McGill Tribune Issue 16

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 16

TRIBUNE THE mcgill

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Tuesday, January 22, 2012

McGill’s faculty of arts puts 100 courses on the line Students and AGSEM teaching union condemn the decision for lack of consultation, unclear motivations

The faculty is looking to reduce classes with under 20 people; full-time professors will now teach larger classes. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) Erica Friesen News Editor McGill’s faculty of arts plans to offer up to 100 fewer courses for the 2013-2014 academic year by reducing the number of faculty and course lecturer positions, according to an announcement at last Wednesday’s faculty meeting.

The faculty offered 1,200 courses this year. Funds made available by the 8 per cent reduction in courses are slated to go towards internships, advising, and increased numbers of positions for teaching assistants (TAs).

According to Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi, the decision has been under consideration since September 2012.

“Students have consistently

indicated that they want more access to our full-time, permanent faculty,” Manfredi said. “This process will bring more students in contact with full-time permanent professors without significantly increasing average class sizes in the faculty.”

Manfredi said courses will not necessarily be “cut,” but that fewer will be offered each academic year.

Each department will individually decide how to reduce the number of courses they offer—for example, courses with lower enrollment may be rotated on a two or three year basis.

“In the very unlikely event that a student finds him or herself unable to meet program requirements for this reason, accommodations will of course be found,” he said.

Manfredi reiterated that these

changes will not increase class size.

“We’re focusing on [reducing the number of] very small classes so we can reallocate those resources … to make the courses that are already large slightly smaller,” he said.

“Then we will provide more teaching assistantships so we can reduce the ratio of students per teaching assistant.”

AGSEM—the union that represents McGill TAs, invigilators, course lecturers, and instructors— was not given any prior notice of the decision, according to AGSEM President Lilian Radovac. Radovac expressed concern at the suggestion that lecturer positions can be filled

by TAs. “They’re really demoting the idea of what course lecturers are, and devaluing what we do,” she

said. “A [TA] may only have a BA, as opposed to someone with a Ph.D in their field. Is that the same quality of education?”

In addition, some students have suggested that the move will be detrimental to their educational experience at McGill. Arts Senator James Gutman criticized the university for reducing the amount of human interaction in the classroom. He pointed towards universities in other provinces that have made more courses available online as a possible long-term result of this attitude toward teaching at McGill.

“If you look at what’s being cut, it’s [the] smaller courses, and so there’s already a move in that direction,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a big leap between being in a class of 300 and just doing your research

online.”

However, there could be more immediate consequences of the decision. While Manfredi said the decision will reduce total enrolment in arts courses by no more than three per cent, students already face long waitlists during course registration.

For example, 286 waitlist positions were occupied in the department of political science alone on Monday— the day before Add/Drop period ended this semester.

Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Vice-President Academic Tom Zheng said he was “saddened and concerned” by the announcement.

“Fundamentally, I believe that the variety of courses offered in See “Arts courses cut” on p. 2

NEWS Continued from cover

Arts courses cut Arts needs to be protected,” he said.

“While putting the money saved from the cuts into funding for fulltime faculty members and TAs is a sound action, it should not come under the expense of sacrificing course diversity in [the faculty of] arts.”

Tonight, the AUS will hold a Town Hall, where Manfredi will discuss the decision and answer questions from students.

Manfredi emphasized that the faculty’s decision is purely structural. He told the Tribune that the restructuring has nothing to do with the provincial government’s $19 million cuts to McGill’s operating budget. According to Manfredi, the provincial government announced the budget cuts months after the faculty began discussing this step.

“Budget cuts, if any, would have real consequences [on the faculty], but the faculty would face those consequences whether or not it was engaged in the current process of streamlining its teaching offerings,” he said.

Gutman noted that the university was unclear about the motivations behind the reductions. He said Manfredi addressed the arts reductions and the recent budget cuts in the same speech, but didn’t connect them directly.

“The worst case scenario is that they’re going after [course and faculty lecturers] for ideological rea-

sons,” he said. “I asked during the meeting if this was punishment for unionizing [in August 2012]. Manfredi said ‘no.’ ” Radovic, however, said she was skeptical about the administration’s claim that the budget cuts are unrelated to these reductions. Quebec universities, including McGill, claim to have had no prior knowledge of the budget cuts before they were announced on Dec. 6, 2012.

“It seems very unlikely to me that the university would have had no knowledge of any kind of forthcoming education cuts prior to when they were announced in December,” she said.

Radovac also questioned the sudden reallocation of funds towards TAs, when the university has consistently decreased TA hours for years.

She added that the reallocation of funds to internships and advising would ultimately “take money out of the classroom.”

“If the university, as it claims, has no choice but to implement these radical cuts, at least be honest about it—say students are going to get less teaching support,” she said. “Don’t try to make it look like you’re going to make up the difference in another area.”

Radovac said AGSEM is currently working to raise awareness about the decision and will work with students to have the cuts revoked.

faculty of arts

Number of courses to be cut

1,200

courses are offered by the Faculty of Arts

443

courses have under 20 students in the faculty of arts

100 Information from Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi Infographic by Susanne Wang

Come to News meetings!

Mondays at 5:30 in Shatner 110

courses will be cut in the 2013-2014 year

campus

Campaigning begins for Daily Publication Society Some students call for fee to be made opt-outable

Both The McGill Daily and Le Délit will be affected by the upcoming referendum. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) Jessica Fu Contributor Campaigning began last Friday for the existence referendum of the Daily Publication Society (DPS), which includes both The McGill Daily and Le Délit. Polling is scheduled to run between Jan. 23 and Jan. 31, when the results will be announced.

The referendum question asks students to support the DPS’s existence, which is established through its Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the university. An MoA details the contractual relationship between a student group or association and McGill, and covers arrangements such as lease space and the collection of student fees.

McGill requires that Independent Student Groups hold a referendum once every five years. To be declared valid, voter turnout during the referendum must reach five per cent of the DPS’s members (all graduate and undergraduate students at McGill). Otherwise, the DPS constitution mandates that another referendum must be held before the MoA can be renewed.

According to Faraz Alidina, the DPS’s chief electoral officer, the referendum question underwent a “rigorous tripartite approval process” in order to ensure that the question is “constitutional, interpretable, fair, and appropriate,” and that the administration will accept the results.

This means that the DPS Board of

Directors, the office of the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), and Elections DPS have all examined and approved the question.

“The McGill Daily and Le Délit [provide] a forum for students to express their opinions and keep informed of important campus events,” the referendum question reads. “A free and critical press is essential to a vibrant campus society and a healthy democracy.”

Although most student groups run referenda through the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the DPS decided to run its referendum independently. DPS Chair Sheehan Moore is also the Chair of the “Yes” committee—an official group that campaigns on campus for students to vote in favour of the DPS’s existence.

“Since we’re not a SSMU organization, and since our membership exceeds that of SSMU, it doesn’t make much sense to ask our existence question through them,” Moore said. “The campaign procedures and voting system are very similar to SSMU’s, and there’s the added benefit that we’re able to poll not just undergraduates, but also our graduate student members.”

Although a “No” committee has not been formed to campaign against the referendum, some students oppose the continued existence of the DPS. Greg Frame, U3 arts, said he intends to vote “no” on the referendum.

“I don’t think the McGill Daily,

at present, succeeds in starting an earnest conversation between people of different political or philosophical beliefs, [and] regularly compromises nuance in favour of ideological coherence,” he said. “I believe that news is a public good, and absolutely should be publically funded; but the McGill Daily seems much more committed to promoting a political ideology, rather than dispassionately informing the student body and beginning a debate.”

According to Moore, the DPS already makes itself accountable to students by holding annual meetings, which are open to all members of the DPS. “Existence referenda were created recently by the administration in the name of ‘accountability,’ but in fact, all these do is derail the time and resources of student groups that are already accountable to students,” Moore said.

Frame said he has spoken with people who have been to DPS meetings, but doesn’t think they are the correct venue to voice his concerns.

“There’s a sentiment on the Daily editorial staff—as far as I’ve been able to glean—that makes the articulation of a broader viewpoint very difficult,” he said. “It’s not something that can be changed at a meeting.”

Students can vote using an online voting system. The link will be sent out on Jan. 23.

the tribune is accepting applications for

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news

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

campus

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Statement of values to replace provisional protocol

Announcement comes after letter from Canadian Civil Liberties Association outlines freedom of speech concerns Bea Britneff News Editor The McGill administration will replace the draft protocol regarding demonstrations, protests, and occupations with a new “statement of values and principles” concerning freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly on campus. This plan was announced last Wednesday by Provost Anthony Masi and Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance) Michael Di Grappa.

The draft protocol developed from a provisional protocol implemented on Feb. 12, 2012, following a five-day student occupation of the sixth floor of the James Administration Building. The draft protocol, released to the McGill community on Nov. 30, outlined parameters for how protests and similar activities may occur on McGill premises, and under what circumstances they would, or would not be condoned.

Critics of the draft protocol, including several campus and students

unions, condemned the document as vague, open to interpretation, and squashing political dissent.

Di Grappa and Masi’s decision to change course follows a community consultation process that began Nov. 30, 2012, and involved submissions to a confidential email address.

“As a result of these consultations, it has become evident that further discussion on this complex issue would be helpful, and, that in addition to written submission, different types of exchanges on this matter would be welcome before final decisions will be made,” the email reads.

In an interview with the Tribune, Di Grappa explained that the new statement of values and principles will, in fact, be similar to the preamble of the draft protocol, which defines the freedoms that students have on campus. “[The new statement] is meant … to basically set out a context for … the values and principles that we share as a community here at Mc-

Gill,” Di Grappa said. “What we’ve noticed is that other universities have [such a statement] … and so we thought that it was important to have something like that.”

The administration’s decision also came eight days after the public release of a letter addressed to Di Grappa and Masi, written by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). The letter outlined the CCLA’s four primary concerns about the content and language of the draft protocol.

“The implication [of the protocol] is that events that are simply disruptive or cause some level of inconvenience are not peaceful,” the letter says. “This is a misleading approach. Inconvenience and disruption are to be expected and will not (and should not) be the subject of sanctions.”

The letter also expressed the CCLA’s concerns with the draft protocol’s implied a policy of punishing multiple protestors for the actions of only a few.

“Determining that an assembly of dozens or hundreds of students is not peaceful because one of two individuals engage in [violent] behaviour is quite problematic,” the letter reads. “It results in guilt by association and does not recognize the collective nature of freedom of association and peaceful assembly.”

Di Grappa said that the decision was not greatly affected by the CCLA’s letter, and that he and Masi have not responded to the message.

Cara Zwibel, director of the CCLA’s Fundamental Freedoms Program, and the signatory of the letter released by the CCLA, said she thought Di Grappa and Masi’s decision to prepare a new statement was a “positive step.”

“I know that [the CCLA] obviously weren’t the only ones … that expressed concerns about the protocol, so I think it’s great that [the McGill administration has] been responsive, and [is] recognizing that [the protocol] is probably not the best way to go about things,” she

told the Tribune.

“It will be interesting to see what happens at McGill in terms of the articulation of these principles, but then also how they’re actually implemented when it comes to … demonstrations and occupations and protests on campus,” Zwibel added.

According to Di Grappa and Masi’s email, the new statement of principles will be released to the McGill community shortly after a Senate meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Di Grappa said that he will make some remarks concerning the consultation process for the new document at Senate.

The consultation process— which will include consultation fairs and an electronic forum—has been extended until Mar. 8, after which the document will be brought to the Senate and the Board of Governors for “final deliberations.”

Di Grappa confirmed that the provisional protocol implemented in Feb. 2012 remains in effect until further notice.

campus

Douglas Hall to close for renovations during 2013-2014 McGill’s historic residence to undergo exterior, interior upgrades; costs expected to run upwards of $13 million Bea Britneff News Editor Douglas Hall, McGill’s oldest student residence, will close for renovations during the 2013-2014 academic year. According to Robert Stanley, director of project management for McGill’s Facilities Operations and Development office, they are scheduled to begin in May, and should be completed in July 2014.

According to Stanley, the project has been planned for several years. The upgrades to Douglas Hall are part of a four-year period of renovations to McGill’s residences, intended to “modernize facilities and address outstanding deferred maintenance issues.”

Stanley added that the upgrades to Douglas Hall are possible because of the newly available rooms at La Citadelle, a residence which opened last September. Douglas Hall normally houses 179 students, but will remain vacant for the 2013-2014 school year.

Stanley, Douglas Hall Director Michael Hoover, and McGill Residences and Student Housing (MRSH) Executive Director Michael Porritt confirmed that the renovations are not a result of urgent safety concerns, but rather an effort to modernize the existing infrastructure. According to Hoover and Por-

ritt, the building’s systems are in need of replacement and repair.

“The building was built in the mid 1920s, and it has not had very much work done to it beyond daily maintenance,” Porritt said.

“We are beginning to have leaks from the roof, and from cracks in the masonry,” Hoover said. “The repairs to the chimneys last year revealed that the problems … were more serious than we had thought.

The sense is that [the renovations] really cannot be put off any longer.”

The majority of the work will be done to Douglas Hall’s exterior.

Plans include replacing the slate and copper roof, restoring or replacing all the windows, and repairing the masonry. “[The] new windows and casements … should increase the energy efficiency of the building, as well as making sure it remains weatherproof,” Hoover said.

The interior of the residence will also undergo extensive upgrades, including an improved ventilation system in the bathrooms, new furniture, and an expanded kitchen area in the basement.

According to Porritt, the majority of the furniture in the building will also be replaced, the kitchen will be upgraded and modernized, and the student kitchen area in the basement will be expanded.

“The building will look very close to its condition in the mid1920’s,” Porritt said. “[There will not be] any major changes in the function of any areas.”

“There is every effort being made to keep Douglas, Douglas,” Hoover said. “[MRSH] is treating Douglas as a heritage building, which should be kept as it is.”

According to Stanley, the project is expected to cost between $13 and $15 million. The final budget will be confirmed in February or March.

Douglas Hall floor fellow Rachel Nam, and Douglas Hall President Erin Sobat said that both last year’s and this year’s residents were consulted on the renovations.

“The students of last year had a walkthrough with the administration, and were … asked whether they were okay with the proposed plans, and if there [was] anything else they wanted done to the building,” Nam said. “I think the students requested that no unnecessary renovations be done to the building that would change it drastically, and that the integrity of the building stay the same.”

“This year, we’ve had a number of opportunities to meet with David Balcombe, associate director of buildings and facilities for [MRSH], to talk further about the project as

Douglas Hall will be closed in 2013-2014. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) more details are established,” Sobat said.

Porritt said that current Douglas Hall residents should not be disrupted by the construction. However, Douglas Hall floor fellow Miguel Esteban noted that Douglas students were already affected last Fall by preliminary renovations to the building.

“There were a few construction [projects] from the summer … that weren’t completed in time and created some inconveniences,” Esteban said. “There was scaffolding over H-

House that was taken down just in time for move-in day, but equipment was still in the way. When the equipment was moved away, there was a big patch of dirt that created a mud pit when it rained and caused some problems.”

