The McGill Tribune Vol. 18 Issue 21

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Moshe Safdie online Students design architect a home on the web

By C hris Velan_______________ If you have ever caught a glimpse of the space-age-buildingblock apartment complex known as H abitat ’67 on your drive towards île Notre Dame, you have seen the work that has made Israeli born architect M oshe Safdie a household name in Montreal.

Now, through the establish­ m ent of the “M oshe Safdie Hypermedia Archive web-site,” it is possible to browse through a digital collection of Safdie’s archi­ tectural creations on the web.

The site was launched last Thursday at the B lackaderLauterman Library of Architecture and Art before a gathering that included C hancellor G retta Chambers, Réjean Frenette from the office of John M anley, M inister of Industry, Mr. John Rae, Executive Vice-President of Power Corporation and Mr. Safdie him self. F eaturing over 2000 images, the “Hypermedia” web­ site represents the efforts of over a dozen McGill students who have been working since June to com­ pile the selection from one of the most extensive individual collec­ tions of architectural documenta­ tion in Canada.

Safdie, who donated his col­ lection to McGill in 1990 and who attended the M cGill School of Architecture, provided a humble contrast to the praise he received from the reception’s guest speak­ ers. In a modestly short speech he admitted that he still feels disbelief when he thinks of how, as a young architect with very little experi­ ence, he was able to get his famous design off the ground.

“I took it for granted that Habitat would be built,” he said.

C o n tin u e d o n p a g e 2

M c G ill a lu m n u s W illiam S h a t n e r (C a p ta in J a m e s T. K irk o f S ta r T re k fa m e ) re tu r n e d to c a m p u s la st w e e k e n d for the first tim e s in c e h is g ra d u a tio n .

Stu den ts'S o ciety President D uncan R eid a cco m p a n ied S h a tn er on his to u r of... Shatner, the S tu d en t Union bu ilding ren am ed in h is h o n o u r fo u r years a g o by a student-initiated referendum . A lth ou gh U niversity officials h ave y e t to recognize the na m e change, S h a tn er exp ressed th a t the stu d en ts'd ecisio n "m eans a g rea t dea l" to him . D uring the sh o rt tour, Reid info rm ed S h a tn er o f the sa fety a n d accessibility issues th a t currently p lag u e the S tu d en t Union building. Students return to the polls this w eek fo r the S h a tn er Centre, a sked this tim e to fina nce its ren ovation costs through the M cG ill Stu d en ts'Fu n d . photo: Refaecca C3tchms

MSF protestors occupy Students' Society offices Claiming that the proposed McGill Students' Fund "violates stu­ dent rights," close to 20 members of the Namby Pamby Positive Action Committee of McGill occupied the Students' Society offices for almost twelve hours last Thursday.

Namby Pamby was protesting against the proposed McGill Students’ Fund — a $38 per semester fee that will go towards renovations in the Shatner building, the library improve­ ment fund and an access bursary if approved at this week’s referendum.

They were also demanding Reid’s res­ ignation.

“Having a student president and his council propose and approve this sort of fee sends the government the message that McGill students support and are ready to compensate for cuts to public education,” said protestor Andrea Schmidt. “We aren’t and we can’t.”

Occupiers maintained that the McGill Student Fund could only bring more cuts to education.

“The fee may seem to help stu­ dents, but is deceptive,” stated occupier

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VP External Jeff Feiner also told council of his disapproval of both the group’s occupation and the flyers they were distributing. “[This] kind of literature really disgusts me. As Bill Clinton would say, this is the politics of personal destruction.... Even if it were Duncan who single handedly came up with every idea contained within the MSF, it still would not be right to chop his head off for...proposing an idea democrati­ cally. If you want to argue against an idea, argue against the idea, but don’t argue against the messenger.”

The motion supporting the MSF passed by a vote of 21 to 1, and was based on the unanimous approval of the MSF by council, council’s support for the referendum process and their support for Reid. The motion further condemned the activities of the illegal “No” campaign against the MSF which violates election regulations.

Current SSMU regulations state that “Yes” and “No” committees can be formed by students in support of or against a referendum question. If the committees are formed, they are enti­ tled to equal funding by SSMU for campaign expenses of at least $300.

lors and office workers from entering their offices.

Senate Rep to SSMU Brock Macdonald questioned the necessity of the protest.

“These kinds of tactics are not in the best interests of students. They do not allow students to make an informed decision. And the fact that they are demanding Duncan Reid’s resignation over an idea is wrong.”

Reid attempted to hear their point of view, but was reportedly ignored.

“I asked them if they wanted to speak with me in a practical way and they refused,” said Reid. “If they think they are going to get me to resign or get the question rescinded, it’s simply not going to happen.”

During the occupation, council held its regularly scheduled meeting where it passed a motion overwhelm­ ingly in support of Reid and the MSF. Faculty of medicine rep to SSMU Shahin Zanganeh supported the group’s right to oppose the referen­ dum, but disagreed with their methods.

“Demonstration is one thing, that’s okay, that’s democratic.

Occupying offices is not okay... that’s disruptive,” Zanganeh stated.

Julien Lapointe. “In fact, what the fee ends up doing is transferring financial burden onto students.”

When questioned as to the effec­ tiveness of occupying SSMU offices as opposed to forming an official ‘No’ side committee opposing the MSF question, protestor Reid Alloway pre­ sented occupation as the only option.

“We felt this act was necessitated by the scale of SSMU’s plans. The amount of money they asked for is jus­ tification enough,” Alloway said. “We just want to draw attention to it..”

The group posted anti-MSF and anti-Reid posters while distributing lit­ erature asking, “Who’s been Dunkin’ into the corporate agenda?”

Although reminded by several councillors that the fund was approved unanimously at council, and that coun­ cillors were representing student opin­ ion, organizer Anna Kruzynski remained adamant that student rights were being violated by the fee.

“It’s a student union and I pay dues to defend my rights. These are disguised tuition fees and this is a pres­ ident that is violating my rights.”

Over the course of the occupation, occupiers prohibited SSMU council­

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T ic k e ts a r e g o in g f a s t s o g e t y o u r s A S A P . F o r f u r t h e r in fo . p le a s e c o n t a c t J o M o r r o w & M e g a n A b e l a t: 3 9 8 -1 9 9 3

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' the MCGILL T R i W " T u f t b X V ; 4§ MÂ'kàï 1999

Feldman new m anagem ent President Elections for MUS council run smoothly

By Rhea W ong A m idst an atm osphere of g en eral g o o d w ill and good sportsmanship, the Management U ndergraduate Society elected next y ea r's ex e cu tiv e at Thursday's polls.

MUS C h ief R eturning Officer Sam Steinberg expressed his pleasure at the 26 per cent voter turnout and active cam ­ paigning strategies.

“We seem to have a very strong voter turnout this year. It’s been very heavily advertized," he said. "In past years, we’ve aver­ aged about 20 per cent to 30 per cent v oter turnout. This year, ca n d id a tes have been very in v o lv ed in going to classes, making speeches and informing students. Every little bit counts.”

MUS P re s id e n t-e le c t Jon Feldman said that the races were run fairly.

“The elec tio n was very frien d ly across the board and with Management, it never gets personal. We all went to speak to classes and there was no negative cam paigning," he stated. "We

just let the platforms speak for themselves. Also, even those who don’t win often stay involved in MUS activities anyway.”

Incom ing VP C o m m u n icatio n s A rjuna R ajasingham ag reed w ith Feldman's assessment.

“Everyone was very support­ ive of each other and co-operated in each others’ campaigns.”

Issues on the table this year included the upcoming Bronfman re n o v atio n s and h eig h ten in g accessibility.

F eldm an also noted th at other issues surrounded increas­ ing awareness of the management clubs, and ensuring more interac­ tion between MUS and students.

"Bronfman’s security could be im proved to ensure student safety. I also want to make our sponsorship/fundraising proce­ dure more efficient because right now we have different commit­ tees for different activities calling the sam e sp onsors. I w ant to reduce the redundancy of that procedure and improve fundrais­ ing," he said. "There are also upcom ing re n o v atio n s in

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B ronfm an w hich I know the other candidates have mentioned.

In the long term plans, it’s about ensuring the students’ interests. I want to extend the cafeteria and create a student lounge area with a skylight and move the comput­ ers up from the basement. The renovations should be in line with the students’ needs, not just the administration’s.”

In other plans for the future, new VP External Zoe Beaudry noted that she would like to raise the profile of some of manage­ ment's social activities.

“I want to increase visibility in our ev en ts from the Undergraduate Business Games to the C om m erce G am es," explained Beaudry. "Also, I ’d like to make preparations for the C om m erce G am es a cred ited class in w hich stu d en ts get coached for three hours a week in cases like finance and interna­ tional business. I’m really focus­ ing on the infrastructure of the External portfolio and working to create strong committee confer­ ences.”

Necessary to any undergrad­ uate experience is having fun — management-style. Most candi­ dates campaigned with promises o f m ore so cializin g . New VP Internal Olivier Sirois asks in his campaign blurb, “What do you get when you cross a partyboy w ith a w orkaholic?” Feldm an plans on a weekly management gathering with pizza and bever­ ages.

A ll the w inners seem ed geared up to take up their respon­ sib ilitie s e sp e cially w ith the upcoming incoming and outgoing executives' retreat at McMaster University.

“N othing was clo se, but noth in g was a la n d slid e ,” Steinberg noted.

U niversité de Montréal

V o y a g e s d 'é t u d e s e n E u r o p e à P a ris, au F IA P J e a n M onnet (R iv e G a u c h e ) (u n e se m a in e ) à Lyo n , m étropole e u ro p é e n n e et plate-form e lo g istiq u e d e l'Union eu ro p é e n n e (deux se m a in e s) V isite d 'é tu d e s à G e n è v e , s iè g e d e l'OM C Du 8 au 29 a o û t 1999_____________________________________________________________________________________________ É tu d e s PO L.3851 - Intégration e u r o p é e n n e (3 crédits) P O L.3 9 0 4 - T ravaux pratiques, (3 crédits) pour les étudiants souhaitant effectuer un travail dirigé de recherches durant l'été et le terminer en août, en Fran ce Enseignem ent d isp ensé par le Professeur Panayotis Soldatos a vec la participation de nombreux conférenciers européens C e voyage s'ad resse aux étudiants de d iverses disciplines d es universités canadiennes et q u ébécoises D es étudiants européens participent égalem ent à c e programme D élivrance d'un certificat de validation de l'Institut d'Études politiques de Lyon (IE P ) (en c a s de réussite aux exam ens) - D élivrance d'un certificat de l'Université européenne d'Été V isite s-a c tiv ité s c u ltu re lle s: Excursion, notamment d ans le Beaujolais C o û t de p articip atio n : $1500 C a n (incluant voyage transatlantique, transport en France, hébergement, petit-déjeuner et déjeuner à Paris, déjeuner à Lyon, d ép en ses d'inviation de conférenciers, activités culturelles, documentation) B o u rses disponibles / Subvention de l'O FQ J Date lim ite d 'in scrip tio n : Fin avril 1999 Sélection sur la b ase du do ssier académ ique et/ou professionnel R e n se ig n e m e n ts: C h a ire J e a n M onnet T él:(514 ) 343-6586______________________________________________________ Programm e organisé conjointement par le Département de scie n ce politique de la Faculté d es Arts et d es S c ie n c e s et par le C haire Je a n Monnet de la Faculté d es Étu d es supérieures

MUS Election Results President VP Communications VP External VP Internai VP Academie VP Finance Repto SSMU U3 Representative U2 Representative

Jon Feldman Arjuna Rajasingham Zoe Beaudry Olivier Sirois Shemina Jiwani Wasim Kamhawi Hugh Sturgess Golnaz Yeganegi Sebastien Dhonte

Hypermedia exhibit C o n t i n u e d fr o m p a g e 1

But S afd ie’s reputation extends much farther than Habitat ’67. In the 25 years following his first project he has been active on the international scene designing public and academic institutions,

costs to having a state-of-the-art hypermedia web-site.

“While digital collections require less space, are better pre­ served and are more easily search­ able, the process to create them involves significant funding," he

http-y/cac. mcgill. ca/safdie

cultural and civic projects, housing complexes and new communities in Canada, the US and Israel. Some his more recent cultural works include the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec City and the [ Musée des Beaux Arts de Montreal.

McGill University Rare Books C urator-in-C hief Irena M urray j explained that Safdie is indeed deserving of the recognition he has received.

“As one of the world’s elite architects practicing today, Moshe Safdie is, beyond question, an architect of great cultural impor­ tance.”

The site itself has been acclaimed by Murray as a “pio­ neering application of digital tech­ niques to architectural archives.”

Mohammed Ali Abbas, a computer science student who helped create the website, praised the innovation behind the project.

“It is the first time a digital collection has used all the current available technology.”

The result is a “hypermedia,” interactive exhibit of photographs, drawings and models from Safdie’s complete repository.

Does the future of library archives lie on the information highway rather than on dusty shelves and behind glass windows?

Abbas explained that there are

said.

In this case, funding has come from Power Corporation of Canada and Canada’s Digital Collection program, an initiative giving young people aged 15 to 30 technologybased job experience digitizing collections of Canadian Material for display on the SchoolNet web­ site.

Lest you think that only archi­ tectural aficionados can enjoy this site, the students who created it stress that it is interesting for any­ body.

Tudor Radulescu, a U3 archi­ tecture student, assured that people don't need to be students of archi­ tecture to appreciate the website.

"The site is not technical or conceptual," he noted. "You can look at the drawings and make conclusions for yourself."

Student Yann Bensoussan agreed. “[Safdie’s] work is influential.

You see it when you walk around Montreal. This site makes accessi­ ble what has generally been unaccessible to the general public. It is very user-friendly."

You can visit the Safdie Hypermedia Archive web-site at http://cac.mcgill. ca/safdie

N ew s

T he M c G ill T ribune , T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

Battle for th e Board of Governors B o elm an , on the other hand, does not see student re p re­ T h i s sen tatio n as a w e ek 's e le c ­ key issue. tio n fo r the "T he s tu ­ Students' dent represen­ S o c ie ty of ta tiv e to the M c G i l l B o a rd 's m ain U n i v e r s it y 's fo c u s sh o u ld representative no t be to get to th e B oard m ore stu d e nt o f G o v ern o rs representatives fe a tu re s tw o on the Board," w ell-qualified B oelm an s ta t­ c a n d id a te s ed. current repreB o e lm a n sentative W en Lee Soo B o e l m o n i n c u m b e n t W e n L e e S o o is m ore c o n ­ R e i d i n v o l v e d w it h C y r u s b oa rd m em b er stud e n t g o v e rn m e n t c e rn e d w ith B o elm an and c u rre n t S tu d e n t’s S o ciety issues concerning students. He w hat he feels is an excessive was acclaim ed as the student proportion of non-McGill mem­ President Duncan Reid.

B oth B o elm an and R eid representative to the Board of bers sitting on the board who will be returning to McGill for G overnors last year afte r his are also lawyers or bankers.

"The Board of Governors is their final year in Septem ber, o p p o n en t d ro p p ed ou t o f the supposed to reflect the society and are from th e V a n co u v er race. in w h ich M cG ill e x is ts ," S te erin g c le a r o f stu d en t area.

Boelman said.

B oelm an presents him self g o v e rn m e n t, w h ich he fe e ls An im portant part o f that as m ore of a student-at-large, "gets really petty," Boelman has context, according to Boelman, bringing forward the long term instead focused his spare time in is the sciences.

Boelman, major­ the past two years working with ing in chemistry with a minor in Bon Dieu Dans la Rue, an orga­ neuroscience, would like to see n iz a tio n fo r d isa d v a n ta g e d m ore rep resen ta tio n from the youth, as well as with SSMU's pharm aceutical and other sci­ Walksafe.

R eid is h e a v ily in v o lv ed ence-oriented industries.

R eid , on the o th e r hand, w ith stu d e n t g o v e rn m e n t at M cG ill. C iting his service to feels that corporate over-repre­ SSMU as both VP Finance last sentation in the form of bankers y ear and P resid en t this year, and law yers is not a pressing Reid feels that his experience concern.

• The B o a rd o f "[McGill] has a less corpo­ will help him on the Board.

G o v e rn o rs c o n s is ts o f "I've earned respect from rate board than most universities fo rty -six m em b ers re p re ­ m em bers of the Board for the in Canada," Reid said. se n tin g v a rio u s in te re sts W ith re g a rd to issu e s o f work that I've done," Reid said. fu n d in g , R eid said he w ould b o th w ith in a n d b e y o n d R eid lik e n s h im se lf to fight illegitimate student fees.

M c G ill U n iv e rsity . T h is S evag Y eg h o y an , who a fte r "N o th in g is m ore d is r e ­ serving as President of SSMU in in c lu d e s o u tg o in g spectful to students than tuition '94-'95, went on to serve as stu­ C h a n c e llo r G r e tta in cre ases d isg u ise d as som e­ dent representative to the Board C h a m b e rs , in c o m in g thing else," Reid noted. of Governors from '95 to '97.

C hancellor R ichard Pound, Similarly, Boelman regards A c co rd in g to R eid, a n d P rin c ip a l a n d V icefunding as a key concern to the "[Student] representation is the C h a n c e llo r B e n a rd Board of Governors.

In order to key issue on the board level."

Shapiro. secure funding for the future, Most important to him is repre­ • T here are currently a Boelman advocates "a stronger sentation on the various sub­ total o f four student repre­ c o m m itte e s o f the B oard of student lobby on the provincial se n ta tiv e s on th e B o ard , Governors. To Reid, "more stu­ level" w ith coordination with one each fro m th e dents means more perspectives.” the Board of Governors.

S tu d e n ts ’ S o c ie ty of M c G ill U n iv e r s ity , th e P o s t-G ra d u a te S tu d e n ts ' S o c ie ty of M c G ill U n iv e r s ity , th e M c G ill A ssociation o f C ontinuing E d u c a tio n S tu d e n ts, and th e M a c d o n a ld C a m p u s Students’ Society.

• The B o a rd of Governors has the last say on a n u m b e r o f c r u c ia l issu es in clu d in g the b u d ­ g e t, s a l a r ie s , a n d th e appointm ent and dism issal o f M cG ill faculty in clu d ­ ing the teaching staff and senior adm inistrative offi­ cers.

By Peter D eitz

Fact sheet on the Board of Governors

Page 3

McConnell detoxified after bio-hazardous prank B y N ili ma G u l r a j a n i

In the early hours of the morn­ ing February 19th, students living at McConnell residence were wel­ comed home with blood bags, used bandages and syringes from the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital strewn on their doorstep.

A group of students in resi­ dence has admitted taking the bio­ hazardous waste material, although it is still uncertain what disciplinary action will be taken by McGill and whether the Montreal Urban Community Police will press charges.

On February 18, an employee at the Royal Victoria Hospital discov­ ered that the ramp leading up to a metal container where medical waste is held before a daily pick-up to an incinerator was broken. According to Chantal Beauregard, spokesperson for the McGill University Health Centre, the employee decided to "leave the waste outside overnight knowing that it was going to be taken away the next day." That night, the police alerted hospital offi­ cials that there were boxes in the middle of University Street whose contents had spilled on the road.

"I guess a vehicle had hit one of the boxes," said Kareem Mayan, Assistant Director of McConnell Residence and the first person to alert McGill and Residence Security.

"There was blood running down University Street.”

When workers from the hospi­ tal with experience handling danger­ ous materials and a group of city fireman went to clean up the mess on the street, they followed the trail of strewn materials up to the resi­ dences. At around 2 a.m., the clean­ up process in front of McConnell began in earnest, lasting about 45 minutes.

"It was pretty much something out of Outbreak," commented Mayan. "They weren’t wearing headgear but they had the blue bubble suits. They disinfected the area and you could smell the chlorine from the seventh floor."

In the morning, the hospital dis­ covered that some of the 92 boxes containing the biomedical waste were still unaccounted for. They alerted the local media to publicize the dangerous contents of the miss­ ing boxes and according to Director of McConnell Mike Hoover, located the remaining boxes tucked behind

an alley by weekend's end. Hoover did not believe that the students involved in the prank deliberately hid the boxes.

The Royal Victoria has launched an investigation that is expected recommend disciplinary action against the employee who left the hazardous material unattended overnight.

"It was definitely not the right thing to do," said Beauregard.

"Although it was on private proper­ ty, the boxes were still hazardous waste and should never have been left unattended.,.[I]'m sure we'll look into his actions very closely."

Mayan was not surprised by the repercussions of the employee's neg­ ligence.

"Considering that the bio-haz­ ardous boxes were left out in the open...after a night out at Gert's, it wouldn't surprise me at all...," he stated.

Hoover admitted that, "there is no mystery as to who the people responsible for the incident are" and is convinced that their actions were not directed towards anyone in par­ ticular. Dean of Students Rosalie Jukier emphasized that the McGill Code of Conduct and that Quebec Law obliged the University to keep the names of the students confiden­ tial and that McGill disciplinary action is still pending.

"We have confirmed that there are several McGill students involved," Jukier said. "We have forwarded their names to the police and whether that goes any farther I don't know. At McGill, in non-acad­ emic or residence offences the penalties range from exoneration, admonishment, reprimand, conduct probation, unpaid community ser­ vice, suspension, dismissal and expulsion."

Nethertheless, Florence Tracy, director of residences and student housing, acknowledged that all par­ ties involved in the incident should be held accountable.

"Humans err in judgement, they have to take responsibility for their actions," she stated. "Just because it is splashed over the press doesn't mean students have to be scape­ goats."

As of last Friday, police were still investigating the dossier and hadn't officially charged anyone.

—with files from James Grosghal

Winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize

A r t S p ie q c lm a n

Author of Mau/I Sr II

Is speaking on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 4 ,1 9 9 9

" The Making o f M A U / ' 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke St. Leacock Bldg, Room #132 A d m issio n is Free

The Story of a Holocaust Survivor Booksigning following lecture. in comic book form.

For info call Luni 845-9171 Tickets available at Hillel House, 3460 Stanley St., or The McGill University Bookstore, 3420 MacTavish.

In cooperation with McGill Chaplaincy Services.

M a d e possible by a grant from the Beatty Mem orial Lectures Committee, and T h e Norbert and G u sta Roth Family Foundation.

M ONTREAL

Hillel isacoastituent AgencyofFcderation/CombincdJewishAppeal.

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MSF a touchy subject in presidential d eb ate

By R e n é D u n k

Communication, accessibility and experience were the three most hotly discussed issues at last Thursday’s presidential debate at Gert’s.

The debate, which lasted over an hour, began with short and diverse introductory speeches given by each of the four candidates, Tamana Kochar, Melissa Pallett, Jaime Stein and Andrew Tischler. While Kochar stressed current changes facing the Students' Society, Pallett emphasized her qualifications for the position.

Stein relayed the various elements of his platform including an more "userfriendly McGill" and Tischler high­ lighted his management of a candy store as helpful to co-ordinating meet­ ings and events run by SSMU.

O u t w ith th e o ld , in w ith th e n e w Questions from the floor began with the current SSMU President Duncan Reid, who •asked each candi­ date a specific question pertaining to the different platforms. To Reid's question of what skills he possessed to drive student-motivated initiatives, Stein responded that in order to run council, the president has to be a leader and has to the hold the council­ lors in the utmost respect.

"As the current SSMU speaker," Stein stated, "I have been on the inside as well as the outside of council.

Therefore, I feel that I am experienced to drive initiatives."

Reid asked Kochar how she intended to make SSMU less political, as Kochar’s campaign slogan is "A more personal, not political, SSMU." Kochar responded by emphasizing the

need to bring more students into the "We need to accept that work has best and brightest students." fold. already been done in the past and Kochar reiterated the breakdown "From what Pve observed, work to build on it to find solutions." of the MSF, explaining the various SSMU is concerned with [things hap­ Pallett emphasized the need to aspects. pening in] Shatner," she said. "What extend campus safety to Solin Hall.

"Once the Shatner renovations we need to do is work with student "The Solin Hall path requires are paid, we won't need the funds but and faculty associations. The president patrolling as do areas such as the the bursary part can be seen as stu­ needs to go out there and help dents supporting each other.This with initiatives...[SSMU] needs is a long-term project." to reach out to students atTischler stressed how the large." funds will be used to improve Pallett responded to Reid's the current state of McGill's question of how the president libraries. needs “to be more of a tool” by "Although the libraries are stressing inter-faculty relations. in need of funding, the MSF is a If elected, Pallett intends to hold short-term solution because we monthly meetings with various need to find more funds form the campus groups such as SUS and outside."

MUS. Eallett summed up the gen­ "We need to discuss ideas eral feeling of the MSF by stat­ and to work on concepts in order C a n d id a t e s d e b a te th e is s u e s Charles Roy ing that she believed it is "a to combat certain issues such as short-term solution for long-term lobbying the government." library." projects."

Tischler, a returning presidential Stein also stressed the need for Tara Van Zuiden, a U3 Arts stu­ candidate, explained to Reid why he is greater library safety. dent, asked each candidate about their so persistent in campaigning for the "We need to improve security in potential weaknesses. position. the library and in general, all security While Kochar responded by say­ "I've worked with university needs to be more exposed on cam­ ing that she has a tendency to talk too administrators to help students' future pus." much, Pallett stated the she often and I have a good sense of co-ordina­ Kochar discussed the recent holds important issues too close to her tion. My experience plays an impor­ thefts that have occurred on campus in heart. Stein admitted to being an tant role for president... you can see it buildings such as Engineering and "organizational freak" and Tischler in the projects I've implemented."

Shatner. confessed to being an eternal optimist.

"If the current security company "People tell me that no matter Q u e s tio n s at la rg e employed by McGill is not effective what, I'm always smiling," he we should change companies. Also, quipped.

