McGill Tribune Vol. 34 Issue 6

EDITORIAL

Tuesday, October 7, 2014 Volume No. 34 Issue No. 6

Bilateral tuition needs upward adjustment to counter underfunding pg. 6

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Pop Rhetoric: Bound 2 falling out of love

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HK rally P. 3

MORGAN ALEXANDER Arts & Entertainment Editor

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n Sept. 21, news broke that Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose were getting divorced after 14 months of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences” as cause for their separation. Since the announcement, the web has been abuzz with rumours of cheating and betrayal on both sides, while internet forums are reveling in rewriting lyrics from Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)— which was penned after West’s public split from Rose in 2010—to mock Khalifa’s current situation.

Unremarkably, the public isn’t interested in aspects of the divorce concerning custody of the couple’s one-year-old son, Sebastian Taylor Thomaz, or anything else relating to how Rose and Khalifa are handling their new separation and the legitimate causes behind the divorce. As with the majority of celebrity break-ups, scandal is the only thing that matters, and any shock that arises among the public is typically linked to who did what, not the fact that the couple separated at all.

Continued on pg. 15

(L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

McGill students rally in solidarity with Hong Kong protesters for democracy

Second annual conference held addressing mental health

Speakers discuss effects of competitive academic culture, stigma towards mental health issues

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TARA ANDREW Contributor

he second annual Students in Mind conference took place on Sunday, Oct. 5, and aimed to address the stigmas and concerns surrounding mental health. Through a series of workshops, panels and speakers, the event, which was attended by around 80 people, aimed to cre-

ate an environment where mental health could be discussed openly and without fear of judgment.

According to Danny Jomaa, student and head of sponsorship at Students In Mind, the conference aimed to address mental health on three levels: The individual level, which was the main target, the peer level, and across campus.

“Many people know it’s

good to have a strong mental health, but when it comes up in conversation, people don’t like to talk about it,” Jomaa said. “So this conference is to get it out in the open. We want to tackle the personal stigma that people have, as mental health tends to be a taboo subject, so it’s therefore not given a lot of attention.”

Jomaa described how this issue was addressed following a

2013 study conducted by Manager of Student Assessment Lina Di Genova and Manager of Counseling Dr. Vera Romano, which highlighted the prevalence of anxiety and thoughts of suicide amongst McGill students. This study is seen by the student committee as a huge step towards improving student well being.

Continued on pg. 5

Martlets hold off Carabins in topsy-turvy contest Suchorski comes up big again

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ZIKOMO SMITH Staff Writer

think it was a little too exciting today,” said Martlet rugby Head Coach Matthew Stephens following an exciting contest as McGill (3-3) overcame the Montreal Carabins (3-3) 23-21 in a must-win game on Saturday at Molson Stadium.

A penalty was called in the final seconds of the game, with McGill only two points ahead. The crowd waited in earnest, uncertain as to whom it was awarded. After some deliberation, the referee ruled in favour of McGill and a roar went up from the crowd. The Martlets duly ran out the clock to claim the hard-fought victory.

The game was tense through-

out, as senior centre Caroline Suchorski scored the winning penalty kick from 40 yards out with only four minutes left in the game. She dominated the contest in all aspects, finishing with 18 points on the night.

In doing so, Suchorski pulled McGill back into fourth spot in the RSEQ, kept the Martlets’ playoff hopes alive, and gave them the

all-important tiebreaker over the Carabins. “[We considered] this […] the first playoff game of the year,” Stephens said. “We have had must-win games for a while, and we are getting better and better.”

No one would have predicted the tense finish when McGill went into the second half up 10-0, dominating the breakdowns, forcing

turnovers with aggressive, organized defence and pinpoint passing. Nor would anyone have predicted that Montreal would eventually come back all the way to take the lead when McGill jumped in front 20-7 in the 68th minute.

Continued on pg. 20

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NEWS

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

McGill football coach resigns following player’s suspension from team Expresses disagreement with university’s stance on player’s initial recruitment

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JENNY SHEN Editor-in-Chief

linton Uttley resigned from his position as head coach of the McGill Redmen football team on Tuesday, Sept. 30, following McGill’s response to running back Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota’s arrest for assault and his subsequent suspension from the team.

In his resignation letter, Uttley wrote that McGill’s statement in response to the suspension “does not represent [my] personal morals or values with regards to sport, recruiting, and life in general.”

Guimont-Mota was arraigned in court last Thursday, Sept. 25 and released on bail. In 2011, he was also charged in Quebec City for assault and subsequently served a 90-day intermittent sentence in 2013. On Sept. 26, McGill referenced the 2011 case in an email to the university from Ollivier Dyens, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), stating that “this individual should

not have been invited to join [the] team. That was not in accordance with the values of [McGill’s] community.”

In his resignation statement, Uttley said that Guimont-Mota had already served his sentence for his 2011 conviction and that the case was not concealed from the university.

“I believe in rehabilitation,” his statement reads. “The student athlete accepted his conviction and did his punishment, a fact that was not hidden from the university. At the time of his arrival, the university tolerated and accepted his presence and then proceeded to celebrate his accomplishments thereafter.”

Dallon Kuprowski, U4 Arts student and quarterback for the Redmen football team confirmed that he was aware of GuimontMota’s previous conviction for assault.

“I wasn’t aware of the specifics of it, but [....] I was aware that [Guimont-Mota] was convicted of assault [...] prior to the most recent allegations.” Kuprowski said.

Dyens responded to Uttley’s resignation in an email sent to all students on Sept. 30.

“McGill accepts Coach Uttley’s resignation and thanks him for his dedication and service to McGill and the Redmen football team,” Dyens’ statement reads.

“The university maintains that the pedagogical mission of our institution takes precedence. We wish Mr. Uttley well in his future endeavours.”

According to Uttley, all students should have access to universities, and those seeking rehabilitation should not be excluded.

“For McGill University to say now that this individual should not have been allowed on our team in the first place because of his past, deeply troubles me and in good conscience I cannot work for an organization that does not embrace equity and inclusiveness,” he said in his statement.

“Post-secondary education should be accessible for all, not just the ones who have no known incidences. How can someone aspire to rehabilitation when the leading

institutions of Quebec and Canada shun those who have made an error in judgment?”

Uttley further cited his own experiences with football programs during his undergraduate studies and the effect those opportunities had on his life.

“If the football coaches in my life had not provided me with an equal opportunity, I would not have completed a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and a Masters of Education in Inclusive Education,” his statement reads.

“I wanted to give back to those who mentored and influenced me in a positive way through the use of sport as those who offered their support to me.”

“If providing young men with a second opportunity has effectively cost me my position as head football coach at McGill, then I accept that consequence in order to maintain a higher moral standard than what’s been dictated,” said Uttley in his letter.

According to Kuprowski, the goals for the Redmen football team remain unchanged.

“Our goals all along have been to be successful students and successful student athletes regardless of what individuals are in charge,” he said. “Right now, we’re just waiting on a decision from McGill Athletics to determine [...] what the process will be moving forwards in terms of a head coach.”

McGill Athletics and Recreation expects to announce a new head coach later this week.

“We will miss coach Uttley on the field and would like to acknowledge the work he did on behalf of Redmen football and our athletics program,” McGill Athletics Executive Director Drew Love stated in a media advisory.

“We expect to announce the appointment of an interim head coach from within our current staff in the next day or two.”

Uttley declined to comment beyond his released statement.

An earlier version of this article ran online on Tuesday, Sept.

30, 2014.

Third annual Community Engagement Day encourages students to get involved Organizers stress importance of sustainable engagement, effective community support

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NOAH SUTTON Contributor

ast Thursday, the Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE) held its third annual Community Engagement Day (CED). Around 45 organizations with 54 projects were present at the event, which drew about 550 attendees.

According to Lina MartinChan, CED’s communications coordinator, the event aims to bridge the community-campus divide and provide students with the resources to create lasting relationships with community organizations.

“One of the goals of CED is thinking about how this school exists in the city and how we all participate in the school and our communities and to debunk this myth of McGill as a bubble,” Martin-Chan said.

Although many of the activities were only open to McGill students, faculty, or staff, public talks were held throughout the day at the Y-intersection. One talk featured a panel discussion of speakers from the Quebec Community Groups Network and a speaker from McGill’s own Career Planning Service.

The panel discussed career opportunities in the community-

action sector and hoped to demystify jobs that focus on community support. Students who attended the event saw it as a good introduction to the potential for working in community organizations.

“I’ve always been interested in Non-Governmental Organizations, but I’m studying history so it wasn’t something I was thinking of specifically,” said Mab Coates-Davies, a third-year student at Concordia University. “I think it’s important to be looking into.”

New to CED this year is SEDE’s collaboration with The Yellow Door, a Montreal community organization that aims to provide services for the elderly population while fostering youth involvement in their activities.

“CED aims [...] to integrate McGill students into the normal, day-to-day operations of the organizations,” Sunny Sun, project facilitator for The Yellow Door, said.

Sun also stressed the importance of creating long-term relationships between students and the community.

“It isn’t meant to be a day of activism, where participants can go home and feel like they did a good deed, and then never think about it again,” Sun said. “We

want to start a dialogue between the student participants and the community organizations.

We want students to think about the social forces that created the social issues that these community organizations are trying to address.”

Another group present at CED was Cactus Montreal, a local group that works with Attendees participate in CED activities. (Photo courtesy of Lina Martin-Chan) drug abusers, sex workers, and “This year, instead of try- We found actually that that was transgendered people. Cactus Montreal coordinates two sy- ing to boost the number of peo- enough because it’s quite a bit of ringe clean-ups each year. This ple [attending], we focused a work to organize that stuff.”

Finley added that the reyear, their syringe clean up cor- lot on [...] making the activities responded with CED and volun- not only a good introduction to sponse to CED has been positive.

“We’re really happy with teers learned how to safely dis- these organizations but [making pose of needles while learning sure] that what people are actu- how this year has turned out,” he ally doing is useful,” Finley said. said. “It’s been a lot of work but about the organization itself.

In its third year, CED has “The first year, there were 23 we’re super happy with the dicontinued to grow and evolve, activities for about 200 people. rection the project has taken over according to CED Program Coor- Last year, there were about 40 the past few years.” activities for about 600 people. dinator Adam Finley.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

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News

McGill students rally in solidarity with Hong Kong protesters for democracy Participants call out police brutality, reserved about the protests’ long-term impact PHILLIPE DUMAIS

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Contributor

cGill students rallied in front of the McConnell Engineering Building near the Milton Gates on Wednesday in solidarity with thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who are calling for free elections in 2017. The protests come in response to the Chinese government’s laws regulating who will be permitted to run for election to become the leader of Hong Kong. Recent events have attracted international media coverage.

The event, organized by students and endorsed by the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPRIG) McGill, was also attended by professors and members of the Montreal immigrant community.

The decision to hold the rally at McGill University was a symbolic one, according to Michael Law, U2 Arts, who was involved in organizing the rally. “[This] shows that we’re in solidarity with the students in Hong Kong, and that we know that an empowered people will empower others and a freed person will free others,” Law said.

“Democracy is contagious and this is a non-hierarchical, grassroots movement.”

During the rally, Law addressed the issues that students in Hong Kong are currently facing.

“The students [...] are fighting an uphill battle against an undemocratic government and are being brutalized by the police with excessive force while they exercise their right to assembly in a peaceful manner,” he said.

Students assembled to show solidarity with protests in Hong Kong. (L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune) Catherine Lu, professor of political science, attended the rally but questioned its effectiveness.

“I am not actually sure what kind of impact such movements can have,” she said. “I am just here because I want to express some kind of solidarity with the students who are protesting in Hong Kong against the electoral process.”

This hesitancy was shared by Juan Wang, a McGill professor of contemporary Chinese politics.

“I don’t think [the protests] will affect the Chinese government’s decision in any way,”

Wang said. “[There] are always anti-Chinese government protests, whether it’s [in] Tibet, [by] students, or [by] Chinese [people] living abroad [....] It doesn’t really change the Chinese government’s policy [....] I am not sure to what extent this foreign support would substantively affect the protests in Hong Kong.”

The protests in Hong Kong have been compared to the Tiananmen Square events of 1989, when the central Chinese government cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators in the Square with tanks and armed forces. Professor Wang explained that the two

events, while sharing some features, were very different.

“The comparison is mainly because its a student protest and because it’s large-scale and in general it’s pro-democracy,” Wang said. “[However,] what the students back in 1989 called democracy might be very a very different thing than what the Hong Kong students want now. In terms of the overall political environment, the Chinese government had much tighter control back in 1989 [....] Hong Kong does have a system—even though it is not direct elections—it does have a very relaxed political environment

compared to mainland [China.] I can see the protests going on for a while, but I don’t really see how [the participants] in [current] protests [are] similar to what we saw in 1989.”

Wang said that she was not surprised that students were at the forefront of the demonstrations in Hong Kong and abroad.

“When you look at largescale protests in many countries, in many instances, it is always students,” she said. “Students are easily organized [and] have more time. They are idealists; they tend to have a more liberal ideology, a more radical ideology.”

AUS VP Internal resigns, by-election scheduled at AUS Council Resignation not expected to disrupt society operations

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AISLINN KALOB Staff Writer

ice President (VP) Internal of McGill’s Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Leila Alfaro formally announced her resignation from her position at the AUS Council meeting on Oct. 1, citing uncertainty regarding her attendance at McGill in the upcoming semester.

Alfaro will remain in her position as the VP Internal until the by-election is over and her replacement is elected. The nomi-

nation period will span from Oct. 9 to 17, the campaign period will take place from Oct. 23 to 30, and the polling period will run from Oct. 28 to 30.

“I decided to resign because, while still unsure, I might not be at McGill next semester,” Alfaro said. “I wanted to have enough time to think my decision through, and I didn’t want to jeopardize the efficiency of AUS operations by suddenly resigning when so much had to be done and without enough time to have a proper transition with the next VP Internal.”

Duties of the VP Internal include overseeing all departmental associations operating under the AUS, managing the Arts Lounge, and presiding over First-Year Council (FEARC), the Equity Committee, and the AUS Environmental Council (AUSec).

The AUS President, Ava Liu, does not foresee internal operations being interrupted by the resignation.

“I plan to ensure a smooth transition going forward using my knowledge of the AUS,” Liu said. “As the VP Internal will be here for the rest of the term and

for her transition with the incoming candidate, I foresee a strong institutional memory being preserved within the VP Internal role.”

Alfaro’s resignation comes just weeks after the AUS Council appointed Li Xue to replace the former VP Finance, Kateryn Kim, by a closed ballot vote of 25 for, 15 against. Kim cited personal and familial reasons in her official resignation from her position on Sept. 3.

