McGill Tribune Vol. 31 Issue 23

Tribune The McGill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 23

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thomas Mulcair Departmental GAs Editorial Explaining the heat wave A Dream Play Men’s hockey wins CIS March 22 protest photos

2 6 7 12 14 17 20

Gerts rennovations (pages 10-11)

Hundreds of thousands protest tuition hikes

Students marched from Place du Canada to Place Jacques-Cartier in the largest protest in Quebec history. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) Carolina Millán Ronchetti News Editor Over 200,000 people marched through the streets of downtown Montreal on March 22 to demonstrate against provincial tuition increases. The protest, the largest in Quebec history, came two days after the Quebec government released

its annual budget, confirming that university tuition fees are set to increase by $1,625 over five years starting this September. According to some of the organizers, the protest spanned 50 city blocks at its peak.

Since February, 169 university and CEGEP student associations have voted to strike in protest of these proposed increases, forcing many universities and CEGEPs to

cancel class.

Over 500 McGill students gathered at the Roddick Gates at noon before heading to Place du Canada, the meeting point for the protest, at 1 p.m. Thousands of students sporting signs, wearing red clothes and red face paint met in the square. At about 1:40 p.m., the crowd started marching through downtown Montreal.

Rachel Mulbry, a U2 Middle Eastern studies student who attended a similar protest against tuition fee increases on Nov. 10, emphasized the positive mood of the protest.

“There’s a really good energy, and it feels very positive and pretty inclusive,” she said. “It’s been a lot of time since November, and even speaking for myself, I understand what I feel more and how this issue

relates to me … I think these intervening months have been very good for education.”

Although the majority of participants were university and CEGEP students, there were many other protesters, including professors, high school students, unions, opposition party representatives as well families with small children.

See “PROTEST” on page 3

NEWS

CAMPUS

MAUT releases report on implications of Nov. 10

Report addressing issues of governance, protest, free speech, and security was not discussed at Senate Carolina Millán Ronchetti News Editor The McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT) released to the public its report “Governance, Protest and Security: Report of the MAUT Committee to Examine the Implications of the Events of Nov. 10, 2011” on March 22.

MAUT is an organization of academic staff that aims to foster academic freedom, to involve the faculty in university activities and governance, and to improve the working conditions of teaching faculty and librarians. Its website notes that MAUT is not a union.

The MAUT report is the third to address the implications of Nov. 10 on the McGill community. These include the Jutras investigation, commissioned by Principal Heather Munroe-Blum to Dean of Law Daniel Jutras, and a report authored by an Independent Student Inquiry (ISI) resulting from some students’ concerns with the objectivity of

Jutras’ internal investigation.

“The MAUT report was a sincere attempt to respond to the call for consultation and input that was made by Dean Jutras’ report, as well as by other sectors of the university including McGill’s administration,” Daniel Cere, member of the report committee and assistant professor at the faculty of religious studies, said.

MAUT president and anthropology professor John Galaty explained that in scope, the MAUT report was broader than that of the Jutras investigation.

“The MAUT report differs from the Jutras report as it broadens its purview to include the ‘context’ which led up to the events of 10th November, and it did not try to recapitulate Jutras’ very thorough review of the course of events on [Nov. 10],” Galaty said. “Also, it included many specific recommendations to consider on university governance and the development of McGill’s security policy.”

The MAUT report consists of

several detailed recommendations which take into account scholarly research on protest, student protest, and security issues. Its first section, on governance and collegiality, notes the initiatives of the 1960s Tripartite Commission on the Nature of the University, and suggests the creation of a “citizen’s council” as an independent forum for discussion of issues that affect all sectors of the university.

The second section, on civil protest and peaceful assembly, outlines twelve specific recommendations on what a protocol concerning these issues should aim to do, emphasizing that a protocol should “safe-guard basic human rights to peaceful assembly and protest, not to constrain them.” The recommendations include proposals to recognize that “individuals at most risk of harm in civic protest will be protestors,” and to consider the legitimacy of occupations or sit-ins as legitimate forms of protest, among others.

The third section, on security

and policing, proposes the creation of an independent university civilian oversight board on policing and security that reports to Senate. The report suggests that this board be part of the proposed working relationship between the McGill administration and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).

The report also states that “the establishment of good communication and collaboration with the SPVM should neither preclude nor prevent consideration of whether a formal complaint should be filed regarding police intervention on Nov.10th.”

In addition to members of the faculty, the MAUT report committee included two student representatives and the presidents of the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) and the McGill University Non-Academic Staff Association (MUNASA).

According to a letter from Galaty to the university community, MAUT sent copies of the Report to the Principal, the Provost, the Secre-

tary-General, and to MAUT Council two weeks ago, and now aims to circulate the report throughout the university.

The MAUT report committee originally intended for the report to be discussed at Senate on March 21.

Galaty noted that, although the report was brought up in Senate Steering Committee, “it was said that Senate could not consider reports that were requisitioned outside of Senate.”

“What’s most frustrating is that we didn’t even get to discuss the MAUT report at Senate, and of course, we didn’t get to present the ISI report at Senate either,” Allison Cooper, SSMU representative to the report committee and ISI co-author, said. “[There’s a] feeling that some [reports] are seen as more legitimate, or are more acknowledged by the administration, than others.”

—The MAUT report is available online at http://maut.mcgill.ca

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Richard Schultz on new NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair Chair of the department of political science discusses the challenges Mulcair will face as Opposition Leader Erica Friesen News Editor At the New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership convention in Toronto last weekend, members of the NDP elected their new party leader, McGill alumnus and current Outrement MP Thomas Mulcair. On Monday, March 26, the Tribune sat down with Richard Schultz, Chair of the McGill department of political science and expert in Canadian politics, to discuss the challenges facing Mulcair and the NDP. What about Thomas Mulcair makes him a good leader for the NDP? What will he need to work on?

I think what will help him is his reputation, but what will hurt him is also his reputation. He’s a real fighter, determined and strong.

That is going to be absolutely necessary to confront Steven Harper, because [Harper’s] government is the most vicious I’ve witnessed when it comes to dealing with their opponents.

The negative side of [Mulcair’s reputation] is that he’s said to have a temper, and if that is the case he will probably have to gain some control over it, especially [when] dealing with his fellow NDP members. He

maintained a very good, placid approach all through the campaign, despite some of the nasty comments that were made about him. So that’s a sign that he understands the dangers of [his temper] and knows how to keep it under control, so I think the Conservatives should be nervous. He’s going to be very effective as leader of the opposition.

The NDP is said to have gained much of its support in the last election because of Jack Layton. What challenges will Mulcair face as Jack Layton’s successor?

The major thing that he has to do is to maintain as many of the NDP’s seats in Quebec as possible.

I think [so many people in Quebec voted NDP] because the Liberals and Conservatives were so unacceptable to the Quebec electorate, and people were fed up with the Bloc. I think Jack Layton’s image helped a bit, but people were just looking for an alternative to all three of the other parties. That will only happen once. It’s going to be very difficult in many of these ridings to maintain that support.

[The NDP] didn’t gain as many seats in the rest of Canada. They’ve got to prove that they’re the alternative party, not just in Quebec but in

the rest of the country too. They are going to have to fight very hard to maintain their role as the official opposition.

What about the claims that Mulcair will move the NDP closer to the political centre?

I do that think they’re going to have to move closer to the centre in some respects, but I don’t think it’s a big step. [They’ve] got to do more than talk about taxing the rich.

While one could argue that the rich should be taxed appropriately for fairness’ sake, it’s not going to solve the problems of budget deficits. One of the big issues that they’re going to face is how to deal with union matters, because the unions are a strong component and strong supporters of the NDP. There’s popular support amongst the people against public servants striking, so the NDP under Mulcair will have to find a fine balance in terms of protecting wider public interests and not just the union interests. It’s not impossible, but it’s going to be demanding.

Do you think the NDP will face stronger competition from the Liberal Party now that Jack Layton is gone?

Yes, but that’s also going to

Thomas Mulcair, leader of the New Democratic Party. (thomasmulcair.ca) depend on their leadership. I think Bob Rae has performed very well [as interim Liberal leader]. If he doesn’t become the Liberal leader, I think that the NDP has a better chance of maintaining their position as the number two party. Otherwise it’s going to depend on how the NDP tackles some of the current issues. I don’t see anyone other than the Conservatives winning the next election, but I think it’s going to be difficult for them to maintain a majority. [Harper] only has 39 per cent of the vote, [so] 60 per cent of the people don’t like the conservative government. Maybe the Liber-

als and the NDP will have some sort of informal arrangement, where the Liberals let the NDP be the only opposition candidate in one riding and the NDP won’t run a candidate when there’s a strong Liberal candidate in another. They could focus the anti[Conservative] vote on one of the two parties. But I think [the Conservatives] are working their way towards another minority government.

Whether it will be the Liberals or the NDP who will be the opposition, I don’t know.

—This interview has been edited and condensed.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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Student leaders discuss role of Deputy Provost with Masi Portfolio of Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning) undergoing review by McGill administration Jonny Newburgh Contributor Provost Anthony Masi held a retreat with some McGill student leaders on Feb. 27, to discuss the portfolio of the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) (DP-SLL).

Student leaders identified their ideas and concerns for the position, which were briefly addressed in the Board of Governors meeting on March 13.

The retreat followed a meeting in December, where student leaders formally presented Masi with their concerns regarding the role. Discussions like this are part of the Provost’s ongoing project to revise the portfolio of the DP-SLL. “This year, the Office of the Provost has been conducting the systematic, comprehensive constructive review of the scope and structure of the Student Life and Learning (SLL) portfolio in order to identify the most effective ways to deliver services that further enhance the student experience at McGill,”

the provost wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Masi also emphasized that the review is not of the current DPSLL Dr. Morton Mendelson’s performance but only of the position he fills. As McGill’s first DP-SLL, Mendelson’s term was originally set to expire in 2011, but he accepted a two-year extension of the position in an agreement with the university last summer. “[This decision was] to allow for a comprehensive review of the portfolio and to allow the university sufficient time to launch an advisory committee to help search for his successor once that review was completed,” Masi wrote.

Masi and student representatives from the EdUS, EUS, PGSS, MACES, MCSS, MUS, MUSA and SSMU discussed areas of possible improvement or clarification within the portfolio during a six-hour meeting. They spent the bulk of the time discussing student consultation, the administration’s hierarchies, and

frustrations over the recent limitations to the use of “McGill” in student groups’ names.

Josh Redel, EUS President and SSMU President-elect, said that while student life at McGill has always been important, the position DP-SLL was created only seven years ago. As a result, the last few years have been a test for what works and what does not.

At the meeting in December, student presidents gave Masi a document outlining concerns with the DP-SLL’s portfolio and possible areas for improvement.

“Looking at the university’s mission and what their goals were when they created the position, [the Provost] called us back for this retreat with a set of questions to ask us,” Redel said.

Redel pointed out that while the role has garnered a lot of negative attention, Mendelson has completed a number of projects on campus that have had dramatic impacts on student life, such as the Service Point,

which opened in 2010.

A major point of contention in the discussions was the dual-function of the DP-SLL, as the point-person between both the administration and students. While students argue that the DP-SLL holds a somewhat conflicting role, Masi said that the two roles are compatible.

“The Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) does, at times, refuse requests from student groups and communicates limitations or constraints that they face,” Masi wrote. “Nonetheless, the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) still advocates for students’ interests.

These functions are not contradictory.”

“The Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) is not a disciplinary officer and doesn’t play any role in the administration of the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures,” he added.

Andre Mayrand, VP Internal of MCSS, sought to ensure that in a revised role the deputy provost would

have a greater presence among students.

“Students should know what his job is and students should have access to go talk to him if they need help,” Mayrand said.

The provost will invite student leaders to comment on his final report sometime in the next month.

According to Redel, applications for the revised DP-SLL role are scheduled to open sometime late this summer.

SSMU President Maggie Knight gave assurance that students will participate in the hiring process of the next DP-SLL. She said that student representatives will be included on the advisory committee that handles the applications, just as student representatives sit on the principal’s advisory committee.

“What we are trying to do is figure out the final reshaping of this role,” she said. “It has grown a lot and in different ways.”

Largest protest in Quebec history remains peaceful continued from COVER “I’m a primary [school] teacher and I wish my students [could] go to high school or, if they want, university and CEGEP,” David Marquis, a first grade teacher in the South Shore, said. “I hope they don’t have to interrupt their studies because they can’t afford [the tuition].”

The march finished in Place Jacques Cartier in the Old Port and featured speeches by Helöise Moysan Lapointe, member of the Profs Contre la Hausse collective and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesperson for the Coalition large de l’Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (CLASSE), a Quebec-wide temporary coalition of students opposing tuition increases and one of the primary groups organizing the protest.

“It was an unbelievable protest [and] I think we just made history,” Nadeau-Dubois said after addressing the crowd. “It’s the biggest protest in the history of Quebec, so I think students of Quebec should be very proud of their generation.”

Nadeau-Dubois noted that representatives from the student movement have not been able to discuss tuition fee increases with the provincial government.

