McGill Tribune Vol. 31 Issue 15

Tribune The McGill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 15

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Craig Kielburger McGill Living Library Editorial Hangovers SOPA and PIPA Sweeney Todd Fantasy hockey

2 4 7 9 12 13 19

Symptoms of a dysfunctional family

montreal winter fun, pages 10-11

Senate talks Nov. 10 report

By Carolina Millán Ronchetti News Editor

Players’ Theatre’s Hay Fever takes on the roaring ‘20s British culture. For the review, see page 15. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)

Members of the university senate gathered last Wednesday in order to discuss the investigation and recommendations regarding the events of Nov. 10. The investigation was conducted by Dean of Law Daniel Jutras, and was released Dec. 15.

In her opening remarks, Principal Heather Munroe-Blum stated that she accepts all six recommendations proposed by the Jutras report. The details of the implementation of these recommendations will be developed and released by Munroe-Blum following a Board of Governors meeting on Jan. 31.

Introducing his report, Jutras restated his mandate and the process of his investigation. He noted that the focus of the investigation was on clarifying facts, and that the facts on the report were those that could be confirmed by a plurality of sources.

“I readily accept that, as written, the report does not provide a full account of the subjective feelings or emotions of those who were present on that day,” he said. “It is a narrative written from the point of view of an outside observer, not a collage of a subjective individual See “JUTRAS” on page 3

McGill reveals more about future Quartier d’Innovation

VP Research presents on research hub; senators voice concerns about ethics and source of funding

By Anand Bery News Editor During a report to Senate last Wednesday, McGill University revealed the details of its plan to develop the Quartier d’Innovation (QI), a research and entrepreneurship-driven innovation hub.

The QI is intended to be a dynamic neighbourhood driven by research and innovation coming from the university, NGOs, emerging start-ups, and existing corporations.

The proposed centre will be much like the MaRS research hub in Toronto and Barcelona 22 in Spain.

In her talk, McGill’s Vice-Prin-

cipal of Research and International Relations Rose Goldstein discussed the potential economic benefits a research centre could have for the city of Montreal, as well as for the province and Canada. Goldstein pointed to Spain as an example, noting that while its economy has been suffering in recent years, Barcelona

has been best prepared to weather the downturn among Spanish cities.

She went on to suggest that the Barcelona 22 hub may have contributed to some of the city’s growth.

The QI also represents a partnership between École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), a Montreal university that’s part of the Univer-

sity of Montreal system specializing in engineering and technology, and McGill.

The hub, which will begin with one building owned by McGill and another owned by ÉTS, is hoping to eventually span the entire neighbourhood south-west of downtown See “QI” on page 2

News campus

Craig Kielburger puts philanthropy in a business context Canadian founder of Free the Children opened the Desautels Business Conference on Sustainability

By Erica Friesen News Editor Internationally renowned Canadian activist Craig Kielburger opened the Desautels Business Conference on Sustainability (DBCS) last Thursday, Jan. 19 with a keynote speech that addressed the importance of developing sustainable solutions to global issues.

Currently in its ninth year, the DBCS is a three-day long conference that gives post-secondary students from all over North America the opportunity to attend presentations by experts and participate in discussions on the topic of social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Kielburger is the founder of Free the Children, an organization promoting youth involvement in projects that provide education, health care, clean water, and alternative income programs in 45 countries around the world.

“We asked Craig to deliver the keynote speech because he combines business acumen with a strong sense of community, responsibility , and accountability,” Dylan Kristofic, co-chair of the conference, said. “[Furthermore], his story can inspire young students and send the message that one person can make a difference.”

Having founded Free the Children at age 12, Kielburger wants

Kielburger urged his audience to consider a future in the non-profit world. (Elisha Lerner / McGill Tribune) to dispel the widespread perception that youth cannot create lasting change in the world.

“There were people [back then] who looked at us and said ‘How cute—this group of kids wants to make a difference. But wait. Wait until you get a good job … then you can change things,’” Kielburger said.

Now in its 18th year, Free the Children is a hugely successful movement that remains largely funded by youth. Kielburger, however, expressed concern at the grow-

ing competition between an everincreasing number of charities.

“It is such a crowded space in the non-profit world,” Kielburger said. “What if instead of competing, there was recognizing [that] we all share a common purpose—we all want a more peaceful, just, communitarian world?”

He also emphasized the need for non-profit organizations to focus on sustainable enterprises, and build a clear “exit strategy” that allows the organizations to withdraw their aid when the targeted community has

reached a level of economic sustainability.

“Charity doesn’t work—sustainable development does,” he said.

Kielburger asked his audience of predominantly management students to consider a future in the nonprofit sector, where he says there is great need for their skills. Though employees may be paid less than their for-profit counterparts, these positions are still highly competitive.

“We have [university graduates who] take a pay cut massively

to come work in a social enterprise because they see the social investment side of what they’re doing,” Kielburger said.

“They want a life of purpose, not just a paycheck. They want to be inspired and engaged.”

Though he knows that most students will not ultimately find employment in organizations like Free the Children, Kielburger said he believes that even those in the for-profit sector can further his hopes for a more humane world— for example, by helping industries to limit their use of child labour.

“Even if you never [enter] into the non-profit world,” Kielburger said, “we need you in the for-profit world to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Kielburger’s speech was received with a standing ovation. Audience members expressed admiration for his speech and enthusiasm for work in the non-profit sector.

“It was extremely inspiring,” Sue Kwon, U3 management, said.

“This definitely made me want to start [a career in the non-profit sector] tomorrow.”

“I think this is the sixth time I’ve heard him speak,” Eileen Chen, a U1 management student with extensive past involvement in Free the Children, said. “But this [speech], since it was in such a business context, I really found that it tapped to the core of my values.”

Innovation center to promote research and collaboration continued from COVER Montreal as start-ups, corporations, and private research labs set up offices there to meet the growing demand for jobs in emerging fields like green technology.

After the presentation, a number of senators voiced their apprehensions about the source of funding for the project, especially since McGill has been operating with a fiscal deficit in recent years. One senator pointed to the anticipatory overbuilding in Chicago a decade ago as an example, and cautioned against overinvestment in the case where other areas of the economy do not catch up.

In her response, Goldstein said that she “cannot stress enough the [government’s] feeling that this is something that Canada lacks,” and reiterated that it has the support of all three levels of government. She added that McGill is being careful in the allocation of its own investments.

Law Senator Clarke called for careful consideration to be made so

that students are not “treated as commodities” with marketable skills and that the QI must specifically create opportunities for students.

Arts Senator Matt Crawford expressed concern with where current low-income residents of the neighbourhood, known as Griffintown, would be forced to go as the area is developed. He called for careful investigation into the displacement of these individuals.

“There is a growing trend in Montreal towards gentrification, and it certainly isn’t a recent phenomenon,” Crawford wrote in an email to the Tribune. “Places of cultural or historical significance, along with low-income residences, are often the first to be placed on the chopping block.”

SSMU president Maggie Knight questioned whether some of the industry partners listed in the report as potential partners, like Monsanto, line up with the vision of the project, specifically in the area of corporate social responsibility.

“The primary concerns dis-

cussed by SSMU’s Senate Caucus were the lack of student involvement in the creation of the QI project to date, the language of the project overview which does seem to commodify students, and a lack of parameters around whether or not there were any limitations on types of private sector involvement,” Knight wrote in an email to the Tribune. “There didn’t appear to be any discussion of corporate social responsibility or of how corporate sector organizations would be selected or filtered in terms of alignment with the vision of the QI project.”

“That being said, we also agreed that many students would welcome the opportunities QI could provide,” she added.

Crawford also noted the need to consider the ethics of the project.

“I would like a more measured and prudential approach from the administration in its partnership with political and corporate players.

This is an expensive project with numerous ethical ramifications,” Crawford wrote. “It’s important that

Griffintown, site of future research hub. (Kyla Mandel / McGill Tribune) we are both a) seriously committed to considering all the dimensions of the project, particularly its ethical structure; [and] b) are prepared to leave it on the table if it doesn’t meet the standards the McGill community sets for itself.”

When asked whether student

consultation on the project is currently taking place by PGSS Senator Roland Nassim, Phil Barker, chair of the QI’s internal planning process, replied that while no student input has been considered thus far, there would be consultation as they enter the next phase of development.

3

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Campus

Education Week a response to fall issues on campus Seven-day series of events raises awareness of issues like tuition hikes and peaceful political protest

By Bea Britneff Contributor From Jan. 12 to 20, SSMU hosted (Reclaim Your) Education Week, a seven-day series of workshops, discussions, and presentations that sought to raise awareness about a number of issues on the McGill campus, including tuition hikes and the struggles of marginalized groups on campus.

Education Week was made possible by collaboration between SSMU, the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill (QPIRG), the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), and the November 10th Community Alliance.

Education Week was a completely student-based initiative, inspired by questions that arose in the context of recent events, such as the MUNACA strike, Nov. 10, and Dean Jutras’ report on the events of Nov. 10.

“Students hear a lot of things, have many questions, but get little answers,” PGSS VP External Mariève Isabel said. “They wanted to share their concerns and their hopes for the future of McGill … while reclaiming that they also

should be part of the decision-making process.”

“Education Week was also inspired by a similar week of events at University of California Davis,” SSMU VP External Joël Pedneault said. “We thought it would be a very useful type of thing to organize at McGill.”

According to Pedneault, the primary goals of Education Week were to spread awareness, and to “re-energize mobilization.”

Workshops covered a large variety of issues relevant to McGill students, ranging from racism and street tactics to social equity and neo-liberalism.

Among the many workshops offered, one in particular offered a chance to discuss colonialism, decolonization, and solidarity concerning indigenous communities and their struggles.

Facilitators Cleve Higgins and Dan Lazarus, both former McGill students, led a discussion on the ongoing legacy of colonialism and the many conflicts with the Canadian government in which indigenous communities find themselves.

Many indigenous populations in Quebec and throughout Canada

continue to be disenfranchised for the purpose of resource extraction, an issue especially prevalent today with regard to the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline in British Columbia.

The thorny issue of tuition hikes received considerable spotlight throughout Education Week.

The week served as preparation for the “ongoing and upcoming fight again tuition hikes,” according to the event’s website.

The proposed tuition hikes, which consist of a $325 increase per year, over a period of five years, will affect all students.

“All students pay a basic amount of tuition, which is what is charged to Quebec residents,” Pedneault said. “Since this base amount is being raised, everyone will be affected by tuition hikes.”

While many student groups face a number of challenges in the context of tuition hikes, increased tuition for graduate students poses extra financial stress, which helps explain PGSS’s active participation in spreading awareness.

“Graduate students often have more responsibilities and more expenses [than undergraduate stu-

Senators look beyond Nov. 10 continued from COVER narratives or perceptions of the events of that day.”

After recapping his recommendations, which include a discussion on peaceful assembly on campus, the mandate of security services at McGill, and continued dialogue with the Montreal police, Jutras expressed his willingness to let the report spark dialogue in the McGill community.

“The recommendations are mine and mine alone, and in very clear sense, once the facts are laid out … as a consensual base for the discussion of the events of Nov. 10, I don’t have any privileged position to make recommendations,” Jutras said. “Any member of this community is equally well placed to make recommendations on this event and where we can go from here. I sincerely hope that this report is understood as the beginning of the conversation.”

The live-streamed session then continued, with senators expressing questions and comments on both the report and potential future courses of action. Art history and communication studies professor Darin Barney emphasized that the occupiers were not violent, that the only violence that occurred in the fifth floor of the

James Administration Building was carried out by the McGill security team, and that police violence was “completely disproportionate and wholly unjustified.”

“While the report itself does not make such a recommendation, its substance certainly provides grounds for concern over the appropriateness and proportionality of the police response,” he said. “And so filing a complaint by the principal, on behalf of the university as a community, is certainly warranted.”

Science Senator Annie Ma expressed concern at the lack of emergency and medical assistance available to students hurt during the events of Nov. 10.

“Maybe we need to recognize the fact that we need to improve our services, especially in the emergency situation, that could potentially provide help to students and staff next time we have an emergency,” she said.

Following a question on what McGill could learn from other universities’ policies on demonstrations, Jutras explained that “our definition of peaceful assembly and its connection to the code of student conduct is perhaps the widest that exists in the province,” and suggested that it be developed further by the

community.

Post-Graduate Students’ Society Senator Adam Bouchard emphasized the need for student participation in the execution of the report’s proposals.

“Students should be, and desire the ability to be, directly involved in the implementation of Dean Jutras’ recommendations to the community,” he said. “Consultations should not replace having students be a part of the final response.”

The discussion of the Jutras report finished with arts senator and fifth-floor occupier Matthew Crawford addressing the reasons for the occupiers’ course of action on Nov. 10.

“In order to destroy the figurative alienation that exists between [the administration and the student body], the occupiers saw fit to destroy a literal physical alienation that exits between students and administrators,” Crawford said.

