The McGill Tribune Vol. 23 Issue 18

It's hard to separate lovers

It's n o t equal tea, it's e q u ity

OP/ED, PAGE 6

NEWS, PAGE 4

T

H arm erlo d ia is sw eeping A&E, PAGE 13

H

R I B U N E

IL L

Published by the Students' Society of McGill University since 1981

Vol. 23 Issue 18

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

B.A. & B.Sc.— the best of both worlds Jennifer Jett

DAVE BRODKEY

Who knew that by travelling from McGill to Pie-IX, you'd pass through so much history. See page 9.

The business of running rez Students concerned with management of NRH Kim D'Souza

New Residence Hall, an experiment in dif­ fused management, has been accused of harming the quality of residence life at McGill, “This rez is treated way more like a business than any other rez,” said NRH Residence Council President Shawn Atkins. “I think the [administra­ tors] ignore student life in their idea of making this a business. ” University administrators, however, defend the model, saying that it is too early to tell and that the unique situation in which the former Renaissance Hotel was acquired necessitated using a different model than the traditional one.

Associate Vice-Principal Academic Nicholas De Takacsy said that residences are always more of a business venture than the purely academic oper­ ations of a university, because the government doesn’t fund residences.

“$50-million is a huge investment for a uni­ versity,” he said. “The new residence is a bit of an experiment to see how one could use the different organizations within the university to best advan­ tage.”

Management of NRH is the responsibility of various McGill organizations such as facilities management, ancillary services and security, whereas the traditional model is almost entirely under residence management, although other organizations might be involved in major projects such as dining.

“Major repairs and so on do involve facilities management and we always have regular contact and interaction with the office of the vice-princi­ pal administration and finance,” De Takacsy said.

Despite the other changes, Vice-Principal Administration and Finance Morty Yalovsky said,

Students who can’t decide between Nietzsche and Newton can have the best of both worlds starting in September. On Wednesday the university Senate approved the creation of a new degree, the Bachelor of Arts and Science.

Dean of Science Alan Shaver said the new program is a response to the changing world.

“There’s been a tremendous trend toward the integration of knowledge," he said. “I think people who have broad visions of their place in the world, and the sort of impact and influence that they want to be a part of, are going to be particularly interested in this.”

Science Undergraduate Society President Josh Vorstenbosch said the new program will allow students to further explore educational opportunities at McGill.

“Science programs involve a lot of credits,” he said, usually requiring about 60. “What this will do is it will allow stu­ dents to take a little less science [and| a lit­ tle more arts to give them a more wellrounded education.”

In its first year, the interdisciplinary program will be available only to current McGill students who transfer into it.

Students entering in September 2005 will be able to apply directly for the program, to be administered jointly by the faculties of Arts and Science. ,

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and Science will be represented by both the SUS and the Arts Undergraduate Society, Vorstenbosch said. Departments like geog­ raphy, math, psychology and computer sci­ ence already have representatives on both faculty associations.

“Were still working out how the fees will be implemented, but that should be done soon,” he said.

The program is composed of 120 credits and can be completed by choosing one major in each of the faculties; a single major in one faculty coupled with two minors in the other faculty; a program encompassing both Arts and Science com­ bined with a minor in either faculty; or a joint honours course of study representing both faculties. In addition to a new required course, the program requires three credits of “complementary integrative courses” that have elements of both arts and science, such as “Society and Environment” and “Philosophy of Science.”

Shaver said having a broad yet deep knowledge of science, humanities and social science will enhance students’ ability to find employment.

“We look upon these graduates as sort of the 21st century Renaissance graduates,” he said. “We think that they’re going to be incredibly well prepared to deal with socie­ ty and all the global issues that we re fac­ ing.” ■ For more information, visit www.mcgiil.ca/artscisao/basc.

“Almost all [CKUT] shows will be open to students.”

NEWS, PAGE 3

Think of it as a sexual awakening with less nudity— fewer threesomes.

FEATURES, PAGE 12

“Evita is the monolith of all musicals. It’s a challenge, but it brings our credibility up a level if we pull it off.

A&E, PAGE 13

See NRH, page 2

Carnival Reunion night countdown is on!

Q u e e n 's - M c C i l l h o c k e y g a m e h i t s i c e s o o n !

FRIDAY NIGHT, FEB. 6 ! 7:30 pm P a r k M c C o n n e l l A r e n a f o r t h e B I G G E S T R IV A L R Y !

Pre-game: Bar des Pins, 4:30 pm

Post-game: The Dome

www.athletics.mcgill.ca

McGill ATHLETICS

2

News

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Campus

(JEWS

The NRH experiment Continued from cover

“the residence life aspects continue to operate under our traditional model.”

'More rules-based'

Students Society council Residences Representative Gonzalo Riva said that he is worried that the shift away from the traditional model is affecting student life.

“The three chains of command create a really tense environment, with a lot of red tape and a focus on “the rules have to be followed, so basically, rez is becoming very rulesbased,” he said.

In the other residences, Riva said, “McGill prides itself on the fact that we re pretty much the only sys­ tem with no rules. Residents are treated like adults. Basically, we have only one rule, and thats respect.

People’s wariness of where their jobs begin and end contributes to some inefficiency, Atkins said. For example, at one time half the dryers in the laundry weren’t working.

“You had a 600-person residence running on eight dryers, ” said Atkins.

De Takacsy conceded that the management process is not always smooth.

“There are many advantages of outsourcing, but the drawback is that you don’t do it yourself,” he said. “In

M c G ill C a r e e r a n d

the other residences, [Director of Residences] Flo Tracy can respond much more directly across the board.

One of the challenges is figuring out how to make the new model more responsive.”

Both administrators and stu­ dents said that the NRH model has shown that it is capable of being modified to meet student concerns, for example, by extending the food plan to two off-campus locations with kosher kitchens.

Riva noted, however, that other needs such as a three-tiered meal plan have not been addressed.

Feedback concerns

Another concern voiced by stu­ dents is the lack of transparency and student input in the running of NRH. Under the traditional model used in the other residences, the University Residence Council includes representatives from the Inter-Residence Council, of which Riva is president, in addition to the president of the residence council of each hall.

“There is student input and we usually reach a consensus with Flo Tracy,” Riva said. “I’m not sure how much power there is, but at least there is voice.”

Atkins said that although he sits

P la c e m e n t S e r v ic e

Come meet representatives from over 30 organizations...

A rts a n d S u m m e r

on URC, this does not influence how NRH is run because Building Manager Jean-Christophe Messin, associate director food and hospitali­ ty of ancillary services, does not attend URC meetings.

Although NRH has no formal organization comparable to URC, Messin said, the new model includes ways for students to communicate with appropriate departments.

“There is also a Residence coun­ cil to represent their interests,” he said.

Citing difficulties in getting Messin to sign a liquor permit for a party that the council is planning, Atkins said that there is need for more contact among students, ancil- , lary services and the academic resi­ dence life staff, which is composed of floor fellows and the building direc­ tor.

Surveys can't compare rez models

Surveys of students in residences have shown that they haven't noticed much difference, Tracy said.

“Most students don’t see that this is run differently and that causes difficulties,” Atkins said. “They prob­ ably just experience difficulties and assume that’s how it is in other resi­ dences."

De Takascy agreed that student responses to the survey might not reflect the new management style.

“If the surveys were to signal something radically different were going on, we would pick that up, but it’s much harder to really compare, he said.

De Takascy added that surveys cannot measure the convenience of some aspects such as a meal plan that is not restricted to residence cafete­ rias.

NEWSBriefs End in sight for lawsuit against SSMU

C a r e e r F a ir

Wednesday, January 28 10 amto 3 pm Shatner Ballroom

A lawsuit filed against the Students’ Society b a company that believed it won a cafeteria contract in the 1990s is nearing resolution.

The contract in question determined which company would run the second-floor Shatner cafeteria.

SSMU attorneys maintain that Polycuisine did not win the cafeteria bid and no contract was signed. The cafeteria is currently

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Riva said that this convenience is obtained at a high cost because the cafeteria now closes at 8:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, forcing stu­ dents to eat at the more expensive Chartwells-run restaurant next door.

Evaluating the experiment

The NRH model will eventually need to be evaluated and a decision made on whether the model should be continued or possibly even extend­ ed to the other residences.

De Takascy and Yalovsky said that it is too early to say how and when such decisions will be made,

run by Tiki Ming.

The current trial represents the last step in this ongoing case, which has encountered delays and lower-level court battles for over a decade.

“It’s something that happened a very long time ago. From what...

I’ve heard, were going to be just fine,” said Rodrigo DeCastro, SSMU vice president operations.

DeCastro added that SSMU lawyer John Feldman appears very confident.

SSMu consultant and former SSMU general manager Guy Brisebois will take the stand in this trial, and so was unable to com­ ment on the case. Fie said that he does not know when the judge will render his decision on the lawsuit.

— Lisa Varario McGill suicide rate well below global average

January and February are peak suicide months, perhaps because of the short winter days and cold weather.

McGill experiences about one suicide per year, according to Dr.

although consultation and modifica­ tion are ongoing.

“It’s not obvious,” De Takascy said. “One of the possible answers is to say that one year s experience is not enough... It’s pretty wide open, but in an organic way, [the evaluation] is definitely underway.”

Riva and Atkins expressed con­ cern that university administrators might make such decisions without student input.

“It’s already late. At the very least, they should be talking to the Rez council, said Riva, “and they don’t even do that.” ■

Norman Hoffman, director of the Mental Health Centre, at McGill.

“Some years we get no sui cides, other years we get two. but it averages to about one per year, or four per 100,000,” he said.

This rate is far below the global average of 16. Because there are so few student suicides each year, McGill does not keep active statistics on the subject, so no con­ nections have been made other than depression.

“You don’t prevent suicide just by stopping someone from jumping off a building,” said Hoffman. “The way to prevent suicide is to provide proper sup port and treatment before they aie seriously suicidal. [To] stop the downward spiral before it gets too intense.”

Dr. Hoffman said he implores any student who is feeling depressed or suicidal to go to the Mental Health Centre immediate­ ly and arrange to see a counsellor.

— D any Horovitz

More briefs mcgilltribune.com

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

US

NEWS

SSMU survey sparks rumours

Gunita Singh

The results of a survey sent to undergraduate students by the Students’ Society in November have generated disagreement between SSMU executives and the Communication Committee.

The committee compiled the survey to assess student opinion on various issues concerning SSMU. However, some executives feel that some of the questions were too political in nature and did not accu­ rately represent all areas of the stu­ dent government.

“This [has] absolutely nothing to do with wanting to silence the student body,” said SSMU VicePresident Community and Government Brianna Hersey. “It is about the credibility of us wanting to not misrepresent the opinions of students.

At the Communication Committee meeting on Thursday, there was a debate over whether the

survey results should be tabulated and released to the public.

SSMU Vice-President Communication and Events Kimberley Zell said that there is no need for concern.

She said that every survey is biased, but at least SSMU can use the survey as a tool to get some feedback from the student body. In response to the concern that certain questions were too political, she said that “it depends on what you decide is political. Every question could be considered political.

The survey generated about 650 responses, or five per cent of the student body. Communications Commissioner Farah Qasemi said that the survey was quite successful in comparison to past SSMU sur­ veys that generated about 50 or 60 responses. Hersey, however, said the number may not reflect student opinion accurately.

“This is very small,” she said.

“Is the goal to sense what five per

cent of the population feel?”

When creating the survey, Qasemi said, members of the com­ mittee asked student councillors, executives and commissioners to suggest questions to include in the survey.

“Why would we want to block what people want in the survey?”

Qasemi asked. “It’s not fair.”

Qasemi said that the survey was also looked over by sociology professor John Sandberg to assess its credibility and was approved by council to be sent out to the public.

The survey results are set to be tabulated by the committee using computerized statistical analysis. It will then be submitted to council and, if it is approved, it will be released on the SSMU Web site and available for student inspection in the Shatner building. ■

— With files from Katherine Fugler

MISN fed up with finances Jennifer Jett

Executives of the McGill International Student Network are seeking to become less financially dependent on the Students’ Society, claiming their activities this year have been hindered by bureaucratic mis­ takes and inefficient accounting pro­ cedures.

“We would like to achieve func­ tional and viable status," said MISN President Peter Abou-Jaoude. “Right now the system doesn’t work. ” MISN has an annual budget of $100,000 that is mostly supplied by members. This year the service also received a $9,500 subsidy from SSMU. The main complaint of MISN executives is the time it takes for SSMU accounting to issue cheques.

While they are waiting, MISN execu­ tives find the cost of events often falls on themselves.

“People have not been getting their money on time,” Abou-Jaoude said. “[SSMU doesn’t] have any legal deadlines to meet, so they’ll go on two months and more to reimburse people money that they owe them.

For a lot of people that's unacceptable because were the ones paying, for example, interest on our credit cards.”

Although she admitted there were “bottlenecks” in accounting last semester, SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Mia Gewertz said the problem has since been alleviated.

She attributed the slow response time to understaffing.

“We had one staffer who left without notice,” she said. “We had another staffer who was on maternity leave. We were understaffed for a lit­ tle bit [but] it’s now back to normal, so it’s fixed. ” MISN executives have proposed solutions to the Finance Committee.

One solution they offered is to give MISN executives a credit card.

Gewertz suggested that MISN

observe strict, earlier deadlines for students to sign up for trips and that executives deposit students’ payments earlier. Enforcing deadlines would also limit the need for a credit card to pay for last-minute additional rooms or buses, she added.

Another solution MISN execu­ tives have suggested is the creation of a SSMU position to act as a liaison to the service. This person would be able to authorize the withdrawal of money to pay for hotels, transporta­ tion and venues.

Filling out paperwork and deal­ ing with bureaucracy is part of an executive’s job description, Gewertz said.

Jason Blank, MISN vice-presi­ dent services, said upon entering his

postion he encountered substantial bureaucratic red tape.

“When I came here, I [thought] It must be blown out of propor­ tion, ”’ he said. “It wasn’t.”

Becoming completely inde­ pendent from SSMU would be disas­ trous for MISN, Abou-Jaoude said.

“If we became independent from SSMU, what status would we have? International students don’t have the right to have a students' society because they’re not facultybased," he said. “We would lose our funding, we wold lose our lounge, we would lose everything. Wed have to start out from scratch.” ■ Full story

at

mcgilltribune.com

News

CKUT and SSMU soon to be whistling the same tune Transfer of radio station to SSM U control nearing agreement David M. Nataf

CKUT Radio has been in ongoing negotiations with the Students’ Society to redefine the role of McGill’s student radio sta­ tion. The negotiations are part of a transfer of responsibility for CKUT from the university to SSMU. SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Mia Gewertz and CKUT Vice-President Finance and Administration Zev Tiefenbach have been working to draft an agreement outlining the role of CKUT within the McGill commu­ nity. “[Gewertz] has been wonder­ ful and we re mostly on the same page, said Tiefenbech.

