2 Curiosity delivers. Vol. 24 Issue 11
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OPINION: 5 9 ,0 5 4 ,0 8 7 p e o p le can't b e w ron g... can they?
A&E: S o m e think th e Beatles superstars, others supertram ps.
9 16
Tuesday, November 9, 2004
UNIVERSITY
Liberal professors escape to McGill A m e ric a n inte llige n tsia b o o k it to C a n a d a w ith ch ild re n in to w A N D R EW BAUER S President G eorge W . Bush's re-election last Tuesday could be a blessing in disguise for McGill's academic recruitment efforts. Several USbased professors had threatened to head north of the border if Bush were to win, leading to specula tion on the part of some M cG ill administrators that the pool of tal ent may grow this year. "I would not be surprised if certain people got fed up if Bush wins," Dean of Arts John A. Hall said prior to the election. The number of American pro fessors M cG ill hires has risen dra matically each year since 2 0 0 1 . In 2 0 0 0 , 8 .5 per cent of new hires were US citizens. This year,
U
Redmen gallop over Gaiters
22 per cent of incoming profes sors are American. Altogether, 4 7 American professors were hired from 2 0 0 2 to 2 0 0 3 , compared to only 18 from 2 0 0 0 to 2 0 0 1 . News reports have forecast the possibility of an influx of selfproclaimed "political refugees" from the US. As the Toronto-based W a r Resisters Support Campaign says, "The continuing Iraq war probably means that more US war resisters w ill seek refuge in Canada." Michael Kergin, Canadian ambassador to. the US, denied that such mass immigration is tak ing place, however. "W e 've seen no lineups beyond the usual requests for visas
See FEAR, page 2.
m M O H IT ARORA Don't blame the men's rugby team if it woke up Sunday morning, with a sense of déjàvu. Just like last year, the Redmen hosted the Bishop's G aiters in the Q uebec University Rugby League men's final, and entered the match having gone undefeated in the regular season. However, they learned last year that a perfect season tm means nothing if you can't win in the playoffs, when they dropped a heart breaking 16-1 1 decision in the cham
pionship game. But M cG ill avoided repeating history's mistakes as the rug gers pulled off a 5 5 -1 7 triumph to take the provincial crown. "It was very important [to w in]," said Head Coach Sean McCaffrey. “ For one, we've worked hard all year, so w e wanted to end the season off where w e deserved to be. Secondly, if you lose two in a row [in the final] after going undefeated all season, it would really hurt us in the following years Bishop's entered the game deter
mined to play the spoiler for the sec ond straight year. They were aggres sive from the opening kickoff, display ing a collective mean streak and nose for the ball. This intensity helped the Gaiters keep the ball in the M cG ill end early on, and they were reward ed by converting a penalty kick for an early 3-0 lead. But their hell-bent method of attack also proved costly: Bishop's seemed dependent on momentum, as opposed to the even-keeled Redmen.
See page 22
P ro fe s s o r S e n io r o n h is expe rie nc e s in W W I I :
"W e were in Normandy at the time, and w e were still under fire when the residents came out with bread and wine, and cheered us on. W e had just ruined the place, but they did not know that; they thought it was the work of the Germans. So they came out and cheered on the people who had ruined their homes."
T h is W eek in M cG ill A th le tic s - C iS C ham pio nship *
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Tracing trickery
NEWS
Arts exams face more intense scrutiny
Term papers for a fee Is b u yin g yo u r w a y o u t o f th a t p a p e r that h a rd to g e t a w a y w ith?
M EGAN BRIGGS
In an effort to curb cheating, the Faculty of Arts is taking extra steps to monitor students during midterm exams. A new set of regulations for mul tiple-choice midterms requires the use of multiple versions and urges invigila tors to record where students sit. The regulations, approved at a September 2 9 meeting of the university Senate Committee on Student Affairs, are a response to cramped seating in Arts midterms, an issue that poses a threat to academic integrity. Associate Dean of Student Affairs Enrica Quaroni cited a con cern for the inability to take discipli nary action against students suspect ed of cheating during an exam in which no seating plan was in place. Under the exam monitoring system adopted by M cG ill several years ago, when the computer picks up
pairs of exams with unusually similar sets of answers, disciplinary measures are only considered if it can be deter mined that the students were sitting near each other. The new regulations enforce a minimum of two labeled versions of the exam and a front-page note warn ing students that their answers will be subject to computer analysis. They apply to exams comprised of at least 3 0 multiple-choice questions, adminis tered to classes of 3 0 students or more, and strongly suggest a seating record that includes names, signa tures, and ID numbers. The student response is a mixture of appreciation and concern. "Adding more bureaucratic red tape to the time pressure of midterms adds an unnecessary amount of extra stress for students," said Arts Undergraduate Society Vice-President Academic Zach Finkelstein. M any view the new regulations as a necessary change, and hope
YASEMIN EMORY
Arts students will have to sign in that the faculty's stronger stance on cheating could inspire further reform. According to Arts Senator Gonzalo Riva, the time it takes to sign a seating plan is not the main issue—rather, it gives rise to the greater issue of time allocation for the entire exam. "An extra 3 0 seconds won't harm students, but nor w ill it help them," Riva said. "W hat would help students would be to give them an extra 2 0 minutes." ■
DAVE BRODKEY
Buying your way out of an all-nighter.
D AVID M . NATAF Students who turn to Ron Huza for help need bring only three things: a paper topic, a word limit, and their wallets. Huza, 5 1 , supplements his income by writing academic papers for students willing to pay—a short essay goes for $ 1 5 0 . However, it depends on the area of study. "If anyone comes with a Plato paper, I'll charge more," he said. Huza estimated he wrote eight papers for M cG ill students last year, and said he has already written one this year. "It was in political science, first year, very easy paper for me to wrife. [It] was on the M iddle East thing, the fence... [I had to] write about the fence on the point of view of is it moral or not." But Huza is not in the business of writing term papers merely for a prof it—he considers' himself a writing coach. "The teachers of my students never let them know how to write a paper," he said. "W hen I was in Japan I had Japanese students who were more familiar with English than these people who speak English as a first language." Huza considers his efforts success ful when students no longer call upon his services. "The one thing I demand of my students is that we read through the paper together line by line," he said. "W hy doesn't the teacher take any good paper of a student and explain why it's a good paper?" Associate Dean Academic Morton Mendelson disagreed with Huza's assessment. "There are effective communica tion courses offered in the university," he said. "Students have to take respon sibility to make sure they get education that they need." One option is incorporating a writing course as a mandatory part of the general undergraduate curriculum, though Mendelson disputed the need for such a course to be required. "W hy require a writing course for students already able to write?" Mendelson asked, adding that there are all sorts of subjects in which stu dents may benefit from remedial instruc tion. Students who protest the use of
plagiarism-detection W eb sites like Turnitin.com complain that the compa nies running the sites profit from stu dents' intellectual property. Few people have benefited more from Turnitin.com than Huza. Huza used to face stiff competi tion from W e b . sites like Academon.com, which market aca demic papers for purchase. Now, hovA ever, Turnitin.com and similar opera tions have rendered such services more risky. "The students who come to me are afraid of buying a paper online," Huza said. As Huza does not keep a hard copy and deletes the files, students get a virtually original paper. "They have no fear of being caught by the plagiarism police," he said. ’ Huza's experience suggests that the use of plagiarism-detection software may not deter students from using oth ers' work. The extent of plagiarism and cheating among students is difficult to determine, however. "Plagiarism is either not being detected or not a lot of people are doing it," said Renee Darisse, director of Student Advocacy. W hile M cG ill has more than 1 8 ,0 0 0 undergraduate students, Student Advocacy only sees 175 cases a year. The level of academic deceit is also hard to gauge because cheating largely goes unreported. "Research by Daniel M cCabe from Rutgers [and] repeated studies find Engineering and Management students are more likely to report cheating," said Mendelson. A possible factor might be the gender ratios in the faculties. "Males are more likely [to report] than females," he said. "Engineering is about 7 0 per cent male, and Arts about 7 0 per cent female, and [engi neering students'] whole reason for being in school may be different than for people in Arts." Mendelson argued that all the attention Turnitin.com has received has helped increase discussion on academ ic integrity. "I think the fact we had a protract ed discussion about this issue is very important to the university," he said. "People [are] figuring out how we can prevent plagiarism in various ways." ■
STUDENT
NEWS
Fear of losing freedoms spurs mobility University professor found herself on educator blacklist Continued from cover to visit C anada," he said in Ottawa Thursday. Still, political pressures have already convinced several professors to leave better-paying jobs in the US in favour of M cG ill. Chief among them is Islamic Studies professor Rula Abisaab. Abisaab, an American citizen, Yale University graduate and former profes sor at the University of Akron, O hio, never imagined leaving the US until her son began to feel uncomfortable in school owing to his Lebanese back ground. "You had to be on the defensive every time you critiqued the govern ment," she said. "It became quite suf focating." Her experiences led her to the conclusion that she could not raise her children in a country where the main civil institutions are restricted from criti cizing the government. In 2 0 0 2 , Abisaab's name was added to a since-withdrawn blacklist of "terrorist apologists" at Daniel Pipes's w w w .cam pus-w atch.org, a project which, according to its mission state ment, "reviews and critiques M iddle East studies in North America, with an aim to improving them." "I feel ashamed'because I did not deserve [the blacklisting]," Abisaab said. Pipes is Bushs appointee to the US Institute of Peace and the co-author of the International Studies in Higher Education Act, which directs the Secretary of Education to investigate "communities that include speakers of languages that are critical to the national security of the United States," Islamic Studies professor Michelle Hartman also left the US partly for political reasons. She noted that teach ing in any politically sensitive field is becoming more difficult under the pres ent administration and within the cur rent political environment.
"The atmosphere on the campus I was teaching on after September 1 1, 2 0 0 1 , was extremely racist," she said, adding that working in Canada has made her life easier. Nevertheless, Hartman is skepti cal that Bush's win will lead to a dra matic exodus to Canada, citing better academic staff pay at American uni versities. "People talk about leaving the US all the time, but whether that will hap pen [is doubtful]," she said. Todd Zickler, professor of electri cal engineering at Harvard ’University, is one professor who will almost cer tainly remain in the US despite his dis agreement with many government policies. However, he observed that his attitude could change. "Once I have children who reach school age, it will be difficult to stay here," he said. Other professors have shown a greater willingness to emigrate to Canada, though many are reluctant to go on the record for fear of academic ostracism, loss of job security, or green card ineligibility.
For Ray Fisman, an economics professor at Colum bia University, Bush's victory has increased his interest in relocating to Canada. "I'll think a little bit harder about it in light of recent events," he said. "It is a kinder, gentler society." Fisman also said, however, that M c G ill cannot match Columbia's resources. Several professors did mention friends in US academia actively pursu ing jobs in Canada, especially in polit ical fields, while all indicated the pres ent unavailability of well-paying posi tions. But with McGill's drive to hire 100 new professors over the next two years, appointments may become eas ier to acquire for those seeking resi dency outside the US. ■ D avid Sanders o f the W ar Resisters Support Cam paign w ill be speaking at M c G ill on Thursday at 7:30pm in M cC onnell Engineering, room 304. To read the full text o f the International Studies in H igher Education Act, visit www. theorator.com.
the mcgill tribune | 9.1104 | news
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W + Canada = ?
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W h a t d o e s G e o rg e W, Bush's re -e le c tio n p o rte n d fo r C a n a d a ? MAX SHAPIRO
he brief moment of suspense is over and the world has had almost a week to digest the news of George W . Bush's re-election as American President. W hile Democrats continue soul-searching and Republicans reap the rewards
T
Troy also pointed out that had Democratic candidate John Kerry been elected, the potential for cross-border conflict would probably remain since Democrats tend to be more protectionist than Republicans when it comes to economic policy.
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IW O N A LINK
What do X do i f X need to see a lawyer? Where can I get the morning after pill? What the h e ll is a vector? My alarm didn't go off and I slept through a midterm, who do 1have to talk to? My TA 's r e a lly hot, should I sleep w ith him? where can I get a f lu shot? What's up with this sore on my dick? How do I prepare ro a st tu rke y and s tu ffin g ? Aarrgh! I got some jalapend in tny eye! What do I do?MïfftCDd’S683bad trip and ha's twally freaking sut I (fon t knewwfiai to dal x r e a lly th in k I need to see a p s y c h o lo g is t, where can I fin d one? My e x -b o y frie h d .ju s t found Out he's HIV p o s itiv e , where can I get a. te s t done? My p ro f keeps making these r a c is t comments, who can X re p o rt i t to? I fe e l so alone,who can X tu rn to?
Distraught students console themselves by gazing into Jon Stewart's piercing blue eyes, screaming frantically, and downing quality Molson products at Gert s on election night. of their resounding victory, another group of keen election watchers—Canadians —have started ask ing themselves, "So what?" Canadians are wondering what direct impact the American election will have on their own coun try. After several years of chilly relations, most recently related to Canada's decision to not send troops to Iraq as part of the "coalition of the will ing," many are hoping for a fresh start. In his congratulatory phone call to Bush, Prime Minister Paul Martin made light of a number of cross-border irritants, including the continued clo sure of the US border to Canadian beef and the softwood lumber dispute. A touchy issue not dis-
For th e t h in g s you r m other never t o ld you.
M cG ill PhD s'tudent Emily Zitter-Smith of Democrats Abroad Canada was quick to point out that Canadians should remember how divided America is before judging all Americans as rightwing. "As a good little liberal and Democrat, I want Canada to take special note of how close the elec tion was in terms of the popular vote—and the elec toral college, for that matter." She predicts less economic protectionism from the Bush administration, but expects possible con flict over the missile shield issue. "Missile defence is a Republican obsession
"I think the best w ay to put it is, 'm ore o f the same.' Canada is not a priority to the US, but this adm inistration is unlikely to go out o f its w a y to anger C anada."
McGill Nightline. 398-MAIN ListeningHnformation-Referrals 6pm-3am.
^
ATTENTION : FOREIGN STUDENTS
—Political science professor Stephen Saideman cussed is the US desire for Canada to sign on to its controversial plans for a missile defence shield. According to one of the prime minister's spokespeople, Bush has agreed to visit Canada at some point in the future. He has not done so since former Prime Minister Jean Chretien refused to send Canadian troops to Iraq. Stephen Saideman, a political science profes sor and an expert in American foreign policy, does not foresee any major changes in the Canada-US relationship. "I think the best w ay to put it is, 'more of the same,"' he said. "Canada is not a priority to..the US, but this administration is unlikely to go out of its w ay to anger Canada." American history professor G il Troy holds a similar opinion. "I never like to predict the future, but I expect no dramatic changes and a slight improvement in the overall tone, which has improved gradually as memories of Chretien and of the bitter fight about going into Iraq fade," he said.
and has been for 25 years, so I don't know how much is going to change," she said. "Overall, I think what you can expect from the W hite House is more of the same, just in a slightly more conciliato ry tone—maybe a little less smugness, but not much." Although the US electorate was divided, there seems to be an overall consensus that no one should expect a major shift in the tone of CanadaUS relations. As Troy noted, Canada and the US share numerous similarities, despite their differ ences. "I take the view that American-Canadian rela tions from a cultural, economic, and ideological perspective—as two of the few liberal capitalist democracies—fundamentally remain, strong," he said. The first meeting between Martin and Bush is scheduled for later this month at a regional summit in Chile. It will no doubt prove to be an early indi cation of how Canada and the superpower to the south will get along over the next four years. ■
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By 'D ir e c to r : M y r n a " W y a tt S e lk ir k S o u n d D e s ig n : N i c o l a s ‘T h e r n e n C horeography: Joanna D o n eh o w et
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Board rep back SSMU president ca n n o t take over student governor's s e a t says J-Board MIKELIS STEPRANS An attempt to replace the under graduate Board of Governors represen tative with the Students' Society presi dent received a double blow last week. The proposed change is a reac tion to Board restructuring that will elim inate the SSMU president's voice-only seat on January 1 —leaving room for only one SSMU representative. On Thursday the SSMU Judicial Board ruled 2-1 that handing Board of Governors Representative M atthew Howatt's seat to SSMU Vice-President (University Affairs) and acting President Andrew Bryan would violate the SSMU constitution. In their decision, members of the J-Board argued that the president is only responsible for ensuring commu nication between SSMU and the Board, which would not necessarily require attending meetings.
Board are required to take at least 18 credits per year, but most SSMU execu tives lighten their course load to one or two classes per term when they take office. The Board motion argued that as the highest officer of the SSMU, the president would best represent under graduate students. Although he voted for the motion, Howatt said that he did not personally agree with it. "I don't think anyone would dis pute the fact that it's difficult to argue a motion based upon a motion of council that is unconstitutional," he said. Political science professor Sam Noumoff was the only other Board members who voted for the motion. Noumoff worried about patronizing stu dents, saying that students alone have the right to choose a representative who is "transparent and responsible to the student body." Most Board members, however,
Bryan argued that if the president is not allowed to attend Board meetings in their entirety, he w ill no longer be privy to information discussed during confidential sessions.
