The McGill Tribune Vol. 26 Issue 7

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Redmen outlast UQTR in opener

Film fest turns 35 'W e t d r e a m ' c o m e t r u e f o r f ilm

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Keren Tang The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma is the oldest of its kind in Montreal, celebrating its 35th birthday this October. The festival opens tomorrow with Philippe Falardeau's Congorama and closes Oct. 26 with a spot­ light on the Spanish cinema screening of Pedro Almo­ dovar's Volver. The Tribune sat down with Don Lobel, director and programmer for the festival, who dished out the insider's look at the world film scène as well as what the festival has to offer this year.

Lobel, who has also been the programmer for the closed-but-sôon-to-reopen Cinéma du Parc for the past seven years, believes that in running a movie theater, "you only rely on what's going to happen to­ morrow, not what happened yesterday." As the world constantly evolves, the film industry is also constantly adopting new ways of artistic and aesthetic expres­ sion. FNC, in Lobel's words, is"a cinephile's wet dream"; it not only offers world-class, amazing movies, but also the opportunity to appreciate New Media: "the con­ vergence of films with digital media and new modes of distribution and consumption, such as watching movies on mobile phones."

"In the film business," Lobel continues, "it's all about the long-term goals, how you sustain year after year [film] qualities and audience interest. [The festival] is a remarkable achievement. What makes this festival stand out from the others in Montreal, perhaps even across Canada, is that there is a real insistence on qual­ ity, not just showing films that are catered to popular taste. We anguish over every single film that we show, [because we] want to make sure that we are showing the best of the best. It takes us months of work to look at everything out there in the world, especially those that are cutting-edge, avant-garde and controversial, addressing current-day social and political issues."

FNC is not strictly characterized by independent films, but also those that have a vision, are not driven purely by story or plot concerns and look at the world in a transcendental or metaphysical way. With 189 films from 39 countries categorized into eight groups, the festival's offering seems like an impressive yet overwhelming lot - where does one start?

The prolific International Selection includes 18 movies that are in the Louve d'Or competition. Lobel personally recommended a few that he has screened: See OLDEST on page 16

Tempers reach the boiling point again in the UQTR-McGill rivalry, as seen in this first period scrum. See page 20 for full coverage.

Stipends raised retroactively C o u n c il h o p e s to e x p a n d Kayvon Afshari Students' Society executives will have their pockets lined a little more thickly after a motion was passed at last Thursday's Council to effectively increase executive stipends by 39 per cent. The motion, proposed by Clubs and Services Representative Dave Schecter, raised the previous annual salary of $17,583, which was the lowest for a non-Quebec full­ time executive, to $24,500. The salary will re­ main pegged to the Cost of Living Index.

"It's still lower than the average in Cana­ da,"Schecter said. “It's a substantial raise at the same time but what they were making before

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was ridiculous. It wasn't a living wage. It was under the poverty line. [The new wage] isjust underneath the national average. So we're not shoving our money into their wallets.'

SSMU VP Clubs and Services Floh HerraVega said that the motion would not change the potential motivation forfuture candidates running for the 70-hour-per-week positions.

"Even with the raise, no one would want to do it just for the money. It makes sense for [the stipend] to not be that high so that people don't do it because it's a great way of making money as opposed to being seri­ ously committed to the job."

Schecter added that the raise would

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help create equal access for the positions.

"If you want to get students from all backgrounds to run for these positions, in­ stead of students who are able to because of their economic background, then you are going to have to offer a stipend signifi­ cant enough that is a living wage. Otherwise you're going to get people who are running for the exec position who can afford to. We shouldn't be going for someone who can af­ ford to be our executive, but someone who is the most qualified,"Schecter said.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Former Prime Minister weighs in on new job C la rk b r in g s in t e r n a t io n a l a ffa irs a n d c o n s t it u t io n a l e x p e rt is e to M c G ill Former Prime Minister Joe Clark started his political career as editor o f his student newspaper and after a successful career in poli­ tics, he's returned to the campus. We sat down with the former Prime Minister to talk about his latest initiative.

Drawing from your federal experience, can you tell us what are some of the major themes that you learned throughout your time in and out of political office?

Well, a couple I think. I'm sorry if it sounds like one of my speeches, but Canadians have always had to'make Canada work.

The way I put it is: we followed the natural forces of geography or even economics, there would not have been a country. But there was a deliberate act to create one at confederation. Most of the actions that have been taken by Canadians since that time that have added to the definition of who we are have been a result of an act of will. Medicare was an act of will. The Pension Plan was an act of will. Free trade was an act of will. The Charter was an act of will.

Other countries have an easier time of it, in a sense. They have either a powerful national myth, as is the case in the United States, for better or for worse. Or countries have a geographic sim­ ilarity. We don't have many of those things and that obligation to build the country is essential to an understanding to how we've been able to survive.

Secondly, we're an extremely diverse country. You have to be very adaptive to make it work and you have to understand and respect the differences of the country. They are much more than simple French-English differences. One of the things Igreatly regret is that we've lost the asset of genuinely national parties.

Because both the former Liberal Party and former Progressive Conservative party were parties that won support at their best from across the country. And they brought people who might not have otherwise talked to each other or understood each other together. We don't have that now. So I think we underesti­ mate the degree to which those national parties helped create a national identity.

Upon your retirement from the House of Commons you vigorously opposed the merger of the Progressive Conservatives and the Alliance parties. Since then, have your views changed at all?

No they haven't. What happened with the broad national parties, and mine was one, was that they became an instrument of understanding the whole country. In international affairs it be­ came an instrument of seeking to understand differences and play a valuable Canadian role in reconciling those differences.

Political parties play an essential role inrbringing and keeping the country together. If your aspiring model is. something less than whole you're not going to be able to do that as well as it's re­ quired. But I'malso aware I've had my go.There are some observa­ tions I can make that might be helpful to others. You didn't ask if I second-guessed. You asked if the position Itook at the time of the merger is one to which I adhere, and it is.

You once referred to Paul Martin as the devil you know and Stephen Harper as the devil you don't. How would you rate Harper's performance to date?

Well, we know him better. He has been very focused. He has run a highly disciplined government to accomplish some very specific goals. He has also imposed his will on the caucus and the parliament on issues where I think there should have been a much larger debate, or areas where there's been no debate at all.

An instance of that is the way they've treated the debate on Afghanistan in parliament. That was not a real debate. It was a brief. There was no time for preparation. There was no expert testimony. I can speak with some experience on this because I was the minister during the Gulf war. Among other things, we have a series of virtually permanent meetings with the standing committee on international affairs. Day after day Ianswered ques­ tions from Lloyd Axworthy and other political parties. Ifthere was a military question we had leaders from the armed forces there to say what's going on.

What influenced you to join the faculty at McGill?

I should start by saying I'm retired from the House of Com­ mons and I remain very interested in international issues. There are some international issues where I can draw people togeth­ er and get discussions started where others can't, just because sometimes the former foreign minister or Prime Minister can do things that the incumbent government can't. My problem was that I had no way to follow up on these issues. It turns out that as we began to speak with developing areas studies at McGill, they were very interested in some of the issues I've got started. There are two or three examples. There was a very specific thing we were able to do in terms of bringing the private sector into the formation of the new government in < Haiti.There are issues in Africa where I got discus- * sions started but need some help in following through.

Secondly I've always been interested in students.

I've taught a long time ago at the University of Alberta and I've taught a course on the foreign policy of mid die powers at a university in Washington about a year and a half ago. What we've been able to do at McGill is work out an agreement where we've identified areas of large common interest.

In addition to that I'll be dropping into classes.

I won't be teaching any formal classes, but' I'll drop in where my ex­

perience or perspective might be helpful. We intend to convene some readings or special discussions at McGill over the course of the next 12 months. For example, one of the things I want to do is have some of the really excellent people who carried out foreign policy as foreign service officers when I was the minister and we want to set up a couple circumstances where it would be pos­ sible for graduate students or some honours students to trace through exactly how decisions are put into place. That kind of practical experience can be quite useful and I can draw them to the discussion.

Of the discussions that you've started, which of these are you most focussed on today?

If there's an issue that most concerns me it is the gap be­ tween what Canada can be doing in Africa and what Canada is doing in Canada. I think that's important from a Canadian point of view because we have unusual influence in Africa. We haven't earned it recently, but it is substantial. I do a lot of work in Africa now.

If you take a look at poverty levels or levels of personal in­ come, on a continent to continent basis, the African continent is well below any other continent. That is dangerous from a security point of view; it's unfair from a human justice point of view.

Africa has an immense resource base. There are parts of Af­ rica where there is a fairly high level of sophisticated education.

That is to say it extends into society. It's a place that needs more attention. We're not doing as much as we can. There are a couple of things we're talking about that we hope will make a small difference on that front.

Can you tell us about your first visit to Africa and how that has affected you?

Iwas the first Canadian Prime Minister who went to Africa in office. We went to Cameroon, first of all.

Partly because Cameroon, like Canada, is a French and English country. We had some very strong rela­ tions there. Then Iwent to a head of government meet­ ing of the Commonwealth and came back through Kenya and Tanzania. The fact that the Prime Minister was there focused Canadian attention on things and we had a sense that things might be done and I learned a lot about the continent quickly. So it was a very interesting introduction.

They had planned on Mr. Trudeau coming but some­ thing happened to Mr. Trudeau on the way to Africa. I defeated him in an election. So I made that first visit. ■ — Compiled by Matt Campbell and Ken Sun

CAMPUS

Héma-Québec to discuss drives at town hall S t u d e n ts g e t o p p o r t u n it y to a s k d ir e c t ly a b o u t M S M d o n o r s Kate S pirgen In light of the recent controversy over the possible return of Héma-Québec to the downtown campus, the Students'Society will hold a Town Hall on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Lev Bukman Council room to facilitate dialogue between students and the blood donation representatives.

The issues surrounding the return of Héma-Québec center on their blood donor qualifications that many feel are discrimina­ tory toward men who have had sex with men.

According to Héma-Québec policy, male donors are cur­ rently banned for life from giving blood if they have had sex with another man since 1977.

"HIVwithin [the population of] gay men is still higher-than in any other group, but having qualifications go back to having sex with one man since 1977 is overkill,"said Gregg Blachford, stu­ dent services chair of the McGill Equity Subcommittee on Queer People.

Queer McGill also took issue with the blood collection

agency's policy last March when they voted to resolve that SSMU refuse to allow Héma-Québec to conduct future blood drives on its premise. Queer McGill cited the SSMU constitution, which states that "all Students' Society endeavors shall be undertaken with full respect for human dignity and without discrimination on the basis of irrelevant personal characteristics,"naming sexual orientation among other characteristics.

Queer McGill is maintaining their stance on blood drives in the Shatner building, claiming that they would need to see a change in Héma-Québec's donor policy in order to support a drive. "[Queer McGill] would like to see a somewhat more liberal policy, perhaps a time ban, but a life long ban is not reasonable," said Queer McGill Political Coordinator Devin Alfaro. "I'm for hav­ ing as ample a blood supply as possible. Héma-Québec is actu­ ally hurting itself with the policies it has in place right now."

Blachford echoed Alfaro's;sentiments.

"Gay men aren't looked at in the same way as heterosexuals," he said."The potentially heterosexual man could have dozens of

unprotected sexual episodes with women and he would only have to wait six months to donate blood. They aren't measured to the same standards and that's unfair."

Although homosexual males are currently the leading group of HIV/AIDS carriers, heterosexual women are the fastest growing group of HIV/AIDS sufferers.

Alfaro believes that Héma-Québec is reluctant to change its policies due to public ideology.

"Héma-Québec fears a public response. They don't want to touch the issue."

If blood drives did make a return to the Shatner Building, Queer McGill would most likely continue to make their voice heard, but not by staging a large demonstrating like the one put on by Second Cumming last January.

"If Héma-Québec came to Sbatner, we would have tabling to make people aware of the issue and put forth our opinion, but we wouldn't have active protesting," Alfaro said.

Queer McGill is holding a meeting on Monday to decided what to do for Wendesday's discussion. ■

17.10.06 •The McGill Tribune • 3

CAMPUS

NEWS ANALYSIS

McGill students nab Avenir scholarships

On fees and surpluses R id in g t h e S S M U

C o m m u n it y le a d e r s r e c o g n iz e d a t Q u e b e c c it y c e r e m o n y Ken S un Five McGill students were honoured for their leadership and contributions to the community and to the world at the 8th annual Forces AVENIR Gala on Sept. 28.This year, over 200 McGill students made sub­ missions, which according to Interim Dean of Students Linda Starkey, is representative of McGill students' involvement outside the campus bubble.

"This is a wonderful testament to the engagement of McGill students in achieve­ ments that benefit their own personal growth and society locally, nationally or in­ ternationally,"she said."The positive impact Forces AVENIRhas in recognizing and bring­ ing together dynamic students from across 15 Quebec universities is truly remarkable.”

Lopamudra Das, U2 Microbiology and Immunology, received the Forces AVENIR project award in the Mutual Aid: Peace and Justice category, representing the Ashraya Initiative for Children. Begun in September 2004, the AIC introduced its first home for street children in June 2005 to help raise homeless children in Pune, India. Das, the coordinator of the Canadian chapter of the AIC, leads over half of the organization's members in an initiative to raise orphaned children, providing them with tutoring, food and showers as well as paying their school fees.

Das is also coordinating a summer pro­ gram called Outreach, through which AIC plans to take approximately 12 more chil­ dren under its wing. As leader of the Cana­ dian chapter, she is also responsible for rais­ ing awareness and funds for her cause. The money that came with the Forces AVENIR award, a sum of $4,000, will all be donated to running the children's home in Pune.

"Currently it takes about $16,000 to run the home.This award is huge for us as it will cut our costs by a quarter," Das said.

Other recipients of the Forces AVENIR award included the Community Health Action Parthnership, headed by Rasa Izadnegahdar, which received a $4000 grant for

its efforts to introduce medical students to Quebec communities in dire need of medi­ cal professionals.

Katrina Harris, McGill graduate stu­ dent in economics and leader of Project Re-CYCLE, received the AVENIR Project Par Excellence trophy and $15,000 in prize money. Harris's project focused on helping bicycle cabbies in Kisumb, Kenya, 81 per cent of whom do not earn enough to cover their daily living costs.

Harris and her organization, the Health Economist Group worked to give these cabbies full ownership of their bicycles to eliminate the rental fees they had previ­ ously been charged for their vehicles.

"Project Re-CYCLE began out of my own curiosity and desire to understand how the Kenyan economy functions in re­ ality," Harris said."My few informal questions evolved into surveys and research projects with the government and NGOs." Harris plans to contribute all of her award money towards Project Re-CYCLE. "Fifteen thousand dollars is over 900,000 Kenyan shillings,"Harris said.'In ad­ dition to investing in bicycles for the micro­ leasing projects, the other projects we discussed were group-based health insur­ ance schemes, subsidized malaria nets to combat malaria, education funds, teaching basic accounting skills to ensure transpar­ ent use of the funds, organizing uniforms and training and diversifying the risks of the business by expanding to rural agriculture transport services."

Harris plans to return to Kisumu to reassess the situation and conduct further surveys while working with non-govern­ mental organizations and local organiza­ tions in Kenya.

The undergraduate personality award went to Samuel Vaillancourt, who was recognized for his efforts to rid Haiti of tuberculosis, while tutoring underprivileged Montreal youth and volunteering with the Community Health Action Partnership to develop AIDS prevention in Burkina Faso. ■

g r a v y t r a in

J ames G otowiec Running a surplus can be a dangerous game when it comes to politics. In business, being in the black is praised as sound man­ agement. But in government it's not quite so simple. If half the people want increased spending, the other half want a tax break. But is it just as dangerous to run a surplus in stu­ dent politics?The answer is unclear.

For the past two years, the Students' So­ ciety has posted large surpluses on its balance sheets, bringing in almost half a million dollars more than it spent and is projecting a surplus for this year. This has come after a fee referen­ dum in which students voted not only to raise the Society base fee but peg it to inflation so it will continue to rise every year. At the time, the increase was necessary to balance SSMU's budget, but the odd combination ofyearly fee increases and large surpluses now has some students asking, "Where's my tax cut?"

According to SSMU Vice-President Fi­ nance and Operations David Sunstrum, the Society has been running a surplusforthe past two years to shore up cash reserves, which are used to pay for summer operations.

"What we used to do was take a loan from McGill and use that to pay for summer operations,"said Sunstrum."We'd get back our money in September [from student fees] and used some of it to pay off McGill."

A few years ago the University stopped loaning SSMU money to make up their sum­ mer shortfall. This has meant the Society has needed to cut costs during the year in order _to have money to pay expenses over the summer. Sunstrum said the Society requires approximately $375,000 to get through June, July and August. The cost-cutting has meant that when SSMU ends the fiscal year in May, it posts a surplus that it then uses to pay the bills until September.

Even now that the cost restructuring is largely complete and the Society has enough money to operate for 12 months, Sunstrum said that it would continue to run surpluses. "[The surplus] won't disappear because according to our bylaws and past policy, we

always need to make sure we have a $75,000 surplus."

That money is paid into the Capital Ex­ penditure Reserve Fund, which is used by SSMU for improvements and repairs to the Shatner building and equipment for various clubs and services. The CERF has also seen an unexpected $i.875-million infusion from Mc­ Gill's purchase of SSMU's share in the McGill bookstore this summer.

According to Sunstrum, this cash infusion won't make a difference in Society policy.

"We're treating that [$i.875-million] like a totally separate amount of money right now," he said."We don't want to touch that, because we want to have a set plan. We don't want to chop away at it year by year just for operat­ ing."

With the Society flush with cash, can stu­ dents expect to see their fees stop rising, or even cut back?

"Students wanted to peg the fee to infla­ tion," Sunstrum said. “They voted overwhelm­ ingly for it, actually. Students felt it was neces­ sary to raise the fee and I don't know why we would now lower it when two years ago they said they wanted it higher."

Flaving a base fee pegged to inflation means that the value of SSMU student fees stays constant; if it weren't pegged, the value of fees would decrease as the cost of goods and services went up. Many university presi­ dents have called for a similar system in Que­ bec to replace the current frozen fee structure, which SSMU opposes. However, President Aaron Donny-Clark isn't concerned with the apparent contradiction in policy.

"We don't think we're supposed, to be funded by tax money," he said,"We think that schools are supposed to be funded by tax money. Public education, publicly funded education, is the burden that is placed on the government."

And what would Donny-Clark tell stu­ dents concerned about their fee increases?

"I would tell them to go see the VP Fi­ nance and Operations." ■

CAMPUS

AIDS event marked by silence P a r t ic ip a n t s m a k e a lt r u is t ic g e s t u r e t o t h o s e w it h o u t a v o ic e Kristin M aich In an attempt to raise awareness of the 25million people worldwide who have died from AIDS in the last 25 years, members of Journalists for Human Rights McGill are promising to not say a word.

Speak Silence, which will take place Friday, is a 25-hour vow of silence that is coordinated

by JHR Canada, a national NGO that opened a McGill chapter last year. Participants take the vow to represent the silence of the millions who have been killed by the disease and to symbol­ ize those who do not have a political voice.

Ben Peterson, co-founder and executive director of Journalists for Human rights, said, "[Speak Silence] is a JHR event, created three years ago. Initially, we encouraged people to take a vow of silence in recognition of those around the world who don't have a voice. This year, thought we'd tie it in to our AIDS theme, so it has morphed a bit, but is the same mes­

Canada will be working on a joint news maga­ sage."