Hoover and Porritt were optimistic about the renovations, and said the residence should reopen as scheduled for the 2014-2015 academic year.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

student government

PGSS Council votes not to support permanent SEDE funding Councillors debate whether individual service fees are priority for PGSS, DPS referendum fails to make agenda Erica Friesen News Editor The McGill University PostGraduate Students’ Society’s (PGSS) Council voted against supporting permanent funding for the Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office last Wednesday.

Discussion centered on whether PGSS should send a letter lobbying the administration to ask that SEDE receives permanent funding for two positions previously funded by Student Services. The decision came following debate on the Society’s ability to support individual services, due to McGill’s current financial uncertainty.

SEDE is a McGill office that organizes events, education, and training sessions that promote inclusivity and respect on campus. In 2010, Student Services agreed to provide some funding for two positions within SEDE for a period of three years. This funding ends in May of this year. “[SEDE] provides information, education, and training to all areas of the university in order to cultivate a respectful, diverse, and supportive campus,” the motion read. “[The end of this funding] may have a negative impact on the number of staff positions at SEDE, and thus threaten

Meet the McGill staff members recently elected to the

B OG

SEDE’s valuable service to the McGill community.”

The motion suggests that permanent funding for SEDE could come “through Student Services or otherwise.” However, Executive Director of Student Services Jana Luker told Council that the current level of funding Student Services provides for SEDE is “not sustainable” and could affect the other services provided by her office.

“The priority that the committee of Student Services has already indicated is around mental health,” Luker said. “I guess, hypothetically, we could reduce councillors or reduce other staff, but that would be a really radical change.”

Some PGSS councillors reiterated concern over the possibility that permanent funding for SEDE could cause other services to face cuts.

“Some of the groups that money would have to be pulled from include [offices for] students with disabilities, students with mental health issues, [and] the First People’s House,” Councillor Danielle Meadows said. “The other option would be to potentially raise fees … but again, this goes against our beliefs and motives as PGSS.” PGSS Equity Commissioner Gretchen King argued that students shouldn’t have to choose one service

over another.

“I think this is a bit of a false debate, pitting SEDE against other valuable services,” she said. “If we want services [as] students, we should demand them, we should ask for them, and we should ensure they’re funded through core funding.”

According to Secretary-General Jonathan Mooney, McGill VicePrincipal (Administration and Finance) Michael Di Grappa has asked PGSS to look at areas where the Society can “stand to lose” services, in anticipation of the $19 million cuts to McGill’s budget announced by the provincial government in early December.

Mooney said graduate students should carefully consider what services they prioritize in this time of financial uncertainty.

“When Heather Munroe-Blum came to Council a year ago in January and asked ‘what are the priorities for grad students?’ everyone said ‘funding,’ he said. “This is not to say that SEDE is not important, but I really worry that … [by] supporting one particular unit within the university and saying this is a priority, next month we’re going to get two or three more units coming to us, saying ‘we’re a priority, too.’ ” King also proposed adding a

Two members of the McGill community were elected and re-lected to McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) in November for terms starting on Jan. 1. Juliet Johnson, professor of political science, was elected for her first term, and Ronald Critchley, president of the McGill University Non-Academic Staff Association (MUNASA), was re-elected for a second term. They now hold positions as Academic Staff Representative and Administrative and Support Staff Representative, respectively, on the BoG. These terms are set to last three years.

The BoG is the highest governing body of the university. It meets six times a year and consists of 25 voting members. The BoG appoints Principals and other university personnel. It also consists of committees that oversee university finances, properties, and human resources.

Juliet Johnson decided to run for Academic Staff Representative on the BoG after her colleagues from McGill’s history and political science departments pointed out that both of the Academic Staff Representatives who served on the BoG in the Fall 2012 semester came from the faculty of medicine.

She replaces one of them. “[They] asked me if I would run in order to bring a social science and humanities perspective to the Board,” she said.

Johnson explained that she was also influenced by the fact that very few women have been elected to faculty and staff positions on the BoG in the past. Currently, only eight of the 25 voting members of the BoG are women.

“These factors, combined with my recent experience as Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) for the Faculty of Arts, as well as

Juliet Johnson

By Andra cernavskis

my academic expertise in the politics of finance, led me to believe that I might be a useful voice for the McGill community on the Board of Governors,” she said.

Johnson came to McGill from Loyola University Chicago as a professor in 2003. Her research focuses on the politics of money and banking.

In the past, she has served on the McGill Senate, and is a two-time recipient of the Political Science Student’s Association Professor of the Year award.

Johnson said her election to the BoG comes at a moment when McGill is dealing with several major challenges.

“McGill currently faces significant challenges, not least [of which is] the impending appointment of a new president, the difficult budget situation, and the broader debate within Quebec over the status and missions of our province’s universities,” she said.

Councillors vote at PGSS Council. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) motion to the agenda, following a request that PGSS endorse the current DPS existence referendum.

Several council members expressed concern over the timing of the motion, since it was submitted five days after the deadline to submit motions to Council.

“It has been clear that we would have this referendum since December,” Michael Krause, PGSS internal affairs officer, said. “I think [this motion] is unfair, because councillors did not have the time to prepare for this, and to inform [themselves

on] whether they, or their constituents would be for or against this.”

King, however, said she only received a request for an endorsement from the DPS on the day of Council’s meeting.

“The campaign period runs from Jan. 18 to 31, so it would be important for this session of Council to hear and vote on this motion [today],” she said.

After hearing debate on the topic, Council voted against adding the motion to the agenda.

Ronald Critchley Critchley was re-appointed to the BoG after running a campaign that highlighted his previous experience on the BoG and at McGill, and the importance of non-academic staff members in university governance in Quebec.

As president of MUNASA, Critchley has experience representing non-academic staff at the university. About four years ago, he helped organize both MUNASA and McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT) to appear before the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Education to defend the place of non-academic and academic representation in university governance, according to the personal statement he submitted to the BoG while running for re-election. “[Our position] was fragile then, it is still. Now, we must prepare to stand by our cause at the upcoming Summit on Higher Education,” his statement reads. “With a new Quebec government, [and] with a new Principal, the stakes for us have never been higher.”

Critchley noted similar challenges the BoG will face in the up-

coming months to those Johnson pointed out.

“The two most important things that I see coming up rather quickly are, number one, dealing with the government in Quebec City, and the question of funding,” he said. “The position of McGill has to be put forward in a vigorous manner.”

“The second thing, of course, is that we are moving from one principal to the next,” he continued.

“The new principal will leave [his or] her mark on the school. It’s a very critical time in McGill’s history... because of under-funding.”

Critchley is also an advisor to students in the Desautels Faculty of Management, a position he has held for 13 years. Before that, he served as an admissions officer for McGill, making his total time at McGill 25 years.

He expressed that he feels the BoG is an important form of governance at McGill.

“The Board works for everybody, and that’s how it should be,” he said. “I think we are a model for other universities.”

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

speaker on campus

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SNC-Lavalin vice-president discusses social responsibility Presentation focuses on “Creating Shared Value” strategy to improve infrastructure and socio-economic situations

(Anna Bock / McGill Tribune) Catherine Gao Contributor On Jan. 18, the Institute for Studies in International Development (ISID) hosted a seminar by Jean-François Gascon, the vicepresident of capacity building at SNC-Lavalin. The first event in a speaker series organized by ISID, Gascon’s presentation focused on explaining the concept of “Creating Shared Value” (CSV).

Specializing in project management, SNC-Lavalin is one of the largest international engineering and construction firms in the world, and is headquartered in Montreal.

New HST in PEI to affect universities, colleges In April, Prince Edward Island will introduce a 14 per cent Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) that leverages a large amount of money from colleges and universities, according to media reports last week.

Similar to the HST in place for Atlantic Canada and Ontario, PEI’s HST will combine its Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST), with nine per cent of the HST going to the province and five per cent to the federal government.

While businesses will receive a full rebate on the nine per cent provincial portion of the tax, the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and Holland College will not, even though the schools will continue to receive their original 35 per cent rebate on the federal portion of the tax. UPEI estimates their taxes will increase by $400,000 a year.

Because the province will not provide additional revenue to schools, the institutions are seeking alternative ways to balance their budgets. Increasing tuition, streamlining department budgets, and innovating new means of revenue are possibilities being discussed by officials at both institutions. Both schools expect to know exactly how the new HST will affect their tuition and budget by the spring.

Recently, the company has been the subject of news headlines across Canada, concerning financial controversies over a hydroelectric dam scandal, unexplained transactions, and deposits in Libya.

According to Gascon, CSV is a business strategy that connects current social values with big business expansions.

“The key element here is the convergence of social progress, … and the competitiveness of the company,” Gascon said. “CSV is all about how your company takes its place in the economy, and values the convergence of economics and societal benefits.”

Corporations with CSV strategies, such as Nestlé, Microsoft, Pfizer, and SNC-Lavalin use their economic strategies to also fulfill responsibilities of social and infrastructural improvements in developing countries, by creating local jobs through the projects they manage.

SNC-Lavalin, which has a large presence and heavy influence in developing regions such as Latin America and Africa, also has a very large environment sector, which

Gascon claims “differentiates SNCLavalin from [its] competitors.”

In 2007, SNC-Lavalin began implementing the “Local Resource Development Initiative” (LDRI) in current engineering projects abroad.

Gascon explained that LRDI is a new division that highlights the importance of local produce, labour, and work. It aims to create and improve developing countries’ infrastructure and socio-economic situations through a “holistic approach.” “[The LRDI’s aim is] one of developing and empowering local workers, companies and communities through training, mentorship, and capacity building,” Gascon said.

Gascon explained to the audience that the LRDI attempts to create shared value and maximize local benefits by increasing employability for the local workforce, while reducing project costs during construction. The project trains workers in the host countries, and prepares them for construction work, which is a sustainability strategy fully integrated during the construction phase. “[The LRDI addresses] govern-

What happened last week in Compiled by emma windfeld

summit addresses rising policing costs Police chiefs, officers, government officials, and academics met in Ottawa last Wednesday and Thursday for a two-day national summit on the costs of police forces in Canada. The summit aimed to find solutions to an unsustainable police budget, which has doubled over the past 15 years.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was quoted in The Globe and Mail, saying that the public now expects more police services at a reduced cost, and makes “increasing calls to demonstrate the value of the investments that all governments make in public services, including policing.”

Police wages have been frozen for the past two years, and hundreds of officers and staff have lost their jobs due to recent budget cuts. Some of the methods to save money that were discussed at the summit included hiring civilian staff to alleviate police of smaller task forces, offering lower pay to entry-level officers, and cutting funds for police stations. For now, police forces have been asked to reform and innovate, in order to keep their budgets in check.

ment requirements for community expectation on positive economic impacts of a mega project,” Gascon said.

According to Gascon, the LRDI has been successful in many countries, notably Afghanistan, Madagascar, and most recently, Algeria.

The initiative has been widely supported by local communities, and has even succeeded in securing involvement with First Nations groups in Saskatchewan.

The seminar, held in Peterson Hall on the McGill campus, attracted an audience of McGill students, alumni and staff, as well as Montreal citizens interested in the seminar’s theme of corporate social responsibility. Many attendees explained that they had come to learn about the new shift in modernization centered on CSV. Becca Dooley, U3 management and head of a sustainability group in the faculty of management, was enthusiastic about Gascon’s seminar, despite not being an international development student.

“I found a lot of value in this talk, as there was a lot of overlay in

Canada?

IDLE NO MORE protests and hashtag go national Last Wednesday, the Idle No More movement continued across Canada, with protesters staging rallies and prayer circles in cities nation-wide, as well as blockading major bridges, railways, and highways. The peaceful protests halted thousands of commuters for hours, in what organizers called an “economic slowdown” designed to draw attention to the movement.

A satirical #Ottawapiskat hashtag, started by Edmonton artist Aaron Paquette, also gained Canada-wide use on Twitter this week.

The hashtag allows Twitter users to combat anti-First Nations tweets by deflecting criticisms of the Idle No More movement back at the federal government.

A spokesman for Stephen Harper has announced that the government does not plan to reconsider the legislation that Idle No More protestors are calling to be reassessed. In response to an Idle No More supporter’s plea, Queen Elizabeth II has also declined to interfere with the matter, but referred protestors to her representative in Canada, the Governor General.

canada sends c-17 to mali A Canadian military transport plane landed in Mali last Thursday morning, bringing troops and supplies to the capital city of Bamako.

The aircraft was sent in support of France’s effort to restore order in the country after Al Qaeda rebel forces took control of Mali’s northern region. As well, this decision was in response to the UN Security Council’s call upon its member states last week to assist in the crisis, and to help restore democratic governance to Mali.

The C-17 aircraft departed the Canadian Force’s Base in Trenton, Ont. on Tuesday, carrying 35 personnel. Canada committed the plane for one week, but French President François Hollande asked Canada to extend the mission in a phone conversation with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday.

After a meeting with the ambassadors of France, Mali, and the Ivory Coast, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told CBC that Canada is open to extending the mission, but remains firm that Canadian troops will not engage in combat. A decision has not yet been reached.

what we learn in class as well,” she said.

Kathryn Helin-Glick, U3 economics and international development studies, expressed personal interest in the “other side” of corporate shifts.

“Usually economically, [profitmaximization corporate shifts are] basically [all] exploitation,” HelinGlick said. “So it’s fascinating to see companies adopt these strategies that are mutually beneficial to themselves, and where they’re operating.”

Following the seminar, Philip Oxhorn, director of the ISID, elaborated on the institute’s motivation for organizing a presentation by Gascon within the ISID seminar series. “[Corporate involvement at the international level is] one of the key issues facing development everywhere, and Canadian companies are all over the world,” Oxhorn said. “[So] it’s important that international development students understand how corporations see their roles in these countries.” lachine hospital separates from the mUHC Quebec Health Minister Réjea Hébert intends to remove the Lachine Hospital from the McGill University Health Care’s (MUHC) control. Jurisdiction of the hospital will be transferred to the Centre de santé et des services sociaux Dorval-Lachine-LeSalle.

MUHC’s bilingual network of hospitals was planning to transfer several medical services to Lachine Hospital, a partner since 2008. Hébert claims the primary motive for the severance is to improve service for Montreal’s West Island—though his meetings with Mario Beaulieu, a French-language activist, have led to speculation that the goal is to preserve Lachine Hospital’s service of the francophone population. Speculators also point to MUHC’s predicted $115 million deficit for the 2012-2013 fiscal year as another factor in the decision.

Several prominent members of the hospital community have openly opposed the decision, including Renzo Cecere, president of MUHC’s council of physicians, dentists, and pharmacists; who says many medical services would be compromised by the severance. Fifty Lachine staff members have requested to transfer to other MUHC hospitals in protest of Hébert’s decision. Members of a “Save Our Lachine Hospital Committee” have declared their intentions to contest the decision, including the possibility of a court injunction.

opinion editorial

THE Mcgill

TRIBUNE Editor-in-Chief Elisa Muyl editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Carolina Millán Ronchetti cmillanronchetti@mcgilltribune.com Adam Sadinsky asadinsky@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Sam Reynolds sreynolds@mcgilltribune.com

Students do not want fewer courses Over the next month, high school, CEGEP, and international students alike will submit their university applications to McGill. As these applications are finalized, however, the McGill to which they are applying will look less and less like the one that we have come to know.

