McGill Tribune Vol. 34 Issue 4

EDITORIAL

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Volume No. 34 Issue No. 4

SSMU Building Fee essential to continued viability pg. 6

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POP MTL P. 15

Pop Rhetoric

Grimes: The future of music in our internet age

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Pop Montreal goes out with a bang. (Bridget Walsh / McGill Tribune)

McGill continues salary adjustments following implementation of Pay Equity Act Negotiations with workers’ unions change methods of adjustment calculations SHRINKHALA DAWADI News Editor

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n 2001, the Quebec Government passed the Pay Equity Act, which aimed to remedy sex-based wage disparities by compensating female workers. In order to abide by the legislation, McGill University implemented a pay equity program in 2001. In the years since the program was initiated, McGill has undergone negotiations with unions such as the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) and Association of McGill University Research Employees (AMURE) regarding the method of calculation used to determine how much back-pay was owed to female employees.

The Quebec Pay Equity Act spe-

cifically redresses wage discrimination between female- and male-dominated job classes, and applies to all public and private sector employers that have 10 or more employees. A class is considered to be dominated by one sex if 60 per cent or more workers comprise of that sex. For example, at McGill, research technicians, library assistants and clerical positions are all female-dominated job classes.

“There are two types of pay equity,” explained Sean Cory, president of AMURE. “One is between jobs—it’s the idea that a female-dominated job [is] paid an equivalent wage to [a job that is] male-dominated. There’s another type of pay equity called internal pay equity [....] You want to make sure that within that job, women are not paid less than

men by some measurable criteria. The [Quebec] Pay Equity Act is the first situation, where they compare the two different kinds of jobs.”

Responses provided by the McGill administration highlighted the complexity and the scope of the program.

“Pay equity is about categories of employment and their demographic composition,” they said. “Considering entire categories rather than individuals is actually very complicated. In essence, everyone agrees that two equally qualified people doing exactly the same work must be paid equivalently, but how does one determine if two types of jobs should have the same value?”

MUNACA According to MUNACA VP Fi-

From the cheap seats: Pop vs. Jock Pop, lock, and dropping threes MAX BERGER & WYATT FINE-GAGNÉ A&E Editor & Sports Editor

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ax Berger (MB): Pop Montreal was dubbing its third Win Butler-hosted Pop vs.

Jock charity basketball game as the “crossover Sports-Culture event of the year in Montreal.”

That was certainly the case on Saturday afternoon as hundreds of spectators filled McGill’s

Love Competition Hall bleachers to take in the match and support Montreal’s non-profit DJ Sports Club. The Jock team was made up of members of the McGill and Concordia basketball teams,

nance, David Kalant, in 2014, the union contested the pro-rata calculations that were used to calculate the salary adjustments that were agreed upon in 2012. “[MUNACA] initially negotiated an agreement in 2012, which was signed in 2013,” Kalant said. “[McGill] had to then start doing the payments, and they had up until February 2014 to do them [....] It was apparent [in 2014] that a lot of people that should have received something didn’t. It was a prorata calculation that [McGill] had done wrong, so we went over that and [McGill] agreed that they had missed these people and that they should receive a retroactive payment.”

Continued on pg. 5

LIAM GALLIGAN Contributor

hen Claire Boucher, a Montreal-based pop artist who also goes by the stage name Grimes, called herself “the future of music” in a 2012 interview with Demo Magazine, it seemed like a pretty confident statement, and something you would expect to hear from Kanye West. But regardless of how you feel about someone making such a bold claim, Grimes actually seems to represent where music is going in 2014.

Not only is she one of today’s most dynamic and original artists, but her and her peers— such as the R&B influenced album-of-the-year contender FKA Twigs or retro-futurist soul superstar Janelle Monáe— are firmly placed at music’s creative vanguard. These artists are also reaching these creative heights while attaching themselves in some form to the umbrella of ‘pop music,’ a genre where the majority of artists are preoccupied with replicating a dominant sound. These trailblazers reflect the internet age we are now living in; they draw on a range of influences only familiar to people who grew up in the era of the internet. Yet these artists also maintain a distinct sound and persona in their songs and videos while highlighting the growing obsoletion of macro-genre labels like ‘pop’ and ‘indie.’

Continued on pg. 15 and suiting up for the Pop team were internationally acclaimed musicians and professionals— including 2014 NBA champion Matt Bonner as the Pop coach.

As advertised on the website, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes were active for the game. Unfortunately, former NBA Slam Dunk champion Brent Barry was

not, /but/, his absence cleared a space on the Pop team bench for a surprise appearance from the one and only…

Continued on pg. 18

NEWS

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014 New dining venues on campus recieve mixed reception Student representatives voice concern over lack of consultation

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JESSICA FU Managing Editor

remière Moisson, the new dining option in the basement of Redpath Library, has drawn mixed reactions from students since opening earlier this month. The space, formerly occupied by Tim Hortons and Pizza Pizza, has been praised for its fair trade options, but criticized for its higher costs and for the lack of student input sought out prior to its implementation.

“There are definitely some students who do like Première Moisson,” Arts Senator Jacob Greenspon said. “There’s a whole spectrum of opinions here, but I think the important thing to emphasize is that this is such a huge decision that was [made] with basically no student consultation.”

According to Mathieu Laperle, senior director of Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS), the unit under which dining services falls, student input was gathered through various indirect means.

“Over the years, we did some student surveys that gave us a lot of details and information about what people would like to see on campus,” Laperle said. “Many consultations have been done in residences.”

Greenspon said that the surveys conducted did not pose explicit questions regarding changes to the Redpath library space.

“It’s much more of a general cafeteria, food services on campus survey,” Greenspon said.

“There wasn’t any sort of question that asked, ‘What kind of coffee space do you want in the Redpath library?’ It was all very general.”

Library Improvement Fund Coordinator Erin Sobat agreed, noting that the survey results were more general and not concrete suggestions. “[SHHS’s] primary metric of student consultation was their annual [food and dining services] surveys,” said Sobat. “[SHHS suggested that there was] some sort of indications in the past that students wanted quality over cost and needs to renovate the space.”

According to Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan, incidents that indicate a lack of consultation with students on university matters could lead to feelings of hostility between students and the university administration.

“A decision [that] comes through that students don’t like, but at least know they’ve had the chance to be consulted [on] is going to be a lot less [damaging] in terms of the adminstudent relationship, than if a decision comes through and students didn’t know where it comes from,” Stewart-Kanigan said.

Other concerns expressed by student representatives pertain to

the the financial accessibility of the new café.

According to Oliver DeVolpi, executive chef of SHHS’s dining services, brewed coffee at Première Moisson costs approximately 40 to 50 cents more than it did at Tim Hortons, due to the quality and ethical sourcing of the product.

“This is a fair trade cup of coffee; it’s in a compostable cup,” he said.

Laperle said that a major factor in choosing Première Moisson was that it fell in line with the university’s goals to use locally-sourced food suppliers.

“We’re more and more sustainable, we buy more and more from local suppliers,” Laperle said. “So [Première Moisson] was the perfect fit for us.”

On the other hand, StewartKanigan stressed the importance of finding a balance between fairly-sourced food and fair pricing.

“Environmental sustainability does not need to be at the expense of financial sustainability,” Stewart-Kanigan said. “I feel that students could feel that that element of sustainability was not centred in this discussion. Those two things do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

Nonetheless, Laperle said that Première Moisson, in its early stages, was open to adapting to student needs in terms of menu offerings, especially due to

(Domitille Biehlmann / McGill Tribune) its unfamiliarity with the university market environment.

“Depending on the company, there is some flexibility,” he said.

“Première Moisson, they are very open [....] The coffee we have for the Première Moisson here is not the same as what they’re offering in other [locations] in Montreal.

This is an example of their flexibility.”

Nonetheless, Stewart-Kani-

gan suggested that a greater effort to consult students be made before changes are set for future decisions involving student space.

“It’s beneficial for everyone if student associations are kept in the loop earlier so that we can be involved in the consultation process,” Stewart-Kanigan said.

“Consultation should be an expectation, not an afterthought.”

Daycare space for McGill limited, waiting list over 700 children long Post-Graduate Students’ Society seeks to open a daycare for constituents

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SAM PINTO Production Manager

he Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) is seeking to reapply to open a daycare centre after having been denied twice by the provincial government. Currently, members of the McGill community face a shortage of daycare spaces, with university waiting lists for daycare spaces running over 700 children.

According to PGSS Member Services Officer Brighita Lungu, 16 per cent of graduate students and 30 per cent of post-graduate students have children, accounting for approximately 1,000 PGSS members. The lack of a daycare for the PGSS poses a series of problems for student parents trying to focus on academia, while also having to take care of their children.

“I can imagine parents can’t focus on their studies, [and] can’t dedicate their time as much as possible,” Lungu said. “That has repercussions. Their quality of performance, [including] writing papers, going to conferences [are impeded] because they have kids, and

that’s quite unfair.”

Many PGSS parents have attempted to place their children in other daycares on campus, including the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) daycare and the McGill Childcare Centre (MCC).

The SSMU daycare has 40 spots available, 10 of which are guaranteed for children of graduate students. According to SSMU VP of Clubs and Services Stefan Fong, graduate students often utilize the majority of spaces.

“Statistically, there are fewer undergraduate students [with kids],” Fong said. “Last year, there were maybe 10 undergrads to 30 [graduate students].”

The waitlist for the SSMU daycare currently has 40 people on it, the majority of whom are graduate students, as children of undergraduate parents have priority in being admitted to the daycare.

The MCC provides 106 spaces for children of faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students at McGill. However, according to a report released in October 2013 titled “Childcare Access at McGill University: an Overview of the Current Situation,” there are 749

children on the MCC waitlist, with the children of graduate students comprising of the largest proportion at 259 spots.

According to Diana Tosi, assistant director of the MCC, the daycare has previously attempted to expand their spaces in order to reduce the waitlist, but was also denied by the government.

“We applied two different times when the government opened the doors to new projects,” Tosi said. “The first one I believe was two years ago, and we were denied. We applied for 80 spaces and then the government opened up more spaces a year later and we applied again [...] last June, and we were denied again. Very few spaces were given to the downtown core, so we probably didn’t even have a chance.”

PGSS and the MCC’s failed attempts to expand their daycare operations are the result of limited financial support from the provincial government because every space for a child is subsidized by the government, there are large costs associated with providing additional daycare spaces provided.

“Its hard to open a daycare now; we’re happy we opened one [10 years]

ago because now the rules are a lot more strict, because there are too many daycares in Quebec,” explained Fong.

“Every time [the provincial government] adds a new daycare to the list, they have to add more money in subsidies.”

“Parents pay only $7 a day, and that includes two snacks and a lunch,” Tosi explained. “The rest of it is subsidized by the government. So this $7 a day program is very costly for the provincial government.”

The minimum daily fee for provincial daycare is expected to go up to $7.30 this October, Tosi explained, also highlighting the impact of subsidies on daycares.

Even without a daycare, PGSS has attempted to provide support and services for student parents. This includes creating family-friendly events for PGSS members to participate in, and improved parental support services on their website.

PGSS is also implementing a Study Saturday program, where student volunteers take care of children of students on one Saturday a month while the parents focus on their studies.

“Study Saturday is a cool program,” Lungu said. “We had a huge turnout: Around 40 parents with about 50 kids that expressed interest. We only made the budget for around 30 kids.”

Lungu explained the previous reasons that PGSS was denied permissions to start a daycare.

“One time, [we were denied] because the space was too small and not considered a success, and the last application they submitted last year was [denied] based on zoning,” she said. “[The space is] not considered a residential area, and there is not high [enough rate of] immigration [....] Its not a high priority on the Ministry’s list for this area to have a daycare specifically for PGSS.” The PGSS does intend to apply for a daycare again, though a concrete plan has yet to be developed.

“Unless you have new facts and information and present the problem in a different light I don’t think we [will] have much success,“ Lungu said.

“We’re trying to retune the project and basically put the documents together.

Likely by the end of this year we are going to apply again.”

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

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News

Protesters march at People’s Climate March Montreal

Demonstrators hope to urge world leaders to take action at New York City Climate Summit

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CECE ZHANG News Editor

pproximately 5,000 people participated in the Montreal branch of the worldwide People’s Climate March demonstration last Sunday afternoon. The global march was organized by a coalition of over 1,500 environmental organizations, intending to make a statement to the world leaders that will convene in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 23 for a United Nations (UN) climate summit.

Protesters demanded that heads of states take action to halt climate change, including stopping both the Northern Gateway pipeline project from Alberta to British Columbia and the excavation of the Alberta tar sands. They carried signs saying “Assez parler, maintenant agissons,” which translates to “Enough talk, now act.”

“They [should] take an [agreement], so every country has steps to take and actions to do to fight climate change—for example, regulation of carbon emissions, [and more] investment

Thousands of protesters marched in the rain on Sunday. (Cece Zhang / McGill Tribune) in green energies,” Alex Tari, one of the demonstration’s volunteers, said. “We need to stop exploiting the tar sands, and we need to stop funding these industries [....] We need to develop a real climate action plan and we need to invest in small companies that are developing green energy and alternative ways of transportation.”

The Montreal protest was organized by a group of volunteers after seeing the New York City protest organizers reach out to other cities for a global collabo-

ration.

“It was hard because we didn’t have any funding, we got only three weeks to organize this event, to publicize it,” Tari said.

“It’s [a] totally independent organization, we aren’t affiliated with any organization [or] political party.”

Henes Tabourbeau, a participant in the march, echoed the sentiment that the event was a powerful chance to drive climate change action.

“It seems to be a unique op-

portunity for our voice to be heard, it’s organized all over the world, and we have a chance to be heard by the elite,” Tabourbeau said.

Participants also expressed disappointment in the Canadian federal government’s perceived inaction in climate change initiatives.

“I would like to see Stephen Harper attend the national summit talks,” Ira Sutherland, a masters student at McGill studying forest ecology, said. “I think the fact that

he isn’t even attending it shows how much of a laggard he is in the international climate negotiations [....] My main concern with climate change and forests is [that a] warming climate destroys the stability of forests, which makes them more susceptible to [disasters]. If Harper does not take action on greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change, I believe that he is partly responsible for the demise of Canada’s forests.”

The New York Climate Summit is a precursor to the United Nations Climate Change Conference that will be held in Paris in 2015, where world leaders hope to achieve a legal and binding agreement on climate on a global scale for all countries. “[Promoting] climate action aims to show that leaders across sectors and at all levels are taking action, thus expanding the reach of what is possible today, in 2015, and beyond,” the website for the Climate Summit reads.

“Combined, accelerated action and increased ambition will foster a ‘race to the top’ that can help advance sustainable development.”

McGill hosts Indigenous Homecoming for alumni Event a part of 4th Annual Indigenous Awareness Week

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CECE ZHANG News Editor

ast Thursday, Dr. Audra Simpson, a Mohawk scholar who received her PhD in Anthropology from McGill, and is currently an associate professor at Columbia University, addressed how McGill shaped her scholarly mind and the problems the university still faces in addressing indigenous issues at McGill’s first Indigenous Homecoming.

Simpson discussed the rigorous standards she faced at McGill during her time as a student, saying that the level of quality required was excessive in hindsight, but taught her how to deal with criticism.

“I’ve often talked to my colleague,” Simpson said. “We remembered how McGill simply taught us how to write, how to revise, how this made us absolutely fearless, so much so that we can literally take any form of critique and sift it for its value, not take anything personally and simply take it as need be.”