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FACU LTY OF ARTS M A X W E L L C U M M IN G S L E C T U R E PROFESSOR M A R Y ANN C A W S
City University of New York
“ SURREALISM S T IL L ! W H AT LASTS” Thursday, November 18, 2004/le jeudi 18 novembre 2004 at 5:30 p.m./à 17h30 Redpath Museum Auditorium/Amphithéâtre du Musée Redpath 859 Sherbrooke St. W./859, rue Sherbrooke ouest /
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SEMINAR/CONFÉRENCE : « Mallarmé et Proust, sujets/objets poétiques : ce qui dure » Wednesday, November 17,2004 at 5:00 p.m./ le mercredi 17 novembre 2004 à 17h00 Peterson Hall, Room 204, 3460 McTavish St./ Pavillon Peterson, salle 204, 3460, rue McTavish F o r g en e ra l inform ation, p le a se co n ta ct the D epartm ent o f F rench L anguage & L iterature, 3 9 8 -6883
At the J-Board hearing on October 23, Bryan argued that if the president is not allowed to attend Board meetings in their entirety, he will no longér be privy to information discussed during confidential sessions. The decision, which overturned a motion passed by SSMU council on October 7, came only a few days after the Board voted against a motion that would change current rules ’ to allow SSMU executives to sit on the universi ty's most powerful decision-making body. Student representatives to the
argued against the motion. Governor James W right was concerned about one student having too many represen tative roles, and said those responsibili ties should be delegated. M any mem bers also argued that full-time students make better representatives. Bryan said he was disappointed by the outcome of the Board vote, but is exploring other ways to implement council's original motion. Since SSMU became an accredited organization in 20 03 , he said, the Board may actually have no say over who represents McGill's undergraduate students. ■
NEWS BRIEFS McGill sport scientist passes away Kinesiology and physical educa tion professor David Montgomery, 56, died unexpectedly on Wednesday. Montgomery, a triathlon competitor and former football player at the University of Guelph, suffered an apparent heart attack while jogging near his home in Lancaster, Ont. Montgomery was the first director of the M cG ill Seagrams Sport Science Centre, which is responsible for the physiological testing of many elite ath letes, including the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. His most recent work was in researching the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and the enhancement of ice hockey perform ance through equipment modifications. "One of my fondest memories was the pride he took in moving into the new sport facilities at M cG ill and the tour he gave me... and the wonderful dialogue we had about all the wonder ful new opportunities for research, and the application of which had incredible possibilities in sport, rehabilitation, medicine, and the budding concept of 'wellness,'" said Ian M ac Arthur, a classmate of Montgomery's at Guelph. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to M cG ill University, c / o the Dept, of Physical Education & Kinesiology, 4 7 5 rue des Pins O ., Montreal, Q C , H 2 W 1S4. —AAohit Arora
Flu shots rationed M cG ill will be able to offer less protection from the flu bug this year. A national shortage of vaccinations has led the Ministère de la Santé to reduce the university's supply. Health Services only has enough vaccine to immunize two specific groups of students. Students in the Faculty of Medicine are entitled to a flu shot because they are exposed to germs and bacteria on a daily basis. The other eligible group consists of any stu dent who has a health problem—such as asthma, diabetes, or bronchitis— with potential complications due to the flu. In the past, Health Services has offered flu shots to any interested stu dents. W ith symptoms that can last up to three weeks, the flu is an unpleasant disruption students want to avoid as the December exam period approaches. Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier, director of Health Services, said that students can reduce their chances of catching the flu by exercising common sense. He rec ommended frequent hand-washing, adequate sleep, and a healthy diet. To book a flu shot appointment or for more details as to who is eligible, call Health Services at 39 8-6017. —M a lt Hendy Tired o f w aiting for a gym you p a id for but is still nonexistent? Check out more briefs online at www.mcgilltribune.com
the mcgill tribune j 9 .1104 | news
S P E A K E R S ON C A M P U S
Copps: Reclaiming the F-word
□ Don't forget your breakfast cards!*
Form er D e p u ty Prime M inister talks fem inism □ Hamburger cards JAY PALEJA Former Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps visited M cG ill to ped dle her forthcoming book and discuss the role of women in politics, drawing upon her experience as a member of Parliament from 1 9 8 4 to 2 0 0 4 . W ednesday's lecture, sponsored by the M cG ill Centre for Research and Teaching on W omen and the Women's Alumni Association, was meant to stimulate debate on issues concerning women, recognize their contributions, and encourage full female participation in society. Copps highlighted past female leaders to reflect on the future. The "famous five," w ho travelled to the House of Lords in G reat Britain to demand women be recognized as persons, and Agnes McPhail, the first woman elected to the House of Commons, are role models because they represent what women are capa ble of, Copps said. "N o one gives us power but us," she said. "It is up to us to stamp out stereotypes, it is up to us to give power to the F-word—feminist." Drawing examples from her own political career and making frequent references to her new book, W orth F ighting For (M cC lelland & S tew art/Tundra Books, 2 0 0 4 ), Copps promoted female political par ticipation as a w a y to raise issues that are relevant to women. "There is no other place in the world than politics where you can take an idea and make it in to gover nance," said Copps. "W e are not going to change the world if w e sit on the sidelines." However, a system that favours
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cancer.society@mcgill.ca
Copps: "We are not going to change the world if we sit on the sidelines." men and discourages women from speaking out to initiate change is largely to blame, said Copps. "There are structural patterns of racism, sexism... not just in politics," she said. "[Feminism] is a loaded w o rd... why should w e be ashamed to fight for. ourselves? [W om en] need to be better credit takers..." because men do, and take credit often for things they didn't do." In her book, Copps accuses Prime Minister Paul M artin of trying to abolish the Health Care Act while he
was finance minister. The discussion reached a climax during the question period when a man in the audience asked a contro versial question. "W h y don't women do some thing like cure cancer or make an air plane fly... instead of creating sys tems to take money out of my pock et?" "I'm happy to have your perspec tive," Copps replied, "because it gives us something to fight for when w e wake up in the morning." ■
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Students rem ain uninform ed a fte r w eek-long ca m p a ig n V The Students' Society's "Reclaim Your Campus W eek" aimed to pro mote awareness of student issues, but the jury is still out on whether that goal was achieved. The four-day event was comprised of a series of informative workshops, round-table discussions, and videos about campus issues. The topics addressed were a recent $ 103-million provincial government cut to financial aid, possible deregulation of interna tional tuition, M cG ill professors' use of the plagiarism-detection W eb site turnitin.com , and corporatization of McGill's cafeterias. SSMU Vice-President (Community and Government) Daniel Friedlaender, who headed the plans for "Reclaim Your Campus," said he had three goals in mind—to inform and educate the stu dent body, to build up to the November 10 province-wide protests against cuts to financial aid, and to bring important issues to a broader audience. Tomorrow's protests are being organized by la Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, a provincial lobby group of which SSMU is a mem ber. SSMU will have two separate meeting times at the Roddick Gates—
7am to 4:30pm 8am to 4:30pm 8am to 3pm
C a n c e r S u p p o r t G ro u p s
NEWS
GENEVIEVE JENKINS
Weekdays Weekends Holidays
2:30pm and 4 :0 0 p m —to accommo date students who have exams or assignments due during the day. The catchphrase of the week was "Be informed, be heard," but some stu dents were neither. John Christopoulos, U3 History, did not even know about
worked with the Post-Graduate Students' Society, as well as interna tional student groups. "Such an interesting grouping," he said, "allowed us to take the mes sage to as many people as possible." Catherine Oakleaf, U2 English,
STUDENTWEB.TUIANE.EDU
the themed week. "I guess I'm not generally informed," he said, "but I would defi nitely be interested by the tuition issues—not really the cafeterias." All of the events had good turnout and the week was generally successful, according to Friedlaender. However, he acknowledged that some students were unaware of M cG ill goings-on, and said he hoped that "Reclaim Your Campus W eek" could inform some of them. He estimated that the information party, which culminated with a general protest on Thursday outside campus administrative buildings, spread the message to more than 3 0 0 students. Overall, he said, the week was successful in part because SSMU
attributed M cG ill students' apparent apathy to their busy schedules. "The timing for this thing was not great and they probably would have gotten a better turnout at a less insane time of year," she said. "It would have been better to advertise and work up to this week for a while before—if that happened, I didn't know about it." Although much of M cG ill appears to be in the dark about issues such as tuition, cafeteria ownership, and turnitin.com , SSMU plans, to bring littleknown information to light, Friedlaender said. "It is our campus and we need to remember that," he said. "Sometimes w e forget that we are the life-blood of the university." ■
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6
news | 9.11.04 | the mcgilt tribune
C A M P U S NE WS
A tale of two daycares
CKUT
Elections, departmentand committee reports, proposed by-law changes
Annual General Meeting
S pace issues continue to haunt McGill childcare services CASEY REYNOLDS
By-law consultation, November 15, 2004 Pharmacie Esperanza 7-9pm 5490 St-Laurent (corner St-Viateur) bylaws@ckut.ca
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Recent weeks have not been easy for daycare services at M cG ill. The Early Child Care Centre came under allegations of preferential treatment, while the Students' Society Daycare experienced a funding cut that sur prised parents. Both non-profit daycares cost roughly seven dollars a day per child ana are among the few options in the downtown area. ECCC, which offers 106 spaces at their rue Peel facility and 5 0 more in home childcare settings, has come under fire from a faculty member. At a recent Senate meeting, Professor Sam Noumoff alleged that the daycare is being used as a tool to lure professors as part of a renewed faculty recruit ment drive. He suggested that faculty children were being permitted to jump a lengthy admissions queue.
"That allegation is fortunately false," said ECCC Director Lawrence Depoe. The facility has a first come, first served policy, he said, adding that there is roughly the same number of children belonging to M cG ill employ ees, professors, and students. Approximately 4 0 0 children are on a waiting list, but Depoe pointed out that the centre lacks government permission to care for more children. "Daycare as a whole is underserved in the downtown area," he said. Anthony Di Carlo, SSMU vicepresident operations, said that more spaces are needed for the children of students, in particular. The SSMU daycare, located in the Brown building, has 32 spots. Since its inception, it has been negoti ating to sign a lease with the adminis tration, but has met with little success.
Di Carlo said the administration is try ing to push student-run facilities out. Plans for a playground have been put on hold as SSMU waits for a lease or searches for a new location. SSMU recently eliminated a three dollar per semester student fee after the daycare received a significant government sub sidy. "N o cuts are being made to qual ity," Di Carlo said. As with the ECCC, one-third of the SSMU Daycare's spots go to the children of faculty members, but twothirds are provided to students. Daycare Coordinator Cynthia Deszo stressed the high quality of the SSMU Daycare but admitted to worrying about the SSMU decision to withdraw its funding starting next year. Both directors agreed that overall, the dow ntow n area surrounding M cG ill is in great need of more child care services. ■
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NEWS
Dawson students consider accreditation C ontrol over student union's funds a p o in t for concern
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XIAN G GU Dawson College's student union is seeking accreditation, a process by which the organization will gain legal recognition and autonomy. However, while advocates say accreditation will give more leverage to the student government, some stu dents fear that the situation might become worse. The Dawson Student Union presently has a co-management agreement with the administration, allowing them some control over funds and budgets. The college is operating under a joint treasury board com posed of both student and administra tion representatives. "Accreditation is an evolution," said DSU President Ashley Sivil. Despite her enthusiasm, Sivil said that the process should be examined carefully before implementation. Ethan Cox, chair of an ad-hoc committee to study accreditation, agreed that accreditation would bene fit the student body. Having spoken to members of accredited student organi zations, C ox said he has seen mostly positive outcomes. Accreditation will give DSU more control over its money, he said. "Like our lawyer, w ho has
SSMU
worked with many student unions, said, 'This is the best thing that's ever going to happen to you guys,"' Cox said. Accreditation entails a certain amount of risk, however. "W hen students' activities are dis cussed, [the administration] cannot spend anything without our approval," said W olde. "After accreditation... w e might n.ot control their portion anymore. The advantage would be to be able to manage the union part inde pendently. " Dan Kramer, a member of the executive council, said the change is not necessarily for the better. "Personally, I'm against it," he said. "W ith the system of co-management that w e have now, I don't feel that our power is restricted. The system works." W old e is also concerned that accreditation w ill mean that all direc tors must be over the age of 1 8. Since most students at Dawson, a CEGEP near rue Atwater, are between 16 a n d l 8 years old, those under 18 will not have access to certain positions within DSU. Nevertheless, Cox pointed out possible flaws of' the co-management entente. In 2 0 0 1 , for instance, DSU decided to send buses to Quebec City for a protest, but the administration
refused to sign the cheques for bus rentals. Jeffrey Barnes, DSU president at the time and a current M cG ill student, said that DSU's powers are somewhat limited. "The problem is that, for every financial decision you make, you have to go through the administration, and only [it] has access to the bank account," he said. Another obstacle to accreditation is the enormous amount of student involvement required. Twenty-five per cent of students must vote in favour of accreditation for it to be approved. However, voter turnout for Dawson College elections is a mere four per cent, casting doubt as to whether any result would be representative of the entire student body. Accreditation remains a real pos sibility, supported by the president of the Dawson Teachers' Union as well as the majority of DSU executives. The administration has left it for students to decide. In a letter to DSU, Director of Student Services Ray Boucher stated, "The administration of the college does not oppose the accreditation." Some students remain hesitant. "I would be careful with what w e're doing," W old e said. "The lega cy w e are going to leave will affect the future union." ■
BRIEFS B a llo ts a t B u rn sid e
A Science Undergraduate Society fee increase for parttime students was approved and Sana Tauqeer won the Freshman Undergraduate Students' Society presidency in an election last week. SUS Vice-President Communications Lopamundra Das said the fee increase was essential. "The main point was w e couldn't get equivalent contri butions from full-time and part-time students, and now we have a bit more money," she said. Das also cited constitutional concerns as a reason for the fee. "Our constitution says part-time students should pay half and they haven't been. [It] would have been a point of con tention if they hadn't changed in the future," she said. Science students supported the fee increase for part-
time undergraduates by a margin of 73 to 22 per cent. The total turnout among Science students was 2 2 .7 per cent. A total of 140 UO Science students cast ballots for FUSS president. Sana Tauqeer came in first with 6 7 votes and 4 5 .3 per cent of the vote. Amos O dero received 6 0 votes and 4 0 .5 per cent support. The remaining ballots were spoiled. Tauqeer, who plans to study Anatomy and Cell Biology, said she w ill work on freshman participation and awareness. "I want to get more student involvement [and] have more freshmen undergraduate students take advantage of all the services that are offered to them." Joining Tauqeer as FUSS representatives will be VicePresident Finance Constante North and Vice-President Administration Aasit Thakker. —David M . N a ta f
the mcgill tribune | 9.11.04 | news
ANGLES
M c G ill
Musings on a tost ele ctio n
The Department of Jewish Studies
REBECCA CRABER
"Congratulations, A4r. President." —John Kerry, conceding to G eorge W. Bush, 3 Novem ber 2 0 0 4 , I 1:00am EST t's over. Two hundred eightysix electoral votes to 2 5 2 . Fifty-one per cent to 4 8 per cent, with 6 0 per cent voter turnout. This is as decisive as it gets in American politics. George W . Bush has been elected president of the United States. I think I knew the election would turn out this way, Despite (or perhaps because of) all the mobilization and politicking, the vitriol from both sides, the shout ing and smugness, of which I, too, am guilty—perhaps this out come was inevitable. The peo ple have spoken. This August I visited my hometown of N e w York to protest at the Republican National Convention, at which Bush was appointed the official Republican nominee. I wore a homemade shirt proclaiming my homemade slogan, and banged my drum to the foot steps of the hundreds of thou sands who had taken to the streets. At the convention's head quarters, I was slightly surprised to see a screen, one or two sto ries high, projecting Fox News. A Fox News banner hung next to Madison Square Garden, and a blinking sign thanked N e w York for welcoming the Republicans. As the street frothed with angry Americans, Fox News showed how each convention representative was staying fit with the MSG's gym facilities.
I
There are many reasons to vote for Bush, very few of which seem sufficient to me. But then, I'd rather see religious institu tions decide marriages than the state. I believe in the right to choose. I think the public is geF ting shafted by tax cuts. I think the President misunderstands the concept of peace. I fear media censorship. I shudder to see stem-cell research suspended to appease the Christian far-right. I can see Bush's appeal. Ffe's am iable, devout. W ith much of the American media regurgitating the party line, he seems straightforward. Exit polls show that among voters who ranked values as the primary factor in their decision, Bush did the best—because he proclaims to represent the values of middle America. Yet when on W ednesday the President pledged to bring the country back toward "family values," those were not the val ues of my family. To paraphrase Jon Stewart, apparently the city most affected by the September 1 1 attacks doesn't want to be safe. N o r do I think the President's values represent those of Americans as a whole. He has appealed to a fear of the "other"—be they elites or Arabs—and capitalized on this fear to consolidate his power. Kerry couldn't compete. So the question remains. W h o do w e blame: the trickster, or the duped? ■
■
stablished in 2000 by Mr. and Mrs. Josef Glasrot, survivors of the Holocaust and residents of Montreal. Open to any student at McGill University, the award is presented for excellence in research in Holocaust and related studies, and particularly on the history of the ghettos of Warsaw and Kovno (Kaunas). Essays prepared in any course or independent research may be considered. The award is administered by the Department of Jewish Studies in cooperation with the Jewish Community Foundation. The award will be presented during the Closing Exercises of the Department of Jewish Studies in June, 2005. The value of the Blacher and Glasrot Families Memorial Award is $1000.
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• The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at McGill University. • Students m ust submit 2 typed cop ies of their e ssa y s together with full contact information. • E ssays can be based on primary or secondary materials and work in all related disciplines will be considered. • Essay su bm ission s m ust reach the Department of Jewish Studies Office, 3438 McTavish Street, no later than April 13, 2005.
EU-CanadaYoung Journalist Award Students are invited to enter by February 11,2005
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A 3 1 -year-old C a na dia n man scrambled naked, climbed over a barbed wire fence at Los Angeles International Airport, and climbed into a moving Qantas Airlines Boeing 747's wheel well t>| * after a irline refused to issue him a ticket to Melbourne in exchange for a credit card receipt. • W»Jf, w ill ptfjpsf The UK-based Times Higher Education Supplement has Site * ranked M cG ill in its list of 25 top universities around the ‘ At •* world. • A tanker crashed on a N e w York state highway ‘•Î» ' . ‘ Thursday, spilling 4 5 ,0 0 0 pounds of liquid chocolate on the asphalt, a bridge) and a nearby car. • Here's some "H eN ew thing w e bet you didn't know—the 2 0 0 4 W orld Toilet Summit will begin on November 17 and end on W orld Toilet Day, November 19. The W orld Toilet organization is a Singapore-based group that aims tc promote: toilet eti 4«iU‘ quette. If you don't believe us, check out; sly <»>!»avci w w w .w orldtoilet.org • A Beijing man has paid $ 2 1 5 ,0 0 0 for a lucky cell phone number. • Verizon's 41 1 information b x k r *h k line is being trained to understand the Boston accent. In the W ail past, callers have had to w a it for a live operator because the system could not understand what they were asking : tlNe oil p*» for. • High-profile Australian business mogul Dick Smith has taken a stand for homegrown porn, saying that *•* rvM K • unless Australia is prepared to invest money into localKrJui'C -..W sly-produced porn, Australians will be at the mercy of u « je u fe f h im the US and Swedish porn industries. • A $ 5 0 0 0 “ II»- *4 » iUÜ * i«l» reward is being offered by Sun Youth (514-393: r n leading to the arrest of the rue Docteur Penfield muggers.
