McGill Tribune Vol. 32 Issue 14 special issue

Faces of curiosity

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 14

THE mcgill

TRIBUNE Published by the Tribune Publication Society

Special issue

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 14

THE mcgill

TRIBUNE Published by the Tribune Publication Society

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Editor-in-Chief Elisa Muyl editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Carolina Millán Ronchetti cmillanronchetti@mcgilltribune.com Adam Sadinsky asadinsky@mcgilltribune.com

curiosity delivers

Production Manager Sam Reynolds sreynolds@mcgilltribune.com

@mcgill_tribune ­ • www. mcgilltribune.com ­

news 3-12

opinion 13-16 student living 17-22 feature 23-26

Admin releases draft protocol (p3) Indigenous studies minor (p4) McGill weapons research (p5) SSMU midterm review (p6-7) History of referendums at McGill (p8-9) Understanding the Quebec student movement (p10-11) Interview with Martha Hall Findlay (p12) Editorial (p13) Commentary (p14-15) Tribune holiday wishlist (p16) Interview with McGill Compliments (p17) Student of the Week (p18) Christmas in Montreal (p19) Holiday drink recipes (p20-21) Latke recipe (p22) Playing in the shadows: sports clubs in the wake of the varsity restructuring (p23-26)

science & technology 27-31

Physics and biology collide (p27) Homeopathy v. science (p28) Vitamins, embrittlement, and ASDs (p29) Sponges and cystic fibrosis (p30) Examining nicotine from other angles (p31)

Arts & entertainment 27-31

Acts to watch (p32-33) English threatre in a French city (p34-35) Movies of the year (p36-37) Toy exhibition at the McCord Museum (p38-39)

sports 40-47 backpage 48

Interview with Mathieu Darche (p40-41) Fantasy basketball (p41) Fall sports report card (p42-43) Interview with Jishan Sharples (p44-45) McGill Tennis (p45-46) Sports holiday wishlist (p47)

letter from the editor

Every week, the Tribune’s editorial board meets to express ourselves beyond each section’s typical jurisdiction. Because the membership of our editorial board changes from year to year, these discussions are a dynamic process, by which we define ourselves as a wide, disparate group united by the same curiosity.

At the beginning of the semester, we wrote about our intended contributions to McGill, and discussed the appropriate role of campus media. At its core, the Tribune’s objective is to provide coverage for all who share this campus in a professional and even-keeled manner. We strive to keep students informed, to celebrate student

achievements, and to generate a positive community in an instution that often feels large and impersonal. This is the role that we believe campus media should play.

We try to cast a light on the student pursuits, often overlooked by other media outlets.

From McGill athletics to student-run theatre productions, there is significant room to highlight the talent, hard work, and drive of our peers.

Student newspapers should inform readers and provide accountability and transparency in the otherwise overlooked area of student government. This semester, we’ve held associations and representatives accountable, through our coverage on

the student-run café or semesterly evaluations of SSMU executives’ performances (see page 6-7).

Ultimately, the objective of student media should be to contribute to the community that we are, overall, happy to be a part of. This is what we have tried to bring to campus. We are your student newspaper: run entirely by students, reporting on student life. Our pages reflect what this community produces, from the peer-nominated student of the week, to letters to the editor, to pieces by our own contributing writers. Together, have learned a lot from covering this community. Enjoy our special issue and see you next semester!

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

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

Contributors Mayaz Alam, Ben Carter-Whitney, Natassja Di Battista, Tom Di Nardo, Trevor Drummond, Elizabeth Flannery, Filippo Furlano, Mike King, Christos Lazaris, Jimmy Lou, Remi Lou, Abraham Moussako, Luke Orlando, Michael Paolucci, Zoe Power, Melanie Simon, Bharat Srinivasa, Kieran Steer, David Stein, Meghan Tardif-Bennett, Josh Walker 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.

NEWS

campus

Admin releases draft protocol on protests

Protocol to go to Senate following consultation; campus unions oppose protocol Bea Britneff News Editor Last Friday, Vice-Principal Administration and Finance Michael Di Grappa and Provost Anthony Masi released the first draft of a permanent Protocol, concerning demonstrations, assemblies, and protests on campus.

Members of the McGill community may submit comments and suggestions regarding the draft protocol to the administration until Jan. 7, 2013.

Principal Heather MunroeBlum has said this feedback will be integrated into a second version of the protocol, which will be presented to McGill Senate on Jan. 23, and to the Board of Governors on Jan. 29.

The draft’s release comes almost 10 months after the administration implemented a provisional protocol on Feb. 12, following a five-day student occupation of the sixth floor of the James Administration Building.

The provisional protocol outlined parameters for how protests and similar activities may occur on university premises, and in what circumstances they would not be condoned and allowed to continue.

Critics of the original protocol condemned the document as vague and open to interpretation, and criticized the McGill administration for drafting it without any student consultation. Since then, the administration has been working to create a permanent protocol. This first draft of the new document was

released Nov. 30. “[The protocol] is intended to clarify how the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly on campus will be protected, while at the same time, safeguarding the rights of members of the community to carry out their normal activities,” Di Grappa and Masi wrote.

The draft protocol provides a definition of peaceful demonstrations and protests, and outlines seven conditions they must meet.

For example, the “intensity, intentionality, duration, and location” of demonstrations must be such that they allow McGill to maintain “a safe and secure environment” for its members, and permit the conduct of learning, teaching, and research.

Protests are forbidden from occurring in classrooms, libraries, laboratories, private offices, or working spaces.

“If such activities go beyond the framework described in this protocol, or if demonstrators or protesters refuse to comply with instructions from Security Services personnel … appropriate actions will be taken, including calling civil authorities, if necessary,” the draft reads.

The protocol also emphasizes that “demonstrators, protestors and occupiers are responsible for their actions,” and that actions that breach the protocol could lead to disciplinary measures.

The draft protocol’s rules and conditions reveal few substantial changes from the Febru-

Last year’s occupation. (Carolina Millán Ronchetti / McGill Tribune) ary provisional protocol. However, the seven conditions in the draft have been reworded in a more affirmative tone.

In reaction to the new protocol, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Josh Redel emphasized the need to balance the rights of students, such as the right to go to class, and the right to freedom of assembly.

“Nothing should violate those rights, but we also need to realize the importance of protests,” Redel said. “I worry that some of the language [in the protocol] might limit the power of protests, and hence some of the power community members have in this form of action.”

Redel encouraged students who desire change to comment on the draft protocol through the channels the administration has provided.

At its last Council meeting, the AUS voted to oppose the draft protocol in its current form.

Several campus labour unions, such as McGill’s Teaching Union (AGSEM), the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA), and the Association for McGill

University Support Employees (AMUSE) have openly condemned the new protocol.

“In its current form, the protocol conflates mere inconvenience with violent disruption, and therefore, tramples on the right of McGill community members to express all but the weakest forms of political dissent,” a statement on AGSEM’s homepage reads. “In doing so, the Protocol contravenes the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which explicitly protects the freedom of all citizens to engage in principled, non-violent protest.”

“The protocol is restrictive on the rights of all employees on campus,” AMUSE President Jaime MacLean said. “Canada, Quebec, and the city of Montreal already have regulations in place for responding to demonstrations. There is no reason that McGill should take further measures.”

For those wishing to submit comments and suggestions regarding the draft protocol, the administration has created a confidential email address specifically for feedback: protocol. comment@mcgill.ca

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

campus

Students discuss Indigenous Studies minor

MISC would manage program; SSMU researcher to publish findings in January Jimmy Lou Contributor On Nov. 27, students, faculty, and other members of the McGill community shared their opinions and thoughts on the potential North American Indigenous Studies minor program at McGill during a public forum. The forum was a collaborative effort by the Aboriginal Sustainability Project (ASP), the Indigenous Student Alliance, the Aboriginal Law Students’ Association, McGill’s Indigenous Studies Community (KANATA), and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).

At the forum, Brett Lamoureux, a researcher for SSMU, announced that his preliminary research into the logistics and classes of a North American Indigenous Studies minor program at McGill would be finalized in December. Lamoureux said that he would post a report of his findings online by January 2013.

Lamoureux has already compiled a comprehensive list of pre-existing courses under several departments that could fit into the minor program.

These include courses in anthropology, biology, Canadian studies, education, English, environmental science, history, geography, law, political science, social work, and sociology. His research will be used to create a proposal for the program, which will be submitted to the Faculty of Arts curriculum committee.

Lamoureux is a U3 Education student who identifies as a

Métis person—a term for someone of mixed First Nations and Euro-American ancestry.

“As a Métis person, I have been involved with Métis and other First Nations organizations for many years,” Lamoureux said. “All First Nations people, I think, have something to offer. They deal with modernity in a unique way, and it’s important to incorporate that into any academic program.”

The forum shed light on the amount of work left to be done before the university can officially create an Indigenous Studies minor program. Allan Vicaire, coordinator of the ASP, described the next steps involved in keeping the program’s development moving ahead.

“The next step forward is a foundational course,” Vicaire said. “We need to take into account opinions from the Quebec native community and find out how McGill can help them and learn from them.”

Vicaire said the Indigenous Studies foundational courses— introductory courses that will discuss key themes in a program and teach basic research methods—still require more discussion and feedback.

Lamoureux also emphasized the importance of receiving input from the community.

“I think more consultation should be done with the community around here to see what they want,” Lamoureux said.

“Their perspective and needs are essential. More consultation has to happen.”

In June 2011 the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada

Last September’s Pow Wow. (Josh Walker / McGill Tribune) (MISC) agreed to house a North the specific name of the proAmerican Indigenous Studies gram should be. During the minor program at McGill. This workshops, students expressed means that the MISC would how they were feeling about the manage the program and offer progress of the program.

“I think [the] McGill comservices, documentations, and certificates to students who wish munity has the mindset that to pursue a minor in Indigenous Indigenous Studies is not worth anything,” Arts Senator Jimmy Studies.

MISC currently operates Gutman said. “The fact that the Canadian Studies courses, students have to push [for] this as well as the major, minor, hon- is somewhat ridiculous. I think ours, and joint-honours pro- Indigenous people have a lot grams. MISC Director William to offer, and I hope that this Straw has been supportive of the program will help change our project throughout the prelimi- attitudes towards Indigenous nary process. At the forum, he people.”

Sarah Cartier, U1 arts, said detailed some additional challenges still facing the creation of she hopes to see a program take shape soon. such a program.

“I really enjoyed the con“We have to face the realities that the university faces,” ference and am glad the orgaStraw said. “We need to find nizers are putting so much effort money to hire people to teach, into getting student feedback,” and [we need to] talk to all the Cartier said. “I think it’s going to departments to make sure they turn out really well, and I look forward to seeing [an Indigcan help make this happen.”

The forum itself consisted enous Studies] minor program of smaller workshops where [at] McGill soon.” participants could discuss topics such as who should teach in the minor program and what

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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student government

Council opposes McGill weapons research

SSMU Councillors fail to take stance against Plan Nord, review education summit Christos Lazaris Contributor Last Thursday, the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Legislative Council voted against a motion condemning Plan Nord and McGill’s investments in the project, but passed a motion opposing military research funded by McGill. Vice-President External Robin-Reid Fraser also presented her report on the SSMU-run education summits last week.

The motion against Plan Nord “as a form of colonialism,” mandated that SSMU cut all ties to groups that support or profit from the implementation of Plan Nord, and pressure the McGill administration to divest from holdings in companies that profit from the plan.

Plan Nord was initiated in 2011 by the former Liberal government of Quebec to economically develop the northern regions of Quebec; this includes investments in mining, logging, and the construction of dams.

Many Indigenous communities have spoken out against this plan, and seek to put an end to its continuation.

“Plan Nord violates the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, impeding Indigenous communities’ lands and right to hunt, harvest, fish, and trap in these regions,” the motion reads. “Plan Nord represents a serious concern in all three issues of human rights, social justice and environmental protection.”

Some councillors felt that the terms in the motion were

ambiguous, and that the motion was too complex for Council to support in its current form.

“There are a lot of issues here that we can get into [more deeply],” Law Representative Andrew Baker said. “I think that [this issue] is very complex … which makes it problematic to support.”

Ultimately, the motion did not pass.

SSMU Council then debated, and passed a motion advocating for “a campus free from weapons development.” The motion mandates that SSMU oppose any funding of research on weapons, or other facilitators of military violence.

Discussion of this motion focused on whether the SSMU constitution requires SSMU to condemn the university’s investment in such research, and whether it is appropriate to ask McGill to cut off the research of professors who may have devoted their careers to these areas of study.

Some councillors were supportive of the motion.

“The place of a university in society is not to be developing weapons,” Clubs and Services Representative Zachary Rosentzveig said. “We don’t want our university to be funding extremely brutal explosives .... If you want to develop weapons, you don’t work for universities.”

The motion passed, following a successful amendment by Arts Senator Max Zidel, which proposed that Council set up a review board to look into the different areas of research being

Council sits for last time in 2012. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) done by McGill professors and evaluate ethical standards on a case-by-case basis.

“The current motion ignores the nature of technological and scientific research and innovation,” Zidel said. “Do we know for sure that the surveillance technology that is [going to] drones [will] not be undertaken for more noble causes?”

Towards the end of the meeting, Reid-Fraser discussed the report she wrote, following last week’s consultation sessions, where students and other members of the McGill community voiced their concerns about education. Reid-Fraser will submit this document to the Quebec Student Roundtable (Table de concertation étudiante du Québec, or TaCEQ), which will represent SSMU at February’s provincial summit on higher education.

The report makes several recommendations on the topics of accessibility and participation, financing and governance, the role of university in society, out-of-province and international students, and quality of education. Despite the wide range of topics, the report draws several conclusions about general student attitudes at the SSMU summits.

“McGill students have a desire for more information about how universities work, why decisions are made the way they are, and where exactly their tuition money is going,” the report reads. “Students also expressed a wish to collaborate across faculties on issues in which many or all of them have a stake, and to find ways to apply their learning while they are still in school.”

Arts Councillor Colleen Morawetz, however, expressed concern that the recommendations in Reid-Fraser’s report focused too closely on McGillspecific issues. For example, one recommendation calls on McGill to “increase the number of opportunities for practical application of studies.” and another calls for an improved advising system.

Reid-Fraser emphasized that this version of the report is only a preliminary draft, and that she seeks feedback from students and other members of the McGill community.

“I will be taking recommendations that are more broad to go to the Quebec [summit],” she said. “We can have a more internal discussion about the things that are more specific to McGill.”

SSMU Midterm reviews Josh Redel president

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osh Redel has helped guide the Executive and Council of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) through a smooth transition from the divided political atmosphere on campus last year. At the beginning of the semester, he stated that one of his main goals was to improve SSMU General Assemblies (GA), and make the online ratification system a success. So far, Redel has demonstrated his ability to follow through with his objectives. The Fall SSMU GA online ratification period exceeded quorum with 13 per cent participation.

Although the GA lost quorum after passing two motions, the Tribune encourages Redel to maintain his efforts and increase advertising for the Winter GA. Redel has also worked hard to represent student interests at Senate and the Board of Governors; he has helped organize and execute a newly integrated Orientation Week at the beginning of the semester. Rede has tried to reach out to Macdonald Campus and other parts of the university through his “roaming Council” initiative, which has SSMU Council sometimes meeting outside of its regular location in the SSMU Building. In the Winter Semester, the Tribune hopes to see Redel seek to increase Council’s engagement with different student groups, rather than simply changing the location of Council.

Photos by Alexandra Allaire and Simon Poitrimolt

Allison cooper VP CLUBS & SERVICES

jean paul briggs VP finance

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llison Cooper’s enthusiasm never seems to falter. She has done a good job improving the room bookings section of the SSMU website to facilitate the process of booking space for clubs in the SSMU Building. Fall Activities Night also went on without a hitch, and The Tribune looks forward to seeing what she will do with Winter Activities night, which traditionally has allowed for more creative forms of student engagement. We are also excited to see what Cooper will do with her plans

for a new “Club Hub” website.

On occasion, however, Cooper appears to be behind on her work. Last minute emails to heads of clubs and services have proved to be a source of frustration for some. She has also continued the long-awaited office re-allocations that former VP Clubs and Services Carol Fraser started last year. Although the process has not been seamless, we applaud Cooper’s efforts to give clubs and services the space they both want and need.

ean Paul Briggs has been one of the least visible executives on campus. Under his jurisdiction, however, the new Gerts renovations have been successfully completed, featuring a great new source of cheap student food at Gertrude’s Corner. While some students may have reservations about the bar’s new design, we are happy to see that the project is finally finished.

The Tribune is disappointed, however, with Briggs’ handling of

the new second floor tenants of the Shatner building, who have expressed concern about their ability to promote their businesses on campus and access appropriate equipment. We also hope Briggs’ can make progress next semester on the long-awaited student-run café project, as we have been disillusioned with his apparent lack of interest in exploring all possible options for the long-awaited student-run café.

haley dinel vp university affairs

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aley Dinel has been an important presence on the SSMU executive so far this year. We appreciate her role in overseeing the newly created Student Advocacy Resource Committee, and we look forward to seeing this committee develop fully to help students navigate McGill’s bureaucracy. Dinel has also been diligently negotiating with the McGill administration over the new lease for the Shatner building, and we are impressed with her constant presence at events such as the Fall Consultation Fair.