General questions from the floor we need to discuss the [previous safe­ The serious nature of the debate began with Walksafe Co-ordinator ty] audits at Senate." was lightened when Qureshi returned Lorraine Law asking what the candi­ Jawad Qureshi, a U3 manage­ to the floor and asked the candidates dates knew about current campus ment student and SSMU University to describe the drugs that they has safety evaluation and corrections ser­ Affairs candidate, asked about what experimented with. All the candidates vices already available to students. became one of the touchiest issues of but Kochar admitted to the use of vari­ Tischler responded first by stat­ the debate, the proposed McGill ous substances including marijuana, ing that he was aware that certain Students’ Fund. however, Kochar did reluctantly admit safety conclusions had already been "The MSF is a short-term solu­ that if she were to win the election, made about McGill and the surround­ tion to help sustain us now," respond­ she would sip her first drink. ing ghetto area. ed Stein. "We can't afford to lose the

Français à McGill — oui ou non, et comment?

An intimate tête-a-tête about fran­ cophone issues with the candidates running for the presidential, communi­ ty and government, and university affairs portfolios was organized by Francophone Commissioner LouisPhilipppe Messier in order to highlight the importance of the “French fact” at McGill.

After being somewhat disgruntled with the fact that student newspapers, including the Tribune and the Délit Français, weren’t “dispalying an inter­ est on the francophone question,” Messier decided to invite candidates to express their opinions, preferably in French, on the concerns of the fran­ cophone community at McGill.

Among the presidential candi­ dates there was a consensus that fran­ cophone students must be further inte­ grated into the McGill community, although the means they offerred

ranged from having a fluently bilingual person at the front desk at all times to translating all SSMU documents in both languages. Notable however, was the ease with which the candidates spoke French themselves — Andrew Tischler being the most fluent of the four, Jamie Stein and Melissa Pallett making sustained efforts and Tamana Kochar needed translation throughout the discussion. All criticized differen­ tial tuition fees and said they would vote “yes” for the proposed McGill Students’ Fund.

In the race for VP Community and Government, again all candidates proclaimed the need to embrace fran­ cophone students and connect with the francophone community beyond the Roddick Gates. As the person who would directly be communicating with all levels of government, it is probably this portfolio which requires the most

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F e e d b a ck a n d con cern s Although Zainab Abdurrdhman, a U1 Physiology and Math student, had already decided who she was going to vote for prior to the debate, she stated that all four candidates had spoken well and had good ideas.

"Communication between stu­ dents and SSMU is a huge problem," she said. "SSMU might not be able to overcome it but they can lessen the gap. The president has to get people to realize that SSMU is involved in stu­ dent life."

Shana Stott, a U1 Biochemistry student stated that the debate had nar­ rowed her presidential choice to two candidates.

"The MSF is a touchy subject and it's good to know who is for it and who is against."

Stott expressed disappointment, however, in the manner in which Reid questioned the candidates.

"I was upset that Duncan got to ask personal questions, like the one he asked Andrew. It stood out the most and I think that it was a bit low. He answered it well though." She contin­ ued, "actually, all the candidates were very prepared and very focused."

Stott stressed how important it is to not make an arbitrary decision when voting as SSMU holds a fair bit of power over student life.

"I think it's important to make sure you vote for someone you believe in. [SSMU] has control over what our students lives are going to be like."

Just before press time, Kochar was censured for election poster vio­ lations after repeated warnings by the CRO. Kochar will no longer be reim­ bursedfor her election expenses.

UA d eb ate pits left versus centre

fluency in French. Wojtek Baraniak ad Ali Noormohamed both spoke half-decent French, although both reverted to English as the stress of answering questions mounted. In contrast, Jeff Roberts man­ aged to keep up in broken French.

Noormohamed and Roberts both said they would vote no for the MSF, whereas Baraniak supported it.

In the race for VP University Affairs, candidate Jawad Qureshi feared that the position of Francophone Commissioner smelled of tokenism and wanted the posi­ tion to have a seat on Council along with other campus groups like the Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society and Queer McGill. Xavier Van Chau felt that there was a need to integrate rather than separate the French and English communities at McGill and pro­ posed increasing the budget for the Francophone Commissioner. Qureshi was unable to answer the questions asked of him in French, whereas Van Chau was relatively at ease in the language. Both supported the MSF as a short term solu­ tion.

Messier felt that making the candi­ dates address issues concerning francoph­ one students was a positive step towards raising the profile of an oft-forgotten 20 per cent of the student body and reducing the gap between a liguistically and region­ ally divided McGill community.

“The [French] iss ues should not be extra homework... [T]he candidates should know about it,” said Messier. It's easier to build bridges that way.”

—by Nilima Gulrajani

By Paul C onner In a debate which pitted the self-described left versus the centre — Jawad Qureshi and Xavier Van Chau for the VP University Affairs position — the common theme of the debate was unity.

Both candidates argued that understanding and consensus build­ ing are the keys to a successful completion of the mandate.

Both opened with a short biography of their experiences.

Qureshi, in an opening statement, described his desire to create minority representatives such as women's, queer and race positions on council.

Van Chau, by contrast, cited the importance of the UA position on the executive as the "heart and soul" of student poltics.

The first set of questions revealed the major difference between the candidates' platforms. Qureshi delved into his plans to reward student leaders for community involvement.

"From my understanding, Harvard and UBC both have [such programs]," he said. "My discussions with the University say that involvement can be [rewarded with course credit]. We have nothing to recognize involvement with the University."

W hereas Qureshi focused on volunteer work, Van Chau expressed concern with making work-study more available to stu­ dents.

"I would encourage everyone to vote for work-study," he said, in reference to his strong support for a program he intends to work toward next year.

Both candidates also dealt with the issue of course evaluations.

Van Chau expressed the need for greater attention to the current sys­ tem and the creation of a course-evaluations commissioner who would oversee web-accessible results. Qureshi, by contrast, seeks to continue efforts put forth by the faculty of engineering to eliminate C o n tin u e d on page 5

N ew s Page 5

T he M c G ill T ribune , T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

Candidates amicable throughout debate Government and Community debate cen­ tres around safety, educa­ tion and environment

By A aron l/( nbi kg The three candidates running for Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, Wojtek Raraniak, Ali Noormohamed and Jeff Roberts, faced off at Gert’s on

McGill security phones not only on campus, but also in the student ghetto. “Why can’t we work on extending the blue light system?” he asked. “Part of the McGill com­ munity is also those areas off cam­ pus.”

U n iv e rsity A ffa irs c a n d id a t e s d re ss a lik e t o o C o n t i n u e d fr o m p a g e 4

A ll th ree c a n d id a t e s h a v e d iffe re n t fo c u s e s

Thursday evening.

The debate opened with oneminute presentations by each of the candidates. A series of ques­ tions followed from current VP External Jeff Feiner and from the floor.

In opening statem ents, Baraniak asserted his goal to rep­ resent the student body in the com­ m unity, w hile N oorm oham ed voiced his concerns on the impor­ tance of communication between the students and the S tudents’ Society executive. Roberts focused on education issues, namely fund­ ing to post-secondary education.

In response to Feiner’s first question on tactics they would use when approaching the government, Roberts and Baraniak voiced dif­ fering opinions. They both agreed on the merit of working with the C anadian A lliance of Student Associations at the federal level; however, Baraniak also empha­ sized the im portance of La Fédération des étudiants universi­ taires du Québec, the Quebec stu­ dent alliance. Roberts thought direct links with the federal gov­ ernment would be most effective.

Noormohamed responded by say­ ing that he feels more meaning needs to be added to the under­ graduate degree, possibly by inte­ grating more hands-on work expe­ rience into graduation require­ ments.

In a later question, Baraniak was asked what he thought the positive benefits of working with la FEUQ were.

“There is a substantial amount that can be done at the provincial level,” he argued. “It is worth the effort to work with both organiza­ tions.”

Feiner next asked the candi­ dates how they intended to improve student safety and student presence in the com m unity.

Noormohamed suggested having

Charles Roy

B araniak’s main idea is to establish a position on the execu­ tive for a safety commissioner, “Someone to deal with all safety issues in the McGill community.”

Roberts disagreed. “We have to focus on more specific solutions,” he stated, citing free self-defence courses for women as an action he would take.

The floor also brought up the topic of the environment. Roberts spoke most adamantly about the issue, saying that McGill’s stan­ dards are too low and that action must be taken. “W orking with groups such as Éco-Cartier, would not only help environm ental awareness, but also community involvem ent.” B araniak and Noormohamed, admitted to having less experience in the area of envi­ ronmental policy, but both agreed that it is a valid issue that should have more attention paid to it.

Feiner’s final question to can­ didates concerned w hat they thought could have been done bet­ ter this year. While all three candi­ dates praised his job performance, they all had criticisms for the out­ going executive.

“Students should have been notified more about the provincial election,” said Baraniak. “They should have been kept more informed about the actions of the Quebec government as a whole.”

Roberts seconded this idea, while Noormohamed said that he “would try to been seen around more and be better known among students.”

All three candidates were well received by the audience, but Jeff Kurzon, a spectator at the debate, thought B araniak’s goals were communicated the best.

“All three candidates seemed fairly com petent, but it was Baraniak who came off as the most set in his objectives, and that the other two were not as clear.”

qualitative evaluations and expand quantitative measures.

One of the last questions of the debate asked the candidates to measure themselves on the politi­ cal spectrum. Qureshi forcefully described him self as left-wing.

Van Chau stated that he was more centre, but added that the position of VP University Affairs is much more project-oriented than politi­ cally motivated.

According to Vincent Roy, a U3 economics student, the candi­ dates didn't distinguish themselves from one another.

Charles Roy

"The biggest diffrence was that one said he was left-wing, and the other said he was centre. But I think m ost of the people here tonight already had their minds made up."

On the issue of work-study versus credit for involvement, Roy was clearly in favour of the former.

"My view is that when you're studying, what's important are your grades." He added that as a work­ ing student, he feels that students should be helped when it comes to finding jobs should the need arise.

Similarly, Adam Blinick, a U 1 English student working on anoth­

er campaign race, felt that workstudy was a more effective pro­ gram.

"Being involved with volun­ teer work, I think that it's not a good idea to give credit for it because there are already too many people doing it just to put it on their CVs." But Blinick felt that both can­ didates handled themselves well during the debate.

"I really liked how they were amicable to each other [during the debate]. They were comfortable enough to let students decide for themselves."

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T he M cG ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

The Love Boat, a big out­ door tent, the Internet and Fraggle Rock:

response to his own question, he pro­ ceeded to outline his grand schem e and a pillar o f his platform: the pur­ chase or rental o f an outdoor, heated tent appropriate for a winter, open-air pub.

In response to a questio n co n ­ cerning the im portance o f French in SSMU, both candidates firmly agreed V P C o m m u n ic a tio n s and Even ts h ave th e ir say that the language should be included in all facets o f the Society. Wyndowe,

By Emily jEAiVCAifi&tt lishing a booklet to be distributed to less flu en t in F rench than M orrow , incom ing students to explain "w hat noted that the web page will be trans­ I.ast Thursday night at Gert’s, the exactly goes on at SSMU, how they lated and Morrow added that it is nec­ candidates for the newly-created posi­ can g et involved and how they can essary fo r th e school to o p erate in tio n o f V P C o m m u n ic a tio n s and voice their concerns and questions.

Canada's two languages.

Events participated in the S tudents’ Pelley then asked the candidates The highlight of the debate was a Society o f McGill University election to address the "Events" focus o f the request from the floor for each o f the d e b a te s . Jo M o rro w an d M a tt portfolio. In the event o f a "No” ver­ candidates, to sing "the song that you W yndow e discussed their platform s, d ic t in th is w e e k 's re fe re n d u m to w ould use to define the new era o f a n s w e re d q u e s tio n s a n d d e b a te d decide if students are willing to pay F o u r F lo o rs. “C h o reo g rap h y b eing issues pertinent to their campaigns. fo r re n o v a tio n s to S h atn er, P elley optional but preferable." A fter apolo­ K a re n P e lle y , c u rr e n t V P wanted to know "what types o f activi­ gizing for her tone-deafness, Morrow Internal, w hose porfolio sa n g a re -w o rd e d is being split as a result re n d itio n o f th e of the new SSM U consti­ "L ove B oat" them e tution, asked the two can­ song w ith the lyric d id a te s to a d d re s s the "...at the Four Floors, c o m p la in t th a t "the safety is nu-u-umber S tu d e n ts' S o c ie ty does o n e ."

W yndow e n o t do v e ry m u ch to chose the theme song co m m u n icate w ith stu ­ to " F ra g g le R o c k " d e n ts " an d to p ro p o s e an d p ro c e e d e d to h o w th e y p la n n e d to sing an unedited ver­ im prove com m unication sion o f the tune. No with SSMU and its mem­ e x p la n a tio n w as bers. o ffered fo r the lin k W y n d o w e assu red b e tw e e n S h a tn e r the audience that SSM U building parties and "h as a c o u p le of the 1980s children's resources that are pretty puppet show. solid, like the handbook."

A fter declining H ow ever, as the current to c o m m e n t o n the S S M U w e b m a s te r, he candidates’ singing, added "There is a real a u d ie n c e m e m b e r Morrow and Wyndowe communicate through song Charles Roy trend tow ards pu ttin g a n d U 0 s tu d e n t things on-line. Students H ow -S en C hong d id o ffe r his p e r­ are using it m ore and m ore often, I ties and events do you plan to imple­ spective on their earlier answers. "I'm w a n t to p ro m o te th e w eb p a g e as m en t fo r stu d en ts asid e from F o u r alw ays on the M cG ill w eb site and being a source of information for stu­ Floors and concerts." M orrow looked could use a good SSM U web page." dents." outside o f McGill for her answer.

Chong says that he has "little idea o f Morrow appreciated W yndowe's "I’ve been researching into some what SSM U really is about" and felt e m p h a s is on w e b -b a s e d s tu d e n tother venues outside o f M cGill," she th a t a b o o k le t e x p la in in g S S M U S S M U c o m m u n ic a tio n , b u t a ls o said, "places that are large enough to would also help newly arrived frosh. wants to institute "an open forum for hold events we can accommodate stu­ U1 student M elanie B urkholder discussion every month or so for any­ dents that attend the Four Floors par­ also thought the web page was a good one w ho w ishes to attend w ith the ties." idea. W y n d o w e's su g g e stio n o f an heads o f all faculties, departm ents, W yndow e expressed his excite­ outdoor tent did not similarly please clubs and services representatives" in m ent at Pelley's question then asked her, though. "I do n 't thin k students order to open a channel o f communi­ rhetorically, "Is there a place on cam ­ need that, it's a waste o f money; wait cation between SSM U and other fac­ pus to hang out and have a good time for warm weather or go to Gert's." tions o f M cGill. She suggested pub­ o th e r th a n S h a tn er? " W ith a "no"

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Clubs and Services at polar ends '

Publications' editorial autonomy drew opposing responses

By Jonathan C olford VP Clubs and Services candi­ dates Sam Gross and John Ki have one thing in common: they agree to disagree.

At the all-candidates debate held last Thursday at Gert's, both Gross and Ki presented platforms calling for improved inter-club communication between clubs and services and the Students' Society of McGill University.

Gross wished to improve com­ m unication with monthly open forums for club leaders. Ki pro­ posed creating a promotions team and a new sletter, as well as expanding Activities Night in order to include ethnic com m unity groups and other groups from the Montreal area.

C urrent VP Internal Karen Pelley then asked how the candi­ dates would motivate club leaders to participate in the meetings and forums which already exist. Gross, making reference to her plans to have guest speakers at these meet­ ings, said she wants to "talk to [club leaders], see what they want."

Ki would create incentives for participation through his planned promotions team.

"If [club leaders] show enthu­ siasm, I would give them some sort of reward through the promotions team," he said.

Francophone Commissioner Louis-Philippe Messier asked both candidates how they planned to service McGill's francophone com­ munity. Approximately 20 per cent of the student population at the university is francophone.

Gross answ ered M essier’s question in shaky French, promis­ ing that if elected she would "take the steps to improve [her] French."

She also promised to have a bilin­ gual staff member inform her of any problem s the francophone community may have.

Ki answ ered M essier in English, stressing how he could relate to the francophone commu­ nity's concerns.

"I am from an ethnic minority.

I can empathize with the francoph­ one community and represent it very well,” Ki said.

Asked what experience they bring to the position, Ki and Gross

Charles Roy

detailed their involvement in stu­ dent politics and activities.

Ki noted his involvement with the McGill Intercollegiate Sports Council.

"I know what's going on at the grassroots level. Being around for four years I think I have a grasp of what's going on," he said.

Gross hopes her experience as VP Finance and VP Internal of the Inter-Greek Letter Council and working at the SSMU front desk will be an asset to the position.

"I understand the major issues, like the clubs communiqué not get­ ting around. Working at the front desk I know better advertising can be done through the net," she said.

The debate between the two candidates became most polarized on the issue of the editorial autono­ my of SSMU publications. Red Herring Editor-in-Chief Rich Retyi asked them how they felt about this issue. His publication was involved in a controversy last fall as an arti­ cle titled "The Fall of McGill" had to be pulled in order for SSMU to agree to provide the funds for its fall issue's printing.

Gross opened by stating she didn't feel the VP Clubs and Services should interfere with pub­ lications' editorial autonomy.

"I don't think I should have a say as to what's printed. I see my main role as promoting advertising for the publications," she said.

Ki believes that SSMU should reserve the right td pull articles from publications for which it acts as publisher, such as the Red H erring and the Tribune. He stressed that this would be an exceptional measure taken only in exceptional cases.

"How could you allow an arti­ cle promoting rape to go through?" he asked.

Gross replied by saying she trusts the publications' editorial boards not to print articles which, in Ki's example, promoted rape.

"I would hope they're not very likely to be printed in our campus papers," she said.

Ki answered her rebuttal by saying he only used a pro-rape arti­ cle to prove a point.

"Yes of course [campus publi­ cations] deserve autonomy, howevC o n tin u e d o n p a g e 7

Clubs and Services

Overshadowed by SSMU elections, Senate races equally important

By C hristine Pritchard Elections arc this week and while the Students’ Society of McGill University campaigns are the most widely recognized, other positions such as those for Senate are also up for grabs.

Few students understand the importance of the Senate committee and realize the job this elected body is charged with.

As McGill's highest academic decision making body, the Senate is responsible for drafting policies that affect the university's staff, faculty, and students.

There are 13 student senators, two of whom are SSMU's President and Vice President University Affairs.

Furthermore, each of McGill's ten facul­ ties has a seat on Senate. The thirteenth senator and any of the ten seats not filled for respective faculties are assigned from the largest faculties, in decreasing order. Therefore, Arts, the most populous faculty at McGill, nor­ mally has two seats.

The race fo r science Enthusiastic about the opportunity to represent her faculty, U2 candidate Ambreen Hussain's main focus is on "remodeling McGill's environmental safety policy, the issue of tuition fees, increasing science students' access to computer labs, and increasing student body participation on Senate."

Regarding tuition costs, Hussein "would

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like to work in conjunction with SSMU to renovate buildings and improve library facilities without increasing fees.” By addressing the issue of com­ puter labs, Hussein hopes to give sci­ ence students the same accessibility that other faculties, such and management, take for granted.

U2 candidate Karen Pelley, current VP Internal for SSMU, would like to use the position as Science Senator to address security issues on campus. She highlighted the fact that no one claims responsibility for the blue campus secu­ rity lights. Pelley's campaign focuses on her previous SSMU experience and how "to promote student security and to meet the needs of science students."

Pelley would also like to ensure that sci­ ence students have access to a wider range of periodicals.

U2 candidate Samantha Fienberg’s campaign platform is more faculty-spe­ cific. She wants to "increase credit for lab courses, establish more exchange programs because it is currently very hard to get a full year's credit away, put old exams on reserves, have peer course evaluations, and install more photo copy machines in more convenient loca­ tions." Fienberg hopes to expand the science faculty's exchange program and its requirements.

The fourth science candidate for Senate, Uduak Idiong, was unavailable for comment.

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Eleanore Koo

Face-off fo r m anagem ent Ul candidate AJ Silber is intent on preserving management students’acade­ mic interests. Silber actively opposes decisions, such as the proposed 4.3 GPA system, that would negatively affect the faculty and its students.

According to Silber "My goal is to ensure management students' interests are taken into account when this univer­ sity makes any academic decision."

The main focus of U1 candidate Lily Chhautwal’s campaign is increasing awareness of Senate. Enthusiastic to act as a liaison between students and the administration, Chhautwal "would like to improve the level of communication between students and their senate repre­ sentative in order to effectively voice student concerns, needs, and create more awareness and involvement in Senate decisions."

Fight fo r arts Ul candidate Sarah Clarke is determined to improve the accessibility of Senate to students. She is eager to "open the system up a little bit." Her main goal is to "keep students informed about the future of their academics."

Clarke strongly believes that more atten­ tion should be given to departments in the Arts faculty, that course evaluations

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should be made more accessible, and that the number of course TAs should be increased.

U2 candidate Jeff Feiner feels that his experience as this year’s SSMU VP External will allow him to be an active participant in Senate meetings with McGill's eductaional administrators. He said he is prepared to challenge other senators on behalf of the students.

"Essentially I've developed a vast bank of knowledge through various positions I've held and this will provide me with the tools to represent Arts stu­ dents forcefully and productively on the Senate which is, after all, the highest academic decision making body at McGill."

Feiner also hopes to improve course evaluations and clear up some of the bureaucratic red tape at McGill.

Ul candidate Fred Sagel is eager to bring a fresh perspective to the Senate as the youngest candidate in the Arts race. Sagel has the opportunity to follow through with any initiatives started in Senate in the upcoming year.

"I'm looking to address central issues such as the downsizing of faculty programs, the lack of communication between the administration and the stu­ dent body, especially when it comes to promoting the multi-track system, and continuing the current Senate initiatives such as making course evaluations pub­ lic," said Sagel.

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er the SSMU needs to reserve the right to protect [the integrity of] itself and McGill," he said.

The debate, while polarized, produced no clear winner, accord­ ing to U2 Political Science student Una Roh. Roh felt the two candi­ dates were vague on their respec­ tive platforms and focused more on differentiating themselves from each other.

"In terms of the editorial ques­ tion, I'm not entirely sure the answers were truthful, it sounded a lot like they were trying to take opposite sides to distinguish them­ selves from each other," Roh said.

Of the two candidates, Roh felt that Ki's responses were "more honest,” recognizing that he was taking an unpopular stance regard­ ing the issue of editorial autonomy.

"I don't know if [their responses] were based on their opinion or on what the crowd wanted to hear. I think [Ki] was more or less honest because he didn’t come across as looking very good, especially to the Trib and the Herring and the Daily and the other publications on campus," Roh added. She was unimpressed with both candidates.

"Neither came across strong­ ly, neither of them made a strong impression on my mind."

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:

A n y o f t h e f o llo w in g q u a l i t i e s w ill b e s o u g h t in a c a n d i d a t e :

- previous com m ittee experience and/or involvem ent in the university

n

-a kn o w le d ge of the Faculty for w hich you w ant to select the Dean

n -prior involvem ent in the Students Society and/or an und erstand ing of its role in university governance

Dean of Science Advisory Committee

Please submit a briefletter stating why you would make a good Students' Society representative for the Dean's advisory committee that you are inter­ ested in sitting on by March 12/99 t0

Ifyou have any questions please contact me at 398-6797 or ua@ssmu.mcgili.ca

'

S a m J o h n s to n

V P U n iv e r s ity A ffa ir s o f t h e S t u d e n t s 'S o c i e t y

The Students' Society o f M cG ill University 3480 McTavish st.

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TRIBUNE V o t e r 's

J e ff R o b e rts N o o rm o h am ed

• U 2 pol. sci. a n d econom ics • Im m a c u la ta H ig h S c h o o l, O tta w a

• U 2 m anagem ent • S o u th e rla n d H ig h S c h o o l, V a nco uve r

• U 3 arts •C a rs o n G ra h a m S e c o n d a ry School, N o rth V a nco uve r

E x p e rie n c e

• A rts representative to SSMU (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) •V P Finance P o litica l S cience Student A ssociation 1 9 9 8 -9 9 •B us Boy, Eggspectation 19 9 8 •C le rk , Revenue C a nada 1 9 9 7 • O rg a n is e r, N a tio n a l S tudent C o m m e n w e a lth Forum 1 9 9 5 99

• Info. Officer, MUS (1997) • Property Sketcher, BC Assessment (1997) • Canadian G renadier Guard (1996) • VP C om m unications for AIESEC National Leadership Conference

• VP N o rth A m e ric a n Studies • C o - o r d in a to r o f G re e n in g M c G ill (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) • M e m b e r o f C o u n c il o f C a n a d ia n s • P rovinical election volunteer • W estern C a n a d a W ilderness C om m ittee

W h a t specific e x p e ­ rience have y o u had th a t y o u th in k w ill b e s t s e r v e y o u in y o u r n e w p o s itio n and w h y ?

M y e x p e rie n c e w ith th e e x te r n a l a f f a ir s c o m m itte e w ith in th e S tu d e n ts ' S o c ie ty a llo w e d m e to g a in a s o lid u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e issues th a t a re re le v a n t to students to d a y.

In m y c o -o p p la c e m e n t I w as exposed to the fu n d a m e n ­ tal rule o f g o a l setting, p rio ri­ tis in g a n d p la n n in g . If these three things a re do n e effective­ ly, than irrespective o f the task a t h a n d , they w ill be d o n e e ffi­ ciently a n d effectively.

G re e n in g M c G ill. It has p u t m e in to u c h w ith th e a d m in is tra tio n , SSMU, students a n d p ro fe s s o rs . W e 'v e a ls o d ra w n on resources w ith in the com m unity a n d this shows that I know h o w to put togethe r an effective lo b b y g ro u p .

S tu d e n t issu e s d o n o t g e n e ra lly g e t a lo t o f m a in s tr e a m m e d ia a t t e n t io n .

W h a t issu e to y o u p la n o n t r y i n g to call attention to n ext ye a r?

T h e s ta te o f p o s t s e c ­ o n d a ry education in C a n a d a is the m ost im p o rta n t issue th a t s h o u ld b e a d d re s s e d in th e m e d ia . T h e p e o p le o f th is co u n try need to re a liz e th a t the system is in d a n g e r. The best w a y o f c o m m u n ic a tin g this is to w o r k th r o u g h o u r lo b b y o rg a n iz a tio n , C À S A .