Last week, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi announced that the faculty of arts is planning to cut upward of 100 classes in the 2013-2014 academic year. This move indicates that the school’s focus and priorities are increasingly abandoning its students’ interests, and that decisions are being made by an unaccountable McGill administration.

McGill is, first and foremost, a university. Students attend McGill for the quality of education that it promises them, and for the diversity of classes offered. They attend this school because of its reputation as a world-class institution. If McGill hopes to maintain this reputation and to continue to appeal to the calibre of student that it seeks to attract, it must recognize and respond to students’ priorities.

These priorities include a personalizable education experience, relationships with professors, and the opportunity to engage directly

in classroom discussions—all of which are made possible by smaller classes. Although McGill is a large school with inevitably large classes in any faculty, we, as students are able to justify this with the promise of smaller, more focused upper-level classes which afford us the opportunity to determine the specific direction of our degrees. Limiting this option effectively diminishes the value of our education. For the school to do so without consultation is deceitful, and cannot be tolerated.

Dean Manfredi alleges that these cuts are in response to student calls for a higher number of courses taught by full-time instructors. Even if this is a prominent concern among students, the faculty’s response is inappropriate. Full-time instructors should not come at the expense of a diverse range of courses. Furthermore, the Tribune’s editorial board, made up mostly of arts students, recalls no consultation process, nor do we believe that such a consultation would have seen approval for this solution. This was a unilateral decision by the administration that will have direct repercussions for students, current and prospective alike.

In Fall of 2013, professors will be forced to teach larger and more

general classes, an experience which can be just as frustrating and alienating to instructors as it is to students.

Many part-time course lecturers stand to lose their jobs as a result of this restructuring. Teaching Assistants (TA), who share a union with course lecturers, also oppose this move, in spite of a promised increase in their resources. This is a situation in which nobody wins.

The faculty of arts insists that the restructuring is not financially motivated, and that all savings accumulated from the changes will be returned to students in the shape of more academic advisors, TAs, and internship opportunities for students.

These cuts must therefore be understood outside the context of a school under financial strain, and recently saddled with heavy budget cuts.

That it is a voluntary reallocation of funds means this move reflects the values of administration. Thus, our issue ultimately comes back to priorities. The projects and priorities that McGill deems worthy of investment are what will ultimately come to represent it as an institution. As of now, education is not among them.

While the Tribune is dismayed both with this decision and its implications for McGill students, we must

stress that if these changes are, in fact, inevitable, then the successful reallocation of funds must be immediate and highly visible in the coming school year. We need to see a significant decrease in the wait time for an advisor, and a distinct improvement of the TA-to-student ratio. If the administration is promising internships, then they must be proactive in making these opportunities known, and accessible to students. If such results aren’t evident, then this becomes a far greater issue— one of trust between students and their administrators.

This is just the latest in a series of instances in which the administration has demonstrated a blatant disinterest in the wishes, needs and rights of students. Each of these serves only to further dictate the direction in which our university is headed. With McGill’s application season right around the corner, now is timely moment to ask yourself: “Is this a McGill that I would apply to?”

Dean Manfredi will be addressing questions about these cuts at an AUS Town Hall meeting today, Tuesday Jan 22, at 16:00 in the Arts Lounge, Leacock B-12.

Co-operative education: a new kind of degree

Yuqing Song

Commentary

October 1957 marked the start of the first co-op (cooperative education program) in Canada. The program started amongst 74 Waterloo engineering students and has since become a trend for university learning. Co-op programs are incorporated into compatible majors, such as architecture and engineering, to give students work experience, thereby making them more competitive.

Take the world renowned progressive architecture program at Waterloo as an example: it alternates between classroom learning and co-op placements, accumulating one year of work experience throughout five years of schooling.

The idea is that employers will prefer a graduate out of this program over another, because the employee

Opinion Editor Ben Carter-Whitney opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Caity Hui 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 Creative Director 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 Publisher Chad Ronalds

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

columnists requires virtually no further training.

And it works. Student employment rates out of these programs range between 86-99 per cent each year, which is more than any other university program yields. Even graduates who fail to find suitable employment immediately upon graduation have the opportunity to take an extra work term to gain more leverage.

It’s no secret that a university degree isn’t what it used to be.

Universities are increasingly run as businesses, and are no longer the centres for reason and truth that they once were. This isn’t to say that these virtues are not sought after in institutions of higher learning anymore, but rather that there has been a change in how the public perceives a bachelor’s degree.

A new perception to of bachelor’s degrees has altered the purpose of pursuing one. An overwhelming number of students complete a bachelor’s degree simply as a step towards employment. The popularity of co-op programs is evidence of such a change. Traditionally, universities and similar institutions were

News Editors Bea Britneff, Andra Cernavskis, and Erica Friesen news@mcgilltribune.com

Contributors

primarily attended by members of the elite, who did not necessarily need to rely on a regular income after graduation. After all, a profession in which the primary task is “to think” is a privileged one, and has not always been profitable. In recent decades, school has become more affordable with the existence of trust funds, scholarships, student loans, government bursaries, social benefits, and school policies which pledge that “no qualified student [be] denied access to [university] for financial reasons.”

However, when students finish their education, these additional sources of money are subesquently withdrawn, and those who received student loans are left in debt. Income is desperately required after graduation. Thus, a school that can guarantee jobs to its alumni would attract more, and better applicants.

What would give students a better chance at getting jobs? The answer to this question used to revolve around the prestige of the school, connections, and personal ability. While these factors remain true, one more qualification is being added to that list: experience. It

seems unreasonable to ask a new graduate to also be experienced, but in economically difficult times like these, with the number of jobs lost (whether to machines or to budgetary constraints) and the number of graduates each year both on the rise, students are forced to push themselves. And if institutions want to stay competitive, they must embrace change.

The influence of having a program that leads directly to employment can be profound and long lasting, as progressive program graduates build up the prestige of their alma mater through their success. Thus, a continuous circle of excelling alumni attracting better applicants will lead schools on a path to surpass standard institutions that choose not to adopt innovative approaches to education. In the institution’s view, there is little reason not to develop a program that matches students’ needs. Considering the long-term benefits, the fact that co-op programs charge higher tuition is just a bonus for the university.

Rebecca Alter, Anna Bock, Will Burgess, Tom DiNardo, Joshua Freedman, Jessica Fu, Catherine Gao, Abishek Gupta, Cristian Hertzer, Cecilie Jensen, Haley Kemp, Jennifer Lee, Remi Lu, Bronte Martin, Luke Orlando, Michael Paolucci, Nicole Rainteau, Swathi Sadagopan, Meghan Sauer, Joanna Schachter, Justin Simon, Yuqing Song, David Stein, Esther Vinarov, Emma Windfield, Leyang Yu

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A reflection on homelessness

Meghan Sauer

Commentary

It was Christmastime. The snow was falling, bells were ringing, and I was walking to Provigo to obtain my weekly family-sized box of Honey Nut Cheerios. Not too long before, a heart-warming news story had originated from just down the Hudson—New York policeman Lawrence DePrimo was spotted by a tourist, offering a homeless, shoeless man on the street a pair of brand new, one hundred dollar boots. The woman at the scene documented the tender moment, and her cell phone image quickly went viral.

Just in time for Christmas, DePrimo’s act of kindness reflected the warmth we feel in our hearts that

Is Fantino making a mistake on Haiti?

good intentions of

This New Year began on a controversial note for Canada’s International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino. According to a story published in La Presse, Ottawa froze aid to Haiti shortly after Fantino’s visit to the Caribbean nation in November. While some current funding will continue, funding on new projects will be, to quote Fantino, “put on ice.”

The Canadian government has since denied plans to entirely terminate aid to Haiti. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), under the guidance of Fantino, has clarified that while longterm strategies of aid and assistance in Haiti are under review, there are no plans to freeze funding per se.

billion USD) is very close to the estimated damage. Yet, the disasterstricken nation has not seen any discernible improvement in the reconstruction of people’s lives. In fact, the situation worsened when a cholera epidemic broke out, claiming 7,400 more lives. In his book “The Big Truck That Went By: How the world came to save Haiti and left behind a disaster” published early this year, Jonathan Katz, a survivor of the 2010 earthquake, claims that the aid has done more harm than good and has resulted in a series of different interrelated problems. At a time when Haiti’s water contamination was a serious problem, Katz writes that “the U.S. military reported distributing 2.6 million bottles of water, including at least 120,000 gallons of deluxe Fiji water … bottled 8,000 miles away. You can still find containers in the great plastic dams of debris in the capital, blocking canals when it rains.” A water-purification system could have better solved the issue.

The question right now is: are

the good intentions of the developed world translating into aid money that complicates reconstruction and rebuilding activities in Haiti? A major portion of the aid funding is disbursed to NGOs, while less than one per cent of the money is provided to the Haitian government. This is confirmed by the bitter remarks of Haiti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Marie Carmelle JeanMarie who said: “I do not have one gourde (Haitian currency) from the Canadian government in my budget.” When NGOs, which are not accountable to the population in the way governments are, receive a larger portion of the pie, a power struggle between parallel institutions enters the picture. Haiti is a classic example of this dynamic.

Even before the earthquake struck, Haiti was a developing nation with a practically dysfunctional government. According to a report

by Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Daniel Kaufmann, Haiti fares slightly better than Somalia, and comparably to Sudan in terms of

worldwide governance indicators.

One of the reasons for diverting aid to NGOs is the questionable nature of the government efficiency. As Kaufmann rightly notes, the international community needs to take a more hands-on approach without meddling with the internal affairs of the troubled nation, or, in this case, micromanaging its reconstruction.

By offering all means of support, we have to enable the Caribbean nation to rebuild its property, as well as its own institutions, paving the way for sustainable development.

As Fantino and CIDA review where Canadian taxpayers’ money is going, better monitoring the distribution process would be a good start. By letting Haitians rebuild their own communities, as opposed to allowing NGOs to do it for them, we will hopefully be able to record palpable change. Offering simple solutions to a problem, rather than complicating the conundrum is another approach that will work to Haiti’s benefit. But the question of freezing aid is indeed an absurd one.

This review process is seen as a way to measure the true impact of Canadian tax dollars to bring about change in the lives of Haitians.

right now is: are the

Commentary

we often so compelled to save our change, and not help those who appear in need? The people who we walk past on the street are inevitably present in our everyday lives; while their condition is disheartening, their assertiveness can, quite frankly, be frightening and uncomfortable. We don’t know them, and as previously mentioned, we can’t be sure of their intentions. If I’m walking down a street alone at night and a strange man follows me, asking for money, I feel I should not have to pay for my privacy. But when politely asked, is it morally suitable to walk on without a glance? Why can’t we all be Lawrence DePrimo?

When I returned to Provigo about 10 minutes later, the entrance was clear, the doors standing unblocked in glossy silence.

There were no lingering souls near the stoop, or propped up against the outer brick wall. I bought my Cheerios, and made sure to cherish every golden “O” in my possession.

moval, an employee held the outside door open, another stood guard at the door to the inside, and as others tried to push him out amongst yells and cries from both sides, a worker threatened to call the police. It was terrifying, sad, and uncomfortable, all at the same time.

“The question

Swathi Sadagopan

I wasn’t about to leap over the ongoing scene, so I decided to take a lap around the block. The issue of homelessness, as presented in the features section of last week’s issue of the Tribune, encompasses more than just poverty, assumptive addiction, or skeptical con-artistry. Certainly the principal issue, regardless

of what afflicts the people we see living on the street every day, is the poor condition of their accommodations (or lack thereof). Unfortunately, our knowledge of their situation is limited by our hesitant, downward glances and a passive “No, sorry” in response to quieted pleas.

In an ideal world, we give to the poor, we put our loose change in the bucket, and we don’t ignore the people calling for help. On TV and in the media, we see it all the time: Oprah Gives Thousands to Chicago Schools! Justin Bieber Spends Afternoon With Cancer Patient! Angelina Jolie Adopts Infant From Another Obscure Third World Country!

While celebrities, Christmas classics, and the occasional sensational news story have good intentions, they also glamourize philanthropic feats unattainable to the everyday person.

It’s unrealistic for many to dedicate even minor parts of their lives to charity, yet the issue remains in the manner we each choose to face this dilemma that literally stares us in the face on a daily basis. Why are

time of year, and see in the artificial, sensory-amplified warmth of annual blockbuster holiday films which contain similar imagery.

“Meghan, you’re a terrible person! That police officer did a noble deed,” you may say, to which I would reply “What? I don’t even know you,” but then qualify my previous statement by agreeing with you on all counts. Lawrence DePrimo did something many of us urbanites would never do. This is exactly my point.

The salt crunched under my boots against the grimy sidewalk, and I was pretty absorbed in some folk-revival-hipster-nonsense playing on my iPod. But when I finally reached the grocery store, an alarming scene caused me to postpone my entrance, and take out my ear buds.

In fact, I couldn’t enter the store, because a homeless man usually seen stationed outside was refusing to leave his new position inside the entrance-way. The store managers had a problem with this.

As the man clung to the tile floor desperately protesting his re-

the developed world translating into aid money that complicates reconstruction and rebuilding activities in Haiti?

”

These recent developments have prompted large questions about the efficacy of humanitarian aid relief in general. Following the massive earthquake of 2010, damages to life and property in Haiti were assessed to the tune of $7.8 billion USD. Shortly thereafter, several nations pledged a sum of $13.34 billion USD, of which $6.43 billion USD, or 48.2 per cent, has already been disbursed. This amount ($6.43

“Unfortunately, our knowledge of their

situation is limted by our hesitant, downward glances, and a passive “No, sorry” in response to quieted pleas.

”

Vote “yes” for the press The upcoming existence referendum for the Daily Publication Society (DPS) is an important crossroad. All campus media outlets rely greatly upon the ongoing financial support of the McGill community. In return, campus media plays an important role in shaping the dialogue on campus, offering those at McGill information and perspective on the issues that our university faces. For years, the McGill Daily and Le Délit have been prominent contributors to this discourse. The wellbeing of the DPS is inherently tied to the ongoing prominence of all campus media.

As such, the Tribune encourages readers, without reservation, to vote ‘Yes’ to the renewal of McGill University’s Memorandum of Agreement with the DPS.

Have your say. Write for Opinion. Meetings Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Tribune office (Room 110 of the Shatner Building).

Sciedence & technology VIROLOGY

Avian flu mutation has even deadlier potential In H5N1 research, some scientists fear danger, others envision progess Caity Hui Science & Technology Editor In 2011, when scientists at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands pinpointed the necessary mutations to make the H5N1 avian flu virus highly contagious, they had to weigh the risks and benefits of their discovery. H5N1—commonly known as the bird flu—first broke out in Hong Kong in 1997. A second major outbreak occurred in Thailand in 2003, and drew international attention to the disease’s lethal potential.

When the virus reemerged in 2003, it killed 346 out of the 587 people infected—nearly 60 per cent.

Compared with the well-known Spanish-flu epidemic of 1918, which had a mortality rate between two and three per cent, H5N1 is a microbe with incredibly deadly possibilities.

Fortunately, H5N1 in its natural form cannot cause a pandemic and is not easily transmitted through the air. Although pathogenic inside a human host, the virus can only be transmitted from bird to human.

