The McGill Tribune Vol. 26 Issue 5

Published by the Students'Society of McGill University

www.m cgilltribune.com

Volum e 26 Issue 5 • O ctober 3,200 6

Mixed reviews for smoking laws R e s tric tio n s e n f o r c e d o n " r e a c t io n a r y b a s is " K en S u n In an effort to com ply with Que­ bec's new anti-smoking legislation, McGill has introduced a new policy governing lighting up on campus.

But the com plete implementation of that policy has not been problem free.

Bill 112 came into effect on May 31 as an am endm ent to the Tobacco Act. The bill prohibits smoking within a nine-meter radius of any door lead­ ing to a public institution, such as a university or hospital and outlaws to­ bacco sales on school campuses.

While the new bill and McGill's new policy have gone a long way toward restricting smoking space on paper, enforcing the laws has been less successful. Students and staff can often be seen smoking under over­ hangs or standing immediately out­ side doorways to McGill buildings.

'W e haven't received an official mandate but w e w ould be the peo­ ple that others w ould call for enforce­ ment,' said Pierre Barbarie, assistant m anager of McGill Security Services.

'However, w e definitely don't have a task force for enforcing this. Currently, w e don't have that type of m anpow ­ er and no plans are in place to des­ ignate som eone to answer all these calls or to ensure that these rules are not violated.'

Barbarie said that currently, Secu­ rity Services responds to com plaints by sending a car patrol to advise in­ dividuals smoking within the ninemeter radius to move away from the restricted areas, but he added that they have other responsibilities and that their response is on a "reaction­ ary basis".

Thus far, students seem to have

obeyed the advice of security patrol­ lers, perhaps with som e reluctance.

"Security tells me to move away from the doors sometimes when I forget," said Mike Hainey, U3 Political Science and Economics. "This will get really irritating and inconvenient in the winter or if it's raining."

Zarah Ross, Ui French Literature, expressed her frustrations.

"At my old school, w e could smoke just outside the door," Ross said. "Where are we going to smoke?

We can't smoke here, we can't smoke in the field and we can't smoke on the road because of all the cars driving by.

Where are w e going to smoke?"

Morty Yalovsky, vice-principal administration and finance, said that these new policies are only on a "trial basis,"and will be revisited.

"We have made the decision to give ourselves one full cycle to m oni­ tor how this new regulation is ac­ cepted and to observe its impacts,” he said. "We will then determ ine what additional steps need to be taken. We have already seen several instances in other hospitals, schools and uni­ versities wherein lines are physically drawn on pavement. We do not wish to deface our cam pus in this way un­ less there is no alternative."

In an effort to force smokers to comply, the university has removed all ashtrays w ithin a nine-meter radius of doors. Yalovsky also said that McGill Security w ould only enforce the new rules if there is a com plaint or if a foot patroller observes a violation.

There have been m otions to­ wards making McGill's cam pus com ­ pletely smoke-free, as an added in­ centive to help smokers quit.

"The University does have the See POLICY o n p ag e 5

ng with friends... to talk about FEUQ and this, w hile sketchy and inappropriis certainly not a violation of ......said SSMU VP External Max Silverman.

Van Eyken, w ho organized the it as a prelimi-

However, w hen SSMU execu­ tives contacted la FEUQ's President •lair, they were told that Lafrance had reported the meeting casual gathering between 10 had happened to run

"The purpose of the meeting to be the first lobbying meethe said. ‘ It was to evaluate re­ sources, establish people w e could contact, establish the opinion lead­ ers w hich in this case w ould be SSMU executives and faculty lead­ ers and the press, evaluate what the

See INCIDENT on page 7

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COVER PHOTO BY LUKAS BERGMARK

CAMPUS

Hillel House obtains $2.1 m for renovations P o p u la r gathering space f o r J e w is h s t u d e n t s gets fa c e lift E mily B arca Montreal's newly renovated Hillel House was inaugurated and renamed W ednesday as the Jack Reitman Hillel House. Purchased in 1944 by the M ount Royal Lodge of B'nai Brith, this is its first renovation since 1952.

The $2.i-million project, initiated by the Hillel Board, took four years of fundraising and planning and six months of construction, end ­ ing in Novem ber 2005. During that time, chang­ es were m ade to the lounge, student activity centre, chapel, reading room and staff offices.

The bathrooms and kitchenette of the student residence were redesigned and a library with a com puter lab and study carrels was added to the second floor.

For 56 years the Hillel House has provided accom m odation, religious and social program ­ ming as well as kosher food to 8,000 Jewish students from McGill, Concordia and six other cam puses in the Montreal area.The response to the renovation has been positive.

"The opening of the Hillel house was very exciting for the students as this is our hom e through the year," said Alex Halpern, vice-presi­ dent external of Hillel Montreal.

"Seeing all the adults w ork so hard to make this house the best it can be was a very positive experience for our students," he said. "Knowing that there's support from the adult com m unity provides confidence for our students to our value within the greater unity. As students we know we are the future and to see our adults reinforce that with their actions brings great comfort."

The changes are already benefiting the student groups that use the house.

Rachel Nobel, head of the egalitarian

Dov Whitman presiding over the installation and friendship." prayer group at McGill, said that they used the of a m ezuza h , a scroll inscribed with a Hebrew Wisse, speaking about her experiences as new hall for our High Holiday celebration. a Jewish student, described the house as hav­ prayer that is placed on the doorpost of many The house was renamed to com m em o­ Jewish homes, signifying God's blessing and ing been "a kind of haven where students could rate the late Jack Reitman, w hose family was protection. ■ explore their Jewish identities." the project's major donor. The son of Romanian The ceremony ended with Hillel Rabbi immigrants, Reitman attended McGill in the Faculty of Arts but left before graduation. After serving in the air force for five years, he made his career at Reitmans, the family business.

Standing in the newly refurbished front hall on W ednesday evening, Mr. Reitman's widow, Betty Reitman, explained w hy the fam­ ily chose the cause.

"My husband had a great rapport with young people," Reitman said. "They used to com e to his office and ask him for career ad­ vice. We thought this.would be the most fitting tribute, to make the house friendlier, to revital­ ize it.”

The inauguration cerem ony was attended by distinguished m em bers of the Jewish com ­ m unity as well as McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum.

Munroe-Blum was pleased to see an in­ vestm ent on the part of the com m unity that impacts the lives of McGill students. She also spoke at the event, emphasizing "how very im­ portant it is for the com m unity and students to have a place where they can practice their faith."

Lawrence Bergman, Q uebec minister of revenue and keynote speaker Ruth Wisse, pro­ fessor of Yiddish and Comparative Literature at Harvard and a former McGill professor and alum nus, both highlighted the role of the Hillel House in both the past and present.

"This institution has becom e a com m unal EMILY BARCA gathering place," Bergman said, "a support sys­ The inauguration was attended by donors, members of Hillel and faculty members. tem for students looking for a little guidance

@MAC

New postage stamp puts Mac on the map S o m e s t u d e n t s a r e s u r p r is e d t o s e e f o r m e r b u ild in g f e a t u r e d V incci

Tsui

Canada Post launched a stamp com­ memorating the 100 th anniversary of McGill's Macdonald campus in a ceremony last Tues­ day. However, the stamp features a picture of a building belonging to a nearby CEGEP rather than MacDonald. The structure, known as the Herzberg building, once belonged to MacDon­ ald campus, but is now part of John Abbott College.

The stamp, designed by Denis LAIlier with photographer Guy Lavigueur, is part of a series

by Canada Post featuring post-secondary in­ stitutions celebrating milestone anniversaries.

Like other stamps in the series, the Macdonald stamp features a photo of one of the buildings on campus behind the faculty crest, with a ver­ tical banner flying in the background. The co­ lour scheme is based on the official Macdonald colours: red, green and gold.

Initial feedback from students was mixed.

"My first reaction was,'Oh, that's John Ab­ bott,”'said Emma Loosigian, U1 Bioresource En­ gineering. "I mean, it used to be Mac when it started, I guess, but it's not anymore."

Dr. David Lewis, associate dean of student affairs and one of the driving forces behind the realization of the stamp, recognized the stu­ dents' concerns, but defended the choice of Herzberg as the stamp's focal point.

"Macdonald has been here for 100 years, and of course, for about 75 years of students,

that was home," he said. "We are com m em orat­ ing the Macdonald College com m unity and the fact that 75 years o f it happened in that com ­ plex, it's pretty easy to rationalize and accept.

There is a difference between the present-day students and what they see in the stamp and a w hole lot of alumni w ho look at that with a lot of pride.”

Billed as the main building on cam pus by both the Canada Post and McGill press releas­ es, the Herzberg building used to be called the Main Building when it belonged to Mac, but was part of the land that was leased to John Abbott College w hen it opened in 1971.

The tw o cam puses shared the area well into the late 70s, but Macdonald eventually de­ cided to move more to the east side of campus, where the new main building, MacdonaldStewart, was built. Eventually, JAC renamed the Main Building, and in 2Ô02 bought all of the buildings they occupied from McGill.

Lewis noted that other buildings on cam ­ pus were considered, but both he and LAIlier agreed that they were not as photogenic as the Herzberg building.

Another point of confusion is that the stamp com m em orates the years "1906-2006" while all o f the promotional material Mac has put out for the centenary say "1907-2007".

"Our centenary com m ittee thought it w ould be nice to be able to have a year long celebration that w ould start with Hom ecom ­ ing 2006 and go to 2007," said Lewis, "but if we

released the stamp in 2007, that w ould be at the end of that and w e thought it w ould be nice if we could use the stamp all year."

Canada Post requested that the centenary com m ittee build a case for releasing the stamp in 2006, and after going through the archives, the committee was able to prove that M acdon­ ald College was incorporated by McGill Univer­ sity in 1906.

Dr. Linda Jacobs-Starkey, interim dean of students and chair of the centenary com m it­ tee, explained that the use of a former build­ ing goes well with the them e that Macdonald cam pus is planning for the celebrations.

"The celebrations during Hom ecoming this year will be a reflection of the past," she said, "then in 2007, w e will be looking to the fu­ ture and celebrating what Mac has to offer."

Both Lewis and Jacobs-Starkey agree that the first day cover, w hich is an envelope featur­ ing the stamp as well as additional images and a quick history of Macdonald, is more reflective of the cam pus today.

"We provided a lot o f pictures to Canada Post to show research and to show student life," Jacobs-Starkey said. "On the first day cover, there are photos of some of the labs w e have today, as well as the McGill Martlet rugby team, w ho call Mac cam pus their hom e field."

Canada Post issued 2.5 million of the d o­ mestic rate (51-c) stamps, w hich will be sold in booklets of eight at postal outlets across the country. ■

VINCCI TSUI

After unveiling the stamp, Mac administrators made a failed attempt at sticking it to a giant-sized envelope.

03.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 3

NATIONAL

CAMPUS

Student interns recall PM's Chief of Staff tales of global work pushes term limits Arts s t u d e n t s c o m p e t e for s p o t s K elly D aly McGill students who dedicated their sum­ mers to working for a better world will be re­ counting their tales this week, thanks to the Faculty of Arts Internship Program.

Each year the program offers a group of students the opportunity to travel abroad and work in a field of their choice. The work varies from student to student, with this year's crop participating in archaeological digs, promoting women's rights, educating others about AIDS awareness and campaigning for global pover­ ty-reduction in regions like Gautamala, Kenya, Beverly Hills and Chile.

Program Coordinator and recent McGill graduate Sarah Berger Richardson recalled her 2005 internship in Havana, working for the Cuban Association of Agro-forestry Techni­ cians.