“I would say that [the transition] was very smooth,” said Xue. “[Kim] was incredibly pa-

tient and thorough in helping me navigate this new role.”

Kim trained Xue for the duties of the VP Finance, which included bookkeeping, counting and depositing revenues, writing and processing cheque requisitions and invoices, handling payroll for AUS employees, and keeping financial records.

“The VP Finance has settled well into her position and into her role on the team,” said Liu. “I hope the same will be true for the incoming VP Internal.”

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News

SSMU Building Fee questions pass during first Fall referendum period

69 per cent of students vote “Yes” to $5.78 per semester levy SARA CULLEN Contributor

has been a point of contention on campus, with some students claiming that students should not be held accountable for the payment of a lease ull-time undergraduate students will be that SSMU should be responsible for.

Nadia Kadri, second-year law student, said facing an additional $5.78 fee per semester, following the 69 per cent approval of that although having a “Yes” vote on the second the University Centre Building Fee questions dur- referendum is important for SSMU’s operations, ing the first Fall 2014 referendum period. The fee a student fee should not have been necessary in was proposed in order to finance the negotiated the first place.

“I don’t think that student fees should be lease agreement between the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and McGill. The fee compensating SSMU for being unable to cover will also increase at a rate indexed to inflation more of its costs from its revenue-generating eneach year, as stipulated by the second question of deavours, like Gerts and The Nest,” Kadri said. the referendum, which was approved by 55.2 per “I think that imposing such a high fee and indexing it for inflation reduces SSMU’s incentive [...] cent of voters.

Had the fee not passed, SSMU executives because now they will rely on our money to pay said that the SSMU would have faced shortened the bills.”

Former Council member Élie Lubendo, U2 building hours and raised prices at various businesses and services that SSMU provides, such as Management (Labour Relations), also criticized the lack of transparency of the SSMU lease neGerts and minicourses.

“We’re extremely excited to move on with the gotiations.

“I give credit to the SSMU for preparing a year and start planning things and bring back a lot of things we campaigned on—[for example,] stu- successful “Yes” Campaign in response to the backlash that the last refdent research positions, erenda question received bringing our budgets [....] but as representaback to where they once In response to the criticisms of tives of the SSMU, I bewere [...] and also not the SSMU lease negotiations, lieve that a more detailed worrying about findAyukawa stated that SSMU will try account should have been ing ways to pay for rent to ensure the transparency of fupresented,” he said. “Movand utilities that would ture negotiations. ing forward, the passing of also cut services,” said the fee is a temporary vicSSMU President Courttory. Plans should be disney Ayukawa.

Although students are able to “opt out” of cussed as to how we want to re-negotiate the lease certain fees, the University Centre Building Fee in the future and what steps we are willing to take will not be one of them. The current lease agree- to achieve such a goal.”

In response to the criticisms of the SSMU ment is set to end in 2021 and will also mark the lease negotiations, Ayukawa stated that SSMU expiration of the building fee.

This was the second time SSMU has run the will try to ensure the transparency of future negobuilding fee levy questions. Originally presented tiations, such as SSMU’s upcoming negotiation of during the Winter 2014 referendum period, the its memorandum of agreement (MOA) with McUniversity Centre Building Fee proposal was Gill, which will end in May 2016.

“Since the fee passing, we’ve had a bunch opposed by 53.6 per cent of the voting student body. Similarly, students also voted against the of conversations about [...] things that people were pleased about, things that people were less proposed yearly fee increase of 5.6 per cent.

Aiming to inform the McGill student body pleased about, and how to move forward with that on the repercussions of the building fee referen- in mind,” she said. “The lack of transparency with dum not passing the second time around, SSMU regards to negotiating the lease was a frustration formed a “Yes” committee and gave out informa- that a lot of people had [....] VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan and I have already tion through its website and Facebook pages.

Ayukawa explained that accessibility was an met with Ollivier Dyens, Deputy Provost [Student Life and Learning]. In our first meeting with important part of SSMU’s campaign.

“Campaigning was a really great way to get them, we told them that our first priority was for feedback from people, and was also a really nice the [MOA] meetings to be completely transparent, way to hear how students on campus in different except for things that are confidential by law.”

According to Ayukawa, the revised budget years are feeling about SSMU and the things that that incorporates the funds garnered through this SSMU does,” she said.

There was a 21.8 per cent voter turnout for fee will be presented to SSMU Council on Oct. the Fall 2014 referendum,with a total of 4,890 23. Pending the budget’s approval, certain prostudents, as compared to 18.3 per cent in the Fall grams offered by SSMU will be restored.

“I know that [the] UA is hoping to bring in 2013 referendum period.

“It’s hard to say whether or not this increase a couple of student research positions,” she said. in turnout is statistically significant,” SSMU “Until that budget is approved in Council, we Chief Electoral Officer Ben Fung said. “However, can’t start planning any jobs or job descriptions.”

The SSMU building will resume regular we can presume that increased turnout could be explained by increased coverage by campus pub- hours of 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. lications, increased campaigning efforts by com- to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on mittees, or simply the importance or relevance of Sundays as of Oct. 18. Students should see the building fee charged on their student accounts by the referendum question to the electorate.”

The rerunning of the building fee questions Oct. 3.

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

McGill launches popular online open course, Food for Thought, for second year Class praised for interactivity, draws worldwide participation

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REMI LU Managing Editor

ast Wednesday McGill relaunched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Food For Thought, on the website EdX, a popular online learning platform. The course, led by McGill professors David N. Harpp, Joe Schwarcz, and Ariel Fenster, debuted to 7,663 students from 158 countries as of Oct. 1.

Food for Thought is based on the popular McGill course CHEM181, (World of Chemistry), which has been a mainstay at the university since 1982. Introduced last year as McGill’s first MOOC, the online course finished with a 4.96 rating out of five, with 1,764 students completing the course in its entirety.

“The feedback was off the charts, frankly,” Harpp said. “I was a little surprised that it came up as good as it did. I thought that maybe they would say, ‘Harpp mumbles a lot, Schwarcz talks too fast,’ or something like that. There was in fact none of that, which was also a surprise. We didn’t feel that we need to change [the course] very much.”

Frank Roop, the McGill video producer for the EdX series, stated that the team’s immense preparation for the course the firs time around allowed them to re-use material for the second iteration of Food for Thought.

“There was a tremendous amount of preparation done for the first [course],” Roop said. “All the slides were revamped, updated [with] new pictures, [and] copyright cleared—which is a huge aspect of it. But once that was done, and because most of the material is timeless in terms of it wasn’t dated for that year, we were able to repurpose it for this year.”

Online courses differ in format from in-person ones, but most feature lectures, readings, homework, and assignments—similar to many classes offered on-campus. However, due to the nature of the courses, there are differences in quality between MOOCs and on-campus classes, according to Teaching and Learning Services’ Alexander Steeves-Fuentes. “[Videos] are a lot better quality,” he said. “There’s no comparison [….] The videos we produce are done in a studio. We have a professional videographer [who] does all the editing.”

According to Steeves-Fuentes, hosting Food For Thought on EdX last year has already changed the way its on-campus counterpart is being run.

“On a small scale, if you just refer to CHEM181 […] when they offered their course last semester, it was using all the new visuals they had [from the MOOC],” he said. “When they offer it in the future, it’ll be even better in some respects.”

Funding for the course is not provided by the university, and is instead provided by private donors. According to SteevesFuentes, who is also the online course development assistant for the EdX courses, MOOCs offer little in terms of monetary incentives.

“No one’s going to make money off of MOOCs,” he said, “They’re expensive. It’s not straightforward to develop and offer something in that kind of style and environment.”

McGill is currently developing two new MOOCs—Learning For Social Impact and Body101—and will be offering Natural Disasters (ATOC185) this coming January.

According to Harpp, it is crucial that McGill continues to develop and support MOOCs, in order to globally compete with other leading institutions.

“I think it shows that the university is interested in the public domain,” Harpp said. “I think what we do is a service to the community [....] I think we’re learning a little more about how students appreciate courses, and how they interact in courses. And we have made this one considerably more interactive than we were ever able to do on campus.”

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News

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Board of Governors discuss finances during first meeting of the year Principal Fortier stresses importance of flexible funding SHRINKHALA DAWADI News Editor

Surplus for Fiscal Year

In his report to the Board of Governors, Vice Principal, Administration and Finance, Michael Di Grappa stated that McGill had an operating surplus of $15.7 million for the 2014 fiscal year, as opposed to the projected deficit of $10.4 million.

Di Grappa attributed this surplus to reduction in pension liabilities and a favourable market performance with regards to lowered costs of food sales and services. Additional revenue was received from the Quebec government after a recalculation of student enrolment for the past two years.

Di Grappa explained that the

surplus had not been foreseen because the changes in pension liability and enrolment-based revenue McGill received from the Quebec government were calculated after the fiscal year.

Di Grappa also reminded the board that the surplus was only for previous last fiscal year. According to the McGill University budget book for 2014-2015, the target deficit for the 2015 fiscal year is $7 million.

He went on to explain that future cost increases were likely because of lowered government investment, the necessity of keeping a balanced budget, and uncertainty regarding pension costs and pay equity maintenance.

Provincial Budget Cuts

McGill will face an esti-

mated $19 million in cuts after the provincial government announced in September that it had reduced its budget for the sector by about $172 million. According to Principal Suzanne Fortier, McGill had anticipated the budget cuts and had categorized $9 million in expenditures as contingent to receiving the initially expected amount in grants from the government. The board had also previously approved a $7 million deficit for the fiscal year. Consequently, McGill will have to account for a $13 million shortfall, which Provost Anthony Masi is working to reduce.

Fortier also spoke about the Quebec government’s push for universities to achieve a balanced budget by 2015, stating that McGill was in a better position to do so than other chartered universities because it had

accepted the budget cuts of the previous provincial government up front, rather than on an incremental basis over several years.

Financial Flexibility

Fortier also stressed the importance of flexibility regarding funding from the provincial government in maintaining McGill’s place in university rankings such as the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. McGill placed 39th on the 2014-2015 THE rankings, a drop from it’s 35th position for the 2013-2014 year.

“Universities that have [...] seen an influx of new investment or private universities that have more control of their destinies tend to do better on rankings.”

Fortier said. “[We’re] promoting the need to have a bit more flexibility [...] so that we can be in a

position to take care of our own affairs, and not be sliding downwards because the government cannot help us with additional funding at this point.”

With regards to flexibility, Fortier discussed tuition for students with French citizenship, who are exempt from paying international student tuition and instead pay tuition at the provincial level. According to Fortier, McGill and other Quebec universities, such as Université de Montréal and Université Laval, had discussed a proposal that would potentially raise tuition for students with French citizenship to Canadian rates. In the proposal, which was presented to the Quebec government last Friday, each university would independently decide whether or not to raise tuition.

Second annual conference held addressing mental health

Speakers discuss effects of competitive academic culture, stigma towards mental health issues TARA ANDREW Contributor

(Continued from page 1) A panel discussing mental health within a campus context included four panelists: Dr. Nancy Low, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry; Elizabeth Cawley, PhD student in the Department of Psychiatry; Claire Stewart-Kanigan, VP university affairs of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU); and Tanja Beck, access services advisor at the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD).

All panelists believed that McGill places a higher pressure on students due to its reputation as a highly competitive university and its status as a research-based school. The expectations associated with this perception creates a norm of unhealthy habits, such as all-night sessions in the library and substituting healthy food for coffee during exam periods.

Stewart-Kanigan acknowledged McGill’s recent improvements on the subject of mental health, but noted some structures that restrict the university’s capability to address it.

“There are some exam policies that say it’s all right to have three exams within a 24-hour period before you can declare a conflict—and that’s not a reasonable expectation,” Stewart-Kanigan said. “We’re trying to do a lot of work on more academic advocacies. When you are going

through things like that, bring your testimonies to us because we can push [for] these changes.”

Stewart-Kanigan also noted that it was not just structural changes that need to be made, stating that there is also a strong competitiveness amongst students with regards to study hours.

She emphasized that students need to make each other more comfortable and consistently remind themselves of how their study patterns are affecting them.

As a keynote speaker, Anthony Di Cintio described his own account of struggling with depression, explaining that opening up was the first step to recovering.

He stated that counselling, written reflections, and having a mental health crisis protocol helped immensely.

“Never allow yourself to say ‘I don’t have the time’ [...] because it’s precisely in the moments you say this that you should be making time,” Di Cintio said. “You should recognize and appreciate all that you have accomplished thus far. It’s important to remind ourselves not just to look for [praise] outside, but remind ourselves of our accomplishments and that we chose to be here.”

Students in Mind organizers set off the second annual conference (Christine Chang / McGill Tribune) While addressing the stigma tio said. “I like to believe that if working on you as an individuassociated with mental health is- anyone’s going to choose me out al,” Heath said. “In terms of the sues, Di Cintio admitted to fear- there for a job, they’re going to campus, though, I feel like the ing backlash in his professional see how powerful and encour- [Student Strategies for Mental career from speaking out, but aging it is that someone had the Health] panel brought up key insights of the stressful nature that hoped that his openness on the guts to do this.”

Laura Heath, a first-year McGill [has]. You can see there topic would encourage employers to look beyond the stigma, master’s in psychiatry student at are people trying to create a betand see the strength it takes to McGill, praised the efforts of the ter culture on campus in terms of conference, and encouraged oth- mental health.” discuss it.

McGill Mental Health Ser“When it comes to public ers to attend similar events in the vices is available to all McGill advocacy for anything, there’s future.

“I think the conference itself students and is located in the always a risk of it shooting back in your face, but if no one speaks has been helpful. I like how the Brown Student Services Buildup, then no one will talk,” Cin- [Self-Care Workshop] focused on ing.

6

Opinion

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

editorial

THE Mcgill

Bilateral tuition needs upward adjustment to counter underfunding year, to the tune of $19 million.

This has coincided with continued retrenchment at McGill in terms of courses, research assistants, and even library entrances.

The potential to bridge that gap is one that should be taken. The extra revenue generated will not be able to replenish the budget, but short of a major infusion of provincial or federal funds, it is one of the best opportunities at

“

trend in rankings over several years can be interpreted as a real matter for concern.

The symbolic value of the current policy is clear and important. A bilateral tie to France is a major part of Quebec’s broader identity as the heart of francophone culture in North America, as well as the ability of Quebec students to study in France. That value will be preserved under this

The extra revenue generated will not be able to replenish the budget, but short of a major infusion of provincial or federal funds, it is one of the best opportunities at the present time.

the present time. Additionally, McGill’s middling performance in the university rankings this year—either dropping or staying roughly the same in each of the major global lists—is another call to action. With all the justified handwringing over the importance placed on these rankings, a consistent downward

“

The Quebec government has had a bilateral agreement with the French government since 1978 to provide discounted tuition for students studying at the other country’s universities. Students holding a French passport or other proof of French citizenship can pay the Quebec tuition rate, which is substantially less than standard international tuition as rates for students from the rest of Canada. However, recent trial balloons from the ruling Liberal government have put this agreement on the table for modification. McGill and several other universities in the province have submitted a plan that would allow for flexibility in the application of the policy. The plan , if enacted, will enable universities to adjust French tuition between the current rate and the average fee paid by students from other Canadian provinces.

