McGill Tribune Vol. 34 Issue 1

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

EDITORIAL

Volume No. 34 Issue No. 1

Hypocrisy in police response damages citizens, democracy pg. 7

@mcgilltribune

www.mcgilltribune.com

The Great Experiment

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Continued on pg. 6

PERSON Contributor

Chloe Nevitt SciTech Editor

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Read more in Sport p. 24

Construction along McTavish St. is scheduled to continue until October. (L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

Work on McTavish Street water pipes to continue through October Construction not expected to obstruct Activities Night

TO TALK ABOUT RACE, ONE MUST LISTEN ABRAHAM MOUSSAKO Opinion Editor

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ecently I happened to find myself in conversation with a friend over the then-white-hot situation in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, where the killing of unarmed 18-yearold Michael Brown at the hands of local police erupted—thanks to a perfect storm of factors—to become an international flashpoint.

In our conversation, the friend mentioned that the one thing that was clear from this incident is that America was in need of a ‘new conversation about race.’

Continued on pg. 9

Montreal calls for regulation of e-cigarettes

Student bands return to OAP MAX BERGER Arts & Entertainment Editor

BLANK BULLETS

When I sat down to talk to guitarists Peter Baylis and Joe Peplowski of the Montreal-based alternative rock band Blank Bullets, there was one pressing question on my mind.

“Yeah, there’s a guy at work who always calls me Littlefinger,” laughed Baylis when I asked him if people bring up the resemblance his name has to Game of Thrones character Petyr Baelish. “It’s mostly just there where I get it.”

Another famous name that Baylis has drawn comparisons to is Robbie Krieger, who he portrayed in the Doors cover band he and Peplowski started in high school.

“I had this friend and he was exactly like Jim Morrison in my eyes,” said Baylis. “He actually talked to Joe about it because Joe played piano and we needed a keyboardist. And I knew Joe, and I was like, yeah, lets do this!”

While the Blank Bullets’ sound isn’t quite like The Doors’, Baylis likes to channel them and other classic rock artists into his playing. According to him, the whole band has an eclectic mix of primary influences.

“Each guy kind of has his own taste in music,” explained Baylis. “Our singer likes that ‘90s, kind of Pixie-ish era. Our drummer’s into beats and rap, he likes Limp Bizkit a lot also.

I’m more of a classic kind of rock guy, and Joe’s really into

more modern rock.”

Unsurprisingly, their sound has changed and evolved a lot as they now prepare for a follow-up to their self-titled debut EP; however, they’ve seemed to settle on more of a fixed sonic direction.

“At first, the band was new and we were kind of like experimenting a lot, and now we kind of find what we’re best at,” said Peplowski. “We have more of a process and we’re using that for our new songs so that they’re all getting a similar vibe now rather than our first album which was a bit all over the place.”

Blank Bullets plans to be performing quite a bit around Montreal this year, including two September shows in the Plateau and an October show at Petit Campus. But for now, the two-time OAP veterans—and McGill Engineering students— are looking forward to Round 3.

“McGill has a really nice campus and to look upon that on the stage is just such a nice scene,” said Baylis.

“And the crowd is great too,” added Peplowski. “The beer is cheap, and no one has any homework or anything.

They’re there to drink, and people that have been drinking are really into the music.”

Blank Bullets performs at OAP on Wednesday Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.

Continued on pg. 14

s a cultural hub, Montreal is always quick to adopt the newest trends. It comes as no surprise, then, that when the coolest thing since smoking became ‘smoking,’ Montrealers began using e-cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death, killing nearly six million people globally every year, as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2014. Individuals are not only constantly looking for ways to quit, but also for safer alternatives to cigarettes. Consequently, the market for smoking cessation aids is colossal, the U.S. alone has had sales reaching over $1 billion this year, according to a new report from Mintel on smoking cessation aids.

E-cigarettes are electronic cigarettes that use heated water vapour to give its user a dose of nicotine. As a cessation aid, they are supposed to be delivered in smaller and smaller amounts until the smoker is no longer addicted.

The rapid rise of e-cigarettes has been prompted by widespread aversion towards- the taste and feel of nicotine patches and gum.

E-cigarettes, which are remarkably similar in shape to real cigarettes, thus serve as a saving grace for many smokers.

While the concept appears sound, problems have arisen recently due to a lack of market regulation. Unlike most cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users don’t really know what they are actually inhaling.

“There’s no control of the manufacturing process,” stated Christopher Labos, a cardiologist from the division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health at McGill University. “[Tobacco companies] are not conspiring to put something in the e-cig.

The process [for e-cig producion] is just not up to par, and contaminants [during manufacturing] are leeching in unintentionally.” Traces of diethylene glycol, a component of antifreeze and nitrosamine, a known carcinogen, have been found in e-cigarettes.

Continued on pg. 18

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Quebec Judicial Court to decide on validity of PGSS referendum question Ge Sa, other PGSS students seek disaffiliation from Canadian Federation of Students

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NEWS

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

REMI LU Managing Editor

ast Thursday and Friday, the Quebec Judicial Court heard an injunction filed

by Ge Sa, a graduate student at McGill and internal affairs officer of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), against the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The trial, presided over by Judge Gérard Dugré, recognized the validity of a petition by members of the PGSS to run a referendum regarding their disaffiliation from the CFS. The case is currently awaiting an official ruling by the Superior Court.

Initiated by Ge Sa in September 2013, the petition expressed the desire to pose a referendum question to the PGSS disaffiliation from the CFS. In accordance to CFS bylaws, the petition surpassed the 10 per cent quorum required to validate a new referendum question, with over 2000 students signing the document.

Prior to the trial, however, the CFS had refused to recognize the validity of the petition due to a number of factors.

“The CFS lost the petition in the mail and could not decipher some of the signatures,” Ge Sa said. “[They] were unable to obtain the full list of students from McGill University because the university refuses to share student information in terms of privacy.”

Lucy Watson, representative of CFS Canada, confirmed that the CFS’s National Executive Team would now recognize the petition as valid.

The petition originally stemmed from the CFS’s continued refusal to recognize a PGSS

referendum in 2010, during which 856 per cent of PGSS students voted to disaffiliate from CFS. However, the question— which was run over the period of four days—was deemed invalid by the CFS, who stated that the length of voting surpassed the mandated two days. As a result, the PGSS has been in a separate litigation battle with the CFS over the past four years regarding the recognition of PGSS’s referendum question to leave the CFS. “The position of PGSS is and has been for the last couple of years that [the vote] is valid.

It should be recognized [and was not a] bylaw violation,” said Jonathan Mooney, PGSS secretarygeneral from 2012 to 2014.

Sa’s legal team has pressed forward with the trial, aiming for a court-ordered referendum and voting period from Oct. 21 to 24, 2014. A precedent was set by the University of Victoria, which was expelled from the CFS after a similar litigation case March 2013. The judge for that case did not set a voting period despite ordering a referendum, after which the two sides returned to court— a situation Sa is trying to avoid.

“We’re hoping that the judge will order [a referendum], so that the CFS cannot […] avoid having a referendum,” Gesa said. “It has been more than a year since we got the petition ready. It’s about respecting the rights of the people who signed the petition to have a referendum.”

Juan Pinto, the current secretary-general of PGSS, drew clear lines between the student society’s ongoing case against the CFS, and Sa’s litigation regarding the petition, which he is op-

erati n g as an individual member of PGSS. “In the case [of PGSS vs. CFS ], we argued that the referendum that was held was valid—therefore our [stance] is we left the CFS [in 2010],” Pinto said. “We’re in litigation because the CFS does not recognize that [….] [A] group of interested students headed by Sa [decided] they wanted to file an injunction [….] So we do coordinate,\ because we have different issues in common, but it’s two different litigations.”

If Dugré sets a court-ordered referendum which subsequently passes, the focus will shift upon the PGSS case and the $270,000 in membership fees that the CFS has accused PGSS of withholding since the original referendum in 2010.

“My expectation is that if Ge Sa’s case were successful to end membership, and the other case wasn’t successful, there would be a negotiation about the outstanding fees between 2010 and 2014,” Mooney said. “CFS Quebec ceased to exist in 2010, so the question is: Would they be claiming the fee from an organization that didn’t exist between 2010 and 2014? […] But it’s not a simple question of: ‘Okay, we would owe this much exactly [right away].’”

Since 2010, PGSS has set aside a Contingency Fund of $100,000 per year, used specifically for the litigation against the

Shag Shop closes retail location, moves online The Shag Shop, a sexual health boutique run by Student Health Services (SHS), closed its physical location in April 2014, and will begin to operate online in October this semester.

The previous store—which supplied students with contraceptive products, alternative menstrual products, and pregnancy tests— was located in the Student Health Clinic, adjacent to the First Peoples’ House. According to Healthy McGill’s website, the space was restructured to provide an accessible entrance for the First Peoples’ House, but a new physical location could not be found on campus to accommodate the Shag Shop’s relocation.

“We had been looking for around a year for another space,” said SHS Health Promotion Coordinator Amanda Unruh. “We can’t just move into another office or hallway, because sexuality can be very personal to some people and they didn’t feel comfortable about the lack of privacy. The new location had to be accessible, easy to find, and also very discreet and well-insulated for the soundproofing.

[It is] difficult to find a place like that, between closing in April and setting up in August.”

CFS. If all charges are resolved and the PGSS is able to formally disaffiliate from the CFS, the money from the contingency und will be be redirected to funding student services.

While no official date has

been set, a decision from Dugré is expected to be released by the end of this week.

CFS representatives and legal advisors declined to comment when approached by the Tribune.

Infographic by Hayley Lim

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

3

News McLennan-Redpath smoke free terrace well received by students

Discussion about campus space continues as some students call for stricter smoking regulations

Bento Sushi, Quesada opened retail locations in Bronfman this fall, replacing Sinfully Asian. (L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

Quesada Burritos & Tacos and Bento Sushi replace Sinfully Asian in Bronfman building

Première Moisson also introduced into the Redpath library, McGill Food and Dining Services signs contracts with new food providers

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CECE ZHANG News Editor

uesada Burritos & Tacos and Bento Sushi have replaced Sinfully Asian in the retail location of the Bronfman building, while Quebec bakery Première Moisson is now available in the Redpath Library.

Both locations opened on Sept.

2. McGill Food and Dining Services (MFDS) has also acquired a new catering group to serve many of its other food outlets.

The decisions were made by MFDS following consultation with students.

“Since the fall [of] 2013, we had several discussions [and] consultations with the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) and the Dean of [the] Faculty of Management concerning the actual concept [of the restaurant and] to [receive] suggestions,” director of MFDS Mathieu Laperle said.

According Oliver de Volpi, executive chef of MFDS, many other considerations were made in seeking out new tenants for the Bronfman space.

“Prior experience, sustainability, management team, corporate support, financial—[as in] money brought to the table for renovations and improvements over the next [four to five] years of the contract—[were factors considered],” de Volpi said.

MUS President Sean Finnell noted that the response to the new food options has been posi-

tive.

“We put out a survey, to which 1,400 students from across campus responded,” he said. “The MUS is thus far very pleased with McGill’s decision to opt for a dual-restaurant concept.”

Furthermore, following the expiration of the university’s previous contract with food provider, Aramark corporation, Compass Group and one of its sectors, Bon Appetit management company, will now be jointly operating other retail locations on campus, including the New Residence Hall cafeteria, Redpath Library food court, Engineering Café, and Athletics Café. They will also assist in running the Carrefour Sherbrooke Cafeteria with McGill’s Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS).

A major influence in the selection of food providers was their greater commitment to fresher, more local foods, according to Laperle.

“One big reason for the

change to Compass [and] Bon Appetit was their shared vision for food service around campus, to have healthy, more sustainable ‘Montreal’ food around the campus,” he said. “This change to Compass [will] bring more local products—especially Macdonald Campus products—and more made-in-house, fresher products being offered to students.”

Laperle stated that the pricing at the new dining locations would not be affected, as SHHS—not the food providers—is the authority that sets prices. Meal plans will also continue to be accepted at the new vendors.

Students can submit feedback on these changes to SHHS at Service Point on McTavish, de Volpi said.

“Our reason to exist is to provide a service to the students, faculty, and staff at McGill and we hope to hear back from any of them if they are not happy,” he said.

McLennan’s smoke-free policy has been well-received. (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune) I don’t see the need for such meaDANIEL KANG sures, as many have been underContributor standing and have been self-enforcing the new policy”.

Much of the student response he new smoke-free policy at the McLennan-Redpath Ter- to the new policy has been posirace has received positive tive—Asad Ali Walji, U3 Arts, said reception since its implementation that he understands the necessity of the change. last May. “The fundamental purpose of According to Colleen Cook, the dean of libraries, the new policy the library is to create an environwas created in response to criticism ment where students can comfortably focus on their work,” Walji from the McGill community. “[The policy was] spearheaded said. “The majority of students do by the library after receiving com- not smoke, and I am content knowplaints about the clouds of smoke ing that they don’t have to wade and cigarette butts that were cover- through a plume of smoke just to ing the main entrance to the McLen- get their work done.”

Some students have deemed nan Library building,” she said. “[We held discussions with] cam- the new regulations to be inadpus stakeholders and the decision equate—Sarmien, U2 Science, exwas made to designate the newly- pressed his disappointment at the new policy, stating that the changes renovated space as smoke-free.”

This change may signal a re- were miniscule.

“While it may force smokers to newed initiative towards supporting health-friendly zones on campus, leave the terrace to smoke, it does according to Associate Vice-Prin- not change the fact that there still cipal of University Services Robert are a lot of public spaces on campus where smoking is still allowed,” he Courvette. “[The new terrace] could be said. “There needs to be an even a starting point for other places stronger effort to either outright ban around campus for the future direc- [smoking] or set up clearly demarcated smoking zones.” tion of smoke-free zones,” he said.

The discussion about the Cook also highlighted the importance of students’ perception of McLennan-Repath remains open.

The Vice President University Afthe terrace.

“For those returning to McGill fairs of the Students’ Society of after the summer break, the desig- McGill University (SSMU) Claire nation of this space as smoke-free is Stewart-Kanigan, invited students a change and there are always chal- to send more feedback about the lenges when trying to shift the cul- new space in order to continually ture around how people use spaces develop initiatives to improve pubthey are attached to,” she said. “We lic spaces on campus.

“The libraries will be seeking want to create a healthier environment in one of the most beautiful student input into the Library Masplaces on campus. This is a small ter Plan throughout the upcoming year, and SSMU will be actively step towards that.”

According to Andre Costopou- involved in shaping the consultalous, the dean of students, the new tion process,” she said. “SSMU will policy will be enforced by self-reg- work to inform students of when and through what means these conulation.

“In theory, someone could be sultations will occur, and invites in breach of the Code of Student suggestions for ensuring effective Conduct if they were caught smok- student consultation in this major ing on the terrace,” he said. “But project.”

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4

News

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

SSMU EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWS Compiled by: Shrinkhala Dawadi, Jessica Fu, Sam Pinto, Jenny Shen, Cece Zhang

What have you done this summer?

What have you done this summer?

I’ve been getting used to my role and the responsibilities and getting to know SSMU really well. I’ve also worked with our human resources advisor to draft and implement a Mental Health Policy for our permanent staff, which is really exciting.

