The McGill Tribune Vol. 20 Issue 23

SSMU Election Analyses

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No objection to Pr[object]ion Dan Zacks McGill has a reputation for apathy. The SSMU bemoans a lack of student interest, event organisers complain of poor turnouts, and campus-wide indifference is taken for granted.

Although there may be a degree of truth to these claims, they are largely a product of sheer igno­ rance. As abundantly demonstrated by last week’s exhibition Pr[object]ion at Lotus Eaters Gallery, McGill is in fact the centre of a hotbed of creative talents will­ ing and anxious to involve them­ selves.

Pr[object]ion came as the result of frustration with the per­ ceived ineffectiveness and lack of vision of the Arts Undergraduate Society.

"Back in November," said Pr[object]ion co-organiser Moira Judd. "I was sitting in an a meeting and they were talking about fundraising— tee-shirts and samosas for an hour... And I was like ‘(...) what’s happening on the McGill campus, especially in the arts? What’s happening in our department [art history], with the students to support this group?’ We wanted to take things out of the classroom and this definitely was not doing it. So a little bit of brain­ storming, a moment of inspiration, and we said ‘let’s put on a show.’

And they said ‘we do an all-depart­ ment show—we put paintings up in the halls’ and I said ‘oh no, no, no, that’s not taking things out of the classroom, that’s just extending it to the hallway, we’re going to take ^>11 out.

With the efforts of tireless vol­ unteers, gallery space was rented, the work of 22 visual artists collect­ ed and hung, and

Nico Oved

Detroit Metal plays to a captive audience last Thursday at Pr[object]ion, a multimedia exposé at the Lotus Eaters Gallery

L e t t h e m a d n e s s b e g in Neil Schnurbach Yes, ladies and gendemen— It’s that time of year again. McGill campus will be flooded with people asking you for a few dollars so you can fill out an NCAA tournament bracket. But wait__ You know nothing about college basketball.

That’s where I come in. Let me give you a few pointers on how to pick these games and then I will offer up some advice.

My first rule is that there is a certain amount of luck involved. I would say that I watch about 100 college basketball games a year, but invariably my grandmother will

Please see P R O J E C T IO N , p a g e l8

outscore me in a college basketball pool once out of every ten years.

Sometimes there are flukes so if my advice doesn’t work, don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Rule #2: a #16 seed has never beaten a #1 seed. Eventually it will happen, but don’t bet on it happen­ ing this year unless you are trying to finish in last place in the pool.

Now, let’s get on with the nuts and bolts of the March Madness tournament for this year:

East Schnurb’s pick for the Final Four: Kentucky

After starting the year with a disappointing 3-5 record, Tubby Smith’s squad bounced back to win the SEC title. This team is hot and peaking at the right time. Coach Smith’s son Saul Smith is the point guard and leader of this group.

Boston College and Duke are also tough teams. But Duke is decimat­ ed with injuries and Boston College is just not deep enough.

First round upsets: Hofstra over UCLA, Utah State over Ohio State, Creighton over Iowa, Missouri over Georgia (not really an upset)

First things first, I know that Iowa just won the Big Ten tourna­ ment over such foes as Illinois and Michigan State but Creighton of the Missouri Valley conference is always tough come tournament time. The three-point shooting of the Creighton Bluejays will neutral­ ize the size advantage of Iowa led by 6’9” horse Reggie Evans.

Utah State and Ohio State will be locked in a defensive struggle. I believe that the Big West champion Utah State and center Shawn Daniels (12.0 PPG 6.7 RPG) will be able to shut down the Buckeys who played in the tough Big Ten Please see TRIBUNE P O O L , page 3 0

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

F o r m e r c a t t l e r a n c h e r d is c u s s e s t h e r is k s o f e a t i n g b e e f Mad Cow disease: is it in you?

Karen Kelly EarthSave Montreal hosted a day of presentations on topics rang­ ing from nutrition to the dangers of beef at Concordia on March 4.

Howard Lyman, former cattle rancher turned vegan, and author of , was invited to speak.

Lyman commented on the state of Canadas agricultural sys­ tem. He felt that Canadians were facing many of the same risks, such as mad cow disease, which in humans is a form of CreutzfeldtJakob Disease, as those in the United States.

“Due to the trade agreements, it’s almost a mirror image between Canada and the United States,” Lyman explained. “The only differ­ ence is that Canada is not nearly as far gone down the slippery slope as we are in the U.S. There are more things done correctly in Canada...

But if we look at the direction it’s going, Canada is following the U.S. like a dog chasing a bone. So, the problems we have are the problems you will have if you continue to do

Mad Cowboy

what you’re doing.”

Dr. John Carsley works for the Montreal Regional Public Health Department and is also a teacher in McGill’s departments of epidemiol­ ogy and biostatistics and family medicine. He expressed confidence in the systems that have been put in place in Canada.

“There is an active surveillance system in Canada for [CJD] of all kinds,” Carsley said. “So we feel we would definitely be able to identify [the human form of Mad Cow dis­ ease] if it were to occur.”

Lyman also felt the systems in place in North America were inade­ quate.

“I think we are handling this issue in both the United States and Canada as a public relations issue,” he opined.

What is Mad Cow disease?

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, more commonly known as mad cow disease, is caused by small proteins called pri­ ons. In cows infected with BSE, these prions interact with other

small proteins that are in the brain tissue, causing them to change into abnormal proteins. This causes the brain to malfunction and eventual­ ly, many holes become be visible in the brain tissue, making it look like a sponge.

Dr. Amit Bar-or, a neurologist at McGill, described the history of this prion disease and its symptoms.

“When mad cow disease was previously studied, it was thought the cows became sick because their feed contained parts of sheep that were (later found to be) sick with Scrapie,” Bar-or explained. “This suggested that prion diseases [could] be infectious.

“The symptoms relate to the fact that cells in the brain and cere­ bellum, the balance and coordina­ tion center, are affected,” he contin­ ued. “Typical symptoms include loss of memory, seizures and loss of coordination. There is currently no effective therapy for prion disease.”

Lyman listed what he thought were key steps in the prevention of BSE. “The first thing I think we need to do is ban the feeding of ani-

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“I think we should go and get the test, come to North America, take the older animals... and let’s test them and find out how much [BSE] we really have here,” Lyman demanded. “In Europe today, every animal over two and a half years of age has to be tested to be free of the disease before they can go into the food supply. I think that’s common sense and we should do it here.”

Lyman continued to explain that what may appear to be a healthy cattle population in North America could very well be infect­ ed, but not showing any signs of infection because they do not live long enough.

“We are talking about a disease that incubates in a cow, for exam­ ple, four to seven years before it shows it’s symptoms,” Lyman explained. “The majority of cattle in North America are under five years of age. To not see the symp­ toms is not unexpected. We are sending to market a lot of animals [that] would have never shown the symptoms [regardless of whether they carried the disease].”

Echenberg also expressed con­ cern about the incubation period of the disease. In humans, it has been estimated to be up to ten years.

“You might be a victim [of Mad Cow disease] and you don’t know it,” Echenberg warned. “In

mais to animals,” he stated. “It is the amplification of the disease.

Remember in England — the first case [of mad cow disease] was in 1986. By 1990 it was an epidemic.

It got to the point where there were over 1000 cattle a week coming down with the disease. That was basically from feeding infected ani­ mals back to other animals.”

Myron Echenberg, a history professor at McGill, is currently researching the social history of health and disease, and has studied infectious illnesses such as the bubonic plague and AIDS. He agreed with Lyman on this issue and commented on the agricultural processes that have led to the spread of BSE. “We are interfering with a kind of natural process in the universe,” Echenberg explained. “These are herbivores — cows, goat and sheep.

They don’t eat animal protein...

We grind up animal protein and things and mix it into their feedlot... and it has produced crossover diseases [such as mad cow disease].”

The next step Lyman suggested to prevent BSE was obtaining a new test for the illness, which was recently developed in Switzerland.

The test can be used on live ani­ mals. In the past, it was only possi­ ble to determine that an animal was infected for certain after examining brain tissue post-mortem.

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

M c G ill: p a s t , p r e s e n t , f u t u r e Shehryar Fazli________________ The Students’ Society of McGill University hosted Principal Bernard Shapiro at the second “McGill in the Millennium” discus­ sion, a series SSMU hopes will become an annual event at the University.

In the evenings first speech, SSMU President Wojtek Baraniak stated that the issues relevant to McGill students today are probably the same issues that have affected them in the past. Baraniak listed such things as a fair grading proce­ dure and the quality of libraries as examples of these fundamental con­ cerns.

Baraniak also suggested that the significant degree of student participation at the University demonstrates how important these issues are to the students. Baraniak stated that at 25 per cent, McGill has one of the highest levels of voter turnout in Canada, and also claimed that no other student asso­ ciation in Quebec uses as many services as SSMU. According to him, it is upon this foundation that the student government should look to expand.

“Students must be willing to take part in the Society,” Baraniak said. “We must give students an impetus for involvement.”

Baraniak listed three initiatives that SSMU has either recently undertaken, or plans to undertake, in achieving this goal. They include renovations to the Shatner building, which Baraniak referred to as “the hub of student activity”; a reorgani­ zation of SSMU Council to a more active, less centralized body such as a federation; and more events such as McGill in the Millenium where students have the opportunity to interact with professors to brain­ storm for new ideas.

University’s position fifty years from now. “[To determine] where higher

education in Canada. As a result, the system is falling apart.

Shapiro claimed that the chal­

fixed academic system.

News 3

Last year the McGill Senate and the Board of Governors performed an exercise to find out how its members

The fiscal challenge

In discussing how to put together the resources to achieve the University’s goal, Shapiro pointed to the provincial government’s lack of effective support to public educa­ tion.

“The government is saying that it will always provide access to edu­ cation,” he said. “What it is not doing is guaranteeing quality.”

As a result, McGill has to undertake important initiatives of its own, such as raising tuition fees.

While such a move has often met with opposition from students, Shapiro argued that everyone would prefer to pay less for what they want, but that real circum­ stances frequently call for individu­ als to pay more.

Another possibility available to McGill is to look more to the pri­ vate sector for funding. The University’s goal is to increase the level of private sector funding from the current level to $100 million by 2010. Yet, Shapiro stressed that the emphasis should not be directed at the fiscal challenge facing McGill.

“My worry is not so much the fiscal aspect,” he said. “My worry is education might be, we have to lenges now facing McGill fall into that we will misread what educa­ look at where we were,” he said. two categories: academic and fiscal. tion’s role is. We’ve sold ourselves “The academic challenge short by the desperate scrap for “The most important thing [that ought be thought of first,” he money. We will soon forget that has happened since then] is that it declared.

“The academic should be education is food for the soul. If we has gone from being a peripheral seen as the engine, the fiscal [forget this] we’ve undermined the social institution to a central social process of education.” resources as the fuel that feeds it.” institution... It has gone from According to the principal, being relatively elitist to becoming The student perspective these challenges include accommo­ relatively large.” dating both the increased demand One of the chief factors, In the evening’s closing speech, according to Shapiro, that led to for higher education, estimated to SSMU VP University Affairs Clara quadruple in the next 50 years, and this transformation was that the government suddenly realized that for a higher level of training. Yet the Péron discussed the importance of knowledge was an important problem for McGill in considering considering change on a student investment. As a result, there was a these challenges is that the structure level. As new factors such as the boom in the government’s interest of knowledge is changing extremely recently signed performance con­ rapidly. Shapiro views this as an tract has forced McGill to prioritize in funding education. obstacle because universities are not on an organizational level, Péron “What no one foresaw was two Where is McGill going? organized in a fluid enough way to asserted that students also need to things,” Shapiro explained. “The accommodate such rapid changes. prioritize their interests. In deter­ Having arrived at McGill first, the explosion of knowledge; Thus, one of McGill’ s most impor­ mining what is most important to almost exactly 50 years ago as a the second: no one stopped to think tant objectives will to be devise a students, Péron stressed the impor­ how expensive the government freshman undergraduate student, tance of dialogue within the student way to adapt to the metamorphos­ agenda was going to be.”

Principal Shapiro stated that the body, and of viewing McGill “not ing framework of knowledge.

The Shapiro argued that owing to changes he had seen in the inter­ only as an institution but as a body principal suggested increasing the these two factors, the government is vening period to both McGill and of people.” number of programs that depend either unable or unwilling to pro­ higher education in general, can be Péron has undertaken initiaon interaction rather than on a vide sufficient support to higher useful indications of the

thought

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University

should allocate funding: Pretend that you have $100 dollars to donate to McGill and that you can specify how it should be spent. How would you divide it up?

Results: • Libraries: $27 • Student Assistance: $23 • Academic Renewal (hiring of new professors): $19 • Compensation: faculty and staff (salaries of professors and other staff): $13 • Student Recruitment and Services: $9 • Capital Campaign (money spent to earn money i.e . alumni fundraisers): $7 • Other (please specify): advising, residences, infra­ structure: $2

Source: “A S tu d e n t Vision fo r M cG ill”, p re p a re d by Clara Peron, VP University A ffairs SSM U

fives such as the Voicing Our Vision Forum to engage student involve­ ment and opinions. In collecting information through such medi­ ums, Péron has compiled a report entitled “A Student Vision for McGill,” in which she gives recom­ mendations on policies the University should implement in catering to student needs. Included in this report is the box printed in the accompanying sidebox

Crazy Cows continued from page 2

Britain, some people who do [epi­ demiological] projections, based upon population statistics... esti­ mated there can be a minimum of 60 thousand [humans] infected and a maximum of half a million.”

Changing meat-eaters minds

Patrick Guyer, a U0 arts stu­ dent at McGill and a vegan, attend­

ed Lyman’s presentation. He felt that with the increasing evidence coming to light about the risks of current agricultural practices, the public would have to change its eat­ ing habits.

“The danger is very real,” Guyer said. “I think it’s becoming more apparent... that a lot of com­ mon aspects of the North American/Western European diet are extremely detrimental, not only

to our own health but to the envi­ ronment... the result is definitely going to be more people cutting down on the amount of meat in their diet.”

Cattle rancher turned vegan

If a cattle rancher can become an advocate for a vegan lifestyle, anything must be possible.

Lyman was a fourth-generation

family farmer in Montana for almost forty years before he began speaking out about the dangers of cattle raising practices. It was not until he lay in a hospital bed para­ lyzed that he began to question his profession and the long-term effects of using chemicals such as growth hormones to increase meat produc­ tion.

“The reason I became a farmer was because of my love for the birds

and the trees and the soil,” Lyman recalled. “I was buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of chemicals and I saw the birds die and I saw the trees die and I saw the soil change.”

A tumour in his spinal cord caused Lyman’s paralysis. Before he underwent the risky surgery that had little chance of restoring his mobility, Lyman promised himself Please see B O V IN E S , page 6

4 News

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Farrell steamrolls into SSMU top spot Shehryar Fazli

huge shock. It really changed the However, the tension quickly gave tone of the elections." way to excitement as the numbers The race for the Students’ The current SSMU vice-presi­ from each polling station came out, Society of McGill University’s top dent of community and govern­ and the outcome became obvious. executive position hardly ended up ment also reacted to the antics of The only remaining uncertainty to be much of a contest, as Jeremy the Red Herring Institutionalized was who Farrell would be working Farrell won the office by the largest Revolutionary Party. be in the next executive branch. margin of the 2001 SSMU elec­ "The [RHIRP] candidates Now, with all the results out, the tions. were entertaining but they went a transition process for each executive Farrell received a total of 2268 little too far," he said. "That also begins. However, the changeover votes, easily defeating his nearest disappointed me a little." might be somewhat slower for rival, Kenneth Spillberg, who had Farrell nevertheless enjoyed the Farrell, who will be in Ottawa for 570. D.J. Waletzsky and Ramzi experience, describing the work he the coming week as part of the Hindieh finished third and fourth did with his campaign team as the duties of his current portfolio. respectively. most positive aspect of the election "I still have a job to do," he This year’s competition for the process. explained. "The election process SSMU presidency was unlike any "The best thing about it is how was very exhausting. I want to get other, as candidate Arif Chowdhury close you come to the people who rest now, get back to school and fin­ was disqualified in the last week of are helping you out," he said. ish the semester off on a good note. the campaign.

"You’re just together all the time, The transition will kick off on May "I was hugely disappointed and really learn about each other."

1 st." when I heard Arif was no longer in As the votes started being the race," Farrell said. "It was a counted, Farrell says he was tense.

Doe takes clubs and services Nema Etheridge______________ Despite an unexpected chal­ lenge from candi­ date, Bethany Fisher, Martin Doe won the position of vice president clubs and services with just over a thousand votes.

"It was interesting," Doe said of the campaign, "because Bethany Fisher, was with So, a lot of people saw me as having no competition, because in the race, was just try­ ing to make jokes," he said.

"The biggest challenge for me, then, was to run a campaign as I would against any other candidate, to get a bit of validity. There was a surprising number of people that voted for which symbolizes that most of the student body feels disaffected by SSMU."

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Doe believes that students have traditionally been ambivalent towards student politics because, often times, student politicians cre­ ate an exclusive, "closed off" group.

"There is a tendency for [SSMU] to become a closed group.

In SSMU, everyone has to see themselves not just as doing a jobwe were elected to represent stu­ dents as well."

Doe believes that the recently elected student executives all come from such different backgrounds that they will not create the same type of group.

"Together, if we maintain those links, we can reach a diverse amount of the student body... and enhance the representation aspect of SSMU." With this diverse representa­ tion, Doe is optimistic that student disinterest with SSMU will fade.

"I think it can change. I per­ sonally think the majority of the student body is active through some sort of club or service. Not all students have to be involved with the University. What has to be done is to try to eliminate the closed circle of which SSMU becomes.

"Also, I’m looking forward to a growing community of groups that SSMU can support. Before the summer I’d like to meet with old and new club executives to find and work on specific concerns. I’d like to develop a club wish list that actu­ ally asks clubs what they want and need," he said.

In addition to the diverse exec­ utive committee and the passed ref­ erendum Doe feels that improve­ ment can still be made to student politics.

"A lot more public relations have to be done. An absurd amount of people on campus don’t even know SSMU exists."

Election Notes • Danielle Lanteigne, who was elected to the commu­ nity and government posi­ tion, was unavailable for an interview. She was in Ottawa, representing McGill to the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations at the time.

• The ballots for the posi­ tion of vice president oper­ ations were being recount­ ed at press time. The inter­ view with the elected repre­ sentative will be held unti the results are final.

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

B r ia n K e r s e t f o r C&E Nema Etheridge After weeks of campaigning and a long Thursday night spent waiting for votes to come in, Brian Ker learned that he had won the position of vice president commu­ nications and events, beating out Jen Famery by only a few hundred votes.

"The results came in at. around 3:00 am, and I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief,” he said.

Ker chalked up his win to being more experienced that the other candidates.

"In terms of campaigning, I think that everyone put in a lot of effort and campaigned very well.

But I think because I've had a little more experience, people put their confidence in me and that's what put me over the edge."

Ker is beginning to plan for next year right away.

"Right now is a transitional period. For now I'm going to be sit­ ting down with Mark Chodos and also Matt Wyndowe and building on my platform and brainstorming for more ideas."

Ker aims to incorporate more than just the planning of events for

the University in his portfolio.

Ker wants to get first year stu­ dents interested and involved with SSMU. In addition to taking sum­ mer courses, Ker also plans to stay in Montreal to shoot a documen­ tary on the SSMU execs.

"The emphasis in the past has always been on events. I believe the communications aspect can be changed, and one of the ways I'd like to do to that is by making a documentary about the SSMU executives. I want first year students to know who they are and what they've been doing over the sum­ mer."

Pleased with his recent win, Ker remains openly optimistic about the future.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," he said. "I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I have the best job at the University. I plan on keeping 100 percent of my campaign promises.

Maybe I'm being idealistic. I'm sure every student politician is ide­ alistic in the beginning and then faces some disappointing realities, but I'd like to break that trend— I'd like to remain idealistic throughout the year."

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State-of-the-art laboratories complement our 68-acre on-site Living Laboratory. fo r more information, contact: the CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING Niagara College (905) 641-2252 ext. 4470 or e-mail: enviro@niagarac.on.ca

News 5

Bilec creeps past Sagel in race for UA Shehryar Fazli________________ After maintaining only a single digit lead over her closest opponent midway through the ballot count­ ing, Jennifer Bilec Captured the university affairs office of the Students’ Society of McGill University.

