McGill Tribune Vol. 34 Issue 8

EDITORIAL

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Volume No. 34 Issue No. 8

Fall 2014 General Assembly endorsements pg. 5

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HOCKEY P. 19

Beating the midterm blues McGill Mental Health Services implements initiatives to ease exam stress DEVONA LEAN Contributor

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(Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune)

Split sours homecoming weekend for Redmen hockey T

NICK JASINSKI Contributor

he McGill Redmen (2-2-0) faced two Ontario teams on consecutive nights this past weekend and split the games, handily defeating the Nipissing Lakers in a dominant 8-1 performance Friday night and falling to the Laurentian Voyageurs 5-2 Saturday night.

The hosts out-shot, out-played and outskated the Lakers, but couldn’t find the same spark against the Voyageurs.

First-year Assistant David Coach Urquhart remained positive about the team’s overall performance over the weekend.

“It’s just a matter of consistency, not ability,” Urquhart said. “It’s about bringing that performance we showed

on Friday to every game.”

The Redmen came out shooting against the Lakers, converting three out of six power play opportunities, with seven different players finding the net. Defensively, McGill came out strong as well, killing five out of six power plays—even managing to score a shorthanded goal during one of them.

Redmen winger David Rose opened

the scoring less than three minutes into the first period. Star centre Cedric McNicoll added a goal and two assists for a total of three points. Overall, the Redmen out-shot the Lakers 16-4 in the period.

Continued on pg. 19

alling leaves and changing colours illustrate the transition into autumn.

They also mark the beginning of midterm season. Stress levels in McGill students tend to skyrocket during this time. In order to combat this, McGill Mental Health Services (MMHS) has implemented a number of initiatives to aid students in coping with stress.

Located on the fifth floor of the Brown Student Services Building, the comfy chairs and large windows of the clinic create a feeling of openness and acceptance. This is the ideology that MMHS maintains.

This is significantly beneficial for students, especially during this busy, stressful time of the year. Emily Yung, the Mental Health Education Coordinator, highlighted the hike in student traffic at the clinic during exam periods.

“We’ve seen a sharp increase in walk-ins, in particular during midterms and finals,” Yung said. “This got as high as 100 emergency student walk-ins in one week during finals in 2013.”

Continued on pg. 7

Faculty of Management to move Players’ Theatre: Oh, What A Lovely War into McGill Bookstore T

CECE ZHANG News Editor

he McGill Bookstore will be repurposed to house the expansion of the Desautels Faculty of Management in Winter 2016, in a move to address the faculty’s space deficit, confirmed Vice President Michael Di Grappa at this weekend’s homecoming. The future location of the bookstore has yet to be decided.

“There is going to be a series of studies we will have to undertake to look at the book-

store’s needs in the short term [...] the service that we provide to students and members of the community and finding better ways to meet the different needs of those people,” Di Grappa said.

Apart from a physical location, the university will also aim towards a larger online presence for its campus bookstore, looking at other university bookstores in North America for reference.

“There [are] different ways of offering merchandise, different ways of having an online business, trying to deliver text-

books to students,” Di Grappa said. “There are different things that have been done in other institutions, so we’ll be looking at that in the next little while [....]

We’ll [also] be looking at our other ancillary services that we provide, like printing [and] parking [….] So the idea [is] of creating a hub where people from the community could go to one location to address all those needs, whether it’s a physical location, or […] an online presence.”

Continued on pg. 4

ANNA ST. CLAIR Contributor

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t’s commonly said that “comedy is tragedy plus time,” and few shows can capture that saying in as much of a literal sense as Oh, What a Lovely War! does.

Originally created in 1963—well after the dust had settled on the horrors of both world wars—the production was intended to be an ironic critique of war itself and what it stands for, using the First World War as a backdrop.

One hundred years later, Players’

Theatre brings the musical to its stage, and under the direction of Connor Spencer, deftly captures the comedic aspects without letting the seriousness get lost in the laughs.

The show is not a typical musical—one with plots and characters, romances and twists— instead, it’s styled after a Pierrot Show, far more of a circus or variety show than a musical. These Pierrot Shows were popular in the seaside towns of pre-war England.

Continued on pg. 9

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NEWS

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Project Salon 1861 aims to create community hub in Little Burgundy

What’s happening at McGill #ConsentMcGill

McGill students, QI project involved in the renovation of L’eglise St Joseph

Various locations on both campuses This week long campaign aims to draw attention to the importance of consent through workshops hosted by various student groups around campus. It was one of the measures set forth by Ollivier Dyens last semester, following campus-wide scrutiny regarding the administration’s approach to an ongoing sexual assault case against three former Redmen football players.

October 20-24

SSMU General Assembly SSMU Cafeteria This event, which takes place once a semester, gives members of Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) the opportunity to hear reports from executives on the progress of their work at this point in the year, and to vote on various matters pertaining to the Society. The questions up for vote this semester include: A motion to support the people of occupied Palestinian Territories, a motion for SSMU to join the student coalition Étudiant(e)s Contre les Oléoducs (ÉCO), and a motion that SSMU officially oppose development of military technology on campus.

October 22 4:30 pm

Safe Space workshop McLennan Library Building Hosted by the Office for Students with Disabilities, this workshop aims to raise understanding of racial and cultural discrimination on campus.

October 23 2:00 pm

Glenn Greenwald Pollock Hall Greenwald, a renowned journalist and lawyer, who broke the story regarding citizen surveillance by the National Security Agency, will be speaking at McGill’s 2014 Annual Beaverbrook Lecture.

Admission is first-come, first-serve.

October 23 6:00 pm

Conference on Food Security New Residence Hall This two-day event aims to address matters regarding food availability for the world’s expanding population. It will feature workshops, presentations, and discussions, and will be attended by students, government representatives, and members of NGOs.

Admission for students is $60.

October 28 6:30 pm & October 29 All day

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MORGAN ALEXANDER Arts and Entertainment Editor

his past Friday, Natalie Voland, president of Gestion immobilière Quo Vadis Benefits Corporation, discussed the link between architectural renovation and community growth during a Social Economy Initiative event as part of the Faculty of Management’s homecoming.

Voland received both her BA and her BSW from McGill University, after which she began working for a real estate firm, and has since worked to combine traditional business with community engagement. Presently, Quo Vadis is working on repurposing l’Eglise St. Joseph in the Little Burgundy neighbourhood into a cultural and entrepreneurial hub of the area. Voland stressed that the force driving this latest project was about addressing the needs of the community.

“We decided to listen to our clients,” Voland said, “And what a strange concept, because in real estate, people typically don’t listen.”

The transformed church, which is being referred to as ‘The Salon 1861,’ will house offices, conference centres, an area to be reserved for events, and a community centre that will have multiple exhibitions rotating throughout the year. The overarching goal is to encourage businesses to move into the area, thus boosting the economy and the overall livelihood of the community.

“We need more jobs here,” Voland stated. “We need to stop losing out [on] amazing students because there are no opportunities here [….] Montreal is the coolest city on the planet—we are creative, we are fantastic, but we need to stay here and invest in here.”

Voland took a moment to stress the importance of having all aspects of business—be it real estate, entrepreneurship, research, or social improvement—work together towards an ultimate goal of improving Montreal as a whole.

“We need to start working together towards a shared economy,” Voland claimed. “We don’t necessarily need to wear Birkenstocks to understand that we all live in the same world together.”

Beyond her goals for the local citizens, Voland spoke to Quo Vadis’ involvement with multiple faculties within McGill on the project, beginning with the Desautels Faculty of Management.

“We wanted to work together with the Faculty of Management. Why? Because we needed to change the way business is done,” Voland explained. “Part of that is going top-down to the big companies saying you need to change your set-up, or we could approach people who are mouldable and be able to change how you think about business. They came up with something called the social innovators lab, which is being formed. It’s in its embryonic stage, but stay tuned and get involved.”

From there, Voland spoke on getting involved with the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition to institute gardens in the area and run nutrition programs in the local schools. Additionally, Voland expressed hope to work with the Faculty of Religious Studies, the Faculty of Law, and the Schulich School of Music as part of a larger goal circulated around improving multiple facets of community life.

Professor Michael Jemtrud, former director of the School of Agriculture, emphasized the role McGill students—especially The Facility for Architectural Research in Media and Mediation (FARMM)—will have in the development of Salon 1861.

“We are heavily involved and I think it benefits students immensely.” Jemtrud said. “The Salon 1861 initiative has allowed students to be involved in the analysis of

(Cordelia Cho / McGill Tribune) the historic building, the digital documentation and design of the church [and] the programming of the co-working space. [We] will be involved in the implementation of the environmental assessment method for the renovation and in-use certification.”

The largest partnership involved in the renovation is with the Quartier de l’Innovation (QI), a group established by École de technologie supérieure (ETS) and McGill in 2013 that focuses on research, cultural, and business collaborations with neighbourhoods throughout the Montreal area.

William Straw, professor of communication in the Department of Art History at McGill, who works with the cultural sector of QI, spoke to McGill’s role within the communities and the impact its presence can have.

“Any presence of universities—which are public institutions, at least in Quebec and Canada—in the neighbourhood is preferable to more restaurants or boutiques inasmuch as university-based research can be said as contributing to the public good,” Straw said. “For the same reason, the expansion of Concordia throughout the GuySaint Catherine’s area has given public institutions a presence that marks the neighbourhood in a better way than [...] simply [opening] new businesses.”

Jemtrud elaborated on the challenges the project faces going forward.

“Processes such as [these] are notoriously slow and bureaucratic but all things considered, I think it has gone as well as [could] be,” he said. “The refurbishment [...] will require further investment from various partners, particularly with the high standard that has been set for the environmental performance of the building. This will present several challenges, but all of the primary partners are committed to this goal.”

While the church is still in the early stages of its renovation—restrooms need to be added, fire escapes need to be brought up to code, and the building is not yet handicap accessible—Voland was confident in the future economic success the project would have. Straw also supported this statement, emphasizing that for students, community engagement is key.

“Students will benefit from conceiving their relationship in response to the expressed needs and desires of the community,” Straw said. “McGill as a whole will benefit from coming outside of its walls and interacting with other communities.”

News Extracurricular transcript system expands on pilot project Tuesday, October 21 2014

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Campus clubs to test online tracking through myInvolvement

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PHILIPPE DUMAIS Staff Writer

fter the creation of myInvolvement—a website that aims to track students involvement in extracurricular activities—and its merging with Student Services, the program is now expanding its scope to include activities in student clubs.

The co-curricular record (CCR) provided by myInvolvement is a personalized transcript that can be customized for specific needs and can be attached to one’s academic transcript and resume.

Lina Di Genova, who is responsible for the program at McGill Student Services, says that the expansion will continue throughout the current academic year.

“Later this semester, we will be running information sessions and myInvolvement training [for the students and clubs], and students will be able to access their unofficial co-curricular record online within the myInvolvement portal,” Di Genova said. “Next semester, students will be able to request an official electronic copy of their co-curricular record.”

Darlene Hnatchuck, director of the Career Planning Service, is confident in the program’s ability to convert extracurricular hours into job opportunities.

“Students who have developed transferable skills and can articulate them clearly to an employer have an edge in their search for employment opportunities,” Hnatchuck said. “Using the

CCR, students will be better able to identify and articulate the skills they developed through [their] activities.”

Currently, over 48 student organizations have joined myInvolvement.

“Our list of student organizations is growing on a daily basis,” Di Genova said. “Since September, over 3,000 new students have logged into the myInvolvement portal and over 7,000 students have active accounts.”

The software is not without its criticisms. According to SSMU Vice-President Club and Services Stefan Fong, the program has not been specifically adapted to the Canadian educational system.

“It is very much an American program,” Fong said. “[In the

United States] student societies have very little power and life is run by the University itself. All the clubs are under the university, so it makes sense for the university to purchase the program and use it to manage their clubs. The problem in Canada is that societies are constructed completely differently.”

Fong also voiced concerns over the shared platform between the university and SSMU. “We are not necessarily comfortable with letting the university administer our clubs through their program,” Fong explained, elaborating on the caveats of SSMU purchasing the program through.

“These programs are often offthe-shelves programs, hence not as customizable as we would want

[them to be]. It is a one-size-fitsall program and what I’ve learned by looking across Canada is that none of us [are] one size consistent.”

Fong made it clear that the initiative remains a pilot project and must be improved.

“I want students to look at it themselves and tell us what they want out of the system: Does the system deliver what they want?”

Fong said. “I know that all the students would like to have their extracurricular activities recognized. My goal is, by the end of this semester, [to] collect a lot of feedback and bring it to Council or [the] General Assembly to see what people think of the system.”

McGill renews its approach to sustainability with Vision 2020 Sustainability Strategy sets new long-term goals and priority actions Victor Tang Contributor

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n Oct. 16, McGill University launched the Vision 2020 Sustainability Strategy, a blueprint for increasing social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the McGill community. Over a hundred and fifty students attended the launch event at the Y-intersection last Thursday afternoon.

Developed under the mandate of the McGill’s 2010 sustainability policy, the strategy divides sustainability at McGill into five categories: Research and governance, administration, education, operations, and connectivity. It also outlines 14 priority actions that fall into the five categories, including increased student research geared towards sustainability, the development of campus hubs to foster a culture of sustainability, and a greater commitment towards green building standards.

The construction of the sustainability strategy was spearheaded by the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS) and funded by the Sustainability Projects Fund created in 2009. The consultation process took place over the span of two years.

“Since February 2012, over 1,000 McGill community members have contributed their visions and action ideas to this process through more than 20 public events, dozens of presentations,

and online,” reads the document.

“Students, staff, and faculty were engaged in countless conversations, world-café style discussions, flash consultations, oneon-one interviews, and working groups to imagine and plan for a more sustainable McGill.”

While previous drafts of the strategy included up to 51 priority actions, the final document was pared down to 14. The final draft was approved by the McGill senior administration in March of 2014 and was then later presented to the university’s Senate and Board of Governors.