Among the points discussed, CKUT will have to keep its doors open to students who wish to pro­ vide programming assistance, and must air different viewpoints within the McGill community. CKUT will continue to provide free training to all interested students.

“Almost every show will be open to McGill students, [but] not necessarily be McGill program­ ming,” said Brett Bundale, CKUT’s McGill promotion coordinator.

One example discussed was an ongoing project, projected to broadcast this fall, that will discuss the children's services system in Canada. Bundale said CKUT will continue to provide alternative pro­ gramming and shows which are “not something you’d hear on Mix 96.”

One development in the works is the possibility of hearing CKUT in McGill’s elevators.

“The elevators in Shatner is what we want to start with,” said Bundale, U3 Humanistic Studies.

“It just makes people more aware. If not surrounded by it [CKUT], it's hard to know it exists.”

At a January 23 meeting on promotion, student volunteers dis­ cussed how to increase awareness of CKUT. “I just think it’s great to get a lot of students involved here,” said Rachelle Solomon, a host of the CKUT program “The McGill Ledge.”

Past meetings have raised the possibility of increasing coverage of McGill sports teams. “We re open to anything,” said Solomon, U3 Sociology and English.

However, Solomon said, cover­ age ought to be more than just run­ ning through a list of scores.

Vice-Principal Administration and Finance Morty Yalovsky said that the administration supports current negotiations between SSMU and CKUT and is “encour­ aged by the progress made towards establishing a closer relationship between them. ” Since the majority of CKUT’s funding is provided by a student fee of $4 per semester, Yalovsky said, students should be more involved in its operations.

“We believe that CKUT should operate as a student-run community radio station,” said Yalovsky, who expects the negotia­ tions to be completed soon. “It must be relevant to the university community and accountable to its membership—the McGill stu­ dents.” ■

TH E SCARLET

m '"’s M

f t key W

m

The Scarlet K e y A w ard

Th e Scarlet Key H o no ur Society c G ill has a vibrant and active accepts applications from potential student body including many candidates, or nom inations by other w ith­ students who have distinguished the M c G ill Co m m unity who believe themselves while at M c G ill Studentsinwho that an individual is deserving of the build and create change. Students who award. To be eligible for the Scarlet Key leave their m ark on M c G ill long after they Award the nominee can be either a current have left. For over 75 years, the Scarlet student (undergraduate or graduate) who Key Award has been granted to over 1,500 has attended M c G ill for at least one full recipients, and each year the Scarlet Key academic year and is in satisfactory stand­ Society seeks to recognize the achieve­ ing, or a M c G ill graduate from previous ments of more outstanding leaders at years.

M c G ill University. A Scarlet Key recipient

M

is an individu al who goes above and beyond the call of duty, is comm itted to the M c G ill community, and inspires passion and creativity. If one can say — without hesitation — that M c G ill and its students have benefited extraordinarily from this person's involvement, then he or she is deserving of recognition.

3

Th e application procedure is simple. Pick up an application package from the Dean of Students Office, the S S M U front desk, or download it at www.mcgill.ca/scarletkey Get two reference letters from your peers or anyone you feel is appropriate; list your m ain contributions to the M c G ill

com m unity; and tell us how you feel you have demonstrated leadership at M c G ill.

Better yet, pick up a package and nominate someone that you perceive as a leader at M c G ill. Past winners include a wide range of student leaders at M c G ill artists, activists, athletes, politicians, jo u r nalists, and many others who defy catego­ rization. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email the Scarlet Key Society at scarlet.key @m ail.m cg ill.ca.

D eadline: March 1, 2 0 0 4 - 1PM Please submit applications to: Th e Office of the Dean of Students B R O W N Student Services Building, Room 4001 3600 M cTavish

4

News

The M cGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Camgus

NEWS

Expect a fee— Athletics referendum passes Robert Church

The Athletics fee referendum, held on-line from January 16 to 23, passed last week by 53.6 per cent. Roughly 15 per cent of the student body voted in the referen­ dum, which required votes from 10 per cent of the undergraduate population to reach quorum.

Opposing votes totaled 1,271, or 46.3 per cent.

The referendum question asked voters whether they support­ ed paying an additional $10 per semester for the next five years to improve the university’s athletics facilities. The money collected, which will be matched by the McGill Fund Council, a standing committee of the university’s Board of Governors, will help finance roughly $3.6-million in improvements. Proposed additions include the expansion of the fit­ ness centre and the purchase of 15 cardiovascular exercise machines and six weight-training machines.

A climbing wall, a combative room for martial arts, and a yoga room will also be constructed, and there are plans for locker room renovations.

SSMU council Athletics Representative Matthew Howatt said he was happy with the results.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “When I made the original presentation to SSMU council, I said that two out of three students use the athletics facilities. If these numbers bore true, then the refer­

endum was going to pass. ” Howatt also said that he had spoken to Athletics Director Robert Dubeau on Friday, and that Dubeau was planning to call the project’s architects Monday to begin preparations for construc­ tion.

Philip Cleary, U3 Economics and German literature and former SSMU presidential candidate, expressed his concern that the fee was too easily passed.

“I congratulate the Athletics lobby,” he said, “but I wish that the student body was better informed. I would like to ensure that no special interest groups can take advantage of the weak rules of direct democracy at McGill.”

Cleary, who was vocal in his opposition to the referendum but was not part of an official “No” committee, said he hopes that stu­ dents who supported the Athletics fee will also renew the McGill Student Fund during the spring election period. MSF funds libraries and student bursaries.

Howatt said the success of the referendum was a result of hard work.

“It’s really satisfying to see this come to fruition because there were so many people within the ‘Yes’ committee and the Student Athletics Council who’ve worked hard on the project, and I want to thank them,” he said. “This is Quebec. Referendums are always close, but in the end the good guys always win. ■

FACULTY OF ARTS McDonald- Currie Lecture

Miriam Martz

A motion to hold a referendum on whether to implement a student fee to help finance the new Arts building failed in the Arts Undergraduate Society council last Tuesday.

The proposed fee of $10 per semester for 15 years would have raised approximately $1-million toward the construction of a new Arts building on the comer of Rue Peel and Avenue Docteur-Penfield. The fee would only have gone into effect if the AUS could obtain matching funds from the university or alum­ ni.

The planned building would create additional classrooms, offices for professors who currently share office space, and possibly another AUS lounge or computer lab.

Eric van Eyken, AUS vice-president finance, introduced the motion for a fee referendum. He said that the need for a new building is pressing.

Members of AUS council expressed concern over wavering support and lack of commitment from

the university. Many councillors said that the admin­ istration has not given AUS a strong guarantee of funds toward the building and space when it is built.

Others were concerned from an ideological perspec­ tive, believing that students should not be responsible for costs in addition to their tuition.

After two hours of debate in council, the motion failed.

T don't think I’ve seen AUS council speak as well as it did that night, ” said van Eyken.

AUS President Seth Offenbach sees the issue as pragmatic. For him, it is part of a larger issue of a chronic lack of funding for the Arts faculty—the idea of taking money from students was unprecedented and a drastic measure.

“The university needed a kick in the butt,” he said.

The projected cost of the building is $15-million for the first construction phase alone. Currentiy, the university has a little more than $ I-million in dona­ tions to fund the project. ■

Equity Week wrap-up ««ssssssgassasssa^^^^ Dany < Horovitz

Rebecca Walker: The new masculinity ith all the activists committed to environmen­ tal conservation and women’s rights, Rebecca Walker’s question is, “who is coming to save the men?”

The question framed Walker’s Thursday night dis­ cussion of “the new masculinity,” which drew a crowd made up almost entirely of women.

Walker’s keynote speech was part of the second annual Equity Week, an event organized by the Student Equity Committee to give students the opportunity to explore various kinds of inequities that affect them and the world at large. Workshops and lectures that addressed different equity issues went on every day last week.

Student Equity Commissioner Aliyana Traison organized Equity Week with SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Vivian Choy.

“There is so much discrimination in Montreal, and we had to choose only five issues. We debated what to talk about, what’s feasible, and what students would most want to see,” Traison said. “There are more than only five issues out there, but we [tried] to cover as many as possible.”

Walker, a social activist and author of Black, White,

W

and Jewish, said both men and women are affected by gender straitjackets.

“We thought it was only women who suffer the gender trap,” she said in her speech in Leacock 26. “Now we see that men also suffer from it.”

The biggest difference between men and women, Walker said, is their tendencies toward physical violence or lack thereof. While women are emotionally battered growing up, she said, men are battered physically for showing any signs of sensitivity.

Walker, whose upcoming book is about the chang­ ing nature of masculinity, described how men are sys­ tematically dehumanized from childhood.

“I was struck by what men told me about the process of becoming men, " she said.

They told her stories of men being ostracized “for showing any signs of gentleness, compassion, sensitivity or emotional attachment.”

In turn, Walker said, men are socialized to be “dis­ trustful, defensive and prone to harming others.”

The speech was followed by a book-signing.

“Hopefully women will bring [the book] to their men, and those men will share it with other men,” Walker said. ■

F r o m e n v ir o n m e n t a l ju s tic e t o r e f u g e e r ig h ts

Robert E. Norton University of Notre Dame, Indiana “FROM SECRET GERMANY TO NAZI GERMANY: the politics o f art before and after 1933” Tuesday, February 3, 2004 at 17:30 Redpath M useum A uditorium 859 Sherbrooke St. W.

Le mardi 3 février 2004 à 17:30 A mphithéâtre du Musée Redpath 859, rue Sherbrooke ouest

A ll w e lc o m e / E n tr é e lib r e SEMINAR / CONFÉRENCE “The German Dilemma: Can Germany have a normal relationship to its past?”

Tuesday, February 3, 2004 at 14:00 / le mardi 3 février 2004 à 14h00 Stephen Leacock Building, Room 808 / Pavillon Stephen Leacock, Salle 808 855 Sherbrooke St. W. / 855, rue Sherbooke ouest For more inform ation, please contact D epartm ent o f History, 398-3975

T he first day of Equity Week dealt with environmen­ tal justice and affordable housing. Members of McGill Urban Community Sustainment presented a workshop that discussed sustainability.

“It is really expensive to have a place that is envi­ ronmentally sustainable,” Traison said.

Another problem that is important to students in Montreal, according to Traison, is that symbolically “homes in the west are moving east.” Housing is becom­ ing more expensive, she said, as landlords throughout the city begin to charge Ghetto prices.

Issues such as immigration and refugee rights looked beyond the confines of Montreal.

“We have a large international student body at McGill, and a lot of questions about how to become a Canadian'citizen,” Choy said.

A representative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada came to help students navigate the process, Choy said, “but he couldn’t solve their problems... It was very tense, but provocative. Some people came away frustrated, but he provided some valuable insight as to how the system operates.”

This is an important issue to Canadian permanent residents, Choy said, because of a new federal law that states all permanent residents must carry an identifica­

tion card.

“The card is for immigrants to flash at, say, airports, and avoid hassles,” she said. “But for the immigrants, it is seen as a label.”

The McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association, which recently completed its contract nego­ tiations with the university after more than a year, gave a presentation about employment rights in Quebec.

Choy said that it was a great way “to hear about unions and how they operate.”

The week concluded with a free corn soup lunch provided by the First People’s House, followed by two film screenings by filmmakers in the Mohawk Eastern Society.

Choy said that Equity Week was an overall success.

“Turnout was much bigger this year for the whole thing,” she said. “We averaged about 40 people at each of the workshops.”

Traison said that she hopes to have an equity office set up by next year so that students can get access to information all year round.

“Even when we dont have a formal week... we should remember that these are issues we need to talk about, ” she said. ■

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Future of UN questioned at assembly Christine Cullen

Political science professor Rex Brynen raised questions about the future of the United Nations Thursday as part of the opening night of the McGill Model UN assembly.

The keynote speaker shared the stage with Canadian Idol runner-up Gary Beals, who performed the national anthem.

The four-day conference attracted 1,251 students from 77 colleges and universities across North America.

Brynen, an expert in the fields of Middle East politics and peacebuilding, addressed some of the challenges the UN currently faces. Geoffrey Pearson, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, was on hand to introduce him.

“The more you know about the world, the better prepared you are to participate in it,” Pearson said. “Global problems [such as climate change and terrorism] can’t be solved by governments alone.

International cooperation through the UN is indispensa­ ble.”

Brynen focused on the state of peacebuilding and reconstruction in Iraq.

“Regardless of how one felt of the initial action, build­ ing a prosperous and stable Iraq is in everyone’s interest,” Brynen said. “It is in the best interest of the people of Iraq. ” In his speech, Brynen highlighted the positives of the UN while also addressing the organizational dysfunc­ tion.

“The UN system can be excruciatingly bureaucratic, but it is driven by its mission. ” He spoke of the obstacles that the UN is facing today, particularly in Iraq, but also in a broader sense. These chal­ lenges must lead the UN to adopt a new way of thinking and acting, Brynen said.

“How [is the UN] to rec­ oncile post-9/11 unilateralism with the procedures of the UN system?” he asked. “What are the implications of such uni­ lateralism?”

Brynen also brought up the subject of the Iraqi bomb­ ings of relief workers in Iraq, referring specifically to the attacks on the UN and Red Cross headquarters.

“What are we to do when some of the bad guys are will­ ing to use extreme force to prevent the provision of assis­ tance?” he asked.

Brynen noted that having peace in Iraq is immensely important to the future of the entire Middle East.

“But how are we to deter­ mine UN and global priorities in peacebuilding, reconstruc­ tion and development? There are opportunity costs,” he said, reminding the audience that development assistance going to one country makes less available to others.

Brynen noted that the UN must carefully consider all of these questions.

“The answers involve complex political, moral and financial trade-offs,” he said, adding that these issues need to be thought about and debated by everyone. ■

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Software for nothing, training not free Josh Wilner

........

Officers of the Students’ Society and faculty associations on campus are in disagreement over whether fac­ ulty associations should be charged to use SSMU’s on-line voting software, which was used exclusively for the first time in this year’s presidential by-election.

The software, which many ini­ tially expected to be free, allows stu­ dents to cast their ballots on-line, reducing the time and labour costs associated with administering an election by eliminating the need for most polling stations and ballot counters.

