The McGill Tribune Vol. 20 Issue 24

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P u b lis h e d by th e S t u d e n t s ’ S o c ie ty o f M c G ill U n iv e r s it y

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Patrick Fok

‘We can live in my ca r.’ Students in the McGill community are vying for a very limited supply of housing (see story below)

H e lp le s s ly h o m e le s s A p a r t m e n t s h o r t a g e in M o n t r e a l w r e a k i n g h a v o c o n s t u d e n t s ' w a l l e t s hasn’t been this strained since 1985. desperately want to call home. Karen Born “We have knocked on every single door “The biggest problem is the shortage of in the ghetto and haven’t found a thing,” says apartments. I wish I had more,” says Dan Leases, subleases, landlords, tenants. Heather Connors, a U0 student who has Florescu, a superintendent who oversees four Although this jargon doesn’t match with the apartment buildings in the ghetto. “People posted an ad on InfoMcGill offering a cash usual end-of-the-year talk of exams and sum­ are willing to pay any price to live in the ghet­ reward to anyone who nabs her and three mer plans, for many McGill students the end to.” He said that people crowd his door daily potential roommates an apartment for next of the semester means apartment hunting for looking to snag a place by approaching land­ year. next year. “We saw other people who offered lords and superintendents themselves. This year’s demand for housing in the rewards and we’re hoping that someone will According to a Canada Mortgage and student ghetto — the neighbourhood Housing Corporation survey in late want to make money off their apartment by between Parc, University, Sherbrooke and des November of last year, the vacancy rate in giving it to us, rather than just giving it away Pins — is increasing, and the resulting short­ Montreal’s metropolitan region has been to a friend or random person.” age is reaching other Montreal neighbour­ Connors is one of the many exasperated chopped in half since 2000 — from 3 to 1.5 hoods. Those who have not yet secured a lease per cent. In the more trendy neighbourhoods, students who have roamed through the for next year are hitting the streets in search of like the Plateau and Mile End, the rate is McGill ghetto, ringing on buzzers and knock­ their very own, overpriced matchbox they so lower still. The rental market in Montreal ing on doors in search of lodging for next

year. These students are also those who sit anxiously in front of their computer screens, waiting for InfoMcGill to be updated with a new crop of mostly 1 1/2 to 5 1/2 apartments to call, only to find out that they have already been taken a couple minutes beforehand. “I have been here four years and I have never seen anything like this,” says Florescu. “Before I used to see ads of people who were looking to sublet their places, and now I see ads of people looking for places. It’s crazy.” Sifting through the often-incoherent multitude of ads on InfoMcGill can be frus­ trating and disheartening. Aside from the fact that the ads are often exclusively for summer subletting, everyone and their neighbour in Please see N O W H E R E , page 13

C o n cern ed abo ut safety? Q u e stio n s about security? A sk the experts: on hand in Leacock lobby from 10am-2pm. Ready to address your issu e s and offer advice. Detailed presentations w ill help keep yourself and your com m unity safe.

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2 News

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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Wine and Cheese RSVP: Deborah Smerek Stoddart Publishing, (416) 445-3333, 217 For more information about the book, please contact Angie Brookes, Stoddart Publishing (416) 445-3333, 351.

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Azmi Bshara, a Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament, delivered a speech on the situation of Palestinian minorities living in Israel entitled “The Myth of Israeli Democracy” last Friday evening. Rachad Antonius, an invited researcher specializing in MiddleEast politics at Univeristé de Montréal believed that Bshara’s speech offered a different perspec­ tive on the Israeli-Palestinian con­ flict. “In Canada, we often hear about stories from Jews in Israel or Palestinians in occupied territories. Rarely we hear stories from Palestinian people living inside Israel, and [the] constraints and hardships they are living under. Dr. Bsharas speech lets us see what’s happening in there.” Bshara argued that the democ­ racy in Israel is not a true democra­ cy despite its appearance as one in the Western media. He further observed that in Israel, the Palestinian minority remains underprivileged compared to Jewish counterparts. The Israeli state, Bshara said, has been a split state since its cre­ ation. “Palestinians living in Israel were forced to be Israeli citizens so that they could stay home. Even so, in many aspects today, Palestinians living in Israel don’t enjoy the same rights as Jewish Israelis. “We are the only minority group that doesn’t have a university. Palestinians have no bourgeoisie, no industry, no agriculture. Most of them work for the Jews to make a living. We are not equal citizens in Israel and we will not be equal citi­ zens.” In the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, Bshara said, Palestinians living in Israel have been subjected to great hardships. Their lives and properties are in constant danger. In October 2000, Bshara wrote a letter to Kofi A. Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, calling for the UN inter­ vention. “Palestinians are killed by Israeli police who are supposed to protect them. Their properties are burnt by Jewish rioters. It violates the International treaties on minor­ ity rights. I see no choice but to ask for UN intervention,” he said in explanation of the letter. One of the reasons for the prevalence of discrimination and violence against Palestinians in Israel, Bshara believes, is that Israel does not separate religious affilia­ tion from national affiliation. “In the Israeli Parliament, lots of the debates are on issues like who is the real Jew. Can you imagine in

Canadian Parliament members debate on who is a Christian, a Muslim and a Jew,” he said. The result of prioritizing eth­ nic affiliation, according to Bshara, is an apartheid model of rule in Israel, especially in the occupied territories. “In Israel, they grant automat­ ic voting rights to Jews who just went there while Palestinians who were born in occupied territories don’t have that privilege. The democracy in Israel is an ethnic democracy, a democracy of the Jews. How can democracy co-exist with apartheid in a society?” The solution to the problem, Bshara stated, is that the Israeli gov­ ernment has to recognize both Jewish and Palestinian nationalities and give the full citizenship rights to all Palestinians living in Israel. “Every state should be the state of all its citizens,” he declared. By coming to speak in US and Canada, Bshara hoped he could raise awareness of the people in North America on Palestinians in Israel’s plight, especially in the grass root level. “I do believe that public opin­ ions are important. Now we still can’t compete with Jewish lobbyists in US and Canada. But starting from the youth and grassroots level, with lots of international pressures, Israel will change. I think it can be done. Antonius feels that the Canadian government is not exert­ ing enough pressure on the Israeli government, despite its verbal con­ demnation of the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel. “In Canadian policies towards Middle Eastern conflict, govern­ ment says it has to provide security in Israel, but it has never said pro­ vide security for Palestine.’ They have their words on paper, but they are not acting accordingly. They don’t put any pressure on the Israeli government. In this way, I consider the government policies proIsraeli,” he said. Linda Charbonneau, a U3 stu­ dent at Concordia University shared her reactions to the speech. “I personally found the inter­ esting his ideas about lack of the idea of citizenship in Israel. I’ve read a lot about the Middle-East conflicts before, the lecture really helped me to understand the situa• » tion. The event was presented by the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus. Questions were raised about the timing of the event, which was held over the Jewish Sabbath, thus pre­ venting some Jews from attending.


The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

News 3

P r o t e s t o r s m a r c h a g a in s t p o lic e b r u ta lity the more extreme elements of the crowd chanted slogans of “No jus­ Montreal activist group tice, no peace, fuck the police,” and Citoyens Opposés à la Brutalité “Kill the police,” but for the most Policière staged a protest highlight­ part their words remained more ing police brutality in Montreal and subdued. Although this protest was far around the world last Thursday more peaceful than last year’s, when evening in the Latin Quarter. The crowd which assembled storefront windows were smashed first at Place Émilie-Gamelin, and over 100 protesters were arrest­ diminished somewhat to around ed, there were isolated incidents of 150 mostly young protestors, who aggression. Some marchers, whose marched past the Shed Café, where faces were covered with bandanas, in September 1999 a homeless man shoved a CBC cameraman and cov­ named Jean-Pierre Lizotte suffered ered the cameras lens with their a fatal beating at the hands of hands and picket signs. Other cam­ Montreal police. They also stopped eramen were not targeted to the to protest at the central police sta­ same degree. One of the protestors tion. When the marchers were argued with a photographer that he walking up St. Laurent, many shop­ had to have permission to take pic­ keepers and restaurant owners were tures, which is not the case since the oblivious to the nature of the event was a public protest in the streets. protest. The protestors’ unwillingness The demonstrators chanted to be recorded or photographed slogans as they marched. Some of apparently stems from last year’s

James Grohsgal____________________

much more violent protest, when tion, which, according to its web film from the commercial media site, views the police as a defender was used as evidence in criminal of capitalist interests against groups proceedings against some protes­ such as organized labour, the poor, the homeless, ethnic minorities and tors. When protestors spotted one homosexuals. Mike Leitold, secretary of the of many undercover MUC police officers in the crowd at the corner board of QPIRG McGill, took part of Sherbrooke and Parc, they taunt­ in the demonstration. “I went because I’ve had ed him and spat in his direction. Protestors also threw snowballs friends experience brutality at the at the police headquarters and hands of the police — from being patrol cars, but this is a far cry from hit with nightsticks to being pep­ the rocks and incendiary devices per-sprayed,” said Leitold. “I think that were hurled by the marchers the demonstrators showed a remarkable amount of restraint, last year. Luc Bulhumeur, a communi­ because the route went past the cations agent for the MUC police, police station that was trashed last feels that the protest was quite year. It showed that it’s possible to have an event like this without vio­ peaceful. “Nothing really happened,” lence.” McGill students have been the said Bulhumeur. “Everything went well.” On the reports of snowball victims of police brutality. On throwing, Bulhumeur simply said, Monday March 5, for example, a McGill student was approached by “Nothing was broken.” The COBP is a leftist organiza­ two Montreal police officers who

saw him and several friends urinat­ ing in an alley next to Peel Pub. The student said he didn’t have any identification, so the officers told him to put his hands on the hood of their patrol car to be frisked. As he walked to the car, he was allegedly kneed in the stomach, thrown to the ground and kicked in the side. “[The police officers] were obviously new to the job, and out to kick some shit,” said this first year student who wishes to remain anonymous. “They said they grabbed me because I had my hands in my pockets, but they could have just asked me to pull them out.” According to the student, the officers did not press charges against him after he asked them to explain their behaviour. — with additional reporting by Patrick Fok

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Im a g e s fro m th e F if th I n t e r n a t i o n a l D ay A g a in s t P o lic e B ru ta lity Photos taken by Patrick Fok

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4 News

T h e M c G ill T r ib u n e , Tuesday, 2 0 March 2 0 0 1

G e n d e r i n e q u a l i t i e s in h e a l t h c a r e h i g h l i g h t e d Nema Etheridge

Patriarchal healthcare systems and the aftermath of colonialism are to blame for the gender and class inequalities that exist in healthcare across the globe, assert McGill and community doctors and scientists. In a recent lecture sponsored by the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women, four panel experts shared their experi­ ences with gender, race, and class inequalities in the various health­ care systems across the world. The speakers brought in very different accounts of healthcare inequalities, drawing on experiences in the realm of scientific research, working con­ ditions as a healthcare provider and time spent-in developing nations. Dr. Daya Varma, a professor of Pharmacology at McGill, began with a general background on the basis of health research funding in Canada. "Researchers are competing with each other for funding. People are taking courses on how to write the proper grant, not how to do the proper research," he said. "The research funding is always based on the profile of the scientist," he said — a sentiment that was later echoed by scientist Donna Mergler. Mergler said she no longer puts her name as top researcher on a

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grant proposal because, as a women, she does not receive as much money as she normally could for a proposed project. "I found out that the best way to get money is for me not to be the primary researcher on the project," she said. She later cited a personal study she and a colleague had done that discovered grant proposals were far more likely to be approved as long as there was a male co­ researcher on the project.

Women don't have problems at the workplace? In a similar vein, Dr. Karen Messing shared her experiences with the amount of research done on female professions. Looking at the eight most cited journals on occupational health research, Messing found that of 1233 studies done on occupational cancer from 1971-1990, only 14 percent of the studies were concentrated on women. Messing believes her find­ ings are not uncommon in the modern realm of health research. "There is an absence of research on the occupational health of women, as well as problems that concern women and problems from a womans perspective," she said. Messing believes that women’s pains at the workplace are not reported because they are often­

G o v e r n o r s

W h a t is t h e B o a r d o f G o v e rn o rs ?

The McGill Board of Governors is the highest decision making body at the University. The Board consists of 4 5 voting members, as well as many non-voting members including the Principle and Vice Principles. There are five student represen­ tatives on the Board, including one from MACES (Mature and Continuing Education Society), the PGSS (Post-Graduate Students’ Society), the MCSS (McDonald Campus Students’ Society) and the SSMU (Students' Society of McGill University). The SSMU President also sits on BOG, but has no vote. W h a t k in d s o f is s u e s d o e s th e B o a rd d e a l w ith ?

Typically, BOG deals with major financial and organiza­ tional issues while the McGill Senate (the other major decision making body at McGill) deals with most academic issues. Since a wide array of subjects must be approved by BOG as a matter of procedure, a given meeting can cover dozens of campus issues ranging from approving the new McGill Athletics logo to discussing the University budget. Some financial and person­ nel issues are discussed in confidential sessions and thus cannot be disclosed publicly. W h a t a r e th e c u r r e n t is s u e s f a c in g t h e B o a rd t h a t a re r e le v a n t t o u n d e rg ra d e ?

Here are some issues of interest at BOG this year.

Contrat de Performance When the Provincial Government announced that it would start to (finally) increase funding for McGill, it mandated that an agreement be signed outlining the University’s priorities. Both BOG and McGill Senate have spoken about the issue, and had a special joint meeting to give recommendations for the contents of the final document. Some of the promises that were brought up in the final copy include:

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times not taken seriously. "Women are always thought of to be weaker...and that they con­ stantly complain. Therefore, when women have problems, they are not listened to," she said. "Also," Messing later mentioned, "womens jobs often times look easier." She specifically mentioned jobs, pre­ dominately occupied by women, that require them to stand for seven-eight hours a day, an action that does not appear too strenuous, but, Messing said, has devastating consequences. "Anyone that has ever had a job like store clerks, waitressing, or nursing, will know that constrained standing causes your back to hurt, your legs to hurt, and even your legs to swell." Because constrained standing has not been recognized as occupa­ tional health hazard, little research has been done on the pains associ­ ated with action. "No good solid studies have been done on standing. Therefore, there is no evidence that standing is bad," she said.

Health care and immigrants Evelyn Caluguay took the lec­ ture in a slightly different direction when she spoke about her experi­ ences as an immigrated nurse to Canada. Health care worker for

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Douglas Hospital and member of the Filipino Womens Organization of Quebec, Caluguay explained how government cutbacks affected landed immigrants with sick chil­ dren. Because budget cuts have restricted the amount of health care services for sick children, many mothers have been forced to quit their jobs to stay home with their kids. Caluguay believed that along with the cutbacks, the change of coming to a new country is difficult for some women to handle. "Healthcare is far from being universal," she said. "Immigrants from third world countries are severely affected because of differ­ ent cultural customs. Either they don’t know what’s out there or they’re not as eager to get to it as other permanent residents. It’s a throwback of colonialism, and many times they feel like they’re not worthy of the services."

Universal benevolence In a related presentation, Dr. Varma disagreed with the privatiza­ tion of health-care, citing experi­ ences in India as an example. "Proper healthcare does not depend on whether you have a hos­ pital to do a heart transplant or not...It is how the system is man­ aged," he said. He explained how India has some of the most sophis­

ticated hospitals in the world, but the entire population cannot bene­ fit from them because the system is privatized. "Whenever a two-tier system exists, the public health care system deteriorates," he said. Varma cited the health care system in Cuba as a positive exam­ ple. "Despite an embargo with the United States, Cuba has a health­ care system that no country can sur­ pass. It is because, philosophically, they are not looking at disease; they are looking at the health of the peo­ ple," he said, going on to explain how there are several doctor and a nurse teams within Cuba that are assigned to the healthcare of only 500 people. "Once the doctor and nurse know that someone is sick, they monitor them, and if something goes wrong, they send him to a big­ ger hospital. You don’t need sophis­ ticated drugs for general health­ care," he said, "it is not about the economy and the research; it is the political system that does the job."

The following is a brief update for undergrads on what is going on at the McGill Board of Governors. The Board is one of the most important, but perhaps least-understood, bodies at McGill. In light of this, I'll try to first give some background information on what the board is and what it does.

- Hiring 1 0 0 new professors per year for the next 3 years - Increasing the quantity and quality of student services- specif­ ically those relating to Francophone students - Building up strengths in new academic areas (bioinformatics, language acquisition and e-commerce to name a few)

Student Fees McGill tuition fees are not set by McGill, but by the Provincial Government (with the exception of international stu­ dent fees, which were deregulated last year). McGill does, however, set auxiliary fees. Last summer, despite opposition of student representatives, a $ 1 5 0 information technology and registration fee was passed. The issue of student fees is a sensitive one that should­ n't be taken lightly as it has a dramatic effect on McGill and its students. Many students have enough trouble paying for school as it is (over a third are on some form of financial aid), and even a couple of hundred dollars could have a critical impact. Yet the reality of our situation is that McGill is in dire financial trouble and the quality of our education is rapidly eroding. Consequently, many questions are raised. Are student fees too high already? If the government is not funding post-secondary education, should we? Would increasing student fees be more acceptable if loans and bursaries were correspondingly increased? So far, student representatives at McGill have, for the most part, attempted to reduce student fees as much as possible, or mandate student input in the process. Campus debate about this issue is important, as it will continue to be a major concern for students in the future.

Acceptance Rates This year the percentage of incoming in-province students at McGill has dropped below 5 0 percent. As we are funded by the Provincial government, some see this as a source of con­ cern. The actual percentage of CEGEP students choosing McGill is actually increasing, but the overall CEGEP population is declining at a faster rate. Instead of changing admission

standards, McGill is responding to the problem by marketing heavily to the francophone student sector. A related issue is the increasing admission rates. As two of the biggest undergraduate issues on campus have been lack of residence space and overcrowded classrooms, McGill clear­ ly does not have the resources to deal with the students it has, let alone an increase. Although talks about the residence prob­ lem have made it onto the agenda, this is a concern that stu­ dent representatives continue to bring up to the Board.

Investment Practices Some students have brought up concerns about McGill’s investment practices. Many see a problem with the University having ownership in corporations with questionable human rights records such as Talisman Energy. SSMU President Wojtek Baraniak and I are currently looking into addressing this concern.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Chris Gratto for being elected next year’s BOG representative. It is nice to see that the BOG position is getting more attention with each passing election — two years ago, BOG wasn’t even part of the debates. I hope this gives you a basic view of what BOG is and how it affects you. If you have any comments or ques­ tions, please don’t hesitate to email me at bog@ssmu.mcgill.ca. Matt Wyndowe SSMU BOG Rep

Opening presentations: This is often a presentation by a faculty Dean. Usually we hear about what has happened with the faculty, where it is headinq and why they need more money. Principle's report: Principle Shapiro summarizes the major McGill news since the lost BOG meeting and draws attention to issues and articles of interest Committee reports: BOG has several subcommittees including Audit and Finance, Building and Properties, the Principle Search Committee Their reports have to be ratified by BOG. Confidential session: If there is any confidential business it is dealt with in a dosed session. Open discussion: an informal discussion of a relevant topic.


The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

News 5

S ta r v in g s t u d e n t s s p r e a d a w a r e n e s s Jetty. “Like with the yoga class... reflect not only gave students time When you’re going through tough an event at McGill. “I’ve done this before in high we wanted to relax and reflect and to think about famine, but it also times, it’s nice to know you have allowed them to create a that group.” school, so I have a Only juice and water were Mark Corden, first year stu­ stronger relationship with strong interest in allowed to those med-school stu­ dent and international health liason each other. international health. dents who participated in a twentyfor the Canadian Federation of “We wanted to do And many of us have four hour famine last week in an Medical Students expressed some of two things at the same had the opportunity effort to spread awareness about his concerns about the future the time,” said Hussain. “We to travel abroad and world hunger. famine simulation at McGill. wanted to raise money [have seen] real Affiliated with the non-profit “One difficulty we’ve had with and awareness for inter­ hunger... So, we feel organization World Vision, nearly this, is that it’ s the first time that national concerns, the need to spread thirty medical school students gave we’ve done something like this, so because we thought the word,” she said. up food and raised money to help it’s sort of been a learning process. McGill’ s role on the inter­ “We saw poverty. We combat the increasing threat of national health scene is But, at least now, first-years like saw hunger, and the famine. not where it should be. myself can learn and hopefully rest of the world “We’re getting sponsored by But also, we wanted to carry this on for the future,” he should know what it family and friends...” explained create a greater atmos­ said. “The one thing we’re debating feels like.” Samir Hussain, a second year medphere of unity and soli­ is whether or not to stay affiliated The famine-sim­ student who helped organize the darity within the [med­ with World Vision or not. We could ulation was also event. “[A] lot of people have spon­ separate from World Vision and ical-school] classes.” accompanied by a sored students for the whole twen­ sponsor a local charity and then Jetty agreed and number of activities ty-four hours. And, our goal was a businesses within the community explained that getting that included guest thousand for the group, and I think might be more interested in sup­ closer to other medspeakers from World we’ve almost reached that.” porting [us],” he said. He also school students is impor­ Nema Etheridge Vision, presentations Starved altruists take a yoga break In addition to reaching a mon­ added that if the program spon­ tant. “Especially in medi­ by McGill improv, etary goal, Rahda Jetty, a second sored a local charity, instead of cine — we don’t see each other for find a quiet peace within ourselves,” and even yoga classes. year med-school student, explained going through World Vision, the weeks at a time,” she said. “You she said. “I guess we were trying to go why it was important to have such really need that support group. The opportunity to relax and Please see S C H O O L S , page 8 with a mood for the weekend,” said Nema Etheridge___________________

L ib ra rie s o n Roberta Yeo

The Library Improvement Fund Committee has begun to make plans to spend the one mil­ lion dollars it has at its disposal. Half of the money comes from students, through the McGill Students Fund that was created by a referendum two years ago. The other half comes from alumni con­ tributions. Seventy per cent of the money will go to the collections budgets of the various McGill libraries. The $700,000 will be divided propor­ tionally among the faculties accord­ ing to enrollment. This obviously means that larger faculties, like arts and science, will swallow up the biggest portions of the money. “In terms of how they’re divvy­ ing up the seven hundred thousand, we were a little bit disappointed about how it was going to work,” said Music Undergraduate Society’s VP Recreations Darren Fung. “It always seems like the small faculties won’t even have enough to buy a Kit Kat bar. I’m not saying we want 50 percent of the budget, that would be ridiculous, but because the other programs are so large, you’re going to notice ten new acquisitions for [other] faculties a lot less than you’d notice three or four in music.” Attempting to compensate for this, the LIF committee has decided to put $200,000 towards creating an equalization fund, with the aim of reducing the discrepancies in the services provided by different libraries at McGill. “[Basing the] division of the seven hundred thousand on enroll­ ment per faculty was one of the

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biggest things we had to justify,” said Ali Shivji, engineering senator and member of the LI.F committee. “It was very necessary for smaller faculties to get the attention they require, but this specific fund was taken from student money. We just couldn’t come to the conclusion that that money coming from the majority of students would go to the faculties with a minority of stu­ dents. The equalization fund was a great idea. We decided to have a fund where students, in conjunc­ tion with the head librarian of their faculty’s library, could apply for cer­ tain things by submitting proposals to [SSMU VP University Affairs] Clara Péron.” The tentative deadline for pro­ posals is May 5. The proposals will be evaluated over the summer so that accepted projects may begin in September. “We really wanted to make sure that wherever the money goes, it will be something that students want,” said Péron. “By having stu­ dent proposals accepted, the money will go to something students have expressed a need for.” Two projects that have already been discussed include providing a copy card machine in the Education library and developing a uniform system of cataloguing the Music library holdings. “[The system] as it is now is poorly catalogued — when we want to look for a score, it may be under the composer’s first name or last name, or it could be catalogued under the translated title,” Fung explained. “Just the other day I couldn’t find something because the name on MUSE was in German, and I don’t speak German! That’s a big thing, and were trying to push

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for an improvement right now through the LIE” The remaining hundred thou­ sand dollars will go to creating a 24hour quiet study space as part of the Library Information Commons to be created in McLennan-Redpath. The proposed renovations focus mainly on providing students with more access to technology — likely more computers with fast internet

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capabilities for access to online journals — and they will be funded primarily through private dona­ tions. “Most of the commons won’t be quiet study space,” points out Arts Senator and LIF committee member Fred Sagel. “We wanted to make sure that the number of seats for quiet study after the renovations would be comparable to what it is

now. “[Creating] a quiet study space is a way of showing our commit­ ment to the Information Commons,” said Péron. “It also helps enable the attainment of pri­ vate funds, and ensures that no matter what changes are made to the library, there will still be plenty of tong-hour study space for stu­ dents.”

