The McGill Tribune Vol. 28 Issue 14

FEATURE SPREADS HOLIDAY SPIRIT, PAGES 11-14

THE ONLY MARKS ATHLETES CARE ABOUT, PAGE 23 McGill

The McGill

iblished by the Students' Society of McGill University

Volume 28 Issue 14 • December 2, 2008

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ranian press targets Nobel Prize winner Ebadi allegations also made against McGill law professor Payam Akhavan J ames G ilman McGill University has been at the centre of a number of allegations ade by the official media of the Islamic Republic of Iran this year.

The Islamic Republic News Agency, the Iranian government's official ate media outlet, published a pair of articles earlier this year attacking >bel Prize-winning lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi.

The IRNA also targeted Ebadi's daughter, who is a former McGill LL.M. jdent, McGill law professor Payam Akhavan, and the McGill Association Baha'i Studies, a Students' Society club. Ebadi, her daughter, and Akhan have all been the targets of threats for their opposition to certain poli­ os of the Iranian government.

The first IRNA article, published on August 7, claimed that one of Shirin radi's two daughters had converted to the Baha'i Faith—a crime in the amic Republic, where conversion from Islam can be punished by death, jwever, the article did not say which daughter purportedly converted, nor d it go into much detail.

The following day, the IRNA published a longer piece expanding on claims. The allegations were picked up by other pro-government media, :luding the hard-line newspaper Kayhan, the editor of which is appointed rectly by the country's Supreme Leader.

Iran has been a theocracy since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Shia Islam the official religion, and the highest state authority is the Supreme Lead—currently Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i.

The August 8 article, entitled "Shirin Ebadi: Trapped in the net of iha'ism", made claims about Ebadi, who was awarded the 2003 Nobel ace Prize for her human rights work in Iran, and her family's links to the iha'i Faith, Iran's largest religious minority, which is not recognized by the inian constitution.

The Shrine of the Bab, an important Baha'i holy site in Haifa, Israel: the religion has been at the centre of controversial claims made by the Iranian state media concerning a McGill professor and former student.

2e EBADI on Page 6

fork students frustrated as strike drags on As and contract faculty anc|deadlocked in struggle with administration negotiations continued on Friday. But on Saturday eve- day, and told both parties to go back and think about aboc things," B ernard R udny

There's no end in sight for the York teaching assistants id contract faculty strike, in spite of a new round of bargaing that began last week.

The York administration and members of the Canadian nion of Public Employees local 3903 began a new bargaining ;ssion last Thursday. CUPE 3903 members have been striking id classes have been cancelled since November 6, after conact negotiations were deadlocked and the union rejected îe university's request for binding arbitration.

According to Tyler Shipley, a CUPE 3903 chief steward, the nion returned to the bargaining table with a new framework,

ning, the York administration released an official statement explaining that talks had been suspended by the mediator.

According to Shipley, however, talks were never suspended.

"We're not sure where the university got that information and, quite frankly, we're disappointed in the way that they're carrying out their bargaining in public and in the media," he said."As far as we know, bargaining is still happening, and we'll be at the table [on Tuesday]. I hope they'll be there too."

But according to York spokesperson Alex Bilyk, the media­ tor has decided the parties were too far apart for negotiations to continue.

"The mediator did not schedule any further talks on Satur-

he said. "I think that's a suspension."

Bilyk declined to comment further, and instead referred back to Saturday's statement. In that statement, he claimed that CUPE 3903 was "more interested in planning rallies and promoting confrontation with the province than reaching a settlement." The statement also describes the union's new framework as "not realistic and ... not affordable, especially in a worsening economy."

While Shipley hopes the negotiations will bear fruit, he believes the administration is mischaracterizing the union's proposals and refusing to bargain in a meaningful way.

See NEGOTIATIONS on Page 2

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EDUCATION

Negotiations are in limbo

Many sceptical that a deal can be reached bargaining rounds, he's sceptical that an agreement can be reached.

"They're unwilling to move on our key priorities," "It takes two to tango," said Koopmans of CUPE he said. "They seem to be more interested in putting 3903 and the York administration. "And they've both out these vicious and hostile media releases than in sit­ had problems getting to the bargaining table." ting down at the table with us and actually working on Koopmans worries that an extended strike will some kind of agreement." cripple York students. Many key deadlines—such as bar CUPE 3903 is asking for increased job security, exams for law students and licensing exams for nursing higher wages, and improved benefits for their mem­ students—are approaching rapidly. Students who miss bers. The union represents roughly 900 contract faculty these exams won't be able to secure internships and members, along with 2,500 teaching, graduate, and re­ jobs in their fields of study. search assistants. The union has put forward a proposal York Federation of Students President Hamid for special renewable contracts for contract faculty, Osman echoed Koopmans'concerns. which was endorsed by the York University Faculty As­ "Students are frustrated. Some of them are sup­ sociation. posed to graduate this semester and they signed con­ "We have a number of [contract faculty members] tracts for jobs in January," said Osman. "Every student in our union who have been teaching for five, 10,15, just wants to get back to school and finish their year, sometimes 20 years, who are still given the label 'tem­ hopefully in a reasonable time." porary,'" said Shipley. "Every eight months, folks are hav­ However, Koopmans and the YNH group have ing to re-apply for their jobs." been critical of the YFS's response to the strike. They feel CUPE 3903 has also accused the university of that the YFS gave "unconditional" support to CUPE 3903, adopting "hardball tactics." During negotiations earlier compromising their relationship with the university in this year, the administration called for binding arbitra­ the process. tion to settle the dispute. The union rejected this offer, Osman disputes this characterization. According to and accused the administration of adhering to a double him, the YFS passed a motion on October 23 endorsing standard. fair wages and job security for CUPE 3903 members. On "In previous rounds of bargaining with other units, November 26 they passed another motion reiterating [the administration have] been outspoken against this endorsement, but explicitly opposing the strike. binding arbitration," said Shipley. "When the faculty as­ However, a November 5 article in the York Excalibur sociation was on strike in 1997, they spoke vehemently describes the YFS's endorsement of CUPE 3903 in its ne­ against giving a third-party—outside of the university gotiations. The article quotes Osman as saying that York context—control over the very important and sensitive "students need to back students, not the people that issues that relate to post-secondary education." increased our tuition fees by 4.5 per cent each year over But for many York students, the details of bar­ the past four years." gaining are overshadowed by the impact of cancelled Osman also denies that the motions have soured classes. Lyndon Koopmans, a U1 business student, is the YFS's relationship with the university. also a founder of the York Not Hostage group, which "I've had interactions with members of the admin­ has mobilized more than 2,700 students via Facebook. istration, and we've had civil discussions," he said. "For Although the group is neutral in the dispute, they're example, on Wednesday we had a meeting with the calling for binding arbitration to end the strike. president and the vice president. ... If our relationship Koopmans described a negotiated settlement as was sour, they wouldn't have met with us."B the best-case scenario. But based on the failure of prior Continued from COVER

CAMPUS

Students talk AID! Weinberg laments apathy C arolyn Y ates

As part of World AIDS Week, student-run think tank Pearson Hoi held a speaker's event on HIV/AIDS and public policy last Wednesday. T speakers included two McGill professors and two students. They dicuss issues such as grassroots movements, problems with criminalizing 1 transmission, tax initiatives, and how students can get involved.

Professor Claudia Mitchell of the Faculty of Education opened witl discussion on youth and grassroots policy making in South Africa, foci sing on what can be done at a local level, such as the school where t policy discussion is taking place.

"Unless we give young people a say in the programs, they're doom to failure," Mitchell said. "If we fail in the area of sexuality and sexeducatic sometimes there is no second chance."

Art-based methodologies figured strongly in her discussion. Mitch argued that creative workshops, street theatre, documentaries, photog phy, and narrative writing are all means of garnering youth expression lating to policy. She also suggested that, rather than focussing on broac issues, such as HIV/AIDS, groups should focus on more specific local issu such as the practical problems with AIDS testing.

Emma Costante president of Pearson House, a student-run public p icy think tank, spoke next. She discussed the Canadian government ai student initiatives, highlighting the discrepancies between federal go, and achievements, and the reasons students should get involved.

"I think we all have important things to say. I think if you're passione about your field and what you want to do with your life, then you shot make sure the government is protecting your interests,"Costante said.

As a solution, she suggested joining a think tank, getting to knc MPs, and protesting on Parliament Hill.

Tim Mak, who is also a Tribune columnist, spoke next. Mak organic the event with Pearson House as part of his entry for the CBC's "Canad Next Great Prime Minister" competition. He spoke about the use of pub policy in supporting HIV/AIDS non-profit and charitable groups. He argw that private and non-profit organizations that support HIV/AIDS are prefe able to governmental organizations, because they have more opportui ties for competition, adaptation, community, and personal freedom.

"Charities and nonprofits have very specific goals, closer to the pro lems they're trying to fix," Mak said. "This bottom-up approach mak adapting to changing circumstances easier."

In the second part of his presentation, Mak argued that creating t incentives for donating to groups which support HIV/AIDS would be mo beneficial than increased governmental funding.

Professor Mark Wainberg, the director of the McGill AIDS Centre w the event's final speaker. He discussed student apathy, the problems wi discourse around HIV transmission, safe injection sites, and Johnson Aziç a man currently on trial for first degree murder for knowingly infecting women with HIV after telling them he did not have the virus.

Wainberg argued that criminalizing HIV/AIDS transmission would le; to fewer people getting tested, instead of more. He also discussed how i creasingly effective drugs have led to complacency and emphasized ti importance of early diagnosis, pointing to condoms, safe injection site and evidence-driven policy as tools in the continuing fight against AIDS "Students don't care about AIDS as much as they used to. The ge eral public doesn't care about AIDS as much as they used to,"Wainbe said. "People are complacent, and we need to fight complacency, there no question."*

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ADAM SCOTTI A nurse tests a G hanaian w om an for HIV/AIDS as the McGill G lobal Alt Coalition did for students for yesterday.

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02.12.08 - The McGill Tribune • 3

AMPUS

cGill students win Rhodes scholarships

ylward and Larochelle to study at the University of Oxford next year T heo M eyer McGill students Stephen Aylward and Vincent Larochelle ere named as the university's newest Rhodes Scholars last eek, joining the 128 McGill alumni who have won the prestious and highly competitive scholarship to study at the Unirsity of Oxford.

Established by Cecil Rhodes in 1902, the scholarship is arded based on four primary criteria: academic achieveent, leadership, good health and athletic vigour, and what odes termed "sympathy and protection for the weak"— nerally taken to mean some sort of community involveent.

In their academic history at McGill, both Aylward and Lachelle have pursued degrees that they believe will provide od intellectual foundations. Aylward, an honours philosoy student with a minor in political science, chose to study ilosophy with the intention of eventually studying law.

"Philosophy is good at least at making you thinking critilly about things, at doing things like conceptual analysis," Iward said.

He is specializing in early twentieth century German hilosophy, particularly that of Martin Heidegger, which Ayard studied last year while on exchange at the University Freiburg in Germany. Though he found his courses there, nducted entirely in German, to be challenging at first, the -year-old native of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, said that e experience gave him a new perspective upon returning McGill.

"No longer having to do all my readings and write all my apers in German is like boxers training with weights on— u take them off and it's the same sort of idea," Aylward said, eading seemed far less daunting, even readings that would ave struck me as difficult before."

Larochelle, also 21 and originally from Quebec City, is ursuing an honours degree in mathematics with a minor in assies, with the hope that it will hone his ability to think logi­

cally.

"This has occurred in three years of doing math. I feel sharper, my reasoning is better," Larochelle said.

Both Aylward and Larochelle also pur­ sued extracurricular activities with a ridiculous amount of energy. Aylward has been involved with Amnesty International for years, and at­ tended the organization's International Coun­ cil Meeting last year in Mexico City as part of the official Canadian delegation. He has also sung in choirs both in Newfoundland and at McGill, served as an executive of the McGill Debating Union, and ran a half-marathon this fall to burnish his Rhodes application.

Larochelle's credentials are equally im­ pressive. In addition to volunteering with an organization that aids people with reduced mobility, Larochelle is a varsity fencer and an enthusiastic amateur hockey player.

"In the winter, I always have a hard time ADAMSCOTTI preparing for my finals and going to class be­ cause I play three or four hours per day of ice M cGill student Stephen Aylward will attend th e University of Oxford next hockey," he said. fall after w inning a Rhodes scholarship.

Larochelle also ran as a Green Party candi­ and Newfoundland. date in the recent federal election.

Aylward will study a program called the BA Law with Se­ Aylward said that the thought of applying for the Rhodes nior Status at Oxford, which will earn him a law degree in only had been in the back of his mind since coming to McGill. Only one Newfoundlander is awarded the scholarship each year, two years.

"I'm interested in immigration and refugee law," Aylward and several past recipients have gone on to careers in politics, said.

"I think it's very interesting, and I also think there's going including current Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny to be a lot of work to do there."

Williams.

Aylward said he will also hopefully receive an internship Eleven Rhodes scholarships are awarded to Canadians every year on a regional basis: three are reserved for students in Switzerland this summer to work with the United Nations from the "Western Region" (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Al­ High Commissioner for Refugees.

Larochelle will work towards a doctoral degree in mathe­ berta), two each to students from Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Region (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New matics. He plans to return to Canada, however, and eventually Brunswick), and one each for students from British Columbia hopes to run for office. ■

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4 • News • 02.12.08

PROVINCIAL

Candidates field questions Thomson House gathering of politicians aims to get out the student vote A ustin del R io Local provincial election candidates fielded ques­ tions from the McGill community at Thomson House on Wednesday. The event, hosted by the Students' Society, lasted for several hours and included Liberal, Action Dé­ mocratique du Quebec, and Québec Solidaire candidates who touched on issues ranging from student fees to cor­ porate greed.

"Our government [is] in collusion with big business," said Nadia Alexan, the Quebec Solidaire Candidate in Westmount—St-Louis. "They have tax loopholes, they have tax havens, they have tax credits, and on top of all that they have the gall to ask for tax subsidies, which means welfare for the rich."

Alexan believes that her party offers a refreshing change from the three big parties that are currently in power.

"Voting for the same old parties is going to [bring] more of the same," Alexan said.

In the last election, the Québec Solidaire received approximately three per cent of the popular vote. They plan to significantly increase their numbers in this elec­ tion by running candidates in 123 of 125 ridings.

ADQ candidate Matthew Conway chose to focus on university education policy in the upcoming election.

"We have to look at finer ways of helping our univer­ sities. ... The time has come to sit down with everybody and say'How can we do this better?"'said Conway, speak­ ing about provincial education policy.

The ADQ has set itself apart from the two leading parties, the Liberals and the Parti Québécois, by calling for a greater level of autonomy for schools in the public system.

"It starts at the high school level," Conway said. "First of all, you have to get people graduating, and by doing that, we're trying to find a way to get rid of bureaucracy."

Liberal candidate Jacques Chagnon, now running in his seventh election campaign, predicted that the Liberal Party will likely gain a majority government after the De-

M A S T E R » /

FINANCIAL E C O N O M IC S

ADAM SCOTTI Q uebec Premier Jean Charest cam paigns in Montreal yesterday.

cember 8 election. "[In the next couple weeks there won't be any changes in the poll numbers] unless there are external events that come to pass—which is always a possibility," Chagnon said.

According to a Léger Marketing survey published in the Gazette last Tuesday, the Liberals are now in the lead with 46 per cent of the popular vote. The PQ is in second place with 34 per cent, and the ADQ will likely fall from official opposition status with only 12 per cent of the popular vote.

Unfortunately, participation in provincial politics, as well as raising voter turnout levels, continues to be an uphill battle.

"Like [Mario Dumont] was saying today, go per cent of our platform is to inform people and hopefully that makes a difference,"Conway said. ■

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News Brief SSMU splits up Silverstein's portfolio

With no candidate to replace resigning Vice-President Finance and Operations Tobias Silverstein, the Students' Society Legislative Council approved a motion to divide up the responsibilities of the portfolio at a Council meeting last Thursday.

The motion, which was moved by the SSMU Executive Commit­ tee, stipulated that the portfolio remain empty for the duration of the year, and provided a set of recommendations for dividing up Silver­ stein's duties after he formally steps down on January 2.

According to Silverstein, the recommendations presented in the motion were based on a memo he wrote that suggested how best to divide up the portfolio.

The main responsibilities covered in the motion were Silverstein's duties on Council committees.

VP Clubs and Services Samantha Cook will be in charge of the Finance Committee, but because Cook already sits on the committee, a councillor will be elected to fill the vacant seat.

President Kay Turner will take the vacant executive seat on the Operations Committee, and will also take a seat on the management committees of both Gert's and Haven Books.

VP Internal Julia Webster will play a greater role in the running of Haven Books, sitting on the bookstore's operating committee, while Cook will likewise take an enhanced role in the running of Gerts.

In addition, Turner will sign all cheques, and in her absence VP External Devin Alfaro will take over that duty.

The Executive's motion also recommended hiring two part time employees: a secretary general, to act as an assistant to the president, and a finance secretary.

"I think that this is a great solution because it solves the problem, it tells us who is going to take care of what, who is going to be respon­ sible for what, and then it's also going to ensure that things still get done, and don't just fall by the wayside," said Silverstein.

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02.12.08 • The McGill Tribune • 5

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PHOTOS BY ADAM SCOTTI

SSMU executives' mid -year report cards With the winter break rapidly approaching, it is once again time for the Tribune's midterm review o f our Students' Society Executive an d Legislative Council. Their feet are held to the fire in this seven piece report card. Slackers ju st m ight need a parent-teacher conference.

Kay Turner, President: B+ In the past, the Tribune has been one of Turner's harshest critics. We were unimpressed with her per­ formance as VP Internal last year, and endorsed her opponent RJ Kelford in the 2008 elections. This year, however, we've been pleasantly surprised by her per­ formance as Students'Society President.