However, attendence was lacking at the Consulation Fairs. The Tribune hopes that Dinel can help advertise future events like this more effecitvely and reach out into the student body. Dinel should also take care to be more aware of the repercussions of the public documents she writes. In a report to SSMU Council in September, Dinel wrote that Dean of Arts, Christopher Manfredi had officially confirmed the creation of an Indigenous Studies Program, even though he did not possess the authority to make such a claim.

At the beginning of the year, Dinel emphasized her commitment to improving and promoting equity on campus. We look forward to seeing how she will address this topic, especially at the equity conference, next semester.

Michael szpejda vp INTERNAL

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ichael Szpejda started the year off on a positive note with a well-organized, well-executed, and integrated Frosh.

Frosh offered many ‘dry’ activities and “À la carte events” that engaged first-year students with student-run clubs and McGill services— successful initiatives that achieved their aim of being inclusive of different student interests. Since Frosh, however, Szpejda has dropped off the radar. The SSMU listservs are lacklustre and impersonal, and the Tribune detects very little effort to connect with the student body.

While Szpejda cannot be held accountable for other students’ actions, the presence of a person in blackface at 4Floors raises greater concerns about the running of SSMU events. In Winter 2013, we would like to see more effort on his part in maintaining the SSMU building as a safe space.

robin reid-fraser vp EXTERNAL

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obin Reid-Fraser has proven to be one of the more engaged and active members of the SSMU executive team this semester. She has conducted and initiated many projects ranging from Community Engagement Day, to helping create a program of Community Ambassadors to lint students to the wider community. She has also been a capable liaison between the student and non-student populations of the Milton-Parc community.

Reid-Fraser has also been an important representative to the Table de Concertation Étudiante du Québec (TaCEQ), where she has worked to represent different student concerns, and to bring awareness to the issues of international and out-of-province students. Robin has worked incredibly hard to create SSMU consultation sessions in preparation for the upcoming Quebec education summit, and created a website to make the topic of education more accessible to McGill students. However, these consultations were planned last minute, and were sparsely attended. We look forward to seeing more of her work in Winter 2013, especially with the Quebec education summit on the horizon.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

NEWS ANALYSIS

To be or not to be

A history of existence referenda at McGill and their uniqueness across Canada Erica Friesen News Editor Every semester, McGill students encounter flyers, emails, and campaign slogans that draw their attention to issues that are the subject of the current referendum period. For some student groups and services, referenda are a valuable opportunity to request an increase in student fees. But referenda can also be a source of anxiety—especially for the five Independent Student Groups (ISGs) McGill requires to run ‘existence referenda.’ A ‘no’ vote means the end to both the group’s fees and their Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the university.

However, the McGill administration has only required existence referenda since 2006.

In light of the upcoming existence referendum for the Daily Publications’ Society (DPS), the Tribune set out to find out why the administration requires existence referenda, how McGill’s referendum system compares to other Canadian universities, and what those involved think of the process.

History of existence referenda at McGill Existence referenda are tied to the renewal of a student group’s MoA, the document which governs the group’s relationship with the administration.

The MoA covers issues such as insurance, office space, and the collection of student fees.

Unlike most student groups, which receive their fees

through the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), ISGs are financially autonomous. The administration therefore collects student fees on behalf of the group, as established in their MoA. This arrangement affects five ISGs—the DPS, the Tribune Publications Society, Radio CKUT, the Legal Information Clinic (LIC), and the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG).

“The logic is that we actually have three parties here—we have the university, we have the student body, and we have an independent group, which exists only if the student body wants it to exist,” Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson said.

“The university is asked to enter into an agreement, take money out of the pockets of students, and hand it to the independent group.”

According to Mendelson, the current system came into practice following several incidences where the administration was asked to mediate issues between students and ISGs. In 1995, for example, SSMU attempted to run a referendum to lobby the administration to cut the DPS’s student fee, after councillors expressed concerns about the ability of students to participate in the DPS. However, the DPS successfully had the results invalidated by the SSMU Judicial Board.

Mendelson said tension also emerged over the structure and management of CKUT, leading some to question the

role of the radio station in relation to the student body. According to a document from the Office of the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) voiced concerns about CKUT’s structure when its MoA was brought to them for approval in 2001, citing the fact that only four of 12 members on the CKUT Board of Directors were McGill students.

“The university reflected that there was no mechanism in place to know whether the activity still had student support for it to continue on campus,” the document reads.

Following these concerns and negotiations, CKUT ran McGill’s first existence referendum in the Winter 2006 semester. Since then, the administration has required all five ISGs that collect student fees to run existence referenda every five years, before the university renews their MoA. According to Mendelson, this time frame was implemented so that students have the opportunity to vote on most organizations’ existence during their time at McGill.

Mendelson said he does not know why the BoG did not propose existence referenda prior to 2006.

“The Board of Governors changes and the notions of accountability change,” he said.

Referenda across Canada Across Canada, universities’ referendum systems vary.

Concordia University, Simon Fraser University (SFU), and Queen’s University each require

referenda for student groups to establish fee levies. However, none of these their administrations require groups to run referenda at set intervals. The University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia were not available for comment.

Student groups across Canada have faced referenda on whether students wish to remove their student fees. In 2008, students at the University of Waterloo voted to stop paying a mandatory fee for CKMS radio station. However, this referendum was initiated by the students’ council, and was not the result of a regular system like McGill’s.

Mendelson emphasized the relative novelity of McGill system’s when comparing it to other universities.

“It’s very possible that other universities may move in this direction,” he said. “Regardless, we feel that our process safeguards the interests of students at McGill.”

At SFU and Concordia, a group must establish a fee levy in a referendum, but groups are not required to run referenda to renew student support. Tim Rahilly, associate vice-president of students at SFU, said existing fees for independent student groups can be cancelled through student-initiated referenda.

“SFU’s system does not provide a mechanism requiring a new mandate from the student body, but does require a concerted effort by a group of students who might want to stop paying to support one of the organizations funded by student

Curiosity delivers. | levy,” Rahilly told the Tribune.

According to Mendelson, differences between referenda systems at universities probably come from provincial legislation, and different arrangements between administrations and student groups.

“I don’t know whether other universities in Quebec have the kind of arrangements that we have with our independent student groups,” he said.

“Our arrangements with student associations pre-date the law for the accreditation of student associations, so we’ve been doing this for many, many years.”

Like McGill, Queen’s University has a referendum system where student groups must renew their student fees. However, this “triennial review” is implemented and conducted by its student government, the Alma Mater Society (AMS).

“The entire referendum process and all of its rules and procedures are governed by the AMS,” AMS President Doug Johnson said. “The university does not have much say in how that works.”

The system at Queen’s also affects far more student groups than McGill’s. In the 2012 Winter Semester, 22 student groups ran referenda renewing their fees, and three of these failed.

Allison Cooper, SSMU vice-president clubs and services, said she does not think SSMU has ever considered

running existence referenda for student clubs. She explained that she does not support the administration’s requirement that ISGs prove that students support them every five years, because referenda require a lot of money and effort on the part of student groups.

“Students [should be able to] bring an existence question to the table if they feel it is necessary, but I think having it as a default ... should not be the case,” she said.

According to Cooper, referendum costs include the use of online voting software, staff salaries, and up to $300 in campaigning costs for each ‘yes’ and ‘no’ committee.

Negotiations over graduate students’ votes in referenda While referenda affect all students, not every student is allowed to vote in McGill existence referenda. Jonathan Mooney, secretary-general of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), has talked with Mendelson about the inability of PGSS members to vote in existence referenda that are run through Elections SSMU, even though the results often affect PGSS student fees too.

“The decision on the part of the university to either continue or cease to collect the fees levied by an independent student group on postgraduate students should not be based on

NEWS

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

a referendum of exclusively undergraduate students,” he said.

Graduate students pay fees for four ISGs—the DPS, CKUT, QPIRG, and the LIC. Mooney said this issue came to his attention after examining the LIC’s 2009 existence referendum, which was run through Elections SSMU. Mendelson described this issue as a “shortcoming” in the referendum process, and said he is unsure of how it came about.

“In the past, what had happened, I believe, [was] that the undergraduates were polled and the graduate students were okay with the results,” he said. “So you could imagine that [PGSS would] say ‘well, there are so many undergraduates that have given support, and as a student body we don’t expect that we would have a different result.’ ” According to Mendelson, resolving the issue would be complicated. For example, someone would have to determine if both PGSS and SSMU would have to pass referenda, or if the result would be determined from their combined votes. He said he is willing to have conversations with PGSS about the issue.

Mendelson added that nothing currently stops ISGs from polling both undergraduate and graduate students. To do so, however, groups have to either run their question independently of SSMU or PGSS—

which means the group would bear the costs—or have separate questions run through PGSS and SSMU simultaneously.

Next winter, the DPS will run an independent referendum that will poll both undergraduates and graduates combined.

DPS Chair Sheehan Moore said the DPS felt this was the fairest way to run their referendum.

“I’m aware that the administration is willing to accept the results of questions that not all members have been polled for,” Moore said. “For me, this willingness raises some serious questions about their claim that existence referenda are all about democracy and accountability.”

Mooney said he is confident that the current system comes from “a legitimate interest in assuring accountability.”

He expressed optimism that the involved groups can work together in the future to improve the system.

“I believe accountability may be ensured in multiple ways via the MoA—for example, requiring that bylaws ensure sufficient student member participation in the group’s governance,” he said. “PGSS could certainly work with SSMU, the incoming Deputy Provost, and the Independent Student Groups to explore alternate mechanisms that consider the concerns of the Independent Student Groups while preserving accountability for students.”

Timeline A brief history of existence referenda at McGill McGill begins formal MoAs with student groups.

1986

A SSMU referendum attempts to eliminate the DPS fee. The Judicial Board invalidates the results.

1995

2001

2006

CKUT’s MoA is presented to the Board of Governors for renewal. The BoG raises concerns about CKUT’s role on campus, and about whether McGill students continue to support the group.

9

The first existence referendum takes place at McGill (for CKUT).

10

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

NEWS ANALYSIS

The march of history: students on the move

A reflection on the Quebec student movement and what it meant for Quebec Carolina Millán Ronchetti Managing Editor 2012 was a tumultuous year for Quebec students. Over the course of the year, hundreds of thousands mobilized in opposition to the former Liberal government’s proposed tuition increases of $1,625 over five years. Following an election almost four months ago, the newly-elected Parti Québécois (PQ) government announced a tuition freeze. As the province prepares for the education summits, planned by the PQ for February, the Tribune looks back on the student movement and its impacts.

Themes of the student movement The student movement first made headlines following a national protest on Nov. 10, 2011 that brought over 30,000 people to the streets. In February, student associations from Cégeps and universities across Quebec voted to go on an ‘unlimited student strike’—renewable through weekly votes in general assemblies—in which students did not attend classes to protest fee increases. A national protest on March 22 drew an estimated 200,000 people to march through the streets of Montreal.

According to Radio-Canada, by March 22, over 300,000 students were estimated to have been on strike. In the ensuing weeks, students organized nearly daily demonstrations, which often resulted in violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police.

At a panel reflecting on the

student movement, organized by the Commission des Affaires Francophones (CAF) on Nov. 23, McGill Assistant Professor of Sociology Marcos Ancelovici noted that the student movement emerged out of the context of other recent social movements around the world—from Occupy to calls for democracy in the Arab Spring.

“Something we can see in particular is that, generally, these movements—in Quebec, Chile, Spain, Greece, and even in Egypt and Tunisia—are movements by the middle class,” Ancelovici said in French. “They are not workers’ movements.

They are middle class movements, which mobilize a wide range of people with the common point being the debt of the middle class, and the downgrading of the economic situation.”

In May, as a result of the ongoing violent encounters between riot police and demonstrators, the National Assembly of Quebec passed an emergency law, Bill 78, which restricted protests near university grounds, and required organizers of protests comprising of more than 50 people to submit a proposal of their route to the Montreal police. Bill 78 was broadly criticized and triggered widespread nightly protests, during which citizens banged pots and pans to show their disapproval.

“The movement was very fluid, and we saw with the passage of Bill 78 and the Casseroles [pots and pans] movement that it went from being a student movement, to a citizen movement,” Angelovici said.

Students march through the streets of Montreal against tuition increases. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune) “The morphology of the mobilization changed. There was much dynamism. Notably, a lot of people who are not associated with a student federation, and were part of smaller collectives, or were not affiliated, still organized to participate in the protests. They were part of the movement.”

A decentralized movement Notably, the student movement was not led by a single organization, but rather by a coalition of different student associations.

“The student movement is interesting because it is not monolithic, but rather, it’s composed [of] the Federation Étudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), the Féderation Étudiante Collegiale du Québec (FECQ), and the Coalition Large de l’Association pour un Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (CLASSE),” Angelovici said.

“These are different organizations with different ideologies, different preferences in terms of techniques, and different political support.”

Martine Desjardins, president of the FEUQ, noted that a

decentralized movement posed challenges, particularly at the negotiation table with the provincial government.

“It was a challenge every day to keep up this united front, because of course, there’s a lot of ideology when you’re talking with student associations, and we don’t [all] have the same ideology,” Desjardins said. “When you’re fighting for something, you need to have a common objective, and this is probably the most difficult part.”

Assessing the student movement According to the leaders of the main student associations, the movement was a success.

“The aim of the strike was achieved,” said Jérémie BédardWien, spokesperson for the Association pour un Solidarité Syndicale (ASSÉ). “We managed to bring down tuition hikes, we managed to bring down Bill 78, we forced an election, and we forced a minister to resign—all because of the historic mobilization of hundreds of thousands. For the first time for our generation, we realized that we had political power, and

Curiosity delivers. | we applied it during this movement.”

However, Desjardins said that student federations must continue to lobby the government.

“We made many gains last year, but we still are looking at other things,” she said. “We’re still working to represent [international students] because we want … [to make sure] that they won’t be paying for the tuition fee hikes cancellation. We’re also looking into the governance and the financing of universities” At the CAF event, Germain Belzile, research director at the Montreal Economic Institute, noted that the paralysis of the downtown area was an important effect of the movement.

According to Belzile, the Université de Québec à Montréal spent over 20 million dollars in security measures and the city spent over 20 million dollars on police fees.

“We haven’t included private costs, like that of restaurant owners who have lost money, or maids who lost their job because downtown hotels were empty,” he said in French. “I’m under the impression that we’re approaching 100 million dollars in costs.”

McGill and the student movement Despite the widespread student mobilization in the province, the majority of McGill students were not involved in the student movement. Although McGill’s Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) held a vote to strike last March, students voted against the motion. However, some of the smaller student associations at McGill voted in favour of an unlimited strike, such as the faculty of social work and departmental associations such

as the English and philosophy associations.

“It’s difficult to say why McGill students were [less involved], although some possible reasons include the socioeconomic origin of most students [and] the geographic origin, as there are many foreign students,” Angelovici said in French. “Many professors at McGill, even in sociology, political science, and history, declared themselves in favour of the increase. The administration was quite repressive when it came to the student mobilizations, most of which were related to McGill issues, but this limited the space for students to organize.”

Mary Anne Poutanen, a Quebec history professor at both McGill and Concordia, commented on how the university administrations approached the movement. “[At Concordia] we got messages from the administration that showed empathy [and] understanding for those who were not going to class,” she said. “[At McGill], there was certainly no solidarity from administrators. Concordia changed the date...and waved the fee for late submissions. That’s a very different approach.” Éliane Laberge, president of the FECQ, suggested that anglophone and francophone students’ differing perceptions of the strike may explain the disinterest of the majority of McGill students.

“For the movement to be effective, it’s important that the cause touch one personally,” she said in French. “For students in francophone universities, the cause is more personal—it directly affects what they are living through.”

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), first

NEWS

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

passed a mandate to promote accessible education in a GA in 2007, and renewed the mandate last Fall. SSMU provided information and promoted participation in the marches.

“SSMU’s efforts did an important job of providing information to students from outside of Quebec who didn’t know much about student strikes, and also were a source of information in English,” SSMU VP External Robin Reid-Fraser said.

The election of the PQ and the student movement For Laberge, the election of the PQ minority government was a positive step in achieving the movement’s aims to keep education accessible.

“The fact that the PQ has been so fast in its decisions to cancel the tuition hike and organize the summit is because of our presence last spring,” Laberge said.

Bédard-Wien expressed more uncertainty regarding the PQ’s interest in pursuing policies in the future that promote accessible education.

“Currently, the PQ seems to be a little afraid of us,” he said.

“It wants to solve this question as soon as possible, and is organizing an education summit. ...

And I’d say, quite frankly, ASSÉ is quite skeptical of this process, and will not hesitate to resort to more effective tactics in order to make its points and make its demands translate into policy.”

Laberge noted that the education summit is an exciting opportunity for students to play a role in policy-making.

“The fact that the PQ members are more open to discussion, and that they are organizing this summit, has changed the way that we are going to continue … working towards

11

better accessibility of studies [and a] better education system,” Laberge said. “For [once], we’re not going to be against something; we are going to be a part of the construction of something.”