T he issu es th a t s tu d e n ts th in k deserve n a tio n a l m e d ia a tte n tio n . If I h a v e la r g e enough student support fo r an y issue than it w ill a cinch — the m edia w ill s w a llo w it up.

I w a n t to se e fu n d in g re s to re d to p o s t s e c o n d a r y e d u c a tio n . I w a n t to b u ild a c o a litio n o f s tu d e n t le a d e rs across the c o u n try . If w e can g e t th e s tu d e n t p o p u la t io n active w e can get into the news

Salloum

e lc o m e t o t h e s e c ­ o n d a n n u a l T rib u n e v o t e r 's g u id e . T h e p u rp o s e o f th e v o te r's g u id e is t o g a u g e c a n d id a t e s ' re s p o n s e s t o s p e c if ic a n d g e n e ra l q u e s tio n s p e r t a in ­ in g to th e ir p o rtfo lio s .

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The follow ing positions h a ve been a cclaim ed : Education Senator:

• S h eriff A b d o u Finan cial Ethics R esearch Com mittee:

• • • •

W o jte k B a ra n ia k

P ro gram Highschool and John

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VP Community and Government C a n d id a te

By Steph Levitz

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Jason A n ta o V itto C heli C harlo tte G a rd e n Sami K a m h a w i

V P O p eratio n s:

• Kevin M cPhee Representative to CKUT:

• Laura M c N e il Polls a re open M arch 9 , 10 a n d 11 ...

VP Clubs and Services C a n d id a te

R e b a te .

R e b a te .

R e b a te .

P ro gra m Highschool

E x p e rie n c e

R ight now, yo u c a n ta ke a d va n ta g e o f a $ 5 0 .0 0 airtim e cre d it w h e n yo u b u y o u r dual m o d e P C S S o n y ph o ne . C o m b in e this

Is th e re a se rvice th a t y o u fe e l is la c k in g at M cG ill?

saving w ith any o f o u r a ffordable plans including o u r unlim ited local eve n in g a n d w e e k e n d o p tio n and y o u ’re all s e t to g o w ireless.

This offer is valid from Feb 1 to March 311 Pick one up at your cam pus c o m p u te r sto re o r reach us at w w w .clearnet.com /student or 1 -8 8 8 -2 4 8 -5 9 6 8 . The future is friendly.

Network

clear Lucent Technologies

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Bell Labs Innovations

* M u s t a c t iv a t e w it h in 1 0 d a y s . P h o n e m u s t b e a c t iv a t e d f o r a m in im u m o f 3 0 d a y s . ™ T r a d e - m a r k s u s e d u n d e r lic e n c e fr o m C le a r n e t C o m m u n ic a tio n s In c .

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T w o c lu b s c o m e t o y o u a t th e sam e tim e to b o o k th e b a llro o m in S h a t n e r f o r t h e sa m e n ig h t . H o w d o y o u c h o o s e w h ic h c lu b g e ts th e ro om ?

S a m a n th a G ro ss

• U 2 phsychology • Bishop Strachan School, M e tro Prep, Toronto • Research assistant, Educational Psychology D epartm ent o f M c G ill (1 9 9 8 ) • Staff, SSMU office (1 9 9 8 -1 9 9 9 ) • W a lk s a fe volunteer (1 9 9 6 -9 7 ) • A d m is s io n s a s s is ta n t, In te r n a tio n a l Academ y of M e r c h a n d is in g a n d D e s ig n , T oronto (1 9 9 4 -1 9 9 7 ) •S alesperson, Uncle O tis C lothing Store, Toronto (1 9 9 5 )

I th in k th a t w e n e e d , a s id e from o r in a d d itio n to th e S e x u a l A s s a u lt C e n tre , a n a b u s e hotline specifically for p e o p le in a b u s iv e re la tio n ­ ships. I think SACOMSS is an invaluable service so p erh ap s w e can e x p a n d it to include 4hts.----I would b ase the decision first on the am ount of times that the club has alread y h ad the room this y e a r o r this semester. The s iz e o f th e g r o u p a n d th e a p p e a l o f th e e v e n t to th e McGill community as a whole would also be important.

John Ki

• U 2 p o litica l science • Dennis M o rris H igh School, St. C atherines, O n ta rio • M c G ill ru g b y team • S a le s C o n s u lta n t, M c G ill C om puter Store ( 1 997-1 9 9 9 ) • B artender a t G e rt's (1 9 9 5 -9 9 ) • Sales S pecialist, N ik e C a n a d a (1 9 9 7 ) • B a n k e r, D y n a s ty C h a r it y C asinos (1 9 9 6 , 1997)

I th in k w e n e e d a n e th n ic co m m issio n e r w h o c a n help with grievances based on eth­ nic issues much like the current francophone commissioner.

You could b ase it on their b u d ­ g ets b u t I w ould c h o o se the club that responds the most to the different activities that we hold for them — like activities night a n d sem inars. The club that shows the most interest in events — it w ould be best to rew ard them.

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BiJAi1/Y è ï stiXV / ? M arch

N ew s Page 9

1999

President Candidate

Tamana Kochar

Jaim e Stein

A n d re w Tischler

Melissa Pallett

• U3 English and history • P a lm e tto S e n io r H ig h , M ia m i Florida

U3 poli-sci and economics Upper C anada College, Toronto

• U2 political science • P oint G re y S e co n d a ry S chool, Vancouver

•U 3 management •T h e In d ia n S ch o o l, K u w a it an d Ridgemont Highschool, O ttaw a

Experience

• Arts Senator (1998-99) • Inter-Resident C ouncil President (1997-98) • Techical crew fo r M c G ill m ainstage p la ys, Tooth a n d N a il an d A rcad ia (1997-98) • Legal S e c re ta ry / P a ra le g a l in M iam i (1996-1998) • Douglas Hall council house repre­ sentative (1996-1997)

• O w ner o f Sucre Bleu (1998 - ) • International Big Buddy (1998) • Volunteer fo r M cG ill Blood Drive (1996) •R e s e a rc h e r, T o ro n to G e n e ra l Hospital Banting Institute (1997) • Accounts Receivable, Techno Strip Limited (1992-1996)

• SSMU Speaker (1998-99) • Intramural hockey referee (199899) • M c G ill Tribune p h o to g ra p h e r (1998-99) • Poll C le rk fo r fe d e ra l e le c tio n (1997) • Hockey school instructor, counsel­ lor, referee (1990 - 99)

• Clubs and Services Representative to SSMU (1998-99) • D on a t Royal V ic to ria C o lle g e (1998-99) • M em ber of Senate Subcommittee fo r Students w ith disabilities (199798) • W rite r for M cG ill D aily (1996-98) • Employee, M cG ill Telecom (19961997)

Accessibility has been a theme throughout this campaign. Define what it means to you.

A llo w in g and enabling students to get involved and participate in any capacity in which they feel com fort­ able. Furthermore, there should not be any hindrance in providing infor­ mation for all students, or in the par­ ticipation of all students.

Access to education — being fiscal­ ly a ble to access it. Access to the administration and having access to the representatives that w ill ultimately m a k e M c G ill b e tte r serve y o u r needs.

H t means being there fo r students w hen they need to speak to you.

Being there to serve their needs and to be accessible at all times.

A v a ila b ilit y o f in fo r m a tio n , resources, openness w ith students a n d the w illin g n e s s to listen. The d e te rm in a tio n to see [so m e th in g ] through to help the a v a ila b ility of inform ation needed for the students to access those resources.

First, I would inquire w hat interests th e m a n d e x p la in to them the resources provided at M cG ill includ­ ing the Tribune, the numerous ser­ vices and clubs such as W alksafe, the Sexual Assault Centre and add that SSMU acts as the political body to represent them to M cG ill adm inis­ tration and the Quebec government a n d e n c o u ra g e them to becom e involved.

I think the SSMU has the role o f pro­ viding enabling conditions that w ill allow students to get the most out o f the university experience and to enable them to get as involved as they possibly can.

I think SSMU provides people with a p la c e to get established in the community — for example clubs and services and events. Also, it commu­ nicates w ith in the school w h a t is oing on. It facilitates a w ay for stuents to p a rtic ip a te in the M c G ill community.

SSMU is your voice at the M cG ill administration, provincial and feder­ al governments. SSMU is a service that supports clubs and services that make you feel at home. Specifically, SSMU holds culturefest which brings students o f v a rio u s b a c k g ro u n d s togethe r. It holds p a rtie s such as Four Floors. SSMU is a p la c e to come, relax and be heard.

P rogram CEGEP/Highschool

A student walks into your office and asks: “What does SSMU do for me?"

What is your reply?

VP University Affairs Candidate

P ro gra m C EG EP/H ighschool

Experience

Students tend to know the least about what your port­ folio actually does. What is the most important part of your job that students remain unaware of and how do you plan to make them aware?

A student walks into your office and tells you that a professor would not accept a late paper, even with a legitimate doctor's note.

What do you tell that stu­ dent?

Jawad Qureshi

X a v ie r V a n C hau

VP Communications and Events C a n d id a te

Jo Morrow

MattWyndowe

•U 2 S o ciology and Russian Studies •A p p le b y C ollege, Oakville Ontario

•U1 Economics • N o r t en Secondary School, Toronto

•U 2 P o litic a l S c ie n c e and • U 2 m anagem en t • B e a c o n H o u s e P u b lic S c h o o l, K a ra ch i, Pakistan • Student C lerk, M c G ill executive institute (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) • S S M U F ro s h C o - o r d in a t o r (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) • B o a rd o f D ir e c to r s , M c G ill D a ily (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) • D a y c a r e v o lu n te e r , Q u e e n E lizabeth H ospital (1 9 9 7 ) • Q u e b e c r e p r e s e n ta tiv e f o r N a tio n a l R adical Students' Paper (1 9 9 8 ) The lin k th a t th e p o r tfo lio has b e tw e e n th e s tu d e n ts a n d th e a d m in is tra tio n a n d the b u re a u ­ c r a c y . I in te n d to r e ta in m y in v o lve m e n t w ith clu b s a n d ser­ vices a n d b rin g the issues back to them .

The p ro f should be accepting the d o c to r's note. They should a o to the O m b udsperson a n d I w ill p e r­ so n a lly take them there.

Economics •In te rn a tio n a l School o f G eneva, S w itzerland • A d m in is tra tiv e assitanct, SSMU o ffice (1 9 9 8 -9 9 ) • C o o p e ra tiv e S u isse, G e n e v a p ro d u c t q u a lity te s te r o f d a ir y products, 1 9 9 8 • F in a n c ia l A ff a its C o m m itte e C h a ir, 1 9 9 8 -1 9 9 9 • First Y e ar Students' A ssociation President (1 9 9 7 -1 9 9 8 ) • U n ite d N a tio n s H ig h C om m ission fo r Refugees, intern (1 9 9 7 ) The re la tio n s h ip to stu d e n t s e r­ vices. The re la tio n s h ip to senate c oncerning academ ic issues. I w ill g o to s tu d e n ts th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r - the h e a rt o f the S tu d e n t U n io n is re p re s e n ta tio n to th e a d m in istra tio n .

T he S tu d e n t R ig h ts H a n d b o o k e x p la in s v a lid excuses. T here is th e O m b u d s p e r s o n a n d th e n there is the J-B oard. I w o u ld show them in the h a n d b o o k a n d g iv e them the num bers to call.

Program Hiqhschool 51

Exp e rie n ce

What do you th in k is the most effective m ethod of co m m u n ica t­ ing events for stu d e n ts and why?

A continuing criticism of the Frosh program is that it is cen­ tred on events involving alco­ hol. Discuss.

•Volunteered at Russian Orphanage • Arts VP Internal •C o -C h a ir G hetto Residents' Association

I think word of mouth; the Internet and postering are equally as effective. Students lend to hang out with their friends and talk, especially at the frosh level, while at the same time a lot of students are using the Internet more and more. Posters have proven effective in the past.

I've shewn this year that you can have events that don't revolve around alcohol. In the lour days of Arts carnival there was only one event — a pub-crawl — that was alcohol related. The second day was a ski trip, the third a flying trapeze and the last ice-skating. It was very well attended and enjoyed by al.

•W e b m a ste r, SSMU 1998-99 • iï consultant, JJ. Bamiche ltd, 1998 •H e a d o f C anoeing, Camp Shalom 96,97 • P r e s i d e n t , www.the360.net The most effective is pos­ tering, but it is done ineffi­ ciently and is wasteful. W e need to try and move communication online because it is grow­ ing in importance.

Alcohol should not be the focus of frosh but it is a part of it. The key is having events where people can be comfortable if Iney are drinking or not and still have fun.

rage W U p i U J

T he M c G ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

EDITORIAL “The natural superiority of women is a biological fact and a socially acknowledged reality.”

—Ashely Montagu

When boys just can't be boys B y R enée D u n k a n d S t e p h a n i e L ev itz _______________________________________

One of the major critiques of feminist theory is that it is impossible for women to generalize — even about each other. Race, religion and class influence each woman’s individual struggle, making it very difficult to come to any grandiose conclusions about the true plight of women.

International Women’s Day, therefore, can be seen as a reminder that women still do not fit into the existing social framework. March 8, 1999 is an international call to arms in order to tear down current social gender conceptions and rebuild from an entirely new foundation.

Women’s Day began in 1910 when the The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women’s Day, international in char­ acter, to honour the movement for women’s rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. Throughout the first and second World Wars, Women’s Day was used as a day for women to unite to protest the war and call for an end to the abominable working conditions they suffered in while men went to war. The prominence of International Women’s Day J grew with the establishment of the United Nations, whose charter was the ! first of any international organization to proclaim gender equality as a fun­ damental human right.

In Western society, International Women’s Day is also seen as day to focus on one of the most pressing issues facing women: sexual assault. In A group of McGill students recent sexual assault cases such as that of Gilbert Rozon, founder and orga- I nizer of the Just for Laughs Festival, defending lawyers will often try to occupied the SSMU offices from 4:30 p.m. on March 4th to 3:30 distort the role that the assaulted woman played during the attack. Excuses such as “her skirt was too short” and “she went alone to his room” indicate a.m. on March 5th. They were that there is a very real social acceptance of the fact that “boys will be dem anding the resignation of SSMU, Duncan Reid, over the con­ boys” — that men are fiends and they can’t control themselves. Blank statements such as these appear to indicate that men and women have fun­ troversial McGill Student Fund (MSF) that is currently being voted damental biological differences that cause men to rape and pillage. They on by students in referendum. The are, however, socially constructed differences that allow women limited occupiers felt that Reid had room to move within society. What can be extracted from such cases, betrayed his electorate by giving where the sexual offender may be given up to ten years in prison, is the fact birth to a tuition fee (his “brain­ that it is no longer acceptable for boys to be boys. Unfortunately, as in the child”). The role of a students’ Rozon case, men are often given a reprieve when the crime does not merit union is to defend students’ right to the punishment. Boys, then, will be boys. accessible post-secondary educa­ However, none of the aforementioned socially constructed Western values apply to the diverse situations of women across the globe. Female tion, by fighting against any new fee, tuition or otherwise, not to pro­ genital mutilation and public battery are still prominent phenomena in pose new fees. The latter is the role countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan. Women celebrating that has been played by McGill International Women’s Day cannot make assumptions about women based administration over the years, and on religious or cultural ignorance, but they must recognize that the system the provincial governm ent for itself is inherently flawed. Essentially, the ties that bind Canadian women decades. are the same that bind those in Iran: women are friends, mothers and sisters, Reid and his council have been with as much to contribute to society as men. However, be the reasoning religious or otherwise, women are still regarded as different, and subse­ couching the arguments in progres­ sive lingo by focusing on the stu­ quently, as second class citizens. dent-controlled nature of the fund, The women’s movement began with struggles for universal suffrage and better working conditions. Women still strive for equal pay for work of and on the fact that one-third of the money is going to needs-based bur­ equal value and have replaced the fight for voting rights with the fight to be saries. Make no mistake. This fund allowed to be women. The arguments that a women’s clothing reveals her attitudes towards sex, or that “no” means “yes” are remnants of social con­ is not progressive; in fact, it is ditions pertaining to women that existed at the time of the fight for univer­ extremely regressive. This short­ term solution to the funding crisis sal suffrage. Social norms have changed — a society that “allows” its women to wear pants, to hold down a job and be a mother should also be a will not stem the tide of underfunding of post-secondary educa­ society where there is no more room for men to argue that they “didn’t tion in the long-term. When gov­ mean anything by it” or that “she was asking for it”. To borrow from an United Nations information sheet on International Women’s Day, “no [ ernments see students taking out solution to society’s most threatening social, economic and political prob­ their individual pocket books to pay for education, instead of insisting lems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, that funding for education is a col­ of the world’s women.”

Why students occupied their own union

t h e

McGILLTRIBUNE

ITOR-IN-C h if F Ed it o r -I n - C hief

N ew s F.Hitnr News Editor

Jason Sigurdson

Stephanie Levitz Assistant News Editors Nilima Gulrajani John Salloum Features Editors Renee Dunk Maggie Gilmour Entertainment Editors Elaine O’Connor Chris Selley

A ssistant Editor -In-C hief Paul Futhey A ssistant Editor- in-C hief Kris Michaud N etwork Editor Paul Conner

by the Students' Society of McGill^University Sports Prlît-ru-c Editors Manny Almela Chris Lander Photo Editors Rebecca Catching Catherine Farquharson Layout Editor Sarah Dowd Kayla Hochfelder

— On-line Editor Peter Deitz

Advertising and Marketing Manager Paul Slachta Ad Typesetters Dom Michaud Jayne O’Brien Harry Wheeler

Staff: Howard Anglin, Michael Bezuhly, Jared Byer, Talia Caron, Emily Jean Carroll, Jonathan Colford, Andrew Davidson, John Doyle, Tach Emerson, Pawan Girolani, Michael Hooper, Aaron Izenberg, Sean Jordan, Elenor Koo. Jeremy Kuzmarov, Kama Leier, Angela Lu, Anna Matiuzzo, Ryan Murphy, Michel Ohayon, Charles Roy, Hugh Odling-Smee, Wen Lee Soo, Christine Pritchard, David Reevely, Wei Leng Tei, Chris Velan, Rhea Wong

lective societal responsibility, they will feel that there is no longer any need to fund public education.

Once governments pull out entirely, Quebec and Canada’s post-sec­ ondary education system will no longer exist as we know it.

Universities will be private. Fees will be exorbitant. Student debt will skyrocket. Education will be inac­ cessible. This has already started to happen and the MSF is another step in the right direction.

Given the devastating long­ term implications of actions like those of the SSMU, students felt that the only way of stopping fur­ ther “Shapiro dirty work” by the SSMU was to engage in direct action. In doing a splash action like this occupation, the students aimed to build student awareness about the MSF and opposition, the stu­ dents aimed to build student aware­ ness about the MSF and opposition to the actions of the SSMU. At 2 a.m., in a meeting, the occupiers decided that this goal had been achieved. Students present at the SSMU executive electoral debate, students standing in line at Gerts all evening, as well [as] students who were around in the building throughout that time were confront­ ed with the fact that there was important opposition to this fund — that is the first step in building awareness of the issues. In light of this, and in light of the fact that the

occupiers felt that the space had become unsafe due to several intru­ sions by SSMU Councilors and their friends who had been partying all night at Gerts (they smashed through the barricade to get in), occupiers decided to leave peace­ fully. Apart from the installation of new wallpaper denouncing Reid’s actions in the executive section of the offices (posted with masking tape so as not to remove paint!), the space was left spotless and intact.

Students who want to get involved in this semester’s cam­ paign of “direct action against cor­ porate rule” can contact the Namby Pamby Positive Action Committee (McGill Action Committee) at 3987432 (leave a message).

— the occupiers

D is r e s p e c t f o r h u m a n r ig h t s

Re: Line-Crossing and Anti-Coke Flyers As one of the people responsi­ ble for the production of the antiCoke flyer which so outraged Ms. Chan (“QPIRG Flyer Crosses the Line”), I feel that a certain measure of relativity should be returned to the debate.

The flyer in question did not have in mind the goal of “playing C o n t i n u e d o n P a g e 11

Letters must include author's nam e, signature, identification (e.g. U2 Biology, SSMU President) and telephone num ber and be typed double-spaced, submitted on disk in Macintosh or IBM word processor format, or sent by e-mail. Letters more than 200 words, pieces for 'Stop The Press' more than 500 words, or sub­ missions judged by the Editor-in-Chief to be libellous, sexist, racist or hom opho­ bic will not be published, the Tribune reserves the right to edit letters for length B ring s u b m is s io n s to th e T rib u n e o ffice , FAX to 3 9 8 -1 7 5 0 o r s e n d to tri bune@ssmu .megi 11.ca.

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P YAn?qiiT 4i/ii i p i oT I ii, n M

T h e M c G ill T r i b u n e , T u e s d a y ,

Continued from page 10 with students emotions.” In fact, the education campaign which that flyer is a part of is meant to draw attention to the fact that our student politicians (SSMU, EUS, AUS) plan to sign a ten-year exclusivity deal to the rights of the McGill cold beverage market, a deal that would create a mini-monopoly for corpo­ rate interests right here on our own campus. W hile the m orality of monopoly could be debated, we chose to focus on the fact that sign­ ing a deal with Coke OR Pepsi (the two bidders for the contract) would undermine the right of students to choose whether or not their drink was made by a massive company with little commitment to human rights. While the tone of the pam­ phlet was indeed inflammatory, this does not detract from the truth of the allegations it contained.

Ms. Chan fails to mention the recent examples of Coca-Cola’s dubious attitude toward human rights cited in the pamphlet: failing to protect its union leaders from death-squad murder in Guatemala (as recently as 1994, dissidents at Coke factories have been killed); ignoring the widespread murder of dissidents and activists in Nigeria.

The fact is, Coke legitimizes and supports m ilitary governm ents around the world by choosing to do business in the low labour cost environm ent that totalitarian regimes can provide. The flyer was meant to highlight these present injustices, not past ones, and to beg the question why does our student government feel the need to grant monopoly privileges to unethical transnational companies? In an era where our dollar is our vote, such a decision would imply that we too support the present-day “dubious” dealings of Coca-Cola, and have no qualms about buying into their vision of globalization.

I assume that Ms. Chan and I probably disagree on this issue, in light of her comment that “just because...(Coke deals with dictator­ ships) it does not necessarily make the drink bad.” In fact, I believe the contrary; we should voice our power as consumers and as and not support a company (or their prod­ uct) that deals with totalitarian gov­ ernments. Both Pepsi and Coke have little compunction about sup­ porting anti-democratic or dictatori­ al political systems, and for that reason, I believe our student gov­ ernment should not be taking steps that would increase their profitabili­ ty through the establishment of a ten-year monopoly.

Mike Leitold Ul, Philosophy and Environment

L e t t e rs to

t h e

E d it o r

A l t e r n a t iv e s t o o c c u p a t io n WERE AVAILABLE

I am the recording secretary for SSMU, and as such I do not normally engage myself in political debate. However, the events of last Thursday have compelled me to express my indignation at the meth­ ods employed against the Students’ Council, and particularly against its

president, Duncan Reid. As you surely know, a small group of stu­ dents invaded the SSMU offices and demanded that Reid resign, pri­ marily because he proposed the MSF. It is not their opposition that I object to, but the methods they are employing to reach their goal. As many councilors pointed out at Thursday’s meeting, channels for expressing dissent are provided for in the SSMU constitution. These students were given the opportunity to form a legitimate “No” commit­ tee and campaign against the MSF. They would have been allocated a budget by the CRO to help them.

These students made a choice to ignore this opportunity. Why? An informal conversation with one par­ ticipant revealed that they were ini­ tially brought together not by their opposition to the MSF, but by an interest in trying direct action.

Duncan Reid appears to have become the unfortunate guinea pig of this experiment. One protester said that they don’t believe in the existing mechanisms for expressing students’ opinions. When I asked him if he’d thought of running for election and changing the system, he replied that he had. But the fact is, he hasn’t. These protesters have not even given these democratic mechanisms a chance.

These students invaded our office, claiming that this is their right as students. They attempted to prevent full-time personnel from leaving at the end of the day. They then proceeded to expel councilors and staff from the office (I should know, I was rather rudely knocked out of the doorway) and lock them­ selves in. I put to them this ques­ tion: how can they claim to repre­ sent students’ rights, when they are flagrantly violating them? They have not been mandated by students to disrupt the adm inistration of SSMU. As Jeffrey Feiner pointed out at Thursday’s meeting, they are singling Reid simply for proposing an idea, completely ignoring the fact that the whole of council approved it after long discussion.

This sort of thinking leads down a dangerous path, one that threatens the individual’s right to express himself and propose change. Yes, Duncan Reid has rights too.

Fortunately, the motley “occu­ pying force” (to use the term loose­ ly) does not appear to have a signif­ icant following. Their protest rally did not draw any support. Their haphazard decision-making reveals a total lack of organization. Rich Retyi, editor of the Red Herring, helped turn their statement into a farce, dismantling their barricade in the name of the “Panthers” and helping some of us disassemble keyboards and mice. By the end of the night few of the protesters seemed convinced that they were going to accomplish anything. One is tempted to write this off as an absurd and mildly entertaining comedy routine. But I call on stu­ dents to reflect on what sort of undemocratic, narrow-minded and destructive attitudes lie behind this occupation, and to reject them.

SSMU exists to serve the students.

If you do not agree with its deci­ sions, it is your responsibility to do something about it, but in a con­ structive manner, and through the existing channels. Only when they fail do you have the right to revolt.

—Brigitte Le Normand

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A c t o f H y p o c r is y

M ore F und S upport

I find it ironic that the protest­ ers from the illegal “No” campaign against the McGill Students’ Fund that occupied the Students’ Society offices last night ripped a quote by Vaclav Havel off of my door. The quote, part of an address by Vaclav Havel to the U nited States Congress, was about how democra­ cy is an ideal that we have to walk towards but that will never be fully attained. The point, is that we try to walk towards democracy as an ideal as best we can. I must say the passive-aggressive antics of the illegal “No” campaigners last night (I won’t even dignify the attacks on Duncan Reid with a comment) were a far cry from any steps towards democracy. That quote meant a lot to me. It is the only thing I put on my door all year. It was there because I felt it defined what I tried to do at McGill as an idealistic student leader.

