The McGill Tribune Vol. 31 Issue 1

T h e M c G ill

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T r ib u n e Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 1

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

6-7 MEET THE SSMU-SHIES 9 EDITORIALS 12-13 ACTIVITIES NIGHT 17 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 21 BASKETBALL 24 FROSH PHOTOS

MEET THE EXECS

PAGES 6-7

MUNACA on strike after negotiations with administration fail

MUNACA workers picketing outside of Roddick Cates on Thursday, Sept. 1 . (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)

N o n - a c a d e m i c c e r t if ie d s t a f f w a l k o u t o n j o b a f t e r r e p e a t e d a t t e m p t s t o r e s o l v e c o n t r a c t c o n f l i c t s By Anand Be ry __________

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News Editor

Members of the McGill Uni­ versity Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA), the union representing McGill University’s non-academic workers, went on strike Wednesday after the union and the university’s administration failed to reach an agreement on is­ sues of compensation. Negotiations

began in November 2010. Picketing began at 6 a.m. on Thursday Sept. 1, and continued through the end of the work day on Tuesday. Picket lines have appeared along many campus entrances, in­ cluding the intersection of McTavish andSherbrookeas well as atboth the Roddick andMilton gates. The workers group, whose membershipcomprises 1,700McGill employees, is calling for changes to

McGill’s current proposal on three issues in particular: pensions and benefits, the wage scale, and over­ time compensation. With regard to the latter, MUNACA is asking for a 25 per cent increase in base pay for hours worked on Saturdays and 50 per cent for hours worked on Sun­ days. “The core issues are the protec­ tions to our benefits and pensions ... and premiums (night and week­

end),” Kevin Whittaker, the presi­ dent of MUNACA said. “What we want is what every other university [in Quebec] is offering.” Inresponsetothegroup’sclaims that its members are compensated unfairly compared to other univer­ sities in Quebec, McGill University has asserted that, overall, their offer for compensation is comparable to that of other institutions. “When you compare workers

in one university tothose in another, you need to compare the total com­ pensation package,” Morton Men­ delson, Deputy Provost (Student Life &Learning) said. “And that in­ cludes pay, progression through the ranks, the time of work, length of vacations, pension, and benefits.” “McGill’s position is that MU­ NACA workers are currently re­ ceiving comparable compensation See “MUNACA" on page 3

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POLITICS

McGill remembers Jack Layton

News in Brief Q uebec backs down in MBA tuition battle

N D P l e a d e r r a n f o r V P E x t e r n a l A ffa ir s w h i l e at t h e U n i v e r s i t y By Elisa Muyl

News Editor

The Canadian political land­ scape, still reeling from the tragic and untimely death of Jack Layton, finds itself in a greater state of uncertainty than in May—the month when the Conservative Party claimed a majority government. It was thenthat theNDPshedits fringe status by defeating the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois, whose leaders bothresignedafter losingtheir seats. Layton’s death means that the three main oppositon parties are now all led by interimleaders “It shows that we’re in a pe­ riod of real flux and indecision” Professor Will Straw, Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada said, of the NDP’s sweeping success in May. The loss of the party’s beloved leader, then, begs the question: What’s next for Canada and the NDP? It remains to be seen if the party’s success was contingent on the affability and flawless bilingual­ ism of “le Bon Jack”, and how this will affect the NDP’s momentum. “[May’s election] shows that the NDP is a very significant force and it shows that with the next,right leader, [they] can make a break­ through in Quebec” Professor Straw said, addingthattheNDPis probably not going todo as well in Quebec as the during the last election, “but I don’t think it was just a fluke. The NDP has time toplant deep roots in Quebec.”

Laurin Liu, one of the four for­ mer McGill students who rode the orange wave into parliament this spring, agrees. “People have been coming into my riding office, telling me to keep fighting the same fight that Jack fought ... people, at least in Que­ bec, have a lot of confidence in the NDP. They say: ‘my first vote was for Jack, but my next one will be for you.’” Ironically, then, Layton’s death may have even strengthened the party, if only temporarily. According to Professor Straw, the provincial election in Ontario shows the NDP ahead several points. “People say that’s the effect of the Jack Layton funeral,” he says. “That’s not going to last forever ... outpourings of emotion don’t usu­ ally have long-standing political ef­ fects. However, the imagery gives a legitimacy that can only help them in the long run.” In fact, many sympathizers, as well as those within the party, feel even more motivated. “Yes, we’revery sadaboutit but ... the sadness of it almost motivates us more to do the work he started,” said Sam Harris, member and for­ mer executive at NDP McGill. Despite this, part of the NDP’s appeal may be attributable to Jack’s Anglo-Quebec heritage and Mon­ treal roots. “Just the fact that he’s from Quebec, that he went toMcGill, and obviously [his Quebec-Anglo roots] are all contributing factors that make

me feel close to him,” says Harris, anAnglophone Quebecker. Layton’s experience in Montre­ al and at McGill helped to shape his political views and ambitions. “I think his roots in Quebec were more and more encouraged as time went on; he never forgot where he came from, and that applies to McGill,” Matthew Dubé, another McGill grad turnedNDP MP said. In fact, it was here that “Smil­ ing Jack” first became interested in politics. “Jack shared with us that it was Charles Taylor, a philosophy teacher atMcGill whenhewas astu­ dent, that made him want to change his biology major to a political sci­ ence major,” Charmaine Borg, an­ other former McGill student elected to parliment last year said. “I think Charles Taylor inspired Jack to get involved and make a difference.” This interest translated into an unsuccessful bid for VP External of SSMU, somethingLayton toldDubé he’d always remember. “His failed run was in a way more inspiring; the important thing to him was that he was active and involved.” It seems that Jack’s legacy will be the encouragement of political and community involvement. At last year's Discover McGill, Dubé remembers Layton stressing the importance of all political involve­ ment, notjust within aparticular po­ litical party. “He said: get involved jn your community. Whatever it takes to be a part of the discussion.”

The Quebec Ministry of Edu­ cation has recognized McGill’s Desautels MBA as a ‘specialized’ program, a year after McGill first began operating the MBA under a self-funded tuition model. That one controversial word has caused the Ministry to effectively retract the $2 million fine it had imposed on McGill in March for budgetary vio­ lations, after the university first an­ nouncedthe move to self-funding in September 2009 and implemented the changes in September 2010. Since the fine was imposed, McGill has made changes to the program to meet the ministry’s cri­ teria for self-funding. The universi­ ty says the modifications have made the program more interdisciplinary, better internationally recognized, and unique among Quebec MBA programs. According totheuniversity, the oldfundingmodel meantthatMcGill was subsidizing an MBA education by about $10,000 per student per year. Currently, MBA tuition is set at $32,500, close to $30,000 more than the provincial cap of $2,069. McGill plans to continue increases in tuition up to the Canadian MBA tuition average of around $37,000. A number of student groups, including the Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ), have criticized the decision. “The [FEUQ] is against this change, because [McGill] is shifting froma public to a private program, and this is a massive attack against accessibility to the MBA program for a large population of students,”

Martine Desjardins, president of the FEUQ said. “Right now [McGill has] two, private executive pro­ grams and no [MBA] programs of public opportunity.” Upon graduation, McGill MBAs earn average starting salaries of $103,000 per year. While some may point to these large starting salaries as justification for tuition increases, Desjardins claims that high tuition might deter applicants from middle-and lower-income backgrounds. “[Many] don’t have $30,000 at thebeginning ofthe program,” Des­ jardins said. “We have tomake sure that everybody that has the intellec­ tual ability andis willing togotothe MBA programcan [do so, and that] it’s not [determined by] how much they have in their pocket.” Roland Nassim, president of the Post-Graduate Students’ Soci­ ety of McGill, says his organization believes McGill should be able to offer a specialized MBA program, but only in additiontoapublic, min­ istry-regulated MBA whose tuition falls under the provincial limit. His concerns extend to tuition increases in other programs as well. “Right now there is no [MBA] program[aMcGill student] can sign up for that is regulated, and this is theproblemfor us,” hesaid. “Where do we draw the line—next could be Law or a lot of other [professional] programs that could be switched from ministry-regulated to nonregulated.” - A nand Bery

First frosh after revamp goes off without a hitch R e p e a t a n d n e w F r o s h i e s a lik e e n j o y e x p e r i e n c e , d e s p i t e h a v i n g t o p a y f o r b e e r By Eric Mauser___________________

News Editor

Yearafteryear, hundreds ofnew and returning McGill students spend their first days at university involved in Frosh. However, this year’s Frosh has undergone a number of changes: participants had to pay for alcohol, it was held in conjunction with Dis­ cover McGill, and took place over the course of only one weekend. Meaghan Sky, a U2 Education student, enjoyed the experience so much last year that she returned as a Frosh leader. A future teacher, Sky said that she thought the event was valuable as she was gaining experi­ ence in howtodeal with students. “I love [Frosh],” Sky said, “es­ pecially ‘cause I’m in education. I think this is something really good because it shows you are able to

handle situations that don’t come up every day.” The number of returning stu­ dents who attended Frosh seemed to be a testament to the fact that changes in Frosh had not negatively impacted the event. Some even ap­ peared towelcome the changes. “People seem to be enjoying themselves,” observed a U3 Science student who had attended Frosh all four years and wished to remain anonymous. “People aren’t drunkenly running through the streets of Montreal, which is helping the McGill reputation.” “I think Frosh should be kept within the McGill gates,” he added. “Pubcrawl is afun activity, but it re­ ally ruins the reputation of McGill for students. As a fourth year, when I go around Montreal I don’t wear any McGill apparel because I know

people will judge me on it.” Others disagree. Austin Eagleson, a U1 who participated in Frosh last year, said “[The changes are] going to make Frosh more con­ trolled this year ... but I think some of the nuances are lost.” Todd Plummer, SSMU’s VP internal and the coordinator for Frosh explained some of this year’s changes. “Charging for beer was the product of a discussion I had with Professor Mendelson, the Deputy Provost. He didn’t feel comfortable lettingFrosh beoncampus unless he was sure that alcohol was controlled in some way. In his opinion, the best way to do that was to charge for al­ cohol and not have it included in the registration price,” he said. Plummer added that charging for beer may havecontributedtooff-

campus partying this year. “What I’ve been hearing from students and faculty associations is that [charging for beer] encouraged a lot more drinking off campus, which is a safety concern if people are pre-drinking a lot off campus in the Milton Parc community,” he said. “Wejust wanted tocontain the drinking as much we could toLower Field where Frosh leaders and secu­ rity were.” While drinking is a part of Frosh, Plummer said that it was never meant tobe the focus. “It’s not the goal to get drunk. It’s an option, and the planners of Frosh this year tried to make sure that drinking wasn't [the] focus ... However, if our job is to provide a good social orientation to university life, it would be inadequate not to have alcohol. It’s central to Frosh

but it’s not the focus.” Faraz Alidima, a U0 Arts stu­ dent, saidhewas pleased with Frosh so far. “Frosh is pretty amazing. It lived up to my expectations plus some more,” he said. “It’s beengreat to meet new people and make new friends.” Many others seemed toagree. “I feel like I’ll see people on the street that I’ve met here and I’ll know them and say ‘Hi’ and it will make it more comfortable tobe here at McGill,” said Alwyn Rutherford, a U0 Arts student. This, according to Plummer, was exactly what Frosh was meant toaccomplish. “The goal ofFroshis toprovide afun, inclusive, social orientation to university,” he said.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

News in Brief

SSMU

SSMU website refreshed P r o m is e s to be m o r e a c c e s s ib le , u s e r-frie n d ly will speed up the search for infor­ mation. The website will also more SSMU’s new website, de­ effectively showcase “any impor­ signed by Plank Multimedia Inc., is tant events having to do with cam­ going live this week. The new web­ pus life and students,” Sferdenschi site boasts many improvements to said. A calendar of events will be the old design. The site underwent a on the homepage, which will, if stu­ substantial makeover back in 2008, dents consult it on a regular basis, but despite improvements, was not help themto stay informed and in­ as user-friendly as SSMU had ini­ volved. Shyam Patel, SSMU’s Vicetially hoped. Problems included in­ frequent updates, complex naviga­ PresidentofFinance andOperations, points to the easy-to-use Clubs and tion, andweak French content. Corina Sferdenschi, SSMU Services page. This will incorporate Communications and Publications a “section with all the resources and Manager, and the SSMU executive forms that the SSMU clubs need to have been working closely on the submit.” These forms may be com­ project over the summer. They are pletedonline andsent directly tothe confident that the 2011 redesign will Vice-President Internal. This new eliminate these problems. “[This feature is a welcome change to the new site] is much easier to handle old method of emailing the docu­ ... with regards to putting informa­ ments to SSMU executives. Next week, the website’s man­ tion online, thus [allowing] me to provide students with the latest in­ agement teamwill also be launching formation in a matter of minutes,” Marketplace, “a safe space for stu­ dents to sell and buy items,” Patel Sferdenschi said. A new, professional homepage said. Marketplace will begin by will enable faster andmore efficient selling simple items like textbooks, navigation. The homepage will effectively replacing SSMU's short­ include an “easy-to-read-and-un- lived Book Bazaar which itself derstand rtavigation bar,” featuring replaced the financially unsound drop-down menus—a design that Flaven Books. The service will By Beatrice Britneff

Contributor

McGill receives top marks

hopefully expand in the future. Despite all these improve­ ments, bilingualism still remains an issue. In thepast, theFrench website has taken a back seat to the English version, but this year’s website team is committed to a bilingual website. To date, only the English content has been uploaded to the new web­ site. The French content will not be ready for this week’s launch. “Bilingualism of the website is something SSMU takes very se­ riously,” Sferdenschi said. SSMU’s translator has already begun work­ ing on the French content, and the French website is scheduled to be launched this semester. According to Sferdenschi, French uploads will be faster thanbefore as a result of a newer WordPress platform. A confident Patel asserts, “The executives are very keen on bilin­ gualism and our new website will make sure to meet the needs of the francophone population.” Time will tell. For now, students can enjoy the advantage of accessing information “through one central point,” accord­ ing to Patel, and are encouraged to explore the new look and get a feel for the newdesign.