Senior Communications Officer of MOOS Julia Solomon said that although the strategy specified a two year time frame from 2014-2016 for its objectives, the vision and goals would be relevant for many years to come.

“We chose a short period so that the actions would be tangible, and there would be a sense of urgency about moving them forward and reporting back on progress,” she said.

According to Solomon, the actions detailed by the Sustainability Strategy will be implemented by partners across the McGill campus. Vision 2020 has formally identified key institutions for accomplishing each action and the MOOS aims to facilitate the connection of departments and individuals in pursuit of these actions.

“Each of the priority actions has a lead partner—usually an

Students discuss sustainability strategies. (mcgill.ca) administrative unit—who will work with many other groups, including student groups, to move that action forward,” Solomon said. “It’s also important to remember that the Sustainability Strategy is about more than the Priority Actions. The vision and goals are written so that anyone can identify with them, and there are many, many ways for individuals to contribute.”

Alan Chen, U3 Arts and Science and projects coordinator at the McGill Spaces Project, expressed optimism on the launch of the strategy.

“With the principal’s name on the strategy and the Board of Governor’s approval, hopefully we’ll have a complementary ad-

ministrative front to grassroots initiatives from students and staff moving forward on each of the priority actions listed in the Sustainability Strategy,” Chen said.

Kristen Perry, U3 Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences), also praised the strategy for bringing together sustainability efforts with a larger vision.

“There is already lots of wonderful work being done by various student groups and individuals on campus, but these have often been conducted in a certain degree of isolation from each other, so the strategy serves to create some overarching goals and help to bring people together

around specific actions,” Perry said. “It also goes a long way in getting higher-level buy-in so that these initiatives can be more supported by McGill as an institution.”

Solomon noted that the project creates a conversation on campus about sustainability.

“The completion of the Vision 2020 Strategy is a huge milestone for McGill,” Solomon said. “We are in a great place now to make major progress on sustainability in the next few years­— partly because of what’s in the Sustainability Strategy, and partly because of how we all built it together.”

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News

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Students debate military research on campus at policy reform forum Vague language in current policy criticized

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ABRAHAM MOUSSAKO Opinion Editor

he Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted a forum on military research on campus last Thursday. Led by SSMU VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan and VP External Amina Moustaqim-Barrette, the event aimed to solicit student perspectives on campus research policies prior to McGill’s review of its policy on the conduct of research.

Debate centred on whether research on subjects with the explicit intent to affect harm should have a place on the McGill campus.

Arts Senator Kareem Ibra-

him cited the diversity of students at McGill as a reason why military weapons research should not be on campus.

“Military affairs affect a wide variety of global communities that are all represented here at McGill,” Kareem said. “Not everyone in the world is on the same page, and it wouldn’t be representative of our community at McGill if we were to be participating in [military research], as I’m sure the Canadian military isn’t representative of the interests of the global community,” The discussion comes as McGill prepares to conduct another review of its research ethics policy.

Most of the students in attendance were in favor of tighter regulations as a means to a com-

plete elimination of military research on campus.

VP Finance Kathleen Bradley argued that the issue of values needs to be focused on the end-goal of the research.

“Values to a university should be open enough that people can do the research that is beneficial or important to their degree—where the university needs [to] exercise control in making sure its values are met is in the end-goal of the research,” Bradley said.

Joseph Broda, a U3 Engineering student and an army reservist, was one of the few in attendance to express a different viewpoint.

“If we’re going to say that military operations are not ethical, then we have to say that

Canada having a military is also not ethical,” he said. “If Canada is going to continue to have a military, then we need to have continuous development of these technologies in order to protect our own troops’ lives.”

However, Broda was happy the event created a space for discussion of these issues.

“I think it’s great that these discussions exist, and I [...] wish that more engineering and science students would come out to these sort of things and have their voices heard,” he said.

Stewart-Kanigan explained that she thought the event succeeded in clearly defining the sections of the policy that students would like to see examined, although she elaborated that the forum could have fea-

tured perspectives from a wider range of programs at McGill.

“I would have been happy to engage with the broader range of students, discipline-wise,” she said, citing low attendance from the departments where this kind of military research often occurs, such as engineering.

In addition to future consultation efforts, Stewart-Kanigan also cited the cleanup of vague language in the policy as an area to focus on moving forward.

“Greater specificity in regard to certain points of the regulation, such as terms like ‘morals’ and ‘ethics,’ and the practical translation of those terms into practice [are needed],” she said.

Faculty of Management to move into McGill Bookstore Move addresses faculty’s space deficits; online and physical options under consideration for bookstore relocation (Continued from page 1)

The bookstore will be moving in Winter 2016 (Hayley Mortine / McGill)Tribune)

The Desautels Faculty of Management building was designed for about 1,500 students, according to Di Grappa, yet it currently houses around 2,500 students. The project to address the faculty’s physical needs has been in the works for approximately four years, although the possibility of expanding into the bookstore was not looked at until around four months ago.

“There have been a number of studies [and] a number of locations that have been looked at the past,” Di Grappa said. “After reviewing different options, this seemed to be the most logical fit. Without talking about the wholesale relocation of the faculty somewhere else […] this seemed to make the most sense because it’s in an adjoining building.”

The funds that will kickstart the expansion of the faculty were donated to the university by Marcel Desautels,

Write for News Email news@mcgilltribune.com for more information

former head of a commercial credit and debt recovery bureau, and honorary McGill doctorate. Desautels, namesake of the faculty, previously made a $22 million donation to the university’s business school.

“The expansion of the Faculty of Management will be funded largely through philanthropy,” Di Grappa said.

“It’s going to allow us to invest the funds necessary to undertake the renovations and undertake the redesign of the bookstore building.”

According to Di Grappa, the university aims to move the Faculty of Management into the new location within two years.

“The decision has been made,” he said. “Now we are going to hire architects, engineers to do the more detailed planning work for the bookstore and translate the needs to the physical space. At the same time, we’re going to have a look at the bookstore and its needs for the future.”

Opinion

Tuesday October 21, 2014

editorial

THE Mcgill

Fall 2014 General Assembly endorsements

Motion Regarding Action on Climate Change—“Yes” The resolution, moved by the VP External and several councillors, proposes that the SSMU join the antipipeline student coalition, Étudiant(e) s Contre les Oléoducs (ÉCO), as well as work towards preparing a further policy on fighting climate change, to be presented later this year. While this situation may be reminiscent of the mess SSMU got into with the Table de Concertation Étudiante du Québec (TaCEQ)—another student coalition that turned out to be riven—by infighting and was largely ineffective, a major difference here is that TaCEQ had no real initiatives. This organization at the least has the focus of a relatively narrow goal: opposing inprovince pipeline projects. SSMU is mandated. As such, the Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote on the resolution.

Motion Regarding Support of a Campus Free from Harmful Military Technology Development—“Abstain” This resolution, moved by petition—from a group of students other than SSMU executives or councillors—calls on the SSMU to “renew its stance of opposition to the development of harmful military technology on campus” and to support such

groups—here meaning Demilitarize McGill—through the VP External’s office. The Tribune endorses an “Abstain” vote on this motion for several reasons. First, the petitioners’ calls for the end of military research at McGill seem to stem from a reductive view of the uses of these technologies. The “harmful consequences” attributed to the results of military research are a direct result of policy decisions made by governments, rather than a direct

mer, as well as for SSMU executives to “endorse and sponsor events and efforts conducted by student groups working to combat oppression and misrepresentation of marginalized groups including but not limited to Palestinians, and to provide a safe platform for students to voice their views and experiences accessibly.”

The Tribune endorses an “Abstain” vote on this resolution, specifically because such an issue should not

“

To those who would argue that there should be a place to discuss such issues as a campus, we would agree: We would also argue that such avenues to engage students on controversial political issues already exist, without the attempt to use the imprimatur of the entire student body to further a largely symbolic stance on a wholly external issue.

“

Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks the Fall General Assembly of the Students Society of McGill University (SSMU). Here are the Tribune’s endorsements on the four resolutions.

consequence of the existence of whatever is developed. Unmanned drones, an example frequently cited by opponents of military research, are a prime example. With that said, there is also a need for greater transparency on the uses and processes that military and defence contractor-funded research are put to at the university.

Motion Calling on SSMU to Stand in Solidarity with the People of the Occupied Palestinian Territories Abstain” This resolution, again moved by petition, calls for the SSMU to condemn multiple incidents stemming from the renewed conflict between Israel and Palestine earlier this sum-

necessarily demand SSMU action in the first place. The SSMU is indeed a political body, but if we are to make the oft-invoked analogy between student and labor unions, the political nature of SSMU, much like a labor union, is with regards to issues that affect McGill undergraduate students as a recognizable group of students.

The Israel-Palestine resolution cites SSMU’s stances taken on issues such as divestment from South African companies during the apartheid, companies operating in the oil sands, and tuition-free university. However on all these issues, there is a clear link back to the university or an issue that primarily affects students as the central call to action. Here, there is no such link; the issue at hand is a much

broader geopolitical question where the SSMU’s engagement would have marginal effect on the actual issue, and instead cause strong divisions regardless of the result that may not accurately represent its membership. This is not to say that activism on the issue shouldn’t take place on campus, or that students shouldn’t advocate for either side of this issue on their own time or in other groups.

Rather, the union representing the entire undergraduate student body is not the appropriate vehicle through which this should occur. To those who would argue that there should be a place to discuss such issues as a campus, we would agree; we would also argue that such avenues to engage students on controversial political issues already exist, without the attempt to use the imprimatur of the entire student body to further a largely symbolic stance on a wholly external issue.

Nominations to the Board of Directors—“Yes” The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote on this question. The Board of Directors is a critical component of the SSMU that allows for the association to make, and adjust investments, as well as approve the decisions of Council and hold the liquor licence that allows for the existence of Gerts.

This mundane requirement became an issue last year when the previous SSMU executive abdicated efforts to reach quorum at last year’s GA, necessitating a special GA later that term .

Embracing duality

“What’s your background?”

As a biracial person, I hear this question at least once a month, or several times a day if I am new to the community. In the past, I felt urgency to explain my identity; today, I am no longer inclined to answer when probed for my racial history. I ask people instead to make their own guesses—Hawaiian, First Nations, Italian, and South American are some of many replies. It has taken over 16 years, and multiple mixed environments, to reach a point of identification

where I no longer need to resonate with either side of my background.

I was one of two children representing a visible minority within my grade three class. My mother comes from the British Isles and my father is originally Chinese—despite this, I identified solely with my Caucasian descent as a result of lack of classroom diversity. Surrounded by a host of blondes and brunettes— where the only other student was of a similar mix to myself—my differences from my classmates, such as celebrating a different New Year, seemed more like minor divergences rather than important factors of my cultural identity.

As such, I began to reject these ‘abnormalities’ to the racial norm I perceived. Disliking the differences in my own appearance, I felt urgency in elementary school to establish that I did share 50 per cent of the same ethnic background as my peers. Rather than identifying as a child of mixed nationality, I focused on my mother’s side and

tried to ignore my father’s.

This perception all changed, however, when I entered middle school. My environment shifted 180 degrees, taking my own claims to identity with it. In a class of predominantly Asian students, I now felt sorely aware of my other half— a half that I had ignored for 12 years.

Anxiously, I began learning about this other side that now composed my cultural norm. While eating kimchi for the first time or browsing the cubicle-type boutiques at Pacific Mall, Markham’s Asian shopping centre, were eye-opening experiences, my attempts to explore my other half ultimately yielded disappointing results. Despite my efforts, I could not strongly connect with this culture, nor could I now feel accepted identifying as fully Caucasian.

It wasn’t until I learned about the Métis people during high school that I finally resonated with an identity on the racial spectrum. The text described situations where the Mètis, tracing their

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TPS Board of Directors

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Caity Hui Features Editor

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Contributors

identity to a mix of European and First Nations descent, took offense to being called ‘hybrids.’ I, however, immediately resonated with the term. While somewhat crude, it described my situation exactly—a hybrid of two different cultures. Recognizing that I was neither Caucasian nor Asian allowed me to stop trying to choose one side or the other, but instead create a new identity acknowledging the fact that I am both.

Several months later, my friend jokingly called me a ‘half-breed.’ The room dropped quiet as she hastily apologized, but I was surprisingly unfazed by the situation. Breaking into laughter, I acknowledged the accuracy of her claim, ultimately recognizing that I was proud to represent two different ethnicities. Today, after listening to the many guesses, I assuredly answer that I am a mix of Chinese and Irish—happily anticipating the surprise.

Babur Ayanlar, Lauren Benson-Armer, Clark Bray, Yahong Chi, Keah Hansen, Nick Jasinski, Adrian Knowler, Devona Lean, Harry McAlevey, Elizabeth McLellan, Matin Molpeceres, Hayley Mortin, Eric Noble-Marks, Nicole Spadotto, Anna St. Clair, Victor Tang, Andy Wang

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.

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Opinion

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Public prayers in council meetings an intrusion of church into state

The Supreme Court of Canada has reversed its decision regarding the constitutionality of public prayer at municipal council meetings. This brings up the longstanding issue that has received much public attention since last year’s debate over the Charter of Values: What role should religion play in Canadian political society?

Those who support the prayers argue that their recitation is a long-standing tradition in Canada. Despite the clear Christian themes of many council meetings, including crucifixes and statues of Jesus decorating the walls, defenders maintain that their prayers are non-denominational, and therefore do not

prayer.

Among such opponents of the practice of praying in the council meetings is Alain Simoneau, the self-described non-believer who was the first to challenge the practice of council prayers in his hometown of Saguenay, Que-

“

they do not disparage or proselytize non-Christians. However, the interpretation of what constitutes disparagement is very subjective. Therefore, the Supreme Court of Canada may have a very different idea of whether or not the council meetings represent

The best solution would be to ban any type of prayer from the council meetings, and encourage members to freely engage in prayer before the meetings in separate spaces.

“

Julie Vanderperre Columnist

infringe on freedom of religion.