With 1278 votes Bilec, cur­ rently president of the McGill International Student Network, defeated candidates Fred Sagel, Liz Wright and Thierry Harris, and will serve as the student body’s link to the University’s administration next year. She described her campaign for the SSMU executive as the most thrilling experience of her time at McGill.

"It’s extremely intense because you’re trying to put out the message of who you are and what you stand for," she said. "That’s difficult because you’re competing against the other candidates who are doing

the same thing. But overall it’s an incredibly positive experience because you keep finding out how many people are supporting you."

No matter how intense the campaign period was, it appears the most nerve-racking moments in the race for Bilec occurred at the next phase: election day. Although the outcome of most of the other con­ tests was either crystal-clear or at least predictable by the time half the poll stations were counted, the race between Sagel and Bilec seemed deadlocked, with Bilec ahead at one point by only five votes. The uncertainty was dis­ pelled at 3:45 a.m., when the offi­ cial results to the race were released, giving Bilec a 130 vote victory over Sagel.

"I was stunned,” said Bilec about the outcome. "I really thought Fred might win... I didn’t believe I had won until three of my best friends came up to me and congratulated me."

Bilec expressed a deep respect for her fellow candidates, and pointed to the high level of support for Red Herring Institutionalized Party candidate Liz Wright — she received 700 votes — as indication that a lot of students are unhappy about the way things work in SSMU. The next step for Bilec is to begin the transition to her new position.

"After the results came out, [current SSMU VP University Affairs] Clara [Peron] and [last year’s VP University Affairs] Xavier [Van Chou] came up to me, con­ gratulated me, and said, ‘So when do you have time for a five-hour meeting?’"

Bilec now hopes to approach the Administration as soon as possi­ ble about creating an on-line exam bank, and will start her efforts to expand the work-study program to off-campus locations in the sum­ mer.

6 News

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Legault to keep post

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Chowdhury and Nurmodhamed resign from SUS

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Quebec education minister Francois Legault will keep his cab­ inet post under new premier Bernard Landry.

There was speculation one month ago that Legault would either resign or be shuffled off into a less prominent position because of his public stand on the performance contracts.

Additionally, his support of Pauline Marois for premier in the jockeying for position which occurred after then-premier Lucien Bouchard announced his resignation also caused specuation about his future.

Legault stirred up the provin­ cial cabinet one month ago when he suspended the negotiation of new performance contracts and stated he would not honour the existing ones until he obtained guarantees from the province’s treasury board that his depart­ ment would obtain the funding to fulfdl its side of the bargain.

The Quebec Federation of University Students, a provincial student lobby group, considers Legault’s reappointment as a “clear mandate” to fulfdl every project the ministry began and to respect all of the promises the gov­ ernment has made concerning education.

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In a moving speech to the Science Undergraduate Society’s general council, Arif Chowdhury announced his resigna­ tion from the organization’s presidency.

He stated that his reason for standing down was that he felt that he had lost the confidence of the general council.

He urged fellow executives and coun­ cilors not to believe the allegations that lead to his disqualification from the Students’ Society of McGill University’s presidential race. Chowdhury described the events of the past week as very hard to bear, and thanked his friends and col­ leagues for their support during the tur­ bulent period. He said that walking away from SUS was one of the most dif­ ficult things he has had to do.

Councilors and executives expressed their thanks to Chowdhury for his invaluable contribution and leadership to the organization.

SUS VP Internal Nadir Nurmohamed also resigned, stating that he believed that he would not be able to complete his duties to the best of his abilities! The SUS has yet to name suc­ cessors.Legault to keep post

Students and faculty members have expressed anger that textbook shipments were delayed because of Chapters’ prob­ lems with book distributors.

Within the five-year contract, the first deal of its kind between a university and a bookstore chain in Canada, is a clause that allows McGill to end the rela­ tionship with compensation and 90 days notice.

Geoffrey Swift, the director of college stores for Chapters, said last week that his division has “the full support of the com­ pany,” and stressed that McGill has not yet pulled out of its contract.

However, the recent purchase of Chapters by Trilogy Inc., owner of Indigo Books, as well as Chapters’ failure to take over other university bookstores, raise many unanswered questions about the division’s future.

Kerry McSweeney, an English profes­ sor and the chair of the Senate Bookstore Committee, wouldn’t be sorry to see Chapters go, but is not sure what will happen next.

“I would not be unhappy if Chapters ceased to operate the bookstore,” said McSweeney. “Right now, it’s all up in the air.”

—JamesGrohsgal Decision on Chapters due March 30 The McGill Administration will decide by the end of March whether Chapters Books will continue to run the McGill Bookstore.

According to Alan Charade, direc­ tor of ancillary services for McGill, the administration has set a deadline of March 30 for Chapters to state how they will improve service at the bookstore, which they have managed since March 1998.

Motion to reconsider amnesty rejected

academic

A motion to reconsider a request for academic amnesty failed last week at sen­ ate, as it did not receive the two-thirds majority vote it required to be reconsid­ ered.

At last Wednesday’s Senate meeting, Dr. Martha Crago asked the governing body to reconsider the motion for aca­ demic amnesty. The senate had originally

voted against the motion in a 32-31 vote in a previous meeting on February 14. If passed, the motion would have allowed students to defer their exams until August in order to attend a Peoples’ Summit Rally held in conjunction with the Free Trade of America’s Agreement in late April. Crago wanted the motion reconsidered for number of reasons, citing that during the original debate, a “last minute addition of amendments” left some members of sen­ ate confused about how to vote. Also Crago believed that the senate and the student body could have made some sort of compromise.

“I personally believe in seeking al possible ways to resolve divisions in the community,” said Crago, “so I felt it would be worthwhile to see what, if any, changes could be made that would be acceptable to more people.”

Although troubled by the Senate decision, Crago was not surprised the motion was rejected. “...[It] is very hard to get a 2/3 majority vote,” she said, and then later added that, “My disappointment is that I found the debate on this issue very inter esting, and I think more of it — regardless of the outcome — would have been most enlightening. The relationship of univer­ sities to societal issues is a very important topic and one that it would have been interesting for the community to think about more.”

Despite the outcome, Crago was pleased with the student involvement on the issue.

“I have been extremely impressed by how the students asking for accommoda tion have conducted themselves,” she said. “This issue has been dealt with adult to adult.”

B o v in e s

R e fe re n d u m

continued from page 3

A r t s U n d e r g r a d u a t e Im p r o v e m e n t F u n d R e f e r e n d u m

Q u e s t io n

Whereas “ the A rts Undergraduate Improvement Fund is a fund composed of fees paid by the A rts Undergraduate Society whose sole and unique purpose is to add value to the resources normally provided by the University and used by A rts Students” Whereas “ The existence of the fund fees shall be put to referendum once every three years” (A rticle 15.9.1) Whereas the fund is in its third year of the current third year period Be It Resolved That the members of the A rts Undergraduate Society continue to contribute 24.50 per semester for full-tim e students and $12.25 per semester for part-time students, to the fund fo r an additional three years as per A rticle 15.9.1 of the AUS Financial Regulations.

D o

“Yes”

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he would become an advocate of organic farming and reduced-meat diets.

“It was not until I was para­ lyzed that I was willing to admit that I was part of the problem,” Lyman explained. “I had to ask myself — was the reason I walked out of that hospital to feed more cattle, to make more money, to farm more acres... Or was it to alert people to what I believe, is a change that has to happen in this generation, or there would be no future for our children and grand­ children.”

r e s u lts

Do you agree to pay an addi­ tional $ 3.90 to the Students' Society of McGill University per semester?

YES NO SPOILED

“No”

(59.2) (37.9) (2.9)

Do you agree to pay an addi­ tional $ 1.25 to the McGill Legal Info Clinic per semester?

YES NO SPOILED

1985 1426 494

(50.8) (36.5) (12.7)

Do you agree to am end the QPIRG constitution?

YES NO SPOILED

a g re e ?

2383 1525 117

2430 594 884

(62.2) (15.2) (22 .6)

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

7 News

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Mike Bargav______________ The next generation of the Students’ Society of McGill University ‘superstar’ executives emerged from Thursday’s meriment, agony and a painfully ago­ nizing wait for the results.

Were we all up in arms intoxi­ cated in revelry over this momen­ tous event? Based on the hardly unexpected low voter turnout, no.

In fact, one was hard pressed to spot even the candidates through the night. The more important question however is should you care? The Students’ Society of McGill University does control a significant amount of money, ring­ ing in at the multi-million mark, and despite all of its disparities and popularity contests, remains the most credible voice mediating stu­ dent concerns and administrative realities.

Predictably enough, the colours of the Red Herring New s A n alysis

S S M U ence of two joke candidates, one disqualified candidate, and a last with next to no previous visibility came hardly as a surprise. All I can gather on Farrell so far is that he is quite set on changing the attitude with which SSMU deals with issues, and getting computers in the Shatner building.

In a close race, VP University Affairs was garnered by Jennifer Bilec. An experienced and qualified candidate, what we can expect next year from the portfolio is a growing focus on more on and off campus work opportunities, and a continu­ ance of the uphill battle to curb tuition.

VP Communications and Events went to Brian Ker, whose focus will be on more diverse and successful events through the course of next year. Defeating Bethany ‘fucking’ Fisher guaran­ teed Martin Doe the VP Clubs and Services ticket, from whom we can expect, among other things, a virtu­ al activities night (not to be con-

O u r a d d r e s s is c h a n g in g .

O u r n e w a d d r e s s is S h a tn e r 1 1 0

To: Members o f the U n iv e rs ity C om m unity The term of office of Dr. Bernard Shapiro as Principal of McGill University will end on August 31, 2002. The Statutory Committee to Nominate a Principal has been formed and began its preliminary meetings on February 12, 2001. I am now writing to all members of the University community to invite comments and nominations which will be dealt with in strict confidence.

The composition of the review committee is as follows: C h an cello r R ich ard W. Pound Representatives of the Alumni Association: do Secretariat James Administration Building Room 608 secretariat@umsl.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3948 Fax: 398-4758

Chair:

Representatives of the Board of Governors:

Ms S a lly M cDougall do Secretariat

M r. A rth u r Lau James Administration Building Room 608 EZA2@musica.mcgill.ca Tel: 288-1116 Fax: 398-4758

fused with the virtual casbah) that will give students on-line access to activities night.

VP Operations went to Raoul Gebert, among the more anti-establishmentarian candidates on the ballot. Among Gebert’s plans are to promote more activist causes, and create a bad publicity fund as a bar­ gaining tool between McGill and students.

The job of butting heads with the government, VP Community and Government Affairs, went to Danielle Lanteigne, who can be expected to continue to raise McGill’s visibility in lobby groups, and embrace a broader spectrum of lobby groups.

So these are the people, in a nutshell who will be holding the keys to a good portion of your money next year. It probably won’t all be wasted, and it probably won’t all be spent ideally either, much like this year and the year before, and the one before ad nauseum.

James Administration Building Room 608 secretariat@ums l.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3948 Fax: 398-4758 Representatives of the Administrative and Support Staff:

Professor B ru ce Shore Faculty of Education 3700 McTavish Street shore@education.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-4242 Fax: 398-6968

M r. Trevor G arland Information Systems Resources 688 Sherbrooke Street West Suite 500 trevor@ums 1.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-7410 Fax: 398-8252 Ms Lyd ia M artone Office of the Vice-Principal (Adminstration and Finance) James Administration Building Room 531 lydiam@acct l.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-7142 Fax: 398-5902

Professor R ich ard Janda Faculty of Law Chancellor Day Hall 3644 Peel Street janda@falaw.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-5097 Fax: 398-4659 Professor Sam uel N oum off Department of Political Science LeacockBuilding 855 Sherbrooke Street West cxno@musica.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-4802 Fax: 398-1770

Representatives of MAUT:

James Adminstration Building Room 608 secretariat@ums 1.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3948 Fax: 398-4758

D r. Robert R ab ino vitch

do Secretariat

Representatives of Senate:

M r. Stuart (K ip ) Cobbett do Secretariat

do Secretariat

James Administration Building Room 608 secretariat@ums l.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3948 Fax: 398-4758

Institutionalized party will not be flying high, as all candidates suf­ fered clear defeats at the polls. The merits of open kleptocracy and interpretive dance aside, the Herring party did bring something valuable to the election process; the idea that if the whole thing is a sham popularity contest, one might as well drop all pretense and treat it like one. I, however, am ambivalent as to whether this forebodes a trend that will see increasingly overly politicized and farcical future cam­ paigns, or more tempered and rele­ vant ones.

This also brings up questions on the overall usefulness of the political process itself. It is difficult to tell whether candidates are voted for on their merit (as displayed through the campaign, ideally at least), or whether it was merely those with the most friends who captured the larger shares of the votes.

The top executive office, SSMU President will go to Jeremy Farrell, which considering the pres-

News 7

Representative of SSMU: Ms S h irin Foroutan Brown Building Room 1200 ForoutS@lsa.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-6797 Representative of PGSS: M r. G u illau m e G en til Thomson House 3650 McTavish Street guillaume.gentil@mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3756 Fax: 398-1862 Secretary:

Professor Roger P rich ard Institute of Parasitology Institute of Parasitology Building Room A 107, Macdonald Campus rprichar@parasit.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-7729 Fax: 398-7857

Ms V icto ria Lees Secretariat James Administration Building Room 608 lees@ums l.lan.mcgill.ca Tel: 398-3948 Fax: 398-4758

Comments may be forwarded to any member of the committee with a copy to me as chair of the committee, and should be received as soon as possible and no later than April 17, 2001.

Richard W Pound Chancellor

8 Qp/Ed

h t n ia m.T The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

O p i n i o n

E d i t o r i a l

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EDITORIAL

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mÊÊIIÊÈmÊÊm

L e t t e r

Re: Adding colours to the Rainbow (March 6, 2001)

Chief Referee or Chief Ridiculous

as legally married? So when Queer McGill and Project Interaction stand in opposition to the com­ ments of Margaret Somerville and Katherine Young, are they trying to discourage a discussion of gay rights, as Francis McKee would suggest? No, they’re simply trying to get people to stop hiding behind their right to freedom of speech and come out and admit they have ethical convictions against homo­ sexuality. How many times have I heard, “I have no problem with gay people, but they shouldn’t get mar­ ried.” Our hypocrisy as a society is unbelievable. We need to admit

that this debate is really about homophobia and has little to do with protecting the sacred institu­ tion of marriage, or the family.

As the debate concerning same-sex marriage rights rages on, I am dismayed at how easily we get lost in words and miss the real issue. I firmly believe that all the Stephanie Levitz_____________________________________________ arguments against same-sex mar| riage rights I have heard are indeed rooted in homophobia. These The ballots are counted, the results are in. Another crop of student leaders are chomping at the bit to take up their new posts as Students’ arguments rest on assumptions that homosexuality is unethical. If Society of McGill University executives; those defeated are recuperat­ this was not so, what threat would ing and making new plans. | gay marriages pose to anyone?

As student elections go, this one was light on the issues, but heavy Unless my being gay was funda­ on the drama. A candidate kicked out for conduct unbecoming, a slate mentally wrong, what harm would of others who in one breath claimed they were simply trying to bring | it do to recognize my partner and I some wit to an otherwise dull situation, but in the next said that they seriously wanted to get elected. In their endeavours, they humoured some, frustrated others and certainly succeeded in making a mockery of the entire proceeding. At the end of it all, they didn’t even come close to getting one person elected.

Managing these elections falls to a Chief Returning Officer and his or her deputies. According to the SSMU constitution, the CRO is "responsible for the general conduct and execution of elections and ref­ erenda and shall fulfill these duties with all due diligence and impar­ tiality." In addition, the CRO has discretion in determining whether or not a candidate has violated the constitution, by-laws or policies of the Students’ Society. The regulations go on and on to list in more detail the duties of the CRO — and of course they are worded in that neutral legalese that allows altogether too much room for interpretation.

The CRO is also mandated to oversee an all-candidates debate.

That the CRO is responsible for the conduct of the elections by exten­ sion should mean that he or she is responsible for the conduct of the debate. If that is to be the case, then our CRO for this electoral period failed. The slate of candidates whose mission it was to bring levity to the process did so in a manner that ruined any chance for the issues to T h e M c G ill T r ib u n e be seriously considered. That the CRO did not step in to maintain some order at the debates raises the question of how seriously he took the debates at all.

Whereas it must be accepted that the CRO should act with a cer­ tain amount of discretion, this power can result in blurring the lines T h u r s d a y M a r c h 1 5 a t 5 : 3 0 : W r i t i n g R e v ie w s : P e te r C o o n e y , between what is and is not okay. In this election, the slate presented a prop that many believed to be in violation of SSMU’s sexual harass­ R e v ie w e d it o r o f T h e M o n t r e a l G a z e t t e ment policy. The CRO disagreed, and left it to the complainants to decide whether or not to file a formal charge. Granted he did this in consultation with other members of the electoral committee, but do T h u r s d a y M a r c h 2 2 a t 5 : 3 0 : H a v in g a l i f e a s g r e a t a s in A l m any of these people have the expertise or experience to determine F a m o u s : S k id m o r e , A r t s e d it o r a t t h e H o u r whether or not the prop violated sexual harassment policy, without a formal analysis of the situation at hand. As such, the issue was treated summarily and just gave further legitimacy to the slate.

T h u r s d a y , M a r c h 2 9 a t 5 : 3 0 : E t h ic s in J o u r n a lis m : D r. E n n The bylaws regulating the office of the CRO should be amended R a u d s e p p , D ir e c t o r o f t h e C o n c o r d ia J o u r n a lis m p r o g r a m to indicate more clearly what his or her role is in monitoring debates as well as include procedures for deciding whether or not candidates have violated student policies, beyond the wide reaching definition of A ll le c tu r e s w i l l t a k e p la c e in L e a c o c k 4 2 9 . disretion. Student politics are not taken seriously enough — and this season, those whose job it was to take them seriously gave students another reason to stay away.

ManuelMendelzon U2, International Development

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

O p i n i o n

Op/Ed 9

E d i t o r i a l

W h a t w o u ld J a m e s M c G ill say?

F re e

s p e e c h

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Open Letter Am y L an g s ta f f To: James McGill From: Amy Langstaff Re: Various Disgraces Dear Mr. McGill: t can’t be easy being buried in front of the Arts Building. I often think, as I walk by, that you might find purer repose in another location, farther from the chatter and traffic of the institu­ tion that proudly bears your name.

I often think you must feel beleaguered, vaguely offended, but most of all, disappointed. I must admit that of late, as I have wandered past your subterranean abode, I have felt a certain sympathy with you not your undergroundness, sir, but your disappointment.

Admittedly, your reasons for dismay at this time must exceed my own. For one thing, you must feel the warming of the earth; you must sense that spring is upon us.

And you must know that while the change of seasons will bring joy to those of us still fortunate enough to scurry about on this side of the

I

a c a d e m ic

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unknowable six feet, for you it will mean unsurpassed indignity.

Students will begin to congregate on your grass; once they have made comfortable nests for themselves atop your earthly resting place, they will see fit to smoke cigarettes there, to suntan, to read sociology textbooks, for the love of God. And then there is the statue.

As the snow begins to melt, you must know that your statue (often covered over during the winter J months, and mistakable for an exceptionally large fire hydrant or a parking meter of average size) will reemerge into full view. If it were of reasonable stature, this might be j cause for delight. As things stand, though, it must be galling in the extreme. As a friend of mine remarks each time we pass by your diminutive likeness, ours must be | the only institution on earth that has chosen to display on its grounds a statue of its founder —in miniature.

While both these impending j affronts must weigh on you heavily at this time of year, I find myself troubled by another development that has come to prominence and receded again in recent months.

You may have heard about the upset surrounding fragments of

th a t

b e a rs

h is

n a m e

testimony Professors Katherine are the ground from which my Young/Somerville flare-up. I heard disappointment has a lot of promotional tryptichs Young and Margaret Somerville I present plan to offer at an upcoming court sprung. Or rather, what bothers me (most drawn from the following hearing on the issue of gay mar- I is the apparent lack of interest in repository of politically neutral Energy, Motivation, the calls for silence, the astounding terms: riage.