“The message of our occupation was simple: either the student voice must be heeded, or governance at this university must change in order for our influence in the decision making process to be anything more than tokenistic.”

dents],” Isabel said. “A huge proportion of students do not complete their degree.”

Isabel suggested that this may be the result of financial obstacles.

The workshops that addressed tuition hikes aimed to educate students about the facts and consequences of the proposed increases, as well as the logistics of student strikes, a topic that has recently been addressed more intently.

SSMU Arts Councillor and U2 economics and women’s studies student Jamie Burnett facilitated a workshop called “Demystifying Student Strikes—History and Practice.”

“Student strikes are a tactic— [they] come out of people deciding that they’re concerned about something,” Burnett said. “If you look at the major student strikes in Quebec, they’re mainly about student fees and financial aid.”

The workshop also addressed the different forms of strikes as well as the effectiveness of each.

“There exist one-day strikes, which can be pretty effective … in getting the message across,” Burnett explained. “But looking at major victories in the history of student strikes in Quebec, the more success-

ful ones are the general unlimited strikes.”

However, a lot of thought, planning, and effort are necessary for the successful implementation of a student strike.

“It does take work to look at the policy, look at the budget and have students understand that a strike is worth it,” Burnett said. “Strikes need to involve the active participation of a lot of students. It is not enough to say you’re on strike.”

Another large-scale demonstration against tuition hikes in Montreal is planned for March 22.

Despite having been organized in only a matter of weeks, Education Week attracted considerable attention.

“I don’t think that the McGill community has seen such a level of activism on campus since the 1990s,” Isabel said. “It was quite impressive to see the students … building on each other’s knowledge [about these issues].”

“With a bit of luck, this event series might become an annual fixture of the SSMU calendar, similar to Culture Shock or Social Justice Days,” Pedneault said.

Your momma always told you you were a winner. Prove her right.

JOURNALISM 101 A Writers’ Workshop

This Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7:30pm in Shatner B-29.

All welcome: beginners and veterans alike.

BE A CHAMPION.

4

Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

Education

High-flying McGill student meets with Pakistan PM Prime Minister recognizes Zohaib Assad for setting record number of ‘A’s on O-level exams

By Christy Frost Contributor In 2011, Pakistani student Zohaib Asad earned a record-breaking 28 ‘A’s in the University of Cambridge International O-Level Examinations, a high school examination program run by the University of Cambridge that’s taken in over 80 countries.

This month, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani invited Asad, who is now in his first year at McGill, to the Prime Minister House in order to congratulate him on his achievements.

“It was a great honour for me and my parents to be personally invited by the Prime Minister,” Asad said.

Asad is presently pursuing an undergraduate degree in economics and international development. He chose to come to McGill because of its excellent reputation in Pakistan and because he has friends who attended McGill in the past.

“The best thing about McGill are the students,” Asad said, when describing his new school. “[They are] friendly, helping, [and] mature

which is what matters the most when you are away from home.”

Before coming to McGill, Asad attended a Beaconhouse international school in Pakistan, where he balanced his academics with his duties as head boy and member of his school’s football team. Beaconhouse is a global network of private schools with a large presence in Asia.

“Studying for O-levels is hard, scoring well is even harder since each subject demands you to think in a specific way rather than repeat learned material,” Asad explained.

“Studying for so many [exams requires] time management skills.”

In addition, Asad noted that studying in a competitive and rigorous school environment helped him stay motivated and focused.

“When I set a target, I don’t care what comes in the way: all I see is my target,” he said.

Asad recognizes, however, that his previous academic achievements don’t mean that he won’t face new challenges at McGill.

“I believe the future is independent of the past. Even in O-levels, each subject required different skills,” he said. “The same goes at

McGill student Zohaib Assad with Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousad Raza Gilnani. (Courtesy of Zohaib Asad) university; the big difference [from Beaconhouse] is that we have to be more independent here.”

The McGill community has warmly welcomed Asad to Montreal and celebrated his dedication to academic excellence.

“I’m delighted for Zohaib, congratulate him on his accomplishment, and wish him well in his aca-

demic endeavours here at McGill,” Morton Mendelson, McGill Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning, said.

McGill’s Pakistani Student Association (PSA) is also proud of Asad’s success on the internationally recognized O-levels. “[Asad’s] achievements are the perfect example of the kind of tal-

ent that Pakistan has,” Mohammad Y. Alvi and Syed K. Raza, Co-Presidents of the PSA, said.

After completing his degree, Asad wants to return to work in Pakistan in order to give back to his home country.

“It is your contribution that counts in society, so never work selfishly in life,” Asad said.

campus

McGill Living Library brings books to life

Volunteers create their own living books in this novel approach to connecting with literature

By Vanessa Pagé Contributor Have you ever wondered what it would be like to talk to someone busted for dealing pot, a struggling single mom, a concert pianist, or a disabled person who grew up in “the place of the belugas”? A special library event held this week provided students with the time and place to talk to these characters and others, at no cost.

McGill’s Living Library was founded on the idea of the Human Library—a concept started in 2000 at a youth festival in Denmark. The event was sponsored by a variety of campus organizations and volunteer librarians, and was first organized at McGill in 2011.

The premise is simple: each recruited volunteer personalizes a book by preparing a story about themselves. On the day of the Living Library, students, staff, and the public visit the Living Library at the Redpath Library and look through a catalogue of books.

“It’s called the catalogue, just like a library, and it’s a listing of books that people can check out,” librarian volunteer Sarah Wilkinson

said.

After reading the book descriptions and choosing a book, an appointment is made with the “book.”

Some books, like The Flaming Teabag or How Catching Fire Brought Me Down to Earth are more popular than others. Appointments are made in 30-minute blocks, but it’s easy to get caught up in the story and go over the allotted time.

While the subject is telling his or her story, the viewer is encouraged to ask questions and find out more. The level of interaction is unique to the Living Library and makes for a more animated level of learning.

One of the main goals is to break down prejudices or misconceptions that each “book” feels bound by.

“If we can say that one of the tasks of a liberal university education is to provide opportunities for learning while instilling a lifelong habit of questioning cherished assumptions, then the benefit of the McGill Living Library project would be to challenge members of the McGill community to examine their beliefs and attitudes toward difference,” reads the McGill Living

Library’s website.

During a slow period, June Apostol, a Masters student in library and information studies discussed why she volunteered to participate as a book. Apostol, a volunteer firefighter from Pennsylvania, represented the book The Flaming Teabag.

“I’m hoping to take this back to Philadelphia and pitch it to one of the city libraries or my hometown library. I think it’s very valuable and I think it’s very interesting,” she said.

Apostol also explained why she felt that it’s important that other libraries consider projects similar to McGill’s Living Library.

“Libraries are changing and I think that people who think that libraries are dying have an incorrect assumption about what libraries are,” she said. “Libraries aren’t just books, [or] just books and DVDs, [or] just, you know, fiction libraries and video games. They can be e-books, they can be e-audiobooks, they can be people, they can be a collection of names or individuals that know different skills.”

David Haberman, a U3 student at McGill, stopped by the Living Library to check out the book Please

A “book” tells his life story. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) Don’t Shout—I’m Only Blind.

“I think it’s nice that the libraries are looking to expand [their] role because [their] former responsibility as a place to take out books has gone the way of the rotary telephone— it’s not useful anymore,” Haberman said.

Since the rise in popularity of the Internet and the legitimacy of online research, libraries have been forced to evolve their traditional services. McGill has discovered that the Living Library may be a good place to start.

5

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

campus

Inter-campus shuttles now web-enabled

Wireless internet now available on shuttles between McGill’s downtown and Macdonald campuses

By Jonny Newburgh Contributor This semester, the 30-minute commute between McGill’s downtown and Macdonald campuses will become just a bit more productive, as the buses now offer wireless Internet service.

McGill announced on Jan. 9 that students and staff with McGill usernames and passwords can use the Wi-Fi free of charge on the buses.

Gary Berstein, the Director of Network and Communications Services at McGill University, explained that the initiative began after he traveled from Montreal to Toronto. With Internet connectivity available on the Via Rail train, but not on his return aboard a Megabus coach, he realized how big of a difference Internet connectivity can make while in transit.

“There are only a number of things you can do on a Blackberry,” Berstein said. “But, it is easy, in this day and age, to set up a network anywhere.”

Students now enjoy Internet access on their commute to Mac campus. (Sofia Markusfeld / McGill Tribune) He explained that Telus donated a few USB mobile Internet keys and, knowing it would be free of charge to the university, he began a trial service on one inter-campus shuttle bus. The trial phase began in mid-August even though the connection was weak. At that time, it

was recommended that students not use the service for software updates, calls, or important work. Nonetheless, Bernstein said that he received a lot of positive feedback regarding the trial Wi-Fi. On Jan. 9 the service became standard on the buses.

“There are four buses that have

Wi-Fi service,” Bernstein told the Tribune via email. “The blue bus (that is sometimes used as a replacement) does not have Wi-Fi. We did not feel that it was justified to spend money on a service that would not be used frequently. We have to pay for the Internet bandwidth on a per-

bus per-month basis, whether or not it is used.”

Some students are unsure whether or not the new system will provide a consistent connection.

“The question is: It is reliable?”

Tracy Mcdonough, a Master’s student in nutrition at Macdonald Campus, said. “One … of [the] buses doesn’t yet have Wi-Fi, so you don’t know [if the bus you’re] going to be on [will carry service].”

Many commuting students say they are enjoying the new service.

“I have used it once or twice, and it seems to be working properly,” Brianna Kovarik, U0 education, said. “I always see laptops and iPads everywhere.”

When questioned whether the service is going to expand to other areas of campus, Bernstein presented a positive outlook that there will be greater Wi-Fi connectivity around campus and on other McGillrun shuttle buses, such as the shuttle buses travelling between the various hospitals operated by McGill University and its downtown campus.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM

News in brief

Leadership Skills Development Workshops

Mobile Security App will soon hit campus

If you are a student involved in campus activities as an executive, organizer or event planner, you qualify for the Leadership Training Program’s FREE Skills Development Workshops.

Develop and build your leadership skills. Attend a minimum of five workshops throughout the 2011/12 academic year and receive a certificate of completion.

The next workshops are...

Nutrition, Wellness and Leadership: Putting Health First Tuesday, January 31st, 17:30-19:30 This workshop will explore the principles common to success in nutrition, wellness and leadership. This is for anyone wanting a fresh perspective that remains constant in the midst of constantly changing health advice.

Successful Leaders: Change Management 101 Tuesday, February 7th, 17:30-19:30 The ability to implement change as a leader is a constant challenge in today’s world and, unfortunately, is often problematic. Learn some indispensable skills in this interactive workshop that will build your capacity to lead successful change!

Registration is available here: www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/ leadertraining/workshops.

For more info, drop by the First-Year Office in the Brown Building, Suite 2100, or call 514-398-6913

A new application will allow on-campus smartphone users to call for emergency campus support at the touch of a button. On Jan. 19, Guardly announced the release of a free mobile security application for students, faculty, and staff at 67 universities and colleges across Canada, including McGill University. This is the first time such a service has been made available to Canadian students.

“Our technology brings the capabilities of code blue emergency phones typically found sparsely on campus paths and in buildings onto students’ smartphones, which we believe will reduce response times for those calling for help,” Guardly CEO Josh Sookman explained in an email to the Tribune.

By downloading the Guardly app onto any iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, or Windows Phone 7 device and registering it with your university email address, campus members can access its services.

Guardly’s service was inspired by the difficulties of witnessing slow responses to 911 calls and try-

ing to reach close friends and family during an emergency, Sookman explained.

“Inspiration for this free service for students came from better understanding how calls for help generally occur on university campuses and how archaic the systems are.”

“It was a natural evolution of our technology, to enable a service like this for students,” Sookman said in a press release. “Given the high prevalence of sexual assault against women and increases in violent acts on some campuses, we feel this innovation should be something provided to students for free.”

When in an emergency situation, students simply launch the app, which initiates a one-to-one voice call with the university’s campus security. In addition, the app allows students to notify up to 15 personal contacts via email, text message, and automated voice calling.

“When Guardly is activated, a group of contacts will receive alerts describing the nature of the emergency, the location where Guardly

was activated, and the name of the emergency group triggered,” Sookman said.

In the wake of the presence of riot police on the McGill campus on Nov. 10, this new app may hold greater significance to the McGill community. However, this app was in development starting in the fall of 2010, and the timing is simply a coincidence.

Commenting on the events of Nov. 10 however, Sookman noted that “the incident shows the value that a service like Guardly could bring to help people communicate and spread the word of news of campus much faster.”

When asked about potential abuses of the service, Sookman replied, “Like any emergency service (including 911), it is up to people to act in good faith and use the system appropriately. Often, it is worth the risk to have a few false positives than not to have the service in place at all.”

www.mcgilltribune.com

– Kyla Mandel

Opinion jbotha@mcgilltribune.com

Oh, Canada?