Turner has led an unusually cohesive executive this semester—a byproduct of her levelheaded nature and reputation as a mediator of disputes. While Turner has spent much of her time supporting the work of the VPs and sitting in on countfess committee meetings, she has also taken the lead on some less glamorous projects, such as writing the by-laws for McGill ancil­ lary questions and laying the groundwork for the cre­ ation of the SSMU Nursery.

That being said, we would like to see Turner take on a more prominent public role. She sometimes struggles to articulate her thoughts clearly at Council meetings and needs to become a more visible "face of SSMU"at public events. TheTribune is also concerned that Turn­ er has taken on too much of the VP finance and operations portfolio in the wake of Tobias Silverstein's resignation. McGill students need their president to be focussed on representing their interests, not tied up in budget meetings.

Tobias Silverstein, VP Finance and Operations: W We may be stretching the report card analogy too far, but the Tribune is awarding its first-ever grade of "W," as Silverstein is withdrawing from a "full-year course." Silverstein announced his resignation (effec­ tive January 2,2009) in the second week of November, citing professional concerns with the portfolio.

To Silverstein's credit, the Students' Society is in good financial shape. In a tempestuous global economy, Silverstein and the investment committee have steered clear of the worst storms. And despite perennial losses at Gert's and the more recent burden of Haven Books, the society's finances are generally healthy and well-managed.

However, Silverstein has been less involved with the operations side of his portfolio: Gert's, and Haven Books. His predecessor, Imad Barake, left him a detailed report filled with suggestions for improving Haven Books, which he has not acted upon. Silverstein wisely hired Raimi Marx to manage the bookstore, but Haven needs more than a steady hand.

If the bookstore is ever going to break even (much less turn a profit), it will need a major overhaul. Silverstein also seemed uninterested in the political responsibilities that come with being a member of the executive—evidenced by his lacklustre per­ formance at Council meetings.

And finally, the Tribune is concerned about the reasons for Silverstein's resigna­ tion. It's troubling that a competent vice-president is stepping down mid-year. SSMU Council recently approved a committee to examine the portfolio, and we hope they get to the bottom of the matter and put forward the necessary reforms.

Julia Webster, VP Internal: AWebster has been an articulate, pragmatic, and refreshing member of the executive this semester.

She has had a great deal of success as SSMU's de facto party-planner. SSMU Frosh was a hit. Open Air Pub, a perennial Tribune staff favourite, was well-attended and hosted better bands. And Four Floors, following a one-year absence, sold out.

On the communications end, Webster delivered on her campaign promise to reformat the SSMU web­ site, although the launch came two months after the targeted date. With Communications and Publi­ cations Manager Matthew Ward's help, the website looks great, but still lacks a number of documents and French text.

In addition, Webster has been a voice of reason at Council. The Tribune has been impressed with her ability to guide necessary (and unnecessary) debate in the right direction.

There's always room for improvement, however. SSMU Frosh's greening initia­ tives still need work, and the advertising campaign for the Fall General Assembly was largely ineffective.

That being said, Webster has been impressive. Her biggest challenge next se­ mester will come in January, as SnoAP—which somehow lost money last year— kicks off the Winter semester.

Samantha Cook, VP Clubs and Services: B+ Each year, the vice-president clubs and ser­ vices inherits a gargantuan portfolio that threatens to overwhelm even the most dedicated SSMUshie.

Cook's greatest accomplishment this year has been staying on top of her challenging workload, while still remaining accessible to clubs and servic­ es that need guidance. Cook helped to make this year's Activities Night a success, especially com­ pared with last year's fiasco. And though she was not solely responsible for it, Cook handled Choose Life's controversial application for interim club sta­ tus in a mature manner.

Cook's juggling of the C&S portfolio hasn't been perfect, though. Clubs received their annual budgets far too late this year—a problem for cash-strapped club members. This has been a problem in the past, and the Tribune would have liked to see Cook reverse this troublesome trend. Cook also proposed creating a better system for club websites at the beginning of the year, something the Tribune would like to see her work on next semester.

Nadya Wilkinson, VP University Affairs: A In a strong SSMU executive, Vice-President University Affairs Nadya Wilkinson has stood out as the strongest of the lot. The UA portfolio has been especially busy so far this year, and Wilkinson has handled the major crises—the imple­ mentation of a travel ban and the controversy surrounding McGill's ombudsperson—impressively. She has done an ad­ mirable job organizing the student senate caucus, working on sustainability projects, and acting as the liason between SSMU and the McGill administration on ancillary fee ques­ tions.

When Wilkinson was acclaimed as the VP UA at the end of last year, there was concern over her lack of experience in student politics. Yet her fresh-faced, enthusiastic approach has been an asset to SSMU this year, and she truly has exceeded expectations. Wilkinson has shown a level of competence and comfort that one would usually expect from a seasoned politician. She knows the admin­ istration's rules and processes well, and students should be confident in her ability to fight for student interests.

The one thing the Tribune would like to see from Wilkinson is more of an effort to publi­ cize issues in her portfolio. She does very well behind the scenes, but needs to mobilize stu­ dents more, especially on major issues like the travel ban.

Yet all-in-all, Wilkinson is fully deserving of the top mark, and we look forward to her con­ tinued enthusiasm and hard work in the coming semester.

Devin Alfaro, VP External Affairs: BThe Tribune had high hopes for Alfaro this year, but we have yet to see any tangible progress made in the vice-president external portfolio. While Alfaro has been hamstrung by an unprecedented number of elections this semester, his campus initiatives have been uninspired. Re­ claim Your Campus, a campaign started by Alfaro to unite campus organizations that have had problems with the McGill administration, was a failure, launching at a sparse­ ly attended protest and then disappearing into the ether.

The realistic and worthwhile goals of the campaign were undercut by an unreasonable demand for an elected principal and board of governors—a pipe dream that the McGill administration would never agree to.

Next semester, we hope Alfaro will fulfill the promise he showed during the campaign period last year. He is an intelligent and articulate executive, and the Tribune was impressed with his work in publicizing the federal and provincial elections—especially in educating stu­ dents about their voting eligibility. If Alfaro can transfer that level of efficacy and passion into representing student interests on and off campus, we are confident that he will do a better job filling the sizable shoes of his predecessor.

SSMU Legislative Council: B+ When we weren't giggling and whispering with vice-presidents in the gallery, the Tri­ bune paid enough attention at Council to award SSMU's legislative body a B+.

The approval of the controversial pro-life club Choose Life was handled with maturity, and the Tribune congratulates Council for throwing out an attempt to pass the General As­ sembly motions omnibus.

But in recent weeks, Council has spent too much time bogged down in debate over McGill Chancellor Richard Pound's controversial comments. An unnecessary amount of time was spent debating symbolic motions, whereas the debate over whether to keep Haven Books earlier this year—an important decision with serious financial repercussions—was over in less than 10 minutes.

Council has done a respectable job this semester, but we would like to see less time spent debating symbolic actions and more time scrutinizing the executives' management of the Society.

There are many bright and talented individuals on Council this year, and we look for­ ward to their work in the upcoming semester. As it is often a training ground for up and com­ ing student politicians, it would be wise to keep an eye on Council in the Winter semester.

The McGill Tribune

6 - N e w s-02.12.08

INTERNATIONAL

Ebadi faces threats over links with the West McGill said to be a centre of Baha'i'sm, campus group disputes claims Continued from COVER The article attacked Ebadi's links to the Baha'i Faith and accused her of seeking support from the West. It also criti­ cized Ebadi for defending homosexuals, appearing without the Islamic headscarf abroad, questioning Islamic punish­ ments, and "defending CIA agents."

The IRNA claimed that Akhavan, who is a Baha'i, con­ verted Ebadi's daughter Nargess Tavassolian to the Baha'i Faith while she was studying at McGill.

"Nargess Tavassolian converted to Baha'i'sm in 2007 under the direction of Payam Akhavan and started her activ­ ities in the Association for Baha'i Studies," the article stated.

Akhavan, a former UN war crimes prosecutor, super­ vised Tavassolian's thesis on "inhuman punishments and the possibilities for their reform in Iran."

"On Friday, August 8, IRNA came out with an article which specifically stated my name as the daughter who had converted to the Baha'i [Faith],"Tavassolian, who graduated this summer, told theTribune in an email."It also claimed that because I had not responded to the previous article in IRNA within 24 hours, I was acknowledging my conversion to the Baha'i [Faith]."

A charge of this sort is serious. Conversion out of Islam is considered apostasy in Iran, and conversion to the Baha'i Faith carries with it an added stigma. Iran's ruling clergy con­ siders the Baha'i Faith a heretical sect, and it is not recognized as a legitimate religious minority by the constitution.

"Baha'is in Iran have been the target of very widespread persecution and prosecution since the revolution," said Hadi Ghaemi, coordinator of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. "There's great sensitivity towards Baha'ism [in Iran], and there is much cultural bias and at­ tempts [by the regime] to portray them in a wrong light for the general population."

The significance of the IRNA's allegations is not lost on Tavassolian.

"The capital punishment for conversion from Islam to the Baha'i [Faith] is death in Iran," she said. "I believe the gov­ ernment wanted to scare my mother with this scenario."

A well-informed source?

The allegations came after Ebadi offered to represent seven Baha'i community leaders that were arrested in Iran earlier this year and accused of spying for Israel.

"Because of the fact that she accepted this file, I think they began to try to portray her as an agent of Baha'i foreign interests," said Akhavan. "And, of course, in the sort of demon­

COURTESY Of PAYAM AKHAVAN From left to right: Shirin Ebadi, Payam Akhavan, and Nargess Tavassolian have all been victim s of IRNA allegations

ology of the Islamic Republic, the Baha'is are there to basic­ ally destroy the Islamic Republic and to pave the way for the Zionist-American agenda."

In April, Ebadi announced that she had been receiving death threats expressing anger with her human rights cam­ paigning and warning her against making speeches abroad.

Ebadi has been the victim of threats for years, but the most recent death threats accused her of "serving the foreigners and the Baha'is." Many of the threats have been made by a shadowy organization calling itself the "The Association of Anti-Baha'is."

The August 8 IRNA article repeatedly cites a "well-informed source" whose identity is not given.

"The level of detail that is included in the IRNA article clearly shows that they've spent months doing research, to the point where they know the thesis subject of my student," said Akhavan. "The article itself indicates that there's a 'well-informed source.'Well, where is that wellinformed source, if not right here at the univer­ sity?"

Tavassolian did not comment specifically on the source, but said that one McGill student has been the subject of suspicion among some students.

Tactics of intimidation

When the articles attacking Ebadi were published by the IRNA and Kayhan, a number of prominent organizations and individuals pub­ licly expressed concerns for her safety.

"It was a very strange attack, and it was an attack really designed to put Shirin Ebadi in dan­ ger," said Gerald Filson, the director of external affairs of the Baha'i Community of Canada. "[She] said that she would defend our leadership that's in prison, and that took a lot of courage on her part. She had in the past been much quieter about it, but it was a very bold thing to do, and that's why these articles came out."

Abdol-Karim Lahiji, the president of the ILYA SHODJAEE-ZRUDLO Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, pointed out the parallels be­ The Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel: an im portant holy site for Baha'is. tween the regime's treatment of Ebadi and other

dissidents in the past in an interview with the reformist news website Rooz Online.

He told Rooz that because of these similarities, he was now concerned about Ebadi's life, as the tactics being used against her are similar to those used by government groups to target Iranian dissidents in the past.

Ghaemi also expressed concern for Ebadi, saying that it was worrying to see the regime's mouthpiece repeating and sanctioning the threats against her.

Ebadi herself has claimed that the regime is providing its supporters with justification for her assassination.

"Those who disagree with my work and the principles that I stand for will use any method to engage in character assassination against me, and thus prepare the groundwork for my physical assassination," she said in an interview with Rooz.

The threats have also extended to Tavassolian, with Ebadi being warned that "even your daughter is involved So we will kill her, so you understand" in a message received earlier this year.

"A badge of honour"

Akhavan has also been the subject of the regime's ag gression, although he stressed that he has received many messages of support from the Iranian community.

"There are a handful of messages which I've received which have ranged from sort of insults—basically calling me a traitor, saying that I'm a traitor to the Iranian people, to the Islamic Republic—all the way to what I would consider to be threats of physical harm," he said.

•The IRNA article referred to Akhavan as a CIA agent whose aim is to bring down the regime.

Akhavan is a co-founder of the New Haven, Connecti­ cut-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre. He has published numerous articles on human rights and inter­ national law in leading journals, and has been a strong critic of the Iranian regime's human rights record. "[The regime is] sensitive to Professor Akhavan because he is also a well-known international human rights lawyer, and they hope that through this association they would undermine and silence Shirin Ebadi and her family," said Ghaemi.

According to Akhavan, the IRNA and Kayhan publish­ ing these articles suggested that many of the threats he and Ebadi had received were probably the work of the Iranian

www.mcgilltribune.com

02.12.08 • The McGill Tribune • 7

INTERNATIONAL

A brief look at Iran's Baha'i religious minority Since 1979 revolution, persecution of progressive faith has intensified J ames G ilman The Baha'i Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in mid-nineteenth century Persia (present-day Iran) by Mirza Hoseyn Ali Nuri, also known as Bahâ'u'allâh (Glory of God), and is one of the youngest independent religions in the world. The Bahà'i Faith grew out of the Babi movement, which split from Shia Islam earlier in the nineteenth cen­ tury.

Baha'u'allâh was believed to be a new messenger of

ILYA SHODJAEE-ZRUDLO The Iranian regime has used the location of the Shrine of the Bab in Israel as propaganda.

government.

"In a sense, it's a badge of honour to be the target of such a regime, because it shows that you're begin­ ning to have an effect—you're beginning to bother them," said Akhavan. "They're intimidated because they know that if this project of exposing the truth of the crimes that have been committed ... becomes a matter of common knowledge, and if there are inter­ national measures to hold these people individually accountable, that it could seriously threaten their grip on power."

The Association for BahâT Studies The IRNA also attacked the Association for Bahà'i Studies at McGill University, McGill's branch of a con­ tinent-wide academic organisation. The IRNA article linked Tavassolian with the McGill club.

The article claimed that McGill is one of the most prominent centres for Bahâ'ism in North America, and that it is a centre of "Bahà'i subversion."

ABS Vice-President External Nadim Roberts, U3 political science, argued that the claims about McGill and the ABS are completely false.

"These accusations all fall into the same agenda the current government of Iran has for persecuting Bahâ'is in Iran, and trying to defame and slander any who have relations with them," said Roberts. "There is nothing about the McGill ABS that is different from any other chapter across Canada or the United States.

The McGill Bahà'i community is by no significant means larger or more active than any other ABS." According to its website, the ABS "is an organisa­ tion founded to promote academic inquiry into reli­ gious, ethical and moral responses to the social crises threatening our society," with an emphasis "on the teachings, history and philosophy of the Bahà'i Faith."

Karrie Hammond-Collins, U1 arts and science, and a member of the ABS, said she found the accusations against the organization and Akhavan ridiculous.

"Obviously Dr. Akhavan isn't a CIA agent and he's

God, following in a line of divine prophets that included Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad. Bahâ’u'alléh's teachings stress the unity of religions and mankind, as well as a pro­ gressive vision of God. The Bahé'i Faith places emphasis on social equity, including the equality of genders. It has no clergy, and its administrative institutions are all democrati­ cally elected.

In 1852, Bahâ'u'allâh was arrested by Iran's ruling Qajar dynasty and imprisoned after a government crackdown on the Babi movement. While incarcerated in Tehran, Bahâ'u'allâh first came to believe he was the next proph­ et. A year later he was exiled to Baghdad, where he spent the next decade, before being further exiled to Constanti­ nople. He was later exiled for a final time by the Ottoman Empire to the penal colony of Acre, in the then-Ottoman province of Palestine, where he died in 1892. It was there, near modern-day Haifa, Israel, that the Bahâ'fs supreme governing institution, the Universal House of Justice, was established.

When the State of Israel was created in 1948, the government allowed the Bahâ'fs, the Universal House of Justice, and their spiritual centre, the Shrine of the Bab to remain, a fact that would be used as propaganda against Iranian Baha'is over 30 years later following the Iranian Revolution.

After 1979, when Iran was transformed into an Islamic theocracy under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Baha'i minority in Iran became victims of increased persecution by the government, which promoted fears that they might be Israeli spies.

There are an estimated 300,000 Baha'is in Iran today, making them the largest religious minority in the country, except for Sunni Islam. Yet the Baha'i Faith is not recog­ nized by the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the country's ruling mullahs consider the religion to be a heretical offshoot of Islam. Only Islam, Judaism, Chris­ tianity, and Zoroastrianism are constitutionally recognized as legitimate religions.

"During the 1980s dozens of [Baha'i] leaders were ex­ ecuted . . . their properties were routinely confiscated, and they have very much been shut out of public life in Iran," said Hadi Ghaemi, the coordinator of International Cam­ paign for Human Rights in Iran. "Their economic activities are very much monitored and limited. There are cases of their cemeteries being destroyed, and even individuals being targeted in communities and attacked."

According to The Baha'i Question: Cultural Cleansing in Iran, a Bahà'i International Community publication, Baha'is in Iran have faced intimidation, violence, and attempts to destroy their livelihoods and cultural heritage since 1979.

They are routinely denounced as agents of foreign inter­ ests, and are often accused of spying for Israel, the "evi­ dence" being the location of the religion's spiritual and adminitrative headquarters in Israel.

The Baha'i International Community cites a number of leaked documents in which government officials order the identification and monitoring of Baha'is in Iran as proof of a government controlled persecution of the group.

Bahâ'fs in Iran are denied access to post-secondary education and, according to the Bahà'i International Com­ munity, Bahà'i children are often targeted for harassment in schools throughout Iran.