As pointed out in a blog post by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, it is important to distinguish between freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the freedom of religion. What this has meant historically, is that all Canadians have the right to freely practice their own religion— what is not included in the charter, however, is a freedom from religion; the freedom from having other religions imposed upon oneself. This is not necessarily an issue for those who practice religions other than Christianity.

They are free to practice however they please; in the context of the council meetings, they have the right to engage in their own prayers too. This would allow for the open practice of a variety of different religions. The problem lies with those who are not religious, and wish to have their beliefs respected by not being forced to engage in any type of

bec. The Quebec Secular Movement argue that the prayers are exclusive and discriminatory to all non-Christians, and that they represent an attempt to impose religious worship. So how far should the state go in respecting religious differences?

In a similar case in the United States, the Supreme Court ruled that prayers in council meetings remain constitutional as long as

exclusion of or pressure against non-Christians. Ultimately, it is determined on a case-by-case basis. In the Canadian case of R. v. Big M Drug Mart, for example, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a drugstore that had been accused of violating the charter for selling merchandise on Sunday, contrary to the Lord’s Day Act. The Court held that the Act violated the charter’s guarantee

of freedom of religion because it enforced a Christian religious observance. A similar argument could be made about the practice of prayers in council meetings.

In civic settings such as the council meetings, religion should not play a role. Council members should have the right to privately engage in prayers separately from the council meetings. The practice of praying during the meetings is inappropriate because it excludes non-Christians. The inclusion of every type of religion during the council meetings is not realistic either, nor would it solve the situation facing those who aren’t religious. The best solution would be to ban any type of prayer from the council meetings, and encourage members to freely engage in prayer before the meetings in separate spaces.

COMMENTARY Cameras guilty of obstructing justice

Harry McAlevey Contributor Two major murder trials have captured global attention: Luka Magnotta’s alleged murder of a Concordia student, and handicapped Olympic star Oscar Pistorius’ shooting of his girlfriend in South Africa. The latter case has drawn huge headlines, with numerous outlets offering live television coverage from inside the courtroom.

The biggest problem with televising court proceedings—illegal in Canada—is the damage it does to the outcome of the trial. The behavior and testimony of witnesses and legal counsel is altered by the direct intrusion of electronic media. They behave differently in front of the camera, feeling pressure not just from the intensity of the courtroom but from the public and their friends,

who are no doubt watching the proceedings. Moreover, in the Pistorius trial, some witnesses refused to testify because they did not want their voices projected and analyzed around the world— a fact that Pistorious’ lawyers will likely cite in their appeal.

Cameras publicize private information and cause harm to the lives of both victims and defendants. Grim details of the damage done by Pistorius’ hollow-point bullets were revealed to the masses; viewers saw the defendant and victim’s families get viscerally crushed by this. There is no reason why the public needs to watch these people become emotionally devastated, apart from the fact that it makes for compelling television. The families of the victims in these cases find their lives permanently changed, and many face fear of repercussions from the angered public.

The media, and specifically the 24-hour news cycle which requires constant updates, is certainly at fault, but allowing

cameras to film the victim’s families and the defendant only serves to incite more public reaction and interest. As harmless as they seem, cameras inside courtrooms

(Elli Slavitch / McGill Tribune)

can irrevocably damage those fighting for their freedom. Defendants in high profile cases are increasingly analyzed by talking heads and the public alike, and can be found guilty in the court of public opinion simply because they look a certain way on television. No defendant in a high-profile case will be free of the images that portray their emotional responses to their verdict. Indeed, regardless of his eventual sentence, the image of Pistorius crying on the stand

ahead of images of his triumphant athletic endeavors when people remember him. The effect on defendants by filming them at their most vulnerable moments is extremely dangerous, threatening the bedrock principle of the justice system, “innocent before proven guilty,” and hampering the very nature of a fair trial.

The justice system is not one to be trivialized and sensationalized. There is a need for transparency and freedom of access to the courtroom. Placing cameras in them to analyze the faces of broken families is horrid and visually portraying the witness stand presents harm to the possibility of a fair trial. However, there is no reason for this other than to drive media revenue, fill the airwaves, and satisfy the public’s craving to watch the lives of famous people crash and burn.

Proponents argue that the public deserves to have these details publicized and that there is a need for absolute transparency in the courtroom; if they were in the defendants box, they might be singing a different tune.

Student Living Beating the midterm blues

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

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McGill Mental Health Services implements initiatives to ease exam stress Devona Lean Contributor

(Continued from page 1) Although MMHS is heavily focused on assisting students by way of their clinical team, Yung explained that their services are anything but restricted to the clinic.

“For the last four years, Healthy McGill […] has run the Peer Health Education and Outreach program, with Mental Health [Services] informing the content in reaching out to students during midterms,” she said.

Volunteers in bright yellow shirts and bright smiles make up the team of Peer Health Educators, who seek to facilitate a healthier mental culture through workshops, presentations, and active tabling around campus. “[We strive] to reduce mental health disorder symptoms and return people to their daily life activities, enabling them to reach their academic and personal goals,” Yung explained.

Beyond this direct approach of informing students, MMHS has also leaned towards social media to reach out to a larger population.

The “No Health

Without Mental Health” video campaign was released last year, and addressed topics such as the sources and remedies of stress from students at McGill.

Another initiative implemented by MMHS last year was the Self-Care Challenge. Given the demanding lifestyles of university students, it is easy to neglect one’s mental well-being.

This campaign aimed to remind students that partaking in small actions can contribute immensely towards the maintenance of mental health, while encouraging individual development.

These initiatives have been met with a supportive response from the students. Cindy Li, U0 Science, had high praises for the efforts that MMHS has taken to inspire a healthy state-of-mind for the student population.

“The detrimental effects of stress are usually kept under wraps, and that isn’t the right way to approach it,” Li said.

“I think that it’s a great idea to bring it into the open—to educate people about the ways it can alter mental well-being.”

However, Li reflected that not enough students know about these initiatives.

“It seems that a majority

McGill Mental Health Services offers many initiatives during midterms season. (Cassandra Rogerts / McGill Tribune) [of students are] oblivious about these services— I was once a part of that majority,” Li said. “McGill’s Mental Health initiatives are something a lot of students would benefit from, especially around midterms and finals time.

The absence of its prevalence is quite unfortunate.”

Frederick Lavallee, U2

Management, suggested that MMHS could reach a wider audience through online promotion.

“Social media is definitely a good place to reach out to a lot of students,” Lavallee explained.

“Emails can be very effective, as well as advertising through faculty Facebook groups.

According to Lavallee, it is

important for students to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

“Students will perhaps feel more prone to participating in these initiatives if they can see that their peers are also seeking ways to cope with stress—if they understand that everyone is in the same boat,” Lavallee said.

Healthy options for breaks during midterms Easy ways to maintain a balanced work-life schedule during exam season Keah Hansen Contributor

October’s various academic duties can seem pretty blindsiding after the hazy heat and carefree days of September. This season however, students can avoid stress by implementing a few wellness tricks. Below are some suggestions for fun and healthy diversions around McGill to ease minds of midterm woes—and won’t break the bank in the process.

Make a splash in free lane swimming

Calm minds with meditation

Switch up the study routine with some caffeine

Try out a pay-as-yougo recreational fitness class

Have a nature adventure on Mount Royal

McGill students have free access to the McGill Athletics Facility Memorial Pool. Recreational swims are offered daily at various morning, afternoon, and evening times. Swimming is a great way to relieve stress and burn off extra energy, as it offers a full body workout that increases muscle tone and flexibility. Swimming can also be a great meditative activity, and like any exercise, it releases the happy-feeling chemicals called endorphins. For those that still need convincing: Consider what a warm balmy pool will feel like in the midst of the first Montreal blizzard.

Meditation is an excellent way to alleviate stress and decrease anxiety.

Benefits include stress management, increasing self-awareness, reducing negative emotions, and staying focused on the present. The McGill Office of Religion and Spiritual Life offers a non-denominational prayer and meditation space in the Brown Building as an option for on-campus stress reduction. For guided meditation, consider trying a free Zen Meditation session offered every Friday from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. in the Birks Building. This is perfect for calming down frazzled nerves.

For those who need to study—but shudder at the thought of libraries—try some of the cafés near McGill that offer great ambiance and endless caffeine. Studying at cafés is a great way to shake up the routine, and allows students to experience Montreal culture.

Recommended cafés close to McGill include Caffe Art Java, Cafe Chai, Pikolo, Arjuna, and Humble Lion, all of which have free wifi, coffee, and enticing pastries.

Shake out some stress and get the blood pumping at one of the diverse pay-as-you-go fitness classes offered by the McGill Athletics Facility. Rec Activities Cards are available for purchase in denominations of $10 or $30. One hour sessions only cost $2.61, and are guaranteed to work up a sweat and provide an energy boost. Class types include High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.), spin, power yoga, and zumba—fun and cheap activities which provide a body-boosting break.

Students are lucky to have a mountain gracing the side of McGill, with beautiful colours dotting the scenery. Bright hues of amber, crimson, and gold seem to be bursting from all directions.

Immersing yourself in nature is a great way to relieve stress and increase well-being. There are plenty of trails to meander through, with a set of stairs that lead to a very rewarding view of Montreal.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Student Living Campus Spotlight: McGill Women In Leadership MWIL seeks to explore and discuss issues that affect women today Tiffany Le Staff Writer

Feminist movements have received a surge of recognition from mainstream media in response to Emma Watson’s He For She speech at the United Nations. Women’s roles in the professional world is one of the most recent conversation topic for McGill Women In Leadership (MWIL) club, which seeks to address these issues and change the way they affect young women’s goals.

“Our mission [is to] inspire young women to aim high in their career aspirations, regardless of the field they wish to enter,” explained Erica Pedersen, MWIL’s co-president.

MWIL, founded in 2012, was created to provide a space to empower young women in today’s society, but membership is open to everyone, regardless of faculty, gender, or identity. The club seeks to discuss and overcome the barriers that may hold women back from achieving their goals, particularly the pressures of a society that heavily values exterior beauty and passive personality traits.

“My biggest hope for [MWIL] would be that more girls would be aware of it and what it [stands] for,” said Paige Burla, VP Events of MWIL. “I think it’s such an impor-

tant concept to get girls involved in.”

The club holds a variety of events throughout the year, with the goals of inciting discussion about female empowerment, connecting young women with opportunities within and beyond university, and collaborating with local charities—such as Artistri Sud, a Montreal-based organization that teaches entrepreneurship training for women around the world to create sustainable micro-enterprises.

MWIL organizes personal development events such as MWIL Talks, which are bi-weekly sessions where members can participate in informed dialogue about current events relating to feminism, as well as skilldevelopment workshops. “[These workshops] hone important professional skills and prepare our members for leaving university,” Pederson said.

Furthermore, members also have the opportunity to participate in excursions such as last year’s CBC tour and the TEDx Montreal Women Conference. Showcasing the successes of different women from multiple backgrounds can inspire young women, demonstrating that ambition and leadership are not traits limited to men.

MWIL’s larger events are centred on professional development

with speaker series and panel discussions. Female guest speakers come in and provide valuable insight into different industries, with a focus on male-dominated fields. In 2015, MWIL will host its first conference, where a panel of six keynote speakers will give presentations. This is also a significant networking occasion that will aid in MWIL members’ entrance into the professional world.

“We hope that the opportunity to hear these incredible women’s stories will inform and inspire our members to follow in their footsteps and continue to equalize the gender disparity still present in many professions,” Pederson said. “[Eventually, this becomes a chain effect, and the next generations will have] more female role models in leadership positions.”

Although MWIL is still a relatively new club, its focus is on providing concrete opportunities.

Marielle Wall, U0 Arts student, suggests that expanding outside of business or sciences will attract more members. “[Personally,] I would be looking […] more into women in [film and] women working in comedy, just because I have more of an interest in that area,” Wall said.

As a relatively new club with limited sources, MWIL is looking for

The executive Team of MWIL. (Photo courtesy of McGill Women in Leadership) ways to integrate the needs of McGill’s large and diverse female population and to empower all students in recognizing such needs.

“If one person’s life could be

changed— or at least impacted postively—through [...] the MWIL network, then we’ve succeeded,” Burla said.

‘Tis the season for apple picking Three fantastic locations to visit this fall ALYCIA NOË Staff Writer

stay longer, as the corn maze is extremely fun. There is also a restaurant, Pet’t Bistro, which offers freshly cooked meals to enjoy with friends.

Fall is one of the best seasons of the year; the temperatures are mild, the falling leaves are beautiful, and the harvest bountiful.

Montreal offers many opportunities to make use of the season and engage in fall activities, including mazes, hay rides, petting zoos, horseback riding, and most importantly, apple picking. Below are the best places for a perfect apple picking getaway just outside of the city.

Les Vergers Petits et Fils

La Ferme Quinn

La Ferme Quinn offers fruit and vegetable picking all year. At the moment, the farm has apples, sweet corn, and pumpkins that can be picked. For $20, Quinn Farm offers an 18-pound apple bag to fill.

There are numerous varieties that are available—updated weekly on the farm’s website—allowing for a mixed bag of apples to be brought home. The farm also has an ample amount of other attractions, such as their animal barn with pigs, sheep, chickens, goats,

Aerial view of Le Verge Labonté farm. (vergerlabonte.com) horses, and even a llama. For those who want to unlock their inner child, there is a farmyard playground featuring a straw castle, tire pyramid, labyrinth, and duck races. This family farm provides the perfect weekend escape from the stresses of school and a way to reconnect with nature. For the perfect end to a trip to Quinn Farm, visit the farm shop, which offers baked goods made with the

products of the farm.

