McGill Tribune Vol. 32 Issue 8

TRIBUNE

THE Mcgill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society

hockey without borders P 12 student of the week p 15

zombie walk p 10 laddus recipe p 14

curiosity delivers

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

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@mcgill_tribune www. mcgilltribune.com @mcgill_tribune ­ •­ •www. mcgilltribune.com ­ ­

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Volume No. 32 Issue No. 8

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It was a full weekend of sports in Montreal, with professional and university basketball on the hardwood and a lacrosse rivalry game on the field.

(Simon Poitrimolt, Mike King, and Remi Lu / McGill Tribune)

Investigation finds no misconduct in McGill asbestos study Internal report by McGill’s Research Integrity Officer finds no grounds for additional independent investigation Carolina Millán Ronchetti Managing Editor An internal investigation found no proof of misconduct on the disputed research of former epidemiology professor John Corbett McDonald.

McDonald’s research on the health effects of chrysotile asbestos came under scrutiny in early February following a CBC documentary which suggested that McGill had allowed the asbestos industry to sponsor and influence scientific studies.

The controversy led VicePrincipal (Health Affairs) and Dean of Medicine David Eidelman to request a preliminary internal review by the chair of the department of epidemiology, Rebecca Fuhrer, despite calls from anti-asbestos activists to organize an independent investigation. On April 4, Eidelman announced that Fuhrer had not found any evidence of research misconduct, and requested that McGill’s Research Integrity Officer Abraham Fuks conduct an addi-

tional investigation on the integrity of McDonald’s research.

“The financial support from the industry was acknowledged in publications and there is no evidence to suggest that the sponsors influenced the data analyses or the conclusions,” Fuks’ report reads. “I find no warrant to initiate further investigations of the allegations that we have received.”

Eidelman presented the report to Senate, the highest academic body in the university, on Oct. 17. “[The report] casts a lot of light ... [and] allows one to understand why people may make allegations,” Eidelman said. “I don’t believe we have anything to hide.

We have no investments in the asbestos industry ... [the] conspiracy is simply not true.”

The report notes that although McDonald received funding from the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association (QAMA), his research was also funded through the federal Department of Health and Welfare.

“It is clear QAMA’s interests were designed to protect the as-

bestos industry with the implication that if it funded the research, it would thereby control the outcomes or their dissemination,” the report reads. “[However], this does not by itself demonstrate that the research was controlled or that its dissemination was influenced by QAMA.” Further allegations claimed that McDonald had denied his connection to the asbestos industry.

Fuks argues that McDonald did not make an attempt to hide that the funding for his research came from asbestos companies, and that “there is no evidence that the design of the research, its conduct, and its reporting was influenced by the industry.”

Kathleen Ruff, anti-asbestos activist and recipient of the Canadian Public Health Association’s 2011 National Public Health Hero award, called the report “biased, misleading, and inaccurate.” The report mentions her among those who provided materials to the investigation, such as newspaper clippings and other documentation.

“I provided evidence to Dr. Fuks, showing that Prof. McDonald used his research to lobby against improved occupational safety standards for asbestos workers,” Ruff told the Tribune. “Dr. Fuks ignored this evidence of collusion with the asbestos industry … legitimate concerns were ignored, and critical information was excluded from the report. No meaningful involvement was allowed.”

The report noted that McDonald has been criticized for studies that found that amphibole asbestos is more closely associated with mesothelioma, or malignant tumours, than chrysotile asbestos.

“Some of the controversies in this contested field stem from the choice of language to describe the data derived from the research,” the report reads. “In fact, the statements by [McDonald] and colleagues were generally carefully worded and explicitly supported by their research findings.”

Ruff disputed the claim in Fuks’ report that McDonald’s findings have been corroborated and

supported by the scientific community.

“The key conclusion of Prof.

McDonald’s research is that chrysotile asbestos is virtually innocuous except at astronomically high exposure levels,” she said. “This conclusion is rejected by the overwhelming consensus of scientists.

There is, to my knowledge, not a single reputable, independent scientist who has replicated this finding.”

Among the criticisms the report addresses is those by Brown University professor David Egilman, who questioned McDonald’s methodology and suggested that the his research methods were flawed. According to the report, McDonald used older methods to contrast data from previous decades, as there was no data to compare to if he used newer techniques.

Fuks writes that McDonald “understood the drawback [of using older methods] and assessed [the] data accordingly. ” See “Asbestos” on p. 2

NEWS

Asbestos report released Continued from cover

Ruff noted that McDonald testified before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1972 against a proposal to increase US safety regulations regarding asbestos and that in 1999, he spoke at a conference in Brazil, organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, allegedly presenting findings that chrysotile asbestos could be eliminated by the body except at extremely high levels of exposure.

Fuks declined to comment on the report.

The report recommends that McGill’s Board of Governors con-

sider avoiding investing in asbestos companies, and that McGill host an academic conference on the current evidence on the toxicity of asbestos, and the burden of dealing with asbestos in old buildings.

During Senate, Eidelman welcomed the suggestion to host a conference, and said that he aimed to organize one in the near future.

Other professors, like Associate Professor of Political Science Catherine Lu, expressed interest in the suggestion.

“The Report raises some questions,” Lu said. “In terms of the conference proposed, do we need

to think of a conference that also discusses the relationship between universities and industries with an agenda?”

The report does not mention that in early February, over 70 medical doctors and health researchers called for the resignation of asbestos exporter and member of the McGill Board of Governors Roshi Chadha. Chadha took a leave of absence for the remainder of the winter semester. Her term as member of the Board of Governors ends in August 2013.

—Additional reporting by Bea Britneff.

student politics

SSMU Council tables GA motions Concern over constitutional ambiguities delays motions’ progress Andra Cernavskis Contributor At last Thursday’s Council meeting of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), concerns about ambiguity in the SSMU constitution led councillors to vote to commit all nonbinding motions passed in the Oct. 15 SSMU General Assembly (GA) to the Steering and Policy committees. These committees will investigate SSMU constitutional ambiguities, and determine whether to bring these motions to the next council meeting, to be held on Nov. 1.

The fall GA lost quorum after passing two motions. The remaining four motions were therefore nonbinding, as they were adopted by what then became a consultative forum.

Following precedent from last year, Speaker Michael Tong decided to bring the adopted motions to Council after consultation with the movers of the motions and the Steering Committee. Tong explained that the SSMU constitution allows for two options when motions pass under a consultative forum.

The by-laws say that motions of this character “shall be inscribed upon the agenda of the next general assembly or at the discretion of the speakers in consultation with the movers and the Steering Committee, upon the agenda of the next council meeting.”

SSMU President Josh Redel said that he does not believe there has ever been a clear distinction on whether a motion that comes to Council from a consultative forum is

considered a Council motion or still a GA motion.

The ambiguity in the constitution also extends to the process of passing unbinding resolutions, since a resolution passed last semester now requires the online ratification of motions passed at a SSMU GA. At the Oct. 15 GA, only the two motions passed with quorum moved into the online ratification process.

Speaking on behalf of the Steering Committee, Redel recommended tabling all four motions, which included one regarding SSMU support for accessible education, opposition to Plan Nord, opposition to Canadian military involvement in Iran, and ethical investment at McGill.

SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Haley Dinel, who also sits on the Steering Committee, explained that the idea was to table the motions at Thursday’s Council, rewrite them in Committee, and conform them to fit into SSMU’s mandate.

SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper said she wanted to consider ratifying the first of the four motions—the motion regarding renewing support for accessible education. SSMU VicePresident External Robin Reid-Fraser supported Cooper’s suggestion.

“I feel that this is a motion that comes from … a policy SSMU has had for five years … and that was renewed last year,” Reid-Fraser said. “[Ratifying this motion] is just renewing that policy. It’s not a new thing.”

Other councillors had reservations about proceeding with one mo-

tion, and tabling the rest.

“I believe that if we do decide to table the motions, I think we should table them all together or not table them all together,” Nicole Georges, arts representative to SSMU, said. “I really think that we should follow procedure and keep them all together … [I don’t think] we should start cherry-picking.”

Redel expressed concern about violating direct democracy, saying that he did not think the four motions should be changed or debated upon by Council.

SSMU Vice-President Internal Michael Szpejda suggested that Council first address the now apparent ambiguities of the SSMU constitution.

“We should fix the [ambiguity] first so we can be sure of how we pass these motions,” Szpejda said.

“Then [we should] bring these motions back to Council.”

SSMU Vice-President Finance and Operations Jean Paul Briggs then proposed a motion which mandates the Steering and Policy Committees to further discuss the constitutionality of whether or not the four GA motions should be brought to the next Council on Nov. 1. Briggs’ motion passed with 18 votes for and seven against.

Following Council, Cooper expressed her disappointment about the vote.

“First off, the decision to table the GA decisions went against a precedent that students and movers of motions were expecting,” she said. “I think debating them … is entirely within Council’s role.”

campus

Senate discusses Dean Manfredi’s report Bea Britneff News Editor Last Wednesday, McGill Senate convened for the second time this academic year. Topics discussed over the course of meeting included the Report of the Open Forum on Free Expression and Peaceful Assembly, undergraduate cross-faculty course accessibility, postgraduate supervision, and the Achieving Strategic Academic Priorities (ASAP) 2012 project.

While presenting his Report of the Open Forum, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi spoke to Senators about the discussions that took place at last semester’s Open Forum series, as well as his findings, after comparing McGill policies and protocols to those at other large universities.

Following Manfredi’s presentation, Catherine Lu, associate professor in the department of political science, expressed serious concerns about the James Protocol, a provisional security protocol that currently governs access to the James Administration building. The Protocol was issued after students occupied the building’s 6th floor for six days this past February.

“I think it’s been an irritant to collegiality,” Lu said. “I think it is unnecessary, uncalled for, and unjustified. I would like to see something done [about it] quickly.”

Law Senator Stephanie Bachelet asked Manfredi and MunroeBlum if there were plans to revise the James Protocol.

“They have been quite dramatically revised already,” MunroeBlum responded. “We’re open to hearing recommendations or suggestions.”

Munroe-Blum also confirmed that the three recommendations listed in Manfredi’s report will be implemented.

On the topic of undergraduate cross-faculty accessibility, Arts Senator Max Zidel presented two questions to Senate.

“In what ways can McGill encourage and remove barriers preventing interfaculty and interdepartmental course registration?”

Zidel asked. “In what ways can McGill foster cross-faculty and interdepartmental programming?”

In response, Provost Anthony Masi said that McGill’s institutional and resource constraints make it difficult for the university to make a large variety of courses accessible to students across multiple departments and faculties.

“Budgetary constraints, and shortages of faculty, support staff, and space characterize the environ-

ment at McGill,” Masi said. “[The] priority is for students to register for those courses required to complete their degree. Course schedules offer what they can.”

These challenges aside, Masi said the administration would continue to work on these issues, and that the university has already made some progress in that regard.

“We have [already] created several inter-disciplinary initiatives … [and] over the years, the Faculty of Arts has reduced the number of required credits [for a major],” Masi said. “I will explore with Deans the ways we could address students wanting a more broad experience.”

Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Senator Jonathan Mooney presented several questions regarding post-graduate supervision at McGill. In particular, Mooney expressed concern about proper training in supervision for newly hired faculty, as well as resources for graduate students experiencing difficulties with their supervisors. “[There is] a huge power differential between professors and students,” Mooney said. “One concern at [last week’s] Consultation Fair was about students not having advocates when they have a problem with their supervisor.”

Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) Martin Kreiswirth responded that supervision is at the centre of training for new faculty, and that GPS has organized 18 events to help address concerns regarding graduate supervision.

Later during the meeting, Masi gave a presentation on ASAP 2012—McGill’s next five-year strategic academic plan. He presented three strategic priorities, and six broad goals for McGill over the next five years, including maintaining a student-centred focus, appropriate resource management, enhancing research, extending community engagement, and renewing facilities.

Several student senators expressed concern that the ASAP 2012 presentation did not feature an action plan for implementing the strategic priorities and goals. Masi responded that it would be very difficult for him to create a systematic action plan that would be applicable to all areas and spheres of the university.

“Each Dean is expected to come up with mechanisms that reflect these objectives,” Masi said.

“Faculties will address this differently.”

Following the presentation, Senate passed the motion to endorse the ASAP 2012 academic priorities and goals.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

campus

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Students voice concerns about advising at Consultation Fair Forum provides venue for students, staff, and faculty; topics include accessibility and graduate supervision Christy Frost Contributor Last Wednesday, students, advisors, and other members of the McGill community gathered in Redpath Hall for the third semi-annual Consultation Fair. The fair provided a forum for participants to discuss and voice concerns about advising and graduate supervision at McGill.

The fair was a joint effort by the McGill administration, the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society, and the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education student associations. According to Haley Dinel, vice-president university affairs for the Students’ Society of McGill University, the fair’s theme was chosen in response to a growing concern that not all students are receiving the advising they need.

“The topic came out of some of the [Consultation Fair] conversations … last year,” Dinel said. “It was clearly a problem that a lot of undergrad students were having, [as well as] grad students, continuing education, and Mac campus [students]. The university … is hoping to change its advising mechanisms,

and we wanted to give people a chance to talk about it.”

This past summer, in an attempt to take account of the existing academic advising framework, McGill took a census of all the academic advisors who are active at the university, and established the Academic Advising and Mentoring Advisory Board. The Board was mandated to find ways to improve the quality of student advising at McGill, and held its first meeting on Oct. 10.

Wednesday’s Consultation Fair provided 19 different table discussions that participants could join.

Consultation sessions were divided up into three 25-minute discussions, allowing participants to engage in multiple conversations.

Topics of discussion included peer advising, roles, and expectations for graduate students, access to advising, career advising in continuing studies, and online resources and communications.

At some of the tables, students co-facilitated the discussions with a McGill staff member or advisor.

Several advisors expressed their excitement at the opportunity to discuss advising directly with students,

and to connect students to advising services.

“One of the reasons I’m here, is to chat about ways to make academic advising information easier to find,” Mark Ordonselli, McGill web communications manager, said.

Ordonselli facilitated the table dedicated to web resources, where a common theme was the need for more accessible basic web information about registration and advising.

A new, online resource that McGill is piloting is the “ask an advisor” button, which will enable students to email short questions directly to an advisor. The contacted advisor will either answer the question or direct the student to someone who can help them.

Another common concern expressed at the tables was the difficulty of getting students—especially at-risk students—to take advantage of the advising and counselling services available at McGill.

“In residences this year … the floor fellows were trained on how to spot students who were running into trouble in their first weeks,” Paul Olioff, academic advisor for the faculty of science, said.

Members of McGill community strategize. (Anna Katycheva / McGill Tribune) Olioff also stressed the importance of having people check up on new students to make that sure they aren’t struggling.

Conversations at the tables discussing graduate supervision exposed a common desire for clearer expectations to be laid out for both supervisors and graduate student researchers, particularly in the lab disciplines.

At the end of the fair, a facilitator from each table shared one of the group’s key ideas with the rest of the room. Suggestions included an online map or timeline for advising, a brochure with information about advising, pre-arrival web chat with

international students, and more clearly defined responsibilities for graduate supervisors.

“It was a great discussion,” Shannon Ray, co-vice-president external for the education undergraduate society, said. “Each session brought something new or innovative to make it different, but very applicable.”

Throughout the next six months, the McGill administration will review notes from the Consultation Fair, and will attempt to follow up on some of the suggestions. The notes from the sessions will be available online.

News analysis

Quebec losing race to attract international students

McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum calls for Quebec to increase competitiveness vis-à-vis other provinces Erica Friesen News Editor Last Friday, McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum called for Quebec to increase its enrollment of international students in a speech hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. Munroe-Blum drew attention to a topic that has been the subject of much debate in recent years—the place of international students in Canada and Canadian universities.

“International students are exactly what Quebec needs,” MunroeBlum said. “They spend years in our institutions, they speak or are motivated to learn French, they know and embrace Quebec’s values, and they are already integrating into our society.”

A study by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada estimated that international students spent over $7.7 billion dollars in Canada in 2010, and created over 81,000 jobs that same year. According to Maclean’s magazine, the two provinces most successful in recruiting international students are Ontario and British Columbia.

Although Quebec was ranked

third in this study, Munroe-Blum mentioned that the province’s international student population decreased by eight per cent between 2001 and 2010.

“We face an international race for talent and Quebeckers are not winning,” she said. “We can only win with incentives for universities to attract, support, and retain top talent with quality and accessibility.”

In recent years, other provincial governments have aimed to attract more international students to their universities. In 2010, Ontario’s new Trillium Scholarship program created 75 scholarships for international graduate students studying in Ontario, while Ontario’s residency rules were modified to encourage these students to stay in the province after the completion of their degrees.

Marc Weinstein, McGill’s VicePrincipal (Development and Alumni Relations), told the Tribune that the McGill Alumni Association does not have any specific programs in place to encourage alumni to stay in Quebec after graduation.

“However, we do offer a range of career service programs that … are aimed at matching graduating McGill students with McGill alumni

who have employment opportunities they are looking to fill,” he said.

“This no doubt contributes to an increase in graduates choosing to launch their careers [in Quebec].”