For a pandemic to arise, the virus at hand must be transmissible between humans.

However, in addition to its high mortality rate, the virus has not been widely confronted before by

humans–meaning we do not have comprehensive antibodies to protect ourselves from infection.

Therefore, it came as a surprise at the annual meeting of the European Scientific Working Group in Influenza, in Malta, when Ron Fouchier, a Dutch virologist at the Erasmus Medical Centre, reported that he had discovered the mutations necessary in this virus to make it highly contagious.

Fouchier and his team started with the natural form of the H5N1 virus and passed it through ten generations of ferrets. With each generation, the scientists selected the form of the virus that best survived in the hosts and spread it to the next generation. After 10 transmissions, the virus had acquired the necessary mutations to spread from ferret to ferret in the lab. As ferrets have a very similar immune and respiratory system to humans, it is likely that these mutations would also enable this mutated H5N1 to spread from human to human, making it highly contagious.

This experiment caused widespread alarm for multiple reasons.

When Fouchier examined the flu cells, he realized that there were only five genetic changes in two of the viruses’ eight genes. What’s more, each mutation had already

Compiled by Caity Hui

This week in

research Earth-like planets

If extraterrestrial life does exist in outer space, planet KOI-172.02 is a good candidate to host life similar to that on Earth. Using the Kepler space telescope to find planets, scientists at NASA have detected at least 17 billion Earth-like planets surrounding Sun-like stars in the Milky Way. Kepler detects potential alien worlds by watching for significant dips in starlight, created when planets pass in front of their parent stars. This January, a fresh analysis of data from NASA’s Kepler mission, launched in 2009, suggests that about 17 per cent of all the sun-like stars in the Milky Way host a rocky planet similar in composition to Earth.

The planet KO1-172.02 is a super Earth-size planet candidate, which means it is 1.25-2 times the size of the Earth. It has an orbit of 150 days or less, placing it in the habitable zone—the region around a star where liquid water might exist on the surface of a planet. When planets are found in these regions, the conditions are favourable for life.

According to the data collected, scientists have concluded that nearly all stars similar to our sun have planets—many of which resemble the Earth in terms of composition and orbit. Kepler mission project scientist Steve Howell told CBC, “It is no longer a question of if we will find a true Earth analogue, but a question of when.”

been found naturally circulating in influenza viruses. Essentially, the data pointed to the possibility that nature could do precisely what Fouchier had done in the lab—all five of these mutations could, at one point, be found together, naturally, in one dangerous H5N1 virus.

More alarming was the fact that this deadly H5N1 virus had been deliberately created in the lab; and, if placed in the wrong hands, could be used as a weapon in biological warfare.

After the release of this experiment, scientists divided into two camps. One camp felt that this information was necessary to mitigate future outbreaks of H5N1. The other camp questioned the importance of this data in terms of providing information to create treatments or diagnoses for such a virus.

Professor Greg Matlashewski, previous Chairman of the department of microbiology and immunology at McGill, and leader of a World Health Organization program to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis from Northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh, sits in the latter camp.

He believes that although there is a payoff, it is not big enough with regard to the risk.

“My question is this: if this information is so important scien-

Mutations to bird flu virus have made it more transmissible between humans. (t.opne.ws) tifically, what have we learned from our previous such experiments?” he said.

According to Matlashewski, few tangible applications arose from reviving the Spanish influenza virus.

He therefore questions the logic of performing a second experiment in which another dangerous flu pathogen is created simply for the sake of science.

“Five years ago scientists reestablished the Spanish influenza viruses—one of the worst pathogens in human history—and brought it back to life in the lab. What have we learned from that virus, and if we haven’t learned anything practical with respect to diagnosis or treat-

ment of vaccines, then why do it again?”

Although there is some payoff from these experiments, these results could also have been obtained through other methods, if the virus were to emerge again in the population. Scientists could quickly perform genetic sequencing tests on the actual virus, and acquire a similar and more relevant set of information.

For Matlashewski, “the payoff is not enough to do these experiments; these are really potentially dangerous pathogens we are creating.”

volcano eruptions When Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, erupts, the sky takes on an orange glow.

It spews molten rock hundreds of metres into the air, creating a fiery display of lava cascading down the sides of the volcano.

Although scientists do not fully understand the mechanisms controlling the magnitude of the 50 to 60 volcanic eruptions that occur worldwide each year, McGill University’s department of Earth and planetary sciences Professor Don R. Baker recently discovered a small but important step in being able to predict the type of eruption that could occur.

Volcanic eruptions are driven by the rapid expansion of bubbles formed from water and other volatile substances trapped in the molten rock as it rises beneath the volcano. Working on an international research team, Baker and his colleagues discovered that the difference between a large or small eruption depends on the first 10 seconds of bubble growth in molten rocks.

To examine the growth of volcanic bubbles, Baker and his colleagues heated water-bearing molten rock with a recently developed laser heating system. By performing CAT scans on the samples during the first 18 seconds of bubble growth, they were able to characterize the bubbles by size distribution.

By studying the samples, Baker has found a possible link between the size distribution of the bubbles and the eruptive behaviour of the volcano. Depending on the type of bubbles that form, they trap gas inside of them, and are swiftly combined into a foam with eruptive behaviour.

These findings suggest the need to develop volcanic monitoring systems to measure rapid changes in gas flux and composition during critical points in time. With such a system, scientists may one day be able to predict the type of volcanic activity expected from the world’s volcanoes.

Immune system protein discovered The immune system is composed of defender molecules, which act as foot soldiers to guard the body against infection. Researchers at McGill University and the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences have recently discovered how one such protein, IFIT, functions. The findings could help advance the development of new drugs to combat immune system disorders. Further, this discorvery might provide insight into dampening the immune response when necessary, such as for inflammation or cancer therapy.

IFIT is a key protein in the human immune system that detects viruses and latches onto them in order to prevent infection. In order to recognize a virus from a normal host cell, IFIT depends on the RNA. When a virus enters the cell, it generates foreign RNA molecules that differ from the RNA found in a human. The researchers determined that IFIT proteins have evolved a specific binding pocket, that will only fit the foreign RNA of viruses.

Through this pocket, the IFIT protein clamps down on the viral RNA. By binding to the RNA, IFIT prevents the virus from replicating, thereby arresting the infection.

Curiosity delivers. |

science & technology

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

9

TECHNOLOGY

Companies jump on smartphone trend: home automation Consumers are now able to manage their home, security, and car from the palm of their hand Abhishek Gupta Contributor At the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, over 150,000 people watched as companies revealed a new wave of smartphone technology. More than just miniature computers, phones on display at the ICES were designed to be remote controls for the consumer’s life, connecting apps to household appliances and home security systems.

According to The New York Times, consumers responded warmly to the notion of linking their home to their phones, and many large companies have jumped on this technological trend. On Jan. 7, the wireless carrier AT&T announced plans to commercially launch, in March, a smart and secure home automation interface called Digital Life. The product will allow consumers to carry out an array of home-related tasks with their smartphones, including turning down the thermostat, monitoring the house for intruders, and even operating the coffee maker.

Google has also made progress towards integrating smartphones with home appliances. In May 2011, it developed a program known as the Android Open Accessory. Any device designed with this technology has the ability to communicate with Android phones or tablets. Through the program, developers will be able to build a wide range of accessories compatible with any Android phone.

The potential applications of this technology were made clear with a simple but powerful demonstration at Google’s I/O Conference, which brings together thousands of technology developers. The phone was hooked up to an exercise bike and using an app on the Android smartphone, consumers were able to track statistics like number of calories burnt.

The aim behind these technologies is to bring the home, the car, and other accessories under the control of a single device, thereby achieving integration and convenience.

Google has taken this idea a step further, and envisions the entire home as a network of accessories, all of which can be controlled through an Android phone. The home auto-

ASK

By Jennifer Lee

mation project, Android@Home, seeks to connect all appliances via Wi-Fi or an open wireless protocol to your smartphone.

The potential applications of Android@Home seem endless. At its I/O Conference, Google demostrated that with Android@Home, you could link your alarm clock to the lights and stereo in the room. As the alarm time approaches, the lights and stereo gradually increase in brightness and volume—a potential solution for those who struggle with waking up for 8:30 a.m. classes.

Pranay Mistry, the founder of SixthSense, came out with another tool geared towards giving us more electronic control over the home.

TeleTouch, a smartphone app, allows consumers to point their smartphones at any appliance, and control it remotely with their touchscreen.

TeleTouch works by using the smartphone’s camera and computer vision to identify what appliance it is pointed at. Using Internet Protocol (IP) codes for these devices, the smartphone could become the control center for every appliance by addressing them wirelessly.

Despite the excitement, skep-

Android@Home connects home appliances to your smartphone. (intomobile.com)

tics have also found a remote control smartphone for your home to be unnecessary. Would so much control be beneficial? While bringing your home under the control of a single device may seem attractive, it also poses security risks. If your smartphone were lost and unlocked, someone else would have complete control over practically every device inside your home, including alarm

systems.

In response, director of business development at Z-Wave Alliance (a consortium of companies that make connected appliances) Bill Scheffler told The New York Times, “It used to be that people would say, ‘Why does anybody want a remote control for a TV if you can get up and change the channel?’ It’s just progress.”

SCITECH

Why are blue eyes blue?

The Tyndall effect is the principle responsible for blue eyes, and also happens to account for the blue colour of the sky. It’s a phenomenon that occurs when light is scattered by “colloid” particles—solid particles of 40-900 nanometers in diameter that float in suspension in a liquid medium.

When white light passes through a medium, it ‘divides’ into different colours. The various colours into which white light splits depend on the frequency of the light. The colour blue results from white light at a much higher frequency and shorter wavelength than the colour red.

Due to the size and nature of colloids, shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue, fail to pass through the dense

particles, and are reflected suspended in a fluid-like layer, back to the observer. Con- with a light-absorbing layer versely, light of longer wave- beneath, and a spongy stroma lengths, such as red, orange, layer between.

Contrary to the popular and yellow, can pass through notion that we have blue pigthe object.

The reflection of blue ments in our eyes, we are only light operates under a similar able to produce brown and yelprinciple that allows very long low pigments in the iris—the wavelengths like radio waves combination of the two manto pass through solid objects, age to make every eye colour while short wavelengths are we observe through tricks of stopped and reflected; the size light.

For instance, more melof the particles that make up the wall are so miniscule that anin–a light-absorbing pigmetre-long radio waves are un- ment–in the iris will cause a affected passing through. By greater proportion of light to be the same principle, flour sus- absorbed, rather than reflected pended in water will actually as ‘backscatter,’ creating the appear light blue rather than effect of brown or black eyes.

This backscattering phenomwhite.

The human iris consists enon redirects waves of light of three layers. One is made up back out of the eye, affecting AUTHOR NAME shorter wavelengths like blue of microscopic solid particles

far more strongly.

For those with blue eyes, melanin is only present in the last of the three layers of the iris. The top two layers are translucent, meaning that little light is absorbed. More light is reflected as backscatter, making the eyes appear blue. In fact, babies often have blue eyes for a short period of time, because their irises have not yet been fully developed. As the particles produced in the stroma get larger as you age, blue eyes in children often turn grey.

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By

Mural on boulevard St-Hélène by artist Hell-P

Artist Rafael Sottolichio, produced

by MU, photo: Stéphane Cocke

BRINGING ART TO THE

Exterior mural done by A’Shop

When I grow up, I want to be a kid, done in NDG in 2012 by A’Shop

R ST EETS:

By Sara Espinal Henao

Wherever there’s a wall, there’s potential for great art.

L

ouis-Philippe and I agreed to meet at a café on Masson Street to talk about art. As he reached over the table to take a sip from his cup of hot chocolate, I couldn’t help but notice his hands; they had traces of paint all over them.

Louis-Philippe is a street muralist. At his young age—23 years old—he has already been commissioned to create three wall paintings in both Longueil and Montreal. His most recent work, a mural that extends 50 x 24 square feet on boulevard St-Hélène, is a dynamic display of colours and figures inspired by Hip-Hop culture that tells the story of urban life.

Being a street artist is not an easy job, and it is often misunderstood. Lying on the verge between scorn and praise, this form of art has always been controversial. It chooses borrowed and often illegal canvases that are vulnerable to the same vandalism of which it is accused. It has the streets as its gallery, frequented by thousands of stern and often disapproving critics that demerit its artistic value. And it’s creations are irremediably bound to fade away under the intemperate Canadian weather, or be eventually destroyed to give way to new blank walls, disappearing without a trace.

Yet, when asked why he had chosen to do street art over a more conventional genre, Luis-Philippe answered with conviction: “To bring colour to the city, to create a reaction, whether it is good or bad. You want your work to be seen, and [you want] art to be on the streets ... because that’s where it belongs.”

Not long ago, street art, like graffiti, was seen as a delinquent activity that had to be eradicated. Crusading against this form of expression, the City of Montreal spent $3.3 million in the year 2008 alone to clean graffiti and street art from 150,000 square metres of street wall.

However, in recent years, the city has progressively changed its approach. In cooperation with several partners, it has invested in the creation of artistic murals for all Montrealers to see, hiring, on some occasions, the same artists that were once deemed as vandals.

One such partner is MU, an independent, not-for-profit organization created in 2006. In French, the word “Mue” means “rejuvenation through the shedding of an old skin,” and that is precisely the organization’s mission.

It supports and promotes public art in the greater Montreal region through the creation of murals in local communities.

This new approach to street art follows the example of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Project, which aimed at doing just the same: encourage artistic expression, and use local talent to bring new life to the most neglected urban spaces of the city.

“It became not only about taking out things, but about producing things; about being active and progressive, and integrating the notion of embellishment [into social policy],” said Emmanuelle Hébert, McGill alumnus and co-founder of MU. “The MU’s mission is about creating an open air gallery in Montreal, and democratizing art by bringing [it] to the streets. No matter where you are, if you’re in Montreal you should be able to see art.”

Not only is this enterprise trying to support art and local artists in Montreal, it also seeks to promote social change and community involvement in the city.

“When you start embellishing, acting, and doing something nice, it is the igniter to something else. The citizens see their own neighborhood differently. They are proud of it.

They get more involved with the community,” Hébert said.

When asked what the biggest challenge had been to the development of such bold initiative, Hébert answered without hesitation: “to convince people [that we had what it took to succeed]. It didn’t exist [in Montreal]. It was innovative, unheard of, so it was very bold.”

The project was nothing short of ambitious, and Hébert and her associate did not have any experience in the field of visual arts. “We were not from the art world. We knew nothing about murals. The first time, we showed up with a book from Philadelphia and said, ‘this is what we want to do.’”

Yet, their drive and dedication earned the trust of its sponsors.

“People believed [in it]. They believed in us. They realized we were committed, [and that] we had a clear vision. And we delivered,” said Hébert.

With the cooperation of the private sector, as well as various organizations and government programs, the project has turned out to be a big success. To date, MU, has created 40 murals, and 35 other-smaller scale community works.

The murals’ creators come from many disciplines of the visual arts. Yet, they share a common commitment to creating something for their community. “We work with people who have studied art, or who did scenography. [but also with people] who did their practice in the street. These are [people] that started as graffiti artists, but that developed their own ‘language’ over the years. we don’t have any preconceptions,” Hébert explained.