Knowledge, Experience, Vision, The professors’ comments lack of debate (we have been too Leadership) but no thoughts on inspired no small amount of debate j busy calling each other, on one j what has been, for me and for side, the oversensitive PC Police around McGill when they were made public. Most of this debate | and, on the other, the Blind many others, one of the most seemed to revolve around the ques­ Privileged Majority) about bound- j potentially important discussions tion of whether the remarks could aries of “acceptable” discourse at on campus this year.

Apparently, sir, not a few of be read as homophobic. Some j McGill - whether there should be the 8 1/2X11 sheets in which the any at all, and where those might j claimed that because the state­ campus was buried (if you’ll par­ ments were not obviously hateful lie.don my hyperbole, which may You would think but let me or fearful, they could not possibly strike a little too close to home) not be accused of trying to bend be homophobic. Others claimed was to be wasted on the issue of your name to my cause as others j that the remarks inscribed subtler free speech in the academic com­ have been.

I would think that this | forms of homophobia which are so j munity that bears your name. It’s debate about the muzzling or insti­ prevalent in our culture that many unfortunate that but wait!

This tutional denunciation of profes­ perfectly bright and well-informed j just in!

I have just received a fax sors might raise in the no doubt ' people might fail to apprehend from the nerve centre and am told exceedingly active minds of those their discriminatory content. Still | others claimed that we couldn’t active in student politics around I that the winning candidates have really understand the professors’ McGill some questions as to the taken a position! Thank goodness. positions until their full testimony sort of discursive community they | Wait; the second page is coming would like to see at this institution through now. It has some very ^ was available.

Sounds like a fairly tidy debate whose best interests, they assure us, attractive head shots (I think I paid so far, doesn’t it, sir? But it isn’t. keep them up nights. And yet, in for some of this toner, incidental­ j Because some of the most vocal all the ink spilled and all the breath ly), and...it reads “Debate: J critics of the remarks in question expended during the recent cam­ Open... Informed... Respectful.” have called for Young and paign, I did not hear a word from I Ah, so that’s what they think.

Somerville to be silenced, either by most of the candidates on this What a relief.

McGill or by their own (at present, front, even though the election would the critics say, suppressed?) took place only about a month | the zenith of the consciences. These calls for silence after

Problemsolved, AmyLangstaff

W h e n A .L . V a n H o u t t e t a k e s o n T im A

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H o rto n

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of Canada to come out with the Depraved indignant response that it did. It’s a classic PQ trick: annoy the rest of i Ind ifferenc the country while supposedly j D u n c a n Reid defending Quebec, and then score with francophone voters when the rest of Canada retaliates. o Ontario has no culture, Oh, and were they ever indig­ eh? That was the opinion of nant this week in Ontario!

Diane Lemieux, Quebec’s | Torontonians, who are desperately culture minister, in one of the first i trying to sell their city and its bar­ public statements from Premier ren and polluted ‘waterfront’ to the Landry’s new government.

International Olympic According to her, Quebec has a Committee, have their city’s culture all its own, so impressive | strengths fresh in their minds. that it casts culture in other Great theatres, great restaurants, a provinces in its shadow. Wow, way growing artistic community...and to get a new government started. they’re right, Toronto does have I’m of two schools of thought lots of cultural amenities. on what Madame Lemieux was (Although when the Deputy doing in making that comment: Premier in the Ontario maybe Lemieux — who is appar­ Government argues that when it ently unilingual — honestly comes to culture, he’d take the believes what she said, and that it Leafs over the Habs any day, one should hardly be a point of con­ suspects that the Harris govern­ tention. If all of your acquaintanc­ ment has a very narrow under­ es are sovereigntists, that could just standing of Toronto’s culture.) be possible. On the other hand, But Madame Lemieux wasn’t maybe she’s more clever than that: referring to cultural activities. She she could have been baiting the rest

was talking about her idea of Quebec as having a singular, dis­ tinctive sense of itself. It’s the idea that there is one Quebec, one nation of pure-laine francophones.

I find that entire idea very dis­ turbing, and totally at odds with the post-Trudeau vision of multiculturalism that is dominant in most of the rest of Canada. Most other provinces, including Ontario, aspire to an enriched cul­ ture of many cultures’. Here, we have a provincial government that fantasizes about cultural purity and isolation.

In short, say goodbye to the worldly influence of Lucien Bouchard and say hello to the xenophobia of Bernard Landry and his cronies.

(Remember Yves Michaud and his anti-Semitic comments? He’s a close friend of our new Premier.)

Some commentators under­ stood Madame Lemieux’s meaning and responded on the same level.

Most shocking, in my opinion, was columnist John

Globe and Mail

Ibbitson’s argument that Ontario’s ful. Many students I talk to these culture is its economy, and days are thinking about whether Ontario’s historic sense of itself as they could actually live in the centre of the Canadian econo­ Montreal after graduating from my (which is questionable in fact, McGill. People are coming to considering that the vast majority Montreal from other provinces and of Canada’s wealth was centred in from abroad to study here, and Westmount until 30 or 40 years they’re falling in love with the place. And a recent survey found j ago).

Ibbitson’s conception of that young workers in Montreal are Ontario is almost as scary as more satisfied here than anywhere Lémieux’s vision of Quebec. Who else in Canada.

That’s a major change from would ever want to live in a place where the culture is the economy? just five years ago, when out-ofAnd if that’s true, why are the rich­ province students, foreign stu­ est cities on earth — New York and dents, and Quebec anglophones London — such brilliant cultural wanted to get their degrees and get out of Quebec as fast as possible. centres as well? But I digress.

Madame Lemieux’s comments Now, we have the prospect of a are ultimately very disappointing, place that attracts new people — because it shows that Quebec is and new cultures — for the first just not progressing towards an time in decades.

I just hope that Landry, accepting model of society very Lemieux and the rest of those nar­ well at all. There’s still resistance at row-minded cultural isolationists the heart of the provincial govern­ in Quebec City don’t succeed in ment. crushing that renaissance, just as its That’s too bad, because starting to really flourish.

Montreal is an amazing city and the Quebec countryside is beauti­

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lO O p/Ed

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

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• • • E l l i p s i s * * *

M a k e s u r e y o u g o o u t a n d s h it c a n n e d fo r S t. P a t r ic k ’s D a y !

In this startlingly, dare we say frighteningly,

73 original game, your task is to make as many

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A-maize-ing Cornbread For 9 servings1 Ingredients 1 1/4 all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 egg lightly beaten 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons margarine, melted 1 cup whole kernel corn, thawed 1 can diced green chillies, drained (optional)2

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Instructions Preheat your oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix this well. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, cottage cheese, honey, margarine, chillies, and corn. Beat with a whisk until well blended. Add the corn mixture to the flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour bat­ ter into an 8x8 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information Per serving, this recipe contains: 190 calories, 4.4 g fat, 32.7 carbohydrate, 6.4 g protein, 395 mg sodi­ um, 32 mg cholesterol. Calories from fat: 20.2%

Footnotes: 'We think this bread is perfect when served with a chilli of some kind, whether it be a tra­ ditional meat or a veggie chilli it is up to you.

2Ed Note: When / make cornbread, I prefer to use fresh chilis, like jalapefios or serranos.

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words as possible using any combination of the nine letters arrayed to my immediate right. You can use letters once only per word.

Proper nouns, slang terms, and contractions, of course, are welcomed with opened arms.

This week, I randomly typed nine letters. If you don’t like this game, too bad. I can’t think of a better one, and quite frankly, I think it’s pretty darn fun.

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Across 1. U.S. regulatory board 4. Jewel measurement 9. Connector 14. Brazilian city, abbv.

15. Olympian Jesse 16. Collar 17. Curved path 18. Montreal amusement park 19. Literary trick 20. 25th President of U.S. 22. Grunge emotion 23. Mournful tribute 24. Term of endearment 26. Actress Laura 27. Marble 30. Prefix 31. Drawn out, geometrically 33. Often preceded by "all-" 35. Doors album 38. Special appearance 39. Spreads cream cheese 40. Pub fare 4L Docks 42. Without trouble 46. Push-over 49. Recent sitcom 50. Wish granter 51. Dire Straits leader 54. Photographer Corbijn 55. Model Campbell 56. South of the border, abbv.

57. Midler's show 58. Way upstairs 59. An unread newspaper 60. Leafy green 61. Needed for borscht 62. Female sheep Down 1. Set up 2. Shape 3. Pulp singer Jarvis 4. Trite humor 5. Missing, abbv.

6 . Separatist leader Levesque 7. Erstwhile sidekick Richter 8 . Toronto market, abbv.

9. Country crooner Patsy 10 . Gi-normous 11. One who leaves his faith 12. Guard 13. Layer of toilet paper 2 1 . Turn the other cheek 2 2 . Amazement 24. Contract completer 25. Sensory appendage

Features

T u e s d a y ,

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1 3

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C a n a d a 's l i n g e r i n g g r o w i n g p a i n M e m o r ie s o f th e 1 9 7 0 F L Q O c t o b e r c ris is Ian Speigel___________________ Allan Fotheringham, colum­ nist for Maclean’s magazine, once described Canada as “not an easy place to understand.” Standing strong and free just above the social, political and economic black hole that is the United States, it is easy to understand the opposing forces that tear at Canadians on a daily basis.

We strive to remain Canadian, but it is difficult when our two coun­ tries are so deeply integrated.

Americans have a disarming James Cross in a picture released tendency towards sensationalism. by his captors. In reality he was In the United States, everything forced to wear a black hood. that can be made into a big deal is.

They celebrate their victories, their ratist movement, causing it to heroes, their villains and their lead­ reshape itself and cut away from its violent roots. ers with a religious zeal.

Here in Canada, we tend to A little history take everything with a little more salt. Unfortunately, as we strive to The Front de Liberation de retain equanimity, we sometimes Quebec was a group of young, com­ under-emphasize moments in munist French Canadians.

Canadian history that are truly sig­ “Trained in 1950’s Algeria, nificant.

The 1970 FLQ October crisis [the FLQ was] a Marxist/Anarchist insurrections bent on the overthrow was just such a moment, and deservedly, the topic of discussion of the Quebec government and the establishment of a worker’s society,” in a recent lecture given by Dr. William Tetley, professor of law at explained Tetley.

True to their training and their McGill.

Though there are many doctrine, the FLQ had no qualms authorities on the exact proceedings against using violence to further of Canada’s most significant strug­ their cause. Between 1963 and gle with separatism, Tetley’s knowl­ 1970, the FLQ reportedly commit­ edge is firsthand, as he was minister ted more than 250 violent crimes of financial institution in Henri including bank hold-ups, bombings Bourassa’s Liberal provincial cabinet and five murders.

“In 1970, because their bomb­ at the time of the crisis. Resulting ings were not bringing about the ultimately in the evocation of the expected insurrection, the FLQ War Measures Act, the FLQ crisis decided to proceed with political forced the federal government and Quebec’s provincial government to kidnapping,” said Tetley.

Though their plans to abduct define their position on terrorism. the Israeli and American consuls More importantly, the crisis shook were foiled by Montreal police, the the framework of Quebec’s sepa-

FLQ did manage to nab Richard Cross, the British Trade Commissioner, from his Montreal home on October 5, 1970. It was at this point that the Quebec govern­ ment and the Canadian federal gov­ ernment were forced to take the FLQ very seriously and they saw the need for a cohesive strategy.

“The federal and provincial governments agreed that any deci­ sion regarding the demands of the FLQ would be taken jointly,” recalled Tetley.

And the FLQ forced the issue even further. Three days later they kidnapped Pierre Laporte, the min­ ister of labour and parliamentary leader of the government in the National Assembly, from his home in St. Lambert. In exchange for his safe release, the FLQ was demand­ ing the release of a handful of “political prisoners.”

As such, the governments were faced with a tough decision. Never before had any province had to deal with armed terrorists using violence as a leveraging tool. The FLQ was not asking for Quebec’s sovereignty, they were demanding it.

“This was the difference between contract and tort,” stated Tetley. “Contract is when we agree, tort is when I punch you in the » eye.

Cabinet discussions were emo­ tional and heated, recalled Tetley, as the life of their colleague and friend Laporte hung in the balance. Tetley was among those who initially wanted to release the prisoners.

However, he changed his mind.

“A democratic society cannot give in to blackmail. A legitimate government cannot permit its leg­ islative and judicial system and authority to be compromised by terror and blackmail.”

The decision made, Bourassa

called Prime Minister Trudeau on December 15, formally requesting the invocation of the War Measures Act. Within eight hours, 450 sus­ pected FLQ members and sympa­ thisers were rounded up and incar­ cerated without due process. Tanks on the street and soldiers with rifles were doing their utmost to quell the general bedlam that pervaded Montreal. Specialist doctors were striking; students, teachers and pro­ fessors held protests, effectively dis-

Black October

rupting French-language universi­ ties, CEGEPs and high schools in support of the FLQ. The press had a field day.

However, as the FLQ’s demands were not accepted by the government, they assassinated Laporte on October 16. With his death, all support for the FLQ was instantly killed.

“The Québécois and Canada were shocked by his death,” stated Tetley.

The Parti Québécois quickly denounced the act of terrorism.

Public support receded instanta­ neously. After Laporte’s killers had been discovered by the authorities and incarcerated, one of the leaders

of the FLQ, Pierre Vallieres, announced in Le Devoir that the FLQ would renounce the use of ter­ rorism, in favour of democratic methods.

In no uncertain terms, the fed­ eral government, provincial govern­ ment and public-at-large demon­ strated Canadian character and val­ ues to themselves and the rest of the world.

This quick denunciation of violence contrasts greatly with areas also torn in civil strife, such as Ireland, Spain, and the Balkans. “[For those] people, violence doesn’t mean a thing. 400-500 hun­ dred deaths and it doesn’t mean a thing; [whereas, Canadas] popula­ tion turned against the FLQ,” stat­ ed Tetley.

Indeed, the moment was one of Canada’s most significant; per­ haps as important in defining being Canadian as our Great War contri­ butions.

Though young Canadians were not there and cannot remem­ ber Trudeau’s magnetism or the shock of Laporte’s death, the reper­ cussions from the October crisis manifest themselves today.

“The sovereignty issue has totally changed. There aren’t the radicals. Now they are trying to work within the system,” com­ mented Alison Stead, a U2 political science major.

Though Canada’s future as a federation is never completely cer­ tain, Canadians have made it crystal clear what is cricket and what is criminal. Violence and terrorism have no place in Canadian politics, and this was made very clear in October, 1970.

— with additional reporting by Kenzie Shaw

Women's week gets females back in touch with their wild side Linda-Marie Michaud How does it feel to be a woman in the 21st century? This question was posed to Ben, known affectionately in his circle of friends as “Bengay.”

Ben is considered by many people to be a woman. Once caught shopping for tampons, he retains a sort of pride that even some anatomical females may lack.

“I am so proud to be a woman

in the 21st century! We are finally liberated, like wild monkeys, roaming free to explore the shores of our libido. It’s so much fun to be a lovely lady,” states Ben. Though Ben is not the exemplary “lady,” he- among scores of other women worldwidecelebrated International Women’s Week.

From Monday, March 5, until Friday, March 9, the McGill Women’s Union commemorated International Women’s Week by hosting a series of events and sym­

posiums. The week’s schedule was indicative of the theme of female collectivity.

However, one day dominated above all the rest. March 8, known respectively across the globe as International Women’s Day, began nearly a century ago, when a move­ ment of like-minded females began to develop feelings towards dis­ crimination and inequality.

“International Women’s Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in

the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men,” says the United Nations website dedi­ cated to International Women’s Day. “When women on all conti­ nents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguis­ tic, cultural, economic and politi­ cal differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and devel­

opment.”

On March 8, “Viva La Vulva” was held at Casa del Popolo on St. Laurent as a benefit for the Bloodsisters, a Montreal based feminist group. Featuring such bands as Pigeon Hole and Annabelle Chvostek, “Viva La Vulva” was a play in light of the ever successful “Vagina Monologues,” whose objectives were to unite women’s themes under a common identity and to Please see W EEK, page 15

12 Features

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

M elbourne the Montreal of Oz

C e ll p h o n e p s y c h o s sive frequency reuse across a city, so that millions of people can use cell i E rhP JfcgBlP ■ phones at the same time.

Cell phones use duplex voice I laaalfm channels which means that they use two frequencies- one for talking espite what you may think and another for listening- so that of them, cell phones are two people can talk at the same pretty convenient things. time (as opposed to simplex devices The ability to reach people any­ like CB radios and walkie-talkies, where is almost enough to make up where only one person can talk at a for the pain of hearing that tortured time). rendition of Für Elise over and over In a typical analog cell phone again when you’re enjoying your system in the U.S., the cell phone mochaccino and trying to read carrier receives about 800 frequen­ some Dante.

So how does the cell phone cies to use around the city. The car­ work? It is actually an extremely rier chops the city into cells of sophisticated radio. Before the cell approximately ten square miles. phone, when people needed mobile With analog transmission, up to 56 communication, they installed people can be talking on their cell radiotelephones in their cars. In this phones in the same cell. With digi­ system, there was one central anten­ tal transmission, that number na tower per city and around 25 increases threefold.

All cell phones have specific channels available in that tower. codes associated with them — an This meant that the car needed a electronic serial number which is powerful transmitter, and also that programmed into the phone upon not many people could use their car phones simultaneously because manufacture, and the mobile iden­ tification number and system iden­ there just weren’t enough channels. tification code (SID) which are The genius of the cell phone given when the phone is purchased system is that it divided each city and activated. into small cells. Each cell has a base Every base station has its own station that consists of a tower and a small building containing the home SID, and when the SID on this control channel doesn’t match radio equipment.

Cell phones have low power the one in your phone, then the cell transmitters in them, and the base phone knows that it is roaming. stations also use low power trans­ Each carrier in each city also runs mitters. This means that transmis­ one central office called the mobile switching office sions from the base station and the telephone (MTSO), and this office controls phones within its cell don’t make it very far outside the cell. Thus the all the base stations in a city.

Enough of the virtues of cell same frequencies in one cell can be phones.

Many people feel that cell used in another. This allows exten­ Jean Mathews

F A C T O P

D

phones can really be an annoyance at times and it seems that the Canadian government is thinking along similar lines. Following in the footsteps of Japan, Canada is laying plans to test out cell phone jammers in restaurants, movie theatres, con­ cert halls and other such areas.

The way these mobile phone busters (as they are known) work is by transmitting a signal on the same frequency as the cell phone and at high enough power so that the sig­ nal coming from the base station and from the jammer are indistin­ guishable. The two signals collide and cancel each other out.

This is currently illegal in the U.S., and the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) has stated clearly that the airwaves are private property to those people who have bought licenses to use them, and it is illegal to prevent this usage.

Another alternative that isn’t quite so harsh also being considered by the Canadian government is the usage of cell phone detectors in restaurants and movie theatres. The owners of these establishments will be able to detect exactly who is in possession of a cell phone and can let these people know that they should not use the device inside the establishment.

Although there are arguments for why we should not use the jam­ mers, the fact is that more than 118,000 emergency calls are made from cell phones each day. So as painful as that synthesized version of the ninth symphony is, it might be something we have to live with.

GRADS 2001 YEARBOOK PACKAGE GRADS 2001 YEARBOOK PACKAGE $42.00 gets you a yearb oo k $23.00 gets you a photo $65.00 gets you

im m o r t a lit y

Old McGill: a tradition for over 100 years M cG ill's

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passing you on the highway: Hey, I

Please see AUSTRALIAN page 15

c a m p u s -w id e y e a r b o o k

Let y o u r parents or fa m ily be p ro u d of y o u r achievem ent.

P h o to

live here now. This isn’t just a twoweek holiday — I’ll be spending four months within tramming range of the beach! Sadly, wjnter is coming, and it does get pretty cold here. But coming back from surf­ P h illip Tr ip p en b a ch ing at the beach all day to find an e-mail from home about the last minus-30-degree elbourne is a dull place blizzard and weather still twisted a cruel smile compared to Sydney. At out of the corner of my mouth. least, that’s the prevail­ For somebody like me, who ing impression one might get on a approaches food with the fervour superficial touristy scale. of a gluttonous monk, Melbourne Melbourne has no harbour glinting in the sun, no picturesque ferries, has an added advantage - it is one no stunning Opera House, no fab­ of Australia’s most multicultural ulous Olympics (well, it did have cities. And in Australia, as in Olympics in 1956, but no Canada, that’s saying a lot.

