age the discussion and get some feedback," she said.

Knutt said that if she were positive that there were no tech­ nical problems with the system and if she could guarantee that

____________ i DAVID BRODKEY Willing that PRS remote to work won't make it so, buddy. each student had a remote, she would likely include a participa­ tion grade in her evaluation.

Other technological innovations the Tomlinson endowment has provided include laptops and microscopic image projectors for the Department of Biology. ■

CAMPUS

A re yo u d o g g ed

Fro sh u n d er fire?

SSM U

e x e c s s a y M c G ill w a n ts m o r e

in v o lv e m e n t , b u t a d m in is t r a t io n JAM ES G O T O W IE C Students who check their McGill e-mail, or are really alive in any way, know that the university recently con­ cluded an investigation into the August football hazing incident and cancelled the team's season. But the deep­ er ramifications of the report are still up in the air.

In his statement to the McGill community, Interim Provost Anthony Masi said that the Senate Committee on Student Affairs has been asked to draft a hazing policy covering all student events at McGill, "including orienta­ tions for academic and other non-athletic activities and programs."

At Students' Society Council Thursday, Vice-President University Affairs Max Reed and Vice-President Communications and Events Roz Freeman told council­ lors that in a meeting with Associate Vice-Principal Communications Jennifer Robinson, they were given rea­ son to believe this process would involve a review of ori­ entation activities, including Frosh Week.

They were confident, however, that any review would find that SSMU goes to great lengths to ensure that all Frosh participants have safe and positive experiences.

"In the e-mail that was sent out... [it was] stated that the committee will be reviewing all events on campus," Freeman later told the Tribune, explaining her understand­ ing of Masi's e-mail. "In our meeting yesterday with Jennifer Robinson, she made comments that furthered that comment—that the university was looking at getting more involved with the organization of events. Frosh was an example of a reason why they think they should get more involved."

Reed said that he tried to get Robinson to clarify the e-mail's reference to increased university involvement in orientation activities, but received a vague answer. He

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confirmed that student orientation procedures were dis­ cussed during the meeting, but emphasized that it was not the focus of the discussion.

"I was giving people a heads up," at council, he said.

"It's not speculation, I know it's going to go under review.

I don't know what the administration's desired outcome for that review is."

But Robinson denied any mention of Frosh by any­ one in the administration.

"In line with what we are doing, we are looking at any relevant activities that have initiations as part of them," she said, adding that Masi was asked about the issue at Senate and gave an in-depth response. "Was there a spe­ cific reference to Frosh [at Senate]? No." Freeman acknowledged that Frosh activities were not expressly mentioned in the university-wide email.

"In the e-mail there is no direct reference to Frosh. In our meeting, there was. Frosh was an example that they used," she said.

Robinson suggested that Freeman was mistaken.

"They requested a meeting with mè, and I had a meeting with them at their request," said Robinson.

"There was no discussion of Frosh at all. I want to make that very clear."

Robinson would not provide examples of what was mentioned in the consultation with executives. At the same time, she did not rule out future university involve­ ment in Frosh.

"Clearly our goal is to have activities where the behaviour is appropriate, and that has always been our goal," she said. 'The administration, in this whole announcement, has acknowledged that we've got work to do in a number of areas. Athletics is one of them, and there may be other areas." ■

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4

CAMPUS

news j 25.10.05 |the mcgill tribune

G e r t ’s till it h u r t s ...

S S M U In 60 S e c o n d s McGill's highest governing body no longer lacks undergraduate represen­ tation. The Students' Society selected former Management senator Kalanga Joffres as the interim representative to the Board of Governors. SSMU President Adam Conter cannot sit on the Board because he is not taking the required 18 credits per year. SSMU is in negotiations to reduce the credit requirement. • Pending McGill approval, SSMU will be installing a DVD rental machine outside the Shatner cafeteria. • Max Reed was noticeably dismayed when Arts Councillor Jake Itzkowitz attempted to amend the motion concern­ ing CKUTto require SSMU to renogotiate their contract, negotiations which Reed says took 40 0 hours to complete. Itzkowitz had earlier attempted to amend the report of the Finance Committee to give more money to the Canadian Political Science Students' Association, of which he is a member, because he disagreed with how much money had been allocated (2600 instead of the requested 24,000). Itzkowitz was apparently unaware this was improper under the rules which govern Council. The report was not ratitified, and instead referred back to the Finance Committee for further review.

Committee chair Eric van Eyken noted that there was an extensive appeals process for organizations dissatisfied with any decision of his committee, but he knew of no such appeal by members of the CPSSA. ■

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Tuesday & Thursday November 8 - December 8 17h30-18h25 or Wednesday & Friday November 9 - December 9 17h00-17h55 or 19h30-20h25 Students and gym members $22.00 Non-members $47.00

Register in Client Services The McGill Sports Centre 475 Pine Ave 398-7011

n o t so hurting a n y m o re G e r t ’s p o is e d f o r a c o m e b a c k ?

EM ILY H A R R IS A N D K E L L Y H A R R IS When Eric van Eyken was elected the Students' Society vice-president operations last year, he vowed to pull Gert's Pub, in the basement of the Shatner University Centre, out of its economic depression. Now, two months into the school year, staff and students at the bar think his plan is working.

"I am ecstatic about the changes," van Eyken said.

"As far as I can tell we are doing much better [financially].''

While Gert's bar manager Wallace Sealy did not have exact numbers, he said the bar's financial performance has improved dramatically.

"Our sales have been exceptional so far," he said. "[The figures from] September crushed sales from the same period [August-November] in 2004."

Van Eyken has spent a lot of time adding personal touches and details to the bar. This revitalization has included the addition of Al Taib takeout, couches and snapshots of historic moments and figures in McGill's past. He hopes adding this personalization will better reflect the students of McGill.

"It's their bar," he said. "When they come in, they can request to watch a movie or have the music changed.

Whatever they want, Gert's will do it for them."

He identified this as one of many things he hopes will distinguish Gert's in a positive way from what he called a "cutthroat" environment of competition within the Montreal bar scene.

Gert's staff have also made a concerted effort to be more open and welcoming to all students, especially stu­ dent groups and clubs.

The Physiology Undergraduate League of Students has benefited from this open door policy, hosting their beer and pizza night at the bar.

"The new McGill alcohol regulations made it really difficult for us to get a liquor permit," said PULS President Kate Amiel. "[Gert's] gave us a really good deal on the beer and allowed us to bring in our own pizza."

Sealy has formalized these interests in a new proto­ col for all Gert's staff that ensures that interested students are always able to book events at the bar.

"There are definitely opportunities for student groups to fundraise here," Sealy said. "There is no rental fee charged to McGill students."

Although all bar profits go to Gert's itself, students are welcome to host their own parties and events at Gert's free of charge and can even add door fees and negotiate for a percentage of coat check revenue.

Dan Doubilet, U2 Political Science, has taken advan­ tage of this new policy by hosting poker nights at Gert's

N o , r e a lly

this semester.

"The first tournament we had we sold tickets to and sold out," he said. "Wallace has been very open to nego­ tiations about these events and treated me with respect.

Right from the start he was supportive."

Doubilet plans to host biweekly poker nights at the bar next semester.

This initiative is just one of many experiments the staff at Gert's has implemented to increase student use of the bar. Gert's has diversified from its Thursday Night Tradition to include Wednesday jazz nights, stand-up com­ edy nights and special events.

"In the past, a lot of energy has gone into the 'dance club' events at Gert's," van Eyken said. "As a typical stu-

JA M ESG O TO W IEC

You too can make a fool of yourself at the new Gert's. dent I don't enjoy just going to a dance club. We want to offer students variety."

But it remains to be seen whether van Eyken's efforts will be able to overcome the stigma attached to the bar. Many students seem to have written it off long ago.

"Gert's is alright. It’s too crowded and too hot when there's too many people there," said Geoff Higgins, U2 Arts. "I don't think it has the right floor set up to have a lot of people there." ■

Continued from COVER Mwotia said that Queer McGill, which has 14 execu­ tives, may be better equipped to administer the UGE's services.

According to volunteer staffers, the UGE attempts to provide a space for students to converse freely and access a wealth of gender-related resources. The UGE also runs a co-op on the fourth floor of the Shatner University Centre, which offers alternative menstrual and safer-sex products at cost.

The UGE has reacted negatively to the proposals for merger.

"It's not normal that the life of a service should depend on the cyclical ups and downs of its members," Grajdieru said.

Kuhn has also complained of Mwotia’s lack of com­ munication with UGE staff. She said the UGE was never informed of plans for restructuring, and that members only became aware of that possibility through Queer McGill.

"I guess he just assumed Queer McGill would tell us," she said. "Clearly nothing is official to this point, but as far as I can tell he doesn't give a shit."

Members further argued that the UGE and Queer McGill have distinct purposes.

"The UGE deals with gender; Queer McGill deals with sexuality. There's a very important distinction, and that's a point we’re having trouble getting across," said Kuhn. "Etiquette and behaviour for our space is totally dif­ ferent because our constitutions and mandates have such different goals."

Queer McGill executives voiced their support for the UGE as a separate entity and say they want nothing to do with a merger.

'The merger is a thumbs-down from Queer McGill's perspective," said Queer McGill co-administrator Floh Herra Vega. "We don't think that the mandates overlap enough for a merger to be appropriate. We're both queer-positive and trans-inclusive, but to merge would be a logistical catastrophe."

The UGE has also been struggling financially. Its approved budget of 23,000 is less than half the amount spent last year. The budget was determined qualitatively

by Mwotia and Vice-President Operations Eric van Eyken.

"We did it a little differently this year," Mwotia said. "[Van Eyken] and I looked at the budgets over the past five years and basically prioritized the services."

Grajdieru estimated that the cost of stocking the UGE co-op alone will be roughly $ 2 ,5 0 0 , leaving little money with which to run workshops and buy new litera­ ture for the library.

"Basically the' only services we can offer right now are to keep our office open and to offer free lending from our library," Kuhn said.

Mwotia stressed that the merger is only one of sev­ eral options on the table, but he declined to comment on what the other options might be.

Kuhn, however, expressed hope that the status quo might still prevail, noting that the UGE recently trained 16 new staffers for its office. She said the UGE has received "an enormous outpouring of support" in recent days. ■

the mcgill tribune |2 5 .10.05 | news

CAMPUS

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and

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The >mr«\î*h<ts of mr Ten years after a nail-biting referendum, a ’ ' ih ' Strategic Counsel poll reveals that Quebec is still *;K1ËÉ1gkSÉÉ? split on whether to hold another one. According to « Ü «h;- Hwtey the poll, 49 per cent of Quebecers are in favour‘of a MlUiui’ts Muif* referendum, and 48 per cent are opposed. Happily for n:»V.. HÜ-: i ■■ le s fé d é ra liste s, only 43 per cent said they would vote for ‘ ! «nceîïfy ‘ separation on a clear question. • An Oklahoma man ■ <•,. •**11 ptrrp? accused of robbery and shooting with intent to kill was senffif faîiiiiüg tenced to 30 years in prison, but wasn't satisfied. He want­ Ai D jv ed 33 years to match basketball star Larry Bird's jersey num­ phy ' v Svv« ber. "He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go #,**«ift. ffi: down in Larry Bird's jersey," Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said. • A 93-year-old Florida man suffering from !>m !c *tlW dementia struck a pedestrian without noticing, then proceed­ îfc'<•*>>.« v ed to drive almost five km with the man lodged in his wind­ Éivt I* rut shield. Police said the man would probably not face charges tjv » bevn because he didn't know where he was or what was going on.

The «pen. He had renewed his licence in 2003. • An intrepid rat has impressed New Zealand scientists with its swimming abilities.

The rat, which was radio tagged for a study on how pests WodtJ W a I invade small islands, swam 40 0 m across the ocean. James Russell of the University of Auckland told N atu re that this Themijuii may be the longest distance recorded for a rat swimming t a Mure!» ft« across open sea. • French police have cracked a CsliftHT.M. m«»<.

Bulgarian baby smuggling ring, arresting the French couKousc î.imî ** pies who bought them. The infants were all approxif<* film grev nnately 18-months-old and allegedly purchased for !i- *»'* J»« » ,ll!i 6,000 euros. «.J Cunur.? K jA t t w I Sources: bbc.co.uk, cnn.com, ctv.ca, « « U . à. sm C Ami tv Canadian Press, sports.yahoo.com fi i i s with & a r y m *

U p to Speed

Q u e e r M c G ill c h a lle n g e

b lo o d - d o n o r r e s tr ic tio n s N IA L L M A C K A Y R O B E R T S After a unanimous vote at Council last Thursday, the Students' Society officially entered the debate over blooddonor screening. Council approved, without objection, a letter introduced by Roz Freeman, SSMU vice-president communications and events, demanding justification for the exclusion of all male donors who have had sex with men since 1977.

The letter will be sent to Héma-Québec, Canadian Blood Services, the federal Minister of Health and several senior civil servants.

"We're going to follow up on this letter," Freeman said. "We're not just going to put it in the hands of indi­ viduals and hope something gets done; we're going to demand an answer. You will hear more about this."

Héma-Québec is the provincial blood donation agency that occasionally operates blood drives from the Shatner University Centre. It coordinates its policy with Canadian Blood Services, which orchestrates drives in the rest of the country. Both organizations—along with most of their US and European counterparts—have banned dona­ tions from men who have sex with men, arguing that this population presents an elevated risk for HIV transmission.

Nick Tzoulas, political coordinator for Queer McGill, spoke in favour of the proposed letter. He disputed the scientific reasoning behind the ongoing restrictions.

"It used to be that, before 1994, 80 per cent of peo­ ple with HIV were men who have sex with men," he said.

But today, the number is almost equal between men who have sex with men and the rest of the population. This policy... perpetuates stereotypes that haven't been true for a decade in this country."

Tzoulas also noted that Héma-Québec recently revamped its screening process to reduce the exclusion periods for other groups considered high-risk. Women who have had sex with men who have had sex with men are now subject to only 12 months of exclusion.

Héma-Québec could not immediately be reached for comment. However, a nurse from CBS defended the current donor policy. She refused to provide her name.

"HIV is the only thing we're worried about," she said.

"Women who've had sex with [high-risk] men are put in the high-risk category, but with two men who've had sex, there's just much more risk for contact with the blood."

In past conversations with Queer McGill, HémaQuébec has admitted to considering changes in its policy.

However, according to an Héma-Québec press release,

Bxk, ' ’*htc

JU LIA SHON FELD

Hem a-Quebec: no gay or bisexual men allowed here objections were raised during "consultations with public and consumer groups," and the proposed changes were dropped.

Tzoulas pointed to this as proof that Héma-Québec is pandering to popular fears.

"If they've considered the policy, that means they realize it can be changed, and that men who have sex with men aren't a risk," he said.

CBS disputes that claim. According to nurses on their public hotline, their donor policy is determined by Health Canada, which classifies gay men as high-risk populations for HIV and'hepatitis.

Varying estimates have suggested that HémaQuébec alone could generate up to 3,000 new donations per year by eliminating restrictions on men who have sex with men.

Queer McGill executives expressed gratitude at SSMU's stance on the issue.

"This is something Queer McGill has been working on for 10 years," he said. "It's good to see SSMU being progressive in supporting the rights of its members."

Still, SSMU has taken a more moderate stance on the issue than some. The Commission scolaire de Montréal has forbidden Héma-Québec from organizing blood drives on its campuses since 2004.

Queer McGill has not ruled out pushing for such a measure, but they say they hope to avoid confrontation.

"Maybe we can put this exclusion in line with the other (12-month) exclusions," said Tzoulas. ■

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This year, the SSMU will work hard to inform you of the latest developments in McGill’s undergraduate community. Expect a SSMU half-page every second week in the Tribune, on page 5.

SHAVE TO SAVE

MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES DEBATE

\ THURSDAY OCTOBER 27 @ 1 PM come to l the Shatner Lobby and Shave the President’s Head. The SSMU Shave to SAVE Team will be Shaving Live on MIX 96 after raising thou­ sands of Dollars for Breast Cancer. Take note of the Plumbers Philharmonic Orchestra and their Fundraising activities at the Roddick Gates all week.

Come out and ask the three principle parties running in the 2005 Montreal Municipal elec­ tions at the only candidates debate aimed at Anglophone youth and students in Montreal.

Featuring representatives from the Montreal Island Citizen’s Union, Projet Montreal and Vision Montreal, including Vision Montreal mayoral candidate Pierre Bourque, this is an event you don’t want to miss!

PIERRE BOURQUE

Help increase our donation to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation!

Municipal candidates debate, Room 232, Leacock Building, McGill University, 7pm, Wednesday Oct. 26. Presented by the

AWESOME HALLOWEEN PARTY!!!

Canadian Federation of Students - Quebec. For more informa­

Don’t miss the most electrifying party of the year! Thursday, October 27, SSMU is bring­ ing you the largest and most elaborate Halloween Party of the year! At Club 1234 the classiest club in Montreal spinning multi­ ple rooms of Hip-Hop RN’B, Old School, and House, the party is on and doors open at 10:30pm. Prizes will be given out for the 3 best costumes, so come dressed to impress!