Bahâ'is are also routinely attacked in the pro-govern­ ment media, including the Islamic Republic News Agency and newspapers like Kayhan.

"There has been a vilification campaign by the govern­ ment and government controlled media," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahé'i International Community to the United Nations. "They have on a regu­ lar basis been publishing articles defaming the Bahà'is and [making] really wild accusations against the Bahâ'is of Iran, against the Bahà'i state in general."

According to a number of human rights activists, vio­ lence and government persecution of Bahâ'is has increased significantly in recent years, and there is a great deal of concern over the security of the Bahà'i minority. ■

not converting people at McGill,"she said."And I think that point is the most important thing, because in the Bahà'i Faith we are forbidden to proselytise."

"A litmus test for human rights" According to many observers, the Iranian govern­ ment has cracked down on dissidents, human rights, and religious minorities since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005, his rise fueled by an entrenchment of power by hard-liners within the regime.

"From the time Ahmadinejad comes into power—and Ahmadinejad is just a sort of facade of the regime, it's the Supreme Leader and his cohorts that are really in power—you see increasing arrests of dissidents, of student movements, labour union lead­ ers, human rights activists, women's rights activists [in addition to arrests of Bahâ'fs]," said Akhavan.

According to Akhavan, many human rights activ­ ists, such as Ebadi and Lahiji, now see the case of the Bahâ'fs as "a litmus test for human rights in Iran" be­ cause of the Bahâ'fs' lack of constitutional protection and the increase in persecution seen in recent years.

"It's really sad that [the regime] wastes so much of their time in persecuting a particular minority," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahà'i International Community to the United Nations. "So rather than unifying its community, they're creat­ ing dissension and hatred, and creating disunity in a sense."

Yet, according to Akhavan, the length the Iran­ ian regime goes in attacking someone like Nargess, or someone like him, is a sign of the problems it faces.

"It is simply another reflection of their own des­ peration— that the only thing they can offer their people is hate-mongering and paranoia, rather than prosperity, freedom, and hope for the future," he said.

— With files from Shirin Geram i

WIKIMEDIA.ORG There has been increased persecution of dissidents and religious minorities since President Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.

O pinion NOT ANQTHfH STUDENT POLITICIAN

Ten things I hate about SSMU R J K elfo r d RJKELFORD@ GM AIL.COM

VOX POPULI

The same old economic story A

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ALEXANDRA.SW ANN@ M AIL.M CGILL.CA

I hate the ballroom. What is it really S imilar to environmental problems, we seem But that doesn't mean the end of days or anothe lright, so the headline is a bit mislead­ to talk about the economy in cycles of delu­ Great Depression. for?

How often are those hundreds of hid­ ing. This column is really ten things I However, there's an important lesson to b sion and despair. In the roaring 90s, America hate about the Shatner building, but eous chairs stacked along the walls actu­ drawn from these analogies: our interdependence was unrealistically jubilant about the telecommu­ ally used?

Right now, the ballroom is usually I couldn't resist the Heath Ledger reference.

In any case, perhaps the Students' Society empty, providing minimal rental revenue nications and computer"revolution"changing the makes us both prosperous and vulnerable. The could start using that space fee students and even less value to students. SSMU face of global economics. Some people claimed Great Depression's material effects directly con approved last year and implement a few of should find new ways to redeem this space. that recessions were a thing of the past and ig­ tributed to the social chaos that nourished total The poster sale is a good event—so why not nored lessons learned from previous speculative tarianism and led to the Second World War. Ther these ideas. was devastating loss of life and new technologie I hate that Gert'S is in the basement. host the farmers market in the ballroom? Or bubbles.

The recent global downturn is drawing semi- allowed for unprecedented kinds of atrocitie: Once upon a time, before most freshmen invite students to bring their own mats (so had even tasted alcohol, Gert's was on the nobody has to clear up the chairs) and work hysterical comparisons to the Great Depression of After the war, we tried to establish internation; main floor of Shatner. It was bright, sunny, or study underneath those huge, bright the 1930s, a period that saw the abandonment of regimes out of the realization that despair, pov and so popular that it even turned a profit. It windows. The ballroom has great feng shui, world trade, the collapse of some 4,000 commer­ erty, and strife will not remain confined withir should be SSMU's long-term goal to reclaim and SSMU should encourage students to cial banks, and American unemployment soar as artificial borders. Our well-being is intimatel high as 25 per cent. Compare this to the recent linked to the well-being of others in our interna use that space when it's not occupied. that lost glory. collapse of approximately 21 banks and most ana­ tional system. The "beggar-thy-neighbour" pol I hate the poor signage.

There are I hate the clubs lounge. It isn't really a lounge—it's an empty room with large rooms in Shatner that students don't even lysts'estimates that unemployment should peak cies adopted by countries in the downturn of th windows and bad acoustics. Sound trav­ know exist, and some students have never at about 7.6 per cent.The Great Depression meant 1930s—the economic punishment of German; millions of Americans could no longer afford food. predatory currency devaluations, and protection els through the halls, so every club with a even been to the fourth floor.

This recession means millions of Americans might ist trade policies like the 1931 Smoot-Hawley tarif I hate how little space there actually nearby office hears every conversation or movement in the lounge. The space should is for students. Businesses take up a huge not be able to afford a big-screen television. My in the U.S.—were a key part of what turned thi be a real lounge with furniture and tables, amount of space in Shatner. We need to ironic characterization doesn't mean that the cur­ recession into a decade-long depression. Uncei satisfying the demand for group study and give more of the informal space back to stu­ rent downturn is negligible or doesn't impact the tainty makes us selfish, and fear makes us fools.

Whether we like it or not, the incredible in dents. SSMU should get the fire marshal's lives of many individuals. Rather, I urge criticism meeting space on campus. terdependence of the modern economic systen of emotionally laden analogies, and some reflec­ I hate the Lev Bukhman room. It's poorly approval, and turn hallways into useful equipped and often the audio-visual equip­ space by installing comfortable seating in tion on the general volatility that necessarily char­ means that we must be concerned about th welfare of others. We must resist the temptatio ment doesn't work. But it does look good every nook and cranny. If you build it, stu­ acterizes liberal economic systems.

Consider the 1990s. That decade started off to close ranks and raise walls, because the effect: and, like all the space in Shatner, it should dents will come.

I hate the cafeteria. The furniture there with a North American recession in 90-91, and saw could be worse than higher unemployment. Th' be useful to students when it's vacant—per­ is incredibly uncomfortable. SSMU collects three international financial crises: the British de­ lesson of this crisis is-not that the U.S. is collapsinc haps as another group study space.

I hate the SSMU room booking system. a space fee for a reason. Those of us who run fection from the European exchange rate mecha­ today, or tomorrow, or next year, but that coun Room bookings need to be online as of events in the cafeteria, along with anyone nism in 1992, Mexico's peso crisis in 1993 and 1994, tries like China, India, Russia, and Brazil are pro yesterday. The AUS could lend SSMU their who eats there, would really appreciate bet­ and the very serious Asian financial crisis begin­ jected to equal the U.S. in gross domestic produc ning in 1997. Or remember the American savings within forty years. The hegemon is declining, anc table-booking software if they're struggling ter tables and chairs.

And finally, I hate that I don't feel at and loan crisis in the 1980s, where deregulation this will cause fundamental changes in the inter to develop their own. That way, students could easily browse through and book avail­ home in Shatner. I should feel welcomed of thrifts helped fuel risky loans and imprudent national system.The lesson we should learn frorr able spaces for events, and also see what's and at ease when I walk in. I should feel own­ real estate leading, directly contributing to seri­ the Great Depression is that when times are hard going on in Shatner. Rumour has it that this ership of the building. Shatner is the one ous banking problems at the end of the decade. turning inward makes them worse. The interna will be a feature of the new website—but space on campus that really belongs to stu­ (Does this sound a little familiar?) All of these cri­ tional institutions we supported in our perioc we've heard many website rumours before dents, but it doesn't feel that way. We need ses involved tightening credit, production down­ of prosperity may be necessary for the peacefu to give it a student vibe. I love that TVM- turns, stock market drops, rising unemployment, ascendance of new economic powers. The short that never came to pass.

I hate the coat-check room. It's near cGill plays on the TVs, and I love the walls and concerns about the future of the global eco­ term appeal of economic protectionism must be the bathrooms in the basement, and some­ filled with student posters, but much of the nomic system. All of these crises were weathered balanced against the long-term risks to globa times doubles as a mini-course classroom. building is cold and unwelcoming. Before by the countries affected, and we averted the col­ order. ■ But it's another prime example of space that we demand more space from the McGill lapse of civilization as we know it. Yes, the U.S. is in Alexandra Swann is a U3 political science anc should be useful and welcoming when it’s administration, we really need to make the a recession that will affect both the international economic system and its domestic prosperity. environmental studies student. most of the space we already have. ■ not being used—which is most of the time.

A

FOOT IN MOUTH

Much ado about the dreaded c-word E r ic W

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ERICW EISS@ M AIL.M CGILL.CA

ith the holiday season approaching, two options stand before me: I can either write a column full of good cheer commemorating the successful comple­ tion of another semester, or I can write a controversial col­ umn and defer the consequences until January. So today I'm going to talk about cunts.

"Cunt" is nothing more than a synonym for vagina, but you wouldn't guess that if you used the word in public. It seems that every time I say "cunt," I get slapped. And every time I ask why this happens, I get slapped again. (Fortunately, my keyboard can't slap me because it doesn't have hands.) I take pride in my ability to understand human behavior, but I can't figure out why an innocuous collection of letters is so unsettling for many seemingly liberal and open-minded people.

"Cunt" offends many individuals regardless of the con­ text in which it's used. Yet in my quest for an explanation, I've yet to hear a legitimate reason for this taboo. Most justifica­ tions are a variation of "you just don't use that word." That's not an answer—it's an evasion of the question. It's troubling that people are too afraid of a word to discuss its implica­ tions.

There's no need for "cunt" to be so bothersome. "Cunt"

W

is a synonym for vagina in the same way that "cock" is a syn­ onym for penis. Yes, the vagina is a female sex organ while the penis is a male sex organ, but that doesn't make the word "cunt" oppressive. I've taken multiple courses concerning the sociology of gender issues, and I'm well aware of the patriar­ chal power dynamics involved in representations of male and female bodies. But regardless of your location on the gender spectrum, penises and vaginas still exist. There's nothing in­ herently sexist or misogynistic about the existence of vulgar synonyms for male and female genitalia.

Words like "cunt" only have the power to offend because we give them that power. I'm fascinated by offensive material because critically reexamining offensive words, situations, and realities sheds light on the underlying conditions that make something offensive in the first place. Ridiculing the actions and ideologies of white supremacists, for example, defuses their power by demonstrating society's rejection of such philosophies.

I don't understand people's fear of political incorrect­ ness. I'm naïve enough to believe that the intent with which a word is used affects its interpretation. Refusing to discuss something guarantees its survival, which is why no subject should ever be taboo. In fiction, comedy, and print, freedom

of speech should be complete. The malicious use of hateful words lets a community monitor its own social health, while the ironic use of words like"cunt"or"nigger"opens dialogues about their meanings and implications. It wasn't so long ago that "queer" was a hurtful and derogatory epithet for homo­ sexuals. The word has now been reclaimed, to the point that Queer McGill displays it as a symbol of their pride.

If a hateful word can be transformed into an empowering one, I don't see why "cunt" should continue to reside on the margins of polite society. And while there have been some radical attempts to reclaim the word—Inga Muscio's book Cunt being the most obvious example—most people still re­ coil when it's used. My Scottish roommate tells me that this sensitivity is inverted across the pond: the British use "cunt" in the same way that North Americans use"pussy."The casual use of the word in a movie like Shaun o f the Dead makes our fears seem doubly ridiculous. I'm not saying that "cunt" is a polite word. But people need to swear somehow. Repeated engagement with offensive terms strips them of their power and makes them as meaningless as "fuck"—colourful and vulgar, but ultimately harmless, expressions of frustration.

I use "cunt" whenever I think it will have a devastating effect. At the very least, it gets people talking. ■

02.12.08 «The McGilITribune • 9

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EDITORIALS

Fudging facts and politicizing illness

Your vote does count in Quebec

ho does a disease have to affect in order to be worthy of fundrais­ ing? According to the Carleton University Students'Association, the answer is "everyone."

Last Monday, CUSA Council voted 17 to two to cancel Shinearama, an an­ nual event that takes place at universities across Canada which has raised mil­ lions of dollars for cystic fibrosis research. It's perfectly reasonable for CUSA to look into alternate fundraising opportunities. However, the reasoning behind the decision was disturbing. The preamble of the motion reads:"Whereas ori­ entation week strives to be as inclusive as possible; Whereas all orientées and volunteers should feel like their fundraising efforts will serve their diverse com­ munities; And whereas Cystic Fibrosis has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men."

To begin with, the final assertion is blatantly false. Had the motion's au­ thor—science faculty representative Donnie Northrup—even glanced at the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's website, he would have learned that the disease is diagnosed most commonly among Caucasian people. However, people of South American, North African, Indian, Israeli and Arabian descent (among others) are all defined as Caucasian. In addition, both genders are di­ agnosed with the disease at an equal rate. Cystic fibrosis certainly isn't a white male disease.

Apart from being based on false information, the CUSA motion has ef­ fectively turned their choice of charities into a contest of suffering. By the mo­ tion's logic, what diseases would be "inclusive" enough to deserve a fundraiser?

By CUSA's reasoning, diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, juvenile diabetes, and sickle cell anaemia are too "exclusive" to be worthy of fundraising efforts.

CUSA's reasoning also sends a troubling message to people suffering from "exclusive" diseases. Sorting diseases based on the characteristics of their vie- • tims uses the same backwards logic that led to HIV/AIDS being labelled "gay cancer" in the 1980s. Diseases aren't inclusive or exclusive—they're universally tragic.

CUSA President Brittany Smyth called an emergency meeting yester­ day to reconsider the motion. Meanwhile, a petition for her impeachment, along with Northrup's, is being circulated around the Carleton campus. But Smyth, Northrup, and the 15 other council members who voted for the motion wouldn't have to back-pedal if they had they taken the time to read, listen, and ask questions about the motion. Instead, they created a national controversy, and it will be difficult to undo the damage CUSA has done to their own—and Carleton University's—reputation. ■

ost of us have had our fill of elections this year. The Westmount—Ville-Marie riding was about to hold a byelection when the semester began, although this was cancelled when a general federal election was called. That elec­ tion produced another Conservative minority government on Oc­ tober 14. And last month, one of the most drawn-out American presidential campaigns in recent history culminated in a victory for Barack Obama.

So when Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced a provin­ cial election the day after Obama's victory, many of us groaned.

Quebeckers last went to the polls in May of 2007, returning a Liber­ al minority government. And while minority governments are no­ toriously short-lived, this election wasn't forced on the Liberals.

When announcing the election, Premier Jean Charest justified sending Quebeckers to the polls as necessary for him to secure a "clear mandate" to "pilot [Quebec] through this economic storm."

But it's hard to take Charest at his word, given that his government hadn't been defeated by, or even faced stiff resistance from, the opposition on economic matters. Instead, Charest's timing reeks of political opportunism. The latest Léger Marketing poll puts the Liberals at 46 per cent support, while they went into the 2007 elec­ tion at a lacklustre 33 per cent. The Liberals saw an opportunity to weaken their political opponents, and they took it.

Given the opportunistic timing and the general state of pro­ vincial politics, it's understandable that many McGill students don't intend to vote. We urge you to reconsider. Any Canadian citi­ zen who is 18 years or older and has resided in Quebec for at least six months is eligible to vote. And the provincial election matters.

For students in particular, it's the provincial government that sets funding levels for Quebec's universities.

The Quebec ballot is underwhelming. While the Parti Québé­ cois isn't currently pushing for a referendum, the Tribune funda­ mentally disagrees with their separatist agenda and their position on many social issues.The Action Démocratique du Québec shares some of these troubling positions, particularly in the area of rea­ sonable accommodation. And given their track record as the offi­ cial opposition, there's little reason to believe that the ADQ would be a particularly competent governing party.

The Tribune is therefore endorsing the Liberal Party of Que­ bec in this election. We're not thrilled with their platform in terms of funding for post-secondary education, but no other party has offered a viable and fiscally responsible alternative.

McGill has cancelled exams on election day. So on December 8, we encourage you take a break from studying and vote in the provincial election. If more students in Montreal turn out to vote, perhaps Quebec politicians will pay more attention to student concerns. ■

W

online@mcgilltribune.com

C-------------------------------------- D esign E ditors

Femi Kassim Janet McMullen design@mcgilltribune.com

CORRECTION

In last week's article"The art of unfinished business,"artist Ian Shatilla's new exhibition was referred to as C a ll to Change. In fact, the name of the exbition is C a ll to Adventure.

C opy E ditor

^

M

Tori Crawford A dvertising M anager

OFF THE BOARD

Matt Ward cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca P ublisher

Just a few words about white guys

Chad Ronalds B ern ard R udny

C ontributors

David Benson, Kyle Carpenter, Austin del Rio, Arielle Frank, RJ Kelford, Shannon Kimball, Leanne Kilroy, Amrita Kumar-Ratta, Kailan Leung, Joshua Rosenblatt, Brahna Seigelberg, Ilya Shodjaee-Zrudlo, Alexandra Swann, Eric Weiss

T ribune O ffices

Editorial Shatner University Centre Suite 110,3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1X9 T; 514398.6789 E: info@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200,3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2 T: 514398.6835 F; 514.398.7490

staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

jones. And what if this is just the beginning? have enough other flaws to make up for: my There are plenty of other diseases (some of grades, my personality, my less-than-impres- them cojones-related, like prostate cancer) that sive physique, and my bad habit of listing my aren't particularly inclusive. As a white guy, I still want them to be cured. personal-flaws in newspaper columns.