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W in a trip to E u ro p e For further information about the Young Journalist Award Contact: (613 ) 238 - 6464 info@eucanyja.ca www.eucanyja.ca
7
opinion
[think factory
C anadians have q u e stio n a b le leaders to o
^editorial
MOH1T ARORA
Knowledge should be shared "If you can't return a favour, pass it on." —Louise Brown
he ideal university environment is not only one in which all students are excited about learning, but also one where, instead of maintaining the kind of counter-productive competitive attitude that is so infamous in Ivy League schools, students help each other and learn from each other. If students enjoy studying and care about the material, they will talk about the subject with other students in order to gain dif ferent viewpoints and enhance their understand ing, instead of merely worrying over a competitive edge. Unfortunately, though, this ideal is rarely achieved, as the obsession over grades often puts genuine interest on the sidelines. University, especially at the undergraduate level, has become so common that people often go because they feel they must, not because they really want to. It is no longer an elite undertaking, and, however commendable that development may be, it means that students just do not care as much as they used to. Studying is all too often a chore, not an interesting and exciting endeavour. Everyone knows what it feels like to be under pressure for an upcoming exam, of which you may not have properly prepared. For whatever reason,
T
Students should look at McGill as a place where we can learn as much from each other as we can from our professors.
you have not been able to stay up to date with the reading and your grade is contingent on someone else's charity. That someone is the person who has attended class, done the readings, has a thick stack of notes, and is selfless enough to provide this information to his fellow man. These rare indi viduals clearly understand one of the most funda mental aspects of learning: the act of sharing knowledge—a notion that has divided the campus as w e steadily forget the meaning of higher edu cation.
A particularly non-selective admissions office—the Arts faculty accepted over 5 0 per cent of its applicants this year—has created a decided ly apathetic setting, where our knqck for depend ence has increased as a result. For those of us who do care about what w e do here, working in this kind of environment can be exasperating. Study groups are wonderful things, but only if everyone involved is serious about the task. Giving notes to someone who missed a few classes is fine, but if he misses more than half of the classes and then wants all the notes for the final, it's easy to feel a bit used. W e also tend to forget how much access we have to one amazing resource M cG ill owns. It is depressing to see how little students take advan tage of our professors. People who have devoted their lives to studying and understanding important topics are left sitting lonely and bored during their office hours. Moreover, students often complain of professors who go off on tangents or give their own particular views about issues instead of basic, fact-by-fact introductory explanations. But those tangents are exactly where our professors shine. W e are not paying thousands of dollars a year to learn in a classroom what w e could find out with a library card, but for the knowledge of the professors themselves. It is easy to lose sight of why w e are here in the first place and unfortunate to see how many see university as merely a means to an end. But it is much more than that. Students should look at M cG ill as a place where we can learn as much from each other as w e can from our professors. W hen you are in the position to help your fellow students by sharing what you know, take every opportunity to do so. W e are all driven to succeed and it is easy to be protective of the information you have, but remember that no matter how hard you try, another person's ability to fail or succeed in school will bear no effect on your own. It is not a matter of quid pro quo; it is a matter of setting a precedent that w ill be upheld and perpetuated by the student society, something in which w e should all be actively participating. ■
any Americans are beside themselves these days with the reelec tion of G eorge W . Bush. But if it's any consolation, the US is not the only country to vote suspect individuals into office. Last week, John Hill, Richmonds Royal Canadian Legion vice-presi dent requested that his MP, André Bellavance of the Bloc Québécois, pro vide Canadian flags for Thursday's Remembrance Day ceremonies, but his request was denied. The new kid on the Bloc claims that handing out flags bearing the M aple Leaf goes against the party's separatist agenda. The incident has predictably sparked outrage across the country and brought the ugly divide that exists in this country yet again into the spotlight. But while the sovereignty debate certainly ruffles the feathers of many Canadians, it is not the central issue here. This is about respect, or lack thereof, by an elected official towards his constituents and towards his country. Bellavance is a separatist, fine. The Bloc's main priority is sover eignly, fine. I may not agree with the separatist movement, but I have no choice but to respect it as a party platform the w ay I would treat any issue that the Liberals, Conservatives, or NDP champion just the same. The fact is that Bellavance is a member of Canadian Parliament. He and his colleagues sit in with the rest of Canada's leaders, make decisions that affect the country, and receive their paycheques with the flag in the corner. As a member of this ’country's government, Bellavance, or any other MP, is required to represent everyone in his riding equally, whether they voted for him or not. It is unacceptable to put his party's ideologies ahead of his actual responsibilities in office. M ore important, and more outrageous, is that Bellavance did not just snub anybody, but w ar veterans looking to honour their fellow soldiers. These men and women did not fight in the name of Upper C anada or Anglophones. They fought for the rights and freedoms of all Canadians, even those who do not wish to be part of this country. Bellavance and the rest of the Bloc apparently have forgotten that they, too, live under the blan ket of security that these soldiers have provided us all. To deny the Legion flags for Remembrance Day is to bite the hand that has fed them. Now, it is the politicians' turn to fight for the rights and freedoms of their con stituents, and they are failing miserably. The lack of proper representation runs rampant in "responsible" gov ernments such as Canada, where MPs are expected to vote along party lines. Backbenchers and other unimportant politicians sometimes feel the need to stand up and let themselves be heard no matter how stupid their words or actions are. By no means does resident tool Carolyn Parrish speak for everyone in her Mississauga, Ontario, riding when she belts out asinine anti-American remarks. Svend Robinson's ridiculous defence in reaction to his swiping expensive jewelry is of utmost stupidity in that he actually believed his constituents could forgive him because of his long tenure in O ttaw a. Most Canadians obviously do not condone these partic ular instances, which are only the tip of the iceberg as far as idiotic politi cians go. O ne would think that there are separatists out there who feel Bellavance's actions do not represent them well and that there is a time and a place to make such declarations. Hopefully, MPs will not continue to for get the duties that they have to all Canadians, despite their personal polit ical views. The backlash to this ugly incident should be aimed squarely at Bellavance and those in his party that have supported him, not the ones who have no voice in Parliament. ■
M
Barbie: the true gender infidel LARA BEKHAZI his lump of plastic, molded into a Playboy centerfold, with perfectly scaled 36-24-36 dimensions, is the root of our deepest body-image insecurities. W e wonder with genuine curiosity when and why teens and young adults became so selfconscious, so preoccupied with the w ay they look. W e write books, train doctors, and organize seminars on how to deal with various dietar^related illnesses with which we are all too familiar. N o one stops to think of the origins of our current mess, no one thinks back a little earlier, when these starved, frail, human shad ows were still little girls playing with their Barbies. It should be a crime to allow such young, impressionable minds to bear witness
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Women living in slightly more sexually democratic surroundings should not be fooled into thinking that the quest for equality is any less elusive than ever. to such an untruthful, inappropriate representation of women. W e shield our daughters from the harsh realities of our world. W e try to protect them by keeping them in sheltered, unexposed environ ments, encouraging them to play with dolls and Easy-Bake ovens. This is the society working towards gender neutrality? These are the mothers raising future empowered, free-thinking feminists?
Oppression does not reside exclusively in the isolated, farreaching corners of the world where women are made to wear shadors and hijabs. It is not a condition only affecting those in war-torn countries, where crimes against women are part of the daily regime. Women living in slightly more sexually democratic surroundings should not be fooled into thinking that the quest for equality is any less elusive than it ever was. Oppression exists, as it always did, right here. It has not gone anywhere. O nly now it is packaged as a blonde, fashion-conscious, smiling Barbie. (Available as a brunette, Native, or African-American according to customer demands.) Cosmo. This magazine suffices as the proud representative of a "feminist" sub-culture that is being created beneath our noses. The tables have turned. W e are no longer fighting social dictator ships or repressive men. W e are now up against a far more deceptive, intelligent enemy: ourselves. Probing the feminist irony, how do we distinguish between our array of choices and our right to choose? W hen is a particu lar decision unfitting, regardless of how freely it has been made? Perhaps there are limits, set by us this time, to what choices a "selfempowered" woman can make. Must we be represented by a capable, successful woman in a business suit, in contrast to one wearing an apron? Can the very image we fought to break free from now morph into one demanding equal respect simply
because it has been independently decided upon? Women are omnipresent throughout the entertainment indus try, yet we are constantly degraded in the most subtle and blatant ways. MTV alone is enough to bring to mind the sexual exploita tion I am referring to. Women are fully consenting participants; not coerced in any way, yet accepting to be depicted as sex objects more scandalous than ever before. Are these Barbies the new face of feminism simply because they made their own deci sions, in the name of sexual liberation (or a hefty paycheque?) In the States, female voters make up 53 per cent of the elec torate. Perhaps electing a "pro-women" anti-abortion president was their w ay of saying that it was okay for the likes of George W . Bush—someone who has no inkling of what it feels like to be a woman—to contemplate whether we should be allowed to ter minate an unwanted pregnancy. N o w that's what I call sexual lib eration. The prevailing sentiment among women is confusion, giving rise to a state of paralysis. W e are floundering in a sea of inde cision, of contradictions, of Barbie-ism. W e are still merely flirting with equality, too scared to stand up and demand it outright, hop ing someone, somewhere is going to hold the door open for us. W e must reclaim our movement and our philosophy, settling our inner struggle, before progress beyond Barbie can truly be hoped for. ■
the mcgill tribune | 9.11.04 | opinion
The
McGill Tribune Curiosity delivers. Editor- in-C hief
Natalie Fletcher editor@tribune.mcgill.ca M anaging Editors
Katherine Fusler James Scarfone seniored@tribune.mcgill.ca N ews Editors
Jennifer Jett Laura Saba Lisa Varano tribnews@tribune.mcgill.ca Features Editors
Liz Allemang Brody Brown features@tribune.mcgill.ca A&E Editors
Daniel Chodos Lise Treutler arts@tribune.mcgilt.ca Sports Edtors
9
Deconstructing the facade
How can 5 9 0 5 4 0 8 7 people be so dumb? brett. schrewe@mai I.mcgi ll.ca aw ay with the top spot at the table. Opposition or support for the American agenda has been the bluff concealing self-interest ed geopolitical maneuvering identical to the American version of using Iraqi freedom to obscure its strategic oil sequestration. The FrenchGerman motor of the EU, for one, has not served as a fount of nuanced opposition and objective critique, but instead has used events to advocate for its leadership of and for the superiority of the supranational structure of N e w Europe. As the political flows from the intimately per sonal, at the heart of these actions is what w e as humans want most—to be comfortable, to be rec ognized, to be valued, and to be understood. W hen this quartet is not honoured, w e respond in kind to the forces that disrespect these universal maxima. Therefore, this is a dangerous time for the world, less for the conservative agenda put forth by the second Bush administration than the discontent smouldering across the world about the decision to bring him back. The reality of the times is that the American agenda supercedes the multinational structures built over the last 6 0 years; unfortunately, at this point, most of those affected by it have no say in how it treats them. W h a t is frightening about this lack of representation is the willingness of the dis enfranchised to reinforce growing divisions and to stop the dialogue with the one who started all of
ith those words, the London D aily M irror's post-election headline is making its own headlines across the world. A swing of 1 8 electoral votes is all that stood in the w ay of John Kerry unseating George W . Bush for the political version of the World's Strongest M an competition. So heartbreakingly close to winning, the global resentment towards the American elec torate is palpable, dismissive, and downright angry. The first Bush victory was interpreted as a symbolic hijacking of the presidential motorcade; the second is being billed as confirmation that the electorate behind the wheel of the global political engine has forgotten how to drive. W ith 1 15 mil lion pen strokes, the sympathetic separation of the American people from the actions of American leaders by the global community has been blacked out more deeply than the information in the Pentagon Papers. However, the last three years of growing uni lateralism—a reinterpretation of the traditional iso lationism held by the Americans until after W orld W a r II— has not been a one-horse show. Ironically, while w e sarcastically throw around the term “coalition of the willing,” in a way, the entire world is eating at the trough. The political W orld Series of Poker brought on by America p o s t-9 /1 1 has been gladly played by other cardholders, not with the desire for a friendly game but to walk
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this. To respond with animosity and to caricaturize the American people and their leaders is tanta mount to giving into the system of fear that guided the results of this election. It is in the same vein of thinking that guided the Cold W ar, where the refusal of Soviet and American leaders to search for common ground and to listen genuinely to the desires of the other threatened the world with nuclear annihilation. Violence begets violence; however, the form is often more subtle than an eye for an eye. The battlefields of w ar are born in actions as innocu ous as refusing to engage respectfully with those with whom w e disagree on the deepest levels. If a lasting peace is the true desire of governments and the people whom they represent, we are once again left with a choice. Either we continue to pursue an uneasy stalemate through divisive ness and insults, or w e recognize that the w ay to universal equality and liberty is to walk a prophet ic path and to listen with respect and tolerance even as our blood boils with frustration. The next four years offer a unique opportuni ty for the beginnings of systemic change born at the level of the local. As Lao-tzu so well put it, "If there is to be peace in the w orld... there must be peace in the heart." Instead of lumping them into a faceless mob, w e are better served by seeking to understand why 5 9 ,0 5 4 ,0 8 7 different individ uals voted the w ay they did. ■
Radically respectable
Mohit Arora Andrew Segal sports@tribune.mcgill.ca
English, Dubya, and my w hich/that problem
Photo EDmoRS
Vasemin Emory Iwona Link photo@tribune.mcgill.ca
KIM D 'S O U Z A
kim.dsouza@mail. mcgill. ca have been a stickler for the correctness of the English language for as long as I can remem ber. However, although I thoroughly enjoyed Lynne Truss's suddenly ubiquitous book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: the zero tolerance approach to punctua tion (Gotham, 2 0 04 ), my attentions are rather focused towards the careful and proper use of words. N o w I do sympathize with people with romanticist leanings who like to use language more freely. But w e face four more years of George W . Bush, and despite his many other admirable qualities, Bush is no friend of the English language—take for example the mini economy spawned by the word "misunderestimat-
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ed." In any case, my pickiness should not be news to readers of this column, on whom I have already inflicted a 5 0 0 w o rd rant about the word "tolerance.” M y attention to words relates closely to my reasons for loving the English language; although I agree that most languages are beauti ful in their own right, I fail to understand how a n y one could fail to love a language with a vocabu lary that affords the speaker as much flexibility and subtlety as English does.
These two virtues of English are illustrated by a marvellous anecdote about British novelist Evelyn Waugh's 1958 trip to East Africa. W augh found himself unexpectedly being asked to address the students of a secretarial school. W augh was less than excited about the idea, but the teacher wasted no time in introduc ing him: "Mr. W augh is a great writer from England. He will tell you how to be great writers." As W augh recalled, "'W e ll,' I said. 'W ell. I have spent 5 4 years trying to learn English and I still find I have recourse to the dictionary almost every day. English,' I said, warming a little to my subject, 'is incomparably the richest language in the world. There are two or three quite distinct words to express every concept and each has a subtle difference of nuance.' "This was clearly not what was required. Consternation was plainly written on all the faces of the aspiring clerks who had greeted me with so broad a welcome. '"W h a t Mr. W aug h means,' said the teacher, 'is that English is very simple really. You will not learn all the words. You can make your meaning clear if you know a few of them. "The students brightened a little. I left it at
that." Although I agree that it is a great asset for a language to be flexible, I share W augh's premium on subtlety. The exhilaratiorT of subtleties is why, during a recent conversation with a professor, I made several mental notes to look into the "w hich/that problem," an affliction my professor had discovered as a graduate student. I have been galvanized into action—this column being the result— by the realization that I have often failed to use properly "which clauses," set off by commas, to indicate ideas that are not essential to the meaning of my sentence. W h y is that at all important? W hile I would n't go so far as to say, as British philosopher Roger Scruton does, that anyone w ho does not know the difference between the subject and the predicate lacks metaphysical awareness, I think the subtlety of the English language, used carefully, magnifi cently captures the shades of colour and contours of meaning of the human condition. W e must be resolved to use the English language carefully to retain its capacity for meaning. Sticklers of the Anglophone world, we must unite. W e must fight. And though w e are misunderestimated, w e shall prevail. ■
C ollaborators Miriam Aronowicz, Bryan Badali, Dave Barber, Andrew Bauer, Narvan Bouzari, Hillary Brenhouse, Megan Briggs, Dave Brodkey, Kim D'Souza, Vladimir Eremin, Patrick Fok, Angela Giannotti, Joseph Gilgoff, Rebecca Graber, Xiang Gu, Matt Hendy, Allison Holden, Dany Horovitz, Genevieve Jenkins, Leora Katz, Rebecca Lazan, Ben Lemieux, Melanie Macdonald, Cristina Markham, Melissa Miller, David M . Nataf, Jay Paleja, Sid Pharasi, Melissa Price, Casey Reynolds, Scott Sameroff, Noah Scheinman, Brett Schrewe, Clara Schwarz, M ax Shapiro, Julia Shonfield, Elisha Siegel, Mikelis Steprans T ribune O ffices Editorial. Shatner University Centre, Suite 110, 3480 McTavish, Montreal QC Tel: 514.398.6789 Fax. 514.398.1750 Advertising. Brown Student Building, Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish, Montreal QC H3A 1Y2 Tel. 514.398.6806 Fax. 514.398.7490
From the heartland I could not agree more with Kim D'Souza that there is nothing similar between gay unions and interracial unions with regard to the title marriage ("Same-sex marriage isn't the new interracial mar ria g e "—2 6 .1 0 .0 4 ). Proposing to "re define" marriage to make it more inclusive is a ridiculous proposition. Depending on the nature of the proposed redefinition, it could also prove detrimental to the well-being of the proposing society. Sexual relations of a heterosexual nature have immediate biological conse quences for societies. This is of both eco nomic and social interest to societies. More important, the infrastructure for the introduc tion of people into society is families. Therefore, it makes sense for societies to rec ognize the source of their origin and contin ued existence, and somehow enshrine it into law. By contrast, homosexual relationships
The M cG ill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' & Thrust and Reaction Engine must include contributors name, program and year, and
^ T o p ^ n S ^ ^
are not fecund, and regardless of the effect the pleasure or unitive power would have on their participants, they would constitute an anomaly if enshrined into law. Not all types of relationships need recognition under the law. The law does not and should not take stands on individual choices that do not affect society as a whole, and rightly so. Hence, homosexual sexual relations exist outside the realm of litigation, as they are purely personal choices. And so should they remain, until maybe the next evolutionary stage? —Paul R. Jones, B.Sc. '0 2
need not be wasting what precious print space he has with more babbling of some self-assured bourgeois brat. If the issue is so close to Morriss's heart, how did he end up in Canada, so far up out of the way? He wants to play the role of zealot in exile? Then why doesn't he take advantage of the freedom and space made available to him and question why the regime in which he's found (existential) sanc tuary is still bothering to pay recognition to the one whose ethical and cultural fallout he's taken shelter from? —Chris M oore, U3 Political Science
Sour grapes are yummy The only content of "Swift kick" (Personal sound bites on a looming elec tion— 1 1.02.04) that Jeremy Morris should be getting is one aimed directly at his gonads. There's enough else going on in this world, and even Montreal itself, that he
Male fantasies make the world go round Julie Peters writes that there is a correla tion between the rise of male heroic military epics in Hollywood and the foreign policy
See next page.
ay ^m cH to o p e d Æ ^ _ Triuune reserves the right to edit all contributions Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board.