Get your ticket quick before we are sold out! Contact Roz at 398-6799 or Noah at 982-6954 (VIP reservations).

G e t in v o lv e d .

tion, visit www.education-action.net or call 931 -2377

Mc G i l l s b u y i n g y o u d i n n e r t o TALK ABOUT WebCT VISTA

If you have experience with WebCT Vista then come out and eat for free and talk to the peo­ ple developing it. Wednesday October 26 from 5:30-6:30, Thursday October 27 from 5:306:30 and Tuesday November 1 from 5:006:00 in the SSMU office, Brown 1200.

MAX REED VP UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

— BILLBOARD Are you totally taken with biomedical research?

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JANE GARCIA BUHKS

MIKE KREMER

REMISSA HIRJ1

**

W h a t’ s m ore appealing than a

H e y everyone, I am M ik e K re m e r, a firs t year m énagem ent student. I am

H i! M y nam e is R em issa and I ’ m a U1 A rts Student, in ID S

E

i^r

T

Fall Electo ral Period

c o rk y g irl w h o lo ves to party, and sh o w s everyone a good tim e?

N O T H IN G !

W e ll m aybe alco h o l, or perhaps m oney ( I kn o w what it ’ s lik e to be a broke student). W e ll I ’ m Jane and I w ant to be yo u r F ir s t Year Com m ittee of C o u n c il President.

I ’m ce rtain ly q u alifie d fo r the jo b , as I ’ ve held ad m inistrative po sitio ns in 3 d ifferen t nonfo r-pro fit organizations. B u t m ost

of

a ll,

I ’m

qu alified

because m y prerogative is y o u r interests. A n d m ore than anything, I ju s t w an t our first y e a r at M c G ill to be am azing.

running to be F Y C C President because I have a lot o f great ideas fo r the school year. I w an t to not o n ly continue the parties and fun, but also m ake sure the firs t y e a r interests do

(Internatio nal D evelopm ent Studies) fro m C a lg a ry , A lb e rta . W h y should yo u vote fo r m e as President? I ’ m super-approachable, so i f you ever have anything ideas or anything you w ant to be

not go ignored. I have lots o f leadership cap ab ilities, serving as high school c la ss president eleventh and tw elfth grade. I w ill use these s k ills to represent a ll firs t y e a r students

brought fo rw ard to S S M U , I ’ m y o u r g irl! I w an t to be y o u r representative, w hether it ’ s org an izing a k ille r party ju s t fo r firs t years or fig u rin g out acad em ic s tu ff w ith the

to the M c G ill co m m unity and m ake sure w e continue to have a great exp erience.

higher pow ers. A t M c G ill, w e w o rk hard and p la y harder, and y o u r F Y C C should do the sam e! V o te fo r that g irl w ho can m ake it happen! V o te fo r

M M U N 1

C A T I O

N S

ANNA LI

ALLI MACISAAC H i I ’ m A l i i M a c lsa a c and I ’ m

My

nam e

running fo r VP C o m m u n icatio n s.

So w hy should yo u vote fo r m e? 1 have tons o f exp erience w ith student governm ent; I w a s on c o u n cil in high school and represented b y year. A ls o , I ’ ve been in v o lv e d in m an y things

ending i f y o u pronounced it "A nnannannannanna," and

can

be

never-

req u iring leadership, as I w as head o f a sports team and w as h e a v ily in v o lv e d in debating. I also have some great ideas fo r FYCC th is year. A s V P C o m m u n icatio n s, I w ill m ake

m y last nam e can be found on the perio d ic table ( L i ) because I'm fro m the F a c u lty o f se x y Scien ce. I'm fro m To ro nto and fo r the past sum m ers I'v e w o rked at the C anad ian N atio n al E x h ib itio n , a fashio n boutique, and an ice-cream store. O ne thing I learned fro m them is : custom ers w ill be happy o n ly i f they

sure that a ll in residence opportunity v o ic e heard!

can understand yo u. Isn't it sad that students m iss out on th eir 1st y e a r because they didn't kn o w h o w to

firs t y e a rs, either o r not, have the to m ake th eir V o te A l i i fo r V P

meet th eir group fo r barc ra w l? C o m m unicate w e ll, so life is easier to

C o m m unicatio ns !

R em issa!

understand.

A

RICKY KWEE

SERGIO ROLDAN

J) j-,

M y nam e is R ic k y K w e e and I am running fo r V P A cad em ic in the F Y C C election s. A s a tennis coach, I understand the learning process o f a new

I am M e x ic a n and I attended

environm ent.

and

education

my

c ritic a lly an a lyze the cu rricu lu m s.

Through dialogue and student support, I w ill m ake y o u r academ ic expectations be m et b y M c G ill

M C

co m m unicating

Liste n in g w ith

students is essential in reco gnizin g th eir needs. A ls o , being part o f the V a rs ity T e n n is T e am has highlighted the im portance o f team w ork fo r m e. A s a student co u n cil m em ber during hig h school, I organized fund raising endeavours that in vo lve d the school co m m unity. I w ill ap p ly m y exp erience to benefit the students.

I am fu lly com m itted to help ing students get the m ost out education at M c G ill.

of

their

the U n ited W o rld C o lleg e in the U n ited States before M c G ill. B e in g exposed to d ifferent system s o f fo rm al a llo w s

me

to

U n iv e rs ity . I w ill acknow ledge and em phasize w hat the students’ expectations are in order fo r the fa c u lty s ta ff to meet them B ased on the p rem ise: M c G ill exists because o f its students. M y academ ic philosophy is

YIN GE

ALICE YANG ZHANG

KENDALL ZALUSKI

H e y fe llo w first-years! M y nam e’ s Y in . 1 w an t to be yo u r

H i! M y nam e is A lic e . A s a

enjoyab le. I f I am elected V P

T h e k e y to en jo yin g y o u rs e lf in an y situation is m akin g the m ost o f the opportunities th ro w n at yo u . F irs t y e a r o f u n iv e rsity life is no different.

W ith a ll the things one could im agine right here at M c G ill

w ith C o u n c il, w o rk out w a y s to keep students up-to-date w ith ava ila b le resources, such as w o rksho p s or peer tutoring.

I w ill also w o rk to avoid future problem s (such as this y e a r’ s O rg anic C h e m istry co n fu sio n ). I w is h to m ake the

E x te rn a l,

be able to

and even m ore so in th is great

represent yo u w ith enthusiasm in fro nt o f the fa c u lty and other student asso ciatio ns. 1

c ity o f M o n treal, it w o u ld be w astefu l not to take advantage. I , K e n d a ll Z a lu s k i hope to em b ellish our alread y

tran sitio n to u n iv e rs ity as sm ooth as possible fo r everyone and w ill be ready to listen to every suggestion, in E n g lis h or in Fre n ch .

I ’ m organized and dedicated to do a good jo b representing first-y e ars. I f yo u have any suggestions, te ll me! I ’ ll m ake sure that it ’ s discussed at

outside our M c G ill B u b b le, a jo b requiring organization and an outgoing p e rso n ality, tw o ch aracteristics I d e fin itely

m eetings. V o te fo r me!

possess.

V P A c a d e m ic because, havin g m any large classes o f 100+, I kn o w it ’ s not easy being a student in such a big u n ive rsity . I f elected, I w ill,

resum ed as: “ T e ll me and I

first-y e a r student, I have alread y heard several com m ents and suggestions about h o w to m ake M c G ill less stressfu l and m ore w ill

w a s e xe cu tive o f vario u s clubs in C E G E P and I w is h to continue m y in vo lvem en t at M c G ill in student governm ent.

w ill forget, Sh o w m e and I w ill rem em ber, In v o lv e m e and I w ill understand!"

ric h liv e s even further as y o u r V P E x te rn a l. W hat does that m ean? It m eans m akin g m ore connections both w ith in and

A s an active participant in student governm ent, I have spent fo u r years on Student C o u n c il, even tu a lly se rv in g as its President, spearheading events and fu n d raisers, and authoring countless proposals. I'v e

F i r s t y e a r s tu d e n ts : D o n ’ t f o r g e t to v o te f o r

w o rke d tire le s sly to im p ro ve and defend the rights o f students, founding an international student rights

y o u r F Y C C r e p r e s e n ta tiv e s th is u p c o m in g O c to b e r 2 8 - N o v e m b e r 2 , 2 0 0 5 .

Poll stations will be located at BMH, New Residence Hall, RVC and the Shatner Building or log onto www.electionsmcgill.ca/vote as of this Friday!

I

w atchdog organization.

I am an outspoken, experienced advocate fo r po sitio ns, both in student p o litic s and Debate. I f elected as V P E x te rn a l, I'd seek to help m ake the firs t year less in stitu tio n ally iso latin g , to foster a stronger sense o f co m m u n ity. I w o u ld act as a com petent, hard w o rking

YAH EL CARMON

representative fo r first-y e a r students to m ake sure that o ur v o ic e s are heard.

W h ip It

opinion

S t o p k issin g B r e n t B u tt’s a ss

Guest Soap B R A N D O N C H U D L E IG H

A v ie w fr o m t h e stall D E N IS E B R U N S D O N lthough I spend a good deal of my time complaining, ranting and criticizing, it's rare that I'm ever as offended as I was by the cover photo of last Tuesday's Tribune.

For those who aren't familiar, this newspa­ per last week ran a story that, among other things, evaluated the best campus washrooms in which to have sex, and its accompanying photo depicted a woman going down on a man in a washroom stall.

The angling of the photo, the used condom discarded on the floor, the toilet paper lying across one of the woman's legs and the fact the woman performing oral sex was not even wear­ ing shoes contributed to an overall visual effect that I found demeaning, sexist and generally not one that portrayed healthy sexuality.

I can only assume that the newspaper was attempting to be edgy, sexy or funny; however, this photo was none of those things.

I normally avoid the blame game when talk­ ing about negative depictions of women or sex in the media. In an open market driven by incentive and profit, consumers can take equal responsibil­ ity for the social problems resulting from such depictions. If people were serious about curbing physical, emotional and sexual self-esteem issues amongst young women, for example, then they would put their money where their mouths are and quit buying C osm op olitan and M axim magazines.

The difference, however, is that campus newspapers are funded by students. Levies, Students' Society subsidies and the access to students purchased by the companies that advertise in them allow campus newspapers to distribute their final product for free. This means that there is no feedback mechanism, like sales, to gauge consumer satisfaction. This fact, com­ bined with its affiliation with the Students' Society, gives the Tribune a distinct role as a pub­ licly-owned media outlet that has a responsibility

A

to the students of this university.

And therein lies the key word, the word at the root of my disappointment: responsibility.

This issue involves much more than merely the vetting of negative sexual images such as the one presented. I believe the Tribune has a responsibility to do more and actively depict healthy, positive sexuality. That means photos that show people of all shapes and sizes having sex. That means men going down on women.

That means people of all different orientations having sex. That means people having sex with condoms worn, not tossed on the floor. That means people who choose to give blowjobs in dirty bathrooms get to wear shoes.

It is this city and university's progressive environment to which I credit most of my sexual education and image-consciousness. This is where I learned about my rights as a woman and sexual, partner. It's where I learned to be truly comfortable with myself. And most importantly, it's where I learned that my high school world of sexism, stereotypes and negative sexual experi­ ences was all bullshit.

Thousands of new freshman have just arrived at McGill this fall, many of them straight out of high school. Not all high schools are the same, I'm sure, but I feel it's safe to say that a good many of them were havens of insecurity that fostered sexism, stereotypes and negative sexual experiences like mine did.

Which is why covers like last Tuesday's both­ er me. I don't want new students arriving to think that this university is just another place where women spend most of their time on their knees blowing men while the campus papers report on it. I want all incoming students to have the same experiences of awakening, awareness and safety that I did. I don't want them to see this place as a university that perpetuates oppressive social norms. I want to be an institution of higher learn­ ing that challenges them. ■

s I gear up for another hellish season of midterms and essays, I find myself reverting to old habits—spending more time watching the idiot box than lis­ tening to words of idiot profs.

But let me tell you, living without cable is hard. In high school, I had my par­ ents' expanded cable package to save me from hours of learning. Something was always on and, even if it was an episode of M y th B u ste rs in Portuguese, I could jus­ tify the necessity of watching it over doing my work.

But upon arriving at McGill and find­ ing myself without the distracting resources of home, diversion became dif­ ficult. I noticed it less in first year, when my DVD collection didn't seem so tired and h o m e sta rru n n e r.co m was actually funny.

But since becoming a veteran apartment dweller and moving beyond the Rez lifestyle, my preferred method of procras­ tination has reverted to sitting on the couch and channel surfing—it just sucks that there's never anything good on.

Don't think this is just another rant about the lousy quality of TV today: There's plenty of good stuff—if you live in the right place. Unfortunately, Canada is not that place.

Without an illegal satellite hookup—I opt to eat instead—and because I don't want to line the pockets of the moneygrubbing crooks at Videotron, I'm subject­ ed to non-stop crap on TV. Mostly, it's a multitude of channels that show insipid French game shows, a couple American networks that come in fuzzy and a whole whack of Canadiana.

While the Canadian channels do show a lot of quality American program­ ming—it would be bad business not to— I've started to notice an increased focus by CTV and Global on producing an excess of shows about Canadians for Canadians.

The results are painful. It used to be that I only had to flip past CBC to avoid televi­ sion that made homework seem like a

A

good idea. Now, there's always a risk that I'll run into, a self-promotional, nationalistic program when I really just want to find C SI. Now, granted, that same formula does permeate a lot of American program­ ming, especially post-9/11, and not every­ thing to come out of the US is great— A m erica n Id o l, anyone? But, on the whole, Canadian TV can't even compete with its American counterpart. For one thing, American productions can afford decent lighting and sound editing. And they would never let Ben Mulroney on the air.

Local television critics often refrain from panning Canadian content, lest they aid in the disintegration of Canadian cul­ ture—and without someone to tell them any better, Canadians tune in. But what's even more horrifying than encountering an episode of C o rn e r C a s is knowing that, on any given week, close to two million of my countrymen and women are watching it They can't actually think the—I use the term loosely—comedy stylings of Brent Butt are entertaining.

I think that so many are tuning in out of convoluted patriotic duty. It's part of our petty inferiority complex: We believe watching a bunch of Saskatchewanian bumpkins working the pumps will stick it to America and its cultural dominance. All it does, though, is perpetuate our image as uneducated, primitive hosers—something that most of us have expended much effort denying.

Although TV in Canada has somehow become an indicator of cultural identity, I'm frightened to think that I'm in any way obliged to subject myself to episodes of R o b so n A rm s, Tem ps or an unbearable made-for TV movie starring Sonja Smits to prove my true colours. And if it means that I'm un-Canadian because I'll take S e in fe ld over the painfully tedious torture that was Train 4 8 , then so be it. I'll only come around once they stop trying to bore me to death. ■

Funambulism

In sid e th e ju v e n ile m in d o f a fo o t b a ll p la y e r C R IS T IN A M A R K H A M here are certain words that gradually eliminate themselves from your vocabulary once you've left high school: phras­ es like "detention," "homeroom" and "book report" even­ tually fade out from lack of use. However, one painfully highschool word recently thrust itself back into my lexicon—I never thought that, at 22-years-old, I'd be referring to someone as a

T

bu lly.

However, no other word so completely sums up the behaviour of the older members of the McGill football team.

While most people I've talked to agree with the universi­ ty's decision to cancel the remainder of the Redmen's season, I've heard some disgruntled mutterings from people who dis­ agree. A few people I've spoken with believe that the team members are being punished like a group of poorly-behaved children—grounded, if you will, like a pre-teen girl who picked on her younger brother.

Unfortunately, that is exactly how the team was behaving.

They may be young adults, they may have been carrying on a tradition, they may have been trying to create some kind of team spirit. Whatever their reasoning may have been, it does­ n't change the fact that their deplorable behaviour is rooted in

basic, juvenile bullying.

Part of my camp counsellor training a few summers ago included a section on bullying. Sadly, what I learned about the dynamics of bullying among„ 12-year-olds seems to fit the behaviour of the football team.

A group can generally be broken down into three roles: the bully, the victim and the bystander—a person who sees what's going on and doesn't get involved. More importantly, he doesn't do anything to stop the harassment, generally for fear of being seen as a snitch or as "uncool." It's often hard to under­ stand why the bystander is so concerned with the opinions of someone he obviously disagrees with, but there's always at least one in every group.

These roles are best described by an incident that actually took place at camp two years ago. Two 10-year-old cabin mates thought it was hysterical that another girl in their group did not own a hooded sweatshirt. To mock this girl, the two started a "hoodie gang" and limited membership to girls who owned hoodies. The hoodie-less girl was upset that she couldn't join, but when she complained, she was put in "hoodie jail"—she was forced under her bed and blocked in by trunks. While the

two girls sat on her bunk and laughed, a fourth girl lay quietly on her bed, reading a book and refusing to get involved.

When the staff found out about this and took action, both the bullies and the bystander were held responsible for their actions. While the fourth girl argued that she hadn't taken part in the bullying in any way, it was explained to her that since she did nothing to stop it, she was a part of the problem.

