Ttif MCGILL TRIBUNE
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
Volume 6, Issue 12
Published by the Students' Society of McGill University ..... .........
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See Special Underfunding Feature pages 5, 6 & 7
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The McGill Tribune
T U ES D A Y NOVEMBER 25
W HAT’S ON portant vote will be taken on new logo. For more info: 392-8941. Students' Council meeting w ill be held at 7 pm in Union 107/108. Come and find what (they talk about) is happening. The STD booth w ill be in McConnell Hall today. Women's Union w ill hold their general meeting at 4 pm followed by a discussion on Women in the Law. Project Ploughshares is holding a general meeting at 7 pm in Union 310. Lots and lots of exciting vibrant new ideas for next semester, Peace Festival Planning and fun things. All welcome.
• • Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) meeting will be held at 6:30 in the Arts Council Room. • The Power Within You. A Series of • workshops specially designed to em power women in their quest for in • dependence are held Tuesdays from 10 to 1:30 am in Rm 301 of the Powell Bldg. For info: 392-5111. • • Take your photos now! The deadline for thé Photo exhibit/contest 1987 is February 14. For more info: Call the Camera Club, 392-8943. • Caravan is coming! An International Handicraft Display and Sale will be held today until Friday from 10 to 6 in B09/10 of the Union Building. NOVEMBER 27 Help the third world while buying your X-mas gifts! • It's STD Awareness Week! M cGill Stu • Assert yourself. Assertiveness training workshops are held in the Powell dent Health Services is sponsoring Bldg, from 11 am to 12:30 pm in this week of information and Room 301. For more information: awareness. A pharmaceutical com 392-5111. pany has supplied 4000 condoms to be distributed from the various • A rts and S cie n ce D epartm en t Meetings w ill be held at 6:30. booths on campus. Prizes w ill be Science Department in the Arts given to the individual who can Council Room and Arts Department guess most closely the number of jel in Arts 110. ly beans in a condom! • I Confess by Alfred Hitchock, with Karl Malden and Montgomery Clift w ill be held in the FDAA at 7:30 pm. NOVEMBER 26 Admission: $2.00. Presented by the M cGill Film Society. • Diplomacy, a game of strategy and • The Women's Union will be holding a skill. You studied it - now play it! Potluck supper at 6:30. For direc Sign up in the Poli Sci secretary's of tions or more info: 392-8920. fice, or come to Leacock 429 from 6 • The Alpine Club and M cGill Outing to 10. Sponsored by the P.S.S.A. Club present Fred Becky, Interna • The Senate w ill meet today at 2:20 pm tional Mountaineer, in a slide presen in Leacock 232. tation of Mountaineering in China. • The Black Students' Network is Tickets are $3 and are available at holding its last general meeting. Im the door. Stewart Biology Bldg, 51/4
at 7:30 pm. • M cGill University's Department of English presents Peter Arnott on Sight and Sound: a problem in Greek Theatre. In Leacock 26 at 3 pm. • Irish Studies at M cG ill presents Grainne Yeats who w ill give a talk entitled "Turlough Carolan and his music''. Arts West 215 at 8 pm. •G ra d u a te S tu d en ts C h ris tia n Fellowship presents Capitalism and Socialism: Is there a Third Alter native?" Thomson House, 12 to 1 pm. For more info: 489-7683. • The STD Booth w ill be at Royal Vic toria College today.
THURSDAY
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28
• The M cGill Debating Union will hold a general meeting at 3 pm in Arts W 270. All welcome. • This Is Spinal Tap, with Michael McKean and Christopher Guest will be shown in Leacock 132 at 7:30. Admission: $2.25. Don't miss this hilarious satire. • Appropriate Technology: Bridging the Developed and Developing worlds, w ill be the subject of a lecutre given by Dr. Steve Slaby from Princeton University. He describes his field as "technology of the people, by the people and for the people." Leacock 26 at 7 pm. • The STD booth will be in the Royal Victorial College today. Last chance to guess how many jelly beans.
W ED N ES D A Y
SATU R D AY
with Clark Gable and Claudette Col bert will be shown in Leacock 132 at 7:30 pm. Admission: $2.25. Don't miss this Academy Award Winner! • international Students: are you stay ing in Montréal over Christmas? Do you have anywhere to go during the holidays? How about a Traditional Christmas and/or holiday dinner with a Canadian family? Call: 392-4804.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 Students' Society of
• The
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University announces Theatre Ballet of Canada in Moyse Hall, Arts Building at 8 pm. Tickets $5 for students, $6 for public. Info: 392-8926. • Photo Society Members: a general meeting w ill be held at 7 pm in 107 of the Union. Why? New equipment, the photo co ntest, etc. C a ll 392-8942. • M cGill Debating Union w ill hold an In-House Debate at 6 pm in Union 310. All welcome!
a t ’s n ?
If you don't know... You haven't checked the Trib's weekly events column on page 2.
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Demise O f Apartheid Deemed Inevitable In 1985, the ANC called upon the masses to make the government "un workable." Saloojee commented that the success of this operation is proven by the fact that black townships are now "ungovernable" without the use of military and police forces. This political instability causes economic hardships. Said Saloojee, "the economic climate of South Africa had been rendered fragile by the political ac tions of the masses." Large firms began to pull out of South Africa, not because they "suddenly realized that apartheid was bad," Saloojee emphasized, "but because it was economically unfeasible to stay." Saloojee stressed that the economic weakening of the government is the key to its demise. He encouraged individuals as well as companies in the West to help by boycotting South African products. South Africans are planning a national consumer boycott during the Christmas se aso n w h ic h S a lo o je e c a lle d "Christmas Against the Emergency." It w ill last from December 16 to the 26, during which time people w ill stay at home to pay tribute to all those who have already died in the struggle. Saloo jee said that this sort of resistance is most effective because it is impossible for the military to go from house to house or to force people to buy. One question from the audience con cerned the extent to which the ANC has been infiltrated by a Communist ele ment. Saloojee admitted that there are Communists in the party but this is because the ANC is open to all who sup port its policies. He also admitted that they would accept assistence from the Soviet government, but was quick to em phasize that this did not mean that they would later become part of the Soviet Union.
by Janet Mitchell Speaking at M cGill last Wednesday, Yasaf Saloojee, the African National Congress (ANC) official representative to Canada, asserted that the demise of Apartheid is imminent. Saloojee reminded the audience that although South Africa is not as promi nent in the media as it was last year, "South Africa's struggle is very much alive except that you don't know about it:" He cited the South African Govern ment's moratorium on international press releases as the reason why the West is no longer hearing as much about the struggle. Saloojee stated that a crisis point was reached in South Africa in 1983 as a result of the current regime's attempt to assume total control over the masses. A policy of "Total Strategy" was adopted, designed to secure White power and to "take over the hearts and minds of all people." However, the people resisted this policy, said Saloojee, and began to rebel. At first they protested quietly by refusing to pay for rent, busfare, and other basics. An educational crisis also arose as students refused to attend school. Eventually the disquiet grew as people became fed up with the "crimes of Apar theid. "The real crime of Apartheid," said Saloojee, "is the perpetual state of hunger, poverty, starvation, and d ise a s e " w h ich the governm ent "guarantees" for the black population. The ANC's main goal is to create a new South African Nation in which there w ill be no racial discrimination. He stressed that the ANC is not fighting against Whites but against the system of Apartheid which encourages racial pre judice and endorses it "legally."
Saloojee stated that in South Africa there are currently two distinct forces: A ruling, white, racist government and a p o w e rfu f, p re d o m in a n tly b la c k resistance. He believes this may end in outright confrontation, but the ANC is considering how the loss of life can be minimized. For Saloojee, the demise of Apartheid is a certainty, it's only a ques tion of when.
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PGSS President Resigns Post by Glenn Pierce Post Graduate Student Society (PGSS) president Robert Barsky resigned last week at a meeting of the PGSS ex ecutive. Barsky was not available to comment, but PGSS council speaker Steven Fraser, said that Barsky "resigned for personal reasons. He mentioned that his studies were imposing some very heavy time restraints." Barsky's resignation comes following a series of attempts by him and others to implement some reform of the financial policies of PGSS. On September 1, last
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year's VP Internal Alex Koukoulas sub mitted a letter to the PGSS Board of Directors summarizing what he felt were inadequacies in PGSS financial policy. He voiced concern over "issues concer ning finances, hiring policies, bar management and the future direction of Thomson House and Post Graduate Stu dent Society operations." Koukoulas told the Tribune that "any grad student who knows what's going on at Thomson House is concerned. What's worse, the executive for the most part does not want to discuss these problems.