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10 opinion | 9.11.04 j the mcgill tribune
The Dose
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Keeping pace With the Chicken Little ELISHA SIEGEL
McGill's ecological footprint A LLISO N H O L D E N _______ cological footprint is a measure that was developed to help us grasp the environmental impact of first world cul tures. W illiam Reese of Green Building Challenge 1998, described the ecological footprint of a population or person “as the area o f land and water required to produce the resources consumed and to assimilate the wastes generated by that population on a continuous basis." I tried out the eco-footprint calculator available on the Mountain Equipment C o op W e b site (w w w .m ec.ca), which is based on food, transportation, .and hous ing. I was pretty confident I would come up as a model citizen as I live in a tiny apart ment, ride my bike everywhere, do not own a car, and make most of my meals at home. You can imagine my horror when the truth was revealed —it w ould require 3 .7 5 Earths to support the present human popula tion if each member of that population pro duced and consumed as much as I do. It only gets worse when you incorpo rate in the fact that the footprint calculation ignores the impact of the other buildings we occupy on a daily basis. After all, most of us do spend more time in M cG ill buildings than in our tiny, efficient apartments. To reduce the ecological footprint of our university M cG ill needs to apply green building practices to our existing and pro posed buildings. M cG ill is in the midst o f a building boom, [yçt it] has not committed to building a green building. Student involvement has always been key to producing decisive action at M cG ill. Its time w e stopped talking about reducing the ecological footprint of our campus, and actually did.
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Allison Holden is a M 2 Architecture stu dent and a representative to the Green Building Task Force. W anna help make green building at M c G ill a reality? E-mail allison.holden@ m ail. m cgill. ca.
think it's important that everyone just stop and take a deep breath. This is not armageddon. The sky is not falling. The poles have not shift ed (although they are melting). It's at a time like this that we all need to relax and keep things in perspective. Just because the N e w England Patriots lost one game doesn't mean they aren't still the best team in the National Football League. What's that? I'm supposed to be talking about the elections? You mean the SSMU refer endum? No? There was an election in America? G et the fuck out of town! I didn't even notice. I guess with all the stress of midterms, papers, and fantasy football, I just haven't been paying atten tion. W ho was running again? Psych. Anyone who was at Gert's last Tuesday probably saw me frantically pacing the room and screaming bloody murder as the colour red filled up the electoral map. But that was last week. This is now. I'm not about to let a silly thing like that get me down. I was. ready to write a gloating victory speech for liberal America and talk about the
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Neurotica
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tive. For instance, a good friend of mine passed aw ay last week. Here was a guy who lived as a homosexual in America before gay marriage was even on the ballot. He was constantly happy, good-hearted, and generous. He lived for years with a terminal illness but you'd never have known it. He wouldn't let anything stop him from living a full and happy life. M y friend went too soon and I miss him already. But his death shows me that at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter who is the pres ident of the world. It's more important to take the time to love your friends and to stay positive when everything looks too bleak to bear. That's what I keep telling myself. Besides, if the Yankees can lose to the Red Sox, then George Bush can be defeated too. So, I'm letting my brain take a vacation. Next week, I'm going back to writing dick and fart jokes and receiving angry letters from wouldbe feminists. I have to keep an eye towards the future. After all, the Super Bowl's just around the corner and baseball's spring training is just a few short months away. ■
^letters
Time to be zealous cristina. markham@mail. mcgill. ca ovember is easily one of Montreal's most disgusting months—the vile weather con vinces me that my 8 :3 0 conference is not reason enough to get my new pink boots wet, and the certainty of upcoming finals and papers loom over me with unwelcome gravity. But no matter how soaked my feet may get, I welcome November with open arms, as its first day is my own personal N e w Year's. . W hile my friends are enduring Halloweeninduced hangovers and rapidly crashing sugar highs, I am decking my halls with tangled lights and tacky tinsel. Christmas season has started, and there's nothing you can do about itl M y countdown to Christmas actually starts the minute I wake up on Boxing Day. For the sake of my friends (and especially my roommate) I hold back until Novem ber... but before Dollarama has finished installing its Christmas section, I have replaced my outgoing message with Dean Martin crooning "Let it Snow." Christmas has been my favourite holiday
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Nothing like failing outta school BY
virtues of my hometown, Boston, AAA. I was going to say that Boston only produces champi ons: the N e w England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, and John Kerry. W ell, all that went down the drain Tuesday, so I'm doing the next best thing. I'm going into a deep state of denial. So what if my president wants to invade a new Arab country each week but can't conquer eating pretzels without choking? So what if pro gressive voices have been silenced? So what if everybody around the world hates me? So what if my loved-ones overseas have been thrust into the middle of a shitstorm? I have to write term papers and reclaim my campus. I've settled into a sort of malaise; a resigned acceptance of what is. I'm going to follow Barak Obama's rise to political stardom and I'm going to keep spewing my half-baked views to anyone who will listen. But most of all, I'm going to sit back and wait. America's spoken and strangely, no one listened to me. I guess I don't have my fin ger on the pulse of the people like I thought. I blame society. I'm doing my best to keep things in perspec
CRISTINA M A R K H A M as long as I can remember—at least since I real ized that my own birthday does not count as a holiday (I'm working on it). There are so many ridiculous and childish traditions attached to it, who can resist? I may be the only person left in Canada who doesn't turn out the lights and hit the floor when I hear carollers coming down the block—I'll celebrate any holiday that makes it socially acceptable for strangers to come to my house and serenade me. I'm sure that if I could count down to Arbor Day with a chocolate-filled calendar, I'd find it a hell of a lot more exciting. And whose idea was it to put a tree in the liv ing room? It's crazy! J love it! Cynics always scoff at my enthusiasm, sputtering standard complaints that Christmas has become too commercial, and reminding me that Santa Claus was created by Coca Cola. But their comments rarely faze me —I can hardly hear them over Dean Martin, and I'm far too busy putting antlers on the dog to even notice.*
ACROSS 1. "My B ig _Greek W edding" (3) 4. Lowest voice in a choir (4) 8. Term for female student, sometimes derogatory (4) 12. Ore-___ fries (3) 13. Cookie with delicious icing inside (4) 14. Car (4) 15. Last tsar of Russia (8) 17. G o solo (4) 18. Kidman's character in "Moulin Rouge" (6) 19. pronunciation of 2nd Hebrew letter (4) 2 °-X or Y (3) 21. Famous restaurant with venues in L.A., N.Y., London (4) 22. Doctors get these reactions frequently (5) 25. Lennon's wife (3) 26. Take advantage of (3) 29. O ld time Cards pitcher Slaughter (4) 30. Before that time (3) 31. China or DVD's can come in this format (3) 32. Abbr., now found on food labels more often (3) 33. Le Swimming or Cheers (3) 34. Reproduce (5) 36. Popular method of transportation in some cold locales (4) 38 Special Libraries Association (abbr.) (3) 39. Has taken in solid food (5) 41. Went for a stroll (6) 4 5 . Prayer ending for many (4) 4 6 Caruso's CBS spin-off (8) 48. Put in categories (4) 4 9 . Appears often on your info (4) 50. Steve Tylers actress daughter (3) 51. Throw (4) 52. Rachel's boyfriend (4) 53. Abbr. for Italy (3)
Continued from previous page. of the Bush administration ("But is Bush really anything like Alexander the Great?" — 10.26.04). She.stipulates that Bush is responsi ble for certain cultural products with the aim of brainwashing American people. I believe that she is looking for reasons to hate Bush in places where they do not exist. First, war films were first created when Bush was a child and have increased ever since. Heroic and violent films such as Alexander are popular because they satisfy male fantasies in a socially acceptable way, not because they share the same outlook as a contemporary politician that she happens to dislike. Second, it also seems that she is quite unaware of politics within Hollywood. The film industry is dominated by liberals who also hap pen to hate Bush. The aim of her article is to point out that Bush is an evil "warmonger" who aims at brainwashing people into his views. Doing so is fine, but don't base that opinion upon unrelated examples. —Brendan Johnston, U2 Humanistics
DOW N 1. Dolphins use these to get around (4) 2. Sarah McLachlan hit (4) 3. Use this not to step on any toes (4) 4. Original Kentucky settler Daniel and family (6) 5. "Over the Rainbow" composer Harold (5) 6. D e a d ___ Scrolls (3) 7. Help! (abbr.) (3) 8. Lawyers handle these (5) 9. Outdoor toilet (8) 10. State (Fr.) (4) 1 1. Canine (3) 16. Get these off life or marijuana (5) 19. Fraternal sibling, slang (3) 21. Just___ .of those days... (3) 22. Over, poetically speaking (3) 23. And, in Germany (3) 24. Restaurant-bar at Prince Arthur and Parc (8) 25. Hockey great speaking out against hockey strike (3) 27. Locate visually (3) 28. Estimated Time of Departure (abbr.) (3) 30. Apartment, slang (3) 33. Makes ice cream with Jerry (3) 34. Assigns fault with (6) 35. Recherche appliquée en linguistique informatique (abbr.) (4) 37. Forty days of Christian self-control yearly (plural) (5) 38. Uses breast-stroke or doggy paddle (5) 39. Steinbeck novel "____ of Eden" (4) 40. The sound that a cow makes (4) 42. Hindu mother goddess (4) 43. To give or send out(4) 44. Beyonce, Mariah or Aretha on VH 1 show (4) 4 6 . Canadian National Railway (abbr.) (3) 4 7 . _Paulo, Brazil (3)
CHATTERBOX
campus
M a n a g e m e n t: Some serious stuff!
STREETER
A few words with Mortensen
The things you remember The controversial poppy and why you are(n't) wearing one
W hat would motivate us to respect veterans more?
Did you buy a poppy? W hy or why not?
Anonymous: Inform them of the current military demo Anonymous: No, I haven't gotten around to it yet. Anonymous: N o, because the guy selling them was so graphic and tell them to wear the poppy quietly if they re not apathetic, just holding it up with the greatest frown on his face, willing to serve. David, U2 G eology: Unfortunately, more dead as if playing on people's guilt. Veterans should be celebrated, soldiers/sailors. not mourned. Morgen, PhD3 Anthropology: Knowing more personal Katharina Hoegl, U1 History: N o, I am not a fan of the fake poppy. It's cheap and I find its rather tasteless. If anything, histories rather than just that veterans, as a group, exist. I would wear a real poppy. However, I generally refuse to Collection of oral histories, particularly from relatives. Gautam Acharya, Masters 2 Law: W e need to suffer wear poppies: let's move on from the past and stop the yearly guilt trips on which we indirectly bash the w ar initiators for the some of their trials and tribulations to understand the sacrifice slaughter of family members w e no longer remember its a they've made. Sarah Ritvo, UO Arts: M ore respect for veterans through mere w ay of laying blame. out the year, not just on Remembrance Day. Sarah Ritvo, UO Arts: Yes, because I think it's a sign of Bronwen Foster-Butler, UO Arts: Due to the veterans respect. Bronwen Foster-Butler, UO Arts: Yes, I did, to show my aging and shrinking population combined with the lack of global total warfare, our generation cannot fully appreciate respect and appreciation. the sacrifices made. W e need more information.
Does our generation respect veterans enough? Anonymous: Generally there's a tendency among youth not to recognize the sacrifices that Canadians of past genera tions made and the current demographic crisis in today's Canadian armed forces. Anonymous: N o, possibly because w e are faced with so much unjust war. Although it's not the individual's fault, much sentiment is probably wrongfully taken out on him/her. Katharina Hoegl, U1 History: W a r veterans? N o ... we are a generation that favours peace, not the "glorious" war deeds of our ancestors. Pierre-Luc Bouchard, U1 Nursing: I don't think so. W e tend to consider w ar as backward, or it happened too long ago. [It's] hard to connect when w e don't have personal links to the war.
W hat is the biggest m em ory of our generation? Anonymous: The fall of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. David, U2 Geology: 9 / 1 1 —Let's hope something comes along to replace it. Morgen, PhD3 Anthropology: Large-scale interconnect edness on an international/global scale in technology, trade, environment. I guess the specific memory would be change in this direction. Gautam Archarya, M 2 Law: There is no one such, but for North America it would be 9 / 1 1 and G eorge Bush Jr.'s tenure. Katharina Hoegl, U1 History: Depends on the geograph ical area. In North America, I would guess 9 / 1 1 and the Iraq war. —com piled by Leora Katz and M elissa M ille r
TOILETOLOGY
The w riting on th e w all Toilet talk can be very telling, to be sure
The spark: I'm 22 years old and have never had a boyfriend.
O ther girls wanted to know: ... have you ever had a girlfriend? ... do you want to have a boyfriend? ... maybe you don't w ant a bf but are ready for XXX? If so, call 2 3 2 -3 0 * * ... what do you mean you've never taken it up the arse doggy style?!? ... my first experience doggy style was at. the age of 1 3, what the fuck are you waiting for girls?
DAVE BRODKEY
D on't let the tie fool you... M ark is the king of the volleyball courts. The renovations at Bronfman are... a good step towards providing a more professional face for the Faculty of Management. I prefer to get my information from ... The Economist. I decided to switch from Computer Science to the study of group dynamics when... I realized the really interesting issues come not just from the design of technology, but understanding the w a y in which that tech nology fits into broader social systems. In comparison to my time at Stanford, my experience at Colby College was... more cozy. Colby is a small school, with a very strong sense of community. Everyone knows everyone else—very different from a school the size of Stanford. I became involved in the MBA China Study Tour because... it was an excellent opportunity to both help broaden the scope of the M cG ill MBA program and to expand my own knowledge of Chinese business and cul ture. One of the main effects of technology on interpersonal relations is... its ability to change our perceptions of each other. Though w e often fail to recognize it, when w e communicate through technology, the medium shapes the message. Team boundary disagreement affects the level of innovation that is produced because... team boundary disagreement may impact innova tion by providing a more diverse underlying pool to draw from. The main advantage of teamwork is... increased diversity of perspec tives. The main disadvantage of teamwork is... higher coordination costs. I like to kick back and relax by... playing volleyball. One book that everybody should read is... Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. —com piled by N arvan Bouzari Aw, Professor M ortensen! Because he d id n 't respond to a ll our questions, Mortensen's answers seem to reflect a no-nonsense man. But check out his site and it w ill prove the opposite. www.am adeus. management, mcgi II, ca/~ m ark. mortensen/personal/splashfram e.shtml This guy's got a sense o f humourl
A nother damsel confessed: O K how about this, I am 2 4 and have never even been kissed by a boy let alone had a boyfriend
And the ladies said:
YASEMIN EMORY
ecause of recent renovations these anonymous authors just bored, and an intensified effort to keep or are they unleashing their pent-up the pisser graffiti-free, bathroom Harlequin writer's block? stall scrawl is an endangered art on M aybe this is why girls always our campus. As a result, w e relish the take so.Iona in the bathroom... Here's little witicisms that survive the brushes : one of oar faves, found on the second of our school's censorship squad... floor washroom of the McLennan a.k.a. McG ill's custodial staff. Are library. ■
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... Tout vient à point à qui sait atten dre ... oh my gosh, don't worry at all. I was 21 before I had my first bf (and sex?). You're ready when you're ready. M ore people than you'd think are in the same boat ... thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate it. ... Ladies, he's out there somewhere! Promise! It may seem like the 'g o o d ones" are gay (and they are) but after meeting mine I now have faith that there [are] many amazing men who would be so lucky to be with you! —com piled by Yasemin Emory
R em em b ran ce with a new spin W e asked some students fo draw their favourite memory. They went all out. Really, though. V7 Bronwen Foster-Butler, UO Arts: M e
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his is Montreal? W h o would have known it was so medieval-looking? And all with in walking distance from M cG ill. Look up next time you're on campus, and you'll prob ably find some gargoyles staring down at you. You've probably walked by many of these buildings, but never fully appreciated their beauty. So next time you feel you need a study break, take a w alk around Montreal to see the sites. It may not have quite the same allure as old medieval European cities, but w e love it all the same.