In her speech, Munroe-Blum pointed to tuition as a frequently debated issue involving international students.

“Some would argue that low tuition will attract talent, but … low tuition does not lead to quality, and quality is precisely what students are looking for,” she said.

According to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), international students have faced steep tuition increases since 1976, and in 2009, CFS argued against continually rising international tuition fees.

“High differential fees are an unfair burden and a barrier to postsecondary education for international students,” CFS wrote. “Ultimately, such fees could threaten Canada’s ability to attract and retain foreign scholars.”

Memorial University in Newfoundland offers some of the lowest tuition rates in Canada—approximately $2,550 per year for Canadian undergraduate students, and $8,800 for international. However, only 7.9

per cent of the 17,944 students enrolled at Memorial in the fall of 2011 were international students, according to their website In comparison, McGill’s student body is composed of roughly 25 per cent international students, each of whom pay over $14,000 in tuition per year. Despite McGill’s success in attracting international students, Munroe-Blum emphasized that very little of this additional money goes to the university.

“Under the current Quebec funding system, most of the tuition paid by students from outside Quebec returns to the government,” Munroe-Blum said. “With a few exceptions, McGill keeps only a small portion of the fees these students pay to support these students in their studies.”

In B.C., the system of incorporating international students into universities works very differently.

According to Tim Rahilly, associate vice-president of students at Simon Fraser University (SFU), B.C. universities charge all Canadian students the same tuition. The institutions then set their own international student fees and—unlike McGill— none of this money is given to the

province.

“The [international] fee usually is slightly more than the equivalent of what the institution gets for domestic students—a per head fee from the province, [plus] student ... tuition [fees],” Rahilly told the Tribune. “The province does not fund any international student spaces.”

Rahilly added that B.C. universities who increase their international enrollment therefore benefit both from the differential student fees and from the diversification of their student body.

Munroe-Blum also discussed the importance of the diversity brought by international students to McGill and Canada. She said that although Quebec currently falls short in attracting international students, there is time for the province to reprioritize the issue.

“Quebec is … positioned to win the race for global talent if we move quickly, competitively, and with confidence,” she said. “Quebec needs … a clear strategy for making Quebec a global education and research destination, or we will fall even further behind.”

—Additional reporting by Bea Britneff.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

SPEAKER ON CAMPUS

Suzuki and Rubin visit McGill on End of Growth Tour

Speakers highlight impact of human overconsumption of resources, call for society to foster respect for nature Jimmy Lou Contributor On Oct. 15, economist Jeff Rubin and environmental activist David Suzuki spoke on the importance of creating a sustainable future. Held in Pollack Concert Hall, the End of Growth Tour lecture was co-sponsored by the McGill Bookstore, the Marcel Desautels Institute for Integrated Management, and McGill’s Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design.

Rubin, the former chief economist at CIBC World Markets and a McGill alumnus, used an empirical analysis of the economy to explain why we may soon witness a stagnation in innovation and economic growth. He emphasized the circumstantial imperatives of the market, where the overconsumption of oil and a resulting rise in oil prices have led to an decreased demand for oil, and increased investment in green

technology.

Rubin underlined the importance of energy—and oil in particular—in driving modern growth, and noted that the decline of its production may have dramatic consequences for the environment.

“Oil, still, is the single largest source of power for the global economy, and as a transit fuel, it has no substitute,” Rubin said. “If we step back and look at the history of our economy over the last 40 years, it’s hard not to notice that every major recession has oil’s fingerprints all over it.”

The higher the price of oil, he added, the less oil people can afford to consume.

“When we see triple digit oil prices, what we’re seeing is the boundary of a finite world,” he said.

“I think the key to adjustment that has to be recognized in so many cases, is [that to] make do with less is better than always wanting more.”

David Suzuki, cofounder of the David Suzuki Foundation and long-time environmental activist, tied Rubin’s economic perspective to the impact of society’s increasing detachment from an identity as biological creatures.

“Our species thinks it can take over and use whatever we want, spew our chemicals and toxic waste back into [our home] without paying any price,” Suzuki said. “We can’t … see the consequences of our actions because we’ve lost our sense of where we belong and what our home is. We elevate the economy above our very own domain.”

Suzuki criticized what he called humans’ subordination of our planet’s needs to societal constructs— constructs such as capitalism and the economy. He said humans have lost touch with nature, which has resulted in a notion of human superiority and exceptionalism even though we depend on nature.

What happened last week in Compiled by bea britneff

“We need air, we need water … we need the earth because that’s where our food comes from,” Suzuki said. “Furthermore, what keeps the planet habitable for us is the diverse array of living species on the planet. Those are the most fundamental needs for our very survival and our health.”

Suzuki asked the public to understand that nature is more important than anything created by humans.

“We created things like boundaries, economics, capitalism, corporations, [and] markets,” he said. “We invented [them] but we bow down to these things as if they dictate us. We can’t change nature. The only things we can change are the things we invent ... Let’s take back democracy, and show our leaders what really matters to us.”

As a part of a nationwide lecture tour, this event highlighted arguments and observations from the

speakers’ latest books—Rubin’s The End of Growth and Suzuki’s Everything Under the Sun. Anna Stein, events coordinator at the McGill Bookstore, was pleased with the way the discussion progressed. “[The speakers] had a great time together, and had a lot of interesting things to say,” Stein said.

“I’m so happy to have McGill as a venue for them.”

Students echoed her appreciation of the speakers and the topics they covered.

“It was a solid event,” Thomas Raissi U2 biochemisty, said. “I obviously didn’t agree with everything they said, but I liked how Rubin’s points on economy complemented with Suzuki’s environmental points.

They were both pretty good speakers.”

Canada?

conservatives introduce controversial omnibus bill c-45

B.C. universities call for increased government funding

supreme court limits right to online privacy at work

eight face charges in london, ONtario bullying case

parti québécois flip-flops over language bill extension

Last Thursday, the Canadian government introduced another massive budget bill, Bill C-45. Critics, including the New Democratic Party (NDP), have denounced the bill as “covering way too much ground.”

C-45 proposes significant changes to Member of Parliaments’ pension plans, the Navigable Waters Protection Act, and tax credits for small businesses, as well as changes to the Environment Assessment Act. According to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, all of C-45’s stipulations had been presented in the budget published this past spring.

He said the changes will save taxpayers $2.6 billion over a period of five years. NDP finance critic Peggy Nash, however, expressed concern for the bill’s overwhelming size.

According to the National Post, the Conservative government took pension reforms out of the omnibus bill on Oct. 19, following pressure from opposition parties. The opposition is also pushing to have other sections, such as those concerning the environment, separated from the bill, arguing that the measures need more in-depth study. The Conservatives have said that they are open to doing so if the opposition agrees to pass those changes quickly.

An Oct. 18 report to the B.C. legislature’s select finance committee called for an increase in postsecondary funding by $180 million.

The report was presented on behalf of the Research Universities’ Council, which represents six of B.C.’s major universities.

In 2011, B.C. Premier Christy Clark revealed a jobs plan that predicted the creation of approximately one million jobs in B.C. over the next 10 years. According to Thursday’s report, a large majority of these estimated jobs are expected to require some post-secondary qualification, and the province will face a shortage of educated workers to fill them if the government does not act to make universities more economically accessible to students.

Unlike Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec, B.C. currently lacks a student grant program, and a graduate fellow program. The B.C. government has also already announced a $50 million cut to post-secondary spending over the next two years.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Oct. 19 that employees using work-issued computers for personal reasons only have a limited right to privacy.

According to the decision, employees may enjoy a certain amount of privacy when conducting personal business on work computers, as long as their workplace allows them to do so. However, if personal use of computers is not permitted, employers have the right to search and copy the information on the computer’s hard drive.

The Court clarified that the right to search workplace devices does not extend to beyond the office.

Law enforcement officers must obtain a warrant in order to search or collect data.

Following the ruling, the Court ordered a new trial for Richard Cole, a high school teacher charged with possession of child pornography in 2006. Sexually explicit photos of a female student were found on Cole’s laptop, which was issued to him by the school. The reopened trial will take the new ruling into consideration.

Last Friday, eight girls were arrested and charged with criminal harassment following an investigation into a bullying case at a high school in London, Ontario.

Police said they received information regarding the case from the school’s anonymous reporting portal, as well as from direct statements.

Their investigation revealed that the eight girls physically, emotionally, and cyber-bullied another student at the school.

The police have confirmed the victim in question is safe.

Friday’s arrests follow the recent and tragic suicide of a British Columbia teen, Amanda Todd. Todd endured years of cyber-bullying and was also physical attacked by her high school peers. Her death has sparked a national outcry and debate over how to better prevent bullying and make bullies accountable for their actions.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the girls were released from custody “on a promise to appear in court.” Police have said they are continuing the investigation, and that they may lay additional charges.

Last Friday, the Parti Québécois (PQ) withdrew its proposal to extend provisions of Bill 101 to Quebec childcare centres.

According to CTV News, PQ Family Minister Nicole Léger presented the idea on Oct. 17, “as legislation that would be introduced in the next few weeks.” Léger argued that young children should be exposed to French at an earlier age.

The Liberal opposition quickly expressed its outrage at the proposal.

Diane De Courcy, Quebec minister of language, immigration and cultural communities, confirmed on Oct. 18 that the PQ would not abolish the current freedom-of-choice rules surrounding daycares, calling the move “out of the question.”

Bill 101 is the Charter of the French Language that declares French as the official language of Quebec, and seeks to make French the “normal and everyday language of work, instruction, [and] communication.”

Want to be a news editor for the McGill Tribune? Apply before November 6, 2012!

For more information contact editor@mcgilltribune.com

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Speaker on campus

5

Global Food Conference opens with price volatility lecture

Keynote speaker Jean Lebel highlights need to invest in agricultural research, enhance food security worldwide Erica Friesen News Editor The fifth McGill Conference on Global Food Security opened on Oct. 16 with Jean Lebel’s keynote speech on price volatility. Lebel, the Vice-President of the Programs and Partnerships Branch of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), spoke about the challenges created by the unpredictability of food prices, and how to address these issues worldwide.

“Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food,” Lebel explained.

Changing agricultural conditions are one factor contributing to the volatility of food prices. While some factors in price variations are relatively predictable, such as the availability of local crops in different seasons, Lebel explained that they are ultimately difficult to predict due to external elements, like the weather.

Lebel emphasized that further investment in agricultural practices

can mitigate the impact of fluctuating food prices on those living in poverty, who are highly susceptible to price volatility.

“It is estimated … that economic growth generated in agriculture is on average four times more efficient, effective, and benefitting the poorest half of the population than growth generated outside of agriculture,” Lebel said. “Growth in small agriculture significantly decreases poverty, and in most cases, also contributes to greater economic equality.”

According to Lebel, efforts to help these populations have significantly increased in recent years.

He pointed to the G20’s Agriculture Market Information System (AMIS) as one effort to lessen the impact of changes in food prices. “[AMIS] brings member countries together to share their information on prices, production, [and] policy options that are available in front of multiple parties,” Lebel said. “Rather than going on speculation, countries have come together, have shared their information, have better knowledge, and can make better informed decisions.”

To provide an example of ways people can help lessen the impact of price volatility, Lebel pointed to some of the IDRC-funded research in developing areas of the world.

He restated IDRC’s commitment to bring knowledgeable people from all over the world together around common research projects, in order to find the best solutions.

“Through the research process, we hope that we can find a sustainable way of bringing food to the people, increasing their food security, [and] considering everyone as a community,” he said.

However, Lebel also acknowledged that increasing food security continues to be a difficult task. Currently, one in every eight people in the world is undernourished and consumes fewer than 800 calories in a day. Despite significant reductions in malnourishment in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast and Eastern Asia, Lebel said the numbers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia continue to grow.

Lebel concluded by calling for increased support in alleviating malnourishment and for greater invest-

Panel opens Food Security Conference. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) ment in agricultural research.

“I am optimistic by nature, but I’m not a fool,” he said. “We’ve seen some progress—insufficient.

We have seen money starting to flow back into agriculture, [but] what is preventing me from sleeping at night with all this development and all this optimism is that we miss opportunities to raise innovation at a scale that really makes a difference.”

Jessica Wu, a PhD candidate in

the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, works on an IDRC-funded project on food security in Sri Lanka. “[The speech] was very broadbased [but] he brought up a lot of good points,” Wu said. “It [was] really nice to see the results from some of the food security research projects that are going on, [but] it certainly is an extremely optimistic viewpoint.”

news analysis

Team Ghostshell hacks university servers around the globe Incidents highlight vulnerability of software; McGill associate professor explains strategies to keep servers secure Andra Cernavskis Contributor On Oct. 1, a hacking group under the moniker Team Ghostshell unleashed “ProjectWestWind,” a venture that has since leaked 120,000 records from 100 universities worldwide. The group targeted major learning institutions like Harvard and Cambridge, as well as two Canadian universities—McMaster University and the University of British Columbia.

The group allegedly intended to bring about a discussion on the state of higher education.

“We have set out to raise awareness towards the changes made in today’s education, how new laws imposed by politicians affect us, our economy and overall, our way of life,” Team Ghostshell wrote in a post on pastebin.com. “How far we have ventured from learning valuable skills that would normally help us be prepared in life, to just, simply memorizing large chunks of text in exchange for good grades.”

Four servers were hacked at McMaster in Hamilton, Ontario.

Team Ghostshell accessed files that included the names of people who

participated at departmental events, as well as names of students, and degree dates. These actions have led the general public to believe that the hackers’ actions were not meant to do actual harm, but rather to make a statement.

Despite the innocuous nature of the information, the attack still brings up the issue of software security. McGill has an IT Security Incident Response Protocol, which details their response to an incident where confidential data has been compromised or the IT systems are attacked. Steps include assigning an Incident Officer to identify the problem and take “corrective action.”

“All software have bugs and all universities are targets,” McGill Chief Information Officer Ghilaine Roquet said. “We receive bug fixes regularly by all our software and hardware suppliers.”

Derek Ruths, an assistant professor in the school of computer science at McGill, explained that any information available online— whether it be grades, enrollment information, or course registration—is at risk of being hacked.

According to Ruths, McGill purchases its software platforms

from various software companies.

“It is not necessarily the case that running the wrong software is going to get you hacked,” he said.

“Sometimes there are just vulnerabilities in the software itself. For example, if myCourses had a huge bug in it, it may be very possible for hackers to easily get the enrollment of the entire university by simply accessing the right myCourses pages.”

In order to diminish the chances of being hacked, universities must then be careful about the level of security of the software they purchase, Ruths arged. Although he does not have details about the security of McGill’s software, he believes there is no reason to be concerned at the moment.

“There’s nothing going on with McGill’s software that makes me suspect that it is insecure, but most software that is hacked usually looks pretty secure on the surface,” he said.

According to Ruths, there are also some students at McGill who intentionally look for bugs and report them to IT services.

“They do it on their own accord,” Ruths said. “They consider it a service. If they see a page and

Team Ghostshell leaked records from 100 universities. (Mike King / McGill Tribune)

something strikes them as a little odd about it, they will tinker around to see if there is a problem. If they find that there is a problem, they will immediately report it. This is the kind of behaviour that I think should be encouraged on some level

because … when good people find problems, systems get better.”

Although Ruths said all software is at risk, McGill IT’s response protocol means that the university is prepared to deal with hacking, should it occur at McGill.

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

An opportunity to reflect on female political representation On Oct. 18, 1939, five women challenged the Canadian Supreme Court for the right of women to sit in the Senate—and won. The day is now celebrated nationwide as Persons Day, after the clause in the British North America Act which stipulated that any person may sit in Senate. Before that day in 1939, women were not legally recognized as “persons.” Last week’s celebration came just one day after Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women” comment, which itself brought the issue of gender equality in pay and representation of women in politics to central focus in national and American media.

Internet memes aside, Persons Day and the discussion ensuing from Romney’s comment offer an important opportunity to examine the progress that women have made in Canada. Low female representation in public office remains problematic for most democracies, including this one. In 2008, just 22 per cent

of seats in the House of Commons were held by women. While this is more than double the 9.6 per cent of seats that were held by women in 1984, the improvement seems to have stagnated. The rate has hardly changed since the late 1990s.

At a time when women are increasingly claiming top leadership roles education and the corporate world, this underrepresentation is surprising. What’s more, in postsecondary education, representation of gender exhibits a reverse trend.

Last year, McGill’s undergraduate population was 58 per cent female.

There seems to be a clear disconnect, then, between female representation among leadership in academia, community, and business, and female representation in public office.

Part of this problem stems from a lack of female role models in politics, especially those who place value on making their work visible to young women. Female political leaders who put women’s issues

off the board Chris Liu A&E Editor

Students’ reach shouldn’t exceed their grasp Many may be familiar with the story of Icarus. His father, Daedalus, built him wings to soar through the sky, leaving just one word of warning: go too high, too close to the sun, and the wax affixing the wings to your body will melt. We know how the story ends. As a child, I remember being absorbed in this tale of hubris and humility.

Last Monday, SSMU held the first General Assembly (GA) of the academic year. Two motions concerning a climbing wall and a room re-naming were passed before quorum was lost (which, set at 100 for a body representing over 20,000 students, is not a particularly high bar). However, debate raged on, and though the resulting motions were non-binding, they will be revisited at the next SSMU Council meeting, where presumably they will become binding regardless.