The legalization of urban spaces for street artists has paid off, as it has given these artists the opportunity to showcase their talent and counter the negative connotation that street art had acquired over the years in the community. Among these artworks, is the renowned “Our Lady of Grace,” a five storey masterpiece displayed at the corner of Madison and Sherbrooke Street West in N.D.G. This breathtaking piece of art was A’Shop’s creation, a Montreal-based collective of artists that combines graffiti art and urban aesthetics into their artwork.

Year after year, the collective has renewed its commitment to creating open-access art for the Montreal community, and their work currently embellishes multiple spots throughout the city.

What future awaits Montreal’s street artists? When talking about graffiti art, Emmanuelle sees it as an inherent part to today’s culture, as an artistic expression, and as something with the potential for great social change.

“When you look at art history, you realize that the mural is the oldest form of art. People have always wanted to express themselves in public settings ... Street art started as an underground culture that has now come into the galleries. [It] is a big trend in contemporary art.” Hébert said. “A can, like a pen or an airbrush, is a medium. [More than about how you say it,] it is all about what you want to say.”

Our Lady of Grace, done in 2011 by A’Shop

Artist Hell-P painting a mural in Longueil (hellp-art.com)

Interior mural done for a new SIMONS store in Quebec in 2012 by A’Shop

Student living

Q: What has been your favourite McGill event this year?

A: Honestly, I only go to the McGill events with my club, [the Management Undergraduate Society of Entrepreneur Society.

the student ofweek

with Jacqui Galbraith

Bianca Ponziani Joint Honours Poli Sci / Environment, U3 (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

I’m Co-VP Corporate Relations.

[They’re] a lot of fun. There are a lot of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and it’s cool to meet everybody and hear about their business ideas.

Q: What kind of work does the Entrepreneurship Society do, exactly?

A: Basically, we want to connect budding entrepreneurs with the skill-set that they need in order to develop their business. We do that via the networking events that we have, and we also work with the Desautels management faculty, with the Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. We promote the Dobson Cup, which is a business competition coming up in March where you submit your business idea, and a lot of students participate. We really want to provide [entrepreneurs with] a community.

This week’s student was nominated for her involvement in the Management Undergraduate Society of Entrepreneurship.

Q: Name one book you’ll never get tired of reading.

A: I’m a person who doesn’t like watching movies twice, I don’t like reading books twice, I don’t even like watching TV episodes twice. There’s too much good stuff out there to get through!

Q: Who is your favourite professor at McGill?

A: George McCourt. He’s in the McGill School of Environment. I guarantee that every single McGill School of Environment [student] that you speak to will laud professor McCourt. He’s just so down to earth, and really can connect with his students and can just have fun with them. He’s so smart, and just a fantastic teacher; [he] brings things to life. He’s so passionate about what he studies.

Q: Your apartment’s on fire and you only have time to save three things; what are they?

A: My violin, [because] that’s wood and it would fuel the fire. I would also save my laptop, because I would not want to rewrite the applications and theses that I’ve been writing. I’ve thought about this question before, but that was when I had a cat. Before she ran away, I would have found and saved Midnight from the house. Midnight, if you’re out there, I would have

saved you.

Q: What surprised you most about McGill when you first came here?

A: It gets better every year—you learn more about what McGill offers.

It’s [more] fun, the more you get out there. What surprised me is how little I actually took advantage of all the amazing conferences and workshops that they offer because you don’t have time for everything.

Q: If you could go back to any historical event in the world, what would it be, and why?

A: I would want to go back to any time that Italy won the FIFA world cup, and be in Italy when it happens. It’s a ruckus. Everybody loves each other, everybody’s on everybody’s shoulders.

There [are] goats painted [with] Italian flags, older men are crying; it’s a blast.

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

A: “Enjoy the dance,” from my brother.

I moved to Hong Kong when I was in high school, and it was rough; it was a challenge. He just said: “Enjoy the dance. [Whatever position you’re in,] it’s only going to be for a while. Even though it’s a challenge, relish it while you have the opportunity to do so.”

Q: What’s the very first thing you’d buy if you won the lottery?

A: I’d definitely buy my parents an alpaca farm in Peru, and probably a vineyard in Italy, so they can retire. For some reason, my mom really likes llamas, and my dad really wants a dog. I catch him petting the neighbour’s dog.

Q: What are your dream reading week plans? What are your actual reading week plans?

A: Dream reading week plans: organic farming in the south of France. Real reading week plans: I’m going to go visit my parents, who are working in Turkey right now. We’re going to go travel around, and maybe visit a Greek island.

Q: Why did you decide to come to McGill?

A: It’s a fantastic university, internationally renowned. The French aspect, for sure. People say that you can’t really use your French around here, but think about how much less you would be exposed to it [somewhere else], even in terms of looking at posters, interacting [with people] at the SAQ. Also, it’s not too far from home, not too close to home; the Goldilocks phenomenon.

Q: What’s one fashion trend you’ll never try again?

A: Those really tight corduroy leggings from The Bay, and skin coloured ones too. That was a bad day.

Connect With Your Student Health & Dental Plan Your Benefits for 2012/2013 More than $10,000 in Health-Care Coverage prescription drugs, chiropractor, physiotherapist, ambulance, medical equipment, tuition insurance, vaccinations, and more...

Travel Coverage up to $5,000,000 & 120 Days per Trip travel health coverage for 120 days per trip, up to $5,000,000, trip cancellation and interruption

Over $250 in Vision Coverage eye exam, eyeglasses or contact lenses, laser eye surgery

Up to $750 in Dental Coverage cleanings, checkups, fillings, root canals, gum treatments, extractions, and more...

Networks Enhance Your Benefits and Save You Money Get even more coverage by visiting members of the Dental, Vision, Chiropractic, and Physiotherapy Networks.

Find a health practitioner at www.ihaveaplan.ca.

Change-of-Coverage Period Only new Winter semester students can enrol themselves and their spouse/dependants between Jan. 16 - 30, 2013 for coverage from Jan. 1 - Aug. 31, 2013.

SSMU Plan website

PGSS Plan website

Have a smart phone with a QR code reader? Scan the appropriate box to be directed to your Plan’s website.

The Member Services Centre is there to assist you from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays : (514) 789-8775 / Toll-free: 1 866 795-4435

ihaveaplan.ca

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Tuesday January 22, 2013

13

Pro tips

Stocking your bookshelf, saving your money The last minute textbook buyer’s guide for thrifty alternatives to the McGill bookstore Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor There are few things in the world that I find rant-worthy, and even fewer that actually elicit a strong emotional reaction once I begin to complain. By definition, a ‘rant’ is supposed to help you vent, and allow your frustration to diminish. There is one topic, however, that works me up the further I dwell on it: textbooks—or rather—textbook manufacturing companies.

There is absolutely no reason that I should ever have to pay $150 for a single book, no matter what knowledge that book contains—Unless it’s the meaning of life or something. Not being a philosophy student, I wouldn’t know; but I doubt textbooks have come that far. And, quite frankly, I don’t see the need for a new edition every single year. Suffice it to say, I’m sick and tired of seeing my budget take a substantial hit every Add/Drop period since my

T

first year.

So, I encourage those who have not already done so—add/drop does end today—to explore some alternatives. Full price is never the only option—and as far as I’m concerned, it is simply no longer an option.

Many McGill students have been introduced to the magical world of the McGill Classifieds, a free service run by the Media Relations Office (MRO). The site can be viewed by anyone, but to post an ad, you must log in using your McGill ID. The McGill Classifieds displays ads for everything from apartments to tutors; but many students frequent its pages for used textbooks.

At the beginning of each semester, countless ads pop up, promising minimal highlighting, or in some cases “never been opened” books and study guides. Be wary of these, and make sure to check the textbook before purchasing it. Students usually provide emails or phone numbers, and arrange to meet on cam-

pus to complete the transaction for the agreed upon price (which is almost always lower than that offered by the campus bookstore). If you choose to post an ad, get ready for a flood of anonymous texts; if you choose to answer an ad, get ready to hear a lot of “Sorry, already sold” before you find the book you need.

One last tip: when meeting on campus, try to pick somewhere besides the Milton Gates. It’s unoriginal and you will have to describe your outfit better than the editors at J. Peterman in order to find who you’re looking for.

The Word on Milton is another mecca of used textbooks for McGillians. Each semester, they publish a list of textbooks they are willing to buy back (always for less than you paid to buy it, but those are the breaks), allowing you to easily sell back your old books, should you want to avoid the hassle of the McGill Classifieds. It is worth mentioning that both the Classifieds and The

Word require you to pay in cash.

Most profs will tell you if your required course text is available at The Word, but it’s always worth a look once you have your entire textbook shopping list, just in case. Try to avoid going at peak hours, because the store is pretty tiny. The mid-day crowd makes you more likely to knock into a stack of books, which, short of quoting Twilight, feels like the worst thing you could do.

Another option open to university students is Bookmob.com.

Serving students all across Canada, BookMob boasts an extensive catalogue of brand new and gently used textbooks. There is no membership fee, and students can choose to buy or rent. Return shipping is free when you rent, and students have multiple payment options, including PayPal, BookMob credit, and cheque (although paying by cheque can lengthen wait time for receiving your books). Also, if students elect to buy their textbooks, they always

have the option of selling them back to BookMob in the future. The only potential drawback of BookMob is the wait-time for your order. Going to an actual store would allow you to leave with your textbooks in hand that day.

You can also go the Facebook route and check out the Free & For Sale McGill group. With all these extra options, not to mention other websites like Amazon.com, Indigo. ca, and other bookstores around town like Paragraphe, students should never have to feel bound to the McGill Bookstore. Granted, although professors can—and should—make readings available on MyCourses, the Bookstore is pretty much your only option for course packs. By and large, you can save unlimited amounts by getting a little creative, exploring your options, and haggling just a little bit on McGill Classifieds.

AGTMA: A guide to McGill Acronyms

By Rebecca Alter

he illustrious acronym. Think NSFW, SUV, or YOLO. From BET to the FBI, acronyms denote institutional authority, and cultural legitimacy. However, to the uninitiated, it can be hard to figure out what these caps lock configurations stand for. To make back-to-school a bit easier, the Tribune is proud to provide you with a beginners guide to Acronyms Around Campus (AAC).

SSMU: The Students’ Society of McGill University is one of the school’s oldest and most notable student institutions, which provides extensive services for all McGillians. Its expansive headquarters (affectionately, and unofficially known as ‘the Shatner building’, after a celebrated alumnus) are conveniently located on Rue McTavish, housing everything from the governing body’s office to its substantial registry of clubs and organizations. Fun fact: built in the tumultuous ’60s, Shatner is constructed to be ‘riot-proof’, and is rumoured to have a secret tunnel running to James Administration.

CKUT: McGill’s premier campus radio has been in operation since 1987 and is run by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. They broadcast their unique, non-profit programming 24 hours a day, so make sure to tune in to CKUT 90.3 FM for all of your four-in-themorning reggae cravings.

HMB: This is common student shorthand for McGill’s current principal, Heather Munroe-Blum. (Or as some like to joke, ‘Her Majesty Blum’).

As Principal, her numerous responsibilities include overseeing developments in research and infrastructure.

A glance at her qualifications would lead the curious reader to a colourful world full of additional acronyms, such as Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), B.S.W. (Bachelor of Social Work), and the gold B.M.W. she is rumoured to drive around in.

MTL: Save your thumbs the textwork and adopt this acronym if you haven’t already.

Often preceded by “swag,” a hashtag, or a combination of the two, MTL—code for Montreal—is shorthand for cool kids with better things to do than spell out entire words.

ICS: Here we have the inception of this glossary—an acronym within an acronym.

ICS is the name of McGill’s IT (information technology) Customer Services program. ICS rents out audio-visual equipment at their 688 Sherbrooke West desk, and supply an array of other IT services and troubleshooting help via phone or email.

Arts OASIS: An acronym with a clever double meaning. Not only is the Arts OASIS—especially during Add/ Drop season—a veritable sanctuary of calm, it also stands for the Arts Office of Advising and Student Information Services. Be sure to arrive early—if you have to ask how early, you’re not early enough—to room 110 of Dawson Hall, Monday to Friday to receive service regarding everything from degree planning to studying abroad. You can also reach advisors through Arts OASIS’ telephone and chat systems, if you don’t like waiting in line out the door and down the hill.

AUS/SUS/MUS:

BMH: Not to be confused with HMB, Bishop Mountain Hall serves hundreds of students living in McGill’s scenic Upper Residences (Gardner, Molson, and McConnell halls). If an extensive salad bar, a mountain view, and a dearth of corners (the hall is round) is what you’re after, the uphill trek is well worth it.

Any acronym you may encounter that ends in ‘US’ can usually be counted upon to represent some sort of cohort of undergrads. All faculties have them and they come second only to SSMU in terms of serving the student body by organizing events like GAs (general assemblies), faculty froshes, and the Blues pub—if you’re lucky enough to be part of the EUS (engineering).

SAQ: Though this isn’t technically a fixture of McGill, the Société des Alcools du Québec is, nonetheless, a ubiquitous presence in the average McGill student’s life. Make sure to check hours of operation before you leave your last minute liquor run to 11:00 p.m.

MFDS: McGill Food and Dining Services provide services to students in residence, as well as upper-years.

However, what sets MFDS apart from your run-of-the-mill university dining service is its ongoing commitment to sustainability (that, and its Martlet-in-a-chef-hat logo).

Look no further than its commitment to local resources, best exemplified by its monthly Local Food Day events, for a pseudo homecooked meal. However, stay away if you’re looking for something more reasonably priced.

So there it is, your brief introduction to McGill shorthand. Immerse yourself in the world of Belle Pro, BDP, and St. Cat’s, and spend all the extra time you save on salvaging your GPA.

arts & entertainment Film

Between the gun and the runway

Capitalism, fundamentalism, and the women caught in between Ilia Blinderman A&E Editor Prachi, a husky 24-year old with a dull gaze, barks at a group of young Hindu girls. After two and a half hours of running, crawling, and combat drills, their colourful saris are torn and dusty. While Prachi trains girls in the skills required of a Hindu fundamentalist at the Durga Vahini camp, Ruhi—a lithe 19-year old from Jaipur—competes for the crown of Miss India, running from sultry photo sessions to skin-lightening treatments. The two young women could hardly be more different, and yet, suffer from the same handicap.

Ostensibly, Nisha Pahuja’s award-winning The World Before Her is a documentary concerned with the classic clash of East and West: the stern religious fundamentalism butting heads with the bikini-

clad frivolity that Western capitalists so deviously export. Wisely, however, Pahuja avoids the obvious angle, and pans instead to its intersection with womanhood. The documentary comes at a critical moment in history when Indian women have finally begun to receive their due attention.

Recently, the brazen rape and murder of a young medical student by a group of thugs—who abused her so severely that by the time she reached the hospital, she was missing 95 per cent of her intestine—garnered international attention.