Le Verger Labonté

Le Verger Labonté is the closest farm to downtown Montreal, located only 25 minutes away. This orchard was founded in 1989, when approximately 2,000 trees were planted. It is now owned by Nathalie Gervais, who is committed to providing

quality apples, friendly service, and freshly baked muffins. The farm has one of the most diverse variety of apples to pick, with themed years, this year being the theme Pömmland. Access to the field costs $2, with additional costs to fill a 10-pound bag ($12) or 16-pound bag ($16). In 2005, the farm added a corn maze that supposedly takes 90 minutes to get through. However, plan to

Les Vergers Petits et Fils has an extremely long apple picking season, beginning in late August and lasting well into November. They were one of the first apple orchards in Quebec to resist the use of chemical treatment on their apples. Instead, the farm grows organic crops by leveraging predatory insects found in nature. The prices are also very reasonable—$15 for an 18pound bag, with the price per bag decreasing with the more bags purchased. One of the biggest attractions about this apple picking location is that customers can end the day at the farm’s pancake restaurant and indulge in delicious, warm pancakes and Québec maple syrup. Les Vergers Petits et Fils also has its own cider house, where the farm makes cider wine with apples. The cider house alone is worth the trip.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Monster

ELIZABETH MCLELLAN Contributor It’s difficult to describe the plot of Tuesday Night Café’s (TNC) one-person show Monster in words without dwarfing the experience. Narratives and characters are intricately interwoven, all powerfully represented by actress and codirector Laura Orozco, and the play achieves a sense unity and commonality despite the seemingly different stories. The acting was both mesmerizing and nearly flawless. Combining the elements of performance and design with an innovative set on top of the acting, the production manages to present a disturbing, meaningful, and dark exposé on the lives of those struggling with their demons.

Pieced together by a narrator, the play familiarizes us with the stories of various individuals, couples, and families, with characters ranging from a troubled young boy to a depressed man and his girlfriend. The temporality of events is mingled and confusing, but brings with it a dawning realization of the interconnectivity of the characters for the audience.

line; though At the start, complex, it we are precertainly is. sented with T h e the story of set featured a boy who a semicircle tortures of chairs, a and kills his podium, a father. Initable strewn tially prewith booze sented from bottles, a an outsidrocking ers’ perchair that spective, had been acthe script cessorized quickly with a table plunges diholding rectly into cookies and this world a glass of of hurt, with the Laura Orzco embodies the demons inside us all. (LA Benoit / McGill Tribune) water, and most notastory focusing on his parents in their youth perky yet delusional woman. Oro- bly, a screen looming behind with a and their surroundings. The nar- zco’s appropriately confused and number of still images projected in rator consistently returns from his awkward depiction of a boy tortur- unison with the stories. They aren’t monologues of various identities to ing his father is disturbing in a way telling images—depicting no more cynically and almost angrily tie the that makes your stomach ache and than the regular fixtures of a domesyour eyes burn. The presence of only tic environment—but when mixed stories together.

Orozco’s depictions of multiple one body on the stage allows all eyes with the bursting energy on stage, men and women is convincingly and attention to be focused and en- they explode into a visceral and allreal. Her shaved head and juxtapos- gaged. This perhaps alleviated some consuming production. The sound ing delicate features manifest both of the stress of following both char- effects are likewise elementary, but a gruff and depressed man and a acter movement and a complex story add to the eruption.

The play speaks to the devils inside all of us, affirming their existence, yet dealing with them in such a nuanced manner as to lead to no obvious, straightforward conclusion. Orozco’s performance, in combination with the set, create a disturbing and dark scene. It was uncomfortable, taboo, and frankly, not for everyone. Some topics were so despondent that I felt they should not have been uttered—let alone embodied. It’s a performance that makes you think and ultimately feel.

For many, this is undesirable, but as a work of art, it pushes boundaries and creates a passage for discourse about real world and existential issues—issues of mental illness, addiction, violence, identity, sense of purpose, and human nature. The production, however, leaves these issues open, and perhaps rightly so, as they contain no clear answers of hope, but serve as catalysts of highly important thought.

Monster runs from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25 at TNC Theatre (3485 McTavish) at 8 p.m. Student tickets are $6.

Oh what a lovely war ANNA ST. CLAIR Contributor

(Continued from page 1) Mimicking these shows, the Players Theatre designed the set with hanging candles in jars and bunting flags, making you feel like you’ve walked into a vintage circus.

The music is composed entirely of popular, sing-along songs of the time period, most of which were sung by the men in the trenches. A few, like “Gassed Last Night,” are clever parodies of such songs.

The show begins with the troupe playing war games, and quickly launches into an absurd satire of the bumbling generals, laughably naive citizens, and stiff-lipped aristocrats preparing for war.

One of the memorable early scenes is a hilarious beautypageant of pompous European countries boasting their power and glory, with cultural stereotypes abound.

With the spirited songs, constant movement, and slapstick portrayals of

the events W i t h of the early Spencer’s war, the direction, the cast brings juxtaposition a rousing of the first exuberance and second act to the first isn’t jarring. act. From The transition propaganda f r o m anthems uproarious like “I’ll political satire Make a Man to a solemn of You” to revelation of the opening the ‘victory’ ensemble of the great n u m b e r war is slow, “Row, Row, allowing the Row,” the to The actors commemorate WWII in witty, comedic style. (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune) audience cast proves gradually its vocal strength. more somber turn, focusing sense the shift in tone. Yet even Anni Choudhury stands on the trials and tribulations in its exploration of the grim out from the ensemble with of the British army. While realities of war, the second act his prominent comedic talent. men are being killed by the combines the tragic truth of the In one of the most hilarious thousands, the out-of-touch war with dark humour. Daniel scenes, Choudhury plays a loud, aristocratic generals are far Carter in particular masters the buffoonish English sergeant more concerned with keeping delivery of this dark comedy directing his troops on how up appearances and following as the English general who to properly fire sticks—or in who is being promoted than is committed to fighting no one case, a parasol. The scene worrying about the travesties matter the costs because the had the air of a Monty Python of war. Borrowing money from alternative—surrendering to sketch, with Choudhury giving a subordinate comes as more of some foreign German and a performance reminiscent of a shock to one general than the saving thousands of lives—is fact that his troops are being just unthinkable.

John Cleese.

Vocal talent was not lacking The second act takes a annihilated.

in this production, particularly from the female cast members.

Hannah McKillop’s soprano on “Keep the Home Fires Burning” captured the tearful desperation and exhaustion felt by everyone involved in the war effort, while Sophia Metcalf and Eleonore Lamothe shine in “I’ll Make a Man of You” and “Hold Your Hand out Naughty Boy.” With its constant shuffling of sets, characters, costumes, and songs, the show is a unique theatrical experience; its talented cast and director manage to bring both the tragedy and comedy of the First World War alive in a performance bursting with delight and creativity.

Oh, What a Lovely War! runs from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. at Players’ Theatre (3480 McTavish). Student tickets are $6.

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MOOCs inspire blended learning on campus

REMI LU

S

ix million. That was the conservative estimate given by an Oct. 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal addressing the combined enrolment numbers of edX and Coursera—two of the most popular Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms—since the two websites were launched in 2012. Today that number has almost doubled, with 11.7 million users enrolled in courses across the two online learning platforms—2.5 million at edX and 9.2 million at Coursera—according to the two websites’ most recent data. With many leading North American institutions hosting MOOCs, McGill has not been idle, having released two original courses on edX thus far. In the process, McGill has begun to establish a culture of online learning, with growing momentum amongst faculty members to integrate elements of MOOCs on campus.

At 6’2”, David N. Harpp, a professor at McGill’s Department of Chemistry, casts a statement of authority in any room or screen that he occupies. Alongside his patient demeanour and lifelong passion for teaching, Harpp has won 12 academic and teaching awards—including McGill’s inaugural Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2001) and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Learning (2010).

Harpp began to push the boundaries of McGill’s academics once more last year when he heard about MOOCs’ growing popularity around the world. In particular, he wanted to ensure that McGill did not fall behind other top North American institutions, since many academically renowned universities have begun to move towards offering online courses. As a professor, Harpp was excited by the challenge.

“There was so much hype about it, it would have been odd to be left on the sidelines,” Harpp said. “If [the University of Toronto] for instance gave out or put together half a dozen [MOOCs] and McGill wasn’t doing anything, I just don’t think it looks right. But particularly Harvard and MIT, two of the top schools in the world, are working [hard at this].”

A university committee, led by Provost Anthony Masi, settled on edX as the preferred medium for McGill—the same one used by other top North American universities. Harpp and his colleagues decided to draw upon the help of McGill’s Teaching and Learning Services, where he could draft a team of full-time staff to completely redesign an existing course. CHEM181 (World of Chemistry: Food) was chosen as McGill’s pilot MOOC, a popular course Harpp had taught for 31 years with professors Ariel Fenster and Joe A. Schwarcz. Renamed Food for Thought, the course required extensive work to integrate it on McGillX—edX’s assigned name for McGill’s MOOC branch.

“There was a tremendous amount of preparation [done],” said Frank Roop, Video Producer for McGillX. “All the slides were [...] updated [with] new pictures, [and] copyright [was] cleared.”

The team created homework and quizzes to accompany each week’s lectures, a format of engagement encouraged and supported by edX’s platform. The professors also decided to create weekly videos to address any questions arising from the discussion boards in order to establish a more personal interaction with students.

The course exploded. By the time the 10-week instruction period had wrapped up, roughly 32,000 students had been enrolled in Food for Thought. The course posted a final rating of 4.96 out of five—an astonishingly high number given the number of participants.

“The feedback was off the charts, frankly,” Harpp said. “I was a little surprised that it came up as [well] 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.”

The tremendous success of Food for Thought resulted in a flurry of reactions.

McGill professors John Gyakum and John Stix launched ATOC185X (Natural Disasters) on edX later that same year. Furthermore, the success of the first course encouraged Harpp, Schwarcz, and Fenster to relaunch Food for Thought, with the course released for the second time this past Oct. 1.

The international audience that MOOCs provide has become a draw for professors looking to further their knowledge and understanding in their field of research.

According to Gyakum, the conversations on the ATOC185X discussion boards provided the professors with input from individuals residing in different parts of the world—particularly those with the potential to contribute but may not have had the opportunity to attend university.

“A lot of the hazards that we discuss occur in various areas of the world that may not resonate that well with North Americans,” Gyakum said. “For example, we talked about cyclones in India, typhoons in Japan […] volcanoes in Indonesia, and so forth [….] The primary reason that I was most interested in working on the MOOC was [that] I feel very strongly [that] in order to tackle some of the world’s great scientific problems, we need a lot more input intellectually.”

Outside of field-specific research, online courses have also offered the opportunity for schools to experiment with different teaching styles, including peer grading and the encouragement of participation on course discussion boards. According to Laura Winer, the director of McGill’s Teaching and Learning Services,

hosting MOOCs at McGill has allowed staff to better understand students’ learning habits.

“The ultimate goal is to improve learning for our students, [and to] improve and enhance interaction between the professors and students in large classes,” Winer said. “So we’re learning a lot about what we can do, how to do it better, and how to create engaging environments and interactions. We’re investing that in our McGill students. We’re learning how people learn.”

Despite the novelty of the MOOC movement, professors and other staff members have begun to recognize the potential for integrating online learning on campus. With 50 lecture halls at McGill outfitted with recording equipment, students enrolled in over-crowded courses can skip class in lieu of watching lectures at home.

“Many big courses don’t have perfect attendance, particularly at a school like McGill where a third of the students live remote from campus,” Harpp said. “[Students simply] watch many of the classes online […. CHEM181] can be as big as 800 people, and you can’t put 800 people in Leacock [132].”

Working with edX allowed Harpp, Schwarcz, and Fenster to recognize the opportunity to use their newly prepared MOOC to offer an updated learning format. For the next oncampus iteration of CHEM181 in Winter 2015, the three professors plan to release recorded lectures to students ahead of time, and use select class hours as additional information sessions.

“We’ve booked the room for the entire [semester,]” Harpp said. “We will not have a lecture every week, but probably half a dozen […] extra lectures or special lectures [….] We probably won’t ask questions about these topics, unless we record them.”

25 per cent of the grade for CHEM181 will come from online homework and discussion board interaction—a similar format to the grading system that McGillX uses. Yet the class will retain elements of a traditional university course, with a significant portion of the grades coming from two written midterms and a final.

This new format of teaching, titled ‘blended learning,’ straddles the line between traditional brick-andmortar institutions and online education. A number of universities have begun to tentatively roll out blended learning programs, with the University of Waterloo and York University among the few North American campuses involved.

One of the greatest advantages offered by blended learning is the potential to create more engaging activities—particularly for courses with larger class sizes.

Furthermore, there are increased opportunities for students to connect with each other and their professors.

“This is going to be the way of the future, where [students] are guided on where to get information, in addition to having personal contact with the professor,” Schwarcz said. “There’s just no point in redoing lectures exactly the same way you’ve done it in other years. It’s time that could be better oriented to educate in a different way.”

This semester, Gyakum and Stix will integrate three weeks of blended learning into ATOC185 (Natural Disasters), shifting two of their course topics from ATOC185X—the edX version—to their on-campus course.

The class will watch lectures online and finish activities at home, in order to use class hours to conduct poster presentations.

“Both [Stix] and I view this as an experiment that we need to be involved with,” Gyakum said. “Obviously, the outcome may not be perfect from the get-go, but I think it’s very important that we work towards engaging more students [….] There’s no question in my mind that [students] are having the opportunity to go much deeper into a lecture than they otherwise would be able to, than [if they were] just taking in a lecture and having a midterm on the material.”

With an increasing number of faculty and students disillusioned with current teaching and learning methods, a shift towards online education appears inevitable.

“There’s a school of thought that the lecture format is becoming archaic in terms of all the electronic devices right now,” Schwarcz said. “It doesn’t make sense to give classroom lectures the same way we’ve always been doing it when they can be recorded and people can look at those lectures. You can use the classroom time for other things.”

According to Teaching and Learning Services’ Alexander Steeves-Fuentes, MOOCs and other forms of online learning will have a large impact on the future of courses at McGill.

“The biggest benefit for McGill will be in terms of adjusting how the curriculum is implemented and how students are instructed,” he said. “The majority of students these days do everything online [….] Why are we still doing things on paper? Why aren’t we building everything online?”