This juvenile story is just a milder version of the hazing that took place on the football team. The older members wanted to assert their dominance over the rookies, who in turn just want­ ed to be part of the group. True, there were members of the team who did not get directly involved, but the fact remains that they stood idly by—and actually cheered from the stands—while the rookies were humiliated.

Those who complain that the university is acting like an angry parent grounding an obstinate teen should take a moment to think about the behaviour of the players. If their decisions and ensuing conduct had been adult-like in any way, I would agree. But unfortunately for the players, it would seem that I'm not the only one who thinks that they acted like chil­ dren. ■

the mcgill tribune [ 25.10.05 | opinion

I M c G ill

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

T r ib u n e E d it o r - in - C h ief

Liz Allemang editor@mcgilltribune.com M a n a g in g E d it o r s

Jennifer Jett Andrew Segal seniored@mcgilltribune.com P r o d u c t io n M a n a g e r

Lara Bekhazi production@mcgilltribune.com N ew s E d it o r s

Robert Church James Gotowiec Niall Mackay Roberts news@mcgilltribune.com F ea t u r e s E d it o r s

Genevieve Jenkins Lise Treutler features@mcgilltribune.com A & E E d it o r s

Ben Lemieux Melissa Price arts@mcgilltribune.com S p o r t s E d it o r s

David Blye Adam Myers sports@mcgilltribune.com P h o t o E d it o r s

I magine

a student organization that caters to a specific community, one with special needs that may otherwise be ignored. Although the organization has been around for years, its membership is dwindling and few students take advantage of the services it offers. In light of this decline, the organization faces the threat of being merged with a larger, more popular and better-organized group that serves an entirely different group of students.

Now imagine that organization is Queer McGill.

This would never happen, of course. No one will ever question the autonomy of Queer McGill because it would be career suicide for a student politician, and the service has a welldefined and vocal membership. But the Union for Gender Empowerment, a SSMU-sanctioned service that serves female and transgendered students, is facing this exact possibility.

SSMU's proposal to merge the UGE with Queer McGill—an idea brought up at Thursday's council meeting by Vice-President Clubs and Services Leon Mwotia on behalf of the SSMU executive—is premised on a number of funda­ mental misconceptions. For one thing, it con­ flates gender with sexual orientation. But the two are not the same, and consequently, Queer McGill and the UGE provide different services. For example, the UGE provides women with alternative menstrual products; this should not be Queer McGill's responsibili­ ty-

Lukas Bergmark Vladimir Eremin photo@mcgilltribune.com C o p y E d it o r

Traci Johnson copy@mcgilltribune.com

M c G ill: C a n th e spam

S S M U s h o u ld a v o id m a k in g a U G E m is ta k e

Curiosity delivers.

9

Moreover, merging these two services opens the door to further consolidation of stu­ dent groups. Students would eagerly await the results of SSMU's weekly merge-and-purge— think of the possibilities. The UGE and SACOMSS both adopt a pro-survivor approach to sexual assault—overlap! We can't have both!

Meld the Malaysian and Singaporean Students'

Associations; the Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese Students' Societies; and the McGill Association of North American-Born Asians and what do you get? Asian McGill! Hillel and SPHR could join hands to become ASTMAN: the Association of Students That Make the Administration Nervous. These combinations are no less ridiculous than the proposed merg­ ing of the UGE and Queer McGill.

The state of the UGE does, however, raise the question: When does a club or service cease to benefit students? Student groups remain legitimate so long as they provide a unique benefit or activity, with minimal overlap among other groups. The UGE continues to meet this requirement.

The UGE is certainly not without its prob­ lems. It is poorly advertised, has almost no members and can seem intimidating and inac­ cessible despite the best of intentions.

Although the change of name from the Women's Union to the UGE made the service more inclusive with respect to students who identify as neither male nor female, it also cre­ ated confusion as to its purpose.

However, rolling the UGE into Queer McGill will not solve any of these problems.

Instead of seeking to throw the UGE in with Queer McGill, which is tantamount to discontin­ uing its services completely, SSMU should give the UGE time to adjust to its new mandate, then restructure it if visibility and effectiveness fail to improve.

Without a solid membership base, the UGE has few champions to defend its exis­ tence. When it comes down to it, though, more students strongly oppose this proposed merger than strongly support it. That alone should dis­ suade the SSMU executives—who do, after all, represent us—from seriously considering this option. ■

nyone using e-mail has to deal with spam.

Anyone using a McGill address also has to deal with occasional statements on university policy.

Many students delete both kinds of messages without reading them and grumble about having their time wasted. But McGill shouldn't be using our e-mail addresses to communicate its views to the student body.

Last week at Senate, the administration was asked to clarify its policy on using campus-wide e-mail.

In its response, the admin said that the university has many avenues with which to communicate, and that it would use e-mail whenever a matter was urgent, of broad public interest or was in need of clarification.

While there's obviously value in the university telling us of building closures, actions taken against hazing that concern many students or a rise in mug­ gings near campus, things start to enter a gray area when the e-mails are designed to influence opinion instead of relay fact. Using e-mail to respond to stu­ dent conceptions of McGill's motives or allegations in the student press is unfair, since the groups the admin is responding to—like the Muslim Students' Association in the case of prayer space—don’t have the same opportunity. Plus, we're already surrounded

by McGill's party line all over campus; we don't need it in our e-mails, too.

But there's a larger point here as well: When the university needs to resort to e-mail to convince stu­ dents of its position—a tool available to no other organization doing public relations; after all, you don't see the government sending a mass e-mail to taxpay­ ers after being criticized in the N a tio n a l P o st—it means those in the University Relations Office aren't doing enough to persuade through legitimate avenues. And having PR lackeys who are both unresponsive to jour­ nalists and unable to actually get any good press for a university with a now-tarnished reputation could ulti­ mately be a bigger problem for the administration than any single conflict with a student group. ■

A

D e s ig n E d it o r s

Tiffany Choy Spenser Sproul design@mcgilltribune.com O

n l in e

OFF THE

BOARD

How to ride the bus, Gus

E d it o r

Marco Avolio online@mcgilltribune.com

B EN L E M IE U X A d v e r t is in g M a n a g e r

Paul Slachta advmgr@ssmu.mcgill.ca Pu b l is h e r

Chad Ronalds C

o n t r ib u t o r s

Kayvon Afshari, Terri Alderfer, Mohit Arora, Tessa Blanchfield, David Brodkey, Elizabeth Campbell, Brandon Chudleigh, Robin Erskine-Levinson, Lindsay Fellows, Joshua Freeman, Ezra Glinter, Genevieve Grey, Emily Harris, Kelly Harris, Nicola Hyde, Victoria Lam, Cristina Markham, Daniel McQuillan, Rachel Melnik, Marit Mitchell, Kathleen Murphy, Oliver Nguyen, Liz Perle, Julia Raponi, Julia Shonfield, Ariela Weinbach T r ib u n e O f f ic e s Editorial. Shatner University Centre, Suite 110, 3480 McTavish, Montreal Q C Tel: 514.398.6789 Fax. 514.398.1750 Advertising. Brown Student Building, Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish Montreal Q C H3A 1Y2

I t's

easy to understand why Montrealers are upset with public transportation. Over the past months, access has become more costly while service has been reduced. Many are inclined to wonder: “Short of living in Japan or Uganda, how can public transportation become any worse?"

The answer is simple: through our own folly.

To be frank, the level of passenger courtesy on buses in Montreal these days is positively atro­ cious. We must cease our frequently appalling behaviour and take onto our own shoulders the duty of creating a reasonable living environment for each other on communal transport.

Here are a few pointers that people seem­ ingly never cease to forget: Move to the back of the bus. The driver should not have to yell this repeatedly at passen­ gers as if he were their mother, nor should peo­ ple have to linger in the freezing cold waiting for another bus because standing on the staircase with a half-dozen grocery bags makes you feel special. We should behave like reasonably welleducated and considerate human beings, not a cholesterol blockage. The more people move to the rear, the more people can embark easily. If s that simple.

If you have an infant or toddler: Contrary to

what you may think, the rest of the world does not enjoy the sound of screaming, crying children.

What's more, crowded, bustling public transporta­ tion is not an ideal place to bring children, who are upset by tense, uncomfortable situations.

Ergo, get off the bus and into a car. If you cannot afford your own vehicle, at the very least respect space efficiency. Do not sit in the first row of pas­ senger seats with your Hummer-sized stroller. Sit as far back as possible or, if you are feeling partic­ ularly altruistic and know you'll be taking PT on a certain day, carry your child in a body harness.

Mind your personal space. I'm 6'4," weigh 200 lbs. and have sat on two-person benches with strangers twice my size, and both individuals were perfectly comfortable. Yet every time I sit on a bus next to some lanky asshole dressed like 50 Cent, I’m so cramped I feel like I'm riding on pub­ lic transportation worthy of Hong Kong. One seat, one person. You do not need a seat for your bag(s). You do not need to outstretch your arm across three seats and prop up your feet so that your crotch is in everybody's face. If you can't do this, get off the bus and back into homeboy acad­ emy where you belong.

The thing about the city's new buses—the ones designed for people with reduced mobility—

is that they're d e s ig n e d fo r p e o p le w ith re d u c e d m o b ility. If you're in one of the specially designat­

ed seats (you know, the ones for people with reduced mobility) and you see a differently-abled person step or wheel onto the bus, consider it your personal responsibility to move.

You're on a bus, not in your living room. This means it is not appropriate for you to be speaking with the same enthusiasm and vigour that you are used to from the conversations at your domicile.

You're technically indoors, so use your indoor voice. No one needs to hear about how drunk you got last night, how much of an asshole your boyfriend is or how—despite the label attributed to him by his peers—Camus actually identified himself as an anti-existentialist. No matter what the topic of your conversation, if you're speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear, you invariably come off as a flaming buffoon.

The only acceptable food to eat on a bus is a granola bar. Pastries are too flaky, yogurt's too risky and just about everything else smells so rank as to make everyone else on the bus hate you.

Unless you're planning on travelling to Nigeria on that bus, your take-out can wait. Trust me. ■

Tel. 514.398.6806 Fax. 514.398.7490

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' Society of McGill University, in collaboration with the Tribune Publication Society. All letters must include contributor's name, program and year, and contact information. Submissions may be sent by e-mail to letters@mcgilltribune.com. Any material 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. Please direct general inquiries to info@mcgilltribune.com.

\

10

opinion |25. i 0.05 |the mcgill tribune

1

L e t t e r s t o th e E d it o r Article apparently not lacking student interest I would like to ask one simple question with regards to the article "Public interest group lacking student interest," (18.10.05). Where, exactly, in the article does it elaborate on the alleged lack of student interest?

This is really a magnifying abuse of your oh-so-minute journalistic authority. Not once is there even a normative statement regarding a lack of student interest in QPIRG to be found in the article. In fact, the only statement regarding the student population at all is by Indu Vashist, who argues that students and alumni alike found QPIRG very "interest­ ing” [Ed. note: The word interesting is not found anywhere in the article].

It's very misleading, considering QPIRG is facing a lifeand-death situation, and I suggest you retract or apologize for that ridiculous attempt at forming some sort of clever word-play that is completely irrelevant to the article and could potentially damage QPIRG's image beyond any repair.

Ja m e e l M a d h a n y P rogram O fficer C ana dian Frien d s o f Burm a

We know how someone's going to vo te...

QPIRG's privileged access to our wallets is incompre­ hensible. They are answerable to no one and continue to grind their political axes (e.g. why should I be supporting a group that condones the Intifada in Palestine/lsrael?) with our student fees. If they want McGill students to support their causes, let them do it openly and on a voluntary basis, like any other partisan organization. Delist QPIRG now!

C e n e v ie v e A tkins U 3 S o cio lo g y & A n th ro p o lo g y

Sacking the season a good move I am gratified by the actions taken by McGill's adminis­ tration concerning the hazing incident on the McGill Redmen football team ("McGill cancels football season," online edition, 18.10.05). To those of us who have always associated McGill with the highest standards of academic excellence and social decency, the cancellation was appro­ priate and necessary.

I am sure that the great majority of today's students feel the same way. In forty years time, there will be much to proud of about their years at McGill—as there is for me.

Thom as C. R o u tled g e B. E n g ‘6 5 Vancouver, B C

In defence of initiation As a recent graduate of McGill, I am pleased to still receive the Tribune on a weekly basis over email. I have just received the email edition stating that the McGill football season has been cancelled due to their supposed "hazing" ritual. I am by no means a huge McGill Redmen fan, but I would like to make some comments on this issue.

What does the McGill administration think is happen­ ing? Team bonding is a time honoured tradition at our school, and the admin is naive to think that the football team is the only guilty party in the matter. I seem to remem­ ber a certain rugby initiation involving a naked elephant walk in my rez in 2001. Come on, guys! What dream world does

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McGill admin live in that they think this stuff doesn't hap­ pen? I really believe that they have repeatedly turned a blind eye to it and now they are suddenly waking up to this real­ ity. Where have you been for the last 60 years?

Initiation is a normal practice of any McGill sports team, and builds team spirit. Ifs time to get off our politically-correct high horse and realize that this stuff is a part of any team experience. I do not condone sticking poles up men's butts in an effort to feel like a team. I still think, however, that there is a place for initiation events in university sports.

explain his claim before questioning whether Leigh has been living in a hole and suggesting that his arguments are as sensitive as a doorknob.

Ja n T. R o ssite r UO S cie n ce

Comparing us to the Daily: a cheap shot since 1981 As a former writer for the Trib, I understand how hard it can be to come up with interesting and original material.

Let's face it, McGill is a fickle place, and it isn't easy to please the readers. However, I think advertising—smack-dab on the A m elia B o u rb o n n a is front page—an article detailing where to get it on throughout B. S c '0 5 campus is just taking things too far.

Honestly, I had no issue with the article; it was amus­ Adam M yers is wrong ing and it's something I'm sure many of us have considered Adam Myers is way off in his piece suggesting athletes or tried in the past. But in light of the recent publicity that need to act as role models ("Charles Barkley was wrong," 18.10.05) . Sure, the NFL puts a professionalism clause in its McGill has received, though (our wonderful football team, players' contracts, but this includes‘such ludicrous require­ unidentified bodies in the morgue, etc), I really think that the Trib should step up and show its readers (which include ments as the standard length of their socks. Professional influential alumni and administration) that our university can athletes, in reality, are juiced-up, thugged-out machines for be respectful and thoughtful, not just scandalous. m y enjoyment—they should be seen as nothing more.

Considering its reputation as an informative and insightful Placing "equal" blame on professional football players for student publication, the Tribune should be conscientious of the despicable McGill team's behaviour trivializes what these students did, and ignores the fact that NFL players the message it is sending to outsiders. Go ahead and write articles that challenge the boundaries, but strongly consider have one job: play football. whether the front page is where you really want to put it. We D a n iel C h o d o s already have a publication on campus for things like that: Tribune A& E editor, 2 0 0 4 -0 5 the D a ily. So keep in mind why readers choose you over This week's sign of the apocalypse: two letters to the them when selecting a paper to read.

Sports section not reacting to hazing C aitlin B u ck ley In response to Mohit Arora's column ("Gimme Some U 3 P o litica l S cie n c e Mo: No more Boston Team Party," 18.10.05), I was amused by the characterization of New England sports fans as Huh? Does this m ake any sense to anyone else?

(But thanks for the kudos) "obnoxious" by a Torontonian. Despite the lack of interest in I have two things to write about: the impending doom the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays in Canada atresulting from the Tim Hortons Experiment and the inces­ large, people in Toronto still seem to believe that those sant head-slaps and problems with the weekly dose of teams are "Canada's teams."

Chudleigh.

What you characterize as obnoxious is actually passion Cringing to my red Mcgilliad chair, I nearly cried after and loyalty exhibited by New England fans. And hell, give us reading the personal testimony of Guest Soap writer a break, the Sox had always broken our hearts, and the Pats (or "Patsies" as they were formerly known) were the equiv­ Christine Uniacke ('Tim Hortons: A double-double dose of humiliation for students," 18.10.05). Yes, Tim Hortons is alent to the Cincinnati Bengals until they went on this fourbad, but, alas my mountain-hiking namesake friend, the year run. tyranny does not end there. Tim Hortons is the pseudoWhen the Bruins and Celtics start winning, then we can Canadian, obese-rendering, drug-trafficking and neo-colonial start talking about who’s obnoxious. . blemish (well, not "the") on both Canadian institutions and N eil Sch n u rb a ch people. Owned by Wendy's and Big Dave's Soul, the red W altham , M a ss. and white theme colours that replaced the Yellow and Tribune a ssista n t editor-in-chief, 2 0 0 1 -0 2 Brown represent only blood and puss. Kudos on the S p o rts e d ito r 2 0 0 0 - 0 1 W ayn e's W orld reference, BTW. Jan finds fault with Philip And Chudleigh, I can only commend how unabashed I appreciate Philip Paulsson's attempt to defend the your insensitivity is. It's OK to make people angry, but I feel idea that global warming is a reality, however he makes a you are more conservative than John A. MacDonald and significant error in his letter (Letter, "Philip finds fault," lack nuance. Tony speared through your mystique; please 12.10.05) that I cannot leave uncorrected. Paulsson states do not use homeless people or good-looking women to jus­ that the South Asian tsunami of December 2004 was tify your loneliness or extract pity from readers. somehow related to global warming. Tsunamis are in fact Je s s e C utm an U 3 E n g in eerin g caused by seismic activity on the ocean floor.