"Learning to live and work with people in another culture is as significant as the duties you have working full time,"she said.

Richardson added that the local commu­ nity greeted her with a warm reception.

"They were really happy to have some­ one speak their language and see a solidarity in having someone from another country help them. They wished more people would come," she said.

During her internship, Richardson was re­ sponsible for aiding in the implementation of new forms of food production at the provincial level. The organization provided support and

resources for anyone involved in food produc­ tion on any scale. Her encompassing project, CAAT, ran workshops to teach individuals how to grow their own food, provided cooperatives with the knowledge to market food sufficient­ ly, and supported the endeavors of research institutions striving to develop better means of irrigation. Richardson herself participated in farming work, taught women to cook and trav­ eled to different sites to evaluate agricultural technologies.

While many students may wish to spend their summers working with an organization like CAAT, securing an internship isn't always easy. The process is extremely competitive.

Candidates are evaluated based on personal interviews, GPAs, CVs and letters detailing their objectives for the program. The faculty then provides funding to its most outstanding appli­ cants. Even then, holding an internship doesn't come without challenges.

"Internships aren't always flawless," Rich­ ardson said. "There are always difficulties and degrees of miscommunication.They require a lot of improvisation, taking initiative and often developing one's own project."

McGill students who participated in in­ ternships in the summer will provide the com ­ munity with a glimpse into their experiences at the Third Annual Internship Fair on October 17th from 4-6pm in Leacock 232. Interns will share their highlights, struggles and advice for future program participants. ■

M c G ill graduate s a y s 'it's a g o o d t im e t o b e a p o litic a l s c ie n t is t ' F rances S hapiro M unn McGill grad turned Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ian Brodie, visited his alma mater last week to talk with students about new conservative reforms in Ottawa. Brodie, w ho earned his BA from McGill in 1990, now holds one of the most important jobs in Ottawa.

Political science students and professors packed a classroom in the Arts building to hear him speak on Wednesday afternoon.

"It is possible to do an entire career with a job based on what you learned with your McGill political science degree," he said, earning loud laughs from the audience.

"I don't think there is, to coin a phrase, a'hid­ den agenda' here," Brodie said, explaining why the government has formulated a number of reforms.

"Politics of constitutional reform [is] to be embarked upon only with great caution," he said. "We've got to focus on making workable, practical reforms to the way the Government of Canada operates."

Brodie cited the appointment of a Supreme Court nominee last February as an example, where for the first time a parliamentary commit­ tee questioned a judicial appointee. "[This was] not a revolutionary move by any means, but an important first step," he said.

Earlier this month, Stephen Harper an­

nounced plans to shorten Senate terms to eight years. Brodie called it a useful reform and indicat­ ed that it would be one of the first steps towards a fully elected Senate.

"There's a lot of justifications out there for why Senators should be elected, but there's very little practical work that's been done," he said.

"Very few people have really started to think this through."

Currently, Senators are appointed by the Prime Minister and serve until the age of 75. Crit­ ics have long charged that an unelected Senate reduces the legitimacy of the government.

"Harper believes reform is necessary to revi­ talize the Senate and make it a chamber of sober second thought," Brody said.

However, constitutional reform in Canada has had a divisive past. Brodie admitted that it has been a forbidden topic.

He referenced his years at McGill in the 1980s w hen constitutional reform was one of the cornerstones of governm ent policy. The failure of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords, however, led to the near demise of the Progres­ sive Conservative Party.

Despite the constitutional rhetoric, Brodie admitted his main focus is ensuring Stephen Harper remains Prime Minister.

"That's my most important job," he said. "See my wife at the end of the day before I go to bed, and make sure my boss gets re-elected" ■

CAMPUS

Organic Campus undergoes expansion Savoire Faire out, non-incorporated organic provider in S onya B ell In a move designed to give students a healthy and envi­ ronmental alternative to Provigo and Metro, the McGill-Organic Co-Op has been reborn as a SSMU service, Organic Campus. It is now operating on the second floor of the Shatner building.

"We've had a lot of luck," said Organic Campus executive committee member Zoé Gagnon Paquin.

"In their new space they're going to have greater accessibility and visibility."

— Floh Herra-Vega Last year, the group could be found taking orders and or­ ganizing pick-ups tucked inside the coat-check at Gert's. Co-op members went there to submit their weekly order at set hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays and returned the following Tues­ day to pick it up from the local supplier.

"We wanted something better," Paquin said. "There aren’t many people passing by the Gert's coat-check. We wanted to expand; we wanted storage space. Students are our main market and it's not easy for them to prepare a week in advance what they want to cook, nor to pick up their food right when the farm­ er delivers, because they have classes."

Paquin initiated a dialogue with SSMU to see what the new group of executives could do to help their fledgling enterprise.

"When I first met with Zoé at the beginning of the summer, the McGill Organic Co-Op was interested in writing a lease with us to have a space to sell," said Floh Herra-Vega, SSMU VP clubs and services.

It proved to be the perfect time to put in a request. The sub­ basement of the Shatner building, which boasts ample space, two walk-in fridges, shelves and a freezer, had recently become available because SSMU was not satisfied with Savoir Faire, the group that operated there last year. And with another stroke of luck, the co-op lost its incorporated status with the government

and was free to accept SSMU's offerto become an official service.

"When the co-op started a few years ago, we went incorporated, thinking it w ould pro­ vide better things for us - but it never did. It created a lot of administrative hassles," Paquin said. "This year, I received a letter from the governm ent saying that there were papers missing from 2004 and that w e w ould lose our incorporation status."

The group did not protest the loss.

Herra-Vega is optimistic about Organic Campus' potential.

"They're in the process of transitioning," she said. "In their new space, they're going to have greater accessibility and visibility."

Organic Campus is run by an executive committee composed of students who have volunteered for the group, tabling and dis­ tributing. They are an eclectic mix of students from the downtown and Macdonald campus­ es, from fields as diverse as philosophy and biology.

Theirfresh organic produce is supplied by Berhanu Wassihun of True Food Ecostere. The Wassihun family .owns and operates the farm in Glen Robertson, Ontario, near the Quebec border. Their delivery van can be seen pulling up to the Shatner building on a weekly basis MATT CAMPBELL loaded with produce and hand-made Ethio­ Organic Campus's ad campaigns have already gone negative. pian treats. dents can place orders with them on the main level of the ShatOrganic Campus has come a long way from roaming the ner building. streets in search of free wood to build storage shelves and they "It's great, cheap food available on campus, that's the attrac­ have no plans to slow down. They hope that with more volun­ tion," Paquin said. ■ teers, they will be able to operate five days a week and even on weekends. The enterprise's long-term goal is to operate like a grocery store, following the model of Concordia's Le Frigo Vert, and actually generate employment on campus. Until then, stu-

Ifyou are interested in volunteering for Organic Campus, check out www.ssmu.ca/foodcoop

The McGill Tribune

4* News *03.10.06

News Briefs Endnote battles plagiarism As part of its ongoing efforts to combat plagiarism on campus, McGill Libraries have purchased a license for Endnote, an electronic citation tool. However, one year after its introduction to campus, students remain largely unaware of the program.

"It has not been advertised enough. We need to meet with grad students and also with undergrads," said Liaison Librarian Dar­ lene Canning.

The program allows students to enter citation information into a database within the program, and then insert the produced citation into a paper. By clicking a few but­ tons the citations can be formatted

in any number of styles. Users can even choose from a list of journals to have the program format refer­ ences in the publication's style. It also provides Cite While You Write, a feature that formats and inserts ref­ erences, figures and tables directly into Microsoft Word documents.

To get the word out to stu­ dents, pamphlets were prepared and distributed last year. In addi­ tion, most recent workshops on library research have included a section about Endnote, and there is a specific workshop available that explains how to use the program.

Instructions are also available on­ line.

However, part of the reason for the program's lack of popularity

could be its complexity.

"It's a valuable tool, but there is a learning curve,"said Canning.

More than just a citation re­ source, Endnote has the ability to cross reference searches within any participating libraries including Yale and Princeton. It also provides students the choice of creating ci­ tations as they write or after they have finished.

An online version of Endnote will come out in mid-January of next year, making formatted refer­ ences available online at all times.

— Elizabeth C oop er En d n o te is ava ila ble fo r d o w n ­ lo a d a t http://w w w .m cgill.ca/lib raryu sin g /co m p u ters/en d n o te

u pn II t 0

sp eed

Famous Hollywood actor George Clooney has indicated he will not be run­ ning for political office. Clooney, w ho at a press conference with Arnold Schwar­ zenegger admitted he still thinks he's Batman, said it w ould be a bad idea to join the political arena. "Believe me, you don't want me in politics," said the 45-year-old.

• A three-year-old toddler recently purchased a car on the popular online auction website, eBay. While his mother was away from the computer, he managed to make the highest bid for a Barbie-pink Nissan Figaro, w hich runs about $18,000. Accord­ ing to his mother, because Jack was unable to read, the young boy probably clicked the "buy it now" option to make the purchase. • According to police, a burglar w ho broke into someone's house decided he w ould then do laundry and order pizza.

However, the pizza arrived just as Denise Bealession was returning home from work. She turned the delivery boy away and upon her entrance to the house was attacked by the burglar. Fortunately she escaped unharmed. • In Washington DC, secret service agents turned away British com edian Sacha Baron Cohen, in charac­ ter as the boorish anti-Semitic journalist Borat, when he attempted to ask"Premier George Walter Bush" to a screening of his upcom ing movie, "Borat: Cultural Learn­ ings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." Also invited to the screening were OJ. Simpson, "Mel Gibsons"and other "American dignitaries."

— Sources: ITV, Associated Press, Mercury News, Yahoo News

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS

War crimes hot topic for presenters Lebanese group hosts talk on recent war in the Middle East Lan a A youb In response to this summer's Israel-Hezbollah war,Tadamon, an organization that tries to strengthen links between Beirut and Montreal, brought speakers to campus Wednesday to criticize what they referred to as Israeli war crimes as well as the role of the Canadian government.

Included among the speakers was Hassan El Akhras, a Leba­ nese living in Montreal who lost eleven of his family members when an Israeli air-strike hit the village of Aitaroun in Southern Lebanon. He expressed his dismay at the lack of condemnation from the Canadian Government and accused Israel of "having committed war crimes" and said that there were no Hezbollah militants in the village in which his family resided.

He told the story of his cousin who was injured badly and

being transported to a hospital nearby, but had to be redirected to another hospital. On the way to the other hospital, the Israeli army bombed one of the major roads leading toward the hospi­ tal."! feel my cousin was attacked twice,"El Akhras said. His cousin died on the way back to the first hospital.

Tadamon member Stefan Christoff witnessed and reported the Israeli air-strikes on Lebanon this summer for the Daily Star, the largest English language newspaper in Lebanon. Christoff also made reference to the Quana massacre saying "although it did make headline news, it did not make the impact it should have". Throughout his presentation he reiterated that "[political] efforts can't stop when bombs stop falling" and that the war is still continuing on many fronts. He described the war using the term "ethnic cleansing." However, Concordia political science pro­

elections^ rncgill

fessor James Devine, who was not present at the event, defined ethnic cleansing as "an effort to permanently displace a popula­ tion and then usually replace it with a different group," adding, "for all that did happen, there is no evidence that I have seen of this taking place".

The effects that the war has had on Hezbollah's popularity is still unclear.