McGill University was ranked 17thinQuacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) list of the top universities in the world. Since QS began ranking uni­ versities in 2004, McGill University has consistently placed among the top25 schools onthe list. The rankings were based on six weighted factors according to QS’s website: academic reputation (40 per cent) and employer reputation (10 per cent)—both measured by a global survey, citations per faculty (20 per cent), faculty tostudent ratio (20 per cent), the proportion of in­ ternational students (5 per cent), and the proportion of international fac­ ulty (5 per cent). One other Canadian university, the University of Toronto, made the top 25 of global universities. No other Canadian universities were ranked within the top 50. McGill improvedfrom 19thoverall last year to 17th. The University of Toronto jumped from29th to 23rd. McGill felt that the ranking highlighted its position as Canada’s premier university and the diversity of its students. McGill Universityreleased this

statementaftertherankingswere an­ nounced: “Founded in 1821, McGill is Canada’s leading post-secondary institution. It has more than 36,000 students, including 8,300 graduate students. McGill attracts students fromover 150 countries around the world, with more than 7,200 inter­ national students making up 20 per cent of the student body.” While there are several alter­ nate rankings of world universities, McGill’s improved ranking this year is certainly good news for the school. McGill Principal and Vice Chancellor, Heather Monroe-Blum, commented that “McGill’s consis­ tently strong performance in these rankings is particularly gratifying, reflecting the University’s out­ standing contributions in teaching, research and innovation across a broadrange of academic fields.” The University of Cambridge and Harvard University claimed the toptwo spots, while MIT jumped to third fromfifth in 2010. -E r ic M auser

MUNACA strike Continued from COVER

to other universities in Montreal,” Mendelson said. Before the strike even began, there were concerns that if MUNACA-member lab technicians were to abandon projects involving lab animals, those animals might havetobeputdown. While anagree­ ment was reached on Wednesday to define animal care as an essential service, Whittaker claims that the university took too long to reach an understanding. “We don’t want to have the animals suffer in any way,” he said. “McGill left it to the very last min­ ute, however.” MUNACA lab technicians will now come to work on an as-needed basis tocare for lab animals. As with any labour disruption at a university, a major concern is how the disturbance will affect aca­ demia andresearch. The administration has reaf­ firmed that the university will do everything in its power to allow research and teaching to continue unaffected. “That’s our commitment—to maintain the core activities of the university,” Mendelson said. “We are going totry our damdest tokeep the services that are really important going.”

Contingency plans have been implemented across academic de­ partments, and services have been prioritized. McGill has put together a comprehensive list of ways the strike may impact student services, both currently and in the long-term. This list is available on the main page of the McGill website. The Students’SocietyofMcGill University (SSMU) has taken a sup­ portive stance towards the union. In a statement issued to all McGill un­ dergraduates, the SSMU executive wrote: “We believe students should stand in solidarity with MUNACA, both out of respect for MUNACA’s right to strike and their legitimate concerns at the bargaining table and out of gratitude for all the crucial services which MUNACA members provide to students.” There have also been reports of planned student demonstrations, including a proposal to unshelve li­ brary books, which was later called off. “I’mglad to see that was aban­ doned,” Mendelson said. “It would hurt [other] students and just be­ cause there’s a strike doesn’t mean that the Code of Student Conduct is suspended.” NDP McGill held a Solidarity March with MUNACA on Tuesday Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.

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The Summertime Grind A t h o m e an d aw ay: h o w y o u r p e e rs s p e n t th e ir s u m m e r s By Eric Mauser

News Editor

During the academic year, McGill students oftenthink of them­ selves as some of the busiest stu­ dents in the world, and the summer is no different. Many McGill stu­ dents, whether interning, working, or taking classes, kept themselves busy this summer combining travel andwork experience. DanielleDaCosta, aU3Anthro­ pology student, spent her summer in Uganda at Children of Peace, a non­ governmental organization. Children of Peace works with orphans topro­ vide them with education, nourish­ ment, andmedical care. “The three months I spent with Children of Peace proved tobe truly incredible,” DaCosta said. “It was really rewarding to see what a difference the Children of Peace programmade for people.” Despite the success of her in­ ternship, DaCosta encountered some

challenges at first. “Upon arriving in Uganda, I faced a bit of [a] culture shock,” she said, “but I just kept an open mind and tried to stay flexible and I was able to adapt very quickly.” DaCosta plans to use this expe­ rience to help her with her Anthro­ pology Honours thesis. Ana Douglas, a U3 East Asian Studies student with a minor in In­ ternational Development Studies, saw her internship in Mongolia as an opportunity to combine her two areas of study and supplement her education with real world experi­ ence. “While I appreciate the free­ dom both of these interdisciplinary faculties offer, I sometimes get frus­ tratedby the lack of hands-on, prac­ tical skills taught within the worldof academia,” Douglass said. “As such, taking part in an in­ ternship became essential for me if I was to truly understand the field in

which I have been studying for four years.” Douglas worked for the Na­ tional Center Against Violence, an organization that tries to prevent domestic violence and abuse. The groupprovides shelter for victims of domestic abuse, and classes to help prepare victims for life without their abusive spouses. Douglas said that domestic abuse was a large problem in Mongolia, partly because of its male-dominated society. Douglas explained that one day while at her internship, “...an angry husbandthrewabrick into the back window of the shelter, hoping to scare his wife into coming back home. Needless to say, witnessing these events firsthand made me re­ alize the extent to which Mongolian women—as they make up 99 per cent of domestic violence victims— are unprotected by the law, legal authorities, and a traditional society in which patriarchal values are em­

bedded.” Douglas said that while events such as the one she described were disconcerting, she and her colleages felt optimistic about how their work could and would make a difference. Douglas plans to pursue a career in law as a result of her experiences, and expand upon her time in Mon­ golia through a related course she is taking this year. Lesley Williamson, a U2 In­ ternational Development Studies student, also spent time interning abroad this summer. Williamson did not intern for an NGO; instead, she was part of the Disney World In­ ternational College program in the United States. “The experience was amazing,” Williamson said of the three month long program. “Work was still work, but a kindofwork you’ll neverexperience anywhere else. And when you’re not working you have all the Disney

parks, as well as Florida’s beaches, Universal studios, andmuch more to explore.” Williamson added that the pro­ gramwas well suited for those look­ ing to pursue a career in guest rela­ tions. A few McGill students chose to spend their summer in Montreal, including Elizabeth Flannery who spent the summer taking classes and enjoying the culture offered by Montreal’s many summer festivals and concerts. “I enjoyed the freedom that staying in Montreal by myself gave me, and I appreciated the chance to be able to focus on improving my French,” Flannery said. “I would definitely recommend staying in Montreal Over the sum­ mer.”

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Top stories from the last week Monday, August 29 U nited S tates— Cleanup from Hurricane Irene began along the East Coast. The storm hit over the weekend, bringing down trees and power lines, causing flooding and evacuations, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Wednesday, August 31 Syria—The Attorney General of the Syrian city of Hama resigned to protest the military crackdown of President Assad on anti-regime protestors. This marks the first highprofile resignation caused by pro­ tests in Syria. G lobal— Muslims worldwide marked the end of the month-long religious celebration of Ramadan. Thursday, September 1 N ig eria — Violence between Christians and Muslims in the Ni­ gerian city of Jos left 40 dead. The government has appealed to its citi­ zens for peace. N orth and South Sudan and Ethiopia— Clashes between po-

itical factions along the border )f North and South Sudan caused tn estimated 20,000 people to flee :owards Ethiopia according to the UN.

Sources: BBC, Reuters, CNN

Saturday, September 3 Vatican C ity— The Vatican re­ jected charges that it attempted to cover up clergy abuse scandal in Ireland. The charges were brought by the Irish government as part of the fallout from the Cloyne report (released by the Irish government in July), which indicated that the Catholic Church in Ireland had knowingly hid the scandal fromthe Friday, September 2 authorities. United States— Job data re­ leased by the U.S. Federal govern­ ment showedthattherewerenonew Sunday, September 4 F rance— Former head of the jobs created in themonthofAugust. International Monetary Fund, Do­ The news prompted markets tofall. minique Strauss-Kahn, landed ir Turkey— The Israeli ambassa­ dor to Turkey was expelled by the France. Strauss-Kahn was being Turkish government. The expulsion held until recently in the Unitec was a result of Israel’s refusal to States on charges of sexual assault apologize over its raid last year on The case against him fell apart and the charges were subsequently a Gaza-bound flotilla. . G lobal— Wikileaks published dropped. J a p a n —Typhoon Talas has re­ hundreds of thousands of secret dip­ lomaticcablesuncensored. Whilethe portedly killed at least 19 people. information leak-based website had The storm made landfall Saturday, previously published secret cables, and it is still too early to determine this latest development has drawn the full extent of the damage it criticism fromthe site’s supporters. caused. G erm any— Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling party (the Christian Democratic Union) appearedtosuf­ fer losses in recent elections in her homestateofMecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to exit polls. The same exit polls saw the opposi­ tion Social Democrats party win a Compiled by Eric Mauser plurality of votes cast. L ib ya— Muammar

Gaddafi gave a speech televised on a sta­ tion owned by his son where he declared he would “not surrender.” The speech came on the 42nd an­ niversary of the coup in which he initially seized power. His present whereabouts are uncertain.

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Curiosity delivers - mcgilltribune.com

6 How did you prepare for this year over the summer? There are a lot of things that have to be accomplished over the summer, from just making sure you’re up to speed in your port­ folio, transitioning from the per­ son before you ... as president, it’s really important to make sure that our team is working together really well, that we’re all on the same page and that we know how tosupport each other.

SSMU does in some little way. It’s myjob tohave abasic understand­ ing of everything that’s going on. For me I see it as a coordinating and supporting role where I’mthe point person for a lot of things. As the official spokesperson, I’malso here to troubleshoot with all the different [executives].

interested in being more of a pres­ ence in residences. What are some of your top priorities for this year? Making SSMU’s democratic processes more accessible and transparent and getting through the year as a cohesive, well-func­ tioning group, and really rooted in what’s in the SSMU constitu­ tion, which is service, leadership and representation, which to me means leadership and representa­ tion grounded in service.

How do you plan to in­ crease student involvement with SSMU? Strategic Summits. We also Howwouldyou describe the have tolook at bothdeepconsulta­ tion, shallow consultation and in­ role of president? Never have I ever slept with It’s an exciting role because volvement. We’re upping our use you get to be part of everything of social media. We’re also more any other SSMU-shies.

recognized the political aspect of the portfolio, which I think is admi­ rable. That’s something that’s hard todobut is your duty; it’s acommit­ ment todefending student life. I think something I really love about Anushay is that shejust has a lot of passion; she’s really dedicated to the job. That can be dangerous in this position, which can be a lot of work; really caring about thejob is something I really care about ... Sarah had a lot of vision as well, for the website and doing book­ ings online. Often it feels like the things I'm doing aren’t specifically my ideas, but something done in the past that I’mbuildingonandamac­ Any long-term goals for your Anythingfrompreviousyears tually realizing. portfolio this year & beyond? As for clubs, my big goals that you’ve found really works? Never have I ever lost my Anushay [Khan] and Sarah there in terms of longevity is put­ ting a system in place that makes [Olle, the previous two VP C&S] keys, but I don’t want to jinx my­ sense and is highly organized that were both of strongconvictions and self.

Tell us about your portfolio: We’re doing a lot of restructur­ ing on the C&S portfolio, because it’s so huge and the VP of Clubs & Services just tends to bum out in various scenarios. In the past, there have been two major publications associated with the portfolio: Old McGill, which is the yearbook, and the SSMU handbook. These pub­ lications are better suited to other portfolios. As part of that restructur­ ing, we’vebeen talking about mov­ ing Old McGill to the VP Internal portfolio and the handbook to the president.

keeps track of new clubs. So many new clubs are created all the time but we don’t have a systematic way of organizing them, which creates problems. If we don’t know which clubs are active, wecan’treally help them. Similarly, we hope to have a more systematic way of supporting services; Shyam [VP F&O] and I are working on a sample budget for services. We oversee services but they’re also very autonomous; an­ other goal of mine is to help keep it that way. As it’s technically their money, services shouldcontrol how they pay stipended positions.

How was your summer? It was extremely busy, but very exhilarating. I consider my­ self tobe avery organizedperson, so before starting anything new I looked at everything that needed to be fixed. The first thing I did was organize all the material left by my predecessors andright after I jumped into the actual portfolio. My main focus for the summer was the student-run café. What are some of your long-term goals? My first goal is the studentrun café. In the past we had Haven Books, so a lot of students are hesitant to trust a similar ini­ tiative. Haven Books was a good initiative, but poorly planned. I have management experience, so

in that sense I ammore prepared tohandle this sort of thing. I also want to do [the bud­ get] differently from how its been done in the past. To many students the financial figures are jargon, but it’s a multimillion dol lar budget, so it’s important they have an understanding of it. I’d like to see a budget with explana­ tions; currently there are figures with no notes.

CAROL FRASER V P C L U B S & S E R V IC E S

challenge.

Anything you’re really ex­ cited about? The student-run café. I think it’s somethingstudentscareabout, that I definitely care about. It’s something the students have been askingforforsolong, andwe’rein a financial position where we can doit. If this does not gothrough, I will resign. Councillors havebeen helping with it already so I think Are there any challenges everyone’s very excited. I think it’s a great opportunity and it’s you foresee? I like to work like a robot so sad that we don’t have this type the word “challenge” isn’t really of café in the student building in my vocabulary. But budget- ...even the administration makes wise, I’m really trying to help fun of us for it. It’s time. everyone—exec., councillors, Never have I ever not students who come to council— understand it, which will be a dressed well.

7

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Tribune sat down with SSMU executives to see what they accomplished over the summer and what big items are on their agenda for the coming year. They also took part in a not-so-scandalous game of never-have-l-ever.