“We’ve had no meetings with the government in the past year and we hope [we can meet] as soon as possible,” he said. “This government systematically refuses to dis-

Hundreds of thousands gathered to protest provincial tuition increases. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) cuss tuition fees with the student movement.”

Previously, Education Minister Line Beauchamp has cited irreconcilable views as a basis for not negotiating.

“The student associations are defending two options—one wants to talk about completely free [education], the other wants to maintain the freeze and send the bill to other people,” Beauchamp told The Canadian Press after the protest. “It’s a bit of ‘not in my backyard’ and that can’t be a basis for discussion.”

Moysan Lapointe cited the

“government’s intransigence” as a reason for the large turnout.

“The student movement has given many proposals for refinancing education, proposals that seem, to us profs, more interesting than those of the government’s,” she said in French. “The ball’s in the government’s court.”

Despite the size of the protest, there were no injuries, according to Arnell LeBlanc, VP Operations for the Concordia Emergency Response Team, an organization that worked with the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ) to

provide security and first aid.

“There were some little fist fights but we managed to disperse them, and the crowd would just boo the people to the point they’d stop fighting,” LeBlanc said. “No one actually got hurt, it was a good day.”

Montreal police confirmed that there were no arrests or violent incidents over the course of the protest.

“Everything was under control,” Yannick Ouimet, media relations officer for the Montreal police, said. “The students followed every street they told us they were going to go through.”

The protest ended around 5 p.m., when people started leaving the Old Port. Several individuals collected signs from garbage cans and placed them in flowerpots in Place Cartier as a reminder of the protest.

“The signs are valuable,” Steve Risdon, a special care counselor, said in French. “This is a non-violent, pacifist movement … we decided to gather the signs to [continue the protest’s visibility.]”

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

CAMPUS

Senate discusses future of education Governing body hears reports from teaching and learning services Anand Bery Science and Technology Editor Last Wednesday’s Senate meeting featured much discussion on improving teaching and learning at McGill, as well as a report from enrolment services on recruitment and retention.

While the meeting was closed to outside observers other than members of the campus media and incoming senators, the proceedings were made available to the wider university community via a livestream to the Cyberthèque in the basement of the Redpath Library.

After a vote to approve the closing of the chambers and livestreaming of the proceedings, discussion moved to a question brought forward by science senator Max Luke.

Luke’s question, which pertained to the sustainability of teaching and learning at McGill, asked how the university is facilitating interdisciplinary projects focused on environmental sustainability.

In his response, Provost Anthony Masi pointed to the section

of McGill’s Strategic Research Plan pertaining to the environment, which lists, for example, ecology and conservation biology, climate variability, and clean energy systems as priorities for collaboration across faculties, especially among agricultural and environmental sciences, law, science, and engineering. He went on to note that environmental sustainability will continue to play a role in faculty renewal.

Law senator Ian Clarke asked whether McGill’s assessment of its performance includes a comparison of its activities with those of other institutions. In response, Masi mentioned the recent LEED certification of the Bellini Life Sciences Complex, which is an objective certification from an outside group.

In a special report, Prof. Cynthia Weston and Dr. Laura Winer of Teaching and Learning Services updated the assembly on developments in their department. Their presentation examined attributes of excellence in teaching and learning at all levels of the university, from professors to faculties and departments to

the university as a whole.

Weston highlighted innovative strategies used by professors, like graded online discussion boards, in-class clicker questions that prompted peer discussion, and interactive writing assignments, which involved students improving their own work based on feedback as part of the course.

Nigel Roulet, a senator and professor in the department of geography, noted the value he has seen in McGill’s active learning classrooms.

“I have had students say the active learning classrooms were the deepest form of learning they had ever taken,” he said.

Senator Matt Crawford emphasized the key role teaching assistants play in fostering discussion in many classes.

“WebCT is not a direct substitute for discussion mediated by teaching assistants,” he cautioned.

Other senators noted the lack of availability of classroom space, particularly for midterm exams, as a barrier to giving good feedback to students.

Following the Teaching and Learning Services presentation, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson spoke on Enrolment Services (ES). The ES department deals with student recruitment and retention, and falls under the portfolio of the deputy provost.

Science senator Annie Ma asked if the university was taking steps to emphasise volunteer and extracurricular involvement as criteria for admission.

“One of the roadblocks to fullfile interviews is the time and resources it takes,” Mendelson said.

Mendelson noted that the University of British Columbia has recently announced it will consider more than just grades, and that while he can’t say McGill is moving in that direction, the administration is aware of the issue.

Mendelson also expressed concern over McGill’s yield rate. The proportion of admitted students who accept an offer to attend McGill is one of the lowest among peer universities.

“[We] have been increasing efforts to attract those students,” he said.

Following the discussion on enrolment, Dean of Students Jane Everett brought information to Senate regarding proposed changes to the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.

The sections on disruptions and demonstrations have been a point of much contention in recent months.

Everett asked Senate to delay discussion of those articles until the release of Dean Manfredi’s report into the university community’s view of the meaning, scope, and protection of free expression and peaceful assembly on campus.

The next steps for the revision will be formal consultation with faculties and student associations via committees, and the production of a draft copy of the revised code, which will eventually be brought to senate for approval.

CAMPUS

Summit gathers student input on student-run café From menus to management, attendees brainstormed specifics of café set to open in 2013 Jimmy Lou Contributor Following the SSMU StudentRun Café Competition Expo on March 14, SSMU’s Strategic Summit last Friday, March 23 addressed issues surrounding the student-run café, set to launch in September 2013.

In this preliminary phase, the planning committee primarily aimed to continue gathering as many ideas from students as possible to ensure a truly student-oriented, interactive café. Once there have been sufficient consultations and preparations, the committee will begin construction of the café in 2012.

While the planning committee will be adopting the design and business plan of the Fireside Café, the team that won the SSMU Sustainability Case Expo, co-ordinators are

still looking to incorporate as much student feedback as possible.

“The purpose of [the] Strategic Summit is to engage students in the planning for a student run café,” SSMU VP Finance and Operations Shyam Patel, leader of the planning committee, said. “We hope to get more feedback [and] ideas in an interactive way. Instead of just asking [students] what [they] think, we want to make it more bi-directional.

This is really important because it’s going to be in the SSMU building and it’s going to provide job opportunities to students.”

In this meeting, moderator Flint Deita provided participants with five main topics to brainstorm: (1) Who will manage the student-run café?

(2) What food items will be included in the menu? (3) What do students want to see in the café? (4) How will SSMU finance the student-run café?

(5) What sort of ambiance do students want to see in the café?

Many ideas immediately surfaced, leading to a lively group discussion.

“I was hoping for more people, but enough people showed up to give us enough feedback on the project,” Deita said. “A lot of people are interested in offering their ideas, but of course a lot of them are not here and I’d love to see more come out in the future.”

Despite the small number of attendees, the committee was brimming with ideas, proposals from the recent case competition, and multiple recent consultations. Some of the most popular ideas included student managers to oversee the entire operation, casual meals made from sustainable and seasonal products, and a rentable space for performances or other events. Students also sug-

gested blackboard-like walls for random artistic or promotional drawing and a well-lit and vibrant ambience that avoids being crowded or overly boisterous.

“This project has captured a lot of the students’ imaginations and is really exciting, but we still have a lot of work to do in terms of figuring out the specifics,” SSMU President Maggie Knight said. “We have gotten to the point where we have talked a lot about the issue and have gotten a lot of feedback. We have to soon make a decision as to what it’s going to look like and how we are going to do this.”

In terms of challenges, the committee responsible for the new student-run café is seeking to ensure financial sustainability. The administration, according to Maggie Knight, is currently reviewing the project. However, there are still con-

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cerns that the new café may face the same challenges as the Architecture Café or Haven Books, student initiatives that were closed due to financial difficulties.

Fortunately, although the possibility of financial failure still exists, the committee is being careful to avoid similar mistakes.

“We’re doing this so early mainly because of failed operations of the past,” Patel said.

In the near future, there will be a contest for naming the café and the committee encourages students to participate.

“Personally, I love this project and I love the idea of a student-run café, which I think is a great way to make people more social and to give more power to the students,” Deita said.

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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CAMPUS

Redpath Museum celebrates 130th anniversary Museum club launches Behind the Roddick Gates, a research journal to honour the museum’s exhibits and history Erica Friesen News Editor On Thursday, March 22, McGill’s Redpath Museum celebrated its 130th Anniversary with the official launch of the Redpath Museum Club’s new publication, Behind the Roddick Gates. The event included presentations by student contributors to the journal and a retelling of the museum’s history.

Completed in 1882, the Redpath Museum is the oldest structure built as a museum in Canada, and was originally built to house formerprincipal William Dawson’s personal collection of artifacts. In the last 130 years, the Redpath Museum’s collection has grown considerably, and the museum currently receives about 10,000 visitors each year.

At the anniversary celebration, volunteers dressed as historically relevant figures like Principal Dawson and museum founder Peter Redpath explained the museum’s history. Emily Bamforth, PhD student and internal facilitator of the Redpath Museum Club, was dressed as Dawson’s daughter Anna. “[The anniversary is] significant because the Redpath Museum [has] had teaching and research since it was open, and it continues to

be the only free museum in Montreal because that was one of its mandates when it was opened,” she said.

Although Munroe-Blum was not able to attend the event in person, organizers played a recorded message in which she shared her thoughts on how the values of the museum have helped shape the values of McGill as a university.

“From its inception, the Redpath Museum has been open free of charge to the public,” Munroe-Blum said. “Indeed, in many ways it is a powerful expression of the public mission of McGill as a university itself to learning, research, teaching, and the ability to have a hands-on experience with artifacts that enrich our understanding of the world.”

Masi praised the museum’s role in McGill’s history, including its role in research, the expansion of its collection, its outreach and public programming, and its pedagogical innovations.

“When this museum was first built, it was clearly a state-of-theart, scientific research facility that helped solidify McGill’s status and prestige as a world-class research university,” he said.

Part of the way the Redpath Museum Club is moving forward is with its new annual journal, Behind

the Roddick Gates. According to Bamforth, members of the Redpath Museum Club have been working on the journal for over a year.

The journal is a collection of research on interesting facts and features of the Redpath Museum, McGill University, and Montreal.

At the anniversary event, several student contributors to the journal briefly explained their research topics, which included Dawson’s discovery of an ancient lizard skeleton in 1852 and McGill’s conservation efforts for endangered species.

Natalia Toronchuk, a U6 English literature student and contributor to the journal, wrote an essay about the first Internet search engine, “Archie,” which was developed at McGill.

“It’s been really fun,” she said.

“All the people who work at Redpath Museum and the people that are in the museum club are really amazing, sincere, wonderful people, so it really wasn’t that difficult for me to do my research with their help.”

“Anniversaries such as this one give us an opportunity to reflect back, but also to look forward,” Masi said.

There are two more chances to contribute this year!

Redpath Museum turns 130. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)

LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM

Leadership Skills Development Workshops • Interested in gaining skills in leadership?

• Involved in a student club, service or organization as an executive, organizer or event planner?

• Looking for ways to expand & build on your life skills?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of the above, then don’t miss this opportunity to sign up for the Leadership Training Program’s FREE Skills Development Workshops!

These workshops were created to give you the chance to develop and build on your leadership and life skills. Attend a minimum of five workshops throughout 2011/12 academic year and receive a certificate of completion.

Come and see these workshops on the downtown campus:

Professionalism: Being Your Best

News meetings are Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in Shatner 110.

Thursday, March 29, 5:30-7:30pm Professionalism in group work and the workplace can be a pivotal part of your overall success now and in the future. Come and explore the process of learning and adopting values and attitudes that are key to being a professional in may careers. Being professional or unprofessional has many repercussions in interpersonal interactions - learn how to better navigate this fundamental terrain!

Negotiation Skills Wednesday, April 4, 5:30-7:30pm We all negotiate everyday with friends, other students, professors, landlords etc. In this experiential workshop, explore and expand your own negotiation skills by being involved in an actual negotiation simulation.

Be prepared to see that we can all be better negotiators and attain more win-win outcomes!

To register and for more info, visit: www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/leadertraining/workshops you can also drop by the First-Year Office in the Brown Building, Suite 2100 or call 514-398-6913

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NEWS 6

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student assemblies discuss possibility of strike 1

French Literature

Thirty-one students from the French literature department gathered in the Arts Building on Tuesday, March 20, and voted on a oneday strike for the province-wide protest on Thursday, March 22. The motion passed with a near unanimous majority—30 students for, and one against. This represented nearly half of the department, which consists of approximately 75 major, minor, and honours students. The French literature department also decided, unanimously, to carry out an unlimited strike vote on Friday, March 30. If the department does agree on an unlimited strike, it will be effective starting the following Monday, April 2. The nature of the picket line will also be discussed at the upcoming meeting.

Due to the department’s size, the assembly was intimate in nature, taking the form of a small group discussion.