Aislinn Reid, deputy returning officer for Elections McGill, said the OVS was never intended to be free, adding that the proposed fee would have two parts—a base fee to SSMU and a training fee to Elections McGill.

“Whether SSMU wants to make a profit off of it or not doesn’t really concern us, said Reid, who is cur­ rently assuming the duties of chief returning officer. “What does con­ cern us is if the faculties were to buy the software for whatever fee they agreed upon, we would have to con­ ceivably train them which would be additional work on our part.

“The choice of what...[SSMU does] with it is up to them. It’s not our say, but we have to administer the system.

Clubs and Services Representative Roberto Caluori, who seconded a SSMU council motion to charge a fee to faculty associations,

denied that SSMÜ is out to make a profit and made no mention of a base fee to SSMU. “We don’t want to make money off the software,” Calouri said, emphasizing that the fee would sim­ ply cover the costs sustained by Elections McGill in training the fac­ ulty associations to use the system.

“The fact is that the CRO and Elections McGill will incur costs,” Calouri said. “It is not to our benefit to have Elections McGill go broke.

“If the CRO is training people, then that is above and beyond what the CRO was originally stipended for,” Caluori added.

According to Arts Undergraduate Society President Seth Offenbach, however, charging

“T he fact is that the CRO and Elections M cG ill w ill incur costs... It is not to our ben­ efit to have Elections M cG ill go broke.”

Roberto Caluori Clubs and services representative the faculty associations a fee would be unfair because the system saves SSMU money.

“The reason I don’t think... [the fee] is necessary is because the cre­ ation of the system and the operating costs of it are significantly less than holding 20 polling stations, which is traditionally what SSMU has had to do, and then on top of that they also have to count the ballots which means they have to hire ballot coun­ ters. So, all included, it’s cheaper," he said.

Site ■ ; ilfjp ■

I :

Furthermore, said Offenbach, the faculties were never consulted when the old voting system was elim­ inated.

“I don’t believe there was any genuine consultation,” he said.

Reid disagreed, saying that the faculty associations had voted in favour of implementing the new sys­ tem.

“The system does provide a lot of advantages,” she said. “Those are what the faculty associations are after, but they don’t want to have to pay anything... AUS would ultimately benefit the most, as the largest facul­ ty, by having this system to adminis­ ter its elections because its costs, espe­ cially in terms of labour, would be substantially reduced.

WHÈÊMI

Offenbach agreed that the CRO should be compensated for training sessions, but said that faculty associa­ tions don’t save any money with on­ line voting because their poll clerks are volunteers.

“AUS is willing to accept a small fee. That is, a very small fee that is reasonable,” he said, adding that he did not believe SSMU wished to profit from the OVS. “I do not accuse SSMU of any profit motive." ■

6 Op/Ed

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Opinion

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w ~ Rebecca Graber

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Counter-revolutionaries in head scarves ne of my favourite things about Montreal is how it is so fundamentally entwined with

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the people want. And hell, at least the Iranians are honest about wanting to spread religion. As long as it doesn’t involve violence, forced con­ versions and the like, I don’t mind.

What does piss me off is the blatant hypocrisy of religious discrimination in a democracy. Read: France. Remove that head Catholicism and yet such covering quickly. No flashy religious symbolism a locus of vice and for you, ma chérie! ‘Tis banned, all banned. debauchery.

Clearly, if you are wearing a hijab/yarmulGod and government have always had an ke/large cross/goatee, you must be a... a what, ambiguous relationship, particularly in societies an invader from the East? A Jewish usurper? An with a relatively powerful state, even in democ­ Anglican inciter? A pretentious poet whose end­ racies. If religion is supposed to guide your life less, melodramatic repetitions of the same word choices, how can it be reconciled with the duties cause one to jump off the Eiffel Tower? I pity of a good citizen and varying degrees of alle­ the poor Sikhs, who are still allowed to wear giance to the government? their turbans. Guess the French don’t acknowl­ You need only look at Israel. In a word: oy. edge them enough to discriminate against them.

At its worst, the competition between gov­ At least Bush, with his Trojan-horse mis­ ernment and religion leads to oppression, sionary tactics, has himself convinced that he’s though John Q. Dictator mustn’t necessarily on a religious mission to save the world from us follow the lead of Communist China or the for­ heathens who happen to not worship Christ. mer Soviet regime. Cuba has historically been a There’s some half-assed attempt at justification, secular state and been engaged in hostilities some twisted reasoning that the administration with religious groups, but now has constitution­ has ironed into an excuse. The French, on the ally guaranteed freedom of worship. other hand, came out of nowhere Some would doubt how much religious lib­ with this thing. erty Cubans really have, but it’s there on paper.

I suppose it’s not surprising, If religion is supposed to guide your life given that only a couple years ago the ultra-right, racist Front choices, how can it be reconciled w ith National lost the presidential elec­ the duties o f a good citizen and various tion by a gentile’s nose. The steady rise of xenophobia within the degrees o f allegiance to the government? country has been well document­ ed.

But this is totally inexcusable.

Head coverings, whether hijab or One source claims the Communist Party creat­ yarmulke, are not “aggressive,” as Chirac claims, ed a document criticizing the community out­ but a legitimate expression of devotion. France reach programs of various groups, particularly has the largest population of Muslims in the Catholic Church.

Western Europe, and they actively discriminate Clearly, if you are playing Scrabble with the against their own citizens? And how clever of elderly, you must be a counter-revolutionary. them to expand the policy so that now, instead Must have something to do with the varying let­ of discriminating against one group, they’ve ter values. That, or Castros been stuck with a Q offended almost every group in the country. on his rack for far too long.

Hopefully when you read this piece, France Then there’s that rare, sparkling jewel will have removed its uncovered head from its called theocracy. Take the Islamic Republic of nether regions. When Cuba has a more enlight­ Iran, where clerics hold more power than the ened religious policy than you, it’s time to con­ secular government, and a religious council reg­ cede. Perhaps one day we, and the Scrabble tiles, ularly rejects electoral candidates if they fail to will all be considered equal, but it is apparently meet strict standards of devotion. not this day. If there ever was a time to alter the Still, I respect a government firmly based name of fast-food items in protest, people, it is upon the ideals and rules of Islam, if that’s what now ■

the

7

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t The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Op/Ed 7

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s the calendar moves through ing to the choir in terms of who is attending these Martin Luther King Jr. Day to the events and absorbing their message?

More problematic is the question of audi­ Students’ Society’s Equity Week, and Hillel’s Tolerance Week to Black ence: is it possible to reach out to people who History Month, tolerance and equi­ aren’t In a suitably receptive state of mind? After ty seem to be the order of the day. Yet, as unde­ all, education does require some level of open­ niably valuable as tolerance-themed observances ness. Perhaps it is more realistic to strive for are, is their proliferation useful or even necessary? greater accessibility to education than to attempt With the prevalence of interest groups and to alter mind frames.

Equity Week did so effectively by focusing identity politics, every group seems to lay claim to its own equity-related event. Though most of on education about a variety of groups. Good these events are certainly justified, especially in publicity and diversity helped ensure that the cases of past or present prejudice, might sheer fre­ event went beyond fragmented identity politics, quency make people deaf to their message? Could but they are not a panacea. The authentic spirit it lead to an identity-based fragmentation of val­ of equity is also required. This grows out of rev­ ues like respect and for solidarity with our fellow erence toward people for being people, rather human beings? Has this phenomenon already than for possessing certain group characteristics resulted in an impasse where groups are unable to that make them suitable focal points for equity go beyond their own conceptions of what consti­ events. Without this genuine respect, there will tutes tolerance, and instead all claim the high always be room for what Philip Jenkins might call ground saying, “We are more tolerant than everyone else?”

Perhaps such groups ought to fol­ T hough equity events are certainly low the lead of the Women’s Union, which has recently changed its name to justified, m ight sheer frequency the Union for Gender Empowerment, make people deaf to their message? to show inclusiveness to all those who are oppressed on the basis of gender.

But gender is only one aspect of humanity. Shouldn’t our solidarity be a “last acceptable prejudice.” broader?

Following the example of this year s Equity On the other hand, if there were a single event that stood for tolerance and equity toward Week, the Joint Senate-Board Committee on humanity in general, it might turn out to be lit­ proposed equity’s equity office must educate tle more than a conscience assuager that happens about the many equity concerns on campus and once a year and never motivates people to see the beyond, and it must do so with an attitude of complete and authentic respect for all people. If variety of issues worth considering.

The problems with equity-related institu­ successful, it will enable groups to share in each tions seem to underline the fact that equity is other’s history and concerns, without making about people, not just institutions. Equity is the anyone feel that it’s necessary to scramble over work of people who act on their respect for people. each other to carve out a share of the recognition But are equity-related institutions merely preach­ pie. ■

A

NAFTA uniform: pinstripes required ew Year’s Day marked the 10th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement. This bold trade pact between two developed countries and one developing country boasted a liberalized market that would accelerate growth, foster job creation, spur an overall rise in incomes, and benefit the poor. The NAFTA designers should not have let Pollyanna into their club. Altruism doesn’t get us far in trade relations.

NAFTA is about open trade, but the question is: open for whom? And open for what? According to The Economist (Jan. 3-9), Canadas trade under NAFTA has seen an 80"per cent increase. But increases in productivity, capital flow and trade have not benefited everyone. The gains from NAFTA were promoted under the guise of helping blue-collar workers, but the pinstripes are showing through.

In the United States, the “giant sucking sound of jobs being pulled out of this country” that Ross Perot predicted just after NAFTA was announced, was a rant focused on the wrong thing. The first six years of NAFTA saw employ­ ment fall to new lows, but between 1994 and 2000, the US

N

economy created more than two million jobs a year.

NAFTA was the catalyst for changes in employment pat­ terns, but this is an inevitable function of new trade agree­ ments. Perot might have been better off directing his words to certain job sectors like auto parts manufacturing.

The Business Council on National Issues, now the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, is Canada’s big business lobby group and was a major proponent of NAFTA during the Mulroney years. The CCCE is now basking in the glory of what they call—and I believe, have every right to call—a prosperous 10 years under NAFTA. It achieved what it intended to achieve. NAFTA is the real­ ization of the corporatists’ dream that free-market capital­ ism should rule. More Canadian jobs were destroyed by the rise in imports than created by it, but the fact is that trade and investment have been stimulated by NAFTA. This should make us happy. As a commodity-export­ ing country, closer trade relations with the world’s largest and most powerful market is beneficial. Through 10 years of NAFTA, the Canadian and US markets have become more integrated than any other decade. More than half of

Sarah Wright

Canada's total manufacturing output goes to the US, up from one third in 1989; imports and exports have increased in addition to a rise in two-way investment flows.

The top three leading imports into the US are motor vehicles, oil and natural gas, and motor vehicle parts.

Though trade with Canada only accounts for two per cent of US GDP, it is a strong exporter in oil and natural gas as well as motor vehicle parts. There is dependence on both sides of the border.

Strong ties are also visible in the fact that the Canadian governments collectively reduced their program spending from 44.8 per cent to 34.8 per cent of GDP from 1992 to 2002. The cuts were accompanied by a major re­ engineering of government—privatization, deregulation, and decentralization. And who do you think was at the helm of these decisions? There is a reason the federal gov­ ernment in the 1990s was known as the Chrétien-Martin administration. Now we will have a not-so-new adminis­ tration taking us into the 21st century. Bring on another 10 years. ■

8 Op/Ed

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Hands, mouths and wills

.....

.

This past Friday night, I had the privilege of assisting the Students’ Society Programming Network in producing the winter 4 Floors party, one of the SSMU’s tradi­ tions and most anticipated events. Someone in purple made me think.

From my office in the Shatner building, I see students every day going to class, dash­ ing to club meetings, debating in committees, dedicating themselves to their dreams. In this, I have begun to realize that while there are many different kinds of people, students who act and students who deny stand out. The former outnumbers the latter.

Students who act will be counted. They see problems, or successes, or issues, and they realize they themselves have the power to change things. Every day, I meet people who arrive with solutions, and commit themselves to creation and innovation, every leader a volunteer. There are some who would complain, and stop, trying nothing, but each stu­ dent is already too powerful to settle for that, and can write, and mobilize, and work with wearing tools. We cannot deny our responsibilities to our student community and to one another. We cannot deny that all of us together are the SSMU. If there is something you would do, create the opportunity if it does not already exist.

It is evident no place greater than in student activism that one person can change the world.

—Kate Rhodes . . , , , .

President, SSMU

Holding students hands since 1902

Kate Rhodes suggests that we teach students “how not to plagiarize” (“Students turn against turnitin.com,” Jan. 20). While were at it, how about we teach students how to read clocks, how not to cross the street on a red light, and how to tie their shoes, all equally important and challenging subjects?

—Martin Saidla U3 Philosophy

The uproar over turnitin.com should enrage most of us. Most current and past students at McGill have spent their university days working to earn every grade they ultimately received. I think that virtually all students would be furious if they knew that the grade given to them were equal to, or even lower than that of a student who cheated through academic theft—otherwise known as pla­ giarism.

Keeping that in mind, I cannot understand why there is such uproar over the use of tumitin.com. No matter how you slice it, the only people who suffer from such a site are the pla­ giarizes. The student body should feel no sympathy for them whatsoever.

Naturally, there is a legitimate fear that turnitin.com may lead to false positives, but this is a poor reason to stop using it. Say, for instance, that a professor is alerted, through an “originality report” that a paper is suspiciously close to other papers, this would only be a suggestion to the pro­ fessor that the student might be cheating. That professor could no more assume plagiarism in this case than he could if a TA, for instance, suggested that the paper was suspiciously like another paper.

After this initial suspicion (whether by a TA, turnitin.com or other means), evidence of a pre­ vious paper must be collected and a decision made to proceed with charges. Whether or not this decision is done fairly could be the subject of a vigorous intellectual debate, but this has nothing to do with turnitin.com. Instead, our SSMU leaders have made useless declarations on the subject.

Case in point is President Kate Rhodes who suggested that turnitin.com could do a better job edu­ cating students about why not to cheat.

Students know why not to cheat. Similarly, the administration knows why some students do cheat. For the sake of consistent academic integrity, we should all applaud the use of turnitin.com.

—Da vid Anber Alumnus

Participation not so mysterious I think that Tomoko Shida is way off base when it comes to her theory about the unimpor­ tance of participation marks (“Those mysterious participation marks,” Jan. 20). Firstly, she claims that participation is worth 30 per cent of the final grade; the most I have ever seen is 20 per cent, and most classes I have make it 10 to 15 per cent.