JO EL PED N EA U LT, V P E X T E R N A L A F F A IR S

What are you working on this year? One of my big projects this year is showing the faculty associa­ tions how SSMU can complement what they do; that it’s not an alter­ native or umbrella organization. Some have been more receptive than others, although most people arejust getting back to school, and the real work is still to come. Part of this is the Faculty Olympics. In Faculty Olympics your faculty forms a team and the Olympics is basically a giant competition rang­ ingfromacademicjeopardy toboat races. I want to extend the Faculty Olympics and try to integrate it with other SSMU events: if your

What are the main issues you’ll be focusing on this year? As people know, the govern­ ment announced that there will be a massive tuition increase starting September 2012. So my immeditate priority is to inform as many stu­ dents as possible of that fact, what the effects of that might be, and hopefully to get as many people as possible out tomarches and demon­ strations. There will be a General Assembly at the end of September where people will be able to take a position on the most recent increase and decide where to move forward. There will be a big demonstration on Nov. 10, for which we hope to organize a McGill contingent. The overall goal for the year is to make McGill students’ participation in what will be a student mobilization against tuition increases as big as

possible. More immediately, as well trying to informas many students a possible abouttheMUNACA strike, what it means, why they’reonstrike and to get themout on picket lines, and to make the strike as short and as successful as possible. What are your expectations for this year? I get the feeling that mobili­ zation and involvement in student activism at McGill has been pick­ ing up; the ball got rolling last year thanks to my predecessor Myriam [Zaidi]. My expectations are that more and more people are going to be involved; I expect large McGill contingents in student demonstra­ tions this year. I’m also expecting participation in various events— panels, discussions, workshops— that I, and a lot of other people, are

going to be organizing to ensure people know about tuition increases andtothinkabout issues in post sec­ ondary education as well. Something newyou’re bring­ ing to the role? I’dlike towork alot ondoing a lot more research anda lot more ad­ vocacy for specifically international and out-of-province students this year. The Quebec Student Move­ ment represents mainly the con­ cerns of students who pay Quebec fees (which makes sense, as most people in Quebec pay Quebec fees). What we want todo is basically ad­ vocate for those excluded students and make sure the student move­ ment does as well. Never have I ever not skinnydipped in Lake Ontario.

teamgoes toathletics event, for ex­ What are some challenges ample, you’ll get more points. you foresee this year? Frosh is still anissue. As much What do you bring to the as it is an event that happens at the role that’s different than what beginning of September, it’s some­ your predecessors have done? thing that’s always on the admin­ I think what I bring is a whole istration’s mind; something that new consciousness of faculty as­ students hold really dearly as hav­ sociations. Because I was an AUS ing control over. I think a challenge exec, I’mmuchmore aware of how is going to be that the students annoying SSMU can be; much learned so much about how they more sensitive to themand excited want Frosh to be run, and when about this. My bigpriority is tocre­ the faculty execs turn over, will all ate a more open dialogue between that knowledge turn over as well? I SSMU and the faculty associa­ want tokeep it fun andstudent-run, tions. but it’s a slippery slope. Never have I ever dyed my hair.

r

What are your top priori­ ties for this year? Look over some of the dif­ ferent policies that are germane to students: for example the grievance process and the Code of Student Conduct. One of the ways that I’mgoing todothat is toformmultiple workinggroups that will bechargedwith looking at the general eode and access­ ing where there are some basic flaws ... any gaps missing. How do you plan on strengthening student voices

in debates [One thing we’ve been working on is] an incredible project that will do really amaz­ ing things for the student body: theDiversity Survey [which will look into] perceptions of dis­ crimination on campus as a fol­ low up to [a program] last year. [We’ll] develop multiple focus groups that will target racialized groups: East Asian, SouthAsian, black; were really trying to en­ sure that we have students that aren’t necessarily involved in SSMU; their points of views are

just as important. Any challenges you fore­ see? It’s in the nature of the po­ sition; no matter how prepared you are, there’s always an issue that will arise. It’s really about being quick on your feet and dealing with it as quickly as pos­ sible. Never have I ever seen Ti­ tanic in English, only in Hindi.

O p in io n

Crossing the line Unless, out of sympathy for international labour, you’ve rigged some kind of Rube Goldberg-esque device that delivers the Tribune straight from our printer in SaintLeonard to your doorstep, it’s safe toassume that youpickedthis news­ paper up somewhere on campus. That means you probably crossed the MUNACA picket line to get to school today. Repent! Whatwereyouthinking?Didn’t you too, immediately upon hearing about the strike, open your laptop to SSMU’s website—it is your homep­ age, isn’t it?—to see what they had to say about the matter? In response to the question of what a student should do if a picket line stands between her and class, the SSMU executive decrees: “As students, we are free to re­ fusetocross picket lines, butmustbe aware of the potential consequences ... McGill has made it clear that the University wishes courses to con­ tinue as usual, and therefore course instructors are free to penalize stu­ dents who don’t show up to class. Realistically, whether you choose to cross picket lines is a decision you will have tomake on acase-by-case basis. Weencourage youtoask your instructor what their policy is if you miss their class.” Had you checked the site, you would have known what todo. Read again the SSMU state­ ment: what is the meaningof “real­ istically,” anyway? I was unaware thediscussion hadbeenoccurring in anyother terms. The sentence seems to really mean: “Technically, you’re free to cross the line on the way to class, you’re free tobe abadperson, but don’t, wayward constituent, ex­ pect our approval.” Also wonderful is the state­ ment’s preoccupation with punish-

ment, that precious martyr’s prize. Surely some on campus welcome the strike as the perfect opportunity to prove their piety by being penal­ ized for standing in solidarity with workers. The sacrifice feels, and looks, good. It’s as clear as day that the new SSMU team, working class heroes that they are, would ideally have us all joining MUNACA in its strike for fairer pay, and thus would have us miss classes until whenever the disagreement is resolved. All this notwithstanding, the union’s claim against McGill is one to which I’m sympathetic. Accord­ ing to the D a ily , the administration is offering MUNACA a 1.2 per cent annual salary increase to keep pace with the cost of living. That’s abysmal. Even the union’s initial request of a three per cent increase —a starting figure fromwhich they surely knew they’d eventually be knocked down—is just barely more than the 2.7 per cent that Canada’s Consumer Price Index increased over the last year, according to the federal government. That num­ ber doesn’t even tell the full story, as it excludes energy costs, which jumpedalmost 13percent in thelast 12 months, and food prices, which rose 4.3 per cent. MUNACA deserves our sup­ port, and those students who, when not in class, choose to stand in soli­ darity with the strikers—and have their friends snap attractive pho­ tos of them in a vaguely rebellious tableau—deserve some respect. But Joël Pedneault, SSMU VP External, was only partially right when he told a crowd of strikers last week, “Our struggle and your struggle are the same struggle.” As students, our primary struggle should still be to attendclass. For students to think of them­ selves as either traitorously crossing or virtuously not crossing a picket line is to consent to the administra­ tion’s story that McGill University is a business and students are cus­ tomers, a concession I doubt the students who care about this sort of thing really want to make.

find something more rewarding than someone else’s vomit on my shoes. I wanted to participate in an activity that would challenge me, be fun, and leave me with a group of friends with more depth than Carry Bradshaw’s posse. An accidental editorI That’s a tall order. I’d always been athletic, but like many other students, it was I was really lame when I unrealistic for me to pursue my was a first year. In fact, I’m still a goals through a team at McGill. square compared to the Froshies By some sheer stroke of luck, my who were outside my building high school track team consisted late last night. I had a difficult of some the smartest people in time finding extracurriculars my school (myself excluded). I when I arrived three years ago. took that as a clue that I needed to Bar hopping in first year on St. find a fun intellectual activity at Laurent was fun, but I wanted to McGill, if such a thing existed.

College mindset Every year Beloit College releases a new College Mindset List. Compiled by a professor and administrator, the 75-item list is a summary of sociocultural enti­ ties which the incoming freshman class may take for granted because of their age. The umbrella of topics is broad; some are banal, some in­ sightful, and some simply obvious. A sample, from the newly released list for the Class of 2015: number 12 - “Amazon has never been just a river in South America”; number 73 - “McDonald’s coffee has always been toohot tohandle”; andnumber 37 - “Music has always been avail­ able via free downloads.” To the contemporary student, thelitany is atfirstenticingtoperuse. One canchuckle, thinking, “They’re right. Ferris Bueller is oldenough to be my dad.” The eldest among us might scoff, in silent undeserved condescension, at how young the 2015-ers are. But when you look at the list for too long, queasiness takes over. It’s not just a barrage of post-1993 trivia. It’s not simply what the authors claim, a “guide to the intelligent if unprepared adoles­ cent consciousness.” Rather, it is a subtle (if not circuitous) way of try­ ing to create a “generation” for to­ day’s college student. This notion is peculiarly prob­ lematic for those of us between 18 and 22. Although we wouldn’t dis­ count any one item on the Mindset List, we are hesitant when asked the question, “What does your genera­ tion stand for?” The more pertinent question is, “Are we a generation?” The second entry for “gen­ eration” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a group of individu­ als bom and living contemporane­ ously.” For our present purposes,

the conundrum we’ve encountered is more easily viewed through a McGill lens. Let us apply the defi­ nition (with a little flair). Consider that a McGillian is “bom” as he or she first steps onto lower field, or ascends MacDonald’s majestic staircase (side-stepping construction, probably), or slurps tepid Boreale at OAR And further, “living” is his or her cache of hours spent presiding over exambooklets, coffees outside of Cyberthèque, and the coveted, relaxing spaces in be­ tween. For now, I’ll refrain fromex­ panding the metaphor sothat gradu­ ating is equivalent to dying. Those of us facingtheprospect try, oftento no avail, tobe more optimistic. Our coexistence (the “contem­ poraneous” part of the definition) in these pursuits in large part creates a generation at McGill. It is everchanging, as the tide of students ebbs and flows, but it is energetic all the same. We take every chance we can to vivify this campus gen­ eration, through music or dance or camaraderie or romance. But what is the common de­ nominator? Should this microcosm feel solidarity with others around Canada? Around the world? Alas, when the scale is broadened, we lose clarity, and turn to the one grand idea: we are the Connected Generation. Number 1 on the Mindset List is our proclivity for the “internet ramp onto the information highway.” We flit adventurously around cyberspace searching for our careers, our callings, our inti­ mate encounters — we are not left to our own devices, to congeal like past generations have. We are freer than that. The absence of a coherent generation for us Connected Informationists shouldn’t be worrisome. It should be a chance for plucking the best out of the campus, shining and brilliant, and enjoying it. And, surely, future commentators will be­ stow on us some title—as a history professor once put it to me, “They didn’t know it was the sixties in the sixties.”

Interested in photojournalism?

Jo in o u r p h o to g ra ­ p h e rs in co v e rin g n ew s, arts, s tu d e n t living and sp o rts. Email photo@ m cgilltribune.com for details. <_________________________ >

So when a friend suggested that my bad habit of critiquing every piece of food I eat could be useful in print form, I decided to give it a shot. I emailed an editor oftheTribune, who called me into the depths of Shatner to discuss my ideas. I’m pretty sure even my feet were sweating during that meeting. I was a first year without coherent opinions or direction in life. Why would anyone want to read what I wrote? Three years later, I’m still sweating. I worry that stories will fall through, that the rest of the editorial board will laugh at my opinions, and that we might not go to press. But I’ve found

that I thrive in this environment (even if it makes me a bit odiferous). On any given day in the office I’m intimidated by my fel­ low editors, but that is a blessing. I don’t want to pursue journalism after I leave McGill; some of my esteemed colleagues are better fit for that and are tackling their dreams after their years at the Tri­ bune. But I’ve learned more from working at this newspaper than I have in three years of university. No, I couldn’t tell you whether we use an Oxford comma, but I do know how to argue, how to synthesize, and how to think critically, all under a looming deadline. Sure, you should learn

those skills in your four years at McGill, but you might not, thanks to large class sizes and often inac­ cessible staff, andno class will let you ponder the pros and cons of fantasy football or send you to in­ terview the latest Montreal music scene sensation. To the Froshies of 2011, if youenjoyedffoshweekbutyou’re ready for something more intel­ lectually challenging than count­ ing the number of beers you’ve consumed, stop by the Tribune office. To those McGill students whose shaking legs and sweaty palms have held them back from writing, this is your year.

TheM cGil

—

T r iWWb une W .M CCILLTRIBUNE.COM Editor-in-C hief

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-------------------E d i t o r i a l — Quebec right to drop million fine $ 2

The tuitionbeast has once again per MBA student. Approximately rearedits ugly head, inbothour Min­ $12,000 in financial aid per student erva statements and campus politics, is nowavailable fromMcGill tolevel as the Ministry ofEducation recently the playing field for potential MBA rescinded a $2 million fine it had students. slapped onMcGill for atuition hike. McGill has argued that the McGill’s MBA program tuiton was MBA program is now specialized, increased to$32,000 for all students, and maintains an international focus as it turned to a self-funded model which exempts it from the tuition this year (see: “News in Brief,” Page freeze laws. While enrolment in the 2). This tuitionhike transgressedpro­ programhas decreased, its Financial vincial regulations regarding tuition Times ranking has increased, and freezes, and as such, was publicly members of the MBA Students As­ and symbolically punished with the sociation have voiced strong support $2 million fine. Prior to the increase for thechange. in MBAtuition, theprogram—which All this has occurredatapivotal cost nearly $22,000 per student to moment in Quebec tuition policy, in run—was subsidized by undergradu­ which tuition freezes have crumbled ate tuition to the tune of $10,000 and undergraduate tuition is set to

increase substantially over the next few years. This has stirred fears that theself-fundedMBAmodel will lead totuitionincreases inotherprograms and may be the end of accessible education. MBA applicants typically have years of work experience behind themandcan expect tomake, onav­ erage, salaries over $100,000 upon graduation. This makes it easier for them to repay student debts than undergraduates, whose job security upongraduationis far less certain. While many believe that an un­ dergraduate education is a right, the same argument cannot be applied to theMBAprogram, particularly when the tuition increase still leaves the

program as one of the cheapest in Canada. TheTribunerecognizes that this tuition hike places an inordinate burdenonprospective MBAstudents residingin Quebec. However, theav­ erageprospective undergraduateis in greater needof lower tuitionthanthe average prospective MBA student. The McGill Tribune believes that McGill shouldprioritize thefinancial needs of undergraduates over stu­ dents in professional programs, and that this change will lead to better programs across theboard. TheTribuneapplaudstheMinis­ try ofEducation’s decision torescind the $2 million fine andfor facing the fiscal realities of an elite programat anelite university.