With the world’s outrage directed squarely at Delhi, Pahuja brings us two different, yet wholly indissoluble stories. Ruhi wants to compete in beauty pageants because they offer a release from the bonds that living in India imposes on women, who, the film states, are treated as faceless second-class citizens. The rest of the contestants echo this sen-

timent; they’re uncomfortable strutting the beach, being judged solely on their legs—but if they win, they’ll earn an identity that surpasses their sex. Pahuja shows that in order to become autonomous human beings, Indian women must get their hands dirty; but while she portrays these contests as a last resort, the film fails to offer advice to the masses who are not born with model-good looks.

Prachi, the drill-sergeant whose life consists of serving Hindu fundamentalism, illustrates an even more nuanced problem. Her father, a voluminous slug who preaches the demonization of Muslims and Christians to the Durga Vahini girls, has steeped Prachi in hate. Through his slaps, punches, burns, Prachi remembers to be grateful. It’s not that she loves him, although perhaps she does; rather, she suffers from a corrupted form of parental debt. Prachi is bound to her father through a vio-

Young girls take up arms for Hindu fundamentalism. (www.rocofilms.com) lent form of parental indenture: he did not kill her at birth. Because he went against his customs and generously allowed a female offspring to live, Prachi is thankful. And yet, while he is set on marrying her off, she refuses. She has no interests apart from proselytizing her fundamentalist beliefs. Therein lies the film’s central tension—how does an Indian woman, groomed by custom to be inferior to man, become his equal while keeping her traditional identity?

The World Before Her is framed in drab, ordinary shots, showing neither the squalor, nor the colour, of India. The interviews are unassuming, almost bland in their matter-offactness. And yet, through it all, the film’s message resonates with fierce conviction: one’s sex shouldn’t be a sentence.

The World Before Her is playing at Cinema du Parc (3575 avenue du Parc), 8:30 p.m. Youth tickets (age 13-25) $8.50.

Visual Art

Through the looking glass: the faces of war Aydin Matlabi captures the humanity behind Iran’s Green Revolution

Aydin Matlabi’s Blue Veil. (Courtesy of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) Cristian Hertzer Contributor Aydin Matlabi’s photographs of Iran do not match the expected photojournalist tenor; rather, they take on an extremely personal, artistic form. His current exhibition at

the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Landscape, Revolution, People, exemplifies this perfectly.

Born in Iran but raised in Montreal, Matlabi possesses a unique voice: it is not only intimate, a result of his heritage, but also objective, allowing him to fuse art with his photo-

graphic reporting. His personality and identity is present in every click of the shutter.

Matlabi’s exhibit is a portrayal of Iran during the Green Revolution, but more importantly, it is a showcase of the identity of the oftenoverlooked human side to conflict.

Through striking portraits, Matlabi reveals the unbridled emotions of the Iranian people. He shows that even under the cumbersome veil of religious authoritarianism, Iran’s citizens can still find ways to display individuality.

“You always find a loophole, you always find a way to stand out,” Matlabi says about personal expression.

The exhibit’s most staggering room, one that sits tucked away from the main space, impeccably demonstrates this buoyant Iranian identity.

On one wall, scenes of darkened

faces and suppressed landscapes flood one’s field of view. In contrast, with a slight turn of the head, bright resilient faces, looking back with an unmatched self-assurance, meet one’s gaze with a type of stare unlikely to emerge from the restrained atmosphere of the opposite wall.

This distillation of Iranian identity is achieved, in part, through Matlabi’s particular methodology.

By developing a personal tie with his subjects, he magnifies the true personality and exuberance of the conflict-ridden Iranian people. Matlabi takes time with his photos, talking with his subject, and creating an experience that he then translates into one photo.

“You play this almost theatrical role with [your subject] and at the end you get this visual image that almost gives you the same narrative you had with them,” he explains.

There is also an extremely strong and pervasive emotional background to Matlabi’s photos, especially with respect to his portraits.

This sentimentality derives from his emotional investment to the people of Iran.

“Their faces show the pain [from conflict], but also hope,” Matlabi says. “Maybe I’m being very emotional about [the people of Iran]… but that’s what I felt attached to, and I kept going back because [of] those faces: this is my heritage.”

His emphatic, impassioned pieces demonstrate not only the resiliency of Iran, but Matlabi’s own sense of identity, expressing how much the nation means to him.

Landscape, Revolution, People is showing at the MMFA Graphic Art Centre until March 17. Free admission.

could be good Book Launch McGill professor takes on Anti-Semitism

Music Ayrad

Panel Discussion Melvin Charney, Artist-Architect

Theatre Dawson’s You Can’t Take It With You

Music Soul Khan

McGill Bookstore hosts Professor Troy, who will lecture on and sign copies of his latest book, Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism.

Recipient of the 2012 Diversity Award, Ayrad draws on influences ranging from flamenco to reggae to Moroccan chaabi to present a feast for the senses.

Guests discuss, interpret, pay tribute to the life and work of Montreal-native, McGill alumnus, and late architect Melvin Charney.

Catch a glimpse of up-and-coming theatrical talent as the graduating class from Dawson’s Professional Theatre program put on this uproarious drama.

A Brooklyn-based MC who rose to prominence as a battle rapper, Soul Khan has pursued music full-time since 2010, creating fans with his distinct baritone voice.

Monday January 28, McGill Bookstore 3rd floor, 12 p.m. Free admission and refreshments.

Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, Montréal, arts interculturels, 8 p.m. Student tickets $15.

Wednesday January 23, Canadian Centre for Architecture, 6 p.m. Free admission.

January 23 - 26; January 31 - February 2, Dawson Theatre, 8 p.m. Student admission $8.

Friday, January 25, Macallan Sports Bar, 10 p.m. Tickets $10 advance, $15 door.

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

film

15

Danish winter much warmer with steamy liaison

Oscar-nominated A Royal Affair tells tale of passion, liberty, and power politics Joanna Schacter Contributor Costume dramas are a risky business. Either they’re artificial and implausible, or the novelty of lace-sleeves, elaborate hairdos, and expensive props simply overshadows the plot and the acting. There are times, however, when this isn’t the case; when the historical background is the focus, and costume only succeeds in augmenting the film’s veracity.

Set in the 18th century, at the court of the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark, A Royal Affair focuses on the romance between his queen, Caroline Mathilde, and the royal physician, Johann Friederich Struensee. The film is, in fact, historically accurate. It is surprisingly astute both in its portrayal of historical figures, and adherence to detail; although, to be fair, this may be because the details of their affair were so sordid as to require no embellishment. The Enlightenment is the focus of this feature, and Struensee’s attempt to bring modernity and new freedoms to Denmark are

A love triangle amidst court intrigue. (www.thefilmemporium.blogspot.com) clearly portrayed. However, while his humanitarian reforms—the abolition of torture during interrogation, and the establishment of freedom of the press—were outstanding, this is also a film about the impermanence of change, the precariousness of power, and the price of transgression in a highly structured society.

Though the emphasis on the love affair outshines the importance of both the Enlightenment and of the aforementioned themes, the latter can still resonate with a modern audience, in a world where social rules, and at-

tempts to upheave the status quo, have marked our lives.

A Royal Affair, Denmark’s nominee for Best Foreign Film at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, includes excellent performances by headliners Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander, and Mikkel Følsgaard. Facial expressions truly bear noting in this film, with a great deal of significant moments having little or no dialogue, and resting solely upon the actors’ commendable abilities to capture a wide range of meaning in the narrowing of a gaze, or

the twitch of a lip. Horror, loss, joy, and sorrow are expressed without a single spoken word, which lends sincerity to the events, and depth to the historical characters portrayed.

What is perhaps most extraordinary about this film, is that much of the substance and feeling is translated not simply through acting, but through skilful use of “movie magic.” From a cinematographic point of view, A Royal Affair accomplishes a great deal through clever shots and visual tricks. The cheesy, slow-motion dance between two

characters in love, or the fragmented flashback to the moment Struensee first sees the Queen successfully add to the narrative. Light also plays a major role in establishing the atmosphere of this piece. Perhaps because the film concerns the Enlightenment, the lighting takes on even more meaning. Grey morning light filtering through drawn drapes into a dark room, the flicker of candles casting jumping shadows along the walls; immense attention to such details creates beautiful tableaus and a heightened emotional tone. However, as lovely as the period music is, it often feels disembodied and out of place, as if it were emanating from nowhere, simply edited into the film out of necessity.

Thematically and emotionally, this film astounds. Costume dramas, and other genres that require extras often disappoint since they rely too heavily on their budget to create a success. A Royal Affair, meanwhile, manages to awe with its lovingly fashioned décor and dress, but also reels in viewers. I’m not ashamed to admit it—this film managed to move me to tears.

film

No room for ageism in Quartet—only high octaves

Operatic octogenarians entertain with surprisingly youthful joie de vivre Esther Vinarov Contributor I didn’t need a sign to tell me which theatre Quartet was playing in—all I had to do was follow the large crowd of mature movie-goers.

I certainly felt like an oddball, sitting in the theatre where the average age was well above 60. But do not be deceived—there is more to Quartet than meets the eye. Though it attracts an older audience with its elderly cast, it keeps viewers entranced with its excellent music, and more importantly, a theme for all ages.

Beecham House is a respectable home for the elderly, catering to retired musicians and singers.

Its residents are a talented, eclectic group; their various interactions occur prior to the annual gala, where each member contributes their talent to raise money for the home.

Maggie Smith dominates the story as Jean Horton, a fragile diva who refuses to sing again. In a recent interview, she acknowledged that she has acted the part of older characters for much of her career, a specialty she has clearly perfected.

She wears her old age with dignity,

Maggie Smith, as enchanting as ever. (www.lajollalight.com) strength, and even some diva-like vanity—throwing around everything from sheet music to curse words.

Smith is joined by the exuberant and flirtatious Wilf Bond (Billy Connolly), quiet, opera-loving Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), and Cissy Robson (Pauline Collins),

who rounds out the quartet with her spirit and good-heartedness. Also starring is Michael Gambon, the domineering yet forgetful egotist that orchestrates the four friends’ return to the stage.

The film is beautifully scored, with music to fit the sweeping cin-

ematography, along with the characters’ thoughts and emotions. Most of the humour is tastefully delivered through “old folks” jokes, ranging from comparisons between drunkenness and old age to the frighteningly believable threat, “over my dead body.”

The content, however, is derived in an entirely different way.

The film’s focus is on the fundamental humanity of all the characters: by the final scene, they are not viewed simply as elderly, but rather, complicated individuals. They have friends and enemies; know their limits; enjoy childish jokes; and fight for window seats. They feel shame and fear, love and happiness. Simply put, they are human.

It is this humanity that resonates with viewers, regardless of age. In a particularly optimistic scene, we see teenagers that are open to opera, and seniors that can relate to rap; and in this way the film uses music to express a more important underlying theme: the connections we all share.

As the lights came back on and the audience slowly began to rise, I realized my mistake: they weren’t ‘old people,’ simply people. One woman sincerely told her friend, “They were wonderful! They were real people, all of them.” She was right. Quartet emphasizes the humanity present in all generations, and the superb cast delivered this message with emotion, charm, and depth.

t

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013 |

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

Fighting repression, one Lego figure at a time Sayeh Sarfaraz’s Étrange dictature achieves political criticism through innocuous media

A

innocent and infantile, devoid of any overt political associations, the tone later changes when we see drawings labelled ‘democracy’, ‘military dictatorship’, and ‘political power’ all paired with short and concise definitions. Along the three other walls that make up Sarfaraz’s installation, forming an open cubic structure in the middle of the exhibition room, more drawings appear. These are coupled with with labels such as ‘human rights’, ‘Ayatollah’, ‘freedom of expression’, ‘prison’, and ‘video-surveillance’. Despite the seemingly unassuming medium of the simple, child-like drawings, the political nature of the exhibit gradu-

ally but surely unfolds: Sayeh Sarfaraz, who is of Iranian origin, has created a language allowing her to critically engage with the political system in her home country.

Her message reaches its climax with the centrepiece of the installation, which, much like the drawings, appears at first to be nothing more than the creative results of a child’s playful imagination: hundreds of miniature Lego-figures form a long queue, starting as a small, insignificant group at the top right-hand corner, and culminating in a massassembly in the bottom left. Upon closer inspection, however, it is no ordinary grouping of people. Con-

fronting the small yellow Legofigures are hundreds of soldiers: they point their weapons at the Lego-civilians from the other side of a military line of battle, as well as from the top of an archive-box at the fore of the installation, representing the central political power of the country. The numerous small drawers of the archive-box are labelled with the names of Iranian journalists and defenders of human rights, all of whom have at some point been subject to imprisonment by the political regime for exercising too freely their right to freedom of speech.

Formally known as the Islamic Republic of Iran, the state is present-

ed by Sayeh Sarfaraz as an Islamic dictatorship: the Supreme Leader, accompanied by the President, has unrestricted powers, denying citizens their right to participate in a democratic political process, with freedom of expression as its most important founding element. Using seemingly apolitical and simple media to convey her message, she creates a language that is as universally accessible and accommodating, as the regime she portrays is obscure and uncompromising. Étrange dictature runs from Jan. 19 to Feb. 16 at M.A.I. (Bureau 103, 3680 rue Jeanne-Mance). Admission is free.

visual art

Thomas Demand: deceit and delight Renowned German sculptor, photographer, and video artist deals with the real and the unreal Will Burgess Contributor Walking into Thomas Demand’s Embassy (2007), it is easy to empathize with the uneasiness the artist must have felt when visiting the titular Embassy of the Republic of Niger in Rome to prepare for this series. Frameless, life-size prints, appearing as part of the wall they are mounted on, depict doors ajar and offices in disarray, as if tracking the movement of a burglar. Papers scattered across an office desk look uncannily blank, until one realizes that blankness permeates the whole series—the scattered documents are the best representation of a world constructed entirely out of paper.

The origami building is typical of Demand’s meticulously constructed realities, which have won him international fame, including headline exhibitions in Germany and the United States. A new show, at DHC/ART in Old Montreal, displays Embassy alongside five similarly fabricated film installations, collectively titled Animations.

Demand typically culls his material from cultural or political events that he feels can be accurately embodied by an image.

Instead of photographing an object directly, however, he applies distance by manufacturing the piece in question before taking its portrait. In Animations, he manipulates paper, three-dimensional animation, and even candy wrappers to create eerie

Thomas Demand’s Pacific Sun. (Courtesy of DHC/ART) facsimiles.

The artificial universe Demand has created is striking because of its—quite literally—dishonest take on art’s persistent goal of showing people different perspectives of reality. At first, the work seems like an elaborate prank, mocking the ‘true’ claim of photography, and testing the perception of its audience.

Films like Rain (2008), which depicts “raindrops” with stop-motion animation of candy wrappers, seem whimsical, with the illusion itself as both the departure and final destination of the work’s purpose. Other projects like Embassy and Pacific Sun (2012) resonate more effectively because they flesh out specific events, ironically adding new layers of meaning to the reality they depict by subtracting information—De-

mand’s artificial universes are devoid of people.

Revisiting the Nigerien Embassy adds visual data to an alleged break-in in 2001. Official etterhead was apparently stolen, and used to forge contracts between Saddam Hussein and Niger over the purchase of “yellowcake” uranium, later used

by George W. Bush as evidence to go to war in Iraq. Just like the documents, the embassy is itself a forgery, and the photos question the authenticity of intelligence, following a paper trail of conspiracy theories, just to end up with more paper Demand’s fakery extends to the peripheral environment of the gallery as well. The artist surrounds much of it in wallpaper in the pattern of a grey curtain. Whether intentionally or not, walking through

DHC/ART’s sparse stairwells, and being constantly watched by security guards in an uncomfortably enclosed space (Embassy is spread over two small floors) adds to the effect of the work. While trying to listen to Demand talk about being kicked out of the embassy for taking photographs, a guard pointed to my recorder and warned: “Pas de cellulaire.”