The need to find new sources of revenue—if not already clear after the past few years—has been reinforced by the news that McGill is receiving yet another budget cut from the province this

new proposal; the highest tuition that could be charged to French students after this proposed change would still be lower than the standard international rate.

Furthermore, there are some serious issues with the equity of the current policy. While students with French citizenship documentation are automatically

given the lowered tuition—even in situations that would seem to run counter to the policy’s purpose—students from other countries with a comparable francophone heritage are subject to a substantially more laborious application process through their own country’s embassy. Former French colonies or other francophone nations in Europe have a limited number of slots per year per country for students who will receive the lowered rate. Whatever happens to the actual rate charged, this disparity should be adjusted.

But in the end, even this situation should be taken as means to a more productive end by changing the conversation on university funding in Quebec and in Canada as a whole. Even though Canada’s universities are well funded at the national aggregate level, those competing globally, are underfunded compared to their peers. If McGill wants to keep it’s position on the global stage, it will have to figure out further ways to increase revenue.

Harry McAlevey Contributor As the circus known as the Toronto Mayoral Election heads into its final stretch, it’s become clear that public transit has transcended all other issues. With many proposals offered to fix the problem, John Tory’s has emerged as the front-runner primarily because of the perceived potential of his “SmartTrack” transit plan. Another plan, congestion pricing, already in place in London, is picking up momentum to solve traffic crises all around the world, and its proponents argue that it increases city revenue, reduces environmental impact, and eases traffic. Despite this, ‘congestion pricing,’ is the wrong idea for Toronto and other urban centres.

Congestion pricing is already in place in London, Stockholm, Milan, and other metropolitan areas. It is

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

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Congestion pricing decongests little portation system, making travel more efficient and businesses run more smoothly. However, especially in a time of continued economic malaise, the fee is simply far too big of a burden.

One glaring issue with the program is the lack of sophisticated license-reading cameras. Residents of Stockholm found themselves being charged despite not entering the area, or being charged far more often than they should have been, simply because the cameras misread Finnish plates and charged Swedish drivers instead. Aside from inadequate technology, the number and use of the cameras being installed has also been raised as concerns by civil libertarians. In London, Mayor Boris Johnson recently gave the Metropolitan police access to a wide network of cameras used in the system, to monitor and deter criminal activity. Civil libertarians protested, but to little avail.

In New York City, the proposed introduction of over 1,000 new cameras in the city was a major concern voiced by opponents, who went on to defeat the proposal.

In New York, part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s NYC 2030 vision

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

Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com

Commentary based on a relatively straightforward idea. Decide which part of the city is the most heavily congested, set up a system of license-reading cameras at the entrance routes to the area, and tax the drivers who enter that area during peak hours. The system is intended to alleviate traffic jams, lower urban emissions, and generate revenue to further improve local transportation. Practical implementation of congestion pricing, however, has been challenging due to the inherently regressive nature of the tax and serious privacy concerns.

The primary problem with the congestion pricing scheme is its lack of equity. Even proponents of the plan cannot challenge that the majority of the people being deterred, and the people from whom the tax would be obtained, are working class people. Congestion pricing is inherently a regressive tax, where midto-low-income people making their daily commute are charged heavily or have to make serious accommodations to their route, while upper-class commuters who live closer to the city center can more easily avoid the fee. Supporters of the system argue that the money extracted from these commuters goes back into the trans-

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

for a greener, more efficient city included a proposal that sought to implement an $8 per day fee on anyone driving in Manhattan south of 60th Street. If the average worker works five days a week and 50 weeks a year, that translates to roughly $2,000 a year. Given the fact that a majority of these drivers would have been lowerincome residents of Brooklyn and the Bronx, the proposal was shut down.

That $8 fee was also more than the hourly minimum wage in the United States, and thus working class commuters already losing money on the commute would spend more than an hour of their pay on this tax.

Congestion pricing has been proposed in urban centres across the world, and it does have some benefits. Traffic and greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced in London’s cordoned area, and bicycle and pedestrian activity, as well as revenue for the transportation system, have increased. But at a time when the majority of the population needs as much money in their pockets as possible, a tax that focuses almost exclusively on them is not a rational “solution”, despite the urgency of the problem.

TPS Board of Directors

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

Staff Writers & Illustrators Cordelia Cho, Max Joseph, Evelyn Kaczmarek, Aislinn Kalob, Tiffany Le, Chris Lutes, Claire Lyle, Hailey Mackinnon, Alycia Noë, Laura Plamondon, Aaron Rose, Elli Slavitch, Zikomo Smith, Julie Vanderperre, Wilder Walker-Stewart, Lauren Wildgoose

Contributors Tara Andrew, Lauren Benson-Armer, Christine Chang, Sara Cullen, Philippe Dumais, Cory Goldstein, Frances Lash, Johnny Mater, Harry McAlevey, Elizabeth McLellan, Martin Molpeceres, Catherine MounierDesrochers, Albert Park, Fergus Place, Alex RyderBunting, Alex Sirois, Noah Sutton, Jack Tokarz, Roscoe Wasserberg, Marta Yesgat

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.

7

Opinion

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Considering men in the context of feminism

What responsibilities, if any, does the feminist movement have with regards to addressing the rights of men? Several incidents and news stories have brought up this question recently, but none have provided a clear answer.

In her recent speech for the United Nations’ (UN) He For She Campaign, Emma Watson implored men to join in the feminist fight for equality. Watson acknowledged the unfair gender norms facing men, such as their less respected role as parents and the social pressure they face to act ‘strong’ and conceal certain emotions. She reached out to all men and boys, stating, “gender equality is your issue, too.” Watson asked men to join the femi-

that it is precisely such forms of discrimination against men that make the He for She campaign so “rotten.” There are several prob-

“

upon them because of social factors, but this doesn’t change the fact that domestic violence continues to affect women at much

However, violence against men lacks the same prevalence and broader social meaning, which is why the public’s reactions to the two incidents were so different.

lems with such claims.

The two cases of domestic violence that Young compares are fundamentally different.

Domestic violence committed against a woman by her male husband or partner is incomparable to any other type of domestic violence because of its historical and cultural underpinnings. According to Statistics Canada, women are more than twice as likely as men to be the victims of spousal abuse. Young brings up the fact that men are much less likely to report incidents domestic violence inflicted

“

Julie Vanderperre Columnist

nist movement so that together, men and women can put an end to the gender-based discrimination that affects everyone.

Cathy Young, a well-known journalist and author, also raised the issue of gender discrimination against men in an article that she wrote for Time magazine. Young, however, criticized Watson’s speech, arguing that the feminist movement should not only include men, but should actively work to fight discrimination against men. She stated that until feminism begins to actively combat the sexist biases against men, the movement for gender equality will be incomplete.

Young raised the debate over the recent domestic violence cases of Ray Rice and Hope Solo. Both professional athletes are facing charges of domestic violence— Rice for assaulting his fiancée, and Solo for assaulting her nephew and sister. Young and many others have tried to argue that the public’s stricter reactions to Rice’s violence is unfair, and that it represents a gendered bias towards men. She goes on to state

higher rates. This is not to say that Solo’s actions are excusable, or that domestic violence against men isn’t a problem. However, violence against men lacks the same prevalence and broader social meaning, which is why the public’s reactions to the two incidents may have been so different.

While it is true that this is a type of gendered bias, it is in no way a form of discrimination against men. Our standards of justice for female offenders of domestic violence have lagged behind those of men just as equality for women has. In order to achieve

the equal treatment of all people, we must work to do away with the entrenched gender norms that govern our society.

Gendered biases against men certainly exist, and their eradication, as Watson said in her speech, would make the world a safer space for everyone to act independently of gender stereotypes.

However, focusing on discrimination against men at the expense of discrimination against women, and equating, as Young did, the ‘discrimination’ experienced by Rice to the widespread sexist biases that affect women is unproductive.

Feminists should certainly make the inclusion of men a priority.

However, exhorting feminists to combat every sexist bias faced by men does very little to advance the feminist movement. By ending structures of gender that disadvantage women, gender norms will also evolve to hold women to the same standards of justice, thereby eliminating the problem of discrimination against men.

Is Hong Kong ready for democracy?

The end of September was marked by a colossal movement in Hong Kong, with thousands of its citizens rallying around government headquarters and occupying several major intersections. What spurred them to action was the Chinese government’s decision to restrict Hong Kong from holding elections for the 2017 Chief Executive election, as it had originally resolved to do in 2008 in response to pressure from pro-democracy activists.

Why doesn’t China give democracy advocates what they want?

The primary concern in Beijing seems to be that Hong Kong might elect a leader who goes against the

city lived for 150 years under the colonial rule of Great Britain with appointed governors. The movement towards universal suffrage is not a new concept for the people of Hong Kong. In 1985, they saw the first instance of an indirect election for the city’s legislature, a process where

“

ment attempted to follow through on. However, this was eventually scrapped due to strong pressure from the mainland government.

Since then, pro-democratic sentiments have grown, over time.

Evidently, the people of Hong Kong have faced and overcome

With greater freedom of press and speech than in the mainlaind, the people of Hong Kong had the means necessary to inform one another about political decisions and understand their implications.

the voters do not elect the candidates directly, but choose individuals to make the decision. While far from what is being demanded today, this set the groundwork for democracy in Hong Kong.

In fact, even as early as a 1988 legislative election, there was substantial demand for citizen input, which the local govern-

“

Albert Park Contributor

wishes of the mainland.

“If the chief executive [of Hong Kong] does not love the country and confronts Beijing, ‘one country, two systems’ would fail,” Li Fei, the chairman of the Basic Law Committee in Hong Kong, explained.

The problem with this reasoning is that the Hong Kong Basic Law, the same constitutional document which implemented the ‘one country, two systems’ policy, promises universal suffrage for Hong Kong (Article 45). This means China is essentially voiding the policy by ignoring a part of the constitution. The government has exploited a loophole, enforcing an election in which the candidates will be chosen by a pro-Chinese committee, making Hong Kong voters choose one of China’s ‘approved’ leaders, defeating the whole purpose of an election system.

There also seems to be a dubious question being raised as to whether Hong Kong is ‘ready’ for democracy. Before the handover in 1997, the

many political obstacles throughout the region’s history. Perhaps the most notable event was in 2003, when then Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa pushed for the implementation of new laws which would allow increased police control over Hong Kong in order to arrest and punish ‘suspected terrorists’ working against the Chi-

write for opinion

Email opinion@mcgilltribune.com for more information

nese government. Outraged by the violation of their rights ,and also unhappy about Chee-Hwa’s reluctance to push for universal suffrage, 500,000 Hong Kong citizens marched against their chief executive, leading him to resign.

With greater freedom of press and speech than in China, Hong Kong’s citizens had the means necessary to inform one another about political decisions and their implications. Furthermore, they were united enough to peacefully push their cause forward and form a historic movement in 2003, similar to what they are demonstrating today. The citizens of Hong Kong have shown that they are ready for real democracy, with thousands of people sacrificing their time and businesses to push for universal suffrage in an intelligent and unified manner.

It is the Chinese government that is afraid of handing off power and, consequently breaking, constitutional promises in the process.

8

Student Living

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Student of the Week By: Hailey Mackinnon

MONICA BAHOSHY U2 SCIENCE (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

Monica Bahoshy, a U2 pharmacology student, is no stranger to encountering new and difficult situations. As such, she has used her life experiences to help others in less fortunate experiences.

Originally from Burlington, Ontario, Bahoshy moved to Abu Dhabi when she was 16 years old.

She studied at an American school in Abu Dhabi for her last two years of high school before returning to Canada.

“Moving to a different country was pretty difficult at first,” Bahoshy said. “When I first moved [to Abu Dhabi] I felt like I was a really shy person.

I had a hard time making friends at the beginning.

But when I came back [to Canada], I had developed skills at making friends, which really helped me at McGill. ” Bahoshy enjoyed attending an international school because it introduced her to a variety of people, cultures, and circumstances that she would have otherwise not been exposed to. “[It] taught me how to communicate with and learn from people who come from different backgrounds than me, which I think helped me grow as a person,” Bahoshy said.

Bahoshy’s experience in Abu Dhabi has led her to take an interest in helping others ease into new and difficult living situations of their own. It inspired her to take an interest in the struggles of refugees coming to Canada. Bahoshy is currently a member of McGill’s “Be a Refuge” club, which helps incoming refugees get settled and become part of the Montreal community through a variety of fundraisers.

“What inspired me to join [Be a Refuge] is that my parents are Iraqi,” Bahoshy said. “Right now with the [war in Iraq], there [are] a lot of people leaving as refugees and coming to Canada. And so that pushed me towards joining the club and helping people who are like my family.”

The skills Bahoshy developed in Abu Dhabi are useful, as she will be helping refugees coming in from Africa, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.

“I feel that refugees have a really hard time when they come to the country because they often have no money and nobody [to support them],” Bahoshy said. “It’s really important to help them become part of the community and get their foot in the door.”

Bahoshy has also partaken in other endeavours that seek to help and mentor others. This year she joined Big Buddies, a club that tutors children in elementary and secondary school in the Montreal community. Bahoshy will begin tutoring first grade students in their general curriculum.

“I look forward to helping out in the classroom and enhance the learning experience of the students, because I think education is really important––especially at a young age,” Bahoshy said.

In the future, Bahoshy hopes to continue helping others as she considers a career in either dentistry or pharmaceuticals. For now, however, her hands are full with her studies and extracurriculars, as well as her commitment to contributing towards creating a more accepting and welcoming environment.

McGill Tribune (MT): Ideal vacation spot?

Monica Bahoshy (MB): Bodrum, Turkey, or Morocco.

MT: What would you want your last meal on earth to be?

MB: Red curry.

MT: Favourite Montreal spot?

MB: Parc Lafontaine.

MT: If you could be any Disney character, which would you be?

MB: Princess Jasmine.

MT: If you could see any performer live, who would it be?

MB: Beyoncé.

nominate a

student of the week!

Email us at studentliving@ mcgilltribune.com

An apple a day keeps the midterms away Three recipes to spice up the week

ALYCIA NOË Staff Writer

Apple Oat Muffins

Apple Crisps

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats 1 cup plain yogurt ¼ cup unsalted butter 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar 1 egg ½ cup applesauce 1 cup plain flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 apple (peeled and diced) ¼ cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Grease with butter, oil, or cooking spray, or put muffin liners in the muffin pan.