The way things are presented, it looks like an open and shut case, but the pro blems still exist." The reforms that Barsky, Koukoulas, and PGSS Bar and Monetary Committee member Ramesh Singal suggested to the executive included review of the Thom son House infrastructure. Last year, the positions of Bar Manager and Book keeper were consolidated into the single position of House Administrator. "It is unwise," wrote Koukoulas in a report to PGSS council "to allow a single •
page 4
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The McGill Tribune
Coalition Courts Studsoc by Jennifer Mori At the November 12 Council meeting, a motion to join a coalition of Quebec universities was tabled until this Wednesday's Council meeting. The mo tion, as proposed, advised that Studsoc join the coalition conditional upon removal of all mention of tuition fee in creases from its platform. Due to the reversal of Students' Society policy on tuition increases, it is doubtful whether the motion will be passed. "The compromise was suggested to us by the coalition," said Ian Brodie, Stud soc Vice President (External) at last Mon day's External A ffairs Committee meeting. According to Brodie, the coali tion is being formed by renegade RAEU members who are dissatisfied with the present organization; three of the five founding members are members of RAEU; FAECUM (Université de Mon tréal) CADEUL (Laval), and MCSS (MacDonald College). Besides opposing tui tion hikes, the coalition opposes sup plementary course materials charges and advises increased university funding from the provincial government. "They are going out of their way to ensure that CUSA (Concordia University Students' Association) and Studsoc are members," said Brodie. "It's incredibly mixed up; I don't know what's going o n," he added. When asked why he proposed that Studsoc join the coalition, he replied, "I thought that it would be more produc tive than RAEU." Two sub-committees of the External Affaris Committee (EAC) were formed at the meeting, one to investigate federal research funding and the other to con duct a review of Bill 32, the controver
sial student association accreditation bill, in anticipation of its possible review by the provincial government in March. Late this spring, the federal govern ment revised its research funding policy, intending to share funding respon sibilities with the private sector but the details of this policy have yet to be work ed out. "Students' Society has few graduate student policies," said Brodie, "and so far as I know PGSS has no coherent policy on federal funding." The sub committee w ill be investigating the structure and resources of the main gran ting agencies and research funding at M cGill, in Québec, and in Canada. "It's the worst drafted piece of legisla tion in Québec history," said François Longpré, Law Rep. to Council and exofficio member of EAC in criticism of Bill 32. This bill, passed in June 1983, was intended to give student university associations across Québec the same protection and responsibilities as labour unions. The bill was drafted and ramm ed through the National Assembly in four, weeks despite the objections of many student societies. Much discontent has been expressed and the bill is due to come up for revision in March 1987. Currently, no student association -at M cGill is accredited under Bill 32; Stud soc is legally a department of the univer sity. In other business, an enquiry is presently underway concerning a $200 course materials fee levied on students in the School of Library and Information Studies. Students are charged twice — once for a $100 computer time fee last year and again, when Senate imposed
the infamous $100 materials charge. Under Québec law, universities cannot charge more than $100 in course materials fees. At press time, the results of the inquiry were unknown. Another topic of discussion was the circulation of a petition to freeze or lower M UCTC rates for students. The petition is issued by a group of CEGEPS who request M cGill's assistance in distributing the petition.
M cGill Crossroads present
Dr. Steve Slaby Princeton University
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
W rite to Santa c / o The Trib
by Heather Clancy A decision concerning the construction of a new daycare centre at Macdonald College has taken "what feels like an eternity" to achieve according to Laurie Novinger, Chairper son of the Parent Executive Committee for the Daycare Cen tre. In a meeting on November 3rd, the Executive Commit tee of the Board of Governors (BoG) approved the latest up date of the much-delayed plan. The original proposal called for the construction of a new Macdonald/John Abbot College (MAC/JAC) Daycare Centre with a total estimated cost of $450,000. Sources from the Daycare Centre freely admitted that the presentfacility does not meet government standards. "If you saw where we were, you would understand immediately," explained Diane Kirschner, Director. According to Chuck Adler, Physical Planning Officer at M cGill, the centre is currently operating under a "period of grace." Proof that a new facility is being built must be given to the Office de services de garde à l'enfance, or the centre w ill lose its operating permit in September 1987. In principle, a third of the required $450,000 was to come from the Town of -5te-Anne-de-Bellevue. In return, the municipality would be provided with a small space for a meeting center. Community children would comprise onethird of the approximately 50 children the center could ac commodate. M cGill was forced to rethink its plans when the town decided to withdraw from the project in August of this year.
continued from page 3 ►p e r s o n ...t o w ie ld so m uch * responsibility." The issue of salaries of Thomson House employees was also questioned, j"R ig ht now ," said Koukoulas, "fifty per>cent and more of the bar revenue goes to paying salaries. This is way out of line with industry standards for restaurants .arid bars, which run from ten to fifteen ’ per cent." "M y feeling is that right now, student fees are going to subsidize the bar. Our expenditures are outrageous," con’ tinued Koukoulas. "I just want to see that the money of the students is well spent," Singal told the Trib. Singal emphasized the need for infor
Bill Tierney, Town Councillor in the East Ward of the Town, explained the decision by stating that "Discussing things with M cGill is no easy task." According to Tierney, negotiations between M cGill and the town had been a "loosely-worded arrangement." Aid from the town was to have been in the form of a longterm capital investment ot $150,000 over the next 20 years, approximately $7,500/year. The town was unable to make this type of com mitment without consulting the Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The reaction of the Ministry, "they assumed we were building a palace," convinced the town that they could not participate to this extent. M cGill adjusted its plans to work around the loss of this monetary support. Last Monday, BoG passed the Executive Committee's recommendation detailing the contruction of a building with the remaining funds. The entire proceeding is colored by a certain lack of com munication between the parties concerned. The Building Committee which was supposed to draw up the concrete terms of the arrangement has never met. According to the Chairperson Novinger, Ste. Anne de Bellevue was "never given an alternative offer." Tierney also remarked that there had been no reorganization of approach, the two sides were functioning as "hermeticallyrsealed units." This is signifi cant considering that the Center is the only daycare center in the municipality and according to Kirschner, has a "waiting list of 104 people."
mation. "I am in support of the new pro posals," he said. "W e should look at our organization, and if there is a shadow of a doubt about our policies, then we should investigate further to see if pro blems do exist, and if they do, how we can solve them." Koukoulas said that he brought up the reform proposals last year to the ex ecutive, but they were never discussed with the PGSS council. In a PGSS meeting on August 6, VP Finance Jaci Winters invited all concerned to submit written questions or criticisms of PGSS financial policy. Barsky did so, and out of some twenty-five changes he propos ed in two letters, three were adopted by PGSS Board and Executive as financial policy. "It's not as if we don't need the money," Koukoulas remarked. "But when I bring up suggestions as to the
financial policies in the interests of mak ing money, nothing happens." PGSS recently took out a $10,000 loan to in stall air conditioning in Thomson House. Winters stated that the executive and council are satisfied with current finan cial policy. "The council has been over this year's budget and it has been ap proved," she said. "Some of the sugges tions (made by Barsky, Koukoulas, and Singal) were not feasible due to the con text of the situation. We looked at the proposals and did what we felt we could." "If there is dissension between elec t d officials, PGSS members should pay more attention to their organization," Singal concluded. "I invite my fellow graduate students to get involved in their society. An executive that's got an in volved constituency is less likely to get lazy.”