[Furthermore,] the sustainability coordinator position was cut [last year]. Our policy really relies on this position, so in my mind this policy is out of date. I’ve initiated a research project on sustainability with our Political Attaché, Julien Benoît [....] He is making a “best practices” document and is looking into sustainability structures at other universities. I want there to be research done and a report made that recommends changes that can be made in the policy.

[In] June I threw myself into my research project, which is phase one of the Club Hub. I’ve been calling universities across Canada to chat about clubs and to see if there are any common issues that [SSMU deals] with and what solutions they have for those problems and […] if those solutions would work over here in our club structure.

I also went to the [Student Union Development Clinic] Summit, It was a gathering of executives across Canada to talk about voter turnout, sustainability […] and a lot of really cool things.

I’ve been training my staff which has been really fun. This year we have not one but two Activities Night coordinators. It’s too much of a job for one person to deal with so I had to hire somebody else so that we could have more coverage, more planning, a smoother event. They’re now more responsible for Rez Activities Night, as well.

What concrete goals do you have?

I do hope for the University Building Fee to pass this year. Last year, I didn’t feel like students were able to make an informed decision because of the lack of a “yes” committee, the lack of a campaign and the lack of general awareness [raised] around this question. Now we are running it a second time. We’re going to be putting out information that is going to be quite neutral about the effects of having this fee and not having this fee. Hopefully with that, people will [make] an informed decision.

When people get this information, if there is still backlash, I think it’s valid and people can feel unhappy that they need to pay more, since tuition and everything else is already so costly. But I think it’s important for people to realise that without this fee, SSMU’s financial situation is so unstable.

[As well,] SSMU is currently being audited [and] once our audited financial statements are complete, they get presented to the executives and that information is made public on the website—I think that is something that could be better publicized.

What obstacles do you foresee?

I really want [the sustainability policy] to be founded in intense surveying and consultation of all students on campus, not just small communities. Getting that feedback can sometimes be really challenging. Last year, Katie [Larson, former SSMU president] brought a motion to make an ad-hoc committee on sustainability, which I’d like to continue this year.

COURTNEY AYUKAWA SSMU PRESIDENT

What concrete goals do you have?

DANIEL CHAIM VP INTERNAL AFFAIRS

It’s the 50th year of the [Shatner] building. I’m working on a full building renovation plan for the next 10 years. It depends on how and when we get the money to pay for it. We had a lot of projects that were pending because the lease had been pending and without an actual lease its very hard to plan ahead. Now that we have a lease we can start doing that. We’ve struck a subcommittee of our building committee to discuss the future of the Shatner Building and what we want to do with it.

What obstacles do you foresee?

What have you done this summer?

I was working on frosh and orientation week, and I used what I knew from having planned frosh in the past to start afresh and take notice of everything I needed to do for frosh this year. All in all, it was a good experience and I’ve learned a lot.

What concrete goals do you have?

My coordinators and I took it upon ourselves to collaborate with all the [faculty] froshes a lot more, to try to facilitate them talking to each other and working with each other. It’s also really helped out smaller faculties, [such as] Music, which for the first time, are coming to beach day and the concert. Mac Campus is [also] going to be much more involved in frosh this year, they’re coming to beach day and the concert as well.

We also created a new task force—the community relations taskforce. We came up with a commitment to the Milton-Parc area and the community of Montreal. We met the Milton-Parc Citizens’ Committee (MPCC) and discussed how we could make the community more safe and liveable. We made a commitment to also supply street teams to the area, who tried to quiet noise, make sure people weren’t drinking in the streets, and diffuse situations that could be potentially harmful.

[The co-curriculum record] is the university’s attempt to recognize extracurriculars on campus for students and translate that into [an] actual non-academic transcript. You would be able to print it out as a transcript that has the official McGill signature […] to show to your employers. I definitely think that would be insanely valuable for students.

The problem is that there are a lot of legal considerations, so the university has purchased an off-the-shelf called myInvolvement. It is by a company called Collegiate Link, which has issues with data storage. We also have issues with administration not being separated between McGill and SSMU, so if we put all of our information there then [McGill] has access to all of our groups and their finances, and [SSMU] has access to all of [McGill’s] groups and finances. So there are a lot of legal jurisdictional issues that

What obstacles do you foresee?

Without having a frosh budget from last year that was actually concrete, it was difficult for us to make a budget. I’m really hoping that there’s no deficit this year, but I think it’s really important to understand that when you run an event and you’re scheduled to break even, you’re never going to break even. You may make a bit of money and lose a bit of money, but it’s very naïve to think that you’re going to get exactly zero. We have been budgeting cautiously, and looking at last year’s expenses.

What other aspects of your portfolio are you working on?

McGill has created an app, which we hope to immigrate our SSMU calendar idea into. The event organizers from all the faculty associations have also offered their support in making one centralized app for all the events, especially with a singular ticket buying feature.

We are raising the prices for Four Floors—I believe we’re going up to $20 from $15. There’s a massive demand for 4Floors tickets and the increased price will go towards increased security costs, maybe getting better entertainment [and] hiring better sound equipment and lighting.

STEFAN FONG VP CLUBS AND SERVICES (L-A Benoit and Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

5

News What have you done this summer?

The first annual cross campus mental health week is being planned [….I] proposed that SSMU do their mental health week at the same time as [Rez Project’s] mental health week.

There’s [also] been a lot of work done on the sexual assault policy. Myself and the working group that developed the policy proposal last summer have been meeting regularly throughout the summer time to develop a draft of the policy.

What concrete goals do you have?

Amina Moustaqim-Barrette

VP External Affairs

What have you done this summer?

The summer has been great. After training, it was a bit of a learning curve, just getting used to the office and all that. I think we have all hit our strides now, and it has been really good. I have been preparing for September—a lot of event planning, a lot of meeting with other student unions, trying to figure out now that we are independent, how lobbying is going to look like. So it has been a lot of travelling around, meeting other people, and having that conversation, making those connections.

For community events, I have been planning Community Engagement Day (CED) events and I have been working with [VP Internal Daniel Chaim] a lot to make Frosh as community-friendly as possible. I have been meeting with the Milton-Parc Citizens’ Committee [MPCC ….] We have fostered a really good relationship over the summer [….] We are going to have street teams this year, which will hopefully work out well.

I have [also] been planning a lot of campaign events, we are having a couple of big events in September for Divest McGill [….]

Usually there is an annual campaign where all the student associations get together behind one cause and campaign around it, and I think the talk has been that the annual campaign this year is going to be around climate change.

It has been a lot of communicating with different organizations and getting that all together [….] It has been a lot of stuff, a lot more than I thought it would be […] but it’s been good.

What obstacles do you foresee?

I think it will get really busy, and I guess, with my position, the nature of my job is being prepared for whatever happens. If the government throws out a policy that is not good for students, then [my job] is reactive. I see that being challenging. It is an interesting balance between being reactive and proactive. In the past, [the portfolio] has been especially reactive […] but I really want to foster this culture of politics and political awareness at McGill, and I want to really be proactive in that.

Last year, SSMU voted to disassociate from Table de Concertation Étudiants du Québec (TaCEQ). Can you tell us a little about that process, and how you have been involved in consolidating SSMU’s voice after that?

It all happened really quickly. This summer I have been working really hard on assessing what the situation is now, and what I have been doing is writing a report on our current situation so that in September, we can move forward with something. I have been meeting with different student federations, going to the Fédération Étudiants Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ) conferences, meeting with Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSE) executives […] talking to them about their affiliations, how they like it, and what they do not like about it.

Basically I am putting this in one report for council […] and I will have a better idea, or at least get a suggestion of what SSMU should do, or what is inadvisable and advisable. I definitely want to have some kind of consultative process in which I sit down with students and ask them what they see SSMU’s affiliations with different federations to be, because I think students do have opinions on CFS, FEUQ, [and other student federations].

The annual Dean of Students Forum on Safer Space discussed in the Media Relations Office (MRO) has been replaced by a week-long Consent Campaign planned for October. Multiple student groups, such as the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) and SSMU […] Rez Life, and Healthy McGill, are currently involved in planning the week under the leadership of the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) [….]

The SARC has consistently focused on actively including students in developing her projects, and with such strong multi-level campus collaboration, I am confident it will be a strong first year for the campaign.

What obstacles do you foresee?

The next step is taking the [sexual assault] policy [draft] that we have and meeting with the Dean of Students to get his feedback [and then] take that back to the working group. I anticipate that that kind of cycle is going to go on for a while. It’s going to depend on the level of resistance that we encounter from higher-ups. One of the largest arguments that we run into is the fact that there is already a sexual harassment policy, so why do we need a sexual assault policy [….] There are a lot of things that are lacking in the harassment policy that warrant an additional policy.

What new initiatives have you taken on as VP UA?

The working group of the Subcommittee for the Equity for First Peoples last year that I was a part of [and I are] developing a traditional territory acknowledgment policy that we’re hoping to see adopted by the university. Many peer institutions in Canada have similar policies and practices whereby the traditional territory of the land on which the university is situated is announced or acknowledged at the beginning of many major presentations or major events.

I’ve [also] been co-planning […with] the Indigenous education coordinator […] a panel for Indigenous Awareness Week discussing community accountability within Indigenous studies programs.

CLAIRE STEWART-KANIGAN VP UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

KATHLEEN BRADLEY VP FINANCE AND OPERATIONS What have you done this summer?

Right now I am working on a couple of bylaw revisions to restructure the [club] funding structure for funding committee, which was something I was intending to work on for my platform. So we are looking at working on an advanced schedule semesterly for funding. Applications for theWinter semester would be reviewed in the Fall, for example, and then have instalment funding, so groups would get a percentage of their funding approved at the beginning of the semester and they’d get the remainder once they’ve submitted their receipts, because right now there’s no accountability for funding, so we’re often overfunding groups and not sure where the money’s going.

I’ve also been doing a lot of hiring, just finalizing the Financial Ethics Research Committee (FERC) hiring positions, so I’m working on an Ethical Purchasing Policy this year, which will largely be the role of the ethical purchasing commissioner position.

I’ve also been helping the mini-courses personnel; they’re getting ready for the registration starting in September, so I’ve been working on room bookings, budget stuff, getting their promotional material organized for frosh, and just making sure they have the necessary resources they need.

Lots of people just email me because they have no idea how student accounts and student billing works at McGill, so I’m sort of their main touch point with Student Accounts and navigating Minerva if they can’t get in touch with someone at student accounts. I also [receive] a lot of questions about ASEQ, the health and dental plan, from incoming students and their parents, so lots of answering emails and problem solving.

What obstacles do you foresee?

[The budget limitation from the lack of the building fee] hasn’t been hard for me because I don’t really use the budget, I make the budget [....]

It hasn’t really affected my budget revision—having or not having a lot of money doesn’t really affect that process, it’s just what you can do with that money.

[The reduced building hours are] already operating. We’re currently working with similar building hours for September but if the building fee question doesn’t pass there will be no access to the building past 5 or 7 p.m. on weekdays or [at all] on weekends, which is really limiting to a lot of our clubs and services, as a lot of them need the space in the evening and weekend hours.

What concrete goals do you have?

Our divestment has pretty much reached the maximum as what we can primarily divest from, so my platform was to switch to the financial ethics research commissioner’s portfolio, [and] to focus more on the ethical purchasing of SSMU, which is an equal part of the FERC. In previous years it was more focused on divestment, but as I said we’ve reached the limit for how much we can divest without eliminating the purpose of the investment portfolio, which is ultimately to generate interest for SSMU’s operating budget. We’ve currently divested from all primary activities related to tar sands and environmental humanitarian concerns, and there is not a very good reason to divest from secondary resources, because that is pretty much the entire investment portfolio. Once the [commissioner] position is filled, we’ll be working on an ethical purchasing policy and strategy for SSMU to be selecting ethical suppliers and purchasers we can use for major things like napkins, coffee cups, t-shirts, things that we use on a year-to-year basis, to ensure that we are a leader in ethical purchasing.

6

News

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Construction along McTavish St. is set to address issues with piping required to supply water to McTavish Reservoir. (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

Work on McTavish Street water pipes to continue through October Construction not expected to obstruct Activities Night PHILIPPE DUMAIS Contributor With the city’s construction on McTavish Street to continue until October, provisions have been made to facilitate students’ usage of the SSMU Building in the upcoming months.

The current work on the water pipes under the road started on April 30 this year and was scheduled to continue throughout the summer.

The McGill website previously gave no clear date for the construction’s completion, however.

“The actual completion date will depend upon contingencies that might arise,” the McGill website on the construction updates read.

According to Adrian Nicolicescu, McGill’s internal project manager (IPM), “given the complexity of the street condition, the mouton rock and the presence of hundred-years-old pipes” the city has now revised the project schedule to last until October.

Street Fest, an event during which McGill clubs and organizations gather on McTavish Street to promote themselves to new students during frosh, was cancelled this year due to the extended construction. Instead, new students attended an event called Discover McGill at the Molson Stadium.

McTavish’s limited accessibility is not expected to hinder Activities Night, which will take place on Sept. 9 and 10, according to Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) VP Clubs and Services Stefan Fong.

“It’s not a problem for me because we expected this construction to happen last year, so we already have three alternate routes for Activities Night if the construction gets worse [this] September,” Fong said. “The line should be on the sidewalk and not the road.”

Gonzalo Nunez, the city of Montreal’s spokesperson, said that there was consultation

between the city’s representatives and university officials.

“The university and representatives of the city met several times to plan the organization of this work with the many activities of the university, [and] its needs in terms of logistics and the importance of maintaining the safe site given the many students on McTavish Street,” Nunez explained.

“Overall, the layout [that] is in place meets the demands and expectations of McGill University. During construction, a constant dialogue was [maintained] with the university.”

Part of the accommodations agreed upon were two interruptions requested by McGill University: During the final exam period and graduation. According to Nunez, the two interruptions contributed to the delay.

In the meantime, sidewalks on both sides remain accessible. In terms of security, fences were installed given the traffic on McTavish, and three crosswalks were also set up. Waste collection services and access to the east side of McTavish are also provided at all times.

Nunez explained that the replacement of the main pipe is necessary to supply the McTavish reservoir. Currently, the main pipe is out of service as a result of a recent flooding of the street in 2013, and the reservoir is temporarily supplied by two secondary pipes. Those pipes will eventually be replaced under the same construction work.

Altogether, the construction work should prevent flooding and further work on McTavish for years to come. The construction will also install more storm sewer drains, as requested by McGill, according to the university’s website on the construction.

Both Nunez and Nicolicescu said that hey were confident that the October deadline will be respected.

Opinion

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

7

editorial

THE Mcgill

Hypocrisy in police response damages citizens, democracy

Managing Editors Mayaz Alam malam@mcgilltribune.com Jessica Fu jfu@mcgilltribune.com Remi Lu rlu@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Sam Pinto spinto@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Shrinkhala Dawadi and Cece Zhang news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Abraham Moussako opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Chloe Nevitt scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Natalie Wong studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Caity Hui features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Max Berger and Morgan Alexander arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Elie Waitzer and Wyatt Fine-Gagné sports@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Hayley Lim hlim@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Jack Neal and L-A Benoit photo@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Eliott Demelier, Daniel Kang, and Mingye Chen ads@mcgilltribune.com

In late August, several Montreal firefighters stormed city hall as the city council was starting its session. They then proceded to toss papers around the hall, throw water at councillors, and move through the halls with such force that Mayor Denis Coderre was ushered by security to various rooms around the hall in a bid to keep him from the protesters.