According to McGill Professor of political science Rex Brynen, in the aftermath of the war Hezbollah has emerged as a strong resistance movement with popular support. "Many in the Arab world were impressed by Hezbollah's disciplined ability to face Israel," said Brynen, while "many in Lebanon also blame it for drag­ ging the country into war against the wishes of the democrati­ cally-elected government". ■

F A L L E L E C T IO N T IM E

A R E Y O U IN F IR S T Y E A R ? ? ?

R U N F O R A PO SIT IO N ON F IR S T Y E A R C O M M IT T E E O F C O U N C IL (F Y C Q !

E L E C T IO N M c G IL L is

c u r r e n t l y a c c e p t in g n o m in a t io n s f o r :

V P A cademic V P C ommunications P resident V P F inance V P E xternal V P I nternal

WANT TO LEAVE YOUR MARK ON CAMPUS? W e are also accepting : STUDENT REFERENDUM PETITIONS Pick up a nom ination kit for either referenda or FYCC starting Monday, O ctober 2nd in the Elections McGill office, Shatner 405 , o r visit us online at:

www.electionsmcgill.ca

KITS ARE DUE BY NOON ON THE DUE DATE IN THE ELECTIONS McGILL OFFICE R e f e r e n d a P e t it i o n s D u e : F r i . O c t o b e r F Y C C N o m in a t io n s D u e : M o n . O c t o b e r

13TH 23RD

N O L A T E S U B M IS S IO N S W I L L B E A C C E P T E D Q u e s t io n s ? : c o n t a c t @ e l e c t i o n s m c g i l l . c a

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03.10.06 • News • 5

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS

Making sense of non-proliferation treaty U B C prof a d d r e s s e s g r a d u a t e workshop J o sh S ta rk

Professor Richard Price from the University of British Colum ­ bia came to McGill Friday to hold a workshop entitled "Nuclear Weapons don't Kill People, Rogue ones do.'The workshop was primarily about a paper Price recently wrote and was delivered in ProfessorT.V. Paul's Workshop on International Security and Politi­ cal Economy class. Approximately 25 people were in attendance, most of them graduate students.

Virginia Digaetano, a Master's student in Paul's class, said that the workshop and others like it were very useful to her. See­ ing academ ics discuss and defend their own papers is helpful in understanding how to approach her own thesis, she said.

"That's the idea of the workshop," said Paul. "The students have a chance to meet with active scholars and discuss [issues] face to face. It's a different kind of training w hich is essential to their studies."

"It was good for Professor Price too," he added. "He gets a lot of feedback and he's going back with a positive impression of McGill."

Through the workshop, Price discussed his paper and the ar­ gum ents it contained. The paper asks the fundam ental question o f when the use offeree is legitimate and how that force should be used. In the context of this broad question, Price discussed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, signed by 187 nations designed to restrict the use and spread of nuclear weapons, the recent US approach to diplom acy and force, the reasons nations possess nuclear weapons, the concept of a global political 'norm 'of be­ haviour and the concept of a crisis of legitimacy.

This type of crisis occurs when any treaty, in this case the NPT, is found to no longer be useful or legitimate in today's world. Price's paper seeks to discover whether or not this is hap­ pening and whether or not a crisis of legitimacy could result in

a crisis of function - a situation w here the treaty is seen to be dysfunctional.

Paul explained w hat w ould constitute this second kind of crisis.

"If som e key states acquired nuclear weapons, like Japan, Germany, or Saudi Arabia ... or if the US or other nations aban­ doned the treaty."

These actions w ould be a clear violation of the treaty and therefore indicate that in some way it is broken. However, he said that these events w ould not be enough to cause the treaty's d e­ mise, because there is nothing to replace it and because it has so many supporters.

"Even if America did not support it, there is a lot of support from other nations," Paul said. "Only three nations, India, Pakistan and Israel, did not sign it."

Paul noted that Canada has always been a strong sup­ porter of the treaty, but said this might change with the Harper government.

"There's quite a bit of fuss about what the Harper govern­ ment may do, whether they will follow the American lead (in dis­ dain for the treaty) but if you ask people in Foreign Affairs, they are all supporters," he said.

It has been estimated that there are 29,000 nuclear w eapons in existence today, 96 per cent of those belonging to the USA or Russia. While the Non-Proliferation Treaty aims to hold back the spread of these weapons, it has not always been effective. Some nations simply refuse to sign it, others ignore it and attempt to

"I think nations should [be able to have nuclear weapons], just based on being able to protect themselves and more so since the United States is such a superpower in the world today."

— Rima Hammoudi, Ü2 English and Philosophy

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4. Have you been living in Canada for less than five (5) years?

If you answered YES to all four questions, then we invite you to participate in a 9 0 m in u te c o n f id e n t ia l in t e r v ie w as part of a study conducted by the M cGill Faculty of Education, in partnership with McGill's Career and Placement Service (CAPS). The goal of this study is to le a r n m o re a b o u t th e u n iq u e a c a d e m ic a d v is in g , c a r e e r c o u n s e llin g a n d m e n t o r in g n e e d s o f n e w im m ig r a n t s .

If you are willing to participate, e-mail d iv e rs ity .c a p s @ m c g ill.c a providing your name and contact information.

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develop nuclear weapons on their own.

Rima Hammoudi, U2 English and Philosophy, thought that w hile it is dangerous to have these weapons, they may be a nec­ essary evil.

“I think nations should [be able to have nuclear weapons], just based on being able to protect themselves and more so since the United States is such a superpow er in the world today," Hammoudi said.

"It's a bad idea to have nukes," she said, "but we have them already."

Rima also said that this equality in weapons could result in more deterrence and therefore fewer wars.

"Like what happened with Lebanon and Israel— Lebanon

9 M cG ill Career and Placem ent S ervice Service de Placement et Carrières

had such a small army and no one came and helped them and if they had a little more, maybe [the war] could have stopped with fewer fatalities."

However, she did not think that Canada should acquire them.

"I think we're close enough with the United States that we get enough protection as it is," Hammoudi said.

She agreed that the NPT was necessary, although with some stipulations.

"There need to be punishments for violating the treaty. If there is no punishment, then there is no point having it at all." ■

Policy still on a trial basis Students unsure where 'lighting up' gets the green light Continued from COVER

Studies, disagreed.

"It has becom e even more stress­ ful now, with work loads and courses and I've been smoking more be­ cause of the stress. This policy hasn't

changed my smoking habits. Instead [McGill] should reduce the stress com ing from courses and exams.That w ould reduce my smoking." ■

option of making its campuses smoke-free, though w e are aware that by doing so, the problem may simply shift to the city sidewalks sur­ rounding the campus,"Yalosvky said.

In addition to the inconve­ nience experienced by som e of the student smokers, this new policy has also affected businesses on campus like Sadie's Tabagie and SNAX w hich can no longer sell cigarettes.

Sadie's, once a well-known convenience store in the Shatner building, closed on April 28 after it was determined the store wouldn't turn a profit without tobacco sales.

SNAX, run by the Arts Undergradu­ ate Society, lost over $5,000 in po­ tential profits this year after Imperial Tobacco terminated their exclusivity contract.

AUS Vice-President Finance Ross Margulies said the loss of near­ ly 40 per cent of SNAX's profits last year.

"When I came into office in May 2006, w e began to renovate SNAX into a coffee bar, offering more or­ ganic and healthy products for stu­ dents," Margulies said. "We're going to be fine."

Some students, including Zarah Ross, have noticed positive changes in their lifestyles because of the re­ strictions.

"Because of the policy, I'm smoking less than I used to," Ross said.'It's harder to find time to smoke and it's not very easy to find a place to smoke. So, I smoke less."

VLADIMIR EREMIN Yannick De Grave, U1 Humanistic Some students just aren't following the smoking laws at McGill.

The McGill Tribune

6 • News • 03.10.06

INTERNATIONAL

Creating a clean Canadian future

L a w y e r s d is c u s s g r e e n la w s ment Law in McGill's Faculty of Law, also stressed the role of the courts, Sustainable developm ent and judges and lawyers in environmental environmental law were on the m in d s, law. of 65 lawyers from across Canada as "The com plex nature of sustain­ they met in Montreal last week. Ad­ able developm ent issues may call for dressing topics such as criminal law legislation drafted in broad terms," and the environment, evaluation of he said in his keynote address. "This environmental dam ages and Aborigi­ leaves to the courts an important task nal law, the 18th annual Environmental in defining its application."

Lawyers in Governm ent conference In addition to court rulings and discussed ways to solve current envi­ governm ent legislation, attention was ronmental problems. also given to the need for society­ The conference, organized by w ide involvem ent in environmental Environment Canada's Legal Services protection.

Unit and the Q uebec Regional Office "The important thing is to get of Justice Canada, discussed the com ­ people working and com m itted to plex and possibly conflicted role that these issues," Gonthier said. "It's a mat­ governm ent plays in environmental ter of each person doing his part in the protection. context in w hich he is living, whether "We are, on the one hand, the it's putting out the recycling bin or enforcers of environmental law," said making decisions as the CEO of a big Duncan Fraser, a Department of Jus­ corporation." tice lawyer from Winnipeg. "On the All parties were in agreement other hand, we have to respond in concerning the need for public educa­ court against those w ho accuse us of tion and awareness, including Fraser. being too lenient in allowing develop­ "How m uch do people really ment." know about the Kyoto [protocol]?"

Fraser believes, however, that he asked. "How m uch do people re­ legislation enacted by the federal and ally know about acid rain? Everyone provincial governm ents can be highly thought it was eliminated, but acid beneficial. rain is com ing back as an issue in . "Government has an ability to in­ Canada." fluence the private sector," he said. "A "Education is essential...to ef­ good example is gasoline prices. If gas fective participation," Gonthier said. prices go up because o f a tax, people "Without it, participation may be mis­ will find a way to build cars that use directed and misled." less."

"It’s the government's responsi­ Charles Gonthier, chairman of bility," he said. "But it's also everyone's the Board of Governors at the Centre responsibility." ■ for International Sustainable Develop­

E zra G linter

CAMPUS

Lounge to get makeover?

Competition t o redecorate Arts hangout S onya B ell The Arts Lounge, one small piece of cam pus that arts students can call home, may be getting a se­ rious overhaul. A new competition is being held to redesign the previ­ ously dark, dingy and clinically-green coloured lounge.

On Sept. 26, Philip Holdsworth, Arts Undergraduate Society vicepresident com m unications, invited students via the AUS listserv to enter a com petition to make the room "a little more lounge-esque and a little less nap-central."

"We need you to think outside the box and bring a little life into an otherwise sunlight-less atmosphere," he wrote in the email. The winning design will be received with a $100 credit at SNAX on the main floor of Leacock, in addition to the prestige of being the first person to refurbish the lounge since its opening in Feb­ ruary 2003.

Professor Michael Bisson, Di­ rector of the Leacock building, said that he has been com m unicating with the AUS executive about the changes, but the plans are still in the preliminary stages.

"I w ould be very happy to sup­ port them," he said. "The basement is a very dingy-looking place. I would say this is a priority."

The final budgetary decisions will be made by McGill administra­ tion, but Bisson said he w ould be ready to sign off on "a reasonable initiative".

Many arts students say that the lounge is in need of some serious

modifications.

"It's never clear whether it's a study spot or a hangout space. If you want to talk, you feel like you're disrupting people w ho are studying, but when you're studying, it seems like there's always people talking," said Julia Foley, U3 Political Science and English.

She cited the conference rooms as particularly problematic and sug­ gested that splitting the lounge should be considered in the renova­ tions.

"They are not sound-proof. You can hear everything and that makes it difficult to do quiet studying."

Other students said the lack of seating and bad c o b u r scheme should be priorities for the rehabili­ tation.