But the real trouble I have with her claim is with the very nature of it. Participation is quite important, in some ways just as important as the essays or the final exams. Being able to thoughtfully articulate some sort of idea is a huge part of human interaction. Helping students develop these skills is necessary for their futures, especially since the most important quality employers look for in hiring is communication skills. If students are too meek to participate, then it is their own loss, just as it is disadvantageous not to study before an exam, or not to spell check an essay (or to write a bad essay for that matter).

Moreover, discussions greatly contribute to learning—there is much to be learned from the opinions of others besides the teacher. No, the problem with university is not the participation mark; it’s everything else we re being graded for.

—Daniel Horovitz U1 English Literature/Political Science McGill Tribune contributor

Interesting advertising After reading Heather Haq Lawrence’s January 20 article regarding the use of turnitin.com to deter plagiarism at McGill, I was intrigued to see that the on-line version of her article was being sponsored by a couple of cheat sites (lMillionpapers.com and Non-PlagiariziedTermPapers.com).

If turnitin.com is ever discontinued at McGill, I was wondering if such companies will be doing more advertising in your student paper.

—John Barrie Founder, Turnitin

Nothing to fear but phobophobia itself here are a lot of scary things lurking out there. Like everything. That’s what you would fear if you had the thorough condition panphobia, the fear of everything.

By contrast, there is the fear of nothing, what existen­ tial phenomenology terms dread.’

When Franklin D. Roosevelt said. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself, he was referring to the self-fulfilling con­ dition phobophobia, the fear of phobias (themselves).

Some may find this one hard to stomach—phagophobia—the fear of eating or swallowing, which may or may not be related to another, the self-explanatory spermophobia.

There is also coitophobia (fear of sex), gephyrophobia (fear of crossing a bridge), teratophobia (fear of monsters), triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13), and my personal favourite—pogonophobia—the fear of beards.

Why is everyone so freaked? One answer is that fear keeps us on our toes, poised for anything. Better to be slight­ ly paranoid than open to ambush. As Edmund Burke said, “Early and provident fear is the mother of safety.”

Another reason is that fright is a great political pony, and President George W. Bush wants to ride it to victory. Last week’s State of the Union speech was a phobic delight.

“We have faced serious challenges together, and now we face a choice,” Bush said. “We can go forward with confi­ dence and resolve or we can turn back to the dangerous illu­ sion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw regimes are no threat to us.

“America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people,” he added.

Fear is a great motivator and manipulator, and it is on Bush’s side. It is his most effective instrument for re-election.

National security is the backbone of Bush’s campaign.

The New York Times reported last week that 68 per cent of voters, including majorities of both Democrats and inde­ pendents, said the Bush administration’s policies have made the United States safer from terrorist attacks. Sixty-four per cent said they considered him a strong leader.

A study by two European scientists published in the lat­ est issue of Nature finds that the human brain relies largely on memory when facing an immediate physical challenge.

“The more uncertainty that people face... the more they make decisions based on their subconscious memory and the less they depend on what they see. ” I think scared voters oper­ ate in much the same way.

Bush’s campaign seems to put forth an ultimatum—re­ elect him or venture into uncharted (read: dangerous) waters.

A vote for the Democrats is a gamble with your safety, Bush suggests.

The message is this: America is in the midst of the war on terrorism and swapping generals midfight is dangerously ill-advised. His message is a plea to the neophobe, one who fears new things and new experiences. It is an offering of cer­ tainty and peace of mind in a very uncertain world.

And it is a stroke of genius because Americans will forget the 2.3 million jobs lost during Bush’s presidency. They will forget the rising American casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They will forget the pretzel mishap. They will forget that the weapons of mass destruction never turned up.

And they will remember F.B.I. director Robert S. Mueller III saying that terrorists would “quite probably” strike the United States again. They will remember the Shock and Awe, and the aircraft carrier landing and orange alerts and the tax cuts and the suicide bombings, and they will remember Hussein hauled from his hidey hole and his effigy toppling.

They will reflect on absence and remember and shudder, and they will re-elect George W. Bush. ■

T

Features

The M cGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

The Urban Railroad: a teller of historical tales -w

.

Playing hopscotch across

Montreal's metro map is much mote enlightening than one might think

I

NATALIE FLETCHER report* espite its sophisticated and serviceable structure, the Montreal metro in its every­ day moods is anything but gracious.

Jammed into oversized shoeboxes, heated by their own rising body temperatures, commuters become enslaved by one delec­ table thought: reaching their destination.

They will stop at nothing, engaging in impressive physical feats, waging war against sUangers and forfeiting breathable air all for the sake of hearing an automated voice announce the name of a station that, to them, means home.

Yet these very stations have stories of their own that go largely unnoticed. Though straphangers exhibit considerable curiosity while sUanded underground, practically sniffing each other like dogs in an effort to fend off boredom, they seem indifferent to the history they ride along everyday.

Aware of this apathy, McGill graduate Matt McLaughlin set up www.metrodewontreal.com, a comprehensive Web site to celebrate, among other things, the rich history that the metro’s web of stations represents.

“This is the place for Monttealers to take another look at what they rush past every day, and for people elsewhere to dis­ cover our wonderful city through what lies beneath its streets, explains McLauchlin, who has been dubbed the “metro scholar’’ because of his historical interests. “In order to promote the history of Montreal and put metro stations names into the city’s context, I suggest installing nameplates in each station, giving a historical sketch of the origin of the station’s name. These could be installed in common areas like kiosks, mezzanines or bridges, as appropriate to each stations architecture."

Until this project materializes, however, a little game of history hopscotch will have to suffice. What follows is a jab at proving that, taken together, the arbitrarily-named meUo sta­ tions reveal how self-interest, religious zeal and ideological conviction transformed Montreal into the pluralistic, debonair mecca it is today.

D

M y province, right or wrong

Modern Montreal was definitely bom out of wedlock.

An impassioned fling between an incongruous pair left it brimful of tensions in the hands of a few key figures, many of whom happen to occupy a spot on the metro map. From the more minor civil servants like Préfontaine, Atwater and Monk, to the more influential politicians Vanier and Langelier, Montreal’s early character proved that nationalism is any burgeoning community’s bread and butter. Its greatest admirers, including the very creator of the metro system, over­ came British dominance and cultural barriers to identify and defend French Canadian interests.

The Montreal metro system opened to the public on October 14, 1966, following politician Jean Drapeau s plat­

form in the 1960 municipal election. This $214-million architectural venture was one of the many expensive projects in urban development that, along with the Summer Olympics of 1976, Expo 67 and Place-des-Arts, marked Drapeau’s 29 years as mayor. Committed to the ‘survivance’ of French Canada, this “combination of Walt Disney and Al Capone” transformed Montreal from a port to a world-class metropo­ lis. Even as Montreal was getting eclipsed by Toronto s increas­ ing business circles, Drapeau remained loyal: “Let Toronto become Milan. Montreal will always be Rome.”

Instrumental to putting the ‘empire’ of Montreal on the map in the first place was Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the governor-general of New France in the 1670s. Besides defying royal instructions by establishing trading posts along the Great Lakes, he boldly resisted the Iroquois and the English settlers, claiming that he spoke only “from the mouths of my cannon and muskets. His dispersal of French colonies is believed to have contributed to the military and economic weakness of New France, which lost its power to the British thereafter.

The struggle for power was redefined in the late 19th century by Louis-Joseph Papineau. Painting French Canadians as an agricultural and Catholic people, he sought to balance out power in Lower Canada to keep the threat of British merchants at bay. When his Ninety-Two Resolutions were ignored by the government, Papineau transformed his party into the more extreme Patriotes, whom he inadver­ tently spurred into starting the Rebellions of 1837 that forced him to flee south of the border.

Relations with the US became one of the leading con­ cerns for Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada’s first French-Canadian prime minister, who served from 1896 to 1911. Besides tack­ ling free trade agreements, he sought Canadian autonomy within the British Empire, oversaw the formation of Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Yukon, and helped found the Royal Canadian Navy. In recognition of Quebec s first major leading man, the government plastered his face on our fivedollar bill, while the city of Montreal had a street renamed after him in 1899.

Detroit River colony in the 1700s was cut short by an all-too powerful British army.

Further, though important Frenchmen like Guy, Jarry, Beaudry and Sauvé managed most of Montreal s land, the city’s centre was relocated to its current position thanks to a large donation to the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning by English merchant James McGill.

Saving French Canada’s face is the Radisson station, which refers to a young Canadien who, after being captured

by Iroquois as a child and raised in their tradition, was suit­ ably skilled to strengthen the Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s historical commercial success story.

M o n treal-a prudish adolescent

Theories of Montreal’s secularization become popular fiction when one considers the number of religious references found on the metro map alone. Six stops directly allude to the significant role Catholicism played in Montreal history, while countless others refer to pre-Trudeau politicians who were quite content keeping the Church and State joined at the hip.

Jolicoeur pays homage to the priest who founded the parish of Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Sécours in 1906, while Fabre celebrates the first archbishop of the Catholic diocese of Montreal. The Bonaventure station and complex honour the Franciscan monk who was canonized in the 13th century, while Charlevoix station is named after the Jesuit intellectual who compiled the first complete history of New France.

The Olympic Stadium stop Pie-IX was named in com­ memoration of the 256th pope, who advocated papal infalli­ bility at the First Vatican Council in 1870. His claim that the Virgin Mary was taken up bodily to heaven after her death— a dogma known in French as Assomption —is also a subway stop. Lastly, the most controversially-named station LionelGroulx denotes the 20th century priest whose allegedly revi­ sionist approach to French Canadian history undermined the British presence in Quebec and promoted Gameau’s view of conquest as a disaster. Though proclaimed the spiritual father of modern Quebec because of his profound influence on fran­ cophone youth, he was also accused of antisemitism and of separatist inclinations, which have caused many to think the station should be renamed after author Gabrielle-Roy or Exploring new potential The handful of foreigners that figure on the metro map musician Oscar-Peterson. identifies possible sources for the still latent sense of bitterness Essentially visionary among many French Montrealers. Ironically, of the many If culture is the climate of a civilization, according to the explorers who came to establish French settlements, only the ultimately unsuccessful ones appear as stations. In the 17th metro, Montreal is all balmy days. Plamondon station cele­ century, after exploring James Bay, Acadia and the Mississippi, brates the artistic prowess of an important Québécois painter, Pierre Le Moyne D’Iberville recommended the colonization who was King Charles X’s official portraitist as well as the of the area that was to become Louisiana. It was founded by founding Vice-President of the Royal Canadian Academy of French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle in 1682 in hon­ the Arts. Similarly illustrious was the father of French our of Louis XIV, only to be lost to the Americans in 1803.

Similarly, Antoine Laumet de Cadillac's command of a See HISTORICAL LANDMINES, page 12

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President It is an interesting task to write a mid-year report for a mandate that has only been your own for 88 days, a job that feels never-ending, and a society that will go on forever. President Datoo’s year long goals were founded on the belief that an informed and active public demands the very best of its representatives and government; hence many of his projects concerned reoiganizing internal infrastructure and reevaluating job descriptions. In my own presidency, I realize that the SSMU’s desire to redefine and reorganize itself permeates not only our internal structure, but also our exter­ nal visage, political missions, and campus rele­ vancy. As this executive desires to re-balance the SSMU, w e must reflea on our mission as much as our method if w e are to effectively serve the student body. Here’s some highlighrs The Board o f G overnors R enew al - It seems in an effort to rebalance McGill’s highest governing body, the university’s executive would like to see McGill governance reflea a more corporate model. The proposed restruc­ ture decreases board membership from 45 to 18, changing the percentage and nature of almost all voting members, and reorienting stu-

W ho I w o rk w ith:

dent seats. This model redesigns the student representation elected from the four overarch­ ing student organizations (MCSS, MACES, PGSS, and the SSMU), to two student represen­ tatives eleaed by all full-time McGill students.

With the help of SSMU BoG Representative Martin Doe, I am working to secure diverse and meaningful student representation on the Board of the Governors, and oppose this proposition.

Unique in our nature, students exerdse the right to self-governance, and the university rec­ ognizes they require our d irea input to effectivdy serve students. We are the reason for this university.

C onstitution, By-Law, and P olicy Manual R eview - Perhaps the best way to pass your voice on to the next generation, our laws and polides reflea not only where w e’ve come from, but where w e have the opportunity to go. In this regard, I would ask every student to become engaged in our current policy renewal, as it is imperative that the SSMU represent stu­ dent values accurately, and student needs effec­ tively. This year, several committees are woricing to bring the codes by which the sodety functions not only up-to-date, but also

refreshed and evolved to reflea the increasing­ ly diverse needs of our membership.

C ouncil - I am particularly proud of this year’s council. Councilors have shown their dedica­ tion to both increasing SSMU’s relevancy and improving what the sodety does for students.

As this results in broader debate on the issues that face students and the SSMU, increased stu­ dent interest, both in sodety partidpation and the campus press, has demanded innovative work from the sodety. This semester will be particularly significant, as council will focus on long-term sodety objectives, such as the nature of our federal student lobby, the accessibility and financing of post-secondary education, and the changing role of student representative government.

Ultimately, among the most rewarding jobs of the president are to coordinate the efforts of the SSMU and to support the vice-presidents with th d r goals. 1 must express how impressed I am of this year’s SSMU community, and thank all of the executives, staff, commis­ sioners, coordinators, volunteers, dubs, servic­ es, and students like you w ho have worked to make this a breakthrough year for the SSMU.

P resid en tial A ffairs C onunittee: Meryl Sponder, Jason Chung, Matt Howatt, Phil Carpenter, Gonzalo Riva; C onstitution and By Law R eview C om m ittee Andrew Brvan lunaid Subhan^Seema Brar, Gonzalo Riva Mark Sward; Faculty R elations C om m issioner: James Grohsgal; F rancophone C om m issioners: Sophie Zhang Sophie Marcoux In te m itio n a l r m »n ta l C om m ittee o f C ouncil; C h ief R eturning Officer: CarlyRyan Kochen; Speaker o f C ouncil Mark Sward; R ecording

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MIA GËWËRTZ Time flies when you’re working hard (and having fun). This has been an interesting and eventful year SSMU. We’ve been though a lot and w e have learned a lot. The coming semes­ ter will be a successful one, with lots of proj­ ects and goals being realized and achieved.

Over the past semester, I have been able to work w ith many amazing and dedicated peo­ ple towards the improvement of the clubs and services of the SSMU, the physical develop­ ment and management of the Shatner University Centre and in general w ith the stu­ dents of McGill. Over the past semester, I have had the opportunity to watch the variety and diversity of these clubs and those involved

w ith them to grow and expand. There is more to McGill than academics and with our strong set of clubs and services w e are able to be a united and vibrant student population.