The workers were there protesting proposed changes in provincial pensions that would shift employer and worker contributions to retirement funds to a 50/50 split. The protest was officially condemned by the union representing many of the protesters, but statements from leaders also noted that the protest demonstrated the degree to which workers were angered by the proposed changes.

In the wake of the incident, some alleged that officers on the scene refused to intervene against the protesters. Last week, police proposed criminal charges against 44 involved, and disciplinary action towards officers who did not stop the protesters.

Meanwhile, two days earlier, the Quebec superior court agreed

Publisher Chad Ronalds

Militarized police tactics foster community alienation

Contributors

Clark Bray, Charlotte Cailliarc, Philippe Dumais, Dan Gilbert, Max Joseph, Christopher Le May, Dana Levin, Johnny Maker, Luke Orlando, Aaron Rose, Zikomo Smith, Hilary Storm, Jack Tokarz, Julie Vanderperre

Tribune Office Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7

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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one, two, or all of three things: numbers, passion, or violence, with a particular premium on the first and third.

The incentives for peaceful protest run up against the need for protests to be seen, to make those in power uncomfortable, and ultimately to foster change.

To that end, the student protests, and the storming of city hall come from the same thread.

Without attention, there is no movement. However, without peace, there is reduced legitimacy, which also reduces the degree to which the broader public is willing to support change.

The balance has to be helped by the media–peaceful protests on relevant matters should be afforded the same coverage that riots are given, to shift the incentives towards peaceful protest.

Much as there needs to be better treatment of constitutionally protected protest at the broader provincial level, there also needs to be an understanding and willingness to listen to calls for change, lest the aggrieved decide that peace is no true venue for it.

Commentary

TPS Board of Directors

Jacqui Galbraith, Sam Pinto, Jenny Shen

T: 514.398.6789

to take a class action suit brought treme displeasure with the penon behalf of protesters who said sion adjustments through the that their rights to freedom of as- protest, it sets a very troubling sembly were violated during the precedent for a body with the 2011-2012 student protests. The monopoly on legitimate state suit cited police tactics during violence to use it so selectivethe protests and the P6 bylaw, ly, especially when it is facing which, among other controversial condemnation for an extremely provisions, allowed for police to heavy-handed response towards declare any protest illegal if a students.

T h e route was idea that not sent to some prothem 24 It sets a very troubling tests are hours prior. precedent for a body less deWhat’s with the monopoly on serving of clear is that legitimate state violence basic rethe police to use it so selectively. spect from responded police than in markedly different ways to protests that others is one that threatens the were both explicitly intended to very concept of freedom of asdisrupt the conduction of busi- sembly, a hallmark of a free and open society. Police are there ness.

On the one hand, the stu- for the benefit and protection of dent protests were faced with re- all members of society, not just strictive bylaws, ‘kettling’—the those who share their worldview practice of police compressing or who happen to be in the same crowds by encircling them—and public sector union.

The disparity in police remass arrests. On the other, the city council protest was met with sponse also raises the question of the level of disruption that is tacit approval.

While the police, as public needed for a protest to be effecsector workers certainly have a tive in fostering social change. personal interest in allowing the When it comes to getting media firefighters to register their ex- coverage, protests seem to need

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Editor-in-Chief Jenny Shen editor@mcgilltribune.com

NOAH SUTTON Commentary Following the police killing of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown, unrest and anger spilled onto the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. The ongoing event has been marked by mostly peaceful protests, with incidences of violence. Aside from the circumstances surrounding Brown’s death, one of the big stories has been the militarized response from local police departments.

While police made public statements encouraging calm, their response on the ground in Ferguson has been anything but restrained. SWAT teams have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and media alike, while a 20 year veteran officer was

forced to resign after pointing his gun at unarmed protesters while threating to kill them. Municipal police forces have been entering communities like soldiers, creating hostility and ultimately hampering efforts to bring peace to riot-torn areas.

Many police tactics designed to control crowds rely on fear and intimidation. Bright lights, megaphones, riot gear, and displays of firepower are often the method for exerting control over citizens.

These actions do not curb violence in these situations, and often can inflame it. Protesters who feel threatened by the police force may respond with violence in self-defence. This in turn is met with escalating violence from the police who, with superior weaponry, can easily injure and detain protesters who feel the need to defend themselves. Police uniforms and tactics separate riot officers from their surroundings, making them a more intimidating presence.

However, this has been shown to encourage more violence in past riots. Norm Stamper,

Seattle’s chief of police during the 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) riots, made the decision to employ the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters in order to clear roadways for emergency vehicles. This led to retaliatory violence against police as solidarity formed among protesters who had been attacked by police, or sympathized with those who had. Similarly, in the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King beating, another notable incident of police brutality, violence lasted for more than six days as shops were looted and buildings burned. The National Guard was called in, along with other forces, bringing the total number of troops directly supporting the LAPD to 13,500.

Although the National Guard quelled the violence and allowed firefighters to extinguish much of the burning city, its military presence did very little to ease tensions between the community and its police force.

Communication between police departments and citizens ranging from the highest levels

of the department to officers talking to protesters on the streets is a critical element in easing tensions. Police departments often seal off information to citizens in a time of protest, asking citizens to wait for the investigation to be completed. Without including community members in the investigation, local anger intensifies as protesters feel isolated by their police departments, leading to further protests and violence.

Police officers no longer hold the role of protecting the community by working with its members.

Instead, they see many communities as war-zones to be occupied and pacified. Police officers today are trained like soldiers, but a police officer’s job is very different from that of a soldier’s.

Police departments need to form relationships with the community rather than use weapons to gain control. Using violence and intimidation to prevent riots rather than letting protesters freely excercise their rights will only increase tension.

8

Opinion

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

McGill pay equity scheme well intentioned, but flawed

In 2014, the issue of the gender pay gap is still a prominent problem in society–women in Canada still only make 87 per cent of what men make, according to data collected by Statistics Canada in 2011. The province of Quebec has taken actions to help narrow the gender pay gap, specifically by passing the Pay Equity Act, which McGill has complied with. The university launched a sweeping program in 2001 to ensure gender-based pay equity among its 12,000 full-time employees, and its effects are now being witnessed on campus.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, McGill sent out checks of up to $80,000 per employee, covering back pay and raises for 2,100 current and for-

administrative assistance, against mains a subjective matter. It is male-dominated professions like very difficult to mathematically determine whether physical or landscaping.

Factors such as employee office work deserves higher pay. qualifications, responsibilities, Not only is the process of trying physical and mental effort, as to equalize pay between differwell as working conditions were ent fields long and tedious, but it also igall connores the sidered fact that in deAlthough Quebec was pay gaps ciding well intentioned in occur in h o w passing the law to enall differp a y sure pay equity, the ent fields should program at McGill took of work, be dea convoluted approach not just t e r by trying to contrast ones dommined. workers’ value across inated by McGill different fields. women. t h e n The pay detere q u a l mined appropriate pay using the calcu- ization program at McGill also didn’t address whether women lated value of a job.

One of the main issues with in non-female dominated fields the implementation of the pro- were fairly compensated for their gram was that even the most work in the same jobs as men.

At the same time, the proprecise statistical formula can’t quantify or compare work be- gram didn’t consider whether tween different fields. Whether employees in any male-dominator not administrative assistants ed fields were being fairly comshould be compensated more for pensated. It was even stated in their work than landscapers re- documents explaining the initia-

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JULIE VANDERPERRE Contributor

mer employees deemed to have been underpaid.

We’re used to thinking of gender pay gaps as situations involving equally qualified employees working the same job. McGill, however, looked at something different than the conventional understanding of pay gaps by tackling the problem across different fields that are either male or female dominated.

While it is important to address pay gaps between different fields of employment, there were certain problems that the pay-equity program at McGill did not solve.

The process, as outlined by a university presentation explaining the program to staff, involved determining gender predominance (defined as more than 60 per cent of one gender) in different job classes. Then, McGill compared the positioning of predominantly female job classes against the regression curve (determined as compensation vs. value) of male job classes. The program attempted to quantify the value of workers in femaledominated professions, such as

tive that male job classes below the regression line were not adjusted. Although traditionally, and to this day, women have been paid less then men, they are not the only demographic vulnerable to unfair compensation for their work, a failure that hinders McGill’s otherwise commendable attempts.

The gender-equity program was an overly complicated solution to a problem that could be dealt with by other means.

Although Quebec was well intentioned in passing the law to ensure pay equity, the program at McGill took a convoluted approach by trying to contrast workers’ value across different fields. Money and time would actually have been saved by considering staff members individually rather than grouping them into gender-specific professions and trying to decide which jobs were the most worthy of higher pay. At best, this is a bandage, rather than the a solution to the larger social issue.

Drop in rankings concerning, but not critical

McGill fell nearly 10 places in this year’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, a drop which highlights a slow but steady descent in its overall position across university ranking lists. This contrasts with the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, both of which have managed to either maintain or improve their rank.

This is something the university and the students should keep a close eye on as it might mean several things.

Rankings are based on a

creasing student-faculty ratio. the students now, a steady fall Seventy-five per cent of McGill’s year by year could severely damoperating expenses are dedicated age McGill in the long term.

But does this actually affect to remuneration of staff and due to financial constraints, the uni- us? Despite McGill’s drop in rank, versity will have to layoff staff annual lists are not as important and slash pay, which has already as some might believe. McGill is widely reoccured in nowned as several dea leading partments university, in recent Our ranking may have not just years. This dropped, but students from conwill make have every capacity to sistently it a chalreverse the trend and appearlenge to continue to compete ing in the maintain with other leading top 100 M c G i l l ’s universities. of univeracademsity lists ic level but also whilst reducing services, and could lead due to its reputation. Because of to increasing class sizes. This is varying methodologies among worrying news for the university, the major global university rankas rankings are often tracked by ings, reputation and rank are very employers and other universi- distinct. For this reason, years of ties to see how schools compare. world class reputation cannot be Even though it might not affect eclipsed by a small fall in the

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write for opinion

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CHRISTOPHER LE MAY Contributor

broad range of factors, from the amount of recognized research to student to faculty member ratios. The main influence affecting these factors is funding.

Following the provincial election in 2012, the then-new Parti Quebecois government cancelled tuition increases and ended up cutting $124 million out of its higher education budget, despite earlier promises. The government also reduced funds to Quebec’s research-granting councils. This increased the financial burden on research-based universities such as McGill, and will make it difficult for us to compete with other major international research universities. Suffering a funding cut of about $19 million in 2013 has only worsened matters.

Much has also been said about the quality of teaching, with McGill Principal and ViceChancellor Suzanne Fortier stating her concern over the in-

Email opinion@mcgilltribune.com for more information

ranking systems. Additionally, differences in scores are marginal amongst top universities, and McGill has not dropped out of the top 100.

So should we worry? McGill is a top-performing university with high admission standards providing students with a quality education that is internationally recognized. Our ranking may have dropped, but students have every capacity to reverse the trend and continue to compete with other leading universities. Working together with the university to put pressure on the Quebec government for more funding is a start, as this is one of the underlying problems. At the end of the day we have chosen this university for a collection of reasons, and while the rankings could measure a change in those underlying factors, a small change like the one we see this year shouldn’t shift decisions.

9

Opinion

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

OFF THE BOARD

To talk about race, one must listen

Continued from Page 1 At that moment, I made the sad, half-smiling grimace that I often am moved to whenever someone says something dreadfully naïve. It’s not that talking about race in America should not be done—it is in many ways sadly necessary—but rather that these “conversations” seem to accomplish almost nothing.

The idea of a ‘Conversation About Race’ would be great, if it was an actual conversation, which requires listening to each other and taking turns speaking.

The reality of the ‘conversation about race,’ however, is really people shouting their preconceived notions of race at each other, then expecting the other party to fully agree with them at the end of the ‘conversation’.

The reaction to the Brown shooting and ensuing protests in the ‘court of public opinion’ has been predictably polarized. According to a Pew poll released shortly after the incident, there was a massive gap in how whites and African Americans viewed the situation, with whites far

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race’. The pundits cheered, the campaign strategists crowed (a ‘Sister Souljah moment,’ in the tired parlance of the punditariat) but did we really learn anything from the incident? No. Early into the Obama presidency, circumstances forced another ‘conversation’; Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard professor and host of numerous PBS specials, was arrested by police in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the crime of ‘breaking into’ his own home. In the

To counter those who would play on racial prejudices, one must understand why they exist and reason with them. aftermath, Obama commented that he thought the police had “acted stupidly,” thus lighting the fire of right-wing outrage.

Shouting ensued again, and in the end Obama invited Gates and the arresting officer to the White House for a ‘Beer Summit’ photo op, where they accomplished little more than providing a nice visual set-piece for cable TV cameras. The talk was talked, but no one seemed to learn anything, to listen, or to change their point of view.

At the very least the two in the middle of the situation came to some understanding.

Several months later, Obama gave an address before a joint session of Congress on what became the Affordable Care Act. After noting that the plan would not provide coverage for illegal immigrants, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted “you lie” to Obama, from across the hall of Congress. For those more used to the Westminster parliamentary system, it bears noting how major a breach of decorum this was. Though questions were raised again regarding the outburst, no understanding seemed to be reached.

Fast forwarding past those heady early days of the Obama administration, we arrive in 2012, and at the grim Trayvon Martin case.

If there was anything that should have extinguished the impression that America has turned a corner on race, this was it. The details of the case don’t need detailed summary—George Zimmerman, local watchman, saw Martin walking home, thought him suspicious, and ignored police commands to stand back. Zimmerman then approached Martin, escalating the situation and ultimately killing the teenager. Zimmerman’s trial, which only happened because national outrage propelled the story to the forefront of the American consciousness, was a truly divisive spectacle of blaming hoodies, rap music, weed, and all other manner of alleged

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ABRAHAM MOUSSAKO Opinion Editor

less likely to think race was a real factor in the case, less likely to see the police response as too harsh and far more likely to trust the official investigation. Settle in for more of the same once the trial—which may never happen—begins.

But this situation has been clear long before the Ferguson situation exploded. In many ways, the entire presidency of Barrack Obama, far from ushering in an alleged ‘post-racial America,’ has been one very long ‘conversation about race.’

Before he even was the Democratic candidate for president, Obama had to contend with the Jeremiah Wright controversy—the one where it was discovered that the thencandidate’s favored Chicago preacher had views on race that channeled the kind of black resentment Obama had managed to elide, if not completely avoid. The only reason he had managed to be a credible candidate in the first place, instead of occupying the zone of hopeless rabble-rouser at the edge of the primary debate stage, was because he, as The Economist put so well at the time, “does not sound professionally aggrieved.” Wright threatened to undo that, and Obama largely solved the problem by politely wheeling the pastor under the metaphorical bus, in the context of a ‘big speech on

evils for his death instead of truly engaging with one of the central questions the case posed: Does society’s perception of African American men make them more likely to die at the hands of vigilantes and police in these situations?

In the wake of the Zimmerman acquittal, a template has been drawn for covering these incidents and discussing them.

There has been a broader cultural awareness of why there was outrage in the black community and some willingness to engage with it– but not enough.

So, what are we to do? To discuss race, a topic which even our allegedly enlightened campus fails to talk about without a descent into shouting, one must first be willing to listen. And then talk. And then listen again.