"It's a good meeting place and there are com puters that only Arts students can use. But I'd like to see more seating, there's not enough," said Rebecca Dowswell, U3 History.

"Painting and new furniture w ould make a huge difference," said Lindsay Thomson, U3 History.

These and many other renova­ tions are possible, but nothing has been finalized yet.

"We are in the process of try­ ing to acquire a liquor license for the lounge so that w e can hold social events. We have talked about paint­ ing the lounge and replacing the carpet with a more cleanable surface and we are in the process of acquir­ ing a pool table and are looking at a sound system and a television," Hold­ sworth said.

"We are aware that some stu­ dents enjoy and appreciate the space as a study area and w e have taken that into consideration. We will be considering options like quiet hours so that those w ho wish to study will have that option."

The deadline to submit a design proposal is next Tuesday, Oct. 10. ■

S t u d e n t S e rv ic e s L e a d e r s h ip T ra in in g In te ra c tiv e W o r k s h o p S e rie s A re yo u a stu d e n t in a po sitio n of le a d e rs h ip (e x e c u tiv e or co o rd in a to r) w ith a M cG ill a s s o c ia tio n , society, c lu b o r s e r v ic e ?

D o y o u w an t s o m e ta n g ib le s k ills to h e lp y o u in y o u r d ay-tod a y le a d e rs h ip r o le s ? G u e s s w h a t? Y ou q u alify for o u r F R E E L e a d e rs h ip T ra in in g in te ra ctiv e w o rk sh o p s e rie s !

Fall semester workshops

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03.10.06 • News • 7

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INTERNATIONAL

Africa is not the dark continent C o n f e r e n c e s h e d s lig h t o n t h e p r o s p e c t s o f A fr ic a n d e v e lo p m e n t F ariduddin R ifai A conference on African developm ent held at Concordia University Saturday and Sunday re­ minded its audience of their"global responsibil­ ity" towards the world's impoverished peoples.

Organized by the Global Forum on Inter­ national Cooperation, a student organization at Concordia, the conference, entitled"Connecting Global Youth Confronting Global Challenges: A Conference on African Development," explored dilemmas and realities of developm ent in Af­ rica.

"Only changing mindsets can end the in­ justices," said Concordia student Nick Bleser in the opening speech to an audience com prised almost entirely of students. "We have to de­ mand and achieve- change our point of views in ways that embrace global and social fairness.

The next generation of world leaders should put the global village over the individual's city's and country's well-being. This is the purpose of a global youth network and it's what global re­ sponsibility means."

The conference presented a com prehen-

sive survey of developm ent within an African context. Panel sessions discussed the different variables that determine the success and failure of African nations in im plem enting a plan of d e­ velopment.

"I think it's a really good initiative,"said Sara Mostafa-Kamel, U2 Political Science. "People in the audience can ask so many questions. It's really focused on interaction between people so that they get a chance to get their ideas out and not just sit there and listen to what's being said."

One session explored the role of non-state actors in Africa. The panelist examined the po­ tential of NGOs and African institutions as alter­ natives to state-controlled development.

"In many ways, NGOs [have] replaced the functions of the state," said Dr. Henry Habib, Professor Emeritus at Concordia University and currently a visiting professor at the Institute of Islamic Studies of McGill. "The state is either un­ able or unwilling to help out unless it serves their political interest."

He went on to show Hezbollah as an ex­ ample of a successful alternative to a dysfunc­ tional state for the people of Lebanon.

The conference also reminded its delegates of the promise world leaders made in 2000 to cut extreme poverty by half, achieve universal education, and com bat HIV/AIDS by 2015, under the United Nations Millennium Developm ent Goals, signed by all 191 members of the UN. "There's been a lot of energy that's been thrown out." said Dr. Charles Stewart, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. "World leaders themselves have agreed there is this obligation to take on, and that generates m om entum and energy. There is an assumption of moral responsibility of the wealthy nations to take up this cause."

The developm ent goals include a total of eight goals used by the United Nations Devel­ opm ent Program as a framework to orient de­ velopm ent strategies and networking until the deadline of the project in 2015.

Director-General o f the GFIC, Awel Uwihanganye, stressed the im portance of achiev­ ing this goal in the remaining nine years of the project.

"We do have an obligation to reach out and make lives better for others and the reason being is that w e shouldn't expect to have peace

and stability for just one people," said Uwihang­ anye. "If we do this we run the risk of threaten­ ing our own security that we take for granted.

This security can be threatened by all the prob­ lems that are manifested through poverty such as terrorism and anti-western sentiment around the world."

Uwihanganye went to explore the nu­ ances behind the superficial images of African society.

"We don't wa nt to pa int of pictu re of a des­ perate and disarrayed African society. Despite all of the challenges Africa has gone through, it still remains a resilient and strong community.

Africa is not the dark continent," Uwihanganye said.

"Africa is not in a point of no return from its dismal state,"said Omar Abdullahi, U2 Civil Engi­ neering. "I intend to com e back to my country, to Somalia, and do some positive changes. One way of doing that is to get educated from learn­ ing wherever I can and then trying to im ple­ ment everything that I learned. If w e are trying to find a solution, it w ould require a collective effort by everyone and not just individuals or a few organizations." ■

Incident could affect winter referendum E x e c u t iv e s u n s u r e about d e p t h o f F E U Q involvement rivalry between Max and myself. We butt heads a lot and I think they wanted to play off that. I state of their opinions are, evaluate the struc­ was supposed to be really excited about pulling "I think that people are well aware of my ture we're working in, how many votes it will strings behind the scenes." beliefs on issues," he said. "If people choose to take and then what it was we wanted to focus He also claimed that it was insinuated at on. Any lobbying group would have done the have the same beliefs, that great. But they're the meeting that la FEUQ would support his saying this as if I have dirt on people or I'm exact same thing,"Van Eyken said. campaign for SSMU president. blackmailing people, which isnlt true."

However, Itzkowitz claimed that during the "They didn't say it outright, but it was 90 SSMU executives had accused Van Eyken meeting Van Eyken identified himself as Speak­ per cent explicit," Itzkowitz said. while he was acting as Speaker of Council and er of Council, proposing questions to be asked However, van Eyken said that Itzkowitz was asked him to resign. at the next SSMU Council meeting, which is a invited due to his cam paigning skills.

'I was shocked when they asked me to violation of that position. Van Eyken, w ho was Discussion was also held about the Fly­ resign," he said. "They actually threatened me, not Speaker at the time, denied that this hap­ ing Squad, during w hich Itzkowtiz claimed that that they w ould publicly embarrass me, which pened.

Benoit was to be designated as the "spy" in the I guess they're trying to do,"said Van Eyken, w ho "Eric van Eyken in particular was concerned Flying Squad, which is a newly formed autono­ had reapplied to be speaker after the incident. with exerting his influence on the faculties and mous wing of SSMU that would help mobilize The agenda of the meeting atTrois Brasse­ working with the faculties to make sure they're urs included plans to campaign on the referen­ the student body on urgent matters that they all well and good," Itzkowitz said. "Eric felt pretty dum, funds available and a general sharing of feel call for action. confident that he had the faculties of arts and"From what I understand of the Flying information. science and law, as well as several others. He Squad, it can choose what issues it wants to "They were trying to get my impression on also wanted to make sure he had all his ducks in campaign on," van Eyken said. "I think that any the SSMU position, their feelings, their attitude a row on council. He said that he felt that since independent group w ho is going to get to­ on the referendum," Itzkowitz said. "A big part of he was elected as speaker that he could move gether and decide what issues to campaign on. it is my positions on cam pus and the perceived council, which is kind of inappropriate."

It's kind of contradictory for Max on the one hand to be supporting an independent group that can go and act on issues and then condem n other people trying to engage daily publications society in lobbying methods." société de publication du daily Van Eyken said he was disenchanted by the ordeal.

"I'm saddened by the whole thing. I wish that SSMU was dealing with real issues as opposed to going on ghost hunts. I hope they have the maturity to move beyond what I do and do what's im­ portant."

The controversy pro­ duced by these events hasfurther strained the already tense T h e D aily P u b lic a tio n s S o c ie ty s e e k s a g o o d w riter an d critic a l th in k e r to w rite relations between SSMU and a re g u la r c o lu m n e valu atin g the jo u rn a lis tic q u a lity o f the M c G ill Daily. T h is la FEUQ, with w hom SSMU v o lu n te e r p o sitio n will invo lve c o rre s p o n d in g w ith D aily re a d e rs , liste n in g to executives had worked over th eir c o n c e rn s an d c ritic is m s o f th e p ap er, in terview ing D aily e d ito rs and the summer to create a rela­ staff, a n d e xp lo rin g the is s u e s ra is e d by th o s e d is c u s s io n s in print. P le a s e tionship based on hpnesty, note that D aily sta ff m e m b e rs a re not e lig ib le fo r th is p o sitio n . transparency and good faith and had successfully worked For d e ta ils, em ail publiceditor@mcgilldaily.com. together until this incident.

continued from COVER

Van Eyken objected to this characteriza­

tion.

Have a penchant for media criticism?

The McGill Daily wants you to be its Public Editor!

"The simple fact that they would hold a meeting on the subject of our intentions with la FEUQ without even letting us know that this was going on proves that those involved with the meeting aren't interested in maintaining a relationship of transparency or good faith," Sil­ verman said.

Van Eyken claims that this meeting did not in any way underm ine SSMU's local sover­ eignty.

"I think that there are tw o different defini­ tions of local sovereignty," he said. "What it es­ sentially means, the concept, in my view, is that a FEUQ executive w ho is not from the campus in question will not campaign on that campus.

That would not have happened here. There would have been no campaigning on campus by people w ho were not McGill students."

No word has com e from Bélaire since Fri­ day and SSMU executives are fearful that the entire FEUQ executive was aware of the meet­ ing and its purpose.

"The fact that there were three out of eight execs there is telling," Itzkowitz said. "It definitely felt like the workings of FEUQ." SSMU executives are concerned that this event is typical of la FEUQ but are hoping that it only a few executives were involved.

"It's too early to tell right now," Silverman said. "We're fearful that it's reflective of of the w hole organization but there's still hope that it was merely a couple of bad apples."

Now SSMU's recommendation to their membership in la FEUQ is uncertain.

"How the president reacts will be a major deciding factor. If this is just business as usual, we aren't going to do business as usual," Itzkow­ itz said.'The thing is, it doesn't seem on the face to be such a big deal except that FEUQ used to do this kind of thing in the past and we thought that we had an agreement with them."

But it's the students who will make the ul­ timate decision.

"I feel that students should be horrified that this is happening. The referendum is their chance to make a decision based on proper in­ formation, on whether or not they want to stay a part of this organization and so this organiza­ tion is trying to mislead them into making a de­ cision they wouldn't otherwise make, then stu­ dents should be disgusted,"Silverman said. ■

O pinion

JUMBO SHRIMP

Nightmare on Aylmer Street

UNCOMMONLY THOUGHTFUL

Why the lesbian fetish?

J esse C haser JESSE.CHASER@GMAIL.COM

hy are m en sexually attracted to lesbians? I have asked a lot of people— self-identifying m en and w om en— for their take on this and these are the theories I have heard: •M e n are jealous; they don't like the idea o f a w om an with another man.

•M e n don't w ant to see other guys' dicks because they are terribly hom op ho­ bic.

•O n e w om an is hot, tw o are hotter; Their eyes glaze over as they think about just how hot they w ould be.

W hy don't w om en have an equivalent obsession with gay m en? I've had at least one fem ale friend describe tw o m en kiss­ ing— kissing mind you, not having sex— as "titillating," but I don't think that qualifies as a w idespread turn-on.