In a conversation with Demand prior to the exhibit’s opening, art critic Michael Fried claimed that the process of meticulously assembling his environments was crucial to the meaning of his work, and that there was importance in the fact that nothing was accidental. He relished the fact that such deliberateness meant that every detail served a purpose, and that the sum of those details

communicated an unambiguous statement to the audience. Simultaneously, however, he claimed that context was secondary to this process of fabrication, a claim supported by the gallery in its assertion that Demand’s sets are destroyed after they are photographed. This awareness, combined with knowledge of the political context of the embassy photos adds layers of both complexity, and clarity to Demand’s intentions.

Without knowing about the embassy break-in, or that Recorder (2002) is based off the unfinished Beach Boys album Smile, does the art have the same weight? Demand argues that it does, and seems to welcome ‘ignorant’ interpretations of his pieces, historically providing no revealing information in his titles.

Yet, it is hard to let Demand have his cake and eat it too; and while DHC/ ART’s eagerly in-depth explanations of context is helpful to an audience, it feels cautious and antithetical to Demand’s statement. Despite this, the gallery may still be doing us a favour by providing explanations to latch onto, even if some of its artist’s mystique is lost. So who can be trusted? As Animations suggests, perhaps no one.

Thomas Demand: Animations runs from Jan. 19 to May 12, 2013.

The exhibit is hosted by DHC/ART (451 & 465 St-Jean Street). Admission is free.

Image from galerieantoineertaskiran.com

t the exhibit’s entrance is wall, with a child-like drawing of a person, accompanied by a dictionary definition of the term ‘human being’. Next to this drawing is one of an owl; following, is an image of a box coloured in grey, which the accompanying caption tells us represents the colour ‘red,’ rendered in grey nuances. This theme characterizes the remaining drawings that form this introductory portion of Sayeh Sarfaraz’s exhibition at the Montréal, arts interculturels (M.A.I.): Étrange dictature.

While these initial images seem Cecilie Jensen Contributor

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

Album

Dance

17

Flamenco, revisited

reviews

A modern spin on the classic art

The Joy Formidable Wolf’s Law

Various Artists Girls Soundtrack, Vol. 1

Sebastien Tellier My God is Blue

Warner Music

Warner Music

Record Makers

The century-old Wolf’s Law says that our bones can adapt themselves to carry increasingly heavier loads over time; the more stress we place on our bones, the more resistant they become to these external pressures. There seems to be no better testament to this theory than Welsh band The Joy Formidable, who have played alongside the likes of Muse and the Foo Fighters, and made notable appearances at Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds.

The title of their sophomore album is an apt description of their sound, which has endured the test of time to evolve into something remarkable with this second release.

After extensive touring in recent years, the effects of being on an international platform are evident in The Joy Formidable’s music; Wolf’s Law is lyrically saturated with political references. The aggressive, rhythmically captivating “Maw Maw Song” alludes to consumerism, whereas “The Leopard and the Lung” is a tip of the hat to Kenyan environmental, and women’s rights activist Wangari Maathai. There are occasional fitful bouts of soul-searching, such as in “Tendons,” an emotionally-charged track that captures vocalist Ritzy Bryan’s relationship with bassist Rhydian Dafydd. Though most of the album follows a single, unrelenting trajectory, Bryan’s vocals shine through on slower tracks, such as “Silent Treatment” and “The Turnaround.”

Through the course of eleven tracks, The Joy Formidable have shown themselves capable of living up to their album’s name. Rather than caving into the excitement and hype surrounding Wolf’s Law, the band has emerged sounding more promising and resilient than ever before.

The debut season of Girls received effusive praise, and viewers fell in love with the triple-threat director, writer, and lead actress Lena Dunham. Dunham plays Hannah Horvath, a twenty-something writer living in New York, who struggles with a steady job and a relationship with an uber-horny boyfriend.

Among the complicated web of frenemies and ex’s, Hannah-plus-three live a life of “oh wells” and “what ifs”—all reflected in the show’s poppy, spontaneous soundtrack.

As if being a triple-threat wasn’t enough, Dunham also curated the tracks, which fall in step with the raw, lively youthfulness in Girls.

Featuring the likes of Grouplove, Fleet Foxes, and The Vaccines, the mood swings of each episode are appropriately accented with downtempo, somber tracks like “Fool To Cry” by Tegan and Sara. These are juxtapositioned with Santigold’s dance-infused song (quite fittingly) titled “Girls”—a standout track radiating an exuberant playfulness.

The unique spectrum of songs encompasses a refreshing approach to documenting the characters’ daily lives, filled with good humour and bad luck.

But the track that epitomizes the show the best is Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” notoriously used at the end of episode three. The one song (of 19) that felt out of place was Michael Penn’s “On Your Way,” which is much too melodramatic and tacky, and misses the mark.

The tracks are hip, upbeat, and funky, radiating what HBO’s Girls is all about.

In his latest album My God is Blue, French musician Sebastien Tellier plays with numerous different genres, sounds, languages, and emotions. Tellier’s release won’t be enjoyed by all, but those who do will like it whole-heartedly.

My God is Blue is a spiritual album. Tellier asks the listener to connect with the messages conveyed, instead of listening for the beats and lyrics. Tellier wants the audience to bond with one another on this level, thus encouraging a more linked and honest society. It seems as though Tellier is channeling his inner John Lennon, with his idealistic approach to society’s cohesive capabilities; but hey, why not? We need more artists like Tellier making expertly produced music for his own purposes.

Across 12 tracks, Tellier conveys a different, intense emotion in each; ‘unpredictable’ is perhaps the most appropriate word to describe this album. Drawing on religious influences like the chorus in “Pepito Blue” and the organs playing in the background of “Yes It’s Possible,” Tellier proceeds to blend these elements into the multiple layers of contrasting sounds he so commonly uses. Some fun ‘70s influences come out in “Sedulous” (a personal favourite) and “Cochon Ville” which draws upon some of his older works off the album Sexuality.

Sebastien Tellier makes creative, unique electronica that stands apart from the EDM fad sweeping North America. He stays true to his work, and for that, one can’t help having respect.

—Bronte Martin

—Haley Kemp

—Leyang Yu

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A&E is hiring an editor.

Submit your C.V., letter of intent, and three writing samples to editor@mcgilltribune.com.

Applications due Feb. 5

Allard, right, in the throes of passion. (Mukul Ranjan / Courtesy of Danse Danse)

Nicole Rainteau Contributor Flamenco is recognized for its passionate, precise, and lightningfast footwork. La Otra Orilla’s captivating presentation of their new piece, HomoBLABLAtus, blends the nuances of traditional flamenco with contemporary expression. Founded in 2006, the small and relatively new company has a unique approach to the Andalusian art form, including projected recordings and the direct incorporation of musicians into dance performance.

HomoBLABLAtus explores different forms of physical communication, and the weight of words, enhanced by La Otra Orilla’s selected film scenes. The stage set is simple: two areas divided by a large rotating box; separated spaces for different methods of expression.

HomoBLABLAtus introduces the film projections with repeated images of moving lips, to a voice over

by Catherine Allard and Frederic Blanchette—both sight and sound quickly become hypnotizing.

The most effective product of this medium, however, is the virtual duo. The soloist, Myriam Allard, dances with her virtual partner— the projection of Blanchette—who dances on the face of box. She is able to both command the stage and seduce the audience, while interacting with Blanchette’s virtual form.

The eye is torn between Allard’s live moving body and the projection.

The two dance together sensually, as if they are alone in their own space and medium. What is surprising and jarring at first glance becomes seemingly natural.

Although flamenco is traditionally danced solo, HomoBLABLAtus feels more like an ensemble piece.

Singer Hedi Graja directs the show,

choreographed by the energetic yet graceful Myriam Allard. Typically, flamenco incorporates live music within the dance, but this performance presents a refreshing multidisciplinary vision of the art form. In addition to La Otra Orilla’s provocative use of media, the musicians— Aurelie Brunelle, Miguel Medina, and Graja, who share the stage with Allard—dance throughout the performance, building the dynamism and momentum of the rhythmic choreography.

This intensity reaches a peak when the quartet works together— Graja’s soaring, soulful voice supported by Medina’s drumming, layered with Brunelle’s proudly challenging him for his role. Together with Allard, the elegant foot-stamping women ruled the stage, creating rich, unpredictable sounds. The final result was pure excitement.

The performance ends with Allard dancing alone to calmer music.

She is drenched in rain, an image achieved by skillful lighting effects and some help from a white sheet.

Allard’s altered posture combined with her sobered footwork and her new relationship with the floor creates a more emotional atmosphere.

She made the audience search for her striking silhouette, but calmed them with the rhythms of her feet.

HomoBLABLAtus is a compelling and exciting performance of beautiful live music, dance, and film. Their contemporary expression respects the formal purism of Flamenco while maintaining freedom in its reinterpretation. You will leave this performance tapping Allard’s rhythms and humming Graja’s tune.

La Otra Orilla’s HomoBLABLAtus runs from Jan. 16 to Jan. 26 at Place des Arts. Regular admission $36.50.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

Exclusive Interview

The next great one?

16 year-old Connor McDavid remains grounded in his quest for stardom David Stein Contributor At just sixteen, Toronto native Connor McDavid is already being compared to some of the greatest hockey players to have ever laced up a pair of skates. The 5’11, 170 pound centre is undoubtedly one of the most highly touted NHL prospects in the world, according to a myriad of scouts who were in attendance for the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Victoriaville, Quebec.

However, although McDavid may be on the verge of attaining unprecedented levels of fame and success, he is, nevertheless, humble about his journey to greatness.

While chatting with him and his father Brian, after one of Team Ontario’s preliminary games in Victoriaville last month, the duo reaffirmed what has been well documented—McDavid is a very special player, and this was clear from an early age. “[Connor] was probably two years old, [when] we bought him roller blades, and he put them on in our house,” Brian said. “He would just start skating around with a stick

Around the

in his hand all the time, and I kind of knew then that he was a little bit different from the rest.”

McDavid credited his father as being the most influential person in his everyday life.

“He grew up playing the game, and he’s taught me everything I know so far. I owe [all my success] to him.”

McDavid even spoke candidly about how he could learn a thing or two from his role model, Pittsburgh Penguins star, Sidney Crosby.

“He’s a perfect role model for me. I think we’ve gone through a couple of similar things by having a lot of pressure [at a young age],” McDavid said. “He’s ... a great player, on and off the ice.”

Brian asserted that his son’s strongest assets are his intelligence and his passion for the game. However, McDavid did admit that he would like to improve his defensive play and work on his consistency in the face-off zone.

“I want to become a 200 foot player. You can’t just be good in the offensive zone; you need to be good in your defensive zone, [as well as in] face-offs, because getting control

W

ater cooler

In case you were too busy a) being a victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit from Bernard Pollard; b) doing carnival; or c) Lennay Kekua, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports ...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL — Last week, we told you about how the world became obsessed with Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend. Now the world seems to have latched onto the romantic

interest of his BCS Championship foe Manti Te’o from Notre Dame— well, sort of. In one of the most bizarre stories in recent sports history, it was revealed that Heisman Trophy finalist Te’o was the subject of a

of the puck is such a big part of the game,” he said.

This past March, McDavid was granted exceptional player status to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), which allowed him to play in the league before he turned 16. He is the third player to receive this status, the first of whom was New York Islanders forward, John Tavaras.

McDavid is midway through his first season with the Eerie Otters, but he admits that he has had to adjust to the size and speed of his OHL opponents.

“It [has been] a long transition, and I think it’s still happening. I’m still not quite used to the pace yet; but I think game by game, it gets a lot better,” he said.

McDavid also spoke about the advice he has received from current NHL players—including Tavaras— who have reached out to him over the past year.

“Recently, John Tavares called me and I text him sometimes,” he said. “Sam Gagner called me and just wanted to see how I was feeling … which I appreciate tremendously.

And lastly, is my agent Bobby Orr. Without him, I’d probably be nothhoax involving a long distance girlfriend named Lennay Kekua who he claimed to be in a relationship with over the past year. This fake girlfriend “passed away” in September, and Te’o dedicated his season to her. According to major sports news outlets, Te’o was totally tricked into believing he had a girlfriend—they spoke on the phone, sent pictures to each other, but neither met in person nor used Skype—because, you know, using Skype doesn’t really make sense in the year 2012, especially when your girlfriend gets in a car accident and then develops leukemia. According to ESPN, the hoax was set up by Te’o’s acquaintance Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who created this fictional girl and her elaborate story. Te’o was the subject of countless interviews this week and denies that he was involved in the prank.

Whether you believe Te’o or not, it’s safe to say that this story is a little weird. No, actually, it’s super weird.

CYCLING — The Te’o hoax wasn’t the only major sports scandal story from this past week, as Lance Armstrong, the most successful cyclist in the sport’s history, finally admitted his use of performace enhancing drugs (PEDs) in a two-part interview with Oprah, who seems ready to seize the mantle of exclusive emotional sports interviews

McDavid is eligible for the 2015 NHL draft. (puckingpattyb.blogspot.com) ing, so I’m forever grateful [to have] him.”

Despite all of the publicity and hype surrounding him, McDavid’s father does his best to make sure that his son does not lose his focus.

“I tell him to try to ignore it.

It’s a long time until any comparisons [to other NHL players] are made,” Brian said. “He just has to ignore that sort of stuff and stay focused on his goal, which is to be a

hockey player and to do everything that he has to do each day to realize his goal.”

McDavid turned 16 just over a week ago and will not be eligible for the NHL draft until 2015. Although there is no guarantee that he will become one of the league’s best, his commitment and passion for the game should enable him to meet these lofty expectations.

from Bob Costas. The news is unsurprising after the Union Cycliste Internationale decided to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles in 2012. While Armstrong spearheaded the Livestrong Foundation, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research and victims, his reputation has been tainted for some as a result.

Armstrong vehemently denied using PEDs throughout his career and condemned those that accused him. His legacy is now one of the most polarizing in sports. If only Armstrong were the mastermind behind the Te’o prank … we think the Internet would instantaneously combust.

Niklas Lidstrom after being crushed

by St. Louis, 6-0. Montreal was buzzing on Saturday night, as the Habs opened up against their bitter rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs prevailed 2-1 in a fairly sloppy contest. After a 48 hour debate about which street should host the Stanley Cup parade, the Leafs lost to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. All returns to normal.