One of these motions concerns SSMU’s official policy in the event

of a Canada-Iran war. As an editor, what struck me first was the misspelling of “defense” [sic] in the version on the SSMU website; the Americanization was sadly appropriate in a document that hints at a fallacious equivocation between our two countries. As a student, what struck equally hard was the existence of such a motion in the first place.

The modesty necessary to limit the motion’s scope to one commensurate with its setting eluded our illustrious representatives. To be fair, clauses expressing concerns over McGill’s research for defence industries—though dubious in their ability to actually impact policy, while also being a dead horse of a debate from three years ago—are at least fairly relevant. It remains to be seen whether the nation of Iran has simply been opportunistically hijacked by students yearning to proclaim their non-militancy, or whether commenting on a hypothetical war between Canada and Iran was a moral imperative for campus politicos.

The question isn’t whether one ought to “firmly oppose Canadian aggression towards Iran and oppose any military action that may be taken.” The question is why our student activists and leaders even debated it.

Does anyone truly believe such

first, even when it is politically inconvenient, are few and far between.

“There seems to

be a clear disconnect ... between female representation among leadership in academia, community, and business, and female representation in public office

”

It’s even worse when female politicians do the opposite. Rona Ambrose, Canada’s Minister for the Status of Women, voted recently with her party to investigate the question of when life begins, which many see as a move to reopen the abortion debate.

Above all, girls need female elected officials who they can look up to and aspire to be like. Programs like the McGill’s “Women in House” program—a student-run, two day trip to Ottawa during which participants shadow a female MP or Senator—are a laudable start to tackling this complex issue.

The most fundamental problem, though, is that girls growing up who aspire to enter politics can easily be dissuaded by the depressing proportion of women in the field, and the lack of public role models.

There needs to be a more concerted effort, on the part of established politicians, to encourage girls interested in politics from a young age. Young people need to be aware that they represent the future, and that they can—and will—change the inequity.

Each year, Persons Day serves to remind us that while we have made large steps towards gender equality, there is still more to do.

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

clauses, in this context, are anything more than impotent strings of words?

Let us remember that this is the GA of the Students’ Society of McGill University—a group of (now less than 100) students, moving to “create a policy opposing military activity.” This is a motion SSMU’s own Steering Committee deemed well outside its authority. One can almost see melting wax and feathers dripping onto these pages; in the corner are Daedalus and Common Sense, crying on each others’ shoulders.

But aren’t these clauses simply symbolic?

Yes—but they are symbolic without merit. Many motions passed in the history of SSMU, such as 2011’s Motion Regarding Accessible Education are also symbolic, but that subject matter at least stays within the purview of SSMU as an entity of McGill. Comments on non-existent wars lie far outside this modest jurisdiction. Insofar as they deal with hypothetical events that student leaders will in no way influence, such clauses amount to little more than self-worship and selfdeception.

So maybe they’re pointless, but what harm could they do?

The answer to this lies in the long-term. Campus leaders can-

not lament general apathy towards student politics, yet simultaneously bring forward motions that undermine our faith in student politics.

One proposed amendment to the Iran motion called upon SSMU to venture into questions of regime change, and proudly proclaim that our noble association will only stand for revolution if organized at the grassroots by the Iranian people. I’m sure the people of Iran are flattered.

But we should not confuse a GA of SSMU with a GA of the United Nations. In seeking solidarity with the citizens of Iran in such a context, these students are losing the solidarity of their peers at home.

Our time sees humility as a forgotten virtue; over-ambition is no longer a vice. Unfortunately, the Iran motion is indicative of a prevailing attitude, one particularly virulent on this campus; an attitude that is the result of comparatively privileged upbringings; that expresses in form what it lacks in substance; a magical elixir that, once imbibed, renders its drinker immune to the possibility that one’s reach may exceed one’s grasp.

Yes, principles and aspirations are important. But take yourself too seriously, and no one else will. Surely there is a happy medium.

Publisher Chad Ronalds

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

Contributors Justin Berot-Burns, Ben Carter-Whitney, Abraham Moussako, Alex Shiri, Sebastian Grant, Tara Boghosian, Kristal Spreadborough, Joanna Schaeter, Bronte Martin, Andra Cernavskis, Jesse Caterato, Mike King, Anna Katycheva, Remi Lu, Jimmy Lou, Filippo Furlano, Peter Laing, Tom DiNardo, Jaime Sanderson, Karuna Dhanajai Kadam, Caity Hui, Jitika Shah, Susan Westfall, Natassja Di Battista

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

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

columnists De-growth and the need for community participation

Justin Berot-Burns Commentary Last Monday, activist David Suzuki and economist Jeff Rubin shared the stage at McGill for The End of Growth Tour. The two explored the future of environmental sustainability and existing development trends. Suzuki focused primarily on the societal influence of development on the environment, while Rubin analyzed macro growth trends and the nominal price of energy for production to discuss the relationship between growth and sustainability. While each renowned speaker had slightly different interests in sustainability, both stressed

the need to reverse recent growth trends and reduce our environmental footprint. What wasn’t directly explored during Monday’s event was our own individual roles in the process of de-growth. In the aggregate, we need to diminish production and growth—but, as individuals, how can we all participate in this shift?

When it comes to sustainability in general, institutions like McGill can play an essential role in community integration, which can better serve our collective ideals.

While personal initiatives in sustainability are hugely beneficial,

Steps towards a functional General Assembly

Ben Carter-Whitney

Commentary

Last Monday Oct. 15 marked the SSMU’s fall General Assembly (GA). In spite of recent reforms intended to make the assembly more appealing and accessible to general membership, it was only able to pass two motions before losing quorum.

The centerpiece of these reforms, passed by referendum last semester, mandates that any motion passed by the assembly must now also be put to an online vote for ratification.

Other changes include an enhanced webcast, as well as workshops held beforehand to explain the best practices for debating and how the GA operates.

The implementation of an online vote is a positive preliminary step towards making the GA more democratic and giving it a stronger sense of legitimacy. Ideally, its goal of involving a broader range of par-

ticipants could also heighten awareness and interest in the assembly.

However, last week’s assembly— especially the loss of quorum—was a stark reminder that this will not necessarily be the case. The next test of the reforms will be the online ratification process. The two motions must pass with a quorum of 10 per cent of SSMU’s membership of over 20,000 students. It’s hard to say whether or not the online vote will reach quorum. Recent SSMU winter elections have drawn 25 per cent voter turnout, and it seems unlikely that less controversial issues would raise the same levels of interest. But if membership does fail to bring in the vote, it will raise a significant problem for SSMU beyond underrepresentation.

Democratic values are a crucial aspect of any governing body’s le-

Speech and the Internet: Does the Internet create or merely enable bad behavior?

Abraham Moussako Commentary The increasing influence of the Internet over the past two decades has been frequently accompanied by periodic bouts of public soul-searching about what effect it is having on society. Over the past week, two major incidents have questioned the Internet’s role in enabling unacceptable behaviour.

The first was the tragic suicide of 15-year-old Amanda Todd, a British Columbian teenager. While commonly reported as an incidence of “cyberbullying,” the facts of the case don’t perfectly support that characterization. Todd was originally harrassed by an adult male who lured her into taking inappropriate pictures, and then sent them to her friends. After changing schools, she was subjected to further bullying

by peers after an incident involving another girl’s boyfriend. In the aftermath of this event, the role of the Internet is questionable. Did it create this behaviour or merely enable it?

In thinking about this dynamic, we should also consider the case of the man behind the infamous “Violentacerz” alias on Reddit, the popular link-sharing site. “Violentacerz” managed several forums on the site that dealt with topics of disputable legality and undisputably bad taste.

They ranged from softcore pornography to a forum called “jailbait,” which featured sexual photos of scantily-clad teenage girls. Other forums he ran focused on rape and surreptitious photography of women in public places. The man behind “Violentacerz” was identified sever-

7

the radical change that Suzuki and Rubin demand cannot be initiated without larger-scale implementation. McGill has the opportunity to move concepts like de-growth and sustainability beyond individualistic projects and into more mainstream action. In fact, resources exist at McGill already that support the ideas heard on Monday. Students themselves already have access to student initiatives that promote sustainability for the McGill community. In addition to these established projects, the university can, by virtue of its size, be an effective promotion tool for developing sustainable initiatives that move towards reduced consumption. Campus entities such as the Office of Sustainability, or the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), can very effectively

provide access to expansive resources and like-minded individuals.

The overarching concept of degrowth is fundamentally based on the idea that yesterday’s economic expansion and environmental degradation are not feasible for tomorrow.

Whether a shift is brought about by conscientious policy-making or by economic necessity, it will bring about stagnation in growth. For the speakers at Monday’s event, this is a good thing. The global economy is heavily dependent on the cheap production of goods and hyper-consumption of materials in a way that cannot be continued indefinitely. A move away from this—as radical as it may seem—is more than feasible with the participation of the larger community.

Institutions like McGill can

facilitate this first and essential step for a national and global shift prescribed by the likes of Suzuki and Rubin. As students, we have the opportunity to make use of the available community and access to resources to realize our individual conceptions of de-growth. If we accept Suzuki’s and Rubin’s initial premise as presented at The End of Growth Tour, McGill will prove an essential proponent, and promoter, of change for our sustainable future.

Any idea, in and of itself, is beneficial for the process of degrowth. If more people have the opportunity to discuss sustainability in meaningful ways, the community at large will be more receptive to change.

gitimacy, but they must be balanced with functional capacity. If it is not being actively put to use, democracy is useless. If the online vote cannot reach quorum, it will act as an effective blockade rather than a democratic check. In other words, it will prevent a small number of students from passing motions on behalf of the greater society. Even if the ratification does reach quorum, it cannot necessarily represent the will of the student body when motions were voted on consultatively as they were on Monday. While increasing participation and voter turnout is undeniably important, SSMU must find an ongoing way for the General Assembly to have some sort of voice in spite of the problems it currently faces.

There are a number of solutions for SSMU. One of these, already being pursued by this year’s executive, is the use of technological resources and social media as a tool to introduce newcomers to the process and give them a feel for the

assembly. In addition to observing the proceedings, students could also interact with the GA and engage in the debate remotely—even if their input did not come in the form of a formal vote.

Alternately, reform could be more structural. One option is to institute a sliding relative quorum between the assembly and the online vote. The minimum quorum for the GA should be reduced, but if fewer people showed up for the assembly, more votes would be required to ratify those same motions online, and vice versa. This prevents a fractional minority from being able to make a binding resolution on the majority unchecked, but also gives motions a higher likelihood of actually making it past the assembly.

Another option is for motions to be categorized based on their potential impact and level of controversy. Different categorizations would require specific quorum levels to move past the GA. The categorization itself could prove to be a

controversial process, but certainly not insurmountably so.

While the above would work towards keeping the SSMU General Assembly responsive and functional in spite of its problems, the proposals can really only treat symptoms.

The real issue here is McGill’s culture of inaction and stagnancy when it comes to student politics. It’s an environment where information on elections and referenda get lost in a flood of listservs—I’ve received 16 last week—and where a 20 per cent election turnout is considered a success. Students fail to recognize, or are unaware of, the successes and challenges facing their governing bodies. This is a complex problem, and addressing it will require much more than the restructuring of a ratification system. Though there is no easy solution, it all begins with better communication to foster student awareness of what is being discussed, what is at stake, and why it matters.

al weeks ago as a 49-year-old computer programmer from Arlington in Texas, by the website Gawker.

While there was considerable discomfort and outrage on sections of Reddit about these forums, a large contingent of the site’s userbase rallied to the support of“Violentacerz,” banning links from Gawker sites in retaliation. Those users alleged that these forums were protected by free speech, and therefore perfectly appropriate material for Reddit to host.

Both of these events are connected by one controversial idea: that the Internet has spawned a new frontier of bullying, and a new frontier of general nastiness. In reality, however, the Internet has only created new forums for old behaviour, making it harder to pinpoint ways to stop it.

In some respects, it is hard to counteract this sort of behaviour, even with new legislation. In response to the Todd incident, an NDP MP brought forward a bill authoriz-

ing Parliament to study the issue of bullying and come back with recommendations. This seems suspiciously like an attempt to “do something” in the wake of a high profile tragedy without doing anything involving actual political risk or action.

Meanwhile, private sites like Reddit need to decide what sort of community they want to foster on their own spaces. The administrators on Reddit, with their generally soft-handed treatment of “Violentacerz,” played the dangerous game of profiting from the traffic he brought to their site while not considering the consequences of the content in terms of both exploitation and bad publicity, not to mention moral implications.

So where do these two incidents leave the issue of speech on the Internet? The administrators of Reddit have previously defended this more offensive content on the grounds of “free speech.” This is how the site responded to the CNN report last year that initially brought

inappropriate forums like “jailbait” to mainstream attention, and they responded similarly to a BBC report on the current controversy. The inevitable problem with this stance is that a site influential enough to host Q&As with the President and other prominent figures can’t have it both ways when it comes to dubiously legal and moral content. Still, those who posted on “Violentacerz”’s forums won’t disappear if Reddit does crack down on this behaviour, much like those who bully and torment their peers won’t disappear if their smartphone was taken away. The only way to decisively change this sort of Internet-based behavior is to change the way people view who is ultimately responsible. At the end of the day, responsibility rests solely on the individual, and the Internet merely creates a forum in which bullying and other inappropriate acts can take place.

Science & technology Jacked

Across

By Jaime Sanderson

1. Tart desserts 11. Arcade game, with ball 14. Active Electronically Scanned Array 15. Exist 16. A slobbery dog does this 18. Org. overseeing women’s pro tennis 19. A Marauder’s Map enables this 22. Jack who springs out when the music stops 25. Slow down 26. Venerated object 29. What you do on a horse with a mallet 30. ___Rally 32. Sicilian volcano 33. The Life of ___ by Yann Martel 34. Ladies’ deodorant brand 35. Jackson of Pulp Fiction 37. Prefix with trance 38. Back talk 40. Photographer’s tool 42. Jack of Seven Nation Army fame 43. Negative answer 45. Jack in the corner pulled one out on his thumb 46. Solemn pact 47. Game ___Match 48. Canadian rapper 50. Unenthusiastic, melodramatic rock music 51. People who staff and operate an organization (abbr.)

53. Chairman of Beatles song ‘Revolution’ 54. Jack who typed 75 across 56. Welles and Card 58. Measure of a nation’s development 59. Cache 61. Colorful card game 62. The boom is attached to this 64. Prolonged background noise 65. Red Sesame St. resident 66. Esmeralda for one 70. Hooks for handling large fish 74. ___as a hatter 75. What makes Jack a dull boy 80. Genetic instructions 81. Highest ranking municipal governor 82. Ca va ___?

83. Academy of Country Music 84. Along the way 85. Forced bet in poker 86. Shin bone (abbr.)

87. Non-negative value of a real number (abbr.)

89. Light on your feet 91. The ‘path’ in Chinese philosophy 92. Yiddish exclamation with vey 93. Most populous city in the U.S. (abbr.)

96. She fetched water with Jack 97. Public relations 100. Jack suspected of 1888 London murders 103. Queen to Giovanni 106. Phlegm 107. Opposite of borrow 109. I don’t know, with clue 111. Coen brothers movie True___ 112. Keep it on the ___ (abbr.)

113. What goes with additional bacon?

114. CBC nightly news 118. African antelope 119. ___Kadoozie!

121. I’m___ the questions!

122. Matador’s cry 123. ‘Losing my religion’ band 124. Party to Claude 125. Baltic nation south of Finland Down 1. Led Zeppelin song about Mordor 2. Aragorn is this to the throne of Gondor 3. U.S. ski and snowboard association 4. You carry your books in them 5. Baseball stat 6. One bourbon, one scotch and one___ 7. Driver’s license for one 8. Stoat 9. ___you think you can dance 10. Freudian___ 11. Put one foot in front of the other 12. Meat skewer 13.___Valdez oil tanker 17. Late night live comedy sketch show (abbr.)

18. Periodic question posed by Captain Jack 20. Modern day ninja 21. Too much to do in too little time makes you___ 23. What one does to a glass before making a toast 24. Jack carved up with a candle inside 27. Internet country code for Lithu-

ania 28. Jack-be-nimble jumped this 31. Nightmare Before Christmas character Jack the ___ King 36. Moray or electric 38. Faints from extreme emotion 39. I get it!

41. Before noon 44. BC region known for its peaches 47. Buzz off fly!

49. Post-blunder exclamation 51. Low prolonged sound of pain 53. Owner of the Grand Hotel and Casino 55. Beatles song about marmalade skies (abbr.)

57. Now defunct McGill winter outdoor air pub 60. When the seas get rough it’s time to ___ 63. Bathroom tissue (abbr.)

67. Polynesian island dweller 68. Aromatic essential oil 69. To feel sorrow over 71. Jack up your car to fix this 72. Exfoliating skin treatment 73. Representation 74. Ecstasy 76. Word in a song 77. Sheep fibre 78. Professional hoops org.

79. Where players put balls 88. What is drilled to test groundwater 90. Frostbite treat 94. Montreal public transit enterprise (abbr.)