McGill University Department o f Chemistry

The N inth A n n u al Visiting Speaker Venture Presents D R . P E T E R

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In d u str y :

I n d u s t r i a l C h e m i s t ’s V i e w ”

2:00 p.m.. Wednesday. March 2 1 st 2001, OTTO M AAS CHEMISTRY Building, Room: 112. (All are welcom ej For father information: Victor Nasreddine victorfn@hotmail.com Tel: (514) 398-8228

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Jen Sloan A president n e u -'-^ iijX ^ e x t e n s iv e knowledge o « « p ^ g ^ iz a t io n . After beinë ,ir3 ^ ^ » ^ the AUS for the p a ^ t fw k jjft a fs , including acting as ■ S p ' 'nal this past year, sitting) feulty of arts and many other iïfittees I have become familiar i every portfolio in the AUS. I will ; experience as well as many |new ideas to this job. I will work on promoting COM MUNICATION through the creatiljJNirf a publicity coordinator and monthly mass emails, as well as increasing the ACCOUNTABILITY of this organ­ ization. Vote for a strong representative, Vote Jen Sloan.

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I N athan Naidc I A s VP a c a d e m i& ^ B p i” .*? make I more studen* - a v ^ ^ ^ ^ -’^ h a t this (position work for (th em . f l ^ V c w V n i r d year of univerIs if m. g » q u e ntly, am familiar Iw it N o B v C T the issues faced by stug p lw n e n confronted with bureaul y and inflexible rules. I hope to 5êe my influence to push issues Isu ch as extended library hours and more sensitive exam legislation. I am recepi ; ^ any suggestions A rts students m ay have and am not a fr iR to defend your interests. If you want strong, informed, vocal representation VO TE NATHAN NAIDOO.

Ian M a tth e v ^ SINGLE W H I T R ^ ^ l Æ g ) , seeking male of itidents for a s e r io u t w ^ ^ ^ ^ A la t io n s h ip . I am a 5 "i I P : Taurus, and am ^ ^ t e ^ ^ S f S S M U and A rts Frosh, « f g R l p l m s , Walksafe, and others. ! creative ideas, long walks on l e beach, listening to others, canId le lig h t dinners, and ju s t having fun! II will be available to satisfy your "needs beginning March 21-22 at polling s JSSTs. If you like what you hear, and want to find eat m o re f visit www.geocities.com /ian4internal or email me at ian4internal@ hotm ail.com . IAN 4 INTERNAL for a good time!

Ml jS e th Offenh f i t "

to be job. vote fo r me.

JM y name and 1 (g re w up ■, a V Y»* TJity. I enjoy (lo n g beach and M ets | g | j i | ^ * p k ) een involved in ( o r J ^ f e J I S n s throughout high U M T Th is year I am vice presi| n o f M cConnell Hall. I still (h a v e n 't declared a m ajor but will (p ro b a b ly choose history. My shoe |size is 10 _ and I would really love I will bring a stro n g com m itm ent to the i work well with the other A U S VPs, so please

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Rachel Telch To the A rts S tudents o f M cGill, Talk is cheap and when it com es down to it, it’s actions th a t really matter. By representing A U S , it is m y hope to act as a m outhpiece for A rts S tudents and their interests throughout the M cGill com m unity as well as the population outside of (th e university g ates. A s the largest (co m p o n e n t o f the stu den t popula­ t i o n , the A rts Faculty d e se rve s to have their needs heard and th eir d esires m et. I can make th at happen. Sincerely, Rachel Telch

o r/E a st decided to ira tio n at AU S help stu den ts at Th is year, I reprejÿ^îhe Linguistics departm ent ]S . I think I would be a good ISTdministrator because I like order. | l’m not obsessed by it, but I gener............... ........... ..............|ally keep things neat and tid y in my p e rs o n a ilg | § in d th a t's how I would want to keep the AU S : neat and la y . I prom ise I w o n ’t w aste any paper in the office!!

W e all have our com plaints. W e all have ou r new ideas. I refuse to m ake e m pty p rom ises though. Ju st sayin g th a t cla sse s are too big and th at research is to o much o f a pri­ ority d o e s n ’t g e t anyone anywhere. In reality, M cGill places a greater em phasis on teach in g than a lot of com parable u niversities. In reality, M cGill is strapped fo r ca sh . These problem s a re n ’t e a sy to fix. I have an idea fo r a firs t step. A p a thy is a huge problem , and m y goal fo r my political ca reer at McGill is to give us a reason to care a little more.

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I Rachel De Lorie (T h e main responsibility o f Arts repreJsentative to SSM U is to communicate (th e needs of Arts students to SSMU (council. In my three years at McGill, I (have been involved in student life and (observed the separation between faclu lty societies and SSM U. By being a (stro n g voice for A rts students as well (a s bringing issues from SSM U to (A U S , I plan to bridge that gap. My I experience has taught me the benefit o f cooperation, negotiation and initiation of new ideas and proj­ ects. Given the chance, 1plan to utilize this e experience to benefit every A rts student. Think Communication, Think Communication, Think Rachel De Lorie.

M atylda Gawor This year as Communications Com m issioner I have gained consid­ erable experience in organizing Open Meetings, a student survey and revamping parts of the SSM U web Jsite. If elected, I am committed to enthusiastically representing A rts stu­ dents on AUS and SSM U council. I plan to advocate and advance our interests and work on improving the feedback mechanism s for arts stu­ dents. thus being fully aware of all issues that affect us. Having experience as chair of Com m unications and Events Com m ittee and m ember o f the MGRA, I have the commitment and the knowledge to make our voices count. VOTE MATYLDA for your A rts Representative.

R e p Joshua Gedacht M ost o f you are probably tired of elections and clicked slogans, so I will try not to bore you. My name is Joshua Gedacht, and I’m a UO stu­ dent. W hile I have no experience in student governm ent, I’ve been active in Am nesty International, Santropol Meals on W heels, the Yellow Door Elderly Project, and NDP McGill. I w o n 't make prom ises I ca n 't keep, but I will work tirelessly to be an Independent A rts Voice for progressive causes. Please con­ tact me at 398-3010 ext. 00485 orjsgm cgcan@ hotm ail.com if you have questions, and vote for Josh as AU S Rep to SSM U.

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Nicholas Buccelli

Jeff M azin I am a 2nd ye a r poli-sci student doing a m inor in psychology. I enjoy long w alks on the beach, su n sets and am esp ecially intrigued by the political system at M cGill. I volun­ teered for the A U S External com m it­ tee this year and am the current President o f the Inter-Greek Letter (c o u n c il. I always give 100% to (e ve ryth in g I get involved in and would not sign my nam e to anything or run for any position unless I planned on doing the jo b to the best of my ability. S im ply put, I go hard or I d o n 't go a t all. Thanks

to

S S M U

M ik e Simpson Our student governm ent doesn’t work. A t other universities across the country student governm ents act to mobilize students, to offer them a : voice and to fend for their interests. Why is it that every time we hear of the SSM U they are doing exactly the opposite? Signing "Cold Beverage , Agreem ents" behind our backs, lock­ i n g out our newspapers and raising lo u r student fees at the sam e time other student groups are fighting for a tuition freeze. I believe in student government and that it should be a progressive force on cam pus. This is the voice I want to bring within SSM U.


The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

M IT s t u d e n t , a l u m Brian Loux The Tech (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)__________

(U-WIRE) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Usually six lines of text won’t get you more than a poor poem, but it thrust Massachusetts Institute of Technology student Keith J. Winstein and alumnus Marc H. Horowitz into the middle of a major controversy. The two mem­ bers of the Student Information Processing Board created a very small program that decodes DVDs and has reopened the debate on computer code, copyright laws, and freedom of speech. “We see source code as a recipe for a process, like a cookbook recipe is a process for food, and we think that is protected [by the First Amendment],” Winstein said. As expected, the program has drawn fire from the Motion Picture

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Association of America, the trade association for the motion picture industry. “It would not make sense to me to design a code that purported­ ly breaks current copyright regula­ tions,” said MPAA spokeswoman Emily Kutner. She said that the MPAA would say nothing further than “we are aware of the code and we are looking at it and discussing it.” Kutner seemed skeptical that the code actually worked. Horowitz and Winstein said that they have shown the code in operation during a seminar held in January. “Our main point was to show the incongruity of six lines of code, something that can be written on a napkin or put upon a T-shirt and declaring it a circumvention device,” Winstein said, also calling such reasoning “preposterous.” All DVDs are created as scram­ bled information that can only be

F ifty v o t e s l e a d Nema Etheridge

Despite an array of interpretive dances and a strong sense of humour, The Red Herring candi­ date, Nick Dolf, was left behind in the race for VP operations, as Raoul Gebert and Kent Smith vied for the position. Smith was narrowly defeated by Gebert after a long night of tal­ lying votes two Thursdays ago. The race had teetered between the two candidates until the early morning when Gebert finally learned about his victory. “I think we found out at about 3:30am. It was pretty intense because it switched around during the night,” he said, remembering the rest of the evening. “I was in the lead at the beginning. Then the Management votes came in. Kent is

Kenneth Spillberg 584 Jeremy Farrell 2 3 2 4 D.J. Waletzsky 533 Ramzi H. Hindieh 372

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Mp O #% A)

J55 '

VP University Affairs - Fred Sagel 1179 Jennifer Bilec 1311 ’ Liz Wright 717 Thierry Harris 383

VP Community & Government Affairs Danielle Lanteigne 2231 Aaron deMaisonneuve Rami 978

c ritic is m , p r a is e a f te r DVD h a c k unlocked by a DVD player, pre­ venting the user from manipulating the DVD video or saving it in unencrypted form. In the past, pro­ grammers have designed more com­ plicated programs to crack these codes. During the months of November and December, Winstein and Horowitz designed a program that would descramble the DVD code and subsequently allow one to watch DVDs on free soft­ ware. “We were programming in Perl, and one of the things to do with Perl is to see how much you can condense your code,” Horowitz said. The two immediately took up the challenge and were able to con­ dense their program initially into seven lines of code. Over the next month, the seven lines became six. Horowitz noted that “in order to descramble the DVD, you will

need a key that is not a part of our program, but is available through other software.” These codes were initially discovered when an anony­ mous German hacker reverse engi­ neered a commercial DVD decoder. Winstein created a seminar to discuss the present legal and techni­ cal aspects of todays computer code copyright regulations. “On the first day we generally discussed the various weaknesses and flaws of the algorithm,” said Winstein, who headed the seminar. During the class, he handed out the six-line code that descrambles all DVDs. The next portion of the seminar included a panel discussion with Winstein, MIT professor Harold Abelson, professor Jonathan Zittrain of Harvard Law School, and David Barr of C-Cubed Microsystems, a member of the DVD Copy Control Association. “We then discussed the legal ramifi­ cations of codes like this and the

feasibility of restricting the distribu­ tion of algorithms, or computer recipes, in the future,” Winstein said. Though no official legal charges have been filed against Winstein and Horowitz, the MPAA may soon file suit. According to sec­ tion 2.1 of the Guide to the Ownership, Distribution, and Commercial Development of MIT Technology, the Institute will not take part in any legal dispute. Winstein said that “our origi­ nal goal was to play DVD under a GNU/Linux Operating System, which we accomplished.” In regards to possible disputes, he said, “[this] will hopefully add to the debate about whether code is free speech or not... we think our First Amendment rights will be upheld in this instance.”

G e b e r t in to V P o p e r a tio n s

a management student, so obvious­ ly he carried that constituency. Management kind of crumbled my lead after 12am, and then, after a while, it would swap back and forth between Kent and I. “It was completely crazy. It was insane. You’d keep waiting for each poll to close to see who was going to take the lead next,” he said. “On Friday it was still strange because I didn’t know if there was going to be a recount or not... it was only a dif­ ference of fifty votes.” This difference of fifty votes was contested last week, resulting in spolied ballots for both Smith and Gebert. At the end of the recount however, Gebert won by the origi­ nal margin. Feeling behind Smith in the race was a trend for Gebert. “If the current executive sup­

President

News 7

ports your opponent, you feel like you have to catch up,” he said. “I noticed obviously, that I was no part of the establishment. But, I have to say, Kevin [McPhee] was very supportive. He’d always answer my questions and offer help when­ ever I needed it.” Despite having a strong cam­ paign, Gebert did not feel ahead of the “establishment” until the debates. “Overall, I did a lot of cam­ paigning, and it was well received,” he said, though later added," [the] debate was a big point where I noticed most of the people... were much more responsive to whatever I was saying. Then, I realized I was okay.” It was during the debates that Nick Dolf, Gebert’s other oppo­ nent, stole audience attention

VP Communication & Events Eytan Bayme 536 Scott Medvin 514 Jennifer Famery 1083 Brian Ker 1260

Science Senator

Music Senator

QPIRG Referendum

Gabriel Rebick Yes 127 No 5

Yes 2 4 3 0 No 594

Board of Governors Dentistry Senator

Bethany Fisher 1039 M artin Doe 2381

Rakesh Khanna Yes 10 N oO

VP Operations

Engineering Senator

Nick D olf 756 Raoul Gebert 1311 Kent Smith 1266

Ayman Afanah 218 Joseph Ayas 289 Ali Shivji 323 Ian Fichtenbaum 102

Basel A bul Sharaf Yes 2 No 0

Law Senator

Arts Senator Kinga Grudzinski 348 Michelle Dean 456 Nicholas Buccelli 278 Nick Linardopoulos 369 Anne-Marie Naccarato 5 3 6 Nicholas Peters 261

advances had been made, drawing on the outcome of the election as evidence. “Maybe since some of the non­ establishment candidates won, like Jennifer Bilec, Martin Doe and myself — who actually represent clubs and services — there is some sort of legitimacy back in the whole process,” said Gebert. Finding legitimacy in the elec­ toral process is no longer an imme­ diate concern for Gebert, though. Now he must get ready to take office as VP operations. “I want to have maybe a week or two where I can have some dis­ tance from it. I have some school work that I need to finish up, then I’ll be able to start working with [McPhee] to see where I need to go next... I’m going to try to do as much as I can to prepare.”

Ahmed Abou Chaker 153 Julia Finkelstein 411 A m it Grover 5 1 0 Dean Elterman 351

Medicine Senator VP Clubs and Services

through interpretive dances and horoscope readings. Obviously affected by The Red Herring’s jocular campaign, Gebert commented on their approach. “There’s two things that I say about The Red Herring campaign. One point is why did they... mock the electoral process? They obvious­ ly did that to make a point that there is a problem with the whole process, and I would agree. There is a question of relevance of SSMU to the student body. “That’s just the easy way out, though — to make fun of it and ridicule it. It’s much harder to make changes and fix things. That’s cer­ tainly something that The Red Herring didn’t address.” While recognizing that the SSMU electoral process needs work, Gebert also suggested that

Management Senator Wassim Moukahhal 199 Andres Friedman 2 9 6

Jodi Ettenberg Yes 148 N o 19

Zach Dubinsky 1460 Chris Gratto 1949

Financial Ethics Research Council D avid Mitchell acclaimed Adam Lukofiky acclaimed Khurram A hm ad acclaimed

SSMU Referendum

CKUT Board of Directors

Yes 2383 N o 1525

Michael Zakon

McGill Legal Info Clinic Referendum Yes 1985 N o 1426

acclaimed


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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 UCLA set to drop tobacco stocks

Queen’s Commerce students facing 20 percent tuition hike

(U-WIRE) SAN FRANCIS­ CO — A policy to exclude tobacco stocks from the University of California at Los Angeles’ investment portfolio sailed through the University of California Board of Regents’ committee on investments on March 7, encountering no opposition. The prospect of the University investing in tobacco stocks as it moves a slice of its investments into index funds, prompted opposition from health groups, as well as from some students and members of the faculty. Speakers from all three of those backgrounds used the public comment period to voice their opposition to that possibility, but the action taken by the committee proceeded with no discussion other than one regent’s informational ques­ tion. The University’s President, Richard Atkinson, cited “the convergence of a number of factors,” including financial risk, health issues, the current practice of the UC treasurer and the availability of tobaccofree index funds as reasons for adopting the policy.

KINGSTON, ON — Queen’s University will charge its Commerce students 20 percent more tuition next year, and fees will increase by the same per­ centage the following year, after the University’s Board of Trustees approved the hikes at a meeting two weeks ago. Also facing steep tuition increas­ es were Medicine, with 23 per cent, and Law, with 20 per cent next year, 10 per cent the follow­ ing one, and 15 per cent in 2003-04. Commerce students present at the meeting complained that they must pay Commerce fees for courses taken in other facul­ ties like arts and science. All fac­ ulties are facing steep tuition hikes since the Ontario govern­ ment deregulated tuition fees for students in professional pro­ grams.

— with files from Benjamin Parke, Daily Bruin (U. California-Los Angeles)

S S M U 's

— with files from the Journal (Queens U.) Epidemic forces Michigan State U. to cancel trip

(U-WIRE) EAST LANSING, Mich. — The overseas outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which has Europe entangled in agricultural troubles, is also causing problems for Michigan State University students.

A summer semester Study Abroad program, Food, Agriculture and Environmental Systems, slated to be held in the United Kingdom and Ireland has been temporarily canceled because of the epidemic. Foot-and-mouth disease slows the growth of stricken animals, reduces the production of milk and meat in infected animals and is highly contagious. Although it can be fatal to ani­ mals, the disease presents no danger to human beings. Edward Ingraham, acting direc­ tor for the Office of Study Abroad, emphasized danger to students wasn’t what inspired the programs’ cancellation. “It is not being done because there is a risk to the students’ health,” he said. “These pro­ grams have been canceled because the facilities that the programs depend on are no longer accessible.” Ingraham said the Office of Study Abroad also consulted with officials from the College of Veterinary Medicine to ensure foot-and-mouth disease poses no health concerns for students.

N e w s B rie f Science Undergraduate Society elects new execs

With the completion of the Science Undergraduate Society elections, the executives for the 2001/2002 year are set to take upon their responsibilities. The top executive office, the SUS presiden­ cy went to Aanan Misra; VP Academic to Collette Ward; VP external to Nik Vikandi; VP

— with files from Steve Bossi, The State News (Michigan State U.)

Internal to Tami Yamashita; VP Finance to Brian Smilovici, and VP Communications to Josh Vostenbosch. The SUS representa­ tives to the Students’ Society of McGill University council will be Dan Kapeluto ahd Claire Owen.

O t h e r s c h o o ls

s e t e x a m p le

continued from page 5

med-schools in the country, actual­ ly rallied and raised money for the recent earthquakes in El Salvador and India. McMaster raised like $2000, whereas we got like $300... other people are definitely doing things, so we figured it might be time for McGill to start doing things as well.” Jetty would like to see the charity famine spread across more faculties at McGill, but is unsure that med-school students would be able to sponsor it. “I don’t know. It’s a lot of work when you’re in school trying to keep your grades up. Although, it would be great to see people in Shatner ballroom, doing this sort of thing for 30 hours.”

allocation of donations would be much easier to monitor.” Such programs exist in univer­ sities across Canada, and Hussain believes that McGill could actually stand to improve theirs. “Personally what helped me decide... was actually talking to people from other universities, like McMaster or U of T,” he said. “Different schools have interesting plans... showing a greater implica­ tion of social activities on one level and community involvement on the another, which is something that I thought we were lacking,” he said. He used other medical schools response to the recent earthquakes in El Salvador and India as an example. “[All] the

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nees

G u y A w a rd A c tiv ity o f th e Y e a r CASCO Inti Festival for Humanity (IMF) Crystal Cocktail Lounge

N e w C lu b o f th e Y e a r M cGill Indo-Pak Students Association (MIPSA) (acclaimed)

C a m p u s G ro u p o f th e Y e a r P re s id e n t o f th e Y e a r M cGill Legal info Clinic

csus UNSAM

C lu b o f th e Y e a r Debating Union SALSA The Project

C o o r d in a to r o f th e Y e a r Sarah Rachlin Pat Padgen Talya Schapiro

F a c u lty o f th e Y e a r MUSA (Music) AUS (Arts) MUS (Management)

Jen Bilec (MISN) Martin Doe (SALSA) Melissa Buban (SOAR)

P u b lic a tio n o f th e Y e a r The Bottom Line The M cGill Tribune

S e n a to r o f th e Y e a r Fred Sagel (acclaimed)

S e rv ic e o f th e Y e a r MISN Queer M cGill Players' Theatre S S M U C o m m itte e o f th e Y e a r University Affairs Committee Community and Goverment Affairs

V o lu n te e r o f th e Y e a r Rahil Suleman Yoon Jun Kim

W e b s ite o f th e Y e a r www.savoy.ca mcgilltribune.com musonline.com

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C o n g ra tu la tio n s to a ll the n o m in e e s . a n n o u n c e d o n M a r c h 2 6 a t the 2 0 0 1 the M o ls o n B re w e ry* .