I guess the answ er to this depends on w hich theory you believe. Maybe w om en are not as jealous as m en or maybe they are just not as hom ophobic. W ho knows?

Perhaps the real question is: "Why have m en turned lesbians into their fuck fanta­ sies and what are the consequences?"

Those three theories could still apply, but here is an alternate one: Straight cu l­ ture— straight male culture in particular— seem s to deny female sexuality. The co n u n ­ drum is that if tw o w om en are having sex and there are no straight m en around— the w ay I assum e most lesbians do have sex— the only logical conclusion is that— g a sp — w om en actually like sex.

Traditionally, w om en aren't supposed

W

to like sex and norm s o f heterosexual d a t­ ing have served to reinforce this. For exam ­ ple, have you ever w ondered w hy a man is supposed to make the first m ove on a date, w hy w om en w ho have a lot o f sex with dif­ ferent partners are "easy" and "loose" w hile m en w h o sleep with lots o f w om en are "players" and "ladies' men" or w hy w om en are the ones w ho are expected to say no?

I adm it that som e o f the norm s I just re­ ferred to are changing and perhaps straight people are slowly accepting that fine, u p ­ standing w om en— not just prostitutes and porn stars— have sexual appetites that are com pletely natural and healthy. These be­ haviours are obviously vast generalizations that do an injustice to m any straight folks. I submit, however, that these norms are still fairly typical am ong a large proportion of the population, evidenced by the fact that w om en are still called w hores and sluts and are derided by both m en and w om en for em bracing their sexual desires w hile men are lauded for em bracing theirs.

The point is that straight culture— es­ pecially am ong m en— generally rejects fe­ male sexuality. W hen confronted by it in the form o f lesbianism, they twist it into som e­ thing they can control and ow n— lesbian porn— w hich contorts sexualized w om en into the sexual playthings m en want.

As for the consequences, there are many, but in my opinion the main one is that wom en's sexuality, particularly in the form o f lesbianism, is not taken seriously.

But that's a w hole other issue. ■

J . F. K ostuck JFKOSTUCK@GMAIL.COM

y apartm ent is haunted. Seriously, , it is. And I'm not talking Casper the I Friendly Ghost floating through the walls for som e girl talk. But oh, how I wish I was. We're talking Poltergeist meets The A m ityville H orror — on crack.

Every m inute spent in my hum ble abode is life-threatening, to say the least.

My appendages fall dozens short o f tally­ ing the num ber o f guests w ho have run scream ing from my home. It has reached the point w here both my room m ate and I are debating a transfer to Nippissing. Yes, you heard me. I'm so freaked out I'd will­ ingly m ove to North Bay. A haunting is the lingering pres­ ence o f the soul o f a deceased person or people. If every spirit sharing my quarters paid a cut o f the rent, living in the Ghetto w ould alm ost be affordable. I suppose I w ouldn't mind so m uch if these were your run-of-the-mill phantoms. Rattling w in­ dows, floating dishes and blood-gushing walls I can take— hell, w e were thinking of painting our living room red anyway. But no, our ghosts seem to be specialists in the field o f making my life hell. Allow me to elaborate.

Ghost One is the reason I had to go com m ando yesterday in near-glacial tem ­ peratures. Despite the fact that I set the dryer for a full 105 m inutes— nearly tw o h o u rs — no ta single pair of my unm ention­ ables w as dry. In fact, I could have sworn that they were even wetter than w hen I had pulled them out o f the w ash— again, tw o h o u rs earlier. Ghost One often works in tandem with the regularly-visiting HydroQ uébec Ghost, together forming the dynam ic duo o f student bankruptcy.

Mi

But back to the regular ethereal line­ up, for Ghost Two is second to none. Ghost Two is one o f remarkable power, for cor­ poreal possession and confusion seems to be its specialty. Every day, Ghost Two seiz­ es control of a fellow G hetto-dw eller and convinces them that it is garbage day.This results in my walk to school being punctu­ ated with the odors of tw ice-cooked pro­ duce and sun-baked vomit. Well played, Ghost two, well played.

My last ghost is, in fact, a set of spir­ its and I suppose I should treasure them as collectibles o f som e sort. They are the spirits of the rock band Motley Crüe, and their stage presence has not decreased in the slightest post-mortem. Now, I know w hat you are saying— the Crue are still alive and on tour. I believe, however, that Motley Crüe forfeited their souls w hen they replaced lead singer Vince Neil with John Corabi and thus it is perfectly plau­ sible that Tommy Lee's spirit resides in my walls.

Every night, regardless o f the hour, the sounds o f electric guitar reverberate through my floorboards, as the thrash­ ing o f drum s resounds from above. As I lie in bed, craving either sleep or death, the sound of breaking bottles and vulgar shouts punctuate my skyward pleas. Yes, our favorite glam -rock band is undead and kicking right here in Montreal, entirely at my expense.

Obviously, my apartm ent m u st be haunted. Because it clearly just couldn't just be rowdy, inconsiderate, m outh­ breathing undergrad neighbors and shoddy, subpar, irresponsible building m anagem ent. Could it? ■

PARRY & THRUST

To cut or not to cut, that is the question D avid B lye and M att C ampbell Matt begins: The Harper governm ent recently decided to slash funding for a num ber of essential social programs in Canada. The cuts are detailed in a report released on the Trea­ sury Board's website, and include reductions in funding for medical marijuana research, adult literacy programs and the Status of Women Agency.

Opposition parties rightly expressed disgust at the cuts, most of which were designed to appeal to the Conservative base.

These cuts go much deeper than the governm ent would have you believe. In my hometown, the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance lost tw o thirds of its operating budget. Unless the funding is restored, the group will be forced to shut its doors for good.

The Tories defended these cuts by saying "people want value for their money." That only leaves me wondering: which people, and what value?

Dave says: First and foremost, the funds that the govern­ ment has slashed are broad and do not just involve cuts to social programs. The "Value for Money"section of the report— where the cuts to third-party programs are found— makes up approximately $26o-million (26 per cent) of the cuts that are being made. On the Adult Literacy cuts, the government has proposed to cut $i7-million of the $307-million that it spent on literacy programs in its initial budget.

Most of the savings com e from making governm ent min­ istries more efficient and eliminating funds that were budget­ ed but will not be used. Those categories account for almost

$635-million and do not affect social programs at all.

That's not to say that I agree with all the cuts that gov­ ernment has m ade— I happen to disagree with the over $io-million cut from the Youth International Internship Pro­ gram, which directly affects thousands of university students.

However, if governments do not make periodic cuts to their spending they run the risk of becom ing bloated and spend­ ing millions of dollars on programs that are no longer useful.

Matt responds: I'm not arguing against the principle of making periodic cuts to governm ent spending— for example, I'm not criticizing the cuts made to reimbursing tourists for the GST. However, we need to ask ourselves w hen dismantling the Status of Women Agency became a priority for Canadians.

I'm talking about social programs in many communities being forced to close down because of these cuts. You pointed out the value in the Youth International Internship Program.

This program was not just cut; it was eliminated entirely.

I can understand how one could overlook the impor­ tance of literacy programs but these programs are crucial to some people. Rather than chopping away at some of these worthy causes we should be increasing funding. We have the means: Canada has been running large fiscal surpluses over the past num ber of years and we have a responsibility to pro­ tect those at risk.

These causes are valuable and that's where we disagree.

People are ends, not means, and just because you never had to go to sleep hungry doesn't give you an excuse to forget

about those w ho do. Real programs are in jeopardy and I'm not going to gloss over it.

Dave fires back: I never said that these programs were unworthy. However, worthy or not, these programs are not the only things that are being cut. The issue here is not their worthiness; many of these programs have been deem ed inef­ ficient by the governm ent and it is attempting to streamline its spending on these fronts before they get too out of hand, ballooning into som ething that becomes quite unreason­ able.

Rather than simply give these organizations a blank cheque to continue spending what they did under previ­ ous administrations, this governm ent is making an effort to determine what is actually needed for these departments to operate effectively. At the same time, it's attempting to see w here funds can be moved from one department to another to avoid clutter and misuse of funds by people w ho might squander them.

You again try to spin these cuts as if they're simply about social programs, but they're not. This governm ent wants to be more fiscally efficient than its predecessors. The only way to achieve this goal is to constantly review spending habits and eliminate certain expenditures. ■ D a vid Blye a n d M a tt C am pbell are Tribune editors. In ca se y o u can't tell, D a vid is a h eartless righ t-w in ger a n d M a tt is a bleeding h e a rt liberal.

03.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 9

T r ibu n e

EDITORIAL

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Memo to HMB: Put the "pal" back in "principal"

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anti-Semite outside the Roddick Gates to a bare s som e o f you may have noticed this past knuckle boxing match. Only start off with an im­ Friday, just across the street from M cConnell prom ptu jab to the solar plexus and then go to Engineering, a sizable cross-section of FACE w ork with som e brass knuckles. school— from faculty m em bers to kindergarten f Institute recess. W e need it. students— hit the sidewalks, calling for the swift • N o more McGill m oney spent on outsourc­ return o f their school principal, Nick Primiano. ing the gardening w ork at your W estm ount home.

Primiano is known around the school for his Consider w orking in conjunction with CAPS to unassum ing dem eanor and his availability to stu­ have im poverished, starving, clothes-worn-to-tatdents— that and asking kids w ho skip class to pick ters students tend to your shrubs and bulbs and him up a cu p o f coffee on their w ay back. While make a reasonable salary. That w ay they wouldn't most high school students w ould im mediately have to beTA's. react to their principal's disappearance with glee, •Stop trying to convince us that Dawson Hall basking in an authoritative void, FACE students is a helpful and efficiently-run student resource. have experienced the last few days with a uni­ Let's call a spade a spade. Hire Captain Insano formly m ournful outlook. All have felt the bitter (you know, the dude w ho rolls dow n Milton on and abrupt loss o f their principal; som e have even a tricycle/chopper hybrid sporting Harley David­ lost a man they had com e to see as a friend.

Seeing all those jaded faces on University was son gear and the baddest 'tude this side of the deeply saddening for tw o reasons. The first and St. Lawrence) to man the Dawson reception desk 10 hours a day. Alone. Granted, Dawson w ouldn't most evident, is empathy. It's always crushing to run any sm oother than it does now, but by golly, see a presence as appreciated as Nick Primiano's ripped from its home. The second, with more tragic im plications for

by J amie many o f us, is that we, as McGillians, may be incapable o f the full H e ^ + K e r M q A r o e -B f u M i t i a/Nfll! em otional experience that is rock­ Zn-forCçj- o f School •fy. ing FACE'S walls at this very m o­ ment.

What if Heather M unroeBlum vanished?

It com es dow n to the age-old "lumberjack in the woods"prem ise.

If HMB was crushed by a m ighty cedar— proverbially-speaking of course— w ould it cause a single, solitary sound on cam pus? W ould anyone notice? More im portant­ ly, w ould anyone care? A yin to Primiano's lovable, om nipresent yang, M unroe-Blum has remained a ghost in many o f our university lives, stoic and beyond our reach.

Thus, in the spirit o f Nick Primiano's straightforward— and occasionally cheeky— approach to running a school, here are a few suggestions to help HMB becom e truly loved.

•C halleng e the sign-bearing

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w ould students line up to see the goings on up in that heap. Just im agine the potential exchanges: S tu d en t: Hi, I need to drop this course m id­ sem ester for health reasons.

C a p ta in In sa n o : FUCK YOU!!! Give me your CANS!!!