Yet for all its academic excellency, Simpson argued, McGill still needed to address the indigenous history that was intertwined with its own. Simpson asserted that her research showed that the university in its early days was kept afloat by

money from unauthorized land sales by the Six Nations of the Grand River.

“McGill comes into being in a sea of dispossession,” Simpson said.

“By this I mean two things: One, this land belonged to [indigenous peoples]. Second, and more specifically, McGill comes into being at a time when land is being wrested from indigenous peoples in bit-bybit pieces.”

Simpson asked that McGill take actions to right its historical wrongs.

“What is needed along this to revitalize hidden pasts [...] is diversifying this university in lines that do not paper over this history over further, that mark it, that act from it,” she said.

Simpson then questioned the audience on McGill’s current state of diversity.

“And here I want to ask, where are the indigenous scholars at McGill, scholars in tenure track and tenure positions,” she asked. “Part of excellence is diversity, right?”

Paige Issac, coordinator of the First Peoples’ House, said that the first Indigenous Homecoming idea arose out of the traditional alumni honouring ceremony at the Annual Pow Wow. “This year we had our first ever homecoming event,” Issac said. “We

Simpson spoke on problems McGill faces in indigenous issues. (Cece Zhang / McGill Tribune) had 20 or so people show up,” “I’ve heard such great feedback already.”

Issac also praised the efforts of Indigenous Education Advisor Allan Vicaire in organizing the Indigenous Awareness week.

According to Vicaire, student response to the week has been very positive.

“Students have personally come up to me to say, ‘Wow I’ve never heard about this before,’ whether it’s about inter-generational violence or just having a discussion about accountability and responsibility within an academy. So it’s been really positive, very constructive.”

However, Vicaire says indigenous students at McGill still face challenges, although steps are being

made to improve the situation.

“Microaggressions do happen on campus,” he said. “ We’re often tokenized, or put in the place of being a cultural expert. [We need to] create that environment of inclusion, provide those education opportunities and create a safe space [for indigenous students].”

Issac acknowledged that although McGill still had problems in regards of lack of an indigenous scholar, it was making progress.

“Obviously there is still a lot of work to do but I’m happy in our achievements so far, and I’m happy to work on whatever comes next,” Issac said. “I see a lot of things building here at McGill, in terms of increasing indigenous awareness

[...] making it a place where indigenous students feel like they belong and they can thrive and have a sense of community here.”

Vicaire echoed the sentiment.

“We’re always striving and working to enhance the question of diversity within the faculties,” he said. “I think it takes a lot of work, not only from the administration but also from faculty, staff, and students.

It’s a stepping stone and unfortunately within institutions, it takes a while for change to happen, but [we have] to recognize we’re all a part of this change.”

Additional reporting Shrinkhala Dawadi.

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News First PGSS Council of academic year debates proposed charter of students rights

Bylaw changes, recent developments with CFS cases also discussed

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Senate discusses consent, mental health policies Updated provincial budget reduces McGill operating grant by $15 million

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SHRINKHALA DAWADI News Editor Rassemblement des associations étudiantes (RAE) On Sept. 5, the Quebec Superior Court found that the RAE, an organization that was formerly known as the Canadian Federation of Students Quebec (CFS-Q), was entitled to one-sixth of the membership fees collected by the Canadian Federation of Students National (CFS-N). The court also ruled that the RAE was entitled to membership fees that they collected between 2007 and 2010.

First-year Law student Jonathan Mooney, director of the RAE and former secretary general of PGSS, updated the Council on the case.

“The judge [ruled that] the money should go to the RAE, and that since PGSS is a member of RAE, that means that [...] we will be getting some money back,” he said. “It’s also good for our colleagues at Concordia and Dawson, because they stand to gain some money from that judgement too.”

CFS vs. PGSS Case update Ge Sa, PGSS’s internal affairs officer, spoke to the Council about a court case between himself and the CFS regarding dates for a referendum question proposing PGSS’s disaffiliation from CFS. “The [Superior Court of Quebec’s] ruling is that the CFS will be mandated by court [...] to give [PGSS] a referendum as soon as they can,” he said. “We will have a referendum hopefully this semester, and if this referendum passes, and we [agree to disaffiliate], we will no longer be a part of CFS.” Sa highlighted his role as a graduate student at McGill, rather than as a member of the PGSS Executive committee, as the main plaintiff of the case.

“This sets a precedent for all student unions across Canada that have legal proceedings with the CFS: That individual students,

PGSS councillors motioned to support the charter in spirit. (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune) such as myself, can ask the CFS to give us a referendum to disaffiliate from the CFS [...] if students feel that their rights have been violated,” Sa said.

Charter of rights of students PGSS External Affairs Officer Julien Ouellet spoke to Council about a proposed charter of rights of students at the provincial level that is being developed in conjunction with students at the University of Laval. The six major provisions of the charter would include general provisions regarding intellectual property, role and duties of research supervisors, role and duties of student researchers, role of the home institution, and role of the government.

“This goes pretty much hand in hand with the philosophy [of collaboration] that we’ve been nurturing at PGSS for the past couple of years,” Ouellet said.

“We’ve tried to implement it [at McGill], but this is a good opportunity to collaborate with another student association and to have a broad legal framework that would support us in our campaign.”

The charter was critiqued at Council for being too broad in some of its provisions. Victor Frankel Vilches, a member of the Biology Graduate Student Association asked for a clearer definition of intellectual property.

“Oftentimes, what people say merits authorship on papers must be an intellectual contribution rather than simply just doing the [work],” Vilches said. “So [the charter] should mention some actual detail on [intellectual] contribution that merits authorship versus something that may be lab work or tech work that was assigned to [a student] as a per basis for pay or volunteership.”

In response to Council questions regarding possible discrepancies between the charter’s in-

tellectual property policies and McGill’s own policies, Ouellet explained that the charter would supercede McGill’s policy.

“Since it’s a charter that would be ratified by the National Assembly [of Quebec], it would have more weight than the local university regulation,” Ouellet said, adding that the courts will not have the power to ultimately settle conflicts between the student and the supervisor.

The charter was amended to state that PGSS supported the spirit of the charter without necessarily signing on to all that the charter stipulated. The revised motion passed in council.

PGSS Bylaw reform PGSS Secretary-General Juan Pinto spoke to Council about proposed bylaw changes. One aim of the changes is to consolidate a procedural structure so that decisions made by the Judicial Board will not contradict each other.

Pinto also proposed a restructuring of the judicial board.

“The secretary-general is the only sitting judge of the Judicial Board,” he said. “In any other system, this would not be allowed.”

Pinto continued to propose a system through which the Chief Justice would have the power to name two judges to a case on a case-by-case basis.

“The Chief Justice [would have] the power to name two judges, only to solve the one particular matter,” he said.

After a period of debate, the Council motioned to commit the issue to PGSS’s Policy and Structural Advisory Committee, which was passed.

The executive committee work plan, which outlines the responsibilities and projects of each executive member, was also approved by Council.

REMI LU Managing Editor

eputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens stated that two new sections would be added to the McGill University Athletics and Recreation Guide to Varsity Sports for Student Athletes to further define varsity student-athlete context and varsity sport guiding principles and policies, in response to a question raised by SSMU Senator Kareem Ibrahim and VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan.

McGill Athletics had also agreed to become the first department in the university to train staff and coaches in a bystander intervention program. Dyens added that the varsity document will be available to the public after legal review.

The discussion was held in light of McGill’s controversial responses to an ongoing sexual assault case last year involving three Redmen football players. In a follow-up question, Stewart-Kanigan inquired about the possibility of institutionalizing consent training for athletes.

According to Dyens, varsity athletes should not be treated differently from other students.

“My position is that we’re not going to target one group of students for these kinds of things,” he said. “We want to promote this to all McGill students [….] This being said […] we have asked the varsity council to meet with our harm reduction councillor to develop policies with [athletes] and develop training with them.”

Stewart-Kanigan also brought up the topic of suspension of position for individuals in ongoing sexual assault cases.

“If [disciplinary officers] feel that it is necessary, they can use Article 21 [of the Student Code of Conduct] to exclude students from either part or the entirety of campus or McGill activities while the investigation is ongoing,” said Andre Costopoulos, dean of students. “If [Article 21] is used twice with the same student, it requires intervention [….] So it is a measure that we can use to address situations in which we have concerns about a specific individual on campus.”

Mental health Senate also saw discussion of questions regarding McGill’s commitment to implementing pre-arrival mental health advising for students in transitional periods of their academic life.

As a result of the Joint Board-Senate meeting on mental health last year and the recommendations of a report by the Mental Health Working Group, McGill is anticipating the appointment of a twoyear contract for a mental health consultant in January 2015, with the goal of working with stakeholders across the university.

“We’re developing a plan for trying to involve all stakeholders in our community, so it’s going to take some time,” said Executive Director of Student Services Jana Luker.

According to Costopoulos, McGill has also been increasing mental health resources for students, including McGill 101 videos that provided incoming students with information about counselling. “[Campus Life Engagement] has been doing a lot of work [for] outreach [to] incoming students about pre-arrival tools,” Costopoulos said. “There are a number of [resources] that are new this year— McGill 101 being one of them.”

Provincial budget and impact Another topic of discussion involved McGill’s release of information regarding changes to the university’s operating budget as a result of cuts to government funding. McGill stated that a projected operating grant in April 2014 of $360 million had dropped to $345 million after an update from Quebec on Sept. 3, 2014.

Principal Suzanne Fortier stated that the $15 million drop in budget would not result in any fiscal disasters.

“We had anticipated at McGill that the [2015] budget would not have the kind of resources talked about [in April],” Fortier said.

“Although the figures are not what we would like to see, we were prepared for them. We’re not in a crisis situation at this university, because we had anticipated these lower levels of investments.”

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

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News

McGill IRSAM volunteers host Freedom Relay Canada event at Dawson College Participants demonstrate in solidarity and raise awareness on human trafficking

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AISLINN KALOB Contributor

ast Wednesday, students at Dawson College participated in workshops and held a demonstration to raise awareness about human trafficking. The event was organized by members of McGill’s International Relations Students’ Association of McGill (IRSAM), Sustainable Dawson—a student group at Dawson—and En Marche!, the provincial representation of the Freedom Relay Canada (FRC) organization.

According to the FRC website, their main objective is to “strengthen resilience—build protective factors—against risk by empowering students as well as their community to act and respond appropriately” to issues of domestic human trafficking and forced prostitution.

The day began with a series of teach-ins, where students attended multiple 25-minute long information sessions held by FRC’s partner organizations.

Representatives from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM)’s Survivantes (the Survivor Project), a program geared towards the SPVM and other organizations tackling the issue of human trafficking, put on presentations using victim and trafficker profiles.

“The relay itself is a public engagement program,” said Matthew Patterson, a student at Dawson and one of the organizers of the event.

Human trafficking is the second largest criminal activity in Montreal after the illegal drug trade, and most of the people involved with prostitution in Mon-

treal are forced into the situation, according to an article in Global News. The teach-ins at the event aimed to educate students about such issues in Canada and also to inform them about risk factors and warning signs.

“We put together this project because we had a lot of victims coming in, through domestic violence that wasn’t domestic violence—they were sex trade victims,” said Diane Veillette, agent de concertation of the SPVM. She continued to highlight how traffickers often manipulated and exploited victims. “[The victims] think [the traffickers are] their boyfriend or their husband, they think that they’re going to have a lifetime with that person,” she said.

“Sometimes it was hard for even police to target these files.”

Veillette continued to stress the importance of an integrated approach towards identifying victims of the sex trade and giving them resources.

“These files cannot be worked only by police service,” Veillette said. “It absolutely needs to be done in partnership with members of the community.

We need to make sure we put a safety net around the victims.”

Other information sessions were geared towards social workers and people who work in youth homes or shelters.

At the Freedom Relay event, SPVM’s Survivantes project discussed the laws regulating prostitution in Canada, where prostitution is not illegal, but trafficking or controlling the sex trade for money is.

“A lot of our victims fear the legal aspect, and we understand

Students at Dawson College demonstrated against human trafficking. (Matt Nadeau / McGill Tribune) that,” said Veillette. “When we talk about this project, we’re not for or against prostitution [....]

We’re against people being trafficked. Some people are in the field because they’ve chosen to.

But we know that a majority of the girls have issues or are being forced, so that’s where we come in.”

Many organizations pointed out that the risk factors for youth—especially young girls— for falling into the sex trade included poverty, loneliness, and coming from an abusive family.

Other representatives from non-profit organizations, such as the Batshaw Youth and Family Services Centre, YMCA Premier Arret/First Stop Initiatives, the Quebec Native Women Inc., and the Committee of Action Against Human Trafficking National and International (CATHII) also discussed how their groups played a role in helping afflicted and atrisk individuals.

Premier Arret/First Stop by the YMCA, for example, is sta-

tioned at the Gare d’autocars, and they give information and resources to youth who are new in Montreal, to mitigate their risk of homelessness, or other risk factors for trafficking.

The teach-ins were followed by an outside vigil in Sustainable Dawson’s Peace Garden.

“In lighting this candle, we hope to commemorate [the victims of trafficking],” Patterson told the crowd of students. “Their strength and resilience is beyond that which I could ever comprehend. Let this be a beacon of hope for peace, unity, love, and respect among all of us.”

The final part of the day was an hour-long demonstration down Maisonneuve Street, from Atwater to Bishop Street. Students drew attention by chanting “My body, my choice,” and “Montreal is the third largest hub of trafficked people in Canada.”

“I’ve known people that have been connected [to trafficking]— girls, friends,” said Allia Davis, a first year Social Services student

at Dawson College and a participant in the march. “I know this is something that is a problem right here at home [....] I don’t have to go to a third-world country. People need to be more conscious of this.” “[The event] came together really well,” said Jessica Mink, a U3 Arts student at McGill who led the group of IRSAM volunteers from their local outreach branch in organizing the event. “We saw overall about 200 people come through these workshops today.”

According to Mink, McGill may host a similar event on campus in the future. “[FRC] is moving to make this a student-run initiative next year, so they really want to get McGill students, Concordia students, and Dawson students involved in running this,” Mink said. “We were really excited about this activity, because it takes an educational approach. It is something with a positive message: That education can really make a change.”

McGill continues salary adjustments following implementation of Pay Equity Act SHRINKHALA DAWADI News Editor

(Continued from page 1) “All the pay equity determinations are based on the maximum of the pay scale for any job,” Kalant explained.

“So to maintain the relative steps below maximum, you do a pro-rata calculation to see what people who are below the maximum should be at, based on the change of the maximum.”

To illustrate, Kalant said that pathology technicians received a 4.7 per cent increase in their salary scale as a result of the 2014 negotiations that recalculated the 2012 agreement, raising the maximum of their pay scale from $30.27 per hour to $31.68 per hour.

The administration elaborated on

the error.

“All pay equity methodologies are cumbersome and most adjustments require some fairly tedious computations, including but not limited to time spent in a specific category of employment,” they said. “Treatment of such differences is open to interpretation as well as calculation. An error was made, it was identified, and it was corrected.”

The administration further explained the process that was used to determine the amount of compensation of employees across the university.

“McGill benchmarks with other universities and similar organizations, and we undertake detailed market analysis to ensure comparable, fair, and equitable compensation based on similar positions across our organizations,” they said.