Johanu Botha

McGill’s Shortest Course: Premiers 101 Canadian premiers are like janitors: you’re not always sure how they got into the building, or how long exactly they will stay. Yet unlike janitors, our provincial leaders get six-figure salaries and don’t always leave the place clean. In Canada’s federal system they wield a fair amount of power, and some of them serve chunks of land bigger than a whole host of countries. The least we can do is know who they are.

So here, in as much time as it takes to read a column, is all you need to know about every provincial premier. Kind of.

The view from Tuesday

Abraham Moussako

amoussako@mcgilltribune.com

Speech vs. SOPA The US House’s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and its Senate counterpart, the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), began as fairly obscure pieces of legislation. Introduced in October and May of last year respectively, both acts floated under the radar of the news media (and it seems, many congressmen) until last week, when a crescendo of internet-organized opposition led to Wikipedia, reddit, and many other online sites mounting blackouts in protest of the bill. The problems with the twin pieces of legislation have been well documented, from the ability for sites to be essentially wiped off the face of the Internet on the whim of an aggrieved copyright

Ontario’s up first because of its sway in national politics, but more importantly because Toronto will be annoyed if another province starts first. Their stalwart Liberal manin-charge is doing his job for the third time around, although voters have cautioned against complacency through recently giving the province its first minority government in decades. Dalton McGuinty is the archetypal Canuck Liberal in that he’s socially progressive and fiscally either/or, depending on the situation.

Next up, we swing across the country and the political spectrum to introduce one of Canada’s four female premiers: Alberta’s Progressive Conservative, Alison Redford.

As Eastern Canada continues its perpetual preparation for a neo-con zombie invasion of homophobic cowboys from Alberta, it might be healthy to notice that their leader is defying gender roles. Her province’s largest city, Calgary, is also, oil business ‘n all, one of Canada’s greenest.

To the right of Alberta (this little lecture comes with geography, too!) lies the Land of Living Skies, which is monopolized by Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party. Mr. Wall leads a province that was disillusioned with its far left, so its centre-left had a baby with its centre-right which is called left-right. To avoid confusion, their Manitoban neighbours to the (geographical) right have continued with their just-plain-left party for more than a decade, Greg Selinger ably taking the helm in 2009. That same year Selinger’s New Democratic Party colleague Darrell Dexter took power in Nova Scotia. They are the only two just-plain-left party leaders in the country.

We’ll keep the superhero vibe alive here as we move from Darrell Dexter to Christy Clark, who is a feisty premier for a province—British Columbia—that is often stereotyped for its laid-back scene. This so-called ‘champion for families’ joins Newfoundland and Labrador’s

Kathy Dunderdale and Nunavut’s Eva Aariak to round out the female premiers. In a nustshell, the former has battled to maintain the popularity of her predecessor while the latter has continued to fight her territory’s startling high rate of suicides.

Like Saskachewan, the Yukon has its own party. And like Saskachewan, political creativity ran a wee bit thin during the naming process; Darrell Pasloski leads the Yukon Party.

He is trained as a pharmacist and is almost never seen without a goatee.

His partner in northern governing is premier of the Northwest Territories Bob McLeod, who has served on hockey league boards and—just in case anyone is tempted to stereotype all northern activities as involving snow or ice—is president of a golf club. It’s not clear to southern Canadians where they play.

The premier of New Brunswick was born and studied in the U.S.A., but chances are David Alward speaks French since his province is

our only constitutionally bilingual one. His maritime neighbour Robert Ghiz governs Canada’s province of long bridges, and red-haired heroines, Prince Edward Island.

That leaves us with Quebec’s own Jean Charest. This man’s CV includes time in a national Conservative cabinet, as well as defeating a Parti Quebecois government while leading a Liberal party. He is both the longest currently-serving premier in Canada and the first Quebec leader to usher in a minority government—in 2007—in over a century.

There you have it, folks. The people who attempt to put the provincial houses in order day in and day out, laboring in the shadows as international news dominates headlines, plowing ahead despite the world’s cruel indifference. I’m kidding; read the Globe and Mail or watch CBC and you’ll meet our heroes all the time. But now you’ll recognize them.

holder, to many others. The two acts, while new as individual pieces of legislation, contain a series of bad ideas that, through industry lobbying, have continually resurfaced.

An case of this is the The PROTECT IP Act, a redraft of the 2010 Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, a piece of legislation that tried legislating similarly wide powers to block websites but was stillborn on the Senate floor after being passed in committee.

Similarly, the powers given under SOPA would supersede the current centerpiece of U.S. intellectual property laws, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The 1998 legislation exempted Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) from legal liability for copyright infringement provided they take down or block access to infringing material, if a copyright holder notifies the ISP in a formal document that it is being housed on their network. The person or site accused of infringement can also request to have material

placed back up if they argue in a legal notice of their own that the original claim is not legitimate. Creating such a system has led to many cases of copyright owners requesting takedowns of content that isn’t necessarily infringing, but simply not to their liking––creating a chilling effect on what users post on the internet.

Furthermore, the Act prohibits consumers from attempting to circumvent copy protection measures added to products by their manufacturers, such as Digital Rights Management measures on a piece of software. While exceptions exist for academic uses and the like, these provisions still infringe on the ability of those who have purchased content to fully “own” it in a sense–– modifying the copy protection on a DVD, even if only to put the file on your phone or music player, for example, is technically illegal under the DMCA. With all of its problems, the DMCA at the least gives those ac-

cused of infringement sufficient due process to challenge the sanctions on their content. Where SOPA and PIPA are particularly pernicious is in the power it gives the government to regulate online content.

The original version of PIPA would have allowed the government to remove the domain names of sites accused of copyright infringement from the web’s address book, or the Domain Name Service. In addition, any name that this site switched to would be blocked, and search engines, such as Google, would not be allowed to index so-called censored sites. Moreover, credit card companies and services that provide internet advertising would not be allowed to do business with such “blacklisted” sites. These sweeping powers are already quite troubling, but legal scholars, including the Harvard law professor Laurence H. Tribe, have pointed out the vagueness of the bills’ definition of a “copyright infringing” site, the fact that material on only a small part of

a site can form grounds for an infringement claim against the whole domain, and, most dangerously for free speech, the fact that there is little due process; earlier versions of the bill would have allowed these sites to be frozen out of the Internet solely on the basis of the copyright holder’s accusation.

Whether the supposed “shelving” of SOPA/PIPA will be a victory for the first amendment on the internet is yet to be seen. The provisions of the bill could be written again as another bill, much like what happened with COICA. International treaties such as the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement raise even further concerns. Unfortunately, it seems that there is consensus among America’s political leaders on the need for tougher intellectual property laws, despite the dubious claims that piracy is costing “thousands” of U.S. jobs. Future legislation should deal with this supposed problem with a scalpel, rather than a sledgehammer.

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Editor-in-Chief Shannon Kimball editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Kyla Mandel kmandel@mcgilltribune.com Ryan Taylor rtaylor@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Iain Macdonald imacdonald@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Erica Freisen and Carolina Millán Ronchetti news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Richard Martyn-Hemphill opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Anand Bery scitech@mcgilltribune.com Arts& Entertainment Editors Nick Petrillo arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editor Steven Lampert and Christopher Nardi sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Sam Reynolds photo@mcgilltribune.com Senior Design Editor Kathleen Jolly kjolly@mcgilltribune.com Design Editor Susanne Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Online Editor Victor Temprano online@mcgilltribune.com

QI: a bold initiative, but not without costs At last week’s senate meeting, the university announced plans to team up with the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), the Federal government, and the City of Montreal, with the aim of creating the Quartier de l’innovation (QI), a proposed entrepreneurial hub designed to “optimise university-industry synergies.”

The project has several positive aspects. It will provide a platform for McGill’s research to be applied in the business world, with links being made with companies like Bombardier, Pfizer, and IBM for investments into research and development. It has the potential to give McGill’s aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain access to advice, investment, and collaboration. Opportunities also abound for entrepreneurs in the Montreal area to start up their companies or at least share their ideas

and innovations. The Tribune is also excited by the project’s stated intent to generate internship placements for McGill students at many of the companies hoping to set up shop at the QI. However, the Tribune has concerns with the some of the more widespread effects of the QI. Firstly, the neighbourhoods of Griffintown and Faubourg des Récollets, the proposed location of the QI, is a prime area of affordable housing for low income families. The flow of businesses to the QI will inevitably lead to rises in property prices and rental costs. The result could be a higher cost of living for those less able to pay for it. Though property owners and landlords will almost certainly benefit, the result could be the loss of a rare pocket of affordable housing in the downtown area.

Secondly, at a time when the

university’s resources are already stretched, the Tribune questions whether it’s prudent to be investing in such a large scale expansion. One of the administration’s defences in the face of the MUNACA strike was to point to their lack of finances. The expansion into Griffintown means that either the administration feels entirely assured that the move is guaranteed to reap dividends, or they were simply being liberal with the truth about the state of their balance books. The expansion is a gamble.

University finances will take another turn for the worse if the Quartier de L’Innovation fails to ignite as much as is envisioned. There is no guarantee that businesses will flock to the QI by default—there are already similar institutions in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Oxford with more competitive tax rates, equally comprehensive research depart-

ments, and less strict language laws.

The university should also be cautious about flirting too much with private businesses. Jumping into bed with corporations could lead to private interests exerting undue leverage upon public research, potentially leading the university away from its educational mission and more towards one of private enterprise and economic gain.

If these considerations are taken into account with a degree of prudence, the university’s expansion will hopefully help to solve its funding issues, regenerate parts of Montreal’s downtown, encourage entrepreneurs, boost the Quebec economy, and stimulate innovation.

But that is an if, and not necessarily a when. There is a long way to go before Griffintown can genuinely be called a “live-work urban hub with international reach.”

Commentary

the continuation of our groups with a non-optoutable fee, they could have voted no, they could have voted no opinion or they could have organized a no campaign. This is what people do in a democracy.

McGill students have repeatedly demonstrated that they understand the value of CKUT and QPIRG, and the threat to our existence that the online opt-out system has created. To declare this evidence invalid is undemocratic.

CKUT’s question was approved by the Chief Returning Officer for Elections McGill and by the SSMU council on Oct. 17, 2011. The wording was debated and students democratically decided that it was a clear and reasonable question to put to referendum. QPIRG McGill obtained the signatures of over 500 undergraduate students from seven faculties, following the regulations for a student-initiated referendum.

In a letter dated Oct. 26, 2011 five days before the referendum and with disregard for SSMU due pro-

cess. Professor Mendelson informed us that we had to run an identical question to the 2007 referendum (interestingly, the 2007 question contained provisions concerning both our existence and a change to our funding arrangement, and was accepted by the administration.)

There is no requirement in our Memorandum of Agreement or any other regulation that we are aware of that requires us to run the same question in perpetuity. To repeat: the CKUT and QPIRG questions had both been approved according to the established democratic processes of SSMU, processes for which the Deputy Provost apparently has no respect whatsoever.

Students supported these referenda questions because they understood the problems of the online optout system. The financial burden caused by this system undermines our ability to carry out the service students voted to retain. Every semester, our organizations are forced to devote considerable resources to

defend ourselves against unregulated and inflammatory campaigning during the opt-out period. Beyond these financial implications, the issue of opt-outs concerns the democratic question of whether mere convenience should be allowed to undermine a service that a clear majority of students have repeatedly said they value. There was no history of students being refused a refund, or being treated in a discourteous fashion if they requested a refund or any incident of harassment or intimidation prior to the imposition of the online opt out. Since the implementation of the Minerva opt out system, each semester there is unregulated, poisonous campaigning that affects all student groups and every student who participates in and supports these groups. Is that the price we should have to pay for convenience?

McGill students have voted.

When will the Administration listen?

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The Referenda results were clear The assertion by Professor Mendelson and supported by the McGill Tribune (“Admin was right to refuse the referenda” Jan. 16, 2012) that the referenda questions run by QPIRG McGill and CKUT 90.3fm were unclear betrays a particularly low estimate of the intelligence of McGill students.

We asked students to support our organizations with a non-optoutable fee. Our campaigns had 5,245 students voting, far exceeding quorum for a fall referenda and both QPIRG and CKUT received a clear majority. If students objected to the question, or did not want to support

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.

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Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

Commentary Riley Dalys-Fine, B.A. 2010 This week, SSMU posted a document to their website titled “Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning: Portfolio Questions and Recommendations.” The document is a collaborative effort between SSMU and ten faculty-level student associations to outline the major successes and challenges of the portfolio (Deputy Provost SLL) and to make recommendations on how to improve its effectiveness, and is addressed to the Provost, Professor Anthony Masi. As one of the SSMU’s vast legions of Facebook friends, it didn’t take long for the document to pop up on my radar and I read it with great interest. While impressed with the document overall, I was concerned to find no mention whatsoever of the Integrated Orientation Working Group.