One must be willing to try to understand why someone sees things the way they do—and this truly works both ways. The infamous “Southern Strategy” and “Welfare Queen” attacks— two notable instances of political attacks playing on the racial resentments of working class whites—worked for a reason, and not because the people who bought it were uniformly “bad” people. To counter those who would play on racial prejudices, one must understand why they exist and reason with them. If we could actually sit down and talk to each other, we might actually get a tenth of the way to addressing race relations.

DESIGN THIS AD To apply to become a design editor with the Tribune, send three design samples, your CV, and a cover letter to editor@mcgilltribune.com by Friday, September 12, 2014.

10

Student Living

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

montreal Food truck reviews

by Natalie Wong & Charlotte Cailliarec

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n 2012, Dispatch Coffee established itself as the first portable espresso truck in Montreal. The company’s mission is to promote sustainable coffee and products, offering a multitude of espresso-based drinks through their uniquely customized truck, as well as their catering service. The truck is cozy and inviting, with a menu that extends beyond coffee and into a multitude of sweet and savoury bites. One such item is the warm toasted bread, with several delicious spreads to choose from. Additionally, pastries are available for those looking for something sweet to accompany their drink, such as croissants with butter or strawberry strudel. The pricing on the menu is fairly reasonable for students, with drinks ranging from $2.25 to $5.50, and food items ranging from $1.75 to $3.75. The Dispatch Coffee food truck is perfect for a short break of quality caffeinated drinks and a quick bite.

Where: To find out more about Dispatch Coffee or the location of their truck, check out their Facebook page at facebook.com/dispatchcoffeemtl

DISPATCH

COFFEE

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s the first food truck in Montreal since 2010, Grumman is recognized for its role in bringing mobile food back to the streets of Montreal. The location and menu changes daily; each day, Grumman offers three different taco options to encourage customers to try a new variety. One such menu offered a vegetarian taco made with beans and feta cheese, a beef taco, and a curry lamb taco for $5.00, $6.00, and $7.00 dollars respectively. Although tacos are Mexican in origin, Grumman draws upon flavours from different cultures to create eccentric variations.

Depending on the day, they also offer a dessert option; a popular, highly recommended choice is the tomato and corn bread.

Where: Grumman usually rotates through 13 main locations. The best way to find the food truck is to follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/Grumman78.

Grumman

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(Charlotte Cailliarec / McGill Tribune) f you have a sweet tooth and like to indulge in gourmet desserts, Monsieur Félix & Mr. Norton (F&N) is a must try. Originating in Montreal in 1985, F&N Monsieur Félix has evolved from one shop into 45 stores and a food truck. & Mr. Norton The company’s solar- and propane-powered food truck offers delicious cookies on the streets of Montreal, with specialty variations ranging from “Ménage à Trois”, a cookie with dark, white, and milk chocolate chunks, to their “Dark Chocolate Chunk,” a decadent cookie for all dark chocolate lovers out there.

F&N also offers delightful ice-cream sandwiches, with the customer’s cookie choice acting as the outer layers of the sandwich. In addition, F&N has brought cupcakes to its mix of desserts, with an array of flavours like the popular Ménage à Trois, to the Caramel Fleur De Sel. F&N adds colour and happiness in the form of unique treats to the food truck scene of Montreal, and is definitely something to look out for.

Where: Follow their twitter account at twitter.com/FelixAndNorton to keep tabs on the truck’s whereabouts.

Das Food

Truck

(Charlotte Cailliarec / McGill Tribune)

T

here is no better place to get a classic fix of Montreal smoked-meat and poutine in the summer than at Deli Vieux Port Food Truck. The truck is perfect for a cheap, quick, and filling meal during a nice Vieux Port stroll in the beautiful summer weather. The crowd favourite is the Smoked Meat Poutine, but Deli Vieux Port also offers classic British comfort food, such as a Fish and Chips option for those who wish to venture outside of traditional Montreal fare. Annie Labrosse, the manager of the food truck, noted the positive feedback from customers.

“People are very happy to see the truck back,” said Labrosse. “We used to have trucks years ago, so it brings back memories for older customers, and the younger crowd is happy because it’s different.”

Where: Currently in its second summer of business, Deli Vieux Port Food Truck is parked seven days a week from 11 a.m to 11 p.m, right by the intersection of Commune Est and Jacques-Cartier in Montreal’s Old Port.

Deli

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hen Stefan Jacob and Annie Clavette started the Das Food Truck earlier this year, they based it off of the idea that quality German food was missing from the landscape of the food truck community.

Some of the most popular items on the menu are schnitzel and poutine, which is made with veal stock, caramelized onions, and bacon. The DBL, a bread-less sandwich that uses chicken instead of the buns, has bacon, sweet braised cabbage, cheese, and Das Food Truck’s special sauce. The DBL is one of the truck’s most popular items and comes highly recommended. Das Food Truck also serves a delicious and refreshing German drink, Apfelschorle, an apple soda that goes perfectly with the transition to Autumn weather. Hunger is a useful tool when visiting the Das Food Truck—the portions are generous and the food is irresistible.

Where: Visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/dasfoodtruck, where locations are posted every morning.

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he Moozoo truck serves refreshing gelato, frozen yogurt, and fresh smoothies to tourists and locals alike in Old Port. While the truck is convenient for those on- the-go, there is a larger variety of choices if you walk across Rue de la Commune Est to Moozoo’s permanent location located in close proximity to the truck at 133 Commune Est. At the Old Port food truck, MooZoo typically offers two flavours of frozen yogurt, as well as two of their gelatos, rotating them so that each day is unique.

In addition to the gelatos and smoothies, MooZoo offers “Beaver Bites,” small donut holes that are soaked in the frozen yogurt or gelato of your choice and then drizzled with caramel andchocolate hazelnut sauce. Such a treat is strongly recommended for summer days—particularly as a refreshment when travelling around Old Port.

Where: Located in Old Port right off of the intersection of Jacques Cartier and Commune E.

MOOzOO

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

11

Student Living

Electrodash lights up the night

Seven myths about university Debunking student-life misconceptions

First 5K dance party arrives in Montreal NATALIE WONG Student Living Editor

M

ontreal hosted its first Electrodash this past Friday, Aug. 29 at Parc Jean Drapeau.

With just over 5,000 participants, Electrodash—a 5 K electronic-themed run—partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to raise money for cancer research.

Parc Jean Drapeau’s spacious venue was a perfect fit for the event early on, promoting a lighthearted atmosphere within the large crowd. Throngs of runners in Electrodash t-shirts and fun neon accessories—ranging from funky neon sunglasses to full-on neon tutus—were greeted at the starting line with blasting electronic tunes and go-go dancers on elevated platforms beside the crowd. “[Electrodash Montreal] is definitely a mixed bag of people,” said Zach Elfstrom, a graduate student at McGill studying Public Relations. “You have a group who is hyped up, a group that’s actually running, and the lazy people who are just waiting to party. We were definitely sold on the party aspect of it [.…] We came for the electronic music and the dancing.”

The race was created with three sections of dynamic neon designs to run through—or in the cases of many of the participants––wildly dance through.

The first segment was composed of a set of 23 neon arches, followed by a section of trees shaped like asparagus, and finally a stretch of giant inflatable planets and jelly fish, complemented by the narrow path of thick trees. The lights from the skyline

INTERNATIONAL

MASTERS & PHD FAIR September 22nd

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and bridges further accented the atmosphere of the run, and a finale by local headline DJs Royce & Tan capped off the night.

Some runners commented that they had had stronger expectations for the electronic aspect of the run.

“The DJ is very nice, but I expected more lights and music [along] the way,” said Marie-Jade Auclair, a student from Université du Québec a Montréal.

Elfstrom expressed similar feelings.

“I thought the lights were going to stretch on, but I didn’t realize there would be so much dark space [during the course],” he said. “The way [Electrodash] was marketed was definitely heavier on the electronic side than on the 5K side.”

Electrodash originated in Salt Lake City [[waiting for response on year]]. Since then, it has taken place in 11 states across the U.S., three provinces in Canada, overseas in the United Kingdom and Korea, and for the first time next month, Tokyo. Meggan Pingree, Assistant Director of Electrodash Montreal, noted the growing popularity of 5K themed runs.

“EDM is a popular movement, so we wanted to build off of that,” Pingree said. “We call our voice ‘family friendly sarcasm’; we’re not taking ourselves too seriously [….] Our voice sets us apart from a lot of other races [….] It’s a cool way to touch your toes in the crowd without getting intimidated by hardcore runners or hard-core EDM fans.”

Since the time of its inception, Electrodash has partnered with local charities at each location of the race. LLS of Canada, Montreal, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing funds for research on blood cancers, also circulates information and support for patients. “[The local charities we partner with] find most of the volunteers for us, and we give a donation per volunteer whether we make money or not,” Pingree said.

“There have been some runs where [Electrodash] lost money, but we still give to the charities.”

Despite mixed feelings about the course, runners were ready to dance at the finish line. The crowd in front of DJs Royce & Tan had amazing energy; neon glow-sticks were thrown up in the dark every time the beat dropped, and the participants 1 month’s FREE online GRE Test Prep raved to the eclecfrom Magoosh* tic sounds, adding to the beauty of the *prize draw taking place at the event already vibrant city colours of Montreal.

WIN!

26/08/2014 18:02

T

NATALIE WONG Student Living Editor

here are a lot of expectations that come with attending university for the first time. These are invariably promoted in society in the form of movies portraying university life, stories passed down through generations, blurbs in magazines and mental pictures derived from books. However, many of these assumptions are actually myths.

1

You will make all of your friends within the first week of school.

There’s a massive expectation, usually in the form of fear and excitement-or both-,with regards to meeting new individuals at university. Fear not firstyear people, the first month of school does not define your social group. There are many different people across campus, so don’t feel pressured to stick to the one group that you met during frosh week. Take your time exploring different friendships and relationships, and most importantly, don’t feel pressured to maintain a relationship you’re uncomfortable with.

2

All students consume tons of alcohol.

A common expectation that most students have coming into university is the importance of the drinking culture on campus. This myth is portrayed extensively in movies and TV shows, and is thus implanted in the minds of most high school students. That’s not to say that students don’t drink—but it is true that not everyone at McGill is a part of the drinking culture.

While Montreal has a reputation for a lively nightlife, the city also offers a lot of other options if you’re not quite feeling a drink.

3

Your grades will drop, but first year doesn’t count.

Many people entering university are told that first year is the year to kick back, relax, and have fun. The notion that students do not have to try in first year is completely false.

Yes, university is a time to get out and enjoy what the campus and student life have to offer, but that’s no excuse to forget about grades and extra-curricular activities. It’s important to establish a work-life balance in first year.

4

The ‘Freshman 15’ is inevitable.

One of the most recurring myths about students’ first years at university is the Freshmen 15. An increase in weight is not inevitable. How much you weigh depends on how you treat your body, whether it’s with regards to exercise, food consumption, or alcohol consumption. Some may gain the Freshman 15 due to personal choices, but there are many who will not. It will be completely up to you.

5

You should choose courses that guarantee good grades.

It is common for students to prioritize choosing a course that they are not interested in for the sole purpose of getting a good grade. Though grades are certainly important, it’s even more important to explore your options at university. There is a huge variety of courses within a degree that will make the education you receive extremely rewarding. A challenging course should not deter you from pursuing your interests.

6

You need to decide on your major right away.

This misconception creates stress, which influences the choices that many individuals make in university—especially when it comes to choosing courses. While you should definitely consider your plans for the future, it is completely okay to explore your options and to step out of your comfort zone to see what different fields have to offer you. Furthermore, university is not vocational training— in the future, you might get a job that’s completely irrelevant to your major.

7

The food offered in campus cafeterias is horrible.

There seems to be always a negative connotation associated with the term ‘cafeteria food.’

While there are certainly awful cafeterias out there, you won’t have to worry about that at McGill. McGill has dining halls in most of its residences, including Royal Victoria College, the Bishop Mountain Hall, Carrefour Sherbrooke, and New Residence Hall. With food ranging from sushi to freshly grilled ribs to locally-themed food days, these cafeterias will not disappoint.

Eric Mitchell, U2 Faculty of Science, neuroscience major In August, the Tribune met with nine different students, who will each go through a year’s worth of experiences in Montreal. Each was asked to describe something important to him or her. In April, we will revisit their stories.

Roma Nadeem, U2 Faculty of Arts, psychology major

Describe something important to you right now.

What’s really important to me is music. I’ve been playing violin for 15 years. It’s something that has been very constant my entire life [and] has kind of marked my growth as a person [....]However much I enjoy practicing, or what kind of music I am into, or whether I am preparing for playing exams [have changed as I have grown]. I haven’t been practicing that much here, but I play at the [Royal Victoria Hospital] for a couple hours a week [for] a volunteer program that [involves] all the hospitals around here. [The violin] has been a pretty darn good reflection of how I have evolved.

What type of first impression do you think you make?

I’m not extremely bold when I first meet people. I also don’t really like small talk. One thing I try [to] do [avoid] offending anyone. I like living by [the] motto, “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” [….] I try to let [people] know that I am interested [in them], and I think that every person [possesses] something unique. I think I can learn something from every person.

Has anything surprised you about Montreal?

I think a lot of kids come [to Montreal] thinking they are going to be using their French, but I haven’t used my French at all, really. The only time I’ve used my French is to talk to my neighbours who tell us to turn off the music at 10 p.m.

What are you looking forward to experiencing at McGill this year?

I got onto two councils [this year]. I’m VP External for neuroscience undergraduates and for a club called Rotoract [….] It’s a big corporation that is involved in a lot of charity work, like working on eradicating polio [and implementing] sanitation projects in India. I’m psyched for those because I’ve only been in one council in high school and it was a minor role.

Roma Nadeem, U2 Faculty of Arts, psychology

Kareem Ibrahim, U2 Faculty of Arts, international development Abigail Liu, U0 Faculty of Arts, undeclared

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MCGILLOGRAPHY

Eric Mitchell, U2 Faculty of Science, neuroscience

CAMPUS STORIES

Describe something important to you right now.

but that doesn’t matter because […] we’ve both grown to love each other so much.

Enthusiasm is really important to me. I guess it sounds sort of cheesy, [but] I try to be enthusiastic in everything that I do [….] I feel like it makes everything more enjoyable [….]

I’m a part of this amazing initiative called The Enthusiasm Experiment, [where] researchers help this autistic child overcome barriers by being kind, enthusiastic, and thoughtful.

I guess that’s why enthusiasm means so much to me.

What’s one fun thing you did this week?

Can you tell me about someone who is important to you?

My baby sister Rita has always been a very important person in my life; she will always be number one. This March or April though, I met someone who I’m pretty sure is my soul mate—like one hundred per cent. Even now, just thinking of him makes me happy and just talking to him gives me butterflies. Unfortunately, it’s not a romantic relationship,

TRACKING A YEAR’S WORTH OF EXPERIENCES

Kareem Ibrahim, U2 Faculty of Arts, international development

It’s not super straight forward, but my Blackberry [is important to

me]. Everyone kind of hates on Blackberry, but I don’t really mind it at all. I’ve had it since grade 12.

So many important parts of my life feed off of it, which […] really adds to how it defines me.