At the moment, however, MOOCs remain at the forefront of the conversation regarding McGill’s role in online learning. Two new courses are in the process of being developed for edX. Dr. Ian Shrier, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, is set to release Body101X—a course analyzing physical activity—on Feb. 25, 2015. The Faculty of Management will be launching a course next Fall titled Social Learning for Social Impact, which is being marketed as a Group MOOC (GROOC)—a MOOC designed to encourage people to collaborate in groups to share knowledge.

Yet a variety of factors—including funding from donors and available support staff—will most likely limit the number of MOOCs that McGill can produce.

“We cannot meet the demand [of professors that want to come on board],” Winer said. “We’ve had way more professors who would be interested in developing MOOCs or developing blended learning approaches than we have the capacity to handle with the current resources.”

Regardless, the impacts of online learning will most likely be felt across campus in the years to come.

“I think [blended learning] has to be a big part of our future at McGill,” Winer said. “How do we take advantage of the tremendous resources that are available online, the tremendous access to people around the world, [and] the collaborative nature of the work you do? To shut ourselves off from that would be an exercise in tunnel vision […. Blended learning] provides opportunities to really give students the best and most powerful learning experience possible, [and] MOOCs provide a vehicle to facilitate and expedite that process.”

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Billy howls into obscurity Clunky characterization mars provocative Plateau play MAX JOSEPH Staff Writer There’s not much subtlety in Fabien Cloutier’s Governor General’s Award-nominated play Billy (The Days of Howling) —currently making its English language debut at Theatre La Chapelle—nor does that seem to be the playwright’s goal. Rather, Cloutier aims to explore the themes of delusion, judgement, and class relations, all of which he does successfully. Unfortunately, this comes at the price of having characters without any shade of nuance or features that distinguish them beyond their broad archetypal roles, and the cast isn’t able to provide it on its own.

This isn’t to say that seeing these archetypes interact with one another isn’t intriguing. The three-actor cast consists of a young, working class father (Davide Chiazzese), a slightly older middle class mother (Nadia Verrucci), and an older woman whose class is less clearly defined (Susan Glover). Other

characters—including the titular Billy—are only alluded to, never seen. Although the relationships between the three are unclear at the beginning, details are revealed as the play progresses.

Cloutier’s method of revealing these facts—and the narrative which they shape—is fascinating, even if the drama itself ends up disappointing. For most of the play’s nearly 90-minute, intermission-less running time, all three characters deliver soliloquies that range from being thematically connected to acting more as alternate perspectives on the same situations.

The situation that gives the play its primary dramatic thrust centres around Billy’s father and the mother of Alice, another girl in Billy’s daycare. Billy’s father is an easygoing parent who’s content to let his son eat Cheetos and play video games, while Alice’s mother is an uptight matriarch who wouldn’t dream of letting her daughter near sugary cereal. She’s so disgusted by his appearance, hygiene, and class

that she decides one morning to follow him. She’s even more appalled when her sleuthing leads to her witnessing him and his wife leave Billy in the car while they go into a fast food restaurant to have donuts and coffee.

Whatever good intentions she may have had are distorted by her obsession, to the point where her need to feel superior to the other parents surpasses her concern for their son. This is further buttressed when juxtaposed with the father’s similarly detailobsessed soliloquy about a mixed martial arts fight, as well as the older woman’s fixation on a bulletin board that she hopes to have put up.

The sparse set, consisting entirely of stuffed animals, wooden boxes, and shovels, gives the opportunity for the conflicts to grab the viewer’s attention, but the characters—at the heart of them—are too flimsy to be engaging. Just as each of the characters judge each other based on superficial features, Cloutier appears to define them

through their basic biographical details.

The father’s coarse language, passion for video games, and general lack of cultural awareness paint him as a working class Philistine figure. The mother’s concern for nutrition and pride in her intelligence portray her to be middle class. The older woman fits the ‘crazy cat lady’ stereotype thanks to her delusional belief in her connection with the hosts of her favourite radio show—where she refers to the men as “my boys.” The playwright tries to complicate his stereotypes somewhat through the use of a speech by the father in which he denounces impoverished people who take advantage of welfare. However, the speech mostly serves to highlight his ignorance, thus further propagating the insidious working class stereotypes presented in the drama.

The actors have not been given much material to work with, but their performances only serve to emphasize the clichés strewn throughout the play. Chi-

azzese’s portrayal feels closer to a sketch comedy rendition of a New York City cabdriver than a fully fledged human being. He’s funny, but his humour doesn’t help to create a compelling character. Verrucci’s performance is too intent on conveying the mother’s righteous fury to reveal anything else about her. Glover brings the most nuance of the bunch, but her character is too helpless to be interesting.

Rather than functioning as a character study, Billy (The Days of Howling) comes across more as a social experiment attempting to discover the results of the interactions between different cross sections of society.

It might make for an interesting sociological study, but it fails to yield powerful drama.

Billy (The Days of Howling) runs until Oct. 25 at Theatre La Chapelle (3700 Saint Dominique) at 8 p.m. with an additional show being offered on Oct. 25 at 3 p.m.

Student tickets are $28.50.

Superhospital makes an appointment for comedy A perfect prescription for those looking to tickle their funny bones MARTIN MOLPECERES Contributor It’s fitting that Montreal Improv’s newest show, Superhospital, takes its name from an enormous medical centre that’s currently being constructed just west of the city’s downtown core.

For the uninitiated, improvisational theatre—or improv—is a type of performance art in which a group of actors hop on stage with no script, no direction, no concrete plan, and proceed to construct the entire act on the spot with little more than a theme, word, or suggestion from the audience as a starting point.

Even though there’s room for sloppy disaster, hilarity almost always ensues.

As the name implies, the show features nearly a dozen improvisers performing a longform improv in a hospital setting.

The twist? Every single actor has a specific character that they’ve developed before the show to embody during the performance.

For those purists worried that this gimmick takes the improvisation out of improv, don’t be— everything else is entirely madeup on the spot, with audience members filling out a sheet of paper with a made-up symptom beforehand to be selected by the

performers. It assures that the plot is as silly, nonsensical, and downright funny as it should be.

While I was disappointed that my own suggestion—Compliment Tourette’s—wasn’t selected, the show was consistently funny throughout, providing steady giggles and occasional gut–busters to keep the energy riding high.

This isn’t to say that the show is perfect: Many of the performers are amateurs, which became apparent as some scenes petered out into awkward silences or into confused and sometimes outright misunderstood plot points.

Fortunately, these instances were few and far between and didn’t damper the overall plot, which was surprisingly coherent—at least as coherent as a plot can be in improv. Furthermore, the preestablished characters lended a much-needed layer of consistency to the structure of the show.

Massive amounts of kudos must be given to the performers, whose relative inexperience is more than made up for with heaps of talent. Every character was fully fleshed out with enough quirks and personality to make them a joy to watch. Each was embraced with an unabashed and enthusiastic sincerity that almost immediately made them feel

Superhospital takes established characters and places them in outlandish scenes. (Jack Neal / McGill Tribune) familiar.

A few standouts were an insecure yet blow-hardy doctor, a dissatisfied janitor who’s tired of being ignored, a sassy secretary with a penchant for dishing out loads of terrifying forms, and a new age doctor who’s love of feng shui is accompanied by her utter lunacy. Special mention should be made of the technical director, whose spontaneous addition of music and lighting effects—which

probably surprised the actors as well as the audience—resulted in some very funny moments.

For those of you who consider yourselves connoisseurs of improv, Superhospital is a fantastic show, and its few awkward moments are more than made up for with great jokes and stellar performances from a group of very funny people. For those of you who have never experienced an improv show before, it is a

blast and a great way to get into a fun new style of performance.

So grab a bunch of friends, fork over eight bucks, and prepare for your life to get significantly more awesome.

Superhospital is performed on the third Thursday of every month at the Montreal Improv Theatre (3697 St. Laurent). Tickets are $8.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a film franchise!

MORGAN ALEXANDER Arts & Entertainment Editor After months of speculation, DC Comics has released its five-year superhero film line-up, answering hundreds of assumptions, expectations, and unrealistic hopes in one succinct press conference. The films include the sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel, which will focus on Batman and Superman’s first meeting while simultaneously featuring multiple Justice League cameos, including Wonder Woman and Aquaman—whose feature-length films will be coming out in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The portrayal of Wonder Woman by Gal Gadot will also mark the first time that a superhero film franchise will feature a woman in a leading role, excluding box-office flop Catwoman (2004). This is a huge step forward for the comic book world, which has often featured women in strong leadership roles on print, but shied away from having them play equally strong roles on the big screen. Additional films will be pedalled out for The Flash, Shazam, Cyborg, and Green Lantern, and Justice League is set to be released in two parts in 2017 and 2019.

For DC fans everywhere, as I proudly profess myself to be, this announcement is essentially the advent of a five-year-long Christmas. Beyond the fact that the Suicide Squad is getting its own film—something I didn’t hear anybody speculate upon— seeing that DC Comics is ready to burn and bury the disappointment that was Ryan Reynolds’ performance as Green Lantern could be considered a holiday in and of itself. However, this announcement has, unsurprisingly, been immediately questioned by people claiming DC is just too late to the feature film game, and will now be forever clouded by The Avengers’ (2012) multimillion dollar success. While I have to agree that DC has taken far too long to amp up its movie franchise, it’s an absurd statement to claim that DC is anything other than a powerhouse of superhero comics, TV shows, and films that have established a steady longlasting fan base completely independent of Marvel’s enterprises.

Comparing and contrasting DC and Marvel is a hilariously contentious topic, and I would be lying if I said I had never considered ending a friendship over another’s preference for Iron Man over the clearly superior and far more fleshed-out Batman

c h a r a c t e r.

Of course, both franchises have things they do incredibly well and things that they fail horribly in, and while the two companies are clear rivals, they have successfully teamed up multiple times in the past making for some of the most interesting comic book story lines that have ever been produced.

Cinematically, it cannot be denied that Marvel does movies right—focusing on fantasy fun while also funding the talent to bring a solid balance of superhero whimsy and an occasionally strong action-laden plot is what made Marvel the frontrunner of superhero films in the past decade. On the other side of the coin, Marvel too has ‘mastered’ the creation of a multi-film plot that it can then suck the life out of until it is a contradictory carcass of its former glorious self, just for the purpose of contin-

Gal Gadot stars as Wonder Woman in the upcoming 2017 film. (moviepilot.com) ued profit (here’s looking at you Marvel’s cinematic route goes X-Men). DC, meanwhile, has to show the inherent differences tended to focus in recent years on in the two companies, which the slow build-up of incredibly have long polarized fans into gritty, dark, and plot-heavy live- one camp or the other. The difaction films and television se- ferences in production style beries; and while these productions tween the two companies is what may not attract the same profit makes the world of superheroes as Marvel’s spoon-fed humour so interesting—Marvel provides and good-looking background fantastical escapism through the characters, DC’s commitment capes of broad-shouldered men to consistent character and plot and women in skintight body development makes for a more suits, allowing for the cinematic interesting cinematic experience. escape that movies were initially This latest film franchise intended to provide, while DC will likely set the tone already injects horror and villainy into established in Man of Steel— recognizable cities, thus allowdarkly, humorous, true to the ing the heroes of its universe to comics, and committed to real- seem that much more possible, ism. This clear contrast from and that much more relatable.

Carriere keeps moving as Royal Tusk settles into its own Lead singer speaks to the road, the album, and the journey ERIC NOBLE-MARKS Contributor How does Daniel Carriere— lead singer and guitar player for Edmonton rock band Royal Tusk—relax after a stressful day on the road? It’s simple—he doesn’t.

“I don’t unwind as much as I just crash [and] like, pass the fuck out,” said Carriere. “It is exhausting. People think you play a show and you’ve done nothing all day ‘cause you’ve been driving and you should have time and energy, but it’s the contrary because there’s no routine. You don’t know when you’re gonna eat sometimes, especially with a tour like this because you’re following a bus and the drives can get pretty long.”

Despite the never-ending trial of touring, Carriere wouldn’t have it any other way. To him, a seasoned road warrior with over a decade of experience with his previous band Ten Second Epic, the road is home. Despite touring with a mostly new set of

bandmates, the road experience never changes.

“The road is always the road,” says Carriere. “It’s almost like you get used to that as a home. I’m quite comfortable touring […] we’ve done it for so long. Right now [when on tour] I feel like I’m at my other home. It’s really tiring, I mean just travelling all the time, but something about the transience of it all is really kind of nice for me.”

Carriere is in the midst of Royal Tusk’s second tour in support of the band’s debut EP, Mountain. The EP, is in many ways, a culmination of ideas accumulated by Carriere and Royal Tusk bass player Sandy Mackinnon during their time in Ten Second Epic.

“It’s just a sample of what we were doing,” explained Carriere. “We toured so long in [Ten Second Epic] and for all that time we were just thinking of other music we wanted to play, so when we got a chance to start making this stuff we wrote

like crazy. We went into the studio in New York with 25 to 26 songs and had to cut it down to six! I think it popped a cork of inspiration that we’d been saving for a long time”.

Mountain also reflects a more collective approach to songwriting than exhibited in the past by the musicians.

Carriere suggested that this strategy was just as fulfilling as writing on his own.

“We’re all pretty competent at our instruments and we don’t tell each other what to do,” he said. “Everyone writes their own parts. It’s exciting because sometimes if you’re writing everything from the drum part

Royal Tusk will contiue their Canadian tour through November. (canadianbeats.com) to the last lyric, there are no surprises. You get to be more of a fan of the song if you’re surprised by it.”

As for Carriere’s two-band relationship with Mackinnon, Carriere couldn’t put his finger on what has made their partnership so special.

“I don’t want to try and get analytical about it,” he said.

“It’s just something about the chemistry of it all. I guess it’s effortless, we’ve just known each other so long. To have a successful band, you need to have successful relationships with people. That’s what keeps it ticking and makes it fun, because God knows this isn’t the easiest job to do.”

14 Sappy duets ERIC NOBLE-MARKS Contributor

ALBUM REVIEWS Hey Rosetta! - Second Sight

Artist: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Album : Single Released: April 20,1967 Devotion and loyalty are two subjects that are underexplored in pop music. After all, it’s easy to be in love when it’s convenient, but the best relationships are often quite the opposite. Call me old-fashioned, but I think there’s something to be said for sticking it out when the going gets tough. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is the ultimate ode to making long-distance work, something some McGill students can relate to.