HOCKEY — The lockoutshortened NHL season got underway this past weekend, as puck heads around North America took in the first slate of games. The veterans stole the show on Saturday, as 40-year-old Jaromir Jagr and 42-year-old Teemu Selanne each tallied four points, while 39-year old Alexei Kovalev added three points in his opener. The Los Angeles Kings finally lifted their Stanley Cup banner, but failed to impress in opening their title defence, as the Chicago Blackhawks dominated them 5-2. The Detroit Red Wings got off to a pretty horrible start as well and are looking like they miss

NFL FOOTBALL — There will be no brotherly love in the Super Bowl this year. The San Francisco 49ers, led by Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, will battle the Baltimore Ravens, led by Head Coach John Harbaugh—their parents are probably pretty happy. The 49ers advanced after overcoming a 17-0 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick leads a dynamic offence that is flanked by one of the premier defences in the league. Baltimore heads to the title game after taking down the mighty New England Patriots in a result that few saw coming. The Ravens contained the potent Patriots offence and received offensive contributions led by quarterback Joe Flacco, who has silenced his critics on this impressive postseason run. Just a quick heads up: brace yourself for the brother narrative, as it will be played on loop for the next two weeks.

Curiosity delivers. |

sports

| Tuesday, January 22, 2013

POINT COUNTERPOINT

For Decision The 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame election came to a quiet conclusion last week. Labelled as perhaps the most contentious and controversial election in baseball history, the event finished without an inductee for only the second time in four decades and for the eighth time since 1945.

While controversy always surrounds an election that produces no winner, this year’s event was especially dramatic given the players involved.

Steroid-tainted superstars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were both eligible for the first time, yet each received fewer than 40 per cent of the vote—a rather low percentage, despite the allegations pressed against them.

Clemens, one of the top pitchers in MLB history by any statistical measure, finished the election with only 37.6 per cent of the vote, despite receiving the seven Cy Young award seven times. Clemens finished his career third all-time in strikeouts, including an astounding 292 strikeouts in 1997, to go along with an ERA of 2.05.

Bonds, the all-time leader in home runs and one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, finished with an astounding low 36.2 per cent of the vote.

Though their performances certainly speak for themselves, and though it is quite possible that their calibre of play will never again be matched, it would be wrong to vote for these players—and other players who have been

associated with performance enhancing drugs—into the Hall of Fame.

In an era of baseball where players are becoming increasingly aware of the availability of ergogenic aids, allowing these players to enter the Hall would send a welcoming message to those who knowingly seek to bend the rules of the game.

Players and fans alike both recognize that the use of these substances violate MLB policy. Why should players who openly violate the regulations be welcomed into the most prestigious and respected realm of baseball? If a player knowingly defiles the integrity of the sport, the sanctions for these actions must be severe.

When the best players of an era are not allowed into the Hall of Fame, it will undoubtedly erase the players’ relevancies in baseball history. However, it is necessary to use this opportunity to set the tone for the future and to establish that, those who unabashedly undermine policy will be punished accordingly.

Athletes like Ben Johnson, and more recently, Lance Armstrong, have had to come to terms with the harsh realities that present themselves when rules are broken. If the MLB does not take this opportunity to defend the antidoping regulations of the sport, I fear that the legitimacy of the league will remain in question in the future.

— Justin Simon

Sports briefs

basketbalL — Redmen 68, UQAM 42

By Jeff Downey Redmen sweep Weekend Bouts Bibeau, Mitrovich lead charge It was quite a weekend for the McGill Redmen hoopsters, who won a pair of close games against tough divisional foes. Starting in Lennoxville on Friday against the top-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters, the Redmen put in a motivated effort to come away with a 63-60 win.

Simon Bibeau, back this year after a devastating knee injury, led the team with 17 points. The team then

followed up with a 68-42 shellacking of the UQAM Citadins at home on Saturday. This time, Serbian sensation Aleksandar Mitrovich rose to the top, leading all scorers with 14 points and four steals.

With the wins, McGill moves to the top of the RSEQ and will likely return to a national top 10 ranking when the list is released next week.

Quebec Cup 4

Mediocre results for Swim Teams at QUebec CUp 4 Bielby, Eid earn first place finishes

McGill’s swim teams hit the water at Laval University on Saturday for the Quebec Cup 4. Competing against five other universities across the province, both teams faltered for the first time all year, finishing third in both the men’s

and women’s disciplines.

The third place finish is not particularly striking, as McGill won only two races all meet. Both were claimed on the men’s side, as veteran Steven Bielby placed first in the 400m individual medley, and

T

he 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame election took place on Jan. 9. For the first time since 1996, no players were voted in, despite players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens being up for induction. Many baseball analysts believe that this trend may continue as more players, who played during the steroid era become eligible for induction. Two contributors weigh in on the controversial decision ...

VS Winner

For Decision

T

he National Baseball Hall of Fame exists to celebrate the game’s best players. If it were to induct players who violated the rules, then the league’s legitimacy and integrity are put into question. Therefore, those surrounded in the steroid scandal have no place in Cooperstown this time around.

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Against decision

I’ve visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown several times, and revere it for its unvarnished history of the sport. However, the Baseball Hall of Fame voting this year has made a mockery of all that Cooperstown stands for, namely that the game’s best players— blemishes and all—were not voted into the Hall.

This year’s ballot had it all—the gritty converted catcher Craig Biggio, who collected 3000 hits in a long and distinguished career; fierce sluggers Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell, with their offensive numbers that every team coveted; the speedy Tim Raines, a man that enthralled a generation of Montreal Expos fans; and last but not least, the otherworldly Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, who have solidified themselves among the all-time greats after dominating the MLB for the entirety of their careers.

Instead of recognizing these achievements, the Baseball Hall of Fame voters astonishingly elected nobody to the Hall this year, depriving these players of the proper honour they deserved, and shortchanging fans that make their pilgrimage to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony every summer. What was the reason for this shortsighted decision?

Laziness, idle speculation, and dumb superstition.

Biggio will get into the hall eventually, but did not this year because he is not considered ‘first ballot’ Hall-ofFamer material, which is incredibly silly.

Piazza and Bagwell never tested positive for taking performance-enhancing drugs, but since they were muscular sluggers in the steroid era, their reputations have been tarnished in the eyes of some voters. On the basis of this un-

basketball — Martlets 75, Concordia 44

Sylla, Him-Lazarenko shine for Martlets McGill moves into tie for first in RSEQ In what was a good week for McGill basketball, the Martlets also added a pair of wins themselves— first against Bishop’s Gaiters and then over the Concordia Stingers.

Coming off a double-double in last week’s contest, rookie Miriam Sylia continued her hot streak against Bishop’s, tallying 17 points and 10 rebounds. The winless Gaiters did little to worry the skilled Martlets, who came away with a decisive 66-51 victory.

It was a similar story on Saturday, as the Martlets routed the division-leading Stingers, 75-44.

This time, fourth-year centre Anneth Him-Lazarenko notched a double-double.

The offensive success is an encouraging sign for the Martlets, who move into a tie for first place with Concordia in the RSEQ. This recent surge should bode well, as the team enters the closing half of the season.

freshmen Sami Eid won the 200m backstroke. The duo then added to their tally with a bronze in the 4x100 relay.

On the women’s side, the lone bright spot was Kathleen Caldwell, who guided the team to one silver

and two bronze finishes.

The teams will look to rebound when they take part in the RSEQ Swimming Championships, again taking place at Laval on Feb. 9 & 10.

empirical thinking, all baseball fans are voided from commemorating these two great careers, which is a shame.

Clemens didn’t get in mainly because of Brian McNamee’s discredited testimony, which accused Clemens of taking HGH and steroids—an allegation that was never proven in court. And even if McNamee’s allegations were true, Clemens won over 300 games and won more Cy Young awards than any other pitcher in the history of the game.

To leave him out of the Hall would be analogous to erasing history.

Similarly, Bonds did not get into the Hall despite never testing positive for performance enhancers. Like Clemens, Bonds was also the pre-eminent star of his era, setting the MLB record for home runs in a career and in one season, while stealing bases and takeing a pitch like nobody else. But because of the allegations against him, and the fact that he came across as surly and unlikable, he’s being punished. On the other side of a similar coin, Raines has been penalized for using cocaine in the ‘80’s—why that should be held against his stellar career, is again, a question left unanswered.

It’s pretty clear to see that the Baseball Hall of Fame voters are corrupt and unaccountable. Put all of these men into the Hall, and let knowledgeable baseball fans explain the circumstances of these players’ careers to their parents and kids. By not doing so, the Hall of Fame voters have infantilized and shown contempt for legions of baseball fans all across the world.

— Joshua Freedman soccer

Martlets, Redmen SWAP Coaches in program shake-up

A big shake-up to the men’s and women’s soccer teams was announced by McGill Athletics this past week. Effective immediately for the indoor campaigns and into the next outdoor season, interim Redmen Head Coach Jose Valdes and veteran Martlet Head Coach Marc Mounicot are switching roles.

This moves Valdes over to the Martlets, where he was an assistant coach for 11 years under Mounicot. Mounicot will lead the Redmen, a team that slotted a 0-12 record in 2012 after ineligible player sanctions.

The move is a curious one— Valdes only took over the Redmen head coaching job last year, while Mounicot found much success with the Martlets, having guided them to an overall 222-72-54 record over 15 years. In a statement on the McGill Athletics website, Executive Director Drew Love cited a desire to move the programs in different directions.

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SPORTS

Inside: exclusive interview with connor mcdavid

Hockey — Redmen 4, UQTR 2

Redmen fill seats, net in victory Redmen defeat No. 6 UQTR in front of sold-out Carnival crowd Tom DiNardo Contributor With thunderous chants of “McGill once, McGill twice” echoing in McConnell Arena, the McGill Redmen faced off against the No.6 ranked UQTR Patriotes for the annual Management Carnival Game on Jan. 16. Riding a continuous tidal wave of enthusiasm from the students, McGill managed to prevail in an exciting 4-2 victory.

From the opening faceoff, it was immediately apparent that both teams were determined to put up a tough fight. The two squads got tangled up almost immediately, as off-setting roughing penalties were called just thirty seconds into the game. The game’s physicality did not abate throughout the first period, as ten penalties were called in the initial frame alone.

“Both [teams] have players that played against each other all our lives,” third-year forward Benoit Levesque said. “We’ve got a lot of players [from Montreal], and it’s always been a big rivalry. Tonight was no different.”

McGill’s special teams effort was key in their first period success.

UQTR received two penalties with just under six minutes remaining, granting the Redmen a great oppor-

The Redmen scored twice on the power play in the first period. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune) tunity to take the lead. Right winger David Rose capitalized in front of the net for McGill’s first goal. The Redmen tallied another goal shortly after, thanks to first-year defenceman Guillaume Monast’s slap shot, which flew past UQTR goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas.

The Redmen offence was relentless in the first period—they maintained control of the puck in the Patriotes’ zone with hard, fast play, and dominated the boards on puck cycles. Aggressive attacks coupled

with a fantastic showing from fifthyear goalie Hubert Morin left the Redmen with a 2-0 advantage at the end of the frame.

Unfortunately, McGill was unable to keep up the same level of play in the second period. The Patriotes came out looking energized, and took advantage of the Redmen’s fatigue to control the pace of the game. Midway through the second period, Patriotes’ forward Tommy Tremblay scored to cut McGill’s lead to one. Although the Redmen

picked up their pace towards the end of the period, a shot by the Patriotes’ Emmanual Boudreau found the back of the net, after being redirected off of a McGill blueliner to tie the game.

Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes was not pleased with his team’s effort in the second period.

“We got a little bit caught in the second period, not moving our feet and not skating. And when we’re not moving our feet … we’re reacting instead of dictating what’s happening,” Coach Nobes said after the

game.

With the game knotted up entering the final frame, the Redmen picked up their pace. Quick off the faceoff, Levesque broke away from the Patriotes defence and dished the puck to centre Marc-Olivier Vachon, who buried home a quick goal to give McGill the lead just a minute in. For much of the rest of the period, the puck went back and forth, with most offensive attempts thwarted by airtight defence on both ends.

In a last-ditch effort to equalize, the Patriotes pulled Gelinas to add another skater with three minutes left in the period. Redmen right-winger Max Le Sieur capitalized on the empty net to increase the lead to 4-2, sealing the win for the Redmen.

The Patriotes were victorious, in the last meeting between the squads a few months ago, coming away 3-1, but Nobes stressed his team’s positive development since then.

“We’ve evolved a ton since then. This is such a young team. The season is a process of getting better every day,” Coach Nobes said.

The Redmen won their fourth straight game on Friday night, on the road against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

They will take on the Patriotes for the final time in the regular season in Trois-Rivières on Jan. 22.

HOCKEY — Martlets 6, Ottawa 1

Martlets make it 13 straight in rout of Gee-Gees Clément-Heydra breaks McGill record with three goals in 118 seconds

No team can stop McGill’s first line this season. (McGill Athletics) Remi Lu Contributor After hanging on to a tight 4-3 win against the Montreal Carabins the night before, the McGill Martlets took the ice again on Saturday afternoon against the faltering Ottawa Gee-Gees at McConnell Arena. The

Martlets, riding a 13-game winning streak, dominated the contest 6-1 in a lopsided affair and remain in first place atop the CIS standings. McGill was led by third-year forward Katia Clément-Heydra, who tallied a record breaking hat-trick, and continues to build on her breakout season.

McGill got off to a quick start

when Clément-Heydra and secondyear star Mélodie Daoust combined with second-year defenceman Brittney Fouracres on a goal, just under two minutes into the game.

The two teams went on to play a fairly even first period from there, with the Gee-Gees Cindy Laurin converting on a power play at the midway mark of the period to tie the game at 1-1.

However, the dynamic of the game quickly shifted in favour of the Martlets, as both teams entered the second period. More specifically, Clément-Heydra took over the game with a three-goal scoring run, all tallied within the span of 118 seconds.

The hat-trick marks a McGill school record. As a result of the Martlet surge, Ottawa was forced to play from behind for the remainder of the period. The Gee-Gees began playing urgently and physically, which was reflected in the five consecutive penalties called against them in the frame. The Martlets finished the pe-

riod with a 4-1 advantage.

Ultimately, the Gee-Gees never recovered from Clément-Heydra’s ruthless scoring rub, and remained scoreless throughout the rest of the contest. Daoust added the fifth Martlet goal—her CIS-leading 16th of the season—seven minutes into the third period. Second-year centre Erika Pyke put the game away, as she tallied McGill’s last goal on the power play with five minutes remaining in game, sealing the 6-1 victory.

The Martlets have played incredible hockey all season long to stay atop the CIS rankings for the seventh consecutive week—in addition to remaining undefeated in RSEQ conference play.

A healthy mixture of veteran presence and youth has been crucial for the team’s success. Much of this can be credited to the unbelievable talent on McGill’s top line, composed of Daoust, ClémentHydra, and Leslie Oles. Daoust sits

atop the CIS in points (39), with Clément-Hydra (31) and Oles (27) being fourth and seventh overall, respectively. All together, the trio has combined for 97 points in only 13 contests, which is made even more remarkable by the fact that the second-placed points-getter, Amanda Parkins from Guelph, has played in 21 games. Furthermore, the leadership and steady hand of Head Coach Peter Smith, in his 12th season as coach of Martlets, has kept the team focused throughout their dominating efforts. So far, no team in Canada seems to have an answer for this group of women.

The Martlets will look to continue their torrid pace in Ottawa this week, as they face both the GeeGees and the Carleton Ravens in a back-to-back beginning on Jan. 25.

McGill returns home to battle the Montreal Carabins on Feb. 1.