THE McGILl TRIBUNE 0
7n
Editor-in-Chief Melanie Clulow News Editor - Michèle Dupuis Entertainment Editors Sheryl Ackerman Barbro Dick
Bridging the Developed and Developing Worlds
Features Editor - Kate Morisset Sports Editor - Chris Flanagan Photo Editor - Ezra Greenberg
Assistant Editor Heather Cfancy Production Manager - Stephanie Zefm. r Production Assistants Mariam Bouchoutrouch Mary Chambers Julie Hubbard Sara Beam Ad Manager - Jack Berry Cover Design - Janet McMullen
Contributors: Ian Brodie, Tosh Bums, Mario Carobene, Robert Costain, Mike Doria, Boyd Holmes, Moira MacDonald, Janet Mitchell, Jennifer Mori, Glenn Pierce, Ian Pringle, David Wright
Friday, November 28th, 1986 7:00 PM Stephen Leacock Bldg. Room 26 <j Co-sponsored by:
TELL US WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
McGill Foots New Daycare Bill
PGSS McGill Student Pugwash
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
The M cG ill Tribune is published by the Students' Society of M c G ill University. Opin ion s expressed do not necessarily represent Students' Society of M c G ill University opinions or policy The Tribune editorial office is located in B -15 of the University Centre, 3480 M cTavish Street, Montréal, Q uébec. H 3 A 1X9, telephone 392-8927. Letters and submissions should be left at the editorial offices or in ihe Tribune mailbox at the Students' Society General Office.
1426 Stanley
842-5575
This is your paper Comments, complaints, or compliments should be addressed to Kevin Davis C hair man, Tribune Publications Board, and left at the Students' Society General Office is located in room 8-22 of the University Centre. Its telephone local is 392-8954. Typesetting and assembly by D aily Typesetting, 3480 M cTavish Street, Montreal. Printing by Payette and S.mms, St. Lambert, Quebec.
page 4
The McGill Tribune
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
FEATURES
Post-Secondary Funding: Scopes And Limits
by Ian Pringle A long time ago, Christopher Marlowe informed mankind that we had no sin, save that of ignorance, and with the recent proliferation of media coverage and general concern over the subject of govern ment funding, or more aptly underfunding, to our institutions of higher learning, Marlowe's axiom begs reflection. Education is presumed to dispel ignorance and yet it appears to be abundant in the con troversy raging over public funding of post-secondary education. In this situation, recognizing the existence of a problem is doubtless the first in a series of actions which may hopefully lead to a solution. And there is no question that a problem does exist! It is an ex tremely complex one; one which exists on many different levels and one which spans economics, social concerns (including student activism, or apathy as the case may be), and politics within different governments — be they university administration or university student societies, federal or provincial legislations. The history of the issue of governmental support to institutions of higher education in this country is a long one. A good place to begin is in the late 1960s when enrolment in universities was extremely high and economic circumstances were prosperous. In 1969, the Quebec Government placed a freeze on tuition fees, a policy secure until the recent election of the Bourassa Liberal Government. The number of universities and the scope of their educational facilities expanded with the positive economic outlooks. According to Ian Brodie, Students' Society VP External, "In the early seventies M cGill (University) had more money than they knew what to do w ith." But the tables have turned...rather dramatically. In the context of the 1980s when our economic situation is generally described in terms such as sluggish, deficit ridden, recessive or even depressive, governments, both federal and provincial, are making overall cutbacks in spending and universities are being forced into managing and maintaining high levels of quality without adequate funding. Between 1979 and 1981, universities in Quebec bore the brunt of the government's budgetary cuts. The effects of underfunding are substantial and far-reaching. For both Concordia University and the M cGill University deficits w ill exceed $30 million by the end of this academic year and interest payments w ill approach 3 million. Quebec now stands with the highest student-to-teacher ratio in North America. Concordia has seen 264 course sections slashed since 1981 due to deficit control and already low salaries have been frozen. In this situation, how are universities expected to compete with private business for qualified experts in the high-technology fields? In order to reduce costs, what suf fers is the quality of education provided. In addition, the underfunding issue has created tension and conflict between the three major levels of governing bodies involved: the provincial and to a lesser ex tent federal governments; the university administration and; the university student associations. Ad ministrations complain of inadequate funds and when the provincial governments don't respond, the threat of increased tuition fees is raised, at which point the students' unions begin accusations of limited accessibility. In both Quebec and Ontario, university administrations have circumvented government bans or limits on tuition hikes by imposing non-tuition fees. At Ryerson Pdlytechnical In stitute in Toronto students were hit with a 125% increase in non-curricular fees. At M cG ill, students were forced to pay $100 to cover photocopying costs and Concordia students were faced with similar charges. In dealing with this problem, an age old cliché comes to mind, that 'with privilege comes respon sibility.' W e in Canada are privileged with one of the finest educational systems in the world, both for its accessibility, and its quality. But with whom does the responsiblity lie for its continued success? When confronted with the opinion that unviersities must suffer with times of overall economic hardsip, Peter Wheeland, a CUSA representative called this a "very short-term and dangerous approach." He continued, saying that education was not merely a service, but an economic and social investment. In terms of economic revival "the quality of manpower is the key." Based on this argument, Concordia proposes a 160 million dollar increase in funding. Ontario and Quebec are rated ninth and tenth respectively, as the most heavily underfunded pro vinces in the country in terms of post-secondary éducation. The big question, once the dramatic and detrimental effects of underfunding have been exposed, is what can be done? and what is being done? In Ontario, action was taken on October 16th in the form of a cooperative rally between University of Toronto and York University, Ryerson Institute and the Ontario College of Art. It was labelled 'Stop the Gap' and it involved the participation of some 5000 students. It was organized through the respec tive student and administrative societies of the institutions. The rally, held in U of T's Convocation Hall was attended and addressed by Gregory Sorbara, Minister of Colleges and Universities, Larry Grossman and Bob Rae, leaders of Ontario's opposition parties and Dr. John Polanyi the recent Nobel
Prize recipient. Some two weeks later, the government took positive action. On the third of November, an 11.5% or $148.7 million increase in funding for 1987/88 was announced. In addition, the govern ment maintained its 4% ceiling on tuition increases. The increase is directly in line with budgetary pro posals of the Ontario Council on University Affairs and is intended to improve teaching equipment and library funds, enrôlement growth and accessibility and "allow our institutions to contribute in a very significant way to the Province's economic and social growth." What it demonstrates above all else is the positive response to action and participation. Here in Quebec, while the environment is necessarily different, the problem is still very much the same. Faced with a lack of revenue within the university administrations, the Bourassa Government established a month-long parliamentary commisssion to investigate the problem. It appeared as though one resultant action would be an end to the 17 year freeze on tuition. Another would be the establish ment of tuition fees in the provincial CEGEPS. A few institutions, originally including the M cGill Stu dent's Society, supported the idea as a necessary method of internal revenue raising, but the reaction of the majority was quite different. At UQAM , the Université de Québec à Montréal, on the 21 st of October, the initial thrust began when a general assembly of UQAM students voted 90% in favour of a three day strike. As support grew, ANEQ declared unlimited strike action involving the participatio of over 60 000 students from 20 CEGEPs and universities across the province. Eight university student associations, including the Université de Montréal, Bishops, Laval, Université de Québec à Rimouski and Trois-Rivières and Con cordia, while obtaining the mandate to strike chose instead to form a coalitition agreeing to a universal day of action and a protest march. It was hailed by both the striking movement and CUSA as having showed solidarity among the different student bodies. Both groups supported the same fundamental demands made of the Liberal Government, specifically: maintenance of the freeze on tuition fees until the end of their mandate, tuition free CEGEPs and a review of the loans and bursaries system now in ef fect. After two weeks, ANEQ voted to end the strike as their three demands were conceded by the govern ment on the condition that the strike be dissolved. A temporary tuition freeze was put into effect, the policy of CEGEP tuition fees was dismissed and a round table discussion was initiated on the topic of loans and bursaries. Now how does M cGill enter into the situation? Ian Brodie recognizes that "Yes, there is definitely a problem" concerning underfunding at M cGill. The problem is manifest in the size of the classes which has increased dramatically in past years. There is insufficient staff to deal with an increase in first year enrollment. The action taken by the university administration is clear. According to Brodie they are "putting pressure" on the government to increase funding and have made "extraordinary attempts" to raise money privately — to the tune of 62 million dollars. This figure comes to us as a narrowed down departmental proposal to realistically and suffi ciently upgrade M cGill facilities. Is it enough? Brodie doesn't think so and for further evidence we can look to the original proposal which amounted to 225 million dollars in upgrading. It seems the administration is doing its part on the path to the realisation of the solution to the pro blem; and participation would appear to be the key...so what of the students and their union? Brodie says M cGill is noticeably less active, but says that a lack of staff in the department limits the union's ex ternal affairs to one issue at a time and this semester it was focused on the Parliamentary Commission. Surely this is an internal issue as well. A major drive is planned in the second semester to sensitize students to the problems at hand. One of the problems is that M cGill's status as a research institution as opposed to a teaching one, means funding is provided to a large extent from the federal government and this does less for undergraduate programs and priorities. When questioned as to the likelihood of any real degree of student activism on the part of M cGill students, Brodie responded cynically. "Most students now know nothing but an underfunded university. People just accept it." An indicator of this was the student vote concerning the question of M cGill's participation in the provincial students' association. It was during the week when the ANEQ initiated strike action. Out of some 21 000 students, only approximately 1100 participated in the vote. Similarly, on November 4th only 'several hundred' students out of 23 000 participated in the day of protest and march at Concordia University. "O verall, we were disappointed, but it was as well as could be expected," said Scott White, CoPresident of CUSA. Ignorance in this issue appears to be one of the major barriers to the realisation of a solution. It exists on the part of many students, especially at M cGill and Concordia and on the part of our population in general to the deteriorating state of our universities. But if the present goal of greater awareness is achieved, will that initiate any results or w ill we merely discover that behind the blissful cloak of ig norance lie the far more dangerous elements of apathy and indifference?