D esign Editor

KathleenJolly design@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor

Resolution in the best interest of students

Marri LynnKnadle copy@mcgilltribune.com Some may say that a university is only as strongas its professors and researchers, but there’s an argument that the backbone of any school is P u b lish e r ChadRonalds made up of a less celebrated group: the administrative, technical, and lo­ gistical staffwhorunthelibraries, the tech programs, the labs; who clean the buildings, collect the garbage Contributors cans, and help hundreds of confused LiyaAdessky, JohanuBotha, BeatriceBritneff. Noah andclueless students every day. Caldwell-Rafferty, M organeCiot, TrevorDrummond, Underfunding has led tobudget Monique Evans, Eric Frydrych, Filippo Furlano, cuts and McGill University NonAlexanderHamilton,M atthewHerzfeld,DavidIrwin, Academic Certified Association’s Nicholas Petrillo, Ricky Kreitner, Kelly Malfara, (MUNACA) benefits package has JonathanRosenbluth,AdamTaras suffered, while the abysmal salary increase proposed by the adminis­ Tribune Offices Editorial ShatnerUniversityCentre Suite110,3480McTavish Montreal,QCH3A1X9 T: 514.398.6789 A d vertisin g M anager

CorinaSferdenschi cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca

Advertising BrownStudentBuilding Suite1200, 3600McTavish Montreal,QCH3A1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490 TheMcGillTribuneisaneditoriallyautonom ousnewspaper publishedbytheSociétédePublicationdelaTribune,astu­ dentsocietyofMcGillUniversity.Thecontentofthispublica­ tionisthesoleresponsibilityofTheMcGillTribuneandthe SociétédePublicationdelaTribune,anddoesnotnecessarily representtheviewsofMcGillUniversity.Letterstotheeditor m aybesenttoletters@ m cgilltribune.comandm ustinclude thecontributor’snam e,programandyearandcontactinfor­ m ation.Lettersshouldbekeptunder300wordsandsubm it­ tedonlytotheTribune.Subm issionsjudgedbytheTribune PublicationSocietytobelibellous,sexist,racist,hom ophobic orsolelyprom otionalinnaturewill notbepublished.The Tribunereservestherighttoeditallcontributions.Editorials aredecideduponandwrittenbytheeditorialboard.Allother opinionsarestrictlythoseoftheauthoranddonotnecessar­ ilyreflecttheopinionsoftheMcGillTribune,itseditorsorits staff.Pleaserecyclethisnewspaper.

tration is not enough to account for inflation. The Tribune réspects MU­ NACA workers’ right to strike and recognizes the legitimacy of their concerns. Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendel­ son, claims that the package offered toMUNACA, as a whole, is compa­ rabletootheruniversities, whileMU­ NACA claims that the benefits are lacking and that, although the salary cap is reasonable, wages increase at an inordinately slow rate. The truth is probablysomewhereinthemiddle, and that’s where we hope the strike will end: a compromise somewhere

J O IN O U R B O A R D O F D IR E C T O R S ! The Tribune Publications Society is looking for two student representatives to sit on its Board o f Directors. For more information, email James Gilm an at chair@ mcgilltribune. com

The Tribune is looking for an online editor and a sports editor. Please send a cover letter, CV and three writing samples to editor@ m cgilltribune.com

between MUNACA’s demands and the picket line. the university’s offerings, despitethe The SSMU’s statement comes constraints imposed by the Univer­ fromapolicy passedataGeneral As­ sity’s projected $6 million operating sembly in 2006—attended by fewer deficit for the 2011-12 year. than two hundred students—which While students will choose requires the SSMU’s general sup­ whether or not to cross the picket port for any unionized workers on line dependingon their political sen­ campus, a policy we can no longer timents, the SSMU’s statement on assume to be representative of the MUNACA—which makes it clear interests of thecurrent student popu­ that they endorse the strike and en­ lation. courage students to stand in solidar­ As tuition-paying students, we ity with MUNACA—can hardly be should be urging MUNACA and said torepresent the student body as McGill to reach an agreement as a whole. Students, whose primary quickly as possible; but we should concernis toattendclasses, shouldn’t not feel obliged to side with either beobligatedorpressured intojoining party.

The Tribune needs an opinion editor. Please send a cover letter, CV and three w riting samples to editor@ m cgilltribune.com

Opinion columnists needed to write a column once every tw o weeks (that’s fortnightly for you English majors). Please send a letter o f intent, CV, and two sample columns to opinion@ m cgilltribune.com

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2011-12

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

8 4M en& 4 W om en

M on. to Fri.

6 -Sep 17:00 Tom linson Hall

6 -Sep 17:00 Tom linson Hall

6 -Sep 17:00 Tom linson Hall 13-Oct 17:00 Tom linson Hall

6 -Sep 17:00 Tom linson Hall 12-Sep 17:00 Tom linson Hall

INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM - GENERAL INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY

0 All full-time McGill University students are eligible toparticipate. McGill staff and alumni who have purchased a Sports Complex Membershipmayalso compete inintramural activities. Players are requiredtopresent their McGill identification cardtothe timer prior toeach game. Failuretocomplywiththis rulewill preventtheindividual fromparticipating inthat game.

ABOUT THE 2011 FALL PROGRAM

□ Games are scheduledonweeknights as of 17:00 hrs andweekends as of 9:30am. The regular season inall sports consists ofa fivegame schedule. The topteams inthecompetitiveand intermediatedivisions will advancetoa single elimination playoff. Teams whodonot showuptoscheduledgames are subject toa default fee. Failuretopay thedefault feewill result inexpulsionfromthe league.

O F F IC IA L S

Are you looking for work?

HOW TO ENTER

Individuals are encouraged to formtheir own teams. Teams may come fromthe same faculty, department, residenceoranyothergroup. Captainsmustentertheirteambypayingtheteamentryfee on-linepriortotheentrydeadline. Teams aretakenona first comefirst served basis.

A p p licatio n s are now being acce p te d for officiating positions in the McGill Intram ural Program for the follow ing sports:

Delegate one member ofyourteamtoregister. www.mcqill.ca/athletics - clickonthe“On-Line Services" iconandlogin 0 Clickon'Browse' under 'Leagues /Tournaments’ Select thesport andleaguefromthefirsttwodropdownmenus, thenclickonthebluelinkunder thetable. After payingtheteamentryfee, youhave 24hours tovisittheIntramurals pageontheAthletics and Recreationwebsite tocompletethe rosterform. Oncepaymenthas beenmadeandtherosterformhas beenreceived, yourteamwill beofficially entered intheleague.

Basketball, Flag Football, S o c c e r , Ultimate Disk, and Volleyball

LOOKING FOR A TEAM?

P le a s e forw ard your re su m e (.doc) to perry.karnofsky@ m cgill.ca or fax 514-398-4901

Attendthe Free Agents Meetingandcome preparedtopayyour portionoftheteamentry fee. Flag Football, Outdoor Soccer, Ultimate, and Ice Hockey: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Ball Hockey, Basketball, andVolleyball: Monday, September 12, 2011

E x p e rie n c e and/or officiating certification preferred.

2v2 Soccer ThursdayOctober 13, 2011 The Free Agents Meetings begin@17:00 intheTomlinsonHall Atrium(2ndFloor Fieldhouse) 2-A M c G ill

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F A L L FITN ESS AND RECREATION C O U R S ES C o u rs e

A q u atics Adults LearnToSwim (Level 1Beginner) Adults LearnToSwim (Level 2&3 Intermediate) SwimFit Stroke Improvement Stroke Improvement D an ce Ballet BellyDancing

D ay

Monday Saturday Wednesday Saturday Tues &Thurs Wednesday Saturday

Pilates/Yoga Pilâtes I&II PowerYoga Spin Spin&Trim Step Tai Chi Zumba S p o rts FencingI FencingII HockeyI HockeyII Skating Squash Intro

2_i McGill A TC H LEEA TT ICIO SN & RE R

Non

Wks

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

$39.49

$57.06

8

CurrieMemorial Pool

8

CurrieMemorial Pool

F a c ility

$87.77 $43.89 $43.89

10 8 8

CurrieMemorial Pool CurrieMemorial Pool CurrieMemorial Pool

$79.01 $39.50 $39.50 $52.66 $52.66 $52.66 $39.50

$100.95 $61.45 $61.45 $74.62 $74.62 $74.62 $61.45

10 10 10 10

$83.39 $83.39 $52.66 $39.50 $52.66

$127.28 $127.28 $74.62 $61.45 $74.62

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

The Studio ActivityRoom The Studio Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom The Studio The Studio SpinRoom SpinRoom Mind/BodyRoom ActivityRoom ActivityRoom TheStudio ActivityRoom TheStudio

17:00-17:55 19:00-19:55 12:00-12:55 12:00-12:55 19:00-19:55 18:00-18:55 17:00-17:55 17:00-17:55 09:00-17:00

$39.50 $39.50 $20.19 $39.50 $39.50 $39.50 $39.50 $39.50

$83.39 $83.39 $42.14 $8339 $83.39 $83.39 $83.39 $83.39

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1

Aerobics Room Aerobics Room Aerobics Room SpinRm Aerobics Room Aerobics Room The Studio The Studio TBA

Monday&Wednesday Tuesday&Thursday Monday&Wednesday Tuesday&Thursday Friday Monday&Wednesday Tuesday&Thursday Monday&Wednesday Friday Monday&Wednesday Tuesday&Thursday Saturday Tuesday&Thursday Monday&Wednesday Saturday Thursday Monday&Wednesday

09:00-17:00 11:00-11:55 08:00-08:55 16:00-16:55 18:15-19:25 19:30-20:40 08:00-08:55 16:00-16:55 17:00-18:10 17:00-18:10 18:30-19:40 18:00-18:55 18:00-18:55 16:30-17:55 19:00-19:55 13:00-14:10 17:00-17:55 14:30-15:40 13:00-13:55 17:00-17:55 12:00-12:55 08:00-08:55 18:00-19:25 11:00-11:55 20:00-21:25 16:00-16:55

$30.72 $52.67 $52.67 $65.84 $65.84 $52.67 $52.67 $65.84 $65.84 $65.84 $39.50 $61.45 $48.28 $52.67 $65.84 $52.67 $39.50 $52.67 $52.67 $26.34 $61.45 $92.17 $20.19 $39.50 $39.50

$52.67 $96.56 $96.56 $109.72 $109.72 $96.56 $96.56 $109.72 $109.72 $109.72 $83.39 $105.33 $68.46 $96.56 $109.72 $96.56 $61.45 $96.56 $9(356 $48.28 $105.33 $136.05 $42.14 $61.44 $83.39

1 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

TBA SpinRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom TheStudio SpinRm SpinRm ActivityRoom Mind/BodyRoom SpinRoom Mind/BodyRoom Mind/BodyRoom SpinRm Mind/BodyRoom SpinRm SpinRm Aerobics Room Mind/BodyRoom Aerobics Room

Tuesday&Thursday Tuesday&Thursday Monday&Wednesday Thursday Friday Wednesday Saturday Saturday Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Saturday Sunday

08:00-08:55 $43.89 20:00-20:55 20:00-20:55 $43.89 14:45-16:15 S6T44 14:45-16:15 15:00-16:15 $50.92 10:30-11:20 535TÎ 11:30-12:20 16:00-16:45 $23.70 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

8 8 8 8

ActivityRoom ActivityRoom McConnell Arena McConnell Arena

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International Courts D&E

Tuesday &Thursday

Kick, Punch, Jive&Jam Pedal Jam Pedal &Pump Pilâtes

M em

$43.89 $26.34 $26.34

Friday Monday Thursday BellyDancing-Advanced Saturday Dance Fever Friday Flamenco Wednesday HipHop Tuesday- Street Dance Tuesday Thursday Friday Jazz I&II Tuesday&Thursday Jazz II&III Tuesday&Thursday LatinDance Monday LindyHopI- SwingDance Wednesday Social Dance Monday F itn ess & W elln ess Abs, Back&Bootie Monday&Wednesday Tuesday&Thursday BodyDesign Saturday BodyWorks Monday&Wednesday Monday&Wednesday Boot Camp Tuesday&Thursday CardioJam Monday&Wednesday ClassicCardio Tuesday&Thursday CPR\FirstAid Saturday, TBA Sunday, TBA CPRRe-Cert TBA De-ToxCycle Sunday HathaYogaI Monday&Wednesday

HathaYogaII

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16:30-18:25 18:00-18:55 18:00-18:55 13:30-14:55 16:30-17:55 19:00-20:25 18:00-18:55 19:00-19:55 19:00-19:55 18:00-18:55 17:00-18:25 18:30-19:55 19:00-20:25 18:00-18:55 20:30-21:55

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$79.01 $79.01 $79.00 $68.46 $52.67 536Ü7

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2011

R E G IS T R A T IO N

IN F O R M A T IO N

On-line and walk-in registration for fall programs begins August 29,2011 and continues through Monday, September 26,2011. Registration takes place on-line and in the Client Services office (G-20C) of the Sports Centre, Monday through Friday 8h30-20h00. Most classes begin instruction the week of September 12,2011. Pay-As-You-Go classes begin the week of September 12, 2011, and run until December 18,2011. Full-time McGill undergraduate students may register for courses at the member's fee. Non-members can register for courses but may only use the facilities during their designated class times. Please note: There will be no classes held on October 8,9, and 10 due to the holiday weekend. Be sure to download our TOP 10 TIPS TO REGISTER ON-LINE, found at www.mcgill.ca/ athletics.

i l l . c a /

a t h l e t i c s

I f y o u h o v e n 't e x p e r ie n c e d th e k e e n e r - c h o o s o f a c t i v i t i e s n ig h t, t h e n y o u s h o u ld c h a r g e t h e f r o n t lin e s t h i s year. The 4 5 - m in u te w o i t

in line is worth it, even i f

o n ly

to ta k e o d v o n t o g e o f th e f r e e fo o d . O f t h e h u n d r e d or so c lu b s o n d s e r v ic e s t h o t g o th r o u g h t h e e f f o r t o f fo s h i o n in g o p o s te r b o o r d d is p la y , y o u s h o u ld s to p b y o t le o s t half. Y ou'll e n d u p w i t h o h o n d fu l o f lo o s e le o f in fo r m a tio n s h e e t s w h e n y o u le o v e , o n d y o u m ig h t w o n t to g o to o c o u p le m e e tin g s . W h o t m a y s t o r t o f f os or e s u m e b o o s te r m o y tu r n in to y o u r r e a s o n f o r e x is t e n c e . E v e n i f y o u d o n 't f o i l in lo v e w i t h o n y c lu b s, m a n y s t u d e n t s d o n o t r e o liz e h o w m o n y co o l c lu b s th e r e ore o t ITlcGill.

Energy Association

(bp.blogspot.com)

You probably shouldn't own an SUV if you want to be in this club. The Energy Association seeks to raise awareness about the future of renewable resources by organizing events ranging from discussion forums to guest speakers. M ore specifically, it attempts to educate students on the oil and gas industry and on the future of energy resources, the impact of energy on the economy, and which careers are available in the energy sector. Join the club to watch the CFL bulbs light up above the heads of yourdubmates.

Quidditch Team The McGill Quidditch team was founded in 2 0 0 9 . Quidditch is a co-ed, fullcontact sport, that attracts a diverse group of players ranging from Harry Potter fans to those who have never read the books or seen the films. Every year the Quidditch Team competes in the W orld Cup against hundreds of other schools from around the world. This year the event will be held in N ew York City. If you're into having fun, playing something different, and hanging out with a lot of cool and interesting people who pretend to fly, this is the sport for you.

The Flintknappers Club Interested in archaeology? Created in 2 0 0 2 , the Flintknappers club specializes in teaching students the skills needed to make stone tools. In this day and age it might not be obvious why one would need to know how to make tools out of stone, but understanding the art of flint-knapping teaches archaeology students how to identify lithic technology encountered in the field. What's more, this craft can be remarkably handy when camping or on extrem e survival weekends; and admit it, smashing rocks is a lot of fun.

i

(flickr.com / photos / petergutierrez)

Free Tea Club There's only one cure for Montreal winters: tea. The Free Tea Club promotes tea drinking in the undergraduate McGill community. They host tea-drinking events where students can sample different teas, learn how to brew tea properly, and engage in traditional tea-drinking activities such as ShogiJapanese chess. Even if you're a coffee lover, you're still welcome in this club. (flickr.com/photos/firepile)

Activities night is Tuesday, September IS and Wednesday, September 14, from 4 -8 PM in the Shatner B uilding.