Add in hints of glockenspiel and a classic James Jamerson bass groove and you get a timeless example of Motown’s feel-good R&B.

Under Pressure

Artist: Queen & David Bowie Album: Single Released: 1981 I know everyone knows this song. I know everything meaningful to say about it has likely already been said. I know it’s played at nearly every wedding reception and bar mitzvah as an ironic “throwback” song and will most likely be continue to be played at such events far into the future. I know it’s your dad’s favourite song.

But every once and a while, this song will come on the radio or come up on shuffle on my iPod and I’ll start grinning like an idiot and forget how grown up I’m supposed to be. It taps into a youthful innocence that few other songs touch and for God’s sake, it’s just so catchy. Hey, at least admit it’s better than that “Dancing in the Streets” abomination that Bowie put out with Mick Jagger later in the ‘80s.

Don’t Give Up

Artist: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush Album: So Released: May 19, 1986 Cheesy? Maybe, but there’s a humanity that shines through Gabriel and Bush’s 80’s poprock that makes it hold up almost 30 years later. Sometimes the best songs are the simplest. Don’t be fooled by the flowing synthesizers and sparse production, Gabriel’s character is going through some tough times.

When he croons “No one wants you when you lose,” it feels like a punch to the gut. All is redeemed by Bush’s warm and tender chorus, in which the simple phrase “Don’t give up” has never been presented with more intimacy or immediacy.

When its previous album Seeds (2011) was being recorded, Hey Rosetta! was coming out of a phase where the band had been touring extensively for the first time, and—quite fittingly—planting musical seeds in the towns and cities it performed in. The album, with its

Rich Gang - Tha Thour Part 1

Self-released

On each of their releases, Rich Gang mixtapes and albums have featured a different assemblage of rappers associated with Birdman’s Cash Money Records. Riding off the success of this summer’s chart-topping

single, “Lifestyle,” Rich Gang: Tha Tour Part 1 is a promising and well-crafted development of the single’s sound, serving as a portent of the group’s inevitable monopoly on commercial hip hop.

The mixtape features Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan—who in my opinion, especially the former—have such peerless voices that I tend to think of their combined sound more as instrumentation than as vocalization—and I mean that as praise. Young Thug’s voice is the manifestation of what Lil Wayne would have sounded like if he had chosen to develop his weird, Da Drought 3 (2007) persona, and accordingly, it comes as no surprise that the two are now working with one another.

London on da Track, who produces the entire mixtape, perfectly complements the duo with visceral and distinctive synth stabs

Jessie Ware - Tough Love

Universal Island / PMR

Just under a month ago, Jessie Ware, the Brixton-born singer and master of restraint, performed at the iTunes Festival where she showcased a vastly improved confidence in not only her stage presence, but in her vocals as well. Ware stated in a 2014 interview with The Guardian that her new record pushed her

voice to the front and out of her usual comfort zone. Based on her iTunes performance, the result is a welcome departure from the restrained, seductive efforts on her previous album, Devotion (2012).

The new record, Tough Love, sees Ware tackle the problems that arise from being in love. The song titles say it all: Love is “Cruel”; it happens “Kind Of… Sometimes…

Maybe,” and when things get tough, it’s better to “Keep On Lying.”

Beginning with the arresting lead single in which Ware sings in a higher than usual register—almost in a whisper—delivering her vocals over an echoing beat, electronics, and restrained guitar strums, this track is essentially a prologue for the rest of the album.

The standout track—the second single and her highest charting song to date—“Say You Love Me,” is a superbly crafted track—far more organic than the rest of the album and perfectly suited to Ware’s sultry vocals. She

Grandloves

Artist: Purity Ring ft. Young Magic Album: Shrines Released: April 23, 2012 This is synth-pop at its finest. Megan James’ robotic siren song serves as the perfect foil to Young Magic’s mumble. They duel over Corin Roddick’s swelling beats, perfectly capturing the feeling of painful love. As with any Purity Ring song, the lyrics are cryptic enough that you never really know what the song’s about, but they work towards producing a truly mysterious and fascinating track.

Sonic Records / Warner Music Canada oscillation between boisterous anthems and measured melodies, reflected the mindset of a band that was giving audiences exhilarating live shows at night in between the hours of quiet introspection they had on the road. To a certain extent, Second Sight replicates that balance, but the frenetic feeling that characterized the band’s more spirited songs in the past has been replaced by light tones and a controlled electricity that—despite flashes of generic repetition— sparks several quality songs.

Poppy, radio-friendly single “Kintsukuroi” suggested a new musical focus when it was released in August, and with Second Sight, the band shows us that this was indeed the case.

Most of seven tracks leading up to “Kintsukuroi” feature a kind of airy instrumentation, dynamic percussion, and middling pace that grow somewhat tiresome and—unfortunately for such a unique, orchestral seven-piece group like Hey Rosetta!—sound reminiscent of other

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

indie acts such as Local Natives (“Promise”) or Vampire Weekend (“Neon Beyond”).

As is usually the case with Hey Rosetta! albums, Second Sight’s best songs are the ones that sound like only they could have written them. “Gold Teeth” combines elements of Seeds’ standouts “Seventeen” and “Young Glass” with the band’s evolved sound to produce a superb song that is bursting with hope and excitement underneath its poised surface.

“What Arrows” and “Cathedral Bells” are two of the album’s quietest and strongest tracks, initially carried by Tim Baker’s gentle vocals as soothing music slowly builds up around him.

Even though the sum of its parts isn’t as great as it could be, Second Sight is loaded with good music and good vibes, and at the end of the day, certainly feels like a worthwhile experiment.

-Max Berger

throughout, which makes me hope that the trio continues to refine their sound throughout the year and perhaps eventually even form their own group.

My personal favourite track is “Tell Em (Lies),” which has the same structure as “Lifestyle” but features heavier piano fills and a dreamier sequence of drum kicks, which attests to London on da Track’s talent as a producer. Like his contemporaries Metro Boomin and DJ Mustard, London on da Track is adept at crafting minimal beats that have similar structures but always showcase interesting and unpredictable harmonic patterns. The group has high potential, and I am excited to see if Rich Gang: Tha Tour Part 2, coming out later this year, will be as matured as I predict it will be.

-Clark Bray

should take this song as the model for the future.

Unfortunately, though, this is where Tough Love begins to falter. For all the supreme production, what’s lacking is Ware’s upfront vocals that she clearly demonstrated she can do with ease at her iTunes performance. The chorus of “You And I (Forever)” for example, which was incredible at the live performance, was a gently-building song that climaxed with a stunning final note. On the album, though, that same note is barely a murmur.

This underwhelming listen is more of an annoyance, though, rather than the making of a bad album. It would be wrong to overlook everything Tough Love does well, and for refined and restrained music to listen to in the wee hours of the morning, you simply cannot get any better.

-Jack Neal

Science & Technology

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

15

Saying more by writing less Professor Steven Pinker explores the good and bad of writing WILL BURGESS Web Developer Since the invention of the printing press, news media has endeavoured to employ capitation in the interest of magnetizing readers into ratifying their viewpoints and escalating their market share. The McGill Tribune is no exception, as the paper employs strategic readership engagement tactics in order to endue its student body readership with information, material, and divertissement.

Wait, what? That’s the question Harvard professor Steven Pinker asks in The Sense of Style, his latest book related to psycholinguistics. Pinker’s previous book, 1994’s influential The Language Instinct, stated that despite widespread disagreement, our collective language and grammar skills are not devolving, which Pinker, in Sense, reaffirms: Writing is not getting worse—it’s always been bad.

Pinker believes his new book can help. He was introduced to a number of adulations last Friday at a lecture organized by the McGill Writing Centre: A professor at Harvard, one of Prospect and Foreign Policy magazines’ top 100 public intellectuals, one of TIME’s top 100 influen-

tial people, and a prolific and popular author. It is this last distinction, however, that really gives Pinker the authority to write about writing; a boastful blurb from The Economist on Sense claims that Pinker writes “like an angel.” Last week’s public lecture gave students the opportunity to see if he speaks like one, too.

Pinker, after acknowledging his connection to McGill—BA Psychology, 1976—in a lecture hall that, according to him, “hasn’t changed in 40 years,” abruptly dove into Sense.

The “curse of knowledge,” as Pinker calls it, is a significant cause of bad writing. According to Pinker, contrary to popular belief, writers today aren’t deliberately obscure, nor has their craft been dumbed down by the internet. Instead, Pinker says, bad writing is the difficulty in imagining what it is like for someone else not to know something that the writer knows, because people often project their knowledge, however specific, onto others.

What is to be done about this?

Pinker sees some value in traditional ‘prescriptivist’ guides, such as the classic 1959 The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White. Furthermore, he claims that

he doesn’t have the desire, to say nothing of the ability, to supplant The Elements of Style.

H o w e v e r, Sense reflects Pinker’s wish for a 21st century style guide. “[The book uses] the science and scholarship of language, […] modern grammatical theory, […] evidence-based dictionaries, research in cognitive science on what makes sentences easy or hard to read, and historical and critical studies of usage,” Pinker said.

Drawing from these areas has led Pinker to believe that a good model for writing is the so-called ‘classic style’: Simple and concise prose that does away with elaborate filler and meta examination of its subject—the introduction to this article, for exam-

Professor Pinker returns to McGill to teach the value of good writing. (Harvard Gazette) ple—responsibility-shifting passive voice, and hedging without much opposition. Classic style instead makes liberal use of example, and invites the reader to gaze out of “a window unto the world” through which the writer points directly to topics they are trying to explain, and does so neither by confusing the reader nor insulting their intelligence.

According to Dr. Sue Laver, director of the McGill Writing Centre, The Elements of Style is no longer assigned to McGill undergraduates.

Much of the praise for the guide has stemmed from its concise precision; the book heeds its own advice to “omit needless words.” Writing is hard, however, and poor prose has spawned a whole curriculum of courses at McGill to improve writing—and has frustrated Stephen Pinker enough that he felt the need for a new style bible. Brevity and clarity have always been fashionable, but there is no doubt that The Sense of Style will inspire more ink to be spilled on how to write less.

Demystifying vampires The facts behind the fiction andy Wang Contributor When the word vampire is mentioned, it’s easy to imagine a musky room, candle light, and perhaps, romance. Dracula, a novel written by Bram Stoker, and its multiple contemporary renditions were, at least in Western literature, the first brazen attempt at coupling vampires and humans.

Of course, the association of sex and vampirism was not rooted in the psyche of just one author. In the analysis of the acquisition of these thought-chains, a pattern becomes apparent: People are conditioned to think a certain way.

According to GermanAmerican psychologist Wolfgang Köhler, “[The Bouba/Kiki effect provides an example of] non-arbitrary mapping between speech sounds and the visual shape of objects.”

In an experiment, participants were asked to name two shapes as either ‘Kiki’ or ‘Bouba.’

The result demonstrated strong preferences for the round, curved shape as being Bouba—95 per cent—and the jagged, spiky shape as Kiki—98 per cent.

Likewise, the link between vampires and desire is anything

but arbitrary. The natural—or in this case supernatural— associations with darkness, blood, puncturing, and feeding, could very easily morph into connections of mystery, pain, and desire.

Science takes a considerably drier perspective on the vampire myth. According to a paper published by Skeptical Inquirer, simple mathematics disproves the theory that vampires exist. Assuming that the first vampire arrived on Jan. 1, 1600, that it required human blood once a month, and that all humans bitten by vampires would become vampires themselves, the entire human population would be wiped out in less than three years.

There is something to be said about the idea of vampires and their place somewhere between fiction and reality. Specifically, most—if not all—myths are rooted at least partially in past events. Vampirism is no exception. According to an article published by Neurology, Dr. Gomez-Alonso argues that, “Vampire stories became prominent in Europe at exactly the same time

(Eleanor Milman / McGill Tribune) certain areas were experiencing rabies outbreaks. This was particularly true in Hungary between 1721 and 1728, when an epidemic plagued dogs, wolves, and humans, and left the country in ruins [….] Vampires were the sole topic of conversation between 1730 and 1735.”

Fantasies are by definition

not real; yet, in the process of thinking and describing these fantasies, it can be easy to become confused of the extent of a fantasy. A prime example is the medical condition porphyria, a condition that causes seizures, trances and vivid hallucinations. Interestingly, it also causes acute sensitivity to light—where the briefest

exposure could lead to blisters on the skin—as well as intolerance to foods containing sulphur. Fittingly, garlic just happens to be very rich in sulphur.

In this way, the supernatural becomes super easy when you break down the facts.

16

Science & Technology

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

from the

brainSTEM Gaters, games, ‘n gals wilder walker-stewart Staff Writer

(physics.stackexchange.com) Babur AYANLAr Contributor

Breakthrough in nuclear fission

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC), one of the world’s largest defence contractors—in 2009 it received 7.1 per cent of the Pentagon’s total funds—has had a major breakthrough in the study on the viability of shifting to nuclear energy. Led by Tom McGuire, the team demonstrated the feasibility of building a 100-megawatt reactor measuring seven by 10 feet—which would allow the reactor to fit on the back of a large truck. Considering the size of the Hoover Dam, which generates 4.2 billion megawatt-hours annually, a 100-megawatt reactor that small would completely change perspectives on energy and energy costs.

The original study in 2009 focused on nuclear fission—the process by which an atom’s nuclei is split to generate enormous amounts of energy. According to McGuire, the 100-megawatt fusion reactor will hopefully be built in the next 10 years, and can help solve the current energy crisis and climate change problems.

In a world where energy use is predicted to increase by 50 per cent over the next generation, this breakthrough may be just what cities need.

Cancer metastasis reduced up to 90 per cent in mice

Cancer is very effective in invading host cells, mainly due to its ability to metastasis—the process by which a tumour spreads through the body. Researchers at Stanford University have focused their attention on the proteins responsible for this spread, Axl and Gas6. The linking of these two proteins is one of the most important steps in the beginning of metastasis.