On thoughts of the unlimited strike, French literature student Habib Hassoun said, “If we go on a strike, I’m thinking that we could probably make some cultural actions, like creating a creative magazine online with poems, small essays, and thoughts about social engagement.”

—Julia Chu

∞ 1

Geography

On Tuesday, March 20, members of the McGill Undergraduate Geography Society (MUGS) gathered on the fourth floor of Burnside to vote for a proposed one-day strike. The motion that students ultimately passed at the assembly, however, was for an “indefinite general strike,” with 21 voting in favour of the strike, 15 against, and seven abstentions.

Geography students were notified that their department was joining the unlimited strike via a listserv the following morning, on Wednesday, March 21. The strike began today at 8:00 a.m.

As with many other GAs this week, the motion included a clause for periodic renewal every five school days. The next GA will take place today.

No additional details for the actual strike were provided, but in their listserv MUGS recognized that the vote may not have reflected the desires of the entire department.

“We ask that everyone please consider the potential for differing opinions to divide a community, and instead hope we proceed from here with the main goal in mind: education,” the listserv read. “We need to educate ourselves, and allow others to do the same.”

—Kyle Ng

X

English

On March 26, the Department of English Students’ Association (DESA) voted not to continue their unlimited general strike, following a vote with 74 for the renewal of the strike, 117 against and 12 abstentions.

DESA was on strike for one week, having declared a general strike of indefinite duration at an assembly on March 19.

After the first day of the strike last Tuesday, many students criticized the tactics used by picketers, which included drumming and yelling to disrupt classrooms, as well as blocking classroom entrances.

“Some of the people said things that were really insulting,” an English student who wished to remain anonymous said. “They said in their [email] that they weren’t going to use any coercive measures … how is barricading my classroom not coercive?”

DESA executives said that the strike committee, which is open to all English students, worked to address students’ concerns about strike tactics.

“DESA’s goal is not to create noise,” DESA Literature Representative Julie Mannell said. “Our goal is to foster discussion and debate … the important thing is that we’re talking and engaging in dialogue with each other.”

—Erica Friesen

FACULTY GAs

X

Medical students

On Tuesday March 20, the Medical Students’ Society of McGill University (MSS) voted against a one-day strike. The motion was defeated with 79 in favour of the strike, 117 against, and six abstentions.

Although the MSS will not be striking, students at the GA voted for the MSS to adopt a specific stance supporting accessible education. While the MSS supports tuition increases that are indexed to inflation, they oppose the Quebec provincial government’s proposed tuition increases over the next five years. The general assembly also voted for the MSS to adopt the position that any tuition fee increase by the provincial government must be accompanied by an increase in student aid through the Quebec Loans and Bursary Program.

—Erica Friesen

Work ∞ Social students On Monday March 26, the Social Work Students’ Association (SWSA) held a General Assembly (GA) in which members renewed last week’s vote to go on unlimited student strike. SWSA members have been on strike since March 14.

Yesterday’s motion passed 56 in favour of the unlimited student strike and 33 against. Quorum for the GA was 25 people.

The SWSA held soft pickets in front of Wilson Hall through last week, encouraging students not to attend class.

“Classes are being held, but we have a picket presence at the beginning of each class,” first year social work student Leah Freeman, said.

“In classes that normally have 110 students, there are maybe 10 or 15 who come.”

—Carolina Millán Ronchetti

1

Music

On Wednesday, March 21, members of the Music Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA) voted in a General Assembly (GA) in favour of a one-day strike on March 22, with 62 for, 46 against, and two abstentions. The motion further stated that MUSA is against the rise of tuition fees, and included a clause ensuring that the pickets would be soft.

“Any picket lines undertaken as a part of this strike will not prevent music students from entering and exiting the music buildings or partaking in their activities by means of physical or verbal aggression,” the motion read.

In addition, the assembly debated whether to ratify the vote to strike online until midnight of March 21, but the motion failed.

—Carolina Millán Ronchetti

∞

Art History and Communications

On March 26, members of the Art History and Communication Studies Students’ (AHCSSA) Association voted in favour of an unlimited general strike in a General Assembly (GA). With a vote of 48 for, 41 against and two abstentions, the stirke vote passed. Quorum was set at 60 people.

Students voted on proposed amendments by show of hands, and on the final vote by secret ballot. If The strike began today, and will be renewable every week on a simple majority vote (50 per cent plus one vote) during another general assembly. The next GA to renew the strike will be held on March 30, at a time and place to be announced at least 36 hours prior.

—Christos Lazaris

Anthropology A group of 30 anthropology students, of the 350 in the department, met Monday, March 19, to discuss how the Anthropology Students’ Association wanted to react to the planned Quebec tuition increases. No informal or formal vote took place, but the students discussed the issues. In addition, students in the anthropology graduate studies program explained how their own renewable strike is going, and gave advice to the assembly.

A general assembly on Friday, March 30, at 6 p.m. in Leacock 26 will determine if the ASA goes on a one, three, or five-day strike or an indefinite strike. Quorum for this assembly is set at 60 students, 17 per cent of the department.

—Natasha Fenn

1

One-day strike

X

No strike

∞ Unlimited strike Sociology On Tuesday, March 27, just over 20 sociology students gathered independent from the Sociology Students’ Association to discuss how their department wants to respond to the proposed Quebec tuition increases. Since only three per cent of the faculty attended, in a department of 600 students, no strike vote took place, because it would have not been representative of the department’s stance. However, there was a lively discussion about the effectiveness of hard picket lines.

Students brought up the point that, although in the short term hard picket lines appeal to those prostrike, they have the potential to alienate students, and also that so few students cannot maintain the tactics of a hard strike in the long term. While the majority of opinions presented at this meeting were pro-strike, students also agreed that such a strike could not be forced on the rest of the department if the majority of sociology students don’t agree.

There is a proposed referendum in a sociology General Assembly this upcoming Friday on the topic of the strike and hard picket lines.

—Natasha Fenn

Sociology students discuss options. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune)

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TPS Board of Directors

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editorial Departmental GAs contravene the AUS constitution On March 13, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) held a highly-attended General Assembly (GA) in the SSMU building. Over 1,100 students voted on whether arts undergraduates should go on strike in opposition to the Quebec government’s proposed tuition fee increases. The result was close; but the attendees ultimately voted against going on strike by a margin of 609 to 495, with 16 abstentions. Given that the quorum for the GA was 150, the result is constitutionally binding for the AUS. And yet, the crucial question facing arts undergraduates this week is whether, by extension, the AUS vote is also binding for departmental student societies.

Student societies such as the Political Science Students Association (PSSA) have argued that the AUS GA’s result is binding and have consequently decided not to stage a strike vote. But the Department of English Students’ Association (DESA) held its own GA last

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The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a stu-

cally binding legislative body must be upheld in the meantime if student democracy is to remain credible.

And a close reading of the AUS constitution leads to the conclusion that departmental GAs are unconstitutional in this case. Article 8.7 of the AUS constitution clearly states that “Departmental Associations shall recognize the supremacy of the AUS.” Since the AUS GA has already settled the issue that arts undergraduates will not join the Quebec-wide student strike, continuing to propose striking at departmental GAs is a failure to recognise the AUS GA as a binding legislative body of the AUS. It is an undermining of AUS authority over departmental societies.

The constitutional question is not one-sided. Departmental student societies recognise the higher authority of the AUS in their constitutions and the mandate for these organisations is supposed to be a promotion of educational and learn-

ing experience. The AUS’s broader mandate makes it a more appropriate forum for organizing strikes.

The Tribune therefore believes that departmental societies do not have a right in this case to propose strikes after they were voted against in the GA. Furthermore, there have been instances of student groups holding strike GAs for their departments that are not even affiliated with that department’s student association. The implications of these autonomous GAs further undermine the student democratic process.

It is also important to note that any picketing done by those who do strike should not go so far as to deny other students’ right to education.

That would be excessively hypocritical.

Gill interfered. If you want to enroll in a French language course at McGill, there is a mandatory placement test that you must complete before even registering for a class. Again, this was in first year. I was daunted by the online Minerva system course registration system, by the fact that I had to frantically refresh the login page for half an hour in order to sign in and fight for the courses I wanted, and by the idea that, if I chose French, I would not even be guaranteed a place in a French class (plus the embarrassment of actually sitting through a placement test).

Needless to say, I chose a language that did not require a placement test, German.

So here we come to the real reason that I have not bothered to learn French. Had I not taken German, I would probably have plucked up the courage and enrolled in a SSMU minicourse (or something of the sort) to improve my French. Now, however, German has taken over every vocabulary word and every verb

conjugation I ever knew (I sometimes give a friendly “Danke!” to a fellow Montrealer, only to realize with horror that I meant “Merci!”).

There is no more space in my brain for French, and I’m loath to give up my precious little German to accommodate for it. I’m not ashamed of loving German, but it does make learning French that much harder.

I know it’s silly to try and justify myself for something that is fundamentally my responsibility for neglecting. I feel selfish enough every time a waitress comes to take my order, or someone asks me for directions, and I stare at them with that blank expression that stamps “English” across my face and prompts them to immediately adopt the language that suits me. The funny thing is, I probably will get around to learning French at some point in my life, but it probably won’t be in Montreal, and it won’t be at McGill.

off the board Erica Friesen

Contributors

Alexandra Allaire, Ilia Blinderman, Johanu Botha, Julia Chu, Jeffrey Downey, Rebecca Feigelsohn, Natasha Fenn, Emma Hambly, Victor Lam, Christos Lazaris, Jimmy Lou, Colleen McNamara, Leigh Miller, Lauren Mokry, Abraham Moussako, Jonny Newburgh, Kyle Ng, Michael Paolucci, Joshua Prizant, and Wendy Speakman

Monday, March 19, attended by 85 students, and voted to go on strike.

As a consequence, there has been extensive picketing outside lecture halls, leading to numerous English classes being cancelled. Last night, the strike renewal vote failed, but other departmental student associations are set to vote on whether to join the strike or renew the mandate to strike later in the week.

These departmental strike GAs are unprecedented. When political initiatives are unprecedented, it does not mean they are without foundation, but it does mean that its legitimacy can only lie in a close reading of the AUS constitution. There may indeed be faults with the AUS constitution in its current form, and it could certainly be argued that the format of the AUS GA was far from ideal: a truly representative and feasible GA is only possible once an online voting system is introduced. But until the constitution is reformed, its stipulations that the GA is a politi-

News Editor

Why I don’t speak French I wish I spoke French. I really do. Back home in Ontario, everyone laughs when I tell them I’m studying English and German in Montreal, but yet can’t speak French and I have to be honest—I really don’t have a good reason for my apparent resistance to my country’s second official language. But let me get things straight: while it may ultimately be my fault for not learning French, McGill and Montreal certainly did not encourage me to learn the language.

First of all, there’s the obvious problem of McGill’s “student bubble.” McGill is an English-speaking

campus, cloistered in the (largely) English-speaking McGill ghetto, and surrounded by a hub of businesses and cultural attractions that cater to English-speaking students and tourists. I realize that many of the people around McGill speak French in addition to speaking English, but it is difficult to break away from the stereotypical English-speaking McGill student when bilinguals immediately switch over to English at the first hint of incomprehension. I really tried to speak French off-campus when I arrived at McGill armed only with my grade nine French skills, but the keen embarrassment I felt when French-speakers rapidly switched to English when speaking to me led me to abandon these attempts in favour of the comfort of my native language.

My other serious attempt to learn French came in the form of a required language course for my program. I could have chosen any language—what a perfect chance to learn French—but once again, Mc-

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ERRATA An article in last week’s Tribune (“Josh Redel wins SSMU presidency by 23 votes” March 20, 2012) mistakenly states that CKUT Radio’s referendum question failed with 49.2 per cent of voters answering ‘No.’ The vote actually failed with 42.9 per cent of voters anwering ‘No.’ The Tribune regrets this error.

columnists Oh, Canada?

Johanu Botha

jbotha@mcgilltribune.com

The gem that is Quebec theatre Two Sundays ago, as the rest of the city reveled in the sun-drenched welcoming of spring, I found myself cursing Google Maps, lost in the depths of St. Laurent. Accompanied by fellow theatre lovers, I was searching for the entrance to Infinitheatre, a bath house turned performance space. A matinee showing of Quebec playwright François Archambault’s The Leisure Society was already starting. My frantic search was starting to manifest it-

amoussako@mcgilltribune.com

Abraham Moussako

The view from Tuesday Safe space strife The latest flashpoint of tension at Queer McGill (QM) revolves around the dismissal of Brian Keast, the former treasurer of the club, after an equity complaint filed by Libby Bouchard, the club’s Political Action Co-ordinator. The complaint alleged that Keast, an executive of the group, had violated QM’s antitransphobia mandate. Some of the detailed aspects of the complaint included not being attentive enough to the complaints of transgendered members, scheduling a club event on the same date as a march commemorating the killings of transgendered people, and not attending a

Opinion Editor

Community? Community.

Community!