The four most common Canadians won gold medals in names in the Melbourne phone Triathlon so not many people book are Smith, Jones, Young and cared). Melbourne has a few tricks up its sleeve, though. Sydney may Nguyen. Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, have the glitz and the glory, but Greek, Indonesian and just about every Melbourne has the groove. other nationality are represented.

If Sydney were Toronto, Melbourne would be Montreal. Many have their own neighbor­ The skyscrapers downtown share hoods, most have their own gro­ street frontage with Victorian cery stores, and all have their own sandstone buildings decked out in restaurants.

The jewel of the city’s food cast iron tracery. Green and yellow trams clatter down most city world, however, is the Queen streets. Near the University of Victoria Market. Covering two Melbourne campus, the streets are whole city blocks, this sprawling crammed with bustling espresso 19th century plaza is an addiction. bars, patisseries and trendy restau­ I made the mistake of wandering rants, the sidewalks a forest of into the delicatessen section when shade parasols and bistro tables, I was hungry and had a full wallet. filled with Mebournians taking Never again. Fresh olive oil, bread, marinated red peppers and dozens advantage of the late summer sun. of kinds of olives, spiced calamari, Just a short tram ride away is hams and sausages and cheeses of the beach at St. Kilda, a narrow every description hanging, piled, strip of ruddy sand abutting the stacked, clogging the countertops placid waters of Port Philip bay. St. and fighting for space behind the Kilda itself feels like a typical sea­ polished glass. side resort village, even though it’s The Saturday crowds milled just 15 minutes from downtown. and surged around in one huge Low wooden shops, all painted hungry flow, like an ant colony white on the outside, dazzle in the that has discovered a piece of ripe liquid Australian sunlight. Locals j mango fallen to the forest floor. In and tourists mingle on the narrow the fruit section, the produce is streets and on the beach, a flurry of heaped on long tables, shaded ice cream, towels and flip-flops. ] under the corrugated steel and Flip-flops are called “thongs” here, j This led to some amusement dur­ fiberglass roofs, and the tables ing orientation: “Bring your ] stretch off until they dwindle in perspective. Mangoes and pineap­ thongs to the beach, mate.” ples are brought out in crates, piled An hour away from town is j into pyramids. On one corner, live some of the world’s best surfing. chickens, ducks and pigeons wait Visiting these places during orien­ in cages, clucking and pecking. A tation, a thought kept popping j into my mind like a car that keeps [ white-haired man carrying a laptop

Notes from Oz

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coiffure pierre 1435 Bleury 844-1837 (north of Ste-Catherine)

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Cut, shampoo & set special price for McGill students with I.D. card

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Features 15

T he d o g a te y o u r h o m e w o rk and a doctorate in chemistry made him no stranger to efficiency and organization. The ability to be pro­ ductive he has only honed with time. As the deputy chief examiner in chemistry for the International Baccalaureate (an scholastic organi­ sation akin to the British A level system), a teacher, a family man and Dr. Damji’s hair knows better a part-time author, Dr. Damji is the than to mess around. Resolutely definition of busy.

I remember one particularly and precisely stationed on his head, groggy 7:30 morning, running into not a single strand ever looks out of Dr. Damji as he was heading into place. If it could be likened to any­ the school cafeteria.

Out came the thing, then with apologies to Dr. 50-lb organic textbook, and “Hey Damji it would have to be the black doc, could you just explain ionic salads that snap on to the heads of bonding really quickly, I’m a little Lego men. Hair goes on, hair goes confused.” off - no fooling around and mini­ We cleared the matter up in mal effort required. And that is just two minutes flat and off he went, the kind of practical efficiency that puttering down the hall. I later Dr. Damji epitomizes. The frequen­ learned that his morning coffeecy of his life demands that he sport acquiring break was scheduled from hair that wouldn’t budge in a hurri­ 7:30 am to 7:32 am. By the time he cane, and a coffee every morning. had finished up with me, those You wouldn’t think that being allotted minutes were up and he a high school chemistry teacher had another engagement.

It was a could be such a demanding job, but this is no ordinary chemistry Saturday.

It’s impossible not to respect a teacher, and he isn’t doing an ordi­ guy like that. Quite simply, people nary job. W ithout dwelling on admire dedication and effort. But details, suffice it to say that an undergraduate degree (a double more than that, it’s inspirational. major in chemistry and physics Spend a couple of hours with some­ with its 30 hours of class a week) one like Dr. Damji, and before you

Ian Speigel_______________

Unequivocally, email cannot “I promised myself not to know it you are working like a mule and loving it. And that’s the gift of speak to anyone about the midterm be a substitute for human contact. all good teachers. They make you marks, so don’t ask,” he announced. And in most cases neither can the Quite understandably, this telephone. Professors must take the want to work harder. But not from time from their busy schedules, and guilt; rather, because you enjoy it. spend it with students.

Unfortunately, the opposite So, professors who teach class­ holds true. It’s just too easy to spot es in structural organic chemistry, a professor who’s only slightly more It’s just too easy to spot and skip town five days before the disinterested in you than he is in 35 per cent midterm, and then rush a professor who’s only being there to teach the material at people out of their office the day of hand. slightly more disinter­ the test because they’ve just So say you are taking a class, returned and need to finish up the Critical Issues in Contemporary ested in you than he is last couple of questions, paint Art, for example, and the professor themselves in a very poor light. in being there to teach introduces himself on the first day Fortunately, there is only a by saying, “You can call me [about the material at hand. small portion of the McGill faculty assignments], but I’ll be rude on the to which this rap on the knuckles phone. So it’s only for emergen­ applies.

Despite crowded class­ cies,” well then that certainly sets rooms, relentless schedules, and the tone. vital research, there are many pro­ kind of professional ineptitude If you’re not completely put off fessors who exude dedication.

They leaves students confused, then by this insidious honesty, then you have that way of revving students might try to email that professor or angry, then worst of all, apathetic.

I am quite lucky, in that I up and winning their loyalty. It is perhaps even speak to him after class. But if you’re taking that art haven’t yet progressed from angry to these professors that take the teach­ class this year, then you know that apathetic. I know that I was spoiled ing portion of their jobs very seri­ this kind of desperation won’t do in high school, and that I couldn’t ously, and students can automati­ you any good. Because at most, you possibly expect a professor to give cally tell and we gravitate to them. have two minutes to blurt out your up his morning coffee to explain Unfortunately though, they make question as ten other people shuffle the intricacies of gene cloning to the less dedicated look pretty bad. me. But students have a right to And evaluation time is just around angrily behind you.

If you are confused about your demand a certain calibre of instruc­ the corner. mark on the midterm, you had bet­ tion from their professors. And this ter get over it, because he’s not tak­ must come in the form of dedica­ tion, and time. ing any callers.

44

55

P o litic a l c o r r e c t n e s s a n d o t h e r p u t r i d n i c e t i e s Michelle 0 ’Brodovich

cepts. I was about to flip to the car­ embrace of ignorance — the bas­ toon page, when I caught a glimpse tard lovechild of affluence and of some quotes that almost lured indifference. Thanks to the sacrithe lunch out from my stomach.

One of the young women interviewed, Charline Florestal, was quoted as saying, “It’s an insult to be called a feminist. Feminists are The ease with which fem­ against men.” inism is dismissed as Nerita Joseph, another inter­ viewee, argued that an International unecessary is truly fright­ Women’s Day is unnecessary.

“I am a woman - I know what ening.

I’m like. I want to study men,” she said.

Catherine Solyom, the author of the article, came to some even fices of others and their own hard more troubling conclusions. work, they are now the proud pos­ “Young women today obvious­ sessors of non-penis power. ly have other things to think about.

But I bet those young women That partly explains their strong interviewed would feel much differ­ reaction to feminists, loosely ent if having their genitals mutilat­ defined yesterday as ‘radical’, ‘maned by a rusty razor was the norm in hating’ or ‘macho’ women,” she Canada.

Or perhaps they feel that wrote. protesting the murder of women Perhaps this is the case; I know walking unaccompanied by a man that many of my friends feel that in Afghanistan is a statement of their place in Canadian society is man-hating.

Let’s not be upset equal to — or rapidly approaching — the status of men. I agree with about the killing of female babies in them and the article in The Gazette China, and why doesn’t someone on this point. Yet, I was outraged tell the girls being forced into pros­ when these views were somehow titution in Thailand that women equated with the need to abandon don’t need empowerment anymore.

Go ahead and “strike a post­ feminism as a whole, and feminist pose,” as the caption under International Women’s Day as an their photo read; but as Madonna event.

What disgusted me about their said, “There’s nothing to it.” The commentary was their lecherous ease with which feminism is dis­

44

I decided the other day to avoid polysyllabic words. I was severely traumatized by a week of deciphering the work of philoso­ phers who apparently feel that the clear-cut presentation of arguments is as embarrassing as that one time in first year I went to Gert’s, wore tight black pants and danced on the speaker.

I pursued the next logical step and bought a copy of The Gazette.

It had a nice big picture on the front, which lulled me into expecta­ tions of easy reading.

Yet, much to my exhausted brain’s dismay, I found myself out­ raged when I read the article enti­ tled “Children of the Revolution,” a piece on the place of feminism in today’s society. The article featured the picture and opinions of four young women in their early twen­ ties. They shared one thing in com­ mon: their opposition to being labeled “feminists.” I could almost hear the machinery in my burntout brain groaning in protest under the weight of the words and con­

55

missed as unnecessary is truly frightening.

O f course, as is necessary in our times of political correctness and other such putrid niceties, I should follow through with the obligatory “I’m a feminist but I don’t hate men, don’t worry,” when arguing for women’s rights. Screw that. The only person who has a genuine right to know if I like men is my boyfriend.

I don’t profess to have the experience academically to define feminism in all of its many forms, and any attempts to do so would embarrass me more than my experi­ ence at Gert’s. I will only attempt to suggest a loose interpretation as the empowerment of women with a goal of equal status with men. To site feminism as “man-hating” is the sign of a lazy mind, as all of that was resolved over the last few decades.

Every philosophy has its extremists,

but we shouldn’t judge the whole on the merits of its radical extremes.

Women live in an immense spectrum of circumstances where Canada figures as a rare exception, much like the philosopher who expresses his argument concisely.

Yet, we are lulled into inaction by our surroundings, soothed into for­ getting the countless others who suffer far more than we can imag­ ine. Issues such as wage equity have little relevance in countries where walking alone is an open invitation for rape.

Our smug contentedness has become the aphrodisiac for breed­ ing inaction and indifference. The challenge of the next generation of feminists, both men and women, is to combat this mental lethargy and its pervasive influence over young persons like the students inter­ viewed in The Gazette.

And to do it concisely.

The is moving.

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14 Features

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

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Record labels have already begun to compile lists of millions of copyrighted songs that the music service will have to remove from its shared files.

Aaron Izenberg

Who knew that one day you would be able to skip those pricey trips to HMV and opt for a way of getting it all for free online? With every song you download though, you may also be feeling little pangs of guilt. After all, musicians need to eat too. How will they make any money if all of their music is avail­ able for free over the Internet?

Still, none of these feelings of remorse deter millions of likeminded music lovers from down­ loading their favourite songs off the Internet each day, marveling in the luxury of being able to have virtually any song they can think of playing on their computers in a matter of minutes.

But as they say, everything has a price.

Napster’s free-for-all will soon be coming to an end. In July of 2000, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ruled that Napster could no longer allow the swapping of copyrighted music. The first effects of this ruling were felt on March 5, when Napster began to limit music swapping by blocking two million songs from users. While it will take some time for the site to dismantle its current operation, many of us are wondering if we may all be forced to pull those dusty compact discs off of the shelves once again.

44 I’m just glad som eone is listening and we do our best to keep th e re n t paid

of the Super Mario Brothers theme song, or whatever else it is that you’re looking for. Fortunately for music lovers, Napster is only one of many similar song-swapping serv­ ices. For example, Audiogalaxy, though slightly slower than Napster, has millions of available files and a very user-friendly web interface. There is also Scour.net, where you can find not only music, but also video clips and images, all free to download

w ithout being total D e la y in g th e in e v ita b le ?

whores.

-M ark Everett

The sheer volume of music that Napster put at our fingertips has left many of us imagining how we ever got along without it. One of the main advantages that Napster has over its competitors is that because it’s the most popular service of its kind, it has the largest volume of users, and thus the largest volume of music available.

At any given time, the music libraries of nearly ten thousand users are available through the service, providing millions of downloadable songs.

Though the prospect of life after Napster may seem scary, there are still plenty of other places to find that rare orchestrated version

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With the numerous alterna­ tives out there, many have begun to question whether or not it will even be possible to stop the power­ ful file-sharing craze that is sweep­ ing the music industry. If it takes a lengthy lawsuit to control every single Internet music company, then it could be a long time before listeners run out of places to find free tunes.

McGill Professor of Law Sunny Handa says that the Napster case will set a precedent that will deter new companies from provid­ ing free file-sharing services. By showing that providing free music can lead to a hefty and intrusive lawsuit, this case could really make new entrepreneurs think twice about trying to get in on the freemusic mania. According to Handa, in time, people will have to pay for

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their music files, just like every­ thing else.

“I think the Napster case will slow file-sharing down, for sure,” explains Handa, who is a specialist in Internet law. “People have shown that they prefer this way of consuming music. It’s here to stay, but I don’t think that it will always be free.”

The advent of the MP3 may simply represent a new age in music distribution. It is possible that the days of cassettes, records and compact discs are over. Handa envisions a time in the near future when music will be distributed and consumed independently of any specific medium.

“When you buy music in the future, it won’t be tied to a carrying medium; you will have licensed the rights to the music,” she predicts.

“There will be a separation between the carrier of the music and the actual intellectual proper­

ty-” A m a tte r o f p rin cip le

Regardless of what lies ahead, for the time being, it is still very easy to get music for free over the Internet. Many insist that MP3 sharing is not the threat to the music industry that it is made out to be, and that it could actually be beneficial.

Zac Decamp, music technolo­ gy student and member of McGill band Dr. Tom’s Leather, feels that companies like Napster may help

record sales, in unsuspected ways.

“Nobody is quite sure how much record labels lose from peo­ ple who download music instead of buying it,” says Decamp. “They probably make quite a bit from people who hear the music first on Napster, and then go out and buy the album in the stores.”

For new bands that don’t have an album out yet, MP3’s represent an easy and free way to spread their music around.

“It’s kind of an investment for the fixture,” says Decamp. “Because your music gets out there, and then two years down the road, when you have a CD on the shelves, more people will go out and buy it. So it can work for you in that way.”

At the end of the day, it’s still just too early to tell the role that file sharing will play in the future of the music industry. It would be next to impossible to analyze record sales while controlling for all the other variables, and say that online music sharing has hurt or helped sales. It seems the only option left is to wait and listen.

In a recent Internet chat ses­ sion with Eels frontman Mark Everett, a fan asked whether or not he condoned the use of Napster.

“Hush, my child. Don’t you worry...Napster is fine with me.

We don’t make much money any­ way. I’m just glad someone is lis­ tening and we do our best to keep the rent paid without being total whores. Funny how only the really rich guys care about Napster.”

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Features 15

A w e e k o f f e m a le fe s tiv itie s C e le b ra tin g a w e e k o f w o m e n

continued from page 11

echo the cry for female solidarity.

The Bloodsisters, also known as those “crafty chicks,” are opposed to the “serious health,

Women’s week commenced with an exhibition on March 5.

The first event was “Sex Toys 101” sponsored by JoyToyz, where one

Ryan Sengara

Prince Arthur eat your heart out

environmental, and ideological ramifications of the toxic female hygiene industry.” According to their pamphlet, “the uses of chlo­ rine in pulp and paper bleaching [of tampons] releases dioxins - the most toxic carcinogenic chemical known.”

could feast upon an “Insatiable G” or ride a “Dolphin” through the ceaseless billows of one’s sexual ocean.

Next on the agenda was the “plaster cast your breasts” work­ shop, where twenty women had the opportunity to make moulds of their chests. According to a Women’s Union executive, Erica

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Weinstein, this image workshop was established by the Women’s Union as an artistic means to foster respect and acknowledgement for the female anatomy.

“Women should have a part of their body that they find truly beautiful,” added Jessica Haldane.

“Girls broke off into groups of four and plastered each member of that group’s breasts, so that one girl whose breasts were plastered got to be the center of attention,” said Chrisa Hoicka, one of the partici­ pants, all of whom got to keep their artwork.

On Wednesday, March 7, a free vegan lunch was held at the Women’s Union office. The vegan idea, as opposed to vegetarian, was chosen because it is a great base, and the easiest way to accommo­ date many people, said Hoicka.

According to Maren Friesen, a coordinator and cook for the event, the turnout was impressive, at around 50 girls.

Following “Viva la Vulva” on March 8, International Women’s Week closed with a panel discus­ sion on March 9 entitled “Are women’s bodies at risk?” The sym­ posium discussed current issues in reproductive health, and was fol­ lowed by a lecture on “Religion

and Sexuality”, given by Professor Heidi Epstein.

Although sometimes con­ demned as a mere feminist event, International Women’s Week means a lot more than just advo­ cating the merits of being a woman.

“Over the years, United Nations action for the advance­ ment of women has taken four clear directions: promotion of legal measures; mobilization of public opinion and international action; training and research, including

the compilation of gender desegre­ gated statistics; and direct assis­ tance to disadvantaged groups,” says the UN website. “Today a cen­ tral organizing principle of the work of the United Nations is that no enduring solution to society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participa­ tion, and the full empowerment, of the world’s women.”

A u s tra lia n c o lo u rs continued from page 12

bag stuffs three medium sized chickens into a small cardboard box for the trip home. They kick and try to flap their way out of his grip, their wide beady eyes staring jerkily out at the stall keeper taking her money.

The hawkers in the meat & fish section holler until they are hoarse. One vendor, a huge man in a blue sweater and a stained apron that was once white, holds a whole limp lamb carcass by the ankles, its flesh burgundy-dark and laced with ivory sinew and fat. He stands

among the crowd in front of his stall, shouting “Ten dollars! Ten Dollars! A whole lamb for ten dol­ lars! Come on! Who’s got ten dol­ lars?” He notices me as I take his picture, shouts at me: “Hey, get the hell out of here, you! What the hell you think this is, a zoo?” His fellow butchers laugh, elbowing each other in the ribs, urge me to snap another one. Still hawking the lamb, swinging it from side to side to make it more visible, the first one has already forgotten me.

It will be good to live here for a while.

c o m e c e le b r a te

S t . P a t r ic k 's Weekend March 16th, 17th and 18th (Parade Day) I m

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C o m i c b o o k a m a r v e l in o r i g i n a l i t y Peter Koven

As we McGill students breeze through our undergraduate lives, lost in a sea of rent cheques, alco­ hol, midterms, and God-knowswhat-else, we tend to forget that there are some among us who are actually channeling their creative energies in interesting and unique ways.

One such individual is Nathan Wilkinson, a U3 languages student who devoted his early undergradu­ ate days to the creation of a comic book called Akka, written under the pseudonym of an overly neurotic female named Beirut McKinnon.

The book focuses on a bizarre love story that takes place against the backdrop of a fictional club named Akka, and is interwoven with allu­ sions to unique cultural aspects of Montreal.

The description above does not really do justice to what one finds within the pages of Akka. While flawed, as Nathan seems to readily admit, it is nonetheless an original and surprisingly entertaining look

at Montreal life and culture told in drop of one of his images (although working on the comic was more a style that is clearly his own. he wishes today that he had done interesting than what came out,” he Considering the painstaking medi­ more of this). said, “I was looking at the idea of um, it is a truly mam­ whether stories create moth project, one that or destroy holiness.” took him one and a half The funny pseudo­ years of between-class nym, interestingly scribbling to complete. enough, came from liv­ Totaling a whopping ing in Japan for a year, 51 pages in length, Akka while the club “Akka” tells the story of Ms. was inspired by his McKinnon’s doomed love apartment on life through a combina­ Coloniale. tion of vivid images, The unique for­ souped-up photos, and mat of the comic is long, rambling and often ultimately what makes very funny prose. It is not it so refreshing and fun specifically a ‘comic’ in to read, and, in the most natural sense of Nathan’s case, nearly the word considering the impossible to publish, different artistic as the completely unapproaches involved - it categorizable structure reads more like a ‘picture scared would-be pub­ book,’ so to speak, and lishers away, leading to A ‘comic’ tale of ravers, love and loneliness.

