McGill Tribune Vol. 32 Issue 10

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 10

TRIBUNE THE mcgill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society

curiosity delivers

Female ComPetition P 10 vegetarianism p9

Hurricanes p 13 lacrosse victory p 20

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 Volume No. 32 Issue No. 10

SSMU Council endorses one of two fall referendum questions

Councillors endorse fee increase for McGill Student Emergency Response Team, do not endorse CKUT Radio question

President Josh Redel, councillors, and Vice-President External Robin Reid-Fraser discuss M-SERT and Radio CKUT’s referendum questions. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) Andra Cernavskis Contributor Last Thursday, SSMU Legislative Council passed a motion to endorse a referendum question that would increase the fee levy for the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (M-SERT), but did not endorse a question on Radio CKUT’s fee increase.

Councillors also discussed the four nonbinding motions passed by the Oct. 15 SSMU General Assembly (GA) after losing quorum.

The vote to endorse CKUT’s question—which asks for a $1 increase in its opt-outable fee—fell short of the required majority, with 11 councillors for, 11 against, and

four abstentions.

CKUT is a non-profit campuscommunity radio station based on the McGill campus. According to SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper, an endorsement of CKUT’s referendum question could help raise student awareness of the radio station’s status as a student group.

“I think it’s an important way for Council to help students navigate these confusing bureaucratic channels by lending legitimacy to questions that many students may not understand SSMU’s relevance to,” Cooper later told the Tribune.

Other councillors expressed concern over endorsing CKUT, even though a ‘No’ committee has yet to

be formed for the question.

“Clearly some students feel one way and some feel the other way,” SSMU Vice-President Internal Michael Szpejda said. “So if we are picking one way, I don’t see how we are representing all of our constituents.”

Council decided to pass MSERT’s motion after many councillors expressed their support.

M-SERT is a student-run first aid service that provides emergency response in residences and on campus. M-SERT’s referendum question asks for a $0.50 increase in its fee.

“M-SERT is super important on this campus,” SSMU Clubs and Services Representative Zachary Rosentzveig said. “[The service] lit-

erally saves lives … they do amazing work with very little money.”

President Josh Redel pointed to the fact that M-SERT, unlike CKUT, is a SSMU service rather than an independent student group, and reminded Council that SSMU has a policy stating that clubs and services are the society’s highest priority.

Council also passed two out of four nonbinding GA motions, which were tabled at the last Council meeting due to a lack of clarity in SSMU’s by-laws. The by-laws in question dealt with the online ratification process for GA motions, which SSMU introduced this semester.

While the two motions passed when the GA had quorum went automatically to an online vote, the

by-laws were not clear as to whether Council should treat the four nonbinding motions as GA motions— which are subject to online ratification—or as Council motions.

Redel explained that the Steering Committee decided that the GA motions should be treated as Council motions, with the results deemed binding following a Council vote.

Ratification of motions voted on by Council violate SSMU’s governing documents because Council would then assume the role of the GA. Discussing the GA motions as Council motions allowed the vote to be binding, while including time for debate and amendments if necessary.

See “Council” on p. 2

NEWS Council Continued from cover

“[The] Steering Committee does recommend that Council operate under the direction that the consultative forum took on each motion … but we do welcome and encourage debate on the motions to help make them stronger, more powerful motions from Council,” Redel said.

Council passed the motion regarding SSMU’s support for accessible education and its opposition to the further development of the Canadian oil sands.

Council then tabled a motion regarding its opposition to Canadian military involvement in Iran, and a motion regarding opposition to Plan Nord. Some councillors suggested that a lack of knowledge made them more hesitant to take a stance on issues external to SSMU. “I find it kind of bizarre that we are not provided with external information that is supposed to support these motions,” Arts Representative Nicole Georges said. “The point of our responsibility is to vote on motions that affect the student body as a whole, and yet we are being asked to do this with a tiny bit of knowledge.

This seems to be very irresponsible

and reckless.”

However, Arts Representative Claire Stewart-Kanigan disagreed with Georges’ concerns.

“There is no reason why you cannot go out and do this research yourself,” Stewart-Kanigan said.

“We get these motions ahead of time … That’s your responsibility as a councillor.”

Council also passed a motion about creating a trial run for the Student Advocacy Resource Committee until March 2013. This committee, based on a group formerly known as the Independent Student Advocacy Service, is designed to help SSMU members access information and support to help effect change on campus through advocacy campaigns, research, and co-ordination with elected representatives.

Additionally, Council passed a motion regarding work on the upcoming McGill education summit.

The motion mandates that SSMU will produce a document by the end of the semester after broad consultation with students and faculty student associations on the subject of education.

NEWS

in brief

Costopoulos announced as new dean of students Last Thursday, Provost Anthony Masi announced the appointment of Andre Costopoulos to the position of Dean of Students. Costopoulos’ term will begin Nov. 15, and end June 30, 2016.

Costopoulos will take over for Associate Dean of Students Linda Starkey, who had been serving as the temporary Dean of Students since Aug. 1, 2012.

“The Dean of Students has primary responsibility for protecting student rights, fostering academic integrity, and providing impartial oversight of the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures,” Masi wrote in the MRO announcing Costopoulos’ appointment.

In an interview with the Tribune, Costopoulos—who is currently the associate dean of arts and a professor of anthropology—shared his reasons for applying for the position.

“It wasn’t an easy decision …

but I think it’s something that I need to do right now,” he said. “It’s an important moment in student affairs right now at the university. I think there is a lot of work to do … and, well, I want to facilitate that.”

Costopoulos also outlined the challenges he expects to face in his new role.

“The Dean of Students is part of all the [university] groups in some ways, and has to represent each of them to all the others, [which is a] big challenge,” he said. “And [I will go] from having 7,000 students to worry about, to having [around] 34,000. It’s daunting.”

Costopoulos also addressed the revision of the Code of Student Conduct, as recommended by Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi’s recently published Report on the Open Forum. Costopoulos said he wants to participate in the process as much as possible and stressed the importance of patience in such an undertaking.

“Before you make an actual change to … the Green Book, you want to think very carefully through the potential unintended effects that it [could] have,” he explained.

“That’s the purpose of all these endless committees. [It] all takes time, but that time is not wasted.”

Costopoulos said his goals include enhancing communication between different members of the McGill community and increasing recruitment and retention of Indigenous students and first generation university students.

“There are some obstacles to participation in higher education,” Costopoulos said. “That’s always been a problem that’s [been] important to me, and I want to see what I can do to … maybe remove some of those obstacles, or at least minimize their impact.”

—Bea Britneff

City

Summit on innovative districts takes close look at Griffintown McGill and ÉTS present overview of new research hub Quartier de l’Innovation; launch expected for early 2013 Carolina Millán Ronchetti Managing Editor On Oct. 30, the second Montreal Summit on Innovation, provided an opportunity for McGill and the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) to present the Quartier de l’Innovation (QI) project to experts on innovative districts.

The QI is a joint venture between McGill and ÉTS, an engineering school in Montreal that plans to spearhead development in Montreal’s Griffintown district. According to Vice-Principal (External Relations) Olivier Marcil, the project aims to merge “social and technological innovation with entrepreneurship” in an environment that promotes interaction and innovation between McGill and ÉTS researchers, private businesses, and artists.

The QI Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) Rose Goldstein first announced the QI initiative to the McGill community during the February session of Senate, the highest academic body at the university. According to Marcil, McGill and ÉTS hope to launch the project in early 2013.

“A massive restructuring is already under way, with $2.5 billion already invested and commitment of up to $6 billion over the next 10 years,” Marcil said. “Our aim for the QI is to build on this momentum, together with the stakeholders, to create a district that celebrates social innovation, as well as diversity in the arts, culture, and ideas.”

Marcil noted that the QI is a long-term project. It will be fully operational in about 10 years.

To date, the project has received support from all three levels of government, which together contributed up to $1 million to research the feasibility of the project. McGill and ÉTS also received an additional federal grant of $25 million that will go towards research on second generation biofuels—fuels that do not compete with agricultural commodities such as corn.

“Our goal is to develop the knowledge, tools, and programs so that in the next 10 to 20 years, 25 per cent of fuels in the country are composed of biofuels,” he said.

Role of the City of Montreal The City of Montreal is playing a major role in the development of infrastructure in Griffintown.

On Oct. 18, the City of Montreal launched a special urban planning program (PPU) for the district, including a pledge to spend $93 million in infrastructure over the next four years. The urban plan also includes the creation of six new public green spaces and a “Cultural Corridor” on Ottawa Street.

Though the announcement comes months after the QI idea was proposed, François Goneau, director of communications for the City of Montreal, told the Tribune that the City’s plan to invest in the area was not directly related to the QI project.

“Planned investments in the sector are above all related to obligations of the City to establish in Griffintown the conditions that will make the environment one of high quality,” Goneau said in French. “It must be remembered that the urban plan adopted in 2004 identified the area of Griffintown as a detailed planning area—the mixed use of urban spaces and the importance of residential use as an engine of revitalization were clearly announced.”

Consultation and criticisms As Griffintown is a low-income neighbourhood, one of the major concerns surrounding the project is

Panelists discuss the project. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) that the real estate development will lead to gentrification in the district of the South-West borough.

Marcil explained that McGill and ÉTS created a liaison group that aims to mitigate the effects of real estate development in the area.

The 20-person group is composed of citizen representatives, real estate developers, and members of McGill, ÉTS, the City of Montreal, and the borough.

“In addition to consultation with community members, the QI plan currently aims to have at least 15 to 20 per cent of low-income apartments to avoid gentrification,” Yves Beauchamp, CEO of ÉTS, said.

“Already in that area, there is a population of artists, and we don’t want them to leave the area,” he continued. “We want to create a place

where a creative community will [be] established and, with the presence of university [and] enterprise, we will come up and [interact with] the creative community in a way that will be [conducive] to the development of innovation.”

Andy Pratt, a professor at King’s College London who attended the summit, criticized the summit’s emphasis on investment in infrastructure, and advised that the organizers focus on the creative aspect of the innovative district.

“It’s not the real estate that makes this work… the real estate is a part, but not the most important part,” Pratt said. “It’s very important to go beyond simply the physical design of these places and to think much more carefully about how to construct an ecology of creative and innovative firms.”

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, November 6, 2012

3

EXCLUSIVE interview

McGill Principal hosts campus media round table

Heather Munroe-Blum discusses report on asbestos research, education summits, and goals for her last year On Nov. 2, Principal Heather Munroe-Blum spoke with the McGill Tribune, the McGill Daily, and Le Délit about the Fall semester and her expectations for her last year as principal.

McGill Daily: A lot of people have described the report [on past McGill asbestos research] as being self-serving and without transparency. I just want to know how McGill responds to that, and to multiple criticisms of the report.

Heather Munroe-Blum: In fact, the report has been very well received and followed a good process, and in the context of academic review—which is peer review—we feel very comfortable that a very objective review was done.

MD: Do you know why an external report was not done for this?

HMB: Because we have processes and procedures that we use, and the entire research enterprise is governed on a peer review basis and through the policies and constructs that we have in place.

Le Délit: What will be McGill’s role in the upcoming [provincial] education summit promised by Pauline Marois?

HMB: We certainly plan to make representation at it. We’re working to make suggestions about how the summit should be held, but it’s not at all clear what the structure or format will be … the needs and contributions and accountabili-

Heather Munroe-Blum discusses the events of the semester with student media. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) ties [of a university] depend on the mission and culture and history of an institution, so we really want a multi-dimensional framework to the summit. We hope very much [for] the participation of students and professors, and I hope Quebeckers—maybe leaders from other sectors of Quebec society [too]. I think it would be terrific if we had some people from outside of Quebec as well, who deal with these issues.

McGill Tribune: Are there plans to address the recommendation of the report [on asbestos research] that the Board of Governors avoid investing in asbestos companies?

NEWS

HMB: That’s not something you can do without having a formal motion come forward and so forth, so that will depend on people bringing it forward. We do have a Committee of the Board on socially responsible investment, [but] the issue of managing investment portfolios is a complicated one. … It’s an easy thing to say, [but] it’s very complicated when you understand that a majority of investment tools today are big conglomerate investment tools. … The simple answer is we know of no current investment in asbestos, and we have no plans to go out and seek investment in asbestos.

MT: How have you made

progress towards accomplishing your goals for your last year as McGill’s principal?

HMB: We’ve made good progress on our recruitment and on our strategic enrollment plan … I’d say my biggest goal that I set out with in 2003 when I became principal that I still haven’t completed is that every qualified student will be able to come to McGill independent of financial needs. I believe firmly [in] increasing student aid and bringing tuition to effective levels, and then having philanthropy and having governments stay the course. Neither tuition nor philanthropy should displace government support. … But

in brief

(n)IFTY (E)NGAGING

Mcgill refunds tuition increases for Quebec students Last Friday, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson announced that McGill would refund tuition increases for Quebec students over the weekend.

The university will wait to hear from the provincial government before crediting the accounts of out-ofprovince and international students.

Last year, the former Liberal Quebec government implemented an annual tuition increase of $250 for a period of seven years, starting in Fall 2012. When the Parti Québécois (PQ) won the provincial election in September, Quebec Premier Pauline Marois announced plans to cancel this increase, even though universities across the province had already implemented it.

In his statement, Mendelson said the process of crediting Quebec students’ Minerva accounts with the refunds would be completed by Monday, Nov. 5.

“We will await final word from the government regarding tuition for students who pay Canadian or international rates before adjusting their accounts,” he wrote. “The government … [has] signaled to us its intention to keep fees for out-ofprovince and international students relatively stable but has not yet advised us of its final decision.”

Although the PQ announced the fee’s cancellation in September, the Quebec government did not give McGill any final decision regarding the rollbacks until last week.

then we need those who benefit from an educated population and those who benefit themselves directly— economically and otherwise—to pay a fair share of that; and so we’ve got to make progress on that and I’m hoping we still will this year. And for me, a big part of that as well is making sure the fees our students at McGill pay stay here to their benefit.

MT: Students are currently planning a McGill [education] summit before the provincial one.

Is there anything the administration will do to facilitate or promote discussion on campus before the provincial summit?

HMB: We’ve been talking a lot with the student leadership about that … we think it’s a good idea, and I think it depends what it is, what the aims of it are, [and] which constituencies of the university will participate with it. … Once that’s determined, it’ll be clearer how we and others might participate [in] that.

But certainly our idea was that if we have ideas where we can collaborate ,we would like to do that. And I think it’s a great idea to have discussions within the university about the summit, and I think there will be different points of view … about what will come out of the summit, but if there are one or two or three things where all of our constituencies can agree … it would be fabulous to focus on that as well.

—This interview has been edited and condensed by Erica Friesen.

In a meeting with campus media this past Friday, McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum suggested that the timing of the election was a factor in the two-month wait.