I am a very practical person in terms of the stuff that I need: music, and a bad camera that I can use to capture memories, [both of which I have on my Blackberry]. I always find myself taking pictures of people [….] I definitely see so much value in being able to go home and look at my photos for the past month­­—it’s kind of like a timeline of my life. [I love] the music aspect [of my Blackberry]

too because I love dancing all the time [….] The best days are when I wake up and I’m just blasting the music in the shower. Shameless dancing is one of my [favourite] things.

[My Blackberry] is also where I keep my journal [….] It’s sweet because there are moments in my life where I will be experiencing a lot of things, [and] it’s those moments that I really want to capture.

What’s something that you have really enjoyed about Montreal or McGill?

It’s hard to generalize a feeling [toward] a whole city, [but] I do feel like we are lucky for the community we have here at McGill and in Montreal. Everyone is super, super accepting [of others] and passionate about [their work], which is super,

What are you looking forward to experiencing at McGill this year?

I’m looking forward to the relationships I want to build.

So many people filter in and out through our lives—even this encounter! I guess I’m really excited to form new connections and new relationships, [and] see how I as a person have also changed.

Check out the online exclusive content of the other five profiles on the Tribune’s website.

Abigail Liu, U0 Faculty of Arts, undeclared Describe something important to you right now.

I have no idea if one thing can define me—or anyone—but if it was one material thing [that is important to me] it would probably be my stuffed polar bear that I got when I was six from my godfather. [My polar bear’s] name is Snowball. He’s literally gone everywhere with me, like when I travelled, and now he’s here with me in my dorm. I guess he grounds me, but more so I just take him everywhere because that’s what I’m used to. It’s comforting.

BY CAITY HUI

Describe something important to you right now.

I climbed a tree recently.

It was during [floor fellow] orientation and we all went to the Douglas courtyard. I do this thing where I put my friends on my shoulders, and when I say ‘friends’ I mean large male friends. I’m not even 4’11” [….] I got kind of scratchy and bruised [while climbing], and I didn’t know how to come down, but it was some of the most fun I’ve had in forever.

super awesome. It’s great that you can be yourself, and I feel like Montreal has that vibe.

What are you looking forward to experiencing at McGill this year?

I am really excited [….] to be a floor fellow [and] accompany students on their journey of growth, self-discovery and self-fulfillment. I am super grateful [for my community in first year]—I always tell people that I had the resources and support to make me comfortable—[so] helping others [is important to me].

It’s going to be a really big part of my life and I’m excited to see how well equipped I am to help [students] grow.

Is there anything that you are nervous about?

I’m super nervous! I’m kind of excited, but I’m more nervous. I know nobody here. I have one friend. She’s my age, but I took a gap year so she’s [actually] a year higher than me. I feel like I’m clinging on to her though, so I’m really scared about if I’m going to make any friends—the usual [nervousness], I guess.

What extracurricular activities do you hope to get involved in?

I was super involved in high school, [so while] I realize it’s not going to be the same at university [...] I really want to do something with music. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I was going to be a music major, [so it would be nice to get involved]. I want to join chamber music, or something like that.

What are you looking forward to experiencing at McGill this year?

In general, I am excited about living by myself. My mom has always been really protective and she has a hard time letting go. I’m also really excited for the experience to be able to do everything by myself. It’s exciting and scary, but I think there’s an opportunity to learn a lot.

14

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Student bands return to OAP

Arts & Entertainment

McGill performers chat about their roots, influences, and plans before taking the stage at Open Air Pub (Continued from page 1)

BUSTY AND THE BASS

F

our months ago, the well-oiled nine-piece funk machine comprised of McGill music students—otherwise known as Busty and the Bass—rocked OAP Lite for its closing performance. This Friday, they’ll be giving OAP its send-off as well, bookending a productive summer in which the Busty crew reloaded its musical arsenal and also took some time to chart a path for the future as their time at McGill starts drawing to a close.

“Up until this summer we were very focused on our live gigs,” explained bassist Milo Johnson. “This summer was about figuring out the big picture, figuring out ourselves. It was the first time we got to hang out for an extended time, all nine of us, when it wasn’t to prepare for a specific gig.”

Moving forward, mobilizing the entire band even for rehearsal becomes a much greater challenge.

“Our alto player [Nick Ferraro] just graduated and he moved back to Toronto,” said Johnson. “That was a big realization for us. Now Nick’s a professional, so we’ve gotta start being professional too. [….] Right now the goal is [to reach] Busty self-sufficiency by graduation. We’ve got something together, and we want it to support all of us; so that’s the goal.”

In order to use their time together effectively this summer, the band hit the road and settled down in a more reclusive environment.

“We actually did a retreat in upstate New York,” said guitarist Louis Stein. “It was seven days in the woods; we played music basically from sunrise to sunset, and intermittently made food. It was pretty awesome. After that we went into New York, did some recording [and] finished up our EP that’ll be coming out in a couple of weeks.”

In the city, however, they had to make the most of a less wide-open living space.

“When we do go to NYC, we cram nine of us into Louis’ mom’s two-bedroom apartment,” shared Johnson. “And it doesn’t feel very crowded.”

Now that its members back in Montreal, the band is excited to greet old faces at OAP and at their return show happening this Thursday at Petit Campus, but they are especially looking forward to bringing in new fans.

“It fills me with so much excitement to know that it’s someone’s first time at our show,” said Stein. “Because it feels like my first time again.”

“With the energy we’re trying to give off, the sheer mass of what we do, seeing people’s first exposure to it is just something so cool,” added Johnson. “You can look at people’s faces in the audience and see whose first time it is.”

Busty and the Bass performs at OAP on Friday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m.

(L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

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Arts & Entertainment

(L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

M

WILL HUNTER BAND

usically, things have been going pretty well for Kingston-based frontman Will Hunter, whose five-man band just released its debut album Last Summer and has opened for well-known acts like the Arkells and Two Hours Traffic—except there’s just one little problem.

“This is an ongoing saga, we keep losing our drummer,” confessed Hunter. “You caught me in the middle of trying to find him. He’s somewhere in Toronto and we’re playing tonight in Kingston.”

But for Hunter, even just having a drummer to misplace is a relatively new luxury.

Until recently, he was performing as a solo act.

“I’ve been writing acoustic songs for a long time,” said Hunter. “But I’ve always wanted to be in a band; I’ve always kind of had that mindset. So the songs, I had always imagined, would have a full band, and I ended up finding these two guys to play drums

L

SHYRE

ed by McGill student Sarah Rossy, the chamber pop creative collaboration SHYRE might not be your typical OAP band, but they should fit into the setting quite nicely based on its usual concert locale.

“When we went on tour this summer, we played a lot of cool, rustic barns,” said Rossy. “I think the lights at OAP are going to be perfect for the sound.”

Despite the band’s rustic feel, the project’s name has no connection to the lush, idyllic Shire from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional “Middle Earth.”

“SHYRE actually comes from my full name,” clarified Rossy. “It’s the first and last letters rearranged. It’s a little bit of a mix-up there.”

Rossy began assembling the members of SHYRE together last year through the McGill Music program.

“I study Jazz Voice at McGill and I started to make friends with a bunch of my classmates. In music school, everyone’s very friendly,” said Rossy. “I noticed that there were a lot of strings players who were interested in exploring music beyond what they were studying

in school, and I was in the same boat as well, so I wrote an arrangement for “Let Go,” which is the first single we released [….] and it kind of came to life in the studio.”

Rossy continued by explaining how the band’s sound evolved.

“We went on tour this summer and we had three string players, a drummer, and a guitarist, and our sound kind of evolved into something a little bit bigger.

So I would compare it a little bit to movie music, kind of like Patrick Watson or St. Vincent a little bit.”

After spending the summer out on the road, Rossy is excited to be back and looking forward to performing at OAP for the first time.

“It’s going to be a packed night, Friday night, closing night,” said Rossy.

“Being around all these people that we share a common school with, it’s a community feel, kind of heartwarming in that sense.”

SHYRE performs at OAP on Friday, Sept.

5 at 6 p.m.

and bass. Then we just added more musicians, [and] now we’re a five-piece.”

In its music, the band is always aiming for strong harmonies and big hooks in its choruses. Lyrically?

“Well they’re all about girls, some way or another,” admitted Hunter.

When Hunter brings his sound to the OAP stage Wednesday evening, it’ll be his first time at the event. But based on what he’s heard, he has high hopes for it.

“All my friends who go to McGill or who went to McGill—they just rave about it. So this summer, I was talking about how we applied to play, and my friend, his jaw just dropped and he said, ‘Oh my God, if you get that, you’re a rock star!’ and stuff. So we’re just excited to play.”

Will Hunter Band performs at OAP on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.

U

DULLBOY

p until fairly recently, the ’90sstyle, Montreal-based act dullboy was known as the Ben Cardilli Band. However, they wanted to give fans a less generic name, and an applicable quote from The Shining helped inspire the new one they settled on.

“It comes back to the saying ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,’” explained Ben Cardilli. “We appreciate playing together and we still have fun doing that, but we definitely work a lot — to the point where others around us might think we’re kind of insane.”

In terms of the recent release of their debut self-titled album, each band member has fingerprints all over the project— not just in the musical aspects.

“I did the recording for the album,” said Cardilli. “[Our guitarist] Chris did all the artwork and the website design for the album, and Kevin [our bassist] has been doing all our PR and it’s really like a family effort here.”

With the bulk of work that comes with releasing an album finally behind

them, they’re excited about the year ahead.

“I think we’re all pretty curious to see what we can accomplish with a record,” said Cardilli. “We have a really awesome music video coming out [….]

With the new name we kind of started again, and this is the first time we’re taking all of the mistakes we made in the past and are doing what we feel is the responsible way to move forward [….] We believe in the music and the songs and we’re looking forward to writing more.”

In the meantime, Cardilli is glad to be playing at OAP for the first time this Wednesday.

“It sounds like a really cool concept,” he said. “I only heard about it this year. Chris, who went to McGill, was pretty excited to learn that we’d be doing that as well.” dullboy performs at OAP on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m.

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Arts & Entertainment

From prison to Hollywood The Dog is set loose in newest adaptation of robber’s life JACK TOKARZ Contributor In 1972, New Yorker John Wojtowicz was captured attempting to rob a bank.

Despite his arrest, he had no regrets—but why would he, now that he has two films made about him?

Wojtowicz was first memorialized in 1975, three years after his attempted robbery, when he was portrayed in Dog Day Afternoon by none other than Al Pacino himself. This film influenced and dominated Wojtowicz during his remaining four years in prison so that by the time he was released, he identified more as “The Dog” than John. Those closest to him expressed distress that he changed after the robbery, embracing the chaotic persona Hollywood made him out to be, and it is this part of the story that becomes emphasized in The Dog, a biographical piece codirected by Frank Kerauden and Allison Berg.

The Dog—which, through interviews, covers Wojtowicz’s life from his childhood to his attempted bank robbery, and into his celebrity status following his release from jail—is bound from the start to be incredibly entertaining. Wojtowicz

is a lively main character who, despite aging significantly through the course of the interviews, retains his braggadocio and delusions of grandeur—even when they’re fascinatingly countered by others.

The film features the opinions of almost every character mentioned in his story. All of his ‘wives,’ his mother, hostages of the bank robbery, inmates, his psychiatrist, and previous journalists who covered his story. Alternating between photographs, old footage, new footage, and traditional interview shots— with voice-overs of those involved—the 105-minute film moves surprisingly quickly.

Wojtowicz explicitly focuses his early life on sex, constantly seeking it with both genders, and proudly declaring himself as a “pervert” to the co-directors.

Although his involvement with the Gay Activists Alliance was used as a means to meet more lovers, the film uses his time with the Alliance to explore the gay rights movement, bringing up old footage of meetings, marches, and news stories as they discuss issues still being debated today concerning gay rights. Yet the film deftly avoids presenting any strong views—only the expression of peoples’

opinions as they relate to Wojtowicz’s story specifically. Although he received a lot of attention for “tonguing” another man during the news broadcast covering the robbery—what he called “the ultimate act of gay activism”—the movement as a whole distanced itself from this man who could easily give a bad impression of gay people as unstable or dangerous.

The film is able to stay away from retreading any ground established in Dog Day Afternoon, excluding some news footage from the robbery itself. While Sidney Lumet’s flick gave Wojtowicz notoriety, The Dog exposes the aftermath of the chaos created by the press for an already eccentric man.

In the end, it’s hard to say whether or not the audience should pity the man whose life was dominated by the press or simply enjoy the ride alongside him. The film subtly presents a lingering idea of discomfort within Wojtowicz about who he really is, and that question of identity drives the emotional theme of the film.

The film is a commentary on gay culture, celebrity culture and convict culture through the lens of a dozen anonymous New Yorkers who happened to get involved with John “The Dog” Wojtowicz.

Trib jams of the summer

We asked members of Trib crew to write on their favorite vacation-time hits and got everything from Family of the Year’s smooth acoustic hit to Rich Gang’s hip-hop explosion.

“Advanced Falconry”—Mutual Benefit

Mutual Benefit’s LP Love’s Crushing Diamond was on repeat for me all summer, providing a soothing soundtrack to many early mornings and long bike rides. Its sound is folksy with warm banjo strings and natural vocals that bring to mind Sufjan Stevens. The unique atmosphere of “Advanced Falconry” drew me into this wonderful album for good.

— Elie Waitzer

“Riptide”—Vance Joy Maybe it’s the fact that Vance Joy and I sing in the same key, maybe it’s the fact that this huge Australian man plays ukulele, or maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for romantic themes and music videos directed like ’60s dramas. Whatever the reason, “Riptide” took hold of me this summer and it refused to let go.

— Morgan Alexander “Hero”—Family of the Year

It’s not a particularly good song, and it wasn’t actually released this year, but my summer jam was Family of the Year’s “Hero.” The tune was featured on the soundtrack to Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood—which did come out this summer. The movie shows 12 years in the life of a boy, and the song comes in at a pivotal moment in his life—he’s on his way to college and preparing to shed his ‘boy-

hood’ once and for all. As I hinted at, there’s not much interesting about the song itself; it’s a generic dude-with-an-acoustic-guitar type of number. But in the context of Linklater’s emotional roller coaster of a film, the tune takes on the gravitas of a Romantic symphony. As with most pop music, the memories we associate with the songs are far more important than the notes or lyrics— that breakup you never fully got over or the trip you took that permanently altered your worldview. Remarkably, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, Linklater creates characters fully realized enough to draw out those sorts of emotions in us, and Family of the Year gives us the song to go with them.

— Max Joseph

all you need to hear to be sold on the song in the melodic guitar solo which follows.

— Max Berger

“Crime”—Real Estate I spent the summer running a high ropes course at a children’s camp, and in between the periods where the kids came down to climb, there was no shortage of leisure time in the isolated forest area where I worked. There are some solid Song of the Summer contenders on Real Estate’s Atlas, but “Crime” was always my first choice to accompany those rare days when the the sun came seeping down through the trees and the mosquitoes were tolerable enough for me to actually kick back in peace. It’s upbeat, but still manages to capture the lazy, dreamy vibe of a perfect summer day. The second chorus trails off with the words, “All will be revealed,” and they back it up by giving you

“Lifetstyle ft. Young Thug and Rick Homie Quan”—Rich Gang

“Shake it Off”—Taylor Swift

Swift’s latest single combines catchy lyrics with self-proclaimed “sick beats.”