JHR VP External Stéphane Hu commented zine focusing on human rights and HIV/AIDS.” JHR was founded in 2002 and works with on the event. "It provides [participants with] a good sense of what people with no voice have local media organizations to produce human to go through," he said."In experiencing a literal rights-related stories that reach 20 million peo­ dumbness—in the voiceless sense—you want ple.

"Taking a vow of silence [is] a way for ev­ to avoid human contact after a while; you give up. It is frustrating to lack a means of commu­ eryday Canadians to at least symbolically un­ derstand the frustrations and challenges of nication to explain your position."

JHR hopes to demonstrate that the per­ being without a voice, müch like those silenced version of communication occurs when indi­ by human rights abuses," Hortie said.

"We recognize that lots of [campus] viduals lack not only an outlet for communica­ tion but also a knowledge of what constitutes groups have similar mandates,"said President of JHR McGill Tamara Ramusovic. "Because we are human rights and free speech.

Lauren Hortie, Domestic Programs Coor­ a media group, we can be an outlet for them dinator of JHR Canada, explained the group's as well, if they have issues they would like to put forth." focus on AIDS and their future projects.

"Previously, the event sought to raise "JHR's aim is to educate the public on their rights and the rights of others. A great portion awareness about victims of human rights of our work in Africa deals directly with human abuses in general,"Hortie said."This broad focus rights abuses connected to the spread of HIV/ meant that while we were successful in pro­ AIDS...This year the 22 JHR chapters across moting the concept of the campaign, it was

very difficult to create awareness of specific is­ sues. For this reason, we decided to implement a system whereby each year Speak Silence would center itself on a particular human rights abuse."

"Neglect itself is a human rights violation,."Our media doesn't recognize the prevalence of AIDS even in Canada, in Carib­ bean refugee and in Aboriginal populations," Rumosovic said.

Ramusovic clarified that JHR McGill aims to bring attention to African human rights vio­ lations, but to also bring these problems into focus through similar problems here in Canada.

"Recognizing human rights violations in our own country is an important step toward car­ ing about the incessant violations occurring in Africa."* The Speak Silence event will feature a docu­ mentary by McGill graduate Jeremy Gans on Oct. 1 9 at 6 :3 0 p.m. in Leacock 2 1 9 .

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www.mcgilltribune.com CAMPUS

INTERNATIONAL

IRSAM flaunts it at Yale McGill club becomes NGO, participates in Security Council simulation Isis O

r tiz

Members of the International Relations Student Association of Mc­ Gill returned from the annual Security Council Simulation at Yale last week­ end with distinction. IRSAM, which received NGO accredation this past summer, is in the process of raising its profile both at home and abroad. Jon McPhedran Waitzer, U 3 Linguistics and Political Science, served as the VP External for IRSAM last year.

"IRSAM started just doing Model UN conferences [and] bit by bit it ex­ panded its mandate. Now it does fit its name of international relations,"

tional work will eventually become the focus of the club.

"The fact that there is an orga­ nization on campus to contribute, to the UN directly is significant. I wont be around to see it happen. This will become the new focus rather that the simulation. That could act as a laboratory and we could refine ideas there before sending those to the real UN." Meanwhile, the Yale-based sim­ ulation which twelve IRSAM mem­ bers attended last weekend ranks as one of the most popular in North America.

"Conferences give delegates a

"The fact that there is an organization on cam­ pus to contribute to the UN directly is significant.

This will become the new focus, rather than the simulation."

—Jon McPhedran Waitzer, U3 Linguistics and Political Science he said. "Now it holds several simula­ tions, publishes a magazine edited by members twice a year, which is rec­ ognized for the quality of its scholarly articles. Noam Chomsky has contrib­ uted to the magazine."

McPhedran Waitzer indicated that the idea of accredation has been kicking around for some time.

"Aspiring club presidents would always promise UN accredation when campaigning. It's not that easy to do it because of all the red tape. So finally last year, at the beginning of our term we decided to get it done."

He also hinted that real interna-

worldly perspective and opportunity to embrace global issuesfrom a point of view that they vvould not other­ wise have the opportunity to experi­ ence," said IRSAM VP Delegations Darian Esfahani.'They allow student del­ egates to improve their debate and leadership skills and travel, meet new people and explore new campuses across North America."

Over 600 delegates from across the United States attended the Yale simulation. Model United Nations simulations are interactive ways in which a student can represent a country, group or character at region­

al, national and international bodies, such as the United Nations General Assembly, the European Union or the Iranian Revolutionary Council. One of the remarkable aspects of the Yale conference was that it specialized in small committees, thus giving stu­ dents more of an opportunity to be thoroughly engaged in discussion.

Matt Atwood, Uo Management, received an Honourable Mention for his participation in the conference.

"I was pretty thrilled about it,” he said. "Especially because there were graduate students and law students.

It was my first time at a university level conference, but it was all thanks to the support that IRSAM provided to our delegation prior to conference."

Atwood mentioned that it was a very good experience to engage in conversation about world issues with his peers.

"It was motivating to see how everyone was active in trying to find solutions to current world issues through debate, compromise and constructive discussion. Apathy was not a factor at all," he said.

Further, he stressed that it is ben­ eficial for students to be involved in such issues,“because politics touches every aspect of our daily lives."

The selection process was espe­ cially rigorous this year. IRSAM delega­ tions had over 57 applicants, the most they have ever had for one season of conferences, and due to space limita­ tions, only 28 were selected. ■

— Additional reporting

by Matt Campbell

CAMPUS

McGill prof delivers famous Massey Lecture Somerville emphasizes shared ethics E zra G

u n ter

Margaret Somerville, founding director of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University, began the 2006 Massey lecture series Wednesday night by quoting a Chi­ nese proverb.

"The bird does not sing because it has answers," she said. "It sings be­ cause it has a song.”

So too, she explained, the ex­ amination of ethical questions is not necessarily about finding answers, but about exploring issues along the way.

Since their inception in 1961,The Massey Lectures have become an esteemed Canadian institution. Co­ sponsored by CBC Radio, Massey Col­ lege at the University of Toronto and House of Anansi Press, the lectures are broadcasted annually on the CBC Radio show Ideas. Somerville is the latest in a long and illustrious line of lecturers that have included such luminaries as Northrop Frye, Noam Chomsky and Martin Luther King Jr. As Ideas host Paul Kennedy stated

by way of introduction, the Massey Lectures represent "virtually the intel­ lectual history of the later-half of the 20th century."

Somerville's lectures, entitled The Ethical Imagination: Journeys o f the Human Spirit, emphasize the role,

not just of reason, but also of spiritu­ ality, in uncovering a common ethi­ cal ground for humanity. Though her own belief is in what she terms the "secular-sacred," she stresses the im­ portance of crossing the "secular-reli­ gious divide."Through a combination of scientific as well as mystical ways of knowing, she believes that a system of shared ethics can be developed.

Somerville stressed, however, that shared ethics are not the same thing as uniform ethics. Rather than an entire system of values to which every person will subscribe, she ad­ vocated a tapestry of diverse values, all linked to certain fundamental principles, such as respect for life and the human spirit. She likened this structure to a hotel, which must ac­ commodate all comers in the lobby, but reserves specialized facilities on

upper floors for individual needs.

Much of Somerville's focus was on "the new techno-science," which she believes goes to the heart of human values. Advocating "the natu­ ral" as an ethical starting point, she expressed hope that this area may serve as a model of shared ethics for other realms of human endeavor. She also stressed that while legal mecha­ nisms can often give authority to ethi­ cal imperatives such as human rights, it is important to realize that ethical values "pre-exist their articulation in law." Over-legalization, she warned, can "dull our ethical whiskers."

Somerville will continue to develop her ideas throughout the course of a whirlwind lecture tour that will take her to universities across Canada. The lectures are cur­ rently available in book form from the House of Anansi Press and will be broadcast on Ideas during the week of Nov. 6. ■

To hear the Massey Lectures, tune in to Ideas at 9:05 p.m. weeknights on CBC Radio One, 88.5 FM.

Security Council condemns test Sanctions imposed in response to detonation F a r id u d d in R ifai The international community has had a fierce reaction to The Dem­ ocratic People's Republic of Korea's announcement that it has success­ fully tested a nuclear device.

Criticisms from the international community following the announce­ ment of the test were swift and unanimous. During an emergency session, the United Nations Security Council's five veto-wielding countries condemned the tests. Even China, North Korea's largest donor and trade partner, has called the nuclear test a "brazen act."

"You have to feel a real threat of invasion to be developing nuclear weapons and to be able to bear the political and the actual economic cost,"said McGill Political Science Pro­ fessor Mark Manger. "It's quite clear that, generally, with only a few excep­ tions, the cost of being ostracized for developing nuclear weapons for any other country may well outweigh the military benefits of having them."

Calculations of the yield of the test range from as much as 15 kilotons of nuclear power to allegations that it wasn't nuclear at all. Whatever the results, the tests marks another dead end in negotiations with North Korea that have, since 2002, demanded the cessation of its nuclear program.

Pyongyang stated that they are testing nuclear weaponry they have had since 2005 , when the six-party talks between China, South Korea, the US, Russia and Japan, came into a halt. North Korea warned of the test a week before it took place, claiming that "hostile US policy" has acceler­ ated the need to acquire a deterrent.

The government has made assuranc­ es that it has a no-strike-first policy and has promised to disarm, but only when there is a worldwide move to­ ward nuclear disarmament.

"The motivation of the DPRK is truly not very complicated," said Mc­ Gill Political Science Professor Samuel Noumoff. "Ever since the first Gulf War, but certainly accelerated after the US invasion of Iraq, the DPRK has been

u p■ ■ t 0

committed to developing a nuclear deterrent."

Noumoff explained that the characterization of North Korea as a member of the "axis of evil", calls for regime change, the US doctrine of pre-emptive strike and total loss of confidence in the ability or will­ ingness of Russia and China to pro­ tect the communist regime have all played a role in Pyongyang continu­ ing its nuclear program.

Manger acknowledged that the US has significantly influenced North Korea's course of action, but said it is not enough to view the decisions made by the regime as reactions to the superpower's foreign policy.

"It could be that they feel genu­ inely threatened; that's possible," he said.'But I thinkthat it's somewhat un­ likely that it's the only reason because North Korea has been a pretty ag­ gressive state since its creation. Right now the economic situation is rather precarious in North Korea and they're pursuing the policy that they've pur­ sued in the past. They have to esca­ late the tension a bit more. And with this blackmail they're trying to get the international community to supply them with oil and food. North Korea is completely dependent on food aid and fuel deliveries from China."

Based on the international reac­ tion, it appears that the policy may have backfired. The UNSC voted unanimously on resolution 1718 im­ posing economic and commercial sanctions on North Korea. It was also ratified under Charter VII, which would allow the possibility of military force.

Sanctions and military force, however, usually take ordinary peo­ ple as their first and last victims.

"The Korean people are a proud people, who have never tolerated for very long being pushed around,"Nou­ moff said. "Look at the map, wedged as they are between China, Russia, Japan and also 30,000 US troops in South Korea. Survival is at a premium and they will survive. Grant them re­ spect and dignity and they can be a partner for a new beginning." ■

s p e e d

Employees at Walt Disney Company's Paris theme park were caught simu­ lating sex while dressed as Disney characters in a video that has received much Internet attention. "The behavior shown on the video is unaccept­ able and inexcusable," Disney said.The video features Minnie Mouse strug­ gling to free herself as she is grabbed from behind by Goofy and a giant snowman. Later Goofy simulates sex with one of the chipmunks. It is un­ confirmed whether it was Chip or Dale. • Canadian troops in Afghanistan have stumbled across almost impenetrable forests of 10 feet high marijua­ na plants. General Rick Hillier said that the Taliban fighters were using the marijuana forests as cover. In response, at least one armored car had cam­ ouflaged their vehicle with marijuana. • A man in Malaysia paid $54,300 for a license plate bearing his last name. The Malaysian government does not allow personalized plates, but does auction off license plates bearing specific numbers or letters sought by customers. The "TAN" license plate went to an ethnic Chinese businessman, identified only as Tan. ■

— Sources: Yahoo! News, Reuters, Associated Press

6 -N ew s-17.10.06

The McGill Tribune

New pay is closer to national average

IMAGES

Executives not present for ballot Continued from COVER

LUKAS BERGMARK

McGill Biology professors and mad scientists Andrew Hendry and Hans Larsson took pies to the face last Friday from students who paid for the privelege. The money raised will be used to send two Kenyan children to high school.

Society Representative Evan Singer had some qualms about stipends for student union ex­ ecutives in general.

"I appreciate that they do put in a lot of time and effort," he said, acknowledging that some sort of stipend was necessary to make the positions accessible to all students. "But at the same time, they basically raised it to a real salary. It shouldn't be a job and we shouldn't have politicians running our student union. A stipend for SSMU execs is â necessary evil."

Rather than having all SSMU executives and councilors vote publicly on the motion, the executives left the room for the duration of the debate and councilors voted by secret ballot.

SSMU VP Finances and Operations Dave Sunstrum agreed that the raise will make the positions more accessible to international stu­ dents, poorer students and students with extra living costs, adding that it will have a greater effect on other VPs that it will on him. "[With the previous salary] I was liv­ ing, I could pay rent, I could pay tuition and I could pay for food. But for anybody who has any extra living costs besides someone who is perfectly healthy and is able to find a place for

$400 a month, it would cause problems. Aaron [Donny-Clark] and Floh [Herra-Vega] pay inter­ national tuition which is ten times my tuition so I'm sure that it would cause problems to have to pay that much money with’a salary of $17,000."

The raise puts executive pay in line with other student societies. According to Concordia Students' Union President Khaleed Juma, the CSU's six executives are currently paid $20,150 annually before taxes.

"The reason that we get paid and that we don't get paid all that much for the amount of work that we actually do is just so that we can meet our day to day necessities.There is no way that you could do what we do for free and then work a part time job on the side," he said.

Herra-Vega said that she had not antici­ pated the motion and was not certain of the details until council.

"It was kind of out of the blue and none of us expected that it was going to happen. We just saw a notice of the motion and we didn't know how much it was going to be raised, but it was a really nice surprise." ■ Should your favourite SSMU execs have received a raise? Vote online at www.mcgilltrlbune.com.

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS

McGill scientists get their freak on Freaky Fridays lectures explore the possibilities of the abnormal N o r a C o g h la n

McGill scientists will come face-to-face with abominable snowmen, sea monsters and werewolves this semester for a new lecture se­ ries entitled Freaky Fridays. Hosted by the Fac­ ulty of Science and the Redpath Museum, this unconventional series features McGill profes­ sors exploring the evidence and history behind popular scientific myths.

In the second presentation of the series, which, oddly enough, will take place Thursday, McGill wildlife biologist Murray Humphries will confront the myth of werewolves. Humphries, who specializes in northern mammals and their relationship to human populations, will investi­ gate the scientific basis and historical evidence of werewolves in North America.

His analysis will include an examination of ancient folklore and literature as well as modern scientific research.

"There is evidence of werewolves if we're vague enough in how we treat the topic," he said. "I don't believe there are humans that turn into wolves, but there are examples of hu­

mans with wolf characteristics and wolves with human characteristics."

The presentation will also address the evo­ lution of the werewolf myth and its role in mod­ ern human-animal interaction. Understanding the mythology of werewolves is about reconcil­ ing our view of nature, according to Humphries, w ho went on to explain that society perceives nature as a force of both benign beauty and in­ herent brutality.

"Wolves representthis paradox,"Humphries said."We see them both as noble symbols of the wild and as outlets of savagery."

He emphasized the relevancy of were­ wolves in light of the increasing level of humanwolf interaction in North America. Up until the 1940s, wolves were systematically removed from many areas through government-sponsored eradication programs. To combat the depopu­ lation that resulted, conservation groups have been reintroducing wolves to state parks such as Yellowstone National Park. By reinserting wolves and other carnivores into their natural habitats, scientists are reconfiguring the nature

of human-predator relationships. According to Humphries, this is the dynamic that brought about the legend of the werewolf.

"I hope to convince people that although werewolves may seem far fetched, the issues they represent are still very relevant,"Humphries said.

Future lecture topics will include the Ber­ muda Triangle, snow creatures, mortality prob­ abilities and global overpopulation.

The series is part of the Faculty of Science's Outreach Program, which last year came under the guidance of Outreach Coordinator Ingrid Birker.

Freaky Fridays, along with family programs and hands-on science school-outreach pro­ grams, are part of an effort to promote inter­ action between the McGill science faculty and the larger Montreal community. Each lecture encourages audience participation and is ac­ companied by a popular science fiction film.

Humphries'lecture will be followed by a screen­ ing of American Werewolf in London.

Birker has been pleased by the enthusiastic

Visit w w w .lo o n e y c a ll.c a for m ore details and great rates to over 2 0 0 destinations

reaction of McGill professors to the series, which she says offers an unconventional new avenue for them to engage with the community.

"It's really a great chance for these respect­ ed authorities to not only come forward, but to let loose a little," Birker said.

Confronting popular myths means ap­ proaching a world of literature and folklore that, according to Humphries, can be daunting for scientists. But this series allows them to tran­ scend the boundaries of traditional science and engage with popular beliefs.

Tickets for Humphries' lecture, held in the Redpath Museum auditorium, are $5, with prof­ its going toward the purchase of a giant ori­ gami Pteranodon to hang above the Museum's dinosaur. The dinosaur will be constructed by Robert Lang, an origami artist from California whose smaller pieces are currently featured in the Museum. ■ The Freaky Friday schedule can be found at

http://www.mcgill.ca/science/outreach/freakyfridays.

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17.10.06-News *7

www.mcgilltribune.com

@ MAC

Day of fasting held to support world's poor

N e w s B rie fs C ultivate Respect W eek

The Social Equity and Diversity Education office will be holding a cam­ paign designed to raise awareness about various forms of harassment and ensure that McGill Com munity members know how to deal with and respond to them.

Engineers Without Borders raises money to send students abroad V

in c c iT sui

Twenty McGill students went hungry for a day at Macdonald campus in an effort to raise money for impov­ erished countries.The McGill chapter of Engineers Without Borders held 24 hour famine to educate the community on world poverty and to help send two McGill students to work with NGOs overseas.

"This has never been one of our larger fundraisers before. Generally, what we try to do is get money from faculty and from sources outside of school," said Chapter Co-President Debra Cohen, who was one of the junior fel­ lows sent to Ghana last summer. "The events we do have on campus are generally geared more towards education and less on fundraising.”

The students w ho will be volunteering over the sum­ mer will take part in a variety of projects.

know if the people are getting the money or not."

Laura Mislan, U2 Chemical Engineering, agreed.

"It's a means to an end, because you're paying for a mind to get to where it needs to be," she said. "It's a learn­ ing experience for the people who go and it's also a big bonus to have somebody who's knowledgeable and has the ambition to work, because that's half the battle; it's getting somebody to initiate change, you can't just pay for it to happen, you need somebody behind it directing it," she said.