So I'd like to say a few words in defence That's why I'm troubled by the Carleton Un­ dergraduate Students' Association. Last week, of white guys. I know we've been responsible they cancelled a cystic fibrosis fundraiser for for many terrible things. After all, Ivan the Ter­ not being "inclusive" enough. They thought the rible, Vlad the Impaler, and David Caruso were disease "only affect[s] white people, and primar­ all white guys. But so were Abraham Lincoln, Bertrand Russell, and all the members of Pink ily men."

CUSA's statements about cystic fibrosis are Floyd. If you're going to saddle white guys with wrong, and they're reconsidering their decision. the legacies of racism, sexism, colonialism, and But you can read all about that in our editorial. CSI: M iam i, you should also thank us for Wish This column is about the denigration of white You Were Here.

I realize that white guys have a history guys.

I'm not surprised a student union made of oppressing people. But many of those op­ a bad decision—that's par for the course. In­ pressed people were other white guys. My fam­ stead, I wonder what would have happened if ily is Polish. That's about as white as guys (or CUSA thought cystic fibrosis only affected black gals) can get. Yet they were deported, enslaved, women. Or Asian men. Or androgynous pyg­ starved, beaten, shot, and blacklisted—all by other white guys in Eastern Europe. Eventually mies. You get my point.

CUSA had the cojones to pass judgement they emigrated, only to settle in a land where on—to put it bluntly—white people with co­ their accents were mocked by a new batch of

I t's cruel to fault me for being a white guy. I

white guys. When it comes to being oppressed by white guys, it's tough all around.

I also realize that some people dislike white guys for personal reasons. Maybe there was a white guy at your high school. And maybe he drove a convertible, was captain of the football team, and got all the girls. But realize that most white guys spent high school wishing they could driye, play football, or make it past second base.

(Believe me—I was one of them.) We shouldn't be resented for what other white guys did—be it Captain Jockstrap or the conquistadors.

As a white guy once wrote, "If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die?" I may not be ticklish, but I couldn't agree more.

I don't know if any CUSA Council mem­ bers celebrate Christmas. If they do, a morbidly obese man may break into their homes (typi­ cally via the chimney) this holiday season. And while he's denounced as a paternalist, commer­ cial, and non-inclusive figure, I'm told he's also a kind and jolly fellow. So please be nice—even if he is a white guy. ■

10 • The McGill Tribune • 02.12.08

OFF THE BOARD

Letters to the editor

Class time is not lunch time C arolyin Y ates y laptop and I have been through a lot togeth­ hour-long lecture in theatre-style seats just as easily. er. We've travelled the world. I've left it on con­ There's also the issue of respect. Whatever you tinually since, well, ever. And, of course, there's think of laptop-toters like myself, I shouldn't be at risk the near-daily abuse it receives from bouncing around of great personal loss because the person next to me in my backpack. But all this pales in comparison to the wants to eat something that drips, crumbles, sticks, or cruel-minded, inhumane treatment it receives at the sprays (orange lovers, I'm looking at you). Anyone who hands of my unwitting classmates. I'm talking about uses paper and gets their notes coated with someone those horrible few, the scum of our generation: people else's brownie crumbs surely agrees. who eat in class.

And think of your professors. They're up there, I'm not cruel—I can understand drinking in class. day in and day out, trying to cram information into the Coffee, tea, water, orange juice, and previously opened heads of a bunch of people who are either napping, carbonated beverages are all acceptable, provided you on Facebook, or asking annoying questions. They have don't smack your lips, leave the garbage lying around more than enough to frustrate them without someone afterward or, worst of all, spill it. But eating? in the front row crackling their bagel wrapper every First, let's look at the facts: classes at McGill are two seconds—especially around noon, when they're usually either one- or one-and-a-half hours long. If hungry too. The signs at the front of nearly every class­ you're in a lecture much longer than that, there's usual­ room have images of food with large red lines through ly a break in the middle so people can regain feeling in them, and it's about time people paid attention. their legs, go to the bathroom, and have a snack. And Now, I know there are days when you forget to if you have consecutive classes, there's still a good 10 have breakfast, have classes until two in the afternoon, minutes between the time one ends and the professor all of your professors are punctual, and it's snowing so actually starts lecturing in the next one.That's plenty of you couldn't be early if you wanted to. I feel your pain, time to eat before you take a seat. As for science labs, or rather, your pangs. If you're too sheepish to leave this shouldn't be an issue. Cadavers or acids are hardly the room for a few minutes, why must you eat messy appetite stimulating. Neither is the risk of death. things? While the crackly wrappers of granola bars are Biologically speaking, food stays in your stomach annoying for a few seconds, they're much better than and small intestine for six to eight hours. So there's no sitting down and realizing the seat is covered with an excuse for in-class food consumption. If you have four indefinable sticky mass, a pound of sesame seeds, or classes in a row, there's probably enough lag between just plain garbage. two of them to grab a bite. If you have fewer than that, In brief, please stop eating in class. My laptop will there's no excuse. If science students can get through thank you. So will everyone else in the room. a five hour lab on their feet without eating something, And if you don't stop, be prepared to pay the con­ then arts students should be able to get through an sequences. ■

M

( -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- --------------------------------------- \ SEE THOSE THREE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR? THEY LOOK AWFULLY LONELY. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD GIVE THEM SOME MORE COMPANY. MAYBE YOU HATE SEEING THE WORD "CUNT" IN PRINT. OR MAYBE YOU THINK WHITE GUYS HAVE IT EASY. OR MAYBE YOU ENJOY EATING MESSY FOOD IN CLASS NEXT TO PEOPLE WITH LAPTOPS. TELL THE WORLD HOW IT IS. THE TRIBUNE WILL PRINT ANYTHING YOU SEND US, AS LONG AS IT'S 300 WORDS OR LESS. SO SEND YOUR NATTERINGS TO LETTERS@MCGILLTRIBUNE.COM.

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Enough about Dick Pound, already I'm pretty tired of the Dick Pound controversy being recycled through both the Tribune and the Daily. Enough is enough. He of­ fered an explanation for his comments. The man apologized. Every­ one can now take it or leave it. But please, please stop writing about him.

If I see Dick Pound's "sauvages" comments featured in one more article, editorial, or letter, I may never read another campus publication again. And judging by the number of the Tribune and Daily copies left in their dispensers at the end of the week, you guys can't afford to lose any readers. Keep up the good work! ("Dick Fist Pounds"for everyone.)

—Chad Pinto, Ui management SSMU councillor debates the definition of "near-emo" While I take issue with much of Kyle Carpenter's "No love in this club" (25.11.2008), there is one huge error that stands out. "Love in This Club" is an Usher (featuring Young Jeezy) production. Akon is not in it. Maybe Kyle is thinking of "I Wanna Fuck (or Love) You".

Either way, both of these can in no way be described as nearemo. I mean, emo's hard to define, but "On the couch, on the table, on the bar, or on the floor/You meet me in the bathroom yeah you know I'm trying go" doesn't really strike me as "near-emo."

—Stas Moroz, U1 economics and political science More about Cornett and the ombudsperson I have to say that I'm disappointed in the McGill administra­ tion. I sent in letters to the editors of the McGill Daily and the McGill Tribune that were published several weeks ago (November 13 and 11, respectively) regarding Provost Anthony Masi and the issue of the independence of McGill's ombudsperson. I wrote that Masi was responsible for preventing former ombudsperson Norman Miller from testifying before a Quebec Labour Tribunal on behalf of Pro­ fessor Norman Cornett, whose classes were previously cancelled "for the good of students."

As I said, it's been several weeks and several issues later, yet it appears as though the administration is simply ignoring the matter.

There has been no response from the administration to my letter in either paper, and their silence speaks volumes.

However, since they haven't responded yet, I'm asking them point blankfor an answer: did Anthony Masi prevent Norman Miller from testifying before the Quebec Labour Tribunal?

If not, say so. If yes, justify it. Keeping quiet won't make the issue go away.

—Aly Jivraj, BA 2007

EH

M c G ill The Department of Integrated Studies in Education is pleased to present

Carlos Alberto Torres Professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education; Founding Director of the Paulo Freire Institute at UCLA

"Social Justice Education: Democracy, Citizenship and Social Critique of Neoliberalism" D ecem bers 14:00-15:30 Faculty of Education 3700 McTavish, Room 129 For information, please contact: katherine.mikic@mail.mcgill.ca The public is welcome. Admission is free.

Conférence publique. L'entrée est gratuite.

This lecture is co-sponsored with History and Philosophy of Science, Social Studies of Medicine, and the Department of Philosophy, with support from the Beatty Memorial Lectures Fund.

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ü n e **tn g yup fbrtfa&hoU dayy Case study: La Senza

C arolyn Y ates More than 172 million shoppers visited retail stores and websites this past weekend, according to the National Retail Federation's 2008 Black Friday Weekend Survey. The holiday season is the year's sales season, and as customers are driven to retail stores and websites,companies are trying to make their products bet­ ter than the rest.

Lingerie com­ panies are no exception. From Love

Actually's

remix "Christmas is All Around Us" to Mean Girls' slutty version of "Jingle Bell Rock," the idea of holi day-themed lingerie, and costumes per­ meates popu­ lar culture.

But despite the lascivious advertising possibilities, lingerie companies don't always adhere to the idea that "sex sells."

"Sex doesn't necessarily sell, but it gets atten­ tion," says Ashesh Mukherjee, a McGill marketing professor. "That's one thing about using sexual ad­ vertising—people take a second look."

But for some lingerie companies, an empha­ sis on burlesque sexuality is not the sole focus of their holiday marketing campaigns. While Victoria's Secret—which is actually owned by Limited Brands, the same parent compaany as La Senza—tries to sell to the supermodel in every woman and La Vie en Rose aims for "glamour, sensuality, and passion," La Senza takes a more playful approach.

"I think the word 'playful' is where the [holiday dress-up] collection and most, if not all, of the items stem from—taking a lighthearted approach and not taking yourself too seriously," says Tamara Jedeikin, mar­ keting manager of La Senza.

La Senza tries to strongly dis­ tance itself from the purely sexual aspect of lingerie.

"Our image is more of the roman­ tic and the emotional connection; the power and beauty you feel in embrac­ ing yourself and your femininity, versus the other side of things," says Jedeikin.

Sex also isn't a sure-fire way to market products because viewers may remember only the sexual imagery of the advertisements, as opposed to the brand the ads are trying to promote.

"Sex tends to overshadow everything else in the ad," says Mukherjee. "If the brand is

not well-known, then it's not a good idea to use sex, because people will remember that there was na­ kedness in the ad but they won't remember which brand it was for."

Sex doesn't always sell Because of these branding concerns, La Senza takes a saucy, rather than edgy, approach to their holiday lines. Their holiday lingerie makes up only a small portion of their catalogue, and during the winter shopping season, the emphasis of many con­ sumers is on holiday-themed loungewear instead of lingerie.

"The core of our business, especially at this time of year, has more to do with flannel pajamas and robes and accessories that are holiday themed, such as reindeer, and snowmen, cupcakes, and cocoa, and the idea of Santa and naughty and nice," says Jedeikin.

La Senza currently has four holiday costumes, including a snow bunny and a Santa's helper. The line was first introduced as a test product in 2006.

"We had seen it in other retailers, and seen the concept in other advertising, and thought, 'You know what, let's give it a try and see what happens with something that has more of a novelty, dress-up theme to it,'not really knowing where it would go," says Jedeikin. "In the end, it wound up selling really well and we got a lot of great feedback on it, from every kind of customer you could imagine."

Since the initial introduction, the line has grown from a single item into a collection of four— but whether or not it will continue to grow is still uncertain.

"For now, this is what it is, and we'll see what ends up happening with the full collection this year," says Jedeikin. "If it winds up doing well we might in­ troduce it next year."

A little more sugar, a little less spice Some cusless styles once-a-year

tomers prefer timet o

items.

"They're too commercial," says Sarah Landes, who has seen many holiday lingerie displays. "If I wanted to buy lingerie, it wouldn't be right now. I want something nice, not commercial."

Instead of raunchy costumes, customers seem to be focussing on more classic styles, and compa­ nies are eager to please.

"We have more romance-infused collections selling more in this holiday season than in any sea­ son previous," says Jedeikin.

This more romantic side of lingerie is prevalent in other parts of the industry. For example, Victoria Secret's new Glamour line is steeped in purple and lace.

"Victoria's Secret is about sexy, and the new sexy is glamorous for this season," said Victoria's Se­ cret CEO Sharen Turney in a November 21 interview with The Times of India.

La Senza is following in the foot­ steps of its sister company and has seen similar trends in customer purchasing.

"From what I see in our customers ... I think people are ready to get back in touch with the true spirit of lingerie, the romance, the emotional connection that that brings," says Jedeikin.

"It's going in a different path. It's going away from something that is overtly sexy and exposing to some­ thing that is softer, more feminine, more flirty, and, especially at the holiday time, more fun." ■

02.12.08 • The McGill Tribune • 13

ww.mcgilltribune.com

RAVEL

Campus Calendar

Set out your handwarmers .ocal ski resorts for every level and budget M eghna M arjadi Carving down a mountain dusted with fresh powder is le of the glories of winter. Add some piping hot cocoa next the fire afer a day on the mountain and you have yourself abulous winter vacation. There are many ski slopes within a hours of Montreal, and whatever your skiing experience u should be able to find a suitable one. n

Stowe

Located 225 kilometres south of Montreal, Stowe Mounn in Vermont offers 116 runs, a terrain park, and Nordic ski lils. Unfortunately, heading south of the border means a gher drinking age and fewer mountain pubs. Overall, this ountain has so many trails you may not even have time to inkabout settling down to a pint. Lodging is available on the I and there are other options in the town itself.

Lift tickets: Adult one-day lift tickets are between $84 id $89—unless you hit the slopes before Dec. 5 and enjoy e early season rate of $57.

Experts: Stowe offers many black and double black diaond slopes with excellent views and natural terrain.

Beginners: Ski lessons and rentals are available. There are ts of green and blue slopes, but they sometimes cross with ack diamond slopes, so it's important to look carefully at the jns in order to avoid a dangerous situation.

Food: Drinks, sandwiches, warm soups, and a view from e top are available at The Octagon Café and Gailery. The galry also showcases work by local artists.

Le M assif

Offering the highest peak east of the Canadian Rockies id 49 runs, Le Massif is located on the St. Lawrence River, ost of the mountain's natural surroundings haven't been mpered with because it is located inside a UNESCO World

Biosphere Reserve. You can actually ski while enjoying breath­ taking river views. The mountain is 324 kilometres northeast of Montreal and usually isn't crowded. It's also about an hour's drive from Quebec City, and shuttles are available.

Lift tickets: This is one of the few resorts with a student discount, so bring your student ID to pay only $41 for a full day.

Experts: Challenging, well-groomed hills and short line­ ups make for excellent runs. So do generally fantastic snow conditions.

B eg inners: Those short line-ups come with a price: Le Massif lacks a bunny hill. It does offer lessons, as long as you book in advance and are willing to pay.

Food: Summit and base pubs are great after a day on the slopes. Unlike many hills whose offerings are limited to what comes out of the deep fryer, Le Massif offers gourmet food at reasonable prices.

A ltern ative A pproaches to M edia W hen: Dec. 2; open house from 6:30;

screenings from 730 - 930 p.m.

W here: Arts lobby and Leacock 132 This exhibit will showcase short films pro­ duced by Prof. Alanna Thain's Alternative Ap­ proaches to Media class. The works will address fundamental questions on film as a meduim in 2008. It's also free.

C olloquium : D iversity and Critical Issues in Education W hen: Dec. 3-4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

W here: 3700 McTavish, room 129

The Faculty of Education is holding a col­ loquium which will discuss complexities arising from diverse populations in the school milieu.

Registration is required but free. Email katherine.mikic@mail.mcgill.ca.

Young at H eart: A Soulstice a C appella Concert W hen: Dec. 5,730 p.m.

W here: Birks (3520 University)

Mont St. A nne

Mont St. Anne is 253 km from Montreal and houses the highest vertical for night skiing in Canada. There are 66 trails and the mountain is half an hour from Quebec City. Mont. St. Anne also offers an array of activities other than downhill ski­ ing, including paragliding, dog sledding, snowshoeing, iceskating, and 223 kilometres of Nordic ski trails. Because Mont St. Anne is seen as the closest thing to a European resort in North America, it's quite popular and usually crowded.

Lift tickets: $59 for a full day; $28 for night skiing.

Experts: Mont St. Anne is opening its 66th trail this year; 'the Beast', at 65 degrees, has one of the steepest angles in the east and rates a double black diamond. Avid skiiers can also enjoy the Black Forest glades.

B eg inners: Rentals and lessons are available.

Food: Pubs and a sugar shack halfway down the hill will help you refuel on your way down. ■

Join Soulstice a Cappella on a trip down memory lane as they look back to favourite childhood memories.

Tickets are $7 for students and are available at the door.

Advertise your event in campus calendar.

Send the name, date, location, and other info to features@mcgilltribune.com.

O ODGURU

Homemade biscotti he cheap and delicious way to survive the holiday season L ean ne K ilroy This year, why not shoot for a more recession-appropriate :t that will charm just about everyone on your list (and can be ade in about an hour)? I've been whipping up batches of bistti, wrapping bundles of them in tissue paper (or newspaper... retro and free), tying them up with some ribbon, and giving em away as holiday gifts to just about everyone I know. Sure, rliday cookies fall well into the realm of the cliché, but these

cookies are a far cry from the over-dry, over-processed, under­ flavoured cookies that your neighbor drops off every Decem­ ber.