Everything I have done this year as Vice-President University Affairs has been about trying to uphold ideals and find practical solutions to resource problems that stand in the way of meeting the ideals we hold for a university.

First and foremost, the reciprocal exchange between teaching and learning. To the illegal “No” Campaigners: I do not mind so much that we disagree about the validity of the McGill Students’ Fund; we are all entitled to our opinions. However, I do mind that you belittle my beliefs by ripping that quote off my door.

I wish to voice my support of the McGill Student Fund. Although I agree that government’s should continue to reinvest in education, 1 also believe that the cost of post­ secondary education has been held too low, for too long. The MSF will provide for increased student aid, and also allow McGill students to enjoy facilities comparable to those at other universities in Canada.

Although the truth may be unattrac­ tive, we are going to have to pay a higher price in the next few years in order to maintain McGill’s reputa­ tion as a center of academic excel­ lence.

Sam Johnston, SSMU VP University Affairs S uppo rt fo r M S F

“McGill University is the Ivy League of Canada,” my high school guidance counselor exclaim ed when I first discussed university applications with him. Given the man was a drunk, he still had a point; McGill has traditionally and continues to enjoy a prestigious sta­ tus among Canadian institutions of higher learning. Today, however, that reputation is seriously threat­ ened. In this era of fiscal austerity, social services are under siege.

Consequently, provincial transfer payments have been cut and univer­ sities are severely under-funded.

The result? Our libraries lack resources, departments are offering fewer courses, professors are retir­ ing without replacements, and even our beloved Shatner has fallen into disrepair. The solution? If the fed­ eral and provincial governments are unwilling to increase funding, it is up to us, the students of McGill, to take responsibility for our own edu­ cation. Thus, by supporting the McGill Students’ Fund initiative, we are not only supporting our own education, but we are also ensuring that McGill remains a prestigious and enlightening institution for those future students who will one day study within the Roddick gates.

Further, our contribution to the University will demonstrate to the government the gravity of McGill’s financial situation. If we do not invest in our own futures, who will?

Derek Hamel U3 Management E l e c t o r a l m e t a m o r p h o s is AND WAITING FOR A NEW STUDENT REVOLUTION

It is astonishing that some stu­ dents are willing to be directly involved in time-consuming and humiliating elections.

Probably some of them are born leaders. There are others, however, of whom we should be more suspicious. M ostly, we should look at eloquent and even smart candidates, with more ambi­ tion than possession of social matu­ rity. In another words, those indi­ viduals creating catch-visions for the masses and not humble shep­ herds, who by the possession of an intuitive understanding of society’s priorities, together with its typical weaknesses, will try to avoid excit­ ing voters from the beginning — even at the price of the reduced appeal of their electoral campaign.

Ironically, candidates who promise more are showing more dictatorial inclination soon after getting power. The patronizing shepherd’s skin later fits them well in the name of keeping enigmatic social order. So, at the next elections, people will be sick of balanced profile candidates and look with curiosity for superficial candidates again.

Closer to students’ experience will be the comparison of more deceptive than creative peer pres­ sure versus the influence of parental guidance, which can only be appre­ ciated in a longer perspective. It is very important not to give those with more ambition than maturity

as a first experience, a position of power, because it leads to megalo­ mania. Unfortunately such people predominate in our society and the political arena. Already possessing power, they quickly learn to con­ vert simple problems into compli­ cated ones, or present a complex situation in the most simplified way and play with even the most inno­ cent information.

An illusion of democratic free­ dom and the anonymity of the real animators is preserved when the lat­ ter lure us to fight for issues which they created artificially. A good local example at McGill is a heated discussion about budgetary left­ overs introduced for “discussion,” only after strategic decisions had already been made. We are distract­ ed while the administrators secure their own unjustified high incomes and top positions in times of finan­ cial cuts. We also see fake reforms, which consolidate power in the hands of a few instead of reforming petrified structures. A more focused example is the McGill leaders’ arti­ ficial stick, once called university privatization or a superhospital, beating our pauperized community.

Finally, it is not only students who are overwhelmed by such arti­ ficial dilemmas, which have roused a lot of emotions and in fact shaped the present electoral platform, but even professors elected to Senate (Reporter, Feb. 11, 99) are forced to behave like puppets when impor­ tant decisions are made without consultation. As a result, the pre­ sent student discussion is far from touching real problems such as: how to get more participation in strategic financial decisions, create openness for professors’ education­ al performance evaluation, establish levels and ethical borders of collab­ oration with an arrogant administra­ tion and actively test unreliable rep­ resentatives who cannot keep promises. Such topics are too rarely raised in our corrupt world.

So far, the most heated discus­ sion at McGill was imposed by a controversial proposal for a “McGill Students Fund”, made by a top student administrator and prov­ ing that a genetic code of “chosen rulers of the world” has been suc­ cessfully implanted and works per­ fectly in their youngest follower.

Our objective should be to ridicule such mechanisms, which are created autonomously in the Continued on Page 8

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T he M cG ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

C o n t i n u e d fr o m p a g e 11

On th e great leap backwards from Rwandan m assacres to Jerry Springer

overwhelm ing gravity field of power and its traditional rules. It may sound like a call for a utopian revolution, but in an age of rapidly growing horizontal communication among people and a decreasing About five years ago, a standup monopoly of cooperative mass comic I knew from boarding school media everything is possible. somehow managed to get on Jerry Developing resistance to Springer. He gathered his comedy manipulation and letting it be a | troupe and headed to Springer’s credo in the nearest election should Chicago studio under the guise of encourage more candidates and being the patriarch of a severely voters’ active participation. A lot dysfunctional family. “Honey, I of people can learn from that con­ slept with the babysitter!” was the version of traditional voting into an theme of the show, in which apolo­ educational platform for truer getic fathers spilled the democracy. beans, tears were shed, My only interest and motive is and chairs were thrown. to see a new student revolution ini­ Steve (a bald guy) sure tiated at McGill, a university which had his work cut out for has probably lost its leading posi­ him that day. The stunt tion among Canadian universities was pulled off brilliantly but has emerged with the deepest — Springer even offered to pay for the “family’s” counselling — and controversies, which should not be treated as the curse but as a chal­ the troupe beat it back to Toronto, where they promptly blew the lid on lenging opportunity for creating the story. Springer was not pleased, new solutions and means. Now at and went so far as to threaten to sue the time of the w ide-reaching them for the cost of producing the unjustified erosion of many values show. In addition to being pee-yourwe need more development in the pants funny, the hoax was a biting roots our soil of democracy. In this first grass roots movement, stu­ piece of satire: it exposed the lurid voyeurism, and the pathological dents do not only have the privi­ lege, but also the duty of being first drive to be famous at any cost, that marks the deepening American in creating a transparent system. malaise.

Slawomir Poplawski These days, however, I think if Technician, Mining and the same sort of prank were pulled Metalurgical on Springer, it would fall on deaf ears. We’re too far gone to care. I came to this conclusion while watching Barbara Walters interview Monica Lewinsky, along with 74 million other people around the

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R a is in g th e R o o f w ith Sean C. Io rd a n

the dead-serious 20/20 sluggo grilled the kinda-creepy Presidential fellatrix about the personal details.

Like 74 million other viewers, I only really paid attention to the dirty bits; and when they came up, it was a vaguely surreal spectacle.

Despite her carefully euphemistic language, here was a grandmotherly Barbara Wawa getting the lowdown on the really important stuff: we learned that once, when Monica gave the President a blowjob, he didn’t ejaculate; that Monica cer­ tainly gave more head than she received; and that she and the President liked to talk on the phone and masturbate together. Such is the state of investigative journalism at the end of the millennium.

A group of prominent American newsmagazine editors

recently got together and tried to assemble a comprehensive list of the biggest news events of the cen­ tury. When it came time to decide the official “Trial of the Century”, they whittled it down to two con­ tenders for the title: Bill Clinton’s and O.J. Simpson’s. Funny. The Nuremberg war trials of 1945, it seems, were relegated to a mere footnote in the annals of the 20th century, no doubt wedged next to that other minor event, the Dreyfus Affair. Clearly, something is very wrong here. In its December 1998 issue, Wallpaper* magazine, itself an exercise in superficial narcis­ sism, pointed to the precipitous decline of foreign news coverage in the American media as proof that the U.S. is turning inward and is oblivious to the important goings-on around the world. A sidebar to the article urged its readers to tune in to CBC Newsworld for more balanced coverage, which is ironic, consider­ ing that the CBC last week reas­ signed three of its eight foreign cor­ respondents from Mexico City, Paris and Cape Town to more press­ ing domestic posts.

It is fitting, then, that one can turn to the fake news to get a more level-headed take on world events.

I’m talking about The Onion, an on­ line satirical newspaper (also avail­ able in paper format at Barnes & Noble) at www.theonion.com. One of its more memorable headlines

was “LEWINSKY SUBPOENAED TO RE-BLOW CLINTON ON SENATE FLOOR.” Or, take the apposite “35,000 BROWN PEO­ PLE DROWN,” a dispatch wired in from “Ooga-Boogaland or wherev­ er”. The Onion's deadly wit runs from the hilariously banal, as found in the story “ENORMOUS BRA FOUND”, to disconcertingly believ­ able special-interest fluff pieces like “Your kids: are they sexy enough?” and “Churchgoing widows: what makes them hot?” Have a look. The Onion doesn’t land too far from the truth when it comes to exposing how closed-minded and scurrilous we can be.

One more thing: in her 20/20 interview, Lewinsky declared that she was now yearning for a sense of “normalcy” in her life. I doubt she was aware of it, but “normalcy” was a neologism coined and popularised by the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, whose tendency to make up words was leg­ endary. After his untimely death in 1923 it was revealed that he had, in fact, been having an affair with a young woman. But even in the friv­ olous 1920s, historians had the good sense to make sure he was chiefly remembered for his involvement in another affair: the corruption and graft of the Teapot Dome scandal.

W hich, in the grand scheme of things, was real news.

A Week of Geeks and Greeks

a î t r i s e e n v ir o n n e m

world. If the entire Lewinsky brouhaha could be seen as a sort of fin-de-siècle hiccup, then certainly her interview on television at the end of it all would leave us with an idea of where we go from here. And what did we get? A bizarre two hours of revelations — spliced together in the dubious cut-andpaste American style — in which

U N IV E R S IT É D E

E J SHERBROOKE

One of the occupational benefits of being a stand-up comic, aside of course from the unanimous support of your parents, is the chance that you just might be discovered. Or, as least this is what you reassure yourself after carting your rainbow wigs and lightup bow ties to one hell gig after another. Surely, you tell yourself, this is not all in vain. And it never is.

Although more comics get discovered by hecklers than by agents, the suffer­ ing and self-depreciation you incur along the way is a guaranteed fast track to heavenly redemption. Yet, this is all little reassurance when career advancement is your goal.

For me, my big break came two short weeks ago when a casting agent caught my act.

The next day she called me saying she had a role that was perfect for me, and asked if I could come in to audition. A role? For me? Perfect.

My mind raced. What sort of character could it be? Perhaps a hardy rustic type, a woodsman who saves his forest from evil developers. Or maybe a no-nonsense New York undercover cop who purges his department of high level corruption.

Probably it would be an aloof ladies man, a James Dean-type whose refusal to conform helps him to save the day.

Probably not. When I received my character’s description I was just a little set back. His name is Fielding, and according to the breakdown, he is “the ultimate stereotype of nerd.

Taped glasses, shirt buttoned to the neck, pocket protector.”

Hmmmm. So this is how the world sees me. Well, I suppose it’s about time I knew. A mother’s protec­

tive love could only shelter me for so long.

So, I read over my lines, taped up my horn-rimmed glasses and head­ ed off to the casting agency.

Upon opening the door and gin­ gerly entering the waiting room, I saw the sort of social stratification that had gone out of vogue during the Depression. The lines were so clearly etched in the sand that even Darwin would have had to step back and

A F a rt F ro m th e R y an M u rp h y

blush.

On one side, there were actors auditioning for another sitcom. All imposing bronze sculpted Adonises, each larger than the last and all wear­ ing frat sweatshirts that boldly pro­ claimed their lifelong commitment to eradicating nerds, dweebs and geeks.

On the other side, of course, were the nerds, backed up against a wall and as far removed from the frat boys as the room’s design would allow. Two of the nerds were sucking down gusts of air from their inhalers, one was mut­ tering incoherently into his pocket protector, and another had his pants hiked up so high that only his ears could be seen above his belt line. The protocol was clear. I sat with the nerds. They say that after the apoca­ lypse only cockroaches and nerds will survive, so I figured I might as well introduce myself.

I listened to them talk in their whiny voices as we collectively eyed the frat boys, ready to bolt at the

slightest sign of danger. Mostly they were delivering alibis as to why they had lost out on previous auditions.

The one in golf pants complained “They said I was too young.” The one with the nasal rasp said “They loved me but they were looking for someone taller,” and the mutterer, addressing no one in particular, said “They decid­ ed to give the role of Dimitri to a chimpanzee.” It’s a harsh industry.

The competition was stiff. Most of these guys had made careers out of playing nerds on film.

Furthermore, they had P u lp it done their studying; Revenge of the Nerds, Nerds in Paradise and Nerds: The Next Generation. They were well versed. What they didn’t have, however, was my sadistic big brother. My entire life I’ve been oppressed, beaten back and given wedgies until I eventually began for­ saking wearing underwear altogether.

I learned how to swim by being dropped from a canoe in the middle of a lake, and I learned about cars by having mine constantly sabotaged.

Sure, the other nerds may have been professional, but you couldn’t dis­ count my experience. Not for a minute.

When my name was called, I stumbled into the office, with my head hanging low and my pants riding high.

Three days later I received another phone call. I got the role. In just one week I had gone from a nobody to a nerd, and not a wedgie was wasted along the way. There’s just one small problem. I was only being myself.

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Page 14 O p/E d T h e

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T he M c G ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

a n n u a l

T rib u n e p se u d o -sc ie n tific g u id e to SSMU e le c tio n s W ith 13 keeners v y in g fo r executive positions, a ll litte rin g th e ir c a m p a ig n speeches w ith lib e ra l closes o f the w o rd s "a c c e s s ib ility ," "fa c ilita tio n " a n d "c o m m u n ic a tio n ," it's h a rd to tell on e student p o litic ia n from the o th e r F ortu nately there's g ra p h o lo g y a ro u n d to h elp us separate the w h e a t fro m the chaff.

H a n d w ritin g in fa llib ly show s us w h e th e r it com es fro m a n o b le -m in d e d o r a v u lg a r p e rs o n ." Those a re the w o rd s o f K u o Jo-hsu, S ung p e rio d p h ilo s o p h e r a n d p a in te r, q u o te d in H .J. J a c o b y 's 1 9 3 9 b o o k Analysis of Handwriting: An Introduction into Scientific Graphology. W h ile the a rt/s c ie n c e o f h a n d w ritin g analysis has fa d e d a w a y as a basis fo r c h a ra c te r judgem ent, the Tribune tries each y e a r to resurrect it to its fo rm e r g lo ry .

President

Tamara Kochar —The shapes of the letters bear a close resemblance to the forms taught at school, indicating that Tamara may be someone who does things according to a prescribed pat­ tern. It may also, however reflect that she is still in the process of incorporating the simplicity that comes with "personal life experience." The capital letters show enrichment, embellishing the essential.

The curved underscoring of the last name is likely a sign of flair or ostenta­ tion.

7U V Melissa Pallett — With a swooping line crossing the t's, Melissa has plugged up the "middle zone" of her signature. When this zone takes over, it can indicate that "the personal sphere occupies the domain of everyday life to an unusual extent." Jacoby also says that such a person is "inclined to over­ rate the importance of [her] ego in social life. She] throws her weight about, ana is not inclined to adapt [her­ self] to the needs and circumstances of others, and is blind to the right propor­ tions of reality." These types of signa­ tures often belong to "prominent leaders in the economic sphere, statesmen and military leaders."

Jaim e Stein —Perhaps it was just the performance anxiety caused by having an interview with the Tribune, but the mix of hesitation and deliberation in the pen stroke can never be a good thing.

The wavering lines show that the writer can be open to influence and impres­ sions, and may lack full confidence. The heaviness, however, shows a "persistent and persevering person, enterprising and quick in action." The dotting of the "i" is interesting. Attached to the t-bar, it is an act of efficiency. Under this cir­ cumstance, the fact that it is looped may mean that Jaime is a workaholic —a good quality for a SSMU executive who gets paid $15,000 a year.

C

V P C lu b s a n d S e rv ic e s

Sam Gross — The conflict in angles — the "S" moving to the left and the "G" moving slightly to the right - may reflect a mild conflict between the writer's private and social life. On the whole, the degree of simplification in the family name and its position shows a type of personal pragmatism.

John Ki — The strong ascending lines usually indicate impulsiveness. The i-dot, which exists even in absence of the character itself, may be a sign of duty and responsibility. Combine the two, and you get someone who is hell-bent on impulsively making everything his duty and responsibility.

V P C o m m u n ic a tio n s a n d E vents

M.

-r< t O

Jo Morrow — The middle zone in Jo's name is extremely small, which means that "the writer allows [her] per­ sonal sphere a veiy small range, and that, emotionally, [she] takes only a slight interest in everyday life." Jacoby also says such people, with tendencies towards being observant and matter-offact, make good scientists. Perhaps Jo is feeling angst over her pursuit of a BA, betraying her true love for pipettes, petri dishes, and lab rats.

Matt W yndowe — A very strange flourish in the last name. Jacoby states that "flourishes are often the expression of a lack of inner assuredness" and the interference with legibility may be a question of "self-delusion or a tendency to delude others." It is a flourish, howev­ er, that is extremely efficient. It may show an awareness of what it lakes to get the job done, an ability to "clearly see that which is purposeful and essen­ tial."

V P C o m m u nuly ity a in d G o v e r n m e n t A ffa

UM-.

Andrew Tischler — The spacing between letters is consistent, showing clear thinking and the ability to "convey his ideas to others." The upstroke of the "A" reflects vision and ambition that is grounded by personal conviction, found in the deep, vertical downstroke. It is interesting to note that this bold "A" is a new addition to Andrew's signature — last year it was based on a more tradi­ tional, cursive school form. The t-bar has also changed since the last time Andrew ran for president. It has come down to meet the downstroke of the "T", meaning that his lofty ideas have come down to meet the pragmatic side.

Perhaps it's a change brought on by the experiences establishing his candy busi­ ness, Sucre Bleu.

'cM O A U , Olti

ing feature of Wojtek's signature is the up-and-down nature of most of the characters. In combination with the closeness of all the letters and the heavy pen-stroke, it reveals a certain introver­ sion, and a desire to control his immedi­ ate surroundings and the perceptions of others. The fullness of the "B" and the other rounded characters shows a fairly strong "subjective imagination and power of conception." The ornamental "k" at the end, taller than any other character, may indicate a contrived extroversion.

Ali Noormohamed — Whoa! The behemoth "d" at the end of Ali's signa­ ture is most likely an indication of lurk­ ing megalomania. Aside from that one

the middle of Jeff's signature (the "meaningless distortion" of his family name, as Jacoby would call it) indicates that the tasks in nis life may be "mental­ ly simply beyond him." The dominant upstrokes, however, indicate a tendency towards impulsiveness. Perhaps serendipity will take him towards great­ ness.

V P U n iv ersity A ffairs

domineering character, there are con­ flicting messages in the signature as a whole. The stacked letters in the first name suggest an attempt to exhibit an air of control to the outside world. The width in the last name, however, shows "more initiative and élan than power of resistance."

Jeff Roberts — The "word salad" in

* Far from

Jaw ad Qureshi — The variation in legibility is the most interesting factor at play in this signature.

There is an immediate desire to be forward, accessible, popular

and conventional, as evidenced by the clear first name. There are deeper lev­ els, however, which may reflect "a con­ scious or unconscious intention to remain impenetrable" and result in an unwillingness to compromise with the world "at the cost of [his] originality."

The "Q" consumes afl three names, an extreme characteristic which may be ego-inflation or an overcompensation for perceived inadequacies.

Xavier Van Chau — Notice the domineering capital letters in each name. It reveals a desire to be "com­ pelling", but in actual fact, it can indi­ cate a lack of "genuine self-reliance."

Combine this with the underline, which may be a sign of deliberate ostentation.

The X's deep reach to the left shows that much time is spent reflecting on the past or that personal history figures predomi­ nantly in the writer's l‘

Final stretch for executive races: a look from the dull to the interesting Okay. The polls open very, very has the decency to make an effort to soon, and it’s time to start making conceal it, and he’s got a reputation for decisions. This is being written on working hard on whatever task is in Saturday, March 6, so a few things front of him. Morrow is a manipulator, could still change, but most of the and has always had her sights set on races for the SSMU executive posi­ the future, rather than on the problems tions are pretty much done, except for of the present. The more she cam­ some perfunctory concluding speechi­ fying and schmooz­ ing. It’s probably a a S littin g T h r o a t s good thing; a lot of jj D a v i d R e e v e l y the candidates are looking pretty hang­ dog these days, and are spending their paigns, the fewer votes she’ll pick up. off-hours in games of one-upmanship Wyndowe will win easily. with each other to figure out who’s Neither of the two candidates for slept least in the last week.

VP Clubs and Services is capable of Let’s run down the races, going inspiring heartfelt support any more from the least to the most interesting. than Roberts or Noormohamed are.

The VP Community and John Ki, the ultimate Gert’s Boy, is in Government Affairs’ office has been the hunt for the second time after a Wojtek Baraniak’s from the very somewhat embarrassing showing beginning. For one thing, it’s difficult against Karen Pelley last year. Sam to take seriously candidates like Jeff Gross’s campaign seems to consist Roberts and Ali Noormohamed, who largely of smouldering stares — on only threw their hats in the ring after her posters, at Shatner parties, and the deadline for nominations was anywhere else there might be a voter. extended. Do either of them really Both Ki and Gross are seeking to want the job? make the leap from functionary (Ki at SSMU VP Comm and Gov (for­ Gert’s, Gross as a sort of receptionist merly the position of VP External) is behind the SSMU front desk) to boss. one of only two senior student political Either of them would probably do positions where being an outsider can about the same mediocre job, so it be of no tangible benefit whatsoever doesn’t really matter who wins this (the other is the job of representing one. Ki probably has a slight edge; undergrads on the Board of they’re both vying for about the same Governors). Somebody who doesn’t crowd of voters, but Ki has a firmer know how the systems work (at grip on the Thursday night vote.

McGill, in Montreal, in Quebec City, The candidates for VP University and in Ottawa) could get slapped Affairs are most certainly not compet­ around by the professionals with such ing for the same crowd. Xavier Van force that they’d be lucky to remember Chau is a former president of the First their own name at the end of it, let Year Students’ Association and anoth­ alone how to defend students’ inter­ er SSMU bureaucrat. Jawad Qureshi is ests. Baraniak is the quintessential supremo of Queer McGill, a SSMU insider — he’s been campaign­ SACOMSS man, and a fixture in the ing and training since his first year for smoke clouds of the Alley. Xavier is the job. He’s about to win — which the establishment’s man; Qureshi is an should at least give people pause, but insurgent, and might have success in he’s impressively qualified for the job. hauling people to the voting tables Neither Roberts nor Noormohamed is who don’t ordinarily get there. Only qualified. Noormohamed, running Xavier, however, has the gravitas and simultaneously for the presidency of dignity to do the job. The McGill the Management Undergraduate administration usually tries to deal Society, had difficulty cracking a with the VP-University Affairs by dozen votes. This one will be a laugh­ snowing him or her under with reams er. of memos, position papers, and similar The race for VP Communications bureaucratic bullshit. Xavier is a work­ and Events should also be ridiculously horse, and can handle it. Qureshi is a lopsided. Both Matt Wyndowe and Jo decent fellow, but he’s also a dilet­ Morrow are qualified candidates, but tante, and will flee at the first sign of people tend to dislike Morrow almost serious trouble. If he wins, disaster on sight. They’re both a little distaste­ will ensue. fully ambitious, but Wyndowe at least And, finally, the big one. The

presidency of the SSMU is anybody’s to win this year, but in many ways, it’s a race for the bottom, in that each of the candidates has a crippling weak­ ness that could mean big trouble for an SSMU administration under his or her control.

Melissa Pallett is flighty and, not unlike Jo Morrow, will flip-flop on issues whenever it seems to serve her interests. She stood against the opt-out clause in the McGill Students’ Fund, for instance, until she realized that her stance might make her unpopular with the current executive, whereupon she promptly fell back into line. Few peo­ ple have any confidence in her ability to maintain anything like a cohesive Council, or even an executive.

Jaime Stein has similar problems.

He seems unable to think for himself on issues of any substance, which would be somewhat problematic in a president. Like Pallett, he also seems to be running for the presidency for the wrong reasons — because of the status the job confers, rather than because of a real commitment to serv­ ing students and the McGill communi­ ty. They both talk a pretty good game, but it’s difficult to believe that there’s anything under the façade.

Andrew Tischler, in contrast, seems to genuinely want to make a difference. He’s got some solid ideas, and the best combination of charisma and real sympathy of any of the presi­ dential candidates. His commitment to the institution he wants to lead, how­ ever, is extremely questionable. He ran for the presidency last year, lost, and then dropped off the radar screen until nominations opened this year. Andrew Kovacs, who lost to Sam Johnston in the VP-UA race last year, set a good example this year by staying deeply involved and committing a lot of his time and energy to causes he believes in; Tischler failed utterly to follow that example.

Tamana Kochar, finally, has all the qualifications necessary to be pres­ ident, but she simply lacks the charis­ ma she’d need to win the election.