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The McGill Tribune
Humanities Grants Slashed The federal government spent $523 SSHRC has historically been propor million in 1984-85 supporting research tionately much lower, to the point where conducted in Canadian universities. funding for humanities research is now a Most of this support was funded through joke. Whereas NSERC and MRC receiv the three main research granting agen ed $261 million and $128 million cies — the Natural Sciences and respectively in 1984-85 to fund universi Engineering Research Council (NSERC), ty research, SSHRC received only $38 the Medical Research Council (MRC), million to fund university research. In the past, NSERC and MRC have and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). been able to fund most of the excellent Although none of the three is par projects which apply for funding. Get ticularly well-funded, and there are ting an SSHRC grant for research has always more worthy projects than there been compared to winning a lottery. is money available, funding to the
Funding is so scarce that pressing and important research projects have been cancelled for lack of support. Last year, the External Affairs Commit tee undertook a postcard campaign to support the funding of humanities research by the federal government. Although the success of such campaigns is hard to measure in concrete terms, rumoured drastic cutbacks in the SSHRC budget did not appear, and the cutbacks announced were mild compared to what the rumours indicated.
Province Giveth And TakethAway by Jennifer Mori University underfunding is a fact of life in the province of Québec. Inadequate funding is a problem that has been plaguing universities for almost a decade. The Québec government has realized the seriousness of the situation and has re cen tly summoned a Parliamentary commission to examine university funding. Briefs were solicited from individual student associations, stu dent federations, university administra tions, faculty organizations, and profes sional bodies. Decisive action to resolve the funding crisis was deemed im perative by all; the fundamental dilem ma is the source of that funding. Who ought to pay for university education? The "not me" attitude seems to prevail. Most student associations and federations hold that the responsibility lies with the province, whose obligation they believe it is to produce educated and enlightened individuals to enrich and benefit society. University ad ministrations tend to lay responsibility at the doors of both students and govern ment while faculty appears to be split on the issue. Students, who find high costs of living the major burden to university accessibility want the 20-year-old tuition freeze maintained and an improved system of loans and bursaries. Ad ministration, struggling under heavy deficits, juggling slashed budgets and in adequate funds while launching round after round of corporate and alumni fun ding drives, cries out for a rehaul of the entire system of university funding. Faculty, faced with teaching huge classes under cramped conditions, strug gling with antiquated and/or inadequate research materials (not to mention grants), and suffering under salary restraints, lobby for increased research
and equipment grants. The vital question is how the quality of education can be improved without compromising its ac cessibility. The problem is twofold; education is threatened not only by cuts in university funding, but the flaws of the financial aid system as well. The Québec government is in serious financial trouble. The provincial deficit is close to $3 billion dollars and both the loans and bursaries network and univer sity funding have been subjected to strict budget cuts. $24.3 million has been slashed from loans and bursaries and $33.6 million from university funding. On paper, the amounts granted to both sectors rise every year; however, con sidered in real terms, university funding has been cut 33% since 1978. The cut in page 6
loans and bursaries funds is not known. Funding cuts to the universities started in the late seventies when the economic recession hit North America. Funding never returned to previous levels and as costs went up, universities were forced to fall back on private resources. During this period and afterward, provincial government subsidies were the primary source of university funding and took on an increasing importance as tuition fees remained frozen throughout the seven ties and eighties. To complicate matters, the base budget formula is changed every few years (the base budget is a fixed amount based upon the previous year's expen diture and a variable sum linked to the university's development plans and the growth of its enrollment). Base budget financing is complicated by the prélève ment system, by which the Ministry deducts sums from its fixed pool of its educational budget for ore-determined purposes. Thus, the total fund from which universities draw a large portion of their budget can be lessened on an adhoc basis. This shortfall in revenue is compounded by failure to properly in dex university grants to inflation and salary policy. Declining amounts of government research funds and the general stretching of financial resources has made it necessary for universities to so licit external research funding; (M cGill's external research funding has tripled since 1978) or to undertake joint research projects with other universities and the public sector. However, external research funding puts pressure on operating revenues which do not take in to account the indirect costs of research. Various remedies have been suggested for these ailments. The Conseil des U n iversités, the Conférence des
Recteurs et Principaux des Universités du Québec (CRÉPUQ), and M cGill feel that the provincial government should give universities enough money to at least balance their annual budgets, to of fer more opportunities for individuals and corporate funding, to allow univer sities to raise tuition fees, to correct the base budget funding system, to abolish prélèvements, and to index budgets in real terms with respect to salaries, research funds, libraries, operating budgets, and costs per student. These bodies also advise that the provincial government put more money into university resources and specifically give research funds to the major provin cial granting councils; le Fonds pour la Formation de chercheurs et l'aide à la
recherche (Fonds FCAR), le Fonds de recherch en Santé du Québec (FRSQ), and le Conseil Québécois de recherche sociale (CQRS). The problem with the loans and bur saries system lies more in poor organiza tion of the network than in underfunding although student aid has been subject to as much numbers' juggling as any other social Welfare program. W hile the loans and bursaries network shows a nominal funding increase for the 1986-87 year, the effect is nullified by the raising of the loan ceiling for bursary eligibility; the government grants fewer bursaries and collects more interest. There are complaints that the system is based on unrealistic foundations that do not reflect the conditions that students have to face. AN EQ , RAEU and Students' Society concur in criticizing the system; all agree that there are serious difficulties with the classification of students as dependent/non-dependent and resident and the slowness of the granting procedure. Nobody is satisfied with the methods of calculation of stu dent income, a complicated business that assumes compulsory contributions from parents, students, and spouses. The three protest the prohibition of loan grants to part-time students. ANEQ has produced a comprehensive 21 point critique of the present financial aid system. The Student Aid Committee of RAEU has produced a report on the loans and bursaries system and Studsoc has a ten point loans and bursaries review in January and is soliciting pro posals for an entirely new system. There is no doubt that the funding crisis is acute and it is easy to say that the solution is more money but from where will it come? The majority of solutions proposed so far tread the traditional path of increased government funding or tui-
tion fee increases. One radical departure is POET (Post Obligatory Education Tax), a proposal where the student's education would be entirely subsidized throughout his/her university degree(s), he/she repaying the government through a 3% tax on income after graduation when the student is employed. The system has practical drawbacks but it is a sorely needed fresh approach. Initiative to solve the problem must come from within the universities; the greatest in tellectual challenge for Québec univer sities in the 80's may be the solution of our own funding problems. Universities are supposed to be centres of intellectual stimulation and discussion. Surely in such an atmosphere we can find some answers?