According to a pay equity update letter published by McGill Human Resources, collective agreements also influenced the 2014 calculations.

“Shortly thereafter, MUNACA questioned how those payments were computed for MUNACA members, considering the interaction of pay equity requirements versus the rules of prior MUNACA collective agreements.” the letter reads.

AMURE During negotiations with McGill, AMURE challenged McGill’s calculations for the salary adjustments that were calculated as a result of the five-year audits on the salaries that are mandated under the Pay Equity Act. “Every five years, the employer has to make sure that the positions

haven’t drifted apart—that the femaledominated positions are still on par with the male-dominated ones,” Cory said.

“We’re close to an agreement with McGill regarding the 2001 and 2005 [salary] adjustments.”

AMURE employees who have worked for McGill since 2001 were paid a 12.2 per cent retroactive raise.

AMURE is currently in negotiations with McGill regarding the raises for employees hired after 2005.

“The 2005 adjustments will push [the 2001 adjustments] a little higher; it’ll be by a couple of percent,” Cory said.

Cory continued to highlight the importance of uniform pay equity within job classes at McGill.

“McGill has to look at all their employees equally—it causes problems

when they give certain employee groups more raises,” he said. “For example, if professors get [a certain percentage raise] and research assistants don’t, it causes all sorts of problems because professors are male dominated and research assistants are female dominated.”

According to a response provided

by McGill administration, general calculations for the McGill-wide implementation of the pay equity program payments are ongoing.

“Both the director of the Office of the Budget and the assistant vice-principal (Financial Services) are continuing their work with Human Resources in analyzing, estimating, and providing input into the likely costs of the upcoming rounds of the pay equity exercise,” the administration said.

6

Opinion

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

THE Mcgill

editorial

SSMU Building Fee essential to continued viablity The cuts implemented so far have reduced funding to clubs, shortened building hours, and slashed the portfolios and committees tasked with improving student life. Cutting off your nose to spite the face would be an egregious mistake that would undeniably do more harm than good.

There are some among the student population that question the democratic legitimacy of submit-

“

year’s efforts to promote outreach and increase knowledge about what the fee entailed. Additionally, a website has been created to explain the nature of the referendum question and address concerns that have been raised by students. This year’s executive has also been in office for less than a month of school, hardly enough time for constituents to pass educated judgement. However, this does not mean that the student body

Students should be critical of SSMU, but in this referendum, SSMU is not the scapegoat.

ting a referendum question once again after it has failed, but those concerns are ill-founded. One need not look further than politicians who attempt to pass legislation that has previously failed because they believe it is in the best interest for their constituents, exactly what SSMU is attempting with this referendum question.

This year, a “Yes” committee was formally approved at the Sept.

11 SSMU Council meeting, a glaring component missing from last

“

The University Centre Building Fee question failed during the Winter 2014 referendum period, with 53.6 per cent of the electorate voting “No.” The fee was proposed following the signing of a lease agreement between the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and McGill, a lease that had been under negotiation for three years.

Although the lease signing can be considered a success, the failure to pass the fee to fund the new agreement was the latest in a long line of SSMU’s faux-pas during the 2013-2014 school year and contributed heavily to anti-SSMU fervor.

Criticism of elected officials is an absolutely necessary component of a healthy democracy, even at the student-government level. Bitterness towards last year’s executives, however, is reflecting itself in this year’s campus discourse and inhibiting the student body’s ability to move forward from this situation.

Students have a right to be irate, but it’s easy to offer uniformed criticism, and even easier to seek retribution by voting “No.” In reality, another “No” vote will harm the average student more than it will harm SSMU, the representative body. Students need to consider what the building fee means to them and what the Shatner University Centre gives them access to.

has forgotten about what can potentially go wrong, nor should they.

Students should give this year’s SSMU executive and Council the benefit of the doubt on the issue of the building fee, but SSMU needs to give the students something in exchange. A passage of the fee is no grand victory; rather, it is an opportunity for SSMU to reflect and ask why, and how, it came to this point in order to act proactively to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for this referendum question, but our support is not unconditional. This referendum question is about a building that represents one of the few bastions of social cohesion and community on a campus otherwise plagued with apathy, a building that is home to over 250 clubs, services, and independent student groups. What this question is not is a referendum on SSMU; that particular question is one that should continue for the entirety of the year following a strategic vote in the coming week.

Students should be critical of SSMU, but for this referendum, SSMU is not the scapegoat. The return of the building fee in the SSMU saga has been a lesson for all involved—a lesson that never happened the first time around. The student body is now entrusted with a second chance, an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often.

SSMU also has a second chance to prove that it is willing to do right by its constituents, and that it will properly communicate and perhaps more importantly, properly listen.

Wasting this opportunity would not only be a detriment to students, but would also be counterproductive in encouraging change for SSMU.

ALBERT PARK Contributor Québec is known for its astounding art, delectable poutine, and, for some people, universal daycare with an affordable standard fee of $7 a day. However, the possibility looms that the province may be giving up one of these things in the near future.

Earlier this month, the government’s proposal to scrap the universal rate of daycares in favour of a sliding-scale fee based on parental income caused public outrage.

The current system is not without its supporters. Since the universal fee’s introduction

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

TPS Board of Directors

Yael Chapman, Jacqui Galbraith, Adrien Hu, Alycia Noe, Sam Pinto, Jenny Shen, Maryse Thomas, Nicolas Tuech

Time-out for Quebec’s universal daycare fee? of daycare services, they are in high demand in Quebec. However, due to limited funds and low revenue, there is not enough space—slots exist for only about half of the children in Quebec.

This would seem reasonable until accounting for the over $2.2 billion Quebec spends a year on childcare, which is almost twothirds of how much is spent by every province in Canada combined. At this rate, more people are expecting to get a slice of the affordable childcare pie, since a large portion of that spending comes from their taxes.

Limited space introduces another problem as well. Families that are better connected and affluent will have superior access and ability to get to the right locations and sign up on the waitlists as soon as possible. To illustrate, in 2005, over 58 per cent of children in daycares were from families making more than the average income at the time. Families that are already struggling have to

Managing Editors Mayaz Alam malam@mcgilltribune.com Jessica Fu jfu@mcgilltribune.com Remi Lu rlu@mcgilltribune.com

Publisher Chad Ronalds

Commentary in 1997, there has been a huge boost in the number of working women in Quebec. It is estimated that around 70,000 women started working from 2008 to 2012, thanks to help from affordable childcare. However, the Liberal Party of Quebec are not out to destroy a prized policy without cause. Quebec’s poor financial situation simply cannot support such a heavily subsidized system at the moment. In fact, this isn’t the first time the system needed to be altered—the rate was originally $5 in 1997 and was increased to $7 in 2004. Recently, an increase for the flat rate to $7.30 was planned for Oct. 1, with additional increases to account for costs. In the end, there is no telling how much the rate will have to change in the future. What’s the point of having a standard rate if it’s not a desirable one?

Another problem with the current system can be seen through the principle of supply and demand. Due to the low cost

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

forfeit jobs to take care of their children or look for expensive alternatives like hiring nannies, while paying taxes for a program they can’t even take advantage of.

This only widens the gap between the rich and the poor, which goes against the very idea of an affordable, universal childcare fee.

Another problem associated with limited funding is the quality of the programs. A study in 2005 revealed that 61 per cent of subsidized facilities in Quebec were rated at “minimal quality.”

While low fees are desirable, it shouldn’t come at the cost of a child’s well-being and future.

The childcare program in Quebec has clear problems resulting from the low-revenue nature of a heavily subsidized program, though the province does not have the financial means to fix these problems. It might be, therefore, true that a sliding-fee may be the only solution.

Contributors Yahong Chi, Maud Ciche, Genevieve Fried, Liam Galligan, Aislinn Kalob, Hailey Mackinnon, Elizabeth McLellan, Nina Morena, Maggie Nenniger, Eric Noble-Marks, Alycia Noë, Albert Park, Laura Plamondon, Miina Sasaki, Alex Sirois, Elli Slavitch, Nicole Spadotto, Noah Sutter, Bridget Walsh, Andy Wang, Jonathan Whelan, Lauren Wray, Leyang Yu

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

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

7

Opinion

On the Members of Parliament as ‘trained seals’

NINA MORENA Contributor Members of Parliament (MP) have recently released statements expressing frustration with being treated like ‘trained seals’ and having little to no power within political parties.

The actions of Conservative MPs are controlled by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office (PMO), thus preventing them from exercising their own interests, giving genuine responses during conferences, and representing their own constituents. The PMO’s actions are becoming less and less consistent with the ideals of democracy Canada professes to stand for.

If Canadians live in a democracy, why don’t the inner workings of our government follow suit? The PMO should not be the only voice in national affairs. While Harper may be the Prime Minister, there is still an imbalance regarding the way in which power is distributed in Parliament. Former prime minister Pierre Trudeau referred to backbenchers—MPs not in Cabi-

net—as the “nobodies” of Canadian Parliament. In fact, this centralization of power began under Trudeau’s reign and has persisted ever since. The fact that MPs are so often left out of the making of policies does not exactly work with the notion of democracy.

This lack of power and selfless submission to the PMO put MPs at the short end of the metaphorical stick.

Members of Parliament are subject to the loss of their own individuality within their position. All actions taken in the public sphere are controlled by the PMO, such as prepared speeches and answers to expected questions for public appearances and conferences.

MPs are also told who they should vote for in coming elections, and how they should represent the beliefs of people in their respective ridings. Leon Benoit, Conservative MP for the Vegreville riding in Alberta, told the Commons: “I have had my rights taken away when it comes to representing my constituents on certain topics, and I just do not think that is appropriate.”

Last March, Mark Warawa, Conservative MP for Langley, BC, complained to the Speaker of the House of Commons about an apparent breach of his parliamentary rights. Two days later, Warawa was inexplicably removed from the list of MPs chosen to

deliver statements.

Former Alberta MP Brent Rathgeber resigned from his position due to the PMO’s controlling behaviours over MPs. Similar to the other MPs mentioned, Rathgeber was unable to properly represent the constituents in his riding. As told to CBC reporters: “When you have a PMO that tightly scripts its backbenches like this one attempts to do, MPs don’t represent their constituents in Ottawa, they represent the government to their constituents.”

In an excerpt from Rathgeber’s book, Irresponsible Government: The Decline of Parliamentary Democracy in Canada, the former MP reveals how our governmental system works; the MPs who are submissive to the Prime Minister’s Office are doing so because it is the only way for them to get ahead in their careers.

MPs are often left out of policymaking, and are told who to vote for and what to say in public. Benoit, Warawa, and Rathgeber have all released similar statements regarding the issue of a controlling PMO, and it is clear that they are not alone. Should their complaints fall on deaf ears it would further prove that Canada’s ‘democracy’ certainly isn’t functioning like one.

(Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune)

People’s Climate March a sign of renewed grassroots fervor

LAUREN WRAY Contributor I spent my summer scanning environmental news stories, specifically those related to climate change.

I encountered many diffferent styles of writing: emotion-driven pleas to save the planet, despondent interviews bemoaning political inaction, and a fair share of info-graphics. Across all major news outlets of varying ideologies, climate change was a continuous talking point. As I saw when I was out this weekend in Montreal’s protest in solidarity with the People’s Climate March, there is a clear clamour for action at the grassroots level.

Exactly how and when we should address climate change remains contentious amongst journalists and

academics, but few deny the need to tackle it. According to statistics from a study produced by several academics, 97 per cent of scientists acknowledge the existence of anthropocentric climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that this summer has been the hottest recorded in more than 100 years, and studies in the journal Science reported that we are in the midst of the sixth “mass extinction” of life on Earth. More depressingly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted that a worldwide cut of 40 to 70 per cent in carbon emissions is needed by midcentury in order to avoid climate calamity, which the IPCC defined as surpassing a global temperature of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Despite these clear facts, governments have responded very differently. The Obama administration took a major step this past June when it announced its plan to cut U.S. emissions from coal-fired power plants by 30 per cent by 2030. Since 2008, British Columbia has employed a carbon tax that

is generally seen as successful—The Globe and Mail eported: “the shocking truth about BC’s carbon tax: it works.” California has a cap and trade system for carbon, and Germany soon plans to obtain 30 per cent of its power from renewables.

Not all governments have exercised such prudence. Australia repealed its carbon tax in July in a rare and regressive case of a developed country actively dismantling its climate policy. For Canada’s Stephen Harper, climate change has not been listed as a top priority.

Moving forward, regardless of these disparate initiatives, a global carbon consensus is still desperately needed. Emission cuts in some parts of the world will be rendered useless if other countries fail to comply with global reductions. In the buildup to the much-anticipated United Nations (UN) Paris 2015 Climate Summit, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is convening a UN climate conference in New York on Tuesday, September 23, and is prompting leaders to “champion an ambitious vision anchored in

action that will enable a meaningful global agreement in 2015.”

Given the aforementioned positive governmental initiatives, there is hope that world leaders will avoid the patchy outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol and the wholly underwhelming conclusion of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Even so, a report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) predicts that the deal reached at the UN’s 2015 Paris Climate Summit will “bend the curve of global emissions but will not put the globe on the path consistent with commonly stated long-term climate goals.”

To fight inertia and catalyze political action in the UN headquarters, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators from 150 countries took to the streets on Sunday as part of the largest climate march in history: The People’s Climate March. In New York City alone, over 300,000 people turned up to rally in solidarity. Montreal’s climate march brought out a mix of concerned citizens donning small green felt hearts, reminiscent of the

red squares sported in Quebec’s 2012 student protests against tuition hikes.

Demonstrators carried signs expressing an emphatic narrative that encourages a reassessment of the neoliberal economic model and the attainment of dignity for all through climate justice.

On the streets, without the rolling and rattling of my summer’s media finds in my head, climate change is more than a scientific consensus, more than a social movement; it’s a sentiment ,and it’s definitely not silent. The worldwide People’s Climate March represents an important step in the climate movement, but the march certainly isn’t over. Though what is to politically materialize from the summit remains elusive, on the people’s side, the momentum is there. With any luck, the march will inject some noise into the silence of international consensus. If not, then we must seriously assess alternatives. We have an enormous opportunity right now, and I truly hope it’s not squandered, from the bottom of my green-felt heart.

ERRATUM: -A story in the Sept. 16 issue (SSMU Council holds first meeting of the academic year) incorrectly stated that the SSMU building fee levy was $6.08. In fact, the fee levy is for $5.78.

-A story in the Sept. 16 issue (PGSS Executive Interviews) incorrectly stated that SSMU hired a Harm Reduction Coordinator, Bianca Tetrault. In fact, McGill hired the harm reduction coordinator. In addition, the article incorrectly stated that Brighita Lungu, PGSS Members services officer, was a part of the working group to draft McGill’s sexual assault policy. In fact, Lungu is a member of the working group that is organising the #ConsentMcGIll campaign.

The Tribune regrets these errors.

8

Student Living

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Indulging in seasonal Italian dishes

Sister restaurants Impasto and Pizzeria Gema take Little Italy by storm

ALYCIA NOË Contributor The result of a brilliant collaboration between Michele Forgione, chef and owner of the beloved Old Port restaurant Osteria Venti, and Stefano Faita, son of Elena Faita—one of the most celebrated Montréal-culinarians, Impasto and Pizzeria Gema aim to present classic and authentic Italian specialties.

Impasto Opened in July 2013, Impasto changed Little Italy forever. It stood out from its competitors by developing a reputation for delicious meals made with high-quality ingredients.