W in n e rs w ill b e G u y A w a rd s a t


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T h e I n te r n a tio n a l C rim in a l C o u r t Shehryar Fazli

The McGill Law Journal host­ ed Canadian ambassador to Sweden Phillipe Kirsch to discuss the International Criminal Court as part of the journal’s alumni lecture series. During the talk, entitled “Negotiating an Institution for the Twenty-First Century: Multilateral Diplomacy and the International Criminal Court,” Kirsch reflected on whether the Rome Statute, the statute of the Court which was finalized in 1998, is a success or a failure. Kirsch considered four dif­ ferent perspectives in approaching this question: that after years of failed attempts the Court was estab­ lished at all; whether the provisions of the statute are satisfactory; whether the Court enjoys enough support; and the prospects for the Court in the future. The United Nations first rec­ ognized the need for an interna­ tional court as early as 1948, when domestic institutions proved incompetent when it came to trying international fugitives charged for war crimes and genocide. Kirsch explained that while the need for such an institution has been present

for a long time, it has only recently been made possible. According to Kirsch, the sig­ nificant factors that obstructed the adoption of a formal statute were

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The [ICC] is a success in itself,” he said. “It is a victory of civil socie­

spread of genocide, and the growing problem of drug trafficking in the 1990s, many states began to appre­ ciate the need for a body to tackle these issues. Thus, Kirsch considers the mere establishment of ICC as a defining moment for the interna­ tional community. “The [ICC] is a success in itself,” he said. “It is a victory of civil society.”

The statute's provisions

ty— Philippe Kirsch

individual states’ concern for their own sovereignty which would be threatened by an international tri­ bunal; the zero-sum conflict between the world’s two super pow­ ers during the Cold War, and their unwillingness to negotiate; and many states’ belief that their domes­ tic laws superceded all others. Kirsch explained that with the end of the Cold War, the major powers began to cooperate in adopting a set of laws for trying international criminals. With the start of the Gulf War, the sudden

E d it o r ia l

Kirsch spoke about the long negotiating process between states in finalizing the terms of the ICC’s statute. He claimed that although major crimes including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humani­ ty, crimes of aggression, violence against children and the fair repre­ sentation of men and women fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC, the Rome Statute should have a broader area of administration. For example, some states such as India opposed any provision prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons. Other poorer states involved in armed conflict, while agreeing to a ban of nuclear arms, refused to abide by any restriction on the use of biological or chemical

B o a r d

weapons. Despite the failure of the Rome Statute to meet all expecta­ tions, Kirsch argued that having a more limited statute is better than nothing. “The ICC...is weaker,” he said. “But weaker than what? An abstract model that never existed?” Kirsch also discussed the sig­ nificant step that the statute has taken in repealing immunity for heads of state and heads of govern­ ment. He pointed to the recent trial

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O n e-h u n d red -th irty nine signatures should he taken seriously... The signatures symbolize a c o m m i t m e n t . — Philippe Kirsch

as proof of such a trend. Before concluding his lecture, Kirsch commented on the support the Court enjoys from 139 states, and the ICC’s prospects for the future. “One-hundred-thirty-nine sig­ natures should be taken seriously,” he said. “The signatures symbolize a commitment... The ICC is going to go a long way in shifting us from a culture of impunity to a culture of accountability.” Dean of Law Peter Leuprecht mirrored Kirsch’s view, stating that the ICC marks a trend towards an international community united by shared values and opposed to grant­ ing exceptions. “The old idea of immunity for heads of state and heads of govern­ ment has been taken away,” he said. “The Rome Statute is a success, contained by the surprising high number of signatures and ratifica­ tions. .. [I believe] the ICC will be a fair and not a political body... This is a historic negotiation. It is a his­ toric achievement.” The ICC is expected to be in full swing in two years.

of Chile’s former head of state, General Augusto Pinochet, in a UK court for crimes against humanity

a p p l ic a t io n s

The McGill Tribune is seeking applications for the 2001 - 2002 editorial board a v a ila b le p o s itio n s :

News Editor Assistant News Editors Features Editors Entertainment Editors Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editors

Campus Editor Photo Editors On-line Editors Production Manager Layout Editors Science Editor

Applications should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, and submitted by 4:30pm on Tuesday March 27, 2001 to the T r ib u n e ’s office. Please submit a cover letter and any other documents that support your application (e.g. article clippings, photo samples etc.).

T H E M c G IL L T R I B U N E •

fax 398.1750

new

office:

Shatner University Centre 3480 McTavish, main floor, room 110

Interviews will be conducted during business hours from March 28 - 30. Job descriptions are available on our website at http://tribune.mcgill.ca/apply

tel 398.6789

Submit applications to our

From the main entrance, stay left of the staircase, walk to the big adver­ tisement on the wall, turn right, we're the first door on your left.

email tribune@ssmu.mcgill.ca

http://tribune.mcgill.ca/apply


10 Op/Ed

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

Opinion

Editorial

Letters____

E D IT O R IA L “A house she hath, ‘tis made o f such goodfashion, The tenant ne’er shall pay for reparation, Nor will the landlord ever raise her rent Or turn her out o f doorsfor non-payment; From chimney tax this cell isfree, To such a house who would not tenant be?” — (Anonymous) For Rebecca Bogess, Folkestone (August 22, 1688)

W h y y o u c a n 't f i n d a n a p a rtm e n t d o w n to w n Jonathan Colford

Amidst all the hullabaloo over how no one can find an apartment remotely close to school this year and how students are bidding hundreds of dollars at auctions for first dibs on Ghetto dumps, everyone seems to have forgotten the root cause of Montreal’s downtown housing shortage: rent control. And a shortage it is. Vacancy rates on the island of Montreal have fallen from a stable three per cent in 2000 to an anemic 1.5 per cent in early 2001. La Presse reported in January that there were approximately 7,000 vacant apartments in the city, which has a population of 1.1 mil­ lion. The problem lies with the operation of Quebec’s rental board, la Régie du Logement. Because landlords operate in a regulatory environ­ ment that effectively prevents them from charging market prices for their apartments, little new housing will likely be created in the near future and the shortage will only worsen. There is no incentive to invest in real estate when revenues, which in residential housing come solely from rent, are prevented from rising to meet costs. In order for the market to stabi­ lize, revenues must be brought to a level where they match costs, and demand must match supply. It will take larger rent increases to accom­ plish that. La Régie has traditionally been stingy with rent increases. It rarely recommends hikes above two percent. In 2000, the recommended increases ranged between 0.6 and 1.1 per cent. For 2001, landlord lobby group l’Association des Propriétaires du Quebec demanded eight percent rent increases to help them meet additional costs such as maintenance and fuel. La Régie refused, yet acknowledged the landlords’ complaints about being unable to recoup their heating-oil costs, which the APQ says have climbed by 50 per cent last year. This year, oil-heated dwellings will see their rent increase by 4.8 per cent. In the case of the Plateau, landlords now face an increased demand for housing units that until recently had drawn little interest except from students, working class families, and a colourful assortment of hippies and starving artists. The influx of mostly young workers in Montreal’s burgeoning New Economy sectors is one cause of an increase in quanti­ ty demanded for apartments in newly trendy neighbourhoods. Downtown Montreal’s economic revitalization has created more jobs there and has equally increased demand for housing in the area. Legislators need to realize that real estate is a business, not a charity. Students feeling the effects of the shortage should not blame those who pay or take bribes or bid high at apartment auctions. Instead, they should look towards a counterproductive regulator to answer the question of why they can’t find an apartment downtown this year.

A A HI I HT1D I D ! I TV 1 C 1 H t lV iv _ V r I L i L i I \ l D U IN E

ttt t t

I would like to express my dis­ satisfaction with the coverage that the Tribune has given to the SSMU elections. Probably many students did not know until the moment that they were casting their ballots, that the election for the faculty rep­ resentatives to the McGill Senate were at the same time as the elec­ tion of SSMU executives. However, there was no coverage whatsoever of the senate elections in the several issues of the Tribune that included articles on the election. Although I can understand that it is not possi­ ble to include an interview of each candidate running for senate, due to space constraints, there should still be some sort of coverage (apart from the pen sketches), mentioning

Flenry Mills U1 Science

Perhaps you should go beyond your band-wagon bitterness about boy bands and do some research. The lyrics to the song you men­ tioned are “a mermaid out of water, feeling out of place” NOT “a mind made out of water...” that you crit­ icized for being “obtuse” and implicitly stupid. While you may critique bands like O-Town for not being up to par on what the music industry val­ ues as artistic, I hear that in jour­ nalism they value research and fac­ tual accuracy in their writers. Try again. Alana Tiemessen U3 Honours Political Science

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Applications should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, and submitted by 4:30pm on Tuesday March 27, 2001 to the Tribune’s office. Interviews will be conducted during business hours from March 28 - 30. Please submit a cover letter and any other documents that support your application (e.g. article clippings, photo samples etc.). Job descriptions are available on our website at http://tribune.mcgill.ca/apply Submit applications to our new office: Shatner University Centre, 3480 McTavish, main floor From the main entrance, stay left of the staircase, walk to the big advertisement on the wall, turn right, we're the first door on your left.

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at least who won in every faculty. As a student I don’t feel informed enough about what’s going on in senate, and I know a lot of students who have no clue what senate is. The fact that this election was not mentioned at all in the SSMU’s official newspaper does not help to solve this problem. We should know more about what McGill’s highest academic decision-making body is all about, and who our reps to it are.

Please see STOP THE PRESS, page 1 2

Editor-in-Chief John Salloum

Assistant Editor-in-Chief Rhea Wong Features Editors Shirlee Engel C a m p u s E d it o r Ian Speigel Jonathan Colford Entertainment Editors Grace Carter Marie-Hélène Savard

0-Town Review

Poor election coverage

David Blazer, Karen Bom , Judith Drory, Carolyn Freem an, Jenny George, Gooblar, Ricky C. Gordon, Jam es Grohsghal, Mimi Gross, Ayia Khosroshahi, Raquel Kirsch. A ndre le g a sp i, Katie McLaughlin, Surabhi Rawa), Will Renner, David Schanz.le, Crystal W reden, Sarah W right, Roberta Yeo, Dan Zacks.

W e accept submissions in tw o categories: 'Letters to the Editor' and 'Stop the Press.' Letters m ore than 200 w ords or submissions for Stop the Press m ore than 500 w ords m ay not tie printed. The Tribune w ill make all reasonable efforts to print letters to the Editor provided that space is available, however, w e reserve the right to edit them for length. The Tribunew ill print one ‘Stop the Press' submission each w eek o n a first-com e, first-served basis. If additional space is available, w e may print more. Submissions must include author's name, signature, identification (e.g. U 2 B iology, S SM U President) and telephone num bef and be submitted on disk in Macintosh or IBM w o rd processor format, b y e-m ail o r through ou r website. Submissions judged b y the E ditor-in -C h ief to be libellous, sexist, racist, h om opho­ bic, o r solely prom otional in nature, w ill not be published. C olum ns appearing under 'E ditorial' heading are decided upon by the editorial board and w ritten by a m ember o f the editorial board. A ll other opinions are strict­ ly those o f the author and d o not necessarily reflect the opin ion s o f The McGill Tribune, its editors o r its staff. O p in io n s expressed d o not necessarily represent those o f the Students' Society o r o f M c G ill University. Pleaserecyclethis newspaper. A dvertising O ffice : Paul Slachta, 3600 rue M cTavish, Suite 1200, Montréal, Q u éb ec H 3 A 1Y2 Tel: (514) 398-6806 Fax: (514) 398-7490 E d it o r ia l O ffice

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"Hey, would you rather go to school naked... or eat a maggot-filled pie?" aked! Eeeew, just saying the word maggot is enough to make someone want to hurl. I’m not just copping out to the drug-free kids in the garage (by the way, I think they should be allowed to play with the last boy who brought the evil narcotic into their circle of trust). Since the third option of skip­ ping a column for a week wasn’t avail­ able... going to school naked is a far better option to eating a maggot-filled pie. I’m not running off to join any nudist colonies or anything, but at least there’s precedence to the act...who eats maggots? (unless you’re competing for $1 million against a bitchy woman and a sexy Texan) Going naked could be a fashion state­ ment, that being: none! Other people will be more embarrassed than you will - and besides, why should you hide that work of art under your H&M shwoosh pants or pseudoAsian-Nevik wear? Bare it all baby, and be proud of it!

N

O f course, I would probably never voluntarily take a nude tour around campus, but don’t forget though that the alternative is eating maggots. On the one hand you might feel a bit drafty, or even a bit bouncy - at least you don’t have to chew little squishy beings that subsist from garbage waste. Add to the fact that you’re likely to bring the maggot feast back up before digesting — who wants to feel fresh maggots and regur­ gitated maggots over a little indecent exposure? Yep, naked is definitely the better option. In depth analysis, statistical readings and circle researcher Ronnie Tate have demonstrated that a buff strut would be more palatable than a maggot meal. Oh, one last thing, it might ease your experience if you ask that kid for a few drags before you strip down and head towards the Milton Gates.

recent anti-drug adver­ tisement offered wouldae pot head a choice: either they could go to school naked for the day, or else eat a pie full of maggots. Well, I’m here to suggest that eating the pie full of maggots would be the better alternative. Let me start by saying that I don’t like pies, and I’m not especially thrilled about maggots. Nevertheless, I think it would be a preferable alternative to going to school sans-dothes. The way I see it, the heating at McGill has never been ideal. In addition to some obvious problem (shrinkage, freezing to the seats), you also have the additional dilemma of being naked in front of some professor who interprets your nakedness as a sign that clothing is now optional. Not a pretty pic­ ture. Moreover, how bad can eating a maggot be? I watch Survivor, and those folks eat bugs like every eighteen minutes or so. Also, any half-decent pie is served with a side of ice­ cream, so that should help wash down those little critters. Actually, I think the producers of the commercial let us off to easy. There are way more difficult question to ponder, and I’d like you to take some time out to think about the following choices:

Would you rather: • never be able to leave Gert’s...OR never be able to leave Peel Pub (which may happen if your feet get stuck to the floor)? • only be able to speak like Yoda...OR breathe like Darth Vader whenever you are nervous? (both would be equally bad on first dates). • rather walk in on a room-mate in an inti­ mate situation... OR have a room-mate walk in on you? • rather walk in on all your room-mates together (if you know what I mean?)..OR have to find an apartment in late August? • watch the Beatles re-unite at OAP...OR Elvis come back at SnowAP? • be the hairiest person ever..OR the smelli­ est person ever? • be unable to get drunk...OR be unable to smell? • win an SSMU election..OR have the flesh­ eating virus for a day? • have detachable limbs..OR have extendable limbs? • write a really lame column...OR not hand in anything for a week?

S p e a k i n g t h e C a n a ju n w a y P ut on

y o u r to q u e

and

lu m b e r ja c k e t b e fo r e

three and half years, my major is finally complete. And in retrospect, The I can say that the programme has O uth ouse of been great. However, with the perC o m m en ts j petual disagreements prevalent between academics, students and D avid M arshall society, it has been virtually impos­ sible for me to concoct a succinct identity by which our country can espite a number of obvious be defined, and on which few dis­ D differences, Canadians agree. Indeed, this task necessitated often have a hard time dis­ some contemplation of my own. tinguishing themselves from Then one day, as I reflected Americans. Indeed, hockey, beavers momentarily on the distinctiveness and good beer are what usually of Quebec French, the decisive come to mind as the most quintes­ place of language in determining sential Canadian attributes. one’s identity and experience — Molson’s jo e — a 21st century ver­ and thus in the establishment of sion of Johnny Canuck — only one’s nationalism — suddenly over­ reinforced this perception by reiter­ came me. And so I wondered, could ating the most conspicuous and language do the same in terms of stereotypical characteristics of the English Canada? Could language typical Canadian. facilitate a definition for what it is Personally, I like to think to be Canadian? Well, there is no question that there’s a lot more to this nordic land than a few superficial differences. In Canadian vernacular or Canajun as fact, it’s been my life long endeav­ it is often referred to — does have our to explore this great northern many particularities. There do exist dominion called Canada, hoping words, for example, that only one day to extract the most effica­ Canadians use and thus under­ cious way in which to determine stand. Typical examples are, of her most basic uniqueness. In other course, chesterfield, pop, eh, hoser, words, I so badly want to define the tuque and washroom. But there are Canadian identity and experience. many others of which you are sure­ At the conclusion of my first ly not aware. Candy floss, back year, upon declaration of my bacon, beaver tails, lumberjacket, majors, I thought that I’d come up and railway fall into the latter cate­ with one of the best manners in gory, but the list is literally infinite. which to succeed in my journey: to With a 4000 character column I study Canadian studies. Now, after can only go so far!

ta k in g

In addition to nouns, there are specifically Canadian verbs as well, which are usually verbs to which Canucks have added ups, outs and downs. For example, to freeze-up is exclusively Canadian, as are to take­ off, to buzz off and to drown one. In addition, verbs such as to canoecamp, to logdrive, and to frenchify are distinct to our country, as a result of the environment in which we’ve been forced to live. O f course,

th a t t w o - fo u r in to surroundings are the perpetual cause for colloquialisms, as many of these verbs suggest. There are also nouns whose presence can be attrib­ uted to this very factor. Our proximity to the woods, for instance, brought about the word bush, from which a number of other words has emerged, bush camp and bush party to name a few. The winter has also affected Canadians, as would suggest the

th e

bush

evolution of the snow cone, snowdays, and icewine. We have inherit­ ed a great deal of vocabulary from the French as well, including autoroute, anglophone, soiree, and dépanneur. And what would Canada be without her Native peo­ ples, from whom we’ve learned the words potlatch, bannock, and Torontonian! And still, the list goes on... Please see L A N G U A G E , page 12

$ McGill FACULTY OF ARTS FACULTY OF SCIENCE M o y s e T r a v e llin g S c h o la r s h ip

Applications are now being accepted for the Moyse Travelling Scholarship. One scholarship for distinction will be awarded to a student in the Faculty of Arts and the other for distinction by Faculty of Science. The scholarship is intended to support a year of advanced study, preferably in a British or European university, but not to the exclusion of other institutions approved by the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science.

V a lu e :

$ 8 ,0 0 0

Application instructions and full details of the scholarship are available in Dawson Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 303. D E A D L IN E :

M O N D A Y , A P R IL 2 , 2 0 0 1


12 Op/Ed

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

Opinion

Editorial

Stop the Press

Language strengths

The CRO Responds I would like to respond to a letter by Wojtek Baraniak, Students’ Society of McGill University president, and an edito­ rial by Stephanie Levitz (“Chief Referee or Chief Ridiculous”, Issue 23, March 13), both recently published in your newspa­ per. These people have blamed me, the Chief Returning Officer of our Students’ Society elections, for the conduct of D.J. Waletzky’s Red Herring slate at the debate. The Red Herring candidates do not take SSMU seriously, and were cracking jokes and horsing around, grabbing much of the audience’s attention. Apparently some people who are tied-up in SSMU, and hence subjects of the mockery, feel I should have jumped up on stage to silence the ‘non-serious’ candidates. As CRO it is my duty to make sure the election is well-organized, regulations are enforced and that candidates have an equal opportunity and play fairly. It is not

my duty to regulate the content of the campaigns. This concept is based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects the right to run for office, and the freedoms of expression and belief (see sections 2 & 3). Applying this concept to the debate, I fulfilled my duty by making sure all candi­ dates were provided equal airtime and the venue was equipped with a podium, PA system, and one of the Debating Union’s best moderators. It is not my role to regu­ late messages the candidates express at the debate, whether or not they are serious, politically correct, or fit in with the con­ servative SSMU mentality. If some candi­ dates monopolized the audience’s atten­ tion span, then that is the fault of the other candidates for failing to differentiate them­ selves or seem interesting. Levitz referred to allegations of sexual harassment stemming from a cardboard-

box-creature displayed at the debate. I received a complaint from a group of acquaintances in the SSMU clique who were naturally pissed off by The Red Herring’s shenanigans. I reviewed the SSMU constitution, bylaws and policies as well as McGill’s Green Book (Student Rights and Responsibilities), and the prop in question did not break any rules what­ soever. You don’t need a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies to know the difference between sexual harassment and vengeful, political­ ly-motivated hocus pocus. Brian Lack U5 Computer Science ChiefReturning Officer Students’Society o f McGill University

c o n tin u e d

fro m

p a g e

9

I could literally go on forever, for there are sure­ ly hundreds of thousands of words (well maybe not that many) that are exclusively used by Canadians. In fact, I have collected over six hundred myself, and I have yet to make use of our library. Of course, the list should expand exponentially as soon as I reach the Newfies, who speak a dialect few can understand! At any rate, Canajun is indeed an amazing language, which has been able to persist despite the presence of American’ to the south. This, in itself, is a truly awe­ some phenomenon. Essentially, in this regard, my goal is to encourage my audience to use Canajun words, not so much as to brew a new sort of nation­ alism, but instead to strengthen our identity, for at times, our identity can be weak; language is simply a means to fortification. In light of this request, I hope I hear use of buddy, mickey, brown-noser, two-four, goaler, drinking box, hockey dew, niner, shit dis­ turber, timbit and so on. On that note, take her easy, eh?