Nathan Wilkinson the innovative formula, Nathan publishing it while bizarre, seems to fit the story Akka emerged, Nathan himself. In his words, Akka’s pres­ perfectly. explained, from a conversation he entation came “from just wanting Wilkinson also incorporates held with a friend of his, who to try something different. I was interesting elements of Montreal inspired him to put his creative looking for something along the life and culture into the comic, such energies to good use. lines of a Chinese boxes effect.” as using a subway map as the back­ “Ultimately, what went into The most refreshing thing

about reading Akka was knowing that it came from the pen of a McGill student. What a concept! In many ways, we have become so study-oriented by our U2 and U3 days that whatever ideals and cre­ ativity with which we entered this school have long been stifled and replaced with nonsense like trying to figure out what those “check bits” on multiple choice cards are.

Nathan proves that this is not always the case, and is happy to dis­ cuss some of the projects he has been involved in. One of these was Rumpus, a McGill-Concordia mag­ azine that has now been shelved at least in part due to that apathy I just mentioned. Nathan encourages everyone to try and put their cre­ ative energies to good use, as he has so effectively done.

“If kids at McGill are interest­ ed, they should really be getting together and working on these things.”

Akka is available at the Word on Milton St. and the Argo book­ shop. Check it out.

S tim u la tin g s tu d e n t a r t a t P r[o b je c t]io n continued from page 1

performances of an eclectic and impressive selection of musicians, DJs and spoken-word artists sched­ uled. All involved are McGill stu­ dents, from architecture, science, arts and management, which, according to co-organiser Jenelle Davis, is amazing and to the major­ ity, a shock.

"There’s so much talent that comes out of McGill, but it’s so underground," she said. "Nobody

knows about it."

Opening night showcased the full extent of this talent. As should be expected from amateur artists dealing with the workload of a full­ time student, some works were derivative and amateurish (though nonetheless sincere). The body of the exhibition, however, revealed startling maturity, technical skill and depth. Masha Hersky’s the look through my eyes, a series of six black and white photos, displayed

remarkable sensitivity to subject matter and a highly developed appreciation of form.

Similarly, Margoteolin’s two unti­ tled acrylic paintings were striking still-lifes with detailing that showcased polished technique and con­ veyed a moody unease in the style of Edward Hopper.

The too-short set of the Creative Music Syndicate aka face/head was a further and much anticipated highlight of the evening. Composed of a hodgepodge of McGill freshmen, their brand of improvised, ironic noise (which is never just noise!) shook the speakers and rat­ tled the crowed. Influenced, depending on which member you ask, by John Cage, Bastard Noise, sixties garage, political hardcore, everything, and Ricky Martin, they created music from found objects, electronic wizardry, and copious amounts of wit. Their sound is even more impressive since, according to band member, general impresario and Tribune music columnist Dave

Barclay, they were originally to be a Melvins cover band. Above all, since the contributions made by McGill to the advancement of the musical avant-garde are mostly lim­ ited to the Four Floors parties, it is absolutely inspiring to see these fel­ lows and fellow performers The Sun and the Moon tear up Montreal’s musique actuelle scene.

Apathy was perhaps the last thing on the minds of those who came out to see Pro[object]ion.

Turnout was so impressive and diverse that although this edition remained reasonably underground, it will not, according to Moira, be like this for long. "What we’re try­ ing to do is get it above ground.

This won’t be the last show. We’re creating a new tradition at McGill, a tradition of finding out what’s really going on!"

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Why you should love David Hockney's Siddhartha Mukherjee Anyone who caught last year’s High Fidelity knows the impor­ tance of lists when it comes to your musicians of choice. But the joys of list-making can be easily extended to any of the other arts. How about Top 5 American Pop Artists? That’s easy: 1) Roy Lichtenstein, 2) Andy Warhol, 3) Keith Haring, 4) Claus Oldenburg, 5) James Rosenquist.

I would be very tempted to include David Hockney on this list, but he is neither American nor a true Pop artist, though he cer­ tainly made Pop paintings. Still, the British born painter is undoubtably one of the most beloved artists of contemporary times.

David Hockney has dabbled in everything from photorealism to complete abstraction, and the only label that seems appropriate is to call him a Fauvist, and certainly one of the finest since Matisse.

Hockney is most famous for his Hollywood paintings, naturalist depictions of Los Angeles pools, palm trees, and lawn sprinklers.

These pictures are such a vital con­ tribution to American art that he is truly deserving of honorary status as an American painter. A Bigger Splash, Hockney’s most notorious painting, is probably one of the most famous in the world. It is also my favorite painting, not just of

Hockney’s, but of all painters. I admit this with slight embarrass­ ment for A Bigger Splash is quite cliché. Open any Art History 101 text and you will surely see it under

gives me such joy and moves me so profoundly that I would defend my clichéd choice to the most learned of art critics.

A Bigger Splash is full of life,

the “Pop Art” subheading, just next to Warhol’s soup can. It is almost as obvious as claiming Klimt’s The Kiss as your favorite painting (I guarantee 9 out of 10 McGill students have it somewhere in their ghetto apartment).

Nevertheless, Hockney’s painting

yet simultaneously completely devoid of it. The figure is nowhere to be seen, yet his or her presence is forever immortalized on canvas; a freeze-frame of an intangible moment resulting from a most spontaneous human action.

More importantly, this paint­

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ing is Los Angeles, circa 1967. The palm spindles flanking the Case Study style house, designed by Neutra, Eames, or Saarinen I’m sure; the flawless blue sky, the director’s chair, and a pool that you know must be kidney-shaped— it captures the absolute essence of the town. This charming little painting is in fact a most accurate, honest portrayal of a place and time.

While A Bigger Splash high­ lights the modern luxury and opu­ lence of Hollywood, it still address­ es, without malice, the frivolity and shallowness that is California.

You can almost smell the breast implants in the warm breeze that gently brushes your shoulders as you surface from the water. You can see it in the sky: perfect blue, not a cloud in sight. And why would there be, it’s L.A.! The weather is perfect, people are per­ fect, this painting is perfect.

A Bigger Splash is errorless, with no detectable brushstrokes and an exact palate of colors. Yet it is two dimensional, flat, lacking any complicated perspective. That’s L.A. So few painters have ever cap­ tured a city, especially in modern times, as successfully as David Hockney has here.

One could go on and on about the splendid use of form, the strong horizontal composition, the suggestion of human existence, etc.

But on a more personal note, this painting represents what I want

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out of life, and who I plan to become. This pool and modern house, as well as the fortune that afforded them, most likely belong to a famous actress of the day, or perhaps a prominent plastic sur­ geon. And similarly, all I want out of life is excessive wealth, a casual attitude, and nothing more press­ ing than my morning swim. Don’t we all?

Sure L.A. is trite, conformist, and at times downright absurd.

But that’s the beauty of it all. It’s ok to be shallow in Los Angeles. You don’t have to be intellectual or sophisticated, all you need is to be young and good looking. And L.A. is the one city that proclaims this without shame. What refreshing honesty—perfectly captured in a single splash.

Yet at the same time, A Bigger Splash represents drive, ambition, and hard work. L.A. may be trivial and flighty, but if you are smart and talented, or simply a deter­ mined gold-digger, you can make it in Los Angeles. And if you can make it in there, you can make it anywhere. For the time being though, forget this eternal Montreal winter and let your cares melt away; enjoy the fabulous weather, the distant palms, and take a dip in the pool.

M u s i c w i t h a m e s s a g e : A n t i b a l a s is t i g h t Eleven piece band heralds the return of the mighty afrobeat Dan Zacks Though the influence of afrobeat on contemporary music is almost impossible to exaggerate and its socio-political impact continues to reverberate, the genre remains shamefully unknown to the majori­ ty of North Americans.

Briefly, afrobeat is the fusion of funk, jazz, and West African music that was created in the late 1960s by Nigerians Fela Kuti and his drum­ mer Tony Allen. It is also insepara­ ble from political action and aware­ ness.

The corrupt and self-serving military dictatorship that controlled Nigeria in the 1970s and mid 80s led Fela to incorporate aggressive and violent diatribes into his com­ positions. Advocating a policy of pan-Afficanism and black rights, he condemned the crooked regime and ultimately founded his own politi­ cal party. He achieved massive sup­ port amongst the poor and disen­ franchised of Africa and in particu­ lar Nigeria, but paid dearly for his activism. The state killed his moth­ er, imprisoned him under spurious charges, and destroyed his house and recording studio. Fela’s afrobeat is not a music to be taken lightly.

Those who attempt to play it face Antibalas live (Saturday, March 1 at the weighty task of doing it justice Quartier Latin) it became obvious by living up to the imposing bench­ mark set by its master.

The fifteen members of Brooklyn based Antibalas were no doubt aware of the responsibilities that came with their decision to play afrobeat. Among their ranks are many of the musicians from The Daktaris, an exceptional, if not gen­ uine, afrofunk outfit with a sound so authentic that many a DJ were fooled into thinking they had come across a piece of obscure brilliance when they first gave The Daktaris’ release Soul Explosion (Desco) a lis­ ten. With their first CD, Liberation Afrobeat (already out on Afrovision and to be released in early April on Ninja Tune) Antibalas makes no attempt to hide their New York her­ itage, but the authentic sound that characterised their Desco days remains. Liberation Afrobeat, with a sound reminiscent of Fela circa the late 70s, courtesy of appropriately long tracks constructed around tight guitar riffs, driving bass lines, hammering percussion and sharp horn, makes it abundantly clear that these musicians have the skills that above all, they appreciate the to pull off the afrobeat properly. deeper significance of what it means Most importantly, after seeing to play Fela’s afrobeat.

which Antibalas leader Martin CPerna politicised the concert avoid­ ed these pitfalls in grand style. This was music that demands dancing, he pronounced over the building bass line of the first piece, but music that should keep you moti­ vated to effect positive change long after the concert ended. This was good. W ithout political content there is no afrobeat, and though we don’t live in 1970s Nigeria the world is far from ideal. By keeping the polemics relevant, though never so provocative that they would alienate (as Fela was wont to do), Antibalas preserved the true spirit of afrobeat and set the tone for a very special evening.

The music was almost without reproach. The eleven-piece band, cramped onto the small stage of Quartier Latin and playing acoustic but for the guitar amps and two mics, played three 45 minute sets that got just got better and better.

Michael Wagner provided some of the best trombone solos Montreal has seen in ages, while the unidenti­ fied trumpet player’s multiple and brilliant solos brought the crowd to into their show without immediate­ cheers. Discipline was extremely ly sounding clichéd and trite. Yet tight, as is required by afrobeat, and the sincerity and confidence with

It is extremely difficult for musicians to incorporate politics

Please see AFRO BEA T, page 26

2 0 A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

The rise o f Lister

In the loop, out of the bubble

T o th e V ip e r R o o m a n d b a c k

Typhoon Lounge offers an out-of-ordinary yet trendy experience

Shan Soe-Lin Sometime in December while idly listening to CHUM ’s Sneak Preview show, something caught my ear. Investigating further, I dis­ covered a band who brings some­ thing new and refreshing to the pop-rock scene, and whose star is clearly on the rise. Lister’s maiden release H alf Built Set, a diverse col­

lection of merry pop tunes with heart, is well worth a listen. Filled with clean, simple melodies sprin­ kled with introspective lyrics, the band’s yearlong labour of love was well worth the wait.

Before their gig opening up for Pigeonhole, I managed to catch up with frontman Stu Lister. Friendly but quiet, he outlined the trip the band has taken from their Ottawa hometown to L.A.’s Viper room, and back again. Formed sometime in 1997, with brother and guitarist Michael Lister and drummer Marco Rayes, (bassist Stephen Clarke was added in December), the group’s knack for writing a catchy hook quickly got them attention from the right people.

‘Half as Good’ was featured on both Dawsons Creek and Party o f Five. After that, the band was invit­ ed to showcase at L.A.’s fabled

Viper Room for industry reps.

“It was a really cool experi­ ence,” Stuart said. “With all the pop music out there, it’s been hard to sort of jump in and carve out a niche for ourselves. Although we have a US rep, we’re still waiting for a record deal, but hopefully we’ll be able to break into that market.”

Lister describes their live show as being “full of energy,” which must cer­ tainly be true since the group has scored a steady gig as the resident house band playing e v e r y Sunday at Z ap h o d Beeblebrox in Ottawa’s lively market area. “We try to mix it up every week and keep things interesting, but the thing that probably makes each show different is the different bands that play with us.” Having played with acts as diverse as Marcy Playground and the Waltons, as well as touring in and around the Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto cir­ cuit, the band has been kept happi­ ly busy honing their musical talent.

The addition of new bassist Stephen Clarke, who “brings the most incredible energy to all the songs,” has by all accounts made their already tight live show that much better.

Be sure to check out Lister, with and Pigeonhole on Thursday, March 15th at Le Petit Campus

Ocean Hope

Confides 18-year-old NDG resident Mikon, "I come here for the atmos­ phere and the Guinness."

Eclectic, feel-good music J e n n if e r T r a w i n s k i storms through Typhoon. Muscletee-clad DJ Blaze says he plays n my cab-ride home from "whatever people want to hear [with the Typhoon Lounge, some] amount of 80s stuff" in order located in Notre-Dame- to create a "nostalgic...melting pot de-Grâce at 5752 Monkland of music." Tunes range from Avenue (corner of Wilson), my Siouxsie & the Banchees to Johnny driver Bijan and I started discussing Cash to Nirvana and Destiny’s late night food. Even though there Child.

In compliance with the general are many 24-hour restaurants with better deals and higher quality than atmosphere, the drink menu is fun McDonald’s, he told me, people and bright. It features ten specialty nonetheless often turn to fast food martinis, spiked iced teas, wine by for its convenience. Reflecting on the glass or botde, various domestic my night, I realize that this fast and imported brews, whisky drinks, food analogy actually applies to — and high-quality liquor including you guessed it — the Montreal Johnnie Walker Red, Black, Gold, nightlife scene. And how? Because and Blue Labels. With a kitchen that we McGill nighttime folk, just like stays open till 1:30 AM and such loyal fast food patrons, tend to limit deals as four shots for $10, Typhoon ourselves to the scope of what is Lounge offers reasonably priced most easily accessible: the bars on food and beverage. Lome, Mikon’s St. Laurent and downtown. At the dad and self-described Typhoon mostly anglophone Typhoon "furniture," tells me that during Lounge, I discovered how worth­ Happy Hour (from 4 to 8 PM), one while it can be to open my mind can get "two domestic beers, a paniand heart, to occasionally head out ni, and fries or salad for under ten to brave new worlds, to depart from bucks." The versatile Typhoon the bubbles of McGill influence. works as a restaurant, social bar, or Because Typhoon epitomizes how after-date lounge, depending on the cool, connected, and locally cen­ hour and mood you’re in.

A neighborhood sentiment is tered a neighbourhood bar has the potential to be, it is worth the sur­ one of the most pronounced charac­ prisingly short Metro trip in teristics of Typhoon Lounge, as shock of shockers - everybody really exchange for a night o’ fun.

Typhoon Lounge’s ambience is, does know each other’s name! Staff like, so 80s. Bright lights and other members hang out with patrons, the eighties relics adorn the small, bartenders know customers’ life sto­ below-street-level establishment. ries and vice versa, and most fre­ White spotlights shine from the ceil­ quenters of Typhoon live within fif­ ing onto each table, a red tubelight teen minutes of each other. snakes over the top of the bar, and Bartender Marie-Josée (a.k.a. MJ) orange lamps accent Typhoon’s explains that most patronage comes perimeter. A long couch surrounds from NDG, the West Island, and the wall and functions as a booth for LaSalle, and that this bar is "so the small, numerous tables, while much friendlier than downtown [as velvet curtains cover the windows. it’s] local. You say hi to more peo­

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ple." Greg, a British 21-year-old snowboard instructor, says he comes here "because I know everybody who works here, [and] I live five minutes down the road." Typhoon’s welcoming cohesiveness provides its attendees with that feeling of home which dissipates far too easily in downtown’s anonymity.

The greatest aspect of Typhoon Lounge is the coexistence of its neighborhood warmth and trendi­ ness.

Mikon emphasizes that Typhoon is a "neighborhood bar but it’s got a certain style," and connec­ tions to Montreal’s center scene cer­ tainly are easy to discern. DJ Blaze spins at the Living on weekends, and Tuesday night bartender Jeff also works at Brutopia. Marie-Josee has worked at numerous downtown establishments for the past ten years, including Sessions, Thursday’s, and Extreme, yet loyally exclaims that "downtown you’re just a num­ ber... [Typhoon] is the best bar that I’ve worked!" Proof for this claim lies in Lome’s statement that Typhoon Lounge’s management won the Gazette’s "Young Entrepreneur Contest" three years ago, one year after the bar’s opening.

Typhoon Lounge is worth the fifteen-minute trip to orange-line metro stop Villa Maria because it offers an urban environment with community hospitality. (While it’s lively any given night, it apparently gets packed on Fridays and Saturdays.)

McGill student Moshiko Cohen concluded his Typhoon experience by reflecting, "I found it more fun than a downtown bar because it’s a different creature.

You need something else [besides the normal McGill hangouts], no?

It’s definitely worth trying."

For more information, call Typhoon Lounge at (514)482-4448, or visit http://www.tv1thoon.ra

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

A&E 21

R o m a n tic te r r o r is t s e d u c e s t h e c a m e r a Judith Drory The Legends o f Rita is a film about a fictional character cast against a real background. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of Rita Vogt (bewitching Bibiana Beglau), a young, romantic, West German terrorist, who gets involved in a revolutionary group, both for the love of charismatic Andi, and for the social justice she feels needs to be addressed.

We are first introduced to Rita as she and her comrades are rob­ bing a bank. These are the ‘glory days’ when she and her group believe in the possibility of a just world for all, and in slogans such as “ownership is theft”. As Rita is travelling she is stopped at baggage check upon the discovery of her concealed weapon. It is here that she first encounters a Stasi officer, Erwin Hull, who becomes extremely interested in all things Rita. When the plan of Rita and her gang to free Andi from jail ends in bloodshed, it is Erwin they con­ tact. He sets them up in Paris, where Rita breaks a minor traffic rule and in the ensuing chase, ends up killing a police officer out of fear.

The Stasi arrange to shelter her group under a watchful eye in return for full disclosure from Ritas gang. After a fashion the

group is given the opportunity to try their luck in West Germany.

Cutting her ties to Andi and the group’s beliefs, Rita decides to try her luck in East Germany. It is here that Erwin teaches her the magic of creating legends. A legend, as we learn is “your cover, your false identity, which, from now on, will become your real life.”

Her new identity is that of Susanne Schmidt, a textile worker in seemingly quiet East Germany.

It is here she meets co-worker Tatjana (played to perfection by Nadia Uhl). Tatjana is seeking to escape what she feels is a pitiful existence in East Germany and sees Susanne as an amazing, free crea­ ture who left a good life in the West. Tatjana tries to get through her days by escaping into a bottle.

Unfortunately, when Andi is killed running across the border, ‘Susanne’s’ cover is blown as a tele­ vision program lists her on the wanted list. She has to deceive Tatjana and once again escape into a new legend. This deception, because of the unbelievable chem­ istry between Tatjana and Susanne, made me feel as if I was the one being deceived.

Their brief reunion is also heartbreaking and you wish there were any other out­ come, no matter how foolish.

So Rita’s final legend is that of Sabine Walter, who works as a childcare counselor for a large

socialist company. She gets to spend her summer at a camp, swimming in the sea and indulging in summer love with Jochen, a physics student working at the camp as a lifeguard. It is with Jochen that she truly sets herself free and allows herself to enjoy life without all the strings attached.

Jochen claims that the unexpected is inevitable. Their romance turns into that of love and Jochen asks Sabine to marry him and bear his children. Being brave, Rita con­ fesses her past to him with unhap­ py results.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the legend that needs to be played is the hardest of all.