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
by Michèle Dupuis Twenty eight million dollars. That is enough money to live a couple of lifetimes on, enough money for several BMWs, even more trips to Europe, and the exact amount of M cGill's ac cumulated deficit (i.e. debt) come May 31, 1987. The debt comes to approx imately $13,000 per student. This year alone (1986-87), M cGill's expected deficit has been set at $10 million by the summary report of M cGill's 1986-87 budget. This figure is up from last year's deficit, which stands at almost 20% of the University's $15 million budget. A study done by the Direction General de l'Enseignement et de la Recherche Universitaires (DGERU) in 1984 stated that M cGill was underfunded by $15 million — or by more than 10% of the university's expenditures at the time. Concordia, Bishop's and the University of Montreal had a combined deficit of $15 million the same year. The budget summary report, authored by Vice Principal (Administration & Finance) John Armour, cited the school year 1977-78 as the beginning of an "austerity program" which saw M cGill's
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Stats on IV Operating Income fall by $41.7 million in real dollars (i.e. dollars that have been adjusted for inflation) — or by 21% — during those nine years. During those same nine years enrollment at M cGill in creased by 14%. The university concur rently experienced a cut in grant money from the Quebec provincial government by approximately 25%, according to M cGill's 1985 Task Force on Finances Report. As a result of these combined cuts in income, M cGill's total operating expenditure has fallen by 11.5%. While academic services have plummeted by 19.6%, staff benefits have increased by 10.5% — the only item listed in the Task Force's report under the section of operating expenditures that has ex perienced an increase.
What Is Feds’ Role I
by Ian Brodie, system of direct federal grants to univer sities was replaced with a system of Studsoc Vice President (External) Although under the Canadian Con direct federal grants to provincial stitution education is a responsibility of governments. The new system had the provincial governments, f federal, and provincial governments government has had a role in funding Share the costs of all post-secondary education equally to help cope with universities since the First World War, This year, the federal government's con enrolment ini reuses. I his enormously tributions to post-secondary education expensive program allowed provinces to in Canada w ill total nearly six billiofi . control how much money was given to dollars so any look at the funding of un , universities and colleges white only hav iversities must include a look at how the ing to pay halt the bilk Government of Canada funds, univer In 1977, the equal sharing system was sities. f , ' - i'- y - > replaced by the system oi Estabiivied Programs Financing (EPF). Instead of Before we take a 100 k at how the sharing the costs of educatfèrv equally federal government funds education in ;«r1tfi;;prdvi|tcial governments, the federal Canada right now, and how it might do so in the future, we should find out how r * government did not make its transfers it got into the business of paying for v :- -dependent upon spending any of the education. When the British North. money bn education. Payment? -o the America Act w as written, education was provinces were based upon thé growth made a solely provincial responsibility. in their economies and population. At the time, Canada had very tew- univer ;!ï : The following year, the federal i >ar-j si ties, and those which existed did not ment reslrucjüred its/system toi awar ding research grants to regularly red jv e rs itje s i» ^ creating the Nattn. |£>6|jence|l\ and... government. neermg Resea The federal g< /C o d icil and the/”' e>, National/Research G jjg•nr jjt« ÿ , and H um anities luned. with part of the war researc H ÉTogether Ü , beginning, the Council , ... ^ took ’' “ ■ in univer- " university research by funding graduate student fellowships and assisting specific sides. gsca, research projects of faculty members,................... gftAv steadily ; even into the 80’s. 1 beginning a systematic federal funding 'with a federal fu of universities. formula universities “and The boom which followed World War .which h ad ?nothing at all to do wifl ? costs of their Two created a demand for university operations, and slowing economic education as veterans took advantage of generous government aid to pursue growth, has led to a very Severe financial;.; ; crisis for Canada's universities. -Brovin- ' ' higher education. Enrollment in univer cial governments have had no incentive sities for each veteran enrolled. As to increase their funding for post veterans graduated, civilian enrollment secondary education. W hile federal fun expanded, and universities were caught ding for universities and colleges has in in a financial crisis. In 1951, the federal creased steadily, provincial funding has government responded to the crisis by not risen at the same rate. The federal beginning regular direct subsidies to each university, citing the role which government paid for half of the costs of universities played in developing the post-secondary education system in Canada as justification for overstepping each province in the late 60's. It now pays more in transfer payments to some its constitutional jurisdiction. provinces than they spend on post The federal government established secondary education. In PEI, New the Canada Student Loans Program in 1964 to improve access to higher educa foundland, New Brunswick, Manitoba tion for students of all backgrounds. and British Columbia, some of the E n ro llm e n t co n tin u e d to grow money that the federal government is throughout the sixties, and in 1967, the giving the province for universities and
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Gill Debt Despite all the above cuts and slashes - M cGill had anticipated a decrease in his year's $10 million deficit to $5.3 niIIion. However, the Quebec provinial government cut its usual grant to the university by $3.3 million. As well, the university simply could not meet its re quired $2.3 million budget cut. As a esult, M cGill had a budget overrun of one million dollars last year, according o the summary budget report. The University stated other reasons for ts pressing underfunding situation in its ■ ’arliamentary Commission Brief, which t presented last September. The Brief stated that the government's lack of pro vision for inflation and increasing alaries are also root causes for underunding within the university. The report
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
also cited the practice of utilizing prélèvements — money from a pool of funds allocated toward education and deducted from that pool for a specific purpose — as a cause of underfunding at M cGill and at the university level in general. What is the result of M cGill's underfunding? According to Vice Principal Paul Davenport (Planning and Computer Services), all departments have taken a 5% budget cut this year. Davenport told the Tribune that overly large class sizes, lack of funds for graduate students, and "not enough T.A.'s for the undergrads," are the most obvious problems linked to underfun ding. Davenport stated that although the decline in funding had led to "desperate problems" in the faculties and depart ments, he felt that they had managed to keep the cuts from "eroding" the quality of education at M cGill. "They have real ly done a marvellous jo b," he said. When asked who was hurt most by the cuts, Davenport said that "it is impossi ble to say who has suffered more — nobody escapes this kind of underfun ding."
University Funding? olleges is being spent in other areas like and graduate fellowships. >ad-building. The EPF system has been subjected to In a more radical vein, the Macdonald vo sets of cutbacks by the federal Royal Commission on the economy overnment in recent years. First, in takes the approach that post-secondary 983-84 and 1984-85, the Trudeau education should be a federal concern overnment partially subjected EPF for all Canadians, but stops short of proansfer payments to the "6-5" inflation posing that it be constitutionally transferduction program. Then the Mulroney red to the federal government. It claims overnment reduced EPF payments yet that universities have been inflexible in rther in a bid to reduce the federal producing graduates in fields which are efic.it. Since these grants have no direct key to the country's future. It predicts a jk to the actual level of university fundeclining university enrolment in the ng, there lias been no political future (despite the fact that such predic•essure to stop cutbacks. tions have always been wrong in the Aside from transfer payments and past). The commissioners recommend seamh grants, file federal government creating two classes of unviersities: one tppor’s universities and colleges which would teach large numbers of obgh various programs. The most tmstudents (and charge lower tuition) and a/taut m thèse programs is the Canada one which would both train a small mient loans Program (although the number of exceptional students and perXiebet Government has pever parform research (whilecharging higher tuiêipated in CSLP, it recelveicofopensalion), an frorfftfe federal government4oi^s> " <> ' ? wncial aid /programs). Many governThe Macdonald Commission Report ient departments also have different also recommends'that instead of chanprograms 'for students a<f§ 1 ' ...... netting,JederaV/ïu'r^^^Kfejdniversities througf provincial .governments, or search. through What does the future hold for the through im versifies themselves, that deral funding of universities and colfunding be channelled directly through The federal government has students. Each undergraduate student certtly received two important reports .. would receive a voucher worth $1500 a “ •' about • -'*-**and graduate stuith recommendations EPF dent would receive a $7000 voucher. Of mster payments. It commissioned a CQiirse, ending transfer payments to pro port by A t Johnson, former C8C Presivincial governments for post-secondary on the federal funding of posteducation would lead to sharply lower ■eopdary education. Johnson remarks ton the problems of the current EPF provincial tunding of universities and sharply higher tuition fees without nding system, and undertakes a dètailnecessarily any greater funding for t -analysis .o f various future funding students in need of financial aid. issrbihttes His favoured solution as for e federal government to continue to ft' èft A question which has not been asked ilculate transfer, payment on the basis rs, " If the federal government is not hich it uses currently, but that these nounts form a maximum transfer to responsible constitutionally for educa ich province. If a province dcx>s not inIcon, and the only real reason it got in volved in funding unviersities was to ease its contributions to posT-ft help them adjust to skyrocketing enrol condary education at a slower rate, the ment, why is it still involved in funding deral government would index that university operations?" Perhaps the ovince's transfer payment at the same federal government's role should be te. This proposal is called "harmonizalimited to funding research and assisting an." Any money saved by the federal with financial aid to students. It could Wernment in transfers to the provinces help poorer provinces provide a ould be redirected to the research minimum level of quality education tuncils for distribution to universities through greater equalization payments. grants for specific research projects
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Have Money, Need Space by Chris Flanagan M cGill's Athletic department is pro bably the least underfunded of all university facilities. The department has been enjoying the benefits of a steadily increasing budget over the last ten years. The increased funds however, come directly from the students and not from
"Because we have been able to in crease our re ve n u e s," explained Dubeau "w e wished to offer better ser v ice s." Unfortunately, the Athletic Department has had to drop women's ice hockey and men's volleyball this year because "the budget presented this year was some $51,000 less than what
referendum approved student financial support of the new complex. Since 1982, students have been paying $15.00 per year, and the project is guaranteed a $4 million total contribution from students. An additional $2 million has been pledged by the Bronfman family of Montreal and an additional $4 million
government grants. "The Athletic Department is under the Students' Services umbrella," explained Robert Dubeau, Director of Athletics at M cGill. Approximately 40 per cent of the Student Services fees ($124.00 in 1986/87) goes directly towards athletics. The department itself will generate about $500,000 this year through gate receipts, membership fees, rentals and course fees. The remainder of the fun ding is from a students' services grant from the provincial government which amounts to $60.00 per full time student for the Athletic Department. W hile Student Services' fees have been increasing regularly, and depart mental revenue has gone up drastically, the provincial grant has "more or less been frozen for the last three years" ac cording to Dubeau.