• • • E l l i p s i s * * * A p p a r e n tly , s iz e d o e s n ’t m a tte r 73

IS S iiS lI5 Couscous salad This is a fantastic alternative to your regular meal-starter. We had it first at a friend’s pot-luck and haven’t looked back since. Hopefully it will be just as much of a success at your own dinners. Enjoy. Ingredients For 6 servings • • • • • •

1 cup lentils 3 Tbsp. White wine vinegar 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup couscous 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup olive oil

by Gooblar

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• 2 garlic cloves (mashed to a paste) with quarter tsp. salt • 1 bunch arugula washed and dried • 2 cups firm (cherry) tomatoes • 1 / 4 cup feta cheese

Instructions In a small saucepan simmer the lentils in water covered by 2 inches for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and add the couscous and salt. Remove the pan from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in 1 tbsp. oil. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste and the remaining 2 tbsp. Vinegar and 3 tbsp. oil. Then salt and pepper to taste. Stir the lentils into the couscous and chill covered for about 2 hours if possible. Just before serving stir in the arugula, tomatoes and feta. by ‘th e real Jim Shady’

Across 1. Toot your own horn - 5 ’ 5. Brilliance, success 10. Mix together 14. Marie-Hélène's mom 15. Cannibalistic flick 16. Partner of aglio 17. Successor 18. Mendel's focus 19. Label 20. Star of "Serial Mom" 23. Eastern European loaves 24. Pita sandwich 25. Clean a spill 28. Cotton gin inventor Whitney 30. Approaches 34. One who follows the rules? 36. Small hotel 38. Earl Grey 39. Canadian figurehead 43. Recent prefix? 44. Sauna, massage, et al. 45- Tame 46. Star 49. "Happiness____ Warm Gun" n 51. Travels around 52. Meadows 54. Condemn 56. Writing tools 62. Great Lake 63. Heroes 64. Funnyman Berle, to friends 66. Slimy fish 67. Dark brown 68. The fifteenth 69. Verser? 70. Common product of 56 Across 71. Let them have it

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Down 1. Rez. Cafeteria 2. Stink 3. Solo vocal piece 4. Claudius's wife

5. American symbol 50. A-D-E-L-I-A 6. Monty Python member 53. Get up 7. The straight and narrow? 55. Give it a shot 8. Looking for retribution 56. Sob 9. Irritable 57. Cookie 10. 5th U.S. President 58. Anno 11. Enthusiasm 59. popular reality T.V. 12. Citrus fruit show 13. A man of action 60. Type of cymbal 21. Full of energy 61. Snowmobile? 22. Vase 65- Double it, and it's a type of fly 25. _______ Carta 26. Reed instruments 27. Turn on one foot Last Week’s Puzzle Solved 29. Italian bucks 31. Entranceways 32. Kingdom 33. Movement of product 35. Nurses, abbv. 37. Simpsons neighbor 40. Simpsons units 41. Unwritten rules 42. Money-related 47. First born 48. Politician, abbv.


T u e s d a y ,

M a r c h

2 0

2 0 0 1

D o n 't g e t i n t o d e b t w i t h f a k e p l a s t i c c a s h Raque! Kirsch

Last August, Kay Millman moved to Montreal to begin her university studies in sociology at McGill. Having come from a small town in Saskatchewan, she was overwhelmed by the cultural diver­ sity and social opportunity in the city. She didn’t anticipate going out every weekend, partying during the week, and shopping in the after­ noons. She didn’t actually have a lot of money to spend, but she had a recently-issued credit card that seemed to take care of her needs until she got the bills. “I didn’t realize how much I was spending until I saw my [monthly] statement,” she says. “When you’re not actually forking over the money, you don’t notice it. Before I knew it I owed the bank

over $700, and I really don’t have that kind of money.” Credit cards operate on the ‘buy now, pay later’ principle, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the purchases are not free. Common sense and countless parental lectures tell us that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But what if you don’t have to pay for that lunch for 30 days? Students often assume that their credit limit is money available to them, says Judy Stymest, Director of Student Aid &c International Student Services. “Students are desperate for money, and if you’re in debt you will do a lot of things that are not wise,” says Stymest. “A credit card that is well-administered is a good learning experience for a student, [but] it takes a great deal of disci­

pline.” But the truth is, many cards are not well-administered. Kiosks set up at schools, malls and other pub­ lic places use free gimmicks to attract young customers. For instance, if you sign up for a Montreal Canadians credit card, you could get a free hat. There are also on-campus booths that offer discount magazine subscriptions, pens, and t-shirts for those who apply for a card. “Free” is one those words in the English language that will sometimes turn even the most rational of human beings into fool­ ish people. All this free stuff can be tempt­ ing, and even seem harmless. But when you’ve signed up for 12 dif­ ferent credit cards because of the freebies, you could be getting more than you’ve bargained for. Rob

Anstey, a U 1 Management student, is annoyed by the deceptive trick. He doesn’t have credit card because he believes he should wait until he finds one that suits his needs, not offer useless gifts. “I know how the scam works. They get a lot of college students to sign up and then [cheat] them with a high annual interest rate,” he says. “It’s a way to deceive students into thinking they are getting something for free, and that’s wrong.” A study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that students who get credit cards from on-campus kiosks carry a balance approximately 20 per cent larger than those who obtained a card through a bank. And more than a quarter of students who own credit cards, regardless of their place of issue, pay only the minimum pay-

That little green home-run hitter

ment or pay late. These statistics ought not imply that credit cards are bad, or that students should not apply for them. Credit is often what allows many students to meet their expenses. However, what these studies do show is that students don’t get information about credit, which is widely available, and stu­ dents should make it their business to revise it, says Stymest “When you look at society at Please see

DISCREDIT, page 14

Useful sources for apartments

N o w h e r e t o liv e continued from page 1

simultaneously. Dana Rittmaster, a U3 stu­ dent, put up an ad for her 3 1/2 apartment on InfoMcGill and was overwhelmed by the response. “The ad was posted at around 10 in the morning and by mid afternoon we had gotten over 30 phone calls. It was non-stop,” she says. “People seem to be in a panic this year. There was a lineup of people out the door waiting to see my apartment.”

Chiniah of the McGill OffCampus Housing Office. “As long as it’s understood that this money is for the current tenants, there is nothing illegal about bidding,” she says. A n o un ce of hope

For those who prefer not to

W eb Sites:

Popular areas outside of the ghetto include the très-hip Plateau/Mile End area, NDG, or the area west of campus. Although there are also shortages in these places, chances of securing a lease there are much greater than closer to campus. The Plateau is especially pop­ ular with students seeking a well-

M a k in g a b u c k fro m th e r u s h

The rush for apartments this year has also turned out to be quite profitable for many students look­ ing for someone to take over their lease. Tales of auctions and bribes linger in the air as some have been taking advantage of desperate apartment-hunters in order to make some extra pocket money. Rachael Schelew, a U0 stu­ dent, went to see an apartment and was surprised when the current tenants announced that there would be an auction. “The bidding started at $20. It was so competitive. Everyone was whispering and giving each other bad looks across the room. The bidding went all the way up to $650. It was so ridiculous,” explains Schelew. Surprisingly, this is not illegal in Quebec, according to Pamela

live in the Ghetto, or simply can­ not find anything available in the streets right by McGill, there are more options. Pick up any newspa­ per in Montreal and there are loads of classified ads for the downtown area. If you are willing to (literally) walk the extra mile or take the bus or Metro then there are lots of great places to live out there.

rounded university experience “I want to experience life in Montreal outside of campus,” says Graeme Goodall, a U0 student who is hoping to live in the Plateau next year. “I don’t mind the walk and living a good distance from campus means that I won’t go back to my apartment for naps between classes.”

Despite its shortcomings, InfoMcGill is still a good source for one or two-bedroom apart­ ments, in and out of the Ghetto. It is those apartments with three or more bedrooms located right near McGill that are hard to come by. Chiniah says that these are rarely listed on the web. “Lots of students want to live with three or more of their friends. There are only a few large apart­ ments in the Ghetto and they often get passed down between friends and siblings,” says Chiniah. “Unfortunately the demand is huge for these few apartments.” The most common advice seems to be not to grab the first place that you go to see, but to shop around a bit until you find an apartment that meets your needs. Chiniah advises students not to panic and to be informed con­ sumers when seeking out apart­ ments. She also recommends knowing how much you are willing to pay. Most shared apartments range from $300 to $450 per per­ son per month. Also important are in what area you would like to live, what you are looking for in an apartment, how many people you plan on living with and some basic knowledge of tenants’ rights. If you are unsure of your rights the province of Quebec and Please see

HOUSING, page 15

www.residences.mcgill.ca/offcampus McGill Off Campus Housing Site www.mcgill.ca InfoMcGill Classifieds www.gazette.qc.ca The Gazette (updated Wed. and Sat.) www.voir.ca Voir (updated Thurs) www.hour.qc.ca Hour (updated Thurs) www.montrealmirror.com Mirror (updated weekly) www.gomtl.com www.pagemontreal.qc.ca www.rent.net www.rdl.qc.ca - Regie du Logement N ewspapers:

The Gazette, La Presse, Le Journal de Montreal - Wednesdays and Saturdays for the apartment listings in the Classified section The Hour, The Mirror, Voir, lei - lots of downtown listings, free every Thursday P hone num bers/R esources:

Regie du Logement 873-2245 Pamela Cliemah, McGill OffCampus Housing 398-6010, 3641 University McGill Legal Information Clinic 398-6792, Shatner B-16 Arnold Bennet’s Housing Hotline 488-0412, open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Tenant’s Right Information Clinic (YMCA Westmount) 931-8043, 4585 Sherbrooke W. Wednesdays 3-6 pm


I 14 Features

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001 V is a V e r n a c u la r

D is c r e d it c a r d s continued from page 13

large, it’s a fact of life that people use credit cards,” she says. “But there’s an education there; the earli­ er you start understanding how credit works, the sooner you can make informed decisions.” If you’re desperately short on cash, there are other options you can resort to rather than credit cards. Lines of credit and regular bank loans are also ways of getting some extra funds, and typically have lower interest rates than a credit card. Depending on your income and general situation (edu­ cation, marital status), interest on unpaid balances on a credit card is in the 20 per cent a year range. This is almost double the rate charged for an adult, because students are seen as high-risk customers, since they don’t have steady incomes. This makes paying off the debt in installments a painful experience. For example, it would take 6 years to rid yourself of a $1000 balance by paying minimum payments each month (typically 3 per cent of bal­ ance) at 18 per cent interest a year. S n a k e s an d L ad d e rs

Aside from offering free key chains and pencils for hearing their sales pitch, credit companies will offer incentives with their cards in the form of bonuses, low rates, or waiving the annual fees —but rarely will they issue all three. A prime example of this is the Bank of Montreal MasterCard. It comes with an Air Miles option, but stip­ ulates a $35 annual fee. The ‘Standard’ card comes without bonuses, as its name implies, but has no annual fee.

By charging an annual fee, if you don’t carry a balance (and hence don’t pay interest), the credit card company is still making money off of your account. Most compa­ nies will offer the option of a lowrate card with an annual fee, or a higher rate without an annual fee. The difference? Essentially, if you plan on carrying a large balance, it’s best to have a low interest rate. It will save you money in the long run, since payments accumulate (compound) and increase over time. A lower rate will mean small­ er payments. However if you plan on paying off most or all of your purchases in the month they occur, you’re better off choosing a card without the annual rate. At the end of the day, if you don’t plan on col­ lecting interest, it shouldn’t matter what the interest rate is. No matter what card you choose, responsibility is the key word. It can be a frustrating task. It’s so easy to give into the tempta­ tion of paying for your purchases later. But by using it judiciously, it is easier to avoid being high in debt, says U 1 Arts student Stacey Hubert. “I only make the occasional purchase with my card,” she says. “The reason I got one was so I would have a good credit rating when I apply for loans. I’m also planning on going to Australia, and it’s easier to carry plastic than cash.” Whatever you do to ease your monetary needs, make sure that you read the terms very carefully. Once you sign an agreement it’s nearly impossible to back out of it. After all, they don’t put the contract conditions in tiny letters for noth­ ing.

H o u s in g w o e s

A guide to some less than obvious credit terms:

continued from page 13

Adjusted balance: A method used by some card issuers in which they sub­ tract all payments made during the month, then add the finance charges. Annual fee: A bank charge for use of a credit card levied each year, which can range from $15 to $300, billed directly to the customer's monthly statement. Many credit cards come without an annual fee. Annual Percentage Rate (APR): Interest rate charged per month mul­ tiplied by 12 (for the number of months per year). However the amount of interest you actually pay may be higher due to accumulated interest from previous periods.

McGill both offer services to help you out. The Regie du Logement, the rental board in the province of Quebec, helps you deal with every­ thing from inadequate heating to security problems. McGill’s OffCampus Housing Office and the Legal Information Clinic both service students with housing woes. Off-Campus Housing also has tons of resources and guides of what questions to ask, what to expect and what to look for. Although searching for an apartment can be daunting, do not

Co-signer: A person who co-signs a credit card application with the pri­ mary applicant. The co-signer agrees to be liable for any balance that the primary applicant allows to go into default.

C om e se e w h a t th e

Credit limit: The maximum amount of charges a cardholder may apply to the account Grace period: If the credit card user does not carry a balance, the grace period is the interest-free period of time a lender allows between the transaction date and the billing date. The standard grace period is usually between 20-30 days. If there is no grace period, finance charges will accrue the moment a purchase is made with the credit card. credit card that a cardholder secures with a savings deposit to ensure payment of the out­ standing balance if the card holder defaults on payments. It is used by people new to credit, or people trying to rebuild their poor credit ratings.

Secured card: A

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

Features 15

G lu tto n f o r p u n is h m e n t Ian Speigel

Though biochemistry majors are not anatomically different from the average McGill student, there is something peculiar about them. Perhaps it’s the thin air way up on Dr. Penfield, or perhaps it’s the cir­ cular, sanity-taxing nature of the McIntyre medical building itself. But there can be little doubt that biochemistry majors are weird. They have to be. “Every time I tell people I’m in biochemistry, I get a ‘whoa!’ right away and I don’t understand why,” says Anar Hasham a U2 biochem­ istry student, and referring to the immediate and knee-jerk response that all biochemistry students must learn to accept when divulging their major. There are a plethora of reasons that all biochemistry students could

H e re

rap off the top of their heads as to why not to take biochem. And yet, the program is still going strong. So why are there still aspiring bio­ chemists? The answer to this question is quite simple - because it’s fascinat­ ing stuff. The study of biochemistry is the study of life itself. How does cancer happen? Why do some peo­ ple get diarrhoea when they drink milk? Where do babies come from? These are all pertinent questions that directly affect human beings. No one can escape their biology. So you certainly can’t blame people for being curious as to why we are the way we are. It k ille d t h e c a t

Curiosity has always been the primary driving force behind all sci­ entists. Albert Einstein once attrib-

Musical works, being a cre­ ation from a language, can be ana­ lyzed and interpreted just like Shakespeare’s plays. Just as there are slants and biases in literature, so are there in music. Thus, there exists the field of musicology. In the last sixty years, it has been consolidated into a branch of the art that rivals the importance of performance prac­ tice, providing a scholarly context for jazz and classical music artists. The role of music in society, from royal court orchestras to marching bands to drum circles, is as intri­ cate as it is important. In the past decade, there has been a lot of study on the role that gender and sexuality exert on the creation and interpretation of music. This type of study falls under the category of feminist musicology.

The McGill Women’s Union recently invited Dr. Heidi Epstein to discuss her theories on the gen­ der and sexuality of music. She proclaimed that music is an erotic medium and that in its most pri­ mal form, is “a politically charged metaphor for sexuality.” She also touched upon the intrinsic gender properties of music. Music, she claimed, is a feminine being, containing “emas­ culating powers.” In fact, Epstein went so far as to state “music is a woman.” This is a strong assertion, and one that certainly hasn’t gained widespread acceptance. “What does she mean that music a woman?” questioned Amelia McMahon, a U1 Music student. “I think music doesn’t and shouldn’t have a gender attached to it because it’s a very personal thing. I’ve always thought of it as a state

CONGRATULATIONSBRADS

2001

FORGOT TO HAVE YOUR GRAD PHOTO TAKEN! IT

JOSTEN’S .

of narrowing the choices down, until research became her obvious calling. “After my second year [at Laval] I had a job in a lab and I loved it. I was the only student with my boss. He was a strange guy running around tasting [chemical] solutions. But because I was the only student, he spent so much time with me and I really learned a lot,” she recalls. However, Fortin was a little different than your stereotypical sci­ ence geek. Though fascinated by the genetic underpinnings of virusresistance in different strains of cells, she didn’t let that distract her from other pastimes. “During my masters I spent a lot of time drinking. Whenever you have this freedom - you’re manag­ ing your time - it’s hard. There is nobody waiting for you in the

I’m plaid to be a scientist

morning,” she laughs. Luckily Fortin was strongwilled enough to curb her desire for fun. She eventually gained a posi­ tion in Dr. Philip Gros’ lab at Please see W H Y page 17

c o m e s

sh e

Carolyn Freeman__________________

DO

uted his brilliance to the fact that he never really grew out of his child­ hood fascination with life. Biochemistry wasn’t around in Einstein’s heyday - it is really a child of the late twentieth century. However, those who pursue studies and careers in biochemistry share Einstein’s fascination with stuff. Anny Fortin, a fifth-year PhD student was drawn to biology as a child. “When I was young, I was crazy about the petri dishes and test tubes. I really like the lab environ­ ment, I’ve always been attracted by it,” she says. However, this is not to imply that she knew she was going to be a researcher right from the start. “I knew what I didn’t want to do - I didn’t want to go into social science, law or politics,” she says. For Fortin, it was a gradual process

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of mind, not as an object. Just like a painting, or a poem, or any other kind of expressive artwork, each individual will interpret the same thing very differently depending on so many personal things... why should it be gender specific?” From a technical standpoint, gender biases in music can show up in musical phrases that have stereo­ typical gender characteristics. For example a “male” passage would be a very loud and powerful one, pos­ sibly represented by large chords. From an established theoretical and terminology standpoint, how­ ever, gender has never played a for­ mal role. “In terms of Epstein’s label that music is an emasculating seductress, I think that it would be more successful to focus on the power of music in itself,” says Fraiike Jurgenson, a PhD student in musicology. “The gender aspects of this musical power have only been defined in an un-academic way.” Challenging male gender stereotypes is a main focus in this branch of gender musicology. It is no coincidence that from Bach to Please see M U S I C , page 17

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The McGill Tribune, Taesday, 20 March 2001

K ille r B u g s

W h y

T h e

continued from page 15

im p e n d in g

th r e a t o f b io te r r o r is m

Gâici

Remerowski

FACTO R t was the mid-1700s, during the French-Indian War. The Native Americans were outnumbering and overpowering the British army and something had to be done. Feigning “charity,” the British donated blankets to the aboriginal peoples as a gesture of good will. Little did the the recipients know, the blankets had been taken from a hospital that was treating smallpox patients. Smallpox decimated the Native American population, allowing for the British victory. What the British had committed was an act of bioterrorism, a term that would not be coined for anoth­ er few centuries. In 1941 Japanese planes sprayed bubonic plague over parts of China. And just before surren­ dering, the Japanese released plague-infested rats into dozens of Chinese villages. This was just another demonstration of how easy it has been to use biology as a weapon. A biological weapon is defined as a living organism (or infected material derived from it) intention­ ally used to cause disease or death in plants and animals. Such infectious agents can be delivered in a com­ munity’s water supply, packaged in bombs to be dropped from the sky or even sprayed surreptitiously in a public place. What kind of agents could be used as biological weapons? Smallpox, a disease that was declared eradicated in 1980 by the World Health Organization, could serve today as a powerful weapon for bioterrorists. The only remain­ ing ‘legal’ stocks can be found in two labs, one in the United States

I

and one in Russia. But who knows how many illegal stocks are floating around? The virus is passed through the air, causing open sores to appear on the body, which can worsen, until the infected individual dies. Anthrax is another scary one. Caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, it can be found in spores, an extremely stable form where the bacteria can survive for years. The spores spread through the air, caus­ ing pneumonia and suffocation and it only takes a few spores to kill. Anthrax has a mortality of 95-100 per cent in untreated individuals and can be highly contagious. In 1979, anthrax spores were acciden­ tally released from a covert Russian biological warfare research facility resulting in the deaths of at least 66 people. Botulism, though not conta­ gious, is another serious threat. It’s caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which isn’t harmful itself, but which produces a toxin called botulin that is one of the most poisonous substances on the planet. Less than three cups could kill the Earth’s entire population. A case of botulism starts with symp­ toms similar to any sort of food poi­ soning — vomiting, nausea, etc. Within a day the entire respiratory tract becomes paralysed and the patient suffocates to death. We all remember the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman and Renee Russo, who were out hunting a deadly virus. The movie was based on the African Ebola virus outbreak. Ebola is another ideal candidate for mass human destruction. It’s highly contagious and causes massive hemorrhaging, bleeding from every orifice in the body, ending in toxic shock and death in as little as two days. Then there’s Yesinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the bubonic plague (or the ‘black death’ as it was

known in the middle ages). The bacteria can be aerosolized to cause a form of pneumonic plague. Without treatment, the disease can progress quickly to respiratory fail­ ure and death. There are many other danger­ ous bugs out there, able to be manipulated for malicious purpos­ es. So what can we do about it? One important problem to overcome is that most doctors have never seen cases of diseases like the plague, smallpox or even anthrax so they wouldn’t know how to respond to such an outbreak for at least a few days. Even if they did realize what was going on, there are very few countries that would be equipped to deal with such outbreaks. There is a definite need for governments to start stockpiling drugs and vaccines for such agents and come up with diagnostic tests and contamination units for infect­ ed people. Again this could be a problem. In the case of smallpox, most labs have been ordered to destroy any virus they had left to avoid possible contamination or improper use. What that means is that there will soon be no virus left with which to develop a vaccine in the advent of a smallpox epidemic. The same goes for other infectious agents. And in the case of Ebola, there isn’t even a feasible vaccine that exists. We’ve come a long way from the days of smallpox-infested blan­ kets. Donald Henderson of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the successful international effort to eradicate smallpox, said it best when he noted, “the bottom line is that we are ill-prepared to deal with a bioterrorist attack.” In many ways biotechnology can help and heal us, but used improperly it can become a silent, invisible and definitely deadly weapon.