The Integrated Orientation Working Group was the product

of another collaborative effort between SSMU, the faculty-level associations, the Office of the Executive Director, Services for Students and a variety of other stakeholders.

The Working Group did not directly involve the office of the Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning, so it may make sense that it is not mentioned in the submission, which is meant to focus on that office and how to change its structure to better serve student interests. However, I represented the Office of the EDSS to meetings of the Working Group, and we worked closely with the Deputy Provost to bring students and administration together on the orientation question. I was sure that I’d come across something from that project, and from an earlier report I completed for EDSS on Frosh Week, especially when I read their section on Integrated Orientation. I was surprised to find that the Integrated Orientation Working Group was never referenced by the submission.

The problem with this omission is that in trying to assess the state of student-administration relations at McGill, the signing parties to the

document leave out a significant student-administration collaboration. The Working Group discussed key decisions which were meant to shape the future of McGill Frosh Week, many of which were implemented this year. In the section on Integrated Orientation, student leaders who had links to the Working Group write that they were blindsided by a decision to implement a cash bar at Frosh when, in fact, the option had been on the table since last winter. (Incidentally, the students attribute this decision to concerns about student safety and excessive consumption. While safety was certainly a concern, the cash bar proposal was really about equity: Every year students who cannot or will not consume alcohol subsidize the costs of alcohol consumed by other students through their admission fees). The implication seems to be that consultation on Integrated Orientation between students and administrators never took place, when it did, on a weekly basis, for over five months.

Students can say that the input of EDSS to the Working Group was insufficient, or that the results

were not communicated effectively to the Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning, who can be seen as the final authority on certain issues. These would be fair criticisms to make, but the place to make them would be in this submission, where they are noticeably absent. Instead, the impression I get from the submission’s section on Integrated Orientation is that student organizers were not properly informed of the findings and decisions of the Working Group. The administration may have some changes to make to address this and similar issues, but then again, so may SSMU and the faculty-level associations. In either case, we can never move forward without all the facts, and with the omission of the Integrated Orientation Working Group in what I think is going to be a real milestone on the road to better student consultation at McGill, someone is clearly missing some important facts.

I would like to close by saying that when I left McGill a year ago, the students’ associations still worked largely in isolation from one another and faced great challenges

collaborating together. I applaud the efforts of SSMU and the facultylevel students’ associations, not only for the results of their work but also for the undertaking itself. The fact that they have produced this document shows that they have come a long way in a short time, and I believe they are well on their way to building a better community for incoming students.

As a student, and as a member of the administration, I have experienced first-hand the challenges of working within the McGill administrative structure. I look forward to the implementation of every one of the recommendations contained in the submission and I implore you to give it a read. I am, however, still very proud of the work that my colleagues and I did with the Integrated Orientation Working Group and I would like to think that, somehow, we accomplished something. I hope that in the coming weeks, we will start to hear more about this Working Group. We just might learn something.

Have your say. Write to the editor at editor@mcgilltribune.com

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Student Living odds and ends

Hangovers: learn to fix ‘em or learn to love ‘em Taking a look at the different hangover cures at your disposal

By Colleen McNamara Contributor The average university student is aware of the crippling effects suffered after considerable alcohol consumption. They call it: The Hangover. As the years progress in my university life, I can’t help but notice that the day-after effects are getting worse. Our bodies are aging and our society is expecting more of our mental capacity and overall productivity, a combination that does not compliment the disorientation and lethargy that comes with a hangover. As the volume of groaning from discomfort, mixed with the unappealing sound of morning nausea after an evening of fun reaches new heights, the quest to find a cure for my fellow students and I commenced.

I quickly discovered that there are two distinct schools of thought in hangover academia: hangover cure and hangover prevention. Prevention is focused on measures you should take before the liquid falls down the hatch; cure focuses on what to do when you’re crawling out of the next-morning hole of discomfort and misery.

Wikipedia, my initial research pit stop, set the benchmark for the salient prevention and cure recommendations. Wiki describes hangovers as “the experience of unpleasant psychological effects” after drinking. The most common recommendations for prevention were eat-

Battling hangovers can be tough. (Wayne Knadle / McGill Tribune) ing a big meal, drinking a glass of water between beverages, and keeping to one type of beverage throughout the evening: your hangover will be worse if you sample all the bar has to offer.

As cures, the most common advice I discovered was to drink as much Gatorade and water as possible. Taking an Advil to curb the headache, while digesting a simple carbohydrate-heavy meal is an effective way to attain some energy without increasing queasiness. Some more nuanced strategies I discovered were drinking coconut water and eating sardines and chasing them with pickles (the food version

of your routine the night before).

Through my research, the only recognizable pattern was variety.

There are many different things one can do to prevent or cure a hangover; each individual experiences a hangover differently and thus there is no one singular cure. Of course, the only way to truly prevent a hangover is to peel oneself away from that can of beer, bottle of wine, or mixed drink.

But, since complete abstinence is seemingly not an option for many of us who have engrained the college culture of work-hard-playhard so deeply into our identities, I sought to reassess my understanding

by attacking the source. I went to my fellow students to ask them how hangovers affect their life.

First, there is the responsible, enviable consumer, who does not experience hangovers at all, such as Whitney Smith (U3 management) “I don’t get hangovers because I practice hangover prevention: I put coconut water in a smoothie or I have a Gatorade when I get home.” On the other hand, Jessica Firestone, U3 management, walks away from a hangover feeling defeated: “[hangovers] make me lazy and unproductive—I sleep in much later than usual so I waste away my day.”

And then there are the excep-

tions. There are those who find a way to appreciate hangovers, and those who even respect what hangovers offer us.

Roxanne Voidonicolas, U3 psychology, claims, “I actually enjoy hangover days. I indulge on all of the things I know I shouldn’t but want to. I watch TV for 18 hours straight and don’t move. Most importantly, hangovers renew my zeal for life—after being so immobile, I look forward to a day of productivity.” Like Voidonicolas, Jan Roos, U3 management, understands hangovers in a positive light: “Hangovers are God’s gift to the true animal. They weed out the weak. If it weren’t for hangovers, talking to people at bars would be as inane as talking to them in the day. You need them to make sure the only people doing whiskey shots at 5 a.m. are the men and women of bravery and character.”

There you have it. You can have a big meal before you go out, drink a sports drink before bed, or have a big breakfast when you wake up in the morning—all the while being acutely aware that these procedures may not even work. Or you can learn to love hangovers for what they are: an excuse to relax all day, or a Darwinian method of abolishing the weak. Picking a coping method will be your first step from departing from that age-old weekend lie you tell yourself and your friends: “I’m never drinking again.”

odds and ends

How to get experience when you have no experience Seasonal jobs are a gateway into the professional world

By Noah Caldwell-Rafferty Contributor As graduation looms, I seem to have had thousands of conversations recently about what to do after university. What I’ve found is that there emerges one snarling, pesky paradox: you must have experience to get experience. This poses an obvious problem for even the most investigative of job-seekers, a problem which pervades career fields both elite and comical. You can imagine my dismay when, after weeks of searching through the listings of carnivals and traveling circuses, I found out that an entry level blindfolded chainsaw juggler position required two years previous similar employment. But all jokes aside, there is one saving grace, and it comes in the form of outdoor summer seasonal employment.

While it may be winter now, it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead. In the balmy months of summer, seasonal job opportunities abound, since certain outdoor projects and organizations cannot function in persistent inclement weather. I discovered this when I turned my own employment crosshairs away from complete and utter cluelessness and began to aim at jobs in conservation field work.

What I discovered were countless cadres of project leaders in search of an able-bodied short-term work force willing to break its back and sunburn its neck for a few months at a time. In essence, the exclusivity so common in career-driven fields melts away and the impenetrable cycle of experience-begetting-experience is, for lack of a better word, penetrated.

Obviously, you have to know where to look. The following are just

some examples of seasonal work which those of us facing life after graduation should consider for a first soiree into the real world. First off, let’s consider Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs have begun to pop up everywhere, and not just in small podunk towns. There are over 90 CSA farms around Montreal, each committed to sustainable agriculture, and most either supply local farmers’ markets or organize a farmshare, in which members receive produce directly from the farmers themselves. Emphasizing these aspects of sustainable agriculture is one thing, but CSA farms also tend to hire heavily in the summer. Although the pay is usually negligible, room and board is often free, and there’s no better way to squeeze into a local community than by bringing fresh food straight from your farm to someone’s fridge (think of it as

your exotic European WWOOFing trip (Willing Workers On Organic Farms), just a little closer to home).

Another option is to be a wilderness guide. Odds are you wouldn’t want to do this in Canada during any other time than the summer anyway, and let’s face it, in ten years we won’t have the energy to trek into Banff with a 30 kg backpack, some Mueslix, and a broken compass. So take the time now.

King Pacific Lodge, Treetop Trekking, and NovaShores Adventures are just three top names which are hiring now, and new openings come out every day.

You might be saying to yourself that my future me will have nothing to do with outdoor work, so the whole seasonal experience argument is useless. Don’t listen to yourself. For example, leadership retreats abound in the summer, and

while most are premised upon outdoor skill-building, the main takeaway is an unchallengeable forte in organizational leadership and people skills. These are transferrable to any job, and for the price of a bottle of sunscreen, you could avoid a mindnumbing management training session in a florescent room at your future cubicle job.

Perhaps you have your dream job laid out in front of you, and this is all nonsense. But for the rest of us, taking the time work outside the proverbial box will, I believe, prove invaluable. Do yourself a favour and leave McGill ready, as it says in a sea-kayaking guide position which just opened up, to “work in the world’s largest tides.”

Montreal inter

W D

Acivities

on’t let those winter blues get you down. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you should stay inside all day at the library. So, to bring some variety to the snow-filled months that lie before us all, the Tribune has compiled a list of the winter activities Montreal has to offer.

By Kyla Mandel

Tubing

The exhilarating feeling of whizzing down an icy slope on a piece of plastic never seems to get old. So, if you want to go tubing, it’s nice to know that every year Mount Royal grooms the hill near Beaver Lake into organized tubing lanes. You can bring your own $5 Canadian Tire sled, or rent an inner-tube at the hill. Get your friends together and see who can make the longest run or race each other down the slope. Loser buys the drinks later.

Renting an inner-tube costs $9 for the day, which gives you access to the exclusive inner-tubing lanes. The hill is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Montreal’s

Ice Village

(Karla Stasiak/ McGill Tribune)

For the first time in North America, an ice village has been constructed at Parc JeanDrapeau. This village consists of an ice hotel, igloos, an ice restaurant and ice bar, snow sculpture exhibit, snow labyrinth, a giant snow slide, and replicas of Montreal buildings.

Unless you feel like splurging $195 per person to stay in a Polar Igloo for the night, or $295 for a standard room in the Ice Hotel, make a day trip to check out the village for a much more affordable price of $17. While their activities program has yet to be officially released, visitors can look forward to a snow sculpture contest, outdoor evening dancing with guest DJs, and live music.

Having just opened this month, the ice village is here until March 31. To get there, just take the yellow metro line and get off at the Jean Drapeau stop.

(Simon Poitrimolt/ McGill Tribune)

Hot Cider at Else’s

Skating

Montreal has two excellent skating venues to suit your fancy.

Frozen during the winter, Beaver Lake on Mount Royal turns into an outdoor rink. Grab some friends and go for a few laps around the lake, day or night. Frequented by families and groups, there’s absolutely no pressure to perform a triple Salchow or to dress to impress.

Practicality is the name of the game. Make sure to bundle up well and wear good gloves, since it’s pretty difficult to skate with your hands in your pockets.

You don’t need to worry about owning skates, as they can be rented on-site for $8.50 for two hours.

Beaver Lake is open to skaters from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. You could make a full day of it by adding some tubing into the mix.

If you prefer to remain indoors, make your way down to Atrium Le 1000 located at 1000 De La Gauchetière Street West. With an admission price of just $6 with your student I.D., you can enjoy a smooth rink and lively music.

Different nights bring a variety of activities such as Girl’s Night Out on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. where admission is two-forone. Wednesdays are Date Night from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Couples can enjoy two-for-one access and romantic music while they skate.

Also, two-for-one admission is available to couples on Valentine’s Day. Then, on Thursdays, all students can enjoy two-for-one access starting at 4 p.m.

Not only that, but February 27th is an “all-nighter” evening with the rink open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Skate rentals are $6.50.

After spending the day out in the cold, it’s always nice to finish the evening off in a warm, cozy environment. There’s no better place to do this than at Else’s.

Located in the Plateau, at 156 Roy Street East, Else’s small space, dark walls, and dim lighting creates an intimate atmosphere. The music is of the jazz/blues variety, and isn’t so loud as to stop conversation from flowing.