Personally, I believe that global warming is a reality; however, it is incorrect arguments such as Paulsson's that discredit it in the public eye. I would ask Mr. Paulsson to

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Open Lecture Chimpanzee survival discussion

Redpath Museum Club Jane Goodall Institute of Canada

Oct. 27th, 4 :0 0 p.m

Redpath Auditorium

redpathmuseumclub@gmail.com

Nov. 1st, 5:50 p.m

Faculty of Law, Moot Court Room

gail@janegoodall.ca

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Advertise your event! For only a toonie you can get a listing in the print and on-line editions of the Trib. Drop by the SSMU Office (Shatner building, Suite 1200) to pick up a form. Deadlines are Fridays at 3:30 p.m. For more information call 398.6789 or e-mail info@mcgilltribune.com

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Y ou r itinerary o f Halloween happenings around Montreal e tp ro .ca ; all events are for those 18 and older.

RACHEL MELNIK ooking to get down with the ghouls and goblins of Montreal? The city is filled with creepy escapades to satisfy your terror-seeking self. Real skeletons or plastic imitations? You won't be able to able to tell the difference—literally—at the Haunted Halloween Bash hosted by the McGill Anatomy and Cell Biology Student Society. With cheap drinks and miscellaneous organs floating around the Strathcona building, this is a party guaranteed to frighten the living with a night of chills and thrills this Friday from 8 to 11 p.m.

For those who are ruthlessly caught up in the Halloween spirit, check out the Grand Masquerade festival in Old Montreal, which offers tons of wacky, costumed outdoor activities bound to suit your fancy. On the north end of Jacques-Cartier, you can attend sessions in jack-olantern carving or dart-throwing. While you're there, be sure to attend Les Legends Insolites, where you can hear chillingly bizarre tales and legends from ancient books.

If you're interested in human sacrifices and gothic horror, La Nuit du Sacrifice awaits you at Marché Bonsecours on Friday at 10 p.m. If mingling with superheroes, mutants and robots is more your style, check out the science-fiction freak show at Le Theatre de l'Infini. Tickets sold at tick-

Still reminiscing about your formative years with A re You A fra id o f th e D a rk l Visit the evil-look­ ing pumpkin known as the "hexed creature" at Place Jacques-Cartier (central station), who will reveal lost prophecies from beyond the grave.

Of course nothing says Halloween like a plethora of sweet transvestites (from Transylvania nonetheless). You, too, can do the Time Warp again at the Corona Theatre (2 4 9 0 Notre-Dame 0 .), where the company performs R o cky H o rro r Friday through Monday. For info, call 409-2300.

(Ed. note: Costumes are mandatory, lest your non-cross-dressing ass get whooped!)

Of course, if your idea of a good Halloween is dancing with half-naked, decked-out folk in a nightclub—is this different from any other night?—join the SSMU crowd at Club 1234 on Thursday.

Doors open at 10:30 p.m. Two days later, Bar Le Tube and Club La Boom are having Halloween costume contests with tons of cash prizes, so make sure that you come dressed to impress.»

A ll o f th e G ra n d M a sq u era d e ev e n ts run from Th u rsd a y th rough Sun day. Fo r m o re inform ation , a co m p le te listin g a n d d e ta ile d lo ca tio n in stru ctio n s, visit th e fe stiva l's W eb site a t www.grandemas-

carade.com.

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C o u ld

M c G ill h a v e s p a w n e d t h e in f a m o u s R ip p e r ?

JULIA RAPONI

cGill University has always prided itself on its alumni, with a rather impressive roster that includes Conrad Black, Leonard Cohen and, of course, William Shatner. While S ta r Trek might be more than enough for the Halloween-timid, one particular grad­ uate can be found on just about every suspect list for the murders attributed to “Jack the Ripper."

The gruesome and infamous killings, sometimes referred to as the "Whitechapel murders," took place in London's East End in 1888. Though five victims were definitively linked to the Ripper, some estimates go as high as nine. The victims themselves—all women—had lit­ tle in common with each other apart from the fact that worked as prostitutes. In each case, the intoxicated victim was strangled and then had her throat cut. The most dis­ turbing hallmark, however, was the anatomical trophy that the Ripper took from each victim. He managed to remove one kidney from each woman with such precision that none of the surrounding organs were damaged.

The hunt for the murderer created many conspiracy theories but produced little in the way of hard evidence.

The list of suspects is long and ranges from the probable

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to the absurd. One popular candidate is Prince Albert Victor, son of King Edward VII and grandson of Queen Victoria. According to some, the prince suffered from syphilis and committed the murders out of madness stemming from the disease. Others suggest that Lewis Carroll, beloved author of A lic e 's A d v e n tu re s in W onderland, was behind the attacks, although this is based on rather weak anagrams found in his works.

One of the more promising suspects was a doctor and McGill alum by the name of Thomas Neill Cream. He graduated with honours in 1876, after having written his doctoral thesis on chloroform. Soon afterwards he began a career that included three murders by poisoning on this side of the Atlantic and four in south London. He would eventually be executed for the murder of a prostitute named Matilda Clover. While there are some similarities with the Ripper deaths, several inconsistencies such as the different killing methods and Cream's imprisonment during the time of the Whitechapel murders point to his innocence. Still, some claim that Cream had a "double," someone who could serve his prison sentence while Cream committed the murders; Does that seem unlikely? It w a s Cream who con­ fessed to the murders, his last words being none other than "I am Jack." ■

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Carving out a creepy orange niche C R IS T IN A M A R K H A M hose who take Halloween day—rather, night— seriously know there is more to the holiday than costumes and candy. Regardless of how well you dress up or how much sugar you consume, this most revered of days would not be complete with­ out the impeccably-crafted pumpkin face.

Your choice of carving speaks volumes about you. We seasoned veterans want to help—be certain that your choice is sending the right message by first finding the appropriate category. There are, after all, three basic jack-o-lantem types: Classic, New Classic and N o u vea u .

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Classic If dressing up as a sexy nurse is complete outrage to you, or if your front door dons a hilarious, multi-joint­ ed witch that seems to have steered straight into the wall, you definitely need a classic pattern. Some may find the repetitive design of triangular eyes and a gaptoothed smile to be outdated and overdone, but there is more to your streamlined motif than lack of imagination! Clearly you've been fa r too busy gather­ ing pinecones and fallen leaves for your Halloween wreath and making taffy apples from scratch.

Besides, if it ain't broke...

New Classic If you want more options but aren't ready for Martha Stewart patitems, the New Classic is the obvious choice, having but th re e require­ ments: Your design must be simple, the carving must not be time consum-

A M ERICA N EA G LE O U T F IT T E R S

ing and your pumpkin must be a w e so m e . Think above the now-slimy kitchen floor: Go for the logo of your favourite seventies band and you will have the most kick-ass retro pumpkin on the block.

Of course, if you like having prepubescent boys arrive at your door to high-five you, carve a line around the middle and a small concave circle towards the top. Voilà—you have just created the Death Star.

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Nouveau (aka Pretentious) If even your Halloween decorations must indicate that you are smarter then the world around you, the nouveau pump­ kin is for you. Don’t bother with pre-drawn patterns; your per­ petually creative mind can surely come up with something new, exciting and infinitely better.

Why not emblazon your pumpkin with the face of your favourite author or critical thinker? Matx would be dancing on his grave if he knew that his face had been carved into a gourd.

If you have extra time, an endless supply of patience and a burning desire to out-snob your neighbours, a pumpkin that reads 'C ed n'est pas une citrouille" will give you undisputed bragging rights 'til long after your own kids have outgrown trick-or-treating.

Those poor, sad people who just don't get Halloween may scoff at the time and effort you put into such an ephemeral art form, reminding you that your pumpkin will be a pathetic mouldy pile by Remembrance Day. You, however, will look past their sneers and see the truth behind their condescen­ sion: They're just jealous of your badass Van Halen pumpkin.

L Y E YOUR LIFE

C o n g ra tu la tio n s, la d ie s! F o r th e w a y yo u L iv e Y o u r Life at M cG ill, A m e ric a n E a g le O utfitters h a s s e le c te d your photo a s the L iv e Yo u r Life M om ent of the W e e k .

In recognition of this m om ent, T a m a ra

an d C o rin n e a re being a w a rd e d S 5 0 A E Gift C a r d s .

L iv e Y o u r Life M om ent of the W e e k .

Confident, trendy or adventurous F>ick the MP3 Walkman digital music player that makes a statement about your personality and your style MP3 Walkman Digital Music Player Unique Organic EL Display Super Stamina 50 hour battery life Super High-Speed US8 Charge M id n ig h t B la c k

V T iV IA L K m A A M Y M U S IC . M Y S T Y L E .

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Thoughts on life and death for the night of spirits LISE T R E U T L E R eath happens like this: A teenage girl answers the phone in her mother's house to hear a robotic voice announcing a collect call from her cousin Helen, who didn't bother dis­ guising her sobs as she recorded her name. Seconds later, the girl is down the hall in the bathroom with the door closed, pre­ tending she has to pee, because she knows what Helen would have told her but doesn't want it confirmed. She doesn't realize that in her preemptive shock she threw down the cordless with­ out even accepting the call, not until moments after the phone rings again and her mother climbs the stairs to tearfully say what the daughter could not hear: Her uncle, long ailing from lung cancer, is dead. He passed away, and the girl's a closet smoker.

We are continually reminded of our mortality. It's on the news and in the paper. The lists of obituaries are perpetually longer than the birth announcements, and every printing has countless new memento mori. We run in October for our beloved survivors of breast cancer to win the fight against death by disease. But when death occurs, is it really a fight meant to be won?

Waiting for miracles In this age of science and economics, we think we under­ stand both death and birth. Birth is the result of a sperm-ovum merge and the cause of future economic planning: food, cloth­ ing, schooling, etc. Death is the result of illness, wrongdoing or a long life. It is, to quote British writer Neil Gaiman, "the high cost of living." It is the cause of grief and, often, recognition of our own inevitable end.

But ponder for a moment the act of giving birth. Despite the to-a-tee science that neatly divides and categorizes pregnancy into weeks, months and trimesters and the antiseptic environ­ ment in which new lives most often emerge, we surrender our­ selves to tears of joy. We call it the m ira cle of birth.

Where, then, does death fit in? According to late American author Katherine Anne Porter, "Miracles are spontaneous; they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves." Natural death, then, could be so defined. W hy is death not a miracle but an end?

Seeing is believing Perhaps the answer lies in the age-old, but increasing, awareness of "life" after death. If you believe in reincarnation, your denomination's version of an eternal paradise, apparitions or any combination of the three, death is not an end—merely a transition.

Take it from The Sixth S e n se , The X -Files, or any classic ghost story: Our burgeoning obsession with death and its conse­ quences manifests primarily in the world of the living. Granted, many faiths teach not about returning to visit those left behind or dealing with "unfinished business," but about another world.

For example, Christianity, Islam and Judaism all hold similar concepts of an afterlife. Christians believe in eternal life in Heaven, for the good, and Hell, for the bad—and whether we are Christians or not, the terminology is a part of our vocabulary.

Judaism teaches of O lam h a B a , though "the Torah, the most important Jewish text, has no clear reference to afterlife at all," according to Jewish writer Joseph Telushkin. Islam, however, regards belief in the afterlife as crucial for any follower. According to online Muslim counselor Waleed Ahmed Najmeddine, "Belief in life after death is a pillar of faith. It is a main rationale for the religion itself."

But for those who believe in, see or have seen ghosts, spir­ its or apparitions, where do they turn? Are they classified in the "spooky" category and relegated to a Paranormal Corner with only crystal balls to guide us? Not if they research and have the information to back up their truths.

Cliff Walker, a writer for P o sitive A th eism magazine, says, "The p a ra n o rm a l consists of alleged occurrences or powers

which, if actual, cannot be explained by our current understanding of physics.... [It] does not necessarily posit any explanation, but sim­ ply suspects that we don't know everything about nature." His words are true; any scien­ tist today will readily offer explanations coun­ tering past scientific "facts" and acknowledge that we still have much to revise and even more to discover.

Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran, director of the Brain and Perception Laboratory at the University of California (San Diego), exempli­ fies both the scientific and humanistic desire for new knowledge—especially in relation to formerly "paranormal," in a pejorative sense— with his research on the "God module." In 1997, Ramachandran presented his abstract to the Society for Neuroscience, detailing an area in the brain's temporal lobes that electrochemically activates when a person thinks about spirituality. If this sounds more like pseudoscience, consider the temporal lobes themselves: both contain the sensory centres of hearing and balance, the left temporal lobe aids in language processing and the amyg­ dala, which is related to emotional behaviour, resides within them. The resulting "God mod­ ule," so dubbed by Ramachandran, is theoret­ ically responsible for extraordinary religious experiences like visions of, or communication with, deities (and not in taco form).

Because our society treats death—out­ side of medical or criminal situations—in a mostly religious manner, holding funerals according to the deceased's faith, spirituality should not be dismissed as a tangent train of thought when discussing all things "ghostly."

Neither, for that matter, should science.

The truth is out there The International Society for Paranormal Research (found at w w w .isp r.n ef) , based in California, not only investigates Halloweenlike experiences or beliefs, but offers its serv­ ices to the public. For a fee, one can request an audio/visual document analysis, a phone consultation with founder Dr. Larry Montz or testing for extra-sensory perception abilities. The ISPR also offers more "fun" approaches to engag­ ing the public, such as ghost expeditions and contests where the prize might be a night in a haunted house. Montz, a profession­ al parapsychologist, heads a team of investigators—some clair­ voyant—who have worked with the police, television stations and even famed horror author Anne Rice.

"We don't b u st ghosts,” says Montz, alluding to eighties pop culture iconography of C h o stb u ste rs characters. "We conduct investigations of the haunted property to discover what the phe­ nomenon is and why. We want to maintain our credibility and make sure people are aware that this is a real science."

The ISPR team seems to be doing just that: many of their documentaries have won awards, like 1999's C h o st o f B elg ra ve H a ll, which earned the Best Horror Documentary at the Los Angeles film festival. Outside of informational entertainment, the ISPR boasts a 95 per cent success and accuracy rate in their field investigations, which includes the crime scenes to which they have been invited by the police.

Across the Atlantic, British medium Colin Fry is renowned for his ability to communicate with spirits who have returned after death, as well as his generous teaching of others to do the same. Asked why he works in a seemingly unconventional area,

Fry replies, "I like to make people laugh and feel happy. I tell them that life is an eternal process.... You can not die." Fry's many books and informational/instructional videos can be ordered online at w w w .spiritsin c.co.u k', for skeptics inclined to cry "Flake!" there are pages of printed reviews as well as customer com­ ments.

Despite the instinct many have to dismiss hardworking peo­ ple like Fry and Montz, or even Dr. Ramachandran, the search for spiritual meaning and truth behind life after death, apparitions from beyond the grave and all things paranormal continues to gain followers, both of the armchair and professional varieties.

Discard, for a moment, any eye rolling and imagine how help­ ful—both physically and emotionally—a better understanding of the spirit world could be. With knowledge and practice, advice from lost family members or friends might not be so impossible to obtain. And if we do ultimately accept that science goes beyond the three cores of biology, chemistry and physics, that death is a phenomenon we really d o n 't yet understand and that perhaps there's nothing to fear at the proverbial end of the road, would our lives not be much happier?

As priest, sociologist and best-selling author Andrew Greeley says, "We are born with two incurable diseases: life, from which we die, and hope, which says maybe death is n ’t the end." Admit, at least, that you're intrigued. ■

the mcgill tribune |2 5 .10.05 ( features 15

W f > o you g o n n a

c a ll?

G h o s t s a n d g h o s t b u s t e r s in M o n t r e a l

G E N E V IE V E JE N K IN S ^ o t ghosts? You needn't face your fears alone-there are non-profit organizations of people who call themselves "ghost hunters." These groups come equipped with cam­ eras, flashlights, thermometers, laser pointers, tape recorders, EMF detectors, infrared movement detectors, first aid kits, latex gloves and Electronic Voice Phenomenon analysis software. Let's just say they're not messing around when it comes to supernat­ ural phenomena.

Since 1996, Le Spectre de Montréal has been searching for

the paranormal in throughout the city. The results of two of their investigations are posted online—one from an undisclosed bed and breakfast and another from an "historic district in the South Shore." Pictures show orbs, which the group believes to be signs of "residual energy of the departed," as well as other signs of the undead: glow, mist, spectre, dark shapes or vortices.

Unfortunately, it's often impossible to see these things with the naked eye and always difficult to determine whether a spirit wishes you well or ill. Red orbs, according to Le Spectre, typical­ ly mean negative energy, but white orbs do not necessarily denote positive forces. One of the members of Le Spectre claims to have been slapped by "an unseen hand" during "inves­ tigation 0017" after being followed by a white orb.