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McGill University, Shatner Building, 3480 McTavîsh - 398-0647 mcgill@voyagescampus.com www.voyagescampus.com
VOYAGESSCAMPUS 'é v a d e r p o u r vrai
Remembering
memories not our o w n
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R e m e m b ra n c e D a y soldiers on despite its changing purpose
NATALIE FLETCHER ome say the past is safe because we know it— our memories attest to our survival. This Thursday marks the 86th year of Remembrance Day cer emonies, proof that our desire to know our past by remembering and commemorating the vic tims and the heroes of war is still strong. W ith every year, however, those observing November 1 1 are less and less familiar with the actual experience of war. Inevitably, the purpose of Remembrance Day is changing. Remembrance Day was originally devised to hon our the courage and sacrifices of the W orld W ar I veter ans. Today, it calls to mind the wars of our modern times and urges us to reflect on the memories they evoke. Yet how do we as a generation remember a series of events when the memories don't belong to us? For many young Canadians, November 11 recalls those special days at elementary school when it was okay to watch movies, recite poems, and draw flowers because it was the respectful thing to do. Challenged to sit perfectly still for two whole minutes as a music teacher played on the trumpet, we knew we were part of some thing important, yet our status as observers looking in on a reality we did not recognize made the meaning of the day hard to grasp. The problem was—and still is—that the content of our memory was empty; we were filling it with images and feelings that older generations wisely and gently bestowed upon us. Soon, we'll have but our selves to rely on and this makes our fallible memory that much more valuable. So how do we remember success fully?
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Memory as an intellectual curiosity Memory has become an important academic theme in the last decade because the past is one of the few elements common to all human experience. Many new initiatives, notably UNESCO's Memory of the W orld Programme, the Library of Congress's American Memory historical collections, and McGill's Memory Studies Project, are now merging fields of study in an effort to understand how the human past is produced and reproduced through time. For ancient and medieval civilizations, the past was
Militant T McGill ™ —
he conflicts that wracked the violent 20th century did not exclude McGill. W orld W ar I, World W ar II, and Vietnam W ar all left M cG ill a changed campus. Throwing themselves into prepara tions for both world wars, M cG ill students and faculty aided in Canada's war effort, distinguishing the uni versity and themselves by their own efforts and sacri fices. Later on, Vietnam encouraged campus agitation in favour of increased student participation in the governing of the university. Here are glimpses of their sto ries... November 1, 1 9 1 2 —The M cG ill contingent of the Canadian Officers' Training Corps, the first of its kind on a North American campus, is established under the command of Professor V.I. Smart. 1 9 1 4 —The Graduates' Society organizes the
M cG ill Provisional Battalion under the command of Auckland Geddes, professor of anatomy, who would later go on to be appointed British Ambassador to Washington in 1920. April 1 9 1 5 —the second battle of Ypres—two of the three Canadians awarded Victoria Crosses are from McGill. March 5 —No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) is established, the first hospital unit raised by a university in the British Empire. Over the course of the war, it treats 1 4 3 ,7 6 2 patients, with a death rate of only 1 in 135. John McCrae, author of "In Flanders Fields," serves with the unit for three years. 1 9 1 6 —Compulsory military training for all M cG ill students is introduced because M cG ill is with out a gymnasium. By the end of the year, 1 33 of the
not considered separate from the present; rather, it was a positive role model that provided criteria with which to evaluate how well society was coping. In the M iddle Ages, French children were actually slapped during memorial celebrations with the hopes that pain might "burn" memory into them more effective ly. It took the brains-of thinkers like Erasmus and, later, the research of neurobiologists to change our conception. N o w our recollections of the past are considered more carefully: while important to social cohesion, collective memory is understood as a construct, something we con sciously and painstakingly create to address our current needs. "Far from constituting a stable reality, our memory of the past is continually being reshaped and re-elaborated through an ever-wider variety of social and cultural pro ductions: from rituals and festivities to academic discours es, novels and newspapers, to mention just a few," asserts José R. Jouve Martin, a professor in McGill's Hispanic Studies department and the coordinator of McGill's Memory Studies Project. The constant shaping of memory is a very con scious process, as David Gross confirms in his book Lost Time: On Remembering and Forgetting in Late M odern Culture (University of Massachusetts, 2000). "When something is retained over time, there is usually good reason for it," he writes. "The retention is not accidental, but purposeful, international, and institutionally support ed." For instance, while Remembrance Day was once purely a commemoration of veterans, it has now been reshaped so that a greater variety of memories—small battles, women's contributions, racial relations—are acknowledged and discussed. Danita Chisholm, director of communications for the W a r Amps, hopes that this broader approach wil encourage people to be more involved in Remembrance Day ceremonies and, by extension, more interested in learning about our collective past. "W e like to remind people that remembrance is important 365 days a year," she affirms. "This is our history and it is worth knowing."
Warring for a social identity W hile we may not all be able to relate personally
1,8 00 enlisted from M cG ill in active service are dead July 5, 1 9 1 7 —Capt. Percival Molson, a gradu ate of McGill's faculty of Arts, dies at the front. In his will he bequeaths $ 7 0 ,0 0 0 to his alma mater for the construction of an athleticxomplex that later bears his name. Feb. 25, 1 9 1 8 —The Carnegie Foundation of N e w York donates $ 1-million to M cG ill in recognition of its contribution to the war effort. Two years later, the Rockefeller Foundation follows suit with a similar grant to the faculty of Medicine. Nov. 11 —Armistice is signed; the war ends. In total, 3 ,0 5 9 M cG ill graduates and undergraduates enlisted in active service. O f these, 393 never returned from the front and 791 were decorated. 1 9 2 0 —Sir Arthur Currie, former General Officer
the mcgill tribune | 9.11.04 j feature 15 to Remembrance Day memories, November 11 enables us, as a society, to reflect on war and its bearing on our lives. In doing so, we realize that war doesn't only affect those directly involved in it; the forgotten heroes of war, those who survived the phenomenon and are still surviving the memory, are also deeply affected. As Professor Suzanne Morton of McGill's history department notes, it is relevant that Canadians have dubbed their commemorative event Remembrance Day rather than Veterans Day. "Canadians have been fairly fortunate that con flicts have been extra-territorial but that doesn't mean that those harmed are restricted to those w ho have served," she says. "I think of the victims of the Halifax explosion, children who have grown up without fathers, men who came back horribly damaged in mind, body, or spirit, and the families of peacekeep ers such as Romeo Dallaire who share their night mares." Remembrance Day- reminds us that war shapes the society in which it occurs, thus changing individ ual lifestyles and collective traditions. At M cG ill, we are surrounded by war symbols, from buildings like the Currie Memorial Gym to scholarships like the C.D. Howe Memorial Foundation Awards. On a larger scale, Canadians ow e much of their everyday lifestyle, like technological advances and legal developments, to the aftereffects of war. "The Second W orld W ar and the veteran pro grams that followed it transformed M cG ill from a small college to a modern university," says Morton. "Outside the university, wars of the 20th century structured relations between 'French' and 'English' Canada, changed attitudes toward government and democracy, challenged gender relations, and formed many people's notion of Canadian identity whether it be autonomy from Britain or the United States, or as peacekeepers."
becomes more complex as our interpretations of facts,jgpt coloured by a social knowledge that i? designed, to generate certain Images and emotions within us. "W hen we learn about a particular event, we don't just encode the raw facts of the event," adds Titone. "W e also encode how those facts are delivered to us and filtered through cultural metaphors, which, unfortunately, may sometimes be used delib erately and manipulatively— hence, the potentially bad consequences of political propaganda."
Hereward
A favourite professor —
Creators of our memory
If we still have Remembrance Day rituals today, it is because several institutions are working constant ly to ensure that our collective memory of w ar does not dwindle. The W ar Amps, an organization set up in 191 8 by amputee ex-servicemen to help war victims, is becoming increasingly concerned with the production of informative, evocative resources with which to emphasize the importance of maintaining commemorative days like November 1 1. W hile not part of its original mandate, the W ar Amps is currently expending much effort in creating documentaries, videos, and public service announcements that showcase Canada's military heritage. "W e have always been very fortunate. People show an interest which enables us to help Canadian amputees," says Chisholm, who is especially pleased by the recent interest of youth. "More and more kids want to know their history. They are shove ing an interest in learning [about Canada's involve ment in the wars]." Bob Butt, the Director of Communications for the Royal Canadian Legion, feels that this interest in Remembrance Day and history in general is vital not only to honouring veterans, but to appreciating the quality of life w e now have. "If you don't sit back to remember what caused Memory, the leapfrog Psychologically speaking, the fact that we can us to be the free persons we are, you're probably remember an event for which we have no actual unlikely to retain that freedom," he cautions. "By sup memories is an interesting anomaly. The words porting the ideal of remembrance as a national "Remembrance Day" can trigger a series of mental ideal, we have to look back on Canadian history images and emotions for those with no w ar experi and realize the thanks we all have to give for the ences because they associate the term with all the w ay we live today." various moments in which it was used throughout Remembering at all costs their lives. For instance, when thinking about W orld Some celebrate November 1 1 by wearing a W ar II, as students we may conjure up memories of a history class we've taken, of bad war movies like poppy, others go to Dieppe, while others choose the Pearl Harbor, of a grandfather with lots of scary sto unconventional: a swing dance party 1920s-slyle at ries to tell, all the while feeling disgusted, afraid, and Montreal's Club 4 8 . But when it comes to the remembering part of Remembrance Day, many have grateful. This relational memory, the kind that establishes to resort to social memory and to the wise words of connections between individual memory and the those who fought for our freedoms. "It is too easy to associate veterans with fragile overlapping elements that mold it, is what interests Debra Titone, a professor with McGill's psychology rheumyeyed old men putting wreaths at a cenotaph or visiting the beaches of France," says Morton. "But department. "W hen you recall past experiences, let's say being at a university reminds me that most of those world wars that you may have experienced in some who have served in Canada's military were way, you may recall not only how Dan Rather young—the same age as my students—with all the explained to his viewers that the US invaded Iraq, possibilities open before them that 20year-olds but also where you were at that time, who you were should have." Memories of wars may not belong to us individ with when you viewed the broadcast," she explains. "Thus, the next time you think about Iraq, you may ually, but they do belong. W e are young, we are not only think about the terrible devastation that has free, as they say, but this is for a reason. Our past taken place there, but you may also recall the peo defended our interests; the least w e can do is ple you were with when you first learned of the inva remember what we know of it. ■ sion, where you were." And so, over time, our memory of wars
Here's to
—W ith files from Liz Allemang and Brody Brown
recounts his experiences in World War il ne www.ratemyprofessors.com user describes Hereward Senior as "the most charming gentleman at M cG ill." But just because he's a charming history professor, doesn't mean he can't pack heat for Canada. And he did too, in W orld W a r II. McGill Tribune: W hat made you decide to join the Canadian Armed Forces in 1943? Hereward Senior: I didn't have a choice! It was war time; everyone was joining the armed forces. There was not much else I could do. MT: W hat was the most difficult aspect of re-adjusting to your new environment? HS: At the time, leaving civil life was a pleasant change, as, by joining the army, w e were also leaving behind our civil responsibilities. MT: Did you believe you were fighting for a just cause, or had your situation arisen merely out of necessity? HS: O n the whole, we thought- the cause was just. However, so much of the propaganda in W orld W a r I was false that people had become very skeptical. The propaganda for W orld W ar I! very much resembled the previous one, but nonetheless, we thought the war had to be fought and that our cause was, ultimately, just. MT: Do you remember how you felt when you found out the war had ended? HS: W ell, it wasn't exactly unexpected, W e had already had several false alarms, so by then there was not too much emotion involved. The first time w e were told the war was over was an extremely emotional time, but then we heard a rifle almost right aw ay! After so many false alarms, though, I do remember experiencing a great feeling of relief that the war had finally ended. MT: H ow did you rationalize the fact that, on the battlefields, Canadians and Germans were routinely killing each other, while in the hospitals you were able to speak and fraternize with one another? HS: W e were all fighting at the frontline. Any frontline soldier at the time was merely a fellow sufferer—they were in the same situation as us, so we had a great deal of respect for one another. MT: You have stated that one of the greatest moments in your life was when you finally witnessed the French people's apprecF ation for the Allied forces. Could you expand on that? HS: W e were in Normandy at the time, and w e were still under fire when the residents came out with bread and wine, and cheered us on. W e had just ruined the place, but they did not know that; they thought it was the work of the Germans. So they come out and cheered on the people who had ruined their homes.
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MT: W ould you say your character fundamentally changed as a result of serving in the war? HS: I wouldn't say that there was a fundamental change; it was an experience. If you are romantically minded, maybe you can make something out of it. In foct, unless you hove been affected with a heinous condition, on the whole, one could easily exaggerate the experience. For young people, life is always changing, so fighting in the war per $e did not have any enduring effects on me. Frankly, my experience painting the Harbour Bridge was much more frightening! I also remember that I was working with a veteran at the time, and we were having problems lifting him up high to paint because he too was too afraid! MT: In retrospect, do you wish you hadn't fought in the war, or are you generally appreciative of your experience? HS: W ell, I got a free education out of it! The rewards were quite adequate. I couldn't have gone to M cG ill had I not served in the armed forces. I would have probably ended up going to Concordia. However, I am only speaking for myself —perhaps if you had had some harrowing experience, then fighting in the war would not have been worth it, but I personally found it quite rewarding in the end MT: W hat is the most valuable lesson you gained from your firsthand experiences of war? HS: There wasn't too much pessimism about the future in the frontline, maybe because we didn't know if we had a future, However, peace is obviously always a preferable state. I wouldn't care to go back to the frontline., or Harbour Bridge! Also, in the frontline, morality was higher than it was in civil life. It imposed a degree of seriousness. M y colleagues in the administration would not have lasted for more than five minutesl N o one would play a dirty trick on another, as it was a matter of life and death. You could risk your life, so, out of consideration, the level of morality was very high, MT: Do you have any personal customs on Remembrance Day? And do you feel that, as a community, we should do more to remember those w ho fought for our survival? HS: I believe that what w e are doing right now is adequate. It is not overdone and, by this point, it is done purely out of charity and with the intention of preserving the memory of the war. However, we can never do too much for the people who have been wounded or handicapped. Their lives have been ruined forever as a result of the war. I have seen men with both their legs missing and having to be carried around. For people like that, w e can never do too. much, —com piled by N arvan Bouzari
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NATALIE FLETCHER
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rida Kahlo always prided herself on painting her own reality. Since her death .in 19 54 , the beloved Mexican painter has inspired artists, intellectuals, and celebrities, all wanting to glorify her reality by appropriating it in some way. She was a true feminist, affirm stars like M adonna, w ho is rumoured to have paid more than $5-million for a Kahlo original; she was a Mexican revolutionary, argue nationalist scholars, enchanted by her fondness for Emiliano Zapata and Leon Trotsky. Though many things to many people, there is one thing Kahlo could never be: reducible to a movie plotline. Yet her icon status—she is still the highest paid female artist—has motivated many toward the impossible: painting her own reality for her. Last week, Cinémathèque (3 3 5 boul. de Maisonneuve E.) featured a salute to the works of Latin American filmmaker Paul Leduc, which included the presentation of his 1 9 8 4 documentary Frida, naturaleza viva, largely forgotten since the 2 0 0 2 M iram ax release o f Frida, byjulie Taymor. Faced with a very different interpretations of her life story, specta tors were at the mercy of comparison: who was fairest to the bold and tenacious visionary—Taymor's career-minded Salma Hayek, with her more naïve, mischievous portrayal, or Leduc's O felia M edina, w ho imbued Frida with more grace and maturity?
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Painting Frida's reality Two films try to capture an artist's essence but smudge it instead
Film vs. fact A film's ability to be truly biographical has always been debafed. Try as they might to contain her, in Leduc and Taymor's case, Kahlo is truly an unconventional gal stuck in a conventional medium. Leduc's 1 9 8 4 film is a fragmentary exploration
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of the themes and memories that coloured Kahlo's life. It jumps haphazardly from one event to another, focus ing not on Kahlo's verbalized thoughts, but on her silent contemplation of her art, inviting the audience to study and scrutinize her paintings as she likely did. The natural, nonfussy approach to sound and sets saves the film from distracting Hollywood glamour, while also depicting Kahlo's suffering in perhaps more somber ways than her vibrant personality deserves. In contrast, Taymor's creation is adulatory and romantic to the extreme, providing a blow-by-blow account of Kahlo's- experiences, from the accident that permanently injured her back to her self-actualiza tion as a female painter. W here Leduc assumes knowledge and imaginativeness from his spectators to fill in the biographical holes he does not explain, Taymor leaves little room for speculation, weaving a tight narrative that seems inviolable. Interestingly, while N aturaleza is a documentary, and Frida a feature movie, both directors describe their interpretation as artistic, with Leduc minimizing dialogue to transcend linguistic barriers and protect his project from simplism and Taymor luring the mass es with grand surrealist sequences reminiscent of her Lion King Broadway art. The result? Two odes to Frida that are different in kind and purpose yet simi larly misleading.
When the art becomes the problem N aturaleza is a case of an artist paying homage to another artist. Loyal as he may be to Kahlo's favourite colours, Leduc's mostly visual scenes fail to impart any coherent sense of her life. "Leduc cannot reconcile the contrast between Kahlo's robustness and her affliction, and so he depicts her suffering as merely an aspect of artistic
chic,'' explains C hicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. "If you didn't know her work, you would be tempted to dismiss her as an infuriatingly self-indul gent dilettante. But nothing could be less dilettantish than the record Kahlo painted of her pain or the stern, searching gaze that bores out from her canvases." O f course, Taymor and Hayek also had an agenda: being the first to create an American-style Frida by unapologetically borrowing from and subse quently burying Leduc's original. "In the US, ignorance is grand and memory is short," confirms Julie Reynolds, a film critic at El A ndar magazine. “W e act as if w e're doing everything for the first time. W hen our actresses are dying to play Frida, it is as if the chosen woman will be the first, last and eternal Frida." To be fair, the "first, last and eternal Frida"' con ceived by Taymor's crew was the product of substan tial research, interviews, and Mexican immersion. Then again, their biographical advisor, Dolores Olmedo, was an enemy of Kahlo's and her defining issues—bisexuality, the philandering Rivera, politics— were reduced to a simplistic feminist picture to appeal to today's audience. Ultimately, as Am erican H istorical Reviews Seith Fein observed, Leduc is a more reliable biographer because the information he does provide is less manipulated, making it "better history than Taymor's neither because it is factually more accurate nor essentially more M exican but because it is method ologically more compelling."