For it is her own self Rita must

once again play. Suddenly, she must flee from both East Germany and West Germany when the gov­ ernment calls for the extradition and imprisonment of all political activists. Rita finds herself back in a role she does not want to play, and a life she has no choice but to lead.

Simply put, you feel for Rita even though she has engaged in cold-blooded murder and robbery.

You can’t help but feel for her. Her intentions are always good and her zest for life makes it hard to dislike her. When Rita laughs, you laugh with her. The acting to which one becomes witness when Rita gets fired up over a political cause results in some of the most emo­

tional, believable scenes I have ever seen.

What makes this movie the quiet charmer it is are the interac­ tions which expose the twisting of each characters multiple psyches.

You see, inside Rita, her struggle to pull off each new legend convinc­ ingly, and the turmoil she faces with each character she encounters.

It seems that all who meet her fall in love with her tender spirit.

The film is as much a histori­ cal lesson as it is an explanation of political motives and the actions behind them. It was interesting to see this Germany, divided by the border with lost people at both ends.

Romantic, quiet, bold and highly emotional, The Legends o f Rita invites you in for a cup of tea and leaves you wanting a spot more. It shows the distance one woman will go to both fight for what she believes in and, at the same time, to shelter herself from its sometimes harsh reality. A nice political movie that explores a time in Germany awash with corruption and conflict, caught on film for one final journey before the wall and its past fall with it.

The Legends o f Rita plays at Cinema du Parcfrom March 16th until March 29th.

O c e a n ia a t M e ta fo ria : a tim e o u t fro m re a lity Kiki Dranias Every time you try something new, do you get that same sense of excitement as the adrenaline starts to pump through your veins? Does the rush of the unknown start to make your head spin, as you realize

that you really don’t know what to expect?

I must admit that I have never been a commuter of virtual hori­ zons before. Virtual reality physical excursions and games have always been a bit of a spectator sport for me. Virtual reality I believed, was a

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little too post-modern for me to ity. Our voyage would commence, welcomed us aboard and began to attempt. But on this cold winter we were told, as soon as we were all navigate our voyage beneath the surface of the ocean to visit the afternoon the opportunity to sunken ruins of Ancient explore presented itself in a C E N T R E Oceania. place filled with technology, I was told by a 19 year-old where a few of my fantasies gendeman accompanying me could be played out, edited of on the voyage that virtual real­ course, on a digital format. I ity possesses a mythological was ready for the experiment. power of attraction. It’s the Who wouldn’t want to meet unknown, the power of the a Queen named Eladora in virtual technology, that can lift her chambers, while riding you off the ground and make on a 3D submarine? Even if you want to flail your arms the only thing connecting me around in the darkness to to this reality was an aston­ avoid the flying objects com­ ishingly world of imagery, I ing in your direction, remain­ was ready to explore ing strapped to your set the Archeomar’s Underwater whole time. Oceania and its Base. host of special effects, is about “The Oceania adven­ an advanced stimulation one ture not only equips you with gets from the sub-atomic parti­ life saving underwater equip­ cles floating around the virtual ment. You will also receive an galaxy, which are sometimes so audio headset upon entrance, Crystal Wreden quick, they nearly cannot be with a litde light mounted on Visitors to the virtual world seen. A virtual reality galaxy top of it, so that it turns on automatically, after the darkness scanned to make sure we were not can be found where the physical and material world collide, and sets in,” the lovely Miss Katerina carriers of microbes.

Our sense of excitement where limidess amounts of art meet was saying as we strained not to miss a single second of her every mounted as we put on our under­ adventure as harmlessly as in a command. As she demonstrated to water life jackets. The Oceania dream. us how to put on our equipment, experience begins with a de-briefing The Oceania virtual reality we fumbled with the casket-like of the civilization we were about to machine can be experienced at the contraption we had been given, the visit, its history, and how its people Metaforia Center, located at whole time listening intrepidly to spent their days underwater 15,000 698 Ste-Catherine St. West. her instructions about our impend­ years ago. The nonchalant Captain Admission rates vary with time. ing destination through virtual real­ Larsen and his strange pet Kami

22 A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

B lu e s s is te r s : w o m e n c e le b r a tin g w o m e n Kiki Dranias There is something to be said for being a girl that a boy could never understand, nor endure.

March 8 was International Womens Day, and whether you are tall and lean, or petite and volup­ tuous, you should have remem­ bered to gaze at your splendour in the mirror, to smile at your accom­ plishments and to commemorate our womanhood on this, and every day. Delight in the marvel that you are, ladies, wear ribbons in your hair and gloss on your lips, cause honey, there is definitely something about being a girl.

Those are the kinds of senti­ ments I armed myself with as I entered Café Campus to take in another night of the blues, and to hear five womenfolk captivate the audience with their message of female solidarity. The blues is a genre of music that needs to be vis­ ceral in order to make an impact.

The blend of irony and sadness nust be recognised on the first note n order for a soul to find its restingilace in a song. Who better than ive talented female performers to

drive that feeling home?

This is not to say that male performers don’t know shit about belting out the blues with the rarest of emotions, but sometimes a man can’t pull off that emotionally drenched hybrid of soul, sweat and tears like a woman could. Sorry boys, sometimes only a woman can truly do the job.

Dawn Tyler Watson, a familiar face on the blues festival circuit, kicked off Les Grandes Dames du Blues show with an upbeat little number titled ‘Everyday I get the Blues.’ It got the crowd jumping early into the night, and showcased Watson’s mischievous persona on stage. In a tight black dress, with feathers draping her shoulders and hips gyrating to the sounds of the saxophone, Watson sang her predilection of blues mixed with soul, R&B and funk. Her tune about a ‘Guy named Joe’ evoked memories of a time when female blues tunes were a saucy, bawdy roadhouse genre of music. Watson borrowed from this burlesque tradi­ tion, and rejuvenated it by incorpo­ rating a modern, updated twist, blending a fusion of soul and funk

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to the music.

The next performer, Canadian Rita Chiarelli, truly a “blues blast,” swept the stage with violent tunes of beautiful senti­ ment from the old school. Miss Rita hammered out ol’ blues stan­ dards with both power and finesse.

She shook the audi­ ence back to real­ ity by reminding us all of why we were there that night. “March 8 is International Women’s Day,” Photograph ©2001 James St Laurent — All Rights Reserved Dammit, them grrrls can sing! she said in her best attempt of Torontonian tune, which she performed with the blues.

As the show neared its end, all French, as she insisted we not to gusto while demonstrating the nofive ladies took centre stage. They holds-barred delivery of her 3 forget about the struggles that con­ were industries together, and octave pipes. tinue to plague women.

She through the heavy clouded smoke, Reading the name of the next slipped back into song with a which filled the air, the audience performer on the press release had unique version of ‘Mississippi Burnin” a classic rock ‘n’ roll blues me pondering my reading capabili­ could tell that they love to give a ties. Nannette Workman, a blues show. They shined throughout, performer? Perhaps being raised in presenting a great selection of Mississippi has inspired Workman catchy rhythmic and melodic tunes to try out the muscle of the blues. I with outstanding, and at times watched with trepidation as she unpredictable deep, swinging took the stage, and I must admit I groves. They ended the show with didn’t expect her performance to a collaborative version of ‘Mustang charm the pants off a Mother Sally’ and ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ a Superior. My hesitations were Janis Joplin classic.

The line-up of band members quickly put aside as she paid exem­ plary homage to Etta James with a in the Dawn Tyler Blues Project did a terrific job of supporting the vari­ tune titled ‘Damn Your Eyes.’

Her performance showed off ous musical styles of each per­ her party-time attitude, and though former. A big extra round of the beauty of her voice doesn’t quite applause must go to the gentleman chill you to the bone, Workman is who superbly mastered the talent of the kind of performer with a rest­ the saxophone, Eric Alain.

All in all, it was a fabulous lessness and an inability to settle with the initial response solicited evening that proved blues is not just from an audience. She didn’t flinch for brothers. away from the mike; she wound up skilfully keening her voice with suf­ ficient verbal precision to nail the audience’s approval of her version of

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TheMcGill Tribune presents its March lecture series Thursday March 15 at 5:30: Writing Reviews: Peter Cooney, Weekly Review editor of the M o n tr e a l G a z e tte

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Thursday March 22 at 5:30: Having a life as great as in Almost Famous: Skidmore, Arts editor at the H o u r Thursday, March 29 at 5:30: Ethics in Journalism: Dr. Enn Raudsepp, Director of the Concordia Journalism program All lectures will take place in Leacock 429.

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

U lte rio r m o tiv e s C in é m a d u P a rc's w in n in g A lt m a n re tro sp e ctive Marlowe, a typical 1940s private detective who faces the regular batch of challenges. Altman’s spin The recent crop of studio films on the story is that he takes has been disappointing at best.

Marlowe out of the ‘40s and plops Thankfully, Cinema du Parc’s spot­ him, wholly unprepared, into light on director Robert Altman 1970s Los Angeles. Constantly provides an alternative this month. chain-smoking filter-less cigarettes Although his films may not be for and appearing less than, pleased everyone, he certainly defies the with his surroundings, Elliot Hollywood paint-by-numbers pat­ Gould’s Marlowe is a fresh take on tern. an old character.

At age 76, Robert Altman has a In 1975, Altman released filmography that boasts over 40 Nashville, which was to become his films, an impressively long list of biggest critical success. The story hits and misses. The most recent comprises 26 different characters, miss was Dr. T and the Women most with their own story lines, and (2000), starring Richard Gere. Its takes place over a five-day long only redeeming quality is the weekend. Revolving around the bizarre yet oddly compelling ending lives of would-be country music that seems Utterly out of sync with stars, average folk, and a few politi­ the rest of the film.

In 1970, he made M*A*S*H cians, the film provides what Altman deems his “metaphor for after fifteen other directors had America”. One aspect of the film passed on the script. Altman was that works most convincingly is the intrigued by its negative portrayal naturalism of the actors. Altman of the war in Vietnam (although it often encourages his actors to con­ was thinly disguised as being set in tribute to the development of their Korea), and the studios willingness characters and improvise their lines. to leave him to his own devices.

In the case of Nashville, many of the Despite a cast of relative unknowns, actors did their own singing and M*A*S*Hproved to be a huge suc­ wrote their own songs in character. cess both with the critics and at the The filming of Nashville also result­ box office. ed in Altman’s creation of a multi­ Fresh off the high of his recent track sound system that allowed hit, Altman was given even more him to create layers of overlapping leeway by the studios and made a dialogue and sound effects that succession of films in the early ‘70s, added to the naturalistic feel of the none of which fared too well.

However, McCabe & Mrs. Miller film.

Altman’s 1993 hit Short Cuts (1971) is often cited as one of his also weaves the stories of a multi­ best films, and The Long Goodbye tude of characters. With a superbly (1973) is a solid example of his talented ensemble cast including genre-twisting tendencies.

Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Hewey Loosely based on the novel by Lewis, Francis McDormand, and Raymond Chandler, The Long Tom Waits, Short Cuts is the Goodbye is the story of Philip remarkable story of a collection of

Jenna Rinas

unhappy and uninspired people trying to live their lives. Memorable scenes include a phone sex operator shown ‘servicing’ a client while changing her baby’s dirty diaper, and a distraught ex-husband who takes a chainsaw to his wife’s living room furniture.

One of Altman’s most popular films is The Player (1992), a movie about movies. Starring Tim Robbins, The Player revolves around a ruthless producer who is receiving death threats from a dis­ enchanted writer. Every aspect of this film is made to mock the Hollywood system. Nearly every scene is introduced with a clue, usually in the form of a movie poster hanging on a wall, that tells the audience what sort of bad film the next scene will mimic. The film is a mix of stars playing characters, stars playing themselves, and stars playing themselves playing charac­ ters, all of which results in an amus­ ingly scathing look at Altman’s view of Hollywood.

Altman’s insistence on rear­ ranging genre conventions, con­ stantly reminding the audience that they are watching a movie, and refusing to deliver the expected unless it is done in an unexpected way, tends to alienate mainstream audiences and intrigue the more experimental viewer. The only thing that one can be certain of when they experience an Altman film is that they will be shown something unique.

Montreal is here all summer — with only one month of school left, everyone should take the time to check out campus-related events: March 13th to 17th: The Canadian Studies Department is holding a CANADIAN FILM FESTIVAL.Check out some patri­ otic cinema, chat with directors or support your fellow students at the student film night. Go to www.canadianfilmfest.tripod.com for a schedule of events.

March 15th to 18th: The ‘N IG H T & THE CITY’ confer­ ence, put on by the dept, of Art History & Communication stud­ ies, features short films, lectures and a slide show! Go to arts.mcgill.ca/ programs/ahcs/nigh-

tandthecity.htm for a schedule of events.

March 16th: Support your school by checking out PHASSION, an art and fashion show put on by Management under­ grads. Art, clothing, jewellery, scratch djs & hip hop dancers should amount to a fun evening.

The $20 pricetag is pretty steep, but proceeds go towards the Fondation Pour l’Amour de Sarah, which provides care & shelter for kids with HIV or AIDS. And finally, get your fill of Guiness and rowdy pub music this Saturday (ST PATRICK’S DAY) at Brutopia. Locals 139 South (including banjoist and Tribune Scientist of Sound Mike Ayles) will be kickin’ it 19th century style from 8PM until closing. There’s no cover, so bring your dancing shoes and your novelty pint hats.

G E O R G E S

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Cinema du Parc’s Spotlight on Robert Altman runs from March 9 through the end o f the month.

A&E 23

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

M c G ill D r a m a F e s t i v a l 2 0 0 1 F o u r is a n O d d N um ber I have always been one to bend >ver backwards to be nice to actors.

Whatever intentions a director or rater has in mind, it is ultimately he thespians who have to make the udience believe it. Actors can do ttle to make a mediocre script bet:r, can’t create drama where it doest exist, and are incapable of fasciating the audience with boring ties.

It’s unfortunate that the acting l Four is an Odd Number is of such high calibre, because the players re saddled with annoying characers of limited insight who complain r have meaningless and mundane iscussions with each other.

David Bowles’ play is intended, 1 think, as an exploration o f homo­ sexual relationships in the University setting. A character amed Peter, played by Cameron lerdman, begins the production ith a long monologue about his xperiences in gay relationships.

The problem is that nothing that he ,ays is interesting or insightful. He s made out to be a man who is

L o v e L ik e L a u g h te r The mystery of what we call relationship is difficult to unrav­ el. Come to think of it, perchance we do not really want to have it spelled so clearly out to us, because like it or not, relationships are messy and strenuous, and they make you do things that you despise when you’re in your true conscience.

Such is the theme in Love Like Laughter, a play written and direct­ ed by Jason Maghanoy. The two couples of the play are essentially going through the same kind of dis­ illusionment, despite that one has lasted much longer than the other.

Heather and Robert have been together for three years. Robert’s inability to stay faithful to her has caused some serious problems in their relationship, but they manage to stick it out. Nick and Sarah are both uncommitted, playful lovers who take pleasure in fun and adven­ tures more than anything else.

Their new relationship has put a string on them, requiring them to explore what the foothold of love is and their responsibility to each other.

The lovers are soon divided after the play commences. Robert and Sarah take a walk to discuss choices and exclusiveness, while Heather and Nick venture into the dangerous zone o f honesty and

interested in physics, but he comes off as a geek who watches too much B ill Nye the Science Guy. Two more characters, Sal and Aaron, are introduced in what has to be one of the most irritating con­ versations in the history of McGill theatre. Sal wants to find out if there is a class in session in one of the rooms in which she likes to study. Aaron, who is deep in study, wants nothing to do with her. Their “argument” goes on for what seems like hours as Aaron makes rude remarks and Sal becomes the hum an equivalent of screeching blackboard.

Neil Verma plays the irritating Aaron so well that you want to kill him. This isn’t his fault; he plays his one note role exactly as written.

Vicki Vinnitsky as Cass, a friend of Sal, adds some nice moments, but the script gives her nothing to do.

Though I admire the acting in Four is an Odd Number, I can’t recom­ mend this play.

-David Schanzle Four is an Odd Number plays with Meditations on Colour on March 14 and 16 at TNC

revenge. Both pairs are tormented by their desires for objects that should be off-limits. They debate whether to act on their desires is right or wrong. The big question looming on their minds is, can sex be just sex, without involving love?

The characters seem to have the answer, but not me. After watching the play, it was even more difficult to judge whether love and sex are separable. However, the unpre­ dictability and fickleness of relation­ ships is realistically portrayed in the Love Like Laughter. To entangle oneself in the web of love and its consequences is to give oneself up to being vulnerable and irrational.

During the first night of the performance, the actors were still getting used to the set, but I must applaud them since they proved to be graceful and professional in han­ dling some unexpected accidents.

In general, the ensemble creates good chemistry. Jamie McMahon is one talented actor you should watch for— he is wicked in his role as Nick. So, go, and experience love like laughter.

- Adam Brown Love Like Laughter plays with Intervention. See adjacent box for dates.

One weeper, one faker, one stiff-drink maker...

I n te r v e n tio n Should friends hold secrets from one another? Does human bonding depend on total honesty? W hat are the consequences of exploitation and lies between friends and lovers?

These are the questions that Intervention sets out to answer in its 75 min­ utes of intense drama.

This one-eighth offering of the McGill Drama Festival puts together six characters that are neurotic to the core, each with differ­ ent life burdens that promise to choke the whole group altogether. True, a struggling film student who throws an intervention party for her friend, is a perfectionist and over­ achiever. Her lover, Eli, is excessively fond of yelling out odd advertisements’ catchphrases and talking about sex like a 16-year-old. His soft-spoken brother, Seth, exists to be his tar­ get of abuse and insult. In the center of the intervention is Max, a cop that is undergoing some sort of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Chris is his fashionable girlfriend that demands sexual attention wherever she goes.

Her sister, Andie, on the contrary, commands nothing but self-assurance and confidence as a med suident living life at a hectic pace.

As the play progresses, the secrets each withholds from the others begin to surface.

Conflict, confrontation, and confession fol­ low. New liaisons are formed; old ties are

Ayla Khosroshahi

damaged. Through all this, each character comes to a new understanding of his or her own self as they reassess their relationships.

You are not alone if you think that this is a lot to cover in 75 minutes. The problem with the play is that there are too many prob­ lems in the play. While the perplexities and weaknesses of human emotions, and the rela­ tionships resulting from these conditions, are good subjects to explore, they demand thor­ ough characterization and dialogues that are focused and directed. The short length of Intervention makes it hard for the audience to digest all the subplots that are squeezed into the play. It would be less distracting and more powerful if the play focused on fewer prob­ lems Nonetheless, Intervention has much to offer. I very much enjoyed the stage arrange­ ment, and I found some o f the dialogues witty and funny. Overall, the actors have done a great job, although I would recommend that they speak a bit slower. O n another note, Eric Wynn, who plays Max, is all mysterious about whom the playwright is. Any guesses as to why?

-Steph Kwoo Intervention plays on March 13, 15, 17 at 8pm at The Player’s Theatre. Tickets are $5.

____________________The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

(Blue Skies Turn Black/Mintaka conspiracy)

Blue Skies Turn Black bring you Blake, a math-rock combo from Toronto with the help of friends The Mintaka Conspiracy (Firebird Band). Blake broke up last year, but only after putting down an amazing session of fran­ tic, assembled, emotional rock.

Combined with sessions dating back to 1996, this LP documents the group’s progression. Not only is their sound impressive today, but incredibly advanced for 1996.

Sparse bass lines cut up the pieces into definite blocks of themes while maintaining a pure tone, sine quality. The newer pieces layer guitar overtop while the ear­ lier tracks set lines against the bass, creating complex yet very defined blocks of rhythm. The drumming is jerky and tasteful, which can only be fully appreciated live.

Although vocals are rare, they take on the adored pleasant scream feel that defines emo music. Blake now exists as two thirds of Rocket’s Red Glare, a three-piece that takes up where Blake left off.

The Kiss Offs R o c k B o tto m CD

(Peek A Boo)

Shambling strum and war­ bling organ. The Kiss Offs draw the line somewhere between emopop and garage rock. These guys rock out from Austin, Texas with beautiful semi-serious songs writ­ ten on the cusp of radio play folly and genius. All of their songs are about kissing and many feature hand-clapped parts.