“We need to understand that [this] government [came] in virtually at the start of the school year,” she said. “You wouldn’t imagine everything would be really clear right away, and, as you saw, the government made a lot of commitments during the election, and worked to come out with a position on those themes they were elected on … I think it’s not unusual that we reached October before we heard from the government.”

Munroe-Blum said she could not estimate how long the Quebec

government will take to finalize tuition rates for out-of-province and international students.

Robin Reid-Fraser, vice-president external of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), said she thought many students at McGill would be pleased now that McGill is taking direct action to refund the tuition increase.

“For Quebec students, I imagine it is a relief to know that the cancellation of the tuition hike that was initiated nearly two months ago has finally been implemented at McGill,” Reid-Fraser said. “For out-ofprovince and international students, we’ll be staying alert to what the situation is with those fees.”

—Erica Friesen

(W)ORLDLY (S)MART =

NEWS NEWS MEETINGS Mondays at 5:30 in Shatner 110

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

speaker on campus

Expert addresses impact of cuts to refugee health program Janet Cleveland states that new health care policy is “anti-refugee in nature,” claimants confused over eligibility Jimmy Lou Contributor Last Wednesday, psychologist, legal scholar, and anthropologist Janet Cleveland spoke on the impact of federal cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) on refugees.

The event was a Brown Bag Seminar hosted by McGill’s Faculty of Law. The policy came into effect on June 30, 2012. Cleveland said it limits health care coverage for approximately 20,000 refugee claimants in Canada.

“A [refugee is a] person who flees to another country and asks for asylum because he or she has serious reason to fear that, if sent back to his or her country of origin, he orshe would be persecuted because of his or her ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, political opinions or similar reasons,” she said.

“The current [refugee health care] situation in practice is cha-

otic,” Cleveland said. “Many clinics and hospitals simply refuse all refugee claimants. There’s this false perception that claimants no longer have medical coverage.”

Following the recent cutbacks, the federal government created a system with three main types of IFHP coverage: Expanded Health Care Coverage, Health Care Coverage, and Public Health/Public Safety Health Coverage.

“The new system and the incredible lack of information from the government created confusion as to who is entitled to what,” Cleveland said. “Some people lost their coverage because they didn’t realize they needed to renew IFHP documents, and for many operations, pre-authorization is required. Billing is apparently a nightmare. There are lots of delays and there is a big turn-down rate.”

A direct negative impact of the new system on refugees is that there exist almost no medical services

What happened last week in Compiled by Kyle Ng and Bea Britneff

two canadians dead after major storm Hurricane Sandy made headlines for the severe damage it cuased in the Caribbean, New York, and New Jersey, but the storm also reached Canada’s east coast, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to Southern Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. The storm claimed the lives of two Canadians last week and spanned 2,000 miles.

In Toronto, a woman died after a falling sign struck her as she was walking on the street. Early Wednesday morning, a Bluewater Power hydro worker in Sarnia was electrocuted while repairing broken power lines. According to the CBC, the Ontario Ministry of Labour plans to launch an investigation into his death.

Sandy left over 200,000 people without power in Ontario and Nova Scotia, forcing the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre in Halifax to cancel numerous surgeries. By Wednesday afternoon, however, hydroelctric power companies had managed to restore electricity to most affected homes.

Toronto Hydro predicted that power line repairs will cost the city approximately $1 million. The total cost of damages in Canada has yet to be determined.

“Billing is apparently a nightmare.

There are lots of delays and there is a big turndown rate.” available to refused refugee claimants, except in Quebec. In addition, there are insufficient supplies of medication for all refugee claimants and privately sponsored refugees— those whose care is sponsored by their employers or by non-governmental organizations.

Moreover, it is increasingly difficult for refugees to access the care to which they are entitled, especially those in need of long-term care, such as pregnant women and people with chronic conditions.

The government has several reasons for the changes—one of which is to save money. “[The federal government’s] rationale is that for a number of years they’ve been spreading propaganda that refugees are getting better coverage than Canadians,” she said. “In practice though, refugees claimants receive [health care] very much similar to low-income Canadians.”

According to Cleveland, this discourse and policy seem to be antirefugee in nature, and portray refugee claimants as opportunistic. As a result of these federal measures, provinces are forced to carry much of the financial burden involved in caring for refugees.

“In Quebec, refused refugee claimants are still covered until

[their] deportation date,” Cleveland explained. “[In Ontario] the government provides [the] same supplemental coverage for refugee claimants as for citizens. [In] British Columbia, there is social assistance for refugee claimants … [In Alberta], Adult Health Benefit and Child Health Benefit are provided to low-income families for essential medications, and basic dental and eye care.”

Josh Pincott, a third-year arts student, said he found the seminar interesting, and that he was surprised by the information provided at the event.

“I didn’t realize the cuts had so many implications for refugees,” Pincott said. “I think it would also be interesting to ask how much responsibility the federal government should take for refugees’ welfare rather than what they do.”

long-gun registry officially terminated; Quebec obtains rights to provincial data

pfizer job cuts shed light on restructuring of national pharmaceutical industry

Last Thursday marked the end of the national long-gun registry. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced that all remaining data, with the exception of Quebec data, has been destroyed.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Marc-André Blanchard granted a permanent injunction, prohibiting the destruction of the data in question because the provincial and federal governments co-operated in the creation of the registry. Quebec plans to establish its own registry.

Since its introduction in 1993, opponents have criticized the registry as challenging the rights of rural Canadians to legally own hunting rifles, and as an ineffective means of increasing public safety. Critics have cited the billions of dollars spent on its operation, although a study by the Canada Press predicts that savings to taxpayers will be minimal.

Canada is one of few countries on the international stage that has rolled back gun control laws. The federal government has agreed to comply with international standards of assigning serial numbers to track restricted firearms, although there will not be penalties for non-compliance.

Last week, Pfizer Inc., a multinational drug company, announced plans to layoff 300 professional employees, most of whom are based in Montreal. This is the most recent in a series of province-wide cuts, in what appears to be a restructuring of the global pharmaceutical industry.

In 2008, Quebec’s pharmaceutical industry employed over 9,000 people, while numbers released last week indicated only 5,320 working professionals in the industry.

These numbers also draw attention to the westward shift in Canadian pharmaceutical investment. This past June, the British Columbia government announced plans to invest approximately $1.5 billion in new private-public research institutes, effectively challenging Quebec’s status as Canada’s main pharmaceutical hub.

Further cutbacks in Quebec are expected in the near future. Boeringer Ingelheim announced in September that it will close down its Laval research lab by 2013. Johnson and Johnson, Sanofi, and Merck also announced hundreds of layoffs earlier this year.

Canada?

Citizenship and immigration minister introduces new immigration rules Last Friday, the Government of Canada introduced a new set of immigration rules, declaring that anyone who moves to Canada to live with their spouse must stay in the relationship for at least two years before receiving permanent residency.

According to the Globe and Mail, the two-year probation period will apply to “couples in a relationship of two years or less,” and who have no children together at the time the spouse immigrates to Canada.

The couple must also live together during those two years.

These rules are part of a series of changes to immigration policy meant to take measures against immigration fraud, and will prevent people from making a profit by accepting money for acting as an immigrant’s spouse.

Some outreach workers and immigration lawyers have criticized the new rules, arguing that they will present a barrier for immigrants trying to escape abusive relationships.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney addressed this, saying the new rules will not apply to situations in which a new immigrant is being mistreated by their partner.

gabriel nadeau-dubois found guilty of contempt of court Last Thursday, Justice Jacques Denis found former CLASSE spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois guilty of contempt of court for allegedly encouraging striking students to violate court orders.

This past summer, a number of students whose access to classes was blocked by strikers obtained court injunctions that allowed them to return to class. Judge Denis ruled that Nadeau-Dubois was guilty of telling protestors it was legitimate for them to form picket lines to prevent these students from going to class.

Nadeau-Dubois claimed he was not aware of the injunctions, and will be raising money to appeal the court’s decision. He could face up to one year in jail, a $50,000 fine, and community service work. Approximately 100 protesters took to the street Thursday night in a spontaneous demonstration in defence of Dubois’ case.

This news comes shortly after UQÀM’s announcement that the student strike has cost the university at least $20 million. According to the Montreal Gazette, Quebec Minister of Higher Education Pierre Duchesne suggests that the total cost for all post-secondary institutions is $40 million.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates. @mcgill_tribune

opinion editorial

THE Mcgill

TRIBUNE www.mcgilltribune.com

Editor-in-Chief Elisa Muyl editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Carolina Millán Ronchetti cmillanronchetti@mcgilltribune.com Adam Sadinsky asadinsky@mcgilltribune.com

Safe Spaces on campus do not repress free speech

Last week, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) issued a report on the state of campus free speech 2012, in which the Calgary-based libertarian think-tank examined the degree and limits to free speech at Canadian universities. The overwhelming majority of schools in the report received failing grades. McGill’s administration received a D, while the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) received an F. Such low grades warrant further examination. While the report covers a series of topics, its authors seemed to take particular issue with McGill’s Safe Space policy.

The Tribune finds this preoccupation surprising. Though a number of issues raised in the report merit a closer look, McGill’s support for Safe Spaces—inclusive environments which discourage sexist, racist, and homophobic expression—is not one of them. According to the report, McGill’s Safe Space policy limits the speech of those who use terms deemed ‘offensive.’ While

this sort of negative reinforcement may restrict the speech of students who choose to use certain hurtful terms, the Tribune believes that Safe Spaces offer an important element to the discourse on campus—they

“To cite Safe

Spaces as a major source of repression of free speech conveys a false sense of conflict and oppression.

”

provide context and a sense of inclusion. They certainly do not pose a threat to freedom of speech in the way that the administration’s Provisional Protocol or SSMU’s Equity Policy may.

The Equity Policy, which limits freedom of speech by the ambiguous marker ‘progressive,’ has far heavier consequences than Safe Spaces do.

While students may be reprimanded for using hurtful or offensive terms in a Safe Space, they are not prevented from expressing dissent. The Equity Policy, on the other hand, could lead to a withdrawal of funds from groups and individuals that do not align with SSMU’s idea of ‘progressive’ that year. There has already been at least one instance of this, as outlined in the report.

Overall, the report sensationalizes an issue that has not been pressing on campus. To cite Safe Spaces as a major source of repression of free speech conveys a false sense of conflict and oppression.

This editorial board does not believe that free speech has been significantly repressed by limitations placed on hurtful or discriminatory terms. This newspaper is free to publish material written by its editors and contributors. That our content is mindful of many of the same rules as those found in Safe Spaces does not mean that the Tribune feels coerced. Rather, we are glad to be a part of a community that fosters dis-

course about the realities faced by the few.

Programs like Safe Space do not exacerbate tensions on campus, they alleviate them. The purpose of the program is to educate people on what others may find offensive.

Rather than enforcing a rigid standard for what students can and cannot say, Safe Space cultivates an atmosphere of acceptance.

Although the report expressed some legitimate concerns regarding SSMU’s Equity Policy, as well as the undue limits on free expression imposed on our community by the administration’s Provisional Protocol, its criticism of Safe Spaces is both unfounded and wholly misguided. To lump it in alongside the Provisional Protocol, and more serious violations of freedoms of speech and assembly bespeaks a severe misunderstanding about free speech on the part of the JCCF. This kind of sensational reporting begets hostility, not the other way around.

This question proposes a $1 increase in the opt-outable student fee of McGill’s campus-community radio station, CKUT. CKUT’s $4 fee has not increased since 1988. An increase indexed to inflation would bring their fee to $7. As a student-run media outlet that also depends almost entirely on student fees, we at the Tribune understand how important

funding from student fees must be to CKUT. Running a radio station has undoubtedly become more expensive since 1988.

At a university which has no program in radio production or broadcasting, CKUT is, in many ways, the only place for McGill students interested in radio to learn and perfect their skills.

The Tribune wholeheartedly supports CKUT’s request for this small fee levy, and encourages readers to vote YES.

Question regarding the M-SERT Fee Increase —YES Similar to the previous question, this one proposes a fee increase of $0.50 for the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (M-SERT). M-SERT previously received $0.25 per student through SSMU’s ‘Safety Network.’

Considering the multitude of services M-SERT provides to the McGill community—from subsidized first aid classes to emergency

News Editors Bea Britneff and Erica Friesen news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Anand Bery opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Leigh Miller scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Jacqui Galbraith studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Sara Espinal Henao feature@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Chris Liu and Ilia Blinderman arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Steven Lampert and Jeff Downey sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Alexandra Allaire and Simon Poitrimolt photo@mcgilltribune.com Senior Design Editor Susanne Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Design Editor Heather H. Lee design@mcgilltribune.com Online Editor Victor Temprano online@mcgilltribune.com Social Media Editor Lisa Yang socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Manager Myriam Richard cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca

The Tribune’s stance on the November referenda Question regarding the CKUT Fee Increase — YES

Production Manager Sam Reynolds sreynolds@mcgilltribune.com

Publisher Chad Ronalds

first aid services at events, in residences, and across campus—this modest fee increase proposal is easily justified.

We support M-SERT’s ambition to expand while continuing to provide the same level of service.

An expansion in both their services, as well as their first aid supplies, benefits the whole McGill community.

The Tribune fully supports MSERT’s fee increase proposal, and encourages readers to vote YES.

Polling for SSMU’s November Referendum will take place between Nov. 5 and 11.

TPS Board of Directors Shannon Kimball (Chair): chair@mcgilltribune.com, Bea Britneff, Jacob Hardy, Elisa Muyl, Jonathan Newburgh, Maria Surilas

Contributors

Kevin Caplice, Andra Cernavskis, Julia Donahue, Nazim Elnur, Hannah Feinberg, Michael Ghofrani, Cecilie Jensen, Anna Katycheva, Michael King, Peter Laing, Jimmy Lou, Remi Lu, Colleen McNamara, Kyle Ng, Luke Orlado, Michael Paolucci, Joanna Schacter, Jitika Shah, Kieran Steer, David Stein, Nicole Weckman, Susan Westfall

Tribune Offices Editorial Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789

Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of Mc-

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Interested applicants should send a cover letter, cv, and three writing samples to editor@mcgilltribune.com by Nov. 19.

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6

columnists Time for academia to embrace Wikipedia

Ben Carter-Whitney

Commentary

As the years go by and Wikipedia continues to grow in scope and size, it has emerged as a great paradox of the digital age. Although the site, which turns 12 years old in January, is far and away the most expansive reference work in the world and is available in over 200 languages, it has been unable to find good standing in the academic community as a credible source. It is certainly understandable that academia would be leery of a source open to editing by anybody in the world. However, Wikipedia is showing signs that it has begun to outgrow its reputation as a haven for vandalism, slanted rhetoric, and misinformation. While the transition won’t be easy, it may be time for some educators to begin

In defence of American Apparel’s “SANDYSALE”

Meghan Sauer

Commentary

Last week, while tired U.S. election news finally began to wane on the side of repugnance and Halloween festivities were dampened by the last leg of midterms, the heavens concocted something exciting for media circuits and laypeople alike to discuss. Her name was Hurricane Sandy, and as of early last week, she was headed for the East Coast. To many, an imminent storm means stocking up on potato chips and booze, lighting a couple of candles, and watching Law and Order for three days straight on generator

to reconsider their ban on the informational juggernaut.