If you are searching for the paranormal, you can join Le Spectre or search for Montreal's famous ghost, Mary Gallagher, who haunts the old Irish district, Griffintown, now bulldozed under the streets of Old Port. A prostitute while she lived, Mary was murdered on June 26, 1879, and returns every seven years as a ghost. Mary was killed by another prostitute, Susan Kennedy, when, in a fit of drunken jealousy, Susan knocked Mary to the floor and chopped off her head... at least Susan didn't come back.

Another story that made it to g h o ststu d y.co m came from a

man named Mark in Montreal. In his wedding photo from June 23, 2001, you can see a baby's face beside his-the face of a baby ghost. According to the owner of the property in St. Joseph on the North Island, a young child had died there'25 years before. The enlarged photograph is now available for those con­ ducting ghost research. Mark wrote that the experience was "Very freaky!!!"-The girl's image was captured with a regular camera.

Ghosts of a different variety—read, performers—can be found at the Flaunted Flouse on Bleury if you're willing to spend $47 per person to see them and get dinner. Keep in mind that a "Room Guardian," capable of detecting supernatural activity, is only $45. It's a real bargain considering the hours of potential paranormal fun. You can also detect ghost voices and play them back with EVP and conduct further research using the resources of the International Ghost Hunters' Society, which boasts thou­ sands of EVP recordings. ■ C o n ta ct L e S p e ctre d e M o n tréa l a t le_spectre@hotmail.com if you w an t to g e t in vo lved in g h o stb u stin g . S e e th e docum en tary,

Ghosts of Griffintown: Stories of an Irish Neighborhood, d ire cte d b y R ich a rd Burm an if yo u w a n t to lea rn m o re a b o u t M a ry's g risly d ea th . You ca n a lso g o to M o n trea l's H a u n ted H o u se fo r an e n co u n ter w ith th e u n d ea d . C a ll 3 9 2 -0 0 0 4 fo r tickets o r e-m ail information@maisonhantee.qc.ca.

A n U n d e n ia b ly fa s c in a tin g O b se ssio n U F O I o g y : s p o o k s f o r t o d a y , s c ie n c e f o r t o m o r r o w

LISE T R E U T L E R PRO? MUFON? Welcome to acronym planet-the planet that just happens to be ours and hosts a plethora of professional and civilian-based organiza­ tions devoted to researching extraterrestrial life. Though the aforementioned APRO and MUFON are two of the most well-known among UFO buffs and die-hard disbelievers, they hardly constitute an exhaustive list of the efforts across the globe to uncover the mysteries proposed to us through films both haunting and hilarious. No, their research efforts don't focus on alien-human hybrids or cover-your-eyes spe­ cial effects, but they do take their work seriously and aim to promote UFOIogy as a serious discipline.

As yet, there is no such thing as a degree in the field, but many well-respected doctors and scientists have taken the reins of the formerly laughable movement. American astrophysicist Peter A. Sturrock, for example, defends his work: "Ridicule is not part of the scientific method, and peo­ ple should not be taught what [ridicule] is." Consider that sci­ entists we respect and study today, like Galileo or Copernicus, were often persecuted during their lifetimes for their discoveries; today, they're dancing in their graves.

atmospheric scientist, this last item being very important as UFOs are mainly reported in the atmosphere, not in outer space."

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APRO. The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, which dissolved in 1988, was one of the first American national groups to study unidentified flying objects. Though started by civilians in 1952, five years after the famous Roswell, New Mexico crash, APRO was recognized and supported by Dr. James E. McDonald, an atmospheric physicist based out of Tucson, Arizona. His posthumously-published work, U F O s: A S cie n tific D e b a te , is often cited by supporters as one of the ■seminal works on the subject.

"He blasted the Air Force and anyone else doing a sec­ ond-rate job in the UFO arena," wrote cohort and friend Val Germann. "He was a first-rate intellect and a world-famous

MUFON. The Mutual UFO Network, achieving fame through its role in The X -Files' conspiracy arc, is an organiza­ tion open to anyone who believes and wants to know more.

MUFON hosts international symposiums-the next is in July 20 06—and keeps an up-to-date file of all sightings and strange encounters. "Dedicated to the scientific study of UFOs for the benefit of humanity," as the group's motto states, MUFON members—who range from actor Dan Akroyd to those who could be your next-door neighbours— actively participate in UFOIogy research, ensuring their broad perspective is easily available to the general public through their Web site, m u fo n .co m . Here, one can join the mailing list, apply for field research positions, catch up on the latest news or browse frequently asked questions such as, "What jg'should I do if I see a UFO?" Though based in the US and given federal tax exemp­ tion status, MUFON also has chapters in Australia, Canada and Mexico, as well as representatives living and working in countries across the world, some leading connected organi­ zations in their own nations.

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Granted, UFOIogy is not o fficia lly recognized as a scien­ tific branch, but the discipline is young, with approximately 50 years of collected research as opposed to the hundreds that other scientific areas have. There was once a time when the idea of Neil Armstrong's moon walk was chalked up to fantasy; what is science fiction today might be competitive and cutting-edge tomorrow.

Suffice to say, look to the skies and bring a camera-you never know what you might find. ■ LUKAS BERGMARK W ant to sta rt a n e w tren d ? C heck o u t M U FO N 's cloth in g sto re o n th eir W eb site !

a&e NIGHTLIFE

L e S w im m in g c lo s e s its d o o r s S t - L a u r e n t s ta p le

s o ld

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JE N N IF E R J E T T Iconic St. Laurent bar Le Swimming closed its doors Sunday night after 15 years.

Headlined by Cyrano de Montreal, the final show reflected the bar's signature style—hip hop—although Le Swimming was also known for alt-rock, funk and reggae.

The closing has taken many patrons by surprise—the official decision made Oct. 14.

Owner Richard Holder, who opened Le Swimming with his brothers, explained that he is pursuing other projects.

"We're kind of leaving on a high note," he said. "Because the question is asked, 'Why are you closing?' it indicates there's still quite a bit of juice left."

Sitting in his office above the bar Sunday night, Holder was reflective.

"I guess it's bittersweet in the sense that we have owned this place 15 years," he said. "It was the first upscale pool hall, so I guess that's the bitter part. The sweet part is running a place like this, where you have 325 or 340 events a year, more than 1,000 bands playing, is a huge amount of work. It will free up a considerable amount of time to develop new projects."

Its weekly Skinnidip event made Le Swimming a popular Wednesday night destination among McGill students. Georges Lecat, BCom '05, said the crowd on Wednesday was filled with first- and second-years.

"It seemed to be a really good vibe," Lecat said. "Nobody was thinking about how it was closing, everyone was thinking about partying."

Holder offered few details about the type of venue that will take over Le Swimming's former home.

"A new project's coming in here real soon," he said. "Exactly who the players will be, it's a bit early to tell."

However, the new business will not be a pool venue, Holder added. That's bad news for people like Angie Langtry, BA '05, who racked them up with Lecat and other friends one last time Sunday night.

"St. Laurent needs a pool hall, not another trendy shi-shi bar," Langtry said.

Le Swimming also became known as a friendly venue for student and other local bands. Despite what they called high drink prices and cover, Carly Hoffman, BA '05, and Carrie Orr, U3 Social Work, said Le Swimming was the place to sit back and have a drink while watching their friends perform.

"I feel nostalgic," Hoffman said. 'You don't see bars like this anymore."

When Le Swimming first opened, it was one of a handful of bars along the Main. Since then, Holder said, St. Laurent has

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1 5 - y e a r c u lt u r a l r e ig n

become a more heavily frequented, palatable area.

"It's gone from having something of an underground touch to it to being very mainstream," he said. "The early underground clubs were so popular, and that popularity attracted other [clubs].

By definition, underground can't be one of 50 bars on a 300metre strip. [Now] there's a lot of dime-a-dozen stuff going on that's not very interesting."

What ultimately made Le Swimming special, Holder said, was the people who frequented it.

"Swimming has meant a lot to a lot of people," he said.

"We've had an amazing run with the people who work here, and we've also had an amazing run with the people who come here as customers." ■

LUKAS BERGMARK

A sad day for the Main.

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W e ’ve still g o t you covered fo r y o u r n e xt W ednesday o u t M ELISSA P R IC E D e v a sta te d b y th e lo ss o f th e in stitu ­ tion th a t is L e S w im m in g ? D o n 't w orry.

T h ere a re p le n ty o f o th e r p la c e s w h ere y o u ca n fu lfill th a t cra vin g fo r sw e a ty m u sic a n d d ru n ken ly h ittin g b a lls w ith stick s. N o th in g w ill e v e ry tru ly re p la ce L e S w im m in g , but th e re a re o th e r W ed n esd a y w a terin g h o le s th a t ca n h e lp fill th e void.

Sharx (1610 Ste.-Catherine O .)

If it's pool you're missing, Sharx has a mind-boggling number of tables— enough to guarantee little to no wait, despite its proximity to Concordia. There are also bowling lanes, which allow intox­ icated college kids to hurl dangerously heavy balls around to their hearts' con­ tent. Unfortunately, a few too many Cuban cigar aficionados give the place a decidedly different atmosphere than Le Swimming, but hey, a few beers will take care of that.

Saphir (3699 St.-Laurent) Saphir is renowned for its gothpacked Fridays, but it's got a few more tricks up its sleeve. On Wednesdays, the second floor plays evil grinding metal, but if you're looking for something less angry, the pay-what-you-can indie night down­ stairs might be just what you're looking for.

Mhotel (951 rue Rachel E.) It's a bit of a trek, but this mysterious hole-in-the-wall might just be your new favourite Wednesday dance spot. Inside, it's all velvety sleaze, and DJ Lexis and DrLove mix a groove of hip hop, house, funk and other sweet sounds all night long. (It's possible that this bar is now named The Passage. These things hap­ pen. It's all very clandestine in the world of the cool.)

Mad Hatter's (1220 Crescent) Hatter's comes close to capturing Le Swimming's spirit, only in a more laidback atmosphere—or, as laid-back as pos­

sible in a bar with a name inspired by mercury poisoning. There's only one pool table, but the wait means that play is heckled from all sides and can get fierce­ ly competitive. However, if you don't come to blows with your opponent, you've probably just made a new friend.

Foufounes Electriques (87 Ste.-Catherine E.) And now for something completely different: Foufs runs a ripper skate night each Wednesday. Yes, they actually set up a mini-ramp inside the bar. There's no cover, so you're free to gawk at the skin­ ny teenage boys attempting to seriously injure themselves while enjoying DJ Dirt's mix of hardcore, hip hop and punk.

Unity II (1171 Ste.-Catherine E.) Sometimes, you just want to pick someone up and grind the night away. In that case, allow us to direct you toward Unity II, where the disorder of strobes, throbbing beats and beautiful people pre­ vails, as usual, each Wednesday. ■

OFF THE C A N V A S G e r t ’s s u c k s ELIZABETH CAMPBELL

e if s, for the campus-drinking virgins out there, is the Students' Society's alcoholic offspring, McGill's one and only on-campus bar. And it sucks. Fine, I'll admit that the beer's cheap, and a couple of rounds during lunch sure makes those afternoon classes fly by on fairy wings, but even easy alcohol does little to redeem the suck that is Gert's. Allow me to present five reasons why I am undoubt­ edly right: 1. Of all the hapless ventures through which the SSMU flushes away our money, Gert's is the biggest toilet of them all. Gert's is continuing to lose money, regardless of how many flyers featuring slutty-looking cowgirls SSMU posts. At least with debacles like last year's 4Floors, one can pass the failure off as a fluke. As for Gert's, the constant losses month by month, year by year make even the most optimistic patrons sour and sink 2. If Gert's were to be a toilet, than it would be the most wigger of toilets one could imagine. This toilet would have gold rims and a hydraulics system and would play

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Chingy every time you unzipped. Every time I've gone to Gert's, I've invariably been assaulted by a dozen TV screens all blaring BET in my direction. I remember one time I was fed up with having Beyonce's giant pixilated buttocks gyrat­ ing next to me and asked the bartender to change the channel. He did. He switched it from BET to hip hop radio.

I died a little inside.

3. The pool tables are slanted. That's just annoying.

4. Who goes back to school to drink? It's not like Montreal is starved for nightlife. Mmm. Shatner building.

Par-tay. Seriously, get a life.

5 . 1 never knew a place could be so clean and yet so dirty at the same time. The shiny linoleum floor, austere chairs, crappy lighting and constant absence of people give Gert's the feel of a hospital waiting room: too clean and a little behind the times. Combine that with the smell of stale smoke, a few hairs in your drink and the nauseating realiza­ tion that the only other patrons are a couple rounding sec­ ond base a few tables over, and you've got the full picture.

Suddenly you realize with a shudder that the sad dive of a bar you used to frequent in high school when your fake ID was rejected everywhere else has followed you to universi­ ty. Time to grow up, kiddies. Ditch that plastic beer cup and graduate to a place that serves beverages in a real grown­ up glass.

It's undeniable: Gert's is a boring and seedy waste of space. Just thinking of it gives me the urge to be tested for STDs. The SSMU keeps throwing more money at it, but the slow drain refuses to stop. Forget theme-evenings, what Gert's really needs is a good scrub-down with some Lysol and a few coats of paint. Or even better, just put the poor thing out of its misery and burn the motherfucker down.

I'm sure the insurance would make up for some of the losses. I think it says a lot about a place when it's more lucrative as a burned-out shell than an operating business.

Really, people, the only conclusion to be made is that Gert's does indeed suck Hard. And not in the nice way—in the crappy painful way with teeth. It's true. I saw them. ■

the mcgill tribune j 25.10.05 | a&e 17

BOOKS

M m m ...co d fisï D o n n a

PREVIEWS

M o r r is s e y ta k e :

re a d e rs to

A tla n tic

C a

A R IE L A W E IN B A C H Are books about Newfoundland fishermen often at the top of your reading list? If not, you may be tempted to put Donna Morrissey's new novel, Sylva n us N ow , back on the shelf because of its seemingly lacklustre topic. Do not judge a book by its cover.

At a lecture and reading held by the McGill Reads book club in Moyse Hall last Monday, Morrissey called her latest novel "universal.” "Life is never constant," she explained. "It's always changing no matter who you are or where you are." There are always individuals who "do not bend easily to change," she continued, and either refuse to change at all or find it difficult to do so.

Morrissey uses the character of Sylvanus, inspired by her uncle, to put a face to what happened to her fam­ ily and the families around them as they adjusted to modernization in the fishing industry from the 1950s into the early eighties. She likened modernization, which eventually forced her family to leave their hometown, to being forced to "shed your DNA." Sylvanus is a fisherman who passionately loyes his lifestyle; his wife, Adelaide, wants to get as far away from

LUKAS BERGMARK

fish and the sea as she possibly can. Morrissey remarked that though the story is fundamentally Sylvanus' tale, it is often "hijacked" by Adelaide.

The novel is written in the dialect of the Newfoundland fishing banks, which Morrissey brought to life in her reading. Morrissey claimed that there is a "built-in sense of humour and cynicism" in the dialect, but in the passage she chose for her reading, the pro­ found sensitivity toward Sylvanus and his difficulty cop­ ing with and adapting to change were jnore than ade­ quately expressed.

Though it is time and location specific, Sylva n us N ow promises to be a great read for anyone who enjoys reading for the sake of learning more about human nature. Next time you're in the McGill Bookstore, keep your eyes out for the book with the skinned codfish on the cover. ■

M uch a d o a b o u t a r t M a rc

M a ye r and

ERZA G U N TER The room was filled to capacity at Zeke's Gallery (3 955 St-Laurent) last Tuesday, as owner Chris H andaka Zeke Zzyzuss—and Marc Mayer, director of the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal, discussed issues concerning the international, national and local art worlds. The often contentious conversation ranged from the choices museums and galleries make about their collections and exhibitions, to the publicity that contem­ porary art should receive- and how that might be achieved. Afterward, the audience Was able to take the presenters to task on the choices they themselves have made concerning their respective operations.

Founded in 1965, the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal is a well-established Montreal institution, while Zeke's Gallery is a relatively recent addition to the scene. Since 1998, however, Hand has made it his busi­ ness to stir up the establishment a little. According to his popular blog ( w w w .zekesg a llery.b lo g sp o t.co m ), his mis­ sion is to create "first solo shows for visual artists, instant CDs for bands, poetry readings, fundraisers and anything else that will get people in the door and looking at con­ temporary visual art."

On Tuesday evening. Hand repeatedly stressed his ambition to bring contemporary art to the public and vice

Music. The Dresden Dolls—Club Soda—1225 StLaurent-Oct. 26 For a smoky ride through the seedy underworld of film noir and wartime German cabaret, a Dresden Dolls show is the place to be. The Boston duo performs in fullout gothic mime makeup, and their live show is perme­ ated by a sense of the scandalously overdramatic. Throw in some vaguely disturbing lyrics sung in whisper-toscream vocals, and you've got creepy vaudeville just in time for Halloween. Doors open at 8 p.m.

A stop along Morrissey's cross-country Sylvanus wow.

ART

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compiled by Melissa Price

Z e ke

Z zyzuss

versa. "I would take off my pants in the middle of Ste. Catherine to get into the International Herald Tribune," he said. "Attract the crowd. Throw out the hook with a big fat worm."