Biscotti are perfect dipped in coffee or tea and the possibili­ ties for variety are endless. Dipping them in melted dark choc­ olate and rolling them in toasted coconut, or drizzling melted white chocolate over them creates a truly gourmet effect. My mother likes to stick them in pretty boxes decorated with pinecones and other kitschy, wintry things. She even ships them to relatives overseas. By now, it's safe to say that these biscotti have become part of my family's holiday tradition.

This is a timeless recipe that I hope serves your reper­ toire—and your budget—as faithfully as it has mine.

This recipe is truly a nobrainer. Though the results may make you look like a bak­ ing connoisseur, the list of in­ gredients short, the waiting time is minimal, and the cost is next to nothing. Plus, it easily adapts to your personal tastes and sense of creativity. These crunchy sweets are so simple to make that you probably won't need to follow the recipe after the first time. And, since they contain no butter or oil, the biscotti won't go stale for months. But you don't have to worry about that—they won't last long.

Ingredients

LEANNE KILROY •

2 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar pinch salt 1tsp baking powder 1tsp spice (see below) 1tsp liquid flavor (see

below) 3 eggs 1/2 to 3/4 cup mix-ins (see below) Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. 2. Use a wooden spoon to mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl then add them and any liquid ingredients (such as extracts) to the dry ingredients. Add your desired mix-ins and mix well.

3. On a floured baking sheet, use your hands to mould the dough into a large oval about one inch thick (see top leftphoto). Add enough flour so you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hands, (if you're doubling the recipe, make two ovals.)

4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch.

5. Remove the tray from the oven and slice the oval vertically into about 20 biscotti. Then use a spatula to carefully (so you don't burn yourself or break the cookies) turn each slice over onto one side and bake 10 minutes more (see top right photo).

6. Remove from oven, flip over to the other side and bake for another five minutes. Remove and cool (they will continue to harden slightly). Once cool, you can dip the biscotti in melted chocolate. *Here are just a few suggestions for mix-in, spice, and flavour combinations, but feel free to go wild: • Dark chocolate chunks, chopped dried cranberries, orange zest.

• Slivered almonds, lemon zest, almond extract.

• Crystallized ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla ex­ tract.

• Pistachios, chopped dried figs, died apricots, and rum.

• Shredded coconut, chocolate chips, crushed almonds, al­ mond extract.

• White chocolate, hazelnuts, instant espresso powder, and cinnamon.

Yields 20. ■

Student L iving

X VS. Y

Egg nog vs. Cider Egg nog

Cider

Historical authority: Variations of this hot egg-and-milk drink originated in medieval Europe. It became fashionable for the upper-crust (who could afford fresh dairy)—after all, nothing spices up high tea more than raw yolk with a bit of sherry—but soon became popular with all classes in the English colonies.

Historic authority: Since cider is essentially unfiltered, un­ pasteurized apple juice, it has an untraced but undoubtedly long history that probably trumps egg nog in terms of longevity.

V M l u

1 organic

Holiday cheer quotient: Cider is available year round, but is usually prime around mid-au­ tumn. It becomes a wintry staple I when served hot or mulled with cinnamon and other spices.

Holiday cheer quotient: You'll won't drink egg nog out­ side of the winter season, so it will always be associated with holiday family gatherings and office parties.

Consumption readiness: Dairy companies like Quebon make premixed egg nog, which can be found in most grocery stores. You can also find soy and other alternative versions. But making your own egg nog is not hard and most people have all the necessary ingredients already.

Taste factor: Egg nog can be an acquired taste. For some people raw eggs are a turn-off. But those who love it swear by it.

Alcoholic compatibility: Great. For those who like the particular taste, there's no better winter cocktail than a little rum, brandy, whisky, or cognac egg nog. For those who aren't so keen on the milk-and-egg combo, its natural pairing with booze makes the drink worth a try at holiday parties.

Consumption

1

CIDER cid l UH N K E R T O N S l

readiness:

WINEANORAK.COM Smashing your own apples prob­ ably won't produce the right result. Fortunately fresh apple cider is available in most grocery stores all year.

WINNER: Egg nog You don't usually associate milk and eggs with a night of partying, but egg nog is an odd case. Per­ haps it is because of its orginality that egg nog is a holiday tradition we haven't been able to shake off for centuries. So get your egg nog fill while you can. When it's July and all you want is an egg nog brandy you'll feel the real pain of an itch you can't scratch. ■

Taste factor: Cider is usually heavier and more tart than apple juice, but much more refreshing and sweeter than most alcoholic drinks. Plus nothing smells more like the holidays than cookies baking in the oven and hot cider brewing.

Alcoholic compatibility: It's not conventional to add liquour to fresh apple cider, but cider actually has a pre-mixed alcoholic counterpart: "hard" cider is a light and sweet carbonated drink akin in alcoholic content to beer. The hard stuff is available all year, however, and doesn't have much of a holiday connection.

RESTAURANTS

Quiet cafés in crazy times The hunt for student friendly cafés: Starbucks, I never knew thee S hannon K imball Chain cafés have their perks, with their soft lighting, plush couches, and complicated drinks. But once exams begin, finding a decent table or comfortable chair requires a reservation, and the library is even worse. A good place to study should be easily accessible, have a quiet setting, and offer an excellent coffee selection. While chain establish­ ments usually fulfill these requirements, they come with their drawbacks: watered-down coffee, loud music, pastries that could result in diabetic shock, and loud customers with complaints. Who can study while someone is yelling at the manager because the venti triple-shot sugar-free extra-hot macchiato they ordered wasn't made with skim milk?

The hunt for student friendly cafés is on. After prowling Montreal's streets, I found three coffee shops that meet a stressed student's criteria. All relatively quiet and serving rich coffee, each of these cafés offers something unique, without being too crowded for cramming.

tense reading or touching up a paper, and the semi-under­ ground location blocks street noise and makes the café more discrete to pedestrians. Nocochi offers a full service menu, and their afternoon tea is highly recommended. Their ex­ otic pastries and cookies, with surprising ingredients such as chickpeas and cardamom, make for novel combinations with coffee and tea. Because there is a full-service menu, it may not be polite to stay more than a few hours. However, Noco­ chi can serve as a respite between longer study sessions.

Caffé in Gamba 5263 Parc Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m. -10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m.

For those studying in the plateau, Caffé in Gamba is a chic espresso café. The average cup-of-joe is nowhere to be found: instead, Caffé in Gamba markets only espresso drinks.

Espresso beans are freshly ground for each customer, hand packed, and placed in a machine that looks more compli­ cated than advanced calculus. The finishing touch to any drink is a rosetta or delicate chocolate heart poured on the foam. Despite the display, all drinks are under $3.50, and one Gamba espresso is twice as flavourful as a watered-down version elsewhere. Biscotti from a local Italian bakery are the perfect complement to such a treat. Plush red velvet couches surround a fireplace and there are a dozen tables suitable for a laptop, drink, and a few folders. Wifi is easily accessible, and on slow days, it's easy to spread study materials across two tables. If pastries aren't your style, St. Viateur's bagels are only a few blocks away. For those looking to take home a piece of Gamba, beans are available in a dozen silos near the door.

Mixing and matching flavors from around the world is en­ couraged. Caffé in Gamba is the quintessential study place for espresso fanatics. ■

Café Castel 1015 Sherbrooke West 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. seven days a week Limited seating and endless lines make McLennan's caf­ eteria practically useless, so the nearby Café Castel wins the convenience contest. It's two blocks away from the Roddick gates and is open early enough for a quick pre-exam study session. Despite the inviting glass windows overlooking Sherbrooke, Café Castel is likely to be quiet after the morn­ ing rush. The coffee is rich, particularly the house blend, and a full coffee menu written in chalk will satisfy any craving.

While caffeine is important, proper nutrition is even more so, especially during exams. A large stock of homemade sand­ wiches, hot paninis, fresh fruit, and baked goods makes this café perfect for refueling.

Nocochi 2156 MacKay Monday- Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Situated in the basement of a townhouse, this Persian café offers more than a quick caffeine fix. The minimalist décor of large white tables and chairs makes it ideal for in­

Café Castel, located at the corner of Peel and Sherbrooke, is an inviting place to study.

ADAM SCOTTI

A rts & E ntertainment

m u s ic

When melancholy machines make music Montreal indie band Stars will top your trees this holiday season L aura T indal Eight years ago, a little-known Toronto band moved from New York City to the snowy land of Montreal. Since that day, the band has exploded in popularity across the continent. Yet Stars continues to emphasize that they are, above all, a Mon­ treal band.

During their show at Metropolis last Friday, lead singer Torquil Campbell stressed how genuinely touched he was by what he referred to as the "hometown welcome"they received from the ecstatic crowd. There was barely room to move in the 2,300 capacity venue, andmembers of the audience sang the words of each song like a prayer. Clearly, Montreal and Stars were made for each other.

"We wanted to be in Canada, and did not want to be in Toronto," says Stars drummer, Patrick McGee. "For a bunch of poor people, it was the cheapest and most luxurious place to live in the entire continent. And it's a beautiful city, I think [the rest of the band] found it inspiring. Amy [Millan] had lived here before, she had gone to school here and knew about it, and it was close to New York and it was close to Toronto, so it just seemed like a really good idea. Sort of an affordable, decadent, kind of beautiful place to live."

Excelling in harmonic, elegant, dark-yet-energetic indiepop, Stars have seen their star rise since their 2004 release Set Yourself on Fire. This was when Canadians first caught on to Stars'lush symphonies and endearing young-love vocals. Lis­ teners were blown away by the intimate lyrics and singer Amy Millan's unique, ethereal voice.

Originally formed by Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, Stars has stayed with their current lineup since moving to Montreal. The group's chemistry is such that every­ one brings thier own unique flavour to the table.

"Evan is the interior decorator, and aesthetician perhaps," says McGee. "I'm—I don't want to say I'm the muscle, I'm a skinny guy—but I end up driving vans all over the place. Amy is our passionate accountant, she's the Viper. She keeps track of all the coming and goings of our money. . . Torq and Chris, i mean God, where do I begin? Those are the two guys who started the whole thing. They're kind of CEO, commander-inchief. They are comic relief, mouth, and then the yin and the yang.... They're very much opposites and they're exactly the same. That's pretty amazing. They've been friends since they were eight years old, despite themselves. They love each other and hate each other, all in the same breath."

It's this intimate group dynamic that allows the band to work so well together and create such ambitious albums.Their last album, In Our Bedroom After the War, was celebrated by fans and critics alike. This record picked up where Set Yourself on Fire left off, yet with more energy and cohesion and a little

their previous albums, yet it still has the same electro-sym­ phonic sound and soul-stirring vocals that you can depend on from Stars.

"There was kind of a feeling I had when we went in, I was feeling sort of melancholy at the time, I don't why, I wasn't de­ pressed or anything, but... we wanted to go in and play music like sad machines ... but give them a human feel, a human emotion," says McGee. Yet onstage at Metropolis, despite a few robotic dance moves, the band looked and sounded as far from mechanical as possible. Beaming with delight at the enthusiastic crowd, the band threw roses from the stage, a stark reversal from the traditional act of fans throwing roses at performers. Clearly Stars wanted to give back to their fans and to the city that they've adopted as their own.

"I live just around the corner," Campbell proudly declared to the screaming fans, and both the audience and the per­ formers seemed genuinely humbled that this was the case. ■

less of their former melancholic vibe.

"I think it's a hopeful record ... I think lyrically it's as de­ pressing as the rest of Stars' records. But I guess the way it sounds, it does have a big hopeful sound to it," McGee says.

"I think we wanted to do something bigger than we'd done before."

In Our Bedroom After the War tells of the turmoil of two lovers who cannot let go. The band worked on the album for over a year, working and re-working the music to get it right, trying to exceed Set Yourself O n Fire while adding in a unifying narrative throughout the album. The process for their recent EP Sad Robots was significantly different. "[That was a] completely different animal altogether.

[With] Sad Robots we went into the studio with nothing, which is really uncharacteristic for us," says McGee. "I think we wanted to make something that went backwards a little bit, that harkened back to earlier days when things were a little rough-n-tumble and we didn't have any money to do stuff....

We were trying to keep it tight."

The six-song EP is noticeably darker and less upbeat than

ADAM SCOTTI Stars shine bright at M etropolis last w eek. Above: singers Torquil Cam pbell and Am y M illan. Left: bassist Evan Cranley.

POP RHETORIC

Chinese bureaucracy K y l e C a r p en ter

uns N'Roses (if you can still call them that) havejust released the most highly anticipated album of all time. Chinese D em ocracy is the band's first release since their 1983 cover album, The Spaghetti Incident?. The new album reportedly took over 13 years, 14 studios, mil­ lions of dollars, and the departure of every band member except for lead singer Axl Rose, to complete.

While albums usually become famous because of the quality of their music, Chinese D em ocracy has received the majority of its media attention based on the surrounding controversy. Though fans around the world have eagerly anticipated its release, there is one country—and hence one sixth of the world's population—that will have to hear it in pirated versions only. The album has been banned in China, a country notorious for censoring imports that al­ legedly threaten "national sovereignty"—just ask Bjork, who got herself into trouble last March for yelling "Tibet, Tibet!"at a show in Shanghai. Chinese officials have called the album a "venomous attack" on the nation, claiming

G

that it "turns its spear point on China." Not only are Chinese citizens banned from buying the album or hearing it on the radio in their country, but the official album website, www.chinesedemocracy.com, is blocked as well. It's hard for North Americans to understand how one little record can create so much controversy when the anti-establish­ ment odes that make up a good part of our punk scene are uncensored for public listening—including anti-gov­ ernment titles like the Rock Against Bush compilations.

According to BBC News, when asked about China's banning of the album, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told the BBC's James Reynolds, "According to my knowledge, a lot of people don't like this kind of music be­ cause it's too noisy and too loud."Calling this assumption broad would be an understatement. It is disconcerting to know that a Chinese spokesman believes that the majority of over a billion people are opposed to music because it is "noisy and loud," while in reality, Guns N' Roses have de­ veloped a large Chinese fan base throughout their career.

In addition, China plays host to large rock music festivals every year, such as the Fuji Rock Festival featuring "noisy and loud" artists like Bloc Party, My Bloody Valentine, and Kasabian.

Beneath the surface, there is something troublingly ironic about banning an album entitled Chinese D em ocra­ cy. It harkens images of a totalitarian government whose response to criticism is simple: do not allow it to be heard.

There are many questions as to the real reasons behind China's outlawing of the album. For instance, is it because they think it will cause people to question the current system of government on a larger scale? Will it instigate tension between China and other countries around the world? Will it insight some sort of metal-head uprising?

While these outcomes are highly doubtful, one thing is clear: China's ban of Chinese Dem ocracy is ironically, yet undeniably, undemocratic—which illustrates exactly what the album was meant to prove.*

The McGill Tribun

16 • Arts & Entertainment • 02.12.08

FILM

My big fat dysfunctional w edding -

Demme intimately portrays family dynamics in Rachel Getting Married C arolyn G régoire Don't let the title deceive you—indie film Rachel Getting Married is a far cry from sappy bridal chick flicks like The Wed­ ding Planner and 21 Dresses. Director Jonathan Demme offers so much more in this dark and sensitive psychological portrait of a deeply dysfunctional family. Hollywood darling Anne Hathaway breaks away from her squeaky-clean roles in The Princess Diaries and Ella Enchanted to play Kym, a chain-smok­ ing, fresh out of rehab mess who returns to her Connecticut home for her older sister's wedding.

Kym is a troubled former drug addict who can't seem to escape from the pain of her past—she was responsible for the death of her little brother when she crashed the family car while high on Percocet. Clean and sober for nine months, Kym is struggling to restart her life. Her sister Rachel—played by the talented Rosemarie DeWitt from Mad Men—is a PhD student in psychology and has become a maternal figure to replace the girls' ever-absent mother. Needless to say, when Kym takes a leave of absence from rehab to be a bridesmaid in Rachel's wedding, old family issues rear their ugly head.

Kym's family is the apotheosis of the family that appears perfect on the outside, but harbours years of suffering and built-up resentment beneath their well-off veneer. While the

family's icy reception of Kym shows that she's clearly the black sheep of the family, the others are nearly as dysfunctional in their own right—her cold and distant mother arrives late to the rehearsal dinner and leaves the wedding early, and Ra­ chel's condescending psychoanalysis hurts and annoys the other members of the family, all while Kym's father tries to pre­ tend that everything is okay.

Beginning with Kym's return from rehab on the evening of her sister's wedding rehearsal and ending the morning after the wedding, the film is reminiscent of a home video, with hand-held cameras and documentary-style cinematography.

This lends the film an intimate feeling, inviting the audience into the warmth of the wedding festivities with friends and family as well as the underlying family challenges. However, the movie lags in spots and sometimes seems to drag on— after about 10 minutes of close-up shots of guests dancing to exotic beats at the Indian-themed wedding reception, enough is enough. But the film picks up again in an ending that brings everything full circle and offers a glimmer of hope with mini­ mal cheesiness. Demme's work is sensitive and authentic, tri­ umphing in its realism.

As a psychological study of family dynamics, the film suc­ ceeds in its sensitive portrayal of deeply complex and multi­ faceted characters. A slew of impressive performances by the

COLUMBIArÎT] PICTURES L i U

INVITES YOU TO A SPECIAL SCREENING OF

stellar cast brings life to the highly believable charactersHathaway's performance is surprisingly moving, while Bill I win's portray of the father will remind everyone of a dad the know. Though Rachel Getting Married won't satisfy those lool ing for wedding flick clichés and syrupy sweet love stories, th film's nuanced and delicate treatment of a struggling famil allows a more authentic portrayal of love to emerge. ■ Rachel Getting Married plays at Cinem a du Parc (3575 Pan

IGN.COI H athaw ay plays a chain-sm oking, black-eyed bridesm aid.