3. Combine oats and yogurt. Set aside for later use.

4. In a different bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together until they reach a creamy consistency. Whisk in the egg, followed by the applesauce and the oats mixture.

5. Mix in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Once fully combined, fold in apples and raisins.

6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Apple Fritters

Makes 8 miniature tarts

Ingredients:

Plain Pastry Crust: 1 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour ½ cup softened unsalted butter 4 to 5 tablespoons cold water Fruit Filling: 4 apples 1/8 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Crumble Topping: 1 cup dark brown sugar ¾ cup all purpose flour ¼ cup softened butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Combine all ingredients for the pastry shell in a bowl. Use hands to form a big ball of dough and split dough into eight equal balls. Roll out each ball and gently place into disposable tart dishes.

3. Combine the apples with the cinnamon and sugar. Fill the shells to the top with the mixture.

4. Mix all ingredients for the crumble topping.

Distribute the topping evenly over the tarts.

Makes 24 fritters

Ingredients:

Fritters: Oil for frying 1 ½ cups flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2/3 cup milk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons melted butter 3-4 apples (diced) Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup milk

Directions:

1. In a deep pan, heat oil to 350°F. 2. Mix wet and dry ingredients for fritters in two separate bowls. Combine the two mixtures.

3. Add the peeled and diced apples. A 4. To fry, drop a spoonful of batter into the oil. Once the fritters are golden brown, remove them from the pan. Rest fritters on paper towel to dry.

5. Combine ingredients for the glaze. Drizzle the desired amount of glaze on top of the warm fritters.

(Photo courtesy of SPT Photographe)

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

9

Student Living

The ‘purr’fect cup of coffee First cat café in North America opens in Montreal LAURA PLAMONDON Staff Writer Cat Café is a new coffee shop that recently opened its doors at 3435 Saint Denis, just off Sherbrooke. Youssef Labib, the café promoter was looking to start a new idea after finishing business school in Paris, and found his opportunity when discovering the successful cat café concept in Asia and Europe. The world’s first cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998 and there are 40 cat cafés that exist in Tokyo.

“I was seeking an original and innovative idea to create a theme café in Montreal when I discovered the concept of [cat cafés which] were a hit in Asia and Europe,” Labib said.

Labib realized that many city dwellers in Montreal have a passion for cats, yet few have the space and time to care for them as pets. The café allows individuals to appreciate a macchiato and baked goods while relaxing and making the most of the cats’ company.

“I think it’s a good idea since it creates a space for potential cat owners to decide if they are ready before they actually commit to a cat,” Vivian Lin, U1 Management said.

Staying at the café is calming and therapeutic, allowing students to forget about their midterms and assignments. However, it is not advised to come here for productive studying, for fear of being too distracted.

“A bunch of my friends went and they took a ton of selfies with cats,” Michelle Marshall, U1 Management said. “It seemed really fun.”

The café also offers fair trade and organic products, as well as a counter where they display and sell ‘world’ products, categorized by the country of origin.

This café also lets its customers read and buy from a selection of books, and even exchange them with ones from home. When entering the café, there is a clear sense of community amongst Montrealers trying to find an escape from the bustling city and spend a few hours in good company.

“I think [the Cat Café] is unique, smart, and just downright cute,” Aissa Brudreault , U3 Management said.

Since this café is also the cats’ home, they must be treated with respect. The cats are adopted from animal protection associations like Society for the Preven-

Customers are free to play with the cats as long as they respect the space.. (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune) tion of Cruelty to Animals and are cared for by veterinarians. No external pets are accepted in the café, and a few guidelines must be followed in order to keep the peace.

Customers cannot feed the cats, nor can they pull the cats’ tail and whiskers. Furthermore,

customers must control their impulses to pick up the cats, especially when they are sleeping.

Cats should also not be disturbed by loud noises or camera flashes.

Even for those who are not cat lovers, the Cat Café still offers a new and unique way of relaxing. Spending time in this

café is a great way to de-stress.

The Cat Café cleverly creates a new space in the already exuberant city of Montreal. It is a cozy space of relaxation, coffee, and cats, which is an experience worth trying.

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Created by Cory Goldstein Anagrams: Rearrange the letters of the clues to spell out the answers.

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10. shoel 11. csreuelh 12. atisaanf 15. lmaun 17. btol 18. scra

INTERNET ANONYMITY ON CAMPUS Jenny Shen

T

here is no shortage of anonymous online communities on a university campus, whether it be the updates of ‘spotted’ individuals engaging in out-of-the-ordinary behaviour, the online personas or usernames that mask real names on forums and discussion groups, or mobile applications like Yik Yak, an anonymous feed of posts from other students on campus. While students have used email to communicate on campus for several years, there has been a shift in the way the internet settles into its role as not just a medium, but an influence on campus.

Stefan Sinclair, associate professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, teaches a course called Understanding Digital and Social Media, and focuses on the concept of ‘Digital Humanities.’ He explained how the internet started as a place of anonymity, and how it has evolved from there.

“In the earliest days of the web, anonymity was extremely important,” Sinclair said. “This was what was celebrated, [and] you could create a community where everyone was anonymous [….] There was this perception that what was virtual was […] ephemeral and didn’t matter [….] There [was] this pride of this non-regimented, non-regulated community.”

Although the days of internet anonymity are far from over, Sinclair pointed out that there has been a definite change over time. “[With things like] Facebook and Google Plus, it was a shift where you use your real identity,” Sinclair said. “You’re not allowed to be anonymous; you have to use your real name [….] That’s a real switch, and it’s for justifiable reasons from their perspective because [these companies] want people to [form] into networks and to be invested in that.”

Yet regardless of whether people immerse themselves more often in the profile-based aspect or the anonymous behind-the-username side of social media, the internet today is continuing to foster a very different type of community.

“I call these communities of affirmation,” said Ronald Niezen, professor in the Faculty of Law, referencing an article he wrote in 2013 on online communities. “That’s a term for online communities and identities that form around something that would, without the internet, not be widely accepted by people of society, for people who feel lonely and isolated.”

Scott Kushner, new media studies scholar and graduate program director at the McGill Writing Centre, also noted that these online communities haveplayed their part in campus discourse.

“There were some [discussions online] that were really active in 2012 during the student strikes [and] the occupation of the James [Administration] Building, and a lot of that was anonymous,” Kushner said. “Maybe [those people] didn’t have access to a place to express an opinion in the first place [….] This was a way to potentially come together and talk to other people and find a way to take some sort of action that might have more of an impact on the state of affairs.”

Often, the concept of these communities lies in the situation—or perhaps, opportunities—that anonymity affords. Yet who’s to say what this lack of faceto-face communication may result in? Furthermore, how are online personas different, if at all, from ‘real life’ ones?

Kushner pointed out that having a different persona is not necessarily a new concept, despite the novelty of the internet.

“There [are] centuries […] of stories of people lying or misrepresenting themselves or their backgrounds in order to fool someone else,” Kushner said.

“There’s a whole branch in the humanities studies called ‘performance studies,’ which is rooted in the idea that everything we do socially is in some sense a performance.”

“It’s a strange thing, the online sense of self,” Niezen noted. “Because people find it easier to make attachments, because you can find people instantly […] and it prevents you in some sense from feeling alone. But then there isn’t— as in most communities—senses of position and obligation and reciprocity that […] are much deeper in ‘lived communities.’ So it’s also easier for people to detach and move on, and that is something that anonymity facilitates.”

Dr. Darin Barney, associate professor in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies and author of the book The Network Society, explained how the dual characteristics of anonymous interactions reflect the dual nature of the world as a whole.

“Anonymity in the networked environment is liberating and therefore threatening to established conventions—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse,” Barney said. “Digital settings are things in and of the world so, like the world, they are awful and wonderful at the same time.”

Perhaps one of the most common examples of online detachment and a lost sense of obligation is online harassment, where anonymity can play a lessthan-favourable role.

“They’re not thinking about the impact,” said Dr. Shaheen Shariff, associate professor in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education, who has focused on cyberbullying in her work and research. “They’re only thinking about the entertainment value to their peers, and they’re forgetting about the person at the other end [….] Where is that line between joking and fun and posting that could involve criminal harassment [and] defamation that could ruin somebody’s reputation? [...] The more people who are involved in an incident of bullying, the longer it lasts. Online, it spreads quickly. It can involve an infinite amount of people. The mob psychology online takes over.”

Niezen noted that these types of negative voices can lead to other changes within these internet communities as well—changes that seek to add structure to an otherwise free-for-all arena.

“Some people take malicious pleasure in acting in anonymity,” Niezen said. “But what that does, too, is that […] it leads communities to create protections against it. So I think that it makes the online communities seek a greater cohort effect [….] It creates boundaries that might not have otherwise existed […] so that too has an effect in encouraging or creating online communities to be .more resistant.”

“There’s still sort of a social behaviour that [is] governed by social norms and internet etiquette—‘netiquette’—that we sort of implicitly developed, that are constantly being negotiated as well,” Sinclair said.

Gabriella Coleman, who holds the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill and focuses on hackers and digital activism, noted that anonymous communities are not exclusively vicious.

“I think that way too often there’s just this idea that anonymity brings out the worst in people,” Coleman said. “I actually just think that it really depends on the context under which anonymous speech occurs. When you have trolling websites […] anonymity [can bring] out the worst in people [….] Whereas in something like patient forums or advice boards that are very topic-specific, they’re often very anonymous but the kind of atmosphere and etiquette is very civil and very giving, and the production of anonymity allows people to be very honest.”

Shariff, however, explained that there will be much to be improved upon in the online world.

“There’s a lot of potential use for those forums if communities can come together in a positive way,” Shariff said. “If that is encouraged more among young people, if there’s some kind of [role] modelling that can be done through those online communities, then hopefully it can turn things around.”

Sean Beatty, a moderator for the McGill ‘subreddit,’ one of the anonymous online platforms on Reddit that is used to discuss many aspects of the university and campus life, explained that though the subreddit hosts a community, there is room for it to grow and be used in a positive way.

“It’s definitely an under-utilized resource,” Beatty said. “It would be good to have more campus engagement, because it’s somewhere that people can talk and connect [….] We’ve been looking to bring in people from health and wellness at McGill. There [are] people [who] are isolated and may only reach out in that environment [on subReddit.]”

Despite these differences that have become more apparent between the online and offline worlds, there seems to be an onset of a sense of convergence between the two. According to Kushner, there are differences, but not necessarily divisions, between what is seen on-screen and on campus.

“I don’t buy the division,” Kushner said. “Facebook is real life […] because we experience it in our real lives [....] It’s not like we take out our phones and log into Facebook and suddenly we’re not real anymore. We’re still real people, we still have real relationships, we still have real complicated lives. It’s just another way of […] experiencing those relationships.”

On campus, it can feel as though much of the day-to-day conversations happen on Facebook or via email. Though many students undoubtedly interact with others online, Kushner noted that it might be misleading to say that the way they use the internet is a disparate experience from in-person interactions.

“The university experience—the experience of just living in 2014—involves an enormous amount of social activity that happens through different types of network computing platforms,” Kushner said. “And that’s real. It has real social impacts and real social consequences.”

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Science & Technology

McGill chooses its newest CERC recipient Dr. Robin Rogers joins Dr. Luda Diatchenko for award worth over $10 million CLARE LYLE Staff Writer McGill announced the appointment of its newest Canadian Excellence in Research Chair (CERC), Dr. Robin Rogers, on Sept. 29. The CERC is a prestigious award granted to the top scientists in the world. Featuring over $10 million in funding, the program is designed to encourage cutting-edge research in Canada.

Starting in January 2015, McGill will be the proud recipient of two CERC holders.

Prior to his appointment, Rogers, a world-renowned green chemist, was the Robert Ramsay Chair of Chemistry at the University of Alabama. Rogers’ work combines the theoretical and the applied aspects of chemistry, following phenomena from their initial discoveries through all the way to their applications. He cites Louis Pasteur as an influence, who in 1982 said: “There does not exist a category to which one can give the name ‘applied science.’ There is science and the application of science, bound together as the fruit to the tree which bears it.”

This interconnectedness of theory and application has been evident throughout Rogers’ research. In 2013, his lab created a

J. ROSCOE WASSERBURG Contributor

Graphene sensor tracks down cancer biomarkers Graphene, a six-ringed carbon, has become the centrepiece for new technologies. Its ability to form atom-thin flat sheets is unique, making it a novel material for different technologies.

Biotechnology, in particular, has advanced tremendously in the past two decades, with a special emphasis on cancer treatments and preventions.

By attaching special receptor molecules to the end of its chains, graphene can be used as a biosensor. The behaviour of the receptor molecules can be looked at to distinguish the presence of a certain protein, sometimes only present due to cancerous growth.

A screening was done with ELISA, an immunoassay test, to screen for the presence of cer-

type of ionic liquid used to deliver anaesthetic to patients more effectively. His group has patents on methods to pre-treat biomass and provide an alternative to the viscose process—a method for manufacturing cellulose fibres.

But what drew Rogers to green chemistry? He grew up during the space race, which he described as a time when society and science were working together to face a historic challenge. This desire to use science to improve society led him to green chemistry, a field where discoveries could directly improve people’s quality of life.

He looks forward to working with McGill students to explore methods of improving the sustainability of current industrial processes. In particular, Rogers says, he plans on working directly with pharmaceutical industries to produce environmentally sustainable [and] economically beneficial technology.

Rogers will be joining McGill’s other CERC holder, Dr. Luda Diatchenko, who studies the genetics of pain. According to Diatchenko, the field is important due to the nature of the phenotype—it tells us when something is wrong in the body.

“Pain is the number one reason people go to the doctor,” she

tain proteins. This technology is responsible for detecting 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, a protein produced in abnormal amounts when DNA is damaged or altered.

Damaged DNA is a sign of mutation, and the reason why normal cells become cancerous.

While the technique itself is remarkable, more impressive is its detection limit, which is five times more sensitive than current methods. Along with this increased sensitivity, the method also yields faster results.

New development in the field of medical technology is an incredible step for patient care. If this technology becomes widely available at a lower cost, it will lead to earlier cancer detection and thus better outcomes for patients.

Nanotubes increase plant production of energy Chemical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-

Dr. Luda Diatchenko and Dr. Robin Rogers. (Photos courtesy of UAN News and Le Devoir) said. “The cost of chronic pain […] is higher than the costs of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease combined.”

Although important, the field of pain genetics is an empty one.

The relative dearth of researchers who study pain leaves a vast expanse of unexplored territory, one that Diatchenko chose to pursue.

“It was a field where I could really make a difference,” she said.

