McGill Tribune Vol. 32 Issue 6

TRIBUNE

THE Mcgill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society

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curiosity delivers

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

@mcgill_tribune ­ • www. mcgilltribune.com ­

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 6

Justin Trudeau announces Liberal Party leadership bid

Launch speech recognizes Canadian diversity and necessity for middle class growth, rules out coalition possibility Carolina Millán Ronchetti Managing Editor

Justin Trudeau announces his leadership bid at a press conference. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

Justin Trudeau is officially in the race to lead the Liberal Party of Canada. Following weeks of speculation, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced his candidacy at a rally of several hundred supporters in his home riding of Papineau.

Trudeau’s official declaration, however, preceded the rally in the form of a YouTube video that amassed over 21,600 views in 16 hours.

The Liberal Party has been under the stewardship of interim leader Bob Rae since the resignation of its previous leader, Michael Ignatieff. Ignatieff resigned following the May 2011 federal election, in which the Liberal Party won the lowest seat count in its history.

“We need to prove that we Liberals have learned from the past, but that we are 100 per cent focused on the future—and not the future of the party, the future of this country,” Trudeau said at the rally.

Trudeau’s address praised Ca-

nadian diversity and emphasized the need to strengthen and empower the middle class in order to jump start the economy and foster community relations. He also criticized the approaches of other major federal parties.

“What is the response from the NDP? To sow regional resentment, and blame the successful. The Conservative answer? Privilege one sector over all others, and promise that wealth will trickle down eventually,” Trudeau said. “Both are tidy ideological answers to complex and difficult questions. The only thing they have in common is that they are both equally wrong.”

Trudeau also acknowledged the issue of Quebec nationalism. In his speech, he emphasized the need for national unity.

“Quebeckers have always chosen Canada because we know it is the land of our ancestors, who built this country from east to west,” Trudeau said. “They were here to write the first chapters of the great Canadian history of courage, libSee “Trudeau” on p. 2

Judicial Board hears case on AUS Winter Referendum period Respondents Calver and Cheng do not attend the hearing, Bangs claims violations compromised referendum results Erica Friesen News Editor On Oct. 2, the Judicial Board (J-Board) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) heard the case of Bangs vs. Calver and Cheng, regarding the results of last winter’s referendum period for the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS).

The J-Board has 15 days to deliver a verdict on the case.

Petitioner Chris Bangs has asked the J-Board to invalidate two

referendum questions for which he was the chair of the ‘No’ committee—“Online Ratification for the decisions of the AUS General Assembly” and “Amending the Constitution.” The respondents are former AUS President Jade Calver and former Chief Returning Officer of Elections AUS Victor Cheng.

J-Board hearings are intended to allow the justices an opportunity to hear and question both parties.

Prior to the hearing, however, the respondents informed members of the J-Board that they did not wish

to appear in this case, and consequently, would not attend the hearing. Neither party provided justification, thereby forfeiting their right to make submissions or arguments.

Nevertheless, the hearing continued as scheduled.

“The plaintiff still has a burden of proof,” Chief Justice of the J-Board Joel Kwan explained. “[Bangs] still has to convince the board that the allegations are prevalent enough to make the conclusion that the petitioner is looking for.”

Bangs’ case for invalidating

the two motions rests on the respondents’ alleged violations of six sections of AUS by-laws during last winter’s special referenda period.

These include items concerning passing motions in AUS Council, translating the motions into French, and publicizing the polling times and location.

“The fact that the AUS failed to uphold its own by-laws is really disturbing for me,” Bangs said.

“The fact that so many violations occurred in such a short amount of time is truly problematic.”

In particular, Bangs pointed to the AUS’ failure to distribute the amended version of the motions’ texts and their restriction of the campaigning period by four days, which he says could have affected the way students voted.

“These [motions] are things that really should be discussed, and change the fundamental way that [the AUS] is run,” Bangs said.

“There’s really a lot of value in discussion.”

See “J-Board” on p. 2

NEWS

J-Board Continued from cover

Bangs also said that the AUS failed to publicize the times and locations of polls, which he argued could have affected students’ ability to vote. In their petition submission, however, Calver and Cheng pointed to the high participation rate during the election period. The turnout for the special referendum period was 19.4 per cent of arts students, just under the 21 per cent turnout for the AUS winter elections.

“The Referendum Period was properly announced in a way that did not compromise the integrity of the vote, evidenced by the high voter turnout in the referendum,” Calver and Cheng wrote in their petition.

During the hearing, the JBoard justices questioned some of Bangs’ allegations, including his argument that the AUS Council speaker should have recounted the vote to approve the motions. Kwan questioned whether it was the duty of AUS members to ensure that the speaker counted correctly.

“Can the speaker not ascertain that without [counting the affirmative votes] one by one?” Kwan asked.

Trudeau seeks Liberal nod Continued from cover

The justices also raised concerns about the relevance of Bangs’ argument that the speaker had a “history of making mistakes.”

In their petition submission, Calver and Cheng claimed that the decision to move forward with the election period was made at their own discretion.

“The actions taken by the respondents did not compromise the integrity of the Referendum Period, nor did they result in the disenfranchisement of the petitioner,” they wrote.

In addition, the respondents pointed to Bangs’ position as chair of two ‘No’ committees as his reason for filing the case. They also claimed that Bangs was determined to take the case to the J-Board without seeking other solutions beforehand.a “All other measures for mediation were not respected by the petitioner,” Calver and Cheng wrote.

“The petitioner was unwilling to find convenient times to meet with the respondents to discuss the matter.”

Calver and Cheng were unavailable for comment.

erty, and hope. Will we put this history aside now because people of other languages came after us with the same dream of building a better country? Of course not. Our contribution to Canada is far from over.”

Throughout the rally, Trudeau displayed his characteristic charisma.

“When was the last time you had a leader you actually trusted?”

Trudeau asked. “Not just the nebulous ‘trust to govern competently,’ but actually trusted, the way you trust a friend to pick your kids up from school, or a neighbour to keep your spare front door key. Real trust—that’s a respect that has to be earned, step by step.”

Trudeau’s critics have questioned his short participation in politics. He addressed this in a press conference following the rally.

“This is why we have a campaign—to answer these questions [of experience] and to show that the Liberal party merits confidence as an option for government,” Trudeau said in French. “That is not something that can be answered in a speech, but in the field, all over

Canada.”

Trudeau also ruled out a coalition or a joint nomination with the NDP or the Green Party of Canada.

“I believe in an option that is not polarized around the edges, that is not bound to an ideology but is looking for the best possible way to serve all Canadians,” he said. “[A coalition] is not necessary,” Trudeau continued in French.

“Canadians need a party that will speak for all of Canada, not like the Conservatives, who draw an X over Quebec, not like Mr. Mulcair, who has drawn an X over Alberta.”

Following the party’s defeat in the 2011 elections, many have called for renewal in policy and leadership in the Liberal Party. William Cusano, former member and former first vice-president of the National Assembly of Quebec, pointed to Trudeau as an option to reinvigorate the party. “[In the Liberal Party,] a lot has been done in one way for many years, from the top” Cusano told the Tribune. “I have a lot of confidence that with Justin, [the approach] is going to be from the day-to-day, up.

That’s why I’m here.”

Some McGill students who were present at the rally said they enjoyed the opportunity to hear Trudeau speak and learn more about the candidate.

“I’m a big Liberal supporter, and though personally I think Martha Hall Findlay would be my favourite [candidate], Trudeau impressed me a lot tonight,” John Power, U3 arts, said. “[Trudeau presented] a lot of very pro-federalist points—and that’s what I like about the Liberals.

I also liked how he focused on youth really early into his speech.”

“I think one of the big challenges in this type of [rally] is: How do you capture the incredible diversity of Canada while at the same time [...] articulate what it is to be Canadian?” Gregory Frame, U3 political science, added. “And I think he walked that line very well.”

The race for the leadership of the Liberal Party will officially begin on Nov. 13, and the next leader of the party will be announced on April 13, 2013.

student government

PGSS Council discusses McGill and Quebec education summits FEUQ will propose presidential committee for Quebec summit, seeks recommendations from member associations Andra Cernavskis Contributor Last Wednesday, the PostGraduate Students’ Society (PGSS) held its October council meeting.

The meeting featured discussion about the upcoming Quebec and McGill Education Summits, and included a presentation by a representative from the Fédération Étudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ).

The newly elected Parti Québécois (PQ) government is to hold a summit on education within 100 days following the Sept. 4 provincial elections. While no date has been specified, the summit is expected to occur sometime in early 2013.

As of now, the PQ government has not provided details for how the summit will be structured.

FEUQ representative MarcAndré Legault explained to Council the purpose of the Quebec education summit, as well as what FEUQ is doing in preparation for the Summit.

According to Legault, FEUQ wants to present the PQ with the students’ hopes for the summit.

“We have to use the momentum

we have,” Legault said. “We want to do that summit, and push and advocate for [the] students of Quebec.”

FEUQ has proposed the creation of a presidential committee for the summit. It would oversee all aspects of the operation, including memorandums, recommendations, and consultations. In FEUQ’s vision, the committee would consist of four members: a student, a government representative, an administrative representative, and a faculty member.

FEUQ is seeking recommendations for its proposal from its member associations. As a member association of FEUQ, PGSS offered their recommendations through a motion at council. External Affairs Officer Errol Salamon read aloud the recommendations.

PGSS’s suggested improvements to FEUQ’s current document include the creation of five partner groups in the summit, as opposed to the original three that FEUQ proposed. The motion also reads that each of the five groups should be composed of 20 per cent from each of the following categories: under-

graduates, graduate students, representatives of the university community, government representatives, and external partners.

In addition, PGSS also asked that a fifth member—a graduate student—be added to the presidential committee, and proposed additional discussion topics for the summit that address international, out-of-province, and Anglophone students.

There was also a continuation of discussion around the logistics of having an Education Summit at McGill—a motion the PGSS passed at their September Council meeting.

“This past council motion for a Committee of the Whole was only to talk more about the specifics,” Gretchen King, PGSS equity commissioner, wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I think the rest will be planned by a sub-committee headed on the PGSS-side by the External Officer.”

King has been working with Salamon, SSMU Vice-President External Robin Reid-Fraser, and PGSS Secretary General Jonathan Mooney, on creating a McGill summit.

Salamon spoke of the team’s

The PGSS October Council meeting. (Anna Katycheva / McGill Tribune) current vision of a McGill summit, which would take place in November.

“We want to do events related to the summit … one or two days per week in January,” Salamon said.

“We would keep this as open as possible.”

According to Salamon, the team would organize two types of events: large General Assembly-style events designed to pass motions and man-

dates, and smaller breakout sessions to facilitate discussion about issues on a smaller scale.

Though nothing has been set in stone to date, last Wednesday’s PGSS Council made some important headway in the organization of future education summits, and other events designed to bring the ongoing discussion about accessible education to the McGill community.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

NEWS

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

in brief PHILOSOPHY STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION TO SEEK FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FROM AUS

The Philosophy Students’ Association (PSA) is looking into the possibility of separating their finances from the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS).

The PSA’s announcement came after the AUS’ decision earlier this semester to internalize faculty associations’ bank accounts. This means that the AUS would act as the PSA’s bank account, holding PSA’s money and checks.

The PSA raised concerns about the potential for this change to weaken its autonomy as an association. While the AUS has since offered a compromise, in which associations keep their external bank accounts but use an accounting software called Quick Books, the PSA is still considering separation from the AUS.

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“The PSA is an extremely active group for our allocation size, so being able to fully control our finances is extremely important to us … in light [of] past AUS financial struggles,” PSA President Jonathan Wald said. “This is a process that has been tested at the Francophone universities and has worked very well for them.”

The PSA is therefore looking to form their own bank account— which must be approved by the provincial government­—and to be accredited to become the official representative of philosophy students at McGill.

Saad Qazi, AUS vice-president finance, said the PSA’s potential accreditation does not necessarily mean separation from the AUS. “Financially, it would mean

What happened last week in Compiled by Bea britneff & Erica friesen

that the PSA can fix an assessment (fee) payable by each member of the PSA,” Qazi wrote in an email to the Tribune. “This assessment would be collected directly by [McGill] and disbursed directly to the PSA.” According to Qazi, McGill currently distributes all arts students’ assessment fees to the AUS, which then distributes the fees to individual departments on a pre-established per capita basis. Wald said that even a low assessment fee would give the PSA more money than they currently receive from the AUS. Qazi said it is too early to determine exactly how the finances of the PSA would operate following accreditation.

“It is very likely though that the university would ask the PSA to provide annual audits, as is the case for

all other accredited student associations on campus,” Qazi wrote. “The PSA’s assessment would then have to be sufficient to cover the cost of providing an audit to the university.”

Should the PSA separate from the AUS, philosophy students would still be members of the AUS, said Wald, but their exact relationship would be determined through negotiations with the AUS. According to Wald, PSA decided to pursue this course of action after a three-week-long series of meetings conducted on a consensusbasis, in order to ensure that the decision was widely supported. An accreditation vote would likely be run next semester, with the help of the Quebec government.

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Mondays at 5:30 in Shatner 110

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—Erica Friesen

Canada?

XL beef recall largest in Canadian history

Quebec to shut down last nuclear reactor

Animal Rights Protestors SHUT DOWN SHOW at Marineland

Supreme Court REVERSES LAW ON HIV DISCLOSURE

“True Patriot Love” expedition HEADS TO HIMALAYAS

Canadian officials have come under scrutiny over their handling of the largest recall of beef in Canadian history when Albertan beef packer XL Foods continued running its plant for two weeks after the U.S. determined that its meat was unfit to cross the American border.

The beef, which has been traced to cattle slaughtered on Aug. 23, has been recalled due to the detection of E. coli contamination. XL products have been linked to the illness of at least 10 people in three different provinces.

Health concerns regarding the products were raised on Sept. 4, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service identified the contamination and notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). However, the CFIA did not suspend the company from producing goods for the Canadian market until Sept. 27.

Pointing to the delay, the NDP has criticized the Conservative government for allowing the meat processing industry too much freedom in self-regulation.

Currently, there is a bill before the Canadian Senate that would make it easier to force companies to take action on requests such as those given by the USDA.

Last Wednesday, Hydro-Québec confirmed that it will close Quebec’s only nuclear reactor by the end of the year. Although the Gentilly-2 reactor will be deactivated this December, dismantling it will take 50 years and will cost $1.8 billion.

The decision by Hydro-Québec follows plans released four years ago, which revealed that refurbishing the reactor would cost over $2 billion. HydroQuébec has since announced that upgrading the facility would likely exceed that estimate. The plant cannot continue to operate in its present condition, as its operating license runs out at the end of this year.