FILM

Hotties turned hitmen Murder and mayhem in B rahna S eigelberg Cassandra's Dream, Woody Allen's newest film, stars Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor as two brothers who find themselves caught in a bind when they are inad­ vertently brought into a sinister world of murder and deception. The film asks: how far you are willing to go in order to pursue your dreams—and what lines are you willing to cross to do so?

In contrast to Allen's comedies, in which charac­ ters pose existential life questions but end up finding fulfillment, this film presents no easy answers and no comforting alternatives. Farrell and McGregor play two working class brothers in London who are constantly seeking material gain. Farrell stars as Terry, a car me­ chanic who gambles away his money playing cards and betting on dog races, while McGregor plays Ian, who works in his father's restaurant but dreams of owning hotels in California. The duo borrows Jaguars from Ter­ ry's workplace to assume the guise of wealth, and lie to the women they love about who they really are.

The film opens with the brothers using what little money they have to buy a sailboat, which they name Cassandra's Dream, after the dog that won Terry's last race. Although the brothers were probably unaware, Allen certainly knew what he was doing when he named the film after the mythological figure Cassandra, who dreamt prophesies of doom to which no one would lis­ ten. The purchase of the boat foreshadows their tragic fate that is to come.

The film takes a dark turn when Terry finds himself

owing £90,000 to loan sharks while Ian finds himself ir love with a woman who thinks he is a wealthy investoi When the two decide to borrow from their uncle How ard, whom their mother tells them to look up to, he ask them for something much more ominous—to kill th( man whose testimony would land him in jail for frauc Following their mother's motto, "In the end, all you car count on is family," the brothers decide to grant Howarc his wish.

Allen astutely depicts the complexities of humar nature as the brothers wait for the man to see his dyinc mother before they kill him. The wait marks the limina period in which their humanity is put to the test, anc the two unwittingly commit to a vicious cycle of ratio nalizing unfathomable acts in order to achieve selfisl desires.

In this suspense thriller that will leave you sweatinç in your seat—not to mention basking in hunks—Aller presents a world where there are no moral absolute: and where happiness is an unattainable goal. He ex plores the consequences of wealth, and the Darwiniar side of human nature where even the one maxim the) have fails to hold up to man's inner brute.

Although Allen slightly insults his audience b) spelling out the message in cheesy one-liners sud as "We have to survive!" and "Once you cross the line there's no going back," the dialogue is generally witty the acting convincing, and the plot never boring. Thi: film is a must see. ■ Cassandra's Dream plays at Cinem a du Parc starting Dec. 5.

WEDNESDAY, D ECEM B ER 17, AT 7PM AT THE 2313 STE-CATHERIN E W. FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A DOUBLE PASS, E-MAIL YOUR FULL NAME TO:

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Deadline for entry: D E C E M B E R 9TH AT MIDNIGHT ONLY W IN N ER S W ILL B E C O N T A C T E D B Y E-M A IL AND W ILL B E INVITED TO P IC K U P T H E IR P A SS AT T H E T H E A T R E

IN THEATRES DECEMBER 19!

Badass brothers Terry (Colin Farrell) and Ian (Ewan M acGregor) strike a Faustian bargain.

NVTIMES.COM

02.12.08 • T h e M cGill Trib u ne • 17

'w w .m cg illtrib un e.co m

D Reviews V a rio u s a r t is t s . IVe

* * * Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year.

Falling somewhere between cheesy and awesome, We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year is an occasionally delightful compilation of metal greats—including Alice Cooper, Dave Grohl, Lemmy Kilmister, and Bret Kulick—covering Christmas classics.

Surprisingly, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is the highlight of the com­ pilation, featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Tony lommi on guitar.

Other semi-decent songs include a threatening version of "Santa Claw s Is Coming To Town," which roars, "he knows where you live/he knows that your ndow's open / he knows what lives under your bed.""Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" takes similar tone, warning, "they should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays th elves." A rendition of "Silent Night" is neither silent nor something you would want to listen to at ght—unless you hate your neighbours. Yes, this is Christmas in all its metal glory.

But despite such potential for awesomeness, the album ultimately flops. Changing some lyrics, it not others, makes for an inconsistent tone, while some songs could have been better covered by io drunk guys with a keyboard and a badly-tuned guitar. The nail in the coffin is unquestionably appy X-Mas (War is Over)"—this is metal, not a boy-band impersonation contest. It's an embarrassg note to end the album on. Guitar riffs and occasional shouting do not a metal song make.

Not something you would play in front of anyone who likes Lamb of God, and not something you ould want to show your grandma, We Wish You a Metal Xmas and A Headbanging New Year gets 10 it of io for style, but negative six for execution.

GO *

What to do between exams Dec. 2. Film. A lte rn a tiv e A p p ro a c h e s Arts lobby and Leacock 132. Seventeen young filmmak­ ers from Professor Alanna Thain's Cultural Studies course will be presenting their film projects, answering questions, and giving hands-on animation lessons. The works centre on the role of film in the digital age.

Come witness the battle of film vs. Inter­ net. to M e d ia F ilm S c re e n in g .

— Carolyn Yates

Dec. 3. Music. T h e F la t la n d s C o lle c ­ Casa del Popolo. Dutch alto saxo­ phonist Jorrit Dijkstra comes together with a group of Chicago jazz improv musicians to create accessible, interesting American Jazz. tiv e .

The Author. Straight Reads The Line, a five-piece Ontario-based metalcore band, has just released their debut album The Au­ thor on Distort, a Canadian label which also represents artists such as AlexiS tr a ig h t R e a d s T h e L in e .

sonfire, Cancer Bats, and The Bled.

The Author contains some, to put it nicely, interesting characteristics. First Dec 3. Music. F r a n z F e r d in a n d . La of all, it contains not one, but two different styles of screaming: that bitingyour-words-as-you-talk variety reminiscent of Alexisonfire front man George Tulipe. Take me out to see the hit indie Petit, and that Satan-is-pissed-about-something scary brand. The combina­ band playing a low-key show at this small tion is overwhelming and often unnecessary. Beyond their vocals, the songs venue. The intimate show will hark back to 3ve a very crowded feel to them. It is often difficult to tell when one song ends and another begins, the early days before they hit it big, when rhile they do occasionally break into some nice harmonic, yet distorted bridges like in "The Orchid most people thought Franz Ferdinand was Her," the very next song will be racing all over the place with a staccato mix of double-bass drum only some Austrian who was a catalyst for the First World War. Who thought a claim atterns and shredding guitar licks—perhaps best exemplified in the song "Pilgore."

The album is so close to working, it's a shame that in the end, it's simply too crammed full of un- to fame like that could be overshadowed ecessary sounds and changes and a tiring amount of screaming to be worth its weight in blistered by a band? igers and wrecked vocal chords.

Dec. 4. Theatre. La Bella Luna. Main­ —Kyle Carpenter line Theatre. Check out opening night of the Moonchild Productions' presentation K a n y e W e st. 8o8s & Heartbreak. If T-Pain were to listen to Kanye West's new of La Bella Luna, a "musical roller coaster album, 8o8s & Heartbreak, even he would call it repetitive.

The album's lyrics are often ludicrous as well—in "See You In My Night­ ride" complete with nutcrackers, sugar­ mares," guest rapper Lil'Wayne croons, "You think your shit don't stink/You're plum fairies, and flying reindeer. But be­ Mrs. PU." It's safe to say that there have been better insults thrown down on neath the theatricality, the play questions the playground of an elementary school. It's not just the lyrics that are unchar­ what's "normal" in society and the nature acteristic of the usually witty and lyrically innovative Kanye West; his music is of reality. Like the Nutcracker on psyche­ also painfully lacklustre. Whoever introduced West to the Auto-Tune device delics. should be slapped. Kanye West uses the Auto-Tune, a robotic voice distorter, n every single track, giving the entire album an incredibly monotonous feel.

That's not to say that there aren't tracks on this album worth listening to. "Heartless"features the itchy hooks and choruses that made West so popular. "RoboCop" proves that in terms of production, test is still the industry leader. On the whole, however, while musicians often use their work as means f expressing and processing their sorrow, West's incessant whining on 8o8s & Heartbreak leaves the udience feeling like they should have charged him for a therapy session.

—Arielle Frank

Dec. 6. Music. O n e R E P U B L IC . Metrop­ olis. Pop-rockers OneREPUBLIC play with fellow pop-rockers Augustana. Though Timbaland won't be joining them, it'll be too late to apologize if you miss this show.

Dec. 9. Theatre. A ll M y S o n s. Mon­ ument-National. The National Theatre

School of Canada presents Arthur Miller's true story of a man who sold faulty parts to the U.S. military in the Second World War and inadvertently causes the death of 21 pilots. These days, Miller's harsh critique of the American dream will ring true with just about anyone.

Dec. 10. Music. D u ra n D u ra n . Metrop­ olis. Go back to the 80s and get hungry like the wolf for Duran Duran's return to Mon­ treal in what promises to be an epic perfor­ mance at Metropolis.

Dec. 12. Film. T h e D a y th e E a rth S to o d Keanu Reeves stars in the remake of the 1951 film about an alien who comes to Earth and reveals that more aliens are com­ ing, and not necessarily with good inten­ tions. This role could be good for Reeves as long as the aliens are not meant to show any human emotions.

S till.

Dec. 12. Music. M a rth a W a in w rig h t.

Metropolis. Rufus' equally talented sister, and daughter of Loudon Wainwright III, will warm the crowd with her amazing voice. She'll make you wonder how so much musical talent was distilled into just one family, and make you thankful you weren't the tone-deaf sibling born into that household.

Dec. 19. Film. S lu m d o g M illio n a ire .

Cinema du Parc. The newest film by Danny Boyle is the fantastic tale of an orphan from the slums of Mumbai who gets fur­ ther than anyone on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and in telling his story, shows that destiny and his quest for a lost love have brought him to where he is. Even if he goes away empty handed, anyone who sees this film won't.

Dec. 25. Disasters. High School Musi­ cal: T h e Ice T o ur. Disney invites you and your family to a Christmas Day matinee performance full of "team-spirited fun."

Screw celebrating Jesus, I'd choose Troy any day of the year.

FILM

IKcinematic escape from Montreal to sunny Rio _eave the cold behind at Cinema du Parc's Brazilian Film Festival J oshua R osenblatt Just in time for the onslaught of winter snow, Montrealers will have something extra to help nem keep warm. Starting December 5 and runing through December 11, the second edition of he Brazilian Film Festival of Montreal showcases he best—not to mention the hottest—in Brailian cinema. Last year, even amidst inclement weather and heavy snowfall, over 1,500 spectaors turned up at Cinma du Parc for the festival's irst year.

This year, the festival is will feature an even arger selection of critically acclaimed cinematic ifferingsfrom Brazil, many of which have already von over audiences at film festivals worldwide, he rich palette of films, the majority of which vill be making their Canadian debut at the fesival, has something to offer film aficionados of ivery stripe.

Be sure to catch Bruno Baretto's Bossa Nova his Friday—set in tropical Rio de Janeiro, this omantic comedy weaves together the stories >f nine individuals into a tender film about the

ups and downs of love. At the centre of the film is American widow Mary Ann, who begins a love af­ fair with Pedro, a charming Brazilian lawyer cop­ ing with his wife's infidelity and the dissolution of his seven-year marriage.

Also on the lineup is Sandra Kogut's Mutum, which made quite a splash at the Cannes and To­ ronto Film Festivals in 2007. Adapted from a pop­ ular Brazilian novel, Mutum is a bildungsroman set in the arid backlands of Brazil. This poignant coming-of-age story follows 10-year-old Thiago, who is forced to grow up prematurely when dark family secrets surface.

If you're looking for something more intel­ lectually stimulating, check out the festival's se­ ries of documentaries, many of which highlight Brazilian history, culture, and tradition. Soccer fanatics will get a kick out of Garrincha, Hero of the Jungle, a moving portrait of the man con­ sidered by many to be the second best Brazilian soccer player in history (after Pelé). For those of you who are politically minded, there's Roberto Mader's Condor, an eye-opening, mind-blowing investigation of operation Condor, a collabora­

tion of the right-wing military dictatorships of South America that was responsible the kidnap­ ping, murder, and exile of thousands of people during the 1970s.

Aside from quality cinema, visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to view the remarkable photographic work of distinguished filmmaker, journalist, and photographer Rosa Berardo. Berardo will also be presenting her docu­ mentary film Cerrado, How M uch? during the fes­ tival.

So as winter begins to rear its ugly head, take a break from studying and head on over to Cinéma du Parc for a quick and affordable trip to Brazil. The warm weather may very well be just what you need to cure those winter blues. ■ The Festival du Film Brésilien de M ontréal will run from December 5 to Decem ber 11 at Ciném a du Parc. The m ajority of films w ill be screened in their original Portuguese version with English or French subtitles. For more information on the festival and showtimes, check out www.brazilfilmfest.net.

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17h30 -18h25

Aerobics

F ri.

SPIN

18h00 -18h55

Spin

Su n .

A E R O B IC S

12h00 -12h55

Aerobics

Pay with Rec Activity Cards Only

M McGill A THLETICS & R ECREATION

$ 4 0 .0 0 . D ec. 19 2 0 0 8 t o Jan. 5 ,2 0 0

Study Break Packagei S30.00

Feb. 20 to Mar. 2,2009

Group rates are available for 10 or more people.

n Hours of Operation: As of December 1, 20C Monday to Friday Saturday and Sund 08h30 - 22h00 0 9 h 1 5 -2 0 h 3 0

Rental fees must be paid at Client Services (Office G-20C) of McGill Sports Center.

INFORMATION: 514-398-7011 www.athletics.mcgill.ca

W I N T E R FITNESS AN D IRECREATION COURSES DAY & TIME

COURSE

COST

WKS

AQUATICS Adults Learn To Swim

Monday

18:30-19:25

Level 1 Beginner)

Saturday

11:15-12:10

Adults Learn To Swim

W ednesday

18:30-19:25

Level 2 & 3 Intermediate)

Saturday

11:15-12:10

Tues & Thurs

18:30-19:25

44 .3 0 /8 8 .5 9

10

W ednesday

18:30-19:25

26 .5 8 /4 4 .3 0

8

Friday

16:30-18:25

79 .74 1 0 1 .8 9

10 10

>wim Fit

3 9 .8 6 /5 7 .5 9

8

Monday

18:00-18:55

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

W ednesday

18:00-18:55

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

Friday

18:30-21:55

3 5 .4 4

20

hrs. • Registration starts December 8, 2008 • Non-members registered in courses may use the facility only during their designated class times. • Most classes begin the week of January 12, 2009 • Instructional classes are suspended from February 22-28 due to McGill' Study Break. • Pay-As-You-Go classes begin January 12 and run until April 25, 2009. Pay-As-You-Go classes will continue to be offered during the February Study Break. • Classes will not be held April 10,12, 13 2009 • Full-time McGill students may register at the member's rate. Prices do not include GST & PST

W ednesday

19:00-20:25

53.15/75.31

10

Tuesday (beqinner)

18:00-18:55

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

Tuesday

19:00-19:55

10

Thursday

19:00-19:55

10

Friday

18:00-18:55

Jazz 1& II Jazz II & III .atin Dance .indy Hop 1- Swing Dance Social Dance FITNESS & W ELLN ESS Abs, Back & Bootie

Tues & Thurs

17:00-18:25

84 .17 /1 2 8 .4 6

10

Tues & Thurs

18:30-19:55

84 .17 /1 2 8 .4 6

10

Monday

19:00-20:25

53.15/75.31

10

Thursday

39 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

Monday

18:00-18:55 2 0 :3 0 -2 1 :55

53.15/75.31

10

Fencinq II Hockey 1 Hockey II Skating

Squash Intro

Body Design Body Works Boot Camp Cardio Jam Classic Cardio CPR\First Aid

10

Mon & W ed

17:00-17:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Tues & Thurs

19:00-19:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Saturday

12:00-12:55

2 0 .3 8 /4 2 .5 3

10

Mon & W ed

12:00-12:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Mon & W ed

19:00-19:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Tues & Thurs

18:00-18:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Mon & W ed

17:00-17:55

Tues & Thurs

17:00-17:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7 3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Saturday. TBA

09:00-17:00

7 9 .7 4 /8 8 .6 0

1

Squash Inter

Tennis Intro

10

Tennis Inter

Sunday, TBA

CPR Re-Cert De-Tox Cycle Hatha Yoga 1

TBA

09:00-17:00

4 8 .7 3 /5 3 .1 6

1

Sunday

11:00-11:55

3 1 .0 1 /5 3 .1 6

10

Mon & W ed

08 :00-08:55 16:00-16:55

4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6 4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6

8 10

Tues & Thurs

Hatha Yoga II Kick, Punch, Jive & Jam Pedal Jam Pedal & Pump Personal Trainer Development Pilâtes

Pilâtes 1& Il Power Yoga

Spin Spin & Trim Step Tai Chi STAFF FITNESS Aqua Fitness Badminton Belly Dancing Body Desiqn - Adv Body Design - Intro Dance Aerobics Hatha Yoga 1 Hatha Yoga II Pilâtes - Intro Pilâtes - Advanced Power Yoga Lite Recess Spin Stretch & Strength Tai Chi Tennis