Best Buddies

Best Buddies is a friendship program that pairs McGill students with adults who have intellectual disabilities in the Montreal community. The program provides the adult buddies with the opportunity to have experiences which most people take for granted, such as going for coffee, watching a movie, or hanging out with a good friend. Co-head of Best Buddies Emily Kristensen believes being involved in Best Buddies is an extrem ely rewarding experience for both parties: students become integrated into the larger Montreal community where they can explore the city while giving their buddies the opportunity to participate in community activities with a peer who provides them with support. Anyone can join. Experience working with people with intellectual disabilities is not required. "All it takes is enthusiasm in the program's purpose, a commitment to the required participation, and a big heart," says Kristensen.

(newsletter.famegame.com)

McGill First Aid Service

McGill Outdoors Club

If hiking, camping, skiing, or canoeing are your things, the McGill Outdoors Club is for you. Students in the Outdoors Club spend their weekends getting fresh air and enjoying the great outdoors. The club is the oldest of its kind in Montreal, established in 1 9 3 6 , and includes members from other universities, as well as alumni. Even if you've spent the last twenty years of your life sedentary, it's not too late to become an outdoorsman. The Outdoors Club organizes beginner courses in many disciplines, including telemark skiing, ice climbing, and first aid.

(upload.wikimedia.org)

McGill First Aid Service is a club run by students which offers emergency first aid service for McGill students and the greater Montreal community. All members of the club—there are about 6 0 —are trained at Red Cross Emergency First Responder level. First Aid volunteers are working behind the scenes across campus day and night. From sports games to 4 Floors, the First Aid Service is there. To apply to the First Aid Service, students need to be enrolled at McGill and hold a certification of Standard First Aid and CPR-C. The recruitment process consists of working on-call, and a couple months of training. If you can't commit that much time, the First Aid Service offers courses to certify individuals in Canadian Red Cross first aid.

(ioi.i. aliimg.com)

Club Cinema 16 The new kid in town this semester is Club Cinema 16. But don't let its fresh face fool you, it means business. Creating a "platformfor genuinely alternative films/' as its President Charles Tuck explains, Club Cinema 16 will emphasize "radical cinema, art house films and other marginalia. W om en and queer filmmakers, regional cinemas, camp, porn and contemporary video art are all on the list." However, because these films are shot on 16m m film—about half the size and half the price of the standard gauge 35m m film used in Hollywood—they are facing technological challenges. "We seem to think that everything is available to us on the Internet these days —it's not," says Tuck. This is where Club Cinema 16 comes in. They will be screening 16m m films in the McGill Cultural Studies Theatre located at 3 4 7 5 Peel. Not only can students watch these screenings for free, but it is open to the public as well. In addition to screening alternative films, Club Cinema 16 will also be accepting submissions of student work.

S t u d e n t

L iv in g

G IZ M O S & G A D G E T S

Going back to school in the cool T o y s to m a k e c l a s s , r e z a n d life a little bit e a s i e r By lain Macdonald

Production Manager Coming back to Montreal after a long summer can stir up mixed emotions. It’s great to see friends and roommates again, and there’s OAP and Frosh. However, nobody likes the inevitable late nights at McLennan or midterms in Septem­ ber. We’ve compiled a list of toys and tools to help ease you back into the scholarly grind.

Dropbox is an online utility for reading, writing, and modifying files on multiple computers. It saves these files to a central repository, your Dropbox, so that you can ac­ cess themfromany computer that is connected to the internet. No more fumbling for your USB key in the computer lab, just download your work and go. You can get 2 GB for free when you sign up, plus an ad­

Docuum and Smart Minerva ditional 0.25 GB if you use your are w ebsites designed by McGillian McGill e-mail. More space is avail­ Alex Daskalov. Docuum is a course able at a small cost. material sharing site. Users can up­ load their notes, assignments, and V—-J exams (no solutions, though), for others to use. The site sometimes contains old finals or midterms that professors don’t release to current students. Smart Minerva attempts to help students through the tortur­ ous McGill registration process by Tablets of all shapes and sizes displaying clashing courses and a have been flying off the shelves at sample schedule. Futureshop and Best Buy since the iPad came out, and this year is no exception. With the HP Touchpad’s firesale in lateAugust, prices on that model have dropped to a somewhat more affordable $300. While they might not prove useful in class, their portability and convenience make Netflix offers unlimited stream­ any tablet a cool toy. ing of TV and movies for a small monthly fee. After becoming wildly successful intheU.S., theservicehas migrated north to Canada. Now, for only $8 per month you can get your own Netflix account and streamvid­ eos on your iPad, Wii, XBOX 360, PC, or Mac. With an ever-growing library of content, it’s a great way to blow off some steam after a tough midterm. While the selections are weak compared to the American site, the first month is free.

docuum

not to have a pair. They’re great for blocking out sniffling in the library, noisy roommates, orjust listening to some tunes. If you want all the si­ lence with none of the music, pick up a set of earplugs, a necessity dur­ Ebooks are the first new tech­ ingexams. nology for the literary market since the printing press. Amazon, Indigo and many other vendors carry their own models, but they all do basi­ cally the same thing. Even if you don’t spend your spare time leaf­ ing through Tolstoy classics, many iTunes U is a project startedby textbooks can be purchased, or otherwise obtained for use on your Apple in 2007. It allows professors e-reader, potentially saving you the at other schools to upload their re­ effort of even stepping foot in the corded lectures to iTunes for you to downloadforfree.MIThastakenthis McGill bookstore. to another level with Open CourseWare, which provides assignments, tests, and quizzes, too. You can even enroll in an Artificial Intelligence class at Stanford this semester, com­ plete with your very own certificate (that is, if you pass). For bookworms and other curious minds, these are invaluable resources, and a great way tolearnjust about anything you can’t or don’t want to at McGill. If you can barely manage towatch the Headphones are a must-have recorded lectures for the classes you for any student. Whether you want registered for, don’t sweat it, atten­ to splurge on brands such as Bose dance is optional. or Shure, or opt for a more afford­ able brand, there’s really no reason

iTunes U

AR O U ND THE TO W N

Taking a gander at Goose Village A r a in y - d a y s t r o ll r e v e a l s g l i m m e r s o f t h e p a s t By Noah Caldwell-Rafferty *I

Contributor As I trudged by a workshop on Mill Street in the pouring rain, a kind-eyed, pony-tailed glassblower staredat me. He wore anexpression of shock and sympathy, holed up in his abode of warmkilns and red-hot vases. I had little time to stop and commiserate, so I pushed through the growing puddles. I was almost at my destination, the once-thriving riverside Goose Village. I had already passed under Au­ toroute Bonaventure—the traffic artery of Montreal’s Centre Ville— skirted a crumbling but functional distillery, and left the old Ogilvie’s Flour Mill behind me. Up ahead I saw a behemoth Costco at a cross­ roads filledwith traffic departingand entering the city fromPont Victoria. Passing a wind-battered Chinese dépanneur, I reached Bridge Street quickly, once the heart of a vibrant neighborhood of Italian, Irish, Pol­ ish, andUkrainian immigrants. Goose Village got its name from the waterfowl that once occu­

pied the banks of the St. Lawrence at this spot. First Irish immigrants, then Italians, built the little village into a community by the end of the 19th century, and into the 1960s the area pulsed with Catholic fervor and neighborly vivacity. At the height of its growth, Goose Village took up the space due west of the Old Port and south of Rue Notre Dame, run­ ning all the way tothe St. Lawrence River. However, in the 1960s things changed—orrather, theywereforced tochange—and quickly. In the years before Expo 67, Mayor Jean Drapeau led acampaign to purge Montreal of what might be perceived as blights by outside visi­ tors. Goose Village suffered might­ ily. Residents were informed that the area was to be bulldozed; since its poor (yet energetic) streets were among the first to be seen by cars entering downtown frombothmajor bridges, the “blight” had togo. Now, over fifty years later, the kind-eyed glassblower was not sim­ ply astonishedatmyslogthroughthe tempest, but rather that I was going toGoose Village at all. But I wished

tosee what was left. Were there any resilient mom-and-pop comer storesor toddlers plodding the streets, jumping in muddy puddles? The journey started off promis­ ingly enough. Exiting Griffintown (just northeast of Goose Village), there remained costume shops for nightlife masqueraders, andsatisfied young professionals alighted the decks of bistros, umbrellas in hand. A residential atmosphere was recog­ nizable. The feeling hardly lasted. Heading down Duke Street, a graffitied shack clung to the side of a vacant brick tenement building. Crossing the Lachine Canal onto Mill Street, thecivilized city seemed to recede behind the clouds and the gray industrialismof the waterfront. Although wind and rain kept deni­ zens off the street that day, I hadthe eerie feeling that a balmy, sunny af­ ternoon would have brought out no more than one or two. I stoodattheCostcocrossroads, momentarily disheartened. Traffic whizzed shoppers away from the megastore. A copperched his car on

timelessness I had to sequester, and from what I had heard, it was just down the street. Down Bridge Street I trudged, crossing overgrown train tracks, and there it was: the massive, rugged, jagged Black Rock. The rock is a memorial, erected in 1859 tohonour thousands of Irish immigrants who had died there of typhus in small shacks ten years prior. For years it has stood as the pride of the Irish community, and for Goose Village, those who survived went on tobuild a flourishing, homey neighborhood.

andtumbledown shacks in the back­ ground. If you go to old Goose Village, there are glimmers amongst the grayness. The Espace Verre glassblowers run three exhibitions each year. Take the Lachine Canal bike paths from the Old Port to Atwater Market (on a sunnier day), or if you find yourself milling about Griffin­ town, simply satisfy your curiosity andgoseetherelic ofGoose Village next door.

15

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

m c h f e j s a n *r p o i *k e h o p js By Monique Evans

Contributor

2 tbsp. maple syrup 2-4 peaches

Va c . fresh cilantro, roughly As summer winds down, one must salvage as much prime bar- chopped 1lime bequeing time as possible. And since Ontario peach season is upon us, why not add a little peach to Directions: your pork chop? Follow this fool­ 1. Cut the peaches in half and proof recipe, and it won’t be long till you’re in maple-peach pork remove the pits. Grill peach halves chop heaven. for about ten minutes, until they have caramelized and softened. Set aside. Ingredients:

the brine for 30 minutes to 2 hours. 3. Grill pork chops to taste. The brine will keep even well done chopsjuicy. 4. Towards the end of cooking, brush the maple syrup on each side of the pork chops.

5. Serve peaches on the pork chop with some chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of salt and some freshly groundpepper. Or 2 large pork chops 2. Put the pork chops in a shal­ fordessert, pair grilled peaches with !4 c. sea salt lowbakingdish. Heat the water, salt vanilla ice creamandagedbalsamic 4 c. water and herbs aromatics over the stove. vinegar or a chocolate sauce. Herbs and spices, such as rose­ Let cool, and then pour over' the pork chops. Let thepork chops sit in mary, toinfuse the meat O D D S A N D ENDS

M IX M A S T E R

H Woah

Amarula five ways

A p a rc h e d e d ito r ta s te te s ts th re e tre n d y b ra n d s

D o n ’t try t h e s e all a t o n c e

2

By Kyla Mandel______________________

Features Editor

It’sobviousthatwaterfalls from clouds as rain drops, but thecreators of Smartwater seem to think other­ wise. As they cleverly point out on the bottle, “clouds contain nature’s source of water,” so they used this “forgotten” resource to inspire their product. In order tocreate their pure taste, they capture and distill water vapour, resulting in “hydration you can feel”. Is it really worth all the hype? As a Smartwater virgin, my first sip of this high-profile water, well, tasted like extremely refined water. While “pure” andairy tasting, it wasn’t anything out of this world, I could not feel the hydration, and most importantly, it certainly did not make me feel like Jennifer Aniston. Perhaps I would have better luck with the forever popular and celebrity-trusted Fiji water. While Smartwater may be fresh-from-theclouds, Fiji water is filtered through volcanic rocks. As their website ad­ vertises, this water is found away

from pollution, acid rain and in­ dustrial waste. That is, if you don’t count the effects of whatever is set up in Fiji to extract the water, which fills up the millions of plastic bottles, which are flown across the world andthentransportedall across NorthAmerica. That said, it was the cheapest tropical vacation I’ve ever taken— $1.39 to be transported to an island paradise much like the one depicted on the bottle. Although I didn’t really taste the centuries old volcanic minerals, I must admit that this water was soft and smooth, as promised. To put it simply, both Smartwater and Fiji water are just water. They’re not too different fromwhat comes out of your tap, except that they have enhanced minerals and architecturally unique bottle shapes. Do I suddenly feel healthier and more hydrated? Yes, because I drank two bottles of water. But perhaps what I need instead are more nutri­ ents. You guessed it: Vitamin water. On the menu is the 10 calories per bottle ‘Recoup’ Vitamin water. It is

peach-mandarin flavoured, enriched withVitamins B3, B5, B6 andB12.1 have noclue what these vitamins do, but I know I need them. As I open the cap, I’mhit with a vivacious cit­ rus andpeachy smell. As I drink it, it tastes great. For about two seconds. The after taste isn’t nearly as pleas­ ing, and that’s when I realized that it’s essentially just mildly flavoured water with a bit toomuch sweetener. Despite not living up to their witty labels (it has yet tobe determined if this tasty force of hydration can help me cope with whatever life throws my way), there are a variety of fla­ vours and vitamins to choose from, so you are likely to keep coming back. After having tried these three waters I sat back and waited. Would I feel more energized? Would I be able to take on the world or in­ crease my IQ? Sadly, the only thing I gained was a very full bladder, and I lost $5.37 (plus tax) in my wallet. I think I’ll save my toonies and get my liquid hydration from the water fountain around the comer.

By Shannon Kimball________________

Editor-in-Chief

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my travels, it’s that liquor is really expensive in the Great White North. Shopping for cocktail ingredients fancier than orange soda and vodka will sét youback at least fifty bucks. And, by the time you’ve thrown up half of those appletinis you were going to make, you’ll never want to see that bottle of vermouth ever again. So, I present five ways to use a twenty dollar bottle of Amarula. This liqueur is made fromthe south­ ern African marula fruit (not from the elephants on the label), which makes it much more flavourful than Bailey’s. You can drink it straight, with hot chocolate, or with some li­ queurs you may have lying around fromthat night you never made it to Tokyo. Straight Pour Amarula into a chilled glass. The alcohol content is fairly low, so fill-er-up! Springbok Pour one part crème de men­ the into a shot glass. Slowly pour one part Amarula over the back of a spoon into the glass. Mudslide Pour one part Kahlua into a shot glass. Slowly pour one part Amarula over the back of a spoon into the glass. Coffee and hot chocolate Pour a dash of Amarula into a cup of hot chocolate or decaf coffee for a sweet after dinner drink.