The closure may cause Quebec’s provincial deficit to increase to $2.8 billion this year. This estimate includes the cost of decommissioning the plant, as well as the costs that have already been incurred from upgrading the facility.

Last Sunday, animal rights protestors gathered at the gates of Marineland to call for an end to the alleged animal abuse at the amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Several demonstrators entered the park and successfully shut down a dolphin show before police officers dispersed the protest. No arrests were made.

In August, the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums conducted an investigation of Marineland, in response to allegations from former park employees and Zoocheck Canada that the park’s animals face health risks because they are not properly cared for.

The investigation, however, found no major concerns in the park’s treatment of animals.

Protesters say they will continue to protest at the park when it reopens next season, and will also lobby the government for a bill that bans the import and export of marine mammals. Protestors said that their ultimate goal is the closure of the park.

Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada reversed a 14-year-old law that declared that HIV carriers must inform their sexual partners of their status.

Now, people with HIV may keep this information private without risking prosecution, provided that they only have low levels of the virus, and also use a condom during sexual activity.

In the past, an HIV carrier who failed to abide by this law would risk being charged for aggravated sexual assault—a charge that carries a maximum life sentence. According to a 2010 report funded by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 98 people across Canada were charged under this law between 1989 and 2009.

This unanimous decision of the Supreme Court came as a result of medical advancements in treating HIV. According to McGill University AIDS specialist Norbert Gilmore, if an HIV carrier has been responsibly taking anti-retroviral medication, has a “low viral load,” and uses a condom, the risk of transmission to a sexual partner is low.

Friday’s ruling did not ultimately close the door on HIV disclosure and the law. The Supreme Court has left the issue open for discussion, in consideration of potential medical advancements in the future.

A team of 13 soldiers, 10 civilians, and one doctor will be embarking on a three-week climb in the Himalayas to raise awareness for Canadian soldiers injured in Afghanistan. The expedition, funded by the True Patriot Love Foundation, also aims to inspire anyone suffering from mental and physical trauma as a consequence of war.

Many of the team members themselves suffer from enduring mental or physical injuries. As a result of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2011, team member Corporal François Dupéré of Montreal lost his right eye, while his left arm was left half paralyzed.

The team, which has been training for months both at home and in Alberta, was expected to arrive in Kathmandu on Oct. 7. Their plan is to climb to the Mount Everest base camp, and then continue on to Island Peak, a popular trekking peak. Altogether, the team is expected to climb over 6,000 metres throughout the course of the expedition.

“I hope that [through this expedition] we can … let people know about what Canadian soldiers go through,” Lt. Michelle Quinton-Hickey said. “When war is over and the conflict is over, the injuries are not over.”

Images from thestar.com

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

city

Hundreds march for missing, murdered Indigenous women Speakers at seventh annual march call for government accountability; number of marches increase across Canada Andra Cernavskis Contributor Last Thursday evening, approximately 300 people participated in Montreal’s 7th Annual Sisters in Spirit March and Vigil for Missing and Murdered Native Women. This year’s Spirit March, held the same night as over 100 similar marches, focused on the theme of government accountability.

The Spirit March has been held annually since 2005, and is spearheaded by Bridget Tolley, an Algonquin woman who has worked with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC). Tolley started the movement to help seek justice for her mother Gladys, who was killed by in 2001 when she was struck by a police cruiser on her reserve in Quebec.

According to statistics gathered

by Amnesty International Canada, Indigenous women are five times more likely to die because of vio-

lence than any other group of women in Canada. Furthermore, according to Sisters in Spirit—NWAC’s research initiative—at least 600 Indigenous women have been murdered or have gone missing since 1980.

Bianca Mugyenyi, Campaigns and Programming coordinator at Concordia’s 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy and member of Missing Justice—one of the 2110 Centre’s campaigns—helped plan this year’s march, which Missing Justice has organized since 2009.

The march began at Place Émilie-Gamelin, where people gathered to listen to speakers and musical performances. The crowd then marched to Phillips Square for a candlelight vigil, and more speakers and performances.

While Mugyenyi believes that progress has been made in terms of international and media recognition of violence against Indigenous women, she said she does not think that enough has been done on the

part of the Canadian government.

According to Mugyenyi, the federal government has failed to respond to requests for a public inquiry, submitted by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

“There has also been a regression because Sisters in Spirit had their funding taken away [by the federal government],” Mugyenyi said.

Ellen Gabriel—a human rights advocate who has been active at the international level, participating most recently at the UN Expert Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and former president of the Quebec Native Women’s Association—participated and spoke at the march. On her blog, sovereignvoices1.wordpress.com, Gabriel refers to herself as Onkwehón:we. She has attended this march every year since it began seven years ago.

“When [this march] first started, it wasn’t very big, but now with

all the vigils happening across Canada—this being one of them—to see the numbers is very inspiring,” Gabriel said. “It’s nice to see the young people interested, and taking part in this kind of movement … I think it means a lot to families who have been affected.”

However, Gabriel mentioned she would also like to see the federal government take more direct action.

“I think the NWAC earlier this year stated that [relations with the government] haven’t improved,” Gabriel said. “It’s gotten worse … and it’s really a lack of political will.

All that research the NWAC did, and there hasn’t been any policy made or implemented.”

Even though police escorted the marchers through the streets, the evening remained peaceful. According to Mugyenyi, police were not informed of the route of the march beforehand despite Law 12, which requires that all protest routes be made known to the Montreal Police.

“The city has definitely calmed down since the demonstrations last year, so it’s a different world,” Eli Freedman, U3 arts, said. “Last year, there were so many police officers.

It was very intimidating … [But now] I’m not worried about pepper spray or tear gas.”

Mugyenyi, like Gabriel, was pleased with the turnout and diversity of people present at the Spirit March.

“There [are] Indigenous and non-Indigenous marchers alike, which is very encouraging, particularly given the history around the silence,” Mugyenyi said.

Mugyenyi also noted that 150 similar marches were more prevalent in Canada and around the globe this year than ever before.

“Most of them are in Canada, but [now] there [are] even some marches in South America and in the U.S,” Mugyenyi said. “A movement is definitely building to make our society safer for Indigenous women.”

SPEAKER ON CAMPUS

Waldron offers controversial views on constitutionalism McGill’s RGCS hosts prominent scholar who challenges traditional legal theory in the name of democracy Chris Liu A&E Editor Last Thursday, McGill’s Research Group on Constitutional Studies (RGCS) hosted scholar Jeremy Waldron in Leacock 232 for a lecture entitled “Constitutionalism: A Skeptical View.”

Waldron is a professor of law and philosophy at New York University, and chichele professor of social and political theory at All Souls College, Oxford. With work spanning over two decades, Waldron has become an outspoken critic of torture and judicial review. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Waldron’s lecture was the first in a series planned by the RGCS. The RGCS brings together McGill scholars in the departments of political science and philosophy, as well as from the Faculty of Law. According to Dr. Jacob Levy, coordinator of RGCS and Tomlinson professor of political theory at McGill, the primary interest of the RGCS lies in “studying the values, institutions, and processes that go into making up [...] democratic and constitutional orders.”

“We thought that a lecture series [...] would help bring problems of inquiry into the nature of a free

society to a broader undergraduate audience,” Levy explained. “Waldron’s arguments about constitutionalism [...] have, for two decades now, been really fascinatingly controversial in the intellectual and academic world.”

The lecture’s attendees included students and faculty from a variety of disciplines. Though Waldron’s arrival was delayed, the crowd stayed in high spirits, warmly greeting Waldron with applause upon his eventual arrival.

Throughout the lecture, Waldron expressed skepticism towards views commonly associated with the word “constitutionalism”—in particular the idea that constitutions are solely means for limiting or controlling the state. Waldron said that he believes such a perspective looks at government through the lens of a false dichotomy—one that takes constitutions as dictating either what is permitted or prohibited, while forgetting that constitutions often include principles of a third category: obligations.

Waldron also raised concerns over potential tensions between constitutionalism and democracy.

“I think when constitutionalism [views] democracy, it thinks about something distasteful, or antagonistic, or something that needs to be

very, very carefully brought under constraint,” Waldron said.

Waldron pointed to how the obligations that constitutions set on the state may, in fact, foster democracy.

“Empowering ordinary people, ensuring the fair value of political equality, is also something that won’t happen by magic,” Waldron said. “It usually means giving power to people who, if things are left to themselves in the ordinary way, won’t have power.”

“Democracy is never the default mode of operation of a political system,” Waldron continued. “Democracy is something that has to be concocted, noted, [and] sustained against all sorts of possible attacks.”

The lecture also touched on other issues, from the “ancestor worship” for drafters of the American constitution, to the way global ethical norms, such as those concerning human rights, may become international law, subsequently influencing the constitution and legal system of individual states.

Many students’ reception to the lecture was warm.

“I think my favourite part of the lecture was when, at the very beginning, Waldron said it’s unfortunate that it’s almost taboo to say today that you’re not a constitutionalist,” Diane Shnier, U1 arts and member

RGCS member Isaac Stethem listens to Waldron’s lecture.

(Cassandra Rogers / McGill Tribune)

of the RGCS, said. “I like that he’s willing—tentatively, at least in this case—to go against the status quo.”

“I’m going to take away [the idea that] constitutionalism based on limitation, restraint, and control is maybe too narrow a view,” Matthew Finn, a fourth-year law student, said.

When asked what he hoped students will gain from the experience, Levy replied encouragingly. “[I hope they will gain] a desire to keep thinking, keep reading, keep arguing, keep engaging

on their own,” Levy said. “There’s more intellectual work to be done, and I want to inspire students to do it themselves.”

Waldron’s lecture will be followed by scholars from Brown, University of San Diego, and Stanford, including a lecture by Leif Wenar of King’s College London this Thursday, titled “Oil, Dictators & Civil Wars: Our Contributions, Our Solutions” at 4:30 p.m. in Ferrier 456.

Full disclosure: Chris Liu is an undergraduate fellow of the RGCS.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

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Campus

McGill hosts inaugural Mental Health Awareness Week

Panels and workshops educate participants about mental health issues, resources; aim to foster a ‘well campus’ Karen Huang Contributor This past week, McGill hosted its first Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), which consisted of a series of panels and workshops with the purpose of increasing awareness for mental health issues on campus.

According to Access Services Advisor Gordon Dionne, the idea for MHAW originated when McGill’s Ombudsperson, Dr. Spencer Boudreau, proposed it to Senate, as many students were coming to see him about mental health issues.

Eventually, the idea reached Student Services, where Dionne picked it up as a project on behalf of McGill Mental Health Services.

“It’s still spearheaded by Mental Health, but it’s really become a cross-divisional project,” Dionne said. “Most of Student Services [have been] involved at all levels throughout the whole week [and]

everybody on campus has been invited to come to all the events.”

Mental Health Services conceived of MHAW as a result of Canadian universities’ growing realization of the importance of mental health issues on campus, and was tied into last week’s National Mental Illness Awareness Week.

MHAW’s panels included a lecture by Lina Di Genova, manager of student assessment at Student Services, and Vera Romano, clinical director of Counselling Service, entitled, “Spotlight on Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being at McGill.” Di Genova and Romano presented the findings of a McGill survey that was based on Pennsylvania State University’s mental health and counselling benchmark study.

Approximately 2,500 McGill students took part in this anonymous, web-based survey that encompassed eight categories of mental health issues: depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety,

academic distress, eating concerns, family distress, substance and alcohol abuse, and hostility.

The survey’s results were analyzed in relation to demographic intersectionalities. For example, of the 50 per cent of the student sample who reported dealing with depression on a recurring basis, there were higher proportions of women and students who were experiencing financial difficulties.

Di Genova and Romano’s lecture also hypothesized reasons for the increase of mental health issues on campus, including biological factors, family-related stressors, as well as “Generation Me”—a phenomenon which indicates that young adults feel a high need to be exceptional due to societal pressures, but struggle with doing so in a period of global economic crisis.

According to Romano, Student Services can improve their assistance to students dealing with mental health issues by focusing on

resiliency and wellness, instead of using negative language to approach such issues.

“Mental health is not the absence of disease or distress, but the promotion of holistic wellness,” Romano said.

The panel ended with an overview of the various organizations that promote wellness at McGill, including Fitness McGill, Counselling Services, and the Health Promotion Team.

“We want to really help engage students and empower them to take ownership of their own wellness,” Di Genova said. “[They should] feel as though they’re a part of the [McGill] community.”

MHAW also offered free yoga sessions to students throughout the week. Yoga instructor Annie Shiel led a “Yoga for Stress” session this

past Friday.

“It’s not an exercise class,” Shiel explained. “It’s really focused on what yoga does for your mind.

We try to help people let go of everything else for 60 minutes, and give people tools that they can use off of the mat as well.”

Yoga for Stress is normally put on by Fit @ McGill and the Eating Disorder Program.

Overall, Dionne expressed satisfaction with how the inaugural MHAW has been received by the McGill community.

“I [saw] more and more people coming to the events [as the week progressed], and wearing the orange buttons that were made as a part of the campaign,” Dionne said. “It’s exciting to see that people are actively supporting the idea of having a ‘well campus.’ ”

NEWS

in brief

INDIGENOUS STUDIES PROGRAM STILL IN THE WORKS

campus

SEDE promotes community involvement Community Engagement Day seeks to break down barriers in Montreal Jessica Fu Contributor On Oct. 5, McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office held their first annual Community Engagement Day (CED). The event featured approximately 20 different activities in which students had the opportunity to engage with Montreal community organizations, participate in volunteer activities around the city, and become involved in discussions on different social issues and challenges in Montreal. “[The idea] was really to provide an opportunity to celebrate the different community engagement initiatives that exist on campus and in the city, in the effort to foster a culture of engagement at McGill,” CED Project Coordinator Max Halparin said.

One of the many events offered

by CED was SPEAK UP! Bursting the bubble: Ways to breach the university-community divide, a discussion-based event that focused on the importance of ties between McGill and the surrounding city. Located on Lower Field, the event consisted of a

moderated discussion led by McGill graduate student David Gray-Donald and Associate Professor for the School of Social Work Jill Hanley.

Students and faculty of McGill, residents of Montreal, and members of neighbouring universities attended the discussion, which kicked off with the topic of barriers within the Montreal community.

“If we were to map out the group of friends and the people I was interacting with, it would be very much centered around this university,” Gray-Donald said. “And it’s not hard for that to happen.”

Other examples of divisions that came up in the discussion included the ones between students living in and out of residence, and those between individual faculties.

Ross Koby, U1 arts also discussed the way students at McGill are separated from the greater Montreal community by language and location.

“Maybe they feel a little isolated from other universities,” Koby said. “I think a lot of people from McGill, unless they’re living in a student community like the Plateau … might not meet other people from

other [universities].”