Mon & W ed

Tennis Advanced

8

18:15-19:25

66 .45/1 10.7 4

19:30-20:40

53 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

08 :00-08:55

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

16:00-16:55

4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6

8

17:00-18:10

5 3 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

17:00-18:10

53 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

Tues & Thurs

18:30-19:40

6 6 .45/1 10.7 4

10

Mon & W ed

18:00-18:55

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Tues & Thurs

18:00-18:55

62.02/106.31

10

Friday

16:30-17:55

4 6 .9 6 /6 9 .1 0

10

W ednesday

19:00-21:55

2 2 1 .5 0 /2 5 2 .5 0

14

Mon & W ed

17:00-17:55

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

Mon & W ed

19:00-19:55

10

Tues & Thurs

13:00-14:10

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6 6 6 .45/1 10.7 4

Friday

14:30-15:40

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

Mon & W ed

13:00-13:55

53 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

10

Tues & Thurs

17:00-17:55

53 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

Saturday

12:00-12:55

2 6 .5 8 /4 8 .7 3

10

Tues & Thurs

08 :00-08:55

62.02/106.31

10

Mon & W ed

18:00-19:25

93 .03 /1 3 7 .3 2

10

Saturday

11:00-11:55

20 .3 8 /4 2 .5 3

10

Thursday

20 :00-21:25

31.89/49.61

8

Mon & W ed

12:15-13:00

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

12:30-13:15

$ 1 3.29

13

Monday & Friday

12:15-13:00

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

12:15-13:00 13:00-13:45

$1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

$1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

12:15-13:00

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

13:00-13:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

12:00-12:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Mon & W ed

12:15-13:00

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

12:15-13:00

$13.29

13

Mon & W ed

12:00-12:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Mon & W ed

12:15-13:00

$ 1 3.29

13

Tues & Thurs

13:00-13:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Mon & W ed

13:00-13:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Mon & W ed

13:00-13:45

$ 1 3.29

13

Mon & W ed

13:00-13:45

$ 1 3.29

13

DAY & TIME

COURSE

Students ONLY - Audition Required)

: lamenco Hip Hop

9

REGISTRATION INFORMATION • Register in the Client Services Office of the Sports Centre - Monday through Friday 0 8 :3 0 - 20h00

SPO RTS Fencing 1

Cardio-Ftespiratory Endurance)

Stroke Improvement 3ANCE Ballet Belly Dancing 3elly Dancing Contemporary Dance

2

MARTIAL ARTS Aikido Capoeira Judo Karate Kendo Kickboxinq Kickboxing - Savate 1 Kickboxing - Savate II Tae Kwon Do Shaolin Kung Fu OUTDOOR PURSUITS Equestrian Cro ss Country Skiing

Snowshoeing

COST

WKS

■ 1

Mon & W ed Tue & Thurs Mon & W ed Friday Friday W ednesday Saturday Saturday Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday W ednesday W ednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Thursday Saturday Sunday M onday Thursday Friday Friday Monday Tuesday W ednesday Thursday Tuesday W ednesday Friday

08:00-08:55 20:00-20:55 20 :00-20:55 13 :30-14:45 15:00-16:15 15:00-16:15 10:30-11:20 11:30-12:20 16:00-16:45 17:30-18:15 16:45-17:30 17:30-18:15 12:15-13:00 13:00-13:45 16:00-16:45 16:45-17:30 08:30-09:15 09:15-10:00 14:30-15:15 15:15-16:00 16:00-16:45 10:45-11:30 11:30-12:15 16:45-17:30 17:30-18:15 11:30-12:15 12:15-13:00 15:00-15:55 16:00-16:55 09:00-09:55 11:00-11:55 14:00-14:55 16:00-16:55 15:00-15:55 16:00-16:55 16:00-16:55 14:00-14:55 10:00-10:55

4 4 .3 0 /7 9 .7 4

8

4 4 .3 0 /7 9 .7 4

8 8

Tuesday & Friday Mon, W ed, Friday Mon & W ed Mon & W ed Tuesday & Saturday Mon & W ed

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

Tue & Thurs Tue & Thurs Mon & W ed Tue & Thurs Saturday Sunday Friday, January 23 Sat, January 24 Sun, January 25 Sun, January 18 Sun, February 1 Saturday, March 14

I FITNESS & W ELLN ESS (PAY-AS-YOU-GO) Monday STEP Tuesday TAE BOX W ednesday BOOT CAMP Thursday BODY DESIGN Friday POWER YOGA Friday SPIN Sunday AERO BICS | ONE ON ONE by appointment Fitness Appraisal (Private) by appointment Personal Training (Private) by appointment Personal Training (Semi-Private) by appointment Skating (Private) by appointment Skating (Sem i-Private) by appointment Squash (Private) by appointment Squash (Sem i-Private) by appointment Swim (Private) by appointment Swim (Sem i-Private) by appointment Tennis (Private) by appointment Tennis (Sem i-Private)

52 .2 7 /6 9 .9 9 51 .3 9 /6 9 .1 0 3 5 .4 4 /5 3 .1 6

8

23.92/37.21

6

23.92/37.21

6

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8 31 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

88 .60 /1 3 2 .8 9

10

79 .74 /1 4 6 .1 8 70 .88/1 15.1 7 70 .88/1 15.1 7 70 .88/1 15.1 7

10 10 10 10

53 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6 53 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6 53 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6 70.88/1 15.1 7 70.88/1 15.1 7

10 10 10 10 10

13:30-15:25 13:30-15:25 13:00-16:00 10:00-13:00 13:00-16:00 All Day

141.75/150.61 141.75/150.61 22 .1 5 /2 6 .5 8 22 .1 5 /2 6 .5 8 22 .1 5 /2 6 .5 8 46 .9 5 /5 1 .3 8

6 6 1 1 1

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

2.21 2.21 2.21 2.21 2.21 2.21 2.21 44 .3 0 /4 8 .7 3 44 .3 0 /4 8 .7 3 3 0 .1 2 /3 4 .5 5 17 .72/2 2.15 12 .40/1 6.83 21 .2 6 /2 5 .6 9 15 .06/1 9.49 17 .72/2 2.15 12 .40/1 6.83 23 .9 2 /2 8 .3 5 15 .95/2 0.38

____________________________________________________________________________________

or www.athletics.mcgill.ca

1.5 1.25 hrs 1.25 hrs 1/2 hr 1/2 hr 4 5 min 45 min 1/2 hr 1/2 hr 1 hr 1 hr

1yiL McGill A THLETICS & R E C R E A T IO N

S portsBASKETBALL— LAVAL 100, REDMEN 90 (OT)

Redmen feel holiday spirit, give away victory McGill done in by late goaltending call, fall to Laval in overtime K a il a n L e u n g

Though point guard Moustafa El-Zanaty scored a gamehigh 29 points, and small forward Pawel Herra sparked a huge fourth-quarter comeback, McGill fell apart in overtime as the visiting Laval Rouge et Or defeated the Redmen, 10090, on Saturday night at Love Competition Hall.

A questionable goaltending violation called on McGill forward Michael White with 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter evened the score at 82. Senior forward Sean Anthony's lay-up rimmed out just before the buzzer in regulation, sending the game into overtime. The exhilarating fourth quarter—in which McGill rallied from an eight-point deficit—seemed to drain the Redmen both physically and mentally: Laval outscored the Red'n'White 18-8 in the extra session. Although the lack of execution down the stretch was a concern, the season is still young. "[Tonight was] a disappointing loss", said Assistant Coach Dan Martin. "But the way the league is set up this year [with teams playing back-to-back home-and-home series], teams split a lot of games and it's still very close. We haven't even played close to half our season, so we're just looking forward to our games in January."

Still stinging from a 98-81 loss on Friday night in Quebec City, the Redmen came out playing an aggressive style on both ends of the floor. Constant communication and excel­ lent defensive rotations in the first quarter paid dividends, as McGill dictated the tempo and took smart shots to open up an early lead. But Laval found its groove in the second period. The Rouge et Or repeatedly fed the ball to 6'5" centre François-Olivier Gagnon-Hebert, who finished with 29 points.

McGill struggled to sustain their defensive energy from the first stanza, and poor transition defence resulted in a series of lay-ups for Laval. Foul trouble and fatigue plagued the Red­ men late in the first half, allowing Laval to take a 47-42 lead at halftime.

"It was a tough game—it was a battle. We came out and played good [defence]. Unfortunately I picked up a couple of cheap fouls and it was hard to get into a rhythm,"said forward Matt Thornhill, who fouled out in overtime but still finished with 11 points. "We should have finished [the game] off in regulation, but we didn't execute down the stretch."

The Redmen took care of the ball throughout the game, committing only 11 turnovers to Laval's 13. The Rouge et Or, however, dominated shooting from the field, converting 48.8 per cent of their shots from the floor. McGill could only man­ age a 38.6 shooting percentage for the game.

Anthony (left, top right) couldn't score in th e final seconds, and El Zanaty led the Redm en once again w ith 29.

The Redmen opened the second half with three straight field goals and showed a renewed commitment to stay­ ing low on defence, and keeping Laval's big-men out of the lane. Guard Sebastien Gatti, who started the game in place of Herra, hit a three-pointer to put the home team up 53-48, but Laval immediately countered with consecutive triples from guard Christian Trottier to regain the lead. White kept the Redmen in the game by capitalizing on second shot op­ portunities, but the Rouge et Or answered every McGill shot with a bucket of their own, and led 68-60 going into the final quarter.

McGill looked deflated at the beginning of the fourth quarter, buta blocked shot and pull-up jumper by Thornhill put the Redmen right back in the game. A three-pointer from Herra, a free-throw by White, and a charge taken by forward

Jesse Woods brought the Redmen within five, and the previ­ ously silent gymnasium began to buzz with excitement.

Another long-range bomb by Herra—who hit five on the night—put McGill up 82-80 with a minute left, sending Love Hall into a frenzy.

"My teammates did a great job of finding me behind the arc tonight," said Herra, who finished with 15 points. "Once one [shot] goes down, others start to drop. It's just too bad we couldn't pull it out in the end."

With Saturday's loss, McGill fell to 1-3 on the young season and is now tied for last place with UQAM in the Quebec conference.The Redmen now have a month off, but will have to work diligently to prepare for a rigorous schedule that begins with a non-conference tournament at UQAM on December 28. ■

THIRD MAN IN

Give me a home where the Buffalo roam henever a professional sports team relocates, two cities' sports landscapes change drastically.

While the NFL's Buffalo Bills aren't relocating to Toronto just yet, they're flirting with relocation over a five-year, five-game experiment, and are making $78 mil­ lion in the process. The outcome of this courtship will af­ fect many people outside the greaterToronto and Buffalo areas. Many believe that if Canada is represented in the NFL, the days of the CFL will be numbered. There's a good chance that the behemoth that is the NFL enterprise will waltz into Toronto and win the heart of Canada's largest metropolitan area. But should that happen five years from now, the CFL has nothing to worry about—as long as the league plays its cards right.

Canadian football is vastly different than its Ameri­ can counterpart. Due to the stark differences in gameplay—the longer field, three downs, receivers moving to­ wards the line of scrimmage, the utter lack of defence— the game feels different. Because of those differences, the NFL will never be perceived as a substitute for the CFL. They may not be apples and oranges, but they're certainly two distinct varieties of apple.

And what about fans in Montreal, Winnipeg, Cal­ gary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Vancouver, and Regina? Why would they ditch a team they've been following all their

W

lives to root for a Toronto team in a different league? Ar­ gonauts fans will remain in limited numbers as well—if Toronto can support two NHL teams, as is perceived to be the case, then it can certainly support a CFL and an NFL team.

The NFL needs the CFL to exist as a de facto minor football league. Many American cities support teams in both the NFL and the Arena Football League—the AFL's games are played in the spring—and their players often head from one league to the other as their fortunes rise and fall. The same system exists in the NFL and CFL today.

Henry Burris, who just led the Calgary Stampeeders to a Grey Cup victory, was once at the helm of the Chicago Bears. Jeff Garcia, who is one of the NFL's most depend­ able veteran quarterbacks, won the 1998 Grey Cup with Calgary. Ricky Williams chose Toronto as his temporary home when he was banned from the NFL two years ago.

The CFL isn't necessarily the Siberia to the NFL's USSR, but it is, in a sense, an important branch of the league.

The AFL can serve as a blueprint for the CFL once the Bills head north. The league has branded itself well, and has put forth a product that is far more similar to Cana­ dian football than American football. Arena football has even expanded in recent years, and will continue to do so as more and more professional football players continue

J acob K an ter

to get churned out by North American universities.

All of this will quickly become moot, however, if the CFL doesn't take the proper measures to ensure its safe­ ty when the NFL crosses into Canada. The CFL will have to take a few economic steps back to accommodate its bulky new neighbour. This could mean decreased ticket prices, and halting expansion talks. Or, the CFL could make fundamental changes to the product to distance itself from the NFL. For instance, the league could start its season a few weeks earlier, so the Grey Cup ends when the NFL season is beginning to take off. The NFL will en­ courage the CFL to do whatever it has to do, because the existence of a Canadian "minor" league is especially cru­ cial after NFL Europe folded last year.

Though Canadian advertising continues to drill home the "I Am Canadian" style of national branding, the CFL can't afford to enter into an"us versus them"fight with the NFL. It's a fight that the CFL will lose very quickly.The word "Canadian" is in the league's name, and the 110-yard field with the Rona and Molson advertisements speaks for itself. If the league stays away from the national angle, follows the AFL's lead and accepts itself as a different style of football featuring up-and-coming players, the Canadi­ an teams will retain their Canadian fans. ■

02.12.08 • Sports • 21

w w w .m cg illtrib u n e.co m

Sports Briefs Cheerleading

The McGill cheerleading team placed second in the all-girl division at the Power Cheerleading Association's University and Open National Cheerleading Champion­ ships in Brampton, Ontario, last weekend, equalling its best showing at the annual event. The Martlets finished with 1014.5 points, 144.5 points behind the Wilfrid Laurier Hawks.

Each team performed one two-and-a-half minute routine of jumps, tumbling, and stunting in the first round, and repeated the same routine in the final round. McGill was in second place after the first round and maintained their standing through the competition.

The Martlets' success in Brampton came after a disappointing start to their com­ petition season at an invitational at Andre Grasset College on November 22, where they finished third behind the University of Montreal Carabins and the Sherbrooke University Vert et Or. The Redmen are coached by Tracy Calabrice and assistant Sofia Guay.

The team is led by co-captains Lauran Gibson and Kaylea Howarth and Ju­ nior Captain Rachel Cotton (Howarth is also the Tribune's Online Editor).

They will compete for a final time this academic year at a U.S. event in March.

Martlets Volleyball

McGill's volleyball teams are heading in opposite directions. Head Coach Simon Breleur's Redmen sit in last place in the Quebec league at 2-7, and their two wins came against non-Quebec opponents—a 3-1 win over Memorial University on November 21, and a 3-2 win over the University of New Brunswick on November 23. The Redmen will need to hone their skills over the next few weeks, as they have over a month off before resuming league play with a road match against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or at 8 p.m. on january 9.

The Martlets, on the other hand, are locked in a tie for second place with Laval at 11-4, each four games behind the undefeated University of Montreal Carabins. In the two weeks since losing 3-0 to the Carabins on November 16, Head Coach Rachèle Béliveau's Martlets easily dispatched four Maritime universities as well as the Sher­ brooke Vert et Or, and only dropped two sets out of 17 (in a 3-2 win over the University of New Brunswick). The Martlets head to Clearwater, Florida for a three-game tour­ nament against Canadian teams before league play continues on January 9 with a match against the Vert et Or in Sherbrooke at 6 p.m.

Martlets Basketball

There's good news for Head Coach Ryan Thorne's Martlets: in only four games, the Martlets basketball team has already won half as many games as they did last year.

But there's also bad news: they've still got a lot of work ahead if they want to actually improve on last year's dismal 2-14 record.The Martlets won their season opener 64-60 over Bishop's on November 14, but immediately lost whatever touch they had, as they lost by 34 to the same Gaiters the next night. They were competitive against the Laval Rouge et Or on Saturday, but ultimately fell 68-61, to bring their record to 1-3.

The Martlets have looked better this year largely thanks to freshman forward Anneth Him-Lazarenko, who leads the team with 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.5 per cent over the first four games. Point guard Nathifa Weekes still brings the ball up for the Martlets, and if she can find an open Him-Lazarenko with regularity, the Martlets should steadily improve this season.

PHOTOS BY DAVID BENSON AND ADAM SCOTTI Sporty Santas

Over 100 McGill varsity athletes descended on the McGill ghetto this weekend, going door-to-door to solicit donations of canned goods for a local food bank. The canned food drive is the brainchild of the McGill Varsity Athletics Council in conjunc­ tion with Sun Youth Montreal, a local charity. A non-perishable food donation at home games over the weekend also gave fans a $3 discount on tickets.

Donation bins will remain in the McGill Athletics Centre until December 19th— one bin by the front door and one by the cafeteria—for those interested in making a donation.

SPORTS ON CAMPUS both sports that are played with bouncy they both involve nets, and they're both masterd by using efficient team w ork and com m unication. Love Hall w as a volleyball court on Friday night, but transform ed into a basketball court 24 hours later. The two M artlets squads experienced different fates, however. The volleyball team easily dispatched the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in straight sets, the basketball team fell to the Laval Rouge et Or 68-61.

From the gridiron to the hardwood

Tw o-tim e All-Canadian receiver Galas becomes a tw o-sport athlete M att C hesser You don't often get a second chance with your first love.

So when Erik Galas realized that he might have an elusive second opportunity, he jumped at the chance to revisit the past—by joining the Redmen basketball team.

Galas, a two-time All-Canadian wide receiver with the McGill football team, became just the fifth McGill athlete since the Second World War to suit up for both the football and bas­ ketball teams in the same season this past week. He made his debut in a home-and-home series against the Laval Rouge et Or over the weekend, notching three points in 23 minutes of playing time over the two games.

"Basketball was the first sport I played at a serious level," said Galas. "I played a little bit of soccer growing up, but I be­ came a pretty big kid, so basketball was a natural fit for me."

Galas was a standout basketball star at St. Matthew's High School in Ottawa, where he finished his senior year as a versa­ tile athlete who could play all five positions, and spent one summer working out with the five-time National Champion Carleton Ravens basketball team. Several schools attempted to recruit Galas to play university basketball but he ultimately decided to play football.