Curiosity Delivers, www.mcgilltribune.com

16 O D D S & ENDS

Roommates Q ’s S e ttin g g r o u n d ru le s fo r w e ird r o o m ie s By Kyla Mandei & Kat Sieniuc

Features Editors

Remember that roommate rules questionnaire your floor fel­ low handed out at the beginning of first year? We don’t. We’ve come up with our own replacement, because having roommate squabbles during exams is worse than actually taking exams. If youjust discovered that your roommate uses a live rooster as an alarm clock, enjoys practicing Tai Chi in the shower, or shuns the mod­ em concept of a toilet in favour of a chamber pot, it may be too late to find another one. But you may be able to compromise on some other issues before theyeargetsunderway. Here are some things which you and your roommates should discuss: Chores: Sorting out household responsibilities should be one of the first things on your roommate dis­ cussion list. Make sure you decide who will take out the garbage, the recycling, who will cook dinners, and who will clean common spaces, which includes doing the dishes. While you don’t need to set up a hard schedule for this, you may be disappointed when your roommate fails to make chicken fingers six months fromnow, Groceries: If you don’t want to end up with vegan, low-fat. calcium enriched body wash, you might want to set up some sort of grocery schedule with your roommates. It is also important to set up a payment scheme for the groceries, so you don’t end up buying cases of Dom Perignon only on the weeks you are paying. Bills: Breaking down the bill payment costs between roommates

is almost as important as choosing a house 12-pack. Important services include: electricity, internet, phone, andTV. You also needtoensure you have an overdraft plan. What hap­ pens when your roommate comes home at four in the morning, drunk, anddownloads every episode ofStar Trek in ultra high-definition? Friends: Your apartment is your own personal space, but you aresharingit withothers. Youshould set up rules with your roommates about having company over. Do you let themknow? Howfar in advance? What if your friends are having a sleep-over and you’re going to stay up late telling scary stories? Sex: We’re not at a Mormon school, and your roommates might shag. If you’re really unlucky, you might have to deal with apartmentcest. Convention dictates that a tie on the door, ask no more. If you’re planning a love escapade lit by hun­ dreds of candles and set to the tune of Dido, you might want to let your roommate—and the fire depart­ ment-know in advance. Be sure to set uprules for repeat visitors. Vacation: The school year comes with several breaks. You should decide in advance what you’re going to do with the apart­ ment, and who’s going to take care of your pet fish, Gob. Subletting and rent-splitting during time away are issues tothink about. No matter how much you pre­ pare, you will hit bumps. Whether you have the roommate who never cleans thepots, ortheroommatewho smokes too much pot, there will al­ ways bethings that annoy you about each other, but how you choose to deal with it is the true test.

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OpenAir Pub Ends September 9 Three Bares Park

Zombie Night 7 pan. James Square

McGill Safety Week September 12-16

Activities Night 4-8 p.m. Shatner

Pick out posters from a large selection to decorate your roomfor the newsemes­ ter.

Enjoy food, beer and music in the park on campus.

Watch Z om bieland and eat popcorn for free. Prizes to be won.

A variety of safety-related ac­ tivities will betakingplace on campus. Check out the safety presentations, a BBQ and the safety competition.

Line up outside of Shat­ ner to browse McGill’s many clubs and sign up for those that interest you.

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The “Enfant Terrible” all grown up E x h ib it e x p lo re s th e s to rie d c a r e e r o f f a s h io n d e s ig n e r Je a n P a u l G a u lt ie r By Liya Adessky

Contributor

French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier, commonly known as fash­ ion’s “enfant terrible,” is currently the subject of anextravagant exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Gaultier has long identified with the city of Montreal, so it’s fit­ ting that our fair city play host tothe eccentric designer in honour of the 35th anniversary of his label. The exhibit, the first to feature Gaultier internationally, showcases many of his most celebrated pieces from the runway. In true Gaultier fashion, theexhibit is bizarre, whim­ sical andtongue-in-cheek. One of the most talked-about elements of this exhibit continues to be the technology it employs. With the help of Montreal theatre com­ pany UBU, the mannequins have holographic faces that move, talk, and sometimes sing, with many of the voices and faces belonging to models and musicians, including Francisco Randez and Melissa Auf der Maur. There’s even a mannequin in Gaultier’s likeness at the beginning of the exhibit, speaking tothe crowd about his>outlook, inspiration, and overall aesthetic.

A few of the many dresses in the Gaultier collection, (mmfc.qc.ca)

The exhibit is organized mostly by themes and by era. All of the en­ sembles were created between the early 1970s and2010. The variety in clothing is vast—some outfits were heavily influenced by the grunge look of the ‘90s, while others were

designed to look like the nude body. Some ensembles resembled dominatrix attire, others looked like they came from3,000 years in the future. Despite any hint of reference in his designs, Gaultier has always created something brand new in his work.

It is this incredible range of inspira­ tion and imagination that has come to define Gaultier since his earliest days as adesigner. He draws fromso many places, andyet always manag­ es to make every article of clothing his own, be it in the way it’s cut or

the way it’s styled. Apart fromthe clothing, the ex­ hibit features many sketches, photo­ graphs, and art pieces which feature or were inspired by Gaultier’s work. Notably, the exhibit includes fash­ ion photographs featuring the likes of Kate Moss, and others taken by famed photographers Mario Testino and David LaChapelle, to name a few. Adding to the experience are clips from films, television pro­ grams, and Gaultier’s own shows. Most anyone will appreciate see­ ing Madonna’s infamous cone bra (which Gaultier designed) and foot­ age of her walking his runway. Much of the clothing is accom­ panied by short summaries, includ­ ing information on the runway show that featuredtheoutfit andthe length of time each article of clothing took tomake. Needless to say, the approxi­ mately 140 ensembles featured in this one-of-a-kind showing are as­ tonishingly ornate and avant-garde, guaranteed to thrill any fashion lover. However, even those who aren’t longtime fans of Gaultier’s work or the fashion world will find this exhibit a fun trip through one man’s exhilarating career.

M U S IC

Jeff Mangum breaks the silence N e u t r a l M il k H o t e l f r o n t m a n r e t u r n s t o T o r o n t o a f t e r d e c a d e - l o n g a b s e n c e By Ryan Taylor

A&E Editor

“There’s some bullshit ideathat we’re not gonna sing along to my songs, like why the fuck’d 1 write themthen, anyway?” So spoke Jeff Mangum, lead­ er of influential ‘90s band Neu­ tral Milk Hotel, trying to coax the hushed and sold-out audience at Toronto’s Trinity St. Paul’s to join in on “Two-Headed Boy Pt. Two,” the closing track of his band’s 1998 masterpiece—and final album— In the A eroplane O ver the Sea. Mang­ umdisbandedNMH shortly after the success of Aeroplane and became a musical recluse, avoiding the stage and spotlight for close to ten years, save for some guest appearances and one-off performances, until his recently announced and unexpected tour. Knowing this, it’s completely understandable that there was ini­ tial hesitation to take Mangum up on his offer. After all, when people have beenwaiting, quite literally, for

years to hear songs many thought they never would, they want tohear them. But Mangum was insistent, commanding that the crowd “fuck­ ing sing!”beforetheendofthe song. And fromthenon, sing they did: fill­ inginthehornparts on“King ofCar­ rot Flowers Pts. Two & Three” and “Song Against Sex,” holding a note as “Naomi” transitioned to “April 8th,” gettingin onthe “1234” countoff to “Holland, 1945,” and lending their voices to everything else. The “Church of Mangum” symbolism wasn’tlost ontheaudience, but what one would’veexpectedtobearever­ ent, dignified gig instead became a convivial, campfire singalong. As farasthequalityofthemusic, Mangumcertainly didn’t sound like he’d been inactive for close to a de­ cade. His voice was clear and more powerful than on record, no doubt aidedby thepristine acoustics of the venue, and when he hit those high, sustained notes, especially on “Oh Comely,” the results were shiverinducing. Former NMH contributors Scott Spillane and Laura Carter also

appeared occasionally to fill out the sound on flugelhomandclarinet, re­ spectively. Throughout the show, Mangum appeared set on breaking down the audience/performer barrier. For such an enigmatic musician, he was relaxed, upbeat, and seemed gener­ ally happy to be playing the songs somany knowand love tothose that knowandlovethem. There was even an impromptu interview session where Mangumopened up the floor to questions from the audience and confirmed that he had gone through periods of writing, but won’t put anything out unless his heart is in it. While his motivations for re­ turningtothestageremainunknown, to try and draw bigger conclusions about what this means for the future would be to miss the point entirely. Mangum said it matter of factly at the beginning'of the show: “We’re together now.”And he couldn’thave been moreright. The evening wasn’t about him. It was about us. (amoeba.com)

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FL-AHFT OF Tt\£ A FF5

h a f fy fo tyff I’m not sure which part of the highly anticipated H arry Potter and the D eath H allow s: P a rt II was worse: Voldemort’s laugh, or the fact that there was more laughing in the theatre during the “protagonistsare-dying” scenes than proper sob­ bing. While the first half of the film delivers a well-rendered account of the novel’s later scenes, the Hogwarts battle was terribly executed. Perhaps Judd Apatow was secretly given thereins. That’s the only plau­ sible explanation I can find for the decision to make the darkest wizard of all time give Draco an awkward bro hug in the middle of the most legendary intra-wizard combat in magical history. Perhaps this is actually the root of the problem: Voldemort’s char­ acter was diluted to the point that he could be laughed at and easily confronted. The cool, controlled, transcendentally evil character suc­ cumbed to what looked like severe menstrual cramps every time a Horcrux was destroyed and then burst into calcified confetti in an anticli­

Curiosity Delivers - mcgilltribune.com

mactic finale. This preference for asinine entertainment over meaning was far too common. The Platform 93/4 scène was acceptable aesthetically, but the dialogue was banal and too affectedly enigmatic to be of any significance. Voldemort’s death was preceded by predictably cliché lines instead of a call for remorse. Dumbledore’s background story was nixed. Disappointing, but thank god they nailed the looking-off-into-themisty-distance shot.... twice. The one kernel of salvation was Alan Rickman’s emotional and sensitive performance as Severus Snape, a welcome act consider­ ing his rather dispassionate role throughout the series. Yet it too was quickly mocked by the movie’s vi­ sion of a weird and creepy young Snape, a perverted homage to this most complex and courageous of Rowlings’ characters. — M organe Ciot

Director Rupert Wyatt rebuilt the Planet of the Apes series entire­ ly fromscratch, making the original series and a one-off Mark Wahlberg remakeentirelynon-canon. The first movie in a planned reboot series, Rise o f the P lanet o f the Apes intro­ duces the ape Caesar, whose height­ ened cognition is the byproduct of a scientific experiment gone awry. Caesar’s self-awareness presents him with a difficult decision: ac­ cept his minor role in a world that is dominated by man, or recruit other apes tojoin himin insurrection. Not surprisngly, he picks the latter. In this fight between man and ape, both sides have their share of the usual good and bad guys, but with ambiguous motives. Do these apes want to conquer all mankind, or dothey just want tobe free from enslavement? The storyline is plau­

sible as far as sci-fi action mov­ ies go, and James Franco delivers a compassionate performance as Will, the doctor who raises Caesar. Anyone who has seen the original A pes movies can expect the obliga­ tory references toCharlton Heston’s role as Taylor and a few subtle plot devices that tie in elements of the original series.

The pace of Rise o f the Planet isn’t rushed. The film tells only the beginning of a story that should require many sequels to fully explain. It considers itself Hol­ lywood’s next blockbuster action se­ ries, and postures itself accordingly. o f the Apes

— N icholas Petrillo

G FA lY , 5TÜFIP, LOYF The romcomhas morphed into a formulaic genre so rife with wellworn clichés that there’s often little roomfor creativity, honesty, or gen­ uine laughs. Crazy Stupid Love isn’t an entirely new story, but its clever script and a believable cast set it apart fromthe pack. Ryan Gosling plays Jacob, a dapper Casanova trying to help co-star Steve Carell’s hapless Cal through a physical and mental makeover in the hopes of rediscov­ ering and renewing his manliness after Cal’s wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), cheats on him with a co­ worker (Kevin Bacon). It’s Jacob’s relationship with Cal that truly sets the tone for the movie as the two men strike up an unlikely friend­ ship. each learning about himself fromthe other. It should be noted that the sup­ porting cast is as equally talented as the headliners. Emma Stone as a potential love interest for Gosling’s eternal bachelor and Cal’s young

son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) as a hope­ less romantic with a crush on his babysitter turn in impressive perfor­ mances and both Robbie’s babysit­ ter (Analeigh Tipton) and Cal’s first post-divorce fling, Kate (Marisa Tomei), are entertaining. Beyond the talented cast, the

film has a lot of laughs, a few sur­ prising twists, and fully realized characters going through extremely relatable experiences. This film is onethat’s actually worththeprice of admission. —Liya A dessky (moviemarketingmadness..com)

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

COtiCtRT

K ÉV 1ÉW 3 Colin Stetson

NXNE Backforits 17thyear, thean­ nual North by Northeast (NXNE) festival and conference brought over 600 bands to Toronto over thecourse of five swelteringdays in June. One of the most anticipated shows wasToronto’sownFucked Up playing a free show at Yonge and Dundas Square, a large pub­ lic space smackdabin themiddle of the city. Not a minute into the first song, singer Damian Abra­ hamwas over thebarrier andinto the sea of pulsating bodies at the front of the stage. It’s a common occurrence at most of their con­ certs, but it didn’t translate par­ ticularly well toan outdoor show with thousands of attendees. Abraham was barely audible, hardly visible, and the throng of photographers standing on the barrier documentingtheproceed­ ings meant you couldn’teven see the rest of the band on stage. It could’ve been the performance of the festival, but the spectacle got in the way of the music. The Thursday night lineup at the Horseshoe Tavern was par­ ticularly strong, featuring a slew

of up-and-coming Canadian acts. Montreal’s Suuns had the crowd moving themost with their brand of minimalist, dark, intense rock, while No Joy operated under the “less talk, more rock” principle, launching into their set without an introduction, forgoing ban­ ter, and leaving without a word. Usually the failure to acknowl­ edge an audience works against a band, but when you play the hazey, shoegaze music No Joy does, it becomes part of the aes­ thetic. The music did the talking anyway. Elsewhere, ChadVanGaalen playedagloriously sloppysetfea­ turing tracks fromhis newalbum D iaper Island. Even though the band made up the set list as they went along, fumbled through opening chords of less familiar songs, and went well over the al­ lotted 40-minute set length, the crowd ate up every minute of it. And who can blame them? The new songs are some of his stron­ gest yet andtherarity of his tours helped with the goodwill. — Ryan Taylor

Unless you’re deep into ex­ perimental and avant-garde saxo­ phone, chances are you’ve never heardanyoneplay quitelikeMich­ igan-born, Montreal-based Colin Stetson. Between using circular breathing (simultaneously breath­ ing in through the nose and out through the mouth in order play continuously), the keys as percus­ sion, and singing into his horn via a mic attached to his neck, often all at once, the amount of sound the man gets out of the instrument is astounding.