The conversation progressed from discussing barriers to brainstorming methods useful in overcoming them.

“Just showing respect for [another] language opens the door in an important way […] If you have that approach when you go outside, it changes everything,” said one participant. “I find people appreciate it.”

Other CED activities included CKUT radio workshops, the Moccasin Walk, and Afternoon Tea with the South Asian Women’s Community Centre.

Many students expressed their satisfaction with the event this year.

“I would love to do this next year,” Eryn Fitzgerald, a student at Concordia University, said.

“As the first annual event of its series, there is quite an amount of space for change, as well,” Halparin said. “For next year, [we’d achieve a] more collaborative selection process, with input from the community. I’d get more projects, as well […] my goal is to make it bigger and better.”

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The status of the McGill Indigenous Studies Program has been clarifed following a miscommunication between the relevant parties.

In her last report to Council, SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Haley Dinel wrote that Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi had approved a new Indigenous Studies Program. Although the project is in development, Manfredi has not approved the program, as he does not have the authority to do so (see “Re: ISP,” page 8).

According to Dinel, the confusion arose from a call she received from a member of the Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE), discussing the proposal for the program that is currently being compiled by McGill’s Institute of Canadian Studies.

“There was just some miscommunication between the two of us,” she said. “I didn’t ask any more questions because our conversation was very brief.”

According to Coordinator of McGill’s Aboriginal Sustainability Project Allan Vicaire, the program cannot be approved until William Straw, the director of McGill’s Institute of Canadian Studies, develops a proposal outlining the potential program.

While Vicaire hopes that a proposal will be ready late next semester, he said the program will probably begin as a minor in Indigenous Studies. This minor could then potentially be developed

into a major within a few years.

According to Vicaire, his researcher has been looking into Indigenous Studies programs at other universities, to see how they work and what they use as a foundational course. Vicaire explained that the proposed program will likely be interdisciplinary.

“There are already a lot of courses given in lots of faculties— education, law, history, anthropology,” he said. “My researcher has emailed all these departments and [asked], if they would cross-reference courses into the program if we were to have a program. And we’ve received many responses as ‘yes.’”

Vicaire said those involved in the development of the program are looking to collaborate with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), which has also hired a researcher to look into the possibility of a program.

Vicaire will be meeting with Straw later this week, to discuss further steps in developing the proposal.

“We want to figure out how we can get the community involved to hear their voices in terms of what they want in this program,” Vicaire said. “Their opinion and our data will transpire into an actual proposal. There needs to be more collaboration in terms of getting everyone’s opinion—not just the Indigenous students but all students campus wide, and also the neighbouring Indigenous communities.”

—Erica Friesen

opinion editorial

THE Mcgill

TRIBUNE www.mcgilltribune.com

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

Trudeau’s leadership bid will bring youth issues to centre stage Justin Trudeau’s Liberal leadership bid has dominated coverage of Canadian politics all week. His recent announcement has been met with everything from praise to outright disapproval. While some have extolled his idealism, others have criticised his lack of specific policy points. Many have warned him to clearly separate himself from the legacy of his father, or risk running a stylized campaign based on little substance. Supporters are pleased by his success with certain segments of the electorate, especially the traditionally elusive young voting block, with whom he is immensely popular.

What Trudeau could do for young Canadians, though, extends far beyond courting their vote. For the first time in many years, we have a candidate on the national stage who is not most known for his economic prowess or environmental advocacy, but for his commitment to education and youth issues.

It’s still early in the leadership race—the convention is not until next April. While we are in no po-

sition to endorse a specific candidate, we find Trudeau’s background brings a welcome change to federal politics, which rarely feature education or youth involvement as key issues.

“For the first time

in many years, we have a candidate on the national stage most known for his commitment to education and youth issues

”

Trudeau has been a supporter of post-secondary students and young Canadians long before his foray into national politics. Unlike certain provincial leaders closer to home, whose commitment to students and their tuition struggle appear to have been politically motivated, Trudeau has not only stood on the side of students when it was convenient, but

has devoted much of his adult life to that cause. After the Liberals’ defeat in 2006, he chaired a task force to learn how the party could best address the issues that mattered most to young people. As a Member of Parliament, he has been the party’s Critic for Youth, Citizenship and Immigration since 2010, and was Critic for Multiculturalism and Youth in 2009.

An educator himself—he holds a Bachelor of Education and taught high school in British Columbia for five years—Trudeau has always endeavoured to include the youth voice in decisions about Canada’s future.

In November 2009, he brought forward a private member’s bill—the first of that session of Parliament— calling for a “national voluntary service policy for young people.”

Before he became a Member of Parliament, Trudeau was chair of Katimavik, Canada’s National Youth Service program. The popular volunteer experience was axed by the Harper government in the 2012 budget. Many alumni of the six-month

program—which builds leadership, encourages volunteerism, and educates about different cultural identities—refer to it as a life-changing experience. In light of a dizzying array of cuts to social programs, a candidate who brings a discussion of the importance of youth programs to the forefront is beyond valuable.

A young caller on CBC’s radio talk show, Cross Country Checkup, noted that: “Many politicians think about young people as the leaders of tomorrow, but Trudeau speaks to us like we’re the leaders of today.”

That distinction couldn’t be more important for young Canadians. Regardless of how Trudeau fares in the leadership contest, his candidacy will bring the importance of education to centre stage in a political climate currently dominated by the economy. At the same time, his persona, youthfulness, and popularity among voters under 30 will spur youth involvement in politics.

Both are, undeniably, good things for the future of our country.

Letter to the editor Re: “Indigenous studies program approval announced at Council” (Oct. 2)

To the Editor: I was somewhat surprised to read in your edition of Oct. 2nd that I had “approved the creation of a

pleased to know that a group of students is working on such a proposal, and I look forward to collaborating with them to design a program that will enrich the Faculty’s interdisciplinary offerings.

Christopher P. Manfredi Dean, Faculty of Arts

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

TPS Board of Directors

letters to the editor new Indigenous Studies Program within the Faculty of Arts,” since I do not have the authority to approve programs. However, I have on many occasions, over several years (including this year) indicated that I support the establishment of such a program and that I look forward to the Faculty’s receiving a concrete proposal through the normal program approval process. I am

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Joshipura, Anna Katycheva, Alexander Kpeglo-Hennessy, Tiffany Lam, Peter Laing, Sen Li, Bronte Martin, Lauren Pires, Cassandra Rogers, Swathi Sadagopan, Bharat Srinivasa, Kieran Steer, Esther Vinarov

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Letter to the editor Time to wipe the dust off of community education

If you’ve been to campus recently, you’ve probably come across Community Engagement Day promotions, or maybe you even saw the tent on the Lower Field on October 5th. Maybe you even bothered to look into it; heck, you could have even registered to participate.

So what did Community Engagement Day (CED) mean for the students involved, for the community organizations, for McGill, as an institution? What does

it mean—for a school so focused on academics—to have an entire day dedicated to the importance of the Community Engagement? Was it simply a passive way to fulfill McGill’s social responsibility and community engagement agenda? I like to think that it was more than a formality. I like to think that McGill has finally begun to understand that in today’s society, integration with community is just as important as academic achievements, as entrepreneurial success, as scientific progress—because without community, all those things are rendered meaningless.

A ‘well-rounded’ individual is no longer just a grad school requirement—it has become a very basic expectation, and community

service is perhaps the easiest and the most rewarding way to fulfill it.

I’d like to think that there is a culture shift at McGill, whereby students are taught to appreciate social sustainability, and are encouraged to be proactive in their education. I’d like to think that a few hours at a local shelter, or a day spent cleaning up one’s neighbourhood can be seen to be just as resourceful as a blackboard or a projector screen at the front of a classroom. Moreover, I’d hope that this alternative—community education—could receive even a fraction of the recognition attributed to formal education.

I know I didn’t come to university expecting to learn everything from behind the desk. I

came to learn by doing. Community Engagement Day has allowed me to do just that, in more engaging and rewarding ways than this letter can express. If you didn’t take part in CED, the world didn’t end. But it didn’t get any better either. So get involved, change your views, and allow yourself to accept challenges and risks that will enrich your university experience. Stop fooling yourself into thinking these things don’t matter, or you’ll break your leg kicking yourself later.

Inna Tarabukhina U2 Cognitive Science SSMU Community Engagement Commissioner

T: 514.398.6789

Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University.

Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

7

columnists Trudeau’s idealism is not what the Liberals need right now Justin Berot-Burns

Commentary

Last Tuesday, Justin Trudeau announced the launch of his muchanticipated Liberal leadership campaign. The speech appealed to a wider base, reflecting the party’s need to re-establish itself in the centre of the Canadian political spectrum, staving off a rapidly expanding NDP and the ideologicallygrounded Conservative party. In order to win the leadership of the party, the 40-year-old MP needs to establish himself as a serious candidate—beyond his popularity, and distinct from his father’s legacy.

Trudeau needs to demonstrate that he is fully capable of recovering

significant ground for the Liberals without letting his idealism eclipse more concrete policy points.

“The key to Canadian unity is the shared sense of purpose so hard to define but so deeply felt, the sense that we are all in this together,” Trudeau said at the rally.

“That when Albertans do well, it creates opportunities for Quebeckers. That when Quebeckers create and innovate, it echoes across the country and around the world. That whether you’re in St. Boniface or St. John’s, Mississauga or Surrey, we have common struggles and common dreams.”

Trudeau is asking Canadians to

Journey or the destination?

Swathi Sadagopan

Commentary

Earlier this year, India’s most well-known newspaper, The Times of India, was found to have recycled a three-year-old full page cover story word-for-word as a paid-for advertisement. There has been an alarming regularity with which incidents of gross misconduct have come to light: for example, over 100 Harvard students cheated on an exam last academic year. Closer to home, Margaret Wente of the Globe and Mail admitted to running excerpts written by others in a July 2009 column, passing them off as her own.

Most recently, the Harvard Crimson scrutinized Paul Krugman’s citation standards in one of his NYT op-eds.

Each of these cases (barring Dr. Krugman, of course—journalistic citations demand integrity but

definitely offer some latitude) presents interesting questions to ponder.

Can money cloud the judgment of a newspaper enough for it to sell its masthead to advertisers? Does the promise of getting a good grade on a final motivate an entire class to cheat? Would the prospect of publishing a spectacular piece drive a columnist to sample other’s thoughts and opinions without credit? Wente is certainly not an exception in this case. These questions are eloquently summed up by the New Yorker’s Emily Nussbaum in her The Fragility of Goodness. This philosophical treatise is Nussbaum’s authoritative view on notions of tragedy and ethics. By analyzing ethical dilemmas, Nussbaum puts forward a pointed question: Why should anyone do the

On campus politics

Tiffany Lam Commentary

With AUS elections underway (voting period is from October 4th10th), debate on the importance of student politics is particularly potent. The recent discussion on student politics in the Tribune has suggested two things: first, there are core reasons we should be politically active on campus; second, political activism helps students identify with those reasons, providing an impetus for these students to get involved.

However, students should not be expected to come to McGill with an understanding of their role in McGill civil society, nor should

they be expected to understand the political context in which they entered McGill. The lack of involvement in student politics suggests a lack of grassroots engagement with students. Any civil society’s reach is dependent on its ability to demonstrate its cause to be important.

Sometimes, students are simply unaware of the issues on which they are able to take a stance. The AUS and other faculty associations should focus on how to illustrate the importance of political involvement on campus. It is a long-term goal, and perhaps waiting to reap its bene-

allow him to lead the Liberal Party through much needed, balanced reform. It’s unclear that the yet unproven candidate can do so with unsubstantive rhetoric.

Trudeau is an accessible candidate. He can appeal directly to a younger generation of voters, has an ambitious vision of a unified Canada, and this past Tuesday, proved he could land lines in both English and French. While these are all virtuous qualities in an energetic politician, it is all for naught if his aspirations cannot yet be carried out by the Liberal party. Though the scope of Trudeau’s objectives for the country are impressive, I am sceptical about his ability to keep up with big-picture claims.

After his party’s loss of 43 seats last May, Trudeau agrees that Liberals needs more than just a change in leadership. In what is now a much right thing when there are no particularly striking incentives for good behaviour?

The motivation for such acts of plagiarism largely stem from mismanaged time. During the years we spend at McGill, there’s always room for a lapse or two—under the brutal force of a looming deadline, all standards of ethics and originality can crumble. When immediate focus is placed entirely on submitting an assignment, acing a final, or turning in a report, the final results— grades—take precedence. Acquisition of knowledge and expertise in a field feel like utopian ideals in a system of education that seemingly acts against you. The joy and goal of learning seem mundane as we don roles of assignment-completing, number-crunching machines. The incentives are not apparent; the options tempting, even corrupting. In the viral age, it is much easier to give in, and it is just as easy to get caught.

“The lack of

involvement in student politics suggests a lack of grassroots engagement with students.

”

fit could seem too distant. However, without an effective ability to elect individuals who can identify and communicate the issues that would mobilize students to vote, it would be pointless to run a political society in the first place. Reliable and effective dissemination of information regarding substantial student issues

narrower political environment, Trudeau—if he wins the leadership race—should seek a more measured, policy-based, and structured recovery. With the NDP in position as a viable opposition, the Liberal Party cannot afford to disappoint a new wave of Canadians. Beyond the leadership race, idealistic promises and a lack of experience won’t benefit Trudeau nor the Liberal Party.

Are there benefits to Trudeau’s bold rhetoric? Sure, broad ideas for the role of the middle class, Indigenous peoples, Quebeckers, and young Canadians have the potential to hugely shift the political discussion and the potential to invoke real and positive change; however, rhetoric without clear policy could hurt both the candidate and his own party. Expectations are high for Trudeau. He needs to escape his

“Why should anyone do the right thing

when there are no particularly striking incentives for good behaviour?

”

Finding the right incentives lies at the core of reform. All is not right with the way higher education functions. Most institutions deal with plagiarism by penalizing misbehaviour. The failure to acknowledge and reward good deeds can counteract the effects of these supposed bulwarks that prevent damage. For instance, many consumers at the grocery store check-out line continue to spring the few additional cents for a plastic bag without thinking, and have become underrated. Modes of communication, like listservs, have arguably proven themselves to be less user-friendly than they should be. As a whole, spreading awareness has become far too undervalued to make any meaningful progress.

Political leadership, especially in a student society, necessitates striking a balance between taking one’s own initiative and accommodating people’s needs. Unfortunately, to compel engagement in civil society (voting), student leaders tend to inadvertently become too representative, and this has upset the balance needed in student leadership.