In order to prevent this interaction, the researchers engineered a decoy Axl protein 100 times more effective in binding with Gas6, forcing extremely low chances for normal Axl to bind to Gas6.

To do this, the team built over 10 million minor variants of the Axl protein to find the one that best fit Gas6. By introducing their engineered protein, they were able

to interrupt normal Axl binding to Gas6.

As a result, the group found a 78 per cent reduction in metastatic nodules in breast cancer, and a 90 per cent decrease in metastatic nodules in ovarian cancer.

The research has the potential to provide a completely nontoxic process to fight cancer—unlike current cancer treatments. Furthermore, the team is looking to work with other proteins that bind Gas6, such as Mer and Tyro3. Though it will take some time to develop this research into mainstream therapy, it does offer hope in the ongoing search for a cure for cancer.

The Antimatter Microscope

Werner Trifthäuser and his colleagues at the Military University in Munich, Germany have been using positrons in order to find and analyze high quality images of the defects found in material surfaces. It is important to analyze and discover the defects in a material, because they affect its mechanical properties and can cause failure and fracture. Many engineering issues—such as any malfunctions aircraft wings and unstable and unsafe mechanical constructs—are caused by concentrated defects in the structure of materials used.

The focus of Trifthäuser’s research was to detect one of the most common material defects, ‘vacancies,’ which are locations within a material where a positively charged nucleus is missing. Consequently, positrons—the antimatter partners of electrons—are preferred in imaging, as they are very effective in finding vacancies.

Without a nucleus, there are no electrons in the vicinity to react and annihilate the positron. Due to the completely opposite properties they have, matter and antimatter are highly reactive and their interaction results in total destruction—leaving nothing but energy behind. Therefore, by measuring the time a positron can survive in a section of the material, the researchers have been able to generate images that have unprecedented sensitivity to defects, compared to those from current methods of microscopy.

From the lawless wilderness of 4chan boards and subreddits to the relatively tame comment sections of tech websites, a debate is raging about women in gaming: Are women being marginalized and abused, or are the alleged problems a media creation? Unfortunately, a series of recent events proves the former to be true.

The recent internet movement Gamergate—which cites its official purpose as improving advocacy for ethics in video game journalism—has placed a spotlight on this issue. However, the Gamergate movement contains strong undercurrents of misogyny, with blogs like The Verge questioning the legitimacy of the problem.

Gamergate stemmed from a blog post in Aug. 2014, when video game reviewer Eron Gjoni broke up with his girlfriend Zoe Quinn, an independent video game developer. According to the post, Gjoni accused his then girlfriend of having an affair with Nathan Grayson, a video game reviewer who had given Quinn’s latest game Depression Quest a positive review.

Rumours began spreading that Grayson positively reviewed the game because of his dealings with Quinn. Gamers everywhere began to scorn her, accusing her of “selling her body for publicity.”

From there, things quickly spun out of control. Anyone vaguely associated with the Quinn controversy was targeted.

This included feminist vlogger Anika Sarkeesian, whose YouTube show F eminist Frequency discusses the role of women in video games. In her shows, Sarkeesian argues that women are constantly being portrayed in many games as sexual playthings and victims of violence—including in popular games such as Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto —to satisfy male desires. Following Gjoni’s accusations, the show’s Twitter page and comment sections were filled with horrifyingly graphic messages and insults—some so violent that CONTACT Sarkeesian left her home in fear.

So when the University of Pittsburgh conducted a

study representing the public perception of the stereotypical gamer, the results were not surprising. Most people pictured gamers as angry young men. However, this perception is inaccurate.

Gamergate, however, has brought the dark underbelly of the gaming world to light. ‘Gaters’—as proponents of the movement call themselves—claim women like Quinn are trying to ruin gaming as we know it, and consequently degrade them for it. What they fail to realize is that female gamers have become intrinsically linked to the gaming world, simply by playing games, whereas Gaters are the ones who represent a diminishing fraction of gamers. It’s time Gaters recognize that women game, too.

Although Gamergate originated as an initiative to advocate video game journalism ethics, the convoluted and misogynistic version of the movement has garnered intense public support. The American Enterprise Institute, a right wing think-tank, has dismissed opponents of the movement as “feminist tech writers” and “concernocrats” bent on destroying free speech.

All of this points to a situation rife with misconceptions. Grayson did not write his review to ‘repay’ Quinn. Gaming will not implode, as Gaters claim, if women are in the industry. Gamergate has nothing to do with civil liberties, and everything to do with the objectification of women. The few legitimate arguments about ethics in journalism and the nature of games have been overshadowed by a flow of hateful bile that shows the vile nature of the movement. If anything, Gamergate shows us that in order for women to be treated equally on the internet, the current mindless, misogynist mindset of the Gater must end.

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

derek.ganes@ganespharma.com

sports MAYAZ ALAM

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Zikomo Smith

(L-A Benoit / McGill Tribune)

The Redmen, who went 4-3-1 in the pre-season against a combination of teams from the CIS and the NCAA, have gotten off to a middling start in OUA competition. The first two weekends have been marked by a win and a loss each, hardly the form that the reigning OUA East Champions have exhibited in years past.

The slow start should not be a cause for concern; the squad returns many of the core players from last year’s successful season. Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, who made the CIS All-Tournament team last season, returns between the pipes. Up front, the forward pack is headlined by OUA allstar centre Cedric McNicoll, who led the Redmen with 55 points last season. The former AHL player has ample support at his side as the team returns with the next three leading forwards.

On the blueline, the Redmen will surely miss the leadership, puck moving ability, and talent of the CIS Most Outstanding Defenceman, Ryan McKiernan, who exhausted his eligibility and has moved on to the professional ranks. If a leader can emerge from the crop of defenceman, Head Coach Kelly Nobes’ squad has a chance to make another deep run in the playoffs. For a program only three years removed from hoisting the CIS National Championship, success late in the season is expected and wholly possible.

VOLLEYBALL

(Wendy Chen / McGill Tribune)

Martlet volleyball ended last season in heartbreaking fashion. The team sat one win away from the playoffs with two games remaining in the season, but the squad fell short of the post-season after hard fought losses against Montréal and Sherbrooke. Though the Martlets and Vert et Or finished with identical records, the latter snuck past with the strength of its slim lead in the head-to-head record between the two teams.

Optimism is widespread prior to this season, however, as the squad has had a fine pre-season, and enters the regular season ranked 10th in the weekly CIS Top 10. While the graduation of team captain Genevieve Plante will certainly hurt, this team has capable veterans who should be able to fill her shoes. Daphnee-Maude Andre-Morin and Marie-Christine Lapointe, both fifth-year seniors, will provide ample leadership, while starting setter Yasmeen Dawoodjee will be expected to take on a greater load in her senior year. Look for junior power hitter Ashley Norfleet to build on her breakout season this year.

The Martlets will start their season on the road with four games at Montreal’s CEPSUM Stadium against Cape-Breton, Dalhousie, Acadia, and Saint-Mary’s. Their home opener will be played in Love Competition Hall on Friday, Oct. 7th against Laval.

MCGILL

MARTLET

HOCKEY

Elie Waitzer

MARTLET

Redmen

HOCKEY

NICOLE SPADOTTO

17

(Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

The Martlet hockey team is looking to defend its 2013-2014 CIS National Championship title, its second in the last three seasons. The Martlets have had a strong pre-season, beating all CIS opponents save for Queen’s, and going 2-2-0 against NCAA Division I teams.

The Martlets will rely heavily once again on senior forwards Leslie Oles, Katia Clement-Heydra–last year’s CIS Player-of-the-Year–and junior winger Gabrielle Davidson, to provide leadership and offensive prowess. Seniors Adrienne Crampton and Michelle Daignault will lead the Martlet defence, while defenceman Brittany Fouracres will play important minutes after spending this past summer with the Canada Under-22 team. Mélodie Daoust has also returned to the team after winning an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in Sochi last year, though an off-season knee injury will keep her sidelined until January.

When she does return, expect it to be an added jolt to the nation’s top program. Junior Taylor Hough and sophomore Brittany Smrke will take on a larger role between the pipes after last year’s starter Andrea Weckman graduated.

The Martlets open their season at McConnell Arena Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. against cross-town rivals Université de Montréal, in what will be a rematch of both the RSEQ and CIS Finals. The Carabins prevailed in the RSEQ Final, but the Martlets came out on top in the end, claiming the CIS title.

SWIMMING

(Jack Neal / McGill Tribune)

The Redmen swimming team had an up-and-down season last year, finishing 12th amongst men’s teams in the CIS Championships. The squad has added six freshmen to its team and hopes to use this season to develop new talent and have integrated the rookies succesfully, tasting early season success. At the first Coupe de Quebec swim meet, where McGill won gold in the 4x50 freestyle, placed silver in three individual events, second for the 4x200 m freestyle and two bronze medals. With a young squad and a promising start to the season, the Redmen will expect steady performances at these events.

The Martlets had a succesful season last year, finishing seventh at the CIS National Championships and third in the RSEQ. The squad is poised to return its best athletes, headlined by Katie Caldwell and Simone Cseplo. Caldwell, now a junior, was the CIS Rookie-of-the-Year and the RSEQ Swimmer-ofthe-Year, while Cseplo was an All-Tournament performer last season.

Additionally, Valerie De Broux and Fanny Gervais-Carter, both of whom broke school records last year, return to the fold. The Martlets squad is deep, has elite talent, and has veteran leadership. Although the Montreal Carabins and Laval Rouge et Or remain national powerhouses, McGill’s program is rising. A top-five finish at Nationals is a lofty ambition, but it remains within the realm of possibility.

18

Sports

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

World series preview Giants

Royals

Offence The Giants’ lineup isn’t stacked with big names, but it’s hard to find a real weak spot anywhere in the batting order. As has become expected, General Manager Brian Sabean has pulled a mixed bag of role players out of his hat at just the right time. Rookie Joe Panik has exceeded expectations at second base, and journeyman Travis Ishikawa sent the Giants to their third World Series in five years with a walk-off home run. Homegrown stars such as Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, and Brandon Belt should continue to provide the power for this team, and you could make an argument for giving the NL MVP award to free agent-signing Hunter Pence.

Defence

The Royals’ outfield has undoubtedly been deserving of all the media love it has garnered thus far. WIn the infield, however, the Giants may hold a slight advantage. In his third full season with the Giants, shortstop Brandon Crawford has provided gold-glove defence in the hole.

While Pablo Sandoval might not be the most nimble third baseman, it’s not as though the Royals’ corner infielders are particularly agile themselves.

This Giants squad is almost unrecognizable from its 2010 and 2012 World Series-winning teams, but among the few familiar faces, nobody has played a bigger role than Madison Bumgarner. Just four years ago, we watched Bumgarner dominate the Rangers over eight innings in Game Four of the 2010 World Series as a rookie. After posting the best numbers of his young career in the regular season, Bumgarner has been the most effective ace of this post-season, building on his already impressive October resumé. If the Giants can push this series past Game 5 and get two starts out of Bumgarner, veteran starters Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy should be able to pick up the rest of the slack.

Senior, pitcher

Like Kansas City, the Giants have two elite set-up men in the form of Jean Machi and Jeremy Affeldt. While their numbers aren’t as good as Kansas’ deadly duo of Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis, both posted earned run averages (ERA) under 3.00 and should be able to lock down the seventh and eighth innings. Unlike Kansas City, the Giants are sorely missing a reliable (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Gordon) closer. The demise of Sergio Romo and his devastating slider forced Manager Bruce Bochy to hand the ninth inning to Santiago Casilla. He’s gotten the job done thus far, but he had previously been known for starting the season in the minor leagues after imploding in 2013.

From centre fielder Lorenzo Cain robbing extra base hits at the wall to third baseman Mike Moustakas diving over the dugout wall head over heels to grab a foul ball, this Royals team has plus defenders at almost every position. With Gold Glovers at first base, catcher, and left field, this defence continues to impress. The only possible weakness is Norichika Aoki, who is a replacementlevel Major League right fielder.

Starting Rotation

Bullpen

economics

Baseball analysts often omit the manager’s role in their assessment of a team, arguing that the boss’ effect is negligible. However, when a matchup between two managers is so skewed, it can be a major factor. While Ned Yost has become the first manager to win his first eight games in the post-season, he is widely panned by the sabermetric community for his rigid bullpen use and bunt-happy ways. Giants’ Manager Bruce Bochy, on the other hand, has finished in the top three in Manager-of-the-Year voting five times, and won the award in 1996. His wealth of playoff experience, and his uncanny ability to bring the best out of his players should provide an important edge for the Giants in this World Series —ELIE WAITZER

These Royals are fast. With 153 stolen bases this year, Kansas City easily led the American League in swiped bags. Despite this, they know the old baseball axiom: “You can’t steal first base.” The Royals supplemented their speed by finishing third in the majors in base hits and combining for the second highest batting average. They have truly mastered the art of ‘small ball’—pushing across runs on bloop hits and savvy base running. Kansas City finished dead last in the league in home runs this year, but their bats have suddenly come alive in the post-season, swatting eight home runs over eight games. If they can stay hot, this lineup has everything you need to take a seven-game series.

X-Factor

The Royals turned heads two years ago with the now infamous trade that sent their top prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay for a package centred around James Shields. ‘Big Game James,’ as he’s known, has been terrific for the Royals over the past two seasons. His playoff appearances so far haven’t been dominant, but he’s given the Royals a chance to win in each of them. The rotation behind Shields consists of veterans Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie, who have both been solid in the playoffs, and flame-throwing Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Yordano Ventura, who led the rotation in ERA. They don’t have a true ace, but their rotation is deep and consistent.

The Kansas City bullpen is arguably the best in all of baseball. They’re so good that the triumvirate of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland has earned the nickname ‘The ThreeHeaded Monster.’ If the Royals have a lead going into the seventh inning, manager Ned Yost can hand the ball to Herrera, and from there, the game may as well be over, as a blown save is a rarity with this trio. Each reliever had an ERA under 1.50 on the year, and both Davis and Holland each struck out over 13 batters per nine innings. This team doesn’t tend to put lots of runs on the board— their dominant bullpen has been possibly the biggest key to the Royals’ success in this post-season.