Sitting in on the Department of English Students Association’s General Assembly, where its members debated whether they should continue to strike, I came to a realization: the discussion centred around something far greater than the issues themselves. The debate

is The Seven Streams of the River Ota by Robert Lepage, which starts with the horrific Hiroshima bombing during World War II, and threads a visually stunning story that connects people from different times and places.

These are but a few contemporary examples of something special happening in Quebec’s playhouses.

Its theatre scene—only half a century ago mostly comprised of a vehement reaction against the surge of American pop culture and the iron grip of the Catholic church—has come into its own in a way that is distinctly its own.

For the non-local, it might be tricky at first to find theatre created

by Quebecois artists, but believe me, finding it is worth it. Even if it means looking for the back door.

issues. Luxion went as far as to note that the types of oppression that exist in the wider world also exist in the queer community as well. In addition, the three of them expressed confidence in both the equity commission and its decision. In response to my inquiry about the (seeming) lack of transphobic intent in Keast’s comments, Luxion argued that while there is room in a “safe space” for misunderstandings, a refusal to acknowledge the hurtfulness of one’s actions is almost as bad as actually trying to be hurtful.

The three executives also spoke with one voice when I inquired whether QM will move past the situation. Luxion noted that worse disputes have occurred since the club was founded in the 1970s, but the current situation was far more transparent thanks to the Internet.

The other, longer-term debate surrounding QM has been about the scope of its mission. Is it to be a “support service [for] queer students and

their allies,” or is it to take a broader role in on campus politics? Several weeks earlier, another rancorous debate was triggered on the QM page

by Bouchard’s posting of a pride flag draped over the sign of the James Administrative Building, in support the sixth floor occupation earlier this year. To get an external perspective on this aspect of the story, I talked to Aliénor Lemieux-Cumberlege, who formerly served as QM’s First Year Representative and Volunteer and Discussion Groups co-ordinator.

She resigned from the latter position at the end of last term, citing stresses associated with being on the club’s executive body. On the subject of politics at Queer McGill, she noted that both “are strongly linked at the moment, perhaps to the detriment of the service mandate.” While, in her view, politics are not “irreconcilable” with the service mandate, she expressed worry that queer students would feel that they are not political enough to get involved with QM.

Luxion, meanwhile, struck a somewhat different tone, arguing that those who become executives on QM tend to be politically and socially involved on campus. The tension between what executives do in their official role and what they do individually, Luxion said, was healthy because it opened discussion on what sorts of things the organization wants to be involved with on campus.

Queer McGill will almost certainly survive Keast’s dismissal.

Lemieux-Cumberlege, Luxion, Clark, and Choupique all agreed to as much when asked. As to whether the club can minimize the impact of such incidents in the future is an open question.

“Student strikes are the chance to build a community.” This was met with applause by the audience (or rather, with hands waving in the air to signify approval—a sensible custom to avoid the auditorium being routinely drowned out with noise). Another speaker excitedly spoke of a similar reason to strike, one which the crowd received with equal levels of approval as he boldly proclaimed, “we are part of the largest movement we will ever have the chance to be a part of.”

Such a desire to be part of something greater than the self, to share in a common fate with others, and to unify with a common ambition pervaded the discussion.

And it was telling to see how

exhilarated certain members of the audience looked, with many excited to convene and bond with their fellow classmates. One speaker fondly wished that students would meet more often like this anyway, and not just because there was controversy afoot. He went on to sum up the tolerant mood of proceedings, proudly observing that, “No matter what your stance, the opportunity to get together and talk has been great anyway.”

His point strikes an obvious chord. Many students were hearing their classmates open their mouths for the first time. Yet these were all people who shared a love for English, and as another speaker put it, “a shared love of education.”

This phenomenon pervades McGill. Too many students with shared interests do not get a chance to meet and talk because of a lack of community. What has made this year so exhilarating to many is that through the MUNACA strike, and through the Quebec-wide student strike, many McGill students—on both sides of the debate—have found a common cause which gives them the stability that comes with solidarity.

While tuition fee increases are the cause célèbre of the day, it is important to use the momentum it has generated to attain a longer term goal of a closer community.

inspection of social norms and fresh approach at tackling old themes was different from the more famous of the 20th century pieces floating about in the public consciousness.

“Trans Allyship” workshop for QM executives because, Keast claimed, he had to study. The SSMU equity commission, in their binding ruling, sided with Bouchard. Keast declined to speak on the record for this piece.

I visited Queer McGill’s offices to get a closer view of the situation.

I spoke to three of the remaining executives; the social co-ordinators, Lindsey Clark and Sasha Choupique, and publicity director Mona Luxion.

They all characterized the reality of the situation as being quite different from the Facebook wall. According to Clark, the contentious atmosphere surrounding the dismissal stemmed from incomplete information provided to club members at the time.

In addition, she characterized the debate as a “few loud voices” magnifying the issue.

All three current executives I spoke to agreed that this episode was reflective of broader debates that often occur in the queer community about how to approach transgender

off the board Richard Martyn-Hemphill

The Leisure Society is yet another Quebec theatre gem, exposing the dearth of meaning that can manifest itself in a Canadian upper

middle class existence. In the play, a rich and powerful couple fill their lives with anything and everything except for actual, vulnerable relationships. This leads to a whirlwind of unsatisfactory sexual excursions and unsuccessful suicide attempts.

The scary thing was how recognizable this onstage reflection was to a broader 21st century Canadian audience. This is becoming the stamp of a great deal of Quebec theatre; it may be conceived in this province, but it has implications for Canada as a whole.

Wajdi Mouawad’s Scorched is also causing ripples in the theatre world, echoing the cross border journey of its characters. Scenes are set in Montreal and Lebanon as cycles of violence, and the nature of identity, are tied together in ways that make Greek tragedy seem like an after-school special. And adding further to the Quebec literary canon

self in increasingly blistering glares at the boisterous summer strollers all around us when, mercifully, one member of our crew suggested we swing on to St. Dominique and look for a back entrance.

The back entrance turned out to be the front entrance, and suddenly there we were; a now-cheery group of people entering the sleek, modern living room that was the set of The Leisure Society. As we settled into our seats my neighbour turned to me and—with eyes wide—said: “I used to think Quebec theatre wasn’t controversial enough.” An hour and a half later, it was clear why she had changed her mind.

I had discovered Quebec theatre the same way I found Infinititheatre: through the back door. Switching to an English major in my second year led to unexpected exposure to people making art in a way that I had never experienced before. Their raw

was really about how to discover and maintain a sense of community, a sense of purpose, and a common cause.

Certainly, the issues mattered.

Students debated articulately— and thankfully with civility— whether the Quebec government’s proposed tuition fee increases would adversely affect accessibility; they spoke eloquently of what constitutes a strike and where a strike’s limits should lie.

But the desire for community and common cause underpinned almost every discussion of pickets and fees. Most speakers made this patently clear. One campus orator’s main justication for McGill students going on strike was because,

“My neighbour

turned to me and said, ‘I used to think

theatre

Quebec wasn’t

controversial enough.’”

Student Living X VS. Y

Spring showdown: the battle of skirts vs. shorts The pros and cons of dressing for warmer weather

By Wendy Speakman

skirts Wind factor

In windy Montreal, the burdensome task of walking to school in a skirt can really ruin your morning. If you have to brave the vast tundra of JeanneMance Park or the inevitable wind tunnel known as Prince Arthur, I would advise against a skirt. In addition to other morning accoutrements, such as coffee, iPods, or keys, it is hard to find a free hand to defend against sporadic gusts.

Variety

Today, fashionable skirts can range anywhere from micro-mini to maxi. Although I do not recommend donning micro styles to class, skirts present an opportunity for fashion freedom and more room to experiment. On campus there are people wearing anything from boxy shift dresses to flouncy circle skirts, and flowy chiffon maxis. Sometimes one skirt can bridge several different looks depending on which top it is paired with.

Shoe factor

Skirts are much less risky when pairing with footwear. The Montreal spring,

being the transitional period between the harsh climates of winter and summer, often prompts people to continue wearing boots. Bare legs and boots can complement a more springy skirt quite nicely.

Even if not executed perfectly, skirts and boots runs less risk of looking foolish than shorts and boots.

Sprawl-ability

This is a very important category in the context of the end of semester at McGill. With the impending hilly landscape of lower field and OAP, it is important to consider how comfortable you will be sitting in a skirt.

Short skirts often force people to sit like they are posing for a dance photo: legs bent, stuck together, and swung to one side. Although this position conveniently allows for the subtle repositioning of your skirt under the anchor of your behind, inevitably your foot will fall asleep, forcing you to swing your legs to the other side and risk flashing a downhill neighbour. That said, in a flatter, park setting, maxi skirts are the ideal lounge attire. In addition to their likeness to blankets, maxi skirts allow you to sprawl, uninhibited, for hours, without risk of sunburn.

Overall winner:

SKIRTS

All things considered, I would advise you to embrace skirts this spring. Although they are irritating in the wind and might force you to sit like you did at age five in a family photo, skirts echo the easy breezy feeling of the season. Experiment with different lengths, prints, and styles, to find your perfect skirted ensemble. Lounge away!

shorts Wind factor

Shorts are largely windproof. Unless you come across a pair of ultra-wide-legged short culottes, the wind will have a hard time putting a damper on your spring morning.

Variety

Shorts can be more prohibitive. There is no such thing as maxi-shorts, unless we plan to amend everything that is now considered pants. Capris are hard to pull off in 2012, and, while knee-length shorts might be the most practical, it is safer to save them for a safari.

Most shorts in stores and around campus fall in the mid-thigh catImage sources: lastylistmom.com, stylishme.com

recipe

A

farewell meal

By Colleen McNamara Everything about summer is great. Sunshine, the lack of school, the revitalization of your bank account through a summer job, patios, lake breezes, boating, and of course, delectable fresh summer food. I have been blessed to live in a community where my food comes straight from the backyard of my neighbours, with an asparagus farm down the road and strawberry picking just a couple kilometres away. Admittedly, I actually enjoy the exciting prospect of a warm, comforting meal that follows a bitterly cold and dark walk home from school in the wintertime. As the snow disappears and farmers’ markets fill with an array of colourful plants for my summer binge, I realize it’s time to say goodbye to all of that warm goodness that so kindly insulated me through the winter. So one last time, I’ll make my favourite

recipes from my winter repertoire for a final winter meal.

To Start: Thick Tomato Soup 3 whole tomatoes 5 sticks of celery 1.5 medium sized onions 4 carrots 2 cloves of garlic 1 red pepper 400 mL can of tomatoes 2 cubes of beef, chicken or vegetable stock A few basil leaves 3 tablespoons of olive oil Chop the celery, onion, carrots, garlic, and red pepper. Throw into a large pan on medium heat with the olive oil. Wait until the onions are slightly browned and the carrots become soft (roughly 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, boil 1.5 litres of water. Mix the stock with boiling

egory. Needless to say, skirts are the clear winner when it comes to diversity.

Shoe factor

Of course, if done properly, the right shorts and the right boots can look fashionforward and cool. However, if not paired perfectly, shorts and footwear other than little sneakers, sandals, or flats walk a very fine line between chic and overzealous.

Sprawl-ability

This is a no-brainer, as shorts don’t present the same problems as skirts do when sitting on the grass. However, in terms of lounging, which I think we can all agree is what springtime is really about, it’s a toss-up if you dress strategically.

to winter water. When the veggies from the pan are soft, add them to the pot of stock. Drop the three whole tomatoes into the pot, increase the temperature, and bring to a boil for a few minutes.

Reduce the temperature and put the can of tomatoes and basil leaves into the pot. Let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Mix the soup and voila, you’re ready to eat.

The Main: Homestyle Mac and Cheese 2 cups macaroni 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 1.5 cups of milk 2 cups cheese (such as old cheddar) 10 saltine crackers Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).

Bring a large pot of lightly salted

water to a boil. Crush the crackers in a bowl and put aside. Grate cheese, and add macaroni to the boiling water and cook until softened—but not quite as soft as usual (about 10 minutes).

While the macaroni is cooking, add butter and flour to a medium-sized pot on a medium heat burner to create a paste. Add milk and continually whisk until sauce is thick. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

In a casserole dish, add macaroni in sections, pouring the thick sauce over the macaroni until the dish is full. Top the dish with crushed crackers, and some extra grated cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.

For Dessert: The Lazy Man’s Baked Turtle 20 mini pretzels 20 carmel cubes 1 bar of dark or milk choco-

late (such as Jersey milk) 20 pecan halves Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celcius).

Lay the pretzels on a parchment lined baking tray, with about one inch of space around each, to allow for the carmel and chocolate to melt. Place one square of chocolate on each pretzel, and one carmel cube on top of each square of chocolate. Bake for 4 minutes. While the carmel is still warm and soft, press a pecan half into each turtle. Cool completely before eating, or dig right in if you want a hot winter treat.

GERTS

Recent success leads to a summer revamp

Jacqui Galbraith

O

ver the years, parts of the Shatner Building have been reconfigured and refurbished. This year, it’s Gerts’ turn to get a makeover.

After upwards of three years of planning, SSMU and the Gerts staff are very excited to see the renovations so close to completion. The bar will be closed for the summer, re-opening in September, 2012.