Located on the corner of Rue Dante and Rue Saint Dominique, Impasto presents a very simple interior. The kitchen is open for the public to observe, and tiled walls and wooden tables give the restaurant a young vibe.

The menu is small, changing daily to feature six starters, four pasta dishes, four meat plates, and a dessert selection. All the dishes are inspired by ingredients available at local markets. The chefs

pack immense flavour into small dishes; as such, it’s recommended to order a number of plates to share.

The restaurant’s roasted octopus with navy beans is tender, with a nice sear on the outside, similar to the smoked caciocavallo on offer—a cheese similar to mozzarella—which is grilled to a slightly-melted consistency.

They also offer market tomatoes with house-made burrata cheese, as well as a string bean, potato, and mint salad. These two dishes make for a refreshing combination, and are a great way to celebrate the fresh produce of early autumn.

However, the pasta at Impasto is the clear highlight of the menu. All pastas are made inhouse and are cooked to al dente perfection. Favourites include the ricotta gnocchi in a tomato basil sauce, and casarecce, a long twisted pasta, dressed with an almond basil pesto and garnished with cherry tomatoes.

For dessert, the tiramisu—a classic Italian dessert—is presented in a small mason jar, with piled layers of cream, espresso, ladyfingers, and some shaved chocolate. The sweet and bitter flavours meld together to yield a delicious dessert.

Impasto’s menu features many local, fresh-made Italian dishes (Alycia Noë / McGill Tribune)

Pizzeria Gema Across the street from Impasto, Pizzeria Gema is perfect for large get-togethers or picking up a late-night Neapolitan-style pizza and frozen custard. Pizzeria Gema offers both dining and take-out options, with a menu comparable to Impasto’s—although slightly less expensive.

Forgione worked to perfect his pizza recipes for over a year

before opening the restaurant, and even asked other chefs for advice.

A crowd-favourite is the “1889”, a simple and classic Margherita pie with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. There are no overwhelming flavours; the tomatoes, cheese, spice, and dough work together perfectly.

One of the more unique pizza offerings at Pizzeria Gema is the Emilia, a riff on a white pizza—a pizza that has no tomato sauce— with a thyme cream, lardo, mush-

rooms, and onions. Another delicious combination is aptly named the Impasto, which features layers of porchetta (thinly sliced stuffed pork), smoked caciocavallo, and cherry peppers, garnished with a refreshing salsa verde.

The frozen custard is also a must-try. Available in French Vanilla and Belgian Chocolate, this frozen dessert is lighter than the typical ice cream, and is a perfect ending to a meal.

New year, new options Gerts updates menu and prices SAM PINTO Production Manager There was an aura of uncertainty surrounding the Gerts Students Bar as summer approached.

Following the failure of the Building Referendum Fee last March, it appeared inevitable that price increases would hit Gerts. While there may have been some growing bar prices, Gerts has increased food and drink options, with more opportunities for groups to host ev ents.

When the Building Fee failed to pass, former Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) former VP of Finance and Operations Tyler Hofmeister was forced to change SSMU’s budget in order to maintain the best level of service possible for SSMU and its services. As a result, Gerts’ budget was also changed in order to make a profit rather than breakeven.

“It’s projected to make an al-

most $17,000 profit this year,” explained current VP Finance Kathleen Bradley. “Once [we] run the Building Fee again—and hopefully it does pass—we’ll be able to bring it down to a break-even point […. Students will] see some changes in terms of costs of certain things. They’ve increased the price on some of the beers, [but] that’s mostly because they cost more to buy now.”

While students are aware of these changes, it has not affected their interest in going.

“I’ve noticed a few changes to Gerts in the few weeks that I’ve been back to Montreal—the main one being the increase in beer prices,” said Josiah Ahm, U1 Management. “[However] I’ve found that the changes they’ve made are somewhat insignificant compared to the experience you consistently receive.”

Gerts has also tried to save money by becoming more effi-

cient. This includes simple routines such as preventing beer waste by making sure that kegs are stored correctly, or ensuring that the pourBudget cuts have not affected Gerts’ atmosphere. (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune) ing control month, Bradley hopes that the two nitely our most popular night, system is being used at all times.

“None of the bartenders are restaurants can cooperate on proj- followed by TNT Thursday,” said Devin Healy, a Gerts bartender. drinking on shift [and] waste ects throughout the year.

“I’m excited to see what the “We can tell [that] Wednesdays has gone down,” Bradley said. “[Waste] used to be pretty high, partnership between Gerts and are the busiest due to our sales and and now we’ve all but eliminated The Nest will look like,” Brad- attendance numbers. [The Sanley said. “Groups book Gerts for gria] deal caters to everyone, and any sort of beer waste.”

Additionally, Gerts has added events and things. We’re looking judging by the number of pitchers a few new food and drink options if those groups are interested in we sell, it continues to be a hit to its menu. Pizza has officially catering, if the Nest could provide with the student body.”

For now, it seems that Gerts been introduced, with pepperoni that service for them.”

The bar’s popular weekly has hardly been affected by the and vegetarian options offered.

The bar has also added Jack Dan- deals and events will not be af- Building Fee, and will still be a fected by budget cuts, with their campus staple for McGill students iels to its list of alcohol options. to enjoy.

Once SSMU’s student-run popularity expected to grow.

“Sangria Wednesday is deficafé, The Nest, opens later this

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Student Living

Student of the Week

9

by Laura Plamondon

SHAZIA SHARIFF U3 Management (Photo courtesy of Shazia Shariff)

Shazia Shariff is a U3 Management student majoring in international management with a minor in political science. She exudes positive energy wherever she goes, and is determined to project her joie de vivre on whomever she crosses paths with.

Shariff grew up in Kenya, and has, from a young age, been intrigued by the politics of her country. As such, she is conscious of the disparities and conflicts in Kenya, which has resulted in an empathetic approach to interacting with those around her.

Shazia was raised by nannies in a small town in the Western province of Kenya, growing up listening intently as they would tell her about the obstacles they faced on a day-to-day basis. Their problems included a lack of money for education for their children, and deaths in their families due to curable diseases like pneumonia. As a result of her rapport with her nannies, Shazia became inspired to actively work against poverty and towards her vision of a fairer future. “[Through this experience, I learned] the value of community, the beauty of living with less, and the happiness that lies in simplicity,” Shazia said.

“I hope for a world where resource mobilization—both intellectual and material—is high,” she continued. “Living in a world where the burgeoning gap between the rich and poor is now a global threat, I imagine a need for a transformation of our needs-resources-consumption model, globally.”

After finishing an internship at the Africa Centre for Open Governance in Nai-

Two easy cocktails to ease the back-to-school blues Campus bar will continue to be a McGill staple for students HAILEY MACKINNON Contributor The changing weather signifies the end of summer and the beginning of warm-weather nostalgia. Here are some fun cocktails recipes for those looking to take a break from chilly winds and midterms—an easy throwback to the carefree days of summer.

1. The “Math-Break” mojito Serves 4 cups.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup lime juice 3 tbsp sugar 32 fresh mint leaves 1 cup white rum 1/2 cup chilled club soda Approximately 9 cups ice

(cascadeicewater.com) Directions: In a cocktail shaker, add 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 32 fresh mint leaves.

Use the end of a wooden spoon to mix the mint into the lime juice and sugar.

Stir in 1 cup of white rum, then pour the mix into a glass filled ice to fill the entire glass, with 1 inch left at the top to be filled with club soda.

Optional: Add a garnish of lime and mint.

2. The “Since when is Montreal an Island?” Long-Island ice tea Serves 1 cup.

Ingredients: 1/2 oz each of: Vodka, gin, tequila, and rum 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 oz triple sec 1 tsp sugar 1 can of Coke 1 slice of lemon Directions: In a cocktail shaker, mix 1/2 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce gin, 1/2 ounce tequila, 1/2 ounce light rum, 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and shake.

Strain the mix into a tall glass with ice, then fill the rest of the glass with Coke and stir.

Garnish the glass with a slice of lemon.

(restaurant.levleymarketing.com)

robi, Kenya, Shazia was made aware of the anti-corruption movement in Africa. One aspect that struck her was the many paradoxes that plague Africa and its governments.

“In [Africa], we have so many leaders, yet so little leadership,” Shazia said.

She believes there is a desperate need for change and introspection amongst the African population—in particular amongst African elite. According to Shazia, problems like tribalism and racism are not due to clashes of civilizations, but to ignorance and a lack of desire to change.

“The historical injustices that have bloated our minds and hearts for decades aren’t allowing us to focus on addressing what matters,” Shazia said.

However, her message is not one of criticism, but of hope. Shazia believes in the success of the Kenyan population; she is sure that the nation’s collective culture, hospitality, and hard work ethics will lead Kenya to a more stable government.

In relation to the McGill community, Shazia can’t help but see flaws in the lack of collaboration within faculties. She does not agree with the competitive nature of Canadian society, and has tried to solve this by promoting multi-disciplinary thinking and inter-faculty collaboration at McGill. “[I am currently] hoping to start a platform called LINK, which focuses on enhancing student collaboration and interdisciplinary events,” Shazia said. “Honesty is fashionable, hard work is sexy, creativity is fulfilling, and critical thinking, essential.”

McGill Tribune: Best place on earth?

Shazia Shariff: Streets of Bungoma, Kenya MT: Favourite food?

SS: Nyama choma (BBQ meat), Ugali (dough made of maize flour) and sukuma (spinach) with some chili tomatoes!

MT: Which celebrity or historical figure would you like to meet?

SS: Will Smith or the Dalai Lama MT: What TV series would you like to star in?

SS: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air MT: Any hidden talents?

SS: Burping

nominate a

student of the week!

Email us at studentliving@ mcgilltribune.com

Crossword Corner Theme: Chocolate bars

Across: 3. ‘Wonderful’ in German (sort of) 6. Not smooth 7. Have a break, have a _____ 9. Red planet 11. Malcolm’s older brother

Down: 1. How to win at sports 2. Packaged in pairs 4. Price for a pirate 5. Robin Hood’s weapon 8. Iconic triangular prisms 10. Largest chocolate manufacturer in North America

Find the answer key at: www.mcgilltribune.com

Memories unravelled A look into McGill’s role in advancing neurological research

By Cece Zhang In 1953, Henry Molaison underwent an experimental surgery known as bilateral temporal lobectomy to treat the severe epilepsy he had been experiencing. His surgeon removed his medial temporal lobe, including a structure known as the hippocampus—a part of the brain involved in the storage of long-term memory—in hopes of curing the condition. While Molaison emerged from the surgery no longer facing chronic seizures, he could not retain any new information and had lost his ability to form memories. Despite his memory loss, Molaison’s surgery would allow researchers to contribute invaluable information to the field of neuroscience.

To this day, scientists struggle with understanding the inner workings of the memory process. Through the development of more advanced technology and different molecular approaches to the topic, researchers have been able to make major strides in further elucidating the mechanisms behind our minds. In particular, neurological research in McGill has brought about some of the most revolutionary and exciting findings that have helped further our understanding of this mysterious organ and its roles in forming memories.

2000 Also advancing this field of study is Karim Nader, a professor at McGill who is working on elucidating the mechanisms behind long-term memory storage. Moving beyond Milner, who used a human model, he is looking into how recalled memories can be changed and even erased, by studying memories in rats.

“When a memory is retrieved, it is transformed into a vulnerable state in which it can be lost, changed or strengthened depending on the experimental manipulation,” Nader states on his laboratory website. “We have been asking questions at the behavioural, physiological, and

1953

Brenda Milner, gist working at the M tute (MNI), was one extensively to the stud the effects of Molaison cifically, she investiga ity to retain any shortthem into long-term his long-term memor tion. Short-term mem processing an incident seven items for a short long-term memories th information for infinite Milner and her Hebb, speculated that hippocampus—the un ably damaged in som known as a bilateral l confirmed years later w out on a similar patien tissue on the unoperate was, in fact, damaged However, it was on Molaison that serve

2014 molecular levels of [memory] analysis [through studying rats].”

Nader’s lab research in 2000 showed that if a memory of fear is reactivated, these long-term and previously stable memories become unstable once more.

It’s up to the brain to make new proteins in order to store these reactivated memories again. Using a type of medication known as a beta-blocker, his team discovered that they could prevent the re-storage of these memories—essentially erasing them. This finding has given rise to exciting possibilities for developing a treatment for posttramautic stress disorder (PTSD) patients.

Similarly, Sylvain Williams, an associate professor of psychiatry at McGill, is trying to gain a better understanding of how the hippocampus functions in forming memories at the molecular level. With the development of a technology known as optogenetics, which allows researchers to control genetically modified neurons with light signals, the lab is able to monitor the neural activity of live animals.

Previously in 1954, scientists began to measure brain activity through theta waves and frequencies. These waves are responsible for processing and storing memories of various types of information depending on the behavioural activity, where longer beta and gamma waves are produced during deep sleep, and shorter theta waves are produced during conversations and while learning.

While researchers previously believed that these waves passed through the hippocampus region in strictly one direction, Williams’ team is investigating the possibility that they can actually move in both directions.

“There are many other different kinds of neurons and projections that have not been described in the hippocampus,” Williams said. “In order for us to understand how the hippocampus works and how information is treated, [...] we need to find first all these circuits, characterize them, and understand them.”

T studyi team inform direct “ pus an may a T roles d bound neura “ “[This [and] cessed

a Canadian neuropsycholoMontreal Neurological Instiresearcher who contributed dy of memory by examining n’s surgery on his brain. Speated the cause of his inabil-term memories and convert memories, despite retaining ries from before the operamories are formed just after nt, and can only store around t period of time, compared to hat can store vast amounts of e periods of time. r doctoral advisor, Donald the other side of Molaison’s noperated side—was probme way as well, a condition lesion. Their hypothesis was when an autopsy was carried nt’s brain. The hippocampus ted side in the second patient and wasting away.

Milner’s behavioural studies ed as the breakthrough point

1970-1990 for her. By encouraging him to participate in a set of rigorous experiments, Milner investigated the extent of his inability to form long-term memories.

First, she sent Molaison through a maze, where he had to learn to navigate through trial and error.

Molaison showed no improvement with three days of practice. Next, she challenged him with a sensorimotor task, where he had to draw a star guided by the reflection of his hand. The task became easier with practice, and within three days of repeating the drawing, Molaison’s performance was perfect—although he could not recall ever having completed the task before.

“He had absolutely no memory of all these trials he had been through,” Milner said in a previous interview with the McGill Journal of Medicine.

“There was a total dissociation between his experience and his excellent performance.”

From these behavioural studies, Milner concluded that there are multiple memory systems, which she divided into episodic memory—the recall of autobiographical events, as well as procedural memory, which is the memory for performing an action—the same memory system Molaison used to improve during his drawing activity.

To produce these theta waves, a host of different neurons are involved. Williams’ lab is ying a type of neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In 2014, his discovered that when GABA neurons in the subiculum—the last region of the chain of mation flow in the hippocampus—are activated, they can actually move in the reverse tion to affect previous regions in the hippocampus. “[Scientists previously] thought information was passed out passively to the hippocamnd then the subiculum,” Williams said. “But [now] this is not so, because the subiculum also control how the information is treated in the preceding regions.”