This is a young team, and most of the players have no prior playoff experience. While this hasn’t been an issue so far in the post-season, they’ll be facing a team stocked with players who have invaluable World Series experience. To make the jump to World Series Champions, their three veterans—Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and James Shields—must step up and deliver. Gordon was the go-to guy in Kansas City this year, leading the team in extra base hits, RBI, and home runs. Butler had a down year, but the veteran designated hitter knows how to hit, and his experience could prove the difference in this matchup.

—ADRIAN KNOWLER

Editors’ pick: Giants in 6

REDMEN SOCCER: Sunday afternoon marked the final home game of the season for the Redmen, who were unable to pick up the win they needed against the Montreal Carabins. The two teams played to a 0-0 draw, with neither side able to capitalize despite a number of scoring chances at each end. This marks the first time in history that the Redmen have gone undefeated against the Carabins, picking up a win in their other match with the Carabins this season. Midfielder Marc Palaci-Olgun received the second of his yellow cards in the 70th minute, forcing McGill to play one man down for the final 20 minutes of the contest. Even with the tough circumstances, the Redmen finished in strong fashion, holding off the Carabins to keep the match level. McGill has two games left to play in the regular season, including a key matchup with first place UQAM. The game may ultimately be a preview of the RSEQ semifinals, as the Redmen currently sit in fourth place.

MARTLET SOCCER: Looking at the stats for the Martlet soccer team’s match against the Montreal Carabins Sunday, it would be hard to believe the end result was a 0-0 draw. McGill was absolutely dominant in every category, save for the one that matters most. The Martlets held possession for 62 per cent of the match and completed nearly triple the number of passes the Carabins made. Goalkeeper Cassandra Fafalios was practically given the night off, as McGill did not allow a shot on goal. The point from the draw pushes the Martlets ahead of Concordia in the standings and into the fourth and final playoff spot. With just two games left–on the road against UQAM and UQTR–McGill controls its fate. Wins in both games would secure a playoff berth, as would a single win coupled with a Concordia loss.

REDMEN FOOTBALL: This year’s homecoming game was one to forget for the injury-plagued Redmen football team. McGill was shutout in a 45-0 loss to fourth place Sherbrooke, and remains winless on the season. The Vert et Or led by two touchdowns following the first quarter and never looked back, dominating each frame, and putting up 524 yards of total offence in the process.

The season has been tumultuous for the Redmen both on and off the field. The new interim coaching staff has been unable to right the ship in their two games at the helm, resulting in two lopsided losses. McGill has just two games left on the schedule, and with playoffs no longer a possibility, it is unlikely that any of their injured players will be hurried back into action. Getting into the win column will be a tall order this coming week, as the Redmen host national powerhouse Laval.

19

Sports

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 HoCkey — Redmen 8, lakers 1; redmen 2, voyageurs 5

Split sours homecoming weekend for Redmen hockey McNicoll powers the offence in 8-1 rout nick jasinski Contributor Continued from page 1 McGill showed the virtues of quality over quantity in the second period as they added to their lead in the face of a resurgent Nipissing attack that put up more shots -on-goal in the period than the Redmen. Three separate Redmen netted goals in the second period before the visitors finally got on the board in the 16th minute. After Simon Tardif-Richard’s unassisted, short handed shot slid past the goal line a minute into the second period, Nipissing pulled its starting goalie. He saved 13 of 17 shots in 21 minutes on the ice. The Redmen widened their lead by another two goals in the final frame.

“One of our goals going in was to play 60 minutes [...] and the guys came out and showed that they were capable of that so it was really good to see,” Urquhart said.

The Redmen out-shot the Lakers 44-34 over the course of the game, and sophomore goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard turned away 33 of 34 shots he faced. A brawl broke out following the final whistle, with Nipiss-

ing’s Doug Harvey going at it with McGill defenceman Hugo Laporte.

Harvey was declared the instigator of the incident, and received a total of 29 penalty minutes, including gross misconduct for removing his helmet to engage in a fight, and an automatic six-game suspension.

McGill faced a stouter opponent in Laurentian University Saturday.

The Redmen went into the matchup as favourites, having won their last five encounters against the Voyageurs.

McGill struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the first period of the game and faced several long stretches without any consistent possession. The Redmen found themselves down one goal after two minutes, but McGill centre Mathieu Pompei answered with a goal of his own on a shot that found its way through the goalie’s five-hole and into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

The two teams traded power play goals in the first six minutes of the second period, and Laurentian took the lead 12 minutes in. McGill pushed hard on offence, but failed to convert two power play opportunities late in the period. By the third period,

Cedric McNicoll readies himself for the face-off (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune) the Redmen appeared exhausted and desperate, failing time and time again to crack the Voyageurs’ defence.

Gervais-Chouinard made way for an extra attacker in the final two minutes, a move that immediately backfired on Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes,

resulting in two late empty-net goals for Laurentian.

“The season is just building blocks of doing things right,” Urquhart said. “So once you do it right consistently in practice, then that shows up in the game and we showed

that we could do it on Friday [making] Saturday a bit of a letdown because we proved that we could do it [against Nipissing].”

The Redmen hit the road to face Nipissing and Laurentian again this weekend.

Behind the bench: Narratives from nothing YAHONG CHI Contributor When the Ottawa Senators appointed their superstar forward Jason Spezza captain one year ago, the response from the media was immediately critical. Beat writers and columnists wrote that the Senators would never become a strong contender unless they parted ways with the ‘selfish’ Spezza. Fast forward one year: The Dallas Stars acquire Jason Spezza and winger Ales Hemsky in a trade from Ottawa. Suddenly, Dallas is considered a stacked team in a tough Central Division.

A year later, once Spezza had moved to the Stars, the negative media stigma disappeared.

By portraying Spezza as a selfish, risky player who didn’t have the Senators’ best interests at heart, the otherwise standard procedure of appointing a captain was given loaded meaning. Conversely, focusing on his positive attributes in Dallas has allowed the media to strengthen the notion that the Stars are legitimate contenders. After Spezza’s oneyear captaincy, Ottawa scribes linked his departure to Daniel Alfredsson’s the previous year to form a narrative surrounding the Senators’ lack of leadership.

Narratives are created by

the media because of the human brain’s receptiveness to story as a way to understand and process information. Presenting a season’s ups and downs in the context of a storytelling framework triggers responses from emotionally engaged fans, serving to reel more fans into the sport. In tying common themes or introducing new plot twists, a compelling narrative can be crafted around a player, team, or season.This enables the media to create substance.

Storylines can be fascinating, but they can also be misleading. As illustrated by the Senators example, anything can be spun around and presented as a problem. This is most obvious in the stereotyping of players born outside of North America.

Russian players are consistently labeled ‘enigmatic’ upon entering the league, which associates them with a lack of teamwork, inconsistency, and reticence.

Unsurprisingly, they are in turn critiqued much more harshly.

Xenophobic comments poured in when Edmonton Oiler Nail Yakupov showboated after a goal during the 2012-2013 season, including a harsh diatribe from Canada’s infamous talking head, Don Cherry. In framing Yakupov as a cocky, disrespectful young

(Photo courtesy of Fred Chartrand / The Canadian Press) player, his on-ice production— arguably more important than his temperament—was obscured.

There are good narratives and bad narratives; using them well in sports writing helps make sense out of seasons, which can become chaotic when viewed as a whole. When Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding’s multiple sclerosis was revealed during the 2013-14 season, his battle was followed league-wide and recognized with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy at the season’s end. Occasionally, narratives can also be used to speculate about

intangibles like leadership, ‘veteran presence,’ and chemistry.

Because it’s difficult for fans to evaluate these factors for themselves, these storylines are highly influential. Presenting certain players as strong leaders in the locker room or a certain team as a tight-knit group isn’t easily contradicted by facts; there isn’t always an obvious right or wrong storyline.

But narratives aren’t necessarily the only way to write about sports. Take the weekly 30 Thoughts column by Elliotte Friedman. This is an excellent

compilation of information and tidbits about various NHL-related issues, sourced through Friedman’s insider contacts. Although certain points may cover the same team, there is no clear overarching storyline. Evidently, it’s possible to approach sports without having to tell a forced story.

In the end, the validity of the narrative lies in the hands of the writer who creates it. Though stories may be second nature to us as humans, it remains important to critically examine the tendency to create narrative out of nothing.

20

Sports

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Basketball — Martlets 1st, Redmen 2nd

Redmen struggle, Martlets shine in annual Redbird Classic Sylla, Dufort remain in top form Aaron rose Staff Writer

Martlets

Coming off their third RSEQ Championship in as many years, the McGill Martlets swept the Redbird Classic with wins over Lakehead, Regina, and Toronto.

The Martlets took control of their first game early with an 18-8 lead after the first quarter, but the Lakehead Timberwolves stormed back in the second and McGill went into halftime clinging to a one-point lead. Led by junior centre Alexandria Kiss-Rusk, the Martlets blew the game wide open as they outscored the Timberwolves by 18 in the second half. Kiss-Rusk and reigning RSEQ Player-of-the-Year Mariam Sylla combined for 27 points, and 5’4” point guard Marika Guerin pulled down a game high nine rebounds.

In their second game, the Martlets jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, en route to a 73-41 drubbing of the Regina Cougars. While Sylla had trouble shooting all night—connecting on just one of her 10 attempts—she took advantage of free throws, shooting nine for 10 from the charity stripe. The starters struggled throughout the night, but the bench picked up the slack, scoring 46 of the team’s 73 points. Sophomore guard Carolann Cloutier came off the bench to lead the team with a gamehigh 16 points on 86 per cent shooting, including a perfect four for four from three point range.

Cloutier cooled off in the tournament finale, but the Martlets stayed redhot, downing the Toronto Varsity Blues 68-59. Sylla led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her second doubledouble of the tournament. Senior point guard Dianna Ros facilitated the lethal McGill offence with four assists to go along with her 17 points.

The Martlets will head down south to take on the Maine Black Bears of the NCAA on Nov. 1 in what will be a good measuring stick for this year’s potent squad. Their RSEQ season kicks off on Nov. 6 at Love Competition Hall against the Bishop’s Gaiters.

Redmen

After back-to-back RSEQ Championships, the McGill Redmen hosted their annual Redbird Classic tournament at Love Competition Hall this past weekend. The Redmen, 3-3 in preseason, opened the tournament against an inexperienced St. Francis Xavier squad. McGill found themselves down by 11 at the start of the fourth quarter, but stingy defensive play allowed the Redmen to claw back and tie it up late.

Captain Vincent Dufort led the way with 20 points and 10 boards while sophomore power forward François Borque picked up where he left off after his exceptional freshman season, posting an impressive double-double. Borque tied it up at 65-65 with four seconds left, but the X-Men pulled away in overtime en route to a 77-73 victory.

Day two of the tournament saw the

Redmen captain Vincent Dufort takes it to the hole (LA Benoit/ McGill Tribune) Redmen take on the Brock Badgers, and once again McGill fell behind in the first quarter as they dealt with turnover issues and poor shooting. Sophomore forward Michael Peterkin proved to be the spark plug in the second half, catching fire from beyond the arc and scoring 12 of his 16 points from deep. The Redmen stormed back in the second half, finally pulling ahead in the fourth quarter with backup point guard Jenning Leung leading the way. Leung scored a game-high 17 points—including two ‘and-one’ plays—as well as a buzzer beating three at the end of the third.

“I’ve been struggling with my shot recently,” Leung said. “So it was nice to see them finally go in, especially that half court shot. I just saw the ball rolling […] so I decided to pick it up and throw it because there wasn’t much time, and it went in.”

After his big game against the Badgers, Leung found himself in the starting lineup against the CIS top-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Redmen fell behind early, however, and never got back into it, losing 88-56. It’s early, but the Redmen clearly still have a few kinks to work out if they want to compete for the

CIS title this season.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s only October,” Head Coach Dave DeAverio said. “You’re going to make a lot of mistakes in October, as we did last year [….] The idea is to just get better and better every day.”

The Redmen finish off their preseason in St. Catherines at the RBC Brock Classic, where they will take on Windsor, York, and Ryerson. On Nov. 8, they return home to take on a tough Bishop’s Gaiters team in what could be a RSEQ Championship game preview.

Athletes of the Week The fraction of Martlet rugby’s points that were contributed by Caroline Suchorski in the team’s playoff loss to Ottawa.Suchorski scored off of one try, two penalty kicks and two conversions.

The number of goals the Redmen lacrosse squad scored in their 7-6 overtime victory against the University of Massachussetts-Lowell Riverhawks, the first win over NCAA division 1 opposition in program history

Cedric McNicoll

Cassandra Fafalios

McNicoll was impressive this past weekend, netting five points in two games, including four assists.

The former QMJHL and AHL star from Longueil, QC led the team in scoring in 2013-14 and has showed no signs of letting up thus far this season. In Friday night’s 8-1 dismantling of the Nippising Lakers, he played a direct part on half of McGill’s goals, with one goal and three assists. Despite a disappointing night for the team on Saturday, McNicoll put forth a strong effort and picked up an assist in the process.

This is Fafalios’ second time taking home Athlete-of-the-Week honours. The Martlets played two games over the weekend. In the first, a 3-0 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters, Fafalios was outstanding, saving a penalty kick en route to a Player-of-the-Game award.

She once again stonewalled the opposing team against the Montreal Carabins in a 0-0 draw. Although she was not tested—the Carabins couldn’t muster a single shot on goal—her ability to organize the defence was instrumental in maintaining the clean sheet.

Redmen hockey–Centre Sophomore, Management

Martlet soccer–Goalkeeper Sophomore, Arts

Total penalty minutes doled out to the Redmen hockey team and their opponents, the Nipissing Lakers, in Friday night’s game.

Number of passes completed by the Martlet soccer team Sunday against the Montreal Carabins.