Not only does it boast a great beer selection as a microbrewery along with good food, but Else’s hot alcoholic ciders just might be the best thing to warm your insides when it’s cold outside. Not only do they taste great, but they look good and keep your hands warm too.

The closest metro to Else’s is Sherbrooke metro on the orange line. While you may have to dress warmly, the walk to the bar will be worth the trip.

Decadent hot chocolate at Juliette et Chocolat

If you’re craving chocolate, Juliette et Chocolat is the place to go. With over 20 chocolate drink selections, there’s something for everyone. Their many hot chocolates will surely have you saying ‘mmm’ as you seek refuge from the cold.

Boasted as one of the best in the city, their hot chocolates come in three varieties–traditional, dark vintage, and milk vintage–each with a number of options to choose from.

For those who want to mix it up, they also offer alcoholic chocolate beverages such as the Snow White, Chocolate Ruby, and Irish Chocolate.

On its website, Juliette writes that it all started with her search for the perfect hot chocolate: “I wanted a hot chocolate like our grandmothers used to make, a thick and velvety drink that warms, consoles and nourishes.”

And, if you’ve worked up an appetite after tubing on the mountain, they have plenty of food to choose from too, including delicious crepes.

Juliette et Chocolat is located in multiple venues around the city. The closest location to the McGill campus is at 3600 St. Laurent on the corner of Prince Arthur. In the Plateau you can find it at 377 Laurier West on the corner of Parc and at 1615 St. Denis.

(4.bp.blogspot.com)

Science & Technology Internet

Websites dark for a day in protest of U.S. anti-piracy bills

Opponents of SOPA and PIPA cite four major objections; Congress and Senate delay voting periods

By Lucas Topham Contributor Black banners confronted visitors to the English version of Wikipedia, reddit and several other websites this past Wednesday as part of the largest online political demonstration in history. The websites were protesting two proposed bills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

If passed, SOPA and PIPA would allow Congress or copyright holders to take direct action against websites that are deemed to be infringing on copyright or intellectual property, or dealing in counterfeit goods like forged sports memorabilia. The bills were proposed and supported by both sides of the aisle, as members of Congress, backed by various entertainment companies, sought a tool for stronger action against copyright infringement, up to and including blocking access to websites.

Opponents of the bill include the Wikimedia Foundation and reddit, as well as other tech giants like Google, Facebook, eBay, and Twitter. Their primary concern is that the bills are too open to interpretation.

These companies share four main objections to SOPA and PIPA:

Their broad wording SOPA and PIPA propose that websites which are found to be “committing or facilitating the commission of criminal violations” are liable to be punished. Under this condition, any

website that has a link to another site that illegally possesses copyrighted content is held equally accountable.

For websites that do not directly control what links are posted, such as Google, Facebook, reddit—or any site which accepts user comments or uses robots to crawl other sites—this broad umbrella makes them liable and would “criminalize linking” according to Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

DNS blacklisting Blacklisting would make the unique address of an offending website invisible and unreachable by typing in the URL or searching on Google.

This is a departure from current attempts to control copyright infringement where the website must simply remove offending content. Instead, what is proposed would remove any possiblity of accessing the website, essentially shutting it down.

Duty to monitor Currently, for any copyright claim to be made, copyright holders must inform a website that it hosts copyrighted material, and prove that the claimer has ownership. SOPA and PIPA would legislate that websites must monitor themselves for any offending content or links, or otherwise risk being shut down in response to a single complaint. Not only would this force larger companies to divert resources into monitoring their content, but it may act as a barrier to smaller companies.

Freedom of speech There are worries that DNS blacklisting coupled with vague wording

Wikipedia shut down Wednesday, January 18, in protest of SOPA and PIPA. (en.wikipedia.org) on what constitutes an offending website has too much potential for abuse. Civil libertarians have drawn comparisons to the Great Firewall of China, saying that while the intent is completely different, the effects could be the same.

Opponents to SOPA and PIPA are multinational, as the proposed bills would affect foreign websites as well as domestic ones. For example, the American company Verisign owns the registry for the suffix “.com,” so any website that uses “.com” is subject to SOPA and PIPA regardless of the website’s country of origin. If an offending link were

Science & Technology Calendar SUS Academia Week (January 23 - January 28) The Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) kicked off its seventh annual Academia Week on Monday, Jan. 23. The week-long series of talks, presentations, and networking events will showcase new and innovative research, while promoting science career paths beyond the arenas of medicine and academia.

The highlight of the week will likely be the keynote address on Friday by world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne.

Tessier-Lavigne, who is currently president of The Rockefeller University, was once an executive vicepresident of biotech giant Genentech. Tessier-Lavigne is a McGill

alumnus and Rhodes Scholar, and his current research centres around developmental neuroscience and degenerative neural diseases.

Neil Verma, SUS VP Academic, told the Tribune how the SUS was able to get Tessier-Lavigne as a speaker.

"His extensive ties to McGill as a renowned alumni was the main factor that allowed us to secure him as the keynote despite his busy schedule," Verma said. "We are extremely excited to have him come and speak not only about his academic career but his progression from a McGill BSc to the current president of [The] Rockefeller Uni-

versity in New York."

The week will also feature more lighthearted speaker events, including a talk on the science of sports and human sexuality.

Verma spoke about the society's choice to host a somewhat unconventional talk by sex therapist Dr. Laurie Betito.

"We have always been looking for fresh ideas to incorporate into our weekly repertoire," he said. "Dr. Betito's work seemed to be a novel application of the fields of psychology and sex therapy, which we felt would be very well received by McGill students."

–Anand Bery

posted on any .com site, the site runs the risk of being erased from the Internet before being given the chance to defend the allegations. It’s a shoot first, ask questions later approach.

In the wake of online protests, the strong opposition shown has caused supporters to waver.

The number of congressmen and senators against SOPA and PIPA is growing rapidly, with many taking to Twitter to make their opposition publicly known. Republican Senator John Cornyn was quoted as saying, “Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about the Internet and free speech necessitate a more thoughtful, deliberative pro-

cess.” On Friday, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid postponed the upcoming Senate vote on PIPA. SOPA’s sponsor, Representative Lamar Smith, announced that SOPA would also be postponed, pending further review. He added that he was willing to rework the bill to precisely target only infringing websites.

While it seems protestors have thwarted SOPA and PIPA for now, one should expect to see them again in a new form. The MPAA, RIAA, and other proponents of the bills aren’t likely to give up on ensuring their copyrights are protected.

Come to our Science and Technology meetings on Tuesdays at 5:30 in Shatner 110

A&E tHEATRE

The demon barber gets a haircut AUTS retells Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, with some notable adjustments

By Chris Liu Contributor There are stories that are fun, pleasing, and uplifting to the soul and spirit. Then there are others that are dark, brutal, and challenging to watch unfold. And then there’s Sweeney Todd.

One of Stephen Sondheim’s best known works, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street follows the titular antihero through a tale of revenge, blood, and starcrossed love. The various dimensions are fleshed out skillfully by the cast and crew of the Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society in a largely faithful rendition that features personal, idiosyncratic twists, combining in a vividly haunting experience.

This won’t be quite like any previous Sweeney Todd you may have seen before.

Fifteen years can be a very long time. For Sweeney Todd, fifteen years saw the loss of his wife to the arsenic bottle and the loss of his daughter to the corrupt judge who orchestrated it all. Having now returned to London, Todd, together with the delightfully amoral Mrs. Lovett, is determined to slice his way to the vengeance that he seeks.

Benjamin Harris’ Todd was one tormented and torn asunder by his powerful passions. His emphatic characterizations bordered on schizophrenia, moving from sul-

The cast of Sweeney Todd indulge themselves with some fleshy treats. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune) lenness to rage with psychotic fluidity. Songs were strong overall, with “Epiphany” being the apex of Harris’ various emotional surges.

Zara Jestadt’s Mrs. Lovett featured fantastic physicality, a living proof that dilapidated poise and scruffy grace do not have to be contradictions in terms. This dedication is carried through to musical numbers, where Jestadt’s nuanced vocals made her perhaps the most well-rounded and consistent actor in the production. Full disclosure: “By the Sea” holds a special place in this reviewer’s heart, and Jestadt pulled it off beautifully.

Together, the two showcased lovely interplay on several occasions; “A Little Priest” was one of the show’s highlights as a result, durng which Harris was his most natural.

Among the strong supporting cast, Judge Turpin (Mike Sornberger) made a truly indelible impression. Possessing an unsurpassed gravitas on stage, centred on his fullbodied vocals, Sornberger skillfully crafted what may be the darkest and most disturbing moment in the production (“Johanna: Mea Culpa”).

As the juxtaposing love story, Antony (Niko Gelfars) and Johanna

(Julia Bradshaw) provided pleasant reveries from the bleak archnarrative. Gelfars’ amicability and enthusiasm was his greatest strength while Bradshaw was served well by a formidable voice, although struggling to fulfil the non-musical dimensions of her role.

The set was very much spartan, which paradoxically served to limit the amount of space available to the cast. Signage high above was relied upon to denote locations instead of the set pieces. Make-up suffered from inconsistencies, with Todd’s approaching mask-like density, while the Beggar Woman appeared

to have been the cleanest in all of London. Lighting was only effective during the choral interludes, when stark contrasts amplified the onstage intensity. One success was the orchestra, who, under the direction of Sean Mayes, executed Sondheim’s score with mastery.

Director Phaedra Nowak implemented a few quirks, placing a personal print on the fairly popular tale, even though the moments themselves were to mixed effect.

The surprise reveal of Mr. Todd was an ingenious start to the performance, while the later ballet interjection was quaint but felt assuredly out of place.

Staging in the production appeared underdeveloped, with significant amounts of sedentary moments, although “Kiss Me” and “God, That’s Good!” were choreographed brilliantly.

The tale of Sweeney Todd is not for the faint of heart, and this is certainly true for AUTS’ rendition.

It won’t be the most polished piece you see this year, but in those brief moments where ecstasy and horror become one, it may be the most evocative.

The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is running at Moyse Hall from January 26th to 28th, 7:30pm.

Pop Rhetoric Hashtag Criticism Two weeks ago, SPIN Magazine announced it would be discontinuing its traditional in-print album reviews in favour of 140-character reviews posted on Twitter (@SPINreviews). SPIN reasons that, thanks to the Internet, listeners don’t depend on professional critics to act as authoritative voices about new releases: all anyone needs to discover new music is a working knowledge of Google. A self-proclaimed “reinvention” of the album review with the goal of reviewing as much music as possible (1500 albums is the stated target), SPIN’s decision raises some legitimate questions about music criticism in a digital age, but is flawed as a solution.

The main problem is that 140 characters are not enough to say anything of value, especially considering that on average a third of the space is spent listing the technical details of the album (artist, title,

grade). These microblog reviews may seem novel and exciting, but in condensing the breadth of each album into a mere sentence fragment, our understanding of potentially immense albums must rely on a single critic’s ability to, in essence, say as little as possible.

See if you can tell if the following review is favourable or not without the number grade: “THE DEVIL’S BLOOD/The Thousandfold Epicentre: Satanic vintage metal skirting nine-minute lines between Öyster and Öyster with cheese.” Is it good or bad? Chances are you won’t know from that sentence alone.

Though assigning a grade, numeric or alphabetical, is often frustratingly arbitrary, the fact that the above phrase is equally applicable to a one out of 10 review or a 10 out of 10 review is troublesome. The less that’s said, the less context given, the more power is allocated to the number. At this point, words are just a formality.

If the goal of the project is to make music reviews more accessible and

relevant, SPIN has already failed.

These tweets are meaningless as critiques and nothing more than an exercise for its writers. (By the way, the grade was a “6.” Who knew?)

SPIN blames the Internet for the decline of music journalism, but music journalists themselves are just as much a part of the problem. One of the complaints often lodged against critics, and rightfully so, is that much of the writing is a self-serving description of the reviewer. The contention is not that subjectivity should be kept out of criticism—the merit of all music is philosophically and fundamentally subjective—but that too often writers attempt to show off their prose at the expense of actually discussing the music in a meaningful and accessible way. Music website Pitchfork Media is notorious for this, where criticism and compliments are often buried under tedious anecdotes and obscure references, but it’s not the only offender: overintellectualized, verbose, and self-serving reviews

are endemic among critics. No doubt these types of reviews are appropriate for a select type of music fan, but for those without PhDs in “insert-genre-here” (ie. the majority), impenetrable reviews become frustrating and tiresome. It’s no wonder people tune out.

An appropriate remedy is not to eliminate the overly-educated from holding positions in music criticism, but to shift the standard tone. Critics need to ditch the “holier-than-thou” mentality and realize that a review should be a starting point for conversation, not a sermon. SPIN acknowledges this in its press release, encouraging readers to use the new format as, “ … a jumping-off point to explore your own opinion and fandom.” In practice, however, the majority of the Twitter reviews have lost none of their pompousness.