An Oct. 25 article in The Atlantic entitled “Surmounting the Insurmountable: Wikipedia Is Nearing Completion” makes the claim that Wikipedia is reaching the end of its developmental stage, and a great many of its articles are nearing completion. Of course, this holds only for entries whose content remains static; those covering topics of a historical nature or certain areas of science. The article points to the Wikipedia page on the War of 1812 as a prime example. The bulk of this 14,000 word entry was written in 2006. Since then, users have continued to make edits and dispute various points on the entry’s 200,000-word discussion page. In 2008, there were 256 users actively editing the page; today, this number has dwindled to 28.

This decline indicates not a decreased interest, but an equilibrium which has been reached within an article where nearly all questionable facts have been verified, nearly all debatable points have been debated,

and nearly all contentious language has been sifted out by the spectrum of backgrounds and political views reflected in the editor-base.

This equilibrium is the essence of crowd-sourcing, combing over the individual’s biases and resulting in a product that satisfies all parties. It is in this sense that an article can be considered completed.

The use of the word ‘completion’ here must come with a caveat.

By its nature, Wikipedia is a living body of work that is constantly expanding and updating. Developments in the news typically generate their own respective entries in very little time, and the related discussion pages are constantly active for those articles which do continue to change. For these active pages, equilibrium cannot be reached, as each development brings with it a new set of discussions and deliberations. In this respect, they can never be ‘completed’ in any real sense. ‘Completion,’ in the context of Wikipedia, refers to the point where the site need only keep up with the world’s information, rather than catch up with it.

The next step for Wikipedia, as The Atlantic piece correctly asserts, is to bolster its wealth of information with credible academic citations. Additionally, articles that are strictly historical and have shown a decrease in editing should be ‘semiprotected’—a term on Wikipedia which restricts editing privileges to registered users only. This greatly reduces the likelihood of vandalism, or of somebody editing without consulting the talk page. These stabilizing policies would lend Wikipedia much needed legitimacy in academic circles.

Beyond the fear of inaccuracy, there are very few reasons for the academic world not to embrace Wikipedia. It doesn’t infringe on any existing informational sources, as it doesn’t offer enough of a breakdown on topics to serve as a replacement for textbooks, nor does it offer critical analysis in the same way that a scholarly article does. Wikipedia would exist within academia simply as a foundational core of facts and figures on a wealth of topics, a more thorough version of a traditional en-

cyclopedia.

Unfortunately, the site’s use will continue to meet resistance because it does infringe on one critical deep-seated aspect of academia: elitism. The world of academia exists, as it always has, as a hierarchical structure. Credibility is measured largely by individual accomplishment, publications, tenure, and seniority. What Wikipedia represents is the notion that credibility can exist in the collective. Although its editor-base includes academics and other qualified individuals, its credibility is not quantifiable. For the academic community to acknowledge its legitimacy would be an admission that knowledge does not belong exclusively to institutions of higher learning.

Academia should acquiesce to the powerful collaborative tools such as Wikipedia. However, in a realm that is not known for its acceptance of change, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

power. If you are able to back your car out of the driveway, it can mean going shopping on the day you have off from school or work. Back while Sandy was still a ‘hybrid storm,’ clothing retailer American Apparel profited from the hype, and sent an e-mail to shoppers in states located in Sandy’s projected path, offering a 20 per cent off discount with a witty promo code—“SANDYSALE.” But all the fun came to a screeching halt when Sandy made landfall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Oct. 29. Sandy hit the coast as a category one hurricane, causing an estimated $50 billion in damages and killing over one hundred people in the U.S., two in Canada, and at least 70 in the Caribbean islands. The effects of the freakishly large ‘superstorm’ are undoubtedly tragic across the eastern half of North America.

This left some, even before the storm was over, outraged at the American Apparel advertisement,

which offered customers something to do “in case you’re bored during the storm.” Shortly after the e-mail was sent, anger permeated Twitter, blogs, and television, in opposition to the perceived exploitative nature of the sale.

Was this truly a deviant scheme of corporate greed? If so, American Apparel is not alone in its devices.

While the Los Angeles-based retailer—founded by Montrealer Dov Charney—received the brunt of the criticism, several others took advantage of the weather event without suffering nearly as much protest.

Among them was Urban Outfitters, which sent out a similar e-mail, as well as Long Island retailer Singer22. Even the Gap and Sak’s Fifth Avenue encouraged online browsing and purchasing to quell antsy East Coasters stuck indoors.

Charney, in an interview with Businessweek following the controversial ad, addressed the needs of his

employees at stores in the affected states and the nature of the retail business: “We’re here to sell clothing ... What’s really important right now is to put people back to work as soon as possible.” The clothing brand has been controversial in the past, but for the most part has had a progressive, activist affiliation— with campaigns for legalizing gay marriage in California and immigration reform. In most instances, the company appears to be concerned with local issues—it’s not out to exploit the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses, or the losses of hundreds of lives. “We weren’t out to offend anyone. Our heart is in the right place,” Charney said.

Past philanthropic efforts for disasters such as Hurricane Katrina—after which American Apparel sent 80,000 tee shirts to New Orleans and raised money for the relief effort—as well as the 2010 Haitian earthquake—to which the

company donated $400,000—only foreshadow likely efforts by the firm in the Sandy aftermath. Charney has made it clear that such involvement is a likely endeavor for American Apparel. It should be noted that, along with storm-themed sales, charitable donations can be a form of advertising too. Most customers probably wouldn’t be critical of that in the wake of disaster.

American Apparel, as well as the other retailers, simply acted in honest terms. While Sandy has left a horrendous mark on the East Coast, nobody knew for sure if it was going to be a tragedy or a repeat of last year’s Irene—a bit of a dud—like most storms that make it so far north. As Charney said, “the reality was there were a lot of people stuck at home in front of the Internet.” The ad was harmless, and created with the expected, if not good, intentions.

Letter to the editor What is this “See Kay You Tea” I keep hearing about?

It’s easy enough to convince someone that having an awardwinning radio station on campus is a pretty rad thing. Flyering for the CKUT referendum the other day, I spoke to a first-year student whose eyes lit up when I told him how the radio station was trying to raise their student fee by $1. Too excited, he cut me off—“are people trying to form a radio station on campus?”

Telling him, “no friend, we have one

already” felt really good, but it also enlightened me to the idea that many people on campus simply do not know what CKUT is.

The McGill Radio Association was formed in the 1920s, and Radio McGill took to the FM dial in 1987. 25 years later, CKUT has grown into a Montreal institution. Its astoundingly diverse programming brings people from every pocket of this city into the same room, to the same chair.

In those 25 years, CKUT’s $4 student fee has never been increased,

while all of our upfront costs (radio transmitter, rent, utilities, royalties) have gone up with inflation. $4 in 1987 would be roughly $7 today. The station is kept alive by the work of over 300 volunteer programmers, as many general volunteers, interns— many of whom comes from across the world to work at CKUT—and only a handful of permanent staff.

But, again, its easy to convince someone that CKUT is significant.

It is a different thing entirely to convince them they should support it.

Why vote ‘YES’ to increase CKUT’s

student fee by $1? There is a reason for everyone: because our fee has never been adjusted for inflation; so that the station can keep do amazing work, to maintain a vital link between McGill and the rest of Montreal, to continue having concerts on campus, to keep the option open for any student to become a volunteer and learn professional journalism, programming, and sound-editing skills. Even if you opt-out of your student fees, we would still ask that you vote ‘YES,’ so that people who want to support the station with an

extra dollar, can.

For more information, go to ckut.wordpress.com. To vote, check your mail.mcgill inbox from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 and follow the link.

Tim Beeler is a work/study student at Radio CKUT and is currently Co-Chair of the CKUT Yes Committee. He can be reached at timothy.beeler@mail.mcgill.ca

Curiosity delivers.

Is multiculturalism killing the core Canadian identity?

Swathi Sadagopan

Commentary

Two weeks ago, Statistics Canada released a report on Canadians’ linguistic characteristics. The report’s results suggest that while bilingualism is on the rise, about 20 per cent of Canadians reported speaking a language that wasn’t French or English at home. Following the publication of the report, the question of whether multiculturalism is eroding the ‘core Canadian identity’ is doing the rounds.

Multiculturalism was introduced as a Trudeauian liberal-socialist policy in the ‘60s. While it was

|

OPINION

Online Editor

Being critical of ‘objective facts’ In his article in the Oct. 30 edition of the Ottawa Citizen entitled, “Racism, sexism and classism, oh my,” Bruce Bawer attempts to seriously indict the humanities, citing a widespread presence of ideologically-driven pedagogy. The piece points to Guillermo Martínez de Velasco’s recent piece in the McGill Daily, “You are racist,” as an example of what is wrong with liberal arts education today. Bawer argues that today, college education is ultimately meant to indoctrinate young people with hatred for the West and with divisive ideas about class and human relations.

Bawer’s argument is a broad

policy, are antithetical to democracy in Canada. Such a policy leads to the creation of a monochromatic society that might keep out people from diverse backgrounds, as it is designed to integrate only like communities.

Diversity, however, is at the crux of Canadian identity and the freedom that every Canadian enjoys stems from it. It is this that binds Canada together as one whole—stoic and stable in a world rife with turmoil, economic or otherwise.

The other aspect to answering this question lies in understanding identity. Symbols such as a national sport—or unofficial ones such as local food—are strong binders glueing a sense of unity into the common psyche. While these are sufficient for a national identity, they are by no means completely necessary or even complete. In light of additional factors, such as a conducive environment for multiple cultures to thrive, these become redundant factors.

Richard F. Day, a noted Canadian historian, believes that there is an incompleteness associated with the idea of identity. The only way any country can appear complete is by imposing certain subtle restrictions that create a so-called unity among its citizens. The solution to this issue of incomplete identity lies in open acknowledgement of the ‘impossibility of full identity.’ Understanding and appreciating differences are key in creating an inclusive atmosphere that in turn will foster a true sense of unity.

While there is a shared common identity as a Canadian, our government does not baptize its citizens in the name of homogeneity. There is ample freedom to practice one’s own customs and traditions. Rather than seeing these as competing identities impeding overall progress, they are symbiotic that have common points of overlap.

New Canadians choose to im-

migrate with the intention of bettering their quality of life in a new land of promise and dreams. Hardworking immigrants, yearning for a better life, become a contributing key asset to the host country. But to reaffirm an immigrant’s conviction and loyalty to his new home, the host country must not only be tolerant, but also welcoming, of his unique culture.

Instead of a slippery slope creating a society divided by ethnic difference, I believe multiculturalism is the bridge towards embracing inherent diversity while warmly inviting newer citizens to join and recreate the whole. Multiculturalism—and the growing percentage of Canadians who speak languages other than English or French—should be seen as an empowering feature of the Canadian identity.

one—he claims that disciplines that emerged in the 1960s, especially those with ‘studies’ in their names, have strayed from their “legitimate scholarly interests.” He asserts that today, they are driven only by Marxist doctrine. We in the humanities do not, according to Bawer, stand up efficiently for ideals of academic and Western heritage. Instead, we are ‘brainwashed’ into relying on obscure jargon and cultural relativity, and have abandoned critical thinking altogether. Bawer offers his solution: namely, a return to the teaching of what he calls “objective facts about history,” as represented by “great literature and great philosophers.”

A simple question may be asked of Bawer: how do we in academia determine what constitutes an “objective fact about history”?

A student of history should be able to recognize that what we regard as objective fact is fluid and can change; monolithic stories are difficult to construct from the differing accounts of reliable sources. The process of learning how to interpret

sources is often a process of questioning what we previously thought were concrete facts in our historical narratives. How do we determine what is really true? Should previous centuries’ written histories be taken as objective fact on the basis of their age alone?

The ‘studies’ Bawer derides represent new areas of inquiry, and attempt to open space within and to complicate what we now see as the oversimplified facts of the past. In my own field—Religious Studies, or more precisely, the 1960s’ creation Buddhist Studies—hundreds of years of Western academic writing has undergone extensive critique centred on the problems of Oriental-

ism. This type of criticism may tire and frustrate writers like Bawer, who are sick of the deconstruction of Western sources, but the ostensible solution of returning to an idealized past when they did not exist is hardly tenable.

The post-1960s era in the humanities represents an attempt to confront deeply difficult questions about how we generate objective facts. We are not scientists, and the humanities have few, if any, methodologies that can rival the power of the scientific approach. Graduates and professors are regarded as ‘experts’ in their fields, able to explain what are the facts and what are not.

Yet, we end up with inconclusive answers despite these many great thinkers. Scholastic self-criticism does not equate to the degradation of the Western academy—the very opposite is true. Such criticisms represent tremendous progress in the humanities, and signal our insistence on adapting to a world where ‘objective facts’ remain more complicated than they appear.

It is indeed the case that aca-

demia today faces problems. Perhaps education is becoming too commodified, too factory-like, too simplistic; perhaps classes at an institution like McGill often grow so large, or cover so much ground, that students cannot truly engage anymore. ‘Indoctrination’ is always a risk if people are unable to, or are discouraged from, engaging critically with their source material.

All is open to criticism—and this is certainly true of approaches used in the ‘studies.’ But if Bawer has such criticisms to make of academia, then his arguments must be made convincingly with attention to detail, rather than with mocking condescension and generalizations.

Bawer’s broad strokes are a facile way of dismissing methodologies that, perhaps frustratingly, continue to poke so many holes in the ‘objective facts’ of the past. Solutions are to be found only in careful thought, and in the most active critical engagement with today’s and yesterday’s sources, and not in simplistic calls to a romanticized past.

Sands, I feel like we are exposing ourselves as ‘bubbled off’ from the rest of the Quebec social movements.

I completely agree that the Tar Sands are an inefficient project that I believe will poison the Indigenous peoples, commit genocide on the animal nations, suck the riches from the land straight into a multinational bank accounts, and so on—but how are any of these qualities unique to the Sands?

Why do the Quebec environmental movements organize

around Plan Nord? It’s a project to be developed with $80 billion in government subsidies for international conglomerates. We are entering a period of escalation between Indigenous communities and the State—unseen since the Oka crisis. Some Innu communities who wish to defend their lives and land, and refuse to accept any contract with the corporations, have blockades shut down by militarized police in Northern Quebec. Is it because the communities that signed

agreements found out that they were tricked—that they are being given a $1.50 a day in exchange for disrespect of the ecosystem?