The team is currently trying to figure out whether these GABA neurons play different depending on the types of activities. Using optogenetics, the researchers are pushing the daries of previous studies with animal models. They are actually able to compare the al activity of rats that are exploring, sitting, or dreaming, “We show [that] it does occur, and is very important in […] sleep,” Williams said. is] really provides [a] new perspective on information processing in the hippocampus, suggests that it’s more complicated than we expected. The way information is prod in the hippocampus has to be looked at again using our data as a backbone.”

Despite Milner’s discoveries, it would take time and the development of technology beyond behavioural science until further breakthroughs in memory research could be made. These achievements included the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the 1970s and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the 1990s.

Both technologies harness radio waves to form images of the body,

providing researchers with the unprecedented ability to visualize the interior of the brain. Stephen Frey and Marilyn Jones-Gotman are two McGill professors who used fMRIs to advance their research. Before her retirement in 2009, Jones-Gotman used fRMIs to take images of the brain in different situations— such as comparing pleasant and unpleasant sensory stimuli—with the intent to further her understanding of how the brain responds to stimulus.

The field of neuroscience and neuropsychology has made huge leaps in understanding the mechanisms by which memory functions, aided and abetted by the rise of technology. From crude operations on humans without a complete understanding of the different parts of the brain, to fine-tuning the genetic make-up of single neurons to manipulate the hippocampus of rats, Montreal continues to serve as a hub for researchers who are further advancing the process of unraveling the mysterious processes of memories.

Currently, the Language and Memory Laboratory at McGill coordinates research from a variety of Montreal-based investigators, with the goal of advancing studies in memory formation. Directed by Debra Titone, the Canada Research Chair of Cognitive Neuroscience of Language and Memory, the lab uses a vast array of cognitive neuroscience and imaging techniques to compare normal and disordered populations, such as those suffering from schizophrenia.

Scientists have just scraped the surface of uncovering the many neurons involved in processing memories. The continued development of technology, and insights gained through studying animal models, has enabled researchers to accumulate a knowledge base from which today’s scientists can apply their studies to investigate diseases of human memory.

12

Science & Technology

The struggle to cure HPV

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Dr. Eduardo Franco’s lab continues to seek methods for prevention and detection CAITY HUI Features Editor

T

o latch onto a human host cell, the human papillomavirus (HPV) scans the outside of its target until it reaches its receptor protein—the trapdoor through which the virus may pass into the cell. The virus then proceeds to usurp the cell’s machinery in order to survive and reproduce. It is this process of hijacking that leads to an HPV infection—an incident that, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is common to over 79 million Americans.

While HPV itself is not necessarily dangerous—in fact, it is so common that almost all sexually active men and women will receive at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives—the virus poses a threat beyond the initial infection. Depending on the condition, HPV can lead to the development of cervical and other cancers.

Unlike many cancers, however, there is a vaccine available today that can prevent both the virus and the lesions caused by it. Eduardo Franco, a professor and researcher with McGill’s Department of Oncology and Epidemiology, has focused his research for the past 30 years on developing both prevention and detection methods for the virus.

“The old Pap test, when women turn 18 and start going in for their annual test, is the sort of mantra women have had for many years,” Franco said.

“[However], there are better molecular ways for us to test for [HPV]. By using a [different] approach to test for the virus, we are achieving way better sensitivity [in our studies]—our ability to detect real, pre-cancerous lesions is much better than the Pap test.”

This research front is just one of many with which the Franco lab is involved. In collaboration with students, researchers, and institutions all over the globe, Franco is pursuing many new avenues of prevention and detection, including studying the effects of the HPV vaccine, developing liquid microbicidal gels to protect against HPV, and improving the HPV detection process.

“We demonstrated that it is possible to test for the virus, but there is still a problem that women have to come to us to get screened,” Franco explained.

“What if we gave them a product where they could collect the sample at home and then they could ship it in the mail, or bring it to the nurse at their own leisure?”

Franco emphasized that self-sampling would not only make the detection process easier for women, but it would also enable doctors to expand the breadth of patients that receive testing, particularly for remote areas and those populated by non-English speaking individuals.

However, one of the challenges faced by many labs like Franco’s is the difficulty of finding volunteers to participate in their various studies. Without participants, these researchers cannot

Eduardo Franco’s lab has been conducting groundbreaking HPV research. (Noah Sutton / McGill Tribune) extend their studies beyond the laboratory to observe how HPV functions within members of the population.

“People may be turned off by [our studies],” Franco said. “[But] at the end of the day, there is the assurance that they will contribute to generating knowledge that will help prevent infections that cause cancer and help people like themselves.”

Nikita Ber, a recent graduate of McGill’s Microbiology and Immunology program and current master’s student at the Franco lab, echoed Franco’s sentiments that many people are intimidated by the conversation about HPV. “When people hear the term HPV, a lot of people think STIs, which makes them feel like they’ve done something [bad],” Ber said. “[However], the odds are, if you’ve had sex, you might have

HPV—but fortunately it is something we can deal with today.”

He hopes that in the future, the conversation on social media will be more open towards HPV, where voices beyond those shouting about the negative effects of Gardasil—a common HPV vaccine—will also be heard.

“Yes, the vaccine may sometimes have [side effects]—like many vaccines [do]—but it also does a lot of good,” Ber said. “[Though] people don’t talk about that as much.”

Information seems to be just one of the many key aspects to continuing the uphill climb towards HPV prevention and detection. A shift in perspective, where HPV is also associated with more positive terms like ‘research’ and ‘treatment’—as opposed to ‘cancer’ and ‘STIs’—will hopefully make the topic

more approachable for students considering participation in a study. Both Ber and Franco acknowledge that there is a lot of misinformation regarding the virus, which is often what leads to the surrounding fear and stigmatization.

“I always joke [about] the famous SAT question that goes as follows,” Franco said. “All Zoogles are Boogles.

You see a Boogle—is it a Zoogle?’ So the analogy here is that all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infection; if you have an HPV infection, will it develop into a cervical cancer? The answer is no, the same way the answer is for the SAT question.”

Franco hopes that his current studies will continue to contribute to developing better methods of dealing with the virus.

McGill Robotics prepares for a new year

Nascent design team hopes to win this year’s RoboSub competition Genevieve Fried Contributor

M

cGill Robotics is an interdisciplinary engineering design team at McGill University that has a strong, albeit short, history of success. Its year-old Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) team has already started winning awards and has plans for more.

The AUV team that attended the RoboSub competition in San Diego this past August placed 10th overall in a field of 49 teams, and third in static judging. They also won the Judge’s Award for Best Branding and Business Development.

The competition calls for the creation of an underwater robotic vehicle to autonomously navigate through a series of obstacles.

“What makes us stand out is that we have a lot of different faculties come and work with us,” stated AUV project manager, Paul Albert-Lebrun, a U2 electrical engineer student. “You don’t have to be an engineer to join.”

McGill Robotics is structured as an ‘umbrella organization,’ which means that a number of design teams are formed from individuals with varying levels of expertise and different academic backgrounds. Olivier Lamarre, the University Rover Challenge (URC) project manager and a U3 mechanical engineer, states that part of their success is due to their organizational structure. “[McGill Robotics] is a great place to get hands on experience,” Lamarre said. “We can apply principles physically that we wouldn’t in class, and [we] empower students to create and develop—to feel comfortable with their own ideas.”

The engineering group has a number of initiatives in place for McGill Robotics.

“We’re building the team— starting with mini projects on the 16th of September—to test the creativity of prospective applicants,” Lamarre said. “From there we’ll [start] choosing people.”

According to AUV software division lead, U3 electrical en-

gineer Mathieu Wang, McGill Robotics is primarily looking for dedicated members.

“Obviously if you have worked with robots before, that’s great, but that’s not the only thing we’re looking for,” Wang said. “In previous years, we had members with zero experience, but they turned out to be an important part of the team because they stayed and took a lot of time to learn and work on it.”

The ‘team-before-machine’ mantra is a philosophy of McGill Robotics that prioritizes team bonding and development alongside engineering success.

Members of the club believe the AUV team—established over two years—was built with this in mind. The first year of the project focused on establishing a strong

The McGill Robotics team. (auv.mcgillrobotics.com) team and a functional robot, with the second year meant to win the competition.

McGill Robotics hopes to share their enthusiasm for robots with the community and encourage participation—which, according to Lamarre, is the best part of being a part of the team.

“When we do outreach or when we have events, we showcase our robots and they impress people, but people don’t think

they could ever do what we do,” he said. “[It’s] when you can prove to them that robotics is not something unachievable—that it is something very feasible—that people realize robotics is in reach of everyone who is willing to learn from it. It is then when we feel most that we’ve done a successful job.”

Full disclosure: Genevieve Fried is a member of McGill Robotics.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

13

Science & Technology

The ongoing Bitcoin battle

Will Bitcoins fight their way into society?

T

MAUD CHICHE Contributor

he term ‘Bitcoin’ first appeared in 2009 when Satoshi Nakamoto—a potential pseudonym of either a single person or group—invented the world’s first decentralized digital currency.

This 21st century currency employs a third-party, intermediate, cryptography system resulting in a more secure and confidential medium of exchange. No governmental monetary authority controls this ‘cryptocurrency’; instead, computers running very sophisticated mathematic schemes mine Bitcoins. The mathematics of the Bitcoin system are designed in such a way that it becomes more and more difficult to create new units of the currency, fixing the ceiling at 21 million Bitcoins. This limitation prevents central banks from issuing massive amounts of Bitcoins, which would lead to its devaluation.

According to Tony Gallippi, the co-founder and executive chairman of BitPay, the largest global Bitcoin payment service, Bitcoins are being used beyond their role as currency, and are now seen as a valuable piece of technology.

“We are using [Bitcoins] as a

currency, but you can also use it as a payment system or a distributed ledger to prove property rights,” Gallippi said. “What’s giving it value and is getting people excited is its utility.”

There are two main advantages of using cryptocurrency.

It can be transferred directly at a low transaction cost, and is also a floating currency, which means that the monetary value of Bitcoins comes from its ability to fluctuate in relation to the foreign exchange market.

According to the webpage ‘History of Bitcoin,’ the number of Bitcoin transactions and the number of wallets—a system used to store the digital credentials for Bitcoin holdings—has continuously risen from its inception in 2009. However, some issues do arise from the use of the digital currency.

It is not officially recognized as a currency in itself in many countries—including Canada— and is thus not subject to the same regulations. This absence of regulation and the ability of guaranteed anonymity of the transactions paid in the cryptocurrency raise concerns.

An internal memo addressed to the former Canadian Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty stressed that the digital currency could repre-

sent an attractive payment method for criminals.

“Virtual currencies such as Bitcoins have been criticized for their potential to fund illicit activity, such as money laundering and terrorist financing,” the memo states.

Some tech companies have started to offer their employees the option to be paid in Bitcoins.

Wagepoint, an American company offering online payroll software solutions to small businesses, re-

cently added a Bitcoin option to its list of services. Employees from 10 different firms have already switched from traditional payment methods to a Bitcoin system.

Wagepoint CEO Shrad Rao himself is surprised by the popularity of this new option.

“What’s interesting is that we’ve actually had customers come to us because of the [Bitcoin] integration—which we were not expecting at all,” said Rao in an interview with CBC.

Bitcoin has struggled to gain official recognition from countries and banks. (coindesk.com)

Research Briefs ANDY WANG Contributor

F E A R N OT: THE DREADNOUGHTUS

The dreadnought was a type of battleship developed in the 20th century that was known for its size and speed. This massive ship is what inspired archeologists in Argentina when naming their most recent discovery—the Dreadnoughtus. Dreadnoughtus— member of the class Titanosauria, a group of dinosaurs named after the Titans of ancient Greece— is the largest land mammal to have ever existed. Titanosauria are massive herbivores “ranging from the weight of a cow to that of a sperm whale,” said Assistant Curator Matthew Lamanna, from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The Dreadnoughtus is not a regular garden-variety dinosaur. Its fossils, discovered and excavated in Argentina, were the largest and most complete Titanosaur fossils ever found. Scientists

extrapolated from a 3D rendition that it probably weighed somewhere around 59,300 kilograms— heavier than a Boeing 747. In addition to its sheer physical size, it also possessed a ferocious tail to defend itself from predators. It is estimated that the Dreadnoughtus would require tens of thousands of calories each day in order to sustain itself—an impressive feat considering that its diet was exclusively plant-material.

P R I N TA B L E S O L A R PA N E L S

The sun is always up in Australia. It should come as no surprise then that the University of Melbourne and Monash University, in collaboration with Australia’s National Science Agency, have developed printable solar panels that are almost ready for commercialization. According to Dr. Fiona Scholes, a senior scientist working on the project, the technology is inexpensive, and unlike traditional solar panels, can be made to be semi-transparent.

The new technology functions as a

While the cryptocurrency is gaining momentum in Canada, many restrictions are slowing its assimilation. The government does not recognize Bitcoins as official currency—they’re classified under barter transactions—and thus, employees choosing to be paid in Bitcoins still have to pay their taxes in Canadian dollars. Furthermore, most brick-and-mortar companies do not accept Bitcoins as a method of payment.

‘solar ink,’ as the panel is printed similarly to Canadian bills, and is just as flexible and lightweight.

The end product contains panels of varying colours and appearances, and are lightweight and conformable while delivering a stable voltage under low light or indoors.

From the glistening skyscrapers of packed cities to the harsh, arid environments of developing deserts, printable solar panels provide multifaceted and exciting possibilities.

J U ST T H I N K

The answer to the question, “If you could have one superpower, what would it be?” is oftentimes telepathy—a means of communication without using any of the five human senses. Incredibly, science fiction has been turned into reality, with the first documented case of telepathy confirmed this year. Two scientists—4,600 miles apart—telepathically sent the words ‘hola’ and ‘ciao’ to each other. The feat was accomplished over the course of several hours. Letters were converted into binaries, and

(upload.wikimedia.org)

were then fired as electric pulses to the occipital lobe of the recipient, who, blindfolded, saw white flashes in his peripheral vision.

Eventually, the binary 0s and 1s are pieced together to form coherent words. Scientists claim

that practical applications of this technology are still at least 20 years away. Nonetheless, further research in the field of brain-tobrain communication offers many possibilities.

Individuals with ICHTHYOSIS are needed for a research study in Montreal involving an approved topical treatment. Reimbursement will be $300 for four visits.

CONTACT

derek.ganes@ganespharma.com

14

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Through the looking glass: Perspective from the Lost writers’ room Leonard Dick gives us a flashback of his time writing for the hit show

MAX BERGER Arts & Entertainment Editor If you’ve watched any high-quality TV drama in your life, then there’s a good chance that you’ve been taken aback by at least one perfectly executed scene or storyline—one that made you shake your head and marvel at the writers who were able to come up with something so brilliant. If you were a fan of Lost, then this happened fairly regularly.

Even the harshest detractors—the estranged fans who believe the show ended horribly and didn’t answer a fraction of the questions it should have—will likely still concede that Lost produced some of the most well-written and engrossing television ever. What began as a pitch by ABC executive Lloyd Braun for a show about strangers surviving a plane crash and living together on a deserted island somehow morphed into a groundbreaking series with an island that featured polar bears, a black smoke monster, and longstanding mysteries about cryptic numbers and fertility problems. Early on, Lost established itself as a show that was willing to throw just about anything at viewers, which is why fans speculated endlessly about what kind of shocking revelation would come out of the writers’ room next.