M u s ic is a w o m a n continued from page 15

Schoenberg, nearly all the most renowned composers and players were men. Deemed inferior crea­ tures throughout Western musical history, women were simply not taught complex compositional techniques like counterpoint, nor were they expected to perform. “It was interesting to see music history from a perspective of someone with a knowledge of fem­ inist theory,” said Jen McDonald, a U1 music student. “We have always been taught to look at theory from a male per­ spective; most of the historians and

the theorists are predominantly male. I don’t think this theory is awesome, nor do I think that it’s garbage because there are still gen­ der biases. She is attempting to break the gender barrier.” Though Epstein may be doing a valiant job in bringing sterotypes and bias to the forefront, she has yet to conavince academia. This leaves doubt as to whether her views will ever be accepted. “Feminist musicologists try to stir things up by providing the opposite view to juxtapose the female point of view to balance the stereotype, says Jurgenson. “However, their claims don’t seem

to be very rigorous; you can’t sub­ stantiate them and they are far removed from detailed analysis.” Epstein’s claims have certainly spawned a certain amount of dis­ cussion and retort. The obvious conclusion is that people are affect­ ed by music in many different manners. But is music a woman? Juan Sebastian, U0 Music student grins. “Yeah sure, that’s why I like it.”

Features' IT

b io c h e m is tr y ?

McGill, where she has put in five years towards a doctorate degree. Though their contracts don’t stipu­ late overtime, doctorate students tend to work incredible hours on

66 Good head, good hands, psychologically tough, otherwise you’re

a lot of self-satisfaction and the big thrill [is] when you get compli­ mented by your peers or if you make a neat discovery.” No doubt, very few scientists attain the celebrated status enjoyed by people like Craig Venter or Steven Hawking. So getting into biochemistry for the money or fame is unwise. Similarly, the unforgiving nature of the lifestyle makes it difficult to swallow if you don’t really love it. Not for everyone

going to cry. — A nny Fortin

59 their projects. “Your project is your baby,” states Fortin. “When I started my PhD, I started to change. I said to myself, I’m going to a good lab, so I’m giving a hundred percent. I was always in the lab, and the other stu­ dents in the lab become your fami­ ly. We play softball in the summer and hockey in the winter,” she says. The fact that your colleagues become your friends is not surpris­ ing, since most doctorate students often spend six or even seven days a week in the lab. However, if you’re smart enough, this need not be the case. “I’ve seen people who were strict nine-to-fivers become very successful. And I’ve seen total workaholics become very success­ ful. It’s usually the workaholics that are the most successful. The nineto-fivers are rare and they do it because they’re extremely well organized and bright, and they can get away with it,” states Dr. Walter Mushynski, biochemistry professor at McGill. Biochemistry is a unique sci­ ence, in that you don’t need to be brilliant to thrive. Though genius certainly doesn’t hurt your chances of significant discovery, there is such a wealth of knowledge to be discovered, that it is simply à mat­ ter of getting down to it. “Were heading into the age of biotechnology. Now we’re just scratching the surface, but you’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in industry. You’re going to need people to do this stuff,” says Mushynski. Unlike many professors who run their own research labs, he still | enjoys getting dirty with laboratory j bench work. A wily veteran, Mushynski has been in the bio­ chemistry game for thirty years. Ask him what makes a good bio­ chemist, and the answer is fairly simple: “Curiosity. Persistence. There’s

If you’ve ever seen the bible of chemical reactions, analytical tech­ niques and bodily systems that comprise the required knowledge for your average biochemistry final, you’d understand why many people would not put themselves through it. And it’s not always for the bet­ ter. Despite the fact that studying, in theory, is designed to make you smarter, learning biochemistry can sometimes have the opposite effect. “I don’t know that I can say that I’ve liked it too much. I find [biochemistry] very interesting but at the same time you lose a lot of thinking skills,” states Hasham. Though this may be a bit of an exaggeration, one cannot argue that classes of over three hundred people are conducive to discussion. Obviously, as Hasham points out, this can be constrictive for students. “You can’t really express your creativity or your own opinion.” The hours are long, the classes are large and the workload is oppresive, so those who are going to study biochemistry have to be ready for the long haul, and love what they are doing. Biochemistry is not recom­ mended for those who just can’t think of anything else they’d rather do. Unfortunately, every now and again there are those poor souls who haven’t heeded this warning. “If you don’t really like it, don’t do it. To go through all this, it has to make you happy. I know some students that weren’t happy and it’s pathetic,” says Fortin.


18. Features

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 20.01

Grace Carter

It’s highly responsive, it’s low commitment, and infinitely flexi­ ble. I am not referring to the ideal partner for a one-night stand I’m talking about word processing. Anyone in Arts knows the drill: “Please hand in your paper typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced with 1” margins.” Today, the use of computer word processing programs is so ubiqui­ tous that even elementary school students are deft at typing up their homework. This is a moderately recent development. Many university stu­ dents will remember writing essays by hand in their distant high school pasts. Nearly all can recall a time when typing assignments was an option, not a requirement. Not so today. Old fashioned teachers, technology-leery parents, and some grandparents have learned how to use basic word pro­ cessing programs to produce docu­ ments. It’s even okay to type letters. Now, the question remains: has the transition to computer affected the thought process behind writing? P ro g ress??

Not really, thinks novelist and Globe and Mail columnist Russell Smith. He claims the transition to a word processor has not resulted in changes to his writing. For him, it is a matter of convenience. “I simply write faster on a computer.” Others think it has. Michael Bristol, a professor of English at McGill, sees improvement in both his own writing, and that of his stu­ dents. Professor Bristol used a type­ writer for years before switching to

a word processing program. “The first change for me was in realizing that editing was smoother and faster [with a word processor], and also, reversible. You suddenly find that you’re willing to experi­

with the click of a button. A wellrevised essay looks, on paper, very much like the one you scribbled out at four in the morning several hours before it was due: typed, plain, tidy. Globe and Mail Senior Arts Writer Sandra Martin likens this change to the way we manage our finances. “The pres­ entation has become much, much more important in terms of giving work to people, and that is because of technolo­

gy-

From graphite to silicon...

ment more...and try things in much less time. “Now I can cut and paste a paragraph, and jump it down to page five, and then say, I think I liked it better on page two. No problems, though,” he says. Both agree that word process­ ing programs make writing more efficient. And really, how could anyone think otherwise, consider­ ing the increasingly fantastic range of editing tools supplied with any up-to-date word processing pro­ grams? And let us not forget the issue of copies—gone are the days of third and fourth, or even, some­ times, second drafts. Each docu­ ment can be altered immediately and discreetly, without the mess of pen-and-ink corrections. What is more, any modifications made are entirely delible. They can be erased

S e e

“In the same way we do our bank­ ing at the ATM on the corner, we all do our own typesetting, Ben Madgett basically. So if there is an error, a typo, it’s the writer’s fault.” The result, says Martin, is a change in the relationship between writers and readers. “The connection between writer and reader is much closer now. That’s one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is, there’s nowhere to hide for typographical or grammatical errors.” Like Bristol and Smith, Martin uses a word processing program to produce just about everything she writes, with one occasional excep­ tion: “I sometimes write diary stuff in pen and ink.” T o h a n d w rit e o r n o t to h a n d w rit e

The question of handwriting, of course, inevitably comes to mind in the course of the word processing

y o u

a t

debate. Does using typed characters take away from the expressivity of writing? Is our own script more faithful in some way? Smith doesn’t think so. When asked if he com­ posed fiction on a word processing program, he replied, “Yes, every­ thing. Novels, articles, letters, diary entries. I don’t even know how to use a pen anymore.” Do most other writers he knows use word processing pro­ grams? “All of them. You would really have to be very old or very stupid not to realize how much time and effort these things save.” On this issue, Bristol concedes that there may be something unnat­ ural about typing, but it doesn’t stop him from word processing everything from scholarly books to lecture notes. Martin wonders if perhaps “for the writing of fiction, pen and paper might still be better because there’s something about the handeye coordination that flows more with that kind of writing.” However, she is quick to add that most professional writers who prefer the traditional method must later type their work into a comput­ er, and in doing so, will often edit it significantly. Furthermore, writers are increasingly beginning their work at their word processors. “A lot of them are actually now composing on the computer,” says Martin. Apparently, the medium is not the message in this case. Writers don’t seem to feel affected by their embrace of technology. Either that or the conveniences of tools such as cut and paste, spell check, and ‘undo’ outweigh the perks of the ways of yesteryear.

th e

E v e r y b o d y 's g o in g s u rfin g

The convenience does not lie solely in the facility of editing. Roughly three quarters of Canada’s population possess a home comput­ er with both Internet access and a word processing program. Everyone can now obtain, process, and use information without budging from a chair. “That’s where the computer has really changed things,” Martin says. “We put more information in articles now, I suspect, from many, many, different sources.” Kathleen Stewart, a U2 cultur­ al studies student, agrees whole­ heartedly. “When I think of how I did research even as recently two years ago, it’s like day and night. Yes, I still use the library. The difference is, I do nearly all of my searching beforehand by logging onto data­ bases and identifying exactly what I need, where it is, and if it’s current­ ly available. And that’s not even to mention how much ready-to-use information I find on the web itself. Statistics, graphs, pictures, old news stories... the possibilities truly are limitless.” Nine out of ten Canadians use computers in some way, and the percentage is only increasing. For the time being it is obvious that word processing is the preferred medium for writing. Certainly, our prolific use of the Internet isn’t showing any signs of waning at present. But, if we’re the generation that’s going to be deaf by fifty because of the raucous music we lis­ ten to, what will be the state of our poor, computer-burned eyes?

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frtAr OC ... » i ~ The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

B o g u s v e r s io n s o f th e la w some of the lawyer shows out there are really good and actually do a great job of conveying the intrica­ cies of the law. And maybe it is also because some of the shows are real­ ly, really bad and gloss over (I’m being generous here) some major s most of us already know — A legal ideas and facts in the name of although I am sometimes artistic license. alarmed by the number of For example, the movie those who seem not to - TV and Double Jeopardy, with Ashley Judd, movies aren’t always representative would have us believe that a woman of real life. While some may wish could kill her husband after he we could vote annoying people off already framed her for his murder, our little social islands, or that and she could get away with it beautiful loft-style apartments in because of already having been con­ New York City were affordable for victed of the crime. Sadly wrong. If waitresses and out-of-work actors he is still alive and she gets caught (okay, so Rachel and Joey have bet­ killing him “again” she would be ter jobs now), we understand that liable for the same penalties that she the generalizations and stretches of was in the first place. The concept imaginations of the entertainment of “double jeopardy” only means media don’t necessarily ring true in that a person cannot be tried or reality. convicted more than once based on But for some reason, a lot of on identical facts. people seem to have a blind spot in One of the ways in which peo­ this area when it comes to the law. ple carry ideas from “TV law” into We suffer from a sort of collective reality is in importing concepts “I’m not a lawyer but I watch peo­ from criminal law into the law of ple play them on TV” syndrome civil liability, which actually works that translates into some miscon­ in a completely different way. For ceptions about what the law is real­ example, many of us know that ly about. Maybe this is because

Beneath the R o b e

VI i n i i G r o s s

E d it o r ia l

most criminal offences require some element of intent or willfulness to be proven before a person can be convicted of something, and this is generally true. However, in civil lia­ bility, which is essentially the law of what duty of care people owe to one another and what happens if they don’t exercise it correctly, you can get into all kinds of trouble without ever really intending to do harm to anyone. The main operating con­ cepts in this area are negligence, duty of care and causation and injury. That is, a person will be held liable when, as a result of his failure in his duty of care to others, he causes them some harm. You can use this information to help you remember that the law will not be on your side if you are not taking care, so to speak, of the peo­ ple around you, even if you never meant to hurt them. For instance, you could be on the hook if your mailman slips and hurts himself on your front steps because you have been immersed in exams, and have been too busy to clear the eight inches of snow covering the icy sur­ face beneath. Similarly, if you’re walking your dog and he gets away

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on TV from you or from his leash (or worse, you let him out his leash for a minute) and he bites or jumps on someone, you can incur liability because you were supposed to be in control of the animal. So be careful - all the time. Finally another thing to keep in mind is that TV and movies gen­ erally focus a lot more on criminal law than they do on private law. And while many of the elements of criminal law are truthfully depicted, it is not the case that those things apply to the legal system as a whole. Recently, someone was suing his former neighbor for the return of a snowplow that cost him $5000. But he was suing for $7000, argu­ ing that the neighbour did not real­ ly know how much the machine had cost, so it would be easy to get away with this exaggeration. Other issues of dishonesty and perjury aside, this person was concerned about whether his ex-neighbor would be able to get a search war­ rant to search his home and possi­ bly find the true receipt for the snowplow. He might be interested to know that in a case like this, there are procedures that would

allow the neighbor to just ask him to produce the receipt and that again, search warrants are generally used in a criminal context. All things considered, much of what we see on TV and in the movies is a good approximation of what real law is about (especially on that perennial ratings winner COPS). But just as watching ER does not make you qualified to per­ form surgery neither does seeing Erin Brockovitch make you ready to head into court. Even if we fol­ lowed all the instructions and actions as portrayed on screen, more often than not there are quite a few steps that are left out or dis­ torted to make the story more satis­ fying to the viewing audience. So if we all have certain assumptions about the way the law works, we should also sometimes wonder where it is those assumptions come from. Remember, you can’t believe everything you see. Mimi Gross works with the McGill Legal Information Clinic. It can be reached at 398-6792, or drop by their offices in the Shatner build­ ing.

a p p l ic a t io n s

The McGill Tribune is seeking applications for the 2001 - 2002 editorial board a v a ila b le p o s itio n s :

News Editor Assistant News Editors Features Editors Entertainment Editors Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editors

Campus Editor Photo Editors On-line Editors Production Manager Layout Editors Science Editor

Applications should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, and submitted by 4:30pm on Tuesday March 27, 2001 to the T r ib u n e ’s office. Please submit a cover letter and any other documents that support your application (e.g. article clippings, photo samples etc.).

Submit applications to our

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Interviews will be conducted during business hours from March 28 - 30. Job descriptions are available on our website at http://tribune.mcgill.ca/apply

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a r t s & enterta nment Tuesday March 20, 2001

S o P h a s s io n a b le , it h u r t s Q u e e r a ttr a c tio n , b re a s ts a n d

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blend of music and a varied mix of clothing from sportswear to neoJean Paul Gauthier gone awry, the show pulled together the cool and trendy. The choreography was toneddowned and low key, which allowed the clothes a chance to shine instead of the models posing. The models, for their part, seemed to actually be enjoying themselves for once. The pared-down stage stylings loosened the show up considerably. Most unexpected were lesbian undertones during the StyleXchange segment. Management and faux-grrl love? Papa's definitely got a brand new bag. For the most part, the clothes were the typical St. Laurent motley crue. Low, low cut pants, tummy baring tops and suicide plunging necklines in Technicolor, flimsy fabrics were the order of the day. Some notable exceptions were FLY's elegant and sexy eveningwear. The second segment of the show featured fun and irreverent designs from Duy Nguyen showcas­ ing bopping models and lime green garments. Nadya Toto's Valley of the Dolls 60s surburban-chic wear was appropriately displayed on impassive and cigarette puffing models. Anyone for Valium chic? The absolute highpoint of the show was a hip-hop intermission by Divinity: a four-chick flygirl set who worked what their mamas gave them enough to bring down the

Rhea Wong

"The P-H goes FUH." -Jon Feldman, former Management Undergraduate Society President Maybe it was the venue, maybe it was the cocktails, but the MUS has found its sense of humour, and it is a most welcome relief. This year's charity fashion show for AIDS research was thankphully phree of the haute couture pretension that plagued last year's show. This year’s was a phun, hip and sassy production that screamed too hot to handle and over the top. Scheduled at the unassuming Just For Laughs museum, the feel of the show was intimate, cozy and informal. The close-seating, whim­ sical harlequins and dangling fairy lights provided a far more bohemi­ an and student-friendly appeal. Yet, not everything can be per­ fect, and the logistics of the event were poorly organized. When required to take a freight-sized ele­ vator up to the fifth floor for coat check and then back down for the third floor event, timeliness is not the name of the game. Additionally, many spectators were left standing, herded into cramped aisles or crouched on the floor. All this and a $20 ticket? No, they did-n't. The show itself found an edge for this year. Accompanied by col­ orful lighting schemes, an eclectic

house. They were feeling their funkiness and were too, too sassy. Bounce, gritty homegirl fabulous­ ness and so much "Miss Thang attitude made Divinity the fashion show darlings. JLo, sit your ghetto booty down. In another room, the accompa­ nying art exhibition provided a wel­ come respite from the thumping beats and pulsating lights. Featuring work from student artists, the high-ceilinged studio felt like an indoor park. The concept of taking the fashion show back to the people inspired a communal canvas which bystanders were encouraged to embellish with tempera paints. Two enthusiastic and paint-smeared thumbs up. The tail end of the show was a blur of Euro-hip fashions and elab­ orate designs from l'Institut Supérieur de Design de Mode. Tapered, tight pants on the men had one female spectator squealing, "Did you see the size of his pack­ age?" Nope, can't say that I did. The evening was not without its shock value. Taking a cue from the real catwalks, several models sauntered down the runway with Cosmic Angels' Intergalactic Jewelry. And little else. The bared breasts were a hit with the gentle­ men seated to my left. Well, as my mother told me, "If you’ve got it, flaunt it." And management proved this year that they might still have it.

O u tS IZ E in g t h e c o m p e t it io n R o n i S iz e

re p ra z e n ts

Nico Oved

Roni Size: the man, the indus­ try, a personification of all that is drum and bass. His collaborative efforts and live

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experiments with Breakbeat Era and Reprazent have set him up to be the Bob Dylan of our genera­ tion. He’s always just a half step ahead of everyone else and demon­ strated as much in Montreal last Wednesday. Outside the Spectrum, I stood with camera cocked, loaded and ready to shoot what promised to be a visually exciting show cour­ tesy of Roni Size and the whole Reprazent crew from Bristol. Due to various promoter com­ plications at the door, I was in quite a sour mood. But there’s an old junglist saying that comes from a General Levy and M Beat tune back in the day: "if you got the sickness, jungle got the cure." Nothing could be truer.

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Upon entering the venue to hear DJ Suv warming the crowd up, I could already feel myself lighten­ ing up. True to his sound, Suv spun Full Cycle and V Recordings tunes exclusively. But I was unsure if the crowd even knew who he was, being probably the least recogniza­ ble producer in the crew. I had a difficult time imagining what to expect an eight part live drum and bass ensemble to look like on stage, but once the curtain went up I saw an interesting set up. Drummer Rob Merrill was on the left side of the stage with a kit that ran through a number of effects processors, so that he could change the sound of the drums in accor­ dance with light breakdowns or heavy drops. On the right side of the stage was the bald bassist Si John, who played both an electric

bass as well as an electric upright double bass. These two framed in the four stars of the group: the pro­ ducers Krust, Die, Suv and Roni Size. At four stations set up at each corner of a square in the middle of the stage each producer had a syn­ thesizer and another machine at their disposal. Krust and Die also had turntables, Suv had a sampler and drum machine, which he used to create live samples and loop them, and Roni Size, funnily enough, had a xylophone. Fronting the whole ensemble was Dynamite MC and vocalist Onalee. Much to the pleasure of the audience, Reprazent opened up with such classics from their 1997 platinum record, New Forms as Brown paper bag' and 'Heroes'. They moved on to play tunes from Roni’s other live act, Breakbeat Era,

alongside Die and singer Leonie Laws. Then Dynamite MC truly took center stage for a stellar ver­ sion of the single "Who told U" from the new Reprazent album, In the Mode. A major highlight of the night was a medley of tunes released indi­ vidually by each producer. That’s the great thing about Reprazent; each member is a successful musi­ cian on his or her own. Together, they’re practically an all-star group. The medley included Size’s 'Snapshots', Krust’s 'Warhead' and 'It’s Jazzy' and Die’s 'Kloakin’ Device'. Next, 'Lucky Pressure', the chillin’ tune from the new album, gave Onalee a chance to shine, singing live the studio looped vocals in a true test of lung endurance. Overall, the show was an c o n tin u e d

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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David B a rcla y

Peanut Butter Wolf has devel­ oped a reputation thanks to his excellent hip-hop mixing, his knowledge of turntablism and his involvment in the lucrative Bay

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W ho are you?

Peanut Butter Wolf. I have heard a lot about Peanut Butter W olf and a lot about your early childhood. I was wondering how much o f it was true? D id you have parents?

Yeah. I heard som e pretty wacky rumours about this band called the Peanut Butter W olf Band? Did they exist?

Yeah. And did you guys once play a mall opening?

Where did you read all that? I just heard some undercurrents. Was the band any different from Peanut Butter W olf himself?

Peanut Butter Wolf is a name of an imaginary monster that my ex-girl­ friend’s little brother was afraid of. We used to try and tease him a lot. We’d turn the lights off and scare him and he’d tell us “Turn the lights back on! The Peanut Butter Wolf’s gonna get me.” So I was telling my friends about it because to me it was so weird. Kids are so imaginative. My friends and I made up this stupid band. Basically, none of us knew how to play instru­ ments but we all jumped on differ­ ent things with lots of freestyling. We started singing these songs about this Peanut Butter Wolf and then we had a whole tape of stuff but no name. So we called it Peanut Butter Wolf. At the same time, I was always in to hip-hop and I was making beats for this rapper Charizma. I showed him the tapes one day and at the time my DJ name was Chris-Cut, which was a pretty boring old school hiphop name. He kinda dared me to change my name to Peanut Butter Wolf, which made the band pretty upset. But did you guys actually play a mall opening?

No that was a lie.

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noticed that the number one prefered genre by university kids is funk-fusion!

One of the guys in the band who actually does all the art for my record label, his name is Jeff Jank. And he had a magazine called Jank and he made up a lot of stuff about us.

Basically, what they played in high school jazz band.

No. Area scene. So many stories preceeded this interview. Stories of Maytag dryer riding, liquor store robbery and getting kicked out of the mall. Peanut Butter Wolf played Le Studio with Madlib and Breakestra mixing an impressive selection of hip-hop music.

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‘Cause I heard you guys were wild and that Peanut Butter W olf was an actual character in the band who I assumed was you. I heard that he was taken in by the band.