we asked for." The total athletic budget for 1986/87 is almost $2 million. Although this appears adequate, the department must cover every aspect of its operation. This in cludes maintenance, heating and upkeep of the athletic complex; eight full time recreational staff members, six full time intercollegiate staff and 200 part time employees as well as regular equipment maintenance such as the in stallation of new artifical turf which is now necessary. "O ur major problem at this time is the new athletic complex," Dubeau told the Tribune. "W e are really cramped for space and have the world's worst weight-lifting program." For perhaps the first time in recent years, underfunding is not the major issue in a university problem. A 1979
will come from other foundations such as M cGill Alumni. The $10 million available will cover all estimated costs for the complex. The problem, however, is finding a location. The original plan called for an addi tion on top of the original building, but this plan proved too costly. The problem now lies in the fact that the newly elected municipal government w ill allow no new construction in Mount Royal Park. Negotiations with the city have been in limbo while the city elec tions were in progress. M cGill is now prepared to offer the city an equivalent parcel of land in exchange for a site beside the existing building. Serious negotiations should get under way once lean Doré and his colleagues are settled into office.
McGill Theatre On A Shoestring several hundred students are, to some by Moira MacDonald degree involved in the programme. As in Theatre has had a long history of all departments, classroom space is at a underfunding and M cGill's own theatre programme is no exception. It is current premium. However, in theatre, not just any room will do. Directing classes can't ly operating under the same budget it take place in space full of permanentlyhas had since 1977, even then con rooted desks and chairs. As a conse sidered a moderate amount. Given infla quence many of these classes take place tion, in real dollars it is now likely half in hallways and lobbys, destroying the that amount. actor's concentration. The problems of underfunding present Students are not the only people an interdependent dichotomy: produc directly exploited. Staff members too are tion and space. Recently the Unviersity forced to take on augmented work loads. provided the funds for a $1 million con In fact the total staff of the theatre pro tract towards the renovation of Moyse Hall. The seating plan w ill be restruc gramme has fallen approximately 75 percent from its peak during the 1970s. tured so as to improve sight-lines and set Because of the situation the drama staff shops will be built as a separate part of has responsibilities not only to drama the theatre. M cGill has never had such but the English department as well. They shops and was consequently forced to are generally required to lend their skills build sets directly on the stage. This to the other departmental concentrations costs valuable rehearsal time and (literature, film and communications). doesn't permit two productions to English staff members may also have ad rehearse during the same period. ministrative obligations such as serving Despite this grant, production has been left out in the cold. Lighting techni on graduate and honours programme cians are faced with a 40-year-old committees. There is thus an increased reliance on part-time staff who may not lighting board, considered a safety hazard by some. Costume mistress Deb have a sense of commitment to the aims Raffey is regarded as a miracle worker of the programme. John Ripley feels that and spends many hours in a stuffy base full-time appointments to the teaching of ment shop conjuring wardrobes from practical drama would alleviate much of this problem. almost nothing. The lack of funds, however, has not But what about 'soft funds'? The restricted the types of plays which are theatre programme relies to some degree chosen. Instead, the creative talents of on monies acquired from outside the production members are taxed further. university. An example is a professor on This concerns theatre programme head, leave of absence. The professor will con John Riple; "Creativity can only com tinue to be paid his/her salary plus travel pensate to a limited degree...It's not a expenses but in turn the university will bad thing...(but) at what point does the be given a grant for this loss of staff. The student become exploited?" result is more part-time work being hired The trend toward a greater demand for or perhaps a course not being offered for ingenuity also extends to the classroom. that year and a slightly augmented There are 50 to 60 drama majors but budget for drama purposes.
Who decides how the money shall be allocated? "T h e u n iversity," states English Department Chairman David Williams. Drama is not directly funded. It receives its funds from the English Department. Next week all university deans will meet a Budget Planning ses sion. The university w ill listen to each dean's priorities and allocate moneyas it sees fit. Williams does not see the university as denying funds for drama activities. He sees the Moyse Hall con tract as positive support from the Univer sity and in a year of such intense finan cial strain he can not expect the ad ministration to be able to answer all his department's monetary wants. John Ripley does not predict any im mediate solutions to the drama dilem ma. He acknowledges that his pro gramme is one of the few at the universi ty which pays part of its own way. Box office recipts cover many of the produc tion costs although because of short runs, even these receipts are limited. Students with heavy academic schedules are not able to participate in month-long productions which creates the need for several short runs, each requiring costumes, scenery, not to mention advertising and human labour. Theatre at M cGill has been a long time tradition. Even before the theatre programme was founded in 1969, the university fostered a great enthusiasm for the dramatic art. Fiona Reid (King of Kensington), Margot Dionne (Stratford Festival), G uy Sprung (Toronto Free Theatre), and Brian Macdonald (Les Grands Ballet Canadiens) were all graduates from this period.
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Alice
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
Munro
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Finding Truth In The Backwoods by Boyd Holmes Alice Munro, The Progress o f Love, Mc Clelland and Stewart, 1986, 310 pp., $22.95. A critique of a book by Alice Munro almost invariably begins with remarks concerning the unlikelihood of deriving memorable fiction from her usual setting rural southern Ontario. For example, The Gazette's September 20 review of her latest work, The Progress o f Love, begins as follows: "There can be few less exciting places in the world than the small towns of southern Ontario, where peace, order and the Protestant ethic prevail, nobody has to struggle for sur vival and the inhabitants are both figuratively and literally phlegmatic. No doubt they are fine places to raise a fami ly, but they can hardly be expected to yield the color, contrast and conflict that are the usual ingredients of the fiction writer's art." There are two ideas at work here. The first is that fiction with a superficially boring setting should logically be boring itself; the second is that fiction about a boring place cannot possibly yield any truths about the human condition.