Taking too much individual initiative breeds stagnation, in part because students are unaware of many issues. As a result, candidates end up failing to voice issues that resonate

own celebrity, and demonstrate he can effectively lead his party back to a position where it can contend for control of parliament. The Liberal Party itself is in rough shape and has to compete within a tighter federal race where idealistic assertions will not win seats, and are in need of a more realistic platform.

At his launch event, Trudeau was asking for our trust, or rather, the opportunity to earn our trust. Tempting as it is to believe the young, articulate MP from Papineau can enact his vision of a revived Liberal Party and the induction of a unified Canada, the capacities of the recovering Liberal Party trying to wedge their way back into the centre of a more crowded playing field are cause for wariness. It’s not Trudeau’s lack of ambition that concerns me—it’s all political.

wasteful behaviour progresses in an infinite loop. The ideal solution to this issue is to charge more and provide a cloth bag. Any sensible consumer would eventually bring his or her own cloth bag (likely purchased at a check-out line at some point).

This sort of positive penalization promotes good behaviour.

The solution to academic dishonesty is a similar one. Instead of handing out an identical problemset to a class, students should be allowed to select from a pool of challenging questions. Additionally, the weighting of assignments towards the final grade can be reduced to a bare minimum, assuming that most of the cheating happens on assignments. If such a system were replicated in educational establishments today, there’s some hope for the preservation of the ideals in a real university education.

with them the most, all the while making empty promises of “this is how I would deal with your hypothetical issues.” This, once again, ultimately leads to a failure in progress through their own initiative, as well as the hypothetical initiative of students.

The question thus lies in whether McGill student associations can make their automatic memberships serve a clearly defined purpose. The problem with the lack of student involvement in campus politics alludes to a structural issue, and begs the question of whether there is a need to manipulate the structure of campus civil society to necessitate student government as an entity in the first place. There is a need for more encouragement to engage in the democratic process.

Science & technology O

il companies are pumping out oil and natural gas 24/7 in order to meet the worldwide demand for fuel. Despite the apparent assumption that our grandchildren will be able to drive SUVs running on gasoline, the fact is that fossil fuel resources are becoming exhausted more rapidly than we can imagine.

To solve the problem, scientists and researchers have suggested switching to biofuels.

Essentially, biofuels derive energy from biological carbon fixation: the process of converting inorganic carbon into organic carbon. Biofuels can be derived from biomass— organic material that can either be burned directly or processesed to produce liquid fuels or biogases.

The main liquid biofuels used are bioethanol, biodiesel, green diesel, vegetable oil, and bio-ethers, and are particularly helpful in reducing emissions. Biodiesel, for example, is added to fossil fuel diesel to lower carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions from diesel-powered vehicles.

Despite these benefits, many liquid biofuels are not necessarily sustainable, because they are pro-

duced from conventional food crops like sugarcane, corn, and soybean, making biofuels major competitors with food. This causes food prices to rise. The reverse effect is also true— as food prices go up, so do biofuel prices.

Further, the energy content in current biofuels is less than that of fossil fuels—ethanol only has one third of the energy as the same volume of gasoline, and biodiesel only contains 80 per cent of the energy of petroleum-based diesel. Bioethanol production is also very expensive when one considers the production, storage, and conversion from biomass to fuel.

If good crop land is used to produce energy crops for production of biofuels instead of food crops, a ‘food versus fuel’ situation may occur. Using crop land to produce biomass is undoubtedly a misuse of land.

On the other hand, if the energy is derived from products of agricultural waste, domestic refuse, sawdust, grass trimmings and dried manure, then land misuse is no longer an issue.

However, the combustion of

Wood chips, a common type of biomass. (biomassmagazine.com)

COMMENTARY

Biofuels: A waste of land?

By: Aimee Joshipura raw biomass emits considerable amounts of pollutants, such as particulates and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which are both linked to health concerns. Also, converting raw biomass into liquid biofuel results in the loss of around two thirds of the energy content.

To overcome these problems, scientists have come up with ‘second generation biofuels.’ This class of biofuels is made from sustainable feedstock crops, non-food crops and inedible waste products that do not divert food away from the animal or human food chains.

Dr. Donald Smith is the director of BioFuelNet Canada, a newly formed national research network.

In addition, he directs the McGill Network for Innovation in Biofuels and Bioproducts, and is a professor in the department of plant science.

His research includes studying methods to increase the sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere into crop plants, for eventual sequestration into soil, or for the production of bioproducts. The focus of his work is using crop plants for greenhouse gas management.

Dr. Smith believes “the prob-

lem regarding the energy efficiency of the biofuels in terms of its output can be solved by changing the energy density using chemistry.” He adds that production of biofuels is not a waste of land if it does not utilise primary agricultural land. Nevertheless, issues with producing cellulosic ethanol, a promising biofuel, and its energy content remain.

I believe that production of this kind of biofuel is not necessarily a waste of land. However, their potential to replace the energy efficiency of gasoline remains questionable.

TECHNOLOGY

A guide to professional social media sites Portfolio-focused sites give prospective employees a chance to strut their stuff Bharat Srinivasa Contributor Social media has taken on a new, interactive role beyond its origins as a tool to connect with new and old friends. Facebook now lets users join favourite celebrities’ pages, Twitter lets us know what they’re up to at any given moment,

and Instagram can show us what they ate for breakfast (through filters, no less). The Wikipedia article on social media links to over 200 social media sites with focuses ranging from books, to architecture, to knitting.

The majority of social media sites only seek to connect people on a casual basis. A few, LinkedIn being the best-known example, are

professional networking sites that help connect individuals interested in establishing professional relationships.

LinkedIn was founded nearly a year before Facebook, and is now amongst the leading social media sites for professional networking.

Setting up a LinkedIn account allows users to present a desirable profile to prospective employers

who Google their name. However, one drawback of LinkedIn is that it serves as a general overview of a resume, rather than a portfolio of work— an important feature for many professions.

This shortcoming has sparked a number of new social media networks that cater to specific professional interests. Here are a few worth checking out:

These are some of the more popular social media networks geared towards people with particular professional interests. There are many more sites that are either established, or in the process of being

science?

Non-judgemental article editing service.

www.researchgate.net

A site created by, and for, researchers, ResearchGate helps connect researchers of all subjects under one professional network. Queries from appropriate growth media for macrophages to Newtonian physics, can be discussed with other like-minded researchers. The site also links all your publications on one page, helping to establish an online resume.

Curious about

www.contently.com

www.behance.net

Contently is designed for freelance journalists and writers, and serves as one location for prospective employers to find portfolios. Designed to help build users’ brands, Contently automatically links your work to your page, as well as provides statistics on your work such as share counts.

A professional network for artists and photographers, Behance helps showcase users’ best work to prospective employers, thereby providing them with a visual portfolio. Behance, and several of the other social networks, can be connected to LinkedIn accounts.

set up that cater to people in other professions.

Social media has come a long way from the debacles of MySpace and Orkut, and establishing a social presence is increasingly important,

especially with employers using Google to find out more information about prospects. Use this to your advantage, by having a resume or a portfolio come up when your name is typed into Google. This can im-

www.qfive.com

E-mail

This social network predominantly targets athletes, and helps users share their best game plays with potential recruiters and fans.

scitech @mcgilltribune.com

prove your career opportunities, or simply give you a chance to network with others who share your professional interests.

Curiosity delivers. |

SCIENCE & TECH

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

RESEARCH

9

Fish scales serve as new model for protective armour Francois Barthelat finds potential in fish scales to serve as a new standard Kieran Steer Contributor Imagine a hockey player preparing himself for a game and donning his socks, skates… and fish scale shoulder pads. This is not as outlandish as it seems—researchers are using fish scales as the model for a new wave of stronger protective armour.

Since 2006, Francois Barthelat—associate professor of mechanical engineering at McGill and associate member of McGill Biomedical Engineering—has worked on synthesizing a new armour with incredible strength, flexibility, and lightness, modeled after the scale patterns on fish.

He first got the idea from the tough scales of striped bass, which are stronger than tooth enamel (the hardest material in the human body).

Though the scales themselves are made of collagen and hydroxylapatite, which are not tough materials, the special structure allows the scales to withstand incredible pressure.

The scale material structure is comprised of layers that follow an

From the macroscopic to the microscopic level, fish scales are designed to protect. (photos provided by Barthelat’s lab) alternating perpendicular pattern, like jenga blocks. The layers alternate between collagen, and a hard, mineralized material.

Barthelat has demonstrated the

scales’ ability to provide significant protection for the fish. As opposed to a solid bony structure, they are thin and light, but still can deflect a sharp strike.

“You get something that’s like a full package for [protection] … It resists puncture and is highly flexible, light and thin,” he said.

If the hard scale surface does

break, it breaks in a clean cross pattern that dissipates energy, with the soft cross-ply collagen absorbing the rest of the impact. Even a piercing predator’s tooth would struggle to rip through a thin layer of scales.

Barthelat modeled a new protective material after this structure.

Using pressure tests, he compared his armour with polycarbonate, the current standard material in squash goggles and hockey gear. The tests proved his material was able to withstand 50 per cent more pressure than the best hockey and squash equipment.

The potential for novel designs inspired by nature is almost limitless; the challenge is seeing the engineering applications of familiar materials. “Fish scales are something people see everyday.”

“I think one of the most exciting things is that we [...] do new things that nobody else has tried. I think it’s a great area to work in because there are so many materials to work with,” Barthelat said. “There are hundreds of other materials around us to work with that nobody has tried before.”

Research

Researchers unmask genetic nature of ovarian cancer Increased understanding of cancer mechanisms may lead to tailored treatments Sen Li Contributor Ovarian cancer is the fifth-most diagnosed cancer among Canadian women, accounting for four per cent of all new cases. Tragically, 75 per cent of these new cases prove terminal within five years of their diagnosis. Although it is often compared to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is, in fact, more deadly, because detection usually occurs at a relatively advanced stage.

“Breast cancer patients die— not because of the cancer itself, but because of the migration of the cancer cell, while ovarian cancer patients die because it cannot be controlled,” Dr. Patricia N. Tonin, cancer researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and associate professor in McGill’s department of medicine, said of the disease.

Recognized as the most lethal gynecological cancer, ovarian cancer differs from other forms in its aggressive characteristics and the general lack of clinical and technological advancement in treatment techniques.

A micrograph of an ovarian tumor. (blog.netbio.com) While 95 per cent of ovarian cancer cases can be labeled as benign, they are treated in the same way as the malignant cases—with extensive rounds of chemotherapy and cytoreductive‡ procedures.

However, a recent study conducted by the RI-MUHC—in collaboration with the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre—has discovered two distinctly different genetic patterns that will not only shed light on the biological make-up of the disease, but may also revolution-

ize treatment plans, which currently lack customization, by focusing separately on each of these two cases.

According to Dr. Tonin, who led the study, the underlying mechanism causing ovarian cancer is the mutated form of gene TP53, which produces an abnormal, mutant protein p53. When the protein is functioning normally, it “maintains the integrity of the genome,” by detecting massive reorganizations, which is a signal of possible mistakes conducive to the advent of cancer. The protein either decides “this is such a mess; we are going to kill the cell

[or] we can fix this mistake,” Dr. Tonin said.

In over 90 per cent of highgrade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSCs), a common form of ovarian cancer, the gene that has been mutated is typically responsible for sensing problems with the organization of the genome. The mutant gene instead blocks any opportunity to dispose of the troublesome cells.

The consequences of ovarian cancer vary dramatically across cases, based on the biology of the protein. A cell with mutated TP53 either may or may not produce a

mutant p53 protein, and these two outcomes are directly linked to the survival rate of ovarian cancer; the former results in longer survival times and delays in cancer cell reoccurrence than the latter. This is a groundbreaking discovery because it is the first to uncover the biological difference between the two genetic patterns of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Tonin’s research paves the way for future studies into the pharmaceutical solutions to cancer.

Scientists will continue working to find medications that are specifically targeted at each individual pattern, so as to reduce the invasiveness of future clinical procedures, and improve the overall outcome of treatment plans.

“Our next step,” Dr. Tonin said, “is to replicate our findings with publicly available datasets, separate the samples into two groups, and see if the patients actually survive longer, and also to generate more sophisticated data points to identify the genes involved in a more specific way.” ‡ Cytoreductive: reducing the number of cells, as in surgery for a tumor.

McGill Then and Now...

A look at student life in the 50s

Old McGill Yearbook 1952

By Erica Friesen 86-year-old Betty McCullough watched the televised celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee this summer and thought back to one of her fondest memories as a student at McGill’s graduate school for nursing. At 25 years old, she’d clutched her camera as she waited amongst a crowd of students, staff, and faculty who had packed McGill’s campus for a glimpse of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in their visit to the university during their tour of Montreal in October 1951.

Her pictures of that day, Betty says proudly, are as good as any published in the newspaper or yearbook. But her blackand-white photographs of the royal couple are not the only fond memories she has of her time as a student in Montreal. As Betty opens her 1952 Old McGill yearbook, she reminisces about how different life was as a student of McGill in the 1950s.

A Royal Visit “A motorcycle […] another; an expectant murmur passed along the crowd […] The shimmering, sky-blue limousine passed through the gates and moved slowly up the drive.” This excerpt from the 1952 yearbook shows how students chose to describe the royal visit on Oct. 30, 1951, just three months before Princess Elizabeth ascended the British throne.

Weeks of hard work prepared McGill for the royal visit. On the big day, banners, flags, and crests lined the campus, brightening the scene with McGill’s official red and white and MacDonald campus’ green and gold. The students who lined the campus were dressed in their traditional scarlet blazers, while faculty members greeted the royal couple in full academic dress.

According to the yearbook, an estimated 10,000 people lined the streets of McGill’s campus in order to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Elizabeth and Phillip entered the Arts Building to meet with top university officials and student leaders, view mementos of previous royal visits, and sign the convocation register. They were also presented with two specially printed copies of that day’s issue of the McGill Daily before leaving campus to continue their tour of Montreal and the rest of Canada.

From streetcars to subways When Betty attended McGill, she lived in the town of Mont-Royal with her cousin. Living almost an hour’s commute away from campus wasn’t easy though, and Betty had to make use of the Montreal streetcar system to get to the university each day.

“It was quite a commute, you know, the old 65 [streetcar] going up the hill,” she says.

Other students had less orthodox methods of getting to school. One grandmother of a current McGill undergraduate student, declined to give her name but is known as ‘Nana,’ remembers her experience well.

“We used to hitchhike down everyday.

Honest to goodness; we had the regular people who took us to school, the same people who went to work every day,” Nana says. “On the way back I rode the bus or streetcar.”

In the 1950s, Montreal’s extensive streetcar system was known as one of the most innovative in North America. The electrically powered streetcars featured a new pay-as-you-enter system, which meant that conductors no longer had to walk up

and down the cars collecting fares—which had allowed some people to ride for free when cars were crowded. Pay as you enter was later adopted worldwide and remains in place in the majority of transport systems today.