It's still a popularity contest Frida N aturaleza may be more historically sound than Frida, but it is certainly not more popular. Do movies seeking to inform have no choice but to entertain in order to reach a w ide enough audience? Mexican academics may have been shaking their heads at some of Taymor's directorial choices— Frida drank cognac, not tequila!— but their resistance did not harm the movie's box office success in M exico and across North America. The tendency to historicize seems inevitable in filmmaking—you just can't show it all. Yet when a film promotes the distortion of an historical figure, the use fulness of biographical movies becomes question able. "Even the films that are most congruent with pro fessional history require certain liberties that historians find troubling," asserts Donald Stevens, author of True Story: Latin Am erican H istory (Scholarly Resources, 1997). At the end of the day, it's a choose-your-own-distortion game. But either way, you're not getting Frida's painted reality; you're getting a stranger's paint-by-number. ■
CANVAS
The Beatles: crush-w orthy or crushable insects? heir records litter nearly all our homes. Their music is engraved in rock 'n' roll history forever. People of all ages and cultures speak of the Beatles with such unfalter ing, unending, immutable admiration. So it is not surprising that most people consider the Beatles .the greatest and most innovative act of the 20th century. Still, no artistic creation the Beatles have ever produced has led me to believe that the worldw ide, trans-generational acclaim and accolades they've received are merited. W hile the majority of music listeners are inclined to believe that the Beatles were "years ahead of their time," to say their "innovations" revolutionized the music world is like saying that former Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic wrote the book on tyranny—this view is simply not supported by his tory. Consider this: in 1965, at the apex of their dominance over the music industry, the Beatles released H elp! and Rubber Soul, albums composed of lamentably typical, dinky three-minute love songs nearly impossible to take seriously. Take, for example, one of their most undisputed classics: "M ichelle, ma belle, these are words that go together w e ll—my M ichelle, M ichelle, ma be lle ... I love you, I love you, I love you—that's a ll I w ant to say. " Enough said. > One could argue that it was the Beatles' experimenta
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tions with the psychedelic genre during the late 1960s that deserved true recognition. W hile the group flirted with psychedelic motifs in '6 6 . and '6 7 , the Beatles were not fully immersed into this style until 1968, when they released The M a g ica l M ystery Tour and the fan-dubbed "W hite Album." However, by this time a myriad of other artists had already beaten them to the punch. For instance, while the Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967), Pink Floyd was in the studio literally down the hall, jamming out their debut album Piper at the Gates o f Dawn, which was one of the most decisive leaps forward that psy chedelic, progressive rock has ever seen. By the time the Beatles actually dipped their feet into the realm of psychedelica, Jimi Hendrix's smouldering licks on tracks like "Foxy Lady" and "Purple Haze" were putting George Harrison to shame. Meanwhile, Vanilla Fudge had released their self-titled debut (1967), covering two early Beatles tunes ("Ticket to Ride" and "Eleanor Rigby") with more imagination and musical ingenuity than the Beatles were ever capable of. O f course, innovative potential is not the only criteria by which to judge a musician. In the case of the Beatles, it would be easy to forget their creative ineptness, and give them credit for their popularity, fame, and riches if they had
BEN LEMIEUX
the instrumental prowess, versatility, and virtuosity of Alvin Lee, Stan W ebb, or Mitch Mitchell; but that simply isn't the case. George Harrison couldn't play the guitar to save his life. In fact, he even had to have Paul McCartney take over the lead work during "Taxman" (one of Harrison's own songs, no less) because he wasn't talented enough to play the relative ly undemanding guitar solo. John Lennon, in spite of all the expressive vocal efforts and abilities for which everyone end lessly lauds him, has demonstrated little more than an octave of vocal range during his entire career. And don't even get me started on Ringo! W ith all that said, what can we give the Beatles credit for? Granted, they did release some decent songs and albums, but for the most part, their "accomplishments" did not benefit the music world so much as detract attention from artists of the same epoch who were_breaking real ground. Simply put, the Beatles wrote catchy pop tunes. They charmed the ladies and dressed to please—they were pop icons, thanks to an easily marketable image and sound, not instrumental proficiency or musical ingenuity. They were the première boy-band, the Backstreet Boys or 'NSync of their generation—except people actually took them seriously. G o figure. ■
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P R E V I EWS MUSIC. Blues Explosion—La Tulipe—4530 rue Papineau—November 10. Headed by Jon Spencer, who was featured in an earlier issue of the Tribune, this selfdescribed punk band has gone w ay beyond that label. W ith the release of their most recent album, Damage, Blues Explosion shows no signs of waning after 13 years together. The varied and innovative nature of their music is made evident by their many collaborators, who range from Public Enemy's Chuck D, to ja zz/fu nk saxophonist James Chance, to DJ Shadow. The alternating rhythms of funk, blues, industrial, and soul are wonderfully incorporat ed on their albums, but to truly appereciate Blues Explosion, as Spencer says, "You have to see us live."
Tingles d o w n th e re ... Welcome to America's strangest Vaseline videos DAVE BARBER
MUSIC. Eyedea and Abilities—La Sala Rossa—4848 boul. St-Laurent—November 15. This freestyling turntable duo, known collectively as E&A, make up one of the most creative acts to climb out of the underground. These talent ed hip hop artists have released two albums now, the latter of which, E&4, is being called by some people one of the greatest old school rap disc of all time. Eyedea may be best known for schooling some of hip hop's most renowned emcees on an HBO televised event. His days on the battle scene may be behind him for now, but his tour with sea soned veteran DJ Abilities is bringing them welcome notori ety.
hat is the cremaster, you ask? Here's a hint: at certain points during the screening of Cremaster 4 , M atthe w Barney's earliest film o f the Crem aster C ycle, my cremaster was fully flexed. It wasn't cold in the Musée d'Art Contemporains Cinquième Salle theatre, but the disturbing-yet-riveting film sent a chill through my spine that sucked my cohones up somewhere near my throat. Yes, friends, the cremaster is the muscle controlling the reflex that ensures men's little swimmers don't fry or freeze. Beyond that, it's also the metaphoric centrepiece of Barney's epic exploration of sexual assignment. N o t known for embracing the ordinary, Barney—a former athlete, model, and the father of Bjork's son — is one of America's most innovative artists. O ne of his earlier per formance pieces had him meandering across the ceiling of an art gallery on titanium ice-screws and subsequently spelunking into his Vaseline sculptures. Since the comple tion of the Cremaster C ycle in 2 0 0 2 , Barney has been credited with creating the greatest art film in recent histo
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FESTIVAL. Cinemania—Montreal Museum of Fine A rts— 1379 rue Sherbrooke O. —November 4-14. A dash of French film culture is available over the next week for M cG ill moviegoers. Located in the Museum of Fine Arts' MaxwellGummings Auditorium, Cinemania is a non-profit survey of the crèmede-la-crème of independent French-lan guage films. This year marks the festival's 10th anniversary. The schedule is jam-packed with original full-length features, many of which offer an original take on standard movie fare. For.example, the closing film, M arried for Seven Years, offers the story of a married couple whose sexual life needs tweaking. The film has been lauded for presenting a subtle, witty performance, free of the usual cliches of the genre. All the films at Cinemania are subtitled in English and cost $ 7 for students.
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The Crem aster C ycle is a work of incomparable breadth and imagination. The five films, completed over eight years, are shot in different locations, which play a significant role in determining the character of each film. From the Astroturf of his hometown stadium in Boise, Idaho, to the cliffs of the Isle of M an, Barney utilizes the unique surroundings to create a mythological world where the dilemmas and traumas o f our time are flushed out.
FESTIVAL. Le Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal — various venues—on until November 14. This festival is all about fusion. It brings together all kinds of Arabic artists from dozens of countries all over the world to one diverse city: Montreal. W ith performances in dance, theatre, film, music, and visual arts, anybody with an interest in the arts can get their fill this week. The goal of the festival is to promote peace and unity in a world torn apart since 9 / 1 1; they accomplish this objective partly by collaborating with a vari ety of artists in the Montreal area, Arab or not. This year marks the 5th year of the festival, which was created in response to the burgeoning Arabic community growing in Montreal.
Yes, friends, the cremaster is the muscle controlling the reflex that ensures men's little swimmers d o n 't fry o r freeze. Beyond that, it's also the m etaphoric centrepiece o f Barney's epic exploration o f sexual assignment.
In examining the psycho-sexual drive and the differen tiation between maleness and femaleness, Barney can't help but focus on his own masculinity and thus places him self at the centre of the investigation. The 37-year-old artist presents himself in a myriad of forms, including an albino Highlander scaling the Guggenheim, the notorious serial killer G ary Gilmore, and a tap-dancing goat man. The characters are fully his, as is the iconography—a selfenclosed system of significance that may confuse the audi ence while exaggerating the aura of fantasy. Vaseline, clearly one of Barney's favourites, earns a lead role. Attempting a plot summary of any one of the films is futile. If only for curiosity's sake, then, let's say Cremaster 4 is about motorcycle sidecars racing to see if the goatboy's testicles w ill ascend or descend. As for myself... I'm still not sure where mine are. Attend a screening yourself and maybe you'll find out. ■
MUSIC. Van Halen—Bell Centre—November 9. "I think of all the education that I missed..." Pack up vour books early this Tuesday, and head on down to the Bell Centre for classic rockers Van Halen. Sammy, Michael, and the rest of the Van Halen boys will be showcasing the hits from their 25^/ecir career, as well as tracks from their latest double-CD retrospective, The Best o f Both W orlds. "But then my home work was never quite like this..." David Lee Roth fueled the electric, sex-charged energy of Van Halen during .the 1980s; now the band brings that fire back to Montreal for the first time in years. "I got it bad, got it bad, got it b a d ... I'm hot for teacher."
Strange characters make fo r a strange seven hours...
Saturday November 13, 2004 M y i d P r o j e c t feature A u b r e y D a y l e
w ith sp ecial g u e st J a m e s , B l o o d U l m e r Also appearing M o @ l a Sala H a n 484
P o lic y
Ticket» Admissions Casa del Popolo alM-oiaa, Cl> Esothcrique 937-5192 info: (514)241-7199 or (si 4 )9 “ L .. Jackson Communications Production An. Amanda A
FILM. The Big Red O ne—Cinéma du Parc—3475 av. du Parc—November 12-18. In these turbulent times of war, it's all too easy to forget the human cost involved. This week, viewers at Cinéma du Parc can witness the foot soldiers grim struggle in Samuel Fuller's The Big Red One. This epic story from a man who suffered through W orld W ar II him self is a testament to the side of w ar oft-overlooked in the media and in most popular war-genre flicks. Nevertheless, Fuller manages to incorporate certifiably funny moments into' this otherwise serious piece, including an unforgettable birth sequence inside a tank. ART. Natasha St-Michael—Marche Bonsecours—350 rue St-Paul E.—until November 14. Producing beautiful art work can be a painstaking process, but don't tell that to Natasha St-Michael, who labours 5 0 hours a week in pro ducing her glass sculptures now on display at the Galerie de métiers d'arts du Québec in Marché Bonsecours. StMichael attaches thousands of glass beads together in order to create an interconnected array of unique patterns that rep resent how in nature nothing exists apart from anything else. Each piece is handcrafted, and fixed together with others using a Navaho stitch. It can take up to five months to churn out just one sculpture. St-Michael perhaps put it most succintly: "I'm like a mini-factory."
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1 8 a&e | 9.11.04 | th e m cgill tribune
^î^ightüfe Some stick glue with that brew? Arts 'rï Crafts Night a t the Cock 'rï Bull caters to the kid in you HILLARY BRENHOUSE t's M onday night, and I've got a hankering for an ice cold labatt and a cupful of popsicle sticks. There's really only one w ay to satisfy this unusual itch—the Cock 'n' Bull's Arts and Crafts Night.
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BENJI FELDMAN
Every M onday at the Cock 'n' Bull, a scruffy, dimly^lit bar tucked aw ay amongst the boutiques of rue Ste-Catherine, tables are speckled with art supplies and nostalgic beer drinkers, reliving their pipe cleaner pasts. This M onday was noodle night, and thus I was welcomed with handfuls of fusili, penne, elbow macaroni, an enormous piece of blue construction paper, and a bottle of Elmers glue. M y inner stx-year-old was duly impressed. N o w that's choice! O f course, since the arcade-littered pub is always filled to the brim on Mondays, it's a minor miracle when you actually get your hands on all the appropriate supplies: foam cutouts, glitter, f e lt all the essentials. (A bartender divulges with a wink that, although the crafts officially begin at 9pm, the true fanatics can get in on the goods by coming an hour earlier.) Adequately equipped, I immediately set to work, churning out noodle people and noodle shapes, gluing pasta every which w ay onto my blue canvas, contentedly breathing in the familiar smells of kindergarten. Behind me, a long table of rowdy teenagers drunkenly celebrate a birthday by playing Jenga with popsicle sticks atop a pint. N ear the entrance, two Concordia students con tinue to work on the popsicle stick house they began three weeks prior. At its present stage, the house boasts several rooms, a front porch, and a winding staircase. Its proud builders have even taken it home every week until their project is complete. Really, though, does it get any better than the functional art of drinking combined with some quality pipecleaner action and fingers sticky but not
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BENOI FELDAAAN from beer? Next time you need a break from another manic Monday, opt for some creative fun along with your pitcher. Just because you live in a dingy apartment with leaky plumbing in the M cG ill Ghetto doesn't mean you can't build your dream noodle house. ■ The Cock 'n ' Bull (1 9 4 4 rue Ste-Catherine O .j, with Arts and Crafts N ig h t every M onday from 9pm until closing.
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Touched by an actor Christopher Plummer and Jean-Louis Roux honoured for life's work D AN Y H O R O VITZ ast week, M ontreal expat Christopher Plummer returned to his native city. An inter national superstar of the stage and screen, he came home to receive the 2 0 0 4 GasconThomas award from the National Theatre School
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is Captain von Trapp in The Sound o f M usic. In 2 0 0 2 , Plummer returned to Stratford to play the title role in King Lear in commemoration of the fes tival's 50th anniversary. He was honoured along with Jean-Louis Roux, founder of the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. Roux, a former director of NTS, gave a speech praising the school's founders, Jean Gascon and Powys Thomas, after whom the award is named. He is probably best known for his role on Les Plouffe, a very success ful Québécois sitcom. Also known as a fierce anti-separatist, Roux was appointed an Upper House senator in 1994.
Words of Wisdom
HOLLYWOODJESUS.COM
Montreal's Plummer is all smiles and wit. of Canada, given annually to two artists for their efforts in shaping the world of theatre. After growing up in Montreal, the now 74year-old Plummer moved to N e w York to pursue a career on Broadway, later returning to Canada to perform at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He then went on to have an illustrious film career that spanned five decades and included over 100 films, though his most universally famous role
The 81 year-old Roux mused that, had the NTS waited any longer to honour him, they might have missed their chance. All joking aside, he gave the eager students the best advice he could muster: "Take pleasure in what you do." Plummer, a two-time Tony Award winner and recipient of the Companion of the Order of Canada, happily reminisced about his days as a young man in Montreal. "I think that I had more fun in this town than anywhere else... not a sober night among them!" said Plummer. He described the source of his love for act ing as the "freedom to create the pleasures that give to so many that makes it all worth while." "It's never boring," Plummer added, in praise of his challenging but satisfying profession. "W e must be mad to do this. But isn't it fun to be mad? I'd love to be able to do it all over again." Sounding like Robin W illiams in Dead Poets Society, he advised students to "seize the moment. G o all out for it. N o rules, no limits, no boundaries through which w e may not pass. There's only infinity." ■ Christopher Plummer can be seen in O liver Stones upcoming epic Alexander, playing the role o f Aristotle.
How an island awoke Seeing the blueprints of the Montreal we know SID PHARASI ontreal is a mosaic —not only culturally, but also in its urban landscape. To the wandering urban aesthetician, the down town core and its surroundings present themselves as a picture book that reflects history, attitudes and culture with the passing of every block. This city is a blend of the classic and the modern. For those more interested in the latter, venture to the Canadian Centre of Architecture, currently paying homage to the large development boom in Montreal during the 1960s. During this period, the city went under construction at a colossal ace, with projects ranging from huge commercial uildings to expressways, bridges, and the Metro. The exhibit itself is laid out in a pattern simi lar to the vision the city planners held four decades ago: the main lobby is a mock theatre with beanbag seats facing a large pro|ection screen that cycles documentaries by local filmmakers on vari ous issues that accompanied the changes. The walls are lined with original planning reports and maps that preceded the construction. From here, visitors can proceed to one of four rooms: downtown intensification, East side devel opment, West side development, or the major projects. Each room juxtaposes architectural d ra w ings with models and projection screens to pro vide a holistic learning experience. Landmarks that most residents have grown up with, such as Race des Arts, Square Victoria, the Decarie expressway, and the Champlain bridge, are deconstructed with a style that is simple, yet elegant.
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Descriptive text abounds in the form of mag azine and newspaper clippings that allow viewer to examine all the issues that came with the devel opment. Saving the best for last, the exhibit does n't give us Expo '6 7 until the final room, which marked by colourful curtain photos suspended from the ceiling. The 60s: M ontreal Thinks Big is extreme / informative and downright creative. The exhibit presents what could be a mundane topic in a manner that can be appreciated by architects, urban planners, historians and speculative individ uals alike The great objectivity in the presentation and positive effects of all the urban development is accompanied by a discussion of the setbacks faced by the populace during the late '60s and '70s. The sole failings lie in Tie Expo '6 7 room, which tries to compensate for lack of content with extreme style. The exhibition does not merely focus on the buildings alone, but also highlights key policy changes implemented during the era. Patrons can add to their food for thought by viewing interview dips with prominent players in the urban arena during the '60s, such as social activist Dimirr Roussopoulos and architect Blanche Von Ginkel For those among us who prefer to achieve the true sense of a place by embracing its history, an essential trip to the CC A is only an evening's stroll away. ■ The '60s: Montreal Thinks Big runs at the Canadian Centre o f Architecture f 1920 rue Bailei until September 2 0 0 5 , with free student admission a ll day Thursday. Visit w w w .cca.qc.ca.