Pain is a phenomenon that has a massive impact on society; over $10 billion each year is lost due to decreased productivity and healthcare costs. Diatchenko’s work brings her into the realms of psychology, physiology, and other fields that extend well beyond her microbiology PhD.

Diatchenko’s work breaches past not just her own field, but also academia. After getting her PhD, Diatchenko spent time working in industry, where she was a leader of the RNA Expression Group at Clontech, Inc. and then director of Gene Discovery at Attagene, Inc., where she developed molecular tools to analyze gene expression.

She is the co-founder of Algynomics, a private company that works to make applications of pain genetics research commercially available.

Grant money provided by the CERC program will allow Diatchenko to take an even closer look at the genes associated with pain.

Analyzing the genomes of people suffering from chronic pain is ex-

pensive, so insufficient funding can limit the amount of data researchers can collect. Diatchenko hopes to use the resources provided by the government and McGill to create a more extensive molecular characterization of her studies’ cohorts.

The CERC provides a valuable contribution to McGill’s research community. But if there’s one thing that both CERC-holders agree on, it’s that the academic environment is not just dependent on award-winning professors. It is the contributions from curious students that keep research passionate and innovative.

nology (MIT) have been able to integrate nanotechnology into individual plant cells. By placing carbon nanotubes into chloroplasts—the energy-producers of the cell—the engineers observed an increase in cell efficiency.

Although impossible to measure the exact amount of increase in energy production, the researchers used a colour-changing dye to detect free electrons. The dye therefore changed proportional to the energy in the cell.

After the group found these results, they investigated whether this technology could decrease the presence of free radicals, which are molecules with unpaired electrons. While free radicals are the result of normal metabolic processes, they unfortunately contribute to DNA damage, which can ultimately change the structure of proteins. The larger the scale, the more concerning this becomes in terms of mutating normal cells.

When the team measured the concentration of free radicals in

the cells, they found a 27 per cent decrease in those that had the nanotubes.

They also applied this technology to chemical detection, which is important for use in toxic environments. Nanotubes were able to detect the presence of nitric oxide—a free radical and combustion byproduct—in the environment. The industrial uses are promising.

fected the group.

In the study, all participants were strangers, with a mix of both males and females. The subjects were given alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, or a placebo, with their group interactions recorded.

As the results were reviewed, there was a striking trend towards smiling.

The smiling was associated with self-reported reward and normal drinking patterns in males. As men drank more, they smiled more, affirming their actions.

Contagious smiling is far less prevalent in sober males, and even less when compared to sober females.

The study concluded that alcohol closes the gap between the prevalence of smiling in sober males and females. More importantly, excessive drinking’s etiology is consequently drawn from a social-reward factor.

When bros share brews Binge-drinking in men is far more common than in females, according to a new paper published in the Clinical Psychological Science . The journal—from the Association for Psychological Science—has found that this may be attributed to the social aspect of drinking.

Researchers linked gender and alcohol to what they termed “emotional contagion.” Seemingly ominous, it is quite the opposite; smiles—not pathogens—af-

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

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Science & Technology

Surviving the internet can be hard Shellshock and Heartbleed attack: Here’s how to avoid them WILDER WALKER-STEWART Staff Writer Half a million. That’s how many popular websites were found to be susceptible to Heartbleed, a bug found in OpenSSL—a web technology responsible for encrypting passwords and other sensitive information for providers around the world—in April this year. Dubbed by Forbes Magazine as the worst vulnerability found since commercial traffic began to flow on the internet, this defect allows hackers to read sensitive information such as credit card numbers and passwords.

Millions of consumers were forced to change their passwords for all of their major accounts.

The most recent bug to gain headlines truly shows the vulnerability of the system we use to run our daily lives. The “Bash Bug”—or Shellshock—affects Unix operating systems like Linux, on top of which

the Android mobile operating system and the Mac OS run.

There are many different types of security threats that roam the Internet—among them viruses, bugs, and cyber-attacks—putting users at risk.

According to a Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, 16 million households in the U.S. alone have experienced malware on their devices in the past two years. Students, the most active users of the internet as per a recent Pew Research Study, are especially at risk.

It is important to understand what internet users are dealing with.

On its security website, Microsoft defines viruses as “small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation.”

Viruses range from harmless pranks like the 1990s ‘cookie monster’ virus that halted progress on a

computer until the user typed in the word ‘cookie,’ to veritable cyberweapons such as Stuxnet, a program developed by Israel and the U.S. that attacked Iran’s nuclear reactors and delayed their nuclear development by years. In general, viruses are designed to corrupt or destroy data on users’ devices. Bugs like Heartbleed, on the other hand, are programm i n g errors, similar to

(Cordelia Cho / McGill Tribune)

loopholes, which can be exploited to gain access to sensitive information, leaving millions exposed to hackers and fraudsters.

According to The Verge, the Shellshock bug exploits vulnerabilities in Bush, a shell which allows programs and users to control other computers. “[Shellshock] allows for an attacker’s code to be executed as soon as the shell [which controls the user interface] is invoked, leaving the door open for a wide variety of attacks.”

The Verge explains. Patches have been released, but many are still vulnerable.

So what can students do? Unfortunately, not much, as bugs are outside the control of users. Reading the news, changing passwords when softwares alert users to vulnerabilities, and praying for companies to issue software patches to the bugs is about all the average student can do. However, students can be proactive about viruses and malware on their computers. Because users are the ones who install such software, they can use basic steps to avoid such software.

Tech Republic recommends using firewalls, updating software as soon as improvements are available, avoiding odd-looking email links, using anti-virus software, and only downloading files from reputable sources. Although seemingly simple, these rules are crucial. According to BitTorrent trackers, 30 million people share 4.5 million torrents every day.

Exposing users to ample opportunities for exposing themselves to viruses.

Money talks, researchers listen Lack of funds spotlights the importance of students in research ANDY WANG Contributor If art is the exploration of questions, science is the pursuit of answers. People think, wonder, and imagine. Then they try to hypothesize, conduct, and prove.

These processes, however, are difficult without a hefty research grant.

In recent years, funding for research proposals has become more and more competitive, resulting in many of the best proposals being rejected not on merit, but due to a shortage of funding.

Dr. John Bergeron received his PhD in biochemistry from Oxford University. He has been at McGill since 1974, and was the department chair of Anatomy and Cell Biology from 1996 to 2009. Bergeron, a molecular cell biologist, specializes in organelle proteomics.

According to Bergeron, the key to innovation and discovery lies in the successful education, training, and preparation of young researchers and students.

“Young people make discoveries,” Bergeron said. “They are eager, bold, and are not confined to old ideas.”

Many professors also agreed that the underlying issue for research funding in Canada: Money distribution.

Dr. Monique Zetka, associate professor from the Department of Biology, has been working at McGill University since 2001. Her research is focused on the function and regulation of meiotic chromosome organization, as well as mechanisms of DNA repair.

In describing research grants and money allocated by the medical science industry, Zetka used the term “corporate socialism.” Corporate socialism, known also as corporatism, is defined by Reuters as the organization of a society

into groups based on interest, such as scientific affiliation. Essentially, funding is only going to certain groups. For example, funding for ‘discovery research’ and ‘applied research’ can vary.

“Discovery research is the funding for a specific question where it is not apparent what the immediate impact of the discovery would have in the medical industry,” Bergeron said. “Applied research would be investigations carried out in order to find answers with practical commercial applications in mind.”

According to Bergeron, applied research is the riskier and less promising of the two.

Dr. Edward Ruthazer, associate professor from the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, has been at McGill since 2005. His research focuses on neural circuits and the connectivity of neurons during biological development.

According to Ruthazer, the decrease in the number of grants allowed is not due to a decrease in funding for research. Rather, the number of labs have gone up while the amount of money for research has stayed the same.

“The top 20 per cent of all grant proposals are virtually indistinguishable in terms of excellence,” Ruthazer said.

“However, the reality today is that only about 14 per cent of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant proposals are successful in their applications. Essentially, it becomes a game of chance once a scientist’s grant proposal is in the top 20 per cent because there just isn’t enough money to go around.”

Bergeron highlighted similar statistics.

“The average success rate for a grant proposal in Canada is 15 per cent

with an average amount of $120,000 worth of funding,” he said.

Interestingly, methods exist in the U.S. and Europe whereby the most elite researchers, chosen by the EU, are given grants upwards of $1 million a year. Dr. Bergeron says that he would like to see similar grant-awarding mechanisms in Canada.

However, all three researchers stated that there was no issue for them individually with the amount of funding they were receiving.

According to Zetka, a major issue is that too much money is being allocated towards indirect research tied to profit. This is inevitably focused on the medical and life science industry. Profit has a considerable impact in determining how resources are allocated, and Zetka says that industry-tied research is inefficient because the aim is to maximize profit while spreading the risk to taxpayers.

Furthermore, in the search for profit, the appeal of pure, unobstructed scientific knowledge often becomes lost.

Unencumbered funding could mean big things for scientists and their research. Given unlimited funding, Ruthazer expressed an interest in unbiased genomic screening in the hopes of discovering new gene targets in neurological diseases. Zetka stated that she would like to study biological mechanisms with respect to time, in the hopes of determining the way proteins are enabled to perform their designated functions.

All three professors emphasized the importance of training for young researchers and students in order to improve opportunities for research grants.

Ruthazer referenced the Vanier Doctoral and Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship

programs, two initiatives developed by the government of Canada. The programs are prestigious fellowships which come with a very hefty monetary compensation, about twice as much as what a typical researcher at McGill would make.

Ruthazer, while praising the initiative by the government, said that he would like to see the fellowship fund more students, because he believes the key to success lies in the broad support of young researchers.

Dr. John Bergeron . (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

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

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Lose yourself in Gone Girl ’s mind games FRANCES LASH Contributor David Fincher’s new film Gone Girl , based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, tells the story of a resentful marriage that devolves into lies and gore. The film may not be as cinematically stunning as past Fincher film Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , or have the intense character study boasted in The Social Network ; however, Gone Girl hums along gracefully as its plot unfolds and drops unexpected twists, and Fincher’s polished vision and skill make it an engaging film.

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike play Nick and Amy Dunne, a young and beautiful couple living in Missouri whose lives are shaken up when Amy disappears and Nick becomes the prime suspect. Affleck as the affable but unlikable Nick is convincing—his pretty smile never extends to his eyes, which hint at darker intentions. Pike’s performance as Amy exhibits both personas of victim and aggressor and is one of the highlights of the film. Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon are also excellent, enhancing the movie in their supporting roles. Trent Reznor—of Nine Inch Nails—and Atticus Ross’s

score help create a falsely soothing atmosphere, suddenly erupting when everything we’ve been led to believe comes crashing down.

This film deals with the stereotype of beaten wife and unfaithful husband, coming out at a time when domestic violence scandals are at the forefront of the media. Usually when we hear about domestic abuse, it’s a case of a man beating a woman— we don’t often see the opposite. The idea that men are aggressors and women are victims is so ingrained in our heads that we expect it. This is a perception that Gone Girl explores, showing how our view of people is often formed without real knowledge of who they are. Nick Dunne is suspected of beating and murdering his wife because of his infidelity and hints of Amy as a victim. As a consequence, hordes of reporters and news shows are dedicated to defaming and harassing him.

However, Gone Girl does not entirely fool us into believing that Nick is the abusive husband that we so often see in the press and film.

Nick is set up from the start as the audience’s most relatable character: He takes care of his cat diligently, he has a loving relationship with

his sister, and the most telling sign that the viewer is meant to sympathize with him is the unreliability in Amy’s voice-over narration. The affected tone in which she speaks and the quick descent from inattentive to violent spouse that she pins on Nick is almost too perfectly-crafted to believe. What could have been a more nuanced and dynamic film falls short and only really offers one side to understand and relate to. This takes away the mystery of Gone Girl. From the beginning of the film, we’re heavily guided to side with Nick and question Amy. Propelled by Fincher’s meticulous directing and solid performances from its actors, Gone Girl is an excellent film that immerses us in a story where media speculation and well-known tropes of love and relationships are tested. The film isn’t perfect—the first third plays out slowly and it runs about 20 minutes too long—but it does further solidify the fact that Fincher makes good films. Gone Girl doesn’t quite match up to his previous work, but does move with precision through the steps of good storytelling.

Post-modernism emerges in a new light David Simpson’s exhibit utilizes simplicity to expose intricacies ELIZABETH MCLELLAN Contributor For post-modernist painter David Simpson, light is both a pastiche of past artistic traditions and a peek into the future of its essential nature. The monochromatic paintings that greet you upon walking into his current exhibit at the Parisian Laundry gallery are defined by light, as the interference pigments of his paintings reflect and play with each ray. It makes for an almost interactive experience, where every tilt of the head offers the possibility of making a new discovery in his work, and you are immediately introduced to just one of the artist’s many creative nuances.

Simpson, who was present for a special event at the gallery when I visited, is charmingly sincere and traditional in his techniques and approach to art. The gallery itself is a beautiful, open second-floor space with large windows and old wooden floors, with the paintings simply mounted on floating white boards, creating an inner square of empty space. The entirety of the experience was incredibly authentic and genuine, built by a team of sensorial experiences including the artwork, the gallery, the artist himself, and the audience’s positive reception of the exhibit.

The Giverny Capital collection, owned by François Rochon, presented the exhibit and chose to do so in an intimate setting—a table

of champagne glasses welcomes what the modest Simpson deems the “few disturbed people” with the desire to see his magical pieces, as Rouchon enthusiastically interacted with those present. Early on the gallery was fairly empty, but it quickly filled up with the chatter of contemporary art enthusiasts. The rainy day and subsequently dim lighting lent the paintings delicate and silver-toned hues, and one can only imagine the “dangerous” brilliance they would have exuded with direct sunlight. The simplicity of the venue synchronized with that of the works of art to create a bewitching sense of harmony in the space.

The simplicity in the artworks is distinguished by Simpson as “reducing the work to its essential” as opposed to the minimalist idealists of recent years. He expressed to me very eloquently that he does not consider himself Avant Garde, nor is he pushing to find a new art form.

His work is that of a post-modernist, drawing from past traditions, with gratitude for how Vermeer “swept up” the mess of the past, but also for the expression of light in the older works of Fra Angelico. He finds inspiration in the natural sunlight of his home and studio in Berkeley, California, which he begrudgingly left to come to Montreal— begrudgingly because Simpson is

very reluctant to leave his artwork, and finds the most valuable use of his time spent in front of his hand stretched canvases. It is this kind of dedication and devotion to the his medium that makes Simpson so engaging and endearing. His paintings speak for themselves, but one word from Simpson adds an entire other dimension to his work.