As the 1950s progressed, however, Montreal’s public transit system underwent important changes. Later in the decade, the Montreal Transit Corporation started introducing buses to the city, since streetcars required more employees than buses and were harder to maintain during harsh Montreal winters. By 1959, all Montreal streetcar lines had been converted into equivalent bus routes. The metro system was not inaugurated until 1966.

Principal Frank Cyril James and the battle for university funding While the amount students are expected to pay in tuition has changed significantly since the 1950s, Betty recalls that finding the money to foot the bill was just as difficult for many students then as it is now.

“Even in those days, when tuition was two hundred and some dollars, it was hard to come by,” she says. To pay the bills, she babysat her cousin’s two young children, and received free room and board in exchange.

Tuition has always been linked to university funding. One of the most valuable developments in McGill’s funding history was Principal Frank Cyril James’ successful lobby for federal funding for Canadian universities, like McGill, during his time in office from 1939-62.

For roughly the first century of its existence, McGill received only a small, token sum from government sources. This financial situation changed slightly in 1939, when McGill was promised additional

financing from the Quebec government, but only a fraction of that sum was ever paid to McGill.

Following the outbreak of World War II, this statute was replaced by special wartime federal grants to universities, which took effect in 1951 and provided the full promised amount to McGill. After the war, federal funding offset the cost of the sudden influx of students by assisting universities that accommodated war veterans. With the looming prospect of additional costs in the wake of these grants, however, projections for McGill foresaw difficulty financing the growing university.

As both principal of McGill and chairman of the finance committee of the National Conference of Canadian Universities, the lack of federal aid was of paramount concern for James. In 1949, James met with then-Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent to urge the federal government to give aid to all Canadian universities.

The resulting Massey Commission found that Canadian universities, while growing to become an integral part of career training, were indeed facing a financial barrier that limited their ability to fulfill the needs of the nation. The federal government quickly accepted its proposal to pay each university a grant worth 50 cents to provinces per capita.

This federal agreement of 1952 would have a significant impact on universitygovernment relations in the future, as it placed McGill on the same level as other Canadian universities, and provided, for the first time, an annual grant that was based on standardized regulations.

The building used at McGill for administration was renamed the F. Cyril James Administration Building in his honour following his death in 1973.

A growing student body Looking at the map of McGill on the front cover of her yearbook, Betty remarks about how “foreign” the modern campus seems to her. In fact, only 28 per cent of the named buildings on McGill’s downtown campus were built prior to 1960. With the appearance of new buildings like Leacock, Otto Maass and the McLennan Library in the 1960s, the campus underwent a dramatic change in response to a growing need to accommodate more students.

“I don’t think it’s the same school at all,” Nana says, comparing her McGill to that of her grandchildren, “It’s so big. It’s like comparing a college to a university [in terms of size]—although it had been a university at the time.”

The 1950s were a period of growth for McGill, as the university received an influx of students that would permanently expand the student body. More students were attracted to universities because of a growing recognition of the institutions’ ability to prepare students for the working world. In addition, the Veterans’ Charter of 1944 allowed the many soldiers returning from World War II to receive free university education.

For McGill and other Canadian universities, these factors would have an enormous effect. In 1946, McGill had almost 8,000 students—a number that will seem quite small when compared to its

Tramways Building before integration into the Palais-des-Congrés

current body of 30,000+ students. Student enrollment would almost double in the following ten years, exceeding 15,000 in 1967. The university’s student body overall had more than doubled during the 1950s as well, and the numbers would continue to rise thereafter.

This period of growth, however, would cause problems for the university during the 1960s, as McGill’s small campus was called on to accommodate more and more students every year. During the 1950s, McGill had only two student residences­— Douglas Hall and the female-only Royal Victoria College. In the early 1960s, the construction of McConnell, Molson, and Gardner Halls helped to accommodate the growing student body.

Although there are certain difficulties posed by today’s large student body, like class sizes and the accessibility of professors, the growth has also allowed for the diversification of the student body and facilitated intellectual developments and research. While the large population of McGill may remain a mixed blessing to current students, it is a defining part of McGill history, and the atmosphere of the university today.

undergraduate was similar.

“We were half and half,” Nana says of classroom demographics, thoughshe said this varied according to faculty.

“The odd [female was in these other faculties]. Even architecture.”

Indeed, in the 1950s, the gender divide was quite noticeable in some fields. In the graduating class of 1952, for example, there were no female students studying engineering, and only 5.7 per cent of the commerce class was female.

Not every faculty, however, contained such a large gender divide. In the Faculty of Arts, the amount of female graduating students actually outnumbered their male counterparts, with 64.8 per cent women (compare to the 66.6 per cent studying in 2011). In fact, women have outnumbered men in the faculty of arts ever since 1917.

In addition to the lack of female representation in certain faculties, MacDonald Campus offered women a science degree in “household science,” where they could study subjects including clothing and textiles, family and consumer studies, and food and nutrition.

“[Students] can [now] sit and watch your lectures on your laptops—the library was the place we worked. There was no such thing as getting things online,” Nana says.

However, some aspects of university life remain similar for students today. Like many current McGill students, Betty says that her grades were not the most important aspect of her McGill experience.

“I don’t think grades are totally indicative of what you have learned, because a lot of us are not good at writing exams or term papers or doing research of that kind,” she says. “But because you had broadened your horizons [at McGill] you were better prepared to deal with clients and patients.

The exposure to Montreal and McGill …

I’ve never regretted it.”

From the campus’ layout to the student lifestyle and workload, the McGill experience has dramatically changed over the 60 years since the 1950s. While students may no longer hitchhike to school or pay two hundred dollars in tuition, a look back on this time period also reveals commonalities between the university experiences of different generations. As the university continues to develop and add to this history, McGill’s rich past continues to pervade the atmosphere on campus.

McGill then and now Although many changes to McGill in the last 60 years have been specific to the university, some changes are the result of wider trends in Canada and the rest of the world.

A matter of gender As a member of the graduate school of nursing, Betty’s university experience included high levels of female representation. Nana’s experience as an

Images from mcgill.ca, taylomoakes.com

FEMALE REPRESENTATION ON CAMPUS: 1952 AND 2011

51 %

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Current Student Body (2011) Arts: 2,749 male, 5,473 female Commerce: 1,408 male, 1,403 female Engineering: 3,189 male, 983 female Law: 402 male, 432 female Medicine: 2,022 male, 3,054 female Science: 2,762 male, 2,879 female

Graduating Class of 1952 Arts: 225 students, 146 female Commerce: 122 students, 7 female Engineering: 210 students, 0 female Law: 27 students, 1 female Medicine: 105 students, 5 female Science: 165 students, 44 female

Data from mcgill.ca

12

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 |

STUDENT LIVING

| Curiosity delivers.

Top 10

10 tips to help you hit the books this midterm season Make a plan, find a study spot, and follow these handy hints to ace your exams Susan Westfall Contributor 1. Plan and Prioritize.

Studying always seems overwhelming when you have everything due at the same time—which seems to happen frequently. It’s essential to put your obligations into perspective by making a prioritized study schedule. A schedule will allow you to spend less time deciding what to do, and more time working. This method saves you from the last-minute panicked cramming which does no favours to your grades. Always remember that millions of students have been through the exact same thing as you and survived. You can do it.

2. Take breaks, plan non-studying activities.

Your brain is not a sponge. It needs some distraction from constant harassment. Schedule 10-minute

breaks in your study plan to allow your brain to breathe. Also, pencil in some fun events, like a dinner out with friends or a walk in the park.

Give your body something to look forward to beyond your studies.

your marks. Your best learning is done in group sessions where you are forced to think about the material. Turn that passive knowledge into an active understanding by varying your learning techniques.

3. Find your study place.

Studying on your bed under the covers in dim light is not studying: it’s either torturous or, will inevitably lead to sleep. Choose a regular study space free of distractions, that you can keep coming back to. Using the same space will allow you to spend less time to get into study mode.

Schedule regular times in the day to study thereby allowing your body to get into a rhythm, setting the mood for your daily date with the books.

5. Meditation and breathing.

The biggest problem with this time of the year is the mounting stress that cause so many of us to stumble.

Adopting relaxation techniques like meditation, controlled breathing, and yoga into your daily routine, your mind will remain calm—increasing its ability to absorb and retain information.

4. Use all your resources.

Homework problems, TA info sessions, extra classes, group discussions, or any sort of organized exposure to course material will improve

6. Eat well, exercise well.

Do not fall victim to the potent mix of Kraft Dinners or fast food with a side of immobility. At this time of year, you need to focus on keeping fit in order to give your brain the optimal resources to perform. Eat balanced meals and keep up with your

exercise routine to maintain sanity and ward off illness.

7. Study effectively.

Tackle lectures using both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Focus on the details, memorize them, and then make the connections to the big picture. Also, try to decipher the theme of a lecture or topic and discover how this applies to the nitty-gritty.

Keep things in perspective, and your courses will become clear.

8. Refresh yourself.

Stress can transform even the smartest students into less intelligent versions of themselves. To increase the effectiveness of any exam study session, refreshing activities are recommended. Chewing on some minty gum is a great way to freshen the mind, as is sipping on some tea or indulging in aromatherapy, which can be done by using simple incense sticks.

student of the week

9. Read between the lines.

Pick up the hints that professors and TAs inevitably drop about upcoming exam questions. Also, professors will often test on what they are interested in. If your professor starts a topic that focuses on their personal research, then there is a high probability that this will appear on your exam.

10. Group study.

Group study offers ways to expose yourself to information by teaching, learning, and brainstorming together. Needless to say, studying can be boring and motivation can wane, but when you have a date with some friends for coffee and Timbits, you are more likely to wake up early on Sunday morning to get back to the books.

Know someone who would be perfect for student of the week?

Nominate them! Email us at studentliving@mcgilltribune.com

with Jacqui Galbraith

Q: What is your motto?

A: YOLO.

Q: Breakfast or dinner?

A: Breakfast.

Q: If you could be anywhere else in the world right now, where would you be?

A: The Caribbean.

Q: What’s your favourite holiday?

A: Hanukkah. No, what am I saying? Thanksgiving.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: Ellen Degeneres. Big fan.

Q: Justin Timberlake or Justin Trudeau?

A: Timberlake.

Q: Denim jackets or leather jackets?

A: Both. Like a mix of the two in one.

Q: What is your lucky charm?

A: I dunno, my rings? We’ll go with that.

Kelly s.

U3 arts Political science and sociology

Q: If you could say one thing to Justin Bieber, what would it be?

A: Oh my God. That is such a good question. What would I say to Justin Bieber? I dunno, I’d probably start singing some of his songs.

Natalie Portman as Kelly S. in the movie of her life (Stuffkit.com)

Q: Name a song that you consider completely overrated.

A: Don’t Stop Believing. I hate that song!

Q: Which historical figure would you most want to have a beer with?

A: Wow, that’s a really intense question, and I’m a poli sci student... I’m gonna say Franklin Roosevelt.

Q: What’s your favourite topic of conversation?

A: Jokes, like when people tell funny stories.

Q: Vancouver Canucks or Toronto Maple Leafs?

A: Oh…I don’t watch hockey.

Q: What’s the last song you remember listening to?

A: Lovers’ Eyes by Mumford and Sons. Greatt new album. I want to scream from the top of a mountain that it’s like the best album ever.

Q: What word or expression do you most overuse?

A: Like Q: What’s your favourite bar in Montreal?

A: The W’s bar. The W hotel—they have two bars in there. They make the best cocktails I’ve had here.

Q: Rank the Toy Story movies from best to worst.

A: 1,2,3—in order that they came out.

Q: Describe Montreal in three words.

A: Cold, Drummond, McGill.

Q: Peyton Manning or Eli Manning?

A: Which one is the one that just recently won...I’m gonna go with Peyton. Are they brothers? Wow, good for them! Both in the NFL! Q: Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune?

A: Wheel of Fortune.

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

A: McGill.

Q: Who would play you in the movie of your life?

A: Stop. I think about this all the time! Do you ever think about that?

Natalie Portman.

Q: Why are you an asset to McGill?

A: I live in the library. I would say the Law Library is my second bedroom.

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

13

The best of the leftovers: turkey soup

By Susan Westfall Prep: 30min Total Time: 2h30min Makes: 6-8 servings

Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes

Step 1: Make the turkey broth In a large pot, boil together for 1 to 1 ½ hours: - 2L water or chicken stock - 1 Turkey, all meat, fat re moved - 1 onion, roughly chopped - 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped - 2-3 bay leaves Strain the broth through a fine sieve and again through cheese cloth. Retain the liquid and discard the solids. This step can be done the night before and the broth can be stored in the fridge overnight or frozen in smaller portions for later.

Step 2: Make the soup - 3 cups of finely diced turkey meat - 4-5 garlic cloves, minced - 1 onion, chopped - 2 tbsp oil - 1 carrot, minced - 1 celery stalk, minced - 3 cups of leftover vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans, and corn - 1 tbsp of fresh sage and/or thyme leaves, chopped In a large soup-pot, gently heat the garlic and onion in the oil until the onion turns translucent, about four to five minutes. Add the minced carrots and celery and gently fry until everything is soft, five to six minutes. Add the soup broth, sage, and thyme, and bring soup back to a simmer. Add the diced leftover vegetables, except sweet potatoes, and let it come back to a simmer. When boiling again, add the sweet potatoes then turn off the heat and let the flavours mingle in the hot pot for several minutes. Enjoy!

New ways to cook the same bird. (1.bp.blogspot.com)

Susan Westfall Contributor Turkey, turkey everywhere! After a Thanksgiving feast, you probably can’t take any more turkey. Try some of these ideas to use up the extra Thanksgiving goodies. Most can be frozen and kept for those days when you are ready to indulge in more.

Layered Stuffing Casserole: Mix your leftover stuffing with a handful of bread crumbs to make a drier version of the dish. Press the mixture into a large casserole plate. For the filling, mix a can of cream of mushroom soup, ¾ cup of milk, leftover green beans (or peas),

and chopped turkey. Pour the mixture into your stuffing shell, and bake for 30 minutes at 350F. Leftover Turkey Salad: Mix up your chopped turkey with some dried cranberries, walnuts, minced red onion, and chopped apple or pear. Add some crumbled blue cheese if you like. For the dressing, flavour up some mayonnaise with dijon mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon juice. Serve salad over crunchy lettuce.

Go Mexican: Turkey enchiladas and turkey tacos? Why not? Mix your chopped turkey up with some cheese and layer it on a warm

tortilla or taco shells. Top with your favorite Mexican fixings like onions, olives, black beans, and peppers, and melt in the oven for a few minutes.