Mayer, however, took the opposite view. "I don't want the crowd," he said. "I want to get the people who are likely to be interested in contemporary art... and that's a larger group than we're actually getting.

"We don't want to grab that many headlines," he added. "We want to get intelligent reviews of our exhibi­ tions. That's enough."

Both Hand and Meyer, however, were in agreement on the vitality of the Montreal art scene. According to Hand, there are about 800 venues in Montreal that exhibit contemporary art, including the Subway restau­ rant on St. Laurent. Though Meyer was somewhat dis­ missive of the value of Subway as a gallery, he agreed that "this is a really dynamic city."

But while the audience for contemporary art might be praiseworthy, the actual market remains slim. "I'm doing my best to develop a collector base," Hand said, "starting really low in terms of age."

The second part of the discussion takes place at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal on Nov. 2.

Space is limited, so advance reservations are recom­ mended. Call 847-6226 for information. ■

Dance. Ce q u 'il e n re s te —Louise Bédard— Usine C—1345 rue Lalonde—Oct. 25-30 For her new choreography, Bédard was heavily influenced by the work of Hannah Hôch, a some­ what obscure German artist from the 1920s. Hôch was part of the Dadaist movement, a struggle to tear down the conventions of traditional visual art.

Bédard has translated Hôch's style of iconoclastic collage into an almost Cubist form of dance, focusing on the isolation of movement and the divi­ sion of space. Call 521-4493 for ticket information.

Music. The Bled (with Thrice and others)— Centre Pierre-Charbonneau—3 0 0 0 rue Viau—Oct. 28 H i!

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, The Bled are pur■ veyors of a new sort of sonic assault. Their music is the kind of grinding hardcore just begging for a steel­ toed stompdown, but they've got the musical chops to mix in unexpected bits of pretty melody without losing any clout. The songs on their new album, F o u n d in th e F lo o d , range from throat-shredding cacophony to brooding slow numbers that prove they can't be so easily shoeboxed. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Film. V a m p ire C ircu s—Cinéma du Parc—3575 Parc— Oct. 31, 9:4 5 p.m.

It just isn't Halloween without a solid vampire flick— the more bizarre, twisted and gratuitously violent, the bet­ ter. V a m p ire C ircu s promises to deliver on all counts.

Made in Britain in the 1970s, it tells the tale of a quaran­ tined Serbian village that is suddenly visited by a circus.

The mayhem begins when it turns out that the circus con­ sists mainly of vampires. Then the blood starts flowing, bats crawl out of skulls, corpses pile up and everyone has a neck-bitingly good time.

Spoken Word. Montreal Matters 2 0 0 5 : Work—Words at Work— Thomson House—36 50 McTavish—Oct. 27, 8-10 p.m.

An evening of stories and songs by and about women, featuring Cheryl Neill, storyteller, spoken word artist and musician; Rita Cox, award­ winning master storyteller and stage, radio and television performer; Judith Poirier, who has told stories to listeners of all ages in French and English; Stephanie Bénéteau, bilingual professional storyteller; and Rosalyn Cohen, storyteller, workshop leader and event organizer. Call 398-3911, e xt 5 for more information.

—G e n e v ie v e Je n k in s

Sources: D R E S D EN D O LLS .C O M , U B IS H O P S .C A P U R E V O LU M E .C O M , W EB H O R R O R .C O M

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T o t h e A t t e n t io n o f All M e m b e r s o f t h e S S M U

At its last meeting, the Legislative Council withdrew the motion regarding the CKUT referendum. The referendum has been postponed to the Winter referendum period as the referendum question was seen as unclear. The relationship with McGill CKUT and SSMU will remain at the status quo. You can expect the CKUT referendum in the winter. For further questions please refer to Adam Conter by email at: president@ssmu.mcgill.ca.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

E S K R IM A

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MUSIC

a& e | 2 5 .10.05 | the mcgill tribune

THEATRE

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T E S S A B L A N C H F IE L D Alexis Nouss' E va n g elin e R e v isite d opened to expectant crowds last Wednesday at Pollack Hall. The two-act French opera was inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's tragic poem of the Acadian deportation and exile into Louisiana. This old story is given an eclectic and modern twist by composer Julian Wachner, the principal conductor of Opera McGill, and stage director Jehan-François Boucher, a McGill alum­ nus.

E va n g elin e R e v isite d tells a classic tale of love lost. Shortly after Evangeline's marriage to her beloved Gabriel, British soldiers arrive to imprison the men and eventually force the whole community into exile. The lovers are con­ sequently separated during the voyage and do not find each other once they arrive in Louisiana. Encouraged by her friends, Evangeline travels across the US in search of her missing husband.

Throughout the play, Longfellow himself acts as both narrator and spectator. The poet is astonished by the dynamics of his own charac­ ters. Evangeline is constantly confronted by a physical manifestation of her alter ego, who cannot understand how she can be so naïve and why she does not give up her fruitless search.

The McGill students who comprise most of the cast performed well as a cohesive whole and remained energetic throughout the per­ formance.

"It was incredibly fun to put on this opera," said Emily Duncan-Brown, an exquisite four-bar soloist and member of the choir. "The stagedirector was a joy to work with." Boucher inte­

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grated modern dance, strobe lights and pop­ corn into an opera set in the 16th century.

Although they lent the show a certain edge, the randomness and infrequency of the extreme changes in ambience were confusing. One is left wondering why British soldiers would wear 3-D glasses while on duty, and what Hawaiian leis were doing in New Orleans.

It is Wachner's unique and innovative score that gives Boucher the freedom to be so creative. Melodious one moment and chaotic the next, Wachner spins jazz, folk and classical like colours on a tie-dye t-shirt. The sponta­ neous changes in tempo and tone keep the audience on its toes. As Duncan-Brown explained, 'The music is really brilliant. It is intel­ ligent and well structured, and a well-trained musician would find it genius. Yet it's still approachable in that a random person could also see the beauty which carries this piece."

The story of Evangeline represents more than just a common love story. The opera makes allusions to recent and historic events to illustrate what Longfellow calls "la fo re t p rim i­ tive"—Rw anda, Bosnia and Hiroshima are all mentioned in the first scene. It is also interest­ ing that McGill commissioned the opera when it clearly sends a message about language laws: Evangeline's alter ego declares that the greatest loss a people can suffer is the loss of their lan­ guage.

The thought-provoking opera takes on a whole new meaning in light of the recent hurri­ canes on the Gulf Coast. Watching the Acadians' painful exile to Louisiana, it is impos­ sible not to recall that at this very second their descendants are being forced from their homes again, this time by an act of nature. ■

T e n g

"When people are [five-years-old], I think they have things that come very naturally to them and other things that don't," relates songwriter and pianist Vienna Teng on a Friday afternoon, driving through Connecticut. "And for me to sit down in front of a piano and be told 'this note makes this tone' and 'these are the intervals'; it all made per~ feet sense to me."

Teng's musical culture and career has literally meant lifelong devotion and effort. Passionately absorbed by the Instrument and the art of shaping music since kindergarten age, the young San Francisco native has been absorbing an eclectic array of songs and melodies of all varieties over her formative years, solidifying personality traits characteristic of what she has referred to as the "music geek."

Years spent "deriving unnecessary satisfac­ tion for dissecting songs apart" have yielded W arm S tra n g e rs, a collection of twelve studio tracks released in Canada at the_ beginning of October. This, her sophomore release, is a work filled with breathtakingly beautiful vocal work, vivid, at times provocative imagery and consistent­ ly meticulous, imaginative arrangements evoking a middle ground or meeting point of the classical and jazz traditions, all wrapped up with a contem­ porary pop sensibility.

On Oct. 23, touring material from W arm S tra n g e rs, Teng treated a cozy and attentive Petit Café Campus audience to a delicate, intimate and moving performance in which each song is infused with a life of its own, an organic beauty which gracefully transcends the boundaries of even the most riveting studio performance.

Despite a natural, strongly un-geek-like ease on stage and an uncanny ability to mesmerize an audience, Teng readily admits, "Music is a very

Teng—enchanting piano magic. curious abstraction for me." Though the statement, alluding to uncertainty vis-à-vis her craft, seems intrinsically contrary to her self-possessed stage persona, she goes on to elaborate, "You encapsu­ late something into a three-minute song, and how are you possibly going to convey what that thing was in this completely different form? It has musi­ cal notes, it has instaruments on it, it has nothing to do with what actually happened. But if you take it into this abstraction and you infuse it with some passion and musicality, somehow it becomes communication, and people who are out there in the audience or listening to it on their head­ phones will connect what it and know what it was like to be there."

Every note is in the right place; every vocal melody line and string crescendo are as methodi­ cally and elaborately planned and executed; every word strikes a warm, familiar chord with its listen­ er. When Teng sits down in front of a piano, be it in the studio or onstage, it all makes perfect sense to you too. ■

November 1st-3rd, Shatner Building Come check out...

Wednesday, November 2, 2005: International Food Festival

Tuesday, November 1, 2005: Film Festival and Bazaar Day

• S ta rtin g a t 11:00 am and e n d in g a t 5:30 pm, fo o d fro m several d iffe re n t cultures w ill be sold in th e S hatner b a ll­ room .

• There w ill also be a c o n tin u a tio n o f th e Tuesday Bazaar th ro u g h o u t th e b u ild in g • Tickets fo r th e i-POD n ano d ra w w ill be sold.

• P a m p h le ts d is tr ib u te d by d iff e r e n t c u ltu ra l g ro u p s w it h in th e M c G ill c o m m u n ity w ill be d is tr ib u te d th r o u g h o u t th e SSMU b u ild in g . W e p rid e o u rs e lve s in th e c u ltu ra l d iv e rs ity th e M c G ill c o m m u n ity has to o ffe r. Let us c e le b ra te it!

• O n th e second flo o r, a B azaar w ill be h e ld fro m 11:00 am to 5:30 pm . Clubs, c u ltu ra l g ro u p s , a nd a c tiv is t m o v e m e n ts w ill be s e llin g th e ir u n iq u e item s w h ile v o ic in g th e ir value s to th e M cG ill c o m m u n ity • In th e Lev B u k h m a n a u d ito r iu m o n th e second flo o r, th re e m o v ie s o f d iff e r e n t c u ltu r a l o r ie n ta tio n -w tth b e s h o w n th r o u g h o u t th e day.

Thursday, November 3, 2005: Culture Show • S ta rtin g a t 7:00 pm and e n d in g a t 10:30 pm , a c u ltu re sh o w w ill be held. P a rticip a tin g clubs are to prepare dances, skits, and o th e r perform ances th a t w o u ld p ro ­ m o te th e ir respective cultures.

• The w in n e r o f th e i-POD n an o w ill be announced.

O th e r prizes w ill be d is trib u te d th ro u g h o u t th e n ig h t.

• Food fro m p op ular M on tre al restaurants w ill be served.

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the mcgill tribune |2 5 .10.05 | a&e 19

BURLESQUE

T e ase me, baby T h e

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L IZ P ER LE I have never been to a strip club. For some reason, watching women rip off their clothing to bump-and-grind beats is not my first choice for weekend entertainment.

Nevertheless, I attended the Blue Light Company's burlesque show last Saturday at Club Soda (1225 blvd. St-Laurent), one of Montreal’s old porno theatres. As I sat on the balcony looking down at the colour­ ful corsets and feather boas of some of the women in the audience below me, visions of S trip te a se flashed through my head.

Fortunately, when the lights finally dimmed and the show began, Demi Moore was nowhere to be found.

Burlesque is, more or less, a series of sketches performed by women—although a few men will join the fun at times—featuring classy striptease that emphasizes teasing over stripping. I would argue, though, that the burlesque style is even sex­ ier than a 'strip club; the music is more seductive, the women's move­ ments more tasteful, and the overall atmosphere much more sensual.

Sensuality is often hotter than overt sexuality. In fact, the sexiest scene in the show was one in which a per­ former put on her clothing behind a screen, leaving only her silhouette in

L ig h t

Bob Kem m is. A re n a R e a d y . The tracks on Canadian singer/songwriter Bob Kemmis's third album are no more "arena ready" than they are ready to become hit singles. Though the man surely has the best of intentions, his songwriting style is tired at best. The album is overproduced and Kemmis simply does not have the vocal power to carry songs that almost too closely resem­ ble those of Blue Rodeo. The saving grace of 4reno R e a d y is the lyrics, which are fresh and at times even poignant, such as in "Amy Elyse." Unfortunately, Kemmis is unable to back up his inventive lyrics musically, and as a result he fails to reach his listeners on any emotional level. "Figured Out,” which sounds almost like a warped Ben Folds Five number, is one of many songs that sound like "something I heard once," but with only half the originality. If you lean toward the soulful-guywith-the-guitar genre, stick with John Mayer and Jack Johnson. Even if they usual­ ly don't meet Kemmis's level of lyrical innovation, at least they are younger and better looking.

B u r le s q u e

s h o w in g

compiled by Ben Lem ieux

REVIEWS

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view due to the shadowbox effect of the lighting.

Burlesque performance emerged in the 1840s as a musical, comedic and explicitly sexual form of entertainment. Between its vulgar humour and scantily clad women, burlesque ripped the female identity out of the confines of the domestic sphere and transformed it into one of sexuality. By turning the most clandestine of private feminine activ­ ity into something overtly public, burlesque rebelled against the social gender roles of the time. It was, con­ sequently, instrumental in changing the image of women in the eyes of the public. Today, femininity has become over-sexualized in the media. Can one argue, then, that perhaps such entertainment is no longer a positive force in shaping gender roles? Members of the Blue Light Troupe were adament that this is not the case and that burlesque continues to empower women.

The Blue Light Burlesque Troupe is credited with having devel­ oped a unique "Quebec style of bur­ lesque." Although this is the only bur­ lesque show I have seen, I would imagine that the cute Québécois emcee and romantic French music were key elements of this character­ ization. (One might also consider the names: Lolita Sucree, Coco Vanille

—N icola H yd e a n d Liz P erle

Oui oui, encore du Burlesque! and my favourite, Madame Oui Oui Encore.)

The title of the show was "Happy Hour," and each sketch relat­ ed back to this theme in unusual and amusing ways, ranging from a woman at a bar during the afore­ mentioned imbibing hour to Little Red Riding Hood's encounter with the big bad wolf (use your imagina­ tion, kiddos).

An interesting feature of the Blue Light Troupè is the variety in age and physique of its members, rebelling against the image of the young and exceedingly thin woman as the modern "sex symbol." The women appeared to be anywhere between the ages of 19 and 40, each at healthy weights. And, con­ trary to what our modern media would tell us, th ey w ere still sexy.

Take that, C o sm o .

Call 286-1010 ext. 200 for tick­ et information. ■

Nickel back. A ll th e R ig h t R e a so n s. Contrary to what one might expect, Nickelback's latest is an uncharacteristically sub­ tle, well-written and varied collection of alternative-metal gems. It contains tasteful, intelligent, brilliantly conceived lyrics such as those in the album's single, "Photograph," which read, "Look at this photograph/Every time I do it makes me laugh/How did our eyes get so red?/And what the hell is on Joey's head?" it's abundantly clear that Chad Kroeger and the gang have made a departure from the plodding, mind-numbing realm of idiot rock from which they sprung into a universe of fresh, poignant verses... well, perhaps not poignant... or all that bright, for that matter, but at the very least quasi-ambitious.

Nevertheless, A ll th e R ig h t R e a so n s could remain a decent album despite some heavy-handed lyrical missteps—well, frankly, tremendous gaffes—along the lines of "If everyone cared and nobody cried/lf everyone loved and nobody lied."

Yowza. That plain sucks.

Okay, to rephrase, the album isn't particularly subtle or rich in emotional pro­ fundity, but it's kinda catchy if you manage to overlook the blatant, ear-piercing overproduction and dense electric guitar layering to the point where... h m ... so perhaps "catchy" is a relative term in these circumstances but... okay, so maybe, all things considered, this is one of the worst albums ever made. But to have start­ ed off this review by saying that A ll th e R ig h t R e a so n s is a festering wound in the anus of the music industry would constitute stooping down beyond Nickelback's level, a level of inhumanity reserved for people like Hitler and Pol Pot. Only Hitler built the Autobahn and Kroeger sucks for a living. It's a toss-up.

Bettye LaVette. I've Got My Own Hell to Raise. The R&B and soul market is oversaturated with immature and unseasoned pop starlets who are more interesting to look at than listen to.

Thankfully, ANTI—the crème de la crème of music labels—has helped revitalize the career of veteran vocalist Bettye LaVette, a woman who puts the "soul music” back into, well, soul music.