There’s not much more to say than that. She deserves the job more than any of the other three candidates, and would almost certainly execute it more skilfully. It’s a shame that she has very little chance of winning.

The Slitting Throats endorse­ ments, many of them reluctant, are as follows: Wojtek Baraniak, Matt Wyndowe, Sam Gross, Xavier Van Chau, and Tamana Kochar.

F E A T U R E S T h e M c G ill T r i b u n e , T u e s d a y ,

9

M arch

1999

Page 15

A woman at war: Justice Arbour versus crimes against humanity Chief Prosecutor of criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda is winning her case B y N ilima G u l r a ja n i

he wears red nail polish and hoop earrings, minor hints of womanly vanity for someone with little time for personal indul­ gences. Her voice is motherly — soft but firm and hardly the kind one w ould expect to threaten heads of states into admitting they committed vicious crimes of war.

Physical impressions, however, belie the force of Canadian Justice Louise Arbour, Chief Prosecutor since 1996 for the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. With the full support of the United Nations machinery, she is on an interna­ tional, professional and personal quest to convict the world’s nasti­ est for unimaginable acts of inhu­ manity.

Arbour spoke at the Faculty of Law last week for the René C assin L ectu resh ip in Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, a visit she squeezed in between meetings with Canadian Minister o f F oreign A ffairs Lloyd Axworthy and Secretary-General of the U nited N ations Kofi Annan. An hour late for the after­ noon press conference with local news media because of a flight delay, Arbour jokingly compared the d ifficu lties of trav ellin g betw een M ontreal and O ttaw a during the winter equal to those of travel in Kosovo, using a touch of humour to introduce her otherwise dreary subject matter. Fluently bilingual, she fielded questions about the tribunals’ challenges and work with a graceful ease, leaving local journalists bedazzled by her intelligence and modesty.

S

$150 m illio n m issio n The UN Security Council cre­ ated the tribunals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in 1994 and 1993 respectively in order to hold state-level actors accountable for crimes against humanity like torture, killing of civilians, geno­ cide, and rape. The role of the Chief Prosecutor and her team of approximately five hundred is to locate, çbtain arrest warrants and prosecute PIFWCs, legal speak for persons ind icted for war crimes. A total of $150 million buttresses the work of both tri­ bunals, a modest sum for a labori­ ous international operation that is integral to developing lasting peace settlem ents and national reconciliation processes in the for­ mer Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

“After fifty years of inertia, international criminal justice is well entrenched and made consid­ erable progress,” she stated in the opening remarks of her evening lecture to a packed house of admirers in the Moot Court.

Nevertheless, Justice Arbour acknowledges that the tribunals are merely ad hoc creations of the Security Council. She feels that the recent 1998 agreement over the final draft text establishing an International Criminal Court that “will always be poised to act and look tow ards the fu tu re ” w ill speed and strengthen future crimi­ nal investigation processes. She wants international justice to act in a “real-time environment” so that crucial evidence is not destroyed, perpetrators do not dis­ appear and rising expenses do not soften political will. She is also critical of the narrow focus of the tribunals, especially in the case of Rwanda where crimes committed in 1994 are the only ones the tri­ bunal is mandated to investigate.

“I t’s a deficiency of the international system to not be able to act on a broader base,” she affirmed. “The more time passes, the more important it is for us to have our dossiers progress rapidly because in contrast to the exY ugoslavia, the tribunal for Rwanda risks becoming a footnote.

[Tjhere’s nothing like Kosovo to put it on the international stage...

Its mandate is stuck in history.”

A m a n d a te fix e d in sto n e Although as Chief Prosecutor A rb o u r’s m andate involves upholding international “laws of w ar,” she must regularly foray into the intricacies of political diplomacy in order to uphold the integrity of the mission that she is in charged with. Arbour is never­ theless quick to dismiss cynics who claim that the tribunals are in jeopardy of becoming a pawn to political brokers looking for a peace settlement in the war-torn S erb -co n tro lled province of Kosovo. She adamantly defends the in teg rity of the trib u n als, underscoring the fact that their existence stems directly from the world’s highest decision-making body — the Security Council — and stressing that any signatory to the U nited N ations C harter is obliged to comply with Security Council directives.

“No agreement can override re so lu tio n s of the Security Council...the one creating the tri­

C h ie f P r o s e c u to r L o u is e A r b o u r s p e a k s w ith c a n d o u r

conceded that she is mainly in meetings and pushing paper.

“It’s not romantic or exotic when I’m in The Hague... When I ’m in the field, then it’s very active,” she said.

She also adm its to feeling down sometimes, as was the case when she was turned away from investigating a massacre site in Kosovo in January, a visit that was publicized as a test of the willingness of the Serb govern­ ment to comply with the tribunal’s investigations.

“I had a low point, but they don’t last very long. I then look for what’s the next step,” she said.

D espite such d isap p o in t­ ments, Arbour remains convinced that the most important personal quality in her job is ethics. She concedes that her work requires teamwork and strategic thinking, but she emphasises the need to maintain high ethical standards when trying to indict criminals of the lowest kind.

“We can be our own down­ fall.... We must always be very clear about fundamental ethical considerations because we play with very powerful elements.”

Chief Prosecutor She adm its th at being a Louise Arbour Canadian helps maintain such a moral code of conduct, although she is quick to dismiss claims that A p e rs o n a l g lim p s e being a Canadian woman can only Arbour was born and raised help advance her mission on the in Montreal and received her law international stage.

“It’s sure that in certain situa­ degree from the U niversité de Montréal. She was a professor and tions, it gives us access...Canada associate dean at Osgoode Hall has a good reputation. But some­ Law School at York University times, it’s a disadvantage to be a before starting on a ju d icial North American and not part of career. She has been on leave developing world alliances, for from the C ourt of A ppeal for example...it’s always difficult to Ontario since October 1996 to ful­ know what the card is that allows fil her duties as Prosecutor for the you to move the file.”

International Criminal Tribunals o f R w anda and the form er Yugoslavia. A mother of two chil­ dren, Arbour is also kept busy V is io n a n d with her work at The Hague, her la n d m a rk home as Chief Prosecutor of both ju d g e m e n ts tribunals. When asked what a typ­ ical day at The Hague consist of, A lthough the trib u n als she quickly clarified that over the last month, she has slept at home Arbour heads are firmly supported only one night because of the by the international community, travelling involved in her job. she adm its that their activities When she is at The Hague, she “have to translate into a concrete

bunals is very explicit: heads of state are not immune from person­ al crim inal re sp o n sib ility and there is nothing that anybody — not a group of states, not individ­ ual states, not NATO — that any­ one can take away from that lan­ guage but the Security Council itself.”

Nevertheless, she agrees that compliance on behalf of pariah states being investigated is crucial for the effectiveness of prosecut­ ing criminals. Arbour wants to be certain that in the next round of peace talks over Kosovo, all par­ ties comply with their internation­ al justice obligations and that in the case of a military intervention, the role of the tribunal to carry out its criminal investigations is firm­ ly entrenched.

Wecanbeour own downfall.... Wemust always beveryclearabout funda­ mental ethical considera­ tionsbecauseweplaywith verypowerful elements.

Rebecca Catching

operative mandate” to arrest want­ ed criminals. She envisions a part­ n ership betw een in tern atio n al penal law and peacekeeping so that peacekeepers can becom e w itnesses and en fo rcers of international law, a responsibility they are currently exempted from under the UN C onvention of P riv ileg es and Im m unity. She argues that the neutrality of peace­ keepers would not be com pro­ mised by active service on behalf of the tribunal since they would be “taking the right side of jus­ tice” by detaining alleged crimi­ nals they came across through their humanitarian duties.

Arbour has presided over a series of milestone prosecutions, including the arrest of a general in activ e service in the form er Yugoslavia, and the guilty plea to six accounts of genocide by the former Prime Minister of Rwanda.

Her work as Chief Prosecutor on the tribunals has also resulted in a series of landmark judgements in international law — making gen­ der crim es an act of genocide, defining rape in international law, deeming that international crimes could take place in internal con­ flicts, and holding instigators of international crim es liable for their actions.

Arbour has done her job so well that there is some speculation that she will be soon asked to return home by Jean Chrétien to fulfil a vacant justice’s seat on the Supreme Court of Canada. In the meantime, however, she remains a powerful spokesperson and prose­ cutor for the tribunals, a Canadian “doing good” on the international scene. After having finished her lecture in the M oot C ourt last Wednesday evening to a series of applause, she firmly folded her speech into fo u r neat squares, buried it in her handbag and smiled, her job for the day done.

Luckily for the world, Arbour is handling the burden of upholding international justice with equal decisiveness and conviction.

Page 16 F e a t u r e s

T he M c G ill T ribune , T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

By Dom Michaud week has passed now since the end of reading week and it’s back to the academic machine. For sixteen McGill stu­ dents, however, reading week was a learning experience of a different kind.

On February 20, three rented cars left Montreal for Manhattan for a weekend of rest and relaxation, and then to Paterson, New Jersey to par­ ticipate in the Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge.

Habitat chapters hold Collegiate Challenges all over the country invite and campus chapters to help in their construction projects. The McGill Campus Chapter sent sixteen students to participate in Paterson’s Challenge.

A

P e o p le h o u s in g p e o p le Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit, ecu­ menical Christian housing ministry, founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. Founded on Christian principles, HFHI unites communities from all walks of life — regardless of race, religion, or sex — to help provide needy individuals with the basic necessity of shelter. HFHI is people housing people; and since its inception, it has provided over 70,000 homes to 350,000 people.

Potential homeowners are selected on the basis of need (living under the poverty line or in sub-stan­ dard housing) and the contribution of volunteer hours or “sweat equity”.

Families must work for 300-500 hours with Habitat, doing various tasks such as office work, canvass­ ing and naturally, building. Because families are encouraged to partic­ ipate in their own home-building, a sense of pride and of community is instilled in the family members that very rarely ends with the completion of the house. Most families continue to be involved with Habitat in some capacity or another even after they have moved into their new homes.

The houses are sold to the fami­ lies without profit, and the mort­ gages are interest-free, payable over a ten to 20 year period. A three bed­ room house typically sells for $42,000 US and the money that Habitat receives is recycled back into future building projects, both domestic and abroad.

C o m m u n ity b u ild in g Since 1984, the Paterson, New Jersey chapter has contributed 81 homes to the community. Paterson,

This is W H at so m e o f t h e v Q lu n te e rs h a d to say a b o u t th e trip :

M c G ill's H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y C a m p u s C h a p t e r s p e n d s re a d in g w e e k s o u th o f th e b o rd e r situated about 45 minutes west of into a dumpster the next day.

New York City, is home to 140,000 The last day, a group of innercitizens of mostly Black and city high school kids, who periodi­ Hispanic backgrounds. Once a thriv­ cally took time out of class to help ing industrial city, Paterson has Habitat projects, joined us for the decayed into a ghettoized suburb of morning shift. Schmidt had informed New York. us that these kids were attending an Students involved in the alternative school because they were Paterson project reported for duty at deemed to have behavioral or moti­ the Habitat shed at 8 a.m. Monday vational problems and that they morning and met Site Coordinator might be unmotivated to help us out.

Bill Schmidt. Schmidt, a retired While painting, one of the kids Industrial Arts teacher, gave us a informed me that he was tired and short description of the history of did not want to do any more work.

HFHI and the Paterson Chapter. He He said that he had been awake since informed us that another group of six, dressing and feeding his baby so students from the University of that he could drop her off at the day­ Guelph had helped out the week care, his wife off at work and be at prior as part of another Collegiate school for eight. Behavioral or moti­ Challenge. vational problems? These kids were Our first day in Paterson was simply victims of circumstance, typi­ spent painting the first of four hous­ cal of the poverty. es currently under construction.

After overcoming the initial difficul­ Lessons le a rn e d ties (frozen paint, shortage of equip­ ment and a groggy and frozen crew) I wondered if the work that we we caulked, filled holes with plaster did was truly worthwhile for the and laid down two coats of primer. community. In the depressing condi­ That evening, Paterson’s tion that Paterson was in, it seemed Habitat hosted a community supper. almost futile to build more houses After an exhausting first day, we only to have them fall into the same were treated to a fantastic meal and a state as their neighbour’s. Then, I chance to meet the future homeown­ reminded myself that four families ers and other volunteers that regular­ will be living in the houses that we ly work with Habitat. This was, for worked on. That four families would many of us, the most rewarding undoubtedly have better houses, new moment of the trip. houses. That, at the very least, these The second day began with a families would have a roof and four new task. Habitat bought a con­ walls that they could call their own; demned house from the city witli that they could call home. plans to refurbish and sell it. The back yard needed to be cleaned up For more information on HFH before any work could be undertak­ and future projects, check out their en. We arrived at the house to find a website at: yard of 70 by 25 feet filled with a member, tripod, com/mcgilljiabitat two feet pile of trash. Everything or contact them by e-mail at: that once might have been in the habforhum @yahoo, com. house — from carpets to door frames and windows — was now — photos by Sherry Poon piled up in the yard. It took the six­ teen volunteers three hours to drag everything (including the kitchen sink) to the front curb to be thrown

C le a n in g th e y a r d

T h ro u g h o u t the w |e k , we p a in te d , caulked, R eared ju n k , a n d p a in te d some m o re — not the fy p ic â î idea o f h o w to spend a s p r in g b re a k . H o w e v e r, th e g ro u p not o n ly had a great expe­ rie n c e , b u t cam e h a ck as m ore w ell-ro unded and centered peoliv e d in a c o m p fe te lv B‘ a c u ltu re we s o m e tim e s fo rg e t even e x is ts .

F o r som e, th is w as th e ir fir s t H a b ita t experience and it p ro ­ v id e d an o p p o r tu n ity f o r s tu ­ d e n ts to see how th e ir s e rvice can d ire c tly a ffe c t th e live s o f e, th e idea

MM » ! , isés fo r fa m ilie s b u t creates1 c o m m u n itie s f o r tlià # tn ^ > ir e s me to continue helping those in need.

— Sherry Poon H a b ita t was an e n ric a n d f u lf illin g e x p e ritj ce hit me a lo t about i o f c o m m u n ity effp p ro g ra m th a t le a r n fro m , h o m l and volunteers a like . I w alked a w a y fr o m P a te rs o n , N e w Jersey w ith a sense o f p rid e and accom plishm ent. ^

— Jennie Keogh I t was g re a t w o rk in g w ith s tu d e n ts in a r c h ite c tu r e a n d o th e r fa c u ltie s , a n d h a v in g a sense o f togetherness. I had tons o f fu n liv in g , w o rk in g , hanging o u t, a n d e a tin g to g e th e r w ith them . T h is tr ip w ill be rem em ­ b e re d a n d c h e ris h e d fo r e v e r deep w ith in m y h e a rt. W e m et lo ts o f f r ie n d ly p e o p le fr o m Paterson too.

— Jordan Chiang T he best p a rt was m eeting the new hom eow ners and seeing how g e n u in e ly h a p p y a n d a p p re c ia tiv e th e y w e re a b o u t th e ir new house. I t was h e a rt­ w a rm in g to see how excited they w ere. T h e k id s w o u ld w a n t to see th e house e v e ry d a y ju s t to see the progress. ^ rn a d f it fo r me. jfc. i l l . •**» "— Karen Wan h. Æ m M .m Ê Ê km S : I t was especially nice to see th a t th e w o r k w e w e re d o in g was both needed and a p p re c ia t­ e d , M e e tin g th e fa m ilie s w h o w e re to m ove in to th e houses c u r r e n tly u n d e r c o n s tru c tio n a t r u e lj g i a tify in g -'e x p e ri-

— Lyndsay Pankrat S i®

F e a tu re s

T he M cG ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

Everything in moderation Last w eek, the Tribune's feature on student drinking examined alcohol use at McGill, and identified those students that could be identi­ fied as "problem drinkers" Despite a low rate of student alcoholism (two to five per cent), alcohol abuse is far more common. This week, th e Tribune in te rv ie w s a n o n -d rin k e r and explores w hat m any bartenders proclaim to be the end of the party generation.

By M aggie G

ilm our

We’ve all experienced it — that warning feeling after too many drinks.

The symptoms vary. There’s a slight blur, red cheeks, glassy eyes, a some­ what alarming friendliness, and a ten­ dency to “clear up” previously contro­ versial issues that the outside world has been bungling for years. Despite a tendency to abuse alcohol, most stu­ dents are keenly aware of their limits.

They just choose to go beyond them.

When asked when she knows she has drunk too much, Carrie Schoemer, a drama and theatre student, bursts into infectious laughter and says “When I make long distance phone calls at five in the morning. When I pick up guys that are 13 years old and don’t have facial hair yet.”

More seriously through, Schoemer does not feel she is dependent on alcohol.

“I don’t feel like I need to drink and I have gone for long periods of my life without drink­ ing and it’s okay... I make a lot of decisions about drinking.”

Mike Wilms, a veteran bartender at Blizzarts, agrees, saying most of the drinking he sees going on is “just a phase.”

“People are letting loose, having fun, and when they start a real job, it’ll be all over. It’s just a lack of real responsibility that lets students drink the way they do.”

Schoemer concurs. “Drinking to this excess is just a phase, it’s univer­ sity.” Giggling, she adds that “I hope, though, that in the future, I will always be able to knock a few back!”

business for 23 years, and views stu­ dent drinking with indulgence and amusement — he claims that “really, they are just having a good time.”

“The students that drink here don’t get into fights. They’re always in a good mood. Students are doing something with their life, they have goals, they have dreams, so they gen­ erally just drink to have a good time.

They don’t get aggressive or angry.

I’ve never had a problem with brawls with students.”

“The students here are just not assholes,” stresses Marques.

“They drink in moderation. They laugh, they sing, they don’t get vio­ lent. They don’t get sick. They have something to lose, so they behave well. They’re not like a loser off the street who just wants to get wrecked.”

A social crutch?

Andrew Zadel, a U2 English and anthropology student, however, sees something a bit more sinister going on in student drinking. Zadel doesn’t drink. Ever. Despite years of coaxing and attempts on his friends part to break him down, Zadel has never got­ ten drunk. Astonishment is the usual response, but Zadel has his reasons.

Beginning with a bewildering general­ ization, Zadel explains.

“People are lame. They can’t just do what they want to do. They need something to break down barri­ ers for them. Alcohol is a chemical substitute for self confidence, to cure a problem that is rampant in our soci­ ety. It’s a problem I’ve never suf­ fered from... Why would I want to spend money and taste bad drinks to break into a culture that I have no use for?”

Starting to sound more and more like James Dean, Zadel sips from his glass of water and says, “I’ve always prided myself on setting myself apart, anyone who knows me, knows that I go out of my way to be No conclusive link different.

“I definitely always get to be in Although many students control of the situation if I don’t learn to drink, and drink hard, in drink. But there’s a disadvantage. I university, these habits do not never get to use the blanket excuse necessarily carry over into their T was drunk’ So I never get to get W a ter o r g in ?

Rebecca Catching adult life. away with anything.” “[Drinking in university] is a Huh. Before the interview con­ social habit, and in most cases, is just cludes, I accomplish what feels like a a phase. In most cases it will not lead major triumph for the drink- swilling Just having a to adult alcoholism. Most alcohol majority who wish to lead pure heart­ good time abusers in college will become normal ed water drinkers astray. Offering my drinkers,” says Maurice Dongier, a Casey Marques is a 41-year -old subject a “glass of water,” I watch as professor in the Psychiatry Department at Douglas Hospital who bartender at Bifteck, that familiar hole he sips it and realizes it is in fact a gin does research on alcohol-related prob­ where many a student has ended a and tonic. Irritation ensues. Ha. Even night of studying at “the Cup” with a the debauched and dissolute can be lems. pitcher or two. He has been in the crafty.

B u s in e s s s lo w in g d o w n

Party generation no more?

Wilms surveys the crowd at Blizzarts, a small, intimate little bar on St. Laurent where students gather every weekend for great R & B, hip hop and hugely overpriced drinks.

Wilms has been working in the bar business for years, after getting kicked out of school for “too much partying, bad grades, and sleeping in class.”

Most students, according to Wilms, drink three to four drinks a night. “There are never any alcoholics in here,” claims Wilms. “We don’t allow it.”

The students here arejust mit assholes. They drink in moderation. They laugh, they don't get sick. They have something to lose, so they behave well. They're not like a loser off the street who just wants to get wrecked.

Casey Marques, Bartender at the Biftek

Despite stats that claim student drinking is on the rise, Wilms is con­ vinced that “the party is over. Students don’t drink as much as they used to.

Everywhere, all over this island, peo­ ple are drinking way less.”

“All bartenders say the same thing, says Wilms. “People just don’t have the money anymore, they can’t spare it for drinks. They’re more seri­ ous now about their schoolwork. They don’t have the time or the money to fuck around.”

Page 17

Jared Byers

Kathleen Tremblay, a bartender at Bifteck agrees, saying that the busiest time at the bar is after “the loans and bursaries come in. It gets really busy then. It’s to do with finances, I think. People don’t have enough money to drink a lot.”

Wilms sighs. “My friends and I feel like we were the last generation of real partiers. I used to spend $200 a week drinking.”

This lament seems less than con­ vincing upon entering any of the bars down the street. Every night at Copacabana, the party, even if it is a watered-down version, rages on.

Leah Cheyne, beloved bartender at Copacabana’s has to go, she has tons of people to serve. But before she leaves she tells me why she thinks stu­ dents drink so much. “It’s to try to for­ get their everyday existence at school.” So it seems that until midterms and stress, social intrigue and other pressures, made up or other­ wise, fade into a distant memory, stu­ dents will drink on.

If you think you have a drinking problem, the Student Health Clinic (398-6017) suggests you come and see them for a consultation. From that point on, your options are somewhat limited. Foster Pavilion at 659-8911 offers a detox clinic and group or individual therapy, or there is always the traditional route o f Alcoholics Anonymous: call 376-9230 for Information. The Newman Centre at 3484 Peel Street also offers AA meet­ ings every Friday nightfrom 7 to 9 pm — newcomers are always welcome.

Call 398-4105for information.

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Page 20 F e a t u r e s

T he M cG ill T ribune, T uesday,9 M arch 1999

Ear to the Ground A brief look at the latest patterns, trends and developments Did som ebody say McDonald's?

First born — the 21 st Century Truman Show

The premier issue of Latingirl reports that fast food junkies can cut down on the amount of fat they consume through junk food in five easy steps.

• Firstly, don’t go overboard with your fat intake. You should consume no more than 73 grams of fat per day. Most major restaurant chains can provide patrons with a breakdown of the product’s nutritional value. Also, try to limit your salt intake to 2,400 milligrams per day.

• Avoid super- or mega-sized products. Order the regular sized portions and keep your fat intake down. Don’t order a small portion, though — if your going to eat at McDo’s, at least try to enjoy it.

• Get rid of the extras and say no to dressings, extra cheese and dipping sauces. Chances are, the 100 per cent pure beef burger is tasty enough on its own.

• Eat slowly instead of inhaling your food. Notice how fast you actually become full.

• Lastly, add some exercise to your day. Walking back to class after your lunch break will help you lose some of the calories you will have consumed over lunch.

Celebrating women Women are living longer and more fulfilling lives, reports Newsweek’s special health edition. A baby girl bom today can live well into her 80s, provided she makes the right choices.

These choices can be a simple as taking a 30 minute walk three times a week or revamping your diet to include more fruit and veggies. Women’s opinions have changed over the past few decades as well. Babies born to single mothers are on the rise and the median age of marriage has sky-rocketed. In 1996 women between the ages of 15 and 24 comprised 13 per cent of the world’s population and in 1997, 60 per cent of women were in the labour force. Smokers take heed: since 1991, the number of female smokers has been on the rise. Why shave a couple of years off of that 80?

A recent article in The Face chronicles the latest millenni­ um madness: Britain’s ITV network plans to find, and then follow, the first baby of the new millennium — in short, to create a real life Truman. ITV’s Birthrace 2000 conspires to follow, from conception to death, a handful of children bom on January 1, 2000. During the final days of December 1999, the Granada M edia Group will have cameras in most of Britain’s major hospitals, awaiting the birth of the soon-to-befamous baby. Thoughtfully, ITV’s Birthrace crew have also programmed an evening of “saucy” viewing on March 17, designed to get couples in the mood nine months before the big date. And with the provisionally-titled “Nookie Night” covering reports on animal reproductive techniques — includ­ ing snails — it’s hard to see how you can fail to be turned on.

A clean, well lit place... with S & M Gear Ever been to a sex shop in downtown Montreal? They tend to be gloomy places, with non-descript middle aged men lurking about self consciously and bored-looking clerks snoozing at the cash. Many miles away, a new era of sex shop has opened. Welcome to Hustler Hollywood — Larry Flint’s new upscale sex store on Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip, the store that is aspiring to lead porn’s way out of its once-ghettoized position. With wall-towall glass, painfully bright lighting, and a cleanliness that could beat your mom’s bathroom, this sex shop publicly serves porn to the brought-up-on Boogie-Nights generation.

Inside the lofty new space, guys and gals can fondle sex toys (Peter North’s Super Suction Power Pump) and buy X-rated videos (Interview with a Vibrator) and browse through per­ verted magazines. There’s even a Starbuck-esque cafe on the premises, where one can sip a “Larry likes it Straight” while deciding how to best spend dollars on the socially-sanctioned sex products.

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G ive them what they want: Canadian CINEMA AND ITS UNCOOPERATIVE AUDIENCE

By Andrew Davidson

set up in 1996 to exam ine the health of Canada’s film industry.

Yet whether the real problem with Canadian film is being addressed in panels and Federal reports is another question altogether.

Canadian film industry has I a checkered history of surI vival and success in the shad­ ow of the A m erican cultural empire. With only three to five per cent of Canadian theatre screen More than time devoted to Canadian-made two solitudes features, the economic fate of the Canadian feature film is all but Canadian film has been tradi­ doomed from the get-go.