Effects on Quebec society at large Laberge said she was impressed by how the movement grew to involve people outside the scope of student federations.

“People started to organize themselves to protest, not only in Montreal, but in other cities,” she said. “Of course it’s good to have a national platform which is more concrete [and] led by a big organization, but it’s a really good thing… to know that people can change something by themselves and [by] working with people around them. They don’t need a leader for that.”

Belzile noted that the student movement may have longterm repercussions on Quebec’s economy.

“The government has to make decisions [about funding], but the door is closed on the issue of raising tuition fees as a result of the societal pressure,” he said in French. “What we’ll have to do now is probably increase taxes, with the consequence that people will leave Quebec.”

Bédard-Wien pointed to how the student strike politically engaged Quebec youth.

“The strike had the effect of radicalizing and politicizing an entire generation of students, and providing a space for the population to organize politically outside of the tired structures of parliamentary democracy,” he said. “These are incredibly important victories, whose effects we will see in the coming few months and years.”

12 W

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

Exclusive interview with

Martha Hall Findlay

ith the race for the Liberal Party of Canada leadership in full swing, Martha Hall Findlay has been considered one of the main contenders for the position.

The McGill Tribune spoke to Hall Findlay, a former Toronto Member of Parliament, about her vision for the Liberals, her campaign, and the Quebec student movement.

McGill Tribune: In the last federal election, the Liberal Party became the third-place party for the first time in Canadian history. What does the Liberal Party need to do to regain momentum in Canada?

Martha Hall Findlay: I believe very strongly that by the last election, a large number of Canadians weren’t sure of what the Liberal Party stood for any more .…

We need to be very clear about our positions that reflect economic responsibility, economic intelligence, and fiscal prudence. We need to be very clear about whether we’re willing to take on the world and embrace the global economic opportunity, as opposed to hiding from it, and we need to be very clear on the social justice and social policy issues that make us Liberal, such as equality of opportunity.

MT: Justin Trudeau has been described as a candidate that appeals to younger voters. What ideas do you bring to the table to engage the youth of Canada?

MHF: That’s a very interesting question. Especially given the large number of [young] people we have on our campaign, I know that they say ‘just because we’re young, doesn’t mean we want somebody

young. It doesn’t mean we don’t look in our leadership for substance or experience’ .… I think a lot of people relate to people who have experience that they can identify with.

So for me in particular, the only way I was able to get through university and law school was through student loans and grants.

It took me a long time to pay them off, but it was an investment in my future. I was incredibly lucky to have access to loans and grants, so that I could pursue my studies, but that is a tough thing to do, and you end up having to work through school to be able to get that financial assistance, while also knowing that in the years to come, you have to repay it, it’s not free. … That kind of experience is incredibly valuable in terms of people understanding what you understand. I think people really appreciate having a leadership that understands what they’re going through.

“I think a lot of people relate to people who have experience that they can identify with.”

MT: You ran for the leadership of the party in 2006. What will be different about this campaign?

MHF: Hah. Well, I have more wrinkles. Lots more. [Laughter] I am six years older. Certainly since then, I’ve been elected twice, and in my case, held four different cabinet positions, which have added tremendously to my own experience— especially political experience. I’ve learned a lot in that regard. It was

(Courtesy of Martha Hall Findlay) a much longer campaign; it was 10 months. That length of time [allowed] me to… travel across the country, which was absolutely extraordinary. This one is shorter, so we have to run a bit of a different campaign. Because of improvements in technology in the past six years … [we hope to use] technology and social media to great effect. That’s something that, given the talent of our campaign people, we’ll be doing a lot more.

MT: One of the main issues in Quebec and on the McGill campus in the past few months was that of tuition increases, leading to wide participation on the student movement. What are your thoughts on that issue and the subsequent government reaction?

MHF: Quebec is facing some challenging economic times for sure, and a lot of people are having to cut back, a lot of people are

having to make do. I would love it if the government had engaged the students in a discussion early on about what those challenges are, how the students can participate in dealing with larger provincial issues. I firmly believe, that when you ask people—when you explain the challenges facing the whole community—and ask for their advice on how to help, and how to work through that, that would have been fantastic. That would have been a very interesting discussion with a lot of the students—to talk about what role tuition plays in the overall fiscal situation in the province.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t done, and we saw the reaction. I felt very strongly about the law restricting protests—I thought that was a mistake. I’m a big supporter of freedom of speech.

—This interview was edited and condensed by Carolina Millán Ronchetti.

opinion editorial

Protocol on Demonstrations has no place on our campus

Last Friday, McGill released the first draft of its Protocol on Demonstrations, Protests, and Occupations. Following a period of consultation with the McGill community, it will be presented to Senate for approval on Jan. 23. With the exception of a few minor changes, the draft protocol is identical to the Provisional Protocol on Demonstrations that we called on the administration to remove in our Oct. 16 editorial. We are dismayed to see a document stifling free speech on campus now on its way to permanence.

The following paragraph is the most troubling to this editorial board: “The more intense (in terms of degree of inconvenience to normal University activities, number of participants, level of noise, tone of discourse, level of anger expressed, etc.), and/or the more deliberately disruptive, and/or the longer (in terms of duration of inconvenience), and/or the more unsuited the location to the size of the assembly, protest or demonstration, the greater the likelihood that it will be deemed not to be peaceful.”

Vague, unquantifiable terms like “intensity” and “intentionality” give the university far too much discretion in branding a particular protest “not peaceful.” They give the administration nearly free reign to decide what kind of protest it wishes to permit, and which it does not. Such broad terms, which could potentially deny a

fundamental freedom, are unacceptable.

In addition, a protest that does not “permit the conduct of University activities” can similarly be deemed “not peaceful.”

The latter stipulation fails to acknowledge the point of civil disobedience: successful protests hinge on the inconvenience they cause. As a community, we must place enough value on freedom of speech to accept a certain level of inconvenience.

This value is not reflected in the protocol.

Despite months of community input on the subject via Manfredi’s Open Forum, this document is almost identical to the initial Provisional Protocol.

It seems that the university’s apparent readiness to reconcile differing viewpoints was purely tokenistic, and that their plan was to institute the original, repressive protocol all along. It’s just as unlikely that emails to protocol.comment@mcgill.ca, a confidential account set up by the administration to receive community input, will have any greater effect.

It’s instructive to consider the context under which the provisional protocol in question was drafted. It was established by the administration in response to the occupation of the James Administration Building in early February. It was intended—ostensibly—to prevent future, similar demonstrations from interfering with the university’s business. It was not drafted in collaboration

with staff, students, and faculty, with the purpose of determining the kind of space we collectively want to make for protest on our campus. Rather, its origins as a device to “[safeguard] other core institutional objectives” mean it could never achieve balance and neutrality.

“We are dismayed to see a provisional document that we found to be stifling of free speech on campus now on its way to permanence.”

Because the Code of Student Conduct already outlines what is acceptable behaviour on campus, and effectively deals with protest action, we don’t see a need for a protocol on demonstrations. This protocol should not be instituted. As a place that values—and encourages—the expression of differing viewpoints and peaceful dissent, our campus should provide more freedom than the outside world, not less.

This document has not yet been approved. At this stage, it’s still a draft awaiting the McGill community’s feedback, and the consultation period runs until Jan. 7. However, we’ve lost faith in the administration’s genuine interest in student consultation, and are wary of the confidential email address provided.

Clearly, stronger action is needed. Next month, the Protocol will go before Senate. We call upon all at McGill to voice their concerns directly to members of Senate, and have listed the names of student representatives to Senate below.

The severity of this issue cannot go understated. Peacefully assembly and protests are among the final channels of recourse available to students, when all other lines of communication prove ineffective—as they have just this week­. This protocol, if passed, would severely limit such action. We understand, and appreciate, that students have different viewpoints on many issues. This is one issue, however, that demands unified opposition, and all members of the McGill community need to stand together and prevent the passage of this protocol.

The following are student representatives to Senate: George Azmy (Engineering), Stephanie Bachelet (Law), Laurence Belanger (Medicine), Andrew Boudreau (Music), Nikhil Srinidhi (Engineering), Haley Dinel (SSMU VP University Affairs), Rodrigo Espinosa (Arts), Jimmy Gutman (Arts), Shannon Herrick (Science), Moe Nasr (Science), Josh Redel (SSMU President), Avi Rush (Mangement), Max Zidel (Arts). A more comprehensive list of all Senators, and their contact information, is available on our website.

14

columnists issue. However, being emotionally affected to the point of wanting to share the video over social media is another story.

The hybrid public-private nature of social media allows users to craft an idealized version of themselves for the consumption of their ‘friends.’ Posting and tweeting about an activist campaign can be an attempt to look both caring and ‘socially conscious’ in front of peers. Because the interest in the underlying issue to the person is fleeting and ephemeral, finding where the reality differs from the call to activism is almost irrelevant.

Crowdsourced canards

Social media and the spread of falsehood

media makes the flow

Abraham Moussako

Commentary

Over the past decade, the entire concept of social media has gone beyond the province of futurists and patent offices, to become a real and tangible part of our lives. Just as quickly, it has grown to be a trusted source of information for many.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that more than half of Americans now get at least some of their news from social networking sites.

Some of this news is misleading, but the spread of bad information on social media is not limited to outright falsehood. More common is the sort that incites the viewer to action without context: the ‘illconsidered activism campaign.’

Quite a few of these have gained steam on social media over the years, but the most visible of all was the Kony 2012 campaign.

Produced by the charity Invis-

“The nature of social of information almost

ible Children, the video called for the “stopping” of Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony, and reached 100 million YouTube views in a record-breaking six days last March. It was swiftly criticized by those who had actually been following the situation in Central Africa—not just because of its lack of nuance, but also because it ignored basic facts about Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army—such as stating they were in Uganda, when they were not.

Why the video grabbed people’s attention better than less slickly produced treatments of central African civil wars is not hard to understand. The type of person who will respond and be provoked to action by an emotionally-wrenching web video is probably not the same sort of person who will respond to an Economist piece on the

frictionless after a certain threshold of attention, regardless of the veracity of the information.”

Another, more serious instance of the ‘crowdsourced canard’ was the spread of fake photos and news during Superstorm Sandy back in late October. Some of these included shots showing the hurricane violently bearing down on the Statue of Liberty. Even mainstream media got in on the act, reporting all manner of falsehoods: from trapped utility workers, to three feet of water on the trading floor of New York Stock Exchange. As with the photos, all of these reports spawned from social media.

Follow us on Twitter! @mcgill_tribune

The problem, in this case, was twofold. When it came to the pictures being shared online, it seemed that whether the photo was true or not did not matter as much as long as it was an attention-grabbing image.

The fake reports are particularly troubling. The original claim of flooding at the NYSE originated from a facetious, or ‘troll,’ twitter handle. Once the news of flooding reached lowlevel journalists, however, it was stripped of that context—to the point that CNN, one of the media outlets that reported it as fact, could only trace it back to a National Weather Service messageboard. The ‘report’ came to take a life apart from its ‘reporter,’ until the most prominent media outlets that ran with the unverified information were left holding the bag.

Is there anything that can be done to stem this flow of falsehood? Probably not. The nature of social media makes the flow of information almost frictionless after a certain threshold of attention, regardless of the veracity of the information. Perhaps the only comfort we can take from this new media reality is this frictionless flow of information; the fact-checks of both Kony 2012 and the falsehoods of Superstorm Sandy were also incited by social media. Instead of pining for a time past when the media landscape had more gatekeepers, we should look both to ourselves—the users of social media—and to the legacy media, to exercise better judgment when passing along information on these platforms.

East to West Ben Carter-Whitney Commentary

Two notable Liberal missteps in the past couple of weeks have enflamed regional tensions in Canada. First, MP David McGuinty apologized and resigned from his post as natural resource critic, after suggesting that Conservative MPs with regionally-based views on energy policy should “go back to Alberta.” Shortly thereafter, Justin Trudeau’s similarly disparaging comments from 2010, which pointed the finger at “Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda,” resurfaced.

Though Trudeau promptly issued an apology, all of the comments in question— and the reactions they elicited— demonstrate a willingness by politicians to play up ‘East-West enmity.’ If continued, this rhetoric will certainly prove harmful to Canada’s national unity and democratic effectiveness.

Party politics in Canada, though not as polarized as in the United States, have long been a vicious game, and parties are relentless in their attacks across

the aisle. While the nature of our multi-party system somewhat tempers this, the influence and tactics of American politics continue to bleed into our political culture. We’ve seen this recently in Justin Trudeau’s consultations with Obama advisor Mitch Stewart, and in the increased presence of overtly partisan media outlets, such as those under the Sun Media umbrella, often referred to by critics as ‘Fox North’.

The divide between East and West in Canada is nothing new, either. Its defining moment came with Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s National Energy Program (NEP) in 1980. Intended to help the struggling East by regulating oil prices, the economic meltdown that it caused in the West resulted in immense cross-country hostilities. The West’s subsequent caustic slogan, “Let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark,” is a telling indicator of attitudes at the time.

If the comments in dispute seem to point to continuing fric-

tion today, the Conservatives’ responses to them only affirm this tension. Even the Prime Minster joined the pile-on, declaring it “shameful that 30 years after the National Energy Program, these anti-Alberta attitudes are still close to the surface in the Liberal Party.”

In reality, a certain amount of regional party divide is natural. The purpose of parties is to value the priorities of their constituents, of which will align better with the experiences and interests of certain regions than others. As such, Alberta’s alignment primarily with the federal Conservative party isn’t entirely unfounded nor is it the source of impropriety here. What’s problematic is that members of the Opposition propagate a view of Alberta or ‘the West’ as their adversary. Likewise, responses to this—that paint the entire East as resentful of Alberta’s oil wealth and seeking to disadvantage the West—are both misguided and misleading to voters on both sides.

Canada is a federalist nation, whose leaders are elected from provinces each possessing a level of individual autonomy and competing values and interests. This makes it even more imperative for the role of federal representatives to be to unite the country by its common interests, not to divide. This is not just a matter of political principle, but of federal well-being.

At its core, the message propagated here is not just that certain parties only represent the interests of certain regions, but that they actively pursue policy detrimental to other regions. If people were to take this message to heart, and vote solely based on understood regional divides, the issues would no longer matter. Elections would essentially become a foregone conclusion, with the winner being which-

ever party most successfully instills the electorate’s mistrust in their opponents.

Parties would no longer be held to the same level of accountability by the electorate, nor would they have any real desire to accommodate to the needs of regions that did not elect them. Assessments of regional estrangement would quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. At best, this amounts to a huge obstacle to electoral legitimacy; at worst it, it would amount to a total circumvention of democracy. In any case, it is not an acceptable outcome.

Political leaders of all

“All of the comments in question—and the reactions they elicited—demonstrate a willingness by politicians to play up ‘East-West enmity.’ If continued, this rhetoric will certainly prove harmful to Canada’s national unity and democratic effectiveness.” stripes need to step up, take accountability when they speak rashly on such matters, and behave graciously when their opponents do the same. Most of all, they need to stop pitting Canadians against one another.

Partisanship and posturing have their place and time; but these must ultimately take a backseat to the ongoing sustenance of a united, healthy Canada.

16

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

opinion

| Curiosity delivers.

Tribune

Holiday

Wishlist

Heather Munroe-Blum wants to bring back “the warmth. The happiness.”

The Tribune wants the Protocol on Demonstrations, Protests, and Occupations removed immediately.

The Tribune also wants a $500,000 loan at one per cent interest. (You don’t need to know what it’s for.)

The AUS wants more students to attend its next General Assembly.

McGill Students want to know what the wooden structure outside FDA is for.

Arts Students want an Indigenous Studies Minor.

Rob Ford wants his job back.

Mitt Romney wants more binders.

Joe Biden wants a “bunch of stuff.”

Stephen Harper wants a pair of overalls just like the Biebs’.

We all want more acronyms on campus (WAWMAOC)

Josh Redel wants more ‘mood watchers’ at his next General Assembly.

The Bull and Bear doesn’t want to have to remove another article or photo.

The Daily wants to exist. (We want them to exist, too.)

McGill Football wants Bishop’s to continue using illegal players.

Joe Schwartz wants you to buy his new book.

John White and David Goltzman want you to take your vitamin D. The Tribune wants a crossword constructor.

Arts&Entertainment wants Les Mis to be released.

Daniel Day-Lewis wants the Academy to stop wasting time and give him his Oscar already.

A huge thank-you to all of our columnists this semester: Justin Berot-Burns, Ben Carter-Whitney, Joshua Freedman,Tiffany Lam, Abraham Moussako, Swathi Sadogopan, Meghan Sauer, and Cedric Smith Couldn’t have done it without you!

Student living

up close and personal

McGill Compliments sweeping campus

A look into the origins of the university Facebook phenomenon Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor McGill Compliments is a new Facebook account that is quickly joining many McGill students’ friend lists. McGill Compliments provides a safe, anonymous outlet for McGill students to do just that: compliment one another. Through private inbox messages that get posted by the McGill Compliments profile creator, and tagged by whoever happens to know the recipient, McGillians are sharing the love.