It becomes only moreimpres­ sive live when you see the sheer amount of physical exertion it takes to bring these pieces to life. Last Friday at II Motore, Stetson was red in the face and grimacing after every mini-marathon songof technical wizardry. Make no mistake, as much as the songs dazzled on a scholarly level, he hit a rare (and welcome) balance where his fantastically creativecompositions alsoworked emotionally.

(David Irwin / McGill Tribune)

— R yan Taylor

The Pack a.d. West-coast duo The Pack a.d. revisited Montreal this past sum­ mer with a powerful June 10 per­ formance at Le Divan Orange. Guitarist and main vocalist Becky Black is disarmingly slight in person, given that the androgy­ nous power of her voice captured on disc creates the impression of a giant. But she proved the authen­ ticity of her sound in the flesh, and then some, with equal parts lung capacity and forcefully unpreten­ tious riff-wrangling. Maya Miller set the tempo between tracks and during them. To say her drumming was on-point is to downplay the precision with which she manipulated her kit. As MC, she kept the tempo upbeat, electing toskip manyof theslower songs on the set list to keep things lively.

The only drag was the stub­ bornly standstill audience. Only near the finale, when the air was seasoned with the smell of whis­ key from spilled shots, did The Pack get some of the hoots and moving feet they deserved. A pity, since they’d played some of their best danceable tracks—“1880” and “Cobra Matte”—at the very beginning of their set. The set list was a solid mix of songs from their second and third albums, F uneral M ixtape and we kill com puters, with a gen­ erous helping of preview tracks from their forthcoming thirteentrack album, Unpersons. Two new tracks, “Ride” and “8,” rounded out the evening and gave a hint toward The Pack a.d.’s new musi­ cal direction—more frenetic, more• aggressive, more lightning for the

extremities and a big invitation to thrash. This brand of grungy bluesrock caneasily unravel without the acoustics and multiple takes of a recording studio, but The Pack a.d. delivered a polished performance. — M arri Knadle

(style.ritzgirl.com)

C D R E V IEW

Ja y -Z a n d

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K an ye W e st: W a tch th e T h ro n e

By Nicholas Petrillo___________________

Contributor

Released exclusively online onAug. 8, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne embraces a grow­ ing trend in the music industry that prioritizes digital music over the aging CD. With this release comes an albumthat, according tothe duo, will bring commercial and critical legitimacy to another game-chang­ ing movement they call “luxury rap.” A typical gripe with rap music is its obsession with all things super rich, but these two know how to make this sort of arrogance sound endearing. Jay-Z and Yeezy will tell you how many foreign watch, car,

and clothing companies they throw money at, but you can’t hate them for it. However, maybe if these two weren’t soconcernedwith their crit­ ical reputations, they would have released an album filled entirely with instantly gratifying songs like “Otis,” “Who Gon Stop Me,” and “Illest Motherfucker Alive.” The heavier stuff (“Murder to Excel­ lence,” “Made in America”) makes the album drag at times, and the tracks sound as if they were con­ ceived with only halfhearted seri­ ousness. Watch The Throne has a few quirks, including dialogue snippets fromBlades o f G lory, asample from the Chariots o f Fire soundtrack, and a cartoony-sounding coda that in­

frequently creeps its way between a few tracks. Though not all the beats may be radio-friendly or loaded withcatchy hooks, Jay-Z andKanye made an album that continues to demonstrate the duo’s irresistible stylishness.

Curiosity Delivers - mcgilltribune.com

20

TV Game of Thrones Amidst all themadness oflate spring sea­ son finales, television addicts like myself were treated to an unexpected surprise in HBO’s newest show G am e o f Thrones. Based on a critically acclaimed series of fantasy novels by author and screenwriter George R.R. Mar­ tin, G am e o f Thrones has been highly antici­ pated since the early stages of its production. It doesn’t disappoint; producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss put immense effort into re-creatingMartin’s intricate fantasy world on screen. The show takes place in the kingdomof Westeros, where a vicious war of subterfuge for control of the throne is taking place. But while Martin’s world bears many similarities to our own—the plot draws inspiration from the historic War of the Roses in 15th-century England—it also involves a number of super­ natural elements. In the first episode we are given a glimpse of the mysterious Others,

creatures who live in the forests of the north behind the Wall, a massive edifice of ice built on the border of Westeros. Even with these kinds of twists, it is the characters that drive the show. The protago­ nists are divided between two of Westeros’ warring noble houses, the Starks and the Lannisters. The murderous conflict between the two families prompted Benioff to describe the show as “The Sopranos in Middle-Earth.” Sean Bean (The Lord o f the Rings) leads the cast as Lord Eddard Stark, who manages to be both sympathetic and infuriating in his na­ ïveté. Set against him are twins Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and their dwarf brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), who steals the show at times with his easy wit and wry delivery. —A lexander H am ilton

jsickchups^com^

(wallpapergravity.com)

Entourage After the previous season ended with the arrest of Hollywood hunk Vincent Chase for possession of cocaine, E ntou­ rage viewers were left awaiting the fate of their protagonist in what was announced as the final season of the HBO series. One would think the final hurrah for the inside story of Hollywood’s A-List would be its most memorable, however, what we got is something that doesn’t even resemble En­ tourage’s previous vein of storytelling. What has kept viewers tuning in since the show’s debut in 2003 is the friendship of Vinny, E, Turtle, andDrama—fromtheir early years in Queens, NY, totheir conquest of the Hollywood Hills. Their strong bond, coupled with the cutthroat antics of uberagent Ari Gold, his assistant, Lloyd, and a slew of laugh-out-loud characters was the theme towhich viewers could relate. With the end near, this bond should be as solid as ever, but it’s not. Together they got through Vince losing movies, Turtle’s

oo

failing business attempts, E’s heartbreaks, and Drama’s failed acting career. However, with only a handful of episodes remain­ ing, the boys are more divided than ever. Character arcs are increasingly separate storylines, interactions are strained, and tension is high. Every character faces un­ certainty, with problems ranging from so­ briety, tocareer troubles, tofailing personal relationships. The show creators throw a wet blanket on the audacity that made char­ acters’ antics charming andengaging. They even manage to smother the always-enter­ tainingAri with a downer storyline. It’s a mystery how the show’s many loose ends and meandering storylines will be tied up as the season draws to a close. However, as shown time and time again throughout the series, everyone loves a comeback. Hopefully the showfollows suit and manages to go out with a bang, not a fizzle. —K elly M alfara

Curb Your Enthusiasm Any native New Yorker or avid fan of Borscht Belt humour should know that Larry David is back in town. Does it really matter that Curb Your E nthusiasm 's return from a two-year hiatus features episodes shot in Larry David’s native environment? Of course not. If S einfeld was shot almost exclusively in Los Angeles then we can all agree that Curb has captured the neck-toneck social anxieties of NewYork. Like the slewof guest stars introduced eachseason,includingRickyGervais,Rosie O’Donnell, and Michael J. Fox, New York is not only another character, but a shame­ less marketing ploy. But even if the show has become formulaic, C urb’s improvised scenes and socially conscious episodes are still some of the freshest and most dynamic on TV. As the ads suggest, “Same Larry, NewYork.” Larry carries social situations to the bitter end (we’re all relieved he’s finally

given up on ex-wife Cheryl) and carries his jokes even further. Like Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm elevates mindless issues into the center of their fictional world. There’s a reason Curb has stuck around for eight seasons (and 11 years), andit isn’tthe loads of money we all assume Larry has. Curb treats sensitive issues with outrageous humour. The season (andlikely the show’s) greatest achievement is the third episode, “The Palestinian Chicken.” In the episode, the recent Lower Manhattan Mosque con­ troversy is mirrored by a controversy over the opening of apopular Palestinian Chick­ en restaurant next to Greenblatt’s Delica­ tessen in L.A. Not only is the story timely andwell rounded, but the scenes with Larry and his friends, who largely improvise the material, are off-the-cuff andfresh. When Larry David sticks tohis shtick, the results are pretty, pretty good. —M atthew H erzfeld

-------------------------- S p o r t s -----------------------BASKETBALL— M C G IL L 78 , N IA G A R A 71

McGill wins second straight over NCAA Div-I opponent R e n a u d - T r e m b l a y l e a d s t h e w a y w it h 2 0 p o i n t s , 11 r e b o u n d s a s R e d m e n b e a t P u r p l e E a g l e s By Trevor Drummond

Contributor

The McGill Redmen defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles 78-71 on Saturday evening, improving their record to 2-4 against NCAA Divi­ sion I opponents this pre-season. This is the first time the Redmen have posted consecutive victories against American teams in seven years spent competing against teams fromsouth of the border. The Redmen’s biggest strength in the victory was their ability to spread the ball around, as four play­ ers reached double digits in points on the evening. Tristan RenaudTremblay, a second-year forward fromMontreal, led the charge onhis way toa 20-point night. HeadCoach Dave DeAveiro praised RenaudTremblay’s performance, saying, “He’s becoming one of the leaders of this team.” Both teams lookedtentative out of the gate, trading turnovers and missing shots for the better part of two minutes before McGill’s Winn Clark sank the first field goal of the game, sparkinga9-0 Redmen run. In a hole early, Niagara crawled back into the game and ended the first quarter trailing byjust two points. In the second quarter, the Redmen and Purple Eagles tradedleads five times

in the first five minutes. At the fiveminute mark, with McGill up by three, second-year guard Karim SyMorissette had a steal and a bucket followed by another two from the foul line on the next possession, stretching the lead to seven points. The back-to-back plays by the sec­ ond-year guardgave McGill the mo­ mentum heading into halftime with a 37-31 lead. The Redmen took over in the third quarter, outscoring Niagara 21-9. While DeAveiro was pleased with what he saw fromhis team on the night, the Niagara Head Coach Joe Mihalich didn’t hide his frustra­ tion. With 3:36 to go in the third, he blew up at officials after a string of questionable calls in McGill’s fa­ vour. Simon Bibeau, who had 15 points on the night, made both free throws that resulted fromthe techni­ cal, capping a 14-4 run for the Red­ men. McGill took a 58-40 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away even further. With the score 61-40, Renaud-Tremblay had his best play of the game, passing the ball through two Niagara defenders to teammate Vincent Dufort for an easy layup. After calling atimeoutto regroup, the Purple Eagles came out much more aggressively. Niagara began playing a full-court press and

Renaud-Tremblay (pictured) had a breakout game with a double-double. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)

startedhitting their three-point shots as they cut the deficit to four points with just under two minutes to play. With 58 seconds remaining and a six-point Redmen lead, Niagara was once again the victim of question­ able officiating as a foul call allowed McGill totake the ball theother way and stretch the lead to eight, taking

away any hopes of a comeback. Though Niagara would likely point totheone-sidedofficiating, the true story of the game was McGill’s dominance down low. The Redmen outscored the Purple Eagles 44-26 in the paint andout-rebounded them 41-33, leading to 16 second-chance points.

“All thecredit goes tothekids,” said DeAveiro after the game. “The guys are a pretty happy bunch right now and they’ve seen what their hard work can achieve.” The Red­ men will have sometimeofftofocus on academics before resuming their pre-season schedule October 14 at Dalhousie.

T H IR D M A X IX S u m m e r 2o n : W h en s p o rts s p u n o u t o f c o n tro l

Two years ago I spent months engaged in a heated debate about why I love sports. “You should be doing something more important and worrying about the many prob­ lems facing the world today,” ar­ gued my friend. I responded by say­ ing that sports are a way to escape the trials anddisappointments of ev­ eryday life, a way tocompletely im­ merse oneself in an alternate reality. This summer, however, many have foundsports far tooreal andhave al­ lowed their social escapism to leak out of the gates of the stadium into general society where their actions have become nothing more than so­ cial deviance. In 1994, when the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final tothe NewYork Rangers, Vancouverites took to the streets, rioting and causing an estimated $1.1 million indamages tothecity’s

beautiful downtown core. This year, with much of Canada behind them hoping for a Canadian teamtobring home the Cup, Canucks fans and general hooligans embarrassed their city and country again by rioting after a Game 7 defeat. The riot— which caused $5 million in prop­ erty damage—had Vancouver on the news alongside Cairo, Tripoli, and Damascus where citizens have been fighting for freedom from the iron grip of dictatorship. We torched police cars and broke windows after a hockey game. We should be ashamed. Perhaps we should have ex­ pected violence from hockey fans as these are the same people (and I amno saint in this regard) who rise uptocheer when two players decide todrop the gloves and begin tomer­ cilessly deliver blow after blow to each other’s faces with bare knuck­ les. I once attended a hockey game with a man from Brazil who was astounded that the winning fighter’s teamgot no extra goal or advantage but thatthefight wasjust asideshow. The cheers for fights may be muted

this season, as the summer has seen the deaths of three of the NHL’s pre­ eminent enforcers. Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak all threw their skulls on the line every night while fans cheered for blood and treated themlike Roman gladi­ ators. Regardless of whether their depression and other mental health issues were caused by fighting, or if the men fought because of these issues, we as fans need to ask our­ selves: When do we turn off the TV? Embarrassing violence is not confined to Canada and hockey alone. The end of the summer showed us that it is alive and well south of the border. One would think that Bay Area fans would have learnedfromthestory ofBrian Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten in the stands by Los Angeles baseball fans at the Dodgers’ home opener. Stow, beaten to the point where he needed to be placed in an induced coma due to brain swelling, did nothing but wear the wrong hat in the wrong place. This grisly act was replicated after

an August NFL pre-season game at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park when a man wearing a shirt that al­ legedly said “Fuck the ‘Niners” was shot in the parking lot. The shooting followed an unconnected brawl in the stands where 49ers fans battled Oakland Raiders fans as surround­ ing fans cheered themon. When we have come to a point where attend­ ing games is dangerous and parents are afraid tobring their children, we must ask ourselves whether this is all truly worth it. Concussions in hockey have left star players like Sidney Crosby and Marc Savard unable to skate, colleges have allowed football players at schools like Miami to be showered withbenefits like strippers and prostitutes, and disagreements between billionaire owners and mil­ lionaire players over money has left us wondering whether there will be an NBA season this year. But the summer was not a complete descent into sports-fueled anarchy. Last month, as riots raged andbuildings burned across London and other English cities, fans of a

second division soccer team, Millwall FC, banded together to defend London. Commonly known as “the most hated team in Britain,” Millwall supporters have a reputation for hooliganism and frequently sing “No one likes us, we don’t care.” Though Millwall fans are by no means posterchildren for orderlybe­ haviour at sportingevents, they were able tocheck their allegiances at the door when their city and society was under attack by other hooligans. Stateside, ten years after 9/11, base­ ball fans across the United States can remember how sport brought a nation together during its darkest hour. Let’s not continue down aroad where a sporting event can be such a low point. Rather, let’s clean up the pastimes we love so dearly. The road will be tough, bùt if sports are to remain a haven fromthe chaos of everyday life, it is our duty toreturn tocivility. — A dam Sadinsky

2 2 ----LA C R O SSE— M C G IL L i 8 , C O N C O R D IA

Curiosity Delivers, www.mcgilltribune.com

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McGill trounces rival Concordia in pre-season lacrosse T e a m e ffo rt c r i t i c a l in l a n d s l i d e v i c t o r y By Eric Frydrych

Contributor

As the sun rose on a new McGill lacrosse season, the Redmen confirmed what froshies learned all weekend: It’s better to be a Redman than a Bumblebee. A stunning 18-4 rout of their cross-town rivals sig­ naled that McGill has reloaded and is gunning for glory inthe upcoming season. The Redmen closed out their four-gamepre-seasonslateonThurs­ day night by embarrassing the Con­ cordia Stingers at Molson Stadium. The lopsided score was the product of asolid teameffort that sawcontri­ butions fromthe entire lineup. Head Coach Timothy Murdoch usedtheteam’s last pre-seasongame as a chance to spread out playing time and give his entire roster valu­ able on-field experience. As a result, the McGill sideline seemedlike are­ volving door at times, sending fresh faces onto the field throughout the game. “We’re young, we’re deep, and we’re hopeful that we can go really far this year,” Murdoch said, reflect­ ing his optimismgoing into the new season.