A m erican film com panies tionally divided along linguistic view Canada as a home away from lines. Recent releases, however, home, the second-largest English- have emphasized cultural diversity through stories of religious, ethnic, speaking m arket, or sexual groups. This one often included has led to a re-examinain their "domestic" tion of how film s are profit reports. The classified. Each film that fact that Canadians challenges the Frenchas a collective audi­ English model proves ence fail to show that Canada's identity is substantial interest more complex than the in their own films "two solitudes" label. does not help the Film s such as chances of Canada's Clement Virgo's Rude, a film-makers as they mixed narrative centered struggle to scrape together desperately-needed fund­ around the Jamaican community in ing for their projects. Yet in spite Toronto, illustrate how film can be of a serious lack of financial sup­ used in Canada to show stories of port for film in Canada by both the identity amidst cultural change.

Federal Government and Canadian Mia Shum's Double Happiness audiences, a vibrant and deter­ tells the tale of how a second-gen­ mined community of film-makers eration C hinese-V ancouverite has entered the world stage and deals with the pressures of her tra­ earned critical acclaim. Small bud­ ditional family and her experience gets, on average about $1.5 mil­ of being raised in a Western envi­ lion, mean that Canadian films ronment. Atom Egoyan's Calendar have little or no promotional bud­ shows the strained relationship gets, and instead rely on critics and between a photographer and his Arm enian-identifying wife who word-of-mouth.

C ritical success, however, falls for the old country and their does not pay the bills. The A rm enian driver. These film s announcem ent by H eritage focus on the complex individual Minister Sheila Copps of a new issues that face many in Canada as multi-million-dollar funding pack­ they forge relationships with dif­ age for independent C anadian ferent cultures that have shaped film-makers has renewed the hope their identity or concept of self, as of many who question the quality well as how these cultures conflict.

Q uébécois cinem a has of Canadian film. The Canadian Film Development Corporation, arguably the richest tradition of now known as Telefilm Canada, brilliant films in Canada. Claude was given a much-needed boost by Jutra's 1970 film Mon Oncle Copps' decision to follow the rec- Antoine set an early standard for comendations of an advisory panel Quebec film-makers. Jean-Claude

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Lauzon's Leolo is arguably the best film ever made in this country. The recent works of Denis Arcand and F rançois G irard have earned international respect. Such respect unfortunately must be tempered with a film like Les Boys, not only the most offensive film made in Canada with its open racism, sex­ ism, and homophobia, but also the most successful box-office release in Quebec movie history with a sequel to boot.

Through the continued explo­ ration of all forms of Canadian cin­ ema, one will hope that Canada's successes continue to be artistic, if not financial. Perhaps Canadians don't want to know about them­ selves or the concept of Canadian

to watch them," not only denies the achievements of films mentioned above, but also fails to acknowl­ edge, as much as Copps' commis­

sion does, the essential weakness of Canadian cinema. What is the problem, you ask? Where does the blam e lie for C anada's lack of financial success at the box office?

The problem is us. We, as a nation of m ovie-goers, are idiots, just like any other audi­ ence in any other part of the world. At least Americans are supporting their cultural prod­ uct, as commodified as it is. We as Canadians are in the unique position of im m ediacy to American productions with an inherent skepticism of its cultur­ al value. We complain that most Hollywood movies are awful and yet we cannot muster the fortitude to back up our snob­ bery and choose to see our own cinema. Our country has created some of the most innovative and brilliant films in the past twenty years and many of us haven't seen m ore than we could count on our hand. Blame the American "electronic rape" of Canada all you want. But the culpa also falls on the shoulders of the Canadian audience for our lack of support for films that identity for others. tell our own stories. Canadian movies, centered around the ques­ Canadian cinema: too tion of identity and how we per­ ceive ourselves, fail to take into smart account our own identity as lazy for filmgoers? film-goers who don't want to think when shelling out eight bucks.

The January 23 M ontreal This is not a b itter attack on Gazette Arts editorial's claim that Canadians — it is in fact quite the "If Canada's film industry makes contrary. We, as an audience, are good movies, Canadians will want

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faced with an indigenous cinema that has a history of challenging the viewer's intellect, that forces a bit of thought out of us. Such films take their toll on the audience.

Perhaps our film s are ju s t too smart for us.

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Veda Hille and a good cause: enough for me on a Wednesday. SACCOMS pre­ sents a women's cabaret show in honour of International W om en's Week. Indie rawk goddess Hille heads the line up. sup­ ported by local cabaret vet­ erans Pigeon Hole. M arni Levit and others Wed. March 10 at Club Studio 2109 St. Laurent, 7:30pm, $5. Info, at 3982700.

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Yes, we know it’s still winter, but attendance at the first of M ontreal’s many festivals could delude you into believ­ ing in spring. It’s worth a try. The Musée D’Art Contem porain presents 150 films from 25 countries by and about artists like Lichenstein, Van Gogh, Greenaway, and Bjork. A m ust for cult studs. W ear black.

Tues. March 9-14 at the Musée, 185 St. Catherine St. West. Screenings $710, passes available. Call 874-1637 or visit www. maniacom.com/fifa.html for details.

Page 22

E n te r t a in m e n t

T he M c G ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

Prêt à porter: catwalking for a good cause living with HIV and AIDS. T he e v e n t, sla te d to o c c u r on M arch 12 at Metropolis, is not just about c lo th e s but is ra th e r an o p p o rtu n ity fo r C an ad ian designers to celebrate fash­ ion and style in an evening involving creative and innov­ ative ideas. Sarah G linski, the ev e n t c o -o rd in a to r, believes that Elysium, the Catherine Farqharson s h o w ’s title , w ill be an opportunity for Montreal to

By Kama Leier view original and cutting edge designs in a theatre like atmos­ The s p o tlig h t is on, the phere. "Elysium is not going to music throbs at a heart-racing be solely about fashion," she pace and all the beautiful people sta te s . "T he show w ill also of the world begin to float down focus on entertaining and inspirthe runw ay, allow ing the re s t o f us to ca tc h a glimpse of the latest fash­ ion c raze . The cam era flashes its approval and all the g litz and g lam o u r is paraded before the public.

The scenario is most likely to ev o k e im ag es o f far aw ay and e x o tic cen tres such as P aris, M ilan and New York, but the average McGill student and general M ontreal public will soon be able to witness McGill's very own version of haute couture. Every year McGill organizes and hosts a char­ ity fashion show to benefit the Farha Foundation, the non-profit institute dedicat­ ed to raising money to help Catherine Farqharson men, women and children

ing the audience. The choreography is fresh and original and the m odels have put in hours and hours of practice to ensure that the evening is equal to that of J a professional . show." ^ tOoi **yfcor The models will r»y.s/i, be swaying down the catwalk "i in c lo th in g by the la te st and ^ * 4 sents hottest designers in the fashion the c u rre n t industry today. Trendy design­ fashion scene and will ers such as Diesel, Silikon and be an exciting mix for all in N evik w ill be com bined with a tte n d a n c e . "The c lo th e s we elegant apparel from the likes of selected for Elysium range from W axm an fo rm a l w ear and funky club wear to glam orous B arbeau. All of these nam es, evening gowns. The show is the plus lines from retailers such as best way to come out and see A rith m e tik and E va B along with a unisex lingerie showing, what will be turning heads for w ill give the show a div erse the upcom ing spring season," she said. fe e lin g . V a le rie S in g e r, the Amman Sidi, promotional e v e n t's clothing co-ordinator, co-ordinator, has ensured believes that the line-up repre-

E le c tio n s f o r C A S A N a t i o n a l D ir e c t o r T h e C a n a d ia n A llia n c e o f S t u d e n t A s s o c ia tio n s w ill b e '' N e le c tin g a n e w N a t io n a l D ir e c to r . A n y M c G i l l u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t is e l i g i b l e to a p p ly to b e c o m e t h e S S M U n o m in e e .

T h is is a o n e y e a r f u l l t i m e p o s i t i o n w i t h r e m u n e r a t i o n . T h e N a t i o n a l D i r e c t o r is r e q u ir e d t o liv e in O t t a w a d u r in g h is /h e r te r m .

To ap

e c o m e t h e S S M U ' s n o m i n e e ■, r o f in te n t to th e E x te rn a l it te e , S t u d e n t s ' S o c ie ty o f G ill U n iv e r s ity , in t h e S h a tn e r b u ild in g .

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that every­ one at M cG ill as well as the general fashion con­

sc io u s p u b lic will be aware of Elysium. This y e a r a sh o rt v id eo h as been assembled and will be shown in various classroom s throughout cam pus. For Sidi, the student involvement in a project of this type is what makes it exciting and unprecedented. McGill stu­ d en ts are in v o lv e d in ev ery aspect of the show, from enlist­ ing local designers to showcas­ ing th eir clothes to providing the models who will adorn the runway. The final result will be a captivating evening filled with music and style, giving the stu­ dents of McGill as well as the general public a chance to live it up with high society for a night.

T ic kets f o r the e v en t are $15 and all proceeds go directly to s u p p o rt the F arha Foundation. Tickets can be pur­ chased at the McGill Bookstore, Sadies, Snax and C hapter XI. For more info call 398-7292.

F o r m o r e in fo r m a tio n , c a ll3 9 8 -6 7 9 8 , o r s e n d e m a il to e x t e r n a l@ s s m u .m c g ill.c a

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T he M c G ill T ribune , T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

E n t e r t a i n m e n t Page 23

E n t o m o p h a g y : w ill y o u s p it o r s w a llo w ?

Ants. Scorpions. Mealworms.

Crickets. Locusts. Stick Insects. Is your mouth watering yet? If you are one of the thousands of people who have attended the Montreal Insectarium’s seventh annual Insect Tasting then you may already be lost in rapturous memories of their weevil goulash. Or, more probably you haven’t been able to keep down solid foods since. The well-intentioned eggheads at the Insectarium invite you to “step out of your North American culinary straitjackets and dare to try some Oriental-style morsels.” We, how­ ever, humbly suggest that if you actually enjoy these “morsels” then you should probably keep that straitjacket on.

There are many convincing arguments for entomophagy or the eating o f -insects, a common enough practice in otherwise devel­ oped countries. Insects are rich in lipids, pro­ teins, vitamins, and minerals and may be pre­ pared in a vari­ ety of ways so as to accentuate the rich flavours for which they are fam ed. Many people throughout the world feed on insects and have developed ways of preparing them in keeping with their respective regional cuisines.

Tragically, none of these seems

capable of disguising the fact that, to our palates, insects generally taste like shit.

We had been told that insects (like all unfamiliar foods) taste like chicken. They do not. The chefs at

crickets, Mandarin silkworm pupae, and Mealworm imperial rolls. As you can see, spicy flavours seem to predominate in insect-eating nations (we can be thankful for small mercies). The Mandarin silkworm pupae are actually quite good and taste like sliv­ ers o f barbecued beefjerky. The only problem arose when some of the less dried pupae burst in our mouths releasing unpleasantly generous amounts of necroplasm. In the wake of this experience, the taste was not nearly as hard to overcome as were the p sych ological barriers which almost prevented us from swallow­ ing at all. As for the meal­ worm imperial rolls, they were poor by any gastronomical standard: they were dry, chewy... and were filled with m eal­ worms. Thank God they were out o f Szechuan scorpions.

The desserts were slightly more successful.

As Mary Poppins was apt to say, “a spoonful of sugar helps the Fuji coconut and chocolatecovered crickets go down.” In all serious­ ness, when it comes to insects, sugar really does provide a better camouflage than spice. The crickets were quite tasty, but this

Eat These Words H oward A nglin & M ichael H ooper the Insectarium, recruited from the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hotellerie du Québec, have taken great pains to showcase their 100,000 meal­ worms, 60,000 crickets, 10,000 locusts, and 5,000 silkworm pupae in a variety of tasty recipes intend­ ed to enhance and, in some cases, disguise their natural flavours and textures. Unfortunately, they have met with very mixed success.

For an appetizer there are Walkingsticks “en coffret” and locusts prepared in a curry sauce. These particu­ lar d elica cies are rather large and are thus the most intim idating for the uninitiated.

With these dishes you can really look your meal in the eye — and in some cases a more unappealing orifice as well.

The main course has an Asian them e and includes Szechuan

was probably because they were smothered in white choco­ late. In hind­ sight, the taste of the Fuji coconut and chocolatecovered crickets would have been s ig n ific a n tly improved by the rem oval o f all traces o f the crickets them ­ selves. The same principle could Charl es Roy also have been W o rs t fie ld -tr ip e v e r! applied to to Mr. Clean and so we were left improve the “yin-yan mealworm with a taste in our mouths not cookies” and the “glazed unlike that o f the Sahel after a cake with black ants.” plague o f locusts. The Montreal On the whole, Insectarium is certainly a phenome­ the event leaves nal museum and apparently this one with the annual “Croque Insects” has been in cred ib le recognized by the Quebec Museum desire to Association as the best educational wash one’s display in the province. But we mouth out found that although the experience with a of viewing and ingesting a crossp o w e r fu l section o f the earth’s creepyc lea n sin g crawlies is not to be missed, neither agent. is it likely to be enjoyed.

F ortunately, the benevolent souls at The M ontreal Insectarium is the Insectarium antici­ located at the Montreal Botanical pated this and have set Gardens, 4581 Sherbrooke East up a booth sellin g (Pie IX metro station). Admission insect lollies at the exit. Not bad, is $6.75 fo r adults and $5.25 fo r but the cleansing agent we had in students. mind bore more of a resemblance

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ..

A r t A t t a c k E x h ib it M c L e n n a n L ib ra ry

W ed n esd a y , M a r c h 17

H a ir b ra id in g $50 plus c o s t o f h a ir e x te n s io n s ( M o n - T h u r s ) M onday, M a r c h 15 T uesday, M a r c h 16

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Native Student Association 11 am - 3 pm Room 107'108, Shatner Building Karatedo demonstration 12:30-1:30 Film screening by Filipino Asian Students Association 1:30-2:30 Taiwanese Students Association exhibit Room 107-108, Shatner Building

T h u rs d a y , M a r c h 18

For ..■ .....■ ■ in

m o r e

Celebrate European culture 11 am - 3 pm Room 107-108 Shatner Building S t Patrick's Day 8 pm Crert’s Pub, Shatner Building Middle East Celebrations 11 am - 3 pm Room 107-108, Shatner Building International (5-ala 7 pm Shatner Ballroom tickets $4, sold at Sadie's (Shatner)

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398-6777

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Faculty Relations Commissioner Francophone Commissioner Ghetto Residents Association Director

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Students' Society Programming Network (SSPN) Chairs Students' Society Programming Network (SSPN) Members

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Frosh Program Coordinators* Activities Day Coordinators Blood Drive Coordinators Culturefest Coordinators Drivesafe Coordinator Welcome Week Coordinators W inter Frosh Coordinators Leadership Conference Coordinator Mini-Course Coordinator* Webmaster*

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Chief Returning Officer* Deputy Returning Officer* Election Coordinators*

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*Some Financial Compensation is awarded.

IBS

T he M c G ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

E n t e r t a i n m e n t Page 25

Smarty pant scripts and comedic acting highlight of McGill Drama Festival War, Love, Foucault and a nutty maid named Bertha. The McGill Drama Festival has something for everyone this year from slushy romantics to the philosophically inclined. Since McGill’s Players and Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre have teamed up together, there are eleven plays to scope out. I skulked about in the dress rehersals to get a feel for the shows, so if you’re overwhelmed by the choices, here is a peek at some of the pieces.

Berry Tree written and directed by: Kimberly Huie run: March 9,11,16,20 Morrice Hall

A Contemporary Murder written by: Eric Nye director: Alexandra P richard

If you like your theatre in the “fuzzy love” genre, Berry Tree and Centerfield Wall both focus on rela­ tionships, one that is evaporating while the other is coming together. In Berry Tree, two girlfriends Jenna (Ashley Botting) and Catherine (Serena Pires) try to deal with the problems that arise when a boyfriend enters the friendship equation. The script is sensitively written with an excellent contrast between Jenna’s

run:

march 8,12,17,18

Morrice Hall ****

Centerfield Wall W RITTEN AND D IRECTED BY:

Nada Bouhabib run: March 8,12,17,18 M orrice Hall ***

With a cast of eleven and a mas­ sive crew, this play semi-spoofs the formulaic “Who Killed Roger Acroyd?” plot.

Roger (Dan Werb) and Savannah Afton ( J e n n e t Anna M attiuzzo Charlton) attempt to deal with their emo­ tionally erratic daughter Samantha (Katy spunky attitude and Catherines’ vul­ McLoughlin). Roger’s stress leads nerability. Centerfield Wall features him to a kittenish secretary Candy Matt Proch-Wilson (Chris) and (Laurie Sellings), and when she (Corin) Stefanie Crispino as two winds up dead in Roger’s filing cab- externally different opposites who, net, everyone points the finger at (wait for it), attract. Chris is an ath­ him. Roger gets picked o ff too letic, cocky charmer who is smitten though, leaving the remaining cast by Corin, a studious, sarcastic type. members to speculate on the identity The boy-meets-girl plot is typical, of the killer among them. With a but is rescued by humour: talking creepy maid, Bertha (Jen Warren), bananas and ballgame ballads. sex-maniacs (Margaret Garrad and The Opposite Of Duck Phillip Nuxoll) and devious friends director: Janice and Hunter Marx (Sara Kate W hitehead Regher Neufeld and Ian Hatten), the written by: murder could be anyone. The plot is Dave Bowles familiar but the comedic acting keeps run:March 9,11,16,20 it from being stale.

Morrice Hall

and filled with accents as eclectic as the cast. This play also focuses on relationships, and the blending and blurring of sexuality. Jenna (Angie Orrego), Kate (Anna Leventhal), Charlie (Terrence Matz) and Harris (Tom Corcoran) are roomates trying to figure out the confusing and some­ times infuriating rules of the “Sexuality and Relationship” game.

Freud, Foucalt and Monet flutter into the script as the characters slip into famous personalites while sorting out boggling questions, like “Is this a straight or gay play?” The acting and colourful script make this play engaging all the way through.

The Alternate director: K areem F ahmy ,

P layers’ Theatre ***1/2 The Alternate is a wacky play, with a billion different themes. The piece is a “play within a play.” Set in two realities, “ice storm” and “heat wave,” the focus is on the fluctuating realities of Leila ( Laura Quinn), Cyrus (Declan Brady) and Jay (Stewart Harrison). Cyrus confides in Leila that he thinks he is experienc­ ing an “alternate reality.” Neither Leila or Jay take him seriously so Cyrus trades his jacket for a hawaianshirt. The dialouge is realistic, filled with alot of “inside joke” quirks which are sometimes funny but sometimes drag.

Henry V was a Wanker

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DIRECTED AND W RITTEN BY:

Matt Allen run: March 9,11,16,20 P layers’ Theatre

W O Z N IE W S K I W RITTEN BY:

Kareem Fahmy run: March 9,11,16,20

If it’s a play with Elizabethan dialogue and a philosophic twist that you’re looking for, this is it. With a clashing of sword, Henry V was aWanker begins. Two swordsmen who initially fight zealously with one another, end up sharing smokes, wine and debating their motives for feud­ ing. The friendly bantering between the swordsman kept me interested right to the end when it wraps up quickly, on a solemn tone.

For more inform ation call Tuesday N ight Cafe Theatre at Morrice Hall, 3585 McTavish, 3986600 or McGill Players’ Theatre at Shatner,3480 McTavish, 398-6813.

N ext week: Review s o f The Fishtank by Amber Day and Capital DAS by Michael Wheeler.

Eyeglass Theatre

The Opposite o f Duck is witty

O'FLAHERTY, V. C. G. Bernard Show's hilarious o n e-a ct p la y |a b o u t Ireland,

w a r a n d the paradoxes o f life!

A reading w ith top local actors or sem i-ce le b ritie sJts M o n tre a l prem iere 84 years late!

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D i r e c t o r D a v id G a lp e r n M u s ic a l D i r e c t o r A la n In y C h o r e o g r a p h e r S h a u n a F e ld m a n P r o d u c e r s O w en R e e s , D a v i d R e e v e l y , M ik e P a g n o t t a w i t h T a lk in g C am el P r o d u c t io n s

Page 26 E n t e r t a i n m e n t

T HÈ' M CG il L T R?BUN

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O f f ic e S p a c e 's c o r p o r a t e s a t ir e n e e d s m o r e s p e e d B y H ug h O d lin g -S mee

O ffice Space is a film from one of those overly creative chil­ dren at school whose popularity cam e from im itatin g the hypocrisy o f the teaching staff and who (unfortunately) never learned to stop in adulthood. Mike Judge, creator o f B e a v is a n d B u tth ea d and K ing o f the H ill, whose comedy once was deemed so subversive as to encourage arson, has fashioned a film from those m om ents o f popularity.

Well, not a film so much as a lot o f m ild ly am using p eo p le on screen talking to each other.

Picture the scene. Judge is sitting around his home in Austin, kicking back and he thinks to himself, "I don't really like work,

so let’s make a film about it. Let’s include that weird guy in market­ ing who loves crazy golf. Oh, and that lounge-lizard from accounts.

Great, let's ring my agent. Now where is that phone?" Er, and that's it really. The film is in the bag. The trouble is, Office Space is the most-laid back satire ever made. It sort of doesn't like corpo­ rate America, but it can't quite remember why. And as a result it is a mediocre failure.

Essentially, the plot (for want of a better word), revolves around a group of computer programmers who are oppressed by top-man­ agement. One of them, Peter, gets hypnotized and starts to rebel against the system. Instead of get­ ting the heave-ho, he gets a pro­ motion. Using his newfound sta­

tus (or not, I couldn't follow this bit) he enacts the famous "quarte r -o f-a -c e n t” scam from Superman III. It doesn't work and the guy from accounts burns down the office. Cue beach scene at the end.

The director seemed to forget what was meant to be happening around about scene 12, when he obviously fell asleep, or went to the shops. This "attack" on the corporate hell o f the computer belt has about as much madness in its soul as a charity worker on Prozac. What we get is a collec­ tion of funny people searching for a reason to be there.

Far from being a scathing swipe on life in the four-by-four cubicle, this is the film of some­ one who gets a bit miffed at the

O ffic e s p a c e d o e s n 't m a k e i t to firs t b ase

news, thinks about writing a letter to the newspaper to complain, but instead just turns over to the latest adult cartoon. Picture the end of the film. Our hero ends up work­ ing on a b u ild in g site. Great, there's freedom. Why did nobody think this through? All it would have taken was an hour’s work.

While Office Space is full of

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good com edic performances, it lacks the sense of out-of-control, "you gotta get me more speed Larry" anarchy that would have covered over the glaring lack of direction. As it is, this film leaves you cheated: you made the effort to be there, it would have been nice if the director had done the same.

BOOKSTORE 3 4 2 0 M c T a v is h • 3 9 8 - 7 4 4 4

sic, Poetry & Song p e r f o r m e d b y J v lc G M I s t u d e n t s

Friday, March 12 @ 4 pm

M ic h e a l B u rn s , th e S eanachai (or Storyteller) blends pre-Christian Celtic Myths w ith H ila r io u s current vignettes in this c ro w n p le a s e r.

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T he M cG ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

A n a ly z e T h is : D e N ir o s a v e s a m e d io c r e m o v ie

" It's a n O e d ip a l c o m p le x , I'm te llin g y o u , B o b b y ! by

Jo n a t h a n D o y l e _________________ __

Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) is the kind o f man w hose mental health is essential if he intends to prosper (or survive) in his line of work. He is a gangster and, as he tearfully tells his psychiatrist, he’s “got str e ss.” T his is hardly a unique premise for a film. Part of the appeal of an effective gangster film has always been the com ­ plexity of the characters and their inner w ork in gs. Like H arvey K eitel’s Charlie in the gangster classic Mean Streets, Vitti is con­ flic te d . U n lik e C harlie, V itti chooses not to work through his problems internally.

On the other side of the gangster/psychiatrist equation is Ben Sobol (B illy Crystal). He is an ordinary man, observing the gang­ ster life from the same perspective as the audience. At one point he bangs into the bumper of a gang­ ster’s car, popping open the trunk, and revealing one o f the gang­ ster’s victim s. Crystal d o esn ’t n otice this but there is more where that came from. In fact, at one point, Crystal is thrown into a shark tank himself.

In his bad film s, Crystal is the kind of comedian who winks at the audience, reminding us that he’s trying to be funny. Luckily, he avoids that habit in A nalyze This and the result is a tolerable, if not altogether on target, perfor­ mance.

In the role o f C ry sta l’s fiancé, Lisa Kudrow is doing the same old thing, yet everyone con­ tinues to sing her praises. This is an actress with a very distinctive personality. If she continues to give the same performance in film after film so m eo n e’s goin g to realize that this woman has no range. In fairness, she isn’t given much to do in Analyze This, but why w ould an a cco m p lish ed actress take such an inconsequen­ tial role? Along with a fat paycheque, the opportunity to work with De Niro and Crystal proba­ bly sealed the deal.

The film’s real bread and but­

ter is Robert De Niro, an actor of enormous range who is wrongly thought of mostly for his portray­ als of gangsters. He has proven to have a gift for comedic timing in films like Hi Mom, The King o f Comedy, and Wag the Dog. These were exceptional performances b eca u se, as a lw a y s, De Niro respected the characters he por­ trayed, avoiding the tendency many actors have to play comedy mockingly. In spite of the humour of his dilemmas in Analyze This, De Niro never condescends to his character. As a result, there are m any u n ex p ected ly heartfelt m om ents where the audience actually sympathizes with Vitti, without feeling manipulated.

The film ’s director and co­ writer is Harold Ramis, a man know n prim arily for his work with Bill Murray (performing as a fellow Ghostbuster, directing him in C addyshack and G roundhog Day). He is hardly a master film­ maker, but he has a knack for guiding his actors to the right tone in their performances. There is no over-acting in this film. He also pleases gangster fans, populating the film with veterans o f recent en tries in the gangster genre, films ranging from Bullets Over Broadway to Casino. Particularly appealing is Joe Viterelli in the role of Vitti’s sidekick/bodyguard Jelly. He and Vitti collaborate in a very professional manner: Vitti whacks the guy, Jelly writes the suicide note. Also of note to fans of the genre are several hilarious references to previous gangster films, the best being a shot-forshot re-hash o f Vito Corleone’s shooting in The Godfather.