95. Error 96. Brand of gelatin desserts 97. Base coat 98. Known variable 99. Celibate 101. Jackman who played a superhero with retracting claws 102. Destroys 104. ___Masala 105. Clingy 108. Flowering plant in the pea family 110. End of the work week happy expression (abbr.)

112. Impression in a surface 114. ___kwondo 115. ___the season to be jolly 116. Prefix with profit 117. Famed pro boxer 120. Road (abbr.)

Research

Research in protein breakdown opens doors for cancer treatment Insulin, growth factors contribute to the control of cancer cells Caity Hui Position A team of researchers, led by McGill Professor Dr. Barry Posner, has recently uncovered the importance of growth factors in maintaining healthy cells. Growth factors are molecules that stimulate and regulate cellular growth.

Put simply, our cells are involved in a continuous cycle of breaking down and re-growth, much like the process of building structures with Legos. Once all the Lego pieces are used up, old structures must be broken down and the pieces reused to build new ones. Since there are a limited number of Lego pieces, it is impossible to continue to build structures without breaking down the old ones and using them for their parts.

Cells, too, must be broken down in order for new cell growth to occur, and growth factors facilitate the process.

Insulin, a hormone that stimulates glucose uptake, is also a growth factor. Prior to the discovery

of insulin, children with Type I diabetes were characterized by a gaunt appearance. When provided with insulin, a dramatic physical transformation from diminutive to healthy occurred in these children over several weeks.

Dr. Posner’s lab is primarily interested in insulin and growth factors, and their relationship to disease. Recently, they have been focusing on the role inhibiting acidification plays in the growth response by studying certain cellular structures.

The master molecule that is responsible for growth is called mTOR, (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin). When stimulated, this molecule will not act unless it has a large enough supply of amino acids to use to build new molecules.

The relationship between acidification and the growth factor can also be likened to building a house. Even with plans, a construction worker cannot build a structure without a continuous supply of bricks. If this supply is cut off, the construction worker will stop build-

ing until more bricks are provided.

Likewise, when growth factors stimulate the acidification of lysosomes (organelles that contain enzymes that degrade cells), the enzymes within lysosomes have the optimal pH condition to break down proteins within cells in order to provide the mTOR molecule with essential building blocks, amino acids. Without sufficient supplies, this molecule will not support the synthesis of new proteins.

Understanding the role of acidification and the growth response opens new avenues for cancer treatment.

“What we know is this: everyone is trying to find ways of blocking growth factors in cancer cells, because it looks like, in a number of cancers, growth factor stimulation is an important facet of the … proliferative process that characterizes the growth and spread of cancer cells,” Dr. Posner said.

For instance, Type II diabetes carriers show an increase in an incidence of cancer. They also have insulin resistance, or higher-than-

Proteins are the building blocks of cells. (labstrip.com)

normal insulin levels in certain tissues. Cancer cells appear to respond to this increase in availability of insulin to their advantage. As insulin is a growth factor, cancer cells use it to promote cell division and rapidly proliferate. Essentially, it appears that insulin resistance promotes the growth of cancer cells.

“There is now another target that we can look at for regulation of growth factor action [the acidification of vacuolar areas]. If we can find ways of probing that target with new molecules, we might be able to inhibit their growth promoting effects and contribute to the control of

cancer cells,” Dr. Posner said.

Insulin is necessary for the body. However, if the growth promoting action of insulin on cancer cells is blocked, the increased incidence of cancer in Type II diabetes will likely decline.

This finding is one of many that are contributing to the development of cancer drugs and new treatments.

“I think it will stimulate the imagination… I hope it will promote my colleagues to think more about the regulation of the growth process.”

Curiosity delivers. |

science & technology

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

TeCHNOLOGY

9

Technological gains made in world of robotic prosthetics Despite technological advances, cost still an issue Karuna Dhananjai Kadam Contributor With his amicable demeanour and brilliant smile, Cameron Clapp is the quintessential Californian.

There is, however, one other dominant element of his persona­—his shiny, state-of-the-art robotic limbs.

Clapp, now 26, lost both his legs below the knee and his right arm after getting hit by a train at the age of 15 near his home in Grover Beach. Following years of rehabilitation and a series of medical procedures—each more technologically advanced than the previous one— Clapp has joined a new generation of people who are embracing revolutionary advancements in biomechatronics as a means of surpassing their bodies’ limitations.

In the U.S. alone there are almost two million amputees. Robotic prosthetics, though often presented as a harbinger of a soulless future, populated with flesh-and-metal cyborgs like RoboCops and Terminators, in reality, help amputees regain their sense of self-reliance.

Wearable robotic prosthetics are a dynamic and expanding subgenre of biomedical engineering concerned with the design, fabrication, and fitting of customized artificial limbs. For individuals who have lost limbs as a result of traumatic injuries, vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, or congenital disorders, these devices restore the function and appearance of a full or partially

missing limb. Variations in human anatomy make the fabrication of prosthetics an intricate procedure that requires a high degree of skill and an array of sophisticated technologies.

There are series of challenges and opportunities facing the biomedical and tissue engineers in charge of designing and constructing an artificial or robotic limb. Such a biometric design problem can be divided into four interrelated subsystems: first, an artificial hand as a biomimetic; secondly, prosthetic implants which use electromyography­—electronic signals in muscles; thirdly, tissue reactions to the material of the implants, and finally, inflammatory responses of the cells surrounding implanted sensors that interfere with the signal transmission of such sensors.

The ‘ideal’ design requirements of satisfactory prosthetic limbs have been defined as ease of control (i.e. body controlled), functionality (performance of multiple routine activities), comfort (with good interface and correct weight inertia, and biocompatibility in the short and long term), and cosmetic intricacy (with skin and design properties).

The technology in lower limb prosthetics is advancing rapidly.

M.I.T. professor Hugh Herr has founded a startup called iWalk devoted to making next-generation prosthetics. The company’s first product—a bionic foot and ankle— resulted from careful modeling of

the muscles, tendons and spinal reflexes used in human walking.

The foot can sense its wearer’s actions, as well as terrain and adjust accordingly. Microprocessors help coordinate reflexes like responses to the user’s motions, and robotics simulate the action of missing calf muscles and Achilles tendons.

Another product, the C-Leg, is yet another example of the blazing advancements in the field of prosthetics. It works with tiny programmable microprocessors, lightweight composite materials, and keen sensors to restore remarkable degrees of mobility in amputees. C-Leg combines computer technology with hydraulics. Sensors on the leg detect terrain and microprocessors guide the limb’s hydraulic system, enabling it to simulate a natural step.

It literally does the walking for the walker.

In addition, upper limb prosthetic research has generated a biomimetic solution for the development and use of artificial muscles.

Arrays of shape memory alloy actuators, inspired by biological muscles, are today being employed to drive a five-fingered hand with a spectacular 20 degrees of freedom in movement, meaning it allows movement in twenty different directions.

Upper limb prosthetics has also received much attention from McGill’s department of biomedical engineering, where dynamic mechanical properties of the peripheral motor system are being analyzed.

iWalk’s bionic foot and ankle. (astepaheadprosthetics.wordpress.com) “Here at McGill, we look into muscle responses to sensory change, which are altered by the pathological condition of the body,” Professor Robert Kearney, from the department of biomedical engineering, said.

The muscle responds to varying conditions, prompting changes in mechanical properties. These changes are being studied and further implemented in prosthetic designs.

While technological advancements in the field are moving forward at an accelerated pace, so too is the cost of producing these bionic prosthetics. About 15 rehabilitation centers in the United States are using modern battery operated bionic suits; they pay $140,000 for each one, along with a $10,000 annual service contract.

The enormous price tag associated with the field has raised eye-

brows. The questionable marketability of modern prosthetics has made headlines. Cost sensitivity adds another dimension to the challenges faced in the fabrication of artificial limbs. A Google image search reveals the most visually pleasing and dynamically sound prosthetic designs, but these do not match what one sees in a rehabilitation center.

In reality, artificial limbs are not as glossy as they appear, and a sophisticated yet cost competitive bionic limb is still needed.

The future of prosthetics lies in the fabrication of artificial limbs that are at the pinnacle of functionality and bionic beauty but also affordable. The dream is a remarkable piece of biomechatronic design that is cheap enough to be sold in a sporting goods store.

TECHNOLOGY

Branché application reveals the secrets of urban trees Program allows users to identify trees, and contribute to that identity Jitika Shah Contributor Mount Royal, west of downtown Montreal, serves as a vivid contrast to the cityscape. The autumnal leaves, ranging from yellows to fiery reds are reason enough to warrant a visit. Walking under the colourful canopy, a new tool will allow Montrealers to learn more about each tree.

A made-in-Montreal iPhone application called Branché makes information on urban tree species such as the sugar maple, hickory, and red oak easily accessible.

Urban trees can be found alongside city streets, parks and public squares. Trees located on private land owned by residents, businesses and institutions like banks or hospitals are also recognized as urban trees. As of 2011, Montreal has 1.2 million urban trees, 233,000 of

which are planted along streets. This number does not include trees on private land.

The city has made a concerted effort to urge Montrealers to learn more about urban foliage. The Montreal Botanical Garden hosts trees that can survive in an urban environment, and La Maison de L’arbre publishes information about how the forest ecosystem works. Branché, created by iEKho communications, fits the city’s objective of spreading arborary knowledge well.

Branché is a free, locationbased application compatible with Apple products. It works by accessing the city’s existing inventory of urban trees. When the app is launched, the phone emits a geolocation signal, to locate a real-world object—in this case, a tree. The geolocation signal communicates with the city’s tree database and identifies all the tree species in the vicinity.

The app can also be used interactively to identify an unknown tree in the city.

“The interface encourages interactivity by presenting a dichotomous key,” said Pierre Belec from Soverdi, an organization that assists Montrealers in planting trees. “[This is] essentially, two choices such as ‘is this a deciduous tree or an evergreen tree?’”

After the question is answered, the user is taken to a set of subcategories for further choices. At the end of this process, the tree can be successfully identified. This information is then automatically transmitted to other Montrealers.

As an added bonus, the app can notify the city of a tree that is a victim of a vermin infestation.

“If the resident comes across an ash tree that appears to be unwell, Branché will present a sequence of statements on the screen to either

confirm or negate this fact,” said Belec. “If indeed the tree has been infested, a signal can be sent to the city to notify them.”

In recent years in Montreal, the ash tree has been susceptible to the emerald ash borer, a type of beetle that lays its eggs in the tree bark. Branché can be used by conservationists to locate these diseased trees.

One day users may even have the opportunity to express a personal message that is shared when another user comes across the same tree.

“If a private citizen plants a tree on their property, this user can not only upload the tree’s details onto the application but, ... can register a poem, a short story or even a dedication,” said Belec.

Silver maples, honey locusts, hackberry, and Siberian elms are just a few of the most common urban trees in Montreal that are easily in-

An autumnal tree.

(Alexandra Allaire/ Photo Editor)

tegrated into Branché. There are still many more unidentified trees that need to be catalogued. With this application you can be a part of this discovery—and maybe even upload a short story or two about your favourite tree.

Montreal

zombie Sam Reynolds

Walk

Student living review

No change needed at Nickels

Quebecois classics and comfort food make for a relaxing break from urban life Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor Next to the flashing neon sign for a nearby club that bogarts the attention of most passers-by, sits a quaint, unassuming retro-style diner by the name of Nickels.

This gem of Saint Catherine’s, established by Montreal’s very own Celine Dion, is part of a Canadawide chain of restaurants, and is perfect for almost any occasion: a quiet lunch with a friend, a group dinner out, a casual (okay, very casual) drink, or a late night poutine run.

Nickels has been my favourite restaurant in Montreal since I first visited at the age of fourteen. My first visit was a class trip to learn about ‘Canadian culture’ (apparently

that can’t be found in Vancouver).

Nickels accommodated our group of 70 or 80 rambunctious teenagers and their exhausted chaperones expertly.

Since then, I’ve been back to Montreal both as a tourist and a student.

Each time, I’ve made a point of visiting this timeless establishment— introducing a new patron to its quiet charm on every occasion.

Upon entering, diners are greeted promptly and cheerily by a host or hostess, and escorted to a booth or table. Your server introduces him or herself shortly thereafter, and the challenging but enjoyable task of narrowing down your choice to just one dish begins. Whether you are there for appetizers and drinks, a full meal, or just dessert, the menu offers a myriad of options. Nickels boasts a

number of different poutines, an extensive breakfast section, and some delicious cheesecake options, along with a surprisingly enticing drink menu. I have gone with for drinks at Nickels and received more pleasant and personal service than I could have hoped for in most bars on Saint Laurent.

The ambience at Nickels is both laid-back and unexpectedly refined.

The restaurant is very open and doesn’t afford much privacy, yet one enjoys the more old school, social experience it creates. Each booth or table comes with the classic bottles of ketchup and mustard—circa 1950—and the walls are adorned with black and white photos of classic movie stars. You might not expect it, but eating with the likes of

Marlon Brando and James Dean gazing down at you only enhances the experience.

I’ve yet to have a poor service experience at Nickels, even when I’ve been there as a part of a larger, and slightly louder group. Whether dining in a pair, with a small group of friends, or with my entire ninth grade class, I’ve always received exemplary service. The general atmosphere is extremely comfortable, as if everyone dining there has come to escape from the fast-paced Montreal lifestyle for an hour or so. The prices are extremely reasonable, so that even a university student with less than sufficient funds can afford a trip every now and again, and the food is unarguably worth the splurge.

The only complaint I can file

against Nickels is this: their washrooms (or at least their women’s washroom) are not made for people over 5’8”. They are located below the main dining area, and for some inexplicable reason, feature claustrophobically low ceilings.

Despite this one mild inconvenience, however, Nickels continues to be one of my favourite Montreal restaurants, and I highly recommend everyone take time for at least one visit.

The best Nickels in Montreal is located at 710 Rue Saint Catherine.

Typical prices range from $15-$25 including tip.

X vs. y

The caffeine question: coffee or tea Your go-to drinks finally go head to head

Coffee is an easy wake-up call: Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, a sleep-inducing compound, thereby relieving the inertia of many coffee connoisseurs in the morning.

One eight-ounce cup of coffee has 85 milligrams of caffeine, while tea contains only half that amount. Coffee clearly gives the best stimulatory effect. However, considering that one can become more quickly habituated to the effects of coffee’s caffeine, consumption should be limited.

Tea glorifies the power of antioxidants: Both beverages are rich in potent cancer-fighting antioxidants. Coffee’s quinines and chlorogenic acids make it a great source of antioxidants in the Canadian diet, but this is largely due to he substantial amount that Canadians drink. Tea comes out on top with its flavonoid content; a superior antioxidant which is comparable to fruits and vegetables in terms of nutrition.

Tea and coffee both act as miracle drugs against common disease: The disease-fighting potential of tea versus coffee cannot be directly compared, since both substances contribute to disease prevention like obesity, diabetes, and cancer in different ways. Teas have been shown to be superior in the fight against inflammation and the effects of aging, whereas coffee eases some effects of heart disease, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Coffee is the ultimate memory stimulator: In the brain, coffee alters mood, behaviour, perception, and even consciousness as it stimulates the happy hormone, dopamine. Coffee enhances short- and long-term memory and regular consumption is linked to a protection against delining cognition ability in the aging population. It affords protection against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, and general memory loss. This effect is less noticeable in teas, thanks to lower levels of caffeine.

Heart Health: a little coffee, tons of tea: A little bit of coffee protects against heart disease, but in excess coffee can raise blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and con-

strict blood vessels around the heart, thereby aggravating heart conditions.

Over-consumption of coffee can trigger tissue death in the heart as it causes an immediate increase in heart rate. Tea only reduces circulating fats and cholesterol, supporting cardiovascular health.

Nerves—Soothed by tea, aggravated by coffee: Caffeine is immediately absorbed into the brain and immediately impacts the nerves upon consumption.

Caffeine also ramps up the adrenaline levels in our blood. The concentration of caffeine in coffee and the Canadian habit of drinking cup after cup can

Meetings every Monday at 5pm

Guilty or guilt-free—the jury is still out on the health implications of coffee. A staple in the morning routine of millions of Canadians and Americans, coffee drinkers often advocate its health benefits. On the other side of the fence, sit non-coffee drinkers loudly proclaiming the liquid’s harsh effects and singing the praises of tea. Which side of the fence has the greener grass? In short, it all depends.

According to one study, tea drinkers can consume up to 20 times more antioxidants than non-tea drinkers.

WRITE FOR STUDENT LIVING!

Susan Westfall Contributor

easily facilitate nervousness, anxiety, and increased blood pressure. Teas, substantially lower in caffeine content is absorbed more slowly into the blood, thus reducing the effects.

Coffee is key to an athlete’s routine: During exercise, caffeine stimulates blood flow to the extremities, allowing us to work harder and longer. This leads to more effective workouts, muscle gain, and increased athletic performance. Coffee also speeds recovery time: one cup of coffee before a workout decreases post workout stiffness by 48 per cent.

The bottom line: The aromatic bitterness of coffee and the smooth tartness of tea each provide healthful boosts to our diet. Coffee is more concentrated and can negatively impact your ability to process information. Tea on the other hand, is calming, instead of invigorating, yet holds the same healthful benefits as coffee.