Another thing that bears addressing is that SPIN’s new style of reviewing isn’t drastically different than its old one. To quote the press release, “…this new plan also means

no more overwrought 80-word blurbs on middling, nobody-cares bands where a grade of “6” or a “7” ultimately translates to ‘Hey, this exists; and it doesn’t totally blow!’”

Moving reviews to Twitter doesn’t change the fact that “nobody-cares” bands are still nobody-cares bands, if anything being mentioned in print makes them more legitimate, and a grade of “6” or “7” carries the same air of indifference regardless of where it’s posted. It’s a little shorter, but what’s the point?

In the end, changing mediums won’t stop music critics from being pretentious. What’s most important is the attitude, and it takes more than 140 characters to fix that.

SPINREVIEWS/SpinReviews/5: an interesting but ultimately misguided attempt to reinvent music criticism.—NP&RT —Nick Petrillo & Ryan Taylor

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Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

music

There and back again

A spontaneous roadtrip inspires Elliott BROOD’s most rock album to date

By Alex Knoll Contributor “Death country” might seem like an awkward pairing of words, but once you’ve heard the music of Elliott BROOD, you’ll understand how perfectly this self-labeled genre can work. Although the label is descriptive of their older work, the band’s newest album, Days Into Years, strays from this categorization. Their third full-length release is a record as rich in narrative as it is in rock n’ roll.

The album was largely inspired by an accidental road trip through the French countryside during the band’s 2007 European tour. In an attempt to avoid highway tolls, the band strayed from main roads only to stumble upon a World War I military cemetery. They had already been interested in Canadian military history, but witnessing this site really hit home.

“It just got us thinking in many ways and really moved us,” lead singer/guitarist Mark Sasso says.

The band members were exposed to ex-military soldiers growing up, and they’ve learned a lot from these veterans.

“I have an uncle who was in World War II. I also had a really good friend whose house we would hang out at to discuss with his grandfather things that went on … he was really open about his experiences. When we went to the cemetery, we saw people’s names that we recognized, and we thought of those lost lives and their families, maybe children.

It really resonated with us,” Sasso says. “There are just so many stories there; so many lives that had never got born from that. Our emotions really just took over.”

It’s remarkable that such an emotionally-laden experience was translated into an album, and you can hear the passion that went into

their work. Though one might think the heavy subject matter would be paired with a somber sound, as the band themselves anticipated, the album turned out to be louder and more aggressive than previous releases.

“We’ve evolved as a band, lyrically as well as musically,” Sasso says. “We just kept gravitating towards more instruments and more sound, and I guess it just kind of fit with this album.”

More sound includes the first time addition of electric guitar which gives songs a new, edgier feel.

“The electric guitar is kind of what brings the album together,” Sasso says. “We used it to create space, and I think it would have been a totally different record without it.”

Despite the war-related lyrical inspiration, Days Into Years is first and foremost a musical project, not a political one.

“I’m not telling anyone what to

(Vanessa Heins) do with their life,” says Sasso said.

“It’s really more of a personal; [the whole album is] told from different first-person perspectives.”

It’s now been 10 years since the members of Elliott BROOD played their first show, and they’ve accomplished much more than they expected in that time. Their previous album Mountain Meadows was shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, and they were signed to Canadian indie label Paper Bad Records just a few months ago.

“When we started the band I

Romance is sweet, revenge sweeter Verdi’s Il Trovatore tells epic love story in Medieval Spain

The program cover for Opéra de Montréal’s performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore leaves a lasting impression. It displays a gaping witch with fiery hair, her expression carrying both a hint of personal pain and menacing madness.

Though the opera does tell the story of a troubadour and his turbulent quest for love in Medieval Spain, this image perfectly encapsulates the subtle drive of the story.

The opening scenes tell the story of a gypsy’s execution following accusations of witchcraft. In a desperate act of vengeance, Azucena, the gypsy’s daughter, runs off with the king’s baby, whom the gypsy had allegedly cursed. Escaping the clutches of the king and his men, she and the baby disappear for years.

Like many operas, Verdi’s Il Trovatore is a love story. Taking place years after the kidnapping, two men, Count Di Luna, the older brother of the kidnapped baby, and the troubadour Manrico, Azucena’s son, vie for the love of Leonora. It is revealed that not only is the troubadour a supporter of Di Luna’s enemies in a civil war that is raging in Spain, but that the two men’s relationship is indeed more complex.

Was Manrico indeed Azucena’s own son? Azucena’s presence further ob-

Elliott BROOD plays Salle Andre-Mathieu (475 boulevard de l’Avenir, Laval) Friday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. Jason Bajada opens. Tickets are $17.50.

Leadership Training program

opera

By Akiva Toren Contributor

was 27 … I had a full-time job. I had already gone to university and was working in order to save up money to make records for fun, not really thinking anything would ever happen,” explains Sasso. Here’s hoping for more great things from the men of Elliott BROOD.

scures the linear romance. Was this a simple quest for love, or a complex mission for vengeance?

Among Verdi’s most popular operas, Il Trovatore stands out for its lead roles. Though no Verdi opera is easy to perform, Il Trovatore contains the four highly demanding roles of Count Di Luna, Manrico, Leonora, and Azucena. Opéra de Montréal and stage director Oriol Tomas did not disappoint. Led by the superb performances of Japanese Soprano Hiromi Omura as Leonora and Italian mezzo Laura Brioli as Azucena, Opéra de Montréal’s musical performance was stellar.

I was almost brought to tears at Brioli’s tortured performance of Azucena recounting the sight of her mother burning at the stake. The calls of “Avenge me!” uttered in the aria still haunt my ears. Omura was stellar, hitting Leonora’s love-struck high notes with both precision and profound expressivity.

Dongwon Shin’s performance of Manrico successfully captured the troubadour’s hectic loyalties, his love for both Leonora and Azucena, and his mysterious pity for Di Luna.

Gregory Dahl’s Di Luna served as a perfect contrast, illustrating Di Luna’s uncompromising hatred of Manrico. Conductor Francesco Maria Colombo, hailing from Italy, not only kept the complex accompaniment together, but also gave it a touching and animated edge.

While the music and its execution were near perfect, aspects of the stage direction were somewhat peculiar. In the first confrontation between Manrico and Di Luna, the whole scene seemed awkwardly drawn out. Manrico and Di Luna face each other with swords drawn, their singing interrupted by two histrionically exaggerated sword clashes. Though fighting choreography is hard to pull off in any opera, it’s best to either perfect it or toss it altogether.

Another challenge posed by the opera is the stark contrast of each scene, ranging from gardens to inside a convent. Instead of smooth transitions, the curtains closed for each scene change with the length of the pauses on the supertitles, giving people permission to speak between scenes, which in turn broke the dramatic tension and build-up of the opera as a whole.

However, these are minor qualms. I attended mainly for the music, and the magical performance of the leads, chorus, and orchestra, amongst the stunning costumes and efficiently simple sets created a marvelous whole.

Opéra de Montréal’s production of Il Trovatore runs on Jan 24, 26, and 28 at 7:30 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts.

Facilitator Training Interested in developing your facilitation and leadership skills in a student-friendly context?

We need motivated students who want to be involved in our

Leadership Training Program!

Learn key facilitation skills and have the opportunity to lead various workshops throughout the 2012/13 academic year.

Successful candidates will take part in a free two-day comprehensive facilitation training weekend. You must be a returning student for the 2012-2013 year as well as available for training on the weekend of Sunday, March 11th and Saturday, March 17th from 10:00 to 16:30.

Please pick up an application at the First-Year Office (or print one online from www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/leadertraining/ facilitatortraining) and submit it in-person with your CV and cover letter to the First-Year Office, Suite 2100, Brown Building.

(Macdonald Campus students ONLY - email apps accepted)

Deadline to apply is 4 p.m.

Monday, February 13, 2011.

Contact: Joan Butterworth leadership.training@mcgill.ca 514-398-6913 or 514-398-8991 www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/leadertraining

Follow us on Twitter! @mcgilltribune

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

FILM

Coriolanus: he is the one per cent

Shakespeare reincarnation draws parallels to the current Occupy movement

By Emma Hambly Contributor Coriolanus is not an easy movie to watch. Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known tragedies, is no popcorn action flick. The plot is complex, the war scenes are more brutal than exhilarating, the dialogue is heavy, and the characters defy empathy. But for those who are willing to endure the onslaught of Coriolanus, the rewards are great.

Caius Martius Coriolanus (Fiennes) is no hero. Above all, he hates his mortal enemy Aufidius and his own people. He enacts martial law to stave off a food shortage, attacking the neighbouring Volscians, inspired more by revenge than the defence of Rome. When he returns and vies for political office, the Romans reject and banish him.

Coriolanus is incompatible with his society. All he knows is war. So he does the unthinkable—he teams up with Aufidius and sets his sights on sacking Rome.

Fiennes enraptures as Caius Martius Coriolanus. He handles

Fiennes directs and stars in this rugged adaptation. (aceshowbiz.com) scenes of pure rage, chilling egomania, and raw vulnerability with explosive passion. His mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) is a powerful and obstinate woman who might just be responsible for all of Coriolanus’ problems. She is as ambitious as Lady Macbeth, craves danger, and has an odd, reverse-Oedipal fas-

cination with her son. Volumnia is unique and complex, and Redgrave does her character justice. Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia is naive but steadfast like Penelope, and ever-radiant Jessica Chastain plays her with pathos and charm. Gerard Butler as Aufidius is the least adept at making the iambic pentameter his own, but

still brings depth to what could have been a mere stock villain.

Coriolanus makes storytelling decisions that would be, by any other standard, wrong. Jarring cuts take us from the height of action to mundane suburban scenes. The music is excessively loud during fight scenes, racing like an adrenaline-fuelled heartbeat, and deathly quiet during the most dynamic moments. The staging is ugly—teeming with graffiti, battered buildings, and grime.

But the risks pay off. What should be wrong is right. The soundtrack, editing, and art direction shock us out of any semblance of comfort, exposing the meanest sides of war, where children and the elderly are casualties. Wisely, Coriolanus follows Alfred Hitchcock’s advice: to shoot murder scenes like love scenes and love scenes like murder scenes. The episodes between Coriolanus and Virgilia are austere and distanced.

In utter contrast, the Roman general and his mortal enemy scratch and claw at each other in suffocating embraces.

The themes of the original play are relevant in the film’s 21st cen-

tury setting. Coriolanus’ elitism and conflict with his people are reminiscent of the Occupy movement—but our so-called protagonist is on the side of the dreaded one per cent. He refuses to pander to those he sees as below him, and is exiled for it.

The gritty fight scenes evoke recent episodes of police brutality and a kill first, ask questions later policy.

Above all, the film reminds us how fine the line is between peace and chaos.

Coriolanus demands a great deal from its audience, and it presents an unsettling view of modern politics, creating a queasy sense of moral ambiguity. Cinema’s latest Shakespeare adaptation is a movie for people who are okay with unanswered questions. What happens to an uncompromising man when he moves out of a world of absolutes?

The first time Coriolanus breaks his convictions he gets banished from his country. And the second time?

You’ll have to watch to find out.

tHEATRE

Laughter is the best medicine

Players’ Theatre’s Hay Fever offers hilarious script and electric cast

By Chris Liu Contributor My mother, like many, used to stress the importance of good manners. But what happens when yours has none to spare? Well, something like Hay Fever, apparently. Set in the bohemian period of the roaring twenties, the play follows the eccentricities of the Bliss family as they drive their guests and each other to the edge of insanity—and then over it. In the hands of Players’ Theatre, the script is as zany as ever and cringingly sharp. No worries about indecent pleasures; here, the pleasure is in the indecency.

Looking at the set, a country home immaculately decked to bourgeois tastes, one would never intitally guess the bizarre nature of the Bliss family. This, of course, is soon remedied. Siblings Sorel and Simon Bliss are nothing less than spoiled brats with issues of temperament. Played respectively by Alex Borkowski and Spencer Thompson, the pair’s initial banter eased the audience into the oddities of the upperclass. Borkowski managed to find pleasing dimensions in her role, including the semblance of a restraint that few others in the cast adopted.

Thompson largely hit a single tone, although one that is uproarious.

The two appear to regard housemaid Clara (Norah Paton) as just one of the furnishings, despite Paton’s bird-like posturing having given the character plenty of quirk of her own. She was certainly not missed by the audience, who seemed to find delight in all of her cameos.

Soon waltzes in retired actress and boisterous matriarch Judith Bliss (Annie Schreck) who wastes no time in attempting to outdo her two children in outlandishness. Schreck fit the role well, although occasionally stretched the character too far.

Her husband, David Bliss (Andrew Cameron), is no less strange, having apparently shirked all parental and spousal responsibility.

Before long, it is revealed that each of the members of the house have invited a guest for the weekend without telling the others. Of course, instead of attempting to resolve any of the problems that this miscommunication may cause, the Blisses carry on, leaving their unsuspecting invitees to brave the chaotic frenzy that ensues.