Since last May, the Clubs and Services Portfolio has been active: Activities Night in both the fall and w inter w ere a huge success. This was definitely a time for the clubs and services to showcase themselves and recruit new mem­ bers, w hich they did successfully.. Mini cours­ es have expanded and new classes have been introduced to complement the traditional fare of classes. This would not have been possible, w ithout the hard work, dedication and inno­ vation of the coordinators. CultureFest was a

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VP Clubs & Services tremendous success this year with a solid week long schedule.

This upcoming semester will be thrilling.

Plans for the completion Shatner University Center renovations are underway. This includes new club offices and meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a remodeling of Players’ Theatre. These plans will support the current clubs and the new initiatives of students.

CKUT Radio McGill is undergoing serious changes to keep student involvement high.

These are just a few sparks to be coming out of C&S over the next few months.

I wish you all the best of luck this year and I look forward to the upcoming semester!

C lubs & S ervices R epresentatives: Sarah Elgazzar, Rami Hourani, Roberto Caluori; C lubs & Services C om m ittee: Ruth Chen, Sarah Elcazzar oberto Caluori; Safety C om m issioner: Geoff Crawford; Safety C om m ittee: Jeanes.se Bourgeois, Gonzalo Riva, Zoya Craig, Abhinav Pathak y Darwish; A ctivities N ight C oordinator: Leah Coutinho; M ini C ourse C oordinators: Heidi Cheung Amanda Ens; CultureFest C oordinators: Chip Amaldo, Sameen Shahid

VP University Affairs The VP University Afiairs can divide h a time into three main tasks: academics, advocacy, and representation. It is a pleasure to (rejintroduce you to some of the key issues that my team and I have been tackling o v a the past semester as we turn up the heat for the second half of our terms.

Academics- From A+ to advising, class sizes to course evaluations, plagiarism deterrence to infor­ mation commons, and on to the new B.A. & Sc., a laige part of the past eight months has been devoted to advancing the underlying theme of why we are all here - our undergraduate aca­ demic interests.

Advocacy- Support comes in two forms: being proactive by outreaching to students about issues

W ho I w o rk w ith :

and being reactive by addressing concerns when they arise. Hopefully, we caught your attention with our “Know your Rights and Responsibilities” campaign. Or perhaps, you popped in for a break during “Equi-Tea Ttme” and “Campus Equity Week.” The goal of increas­ ing the sensitivity and awareness towards issues of diversity, towards having a well-informed stu­ dent body is a long-term objective to which everyone has a contributing role.

Representation- Keeping your intaests at the top of the University agenda is a task that the Student Senators, SSMU representatives, and I remember each time w e begin a committee meeting with faculty and administration. Such

important issues include the development of a discrimination and harassment policy and an equity office, the uniform e-mail policy, the com­ motion o v a holding (political) events on cam­ pus, and keeping abreast of the unfolding of the Strategic Planning process.

As one of the most demanding portfolios in the SSMU, much of the work is propelled by a dynamic, hard-working group of commissioners, committee members, senators, and volunteers who share a vision for McGill University. In o th a words, I owe the great progress of this portfolio to the dOoDs who help me to “rock the boat” while making sure that 1 don’t fall overboard.

A cadem ic R esearch C om m issioner: Harsh Rajamani; Student Equity C om m issioner: Aliyana Traison; D irea o r o f Student A dvocacy and U niversity Affairs: Andrew Bryan; lib ra ry Im provem ent Fund C om m ittee: John Bowden, Alim Punja, Max Reed. Gonzalo Riva I ■- » ■ I McGiU A eadem tc R oim d Table (MART): Faculty Association VP Academics; Senate / BoG Caucus: Philip Carpenter Nathan Chan, Ruth Chen, Martin Doe Nafay Choudhurv Michael Kuan, Michael Hazan, Mane-Alrce Mandich, Snmvas Murthy, Laila Nurmohamed, Nick Peters, Kate Rhodes, Nathan Taylor; SSMU C ouncilors W onderful SSMU / U niversity com m ittee m em bers, n o ta b ly Sam een Shahid and N athan Z ilbert lJ 7

VP Communications & Events C om m unications - This year w e improved our communications initiatives considerably.

Farah Qasemi has done a great job making the Communications and Events Committee much more active and productive than previous years. One of the committee’s projects was a survey that received over 600 responses. As Communications Commissioner, Farah has also been key in developing an SSMU commu­ nications infrastructure, and in making the SSMU more relevant and approachable to stu­ dents. John Yu, Webmaster, aided in the development of a new website that has more functions important to students, such as classi­ fieds, opinion polls and message boards, and is much more user friendly. Sophie Zhang, Francophone Commissioner, has been amaz­

ing, translating the mass emails into French.

Carleigh Samson has been doing a great job POSTing despite record cold temperatures.

Thanks to the efforts of Geoff Crawford, plans for creating an outdoor campus postering poli­ cy are underway.

Events - SSMU events have been very suc­ cessful and very safe this year! Frosh had a great turnout, and saw the addition of many new activities. Frosh mugs w ere a great improvement in the reduction of waste, keep­ ing McGill campus clean and the environment healthy. SSPN has been busy: our September 4 Floors was packed, receiving coverage in the National Post, International Night Tradition was a big hit during Culturefest, and Remembrance Day was well received by

McGill students, administration and faculty alike. Movie in the Park was a great opportu­ nity for students to enjoy a free flick on the lawn, complete w ith bean bag chairs and pop­ corn. OAP and SnowAP w ere both amazing, special thanks to our friends in EUS and to the organizing committees—you people are my heroes! Gert’s Promotion Committee was not missing in action this year. Eric Reyes has been very dedicated and inspired to improve our campus pub.

Overall, the year has been great—strong in both communications and events. Thanks to all of the coordinators, commissioners, volun­ teers, and staff w ho have made everything possible. I hope you all had a great time!

Who I work with:

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A dvertising M anager: Paul Slachta; B lood D rive: Moussab Damlaj, Katarina Gram, Alexandra Khazzam; C om m unications C om m issioner: Farah Qasemi; C om m unications and Events C om m ittee- Farah Qasemi (Chair), Geoff Crawford, Rob Salerno, Guillermo Carvajal, Caroline Roy, Kathryn Sparrow, John Yu, John Bowden, Roberto Caluon, Aaron Dove, Nicole Macleod; Frosh C oordinators: Huge Galdones (Chair), Rachel DeLorie, Denis Lebel, Arif Chowdhury, Winston Maricar, Nadir Nurmohamed; Gert's P rom otion C om m ittee: Eric Reyes (Chair), Geoff Crawford, Brinley Tilley, Lindsay Rudyk, Matt Howatt, Ashley Becker, John Bowden, Farah Qasemi; H andbook C oordinators: Tafia Berman, David Wachsmuth; OAP M anagers: Ines Della Valle (EUS VP Finance), Christian Dunn (Chair), Luay-El-Ghafari, John Stairs, Junior Galdones, Albert Law, Elise Dyck, Jason Chung, Josiah Jordan, Lin Nguyen, Joel Boulvais; P ost C oordinator: Carleigh Samson; SnowAP M anagers: Elliott Cappell (Co-chair), Alam Alfr (Co-chair), Ines Della Valle (EUS VP Finance), Shane Saunderson (EUS VP Internal), Patrick Scace, Farah Qasemi, Michael Liew, Brett Bundale, Mikey Murray, Tafia Berman, Lindsay Rudyk, John Bowden, Albert Law, Mike Evans S p on sorsh ip C oordinator: Wilson Lo; Student In volvem en t C oordinator: Kathryn Sparrow; Students’ S ociety Program m ing N etw ork (SSPN): Patrick Scace (Co-chair), Rob Kozak (Co-chair), Sameer Damji, Farah Qasemi, Dominika Jaworski, Jessica Cameron, Farrah Rupani, John Bowden, , Ashley Becker, Nina Resetkova, Dave McMillan SSPN Events Cash C oordinator: Carolina Torres; W ebm aster: John Yu; "Special than ks to the F rancophone C om m issioner, Soph ie Zhang

VP Community & Government C om m unity - We have worked diligently with the Montreal Coalition of Student Associations to pressure the Municipal govern­ ment to extend the discount transport rate to all students regardless of age. We garnered a great deal of positive media coverage with the presentation of a petition to the city with over 1100 McGill student signatures. Student Community Action (a new committee within the portfolio) organized a highly successful L’Autre Montreal bus tour and a Women’s History Walking. This semester the SCA is hosting an Ethical Career Fair on February 12th, a Housing Awareness week in March and is commissioning original research on the

future of student housing. The Socially Responsible Investment Workgroup will be presenting a purchasing policy for the SSMU within 6 weeks time. The SSMU Volunteer Program has continued this year w ith success.

Be sure to check out the volunteer board on the ground floor of Shatner.

G overnm ent - We actively organized for the “Ultimatum Charest” campaign in the fall with our provincial lobby group, la FEUQ. This culmi­ nated on October 9th when McGill students joined 10,000 others across Quebec, voicing the need for a real freeze on tuition, reinvestment in education, and the regulation of ancillary fees.

Our efforts were well placed - The freeze on

tuition has been promised for the remainder of the government’s mandate. We have pushed hard to implement policy changes at la FEUQ resulting in the organization taking a stand against differen­ tial tuition for out-of-Quebec students. We participated in the FTAA Popular Consultation, collecting the 4th highest number of votes in the province. This winter we will be submitting to the Parliamentary Commission on the quality, accessibility and financing of Universities, mak­ ing a final push for a pilot project allowing inter­ national students to work off-campus, and engaging in a joint Federal election campaign with la FEUQ and the Canadian Fédération of Students.

Who I work with: C om m unity & G overnm ent C om m ittee: Ewa Krajewska, Alan Powell, Elise Legault, Pierre-Olivier Savoie, Reema Thakkar, Student C om m unity A ction: Daniel Friedlaender, Denise Brunsdon, Sarah Elgazzar, Gonzalo Riva, Lise Bondy, S ocially R esp on sib le Investm ent W orkgroup: Rachel Marcuse, Gonzalo Riva, Elise Legault, Aruna Krishnakumar, Josh Pavan, Tara Kuhn, Danielle Holyk, Heather McCready, Tina Lie, C&G Interim C oordinator: Ashley Becker, McGill G hetto R esidents Liaison: Irwin Adam Eydelnant, A ctive O rganizers: GRASP, MoCOM, V olunteerism C oordinators: Shireen Hossain. Michelle Lee, P olitical A ttaché: Baijayanta Mukhopadhyay

VP Operations B udget - This year’s budget-planning process encouraged student participation at every level. The result was a clear presentation, including line-by-line detail of our largest departments, and an ultimate reflection of stu­ dent priorities. Accordingly, w e doubled con­ tributions towards campaigns, affirmed the Society’s commitment to tackling equity issues by the creation of an Equity Department, and saw to it that Clubs and Campus Life Funding allocations, respectively, are at an all-time high.

O perations - With the closure of Sadie’s in Stewart Bio, the focus is on Sadie’s Union.

The tabagie has settled into its Shatner base­

ment location and continues to innovate look out for magazine sales, soon! The past semester saw some contract renewals and modifications to the physical space. After a sluggish start, Gert’s bar performed well last semester. TNT continues to be a success and this semester w e will be working towards new, diverse programming. This semester will also see the establishment of an Operations Portfolio Committee that will, among other things, take up our newest project - establish­ ing the Organic Food Coop as a permanent fixture in the Shatner building.

D aycare - The SSMU Daycare received its long-awaited permit last semester. We have

been operating at capacity and on a full-time basis since the beginning of the year. Ongoing dialogue continues with the PGSS concerning graduate-student contribution to the service.

In addition, w e will be applying for funding by way of the government’s $7-a-day program.

Bookstore - As your undergraduate representa­ tive on the Senate University Bookstore Committee, I have kept a watchful eye on this year’s transition from Barnes and Noble to University management. Of particular importance has been a commitment towards protecting the social space’ on the second floor from becoming more “economically viable” (think, more books) and this appears to have been a success.

Who I work with:

SSMU Councilors

G eneral M anager: Guy Brisebois, A ccounting Staff:'Ginette Lamarche (Chief Accountant), Larissa Kuhta (Accounts Receivable), Wendy He (Accounts Payable), Linda Tang (Payroll) Treasurer: Anthony DiCarlo, Finance C om m ittee: John K. Seddon, Amrut Kar, Roberto Caluori, Lazar Konforti, Sadie’s Tabagie: Kelly Shone, Linda Grey-Noble, Gert’s Bar: Danh Nguyen, SSMU D aycare: Cynthia Dezso

President: Kate Rhodes - pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca VP Clubs & Services: Mia Gewertz - cs@ssmu.mcgill.ca VP Communications & Events: Kimberley Zell ce@ssmu.mcgil!.ca VP Community & Government: Brianna Mersey externafêssmu.mcgill.ca VP Operations: Rod DeCastro - operations@ssmu.mcgill.ca VP University Affairs: Vivian Choy - ua@5smu.megiU.ca Architecture: TBA Arts : John Bowden - johnb_007@hotmail.com Arts: Elise legault - e_lego@hotmail.com Arts : Rachel Marcuse - bramblebebe@yahoo.com Athletics Rep: Matt Howatt - matthewhowatt@hotmail.com

Clubs Rep: Roberto Caluori - rcaluo@hotmail.com Clubs Rep : Rami Hourani - houramif@yahoo.com Clubs Rep: Sarah Elgazzar - selgazspo-box.mcgill.ca Dentistry: Haissam Dahan - hdahan@hotmail.com Education: Caroline Roy - carolinenroy@hotmail.com Engineering: Alan Powell - apowel1@hotmail.com Engineering: Mike Tolley - miketolley@hotmail.com First-Year (FYCC) Rep: Seema Brar - seemabrar@hotmail.com Law: Pierre-Olivier Savoie - pierre-olivier.savoie@mail.mcgill,ca Management: Brian Schreiber - repssmu.mgm1@mail.mcgill.ca Medicine: Maryse Bouchard - maryse.bouchard@mail.mcgill.ca Music: Ashley Becker - abecker680@hotmail.com Nursing: Jeanesse Bourgeois -jeanesse.bourgeois@mail.mcgill.ca

PT & OT: Carolina Kwok - eosmiccare@hotmail.com Religious Studies: TBA Residence (IRC): Gonzalo Riva - seriousgonzalo@hotmail.com Science: Farrah Rupani - frupan@po-box.mcgill.ca Science: Lazar Konforti - lazar_x@hotmail.com Senate/Board Rep: Philip Carpenter - fcarpe@po-box.mcgill.ca Senate/Board Rep: Nathan Taylor - ntayloV'Spo-box.mcgiil.ea Senate/Board Rep: Ruth Chen - ruth.chenémail.mcgiil.ca Social Work: TBA Speaker: Mark Sward - speaker@ssmu.mcgill.ca Recording Secretary: Lindsey Ross - recsec@ssmu.mcgill.ca This is a p a id a d v e r tis e m e n t b y th e SSM U V P C o m m u n ic a tio n s a n d E vents.