It’s based on the premise that we all like a compliment, but don’t always take the time to show our gratitude to those we value most. The Tribune sat down with the mind that brought the compliments movement to McGill to talk about the recent phenomenon.

McGill Tribune: So what is the basic idea behind ‘McGill Compliments?’

McGill Compliments: I feel like everyone needs to hear good things every once in a while, and I don’t think there’s enough positivity on campus ….This is just an outlet for people to tell others, without the possibility of judgement, what they think of them ... whether they’re your best friend … or whether you’ve never talked to them before.... The basic idea is just [to] spread positivity, without judgement, and [to create] a network on campus where every student feels connected to each other—because we’re all McGillians. It’s a form of school

spirit, I guess.

MT: Other schools like Queen’s have profiles as well.

Do you know where this idea came from?

MC: It started at Queen’s, I believe [in September]. I think [McGill] was the seventh or eighth school to get in on it.

Now there are 50 plus, since [November 14th], when I made it. So yeah, it’s [become] pretty viral. It’s been awesome.

MT: How did you first hear about this movement?

MC: My friend at Columbia.

At that time, I think five other schools had profiles like that, and I thought, ‘this is awesome, it needs to be at McGill,’ [so] I did it.

MT: Are you in contact with the people who run the profiles for other schools, or are they all independent of each other?

MC: Queen’s actually made a group around a week ago. Just a university Compliments group for all the profiles to join. It’s a private group where we collaborate; if we have questions about how to deal with Facebook’s stupid automated security system—[which] often designates us as spammers—and things like that. We’re currently forming a petition to send to Facebook to stop the threat of bans, because some of us are unable to send friend requests. We also share ideas for other things outside of Facebook. I think Princeton just organized a Secret Santa across campus, and Berkeley is doing some cool things too.

MT: How are you dealing with

the problems you’re running into with Facebook?

MC: I’m not too worried about it …. I think that Facebook wouldn’t do anything, because this is pretty viral. ... Time magazine recently wrote an article about the whole compliments movement. I think it [makes] Facebook a positive forum for output like this, when often, [there are only] Facebook fights.

MT: Are you the only running the profile? Do you see it growing to the point where you have to bring in help?

MC: I see myself doing that very soon in fact. Two thousand friends was my benchmark, and now I’m at [about] eighteen hundred. Especially with finals coming up and stuff, most of the other schools now have two to four people running [their pages].

MT: How much time do you typically spend in a day working on it?

MC: It’s hard to say …. I have my iPhone with me everywhere, so every time [a compliment] comes in … while I’m doing something else, I just open it, read it, make sure it’s okay, and [post it]. I’d say I do it all day, [but I’m] multi-tasking.

MT: Anonymity can sometimes be a dangerous thing on the internet; have you encountered any problems with content since you’ve been posting?

MC: Actually, people have been really good. I’ve only had six posts out of [about] 500 that I’ve deemed [inappropriate] to post. Everyone else has been

(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

taking it really seriously—genuinely. It’s good to see.

MT: What’s your favourite part of running McGill Compliments?

MC: Just seeing all the reactions and reading these messages and seeing all the love ....

People don’t often take the time to tell other people [how] they feel about them. This just gives an outlet for them to do that, a purpose to do it rather than just out of the blue. I find compliments mean more when there’s no face behind them, in fact, because there’s no secondary purpose. It shows that they really think that way, because they’re not getting anything out of it. send your compliment to www.facebook.com/mcgill. compliments?fref=ts

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

STUDENT LIVING

| Curiosity delivers.

student week of the

Q: What word or phrase do you overuse?

A: I get a lot of flack for using the word ‘primo,’ which is a way to say ‘awesome.’

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?

A: When people drag their feet when they walk.

Q: What’s your secret talent?

A: I can throw a deck of cards across a room without a box or rubber band, and have them stay together.

You bend down the corners and the sides, so it takes all the air out of the deck. So if you throw it [at the right angle], you can throw it [across] long distances. It’s a great party trick.

Q: Name a holiday movie you watch every year.

A: I can’t say I watch holiday movies every year …. I like It’s a Wonderful Life.

JON COHEN U3 HONOURS HISTORY (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)

nominate a student of the week!

Email us at studentliving@ mcgilltribune. com

Q: What’s one place in Montreal you think everyone should visit?

A: Cheskie’s Bakery is up at Bernard and Parc. They have these amazing sprinkle cookies. It’s up farther than a lot of McGill students would ever venture, especially when it gets cold, but it’s definitely worth the walk.

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

A: Someone said ‘don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.’

Which is a nice thing that I definitely don’t live by as often as I should.

Q: What’s your dream job?

A: Professor of American History.

That might change, but that’s where I’m pointing myself for the future.

Q: I’ve been told you’ve written papers and travelled to give talks about Bruce Springsteen.

How did that come about?

A: I really like Bruce Springsteen.

Something was bothering me about one of his songs, this narrative dysfunction in some of his lyrics. My dad’s an academic, so probably [those genes] drove me to write an essay, which I eventually sent out to a few authors who I thought would be interested in the subject to get their feedback. One of them invited me to a conference to speak last October, and I did. He kind of introduced me to this whole world of academics who also like Bruce Springsteen, and relate their academia to Springsteen’s work specifically, and its context in twentieth century America and its literary meaning.

It’s a really awesome community, and it’s something that more than anything I feel comfortable writing about and I enjoy writing about. Obviously, when you can go to a concert and that counts as fieldwork, that’s really cool.

Q: What’s your favourite Bruce Springsteen song?

A: That’s like asking me to pick my favourite child.

Q: You’re the President and captain of the Quidditch team. what are the best and worst parts?

A: There’s no better feeling than when you’re losing by a couple of points, and then you snatch a snitch to win the game. The worst part: our placement in Montreal isn’t ideal.

There’s a Quidditch hub in the Boston area, and in New York. There’s an emerging scene in Ottawa, but

with Jacqui Galbraith

[we’re] just far enough away that it’s a bit of an inconvenience to get there. So as President, I’ve had to deal with the logistics of getting buses to get to specific tournaments.

It’s not fun work, but someone has to do it, and after three years on the team, I was in the best position to do it.

Q: You’ve also been a floor fellow for a few years. Can you talk about how that experience has been?

A: I’ve been a floor fellow for two years, and I’m now the assistant director at New Rez. I’ve been at New Rez all three years. I had a great experience in rez my first year [at Carrefour Sherbrooke], and really like the community and opportunities of living in residence. I really relish the responsibility to successfully guide 50 first-years through what certainly can be a difficult experience. The hope is [that], at some point, I’m able to make it stop being [difficult], and make a successful [experience] that leads to four years of happiness [at McGill].

Q: What are the best and worst parts of the job?

A: The worst part is [when people get sick]. I’ve gotten used to it. The best parts overshadow the worst parts though. And that’s the opportunity to guide these students through their first year experiences, and put them on a road of academic success and extracurricular involvement. That’s what I think McGill has to offer; obviously, there’s always time for fun and there always should be. That’s definitely what first year is.

And there’s no better feeling in the world than when you solve a roommate conflict.

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

19

pro tips

Christmas time in the city

The Tribune guides you through the ‘holliest, jolliest’ parts of Montreal Natassja Di Battista Contributor Once the first snowflakes start falling, we know that winter is officially here. And with winter comes hot chocolate, and cozy blankets. When we bring out the word ‘holiday,’ it also means decorating, baking, and lots of eggnog. That’s right, it’s time to get excited! Even though you’re going to be stressing for finals—it’s inevitable—make sure that you take some time to relax, to give yourself a break, and get into the holiday spirit.

There are tons of must-see attractions around the city that are guaranteed to take your mind off of school. So grab your tacky sweaters, your mittens, and enjoy the best of Montreal’s Christmas attractions.

Ice Skating: A timeless classic that most of us learned when we were little is now an exhilarating study break. Montreal has a few outdoor skating rinks, but Beaver Lake and Bonsecours Basin come highly recommended. Beaver Lake is located on the west side of Mount Royal, and is a favourite among many.

Admission is free, and if you don’t have your own skates, you can rent a pair for seven dollars. Bonsecours Basin sits in the heart of Old Port and boasts amazing views of the city. Admission and skate rental cost about $12 in all. Both rinks are open seven days a week, but hours of admission vary. Check online for more details, as well as information on directions and

special theme nights.

Fireworks: Telus presents Fire on Ice: a breathtaking annual fireworks display in the Old Port. Each Saturday night in December fireworks are shot over the St. Lawrence River at 8:00 p.m., creating an amazing spectacle of pyrotechnics. On New Year’s Eve, the display coincides with the midnight countdown. The event is free; all you have to do is get there early for a good spot.

The closest metro stop is Placed’Armes, but check online for other viewing locations.

The Nutcracker: The classic story of Clara, her nutcracker, and their fantastic journey is being performed

by Les Grands Ballet throughout the month of December. Performances will be taking place at Place des Arts starting December 13 through 30 on various days, alternating between 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. showings.

Tickets start at $41, and are available through grandsballets. com. Check online to score your pass into the wonderful world of dancing snowflakes, fearsome swordplay, and sugar plum fairies.

Downtown Core: If you are not particular about the activity, just taking a walk around the downtown core—hot chocolate in hand— can boost your holiday cheer.

Take a walk down McGill College at night for the festive displays; the trees are wrapped with lights, and there are lit up

McGill College Ave. at Christmas. (Melanie Simon / McGill Tribune) wreaths and angels hung on the mas. End your day off with a surrounding buildings. Once classic seasonal movie—or two. you hit Ste. Catherine, look Love Actually, How the Grinch across to Place Ville Marie to Stole Christmas, It’s a Wondersee the giant Christmas tree, and ful Life, Elf, and A Christmas Carol are all must-watch. try not to feel warm and fuzzy.

The holidays inevitably mean shopping: window or Try something new: If you’re in the mood for a otherwise. While trying to find that perfect gift, make sure you change, why not try creating a head to The Bay on Ste. Cath- new tradition? Take the opporerine, or the Ogilvy store on the tunity to celebrate Chanukah or corner of la Montagne to look at Kwanza, and learn about other some of the gorgeous Christmas holidays. This year, Chanukah displays. You can even stop and begins at sundown on Dec. 8 take a picture in front of one of and ends on Dec. 16. Kwanza them. Keep your eyes open for begins on December 26 and ends on January 1. You could Santa Claus, too! also partake in a classic Quebecois tradition and eat some tourStay at Home: If you’re not up for leaving tière this holiday season. This the house, there is still plenty meat pie offers tons of flavour, that can be done in your own and a delicious way to celebrate home to bring in some Christ- French-Canadian culture.

So whether you’re bravmas cheer! Burn a yuletidescented candle; bake a batch ing the cold, or snuggled up at of your favourite holiday treats home, remember to take a break and deck the halls while listen- this exam season and enjoy ing to your favourite holiday what Montreal has to offer. album. My recommendation: Happy Holidays!

Michael Buble’s album Christ-

20

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Holiday Drink Recipes Susan Westfall

Hot Buttered Rum: Serves 4

2/3 cup dark brown sugar ½ cup unsalted butter 1 tsp. finely grated orange rind ¼ cup sugar or honey ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. nutmeg ¼ tsp. cloves pinch of salt ¾ cup spiced rum 2 cups boiling water 4 cinnamon sticks 1. Beat together the brown sugar, butter, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer.

2. Mix in the rum and boiling water until the sugar mixture dissolves.

3. Divide the mixture into 4 mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.

STUDENT LIVING

Home-made Eggnog: Serves 8-10

4 cups milk 5 whole cloves ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. cinnamon 12 whole egg yolks 1 ½ cup sugar

| Curiosity delivers.

2 ½ cup light rum (or to taste) 4 cups light cream 2 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. ground nutmeg 1. In a small saucepan, warm milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Slowly bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

21

Home-made Eggnog continued yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture. Once combined, return mixture to pan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to thicken, but do not boil.

3. Strain mixture to remove cloves and let cool to room temperature (about an hour.)

4. Stir in rum, cream, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and nutmeg.

Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Ginger Snap: Serves 1

¾ oz. spiced rum ½ oz. ginger-flavored Brandy 4 oz. eggnog 1 ginger snap Mix everything (even the cookie) in a blender until smooth.

Christmas Cookie: Serves 1

1 oz. peppermint schnapps 1 oz. Kahlua 1 oz. Bailey’s Mix in any order, serve on ice, and enjoy!

Photos from dairyhealth.com, savoryreviews.com

22

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

By Adam Sadinsky

Latke Recipe

The Tribune is accepting applications for

design editor.

Send 3 samples of your work to design@mcgilltribune.com

by January 7.

A

fter sundown on Dec. 8, Jewish people around the world will light the first candle of Chanukah. Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this traditional latke recipe— they’re so good that you can take them home to your mother for the holidays. This recipe makes at least two dozen, so you’ll certainly have enough to.

Ingredients:

Nuns’ Island

6-8 potatoes (Yukon Gold or yellow fleshed are best) 1 onion 3 eggs 1 tbsp. oil 1 tsp salt Pinch of pepper ¼ cup flour 2 tsp baking powder

Oil for frying

Instructions:

Cut and grate the potatoes into a bowl, not too fine. Grate the onion and mix with the potatoes.

Scoop the mixture into a cheesecloth and squeeze to remove liquid. Return to the bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Pour a generous amount of oil into the pan for frying. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture into the pan and flatten into pancake shape. Turn them over when you see the bottom turning brown. Place the cooked latkes on paper towels to absorb some excess oil, and serve with apple sauce or sour cream.

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The Tribune would like to thank

Anand Bery and Leigh Miller for all of their hard work. Good luck in all of your adventures!

We love you!

playing in the shadows

P

McGill’s competitive clubs grapple with identity two years after varsity

By Adam Sadinsky restructuring

reparing for one of its biggest weekends of the year, McGill’s women’s lacrosse team woke up for a 6 a.m. to practice at Molson Stadium. An hour into the two-hour session, members of the Redmen football team took over the field, and the women were forced to cut their practice short. The men had been scheduled to play on Forbes Field, but needed to get into the proper ‘headspace’ for an upcoming game.

For competitive clubs at McGill, the bottom rung in the McGill Athletics hierarchy, this sort of second-class status is now the norm, and many have accepted it. Many athletes and teams once held varsity status, which entitled them to preferential treatment from McGill Athletics, but lost it during the summer of 2010, when McGill restructured its athletic organization. Today, teams like women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, cycling, and others have all adapted to restructuring in a variety of ways. Some fear for the survival of their teams, others are hopeful for the future, and some teams even believe they are now better off. *** Caroline Lucas-Conwell, a fourth-year lacrosse player and co-captain of the team knew she wanted the sport to be part of her university experience. McGill’s former coach, Heather Roffey, was on sabbatical in California.

She turned Lucas-Conwell’s eyes to the women’s varsity lacrosse program at McGill.

23

Redmen Volleyball was demoted. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) “I was really into lacrosse and I knew that I wanted to play.” Lucas-Conwell said.

“I had opportunities at other schools, but I chose McGill.”

Jessica Kras, Lucas-Conwell’s co-captain was on the fence between McGill and Ottawa. “Lacrosse was the deciding factor,” Kras said. She chose McGill despite being offered an academic scholarship in the nation’s capital.

In 2012, Women’s lacrosse was a severely underfunded Tier III team, but was on its way to an upgrade to Tier II status. That came to a crashing halt in the team’s second year.

“Our captains at the time were here all summer, trying to find out what exactly was happening with the restructuring,” Kras said. “We weren’t sure exactly what the status would be, what it meant to lose varsity status, and who had ultimately made the decision to restructure.”

By the second week of August (lacrosse season takes place at the beginning of the school year) the women weren’t

sure if they would even have a team.

Losing varsity status has had significant effects on the team: they have no guarantees of field space and time, and have to make do with the scraps that varsity teams and campus recreation programs leave behind. They lost the ability to use the ‘Martlets’ name, and McGill no longer signs waivers to allow them to participate in the Ontario championship, which they are invited to every season.

“I remember representatives from athletics coming into a sports club meeting and saying ‘there’s nothing we can do anymore,’” Kras said, showing how far the team has fallen from its previous status.

Recently, they have been forced to pay for playing time at Jeanne-Mance Park in order to supplement their practice time at McGill. The new status also means less access to athletic trainers and medical staff.

Members of the team have been forced to medically assist one an other before finally getting time at McGill’s Windsor clinic.

McGill’s Competitive Clubs: Cheerleading Cycling Fencing Figure Skating Lacrosse (w) Nordic skiing Sailing Squash Tennis Volleyball (m)

24

Scott Loong’s breakaway to win the race, Ville Saint Laurent May 2011. (Jonathan Villemaire-Krajden) What has changed most, though, is the attitude of the team itself.

“When we were varsity, we were expected to have a certain level of commitment because [we] are varsity [athletes], but now that we’re a competitive club, it’s more relaxed,” says Lucas-Conwell. “A lot of girls now ... say they are happy that it’s a club because they don’t feel as pressured. There’s a different mentality. We value our teammates’ commitment, but we can’t ask as much from them in the last few years as we have been able to in the past.”