“I think that students will like the renovations. I think it’ll be also a great opportunity to market Gerts to students who are coming into McGill,” SSMU VP Finance and Operations Shyam Patel said.

“Gerts will be rebranded a little bit. If we’re coming out strong in the first semester, I think more students will know about it. It’s going to be different, but we’re trying our best to make sure it’s comfortable and home-y as it is right now,” Patel said.

Gerts has undergone several renovations in its lifetime. The bar used to be located where La Prep and the SSMU student lounge are now, and the basement was occupied by The Alley, an alternative bar and cafe which was envisioned as a daytime hangout, and catered to McGill jazz lovers. By 1999, The Alley was closed and Gerts was moved downstairs in its place, to the dismay of patrons of both bars. For a few years, there would be a lineup out the door on Thursday nights, but most other times of the week, Gerts was relatively quiet.

In the past couple years however, Gerts has become more successful and so SSMU decided it was time to spruce up the student bar a little. Former VP Finance and Operations (2010-2011) Nicholas Drew elaborated on the origin of the renovation plans which will take place this summer in an email to the Tribune.

“I sat on the operations committee led by then-VP (Finance and Operations) Jose Diaz. The committee wanted to do something with the bar that would engage students and revitalize its image.

We thought it was time for a facelift,” Drew said.

To do this, “The Great Gerts Challenge” was created. Students submitted designs for the bar’s reinvention.

After a committee approved the winning designs and consent was given by SSMU Council (for budgetary reasons), the redesign process started. The budget was approved last year, but the renovations would have been too rushed to complete this past summer, so they were delayed another year.

“This all happened toward the end of Jose’s term and throughout my term up until the present. During my term as VP (Finance and Operations), I worked with McGill to select an appropriate design and begin the planning of its construction,” Drew explained.

“When the Gerts Committee got the estimate from McGill, we were way over the $200,000 that SSMU council approved the year before. I wrote a proposal to council to get additional funding and made a case to allocate double the amount given. After much debate, [we were] granted [about] $480,000 ... and the plans were given a green light.”

According to Gerts manager Natasha Geoffrion-Greenslide, the renovations aren’t trying to do away with any of the hominess that characterizes Gerts so well. The aim is to revamp the space without losing its flexibility so it can still accommodate a diverse clientele. The main goal is to make the space less awkward, both GeoffrionGreenslide and Patel asserted.

“It’s an awkward bar to serve at.

There’s too much space behind the bar where there doesn’t need to be, and it’s sort of divided into three parts,” Geoffrion-Greenslide said.

“It’s going to be more open. Right now the way it is, you have the middle section which is sort of the bar where you hang out, then you have the stage in the corner, and you sort of have a random side that just has seating,” Patel elaborated.

The stage will also be lengthened during renovations, along with an open style DJ booth. While the bar feels like it’s divided into three sections at present, it will have more of a horseshoe

shape when the renovations are complete, and the kitchen is going to be expanded to increase the amount of food served.

When it first moved to its current location, Gerts suffered financially, losing approximately $1 million.

“There were a lot of reasons why this happened, but the following comes to mind: there was high management turnover at the bar, the pricing scheme wasn’t enticing a regular clientele, and the competition of Montreal’s nightlife contributed to Gerts remaining a sinkhole in the SSMU operating budget,” Drew wrote.

In the last three years or so, Gerts has seen a considerable turnaround.

Patel attributes Gerts’ recent success to the strategy used by his two most recent predecessors, Drew and Diaz before him, as well as the consistency that Geoffrion-Greenslade has provided as manager over the past two years.

“During [Diaz’s] term, Gerts was sort of taking a 180, and it was being revamped. So there were specials, food was slowly being introduced … I sort of followed what Nick did, and I think Nick followed what his predecessor did,” Patel said.

Patel also credited the daily specials and the constant student group bookings as big factors for bringing in new clientele.

“I think the specials [were] a big thing, so introducing specials five days a week, it helps. I think also Natasha’s a big part of why Gerts has turned around,” Patel said. “Natasha’s been very upbeat, her attitude’s amazing. I think something she’s done really well … are big events, like Octoberhaus and St. Patrick’s Day.” He also cited student events held at Gerts like Trivia night as examples of the bar’s improved business.

“Understanding Gerts and its competitive environment was crucial. It had to complement the Montreal nightlife rather than directly compete. To ensure that it was frequented, we had to show students that coming to Gerts is a cheaper alternative to running events

Photos by Sam Reynolds

elsewhere.” Drew explained.

“We instituted daily specials and encouraged students to run their events at Gerts.

It was mutually beneficial since student groups could make money at the bar by collecting entrance fees and we would offer specials on drinks to make sure people would attend. Sales then flourished.”

Both Drew and Patel agreed that GeoffrionGreenslade has been a major force behind the continued success of Gerts. Patel called her personality “refreshing,” and Drew wrote, “Natasha was great to work with. She knew the industry quite well from her previous bartending experience and was enthusiastic [about working] with students. She had a lot of unique ideas coming into the job. I think a lot of the reason Gerts succeeded was due to her warm presence and hard work.”

A McGill alumni herself (BA 2006, English literature), Geoffrion-Greenslide bartended at Gerts while in school, and admitted that she never expected to be back here. She came back to Gerts to help her old manager train some new employees, and eventually wound up taking over as the new manager.

“Gerts has changed a lot. I worked with four different managers [when I went to school here],” said Geoffrion-Greenslide, noting the new consistency in terms of managment.

Geoffrion-Greenslide recognized the constant managerial turnover coupled with the annual turnover of the SSMU VP Finance and Operations position as a difficulty in terms of keeping

the bar consistent. She commented that a lot of what she tried to do was to ensure ideas were followed through on from year to year, as well as to incorporate new ideas each year.

When asked about Gerts’ two largest events, Octoberhaus and St. Patrick’s Day, she laughed and explained that the bar goes through about a month’s worth of beer those days.

But a lot more than that goes into organizing those kinds of events. Bands are booked, extra tables and chairs are ordered and set up, and staff is constantly on the go. Compared to a typical day at Gerts, when the bar opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes between midnight and 3 a.m., the St. Patrick’s Day Friday event saw the doors open at 8:00 a.m., and they didn’t close until well into the early morning hours.

Gerts has been around for years, making it a campus staple, and some students even have parents who can reminisce about their days as a McGill student, hanging out at “Gertrude’s” (the official name of the bar).

In the words of GeoffrionGreenslade, “It’s a cool place to be. You see regulars, people hanging out after class, or at night.” These renovations seek to continue this tradition and keep Gerts moving in its current, positive direction.

Patel explains Gerts’ importance in a fittingly simple manner: “It’s nice to have a place on campus where you can go and just relax, where you’re not studying.”

“Gerts will be rebranded a little bit. ... It’s going to be different, but we’re trying our best to make sure it’s comfortable and home-y.”

Science & technology environment

Jet stream and snowless ground bring summer weather Combination of mild winter and strong warm air currents lock hot weather over east coast Leigh Miller Contributor Last week, as unusually hot temperatures hit Montreal, McGill students flocked to green spaces all over campus, trading winter coats for shorts and tank tops.

The peak of the hot spell hit on March 21, with the temperature reaching 25.8 C degrees, according to Environment Canada.

Wednesday’s high exceeded the record high temperature for March 19 by 10 degrees.

“Beating a record by 10 degrees is unheard of,” Frédéric Fabry, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, said.

The unusual weather was caused by a combination of the mild winter and a north-south intrusion of a strong air current in the upper atmosphere called the jet stream, which blocked cooler weather from reaching the east coast.

Fabry explained that most Montreal weather travels west to east, driven by the jet stream. Occasionally the usual path of the current is disrupted by north-south air currents. When this happens, the weather gets trapped in place while the current is disrupted. This phenomenon is referred to as a block.

“We just happened to be on the right side [of the block],” Fabry

Students enjoying the unseasonal heat wave on lower field. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune) said, referring to the fact that warm weather hovered over Montreal while snow continued to fall in western Canada and heavy rains pounded Texas, causing flooding.

In a normal Montreal March, deep snow would have cooled the

warm air that travelled north from the Gulf of Mexico. The mild winter, caused in part by the fact that cold Arctic air stayed farther north in Canada than usual, meant the snow was thinner on the ground and melted quickly without significantly

cooling the temperature.

Fabry stressed that while there is plenty of evidence of gradual warming, this stretch of weather should not be considered proof of global warming. He pointed out that despite the mild winter in east-

ern Canada, Eastern Europe experienced much colder temperatures than usual.

Meteorologists can see weather coming a week or so in advance by watching air currents and monitoring the weather conditions upstream.

However, predicting the types of combinations of complex phenomena that resulted in the unprecedented warm spell last week is a difficult task.

Although websites like The Weather Network were predicting warm weather, the temperatures exceeded expectations. The bout of warm weather, which brought a snow-free St. Patrick’s Day, was a pleasant surprise for most.

Frostbite, an on-campus ice cream shop, sold so much ice cream that they had to close briefly to wait until more stock arrived. The unprecedented melt also surprised the city of Montreal, which responded by starting street cleaning operations much earlier than usual this year.

In the coming week, the weather is expected to cool down again.

Optimistically, Fabry pointed out that one last unexpected frost could kill off the mosquito larvae, making for a much more pleasant summer.

Medicine

A new potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease McGill researchers identify Nerve Growth Factor as key in maintaining neurological health Lauren Mokry Contributor Recent McGill research may have brought scientists one step closer to finding an early marker for Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is one of the most menacing chronic illnesses, one which attacks the brain by degrading the neural tissue necessary for thoughts and normal brain function.

The disease manifests by erasing the self, as the memories, relationships, and beliefs central to one’s identity are eroded. Friends and family are left to watch helplessly as loved ones succumb to Alzheimer’s, haunted by the fact that despite the advancements of modern medicine, nothing can be done to stop its progression.

With an aging population, it is predicted that the number of Alzheimer’s cases in North America will roughly triple by 2050. This

poses a great burden to our health care system—currently, the pathology of the disease is still not fully understood, which complicates the search for effective treatments. To make matters worse, the degeneration of the brain is asymptomatic. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis carries with it a degree of hopelessness, because existing therapies have proven to be only mildly effective, being unable to target the underlying condition.

What is understood is that the cortical cholinergic system plays a prominent role in cognitive processing and that a progressive degradation of this system is partly responsible for the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

A molecule called the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) has previously been identified as a protector of these cholinergic neurons.

Research led by Dr. A. Claudio Cuello of McGill’s department

of pharmacology and therapeutics found an imbalance in the metabolism of NGF in Alzheimer’s-afflicted brains. NGF is secreted in an inactive form, and must change form outside the cell in order to become functional. In brains with Alzheimer’s, this maturation process is compromised and NGF is degraded.

Cuello and his team attempted to reproduce this imbalance in rats. “[We wanted to] validate that this pathway is indeed responsible for maintaining the cholinergic phenotype in the Alzheimer’s system,” he said.

They pharmacologically blocked the NGF maturation pathway, forcing an accumulation of the inactive form. They found that this disruption led to the degeneration of cholinergic neurons and the onset of Alzheimer’s-like cognitive impairment. Conversely, when the degradation of mature NGF was in-

hibited by drug intervention, there was a significant increase in cholinergic contacts which are required for proper neuronal communication, demonstrating that NGF is crucial for the health of these neurons. This is an enormous breakthrough which points toward the regulation of NGF as a potential Alzheimer therapeutic target.

Dr. Cuello identified a few barriers in place that must be resolved before NGF-targeting drugs can be developed. First, there is no marker that allows us to diagnose Alzheimer’s because it is asymptomatic when loss of neural tissue is already taking place. This is the one of greatest obstacles that scientists need to overcome. Since there is no tell-tale sign, it is very difficult to target those who are at risk and to determine what stage they are at during neural decline.

In order to attack the underly-

ing condition and stop the progression of the disease in its tracks, a patient must receive proactive treatment prior to the onset of any symptoms. In addition, there need to be drugs targeted to specific parts of the brain, because the secretion of NGF is spatially specific, meaning that the drug cannot be applied universally.

The drugs applied to animal models in this study were very powerful and unsuitable for human intervention as they could produce adverse effects.

In spite of these roadblocks and the difficult nature of Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Cuello noted that many researchers are striving to discover pre-clinical indicators of the disease, which once identified, will reveal the brain’s hidden sickness and provide patients with necessary time to take action.

“We are in a position of optimism,” Cuello said.

Curiosity delivers. |

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

| Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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career

Come to our Science and Technology meetings on

McGill grads share their experience in the field of environment

Tuesdays at 5:30 in Shatner 110

Speakers discuss green careers Victor Lam Contributor On Wednesday, March 14, three professionals in environmentrelated fields offered career advice to students interested in pursuing similar careers after graduation.

The professional panel session was part of the Career Planning Services’ (CaPS) Green Careers Week, a three-day event featuring over 15 different non-government organizations and a dozen speakers from the field of environment.