12 Features

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Primping for politics Generation Apathy may not be so apathetic, LIZ ALLEMANG reports ou hear chitter chatter on campus, in the bookstore, in class. That’s probably the sound of politics you’re hearing—a subject on the mind of many students these days. At McGill, political science is the largest department in the biggest faculty. Various political clubs such as Liberal McGill allow students to express and act upon their beliefs. You read about Howard Dean meet-ups being held in Montreal before the primaries, you see protests of the Iraq war making their way through the streets of downtown. And if you ask anybody at McGill, chances are they will have a political position of one stripe or another.

During their time at university, many students have what you might call a “political awakening.” They are independent

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Seconds.” Sponsored by the MoveOn.org voters’ fund, the con­ test invited entrants to create a 30-second advertising spot about George W. Entries were judged by left-wing celebs such as Jack Black, Moby, Al Franken, Michael Moore, Margaret Cho and Janeane Garofolo, to name a few. Contest finalists discussed all things anti-Bush, including the length of his vacations, the fact that he is “misunderestimated,” as well as Bush’s “leave no millionaire behind tax cuts. Most entries were inherently youth oriented.

The winning entry, which was also named people’s choice, can be viewed at bushin30seconds.organd is titled Child’s Pay. The ad depicts various children working blue-collar jobs and asks the question: guess who’s going to pay off Bush’s $3-trillion deficit?

MoveOn was planning on broadcasting the ad nationally during this year's Super Bowl.

T he actions o f som e candidates represent an effort According to the Web site, CBS refuses to air the commercial. to reach out to a generation that has thus far As expected, MoveOn is urging concerned citizens to sign a petition insisting CBS “not appeared apathetic about its elected leaders. play politics with free speech.” Interestingly, CBS has also refused an ad from PETA deemed from their parents (and subsequently their parents’ beliefs) and too controversial. have many an opportunity to find the right party for them.

Some, however, are skeptical of MoveOn’s tactics and agen­ Think of it as a sexual awakening with less nudity—fewer three­ da. MoveOn has long organized letter-writing campaigns direct­ somes and talking that isn’t as explicitly dirty. Students discover ed at members of Congress, but some of their efforts have drift­ the issues that matter to them and the tools they can use to try ed north to include academics. One McGill professor has been and change what they don’t like about society. less than impressed by the mail he has received from the organi­ zation Cyber-revolt?

“I’ve had stuff sent to me from the MoveOn.org Web site Political Web sites are explicitly targeting youth and are by hostile people with fake e-mail addresses who send semi-liter­ experiencing exponential growth in the student community. ate, often poorly spelt rantings accusing me of being a phony his­ One such site is the democratically driven MoveOn.org, origi­ torian for daring to disagree with their point of view, trying to set nally launched in 1998 by those frustrated by the shenanigans me straight,” says Gil Troy of the history department. surrounding the Clinton impeachment.

“It hasn’t therefore impressed me as the kind of site where I MoveOn.org has since expanded and its goals have come to would get the most open-minded, unconventional or wide-rang­ include bringing ordinary people back into politics, getting ing opinions one should seek,” Troy adds.

George W. Bush out of office, and using its international net­ work of more than two million on-line activists to spread the Bracing for Bush MoveOn gospel.

But is all this effort directed at getting youth involved in MoveOn.org has been getting much attention in recent politics proving effective? Troy notes that, at this point, it is way months as a result of its current campaign, “Bush in 30 too early to tell.

SICKKIDS.ON.CA

American politicians have a new target in mind.

“So far, it doesn’t compare to 1968 or 1972,” he said.

Nevertheless, the actions of some candidates represent an effort to reach out to a generation that has, thus far, appeared apathetic about its elected leaders.

Democratic candidate Howard Dean appears on the cover of the February issue of Rolling Stone and has launched genera tiondean.com as a sister site to his main site, deanforamerica.com The newer site is specifically geared at getting young people involved in his campaign.

Katherine Howitt, U3 Arts, is one of many students who have taken notice of Deans effort and prepared herself to get involved. After picking Dean as her candidate, she went to the site and signed up to write letters to “undecideds” in Iowa to tell them why it was important to vote at primaries. When she want ed to take her involvement up a notch, Howitt volunteered to go to New Hampshire in late January to help out at the Dean head­ quarters.

“They’re going to have me do all sorts of things, go door to door, hand out pamphlets. I was assigned to one of Dean’s peo­ ple who found me a floor to sleep on and is having someone meet me at the bus station when I arrive. The coordinator also arranged for everything when I told her I had a friend who was interested in coming along, ” Howitt details.

Regardless of whether you’re rallying in New England or having a round table at your apartment on Lome Crescent, it is important to at least remain aware, as Allison Graham, U1 Education, argues.

“I am always amazed by how many people are glued to their CNN.” Graham pauses, and adds, “And with all the controversy surrounding George W. Bush, the presidency resembles art action movie, with all the twists and turns, you're on the edge . if your seat waiting to see how it’s going to end." ■

Historical landmines Continued from page 9

Canadian poetry " Octave Crémazie. who blended romanticism and real ism in his nostalgic accounts of the conquest period.

The ideological impact of Henri Bourassa. whose articulate speeches aroused governmental suspicion due to their allegedly nationalistic tone, continues to resonate through Le Devoir, which he founded in 1910. | An advocate of equal rights for both f french and English Canada, he pro­ moted ‘biculturalism’ as a condition for Quebec to remain a part of the Confederation. Fearing the possible Americanization of Canada, Bourassa pushed for small businesses over large industry, convinced their more ethical nature would better preserve French Canadian culture.

Scoping cityscapes

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The metro system also pays trib­ ute to some of the city s longest stand ing landmarks. Fostering the'develop­ ment of small enterprises is the everchic rue St-Laurent, which appeared on maps as early as 1825. Though a hubbub of creative and entrepreneur­ ial energy, “The Main", as it is called by anglophones, is also regarded as the unofficial dividing line between English and French Montreal.

On the outskirts of Vieux Montreal, the metro acknowledges French-Canadian military history with Place d’amtes, commemorating Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuv e s defense of the French and the Hurons against the Iroquois. Originally a mil itary exercise ground named after the Roman god of war, Champs-de-m.is recalls the deportation of Acadians who refused to show allegiance to their British superiors.

Last but certainly not least, Mont-Royal refers to one of tin peaks that comprise the Montreal skv line, as well as to the surrounding park, which was designed by New Yorks Central Park creator Frederick Law Olmsted. The station itself opens up onto what is arguably the city's most character-defining avenue. Most importantly, though, Mont-Royal is the name Jacques Cartier first used in 1535 to refer to the land his pauon King Francois I had enabled him to explore. With time, Mont-Royal mor­ phed into Montreal, the population mushroomed and a little group called the Montreal Street Railway Company put forth the brilliant idea of building an urban railroad’.

In all, the names given to Montreal’s metro system may be pure­ ly coincidental, but when coincidence plays connect-the-dots, the results are always worth considering. ■

S & : entertainment T h e M c G i ll T r ib u n e , Tuesday, January 27, 2 0 0 4

^ J | s ic F e a tu re

The artist behind the name Harmer set to release intimate new album Mark Kerr

because I had a lot more time to figure it out. It was like a big project, setting my house up as a studio arah Harmer has every reason to be elated. The and wiring the whole place.”

As a musician, Harmer’s technique resembles Canadian singer-songwriter’s debut solo album, You Were Here, enjoyed immense suc­ that of a painter. Using music and lyrics to create cess, making her the darling of music critics in evocative portraits for the listener, Harmer paints 2000. The Kingston, Ontario native looks to aural have landscapes with her sparse musical accompani­ another hit record with All of our Names, scheduled for ments. The cello solo on “Dandelion in Bullet Holes” and her simple guitar solos make for an inti­ Canadian release March 23.

But despite her recent achievements, Harmer still mate setting, while the muted trumpet on “Come on Lion” evokes a sense of stark emptiness. has a soft spot for the sad song.

On the new album, Harmer captures what may “I am a fairly happy person,” says Harmer.

ROUNDER.COM “[However,] I just tend to pick up the guitar a lot more appear to be small details and casts them in a when I am in that melancholy state. If I’m in a really poignant light. On “Pendulum,” she sings: “The dis­ Canadian rock goddess Sarah Harmer shows growth on new album. good mood, I will go and whip snowballs around. tant lights are twinkling meaning there is a wind/ that blows the trees against themselves and hard into That’s what us Canadians do, right?” at a taping of an episode for Routes Montreal, a CBC You Were Here drew heavily on the theme of love, this house.”

Radio One show that will air March 27. Harmer’s For Harmer, “Pendulum” was the hardest song on especially that of the lost variety. All of our Names, while familiar falsetto filled the studio. On “Greeting Card,” the album to record.

After making a demo of the song, still containing those plaintive elements, is a much less she gave the audience a taste of something different, personal record that moves beyond heartbreak in search she struggled to recapture the initial energy.

“For me, when I listen to that little 40of greater meaning.

“After touring for a couple of years, meeting lots of second version, there is something so great If I’m in a really good mood, I will go and whip people, the album became more about other peoples about that, I can hear the excitement in my connections to themselves. [There is] more of a theme own heart. So when I was recording that for snowballs around. That’s what us Canadians do, right? real, when I had finished writing the song, I of interconnectedness.

“There are still some of the crush elements, roman­ was always going back to that original little Sarah Harmer ticized things on this album that I come back to and am clip.”

Playing live offers Harmer a chance to recapture drawn to,” notes Harmer. delivering the verses in a stream-of-consciousness way While Harmer expands lyrically, the musical side the energy of playing a song for the first time. that could have been mistaken for a rap were it not for “There's nothing like being in a band where every­ comes together to form a much more cohesive sound the sweet harmonies. than before, a product of recording nine of the 11 body just feels great and knows what they are doing and The show had a fair share of the forlorn songs that can be really expressive,” said Harmer about returning tracks at her home. have become Harmer’s trademark. And yet Harmer pre­ “I played a lot more instruments on this album. I to the road. sented her work with a smile, a sign of an artist in a The new songs were well-received Thursday night played drums, a lot more electric and lead guitar comfortable place. ■

S

fe a tu re

Evita to run at Moyse Hall Dany Horovitz

ne-Foot Productions, the team that produced Tommy when it came to the city last year, is gearing up for its next produc­ tion.

Evita, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s epic musical, is the story of Eva Peron, wife of Argentine president Juan Peron. Bom underprivileged in 1919, she was a famous actress before becoming the most powerful woman in the country by the age of 27. She died of cancer in 1952 at the age of 33.

“Evita is the monolith of all musi­ cals,” said director Adam Blanshay.

O

“It’s almost never done because it’s so big and is essentially an opera. And for musical theatre to do it is a really ambi­ tious project... This is my first directo­ rial endeavour, so why not start with the hardest thing you could possibly do?”

Raymond Zilberberg founded One-Foot Productions four years ago because a musical theatre did not exist in Montreal at the time. The group’s first effort, Cabaret, was a hit.

According to Zilberberg, the success of Cabaret showed “there’s a thirst for musical theatre, and so were here to quench that thirst.

“We’ve considered doing Evita for a long time. It’s a challenge, but it

brings our credibility up a level If we can pull it off because of its difficulty.

The key to a good musical is the choreography, and this is especially true for Evita.

See DO N'T CRY, page 15

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February 7 tol5 8:00 pm

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A&E

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

i l l

The art of Actualités and the reality of war

The Evaporators

Ripple Rock

Mirella Christou

f the war in Iraq could somehow be condensed and encapsulated with the stroke of a pencil cray­ on, Stéphanie Morissette would be the artist to show us how it is done. With her new exhibition Actualités, now running at the Sylviane Poirier con­ temporary art gallery, Morissette shocks, saddens and empathizes; she reaches to the root of human discon­ tent. Hailing from Varennes, this young artist aims to illustrate in her works the conflict between free­ dom and injustice.

“Fashion, a video animation piece, is a high­ light of this small exhibition. A series of 340 images flash in sequence, representing fleeing refugees, mur­ der, suicide and torture, all in an instant glimpse of the absurdity of our reality. Autobiographical in its nature, the animation concludes with two patrons leisurely viewing Morissette’s work in a gallery. One of the patrons purchases the piece and hangs it on his office wall, while he sits in a desk in front of it— smug and satisfied, oblivious to the intentions of the artist. The candid nature of the piece is refreshing insofar as her social critique is not heavily veiled under levels of abstraction.

An adjacent drawing, entitled “International Relationships,” echoes similar themes as “Fashion.”

Although the colours are vivid and pleasant, the con­ tent is focused on the dark and violent nature of humans, with gushes of bloody liquid interrupting different scenes in the drawing. Here we see figures holding guns, wearing gas masks, strapped into elec­ tric chairs; someone is lying down on train tracks, leading us to think that there is no way out but death and destruction. This piece is devoid of hope, and it becomes evident in her inspiration for the drawing.

As Morissette has stated, she listened to BBC Radio reports on the events in Iraq every day while creating this piece.

I

Nardwuar/Alternative Tentacles elcome To My Castle” chanted at top volume. “I’m Going To France!” screamed repeatedly and seemingly out of control. What band can teach you that 1776 was the year of the American Civil War (not the revolution) or that Mercury marine outboard engines have plastic propellers? This is The Evaporators—a Vancouver staple.

On this platter of eclectic songs, Nardwuar and the gang keep the perfect mix of civic pride and historical relevance with tunes like the title track, “Ripple Rock.” With a catchy-as-a-cold chorus, the tune tells the story of a notorious undersea rock near Campbell River, British Columbia, that sank many a ship before being blown out of the water by an underground tunnel in 1958.

Now, perhaps the name Nardwuar the Human Serviette rings a bell. Indeed, after years of hard work as a rogue journalist for the University of British Columbia newspaper, Discorder, the UBC radio station CITR and the Vancouver Cable Access station, Nardwuars name and popularity spread far enough to land him a job at MuchMusic, where a nation of millions could finally enjoy his wellresearched investigative journalism. The most quoted of his work included his “Keep on rocking in the free world” question posed to Mikhail Gorbachev and his incitement of the infamous “For me, pep­ per, I put it on my plate,” as stated by Jean Chrétien at the APEC conference in 1997. But the real way to understand the psyche of Nardwuar is to put him into context with the Evaporators.