Now that they are not expected to make cuts, the McGill women’s lacrosse team welcomes more beginners into their team. Although it is more open, the level of play is not what it could be.

Why do they continue to play despite a lack of funds, respect, or a trophy to play for?

“Everyone who’s on the team is there because they love lacrosse,” Lucas-Conwell said.

“You’re not there because you got a scholarship. You’re there because you want to play and you love to be on the field.”

Despite the positive attitude, Lucas-Conwell and Kras wonder how long these good feelings will last, and how deep the restructuring will really cut into the organization.

“It feels like what they’re trying to do is cut out all possibilities to survive as a team until we die,” Lucas-Conwell said, speaking for many in the organization. “We’re afraid because we’re both graduating soon, and we’re scared that the team’s not going to live.” *** For Adam Bouchard, VP External of McGill Cycling, it is the uncertainty that makes life difficult for him and his team.

“There’s a little bit of ‘rolling the dice’ every time you walk into the building,” Bouchard said. “We always have to wonder, ‘Is our room going to be our room?’”

Cycling lost access to the varsity weight room with the 2010 restructuring, along with a small $500 grant from McGill. According to Bouchard, however, different teams have different cultures, and therefore

have been affected to different degrees.

Neither the loss of the miniscule grant, or their position on the bottom rung on the roombooking hierarchy is a big loss to cycling. “$500 a year, as far as funding goes, is change for a lot of [other] teams. We have a much larger budget and we have team fees,” he said. “It’s not killing the teams so much as it’s just annoying.”

Having access to the varsity weight room is key for the group training sessions because the cycling team can have as many as 40 cyclists attend a workout. However, since they don’t need a court or a field, unlike other competitive clubs, there is less friction with the needs of varsity athletes.

“All we need when we’re training inside, is one room to do our plyometric workout, and we use the spin room for spinning. We’ve been lucky in that, [as a] summer sport, [our] winter training method doesn’t compete with any of the big teams.”

The unique culture of cycling actually means that the restructuring might be a benefit for the team in the long-run.

Without the restrictions of having to hire a paid coach, select out elite squads to be named ‘varsity,’ or compete in an allQuebec competition, Bouchard and his teammates can promote their sport to newcomers, while competing with the best.

“If you have a helmet, working brakes, and a bike, you’re ready to go,” Bouchard said, noting that, had McGill been forced to select only the elite, he would have never gotten involved in road racing.

“The place we compete has everywhere from an ‘A’ category, with semi-professional racers, to an intro category where people are only going to race for 12 minutes because they’re brand

McGill takes a timeout at the Ligue Live tournament.

(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

new to the sport. ’” Unrestricted by university and CIS regulations, McGill’s cyclists travel south of the border to compete with Northeastern schools like Harvard, MIT, Rutgers, and NYU, managing top 10 finishes against American elites. Bouchard would like to see a league start up in Quebec—a necessary step in order to regain varsity status.

However, he would not use it to make the jump to varsity, as the strength of the U.S. competition helps the team’s cyclists grow.

For him, the restructuring is an annoyance, but it also leaves the team well-positioned for the future.

“It’s fun when it works,” he said. “And it’s fine when it works.”

the squad. “I like the level of play, [and] it’s a great group of guys. I didn’t have intentions of being a top-level volleyball player, but by now I’ve gotten pretty good.”

When Nachman joined the team, it was mainly composed by athletes who had been a part of the varsity team. He said that the crestfallen ex-varsity players lacked the fire that they once had, and took far too relaxed a commitment to the team. Practice time was cut from every day to five hours a week. McGill was no longer competing for a coveted CIS National Championship, but played games and

competitions against anyone in the Montreal area willing to take them on.

However, now that only a couple of former varsity players remain, the team has a new attitude, something that Nachman feels makes it special.

“For the first couple of years, the attitude was very different,” he said. “Now, players are excited that they get a chance to play at a higher level.

This is their only chance at posthigh school volleyball. They’re interested in getting better, and being the best we can be in our competition.”

Because he’s never played varsity volleyball, Nachman’s feelings towards McGill Athletics are rather mild. He feels that McGill does as much as it can, considering its resources to help the team succeed. He also understands where he and his teammates stand in the hierarchy.

“You do get a small sense of being at a ‘lower status’ than varsity teams, but that comes with being a club, and that’s what a club is,” he said.

Of course, not everything is easy. The team is forced to

25

*** Alex Nachman came to McGill in Sept. 2010, immediately after the varsity restructuring. Passionate about volleyball, he now sits as the volleyball club’s vice-president.

Nachman represents the new, more relaxed attitude of the athletes that make up McGill’s competitive clubs today.

“I wasn’t expecting to be involved in sports when I came [to McGill],” Nachman said. He found out about the club halfway through his first semester, and went to a try-out to get onto

Vincente Burchard-Levine goes on the attack. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

26

jump through hoops to design its uniforms based on McGill’s strict regulations concerning insignia, their practice time is encroached upon by varsity teams, and the team’s equipment is stored in a place where it can be touched and used by anyone. The men fundraise for their team, partially by working jobs around the gym, particularly for the women’s team, who retained varsity status.

“We want to be a competitive team,” Nachman said. “It’s frustrating trying to build a team when you don’t necessarily have the time to do it.”

That notion of ‘building’ is what Nachman stressed the most. Having to re-imagine themselves as a competitive club, the men’s volleyball team is trying to build itself for future success within the new restrictions. “[We have] a really bright future,” Nachman said. “We’re still trying to build our identity, two or three years into building a program. We’re not entirely sure where it’s going to go, and what it’s going to look like down the road, but if this year is any indication of what’s to come, it’s pretty great.” *** Above all, McGill’s competitive clubs live a life of daily uncertainty. From Kras and Conwell’s concerns of whether their team will survive; to

Luke Nealon prepares to serve. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) Bouchard’s concern of whether he will have space for his team to train; to Nachman’s question of what his team’s identity will be in the future, life is certainly not easy. While the administration claims to be allocating resources as fairly as possible, one wonders why the #McGillPride campaign does not apply to all students willing to wear red-and-white and to represent McGill at the highest levels of competition.

“You have to understand the hierarchy of how things are booked in this place,” said Katie Uttley, responsible for competitive clubs, as well as for the Fitness Centre and varsity strength and conditioning. Though she helps the teams with travel arrangements and their McGill Athletics accounts, she stresses

that the clubs are 100 per cent student-run.

“Life isn’t fair,” she said.

“With us not able to build up in our structure or build out, we’re really limited by the resources we have. It’s very difficult to ensure what we can for the clubs.”

“McGill doesn’t want to label a team they’re not giving funding to a varsity team because it looks like they’re leaving them at the wayside,” said Bouchard. As long as competitive teams live in the shadows, the illusion that these teams just don’t exist will persist.

Full disclosure: Tribune sports editor Jeff Downey is president of the McGill men’s volleyball club. He did not participate in the research or writing of this story.

Caroline Lucas-Conwell (6) and Jessica Kras (22) pose with the rest of McGill’s women’s lacrosse team. (Photo courtesy McGill women’s lacrosse)

Science & technology

SCIENCE

Ideas spark at interface of physics, biology

McGill physicist uncovers oscillatory nature of embryonic vertebrae development Leigh Miller Science & Technology Editor Humming away in the Rutherford Physics building, a long cold walk from Stewart Bio, is a computer that can predict one of the fundamental processes in biology: how vertebrae form.

Paul François, associate professor in the department of physics, and associate member of the department of biology, is one researcher applying physics to biology problems.

“There is a current boom in this field, at the interface between physics and biology. One of the reasons is that, there are more and more data available, so you get closer and closer to being able to describe biology as a dynamical system and apply the physics method to biological mechanisms … even evolution,” François said.

Advances like glowing protein tags and real time imaging have led to a better understanding of cell dynamics. According to François, this is where the physics comes in.

“In physics, we are used to dynamical process …. I know if I push a ball, it’s going to roll in some way I can predict. So the question now is … can you do the same thing [with evolution], can you write a theory that will predict evolution in some way?”

A large part of François’ research is creating numerical models in hopes of finding equations that can be used to predict evolution or cellular biological processes.

“You can consider [cells] as dynamical systems that rely on computation. Like computers, they integrate a lot of external clues; and from those external clues they make decisions,” he said.

In cells, these external clues come in the form of signals from other cells or the environment. Based on these signals, decisions are made regarding whether or not to replicate, and which proteins to make. Therefore, using computers to model cell decisions is a logical step.

Recently, François used numerical models to look at the process of developing vertebrae.

This is an important topic for biologists because of its medical implications; problems during vertebrate development can lead to scoliosis or trunk dwarfism.

François started with a simple question: what kind of cell processes create vertebrae?

In response, he used his computer to evolve a gene network that was able to form vertebrae.

“It turned out that the network that was formed really corresponded to something we actually see in biology; and what is really striking is that, it evolves basically a genetic ‘clock,’ a genetic oscillation.”

In the genetic oscillation, waves of signals travel through the developing cells, coordinating vertebrae formation.

To test his model, François collaborated with Professor Sharon L. Amacher from Ohio State University, a biologist studying embryonic development with time lapse imaging. Amacher

Waves of gene expressions in wild and mutated zebrafish embryos from François’ recent paper. (www.sciencedirect.com) tested the model using genetically modified zebrafish, and found that there was an oscillating pattern during cell development.

From purely numerical models, François was able to produce the general process of vertebrae formation.

“In some way, we recapitulated what happened in evolution,” he said.

Although interdisciplinary collaborations can yield groundbreaking results, it is sometimes a challenge to communicate.

“Very often, you don’t speak the same language,” François said.

Different training and different research interests are common barriers. François has dealt with these issues by studying biology extensively, and working with biological researchers.

“By doing this you create

an interaction, find a common language, and then you can do more sophisticated things.”

At McGill, one avenue for interaction is the Quantitative Biology Initiative: a multi-disciplinary research group that brings together faculty from McGill Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science, as well as Université de Montréal researchers.

There is also a growing trend of applying physics to solve problems in other dynamic systems like economics, or even politics.

“I think this is where physics can help a lot …. Physicists are used to taking a very complicated system, and simplifying it to a core equation, a core variable, to really identify what the most important parameters are,” François said.

28

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Science & technology

| Curiosity delivers.

EVENT

Debate pits science against homeopathy

Schwarcz and Saine meet again, clash over diluted naturopathic treatments Bharat Srinivasa Contributor On Nov. 27, in a crowded Leacock 132 auditorium, McGill’s Office of Science and Society (OSS) hosted its second debate on naturopathy, titled “Homeopathy: Mere placebo or great medicine?”

The debate pitted Dr. Joe Schwarcz, professor of chemistry and director of the OSS, against Dr. André Saine, a practicing naturopath doctor specializing in homeopathy and dean of the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy.

Dr. Mark Ware, McGill professor of Family Medicine and Anesthesia, moderated the debate. Saine and Schwarcz opened with 30 minute presentations, followed by rebuttals, and finally took questions from the audience.

The speakers’ approaches to homeopathy and science could not have been more different. While Saine appeared passionate, Schwarcz presented his speech calmly, interacting with the audience and offering a holistic perspective that contrasted with Saine’s journal literature-based argument.

Homeopathy originated in 1796, and is based on the principle that ‘like cures like’—the causes of an illness, when given at a highly diluted dose, will make you better. Since its inception, homeopathy has constantly met criticism of the lack of science behind the therapy.

Dilution, a basic tenet of homeopathy, was the first issue raised in debate. Scientists are

A full house at the debate. (Elizabeth Flannery / McGill Tribune) highly skeptical of the practice because high dilution remedies contain “not a single molecule of the original substance … and that these remedies are indistinguishable from each other,” Saine said. “This [argument] is the greatest stumbling block for the skeptic.”

Saine presented a number of carefully-selected papers to show various chemical methods that successfully distinguished the original particles in homeopathic remedies. He also referred to a paper which shows that “the change in the water [after homeopathic dilution] is permanent, and significant.”

Another paper found “physical entities [such] as nanoparticles” up to a dilution of 1060 to 10400.

Schwarcz discounted Saine’s scientific literature review.

“There are 6,500 peer reviewed journals in the world; every minute of every day, four new peer reviewed publications that come out,” Schwarcz

said, accusing Saine of “cherry pick[ing] the literature.” To illustrate his point, Schwarcz referred to an article submitted to Nature, in 1988, showing a successful homeopathic treatment that was never replicated.

Schwarcz remarked that the original compound does not exist in a 12C dilution (or 12, 100-fold dilutions). “[The] solution that does have anything is impregnated with a sugar pill … and once this water is evaporated … there is a ghost of this molecule left.”

For the 30C dilution, “you’re not even going to encounter a water molecule that has encountered the original material,” he added.

“Water having memory is not plausible, based on [the] chemistry and biology and physics that we know,” Schwarcz said, stressing the importance of plausibility in making scientific arguments and claims.

Saine counters that plausibility is not important, because generations of homeopaths have

shown “loads of evidence” that homeopathy works, which he regrets is not accepted by scientists simply because it is “logically flawed.”

According to Schwarcz, homeopathy persists due to the placebo effect, a powerful phenomenon. Patients may respond to homeopathy more strongly. “[Even though] homeopathy itself is scientifically implausible, homeopaths can be beneficial to people,” he said. Schwarcz believes both the remedy and the practitioner are placebos, as homeopaths pay more attention to patients than conventional doctors.

“There is nothing in the history of medicine that can come close to homeopathy. This is the future of medicine. Homeopathy will be confirmed,” Saine said.

Schwarz, on the other hand had no prediction for the future of homeopathy, only a belief in the enduring good of science.

Curiosity delivers. |

Science & technology

This week in Compiled by Leigh Miller and Caity Hui

VITAMIN D AND CANCER Vitamin D is correlated with many health benefits, including lower cancer risk; but until now, the link has always been unclear. McGill researchers have uncovered a piece of the puzzle, explaining how the vitamin may help to prevent cancer.

In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the departments of medicine and physiology, John White, and David Goltzman, discovered a mechanism in vitamin D that slows the multiplication of cancer cells.

Previously, researchers saw a relationship between consumption of vitamin D supplements and a reduced risk of certain cancers, but the omplete reasons for this relationship are still not well understood.

Vitamin D plays a role in controlling epidermal differentiation and cell proliferation— two processes that run rampant in cancerous cells. Specifically, it controls a protein called cMYC—a transcription factor or protein that controls genetic expression.

When White and Goltzman applied vitamin D to human cancer cells, they saw a reduction in cMYC, and cell

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

research

multiplication slowed. The vitamin played two roles: it reduced the production of cMYC, and caused the cells to manufacture a protein that destroyed cMYC. Applying vitamin D to the skin of mice yielded similar results.

These findings may be of particular interest to residents of northern climates, as sun exposure is a major source of vitamin D replenishment. Indeed, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends a supplement of 1000 IU per day for the average adult.

Hydrogen embrittlemenT In high-performance metals, there is a delicate balance between bending and breaking. Ductile metals, like copper, can be easily bent and worked; brittle metals like cast iron are stronger, but break more easily. One unexplained problem that has plagued metallurgists is that of ‘hydrogen embrittlement.’ In this process, hydrogen atoms penetrate the structure of the metal and cause it to lose ductility and fracture easily.

In certain materials, like high-strength steel, hydrogen embrittlement is more common. This is also the case in metals with more exposure to the element. For example, zirconium alloys, high-performance

metals used in nuclear reactors, are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement during cooling accidents. Hot steam reacts with the metal to form hydrogen gas, which in turn, leaches into the zirconium alloy, weakening the metal, and causing it to corrode.

A new study, published last month in Nature Materials, may shed light on the causes of hydrogen embrittlement. The study, conducted by Assistant Professor Jun Song of McGill materials engineering, and Professor William Curtin, director of mechanical engineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, used a combination of computer models and experiments to create a method for predicting the phenomenon.

It turns out, that the process is likely due to hydrogen, filling miniscule spaces in the metallic structure that normally give leeway for movement.

The researchers hope that this study will open new avenues for embrittlement-proof materials.

Autism spectrum disorders Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encompass a variety of neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, Asperger syndrome, and Rett’s disorder. Essentially, ASDs affect the devel-

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Photos credits: acneeinstein. com, metallurgyfordummies. com, myaspergerschild.com

opment of the brain.

Professor Nahum Sonenberg of McGill’s department of biochemistry, faculty of medicine, and researcher at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre, recently uncovered a new avenue of research that may lead to further understanding ASDs. Sonenberg’s lab focuses on clarifying the role of dysregulated protein synthesis in cancer. They were surprised to discover that there are similarities between the irregular protein synthesis in cancer and that in ASD. Using a model mouse, they showed that irregular protein synthesis, resembling that of ASD patients, have an increased production of compounds, known as neurologins.

Neurologins are important for transferring information in the body through neurons— cells that send electrical signals.

Using computer modeling, the team was able to identify the unique structures of mRNA— molecules that transfer genetic information from DNA to form proteins—of the neurologins that could be responsible for causing their irregular behaviour.

They found that dysregulated synthesis of neurologins increases cell signaling in the brain. This increase seems to result in an imbalance between excitation and inhibition of single brain cells. Although there is much more progress to be made in the treatment of ASD, these findings may be of particular interest to autism research, as they open up a new area of study that has yet to be fully explored.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Science & Technology

| Curiosity delivers.