The EWB executives tried their best to keep the students' minds off of food by organizing various activi­ ties such as a scavenger hunt, educational presentations, movies and games. A new community service com­ ponent was also added this year; on Saturday morning, students helped with the fall cleanup at the EcoMuseum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue before breaking their fast with

"We do a lot of different proj- ,, We know that our money is going to contri ects in a lot of different domains, and cause a change, whereas [by] giving aid 1 like water projects and a lot of ag­ ricultural and farming projects in rica there are barriers because of political regi — Sheree Spencer, UO Aqricul a sustainable way," said Vice-Presi­ and E n v i r o n m e n t a l Seif dent Media Patrick Janukavicius.

"For example, we have gone and built wells, but we use local material that they have avail­ able, and well make sure that some of the locals know how to repair this well in case anything ever breaks."

Cohen added that the community receiving the vol­ unteer will usually pay for a portion of the project, giving them a sense of ownership and motivation to maintain it and keep it sustainable in their community.

Participants were supportive of the cause and the fact that a portion of the money they raised would be going to the volunteers'plane tickets and administration fees, as opposed to going directly to poverty stricken countries.

"I actually approve that it's going to volunteers, be­ cause I know that if you try to go with other organizations it can be expensive," said Sheree Spencer, Uo Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "This way, we know that our money is going to people who will help contribute and cause a change, whereas with giving aid to Africa, there's a lot of barriers because of political regime and you don't

The highlight of McGill's first annual "Cultivate Respect" week from Oct. 23 to 27 is an hour-long theater performance byTAC.com, a Montreal-based social theatre group, which will be held on Oct. 25 as a lunch event.

Other events during the week include workshops, theatre performances and talks on cross-cultural communication and identifying harassment.

"The University created the Office to foster a fair and inclusive environ­ ment that respects the dignity of each member of the McGill Community," said SEDE Program Officer Veronica Amberg. "The SEDE Office can provide useful information and resources to McGill community members about ha­ rassment and discrimination, but does not deal with specific cases."

Assessors, who are members of the McGill community, have been trained and appointed to receive arid investigate complaints under the McGill Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law. SEDE also offers a Pilot Learning Circles project to raise awareness about equity, discrimination and harassment as well as an Expressions of Diversity Web site, to which Amberg would like to invite students to send in articles and essays on their personal experiences of diversity.

Also on the agenda for the coming year is an art show of poems, photos, music, paintings and other forms of art work from the McGill community that will eventually be displayed between the McLennan and Redpath libraries.

There will also be some upcoming round table discussions with students and movies concerning equity-awareness related issues.

— LanaAyoub Students are invited to view SEDE's website at httpsS/home.mcgill.ca/equity_diversity/events/campaign/ for further information on events taking place during "Cultivate Respect" week.

a lunch prepared by Happy Belly, a group that prepares vegan meals at Mac. Organizers were pleased with the turnout, but would have liked to see more students from faculties outside of Engineering.

"It's a major stigma about the group," said Janukavi­ cius. "The reason w hy it's called EWB is because the two co-founders were both engineers, but it's really open to everyone and a lot of people can be scared if they're not engineers."

Cohen stressed that the group's connection to engi­ neering is more ideological than technical.

"There really is not a lot of technical engineer work that EWB does, a lot of it is just communicating and work­ ing with other people,"she said."The engineering mindset is that there's a lot of analytical and technical thinking that is bred through the engineering curriculum, but it's not specific to engineers." ■

Corrections: In last week's story on the General Assembly we reported an attendance of 170. Total attendance was in fact 297 students with a consistent presence of approximately 200 people in the room.

179 people were present for the final motion.

In last week's Joe Clark article, Daniel King was erroneously quoted as referring to Clark as a former head of state. King correctly identified Clark as a former head of government.

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Students raking in the leaves (and the dough) for Engineers Without Borders.

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A tale of two plot lines

UNCOMMONLY THOUGHTFUL

I'm not a polygamist but...

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hy is there a stigma about open relationships? By open relation­ ship I don't mean when you've just started seeing someone so you're still allowed to see other people. I mean being in a long-term, committed relationship and seeing other people, whether that means having one main partner and flings on the side, having a couple of regulars or some other combination all together.

Generally speaking, people have more than one friend. Each friend or group of friends brings out a different aspect of that person's personality. Generally, we don't consider this abnormal. Our friends are not jealous that we have other friends— usual­ ly— and we do not heap scorn onto these people's shoulders for having a lesser form of friendship. In fact, generally the more friends a person has, the better.

Yet for some reason we seem to be obsessed with the idea of finding the one person who completes us and will be our life partner forever. We do not try to get everything from one friend, so why should we try to get everything from one lover?

Maybe we should have one lover for when we're happy, one for when we're sad, one for when we're playful and one for when we're mad. Isn't it a little silly, not to men­ tion naïve, that we think that one person can satisfy all of our relationship needs?

Not all cultures share this moral ban on diversifying one's intimate relationships.

Some cultures— and some states— en­ courage polygamy. Shouldn't we, as a liberal and tolerant society allow— nay, encourage— the expression of everyone's different selves? People are multi-faceted;

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they have different moods and different aspects of themselves that we should allow to be fulfilled. Why stifle this by in­ sisting that one person must fit all?

Why do we have this one-person myth? Perhaps it comes from fairy tales (a prince— or princess— for every sleeping beauty) or maybe out of the notion of cou­ pling for the sake of procreation and the idea of having a nuclear family. However, in a world where fairy tale beginnings often end in divorce and the idea of two parents is being challenged through adoption, ar­ tificial insemination and surrogacy, maybe we should rethink our antiquated notion of a Mr. or Mrs. Right.

To a certain extent, I think we have started the rethinking process. The notion of what constitutes a committed relation­ ship is changing. Increasingly, people are living together, not just as a precursor to marriage but in lieu of it. Maybe it's time to rethink the idea of monogamy, to allow people to express different parts of them­ selves at the same time with different peo­ ple.

The classic argument against open relationships is jealousy— a powerful foe indeed. Those who have tried open rela­ tionships can likely attest that it's tricky and things rarely work out as planned.

This jealousy, however, arises from the no­ tion that there should be monogamy; that your lover is your lover and yours alone. If our culture adopted a.different model and accepted open relationships, then maybe having more than one lover would be like having more than one friend— something lauded, not scorned. ■

take great pride in being a bitch. Mainte­ nance levels such as mine take a lifetime of selfishness, ingratitude and peer ma­ nipulation to develop. The character work I put into my current role is immeasurable and began at a remarkably young age. I learned from the Great Ones, the bonafide ball-busters of 90s sitcoms. Brought up with television treasures Hilary Banks and Mi­ chelle Tanner ("No, you don't got it, dude") I've learned from the masters.

As of late, "bitch" status has been granted to any rich and attractive tartlet in the sightline of the public eye. The mere definition of the word has been stretched to result in synonymy with "celebrity" and "heir­ ess." These are not the girls who dumped pig blood on you at prom or convinced you that the high school quarterback respected you for your chastity vow. These were just a gaggle of airheaded Hollywood hopefuls who had slept their way into the limelight and it is downright disgraceful.

As one who would notthinktwiceabout sleeping with her stepbrother to achieve her goals— especially if her stepbrother was Ryan Phillipe— being associated with the likes of Paris Hilton is just hurtful. Though if the plan of keeping it in the family doesn't exactly work out, I suppose having a nice, cushy trust fund to fall back upon wouldn't be the worst case scenario. Perhaps the title comes with the side-effect of golddigging, ready for use should one find themselves next to an eligible and ventilated millionaire.

Forget the beach, I'm a Laguna Bitch.

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a formal event with my four closest friends (all of whom are Caucasian) to practice our bitchiness. We had spent the entirety of the afternoon primping, grooming, plucking and waxing; the result was nothing short

I

of spectacular. With makeover skills like ours, one could surely even turn a ho into a housewife. But I digress.

There we were, dressed to the nines and ready for an evening of not paying for our own drinks. Compliments came pouring in about our attire, our accessories and our flair for written comedic timing. What I hap­ pened to notice as the evening wore on was that these compliments were not simply words of praise, but rather often included a celebrity connection. I stood in anticipation, mentally reviewing the most recent People, wondering which lt-girl I'd be equated with.

Around me stood Scarlett Johansson, Jessi­ ca Biel, Katherine Heigl and Evangeline Lilly;.] was. sure that I would receive equally flatter­ ing comments!

How wrong I was. Nine times out of ten I got the same response: Wow, you look just like Lucy Liu— the tenth time I got Yoko Ono. Don't ask; they've been taken care of. Apparently all it takes to resemble the Emmy Award-winning actress is some Asian blood. With 750 million women aged 18-29 filling this requirement, it must be pretty easy finding Ms. Liu a stunt double. I sup­ pose I wouldn't be so grotesquely offended if every character portrayed by poor Lucy wasn't a ridiculous play on Asian cultural stereotypes. Whatever movie Liu finds her­ self in, her character is mysteriously skilled in kung fu, adept with a broadsword and of course, excellent at delivering a sensual massage.

This being said, I think I'd have more success in life being judged for whether my platinum strands upstage my platinum rims than by my martial arts ability. Mr. Miyagi sure dodged a bullet with this karate kid. Book me on the néxt flight— Laguna's in Florida, right? ■

INFORMATIONATION

Digital rights management: Defective by design

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ast year, a Disney executive told The Economist "If con­ sumers even know there's a DRM, what it is and how it works, we've already failed."

Your computer should serve you, not some remote or­ ganization. It should run what you want it to run, do what you tell it to do and not blindly follow instructions continu­ ously sent to it by third parties; but some companies want to change that. Digital rights management (DRM) restricts you from doing things. It takes perfectly good products, and delib­ erately cripples them and your computer along the way.

Have you ever wanted to include a screenshot from a DVD in a report you were writing, only to find that your Mac wouldn't let you? Apple deliberately went out of its way to remove that ability. Throughout its iPod and iTunes Music Store software, DRM blocks you from using purchased music in unauthorized ways and from copying your iPod files onto another computer. Even worse is Sony, which scandalously put DRM on some of its audio CDs sold in stores. This had the side effect of rendering computers that come in contact with this software vulnerable to online attacks.

Let's not forget the layer of encryption surrounding each

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DVD movie to prevent unauthorized use, which includes play­ ing foreign DVDs with a different region code.There are differ­ ent region codes for North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, yet South Africa and Japan are in the same region, not the one of their continent. This is economic segregation with techno­ logical enforcement.

Controversially, rather than being prosecuted, purveyors of DRM have been given strong legal tools.The US Digital Mil­ lennium Copyright Act forbids anyone from removing crip­ pleware from the devices they own or helping other people to do that via new software. Programmer Dimitry Skylarov was held in ths US for several months after writing a program that helped the blind use text-to-speech software on Adobe's DRM-protected e-books; professors' DRM security research has been withheld; and companies like Apple require approv­ al from the movie industry group behind DVD technology to write DVD-playing software.

The main parts of the DMCA spread to Europe in the 2001 EU Copyright directive and there are efforts under way to bring these types of restrictions to Canadian law.

Thankfully, technology can move faster than law. As Stan­

ford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig says, code is law. When insurmountable technological restrictions are in your way, they can be even stronger than legal restrictions and much broader in scope. The decision of what to restrict lies in the hands of a particular company.

That's why hardware DRM is so scary. What if instead of only having restrictions in software, which you could in prin­ ciple avoid by using different software, there were also DRM in your hardware itself? A chip could restrict what software you could run to a limited list of company-approved programs. Eu­ phemistically, Microsoft and others call it "trusted computing," which is ironic because hardware DRM means that they don't trust you. Many new computers are shipping with a variety of Trusted Platform Module chips and their full use may not be far off. It's a new dystopia that many are pulling us towards.

This isn't what we want from our computing: We should demand that the control of our devices and the control of our information environments remain fully in our own hands. ■ More information on DRM can be found at defectivebydesign.org

17.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 9

T

r ib u n e

EDITORIAL

www.mcgilltribune.com

The wrong McMann for the job

Editor-in-Chief

James Gotowiec editor@mcgilltribune.com

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David Blye Traci Johnson seniored@mcgilltribune.com

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Kayvon Afshari Matt Campbell Kate Spirgen news@mcgilltribune.com

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Adam Smith opinion@mcgilltribune.com

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arts@mcgilltribune.com

Sports Editors

Charlie Blore Aaron Sigal

fter what can only be called an absolute debacle in 2005,2006 was supposed to be different for the McGill football program.

With their off-field issues supposedly behind them and a strong nucleus of veterans on offence, Head Coach Chuck McMann set the second round of the playoffs as the team's goal. Instead, they look poised to likely miss the playoffs for the second straight year. While one could argue that the play­ ers were largely responsible for last year's failures, this time the lion's share of the blame should be directed squarely at McMann.

Coming off a win this weekend over lowly Sherbrooke, McGill sits at 2-4 and tied for fourth in the six team Quebec University Football League.

But the disappointing record aside, it's the direc­ tion this team is going in that should result in a reevaluation of coach McMann's value to the team come the end of the season.

It's not quite a cardinal rule in football that the team who runs the ball best will win, but those who follow the game closely know that this is usually the case. Running the ball effectively has a number of positive side effects, such as provid­ ing your squad with clock control and the ability to wear down the opposing defence both physi­ cally and mentally. That's not to say that the pass­ ing game should be forgone, but a balance must be struck between the two.

This is something the Redmen have com­ pletely failed to accomplish this season. The team has averaged just 47.5 yards of rushing offence per

A

game while giving up an astounding 283 yards on defence. It should also be noted that the team allowed a 200-yard rusher in three of its first five games this season. To put this in perspective, a good day for a running back is 100 yards. A 200yard day is usually a career-best performance and will likely guarantee a win. Clearly, it's next to im­ possible to win football games when conceding nearly 300 yards on the ground.

Let's make one thing clear:This is not the fault of the players. While the McGill defence is a tad undersized and not the most experienced group, there's nothing they can do about that. McMann has been at the helm for five years now, meaning he recruited each and every one of these players; there are no leftovers from the previous regime.

Therefore, if the defence is undersized it's because he failed to recruit enough big bodies.

The most important factors in recruiting play­ ers are the reputations of the coach and the pro­ gram. With both in decline and the competition, growing stronger at Concordia and Université de Montreal, it will only become harderfor McMann to draw top talent to McGill; never mind the fact that more than a few families will probably be hesitant to entrust their children to the coach under whose watch last year's hazing scandal took place.

Fault for the group's lack of experience also belongs to the coaching staff. With a 1-7 record, more inexperienced players should have been given additional playing time last season. It shows a lack of foresight not to recognize that last year's

team had a number of seniors and that adjust­ ments would be necessary to prepare the squad for this season.

Offensively, the story is similar. Rushing for under 50 yards a game will virtually guarantee de­ feat and the Redmen have finished two contests this year with zero or fewer yards on the ground and two more with under 35. A team that is so one-dimensional cannot reasonably expect to win football games. What makes this imbalance even stranger is that running backs Michael Samman and Alex Bussandri have shown themselves to be quite capable of rushing the ball effectively, yet they have not been allowed to carry the ball the 15 to 20 times a game that they would need to find a rhythm.

McMann's first two years were a success— he was even named CIS coach of the year in 2002— but since then the program has been in decline.

Football is the best-funded varsity athletic pro­ gram on campus and, as such, a standard of ex­ cellence is demanded from donors, other varsity teams and students. It is time that Athletic Director Derek Drummond took notice of what is happen­ ing on Saturday afternoons at Molson Stadium.

The players deserve better and the fans certainly expect much more from this supposed gem of the athletics program. While Saturday's win could be seen as a step in the right direction, we're not holding our breath, McGill needs to stop the hem­ orrhaging now. It's time to end five years of regres­ sion and there is only one solution. ■

sports@mcgilltribune.com

Photo Editor

Lukas Bergmark photo@mcgilltribune.com

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Terri Alderfer copy@mcgilltribune.com

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Paul Slachta

advmgr@ssmu.mcgill.ca

OFF THE BOARD

Can you hear me now?

AdTypsetter

Vladimir Eremin

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Publisher

Chad Ronalds Contributors Lana Ayoub, Jennifer Bartoli, David Campana, Jesse Chaser, Nora Coghlan, Clarice Connors, Natalie Cross, Pamela Fillion, Oliver Gingell, Ezra Glinter, Jamie Goodman, Sam Greenwood, Ricki Gurwitz, Patrick Janukavicius, Severine Koen, J.F. Kostuck, Kristin Maich, Isis Ortiz, Melissa Price, Joanna Reznick, Fariddudin Rifai, Jacqueline Rowniak, Cole Ryan, Andrew Schaaf, Matt Segal, Ken Sun, Shiran Teitelbaum, Vincci Tsui, Mike Vallo, Julie Zhang

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o shoot me, I'm a little bit late to the cell phone party. It might come as shock, but I have actu­ ally been able to survive for the past 21 years without one. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons that I don't need to bore you with, two weeks ago I made the monumental decision to be forever reachable— at least until some time early next Sep­ tember when my contract runs out.

University students are apparently a huge tar­ get market for cell phone companies. I know this because in the first seven weeks of school, we've run anywhere from one to three huge colour ads for them every issue and those aren't cheap. (Clearly McGill didn't offer me admission based solely on my looks.) So I thought that with all this competition, they might actually care when I phoned up and said "I'd like to sign up for your service."

No such luck. Instead I've come to the shock­ ing conclusion that it's all a huge scam: It doesn't matter which company you sign up with because they all offer the same bundle of services for the exact same price.

The economist in me says that's a result of the market being so competitive: It's the absolute lowest price the companies can charge while still making a return on investment. But the conspiracy

S

theorist in me envisions cigars, brandy snifters and a backroom deal with a secret handshake and thinks that the economist should pull his head out of the sand. (He actually thinks that the economist should pull his head out of somewhere else, but this is a family newspaper.)

Potential conspiracies aside, now that I have a cell— er, excuse me, a mobile— am I a better per­ son? Am I less stressed about being unreachable when important things happen? Not really. Instead, I'm stressed about forgetting to turn off my ringer before I get to class.

What else do I know now that I didn't be­ fore? Having friends with names like Adam or Pat or Matt is really convenient... anything that is short and made up of the first letters that come up when you're typing names into your address book (though Matt loses points for having to wait to put in the second t). By the time I had finished putting in Vanessa or Charles, I had long since lost interest in really knowing them at all.

Speaking of typing, text messaging is a cool concept (at least for the two months that I can do it for free) but it takes way too long and this so-called T9 business that's supposed to make it quick is an­ noying as sin. When I tried to let a friend know I had

finally joined the 21st century, "I now have a cell, don't hold it against me" came out as "I now have a bell, foot hold it against of." I don't know, maybe that's how we're supposed to talk in the 21st cen­ tury, but I think I'm going to stick to just plain old voice.

Sometimes even that is hard enough. If you're meeting people at a bar, forget phoning them when you get there. Over the pounding beat of the music blaring from the speakers at Café Campus, it was all I could do to eke out the following conversation: "Hello? Hello? Sorry, I'm having trouble hearing!

Where are you? What? Hello?"

Most discouragingly, after trying so hard not to be that guy with the annoying ringer in class, I've come to realize that it really doesn't matter because no one calls me anyway. So much for being ec­ static about scoring free incoming calls.Then again, maybe that's not so bad since it's just that much less radiation that will addle my brain.