Puff it up!

Who doesn’t like puff-pastries? To make a wonderfully easy casserole, mix two cups of the leftover gravy, with three tbsp of flour, one tsp of poultry seasoning, three cups of turkey and two large sweet potatoes cut into cubes. Pour the mixture into a deep eight-inch casserole dish, and on top, lay thawed puff-pastry sheets. Brush with an egg wash, score the top and bake in the oven at 375F for 25 minutes.

Fried Thanksgiving Bites: Didn’t get enough at dinner? Well, indulge in these savory little bites. Take your leftover stuffing and shape into small balls. In a separate bowl, whisk together two eggs and two tbsp of milk. Thoroughly coat the stuffing bites in this wash and dredge in bread crumbs. Fry this mixture in oil on medium-high heat until crispy. Serve this decadent snack with a cranberry-walnut relish made by zipping up your leftover cranberry sauce with a handful of walnuts and some pepper in a food processor.

14

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 |

STUDENT LIVING

| Curiosity delivers.

fashion

The style guide for fall 2012

The Tribune fills you in on what’s trendy this autumn season Karen Chen Contributor This Fall’s trends stormed the runways of New York and Paris Fashion Week. Here are some of our favourite wardrobe staples, accompanied by tips on how to wear them all without committing fashion overkill.

THE PEPLUM This feminine fad isn’t ready to go yet. The peplum, a small flare or ruffle of fabric that can be seen over a dress or on a coat, was one of the most wearable trends of spring 2012, and we’re so glad it stuck around for fall. Don’t limit yourself to dresses and skirts; add a little peplum flare to your shirt or pants, and spice it up with your favourite accessories.

Chunky necklace, anyone?

THE COZY KNITS Without a doubt, fall would not be the same without the cozy knits we love. This time around, follow J. Crew’s suit, and dress your knits up with silky pants or a statement skirt. You’ll be sure to catch a few glances, so don’t forget to pair similar colours so your outfit looks more put-together.

THE MENSWEAR WATCH If you haven’t stolen one from your dad or uncle yet, it’s time to invest in this fashion staple and get one of your own. Adorn your wrist

with a chunky, rose-gold menswear watch from Michael Kors, or layer your old timepiece with bracelets and cuffs.

THE DETACHABLE COLLAR A bold statement, the bedazzled collar makes even the dullest outfits classy-chic. Collars are all the rage, both on and off the runway. It’s easy to find detachable collars at H&M and Topshop. Indulge yourself, but avoid looking too trendy, by pairing your collars with plain tops and knits for a subtler look.

THE LOAFER These ladylike shoes are no longer only for your grandmother.

As statement shoes on the runway get more and more polished, the refined loafer is high in demand this fall. Whether sequined or suede, take a break from your old ballet flats and invest in the shoe you’ll be wearing for much longer than just one season.

THE LUXE FABRICS Incorporate textures into your outfit. Luxury fabrics like cashmere, angora, and mohair made a statement on the runways, so get them into your closet! Not only will you be weather-ready, the fabrics will also act as a staple that’s worth investing in. Let your new piece stand out in your outfit, and remember not to dress head to toe in the same texture.

THE ANKLE BOOT Ankle boots are always a fall favourite, but the new, perfectly tailored ankle boots in for this year call for more style worship. We love the classic military boot from Steve Madden, or go with a more smooth and refined look from A.P.C. or Zara.

Peplum detail on a fall jacket. (4.bp.blogspot.com)

THE LEATHER LEGGING Break out of your comfort zone and reach for an edgy leather legging instead of your go-to black pair. Wear it with an oversize graphic sweater or a sheer top for a high impact look.

THE OVERSIZED EARRING Yes, we absolutely adore the fact that oversized earrings are in style for the fall season. As if Dolce & Gabbana couldn’t have made it clearer on their runway, these babies are back and ready to dominate your outfit.

Military style ankle boots. (dwdshows.com)

THE SILK SCARF Fall would not be complete without scarves. This season, invest in a silk scarf to add some glam to your getup. Granted, we would all love an Alexander McQueen, but Zara and Urban Outfitters can serve as substitutes. A burst of colour can make all the difference in a neutrally-toned outfit!

This menswear watch makes a statement. (2.bp.blogspot.com)

PRO TIPS

How to limit your social media use

Five little ways to ignore those pesky digital cravings and increase your productivity

Colleen McNamara Contributor

For one week, I sacrificed my beloved Facebook account and Blackberry in the name of research. My aim was to calculate how much time is wasted texting, posting, ‘liking,’ Instagramming, and so on. I wanted to measure effective work yielded to the amount of time that would have normally been spent with casual cell phone or Facebook use. At first, the lifestyle change was difficult—but as time progressed and new habits set in, the importance of social media declined with every completed piece of homework.

However, a complete disappearance of both may be unrealistic,

so in light of the daunting midterm season upon us, here are five simple ways to cut down your social media use and increase your scholarly productivity.

Create a ratio Tell yourself that for every two hours of work you do, you can spend 10 minutes on Facebook or five minutes responding to phone messages. The more realistic you make this goal, the more likely you are to achieve it. If your fingers are usually glued to your phone, and your eyes to your computer screen, start small with a one-hour work to five-minute rest ratio, then work your way up every day.

Keep all alerts on silent The constant beeping and vibrating of your various gadgets not only interrupt your studies, but also lure you toward lengthy digressions and distractions. Every new sound creates a new excuse to “just check” what’s going on, because it “might be important.”

Separate your social media spheres In other words, use the medium for its specific purpose. Keep your friendly greetings on Facebook, your pictures of dinner on Instagram, and your hourly updates for Twitter. You don’t need to update each of your profiles every time you do something. Doing this will not

only show you the true value in each site, but erase that sense of constant connectivity that can become overwhelming.

Limit your Facebook alerts You can control what notifications you get from Facebook, ensuring you’re not disturbed by an event request, or a post in a group you didn’t even know you were in.

While you normally wouldn’t think twice about these small little popups, there’s something about midterm season that makes previously irrelevant Internet activity suddenly seem interesting.

The extreme measures There is an abundance of soft-

ware programs available for download on the Internet that can block certain websites for a specified amount of time. As for your phone?

Dismantle it, turn it off, or try leaving it at home when you venture to the library.

In an age where you can download self-control from the very place that distracted you to begin with, it is up to you to exploit this plethora of technological opportunities to your advantage. You’ll discover that, contrary to popular belief, a couple of hours, or even days, away from your cell phone or Facebook won’t make you and your social life completely obsolete. You may even achieve that A you were hoping for!

arts & entertainment The imperfection–and triumph—of Holocaust films Writing, directing, and producing a movie is a difficult undertaking. Films take on the enormous task of representing the world—all its sensations and nuances, beauties and horrors—in a very limited medium. Considering the added difficulty of portraying an event as appalling and horrific as the Holocaust, an accurate depiction through film seems nearly impossible. In fact, it is impossible. And yet, film is still the best way to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. Relatively few people will read textbooks, listen to interviews, take seminars, or go to museums, but everyone watches movies. Cinema, though imperfect,

is the optimal form of media to connect people to the Holocaust.

This month, Cinema du Parc makes an honourable attempt to embrace as many Holocaust narratives as possible in their showcase, About the Holocaust: A selection of rare films. The movies range from the very old to the very recent, from documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters. Though no film will ever be able to portray the Holocaust with complete accuracy, this wide assortment of attempts generates a relatively holistic interpretation of the Holocaust. Acknowledging that it cannot be condensed into one narrative, one victim, or one emotion, Cinema du Parc hopes that presenting all these films collectively will be the best attempt.

The short French documentary, Night and Fog, asks “what hope do we have of truly capturing this reality?” The narrator states that

“words are insufficient,” but continues nonetheless, attempting to find the language that can even begin to describe the Holocaust. Like many other films of this genre, Night and Fog is a paradox that acknowledges the impossibility and hopelessness of relaying the Holocaust through film, but tries anyway. They struggle to achieve the impossible is the most important thing we can do as a postWWII generation.

So if Holocaust films are inaccurate, then why make them? The films do not exist just to make us cry, or to make sure we never forget—the responsibility of Holocaust movies is to trigger our innermost sense of humanity. We must ask ourselves, as The Reader so bluntly puts it, “What would you have done?” Thanks to Cinema du Parc’s wide collection of films, there is no shortage of situations where we can, and must, ask ourselves this question.

Pop

Rhetoric

Each movie shows different individuals in different circumstances, and they all have to make moral and ethical choices that define them as human beings. In Sophie’s Choice, Meryl Streep’s character begs, “don’t make me choose”—in the kind of world we want to live in, we shouldn’t have to make the kinds of choices that she made. Yet, movies force us to imagine just that kind of world. Cinema thrusts our latent, most basic levels of humanity to the surface; it encourages us to evaluate ourselves through the perspectives of various characters, so that we will be prepared to make the right choices.

Experiencing past attrocities

through cinema makes us strive to be more humane in the present. In this way, we can reassure ourselves that we—as individuals and as a contemporary society—will never let such events happen in the future.

Holocaust films will always fail in the sense that the topic simply cannot be perfectly translated to film. Whether or not they succeed depends on what we learn from them—not about the Holocaust, but about ourselves. Because, as The Reader asks, “if people like you don’t learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?”

—Esther Vinarov

FILM

Argo uncovers the personal in the political

Ben Affleck’s third directorial release marries a razor-sharp script with tense atmospherics Chris Liu A&E Editor What does it take to fool the Iranian Revolutionary Guard? If Argo is to be believed, the answer lies in a little Hollywood magic. Director and star Ben Affleck excavates the human story that so often gets buried beneath the rubble of political turmoil. The result is a tightly-wound, deftly-scripted film that is less of a history textbook than a how-to guide on building cinematic suspense.

In 1979, Iranian students, aflame with revolutionary fervour, overran the American Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American diplomats hostage. Before the Islamic Republic of Iran had even taken its baby steps, it picked a fight with an alpha dog of the international order. Unbeknownst to Iran, however, six Americans managed to escape, seeking refuge in the residence of the Canadian ambassador.

The result is a tale almost too fantastical to believe. In the words of one CIA division head (played by Bryan Cranston), delivered in a deadly deadpan tone: “this is the best bad

COULD -be GOOD

idea we have sir—by far.”

This idea involves CIA ‘exfiltration’ officer Tony Mendez (Affleck) sneaking into Iran to help the six Americans to pose as a Canadian film crew. They’re in Iran scouting locations for a film, ‘Argo: A Science Fantasy Adventure.’ Now they’d like to leave—please. What could go wrong?

Affleck’s last directorial effort was The Town (2010), and though it differs from Argo in key ways—the former an action-oriented heist film, the latter a slow-simmering political thriller—both are evidence that Affleck is a better director than actor.

The Mendez that we see is no-nonsense, gets the job done, a man who sacrifices family for his work—in other words, the boring archetype that passes for antihero in the 21st century—and it doesn’t help that Affleck plays him with whatever is the opposite of charisma.

The true strength of the film lies in the cinematography, the editing, the script, and the interplay between the three. The skillful editing of historical reels, interspersed amongst filmed footage, endeavours

Film The Complete Woody Allen Cinema du Parc’s retrospective begins Friday, Oct. 12, and includes Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Play It Again Sam, and Sleeper.

Tickets $8, show times can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com

to ground the film in historical reality. The selective use of the handheld camera makes its appearance, such as during the initial siege of the embassy, even more effective. Dialogue can be sharp and biting, and the screenplay’s adroit weaving of levity and tension, particularly in the hands of Cranston, is a pleasure to behold.

On to the politics. The script goes to great lengths to present the views of both ‘sides,’ but only during the moments that function as history lessons. The rest of the film is mostly stripped of this level-headedness. The fact that the ‘balanced view’ is seen during historical narrations, while the meat-and-bones of the film is replete with subtle (and not-so-subtle) bits of American triumphalism, reinforces a cognitive dissonance in the viewer. The result is an audience who can hold simultaneously a sympathy for the Iranian people and a self-righteousness for the Western endeavour, a contradiction reflected in the murmurs of the audience.

Nevertheless, Affleck’s focus clearly isn’t on the political. In

Music Montreal Ska Festival The Fundamentals, Victor Rice vs.

The M7, and The Planetsmashers are featured Thursday through Sunday at the fourth Montreal Ska Festival.

Tickets: $17.20-$20.20, and can be purchased at www.montrealskafestival.com

Jack O’Donnell (Cranston) and Tony Mendez (Affleck). (filmofilia.com) fact, Argo is successful not despite, but because of this tactical decision. The taut, high-strung journey is fundamentally a tale of heroism, of human triumph through political machination. I cringe when thinking of how many high school teachers

Film Classic Films That Must Be Seen This Saturday and Sunday, catch Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation and Virgin Suicides as part of Cinema du Parc’s classic films series.

Tickets $8, showtimes can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com

will be substituting a social studies class with this film in the years to come—but at least they’ll have good cinematic taste.

Argo opens in theatres Friday, Oct. 12.

Comedy Russell Peters The renowned comedian plays the Bell Centre this Monday, Oct. 15, as part of his Notorious World Tour. Tickets $52.50-$99.50, and can be purchased at www.evenko. ca

Film Kubrick’s Firsts Friday Oct. 12 through Sunday Oct. 14, legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s first films (Fear & Desire; The Seafarers) are on display. This is a rare opportunity, with Fear & Desire recently restored piecemeal from strips in private collections.

Tickets $8, show times can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012 |

Arts & Entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

Film

Wallflower: coming of age through pain and splendour

Emma Watson and Logan Lerman star in the film adaptation of popular epistolary teen novel Alex Kpeglo-Hennessy Contributor Though peppered with clichés like “we accept the love we think we deserve,” The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not a typical teen movie. Director Stephen Chbosky’s adaption of his own novel feels genuine—at times, heart-wrenchingly so. Fans of the book will welcome the film’s loyalty to the original.

Charlie (Logan Lerman), the film’s outcast protagonist, sends letters to an anonymous reader, searching for the outlet he lacks. These letters detail Charlie’s struggles to connect with a world outside of his family and overcome mental trauma. Rather than becoming a dreary plot-advancement device, the letters allow the audience to become his “dear friend,” to whom he turns to in his times of need. Lerman’s portrayal of Charlie is orchestrated to the last detail; his manner of speech and body language betray how lonely and anxious this wallflower is, even without dialogue.

During one high school football game, Charlie walks up to Patrick (Ezra Miller), a senior in his freshman woodshop class. Later that night he meets Patrick’s step-sister, Sam (Emma Watson), and Charlie begins to (quite literally) dance away from his wall as he connects with them.