Here's an artist who doesn't have the booty or jail-bait appeal but whose voice could tear Amerie a new one. I'v e C o t M y O w n H e ll to R a ise is nothing short of an exemplary performance by an artist whose expressive mastery is on par with Laura Lee or the legendary Aretha Franklin, as well as an impressive creative effort which involves arranging distinctive covers of works that weren't soul songs to begin with. Fresh versions of Sinead O'Connor or Rosanne Cash classics are reborn here, highlighted by LaVette's ver­ Ad h oc satile, affecting vocals, imbued with research bluesy, funky vivacity by a strong backup band—helmed by blues guitar champion A d h o c re se a rc h Doyle Bramhall II—and strung together by is h ir in g ! a sense of universal applicability of the We are currently hiring english emotions which soul music was originally speaking interviewers.. rooted in. Of note are the simple, classy Flexible hours, competitive salary covers of a single-chord, bluesed-up ver­ and good working condjjlons.' sion of Lucinda Williams' "Joy" and Fiona 514-937-4040 at ext. 491 or Apple's "Sleep to Dream." supervision@adhoc-research.com

H

Peter Travers,

"'SHOPGIRL'ISARARECOMMODITY:AGROWN-UPROMANCE. The film recalls 'Lost in Translation' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' while finding its own personality."

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Learn how to locate books and articles for your term papers and assignm ents using advanced searching techniques. Discover tim e-saving tips for creating your bibliography and learn how to connect to McGill Library resources from hom e. (7 5 m inutes) Tuesday Oct. 25 -1 pm Thursday Oct. 27 -1 2 pm Monday Oct. 31 - 2 pm Tuesday Nov. 8 -1 0 :3 0 am

Location: McLennan Library Building E-classroom No sign-up required bu t space is lim ited to 24 people per workshop

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Friday Nov. 11 - 3 pm Wednesday Nov. 16 - 12pm Thursday Nov. 17 - 6 pm Wednesday Nov. 2 - 6 pm

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sports F O O T B A L L — COM MENT ARY

C o a c h , p la y e rs r e a c t to s e a s o n ’ A d m in is tr a tio n

d e fe n d s

d e c is io n , b a c k s

A D A M M YERS Following the McGill administration's shocking announce­ ment on Tuesday that it was prematurely terminating the 2005 Redmen football season, upset players are dealing with the, upshot of that decision.

The general consensus of the team—members of which spoke with the Tribune but insisted that the conversations remain off the record—is that they are extremely frustrated with the can­ cellation of the season, having wanted to play out the rest of the campaign. Chuck McMann, their embattled head coach, shares those sentiments.

"As a team, we are disappointed but understand where the university is coming from," he said.

Second-year kicker and punter Rob Eeuwes was one player who was willing to be quoted in reaction to the forfeiture of the final two games, which guarantees 6-0 default wins for both Laval and Concordia.

"I was obviously disappointed and haven't been that sad in a long time," he said. 'To lose my season is [terrible]; missing one game is bad enough. I felt bad for the graduating players who didn't get to have the season that they wanted and had to have the season end in this way."

Curiously, the university decided to cancel the season just three days after the team had fallen to 1-5 and was eliminated from playoff contention. However, Eeuwes didn't believe that the team's record had an impact on when the decision came down. “|The university] doesn't care if we win or lose," Eeuwes said. "They did this because the investigation was over. I under­ stand why they made the decision and the timing of it. They needed all the info, and I would rather have all the facts in before they cancel the season.”

Associate Vice-Principal Communications Jennifer Robinson defended the university's actions—the details of which were announced by Interim Provost Anthony Masi to the football team on Tuesday evening and then sent to students in an e-mail-both in terms of the timing and in the face of rumblings that the pun­ ishment is too harsh.

"We have strict and clear rules that exist at McGill," she said.

"In the guide for varsity athletes, it talks about hazing and that it is not tolerated. Each one of the members of a varsity team at McGill signs an acknowledgment form that they have read, understand and are expected to live up to the rules.

"Based on results of the investigation there was a violation of the rules," she continued. "This was a team activity and as a penalty the university decided to suspend the season and take

THE

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disciplinary actions against individuals."

Robinson also said that the university's decision is separate from any disciplinary action that the-football team has taken.

Interim Athletic Director Derek Drummond would not comment on whether or not the pronouncement was made in conjunction with the Athletics Department and what role the department played in the investigation.

The university's ruling was announced 51 days after a rook­ ie player initially complained to McMann, and the controversy hung over the team all season, clearly affecting its on-field per­ formance. The Redmen won just a single game—their worst per­ formance since 1991, when the team went 2-4-1—and were coming off back-to-back losses to Sherbrooke, against whom they were 3-0 all-time, and Bishop's, to whom they last lost in 2001.

"We are a better football team than 1-5," McMann said. "I believe the incident and the coverage was in the forefront of [the players'] minds. They were distracted. I hope it did not affect their academics as much as it affected the football season."

Despite optimism, future of the program looks bleak Coming off the worst season of McMann's tenure as head coach, the football program is in a state of turmoil. This was the first of McMann's five seasons at the helm in which he recruited all of the players on the team, and the fact that the squad has regressed over that time isn't much of a testament to the play­ ers that McMann has brought in. But the coach doesn't envision any changes coming soon.

"I'm committed to the players and to McGill, and I will do my job as long as they will allow me to do it," he said.

McMann also received a vote of confidence from Drummond.

"I think there were of course extraordinary circumstances this season," Drummond said. 'The minds of the players were distracted. I would never judge the job of the coach. He was working with a situation that was impossible football-wise. I am a huge fan of Chuck McMann's."

With the program mired in controversy, it will undoubtedly be difficult to attract high-quality young talent to McGill. That could lead to several more seasons of sub-par finishes, especial­ ly in the QUFL, where Laval and Montréal have quickly become powerhouses, and Sherbrooke is clearly on the rise.

However, Eeuwes held open the possibility—even though it might just be wishful thinking—that the Redmen could actually benefit from the scandal.

"Recruiting might be [negatively] affected, but it could be

VLADIM IR EREMIN

The stands were empty Saturday as M cGill lost 6-0 by forfeit to Laval. It was the Redmen's best showing against the Rouge et O r since they beat Laval by forfeit in 2001. the opposite," he said. "Everyone knows we won't be involved in hazing ever again."

The team will enter next year with many players returning from this season, and the perpetrators of the hazing will all be welcomed back without further sanctions, according to McMann.

'Why would I punish them any more?," he said.

The majority of the starting offence will be back, including quarterback Matt Connell, who had an extremely shaky ye a rthrowing 12 interceptions against just nine touchdowns in five games—after being named a Quebec all-star last season. Most players, however, remain optimistic that the Redmen can get back on track and put this dreadful year behind them.

"We are losing our secondary and losing some key players," Eeuwes noted. "But a lot of new guys and rookies are willing to step it up. Guys are going to be taking it seriously next season and in the offseason." ■

ZONE

A

c r is is

o f le a d e r s h ip

a t C IS DAVID BLYE

ne of the biggest tests for a North American sports league is how its leadership handles a crisis. Legal mat­ ters, labour disputes, player discipline: these are all issues that each league's brass has to address on a day-to-day basis. When these leaders act properly, they are viewed in a favourable light. When they drop the ball, they are branded as useless and incompetent. With this in mind, let's review the events of O ct 18 and how two different sporting bodies, the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Interuniversity Sport, conducted themselves when faced with a predicament.

At 3 p.m., the OHL announced that in light of hazing inci­ dents involving the Windsor Spitfires, the league was sus­ pending the team's head coach and general manager, Moe Mantha. Even though the team had suspended some of the players involved in the incidents, the OHL felt this was not enough, assessing Mantha a 40-game ban from coaching and barring him from his post as GM for one year. In a phenom­ enal display of personal leadership, OHL commissioner David Branch said: "The league has a zero-tolerance policy on haz­ ing and the league must make a very strong statement against it."

Branch and the rest of the OHL brass must be com­

O

mended: they assessed the incident, determined which indi­ viduals were responsible and applied what they saw as an appropriate penalty. Even Don Cherry agreed with the league's decision, despite its severity.

About four hours later, in light of our own hazing incident surrounding the Redmen football team, the McGill administra­ tion announced that the team was forfeiting the final two games of the 2005 season. While the university should be commended for at least making a decision on the matter, the fact is that McGill should not have been forced into this posi­ tion at all. Just as the Spitfires weren't left to their own devices but instead disciplined by their league, the CIS—Canada's uni­ versity sport governing body, our version of the NCAA—should have stepped in and meted out a punishment, rather than having McGill sanction itself. Instead, it did nothing. . In spite of all the media attention that this incident received and a massive public outcry for action, the CIS con­ ducted no investigation, issued no warning and essentially acted as if nothing was wrong at one of its member institu­ tions. For an entire month, the CIS ignored numerous reports and articles on the incident.

It was only after McGill announced its self-imposed for­

feiture that the CIS even mentioned the incident on its Web­ site, issuing a bland statement that decried hazing and praised McGill for the actions that it took. It also mentioned that the team could face further consequence when the CIS Board of Directors meets in December, which—if any punishment is actually handed down—would only result in a retroactive penalty.

By allowing this situation to get so far out of hand, the CIS has set a terrible precedent. It has all but stated that schools may regulate themselves, without fear that anyone will oversee compliance. In doing so, it's given the rest of the country a licence to cheat by, say, using an ineligible player and then not reporting it. The NCAA may have its faults, but it no doubt would have stepped in earlier in the process and made known that it was in charge.

By not investigating or penalizing McGill, the CIS failed to do its job as the national governing body of university sport. If it's not prepared to act quickly and decisively—as the OHL did—when one of its members is rocked by scandal, then there's no reason for the CIS to exist at all, and no basis for institutions across the country to support it. ■

the mcgill tribune |25.10.05 | sports 21

PERSPECTIVE

A M cGill double fault T he

R e d m e n te n n is te a m

s tr u g g le s

G im m e some M o in t h e f a c e

T h e

o f a la c k o f f u n d in g a n d v is ib ilit y

r ig h t M c M a n n fo r th e

jo b

A D A M M YERS M O H IT A R O R A o one would expect new Athletic Director Derek Drummond to be held accountable for the mistakes of his predecessor, Bob Dubeau. Why, then, Ian Weinstein wanted to know, were the current members of the men's tennis team being blamed for something that happened years ago?

"A few years ago the team was playing in [Ontario University Athletics]," Weinstein explains. 'They didn't show up to a tourna­ ment at [the University of] Western [Ontario] and were fined by [both Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the OUA] and kicked out of the OUA. The university wanted us to pay [the fine], but we weren't going to. We weren't the ones on the team, it wasn't our actions.”

N

It is hard enough for Canadian athletes to play the games they love when their sports aren't considered "varsity" by the CIS—which tennis isn't. It is even harder for the McGill men's tennis team members, because the squad is classified as Level 3 in the Athletics Department's scheme. As a result, it receives Tennis captains Troy Puddington and Ian Weinstein want just $400 per year in funding, and had the the admin to change its stance toward their team's funding, spectre of the fine hanging over it until Then there's the issue of publicity, something else Athletics recently agreed to pay it off.

One of the three team captains, Weinstein is in his the team hasn't been getting enough of, although it's not for a lack of effort by Weinstein, a U3 Accounting third year on the team, and is sick of paying a price for majdr and Entrepreneurship minor. He notes that the missteps of the past, which occurred long before McGill Athletics has yet to update the tennis section of any of the current members were on the court. its website for this year's team, and complains that as Although another team captain, Vincent Menard, a result, the squad hasn't gotten the exposure it needs helped find the Redmen some non-OUA competition in order to attract the attention of NCAA Division-1 by rounding up Quebec teams (the Redmen remain coaches who may be looking for exhibition games banned from the OUA), it will all be for naught without against Canadian opponents McGill's help.

"We went to the meetings in September to take "Paying for a coach to come in the morning would our headshots, those aren't on, and our roster is not help us improve and get us a lot more motivated," updated," Weinstein says. "It's hard for us to try to com­ Weinstein says. "But right now, we have no money for pete with other schools when we don't have a website uniforms, let alone a coach." that other coaches can see and decide that we would "We also always have to play away because we can't play on our own courts, because they're not reg­ be good competition. We think schools will be happy to play us, but they aren't willing to because they think ulation" he continues. "It would help if we had our own we are a bunch of students who aren't worthy oppo­ courts to play at." nents."

This season, all sixteen players on the team had Weinstein, however, makes it clear that despite to contribute $400 each. Much of this money is used the difficulties his team faces, the administration to pay for traveling to compete in matches, court time should know that his team is for real and not just going during competitions, tennis balls and even the team's to wither away. The players are currently seeking fund­ uniforms—a far cry from McGill's Level 1 teams, such ing from outside sources, and Weistein has applied to as football and basketball, which receive money for the National Bank for assistance, but until some money many less-necessary items. comes through, it will continue to be a struggle.

However, Interim Athletic Director Derek Drummond defends the department's rulings and the * * * process that teams go through to get funding.

"The funding works on three levels. Level 1 teams On the court, though, things are a different story: get full funding, Level 2 partial funding, and Level 3 teams get no funding," he says. T h e tennis team is in the team is making its case to the university by playing the category of a Level 3 team. It's not a penalty, but good tennis. Last season, the Redmen finished second in Quebec, behind only U de M, and in a tournament they are like a club team." held last month, seven out of the eight quarter finalists Drummond points out that every three years, the were from McGill. Weinstein feels that the Redmen are McGill Athletics board meets to determine which excellent this year, and could easily compete with teams should be in which level, and that teams can some Division-1 schools, if only they were given the make their pitch at that time. But that doesn't do much chance. good for Weinstein, who points out that, currently, the The horizon is looking a little bit rosier, though, as tennis team is so marginalized by the Athletics the team's garnering success has it moving in the right Department that the university does not even provide direction, including an invite to play in the Big Green it with adequate practice time.

Invitation at Dartmouth University from Nov. 5-7. With "Our team practices in the [Tomlinson] hard work from Weinstein and its other members, the Fieldhouse," he says. "The men's and women's teams Redmen tennis squad is making itself relevant. have it 7-8:30 a.m. Monday to Friday, although it's However, their efforts can only take them so far with­ tough because people have 8:30 classes, so they need out a little support from McGill Athletics. to stop practicing by 7:45ish sometimes. It also "W e have proved to [the Athletics Department] becomes a problem in the winter when football starts that we are competitive and motivated," Weinstein practicing in the Fieldhouse, which cuts into our time. says. T h e y should help us in any way they can." ■ They won't even give us time later in the afternoon."

*

*

*

ven though the Redmen football team embarrassed McGill with its hazing scandal and itself with its play this season, I still saw a light at the end of the tunnel. That light was the Laval Rouge et Or, whom the Redmen were to have hosted Saturday at Molson Stadium.

The two-time defending national champions are again the topranked team in the country this season, and their utter domination of the CIS has prompted me to start referring to the NCAA's No. 1 team, the University of Southern California, as "America's Laval."

Seriously, Laval fascinates me. I'm at a loss to explain how they man­ age to produce a great team every year, but more importantly, I have no clue how they do this all in French. I mean, what do they say on the field?

"Rouge quatre-vingt-dix-neuf! Bleu soixante-quatorze! Hut!" Do they even say "hut," or is there a French equivalent? These are the questions left unanswered now that the Redmen's season has come to a premature end.

And this was a pivotal year for our football program, as it marked the fifth season under Head Coach Chuck McMann. With a few exceptions, the team's roster has turned over completely from the one McMann inherited and is now full of players recruited by him. This is officially his team. Yikes.

I admit Fm not much of a McFann of our boy Chuck. Under him, the Redbrooms have lost ground on Laval, Montréal and Concordia in the QUFL. His teams have never won on opening day, and his dubious deci­ sion to try a two-point convert cost the Redmen last year's Shaughnessy Cup against the hated Stingers. Add to all that the disaster of the 2005 season, and it seems the Chuck McMann era has left Redmen fans want­ ing.

But we fans can take solace in the fact that there is one football coach on the planet whose team is in a worse state than our Red 'n' White, and that is Mike Tice of the Minnesota Vikings. Last year, the Vikings started out 6-2 but finished 8-8. Tice was then busted for scalping his Super Bowl tickets. And let's not forget about Onterio Smith's off-season Whizzanator incident. This season's Vikings have limped to a 2-4 start— with their wins coming over the equally moribund Packers and Saints, whose combined record stands at 3-10—and have gone through their own scandal in last week's Love Boat affair.

Yet somehow, Tice remains the head coach in Minnesota. The expla­ nation is that teams are reluctant to fire coaches midseason because it sends the message that the team is giving up on the rest of the year, but that's bullshit. Teams don't fire their coaches midseason because owners don't want to pay the rest of the terminated coach's salary as well as that of his successor.

Of course, if a team wants to fire its coach midseason, that still means he's likely going to be given his pink slip, only after the campaign's completion. And no team can win with a dead man walking leading it. If the Vikings keep Tice as their coach, their season is over anyway.

Luckily, I know the perfect guy to serve as Tice's replacement, and his name is Chuck McMann.

It's crazy, I know, but hear me out. First of all, he'll work cheap. I have no idea what his salary is at McGill, but Vikings owner Zygi Wilf can prob­ ably find that much between his couch cushions. It's certainly much less than the $2.5-million the average NFL coach makes. That's fair, because McMann would be a significantly below average NFL coach—à la Mike Tice, who happens to be the lowest-paid coach in the league.

But McMann could bring discipline to the wayward Vikings. Consider the fallout from McGill and Minnesota's respective scandals. At McGill, players were suspended, the team's captains wrote a "sorry about the whole sodomy thing" letter to the victim, and the season was ultimately cancelled. The Vikings have felt no repercussions other than a brand new Code of Conduct being established. McMann would rule with an iron fist, and he might get results. After all, the lone Redmen win this year was an impressive 45-16 shellacking of St. Francis-Xavier that came a week after the captains served a one-game suspension.