The verdict? Drink coffee, only when needed; in the morning, as a part of your physical training routine, or just once during that 10-hour study session. However, if you are just craving a little boost, guiltlessly indulge in as many cups of tea as you want, without the fear of overdoing it.

Hockey without borders

Hockey Without Borders ambassador Uros Brestovac in Subotica, Serbia, working with his skating class.

Hockey Without Borders co-founder Daniel Jacob (Center) in Bled, Slovenia.

More than just a game

By Steven Lampert Photos courtesy of Craig Klinkhoff

H

ockey is embedded in the fabric of Canadian culture.

Many Canadians take for granted the accessibility of their hockey resources—ample ice time, new and used equipment, and willing coaches that are available in almost all Canadian towns and cities. However, in smaller hockey communities around the globe, such as Ankara, Turkey, and Subotica, Serbia, resources are more limited. This is where Hockey Sans Frontières (HSF) steps in.

HSF was founded in 2009 by a group of Canadians who played professionally in Serbia after competing at the junior level. Upon returning to Canada, the group sought out ways to give back to the communities that had supported them. They believed the most direct way of giving back and facilitating growth in these local areas was through coaching. For this reason, the HSF became committed to sending coaches abroad to help run hockey clinics, and organize grassroots initiatives in emerging hockey communities. Many McGillians have been at the forefront of this noble initiative, including Serbian-born Marko Kovacevic, and current Redmen assistant coach Dan Jacob.

The Tribune had the opportunity to sit down with two members of the McGill community currently involved in the HSF project, Craig Klinkhoff and Matthew Robins, to discuss the impact, on and off the ice, of the HSF’s non-profit global initiative.

During their time in Serbia,“[The HSF group] saw that the program there wasn’t anything [like in Canada], and that the [Serbian] kids suffered because of it,” Robins said. “They didn’t have as much of an opportunity as they could potentially have if there was the proper infrastructure in place, starting with coaches ... To actually send someone there, as opposed to sending a cheque … is the most direct and sustainable way to support a hockey community.”

The group came to realize the value of their contribution to the community. While they were not able to send hundreds of pairs of skates or donate thousands of dollars, they could spare a few hours sharing their knowledge and passion for hockey with young players with the desire to learn.

As part of the initiative, Robins and Klinkhoff travelled together this past summer to Ankara, Turkey, to help run a week-long training camp. Admittedly, the two were nervous and unsure of what they were getting themselves into. However, they soon discovered that despite multiple limitations—such as the lack of resources and other social factors—Ankara has a passionate men’s and women’s hockey community.

The coaches’ arrival was celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Left to Right: Matthew Robins, Kaan Budak (Head Coach Polis Akademisi, Ankara), Craig Klinkhoff

“From the moment we arrived, everyone took care of us and treated us like kings for six days,” Klinkhoff said. “They joined us off the ice anywhere we went.”

After six days of running on-ice clinics, and spending time with the Turkish players, Klinkhoff felt that he was part of the community and realized that his assistance was valued more than he could have expected.

“I love to travel and I could never have an experience like that anywhere else in the world. But because of hockey, I was able to be part of the community. I did nothing to deserve it other than show up, ” Klinkhoff said. “One of the guys [said] it was one of the best weeks of [his] life. And he’s my age. It’s one thing when a young kid says it, but [when] someone my age said it—that hit home.”

For Robins, the experience was a display of hockey in its most genuine expression. “[In North America], there are certain implications at different levels … you get involved [with issues of] money, and scholarships, and it can get a little off track,” he said. “There, it was hockey in its purest form. People there played for the love of it and that’s it.”

Robins and Klinkhoff have remained close with all of the players they coached, a testament to the bond that can be created by sharing an interest in sports, even in a short amount of time.

“It’s amazing. We’re still in touch with them. The impact [and] bonding that happen[ed] over six days of hockey is unbelievable,” Klinkhoff said. “We released the video [of the trip] and they saw it, and they’re going crazy … we tell them that they’re stars in Canada.”

Thinking of ways to move ahead, Klinkhoff and Robins want to give their support in other hockey communities. In January 2013, they will travel around the globe to help other places in need of assistance, such as Israel, South Africa, Japan, and South Korea. They are willing to travel anywhere, as long as there is a community who needs their help.

While Robin and Klinkhoff find inspiration in HSF’s success in Serbia, and genuinely believe that there is always potential for growth, they are aware of the struggles that these

hockey communities face as they strive to maintain their programs.

“The Serbian under-8 and under-10 teams would play against teams from Czech Republic and Austria—strong hockey programs—and they would be able to compete. But, as soon as they are under-12, under-14, under-16, they can’t,” Robins said.

“That’s all because of [lack of] resources.”

The HSF stresses the need to promote grassroots initiatives that ensure the future of the hockey communities. For Robins, the success of hockey projects in these areas largely depends on the commitment and expertise of local coaches.

“We’re looking for those types of communities that don’t have as much opportunity,” Robins said. “Before we got [to Serbia], there were two coaches for 200 kids. For the team I coach here in Montreal, [there] are 5 coaches for 15 kids ... Their programs can’t really grow. They’re stuck. There’s only so much those coaches can impart on that many players. By providing more coaches, you can grow the hockey community.”

“In Turkey … there was one coach there running this camp … he was the pillar of the community. If he wasn’t there, none of the kids [would be] there,” Klinkhoff added. “He created a community through hockey. They all became friends. There was that added incentive to become part of that group.”

Robins’ and Klinkhoff’s hope is that their hockey communities become able to sustain themselves over time.

“Eventually over time, the people and the community there can take over … and their hockey community [will take off],” Robins said. “Kids become more interested in coaching— they’ve been inspired and have the knowledge.”

There is something special about these emerging hockey areas around the globe that makes coaches yearn to return, remain involved, and encourage others to do the same. The program is trying to raise awareness and spread the message that a passion for hockey exists in the least expected places, and that anyone who shares that passion can contribute to the mission of HSF. Principally, the team encourages members of the McGill community to get involved. For Klinkhoff and Robins, maintaining the relationship with the school that shaped them and many of the founders is very important.

“It’s something that we want to keep building. It’s where we go [and went] to school, where Dan [Jacob] is now, so we want to keep that relationship strong,” Klinkhoff said.

“Everyone who has gone [overseas] to date has [gone back] at some point. That speaks to the power of this program,” Klinkhoff said.

HSF works towards a common goal, but the game’s impact reaches far beyond. Hockey instills teamwork, focus, determination—all of which translate off the ice, both socially and academically. HSF’s impact may be tangible on the ice, but its hand extends into the lives of everyone affected and involved.

It truly embodies hockey in its purest form.

“We see hockey as a great physical activity, but it’s also a social program,” Robins said. “It brings people together, and it has such a positive impact down the round.”

Craig Klinkhoff is currently majoring in marketing in Continuing Studies at McGill. Matthew Robins graduated with a B.A. in 2012. Donations to Hockey Sans Frontières can be made at www.indiegogo.com/hsf-world-tour. Craig and Matt’s video of their Ankara trip can be viewed at www.hockeysansfrontieres.org.

Matthew Robins (Top Left) at his last practice in Subotica, Serbia.

14

Tuesday October 23, 2012 |

STUDENT LIVING

| Curiosity delivers.

top ten

Top ten excuses to take a study break

Ten helpful suggestions to clear your head for a little while but still be productive Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor

Midterm season can leave students feeling overwhelmed and chronically sleep-deprived, so it’s no surprise that we need an occasional break from the ceaseless storm of papers, exams, and assignments. A talented few can sail through midterm season without cracking a book, but the rest of us have to spend at least a little while in the library, Second Cup, or locked up in our rooms.

During this trying time, it’s still important to take some breaks, simply for the sake of your sanity... Not because you don’t feel like working.

The Tribune has compiled a list of ways to clear your head for a few minutes in order to remain productive.

Clean your house/room. Most of the time, chores seem like the least fun option out of all possible household activities, but when it’s a choice between a little dusting or grappling with a month’s worth of

readings, housework suddenly becomes the lesser of two evils. Grab some lemon Pledge, an old rag, and a Swiffer, and have at it. Don’t pretend your apartment couldn’t use it.

Bonus tip: blasting a little ABBA only speeds the process up.

Go get some exercise. After a few hours of studying, one of the best ways to renew your energy is to get moving. Depending on how much time you have, a short walk around the block or a trip to the gym can do wonders for your focus. You may feel burned out after a more rigorous workout, so a brief walk can sometimes be the most desirable option. Bring your iPod or a friend for company to get your mind off of equations and out of your textbook for a while.

Make a to-do list. One of the best ways to deal with stress—and the feeling that you have an insurmountable pile of work ahead of you—is to make a to-do list. Lists are very soothing, especially for the type-A personalities commonly found at McGill. The very act of

writing out everything you have to do breaks your mountain of work up into small, manageable chunks.

Cross each item off for an added feeling of satisfaction.

Call your family. Take the opportunity to catch up with your parents, your siblings, or whoever else you miss from home. It doesn’t need to be a play-by-play recount of your life since you last spoke, but even taking fifteen minutes to let someone know you’re thinking of them is a great way to ward off your paper, if only for a while.

Clean out your email inbox.

Sort through the built up stores of cyber mail in your inbox (or inboxes, if you have a few), and delete all the junk and outdated messages you haven’t gotten around to dealing with. This can be a daunting task, but even taking ten minutes can make a start.

Update your iPod. Finally get that new jam out of your head and onto your iPod. Everyone has that one song your friend introduced them to last weekend—the one you

keep playing on YouTube because you still haven’t gotten around to buying it or downloading it onto their iTunes. If it really has been a while since you updated your music selection, you might even have a whole list of tracks to find online.

This can keep you busy for a few minutes (or hours, so be careful).

Do your laundry. All of it.

Then fold it. Then put it away. Then pick your outfit for tomorrow. And your outfit for the next time you go out, and for your next job interview, and for in case you ever meet the Queen. Just to be prepared. This is a good one because it takes a few minutes to start, and in about half an hour, you’ve got a ready-made excuse to take another break and put clothes in the dryer. This applies whether or not you have to go to the local Laundromat.

One round of your favourite game. Just to stay in practice. But just one. Whether your vice is Tetris, Angry Birds, or Mario Kart, a quick round can take your mind off the books, and give your creativity a

boost. This one’s tricky though, because one round can easily turn into 20 if you’re not careful. Set an alarm for yourself if you have to.

Reconnect with your room mate. This is probably unnecessary for most of us with roommates that are the very reason we take so long to get to work in the first place. But, in case you’ve been missing your roomie bonding time, take ten minutes to catch up and find out what’s been going on while you’ve been knee-deep in organic chem.

Read the Tribune. You might think this one is only good once a week, when the newest issue of the Tribune is published on Tuesday, but a little known fact is that each issue gets better every time you read it. Did you particularly enjoy that movie review you read on Wednesday? Read it again on Friday! Read your favourite articles over and over until you can quote them to your friends, so they know how up to date you are on current events.

recipe

A sweet taste of India ready in under an hour Laddus is an ambitious but rewarding dessert that is sure to please Susan Westfall Contributor Laddus are the ultimate indulgence—these little treats can resemble timbits, but pack a completely unique taste. Chock-full of energy, sweetness, and Indian-flavoured goodness, laddus are a staple of any Indian festival or celebration.

However, not all laddus are created equal. There are many varieties native to the different regions of India, all equally tasty. Pamper your taste buds and sweeten your soul with a taste of one of these variations.

Rava Laddu

(A South Indian Sensation)

Preparation time: About 1 hour Makes 12-15 balls

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina (fine or medium) 1 cup white sugar ¼ cup Ghee or butter 2 Tbsp milk (as needed) A pinch of cardamom powder 10 cashews, coarsely chopped 10 raisins or dried cranberries ¼ - ½ cup grated coconut (unsweetened)

Roast the cashews and raisins in two teaspoons of Ghee or butter until the raisins puff up. Remove from pan and set aside. Toast the coconut on a dry pan over medium heat but be careful not to burn it! Set aside once lightly toasted.

Dry-roast the semolina over medium heat, constantly stirring for about five minutes. Try to avoid too much browning, and if it starts to brown, turn the heat down. Add the ghee and combine over the heat for two to three minutes.

Remove from heat and combine the sugar, spices, nuts, raisins, and coconut with the heated semolina. Slowly add milk (you can substitute water) until the mixture starts to hold together. It should be dry, but solid. Only add enough liquid tothe required amount to be able to pack the mixture into balls. If necessary, put the mixture back on the heat to bring out the shape.

Cool the mixture enough so you can touch it (but not too much or you will never get the proper consistency to mold it). Shape into golf-ball sized lumps and set out on a plate to set properly. Store your laddus at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as it will cause the ghee or butter to separate.

Note: this recipe can be altered to your tastes. For a low-fat version, simply add less butter and/or sugar.

besan laddu

(A North Indian Indulgence) Preparation time: About 45 minutes Makes 12-15 balls Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour (besan or chick pea flour, try to get fine grind) 1 ½ cups sugar (or to taste) 1 cup Ghee or butter 1 tsp almonds 1 tsp pistachios 1 tsp cashews 1 tsp raisins or cranberries, chopped Toast the gram flour, until slightly brown, constantly stirring over medium heat. This step is crucial. It can take up to 10 minutes, but be patient.

Add the ghee or butter and stir until thoroughly mixed. Keep on heat for about two minutes. The mixture should be wet, but not overly runny.

These bit-sized delicacies pack a sweet punch (mimpidreams.blogspot.com) Add the sugar and chopped nuts and stir until completely mixed.

Again, the mixture should be dry, but moist enough to form balls. If needed, correct the texture with more ghee or more toasted gram.

Shape into golf-sized balls and

store at room temperature. These little packets of energy will keep at room temperature for several months.

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Tuesday October 23, 2012

odds and ends

15

Trick, treat, and party

The Tribune lays out a few of Montreal’s best Halloween events on offer this weekend Natassja Di Battista Contributor Halloween is right around the corner and you know what that means: parties, pumpkins, costumes, and candy! With so many things happening on and around campus, it’s hard to keep track of everything Halloween-themed. To help you out, the Tribune has created a handy-dandy list of sure-toplease events right here in Montreal.

4Floors Starting off the exciting Halloween season is 4Floors, presented by the Students’ Society of McGill University. On Thursday, Oct. 25, the SSMU Building will be transformed and filled with DJs, mandatory costumes, and awesome drink

deals starting at 10 p.m. The event is sold out, so keep an eye out for tickets on Facebook/Twitter if you’re still trying to attend McGill’s biggest campus party this year.

WaterCan McGill McGill’s branch of the Canadian charity is organizing the “WaterCan Halloween Party” at the Telus Theatre (1280 rue Saint-Denis) on Friday Oct. 26. This year’s WaterCan is an all-you-can-drink event, featuring special guests DJ Matt Goulet, Michael Giorgio, and electro/pop producer Robotaki. This is WaterCan’s 25th anniversary, so tickets have been selling fast, but check their Facebook event for more information on last-minute sales.

TKO’s Seven Deadly Sins Halloween Rager at Gerts On Saturday Oct. 27, TKO’s Seven Deadly Sins Halloween Rager is taking over McGill’s campus bar. Show up any time after 9 p.m., in your best Halloween costume. The party is going to include black lights, strobe lights, and themed drinks for all to enjoy.

Tickets are $5, including coat check, and ensuring an awesome Saturday night!

Rocky Horror Picture Show The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball is a classic event that screams Halloween.

In Montreal, the event takes place at the Imperial Cinema (1432 Rue de Bleury). The attraction boasts three screenigs—Oct. 26, 27, and

student week

31—and two showings, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. If you’re not familiar with the film, it follows a young couple on their way to visit an old teacher when they get lost, and end up at a mad scientist’s mansion. The beauty of the film, reknowned as a guaranteed good time, is its heavy reliance on audience participation.

Costumes, dancing, yelling, and throwing props are required in order to get the full experience of the Horror Show. You can purchase tickets online, at the door (limited amount), or in person to receive a student discount (only applicable to showings on Oct. 31st). For more information, check out the website at www.rockyhorrormontreal.com.

Around Town If you decide pre-planned Hal-

of the

Q: What is your motto?

A: When it comes to dressing, I had a gym teacher—this old Ukranian boxer—in high school, who always told us “look sharp, feel sharp.”

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

A: Right now I’d like to be in New York, just because it’s a very vibrant city and I’ve been there a few times. I’d really like to stay there for a longer period. It’s very cliché, very cliché.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: Uh… Teddy Roosevelt. He, like, hunted.

Q: What is your lucky charm?

A: I don’t actually have a lucky charm per se, but I did get a Swiss Army knife as a birthday gift, and I kind of carry it around with me.

Q: If you could say one thing to Paul McCartney, what would it be?

A: Why don’t you age? He looks completely [young].

Q: What is your secret talent?

Tarun Koshy Finance U2 {Photo Credit/ McGill Tribune)

with Jacqui Galbraith

Email us at studentliving@ mcgilltribune.com

Q: What would you talk about with him?

Q: What’s your favourite place that you’ve travelled to?