Sam (Emma Watson) and Charlie (Logan Lerman). (www.themoviemash.com) While Patrick is the vibrant class clown, he also happens to be dating the high school football star Brad on the side, and he steals all of the attention away from Charlie, perhaps intentionally. While Miller handles Patrick’s range of emo-

tions, from punchlines to despair, with ease, Watson falls flat. Her mediocre performance as a damaged music lover, with a line of awful boyfriends, is decidedly forgettable.

Nevertheless, the three grow close; as Charlie is exposed to drugs, alco-

University of Ottawa

hol, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, he finally experiences a world outside of his crippling depression.

The aesthetics of the film, especially the cityscapes, make it a pleasure to watch. The cinematography effortlessly depicts ‘90s Pittsburgh,

from mix-tapes to walkmens. During one of their first encounters, Patrick and Charlie drive through a tunnel while Sam stands triumphantly in the rear, the city’s skyline emblazoned in the background. The skyscrapers, with their bright lights and monumental longevity are a tangible representation of how, in that moment, the trio “feel[s] infinite.”

The pacing translates well from the novel. Charlie’s experiences feel like snapshots of his life, and his perspective is told through his letters.

However, the movie feels rushed and glossed over. There are several sub-plots that feel irrelevant because they are not properly fleshed out.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t really a boy meets girl story—more like boy meets lots of emotional issues. However, it never feels fake or forced. It’s definitely worth seeing for its rising stars or excellent soundtrack alone. Much like Charlie, the film thrusts the stuff of life—both happy and sad—onto view. The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t just comedy—rather, it’s humour interlaced with a sombre look at what it means to stand up and take part in life.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is currently showing at Cineplex Scotiabank Theatres, 977 rue Sainte-Catherine.

|

Study Law in the National Capital Obtain a uOttawa JD degree in either English or French with a concentration in • Social Justice

• Law and Technology

• International Law

• Environmental Law

Or take advantage of our many joint programs,* including JD/LLL (National Program) with uOttawa’s Civil Law Section JD/LLL (Programme de droit canadien) with uOttawa’s Civil Law Section JD/MBA with uOttawa’s Telfer School of Management Canadian & American Dual JD with Michigan State University College of Law or with American University Washington College of Law • JD/MA with Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

• • • •

MMPA

Master of Management & Professional Accounting

• Designed primarily for non-business undergraduates • For careers in Management, Finance and Accounting • Extremely high co-op and permanent placement

*You may be eligible for financial aid through the HENNICK LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. We also offer LLM and PhD programs.

To learn more about the MMPA Program, attend our information sessions: Friday, October 5, 2012 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Room 5001, Brown Student Services Bldg, 3600 McTavish, McGill University Friday, October 19, 2012 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Room 5001, Brown Student Services Bldg, 3600 McTavish, McGill University Wednesday, October 31, 2012 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Room 5001, Brown Student Services Bldg, 3600 McTavish, McGill University

www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

Application deadline: November 1, 2012 For more information:

www.commonlaw.uOttawa.ca

Curiosity delivers. |

Arts & Entertainment

Album Muse The 2nd Law Helium 3, Warner Muse was heard across the world this year with their official Olympic anthem “Survival.” Their sixth album, The 2nd Law, followed hot on its heels, and much like their Olympic debut, brought back the grandiose musicality and exuberant magnitude that Muse fans have been dying for the band to rediscover.

This album is incredibly adventurous and a little cheeky. While it doesn’t stray from the expected themes of political resistance and apocalyptic forecasts, some tracks, namely the standout number “Panic Station,” skirt the edges of funk, reminiscent of a mid-‘80s David Bowie. The band even ventures into ‘brostep’ territory, with Nero producing “Follow Me.” Strangely enough, these all come together

Free films?

Yes Please! arts@ mcgilltribune.com

Rowling’s latest is vacant of magic

reviews

— Lauren Pires

Awesome art?

17

Literature

under the banner of a quasi-sci-fi theme (the title of the album referring to the second law of thermodynamics) to form an epic, entertaining record. Unusually for Muse, The 2nd Law adds a second voice into the mix, as fans get to hear bass player Christopher Wolstenholme take vocal lead on “Save Me” and “Liquid State.”

It seems fitting then, that this album contains a minute-long instrumental “Prelude” in classic Baroque style, that segues into “Survival.” With its cacophony of operatic voices, bass heavy music, and thundering guitar that persist throughout, the album may perhaps be a modern take on the operatic form, based on an allegory including thermodynamics and the global economic crisis. Or, it could just be Muse doing what they do best: creating the kind of music that is meant to be played live in stadiums to enthralled audiences.

While this album is nothing like Muse classics (Black Holes; Revelations) The 2nd Law far outshines their last release—The Resistance—and sets the groundwork for a new spin on Muse’s well-oiled formula. The 2nd Law keeps the epic and adds the funk, and frankly, this new spin suits Muse well.

Cool concerts?

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Casual Vacancy fails to live up to (admittedly) high expections

Thus:Owls Harbours Avalanche Oct. 5, 2012 proved to be a day of excitement for experimental-pop group Thus:Owls. Not only was it the release date of their most recent album Harbours, but it was also a day of positive response from devoted fans. Erika Angell, a Swedish singer/composer is to thank for gathering this fragile and ghostly concept-band which came into existence just over three years ago.

Since then, Thus:Owls have not sat still, touring extensively throughout Europe and North America.

The Angells (Erika and her husband Simon), Cecilia Persson, Martin Höper, and Olga Hultgren spent long hours in the French countryside recording all nine compositions for Harbours, and finally arrived at an album that they believe “straddles the world of fragility with cinematic intensity.” Decorated accordingly, with strings, percussions, and horns, Erika Angell’s voice (reminiscent of Julia Stone) glides over memorable tracks such as “I Weed The Garden” and a personal favourite, “Farmers In Japan.”

Thus:Owls’ eerie, ethereal sound seems to be grounded in their international influence, stretching from Sweden to Montreal. Unfortunately, their signature sound was missing in a number of the songs (“Museum” and “Roots”), and the sense of melancholia characteristic of their work was absent in almost half of Harbours’ tracks. In spite of the hit-and-miss nature of the album, the few enjoyable songs work well to relieve one’s autumn blues.

—Bronte Martin

Follow us on Twitter! @mcgill_tribune

Rowling and her new book. (littlebrown.co.uk) Lauren Pires Contributor Five years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling has finally released The Casual Vacancy, a novel aimed at adults.

Set in the town of Pagford, the plot follows the town’s inhabitants in the aftermath of the death of Barry Fairbrother, renowned member of the town, formerly cositting on the city council and heavily influencing the town’s adolescents. His death creates what is known as a ‘casual vacancy’ on the council board, and the rest of the book deals with the ensuing upheaval.

Fans may be let down by Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy. The writing is so obviously Rowling’s that it is almost painful to be reading about Barry Fairbrother instead of Harry Potter. Her penchant for making the quotidien wonderfully descriptive forever cemented the world of Hogwarts in the minds of a generation, but falls flat in the little town of Pagford.

The problem is that this novel is bland. What it lacks is magic—and not, necessarily, in the literal sense.

Would the entire story be made better if each character carried a wand and attended Hogwarts? Yes. But that wasn’t Rowling’s goal. She wanted to write an adult novel exploring the teeming underbelly of town life: the antagonism of close quarters, rampant intolerance and racism, sexual frustration, and the general unease that hides behind the pretty façade of an old-fashioned English town. She does just that, but it lacks the flair of her best-selling

series. The story itself has promise, and her characters are well-written, but they lack the appeal, emotional gravitas, and depth that we have come to expect from her.

Even though this is an adult book, the shining characters are the young adults of the town, making it clear that Rowling’s forte is truly grasping adolescence, a stage often misrepresented, stereotyped, and trivialized by adult writers. While the adult characters are stodgy, hypocritical, and oddly reminiscent of the Dursleys, the younger characters are engaging—despite being a far cry from the beloved heroes of Potter. Their drug abuse, self-harm, swearing, and casual sex set them up to be completely misunderstood by the adults of Pagford; but their actions throughout the novel reveal them to be much more sophisticated and morally sound than the petty, unsympathetic, close-minded folk of Pagford.

This book progresses as expected, but reading it certainly wasn’t boring—rather, the melodrama of the final act leaves the bitter taste of disappointment. It’s a well-enough written novel, with some biting social satire and an interesting perspective on small English towns, but it is also dark and bleak, without the hope and fantasy of Harry Potter. Perhaps it is childish to expect a neat happy conclusion that restores our faith in humanity, and perhaps it was the best thing J.K. Rowling could do to distance herself from her previous characters, but one cannot help but hope that she returns soon to her magical roots.

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012 |

SPORTS

| Curiosity delivers.

RUGBY — Redmen 13, Concordia 6

Chapman proves key in defensive struggle Facing off-field issues, McGill perseveres, defeats Concordia Rebecca Babcock Contributor The Redmen rugby team was in for a challenge on Wednesday night against the Concordia Stingers. First, an ineligibilty issue had retroactively voided their first four regular season games, sending McGill from the top to the bottom of the RSEQ standings. Second, the Redmen were facing a revamped Stingers’ side, reinforced with newly added club players, which improved the team’s ability. Nevertheless, the Redmen persevered for a 13-6 victory.

While McGill (1-4) outplayed Concordia (3-2) in the first half, its halftime lead was marginal at 5-3.

McGill’s Head Coach Craig Beemer was less than impressed.

“Offensively, we squandered way too many opportunities ... we dropped at least six or seven balls near their try line when we had good scoring opportunities,” Beemer said. ”If we hadn’t dropped so many balls going into contact, we probably could have put four or five more tries on the scoreboard.”

The first try was tallied after fourth-year hooker Keelan Chapman

McGill dominated ball possession. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) bulldozed through three Concordia players, side-stepped another, and dove into the try zone. The Redmen had to fight for their opportunities against a particularly effective Concordia defence. However, Chapman enjoyed the competition.

“It’s always fun to run up against your rivals and smash some of the boys, especially at Molson stadium with the home fans. It’s a

sensation you can’t get anywhere else in the world,” he said.

McGill generated offence by running through phases well, and thrived when they rucked the ball over and made use of the whole field. At times, Concordia was able to execute some big hits, but this was to be expected given McGill’s constant ball possession.

“What [fans] notice is that we

had the ball 70 per cent of the time.

If we have the ball, we’re the only ones going to be tackled,” Beemer added.

Even when Concordia earned possession, the Redmen ploughed through their well-formed rucks to put pressure on the scrum-half, and quickly stole the ball back. McGill’s defensive tactics frustrated Concordia, and the Stingers gained their points only through penalty kicks.

Coach Beemer was quite pleased with his team’s defence.

“Our defence was the big winner in the sense that every time they got the ball we got it right back,” Beemer said. “We played well the whole game defensively, [had] a lot of big hits where [the Stingers] ended up on their backs or ended up moving backwards.”

McGill continued to stymie Concordia in the second half. The Redmen slowly and methodically marched towards Concordia’s try zone, where Chapman converted another try, making the score 10-3.

Concordia answered a few minutes later with a penalty kick, momentarily cutting the Redmen lead to four.

Soon enough though, Quentin

Pradere, who missed two penalty kicks earlier in the half, successfully converted one to make the score 13-6. Needing only a try and a conversion, Concordia had a few chances to tie the score as the match wound down. In the last 15 seconds, the Stingers had an opening to run the whole field for a try, but as the wing received a pass from the outside-centre, he fumbled it, causing a knock-on call. The match ended, with McGill victorious, 13-6.

The victory demonstrates the team’s strong spirit in the aftermath of the ineligibility news. Looking forward to their last three regular season games, McGill’s stronghitting flanker Liam O’Briain is determined that the team can still win a division title, despite being stuck in a 1-4 hole after previously being undefeated.

“Our goal is to win them, win them handily, and win a championship,” he said.

McGill hits the pitch again on Oct. 13 against the Montreal Carabins at McEwan Field on MacDonald Campus.

HOCKEY — UQTR 5, Redmen 2

Redmen worn down by UQTR, fall in home opener

McGill’s title defence off to a slow start, Redmen drop first two games of the season Mayaz Alam Contributor On Saturday night, the McGill Redmen opened their 2012-2013 home schedule against the visiting UQTR Patriotes. The pre-game ceremonies began with the raising of last year’s CIS Championship banner, in which the Redmen emerged victorious over the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. Once the game began however, the atmosphere was less celebratory, as the Redmen fell by a score of 5-2.

The season started on a disappointing note for McGill (0-2), who had fallen in its season-opener on Friday to Concordia as well.

The team’s rocky start can almost exclusively be attributed to the inexperienced roster. The team has lost many key pieces from last year’s championship team an is facing a tough time integrating new faces on the ice.

Head Coach Kelly Nobes acknowledged this fact, agreeing that the team was experiencing a transitional period.

“We’ve got a young group with

a lot of young guys and it’s going to take time for our chemistry to come together and to have everybody sort themselves out,” Nobes said.

The Redmen started out the contest strong defensively, as there were only a few clear scoring opportunities in the first period. The play was gritty and physical—a theme that persisted in all three periods.

“Guys need to learn to play in this league; it’s a different league.

It’s intense and you need to play with a sense of urgency for 60 minutes,” Nobes added.

In addition to a strong physical defence, netminder Andrew Flemming came up big on a few occasions in order to halt the Patriotes’ (2-0) attack en route to 36 saves.

The second period was a stark contrast in the style of play, as both teams played a more offensively oriented style of hockey. McGill, however, was not able to capitalize.

“In the first couple of periods we had some good transitional play and some good entries ... [and] some good offensive zone play,” Nobes said.

Unfortunately, penalties hurt

the Redmen, and the Patriotes pounced on a 5-on-3 opportunity to open the scoring with a barrage of shots. UQTR finally breached Flemming’s stiff resistance, as Antoine Quevillon slotted one past the Redmen to put the visitors up 1-0. Two minutes later, the Patriotes capitalized on a poor McGill giveaway to bring the score to 2-0.

This ignited a spark in the Redmen, who mounted a frenetic comeback in the latter half of the second period. Patrick Delisle-Houde was instrumental, scoring McGill’s first goal off a cross-ice pass reception from Maximillien Le Sieur and firing it into the top right corner. Delisle-Houde then assisted on Guillaume Monast’s powerplay goal minutes later to tie things up at 2-2.

Both scorers are rookies on the team and will likely play key roles in determining McGill’s fate this season.

“We’re bringing in a good crew of guys and they’re [both] very good players,” fourth-year forward Patrick Belzile said.