One person who had that kind of insider information was Leonard Dick. A writer for seasons one and two of Lost, Dick has since written for other popular series such as House and, currently, The Good Wife. When Lost premiered ten years ago on September 22, 2004, Dick—who had previously left a business job on Wall Street to move west and pursue entertainment writing—was a relative newcomer to the world of network television. But shortly after Lost’s wildly expensive pilot episode drew in millions of captivated viewers and made it the most popular show on television, a lucky break gave Dick the coveted opportunity to jump on board with the series.

“There was turmoil in the writer’s room and some of the writers’ options weren’t renewed,” explained Dick. “So they hired three new writers in the middle of the season and I was one of them.”

Despite the fact that Lost was a megahit, Dick hadn’t even been watching the show when he found out that he would have the opportunity to interview for one of its writing positions.

“Between work and raising my kids, I watch very little TV,” he said. “My wife had been watching the show and she said, ‘This is incredible, you have to watch it.’ And I kept planning to watch it but I never got around to it. So then I had my interview and I had to bingewatch the first few episodes.”

His verdict?

“I thought it was the most original show I had ever seen. Probably like everybody, the episode that completely hooked me was the John Locke one, the fourth episode called ‘Walkabout.’ To me, that episode has one of the greatest twists in TV history.”

Once he joined the Lost writers’ room, Dick relished the chance

to learn firsthand from the man who manufactured that staggering onscreen moment.

“Damon Lindelof is brilliant,” said Dick. “I’ve been off of Lost for about eight years now, and the lessons I learned there I use all the time. The one phrase that I use every time we pitch a story—and I’m almost quoting Damon verbatim—is ‘What is the last thing the audience is expecting?’ Damon was a master at finding an unexpected twist that felt real.”

Lindelof’s ability to astonish viewers kept the momentum that the pilot had generated alive, giving him the kind of successful project that any writer dreams of having. He was also incredibly overwhelmed—even before an event beyond his control would further complicate his situation.

“Damon and J.J. Abrams created Lost together, J.J. directed the pilot; but then, because J.J. was so busy with movie stuff—he was doing Star Trek and Mission Impossible—he couldn’t help run the show, so at first Damon was doing it by himself,” said Dick. “And then he brought in Carlton [Cuse] because it was such a big show, and they ended up running it together.”

What could have been a devastating blow to the series turned out to actually work in its favour. As a second showrunner, Cuse gave Lindelof the short-term support he needed at the show’s helm, but also proved instrumental in executing Lost’s long-term goals—which included orchestrating a network television manoeuvre that had never been done before.

“Damon and Carlton realized very quickly that the show faced the risk of meandering,” began Dick. “A network will run a show into the ground; at the end of the day, networks aren’t concerned about quality, or winning Emmy’s, or what critics think—the networks are interested in ratings.

“But Damon and Carlton, who are genuine artists, did care about the quality of the show, and knew that if it ran indefinitely, it was going to feel flabby and meandering. They wanted to honour the show and they wanted to honour the audience. So what they did was—they did something unprecedented, and J.J. participated too—which is they negotiated with the network [ABC] an end date for the show.”

Those negotiations happened three years before the series finale aired in 2010, and in many ways, this was fitting for a show that had already broken new ground with its ethnically diverse cast, unique flashback component, and ambitious storytelling risks. As Dick noted, the showrunners brought a relatively free-flowing approach to a series that gave the impression that it had been meticulously planned out.

“At the beginning of the season, we would always do a boot camp where we would spend the first week or two discussing what the arc was for the season,” he explained. “The best analogy is: We knew we were driving from New York to Los Angeles, but what we would find along the way is, ‘Are we going to take the highway, or a back road? Are we gonna visit the Statue of Liberty or the Grand

Canyon?’ [….] We had a general sense of what the year was going to look like, and then week to week, we would decide which character we needed to spotlight.”

That process began with all the writers planning out the episode storyline together, and then it would generally be the responsibility of two writers to put together a script—one writing the on-island story and one writing the flashbacks. In terms of deciding who the spotlight should go on, sometimes the reasoning was based on critical season benchmarks, or—like the case of Dick’s co-written episode “The Long Con”—a more responsive logic.

“What happened there was [that] we hadn’t done a Sawyer episode [recently], and Damon and Carlton thought that Sawyer had started to look soft,” said Dick. “So they wanted to do an episode where they gave him his spine back; he was turning into Fonzie from Happy Days; he was too soft.”

Although the showrunners always had the final say regarding content, they encouraged ideas from the other writers, and Dick was directly responsible for several episode plots.

“My first episode was ‘…In Translation,’ which I wrote with Javier Grillo-Marxuach,” said Dick. “We had already seen Jin come in with the bloody hands in the Sun episode [‘House of the Rising Sun’], and I said, ‘What if it isn’t what you think it is? What if it was a benevolent beating where he beat the crap out of a guy to save his life?’ And Damon and Carlton loved it, and that’s what we did.”

He also devised an episode for Sayid, his favourite character to write for.

“In season one, there was a episode called ‘The Greater Good,’ and that was completely my pitch,” he said. “I was flying to Toronto and I was reading an article, and it sparked an idea. As soon as I got to my mother’s apartment, I emailed Damon and Carlton and said, ‘Here’s an episode for Sayid: What if we found out how he ended up on [flight] 815, and he went there because of a friend who was a terrorist?’”

By the time Lost ended, Dick was watching it as a fan rather than a writer. The series finale—and later seasons in general—had a polarizing effect on much of the fan base, but he was on the satisfied end of the divide.

“I found the ending unexpected, and thought it was beautifully written and beautifully directed,” said Dick. “They picked a path and they committed to it; and while not everybody liked the way the show sort of changed directions, I give them kudos.”

Even though those detractors will always be a part of Lost’s legacy, Dick was able to put the show’s true impact in perspective.

“Two points: One, you’re never going to satisfy everybody. And number two, God bless that your show has people who are unhappy with an episode or two—that means they’re watching [….] We should all be so lucky to have created something that people have that emotional attachment to.”

Great venegance, furious anger, and Shakespearian dialogue Mainline Theatre gives 1994 Tarantino film the 1594 theatrical treatment ELIZABETH MCLELLAN Contributor Spectators arriving to see Bard Fiction are immediately greeted by the warmth and intimacy of the Plateau’s Mainline Theatre. In anticipation of the show, audience members mingled in a small, dimly lit room filled with couches and the buzz of conversation.

Eventually, a flute coaxed the audience into their seats with a Renaissance-style melody, setting the tone for this Shakespearian Pulp Fiction rendition.

The production is well done, even if it’s somewhat inaccessible to those who haven’t seen the iconic Quentin Tarantino film—though it’s hard to imagine why anyone wouldn’t have.

Despite this potential flaw, the acting,

set design, and script unite to form an extremely successful adaptation.

For the most part, the fast-paced Shakespearian dialect was perfectly executed, with the exception of a few slips of the tongue by contracted killer Jules Winnfield—in this production renamed Julius (Kareem Tristan Alleyne)—making some of his lines incomprehensible.

Fake accents, dramatic fight scenes, and impassioned speeches were executed with precision and energy, bringing the script, staging, and storyline to life.

The simple set was expertly repurposed in each scene for a new and distinct use. It consisted of an antique looking table and benches, with various accessorizing objects: Cups in the restaurant, weapons in the weapons

shop—effortless, yet effective. The characters’ interactions with such simple objects smoothly naturalized their transformations—the table metamorphosed into a wagon and the benches became their foot rests.

Effective lighting completes the play’s immersive visual world, harmonizing the various parts of the production. A unique lighting technique was put to good use when a treasure box was opened and the gold seemingly reflected onto Vincent’s (Timothy Diamond) face. Small details like this complete the production.

Music, however, is a weak point.

The score is underwhelming, provided entirely by just a single, average flautist.

Although those light touches of Renais-

sance-style melodies add a comic touch, working in juxtaposition with the modern concept the audience holds in their heads, it feels incomplete and shoddy at times. This is a minor detail, but one which could elevate the production significantly if executed well.

The wittily adapted script translates the vulgar silver-tongued lines of the main characters, Vincent and Julius, into hilarious Shakespearian dialogue.

This amalgamation is spotlighted at critical moments, such as when the famous cheeseburger dialogue from Tarantino’s film is adapted to refer to a “cottage pie” instead—prompting a roar of laughter from the audience. The script adaption was a highlight of the production, in both quality and comic effect.

In many ways, the overall success of the production can be gauged by both the high attendance and postive reception. Few seats were left empty, and the sound of laughter more than filled the hollow spaces. Any flaws in the production are overshadowed by the successes in acting, set design, and lighting. The intimacy of the theatre played a pivotal role in the production, making each pained expression, each drop of sweat, and each small mistake visible. Bard Fiction is an authentic, gritty, and very real spectacle—and that may be its true success.

Bard Fiction will be playing at Mainline Theatre (3997 St. Laurent) until Sept. 28. Student tickets are $12.

15

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

POP MTL Yearbook

To commemorate the 13th installment of Pop Montreal, the Tribune hands out awards to distinctive musical acts from the festival Most likely to give you the best performance of your life if he’s in a good mood This award goes out to Sun Kil Moon, but really only applies to frontman Mark Kozelek. It’s no secret that he has a short fuse on stage; just two weeks ago at the Ottawa Folk Festival, Kozelek was angry that the sound from The War on Drugs’ nearby set was seeping onto his stage, so he retaliated by saying “I hate that beer-commercial lead guitar shit” and jokingly dubbed the next song “The War on Drugs Can Suck My Fucking Dick.” At his Wednesday show I was prepared for the worst, but fortunately, Kozelek surveyed the crowd at the Ukrainian Federation auditorium and liked what he saw, throwing in a “Don’t piss me off” warning for good measure. Accompanied by a three-piece backing band that provided heavier instrumentation than most of the songs on his latest, mostly acoustic record Benji, Kozelek’s hauntingly beautiful melodies left me overcome with awe.

Most nonsensical artistic crossover Naomi and Damon are your classic old-school hippies who delved into the underground arts years ago and refused to move on. Arguably the type who believe that being starving artists is the highest reward for dedication, their North American debut of the silent film “Fortune” was a stereotypical medley of high-reaching themes and arcs of symbolism that went over the head of everyone but those who wrote and directed the piece. While the duo, who performed original musical pieces as the film played behind them, is clearly passionate about the fine arts, they should remember: Just because you have a dream doesn’t mean you have a talent.

Most likely to have you nod your head into whiplash Despite their newbie status of only performing together for a year, Diamond Bones’ performance was well put-together and a beautiful presentation of what synth/punk-pop should be: Not too dirty, not too meek—just a perfect blend of ethereal lyrics and a strong, well-maintained back beat. Beyond its sleek sound, Diamond Bones is undeniably cool, banking on a girl power dynamic in tandem with a punk wardrobe and hipster accessories. The trio established themselves to be just as breezy as their sound.

Most likely to help you achieve spiritu’ al enlightenment Mutual Benefit’s Friday night set was a constant stream of sonic serenity, minus the short transitions between songs that made you remember you were at a Pop Montreal concert and not strolling through a zen garden. Despite the absence of the violin that appeared on the 2013 album Love’s Crushing Benefit, the band didn’t skip a beat in performing its most recent batch of songs. I spent most of the night watching the drummer, who masterfully operated a drum kit that included chimes and djembes. Spiritual enlightenment certainly feels like a possible side-effect of listening to this band uninterrupted for an extended period of time.

Most likely to lead a musical cult

To preface, I enjoyed every moment of Bosco Delrey’s performance at Divan Orange. Experimental pop is a genre that will either be terrible or just Most likely to Musicians performed at over 50 venues around Montreal at this year’s festival. (Bridget Walsh / McGill Tribune) weird enough to keep you vibing all eagerly return to night long, and Delrey certainly fell into their festival venue the latter with his electronic back-up band, unintelligible lyrics, and twitchy yet mellow stage persona.

The cruxifiction stance he took between driving guitar chords—in combination with his usage of two As Nils Edenloff of The Rural Alberta Advantage acknowledged on stage, his band wasn’t used to mics to support his wandering habit—made his performance seem less like a concert and more like a playing for so many people, but Cabaret du Mile End was packed on Friday night. They didn’t disappoint ritual indie sacrifice. Ultimately, it made for a memorable if not overly eccentric performance—I was under pressure, following their loud, garage-rock opener “P.S. I Love You” with a powerful show of their truly inspired to drink the kool-aid. own that made it feel like there were more musicians up there than just the three bandmates. They also rewarded the fans in the packed venue by playing a handful of songs from their upcoming album Mended With Gold that had never been played live before.

— Morgan Alexander — Max Berger

Grimes: The future of music in the internet age LIAM GALLIGAN Contributor

(Continued from page 1) Boucher first began performing and recording as Grimes while studying neuroscience at McGill in the late 2000s. After being expelled from university for missing too many classes, Boucher released her first two LPs, Geidi Primes and Halfaxa, in 2010. These two records definitely sound like what we would come to expect from a Grimes release; they’re complete with her trademark musical motifs: Dreamy electronic instrumentals, hauntingly distant vocals, and of

course, those catchy pop melodies.

Following the release of these two albums, Boucher quickly found a sizable following on the internet, gaining recognition from indie publications like Pitchfork as well as communities on Tumblr and 4Chan.

Her popularity and praise further increased with the breakout record Visions, an album released to almost universally-positive critical recognition. On this LP, Grimes ditched the more DIY production of her previous LPs to create more refined melodies and form more cohesive, emotionally affecting tracks. On Visions, Grimes uses the tension between those pop-esque and more under-

ground elements to create different emotional and tonal effects, whether it be the raw vulnerability of “Oblivion” or the love-fuelled joy of “Genesis.”

Like many of her peers, Grimes has many different influences: Styles as disparate as trap, vaporwave, K-pop, industrial, and bubblegum-pop are all present in her work. In one interview, Boucher talks gushingly about how Mariah Carey is one of her favourite artists and biggest inspirations. In another interview she even labels Grimes as “ultimately a pop project.”

She also commented on how pop music “hits right in the pleasure centre.” In her performances, she says she tries to capture the

spirit of “punk-pop”—not talking about creating songs inspired

by Blink-182, but about bringing a subversive punk mentality to the pop genre. Grimes’ ability to transcend genres and labels has also brought into question whether contemporary music can even be defined by macro-genres. Is her music really as “pop” as she says? Is it “indie”, or is it even “electronic”, as the iTunes store claims? In this era, is organizing iTunes libraries the only real purpose of genre labels?

But what is the future of “the future of music?” Grimes has not yet released a follow-up to Visions, although a new album is most certainly in the works.

Throughout this year, Grimes’

actions seem to suggest a further approach to “the mainstream.”

This attracted the ire of many in her internet fanbase when she released “Go,” a trap banger initially written for Rihanna. Yet despite this change in style, “Go” is one of Grimes’ most confident tracks yet, complete with a drop that definitely hits that “pleasure center.”

I don’t know what Grimes’ next album is going to sound like—she unfortunately recently scrapped her new album, possibly in response to the negative “Go” reaction—but however you choose to label the direction in which her new music goes, I’m confident it will be original and unforgettable.