When it comes right down to it, I'm paying $50 a month to be reachable, but no one wants to reach me and that's okay. I can still send text messages tell­ ing people all about my bell phone. If $50 a month is the price of admission to the 21st century, that's a steal at twice the price. ■

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' Society of McGill University in collaboration with the Tribune Publication Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Students'Society or McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@mcgilltribune.comand must include the contributor's name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted onlytothe Tribune. Submfssionsjudged bytheTribune Publication Societyto be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in naturewill not be published. The Tribunereservesthe right toedit all contributions.

Editorials are decided upon and written bythe editorial board. All other opinions are strictlythose ofthe author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions oftheMcGillTribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspape.

10 • The McGill Tribune • 17.10.06

Letters to the editor Med students'take on Héma-Québec time as mortal human beings.

We, the Medical Students'Society of McGill Univer- ' We wish that such blood drives in the future at sity, wish to make the following statement in light of the McGill University be maintained and protected in their events surrounding Héma-Québec's blood drives last integrity, such that willing and able McGill students year at McGill University. may contribute to the betterment of public health. The With regards to Héma-Québec's decision to ter­ Medical Students'Society feels that the opportunity to minate a blood drive subsequent to the solicitation of give blood on campus should be preserved for every students to deliberately falsify donor questionnaires, we, student, and not be under the influence of third party the MSS, have no objection. Such actions, however they opinions. may be motivated, risk contaminating the blood supply Finally, we believe that the role of any student gov­ and thereby potentially posing a serious health hazard ernment or university is to offer a safe and secure envi­ to the recipients whose safety is the priority of Hémaronment in which to give blood. The Medical Students' Québec.

Society looks forward to working with Hém a-Québec As for the questionnaire itself, we would like to ac­ and SSMU towards achieving this goal. knowledge and ascertain that its questions are set forth — The Medical Students'Society o f McGill University.

by Health Canada and not Héma-Québec. Action to change its contents should, therefore, in all efforts be Who goes to GAs? directed to Health Canada, and not at Héma-Québec's Holding a General Assembly at 11:30 on a Thursday blood collection clinics. does not let SSMU hear the voice of the^tudents, it lets

Héma-Québec's return to McGill for blood collec­ tions in the fall of 2006 should be made a SSMU prior­ ity. A bank of safe blood is an important and essential health resource that we may all need at one point in

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Feel like com menting on something we've written?

Then write us a letter!

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— Sol Klein U1 History

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by

Girls love guys w ith com puter hacking skills.

So does the T r i b u n e . We still need a w ebm aster.

for

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wKo d o iT f Know, X TTTcT

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The tim e com m itm ent is only eight hours a w e e k and there is a stipend attached.

E-mail seniored@mcgilltribune.com to find out more.

Do you like taking photos? Fancy yourself a budding Annie Leibovitz? If so, it's your lucky day: The Tribune needs photographers. Badly.

E-mail Photo Editor Lukas Bergmark at photo@mcgilltribune.com or come out to a photo meeting on Mondays at 5:30pm in Gert's. No experience is necessary and you don't even need to have a camera. We'll lend you one just like this. Except smaller. See? You have no excuse. Get snappin'!

C ampus

PERSPECTIVE

SILHOUETTE

McGill girl goes Greek Publish or perish?

For M iss Montreal, incentives to join sorority life hazy but enticing S h ir a n T

e it e l b a u m

A native Cali­ fornian (and trans­ fer student from Mount Allison in New Bruns' wick) now in her third year at McGill, Ms. T e ite lb a u m finds herself fascinated by the dif­ ferences in Canadian and Ameri­ can student life. In this col­ umn, she explores facets o f what could turn into a life long love affair with Montreal.

When I left L.A. for school in the Maritimes, I sometimes felt more con­ nected to the characters depicted in the movie "Clueless" than to any of my Sackville peers. In At­ lantic Canada, getting crowned Homecoming King or Homecoming Queen while parading around the football stadium in a red Ferrari convertible had yet to become a local rite of passage. Reeling in culture shock hell for the next six months, it dawned on me that perhaps life in L.A. had not prepared me for New Brunswick's cod-kissing proclivities; but instead for something more akin to "Greek" life: the American fraternity and sorority system.

In the States, Greek establishments make eminent sense and not just because of the "Ani­ mal House" offshoots lining local Blockbuster walls. If you're enrolled at an O.C. university and have yet to celebrate your 21st birthday, your Saturday nights are limited to attending movies at the local multiplex or eating fries at the near­ est In-And-Out Burger - the closest you will ever get to poutine in California. Affiliating yourself with fraternity or sorority life lands you VIP con­ nections to every house party, mixer, invite and retreat in and outside of Lala-land. No fake I.D. necessary!

Montreal's busy nightlife and easily acces­ sible intoxicants render the incentives for going Greek less obvious. In fact, many local students around campus recoil at their mention. For in­ sight into, why Greek life is such an emotion­

ÜL < Q Z uu

issue will hit the stands toward the end of Oc­ tober. ally charged issue in Canada, I turned to Ruth A slightly more formal, sophisticated ver­ Students, especially Literature majors, no­ Colombo, a retired, Toronto-based Canadian toriously enter their programs with high aspira­ sion of the previous two journals, H otel’s goal college professor. Colombo suggests that the tions. English majors, upon being asked what is to "contribute to critical discourse in the hu­ Canadian character is generally reserved about their future plans entail, often answer some­ manities." It is published only once a year by the privilege and most adamant that those who thing like this: "Well I know it's unlikely, but... English department at McGill and attempts to have it ought never flaunt it. Canadians do not I plan to write the next Great Canadian Novel!" branch into topics of culture, architecture, phi­ advertise their Greek status because this some­ No, of course this is not unlikely. It's practically losophy and more. Hotel will come out some­ times translates into an economic stigma; many impossible (unless you happen to have Mar­ time this semester and is currently accepting students have to put in long hours at Joe jobs garet Atwood on speed dial). Still, a dream's submissions in both English and French from just to get themselves through school, much undergraduates all over the world. a dream, and you have to start somewhere. less participate in a Greek event.

M atrix magazine is a tad more eclectic, McGill is surrounded by a wide array of literary Sororities and frats, Colombo continues, publishing some pretty off-beat prose. This publications, either put forth by the university are perceived as inherently elitist and therefore month's cover featured a rather buff looking itself or worked on by its students. Whether you contrast the operant Canadian myth that every­ robot washing the dishes - Jetsons meets Star dream of sending your mom a journal to which one is equal. "We like to tell students that this is you contributed (the literary equivalent of your Wars style. Matrix accepts book reviews and their big chance to associate with a wide swath name in neon lights) or want to see what your short articles and is published by Concordia. of prospective friends, even though we know fellow students have been up to, here's a snap­ Check it out if you're into the clever comic book too well that people tend to associate with shot of the publications offered around campus, scene or interested in some awesome graphics. those most like themselves," she adds. Those As a non-profit magazine, Streeteaters all of which accept student submissions, English who transcend the common herd by opting for publishes a spectrum of prose, poetry, pho­ concentration not required. what Colombo describes as "an elite dating ser­ tographs and comics. Compiled in a cut-andScrivener is probably the most well known vice" flout their advantages at their own peril. paste, eye-catching pamphlet, Streeteaters has publication, as it often pops up on faculty emails This, of course, left me wondering why been around since June 2000 and is definitely and notice boards. With a staff mainly made up Canadian students from diverse backgrounds, of McGill students, the journal aims for a Canadi­ worth your while if you appreciate the less tradi­ faculties and ages were interested in Greek life an identity while embracing the cosmopolitan, tional side of writing) at all. For a week, my designated recruitment Finally, Gusts deserves kudos for putting publishing work of artists from the around the counselor schlepped me to all four sorority globe. Send your poetry, fiction, photography, out an entire magazine around a literary style houses - which were more like small apartments interviews and book reviews to them and keep that doesn't even make it into the English stu­ - to determine my best fit.The recruitment pro­ dents' style guide. Tonka is an ancient form of your fingers crossed. cess struck me as similar to speed dating or a Steps magazine is relatively similar to Scriv­ poetry similar to the haiku, but only five lines schmooze party, but on a much more modest long. As the publishers of Gusts boast, Tonka ener, except it focuses on the entertainment scale than in the States. Only about 40 girls par­ value of literature and features a colour cover. is perfect for our day because it is "immediate, ticipated in McGill's recruitment drive; a fraction honest and short enough to type into a cell Each issue is centered on a theme, this next one of those who show up for similar drives in the phone." If that sold you, Gusts is available at The being "spooky." As Mike Stewart, co-ordinating US. It was exactly that intimate, more laid back editor states: "We provide alternatives to broad­ Word bookstore, along with most of these pub­ setting that I found appealing. lications. sheet and academic media.”The magazine can For native Montrealers commuting from Interested in finding out more about small include anything from magazine-style journal­ home, a sorority is an effective way to open press publishing? Expozin e, Montreal's own ism to monologues. Matt Doyle, co-ordinating doors to affiliations beyond those forged at comic and zine fair, takes place the afternoon of editor along with Stewart, explains that the CEGEP. There are also transfer students and Nov. 25. In its fifth year running, the event will magazine entertains "pretty much anything that those who received acceptance letters late in undoubtedly run from the traditional to the bi­ doesn't fit into a typical paper." A favourite in the the game. These girls missed out on residence zarre with its promise to"bring together creators English department, Steps was up for Best Pub­ life and therefore were forced to live in apart­ lication at the SSMU awards last year. The next of all kinds of printed matter." ■ ments, either alone or cloistered with (all too often) incompatibles. Finally, there were girls who lived in residence, yet wanted to branch out beyond their first-year friends.

At the end of my sorority recruitment ad­ ventures - to my surprise and gratification, there was no boozing or hazing of any kind - 1was able to fathom the benefits of McGill Greek life.

When it's so cold that you have icicles growing out of your nose, it's nice to know that you have prearranged activities, such as Greek Week, for­ mais, charitable projects, study nights, ski re­ treats to Tremblant and game nights at Geertz parties waiting for you. By the end of a very long week, I met some rather cool individuals and now can shamelessly brag to my affiliated California friends that there is more to the Greek scene in Montreal than souvlaki. ■ There is a literary magazine at McGill for everyone.

Films that Transform: Bonjour! Shalom!

7 p.m. Arts Building Moyse Hall, Oct. 17

J a c q u e l in e R o w n ia k

F rid a y

T h u rsd a y

W ed nesd ay

Tuesday

M onday

Lit journals as diverse as students

Sunday

S a tu rd a y

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W a n t t o a d v e r t is e in t h e C a m p u s C a le n d a r ? F o r j u s t a t o o n ie y o u c a n a d v e r t is e y o u r e v e n t u p t o t w o w e e k s in a d v a n c e .

E m a il c a le n d a r @ m c g illt r ib u n e . c o m f o r m o r e in f o r m a t io n , o r d r o p b y t h e T r ib u n e o f f ic e in S h a t n e r 110 .

S tudent L ivin g FICTIONAL DISCOURSE

Hot literary mamas and papas Top ten sexiest protagonists J o a n n a R e z n ic k

Sure, actors and actresses have sex appeal and rock stars are pretty attractive, but some of the hottest figures around are fictional and literary. From the medieval Lancelot to the contem­ porary Sayuri, these men and women are jaded, fated and just plain good looking. Plus, despite the descriptive narration, you get to use your imagination and create the perfect version of Mr. Darcy - think Colin Firth meets Brad Pitt.

Here are the top eight hottest male and female novel characters: GENTLEMEN 8.

Heathcliffe (Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte) -T h e quintessential romantic hero, Heath- LADIES 8. B ritom art {The Faerie Queene)- Spenser's female protagonist is a super-cool knight who cliffe's love for Cathy is so strong it sends him to the crazy house... or maybe it was all the moor is as strong as a man, but clearly a beautiful woman underneath all that armour. wandering that did it.

7O thello (Play by William Shakespeare) - So what if he kills his wife... a little jealousy can 7. Sayuri (Memoirs o f a Geisha, Arthur Golden) - This blue-eyed beauty transforms from a young naive fishing girl to a strong, smart and sexy geisha. be sexy, sometimes!

6. Anna Karenina (novel by Leo Tolstoy) - We have to put aside the whole troubled, tor­ 6 . Jean V aljean (Les Misérables, Victor Hugo) - He's an escaped convict and he can sing.

5.

A ragorn {The Lord o f the Rings, J.R.R.Tolkein)- Not only is the man a king, but he alsotured has and fated soul thing and remember that only a truly gorgeous creature can attract so many gorgeous men. a really long sword. Enough said.

4.

H olden C aulfield {The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger) - Snarky, sarcastic and slightly 5. D inah (novel by Anita Diamant)- The Red Tent's biblical heroine is clearly stunning with her super-long dark hair and ability to seduce hot princes and carpenters. self-obsessed: everyone loves a depressed teenager.

3.

D 'artagn an {The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas)-The quintessential dame-charm- 4. Scarlett O 'H ara (Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell)- Although she is described as ing swashbuckler from Alexandre Dumas' mousquetaires series, the tip of his weapon has been "not beautifuPin the opening line of the novel, there is no way that Scarlett is unattractive. She's opinionated, appreciative of land and manages to obtain three husbands, for god's sakes. both a source of fear and ecstacy.

2.

Lancelot {Lancelot, orThe Knight o f the Cart, Chrétien de Troyes)- He's a knight, he's adul­ 3. Helen o fT ro y [TheIliad, Homer) -T h e face that launched a thousand ships.They started a war for the woman. She's gotta be smokin'! terous and he can travel around the world in 10 pages... what more could you ask for?

1.

Mr. Darcy (Jane Austen) - *The* hunk of Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy's seeming ambiva­ 2. EStella {Great Expectations, Charles Dickens) - Cold, haughty and cruel, Estella dictates lence towards the novel's protagonist, Elizabeth, makes him a brooding and emotionally de­ the path of a young man's life. She's got to be easy on the eyes.

1. Jo M arch {Little Women, Louisa May Alcott) - She's creative and isn't afraid to say what's tached character who is actually ardently in love. And Colin Firth in a wet shirt? Hubba, hubba. on her mind. Besides, there's nothing hotter than a little woman.

Editors' picks: Editors' Picks: Rachel: Satan (Paradise Lost) Rachel: Becky Sharp {Vanity Fair) Liz: Zaphod Beeblebrox (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Liz: Nately's Whore (Catch-22)

WKÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊËÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊiÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊËÊÊÊËÊiÊiÊinÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊBtÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊm■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I

FOOD FORTHOUGHT

A W O R LD W IT H O U T BO RD ERS N EED S A G RAD U ATE PRO GRAM W IT H O U T BO RD ERS MEET A YORK REPRESENTATIVE OCTOBER 18 12:30-2:30PM BROWN STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING

Martha Stewart would be proud Q u ic k f ix

h o n e y

C larice C onnors Lazy nights call for a quick and easy meal. No, you don't need Mar­ tha Stewart skills to make something remotely edible. Here is a recipe re­ quiring minimal ingredients that is sure to please.

Honey Mustard Chicken ' 1 stick butter or 1/2 cup margarine 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons old fashioned mus­ tard (seeds-try Maille brand) 2 tablespoons regular dijon mustard 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Welcome to the interdisciplinary university.

up into strips for easy eating or use a grill. Pan frying the chicken takes about 20 minutes (10 minutes each side). Cook the chicken until lightly browned.

In a small pot, melt the butter.

Next, add the two mustards and stir until well combined. Add the honey and continue stirring about three to five minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit. Test taste the mix­ ture before removing from the heat.

If it is too mustardy for your taste, you can always add more honey to sweeten it. Remove from heat and pour over cooked chicken. Serve with either pasta or rice. Bonne ap­ petite! ■

Stu d y

thinkers fro m e v e ry discipline to tackle real world

in

issues. A t York, students and faculty are engaged in inn ovative research across 4 4 Masters and Doctoral program s. Th a t and m ore is w h at makes York the inspired choice for graduate studies.

www.yorku.ca/graduatestudents

c h ic k e n

You can either pan fry the chicken breasts whole or slice them

York U niversity's grad ua te prog ram s bring toge th er

For m o re inform ation visit

m u sta rd

Y O R K UNIVERSITE UNIVERSITY redefine the possible.

HOVE UP T H E FO O D C H A IN .

See page 7.

M E D IC IN E E uro pe

ww w. 111e d ic a l-s ch o o l.ca caiiadiniii@niedical-scliool.ca

POD PEOPLE

Musicians read books too!

W U R Z W E IL E R S C H O O L O F S O C IA L W O R K PRESEN TS

M P 3 s g e t f ic t io n a l in s p ir a t io n Bands: Catch 22 (Catch-22, Joseph Heller) Genesis (a.k.a the first book of the Bible) Velvet Underground {Velvet Under­ ground, Michael Leigh) Aerosmith (Arrowsmith, Sinclair Lewis) The Doors (The Doors o f Perception, Aldous Huxley)

Better Than Ezra (from Collected Let­ ters ofT.S. Eliot) The Archies (Archie Comics!)

Songs: "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" - Green Day {Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger) “Girlfriend in a coma"-The Smiths (Douglas Coupland) “Tear in Your Hand"-Tori Amos (Neil Gaiman) "Adonais"-The Cure (the poem by P.B.Shelley) "Paranoid Android" - Radiohead (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams) "Virginia Woolf"- Indigo Girls "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - Deep Blue Something {Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote) "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"- Megadeth (poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge) "Roxanne"-The Police {Roxana by Daniel Defoe) "Strange Fruit"- Billie Holiday (based on a poem by Abel Meeropol)

C A T A S T R O P H IC EVEN TS: T H E C H A LLEN G ES O F W O R K IN G W IT H P E O P L E IN C R IS IS

"Moby Dick"- Led Zeppelin (Herman Melville)

"1984"- David Bowie (George Orwell) "A Rose for Emily"-the Zombies (A short story by Faulkner) "Wuthering Heights"- Kate Bush (Emily Bronte) "Billy Liar"-The Decemeberists (Keith Waterhouse) "The Lady of Shallott"-Loreena McKennitt (William Tennyson) — Compiled by Oliver Gingell, Rachel Melnik and Elizabeth Perle

POP CULTURE

Book + Movie = Art T h e g r e a te s t n o v e l- b a s e d J u l ie Z

T u esd ay , O c to b e r 2 4 th , 2 0 0 6 7 :0 0

film s

3. Fight Club (1999) - Chuck Palahniuk

hang

(2005) - J.K. Rowling 5. The Princess Bride (1987) - William Goldman 6 . Shawshank Redemption (1994) Stephen King 7. V for Vendetta (2006) - based off of the comic by Alan Moore and Dan Lloyd 8. Goodfellas (1990) - Nicholas Pileggi 9. Forrest Gump (1994) - Winston Groom 10. The Silence o f the Lambs (1991) -

1. American Psycho (2000) -based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis 2. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Antho­ ny Burgess

9 :0 0

F e d e r a tio n

4 . Harry Potter and the Goblet o f Fire

Although many poorly writ­ ten screenplay adaptations give credence to the words "the book is always better than the movie," there are a few films that disprove that cliché. Whether schizophrenic, in­ sanely thin or simply magical, some of these films have left us asking the question: what book?

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G e lb e r g C o n fe r e n c e H a ll 5 1 5 1

R u e C o te S te . C a th e r in e M o n tr e a l, Q u e b e c

Dr. Jay Sweifach and Dr. Heidi Heft LaPorte, Assistant Professors at Wurzweiler School o f Social Work at Yeshiva University, have published and presented extensively on catastrophic events. They will discuss rhe impact o f terrorism, SARS, and Hurricane Katrina on social work practice, highlighting ethical dilemmas in service delivery. Dramatizations, using case vignettes, will be presented.