Speaking o f Jank, I was wondering if you had ever heard o f a Canadian called Stuart McClean? H e does a radio show about this record store and café and it sound­ ed like he was ripping o ff the M &I Laudr-o-mat. But I heard that M &I really exists. Is this true?

Yeah, Maudie’s boys and all those things are true. Jeff works and lives there. I went to high school with him. Jank knows a lot about Presidents o f the US.

Yeah, he runs a President of the month club. All o f you guys are from Berkeley and San Jose , which is a very aca­ demic place to be. D id you guys go to University?

I went to San Jose State and got my Bachelor’s degree but I knew I just wanted to jump into the music after that. I also noticed a trend in hip hop circles towards 60s and 70s funk and soul research and academia and you recently published an arti­ cle about travelling across country searching out rare funk and soul

45s. Igon wrote that. He works with me but we’re both into seeking out old records that we are going to play tonight. He takes it really seriously. I love it, but he is on the next level. He searches on the internet and in phone books and finds the people who were doing it in the 60s and hunts them down and talks to them about re-issuing their stuff We are working on putting a compilation together for my record label. It’s quite academic, and I also

Arts Journalism

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Fusion means a lot of things. | Mixing funk with what?

Breakestra, who are playing tonight, are a funk hip-hop fusion group. Hip-hop is obviously an extension of funk, but these guys play a lot of the original songs that were sampled into popular hip-hop cuts. Some kids today will recog­ nize it from the hip-hop, not the funk so they are trying to teach peo­ ple where it came from. I also have another Bay Area ques­ tion about a more elusive charac­ ter. I noticed on a record that came out on M T V records that featured a track by you and in fact liner notes by you too, that you sampled a piece by El Captain Funkaho! W ho is Captain Funkaho?

A&E 21

Skidm ore, the Hour’s a rts editor, w ill be speaking at the Tribune Lecture Series on Thursday March 22 @ 5:30pm, in Leacock 429. A ll welcom e.

If you have been sexually harassed at McGill, a special service within the Sexual Assault Centre is here to listen and provide resources. We also offer an accompaniment service to those pursuing the Grievance Procedures here.

The Accompaniment Team of the Sexual Assault Centre 3

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I don’t know, he’s a friend of Jeff Jank and Jeff won’t go into details but he gave me the tapes. I have never met Captain Funkaho. You sample “Funkaho likes to Jam” and he also has a record out on your label Stone’s Throw records that got a m ention in Rolling S tone...

I saw one in Village Voice. They gave it a good write up and Spin wrote him up. D oes Funkaho get around?

He has never done a live show. Most artists I work with never do live shows, like Quasimoto. To wind up, Mr Wolf, what new records can we look forward to from Stone’s Throw or any other label for that matter?

Yesterday’s New Quintet is an album that I’m really looking forward to. It’s a jazz album, actually a hip-hop jazz fusion. The guy who made it grew up making hip hop records and then started listening to jazz.

FORGOT TO HAVE YOUR GRAD PHOTO TAKEN! AT JO ST EN ’ S

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P a c k a g e D e a l $ 6 5 .0 0 g e t s a p h o t o a n d y e a r b o o k .

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BIÈRES!

Thank you Peanut Butter Wolf!

Buy a turntable if you don’t have one. I always end an interview with that.

S P E C IA L C O N F E R E N C E

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22 A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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continued from page 22 incredible fusion of concert and rave. The performance was so tight and professional, you could see the endless hours of work put into its rehearsal. The drummer would throw in standard fills to simulate a mix while the producers and bassist would change’melodies. However, no matter how commercial, how mainstream or crossover their act becomes, Reprazent will always be firmly rooted in the rave tradition.

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ingly occupying a time-space con­ tinuum all their own. The long-awaited release of their Complete B ’ Sides, a veritable event for long-time fans, situates the Pixies as a reference point for other bands, while also clarifying somewhat the band’s assorted

Dynamite reminded the crowd of this when, during the four-song encore, he said, "Back home, if we like a tune, we play it twice." By this, he was obviously calling for a rewind, unsure whether Montrealers would be familiar with the term. They then dropped in to another hard and fast rendition of their most famous tune, 'Brown paper bag', obviously everyone’s favorite. Damn, I wish I could call a rewind of the whole show.

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'McGillIranian Student’s Association wishes all the Iranians at McGill the best in this Iranian NewYear! fa

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Pixies Complete 'B' Sides 4AD /Select

Ever since their break-up in 1992, the Pixies have carved a con­ spicuous niche for themselves as one of the most important bands of the late-eighties. Though apt, this configuration does nothing to evoke the complete oddity of the Pixies in the cultural moment of 1986 - the year that they formed or in 1988 - the year they released two “classics” of alternative rock, Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa. It makes sense to anthologize them now, ten years after “alternative rock” broke the mainstream and began its slow fade-out. In their time, however, the Pixies’ meticu­ lously-constructed four albums were gloriously, scarily weird, seem-

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A R T IS T E DU MOIS MUSIÜUEPLUS M ARCH01

B A R E N A K E D

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Hosted by Anne-Marie Withenshaw and Pierre Landry LIVE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT MARCH 21st AT 6 PM

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pop/rock origins. Here, collected together for the first time, are their legendary live version of ‘In Heaven’ from David Lynch’s Eraserhead, two Neil Young covers (the gorgeous ‘Winterlong’ and ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’ with

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vocals by Kim Deal), an ode to Debbie Gibson (David Lovering’s ‘Make Believe’), the surfed-up theme from NARC (an 80s video game), the Throwing Muses-esque ‘Build High,’ and a Spanish version of the Yardbirds’s ‘Evil Hearted You.’ These are covers and allusions that seem to explain, each in their own odd way, what the Pixies were all about. And, of course, there are songs that the band defiantly owns, like Kim Deal’s blistering, way cool ‘Into the White’ and Black Francis’s lurching ‘Bailey’s Walk.’ Though no degree of anthologizing could let the curious, glorious emergence of a band like the Pixies make complete sense, B-Sides shows the remains of an oeuvre that is worthy, beyond a doubt, of its place in rock history. -David Blazer

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York, wanting to become famous. Within the first couple of days, they kill an old friend and the crime is witnessed by another illegal Czech immigrant who flees in terror. The two men set fire to the apartment to get rid of the evidence, and escape. Arson investigator Jordy Warsaw

Robert DeNiro has been star­ ring in cops-amd-robbers movies for so long that real life law enforcers and criminals have proba­ bly taken cues on how to act from watching him. If his new film 15 Minutes had been as good as his performance in it, this really could have been something. DeNiro plays the highly decorated New York homicide detec­ tive Eddie Flemming, who has earned a great deal of fame thanks to his successful career. He has been living and working in the spot­ light long enough to Freeze, dirt bag! learn how to make the media and public relations work for (Edward Burns) gets called to the him and not against him. But, there scene, but Flemming beats him to is something else going on here. it. Warsaw becomes intrigued after Flemming smokes oversized getting a fleeting glimpse of the cigars that you can see from fifty woman who witnessed the murder, paces and acts in a hardboiled man­ and he ends up becoming ner, using exaggerated gestures as if Flemming’s sidekick, because... his public persona had been shaped well, because Flemming wants by his constant media exposure. somebody to perform to. Their DeNiro plays the character as if the relationship goes beyond the typical guy had seen too many DeNiro buddy picture stereotypes of the old movies. His performance is aware hat resenting the youngblood. of the DeNiro legend, and this adds Flemming really does have some­ an interesting element to a charac­ thing to teach Warsaw and his ter who in some ways is a projection pranks are played more in good fun of what the public wants a homi­ than out of resentment. cide detective to be like. Writer/director John Herzfeld Two immigrants, a Czech Emil can’t decide whether or not the and a Russian Oleg, who have murderers are crazy, naïve or probably seen too many American intended for parody, and we can see export action films, land in New

the tone of their acts change from dead serious criminal pathology to camp. After a surprising scene, the movie quickly loses focus, galloping full speed into an ending that belongs in a Leslie Nielsen picture. The best scenes in the movie are the ones in which the fire and police departments do their work in the eye of the media, discussing how public perception could ruin or help a case. Flemming gives Warsaw a short speech about his public persona that reveals why he is a pub­ licity hound. "The fame that I’ve got, that little itty bitty bit of fame that I have, makes my job a lot easier." A lesser movie would have shown the Press Shot DeNiro character forever at war with television news, fight­ ing the system, but it is so much more interesting to show him deal­ ing with them on their own terms. News media are treated in the typical Hollywood fashion, as com­ pletely depraved and willing to do anything for ratings. It’s dishearten­ ing to show the film going on autopilot in its media bashing. It would seem that John Herzfield came up with the DeNiro character and couldn’t fully flesh out a story for him to be in, hoping raw talent would see the film through. The result is all over the map, and is marginally worth watching because of DeNiro’s performance, but you can see the same sort of thing done much more intelligently in Natural


The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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Surabhi Rawal

As I lay there green and curled into the tightest ball since my days as a fetus, I phone-interviewed one of Canada’s music superstars, Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk was funny, witty, charming, and unbe­ lievably understanding of the fact that I—as I now concede after a lifetime of being told as much—am indeed an idiot. We opened with a discussion of her participation in the Torontorun of the hugely popular Vagina Monologues. “I’m really excited to have been part of something in our popular culture that’s still meaningful,” she said, commenting on the relevance of women’s issues, “a lot of the things that are meaningful—you don’t hear a lot about them. And this is something that has been very, very well-received and it’s wonder­ ful for men and for women—and men and women both can laugh and learn from the Vagina Monologues, so I’m really proud to have been a part of it.” The only qualm she ever had, she admitted, laughing, was how her parents would react to her on­ stage delivery of 6 shrieking orgasms. Apparently, they handled themselves remarkably well. I mentioned that I had watched her interview with Mike

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Bullard on Open Mike, which was somewhat of a sticky point in our conversation. She asked what I had thought of the interview. I blurted out the first thought that popped

up. “He blinks too damn much,” I said, in response to which I got a simple “Uh...ok.” Unlike past shows, her recent tour with the Barenaked Ladies fea­ tured Kreviazuk out from behind her trademark grand piano, cradling the microphone with a full band providing musical accompani­ ment. She also mentioned that she’d be playing the guitar, some­ thing she’s recently taken up, on

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be a conscious packaging of it, if two of the six songs of her set list. you will, as far as making music Immediately concerned that really accessible, because I now have there’d be Veruca Salt-esque riffs an interest in what I do. interspersed between the melan­ “The larger my voice is as a cholic verses of ‘Imaginary Friend,’ profiler and as an artist, the more I jumped to the opportunities I have to deliver a defense of her usual message of a whole smorgasbord of solo style of delivery. things that I’m excited about. It’ s But, ever will­ always going to be true to me.” ing to listen to This was highly comforting to opposing opinions, hear since we next talked about the she heard me out, current rampant infestation of all and graciously FM frequencies by unoriginal, informed me that unenlightening, sugar-frosted shitthe guitar would pop. only come out on “I was looking at the Jennifer ‘God Made Me’ and Lopez liner notes. There are songs ‘Blue.’ on her latest album...[it’s] called We then dis­ ‘J.Lo’ or something, is it? Or ‘Jo. cussed her third Lez’? I don’t know. And there were album, and what songs that have seven writers—you kind of direction it know, I mean how many assholes was taking. does it take to screw in a light bulb? “Uh, I didn’t Get a life already. It’s ridiculous.” know there was a Kreviazuk said. Not a big fan, then? third album,” she “No, I’m not. It puts this message dead-panned, catching me entirely out there that all you need is a hot off-guard. But, she laughingly con­ body and great boobs. There’ s this tinued, “Well, I am working on it, just not even consciously. Like, so whole aesthetic, superficial thing far the stuff that exists for the going on right now and I’m really record is just stuff that already hap­ sad about it. You would have pens to be there...I think on the thought 2000 years later we would third record it’s going to [continue] have figured out what’s important, to have messages on topics that I and I don’t find it very progressive. believe in, that I’m excited about, I really don’t.” Despite her prodigious musical passionate about, inspired by. At the same time I think that there’ll skill, her successful career, her mar­

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riage to Our Lady Peace’s frontman, and her two Junos, Kreviazuk has managed to stay surprisingly grounded and keenly aware of her responsibilities. As evidenced by her numerous philanthropic activities, including the most recent one with War Child Canada, she clearly uses her fame to spread knowledge and awareness concerning the issues that touch her, be it through visiting foreign lands, giving benefit concerts, or simply exposing the issues through her songs. If you didn’t get to catch her when she was in town, I urge you to definitely do so when she returns. It will be well worth your time and the ticket will be obscenely underpriced, considering what you’re get­ ting in exchange. I f you’d like to fin d out a little more about Chantal Kreviazuk, visit her website: www.chantalkreviazuk.com. Also, i f you’d like to know more about War Child Canada, visit www. warchild. ca.

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Hadji & LMO’s CD Indian shit,” said Hadji over beer and about good music and good times. shit and play all those fucking func­ Style is availablefrom Wikkid joints before a recent set, “If you We’re there with all those guys, and tions and what not, but we don’t Records. Look for sets in Montreal heard the CD, this is much more we support all that shit, it’s good to need to include that in our music. clubs as they prepare to tour. Hadji & LMO’s CD, Indian involved. We’re using new gear and have [a] cause...we’ll back all that Our actions speak for themselves.” Style (Wikkid), is about just that— shit.” Indian style. Their harder sound is the result But these are not the break­ of time spent in the birthplace of beats of genres luminaries like the Indian-electronica fusion, Talvin Singh or Badmarsh and Shri, London, England. “We hang with which use samples from classical all those cats in London, because, To all Clubs and Interest Groups: Indian music and at times have a like, every time they came to distinctly spiritual quality. The Montreal we would hook-up with beats of Hadji & LMO are big, all the Indian cats who were taking rough, hard-hitting, and, most dis­ care of shit, and they’re, like, ïl tinctly, built around samples from rolling, big game, you know, so we the Indian film industry, would just hang, and we would Bollywood. learn all these new tricks.” Bollywood churns out more And their ‘nasty-ass shit’ is films per year than its American tearing the scene up. After gigs on counterpart and namesake, and MuchMusic’s Electric Circus— often brings in larger audiences. “heavy show; it’s TV, it’s live, it’s a b m it w h a t Alnffiït's neœssâry is for e a c n l^ b to submil Because all Bollywood films have trip”—and last Friday on Musique musical elements, there is a wealth Plus’s Bouge, Hadji & LMO are interesting event and accomplishment was achieved of material waiting to be sampled getting serious exposure. That they during 2000-2001. Please include photographs if available. and Hadji & LMO are on the fore­ are playing the most mainstream of I1 ..........................................................- I I front. shows concerns them not in the The six tracks on Indian Style least. In fact, they welcome it. take advantage of the smooth, sleek S u b m it all in form ation to O ld M cG ill 2001 by no la te r than M ay 1, 2001. “[W]e’re finally getting known voices of Bollywood starlets and for what we do,” said LMO, and D rop-off yo u r e n ve lo p e s at the fro n t d e sk of the S S M U W illiam & M ary dialogue that (to ignorant Western that their music is decidedly apolit­ Brow n B u ild ing 360 0 M cTavish, Room 1207. ears) is both exotic and bizarre to ical—in stark contrast to groups For more info: Contact Paul Slachta at 398-6806. create a massively big sound. like Asian Dub Foundation, whom But that’s just the beginning. they cite as an influence—is also “The shit we’re going to blow not an issue. “We’re from America, is going to [be] fucking nasty-ass we don’t fuck with politics. It’s just

Dan Zacks

R E M IN D E R

Be a pant a£ CiiôtMtf.

Old McGill 2001 will publish your clubs activities and events,

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There is NO charge for publishing your event


24 A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

ATTENTION UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS We are seeking full-time undergraduates up to 25 years of age fo r a study on the activités people participate in and how happy the activities make them. You will be asked to complete several questionnaires, which take one hour to complete; remuneration is $10. In addition, you will have the option o f completing a brief (15 minute) second questionnaire two months later; if you choose to complete the second questionnaire, you will be compensated an additional $5. Contact: Dr. Z uroff’s lab, Psychology Department, McGill University, 398-7425. Please leave a message and our research staff w ill contact you.

F A C U L T Y O F AR TS M A X W E L L C U M M IN G S L E C T U R E

JO H N H . G O L D TH O R P E

Official Fellow Nuffield College Oxford University

“M O B IL IT Y , E D U C A TIO N A N D M ER ITO CR ACY: O N IN TE G R A TIN G RESEARCH A N D TH E O R Y ” W ednesday, March 28,2001/M ercredi, le 28 m ars 2001 at 6 p.m ./à 18h00 Stephen Leacock Building/Pavillon Stephen Leacock Room 26/Salle 26 855 Sherbrooke St. W./855, rue Sherbrooke ouest

M cG ill's C anadian Film Fest: n o t ju s t a b o u t landscape, eh? Isa b e lle W est

The Student Film Night of the McGill Canadian Film Festival was a refreshing exhibition of student talent at a time when Canadians are constantly bombarded by American films, American music and culture. There were nine short films direct­ ed by student filmmakers which explore a different aspect of being Canadian. October Crises examines the 1970 October Crisis and the refer­ endum of 1995 from both sepa­ ratist and nationalist perspectives, remaining objective througout. Student directors Robert Rabin and Simon Leclerc succeeded in depict­ ing both standpoints fairly with the use of flashback clips of interviews with politicians, clips of protests and debates. The theme of multiculturalism was prominent in several of the films. EikoJ is about an expatriate Egyptian in Canada who misses his homeland terribly. The film con­ veys how deeply a love for our

“ G lo b a lis a t io n a n d S o c ia l C la s s ” Friday, March 30, 2001, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Stephen Leacock Building, Room 738

The KAY MacIVER MEMORIAL PRIZE w orth $ 2 7 5 , fo r the best English es s a y by an u n d ergraduate on a su b ject in the field o f English C a n ad ian o r French C a n a d ia n literature, to be nom inated by instructors.

C R E A T IV E W RITING

The MONA APILMAN PRIZE IN POETRY_______________________ worth $ 6 5 0 --o r $ 3 2 5 for tw o students, is o pen to u n d e r g r a d u a te o r g ra d u a te s tu d e n ts registered in the F a c u lty o f A r ts for the best poem o r group of poem s relating to ecological o r environm ental concerns.

The CLARK LEWIS MEMORIAL PRIZE_____________________

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w orth $ 2 5 0 , is o pe n to m a jo r o r h o n o u r s s tu d e n ts in the D e p a r tm e n t o f E n g lis h . T h e prize is a w a rd e d ann ually or from tim e to tim e for original plays staged in the cou rse o f the aca d e m ic year.

The CHESTER MACNAGHTEN PRIZES IN CREATIVE WRITING_____ (tw o prizes, o n e of $ 5 0 0 and an o th e r o f $ 3 5 0 ) a re open to u n d e r g r a d u a te s tu d e n ts o f th e U n iv e rs ity for the best piece o f creative writing in English, i.e. a story, a play, a poem , an essay, etc. Printed com positions a re ineligible if they h av e bee n published before Apri 11, 2 0 0 1 .

The PETERSON MEMORIAL PRIZE___________________________ w orth $ 1 ,5 0 0 , is open to u n d e r g r a d u a te o r g r a d u a te s tu d e n ts r e g is te r e d in a d e g re e p r o g r a m in the D e p a r tm e n t o f E n g lis h with distinction in English Literature (C G P A 3 .3 0 o r ab o v e ) w ho h as also show n creative literary ability.

The LIONEL SHAPIRO AWARDS FOR CREATIVE WRITING________ th ree prizes o f $ 1 ,0 0 0 eac h , to be distributed if possible am o n g the g en res of poetry, fiction, screen-w riting an d playwriting. E ach prize to be a w ard ed on the recom m end ation of the D e p a rtm e n t of English students in the fin a l y e a r o f th e B .A . c o u rs e w ho have dem o n strated outstanding talent. (A note from your a ca d em ic advisor verifying you will have co m pleted your program requirem ents and the m inim um credits required by th e F ac ulty of Arts (by April 2 0 0 1 ) M U S T a cc o m p an y you r subm ission.) These competitions are restricted to students who have not previously won the First Prize. Forms to be completed (for creative writing prizes and awards) are available in the Department of English General Office, Arts 155. Submissions must be in dup licate

D EAD LIN E: Wednesday, April 11 , 2001

knowledge of or interest in art while the others seem to have both Then there is the absent artist. Apparently, he was spotted at the gallery earlier, but is nowhere to be found—where has he gone and why? This film is short, sweet and free of cheap tricks like sex, violence or profanity. Other films shown included Lavorama, also directed by Rabin Breakbeat by Craig Desson, Trip the Light Fantastic by the trio of Alyssa Bonic, Andrea-Jane Cornell, and Genevieve Duquette, He Machias Seal and Yukon by Dominic Desjardins, and the comical Federal Government o f Joe Clark in 20 Seconds by Matthew Rankin. This festival is living-proof that Canada’s serious and talented filmmakers are alive and well at McGill.