Recommended birthday present for your crush.

Propagandhi Today's Em pires, T om orrow 's A s h e s

(G7 welcoming committee)

“Conventional wisdom would have one believe that it is insane to resist this, the mightiest of empires... But what history really shows is that today’s empire is tomorrow’s ashes” Mumia AbuJamal. Propagandhi’s music is boring mid-90’s punk rock.

However, while most ‘political’ punk rockers are busy whining about petty scenester name drop­ ping, Propaghandi rocks the most mature and informed political views pressed to record.

Propaghandi’s ultra intelligent views cover a wide variety of polit­ ical issues, focusing on informed knowledge on the workings of economics and politics rather than

blasting the blatant anti-establish­ ment statements that gave the anarchist punk rock combination a bad name. G7 welcoming com­ mittee and the Winnipeg punkrock scene back this record with proof of pcftitive political action.

Closely related to these guys is Mondragon, a bookstore and cof­ fee shop named after the Basque town known for its network of workers cooperatives. Mondragon is a “participatory workplace” that aims to eliminate hierarchy and inequality in the workplace.

There are no managers or owner and everyone is paid equally regardless of skill or seniority.

Propaghandi also covers censor­ ship, the immigration and global­ ization hypocrisy, many facets of society and much more. This record will arm you with knowl­ edge. “Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don’t let our ene­ mies have guns so why should we allow them to have ideas?”

Music w ith Dr. Tom's Leather D e x t r o u s M c G ill s t u d e n t s p la y t o p a c k e d h o u s e

“Can I borrow that chair man, just for one song?” asked bassist Joel Wardinger of Dr. Tom’s Leather, this as they took the stage at the leg­

the exception of DeCamp, who finds his roots in rural upstate New York), the band has a pure and gen­ uine feel. Ballads of lust, love, loss and the journey it takes them on scatter their repertoire. Lead vocal­ ist DeCamp, adds to the sincerity of

endary Yellow Door on Alymer St. There was barely enough space for the band, as anxious university stu­ dents packed the basement of the longtime Montreal establishment.

What started out last winter as a duo of Wardinger and co-front man Zac DeCamp (guitar, piano, vocals) has recently evolved into an eclectic mix of musicians, with the addition of U1 jazz piano major Reuben Ghose (piano, guitar, and vocals) and McGill graduate stu­ dent Jaigi Mathai (drums).

With plans to record an LP in the near future, Dr. Tom’s Leather has already received a good vibe from devoted student listeners who were well represented at this sold out performance.

Hailing from Ontario (with

these emotional pleas, as the band reflects on relationships past and present.

Written on open fields, this array of honest poetry unfolds in snowy nights, staring out grey­ hound windows. In the wonderful­ ly arranged ‘Journey to Oz’, Wardinger takes lead vocals as he questions and reflects on his part in the game of life.

“The Bus just keeps on rollin, the snow just keeps on fallin, and I just keep on strollin,” he sings.

A diverse mix of influences is present in the band’s sound, with comparisons to Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground and the down home feel of Canadian music icons The Band. In an epoch where big busi­ ness, Napster and arena-pop flood

Adam Kaufm an

Fuck on the Beach E n d le ss S u m m e r LP/CD

(Slap a Ham)

The second record from Tokyo’s audio terrorists. Following the latest hardcore trend, F.O.B. pays homage to the classic 1980’s Japanese hardcore sounds of Gauze, Lipcream, and Outo.

These madmen are the best of the lucrative Power Violence genre crushing any opposition with bombastic thrash attacks. Plus, in the time it took you to read this blurb, you could have listened to about 13 of their songs.

Now Time Delegation W atch F o r Today LP/CD

(In The Red)

This is the soul garage super group featuring Lisa Kekelau (Bellrays), Tim Kerr (Lord High Fixers, Big Boys, etc) and mem­ bers of the Gospel Swingers. The group mixes up nicely crafted orig­ inals and well-chosen covers.

These tracks are recorded as raw as soul should be, with the band keeping high energy and a loose attitude. The organ playing is superb keeping the band well within the boundaries of authentic performance practice. As opposed to closely related the Bellrays, these guys forget about acting tough and kicking out the jams and concentrate on good, gritty soul music.

A&E 25

popular culture, independent bands like Dr. Tom’s Leather are the last vestige of integrity, freedom and soul in the current day music scene.

Gracing the stage where such awe-inspiring artists as Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen once stood, the band seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, cracking jokes with an amicable audience between songs. The friendly crowd, bob­ bing their heads and quietly listening, was all smiles, as the band worked through a set of mostly original material. The excep­ tion was an unre­ hearsed ‘Let it Be’ by a somewhat more well known quartet.

Lacking the “social lubricant” of alcohol, the Yellow Door offers compli­ mentary tea and coffee which seemed to satisfy the captivated crowd on this blustery night. The dark, burnt-out basement atmos­ phere and hardwood floors added to the extremely casual and wel­ coming environment.

Having played previous shows at the Yellow Door as well as appearances at the McGill Snow AP Festival, and Casa Del Popolo, the band is eager to play out as much as possible. Look out for these multi­ talented musicians as they continue to gig around Montreal and the sur­ rounding areas, with a booking at Club Zone on March 22, for an electric set that should be quite a treat.

A frobeat w ith Antibalas continued from page 18

though the drummer was no Tony Allen, the rhythm section remained powerful and driving and built-of some intense breaks.

During their three sets, the band played many of the tracks appearing on their album and, to roars of approval (largely my own), played a cover of Fela’s epic, classic and utterly transcendent ‘Colonial Mentality’. It was a moving experi­ ence to hear the brassy motive played live, but otherwise it was disappointing. Though Duke Amayo’s vocals are on the dot, he is not Fela, and the band cannot com­ pete with the size, intensity and experience of Africa 70.

Without the colour provided by the keyboards often used by Fela, ‘Colonial Mentality’ fell a lit­ tle flat. Fortunately, for their last tracks Antibalas, in the words of the

trumpeter, threw convention to the wind and ‘fucked’ with Fela.

Speeding up the rhythm, incorpo­ rating more funk and using the weed (Fela would smoke ounces a day), their last piece was magnifi­ cent and in the perfect world it would have never ended.

Unfortunately, the evening was not perfect. After waiting in line for an hour and fifteen minutes, my party was confronted first by a bel­ ligerent waiter and then an irate, screaming and unbelievably repel­ lent manager. Although we had paid our ten dollar cover, Quartier Latin is a bar and as such, we were told, we could either buy a drink or leave. Unacceptable. If you pay a cover you are under no obligation to buy a drink and in no situation is it ever appropriate for customers to be yelled at. Be warned that you can expect this sort of behaviour at

Quartier Latin. In the end, Antibalas was brilliant and this was event was forgotten. Indeed, Fela may be six feet under, but thanks to Antibalas the afrobeat is alive and well.

Get the latest in A&E news sent right to your inbox register at tribune.mcgill.ca

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L Tuesday, 13 March 2001 A l 1 g o o d th ii n g s m u s t c o m e t o a n e n d M c G ill h o o p s t e r s e n d t h e ir s u c c e s s f u l s e a s o n w ith a n 8 2 - 7 2 lo ss a g a in s t L a v a l Neil Schnurbach (STE-FOY, QC) One of the most frustrating things in sports is to follow a game plan perfectly and still not succeed. That’s exactly what happened to the McGill Redmen basketball team last Wednesday night.

Head coach Nevio Marzinotto was very aware that Quebec Student Sport Federation most valuable player and rookie of the year Charles Fortier of the Laval Rouge-et-Or torched his team for 28 points last Sunday afternoon.

To avoid a repeat performance, he had his troops employ a box and one defense. This strategy was suc­ cessful in limiting Fortiers produc­ tion to 13 points on four of eleven shooting on Wednesday. In spite of this, McGill still dropped an 82-72 decision to the Rouge-et-Or, in game two of the best-of-three QSSF finals, in front of nearly 2,000 rabid fans at the PEPs center in Quebec City. The win sent Laval to Nationals in Halifax while McGill players will be forced to watch it at home.

“We did what we had to do,” said a disappointed Marzinotto after the game. “I mean, when you limit the best player in the confer­ ence to 13 points you’re going to come out ahead most of the time.

We may have lost, but we worked hard today and all season. I’m real­ ly proud of the boys.”

Outside shooting was the real difference in this contest. McGill struggled from three-point land converting on only four of 21 of their long bombs. Laval, on the other hand, was a fantastic nine for 20 from beyond the arc.

The most damaging of these three-pointers for the Rouge-et-Or came with less than six minutes remaining in the game.

With 5:54 left in the second half, the Redmen actually held a 61-59 lead over the Rouge-et-Or. That is when veteran guard David Brownrigg stepped up his game.

Second team all QSSF center Marc-Antoine Horth kicked a pass out to Brownrigg who drained a three-ball. This gave Laval a 62-61 lead that they would never relin­ quish. Less than one minute later, Brownrigg stuck a dagger in the Redmen’s hearts with another three to give the Rouge-et-Or a 67-61 lead.

The Redmen clawed back in the game and managed to close the gap to within two at 69-67 but it

was Brownrigg again who buried McGill with another three with 2:10 remaining.

Brownrigg’s teammates and opponents were quick to heap praise on him.

“David [Brownrigg]’s threepointers were the key for us,” said Fortier, who added five rebounds to his 13 points. “He came up big when we needed him. McGill is a great team and they played well.

We needed those shots.”

“They executed from outside and we did not,” added Marzinotto.

“Brownrigg’s threes were crucial.

We just did not convert when we had to.”

Brownrigg finished the game with 17 points converting three out of four of his three-point shots. He was also second on the Laval with six rebounds.

The lack of a big body in the middle was another problem for the Redmen. The Rouge-et-Or have two players 6”7 or over who see sig­ nificant minutes. McGill’s tallest regulars are 6”5.

6”7 center Marc-Antoine Horth did the most damage for Laval. He was an inside presence all game and scored 26 points to go along with five rebounds.

“It was hard work that got us this win,” said Horth, a rookie. “We hit our inside shots and got the tough rebounds. We played a good fundamental game.”

M cG ill had ch a n ce s

While Laval may have won this game, McGill was not without its chances.

After the Rouge-et-Or built a 22-21 lead with 6:53 remaining in the first half, McGill went on a tear.

Nevio Marzinotto’s troops went on a 7-0 run led by the outstanding play of Kirk Reid. With only 2:55 left in the frame McGill led by a count of 34-27, and Kirk Reid had scored 16 points.

But then just like game one, Laval heated up and McGill cooled down to end the half. Instead of entering the locker room with a comfortable lead, the Red ‘n White let the advantage slip away until it was tied at 37-37 going into half

time.

Laval carried their momentum into the second half and built a 5044 lead. McGill rebounded though and went on a 10-0 run led by sophomore first-team QSSF all-star Domenico Marcario.

Marcario, who had been silent for most of the game, burned the Rouge-et-Or for eight points over this run. The Redmen led by as much as 59-54 in the second half.

This, however, set the stage for Brownrigg's heroics.

In a losing cause, McGill was led by Kirk Reid who had 16 points, all in the first half. Second team all-QSSF guard Frederic Bernard also had 16 while Marcario chipped in with 15 points. One player who was not his erstwhile self was exciting freshman guard Denburk Reid. The first team allQSSF point guard struggled to two of ten shooting and only managed four points. Reid was, however, all over the floor defensively and made some beautiful passes, which sparked his teammates.

McGill players were disap­ pointed with the loss but not with their effort.

“I thought that we played hard,” opined third year starting forward Pat Kieran. “They hit the big shots and they played well but we came out and gave it our all today. They just outplayed us down the stretch.”

The loss was a bitter end to what was an outstanding season for the Redmen. Expectations were not high for the Redmen after they finished with a disappointing 7-13 conference record last year. This year they rebounded to have 13 conference wins for the first time since 1988-89. In addition, they, had 19 wins overall, which can only be viewed as a great accomplish­ ment.

Next year’s team will be extremely competitive as well.

Brady Murphy, who finished his McGill career with nine points in only eleven minutes, may be the only player leaving. Senior forward Ari Hunter will probably play out his fifth year of eligibility. Fellow forward Andrew Bier, who has been injured much of this season, is not sure if he’ll come back.

Aside from that, all-stars Denburk Reid, Domenico Marcario and Fred Bernard will be back. As will former all-star and tremendous player Kirk Reid. Pat Kieran, Brent Prowse and Hidesh Bhardwaj are other players who saw significant minutes this year that will be returning.

“Next year’s a new year,” said Denburk Reid. “With most of the guys coming back, we’re going to be pretty tough to beat in this confer­ ence.”

“It was a good season,” added Kieran. “We were much improved and have lots of talent coming back for next year. We’re gonna come back and take this thing [the QSSF] next year.”

HEY SPORTS FANS! Only three more issues left to see your byline here.

Move it or lose it, buttercup.

3 9 8 -D O O M

G a m e n o te s M u rp h y g o e s o u t in style

In his last shot as a member of the McGill Redmen, senior forward Brady Murphy hit one of his trademark three-pointers.

While the game may have been out of reach, it was still a fitting way to end a glorious career.

Murphy, who was one of the Redmen team captains, was truly a leader on this young squad. In his last game, he scored nine points and added two rebounds in only eleven minutes.

Unfortunately, Murphy was in foul trouble throughout the con­ test and could not play more min­ utes.

S ix b u t stro ng

Although there were over 1,600 Laval fans at the PEPs cen­ ter and only six McGill fans, the Redmen cheering section held their own. Martlet basketball player Erin Mullan led the excited group. They were banging on pots and pans and generated a lot of noise, which was crucial for the McGill players’ intensity.

W h e re 'd th e ball g o ?

With the score tied at 50-50 and McGill in the middle of a 60 run, momentum was ceased because the ball got lost. An attempt by McGill hit the rim and then bounced onto the top of the backboard..... and stayed there.

Play was halted while the ref­ erees tried to figure out how to get the ball down. One rabid Laval supporter had a solution.

He took his rather large Laval flag and poked the ball until it fell to the floor. This got one of the biggest fan reactions of the con­ test.

S o w falling o n C e d a r s

Charles Fortier was not the only talented Laval player that McGill limited in this contest.

Second team all-QSSF forward Samuel Audet-Sow who torched the Redmen for 22 points at home last Sunday only managed eleven points in this contest.

Most of those came in the final two minutes when McGill was forced to foul the Laval players.

Sow did add nine rebounds to his total.

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Sports 27

M a m m a m ia S a n ta m a r ia !

T e a m le a d e r b rin g s h e a rt, d e t e r m in a t io n to th e M a r tle t b a s k e tb a ll g a m e David Schipper_______________ What Cynthia Santamaria lacks in height, she makes up for in heart.

A defensive workhorse who played nearly every minute of every game in recent seasons, Santamaria is also known as an outstanding three-point shooter. Her effort was total, and her commitment inspired everyone.

“What she brought to the team you can’t measure on a stat sheet,” emphasized coach Lisen Moore.

“She was by far the heart and soul of our team this year. She made everyone better, and made me a bet­ ter coach.”

This year, she became the inau­ gural winner of the Dorothy Nichol Award for Leadership, a scholarship provided to the student who best exemplifies leadership in academics and sports.

As one of the first female direc­ tors of women’s athletics from 1955 until 1970 and also as a founding director of the Ontario-Quebec Women’s Conference of Intercollegiate Athletics, Nichol was one of the most important pro­ ponents of women’s sports in the mid-twentieth century. Santamaria had the opportunity to meet and correspond with Nichol before her death earlier this year.

“Dorothy reminded me about how important it is to go back to your roots. It helps to know that there was something, someone that

was there before you to lead the way,” Santamaria reflected. “It was different for her [in the 1940s].

Even today, there are no awards for women really.”

The St. Leonard native began

playing basketball at College JeanEudes. Santamaria insists that she knew little about basketball at that point, and offers a humorous anec­ dote to back up her claim. She wore number 23, and everyone thought that it was a tribute to Michael

Jordan, also a guard.

“I had no idea who Michael Jordan was,” said Santamaria.

“Playing at the point guard position was fun, and since we were the first students to play basketball at this school, it was a learning process for everyone there.”

At John Abbott College, Santamaria was a health sci­ ences major and an indispensable con­ tributor to a suc­ cessful women’s bas­ ketball program.

“We had a dream team. We won the nationals the two years I was there,” Santamaria enthused.

While at CEGEP, it was Santamaria’s goal to pursue higher learn­ ing in her field, and one way to ensure her success was to work hard and get good grades.

“My most important goal was that I wanted to get into McGill. It was the only place I wanted to go,” Santamaria explained.

Santamaria was a natural fit for the Martlets as Moore once coached at John Abbott. In her first season with the Martlets, Santamaria

played back-up point guard.

Shooting guard is her natural posi­ tion.

“In my first season, I thought that the transition was going to be harder, but there were a lot of play­ ers to look up to, like Alison Schafer,” Santamaria said. “I was lucky to have [playing] minutes right from the start.”

This year, Santamaria began working at a laboratory at the Royal Victoria Hospital, helping a doctor with research on endocrinology.

Her older sister, a McGill graduate, works for a large capital corporation in France. Her parents have instilled a strong sense of family and com­ munity in her.

“My parents are my best fans.

They make sure that I do the right thing. I always go to them for advice,” Santamaria stated.

“She has her head on her shoulders,” Moore added.

Santamaria stresses her role as a team leader and guard, one who altruistically puts the effort of the collective as her top priority.

“I’m really a team player. I focus on what I have to do for the team and what people ask me to do,” Santamaria explained. “I have always been a defensive player. The coach can always count on me for defense.”

This past season was also Santamaria’s most successful offen­ sively. She made 47 out of 144 3point field goal attempts and aver­ aged nearly nine points per game.

On January 7 against Queen’s, she had a career high 20 points and made six 3-pointers.

Her coach explained what made Santamaria’s presence on the team so special.

“Her career here was not a suc­ cess [for Martlets basketball] but she is a warrior and a winner who never wavered from who she is,” Moore enthused. “She led us in every aspect of the game.”

In discussing her future, Santamaria talks about her career choice and what she will miss most about playing for the Martlets.

“I’m going towards a graduate certificate in biotechnology next year and work in that field,” Santamaria declared. “I’m going to miss the team room — getting ready for games, and after practice.

Everyone on our team really gets along — that’s what got us to grow.

We kept going at it.”

In wishing her teammates suc­ cess in the years to come, she had a special message for another leading guard on the team and for her coach.

“I’m hoping that Cheeka [Mitchell] will step up next year. I think she’s ready to take that leader­ ship role,” Santamaria enthused. “I want to thank Lisen for having con­ fidence in me and my abilities. She knew I could be a good leader and she pushed me in that direction.”

S p o rts b rie fs A li-K h a n lead s M c G ill te a m to se co n d larg est m e d a l haul

Continuing her string of excellence, Sarah Ali-Khan won one gold medals and two silvers to propel the Martlets Track & Field team to a seventh place fin­ ish at the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union championships held this past week-end at Sherbrooke.

Ali-Khan, struck gold in the 1000 meter, and anchored the 4X800 meter relay team to second place. She finished second in the 1500 meter run.

Over her three CLAU cham­ pionship meets, Ali-Khan has now captured four golds, three silvers and a bronze, breaking the record of six medals won by Dr. Linda Thyer.

Other standouts for the Martlets over the week-end were Emilie Mondour who earned allCanadian status with a silver in the 3000 meter run. She also was a member of the winning 4X800 relay team along with Zein Odeh and Genevieve Shurtleff.

Dawn Creighton also placed sixth in the triple jump on the women’s side.

The Martlets combined with the Redmen(12th of 26 teams overall) to win five medals, the sec­ ond best performance ever by McGill at the nationals. Their only higher medal haul was in 1998 when McGill walked away with seven medals.

On the men’s side, Yohsuke Hayashi earned all-Canadian sta­ tus with a silver medal in the 1000 meter run. He also anchored McGill to a fifth place finish in the 4X800 meter relay with Daniel Cohen, Ryan Beaton and Daniel Lennox.