Crickey, you could even charge $1 cover per student. Just think o f the revenues.

•Instead o f t h e annual photo-op at SnoAP, throw a house party that no one at McGill will ever forget... or fully remember. H ow can you honestly proclaim to have truly been part o f the university experience if you haven't had a half dozen Wisconsinners (get it?) passed out in your hallway and another half dozen m andible-deep in the nappy dugout. Moreover, you could pay Captain Insano in em pty bottles.

•Send Jennifer Robinson on vacation and take over your ow n PR.This eliminates the perpet­ ual m iddleperson betw een HMB and the masses.

•"Education guaranteed or your m oney back!" If Ron Popeil can guarantee satisfaction, so can you. This means G oodman those o f us w ho remain dense, illmannered, oafish sim pletons after four years at your university ought to be entitled to full reim burse­ ment.

•C o n tin u e parking in handi­ capped parking spaces, only rou­ tinely pretend to be handicapped.

That w ould rule so hard.

But most im portant of all: be there. This could mean wearing a nametag so that the first years know w ho you are or making a point o f taking public transporta­ tion once a week and shooting the breeze with a lucky few o f us. You're probably am ong the wisest and most w orldly people in this learning institute. Teach us som ething. Walk am ong us dense, ill-mannered, oaf­ ish simpletons.

Maybe then w e w ould pro­ test if you disappeared. After all, it w ould acutally give the Flying Squad a purpose w e could all get on board with. ■

C ontributors

Saud Aldawsari, Laura Anderson, Lana Ayoub, Emily Barca, Sonya Bell, Naomi Brodkey, David Campana, Jesse Chaser, Matt Chesser, Liz Cooper, Kelly Daly, Mallory Dash, John Dingle, Pamela Fillion, Patrick Fok, Maria Forti, Oliver Gingell, Ezra Glinter, Sam Greenwood, Severine Koen, Dove Konda-Foley, J.F. Kostuck, Nour Kteily, Evan Landry, Jacqueline Leung, Dan McQuillan, Frances Shapiro Munn, Joanna Reznick, Fariddudin Rifai, Cole Ryan, Evan Saperstein, Matt Segal, John Semley, Zachary Smallwood, Josh Stark, Matthew Strassburg, Ken Sun, Keren Tang, Vincci Tsui, Mike Vallo, James Walker T ribune O ffices

Editorial Shatner University Centre Suite no, 3480 McTavish

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O FFTH E BOARD

A bill of terrors T raci J ohnson

I

f you thought the United States Congress had a backbone, think again. For years, hum an rights activists and legal experts have criticized the Bush administration's treatment of detainees at Guantanam o Bay, arguing that the President's pol­ icy blatantly violates international treaties. In June, the Supreme Court struck down a system the White House had proposed for the interrogation and trial of terror suspects, som e of w hom have been held in custody for more than five years. None of that stopped both the US House and Senate from pass­ ing the Military Comm issions Act last week, legisla­ tion that allows indefinite detention w ithout charge and gives the president— not lawmakers— the lead role in defining rules for the future interrogation of terror suspects.

There are so many severe problems in this bill that it's hard to know w here to begin criticizing it.

For starters, the m eaning of torture is so narrowly defined that it effectively prevents rape from being classified as torture. The law essentially allows the president to decide what constitutes terror and

com pletely disregards the Geneva Conventions.

Of course, the current governm ent has never shown m uch interest in upholding international agreements. On Sunday, the N ew York Times report­ ed that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was so angered by a 2005 m emo urging the administra­ tion to abide by the Geneva Conventions that he ordered his staff to shred the copies.

International treaties and human rights con­ cerns aside, the Military Comm issions Act is in fun­ damental opposition to key elements of English and American law. Specifically, it denies detainees due process by eliminating their right to challenge their im prisonment in court. A last-minute am end­ ment to the bill w ould have recognized h a b ea s co r­ p u s as a valid part of the Constitution, but it was struck down in the Senate by a vote of 51-48.

This is more evidence that a majority of Con­ gressmen failed to take a basic course in American governm ent before they pledged to uphold the Constitution: The new legislation throws out the right to a speedy trial and weakens protection

against the use of secret evidence.

Worryingly, it's not just the evidence against detainees that can be kept secret. W hen lawmak­ ers gave Bush the absolute power to ordain what exactly constitutes torture, they forgot to require the publication o f his decision. It's pretty tough to abide by laws that exist only in someone's head, but America's elected representatives must figure that their constituents don't read anyway; they just watch Fox News.

However, even those w ho thrive on contact with right-wing rhetoric must recognize the non­ sensical nature of the new legislation, w hich also al­ lows coerced evidence to be presented at military tribunals as long as it is considered "reliable" by a judge. At the end of the day, it's not the Bush ad­ ministration's flagrant violation of international law that should most disturb the American public. It's not the government's chilling disregard for human rights either. What is most sobering for US citizens is the way the Military Commissions Act underm ines the basic laws of their society. ■

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' Society of McGill University in collaboration with the Tribune Publication Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Students'Society or McGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor's name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by theTribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions.

Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

10 • The McGill Tribune • 03.10.06

Letters to the editor A successful conference I am writing to express my disappoint­ m ent with regard to an ill-researched article on the World's Religions After Septem ber n th congress by Josh Stark ("ReligiousTalks Disap­ point," 19.9.06).

The article claim s that due to low turn­ out, the congress fell far short o f expecta­ tions according. This is com pletely false. The congress brought together o v e n ,900 partici­ pants from 8 6 countries and, as coordinator of the Religion and Youth branch, I continue to receive positive feedback and letters of thanks from attendees. In his article, Stark interviews tw o attendees and presents their opinions as representative o f "most attend­ ees." He also m entions the cases o f certain speakers w ho were late for their talks as evi­ dence o f overall low participation at the co n ­ gress, but fails to m ention that these isolated cases were due to the unexpected closure of the metro system follow ing the Dawson Col­ lege shootings.

Stark's gross generalizations make me question how m uch o f the co n ­ gress he actually attended. He certainly w as not present at the congress's daily youth panels, w hose audience included over 200 students from around Montreal.

The event w as academ ically robust and af­ forded student participants the chance to crit­ ically engage in stimulating, interactive and honest discussion w ith renow ned scholars, politicians and religious leaders. Furthermore, thanks to the Religion and Youth fundraising team, over 120 students w h o could not afford adm ission to the event were given free passes.

Stark m isleadingly dow nplays the positive outcom es of the congress. In addition to the Universal Declaration o f Human Rights and Duties by the World's Religions, the success o f the congress has inspired plans for a sec­ ond, similar interfaith conference designed specifically for youth, and was the subject o f a docum entary film focusing on youth, religion and interfaith outreach. The im pressive stu­ dent turnout at the congress is evidence of the salience o f such an event to youth today and has confirm ed that interfaith forums like the World's Religions After Septem ber n th congress are a highly effective m eans to prom ote inter-religious tolerance and inspire positive social change.

— Lin a Verchery

ing policy w ithout com ing up with reason­ able solutions. We've been w aiting a year and a half for Harper's "made in Canada" approach to reducing greenhouse gas em m issions after he abandoned Kyoto and there is still no environm ental policy to be seen. If that is any hint, Harper will probably end up destroying the gun registry and then abandon the gun control issue altogether. W ho knows, Harper may even just decide to use the extra cash left from destroying Canada's support for Kyoto and the gun registry to finance more tax cuts instead o f actually dealing w ith the issues at hand.

— Kevin MarkI U2 Political Science

Swear properly, for fuck's sake Ben Lemieux's little lesson about swear­ ing in french ("Talk shit in French,"26.9.06) was m ildly am using. Still, if you want to "educate" the masses o f anglophones, do it right: it's merde, not marde.

— Helen Bovy U3 Biology

Heller got it wrong Shock and disgust overtook me as I was reading Adam Heller's opinion piece ("Cana­ dian citizenship is not a right,"26.9.06). Heller's rant about the cost o f evacuating fellow citi­ zens from Israel's attack on Lebanon this past sum m er seem ed to be m otivated by fascist and racist views. I thought that in this day and age these ways of thought were at least mar­ ginalized, but it seem s that w hen the topic involves Arabs this is not the case.

The w hole basis for his argum ents against Canada protecting its citizens w ho were visiting Lebanon last sum m er could eas­ ily be refuted. His argum ents on dual citizen­ ship are equally weak and confused. While I could address them directly, I think it is more pertinent to ask: How can he be so critical of Lebanese/Canadian dual citizens w hen there are Israeli/Canadian dual citizens serving in the Israeli military (which is com pulsory for Israeli citizens)?

Heller seems to forget that one's rights as a citizen are not affected by ethnic back­ ground, family roots or choice o f vacation destination.

— Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir PhD2 Chemical Engineering

U3 Religious Studies

Harper's gun control policies Re Harper needs to stand up for gun control (26.9.06): As with Harper's recent view s to destroy the g un registry w e can sèe a clear trend. Harper enjoys destroying exist­

• I live in Hong Kong and have for 10 years. I sit on the Executive o f the Canadian Cham ­ ber o f Com m erce in Hong Kong. I have been the President of the McGill alum ni branch. I have supported the Canadian Club, organ­ ised trips to see ou r national hockey team

at the Olym pics and been involved with more Canadian trade and cultural exchang­ es than I can remember. My three year old daughter can sing 0 C a n a d a and is named for the city w here I met my wife, a Chinese Canadian living in Hong Kong— Victoria.

Paying taxes in Canada does not define w or­ thiness for citizenship. Canadians have for generations been sold on the idea that pay­ ing tax is som e sort of civic duty.

This lie has perpetuated itself for decades.

Tax is theft. No one in Canada w ould volun­ tarily write a cheque for 30-50% o f their in­ com e to the governm ent w ithout threat of incarceration. Acquiescing to that extortion does not make one a good Canadian.There is little to no connection betw een the taxes you pay and the services you receive.

O ur m edical insurance program is no such thing. Funding irresponsible governm ents, w ho spend more on for­ e ig n e rs abroad than Canadians abroad does not make som eone a good Cana­ dian— it makes them a typical Canadian.

If the governm ent chooses to rescue people from Lebanon, that is one issue, but don't confuse governm ent action w ith worthiness to be a citizen.

Heller clearly has no idea what it means to be a Canadian established abroad. Tax­ ing Canadians abroad w ould m ean fewer of them, m aking our nation more insular like the three other nations that practice global taxation— Eritrea, North Korea and the US. Hong Kong is full o f Canadian teachers and m iddle class citizens w h o don't pay Canadian tax, and spread Canadian ideas, valuesand cul­ ture around the world. Some are native born, and m any are returnees. None o f us could afford to live here and pay Canadian taxes.

How dare he tell me I am not w orthy of citi­ zenship. Canadians abroad are Canadians too.

— Andrew Work BSc '94 •A d am Heller is w rong on m any levels. First, he is ignoring one basic point: Anyone w ho was not born in Canada and has Canadian citizenship has lived at least three years in Canada, taken the citizenship test and proven their know ledge and understanding of Cana­ da and its laws and customs. .

His argum ent that these people have "no real ties to the country" is ridiculous in many cases. Certainly, anyone w ho has lived in a country for 3 or more years has friends, and m em ories there. To claim that such people "do not renounce their citizenship because they know it may be useful" is a generaliza­ tion that I'm sure m any are offended by. Sec­

ond, this ties into a humanitarian aspect that he is completely overlooking. These Canadi­ an citizens were trapped in a war zone; apart from the fact that they were, in many cases, in serious danger, they are Canadians after all, regardless of the fact that they were living in Lebanon at the time.