RESEARCH

Ocean may yield cystic fibrosis treatment

Marine sponges contain chemical that restores mutated proteins Caity Hui Science & Technology Editor The Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research Centre at McGill University and the University of British Columbia are looking in unexpected places for potential cures—under the sea. Dr. David Thomas, Chair of McGill’s department of biochemistry and Canada Research chair in molecular genetics, focuses his research on investigating quality control of proteins.

The researchers have discovered a chemical that restores the function of the defective protein that causes cystic fibrosis. It comes from an unusual source: marine sponges from the South Pacific.

Proteins are the ‘workhorses’ of molecular life—both by functioning as the main structural building block and taking part in almost every cell activity.

If a protein is not functioning properly, it can cause disorders: namely protein trafficking diseases like cystic fibrosis. Since these abnormal proteins are harmful, the body has developed mechanisms to eliminate them. Dr. Thomas’ lab investigates these mechanisms, hoping to find treatments for disorders like cystic fibrosis.

“We work on determining … the rules of protein quality control,” Dr. Thomas explained.

“If you’ve ever driven an AMC car, and you drive a BMW, you know what quality control is.”

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is caused by a mutation in the gene of a protein

Giant marine sponge in the South Pacific. (marinesciencetoday.com) called CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). This protein is necessary for moving chloride and sodium ions across membranes in the lungs. In CF, the protein is mutated, so that ion transport cannot function properly, and viscous secretions build up in the lungs.

About five years ago, Dr. Thomas began to research treatments for the defective protein that causes CF. In collaboration with Professor Raymond Andersen, a natural products chemist who specializes in isolating novel molecules from marine sponges, he looked into a variety of chemicals that could correct the basic defect that causes most CF cases.

It turned out that one marine sponge provided a chemical extract that corrects the localization and function of CFTR. They purified this compound and traced down one important chemical—lantonduine. Despite this success, Dr. Thomas’ team will continue investigating other compounds that might play a role in treating CF. Looking to the future, Dr. Thomas does not believe developing treatment will be easy.

“The problem with cystic fibrosis is that it is a rare disease … about 90,000 people have it worldwide, and big companies are not going to be interested in working on orphan [or rare] diseases”.

This problem is not unique

to CF. “Between six to eight per cent of the population suffer from an orphan or rare disease, but there is such a vast array of them, that no one is going to develop a therapy when you only have 200 people [in need]”.

Still, studies like those conducted by Dr. Thomas’ team could be potentially applicable to a wider range of patients.

“Something that works for cystic fibrosis [could] also work for other protein trafficking diseases,” Thomas said.

“The market is 90,000 [patients, but perhaps] they can add to it by looking at other protein trafficking diseases.”

Curiosity delivers. |

Science & technology

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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(cigarettes-cigarettes.com)

COMMENTARY

Taking a broader view of nicotine addiction Kieran Steer Over the past 20 years, scientists have completed hundreds of studies on the adverse effects of nicotine consumption—especially from cigarette usage. However, the progress made in lowering the fatalities and costs from the drug has been disappointing, given the amount of money put into these studies.

Approximately 37,000 deaths and $4.4 billion in hospital fees occur annually as a result of nicotine usage, according to Health Canada. Perhaps new angles on this research should be taken if progress is to be made towards cutting the drug’s expensive social and economic costs.

Current studies of nicotine use demonstrate weak conclusions: nicotine increases incidents of heart disease, lung problems, addiction, and cancer. Others study the genetics and psychology behind why some people are more addicted to it than others.

Researchers have designed products like nicotine patches to help smokers quit, but again statistics show poor results. According to a 2002 study in the peer-reviewed journal Addic-

tion which followed over 5,000 smokers, fewer than 10 per cent of people were still smoke-free after six months of using the patch. Despite extensive research and many products available to prevent smoking, little progress has been made in helping smokers kick their habit.

One of the fundamental processes in science is analyzing situations objectively. Perhaps, it is time to approach nicotine research from a new angle, and examine the possible benefits to be gained from smoking, or chewing tobacco. This new perspective does not mean that nicotine should be used to improve people’s health. However, researchers could gain more insight into what drives the addiction and find possible nicotine substitutions with fewer health side effects.

Researchers, such as Joseph McClernon and his team at Duke University, have identified nicotine’s therapeutic effects in their studies. In one project, they randomly assigned nicotine or placebo patches to 11 non-smokers who exhibited depression. After eight days with the patches, the researchers analyzed participants, by a stan-

dardized method used to measure depression. Results showed that nicotine has the potential to improve mood, or temporarily relieve symptoms of depression.

McClernon’s study gives reason to believe that cigarettes help relieve anxiety. Meanwhile, other research reveals the dangers in stress-related illnesses. It could be interesting to compare the positive and negative effects of smoking to reduce anxiety in the long term. Would those who smoke to relieve stress live longer than those who succumb to constant anxiety? Could nicotine be helping people to an extent, and could this, in turn, be a major cause of dependence?

The results could potentially uncover a strong correlation with other studies on the harms and benefits of anti-anxiety drugs. Some pharmacies have already begun to work on new depression medications based on nicotine’s stress-relieving properties—eliminating the dependence it causes.

Logically, finding the benefits of smoking would also lead to finding the most effective method to quit smoking. If scientists uncover the reasons to smoke, they could mimic them

in a placebo that satiates an addict’s cravings. Because nicotine patches have such low success rates, there must be other benefits than just nicotine in the bloodstream.

To uncover these benefits, scientists need to look beyond the negative effects that people suffer from smoking or chewing.

Though this type of study would be controversial to the current anti-nicotine movement, it could open new doors for understanding what drives people to begin and continue smoking. The new angle would allow scientists to see nicotine from the perspective of an addict.

Most of society is well enough informed to know the dangers of smoking, so the benefits driving people to smoke must be outweigh the risks in their conscious or unconscious minds. Instead of repeated studies on the various carcinogens in cigarettes, researchers should invest their time discovering what people gain from the habit.

arts & entertainment Acts to

Watch

Half Moon Run A Montreal collective which includes a former McGill student, Half Moon Run has already managed to leave a mark. A single full-length album, Dark Eyes, was enough to sign them up for a tour with the likes of Patrick Watson and Metric. With well-crafted lyrics, chilling harmonies, and flawless song structure, their passion for songwriting is clear—and listeners can’t wait to see what else they come up with. Half Moon Run is performing this Friday, Dec. 7 at The National.

Undecided? Listen to “Call Me in the Afternoon,” and their big single, “Full Circle.”

Need playlist suggestions for finals? Looking to expand your musical palette for the coming year? Hoping to impress the resident hipsters in your classes with your musical foresight?

We’ve got you covered with a roundup of acts that should make a big splash in the year ahead.

By Ilia Blinderman and Meaghan Tardif-Bennett

Flume

Le Matos

Since remixing New Navy’s “Zimbabwe” last year, Flume has been making serious musical waves down under. The young Sydney native’s smooth beats, subdued percussion, and soulful samples have garnered acclaim from blogosphere (his mixes have been increasingly trending on Hype Machine, a blog aggregation website) and print publications alike. Fresh off two sold-out tours and this year’s festival circuit—music festivals play an even larger role in Australian culture than they do in North America—Flume is only getting hotter.

Tracks to watch include Onra’s “The Anthem (Flume remix),” Hermitude’s “HyperParadise (Flume remix),” and Flume’s own, “Holdin’ On.”

Quebec natives Le Matos recently performed at M for Montreal with Danger, and blew his set out of the water.

The trio’s music is infused with the coarse synth characteristic of Ed Banger Records (Justice, Busy P), bad-boy Kavinsky’s early work (circa “Testarossa Overdrive”). Unlike Kavinsky, Le Matos manages to keep the heavy synth fresh from track to track, and consistently deliver stripped down Justice-esque beats (think of a minimalist version of † rather than Audio, Video, Disco.

Standout tracks include “88mph,” “Sarah,” and “Quiet Earth.”

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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Angel Haze

Wild Child

MT

Lianne La Havas

Recent years have seen a reemergence of female rappers.

Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, and Azealia Banks have received the baton from Missy Elliot & Co., injected a dose of feminine swagger into mainstream hip-hop. Think of Angel Haze as a rougher, leaner, and grimmer version of Banks. While Haze cracks the occasional joke, her flow is more desperate; her clever wordplay is tinged with a sense of urgency that in Banks’ lyrics, is replaced by levity and cheek. If her recent mixtape Classick is anything to go by, 2013 will be Haze’s year.

For a taste of her lyrical flair, listen to Haze’s version of “Gossip Folks,” or her visceral cover of Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”

Texas natives Wild Child released their brilliant indiefolk concoction, Pillow Talk, at the end of 2011, to surprisingly little fanfare. The seven-piece band’s debut showcased an unusual musical maturity and their genial sense of humour—think Edward Sharpe with a macabre streak. In 2013, Wild Child hope to record a new album called The Runaround, under the auspices of Ben Kweller, the latest subject of the “Bob-Dylan-ofour-time” campaign. They’re currently raising recording funds via Kickstarter.

Before you contribute, check out “Pillow Talk,” “Someone Else,” and “Day Dreamer.”

Michael Tomlinson, a twenty-something Australian living in London, has an impressive musical background. Tomlinson is the former lead singer of Yves Klein Blue, an indie-rock group which drew worldwide attention with their gritty “Silence is Distance” and “Polka.”

While YKB disbanded in 2010, Tomlinson continued his musical career with his new project, MT. With a new 7” vinyl single out (“Paranoid People”), MT is quickly gathering momentum.

Expect big things for MT in the coming months; meanwhile, check out Tomlinson’s songwriting on “Alpha Romeo.”

Lianne La Havas first played in North America this time last year as the opening act for the Grammy-award winning Bon Iver. If that’s not an impressive way to make an entrance, her rare soulfulness, and heart-shattering lyrics give you no other choice but to fall headover-heels in love with her. Musically situated somewhere between Billie Holiday and Adele, her talents won’t go unnoticed much longer. Nominated for Zane Lowe’s 100 Hottest Record of 2012, “Band to Watch” by Rolling Stone, and having done every American late night talk show from Conan O’Brien to Craig Ferguson, this can only be the beginning. Lianne La Havas’ album, Is Your Love Big Enough is in stores now.

Standouts include “No Room For Doubt,” and “Forget.”

Follow us on Twitter! @mcgill_tribune

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Setting the stage for the future:

Q

S World University Rankings recently named Montreal one of the best student cities in the world, but you didn’t need a pollster to tell you that. Cheap food, cheap rent, and enough culture to last a lifetime—for many, these are the principal attractions of the bohemian, dynamic metropolis.

At the same time, students at anglophone universities like McGill are keenly aware of the undercurrent of language politics constantly at play within Quebec. National identity is intimately tied to the French language, which finds expression in culture and art. Situated in this context are the English theatre companies of Montreal: they are presented with unique challenges, but also exciting opportunities, by the interplay of a rich national history and a promising cosmopolitan future.

According to Jane Needles, Executive Director of the Quebec Drama Federation (QDF), a non-profit umbrella organization for English theatre in Quebec, the history of English theatre in the province stretches all the way back to the 1600s, when sailors performed on ships docked in Quebec City. From then on, theatre remained a significant part of life in the province; although until the 1940s, it remained a recreational rather than professional activity. Since then, English theatre in particular has seen its highs (during Expo 67) and lows (following the anglophone exodus after Bill 101 in 1977).

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

English theatre

in a French city

A challenging path Though English theatre in Montreal has seen a resurgence within the last decade, significant challenges remain. One key issue is funding. While theatre is situated in a broader discussion of public funding for the arts in Canada, it is a common concern within the English theatre community that anglophone theatres receive less funding than their French colleagues.

Paul Flicker, artistic director for the Segal Centre, notes that government support “accounts for somewhere around six per cent of our operating funding, which is significantly less than most other theatres ... in Canada or Quebec.”

Infinithéâtre, an English theatre company in the MileEnd, receives “less than half of what a francophone company would get,” according to its artistic director Guy Spring.

“The anglophones face the funding challenge, because the francophone companies are funded on a much greater basis than the anglophones are,” says Needles. “This is not a complaint, it’s just a mere fact.” She quickly notes, however, that even this limited support is still important. That English theatre is funded at all indicates to Needles that underfunding reflects the government’s instinct to “protect the francophone culture.”

Challenges are not only incumbent on theatre companies, but aspiring actors as well. Dane Stewart, U3 arts, is actively in-

By Chris Liu

Language barriers pose challenges. (Tessa Bryant / McGill Tribune) volved with theatre both at McGill, and within the wider community. He hopes to pursue a professional career in theatre— but likely not in Montreal.

“I couldn’t think of a better city to have spent my undergrad in, because I’ve been able to be involved in so many groups,” says Stewart. “But if I want to actually start getting paid for it, especially if I’m not bilingual ... it’s not that sensible to stay in Montreal.”

“A lot of the people who have been involved in the shows that I’ve done outside of McGill ... feel the same way about getting out of the city ... especially the anglophones,” he continues.

“The francophones ... they find a bit more work.”

Forming the “cultural tapestry” of Quebec In speaking with diverse groups within the community, an apparent conflict soon arises.

Though most are buoyed by the proliferation of new, independent English companies in recent years, some artistic directors and actors express concern that the large number of companies does not reflect the relatively small size of the market.

“There are just so many groups that are cropping up in the English scene,” notes Stewart. “The support in the community is divided so much between all of these shows. Nobody could see all the shows by all the companies ... therefore no company can get a strong enough founda-

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

tion and support, to lift itself up and become financially stable enough to pay their actors—or at least it’s very difficult to.” He adds that “this is more my opinion than fact.”

Similarly contentious is the role that English theatres play in general society. Erin Hurley, associate professor in McGill’s department of English, emphasizes the significance of francophone theatre in Quebec culture.

“Since the ’60s, Englishlanguage theatre has not attained, nor particularly sought, the status of being a kind of identity-holder, or identitymarker, for Quebec,” she says, noting the difference between anglophone and francophone theatres. With the latter, “there is also a real emphasis on local— which is to say national, Quebecois—dramaturgy and playwriting.”

Needles views English theatre as one part of Montreal’s “cultural tapestry,” which is characterized by the city’s “multicultural disciplines.”

“There [are] so many languages spoken; French and English just happen to be the official languages,” she notes.

Some in the English theatre community have criticized francophone theatres for their lack of diversity.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find anybody of colour that’s in any theatre in French at the moment,” Sprung says. “It’s unbelievable how retrograde most of the theatres in French in this city are, or how blind they are to the world ... in terms of integration on stage.... Most francophone theatres are fairly rightwing and reactionary.”

A growing bilingual collaboration The strengths and weaknesses of English and French theatre in the city also present an opportunity for both in the future: mutual recognition, and mutual learning.

“There is increasing experimentation with bilingual productions, of one kind or another,” says Hurley. “You can presume that most [anglophones] understand some French, and most francophones understand some English. That’s just historic contact, plus education policy and language policy. I think theatre companies are wise to capitalize on that potential, and it might be a way of bringing in more francophone audiences to what is putatively English-language theatre.”

Flicker describes the relationship between anglophone and francophone theatres “as a huge opportunity.”

At the Segal, “every second year, we’ve done these co-productions with French theatres,” says Flicker. “A show will run in French in their theatre, it runs in English in our theatre, with the same director and same cast and design team. So they get exposed to the English-language tradition, and we get exposed to theirs; and those are usually amazing experiences.”

Sprung, whose Infinithéâtre’s mandate embraces the way in which being a linguistic minority “helps shape our identity and fuels our creative work,” similarly cherishes opportunities to experiment with bilingual productions.

“We did an adaptation [where] we took ... the English version and the French version, we had a cast of two anglophones and two francophones, and we basically overlapped the

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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two versions,” says Sprung. “The idea is that we reflect the life around us.”

Needles notes that this trend towards increasing collaboration between English and French theatres was “not common” a decade ago.

“You have, right now, Good People playing at Centaur, “There is increasing and its French counterpart is playing at experimentation with the same time. That bilingual productions.... I rarely happens. But that’s an indication think theatre companies of the value of what both cultures found are wise to capitalize on with each other,” she that potential.” says.

This strategy may be paying off.

“This year our subscription is up five per cent,” says Flicker. “I think we put together a season that people really want to see. The subscribers are the most important group we have.”

“You see it by the number of productions that are playing throughout the year, with the increase in those productions being very marked,” says Needles. “So [English theatre] is definitely thriving and becoming more recognized.”

For aspiring actors, then, the solution may be similar.

“If you’re going to stay here in Quebec, learn the history, learn the culture, learn the language,” says Needles. “Understand the rationale and appreciate what the French culture has done for culture in general.”

“There is that major joie de vivre in francophone culture, it’s the only way I can explain it,” she adds. “And if you are going to be a student, and you want to stay here, then understand what that means, and be part of it.”

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Looking back on this year in film, the Tribune’s Arts & Entertainment editors weigh in on the hits, misses, and the movies that slipped through the cracks.

the good Looper Telekinesis, time travel, mafia men—your average director would have combined these elements into something resembling a B-movie from the ’80s.