The authentic, and somewhat traditional approach to art taken by Simpson feels like a breath of fresh air in an art world commandeered by the growing digital technologies and corporatization of our present day reality. This man grew up in the depression, teaching him to appreciate life in it’s simplest form. He rejects fame and riches on principal, and insists that the “battle is in the studio,” not in the incessant self-publication taking over the world of arts today with social media. Simpson’s redefinition of monochrome painting as he plays with light, colour, and texture gets down to the gritty, essential and inexpressible truths of the world, making for an all-consuming experience that is unshakably downto-earth.

“A Tribute to David Simpson” is running until Oct. 11 at the Parisian Laundry gallery (3550 St. Antoine West).

What’s Happening In

MONTRÉAL Events to suit your October whimsy MORGAN ALEXANDER & MAX BERGER Arts & Entertainment Editors

MUSIC

— Current Swell

These Vancouver indie rockers should play lots of material from their latest album, Ulysses (2014), which means Classics and English Lit majors won’t want to miss out.

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Petit Olympia (1282 Amherst). Tickets $15.

THEATRE — The Drunken Show:

Over The Limit

Pay $20 and watch drunk comedians get collectively drunker and potentially funnier Friday, Oct. 11, 8:30 p.m., Theatre Sainte Catherine (264 Rue Sainte Catherine Est). Tickets $21.25

MUSIC 4 Keeps

— Blank Bullets and Play

The official event for these two local bands is called “Did You Wipe?” and promises funk, rock, and toilet paper—encouraging you to BYOR (Bring Your Own Roll).

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 9 p.m., Petit Campus (55 Prince Arthur East). Cover $5.

MUSIC

— Lights

Expert performer at an excellent venue, relatively inexpensive at around $25, worth it.

Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Le National (1220 Rue Sainte Catherine Est). Tickets $25 advance.

FILM

— Au Contraire Film Festival

Featuring various jury-selected films from around the world that look to explore and change perspectives towards mental health, this will be very worthy of the walk west on Sherbrooke.

Wednesday, Oct. 22 to Saturday, Oct. 25 at various times, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1380 Sherbrooke Ouest). Tickets start at $10.

NIGHTLIFE

Walk

— Montreal Zombie

A Montreal classic: Zombies, make-up, and method stumbling all for free Halloween fun!

Saturday, Oct. 25, 3 p.m., Place Des Arts Metro, free.

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Bound 2 falling out of love: the plight of celebrity romance MORGAN ALEXANDER Arts & Entertainment Editor

(Continued from page 1) Why is it that the sanctity of marriage has failed to extend into the realm of Hollywood? It seems that for famous people, long-term monogamy—which by no means is an ideal that everyone has to subscribe to, but it is one that people are committing to when they decide to get married—simply does not apply to them. And even when it does, the public never believes it will last. Take Jay-Z and Beyoncé: In the midst of their world tour, the press pounced on the couple’s relationship, claiming that Jay-Z was cheating with multiple women and that Beyoncé was ready to call it quits the second their tour ended.

This depersonalization of celebrities is such a common occurrence that the direct effect tabloid claims could have on the individuals’ personal lives is rarely considered.

While it is true that to be in the public spotlight, one needs to be

able to grow a thick skin and brush off what people claim, having strangers consistently make wild assertions about infidelity would lead to insecurity among even the most confident of people.

While in Beyoncé and JayZ’s case, the masses are on a hunt for scandal, in other situations, basic incredulity at the entire concept of celebrity commitment rules the conversation. When Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced that they were having a baby—only to follow up with the announcement that they were engaged to be married—people lost their minds in angst-ridden disbelief. From South Park’s joke about Kardashian being a hobbit to consistent quoting of the “Gold Digger” lyrics whenever West mentions his commitment to his new family, it seems that people have narrowed down KimYe’s relationship to nothing more than a shortform publicity stunt.

Obviously, some of the disbelief regarding the lasting potential of KimYe has a sound basis—

Kanye West isn’t exactly known for his deep-hearted commitment to anyone beyond himself and his late mother Donda West. After all, stating “She asked me what I wish for on my wish list / Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches,” on a track dedicated to your new wife isn’t exactly a promising sign of long-lasting love. Additionally, Kardashian became pregnant with the couple’s child, North “Nori” West, little more than a year after filing for divorce from her then-husband of 72 days Kris Humphries—yet another unstable foundation on which to base a relationship.

Despite all this, is there good reasoning for the baseline assumption that celebrity relationships are of predictable deceit and shortlived lust? If we believe the tabloid refrain that celebrities are in fact, just like us, then it should be of no surprise that having your personal life defined by mistrust on the part your community—however anonymous—would create a long-lasting rift in your relationships both

Illustration by Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune present and future. Unless we lose our interest in watching celebrity lives implode before us in multipage magazine spreads, then they will keep happening, no matter how negatively it will impact the people involved. As far as Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa are con-

cerned, hopefully they will focus on what’s really important—keeping a loving and supportive environment for their young son, not letting the drama of the press and the public keep them from moving past this break-up.

Shortform, longform, we all scream for MPROV

Montreal Improv offers a wide selection of scene styles in ninth annual MPROV Festival JACK TOKARZ Contributor

“Welcome to Montreal’s MPROV Festival, the place where everything is made up and the points don’t matter.”

That Whose Line is it Anyway tagline may be what some audience members would expect to hear at the beginning of any of the improv comedy festival’s shows over the past week, seeing as the popular show accounts for the total exposure many people have to improvisational theatre.

But in reality, it only gave viewers a small sample of what improv can be.

In Whose Line, a group of four comedians make up situations and jokes on the spot, and this is indeed the core of improv; however, the show is based off of a series of games that are concerned with speed and limitation, intrinsically keeping the created scenes goofy and short. In this manner, the comedians usually make one good joke and move on to a new scene without worrying about character development or setting.

This is funny, but not nearly the best that improv has to offer.

The Montreal Improv Theatre hosted nine MPROV shows last week, each involving three groups of improvisers on the bill, and each presenting a different

flavour of improv comedy.

There were group performances, duo performances, musical improv, and an improvised soap opera among other variations of longform and shortform—from 15-second scenes to 30-minute story arcs.

Shortform—which includes, but isn’t limited to the quick games that Whose Line ran—consists of the improvisers performing a series of independent scenes, each creating a new plot and characters. These can be as simple as two friends climbing on each other to try to activate a fire alarm, or as absurd as the moon inviting the sun to not set and party with him and the stars all night. Sometimes scenes can carry characters from one into the next; for example, when the improviser concocts a hilarious individual like an omniscient robot with the voice of a smooth jazz radio host, and wants to see him in a different setting.

Longform takes this one step further, creating a world throughout the duration of the show. This world can be established in the first scene and see the story continue linearly like a film, or it can be built piece by piece as each scene reveals a new aspect of the same world, with characters eventually overlapping and conflicts coinciding. On Friday night, the duo K$M

K$M was one of 20 English-speaking acts at this year’s MPROV festival (MPROV.tumblr.com). performed six scenes over the 30-minute set, each taking place in the same setting. The duo Easy Action began with a motocross racer getting an x-ray from his drug dealer/doctor “Uncle Bob” at night, and ended with that same character falling in love on a pirate ship delivering suicideinducing drugs the next dawn.

When the world is improvised, things are not always—or nearly ever—straightforward, but the silliness drives the humor.

The other determining factor for performance type is the size of the cast. A show can consist of any number of improvisers, with the average size group of casts typically being around five members and the other most common being only two.

A duo show, like Rapid Fire Theatre’s “Sex with Your Ex” on Friday, must have high-energy improvisers to put on a 30-minute show without the same two people

becoming boring. This one took a suggestion from the audience for a difficult relationship to structure their first scene around, and then transitioned into new scenes by physically running across the front of the stage to wipe it clean for the next sketch, or simply by making funny faces at each other until that transitioned into a new idea. This show welcomed audience interaction, basing an entire scene on a conversation with a spectator, whereas others like “Summer Boyfriend” began without a suggestion and run the full time without a single interaction.

Improv comedy can be hilarious or it can be awkward depending on the comedians’ overall skill as well as their level of creativity. Because performances are entirely original, even the best improviser can have a terrible show if they are not fully alert—or they can

unwittingly have the perfect show. This is the excitement of improv: It cannot be predicted and must be experienced live.

Sometimes, as Bob Banks from Kitty & the Bee demonstrated on Friday, the best humour comes from watching somebody actively realize that what they are saying is not logical but cannot stop: “I live above a pizza shop, and I’m lactose-intolerant—it sucks. It’s like living above an ice cream factory…and…still being lactose-intolerant.” Shows like those at the MPROV Festival are one-time-only events, and there’s no telling what such creative minds can fabricate when armed with a stage and a concept.

Information on upcoming improv shows taking place in Montreal can be found at www. montrealimprov.com.

16 Eclectic echoes: Shattered melodies and broken tunes

ALBUM REVIEWS

WEEZER - Everything will be alright in the end

MARTIN MOLPECERES Contributor

Life in a Glass House

Artist: Radiohead Album: Amnesiac Released: June 5, 2001 “Life in a Glass House,” begins slowly and thoughtfully: Thom Yorke’s voice rings hauntingly to the forefront, carrying deep melancholy as a clarinet and trumpet float in the periphery. As the piece progresses, these instruments become bolder, finally pushing aside the vocals in the final chorus and losing all pretense of structure to reflect the raw lyrical emotion. “But someone’s listening in,” laments Yorke, bringing an end to the chaotic piece.

The quality of Weezer albums have always relied on their sincerity, and on that front, the new album Everything Will Be Alright in the End is a success—sort of.

With impeccable production by Ric Ocasek,

Turnin’ on the Screw

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age Album: Era Vulgaris Released: June 12, 2007 “Turnin’ on the Screw” is easily the most ‘broken’ of these songs, but in the best way possible.

Starting with an almost pseudo-Gregorian chant, “Screw” quickly descends into a hodgepodge of clockwork percussion and guitar riffs, with the distortion turned up to 11. “It puts the lotion in the basket,” drones Josh Homme, foreshadowing the lunacy that’ll quickly follow. Indeed, this song is probably the closest one can get to temporarily experiencing insanity as we are treated to nonsensical solos and indistinct groaning, making this a truly abstract beauty.

Schizophrenia

Artist: Young the Giant Album: Shake My Hand EP Released: August 18, 2008 Ironically the most coherent of the bunch, “Schizophrenia” is representative of an early period for Young the Giant, back when they were still known as The Jakes and before the release of their first album. The song features Sameer Gadhia on vocals, breaking out with possessed fervor as he speeds through the lyrics until they become indistinguishable. This quickly becomes the tone of the piece, fully embracing its mantle of “Schizophrenia.” Wild distortions and glitches are added to the audio, unraveling the music without losing any structure under the faint, colliope-esque organs which provide the crux of the melody.

It’s been five long years since Londonborn singer-songwriter Jamie T released his second record Kings & Queens (2009) to critical acclaim, solidifying his place in the English indie rock scene. Known for his witty and clever lyrics, Jamie T has provided classic, well-written songs portraying a “normal person’s” critique of society. It’s what he does and he does it well—so naturally, his third album, Carry On the Grudge, sees him continue where he left off in 2009—but

bringing just a little bit more experience to the mix.

Opening with “Limits Lie,” the album showcases a fuller sound, resulting in a much more direct and immediate listening experience. He questions, “Who knows where your limits lie,”—a clever double-entendre to the word ‘lie.’ Where do our limits lie, as in, where are they situated? Or where do they lie, as in, mislead us? Or is there a difference?

This general confusion continues for Jamie T over the span of the album’s 12 songs. “Don’t You Find” discusses a familiar love scenario: “Don’t you find, some of time there’s always someone on your mind that shouldn’t be at all?” before he replaces “someone” with “something” in the second verse, adding to the general lack of understanding of anything in the world. Lead single “Zombie” echoes this love theme: “I’m a sad, sad post teen caught up in the love machine,” he sings over a rather generic guitar strum and beat.

REPUBLIC

that he wants to explore deeper topics like his relationship with women and his father. Instead, the album plods through ‘heavy topics’ like a checklist, resulting in lyrics that are maddeningly unspecific and add no real insight. Content ranges from cringingly undercooked “Don’t want to be mass consumed/ I’m not a happy meal,” to faux-profound “Don’t want my ideas polluted by mediocrity/ Don’t want my sentiments diluted,” often in the course of the same song. Perhaps that’s why the mostly-instrumental three-song suite that closes the album is by far its best stretch of music.

the album sounds better than a mid-to-late-period rock band typically does. If anything, it shows that the band hasn’t lost its ability to craft a perfect pop song: Choruses are catchy in an infectious, sing-along way, and there’s a sense of fun in the album that the band hasn’t really shown since The Green Album (2001). The album seems to exist, however, as though the last decade and a half never happened, and it’s hard to care when the sound—bearing few traces of the irony that shows up on other Weezer albums—is refreshingly happy.

Lyrically, though, the album is a mess. It seems that after Pinkerton (1996) was initially derided by critics and fans, Rivers Cuomo resolved to never write an interesting lyric for the rest of his career. He’s given interviews saying

-- Chris Lutes

jamie t - carry on the grudge

Shit Catapult

Artist: Iiro Rantala New Trio Album: Elmo Released: April 30, 2008 A guitarist, a pianist, and a beatboxer make up the Iiro Rantala New Trio, the best Finnish jazz band of which you’ve never heard. Feeling less like an actual song and more of a musical battle between three utterly distinct styles, “Shit Catapult” practically defines eclectic. Nyman’s distorted guitar and Zenger’s beat-boxing are both grounded by Rantala’s rapid-fire piano strokes. The song, starting off with an introduction of the three musicians as they each take turns shooting out jumbled notes, quickly collapses together into a joyous, instrumental masterpiece.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

virgin This generality, though, persists through the album. Lyrically, Jamie T covers the same topics he does in his previous works, while the music side of the work actually represents a step backwards for him. As opposed to the immediately arresting, brutal honesty and multi-layered instrumentals that made his proceeding albums such a joy to listen to, Carry On the Grudge is a relatively neutral experience.

“The Prophet” encompasses the overall feeling of the album, with lyrics describing typical teenage life: “She blames the poverty on her parents’ generation [....] I don’t know what to do now… I’ll just sit back and brew with the Coca Cola communists.” Thematically, it’s good. Musically, it’s just not that interesting. He proclaims, “I don’t ask the questions, I don’t write the rules [....] I’m up for suggestions and will follow you through.”

Well, Jamie T, perhaps a little shake up next time around would do you good.

— --Jack Neal

Mile End thrift shop gets a natural makeover Cgo’s “Wild Child” exhibit captures our complicated relationship with nature EVIE KACZMAREK Staff Writer When I turned into the open doorway of Citizen Vintage, the well-known Mile End boutique, I was greeted by a warm light and the cozy hum of French female artist Cgo’s intimate exhibition, “Enfants Sauvages” (which translates to “Wild Child”). Complimentary craft beer and vegetarian snacks welcomed all guests and the small thrift shop provided a close, intimate setting for the display. Her pieces lined the walls, placed perfectly above the beautiful secondhand clothing that Citizen Vintage has for sale.