16

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Covers that one-upped their originals

ALBUM REVIEWS Train - bulletproof picasso columbia

ERIC NOBLE-MARKS Contributor

“I Will Survive” Artist: Cake Album: Fashion Nugget Released: September 17, 1996 Originally Performed By: Gloria Gaynor

Since its original release in 1978, disco standard “I Will Survive” has been covered countless times. However, Cake is still the only band to take the song off of the dance floor and into the gutter. Gloria Gaynor’s defiant wail is replaced by the lethargic baritone of lead singer John McCrea. Sharp guitar hooks and one of the catchiest basslines in all of rock allow Cake’s cover to hit angles that Gaynor’s never could. Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” is about defiantly moving on from past relationships; Cake’s version shows that moving on is not as easy as it sounds.

“Johnny and Mary” Artist: Todd Terje ft. Brian Ferry Album: It’s Album Time Released: April 8, 2014 Originally Performed By: Robert Palmer

San Francisco band Train returns with its seventh studio album, Bulletproof Picasso, which has as much musical evolution from its previous album as the near-identical album covers suggest.

The album opens with the most typical Train track (get it?) ever made. “Cadillac,

BAHAMAS - Bahamas is afie

In “Johnny and Mary,” Todd Terje pays homage to the defining new wave artists of the late ‘80s and late ‘70s with none other than one of the genre’s founding fathers at his side—Roxy Music’s Brian Ferry. The original “Johnny and Mary” was endearing, if a bit thin at times. On the contrary, Terje’s version is as lush as it gets. Swirling synths and echoing percussion perfectly cradle Ferry’s near-whispering voice. These qualities complement the song’s dream-like lyrics. When Ferry croons “He needs all the world to confirm / that he ain’t lonely,” we can feel his longing.

“Crush” Artist: Jai Paul Album: Jai Paul Released: April 16, 2013 Originally Performed By: Jennifer Paige

It’s one thing when an artist takes an already great song to another level, but quite another when the artist makes a mediocre one great. The original version of “Crush” is a bit of ‘90s pop fluff, an easily forgotten one-hit wonder. Jai Paul turns it into a slow jam, with booming bass and honeyed falsetto to boot. Paul breathes new life into the song, giving it a level of sexiness and allure that’s completely absent in the original.

Many of us fell in love with Afie Jurvanen’s Bahamas project when he released Barchords (2012), an homage to broken-hearted people in Montreal.

Now, Jurvanen has renewed our affections with his latest release, which has revamped elements of his usual low-key,

Artist: The Fugees Album: The Score Released: May 31, 1996 Originally Performed By: Roberta Flack

Legendary guitarist Slash once again teams up with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators to remind the world that rock ‘n’ roll is still very much alive. The former Guns N’ Roses member’s third solo album is packed with 17 tracks that showcase both Slash’s well-known edgy yet sleek

bank knew what we were fighting about when I didn’t even know what I was writing about.”

In a world where everything and everyone is adapting to norms we’ve fabricated and created ourselves, maybe Train’s unyielding musical style is what attracts people. Maybe this record reflects the refusal to let go of the past. Maybe.

As it stands, though Bulletproof Picasso remains just as its title suggests: A piece of work that’s beautiful and personal to its artist and creator, but upon its refusal to evolve and exist exactly the way it desires, results in a rather bland and retread listen. It’s a testament to Train’s trademark sound, but ultimately lost amidst the increasingly interesting and accomplished records of today.

— Jack Neal

BRUSHFIRE

under-produced sound.

The album starts with “Waves,” an upbeat song—at least for Bahamas—with all his classic elements: High-pitched guitar strumming, a moving chorus in the background, and Jurvanen’s seemingly not-even-trying, silky folk croon.

Bahamas knows how to use a semitone step-up in his melody to break the purposeful simplicity of his lyrics and keep the listener curious as to what’s going to happen next.

Despite his knack for being unpredictable, songs like “Half Mine” and “Nothing to Me Now” are the uniform, hard-to-avoid filler songs in between the creative genius of tracks like “Stronger than That,” “All the Time,” and “Like a Wind.”

Jurvanen laments an unrequited love in “All the Time” using Black Keys-like

SLASH - world on fire

“Killing Me Softly With His Song”

Is there anything cooler than ‘90s Lauryn Hill? Before she hit it big with her first solo album and then proceeded to drop off the face of the planet, Hill was one third of alternative hip-hop group The Fugees. Make no mistake though, their version of “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is all Hill, with the other members’ roles limited to ad-libs.

The production on the track is stellar. Bringing the R&B classic into the hip-hop world is no easy feat, but the Fugees pass the test with flying colours. As for the vocals, Hill’s turn is every bit as emotionally rich as Flack’s and adds a swagger not present in the original song. Wait for the bridge and prepare to be amazed.

Cadillac” describes its protagonist choosing to ride off into the desert in a ’60s convertible when a relationship gets slightly complicated. Following that are 11 songs consisting of heartbreak, regret, and uninspired, cliché lyrics. “I Will Remember” opens with the cringe-worthy line, “Did you ever do drugs?

It’s like love/ Have you ever done love? It’s like a drug.”

With lyrics that are already relatively safe, the album’s production also sees no new development from its predecessor, while lead singer Pat Monahan offers somewhat disconnected vocals throughout the whole record.

Bulletproof Picasso is an overly-emotional confessional album; however, two songs stand out in being much more tolerable in their reflections. “Just A Memory” explores the past, and chiefly, teenage life: “I was breaking up, breaking down, the girl at the

blues elements like low resonating electric guitar and unique vocal arrangements to make this one of those catchy songs you can rock along to. “Like a Wind” is an epic falling-out-of-love song, with intense bass and percussion to accent the most emotional parts and unique electric guitar riffs interwoven with a lamenting backup chorus.

If you enjoy the musical stylings of singer-songwriters like Jack Johnson and M. Ward, you will probably love this album. While it might not introduce any groundbreaking musical themes, it offers unique songs and seamlessly weaves in popular influences to create a diverse musical experience.

— Margaret Nenniger

Dik Hayd International

guitar work and Kennedy’s transcendent vocals.

The album wastes no time thrusting fans straight into its aggressive opening title track. A throwback Slash guitar riff starts off the groovy and dynamic verse that Kennedy ignites with his delivery. Undoubtedly the strongest track on the album, “World On Fire” is an immediate reassurance that Slash and his bandmates haven’t lost any of their energy since Slash’s previous album Apocalyptic Love.

The passion Kennedy pours into each song is breathtaking—particularly on the seven-minute ballad “Battleground,” in which he soars beautifully from high, powerful octaves down to gentle, caressing whispers. “Iris Of The Storm” is another album highlight, opening up with an uplifting guitar hook and unfolding into a melodic

tune that will creep under your skin and captivate you.

However, the album has its weak points. Like Apocalyptic Love, many of the tracks sound strikingly similar and can get repetitive. Also, while “World On Fire,” “Battleground,” and “Iris Of The Storm” are great songs, they simply cannot compete with the utter brilliance of Apocalyptic Love’s “Anastasia” or “No More Heroes.”

World On Fire may not be quite as phenomenal as its predecessor, but it is still definitely one of the most outstanding rock albums of 2014. Slash and Kennedy’s chemistry is undeniable, and anyone who enjoyed the previous album is sure to appreciate the sequel.

— Miina Sasaki

sports

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

17

GOLF — Martlets 3rd, Redmen 5th

Martlets, Redmen battle the elements in McGill Open Smith, Pollet lead McGill golfers to respectable finishes mayaz alam Managing Editor Under unpredictable weather conditions, the Martlet and Redmen golf teams hosted the McGill Open this past weekend. The wet winds are characteristic during this time of year and did not discriminate when affecting performance.

“The first day was really windy and it affected just about everybody,” Redmen Junior Jonathan Whelan explained. “If you went with a little bit of spin [to the left], the ball would end up 30 yards left. It was […] hard to mentally be able to still play.”

The climate didn’t get the better of the teams as the Martlets, who finished third in the five-team field, continued their string of solid performances, while the Redmen finished a respectable fifth out of 11. The two-round tournament, held at Club de Golf Le Victorien in Mirabel, Quebec, was the second RSEQsanctioned event and fourth tournament of the season.

Justin Smith, a sophomore Arts student from Toronto, Ontario, finished tied for seventh and shots +3 to lead the team, while Whelan, a Science student from Rothesay, New Brunswick,

The Redmen have been improving throughout the year. (Jonathan Whelan / McGill Tribune) finished one shot behind as the secondbest Redmen golfer in the tournament.

Both, however, shot considerably better in round two compared to round one, an improvement that Whelan attributes to nicer weather and added time on the course.

“It was a lot calmer [in terms of] conditions and because it was a little bit wet, everything just held on the greens,” Whelan said. “It also helped [on the second day] because I didn’t get a practice round in before.”

Juliette Pollet, who has been the team’s highest-placing finisher in all four tournaments so far this season, once again led the Martlets. Pollet, a first-year Management student, finished +9 over the weekend and had an especially strong Sunday, finishing seven shots better than her total in round one, good for fourth overall.

“With Juliette coming in, it added another strong player to the team,” Head Coach Robert Dubeau said. “With only three scorers out of four players that

10

count […] it’s given us a chance to be up there. At our first tournament, we finished second on the first day and tied for second on the second day […] so it’s made a big change to the women’s program.”

Rookie Alice Hwang and sophomores Valentin Bougaud and Alisha Corringham finished 10th through 12th.

The Martlet team shows promise as a very young squad that should remain a fixture near the top of the RSEQ leaderboard for the coming future.

“They’re a young team […] but if we add one more good player, we have the chance to be really competitive,” Dubeau said, while also hinting at potential internal development. “Alice has great potential. It’ll take another year but […] she could be a major player on our team and bring us a long way.”

Both McGill squads will travel to Laval for the RSEQ Championship from Oct. 5 to 7. A top-five finish for the Redmen and a top-three finish for the Martlets are certainly within the realm of possibility, but a berth to the National Championships will require a determined effort from the Redmen.

“Each round is a separate tournament […] so finishing second or third in any particular round gets you a lot of points in terms of who goes to lead the board at the end of the season,” Dubeau said. “We started really poorly […] but things are looking good—I’m much more pleased than I was three weeks ago.”

Although the squad faces an uphill battle, Whelan believes that a strong finish is within reach.

“It’s happened in the past where McGill has shot [well] the last two days of provincials and gone to Nationals, so it’s possible to do it again,” Whelan said.

things

you didn’t

know about

EQUITATION

BY YAHONG CHI

Equitation is split into two main styles: English and Western. With markedly divergent historical origins, these two styles have distinct gaits, tack (equipment), attire, competitive events, and overall philosophies.

English riding evolved from fox hunting, and encompasses the most well-known competitive events including show jumping, dressage, and horse racing. Smaller saddles allow for close contact between the horse and rider, and also allow the horse to move more freely, while bridles are designed to give the rider’s hands direct contact with the horse’s mouth.

(commons.wikipedia.org)

Equitation is one of the few sports where age and gender have no impact whatsoever. The youngest ever winner at Spruce Meadows, an annual international tournament held in Calgary, was American Caitlin Ziegler, who won the Grand Prix event in 2011 at the age of 16.

At the other end of the spectrum, Canada’s own Ian Millar, age 67, took home his third championship this year at the 2014 Spruce Meadows Master’s. Millar, who has earned the nickname ‘Captain Canada’ during his illustrious international equestrian career, holds the world record for most Olympic games attended at 10.

Western riding originated on cattle ranches in the American west, where endurance and power were priorities. Consequently, Western riding features much larger, more stable saddles, and uses one-handed neck-reining (directing the horse with light pressure on the neck with the reins) to allow the rider to work cattle with a lasso in the other hand.

While age and gender may be irrelevant in riding, socioeconomic class is not. Equitation is historically a privileged sport, feasible only for upper-class families. The costs of lessons and leasing one’s own horse, as well as the limited availability of facilities, make equitation a prohibitively expensive and exclusionary sport.

An English riding outfit reflects the sport’s affluent origins: breeches, a fitted jacket, gloves, and tall boots are standard. Traditional Western riding attire features a cowboy hat, jeans, and Western-style boots. Many English riding disciplines place emphasis on the presentation of the horse, whereas Western styles do not.

The Paralympics feature para-equestrian dressage as a discipline, where conventional dressage rules apply but competitors are divided into classifications based on their disabilities.

International equestrian sports are dominated by English disciplines. The three Olympic equestrian sports consist of dressage, eventing, and show jumping. These events happen to be the only Olympic events that involve animals, and are also not segregated by gender, age, or any defining factor other than nationality.

The art of horse-riding is still prevalent in fields other than equitation today: mounted police have the advantage of height, mobility, and increased visibility, which help deter crime. Equine therapy is used to help those suffering from emotional or physical problems to heal in an environment designed to create connections between horse and patient.

18

Sports

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

LACROSSE — REDMEN 11, GAITERS 5

McGill tops archrival Bishop’s to stay undefeated on the season Redmen ride dominant second half to pull away from Gaiters ELIE WAITZER Sports Editor After lying dormant for most of the game, the McGill Redmen (6-0) woke up just in time to hand the Bishop’s Gaiters (4-1) their first loss of the season Wednesday night.

The game, held at Molson Stadium, was a back-and-forth affair, with three lead changes in the first half alone before the Redmen pulled away 11-5.

The two teams, who have developed a heated rivalry in the past five years, played a physical brand of lacrosse, with neither side able to establish an advantage in the first quarter. Despite McGill’s impressive ball control, Bishop’s took advantage of a personal foul on sophomore attackman Spencer Bromley to net two quick goals and go up 4-2.

The Redmen, who aren’t usually on the receiving end of a two-goal deficit, were not fazed—a team-wide mentality that should fare well in the post-season. With three minutes left in the quarter, rookie Alex Linton fired an audacious unassisted shot from distance that found the back of the net. Then, just before the end of the second half, cocaptain Alex Rohrbach scored to knot the game up at 4-4.

“It’s very difficult for a young team early on in the season to keep a level

Spencer Bromley fends off Bishop’s defenders (Lauren Bensen-Armer / McGill Tribune) head, especially when we’re behind,” Rohrbach said. “It’s a testament to our players responding to adversity, and it definitely starts with the coaching staff [….] When they keep calm, it reflects on the players.”

Rohrbach’s shot proved to be the spark for the Redmen offence, which erupted for seven goals in the second half. Rohrbach and Bromley each scored twice in the half, with junior midfielders Rhys Burnell and Anders Bjella,

and senior attackman Connor Goodwin rounding out the attack with one goal apiece. Both Rohrbach and Goodwin finished the game with hat tricks.

While the offence looked unstoppable in the third and fourth quarters, Head Coach Tim Murdoch attributed the victory to the team’s shutdown performance.

“I think our defence really wore down their attack,” Murdoch said.

“They were struggling to penetrate in

key situations. [Freshman defenceman] Danny McDermott had a great night, as did our captain, Paul Rakoczy. [It] was the most impressive defensive half we’ve ever had against Bishop’s in the 12 years I’ve been coaching.”

Rohrbach echoed his coach’s words, praising his teammates on their play.

“I think it started with our defence and our goalies, they played outstanding,” Rohrbach said. “They allowed

us to work on our transition game and move the ball up the field quickly.”

Another major factor behind the dramatic turnaround was the play of sophomore goalkeeper William Waesche, who replaced starter James Spagnuolo at halftime. “[Waesche] played extremely well,” Murdoch said. “He only let in one goal in the second half [and] stopped a bunch of great shots.”

Waesche limited Bishop’s attack to one goal on 10 shots over 40 minutes of play. Offensively, the depth offered by the abundance of talented rookies playing off the bench enabled the team to stay in high gear from start to finish.