This is easily done with Ripple Rock. “I Gotta Disease, I’m Addicted to Cheese” undoubtedly refers to his love of food (see The Tomahawk Grill!) while "NardNest" refers to his love of zany facts (see the Internet!) and 60s punk rock (see guitarist Dave Carswell in the rave-up part!). In short, this record is an instant classic and an excellent representation of Nardwuar, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada! Have a good lunch! ■

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Finally, there is the “Blind Curtain,” created with Chinese ink on paper, with wool thread linking images in vertical rows. This piece is one of the most dramatic and engaging of Morissette’s works, prima rily due to the graphic nature of the subject matter and issues she has chosen to depict. Once again, the themes of oppression and oblivion are juxtaposed in a profound manner.

Morissette is known for her unflinching approach to intense subject matter. “Fire Escape, not on display at this exhibition, is of an emergency rope ladder she encountered in Iceland where she lived as an artist in residence. “This emergency exit inspired me [in] this work illustrating different situa tions, like physical and sexual abuse, prostitution suicide... where you could need an emergency exit, said Morissette in describing the piece.

Morissette is in tune with current events in world politics and the state of the human psyche Her subject matter is accessible and figures are adapt­ able; they could be anyone, anywhere.

The other artist exhibiting in the galley is Lise Boisseau, with her collection entitled In Vivo.

The Sylviane Poirier gallery is located at 372 rue Ste-Catherine ouest, room 234. The Morissette and Boisseau exhibits run until February 14. ■

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Don't cry for me, McGill

A&E

Disc Reviews

sense of professionalism to the show.

Blanshay followed the script very closely in his “Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, when staging, with extra attention paid to detail.

“What I’m trying to do is take this epic musical writing the show, were very specific that this is a his­ torical piece,” Blanshay said. “The challenge for the and present a classical staging.

The players involved spent countless hours choreography is to take a score that is essentially 1970s, and match it with dance pieces that reflect the learning the songs and the dance moves. According to time. There is no spoken dialogue, so the choreogra­ Blanshay, the commitment of the cast is “heaven sent.

We had over 120 people audition, [and] the cast is phy adds that extra element that makes it surreal.”

The numbers look very smooth and the cast is 30. They were very easy to cast, and they’re great.

And they certainly can sing. From “On This able to pull off near-synchronicity in the more diffi­ cult sequences such as “Buenos Aires” and “The Night of a Thousand Stars” to the signature tune Money Kept Rolling In (and Out),” adding a real “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” it is evident that this is a talented team. The most notable member of the cast is Lucas Mercer, a Calgary native, who really gets into his role as the narrator, Che. Sarah McCullough also pro­ vides an inspiring perform­ ance as the Mistress. Her song, “Another Suitcase in Another Hall”, is beautifully sung, and the staging is sim­ ple yet effective.

The company is now in its final stretch of rehearsals.

The show opens on February 7 and runs through Boundless is a summer outdoor adventure program for February 15. ■ youth at risk and other people with special needs Continued from page 13

COME LEARN ABOUT SUMMER 2004 INTERN AND PAID POSITIONS AT BOUNDLESS!

INFORMATION SESSION AND SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND AT 12:00 PM IN BROWN BUILDING, ROOM 5001

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Hometown Advantage D o w n w ay and Belvedere Union Label

Hometown Advantage bears the markings of the ‘local Canadian punk bands trying to make it big’ syndrome.

Stylistically, the two groups on this split CD manage to reach par with most established artists of the same genre. All the elements of the mid-to-late-90s influenced thrash punk are present: simple, fast-paced guitars, cautiously melodic lyrics, and drums that never let up.

Unfortunately, it is now 2003, which effectively makes this album behind the times. There are attempts to break away from the standard punk formula, but often they fall flat or sound redundant. The changes in pace throughout the songs are a welcome variation; however, they are not enough to give the individual tracks lives of their own.

If you’ve bought all the Millencolin, Strung Out, No Use For A Name and Lagwagon albums, or if you feel like supporting the Calgary punk scene. Hometown Advantage is definitely worth a listen.

Downway’s half of the album is not as strong, but “Under the Same Sky” and “August” are undeniably solid tracks. If you’re into a mix of melodic singing and casual, self-conscious screaming, Belvedere serves up “Home Ice Advantage,” which sounds remarkably like Making Friendsera “No Use For A Name,” and “Distress.”

-Stefan Szpajda

Student Special Montreal A p ril, 2004

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The Fire Theft’s self-titled debut album is a solid effort and evidence of musical development for a group whose members were all previously part of the band Sunny Day Real Estate. The now older and more musically evolved band has created an interesting album, if not a great one.

While The Fire Theft may not be fully successful in its effort to emulate rock idols such as Led Zeppelin, many of its tracks betray the influence of classic bands. The use of a backing orchestra on “Uncle Mountain, and keyboard effects on “Oceans Apart,” show a willingness to experiment with musical forms, while also recalling the great rock groups of the past. This experimentation Is sometimes unin­ teresting, especially a seemingly random piano interlude on the second track.

On “Summertime,” however, one of the best songs on the album, creative echoes of the Beatles can be heard.

Frontman Jeremy Enigk’s lyrics complement the many lay­ ers of the music; his words are often dark, and always con­ vey intense emotion. Nevertheless, they can also be charm­ ing, as in “Houses” where he remarks, “I thought that I was crazy / All along it was just a girl.”

The Fire Theft has produced a good album, but it is still nowhere near as great nor as interesting as those of the band’s rock idols. Despite the band’s attempts to vary the usual sounds of rock ‘n’ roll, the music lacks the innovation of groups like Zeppelin and does not break any conventions of the genre.

-Simone Cruickshank

15

16

A&E

The M cGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

rlCKS

Garage band unleashed on the Hard Rock Café

Amy Smart playing daily at AM CFbiurr 22 (2 V 3 Sft-Catherine W>

M usic Evi- 6, le n ry , Yellowtard January 28, 8:00pm Club Seda (1225 Sr-L.:ure;,'.f-

Fête des Neiges Parc Jean-Drapeau T hrough February 8

M ovies Julie Peters

ackporch College is one of those earnest, fun-loving indie rock bands that you will keep hearing about from this moment until it breaks into the harsh world of rock ‘n’ roll. The band consists of four nice guys with a small reputation and a clunky name. Try saying Backporch College eight times fast and maybe then will you remember the name to go along with the more than memorable music.

The four boys put on a show to a captive audience full of hooting and hollering friends and strangers. Their intense and honest playing was more than just exciting—it was sexy, as those who enjoy live music may tell you, sex appeal can be a real bonus.

Performance is an art that can either expose a band’s weaknesses or showcase that elusive essence that comes off only at a live show. Backporch College revealed both its strengths and weak­ nesses at its show last Friday night at the Hard Rock Café.

The singer mumbled into oblivion at times, and the drumming lapsed into occasional wild crashing. The music would lull into chaos every now and then, but there were also moments when it became a symphony that rose to a climax that can only be achieved live. One song in particular pulled this off, and it was not one of the Pearl Jam covers. It was one that had been written by lead guitarist Chuck Ormsby. His deft playing dominated the song, and set a smooth and rhythmic platform for the rest of the band to ease into and achieve near musical nirvana.

Backporch College is a young band that is still making mistakes. But every time it plays it will be a little more powerful, and reaching that climax will come more readily. This is a band worth going to see, and, once you do, it will be a lot easier to remember that awkward name. ■

The B utterfly Effect starring Ashton Kutcher,

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or Bullmoose, a Montreal-based rock trio, its transformation is nearly complete. Originally named Time Flies years ago at a high school in small-town Ontario, Eric Lawrance, Seamus Cowan and Jeff Cowan released Lessons Learned last week, their first album of 12 original songs. Bullmoose leaves its cover band status behind in favour of playing its original rock n roll tunes infused with a heavy bass groove.

The three members continued playing during their university lives in Montreal, rocking the Engineering Blues Pub many Fridays and doing a few other gigs around the city. With graduation on the horizon, Lawrance and the Cowans decided to get serious about a career in music.

“It sort of became evident that we had to make a decision,” explains drummer Jeff Cowan, Seamus’ twin. Bullmoose only began concentrating on its own songs a year and a half ago. In the middle of the summer, the band went into Studio Piccolo north of the city and recorded 14 tracks in three days. Bullmoose worked with Ryan Patterson, a friend who wanted to record a full-length album for the experience. Working with a tight budget, the recording was com­ pleted at a furious pace.

“What you hear on the album is basical­ ly three days of work. It’s not three or four months of recording. It’s almost like a live show, three day concert,” said Jeff Cowan.

The energy comes through on the open­ ing numbers, including “Young Blood Blues” and “Poor Man’s Hash.” The songs, written

by Lawrance, are driving tunes with a blues influence. The latter half of the album, with several songs written by the Cowans, has twinges of funk to go with the riff rock.

“I think our influences have converged a little bit more,” says bass player Seamus BUUMOOSE.COM Cowan on the evolution of the band. “We’ve got quite a different music sound. Most of the tunes we have done have been an idea from one guy in particular. “The album is so diverse, but it always sounds like us because each of us has our own style.”

Before focusing on writing again, the band hits the road to promote Lessons Learned. Café Campus was full Saturday night for the CD release. Many people turned out to hear opener Dr. Tom’s Leather, which played its last gig for a while.

Bullmoose hit the stage to a wall of sound. It took a while for the crowd to warm up to it. By the end of the show, however, dancers packed the floor in front of the stage.

For the band, having a lot of energy when playing live is the key to success.

“From experience it seems that half of how people react to what you are doing is what you are doing, maybe,” explains Lawrance. “Then the atmosphere of the room and how the crowd is feel­ ing that night if you can spark the one time at the start of the show everything else you do is far less important.” ■

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Pucks hit the boards with a slap that echoes in the barn on the hill. It is accompanied by the scratch of steel blades on ice and the knock of rubber meeting wood; together a symphony of sound that is music to a hockey fan’s ears. Members of the mens hockey team perform passing drills like clockwork, a choreography of precision and skill. Head Coach Martin Raymond blows his whistle, raps his stick against the boards, and calls his troops to bring it in.

Spirits are high on the ice as the guys laugh and joke around between hustles, but the importance of this practice is not lost on them. Despite having travelled a bumpy road to get to their current position, the Red n White are just coming off of a fourgame unbeaten streak, broken only after a 3-0 loss to UQTR over the weekend.

Last year’s playoff run saw the No. 7-ranked Redmen fight their way to the division semifinal. But with a significant number of seniors having graduated, the Redmen found themselves with a much younger squad in September— growing pains aplenty. Indeed, they endured a rather tough first half of

TRACK & FIELD

into the game.

“That’s been our problem, sta­ tistically speaking,” explains Raymond in his office after practice.

“We were clinching first goals, we were taking leads, we were doing a lot of good things that put us in a position where we could win, and we would struggle [at the end].’’

The difficul­ ties can be attrib­ uted to a number of factors, includ­ ing two young goaltenders, a blue line plagued by injury, and rookie forwards adjusting to the higher level of play. Taking these things into consideration, Raymond made substantial changes over the break on his approach to the game.

“We changed a lot of our systems because we felt that the way we NICOLE LEAVER were playing did­ n’t seem to work, contention.

the season, sporting a lacklustre 3-82-1 record in Canadian Interuniversity Sport play at the Christmas break.

The team has been plagued by a tendency to let its guard down too soon, relinquishing early leads and allowing the opponent to get back

McGill is fighting its way back into

says Raymond. “The guys have bought into it 100 per cent and it’s starting to slowly work out.”

The Christmas vacation gave the players time away from the stresses of school and hockey, during which they could relax and refocus.

“They [came] back after a cou­ ple of weeks refreshed and re-ener­ gized, and much better in terms of their focus and in terms of their energy level. So far it’s paid off, says the coach.

The Redmen opened the sec­ ond half of the season with a 4-0 win over RMC on January 9. The most telling turn of events, though, is the recent series against Concordia, with whom McGill is fighting for the last playoff spot in the Far East division, and a hardfought win against then No. 6ranked UQTR. Concordia has had McGill’s number ever since the school started to ice a team and the Redmen skated away with a roughand-tumble 4-4 draw followed by a 6-1 landslide victory in the Stingers’ hive. It is obvious the team is climb­ ing a learning curve and that it is starting to come together—things are finally clicking.

See REDMEN, page 19

McGill Team Challenge

McGill shows off its T & F

Fri. Jan. 23

Sherbrooke Martlets

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Sun. Jan. 25

Montréal Martlets

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Volleyball (M) Fri. Jan. 23

Sherbrooke Redmen

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Sun. Jan. 25

Montréal Redmen

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and finished second in the race.

Perhaps even more notable is that At Canada’s second largest track McCabe’s time of 2:29.13 is current­ meet, held Saturday at Tomlinson ly the third best time in Canadian Fieldhouse, the Redmen and Interuniversity Sport this season.

Martlets both gave solid performanc­ McCabe felt that eclipsing personal es, finishing in third and fourth records was a trend for the meet.

“I was really happy with my place overall, respectively.

The McGill Team Challenge race, but I saw a lot of people run, featured 13 college and university jump and throw personal bests,” he teams from the US and Canada, as said.

One of those people was the well as various invitational events.

Martlets’ second-year pole-vaulter, Both McGill teams managed to emerge from the pack, despite the Hannah Moffat. Moffat’s vault of strong field. Given that both the 3.55 metres won her the gold medal, Martlets and Redmen have been and is the fourth-best height this year hampered by injuries and illness late­ in Canadian university competition. ly, their finishes are that much more Her showing also smashed Christine impressive. Head Coach Dennis Lagarde’s previous McGill record, set Barrett seemed comfortable with in 2001, by half a metre.

“It was a pleasant surprise— the results.

“I think we [fared] decently, par­ [Moffat] coming through with a huge performance,” said Barrett. ticularly considering our condition, “That was, I think I’d say, our per­ he said.

A few of the athletes had excep­ formance of the day... hopefully, it’s a tionally impressive showings, start towards moving her up the lad­ including second-year runner Jeff der. ” After the Martlets lost a few key McCabe, who shaved five seconds off his own personal best in the 1000m names last year, worries about who would fill the gaps surrounded the Andrew Patton

team. Some of those spots were taken by athletes who switched from other sports, like fourth-year distance runner Jessica Warren, who came to the team from McGill's swim squad.