It is for every reason cited above, and more.

Our problem is global capitalism, which can be fought in our own backyards as well as across borders. Plan Nord and the Enbridge Line Nine pipeline have gone undetected, and instead we rally along lines drawn in Tar Sands.

This is ‘commodity fetishism.’

Somehow, the oil-logged grains have taken on full expressive life as the pure representation of exploitative capitalism, rather than another symptom of a system trapped in a loop of self-annihilation.

It is time to connect our movements because all pipelines leak and all markets peak.

Ethan Feldman U4 Philosophy

“A simple question

may be asked of Bawer: how do we in academia determine what constitutes an ‘objective fact about history’?”

Letter to the editor

On Tar Sands exceptionalism and ‘commodity fetishism’

Now that the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has taken on a mandate to lobby the McGill Administration to divest from Tar Sands, many of us seem to agree—at least, on the topic of ‘goopy bitumen’ from Alberta.

Ultimately, I still have a few questions about our priorities.

When we McGillians get so exclusively upset about the Tar

7

encouraged and extolled as contributing to the Canadian ‘cultural mosaic,’ there has been a recent reversal of sentiments in some circles.

In his book Delecteable Lie, Professor Salim Mansur, a Muslim born in Calcutta who immigrated to Canada 40 years ago, stacks a pile of arguments against the adoption of multiculturalism as national policy.

According to Professor Mansur, the growing dissent stems from the notion that multiculturalism attenuates the goal of individual liberty over collective equality. The loss of one ‘core Canadian identity,’ he argues, is attributed to the proliferation of sub-identities that do not resonate with the whole.

Multiculturalism may have been a by-product of the counterculture spirit of the ‘60s. Yet, it has been so deeply entrenched in the Canadian fabric that it might well define the Canadian identity today. Imposing restrictions, such as a language

off the board Victor Temprano

| Tuesday November 6, 2012

Student living

up close and personal

A moment with Jack Han

30 jobs, 30 days, and an abundance of insight Colleen McNamara Contributor A combination of insightful advice, followed by a challenge from a friend catalyzed McGill Marketing graduate Jack Han’s current project, “30 jobs in 30 days.” Han is literally trying 30 different jobs—from pizza delivery man to professional tennis player—on for size.

It began with a conversation over dinner. After enduring a collection of trials and tribulations in the employment world, Han was having sushi with his friend—a pal he describes essentially as his living antithesis: an archetypical accountant. His friend teased him for going through jobs like tissue.

At first, everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly. Han was one of four students chosen out of a two thousand person cattle call from InBev—a beer powerhouse which owns Budweiser, Stella Artois and more—and quickly transformed from your everyday college student

Campus calendar Freaky Fridays

November 9 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Redpath museum auditorium Freaky Friday public outreach lectures feature McGill scientists examining myths and realities surrounding genetic engineering, super explosive eruptions, and endangered species.

Holocaust Denial: A Comparative Analysis of a Global Issue

November 13 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Leacock 738 Stephanie Courouble Share is a Research Fellow at the Arnold and Leona Finkler Institute of Holocaust Research at Bar Ilan University in Israel; at L’Institut d’histoire du temps présent in Paris; and at The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) in New York.

Movember Stache Dash

Registration in the Leacock lobby or at Bar des Arts over the next two weeks The annual AUS Stache Dash Apartment Crawl will include eight apartments, lots of games, and a little bit of competition! Admission is $15 and includes beverages.

into a business big wig, hopping on and off of jet planes and bouncing around prestigious boardrooms. But soon enough, the lure of living the marketing dream lost its appeal, and Han found himself falling asleep at 2 p.m. during a conference call as he sat next to his boss.

A third of the way through, Han found time in his busy schedule to give the Tribune some insights into his project.

McGill Tribune: How did you lay the groundwork for your 30 day experiment? Was it difficult to organize?

Jack Han: It was easy, but it wasn’t simple. All you have to do is phone someone or e-mail [the businesses] and wait to hear back. It’s not rocket science; a sixth grader could do it, but you have to consider a lot of things. Who to contact, who to call back, and when to do it; it’s a lot to remember.

MT: Out of all the jobs you have experimented with thus far, which job stands out as the most

compiled by jacqui galbraith

memorable?

JH: I did stand-up comedy. I wrote my own routine and had my friend film it. It was really fun, but I didn’t expect to be in the same show as professional comedians. I thought I did okay.

MT: Would you consider the stand-up comedy job the most challenging one you encountered?

JH: No. The [hardest job] was Planet Poutine. I went to do an overnight shift, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. You would not believe how hard it is to work an overnight shift at a poutine place. [Just before] 4 a.m., the owner made me go outside and hand out coupons. I was walking down the street distributing [them] to kids coming out of loft parties … trying to convince them to come. Then I had a confrontation with a nearby business owner who gave me attitude because he had a restaurant in the area too, even though he was closed.

MT: What was the most surprising job—the experience that

SUS Graduate and Professional Schools Fair

November 7 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shatner Ballroom A chance to meet with representatives from 60 different programs in Canada and abroad, including MIT, Columbia, University of Toronto and McGill. Some programs include Medicine, Dentistry, Business, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Biotechnology.

Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic:

November 20 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Health Clinic, 4th floor of the Brown Building Students who bring their ID cards and $15 can drop into the Student Health Clinic for a flu shot. No appointment is necessary. For more information, visit the Student Health website.

get lost in the shuffle. That’s why I thought this was a great time to do something different. Worse comes to worst, I can always go back to having a desk job.

MT: How has your experiment changed your perception of the job market?

JH: It made me realize how little faith … you should put in the traditional process. Right now I’m teaching a SSMU mini-course called ‘the Art of Persuasion.’ The biggest thing I teach there is forgetting about having a perfect CV or perfect GPA. The most important thing is going and making a friend and finding someone to guide you. Talk to people who work in the industry, ask them for advice. The funny thing is, when you ask people for advice and they give it to you, suddenly they become invested in you and your future.

Want to nominate someone for student of the week?

Email us at studentliving@mcgilltribune.com

AUS Pool Tournament

November 16 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Arts lounge The recent AUS pool table revamp in the Arts lounge calls for a pool tournament. Entry is $10—the winner gets $50, and the runner-up gets to break even. Come to the AUS office with your entry fee on Monday or Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. or on Tuesday or Thursday, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to reserve your spot.

made you think: ‘Wow. I had no idea this was involved in this job whatsoever.’

JH: Definitely the importance of tipping when I was [a delivery person] with Domino’s. Half of the time [the driver and I] spent together we talked about tips. It was the most important thing for him. He drives his own car, has to pay for his own gas, and only makes eight dollars an hour. He has a five-year-old son, and the most memorable thing he told me is that Halloween is traditionally one of the busiest and most lucrative nights of the [year for the] pizza industry, but he always sacrificed the money to spend the night with his son. It’s moments like that when you realize how privileged we are—most of us don’t have to make that kind of sacrifice.

MT: How did your time at McGill contribute to your project?

JH: If I can remember one thing … at McGill [it’s] that if you want to be great, you have to be different. If you’re not different, you’re going to

Do you suffer from severe acne?

Innovaderm Research is presently conducting a research study evaluating the efficacy and the safety of a gel associated with an oral medication and of another oral medication in the possible treatment of severe acne.

Eligibility: • Be aged from 18 to 35 years old, inclusive • Have a diagnosis of severe acne • Weigh between 50 and 110 kg The study requires 8 to 9 visits over a period of 24 to 28 weeks.

Travel and parking expenses will be reimbursed.

For more information, call 514-521-3111 or visit www.innovaderm.ca

Curiosity delivers.

|

STUDENT LIVING

| Tuesday November 6, 2012

odds and ends

9

Should you go veggie?

A look at the pros and cons of a vegetarian lifestyle Susan Westfall Contributor As our society becomes increasingly aware of the consequences of eating meat, more and more people are converting to a vegetarian lifestyle. In Canada, between three and 10 per cent of people classify themselves as vegetarian, and the trend is increasing among the younger generation. Here, we take a look at the different reasons people have considering a vegetarian diet.

Meat is an excellent form of protein and provides many nutrients including iron, zinc, phosphorus, omega-3s, Vitamin B12, and selenium. However, it’s saturated fat content and lack of fibre makes meat more of a hinderance than a benefit to a diet, and non-vegetarians often face increased levels of cholesterol.

Because of this, meat eaters have faced a 24 per cent greater chance of getting cardio vascular disease.

It’s difficult for the body to digest

meat to begin with, and the process requires fibre. Ironically, meat itself offers very little in the way of protein, and most of it cannot be absorbed by the digestive system any way.

One of the greatest misconceptions in the realm of vegetarianism is that veggie-only eaters are weak, small, and unhealthy. However, some of the most powerful creatures in nature are vegetarian: elephants, hippos, rhinos, cattle, horses, and of course, Georges St. Pierre—the famous Quebecois mixed martial artist. Vegetarian diets do have their drawbacks, however. Vegetarians suffer from deficiencies in iron, protein, Vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and other nutrients. These problems are easily remedied if proper care is taken to consume a balanced and complete diet full of colourful vegetables, legumes, nuts, soy alternatives, and other appropriate supplements.

Meat is a major industry, so the

focus is not necessarily to produce healthy meats, but to get the biggest bang for your buck. Cattle are regularly pumped full of hormones to stimulate growth and milk production. This treatment is illegal in the European Union, but not in North America. This is especially a problem in supposedly healthy ‘lean’ versions of meat, as growth hormones increase the amount of lean muscle, and decrease the amount of fatty deposits. Animals are also sometimes fed low-grade scraps—just enough to keep them alive. Finally, animals are housed in small, unnatural environments, and are prone to stress, which instills a variety of possible health risks to the consumer.

Vegetarians are not fully immune to these health risks. There are agricultural issues of pesticides, soil nutrient depletion, contamination , bacteria, and genetically modified foods. These factors contribute to the mass production of nutritionally poor fruits and vegetables, which

student week of the

Q: You’ve just won the lottery.

What’s the very first thing you buy?

A: How much? I would buy stocks.

Q: What do you like most about working with Drive Safe?

A: Well, I mean I get to drive. I love driving. You feel kind of fulfilled, helping drunk people. I used Drive Safe a lot myself in first year, and I just feel like it’s rewarding to give back to the younger generations.

Q: If you could have a vacation house anywhere in the world, where would it be?

A: Definitely not Montreal. I’d go for Alaska.

Q: What’s one song you’ll never get tired of listening to?

A: New Divide – Lincoln Park.

Q: St. Laurent or Crescent?

A: St. Laurent.

Phi Nguyen Chemical engineering U3 (Alexandra Allaire/ McGill Tribune)

Q: What are the best and worst television shows currently on air, in your opinion?

A: The best would be America’s Best Dance Crew, the worst would be Jersey Shore.

lutely necessary days of craving.

Try to practice making vegetarian meals—you might love it!

want to share your student life with the world?

Email us at studentliving @mcgill tribune.com

with Jacqui Galbraith

Q: Why are you an asset to McGill?

A: I work with Drive Safe and, currently, I am doing research with ... the chemical engineering department.

Q: If you were a club at McGill, what club would you be and why?

A: I’d say one of the dance clubs. I’m not in any of them, but I guess Urban Groove. The style [of dancing] that I like resembles them the most.

can also compromise the consumer’s health.

The transfer of energy through the food chain from solar energy all the way up to humans becomes less efficient with each step. It takes 22 times as much land to feed a meat eater — all that land is required to house, feed, and water cattle. It takes 13 times more water to feed an omnivore than a vegetarian, since animals have to drink too! Besides consuming food and water, livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. This is much more than that contributed by all the cars, trucks, and vehicles combined.

Based on the above evidence, it is clear that meat is a luxury, something delicious to prepare but which can bring with it some detrimental health effects. For this reason, some choose to consume a plant-based diet, which can provide all the nutrients offered by meat products. I suggest limiting one’s intake of meat to special occasions and those abso-

Q: Where would you be a perfect tour guide for?

A: My hometown: Hamburg, Germany.

Q: Who’s your favourite Olympian?

A: I guess I just look up the Vietnamese Olympians and cheer for the ones with my last name.

Q: Describe Canada in three words.

A: Diverse, polite, bilingual.

Q: Name a movie you think everyone should see.

A: Inception.

Q: Monopoly or Risk?

A: Monopoly.

of mind. You can suppress that.

can basically control the world.

Q: Would you rather win a free ticket to the Super Bowl or an invite to the Oscars?

A: Invitation to the Oscars.

Q: Would you use your mind control for good or evil?

A: Well, good and evil are very relative terms. Define good and evil.

Q: What word or expression do you most overuse?

A: I can’t say it.

Q: Okay, well what would you use it for?

A: If I had that power, I’d probably have too much power, so I’d try not to use it too much. Maybe play some tricks or something, but other than that, I wouldn’t use it too much.

Q: If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A: Poutine.

Q: What’s the first thing you think of when I say ‘Tribune?’

A: When I first came to McGill, when I first read the Tribune, I misread it for tribute. So I thought of sacrifices.

English isn’t my first language, so when you first read a word, you just try to guess at it, so I guessed tribute. But that doesn’t make sense.

Q: What’s your go-to procrastination activity?

A: I play video games.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?

A: I don’t think I have any.

Q: What’s your secret talent?

A: If I say it, it won’t be a secret any more.

Q: Describe one of your last embarrassing and/or awkward moments.

A: I don’t have awkward moments, because awkward moments are a state

Q: If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

A: To be able to take control of someone’s mind. If you can take control of certain people or certain groups, you

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

A: A student from my high school came to McGill [a couple of years before me], and he told me ‘Whatever you do, don’t do engineering frosh. Do arts frosh or science frosh, or management frosh, but please don’t do engineering frosh.’

Q: Who is your hero?

A: This might sound cliché but I’d say it’s my dad. He was one of the boat people [people who left communistcontrolled Vietnam by boat during the 1970s], and it amazes me that he had the will-power to endure days and days without knowing where [he was] going until [he reached] freedom. I respect him a lot. That’s why he’s my hero.

Q: If you could say one thing to him right now, what would it be?

A: Dad, I need money.

Survival of the fittest?

By Sara Espinal Henao

How competition limits female advancement in the workplace

F

or decades, a flurry of academic, institutional, and governmental activity has openly embraced the concept of women standing shoulder-toshoulder in their effort to open new doors in a male-dominated world.

From the memorable Persons Case in 1939, to the recognition of illustrious Olympic gold medalists, award-winning scientists, bestselling authors, and national leaders, women have praised the hard work of ambitious female pioneers who paved the way for greater gender equality in Canada.

In that light, and with the number of women in the labour force at record numbers, it would be expected to also see mutual appraisal and recognition abound among successful women in all fields and professions.

However, recent studies reveal that the reality quite another. Contrary to common perception, when it comes to career-advanceent, women are sometimes their own worst enemies.