The $85-million w as not needlessly"given away;" it w ent to saving hum an lives. Many of the Canadians there were sim ply trapped in this situation w hile on vacation. Do they deserve to be ignored sim ply because they weren't actually in Canada? Finally, Heller is com pletely mistaken in assum ing that Cana­ dians with dual citizenships living outside of Canada sim ply don't care about Canada, es­ pecially in Lebanon. Having lived in Lebanon until this summer, I know that many Lebanese have close family ties in Canada, and m any visit Canada during their vacations.

Canada is basically seen as the place to go to study, to work, and so on. It seems to me that Heller's argument is not only weak and a careless overgeneralization, but also that he also completely ignores basic human­ itarian aspects of the ordeal. And in any case, a Canadian citizen, regardless of where they live or where they come from, should be af­ forded the same right as any other, especially in a case such as this.

— K h a led Kteily L h A rts

•Instead of recognizing the Canadian gov­ ernment's evacuation of thousands of Cana­ dians from Lebanon during the war as a sign of nationalistic compassion and basic human­ istic responsibility, Adam Heller referred to it as "painfully problematic." What's this guy's deal? There was a war, meaning people were dying and losing their families and homes by the second.

As Canada succeeded in bringing peo­ ple to safety and away from horror all Heller can think about is the taxpayer's lament.

Canada's initiative should be commended, not scolded. Part of my extended family was fortunate enough to be on one of those res­ cue boats and if he had been there to pick them up when they arrived here and see the masses of lost and terrified faces around him, money would not be his issue.

Contrary to his position, I find it extreme­ ly unfortunate that we couldn't rescue more people, Canadians and non-Canadians alike.

That's exactly how I would want my tax dol­ lars to be spent. The fact that he describes a nation's responsibility as being a local one is what strikes me as painfully problematic.

— Rima Hammoudi U3 English and Philosophy

VOX POPULI

A citizen is a citizen N our K teily NOUR.KTEILY@MAIL.MCGILL.CA

lthough Adam Heller's piece in the Tribune last w eek ("Ca­ nadian citiznship is not a righ," 2 6 .9 .0 6 ) raises an interest­ ing question on the merits of dual citizenship in Canada, there are troublesom e underlying problem s in the logic he uses to question Canada's evacuation o f Lebanese-Canadians from the w ar-zone in Lebanon this summer. His im plication that the $8 5 -million spent on the evacuation effort did not g o to Cana­ dian citizens is problem atic at best and discrim inatory at worst.

Heller implies that the fact that 7 , 0 0 0 o f the 1 5 ,0 0 0 LebaneseCanadians have now returned constitutes an evasion on their part o f the responsibilities linked to the Canadian ideal;" that they sim ply find it "useful" to hold onto their Canadian citizen­ ship w hile holding "no real ties to this country."

Yet the reasoning Heller uses to arrive at these conclusions is seriously flawed. His statement that "obvious problem s exist w hen som eone w ho has lived outside of Canada forthe majority o f their life has the sam e rights as som eone w ho has loyally and perm anently resided in Canada" is sim ply wrong. A non-resident Canadian citizen does not in fact enjoy the rights of a tax-paying resident such as m edical insurance, social security benefits and

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required to reim burse the governm ent for the costs o f evacua­ education— the very benefits that the tax is levied to pay for.

To posit that a Canadian citizen, on the other hand— resi­ tion. That the governm ent chose to waive these fees can hardly dent or non-resident— does not have the right to equal pro­ be blam ed on the Lebanese-Canadian com m unity. Heller ne­ tection by the government is abhorrent and goes against the glects to m ention that $ 2 5 o f the $ 8 7 the governm ent currently Canadian ideals that Heller talks of. Naturalized Canadian citi­ charges to issue a Canadian passport go towards consular fees, zens, seeing as they are required to live in Canada at least three w hich cover exactly the sort of expenses that the governm ent out of four years from their date of landing in Canada— during incurred in the evacuation.

Canada is a country that prides itself on its hard-earned which they pay taxes— and pass an exam on detailed informa­ tion about Canada, are familiar with the Canadian Charter of reputation as an upholder o f hum an rights, as well as on being Rights and Freedoms. According to the Charter, "all Canadians a m ulti-cultural country that cherishes its diversity. In this light, I enjoy the right to equal treatment before and under the law, personally believe it is shocking to question the necessity o f its and equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimi­ responsibility to protect all its citizens w hen their lives are put nation." Deeming that one Canadian citizen deserves protection in danger. In fact, I think it is m ore pertinent to ask ourselves and another does not runs counter to the fundamental Cana­ w hy no one batted an eyelid w hen Canadians were evacuated dian values we strive to embody in our Charter. Another right after the tsunam i in Indonesia (also at no personal cost), or from that all Canadians enjoy is the right "to enter and leave Canada, regions afflicted by Hurricane Katrina, but are up in arms w hen and to reside outside Canada." Perhaps Heller should familiarize the situation involves Lebanese-Canadians. Or is an Americanhimself with this docum ent before criticizing Canadians for sim­ Canadian in New Orleans m ore w orthy than a fellow Canadian being bom bed in Beirut? ■ ply exercising their constitutional rights.

— Nour Kteily is a U3 Psychology student.

Moreover, Canada has rules that stipulate that evacuees are

C ampus SILHOUETTE

CHATTERBOX

'Never let your schoolin' 'Lu and behold!'

Meet Catherine Lu: Professor of interfere with your Political Science education' foreign policy. For dom estic policy, I would set up a fairer tax system and implement social justice reform to make sure Ameri­ can workers make a living w a g e .... Oh, and I'd take a few flags down.

QPIRG t a k e s o n landlords, A ID S a n d

'a n t i-t e r r o r is m ' la w s T raci J o h n so n A true education involves more than attend­ ing classes, staring at Power Point presentations and com pleting assignments. While the distinguished faculty members at McGill University can share the fruits of their academ ic research, students may miss out if they fail to peek their noses outside of their lecture notes for more time than it takes to down a few pitchers on St. Laurent. Itching to learn about som ething not found in a textbook? Head up to 3647 rue Univer­ sity, clim b the stairwell lined with brightly coloured, peeling posters and enter the Quebec Public Inter­ est Research Group at McGill office.

Part of a PIRG network that spans the United States and Canada, QPIRG is an autonom ous body that acts as an um ­ brella organization for different social justice initiatives in Montreal.

It uses grant m oney and a $3 per semester student fee to fund a mosaic o f working groups with projects in locals from Quebec to Chiapas.

"There is a really w ide range of ways for people to plug in,"QPIRG's office bustles with says QPIRG Internal Co­ ordinator Leila Pourtavaf."We have people working on climate change and w e have people working on queer rights."

In addition to funding working groups such as Students Taking Action in Chiapas, Greening McGill and the McGill Global Aids Coalition, QPIRG stages various events throughout the year, hosting work­ shops and inviting lecturers to speak on campus.

"This sum m er we had a series of events on gentrification, w hich included a workshop on how to fight your landlord," recounts QPIRG External Co­

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If you could m eet any political phi­ losopher w ho w ould it be and w hy?

Judith Shklar because I w ould have liked to meet my intellectual soulmate.

Not many professors would start their 10 a.m. class with an Eminem song blaring over the sound system as their half-awake stu­ dents stumble into the room. Then again, not many professors are like Catherine Lu, who currently teaches Western Political Thought on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Adams auditorium The political science departm ent has m ore than tw ice as m any m en as w om en professors. How does it feel to be a w om an in a seem ingly m ale-dom i­ nated field?

It honestly hasn't made m uch of a dif­ ference to me personally. I'm encouraged by the fact that there have been more wom en am ong the new hires during the past three to five years.

If you w eren't a professor w hat w ould you be?

I'd probably be a low-incom e writer struggling to make a living.

If you w ere President o f the United States w hat are som e o f the first things you w ould do?

I w ould make sure trade rules were fairer to developing countries, show in­ ternational leadership in im plem enting measures against world poverty and inject the resources needed to com bat AIDS/HIV in Africa. I w ould also close dow n secret prisons and Guantanam o Bay and adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Those are all

Thursday

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[Editor's Note: Upon being received at Harvard's Governm ent Departm ent for an interview for graduate studies and being asked w hy she wanted to go there, Profes­ sor Lu replied it was to study with Professor Shklar. The interviewer then told her that Professor Shklar had just passed away the month before, to w hich Professor Lu an­ swered: "Then I don't think I want to com e here anymore”.]

If you could travel back in time, w here and w hen w ould you go back to?

I have no desire to travel back in time, in the sense that I don't believe there was a more idyllic time to live in .... Every time has its own promise and problems. However, if I were to go back in time just to experience something, the choice of when and where is definitely too difficult, as there are so many historical moments that w ould have been worth experiencing.

W hat is you r favourite thing about M cGill?

I think McGill is a place of growth.

Since I've been here, I've seen the institu­ tion grow with the energy of newcomers; I love meeting new and interesting people.

What's more, McGill is a tolerant place to work in.

W hat is your least favourite thing ab ou t M cGill?

The bureaucracy.

W hat is an issue you feel strongly about?

Soy sauce on rice. It's a no-no, except if it's on sushi. ■ — compiled by Severine Koen

Sunday

Saturday

Born Into Brothels hosted by the Ashraya Initiative for Children.

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Lev Bukhm an Room, Shatner Building; 6 and 8 p.m.

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ordinator Indu Vashist. "We also had Judith Halberstan, a pretty well-known queer theorist, speak at en event with Queer McGill.”

This year, QPIRG plans to continue its work on immigration security measures in Canada, target­ ing policies that expand the government's powers of surveillance and intrude on the rights of non­ citizens as part of the "war on terror."Specifically, the group wants to reopen debate on the constitution­ ality of security certifi­ cates, docum ents that allow the governm ent to detain foreign-born nationals indefinitely w ithout charge. "'Suspected ter­ rorist' is a label people attach to a person just because he received a security certificate,"says Pourtavaf, pointing out the stigma that accom ­ panies the anti-terror­ ism measure. QPiRG and other critics allege that the certificates are racially discriminatory and deny people their right to due process under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Still concerned about how that $3 fee actually benefits stu­ dents? Seek out the spiffy School Schmool TRACI JOHNSON agenda published by humanitarian activity. the organization, which contains a crash course in becom ing a campus activist, available for a suggested $2 donation. The pocket-sized organizer includes fun facts for each day of the year: Oct. 3 "1992 - Sinead O'Connor tears up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live.”

Alternatively, look for QPIRG-sponsored activities at Culture Fest and Social Justice Days, w hich are an­ nual McGill events held during the Fall and Winter semester, respectively. Last year, QPIRG's Culture Fest offerings included a w orkshop on vegan bak­ ing. Mmmm. ■

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Want to advertise in the Cam pus Calendar? For just a toonie you can advertise your event up to two w eeks in advance.

Email calendar@ mcgilltribune.com for more information, or drop by the Tribune office in Shatner 110.

15

F EATURES f f

Êndergraduate studen ts in a n y university - especially in an Iin s titu tio n that attracts as m a n y international students as M cG ill - should have access to facilities a n d resources

th a t encourage them to travel to a different area o f the w o rld for

this is som ething th a t is n o w expected o f students in their third a n d fourth years. M a n y schools considéra semester a b ro a d to be

the Exchange Office a n d the Arts Internship Office. While these facilities are fam iliar to the general undergraduate body, n o t

the best w a y in w hich undergrads in a n y faculty can enrich their

all students are able to benefit from them. M cG ill prides itself as

degrees b o th personally a n d professionally.

being the top post-secondary institution in C an ada a n d as such

a semester. The value o f such an experience to a student is unde­

There are tw o w ell-kn ow n services available to students

niable a n d in m a n y universities in C an ada a n d the United States

w h o w a n t to continue their studies be yon d the Roddick gates:

there is n o reason w h y a n u m b e r o f students sho u ld sometimes find themselves denied the privilege o f access to these services.