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Both of these notions are wholly incor rect, and are disproved in the 11 stories that comprise The Progress o f Love. This is Munro's sixth book, and her fifth col lection of short stories. (Her only novel, 1971 's Lives o f Girls and Women, is episodic to the point that it could almost be considered a story collection. There are no changes in setting and tone from
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her privious book, although the dust jacket asserts that time is "a new dimenstion" to her work that is first ap pearing here as a dominant force. Although time is certainly a key term in The Progress of Love (one of two such terms), the reader will find it impossible to believe that it is here making its first extensive appearance in an Alice Munro book. The author of the dust jacket is, however, accurate in stating that a number of the stories "span events as much as half a century apart, and the past is gracefully and fascinatingly inter woven with the present that it continues to affect." The second key term is love, the work which, as Elizabeth Smart once wrote, "offends With its nudity." Love has ex isted in previous works by Munro out of a compulsive sense of need; in The Pro gress of Love, this is sharply defined as a need for the forgiveness of one's preven table and inevitable sins. This expression is most explicitly outlined in "Miles Ci ty, Montana" and the title story, but it is present throughout the collection. Two stories in the book are particular ly noteworthy, and testify to Munro's ability to divine universal truths from specific occurences. In "Monsieur les Deux C h a p e a u x ," a young boy mistakenly believes he has shot and kill ed his brother. He runs away, and spends several hours sitting on a bridge, the moment having revealed to him a universe in which everything is reduced to nothing. "H e sat on the narrow
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girders and felt how cold the iron was, even on a summer night, and he himself was cold, but still calm, with all the jum ble of his life, and other people's lives in this town, rolled back, just like a photograph split and rolled back, so it shows what was underneath all along. Nothing." In "M iles City, Montana,” the near drowning of a child forces her mother to reflect upon the drowning of a boy she once knew, and consequently on the suddenness and inevitability of death. Munro reveals the act of birth itself as one of cruelty, sentencing the born, eventually and without exception, to death. Finally, mention should be made of her ability to create simple yet striking images. Throughout a dinner, a man repeatedly writes the name of a woman he loves with his finger on the underside of the table; an open syrup tin with an electric bulb inside is moved over a skating rink by means of a system of ropes and wires, creating an elusive, ever-present orange moon; travelling in an airplane that is over a lake, an old woman points out a sunset to her grand children, and they all watch "the light going down in the water." The delight we feel in assimilating these images, and in reading The Progress of Love, comes from Munro's ability to interpret settings and people familiar to us. She traces new maps of places we have been and places in which we currently live, redefining geographies we thought we knew well.
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The External Affairs Committee of Students’ Council is under taking a review of the Quebec Government Loans &. Bursaries System so we may recommend a completely revised system to Council. If accepted by Council, this proposal will be forwarded to the Quebec Government as Students’ Society Policy. The Committee invites written comments from all students to help in our discussions. Please leave written comments at the Students’ Society desk, University Cen tre, Room 105, by November 25, 1986. Further information about the Loans &. Bursaries System or the review can be obtained by contacting the Chairman. Containing the names and numbers of over 12,000 McGill students. — at your fingertips
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ***** True Stories: Pro *****Extra Special
by Chris Flanagan David Byrne's brilliant comedy, True Stories, is a film destined for cult status. The film unfolds as a pseudo documentary, narrated by David Byrne, wearing a black cowboy hat; driving a red convertible. Byrne's melodic voice hypnotises the viewer as effectively as Talking Heads' music keeps the feet tapping. It's definitely an audience participation picture, which should eventually become a favoured midnight madness movie. True Stories is set in the fictional town of Virgil, Texas, although it could be anywhere in America. Byrne's social study of the U.S.A. pokes fun at almost every aspect of American life yet at the same time offends no one. David Byrne has long been intrigued by American society. He sees the States as a place for success but he is also able to reveal its pathetic side. Byrne enables his audience to laugh at and laugh with this cultural irony. The principal characters are extremists, carrying out their easily identifiable traits with single-minded diligence. The compulsive liar, the laziest woman in the world, the couple that won't speak to each other and the man obsessed with finding a wife might easily be found in any American 'Enquirer' type magazine. Although the viewer may relate to these characterisitcs, they remain safely indirect through the unbelievable totali ty with which the characters portray them. As in Woody Allen's Zelig, the film displays exaggerated idiosyncrasies, which all of us experience to some degree. Byrne combines the absurdity of modern fashion with man's obsession with returning to nature in the hilarious, small-town fashion show. This double parody features the three piece, green grass suit which epitomises the ridiculous humour of the entire film. The cinematography js perfectly in sync with the juxtaposition of the film itself. The small town is contrasted beautifully against the wide open Texas landscape. In today's trendy society, the individual is often lost in the com plicated multitude of the social landscape. The real beauty of this picture, however, lies in its simplicity. Uproarious short scenes are constantly thrown at the audience. Byrne often blurts out ridiculously incongruous statements, which are as meaningless as most of society's current rituals. "These clothes are available everywhere," says Byrne, referring to his ten-gallon hat, plaid shirt, western pants and cowboy boots, "but you never see anyone wearing them." Byrne's sarcasm is so subtle that at times, one wonders just how serious he intends to be. "Conversation has become so easy," explains the narrator, "there are words for everything." Not quite everyone.believes this theory however as the town's leading business man uses a lobster, a salt and pepper shaker, and several assorted vegetables to explain his ideas on successful capitalism. The climax of the movie is the town's "Celebration of Specialness" amateur talent show. The stage is an ex travagant, massive structure, situated in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Parking for about ten thousand cars is available for the expected crowd of 100. Unlike Monty Python's The Meaning o f Life, where insult is heaped upon everyone and everything, True Stories leaves the majority unscathed. At the same time, Byrne's genius allows us to laugh at all of society's follies.
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—*—*-True Stories: Con by Melanie Clulow In an effort to be stylish, David Byrne has succeeded only in becoming outmoded. His latest cinematic endeavour, True Stories, deals with the tired theme of the warped and teeming base of small-town Americana. This idea has been covered by everyone from Edward Bond to David Lynch and even Byrne's trendy low-budget approach adds nothing new. For this predictable suburban exposé tabloids into an incoherent whole that seems more a vehicle for his unlikely pop ditties than for even superficial personal or social commentary. In the introduction to his book on the making of True Stories, David Byrne writes, "I deal with stuff that's too dumb for people to have bothered to formulate opinions on." Too true. By its avoidance of substantial issues, the film comes across as a disappointingly bland presentation of exaggerated clichés and comic book characters. Charming and amusing, perhaps, but most certainly forgettable. True Stories is set in the fictional town of Virgil, Texas, during the preparations for the state's actual sesquicentennial. One senses that in his choice of location Byrne was trying for the effect of some sort of hidden post-nuclear land scape stuck in a time warp. However, the most he achieves is conventional bleakness dotted with disposable dinnerware and pre-fab garages. Granted, Byrne makes us laugh at the cult of mediocrity and the shopping-mall mentality that pervades the sleepy software-supported town of Virgil, but his attempts to bring out the 'human' side of its in habitants are ineffectual. The documentary style of the film in itself presents an odd viewpoint since it asks viewers to accept the characters not as actors but as real people going about their daily lives and being interviewed by the Nar rator (Byrne himself). Since this acceptance is impossible given the characters' absurd one-dimensionality, the viewer can only laugh, and maybe sing along, thus obscuring any attempt at deeper meaning. David Byrne's presence in the film as the stranger providing us with a surreal travelogue adds to its improbability. We long for the stark intelligence of Stop Making Sense and the "big suit" when we are forced to watch David Byrne in a too-tight green off-the-rack ensemble talking in carefully modulated tones about how shopping has become a way of life. He's too much of a nice guy to carry off sarcasm well. True Stories marks Byrne's rationalization of the marriage of art and commerciality. In this film , at least, Byrne has substituted style for substance and thereby has effectively "sold-out" the remnants of his reputation. No longer king of cerebro-pop, Byrne can now only claim to be pretendfer to the throne.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The M cGill Tribune
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
Hootenanny: Turnout Low But Enthusiastic bv Robert Costain The size of the crowd at last Friday's M cG ill Hootennany in the Union Ballroom was disappointing, but it didn't appear to dampen the enthusiasm of either the performers or the sparse au dience that did turn out. The Networksponsored show featured the Hodads, Groovy Religion, Three O 'clo ck Train and Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra. It was a good evening, despite the low turn out and the horrible bathroom acoustics of the venue. With the exception of the neopsychodelic Groovy Religion from down the 401, all the acts fit nicely, within the c a te g o ry o ften re fe rre d to as "cowpunk," which finds its roots in old rock'n'roll, country and western, and punk rock music. Unfortunately, the term has been so belittled by the plethora of small-time acts who treat the musical style as something of a joke, that it is best to mention it as little as possi ble. Suffice to say that the "cowpunk” performed at Friday's show was perform ed with sincerity and conviction and with tongue only slightly in cheek. The attendance, or lack thereof, was the major feature of the evening and seemed to be due to a couple of factors. The large snowstorm which ended only hours before showtime made it difficult to contemplate going out at all on a Fri day, let alone trudge up treacherous, unplowed McTavish St. Attendance was down at Gertrude's Pub as well, due to the inclement weather. Matters were not helped when the major Montréal English
Photo — Tosh Burns daily, while giving the upcoming Hootenanny a well-deserved plug, gave the wrong date for the show, doubtlessly confusing many a Montréal music fan. Despite the lack of a large audience, virtually all the performers gave it their all and put on the best show possible under the circumstances. Even though the Ballroom's horribly bad acoustics
were made terribly, horribly bad by the thin crowd, those that did show up were entertained enough to stick it out and en joyed a fairly entertaining evening. Each band played as if the Ballroom were full and developed a good rapport with the audience. O n ly G ro o vy R e lig io n , whose Toronto-based status made them the on
ly non-local act playing that evening, fell flat with the audience. Their macho brand of bluesy psychedelia mixed with driving thrash tunes did not conform to the mood of the line-up as a whole or with the audience. Their lead singer, a Jagger-like figure, tried too hard to be cool and spent little time playing to the crowd. The band's onstage image was
forceful, but in a negative way. The only thing that really held the act together was the presence of fairly strong musi cianship in the members of the band. Montreal's The Hodads opened the show with a strong set of countryoriented rock. They were energetic but not overpowering. They managed to establish a warm atmosphere in a tiny crowd early on by virtue of the sincerity of the performance and its lack of pretensions. The band cannot be described as a powerful act that is rising fast, but the right elements are certainly there. Three O 'clo ck Train recovered, if slowly, the momentum lost by Groovy Religion's odd man set. It took awhile to convince the audience that, yes, the show was back on track. Thanks to brisk sales of their EP, Wig Warn Beach last summer, Three O 'clo ck Train have a fair degree of recognition in Montreal. Even people who have never heard their music have heard of them, and probably something of their style. They performed a good, long set of great bluesy, country rock. Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Or chestra received star billing for the even ing by virtue of their anchor perfor mance to end the Hootenanny. Offbeat cynical, but with a sense of humour, the band performed a brutal set which kept the audience on edge. Despite being somewhat aloof onstage, the group per formed good music and kept the au dience entertained with interesting stage technique and fine playing to the au dience rather than at them.