A: I’d talk about people. The guy knows how people work. I hate his profession, but he understands their emotions and how to play that, which is fascinating.

Q: Name a song that you consider completely overrated.

A: “Call Me Maybe,” I can’t believe how much that plays. It’s sad. Just because it’s so catchy. Oh, “Gangnam Style” as well. I did actually download it … but when it starts playing in clubs every couple of days, you know it’s overworked.

Q: What are you being for Halloween?

A: Uh, I don’t really dress up for Halloween.

I’m scary enough as it is.

Q: What reality TV show are you perfect for?

A: I don’t really watch reality TV, to be honest. My friend watches The X Factor all the time.

A: I’m a javelin thrower. I throw sticks very, very far. At some point that will become useful … None of the Canadian universities compete though, I just trained and competed in high school.

Q: What would you do if you were on The X Factor?

Q: If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life.

What would it be?

Q: Which fictional character would you most want to have a beer with?

A: If I was limited to one thing, I probably wouldn’t be keen on living for very long. So I’m going to go with sweet and sour shrimp.

A: Don Draper from Mad Men. You know he’d be perfect for it too.

A: I like comedy. I’d probably get up there and crack [a few jokes].

Halloween in Montreal isn’t an event to pass up on, so grab some friends, find a costume, and have a great time!

nominate a student of the week!

You can’t beat that. You’d die soon from massive[ly high] cholesterol anyway.

A: I’d have to say Whistler. It’s where I learned…where I actually enjoyed [learning to ski]. I went to Tremblant and spent four days doing the pie shape. Whistler was where I actually enjoyed it—it [had] perfect snow.

loween parties aren’t your thing and want some other options, Halloween in Montreal has tons to offer. Most of your favourite bars and clubs will likely be having special Halloween nights this weekend so you can still look forward to costumes and themed drinks. If you’re checking out St. Laurent; Rouge, Ye Olde Orchard, and Tokyo all have theme nights planned. If you’re headed west of campus to Crescent; Sir Winston Churchill bar, Entourage, and Light Ultra Club also have Halloween events scheduled (check their respective websites for more details).

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

A: Swedish House Mafia, it was a remix of a whole bunch of [their songs]. Before that, “Greyhound,” by Swedish House Mafia.

That’s a perfect, perfect song.

Q: What’s your favourite Sandra Bullock movie?

A: She was in Speed wasn’t she? With Keanu Reeves. I’d have to go with Speed, not because it’s a good movie, but because Keanu Reeves is in it. Is he even in movies [anymore]?

Q: Name one fashion trend you’ll never try again.

A: Overalls. There’s no way to look refined in overalls. No matter what you do.

Q: What’s your signature drink?

A: Root beer float. That is class. That’s old school.

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

A: Dead.

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

A: Either Jon Hamm or Denzel Washington.

Q: You were nominated for Student of the week by David Lin as a past editor of the Bull and Bear, Can you talk about that?

A: We were having pizza [and] studying for midterms, and David Lin [executive editor of the Bull and Bear] decided I needed to be student of the week. I was editing last semester, but I stopped because I really like writing, and I didn’t get to do that as editor.

Once midterms cut out, I should be pumping out another round of articles.

Q: What’s your favourite childhood book?

Q: Why are you an asset to McGill?

A: The Lion King. They made the movie into a storybook. Before I could read, my dad had read it to me so many times, so that before I could even read I had memorized the story. My uncle came over and I “read’ it to him and he was amazed [because he thought] I could read, even though I had just memorized it. I would “read” that like, every day.

A: I’m a numbers guy, so if you put that in terms of numbers, the benefit McGill is going to get from what I think I’m going to be worth later on is very substantial. And I make full use of what McGill [offers].

Q: Describe Montreal in three words.

A: Always be grooving.

Q: So are you saying you’re going to donate to McGill a lot as an alumnus then?

A: I’m going to say “intangible amounts,” so I can avoid a letter from [McGill, asking for donations] later down the line.

arts & entertainment misses

Mid-Fall

network television round-up

When Jimmy Fallon announced he was involved in a new NBC comedy, the Twitterverse erupted.

Disappointingly however, Guys With Kids hasn’t met expectations.

Anthony Anderson stars in this comedy about men in their 30s with newborn children; the jokes are generic, and the idea feels a little too reminiscent of the recent film What To Expect When You’re Expecting.

Since its Wednesday night partner Animal Practice (which starred Justin Kirk of Weeds as a veterinarian) has already been cancelled, things are not looking good for Guys With Kids.

The Neighbors

(abc, wednesdays @ 8:30p.m.)

ABC’s new alien/family comedy hybrid is a definite miss. The alphabet network seemed to have high hopes for The Neighbors, giving it the time slot immediately following Modern Family for its premiere. Negative reviews and concerns that alien jokes will quickly become stale are giving the network cause to worry. The show deals with a New Jersey family that moves into a gated community swarming with aliens, who had overtaken a new development complex years earlier. Don’t be surprised if you see ABC yank this one from its schedule in the weeks to come.

By Alex Shiri

The Mindy Project

up in the air

(FOX, Tuesdays @ 9:30p.m.)

The Mindy Project was a hit even before its premiere on Sept. 25. Creator, writer, and lead actress Mindy Kaling, who gained fame as the pop culture obsessed Kelly Kapoor on The Office, is to thank for its success. The show’s pilot was one of the most discussed during the May TV previews, and it hasn’t disappointed. Mindy humourously plays a OB/GYN desperate for love, but distracted by the two handsome doctors who are definitely not what she is looking for. FOX has faith in its New Girl companion, and has picked it up for a full season.

(NBC, Wednesdays @ 8:30p.M.)

guys with kids

Revolution

(NBC, Mondays @ 10P.M.)

the mindy project

elementary

(CBS, THURSDAYS @ 10P.M.) In its re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes, CBS has a surefire hit with its new crime drama Elementary. The show is set in the Big Apple with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson. The chemistry between Elementary’s two stars is already pleasing fans. CBS has placed the show on Thursday night, a good sign of confidence. Audience favourites include the female spin on Watson, and a none-too-sober Holmes, to bring viewers back to what they know and love. In a land of SVUs and CSIs, Elementary is a nice break from the normal procedural drama, and is definitely worth a view.

NBC has high hopes for Revolution, a post-apocalyptic science fiction drama. The series deals with an unknown phenomenon that disabled all electricity-dependent technology on earth. After a huge marketing push, NBC has deemed Revolution’s performance reliable enough to pick it up for a full season. Even though the concept seems intriguing, the show still gives off a “seen it” vibe, and lacks a captivating cast, aside from Giancarlo Esposito of recent Breaking Bad fame.

Revolution is definitely worth checking out—but as viewers have learned with Alcatraz, just because J. J. Abrams stamps a show with an executive producer credit, doesn’t mean it’s the next Lost.

the new normal

(NBC, Tuesdays @ 9:30P.M.)

revolution

hits

guys with kids

elementary

Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee and American Horror Story, brings us The New Normal, a cute, fast-paced sitcom. Deemed a mix of Modern Family and Glee, the show focuses on a gay couple in California that uses a surrogate to have a baby. The pilot was captivating, and featured great comedic and emotional performances from its star-studded cast, comprised of Justin Bartha (The Hangover), Andrew Rannells (Girls), and Ellen Barkin.

The show tapers off after its pilot, but is still worth watching to catch Barkin as a Sue Slyvester-type conservative grandmother, completely opposed to her granddaughter helping out a gay couple with their dream of having a family. Even though NBC has picked the show up for a full season, concerns arise over whether its creative edge will continue—Ryan Murphy is probably one of the busiest men in Hollywood, juggling three shows at once. He can’t be everywhere—or can he?

the new normal images from davidatlanta.com, timedistpatch.com, eeniemeenie.com, boxofficebuz.com, guyism.com

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

17

Literature

What we talk about when we talk about Englander

Award-winning anthology by celebrated author explores love, life, and Judaism Ilia Blinderman A&E Editor “They’re in our house maybe ten minutes and already Mark’s lecturing us on the Israeli occupation.

Mark and Lauren live in Jerusalem, and people from there think it gives them the right.”

So read the opening lines of Nathan Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, his award-winning short story collection.

At first glance, Englander tackles the contemporary version of the Jewish Question. What is the relationship between secular Jews and the orthodox? What about those who live in Israel­—are they any more Jewish (whatever that means today) than those who stayed in the U.S.?

How should we treat the tragedy that was the Holocaust (even here, the dilemma arises: was or is?) with due respect while moving on with our lives?

Englander’s dialogue flows in beautifully rhythmic Yiddish cadences, familiar to anyone who’s watched an episode of Seinfeld.

Englander is a careful observer, but is not as much of a minimalist as Raymond Carver (whose What We Talk About When We Talk About Love influenced this collection).

Carver treats love, and all its discontents, with sharp vignettes; his writing is cold and sparse, with the occasional instance of insight emerging like the top of some grim iceberg.

Englander, however, is more open to exploring the ideas which grip his characters, leading readers to identify with them immediately, in a less pessimistic sense. Whether readers are Jewish or not, the characters’ happiness is ours; their vices, their weaknesses, are ours too.

In broader terms, however, Englander’s stories speak to the challenges of being an artist—in this case, a writer. There are two requisites to writing—knowing how to write, and having something to write about. Englander’s generation was bestowed with happy childhoods, devoid of what has been historically used as creative fuel. They’ve been lucky enough to avoid both abject poverty and the carnage of war; the only worthy topic left is love.

Hemingway once said that there is nothing to writing—all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. Englander follows suit, at his most honest and vulnerable when writing about an old flame. His candid style verges on an intimate rambling in “Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother’s Side,” the collection’s most touching story.

Here, Englander mixes equal doses of regret and self-fulfilment, as he wrestles with his identity to find fodder for his stories, and mourns the loss of his first love.

In truth, however, Englander moves beyond the mainstays of love, poverty, and war. Some say an artist must learn how to show beauty in the mundane; if so, Englander writes what he knows, and writes it with plainspoken honesty, peppered with sharp, perfectly timed wit. With a keen eye for the poignant instances which colour our lives, Englander has produced a masterfully written collection of short stories. Like all good writing, it’s what we talk about when we talk about being human.

Grab Englander’s latest from a shelf near you. (johnandquarterly.com)

film

Taken 2: franchise taken one sequel too far Liam Neeson reprises lead role in disappointing follow-up to popular action-thriller Ilia Blinderman A&E Editor “Buddy, what’s happening?

How’s the weekend?”

“Hey dude, same old. But, I did see this movie—the one produced

by Luc Besson? The guy that directed Leon: The Professional and The Fifth Element. Oh, that’s what it was—Taken 2, with Liam Neeson.”

“Man, I loved the first Taken!

When he plays Bryan Mills, that retired security specialist that wreaks havoc and gets his daughter back from these European gangsters? It was like watching my dad play a secret agent. I loved that!”

“Yeah, this one is kind of similar, but even more awesome. This time around though, all the leftover gangsters from the first movie want to kill Mills because he killed their gangster friends. While he’s in Istanbul with his family, they go all… well, Taken on him, and grab him and his wife, while his daughter helps out.”

“I don’t know, it sounds pretty much like the first movie... I mean, even the bad guys are the same,

“My dad can beat up your dad!” —Liam Neeson Jr. (www.newrisingmedia.com) right?”

“Well, yeah, but this time, there are all these subplots. Like, he’s getting back together with his ex-wife, and his daughter can’t drive and has a boyfriend—so I connect with it more now. Now that I think about it, I guess they’re all pretty lame, and

don’t really serve the story, but at least there’s some filler there, right?”

“Uhhh… I don’t know dude, sounds kind of weak. What about all the action, was that decent? The first one had some cool sequences, this one must have some of those too, right?”

“Oh yeah, for sure! I mean, I think it did. It was shot all shaky and close up, so you couldn’t really see what was going on during the fights and car chases. But then again, that’s what it feels like to be in the middle of the action, right?”

“Yeah... I’m not so sure. It

sounds like it was just a poor call on the director’s part.”

“Well, that could be. But dude, the script was really sharp. Neeson used this really clever thing where he got the daughter to throw grenades all over Istanbul so that he could hear where they blew up and calculate where she was, so that she could find him and bring him a gun.

They did that for about 15 minutes, which was a little repetitive I guess, but—” “Wait, wait, that’s not a sharp script at all. That’s lame. Did it have any cool dialogue, at least? The first one had that awesome line that everyone always remembers, the one where Mills says ‘I don’t know who you are, I don’t know what you want, but if you don’t let my daughter go, I will find you and I will kill you.’”

“Yeah, I mean, he’s taken in this one, so he doesn’t really have a chance to make threatening phone calls. I noticed that he gives really good directions over the phone, which, you know, is super rare, so that was kind of cool.”

“Dude, my dad is terrible at directions.”

18

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 |

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

Opera

In with the old, in with the new Program reaches out to the next generation of opera-goers Sebastian Grant Contributor Carmen, Rigoletto, The Magic Flute—all these works have had a profound influence on our society.

Since its inception in the late 16th century, opera has been a powerful force in the arts. Today’s youth, however, see opera as old-fashioned, imagining grandiose theatres, flashy costumes, and hours of glassshattering vocalizations.

Nevertheless, opera companies such as the Opéra de Montréal are still mounting productions just as strong today as they did many years ago. Their goal is to show today’s youth that opera is not a boring menagerie of dated memories, but a dynamic genre that’s constantly changing and entertaining modern society.

The Opéra de Montréal is relatively young, having been established in 1980. Thirty years later, however, the company has developed into the largest francophone opera company in North America, with a total of 970 performances from a repertoire of 93 operas. They have received five Opus Awards, and were deemed one of the 15 largest opera companies in North America in 2007. They have also recently mounted sold-out performances of La Traviata—a rare occurrence in modern opera.

At present, Opéra de Montréal is focusing on the future by introducing youth to the beauty of opera

with its Youth Associates Committee (YAC). The committee was formed in 2009, after the founders observed the success of a similar initiative at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. YAC’s mission is to introduce students at McGill, and the rest of Montreal, to a myriad of opera-related activities.

“The first part of the mission is to bring young people to the opera,” says Jean-François Seguin, committee member and one of the YAC’s founder. “[We] always think that people who go to the opera are 60 years old and have grey hair, but it is not true. Already more than 20 per cent of the memberships to the opera are from people younger than 40.”

These numbers continue to grow. Over the past three years, the committee has been able to introduce 500 young professional performers to the opera community, and numerous new young faces to many of its activities.

Neverthelesss, the job is not done, and there are many new events organized by the YAC to make opera a worthwhile experience for young Montrealers. Apart from cheap tickets and special discussion, the YAC has created a Youth Ambassadors Program, which connects the Opéra de Montréal to university students.

“The Opéra de Montréal wants to reach out to students more to give a better understanding and a more enjoyable experience at the opera,” says Caitlin Hammon, the Ambas-

sador of the program for McGill and a first year graduate student at McGill’s Schulich School of Music.

“Opera has always been for the general public ... and people have a lot of misconceptions about opera.”

Hammon and other ambassadors are already preparing a slew of activities, such as a Halloween picture contest for the next opera, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, and cocktail sessions to help students better appreciate the art form. “[The grandness of opera] is something that’s kind of hard to find these days,” admits Hammon.

In a world of iPods and personal computers, opera has remained a strong beacon, constantly modernizing itself. It’s up to the youth of Montreal to rid themselves of the opera stereotypes, and to try to understand the complexities of the art form. With the help of the Opéra de Montréal’s YAC, and Youth Ambassadors such as Hammon, opera is sure to continue as an influential force in society.

Youth tickets are available for $30 with the purchase of at least two shows. Ticket buyers can also join the newly formed membership program for $20-25, which grants them privileges such as opportunities to meet with performers, join closed discussions, and attend Opéra de Montréal balls.

For more information, visit www.operademontreal.com/en

visit us at www.mcgilltribune.com!

could be GOOD Poetry Reading Bowering and Shikatani

Public Lecture Barbara Sternberg

Film Heart Child

Theatre Human Cannon

Workshop Get Animated

Hungry for a dose of delectable poetry?

Missed out on 4Floors tickets? Thursday night, the literary worlds of Vancouver Island and Ottawa come together at the Atwater Library for live readings

by Marilyn Bowering (2008 Fulbright Scholar) and Gerry Shikatani (Spanish Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civilian Merit).

Video artists extraordinaire Barbara Sternberg comes to Concordia as part of the Conversations with Contemporary Art series, occurring every second Friday. After a career spanning five decades, Sternberg received the 2011 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for her “daily, observational, and messy” films.

Skateboard documentary-maker Ben Duffy, who has worked on films since his teenage years, turns his lens to the lives of 29-year-old Crys Worley and her nine-year-old autistic son Sasha. Duffy follows the pair’s struggles, and films Worley as she tries to establish A.Skate, a non-profit foundation for autistic children. Duffy and Worley will both be in attendance.

The National Theatre School (NTS) of Canada mounts its production of Edward Bond’s Human Cannon, a confronting drama dealing with the carnage of the Spanish Civil War. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a radical playwright explore fear, brutality, and delusion, with the help of this year’s NTS graduates.