"While I was the head coach at Royal Military College, I watched [Galas] play a couple of games of high school basket­

ball," said Redmen Head Coach Craig Norman. "He was high on our recruiting list, because he was a hell of an athlete and his dad happened to be in the military. It was neat that he ended up choosing McGill in the same year I got hired here, but I never asked him to play basketball, because playing one university sport is hard enough. * The 6'2" 220-pound Galas enjoyed a great deal of success in his five-year career with the McGill football team, setting a CIS career completions record (194) as well as McGill career re­ cords for receiving yards (2,555) and touchdowns (19). But 2008 wasn't a good year for the Redman football program, as McGill posted its second straight winless season.

"While it's an understatement to say that we didn't have a great record this past season, Erik was one of the real bright spots," said McGill football Head Coach Sonny Wolfe. "He was a guy who fought through double-teams to get receptions all season long, and led our team with his presence, his effective­ ness, and his hard play."

Midway through the football season, Galas approached Norman to express his interest in playing for the basketball team.

"I watched a couple of his football games and practices after he approached me about playing basketball, and I was intrigued by his athleticism," said Norman. "We lack a certain amount of depth this year and I thought he could add sev-

Though G alas struggled to an extent in his first tw o gam es, Norman's acquisition will pay dividends in the long run.

eral dimensions to our team—he's quick, strong, brings some great leadership qualities, and can play multiple positions."

While Galas looked a little rusty in his weekend debut— picking up five fouls in his limited playing time and looking slightly out-of-sync in offensive sets and defensive rotations— he believes he can contribute as a big-bodied role player at both the guard and forward positions.

"The mental aspect of the game is still there," said Galas.

"But the difference in cardio from football to basketball is huge. I've also got five years of rust to shake off when it comes to the fundamentals, so that's obviously going to take some time.... But I'm happy to get back to my first love." ■

22 • Sports • 02.12.08

The M cGill Tribun

PROFILE— JAMES NAISMITH

A legacy that reaches far beyond basketball Naismith enforced the rules on the court, but he broke barriers off it J acob K anter Part two of the Tribune's profile of Jam es Naismith. Part one was featured n last week's issue.

Naism ith moved to Springfield, Massachusetts to teach at Springfield College after graduating from M cGill’s Presbyterian College in 1890. There, he invented basketball, but he also had a hand in the invention of another sport...

While most readers are aware of James Naismith's role in the invention and development of basketball, few will proba­ bly have heard of the role he played in the creation of another popular sport. While giving a lecture in 1892 at Springfield Col­ lege, Naismith influenced one listener, William G. Morgan, who decided to pursue a career in physical education at the Young Men's Christian Association. Morgan eventually became the director of physical education at the YMCA in Holyoke, Mas­ sachusetts, where he channelled his inner Naismith and de­ veloped a new, less strenuous game than basketball, which he called "Mintonette."Word quickly spread, and the game soon became known as volleyball.

Heading west, then east

Though he had established a career in Springfield, Nai­ smith decided to move to Denver, Colorado to head up a new YMCA in 1895. It was there that he experienced another lifealtering event, not unlike his experience on the rugby pitch in Montreal.

"At the YMCA in Denver, after one of his students suffered a tragic injury during a gymnastics exercise [he had fallen off a pommel horse onto his neck and died], Naismith went and got his medical degree as a part-time evening student," said John Gosset of the Naismith Basketball Foundation and Mu­ seum in Almonte, Ontario, where Naismith grew up."He never practiced medicine, but he used it for his knowledge in physi­ cal education and sport development." Naismith received his medical degree from Gross Medical College in 1898.

When the University of Kansas contacted him later that year about becoming the chaplain and the director of the gymnasium, Naismith decided that he could affect more peo­ ple at a large university than under the canopy of the YMCA. He headed east for Lawrence, Kansas, where he would live for the rest of his life, and where he is currently buried.

Though he wasn't hired for his coaching, Naismith imme­ diately organized a basketball program, and coached the team for nine seasons—from 1898 to 1907. Most of Kansas's oppo­ nents were surrounding YMCAs, but Naismith also scheduled games against Haskell Indian Nations University—a Native American school in Lawrence. His connection with Haskell ran deeper, though.

"He made great strides in race relations," said Gosset. "He volunteered and worked with the Native kids [at Haskell] be­ cause he recognized that he had gifts that they needed."

In his nine years as coach, the Kansas basketball team amassed a 55-60 record. The coaching vacancy was filled by Phog Allen, a former player, who took the coaching reins at Lawrence for the 1908-1909 season. After a brief hiatus, Allen returned to Lawrence in 1919, and remained as the basketball coach until 1956. By that time, Allen had built Kansas into a basketball powerhouse. As a result, Naismith is the only bas­ ketball coach in Kansas history to have a losing record.

After stepping aside as coach, Naismith distanced himself from the sport he had created, and chose to remain focussed on physical education during his time at Kansas.

During the First World War, in 1914, he served as chaplain for the First Kansas Infantry Division of the United States Army along the Mexican border. He applied the same hybrid teach­ ings of morality and athleticism to the soldiers as he did to his YMCA students in earlier years.

"He promoted sports amongst the troops and tried to keep them out of the whorehouses," said Stuart Naismith, one of Naismith's grandchildren.

After serving as YMCA secretary in Paris for a year and a half at the end ofWWI, Naismith returned to Lawrence in 1919 as Athletic Director—a post he would retain until 1938.

The ballad of John M cLendon

Though he was able to establish a connection with Haskell and the Natives in the early part of the century, the Jim Crow Laws and the general public sentiment at the time prevented Naismith from integrating African Americans into the basket­ ball program. But he was still able to make a difference in his mentoring of John McLendon, a student of Naismith's in the 1930s.

"The first time that he saw the game, he wanted to be a player," Ian Naismith, another of Naismith's grandchildren, said of McLendon, whom he would come to call his half-brother due to their close friendship. "But he wasn't big enough. So he

wanted to be a coach. There were no black coaches in those days, so his father... told John that he should learn the game from the man who wrote the rules. So John, as an 18-year-old student, showed up in 1933 at Naismith's door."

Naismith immediately took McLendon under his wing, guiding him during his years at Kansas.

"Naismith had a rule as head of athletics, that in order to be in that department as a student, you had to be able to swim,"said Ian Naismith. "John was an excellent swimmer—he was a lifeguard at one of the black pools in Kansas City—but Naismith didn't know that. So John was swimming in his first day at the Kansas indoor pool, but when he got out, the main­ tenance guy was draining the pool. John asked,'Are you drain­ ing the pool because it's Friday... or because I swam in it?'And the maintenance guy said, 'Use your own judgment.' It was a racial standoff."

Naismith soon came to McLendon's rescue, although the university itself wouldn't budge.

"Naismith got the players from the football team to stand guard at the pool, to let John swim," said Ian Naismith.

"That ended up being the first integrated swim in the state of Kansas," said Stuart Naismith.

Naismith also helped McLendon continue his studies after receiving his Bachelor's degree in 1936, by making a sin­ gle phone call.

"My grandfather just picked up the phone on his desk and called [the University of Iowa],"said Ian Naismith. "He said, 'I've got a student here who needs help with scholarships and needs to go to graduate school in Iowa."

McLendon went on to become one of the most innova­ tive and influential coaches in the game, and popularized the fast break at Tennessee State University in the 1950s. As head coach of the North Carolina College for Negroes in 1944, McLendon organized "The Secret Game" against Duke Uni­ versity—believed to be the first interracial college basketball game, since black schools were not allowed to play against white schools or participate in national tournaments. McLen­ don's Eagles beat the Blue Devils 88-44, and the game was followed by an interracial scrimmage—shirts versus skins— three years before Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. McLendon would go on to win several NAIA National Championships, become the first black

WEGOPL 1 ES.COf The Basketball Hall of Fam e bares Naismith's nam e,

coach of a predominantly white university, and be inductei into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

A legacy rem em bered

Naismith, however, never lived to see McLendon's man accomplishments. He died in 1939, but not before seeing bas ketball make it's debut as an Olympic sport in Berlin in 193* He also received a Legum Doctorate degree—an academi degree in law—from McGill in 1938, and an honorary Doctor ate of Divinty from Presybterian College in 1939.

Naismith was inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fam< in 1999, and the National Basketball Hall of Fame is namet after him. Despite his many accomplishments, and 11 degrees much of Naismith's legacy remains relatively unknown. Bu Gosset's Naismith Institute in Almonte hopes to change that.

"When the Institute opened in 1988, there was only ; street and a school named after him," said Gosset. "Now, ths awareness of the man is developing."

Gosset is working to make sure that Naismith will be re membered for generations. But how will he be remembered?

"He never let obstacles get in his way," said Gosset. "He used them as motivation for something new. In today's soci ety, he would be considered an incredible role model in the pursuit of challenges and higher learning, and not accepting things for the way they are." ■

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0 2 .1 2 .0 8 -S p o rts -23

McGill athletics' best—and worst—this fall C ompiled by J acob K anter, K ailan L eung and M att C hesser

Redmen Football: F This failing grade is not quite as harsh as the one the Redmen got last year, since at least this year's squad had a kicker on the roster in Austin Anderson. But, having the son of a future NFL Hall of Famer on the roster won't come close to taking the sting off of a second-straight o-8 season.

Though futility was abundant on both sides of the ball, the defence was respon­ sible for most of the losses. Although DB Anthony Lukca led the country in tackles, the Redmen simply could not stop the run—Bishop's RB Jamall Lee nearly set a sin­ gle-game CIS record with 391 rushing yards early in the season. Conversely, McGill's running game was virtually nonexistent.

The passing game was the lone bright spot for the Redmen. QB Matt Connell set CIS career records for completions and yards, and WR Erik Galas broke the CIS career record for receptions, in the same 45-23 loss to the University of Montreal Carabins.

But football is a team sport, and Connell's and Galas's individual achievements made the Redmen's season bittersweet, as opposed to completely bitter. Head Coach Sonny Wolfe needs to do some serious recruiting to get this program back to its pre-hazing scandal level, since Connell and Galas won't be here to help him out next year.

MVP: Erik Galas, wide receiver Player to Watch: Austin Anderson, kicker

Redmen Soccer: B+ The Redmen soccer team came into the season looking to build on last year's suc­ cessful campaign, which ended with a loss in the Quebec conference final. Despite a disappointing early exit from postseason play, they certainly accomplished their goal.

Head Coach Philippe Eullaffroy—Quebec Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season—did an excellent job blending fresh talent with proven veterans, creating a close-knit group with impressive on-field chemistry.

McGill proved a dangerous foe throughout the season, twice taking down the third-ranked Laval Rouge et Or and battling the powerhouse Montreal Carabins to a draw. The season ended on a down note, with the young Redmen squad on the wrong side of a 3-1 loss to the Rouge et Or in a Quebec semifinal, but the outlook for next sea­ son is bright.

McGill returns two conference all-stars in midfielder Thomas Lucas and defender GraemeTingey, as well as rookie sensation Yohann Capolungo. Second-team All-Cana­ dian James Schoelfield will be sorely missed, but freshman striker Michael Stein looks like a capable replacement for the future.

The Redmen exceeded expectations this season while providing fans with an ex­ citing brand of fast-paced, attacking soccer. Although the loss of some key veterans will undoubtedly make this season's success difficult to repeat, a talented roster and an excellent coach should ensure that Redmen soccer remains one of McGill's top athletic programs.

MVP: James Schoefield, forward Player to Watch: Yohann Capolungo, midfielder

Redbirds Baseball: A It seemed at the beginning of the year that the youth-laden Redbirds wouldn't be able to do much with an automatic bid to the National Championship tournament. But McGill surprised many by earning an 11-5 regular season record, and finishing tied atop the Northern division with Lafleche College. The stage was set for the Redbirds to take a run at their second national title in three years, but the strength of the teams from around the country diminished tournament expectations.

The Redbirds' pitching carried them through the season—Ben Fax, for example, didn't allow an earned run in a 19 inning stretch—and their starters rose to the occasion at Nationals. Fax and Simon Ayotte went the distance in wins over Lafleche and St. Clair Col­ lege, and the Redmen found themselves facing the University of New Brunswick Cougars in the national final. But the magic ran out, and a seventh-inning rally fell short, as Ernie D'Alessandro's club fell 5-3.

After coming so close with 10 freshmen on the roster, the Redbirds should have more opportunities to play on the national stage in the immediate future. Fax's departure will leave a gaping hole in the starting rotation, but Ayotte and David Haberman will be able to fill in for him. Youth abounds at the plate, as CF Adam Gordon and C Casey Aurebach batted in the heart of the order in their first year. Both were named to the all-tournament team.

If D'Alessandro can land some freshmen to help out on the mound next year, the Redbirds should make it to Nationals the old-fashioned way—by winning their division outright.

MVP: Ben Fax, starting pitcher Player to Watch: Adam Gordon, centre fielder

Redmen Rugby: AIt can be easy to lose focus when you're part of a juggernaut like the McGill men's rugby program. The Redmen may have been guilty of complacency at one point this year, as a 25-17 loss to Sherbrooke was the lone dark spot during an otherwise spot­ less conference season. The Redmen (5-1) outscored their Quebec opponents 322-55 and didn't allow a point in the playoffs while en route to their third consecutive Quebec University Rugby League Championship.

But their success was somewhat short-lived, as the Maritime Champion Dalhousie Tigers came into Molson Stadium and stole the Eastern Championship—awarded in lieu of Nationals, which were cancelled early in the season—on a last-second penalty kick after the Redmen captured the lead only minutes before. Nevertheless, Sean McCaf­ frey's Redmen more than held their own this year.

Australian transfer students Peter Klestov and Ian Turner gave the squad some in­ ternational flair, and Turner more than made up for fly-half Alastair Crow's absence due to injury. Crow will rejoin the team next year, and will keep the McGill backs at their current level, but the forwards will be without Jon Phelan, Matt Edwards, and Adam Sommer. The program's depth, however, will ensure that this team remains one of the most dominant on campus.

MVP: Ian Turner, fly-half Player to Watch: Sam Skulsky, centre

Redmen Lacrosse: A Expectations were high for the McGill men's lacrosse team coming into this sea­ son. Head Coach Tim Murdoch declared before the squad's first game that "Anything less than a National Championship would be a disappointment this season." And al­ though the Redmen fell just short of their stated goal this year—losing 14-9 to the Guelph Gryphons in the gold medal game at Nationals—the 2008 season can't be considered anything other than a success.

The Redmen finished the regular season with a 7-3 record—the second time in six years that they have finished above .500. After defeating the Bishop's Gaiters in an Eastern Conference playoff game, McGill knocked off the six-time defending cham­ pion Brock University Badgers, 13-9, to set up a final game showdown with Guelph.

Despite four goals from McGill attackman Lukas LaCava, the Gryphons defeated the Redmen on the strength of six unanswered goals in the second quarter to capture their third Baggataway Cup. The future looks bright for the Redmen, as the squad will lose only three players to graduation and will return their star forwards—Nick Moreau, who led the team in regular season scoring with 30 points in 10 games, and LaCava, who had a team-best 12 points in three playoff games. Ace transfer student Matt Jankowski, defensive stal­ warts Jonathan Zimmerman and Brendan Farrer, and netminder Guy Fox will also be back next year as the Redmen look to win their first-ever Bagataway Cup. MVP: Nick Moreau, attackman Player to Watch: Will Edwards, midfielder

Martlets Soccer: B Head Coach Marc Mounicot's Martlets never played up to their potential this sea­ son, which ended with a 1-0 loss to the top-ranked University of Montreal Carabins in a Quebec conference semifinal. The Martlets were plagued by a slow start to the season, and at one point were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the program's history. But McGill ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak, securing the fourth seed in the Quebec playoffs.

Given their talent level, the Martlets could have done more with their opportunities this season. Midfielder Vanessa Salasky was named a Quebec first-team all-star, and defenders Katherine Green and Elizabeth Williams, as well as forward Magalie Kolker, were named to the second team. Green was also named Quebec rookie of the year.

And therein lies the Martlets' promise for the future. Though they will lose Salasky and Kolker, Mounicot has some of the best young talent in Quebec at his disposal.

In addition to Green, McGill striker Alexandra Morin-Boucher led all Quebec rookies with six goals in 13 games, even though she was nursing an injury all year. Midfielder Laura Gibson and defender Kathleen Wakeling, both freshmen, also made an impact for the Martlets. With such a strong returning core, Mounicot's squad should continue to make the Quebec playoffs, and could challenge for a Nationals berth in the near future.

MVP: Vanessa Salasky, midfielder Player to Watch: Alexandra Morin-Boucher, forward

«

Students in Quebec

are facing a lot o f problems.

The education system is chronically underfunded, universities' independence is under attack, and tuition fees are going up. A provincial election has been called for December 8th, and now it's our chance to have our say.

So where do the parties stand?

While in government, the Liberal Party of Quebec has increased tuition for all students, and deregulated tuition for international students. Before the elections were called their government also presented legislation that would have restricted universities' independence.

The Parti Québécois in promising more money for education, and wants to keep tuition frozen until holding a summit on postsecondary education funding.

The Action Démocratique du Québec has a standing policy in favour of raising tuition at the rate of inflation. Their 2008 platform doesn't say anything about university funding, tuition fees or student aid.

Québec Solidaire wants to enact a major reinvestment in the education system, protect the public nature of the system, and progressively eliminate tuition fees.

The Green Party of Quebec wants to get rid of tuition in the long term, but for the short term they will raise tuition by the rate of inflation.

1 8 years of age, and who have bee .. n ritizens who are over 18 ye eligible to vote.

b e o n th e

list to vote.

» ea to find out how to register Visit www.m °nvot^q Quebec office is locate . a n d w h e r e your local Eiecti

111

For more information and links to other resources visit :

v

■

w w w .ssm u.m cgill.ca/quebec2008