Geneviève Paquin (B.Eng. ’11) and Sonia Voiceson (B.Sc. Ag.En. Sc. ‘11), both recent graduates from McGill, shared their experiences and described how they discovered their interests as undergraduates.

Paquin’s exchange at the University of Western Australia shaped her interest in water shortages, and she completed multiple internships in the field. She believes students need to be more proactive in applying for internships by staying wellconnected and having a good net-

work of friends and family.

“Finding the first internship is very hard because you don’t have a lot of experience,” she said. “But you have to be aggressive. The main way to get internships is by contacts.”

Paquin reminded students to not give up and to learn from their first real work experience.

“Once you have completed your first internship, even if it’s not the one you like, you can always take something away from it and use it when applying for your second internship,” she said.

Currently working as an intern at SUCO, Voiceson explained why she had difficulty choosing between two different job opportunities.

“I had the decision to make between having a stable government job and an internship for 6 months in Nicaragua, and it was difficult,” she said.

After explaining the challenging decision process, she told the audience about the uniqueness of the internship abroad.

“How many times can you go to another country and work for 6 months?” she asked. “It is a unique opportunity.”

Voiceson went on to explain how the internship in Nicaragua has allowed her to apply what she learned in school to the real world, and at the same time, have face-toface contact with the local population in attempting to solve their water problems.

Sophie Daubisse, a director of L’Autre Marché, a local organization focused on bridging the relationship between farmers and consumers by co-ordinating farmers’ markets around Montreal, stressed the importance of putting your skills to work.

“I think the new generation of students have amazing theoretical knowledge, but need to find and identify their skills to put into projects,” she said. “We need new ideas, new juice, and that is exactly what my company is looking for.”

Mary H. Brown Fund 2012 Call for Proposals

Do you have a pet cat-ion?

Apply to be a Sci&Tech editor!

Email editor@mcgilltribune.com Graduate and Post-Graduated Scholarships related with Hybrid Spyder vehicle development program Centre de technologies avancées BRP-Université de Sherbrooke (CTA) offers Graduate and Post-Graduated Scholarships related with Hybrid Spyder Vehicle development program. Offered projects are realized within multidisciplinary teams, including professors from Université de Sherbrooke along with technicians and engineers from Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and they lead to functional prototypes building.

CTA is actually seeking for top-level candidates in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to tackle Master, Doctorate or Post-doctorate projects associated with hybrid-propulsion technologies:

This endowment provides a total of about $20,000 annually for the creation and early support of innovative, on-campus projects that benefit McGill students’ physical and psychological well-being, and related initiatives. Proposals from faculty, students and staff are all welcome.

Extensions of existing projects are also eligible for one renewal. The 2012 application deadline is Monday 16 April 2012.

• Aerodynamics • Heat Management • Mechanicals/Mechatronics

Application is by letter to the Dean of Students, who administers the program in conjunction with the Deputy Provost and the Director of Bequests and Planned Gifts.

For application guidelines, suggestions for preparing a successful application, and examples of projects submitted by previous recipients visit: http://www.mcgill.ca/deanofstudents/marybrown/ Please contact Meghan McCulloch at 514-398-1731 or deanofstudents@mcgill.ca for additional information.

Office of the Dean of Students Brown Student Services Building 3600 McTavish St., Room 4100

Call for proposals.indd 1

www.mcgilltribune.com

3/22/2012 11:42:18 AM

Interested candidates are requested to send a motivation letter and resume along with their school marks bulletin at the following address: Director - University affairs Centre de technologies avancées 3000, boul. de l’Université Sherbrooke J1K 0A5 info@CTA-BRP-UdeS.com Deadline : April 15th, 2012 for 2012 Summer session programs

Relevant candidates only will be selected for interviews. CTA offers a dynamic and stimulating workplace featuring hi-tech equipments in an outstanding living environment. CTA is committed to the principle of employment equity. While remaining sensitive to the issue of fair and equitable treatment for all, we will seek to establish a workplace representative of the people we serve by implementing employment equity policies and procedures.

For more information visit us at http://www.cta-brp-udes.com/en/msc-and-phd-programs.html

arts & entertainment Theatre

McGill pays tribute to the mad brilliance of Strindberg Department of English drama and threatre wows in performance of A Dream Play Richard Martyn-Hemphill Opinion Editor August Strindberg’s A Dream Play is a trailblazing masterpiece— surreal before the Surrealists, Brechtian before Brecht, and Kafkaesque before Kafka. Yet it is as bonkers as it is brilliant, with a plot mad enough to cause mental breakdowns. Because the scenes are so loosely interwoven, it is as difficult to direct as it is to interpret. The McGill Department of English drama and theatre consequently took a serious risk in choosing to produce it.

Fortunately, such a risk was well-calculated; their production is an absolute tour de force. Even before the performance starts, the audience is completely immersed in the surreal surroundings: the music is eerie; Moyse Hall looks spectacular, yet curiously unfamiliar. Maybe this unfamiliarity has something to do with the weird, disheveled lime tree on stage right, though it probably has more to do with the fact that we—the audience—are all seated on stage, facing the stalls, where a quirky set of spectators appear to be watching us.

The play itself follows similarly topsy-turvy rules, the scenes playing in a sporadic sequence, moving backwards and forwards in time and space, conforming—as would be expected from the play’s title—to the

A Dream Play boasts stellar performances from the entire cast. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune) logical progression of a dream. The plot is centred on the Vedic god Indra’s daughter (Rachael Benjamin; Claire Horn; Elizabeth Conway— yes, her part has been split into three to add to the confusing melee) and her pseudo-messianic journey to earth to discover the human condition. Played with exceptional panache by the three actresses, the daughter(s) meet with the high and low of society, including the poet(s) (Melissa Keogh; Tara Richter Smith; Gabriela Petrov—also split into three) and the officer(s) (Maxwell Lanocha; Mathew Stevens; Michael Ruderman), only to resolve frequently that “human beings are to be pitied.”

It is a bleak indictment. Yet the show remains wonderfully zany, brought to life by first-rate acting from the entire cast. Many of the actors take on more than one role, swapping seamlessly between each of their parts. The show is also festooned with countless unforgettable individual performances: Johanu Botha produces a sterling portrayal of ‘The Quarantine Master,’ brilliantly playing him as a cross between a demented Zorro and Hunter S. Thompson on LSD; Cory Lipman plays an equally eyebrow-raising performance as the curiously randy, tweed-clad, clown-nosed lawyer; Zoe Erwin-Longstaff pulls off a superb cameo as the creepy, (yet

strangely sweet) Kristin; and Eleanor Faulkes is outstanding as the ferociously stubborn dean of theology.

The show is blessed by two excellent directors (Professor Myrna Wyatt Selkirk; Natalie Gershtein).

The inversion of the stage and the stalls is a great decision, adding intimacy to the proceedings and distorting the line between reality and performance. Equally inspired is the decision to blend A Dream Play with such impressive physical theatre.

And splitting the parts of the poet, the officer, and the daughter proves effective in allowing each actor to bring their own unique interpretation to each role.

Meticulous preparation shines

through in many other aspects of the show as well: the lighting (Eric Chad) is terrific, with vast projections covering the Moyse Hall in stars, trees, forests and mountains; the costumes by the costume team are perfectly designed to capture the early 20th-century feel of the performance, their use of macabre Venetian masks succinctly conveys the characters’ scars of thwarted hope, and the clown noses cleverly underscore the savage satire underpinning the play. The set, designed by Claire Stewart, is also designed intelligently, with podiums placed among the stalls to accommodate the unusual staging. The choreography (Kallee Lins; Nicole Rainteau; Natalie Gershtein) is quick-paced, elegant, and creative.

Through such an exceptional production, many of the poignant ideas nestled in Strindberg’s work to take flight: the folly of authority, the delusions of hope, the limits of love and human knowledge, the dilemma of faith, and the liberating powers of the creative instinct. With such an array of talent on display from all facets of this performance, it is hard to even dream of a better production taking place at McGill any time soon.

A Dream Play runs March 29-31 at 7 p.m. in Moyse Hall. Email publicity.english@mcgill.ca to reserve tickets. $5 for students.

film

The true mystery behind a Canadian icon Documentary attempts to unravel the unexplained death of artist Tom Thomson Emma Hambly Contributor West Wind: the Vision of Tom Thomson by Michèle Hozer and Peter Raymont, isn’t a documentary so much as a detective story. Yes, there is a love triangle, and an unexplained death that may or may not be a murder, but these aren’t the mysteries Hozer and Raymont are interested in. Tom Thomson’s unsolved death often overshadows his life, and even his paintings. What West Wind focuses on, instead, is getting to know the compelling but elusive mind of the man himself, through his stunning body of work.

Tom Thomson spoke little and wrote even less. The film opens with one of his rare letters, which ends with the simple line, “I will stick to my painting as long as I can.”

One thing is clear: Thomson needs to create. The film’s detective work sketches the rest of his character.

Interviews with curators, art historians, passionate collectors, the words of Thomson’s family and friends, and charming grainy photos and film clips all help us get to know the famous Canadian artist.

This technique makes West Wind a film about a sickly boy who found his strength and his inspiration in nature. He’s a man who gave up a secure career in commercial art to follow his passion. A pacifist who fought against social pressure to keep doing what he loved. A painter who persisted despite savage critical reviews.

The most remarkable evidence we have about Thomson, however, lies immortalized in his paintings.

West Wind presents the most recognizable works, balanced with quick

sketches, oils hidden away in private collections, and downright obscure pieces. Together, they form a picture of a brilliant and endlessly inspired creative mind. There was no telling when his muse would make herself known—Tom was known to paint by lamplight in the darkest nights or fiercest storms. His paintings all centre on Northern Ontario, but their variety is astounding. As his friend and later Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson put it, “Not knowing the conventional definitions of beauty, he found it all beautiful.”

This is the true legacy of Tom Thomson. He re-imagined Canada, forever altering its character—perceived before him as a cruel, monotonous landscape. After Tom, we have Canada the powerful, the wild, the beautiful.

In an act of either awful irony or poetic justice, this is the same

One of Tom Thomson’s many works. (creations-gallery.com) Canada that claimed Thomson’s life.

His waterlogged body and capsized canoe turned up on Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, on July 8, 1917. Of course, Hozer and Raymont have to address this captivating story, but the film treats the intrigue like a fascinating final chapter, rather than the defining aspect of Thomson’s life. The evidence presented is less

objective, hinting at murder, considering his odd head injury and false burial.

Tom Thomson’s death is still a mystery, and one that will likely never be solved. But the true allure of Thomson’s death is his life—a life that West Wind: the Vision of Tom Thomson’s research and shaping makes all the more interesting.

Curiosity delivers. |

Arts & Entertainment

music

Music for her grandchildren

Stacey Jackson talks family life, career, and working with Snoop Dogg

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Rebecca Feigelsohn Contributor Stacey Jackson might not be your typical dance diva, but this down-to-earth mother of four knows how to get a party started. Her latest EP, Live It Up, is a compilation of upbeat, feel-good dance songs that Jackson hopes will convey the mantra she lives by: “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, you’ve got to live it.”

Jackson is refreshing and relatable, and her rapid road to stardom catapulted her the number two spot on the UK dance charts. Over the last 18 months, her chart-topping single “Live It Up,” featuring rapper Snoop Dogg, has made a major splash in the dance scene. The somewhat unlikely pair bonded quickly, sharing similar stories about their children and their longevity, traits that are somewhat scarce in today’s ageist music industry. Jackson’s genuine demeanour is what persuaded Snoop Dogg to work with her.

“He loved that I’m coming from a different place,” Jackson says. “I’m not affected by the music industry. I’m mature, so my choices are slightly more business-slanted and I am totally open to working with people and having my music remixed and fattened up.”

Now based in London with her husband and children, Jackson manages to balance her hectic career with family life, two roles she would never want to give up. Described as a “grown-up Hannah Montana” by friends, her stardom projects a positive message to youth, particular ly young girls.

“My intention is to show that no matter who you are, how old

Live It Up put Jackson on the charts behind Lady Gaga. (radioscreamer.com) you are, what you do, if you have a dream, you go and do it,” Jackson explains.

She certainly seems to be doing everything she’s ever dreamed of; not only was she seated between Lady Gaga and the Scissor Sisters on the UK Commercial Pop Charts, she is also a philanthropist. Teaming up with Music for Youth, a music education charity in the UK that provides access to performance and audience opportunities to children, Jackson raised over $30,000 by collaborating with young musicians.

Her previous album, Upside Down, incorporated children from all over the country and sprinkled their voices throughout the tracks, allowing them to have the unique experience of being part of the recording process.

Jackson has only been back in the music industry for a few years now, but she doesn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon.

“What I always wanted my whole life is not necessarily a Grammy or an IDMA. I want my grandchildren to go to a club and be danc-

ing to one of my songs, or listening to it on the radio,” she says.

Her ultimate goal is to have one hit that transcends generations and becomes “anthematic.”

“When my grandchild is at a wedding and they are playing “I Am A Woman,” or “Live It Up,” and it actually transcends, they are going to go, ‘That was my grandma’s song.’ How cool is that?” she exclaims.