In the hands of Rian Johnson (Brick), the result is the strongest sci-fi script since 2004’s Primer. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, Looper has already grossed five times its budget, and received some of the best reviews of the year.

moonrise kingdom Many contemporary films strive for ‘entertainment’; rarely does one achieve true aesthetic play. Deeply influenced by the French New Wave, Wes Anderson is one director who consistently delivers bubbling, joyous euphoria to the screen. Moonrise Kingdom brims with Anderson’s distinct and delightful vision. The all-star cast includes Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton—though it is Edward Norton who truly steals the scene. Young love has never looked as sweet as it does under Anderson’s lens.

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

film

wrap-up

By Ilia Blinderman and Chris Liu

the master Paul Thomas Andersen’s latest tour-deforce is a sure Oscar bet. Joaquim Phoenix delivers an emotional deluge as the damaged veteran Freddie Quell, countered only by the wall of cerebral ice embodied in Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The script is intricate, without verging on excessive complexity; intelligent, without pretentiousness. The film is a sumptuous visual feast, with beautifully balanced scenes subtly-shot in 65mm film. Head to Bank Scotia Cinema on Tuesday—you’ll be seeing this one twice.

21 jump street Another year, another bromance comedy starring Jonah Hill. In this remake of the ’80s TV series, Hill and Channing Tatum play undercover police officers who infiltrate a high school drug ring. The premise is as ridiculous as it sounds, and cheesy instances abound; nevertheless, few comedies play to the genre’s strengths so well. Genuinely clever dialogue and strong performances make 21 Jump Street one the best blockbuster comedies of the year.

Photo credits: moviejerk.co.uk, movieplot.de, sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com, thesil.ca, comicbook.com, praesens.com

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

the bad the avengers This evaluation is sure to turn some heads, and the available space is not enough for a full justification. But hear me out. Why assemble an A-list cast if you’re only going to create one-liners rather than characters? Why squander the vast vault of comic-book lore available with a formulaic and uninspired plot line? Why fumble your bottomless budget and the promise of a big-bad-climactic battle on something so joylessly predictable, and shot with the skill of Michael Bay? The only ones who ought to feel vengeful are the movie-goers.

the hunger games The Hunger Games, the story of a post-apocalyptic world where society watches children battle in a duel to the death, was based on the hit book series (adding a sibilant to the term “hit” may be a more accurate descriptor). Pros: the script ensures that the inept actors are swiftly put out of their misery.

Cons: the film reminds one of the cult-classic Battle Royale— without delivering any of the enjoyment.

john carter Does anyone still remember this disastrous sci-fi film?

Disney, perhaps, given the smoking crater it left in their earnings. Why civilizations with technology like walking cities resort to swordplay to wage war still eludes understanding; Mars may have life, but it lacks logic. Andrew Stutton (WALLE; Finding Nemo) ought to have been able to strike a tone of whimsical nostalgia; what resulted instead is laughably oldfashioned in its best moments, and cringe-worthy at its worst.

total recall Children of the ’80s will remember their youth, peppered with Schwarzenegger’s forays into film. One of his better efforts was Total Recall, an original spin on the sci-fi action genre. In the 2012 version, Colin Farrell assumes the role of a secret agent embroiled in a nefarious government plot. Unfortunately, the script is as dull as Farrell’s acting—better off forgetting this lukewarm remake.

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

37

the underrated bullhead

chronicle

Maybe a nominee for last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar isn’t exactly ‘underrated.’ Nevertheless, Bullhead is an absolute, visceral punch-in-the-gut, much of it owed to Matthias Schoenaerts’ breathtaking turn as the muscle-bound and broken-down Jacky Vanmarsenille.

I was fortunate enough to catch this tale of the illegal Belgian beef hormone underworld during its brief Montreal run, but if you didn’t, it’s definitely worth hunting down.

If there are two trends in contemporary cinema that scream to be put out of its misery, it’s one: ‘found footage’— Paranormal Activity; Project X; and two: the superhero genre— see The Avengers. This makes it all the more surprising that a film incorporating elements of both could be so remarkably inventive. Particularly striking is the cinematography, which gets incredible mileage out of the protagonist’s ability to levitate the camcorder. For Chronicle, low-key and low-budget means high quality.

girl model In this chilling documentary, David Redmon and Ashley Sabin go behind the pictureperfect façade presented by the modeling industry. Loneliness, crushing psychological issues, and an abattoir-like conveyor belt of naïve eastern-European girls are casually thrust before the viewer. Adroitly interviewed, models and bookers alike reveal the skeletons in the fashion world’s closet; Girl Model is painful, confronting, and wholly edifying.

headhunters Equal parts self-deprecating humour, tortuous plot twist, and masterful action sequence, Headhunters came out in Norway in 2011. Translated from the original Norwegian and released to North American audiences in 2012, the film is a rare example of the heights that directorial self-awareness, when coupled with clever writing, can reach. A strong, understated performance by Aksel Hennie makes Headhunters one of the year’s best.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

visual art

For McCord, holiday happiness is child’s play

Toys 3: the Voyage brings out the inner kid in all of us Zoe Power Contributor Toys! Voyages! Bright colours! Elephants!

You know it’s going to be an interesting exhibition when all of these appear on the promo poster, and even more so when you are see a walking blue miniature hippopotamus upon arrival.

Toys 3: the Voyage is the McCord Museum’s new exhibition, artifact gallery, and interactive wonderworld of play.

The exhibition is the third in the museum’s series, which for the last two Holiday seasons has provided Montreal with a family-oriented step back in time.

Toys 3 features nearly 200 toys and games from the McCord archives: a select and fascinating collection with production dates spanning nearly two centuries.

Many of these, says Susanne Sauvage, McCord Museum’s President and Chief Executive Officer, are being shown now for the first time.

“All will be presented in settings that juxtapose the past and present, which will help children improve their observation skills within a museum environment,” Sauvage says.

The basic layout of the exhibition is a journey to ‘Abracadabra’—the fabulous land of toys. In room one, venturers-tobe can choose which essential objects they will take with them.

Will it be a Komic Kamera from the 1930s? Or perhaps a 1950s Little Queen Mechanical Sweeper—produced “for the child who wants to ‘help’

An eclectic assortment of toys and props fill the halls of the McCord. (Courtesy of McCord Museum) Mother”? (Thankfully, and to their credit, the curators make no attempt to sway the boys in one direction and girls into another—such objects remain, instead, the cultural curiosities they deserve to be).

The next stop is to choose a mode of transport. Choices range from a 1910 wooden horse—with real horse hair— to a scale model kayak built by an Inuit artist in the 1940s, to a bright yellow 1960s ‘Earth Mover’ pedal car. With transport decided upon, adventurers can progress through the following rooms, which feature a zany animal-filled jungle (complete with clearing and campfire for those whose excitement is so much they need a break), a rollicking toy-hosted party in the park, and a ceiling lined with plastic umbrellas in such an

Old toys get a second chance at life. (Courtesy of McCord Museum) array of pastel colours, that they form a glistening translucent rainbow in the sky.

The exhibition is intended to introduce children to observing and interacting in a museum, and hopes to engage them to become museum-goers, well into the future. To this end, The Voyage is the most interactive of the Toys exhibits to date. The exhibition space incorporates an area for story-tellings, which are held on Saturdays and Sun-

days throughout, as well as on special days in the Christmas period; and from December 26 to January 6, classic animated films will be screened in both languages during the day.

Permanent interactive installments include a velcro wall, on which you can make your own designs from a series of textured and patterned geometric shapes; games such as dominoes; snakes and ladders; and a mirror wall which ingeniously

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

avoids the traditional complications of museum dress-up features by allowing participants to become a princess, an octopus, an elephant—just by aligning themselves with the right part of the mirror. The exhibit also avoids telling participants that they can’t play dress-up because they’re “too big” (at last, a museum that isn’t ageist).

But never fear, ye highminded and intellectually mature pupils of higher education—Toys is not an exhibition just for kids. There’s much to be had out of this exhibit both for those within and outside the ‘intended’ age range (three to nine years). As well as a fabulously tempting array of fun, excitinglooking objects, Toys is a historical exhibit with a significance and interest-factor equal to any other. After all—as the exhibition is quick to point out—what could be more universal than play? And what better means to gain a social and cultural insight into our past, than a direct and visual comparative perspective ,such as that which this exhibition provides?

Toys also offers a cross-

Cool

concerts?

cultural comparison. The exhibition (entirely bilingual) hosts a range of play items from both sides of the Atlantic. In one cabinet, a 1934 Shirley Temple doll holds court alongside a spectacularly elaborate Madame de Pompadour from 1950. Further along, G.I. Joe and Napoleon Bonaparte battle it out in a game of dominoes, as My Little Pony looks on. What’s more, you can emulate them yourself, with the novelty-sized and childsafe foam domino pieces interspersed throughout the room! In that way, once again the exhibit drifts from the ‘educational’ and back to ‘fun’—pretty unavoidable, considering the show’s theme. Get along to McCord sometime in the next few months, for a fascinating exhibition and a guaranteed smile.

Toys 3: the Voyage runs at the McCord Museum until April 28, 2012. Student admission $8; free Wednesday nights after 5 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month.

Awesome art?

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

5. Grimes—Visions

Yes Please! arts@ mcgilltribune.com

Chris’ Top Five Albums of 2012 4. Slow Magic—Triangle

3. TOPS—Tender Opposites

2. Beta Frontiers—...EP

1. Purity Ring—Shrines

Ilia’s Top Five Songs of 2012 5. Lil Wayne—A Milli (BUSTED By HeRobust).

Young Georgia-based beatmaker HeRobust puts a heavy spin on Wayne’s classic.

Free films?

39

4. Styles Of Beyond— Damn (Feat. Michael Bublé).

A perfectly cool blend of Bublé’s smooth vocals and Styles of Beyond’s laid-back raps.

3. King Charles—Ivory Road. London multi-instrumentalist King Charles has released one of the year’s catchiest folk-pop track.

2. Dunson—Count On It. This Baltimore rapper’s single is the perfect blend of lyrical skill and solid beats.

1. Macklemore—Starting Over. Brimming with emotional intensity, this song is a brutally honest show of narrative coupled with lyrical skill.

SPORTS

Exclusive Interview

McGill NHLer weighs in on the lockout

The Tribune sits down with former Canadiens forward Mathieu Darche David Stein Contributor The Tribune had the opportunity to sit down with Mathieu Darche, a McGill graduate (B.Com. ‘00) who played in the NHL last season with the Montreal Canadiens. He weighed in on his time at McGill, this year’s Redmen roster, and the current NHL lockout.

McGill Tribune: What do you remember about your days as a McGill Redmen?

Mathieu Darche: I went to McGill to get an education.

It was the only [Canadian] school that gave me an offer.

I remember all those years at McGill, those Christmas trips that we [took to] Europe and Vancouver. I think we went to Slovakia one year. I try and keep in touch with quite a few of the ex-Redmen, like my linemates from those years: Dave Gourde and Dave Grenier. [Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach] Martin Raymond I actually still talk to today.”

MT: How closely do you follow the current McGill Redmen?

MD: To be honest, I only saw one game this year. But I’ve heard good things about that [Marc-Olivier] Vachon, and a few other kids like [Ryan] McKiernan, who was there last year [and] seems like a good character kid. I know it’s a bit of a transition year for them because they graduated a lot of players [from] last year’s [championship

team]. That’s the thing with [collegiate] sports; you can’t keep your players forever.

MT: Has your McGill Management degree benefited you throughout the NHL lockout negotiations?

MD: Well, a degree is just a piece of paper. I mean, maybe I was able to get a grasp on the financial things quicker because I did take some finance classes.

[However], whatever you learn in school is nothing compared to practical work and experience. I’m getting towards the end of my playing career, and being in the business side of hockey is something that I’ve always been interested in.

MT: Do you see the NHL lockout ending anytime soon?

MD: I’ve been optimistic from the start that there [will] be hockey; and I think the players have come a long way. We sacrificed over a billion dollars in salary, and it just seems right now, like the owners want to hit a home run by getting us on the player’s share and contracting rights. Then again, I think we’re way too close to not get a deal done.

MT: Have NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly been unfair during the negotiations?

MD: I don’t have anything personal against those two; they’re incredibly smart people, and they’re doing what the owners want them to do. They’re

Darche is engaged in the NHL lockout negotiations.

(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune) just the voice behind the whole [position]. Obviously, I’ll preach from [the players’] choir. I feel that we’ve made the most concessions.

MT: Were your ex-teammate Roman Hamrlik’s comments against NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr out of line?

MD: I don’t want to say [out of line], [because] I understand where he’s coming from.

He’s 38 years old and I’m in the same boat. Maybe I’ll never play again, who knows? And I have no problem with his opinion except for one [thing]: I’m just disappointed that he hasn’t been to any meetings. When he was in Montreal, skating with us, I tried to explain stuff to him and

he wouldn’t listen. He would just say, ‘That’s stupid, that’s stupid.’

The only thing that I [can] say is that I’m a little bit disappointed that he made those comments without being informed.

MT: Is decertification for the NHLPA a realistic possibility?

MD: It could happen. I mean, you saw the NFL and the NBA did it and they got a deal not long after. Will we do it? I don’t know yet. Has it been discussed? Of course it has. Every [possibility] has been discussed.

I don’t know if we will, [but] I’d like to hope that we’ll get an agreement before doing something like that. It’s tough to predict right now if we’ll get to that or not.

Curiosity delivers. | MT: Does the fact that you don’t currently have an NHL contract change your perspective in these negotiations?

MD: Well, some people told me on Twitter—because you get Twitter haters who think they’re ‘Twitter tough’—[that] ‘of course it’s easy for me to be a hardliner.’ They told me that I have nothing to lose because I don’t have a contract, but I think it’s the opposite. I have everything to lose because especially at my age [36] the longer it goes, the lower my chances are of playing again.”

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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Darche played for the Montreal Canadiens between 2009-2012. (radio-canada.ca)

THIRD MAN IN After unloading my backpack stuffed full of books and unzipping my puffy jacket, I settle into my McLennan carrel with a Tim Hortons’ doubledouble for a long study session.

I open up my computer, click on Safari, and type “Yahoo fantasy basketball” into the Google search bar. The results appear, and the normally blue hyperlink at the top is purple from countless clicks. An hour later, I still haven’t started my work, preferring instead to pour through Rotoworld’s fantasy updates, research hot players, or just stare at the beauty of a lineup that includes Russell Westbrook and David West.

I have always been a basketball fan. Growing up in Boston, it’s hard not to get swept up in the mania of one of the greatest sports cities in the world, especially given the past decade of success. However, I will admit that I never really paid much attention to teams other than Boston in the NBA. Barely able to divide my attention between the Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins

sports

Fantasy is my reality

during the winter months, there was no way, I figured, I could ever pay attention to a whole league.

Nevertheless, I live with roommates whom I would consider to be basketball fanatics, and I was approached this fall with the prospect of being in an NBA fantasy league. I eagerly accepted, thinking that it would be a fun way to pay a bit more attention to basketball—a good topic of conversation among friends.

I can honestly say now— as we’re ending the fifth week of our league—that nothing has ever consumed my waking psyche like fantasy basketball. In the mornings, the first thought that pops into my head is how my fantasy team performed the night before. It’s always the first website I go on when I open up my laptop.

Yahoo! Fantasy StatTracker—the league’s live scoring system—is probably the most distracting feature of all. In the evenings, I’ll find myself at the library, staring at the applica-

tion, and waiting for a player’s name to light up and the statistics to update. Even when I’m in the comfort of my own home and done with studying for the night, I’d rather watch StatTracker than a real game on TV. Being involved in the league has made me think about basketball in another way. Before, I was always attracted to the unorthodox combination of grace and physicality that exists in basketball: the swish of a long range three through the net, the effortless and quick motioned dribbling, and the aggressive drives to the paint. Teamwork was always a thing of beauty.

But now, I curse teamwork and pray that my fantasy players selfishly jack up three balls and miss shots to grab their own offensive rebounds.

Sadly though, my allegiance to the Celtics has waned in these past few months, most evidently when a member of my fantasy team is playing them.

For instance, when Boston played Oklahoma City just a few weeks ago, I was delighted that

Russell Westbrook was tearing it up from behind the arc and making well-placed assists. Even in the final minutes of the game, when OKC was threatening to overtake Boston, I hoped Westbrook would tally up some late game points.

Before this fall, I could probably only name the star players on each NBA team. Now through my team, I can rattle off the two players time-sharing at centre for the Denver Nuggets, and the backup point guard for the Golden State Warriors. I eagerly await Portland Trailblazers’ games, even though they are last in their division.

Yes, final papers are weighing heavily on my shoulders, and I should spend my evenings pouring through source material, but every night around 8:00 p.m. StatTracker goes up and the rest of the night is written off as I stare at my computer, living the fantasy life.

—Tom DiNardo

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

Fall Sports

Compiled by Justin Simon, Mayaz Alam, Steven Lampert, Mido Assran, Remi Lu, Peter Laing

A-

sports

Report Cards

Redmen Baseball MVP: Adam Gordon Athlete to Watch: Tyler Welence Looking to rebound from a disappointing 2011 season, the Redmen turned to new Head Coach Jason Starr to restore order in McGill’s nationally renowned baseball program.