Discrimination and harassment towards women in the workplace has been widely documented as a growing concern. A recent Leger Marketing poll, commissioned by the Queen’s School of Business, reveals that workplace harassment, especially towards women, is very much a part of the modern day office environment. The survey, completed last March using a sample of 1505 participants, revealed that 57 per cent of Canadians have experienced or witnessed harassment in the workplace. Of that percentage, an astounding 87 per cent of victims are women.

However, an additional fact that often escapes the estimates is that, although men in a position of power continue to personify the typical face of workplace harassment, women are twice as likely to report that this abuse came from another woman rather than a man. In addition, not only female bullies tend to disproportionately choose other female colleagues as targets, but they also tend to prey on above-average female workers.

In an interview for The Financial Post, Jana Raver, organizational behaviour expert and associate professor at the Queen’s School of Business, pointed to a clear contradiction in regards to this alarming statistic. “This is somewhat surprising,” Raver said. “In some ways it goes along with what you hear colloquially, but on the other hand people are saying, ‘shouldn’t women be supporting each other?’”

While current research has not delved into the reasons why women tend to single out other women for harassment, part of the cause of this puzzling behaviour relates to their reduced opportunities in the labour market.

It would only be fair to expect that, after decades of social transformation, women would have joined by now their male counterparts in the upper echelons of Canadian corporations. Yet, according to research conducted by Catalyst, a non-profit organization that studies women in the workplace, while women constitute 47.7 per cent of the Canadian workforce, they hold only 17.7 per cent of senior office positions, and fewer than six per cent of these companies’ CEO positions. In addition, more than 30 per cent of companies in the study have no women senior officers.

Constantly worried about losing their place in an increasingly competitive “work race”— or maybe even about getting into the race at all—female professionals have sometimes grown fearful, suspicious, or envious of equally competent same-sex colleagues, especially as they climb to senior positions.As youthful colleagues begin their onerous ascent up the corporate ladder, senior professionals, guarding their hard-earned jobs, use their honed in skills and years of experience to pull down the ladder right behind them.

According to Dr. Gary Namie, co-founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute, this behaviour is intensified in industries and professions that remain largely dominated by men, as “women feel the need to be hyper-aggressive to get ahead in a male-dominated environment.”

Buying into the widespread perception of men as traditionally powerful and assertive in the workplace, which make them difficult targets, women are perceived as vulnerable and easier to bully. According to Phyllis Chesler, author of the book Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman, like men, they are also exposed to the misogynistic and sexist messages that permeate

society, and unconsciously buy into genderbased stereotypes. This can elicit abuse and mistreatment of other women.

Why hasn’t this behaviour been properly documented? Workplace harassment in Canada takes a more covert and tacit form when inflicted by a woman than by a man. Often, incidents of harassment between women go unreported as they encompass more latent forms of aggression, including upsetting and unwelcome comments, secrecy and gossip, badmouthing colleagues, creating favouritisms, or simply choosing not to help a co-worker advance within a company. According to Dr. Namie, female bullies sabotage the careers of other women by being unsupportive. While some tactically avoid helping other women in their careers, others can resort to passive-aggressive behaviour to protect their own interests.

This is not to say that there is no way out of such an inhealthy trend. The answer lies with the upcoming generations. For over 100 years, McGill University has educated outstanding women professionals. Joining the ranks of the most illustrious Canadians, these McGillians have inspired succeeding generations to live up to their example in just about every field imaginable. In every department, McGill’s female students have joined their male counterparts in the pursuit of higher education, oftentimes outnumbering them. As these women venture out into the labour force, taking their first steps in pursuit of their professional ambitions, they must not forget that it was through mutual support that women came to break insurmountable barriers to their advancement in the past. It is through mutual support as well that they will be able to overcome obstacles in the future.

“...women

have praised the hard work of ambitious female pioneers who paved the way for greater gender equality in Canada... Often, incidents of harassment between women go unreported as they encompass more latent

forms of aggression, including upsetting and unwelcome comments, secrecy and gossip, or simply choosing not to help a co-worker advance within a company...Is there then a way to break out of this unhealthy trend?... reveals that women also have a tendency to help each other in the spirit of reciprocity... As these women venture out... they must not forget that it was through mutual support that women came to break insurmountable barriers to their advancement in the past. It is through mutual support as well that they will be able to overcome obstacles in the future.”

bullies Female other female ey en as th t f o target s a s twice ales e e y o l p em target m

Facts:

57% of Canadians have

experienced or witnessed harassment in the workplace

87% of employees

targeted by bullies in the workplace are female

58% of bullies are female

Data from Léger Marketing

Science & technology 1

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17. Climb 19. Ear-related 20. Either this ___ that 21. By oneself 23. Formal ‘ain’t’ 24. Scandinavian capital 26. Proven to be untouched? (two words) 27. Fleeing, with ‘on the’ 29. Wood rot protection

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61. Animal refugees from 45 across 63. Common conjuction 64. Stereotypical Canadian filler word 65. Tribune section, with album reviews (abbr.)

66. Half brains? (two words) 68. Evil sidekick Flotsam or Jestam 70. Tear-shaped country, first word 71. Triple prefix 73. Advice dog, for one 74. Cheaper apartment, two words

77. Much ___ About Nothing 79. McGill student Liu, winner of Hatch Scholarship 81. Post-midterm state 83. To keep at bay, with “off” 84. Misstep? (two words) 86. Inexperienced 87. Odysseus’ wife, ___lope 89. Poet Robert ___ 90. To move down 91. Function; e.g. tan 92. Common tire problem 94. Rough, grating 96. Jupiter moon 97. Location 98. Harp on (two words) 100. Brokovich or Moran 102. “Turn ___ the lights” 103. Year (fr.)

104. Talisman 106. Comunist leader 108. Printing colour model 109. Use diligenty, wield 110. Opposite of 102 across 111. Tiny fly Down 1. “We’re in for stormy ___” 2. Manhattan, for one 3. Hangmans’ accessories 4. Keep it a secret (three words) 5. Metric units abbr.

6. Seafood dish 7. Meadow 8. Lease 10. Jar-Jar binks suffix 11. Moony name 12. Year (abbr.)

13. High visibility colour, with day 14. Hurricane’s original power source 15. Allocate, distribute 18. Operatic solo 22. Frightened exclamation 25. Stable state 27. Traditional Chinese distance unit 28. Zedong 32. Fudge’s hat 34. Darth Vader’s body, David

35. Tricky bowling shot 37. Sweet n’___ 38. What you fry a sausage in 39. Italian city 40. First three letters 41. Hurricanes are tropical ___ 44. Dad joke 45. Type of chocolate chip 46. Heart artery 48. Prayer 49. Price 50. Sunday drumming and coffee after? (two words) 51. Chocolate surpries 52. Sometimes hard drink 55. Life alternative 57. Unexpected datum 59. Not the first or second meterological phenomenon? (two words) 61. Take away 62. Soul (fr.)

67. Detector 69. Allow 70. Drink accessory 72. What I did to my roommate’s yogurt (three words) 75. Chip pairing 76. With El, Southern Oscillation 78. Risk 80. With arrogance 82. Old MacDonald vowels 83. Flower season 85. “You have nothing to fear but fear___” 88. Low point 90. What you do when you oughta be truthing 91. Slavic monarch 92. Frankfurt international airport 93. Afghan city K_____ 95. ‘70s distance runner from Oregon 99. Direction of Quebec City 101. Industrial rock band (abbr.)

105. Largest city in Canada (abbr.)

107. Not applicable (abbr.)

Technology

Open Access offers antidote to overpriced journals McGill encourages researchers to publish in free journals with Open Access Week events Leigh Miller Science and Technology Editor To students leaving the academic world, the cost of information may come as a shock. Without access to the extensive collections of the McGill library, journal articles cost around 30 dollars per view. The library pays thousands of dollars per journal subscription. In 2011, McGill paid $12,224,900 for journals and research database access; thisrepresents more than 30 per cent of the Library budget. Open-access journals would make these costs a thing of the past.

Despite their expensive access fees, academic journals do not pay for the content they publish, and in many cases peer reviews are performed free of charge. Researchers must publish to stay relevant in their field, which is critical to job security.

Tenure awards and funding sources consider volume of work published as well as the work’s impact factor, measured by the number of other papers that cite it.

In an open-access world, academic papers would be free for readers. The idea behind the Open Acces Movement is that removing financial barriers to peer-reviewed material would create a more productive

exchange of ideas. Changing the cost structure of academic articles also appeals on a fundamental level, because it spreads scientific information.

Last month, McGill participated in a global event to raise awareness about the state of academic publishing. Open Access Week was conceived as a national day for open access in 2007 by two U.S. groups, and has grown every year since—in 2010, universities in 94 countries marked the event.

“It’s important for the community to think about what the ultimate results of their research will be. I would argue that most research-

ers want their work to be read by as many people as possible,” Amy Buckland, McGill library eScholarship, ePublishing, and Digitization coordinator, said.

The McGill library participated in the week by holding several small workshops and promoting McGill’s own open-access repository—eScholarship@Mcgill.

The Open Access Movement faces several important challenges, nincluding the tenure and promotion process, which favours older, established journals that other researchers are more likely to cite. Although some journals are now offering open-access versions of their publi-

cation, “many publications [currently] use restrictive copyright transfer agreements which prohibit researchers from making their work publicly available via their own website, or their institution’s repository,” Buckland said.

Another hurdle is financing open-access journals. One proposal is to charge researchers for cost of editing and publishing.

Widespread changes to academic publishing may be a long time coming. “[Open access faces] many challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy goal,” Buckland said.

Dream of being Will Shortz? Construct crosswords for the McGill Tribune. Email scitech@mcgilltribune.com

Curiosity delivers. |

science & technology

| Tuesday, November 6, 2012

SCIENCE

13

Researchers seek to unfog mysteries of hurricanes

Modelling eyewall formation may hold clues for predicting hurricane behaviour Kieran Steer Contributor Last week, Hurricane Sandy caused massive storms as far north as New England and Southern Ontario. Sandy’s aftermath is still making headlines across the East Coast.

Like many hurricanes and storms, Sandy’s early development seemed erratic and unruly; sources from the American Global Forecast System and other organizations in North America differed on predictions for the hurricane’s course.

M.K. ‘Peter’ Yau, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at McGill, has been working on models and methods for predicting hurricane development patterns, and possibilities of forecasting the changes in hurricane intensity.

Yau uses past hurricanes such as Andrew, Earl, Isabel, and Floyd, to create his models. He is largely involved in investigating eyewalls.

“A hurricane is a strongly rotating vortex… characterized by a … ring of convective clouds swirling around a clear eye in strong hurricanes,” Yau explains. This ring of convection is called the eyewall.

Yau explains that rotational waves in the hurricane move away from the eye, striking the edges of the eyewall and transferring momentum outward. Further from the centre of the hurricane, these rotational waves reach a distance where their interaction with the mean circulation of the vortex initiates a second eyewall outside the initial one.

This secondary eyewall formation happens frequently in hurricanes and makes their behaviour more difficult to forecast, since the process causes rapid changes in the intensity of a hurricane. Depending on where the eyewall occurs, the changes can be devastating.

“If the secondary eyewall forms when the hurricane makes landfall, the radius of [the high] wind and strong precipitation region can expand considerably to cause damage over a much wider area. Such was the case of Hurricane Katrina, when it [made] landfall over New Orleans,” Yau said.

Hurricane Sandy’s incredible impact was not due to secondary eyewall formation, but rather the combined effect of her size and interactions with the northern weather

The cross-section of a hurricane, with arrows showing the direction of wind. (hurricanescience.org) systems. As Sandy moved north towards the U.S., the winding-down hurricane met the mid-latitude system along the East Coast, forming a storm. “[T]here was a high pressure system over Newfoundland, which [steered] the storm to make landfall over a densely populated area, [causing] significant damage from flooding and strong winds.”

Yau’s computer models are

comprised of sets of partial differential equations “describing the changes of momentum, heat, mass and various cloud processes in a hurricane.” Using supercomputers and analysis techniques, he is able to simulate secondary eyewall formation.

“Our study is to simulate the hurricane eyewall replacement cycle, and to understand the processes involved to forecast the intensity

change of hurricanes.”

Modeling eyewall replacement cycles in hurricanes is a large step towards understanding these mysterious ‘super-storms’. The models open doors for studying parts of a hurricane that cannot normally be accessed, and have the potential to allow new levels of accuracy in predicting and forecasting hurricanes.

Technology

McGill lab uses novel technology to model human body Mechanical model of human GI tract, brain-seeking nanoparticles among research tools Nicole Weckman Contributor While most McGill students are likely more interested in finding free food than understanding the biological processes that allow them to digest it, researchers at McGill are using new technologies to examine digestion, and other important physiological processes.

To determine exactly how the body digests without using human test subjects, Professor Satya Prakash of the biomedical engineering department has developed a machine which models the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This rare, specialized equipment gives the Prakash lab an edge. “In North America, it’s the only one,” Prakash said. “I’m very proud of that!”

The human GI model is made up of five vessels connected by tubes. Each vessel models the conditions in a different stage of human digestion: the stomach, the small intestine, and the ascending, trans-

verse, and descending parts of the colon. Prakash uses computer controls to vary temperature, pH, and anaerobic conditions in the machine, adjusting these factors to reflect the real conditions found in the body.

Recently, the lab used the GI model to research probiotic bacteria, and how they are affected by the amount of time they spend in the GI tract.

While research using the in vitro human GI model is invaluable for studies such as the probiotics project, it is only one of the many interesting areas of research Prakash’s lab pursues. Another project gaining momentum is a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s which involves developing a platform to deliver drugs to the brain.

“We designed … a nanoparticle that has a special tag on it that can deliver through the blood brain barrier,” Prakash said. “It leads to a specific part of the brain so it can deliver a drug.”

Traditionally, it has been very

difficult to get drugs circulating in the blood across the blood-brain barrier. This is because the brain is equipped with extra defence mechanisms to keep out unidentified molecules. One way of overcoming this challenge is to use a targeted nanoparticle; these particles are small enough that, with the help of the targeting molecules on their surfaces, they can slip through the defences and reach the desired part of the brain. While Prakash’s current project is a nanoparticle designed to treat Alzheimer’s, by changing the target molecule, it could ultimately be directed to many different sites in the brain and used to treat a variety of diseases.

Given the breadth of research projects conducted in the lab—from probiotics to Alzheimer’s treatments—the team is drawn from a multitude of different backgrounds with a variety of experience. Although some supervisors would find it daunting to coordinate the diverse lab members, Prakash seems to revel

The blood-brain barrier. (http://911stroke.info/) in the interdisciplinary nature of his lab.

“In my group there are a physician, microbiologist, a biochemist, a chemist, a … chemical engineer,

Want to be the next Editor of Science and Technology?