However, the comeback was short-lived, as the Patriotes used

Marc-Olivier Vachon awaits the faceoff. (Jesse Conterato / McGill Tribune) an aggressive forecheck to slip the puck back in front of the McGill net before taking the lead, courtesy of Olivier Hotte. The second period ended with 3-2 scoreline in favour of UQTR. The final frame was just as physical, as both sides searched for vicious hits and sent numerous helmets to the ice. McGill, however, struggled to generate much offensively and looked worn down as the period progressed. The Patriotes

added their fourth tally on the powerplay with about 10 minutes to go, and sealed the game with an empty netter.

The Redmen will look to bounce back and earn their first victory of the season when they welcome Ottawa and Carleton to McConnell Arena as part of Homecoming weekend on Oct. 12 and 13, respectively.

Curiosity delivers. |

SPORTS

| Wednesday, October 10, 2012

POINT COUNTERPOINT FOR

T

expanded format Major League Baseball’s expanded playoff structure was designed to engage more baseball markets deeper into the season and to restore more significance to the league’s six divisional titles.

With the division winners earning a bye to the Divisional Series, the four Wild Card teams played their single elimination games on Friday.

Let’s first turn back the clock to Sept. 22. With 10 games remaining in the regular season, 11 teams were competing for five remaining playoff spots—all separated by four games or less. An 8-2 run by one team coupled with a 4-6 stretch by another—not inconceivable by any means—would have completely reshaped the playoff picture.

Commissioner Bud Selig must have been grinning ear-to-ear. Over one-third of the league was still playing meaningful baseball well into September. This is precisely what the expanded format sought to accomplish.

In the National League (NL), the Phillies, Dodgers, and Brewers—four organizations that would otherwise have been long cleaning their clubhouses and planning for Spring Training—were all chasing the Cardinals for the second Wild Card position. Their hopes were still alive and their fans were glued to the television and packing the parks.

The American League (AL) races were even more crowded, and the importance of winning the division, rather than settling for the Wild Card, was clear. In those final 10 games, the Oakland Athletics overtook the Texas Rangers for the AL West title and the Detroit Tigers surpassed the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central crown. The Baltimore Orioles, clinging to the second Wild Card

spot, and still chasing the New York Yankees, had to fend off the Los Angeles Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays en route to their well-deserved playoff berth.

The Texas Rangers, the two-time defending AL Champions, were forced into a single elimination game against the upstart Orioles. Texas lost that game 5-1 at home, and was left to ponder how they had squandered what was once a 12-game lead over Oakland.

The only blemish on the new format was in the NL Wild Card game between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals, which was marred by controversy. A questionable infield-fly call in the bottom of the eighth inning helped snuff out a Braves’ rally that would have given them the bases loaded with one out, trailing 6-3. Atlanta went on to lose the game by that same score, throwing into question the legitimacy of the single elimination format.

Regardless, I love the dual Wild Card system because it creates excitement for more teams down the stretch of the regular season. And although I admit that the single elimination game is less than ideal, a longer series would put the division winners at a disadvantage due to the extended layoff.

Finally, there is nothing in sports more exciting than a do-or-die game— it’s win or go home. Anything can happen; just ask the Braves. Though a oneand-done can be a tough pill to swallow after a grueling 162-game regular season, it still beats not having any postseason opportunities, and magnifies the importance of winning the division rather than coasting to the finish line.

By Steven Lampert

Martlets sweep podium; Redmen finish second The Martlet and Redmen crosscountry teams competed this past weekend at the Laval Invitational.

Both squads had strong showings, but the Martlets won the meet and stole the show. The women’s race was a 4K event, featuring athletes from four different schools. The Martlets claimed all three podium spots, with Caroline Pfister finishing first (14:14) followed by Sarah McCuaig (14:41) and Evelyn Anderson (15:01). Other Martlet participants included Madeleine Williams (15:22), who finished sixth, and Alison Barwick (15:33) who came

VS Winner

Against

Expanded Format

W

hile the new format keeps more teams in the playoff race further into the season, the single elimination game seems unfair for teams who put together excellent 162-game seasons. One game creates the opportunity for luck to determine the fate of baseball clubs.

Therefore, the MLB should rework the expanded playoff system.

Against

expanded format When Major League Baseball decided to implement an expanded Wild Card system during the later part of this past offseason, the resulting sense of excitement was palpable in the baseball world. For many, baseball’s narrow eight-team playoff format had been hindering in a sport with a 162-game season. People at the top of the MLB’s brass finally realized that in a sport where parity is paramount, it was time to allow for greater competition.

However, after seeing this past weekend’s chaotic play-in games, can we really say that baseball made the right decision? The brutal in-field fly call, which may have cost the Atlanta Braves their game against the St. Louis Cardinals, makes the idea of these one-anddone games even harder to swallow for passionate baseball fans.

Baseball is a sport of attrition and features a grueling season—the longest of any of the four major North American professional sports. Why is it then that baseball also has the shortest postseason? With this newest format, a team could win the championship with as few as 11 games played.

Extending the playoffs using this current play-in format is a sham. It seems futile for teams such as the Braves, who were coming off a strong closing run to take the top Wild Card spot. The Texas Rangers would have met Baltimore in a one-game playoff to decide the Wild

in 10th. The Martlets have now won three of their first four meets this season.

On the men’s side, the Redmen competed in an 8K event, and finished second out of six. McGill’s Benjamin Raymond (25:29) just missed the podium, placing fourth overall out of 55 runners. The Redmen also finished second at the McGill Open in September.

The two teams head to Fredericton, New Brunswick to compete in the AUS Interlock on Oct. 13.

Card under the old system—they would have tied for the one and only playoff spot—so the new arrangement didn’t even create more excitement.

For baseball enthusiasts, keeping the eight-team format makes much more sense. This way, there is an even amount of teams, and the one Wild Card spot remains more coveted. In a sense, it is an elitist perspective in which the regular season matters all the more, in comparison to a league like the NHL, where the regular season is simply a training ground for the long playoff grind that follows. The new Wild Card spot takes away the old-school vibe that baseball had for years.

I propose either removing this showdown and reverting back to the eight-team format all together, or to go even further and expand it to a 12-team format and add another series—similar to what the NFL has done.

It is clear from the expressions of Braves’ Manager Fredi Gonzalez’s face or Rangers’ power hitter Josh Hamilton after their respective games; this format is a disaster. Excellent seasons were ruined by one game featuring a decent amount of luck. In the past, baseball has been a sport for purists. Bud Selig is beginning to mess with the game’s winning formula to appease and excite new fans. This fan is definitely not excited. ­— Filippo Furlano

BASEBALL

— Trevor Drummond

Sports briefs CROSS COUNTRY

he Major League Baseball Wild Card round was held last weekend. The format introduced the expanded playoff system formulated by the MLB in March. Under it, an additional team from each league qualifies for the postseason, leaving them to compete in a single elimination game. Now that the system has seen action, two contributors weigh in on this new format:

19

Redmen qualify for CIBA Nationals

Swimming

bielby, renaud, DE Broux win four medalS EACH The swimming season got underway last weekend, as the Redmen and Martlets hit the pool for the first RSEQ Cup meet.

The Redmen had a middling result, finishing third of five with 93 points, though a few swimmers did stand out. Fifth-year senior and McGill record holder Steven Bielby added to his growing medal collection, claiming a gold and three silvers. Third-year freestyle and fly specialist PierreAlexandre Renaud matched Bielby, winning a gold and three silvers of his own. As well, MarcAndre Benoit, Michael Luck, and

Erik Cheng claimed two medals apiece.

The Martlets swam to a better result, placing second of five.

They finished 51 points behind the first-place Montreal Carabins.

Sophomore Valerie De Broux was a highlight for McGill, winning a gold, two silvers, and a bronze.

Other multiple medalists included Sophie Overney-Ragan and Taryne Landry, who each won a gold and two other medals.

The next RSEQ Cup meet will take place on Oct. 20 at McGill’s Memorial Pool.

After a slow start to the season, the McGill Redmen baseball team earned a berth to the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) national championship last Sunday by sweeping the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Northern Conference semifinal series. The Redmen won the best-of-three series by taking the first game in extra innings by a score of 6-2 and the second 7-3.

Fifth-year center fielder Adam Gordon was instrumental in the series, finishing 4-5 with three runs scored, a home run, and two runs batted in.

Starting pitcher Elliot Ariganello pitched particularly well in the series clincher, allowing just five hits in five innings. The Redmen move on to the Northern Conference finals against Carleton on Oct. 13 to take part in another best-of-three series.

The CIBA nationals take place Oct. 19-21 in Nepean, Ontario.

19

SPORTS

Inside:

Redmen hockey home opener

Football — redmen 34, Bishop’s 20

Staying alive: Redmen run past Bishop’s McGill’s playoff hopes remain intact; senior leaders, newcomers combine to capture first annual Turkey Bowl Peter Laing Contributor A must-win game, an undecided quarterback position, and a bruised and battered defensive line did not faze the McGill Redmen (2-4) as they defeated the Bishop’s Gaiters (2-4) on Thursday to capture the first annual Thanksgiving weekend “Turkey Bowl” by a score of 34-20.

After the Redmen’s obliteration at the hands of the Laval Rouge et Or at home, and an away loss at Bishop’s last weekend, Head Coach Clint Uttley realized he needed to send a clear message to the leaders of the team, who, for the majority of this season, have struggled to persevere through challenging situations.

“What I told them before the game was their legacy could be defined by being a group that didn’t win a lot of games or being ... the ones that turned the corner,” Uttley explained.

The message clearly resonated with the seniors, who stepped up their intensity. As a result, the team only gave up a record-low five yards on penalties, and had a stand out offensive performance.

The Gaiters scored on their first drive after a 40-yard pass sailed into the hands of a wide-open receiver.

McGill was unstoppable on the ground, tallying 261 rushing yards. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) Despite Bishop’s ability to take advantage of lapses in the McGill defence, the Redmen offence kept it close throughout the first half. This was largely thanks to kicker Samy Rassy, who hit two of his five total field goals in the first half. The first half concluded with the Gaiters on top with a score of 9-7.

Uncharacteristically, McGill was able to grind out yards through the ground game, largely thanks to the play of offensive linemen Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. However, Duvernay-Tardif did much more than just lead the offence to their

261 rushing yards—appearing to take Uttley’s message to heart, he played on both the defensive and offensive lines.

McGill’s offence got rolling at the beginning of the third quarter after Redmen defensive end ElHadj N’Doye intercepted a bullet pass from the Bishop’s quarterback, leaving McGill with great field position. After struggling in the red zone during the first half, starting quarterback Jonathan Collin was sure not to waste this opportunity, and took the ball into the end zone himself, putting McGill up 16-14.

Bishop’s answered McGill with a field goal on its following drive, but the Redmen responded quickly. Collin made an incredible scrambling pass to running back Sean Murphy, setting up Rassy for another successful field goal. Collin was in obvious control of the offence, efficiently going 16-25 for 136 passing yards. However, he was sidelined following the end of third quarter with an injury to his MCL. While Coach Uttley’s message was directed towards his seniors, it was clear that the sentiment trickled down to the Redmen’s young offen-

sive stars. Once again, receiver and return specialist Yannick LangelierVanasse led the team with 127 allpurpose yards, and Luis GuimontMota finished the game with an outstanding 119 rushing yards. Coach Uttley had nothing but praise for his return specialist, who has been McGill’s most consistent threat this season.

“Yannick is awesome. He’s like instant field position and he’s only in his second year. I’m excited to have him for three more years,” Uttley said.

However, it was the entertaining receiver Shaquille Johnson who stole the show. Johnson had nine receptions, including the gamewinning touchdown in the fourth quarter. After Bishop’s cut McGill’s lead to two, Ryne Bondy—Collin’s replacement—connected with Johnson to give McGill a 29-20 lead— one that the Redmen would not relinquish.

Not only did the victory put to rest the notion that this team crumbles under pressure, but it also placed the Redmen in a four-way tie for the two remaining playoff spots in the RSEQ. McGill will battle the Concordia Stingers on Oct. 13 at Molson Stadium in the annual Homecoming Game.

Redmen rugby hit with sanction for ineligible player After being forced to forfeit first four games, McGill drops to 1-4 Jeff Downey Sports Editor Following the McGill Redmen’s rugby win over the Concordia Stingers last Wednesday night, it appeared the team had improved to an astounding 5-0 start.

Unfortunately, this record was vacated following routine mid-season checks of player eligibility. McGill Athletics, led by Executive Director of Athletics Drew Love, found an inconsistency in the transcript of a senior member of the squad.

“The normal process of things is that towards the end of August all the teams come together and fill out the various registration and [eligibility] forms,” Love said. “We do a review of all those forms, and the individual who became ineligible ... hadn’t completed the forms we got in the first package. So we always do a second review ... and in this case we discovered that [he] was ineligible because [he] hadn’t completed the required number of McGill

courses in the previous years.”

All student athletes in Canada are required to enroll in and accumulate a certain number of credits while maintaining a standard GPA in order to be eligible for the upcoming year. Falling short of these standards requires athletes to take time off until the appropriate requirements have been met. This is done to ensure a common playing field across the country, in addition to contributing to the academic futures of student athletes.

When the error had been confirmed, McGill immediately passed on the information to RSEQ officials for an official ruling. The decision, made on Oct. 5, declared that the Redmen were to forfeit their first four games—all of which were victories.

“They made the sanction that we expected,” Love continued.

“That is, any game that the individual played [in] or was on the roster [for] would be forfeited. It turns out ... he had been on the roster for all

four games.”

Love also added that the RSEQ ruling will act as an impetus for McGill to improve the process of registration and eligibility checks.

“It is our intention to sit down in [December] to review all of our processes to see whether or not there are ways that we can both make it more streamlined and easier for people to complete all of the forms that are necessary ... but also to guarantee that every student athlete is obligated to have their review completed prior to them stepping onto the field,” Love said.

While only three games remain in the season, McGill still has the opportunity to vie for an RSEQ championship. However, the forfeited games may compromise a chance to host a playoff game.

Trevor Clarke, a fourth-year centre, explained that the recent turn of events has only served to strengthen the desire and drive amongst the team.

“Of course there was disap-

pointment ... but we thought about it for a few seconds and we realized that it really doesn’t [have to] affect our season. We can still make playoffs and win the championship; we can still do all that,” Clarke said. “So we put it into the back of our heads pretty quickly in order to move forward quickly ... If there is a silver lining I’m sure we’ll be able to find it.”

Love echoed this sentiment, applauding the club’s positivity and dedication.

“We’re disappointed in ourselves. I can say [that] the staff was devastated that something had gotten through, but glad the process did eventually reveal itself, at a point where we can still salvage the season,” Love said. “I am quite impressed with the resolve of the team and ... am proud of the way the athletes have decided to take [on] the challenge and accept the penalty, and go forward to do the best they can.”

McGill isn’t on top anymore.

(Simon Poitrimot / McGill Tribune)