Her collection of artwork was made up predominantly of prints. Constructed with curved black lines and dotted shadows, her style bears the influence of traditional marine tattoos from the 1800s. From the perspective of an outsider, any of the graphic prints—mainly done on paper or wood—would have translated

quite well onto the skin. In fact, the artist, with whom I was lucky enough to speak, had countless tattoos peppering her arms and neck. Much of the ink had been tattooed by Cgo herself, and each piece, she claimed, told a special story about her past.

Cgo most notably draws her thematic content from the spiritual side of nature, often representing First Nations culture in her work. The pieces almost felt like visual representations of oral traditions; they are replete with mystical creatures, celestial bodies, and water imagery.

There were even physical pieces of nature incorporated into the exhibition: tree bark, rocks, and branches were scattered about. Many of the prints show hybridizations of humans and nature, emphasizing our tumultuous but beautiful and symbiotic relationship with the earth.

In my conversation with her, artist Cgo explained her own profound relationship with nature.

“Even if I live in a city, I am still aware of it, it makes me feel reborn,” she said. “It makes me feel better.”

And within the Montreal cityscape, Cgo is still moved by an integral vitality that is seemingly ever-present. “[The city] is dynamic, especially with its art and culture. It’s a big mix; it’s very fluid,” she explained.

Cgo revealed another telling detail: after an injury and trip to the hospital this year, she found herself finally integrating colour into her artwork, which was previously confined to black and white. Her existence is based on her visceral connection to her surroundings, which funnels directly to her art. Against the backdrop of a concrete city, her perspective is refreshing.

Cgo’s art is on display at Citizen Vintage (5330 Boulevard Saint-Laurent) for the remainder of this month.

17

Sports

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

SOCCER — Rouge et or 3, redmen 1

Redmen fall short against Rouge et Or

Weak second half prevents Redmen from clinching playoff spot catherine mounierdesrochers Contributor

The McGill Redmen (5-4-0) fell to the Laval Rouge et Or (5-0-4) Friday 3-1. After matching Laval through the first half, the Redmen had a rocky second half, allowing the visitors to pull ahead and score two goals in less than 10 minutes.

Coming into Friday’s match, only two points separated the top four teams in the RSEQ, with Laval and McGill sitting in second and third place, respectively. After falling to the Rouge et Or at home by a score of 4-2 in their previous matchup, the Redmen were looking to secure not only a playoff spot, but retribution.

For the first 10 minutes, McGill held the upper hand, demonstrating aggressiveness by mounting four attacks on the Laval net. Despite the hosts’ early pressure, Laval’s defence persisted, buoyed by Rouge et Or goalkeeper Jean-François Desrosiers, who turned away shot after shot. In the 12th minute, however, Laval opened the scoring with a goal off of a lighting quick counterattack that snatched away momentum from McGill’s hands.

The Redmen look to punch their ticket to the playoffs next game. (Fergus Place / McGill Tribune) Laval has only allowed eight goals all season, and if the Redmen were to keep the game from sliding out of reach, they had to remain composed and reply promptly, which they were able to do. After a tense back and forth, a brilliant pass from Redmen junior defender Patrick Fusarini set up a goal from star forward Alexander King, tying the game in the 26th minute. The rest of the first period was punctuated with strong defensive plays from both sides, and several

close attempts at Laval’s net that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

After the first 45 minutes, the score remained tied at 1-1. Both sides held equal possession of the ball, and shots on net were even at four apiece. However, the second period went largely in favour of the visitors, who seemed to come out of the half re-energized. Despite a steady showing from backup goalkeeper Thomas Daechsel, a junior from Kingston, Ontario, Laval succeeded in hammering

the ball through the Redmen defence twice in the second half to pull away for good, much to the dismay of Head Coach Marc Mounicot.

“After the second goal, we didn’t react and that was a huge negative for me,” Mounicot said.

Moments after Redmen striker Massimo Di Ioia was given a yellow card, Laval’s Jimmy McLaughlin gave his team the lead on a powerful shot from outside the box. The goal proved to be the turning point in Laval’s vic-

tory as they gained momentum and didn’t look back. Less than 10 minutes later, a goal by Laval’s Amaury Fauverge put the nail in the coffin.

“We should have gained momentum and fought back, but instead our heads dropped, and that allowed them to take the game,” King explained.

Even with the loss, the Redmen remain optimistic. They currently sit in third place in the RSEQ standings, separated from the league-leading Rouge et Or by only four points.

King, a senior, stressed the importance of maintaining a high level of team chemistry.

“What is going to be important is to stay together as a team, to keep up a good spirit among the guys even if we lose,” King said. “It is important to still have confidence.”

The Redmen bounced back with a 2-1 win over the Sherbrooke Vert et Or (1-6-1) on Sunday. King was excellent once again and scored both goals.

The Redmen still have three games left to battle for a spot in the league’s semifinals. Their next game will be played at home against the Montreal Carabins (4-2-3) on Sunday Oct. 19. With a win, the Redmen would sweep the season series with Montreal and secure a playoff berth.

BASEBALL — redmen 3, Stingers 2

Redmen continue hot streak on Welence’s walk-off Pitching, defence quiet the Stingers’ offence Wyatt Fine-Gagné Sports Editor The crowd at Gary Carter Field Thursday left happy thanks to late-game heroics, as the McGill Redmen (14-4) baseball team topped the Concordia Stingers (10-7) 3-2 in the annual fan night game. The win was McGill’s 12th of the season, and its third walkoff win in four games.

The team was led by junior shortstop Tyler Welence, who collected three hits, including a single in the seventh inning that plated the winning run. Welence has been outstanding so far this season, and has been a mainstay in the heart of the batting order. McGill’s pitching also had a strong showing, as starter Adrien Petrangelo and relievers Landen Moore and Tim Jones combined to allow just a single earned run over seven innings.

“Coming into the game in that kind of situation, I’m not trying to do too much,” Moore said, who provided 1.2 innings of relief pitching. “All I’m thinking about is getting ahead of their hitters early in counts and throwing my off-speed pitches for strikes.”

In total, Redmen pitchers threw first-pitch strikes to 60 per cent of the hitters that they faced—

The Redmen are all smiles in the dugout. (Wyatt Fine-Gagné / McGill Tribune) slightly better than their Concordia counterpart, who did so 55 per cent of the time. The defence behind McGill’s pitching was also strong, turning three double plays and making just one error, which was charged to Petrangelo.

“I think this is a big win for us for a lot of different reasons,” Head Coach Jason Starr said. “You always want to play well at the end of the year […] and these are the types of games we’re going to need to win if we want to win a

National Championship.”

The game was the Redmen’s 16th of the season, which in past years would have capped things off. But in the brand-new Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA), regular season play has been extended to 20 games. The busier schedule, however, may actually work in McGill’s favour, as this is McGill’s deepest roster in years, and one that is clearly capable of grinding out tough games.

“We’re fighters,” Welence

said. “We’ve got a really deep team and it shows. [We] bring in relievers that throw lights-out and I don’t think other teams have that kind of flexibility. Everyone comes ready to play.”

That depth was on display as McGill rallied to win in walk-off fashion. Third-year James Vardy led-off the inning with a single and was lifted for a pinch runner—rookie second baseman Max Rosen. Jones and junior left fielder Alexander Levis then both reached

safely to load the bases, setting the stage for Welence’s game-ending single.

“It was really a team effort,” Starr said. “One through nine, three pitchers, pinch runners—everyone really did a good job tonight.”

McGill is playing host to this year’s CCBA National Championship, which guarantees the Redmen a spot in the tournament. If they continue to perform this way, they may not need to make use of this crutch. Coach Starr made it clear that they have no intention of limping into Nationals.

“Our strategy is to keep on improving during the season,” he said. “We want to play our best baseball [at Nationals], but we also want to win the regular season, and we want to win [our] conference.”

The Redmen reached one of those goals over the weekend, as they clinched first place with two wins against Carleton (8-10).

McGill has one game left to play against Ottawa (3-14), and even though it won’t affect the standings, they’ll be looking to enter the playoffs on a high note.

“I’d love to go into [Nationals] with everyone gunning for us,” Starr said. “As a coach, you want to go in playing well and you don’t want to go in the backdoor.”

the MCGILL TRIBUNE’S C e ntr a l d i v i s i on

WeSTERN CONFERENCECE

P a c i f i c D i v i s i on

Chicago Blackhawks: The Chicago Blackhawks are the epitome of a modern day NHL dynasty. With an unbelievably talented core consisting of star captain Jonathan Toews, elite winger Patrick Kane, and premier defenceman Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks are a perpetual contender in a tough Western Conference. Whether it is with skill, physicality, or grit, the Blackhawks are capable of beating any opponent on any given night. While salary cap issues have forced management to move key players—including defenceman Nick Leddy—the recent addition of veteran centre Brad Richards will reinforce an already strong supporting cast. With depth at almost every position, the Hawks will not only take their division, but challenge for the Western Conference title and the President’s trophy.

Anaheim Ducks: The defending Pacific Division Champions aren’t the first name on this list just for alphabetical purposes. The Ducks are the favourites to come out on top of what many consider to be the toughest division in hockey. This is a team that may have struggled in last year’s playoffs, but exploded with 54 wins in the regular season. In early July, the team shipped a package of top-six defender Luca Sbisa and centre Nick Bonino to the Vancouver Canucks in return for star centre Ryan Kesler. The veteran should provide sorely needed leadership for the team, and will team up with youngsters Emerson Etem and Devante Smith-Pelly to form a formidable second line. Consistent goaltending seemed to be an issue last year, and could pose a problem once again if sophomore John Gibson cannot effectively eat up the minutes Jonas Hiller used to.

The St. Louis Blues: While the Blues’ constant struggles in the post-season remain a serious concern, the team still represents a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. The Blues’ balanced forward lineup—highlighted by Olympic phenom T.J. Oshie, Russian winger Vladimir Tarasenko, and captain David Backes—is strengthened by the addition of centre Paul Stastny via free agency. While most teams are fortunate to have even one top-shelf defenceman, the Blues are spoiled with multiple talents such as Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. The concern with the Blues should not be with their skaters, but with their inability to fill the void in net. Their true test this season will be whether they can finally chase their playoff demons come April.

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings won the Stanley Cup last year and made nearly no changes to their roster other than the loss of blueline leader Willie Mitchell to free agency. General Manager Dean Lombardi was very active at last year’s trade deadline, and seems content to rest on his laurels going into this season. The only worry coach Daryl Sutter should have is if the all-star trio of Gaborik, Kopitar, and Williams are split up due to injuries. Should the injury-prone Martin Gaborik stay healthy and the ‘70s line of Tyler Toffoli, Jeff Carter, and Tanner Pearson light it up like last year, this team should make the playoffs. Complacency might be the only issue for this team after thoroughly dominating the post-season last year.

Minnesota Wild: While the Wild struggled to score goals last season, the recent addition of Thomas Vanek will surely help in that department. The maturation of youngsters Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Haula will also help the team when it comes to five-onfive scoring. However, the biggest problem with the Wild is that the team does not have a legitimate starting goaltender. Trusting the inexperienced Darcy Kuemper to lead this relatively young team to the promised land is extremely risky. However, a defensive unit led by the incomparable Ryan Suter, aided by a supporting cast consisting of youngsters Ryan Dumba and Jonas Brodin, can make up for a sub-par starting goaltender. If the young players can mature properly while Vanek finds his niche in the lineup, the Wild could emerge as a dark horse in the West.

San Jose Sharks: The age-defying Joe Thornton was relieved of his captaincy after the Sharks finished second in the division last year. An early playoff exit against the Kings after being up 3-0 in the series called for significant change. Many media pundits called for rebuild, but General Manager Doug Wilson preferred the term “retool.” Dan Boyle and Martin Havlat departed, and the towering John Scott and Taylor Fedun were brought in to add truculence to the lineup. The Sharks should be able to secure a playoff spot, but it will depend on getting more consistent production from Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. Couture is recovering from a hand surgery, so he may not offer too much early in the season.

Colorado Avalanche: Patrick Roy is the envy of most NHL coaches. The fact that he can put out a forward lineup consisting of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan Mackinnon, Matt Duchene, and Ryan O’Reilly on any given night is somewhat unbelievable in the salary-cap era. Even scarier is the fact that these forwards are all are under the age of 25, and haven’t yet reached their prime. While offensive talent is of no shortage in Denver, Roy’s struggles will be with an underwhelming defensive unit, as well as the uncertainty of whether Semyon Varlamov can repeat his incredible season in net. This young Avalanche team is going to need Varlamov to be at the top of his game if they hope to make some noise during the upcoming season.

Arizona Coyotes: The Arizona Coyotes—formerly the Phoenix Coyotes—are a solid team, but will have difficulty battling it out with the other big teams in the West. The loss of Radim Vrbata to the Canucks left a sizeable dent in the team’s aspirations. Newcomer Sam Gagner will be counted on to replace some of Vrabata’s production, but questions about whether he is capable of putting up more than 50 points while playing top-six minutes still exist. The closest Gagner ever came was in his first season with the Oilers in 2007-2008, when he tallied 49 points.

Hope for the future lies in rookie Max Domi, who, despite his small stature, has had an amazing training camp so far.

Dallas Stars: General Manager Jim Nill deserves all the credit for changing this team from a cellar-dweller into an offensive juggernaut. The Stars’ quick rebuild started off with the cheap acquisition of Tyler Seguin from the Boston Bruins. His immediate chemistry with power forwards Jamie Benn and Valeri Nichushkin propelled the team’s breakout 2013-2014 season. The recent additions of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky through free agency have turned the Stars into a powerful offensive unit. However, in what is shaping up to be an even stronger Western Conference than last season, many good-but-not-great teams like the Stars won’t make the cut. The defensive core remains somewhat suspect, and goaltender Kari Lehtonen is too average for this team to compete.

Vancouver Canucks: While the Canucks may have been abysmal last year, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-2005 season, they should still be considered serious playoff contenders. Owner Francisco Aquillani shook up the front office, with Jim Benning replacing General Manager Mike Gillis, and John Tortorella ousted in favour of Western Hockey League (WHL) legend Willie Desjardins. Benning has worked hard to change the culture in the locker room, and has showed no signs of giving up on the team’s playoff window. The additions of speedy Radim Vrbata to the Sedin line, along with veteran goalie Ryan Miller, should give the Canucks that extra push to compete with the big California trio. Don’t be surprised to see youngsters Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk crack the squad and have an immediate impact. The two have been stellar in the pre-season on a line with 2011 first-round pick Nicklas Jensen.