The com fort o f brotherly love L o v e

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R icky C . Gordon

A ll w e lc o m e /O u v e r t à to u s L E C T U R E S / C O N F É R E N C E S : ______________________________________

homeland is rooted within us and explores the difficulties of immigra­ tion. After arriving in Canada, the protagonist recognises his attach­ ment to Egypt and the difficulties of assimilation into Canadian cul­ ture. The film depicts the Egyptian gradually warming to his surround­ ings. The potential for an eventual happy ending is implied through the man’s acceptance of Canada without compromising his love for his Egyptian roots. A Propos, a highly original film about what happens in art galleries during exhibits, is hilarious. Sandwiched between serious pieces, it provided much needed comic relief. The film is a parody of arty types. There’s the alcoholic, who keeps chugging down wine behind his daughter’s back without getting caught. He seems to be at the exhibit exclusively for the free booze. There are the token artsyfartsy types. There is the conspicu­ ously outspoken man at the exhibit who is clearly out of place. He keeps speaking as though he has no

Love Come Down is very much a performance piece with an origi­ nal script full of flare and substance. The cast is made up of Larenz Tate, Deborah Cox, Martin Cummins, Rainbow Sun Franks, Peter Williams, Barbara Williams and Sarah Polley, who all bring their characters to life with a realism that demonstrates the art of filmmaking. Clement Virgo, the director and screenwriter, explores interracial family relationships from a depressing angle. Neville (Tate) and Matthew (Cummins) are two brothers, one black and the other white, who must cope with the murder of their father (Peter Williams) and the imprison­ ment of their mother (Barbara Williams) for the crime. Neville escapes from his deep, underlying problems by using drugs like ‘bliss’, while Matthew seeks the boxing ring as his solace. While Neville goes in and out of rehab and strug­ gles to live his dream as a comedian, Matthew constantly looks out for his brother to keep him clean and alive. They find strength and courage in each other to go on fighting against the odds. Niko (Cox), a young night

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club singer, enters Neville’s life at the right time and helps point him the right way on the path to selfdiscovery. She is a black woman liv­ ing with Jewish adoptive parents. Neville helps her find her birth par­ ents and focus less on the condition

of her ailing mother. Love Come Down is a chainbased process of friendship. Young people are looking out for each other as they search for some truth and peace of mind in their lives. Sister Sarah (Polley), a nun with a past, serves as a mentor to Neville as he struggles to stay clean, and long­ time friend, Julian (Franks), is like a second brother to him. Matthew and Neville open up themselves to a wider developing family that will not judge them. Love Come Down is not preachy. Virgo manages to draw

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viewers into a world where young people use adversity to grow stronger as individuals. Neville and Matthew have a stronger bond based on their courage to face their pasts and move on. Rude (1995), received the prestigious honor of Best Feature Film at the Toronto Film Festival and he studied at Norman Jewison’s wellknown Canadian Center for Advanced Film Studies. Love Come Down is his second fea­ ture length film and it has already garnered respect from his filmmaking peers and audi­ ences in Canada. It is a film that is believable and unpre­ dictable in its thematic movement. Viewers will be enchanted by the power of eye contact and the vibrant young faces with their expressive moods of joy and pain. Love Come Down is an emotional work that also shows that depres­ sion is universal, regardless of how good-looking and toned one may be on the outside. Love Come Down is a product o f Canada and is playing at a theatre near you. Check local list­ ingfor the times that it’s shown at the Eaton Cent


The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

I H

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| S e l e c t Start <ric VidiOest ien I was a kid I was not allowed to play video games. My par­ ents felt that my free time was bet­ ter spent outdoors with my non-virtual friends. In hindsight, I think it would have been better if I’d been kept indoors, at least some of the time. You see, as a result of my par­ ents’ extended error in judgment, my almost primal urge to play video games was repressed at a young age and it has only recently been released. The results have been either glorious or catastrophic, depending on whom you speak to. As far as my social life goes, video games have become the bane of my existence. For some as of yet undiscovered reason, the exploits of Sonic my hedgehog friend or Mario do not matter to the vast majority of my friends. The indescribable feeling of joy and sense of accom­ plishment that overcome me after I clear a game are just not there and, sadly, this also means that it’s impossible for me to share my life­ changing experiences with them. Instead, I’m forced to retreat back to my dark, dank cavern and con­ tinue playing with my only true friends: videogames.

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The climax of my complex relationship with videogames arrives shortly before the comple­ tion of a game, after a good week­ end’s worth of my undivided atten­ tion. Now for everyone that claims to have studied in the library for the entire weekend, let me add that my ‘weekend’s worth’ of work involves a great deal more commitment than your equivalent. You weekend learners have nothing more than a guilty conscience and seek to allevi­ ate the symptoms via a trip to the library where hours upon hours of chit-chat are hocked off as solid studying. My weekend of video gaming can consist of consecutive 18-hour days where my physical body remains stationary only to be interrupted by brief trips to relieve myself. To suggest that I am being lazy, however, is entirely false. My fingers can move miles in a single day and my eyes study the screen more intensely than any student studying could ever hope to achieve. Let’s not forget that, in addition to my physical activity, my mind is in overdrive. Imagine being required to assume the personalities of multiple characters who all have unique traits and goals. Usually, these characters are faced with near impossible tasks that, in most cir­ cumstances, require you as the gamer to send your characters to their deaths a number of times before the triumph over evil can be

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achieved. O f course, as it is with most relationships, the highs come paired with the lows. After clearing one game, a refractory period begins where the urge to play is greatly diminished. I figure it’s a necessary evil. One could even liken it to orgasm: how can you be expected to enjoy it if it’s always there and ready? This interlude serves to reset my body’s equilibrium and ensures that my brain doesn’t become over­ saturated with those pleasure induc­ ing neurotransmitters. Sometimes, however, this low lasts much longer than it has to, and the need for videogame-derived pleasure becomes almost unbear­ able. You see, unlike my virtual world, my physical body requires food, water and rest. These necessi­ ties can only be obtained if I pro­ cure goods and services by way of transactions made legitimate using legal tender as credit through which the vendor will be renumerated. Unfortunately, my need for videogames is superceded by my need to survive and my shoestring budget exhausts itself long before the purchasing of new videogames is ever considered. In the end, I’m forced to suck it up and play my old games. Now as much as I enjoy playing videogames, I cannot bring myself to play games that I have already played. For me, there’s no excitement to be had by breaking

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my high scores (I feel that high scores were properly left behind when we made the leap to the 90s). I imagine that a similarly fun situa­ tion would arise if one was to read old TV guides and get excited about the future programming. So, having no other recourse, I leave my abode and venture outside to meet with the other humans. These low periods are when you are most likely to see me. Contrary to what you might think having read this article from the beginning, I am not a loser (Actually, what I really mean to say is that you would never have guessed that I am having never read this article). I enjoy the physical world and everything that it has to offer but I feel that I cannot limit myself to the material plane. The virtual world gives me the ability to do so many things that I could never do and it’s all essentially free (i.e. when I compare the cost of purchasing a videogame to the cost of doing the same thing in the real world). I become the arbiter of my own destiny and no amount of uncontrolled rage can stop me; I am free to do as I please with no fear of reprimand. Actually, to be fair, there are forms of punishment in the virtual realm; your character’s onscreen blunders (i.e. miscalculat­ ed jumps into pits; errant behaviour in the presence of various volatiles; etc.) could accumulate to such an

extent that he/she dies, forcing you to restart the given level. Still, as far as I know, similar crimes and mishaps have far more dire consequences in the physical world. Seeing someone falling to their death after missing a jump wouldn’t be nearly as funny and they would be in the unfortunate situation of being at the bottom of a pit without any more credits (I think that inadvertent use of the term credits to define life is, per­ haps, the best way to illustrate my gaming addiction). Recently, my financial situa­ tion has prevented me from pur­ chasing any new videogames. I’ve stooped so low that I have even tried playing my old videogames and, to be honest, my interest is waning. So much so that I think that I’ve partially conquered my addiction. You see, ever since a DVD player found a place in my living room, I really haven’t had any time or strong desire to play. In the same way that heroin addiction is curtailed through methodone abuse, I have managed to find another equally efficient way of ruining my social life. Next week, I ’ll return with an in depth look at how video games have helped me to grow as an individual. In our final issue, I ’ll complete the triptych with a look at our videogamingfuture.

W in a complete Run D M C discography or a copy of their new C D , C ro w n

R o y a le

by answering the following question on the Tribune website Who did Run DMC work with on the hit single, 'Walk this way?'

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W in o n e o f t w o p r i z e p a c k s i n c l u d i n g a s p e c i a l e d i t i o n c o p y o f th e S o p h tw a r e S lu m p , a k e y c h a in , a m o u s e p a d , a t-s h irt, a n d a t o q u e b y a n s w e r i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g q u e s tio n o n th e w e b s ite :

Name one song off of Grandaddy’s Sophtware Slump.

courtesy of Le Groupe BMGdu Québec


26 A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

T h e

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Judith Drory

Taboo, directed by Nagisa Oshima, explores the intimate con­ nections between samurai, death and homosexuality in feudal Japan. The story begins in the spring

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The samurai adheres to a rigor­ ous code of conduct, which ranges from not borrowing money to not killing anyone for personal motives. Committing any of these “taboos” is punishable by death. The younger and more naïve of the two

If he can get the 7-10 split he’ll roll a perfect 300

of 1865, a few years before the restoration of an absolute monar­ chy. The film opens with the selec­ tion of two young recruits, eager to join the militia ranks of the samurai warriors. Right away, you learn that they are chosen as much for their looks as they for their skills.

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new recruits, Samurai Sozaburo Kano (Ryuhei Matsuda) both knowingly and unknowingly leads to the downfall of many of his fel­ low warriors. The basic premise of this movie is that Sozaburo Kano seems to cast a spell on all those around him, purposely keeping his locks long to become desirable to

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men. He quickly becomes involved with the other recruit, Samurai Hyozo Tashiro. Homosexuality is a strong theme in the movie, at times bla­ tant and at times latent. A large majority of Taboo deals with the relationships between lovers, cap­ tains and other samurai. Much attention is needed to decipher just who does or does not “lean that way” and who is or is not getting involved with others. To a large extent, that is the point: Kano is plagued by others’ sexual overtures, his identity and his rumored rela­ tionship with Tashiro. Some of the minor characters come and go so quickly that it is hard to remember their identities when their names are brought up later. However, this doesn’t neces­ sarily detract from the plot. It can still be followed, it just makes your head spin a little. Luckily, there are enough good things in Taboo to overcome the plot that seems to take forever to unwind. This movie holds power in its attention to detail and authen­ ticity. Every musical chord is timed perfectly to accurately complement the scenery, mood and characteris­ tics of an individual. The kendo matches show the intensity of the players, while also allowing the thwack of the sticks and the grunts of men to suggest a rough sensuali­ ty-

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Les SexareenosRuby D + 3 7" (Telstar)

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Along with the music and attention to detail, one must give credit to the cuts in the movie. At one point, the narration warns you of the consequences of breaking a code, and then cuts to a scene where you would see the fatal result of a samurai who has, in fact, bro­ ken a rule. This was a refreshing technique. In the final scene, metaphors abound and murky questions clear up. The final scene is also master­ fully overlapped with a reciting of a novella, The Rendez-Vous by the Chrysanthemums, written by Akinari Ueda, which helps draw a parallel to the struggles of the char­ acters within this movie. Taboo is a complex story that draws its strength from its beautiful scenery, powerful sound overtures and close attention to a historical period of time. Taboo doesn’t neces­ sarily win plot points with me, but it is an insightful look at the dedi­ cation of the Samurai, set against a beautiful scenic background full of life and love. Taboo is playing at Cinema du Parc from March 23rd to April 5th

Flig h t o f the W o unded Locust 7"

(Gold Standard Labs)

The Locust sets the standard for calculated precise new wave hardcore sound. They practically started the entire keyboard trend and now dominate the brutal technologically sophisticated bands. They got so much respect from the popular electronic music community that a remix album came out last year. And all this from a really, really fast hard­ core band. This long awaited and much hyped 6-song 7” is an exact dose of science fiction and sceamy vocals. The A side con­ tains 5 ultra-technical abrasive hits while the B side boasts the most surprising and exciting piece, a 3-minute all electronic instrumental. The Locust are incredibly together, delivering an overwhelming performance that relies neither of harmony, nor power. The band recently toured Japan, playing to crowds of 2000 kids and opening for At the Drive In. They will be touring the States by the end of this year to back an upcoming Locust/Melt Banana split EP and possibly a full-length release. Bis M u sic fo r A S tran g er W o rld CD/EP

(Lookout)

This is a domestic release of an 8-song EP that came out in Britain on Wiiija records. Bis has long since abandoned the cute hand-drawn characters that graced the teen-c power years. This is the computer animation Bis, full of new life after a long and unproductive stint on Grand Royal records. The instrumenta­ tion of the group has changed slightly in efforts to recapture the dance feel that was so successful with their Eurodisco release. Simple synth lines dominate the new wave compositions with rather pure tones. However, the sound remains thick and busy with lots of call/response vocals and the occasional dirty guitar and wandering organ in the back­ ground. The wonderfully awk­ ward lyricism also remains intact with familiar catchy choruses with tilted verses tooled to the meaningful ideas behind the band. Like almost all of Bis’ records, Music for a Stranger World was entirely produced by the band, reinforcing their long­ standing criticisms of “fake d.i.y.”

“Everybody Sexareeno” has caught on all over North America. Glammed up ‘rock and rollers’ are putting away their Clash records and eye liner to dance to the garage beat with a little bit of soul. In fact, at last year’s Cavestomp festival, where they opened for the Troggs, one girl danced so hard during their set that she broke her foot. Live in Bed, (Sympathy for the Record industry) won critical acclaim from serious rock critics and par­ tying teenagers alike. This 7” comes from Telstar records, which has a rich tradition of bringing out the best of garage rock bands. For example, take the classic Telstar release (Hey c’mon kids) It’s Gorilla Time b/w Mo’ Gorilla by The Young Fresh Fellows. The Young Fresh Fellows dictate the mediocrity of the 80’s garage revival and yet many peo­ ple hold this one single high. The combination of these two powerhouses has resulted in one of the best rock and roll 45’s since 1964. Rydell P e r A rd u a A d A stra CD

(Headhunter)

This band can be compared to Four Hundred Years, Cap’n Jazz and Get Up Kids, which I guess means they are going to be huge. This is Britain’s break­ through melodic hardcore/indie rock act, opening an untapped wealth of bands to be imported to America. They combine a powerful arsenal of melodic gui­ tar with a strong sense of origi­ nality. The band lays down a solid foundation of harmonically and rhythmically simple blocks of colour while harsh and powerful vocals cut over top. The band demonstrates versatility and imagination by including piano and mostly processed organ synth sounds. Rydell maintain a lilted catchiness (see Cap’n Jazz refer­ ence) beneath the absolute power. As a whole, the music seems strikingly sincere and somewhat overwhelming. Although the vocals sit abrasively against the final product, Per Ardua Ad Astra is an enjoyable and fresh album of novel breakdowns and immac­ ulate melody.


Sports A M

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Jerem y Kuzm arov____________________

Superstition and sports go hand in hand for McGill middledistance runner extraordinaire Yohsuke Hayashi. He listens to Goth rock music and takes a leisurely stroll around the track prior to every race. This routine paid off as Hayashi had his best season ever for McGill in 2001. He was named an all-Canadian after winning a silver medal in the 1,000 meter run at the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union National Track Championships held in Waterloo last weekend. He also earned the distinction as the top male track athlete in Quebec. His four medals at the provin­ cial championships in Sherbrooke helped propel the McGill mens team to a second place finish. “Track is all about mental preparation and having confi­ dence,” said Hayashi, a junior who placed fifth in the 1,000 meter run at the national championships in 2000. “Before the race some people are quiet, others are talkative, but I’ve got my own quirks. I think that my sharp focus was a key to my suc­ cess this year.” While thrilled with his results at Nationals, Hayashi, a hard work­ ing Computer Engineering student, is hardly one to sit back and bask in his accomplishments. Hoping to continue his vigor­ ous training regiment throughout the off-season, Hayashi has already set aside some lofty goals for 2002. He is bent on striking gold at the CIAU’s, anchoring the McGill

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While injuries are often a good standard excuse for unmet expecta­ tions, this year’s edition of the McGill track team might be able to make an argument. Standard track injuries coupled with the less-clichéd flu bug, forced many athletes to sit out important meets. Illness, however, wasn’t enough to stop middle distance runner Sarah Ali-Khan from setting

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a McGill record for career medals. It also wasn’t enough to stop the entire McGill team from maintain­ ing its dominance in the relays and middle distance running during the season. Ali-Khan, perennial AllCanadian, ended this year’s stellar performance by winning three medals at the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union Track & Field championships. She won a gold medal in the 1000meter run, setting a record for the

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relay squad, which placed fifth at the nationals this year, to a high­ er finish, and possibly break­ ing Alex H u tch in so n ’s all-time McGill record in the 1,000 meter run, which is the budding star’s specialty event. “It was a great race and something I’ll remember for­ ever, but I don’t want the silver medal to be the major highlight of ner,” said Hayashi. “I’m definitely my track career, said Hayashi, a Montreal native shooting for him.” who played varsity soccer for Part of Hayashi’s ‘sky’s the Marianopolis before coming to limit’ mentality comes from McGill McGill. “Last year after finishing track head coach Dennis Barrett, fifth at Nationals, I was already who has been one of his major thinking about this year, and the sources of inspiration. same is true now. I’ve got a motto “Coach Barrett doesn’t set lim­ which I live by ‘Do better than yes­ its and that’s one the great things terday’, and I’m super-motivated about him,” commented Hayashi. In order to achieve his high for next year.” Hutchinson’s record is especial­ expectations, Hayashi, looks to ly alluring to Hayashi who hopes to improve his stamina, and consisten­ carve his name among the all-time cy during the summer months. Hayashi’s trademark strong McGill track greats. “Hutchinson competed with finish, which is his major strength some of the people who were on the in the 1,000 meter run, was explic­ team when I was in first year. I’ve itly evident in another of the major heard a lot of stories about him, and highlights of his McGill career - his that he was a clever and smart run­ anchoring the 4x800 meter relay

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squad to a silver medal finish at the 2000 track nationals held at the McGill Fieldhouse. After starting the final leg of the race in third, Hayashi, in cus­ tomary fashion, turned up the jets to nip his opponent and nearly edge the first place finisher. “At the end of the race there’s no time to think, you just put it all out on the line,” stated Hayashi. “The toughest hurdle for me to overcome is the middle, when you’re tired and there’s no end in sight. That’s what I’ve got to improve on.” Hayashi’s dedication, and will­ ingness to put in the necessary training to succeed — all the more impressive considering the fact that Computer Engineering isn’t exactly a bobo program — has not gone unnoticed. Barrett heaps praise upon the man who has been the cornerstone of the McGill men’s track team for the past two seasons. “Hayashi is a quiet unassuming young man, and he has great char­ acter. I was especially happy to see him get all-Canadian distinction and Quebec conference athlete of the year,” said Barrett. “He has been a major contributor to our team.” Ravaged by injuries and illness­ es, the Redmen went through some tough times during the 2001 sea­ son. A major turning point seems have been coach Barrett’s disparag­ ing comments after the first McGill Track Invitational Open, where he blasted his team for not sticking around to support one another. The tides seemed to turn from

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fastest time this year, a silver medal in the 1500-meter run and anchored the 4x800 meter relay team to a gold medal finish. Ali-Khan was responsible for an astonishing nineteen of the twenty-five points won by the Martlet team, bringing them to sev­ enth place out of 26 teams at Nationals. “I’m really pleased... though I still wished I could have won the gold in the 4x800 and the 1500 but it was a tough race,” commented

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there, and Hayashi was pleased with McGill’s runner-up finish at the provincials. “Our goal heading into the season was to finish top two, and we realized that, so that’s good. The discipline and work ethic was there on the team,” said Hayashi. “We did go through some bumps in the road. We had a young team, and some guys had trouble adjusting to the pressure of school and track. Barrett’s comments seemed to have had an impact.” Two rookies that made a reso­ nant impression were Daniel Lennox and Daniel Cohen, who replaced Benoit Lebeau and Jeffrey Wagner on the 4x800 relay team. “Both guys show a lot of prom­ ise,” said Hayashi. “We could have done better at nationals this year, it was a matter of the mental aspect not being there. We were a bit intimidated going with two rookies. We’ll do better next year.” As a senior in 2002, Hayashi will be looking to exert some lead­ ership. and show the ropes to the younger McGill athletes who would be wise to try and emulate their soft-spoken teammate that can run like the dickens. “I’m not necessarily a vocal guy, but I try to have an impact on my teammates in other ways,” demurred Hayashi. “Hopefully the rookies and younger guys will see something in my running, and see how hard I train and practice. I try to be a leader by example.”

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the twenty-six year old pharmacolo­ gy student. Ali-Khan’s medal count now stands at eight: four golds, three sil­ vers and a bronze, setting a McGill record for the highest number of medals won by an athlete. AliKhan spent part of the year in her native New Zealand where she was able to take a different training strategy. “When I was in New Zealand, I did a couple of long runs... because it’s summer down there

when it’s winter here, and I did some hiking with heavy packs...It was a short training season because I got the flu, but the cross country season kept me strong so had a fair bit of endurance when I was run­ ning,” she said after returning from a meet in Quebec City. Martlet triple jumper Dawn Creighton had a good season plac­ ing first at the invitational meets and besting her personal best record by twenty-centimetres at the Please see TRA CK, page 31


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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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Not since Wendy Whelan in 1997, has a Martlet volleyball play­ er been named All-Canadian. Shauna Forster, a bio-medical engi­ neer and the team’s setter, broke the four-year drought this year, by receiving All-Canadian status, only the second in Martlet history. Forster, originally from Kelowna, British Columbia, began playing with the Mardets in her first year as power and moved to setter in second year as a regular starter. She was named the team’s most improved player in her first two seasons and was voted MVP in her third year. Even though Forster would be the last person to think she deserved All-Canadian status, her coach has a very strong faith in her abilities as a volleyball player. “I was not surprised at all to hear of Shauna’s All-Canadian award. The Quebec conference is one of the strongest in the CIAU and this gives an advantage to our athletes to be selected on the AllCanadian team.”

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Head coach, Rachèle Béliveau went on to describe how much of an asset she has been in contribut­ ing to her team’s success. “Shauna is like the quarterback of a football team. She has to make a lot of quick decisions on the court in order to set up the offensive sys­ tem. She has the technical and tac­ tical skills to perform under pres­ sure and seldom makes a mistake. Shauna knows how to create win­ ning situations and her role on the court is the most important one.” Playing a varsity sport for four years as well as being a full time engineering student doesn’t even seem to faze Forster. “I am pretty organized and I just love to play volleyball.” Coach Béliveau has only words of praise when asked about Shauna’s personality. “She is very dedicated to every­ thing she does. She is incredibly charismatic, intelligent and has the utmost respect from all her peers.” Much of Forsters success ath­ letically at McGill can also be accredited to the volleyball pro­ gram, the coach and her teammates.