Email scitech@mcgilltribune.com

a food scientist, … a mechanical engineer, [and] biolog[ist] ... These are the group member[s] that I have now. A different assortment, it’s fun!”

arts & entertainment theatre

Shakespeare’s masterpiece passes on to good hands

Persephone Production’s talented young cast create a powerful and accomplished performance

Hamlet (Christopher Moore) and Ophelia (Arielle Palik).

(Anna Katycheva / McGill Tribune) Julia Donahue Contributor When Gabriel Soskin founded Persephone Productions in 2000,

he intended for the non-profit theatre company to provide work opportunities for young performers.

Hamlet—a story of life and death, love and loss, and the epitome of human suffering—may be deemed a rather demanding play for such a young group, but it flows smoothly and elegantly, with noticeably masterful performances by several cast members.

Christopher Moore flourishes as Hamlet, and eloquently captures the prince’s inner torment with a thoughtful and mature performance.

Others, primarily Howard Rosenstein as Claudius, are overshadowed

by Moore’s powerful stage presence, appearing somewhat flustered on stage (Rosenstein appeared to forget his lines on multiple occasions).

However, even this unintentionally

contributes to the play—whereas Claudius fumbles to speak, Hamlet powerfully delivers his lines, emphasizing his confidence as Claudius buckles under the overwhelming guilt of responsibility for his brother’s murder.

Persephone Productions focuses on the spoken content of Shakespeare’s work, and less so on scenery and props. Rather than hinder the performance, this minimalist approach leads to a performance centred on the text.

The setting of the stage is entirely black, with very little ornamentation, drawing the audience’s focus directly to the actors. This bleak and simple setting also allows for discreet colour imagery throughout the play. The most striking of these contrasts occurs during Hamlet’s fa-

mous confrontation with Ophelia at the beginning of Act III. As the two meet in centre stage, Ophelia’s beautiful, floral white dress resembles a wedding gown, while Hamlet’s black ensemble seems fit for a funeral. Ophelia’s innocence sharply contrasts with Hamlet’s gloomy countenance, as the audience witnesses this confrontation between innocent hope and stale despair.

Ophelia’s transformation in itself is shocking, as Arielle Palik portrays Ophelia’s downfall into madness in a way that not only highlights her virtuosity as an actress, but strikes the audience as morbidly real. Throughout the play, Palik takes on the air of someone who is not simply acting, but actually living the part. Ophelia’s happiness, despair, love, and heartbreak brings

an extra emotional punch to the passionate performance.

Persephone Productions accomplishes a fine performance of Shakespeare’s most famous play, and their interpretation remains a must-see for both avid Hamlet fans as well as those who are less partial to Shakespeare’s works.

Regardless of the category in which you find yourself, take the time to enjoy this masterful performance. I can assure you that this will not be the last time you watch these gifted performers.

Hamlet runs from November 1 to 18 at the Calixa-Lavallée Theatre (3819 Calixa-Lavallée). Student admission is $15.

Music

Think you’ve heard the world? Think again

Annual music conference and festival explores meaning of ‘world music;’ caters to industry and fans alike Cecilie Jensen Contributor Nov. 13 marks the start of the second edition of Mundial Montreal, an annual conference and festival that brings together some of Canada’s finest world music artists.

This year’s festival showcases 33 home-grown and international performers, including Canaille, Heavy Soundz, and Delhi 2 Dublin. In addition, the event this year will feature a World Music Forum, which aims to encourage discussions about the current validity of world music in an age that is increasingly dominated by fusions of traditional genres with electronic sounds. In short, it promises three days of action-packed performances

and discussion groups (both free and ticketed), united under the common theme of celebrating and exploring world music as a genre.

Sebastien Nasra, the organizer of Mundial Montreal, emphasizes the festival’s importance as a professional networking platform. It enables world music artists to be introduced to the mass media and the public. With seven years of experience working with world music as a founder of M for Montreal—a music festival taking place concurrently with Mundial Montreal—Nasra is ideally suited to provide a working definition of what world music actually is.

“It’s a very broad question, and everybody has their own answer,” Nasra begins, hesitantly. He elaborates that the main mission of

could be good

MUSIC Eclats: Musical Journey Through Iran

Musical ensemble Constantinople brings traditional Iranian music to Montreal. With Eclats, the ensemble showcases classical Persian music, with special guests Pooria Pournazeri (tanbour), Amir Amiri (santûr), and Fariba Davoodi (vocals).

Constantinople performs Eclats on Nov. 9 at 9 p.m., in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ Salle Bourgie (1339 Sherbrooke St. West). Tickets are $18.75 for 30 years and under.

Mundial Montreal is to negotiate what world music is, and how it has evolved since it was first introduced some three decades ago.

It was in the 1980s that people largely began recognizing traditional music cultures normally associated with the indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Since then, however, the term ‘world music’ has evolved considerably. Nasra points to the Quebecois pop-electro musician Pierre Lapointe as an example of how broad and malleable the categorical label ‘world music’ has become.

“The funny thing is, for someone in New York, Pierre Lapointe is ‘world music’ because he sings in French,” Nasra says. “It’s not always just about the music sound, but the origins of the music or the art-

ist, and the perception of him or her in another market, in another place, with other eyes.”

Nasra’s words were still fresh in my mind when I spoke with Tarun Nayar from the Vancouver-based band Delhi 2 Dublin. The group’s five members boast an exotic mix of Indian, Irish, Scottish, and Korean origins. Their individual musical influences are largely reflected in their electro-infused melange of Bhangra, Reggae, Rock, and Celtic sounds.

I asked Nayar for his thoughts on world music as a genre, and how he sees Delhi 2 Dublin’s place in its context.

“If people want to call us world music, that’s fine, we call ourselves global mash-up or party music,” says Nayar. “A lot of world music traditionally has been authentic music

FILM MUSIC SPEAKER Rock Hudson and Doris Day: The Perfect The Burning Skies of Bogotá: New Music Concordia Conversations: Anna Gaskell Pair for Piano and Electronics from Colombia Film and photography artist Anna GasHudson and Day formed the original ro- Is an electro-acoustic concert in tandem kell, whose works frequently portray mantic comedy duo, and their on-screen with a light installation your idea of a femininity amidst foreboding, will be chemistry has reverberated throughout swell Friday evening? You’re in luck— in Montreal to take part in Concordia’s film history. Two Cinema du Parc docu- Colombian music’s avant-garde are out series of artist presentations. Gaskell’s mentaries examine her girl-next-door in force this week, with contemporary work is part of numerous permanent colpersona, and his hauntingly turbulent pieces performed by Daniel Áñez García lections worldwide, including New York’s personal life. on the piano, accompanied by Adam Ba- MoMA and London’s Tate Gallery. santa’s light show.

Sneak previews for Doris Day Superstar Gaskell will be speaking on Nov. 9 at and Rock Hudson: Dark and Handsome García and Basanta perform on Nov. 9 5:30 p.m., at Concordia’s DeSève CinStranger will be screening at Cinema du and 10 at 8 p.m., Montreal arts inter- ema (1400 de Maisonneuve West, Room Parc on November 8, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. culturels (3680, rue Jeanne-Mance). Stu- LB 125). Admission is free. dent admission is $15.

from Africa or authentic music from Ireland, and we’re not authentic, we’re not trying to do anything traditional at all­—we’re just doing whatever we want and having fun.”

It’s clear that world music, as a way to categorize artists, certainly remains up for negotiation. Whether you’re a hardcore world music fan longing to seize the unique opportunity Mundial Montreal offers, or just want to party to Delhi 2 Dublin’s “global mash-up,” Mundial Montreal offers plenty of events to satiate your musical appetite.

Mundial Montreal runs from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16. Tickets and showtime information is available at http://www.mundialmontreal.com/ en/

FILM Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) This year’s RIDM brings another set of documentary premieres to Montreal. Including masterclass workshops, roundtables, and special discussions open to both filmmakers and the public, the RIDM offers an ideal opportunity to catch up on some of the year’s best documentaries.

The 2012 RIDM takes place from Nov. 7 through 18. Ticket prices, theatre locations, and schedules can be found on http://www.ridm.qc.ca/en/

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

| Tuesday, November 6, 2012

15

Visual Arts

Defecation, death, detritus: a Catalan artist at work

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts hosts masterpieces of Antoni Tapies, a titan of modern art Joanna Schacter Contributor In February of this year, modern art lost an important figure. Of the hundreds of paintings, drawings, and prints left behind after Antoni Tàpies’ demise, more than 80 have been acquired by Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts due to the generosity of several donors. In Memoriam: Thirty-Three Prints and a Drawing by the Catalan Master will commemorate this prodigy’s “originality, richness, and depth.”

Essentially self-taught, Tàpies abandoned his legal studies in Barcelona to pursue art. Since 1945, he worked prolifically to create an unparalleled opus that would soon mark him as the leading artistic figure in post-war Spain. Working under Franco’s regime, a tumultuous period of brutal and bloody civil war and subsequent iron-fisted totalitarianism, Tàpies deals unapologetically with the unpleasant. Defecation, death, detritus: the dirty and dark are

not off-limits here, as the artist willingly shares.

Expect the exhibition to reflect Tàpies’ uniqueness and unconventionality. His lifelong exploration and experimentation with media characterized his work and led to his association with Art Informel, a movement that was centred on the expressive nature of materials and the creational process. Tàpies made exquisite use of some unorthodox approaches: embossing, collage, tearing, folding, cutting, impasto, and graffiti are all put to use. He also incorporates found objects, stones, earth, and footprints, similar to how Jackson Pollock would scatter items from his pockets over his paintings and walk through them.

Tàpies’ colour-blocking technique calls to mind the work of Rothko, who first used this method; his inclusion of writing, fine lines, shape, and striking contrasts recall Russian Suprematism, and other works by Malevich and Kandisky, though his paintings and multimedia have noth-

ing in common with these figures.

Tàpies’ style invokes avant-garde techniques that marked the 20th century and were pioneered by his most famous predecessors, but remains very much his own.

Discounting his fame and numerous awards, why care about this deceased, left-of-field artist? Having inherited the world of Picasso and Miró, Spanish artists of the mid-20th century were left with very large shoes to fill. Tàpies did much more than just fill them; he left behind a legacy of his own. Tàpies’ contribution to painting and printmaking is momentous, and the idea that his work was influenced by the philosophy and writings of Jean-Paul Sartre is nothing short of intriguing.

History, modernity, aesthetic beauty, and introspective thought converge in the artist’s works. Nothing is off limits, neither in theme nor media— creation and controversy are at the heart of this exhibit.

Untitled (1972). (Antoni Tàpies / Courtesy of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) In Memoriam: Thirty-Three Prints and a Drawing by the Catalan Master is on display at the MMFA’s

Graphic Arts Centre and runs until December 9, 2012. Free admission.

Music

Inlet Sound: folky, reflective, and romantics at heart Canadian group discusses everything from oxymoronic monikers, to being control freaks, to loving one’s job Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor Listening to The Romantics reminds me of hanging out with an old friend. The kind you can go months without seeing, but fall back into familiar rhythm in no time at all; the kind with whom you can tear up the town, or just sit on your bed, and have a great time either way.

The debut LP from Canada’s own Inlet Sound offers a rare mix of energy, quiet emotion, and sheer entertainment which eludes many albums. Catchy, upbeat songs, like “Magnetic North” and “Mademoiselle”—with plenty of references to lead singer and guitarist Michael Wexler’s hometown, Montreal— pull listeners in, while slower numbers like “Mail Order” or “Amber Skies” leave them feeling relaxed, if slightly reflective.

Inlet Sound first formed three years ago when Wexler met keyboardist Sean Hardy, living in a student house in Hamilton, Ontario.

From there, the band has experienced some turnover, ultimately adding Steven Gore (violin, mandolin), Curtis Murphy (bass), and Katie MacLean (drums, vocals) to the lineup. The group draws from diverse musical influences, including ‘70s folk revival, blues, and electronic.

This diversity led to the adoption of the group’s unique name.

“Because we come from fairly different musical backgrounds, we wanted something twofold,” says Wexler. “One, an homage to Canadiana a little bit, because there is still that folky element to us. And second-fold, we wanted to have a name that was reflective of convergence … and the image of an inlet or a sound—our name is kind of redundant in a sense, because an inlet and a sound are the same thing—was that visual imagery of things coming together.”

The name of the album, too, hints at their attitude towards music.

“Sean … threw it out there: ‘Why don’t we call it The Romantics?’” recalls Wexler. “It just seemed to be a perfect marker for all the … concepts of the idealization of youth, and romanticism and impending cynicism and all these things that come with growing up.…

It just seemed like a nice umbrella for what we were going for, plus it’s very grand-sounding, and that’s what we wanted to go for also.”

With comparisons being drawn to big names such as The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, and Mumford and Sons, Inlet Sound certainly delivers. Wexler cites working with Canadian producer Laurence

Currie (Sloan, Hey Rosetta!, Wintersleep) as a big reason for the recording process having gone as well as it did.

“It’s just a lot of fun to be around [Currie]. And I think another good thing from a creative standpoint is … [to] allow other ideas to come flow together and make it a little more of a collaborative effort … that was a really rewarding experience,” says Wexler.

However, what challenged Wexler the most was not knowing how, exactly, the project would turn out when all was said and done.

“Because [the recording process] was such a long stretch of time … we didn’t want to lose the idea that gave [the album] push from the beginning,” he admits. “It was kind of hard in the sense that … we had to see it change, and I guess that was the hardest thing, because we lose control a little bit; and I think I’m a bit of control freak sometimes, so to not really know how it was gonna change was both exciting and terrifying at the same time.”

The Romantics is very much a mix of the old and new, reworked Inlet Sound classics matched with completely new tracks written to fit the album’s grand, emotional, coming-of-age theme.

“We had about three or four

Inlet Sound embodies youth and its hard knocks. (www.divanorange.org) songs on the album that were old songs that we totally revisited, and then there were a whole bunch of other ones that were totally new … based on the concept that we had for this record and what we were going through,” says Wexler. “There are specific tracks on this record, like “Romantics I” and “[Romantics] II”, [that] come from a similar place and a similar concept both musically and emotionally. They’re supposed to be the thesis and antithesis to each other.”

For a band at the outset of their career, Inlet Sound are anything but amateur. As for the future, Wexler

keeps it simple.

“Growth in terms of being able to write and create different type of stuff,” says Wexler regarding the band’s future plans. “Growth in terms of being able to play to new audiences and new places, bigger audiences.… Just to be able to keep loving what we’re doing—because if you don’t love it any more, then it just doesn’t seem worth it; and right now we’re loving it.”