In spite o f its strong points, A nalyze This struggles to over­ come a screenplay that is clumsily written and unsatisfying from a narrative standpoint. Nonetheless, it has the genuine energy and enthusiasm that so many recent comedies lack (exhibit A: You’ve G ot M a il). And anyway, when Robert De Niro is this funny, all else is forgiven.

E n t e r t a i n m e n t Page 27

I'hge/ft I'.11U T U lln m e n T

T he M cG ill T ribune, W ednesday, 2 September J jâ â â

T h e s tu ff h e a d s c ra v e : a p h a t c o n c e rt a n d a n a fte rp a rty

G o t th e ke ys to th e Lexus b u t n o d riv e

By Pa w a n G

ir g l a n i

Eh? What's this? Four of hiphop's illest MCs performing on the same night at the same place in Montreal? Yes, it's true. As hip-hop heads across North America set their alarm clocks to the date when the Hard Knock Life Tour hits their city, people in Montreal will be waiting for their buzzer to go off this Thursday. For not only shall there be a slammin' live perfor­ mance, but a jammin' afterparty to follow as well.

The M olson Centre, on Thursday March 11 th, shall host DJ Clue, along with three other rap comrades (DMX, Method Man, Redman) and of course, the main attraction of the night, Jay-Z. This concert should be the bomb for a number o f reasons.

Firstly, Redman and Wu-Tang member Method Man will be there.

What's so special about this, you may ask yourself. Well, the two go together like bread and butter. One need only refer to tracks like “How High” and “Whateva Man.” Secondly, all four of the rap­ pers have at least two albums out at the moment, and most of them have gone platinum and some of them have even won or recently been nominated for very respectable awards. Jay-Z won a Grammy for best rap album in 1998 and both Jay-Z and DMX have just been nominated for the 1999 Soul Train best R'n'B Soul/Rap albums.

Thirdly, the concert will be

good because of the actual music.

Considering that all of them have their own unique styles, there should be a nice mixture. No doubt, DMX will have the fans responding to his growls and barks, while Jay-Z will have people bopping to his anthems such as “Hard Knock Life,” “Ain’t No Playa,” “Can I Get A ,” and other, slightly more underground tunes.

Let us not forget DJ Clue.

Some might excite themselves at the sight of this name. Unfortunately, if his album The Professional is to be a reference, we should not expect much turntable trickery. This would be a pity, considering people are not really paying money to see records simply being played.

N evertheless, somewhere where people should be prepared to pay to hear records being played and even more is the Hard Knock Life AFTERMATH afterparty. With a nice selection of hiphop/reggae/R&B on two floors, DJ Flores and DJ Reality (both are reg­ ular Nitebox DJ's) are guaranteed to please the Groove Society crowd.

And if that's not enough, drinks are at a heart-warming price. Please be warned though, that doors open at 10:30 p.m., not after the concert.

Tickets fo r AFTERMATH are available at Vibes, Millenium and I Sports Fever. Prices vary, so phone 843-6725 to check. The concert tick- \ ets are available from the Molson \ Centre.

C K U T 90.3 FM Radio M cG ill w ill b e h o ld in g a SPECIAL BYLAW A M E N D M E N T M EETING

THURSDAY MARCH 18 1999 4p m -6p m @ SH A T N E R B U IL D IN G . R oom 425/426 3480 M cT a v ish Info: 398-6788 ( A ll S tu d en ts W elcom e)

□ Fat Come Back Alliance Ethnik (EMI)

Good Morning Spider Sparklehorse (Capitol)

S o n ic R o o m His smooth, high-energy style gives the record label, along with Snoop Dogg, a second star with main­ stream crossover potential.

On this album Mr. Servon departs a bit from typical No Limit fare. In a tradition barely looked into on Silkk's last album, Servon uses R'n'B hooks on tracks like "1,2,3" and "Freaky Dreams." He honours his early heroes as he injects a mid-eighties Run DMC feel with "Snatch Them Hoez Up." But there are still plenty of songs that stay loyal to the No Limit sound. Songs like "Boot 'em Up" and "F.U. Serv" are the loud and angry tracks usually found on the Tank's releases. And the record would not be complete without a song for his dead friends. "My Homies" shows that Beats by the Pound production saves all of its tracks for songs about "departed sol­ diers."

The greatest criticism against the album is that while the guest appearances are strong (Big Pun. CMurder, M ystikal, Ghetto Commission), there are no tracks that feature Master P, Silkk the Shocker, or Snoop Dogg. Maybe it's because he isn’t family, but guest spots from those artists would push this good album into the pantheon of great No Limit releases alongside Ghetto D, Charge it to Da Game, and Da Last Don.

Some of you might not be familiar with the French rap group Alliance Ethnik but you ha\c definitely heard, som e­ where along the way, their 1995 track “Respect,” taken from their debut album Simple and Funky. Now, this multi-ethnic hip-hop group has come out with a second album. Fat Come Back, as an album and a track, definitely has style. This tune, the first single off the album, features Biz Markie and has a rather catchy R'n’B chorus, sung by Vinia Mojica.

This album has a lot of impres­ sive scratching, which is no surprise considering Crazy B, taker of 2nd place in this years DMC Turntable Championships, is a member of the group. Another encouraging charac­ teristic of this album is the collabo­ ration with American artists. This can be heard on tracks like “Jam,” for which rapper Common and The Roots' human orchestra Rahzel make an appearance. Furthermore, De La Soul lend a helping hand on Star Track. Youssou N'Dour also does his bit.

The rest of the tracks are are mediocre. The ones which do have a -Christian Lander bit more to offer are “Arrache le Mike” and “5 Heures Du Mat.” In Paul Westerberg any case, be sure that Alliance Suicaine Gratifaction Ethnik are more about enjoying life, (Virgin/EMI) not guns and violence.

The father —Pawan Girglani of angst-pop, Paul Westerberg Foxy’ Brown hasn’t changed Chyna Doll his jangly, wist­ (Def Jam) ful songs since he founded the From the Replacements start o f her and guided them to the ignominious musical career. distinction o f "the best band that Foxy Brown never made it big." That's fine, but has shared her how many songs can you write about views on men, not being famous? "The Best Thing money and sex that Never Happened" is, lyrically and with a certain musically, the dullest song on explicitness that has awakened the Westerberg’s new disc, and probably music industry. In her new album, one of the dullest he's ever recorded.

Chyna Doll, she continues chroni­ Still, Suicaine Gratifaction is a cling her life from birth to fame. good album, even shading towards The CD features guests like DMX, very good, and it certainly showcas­ Jay-Z, and Too Short. Her lyrics are es the enormous debt modern pop still strong and shocking; when owes to Westerberg. But that's just combined with her new melodies it. All his albums are very good, and and rhythms they continue to com­ they all showcase that debt. Like mand attention. She poses a ques­ fellow famous band refugees Evan tion in one of her songs, "My life, Dando, Bob Mould and Frank do you know what it feels like?" Black, Westerberg keeps releasing Maybe we don't, but her album decent albums with a couple of deserves credit for attempting to good songs and ten middling ones honestly tell the world exactly what he could have (and probably did) it feels like. write in his sleep. Quite frankly, his infuriating unwillingness to push - Mami Brot any lim its whatsoever when he obviously has the talent to do so and Da Next Level the delivery of the results with his Mr. Servon whiny little voice is enough to make (No Limit/Priority/Virgin) anyone give up hope that he ever will "happen." Line forms to the A new sol­ left. dier has emerged in the -Chris Selley No Limit army by the name of Mr Servon.

I have to qualify this CD review in three ways. Frstly, I'm not a big fan of the nou­ veau-rock electronica genre best executed by bands like Radiohead. Secondly, the first song on this album was far too distorted for a guy who doesn't like anything heavier than Triumph, sounding more like a cacaphonous mess of pots and pans being banged on by a disgruntled two year old than whatever punk or hard rock feel the song was aiming for.

Thirdly, I wasn't really familiar with this band's material, so I felt it would be hard for me to be objec­ tive. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised with Mark Linkous exhiting subtle melodic guitar lines and innovative production, and Sofie M ichalitsianos (cello), Stephen McCarthy (Pedal Steel) and Vic Chestnutt (Vibraphone) allowing for interesting instrumentation.

Moreover, the rhythmic restraint and integration of the oft-misused drum machine surprisingly satisfied the traditionalist ear of this listener.

I don't know how this album com­ pares to Sparklehorse’s first (vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot), but after listening to this one I'm thinking about giving it a listen.

—Sandon Shogliev Yukmouth Thugged Out: The Albulation (Rap-A-Lot)

G angster rap artist Y u k m o u th fails to revive the unpopular genre with his double album, but manages to produce some worthwhile performances. Listeners are literally invited into Yukmouth's back yard in Oakland, where he praises "thug life." Tracks such as "Thugged Out" and "Ridaz” emphasize his tough confidence, and tracks like "Do Yo Thug Thang" featuring Outlawz and "Stallion" with MC Ren bring the noise. The infectious beats will def­ initely get rap lovers to bop their heads. The album is filled with other notable rap artists like Fa Sho, Daz, Kurupt and DMG (RapA-Lot family). Together they con­ tinue to glorify the use of guns and violence in their gangster rap forum. Yukmouth's (former Luniz member) rhyming skills on his solo debut appear to be weak at times (6/10). He stands firmly on his feet when with his Rap-A-Lot crew, but doesn't make a strong impression alone: out o f the tw enty-eight tracks on the double album, Yukmouth performs only eleven by himself and fails to produce a "big h it” track. T hugged Out: The Albulation isn’t solid gold material, t>ut will more than satisfy gangster rap fans.

—Cedric Gordon

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Page 29

1999

M c G ill p la y s h a r d b u t c o m e s u p s h o r t in Q S S F s e m i- f in a l F in a l g a m e fo r p o in t g u a rd M a tt W a tso n ends in d is a p p o in tm e n t w ith p la y o ff loss to C o n c o rd ia

By C

h r is t ia n

La n d er

It was their chance to make up for losin g to Laval and for dropping their last four regular season gam es. G oing into the small Loyola Campus basketball gym the M cG ill Redm en were looking for redemption against Concordia, their nationally ranked rival.

The game finished in a 75-65 loss for M cG ill, but the effort they showed for most of the game revealed the potential this team was only starting to uncover.

After the tipoff it looked like the Redm en w ere g o in g to be blown out as the fell behind 14-7.

A com bin ation o f ca reless turnovers and a rim that seeming­ ly refused to accept anything the Redmen shot at it.

“We d id n ’t have a lo t o f momentum going into the game,” remarked Watson after the game.

“We lost four straight to finish the season. We were really intent on getting out of that losing streak, we had a good week o f practice and thought the game was ours tonight.”

Behind the strength of a very raucous, noisy, pro-McGill crowd and a few clutch p la y s, the Redmen were able to draw within three at the eight minute mark.

But the momentum was k illed instantly by three pointers from the Stingers, who shot 45.5 per­ cent from behind the arc in the first. When the half finally ended the score read 3 4 -2 4 for

R o o k ie S e n s a tio n K irk R e id

but the referee didn’t make the call and it look ed like the Redm en m om entum was over.

It only got worse when Murphy w as c a lled for a fo u l, ju st secon d s after the non-call on Reid. But the foul did not y ie ld any poin ts for the S tingers and the Redmen headed up court trailing by £ Û fe e l r e a lly a w fu l only three. The team t o r M a t t . It's h is la s t set up a play that sent Murphy to the g a m e a n d w e d i d n ' t basket, where he w in . I k n o w h o w m u c h was fouled and sent t h is g a m e m e a n t t o to the line. At the charity stripe he hit h im a n d th e te a m , w e both shots and r e a lly w a n te d to w in M cG ill trailed 5251, and it seem ed a n d i t fe e ls t e r r i b l e that the red and t h a t w e d id n 't. white were on their Brady Murphy way to a showdown Redmen forward against Bishop’s.

The high was played hard from the start and it soon k illed as a turnover by rookie showed.”

H idesh The crowd slow ly began to guard get more and more into the game Bhardwaj led a as they realized that the Redmen quick Stinger run drew closer. Finally, they erupted that put the game at M cG ill as first year forward N ick 5 6 -5 1 . seemed to lose the “em in en t” Edkins scored two scoring touch, and quick baskets at the half way S tre ss ed K e n n y ? marker to put the Redmen within when Stinger for­ ward Jay Prosper applauded the point guard as he two.

“I felt that made a great drive the basket that headed for the bench. “”It was great that they what I was try­ finished as a three point play, the ing to do all game seemed out of reach. But on ch eered ,” affirm ed an upset year came out,” the subject of Prosper, the QSSF Watson after the game.

“There were a lot of friends said Edkins who player o f the year, the Redmen led the Redmen did an absolutely fabulous job of in the crowd, a lot of good people cam e out tonight and I really with 17 points, shutting him down.

“All we did was double down appreciated it.” and added seven Fourteen secon d s after boards. “I was on h im ,” said Murphy o f d oing good Prosper’s tw elve point perfor­ Watson left the game, the other th in gs in the mance. “We just tried to get the sparkplug, Brady Murphy, fouled p o st, and we ball out of his hand. We did that, out as well. The second year for­ w ere using but the other guys hit their outside ward played one of his best games of the year as he eleven points, some pressure. shots and that killed us tonight.”

With Concordia pulling away grabbed nine boards, nabbed two We caught them in a bit o f a late in the game, the referee blew steals and hit a clutch three.

“I feel really awful for Matt,” defensive lapse, his whistle with 1:15 and charged and it paid o ff fifth year point guard Matt com m ented Murphy after the quickly and we Watson with his fifth foul, mean­ game. “It’s his last game and we didn’t win. I know how much this were back in the ing he was out of the game.

“Fouling out wasn’t the way I game meant to him and the team, game.”

A fter a wanted to go out,” said Watson of we really wanted to win and it Stinger m iss, his last game as a member of the feels terrible that we didn’t.”

The final score of the game M cG ill pushed Redmen. “I had a terrible game, I the ball upcourt ju st d id n ’t have the energy was 74-65 Concordia, but was a much closer, much better game to R eid who tonight.”

Though W atson probably than the score would indicate. went to the bas­ “It’s been the story o f the ket and was didn’t finish the way he wanted to sta tistic a lly , fiv e p oin ts, fiv e year,” added Watson, summing seemingly fouls, three rebounds, the crowd up his last game. “We have to hacked by a , C o n c o r d ia , d id n ’t care as they stood and learn to put teams away. Tonight

Concordia and it looked like the team in red was set to pack it in.

The second half started horri­ bly, with another turnover, but the m om entum began to sw ing M c G ill’s way thanks to som e impressive blocks from forwards Lazslo Monlar and Ari Hunter.

The latter of which led to a fast break pass to Kirk Reid who dunked the ball and then showed som e uncharacteristic swagger and emotion as he ran back.

“The intensity was definitely th ere,” said forward Brady Murphy after the gam e. “We

Tach Emerson

Tach Emerson

we got within a point of this team, but we didn’t execute down the stretch. It’s fitting of the way our year has gone.”

Watch the Tribune next week fo r a feature on Matt Watson and his last gam e in a Redm en u n i­ form.

Coming up this week

CIAU Track and Field National Championships at the McGill Sports Complex.

Friday March 12 9:30am . 10:30pm. Saturday March 13 10:00am . • 6:20pm .

Preview on page 34

B a n n e r y e a r in t h e p o o l f o r f r e s h m a n

D a v id A lla r d

B rig h t fu tu re lie s a h ea d fo r y o u n g R edm en sta r w h o n o w has s ig h ts set on O lym p ic s .

B y Je r e m y K u z m a r o v

QSSF male swimmer rookie of the year David Allard has a lot to smile about these days. After all, the freshmen computer sci­ en ce student from St. Bruno, Quebec, capped off a sensational rookie season for the Redmen with a bronze medal in the 200 metre individual m edley at the CIAU National Championships last weekend in Guelph.

/

P e o p le wonder M f w e d o it, w h y w e t r a in so h a rd . F o r m e it's th e ru s h o f c o m p e ­ t it io n , th e a d re n a lin e o f tr y in g to d e fe a t th e g u y n e x t to y o u , eve n i f it's in p ra c tic e .

David Allard

His performance helped to lead McGill to a fifth place finish in the country, their best standing in 27 years. During the tourna­ m ent, A llard shattered four McGill university records and one Provincial marker.

For A llard, the N ation als were the icing on the cake for what has been a tremendous sea­ son. Nam ed four tim es as the

M cG ill-A d id a s athlete o f the w eek, Allard won 25 o f the 27 individual races he competed in, including a four gold medal per­ formance at the Provincials which secured him a spot on the QSSF all-star team.

"It truly was an amazing sea­ son for him. He was one o f our top recruits, and we're happy he decided to compete for us," said R edm en sw im m ing coach Francois Laurin. "He's made great progress since the beginning. He met his projected tim e in November, and just kept aiming higher and higher. H e’s got a strong w ork-ethic and is only gonna get better and better."

we've all been through together, I consider the team aspect to be most important. We all cheer and support each other, and that makes all the difference."

Indeed Allard and his team­ mates have gotten to know each other well during the long hours of practice, which average over 20 hours per week. W hile M cGill swimmers are often overlooked as elite athletes, in reality they are among the most fit and well con­ ditioned and deserve acclaim for their work-ethic. On top of swim­ ming 5-6 kilom eters per week, Allard and his counterparts often spend countless additional hours in the w eight room bulking up while trying to gain an edge over their opponents.

"Besides triathlon, it's proba­ bly the most demanding o f the university sports, especially in term s o f training," contended Allard. "People wonder why we do it, why we train so hard. For me it's the rush o f competition, the adrenaline of trying to defeat the guy next to you, even if it's in practice."

Despite the pressures of com­ p etitio n , and the exh au stin g schedule, Allard has never lost focus of why he took up the sport in the first place - for fun. A con­ summate jokester, Allard's posi­

Team a sp e ct c ru cia l While many think of swim­ m ing as an in dividual sport, A llard sees it d ifferen tly . He b e lie v e s his team m ates have played an integral role in the suc­ cess he has achieved thusfar and have given him the support and confidence necessary to reach the level that he has.

"It's really close group. It’s a great atmosphere to train in as we all push each other to achieve our best," said the lanky Allard, who used to train at the Pointe-Claire swimming club. "Because of what

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tive attitude and bright outlook have greatly rubbed o ff on his teammates who can always count on him to lighten up the mood.

"He alw ays makes sure he has fun out there, it's refreshing to see, and a great trait to have for an athlete" said Laurin. "Even right after the Nationals where he was under a lot of pressure, he came up to me afterwards and said that he had fun out there competing.

To me, that really says something about his character."

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With the world at his feet, the future is bright for Allard who, at nineteen, still has four years of eligibility remaining.

While completing his degree in computer science, Allard hopes to grace the w inners podium many more times for McGill, and strives to challenge for a gold medal in future CIAU cham pi­ onships. In addition, the young phenom isn't far off from realizing his life long dream of making the Canadian National team and com­ peting in the Olympics.

Allard proved him self on a national scale this year at the CIAU championships where his bronze m edal tim e in the 200 metre Individual medley fell just behind two Canadian national team members, including winner Curtis Myden, the bronze medal­ ist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Next week, Allard and sever­

W eng Lei Sung

al of his teammates will be com­ peting in the senior nationals with many of the top swimmers in the country; in August he will have another opportunity at the national trials where he could earn a spot by finishing in the top two of any events entered.

"I need to shave about two secon d s o ff my tim e," added Allard, whose ace is the breast­ stroke. "That's is no easy task. But I feel like it's going to be close, that I have a shot at making the team. I've just got to work hard, and improve on my weaknesses.

My fly-back isn't that strong and it's got to improve. I'm still young though, and w h ile the 2000 O lym p ics in Sydney may be tough, I'd like to definitely be there by 2004 when I'll be in my prime."

D esp ite his age, Laurin agrees that Allard isn't too far from being an Olympian. With continued hard work and dedica­ tion, he feels that Allard is on the right track to a ch iev in g his long-term goals.

"He's an intense competitor and has got a good chance o f making the national team," said Laurin. "He's still young though, don't forget, and needs to mature physically. But overall he's look­ ing really good. He's strong in almost every stroke, and is right up there with the top guys."

T he M c G ill T ribune, T uesday, 9 M arch 1999

S p o r t s Page 31

T h e s t o r y o f t h e le g e n d a r y Y a n k e e C lip p e r Th e in c re d ib le life o f Jo e D iM a g g io com es to an end a t a g e 84

By C

h r is t ia n

La n d er

Joe DiMaggio passed away at the age of 84 on Monday morn­ ing. His departure marks not only the death of one of the truly great ballplayers, but also the death of a cultural icon.

Born to immigrant parents, DiMaggio grew up relatively poor in the San Francisco bay area. As a child he spent most of his time p layin g san d lot b aseb a ll and developing a love for the game that would show throughout his life.

He join ed the professional ranks w ith the San F ran cisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League and proceded to wreak havoc on the ERAs o f the pitchers who faced him. His performance did not go unnoticed, as on May 3, 1936, at the age 22, D iM aggio made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.

Baseball was in dire need of a superstar; 1936 was the sport’s first season since 1914 without Babe Ruth. For the Yankees, it would be the second full season that they were without a superstar in the outfield. The pressure of being touted as the heir apparent to Ruth was immense and would have forced most young prospects

and adored. He played the game w ith a m ix o f work ethic and respect for his opponent. Never taking a cheap shot, competing at the top o f his gam e but never erupting over a bad call, he acted w ith the courtesy and dignity which made him a role model to both children and adults.

After his fifth season in the league he had a career average of .3 4 5 , 168 hom eruns, and was averaging 138 RBIs per season.

He established himself as the best all around ballplayer in the game, but was overshadowed at the plate

by B oston’s young slugger Ted Williams — DiMaggio’s position in the outfield never really made him stand out as the best fielder in

Jo e a n d M a r ily n : The P o p u la r C u ltu re M a r r ia g e o f th e C e n tu ry

to promptly buckle.

But Joe D iM aggio was not the average prospect. Possessing the savoir-faire of a veteran and the co o ln ess that com es along once in a lifetime, the young slug­ ger hit .323 with 29 homeruns and 125 RBIs as a rookie. The num­ bers were good enough to anoint him the next great Yankee out­ fielder, but it was unknown if off the field could the young rookie fill the trem endous sh oes left behind by the Bambino.

Where the Babe was loud, lo v a b le , and larger than life , D iM aggio was calm , reserved,

the game.

Then in his sixth season, he shattered the record for a hitting streak by getting at least a base hit in 56 consecutive games. The feat elevated him to legendary status in America, not only because he set a record that will most likely never fall, but also due to the manner the record was achieved.

In the sum m er o f ‘41 America was feeling the anxieties about possibly being drawn into the Second World War. As the nation’s newspapers added to the public’s fears, they also provided their refuge in the sports section.

As the public ble demographic: men, women, World Series that year, and would w atched the children, native born Americans go on to win three more in the record unfold, and im m igrants. But with Clipper’s final four years. The last the question America at war, it was wrong to win cam e in 1951 against the New York Giants. idolize a ballplayer over a solider. “ D i d That year, DiMaggio hit .263 Following the 1942 season, D iM aggio get a hit today?” DiMaggio joined the military and with 12 homeruns — both career becam e rou­ spent three years overseas and out lows. He finished the season with tine and helped o f b aseb all. W hile he d id n ’t the Series win and realizing that burn his name exactly reach the frontlines of bat­ his skills had diminished, walked into the minds tle, he was still a contributing part away from the game.

Off the field, DiMaggio made of the military. He couldn’t have of America.

Inside the been more a perfect hero if he national headlines with his mar­ riage to M arilyn M onroe. It’s packed b a ll­ hired a PR agency. almost impossible to believe that In 1946, his return hom e parks fans watched each from the war revealed that the two of the greatest cultural icons at-bat with glaring attention, as great slugger was showing obvi­ in history wed each other. The they knew that his m iraculous ous signs of rust. He batted .290 marriage didn’t last, but it certain­ ly didn’t end badly, as neither of streak could come to them ever said anything remotely an end at anytime. The negative about their former loves. only kind of scrutiny Even though Marilyn would go that comes even close onto more m arriages, and Joe came last year, with would marry and have children, Mark McGwire’s suc­ the two are forever linked in cul­ c e ssfu l assault on tural history. A fter her death, Roger Maris’ homerun there would be countless enduring record. The pressure images o f DiM aggio delivering he felt m entally was flowers to the grave of his former in ten se. This cam e wife. partially from the J o ltin ’ Joe D iM aggio was media, but also from flawless. He never let the public D iM a g g io h im self. down, unlike the Babe who was Remarkably, though, The S w e e te s t th in g in th e Big A p p le infam ous for his adultery and he remained collected (then a career low) with 25 home­ overeating, and unlike Mantle he and never lost focus.

The streak came to an end in runs and 95 RBIs. These totals did not battle alcohol. He was the C levelan d as were seen as aberrations due to Yankee hero who lived up to the Indian pitchers war. The Yankees failed to make hype.

The Yankee Clipper will be A1 Smith and Jim it to the World Series that year, Bagby were able but America knew they needed remembered as the best all around ballplayer of his generation. But to keep J o ltin ’ some time to return to normalcy.

The following year, 1947, the D iM a g g io w as more than a Joe off the board.

By then, the Y ankees storm ed through the ballplayer; he was a cultural icon country had fall­ American League on the strength and a true idol. en in love with of great season by DiMaggio — DiMaggio. It was the nation knew things were back no surprise con­ to norm al. The team won the sidering that as more and more national attention w as focu sed directly on him, his strong, silent, honest self shone for the entire country.

H is season totals o f 30 hom eruns, 125 E a s ie r ta x filin g a n d RBIs and a .357 batting average fa s te r r e fu n d s f o r s tu d e n ts w ere strong enough numbers to warrant his It’s free, at your fingertips, and MVP award. But available seven days a week. the sam e year, Ted Williams hit CNN/SI .406 and statisti­ Check your personalized income cally had DiMaggio beaten. But the streak and a World Series win tax package for a TELEFILE for the Y ankees meant that invitation.