A li-K h a n a n d H a ya sh i M cG illA d id a s A th le te s o f th e W e e k

For obvious reasons, Sarah Ali-Khan and Yohsuke Hayashi were named McGill-Adidas Athletes of the week. Ali-Khan was masterful as usual, capturing two golds and a silver at the CIAU track Nationals, while Hayashi notched a silver medal. Ali-Khan, Please see B R IE F S on page 29

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2 8 Sports

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

M c G ill's n e w s w i m m i n g s t a r E a s y g o in g S y lv a in L e m ie u x s e ts a s le w o f r e c o r d s Andrew Raven The first thing you notice when you talk to Sylvain Lemieux is how laid back he is for a world class swimmer. He’s the type of guy you could see tending bar at some two star resort in the Caribbean, wast­ ing away his days in the surf and sun. But nothing could be farther from the truth.

Lemieux is a 20 year-old fresh­ man from Boucherville, who has knack for setting records. He holds the Quebec record in the 400 meter individual medley, along with five McGill records including the 200 meter butterfly, 200 meter IM, 400 meter IM, 4x200 meter freestyle and 4x100 medley.

At the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union National Championships in Guelph, he captured a silver and three bronzes, by far the best show­ ing of his brief collegiate career.

Lemieux believes that the key to his recent success might actually be that he’s practicing less.

“I seem to be swimming less and getting faster,” he said. “Before I came to McGill I was practicing nine or ten times a week for 25 hours. Now it’s six times a week for about 12 hours.”

Lemieux decided to cut his practice time nearly in half because of his new scholastic responsibili­ ties.

“In CEGEP, I woke up at five in the morning, started swimming at 5:45 and went to school at 7:30,

where I did the usual, like sleep­ ing,” joked Lemieux. “It’s my first year in university so T wanted to swim hard, but still go to class.”

Ultimately, Lemieux wants to

pursue a graduate degree in psy­ chology and he realizes the incom­ patibility of swimming 25 hours a week and maintaining a decent GPA. “My swimming career will probably end before school does... so I want to make sure that I do well,” said the McGill rookie.

According to swim team coach François Laurin, Lemieux is adjusting well to the rigors of academia and atheletica.

“He’s a rookie ... and he’s just figuring out [university].

Sylvain has an excel­ lent work ethic and he’s been responding well because he’s tough minded. But he’s also easy going.” explained Laurin.

And that’s the paradox that appears to be Sylvain Lemieux. On one hand, you have a dedicated swimmer who practices thirty hours a week during training camp and on the other, a 20 year old freshman who jokes that his

worst experience in swimming was “losing my goggles when I was eight or nine.”

Lemieux has come a long way since he “got all his colors” as an eight year old at the neighborhood Red Cross swimming program. At twelve, he joined the Bourcherville Swim Club where he stayed until moving to CEGEP Edouard Montepetit three years ago. He also swims out of the Club de Natation du Parc Olympique, or as he calls it “that big thing that’s falling apart.”

Luckily for Lemieux, he gets to ply his trade in more exotic locals than a huge slab of concrete. He participated in the World Cup Circuit with stops in Berlin and Paris and was a member of the Quebec Team which went on a Mediterranean tour that included meets in Barcelona, Calais and Monaco.

“Swimming is a lot more pop­ ular in Europe,” said Lemieux. “In Barcelona I swam in front of thou­ sands of people. Over there, the pools are outside, which is a lot more interesting. I’d like to see them try that over here.”

Lemieux also participated in the Canadian Olympic Trials last year, an experience he considers both the best and worst of his life.

“The ambiance is great and there are so many people in the stands,” explained the young swim­ mer. “You’re competing against the best swimmers in the country so it’s great. But on the other hand, I did­ n’t do as well I as would have liked.

I started off well, but towards the end I fell off a bit. It’s tough know­ ing that you made it there, but did­ n’t do as well as you could have.”

Lemieux finished seventh in the 400 meter IM, but hopes to improve on that finish in three years at the trials for Athens.

“If you swim, the ultimate goal is the Olympics,” he said. “The times at the World Championships may be faster, but the Olympics have a certain prestige.”

For now, Lemieux is taking everything in stride.

“It may sound cheesy, but the key to being a good swimmer is to have fun. You can’t get up at five o’clock in the morning and put in 30 hours a week if you don’t like what your doing.”

“Eighty percent of swimming is technique: dives, flips, flexibility, shape,” added Lemieux. “The psy­ chological side is a lot harder to control. But with my degree [in psychology] maybe I can do my own introspection.”

T h e m a n w h o w o u ld b e k in g R o o k ie w r e s t lin g s e n s a t io n C a le b N e ttin g p u m p in g u p fo r N a tio n a ls th is w e e k Ed Glucksman “He’s our rookie of the year and our MVP.” Needless to say, McGill wrestling coach Rick MacNeil is a Caleb Netting fan.

“He’s got the skills to win national championships.

I’ve coached four CIAU [Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union] champions and I see him as the guy to beat in Canada in his third or fourth year,” said MacNeil.

“Within the first two weeks of the season we could tell he was for real.

His body tone, his skill and his will­ ingness to put in the hard work make him the kind of guy you love to have on a team.”

Netting is a first-year science student from Kelowna, British Columbia who is on academic scholarship. He is culturally edu­ cated, speaking Chinese, French and English. Netting began wrestling when he was in tenth grade, but initially wrestling was only a small part of his focus. In high school he also ran cross-coun­ try and played rugby, but upon arriving at McGill, Netting decided to concentrate on wrestling judging his 165 pounds too little for a suc­ cessful rugby career.

When Netting first began

practicing with the McGill team, he was shocked to find that unlike his high school, the university lacked a proper wrestling mat. While wrestling is blossoming at the high

dedicated athletes, and few more than Netting. Practicing four nights a week with the team and most other days on his own, Netting still does not believe he does enough to

school level in British Columbia, it receives litde attention at McGill.

What can’t be denied, however, is that McGill wrestling is a pro­ gram of intensely hard working and

be a top wrestler. “[He is] training like a mad­ man. I think he has missed two practices all year, incredible consid­ ering injuries are so common in

wrestling. His attendance blows away everyone on the team,” said MacNeil.

The lack of facilities at the uni­ versity are the reason the team must practice from eight to ten at night and must meet off-campus one night a week at a local athletic cen­ ter. Coach MacNeil does what he can for his team.

“I like our coach, he’s got lots of spirit and is a very passionate type of person. He is fundamental­ ly sound and does his best to do the right thing for the team,” said Netting.

Wrestling is often overlooked with other sports such as football, soccer, basketball or hockey receiv­ ing the bulk of the public ardor, something Netting is trying to do something about.

Netting does believe, however, that wrestling will simply never be able to compete with the other sports in the eye of the general pub­ lic.

“It is one of the oldest sports around but it doesn’t attract a lot of people, it takes a lot of individual work and there is not a lot of glory attached to it unless you are truly great,” commented Netting. “In team sports, you feel bad if the team loses, but in wrestling you are alone

and you lose alone” Netting also stresses that wrestling is a mental sport.

“Like all athletes, I like to win and hate to lose,” he said. “The mental aspect is huge, it is very dif­ ficult to go out there balanced, not too pumped and at the same time not too calm either. I’ve never had a match where I know that I couldn’t have wrestled better.”

This week Netting travels to Western for Junior Nationals. He is optimistic about the tournament despite scholastic obstacles.

“Lately, our training schedule has slacked off due to school work, but I’ll hopefully get some scrim­ maging time this week. Hopefully, I’ll be ready when I get to London,” he commented.

For Netting, who has four more years of athletic eligibility left, this year’s Championships will most likely be remembered as a prelude to a successful career. However, for the man who is capable of bringing wrestling to the front pages of sports sections, the future is now.

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Sports 29

G e t o ff y o u r fu c k in g a s s e s Out of Left Field

Neil Schnurbach I learned something while trav­ elling to Quebec City on Wednesday afternoon with the McGill basketball team. It was an important lesson. McGill sports fans suck.

It’s embarrassing. Last Sunday, Donald Love Competition Hall played host to the Quebec Student Sport Federation basketball finals in front of a crowd of 600 or so peo­ ple. While that may not sound so unimpressive, take into account that about a half of that number were Laval fans who made the trek from Quebec City to see the game.

Also take into account the amount of parents of players in attendance, as well as former and current

Tribune sportswriters and editors, players’ girlfriends/friends and play­ ers from other varsity teams. If you take away that amount, there were probably about two McGill fans who attended the game.

Contrast this with the University of Laval, where thou­ sands of people come to watch the team. They paint their faces in red and gold. Kids ask Laval players for autographs. They bring noisemakers and flags.

If you went around McGill’s campus and asked a random stu­ dent to name three players on the basketball team, chances are (s)he could not do it.

So what’s my point? McGill is a school that is about academics and not athletics right?

While that may be true, athlet­ be as well. McGill graduate Michael ics are something that brings a J Soles was a star in the Canadian school together. I have been to Football League. The list goes on schools in the United States like and on.

I play in a slow pitch softball Syracuse where people who have nothing in common interact just league that plays its games in the because of the athletic teams. “How same park that the McGill Redbirds do you think the Orange are going baseball team play their home to do this year?” they ask. At games. Amazingly, these high quali­ McGill, there is no interaction like ty athletes attract less of an attenthat. No one cares about the athlet­ dance than the finals for my softball ic teams and it is sad. It makes the league. Do you think that I’m play­ McGill campus just a big place with ing at the same level as Danny no real interaction between stu­ Stober or Pat Gonsalves? O f course not. But McGill students are just dents.

“Syracuse has athletes that too damned lazy to go out and sup­ make the highest level of profes­ port their sports teams.

“There is no marketing,” you sional sports,” you argue. “McGill argue.

Hogwash! While the market­ does not have athletes like that.” ing may not be tremendous, if you Well, that of course is not true. really wanted to know where and Former Redmen star J.P. Darche when McGill sports teams are play­ made the National Football League ing that information is easily avail­ with the Seattle Seahawks last year. able.

Heck, you can just call me at His younger brother and another the Tribune and I’ll tell you.

398former Redmen Mathieu Darche 6789.

Ask for Neil. has caught on with the Columbus The bottom line is this. McGill Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. Randy Chevrier of has an amazing athletics tradition. the football team will be playing Three of the four major sports in professionally next year. Eventually, North America have their roots in Greg Davis of the hockey team will ! McGill. James Naismith, the

R£ S r

a

founder of basketball was a McGill professor. The first ever football game was played between Harvard and the Harvard of the North. And of course, the rules of hockey were compiled by McGill students.

One would think that with this J rich history of sports at McGill that more people would come out and j support our athletes. They’re great.

They deserve your support.

Just imagine taking a regular McGill course load while practicing for your sport everyday and travel­ ling on many weekends. These guys don’t have it easy. They’re not get­ ting a free ride like athletes in the United States.

Instead of sitting on your ass and watching whining babies like Allen Iverson, Frank Thomas or Roger Clemens on a Saturday after­ noon, come to Love Competition Hall. Or McConnell Arena. Or Molson Stadium.

The Redmen and Martlets j deserve it.

j

iIRAK 1 514

8:00AMTO430PM D ta a k fi*

McGill Women’s Track Team finished fifth at the CIAU nationals this weekend in Sherbrooke

Patrick Fok

B rie fs c o n ti n u e d

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Only minutes from the McGill Campus 1010 Sherbrooke West Lower Level CIBC Tower (514) 285-2425 Montréal (Québec) H3A 2R7

continued from page 27

a native of Baie D ’Urfe who lived for a prolonged period in new Zealand is a 26 year old graduate student in Pharmacology, and Hayashi is a 23 year old Computer Engineering Junior from Brossard, Quebec.

N o rd ic skiing co m p e te s in La B aie

The McGill nordic skiing

team had a fairly successful com­ petition near Chicoutimi, Quebec.

On Saturday, the women’s team competed in the 10km clas­ sic. Emily Schonberg won a bronze medal in a time of 37:55.8.

Erin Fredland-Vallantyne finished in fourth while Sonja Osterjag fin­ ished in fifth.

In the men’s 15km classic McGill was led by Colin MacDonald who finished in sixth place. Martin Saidlaw finished in seventh while Patrick Merrett ter-

minated in eighth. Mathieu Laliberte and Paul Dawson were other McGill competitors. They wound up in tenth and twelfth place respectively.

On Sunday in the relay com­ petitions, McGill’s men finished in eighth of fourteen while the women finished in fifth of five.

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3 0 Sports

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

Prognosticator Schnurbach cuts through the smoke screens continued from page 1

conference.

Lastly, the UCLA Bruins may be one of the most exciting and tal­ ented teams in the tournament led by point guard Earl Watson (14.7 PPG) and guard Jason Kapono (17.4 PPG) but they come into the tournament on a bad note. They lost their last game to Washington and have lost two of their last four.

Hofstra, the America East champi­ ons have the longest winning streak in the NCAA with 18 games. They are led by Norman Richardson (16.7 PPG).

East Regional Finals: Kentucky 87 Duke 74

W est Schnurbs pick for the Final Four: Maryland Maryland has been playing great basketball recently except when they have had to play Duke.

The Terrapins will avoid that match-up at least until the final four. Shooting guard Juan Dixon is one of the best players in the coun­ try while senior forward Terence Morris is a star as well. Maryland plays in the ACC, which is proba­ bly the toughest conference in the NCAA. Stanford is a tough team but has a tough road to the final

four. A match-up with St. Josephs in the second round is an unenvi­ able task. Iowa State is not physical enough to go anywhere over the long haul.

First round upsets: Georgetown over Arkansas, St. Joseph’s over Georgia Tech (not really an upset) In what may be the best game of the first round, look for Georgetown to squeak by Arkansas.

7’0 center Ruben Boumtje Boumtje is a defensive force and Arkansas will not be able to score the easy inside points that they are used to.

This game can go either way but I’m saying that Big East power Georgetown will beat SEC power Arkansas.

St. Joseph’s the #9 seed will eas­ ily dispose of #8 Georgia Tech.

Both teams are struggling heading into the tournament with St. Joseph’s losing two of three and Georgia Tech losing three of five.

But St. Joseph’s has two star players in Marvin O ’Connor (21.6 PPG) and Bill Phillips (11.9 PPG 9.3 RPG) who will get this team back to its winning ways which allowed them to win the Atlantic 10 regular season title. If you’re looking for a big second round upset, I like St. Joe’s to advance to the sweet sixteen by beating Stanford.

West Regional Finals: Maryland 68 Indiana 54

M id w est Schnurbs pick for the Final Four: Arizona Arizona was Sports Illustrated’s pick for the #1 team in the country before the season and that was for good reason. This team has all the talent in the world. Center Loren Woods is back from suspension and a force at 7’1. He is complemented by power forward Michael Wright and shooting guard Gilbert Arenas.

This strong team started off the sea­ son in disappointing fashion by going 8-5- Since then they have gone 13-2 and have beaten power­ houses like Stanford. Look for this Lute Olson coached team to make quite a run.

First round upsets: Xavier over Notre Dame The Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish will be making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1990.

Don’t expect it to last very long.

Junior forward Troy Murphy is one of the best players in the nation but he cannot do it himself. Xavier comes into the tournament reeling

A n n u a l R edm en Touch Football T o u rn am en t

after losing two in a row but don’t let that fool you. Star center David West (17.8 PPG 11.0 RPG) will be able to neutralize Murphy.

After that, the support­ ing cast is proba­ bly stronger than Notre Dame’s.

This will be a tight contest but look for Xavier to come out ahead.

If you like upsets and are look­ ing for another one in this bracket, Butler and Wake Forest will be a tight game. I personally like the favored Wake Forest to take it, but this game can go either way.

still tough. Small forward Jason Richardson is now the key compo­ nent to this line-up and will have to lead the team to the Promised Land. He will take them as far as the Final Four. North Carolina and Florida, two top ten teams all year, will provide tough competition.

First round upsets: Gonzaga over Virginia, Temple over Texas, Providence over Penn State, Fresno State over UC Berkeley (otherwise known as Cal)

Midwest Regional Finals: Arizona 84 Kansas 79

South

Gonzaga has been the Cinderella story of the last two tournaments and they may make it three in a row. Senior forward Casey Calvary (19.0 PPG 6.3 RPG) is a great player and has big game experience. This high scoring team is facing Virginia who has no defense. Witness their 102-67 loss to Maryland earlier this month.

The Cavaliers are reeling after los­ ing two in a row. The Gonzaga Bulldogs will make that streak three

Schnurbs pick for the Final Four: Michigan State Amazingly, this section of the bracket sports both teams that made the finals last year (Florida and Michigan State) as well as North Carolina who made the Final Four. This makes the South brack­ et the hardest to pick. Matean Cleaves and Morris Peterson are gone from Michigan State’s cham­ pionship team , but this squad is

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 13 March 2001

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Regionals March 23 & 25

Second Round Sunday-March 18

First Round Friday-March IS

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Semifinals March 31

National Championship

Semifinals Mardi 31

Regionals

March 22 & 2; *

Second Round Saturday-March 17

T rib u n e M a rc h M a d n e s s

Sports 31

First Round Thursday-March 15

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John Chaneys Temple Owls have gotten hot at the right time winning the Atlantic 10 tourna­ ment. Their match-up against Texas will be a boring lesson in fun­ damental basketball. Look for coach Chaney to outfox his oppo­ nents. Lynn Greer ofTemple (17.9 PPG) will also be the most exciting player on the floor.

Penn State just beat Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament, but then against Iowa their defi­ ciencies were evident. Penn State could not rebound a basketball if their lives depended on it. Penn State guard Joe Crispin will be the best player on the floor but it will not be enough. Providence led by Karim Shabazz (7.4 RPG) will outphysical the physically unimposing Nitanny Lions.

W h a t’s on

West Regional Finals:

Michigan State 73 Florida 61 Final Four:

Kentucky 81 Maryland 77 Arizona 75 Michigan State 69 Finals:

Arizona 85 Kentucky 82 There you have it! My pick is Arizona. Tune in on Thursday and start watching the most exciting tournament in sports today. You won’t be disappointed.

Tribune March Madness Pool 2001 Pit your wits against our resident expert, Neil Schnurbach.

Use the above bracket and predict the winners.

Hand in your picks at our new office (Shatner room 110).

The deadline for entry is Thursday March 15 at noon.

The winner will get a special prize to be announced later.

“HEALTH MATTERS. W H O MAT­ TERS?” Gender, race, class and the politics o f health research and funding in Canada. Public forum , Thursday, March 15th, 2001, 7:00pm, Leacock 232.

International MEAT O U T DAY March 20, 200E For more info check out: ssmu.mcgill.ca /qpirg/earthsave.htm l or www.meatout.org Saturday 17th

Jess D obkin — Clubs Lounge-4th floor o f Shatner 7:30 - 9 PM

Wednesday 21st Potluck-Womens Union in Shatner, room 418 11 AM - 1 PM All are welcome.

T h u rsd a y 2 2 n d

Svend Robinson- Shatner room 302 2:30 - 4 PM He will be speaking on the topic of FTAA Alert.

Queer Grad Caucus Wine and CheeseThomson House 5 - 7 PM

Sunday 18 th

Queer Studies Potluck- Contact the office at 398-2106 for time and loca­ tion.

M onday 19 th

Q ueer Jeopardy- Brown room 1203 3:30-6 PM

Fraser Hall, and a performance of One Gay Angel and a Pregnant Woman.

Open stage for others to perform. If interested contact Stupendsmn@hotmail.com, or show up with material.

Building

Movie Night-Gert’s in Shatner 6-10 PM. Tentative movies playing John Greyson’s Zero Patience and Show Me Love by Lukas Moodysson.

Tuesday 2 0 th

CAPS Workshop - CAPS Office in the Brown Building room 2007 4 - 5:30 PM Coffee House - Yellow Door 7 PM Scheduled to appear Lesley Hoyles,

Panel Discussion- Arts Building room 145 7 - 9 PM The topic is “we’re here, we’re queer, what now? Examining the future o f queer activism.” The pan­ elists who are from inside and outside the McGill and Montreal queer com­ munities gather to take a look at the past and tell us what we are doing next.

Scheduled to appear are Richard Burnett from the Montreal Hour, Bert Archer, author of The End of Gay, and many others from the queer comm uni­ ty. Come with questions and be ready to learn.

Homo Hop-Thomson House 9 PM 1 AM A party for boys and girls o f all ages. Come out and dance and help us to conclude our first pride week of the millenium. Drivesafe will be available, for free at this event.

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