Celebrating its 50th anniversaçy, Wurzweiler School o f Social Work at Yeshiva University has

QUOTABLE MOMENT

earned a national and international reputation for its flexible study plans, dedicated faculty, and diverse student body. Over 25 0 Canadians have graduated from Wurzweiler’s M SW

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program. Our Block Program offers Canadian and other out-of-town students the opportunity to attend classes in June and July in New York City, with fieldwork from September ro Mid-May

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in their home towns.

Please join us for this special lecture, followed by an informational session on Wurzweiler School

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o f Social Work and our programs. R.S.V.P. wsswadmissions@yu.edu or call (212) 96 0 -0 8 1 0 .

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FE A T U R E S “ The e-death of the novel?

Online libraries not an apocolyptic force on the literary world P p tLIZABETH rERLE

tion will likely benefit.Those that do not, may disap pear into literary oblivion.

it's likely that the average McGill Video killed the radio star? student reads more words per day off of Cory Doctorow is an award-win­ a computer screen than from in his or ning Canadian science fiction writer who her books. Material for essays, labs and -offers his books in their entirety as free other class work are readily available on downloads on his Web site. While such a number of databases - the most use­ actions have generated screams from ful of which are even paid for by McGill. within the literary community, doing Online dictionaries, e-mail, Wikipedia; so has become an extremely successful even WebCT Vista has become an outlet business venture for Doctorow. Putting for additional research sources. his texts online for free did not affect Why, then, is it taking so long for his book sales and in the end, even in­ the novel to also make this digital tran­ creased them. In his essay, "Ebooks Nei­ sition? When the e-book trend finally ther E Nor Books," Doctorow claims that flourishes on the Internet ('when'not'if': digital and print editions are "intensely online novels are already easily available complimentary"; he insists acquiring and quite common) members of the one will increase the need for the other. literary community will tremble at the While admitting that free downloading threatening idea that the form of the may displace the occasional sale, the novel as we know it could be destroyed vast majority of book downloaders will by such novel textual formats. read some of the novel - testing it out Fortunately, experts believe that - and then decide to buy it. One of his the answer to this fateful question is a novels, Down and Out in the Magic King­ loud and resounding: "Of course not." dom, was downloaded more than half The industry's face will, however, be a million times and subsequently went forced to expand, and, ready or not, au­ through five print editions. thors will eventually be forced to jump Doctorow stresses the case of de­ on the e-publishing bandwagon - or veloping areass in his argument sup­ perish. porting free e-book downloading. These nations account for one of the largest Don't Panic: Same words, groups of e-piracy on the Internet. Since different cover the per-capitâ GDP in most of these Anyone who has read (or seen the places is less than $1 per day, a commer­ less impressive, recent film version) of cial market for books barely exists, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy can eas­ instituting strict piracy laws for such a ily picture the so-called e-book of the group is futile. However, as the Internet future: a handheld blackberry-esque , in its current form could never realisti­ device that flips through entire novels cally isolate its content by geographical at the touch of a screen, eliminating the audience, many authors remain justifi­ need for the "softcover book" entirely. ably worried about continuing to make The effects of producing such a gadget a living off of their work. Like musicians, would, in reality, be far less severe than whose CD sales are affected by the avail­ most would imagine. Although downJ ability of music downloads, Doctorow loadable movies, purchased DVDs and suggests that authors may one day cinemas provide identical material, sep­ make their living off of touring, signing arate - and thriving - markets for each and speaking about their w ork.. still exist. Audiences may choose to watch a movie in a cinema, on a televi­ Happy Endings sion screen and from a computer screen; There is no doubt that e-books each medium is different and will inevi­ are more convenient and cost-efficient tably offer distinct advantages. There is then the printed novel. As Wikipedia has room for many different vehicles to co­ demonstrated, the ability to update or exist in the entertainment industry. correct an electronic text immediately is When the radio was invented, mu­ invaluable. To do so in a printed text re­ sicians were convinced that it would kill quires going through a second edition music; playing music on air seemed, at or inserting a costly "erratum" slip. While the time, a mass act of piracy. Playing the efficiency of an e-book is undeni­ free songs to the mass public was ad­ able, there are some disadvantages to mittedly a rather extraordinary idea and online publishing. Electronic publishing many musicians refused to embrace it - especially for those outside of univer­ right away. Those that immediately ac­ sity gates - requires access to relatively knowledged the significance and inevi­ advanced technology on the part of tability of this new medium, however, both the consumer and producer. Fur­ ended up seeing huge commercial suc­ thermore, an e-book (portable or not) cesses. requires a greater amount of energy in The fact of the matter is that the its use than the traditional book, both film and music industries have survived in consumption and for the reader. The and continue to adapt to new, Internetimportance of aesthetic appeal is also based technologies. Once more and something that should not be under­ more libraries are uploaded onto the In­ emphasized; some people will always ternet, the novel will face a similar fate. prefer the look and smell of a book.

The authors that accept and take advan­ Admit it: our shelves would look rather tage of this unavoidable literary transidismal without them. ■

Shh... trashy books no Popular fiction strengthens rapport R achel M elnik When the Beatles sang about “the dirty story of a dirty man," who longs to be a'Paperback Writer," they accurately depicted the stereotypes that still surround popular genre fiction. You know the type; you might even know it intimately. Trashy romance novels, fantastical sci-fi, horror stories, detective mysteries, even the more highly acclaimed chick lit and dick lit genres fit into this category. These nov­ els, with their eye-catching covers, stock characters and formulaic plotlines, somehow earn a bad repu­ tation with critics who read solely to enrich their intellectual capacities.

But does mainstream fiction deserve the slan­ der that it receives?

Often, it does. A novel such as Carly Phillips', Hot number, which contains enlightening descriptions of the romantic heroine "kissing those sculpted lips, threading her fingers through that thick brown hair and scraping her cheeks against his short, scruffy beard," is probably not going to earn a thumbs-up from the New York Times Book Review. Yet Phillips, like her popular genre counterparts Nora Roberts, Stephen King and Dan Brown, all top the same pa­ per's Bestseller lists week after week.

Is this merely a case of an entertainment-seek­ ing, unintelligent population of readers? McGill Cul­ tural Studies professor Derek Nystrom believes that readers (and writers) of so-called "trashy novels" do not get the credit that they deserve. "When a novel becomes popular, you want to ask why. The popu­ larity of genre fiction is not completely a case of an undiscerning [reading] public." Nystrom himself admits to being a fan of the "dick lit' novelist Nick Hornby. "High Fidelity," he confesses, "hit a little bit too close to home."

The idea of a novel"hitting too close to home"

is specifically what makes genre fiction a worthy contribution to the world of literature. "I identified with the main characterin The Devil Wears Prada be­ cause she expresses herself like a real person," pro­ claims Jennie Hugh, U3 Anatomy. Although popular novels are defamed for their unrealistic interpreta­ tion of life, a closer look at cheesy Danielle Steels and suspense-driven John Grisham page-turners reveals that their depiction of life is closer to reality than we think.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." (Jane Austen, Pr/de and Prejudice)

"Was Jane Austen the 'chick lit' of the Regency Era? Of course," declares Irish Times reporter Declan Kiberd in a Sept. 5 article. Like her modern-day counterparts, Jennifer Weiner and Helen Fielding, Austen received (and still receives) a fair amount of scorn. Structurally, chick lit novels resemble the commonly ridiculed Harlequin romances, although Nystrom clarifies that "they differ in that the writer possesses a highly discernable voice."

In her blog, Jennifer Weiner (author of In Her Shoes), recognizes that chick lit is labeled as "sex­ ist... with the built-in implication that what you've written is a piece of beach-trash fluff... that doesn't deal with anything other than boys and shoes."

Even Weiner would have to' acknowledge that when a novel titled Confessions o f a Shopaholic hits the bookstore shelves sporting a bright pink cover, "beach-fluff" makes for a rather appropriate term of description.

But then again, Austen's words continue to ring true. It is still a universal acknowledgement that a single man (preferably in possession of a good for­ tune) must be in want of a wife. And by that same

■ ■

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V IC T O R Y

RONDS

17.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 15

longer a dirty little secret with readers and critics alike token, a single woman (in possession of an equally good fortune), must be in want of husband. Whether or not you agree, the issue remains. Today's readers continue to grapple with traditional, gender roles in modern relationships.

Andrea Braithwaite-, a graduate stu­ dent studying popular literature and media in the Department of Communica­ tions, claims that chick lit novels "address is­ sues such as why women feel they have to marry [to begin with], ...A lot of these nov­ els feature protagonists whom the writer has a hard time locking into monogamous relationships." Even if the heroine decides to wed her own personal Mr. Dârcy, Braith­ waite asserts "that doesn't change the fact that throughout the course of the book, these women are asking themselves: 'is this what I want? How do I go about find­ ing something that works for me and my priorities?"

The pressure to p/ioritize affects male characters, as well as female ones. "There is a lot of confusion for men's roles in re­ lationships," says Braithwaite, noting that popular dick lit novels by Nick Hornby and Mike Gayle recurrently ponder the "crisis of masculinity."

"'O brave new world!'It was a challenge, a command." (Aldous Huxley, Brave N ew W orld) Aldous Huxley may have coined the title, but in essence, every science fiction novel imagines a "Brave New World" that is able to transform the society portrayed in the chick and dick lit genre. Communica­ tions Professor William Straw recalls "peo­

Visit www. mcgilltribune. com for...

An interview with a Deadw ood screenwriter for inspiration for starving artists (by Maria Forti) and Reasons on why Montreal is the sexiest city for writers (by Severine Koen)

ple used to say that we read science fiction to imagine better worlds. I think that's a bit of it."

Nowadays, this idea of a "better world" outside of our own world has ingrained it­ self in the minds of readers, who, according to reporter Steven Anderson's Sept. 29 ar­ ticle in the Globe and Mail, are buying more and more apocalyptic-type fantasy novels.

Keeping in mind the instability that shook the world after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami, Straw is not surprised at this development.

"It's that sort of comfort factor," Braith­ waite insists. "These books make us think about things that happen in our lives, whether they're big and catastrophic or personal dilemmas."

Science fiction novels often reflect issues of race and gender in ways that realistic novels cannot. In a fantasy world, Braithwaite says, “it is possible for a writer to ponder the question of why we have gender in the first place."Sci-fi writer Ursula K. Le Guin, for example, expounds upon this idea by creating a genderless popula­ tion in her popular novel, The Left Hand o f Darkness. For years, the genre has made it possible for readers to imagine a world that operates on a completely different and better level. "Even Star Trek, early on, showed blacks and whites working along­ side each other in a way that contempo­ rary genres wouldn't have allowed," Straw claims. “It [Science Fiction] offers problems for solving contemporary problems in a fu­ ture world."

But are we running from our prob­ lems by trying to escape in books? "Abso­

lutely not,"says Nystrom, who believes that escapism is not such a negative idea. "Fan­ tasies," according^to Nystrom, "are just as interesting as reailties. Fictional worlds aim to reorder the world of reality. We need to focus on that reorder." Science Fiction, per­ ceives Nystrom, is not about avoiding real­ ity, it is about "real life concerns played out in a different kind of way."

Escapism is more than convenient; it is essential. "I don't think that the negative connotations of escapism really do justice to the fact that everyone needs a fantasy life,"claims Braithwaite. "We need a place to explore different sides of our identity with­ out the negative repercussions of what would happen in the real world.” After reading Harry Potter, who does not want to be a wizard?

"People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff."(Stephen King) "Part of what popular fiction does," says Braithwaite, "is... making us think about things that happen in our lives, whether they're big and catastrophic or personal dilemmas. They [genre novels] become a kind of therapy of being able to think about, read about and talk about these issues from different kinds of positions."

Braithwaite, a self-proclaimed fan of Janet Evanovich mysteries, notes that "people tend to gravitate to certain kinds of genres that offer different types of securities. We like popular genres because they're so familiar. There's a formula for how things play out." In an unstable world, a novel that reads like a formula suddenly doesn't seem so adverse to the human psyche. ■

Reaching literary climax in Montreal Find trashy novels and classics at these booked venues C l a r ic e C o n n o r s

Do you use your extra spending money to buy books you may never get around to read­ ing? Can you envision yourself 40 years from now spending three fourths of the day in your lavish mahogany library? Do you stroll along book­ store shelves just to "browse" and end up buy­ ing three unnecessary items? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have a clinical obsession with books. Don't worry; it's nothing to fret over. One should embrace such a condition.To help you along with your journey of book worming, here are some new havens to pick your pocket and increase your literary love: St-Laurent is more than a club and barlined avenue. However, one must use a keen eye to scan the street for a few hidden treasures.

The Anarchist/Alternative Bookstore, located at 2065 St-Laurent, possesses materials quite re­ flective of its name. You are greeted at the door by a guy in a huge sweater and backwards hat.

Your eye roams shelves of books hailing political upheaval and social revolt. Right when you think you've seen enough bold font titles and red book covers, your eye catches a row of t-shirts draped over a sign. Yes, they are anarchist t-shirts.

Features thinks: Get your revolutionizing reading materials here and wreak some havoc!

Farther up St-Laurent at 3878 is S. W. Welch Books. Visually appealing from the start, you enter through a tattered and worn screen door to a moderately sized room lined with books.The shop is white washed leaving only the books to fill and decorate the walls, except for one sign on a door reading "All ye who enter here beware." A table spilling over with novels displays a $1 sign.

The largest sections in the shop are devoted

to fictional literature and world/travel. Welch's books are typically old editions-a 1980s hot pink copy of Maurice by Forester pops into mind-and sell for about half the price of a new edition.

Features thinks: This neat, organized shop contains a wide variety of materials that will not burn a hole in your pocket.

Jump across town to 1439 Stanley (just above Ste-Catherine) to Odyssey Books. About the size of a large bedroom, the shop is cluttered with old, used gems. Crates of vintage records greet incoming customers as they wonder to­ ward the back wall holding racks of art auction catalogues selling for 50 per cent off. Most of the books are used and around half price. Around the corner in the film studies section, you stop short as Ingrid Bergman stares at you from the cover of Hollywood in the Forties by Charles Higham.

Features thinks: The small, yet enticing, Odyssey has something for everyone - along with affordable prices and a great location close to campus.

Meandering into Concordia territory lies Librairie Astro at 1844 Ste-Catherine - another white-washed shop in no need of decoration, thanks to a massive amount of mysteries, science fiction novels, old children's books and comic books. Racks of aged Archie and Veronica mini comic books rim the floor. As your eyes move up the book-plastered walls, they rest upon plasticwrapped vintage Superman and Tomb Raider comic books priced upwards of $10.

Features thinks: This venue suits children and adults alike. A helpful and knowledgeable staff will help you navigate the oodles of books and comics that extend far into the back room.

Hard to spot and even more difficult to navigate is Argo, located at 1915 Ste-Catherine.

About the size of a dormitory bedroom, Argo is bursting with an eclectic mix of books. A rotating rack (which the store barely seems to have room for) houses The book o f Tea by Kakuzo Okakura.

Opposite to this rack is a floor-to-ceiling wall of books sectioned by world countries and world religions. Five people in the store make it too crowded to move in comfort. However, the owner is friendly and cordial with, obviously, a book in hand.

Features thinks: Great selection and some rare finds. However, if you happen to be claus­ trophobic, skip out on the experience.

Lastly, there is the Fouberg Complex at 1616 Ste-Catherine. There were no signs indi­ cating a store name and when asked, the sales­ woman shrugged her shoulders and chuckled "giant book sale." So be it. Indeed, giant is a suit­ able adjective, for the place is huge and roomy, providing a marked contrast to Argo. Large signs designate a wide variety of topics includ­ ing architecture, sports, fashion and art. The cook book selection was surprisingly impressive.

Most books are new, yet prices appeared less than those of Indigo or Chapters. The entertain­ ment table boasted a shiny, hard cover copy of Johnny Cash's autobiography. One could easily spend forever in a place like this, especially with a sweet smelling eatery across the way in the same complex.

Features thinks:This shop is a definite must, it is extensive in selection, the help is friendly, the titles are interesting and the atmosphere is quiet despite its location.

So there you have it book lovers! Take a detour when heading to Chapters or the McGill Bookstore and explore some smaller, funkier bookshops. Browsers beware: book buying is

addictive^^ac^ourselves^^^ ^^^^^^^

A rts & E ntertainm ent film

Oldest Montreal film fest offers 'Nouveau7art Festival du Nouveau Cinéma still going strong after three decades Continued from COVER “The Bothersome Man is a surreal satire about living in an IKEA world in Norway. This guy gets dropped off in a wasteland, transported to the city, and offered a job, a place to live and even a lover. While everyone is always smiling and happy, a series of strange things happen. It's a really funny movie about a world of smiling people in Scandinavia. Highly recommend it."

"Darratt is a movie from Chad, a country where very few movies come from. It's a fascinating story about a young boy who moves to a small town looking for the murderer of his fa­ ther. However, this man ends up befriending him and takes him on as his son. However, there is this tension throughout the film as to when all hell's going to break loose, when he's going to seek vengeance."

"I highly recommend Peter Pan Formula, beautifully directed

by Chang-ho Cho, about a teenager whose mother falls into a coma and abandons the family. He then becomes so infatuated with the woman who lives across the street to the point of con­ stantly masturbating about her and finally ends up having a re­ lationship with her."

“Son o f Man is an interesting film by Mark Dornford-May, who did the film that won the Silver Bear Award at the World

Film Festival last year in Berlin. This movie takes the story of Jesus and turns it to the town of Suetta in South Africa, acted by an all black cast - very unusual."

"There is also a mind-blowing documentary called Rampage, about an ultra-violent neighborhood in Miami.The film follows a family full of hip-hoppers who are involved in daily life-threaten­ ing wars to the point of bullets flying throughout the shooting of the movie... The director had just came back from Baghdad and said that it is tamer there and much less violent than what he has seen in Miami!"

In addition to the international competition, there is also the Special Presentation section composed of reputable and already-known directors around the world. Lobel recommends the Taiwanese / Don't Want to Sleep Alone, "a gorgeously shot and framed meditation on loneliness and desire," set in the swamp­ land of Australia 1,000 years ago, Ten Canoes, and Flandres, a Cannes hit that focuses that explores human relationships from the Normandy countryside to the Middle East.

Other festival features include International Panorama (films that have all enjoyed success in their own country before landing here in Canada), Focus Quebec/Canada (an all-new section this year added due to all the world attention Quebec cinema has

been receiving in recent years), Temps (in its third year promot­ ing genre cinema and animations), Shorts (with films competing for the NFB Short Film Award), Retrospectives/ Tributes (com­ memorating four 20th century directors who have made signifi­ cant contributions to cinema) and Open Source (a public forum that includes a series of exhibits, talks and workshops).

"There is bound to be something for everybody at this fes­ tival." Lobel points out. When asked what is the one thing that sets this year apart from previous years, he answers ruefully, "the one thing that stands out in my mind is that after all the turbu­ lence of the past few .years, the scandals around film festivals and with movies coming and going, we are still here. Not only are we not fading away, we are growing stronger in quantity, with phenomenal selections in so many genres. If you are somebody who loves movies, this is the major event of the year, because you have the opportunity in 10 days, to see some of the greatest films played around the world this year." ■ The 35th Festival du Nouveau Cinema runs Oct. 18-28 at ExCentris, Imperial Cinema, Cinéma Parallèle, Cinémathèque Québé­ coise, and Just For Laughs Museum. For more information, checkout

www.nouveaucinema.ca.