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REVIEWS
The genius o f soul Jam ie Foxx shines in Ray Charles biopic SCOTT SAMEROFF hen Ray Charles comes to mind, most of our gen eration imagines a sweet, white-haired old man wearing a pair of midnight black sunglasses and singing soulful country ballads before a glowing Pepsi logo. Ray, starring Jamie Foxx,. turns this sanitary notion on its head, detailing Ray Charles Robertson's journey from a Small town life in Georgia to a groundbreaking, genre-bend ing career throughout the '50s and '60s. Beginning in the late 194 0s with a young, innocent Charles boarding a bus to Seattle, Ray depicts the ups, downs, and number one hits of the artist, with flashbacks of the early traumas and childhood experiences that shaped both his music and his demons. His climb to fame is illustrat ed through a series of musical interludes, giving background to the stories and intricacies behind such hits as "Hit the Road Jack," "Georgia on my M ind," and "I've G ot a W om an." Most surprising is the depth and honesty with which Charles's destructive life is portrayed. Although he could play the hell out of a piano, Charles was also a coldhearted bastard at times, placing his love for women, hero in, and music above his devoted family. As he delved into the depths of addiction, old friends and mistresses were dis carded with the flick of his wrist, leaving him with embarrass ing legal repercussions and also a shrewd business sense that eventually landed him a high-paying album contract. Ray Charles himself must have had one hell of a pre monition when he gave Foxx his blessing before shooting
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TRIBUTE.CA / RAY-CHARLES.COM
Which Ray is Ray? Foxx lights truth on a soul hero. began—his performance is absolutely breathtaking. From his gestures to his prose, Foxx lives and breathes the young, blind Charles. Upping his authenticity is the fact that Foxx, like Charles, has played piano since the age of three. The result is a film of soul-wrenching, feet-stomping performanc es with Charles's original recordings lip-synched by Foxx. Running a full two-and-a-half hours, this biopic does an excellent job of portraying the many facets of Ray Charles the personal and Ray Charles the musician, making it one of the most enjoyable, emotionally turbulent movies of the year. It doesn't take long to realize that music was inside of Charles, "like his ribs, his kidneys, his heart." ■
© ilm I just saved th e world! The Incredibles—a Disney film entertaining for adults
ay that you hqve never seen Star Wars, or any of the James Bond movies. Let's say, however, that you have seen—and re-seen—A Bug's Life and Monsters, Inc., and think they're "the most bestest things ever." If you fit this profile, chances are you're under 10, but even if you aren't confusing your superlatives and counting your age in halves and three-quarters, chances are you'll still enjoy The Incredibles. Set in a 1960s-esque world where men wear fedoras, bad guys have Tommy guns, and superheroes have gone into hiding, the film tells the story of one unique family's attempt to be normal. M ild mannered, overweight Bob (Craig T. Nelson) is Mr. Incredible. Due to the backlash against superheroes, he has been forced by the government to relocate and is now sporting the very average last name Parr (yes, a golfing metaphor) and working at a dead-end job as an insurance claims adjuster, while his wife, Helen (Holly Hunter), formerly Elastic Girl, raises their children. Bob spends his days trying to help his clients actually get money for their claims, and his nights reliving his superhero past with his buddy Lucius Best, a.k.a. Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), as they listen to a police scanner instead of going bowling. Standout scenes include one in which Frozone is desperate ly trying to find his super suit while his wife berates him for choosing to save the world rather than go out to dinner with her. Another is when Edna E. M ode (voiced by creator Brad Bird) tells Helen that the super suits are now machine wash
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CD. M egaphobe by Projet Orange Instantly, anyone who picks up this album will notice the nifty cartoon guy looking frightfully scared on the cover. As they turn to the back, they'll see the featured songs include both English and French titles. In my case, that was enough to have me rush home and listen to the album.full blast. And oh, how it rocks. The lyrics to half the tracks are highly metaphorical and thus confusing, but the other half raises pertinent and widely-shared ques tions about society. In "Les Géants," for example, Projet Orange questions the value of materialism, while in "Cities," they ponder why the overall population looks so sad in the city. This lyrical disparity, however, does not undermine the value of the album, as the music and overall arrangements are unbelievably impressive. M egaphobe depicts a rather mysterious and sombre w orld—likely due to guitarist Jean-Sebastien Boies's recent diagnosis of blood poisoning. Boies, however, believes that the ordeal gave the band their wings, while brother JeanChristophe's lyrics are direct ana questioning. Originally from Quebec, the brothers are forging their path—and rightly so—across the rest of Canada, unit ing French and English fans with their loud rock music in the tradition of the Foo Fighters and Radiohead. —Clara Schwartz FOOD. Café L'Étranger A quick descent into the warm glow of Café L'Etranger, and you may get the feeling that you've found the proverbial rabbit hole—indeed, one of the sandwich es available is called the "Alice in Wonderland." L'Etranger does have the feeling of another world, orbiting around its menu of six immense pages, filled cor ner to corner and top to bottom with a staggering variety
C a n 't it stay saved for a while? KATHERINE FUGLER
CD. Absolution by Muse W hen Matthew Bellamy of Muse sings, it sounds like he's being subjected to slow but ultimately fatal tor ture, yet still trying to get those last important words out in the open. Quite the perfect sound for an album permeat ed lay an uncertain sense of dread. W ith song titles such as "Apocalypse Please" and "Stockholm Syndrome," Absolution is unsettling, imposing, and utterly beautiful. The album's tracks, alternating in mood from tumul tuous orchestration to delicate acoustics, keep listeners on their toes. Muse mixes up raucous riffs and pounding drums with gentle piano and sneaky bits of electronica to personify through sound the notion of running for your life. The stand out track, "Butterflies & Hurricanes," begins with a skin-crawling pattern of tingly, soft notes and then builds up Bellamy's shivery voice with scrapes of violin and ripples of piano to a majestically doom-filled climax. The lyrics, meanwhile, are about asphyxiation, atheism, and alienation. Bellamy sings as if he's drawing his final howl, and the music sounds like everything from Billie Holliday's backing band to a stomach-churning sonic tur moil. If Absolution doesn't leave you in a confusion of existential angst and apocalyptic terror by the end, nothing will. —Melissa Price
able (and hurray, you have the laundering-obsessed parent's attention). It's scenes like this that make The Incredibles more than just a Disney merchandising machine. A tightly paced film, the action scenes were surprising ly well executed. The digital animation was so detailed, it could capture textures as random as Bob's bald spot and as breathtaking as the volcanic tropical island scenes. The Incredibles is definitely an homage to past greats. It borrows freely from Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and M ission Impossible, to name a few. In one case, Bob trades double entendres with the arcfwillain's girlfriend. Our beloved Bond would be so proud.
IMDB.COM
O ur fam ily portraits are never this cool.
So take any small child you can lay claim to; you'll be the best uncle/cousin/older sister/creepy stranger ever. Seriously, you'll laugh your heart out no matter what multiple of 10 you happen to be. ■
of comestibles. Do sample while you're there—try an array intriguing options, including crêpes, salads of exotic and traditional varieties, quesadillas, even hunan dumplings. They also offer legendary sandwiches named after legendary peo ple, and also run the gambit between burgers, pizzas, wraps, paninis, desserts, and an equally vast selection of beverages, running from the usual alcohol vari eties to piping hot coffees and teas for cold evenings. The prices are reasonable as long as you contain your stomach's excite ment. A standard burger-salad-fries combo comes to around nine dollars. Give Café L'Etranger a try: the staff is friendly and helpful, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is utterly comforting. Open Monday-Wednesday 9am-l 1pm; Thursday and Friday 9am12am; Saturday 1Oam-1 2am; Sunday 1 1am-1 1pm. Located on the corner of rue University and rue SteCatherine O. —Rebecca Lazan
StORytELLERjS Guile) this story? 0F IjlOritREAL Have you heard ■ The Montreal Storytellers* Guild tells tales for adults Adm ission $4 / $3 students F rid a y s : N o v . 12 - D e c . 3 - Jan. 7 7 :4 5 (s h a rp ) - 9:45 P M A t w a t e r C h ild re n ’s L ib r a r y 4 0 2 3 T u p p e r S t. (c o r n e r A t w a t e r , A t w a t e r M e t r o )
Info: Christine ( 514 ) 341-6622
w w w .m tls to ry te l lers.ca
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sports FOOTBALL
- Montréal
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Redmen
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McGill can't match mighty Montréal Unsolvable mystery of beating the Carabins lingers JOSEPH GILGOFF The Redmen players and coach es must have felt that CEPSUM was the site of a huge party, and that they were the uninvited guests w ho showed up, only to be quickly turned aw ay just after they got inside the door. W h ile top-ranked Université de Montréal was celebrating touchdowns on the field, their cheerleaders running through the stands screaming and their fans singing the team's praises all afternoon, the Redmen were left with the bitter disappointment of Saturdays 38-1 8 loss—ending their season the same w a y they started, with a deci sive loss to the Carabins. The Redmen exited the Q uebec playoffs in the first round for the second straight year, and finished with a 0-3 record overall against Montréal this season. M cG ill had been hoping to build on its encouraging effort against Montréal in a hard-fought loss in the regular season finale, but the Carabins were able to control the game from the start. Montréal scored touchdowns on its first two possessions before holding on to put the Redmen away. Despite the early deficit, the Redmen had their chances, with none larger than a long third down conver sion opportunity deep in Montréal ter ritory with the score 2 2 4 in the third quarter. M c G ill had managed to establish some momentum, and as the teams lined up for the crucial play, it seemed as if the game was on the line. However, the comeback was thwarted, as quarterback M att Connell threw into triple coverage, with receiver Chris M cG uire w ide open. The ball was batted down in the end zone, and less than two min utes later the Carabins had increased
THE
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their lead to 36-4 and sealed M cG ill's fate. "W e hadn't scored a touchdown on Montréal all season and I just real ly wanted to score," said Connell of the missed opportunity. “ I didn't even perform the play's reads; 1 accept full responsibility." However, Connell d id have much to be proud of. He connected for touchdowns with Eric G allaw ay and G reg Hetherington in the final quarter, and passed for 3 4 7 yards while setting a M cG ill playoff record for most completions with 25. The M cG ill pivot, an all-conference selec tion as a second^rear starter, showed flashes of brilliance but also made key mistakes, including an interception that was returned 6 0 yards for the final Montréal major. Connell's performance was a microcosm of the game and, to an extent, the entire season for M cG ill. Too many times the offence would effectively move the ball before stalling on a key play, while the defence would often look very strong on one drive, only to give up chunks of yardage on the next. "W e probably did not have the intensity w e needed," said Head Coach Chuck M cM ann, admittedly holding back in his choice of words. "W e would have [had] to do a lot dif ferently to win this ball game." W h ile the coach predictably downplayed the effect of home field advantage for the Carabins, Connell was more open to the possibility that the fans affected the Redmen's play. The M cG ill signal caller was the most popular subject of the Montréal parti sans' assortment of creative chants and jeers. The referees encountered verbal abuse as well, and even the most inconspicuous Redmen fans faced abuse from the Carabins faith ful.
VLADIMIR EREMIN
Redmen quarterback M att Connell (with ball) couldn't navigate through the Carabins defence. The hostility was also not limited to the stands, as the opposing players taunted each other, almost leading to a brawl during the fourth quarter. O f course, the Carabins themselves also managed to frustrate and demoralize the Redmen from the start. "In the beginning, our defence got us down, letting up three touch downs," commented Connell. "As for [the offence], w e were able to drive the ball and then could never seem to finish." Lost in the shuffle of the team dis appointment were many outstanding
individual performances. Connell's most frequent target was Rob LeBlanc, who finished off an all-conference sea son with a seven-catch effort. Hetherington led the squad with 1 14 yards gained on three receptions, while M cG uire chipped in with four catches. Alex Martin also shone while ending his M cG ill career in style, catching six passes and amassing 162 all-purpose yards. Looking back, the Redmen's sea son featured a lot of high hopes along with some solid wins, but no unexpect ed breakthrough victories against elite
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for Bush less than heroic n Game 6 of the ALCS, he beat the Yankees. In the second game of the W orld Series, he beat the Cardinals. But in the end, Curt Schilling only beat himself. Following his gutsy post-season performance, where he led the Boston Red Sox to their first W orld Series title in 86 years on a bum ankle, Schilling was about to receive an invi tation to enter the pantheon of sports legendry. All he had to do was accept the praise humbly, allow the accolades to come to him, pretend like it was no big deal, and the enshrinement was his. Sadly, Schilling decided not to take this approach. Instead, his attitude since his victory over N e w York has been nothing short of self-reverent, and it recently culminated when he used his newlyacquired status to publicly stump for President George W . Bush just days before the election. In agreeing to appear with Bush, and doing so at such a pivotal place and time—Ohio, of all places—Schilling revealed himself to be cal culating and manipulative. He understood that people might conflate their idolization of his heroics with their choice of can didate, and chose to abuse his influence over these star-struck citizens to help his preferred presidential contestant get re-elect ed.
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division rivals like Montréal and Laval. But even with some significant depar tures in the receiving corps and on defence (linebacker Dave Richardson and A ll-C anadian defensive back Guillaume Roy will not be back], Connell w ill lead a talented group of returning players w ho w ill be hungry to build on this season's improve ments. "Montréal may have a young team, but w e're even younger," he noted. "N o w it's just time to hit the weight room and prepare to do better next year." ■
It is important to understand that Schilling's shortcoming is not his particular political affiliation or even his outspokenness; what matters is not whether he was stumping for Bush or John Kerry, but that he was aware of the situation into which he was placing himself and could not restrain himself from using his influence. Also, Schilling's shilling is quite different than some one like Bill Clinton advocating for Kerry, because people expect politics from politicians; political opinions are all elect ed officials are known for, so if Clinton or John McCain's rec ommendation sways someone's vote, it won't be because that politico is revered for other reasons. Schilling, meanwhile, is a baseball player, and if he convinces people to vote a certain way, it is because they are enamoured with his on-field ability, not because he has a deep understanding of the political needs of his country. W hat is even more amazing is just how indulgent he was in presenting his views. After endorsing Bush with a speech and giving the President a hug, Schilling added with utmost cheese, "I know everybody wants to be on a winning team, and there's plenty of room on this bandwagon." In another appearance, he alluded to his status as a member of Boston's championship team before saying, "I'm proud to be on a team with a more
NOAH SCHEINMAN
important mission—the team that's going to get George Bush re-elected." In these (mis)statements, Schilling equates his own and his team's accomplishments with the goals of the Republicans, and by invoking these parallels, attempts to induce those across the country who cheered for the Red Sox into sharing his political views. W hile many might ignore this rhetoric or pass it off as inconsequential because they are able to develop their own political positions, they fail to remember that there is a signifi cant number of people who use this type of endorsement to form an opinion. In the end, the biggest disappointment for sports fans is that it turns out there is nothing really heroic about Schilling. Heroes are characterized by an unusual sense of courage and responsibility that separates them from others, and while Schilling may have demonstrated these qualities while pitching, in the larger stadium of life and personal character, the traits are lacking. Standing in as a more likeable, blue-collar double for the outof-touch, whitecollar President was the easy thing to do, and in the process, Schilling revealed himself to be like most other mortals—selfish, exceedingly normal, painfully mediocre, and definitely not a hero. ■
W O M E N 'S
th e mcgill tribune | 9.11.04 | sports 21
R U G B Y
Martlet ruggers return without hardware
OF F
THE BEAT EN
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But unseasoned team's strong play leaves coaches optimistic ANGELA GIANNOTTI Out of the medals. Again. W hat can be said of a team that has earned nationwide respect in recent years for its incredible regular-season unbeaten streak, but has not come through on the national stage? "W e're so young," said forwards coach Cynthia McIntosh, putting a positive spin on the team's fifth-place fin ish. The M cG ill Martlets found themselves coming home emptyhanded for the second straight year at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's rugby national championship. However, this time, the result is not so much disappointing as it is indicative of bright prospects for the extremely youth ful squad. "The average age of the [players on] the team is 20 years old," added McIntosh. "There's a huge future. The possibilities are amazing." The inexperienced Martlets were in tough from the start at the Halifax tournament, slotted in a difficult pool against five-time CIS champion University of Alberta and the eventual finalists from the University of Toronto. On Friday, the Martlets fell 20-0 to Toronto in the early game, and 21-3 to Alberta later that afternoon, with rookie full back Julianne Zussman accounting for McGill's only points in the round robin on a penalty kick. Needless to say, McIntosh felt the team did not perform as well as it could have, even against two of Canada's elite teams. "There was potential, and I think we could've beaten most of the teams here," she said. "But we haven't had that kind of tough competition all year, so it was a bit shocking to some people." McIntosh noted that the Martlet forwards held their own against the much heavier and more experienced Alberta pack and matched Toronto's forwards, but both
teams exploited the weaknesses in McGill's backline. This included Toronto fullback and Canadian national team member Heather Moyse, who the Martlet defenders simply could not tackle as she put 15 points on the board for the Varsity Blues. In the second game, despite Alberta's strength in the pack and experienced backline, the Martlets held the Pandas to an 8-0 score at the half. But after a 30-minute break in the game due to a neck injury suffered by prop Val Evans, the Martlets lost their focus. "They would capitalize on our smallest mistakes," McIntosh observed. "There were a couple of picked-off passes, and we gave them the ball a few times in rucks and mauls."