In other cases, athletes like Moffat and Genevieve Jenkins, a sophomore who placed first in the 1000m Saturday with a time of 3:03.41, have stepped up to fill vacated roles.

“It seems like we’re up-andcoming again, Moffat said.

Up-and-coming also aptly describes the Redmen, who are look­ ing forward to developing through­ out the rest of the season. McCabe hopes next year will be the team’s

true breakout year.

“Were a super young team,” he said. “We’re not going to lose any­ one for at least two years, as far as I can see.”

For the rest of this season, how­ ever, McGill’s highest hopes for national success lie with the Martlets.

“We have our pole-vaulter vault­ ing well, some good sprinters... and our distant runners are not too far off,” said Barrett. “I think we can pick up a top-5 finish [nationally].

18

Sports

The M cGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

BASKETBALL Stingers 105, Redmen 82; Stingers 85, Martlets 47

Déjà vu all over again for Redmen, Martlets M cGill swept

b y C o n c o rd ia

Nicole Haris Victory eluded both the McGill Redmen and Martlet bas­ ketball teams Saturday afternoon, as Concordia got the better of both squads for the third time this season. The Redmen were defeated 105-82, while the Martlets were downed 85-47.

The men played with heavy hearts for the second straight game, as they were again without starting centre Pawan Sidhu, who is still in stable but critical condition at Montreal General Hospital. Sidhu remains in a drug-induced coma after suffering a severe head injury as the result o f an apparent fall, and is expected to stay in this condition for several days.

While the team came out inspired in a 91-76 victory over Bishop’s Friday night— dedicating the game to Sidhu and wear­ ing a green number 32 on their jerseys in his honour— they did­ n’t have enough left to overcome the Stingers.

Concordia entered Saturday’s game with some leftover anger from Friday night’s tough, fight-marred loss to the Quebec University Basketball League-leading Laval Rouge et Or, and it showed, as they jum ped to a 53-46 halftime lead. Although McGill kept the game close throughout the first 20 minutes, Concordia asserted their dominance with a three-pointer and an easy layup right before the end o f the half.

“We had a mental breakdown right before the end o f the half,” said co-captain Denburk Reid. “The game was close up until that point, and then they got that break.”

It was much of the same in the second half, as the Stingers went on a 20-2 run in the first five minutes to put the game out of reach. Concordia shot an impressive 59 per cent in the half, while McGill could only muster a dismal 37.5 per cent effort.

Concordia also out-rebounded the Redmen, and dished out 30 assists to McGill’s 19. Four Stingers reached double figures in scoring.

Against Bishop’s, Reid exploded for 36 points, setting a McGill single-game scoring record for a point guard. H e also led the Redmen in scoring on Saturday night, notching 22 points in his fifth consecutive game with 20 or more. Greg Rembeyo added a career-high 16 points in the losing cause. The 18-yearold shot seven for eight on the night, and leads the team in field goal percentage.

Despite the positives that emerged from Saturday’s game, the Redmen took a large step backwards after their upset of Bishop’s.

Reid said Sidhu’s injury has taken its toll on the team.

for second time in three weekends

“Psychologically, you can’t help but think about it,” he said.

“We have to keep upbeat and still focus on our daily tasks, but we re all praying for him. " Updates on Sidhu’s condition can be found on the McGill Athletics Web site, at athletics, mcgill. ca, when they become avail­ able.

Martlets falter again

After losing to the Bishop’s Gaiters the night before, a dis­ appointed Martlets squad stepped on the court Saturday after­ noon to tip off against the Stingers, hoping to rebound from the loss. Their frustration only grew following a 38-point drubbing, their worst defeat of the season.

Head Coach Ryan Thorne was succinct in summarizing his team’s performance against Concordia.

“They just didn’t come out with the fire [necessary to w in],” he said.

At one point in the first half, the teams were actually tied at 11, but McGill still appeared to be struggling. The Stingers quickly took advantage, opening up a 40-24 halftime lead.

Concordia continued to widen the margin in the second half, shooting 60 per cent from the field while the Martlets con­ nected on just 30 per cent of their attempts. McGill was also outrebounded 42-27 by the Stingers, who were able to grab 15 offensive boards, providing them plenty o f second-chance oppor­ tunities.

Concordia’s Emilie Ruel led all scorers with 16 points and eight rebounds. She was one of four Stingers who reached dou­ ble figures in the game.

Guard Cheeka Mitchell led McGill with 14 points and four assists.

T hom e found many problems with his team’s play, but is willing to put those behind him as the team gets ready for the stretch run.

“We didn’t move the ball around enough and [we] were lax on defence,” he noted. “But we just have to keep our heads up.

It’s how we bounce back that determines character. ”

just six games left on the schedule.

The Redmen also fell to 3-7 in league play following their loss, and they currendy sit one game back of Bishop’s. To have a shot at the postseason, the Redmen, who are just 3-5 against Bishop’s in the past two seasons, will likely need to upset the Gaiters again in the teams’ final meeting on February 27.

In the meantime, McGill’s teams have a week off to try to find ways to salvage their seasons before hosting U Q À M on February 6. ■

Post-season prognosis grim

The Martlets will have to rebound quickly if they hope to make the playoffs. The loss drops McGill to 3-7 in QUBL play, and the Martlets sit six points back of third-place Concordia with

RACHEL BACHER

The Martlets were doomed from the opening tip.

Second upset not in the cards for hockey Redmen

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Saturday’s game against Ottawa yielded a mixed bag of results for the Martlets. Despite rem aining unbeaten in six games, they squandered many chances in a 5-5 tie against an Ottawa team that trails the Martlets by five points in the standings.

The Gee-Gees’ Sarah Balch beat Kalie Townsend with less than three minutes remaining to set up the draw, after M cGill had taken a 5-4 lead early in the final period o n a goal by Katherine Safka.

Christine H artnoll also starred for the Martlets w ith tw o goals. Next, M cGill heads to Carleton on Saturday to take on the Ravens, who are winless this season in 13 games.

C om ing off a 4 -3 upset o f d efending national cham pion U Q T R , the R edm en hockey squad couldn’t d o it again, falling 3 0 to the Patriotes on Friday.

U Q T R dominated special teams, going 2-5 on the power play while holding the Redmen scoreless on seven McGill man advantages.

G oalie D any Dallaire helped the Patriotes to win, recording 31 saves for the shutout, while Patrice G odin, who also stopped 31 shots, took the loss for the Redmen. McGill remains in third place in the Ontario University Athletics Far East division, one point ahead of idle Concordia, w hich holds a game in hand.

Indoor soccer teams start strongly

Both McGill's m en’s and women's indoor soccer teams kit kei] o ff their season on Saturday, each playing three games on the day T he men fin ished with a 1-1-1 record, losing 1 1 *o Laval, tying Concordia 4-

4, and defeating Rimouski 2 M idfielder Jean-François Lemieux paced the team with tw o goals over the three games, while five other Redmen had a goal each.

T he Martlets went 2-0 1 beating both Ottawa and U Q À M , and settling for a dra ■. with Laval. Danielle D ay has scored three o f the team's font goals, with Sarah Chan tallying the other. Both teams can now take a break after a hard fougln weekend, as the next day o f soc cer action is February 14.

Wrestlers bring back Queen's jewels

T he M cGill wrestling team placed tw o mem bers on the podium at the Queen's University Invitational tourna m ent, held Saturday n Kingston. Hana Askren placed first in the w om en’s 48 kg class, and Caleb N etting took silver 11 the m en’s 72 kg com petitio , Rookie Laurel D unn also had a strong showing in the 53 kg class at her first M cGill tournament

The McGill Tribune, Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Making the grade:

■Adam Klevinas

School and sports can work together t’s that tim e o f year again— I will soon head off to Florida for training camp. T his will be the seventh year in a row in which I have joined the snowirds dow n south for several itense weeks of training for kayak mipetitions.

This year is special, though, )r several reasons. The first, and lost important, is that it is an llympic year, so m y training will elp get me on the path for an spot Athens. It is also special, not to lention annoying, that this is the rst tim e I have experienced diffiulty persuading M cGill that it is ossible for me to leave while multaneously keeping up with ly schoolwork.

Last year, m y first at McGill, I ad to take two trips to Florida in te spring. This was not only cost-, but also mentally tiring, and I ist time I could have spent on the ater. Nonetheless, I was still able i go south and train.

This year is a m uch tougher 11. I have one supportive profesor on board with me, and some thers are willing to co-operate, ut only if the M cG ill administraion gives m e the go-ahead, lowever, they seem to think that is impossible for me to balance ay academic and athletic endeavurs. They don’t realize that acalemics and world-class athletics an co-exist. Their best suggestion vas for me to withdraw for the emester.

I find this approach hypocriti­ cal. Richard Pound was one of anada’s best competitive swimners while attending M cGill in he 1960s, and is now the univer­ ity’s chancellor and chair o f the Vorld A nti-D oping Agency. Ken Tryden was an All-American at ornell University, attended dcGill Law School while playing ;oal for the Canadiens, and has ;one on to write many best-selling looks. Both Pound and Dryden unbraced the challenge o f com >ining school and sports, and suceeded.

My own sport has many of he same success stories. Peter iles, a former Canadian Olympian, graduated w ith a legree in astrophysics from Stanford University while training or the 1996 Summer Games. ?enn C richlow represented Canada at three Olympics, won a old medal at the 1991 World ’anoe/Kayak C ham pionships, and graduated at the top of his lass from Harvard M edical School.

All o f these people share char­ acteristics that allowed them to achieve success academically and

I

in athletics: they are all driven, dis­ ciplined, hard working and ambi­ tious. These are the same traits that have allowed me to achieve my goals thus far, so why won’t M cGill allow me the same oppor­ tunities they had?

Furthermore, according to the Canadian M edical Association Journal, one o f the major factors that influenced Crichlow’s deci­ sion to go to Harvard was the fact that the school didn’t regard his kayaking career as “an inconven­ ient disruption o f his studies.’

W hy can’t our administration see things that way?

T hey fail to realize that my schoolw ork benefits from m y kayaking. The sport taught me the value o f time management, and to always give m y best effort. You need both when you have to wake up at 5:00 am every day o f the week to train, go to school for a full day, and then practice again in the afternoon. Clearly, the work ethic, organization and dedication I learned must spill over to my studies.

I have been asked numerous times, by almost everyone I know, how I am going to manage school w hen I leave for Florida. My answer is, I just do. I don’t know what life is like w ithout academics and athletics going hand in hand.

I am sure that w ithout one, I w ould be lost in the other, so tak­ ing a semester off is not an option.

Moreover, m y athletics are funding my academics, so how is it fair to ask me to withdraw? This is how I am able to pay for school; I don’t work at a real job. M y work­ place is a kayak, a weight room or a track. If I don’t make the nation­ al team, the paycheques stop, and I will have to take out loans, plus get another job.

Since Canadian athletes don’t get paid a lot o f m oney like com ­ petitors from other countries, we have to take on academics and ath­ letics at the same time. Once our athletic careers are over, we need our sch oolin g to find gainful em ploym ent in the future. By attempting to prevent me from training and studying simultane­ ously, M cGill is jeopardizing my ability to support myself financial­ ly down the road.

Recently, Canadians have been complaining about the lack­ lustre performances o f their ath­ letes, but how is an athlete sup­ posed to train and perform well when there are constant distrac­ tions and unnecessary bureaucratic headaches to deal with? Com e on, M cG ill. I m ight be the next Richard Pound. C ut m e som e slack, will ya? ■

19

Sports

Redmen climbing the OUA ranks Continued from page 17

Raymond agrees.

“The guys are getting more comfortable in terms of what they need to do to stay out of trouble, so that we can secure games when we take the lead.’

The bench boss continues to credit the change in systems for the turnaround, but the return of for­ wards Greg LeBlanc and Mathieu Leclerc to the lineup, as well as the lessons learned and the maturity that the team has gained since September, have also helped.

W hile the Redmen presently sit in third place in the division, it is important to remember that this is not because they are neces­ sarily outmatched. A look at the games between division rivals indicates that M cG ill has lost most matches by only one goal— a trend Raymond believes they can buck.

“They’ve all been one-goal games for the most part, he says.

“So even though a lot o f teams have gained distance in terms o f points, I don’t think, on the ice, there is that much o f a difference. ” In the end, the Redmen are overcoming their rough start by skating harder, making passes and improving the efficiency o f their forecheck, while the boost in their energy level is palpable. They are

didn’t feel we were [out of it].”

Someone in the dressing room has turned on the stereo and the room fills with loud rock music, laughs and chatter. It’s not surpris­ ing that the guys are in such high spirits; things are really starting to look up. W ith continued hard work, determination and just the right amount o f luck, the Redmen might soon find themselves singing a happy tune indeed. ■

beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Redmen, in fact, are playing a rather tight game, which makes one optimistic that the new year will bring a muchimproved record, and, perhaps more importantly, a playoff berth.

“We’re still in it, and we’ve been saying that since Christmas­ tim e,” Raymond affirms. “We felt we needed to improve our game and do a lot o f things— we needed to overhaul our team play— but we

TRIB TRIVIA

-subm itted by Jonathan Klein

1. The title "World's greatest all around athlete” is traditionally given to the world champion of what event?

2. What are the only two countries to have won the World Cup of Soccer only once?

3. Who scored the lone goal in the 1998 Olympic hockey semifi­ nal shootout, when the Czech Republic beat Canada?

4. Major League Baseball's Rookie of the Year award is named after the trophy's first recipient, who won it in 1947. Name him.

5. Which three superstar athletes banded together to fight crime in the classic Saturday morning cartoon "Prostars"?

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PEER A D V ISER S W ANTED! The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) and the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), in conjunction with the Student Affairs Office of Arts and Science, are looking for Peer Advisers!

RESPONSIBILITIES

Helping fellow students in decision making, explaining drop/add procedures, referrals to other campus resources, and more. Accepted volunteers are expected to make a commitment for the full academic year, and will receive a letter of recommendation from the Faculty attesting to the services provided.

Successful applicants must have a minimum CGPA of 3.00, be at least a U1 student, be prepared to commit a maximum of 2 hours/week, and attend training sessions in March 2004. Listening skills, the ability to respond in a non-judgmental manner, and compassion for others are also valuable assets.

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Contact Daniel Friedlaender at AUS at: ausaca@po-bot.mcgill.ca or Alexandra Malone of SUS at academic@sus.mcgill.cci.

Applications will be available in the lobby of Dawson Hall as of January 27, 2004.

Completed applications must be submitted to Dawson Hall, Room 1 10, in an envelope labelled "Peer Advising" by March 3.

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