Jules (Arnaud Mouithys) helps his down-on-his-luck father find his long-lost Quebec family Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) seduces in V o lve r, the latest from B a d E d u c a tio n director Pedro Almodovar. in C o n g o ra m a .

POP RHETORIC

Time to strip-search Nickelbackfans M elissa P rice o, a couple of weeks ago a friend and I were standing in a very long line at the savoury St. Laurent/St. Cat's intersection, waiting to get into a Covenant concert.

Covenant is a semi-decent Swedish synth trio favoured by those weirdos who like to wear black and dance funny.

After a good half hour of being menaced by pimps, with the second opening band starting up and the line behind us showing no sign of shortening, we finally made it inside and discovered the cause of this snail-like procession: in exchange for our tickets, everyone was being treated to an uncommonly thorough full-body frisking.

Silly me, I thought we'd been through this already. If— as I can only assume— these extra security measures were a response to the recent tragedy at Dawson College, then man, is somebody missing the point. Despite the fact that the media has, for the most part, made a deliberate effort to focus on Kimveer Gill's troubled psychological state, the continuing barbed references to his style of dress, taste in music and involvement in the vampirefreaks.com community make it quite clear that all of these are still seen as factors.

S

And guys, it's not the freaking music. Listening to Megadeth doesn't make otherwise well-adjusted people open fire on an atrium full of innocent people. Nor does it make otherwise moody, morbid people do things like that— otherwise, everyone who's ever attended a metal concert would be dead or dying. Equally, there are people who can listen to Marilyn Manson's "Get Your Gunn" [sic], stomp out some aggression for a few minutes and then go frolic peacefully and happily in the hills.

Which brings me to another point: one can only wear latex bondage pants for so long before they start to chafe.

There were a lot of people at that Covenant concert and they can't all work at record shops, bars and piercing places.

This can only mean that during the day, goths walk among us— often disguised as regular people no more likely to shoot down a school than your average citizen!

Seriously, though. Those kids on vampirefreaks do actually leave their computer screens once in a while and have lives in the real world (well, most of them). And— surprise!— they tend to listen to "regular" music from time

to time. Who's to say that the more depressing or more violent music is to blame for the views of certain individuals in this poorly-defined, heterogeneous group? After all, the last album Kurt Cobain ever listened to was REM's Automatic for the People, which containins the anti-suicide ballad "Everybody Hurts."

So, if the powers that be are convi need that they're going to catch the next Kimveer lugging his or her assault rifle to a concert, perhaps they should broaden their horizons. One of Nickelback's more aptly named tunes, "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"— bravo Chad!— contains the lyrics, "A couple of sounds that I really like/Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike." I'd suggest patting fans down for illegal knives at their next show. And the Killers have that song, "Under the Gun", not to mention the fact that they're called the Killers. Besides, in the age of iPods, everybody listens to everything. You never know in which audience an undercover goth might be lurking.

Better bring Out the metal detectors for Celine Dion— I know she threatens to push me over the edge. ■

17.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 17 FILM

*

Trailing the mind behind O n t h e T r a i l o f I g o r R iz z i

Mitrani spills on true value of film degree Pa m e l a F il u o n

Meeting Noël Mitrani, writer, pro­ ducer and director, proves to be quite the experience. He is a casual, friendly, smooth talking man and the passion he has for his work is immediately rec­ ognizable and enticing. The following questions and answers are taken from a thirty minute interview taking place at Excentris theatre in light of the 35th Festival du Nouveau Cinema and the presentation of Mitrani's first fea­ ture film, Sur les Traces d'Igor Rizzi {On

a bit with a number of directors and producers. I saw many films. Cinema isn't necessarily learnt in school.

Is there a certain director or piece of work that really captivated your attention or influenced you the most?

The director who has really made me think that cinema was interesting is Elia Kazan. Notably, I read his auto­ biography, Une Vie. It is a monument to cinema. When we finish this book and we want to work in cinema, ev­

Jean-Marc (Laurent Lucas) literally clutches on to his soccer-star past.

the Trail o f Igor Rizzi) starring Laurent

Lucas, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Emmanuel Bilodeau and Isabelle Blais.

Firstly, l would like to ask you how you have arrived where you are today in your career? You have stud­ ied History and Philosophy and then worked in Press illustration. What path did you take and how did you arrive at making Trailing Ig o r Rizzi?

At the beginning, I started out by. writing around the age of 25.1started writing a novel first. Then one day, I met a director in France who started talking to me about his field of work and it interested me. At first, I had no intention of working in cinema.

I was interested in writing, painting and illustration but I was not thinking about cinema at all. However, he had a way of talking about his craft that made me want to think about cin­ ema. Since he was a director and he was saying he needed help for writ­ ing. The two first things I did were to first write a television project for the Italian writer Dino Buzzati and then à documentary on a musician called Jean Francaix, with an'x'attheend not an 's' [Laughs], who is a great classical composer who is now deceased. So we worked on these projects. These things initiated me to writing. After this, I started working on scenarios, dialogues; I wrote dialogues, I helped with two scenarios and then one I wrote my first short film (AfterShave ).

Since it worked well, I started making more and very soon started wanting to make a feature film.

erything is present. Kazan knew how to use cinema to say brilliant things that touch upon such things as psy­ choanalysis. Really, he is the one who launched James Dean and Marlon Brando [Laughs happily]. Movies like East o f Eden and On the Waterfront.

Where did the inspiration for

On the Trail o f Ig o r Rizzi come from?

In fact, the starting point is the sentiment of remorse; the loss of time, the feeling that you didn't do what you had to do and that it is too late. It is probably the sentiment that works me the most at this moment person­ ally. I am constantly regretting actu­ ally. I must say that the way I advance intellectually always passes through the notion of regret and remorse. I am always saying things like I didn't show I love this person enough, I didn't do this or that, etc. Thus, the moment I was put in the position of making a feature film, for me, it was natural to make a movie that spoke of this.

Then is there a little of your per­ sonal life in the movie?

There is a lot. Maybe a little too much.

One scene that I find particu-

larly interesting is when Michael (Pierre-Luc Brillant), who has lost his wallet, kicks the chess board in front of Jean-Marc (Laurent Lucas).

The look of utter defeat on Laurent Lucas' face is absolutely wonderful.

Was this his interpretation, improvi­ sation, or did you tell him to do so?

What is important is that the movie is not improvised whatsoever.

Not at all. Often we say that what's cool is improvised, etc. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Everything we see in the movie is already decided, worked. Taking into consideration the little budget we had for this movie, we could not permit ourselves to im­ provise. We had to prepare this film enormously. The expression Laurent Lucas makes is magnificent and that is due to his actor's genius. For me he is a formidable actor. The indication I gave him for this scene was that Mi­ chael was going to kick into the chess game and that he, Jean Marc, was to look at him with total powerlessness, not to take action. The result is what Laurent gave, which is due to his act­ ing genius.

You mentioned that it was im­ portant to you that people under­ stand what you were trying to say.

What were your intentions in On the Trail? What message were you trying to get across?

What I was trying to show was...

It's funny because I'm not a believer, I don't have a religion. However, I've found that the more time goes by, the more I believe in the mystical. A belief that is inferior to the religious sentiment but superior to the mate­ rialist sentiment. Like there is a tran­ scendent justice which is why it is important for me to say in the end that it isn't human justice that killed McCoy but a sort of fate or destiny. I love the idea that sometimes man has the impression it controls everything but this is not,the case. There is some­ thing beyond that, not necessarily god, but some kind of mystique. Most of all, the notion that at the end Jean Marc suffers from the loss of his wife and goes on a downward spiral when accepting to kill Igor Rizzi and then realizes that if he wants to climb back up, he must do good. I thinkthat hap­ piness is related to some kind of moral of what is good. ■ For m ore in fo rm a tio n on N oël M itra n i o r On the Trail of Igor Rizzi v isit www.surlatracedigorrizzi.com.

COMPILED BY CRYSTAL CHAN

Film. Kenneth Anger, Oct. 19 at 12 a.m.; Concordia

University, Cinéma J.A. De Sève, J.W. McConnell (1400 D Maisonneune O.). The avant-garde director of films such as Scorpio Rising, Kenneth Angerwill be at Concordia University presenting a public master class and to answer audience questions. In his long career, the director has rubbed shoulders profession­ ally or personally with names such as Jean Cocteau, Alfred Kinsey, Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page.The pre­ sentation will be followed by a screening of the Elio Gemini documentary Anger Me, a film that focuses on discussions with Anger about his inspirations and secrets. The screening will be held at Imperial Cinema (1430 Bleury, right off Ste-Catherine) at 3 p.m.

Science. Wolves and Werewolves, Oct.19 at 4 p.m.; Auditorium, Redpath Museum (859 Sherbrooke Q.).The second installment of McGill's Freaky Friday science lectures takes place this Friday.This week's features a presentation by Dr. Murray Humphries, a McGill Natural Resource Sciences wildlife biologist.

The talk will be followed by a screening of Ameri­ can Werewolf in London, showcasing the gory, fun side of Animal House director John Landis. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds will go towards building a giant origami Pteranodon winged dinosaur, con­ structed by the world-famous Robert Lang. The Pteranodon will be up in the museum in spring 2007. This is the oppurtunity to satisfy your werewolf knowledge cravings in time for Halloween.

Theatre. Iphigenia 2.0, Oct. 17-21 at 730 p.m.; Hydro-Quebec Studio of the Monument-Na­ tional (1182 St-Laurent). The National Theatre School is staging American playwright and historian Charles L. Mee's Iphigenia 2.0, a mod­ ern political take on the classic Greek play by Eurpides. The story revolves around a powerful state power that instigates a world war, leading to the possibility of the collapse of the entire empire. To appease his troops, Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to prove his loyalty. Tickets are $7. Call (514) 871-2224 for tickets and more information.

Literature. Lullabies for Little Criminals, released Oct. 5 in Canada. Look out for buzz on this novel after its Oct. 17 American release date. This is the first foray into the world of the novel for poet and screenwriter Heather O'Neill. The au- ________________________________ thor was selected

by Barnes & Noble lullabiesforlittlecriminals as one of the best HEATHEROSE1LL new writers of — the season and ■ I the novel was featured in People magazine this fall. The book is a stark but comic coming of age story of 13year-old Baby on the streets of Mon­ treal.

See page 7.

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You have not done your studies in cinema then?

No, I have not studied in cinema but in my case it is a little bit the'auto­ didacte complex.' Since I did no stud­ ies, I ended up learning more than I would have if l-had gone: I read an incredible number of books on cin­ ema and on directors. I talked quite

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Dealing with regret and remorse: guns, cabbage, and a man with a mission.

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The McGill Tribune

18 • Arts & Entertainment • 17.10.06 LITERATURE

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Two Time, the latest page-turner

by Chris Knopf, details a gripping high-profile Southhampton murder.

The novel is so full of charming dia­ logue, wit and rich description that the reader feels as if they are cozying into their own Adirondack chair right alongside the characters.

The excitement begins almost immediately as Sam Acquillo finds himself completely immersed in the investigation surrounding the mur­ der of Jonathan Eldridge, a wealthy financial consultant. Though Sam would much rather lounge around at home, he cannot help being roped in to the murder case by his police of­ ficer friend Joe Sullivan and of course, by a healthy bit o f]. Sam tries to sort out the plethora of facts surrounding the murder, all while constructing an addition to his humble home, keep­ ing in touch with his hostile daugh­ ter and juggling a rocky relation­ ship with his love interest, Amanda.

However, when Joe Sullivan is found passed out in Sam's backyard with a knife in his chest, the murder scandal

takes top priority and the readers are whisked off on an exciting journey of deception, skewed identities, greed and betrayal.

Knopf along with his wife, is the owner of a marketing communica­ tions agency. Writing, however, is more than just a hobby for him: "It's my obsession, a compulsion. It's my natural way. Even when I was young and reading books, I always wanted to make the words myself' With a family of "bookish English majors," who, undoubtedly had a huge influ­ ence on Knopf, writing seemed like the natural thing to do. Though he has only one other novel to his credit CTwo Time's prequel The Last Refuge), there are more books on the way and his popularity is sure to grow.

Two Time reads like a film-noir detective story, with its smooth dia­ logue and equally suave protagonist.

As a result, the novel moves along with remarkable speed. Sam is per­ haps the most interesting of the di­ verse and engaging cast of characters.

Even though he seems like a tough, self-assured guy, he's actually afraid to open up to those he loves the most,

Be one of the first to pass by our offices Room 110 Shatner Building with this ad for your chance to win passes to the Montreal advance screening of Running With Scissors ANNETTE BENING

BRIAN COX

JOSEPH FIENNES

EVAN RACHEL WOOD

ALEC BALDWIN

JILL CLAYBURGH

JOSEPH CROSS

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However, what preoccupied me the most about the adaptation of the book into film was the possible level of seriousness that I found to be present on screen. Where in the novel, Dr. Finch asking Mrs. Burroughs whether constipation might be a symptom other failing marriage and decling mental health may be read as side splittingly funny, the camera seems to dwell too long on Bening's anguished face for the viewer to have any hope of draw­

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delivers adventure ing the same humorous conclusion. As the film went on, I felt with impending dread that with the intent of draw­ ing a larger, yet majoritarily illiterate film-going public, the film's producers might have wanted it to conform to such other dysfunctional family genre films such as Garden State or the Royal Tenenbaums. A shot of Bening's face bifurcated by the mirror of a medicine cabinet full of pills seemed air lifted from Zach Baff's Garden State.

However, as Burroughs later remarked in an interview,"it wasn't important that every single phrase or person ap­ peared in the m ovie.. .what I wanted was to incorporate the spirit of the book so that viewers could leave having felt what it was like [to be m e ]... I write in order to un­ derstand and to move past something emotionally and I think the movie accomplishes that."

Bearing this in mind, bring on Augusten's 35-yearold lover, the mentally ill Neil Bookman screaming his poem "The Angry Nun" to a group of terrified feminist poetesses. Revel in Dr. Finch's assertion that "my turd is a direct communication from the Holy Father!" because if Burroughs believes the film's unapologetic use of hu­ mour in handling taboo topics such as child abuse and mentally ill and alcoholic parents is spot-on, it ought to be good enough for everybody. Running With Scis­ sors will surely join Thank You For Smoking as one of the funniest films of 2006, embracing serious topics in a humorous manner. And if you feel the level, of homo­ sexual intercourse or distasteful subject matter isn't for you, then, as Dr. Finch remarks to Augusten on faking a suicide attempt to skip school, "where is your spirit of adventure?" ■

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"Dear Journal, what can I say? He drove a cool car," remarks a certain 13-year-old boy by the name of Augusten Burroughs in the new movie adaptation of the memoir Running With Scissors. Having read Burroughs' reminiscences of a homosexual boy with a .35-year-old boyfriend growing up in western Massachusetts in the late 70s, I was readily expecting golden phrases such as the former in the film's adaptation. To this extent it did not disappoint. With Burroughs'witty recounting of a bi­ zarre and dark childhood being faithfully translated to film, from the erratic Dr. Finch's (Brian Cox) tour of'the maturbatorium'to Augusten's own wish to be treated as a normal child by declaring "I want to be grounded for sleeping with a 35- year-old schizophrenic." Superb performances range from Annette Bening as Augusten's neurotic poetess mother Deidre Burroughs, to newcom­ er Joseph Cross as Augusten himself. Evan Rachel Wood is Finch's least favourite daughter Natalie, who reminds us how unlucky we are to live in the 21st century where smoking on screen, coupled with a good deal of eye shadow, can no longer be seen as sexy and seductive.

In Theaters This Fall

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Author Chris Knopf describes his writing as "an obsession, a compulsion."

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ruption, compelling characters and beautiful scenery with a little bit of ro­ mance on the side. As a lighthearted read while on the beach or the boat, Two Time delivers impressively. ■

FILM

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last. These are, however, only petty criticisms of a thrilling novel to keep readers on the edges of their seats.

Two Time boasts all the qualities of a perfect crime novel: wealth and cor­

namely his daughter - with w hom he exchanges abrupt, to-the-point let­ ters - and his girlfriend, Amanda. With the resolution of the murder, though, Sam comes to realize how he must treat his loved ones and on what, ex­ actly, he has been missing out. Critics praise Knopf for his talent with a col­ loquial, but clever, dialogue. His de­ scriptive skills are just as brilliant: He paints a beautiful picture in readers' minds of the summer atmosphere and the serenity of the Little Peconic Bay. One of the author's goals for the book was to emphasize the natural beauty of Southampton, rather than focus on the celebrities w ho vacation there. Knopf says, "I wanted to evoke the mood of such a beautiful place.... it's physically exquisite. [Even] the air is beautiful."

Knopf's intricate descriptions of carpentry or wordy explana­ tions of financial terms can seem a bit dry; especially if the reader is a young woman with no interest in the differences between mahogany and poplar. Moreover, the format of each chapter seems rhythmic after some time, as each one mirrors the

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www.mcgilltribune.com

17.10.06 • Arts & Entertainment • 19

FILM

Reviews

A new Versailles Coppola brings history be...urn, a-head J e n n if e r B a r t o l i

Audiences have been eagerly awaiting Sofia Coppo­ la's new film since her last offering, the critically acclaimed Lost in Translation debuted. Unexpectedly, Coppola brings us from the neon lights of the streets of Tokyo to the glit­ tering hallways of Versailles. In Marie-Antoinette we find a movie starring the most famous and controversial queen of France, filmed entirely in Versailles, and yet with an Ameri­ can director, an almost entirely English-speaking cast and starring Kirsten Dunst. Needless to say, the unconventional Marie-Antoinette was one of the most highly anticipated films at the Cannes Festival this spring.

Marie-Antoinette's life in Versailles, is accurately pre­ sented in the film as one of courtly constraints as well as one of leisure and pleasure. Coppola nevertheless at­ tempts to modernize the Versailles experience for her au­ dience, through a surrealist depiction of bourgeois rituals of the time. The numerous shots of colourful macaroons and decadent 12 course meals, along with vast collections of shoes, corsets, wigs and pearls of the Queen and the rich décor of the castle make for a pleasurable and eclec­ tic visual experience. For anyone who has visited Versailles and seen its salons and luxurious apartment, at a distance, the movie allows for an intimate rediscovery of the palace, making the gaiierie des glaces once again a place for every­ day encounters.

And yet, while gorgeous set pieces are a staple of any period movie, Marie-Antoinette is rife with anachronism.

The unusual musical selection eschews historical norms, mingling the usual classical score with modern pop music.

When the young princess is seen running through the corridors of Versailles accompanied by a fervent Franz Fer­ dinand tune, the halls take on a whole new dimension.

Likewise visually, a shot detailing meticulously accurate 18th-century shoe wear is interrupted by a mauve All Star Converse sneaker, a token of present-day fashion. Through these anachronisms, Coppola upsets the ritualized tone often associated with the French monarchy in quite a play­ ful manner. She offers a modern, au gout du jour image of the court, stripping away the grandness of its historical context in an earnest attempt to make the experience of Marie-Antoinette relevant to one of a teenager today.