Doors are opening for Jackson, who has her own record label and is interested in working with other popular musicians and DJs. She has also been approached by television production companies to star with her family in a reality show, but is waiting to see which path makes the most sense for her career.

“I’m not in the business of pimping my kids out,” she says.

Whichever path Jackson chooses to take, her passion and spunk are important attributes not just for her role as a mother but as an artist with dance-pop potential.

March 27- April 2 A Week With Stanley Kubrick March 30-April 5 Cinéma du Parc Eyes Wide Shut (Friday-Monday) The Killing (Tuesday-Thursday) Cinéma du Parc spans influential director Stanley Kubrick’s career with re-releases of his gritty film noir The Killing and his posthumously released erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut.

Could Be Good

Yukon Blonde March 30 Casa del Popolo 4873 St. Laurent 8 p.m.

This Vancouver band brings their brand of endlessly singable classic-rock inspired tunes to Montreal in support of their recently released excellent sophomore LP Tiger Talk. Library Voices and Great Bloomers open. $10/$13.

Darrelle London: Eat a Peach The tone of Eat a Peach, the sophomore release of self-described “quirky Canadian piano-pop singer-songwriter” Darrelle London, can be easily construed by the title of the album itself. Not only does London impressively blend clever quirkiness in a way that is similar to modern British indie-pop icons like Lilly Allen and Kate Nash, but she also manages to create lyrics that are sophisticated and relatable.

The album’s opener, “First Date,” a snarky recounting of a first date gone horribly wrong, is an excellent preview of the tone of the rest of the album, which features humorous interpretations of common interpersonal problems. While some female artists mix heavy subject matter with morose and wailing vocals, London’s witty, light persona is extremely refreshing, as are her simple yet charming musical arrangements. “Forgot My Words” is the standout song of the album with its catchy chorus and strong vocals, and “Fine” also deserves recognition for its ability to catch your interest just as well as the rest of the album, despite being the only relatively mellow track.

Although the lyrics are wellwritten and the piano accompaniment is exceptionally catchy, the most alluring aspect of the album is London’s engaging and free-spirited personality, which shines through on every track. Her raw, yet skillful vocals draw you in from the beginning of Eat a Peach, and, no matter your mood, put a smile on your face.

—Marie Stefanakis

Delta Spirit: Delta Spirit Delta Spirit’s self-titled third album sees the band attempting to shake their “rootsy Americana” label, offering their sleekest, most polished, and accessible record to date, for better or worse.

The new direction isn’t completely unexpected considering the prominence of rock-based songs on their sophomore effort History From Below, but it is surprising how enthusiastically they’ve committed to the change. This time, it’s all amplified, with acoustic guitar making only a few fleeting background appearances and a widened sonic palette including synths and drum machines. Sometimes the new sounds and timbres work well—the hazy, washed out guitars on “California” do an excellent job of evoking romanticized images of said state— but achieve underwhelming results elsewhere (“Tellin’ the Mind” feels overstuffed in particular).

Singer Matthew Vasquez’s voice remains the band’s greatest asset, running the gamut from soothingly tender on “Yamaha” to impassioned, throat-straining cries that make “Money Saves” the cathartic highlight of the album. The songs themselves focus on the “big picture,” addressing philosophical questions about life, love, and coming to terms with one’s own mortality, but there’s a persistent musical optimism even with the heaviest lyrics (“Empty House,” “Into the Darkness”).

Fans might lament the band’s move away from their rootsy foundations, especially considering how good those songs were, but “classic” Delta Spirit would have derailed the record’s sonic cohesiveness. In the end, focusing on what the album isn’t misses out on what it is—a band putting a new foot forward and mostly succeeding.

—Ryan Taylor

@mcgill_tribune

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Curiosity delivers. |

Arts & Entertainment

| Tuesday, March 27, 2012

film

No Room for Rockstars makes some noise Documentary examines the history, legacy, and the music of the Vans Warped Tour Ilia Blinderman Contributor No Room for Rockstars, which chronicles the 2010 Vans Warped Tour, faced the seldom attempted, and typically unmet challenges set to all music documentaries. On the one hand, it is obliged to focus on the bands and organizers who make up the annual music and extreme sports festival, sating the fans who see the film for more of their favourite fare. On the other, it must combine hundreds of hours’ worth of concert footage into a cohesive, palatable story for those who know little of the tour.

The Warped Tour began in 1994, with a series of small punk and ska concerts. Over the next 17 years, the tour has grown into a behemoth two-month affair, with as many as 100 bands playing some of the dates. With size came bands with record deals and greater popular appeal, a push to sell merchan-

dise, and a backlash from those who railed against the commercialization of music.

The ace up the sleeve of a film that would otherwise have surely been a Jackass epigone comes in the form of its producers and crew, many of whom have the quintessential Gen X documentary pedigrees. Agi Orsi and Stacy Peralta, in charge of production, were previously responsible for the excellent skating documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys (Peralta, who directed, was on the Zephyr skate team profiled in the film), while editor Joshua Altman had worked on the highly acclaimed We Live in Public, the morbidly gripping portrayal of the dawn of the Internet age. Rather than showing the highlights of the tour’s saturnalia, they chose to focus on how three artists see the Warped Tour and its gradual evolution.

Of these, the most popular and successful is Mike Posner. Posner, who never failed to sound as if he had just awoken from a thick stupor,

is surprisingly industrious, following his Warped Tour sets with club performances and studio work. He made his pragmatism clear—although he was lucky to be making music for a paycheck, he readily admitted that he was a brand, and needed to sell himself while the iron was hot.

By contrast, Chris Drew, the painfully teenage frontman for Never Shout Never, reacted with asperity to the indelible undertow of business he encountered. Drew, who resembles a tattooed Justin Bieber and is fawned over by teenage girls, began playing music seriously when his parents threw him out of home.

While lyrically clumsy, Drew is imbued with some measure of teenage pain and hope; I was struck by how candidly he spoke of his fear that the grind and money that dominates touring would leave him burned out.

The only band profiled that wasn’t part of the tour was Forever Came Calling, who try with adolescent tenacity to crawl and claw out

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH CREATIVE WRITING PRIZES AND AWARDS The MONA ADILMAN PRIZE IN POETRY, estimated value $500--or estimated value $250 for two students, is open to undergraduate or graduate students registered in the Faculty of Arts for the best poem or group of poems relating to ecological or environmental concerns.

Fans get riled up at the 2010 Vans Warped Tour. (me-review.net) of their small desert hometown by following the tour and selling records outside the venue to pay for their fuel. Broke and often nearing despair, their only goal is to get a chance to play on stage.

Unfortunately, while No Room for Rockstars is produced well, there is a dearth of necessary footage to tell the story. Honest insights into the life of a touring musician are quickly superseded by concert scenes, after

which the camera must leap to another artist. Of course, a plethora of perspectives would have made for a worthwhile history of the Warped Tour. The personal approach the creators tried to take, however, held the unrealized promise of the rare amalgam of relatability and documentary that I’m still hoping to see.

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The CLARK LEWIS MEMORIAL PRIZE, estimated value $400, is open to major or honours students in the Department of English. The prize is awarded annually or from time to time for original plays staged in the course of the academic year.

The CHESTER MACNAGHTEN PRIZES IN CREATIVE WRITING (two prizes, one of estimated value $600 and another of estimated value $300) are open to undergraduate students of the University for the best piece of creative writing in English, i.e. a story, a play, a poem, an essay, etc. Printed compositions are ineligible if they have been published before April 11, 2012.

The PETERSON MEMORIAL PRIZE, estimated value $2,000, is open to undergraduate or graduate students registered in a degree program in the Department of English with distinction in English Literature (CGPA 3.30 or above) who has also shown creative literary ability.

The LIONEL SHAPIRO AWARDS FOR CREATIVE WRITING, three prizes of estimated value $1,300 each, to be distributed if possible among the genres of poetry, fiction, screen writing and playwrighting.

Each prize is to be awarded on the recommendation of the Department of English to students in the final year of the B.A. course who have demonstrated outstanding talent. (A note from your academic adviser verifying you will have completed your program requirements and the minimum credits required by the Faculty of Arts MUST accompany your submission.)

These competitions are restricted to students who have not previously won the First Prize.

Arts@mcgilltribune.com

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Forms to be completed are available in the Department of English General Office, Arts 155.

Submissions must be IN TRIPLICATE.

DEADLINE: Monday, April 16, 2012

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SPORTS

HOCKEY — REDMen 4, Western 3 (O.T.) (CIS CHampionship GOld Medal Game)

Redmen win first CIS Championship in school history Redmen captain Evan Vossen scores overtime winner against Western Christopher Nardi Sports Editor On March 3, 1875, the first ever organized hockey game took place at Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink between various McGill students.

The game introduced the use of a puck instead of a ball with the hopes of preventing any crowd members from being hit, since a puck is harder to lift. In 1877, the first ice hockey club, the McGill University Hockey Club, was born.

Now, 137 years after the birth of hockey, and 136 years after the formation of the McGill Hockey Club, the McGill Redmen have won their first ever CIS championship.

The historic win came after a thrilling overtime goal scored by team captain Evan Vossen, capping a season to remember for the Redmen.

The road to the championship began with the second-seeded Redmen facing the fifth-seeded Moncton Aigles Bleus. The Redmen came out of the locker room with all cylinders firing, and Moncton was forced to take two penalties only three minutes in, giving McGill two minutes of five-on-three play. McGill took advantage of the golden opportunity, as Francis Verreault-Paul and Alexandre Picard-Hooper both scored powerplay goals to give the Redmen a 2-0 lead just five minutes in the game. Nicolas Biniek added another goal for McGill, giving the Redmen a 3-1 lead after one period.

The second and third frames were also dominated by McGill. In the second, Verreault-Paul scored his second of the night, and Andrew

Redmen celebrate their first CIS Championship in the program’s 136-year existence. (Cole Burston / Daily Gleaner) Wright added another, extending McGill’s lead to 5-1.

Moncton answered in the third, scoring twice and applying pressure on McGill goaltender Hubert Morin.

It was too little, too late, however, and McGill came away with the 6-3 win.

McGill moved on to play the Saskatchewan Huskies in their second game of the tournament. The Huskies lost to the Aigles Bleus 5-1 the night before, and had to defeat McGill by three goals or more in order to qualify for the gold medal

THIRD MAN IN Being a sports fan has its pros and cons. When I think about all the time I have spent over the past years diligently following sports, not to mention the energy and sanity invested in the diehard zealousness associated with being a sports fan, I can’t help but wonder if my quality of life (and certainly my GPA) would be higher if I just stopped. Indeed, many times people argue this point, saying that time can be far better spent engaging in meaningful tasks instead of watching a bunch of paid adults make their money.

While these arguments do have merit, nothing compares to the feeling of investing in a team and seeing them succeed. They become a part of you, and their victories become yours. A favourite player has the

game.

Fortunately for McGill, Morin was just solid enough in net, and McGill lost the game 4-3. Thanks to goal differential tiebreaking procedure, the Redmen advanced to their second consecutive CIS championship finals.

After being torn apart by UNB 4-0 in last year’s finals, the Redmen were determined not to allow history to repeat itself, learning from their past failure. Facing a Western team who had upset UNB just the night before, the finals were a rematch of

the Queen’s Cup just two weeks ago, in which McGill prevailed handily 4-1.

Unfortunately, the Redmen took a penalty for too many men at 7:21 into the game, giving Western the opportunity to take the early lead. Western’s leading scorer Keaton Turkiewicz took advantage and buried the opening goal. McGill responded exactly seven minutes later with Benoit Lévesque’s first goal of the tournament.

The tides were reversed in the second period, as Lévesque stayed

hot and scored his second of the game 48 seconds in. But, the Mustangs charged back, and Kevin Baker tied the game at two. McGill once again halted any potential momentum by Western, with Nicholas Biniek scoring his third of the tournament, giving McGill a one-goal lead heading into the second intermission.

The third period was characterized by a complete reversal of roles, as Western dominated the play while Verreault-Paul received a five-minute major and a game misconduct after charging Western goaltender Josh Unice. The Mustangs took advantage, and Turkiewicz scored his second powerplay goal. The game was headed into sudden death overtime.

Sudden death overtime is polarizing. It has the potential to be one of the worst moments for any athlete, or one of the most rewarding and exhilarating. The Redmen understood that to win their first national title, one member of the team would have to step up.

Exactly six minutes into overtime, McGill captain Evan Voss broke away from Western’s defenders and did exactly what the 1875 hockey teams hoped the puck would never do: he lifted the puck over Unice’s shoulder and scored the winning goal for the championshipstarved team. Vossen, a senior playing his last game with the team, had scored not only the biggest goal of his career, but the greatest goal in McGill men’s hockey history.

Man-ning overboard

same effect: when they do well, you live through their success and when they don’t, it definitely detracts from the fan experience. But when they leave the team, it’s just plain sad.