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by Tribune Entertainment Staff Monday, December 1st marks the première performance of Theatre Ballet of Canada in Moyse Hall, Arts Building, compliments of the Student Society and the Performing Arts Committee of the M cGill Programming Network. Theatre Ballet, an Ottawa-based com pany, is presently enjoying a rapidly growing cross-Canada reputation, the result of numerous tours in Canada, the United States and South America. From Canada to Columbia, from New York to New Westminster, audiences have applauded Theatre Ballet for its award-winning choreography, its spec tacle of visual presentation and above all, for its innovative and energetic ensemble dancing. Strongly rooted in classical dance, Theatre Ballet's unique repertoire em
braces- the 20th century trhough over a dozen original dance creations. The troupe is comprised of eight dancers, four of whom received their training here in Montreal. Lawrence Gradus, Artistic Director ap plauded as one of Canada's most impor tant choreographers and winner of the Jean A . C h a lm e rs A w a rd in Choreography, will present his own original creation, "Tribute,” a plotless ballet set to Bach's Concerto for Violin, Oboe, Strings and Continuo in D Minor. Natasha Simon of the Prospect Press calls Theatre Ballet "fresh, vital and energetic." Of "Tribute," she writes, "the dancers are clearly excited by movement and its potential. The women in p a rtic u la r h ave a g ile and knowledgeable feet, briskly skimming
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Photo — Carol Rosegg
Theatre Ballet At McGill
the stage or sharply attacking the space with clean, precise leaps." Tom Strini, The Milwaukee tournaI dance critic describes "Tribute” as "fascinating in its structure and geometry.” In addition to "Tribute," three new choreographies w ill be presented, created by guest choreographers David Allan, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Julie W e st w ith a c c o m p a n im e n t by Montreal's rising composer, Marc Letourneau. This one evening gala performance, December 1st, 8:00 pm in Moyse Hall, concludes this season's North American tour for the troupe, who last performed in Montreal three years ago. Tickets are $5.00 for students and $6.00 for general public. To obtain fur ther information, please call 392-8926.
The McGill Tribune
Tuesday, November 25, 1986
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Redmen Win, Lose and Tie in Hockey Action by Mike Doria After a 5-2 loss to Concordia (Nov. 15), the Redmen found themselves 1-3 and in the midst of a three game losing streak. The 5-2 loss was definitely the low point of the season as M cGill's of fense sputtered without co-captain Mark Reade, who was forced to sit out due to a bout with pneumonia. M cGill's goals were notched by Tim lannone and sophomore Mike Tschumi who scored his first for the Redmen. The following night, M cGill got back on the winning track, avenging their 9-8 loss to the Ottawa Gee Gees with a con vincing 8-2 victory. Goalie Stephen For tin turned away 38 shots as McGill was outshot 40-22. On offense, Tim lannone continued his torrid scoring pace, pick ing up his third hat trick of the year. On Friday night, M cGill kept their season series with the Concordia Stingers even at 1-1-1 as the teams skated to a 2-2 draw. M cGill opened the scoring early in the second, when Mark Reade fired the puck between the pads of goalie, Ken Hrivnak. Brent Bannerman picked up the assist on the play, digging out the puck and kicking it to Reade in a nice piece of forechecking. M cGill had a chance to make it 2-0 on a power play but Concordia's ancient Frank Morris broke loose and scored a shorthanded goal at 3:06. Just over a minute later, Tim Humberstone gave Concordia a lead that would stand until the last minute of regulation time. With thirty seconds left in the game, André Martin picked up the puck at the blueline, took a couple of strides in, and let go an offspeed shot that eluded Ken Hrivnak to knot the game at two. In overtime, Taro Kaibara had a good chance as he broke in, but was hauled
physical, as rugged defenseman, Scott Daniels engaged Concordia's Brent Cater in some crowd-pleasing fisticuffs. Cater initiated the frenzied bout by tak ing a run at goalie, Stephen Fortin. Cater drew an extra roughing penalty on the play which gave M cGill a power play, upon which they scored the tying goal.
Redmen Notes — Tim lannone left Friday's game early, after aggravating a knee problem. He was listed as a doubtful starter for Sun day's game against Ottawa and it is feared that lannone may have torn car tilage in his knee. — Five games into the regular season, three Redmen lead the Q UAA scoring race: Tim lannone (8-7-15); Daniel Lamirante (5-10-15) and Mario De Benedictis (4-9-13). M cGill is in third place in the team standings, behind Trois Rivières and Ottawa. — Roland Boivin who had ten points in his first five games, left the team as did 2nd year goalie, Jon Elkin. — The Redmen play at home again on Sunday, November 30, against Trois Rivières.
Photo — David Wright down and only managed a weak shot. M cGill had another glorious opportunity when Mario De Benedictis spotted an uncovered Mark Reade in the slot. With plenty of mesh staring him in the face, Reade fired the puck just over the net. Goalie Stephen Fortin, who was named the game's first star, held off a late Con cordia rush, preserving the tie for the Redmen. Coach Tyler was not completely satisfied with the deadlocked result. "The name of the game is winning," said Tyler "w e worked hard but we've
got to learn to give even more." After allowing just four goals in their last two outings, it appears that the Redmen defense is solidifying. "W e started out the season with a lot of fine offense, but no defense. Now we're see ing some defense and not enough of fense..." admitted Tyler, "The bottom line is to get tough both mentally and physically, we're going to have to be physical to beat Concordia. They are a team that's based on physical effort and hard work." Late in the game, M cGill did get
HEW LETT PACKARD
Congratulations
Redman Wins Trophy Mike Soles, running back for the M cGill Redmen football team, won the Peter Gorman trophy as top rookie in Canadian college football for 1986/87. Soles carried the ball 148 times for 779 years, as well as receiving passes, returning punts and kickoffs and passing the ball himself. All tolled, Soles handled the ball 178 times this year and had zero fumbles.
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We also carry a large selection of HP accessories. Detailed literature is available at both locations. All HEWLETT-PACKARD calculators carry our full double quarantee. Prices quoted reflect a 20% McGill student discount. Sales tax additional. Prices subject to change without notice. SA D IE’S IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL HP-RECOGNIZED DEALER AT M cGILL UNION BUILDING Mon. — Fri. 8h30 - 18h00 392-8926
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The M cGill Tribune Tuesday, November 25, 1986
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