These original prolepses lose their appeal, however,

J

— Emily Dolmans

M a rie -A n to in e tte is a visual treat for the masses. when they reach into characterization: Coppola tries to mold Marie-Antoinette into a modern teenager who most­ ly wants to go out, have fun, meet boys and who cannot bear the burden courtly life has set out for her. The very concept of the teenager as we know it was foreign to Eu­ ropean culture at the time, and through a mix of early ar­ ranged marriages, lower life expectancy and the normalcy of bearing children before the age of 20, young ladies were thrust into the adult world early on. Eighteenth-century practices did not allow for today's evolving adolescent, and in her time, Marie-Antoinette was considered solely as the most important French lady, not a young girl who needed to discover herself as a woman. A misrepresentation of the social interactions of the time in the movie suggests oth­ erwise.

Coppola undoubtedly fell in love with her protagonist once again. As in the Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, Coppola shows us a female character who does not quite fit into her environment, a young woman unsure of the di­ rection she should be taking, but who somehow gains our trust and compassion. Fiowever, unlike its fiction project precedents, Marie-Antoinette poses the dilemma of histori­ cal accuracy. The movie must be seen as an artistic prod­ uct, a fantasy of surrealistic imagery loosely based upon the last French regency and not an accurate portrayal ofthe last queen of France. ■ — Marie Antoinette opens in theatres this Friday.

FILM

Scorsese scores (finally) Blurring the line between cop and crimina B en L e m ie u x

All things considered, Martin Scorsese hasn't made a decent feature film in over a decade. Gangs o f New York seemed excessively brutal and utterly pointless, Bringing out the Dead sank like a stone and The Aviator, for all the ac­ colades draped over it, hardly served its biographical pur­ poses adequately and was a remarkably boring film.

The Departed seemed as if it might also suffer the same pitfalls as Scorsese's other recent work: an all-star cast put to bad use, characters too jaggedly sketched-out and unrealistic for the audience to relate, perhaps even a script that could not maintain itself over a span of two hours or more. Thankfully, this will not be Scorsese's last gasp as a once-revered, now tired and ragged filmmaker, but a glori­ ous comeback that all directors should be so lucky to ex­ perience.

Scorsese did well to stick with a simple, tried-and-true premise this time around. Echoing an infamous phrase from the Rolling Stones'"Sympathy forthe Devil,"Jack Nich­ olson's seedy, virulent crime boss Frank Costello explains to a young Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) early in the film, "When I was your age, they would say you could become cops or criminals. What I'm saying is this: When you're fac­ ing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"

That single sentence sets the stage for a dramatic, morbidly engrossing film that explores the very fine line (if any) between cop and crook, and more broadly, what it means to be faithful to a group, an ideology or another human being. Costello's mob manages to infiltrate the grown-up, wily Sullivan into the State Troopers'Organized Crime division, basically insuring several more decades of unchecked, elusive drug trafficking and murder for the south Boston Irish mafia. The hook, however, is that Capt.

Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignan (MarkWahlberg) manage to plant a mole of their own within Costello's

Billy Klippert - Naked and Simple Truth. Some people might be a little skep­ tical of the kind of music reality television shows generate, and in most cases this is understandable. Not so with Billy Klippert! This guy is loud, bitter and just happens to have made it to third place in Canadian Idol, 2003. His sophomore album, Naked and Simple Truth, fuses guitar-fueled crescendos with a voice that sounds sort of like an angry Bono after having smoked a dozen Marlboros, minus the to-die-for Irish accent. His songs deal with psychotic lovers, glory days, nicotine and life's little problems... traditional rock'n'roller jive. But that's the problem: Klippert sounds just like every other rock singer. He doesn't bring anything particularly new to the table. A lot of his songs sound the same as things past, and yet they lack the depth and development that stronger mu­ sicians have delivered. Some of the tracks are more than likely to grab your attention, particularly "She comes in waves," which provides a welcome relief from some of the more lumbering songs. It's surprisingly melodic and sensi­ tive, and shows that this guy has some promising .talent. For the most part, however, all his songs are a little derivative. The album is a solid effort, surpris­ ingly so, but this ground has already been tread upon.

gang, fresh-faced Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), a bright young academy graduate who broke free of a highprofile criminal family. The rest is betrayal upon deception upon double-cross, as characters' motives are perpetually unclear and the games don't stop until everyone is in a body bag.

There are no flubs with casting this time around. Leon­ ardo DiCaprio simply oozes intensity in what is inarguably his most effortlessly commanding performance since his adolescent role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? His ability to endear himself to the audience while simultaneously con­ veying profound psychological suffering and latent bru­ tality as a result of years of misdeeds while a member of Costello's gang is mesmerizing and will doubtlessly stand among the strongest turns of 2006. Scorsese wisely enlists the talents of Vera Farmiga whose performance opposite Adrian Brody in 2004's Dummy was among the more gor­ geously nuanced in recent memory to portray Madolyn, police psychiatrist and Sullivan's girlfriend who later finds herself drawn to Costigan while attempting to treat his anxiety. Alec Baldwin flexes his comedic muscles as the eccentric, Y-chromosome-driven chief of the Organized Crime division with prime results, and Wahlberg, Damon, Sheen and the gruff Ray Winstone all give believable, note­ worthy performances.

Nicholson's demented Costello is the real icing on the cake here. He stands out as a man who is both staggeringly barbaric-physically as well as psychologically-and, at times, among the most vulnerable characters in the film. His ability to play his trademark, oddball comedy and subtly frighten an audience within the same onscreen exchange is beyond deft; it should be recognized as legendary. ■ The Departed is the must-see of the season. If you can stomach the twists, turns and violence, you cannot pos­ sibly be disappointed.

Trey Anastasio - Bar 17. Jam-rock demigod Trey Anastasio revisits famil­ iar territory with his new studio album, his second solo outing since the 2004 breakup of Phish, a rift that left devotees of the world's most popular touring group in a sort of musical limbo.Though Anastasio's new album ain't Phish, it is a multifaceted and mature effort from one the finest guitarists of our time.

The album is much more ambitious than last year's Shine, which was more of a vehicle for Trey's sophomoric, overly-sentimental lyrics than the freewheeling guitar noodling and complex song structure for which he is best known. The textured melodies of songs like Bar 17s opener, "Host Across the Potomac/'the sprawling prog-rock exploration of "Goodbye Head," the toe-tapping crunchy funk and big brass boom of "Mud City" and the album's first single, "Dragon­ fly"— a balls-out radio-friendly rocker— are sure to appease fans of Anastasio's scrupulously layered songwriting style. On the other end, sweeping, more leisurely-paced tunes such as "A Case of Ice and Snow,” "Cincinnati" and the title track provide a forum for Trey's trademark brand of improvisational guitar wizardry. Though at times tame by Phish standards, Bar 17 marks Trey's move away from the sappy, generic and borderline-adult-contemporary sound that pervaded Shine. Recorded over a course of three years and featuring accom­ paniment by Phish bandmates Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, as well as John Medeski, the Benevento/Russo Duo and literally dozens of others, Bar 17 is well-plotted album that highlights Anastasio's growth as both songwriter and solo performer.

—John Semiey Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood - Out Louder. The latest effort from the cerebral jazz-bop trio of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood marks a reunion with guitar legend John Scofield, with whom MMW had collaborated on Scofield's 1997 album, A Go Go. Sonically, the album sounds like the free-jazz cousin of MMW's 2004 album End o f the World Party (Justin Case). Scofield's uninhibited guitar style intermingles well with Medeski's keyboard leads, providing entrancing melodies to the album's! 2 tracks. The opening piece, "Little Walter Rides Again," is a bluesy, Memphisstyle piece that sets the stage nicely for the following songs, which run the gamut from free-jazz to surf-rock to funk. Worthy of particular praise are the loose, barely recognizable covers of Lennon/McCartney's"Julia"and Peter Tosh's "Legalize It.'The band moves into the territory of epic free-jazz with songs like "Hanuman" and "Down the Tube" and do so comfortably. At times, however, Out Louder seems too restrictive to Scofield, and as a result, a lot of songs end up sounding more like MMW with a guitarist than the envelope-pushing exploratory bee-bop infused jazz that one would expect from a collaboration between these four musicians. Though an excellent recording by MMW standards, Out Louder leaves the listener hoping that future collaborations with a guitarist as ingeniously adept as Scofield will yield something wholly new and experimental, not just groovy and agreeable.

—John Semiey

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McGill emerges in overtime thriller Martin pots sudden-death winner D a v id C a m p a n a

It took a while, but in a game that had been deadlocked for over an hour it was McGill that finally broke the stalemate, scor­ ing the first and only goal of Saturday's tense contest against rival Université de Québec a Trois-Rivières. At 1:04 of the extra frame, Cap­ tain Benoit Martin's deflected a point shot by defenseman David Urquhart capping a night of physical play and offensive frustration for the men in red and white.

"I just saw Urquhart get the puck at the blue line and I knew he was going to shoot it," Martin said. "We practiced that the week be­ fore— just to move the puck and that's exactly what happened. Fortunately the puck went in."

Goaltenders deliver the goods

Despite the low score, the 512 spectators on hand at McConnell Arena were treated to a fast-paced game that saw both team's at­ tacks shut down by solid goaltending. McGill's Mathieu Poitras pitched his first shutout of the new season after recording seven last year. Poi­ tras withstood a barrage of UQTR chances in a frenzied third period as the two teams com­ bined for 24 shots.

Plead Coach Martin Raymond was pleased with his team's performance, while giving cred­ it to Poitras for his tremendous night in goal.

"I thought we played really strong but definitely Mathieu made some really key saves again, and he certainly deserved his shutout tonight," Raymond said. "Just from the fact that he shut down their first line, who were getting about half their team's ice time tonight."

Not to be outdone though, UQTR goalie Dany Dallaire was impeccable up until the game's final shot. His stellar play kept the Pa­ triotes in the contest, even though McGill outshot its opponents 46-21. In the end though, like most hot goaltenders, it took a screened shot to beat him.

"Actually I didn't see the puck," Dallaire said. "I think Martin tipped it right in front of me but I didn't see it."

Martin has come to be a thorn in UQTR's

side, having scored the game-winner in the last three meetings between the clubs, includ­ ing a double-OT thriller in last year's playoffs.

"It's a great feeling scoring in OT; even more againstTrois-Rivières,"Martin said.

Rough and tumble start

Physical play was the name of the game early on as both teams threw their weight around, punctuated by a first-minute check which drove a Redman through the Zamboni door. However, not all of the big hits were legal as the two sides combined for 15 penalties. Mc­ Gill was the more "disciplined" squad, commit­ ting only five infractions to UQTR's 10.

Although they didn't score on any of their man advantages, the Redmen used their power playtime early on to dictate the play and grab momentum. The pace of the game slowed down considerably when the Redmen took back-to-back penalties midway through the first. Yet UQTR failed to generate many quality chances as McGill's penalty kill defended well and pursued the puck aggressively.

Smooth finish

In the second frame, McGill drew seven penalties and spent most of the period on the attack, outshooting UQTR 21 to 6. The Red 'n'White had their chances to score but sim­ ply couldn't solve Dallaire. To his credit, Coach Raymond kept his team from hitting the panic button and becoming over-aggressive.

"You don't have to chase the goal," Ray­ mond said. "You have to keep doing the things you've been doing the whole game that have made you successful. Then hopefully the goal will come."

The third act saw McGill's best scoring chances of the evening. Forward Lucas Madill made a great one-on-one move to create a semi-breakaway midway through the period, but couldn't beat Dallaire to the blocker side.

Shortly thereafter, Martin nearly broke the tie as he rang one off the post from the right slot with seven minutes left in regulation.

The team showed no lingering fatigue from an impressive 8-3 win over Concordia the night before, and seemed especially pleased

VLADIMIR EREMIN

Although stopped in regulaton time, McGill solves Dany Dallaire in OT. to have played so well against one of its big­ gest rivals.The win was all the more important for the Redmen as they are already anticipat­ ing a race with UQTR for first place and home ice going into the playoffs.

McGill's next game will be Tuesday night, when the Redmen host the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Last year, McGill went 3-0-1 against a strong Ottawa squad, with all four games decided by two goals or less. ■

THIRD MAN IN

Damn Yankees? ire Torre. Trade A-Rod. Dump Johnson. These sugges­ tions littered sports sections across the continent this past week after the New York Yankees'four game de­ mise in the ALDS to the Detroit Tigers. Now, it seems, that everyone and their grandma has their own way to fix the Yankees and take them back to their glory years of 19962000 when they won four World Series. Yet these critics ignored the most obvious solution: stand pat.

The 2006 Yankees had the best record in baseball in an extremely difficult American League. They won 97 games despite the fact that two all-star calibre outfielders, Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield, played a combined 90 games. This season would be considered a success for any other team in baseball, yet people insist that the Yankees are in need of a makeover. In the late nineties, people grew accustomed to the Yankees winning the World Series, but recently they have only been winning division titles and the occasional playoff series— results considered unsatis­ factory by Yankee Nation.

Of course, like all things in sports, we find it neces­ sary to blame someone for this ineptitude. We need

F

a ready made Yankee scapegoat, despite the fact that baseball, last I checked, was still a team game, and not an individual one. Joe Torre didn't play any baseball this series, Alex Rodriguez wasn't responsible for the Yankees giving up five and a half runs per game, and the Big Unit wasn't culpable for the Yankees lack of scoring. In fact, the only individual who should get blamed for this loss is Lady Luck as in a five game series anything can happen.

When the Yankees opened the regular season 1-4, the critics were silent, they weren't up in arms because the Yankees were on pace to get 32 wins. In April, everyone un­ derstands the old adage, "It's a marathon and not a sprint."

Teams have winning streaks, teams have losing streaks.Once October rolls around, these perceptions become invalid. If you go through a hitting slump in May, you get to hit your way out of it; in October you're a choke artist. In the post­ season, every detail becomes scrutinized. The high stakes nature of the playoffs creates a scenario where there are no average post-season players: only clutch hitters and goats.

Most people would believe this Yankees team was full of goats, while realistically they were just on the wrong side

Sam G

r eenw ood

of too many coin flips. It's still a great team.

While this conclusion isn't a satisfying one, the Yan­ kees loss, like many of their wins, was influenced by chance.

The late nineties Yankees could have been two champions short of a dynasty if Jeffrey Maier didn't catch that "home run" ball or if Jeremy Giambi had slid, rather than trotted, into home plate. This year the Yankees were on the other end of the stick; one bounce of a ground ball, one step of a base runner, and its New York and not Detroit cruising through the playoffs now. In this world of instant analysis and gratification, we come up with immediate scapegoats, when in reality, it's a ridiculous notion. Remember, this Yankees team was, arguably, the best team in baseball for 163 games; they simply had a common three-game losing streak at the wrong time.The now American League cham­ pion Tigers had a similar three-game bender against the Kansas City Royals to close the season.

Undoubtedly, the Yankees played like garbage for three games and they paid the ultimate price in baseball.

But to attempt to find one, solitary reason for the Yankee collapse is absurd. ■

17.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 21

4

FOOTBALL— REDMEN 33, SHERBROOKE 14

Connell golden against Vert et Or

FROM THE CHEAP SEATS

McGill quarterback leads Redmen to victory over Sherbrooke M

ik e

R edm en d o m in a te in second quarter

V allo

Before Matt Connell, no McGill quarterback had ever thrown for 400 yards in a game. On Saturday, the se­ nior pivot surpassed the quadruplecentury mark for the fourth time in his career and the second time this season. Connell powered the offence to 410 yards through the air and four touchdowns, as the Redmen took two

Both teams were slow out of the gate, failing to put any points on the board after the first 15 minutes. Red­ men kicker Robert Eeuwes bounced a 38-yard field goal off the crossbar for his first miss of the year. Connell also started gingerly, throwing an interception and picking up a slight injury forcing him to miss a series.

LUKAS BERGMARK

Redmen defenders swarm QB Jean-philippe Shoiry. crucial points from Sherbrooke with a 33-14 win. In the process, Connell set McGill single-season passing records for completions (151), attempts (246) and yards (1954), with two games left to play.

In front of a crowd of 1,662 at Molson Stadium, Connell was ex­ plosive, throwing two touchdowns apiece to receivers Greg Hethrington and Erik Galas. Hethrington led all re­ ceivers on the day with 11 receptions for 184 yards, while Galas had 72 yards on six catches.

"We realized that for us every game is a playoff. We had to win this one and the next two," Galas said.

"So we knew it was do or die and we pulled together as a team."

The Redmen also gained posi­ tive yardage on the ground for the first time since week three, gaining 82 yards through the ground attack.

2004 all-conference running back Mi­ chael Samman led the way for McGill, picking up 44 yards on eight carries.

"It's in our own hands,"said Head Coach ChuckM cM ann.'lfw ew in our last two games we're in the playoffs," The Redmen dedicated the win to former captain Strachan Hartley who is battling non-Hodgkin's lym­ phoma.

In the second quarter how­ ever, McGill came alive. Following a blocked Sherbrooke punt, Eeuwes converted a 20-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead. After a two-andout by Sherbrooke, the Redmen in­ creased their lead to 10 after a 47-yard bomb from Connell to Galas with 8:53 left in the half.

warning. However, the Redmen man­ aged to respond before halftime with an impressive 70-yard drive, capped off by a 13-yard toss from Connell to Hetherington that sent McGill into the half with a 17-7 lead.

M cG ill keeps it u p for a full 60

The Redmen were able to break their habit of falling apart in the sec­ ond half, adding nine points while keeping Sherbrooke off the board in the third quarter.

In the final frame, the Red 'n' White, yet again, played with fire.

With less than four minutes remain­ ing they elected to continue passing rather than run out the clock on the ground. The result was an intercep­ tion by Ludovic Kashindi, vaulting Sherbrooke back in the game. The McGill defence, however, came up big and kept the Vert et Or from capi­ talizing on the mistake.

The Redmen would add one more touchdown on a three-yard pass from Connell to Galas with 35 seconds left, making the final tally 33-14.

"I think we finally played 60 minutes," said Hethrington, who now leads the QUFL in touchdowns (5) and receiving yards (581). "We had a little bit of a scare in the beginning of the fourth quarter, but I think what we achieved in this game was playing well the whole game."

McGill travels to Antigonish, Nova Scotia this weekend to take on St. Francis Xavier before returning home to challenge Bishop's in the

M

a tt

S egal

Keep your fantasy in your head

hile digging through my drawer at home, I uncovered a football preview magazine from 1995. Somewhere in the middle there was a two-page advertisement from Fantasy Sports Inc. imploring readers to send in their player lists and $49 cheques. Prior to the Internet, that's what fantasy football was— just a bunch of geeks dissecting stats and mailing in their rosters each week. Those guys probably saw fantasy football as their trendy alter­ native to gambling and nothing more, while the rest of us just saw it as nerdy.

Then the World Wide Web got involved. The fantasy sensation rocketed through the major sports Web sites and networks, past the weekly NFL studio panels, and now into the broadcast booth of the actual games. Fantasy has finally met reality.

ESPN's own version of the utility infielder, Tony Kornheiser, was sharing his insights on the Redskins-Cowboys Monday Night Foot­ ball game when his judgment briefly lapsed. He mentioned that he was pulling for Washington wideout Santana Moss. Kornheiser, also a longtime Washington Post sportswriter, was not simply being partial to his home squad or the Beltway area. Instead,Tony revealed that he was pulling for Moss.because the receiver is on his fantasy football team.