Murdoch is confident that his team’s blend of youth and experience will make the Redmen lacrosse team a juggernaut in the conference for the foreseeable future.

“We have a bunch of sophomores and juniors playing key leadership roles that might otherwise go to seniors, so the future is bright,” Murdoch explained.

McGill extended their undefeated streak to six with wins against Queen’s (1-3) and Trent (1-4) this weekend, and looks to stay in the win column on Thursday in a pivotal rematch against Bishop’s.

BY MAX BERGER & WYATT FINE-GAGNÉ [Continued from page one] Wyatt Fine-Gagné (WFG): Brian Scalabrine! I was walking to the venue when I found out that the man known as ‘White Mamba’ would be playing in the game. Despite the fact that he rarely played meaningful minutes during his NBA career, Scalabrine became a fan-favourite towards the end of his tenure in the association. His monster fourth-quarter dunk made me literally leap out of my seat. Royal Ivey was the other former-NBA player on team Pop, and he also put on a good performance, but Scalabrine shined brightest. Ultimately though, I think the crowd was most vocal in supporting one of the musicians on the floor in particular. In terms of basketball-talent, who do you think stood out among the nonprofessional athletes?

MB: I’ll give you a hint: all he does is win, win, win no matter what! Win Butler didn’t crumble under pressure or stiff competition at his own event, proving to be a key contributor on the winning squad. His versatility on the court mirrored his unique musicianship

on stage as he flitted between the three-point arc and the low post with the same ease that he switches instruments at his concerts. Except for a series of ill-advised second half outlet passes and a possession where he flagrantly fouled former Martlet star Hélène Bibeau, it was a thrill to watch the Arcade Fire front man find success against the Jock foes all game. While Butler was undoubtedly the musician MVP, Vernon seemed to be the fan-favourite, drawing strong applause from the crowd in his limited minutes.

WFG: Vernon definitely got a lot of love from the crowd, but I think everyone would agree that he was far more impressive during halftime than he was during the game. Following a few shenanigans, including a ‘kazoo-battle’ between two audience members and a humorous karaoke performance from Team Pop’s Luke Bonner, the musicians on team Pop came together for a special performance of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.”

The “Pop All-Star Band,” as they called themselves, featured Win and Will Butler, Régine Chassagne, Vernon, Fraiture, A-Trak, and Kid

Team Pop celebrates its victory over Team Jock (Photo courtesy of Richmond Lam) Koala. The cover was a bit rough around the edges, but it was clear that the crowd loved it—especially when Vernon sang the second verse on his own. I think it’s worth mentioning how impressive Chassagne and Kid Koala were. The two provided music throughout the game, playing their own instrumental versions of songs such as “Eye of the Tiger” and “Jump,” as teams Pop and Jock squared off.

MB: Yes, those renditions certainly didn’t go unnoticed, upping the intensity of a game that was de-

cided in a hard-fought fourth quarter. After swapping sizable leads in the first half, a late Jock surge knotted the score at 71-71 entering the final frame. But once it began, the older Pop squad was in top gear, going on an immediate run en route to a dramatic 101-92 victory. They seemed fresh throughout the game, largely thanks to Matt Bonner’s astute managing of his players’ minutes—a tactic that surely rubbed off on him from his time under Coach Gregg ‘Pop’ Popovich in San Antonio, and very much befitting of a

game in which Bonner coached the Pop team.

WFG: I was a bit shocked by how well team Pop performed. The quality of play was actually quite high compared to what I expected, and though the game was competitive, it remained friendly and fun throughout. That, coupled with the special half-time performance, had the crowd singing a happy tune as it filed out, which is exactly what a charity event like this one is meant to do.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

19

Sports

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Head Coach Michael Therrien ruffled a few feathers in the hockey world this off-season when he announced that the Canadiens would be dividing the team’s leadership duties among four alternate captains. The logic behind having a sole captain is that it provides a veteran presence for the team to rally around and look to in pressure situations. A team can risk appearing fickle and amateur if it is constantly appointing a new captain—or even worse, giving the coveted ‘C’ to a rookie or sophomore player who hasn’t earned his proverbial ‘stripes’ yet.

The more the merrier

O Captain! My Captain!

Controversy has arisen from Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Michel Therrien’s decision to deviate from the standard leadership configuration of a captain and three alternates. Instead, the Canadiens have opted to name four alternate captains and this, while unorthodox, is a good decision. A core group of leaders is needed for any team to be successful because having a variety of leaders will enable the Habs to fill different leadership roles; some leaders choose to motivate vocally while others choose to lead by example. A lack of a singular captain does not leave a leadership void – in fact, not having one captain gives all players equal responsibility to play a leadership role, both on the ice and in the locker room. Once a team begins to rely on one person to provide leadership and motivation, its individual players become more one-dimensional.

As a Leafs fan, I remember the era when Mats Sundin was the only source of leadership on the team, with the rest of the team relying on him to point the way.

When Sundin was injured, several other members on the team took on increased leadership roles, and the Leafs began winning more games without their captain.

When a group as a whole holds accountability, the pressure on individuals is lessened. Wearing the ‘C’ puts an enormous amount of pressure on a player. The Habs have a very young group of players who have not proven themselves under pressure.

Too much pressure too early in a career can ruin a budding prospect. We recently saw Alex Ovechkin crumble under the pressure of captaincy; he is only now getting back into his groove.

Naming a captain is akin to declaring a franchise player, which makes trading away a captain very difficult. This gives rise to a costly inefficiency for many front offices. For example the aging Shane Doan of the Arizona Coyotes is not immensely talented at this stage in his career, but the Coyotes have clearly stated that Doan is the only player they will not trade. The Canadiens, arguably, do not have any franchise players other than Carey Price, and perhaps P.K. Subban. But, giving the letter to Subban becomes difficult to justify given his young age, selfish play on the ice and controversial media image. In the future, Subban or even Brendan Gallagher will likely be named captain, but neither is ready for the role and all that it encompasses right now. Easing them into leadership roles is a smart move, especially considering the captain is accountable to fans and media for the performance of the team.

Much of the leadership and culture of a team comes from the coach. Whether it is a captain, or a team of assistants that conveys this message is a moot point. The Canadiens have no obvious captaincy choice for this upcoming season, and to force leadership upon a player not equipped to handle the responsibility makes no sense, especially considering they have a close-knit team of guys that can take on the role together.

– Nicole Spadotto

Following the loss of veteran Brian Gionta to free agency, the Canadiens were left without a captain, and decided against naming one for the 2014 season. Although unorthodox, this is not the first time a team has decided against selecting a captain and in favour of a group of assistant captains. This past season, the Columbus Blue Jackets were led by Jared Boll, Jack Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky, and Mark Letestu, and reached the playoffs for the second time in club history. In the 2008-2009 season, the abysmal Toronto Maple Leafs were led by a triumvirate of Francois Beauchemin, Tomas Kaberle, and Mike Komisarek.

In this case, Head Coach Michel Therrien has made a mistake in putting his trust in veterans Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec, as well as in young stars Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. This is not to say that none of these players deserve to lead the Canadians. Although they are all more than capable of leading their team to victory when it comes down to the wire, no player on the Canadians deserves to don the ‘C’ more than Andrei Markov.

Injuries have kept Markov off the ice for long periods of time, he missed all but seven games in the 2010-2011 season due to knee injuries. It’s both inarguable and imperative that a captain stays on the ice as much as possible. This season will be Markov’s 15th season as a Montreal Canadien, a milestone very few have reached in the hallowed franchise’s history. A player of Markov’s stature, with over 800 games and 442 points in his career, has earned his stripes after years of suiting up for the Habs. In addition, he has worn the ‘A’ since the 2009-2010 season. This would be like working for a company for 15 years, expecting a promotion, then being forced to share your current role with new employees instead. For the cohesion of the team and out of respect to a player who has given so much yet received so little, Markov should assume captaincy over the Habs this year-there’s a reason he’s known around the locker room as “The General.”

Furthermore, it’s hard to understand the point that the front office was trying to make by selecting four assistant captains. Instead of showing direction, Therrien’s decision comes off as convoluted and misdirected. If you’re grooming P.K. Subban for captaincy–and they most likely are–then why not just give it to him now? The former Norris Trophy winner is coming off a stellar season in which he reached the 50-point mark for the first time, and tallied 14 points in 17 post-season outings.

In an interview with CBC Montreal sports anchor, Douglas Gelevan, Subban touched on the topic of having four alternate captains this season.

“I always feel like I’m auditioning, even to keep my job,” he said.

On the whole, Therrien’s moves this off-season are puzzling. Lack of respect and lack of direction are what plague this team at the moment. If the front office cannot show strong leadership, then why would its players? The move didn’t work for Ron Wilson’s Leafs a few seasons ago and it won’t work for Therrien’s Canadiens now.

– Alex Sirois

Editors’ pick: The more the merrier. While Markov has earned his place in Canadiens’ history, a true team player does what is best for his team. When a team appoints a single captain, the players must have full confidence in the captain’s ability to lead the team for years to come. Therrien’s decision took a lot of courage; but with no clear choice for team captain, its a decision that will benefit the Habs in the long run.

Martlet Soccer–Two 1-0 away defeats, first to the Laval Rouge et Or on Friday and then to the Montreal Carabins on Sunday, left the Martlets pointless this past weekend. McGill goalkeeper Cassandra Fafalios did have strong outings, saving a combined 11 shots. Her defensive efforts were not enough ,as the Martlet attack was unable to generate ample chances against Laval and finish with certainty against Montreal. The two losses push the team back to fourth place, where they sit five points behind Sherbrooke in the RSEQ standings ahead of two pivotal home games next weekend.

Redmen Soccer–McGill was defeated by the Laval Rouge et Or 4-2 at Stade Telus Friday. Star sophomore forward Massimo Di Ioia scored in the eighth minute on an assist from junior midfielder Henri Ashe-Taylor to put the Redmen up early. However, Laval’s precision passing quickly wore out McGill’s offence as the game wore on. Amaury Fauvergue and Kevin Cossette each

scored twice for the Rouge et Or, and Laval’s defence limited the Redmen to just two shots on net after allowing Di Ioia’s early goal to slide through.

Redmen Football–The Redmen fell to the Montreal Carabins 43-17 at Stade CEPSUM Friday.

McGill has yet to win a game this season, and the loss marked Montreal’s 16th-straight victory over the Redmen. Freshman quarterback Joel Houle made his first career start for the Redmen in the absence of injured starter Dallon Kuprowski. A porous and injury-ravaged offensive line ledHoule to be sacked eight times, but the rookie showed promise under pressure, completing 11 of 24 attempts without a single interception. McGill will have to better contain its opponents’ ground attack as they look to get in the win column against national powerhouse Laval in Quebec City on Saturday.

20

Sports

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Know your McGill Athlete

Zoe Fasoulakis Junior, Defender Kinesiology (L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

The Martlet soccer team is off to a strong start to the 2014-2015 season, which means business as usual for junior kinesiology student Zoe Fasoulakis. The center-back has seen teammates and coaches come and go, but winning has been a constant since she debuted in 2012.

Along with fellow junior Margaux Sleckman, Fasoulakis marshals the Martlet defence with authority, providing a much-needed veteran presence on a backline that has received a major influx of rookie talent this year. As the oldest defender on the squad, Fasoulakis takes pride in overseeing the development of a young and promising defensive core.

“It’s my job as one of the more veteran players to guide those younger players and talk to them,” Fasoualkis explained. “I’m the one they look to for guidance on the field.”

Fasoulakis is able to draw strongly on fond memories as a first year to put herself in a rookie’s shoes when giving advice or criticism.

“As a first year coming in, it was more about getting experience and

Athletes of the Week

playing [time], my role was kind of just getting my feet wet,” Fasoulakis said. “I remember when I was looking to my center back for guidance.”

However, the age and experience of the team is not Fasoulakis’ main concern. According to her, one of the biggest challenges the Martlets face year to year is forming a new identity. With key players inevitably graduating, and coaching staff retiring or moving on to new positions, the culture in the locker room can change dramatically from one season to the next.

“It’s pretty key for us to settle on an identity early in the season, just so we’re all sharing the same goals,”Fasoulakis explained. “It’s important to know what kind of game we want to play based on our strengths and weaknesses.”

But any concerns Fasoulakis may have had over the team’s dynamic had dissipated by the end of the preseason, and with the Martlets already blanking Bishop’s and Concordia in conference play, her position group is clearly on the same page.

by Elie Waitzer

“We got a couple games [in the pre-season] where we were able to try out some new ideas without having the risk of losing in the regular season where it actually matters,” Fasoulakis said. “Everybody is of the similar mindset [….] There’s a lot of determination and hard work in our team, but we are also a very fun group and really enjoy playing [soccer].”

In addition to scavenger hunts and other miscellaneous team bonding activities, Head Coach Jose-Luis Valdes took the Martlets on a retreat to Mont Tremblant to close out a busy and successful pre-season.

While Fasoulakis acknowledges playing for the Martlets has been the most rewarding experience in her time at McGill, she admits that the commitment can get overwhelming at times.

“It can be slightly challenging,” Fasoulakis said. “When you have that Monday off from practice you really have to do your work. You can’t procrastinate too much, or go watch TV shows in your break—you need to actually do work.”

McGill Tribune (MT): What is your favourite song right now?

Zoe Fasoulakis (ZF): “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit, it’s a lockerroom favourite that we play a lot.

MT: What is the best course you’ve taken at McGill?

ZF: Anatomy 316, working with cadavers was very cool.

MT: What is your favourite bathroom in McGill?

ZF: Basement of Leacock – on the right, where the Subway is.

MT: What was your first slow dance song?

ZF: First one I can remember? Oh God—“Graduation” by Vitamin C. MT: You have Beyonce in a room.

What do you ask her?

ZF: Hmm, that’s a tough one.

Keep doing what you’re doing Beyonce. But also can you sing a halftime show at a Martlets game? That would be awesome.

BY THE NUMB3RS

.766 6

Rookie lacrosse goaltender William Waesche’s save percentage over 120 minutes of play this past weekend.

Number of points tallied by Martlet hockey forward Leslie Oles in a thrilling shootout win against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in pre-season play on Sunday.

Number of hits the Redmen baseball team needed to defeat the Université de Montréal 3-1 on Friday. Freshman outfielder James Pavelick tallied McGill’s lone hit. Montreal managed five hits on the game, but was undone by three costly errors.

1

Alex Rohrbach

Cassandra Fafalios

Rohrbach scored hat tricks in back-to-back games this weekend against Bishop’s and Queen’s to propel the Redmen to their fourth and fifth wins. The senior cocaptain has started out the season scorching hot, and his leadership has been crucial in motivating the team throughout their impressive 6-0 start. His reputation as a clutch scorer was proven as he put on a clinic in both games. Against Bishop’s, his halftime buzzer beater ignited a wild 9-1 rally for the Redman, and his game-winner against Queen’s kept McGill’s undefeated streak alive.

Fafalios was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal weekend for the Martlet soccer team. She saved an impressive 11 shots over the two games, and remained composed under intense pressure. In the loss to Laval, McGill’s sloppy defending led to 11 corner kicks in the span of one half. Fafalios turned away attempt after attempt with aggressive goalkeeping, keeping the Martlets in close contention until the final minutes of the game.

Redmen lacrosse–Attackman Senior, Management

Martlet soccer–Goalkeeper Sophomore, Arts

Photos courtesy of McGill Athletics