The National Film Board (NFB) of Canada is hosting an animation workshop to encourage some fresh faces to join the trade. Each workshop will be followed by a set of NFB shorts, giving attendees a taste of prior work.

Free admission. Reading takes place at the Atwater Library Auditorium, 1200 Atwater Avenue, 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 25, 2012. For further details, visit www.atwaterlibrary.ca/events/ atwater-poetry-project

Free Admission. Take part in the conversation at Concordia University’s Visual Arts Building, 1395 René Lévesque Blvd. West, on Friday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m.

Admission $11.25. Heart Child’s world premiere will take place at the PHI centre, 407 St. Pierre St, on Thursday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m.

Admission $9. Human Cannon runs nightly, at the Studio Hydro-Québec of the Monument-National, 1182 St. Laurent Boulevard, October 23 to 27, at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call (514) 8712224

Free admission. Try your hand at animation on Saturday, October 27, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For further info and registration, call 514-283-9000

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

Album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Paper Bag Records To celebrate the 40th anniversary of David Bowie’s legendary 1972 album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Toronto’s Paper Bag Records (PBR) recently released a free cover compilation by multiple artists from the label. For Bowie fans, this may appear to be an exciting event—except for the perennial issue that arises whenever bands attempt Bowie covers. These re-imaginings often end up sounding like mediocre karaoke, because any given Bowie song is already so expertly crafted and timeless that even the most promising modern bands usually produce something flat and uninspired by comparison (e.g., War Paint’s “Ashes to Ashes”).

Unfortunately, PBR’s rendition largely failed to dispel this stereotype. The approach most artists took to covering these epic songs was to mumble lyrics over synthed-out versions of the melody. In nearly every case, this is monotonous, and simply makes the listener long for the original.

However, among all the warbling were a few bands who opted for more interesting interpretations.

These are the covers that are worth a listen, and include The Rural Alberta Advantage’s high-energy, post-punk version of “Starman,” as well as The Luyas’ appropriation (it can hardly be called a “cover”) of “Lady Stardust,” in which the vocals are spoken (not sung) entirely in French.

If you are a huge Bowie fan, tone down your expectations for this release. And if you are only a modest fan, or are unfamiliar with Bowie’s music, get your hands on the original first.

—Tara Boghosian

Music

reviews

Golden Boy Blue Swan Orchestra Eenie Meenie Blue Swan Orchestra is the rerelease of the Golden Boy’s 2003 debut album, and their latest since 2011’s Sleepwalker. The soft-rock/ indie-pop band’s re-mastered album also features two bonus tracks, “Blind” and “Windows.” The album’s greatest strength is the blend of the familiar sounds of indie and pop with uniquely evoking lyrical timbres. On the whole, it’s great easy-listening material with some truly joyous guitar riffs that you can’t help but tap your toes to.

The opening track, “Wild Was the Night,” with its balanced texture and soft vocals, leads listeners into what promises to be a rewarding record. The following “Babydoll” is one of the songs that make the album worthwhile—its controlled falsetto, cute piano, and background voice samples make this somewhat clumsy song fit well into the overall musical design.

The Blue Swan Orchestra winds down with “Almost Perfect.”

It is a simple song with its repetitive guitar riff, droning synth notes, and quirky vocals. There is nothing grandiose about it—yet somehow, it is an almost perfect way to close the album.

Aside from the extra tracks, Blue Swan Orchestra doesn’t provide anything new. The album is a nice gesture towards the fans, but perhaps the time that went into the release would have been better spent on promoting Golden Boy’s upcoming album, The New Familiar, to be released next month.

—Kristal Spreadborough

Follow us on Twitter!

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

@mcgill_tribune

Jack Davey L0-F! Side A ILLA V 8 R Jack Davey, frontwoman for the Californian electro-soul duo J*DaVeY, has gone solo. But for a singer who has opened for Prince, the Roots, and Janelle Monáe, the five-song EP falls distinctly flat.

Davey’s voice, sultry, breathy, and deep, is wasted on what she calls “stripped-down grunge” and her attempt at “introspective” songwriting. The sound is whiney, messy, and simple, and seems more fitting to a debut album than an EP by a relatively successful artist striking out on her own. Not only does it sound unprofessional, but she proudly proclaims that it was “literally recorded [in] the walk-in closet in my Koreatown apartment.” In the case of L0-F! Side A, this is not an accomplishment.

Though Davey touts her EP as being a five part song, each part is indistinguishable from the next. The second track in particular, “Howl at the Moon” (the unfortunate highlight of the EP), is an especially poor use of her voice; Davey’s airy attempts at howling along to the tune, and any tolerable musical motifs she managed to compose, are overshadowed by poorly disguised distortion and computer-generated modifications. Very little praise can be given to her lyricism, which is pretentious, unnatural, and forced (think back to the emotive poetry you may have written in middle school), and fails to stir the slightest emotion in the listener.

While she gets points for trying, Davey should leave the creative process to the other half of her original duo. There isn’t much else to say except that sometimes sticking to what you know is the way to go.

Save your iTunes credit; there are fledgling bands on MySpace with better EPs. —Joanna Schacter

19

Wonder down under

Australian-foursome make a soaring debut on a global stage

The Jezabels’ influences include Arcade Fire and Radiohead. (www.fanart.tv) Bronte Martin Contributor In the past few years, Australian music has made a significant international impact. After Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” we arrive at a more recent phenomenon: The Jezabels. The ‘Intensindie’ quartet plays a fusion of alternative rock and indie pop that seeks to please.

The band was founded in 2007, when Hayley Mary (vocals), Heather Shannon (keys), and Samuel Lockwood (guitar) met at the University of Sydney and became, as Lockwood describes, “slightly friends.”

The trio bonded over a mutual adoration for music and their previous (and temporary) “experimentation with other musical ventures.”

They soon found their fourth and final band mate: Nik Kaloper.

“The Jezabels really came together when we found Nik. That’s when we knew that this hobby of ours was turning serious; serious enough for this to be a career for us all,” explains Lockwood.

Finding themselves collectively inspired by Arcade Fire, The National, and Radiohead, their sound reflects the “theatrical ‘80s” that they describe as “loud and melodic.” Ever since their 2007 debut album Prisoners, which they saw as a “panoramic study of tension and emancipation,” they have since released a trilogy of stylistically fluent EPs. Promoting Prisoners, the band is winding down their global tour in North America (with Yukon Blonde), before finishing things off in Europe (alongside Skunk Anansie).

“It’s funny to see where your music strikes a chord geographically with an audience. Never in our wildest dreams did we think Ireland, Germany, America, and Canada

would have reacted to our musicianship the way they have,” says Lockwood.

In addition to garnering exuberant support from an international community of fans, The Jezabels’ musical energy has landed them spots on top US charts, iTunes Australia’s “Song of the Week,” as well as AIR and APRA nominations.

Their most recent source of excitement: winning the “Best Independent Artist” award from the Australian Independent Record Labels Association.

“It’s such a privilege. We’re really, really stoked. Since we’re completely independent in Australia, this win concretes the fact that staying so was a good decision for us. We’ve learned that independence in the music industry in any way, shape, or form, is essential to our experimentation,” says Lockwood.

Although The Jezabels are in a position to sign with a label if they wish, it’s not their intention any time soon. Their future plans consist of expanding their fan base and returning to the road with even more musical offerings. This time around, an album is on the agenda. “We’re all itching to write a really, really great album that will lead us to another tour,” says Lockwood. “We’re finding this ‘touring’ thing to be pretty addictive!”

The grandiose drama and Gothic approach characteristic of their distinct sound has undeniably reached far beyond Australian borders, and The Jezabels are maintaining a pace that’s bound to increase.

If you’re into Australian accents and powerful yet elegantly structured “Intensindie,” The Jezabels provide all this and more, on a rock-infused platform.

The Jezabels are playing tonight, 8 p.m. at at Cabaret du MileEnd (5240 Avenue du Parc). Admission is $28.95.

20

sports

tandings Tuesday, October 23, 2012 |

| Curiosity delivers.

rseq rugby (W)

Standings

Y – Clinched home playoff game X – Clinched playoff berth Z – Eliminated from playoff contention

rseq football W

L

otl

pts

Y- Laval

7

1

0

14

y - montreal x - sherbrooke

7 5

1 3

0 0

14 10

bishop’s McGill

3 2

5 6

0 0

6 4

*z - concordia

1

7

0

2

* - Forfeits two games due to ineligible player

rseq soccer (w) x - montreal sherbrooke laval mcgill concordia z - uqtr z - uqam z - bishop’s

w 10 9 7 7 6 1 1 0

l 2 3 3 3 3 8 9 10

T 0 0 2 1 3 2 2 2

pts 30 27 23 23 21 5 5 2

oua east hockey (M)

W

L

T

pts

W

L

otl

y - laval

7

0

0

14

UQTR

4

1

0

8

y - concordia

6

1

0

12

Toronto

3

0

1

7

x - mcgill

5

2

0

10

Ottawa

3

1

0

6

x - ottawa

4

3

0

8

Carleton

2

1

1

5

z - carleton

3

4

0

6

queen’s

2

1

0

4

z - sherbrooke

2

5

0

4

concordia

2

2

0

4 4

z - montreal

1

6

0

2

ryerson

2

2

0

z - bishop’s

0

7

0

0

nipissing

2

3

0

4

Mcgill

1

3

0

2

rmc

0

3

0

0

oua field hockey (w) rseq rugby (M) W

L

otl

pts

w

l

T

Bonus

pts

y-toronto

12

0

0

36

y - Bishop’s

5

1

0

2

22

y-guelph

8

3

1

25

x - Concordia

4

2

0

3

19

x-western

7

4

1

22

* - mcgill

3

4

0

2

14

x-waterloo

7

4

1

22

sherbrooke

3

4

0

2

14

montreal 1 5 0 * - Forfeits four games due to ineligible player

0

4

z-york

3

8

1

10

z-queen’s

2

9

1

7

z - mcgill

0

11

1

1

rseq hockey (W)

rseq soccer (M) w

l

t

pts

y - Montreal

8

2

0

24

w

l

otl

pts

Montreal

3

0

0

6 4

Laval

6

0

3

21

mcgill

2

0

0

uqam

4

5

2

14

carleton

2

1

0

4

mcgill

3

4

3

12

Concordia

0

3

0

0

Ottawa

0

3

0

0

uqtr

3

3

2

11

concordia

2

6

2

8

* - Sherbrooke

2

8

0

6

* - Forced to forfeit three games

pts

write for Sports!

Email sports@ mcgilltribune.com

Curiosity delivers. |

sports

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Swimming — RSEQ Cup #2

21

Medley of results in the pool for McGill Martlets place second, Redmen third in meet at Memorial Pool Tom DiNardo Contributor Amidst cheers, whistles, and blowhorns, the McGill Martlet and Redmen swim teams hosted squads from across Quebec for the second RSEQ Cup on Saturday at Memorial Pool. The Martlets finished second out of six teams with 112 points, behind the Montreal Carabins, while the Redmen recorded 78 points, good for third behind the Laval Rouge-et-Or and Montreal.

Several individual performances stood out at the meet. Fifth-year phenom Steven Bielby claimed four medals, most impressively in the 400m individual medley (IM). He won by a full body length over second place with a time of 4:32.80.

“I wasn’t sure how the race would pan out, and I like to lead it from the front just to be in control,” Bielby said, all smiles after the meet.

“It’s a strategy I normally do, and it worked out well today.”

Third-year backstroke specialist Jennifer Darling finished second for the Martlets in the 200m backstroke, clocking in at 2:18.50. Quick off the block, Darling swam neck and neck with Montreal’s Gabrielle Soucisse for the majority of the race. In the last 50 metres, Soucisse overtook Darling, winning by 2.16 seconds.

The enthusiasm of the fans and team members was evident throughout the meet. In the highly anticipated men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, McGill’s first relay team­­—consist-

The Redmen finished second in the 4x100m freestyle. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune) ing of Marc-André Benoit, Michael Luck, Pierre-Alexandre Renaud, and Bielby—took the lead over the first three lengths. However, in the last 100 metres, Dominique MassieMartel of Laval outswam Bielby and stole the win with a time of 3:29.10 over McGill’s second place 3:30.30.

According to Head Coach Peter

Carpenter, the “swim of the day” was Pierre-Alexandre Renaud’s performance in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:52.21. After a strong start, Renaud maintained a steady pace, vying for first with Christopher Bezeau of Montreal and Dominique Massie-Martel of Laval. With a final spurt of energy, Renaud snatched

gold in the last 50 metres. He ended the day with one gold and two silver medals, good for “swimmer-of-themeet.”

On the whole, Coach Carpenter was pleased with the results. He noted the team’s focus on fitness since the first RSEQ Cup a couple weeks ago.

“One thing that was glaring at the first Cup meet was that we weren’t as fit as we needed to be, and we’ve worked hard these past two weeks,” Carpenter said.

The added focus definitely paid off, as several members of the Martlets and Redmen qualified for the CIS Championship in February in Calgary, thanks to their performances on Saturday. In addition to those already qualified, McGill added Darling in the 200m backstroke and first-year Kathleen Caldwell, who earned three medals at the meet, in the 400m individual medley. Second-year Taryne Landry matched Caldwell with three medals of her own. As a whole, the team effort was far from understated.

“The sum of the parts is important,” Carpenter said. “I thought that as a group they really stepped up and supported each other well today.”

Looking forward to the rest of the season, the team is realistic about their difficult schedule. “The teams we’re up against are very, very tough … we will step up to the challenges [as] best [as] we can,” Carpenter said.

McGill will face stiff competition from Montreal’s women’s team and Laval’s men’s team in future RSEQ meets. The Martlet and Redmen swim teams will hit the pool again next weekend on Oct. 27, when they host Ottawa and Toronto in a Tri-Meet at Memorial Pool.

In case you were too busy fact checking the U.S. presidential debates, or catching the first week of fall sweeps, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports...

Around the

W

ater cooler

BASEBALL — The boys of summer continue on, as the kings of October wait to be crowned. A-Rod proved once again he isn’t made for fall baseball, relegating himself to a pinch-hitter, as he and the Yankees waved goodbye to 2012 after being swept by the Tigers in the American League Championship Series. Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera are proving to be the winning formula for Detroit, and it should be no surprise that the Tigers are in the Fall Classic. The National League Championship series was much more spirited, as the San Francisco Giants prevailed in a dramatic seven-game series. The World Series begins on Wednesday in San Fran.

BASKETBALL — While it’s only preseason, the NBA fills a much needed void in winter sports with the absence of NHL hockey. The head-

lines have been dominated by the injury report, as the Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks and the Minnesota Timberwolves have lost Kevin Love for 6-8 weeks. Dirk Nowitzki is fresh off knee surgery, which will make it difficult for the Dallas Mavericks in the early season. In the early goings, the Golden State Warriors are on top, but as we all know, the preseason can be deceiving—just ask the Lakers. The newest super team finds itself 0-5 on the year, but with Dwight Howard healthy and ready to play there is no reason to think the losing will last, especially into the regular season.

FOOTBALL — What a week in the NFL. Robert Griffin III showed some substance to the hype, as he threw for two touchdowns, 258 yards, and rushed for 89 more. How-

ever, it was all in a losing effort, as Eli Manning and the Giants refused to be counted out—what a surprise—scoring a 77-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left to claim the victory. In another tight contest, the Jets provided a shockingly strong performance against the usually unstoppable New England Patriots.

The game went deep into overtime, with New England ultimately moving to the top of the AFC East with a 29-26 victory. Finally, the Saints are gaining some momentum in New Orleans, as they improved to 2-4, on the heels of Drew Brees’ 377 yard, four touchdown performance. The Baltimore Ravens obviously aren’t the same strong defence without Ray Lewis and LaDarius Webb—both of whom are out for the season—as the team fell to the 6-1 Houston Texans 43-13.

22

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

BASKETBALL — REDBIRD CLASSIC

Tale of two teams: Redmen impress, Martlets falter Redmen win first Redbird Classic since 2007, Marlets winless in tournament Remi Lu Contributor Love Competition Hall was abuzz with basketball action over the weekend, as the Martlets and Redmen took to the court for the annual McGill Redbird Classic. Six teams from across Canada competed in the preseason tournament, eager to challenge the home teams and showcase their talents in front of a rowdy and enthusiastic crowd. redmen

The Redmen entered the tournament with confidence on the backs of two decisive preseason victories against Queen’s and American International. They kicked off their weekend action against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Despite an evenly matched first quarter, the Redmen pulled away in the second half. They dominated the offensive glass and caught the Golden Hawks in futile defensive rotations with their quick ball movement. Starting point guard Adrian Hynes-Guery, and secondyear forward Rodrigo Imperador de Paula had 14 points apiece. McGill ended the game on a 17-3 run, resulting in a commanding 80-59 victory.

The key to the win was McGill’s excellent defensive effort.

Head Coach David DeAveiro commented on the significance of the team’s success on the defensive end.

“We have played extremely well defensively. [I’m] a little surprised since we haven’t had much time to practice with our group of guys,” DeAveiro said. “But I’m very pleased with how we are playing now … everyone is coming on and contributing.”