Martlet Soccer MVP: Meghan Bourque Athlete to Watch: Kristina Pearkes The Martlets looked ready to earn another CIS Championship tournament berth after opening the 2012 season with six straight wins; they were ranked amongst the top ten in the country and were dominating RSEQ competition. However, McGill’s inconsistent play plagued the

McGill Cross-Country

Redmen B-

MVP: Benjamin Raymond Athlete to Watch: Charles Litwin The Redmen placed 16th at the CIS Championship—a decent showing for the runners.

Freshman Benjamin Raymond played a crucial role, posting second place finishes at the McGill Open, the Laval Open, and the RSEQ Championships.

The first year polished off the season with Quebec Rookie-ofthe-Year accolades. Other topscorers for the season included

| Curiosity delivers.

Despite a poor start—dropping four of their first five contests— the Redmen stayed composed, and won eight of their final eleven games to secure a playoff berth.

Characteristic of the 2010 National Champions, McGill caught a spark at the most opportune time. They swept both their semifinal and final playoff opponents in Ottawa and Carleton, respectively, and qualified

for the CIBA National Championship in the process. McGill remained hot throughout nationals, culminating in a dramatic walk-off grand slam to send the team to the national semifinal.

However, this proved to be as far as the momentum would carry them, as the Redmen fell to eventual champions St. Clair College 4-2, ending hopes of a second national championship in three years.

team down the stretch, as it managed to win just three of its last eight games. While McGill qualified for the conference playoffs, the team was clearly out of sync.

The Martlets needed to prevail in the RSEQ semifinal to earn a trip to nationals, but lost to Sherbrooke on season-ending penalty kicks.

There were a few Martlets that put together impressive seasons, notably first-year standout Kristina Pearkes, leading goal-

scorer Hannah Rivkin, and thirdyear midfielder Meghan Bourque. Looking forward to next season, the team will maintain a strong nucleus, including 2011 CIS Freshman-of-the-Year Alexandra Hoyte, who missed all of the 2012 campaign due to injury.

Martlet leaders Julie Bahen and Beth Armstrong leave the team following graduation, and while this year’s result was undoubtedly disappointing, the program’s future looks bright.

freshman Charles Litwin and sophomore Michael Abramson.

Promising rookies Raymond and Litwin look to lead the team moving forward.

lets throughout the year. Other top runners included sophomore Quebec conference runner of the year, Jessica Porfilio, as well as seniors Sarah McCuaig and Madeleine Cummings. The Martlets placed seventh overall at nationals. The team has good depth and a young core, which bodes well for next season.

Martlets B+

MVP: Jessica Porfilio Athlete to Watch: Caroline Pfister The Martlets started their season strong, winning five of their first six meets, including multiple podium sweeps and the RSEQ Championship. Rookie Caroline Pfister, a high-profile athlete previously representing Canada at international ageclass competitions, led the Mart-

Martlet Rugby

B-

MVP: Brianna Miller Athlete to Watch: Emily Barber

B

The McGill Martlets had a season of up and downs in 2012.

They opened their season winning four out of their first five games. However, they failed to deliver when it counted once again, as the team fell in the RSEQ semifinal for the fifth consecutive season—this time, to rival Concordia. Third-year back Brianna Miller was honoured with All-Canadian status and named the RSEQ player of the year after recording six tries and a conference-high 40 conversions. The Martlets lose just two players to graduation, so next year’s roster has the potential to end their recent playoff woes.

sports

Curiosity delivers. |

Redmen Football MVP: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Athlete to Watch: Shaquille Johnson After multiple seasons of disappointment on the gridiron, the Redmen finally ended their 23-game winless streak with a 36-9 victory over Mt. Allison.

Overall, it was a tumultuous sea-

son for the Redmen, as strong performances—including another win against Bishop’s, and a narrow loss to rival Concordia— were mixed with the 40-point shutouts seen in previous years.

The improvements on the field were spearheaded by two All-Canadians: third-year offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, and freshman wide receiver Shaquille Johnson.

Johnson became only the sec-

MVP: Alexis Pradié Athletes To Watch: Max Leblond, Olivier LacosteLebuis The Redmen had an unfortunate season. After the year’s conclusion, the RSEQ announced that McGill had forfeited 11 of its 12 games for

Redmen Rugby MVP: Cameron Perrin Athlete to Watch: Robert Ashe It was certainly a roller coaster ride for the Redmen this season. After coming out of the gate with four straight wins, the team was devastated after an in-

A

eligible player cost them all their victories. Despite the forfeits, the Redmen continued to dominate the rest of the year, and won their final four matches. The Redmen cruised to the championship by easily defeating Bishop’s in the semifinals, and for the third consecutive year, McGill faced Concordia in the final. While the Redmen played a somewhat sloppy game, they managed to

Redmen Lacrosse MVP: Jishan Sharples Athlete to Watch: Alex Rohrbach The Redmen finally achieved what they desired.

The team had a storybook run through the playoffs to capture its first-ever CUFLA championship. McGill finished the regu-

ond Redman to capture the CIS Rookie-of-the-Year. This season also marked Head Coach Clint Uttley’s first full year in the position. This was a smart hire for McGill, as Uttley injected life into a downtrodden program.

With both All-Canadians returning and only eleven graduating seniors, look for the Redmen to ride this wave of momentum into even more playoff appearances in the future.

However, with new rising freshman star Max Leblond coming through the ranks, McGill is sure to have a formidable team next fall. Leblond brought strong leadership to the keeper position, and delivered a laudable performance. Head Coach Jose Valdez will enter his second season at the position, which will give him more time to make his mark on the program.

come out on top to claim their seventh straight RSEQ title.

Even though McGill loses 15 players to graduation, the team is still in great shape. Fortunately, seniors comprised only half of the starting lineup. The team is in good hands moving forward, as Head Coach Craig Beemer currently sports a 66-6 record during his tenure at McGill.

lar season on top of the Eastern Conference with a 9-1 overall record. The Redmen pulled off a three goal rally in the final 80 seconds to stun Guelph in the national semifinal matchup.

Then, in the championship game against Western, with mere seconds remaining in double overtime, captain Jishan Sharples scored the game-winner to claim the Baggataway Cup.

43 C+

use of an ineligible player. The news sent the Redmen to the bottom of the standings with a miserable 0-12-0 record.

However, McGill MVP and centre-back Alexis Pradié still earned some glory when he was named to the CIS All-Canadian first-team for the second consecutive year. Pradié will graduate this year, undoubtedly leaving a huge hole in the leadership department.

Redmen Soccer

D

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

A

The Redmen will lose two key players to graduation: Ryan Besse graduates as McGill’s alltime leading goal scorer, while Sharples, who provided leadership and clutch play all season, will also not be returning. With veteran Coach Tim Murdoch at the helm, and depth at every position, the Redmen will have a chance to repeat as champions again next season.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

Profile

For the boys: Sharples leaves on top

Redmen captain Jishan Sharples applauds team dynamic in championship run Jeff Downey Sports Editor “My plan was to go to Western University to play lacrosse since grade 12,” Jishan Sharples, McGill’s graduating, and recently crowned national champion said. “I didn’t even think of going to McGill, hadn’t even visited the campus. I was sure I didn’t want to go there. But then [Head Coach Tim Murdoch] contacted me and with one 30 minute phone call, I switched right away.”

Amazingly, this one discussion with Murdoch transformed Sharples’ life. Using the captain’s desire for a premium education and a promise of a national championship in the coming years at McGill, Murdoch lured the young star recruit to Montreal. Despite Sharples’ early uncertainty, the move to McGill has undoubtedly paid off, as he scored the game winning overtime goal in the Baggataway Cup final to beat the team he was once destined to join—the Western Mustangs.

“I saw immediately that Jishan was a versatile athlete— strong, fast, and athletic,” Murdoch said. “[Yet], it is truly ironic that Jishan scored the most historic goal in our history against Western in the championships.

I’m so glad he was wearing red that day instead of purple.”

Growing up in Vancouver, Sharples began playing lacrosse at just five years old, after his father got him interested in the sport. Long travel sessions to practices and games marked Sharples’ high school

Sharples celebrates with the Baggataway Cup. (Jishan Sharples) playing days, then a member of the Burnaby Mountain Selects, the premier travelling lacrosse program in British Columbia.

The club cycles through tournaments in the United States to provide exposure for gifted lacrosse players to Divison I NCAA schools.

“There isn’t a lot of exposure in Canada, specifically for field lacrosse, which is what is played in university,” Sharples said. “In order to take it to the next level, you really need to join a travelling team. The switch really came for me in grade nine, when I joined Burnaby.” Sharples said.

The Vancouver native was recruited by 18 American institutions, in addition to his few Canadian opportunities. However, McGill’s strong lacrosse program, as well as its academic reputation, won the Sharples over.

“The best decision I ever made was becoming a Redmen,” he said.

According to Sharples, the team’s success can be attributed to the roster’s diversity and the team’s devotion to the motto “for the boys.” The team features players from all across Canada and the United States.

This multi-faceted dynamic—

faithfully helmed by Princeton alumnus Murdoch—presents an environment where players can mature and constantly improve. This differs dramatically from other elite Canadian programs, like Western, which recruit heavily from the local talent base.

Even this year’s national championship—where Sharples scored five goals between the semis and finals, including the game-winner in the Baggataway Cup—was a total team effort.

“The entire tournament everybody played his role­ —as corny as that sounds, from offence to defence—and even though my name will be on that last goal, I’m adamant that it stands as a team one,” Sharples said. “But, it is a pretty amazing feeling ... it’s the only way I wanted to end my career at McGill.”

Looking towards the future, Sharples already has opportunities. With the National Lacrosse League planning to expand the current professional scene in Canada—including a team in this city to follow the now-defunct Montreal Express—Sharples was chosen to participate in a tryout for Quebec lacrosse athletes for a chance to play in a Toronto Rock professional game in December. Although he was unsuccessful in his first bid, the tryout served as a learning experience for future endeavours should he wish to pursue them.

However, the future may be far more similar to the present.

“The good thing about our league, is that there is no [eligibility] limit—so I’ve already

Curiosity delivers. | told coach I’ll be back in some form,” Sharples said. “As long as you’re a full-time student at McGill [you’re eligible]. I’m hoping to do a dual MBA/JD program, with another four years of lacrosse.”

Looking back, Murdoch had glowing reviews of Sharples and the legacy he leaves with the program.

“I am always happy to witness young men like Jishan mature over four years on campus.

(Mike King / McGill Tribune)

sports

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

He took full advantage of McGill’s academic offerings—fouryear honor roll status, while enjoying himself socially in Montreal. He has always been self-motivated to achieve great things, on and off of the lacrosse field, [and] he made his own success through hard work and determination,” Murdoch said.

“Jishan is destined for continued success in whatever career path he chooses beyond McGill,” Murdoch continued.

45

“As head coach, I have formed especially close friendships with our captains over the years, and I can say from the bottom of my heart that I will miss Jishan enormously.”

It’s safe to say Sharples made the right playing decision. “[It’s been] the best four years of my life,” Sharples said.

“An absolute roller coaster, with definitely more highs than lows, but it started the right way and ended the right way.”

Tennis

McGill earns first ever nationals appearance

Team rebounds from demotion to club status; upsets four-time champs Carabins

McGill will compete as a co-ed team at the National Championship in August 2013. (Courtesy of McGill Tennis club) Simon Poitrimolt Photo Editor Three weeks ago, the McGill tennis team qualified for its first national championship.

The tournament will take place in Toronto in August 2013. McGill will compete as a co-ed team, picking up the second of the two qualifying tickets from the Eastern division, along with top-seeded Western University.

The teams will face off against two other universities from the Western Division, rounding out

the tournament competitors.

The co-ed format was introduced to nationals to allow teams from the Western Division, typically with smaller rosters, to enter the competition.

During the qualifying rounds, the men and women competed separately, in order to qualify for a mixed team of ten players. The University of Montreal lost its qualifying bid to McGill, even though the Carabins were heavily favoured, and have won every national title since the championships’ incep-

tion in 2009.

In the semis, the Martlets fell 4-3, but the Redmen prevailed 5-2. McGill therefore finished with a two-point cumulative advantage over the Carabins. Western University dominated the competiton, winning both the men’s and women’s draws.

The amateur tournament will be played alongside the annual professional women’s Rogers Cup at the Rexall Centre.

“As far as I know, it is unique to have a tournament

that brings together the best players in the world, at the same time as university players,’’ Head Coach Adrien Dupont explained.

The upcoming nine months before nationals will require unique preparation for McGill. “[Our] next challenge is to maintain the same level of play that we have managed to rise to this semester,” Dupont said.

After losing its varsity status in 2010, the team rebuilt Continued on page 46

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

Haytem Laaribi (top left), Michel Berthelemot (top right), and Alexandra Beran (bottom). (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) itself around the leadership of Dupont and a core of new players. Dupont became the head coach five years ago, while he was still playing at McGill.

The team at that time was still student-run. Two years later, he reintroduced the women’s program, following its dissolution in 2008. In this Fall’s regular season, the women’s squad went undefeated for the first time.

“It is still a very young team, and certainly one of my greatest prides,” Dupont said.

Despite its status as a com-

petitive club, both tennis teams were allowed to play in the same league as the seven other varsity teams from Quebec and Ontario. Now, the club’s development depends on the evolution of the sport in the province—motivation that wasn’t there just a few years ago.

To introduce an independent RSEQ conference, a minimum of four teams is required.

However, Dupont hopes to see such a division created by next year. This is particularly important because being part of a pro-

vincial-only league is a requirement for a competitive club to be instated as a varsity team at McGill. McGill has scheduled winter exhibition games against Laval, Sherbrooke, and Montreal, with the intention of promoting an independent conference.

It would also give McGill an opportunity to prepare for nationals in August.

“Our hope is that the exhibition season will be a success; and if so, we will be in a position to re-engage the discussion with the university [regarding

the varsity status for tennis] and the three other programs to try to move forward,” Dupont said.

Currently, the club faces challenges of reduced publicity and university-provided financing. However, these difficulties have not undermined the team’s ability to compete for its first national title.

“Now that we are qualified, our objective is to go get our first title,” Dupont said. “It is definitely a format that gives us the opportunity to have our best men and women represent us.”

Curiosity delivers. |

sports

| Wednesday, December 5, 2012

47

As a huge basketball fan, it would be pretty great to see a nonsuperteam win the NBA Finals and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season. It would validate the fact that the NBA world isn’t dominated by a couple of superstars, and that true team-basketball is still the best kind of basketball.

—Remi Lu I wish that the NBA will bring back basketball to VanI’m blindly cheering for a drug-free Tour couver. Otherwise, I hope de France, with the ‘Manx Missile,’ that the Brooklyn Nets Mark Cavendish, again showing that continue to ascend into he’s the fastest thing on two wheels. the ranks of the elite— Knowing I won’t make any friends with beating the New York this, I’m hoping for a continued NHL lockout Knicks in the process— since it has greatly increased the coverage of sports and that someone from an I hold dearer and those that have improved my NCAA conference other than I would love quality of life. the SEC wins the BCS Chamto see Peyton pionship Game.

Manning and the —Jeff Downey —Mayaz Alam Denver Broncos ­ take home Superbowl XLVII, shutting down the New I My wish is for England Patriots in the process.

As was born the return of the a Broncos fan, I’ve watched Peyton the year Quebec NorWhy do Raptors the Blue pick apart my team in many playoff diques. There is fans—myself included— Jays games when he was a member of the won an obvious thirst go through this self-pun- their first World Series.

Indianapolis Colts.

A Superbowl win for more hockey in La Belle ishment every year? Do Since then, the Toronto would more than make up for all Province. Numerous NHL we watch to see Ben Uzoh sports scene has been those devastating losses. franchises are currently strugrecord the Raptors’ only fairly bleak, filled with the —Justin Simon gling. Moving one of these triple-double of the year; nasty combination of false teams to Quebec City would or do we watch to see the hope and embarassment. eliminate an economic bottom team finish in 8th place be- However, with one major feeder—the kind that is bleedI, for one, want the NHL lockout to fore being obliterated by offseason trade, a Toronto ing money and begging for end soon. Not only will life be better with Chris Bosh and the Miami team has finally become help during the lockout. Having NHL hockey, but cancelling an entire Heat? Our well-dressed relevant again. My wish more hockey teams in Canada season could prematurely end some great general manager’s time is in 2013 is for the Blue is better for the league. Period. careers. Above all, my wish is that Daniel up. This mess is his fault. Jays to make the MLB Alfredsson—a good person, a great leadIn 2013, I want Bryan postseason, and remove —Trevor Drummond er, and a borderline Hall-of-Famer— Colangelo expelled from the disappointment at the gets to play at least one more game the Toronto Raptors—and collective Toronto sports in the city he has adopted as his for good reason. fans’ core. I don’t know home, a city which bows at his feet. if we can survive another —Adam Sadinsky —Filippo Furlano year of mediocrity and heartbreak.

—Steven Lampert

Sports 2013

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