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“We are a really close team, everyone’s really supportive and always providing positive feedback, which is really important.” Forster was able to benefit from playing with talented team­ mates like Elizabeth Jamieson and Marie-Andrée Lessard, who both

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had tremendous seasons in 2000-2001. Even though Forster was the only one named All-Canadian, both coach Beliveau and Forster herself believes that there was no one obvious stand­ out on the team. “Everyone is pretty equal, we didn’t have just one outstanding player.” said Forster, “The team has many good athletes, but not too many big stars. Our strength lies in our ability to play as a whole, and this year was the best in terms of team unity and coopera­ tion.” The consensus that this was by far one of the best teams McGill has put together in years, sadly, the final standing wasn’t a clear reflection of their skill level. Ranked perenially in the national Top Ten throughout the year, the Martlets lost to arch-rivals l’Universite de Montreal in their home finale, and missed out on the play-offs.

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The team, despite its depth j and intense play, finished in dead last in the ultra-competitive Quebec conference. “To me, this was the strongest team we’ve had in all the four years I’ve played, but we had the worst outcome, so it is definitely disap­ pointing.” Forster’s disappointment is a key reason why she is contemplat­ ing coming back to complete a Master’s degree and set things straight on the court. Forster will be accompanied by several McGill stal­ warts like Jamieson and Taryn Thompson who are staying to com­ plete their eligibility and hopefully catapult the Martlets to a better fin­ ish. “We’re losing some good play­ ers like Lessard which will be tough, but we’ll have a strong team next year,” said Forster. “We’re looking to have a better finish. We’ve defi­ nitely have that in us.”

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Women's Ski Team Wins Championship What a weekend for the McGill women’s ski team who

returned home as provincial cham­ pions, sweeping the podium in the process. Brianne Law, who was awarded the individual women’s championship as well, was the top finisher, followed by Lise-Marie

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Acton in second and Lesley White in third. Kveta Safarik (6th), Margaret DeBruyn (11), Liserl Woods (15), Megan McCourt (25), Kristie Robson (26), Megan Bambo rough (32), Megan Fisher (35), Jessica Arshinoff (37), Danielle Sweeney (40), Erica Van Vulpen (49), Allison Finley (51), Caroline L’Heureux (53), and Tyrenny Anderson all helped to secure the first place finish. The men’s team, who finished in third were led by Joachim Hrasky who was McGills faster man finishing thirteenth. The McGill combined team (men and women’s) finished in second behind the University of Montreal whose men’s team fin­ ished in first and women’s team in third. Bishops’ combined team rounded out the podium in third.

Nair and Chatoorgan lead badminton team to respectable finish at Provincials At Laval in the Quebec cham­ pionships, the mixed doubles team of Rani Chatoorgoon and Keiran Nair had the best McGill showing by making it to the quarter-finals. After winning their first round match 15-9, 15-3 against Katie Provencher and Richard Langlois from University of Montreal. They went on to beat Annie-Claude Murrary and Jean-Philippe Dupont of UQTR 15-11, 15-6. The duo was beaten, however, in their their quarter-final match against the team of Sebastien

Mousseau and Karine Lachance (the second seeds) of Sherbrooke 15-6, 15-1. In men’s singles, Nair lost in the round of 16 s in a heart-break­ ing match against Mathieu Dube of U of Montreal 10-15, 15-3, 1510. David Lee won his first round singles against Pierre-Luc Bourdreault of Trois-Rivières 15-3, 15-1. Lee lost in the round of 16’s to Frederic Potvin. In women’s singles, McGill only had one entry: Judy Morris, who lost in the first round to Karine Lavertu of Sherbrooke 150, 15-1. In men’s doubles, Lee and Nair won by default in the first round. Their next match was a close loss to Dominic Marceau and Michel Melancon of Sherbrooke 15-5, 1115, 15-13. In women’s doubles, the team of Chatoorgoon and Sally Carter lost in the first round to Michelle Dube and Françoise Dube of Montreal 15-6, 13-15, 15-9. Other players who competed for McGill were: Colin Chang, Mike Clay, Hong-Ming Shih, David Sum, Benny Fong, and Jeffrey Eng.

St. Francis Xavier repeat as national b-ball champs In an overtime thriller, the St. Francis Xavier X-men outlasted the Bobcats 83-76, to win it’s second straight Canadian Inter university athletics Union National

Championship. Dennie Oliver, who hit some crucial free throws in overtime, was named player of the game. He scored 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Tourney MVP Randy Nohr contributed 13 points and 12 assists, while Fred Perry scored 15 before fouling out. Earnest Bell had a 21-point, nine rebound performance in his final CIAU game, to lead Brandon. Tyrone Smith added 19.

Alberta seeking third straight national hockey title Evoking memories of another Alberta dynasty of the early eight­ ies, the Alberta Golden Bears are doing their best Edmonton Oilers imitation and trying to bring the ‘City of Champions’ claim back to Alberta’s capital. Immediately in their way however are five strong hockey schools, notably the Trois Rivieres Patriotes who themselves are trying to shake their image as chokers. The tournament is being hosted by Wilfred Laurier and will be contested in Kitchener begin­ ning this Thursday and running to Sunday with the final being broad­ cast by TSN/RDS at 3 pm. Alberta, as has been the case for most of the season, is seeded first, followed by UQTR, St. Thomas, Western, St. FX and Laurier. The tournament is a round robin setup with each team playing two games before the final matchups are decided.


Thé McGill Tribune; Tuesâay; 20 Marctv200L

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Anyone and everyone that saw a McGill Redmen basketball game this past season saw just how differ­ ent this year’s team was. There were plenty of new young faces, a new coach, and a change to a more up-tempo style of play. The result was a large amount of success for the squad. Ironically, the team’s successful turnaround can, in part, be attrib­ uted to someone who’s anything but a new face to the program. Rather, he’s been a part of the team for the last four years. Co-Captain Brady Murphy has led the team on and off the court throughout his years at McGill and he may be the only player saying farewell to the basketball program at the end of the year. Having started playing basket­ ball in grade seven, Murphy contin­ ued to do so throughout his preUniversity years at Chateauguay Regional High in Ormstown Quebec and Marianopolis College in Montreal. When it came time to

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chose a University, Murphy’s deci­ sion was an easy one. “I wanted to stay in Montreal,

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Jeremy Kuzmarov & Neil Schnurbach After his unheralded 15 th ranked Hampton team upset the mighty Cyclones from Iowa State, a second seed, head coach Steve Merfel’s eyes widened like a kid at a candy store. The middle-aged man abandoned all inhibitions, and ran around the court in glee before receiving a giant bear-hug from one of his oversized players. This scene was far from out of the ordinary in the frenetic National Collegiate Athletics Association championships that commenced this past Thursday, and have so far been characterized by a wave of last-minute heroics and stunning upsets. The NCAA tournament has traditionally been a showcase for top talent from small and relatively unknown schools. This year, players like Marvin O ’Connor of tiny St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and 30 year old George Evans from obscure George Mason College, have taken over the spotlight and wowed everyone. The NCAA’s also provide an opportunity for small schools to dream big, and have the chance to knock off perennial powerhouses like North Carolina and Duke.

Who could forget watching Gonzaga, with a small campus in suburban Seattle make the Sweet 16 for three straight years, and knock off giants like Virginia? The question is why can’t this happen in Canada? Sure the quality of talent north of the 49th parallel is not quite up to the level of the United States. But, as anyone who has come out to watch the McGill Redmen play this season knows, there is some good ball being played right in our own backyards. There are numerous stars like Charles Fortier of Laval, and Randy Nohr of CIAU champion St. Francis Xavier who are worth the price of admission. McGill, which ended a strong season with its first regular season conference title in 15 years, also has some versatile ath­ letes like Denburk Reid and his namesake Kirk who can create magic on the court. One great element of CLAU ball is the shortened shot clock, which is 30 seconds instead of 35 in the NCAA. This forces players to get rid of the ball quickly and utilize their creativity, which results in higher scoring and extremely enter­

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and play ball at the university level. McGill seemed like the perfect fit. The team wasn’t very good my first year, so I saw my share of minutes.” Murphy was one of the new guys on a team that functioned far differently than it does today. “It wasn’t the same kind of team that it is now,” said Murphy. “There was a clear separation between the young and the old. There wasn’t that genuine sense of a team that we Crystal Wreden had this past year. Still, Murphy credits some of the better players like Matt Watson

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taining games. A major problem with the CIAU is its lack of exposure, espe­ cially on television. The Sports Network (TSN) broadcasts only three games a year, which is far too few to help build a following for any particular player or team. Why doesn’t Global — even though it pains us to listen to Paul Graif and the atrocious broadcasters they have on staff — show a couple of McGill and Concordia games. At the very least they could show highlights on their 11 o’clock news. Ditto for C7V Sportsnet and Pulse. A remedy for the predicament of CIAU ball, is the creation of a 24 team championship tournament modeled after the NCAAs. This would help to foster a tremendous amount of excitement, and would help to create a ‘March Madness’ atmosphere similar to that down south. Network executives would be drooling at the prospect of show­ casing such an event. Here’s a suggested format for the tourney. The eight teams that would have made the CLAU final eight, including the six conference champions, would get an automatic bye into the second round. 16 other at large teams, selected based on their records, would go head to head in the opening round. The limit to 16 would ensure that the regular-season is not rendered meaningless, and that all of the teams in the tournament were extremely competitive, like in the U.S.

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and Hubert Davis as guys he once looked up to. Murphy and the rest of his peers made sure that when it was their turn to play the role of the vet­ erans, things would be different. “I think all the players on this year’s team were on the same level from day one. There was no hierar­ chy. During our trip to the Dominican Republic, we all got to know each other really well.” In addition to his keen sense of leadership, Murphy can flat out play. This year, Murphy was fourth on McGill with 8.1 points per game. He was also fourth on the squad with 4.0 rebounds per game. Known for his outside shot, Murphy capped off his McGill career fittingly with a three-pointer at the end of the Redmen’s loss to Laval. This season he was fourth in the QSSF in three pointers made with 28. Murphy’s work ethic was unmatched. His hustle and tenacity gives the “never say die” attitude justice. Although he will no longer be

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with the squad, Murphy predicts good things for the team in the near future. “The team looks great for next year. They’ll be lacking in size, but as long as they can make other teams play up and down the court and continue to press, they’ll be tough to beat. I don’t think they’ll necessarily need a scoring threat in the middle, but just the presence of a big guy would help immensely. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the finals against Laval, again.” As for Murphy’s future, he plans on putting his major in finance to good use. He’s pondering moving to Toronto to start a career in the corporate world after gradua­ tion. His future in basketball is less certain but some time off from the physically demanding sport is defi­ nitely in the cards. “I’ll be taking a break from it for a while. I’m a bit sick of all the stitches.”

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For maximum exposure, the tournament should take place before the one in the U.S, so per­ haps the start of the regular season should be pushed to earlier in October. This would allow for the added quirk of the winner earning the 16th seed in the NCAA tourna­ ment. Sure, a team like St. Francis Xavier would be overmatched against a Michigan State or Duke but so too were Monmouth or Alabama State. Their chances would be about equivalent. A tournament of this scope might induce schools like l’Université de Quebec à Montreal

and l’Universite de Montreal to start up programs. It would also up to up the ante for all CIAU teams, and would likely increase atten­ dance and exposure for the hard­ working and skilled Canadian ath­ letes on a local and national level. The CIAU final eight tourna­ ment, which was held this past week-end in Halifax had some great games, and was thriling to watch. The excitement could be increased at least threefold if there was a Canadian version of the ‘Madness.’

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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Michigan State to easily dispose of them and coast into the Final Four.

Neil S c h n u rb a ch

After four days of play, the March Madness tournament has produced the usual amount of upsets and great games. Look for more of the same in the weeks to come. There have been some intrigu­ ing trends in the tournament this year. Here is a short list of a few of the interesting things that have hap­ pened.

Gonzaga sweet again When are we going to stop calling Gonzaga a Cinderella story? Or better yet, when is the NCAA selection committee going to give them a higher seed than #12? This small school near Seattle used to be best known as John Stockton’s alma-mater. Now they have reached the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. Led by such stars as Casey Calvary and Dan Dickau, the Bulldogs look like a veritable threat this year. The only problem is that they run into last year’s National Champions, Michigan State, in the third round. Despite the character of the Gonzaga team, look for

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How about Hampton? Hampton, making their first ever NCAA tournament appear­ ance, seemed utterly unfazed by the pressure of the experience. In the first round they beat the Iowa State Cyclones, a Nationally ranked team for the entire season. It was the first time that a #15 seed has beaten a #2 seed since 1997 and the fourth such time in tournament history. For those of you who wanted to know, Hampton is a small school in Virginia with an enrollment of approximately 4,500 students.

Davis is no Knight in shining armor either! I have to admit that I felt that Indiana would start winning again in the new Mike Davis era. After years of tyranny under Bobby Knight, Indiana players finally are playing under a more relaxed sys­ tem. But apparently that does not translate into success. #4 seed Indiana was once again an early casualty in the tournament, losing to Kent State, a school best known

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for a shooting that occurred there in 1970. The Hoosiers, who were finalists in the Big Ten tournament, could not build on that momentum and were outplayed by a less talent­ ed team.

Their up tempo attack could not match up with Temple’s slow paced game. Watch out for Temple (who play Penn State next), as John Chaney’s boys seem to be peaking at the right time in the season.

Last year's Final Four not faring well

Schnurb's Final Four still alive

Trepagnier and company will have to contend with the likes of the Duke Blue Devils, not an enviable task. Should UCLA and USC slip by these opponents they will meet each other in the next round. Southern California is drooling at this prospect.

One last note for self-promo­ tion. Despite two #2 seeds losing my Final Four are still alive and kicking. Arizona still looks like the best team in the tournament. My other pick for the finals, Kentucky had a scare in the first round by Holy Cross but beat a tough Iowa team in the second round. Tayshaun Prince has led the way for this talented squad.

The year 2000 saw two #8 seeds make the Final Four. Both of those teams had better seeds this year but could not repeat their suc­ cess of a year ago. Wisconsin bowed out in the first round against Georgia State. Wisconsin tried to lull Georgia State with their low tempo game and stifling defense but still lost 50-49. North Carolina, the other #8 seed Final Four member from last year had a much better year this year. They finished 25-6 despite playing in the tough ACC confer­ ence. Despite this, the Tar Heels were unable to advance past the sec­ ond round, losing to Penn State. Amazingly, the much smaller and less physical Penn State Nittany Lions outrebounded North Carolina in the contest. Last year’s runner up, the University of Florida Gators also bowed out in the second round.

How about Marvin?

The best performance of the second round came from Marvin O'Connor of tiny St. Joseph's uni­ versity in Philadelphia. O'Connor, a junior, overcame a tough child­ hood of impoverishment to star for St. Joe's. Over the season he aver­ aged 21.6 points per game. Against Stanford on Saturday, O'Connor almost single handedly led St. Joseph's to an upset victor)’ over the number one seed. He scored 37 points by going an unbe­ lievable 15 for 20 from the field.

u s e vs. UCLA? While this possibility is still remote, these two Southern California rivals may meet in the Elite Eight. UCLA led by Jason Kapono and Earl Watson has looked impressive in the first two rounds but must get by Kentucky next round. USC has beaten the tough Boston College Screaming Eagles as well as the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Next round, Jeff

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The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, 20 March 2001

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la m e s Em pringham _________________

Now that the executives for the Students Society of McGill University have been elected for the 2001-2002 school year, their first movement in office will be to... Answer McGill sports trivia! So here it is sports fans, Tribune Sports has cornered, con­ fronted, and frightened the new SSMU execs into answering some of life’s big questions. The results? Well let’s hope they balance a budget better than they answer trivia, or next year is going to get uglier than a McGillOttawa football playoff game (50-3 Ottawa, Ouch!)

1. What are the names of the McGill mens and womens athletic teams? 2. Where do the Montreal Alouettes play their home games? 3. Name one member of the McGill brother tandem who both saw action in the professional ranks this year, one with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the other with the Seattle Seahawks? 4. Name one McGill All-Canadian athlete? 5. McGill athletic nicknames!!!

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Correct response: “The Magician”

Responses (correct answers in bold)

President Jeremy Farrell

VP University Affairs Jennifer Bilec

VP Communications and Events Brian Ker

Hoffman: does it rhyme with Nick? Correct response: “Legend of Greenfield”

1. Martlets, Redmen 2. Molson Stadium 3. ??? 4. Dan Maclean (close). McClean who had a fine season as captain of the Redmen hockey team was a first-team conference all-star. 5. Redmen basketball forward Kirk Reid: Fluide? Correct response: Captain Kirk

VP Clubs and Services Martin Doe 1. Redmen, Martlets 2. Percival Molson Stadium 3. Mathieu Darche and J.P. Darche-both, wow! 4. Greg Davis (Hockey All Canadians are yet to be announced for this season, but chances are that Davis hasn’t made the list this year...) 5. Redmen defensive lineman John Macdonald: The Assasin? Correct response: “The First Prime Minister of Defense”

VP Operations Raoul Gelbert 1. Redmen, Marlets 2. Molson Stadium 3. ??? 4. Dick Pound - (there was no such thing as All-Canadian in 1960). 5. Redmen running back Nick

1. Redmen, Martlets 2. Molson Stadium 3. ???

1. Martlets, Redmen 2. Molson Stadium 3. Dourche, Darche? 4. Can I say Darche again? -sorry, not again 5. Redmen defensive lineman Randy Chevrier: The Wall? Correct Response: “Crash”

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continued from page 27

McGill invitational a month ago. Creighton placed sixth in the women’s triple jump at CIAU nationals. Redmen middle distance run­

ner Yohsuke Hayashi anchored the 4x800 meter relay team into a fifth place finish, and won a silver in the 1000 meter run. Hayashi’s per­ formance accounted for all of McGill’s scoring, placing them at twelfth out of 26 teams in the nation. Track coach Dennis Barrett had to contend with many athletes being taken out of commission by

flu season on top of a string of injuries that weakened both the men’s and the women’s teams. The men’s power team was decimated by health complications that kept it from reaching its potential. Setbacks forced Barrett to focus rather on generating a mix of athletes and collecting more specialised coaches to focus on specific events for the track team. “In terms of a few areas we can improve on? The women’s team we have is a really good collection of women athletes we’d like them to get more involved and they’d like to get more involved,” he said on the subject of the women’s team. “We had a good mixture of vets and rookies and if we could keep them moving in the right direction keep them trying I think it will be good year... Next year we’re going to try to get more coaches to them [the athletes] and the specialised coaches that they need,” he continued com­ menting on next year’s prospects.

Volunteers are needed to sell daffodils on April 5th for the Canadian Cancer Society. Please let us know if you can spare any time that day. Call Susan at 3987292. McGill Students for Literacy is holding its annual fundraising SPELLING BEE on March 21st, at 5:30 in the McGill Bookstore café. For more information or to register: literacy@ssmu.mcgill.ca, 398-5100, Shatner 408. WHAT: An innovative Indian Classical Violin concert by one of India’s most prominent violinists: Sri Lalgudi Krishnan. WHEN: Friday, March 30th, 2001, at 7:30pm. WHERE: Bibliothèque Nationale du Quebec, 1700 St.Denis, metro Berri-UQAM. DONATIONS: $15 adults, $10 students. CONTACT: Anjana Srinivasan, phone 514-845-5208, email: anjana@canada.com. On Monday, 26 March 2001, the Safety Commission of the SSMU will be hosting Safety Day. This on-campus event aims to promote

personal safety and neighbour­ hood security to the McGill com­ munity. Organisations such as the MUC Police and Tandem Montreal will be present to respond to student safety concerns and provide tips and information. Through a series of booths and interactive sessions, we hope to make safety a more relevant part of student life. McGill’s African Student’s Society presents SANKOFA “Return to your roots” An evening of music, dance, fashions, and food from Africa and the diaspora.

T R IP P L A K E C A M P f o r G i r ls : 1 -8 0 0 -9 9 7 -4 3 4 7 w w w .tr ip p la k e c a m n .c o m

C A M P TAKAJO fo r B o y s: 1 -8 0 0 -2 5 0 -8 2 5 2 w w w .c a m p ta k a io .c o m

Whiteface Mountain & Stay

MARCH 24, 2001

P a c k a g e s fr o m $4 4 ( u .s ) p p , pd.*

Shatner Ballroom Doors open @ 6:30 pm, show @ 7:30 Call 931-1816 or 849-3168 for tickets or info

Great deals for midweek skiers and riders with accomodations Sunday - Thursday.

March 22nd

R ates in c lu d e o n e n ig h t’s A lo d g in g a n d o n e-dd ay W h iteface lift tic k eet.t . ^ Ê

SSPN Charity Night @ Gert’s All proceeds from the cover charge go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

•Restrictions^ Apply 8 8 8 -whiteface (9 4 4 -8 3 3 2 ) www. whitefaceregion. com


For the

C u ltu re fe st C o o rd in a to rs * D riv e sa fe C o o rd in a to rs £ 6 1 A c a d e m ic R e s a rc h C o m m isio n e r * C o m m u n ic a tio n s C o m m isio n e r * Stu d e n t In v o lv e m e n t C o o rd in ato r Faculty R e la tio n s C o m m isio n e r F ran co p h o n e C o m m isio n e r Ghetto R e s id e n ts A s so c ia tio n D irecto r S a fe ty C o m m isio n e r W e b m a ste rs £ 2 1 * H a n d b o o k C o o rd in a to rs £ 2 1 * Red H e rrin g E d ito r-in -C h ie f S tu d e n ts' S o c ie ty P ro g ra m m in g N e tw o rk ESSPN1 C h air S tu d e n ts' S o c ie ty P ro g ra m m in g N e tw o rk ESSPN1 M e m b e rs

T re asu re r * S p e a k e r s o f C o u n c il C 2 ) J u d ic ia l B o a r d J u d ic ia l B o a r d J u s t i c e s £ 5 1 [ n e e d t o b e in t h e f a c u l t y o f l a w ]

S t u d e n t E q u ity C o m is s io n e r C h ie f R e t u r n in g O ffic e r * D e p u t y R e t u r n in g O ffic e r * E le c t io n s C o o r d in a t o r s £ 2 1 * F r o s h P r o g r a m C o o r d in a t o r s * A c t iv it ie s D a y C o o r d in a t o r s B lo o d D r iv e C o o r d in a o r s W in te r F r o s h C o o r d in a t o r s S S M U T r ip s C o o r d in a t o r £ n e w 1 M in i- c o u r s e C o o r d in a t o r s £ 2 1 * POST Postering Service Coordinators £ 2 1 * C lu b E x e c u t iv e C o n f e r e n c e C o o r d in a t o r

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