Director Zoë Erwin-Longstaff seems to have found an inscrutable internal calculus to the show; the

fluidity and acuity of the pacing makes Hay Fever a peculiar exercise in functional dysfunctionality.

The frenzy of one-liners are relayed more often by caricatures than by characters. Should the audience ever get the chance for a breath and some introspection, they’d see that much of the show has been over-acted. I don’t believe this chance ever really comes. The force of the pacing negated the force of logic.

The velocity of the show also meant that actors were not (could not?) hold for laughs, which was a shame, as the Noël Coward script is very funny, and has some remarkable turns of language. Other bits of comic gold were left unmined when an actor simply rushed on over it.

This also meant that the occasional tone shift made for a bewildering experience, while the rest was cardiovascularly-taxing.

That said, the locomotive force of the production allowed for absolutely zero dull moments. The comic lines that the cast do hit are hit exceedingly well. Darcy Drury gave the most disciplined performance as Sandy, with his presence an anchor of sanity in most scenes. Costuming under Logan Williams was very appropriate, and showed considerable

(Sam Reyn0lds / McGill Tribune) care and thought.

Altogether, Players’ Theatre’s Hay Fever is not your typical show.

Few productions could pull off such absurd levels of energy so successfully. An abundance of laughs is practically guaranteed, but be sure to bring your own defibrillator.

Players’ Theatre’s production of Hay Fever runs from Jan 25 – 28 on the third floor SSMU building at 8 p.m.

16

Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

Could Be Good

Common: The Dreamer/The Believer Common’s The Dreamer/The Believer is not just an album, but also a statement to critics and fans alike in response to 2008’s disappointing and generally dismissed Universal Mind Control. This time around, Common is defiant and triumphant; his sound enhanced by longtime friend and producer No I.D., who produced the entire project. On the single “Sweet,” Common reminds fans of his legacy in hip-hop, boasting “some people say that they be missing creativity/but when it comes to hip-hop, it begins and ends with me.”

The album offers a nostalgic ‘90s-era sound built upon No I.D.’s frequent use of sampling, distorted drums, and heavy synth, and Common’s signature poetry is strongest on “The Dreamer,” “Blue Sky,” and “Windows.” The chemistry between them creates an engaging and entertaining listen. The album shifts from a mosaic of racy street tales on “Raw,” to the hopeful John Legendassisted balled “The Believer,” to the outstanding “Cloth,” a track written for Common’s ex-wife Erykah Badu. At a concise 12 songs, The Dreamer/The Believer focuses not necessarily on creating something new or unorthodox, but on a strong combination of No I.D.’s celebrated boom-bap with Common’s consistently clever, witty, and occasionally deeply poetic lyrics. It is clear that Common is conscious of the negative response to his previous album, re-inventing himself with a style that pays tribute to rap’s past and current musical palette. Common makes his point early on: “No I.D. said give ‘em that ‘80s cocaine, something raw, something pure, so I stayed in that vein.”

—Nazim Elnur

JANUARY 24-31 Daniel Isaiah

Ars Poetica

Cass McCombs

Casa del Popolo 4873 St. Laurent

Bain St-Michel 5300 rue St. Dominique

Il Motore 179 Jean Talon Ouest

Wednesday, Jan. 25 8 p.m.

Tues.-Sun. until Feb. 12, 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26 8 p.m.

Having received rave reviews for his performance at M for Montreal last fall, local musician and filmmaker Daniel Isaiah brings his eclectic songs and Dylan-esque twang back to Casa for a hometown show.

With Grand Chevy. $8.

Written by and starring McGill alumni, Ars Poetica is the story of a dysfunctional literary magazine and its struggle to stay afloat. Or, more poetically, it’s about “…poetry, wireless communications, and the wayward impulses of love.” $20.

Recorded simultaneously and released just seven months apart, last year’s Wit’s End and Humor Risk showcase both the serious and relatively upbeat side of the enigmatic singersongwriter, though he maintains there’s humour in everything he does. Get there early for psychfolker Jennifer Castle, whose excellent debut Castlemusic is an underappreciated gem. With Frank Fairfield. $12/$15.

In Concert Real Estate/The Babies/Reversing Falls at La Sala Rossa New Jersey’s Real Estate and Brooklyn’s the Babies played a sold-out show last Wednesday at La Sala Rossa.

Local trio Reversing Falls opened with their tuneful and distorted pop punk, using a drum machine so good that it took this reviewer about 30 seconds to realize there wasn’t a live drummer on stage.

The new project of members of Vivian Girls and Woods, the Babies easily won over the audience with a set of solid garage rock.

The vocal interplay and boy-girl harmonies between Cassie Ramone and Kevin Morby were particularly impressive.

Real Estate sounded great—their guitars were as warm and sunny as on record— but they didn’t turn in a very compelling live performance. There was little movement on stage, minimal banter, and requesting technical adjustments between most songs killed the flow of the set. The laid back, hazy nature of their music doesn’t exactly lend itself to urgent playing, but it would’ve been nice Martin Courtney of Real Estate (left), Cassie Ramone of the Babies (top right), and Tyler Crawford (bottom left) of Reversing Falls (Sofia Markusfeld / McGill Tribune) to see a bit more life.

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Sports HOCKEY — Martlets 3, Carleton 4 (OTS)

Wait, what? Martlets winning streak in RSEQ snapped Victory marks Carleton’s first win over McGill in 65 lifetime meetings

By Steven Lampert Sports Editor Fans at McConnell Arena were treated to an unfortunate hiccup this past Sunday as the McGill women’s hockey team lost for the first time in RSEQ conference play since Oct. 29. The Carleton Ravens looked both physically and mentally sharper throughout the course of the game, culminating in their upset 4-3 shootout win over the Martlets.

McGill entered the game seemingly unprepared, as two minutes in, Ravens defenceman Erin Beaver opened the scoring. Third-year Martlet forward Kim Ton-That answered back just three minutes later, halting Carelton’s quick momentum.

McGill struggled to move the puck and establish the pace of the game, a rarity for a team which prides itself on its chemistry and fast-paced tempo. Leading scorer Claudia Bergeron tallied another for the Ravens in the middle of the period and Carleton exited the period with a 2-1 lead despite being outshot 11-5.

Head Coach Peter Smith was evidently upset with his team’s performance, citing a lack of preparedness from his girls. “I thought we came out flat. I didn’t think we were ready to play the game … I am not 100 per cent sure why, but we just weren’t there today and we couldn’t recover from a flat start,” Smith said.

The second period was similar for McGill despite some decent scoring chances. Ravens goalten-

McGill was flat from the beginning and didn’t recover in rare RSEQ loss. (Duncan Hood / McGill Tribune) der Tamber Tisdale was strong all afternoon, making key saves to stymie the Martlet offence. However, McGill evened the score when fourth-year defenceman Stacie Tardif pinched in from the point and received a pass from Melodie Daoust before burying it past Tisdale with just 15 seconds left in the frame to notch her first of two goals of the afternoon.

Smith praised the play of Tardif and other sophomore defenceman Gillian Ferrari, who was noticeably strong on the back end, clearing the way for goaltender Charline Labonte throughout most of the game.

“I thought Stacie [Tardif] played well. It was nice to see her get a few today. And I thought Gillian Ferrari was really sharp and strong on the back end. She made up for some of

our defensive collapses,” Smith explained.

McGill looked more aggressive when the third period opened, and Tardif scored her second of the night off of a hard slapshot from the point eight minutes in. The lead was short-lived as Carelton captain Sarah Seiler snapped a shot past Labonte on the powerplay. The Martlets, specifically led by leading scorer

Third Man in

Was it really worth it?

On Jan. 12, 2012, Mike Cammalleri was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Calgary Flames for Rene Bourque. I am a die-hard Habs fan, but how are you supposed to react when your favourite player is traded? I have followed Cammalleri endlessly. Some would call me obsessed: I have his jersey, gameworn skates, know his mother’s name, and have even used his name for numerous Internet passwords (better change those now). As you can imagine, I was shocked and angry when I found out the news that he was traded. I felt as if Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier had personally wronged me. After signing him just a couple of years ago, the Canadiens have ad-

vertised endlessly with Cammalleri, working hard to build his image in order to win fans over. One day he was the face of the franchise, and the next, he gets pulled off the ice midgame and told that he’s heading to Calgary.

I have always held to the notion that no one is untouchable, especially if the price is right. However, having analysed this trade from every possible angle, I do not understand why the deal was made. A lot of attention has been focused on the comments he made about the team, saying they “play like losers,” which some credit as the reason he was traded. After the comments were released, the Montreal media erupted into a hailstorm, claiming Cammalleri didn’t want to be in Montreal and was a cancer in the dressing room. This seems unfair. He was likely expressing the fact that the

team wasn’t displaying the confidence they needed to win games, which certainly isn’t far from the truth considering their record this season. Cammalleri also made many pro-Canadiens comments, going on record stating that “… I really enjoy what it means to play for the Montreal Canadiens, always have.” This quote was rarely published in the media, and received nowhere near the same press that his first one did.

Reporters undoubtedly focused on what they believed would make a better story. I hope these comments had no effect on Gauthier’s decision to trade Cammalleri. A competent General Manager should not fall into the media trap, especially in this hockey-crazed city.

Media fiasco aside, I tried to examine whether the trade made sense in hockey terms. Gauthier said the trade had nothing to do

with Cammalleri’s comments but instead claimed that the Canadiens were looking to add size to their lineup to help them push for a playoff spot. Well Gauthier, trying to add size to your roster is a horrible reason to make a blockbuster trade.

Why does a hockey team specifically need size? To score goals? In his past three seasons, Cammalleri has scored more goals per game and notched more points per game than Bourque. While neither player is having huge success this year, of the two, Cammalleri has six more points. It can be argued that a change of scenery could be good for both players, but Cammalleri’s playoff success makes it clear that the Canadiens lost in this trade by a landslide. Cammalleri had 10 points in seven playoff games last season and 19 in 19 games the year before, including a league-leading 13 goals.

Ann-Sophie Bettez, pressed to take the lead, but Tisdale robbed her on a number of occasions, forcing the game into overtime.

The extra frame solved little, and after Bettez saved the Martlets from a quick exit from the shootout, Carleton’s Sydnie MacDonald ended the game with a swift deke past the sprawling Labonte.

The victory marks the Ravens’ first-ever win in 65 meetings with McGill, dating back to 1999. After the game, the Ravens scrambled to Tisdale to give her the praise she deserved after stopping 36 of 39 shots.

What went wrong was the question on everyone’s mind after the game since, McGill had beaten Carleton twice already this season by a total margin of 7-1. Smith didn’t believe that the Ravens came into the game with any new adjustments.

“Nothing new. They always play us hard, forecheck us hard. I just didn’t think we moved the puck the way we’re capable of moving it. When we did have opportunities, their goalie made some good saves.”

While this game was inconsistent with any past trends, it is only a small speedbump in what has been another dominating season for the Martlets. With the loss, they move to 12-2-0 on the season, and end their nine-game winning streak. They look to erase this losing effort from their minds on Jan. 27 against Ottawa for the beginning of a mini threegame road trip. They meet Carleton again on Jan. 28.

The Canadiens, whenever they succeed in squeezing into the playoffs, have been a big threat to any team and Cammalleri was always a major reason for that. It can also be argued that size can be advantageous in the defensive zone. If so, then it can be expected for Bourque to have a stronger plus/minus rating than Cammalleri. While none of the two can boast particularly great numbers, Cammalleri has held the stats advantage over Bourque in each of the past two seasons in this category.

As a Cammalleri and Habs fan, I am frustrated and sad to see him go. Hopefully Bourque will prove to be the consistent scoring threat and physical asset Pierre Gauthier believes he is. If not, then the Habs just made a huge mistake.

– Adam Taras

18

Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

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ater cooler

In case you were mourning the loss of Megaupload, here’s what you missed in the world of sports ...

NCAA BASKETBALL — If this weekend is any indication of what’s to come in March, we might as well throw out our brackets now.

Syracuse, ranked number one in the country, entered the game 20-0 on the season, but left South Bend with their first loss after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-8) defeated the Orangemen 67-58, backed by strong three-point shooting. Florida State is finding success against teams from North Carolina, as they capped off another upset weekend

by taking down fourth-ranked Duke exactly one week after defeating North Carolina. Unranked Tennessee forced the defending champion UCONN Huskies into some tough shots and prevailed 60-57. Finally, in likely the best game of the weekend, two top-five teams squared off, with fifth-ranked Missouri thwarting third ranked Baylor’s late comeback to prevail by a point. Yup, March should be fun.