Inlet Sound plays at Divan Orange on Nov. 18 with Pugs and Crows. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admissions are $10.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012 |

Album

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

Visual Arts

Lessons from the past

reviews

Kendrick Lamar Good Kid m.A.A.d City

Trash Talk 119

Top Dawg / Aftermath / Interscope

Odd Future Records

Walking the line between mainstream and underground, Kendrick Lamar proudly raises the torch he was passed from West Coast legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Lamar, also a devoted fan of 2pac, brings these legendary influences together in a novel way in his latest release, Good Kid m.A.A.d. City.

Although several tracks can easily pass for commercial fare, they are not your typical rap project. Good Kid m.A.A.d. City is not for light listeners—it’s more of a concept album by nature. The story starts with Lamar’s adolescent sexual experience in his mother’s car, parked in the streets of L.A.’s Compton. From there, Lamar ties in strings of narrative birthed out of Compton’s streets, akin to 2pac’s “Rose That Grew From The Concrete.”

“Backseat Freestyle” is a flaunting of lyrical skill, with Lamar waxing poetics over a mix of bubblegum topics. The young rapper shows that he can be light-hearted too, but make no mistake about the socio-political exposé he crafts throughout this album. “Good Kid” and “m.A.A.d City,” featuring legendary artist MC Eiht, describe the city of Compton’s dual nature. In the former, Lamar analyzes the constant presence of gangs, the ‘wolves in the jungle,’ and in the latter, he paints the canvas of Compton and raps the ballad of ‘Kendrick AKA Compton’s human sacrifice.’ The track “Poetic Justice” also features Canada’s own Drake, providing his usual verse of seduction, with Lamar effortlessly sounding in. All these elements tie together in Lamar’s own story of Compton: the violence, the gangs, the girls, and the visions of celebrity.

Good Kid m.A.A.d. City, in the words of veteran rap artist Ghostface Killah, is a “game changer,” by someone who typifies the “pinnacle of [their] breed.” I echo this opinion. If you are not a fan of hip-hop, pay attention—Kendrick Lamar is planning to change your mind.

—Nazim Elnur

With 119, Trash Talk is at a pivotal point in their career, and somewhat of a paradox. The band have reached the top of the pile as far as Hardcore goes, teetering between too much fame to stay underground and just enough notoriety to spread the word. They’re constantly stirring up controversy, all the while preserving tradition, to the point that their act is practically canned. Trash Talk have mainstream clout, but Lee Spielman’s screamed vocals make it loud and clear that he isn’t looking to welcome the uninitiated into the club.

After signing to Odd Future’s record label (Trash Talk have contributed to some Odd Future tracks in the past), they’ve become an apt symbol of Internet-age fame. Now, the importance of having an ‘in’ with punk hero Keith Morris and being tied to a group of skate-rats with meme status are of comparable importance. On 119, Trash Talk manages to live up to both legacies: that of the original DIY rebels, and their tumblr-bred offspring.

“Exile on Broadway” is a blitzkrieg manifesto, decrying city filth with thrown-to-the-gutter gusto.

“Blossom and Burn,” featuring Hodgy and Tyler of Odd Future, is a slow-burning, gut-churning haunter, with gruesome rhetoric to match its haunted house arrangement. “Uncivil Disobedience” and its call to occupy, as well as songs like “For the Lesser Good,” reinterpret Punk’s ‘burn-it-down’ battle cry while including the addendum ‘build-it-up.’

Punk may be dead, but if Trash Talk has any say in it, Hardcore will stay alive and kickin’.

Controversial exhibit showcases early portrayals of Indigenous peoples

Jason Lytle Dept. of Disappearance Anti“I’ll crawl into the mountains, I’ll fall into obscurity/A phantom on the landscape, a memory of what used to be.” Nostalgia and longing—the voice and lyrics of Jason Lytle can’t be described without invoking these two sentiments.

Dept. of Disappearance, his latest album, is full of unknown ‘somewheres’ and ‘someones,’ finality and setting suns, disappearances and memories. The singer-songwriter earns his album title with emotive lyricism, and a sound that grasps at the listener.

The release begins with simple progressions and soft, yet assertive, breathy tones. While one could make the case that if you’ve heard the first song, you’ve heard the album, each one is arguably a distinct experience: Lytle’s strength is in his words and the sensations that they carry. Written, performed, recorded, and engineered by the artist, this album is distinctly his, and is rife with honest confessions and private musings that listeners feel fortunate to be privy to.

“Poetry set to music,” is perhaps a worn cliché to describe such eloquence, but remains an accurate one. Here is music to lie awake to; here are words to repeat in your head and mull over, images to linger upon. The ever-present undertones of nostalgia and longing instill a sense of incompleteness in the listener. Though strangely satisfying, there isn’t a single song here that will leave you without an anxious, aching, itching desire for more.

— Joanna Schacter

— Hannah Feinberg

Midterms got you down?

Take a break; procrastinate— Check out our new blog.

For more haikus, visit www.mcgilltribune.com/ae

Bear’s Belly - Arikara (1909). (Edward Curtis / www.atmarketmonitor.com).

Jitika Shah Contributor The McCord Museum is showcasing Edward Curtis, an early 20th century photographer, with an exhibit of images from his encyclopedia The North American Indian.

Sepia-hued photographs hang delicately on dark blue walls. Images fill the gallery: a young Mohave girl stares directly into the camera; three Apsaroke horseriders recede into the distance; an Arikara medicine man stands wrapped in his bear skin.

Between 1906 and 1930 Curtis resolved to photograph as many Indigenous peoples of North America as he could, as a way to preserve what was thought of as ‘the vanishing Indian.’ This belief developed from two circumstances: one was the rapid population decline caused by war, slavery, and diseases introduced by European immigration; the other was the program of forced assimilation of Indigenous peoples into mainstream society.

Curtis travelled throughout Canada and the United States, and took approximately 40,000 pictures.

Critics pointed out that he staged his photographs to show an idealized vision of Indigenous peoples—for example, by portraying horsemen wearing headdresses into battle when in fact these were only meant to be worn on very rare occasions, and the right to wear one had to be earned. Curtis received additional criticism for editing his shoots so that Western objects, like clocks, were removed from the final print.

His motive, however, did not seem exploitative—rather, aim was to

show Indigenous peoples in their original environment, as though untouched by European technological or economic influences.

In light of these criticisms, it is interesting to compare Curtis’ work to that of American photographer Timothy O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan is renowned not only for his American Civil War pictures but also for the realism in his images of Indigenous peoples. Instead of shooting portraits of subjects in ceremonial dress, a style that Curtis employed, O’Sullivan instead chose to photograph individuals as they appeared in their everyday life, even if they had a semblance of a Western influence in dress or artifact.

Keeping Timothy O’Sullivan’s work in mind when viewing the McCord exhibit makes for an interesting experience. There is a certain poignancy to the photographs because of Curtis’ naive attempt to sustain the idealized and romantic view of Indigenous peoples in his era.

At the same time, Curtis’ images of Indigenous peoples in their traditional milieu serve as a contrast to the current-day, when Indigenous peoples in cities remain invisible, but stereotypical images of them persist.

McCord’s exhibit is an invaluable opportunity for discussion of societal portrayals of Indigenous peoples, both past and present.

Edward Curtis: Beyond Measure runs until November 18 at the McCord Museum (690 Sherbrooke West.) Student admission $8; free admission every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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SPORTS FOR ‘Superteams’ It’s simple. The numbers don’t lie.

In this day and age, if you want to win an NBA championship, you need a starstudded lineup.

Many fans want to hang on to the notion that a championship can still be won with hard work, determination, and a solid foundation backed by a great coach. This idea worked as recently as the early 2000s, as evidenced by the Detroit Pistons. But in today’s NBA, talent surpasses everything else.

When the Miami Heat first assembled their trio of superstars, critics quickly jumped to the conclusion that the collection of egos and lack of team chemistry would prevent them from advancing deep into the playoffs. Despite all the criticism, the Heat managed to put together an impressive season and reached game seven of the NBA finals.

The more impressive feat was that they accomplished all of this in their first season as a team and with an inexperienced head coach.

The point is, even though the Heat lacked the coaching and team chemistry everyone said they needed to succeed, they still managed to be an NBA finalist by relying solely on talent. Then, last season (the second year of the big three), the Heat developed the little chemistry they needed and hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Many fans wonder how the league got to this point. How can just a few individuals dictate the outcome of a team sport? The truth is that there are a few ‘elite’ players in the league, and any of them can dominate a game and carry

their respective teams. Unfortunately, for the majority of the league’s teams, it’s these players who have sent the NBA along this ‘superteams’ course.

Take a look at what happened with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic last season. In less than a year, Howard managed not only to get his coach fired, but also his general manager, all while toying with Magic fans about whether he would stay or leave in the off-season—Quite frankly, he never planned on staying.

Once the offseason arrived, Howard had complete control over his future destination (the Los Angeles Lakers), should he become a free agent the year after. This put teams at risk for trading for him for one season, before seeing him leave in free agency. This is why teams need to build such stacked lineups. With stars controlling the dynamics of free agency and trading, it has become more important than ever to create enough cap space and to assemble other top talents to attract these athletes. Players like Howard and James want to play with their friends and play for contenders. Their desires can be turned into realities because they control the deck.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the top 15 players in the league play for four teams by the end of the decade. If you’re a basketball fan, you had better hope that your team gets in on that action.

Otherwise, the chances of your team winning a championship diminish to nil. ­— Michael Ghofrani

POINT

COUNTER POINT T

he NBA has recently seen an emergence of ‘superteams’ that feature small groups of incredibly talented players. As larger markets, such as Los Angeles and Miami, continue to attract these stars, the league loses parity. This begs the question of whether or not this strategy is necessary to win an NBA title. Two Tribune contributors weigh in...

VS winner

For

‘Superteams’

I

t’s becoming clear that teams without a small collection of superstars cannot compete for an NBA championship. After winning a title last season, the Miami Heat are a model from which large market teams wil strive towards in the future. Unfortunately for smaller markets that can’t attract as many big name stars, years of mediocrity await, while only a select few teams compete for championships year after year.

Against ‘Superteams’ ‘Superteams’ have become part of the NBA culture. Over the past couple of seasons, a number of teams have acquired some of the league’s best talent to play together. We all remember LeBron James’ infamous decision to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. More recently, we watched the Los Angeles Lakers acquire both Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to complement Kobe Bryant.

Yet, history has indicated that amassing talent is not a guaranteed path to the Larry O’Brien trophy. Regardless of the big names, it has been demonstrated countless times that, to succeed, a team must have the perfect alignment of team chemistry, a strong head coach, and players who fill certain roles.

The 1996-1997 Houston Rockets led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley were a favourite to win the championship. The 20032004 Los Angeles Lakers were basically a shoe-in for the title, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, along with stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

The 2010-2011 Miami Heat had the highest expectations placed upon them after signing both James and Bosh to join Wade. However, despite the teams’ superstar-heavy lineups, they all failed to hoist the trophy at the end of the season.

Furthermore, concentrating the NBA’s elite talent amongst a few teams is not in the league’s best interest. The NFL famously sports the “any given Sunday” approach, in which small market teams are in the mix for the title just as much as larger market teams. In the NFL, there is more parity, which is

something that the NBA needs. Nobody enjoys watching the Miami Heat absolutely beat down the Charlotte Bobcats.

Teams like Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Sacramento cannot compete with the likes of L.A., Miami, and Boston. The league becomes predictable and these smaller markets lose out on meaningful basketball.

Spreading the best talent between many teams, and having team-grown stars such as Bryant, Tim Duncan (of the San Antonio Spurs), Paul Pierce (from Boston), Kevin Durant (of the Oklahoma City Thunder), and Derrick Rose (with the Chicago Bulls), makes for a more interesting and competitive league, thus creating fiercer rivalries, and more loyal fan bases. The satisfaction of watching Michael Jordan lead the city of Chicago to a championship after seven tough years, of Hakeem Olajuwon finally breaking through for Houston, or Dirk Nowitzki carrying his team to the top after toiling for 12 years in Dallas, are the truly inspirational stories and are etched into basketball legend. Taking a shortcut and being disloyal to fans by forming a ‘superteam’ appears pathetic and dishonours the game of basketball.

Ultimately, while the big names may fill seats and garner television viewers, winning a championship still boils down to the basics of basketball: great team chemistry and the right conditions.

History has shown that meshing talent together to form a ‘superteam’ does not necessarily guarantee a championship.

It’s more important to play basketball the right way.

— Remi Lu

FOOTBALL — Laval 46, Redmen 9 (RSEQ Semifinal)

Goliath prevails: Laval ends Redmen season High hopes for program’s future after first playoff appearance since 2006 Adam Sadinsky Managing Editor Occasionally, David beats Goliath, but usually the bigger, stronger, better force has its way. Such was the case on Saturday afternoon as the Redmen saw their season come to an end in a 46-9 loss to the Laval Rouge-et-Or. Playing in its first playoff game since 2006, with only a 2-7 record, McGill was outmatched by a Laval squad that has captured two Vanier Cups in the same time period. Though the Redmen will rue what could have been if not for some key missed opportunities, making the playoffs this season has been a big step towards renewed prominence.

Despite the significant gap in talent between the two sides, McGill

held its own in the first half, showing some of the promise that has been evident at times for the developing team. The Redmen jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 41-yard field goal by Sammy Rassy. Rassy would prove to be McGill’s highest—and only—scorer in the game, adding two more field goals in the first half, from 40 and 33 yards respectively.

The turning point in the half, and the game, came seven minutes into the first quarter. Tied 3-3, McGill seemed to have taken advantage of a back-and-forth field position battle when Redmen punter Thomas Silva pinned the Rouge-et-Or on their seven-yard line. However, the Redmen’s positive momentum was lost on the first play of the ensuing drive, as Laval quarterback Tristan Grenon connected with J.S. Haidara

for a 103-yard touchdown pass. The score put Laval up 10-3, a lead that would never be relinquished. Laval added another major score, and McGill conceded a safety to make the halftime score 19-9.

The second half was marked by missed opportunities for the Redmen, which allowed Laval to blow the game wide open. The third quarter began on a positive note for McGill, who stopped Laval on their first drive of the half. Rookie running back Guimot Mota exploded for a 37-yard run that placed McGill in the Rouge-et-Or red zone with a prime chance to cut into the Laval lead. However, the Redmen were forced to kick a field goal, which Rassy missed off the left upright.

McGill missed another opportunity after stopping Laval running back

Guillaume Bourassa for an eightyard loss. A roughing the passer penalty on the next play erased the positive defensive play, and the drive culminated in another Rouge et Or touchdown. Laval added 20 points in the final quarter for a final score of 46-9.

Despite two interceptions, McGill quarterback Jonathan Collin completed 20 passes for a total of 215 yards. Nearly half of those went to Dallon Kuprowski, who hauled in 116 yards in the loss. Laval, however, was able to crush the Redmen both in the air and on the ground, totaling 342 passing and 260 rushing yards.