Despite the stylistic departure of the song from her usual country-pop comfort zone, “Shake it Off” features Swift’s signature ‘so-over-you’ attitude that we all secretly or not-so-secretly love. For its saxophoneheavy instrumentals, shout-outs to exes, and lively chorus—I’m just gonna play, play, play, play, play it on repeat until her next album 1989 drops this October.

— Jessica Fu

“Lifestyle” is the first single from the upcoming Rich Gang album being arranged by rap giant Birdman. The lyrics are difficult to pick up on the first listen through, but there is something infectious about the shouting, high-pitched style in which Young Thug raps. Couple that with a solid verse from Rich Homie Quan, and what you have is one of the liveliest rap songs of the year so far. The song’s high energy and synth-heavy beat make it difficult to avoid singing along.

“Lifestyle” makes you want to roll down your windows and let loose, which is all you can ask for in a summer anthem.

— Wyatt Fine-Gagné

Wednesday,September 3,2014

DEEP CUTS Old-school rap for the new school year MORGAN ALEXANDER Arts & Entertainment Editor

“Triumph” Artist: Wu-Tang Clan Album: Wu-Tang Forever Released: 1997

Wu-Tang Clan is foundational old-school rap, and the huge success of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) confirmed their immortality in the hip-hop world. “Triumph” comes from their second—and also hugely successful—1997 album Wu-Tang Forever . Centred around themes of immortality and power, this song provides a great mix of dirty drops and hard bass hits with lyrics dripping in allusion, best represented in Ol’ Dirty Bastards second line “I’m the Osirus of this shit / Wu-Tang is here forever.”

“True Fuschnick” Artist: Fu-Schnickens Album: F.U. Don’t Take It Personal Released: 1992

Fu-Schnickens gained their notoriety with comical song themes and heavy references to pop culture. “True Fu-Schnick” perfectly captures the group’s high-intensity performance style, spitting lyrics at crazy fast speeds, only taking breaks to yell “hey / what / hip-hop hooray!” Despite absolutely dripping in ‘80s run-off beats, the track maintains a fresh vibe vis-a-vis its crazed nature laid over relaxed back beats.

“Rock the Bells” Artist: LL Cool J Album: Radio Released: 1985

“Rock the Bells” is all about pounding bass and over-the-top sounds—which, ironically, don’t feature a single bell. The record scratch dominates at least half of the sound and makes the track slightly discomforting to listen to, but LL Cool J’s lyrics and delivery tone give the song a next-level dynamic.

“A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday” Artist: De La Soul Album: De La Soul Is Dead Released: 1991

It’s not often that hip-hop songs also double as one of the hottest dance songs of the year, but that’s exactly what De La Soul achieved with their 1991 hit “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays.’” Featuring Saturday Night Fever -esque background mixes over smooth lyrics like “Hey, pretty diamond, do you like the way I’m dressed?”, De La Soul managed to fuse funk, rap, and club beats all in one eclectic and eccentric track of rave-light romance.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

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Arts & Entertainment

POP Comfortably awkward Rhetoric MAX BERGER Arts & Entertainment Editor I remember the first time I saw Napoleon Dynamite. For the majority of movie, the level of awkwardness that I felt as a spectator was pretty comparable to the contrived awkwardness of just about every single one of its characters. But eventually, there was a breaking point where I stopped questioning the unnatural laws of social interaction that governed the film’s universe, and allowed myself to buy into its unorthodox comedic value instead.

This summer marked 10 years since Napoleon Dynamite’s release, and with every year that passes, it feels less and less accurate to categorize the movie as unorthodox. When you look at the evolution of the entertainment industry since then, there has been a high demand for comedy that wins you over with amplified doses of awkwardness.

Even when the comedy in question is so awkward that it makes you cringe—it is a reaction we are growing increasingly comfortable with.

Awkward comedy manifests itself in a variety of styles and me-

diums. Although Napoleon Dynamite was an extreme example that worked by deliberately pushing its characters and dialogue to abnormal levels of awkwardness, the genre is often at its best when it draws on realistic ideas and situations. Recent shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Girls, and The Mindy Project exemplify this and thrive on extremely awkward realism. The Office was critical to this branch of humour, paving the way for some of our generation’s biggest comedies like Modern Family and Parks & Recreation.

Plus, it didn’t shy away from the cringe effect. When Michael made insensitive oversights in conversations with his staff, or when Jim flirted with Pam, only to be blocked from articulating his true feelings, those moments were uncomfortable to the point where you sometimes wanted to turn away and hide from the TV (see episode “Scott’s Tots” for a particularly potent example).

Still, for all the squeamishness those scenes can cause, they are also something we have come to crave. Perhaps the best example of a cringe-worthy TV show today is Nathan For You, a docureality series that follows Dumb

Starbucks mastermind Nathan Fielder as he sources out struggling businesses in Los Angeles and tries improving them in offbeat ways. Fielder projects his own awkward persona onto the business owners and customers he interacts with and shamelessly manipulates or embarrasses whomever he has to in order to achieve his ends. For instance, he convinces a cartoonist to only draw offensive images of people and only allows attractive women to shoplift from a clothing store.

It’s often gut-wrenching to watch, but those moments represent the pinnacle of the show’s humour and keep us tuning in.

Fielder playing to the camera in Nathan For You is an example of one of the best niches for awkwardness in entertainment: When the character causing the awkwardness is aware that they’re being filmed. Tim and Eric’s Dr. Steve Brule immediately comes to mind for his anti-charismatic news segments.

YouTube interviews in particular are an advantageous medium for awkward comedians. In his “Between Two Ferns” videos, Zach Galifianakis completely subverts the expectations of a

talk show by immediately casting an embarrassing spotlight over his guests. Kyle, of the channel GoodNeighbourStuff , catches unsuspecting targets off guard as he asks them questions in a shy, nonsensical manner. Again, it can be uncomfortable for us as viewers to see regular people struggle to react when they’re put on the spot by a calculating interviewer, but it is addictive to watch.

Even in the musical realm, Flight of the Conchords reminds us that awkwardness doesn’t have to be restricted to a visual experience—although watching them perform on stage or in their TV series is entertaining to say the least. Maybe some elder folk might be a bit uncomfortable listening to Jermaine croon the lyrics “Then we’re in the bathroom brushing our teeth/That’s all part of the foreplay,” but it sits just right with this generation.

Years from now, maybe we’ll look back at these years as a golden age for awkward comedy; but with comedians like Michael Cera, Kristen Wiig, and many more on the rise that have long, awkward careers ahead of them, I’m looking forward to the next big uncomfortably funny thing.

Are you an artist?

Maybe an entertainer?

Contact the Tribune! (creative student initiatives always welcome at arts@mcgilltribune. com)

ALBUM REVIEWS j. mascis - tied to a star

It’s been about three years since guitar hero J. Mascis released any new solo material. Known for his soulful lead guitar playing and slow sentimental song constructions, Mascis sounds like an indie-rock version of Bon Iver. Although some appreciate this fleecy sound, Tied to a Star lacked any poignant sound foundation, leaving the album a spineless conglomerate that, quite frankly, can be described as boring.

“Wide Awake” and “Every Morning,” the two featured singles, are the most diverse songs on the album. Unlike straightforward tracks such as “Me Again,” “Trailing Off,” and “Better Plane,” the aforementioned benefited from brief electric guitar solos, percussion, and more of the jaunty indie-rock pace to their development. The majority of the album focuses on themes such

SUb pop

as self-actualization, drug use, moving on from youth, and loss of time. For this reason, the painful sameness of the instrumentals and vocals was more justifiable, as the tone was one of a depressing epiphany.

The most redeemable feature of this release is definitely Mascis’ guitar technique. Ranked 5th in Spin’s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, Mascis is a true legend. Given that the majority of the songs on the album featured minimal instrumental diversity, the guitar was the focus and perhaps the only thing that made this album tolerable. Mascis has an organic, clean sound that feels somewhat distinct from the songs’ melancholy tones.

The best song on the album, “Drifter,” showcases the guitar in its long, folksy, all-instrumental nature. The song, which appeared at odds with the album’s otherwise moody singer-songwriter temperament, mirrored other notable guitar-driven pieces like John Butler Trio’s “Ocean”.

The album is worth skimming through, especially if you’re a long-time Mascis fan; however, don’t be expecting too much for it—it’s much more of a multitasking album than a stop-everything-you’re-doing-and-listen kind of production.

— Hilary Storm

Jason feathers - de ora Totally Gross National PRoduct

Justin Vernon is a man of many personas.

A glance at his Wikipedia page reveals that the singer-songwriter has been involved in 12 different musical ventures. The Jason Feathers project De Ora, a collaboration with Minneapolis based hip-hop artist Astronautilus, is his latest. The album is assertive harmonically, but it lacks personality due to the fact that its narrative—a ridiculous pastiche of hip–hop lyricism—detracts from the rest of the music, leaving the listener unsatisfied.

Soaring Jack White–esque guitar riffs and 808s-era Kanye West sounds—the latter likely inspired by Vernon’s former work with the rapper—permeate the album, giving it a confident and energetic sound. The album’s weak spot,

however, is Astronautilus’ portrayal of a shady drug lord. He pitches down his voice to a nearcomical tone in the act, which, combined with his unpersuasive lyrics, leaves his credibility hanging by a thread. The lyrics feel inauthentic for the rapper; he’s rarely contemplative and is instead prone to lame braggadocio, such as his boast on “Gold Standard” about “following your girl home from T.J. Maxx” in order to prove that he is the boss. Many rappers often put on acts in their performances, but the ones who do it successfully go about it with genuine charisma and delivery, which Astronautilus does not.

The album does have its moments, such as the catchy hook on “Young as Fuck,” and the points in the album where Vernon proves he still has a knack for genuine loverboy lamentation (see his verse in “Cyclone”). In fact, Vernon holds his own on the album, but makes no tangible connection with his collaborator, and vice versa, which is the project’s predicament. If the pair plan to make more music together, Astronautilus must rap as sincerely as Vernon croons.

— Clark Bray

18

Science & Technology

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Montreal calls for regulation of e-cigarettes E-cigs are growing in popularity—but how safe are they?

E-cigarettes have come under increased scrutiny due to a lack of production regulations. (shutterstock.com)

(Continued from page 1) Montreal’s Public Health Department is now calling for new sanctions and regulations of e-cigarettes—similar to the current approach towards regular cigarettes.

However, Cynthia Callard, the executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, voiced her concerns over the lack of regulation. Presently, the risk for e-cigarettes overshadow the benefits, in a statement released by Santé Montreal.

“The potential benefits of these products […] are not realized and the downfalls are exacerbated,” Callard said.

The main issue facing North American public health officials is non-smokers’ interest in e-cigarettes and primarily, the younger population. According to Labos, a lot of the marketing for e-cigarettes focuses on the sex appeal of the product.

“The danger is that without regulation, people can use e-cigs indoors and in public areas,” Labos said. “We risk re-normalizing smoking and making it cool.”

These marketing tactics come as no surprise when considering the fact that major tobacco companies own the majority of e-cigarette subdivisions. Altria, Vuse, and Blu are owned by Philip Morris USA, the country’s largest tobacco company; R.J. Reynolds, the second largest; Lorillard, the third largest, respectively.

The tobacco industry has a notorious history of using deceptive techniques to sell cigarettes, including the usage of labels such as light, low, and mild to sell ‘safer’ cigarettes. It wasn’t until the Tobacco Act in 1997 that tobacco companies in Canada could not purport a healthier cigarette.

Concerns have continued to rise in recent years over the marketing of e-cigarettes, as a new study has shown an increasing number of people under the age of 18 trying ecigarettes.

A study from the New England Journal of Medicine published in Jan. 2014 showed that from 2011 to 2012, e-cigarette usage increased from 3.3 per cent to 6.8 per cent among students from grades six to

12. Among high school e-cigarette users, 7.2 per cent reported never even smoking conventional cigarettes.

“All the people I know who tried e-cigs just went back to regular [cigarettes],” said Camille Testard, U3 Management. “It’s actually really easy to switch [between the two].”

The use of e-cigarettes is tied to higher-than-ever odds of cigarette smoking. A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Paediatrics showed that among experimenters, e-cigarette use would encourage the smoking of conventional cigarettes among U.S. adolescents. The same study found that advertising for e-cigarettes marketed to young adults increased by 32.1 per cent from 2011 to 2012.

A randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet compared the e-cigarette, nicotine patch, and a placebo control for quit-rates. The study of 657 participants showed rates of 7.3 per cent, 5.8 per cent, and 4.1 per cent respectively—a

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If interested, please submit a letter of intent (300 words) to chair@mcgilltribune.com by Friday, September 12, 2014.

minimal difference.

And yet, e-cigarettes continue to dominate the market.

“Even if e-cigs are ‘safer,’ it doesn’t mean they’re safe,” said Labos. “Less risk does not equal zero risk.”

The long-term effects of nicotine and propylene glycol, the solvent in which nicotine is dissolved in, on the body are unknown. Nicotine, albeit addictive, has yet to demonstrate any negative long term physiological effects.

What we know, however, is that a lot of the advertising and claims of benefits made by e-cigarette companies are rarely grounded in science. Their nebulous claims that e-cigarettes can prevent heart disease and cancer paint them as the next panacea. Consumers fall victim to these claims, and consequently try to remedy very real problems with a very fake solution.

To prevent the propagation of misinformation, regulation is a must, states Labos.

The city of Montreal’s proposed sanctions include: marketing e-cigarettes as a Canadian tobacco

product, setting quality standards, subjecting e-cigarettes to the Tobacco Act, and requiring e-cigarettes to be approved by a doctor.

Without these checkpoints and safety measures, the threat that e-cigarettes pose to normalizing smoking again and the potential for long-term problems outweigh any benefit that can be obtained from using them, states Santé Montreal.

The number of studies done on on e-cigarettes is still very low and makes it difficult to draw any real conclusions, ultimately highlighting the necessity for sanctions.

Quitting smoking is difficult and Labos urgest that those trying to quit should keep trying. “[Those trying to quit] should know that they didn’t fail,” he said.

“It takes most people multiple attempts to quit.”

The McGill University tobacco cessation program is available to all McGill students looking to quit smoking. Co-Directors Dr. Gaston Ostiguy and Dr. Sean Gilman can be contacted for more information.

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Submit three samples, your CV, and a cover letter to editor@ mcgilltribune.com

by Friday, September 19, 2014.

Science & Technology McGill researchers spotlight Polypterus fish Wednesday, September 3, 2014

19

Groundbreaking study answers evolutionary question chloe nevitt SciTech Editor

has a pretty good fossil record in how these ‘fishapods’ started to become more land capable,” Larsson said.

A team of researchers led by Dr. “We’ll never get those fish alive, but Hans Larsson from McGill Univer- it’s important to look at something sity has made a key discovery in the that’s as close to the family tree as process by which creatures evolved these ‘fishapods.’”

The researchers concluded that from aquatic to terrestrial animals.

The study used the Polypterus fish the best option for the study would be as a means to investigate phenotypic the Polypterus, a type of ray-finned evolutionary changes. fish and a close-relative to the tetraLarsson, Canada’s Research pod. Polypterus’ pectoral fins stick Chair in Vertebrate Palaeontology, out stalks from the body, which can started his research due to his inter- be used for ‘walking.’ Their pectoral est in macroevolution, the study of and pelvic fins also resemble tetrapod large-scale evolutionary transitions. limbs.