FOOTBALL — The NFL playoffs continue to roll on, with this weekend featuring both conference championship games. In the AFC, the top-seeded New England Patriots faced their playoff foil, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens embarrassed the Patriots in New England during 2010 NFL playoffs, and a hot topic during the week was the Pats’ chance to get revenge. New England, led by their suspect defense, held the Ravens on their final comeback drive, capped off by a terrible miss by Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff. The result earned Pats quarterback Tom Brady his 16th playoff victory, tying him with Joe Montana for the most playoff victories by a quarterback. Brady and the Patriots advance to play the New York Giants. Sound familiar? The two met in 2008, when the Giants pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Superbowl history, ruining the Patriots’ perfect regular season record. New York heads to the big game on the foot of their kicker, Lawrence Tynes, who also kicked the game-winning field goal to send the Giants to the Superbowl in 2007. Tynes should give Cundiff some pointers in the off-season.

TENNIS — Week One of the Australian Open is in the books and the quarterfinals are set. On the men’s side, only seeded players made the top eight. The biggest surprise so far has to be Lleyton Hewitt’s resurgence. Entering the tournament ranked 181st following an injury-marred 2011, home crowd favourite Hewitt beat Andy Roddick

and Canadian Milos Raonic on his way to a fourth round loss to Novak Djokovic. The women’s tournament has been more exciting in terms of upsets. Early losses for Francesca Sciavone and Vera Zvonareva were surprising, but nothing as shocking as Aussie Sam Stosur being upset in the first round to 59th ranked Sorana Cirstea. The women’s side also showcased the best match of the week as Kim Clijsters staved off four match points to beat Li Na. NCAA FOOTBALL — Legendary coach Joe Paterno passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 85 after a battle with lung cancer.

Paterno was relieved of his duties last November amid the Penn State child sex scandal involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky. JoePa built the Penn State program to become one of the premier college football schools in America, leading them to two national championships. He is the winningest head coach in NCAA football history and coached more than 250 players who went on to play in the NFL. To some, JoePa’s reputation became tarnished with the news of the child sex scandal, despite massive student support back in State College. However, the news of his death has led both fans and the media to reevaluate how much he meant to Penn State and the college football world. For many, there is no doubt he will be remembered for his positive legacy, which outweighs the scandal that inundated the final days of his life.

SCOREBOARD (Scores since Jan. 17) REDMEN BASKETBALL Lost 69-61 @ Concordia MARTLET BASKETBALL Lost 57-52 @ Concordia REDMEN HOCKEY Won 1-0 (OTS) vs. Carleton MARTLET HOCKEY Lost 4-3 (OTS) vs. Carleton REDMEN SWIMMING Finished 1st of 6 @ Quebec Cup IV MARTLET SWIMMING Finished 3rd of 5 @ Quebec Cup IV REDMEN TRACK & FIELD Finished 3rd of 4 @ Rouge et Or Invitational MARTLET TRACK & FIELD Finished 3rd of 4 @ Rouge et Or Invitational

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Hockey — Redmen 1, Carleton 0 (OTS)

Redmen prevail in tenth consecutive Carnival game Hubert Morin puts on a dominating performance in front of rowdy crowd

By Hrant Bardakjian Contributor Winners of nine straight Winter Carnival games, the McGill Redmen hockey team managed to extend that impressive streak last Friday night as the boys came through with a spirited 1-0 shootout win over the Carleton Ravens in front of their raucous McGill fans.

Hubert Morin put on a goalie clinic as he turned away all 32 shots he faced and denied three more Ravens in the shoot out. Carleton’s Matthew Dopud was just as stellar, with a 25-save shutout performance and some help from the crossbar on more than one occasion.

Head Coach Kelly Nobes certainly liked what saw in his team: “We’re pleased with the effort tonight. I thought we played a solid 60 minutes. We got a good team effort from all four lines and six defencemen. Certainly Hubert Morin played a good game, as did their guy, but we

won in the end. They’re a very good team and they pushed us right till the end. I’m pleased with the result.”

McGill rolled out the power play unit just three minutes into the first but failed to convert on the man advantage. The puck cycling was especially weak as Carleton did a good job of intercepting the puck and clearing their zone.

The tempo picked up midway through the first when Jean-Francois Boisvert hammered Linden Bahm into the Ravens’ bench. The hit seemed to spark both benches as play became more physical on both sides for the remainder of the period.

Patrick Belzile showed good hustle and defensive reliability in the second with a good backcheck to break up Carleton’s attack and keep the game tied at zero. The Ravens’ best scoring chance came early in the period when their captain Brandon Maclean sprung for a breakaway. Morin stood tall in his crease and stoned the forward, firing up

much of the crowd even more.

Near the end of the period a scrum ignited after the whistle along the boards as tensions peaked. Carl Taylor and Redmen’s Nicolas Biniek were both issued matching minors and play continued 5-on-5, with McGill showing good puck movement before the sound of the buzzer.

The animosity carried over from the end of the second with some good, hard hits early in the third. Francis Verreault-Paul seemed to have drawn first blood with his shot that appeared to have snuck just under the crossbar, but the referees were quick to signal no goal. Hungry for his first tally, Verreault kept buzzing after the call and crashed into Dopud, causing him to lose his mask in the process. Dopud returned the favor with some firm love taps, but the referees put an end to their scuffle with a trip to the sin bin for Verreault on the account of goalie interference and a roughing penalty against Dopud.

Picard scored the shootout winner. (Anna Katycheva / McGill Tribune) Maclean had another glorious opportunity to pull his team ahead with what seemed like a wide open net but his shot was blocked up front. Overtime settled nothing and the crowd got their money’s worth with an extra frame in the shootout.

McGill’s Picard managed to solve Dopud with a quick wrister that beat him low glove-side for the only goal in the game.

Nobes was quick to give his approval regarding the rowdy crowd.

“Yeah that was outstanding! Certainly for the guys and the students that were here we really appreciate having such a great lively crowd.

Let’s hope we get some of them back again for another game.”

The Redmen’s next home game is on Jan. 27 against Ottawa.

19

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Series Review

HBO’s 24/7 delivers in a “humangous big” way Series manages once again to give viewers backstage access to hockey’s biggest stage

By James Maddalena Contributor This season, HBO decided to spoil hockey fans once again by filming 24/7, a four-part series documenting the New York Rangers’ and Philadelphia Flyers’ ever enticing Road to the Winter Classic.

Hockey die-hards were given the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the NHL world, whether it be in the team’s locker rooms or in the very homes of the NHL players for 24 hours, seven days a week. It was obvious that last year’s series featuring the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins delivered above and beyond the expectations of hockey fanatics, leaving viewers of the documentary begging for more. And just as last season’s series had its highlights and unforgettable moments, this season had its equal share. And yes, f-bombs were

dropped as casually as ever.

One of the great aspects of 24/7 is how it showcases the otherwise unrevealed personalities of NHL players. This year’s unofficial star was Philadelphia net minder Ilya Bryzgalov who stole the spotlight within the first 10 minutes of the show. In the first episode, the goaltender’s attempt at a philosophical commentary on our universe, matched with his strong Russian accent, quickly proved that he would be a “humangous big” hit all series long. The goalie continued to entertain viewers with talks of Siberian Huskies and Chinese law regarding endangered tiger hunting.

Unfortunately, Bryzgalov’s struggles in late December landed him a spot on the bench for the Winter Classic, thereby exposing a darker side of the Russian net minder. Ultimately, the documentation of Bryzgalov’s misfortunes and

dramatic shift in emotion portrayed a universal theme for NHL players: in an 82-game season, every player has their share of ups and downs.

This year’s 24/7 also gave hockey enthusiasts a close-up of one the NHL’s most talented emerging stars, Claude Giroux. It’s clear that Giroux, nicknamed “G” by his teammates, is a dynamic player with loads of raw talent. However, as can only be exposed through HBO’s microphones, he’s equally talented in his ability to “chirp” at opposing players in an attempt to throw them off their game. Giroux’s battle with a concussion in the early episodes also provided insight on a hot button issue in the NHL. The star forward was subjected to various tests and treatments to ensure his physical well-being while his team eagerly awaited his return. On his first game back, Giroux recorded four points, solidifying his superstar status.

On the flipside, it’s safe to say that all 24/7 fans were extremely eager to see what antics Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella had to offer, and after the first episode it was obvious that fans would not be disappointed. Tortorella threw profanities around and gave intense speeches both between periods and on the bench all series long. However, it was his unknown compassionate side of Tortorella that stole the spotlight, uncovered in the story of Liam Traynor, a young Rangers fan suffering from cerebral palsy.

The two met at a Garden of Dreams charity event and have shared a strong bond ever since. They contact each other frequently and share support for one another. Liam explains in 24/7 that “it really means the world to [him]” that Tortorella has his back. It’s exceedingly clear that HBO did a wonderful job showcasing Tortorella’s impact on and off

the ice. His passion and dedication to the game is clearly enormous and he has certainly gained respect from true hockey fans.

Once again, HBO has taken 24/7 viewers beyond the surface of the hockey world, and it’s difficult to ask anything more from them. Although this year’s edition of 24/7 was somewhat reminiscent of the previous installment, the cast of players and coaches provided their own quirks and charms, ensuring that the series stayed fresh and filled with entertaining moments.

Ultimately, it’s the teams’ distinctiveness that allows for each edition of the documentary to provide further insight into the dynamics of the NHL. With the next 24/7 just a year away, someone’s got to get ready to step up and fill Bryzgalov’s skates.

W From Fantasy

GOALTENDER

jean-sebastien giguere, COL. 21GP, 12-6-1, .925 S%, 2.06 GAA, 1 SO, 37 per cent ownership Choosing a backup goaltender in a deep league that won’t destroy your weekly stats can be an extremely difficult task. Luckily, “Giggy” is there to save the day.

Starting nearly half of Colorado’s games, Giguere has been the rock in nets that the Avs have needed when their starter, Varlamov, is struggling.

His stats also speak for themselves: 12 wins to go along with a superb .925 save percentage and a ridiculous 2.06 goals against average.

LEFT WING

NICK foligno, OTT. 50GP, 12G, 18A, plus 1, 69 PIM, 1PPP, 81 SOG, 16 per cent ownership

to reality by christopher nardi (sports editor)

ith the hockey season well under way, fantasy team managers are all looking for those hidden gems that will provide the extra punch they need for the upcoming fantasy playoffs. In this first installment of From Fantasy to Reality, I will identify an undervalued player from each position who is both putting up great numbers and has an ownership percentage of less than 50 per cent in Yahoo! Leagues. To evaluate players, I will be using the standard points categories, which are goals, assists, penalty minutes, plus/minus, powerplay points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, save percentage, goals against average, and shutouts.

RIGHT WING

DEFENCEMAN

blake wheeler, WPG. 46GP, 9G, 24A, plus 7, 26 PIM, 5 PPP, 98 SOG. 33 per cent ownership When Atlanta acquired Wheeler in a four-player trade, they saw the potential to be a first-liner in the hulking prospect.

Fast-forward one year, and the 25-year-old leads his team in points as he fills the top right wing spot seamlessly for Winnipeg. Victim of his team’s slow start, Wheeler now has 13 points in his last 13 games and leads his team with a plus 7 goal differential. He may not score tremendously on the powerplay, but his 26 minutes in the sin bin and 98 shots on goal will benefit his owners enormously.

The Senators have been on a tear since December, and Foligno has been one of the many players on the team to see his statline profit from the recent surge in the standings.

He has notched eight points in his last 10 games, going plus three in the process, and has slowly seen his ice time increase. Though his 30 points are nothing to scoff at, his real value is his 69 penalty minutes. Very rarely can a fantasy manager gloat that his enforcers also profit his other stat categories, and in a deep fantasy league, Foligno is a must-have asset.

nick leddy, CHI. 49GP, 2G, 22A, minus 5, 10 PIM, 7 PPP, 51 SOG, 24 per cent ownership

Center

Ryan O’Reilly, COL. 49 GP, 13G, 22A, minus 3, 10 PIM, 12 PPP, 101 SOG. 30 per cent ownership Despite being Colorado’s leading scorer, O’Reilly continues to be snubbed by fantasy players. His 13 goals and 22 assists may not rank him in the top 50 scorers in the league, but he is a consistent player who’s replacing Matt Duchene while he’s on injured reserve. His 12 powerplay points and 101 shots on goal are excellent additions to any owner looking bolster his stat line, and widely compensate for his minus 3 rating.

Leddy’s stat line may not come off as mind-blowing at first glance, despite having a very respectable 24 points in 49 games. Yet his recent play obliges me to add him to this list: four assists, plus four and six shots on goal in five games. Playing on the second defensive pairing of a seemingly invincible Blackhawks team, I can only imagine that Leddy’s numbers are going to continue improving as the season progresses.

Images from: zimbio.com, wikipedia.org, sportsnet.ca, cyberpresse. ca

Connect With Your SSMU Health & Dental Plan Your Benefits for 2011/2012 More than $10,000 in Health-Care Coverage prescription drugs, chiropractor, physiotherapist, ambulance, medical equipment, tuition insurance, vaccinations, and more...

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