In a moment of blatant unprofessionalism, Kornheiser used his national stage to tell us about his fantasy team. I only wish I had that kind of pulpit to scream back, "Dude, no one gives a crap about your fantasy football team!" And I like fantasy football!

This doesn't just apply to the cantankerous Kornheiser; it's af­ fected everyone. People have stopped me after class just to tell me that they watched some NFL game last Sunday only to see the backup running back steal a touchdown from their fantasy stud. I'm not in your league, I don't care. In fact, no one cares. Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind to make sure you're not punched in the face:

W

N o b o d y cares a b o u t h o w clever y o u r te a m na m e is.

My team's name is "Flock of Segals." Aren't I brilliant? Whatever you've named your team, it's probably an obvious pun or a Will Fer­ rell movie reference. Nothing that original can fit into the 25 charac­ ter maximum.

N o b o d y cares a b o u t y o u r one stroke o f draft genius.

You know that wide receiver you took in the 11th round? The one that panned out, even though no one thought he would do anything ? There are just too many variables for me to make sense of this information: the league's rules, scoring system, quality of compe­ tition, how many players start at each position, draft style and so on.

Unfortunately, your fantasy league is immaterial to my world so shut the hell up about your drafting prowess.

N o b o d y cares that y o u r w eek has co m e d o w n to th e M o n d a y n ig h t m a tch -u p .

The Giants and Cowboys will be playing on Monday night whether or not your fantasy fortunes depend on it. Therefore, i'd prefer if you didn't parade around as though their game has some cosmic connection to your Yahoo! public league.

N o b o d y cares that y o u r kicker has a bye week.

"We got it done," Connell said.

"The receivers played well and made some good catches at key times."

Sherbrooke hit back with a sixyard touchdown run by Benoit Bou­ langer right after the three-minute

final game of the season. They now find themselves tied with Sherbrooke at 2-4 fourth place in the QUFL. With only one playoff spot still up for grabs, the Redmen will likely have to run the table to make the post-season. ■

A ) W h a t to d o a b o u t N o rth K o re a ?

B) H o w d o w e f ix t h e W e s t e r n - ls la m ic s c h is m ?

C ) W h o d o I s t a r t t h is w e e k e n d a t W R ?

If y o u a n s w e r e d C firs t , t h e n c o m e t o t h e S p o r t s w r it e r s m e e t in g a t 5 :0 0 p .m . o n W e d n e s d a y a t t h e T r i b u n e o f f ic e in R o o m 1 1 0 o f t h e S h a t n e r B u ild in g .

F o r m o r e in f o r m a t io n , e m a il s p o r t s @ m c g illt r ib u n e . c o m .

Nor do we care about any other position, for that matter. Why do you feel it necessary to tell me this, especially since it's obvious there is nothing I can do to remedy this situation? Also, if this is your conversation starter, I suggest the weather. Even an awkward.silence will suffice.

Fantasy football, like wagering, is ultimately a tool to enhance the excitement and relevance of the game. If you, orTony Kornheiser, require that extra boost, I'm amenable to that. Just-don't expect the rest of us to be concerned about it. Besides, there are only 10 to 12 fantasy owners in your league who might care about this. Since I'm not one of them, you should keep this information where you keep it for that other type of fantasy— to yourself. ■

V

The McGill Tribune

2 2 -Sports - 17.10.06 BASKETBALL— MARTLETS 65, WINDSOR 49

Martlets shut down Windsor in pre-season tilt McGill defends home court, takes Redbird Classic Ricki G urwitz In only the third game of the pre-season, the Martlets have already served notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Quebec University Basketball League this season.

Relying on their on-court chemistry, speed and intensity, McGill powered its way to a third impressive win in as many games, coming from behind to dispose of Windsor by a score of 65-49.

Despite being the smaller of the two teams at the Currie Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, the Martlets refused to be dominated and instead used their energy and intensity to outhustle their opposition all over the floor.

"Size doesn’t matter," said sophomore guard Nathifa Weekes. "There's a lot of small players on our team but it doesn't make a difference. Winning is about intensity."

Though the Martlets came out strong in this d an ceju m p ­ ing out to an early 7-2 lead, the Lancers were quick to get in on the action and swing the momentum back in their favour en

route to a 38-33 lead at the half.

Windsor used their size in the low post early to go on a 10-2 run, led by forward Kim Dillon and guard Marissa Bozzeto, who combined for 21 points in the game. Head Coach Ryan Thorne was clearly not happy with his team's first half output.

"We were trying to do things individually,'Thorne said. "Ev­ eryone was trying to play the ball themselves. But once we start­ ed to help each other out and play like a team, things turned around."

McGill uses speed and defence to dominate second half The Martlets stormed back onto the court for the second period with a new strategy and renewed intensity. Using their pace, teamwork and transition game, McGill climbed back into this one before pulling ahead late with runs of 6-0 and 14-0.

"We run fast, play with heart and don't take anything from anybody," said point guard Christine Kennedy, who hit one of the few three-pointers in the game.

Meanwhile, Weekes led the way for McGill not only offen­ sively, fiercely driving to the basket undeterred by her slight stature at just s'7", but defensively as well. Matched up all game against Windsor star and All-Canadian guard Dranadia Roc, Weekes held her counterpart to a mere two points while pour­ ing in 13 of her own to go with four steals and three assists.

With the win, the Red 'n'White put themselves in excellent position to win the three-game Redbird Classic Tournament for the first time since 1996, having taken the opening salvo 77-48 the night before against RMC. McGill went on to clinch the tournament with a 77-48 vic­ tory over Ottawa on Sunday in the final fixture of the annual round-robin tournament which the Martlets hosted this week­ end Coming off a 6-10 season, this year's quick start has the girls brimming with hope. McGill will want to build on this new found confiedence next weekend when the team travels to Dalhousie for the Subway Invitational Tournament. ■

LUKAS BERGMARK

A combination of quality shooting and stifling defence propel Martlets to victory.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Are two masks better than one?

HOVE UP t H E FO O D C H A IN .

See page 7.

C o if f u r e

P ie rre B a rb e r 5 0 0 SHERBROOKE WEST LOTO QUEBEC BUILDING (BETW EEN AYLMER AND CITY COUNCILLORS)

CALL US (5 1 4 ) 8 4 4 - 1 8 3 7 ’

* S ham pooin g ,

I

C ut & B low d ry | -

B u s in e s s h o u rs :

Mon: 8 :0 0 am to 3 :0 0 pm Tues to Fri: 8 :0 0 am to 6 :0 0 pm Saturday: 8 :0 0 am to 3 :0 0 pm

It's a poolie's worst night­ mare— the goaltender platoon, 3 Despite nearly a century of convenj tional wisdom stating that a great ! hockey team absolutely must have an alpha goalie, the "new" NHL has j seen the emerging phenomenon I of two goalies splitting duties in the crease. Even the Montreal - Canadiens— a franchise made faI mous by its wealth of goaltendj ing talent— are now platooning I with two solid, yet unspectacular, j netminders in Cristobal Huet and I David Aebischer.

The rationale goes something J like, “With two good goalies, well be in every single game." But time and time again, this situation hasn't I worked out favourably. Instead of j looking at it euphemistically, let's I be honest with all these dual goal| ie situations: They are goaltending j controversies.

Teams are built for one goal­ ie— the forwards and defensemen get used to one person's playing style just as the goalie will get used to playing with the same men for J 60 to 70 games a season. By in | serting a new'tender every one or two games the familiarity, comfort j and ease that develop from it are

destroyed. To use the hometown I Habs once again, if the players I get used to Huet's tendencies one * game and then Aebischer plays ' in the next tilt, the team will be in disarray on the ice wih losses sure | to follow. With goalies, familiarity § doesn't breed contempt.

Never mind the comfort fac-1 tor of having the same guy in the : cage every night, one simply has to consider the math. If you have I one great netminder, he will play between 60 and 70 games a sea- [ son; therefore, you're looking at a I possible 50-win campaign. With two mediocre goalies playing J split time, the number in the W column will fall drastically— a fan- ! tastic goalie always beats a solid | one. Look at these situations hon -1 estly; none of the coaches in the |: NHL honestly wants to platoon. | If one goalie was better than the [ other, despite the quality of the | backup, the best goalie would simply get more starts.Teams that | win Stanley Cups have one alpha j dog in net who takes the reins | of the squad in crunch time-this f can't happen in a crowded crease, j

The two most important positions at which platooning takes place these days are, argu­ ably, running back in football and goaltender in hockey. Some teams swear by it, while others argue that it hurts team chemistry or pre­ vents either player from finding a rhythm.

While these may be valid concerns in the long run, the short term benefits of a platoon are noteworthy. First, most platoons consist of two or more uncertain commodities, be it an up-andcoming rookie paired with an aging veteran or an injury prone talent with a less flashy counter­ part. The dominant strategy in this case is to hold on to both until one emerges as the more consistent performer or to use the veteran as a teacher to allow the youngster time to qain experience. The al­

ternative for the general manager in question would be to risk it all on one player and trade away the other, pinning his job security on the outcome of that gamble in the process.

Second, it has been success­ ful in the past. The last five Super Bowls have been won by teams with multiple threats in their back fields. In the NHL meanwhile, one need only look to last season to see why platooning can be an ef­ fective practice. The Carolina Hur­ ricanes rode Martin Gerber to a second seed in the playoffs, but when he faltered they were fortu­ nate to have an insurance policy in the form of Cam Ward.

Third, it keeps both athletes fresher. Both the NHL and NFL fea­ ture long, grinding schedules, es­ pecially when you factor in an ex­ tended playoff run. Reducing the toll that campaign takes on your players can only be a good thing.

You just can't have too many good players, especially between the pipes where Stanley Cups are won and lost.

— Charlie Blore

— Aaron Sigal

www.mcgilltribune.com

L

17.10.06-Sports* 23

C

ast

S p o rts

a ll

R u gb y M artlets sna p skid

STANDINGS Football

W

Laval

L

p

PF

PA

R u g b y (W )

W

L

PF

PA

P

R u b g y (M )

W

L

PF

PA

P

227

71

12

6

0

12

186

86

Laval

5

0

171

6

10

McGill

6

1

Concordia

5

1

10

180

71

McGII

4

"1

256

12

8

Concordia

6

1

139

75

12

Montreal

4

2

6

154

112

6

Bishop's

3

4

186

71

6

McGill

2

4

4

137

168

Sherbrooke

3

4

114

152

6

Sherbrooke

2

4

4

128

168

ETS

0

8

71

368

0

Bishop's

1

5

2

107

197

Concordia

B rie fs

COMPILED BY CHARLIE B l ORE AND AARON SlGAL

3

2

201

18

Ottawa

2

3

58

126

4

Bishop's

1

4

15

295

2

Sherbrooke

0

5

0

244

0

ON DECK M en's Lacrosse-B ishop's G aiters at M cG ill R e d m e n ;Th u rs day, 8 :3 0 p.m ., Forbes Field

The Gaiters trail the Redmen by just a point in the standings but hold two games in hand. With only a single point separ­ ating third from fifth place, both teams lie in the middle of the pack and will be jockeying with each other for playoff position come the end of the season.

Men's Soccer-Laval Rouge et Or at McGill Redmen; Fri­ day, 8 p.m., Molson Stadium

The Redmen have had an impressive season to this point, posting a 4 -2 -3 record, which is good for second place in the Quebec University Soccer League. Laval meanwhile sits just one point behind McGill with only three games remain­ ing on the schedule. Plenty at stake in this one so expect a heated battle between two teams that tied 3-3 when they met three weeks ago.

NHL Hockey-Colorado Avalanche at Montreal Canadiens; Saturday, 7 p.m., Bell Centre, CBC

Goalie Jose Theodore returns to the scene of the crime. If he uses this opportunity to focus and bring his best in an effort, he could pitch a shutout. If, instead, he uses it to catch up with friends and cruise his old St. Laurent stomp­ ing grounds, he could get shelled. One thing is for sure though, if the Habs faithful booed this guy when he was wearing the bleu-blanc-rouge, they are really going to let him hear it now.

BOX SCORE Saturday, Oct. 14,2006 McGill Redmen 33 vs. Sherbrooke Vert et Or 14 Molson Stadium SCORING SUMMARY First Quarter (n o scoring)

The McGill Martlets ended a rare two-game losing streak with a 15-0 whitewash over Concordia in the second annual Drummond Cup charity women's rugby game on Saturday.

It marked McGill's first win since their nine-year, 65 game un­ beaten streak in Quebec league play was snapped by Laval.

Winger Naomi Grenier scored what proved to be the game­ winning try in the 38th minute of play. Teammates Ashley Rycroft and Laura Belvedere rounded out the scoring for the Martlets with tries in the 70th and 75th minutes, respectively.

R u g b y R edm en, h ow ever, lose w in n in g streak

McGill's six-game unbeaten streak in men's rugby was snapped with a 19-15 loss at Concordia on Wednesday. The Redmen had not lost since last season's conference champi­ onship, where they were defeated in dramatic fashion by the Stingers. Prop Adam Sommer, winger Nicolas Cadrin and fly half Matthew de Graff each scored one try for the Redmen.

McGill rebounded on Friday night when they saw off Sher­ brooke 17-12, improving the team to 6-1 in Quebec Confer­ ence play.

Lacrosse players h o n o u re d at M cGill to u rn e y

Second Quarter

04:03 MCGILL - Robert Eeuwes 20 yd field goal 06:07 MCGILL - Erik Galas 47 yd pass from Matt Connell (Robert Eeuwes kick) 12:07 SHER - Boulanger, B. 6 yd run (Audet, C. O. kick) 14:38 MCGILL - G.Hetherington 17 yd pass from Matt Connell (Robert Eeuwes kick) Third Quarter 04:59 MCGILL - G.Hetherington 13 yd pass from Man Connell (Robert Eeuwes kick) 13:30 MCGILL - Team safety Fourth Quarter 06:17 SHER - Poirier, A. 8 yd pass from Shoiry, J.P. (Audet, C. 0 . kick) 14:25 MCGILL - Erik Galas 3 yd pass from Matt Connell (Robert Eeuwes kick)

McGill defenseman Brendon Farrer and midfielder Scott Bailey were both named to the 10-man all-tournament team at the 2006 Ross Cup Canadian men's lacrosse championship hosted by McGill University over the weekend. Farrer shone in his defensive role, while Bailey scored a blistering 16 goals and had one assist in five games. The Redmen posted a 3-2 record to-finish fifth of 10 teams overall at the tournament.

M artlets tennis boasts three O U A all-stars

Three members of the McGill Martlets— Hannah Kasiri, Natalie Ko and Alison Weinberg— were selected as Ontario University Athletics tennis all-stars in a vote conducted by the coaches. McGill went undefeated in seven regular season matches before settling for silver at the OUA championship tournament.

BOX SCORE Saturday, Oct. 14,2006 McGill Redmen 1, UQTR Patriotes 0 McConnell Arena

Attendance: 1622 N F L F o o tb a ll-N e w York Giants at Dallas C o w b o ys ; M o n ­ day, 8 :3 0 p .m .,Te x a s S tadiu m , T S N

Should be an entertaining game not only because both teams are playing well right now but because it will feature two of the biggest mouths in football: TE Jeremy Shockey and WR Terrel I Owens. Also look for an interesting matchup between FS Roy Williams and QB Eli Manning.

Men's Ice Hockey-Ottawa Gee-Gees at McGill Redmen; Tuesday, 7 p.m., McConnell Arena

McGill will be one of the top teams in the nation again this year and this is your last chance to see them before Novem­ ber. This weekend the team travels south of the border to . play exhibition matches against Ivy League powerhouses Yale and Princeton, before travelling to the GTA for games against Toronto and Ryerson the weekend after. Ottawa was competitive last year and should be again this season.

M LB Baseball— W orld Series G a m e #1; St. Louis Cardinals/ N e w York Mets at D etroit Tig ers; Saturday, 7 :3 0 p.m ., FO X

Who fucking cares who the Tigers are playing?! If you don't get goosebumps at the first crack of the bat in the Fall Clas­ sic, you're not a true sports fan.

TRIVIA 1. Whojs the last remaining member of the former Quebec Nor­ diques on the Colorado Avalanche?

2. What did the Nordiques receive in the Eric Lindros trade?

3. When did the Nordiques join the NHL? 4. Who's nurrîbers were retired by the Nordiques?

5. What was the Nordiques best regular season in the NHL?

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Score by Quarters

1234

Sherbrooke McGill University...

0 7 0 7 -14

First Period:

017 9 7 -33

(no scoring)

SHER

Penalties: UQTR - A. Joanisse (Interfere), 00:32 McGill - Y.Turcotte (Interfere), 08:52 McGill - M. Leclerc (Trip), 11:38

FIRST DOWNS.............

NETYARDS RUSHING........

NET YARDS PASSING.........

TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS.... ....

15 200 65 265

Score

MCGILL 25

82 409 491

SACK OF THE WEEK Th is Week's W inner: Floyd Landis

If this guy isn't the saddest cheater ever caught for using performance-enhancing drugs, I don't know who is.

Landis, you'll remember, is the American cyclist who won this summer's Tour de France only to have that victory chal­ lenged after testing positive for abnormally high levels of testosterone.

Landis proceeded to embarrass himself and all other dopers in the sports world by pulling out some of the most absurd excuses you could ever want to hear. From the pre­ dictable— it's this new medication I'm taking— to the origi­ nal— my body naturally produces abnormal amounts of testosterone— to the just plain hilarious— maybe the labs are out to get me because I'm American or maybe it was that bottle of Jack I drank the night before the race— Landis came up with some gems.

His latest offering is a presentation posted on his Web site in which he claims the fact that both of his urine sam­ ples tested positive for an illegal level of testosterone and the presence of synthetic testosterone, can all be explained by errors in the labs testing processes.

When is this guy going to give it a rest? Doesn't he re­ alize that when your first five excuses have failed, the-sixth probably won't find much traction? The jig is up man. It's time for you to stop trying to dig yourself out of this hole and just accept your place alongside of Ben Johnson, Ken Caminiti and the rest of the one hit cheaters of the emerg­ ing doping era we live in.

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Period: (no scoring) Penalties: UQTR - N. Desilets (trip), 01:44

•

UQTR - S. Beland (Hold), 06:07 McGill - Y. Turcotte (Interfere), 06:07 McGill - S. Bloom (High-stick), 06:42 UQTR - S. Legace (Cfb Minor, Game), 09:24 UQTR - G. Lajeunesse (Trip), 13:47 UQTR - C. Laroche (Slash), 14:17 UQTR-N. Leduc (Hold), 16:33 UQTR - A. Joanisse (Trip), 17:04 Third Period: (no scoring) Penalties: UQTR - E. Beaudin (Trip), 01:46 McGill - E. Stilling (Hold), 04:15 McGill - L.S. Allaire (Cross-check), 12:51 UQTR - M. Gravel (Cross-check), 13:48 Overtime 1. McGill - Benoit Martin (D. Urquhart, M. Leclerc) -1:06 (PP) Penalties: UQTR - C. Laroche (Hold), 2 m in , 00:17

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GOALTENDERS: McGill: Mathieu Poitras (W, 2-0-0; 31 saves, GA, SHO; 61:04) UQTR: Dany Dallaire (L, 1-1-0; 45 saves, iGA; 61:04)

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