The project—which is the brain-child “[The Polypterus] has a lot of of Emily Standen, now an associate similarities to the primitive fishapod,” professor at the University of Ottawa, Larsson said. “They have fully develstarted with help from Trina Du—a oped lungs, which makes them very McGill PhD student. Strong efforts by similar to tetrapods.” all three helped shape the results.

After having chosen the model According to Larsson, the de- for the experiment, the team then cision to focus on tetrapod­ s—four- shifted their attention to the difficulty of raising the animals in a terrestrial environment.

Initially, the researchers were unsure about the fish’s ability to live only on land for extended periods of time.

Cross-section scan of Polypterus. (Courtesy “We were scared it of Trina Du) wouldn’t work at all,” Du legged land animals—was obvious. said. “It was [such a bold experiment] The evolutionary inbetween—which that something bizarre and unexpectLarsson fondly calls a ‘fishapod’ is ed could happen, and [the experiment] an important part of the evolutionary wouldn’t work at all.”

Much to their amazement, it process.

“The fish-to-tetrapod transition worked. The fish were not difficult

to raise on land, and by the end of the study, they had changed in both behaviour and anatomy. They walked more efficiently, raised their heads higher, had fins closer to their bodies, and slipped less.

The results of the study have raised numerous questions—primarily: If evolution occurs through gene inheritance, how would walking traits get passed down through the generations?

“The phenotype is not as tightly connected to the genotype as previously thought,” Larsson said. “Extreme environmental stress reveals a cryptic change that is usually not seen in the rest of the population.”

For example, if people were raised underwater, say in scuba gear for their entire lives, they would look a lot different from the people who were raised on land. Their skin, hair, and even facial features would morph to adapt to their surroundings.

The genome may not be coding for certain traits that would become present in new environments; it’s just loose enough to allow for it. Essentially, our body reacts to stress in strange ways.

The importance of this study is its role in showing a precursor step to Darwinian evolution. If new morphologies and behaviours—which may not be encoded in the genome—are developed, and thus that animal becomes the most fit individual, there’s a higher likelihood that the small percentage of

Pictured: Trina Du (left) and Dr. Hans Larsson (right) in Redpath Museum. (L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune) functioning genes coding for that trait will be selected for. As the generations progress, that trait will become more and more dominant until it has been fully adopted—hence, evolution.

The team plans to restart the en-

tire experiment with a fresh batch of fish to continue the project.

“The next step is to breed the Polypterus and see how these traits might be passed through the generations,” Larsson said.

A student’s guide to maximizing productivity Apps and programs to keep your studies on track this year REMI LU Managing Editor With summer winding down, laptop screens across campus are featuring less Netflix and more myMcGill—an unfortunate situation if there ever was one. However, numerous online programs have emerged over the years to improve productivity. Listed below are a couple free computer programs that help maximize workflow on your laptop.

Calendar

Recommended: Google Calendar Having control over your schedule is key in keeping track of your to-do list. Regardless of whether or not you still use a hard copy agenda, keeping an electronic copy of your schedule is both prudent and helpful.

Whether it’s scheduling classes and study time or keeping track of all your extracurriculars, maintaining

an updated electronic calendar helps you visualize your availabilities for both work and down-time.

Google Calendar does a great job allowing for the customization of your schedule by providing different categories of activities. The interface is relatively simple to use, and most importantly, can be synchronized with numerous mobile calendar apps.

Note-taking

device that has Evernote installed— your laptop, phone, or tablet. If you prefer taking notes by hand, you can also scan or take photos of the physical copies and upload them as PDFs into the program.

Using Evernote can be a great way to centralize all of your notes, assignments, and class information.

Best of all, notes are saved to your laptop, as well as the cloud service, which allows for offline access on your laptop.

Recommended: Evernote

Internet restrictors

It’s easy for laptops to get cluttered with a confetti of individual Microsoft Word documents and misplaced folders of class notes. Evernote helps prevent that by acting as a central hub for notes, documents, PDFs, and images. The program allows for individual ‘notebooks,’ which can be organized by class or theme.

Notes can be typed up within the application, which are then saved and synchronized across any

Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr and Twitter have collectively consumed countless student hours of screen time. It can be tough avoiding your favourite rabbit-hole website, which is why it’s sometimes necessary to completely block the website from your laptop.

Recommended: Cold Turkey (PC) and SelfControl (Mac); RescueTime

Cold Turkey and SelfControl function to prevent access to websites of your choosing. Furthermore, they cannot be stopped through a task manager, are ubiquitous for all browsers, and will even stay in effect if the app is deleted. Cold Turkey also goes a step further by preventing access to programs, which may be of service to those who are tempted by computer games.

RescueTime is a program to help determine which websites or programs you spend the most time on. The program is installed on your computer and tracks all time spent in front of the screen. Summaries of your activities are sent to you, detailing your time spent online and providing you with a concrete and quantitative snapshot of any time wasted on unproductive activities.

Cloud services

Recommended: Dropbox; Google Drive Cloud services upload files

or information to an online network, which can then be accessed remotely on a number of different devices. For students, cloud services are primarily used to back up notes or assignments and to access files on a separate computer without the use of a USB flash drive. Cloud services can also be used for collaborative projects or assignments by allowing for shared access to files.

Dropbox has emerged as one of the leading cloud service providers, and offers a local service that can be installed on your computer. Local access allows for the dragging-anddropping of files on your computer to the cloud without having to open up a web page.

Google Drive is another great option, separating itself from the competition by being a product of the Google family. This is best for those using Gmail, as the two products are closely integrated.

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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

FC NORTH

FC SOUTH

sports

Green Bay Packers—Green Bay will be home to one of the league’s most potent and exciting offences. With powerhouse running back Eddie Lacy and perennial MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers at the helm, there will be no shortage of scoring. If the Packers’ offensive line can keep Rodgers upright they should have no problem making the playoffs. Any sort of significant Super Bowl run will rely heavily on a revamped defence. The addition of eight-time pro bowler Julius Peppers will boost an already formidable pass-rushing unit led by Clay Matthews, but the pre-season loss of B.J. Raji could prove costly down the stretch.

New Orleans Saints — After ceding the division title to the upstart Panthers last season, the Saints have reloaded and look ready to reclaim the top spot in the NFC South this year. Superstar quarterback Drew Brees will continue to connect with all-pro tight end Jimmy Graham, but the defence will need to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke in order to keep the Panthers at bay. If the squad continues to subscribe to Rob Ryan’s aggressive defensive philosophy, they should secure enough takeaways to stay close to the competition in any game.

Chicago Bears —The Bears will have no problem putting points on the board with their premier passing attack. Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall combined for over 2,600 receiving yards last season while Matt Forte finished as a top-five running back in rushing yards per game. Cutler and the defence will be the keys to this team’s season. Look for Jay Cutler to improve in his second season under head coach Marc Trestman. Finally, the additions of Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston should help shore up a once dominant Bears defence that has struggled in recent years.

Carolina Panthers — It’s tough to agree with many of the moves made by the Panthers’ front office this off-season. A receiving core headlined by new additions Jason Avant and Jerricho Cotchery isn’t exactly building on last season’s success. When you have Cam Newton touching the ball every possession, it can be easy to sit back and rest on your laurels, but the advanced metrics placed Newton only slightly above average. If Newton is able to rise to the added pressure this season, we should be treated to an exciting battle atop the division down the stretch.

Detroit Lions —The Lions were one of the biggest disappointments last season after a strong start. culminating in the firing of Head Coach Jim Schwartz. New Head Coach Jim Caldwell will take the helm hoping to turn this downtrodden franchise into a legitimate playoff threat. Rookie tight end Eric Ebron and newly-acquired wide receiver Golden Tate should take some of the pressure off superstar Calvin Johnson. The Lions didn’t do much to improve on a very mediocre defence, but if the defensive line can continue to pressure opponents’ quarterbacks then the Lions have the potential to be dark horse wild card contenders.

Atlanta Falcons — While most of the blame for last season’s 4-12 horror show has to be placed on quarterback Matt Ryan’s shoulders, it’s hard to overlook the myriad of injuries that plagued the Falcons in 2013. After leading the league in receptions throughout the first five weeks, superstar wideout Julio Jones was lost to a foot fracture, miring the Falcons’ offence in a slump for the rest of the season. Furthermore, both Roddy White and Steven Jackson were nagged by injuries throughout the season. Look for the underrated Falcons to rebound from their dismal 2013 campaign this season as tight games start falling their way.

Minnesota Vikings —It is out with the old and in with the new for the Minnesota Vikings, who made three significant changes in 2014. Off the field, the team hired Mike Zimmer to be the head coach. On the field, the team lost sack-master Jared Allen to Chicago in free agency. Perhaps the biggest difference this season comes with the move outdoors as the Vikings are set to play the next two seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings likely won’t contend this season, but if rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can develop and mature behind journeyman Matt Cassel, then the future looks bright in Minnesota.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — New Head Coach Lovie Smith has always been known for his defence-first approach, and has the tools to mould a dynamic defensive unit. Tampa Bay has weathered the loss of cornerback Darrelle Revis by signing the dynamic Alterraun Verner, who showed shut down capabilities as a member of the Tennesse Titans. They will also rely on Gerald McCoy and the disruptive MIchael Bennet to anchor what should be a surprisingly solid defence. Offensively, if Doug Martin is able to return to his 2012 form, a solid ground attack should protect quarterback Josh McCown and allow him to flourish in the starting role.

season

FC WEST Seattle Seahawks — The defending Super Bowl champions are the favourites to come out on top of football’s toughest division for the second year in a row, and seem poised to make a run at a repeat league crown. Last year’s league-best defence will aim to stay in dominant form, led by Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom in the secondary. Russell Wilson leads the offence and will look to take on a larger role in the passing game. Expect a decline from Marshawn Lynch, who has led the NFL in carries over the past three seasons, as his physical style will begin to wear him down.

San Francisco 49ers — While this year’s 49ers team should make the playoffs, they come into this season at less than 100 per cent and will have a tough time continuing their domination of the NFC. Navarro Bowman’s leg injury in last year’s playoffs will keep him out for most of the season, and the looming suspension of Aldon Smith for various off-field issues will make it difficult for the 49ers to remain one of the league’s top defences. The fate of the Niners rests in the able hands of Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and the rest of the offence.

Arizona Cardinals —The Cardinals are a solid team, but will have difficulty topping last year’s 10-game win total. The losses of Darnell Dockett (injury), Karlos Dansby (free agency), and Daryl Washington (suspension) will hurt their run defence and place greater pressure on AllPro cornerback Patrick Peterson and the secondary, which should still be one of the league’s top units. Offensively, Larry Fitzgerald continues to waste his career away with mediocre quarterbacks like Carson Palmer. Andre Ellington, a tough running back, will see a greater number carries and could see a sharp increase in production and value.

St. Louis Rams — Quarterback Sam Bradford’s torn ACL in the pre-season ruins the Rams’ chances for success this season. While Bradford may not have been any better than average, he is certainly better than backup Shaun Hill. Running back Zac Stacy figures to shoulder a greater load in the offense and could be poised for a breakout season. The defensive line is the best in the league, with rookie Aaron Donald joining the already fearsome duo of Chris Long and last year’s defensive Player-of-the-Year Robert Quinn. Despite the dominant front four, the Rams should expect to find themselves at the bottom of the standings.

FC EAST Philadelphia Eagles — With arguably the quickest squad in the league, the Eagles will be the team to dread all season. Year one of the Chip Kelly phenomenon was an undoubted success as the Eagles made the post-season, and Kelly was able to create a football culture unlike any other in the NFL. Nick Foles is firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback, while LeSean McCoy will now have the help of Darren Sproles to terrorize opponents out of the backfield. The defence needs to improve from 29th to league average. With an offensive unit as explosive as the one that Foles commands, that will be all the Eagles need to return to the playoffs.

New York Giants — It’s very conceivable that the Giants sleepwalk their way through to a 9-7 record and the second wild card spot, only to go on an improbable post-season run. For the latter to happen, the play of Eli Manning needs to be much improved. He should have help with a solid group of wide receivers. The Giants had a top-10 defence last year and Head Coach Tom Coughlin should continue to coax more quality out of this unit.

Dallas Cowboys —Unfortunately for Dallas fans, but maybe thankfully for the rest of the NFL-watching universe, the Cowboys should once again be tending their ranches come playoff time this season. The two primary reasons for the continued mediocre play are Tony Romo and what are the makings of a defence that will hemorrhage points. Romo is an enigmatic player who can win and lose games, and will have the chance to do the former with a talented supporting cast. The defence was the worst in the league last year, and will start the season without many of its best players from last year\s squad.

Washington Redskins — The Redskins have offensive firepower behind quarterback Robert Griffin III, running back Alfred Morris, and newly acquired wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Griffin will have other weapons at his disposal such as Roy Helu Jr. and Pierre Garçon. Much like the rest of the division, Washington has a sub-par defence. Pass-rushers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan are the standouts, but the back seven will be challenged constantly with a difficult schedule. If the defence does hold up over the course of the season and the different offensive pieces gel, Washington might be able to sneak into the playoffs.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Sports

FC NORTH

21 FC SOUTH

Pittsburgh Steelers —Disappointing pre-season aside, Pittsburgh should be quiIndianapolis Colts — Despite going winless in the pre-season, the Colts are etly confident about their prospects for the upcoming NFL season. They have revamped poised to dominate this weak division. With Andrew Luck behind centre, they look their offensive line, which looks a lot sharper under the guidance of Head Coach Mike to have a potent and reliable offense after ranking 14th in points scored last year.

Munchak. Furthermore, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has become increasingly comThat goal is hampered by injury concerns for veteran receiver Reggie Wayne and fortable and will look to take advantage of Pittsburgh’s talented skill position players. Their defence, how- performance concerns for running back Trent Richardson. After being acquired with much fanfare ever, remains questionable as they struggled monumentally against the rush last year. Expect them to finish last September, the highly touted Richardson was a disappointment in his first campaign with the second in their division before being knocked out of the wild card game.

Colts. The defence looks to be at least average, which means the Colts should make the playoffs for the third straight year.

Baltimore Ravens —The Ravens are a tricky team to judge because they regularly swing back and forth between explosive and anemic play. Dennis Pitta, Steve Smith, and Torrey Smith may be able to team up with quarterback Joe Flacco to become the scourge of secondary units everywhere, but there is no guarantee. Defence, however, remains excellent with Terrell Suggs ready to reprise his role as defensive captain. Haloti Ngata and Ladarius Webb will also be key contributors on this side of the ball. The Ravens have the tools to be one of the best teams in the league.

Houston Texans — The Texans, owners of the worst record in football last season, look to put a miserable season behind them with a completely revamped roster and staff. Former Penn State and New England Patriots Coach Bill O’Brien is tasked with implementing the rebuild on the field. Electric rookie pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney will look to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball alongside already established stars J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing. The defence will present a challenge to opponents, but an offence built around the unremarkable Ryan Fitzpatrick and an aging Andre Johnson does not inspire fear.

Cincinnati Bengals —The Bengals should have the best regular season squad in the division. Their defence is strong against both run and pass. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict is a tackling extraordinaire and, barring injury, should crack 130 tackles this year. Opposing offences will also have to reckon with whirlwind pass-rushers Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap.