And say what you will about McMann—I know I have—but his preMcGill resumé is impressive. An assistant coach with the Calgary Stampeders for nine years, he helped send three consecutive Stamps quarterbacks—Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Dave Dickenson—from Calgary to the NFL. At McGill, he has put together a solid offence, sent wide receiv­ er Rob Leblanc to the CFL and developed quarterback Matt Connell and running back Michael Samman to the point that they're among the QUFL's best. Who is to say he can't help Daunte Culpepper regain his form, or turn one of Minny's running backs into a 1,200-yard rusher?

The Vikings are going nowhere under Tice, whereas there is a chance that a new coach—even McMann—could help revitalize them. Take a look at the NFC North and definitively tell me 6-10 won't be good enough to win the division. It's possible, right? Well, McMann snuck a 3-5 Redmen squad into the postseason last year, so maybe he can do it again.

And even if he can't, so what? At least he won’t be at McGill any­ more. ■

E

22

sports [ 25.10.05 |the mcgill tribune

SOCCER — MARTLETS

2,

LAVAL

I

Revenge sweet for streaking Mart W in

c lin c h e s

p la y o ff s p o t f o r M c G ill

the Martlets started the first half on fire. Rookie striker Magalie Kolker scored the first goal of the game— A month after their loss to Laval, the question on everyone's her first of two that night—after only mind Friday night at Molson Stadium was if the Martlets would three minutes. From there, the remember that defeat and be out for revenge. The soccer squad Martlets continued to apply pres­ answered that question with a resounding "Yes", earning a hardsure, forcing Laval goalkeeper Mariefought 2-1 victory over the visiting Rouge et Or. Pier Bilodeau to work hard as the Head Coach Marc Mounicot, knowing the game was a big ball was in front of the Laval net for one for the Martlets' state of mind, gave his team an inspirational LUKAS BERGMARK most of the half. talk before the game.

But just eight minutes before Striker Magalie Kolker evades a Rouge et O r defender on her w ay to a two-goal night.

"I told them that we only have four more games and if we the break, Laval's Dominique win them all then we'll finish in first place," he said. "We play the Pichette evened the match at 1-1, first place team next week and if we can keep our game under disappointing the Martlets and their supporters, who were hop­ man's flag raised, indicating that an off-side call had wiped the control like we did tonight we'll do fine." goal off the board. ing to have the side go into the break with the lead. Mounicot, Mounicot's speech definitely had an effect on his players, as Laval kept coming, though, and with less than two minutes however, wasn't discouraged by the Rouge et Or left, made one final attack at the Martlets' net. Villalba was able marker when evaluating his team's performance. to make an impressive save to preserve the lead, but unfortu­ "I'm very satisfied with the way the girls played, nately sustained an injury in the process and had. to leave the National Défense especially in the first half," he said. "I think it was the l + l Defence nationale pitch. best 45 minutes they've played all season.

Villalba was back in net on Sunday, though, as the Martlets wrapped up the weekend sweep with a 2-0 victory at Hard work pays off in chilly second half When the Martlets retook the field for the sec­ Sherbrooke. The keeper was again sharp, holding the Vert et Or L e s o p tio n s O p tio n s at bay for 70 minutes and getting credit for the win before giv­ ond half, they were determined to not allow the ing way to Laura Defuria, who kept Sherbrooke off the scoreLaval goal break their spirits. As the half progressed, fo n t to u te m a k e a ll t h e sheet over the final 20 minutes.

McGill had numerous opportunities, but could not Midfielder Eloise Vandal got the game-winner in the 14th get the ball in the back of the net. Finally, in the la d if f é r e n c e d iffe re n c e minute, and second-year striker Jenny White added an insurance 74th minute, Kolker popped in her second of the marker in the final minute of the first half for the fourth-ranked night off a pass from midfielder Sarah Chmielewski.

Peu im porte N o m atter w hat Martlets, who improved to 10-1-1 on the season. They now sit After McGill’s second goal, the intensity of the one point ahead of the top-ranked Université de Montréal la nature de your university game stepped up a notch as Laval desperately tried Carabins, who currently sit at 10-2-0. The battle for first place in to match the Martlets' score, and just three minutes vo s études education, you can the province will take place Friday night at 7 p.m. at Molson later, Laval appeared to have slipped one past universitaires, enjoy a career with Stadium, before the Martlets close out the season at UQÀM on McGill goalkeeper Victoria Villalba. However, before the Rouge et Or could celebrate, they saw the line­ Sunday. ■ vo u s pouvez a difference in the K A T H LEEN M URPHY

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In my short—but colourful—career as a student jour­ nalist, I have previously encountered unwilling intervie­ wees and instances of impenetrable bureaucratic red tape. No subject, though, has proven so difficult to track down, or as inaccessible, as the man behind McGill's now infamous hazing scandal.

He caused weeks of negative media attention for the university. Redmen football players, both rookie and vet­ eran, have fingered him as the bad egg in the carton. He is, they say, the reason that their lives are in unimaginable turmoil.

There is speculation that, had he not been present and an active participant, the Redmen and their coach would have a much surer fate at this institution. Mention his name on campus and you are bound to encounter many cringes, save for the occasional grimace. He is an abomination, a laughing stock and most certainly a curiousity. It is no wonder that with local and international press machines assigning blame and keeping the story in the news that Dr. Broom decides to fly below the radar.

I was perhaps naïve to think telling his story would be easy. The good doctor's past has been kept tightly sealed by the McGill administration—though whether it is because he has something to hide or because they are equally in the dark is unclear. Sources affiliated with the Redmen said that Broom has been with the team for sev­ eral seasons. His position initially garnered little attention from the players; he could often be found on the side­ lines or in the lockerroom until one year, when they real­ ized his potential and put him to work.

As McGill has chosen to keep his academic record private, it is unclear where Broom received his education.

Media reports have speculated that Broom completed his residency in proctology. Former colleagues note that, before he became involved in athletics, he held a keen interest in preventative colorectal oncological screening.

Another source, who claims to have been present on the squash court the night of the hazing, described Broom as "an anal neat freak who was not afraid to get a little dirty if it got him professional recognition." When asked to elaborate on the nature of these claims, the wit­ ness broke down into tears.

Countless phone calls to the Athletics Department yielded paltry results. It seems that few are willing to speak about Broom. They would much rather, as one administrator noted, "go back to how things were." An offi­ cial involved in the investigation told the Tribune, "It would be best if no one spoke of Dr. Broom again."

Though my investigation uncovered some details about Broom's character and background, I knew I would not be satisfied until I had engaged in a tête à tête with the man himself. I persisted, making countless trips to his last known whereabouts, the Athletics Centre. To the point of harassment, I called, e-mailed and banged on the office doors of every rung of McGill athletics. Nothing.

I was finally dealt a lucky hand in an unlikely location On day four of my Currie Gymnasium campout, I encoun­ tered a pack of McGill Redmen football players, who were made confrontational by my muckraking. Sensing their hostility and noting the Swifter WetJet in the palm of an adjacent custodian, I ran to the safety of a janitorial clos­ et.

It was there, between gallons of industrial solvent and bulk sponges that I found my quarry, Dr. Broom. He was reserved, thin and a little shorter than I had expect­ ed, as is the case with all celebrities. And to be honest, he wasn't much of a talker. ■

last call

the mcgill tribune |2 5 .10.05 | sports 2 3 compiled by DAVID BLYE and ADAM MYERS

A —

S T A N DI N G S FOOTBALL

W

L

7

LAVAL

0

T 0

14

W

SOCCER (W)

PTS

McGILL

10

T

L

1

PTS

1

31

MONTREAL

9

3

0

30

LAVAL

8

1

3

25

MONTREAL

6

1

0

12

CONCORDIA

5

2

0

10

CONCORDIA

7

0

5

21

SHERBROOKE

3

4

0

8

SHERBROOKE

5

1

6

16

UQAM

3

1

8

10

UQTR

1

1

10

4

BISHOP'S

1

0

11

3

BISHOP'S McGILL

1

6

1

6

0 0

2 2

T

W

SOCCER (M)

L

PTS

MONTREAL

7

1

1

22

UQAM

5

2

2

17

McGILL

5

1

4

16

LAVAL

4

3

3

15

UQTR

3

1

7

10

SHERBROOKE

3

1

6

10

CONCORDIA

3

1

7

10

B O X S C O R E

ON

DECK

Martlets Soccer-Montreal @ McGill; Friday, 7 p.m. at Molson Stadium Home field advantage for the playoffs will be on the line as the Martlets host the top-ranked Carabins in what will be extremely exciting affair. Friday's match could very well be a preview of the QUSL championship game.

Redmen Hockey-UQTR @ M cGill; Friday, 7 p.m. at McConnell Arena The Redmen look to start the season 2-0 when they meet the Patriotes in their home opener on Friday night. After being knocked out of last year's playoffs by UQTR, the Redmen are looking for some serious payback.

Martlets Volleyball-Montreal @ McGill; Friday 7 p.m. at McGill Sports Centre The Martlets begin their season on Friday, challenging the U de M Carabins. Montréal finished just ahead of McGill in the 2004-05 standings, so a win would be a big step for the Martlets to move out of the league's basement. The men also battle Montréal at 9 p.m.

NFIL-Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs; Saturday 7 p.m. on CBC The Leafs will look to avenge a pair of shootout losses to the Senators in this third instalment of the Battle of Ontario, but the perfect Sens will definitely have something to say about that.

MLB-Flouston @ Chicago; Sunday 8:00 p.m., on Fox This one's a BIG asterisk, as we are not guaranteeing the series goes the distance But if it does, you won't want to miss game seven.

T H I S W E E K IN H c C I L L S P O R T S H I S T O R Y

Saturday, O ct. 26 & Sunday, Oct. 27, 1996 The Redmen hockey team earned a pair of victories on the weekend, which featured a massive second-period brawl in Saturday's 8-4 victory over Ottawa. The fighting was so intense that both teams' g o a lte n d e rs were tossed. Things cooled down on Sunday but the Redmen didn't, as forward Pierre Gendron notched a hat trick in a 6-4 win over Concordia.

Oct. 19, 2005 M cGill Redmen 2 vs. Concordia Stingers 0 Ed M eagher Arena SCORING SUMMARY FIRST PERIOD 1. McGill: David Urquhart (S. Shewchuck, K. Morin), 2:32 (PP) Penalties: Concordia - Trevor Blanchard (Roughing), 1:53 Concordia - Justin Ciampini (Cross-checking), 2:54 Concordia - Derek Legault (Roughing), 07:56 Concordia - B. D Amico (Interference), 14:47 McGill - Steven Pearce (Tripping), 16:06 McGill - Doug Orr (Tripping), 18:57 McGill - BENCH (Protocol Violation), 20:00 SECOND PERIOD (no scoring) Penalties: Concordia - Yannick Noiseux (Holding), 0:25 McGill - Benoit Lessard (Elbowing major, Game miscon­ duct), 03:23 Concordia - David Coughlin (Roughing), 13:52 McGill - Chris Churchill (Slashing), 13:52 Concordia - Yannick Noiseux (Slashing), 14:29 Concordia - J. D Amico (Holding), 17:24 McGill - Doug Orr (Roughing), 18:03 McGill - Charles Gauthier (Roughing), 18:03 Concordia - Sebastien Corbeil (Roughing double minor), 18:03 Concordia - Yannick Noiseux (Roughing), 18:03 McGill - Mathieu Leclerc (Roughing), 19:36 THIRD PERIOD 2. McGill: Marko Kovecevic (P A Paquet, M. Poitras), 7:45 Penalties: Concordia - Marc-Andre Rizk (Tripping), 2 min , 04 :03 McGill - Mathieu Leclerc (Tripping) , 2 min , 08 :50 Concordia - Maxime Isabel (Tripping), 2 min , 11:5 1 Concordia - Sebastien Corbeil (Contact With Goalie) , 2 m in , 13:22 McGill - Chris Churchill (Roughing), 2 min , 17:10 SHOTS BY PERIOD: McGill: 17-14-9 (4 0 ) Concordia: 4-6-9 (1 9 )

WHAT'S

Friday, O c t 27, 2000 The Martlets soccer team defeated Concordia 1-0 in the QUSL semi-final. Despite many Martlets chances, they were unable to break the deadlock and the match went to golden goal overtime. Six minutes in, Sophie Labron broke the tie after a mini-scrum in the area and advanced the Martlets into the QUSL final.

Saturday, O ct. 3 0 ,1 9 9 9

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O n m cg illtrib u n e.co m this week, we asked how you felt about the administration's decision to cancel the Redmen's football season. Here's how you responded: Yes. but itshouldhavecomesooner (64%; 118 votes)

The Redmen football defeated Queen's 30-28 at the Richardson Stadium in Kingston. The win improved the Redmen to 3-5, allowing them to wrap up the fourth and final spot play-off spot in the O-QIFC. Defensive Back Ollie Lefebvre sealed the game with a vital interception in the final minutes, allowing McGill to run out the clock.

Yes, no» »as therighttitre (14%; 26 votes)

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Ms. theyshouldhavejust letthemplaythelasttmogarres | (11%; 20 votes) N>, thepunishment istoosevere—aseasonshouldneverbecancelled (11%; 21 votes)

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Defending division champs kick off season with a win The Redmen hockey team is back on the road to nationals, starting the season off with a 2-0 victory over the Concordia Stingers Wednesday night at Ed Meagher Arena.

Defenceman David Urquhart scored what turned out to be the winner only 2:32 into the game with McGill on the power play.

Based on their start it looked as if the Redmen would roll to an early victory, but a lack of finish around the net and the stellar play of Concordia netminder Patrick Lepage pre­ vented this. Nonetheless, McGill Head Coach Martin Raymond was pleased with the performance.

"J thought we played well tonight," Raymond said. "We deserved to win. Lepage played pretty well for them and we missed some chances, but I was happy."

The bulk of the game's action was in the Stingers' end, with the Red 'n' White out-shooting their opponents 40 to 19. Rookie Marko Kovacevic tallied the insurance goal on a breakaway at 7:4 5 of the third period and last year's CIS rookie of the year, goalie Mathieu Poitras, stopped all 19 shots to earn his fifth career shutout.

"Poitras did well. It was a difficult game for him," Raymond said. 'There weren't many shots but they were tough ones, like three on twos and two on ones."

Despite the fact that the teams were meeting for the first time this season, the number of penalties made it clear that they were none-too-pleased to see each other, and led to several power play opportunities for both teams. While McGill went only one for nine with the man advantage, they managed to kill off all six Concordia power plays, including a two-man advantage that lasted over a minute.

"The PK guys did an outstanding job again today," Raymond said. "I was very happy with the way we killed penalties. We started practicing [special teams] more towards the end of training camp."

The Redmen will look to build on this win—and get a jump on exorcising last year's demons—as they face OUA East champions UQTR in their McConnell Arena opener on Friday.

—D an M cQ uillan

Lax squad overcomes slow start to beat Laurier Dominating a team short a coach and with an under­ manned bench is supposed to be easy, but don't tell that the to the Redmen lacrosse team.

The squad did clinch its second straight win Sunday against Laurier with an 11-3 triumph, but the game was clos­ er than the score indicated most of the way, as the Redmen scored six goals in the final period after a tightly-played first three quarters.

"Lacrosse is an emotional game and today we weren't up for it," said Head Coach Tim Murdoch. "For the first half we were flat and their goalie was good, but we put them away in the fourth quarter".

McGill maintained a one-goal lead on the Golden Hawks for the first half of the game, before finally extending the lead to 5-3 in the third quarter. Throughout the earlygoing, the Redmen had real difficulty getting the ball past the Hawks' goalie, despite the amount of time spent in the Laurier end of the field. However, Murdoch was still impressed with his team's resolve.

"Our guys were determined," he said.

It paid off in the fourth quarter, when the Redmen's determination helped them notch six goals, two by Eli Mason, who ended up with four on the game.

The win improved the Redmen to 3-5 on the season with one game to go, against Bishop's in Lennoxville on Friday. Unfortunately, early-season losses to Toronto, Carleton and Western Ontario mean that even with a win, the Redmen won't find themselves in the playoffs, but finish­ ing the year with a 4-5 mark would be a great improvement for a team that went just 1-7 last season.

—Lin d sa y Fello w s

Lady Ruggers lay the smack down on the Stingers Centre Sandy Simpson scored 20 points as McGill rout­ ed Concordia 45-7 in a Quebec women's rugby semi-final on Sunday. The win extended McGill's eight-year undefeated streak in Quebec league and playoff action to 61 matches, dating back to a 1998 upset loss to Concordia in the confer­ ence championship game.

Simpson, a first-year transfer from the University of Ottawa, scored two tries and added five conversions for the Martlets, while Julianne Zussman tallied 15 points on three tries. Rounding out the scoring with single tries for McGill were Karina Rollin and Marie-Josée Blais.

McGill will be gunning for its seventh consecutive Christine Regimbai trophy when they host Ottawa in the league championship game, which will be played Sunday at 1 p.m on Macdonald campus.

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