Nashville Predators: The least talked-about injury during last year’s NHL season may have been Pekka Rinne’s arthroscopy. Considered to be a top-five goaltender during the 2012-2013 season, Rinne was sidelined with a hip injury last season, with his team struggling to score goals or keep the puck out of its own net. Nashville’s traditional inability to generate offensive chances may be remedied by the new addition of elite winger James Neal, as well as the hiring of offensively-minded Head Coach Peter Laviolette. While Shea Weber continues to be a premier defenceman in the NHL, it is hard to imagine the Predators participating in this year’s playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers: Each year it seems like the Oilers get one step closer to challenging for the playoffs. Summing up General Manager Craig MacTavish’s summer goals is easy: Acquire grit. The Oilers’ additions of power forwards Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell, along with towering blueliners Mark Fayne and Nikita Nikitin, should add well-needed toughness to the team’s ranks. Edmonton’s third overall pick in this year’s draft, Leon Draisaitl, should see major minutes as the centre right behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the depth chart. So far he has found great chemistry with newcomers Pouliot and Purcell, notching one point per game in the pre-season. However, until these young stars start performing consistently, don’t expect a playoff appearance anytime soon.

Winnipeg Jets: The sad state of most Canadian NHL teams is painfully obvious when watching the Winnipeg Jets. While the return of the Jets created an emotional high in Winnipeg, they have not done much since their return to the league. The fact that Ondrej Pavelec is still their starting goaltender even after several seasons of abysmal play in net is somewhat alarming. Star winger Evander Kane’s constant drama with the Winnipeg media should be of concern to management, as his name is often linked to trade rumors. The emergence of Mark Scheifele and Zach Bogosian should be of some comfort to Jets fans, but to say that the duo will be enough to reach the playoffs would be misguided. The Jets have a long way to go before reaching that level.

Calgary Flames: Bob Hartley showed the hockey world last year that you can do a lot with a bit of hard work and craftiness. They may have ended the season seventh in the West, but the Flames played surprisingly well down the stretch, and stole some key points from contending teams. The departure of Mike Cammalleri puts a damper on any talk of this being “the year.” At the same time, there are a lot of good stories surrounding this team. 5’7” Johnny Gaudreau may look like a boy amongst men during warm ups, but upon seeing him play, it is apparent that Calgary has another star on its hands. Expect to hear the names of Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Gaudreau, Patrick Sieloff, and many other Flames youngsters for years to come.

NHL PREVIEW At l a nt i c d i v i s i on

Eastern conference

CONTrIBUTORS: Alex sirois, Luka ryderbunting, johnny mater, marta yesgat

M e tropo l i t a n d i v i s i on

Boston Bruins: Boston has finished near the top of the Eastern Conference for the past five years, and there is no reason to expect anything different this time around. They’ll have to replace Jarome Iginla’s production, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the team’s talented group of forwards. Trading away Johnny Boychuk hurts its defensive depth, but the elite unit is still backed up by all-star goaltending from Tuukka Rask. Don’t be surprised if the Bruins are back in the Finals for the third time in five years.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins’ dominance of the Metropolitan Division should continue this season. The reigning division champion improved its forward depth in the off-season, and enters the year with two of the best centres in the league in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins’ off-season featured plentiful changes, including a new general manager and head coach combination. The biggest question mark for the season is the performance of starting goalie MarcAndre Fleury, who has regularly been outplayed by his backups and is notorious for playoff collapses.

Anything short of the Stanley Cup will be a disappointment for this star-studded squad.

Montreal Canadiens: The scrappy Habs look to keep the momentum from last year’s surprise playoff run rolling into this year. The Canadiens shuffled around their roster this off-season, replacing Josh Gorges and Daniel Brière with new additions P.A. Parenteau, Tom Gilbert, and Jiri Sekac to fill out a solid core. This team was one Carey Price injury away from making the Finals last year, and if things break right, they could find themselves knocking on the door once again.

New York Rangers: The defending Eastern Conference Champions had an underwhelming off-season, while the top teams in the division improved around them. The loss of underrated defenceman Anton Stralman to free agency, as well as a necessary buy-out of Brad Richards, hurt the team’s depth. The Rangers still boast a strong squad–especially with elite net minder Henrik Lundqvist in their goal–but the stagnation this summer combined with their competitors’ improvements could prove costly. The Rangers will be in tough competition to stay at the top of the Metropolitan Division.

Tampa Bay Lightning: It’s fitting that the most electrifying player in the league plays for the Lightning. Steven Stamkos leads an exciting team with an offence that should provide more than enough firepower to cover up a weaker defensive unit. Tampa Bay is talented enough to make a deep playoff run if it can get enough out of its goaltending and offence. After an early exit from last year’s playoffs, the pressure is on for this young group to remain a top contender in the East.

New York Islanders: After Pittsburgh, the Metropolitan Division is wide open. The Islanders–as potentially the most improved team following the 2014 off-season–are as likely as any to compete for the top seeds in the division. The acquisition of Jaroslav Halak addresses their biggest need–goaltending–and trading for defencemen Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk significantly improves their back end. Signing free agents Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski gives the Islanders veterans who will take some offensive pressure off of captain John Tavares.

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have an interesting mix of veterans, such as Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and talented young players like Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, and Brendan Smith. They will try to qualify for the post-season for the 24th consecutive year. With good health and quality goaltending, that goal is certainly within reach. Another key for the Wings will be locking up Head Coach—and McGill alumnus—Mike Babcock to an extension. Rumours suggest he may be interested in moving on to a new team, and media attention could become a distraction if things don’t go smoothly.

New Jersey Devils: The Devils’ 2013-2014 campaign was not exactly inspiring as the team dropped to sixth in the division and missed out on a playoff spot. However, New Jersey had an impressive season statistically. An inexplicable over-reliance on Martin Brodeur—who posted a .901 save percentage compared to backup Cory Schneider’s .921—and an unlucky 13 shootout losses were in part to blame for their horrible standing. Remove one of those factors and New Jersey would have been a playoff team. With Schneider locked in the starting position, look for a rebound campaign from the Devils so long as their aging roster doesn’t run out of steam.

Ottawa Senators: The Senators disappointed last year and spent the off-season undergoing a major roster makeover with an eye towards returning to the playoffs.

Star centre Jason Spezza is gone after being traded to Dallas for a group of prospects–Ottawa will struggle to replace its offence. The pressure will be on Bobby Ryan–fresh off a new seven-year deal–and new captain Erik Karlsson to pick up the slack. Without some exceptional goaltending, the Senators will be golfing come April.

Washington Capitals: The Capitals missed out on the playoffs in 2013-2014, finishing 38-30-14. The disappointing season led to significant changes, including hiring notorious defensive-minded Head Coach Barry Trotz. Assuming that doesn’t stifle the offensive natures of superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin and centre Nicklas Backstrom, Washington should continue to boast one of the more entertaining and effective power plays in the league. The team also added defensive depth with the additions of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. Washington will likely be competing for the wildcard spot in 2014-2015.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers, who have been a rebuilding team for quite some time, have assembled an exciting young core and could finally be ready to climb up the standings. First round picks Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad will try to improve last year’s 29th-ranked offence, and this year’s first overall pick Aaron Ekblad will help shore up a shaky defence. The key to the Panthers’ success this year, however, will be the play between the pipes of prodigal son Roberto Luongo. The future is sunny in Florida.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The season hasn’t even begun and the Blue Jackets are already riddled with injuries and holes. Star wingers Nathan Horton and Boone Jenner are out with a back injury and a broken hand, respectively. Centre Ryan Johansen is in the midst of a contract dispute and looks unlikely to start the season with the team. That is Columbus’ entire top line. That being said, the Blue Jackets still pose a legitimate threat to repeat their playoff berth from last season.

Vezina-winning Sergei Bobrovsky and a roster featuring young talent will lead Columbus into the hunt for a wildcard spot.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Is this the year the Leafs finally take home Lord Stanley’s Cup after nearly 50 years without it? The short answer is no. Following yet another late-season collapse that saw the team finish the season on a 2-12-0 run, new President Brendan Shanahan surprised many by signing Head Coach Randy Carlyle to a three-year extension. With largely the same roster as last year, it’s going to take spectacular seasons from Phil Kessel and Jonathan Bernier for this sad group to make the post-season.

Buffalo Sabres: It’s going to be another long season in Buffalo. This team may struggle to match last year’s last-place point total of 56 points, despite the additions of veteran defenceman Josh Gorges and forward Matt Moulson.

There may be some light on the horizon for Sabres fans, however. Another last-place finish will give Buffalo the best odds at the first overall pick and uber-prospect Connor McDavid.

Philadelphia Flyers: Philadelphia boasts impressive forward talent, but the chances that it will translate into a playoff berth are extremely slim. After the loss of top defender Kimmo Timmonen to blood clots, the team is extremely thin on defense, relying heavily on low-caliber defencemen such as Andrew MacDonald and Luke Schenn. Goaltender Steve Mason had a strong 2013-2014 campaign, the most impressive since his extraordinary rookie season. However, he likely faces major regression in the coming season, as he hasn’t posted those numbers consistently throughout his career. The Flyers seem destined for the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

Carolina Hurricanes: It’s not a promising year for Carolina. Jordan Staal’s broken leg leaves a massive hole at centre on the second line. Beyond a trio of talented forwards in Eric Staal, Alexander Semin, and Jeff Skinner, the offensive core leaves a lot to be desired.

The blue line is equally lackluster, although it features a decent level of skill. The bright spot for the Hurricanes will be the potential increase in playing time for goalie Anton Khudobin—who ranks third in even-strength save percentage the last three years league wide—due to the decline of longtime starter Cam Ward.

20

Sports

Tuesday, October 7 , 2014

Rugby — Martlets 23, Carabins 21

Martlets hold off Carabins in topsy-turvy contest Suchorski comes up big again Zikomo Smith Staff Writer

(Continued from Page 1) “I think we came out strong at the beginning of the game and pressured hard on defence,” remarked scrum-half Cassandra Walmsley. “We used our fitness and speed against [their] size.”

Indeed, the Martlets were superb in their support running.

They overran the Carabins in the first half. Senior forward Emily Barber’s powerful and incisive running gave McGill its first try in the 25th minute.

Credit has to be given to the Carabins, who fought tenaciously in the second half. They broke through in the 47th minute with a try, but Suchorski responded with her own just four minutes later. However, in the 72nd and

The Martlets proved to be cluctch in the game’s final moments (Lauren Bensen-Armer/ McGill Tribune) 73rd minutes, Montreal stunned winding down, Suchorski calmly towards the playoffs.

“We had the game well at McGill with a pair of breakaway hit the go-ahead penalty kick to tries and an imperious defensive send the red-and-white crowd hand and we started to make too display to take its first lead of the home satisfied. Stephens stated many mistakes, too many basic that he was pleased with the win, errors,” Stephens explained. game.

With the Carabins clinging but he believes there is plenty of “That is something we will really to their slim lead and the clock room for improvement moving have to work on for next game.”

However, it cannot be denied that the Martlets have shown impressive grit and determination in winning their last two games in the wake of a three-game losing streak.

“It’s the process,” Stephens said. “It takes a whole season to peak. We also played three of the top 10 [teams] back-to-back, one on […] three days’ rest, so that is tough.”

With the playoffs looming for the Martlets, Walmsley was overjoyed with the victory, but circumspect about the future.

“We lost our momentum a little bit,” she said. “[What] we need to work on […] is to keep our momentum throughout the game and […] not let up ever.”

McGill will face the Sherbrooke Vert et Or (1-4) in its last regular season game on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Athletes of the Week MARTLETS SOCCER – McGill (3-5-2) suffered a setback in its hunt for a playoff spot on Friday, losing 2-1 to the division-leading Laval Rouge et Or (8-1-0) in a hard-fought match. After a penalty kick from sophomore midfielder Alexandra Tinfow tied the game up in the 17th minute, the two teams remained deadlocked until a strike from Laval’s Joelle Gossellin found the net with 20 minutes left to play. With four regular season games left, every match is now a must-win for the Martlets if they are to catch Concordia for the final playoff berth. McGill faces the last-place Bishop’s (1-8-0) on Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Alexander King Redmen soccer—Striker Senior, Arts

King scored all three of McGill’s goals this weekend, notching the lone marker in a heartbreaking loss against the top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or and tallying a double in the squad’s victory against Sherbrooke. The goals move his season tally to a team-leading seven. The senior striker from Cambridge, England, has been a clutch performer for the Redmen all season long, delivering goals in crucial situations. With McGill all but assured the final playoff berth, look for King to come up big for the team when it comes down to the wire.

Photos courtesy of McGill Athletics

Number of runs allowed by Ryan Kramer in a complete game one-hit shutout against Carleton on Sunday

Caroline Suchorski Martlet rugby—Centre Senior, Science

Suchorski captures her second consecutive Athlete of the Week title on the heels of a phenomenal performance on Saturday afternoon against the Montreal Carabins.

Her impressive 18 points—one shy of her game total from last week’s contest against Bishop’s—led the way for the Martlets as they took down the visitors 23-21 in a thrilling game that came down to a 40-yard penalty kick from Suchorski with time winding down. The win vaulted McGill ahead of the Carabins for the fourth and final playoff spot with one regular season game left.

Shots on goal the Martlet soccer squad was limited to by the Laval Rouge et Or in a 2-1 loss on Friday

REDMEN LACROSSE : The Redmen (10-0) extended their winning streak to nine with a decisive 21-0 win over the last-place Concordia Stingers (0-7) on Saturday. McGill rested 10 starters, showing confidence in its rookies and bench players against a Concordia team that has only managed to score four goals all season, while allowing a staggering 159. Junior midfielder Jake Gutman led the attack with five goals and four assists, and rookie Augustus Bolton chipped in five goals of his own, with 10 Redmen players getting in on the scoring action. McGill will look to stretch its streak to eleven as they face Concordia once again on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m.

REDMEN BASEBALL : After a rough stretch in the middle of their season, McGill (14-4) bounced back with a perfect week, which included walk-off wins over Montreal and Concordia, and two victories against Carleton. The four-game win streak propelled the Redmen to clinch first place in the Northern Conference of the CCBA, their third conference title in five years. The team got standout performances from rookies Rob Sedin and James Pavelick in the 9-8 win over Montreal, as the two combined for six hits in nine atbats. McGill finishes up its season with a rescheduled game against Ottawa before playing in the Northern Conference playoff semifinals this weekend.

Number of starters resting in the Redmen lacrosse team’s 21-0 shellacking of the Concordia Stingers on Saturday.

Points scored by Caroline Suchorski in a 23-21 win over the Montreal Carabins on Saturday.