Ross Burst (pictured) contributed five goals and two assists to Thursday’s win. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)

The game was a tune-upfor the 37 men who will make up the Red­ men squad this year; a group that emerged from the 50 who started training camp. Coach Murdoch’s inclusive gameplan revealed the immense depth of the squad. Re­ gardless of who was on the field, McGill’s skill easily outclassed the Stingers from start to finish. Con­ cordia only managedone goal in the second half.

While the Redmen’s perfor­ mance against Concordia was a teameffort, several players were key tothe outcome of the game. Secondyear attacker Ross Burst from St. Louis, Missouri had an impressive performance, which may point to a breakout year for him. Burst helped McGill establish control over the pace of thegame fromanearly point by scoringahat trick inthefirst quar­ ter, and finished with five goals and

two assists on the night. Murdoch was also particularly pleased with his team’s success inthe face-offcir­ cle, as the face-off crew highlighted by Brandon McLean, J.J. Miller and Jordan Sanford combined to win 90 per cent of the draws on their way to dominating ball possession. The Redmen will once again rely on co­ captain Jishan Sharpies of Vancou­ ver. Sharpies potted two goals and last season’s second-leading scorer

Bringing Home the Hardware: MLB Awards By Jonathan Rosenbluth_____________

With the end o f the baseball season near, m any o f the p la y o ff races have already been w rapped up, and i t ’s now time to turn to the m ajor awards and evaluate who the fr o n t runners are fo r the M V P and Cy Young, and i f the season were to end today, who should be going home with the hardware.

AL Cy Young Award: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers Runner Up: Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels ofAnaheim The extent ofVerlander’s dom­ inance this season is exemplified by his inclusion in theAL MVP debate. He leads the league in strikeouts, WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), innings pitched, wins, and is second in ERA. With 21 wins al­ ready, Verlander is enjoying his best season in the majors. His no-hitter against the Blue Jays in May was the cherry ontopof what will likely be a unanimous vote for the AL Cy Young.

SCOREBOARD (Scores since Aug. 12)

M LB

Contributor

Ryan Besse of Aurora, Ontario con­ tributed two assists. Thursday night’s game was a clear indicator of the buzz surround­ ing this team to start the season. The game drew a surprisingly large crowd that continued to grow well after the game had started. Coach Murdoch noted that there will be a lot of reason for optimism this sea­ son. “The reality is we want to win a national championship,” the coach said. “We’re really not happy with anything but that ... we think we’ve got something special going on.” All of this suggests that the Redmen have grown over the sum­ mer after a 5-4 campaign last year that ended in a first round playoff ouster. The development process will only be aided by the strong recruiting class joining the team in 2011. The new-look Redmen have swagger that makes them a teamto be watched by the McGill faithful this fall. McGill starts its CUFLA season Saturday on the road with a fixture against the University of To­ ronto.

NL Cy Young Award: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies Runner Up: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

AL MVP Award: Jose Bau­ tista, Toronto Blue Jays Runner Up: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

NL MVP: Justin Upton, Ari­ zona Diamondbacks Runner Up: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

After crossing over from the American League last season, Hal­ laday dominated hitters to the tune of his second career Cy Young Award. This season has been no different for “Doc,” as he has been the most complete pitcher in the NL. He currently sits third in wins, ERA, innings pitched, and strike­ outs. Clayton Kershaw challenges the leader of the Phillies pitching staff for this award, as his stats are nearly identical in many areas. Hal­ laday, however, plays home games in a hitter friendly park while Ker­ shaw plays in the pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. A telling statistic that puts Halladay’sbidforback-toback Cy YoungAwards over thetop is WAR, or Wins Above Replace­ ment. Halladay’s 7.2 score means that his presence in the lineup con­ tributed 7.2 more wins to his team than a AAA or bench player would have. Kershaw’s WAR is an excel­ lent, but lower, 5.8.

As much as this vote will come down to performance on the field, it will also hinge on voting philoso­ phy. The two candidates, Bautista and Verlander, each have a major knock on their resume. Bautista’s Blue Jays are a .500 ball club and are not in the playoff hunt, while Verlander, a starting pitcher, plays only once every five days. The last pitcher to win an MVP award was Dennis Eckersley, a closer, in 1992. Bautista’s stats speak for themselves, however, as he leads the league in home runs, slugging percentage and on base percentage. The most feared hitter in baseball this season, Bautista has carried the Blue Jays offence and boasts an MLB-best WAR of 8.0, compared to Verlander’s 6.4. Bautista would be the Jays’ first MVP since George Bell took home the award in 1987, proof of the masterful job done by GM Alex Anthoplous in Toronto.

The NL MVPrace is evenmore complicated than the AL race. Roy Halladay leads the NL in WAR, but as in Verlander’s case he is a starting pitcher. Matt Kemp leads NL posi­ tion players in WAR, but the Dodg­ ers have beenout ofthe playoff hunt since May. Justin Upton has led his teamto a five game lead in the NL West but his stats are slightly worse thanthose of other MVPcandidates. There is great value, however, in playing for a contender and leading your team to the playoffs. On the Brewers, one could argue for either Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder as the team MVP, the Phillies boast a his­ torically talented and deep rotation, and Kemp simply plays for a losing team. Arizona relies on Upton, and he has delivered, already, with over 25 home runs, and over 20 stolen bases. He is a five-tool player, and his ability tohurt you atthe plate, on the base paths and to make plays in the field puts himover the top.

REDMEN BASKETBALL “^Illinois State - L 66-90 ♦Central Florida - L 58-100 *Akron - L 57-85 *Albany - L 58-93 ♦New Hampshire - W77-74 ♦Niagara - W 78-71 REDMEN SOCCER *@ Southern NH - T 1-1 *@ Boston U - L 0-2 ♦Queen’s - W4-1 ♦Cape Breton - L 0-3 *@Middlebury - L 0-2 MARTLET SOCCER ♦@Vermont - L 0-4 ♦Fraser Valley - L 1-2 ♦Cape Breton - W 3-0 *@ Trinity. Western - L 2-3 *@ Victoria - T 1-1 MARTLETS FIELD HOCKEY ♦Queen’s - W4-0 ♦UPEI - W 1-0 ♦Western - T 1-1 REDMEN FOOTBALL @ Montreal - L 13-24 REDMEN LACROSSE Concordia - W 18-4 ♦Denotes Pre-season

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

FANTASY FO O TBALL

T h e sta rt o f th e fa n ta sy footb all s e a s o n ... and sch o o l S ta c k y o u r te a m — a n d y o u r s c h e d u le — w ith By Adam Taras Contributor

As the relaxing summer comes to an end and the school year at McGill begins, a wave of respon­ sibility hits students solidly in the face. I almost feel bad that while my friends are devoting their time to making sure they picked the right classes, I devote it to picking Fantasy Football players. Yet I’ve started to wonder, are they really so different? They both require you to determine what you need (choosing electives is a lot like picking bench players), seek advice from friends, go to the first few classes or do mock drafts, read every piece of information out there on ratemyprofessors.com or ESPN, scream at the computer when Minerva or the online draft fails, and, most importantly, both are crm cial to making your season or semes­ ter enjoyable. For those of you who also enjoy the game of Fantasy Foot­ ball during a jam-packed start to the school year, here’s some advice.

The Safe Picks These are the guys that have time and again proven that they’re solid. They’re mentioned so many

times among the league’s elite that it may even seem boring to choose them. “Maybe I should take the rookie or the exciting new star,” you think to yourself. Resist this urge. Take the safe player with con­ fidence, as he will be the (figurative) leader of your team. Adrian Peterson, RB Vikings: Some might push to draft Arian Fos­ ter first overall, but he just doesn’t have the same body of work to look back on as Peterson, who has rushed for over 1250 yards and over 10 TDs every year he’s been in the league. While Foster put up amazing num­ bers last year, he only rushed for 0.3 yards more per carry (4.9 to 4.6) than Peterson, and Foster is likely to get fewer carries this year with a healthy Ben Tate in the fold. Be safe and take Peterson at number one. Tom Brady, QB Patriots: He may not be the flashiest of the top QBs, but he finished as the league’s MVP last year even without a down1 field-presence in Randy Moss. With a receiving corps highlighted by Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and new Belichick disciple Chad Ochocinco and supported by breakout tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Brady is about as safe as

s a f e p ic k s , b u s ts , a n d

you’re going to get. Steven Jackson, RB Rams: While he is definitely no longer in his prime, he’s a workhorse, aver­ aging 21 carries per game over the past five years, and there’s no reason to think that this won’t continue. In a league in which it’s hard to find a reasonably priced back with no time-share, Jackson is a safe pick, although there are other running backs with higher value.

The Busts There are some players that you’ve heard are just way too good to be true. Maybe they’ll even have an impressive few games or a high­ light of the night. Eventually, how­ ever, they’ll fizzle out and you’ll wonder why you took them. Peyton Hillis, RB Browns: While he had an unbelievable start and was the surprise of the 2010-11 season, Hillis averaged only 54.4 yards in his last five games. He’s still unproven and ranked far too highly. This year Montario Hardesty, the Browns’ second round pick last year, will finally be healthy and will likely steal touches as the Browns try to keep Hillis from burning out like he did last year. Finally, Hillis is on the

s le e p e rs

cover of Madden. Do not take the curse lightly. Avoid drafting him. Darren McFadden, RB Raid­ ers: DMC finally showed what he’s capable of last year, but it seems like he’s never at full health, battling turftoe and knee problems. Although he has the potential to be great, it’s not worth the high draft pick that would be needed to get him, or the anxi­ ety that comes from seeing him on the Questionable list almost every week. Joe Flacco, QB Ravens: Peo­ ple often get confused about the dif­ ference between a good quarterback and a good fantasy quarterback. In real terms he led the ravens to a 12-4 record, but in fantasy terms he only had one game in which he threw over 300 yards and shouldn’t be ranked too highly.

The Sleepers Finally, there are the players who no one talks too much about. They may not seem like the coolest choices but they’re undervalued and should be easy to draft. These are the guys you’ll be thanking when you’re the last of your friends standing at the end of the season. Josh Freeman, QB Bucca­

neers: He was an extremely consis­ tent player last year, with a 61.4 per­ cent completion rate and four times as many passes for TDs as INTs. He also finished second only to Michael Vick in rushing yards by a QB with 364. He did all this in only his sec­ ond full season, and seems poised to do even better this year. Malcom Floyd, WR Char­ gers: Yes, Vincent Jackson is back, but Floyd is still a good deep threat and could produce good numbers again. Davone Bess, WR Dolphins: He had 79 receptions last year and is only 25 years old. At his draft spot he could start as a flex, and he has great upside. Instead of stressing about class­ es and profs, spend your time look­ ing for that player who will make the difference between a championship and missing the playoffs. Even if your classes don’t turn out just right, if you have a good fantasy football team you’ll always have something enjoyable to do during them any­ ways. After all, priorities are impor­ tant, and between school and fantasy we all know which comes out on top.

SOCCER

B rig h t fu tu re fo r M a rtle ts, R ed m en B o th t e a m s

lo o k in g to

im p ro v e o n

l a s t s e a s o n ’s p e r f o r m a n c e s Photos by Ryan Reisert, McGill Tribune

By Filippo Furlano Contributor

Building on a pair of Quebec semi-final finishes last year, the Redmen and Martlets will look to chal­ lenge for league honours this season. After a tough pre-season, the Redmen and Martlets both look ready. “It has been a tough pre-season with strong opponents. I felt that last year we were not as hard working de­ spite being talented," Redmen Head Coach David Simon said in an email to the Tribune. “In order to succeed,

everyone will have to put their ego aside and play for the team.” The Redmen’s pre-season was filled with more downs than ups, beginning with a 1-1 draw against NCAA foe Southern New Hamp­ shire. The Redmen then travelled to Boston where they fell 2-0 to the Boston University Terriers. “We need to improve mentally,” Simon said. “We tend to lose our focus at key moments of the game.” Although the results were not great, the tough early tests prepared the team for the Old Four Tour­

nament against long-time rivals Queen’s, Western, and the Univer­ sity of Toronto. McGill was seek­ ing a second consecutive title after a nail biting final triumph against the Golden Gaels last season. The Redmen soundly won their opening match 4-1 against last year’s finalists, but the tournament was cut short and the championship game against Toronto could not be played due to flooding at Molson Stadium from the remnants of Hur­ ricane Irene. McGill followed up the unfinished Old Four tournament with losses against Middlebury and Cape Breton. If McGill is to achieve suc­ cess later this year, they will have to avoid being hit on the counterattack. “We are able to generate dangerous attacking opportunities but are often unable to finish, which in turn makes us more vulnerable defensively,” Simon said. Without more clinical finish­ ing ability, the Redmen could be in danger of giving up quick leads after attacking moves forward. The coach also stressed mental toughness as a key to success. The Redmen will begin their

Quebec season at UQAM on Sep­ tember 11 . On the women’s side, the Mar­ tlets also had a challenging pre-sea­ son. Their first game was in Vermont where they faced the Catamounts, suffering a tough 4-0 loss. This-was followed by a 2-1 loss to Fraser Val­ ley at Molson Stadium. Like the Redmen, the Martlets opened up the Old Four tournament against Queen’s. An intense match saw the McGill women squeak by, 4-3, on penalties. The championship pitted the Martlets and Toronto, but the flood affected this match, leaving

the championship without a winner for the year. After the Old Four Tournament, the women had a strong showing against Cape Breton, cruising by the Capers in a 3-0 rout. The penulti­ mate pre-season game was against Trinity Western—the Martlets lost 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion after going up 2-1 early. The women now travel to British Columbia for train­ ing camp and a pre-season matchup against Victoria before kicking off their regular season at Bishop’s in Lennoxville on Friday night.

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