DiMaggio was the popular choice, since that year truly belonged to the Yankee Clippper.

For more information, visit By 1942, DiMaggio had a hit song written about him, “Joltin’ our Web site at: Joe DiMaggio,” he was the “Mr. C o ffe e ” spokesm an and was quickly becoming of of America’s w w w .r c .g c .c a /te le file / biggest sex symbols. He met all the criteria - he was tall, dark, and handsome, but in addition to those qualities, he was a man who seemed to everything right.

He appealed to every possi­

Page 3-2 S p o r t s

T tti 'McGrec T r^

unf ;

Tu esday ; <9-'M arCh -1999"

P a s t m e e t s p r e s e n t a t 1 5 t h a n n u a l fo o t b a ll b a n q u e t 1962 C IA U c h a m p io n s h ip tea m on h a n d as R edm en tra d itio n ta ke s ce n tre sta g e B y M a n n y A lm ela

On a night when the 1998 Redmen were honoured for their achievements on the field, all those on hand at the Ritz Carlton last Saturday were reminded of what it means to be a member of the Red and White.

The gala evening was high­ lighted by the presence of the 1962 Redmen squad which won that year's national championship in the midst of their dynasty, including the 1960 championship. Those two triumphs were the team's first championships since the 1938 sea­ son and represented a turning point for the football program.

There was an im pressive turnout of McGill’s past heroes — from Dr. W illie Lambert to Michael Soles — which helped make the event all the more spe­ cial.

"I find having the alumni

com e back for each year of the event adds so much to the atmos­ phere of the banquet," said head coach Charlie B aillie, who was quick to point out the impact of the alumni's devotion to the program on the players present.

"It shows the players what it means to wear the red and white and how important it is to maintain ties to their team mates."

The night's loudest ovation was reserved for the highly respect­ ed Dr. Alan Mann. The doctor had served as honourary president of the Friends o f M cGill Football organization up until this season when he stepped down. His depar­ ture, however, has not made him any less popular with the team.

The former Redmen centre and team captain had some kind words for the generations o f M cGill football tradition which were on hand.

"To see these kids arrive here

1998 R ed m en F o o t b a l l H o n o u r e e s

B a illie h o n o u rs te a m

M. AIerneIa

and to get the opportunity to watch them grow and mature into well rounded young men is really some­ thing special," said Mann, who is a regular at all Redmen games.

U sually an extrem ely busy

person, Mann did find time to pat himself on the back for the discov­ ery of newly anointed Redmen alltime leading rusher Shawn Linden.

"If it weren't for me opening coach B a illie's eyes to the Maritimes," joked Mann,” they would have never known about Soapy [Shawn Linden]."

Mann's support and loyal pres­ ence is greatly appreciated by the players and his honouring was one of the evening's highlights.

The podium was then turned over to Dr. W illie Lambert, who addressed the room as one the key members o f the 1962 squad.

Lambert is one of McGill's all-time greatest players, who also scored the winning touchdown in the 1962 cham pionship game versus Queen's.

Lambert addressed the room and reflected on what life was like for the 62' team and its generation — all the team-mates were born before 1945.

"In our days, clo sets were something you kept your clothes in," stated Lambert. "Not some­ thing you came out of."

"Back then grass was some­ thing you mowed and pot referred to a thing used to cook in."

Lambert's monologue incited chuckles from the crowd who got a kick out o f his unique sense of humour.

In the midst of all the happy and funny moments which typified the gala was the memory o f the recent passing o f 1960-62 star quarterback Tom Skypeck.

Originally slated to be a part of the evening's festivities, Skypeck was instead there in spirit and his mem­ ory was celebrated throughout the night.

It was a special evening which made one thing very clear. If tradi­ tion had a colour it would be red and white and no one in that room would dispute that.

Award

Recipient

B e st o f R e d m e n h o n o u re d

Friends of McGill Football Award Best for Defensive Player

J.P. Darche

G ala e v e n t re c o g n ize s a ch ie ve m e n ts o f 1998 M c G ill fo o tb a ll sq uad

By M an n y A

Fred Dupré Trophy for Rookie of the Year

Josh Sommerfeldt

Touchdown Trophy for Most Valuable Lineman

Andray Wellington

Willie Lambert Trophy for Most Dedicated Player

Scott Arnold

Lois Obeck Trophy for Most Improved Player

Loris Lucchetta

Fred Wigle Memorial Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike Player

Rob Posthumus

Northern Telecom-Charlie Baillie Trophy for Best Team Player

Olivier Lefebvre

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how he wished he could be back next year to see tis young R edm en club Continue its improvement.

“P layers lik e Josh Sommerfeldt are all-star bound and will lead the next generation of the Redmen.”

They played togeth er for their entire time on the Redmen and on last Saturday night, Shawn Linden and Jean-Phillippe Darche ended their illustrious careers at the pinnacle of McGill football.

When the dust set­ tled Darche surprised no one by being named best defensive player and taking hom e the F riends o f M cG ill Football Trophy to add to his increasingly clut­ tered trophy case.

Darche was given the honour for the second con secu tive year and leaves McGill as its alltim e lead in g tackier with 278 career tackles.

A s one o f the team’s captains, Darche adressed the crowd and said a few w ords on b eh a lf o f his team ­ L in d e n , B ro h i, a n d D a rc h e re c o g n iz e d mates.

“Of all of the teams I’ve played for,” began Darche.

He finished his segment by “I can honestly say that this team asking his teammates to join him is the one I’m most proud of.” in a rendition o f the Redm en “We were expected to finish song. Led by Dave Chambers, the last and we ended up just barely team follow ed Darche’s wishes missing the playoffs. No one gave and sang the song. Num erous us a ch an ce this year but we expletives aside, the sniging pro­ never gave up.” vided those on hand with a prime Darche also went on to say exam ple o f the solidarity that exists on the Redmen.

While not given an award on thsi night, Linden was recognized for eclipsing M cG ill’s all-tim e TRAVEL- teach English rushing record and was presented 5 day/40 hr. (May 5-9) with the record breaking football TESOL teacher cert, course autographed by his teammates (or by corresp.). 1000’s o f and a plaque. jobs avail. NOW. FREE info The moment was all the more pack, toll free special with Montreal Alouette and form er R edm en rushing 1-888-270-2941 or record holder M ichael Soles in (403) 438-5704 attendance.

“It was a great moment for

me and som eth in g that I w ill never forget,” said Linden. “I just wish my parents could have been here to share the evening with me.”

The Lindens were unable to attend due to a terrible snowstorm w hich made their trek from Fredericton impossible. Their absence ironically led to one o f the more memorable m om ents o f the evening.

Coach Baillie surprised his star running back by reading an excerpt from an e-mail he reciev ed from Linden’s mother.

She m en­ tioned how proud she w as o f her s o n ’s a ch eiv ements on and off M. Almela the field and how she w ish ed she could have been on hand to share in the celebra­ tion.

A visibly shaken Linden was moved by his mother’s words and those in attendance appreciated teh genuine moment that Baillie mae possible.

“Coach Baillie really caught me off guard, but it reminded me of why I wanted them here with me.”

The Friends o f M cG ill Fotball put on a really impressive show and players and guests alike enjoyed their evening.

“The cornerstone of this team is the Friends o f M cG ill F o o tb a ll,” exp la in ed D arche.

“T his team is built on a very strong foundation.”

The M cG ill T ribune, T uesday; 9 M arch 1999

S 'p b itS Page 13

S o r t in g o u t t h e F in a l F o u r p u z z le T rib u n e g u id e to c a llin g N C A A to u rn e y B y M a n n y A lm ela

It’s that time o f year again.

The mayhem that is the NCAA basketball tournament is upon us.

Once the tournament tree is announced, college hoops fans are bombarded with predictions and p ro jectio n s, over and under­ achievers, and the perenial dark horse. The experts look into their crystal balls and attempt to pass on the information that will hope­ fully make sense o f one o f the most hectic and exciting sports events of the year.

It seem s that everyone has their underdog picks and upset possibilities all figured out. Since the advent o f the internet, the wealth of knowledge now avail­ able to the college basketball fan has reached unprecedented heights. It can really prove over­ whelming as the information out there can differ greatly.

Look no further as the Tribune has put together som e

conferences like the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, Maryland), the B ig Ten (Indiana, M innesota, W iscon sin , Purdue, M ichigan States, Ohio State), and the Big East (C on n ecticu t, M iam i, Villanova, Syracuse, St. John’s) often produce tournament-ready teams despite their unimpressive season records.

M ost sign s point to these schools as a safer bet than some o f the low calorie con feren ce teams.

basic guidelines which have held true in recent tourneys and may be of some assistance before the opening tip-off Thursday after­ noon.

S o ft sch e d u le Schools in lesser known con­ ferences with weaker schedules often make their way to the tour­ nament armed with inflated sea­ son records and a lack o f expo­ sure to the elite teams in the coun­ try.

The W AC, appropriately nam ed, for in stan ce has only recen tly begun to enjoy som e tournament su ccess. The Utah Utes’ finals appearance last year may be a sign o f things to come for the conference, but that is unlikely.

There is a lot to be said for teams in highly competitive divi­ sions which have fierce battles night in and night out against the nation’s top teams. Battle ground

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C o a c h in g Experienced coaches seem to find ways to move on in this tour­ nam ent. Bew are o f younger coaches and be sure to not under­ estimate the stabilaizing presence of a veteran coach come tourna­ ment time.

If you find y o u r se lf torn b etw een tw o team s, coach in g could be an effective tie-breaker you won’t likely regret.

Of all the statistics which are at a basketball fan’s disposal, the Tribune has singled out the num­ bers which will really make a dif­ ference at this year’s tournament.

As tantalizing as stats like three-point shooting may be, this percentage can be a risky and u n reliab le gauge o f a team ’s chances to reach the final four.

A school which relies heavily on perimeter shooting may find itself painted into a corner come tourament time. These teams are normally very streaky and an offnight from beyond the arc could make for a quick exit from this year’s tourney.

The T rib ’s pick as the most important stat is defence. The beauty being that it cannot be influenced by streaky play. This in my opinion is the most reliable of the numbers available.

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Poor free-throw shooting teams are in for a rude awakening come crunch time and their tournament showing will suffer as a result.

Rebounding is another reli­ able crutch w hich team s and prognosticators can rely on. A team that can rebound effectively will have a great edge not to men­ tion the second chance points which may put them over the top.

There w ill undoubtedly be upsets and improbable cindarella runs by some fortunate smaller schools which is what makes this tournament so great. All there is left to do is sit back, enjoy and see what this year's edition of March Madness has in store for us.

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W ea kest n u m b e r o n e seed Despite their suprising 27-3 season.the Auburn Tigers, are the weakest of the top seeds. This is not as much a knock on them as it is a credit to the other number ones. Thankfully for the Tigers, their road to the final four is among the easiest but the odds are most definitely stacked against them in quest for the crowm.

Page 34 S p o r t s

; The M o G itt T ribune, T uesday/ 9 M arch 1-999

D r o g a r is t a k e s s h o t a t p la c in g

h is n a m e in r e c o r d b o o k

M c G ill s h o t-p u tte r lo o k s to e n d s season o n h ig h -n o te a t C IA U N a tio n a ls o n h o m e -tu r f

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With the CIAU track and field championships just a few days away, shot-putter Paul Drogaris is actually enjoying a bit o f a rest from his regular schedule. Instead o f the usual two to three hours he spends training every day before getting home at 11:00pm, Drogaris, like the rest of his teammates, is sav­ ing his strength for the big event.

If his earlier hard work pays o ff, the 2 2-year-old M cG ill physics student can cap an already successful indoor season that has seen him improve great­ ly. Drogaris’ latest success was a fieldhouse record and a new per­ sonal best at the M cG ill Invitational Track and Field Meet in January.

However, while shot putting is a relatively obscure sport to many, Drogaris has been throw­ ing since high school. And how M c G ill's re c o rd h o ld in g s h o t p u t t e r h a n g in ' a n d b a n g in ' a t h is s e c o n d h o m e : th e w e ig h t ro o m W eng Lei Sung does one choose to becom e a thrower than a runner,” Drogaris norm, but what he lacks in size he speed.

The faster you throw, the shot-putter? Actually, according to explains. “I was winning competi­ has to make up for in technique. farther it goes — it’s just basic Drogaris, generally you don’t.

“There are actually two ways physics.”

“Usually, coaches will come tions in the shot put — and I liked The need for a quick throw after the w eight-lifters and the winning — so I started to appreci­ to throw the shot put,” says Drogaris. “You can throw what’s necessitates the many hours of football players,” says the athlete. ate throwing.”

W hile it may sound like called a glide, which is a straight training that keep Drogaris busy.

Since he started quite young though, Drogaris just happened to Drogaris is a natural, he actually throw, or you can throw a spin. A side from liftin g w eights, he try a few different track events describes himself as small for his It’s harder to learn the spin, but works on sprinting and jumping in before finding his niche in the shot sport. At 5 T 1 ” and 235 pounds, once you do, it makes for a faster order to ensure his lower body the athlete says h e’s about six toss. That becomes really impor­ does its part as well, since much of put.

“Let’s just say I was a better in ch es and 50 pounds o ff the tant since shot putting is all about a thrower’s distance depends on his legs and how fast they can carry him through the shot-putter’s circle.

Most of Drogaris’ success this year, though, is centred on the improvement he has made on his spinning. Working with his coach Robert L avoie at the Centre Pa u l C o n n e r This year, the Redmen and Barrett explained, the 4 x 800m Claude-Robillard, the athlete has Martlets are out to defend some top relay is probably M cGill's best seen his distances improve greatly.

In three days, McGill will find finishes from 1998. Among the key event.

W hile his best glid e is 15.49 itself as host of the 1999 Canadian events w ill be the women's 4x Unfortunately, Barrett added, metres, Drogaris has thrown 16.35 Interuniversity Athletics Union 800m relay. the host team will have no horizon­ metres using the spin technique. track & field championships. The "That is our big event — we tal jumpers competing at Nationals.

“My spin is really com ing meet, the first o f its kind at the won it last year,” said Barrett.

The Championships get under together this year,” says the shotFieldhouse, will host *** athletes Gone from that team are Tambra way Friday morning. Right from putter. “I’m having bad throws from *** schools across the coun­ Dunn and Sarah Ali-Khan. But the start, the meet should be excit­ that are a metre and a half farther try.

Stephanie W elsh and Elaine ing. than I was throwing last year, and "It will give the sport a little Penney will anchor Leslie Gold "There are so many good I still haven’t fully connected.” more focus and exposure," said and newcomer Gretchen Dumoulin events," said Barrett. "On the first Aside from beginning to learn McGill track & field head coach in defence of the title. day, the meet starts at 9:30, but I the spin last year, Drogaris also Dennis Barrett. "In terms o f the Barrett continued to describe really think it swings into high gear had to overcome a setback result­ program, I would hope it will give some of McGill's strongest events at 7:00 in the evening. It's an ing from an incident that left him a little boost to be hosting the at the meet. action-packed evening of exciting with a hairline fracture in his National Championships."

On the men's side Paul events. The women's events in the low er leg. W hile training two Barrett is hoping to raise some Drogaris leads country in men's middle distances will be quite com­ years ago, an errant throw from awareness for one the school's con­ shot put. He will be the Redmen's petitive this year in that there’s no former M cG ill shotput record sistently top performing sports. best chance for a medal. After him, standout." holder and current CFL player He explained that the two top Samir Chahine bounced and hit runners were unable to compete, Drogaris in the shin. He stayed on leaving the field wide open for the leg, but had to adjust his tech­ anyone to take. nique because of the pain of land­ Friday night w ill also be a ing on it every time.

M cGill A thletics Red & White “When it did heal, my timing night, with athletes from all sports was o ff by a lo t,” exp lain s encouraged to show up. They are Drogaris. “Instead of being aggres­ usually loud, fun events to be at. sive with my feet and pushing hard "The 60m and 1500m should off the ground, I became defensive also be hotly contested, as well as and absorbed it.” some of the field events. The pole Drogaris had to relearn certain F o p more info go directly to the meetings at Learn any language simply by vault is always a fun one to watch." things with the help of Lavoie, 3480 McTavish St., 2nd floor (Union Building). teaching yours in exchange.

Look for web- and print arti­ and, sin ce he has rem ained healthy, it is starting to pay off.

Small groups of: English, French, cles covering som e o f the top This year Drogaris has been win­ events in next week's Tribune.

Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, etc. ning com p etition s, but, more Presented b y U n iversa l Student S erv/ces | importantly to him, he has been

M c G ill t o h o s t t r a c k & f ie ld

c h a m p io n s h ip s t h is w e e k e n d

FREELANGUAGEEXCHANGE

M c G il l c o m p e t it o r s AT CIAU NATIONALS

Men 1500m - James Roundell 600m - Benoit Lebeau 4x800m - James Roundell,

Yohsuke Hayashi, Benoit Lebeau, Stéphane Brodeur 4x400m - Yohsuke Hayashi, James Roundell, Benoit Lebeau, Eric Choy 4x200 m - Greg Shink, Omar

Gianfrancesco, Femi Dawodu, Alfred Otoo

Women 1500m - Leslie Gold, Gretchen DuMoulin, Genevieve Shurtleff 1000m - Leslie Gold 600m - Stephanie Welsh 100m - Stephanie Welsh 4x800 m - Leslie Gold,

Gretchen DuMoulin, Genevieve Shurtleff, Carly Moher 4x400 m - Kate Neligan, Lisa

Kearney, Leslie Gold, Stephanie Welsh 4x200 m - Kate Neligan, Lisa

Kearney, Christine Legarde, Stephanie Welsh 60m hurdles - Christine

Legarde H igh Jum p - Frederique

Boura P en tath alo n - Frederique

Boura

topping his own marks.

“The sport is very personally competitive. There’s no doubt that you want to win, but you’re not happy if you win with a 14. You alw ays want to have a good throw.”

W ith M cG ill hosting the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union Championships March 1213, the shot-putter is looking for­ ward to raising the bar again and is confident that he can.

“I had a 17-metre throw in practice recently,” says Drogaris, “and I’d really like to make it offi­ cial.”

~ r,r.

'■TflE M CG I t i 'T REBWNE; ' T UESürt'Y/9 MARCH 1*999

Basketball Tournament

W HAT’S o n T uesday 9 M arch The Divine Messengers The Faculty o f R eligiou s Studies presents Dr Jan Brzezinski, speaking on "The Mystic Poetry of Rupa Gosvani: The D ivine Messengers". Birks 2 0 5 ,1pm.

McGill Student Soloists Marina Mdivani, coordinator.

Works by J S Bach, Beethoven, Prokofiev and Frank. Pollack Hall, 5pm and 8pm, Free admis­ sion.

W ednesday 10 M arch Masterclass

Works by Byrd, de Grigny, Frescobaldi, Adams and J S Bach.

Redpath Hall, 8pm. Free admis­ sion.

F riday 12 M arch International Women's Day Cabaret Presented by the Concordia W omen's Centre and M cG ill Women's Union, in celebration of International W omen's Day. Jailhouse, 30 Mont-Royal W, 9pm. $3 cover charge, proceeds to Stella, an organisation supporting sex workers in Montreal.

Noon-Hour Organ Recital Series

Hervé Niquet, baroque voice.

Clara Lichtenstein Hall, C-209, 7:30pm. $5.

Luc Beauséjour. Works by Kuhnau, J.S. Bach, Palestrina and Scarlatti. Redpath Hall, 12:15pm.

Free admission.

CBC / McGill series

Geography Seminar

Brett P olegato, baritone, Michael McMahon, piano. WOrks

by Poulenc, Vaughan W illiams, Ireland, D ebussy and Britten.

Pollack Hall, 7:30pm. $15 ($10 seniors and students).

Dr Sherry O lson, Dept o f Geography. "Neighbouring in Nineteenth-Century Montreal".

Burnside 426, 12:30pm.

Human Rights Evening Dr Shree Mulay (Director, Centre for Research and Teaching on W omen and A ssociate Professor, Dept of Medicine and Physiology) speaks on "Tracking Canada on W omen's R ights as Human Rights". Wine and cheese and performance by Tonal Ecstasy to follow . Redpath Museum Auditorium, 8pm.

T hursday 11 M arch Master's Recital Jonathan Oldengarm, organ.

S p o r t s Page 35

McGill Classics Programme Seminar P rofessor Bonnie MacLachlan, Dept o f C lassical Studies, UWO, speaks on "A Living Memorial: Individual and C o llectiv e Identity in Greek Poetry". Leacock 808, 4pm.

Women’s Canadian Club Women's Canadian Club pre­ sents Bryna Wasserman, Artistic Director / D irector, Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts.

Montreal Citadel, 2050 Stanley, 12:30pm. Non-members: $5.

U pcoming

and

O ngoing

HMS Pinafore The McGill Savoy Society's productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore and Cox & Box run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from March 4 to March 20, at Moyse Hall. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, $12 for adults. Call 3986826 to reserve.

Hillel-Jewish Student Centre is organising its 3rd Annual All Day Basketball Tournament on Sunday 14 March at the Marianopolis College Sports Complex, 3880 Cote des Neiges. Registration is $100, includes prizes and snacks. For more information call Luni at 8459171.

Mental Health Volunteers Compeer Montreal, a non-prof­ it organisation working in mental health, is presently looking for vol­ unteers 18 years and older to help those suffering from mental health problems. For more information, please call 489-1007.

Andrew Biller, a third year eco n o m ics student from St. Bruno, Q uebec, won two gold medals over the weekend at Mont Original. On Saturday, he won his first medal by finishing first in the Giant Slalom with a com bined time of 1:17.93 over two runs. On Sunday he picked up medal num­ ber two with a top finish in the sam e race, but w ith a tim e of 1:17.03. The twenty-old year was nam ed team M VP o f the Ski Team in 1997. TEAM MVP last year, first on Saturday time of 1:17,93, two runs combined time - First again on Sunday combined time of 1:17.03.

M c G ill ski team takes on M t . O riginal

At the giant slalom event on

The QSA welcomes new mem­ bers at all times! Drop in at the Women's Union (4th floor Shatner) for discussion meetings. 6:30pm Monday nights every week.

Queer Line - 398-6822.

Confidential Queer Peer Support and Referral Line. Mon-Fri. 8pm to 11pm.

Queer McGill’s bi group - will be meeting this and every Wednesday at 5:30 in the women’s union (Shatner 423). Are you bisex­ ual, bi-positive or bi-curious? Come join the fun! Call 398-6822 for more info.

Queer M cG ill’s coming out group - has moved locations, and now happens every Friday at 5:30pm in the basement of UTC (3521 University). Call Queer Line at 3986822 for more info.

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Queer McGill’s men’s group meets every Friday at 7pm in the basement of UTC (3521 University).

Call 398-6822 for more info._______

SSMU ELECTION 1 S o c ie ty

o f M c G ill U n iv e r s it y

C lu b s , S e r v ic e s , A c t iv it ie s , E v e n ts a n d P u b lic a tio n s f o r t h e 1 9 9 9 - 2 0 0 0

March 6 and 7 at Mont Original Shawn Bonny had a seventh place fin ish on Saturday. Scott W atherspoon p laced 13th on Saturday and 11th on Sunday.

On the women's side Leith M cKay finished 6th and 10th, C atherine O wen (Suzanne's cousin) 10th and 11th, Kristen W allace finished 14th and 12th respectively. Jennifer Buckley fin­ ished 5th on Sunday. All races had had anywhere from 35 to 45 contestants.

V olleyball 's anne wins TSN AWARD

Queer/Straight Alliance

Queer McGill

D enys B ouliane, director.

Works by Lindberg, D enisov, Denhoff, Lizée and Yang. Pollack Hall, 8pm. $5.

S P O R T S b riefs A TH LETES O F TH E W EEK

Bilingual volunteers needed for the ELDER ABUSE INFO-LINE. Help seniors in need and raise awareness around elder abuse and seniors' rights. Training provided.

Call Heather Hart, 488-9163 ext 360.

Looking for a place to chat with other German speakers? Come join our friendly group every Tuesday at 21h00 at Rockaberry's,

T h e S tu d e n ts

M c G ill -A didas

Help stop Elder Abuse

German Stammtisch

M onday 15 M arch McGill Contermporary Music Ensemble

4275 St-Denis. Tel: (514) 333-5621.

E-mail: imagienations@videotron.ca. Web address: http://pages.infmit.net/hip/ stammtisch

M ullin

M ullin, a 5"11" m iddle blocker from Cobourg, Ontario, has won the TSN award as the CIAU volleyball player who best combines academics, athletics and community service

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S h a tn e r U n iv e r s ity C e n tre R o o m

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Eligible groups must register the name, address, and phone number of their delegate to this election meeting by completing the official registration form found in club boxes at the Students' Society General Office, 3480 McTavish St. First Floor. NO LATER THAN Monday March 2 2 ,1 9 9 9 . Completed forms must be signed by the President/Coordlnator of each respective organization and should be submitted to the Students' Society General Office by the deadline noted above.

For m o re in form ation p le a s e contact: KAREN PELLEY VP Internal A ffairs SSMU Tel: 3 9 8 - 6 7 9 9 F ax 3 9 8 - 7 4 9 0 em a il: in te r n a l@ ssm u .m c g ill.c a w w w .s s m u .m c g ill.c a

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rch 0 9 - 1 0 - 1 1 ,1 9 9 9 E POLLS OPEN TODAY! GO OUT AND VOTE! T h is e le c t o r a l p e r i o d c o m p r is e s t h e S S M U e x e c u t iv e , B o a r d o f G o v e r n o r s , a n d S e n a te e le c tio n s . T h e r e w il l a ls o b e a re fe re n d u m

r e g a r d in g

th e M c G ill S tu d e n ts ' F u n d .

T he polling station s shall b e located at the following sites: 8 . A rts

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Q u e s t io n s ? C o m m e n t s ? N e e d m o r e in f o r m a t io n ?

Contact Elections McGill at Shatner B

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