As another season concludes for McGill, it seems that hope has been restored within the club. RSEQ all-stars Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

and Shaquille Johnson will both return next season and could lead the team to even greater success.

Despite a 2-7 record in 2012, the Redmen can take solace in the fact the team played hard against teams of much higher quality, and lost close games to those lower in the standings. Though reaching the level of the Rouge-et-Or in the near future is unlikely, gradual progress will be enough for a team far removed from its greatest days.

Laval will take to its home field again next Saturday in the Dunsmore Cup, welcoming the Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or in the RSEQ championship. The winner advances to the Uteck Bowl, one of two national semifinals before the Vanier Cup on Nov. 23.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

Hockey — Redmen 5, Waterloo 2

Fast start key in battle; Redmen defeat Waterloo

McGill extends winning streak to five games; Redmen goalie Hubert Morin makes key saves to preserve win David Stein Contributor In the wake of a thrilling victory over the York Lions on Friday, the Redmen were back in action on Saturday evening to take on the Waterloo Warriors at McConnell Arena. From the drop of the puck it was clear that the men in red carried the momentum they had established a day earlier, as they defeated the Warriors 5-2.

McGill (5-3) came out flying, and remarkably capitalized twice in the first three minutes of the game.

Patrick Delisle-Houde scored the fastest goal in Redmen history— only 16 seconds in—while Mathieu Pompei followed up with his first of the year, just two minutes later. The initial tally materialized when the puck was dumped into the attacking zone off the opening face-off.

Delisle-Houde pounced on a juicy rebound and stuffed it into the open cage. The goal invigorated the team as well as the large crowd. The Redmen outshot Waterloo (5-3) 13-6 in the first period, en-route to a strong

Marc-Olivier Vachon led McGill with three points in the victory. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune) 3-0 lead.

In the second frame, McGill found itself in a bit of penalty trouble, but Redmen goaltender Hubert Morin was able to weather the storm for his teammates. He carried them through to the end of the period with a total of 11 saves, allowing just one goal. In particular, he answered the call on several occasions when the Warriors had the Redmen defencemen on their heels, deep in the zone.

After the game, he talked about his

performance and applauded his teammates’ effort on the penalty kill.

“The goalie has to step up when there is a [penalty kill],” Morin said. “[My teammates were] blocking shots, cutting the line, and doing a great job in front of me.”

Waterloo made things interesting in the third period as defenceman Steve Whitely cut McGill’s lead to 3-2. However, the Redmen persevered during the gut-wrenching moments of play as the Warriors

pressed for the tying goal. The Redmen exemplified this determination by scoring two insurance goals in the final two minutes of the game.

Marc-Olivier Vachon assisted both of these goals to cap off a three-point night, holding onto his status as McGill’s leading scorer. Vachon was named the first star of the game, but complemented his teammates’ abilities to finish plays.

“I have to give credit to my teammates, because they’re the guys

that put it in the goal,” Vachon said.

Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes was pleased with his team’s effort and mentioned that McGill’s quick start helped pave the way to the victory.

“We wanted to get on [the Warriors] early,” he said. “They played Trois-Rivières into overtime last night and had a three hour bus ride afterwards, so we wanted to get off to a quick start.”

Nobes also noted that the team’s fatigue helped Waterloo generate some chances midway through the game. Fortunately, Morin was on his game.

“We stopped moving our feet a bit in second period but got back in it in the third,” he said. “Hubert [Morin] had another solid night tonight, in particular in the second period.”

The Redmen now have an opportunity to rest and recuperate for a few days before they hit the road to take on the Western Mustangs in a national championship rematch on Nov. 9 in London, Ontario.

Volleyball — Montreal 3, Martlets 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-19)

Size does matter: Carabins ruin Martlet home opener Montreal’s front line dominates net play; McGill battling early season injuries Peter Laing Contributor Size and experience proved to be the difference as the Montreal Carabins shut out the McGill Martlets three sets to none in the Martlets’ home opener on Sunday afternoon at Love Competition Hall.

The Martlets (3-3) kept it close in the first half of the first set, but Montreal (4-2) went on a scoring run from which McGill could not recover. The Carabins effectively used their towering front row to limit McGill’s ability to penetrate the block, holding the Martlets to just 15 points in the set.

The rest of the game played out in the same way, with the Carabins’ front row outmatching the Martlets, and forcing McGill to commit errors that led to easy Montreal points. The match concluded with Carabins defeating the Martlets 25-15, 25–17, 25–19.

In order to overcome the size difference, McGill planned to use their excellent defence to prevent the Carabins’ from receiving easy balls on serves. Martlet captain Geneviève Plante still believes the team can overcome Montreal’s front row,

as long as the team is disciplined on defence.

“In volleyball, size is [obviously] important. But if you play smart, no matter who is the bigger team, you can put them in trouble. For example, Montreal can be bigger at the net but are they better in the back row? Not necessarily,” Plante said.

However, Plante was quick to explain that the game plan didn’t pan out the way McGill had intended.

“We are a good defensive team, but we didn’t show up as we usually do in practice and other games,” she said.

Head Coach Rachele Believeau noted that neither part of the Martlets’ strategy came to fruition during the match.

“We were going to try to serve really tough today, but unfortunately we did miss a lot,” Believeau said.

“We have to put pressure [on their passers], and this is what we didn’t do well.”

Despite the Carabins’ dominance, the Martlets did show small flashes of brilliance on the court. On a few occasions, McGill setter Marcela Mansure put over short volleys, fooling the Montreal backcourt.

Rookie power hitter Ashley Norfleet

led the McGill attack, interchanging cross-court and line attacks. Most importantly, the Martlets’ morale never seemed to fade. The ‘Sea of Red’ in the stands was part of the reason, as they supported their Martlets loudly and passionately throughout the game.

After last year’s squad finished the season with a bronze medal at the CIS national championships, the current edition of the Martlets has large shoes to fill. The team features six new faces, who must quickly overcome the steep learning curve that comes with the first year of varsity play.

“We have a lot of new players,” Believau explained. “Technically and tactically, the game for them is at a whole new level.”

Inexperience may plague the Martlets, especially because they play in one of the country’s toughest divisions. With two of McGill’s divisional opponents, Laval and Montreal, ranking in the CIS Top 10, this season will be no easy ride for the Martlets.

However, with McGill’s winningest coach at the helm, the team is in good hands. Beliveau, a former Olympian, has a simple answer to

Marie-Christine Lapointe rises for the spike. (Mike King / McGill Tribune) the team’s challenges.

“We have good potential … we are dealing with a lot of injuries.

We’ve lost three key players at the beginning of the season and have players playing positions they never

have before,” she said. “This forces us to re-stabilize. We are going to have to be patient.”

The Martlets will look to rebound when they take the court to play Laval on Nov. 9.

Curiosity delivers. |

sports

| Tuesday, November 6, 2012

SOCCER — Sherbrooke 2, Martlets 1 (5-3 on Penalties)

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Promising season ends too soon; Martlets eliminated McGill loses in penalty shootout; young core still intact for next season Jeff Downey Sports Editor The 2012 soccer season ended tragically for the Martlets on Friday night, as they lost on penalty kicks to the Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or in the RSEQ semifinals.

McGill’s Hannah Rivkin put the Martlets ahead 1-0 in the 34th minute, before Sherbrooke’s MarieEve Jacques tied the game just before the halftime whistle.

Following an uneventful second half and two 15 minute overtime periods, the game headed to penalty kicks—where Sherbrooke ultimately prevailed 5-3.

Head Coach Marc Mounicot weighed in on many aspects of Martlets’ season, including the difficult penalty kick loss (PK) on Friday.

“It’s always difficult to lose on PKs because you have no real control, and a lot of it is just about emotions [rather than] execution. We prepared well for them, have won many times on PKs in recent years, and we were confident and ready for

them,” Mounicot said.

Julia Bahen, a graduating midfielder, played her last outdoor game for the Martlets in the loss. She seconded Mounicot’s disappointment, but lauded the overall focus.

“Penalty kicks are such a difficult way to decide a game. [But] I think we can take pride in the fact we stayed concentrated for the entire game, including the 30 minutes of extra time, and prevented Sherbrooke from scoring any further goals.”

What made the loss even more distressing was that just moments prior to the lone Vert-et-Or goal, Sherbrooke forward Chloé Belhumeur-Limoges blasted a shot at Martlet keeper Victoria Muccilli, sending her out of the game as she exhibited concussion-like symptoms. In a controversial decision, the referee reached only for a yellow card against the offending player, rather than a red. This decision helped pave the way for the Sherbrooke victory. Belhumeur-Limoges potted the final tally for Sherbrooke

during the penalty kicks.

McGill missed Muccilli in the penalty kicks, as she excels in this area.

“The worst is that we had to play without Muccilli after 45 minutes. [Substitute Aidan] Mahoney did great and had a few key saves, but Muccilli is a great keeper on PKs, and has won a few games over her first three years with us in those special conditions,” Mounicot said.

Despite the semifinal loss, Coach Mounicot was quick to point out that the campaign was still a strong one for the Martlets, full of many impressive feats.

“Our season started very well.

We were undefeated so long and we dominated all teams we faced all season, outshooting the opposition in every single game,” Mounicot said. “We scored more goals than the last three seasons and had the best defence in our conference.”

In the end, a few crucial injuries and an inability to finish hurt the Martlets during the season.

“The low point, which cost us

first place, was the two negative results back-to-back versus Concordia. [Here again] we had to play without Muccilli and [Zoe] Fasoulakis for a while. We were not sharp enough in our finishing. Some girls worked hard, but needed to be more composed in front of the net in important situations,” Mounicot said.

“After the fourth game, we never had everyone healthy. Even if we have good depth, as a coach, you are looking to start the same team most or your games.”

The Martlets’ future is quite promising, as they fielded a young team all season. Only two players, Bahen and Alexandra Armstrong, are expected to graduate. This youth provides an exciting core for upcoming campaigns.

“The team is young, and some have a nice future,” Mounicot said.

“Fasoulakis was strong all season.

[Rookie Julia] Conzon was a playing a position she never played before and did great. [Captain Bahar] Sansar … is a natural leader and a great player. [Hannah] Rivkin and

[Meghan] Bourque were excellent as midfielders. Then you have [Kelsey] Wilson, who never played at her full potential coming back from surgery, and [Alexandria] Hoyte, 2011 CIS rookie of the year. All of whom will be back next season.”

Coach Mounicot concluded by praising the graduating girls and their contributions to the team.

“They have grown as better players and nice women, supporting the young ones and being role models. They have been great in the locker room and it was a pleasure to coach them for four years and to see them become such great individuals.”

Bahen was sentimental about her time as a Martlet.

“Being a Martlet has meant a lot to me. I’ve had a family away from home since first year. ...I think women’s soccer is a very strong program at McGill and a lot can be expected from this team in the future.

With so many young players, there is a lot of potential and room to grow as the team progresses together.”

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SPORTS

Lacrosse — CUFLA Championship

McGill wins first Baggataway Cup in school history Redmen defeat Mustangs in double overtime; Brandon McLean named tournament MVP Steven Lampert Sports Editor Despite qualifying for the CUFLA semifinal five out of the past six seasons, the McGill Redmen lacrosse team has been used to disappointment. Frustration turned into fuel for these Redmen, who were determined to claim a title this past weekend at the CUFLA championship in Peterborough, Ontario. This time, they didn’t disappoint, and returned to Montreal with a Bagattaway Cup. After winning a thrilling 9-8 semifinal match against the Guelph Gryphons, McGill earned its first CUFLA national championship in school history by defeating the Western Mustangs 7-6 in overtime.

Redmen Head Coach Tim Murdoch, who just completed his 10th season with McGill, was emotional after finally completing his championship goal.

“It was quite amazing … when we won it, I sprinted over to [co-captain] Jishan [Sharples] to give him a big hug while the rest of the team was over at the other end of the field around our goalie [Riley McGillis],” Murdoch said. “It was surreal. It was an emotional moment.”

The weekend was filled with emotional highs and lows. The Redmen were on the verge of another frustrating finish, flirting with elimination in the semifinals against

Head Coach Tim Murdoch hoists the Baggataway Cup, as the Redmen celebrate their title. (Kevin Caplice) Guelph. The Gryphons built a twogoal lead in the game’s final quarter.

McGill pressed for scoring chances, but Guelph continually stalled their attack. With just 80 seconds remaining, second-year attackman Alex Rohrbach tallied a marker to cut the lead to one. 20 seconds later, Sharples added one more to complete the comeback. However, the Redmen weren’t finished, as Brandon McLean—later named the tournament MVP—fired a shot into Guelph’s net with only four seconds on the clock, and sent McGill to the CUFLA final.

Murdoch was confident that his team had the perseverance to come back, even when facing a two-goal

deficit with just a few minutes remaining in the contest.

“I’ve been coaching and playing lacrosse for many years … the beauty of the game is that it’s never impossible to come back. You never need that much time to score goals,” he said. “Frankly, I was [only] hoping to get to overtime, but we managed to get that last goal to avoid overtime.”

Despite overcoming the semifinal hurdle, the Redmen were determined to stave off disappointment once more to finally claim a national championship. They were in tough against Western, who boasted the best defence in Canada during the season. The Redmen came out flat in

the first half, trailing 3-1, but fought their way back to build a two-goal lead in the fourth quarter.

After being in Western’s situation the game before, McGill knew that anything was possible. Despite trying to kill time, the Redmen were given an unsportsmanlike penalty after challenging a missed slashing call. The Mustangs took full advantage and scored twice, notching the tying goal with just six seconds remaining.

As the game headed into overtime, McGill looked for its senior leaders and captains to step up.

Sharples rose to the occasion. After making an incredible move to the front of the Western net, he leapt

and buried a shot past the Mustangs’ goalie, giving McGill the 7-6 lead.

After milking the little time that remained, the Redmen rushed the field and claimed the Baggataway Cup. Murdoch praised Sharples’ efforts in the game, and mentioned the confidence he’d had in his star player throughout his career with McGill. “[Sharples is] a terrific player.

The reason you think you can win games like that is because of players like him,” Murdoch said. “He’s a clutch player and you want to get him the ball at the end of the game.

He did it time and time again for us.”

The Redmen will lose some key players to graduation—chief amongst them Sharples, all-time leading scorer Ryan Besse, and defencemen and all-Canadians Kyle Robinson and Jeff O’Neill. However, Murdoch is excited about his young core and feels like the team is poised to be a force in CUFLA for the forseeable future.

“I think we have the potential to build a dynasty, even though that word may not be appropriate because we’ve only won one championship. We’ve built a program that is durable and strong from a recruiting and financial standpoint. I think it’s a formula that will prepare us extremely well for the future,” he said. “We want to win more national championships. This is just the beginning. We’re not done at all.”

Inside

Football and soccer playoffs

NBA superteams point/counterpoint Images provided by Kevin Caplice

martlet volleyball

Redmen hockey