Swim club shares the vision M o n t r e a l B lin d S w im r e a c h e s o u t t o t h e c o m m u n it y MIRIAM ARONOWICZ
Martlets end on winning note as Western takes the title After going 0-2 in pool play, M cG ill was pitted against the University of Prince Edward Island in Saturday's fifth-place contest, and won 19-10. Scrum-half Jocelyn Barrieau scored two tries, while Quebec conference lead ing scorer Tess Kelley added one in leading the Martlets back from a 7-0 first half deficit. According to McIntosh, the Martlets were overconfident against the sixth-ranked Panthers and although they won the game, McGill's mar gin of victory should have been larger. Still, the Martlets have something to look forward to as the team matures next year, and should be able to con tend with the likes of the University of Western Ontario, who upset Alberta in the semi-final before beating Toronto in the final. W hile the Martlets' finish wasn't particularly reward ing, hooker Julia Leonard was named All-Canadian and Head Coach Vince deGrandpré was named coach of the year at Thursday's year-end banquet, and Barrieau was selected to the tournament all-star team. ■
CO U R TESY O F MIRIAM A R O N O W IC Z
Blind Swim instructors appeal to senses other than sight.
SOCCER
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Montréal
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Martlets shutout Carabins for provincial crown MELANIE MACDONALD Rain, sleet, and frigid winds didn't dampen the high energy of the women's Quebec Student Sport Federation soccer final between M cG ill and the Université de Montréal Sunday night. For the Martlets, this provincial final wasn't about earning a chance at a gold medal in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship this weekend, because they already had their berth wrapped up. Yet even in their secure position, the Martlets wanted to take the provincial crown by beating the only team who had defeated it all season, and did just that, exacting revenge with a 3-0 win at Molson Stadium. M cG ill got out to an early lead, taking only seven minutes to find the back of the net. The scoring chance was created when a Carabins defender gave up on a ball she thought was going out of bounds, but was kept in by Martlet striker Jennifer Scanzano. Scanzano then passed it to nearby Danielle Day, who wasted no time in crossing the ball in front of the goalkeeper. Sarah Chmielewski fin ished the play by ringing the ball in off the left post. After this goal, however, the intensity seemed to sim mer, and the rest of the first half was plagued by unsettled and tentative play. Day explained that she felt the play was a bit sluggish in the first half, and that it took until after half time before the Martlets really got into a rhythm. "I thought that it was a little slow starting. It was good that we came out and had a goal, but then we laid back a. bit and were a bit flat," Day, who was named QSSF player of the year, explained. "W e weren't first to the ball, and we were sitting back and just watching. W e weren't playing our game." To make matters worse in the first half, Chmielewski was sent off with a red card after retaliating against an opposing player. The Martlets looked to have their work cut out for them playing shorthanded for the rest of the game, but the team rallied against this setback, and was able to reenergize and better execute their game. The payoff came four minutes into the second half, when a corner kick by Catherine Scott produced a flurry of chances for the Martlets, with Alanna Maloney heading the ball in just under the crossbar. The final nail in the Carabins' coffin was secured with three minutes left, when Alison W icks potted a rebound off a Maloney corner kick. The win was a satisfying one because of the strong play by the shorthanded Martlets in the second half, and because of whom they had to beat for the provincial title, noted Head Coach M arc Mounicot. "In the second half, even though we had one less
PATRICK FO K
Toni Pascale (9) battles against U de M on Sunday. player, we were much better and we scored two goals while Université de Montréal didn't shoot on net once," he said. "The time that Montréal beat us early in the season, well, it was total luck. And tonight we showed that we are the best team in the league." In addition to the Martlets victory, the team had nine .players named QSSF all-stars. Day, Maloney, Morag Mitchell-Carvalho, and Eloise Vandal were selected to the first team, while Chmielewski, Scanzano, Shari Fraser, Kate Rogers, and Antonietta Pascale taking second-team honours. W ith the QSSF season now put to bed, M cG ill sets its sights towards claiming national glory, with the CIS championship starting Thursday at Montreal's CEPSUM. ■
was always the kid who was picked last for teams in gym class. It did n't- really bother me, because I couldn't understand the emotion everyone invested into a game. I was left out because, supposedly, I didn't appreciate the essence of sport. Yet I hear about issues such as the NHL labour dispute, and the greed and selfishness of sport has become increasingly evident. That is not to say that the essence of sports is no longer there, it is just increasingly harder to find. That's where Montreal Blind Swim comes in—a weekly gathering at the Currie Gym's Memorial Pool for children that have visual and mental disabilities. It is a program created in an attempt to bring athletics back to the community, and it provides these kids an equal opportunity to par ticipate in sports. The lessons are conducted on a one-to-one basis, and catered to the children's special needs. W ith a physical, hands-on style of teaching, the children are taught to orient themselves and feel comfortable in the water. W hat is unique is that the instructors have been trained to teach to different senses and the lessons are guided by voice instead of vision. Yet ultimately, despite the different means of instruction, the children are work ing to pass the standardized Canadian Red Cross swimming certifica tions. Blind Swim is not about who is picked first for the team, who can swim the fastest, or who can win the most games. It is about investing time for others. W hile charities, fundraisers, and donations all exist, there are few programs that cater to normalizing disabled children's lives. A blind child can hardly compete with their classmates in team sports or gym class, simply because their needs are so different. As a result, blind children are often denied a world of activity many of us take for granted. Blind Swim works to change this. The program turns athletics into a positive expérience for all and uses sport as a means of bettering lives. M ore important, it promotes athletics to those who have traditionally been excluded. W hile the instructors may teach the kids how to swim, the kids teach something themselves. Athletics is not about training to be the world's best athlete, but about being active and having fun. These children embody the true essence of sportsmanship, determination, will, and endurance under any circumstance. If athletics is about willpower, fearlessness, and fortitude, the students of Blind Swim surpass all others. As a student, it is easy to become submersed in the routines of every day life. It is especially easy to forget that the world exists beyond those around campus and in the Ghetto. But M cG ill is filled with people who are looking to make a difference in someone else's life. An athletic out reach program is unique in that it allows people to be active in their con tributions. Rather than simply collecting cheques, the program thrives on the efforts of its volunteers, and especially the effort put forth by the chil dren involved. Blind Swim enables these children to experience the same things other kids their age enjoy. The program is valuable because it reclaims the spirit of sportsmanship that is often neglected. It strips aw ay the com petitiveness and selfishness common to athletics, in exchange for recre ation, education, and giving everyone an equal opportunity. ■
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For more information, contact blindswim@hotmail.com
2 2 sports | 9.11.04 | the mcgill tribune
Redmen exorcise dem ons in win Vicotry over Bishop's caps p e rfe ct season Continued from cover
VLADIMIR EREMIN
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M cG ill held off its attack, and patiently looked for opportunities to score. Bishop's was penalized twice in the ensuing play fol lowing their convert, and M cG ill elected to kick. Though fly-half Matt DeGraff missed from 35 and 41 yards out, it seemed that the Redmen were preparing early on for a phys ical game that would come down to which team had the more1accurate kicker. It was at that point that the Redmen for wards decided to take matters into their own hands, and made their presence felt after a line-out deep in Bishops territory. A McGill player plucked the ball out of the air, and the Redmen pack closed around him and pushed the Bishop's defence right to their goal line. Then, fly-half Chris Knutson passed the ball out to the M cG ill backs. When winger Nicolas Cadrin received the pass, he took advantage of the Gaiter's overaggressive defence by cutting back against the grain and diving for M cG ills first try just under the goalposts. DeGraff added the con vert, and it seemed the Redmen had found the answer to Bishop's speed and aggres siveness. "Our forwards just demolished theirs and opened up places for the backs to score," Knutson explained. The Redmen came out flying once again after the ensuing kickoff, and again the M cG ill forwards pounded the ball deep into Bishop's territory. W hen M ark Ihnatowycz received a pass out of a ruck, he also cut back against an over-pursuing Bishop's defender, and hit paydirt for the first of his three tries on the day, extending McGill's lead to 14-3. But Bishops stayed true to form and pressured M cG ill into turning the ball over in their end. After a scrum got the ball out to their speedy backs, he found the end zone to make it a 14-10 game. DeGraff followed that with a penalty kick from 35 yards out, sending the teams to the locker rooms with
the Redmen leading 17-10. In the second half, though, it seemed that the powerful M cG ill pack had taken a lot out of the Gaiters, and the Redmen were able to run rampant on Bishops. "Rugby is a game of attrition," explained McCaffrey. "O a r forwards really dominated them, and our backs really exploited open spaces." This seemed to be the case as McGill exploded for three consecutive tries to start the second half, including a highlight reel play from Ihnatowycz. The thirchyear centre passed the ball straight back over his shoul der to a streaking John Reid as he was swarmed by a number of Gaiters on the sideline, and the fullback Reid was able to waltz into the end zone untouched. "I made the call to [Ihnatowycz] so he knew I was there. I thought it was lucky, but he says he planned it," Reid said after the game. "It's something I've been working on for a couple years, but it's the first time it's actu ally panned out in a game," Ihnatowycz added. After that try made the score 36-10 McGill, the game turned into something of a garbage-time runaway. Both teams substitut ed players, and though the Redmen backs added another three tries, all credit was given to the forwards for their efforts. "W e have a lot of room to run if they suck in so many players, so we just swung it wide and the gaps presented themselves and we took advantage of it," Ihnatowycz said in praise of the pack. As part of the medal ceremonies, Knutson, DeGraff, Ihnatowycz, flanker John Anfonecchia, and eight-man Oliver Lyttelyton were named to the QURL all-star team, but the only awards they or the other Redmen were concerned about were the gold medals hanging around their necks. Sometimes history repeats itself, but on Sunday, the M cG ill Redmen rewrote the final chapter. ■
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It looks like it's going to be another long year for McGill basketball fans. Both the Redmen and Martlets started the season 0-2, with neither team managing to stay within 10 points of their opponents in any game. On Friday, both M cG ill squads hosted Laval in their respective season openers, and each lost by nearly identical margins: the men fell 79-65, while the women were dis patched 76-63. One bright spot for the Martlets was the play of 6 '4 " rookie centre Julianne Noseworthy, who notched 24
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Greg LeBlanc scored the gamewinner at 15:45 of the third period to give the Redmen a 5-4 victory over Ryerson on Saturday, a win that—combined with M cG ills 3-2 triumph over Toronto on Friday—gives the Redmen sole possession of first place in the O UA Far East division with a 4-1-1 record. Doug Orr, Mathieu Leclerc, Charles Gauthier, and rookie phenom JeanMichel Daoust also scored for M cG ill against the Rams, while Patrice Godin made 15 saves to preserve the win. Meanwhile, the fifth-ranked Martlets upset No. 3 Concordia 3-1 Saturday at McConnell Arena, on the strength of three second-period goals. Véronique Lapierre scored the eventual gamewinner 1 1:33 into the frame, and Valérie Paquette added an insurance marker four minutes later. Kalie Townsend made 24 saves for the victory as McGill outshot the Stingers 38-25. The Win moves the Martlets into a first-place tie with Ottawa in the QSSF.
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points, while Derek Armstrong led the men with 24 of his own, on 9 of 18 shooting. Saturday at Concordia proved just as tough, with the women losing 66-54, and the men getting blown out by a 78-55 count. The Martlets were led by Amanda Costa and Isabelle Provencher, each with 1 1 points, while Armstrong again led the Redmen, this time with 18 points. The men were without all-conference guard Denburk Reid, who was excused for coaching commitments at Dawson College. As a result, the Redmen were shaky handling the ball, committing 2 9 turnovers to Concordias 10. Both teams are winless in league play, with the Martlets now at 0-8 overall. They'll try to snap that losing streak on Friday, when Bishop's visits Love Competition Hall.
Grapplers get on the podium M cG ills wrestling team posted strong results at two recent tournaments. At the Concordia invitational last week the team earned four medals, with a bronze coming from Eric Weiss in the 66-kg class, silvers in the womens 80-kg and men's 76-kg classes, from Nafisa Hanedy and Jean-Daniel Papillon, respectively, and a gold medal from Hana Askren in the women's 48-kg competition. Askren also picked up a gold medal at Saturday's meet, hosted by McMaster University.
In Brief The women's volleyball team defeated Montréal 3-2 to win its first match of the year... The men's team wasn't as lucky, los ing 3-1 to its cross-town rivals.
the mcgill tribune | 9 .11 04 | sports 2 3
Going for goooooooooooooooooooooooold! Montreal is alive and kicking this week, with both the men's and women's CIS soccer championships taking place at M cG ill and Université de Montréal, respectively, starting on Thursday. Molson Stadium will be busy all week, with most of the men's tourney, and a few women's games as well. M O HIT ARORA and DAN McQUILLAN break down the men's field.
St. Mary's Huskies
Montréal Carabins
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Regular season: 9-1-2 National rank: 3rd VIP pass: Atlantic champions Top scorer: Ryan Devereaux— 14 goals Keeper: Jamil Ibrahim (5-1-1)— 1 1 GP, 2 GA, 6 SO Coach: Stewart G allow ay
Regular season: 11-1-2 National rank: 1st VIP pass: Quebec champions Top scorer: Boubacar Coulibaly— 13 goals Keeper: Erick Tsafack Nguentse (7 -0 0 )— 14 GP, 0 G A, 7 SO Coach: Pat Raimondo
The pride of Halifax qualified by defeating the University of N e w Brunswick via penalty kicks in the AUS final. St. Mary's may boast the nation's leading scorer in Devereaux, but it is the defence that makes this team click. Ibrahim is lights out in goal, but he's just one part of a tough St. Mary's unit that allowed only five goals this season in AUS play. The key to the Huskies' suc cess will be their ability to keep the ball out of their net and find a player other than Devereaux w ho can put it in the opposition's goal.
The Carabins enter this tourney as the frontrunner to win the CIS championship. The two-pronged attack o f Coulibaly and Julien Delà Riera—second and third iri the country in scoring, respective ly—often intimidates teams enough to limit their attack against the Carabins for fear of being burned by the two strikers. But those w ho take the chance and look fqr the back of the U de M net have a hard time finding if with Nguentse protecting the cage. His per fect record so far this season means the Carabins have few weak nesses to exploit.
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Victoria Vikes
Toronto Varsity Blues
Regular season: 8-2-2 National rank: 4th VIP pass: Canada W est champions Top scorer: Pat G aw ris—6 goals Keeper: Trevor Stiles (2-0-0)— 12 GP, 2 GA, 1 SO Coach: Bruce W ilson
Regular season: 5-2-3 National rank: 8th VIP pass: O ntario finalists Top scorer: Sean Myers—8 goals Keeper: Luciano Lombardi (5-1-1) — 10 GP, 6 G A, 4 SO Coach: John Vidovich
Victoria s conference chances were greatly aided by C algary tak ing out powerhouse Trinity Western, but the Vikes proved their merit by defeating the defending national champions, Alberta, before toppling the Dinos in the conference final. The Vikes spread the ball around better than any other team in the tournament, with five dif ferent players netting at least four goals as part of the most potent offence in Canada West. But Victoria may struggle if nobody emerges as a go-to guy now that they're squaring off against the best of the best.
The Blues lost a heartbreaker to Western in the O U A final by having two penalty shots turned aside. Toronto looks to rebound at the nationals and its hopes lie heavily on the shoulders of Myers. The fourthyear striker picked up eight tallies in nine games this season and opponents w ill find him hard to shut down. Rookie Lombardi has been solid between the sticks for the Blues, and Toronto will need more of the same if they hope to pull off some upsets and claim the national prize.
McGill Redmen
Western Ontario Mustangs
Regular season: 5-4-5 National rank: not in top 10 VIP pass: Host Top scorer: Fernando Daluiso—4 goals Keeper: Jose Luis Valdez (3-3-2)—9 GP, 10 GA, 2 SO Coach: Adam Mar, fourth year
Regular season: 7-2-1 National rank: 5th VIP pass: O ntario champions Top scorer: Jason De Thomasis—6 goals Keeper: Haidan Al-Shaibani (7-1 -0) — 11 GP, 4 GA, 6 SO Coach: Rock Basacco
The Redmen fought through an up-and-down season. They knew all along that they would be at the nationals, and this might have led to a loss of concentration late in the year, as the team picked up only one win in its last five games. W h a t is certain, though, is that the Red 'n' W hite have the talent and opportunity to make a splash; let's not forget that M cG ill tied the top-ranked Carabins earlier this season, and there's no underestimating what kind of an advantage home field can provide. Coach M a r needs to get his crew on the same page, because this is their time to shine.
The Mustangs got here by downing the Varsity Blues in penalty kicks to claim their second straight Ontario University Athletics crown Western boasts an impressive defensive unit, backstopped by the formidable Al-Shaibani, who allow ed only six goals during the regular season. The 'Slangs, from London, Ontario, also have a balanced offence, with four different play ers netting at least three goals. The competition will be tough, but they should be considered a dark horse to take home the title.
Women's tournament schedule
Men's tournament schedule
Thursday, Nov. 11
Thursday, Nov. 11 1 2 :0 0 Western O ntario vs. Montréal (Molson) 1 4:1 5 Saint M ary's vs. M cG ill (Molson)
1 4 :0 0 UPEI vs. Trinity Western (CEPSUM) 1 6 :1 5 M cG ill vs. Western Ontario (CEPSUM)
Friday, Nov. 12
Friday, Nov. 12
1 2 :0 0 Victoria vs. Western Ontario (Molson) 14:15 Toronto vs. Saint Mary's (Molson)
1 4 :0 0 Trinity Western vs. Montréal (CEPSUM) 1 6 :1 5 Western Ontario vs. Queen's (CEPSUM)
Saturday, Nov. 13 1 0 :0 0 Montréal vs. Victoria (Molson) 1 2: 15 M c G ill vs. Toronto (Molson)
Saturday, Nov. 13 1 4 :3 0 Montréal vs. UPEI (Molson) 1 6 :4 5 Queen's vs. M cG ill (Molson)
Sunday, Nov. 14 1 0 :0 0 Bronze medal game (Molson) 1 2 :0 0 G old medal game (CEPSUM)
Sunday, Nov. 14 1 2 :3 0 Bronze medal game (Molson| 1 5 :0 0 G old medal game (CEPSUM) PATRICK FOK
1i I 1 i \ I I « i 1 i t i 1t !
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