On offence, A.J. Green, with his excellent hands and impressive athleticism, seems capable of exploiting almost any secondary in the league. Quarterback Andy Dalton still needs to improve his decision-making and execution under pressure, but he and the Bengals should continue to win in this division.

Tennessee Titans — The Titans are looking to put a disappointing season behind them in what should be an important year in their rebuilding process. Quarterback Jake Locker, who performed well before a season-ending injury in 2013, is playing for a new contract, and has help in receivers Kendall Wright and Nate Washington. The offence will be without Chris Johnson, who has been in perpetual decline since his astonishing 2009 campaign. The defence, which ranked 11th against the pass but only 20th against the run, will need to achieve greater balance if the squad is to succeed.

Jacksonville Jaguars —The Jacksonville Jaguars, coming off of a 4-12 season, Cleveland Browns —The Browns will again frustrate fans, as they will likely sit look to continue their protracted rebuild. Chad Henne will continue to ply his subpar at the bottom of the division once more despite a talented roster. Players such as oftrade as starting quarterback this year while the Jaguars wait on the newly drafted fensive lineman Joe Thomas, linebackers Paul Kruger and Jabaal Sheard, and cornerback Joe Haden are quality NFL talents but are toiling away as cellar dwellers. With the losses of Josh Gordon Blake Bortles to assert himself. Out is Maurice Jones-Drew, for years the lone bright spot on an othto a marijuana suspension and D’Qwell Jackson to free agency, the Browns will be without two of their erwise unexciting roster; in is Toby Gerhart, a running back looking to prove himself in a new setting. top players from last year. If Johnny Manziel does get a chance to start later in the season, he won’t get The Jaguars are making baby steps in the right direction, but will remain at the bottom of the division. much help.

Preview FC WEST

Denver Broncos —Despite a record-breaking season from veteran quarterback Peyton Manning and a run to the Super Bowl, Broncos fans may have been left with a bad taste in their mouths following the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Seattle embarrassed the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, when Denver went down 22-0 by halftime and ultimately lost 43-8. Although the season ended in disappointment, the Broncos are poised for a big season. As long as Manning can stay healthy, the Broncos should finish atop the division and advance deep into the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs —The Chiefs were perhaps the biggest surprise of last season. Following a franchise-worst season in 2012, Kansas City hired Andy Reid as their Head Coach. Reid deserves much of the credit for the team’s quick turn around, but it is unlikely that they’ll be quite as successful in 2014. The offensive line lost multiple key starters, which will make life difficult for quarterback Alex Smith, who, despite his resurgence last season, is still not a top-tier quarterback. Running back Jamaal Charles will need to continue to shoulder a heavy workload for Kansas City to be a playoff team.

San Diego Chargers — Two years ago, it seemed as though Philip Rivers might never find his way back among the league’s top quarterbacks. But the firing of Norv Turner and subsequent hiring of Mike McCoy as head coach and Ken Wisenhunt as offensive coordinator revitalized Rivers’ career. In 2013, he was among the league’s best passers, no doubt due to the improvement of the Chargers’ offensive line. Although the offence will be strong, San Diego’s horrid defence will make it hard for them to succeed this year. A playoff berth is within reach, but is far from being a guarantee.

Oakland Raiders — Oakland has not had a winning season since 2002, and the losing will almost certainly continue this season. The Raiders are poised to be one of the league’s worst teams, if not the worst. Newly drafted Derek Carr will be key in determining the team’s fortunes, but a poor offensive line and a weak receiving corps will make success an unlikely outcome. Maurice Jones-Drew should bolster the ground game, but his best days are behind him. Things don’t look much better on the other side of the ball, with the majority of additions being discarded parts from other teams.

CONTrIBUTORS: Dana levin johnny mater dan gilbert zikomo smith elie waitzer wyatt fine-gagné aaron rose mayaz alam

FC EAST

New England Patriots —Consider this: Since 2003, with Tom Brady active, the Patriots have never finished lower than first in the AFC East. It should come as no surprise then, that they are the favourites to capture the division title, which would mark their sixth straight. With key free agent additions like star defensive backs Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the Patriots will prolong their historic run this season. They are a lock for yet another appearance in the AFC Championship game, a stage on which the health of tight end Rob Gronkowski will be crucial.

New York Jets —On paper, the Jets seem like they have adequate talent to take a significant step forward. The quarterback race is still in full swing as Geno Smith and Michael Vick continue to duke it out to see who starts. The Jets’ defensive unit will once again be formidable, but as in years past, the team’s fate will be determined by its offence. With new faces such as the elusive Chris Johnson in the backfield, as well as pass catchers Eric Decker and Texas Tech product Jace Amaro, the Jets appear to possess an offence potent enough to contend for a wild card spot.

Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins have been stuck in mediocrity for some time and will likely struggle to find success again this season. There are bright spots such sack-machine in Cameron Wake and promising young quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Miami addressed their troublesome offensive line by signing all-pro tackle Branden Albert from Kansas City and drafting Ja’Wuan James in the summer. These additions, however, will not make a resounding difference unless their expensive wideout Mike Wallace is able to improve on what was an average campaign last year.

Buffalo Bills — When it comes to the Bills, there always appears to be good news and bad news. The good news is that they have one of the youngest squads in the NFL and a lot of potential. They drafted blue chip receiver Sammy Watkins this past summer, and their formidable defensive line includes three players coming off-seasons in which they recorded double-digit sacks.

The bad news is that they lost one of the premier safeties in the game, Jairus Byrd, to free agency. Their pass protection is also suspect and second-year quarterback EJ Manuel remains an unproven commodity. Buffalo hasn’t seen the postseason since 1999, but this year, the wait until next season will be a little more hopeful.

22

Sports

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

If you spent all summer drinking bottles of sunscreen and frying in the heat, here is what you missed in the world of sports…

Around the

WATER COOLER

BY AARON ROSE

NBA–LeBron is back! Cleveland rocks! After getting schooled by Professor Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the NBA Finals, LeBron James decided to take his talents to North Beach, signing a two-year contract with the Cavaliers. The move sent the city into a frenzy as locals began searching for any remaining ashes of their old LeBron jerseys. In other significant news, Canadian national hero Andrew Wiggins was drafted first overall by the Cavaliers before being shipped off to Minnesota for Kevin Love. This trade ensures that Wiggins will indeed be heading home to Toronto the second his Timberwolves contract expires.

NFL–Just in case the return of LeBron wasn’t enough for Cleveland, the Browns decided to add to the fun by drafting Johnny “Football” Manziel. The enigmatic rookie’s Instagram followers need not worry about a decline in the number of absurd photos he posts, as he will have plenty of time on his hands while riding the bench behind starter Brian Hoyer. The St. Louis Rams made headlines as they selected Michael Sam–the SEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and the first openly gay NFL draftee–in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Sam was recently cut by the Rams, but at press time was attracting interest from the Dallas Cowboys and the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Idiots concerned about Sam being a distraction for the Cowboys need not worry; owner Jerry Jones has already claimed that role and shows no signs of giving it up.

10

things

you didn’t

know about

MCGILL ATHLETICS McGill has played a pioneering role in the development and codification of several major North American sports, notably basketball, which was the brainchild of McGill alumnus Dr. James Naismith. He created the game in 1891 to give his students a sport to keep them fit throughout the New England winters. Presently, both the Redmen and Martlets have won back-to-back RSEQ Championships.

The first game of rugby played in North America was between McGill students and British Army Officers in 1868. Subsequently, McGill organized matches against Harvard, who embraced the game enough to make it a staple of the Ivy League. These days, the Redmen and Martlet rugby squads are defending RSEQ Champions.

Three matches between McGill and Harvard in 1874 helped develop the rules of American Football. McGill played rugby whilst Harvard played the Boston Game.

The games coalesced in a way to produce the basis of modern gridiron football.

McGill students codified ice hockey and made up the majority of participants in the first organized hockey game in 1875. The McGill University Hockey Club is the oldest in the world, founded in 1877. In the past few years, both the Martlets and Redmen have won CIS National Championships

Cross country skiing was popularized in North America at McGill’s Gault Estate in Mount St. Hilaire.

(standingosports.com) MLB–The MLB trade deadline saw the Oakland Athletics bolster their pitching staff, adding both Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester, while the Detroit Tigers pulled off a massive deal for former Cy Young winner David Price. In the AL East, the Red Sox have fallen into last place, no doubt aiming to once again use the worst-to-first strategy that worked so well over the past two years.

In New York, absolutely no one has missed the suspended Alex Rodriguez. As for the Toronto Blue Jays, a strong first half of the season had fans dreaming about October baseball, but the team once again failed to keep J.P. Ricciardi’s meddlesome hands from getting in the way of their success, and quickly settled back to playing the mediocre baseball that everyone was comfortable with.

World Cup–The United States fell to Belgium in the round of 16, but not before keeper Tim Howard stopped 16 shots, the war on terror, and global warming. In the semifinals, Argentina squeaked past the Netherlands on penalty kicks, while the German team crushed host-country Brazil 7-1. The match left so many Brazilians in tears that a second river the size of the Amazon formed and now flows through their country. The final was a scoreless thriller until the 113th minute, when Mario Götze sent a left-footed strike into the back of the net. The goal has made Götze more famous than beer, leiderhosen, and schnitzel combined in Germany.

Although McGill students might not be like the fans you might see at college games in the United States, they still display a healthy loyalty to our Martlet and Redmen teams. This balance is at least partly why McGill boasts one of the best athletic departments in the country. Here is The McGill Tribune Sports Section’s Top 10 reasons to be proud of your McGill Athletics’ past and present.

by Zikomo Smith (Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Andrews)

McGill has had an alumnus competing at every Olympic Games since 1908. There have been many gold medalists amongst McGill’s representatives. In fact, McGill had 18 alumni competing in the Sochi Olympics last year.

McGill Martlet hockey has won four CIS national championships in the last seven years. Head Coach Peter Smith, also a McGill alumnus, boasts a record of 394-13831 in his 13 seasons in charge at McGill. Three ex-Martlets represented the goldmedal-winning Canadian Olympic squad at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

McGill’s Percival Molson Memorial Stadium seats 25,000 fans and is the home of the Montreal Alouettes.

McGill medical student Laurent Duvernay-Tardif recently made the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man-roster for the 2014-2015 NFL season. He earned rave reviews from scouts and analysts who praised his high football IQ, toughness, and ability to play through the pain barrier.

Amongst the less visible varsity sports, McGill can boast mind-boggling levels of success. For example, the synchronized swimming team won the Druble Trophy as the best program in the country for eight years in a row between 2004 and 2012.

Sports

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

23

Martlet

Rugby

The McGill Martlets’ 2013 campaign was nothing short of a success as the team advanced to the CIS Championships for the first time since 2005 and earned a fourth place finish, losing to the Queen’s Golden Gaels in the bronze medal matchup.

In the five seasons prior to last year’s RSEQ championship winning effort the Martlets had been stymied in the conference semifinals. First-year Head Coach Matthew Stephens was able to guide McGill past the Concordia Stingers and on to the National Championships, but will be hard pressed to match the exemplary performance from his first year.

The primary challenge will be to replace fly-half Brianna Miller, last season’s CIS Player-of-the-Year. Miller orchestrated the high-flying Martlet attack and leaves as a three-time RSEQ all-star,

two-time RSEQ most valuable player, and as the team’s all-time leading scorer. The squad also needs to replace Deanna Foster and Julia White, two members of the CIS all-tournament squad. Foster, a junior wing, tore her ACL while playing with the under-20 National Team.

Despite the losses the squad does have plenty of talent returning, including standouts Caroline Suchorski, a senior centre, and Emily Barber, a senior forward. The two provided veteran leadership and a scoring punch in exhibition games against Queen’s and Western, which the Martlets split. Suchorski also scored 19 points in McGill’s 54-27 victory over the Carleton Ravens on Sunday in the regular season opener. The Martlets continue their quest to repeat against rival Concordia on Sept. 10.

Redmen

Soccer

After 15 years as head coach of the Martlet Soccer team, Marc Mounicot was named head coach of the Redmen Soccer team prior to the 2013 season. His first year as bench boss was a modest success. The Redmen finished with a 4-5-3 regular record, which earned them a fourth place finish and a trip to the RSEQ Semi-Finals, where they lost to the Université de Montréal. This was a solid result considering the disastrous 2012 campaign, which resulted in the team being forced to forfeit 11 of their 12 matches due to use of an ineligible player.

An encouraging sign looking forward is the squad’s heavy youth presence. In 2013 the roster contained a num-

MAYAZ ALAM,

ber of key players in their first and second year of eligibility.

The Redmen attack will flow through sophomore forward and former Montreal Impact player Massimo Di Ioia, and freshman Antoine Chauvel, a native of Paris, France. The two have impressed in the pre-season and will need to be in form this year if McGill is to succeed.

With a 2-0 record in exhibition matches and a 3-1-1 showing in five scrimmages, the Redmen look to be headed in the right direction. Their season begins Friday Sept. 5th at 8:00 p.m. in Molson Stadium against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or.

ELIE WAITZER, &

WYATT FINE- GAGNE

Martlet

Soccer

The Martlets will enter this season looking to improve upon a successful 2013 campaign that saw them fall to Laval in the RSEQ semi-finals. Though the team will be comprised largely of freshmen and sophomore players, second-year head coach Jose-Luis Valdes will provide a sense of stability and continuity that was missing last season. Also returning are fifth-year veterans Meghan Bourque and Hannah Kirby, who should prove valuable in unlocking the vast potential of this young squad and will anchor the team’s elite midfield.

With nine newcomers, there are growing pains to overcome, but the Martlets aren’t too worried.

“There’s a lot of offensive power among the

rookies, [and we’re] excited to see them prove themselves this season,” junior defender Zoe Fasoulakis said when asked about the influx of new talent. “We had a challenging pre-season but the team has really bonded together over the past few weeks.”

McGill went 2-2 in pre-season play, finishing with a convincing 7-0 win over Curry College. With offensive firepower and balance top to bottom, the team is setting its sights on the RSEQ championship this season.

“That’s the expectation,” Fasoulakis said. “The division hasn’t changed much [and] we feel that we can make a push deep into the playoffs this season.”

Redmen

Football

The Redmen entered last season full of veteran talent and optimism. With Head Coach Clint Uttley entering his second year at the helm, and a fearsome offensive line led by current NFLdraftee Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the bar was set high. However, after a convincing home win over Concordia in the Shaughnessy Cup, McGill would go on to drop four of its last six contests to end the season, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths.

After spending much of the past two seasons maturing and honing his skills behind Jonathan Collin and Pierre-Luc Dussault, senior quarterback Dallon Kuprowski will start under center for the Redmen to open the season. Kuprowski, who was once the highest ranked quarterback in Canada , has looked in good form during a pre-season exhibition game against Toronto,

leading McGill to a come-from-behind victory on the strength of his passing game. The connection between Kuprowski and speedy junior receiver Jean-Phillippe Paquette will be difficult to guard.

While Kuprowski will be getting the majority of the team’s snaps, Uttley will not be afraid to utilize freshman quarterback Joel Houle in high leverage situations. Houle’s dynamic running game makes him an interesting option for the Redmen this season and in future years.

McGill opens the season at Sherbrooke this Saturday and will look to build on their pre-season success. With the Vanier Cup being hosted at Molson Stadium this season, expectations are sky high for the Redmen.

PHOTOS BY L=UKE ORLANDO