Anybody who has painted his or her body, tailgated at a game, or waited hours in the cold for an autograph knows what I’m talking about. Your favourite player’s success means a lot.

So for you sports fans, the next sentence will probably be more than enough context to understand where I’m going with this: I am an Indianapolis Colts fan, and a diehard Peyton Manning fan as well.

Hockey has always been the number one sport in my life, and it wasn’t until I was 14 that I really started watching football. Since Can-

ada doesn’t have any real football teams (sorry CFL fans), it’s pretty common to simply pick a team, for whatever reason, and cheer on for the rest of your life. Ever since then, Peyton Manning has been the only quarterback I would cheer for. His record-breaking performances, his ability to dissect a defense, and his incredible work ethic are all great reasons to be a Manning fan. However, it is also the intangibles that contribute to what makes Peyton Manning so incredibly revered. His class, southern charm, and surprisingly sound acting skills make him a fan favourite around the league, not just to Colts fans.

It should be no surprise to anyone that I was devastated three weeks ago when the Colts released their

quarterback of 14 years. I was one of those Colts fans in denial who believed that Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning together would have been a good idea. So what if Peyton had a $28 million signing bonus? So what if he had three neck surgeries in the past year? Peyton Manning defined the Colts’ success for more than a decade, and it was almost unfathomable to think that only two weeks after his release, Manning would be holding an orange and blue jersey with a beaming John Elway standing next to him.

In today’s sports culture, it is commonplace for an athlete to leave the team that drafted him, especially with smaller market teams, for bigger, better, and more exciting cities.

Peyton Manning could have made

millions of dollars playing in much bigger and flashier cities than Indianapolis, but that just wouldn’t have been Peyton. In an era where class in professional sports seems to be nonexistent, Peyton Manning is a refreshingly loyal outlier.

For those Colts fans that feel betrayed by Manning, don’t forget that it was the team that cast him out, not the other way around. Manning’s professionalism and courtesy, in addition to his unbelievable skill and immense talent, will always be remembered fondly, no matter what happens in Denver and beyond.

—Joshua Prizant

18

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 |

SPORTS

| Curiosity delivers.

Carolina, respectively. Seeing as Kentucky could probably beat the Charlotte Bobcats, we’re going to make a bold prediction and say that the Wildcats will win the tournament next weekend.

Around the

W

ater cooler

In case you were too busy camping out for the Hunger Games premiere, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports ...

NCAA BASKETBALL — The madness is growing and thousands of brackets were torn apart in the college basketball world, as the remaining teams competed in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight this past weekend. Only one major upset occurred, as Louisville defeated number one seed Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. Louisville then

riots Heysel Stadium Disaster — Belgium, May 29, 1985

Soccer hooliganism has plagued the sport from its birth, but arguably no individual event has left a darker mark than the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985, often referred to as the “darkest hour in the history of UEFA.” Juventus was to play the premier club of the time, Liverpool, in the European Cup Finals. Riots began an hour prior to kick-off when divided fans began hurling objects across the barricade. Liverpool supporters then flocked to the support stanchion and climbed the wall, causing Juventus supporters to flee in fear. The extra weight caused by the rioters cracked and toppled the divider, crushing and killing 39 people and injuring an additional 600.

Juventus went on to win a hollow victory, securing the match 1-0.

Disco Demolition Night — Chicago, July 12, 1979

Starting off the list is an infamous event in the history of America’s fa-

faced Florida in the Elite Eight, and overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half to earn the first ticket to the Final Four in New Orleans.

Ohio State will follow Louisville there after taking down Syracuse, the number one seed in the East region. Kentucky and Kansas were the last two to advance to the Final Four after beating Baylor and North

HOCKEY – On Sunday, Quebec City mayor Regis Lebeaume, alongside Quebecor Media magnate Pierre-Karl Peladeau, announced that construction of a new amphitheatre will begin this coming September. Projecting the costs of the new building at about $400 million, Lebeaume and Peladeau hope that the project, which is expected to seat 18,000, will finally cement Quebec City’s hopes of getting a second chance at an NHL team. “The dream is becoming a reality,” Lebeaume said at the beginning of the press conference. Now, Lebeaume and the rest of Quebec City will move on from dreaming to praying that an NHL team will actually be brought in, reviving the Quebec Nordiques once again.

FOOTBALL — With the Peyton Manning signing in Denver, the Tim Tebow sweepstakes began.

None other than the New York Jets received divine help and acquired the iconic quarterback on Wednesday afternoon. We can’t wait until Jets fans start chanting Tebow’s name after Mark Sanchez throws his first interception. In more controversial news, commissioner Roger

Goodell doled out the punishments for the New Orleans Saints’ bounty program. As the school kids say, “he laid the boom”—Head Coach Sean Payton is suspended for the season, defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely, and the Saints lose their 2012 and 2013 second-round draft picks. Goodell has yet to announce the punishments for the players involved in the program, but expect them to be just as harsh. At least Mardi Gras was fun, right New Orleans?

GOLF — Ladies and gentleman, golf is relevant again. Nine hundred and twenty-three days had passed since Tiger Woods won his last PGA tour event, but on Sunday, the drought ended as Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five strokes. It was Woods’ seventh time winning this event at Bay Hill, and more importantly, it comes just two weeks before the Masters tournament at Augusta. Golf fans and analysts are undoubtedly riding the wave of momentum, wondering whether he can reclaim his past glory. He remains just four major tournament wins away from tying Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18. Expect this win to dominate the golfing world for the weeks leading up to Augusta.

SCOREBOARD (Scores since March 20)

REDMEN HOCKEY Won 6-3 vs. Moncton (CIS Championship) Lost 4-3 vs. Saskatchewan (CIS Championship) Won 4-3 (O.T.) vs. Western (CIS Championship Gold Medal Game)

Two more chances to beat us. Write for sports.

Email: sports@mcgilltribune.com

Twitter: @mcgilltribsport

in sports history

By Jeffrey Downey

vourite pastime. On Thursday, July 12, 1979 a double-header between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers turned nasty as fans gathered to celebrate the “Death of Disco.” The 90,000 fans present, a crowd that pushed the stadium to capacity, were angsty from the start.

They hurled vinyl records and other debris onto the field several times throughout the contest. Things came to a head at the end of the first game, when a planned detonation of disco records turned violent; thousands of fans rushed the field to revel in the destructive death of disco. Although only minor injuries were reported, the demonstration put a definitive end to disco and the planned doubleheader.

2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot — Vancouver, June 15, 2011 What list could be complete without a return to last summer’s shameless Vancouver riot? One of the most destructive riots in Canadian and

sports history, it all began to take shape as game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals wound down with Vancouver in line for the loss. Fans became unruly, beginning by throwing bottles at large screens in the view-

“by the end, 15 cars were set ablaze and countless stores were broken into.” ing area before taking to the streets in growing numbers. By the end, 15 cars were set ablaze and countless stores were broken into and ran-

sacked. Over 100 arrests were made, and there were over 140 injuries, and $5 million in property damages.

Ten Cent Beer Night — Cleveland, June 4, 1974

Returning again to baseball, the Ten Cent Beer Night had all the ingredients for disaster: extremely cheap beer, and clashing sports teams. The contest was between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers, with the idea behind the promotion being to offer as many 8 oz beer cups as a fan could drink for 10 cents each, to boost waning attendance. With the game tied 5-5 and the go-ahead Rangers’ run on second, an inebriated Cleveland fan charged the field to steal the outfielder’s cap. The Texas bench, fearing he would be assaulted, stormed the surface—bats in hand—with the Indians following suit. This prompted a massive influx of fans to the field, many armed with an extremely bizarre repertoire of weapons including nunchuks. Ultimately, riot police arrived to restore

order, but not before hundreds of injuries were reported. Needless to say, further scheduled Beer Nights were cancelled.

Richard Riot — Montreal, March 17, 1955 No player has meant more to his team, or his city, than what Maurice Richard did to the Canadiens and Montreal. Therefore, it is not surprising that tempers flared following his suspension for the remainder of the 54-55 season for a hit on a linesman. When Clarence Campbell, the head of the NHL, appeared at the first Canadiens’ game following the suspension, a riot broke out in the streets to appeal the punishment.

At its peak, the riot contained thousands of unsettled fans and accumulated more than 100 arrests and 37 injuries. Additionally, it cost the city over $100,000. Only the man himself could save the city at this point, as Richard did when he appealed to the hostile crowd and asked them to disperse. Finally, they obeyed.

Image source: totallycoolpix.com

Curiosity delivers. |

A look at the upcoming

SPORTS

| Tuesday, March 27, 2012

19

by James Maddalena

NHL Awards Ceremony As the NHL season grinds to a close, it’s fitting to take a look toward summer in Las Vegas, where the NHL awards will be given out to a multitude of deserving players around the league. Of course, some of the top nominees for these awards are not surprising—players like Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk seem to have a knack for receiving the same award year after year—but each year brings fortune to different individuals, and this year is no different. Let’s take a look at the forerunners and darkhorses for a few of the most coveted NHL awards.

Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP)

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)

Winner: Evgeni Malkin

Winner: Henrik Lundqvist

This year, the NHL’s current leading point scorer, Evgeni Malkin, is the forerunner for the Hart. Malkin is a huge reason for the Penguins’ success this season given the long absence of Sidney Crosby. The Russian forward’s strong and inspirational play, game in and game out, makes him Hart worthy.

With “King Henrik” in mind, it’s obvious that the Swede is the forerunner for the trophy. Lundqvist has an impressive 1.87 G.A.A., a staggering .934 save percentage, and a league-leading eight shutouts on the season.

Winner: Erik Karlsson

It’s easy to crown Erik Karlsson as this year’s favourite for the Norris trophy. The Swede’s stellar 72 points (10th in the league) mixed with his ability to get the job defensively makes him a great selection for the Norris.

Runner up: Nicklas Lidstrom

Runner up: Brian Elliot

Calder Trophy (Best Rookie)

Winner: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Winner: Ken Hitchcock

This year’s rookie of the year award looks like it’s going to last year’s first overall draft pick, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Despite injury, the 18-year-old has generated 46 points in 54 games, and fans are realizing that he’s the real deal.

In all likelihood, the winner of this year’s Coach of the Year award will be Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues.

After taking over early on in the season, the veteran coach has posted a 40-128 record, good enough to secure the Blues’ top ranking in the league.

Runner up: Gabriel Landeskog

Runner up: Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux is also worthy of being a Hart candidate is Claude Giroux. His performance of late has slowed down, but it is impossible to ignore the impact that he makes on the Flyers’ team on and off the ice.

Dark Horse: Henrik Lundqvist

Although no goalie has won the Hart since Jose Theodore in 2002, Henrik Lundqvist is also a legitimate candidate to bring home the hardware. He is probably the best goalie in the league, and his play is a huge reason why the Rangers currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Though astounding, Lundqvist’s G.A.A. and save percentage are second only to Brian Elliot, goalie for the St. Louis Blues. However, since Elliot splits time with other Blues’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak, he has 21 fewer starts than Lundqvist, which may restrict him from being Vezina worthy.

It’s hard to count Lidstrom out for this award considering he’s won it six times in the past decade.

However, his performance has slowed down this season, and injuries have kept him off the ice for too long.

Dark Horse: Brian Campbell

Jack Adam’s Trophy (Best Coach)

Runner up: Paul McLean

Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog is also in the running for the Calder, largely because of his play late in the season.

The 19-year-old is huge part of the Avs’ current push for a playoff spot and continues to show off his raw talent.

Paul McLean of the Ottawa Senators has transformed a team projected to miss the playoffs into a team that is a definite threat in the Eastern Conference looking forward into the playoffs.

Dark Horse: Adam Henrique

Dark Horse: John Tortorella

Dark Horse: Jonathan Quick

Quite possibly the most underrated goaltender in the league, Jonathan Quick is a dark horse for this year’s Vezina. The LA goaltender has posted seven shutouts, a respectable 2.00 G.A.A., and a stellar .928 save percentage. He is also tied in first in goalie starts this season.

The dark horse for this category is Florida’s Brian Campbell. He leads the league in average ice time per game among defensemen, and has an impressive 49 points thus far, 28 of which come on the powerplay.

The New Jersey Devils’ star left winger has been a surprise for must experts, but his 16-31-48 stat line doesn’t lie: this kid can play. Completing a line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac, Henrique will be a force to be reckoned with heading into the playoffs.

It would be difficult to ignore John Tortorella’s success this season with the Rangers. He is certainly a good candidate for this award, as the Rangers are currently first in the Eastern Conference, while managing possible distractions such as the HBO series 24/7.

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

Image source: digitaljournal.com, nhlsnipers.com, landeskogg.com, eliteprospects.com, trialx.com, ingoalmag.com, hokceyworldblog.com, cbc.ca, nationalpost.ca, sportsnet.ca, montrealgazette.com

TO THE MCGILL REDMEN HOCKEY TEAM ON THEIR FIRST CIS CHAMPIONSHIP!

Image source: faceoff.com

March 22 Rally against tuition HIKES photos by Alexandra allaire and michael paolucci