Following their decisive win

McGill welcomed six schools from across Canada for the Redbird Classic. (Remi Lu and Jesse Conterato / McGill Tribune) over the Golden Hawks, the Redmen came into Saturday’s match looking to extend their winning streak and once again defend their home court against the Trinity Western Spartans. While both teams struggled to hit shots early on, it was McGill that broke its shooting funk first, led by freshman guard Christian McCue’s four three-pointers and HynesGuery’s 23 points. The Redmen continued to convert on hustle plays and received significant contributions from their deep roster. They came out on top 93-71 in another statement win. Coach DeAveiro was pleased with the depth of his team’s roster and second-year guard Vincent Dufort.

Sports briefs rugby

By Jeff Downey

Redmen continue their Playoff Push Adversity continues to have no effect on the Redmen rugby squad, as the team claimed its third straight contest following the recent ineligible player ruling by the RSEQ. Battling the Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or at Molson Stadium on Sunday, McGill cruised to a 48-5 victory over the visitors.

Cameron Perrin, a third-year fullback, claimed 13 points in the

win, including one try and four converts. Six other Redmen joined Perrin with tries, and Zechary Miller leading the way with two.

Looking forward, the victory brings McGill to 3-4 this year, with one final game remaining. Currently third in Quebec, a win would go a long way in securing a home playoff game. McGill battles Bishop’s on Friday night at Molson Stadium.

“Everyone has really played their part. Vincent Dufort does all the dirty work so he’s not getting a lot of credit, but Vince has been outstanding for us,” DeAveiro noted.

“Christian McCue making shots [and] doing really well as a freshman, Rodrigo coming off the bench and giving us instant offense in the post… it’s been a team effort.”

McGill capped off their strong play by defeating the Ottawa GeeGee’s 85-64 and placing first in the Redbird Classic. Hynes-Guery was named tournament MVP and Coach DeAveiro earned his first victory over Ottawa, his old team.

The Redmen look to continue their success on the court at the

Brock Invitational Tournament this coming weekend in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. martlets

The McGill Martlets entered the Classic eager to impress and looking to capitalize on their own two-game winning streak. Unfortunately, the Martlets fell short, unable to convert their effort into victories.

McGill’s first game occurred on Friday evening against the St. Mary Huskies. The game was plagued by sloppy play on both sides early on, with the Martlets and Huskies combining for 16 turnovers in the first half. Despite the considerable ef-

for more sports coverage, visit www.mcgilltribune.com Soccer

Redmen in Dangerous Spot AS Playoffs near McGill travelled to Stade CEPSUM to face the Montreal Carabins on Sunday in men’s soccer action. Looking to erase a two-game losing streak, the Redmen were in tough against the top-ranked Carabins, who ultimately prevailed 1-0.

With the loss, McGill finds itself in fifth place with only two games remaining, a tough po-

sition to be as only the top four teams in the conference will advance.

McGill plays at home on Tuesday against the UQTR Patriotes, and then travels to Sherbrooke to take on the Vert-et-Or. McGill needs a big win against the Patriotes to cushion their playoff positioning.

fort and desire exhibited in the second half, the Martlets continued to struggle, resulting in a tough 76-57 loss. Point-guard Francoise Charest and freshman forward Mariam Sylla both scored a team-high 11 points in the loss.

Following the game, Martlet Head Coach Ryan Thorne reflected critically on his team’s performance.

“I think we’re young so we make some mistakes … I think we have to do a better job of preparing [our freshmen], but I also think we got to be more disciplined in what we do,” Thorne said.

Looking to recover from their loss the night before, the Martlets appeared energized on Saturday against the Regina Cougars. Once again, the team struggled to score, and failed to create any chemistry on the offensive end. Although there were bursts of defensive excellence from McGill in the second quarter, the Cougars ultimately forced turnovers and dominated the Martlets on the glass, leading to another disheartening 70-30 McGill loss.

That discouraging theme followed McGill into their last game on Sunday against the Ottawa Gee Gee’s. McGill fell 66-63.

Coach Thorne could only express disappointment in the Martlet’s play over the weekend.

“I don’t think we had discipline … I don’t have any highlights from this [tournament]. I’ve seen this team play really well, so I know that we’re a better team,” Thorne said.

“I know that we have some injuries, but from this weekend [there are] zero highlights.”

The Martlets look to bounce back and end their preseason on a high note against Queen’s on Oct. 26.

Soccer

Drought persists for martlets Following the rain-out cancellation against UQTR on Friday, the Martlets suffered a tough 1-0 loss against the Montreal Carabins on Sunday, dropping the team into fourth place in the RSEQ standings.

The teams has struggled lately, losing three of its last five games, after a blistering 6-0-0 start on the season.

The Martlets are currently on the cusp of playoff territory with three games remaining, and Tuesday’s make-up match against UQTR is a must-win.

Curiosity delivers. |

sports

| Tuesday, October 23, 2012

LACROSSE — Redmen 12, Bishop’s 10

23

Cruising into the playoffs, Redmen claim CUFLA East Captain Ryan Besse scores five in victory, becomes all-time points leader in McGill history Peter Laing Contributor The McGill Redmen claimed first place in the CUFLA East division on Thursday night after defeating the Bishop’s Gaiters 12-10 at Molson Stadium. After losing by a single goal in their previous matchup against Bishop’s (8-1), McGill (9-1) handed the previously undefeated Gaiters their first loss of the season.

McGill held the lead for the entire match, and team captain Ryan Besse added back-to-back insurance goals in the fourth quarter to solidify McGill’s position as the top team in the East.

The teams are bitter rivals, and their games often consist of physical play. This contest was no different.

After coming out of the gate slowly in the teams’ previous meeting, McGill came out firing in this one, scoring five unanswered goals in the first quarter. McGill utilized its fastbreak effectively by dictating the pace and surprising Bishop’s, who managed to generate little offence in the opening frame. Besse, who entered the game two points shy of becoming McGill’s all-time points leader, netted McGill’s first goal of the game, and the first of his teamhigh five in the match. Fourth-year Jishan Sharples, who proved to be lethal from in close, scored two of his three goals in the first quarter.

McGill and Bishop’s faced off for first in CUFLA East. (Mike King / McGill Tribune) In the game, Sharples set his own record by notching his 100th career point as a Redmen.

Besse opened the following quarter in style by scoring his record breaking point on a diving powerplay goal. Bishop’s managed to gain some ground on McGill in the quarter by netting three goals, cutting McGill’s lead to 7-4. Head Coach Tim Murdoch praised Besse’s effort after the game.

“Besse had an incredible game,

despite playing both midfield and attack,” Murdoch explained. “He scored five impressive goals against the stingiest defence in Canada.”

However, Murdoch was quick to note that the team’s success in this game and the season as whole has certainly been more than a one-man effort. Senior leadership has been the standout element of this year’s squad.

“Our biggest strength [this season] has been strong leadership from

senior [members] Ryan Besse, Kyle Robinson, Jishan Sharples, and Jon Rathauser,” Murdoch said.

He also had high praise for his coaching staff, noting that they are responsible for teaching the younger members of team. “[Our coaching staff] mentored our talented, young offence, and were the masterminds behind [our] league-leading offence.”

Bishop’s took control of the scoring in the third, tallying four

goals against McGill. Two of these goals occurred on the powerplay, as McGill fell victim to some undisciplined, physical play early on in the quarter. Nevertheless, the Redmen headed into the final frame up 10-8.

Much of McGill’s success came from its ability to limit the Gaiters’ possession of the ball. This can be largely attributed to the work of faceoff specialist Brandon McLean, who secured 14 of 18 faceoffs for the Redmen.

Besse notched two goals to open the final quarter of play, cushioning McGill’s lead to four. From there, Bishop’s added another midway through the frame, but couldn’t seem to muster enough offensive chances to get back into the game.

The Gaiters added a late tally, but it proved insufficient.

Moving forward into the playoffs, Coach Murdoch gave some insight into what the team needs to do in order to bring a national lacrosse championship back to McGill. “[We need to] stay healthy, stay motivated over the next two weeks, and [not] overlook the ability of any team in our league to outplay us if we are not mentally prepared,” he said.

As the top-seeded team in the East division, McGill will face the Carleton Ravens in its playoff opener on Oct. 27 at Molson Stadium.

BASEBALL — CIBA National Championships

Comeback kids stall in semis, St. Clair Saints claim title

Redmen fall in national semifinal; Head Coach Jason Starr proud of team’s turnaround Steven Lampert Sports Editor Riding high from its Northern Conference championship, the McGill Redmen baseball team looked set to continue its magical run in Nepean, Ontario this past weekend at the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association National Championships. After a weekend of highs and lows, filled with dramatic finishes and individual heroics, the team fell short, losing in the national semifinal to the St. Clair College Saints 4-2.

While the result is obviously disappointing for McGill, the team should be proud of its incredible turnaround, having won 13 of its final 17 games en route to a conference title and a national semifinals qualification. First year Head Coach Jason Starr lauded his team’s effort and said they have nothing to regret.

“At first after the game, there is obviously disappointment. Our goal this year was to win a national championship,” Starr said. “The sting of it lasts for about an hour, and then [the players] realize all they’ve accomplished. We went on an unbelievable run—won a conference championship, made a national semifinal. We really accomplished a lot.”

The Redmen opened the weekend with a convincing 14-3 victory over the host team, the Carleton Ravens. First baseman Casey Auerbach carried the load offensively, hitting 4-4, including three runs batted in and four runs scored. The team exploded for a six-run third inning, squashing any Carleton hopes.

After losing to Durham College in a tight 5-4 affair, the Redmen matched up against the Crandall Chargers in a do-or-die game. The Chargers came out slugging against Redmen starting pitcher L.J. Agui-

naga, and built a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Redmen had their backs against the wall, and they needed to generate a rally, but the team never floundered.

Starr attributed this attitude to the camaraderie among the players.

“One of the strengths of this team was how close they were and how they played for each other,” Starr said. “It really kept us in ballgames and allowed us to come back and have a never give up attitude.”

With one out and the bases loaded, fifth-year centrefielder Chris Ames stepped into the batter’s box.

Needing one hit to extend McGill’s season, Ames provided much more.

After working to a full-count, Ames sent the 3-2 pitch over the fence for a walk-off grand slam, sending the Redmen to the semis.

Only two wins away from achieving the final goal of the season, the St. Clair College Saints

stood in McGill’s way. Fueled by CIBA pitcher-of-the-year Rob Cooper, the Saints’ arms shut down the Redmen’s potent offence and claimed the 4-2 win. Starr was disappointed, but thought his team played fairly well—it just wasn’t McGill’s day.

“We played a good game … we got a great pitching performance from Nolan [Were]. They got one three-run home run that really made the difference in the game,” Starr said. “The other team just came out on top. That can happen in one game.”

Starr also noted that many people around the tournament believed that these were the two best teams in the nation. The way qualifying turned out, it happened that those teams were matched against each other in the national semifinal, instead of in the championship game.

Nevertheless, the Redmen had their

chances and did not execute.

Notable departures this year from the team will include Ames and second baseman Max Tierno. Auerbach, Aguinaga, outfielder Chris Haddad, and pitcher Conrad Hall may also leave depending on whether they decide to stay at McGill to complete another degree. While the veteran losses will be difficult to overcome, the Redmen will look to players like first-year all-Canadian shortstop Tyler Welence to lead the youth movement next season. Starr is certainly excited about the program’s future.

“We have a good core of rookies, [and] a good core of second and third years,” Starr said. “It’s really exciting for the McGill program where we are set to go in the next couple of years.”

19

SPORTS NBA CANADA SERIES

Canada’s team returns to Montreal

Toronto Raptors host New York Knicks in NBA preseason action at the Bell Centre Adam Sadinsky Managing Editor The doors to the Bell Centre may remain locked for NHL players, but they were pried open for players and fans of a different sport on Friday night. NBA basketball returned to Montreal for the second time in three years as the Toronto Raptors “hosted” the New York Knicks in a preseason game as part of the NBA’s Canada Series. The series also includes a game in Winnipeg between Detroit and Minnesota. A sell-out crowd lived up to its rowdy reputation, and the players didn’t disappoint. The Raptors defeated the Knicks 107-88.

Toronto entered the contest with a 3-1 exhibition record, while the Knicks were 2-0. However, the Atlantic division rivalry lacked much of its usual punch as the game was just another opportunity for head coaches Dwayne Casey and Mike Woodson to get to know their teams, and plan for the regular season. The neutral location of the game was significant to the Raptors organization, which is currently trying to broaden its fan base across the country.

“I think we need to realize that we are the Raptors from Toronto, but we have the whole country behind us,” Jose Calderon, the Raptors’ longest-tenured player, noted after the game. “That’s the difference between us and the other teams in the league ... it’s good for the NBA and for Canada.”

Jamaal Magloire, a 34 year-old centre from Toronto, agreed with Calderon. He hopes that the NBA makes trips to Montreal and other

DeMar DeRozan beats Jason Kidd off the dribble. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) Canadian cities every season.

Raptors Head Coach Dwayne Casey saw the trip as a good opportunity for the team’s young players—Toronto has an average age of almost 25—to be exposed to a different environment.

“It should be a cultural experience,” Casey said of playing exhibition games in cities without NBA teams. “It’s a situation where there’s

THIRD MAN IN Let’s make one thing clear: I absolutely love sports. Whether it’s football, baseball, tennis, or even badminton, I am willing to watch just about anything. However, there is only one sport for which I have an undying passion: soccer.

I laughed when I turned on the television to read the day’s top sports headline: ‘Sidney Crosby goes on vacation amidst lockout.’ While hockey was probably my favourite sport as a child, the lockout doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, so why don’t we take this chance to explore the game of soccer and see what it has to offer, instead of grasping at straws to find some hockey related news?

not a lot of time for guys to go out in the day. But I know the guys understand the city [and] they know it’s a very historical city. We have young guys and every experience is probably a new experience for our guys.”

The Knicks, on the other hand, are well-travelled, but gave Montreal favourable reviews.

“It is beautiful,” Knicks point guard Jason Kidd said. “I have fam-

ily here and they’ve been asking me to come up, but this is my first time.

I’ll be back; it’s a beautiful city.”

Carmelo Anthony, who dropped 24 points in 34 minutes, felt the same. He spoke of the city’s energy and complimented Montreal’s fans, who have been starved for professional sports action beyond the CFL’s Alouettes.

“This was big time,” he said.

“The fans stayed in it right through the game and were excited about basketball. We had a good time but we wished we could’ve put on a better show for them.”

Montreal’s central location— five hours from Toronto and seven from New York—meant that there was a constant tug-of-war between Toronto fans—the designated home team—and Knicks’ supporters. “[There were] spurts when you heard the fans cheering for us ,and spurts when you heard them cheering for the home team,” Anthony said. “It was just a good atmosphere.”

The fans likely set their prior allegiances aside and cheered for basketball in general. The building erupted in response to slam dunks by the Knicks’ Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, and the Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan.

Raptors fans also got the a chance to see some of the new Raptors players, and a team that is expected to be much-improved after last season’s 23-43 performance, causing them to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year. New faces Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields played significant roles in the win, recording 17 and six points respectively for Toronto. Andrea Bargnani led the way with 20 points.

The Raptors open their season at home on Oct. 31 against the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks will make the long trip across the Brooklyn Bridge to participate in the grand opening of the Barclays Center against the Brooklyn Nets.

Soccer is anything but mundane

My mission: To convince die-hard Canadian hockey fans— there are a few in Montreal—to branch out and embrace soccer for the beautiful game it can be.

Soccer has a reputation for being boring. Yes, it can seem so at first—the lack of goals, the seemingly endless passing back and forth. It all seems futile. However, looking more closely, there is something more to the game— something exciting.

The beauty of soccer is in its simplicity, and the idea that there is an unlimited number of ways to achieve the straightforward goal of putting the ball in the net. This lack of appreciation is common among people who have never watched hockey before, and com-

plain about how they can’t see the puck when watching on television. Give them a few games and they will learn to follow the flow of the action. It’s the exact same with soccer.

Another unique feature of soccer is the variety of races in the standings at the end of each season in European leagues. There is more on the line than just the league championship. By the end of the season, there are essentially three main finishes.

The first is the title race.

Whoever has the most points at the end of the 38-match season wins the title, and these seasons can come down to the wire. For example, the English Premier League title was decided in stop-

page time on the last game of the season. It was one of the most dramatic events in sports in 2012.

The second race is the Champions’ League qualification race.

The three or four top teams in each of the best leagues in the world qualify for a European super league, where they duke it out in the hopes of being named the world’s best squad.

The third is the relegation battle—arguably the most exciting. The last placed teams in European leagues get relegated to a lower-tier domestic league, losing out on millions of dollars in potential revenue. These battles are intense and simply fun to watch because no team wants to be knocked down a tier. Unlike

in other sports, such as hockey, whose worst teams tank at the end of the season to obtain a higher draft pick, the relegation battle keeps the league’s bottom feeder teams competitive, even when they don’t have a chance at the league title.

I hope these few points have successfully convinced some people to stop whining about the NHL lockout, and spend a Wednesday afternoon watching a Champions’ League match. The beautiful fluidity of the game and the exciting league finishes will get you hooked, just as I was a few years ago. Well, at least until the NHL lockout ends.

—Filippo Furlano