Students on exchange fend for themselves S t u d y A b r o a d C e n t r e a c c e s s ib le , b u t o n ly p h y s ic a lly s o E lizabeth P erle Studying in a foreign country can be an incredible experience for undergraduate students looking to expand their academ ic horizons; just don't try to do it through McGill. While such a statement may seem contentious, over ten students w ho have attempted the lengthy process of embarking on a McGill exchange have said exactly this about their experience. In fact, the Tribune was hard-pressed to find a single student w ho has walked out of the McGill Exchange Office in the James Administration building and felt differently.

The fact that a disturbingly large num ber of students believe that McGill's study abroad pro­ gram is not on par with other post-secondary institutions suggests one of three things: its co­ ordinators are unaware of the program's inefficiency, students are entirely uninform ed about the facilities available to them, or the administration does not understand the necessity of instituting a com prehensive exchange program for McGill undergraduates.

Pick a bilateral partner, if you dare...

McGill is partnered with various schools across the globe at w hich students can participate in 'bilateral exchanges" The partnerships range from well-known universities in the United States and Europe to international institutions in Russia and Thailand.The "bilateral'exchanges are, in essence, tuition exchange agreements between McGill and the foreign school. And that is it.

According to students with experience traveling abroad through a bilateral exchange agree­ ment, the only visible difference between applying independently to a foreign school and doing so through the McGill program is in its dollar value. "Once I decided for sure that I wanted to par­ ticipate in an exchange, I had some difficulty in getting help with the w hole process," writes Caitlin Harris, U2 Biology, from England, where she is studying in Newcastle for the year. 'Although there was a 'how-to'guide, finding answers to questions beyond the information provided was difficult. I think it w ould have been helpful to have a few advisors available, even just volunteer students w ho have been through the process before."

McGill's Student Exchange Officer, Linda Anderson, sympathizes with the long and sometimes dem anding process involved in planning a successful exchange.'It's hard. You've com e to McGill and are just settling in and we're here saying 'Guess what, you w ant to go som ew here?'and you're like, 'well, I just got here!' It takes a certain type of person; som eone w ho is willing to spend the time."

Beating a dead horse The departm ent boasts over 90 schools around the world available to students under the bilateral program. There are, however, limited spots within each. A general range of one to six posi­ tions are available at each university and often even in the entire country itself. Last year, for ex­ ample, only tw o students from McGill w ould have had the opportunity to study at a university in Hungary, Korea, Ireland, the Czech Republic and New Zealand, respectively. The undergraduate body of McGill is approximately 22,000 students. One can only imagine the com petition involved in snagging one of these spots.

However, according to Alexandra Stevenson, U3 Political Science, w ho just returned from a year abroad at the National University of Singapore, the com petition might not be as fierce as most w ould assume. 'Students are not encouraged to go abroad and because of this, not that many apply,"she explains.'There is no help. It is a long and difficult process. Students don't get advice or encouragem ent from anyone in the admin itself, and often students give up."

According to Anderson, only approximately 450 students applied to go abroad through McGill's bilateral exchange program last year. "And that doesn't mean everyone goes," she clarifies.

'Som e people do not get their first choice institutions, others get cold feet."

Down with the Crepublique!

The other main option for McGill exchange is to apply under the "Conférence des Recteurs et

TRACI JOHNSON Lost in translation: information in Study Abroad Centre plentiful, but difficult to decode.

Principaux des Universités du Q uébec” (a.k.a CREPUQj.The international schools that fall under this heading are not partners of McGill specifically, but have established tuition exchange agreements in w hich all Quebec university students can participate, regardless of residency status. The catch?

If a student is not a Q uebec resident, they have to shell out large international fees; costs that the average student probably cannot afford w ithout the help financial aid.There are bursaries available, but they are merit-based and are targeted mostly to Quebec residents.

Although aware that it can be risky in terms of academ ic credit, many students that go abroad still choose to do so through CREPUQ and other programs associated with outside universities.

Angela Shafer, U2 Management, is currently studying abroad in France through a program at SUNY Oswego. She explains her reasoning for opting out of a McGill bilateral exchange: I found the pro­ grams that McGill offers very small and selective.. .It takes a lot of time and persistent questioning o f the administration to really understand all of the options available to you.'She finishes by adding nervously, "I still don't know if my credits will all transfer, but I hope they do!"

Hate the game, not the player Surprisingly enough, the staff at the exchange office will be the first to admit that the process is not easy. Anderson even provides the following intimidating, but unfortunately com m on, scenerio: 'Imagine, you fly for 20 som e-odd hours, you arrive in Australia somewhere, you get off the p la n e ... and you have to walk around the city alone with a map and a listing to try and find yourself an apartment." In her eyes, however, this is just the nature of the process. 'I mean, it is scary. You are planning a year of your life, how can that be easy? You have to do it all over again: getting used to a new city, a new school and a new way of teaching."*

International student confessions

S t u d e n t s fr o m a b r o a d s h a r e t h e ir t r u e f e e lin g s about C a n a d a COMPILED BY ELIZABETH PERLE

and

R achel M elnik

Sure, you've heard ignorant foreigners fail miserably with their Canadian trivia, but are they the only ones with misguided impressions?

Thoughts on Canadian men: "They don't flirt as well as the french!"

— Sonia Boulad, U2 Political Science, France

Thoughts on Canadian women:

Stupid questions Canadians have asked me:

'They drink waaaay too much!"

— DaniloSantucci, U2 IDS and Economics, Italy

"Did you, like, ride a camel to school?"

— Daniela Walker, U3 History, Saudi Arabia

"Girls here talk and act like they are from the West Coast.

I'm sorry to have to say this, but Toronto is NOT the West Coast!"

— Stephen Will, U2 Political Sci­ ence, Los Angeles, California

"I know this guy, Juan, he's from Colombia.

Do you know him."

'No, w hy w ould I know him?”

"It's like in the same basic place, right?"

— Liz Cooper, U2 Economics, Venezuela

"People always ask me about Steve Irwin. (Crikey, what are the chances of getting attacked by a stingray?)”

-Gen Clarke, UsArts, Australia "Do you drink tea everyday at 4 p.m. with a scone?"

— Sophie Neil, U2 Political Science, England

Favourite Montreal memory "Seeing a student sitting on the steps of their apartment in the open and they pulled out a biology text book and I thought they were going to do som e review and reading before classes started. To my surprise he was using the book to roll a marijuana cigarette."

—Jalil Tega, U1 Science, Kenya

03.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 13

Arts Internship Office rises to the occasion S u p p o r t s k y r o c k e t s f o r in t e rn s w o r k i n g in N o r t h A m e r ic a a n d a b r o a d one or tw o spots open, and they'll choose the best from there."On the whole, internships are hard to com e by. "I'd say one in four applicants gets an internship,"Turner says. "Not just through this office, but With an average num ber of eight people bustling around in a closet-sized room in the cor­ in general." ner o f the Arts Building, the staff in the Arts Internship Office is constantly occupied. But don't For this reason, the AlO's emphasis on personal attention com es as a huge relief to a num ber of be fooled by their busy dem eanor: they are actually quite helpful, friendly and willing to offer applicants. "I started out just checking out the internships offered in the database," says Miller, w ho was potential and current internship candidates the personal attention they need to obtain a valu­ thrilled to receive individualized assistance from the AIO staff. "When I wandered into the office, the able working experience. At an institution like McGill, w here seeking out individual attention staff said ... "here are som e o f the internships that w e administer, w hy don't you apply and see how it from a cam pus service can be daunting — students w ho need academ ic advising, counselling goes?" However, Turner insists that most "interns don't need our help with everything, sometimes they or financial aid often have to endure painfully long line lines and waiting lists— the Arts Intern­ just want to com e in for credit or funding. We don't necessarily work to place everybody. We may say ship Office is a rare find. recomm end a particular route for a particular student, but... we're really just a resource."

R achel M elnik

Turner's big wheel keeps on turning "We help the students with everything," says Anne Turner, Internship Officer at the McGill Faculty of Arts.'W e advise students on how to find an internship through us and how to find an internship on their own. We also advise them on how to get credit, funding and pre-departure information."

Internship applicants receive a handy step-by-step guide and checklist on what to expect over the course of the year in terms o f landing an effective internship. Beyond the sheet of paper, students can also arrange to meet with a personal advisor, attend workshops, search an invaluable internship data base and obtain advice on writing cover letters.

Yet, the Arts Internship Office is not for every­ one. Internship candidates must be in the Faculty of Arts. "If a student from Engineering com es in, w e explain to them that they are not eligible for an Arts internship," Turner informs. While this is regretful for internship seekers that are in other faculties, the AIO is still a good re­ source for all students. "We d eaLw ith issues that every student looking for an internship w ould have to consider," reassures Turner.

"We usually help students in Arts, but the office has been mandated to look after stu­ dents o f all faculties." Although the office is a good resource for students in all fields, about 8 o per cent of the internships are "field-studies" that are com pleted abroad; generally, these placem ents deal with com ­ m unity-based initiatives, such as human and women's rights.

"We try to send students to places where they have an interest,'Turner says. While inter­ national placem ents can, in fact, take place in the not-so-far-away cities o f Washington D.C. and New York, most students intern in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 'I was always interested in going to Africa," says Lior Miller, a U3 Honours Psychology stu­ dent w ho spent the last sum m er working for a small women's group in rural Kenya. "[The AIO] really made it easier to contact the host organization.”

Vegas Odds Like McGill's Bilateral Exchange Program, not every student w ho wants a placem ent abroad receives one. "It's not like an unlimited [number of students] can go,'Turner asserts. 'T he only difference between [the AIO] and the Bilateral Exchange is that w e don't have interns [from abroad] com ing to McGill. They'll have

The rich get richer, culturally so As a resource, the AIO is growing, especially financially. More students than ever before are obtaining the funding necessary to go abroad for internships. "The funds started out small," Turner says, 'b u t last year we gave out som ewhere around $100,000 that is funded through the faculty and alum ni d o­ nors."

Students certainly benefit from this expansion. "Funding is the biggest barrier for students w ho want to do intern­ ships," asserts Livia Ottisova, U3 Joint Honours in Inter­ national Developm ent Studies and Psychology. "If you want to go abroad and get work experience in an internship that might not necessarily pay that well, putting dow n the m oney for a plane ticket ... is simply im possible.'W hen Ottisova applied for an internship at the Ashraya Initiative for Children, a non-profit organization that pro­ vides a hom e for street children in Pune, India, the AIO helped her apply for and re­ ceive funding for a sum m er well-spent.

But do all of the interns get access to these financial benefits? Not neces­ sarily. According to Turner, this year ap­ proximately half of the interns received funding. The numbers fluctuate from year to year, and that figure only incor­ porates the small percentage of interns w ho obtain placem ents through the Faculty of Arts itself. "There's a difference between getting an internship through this office, and getting an internship from this office," says Jonathan McPhedran Waitzer, an AIO Advisor and former Faculty of Arts Intern. 'There are the internships that we negotiate, but there is also a database that helps students seek out internships. We know that there are internships, but w e don't have any kind of com m unication with them."

Intern, heal thyself While the AIO m ight be "just a resource," it is cer tainly a good one, especially for the students that utilize their services. "The staff was really supportive and helpful in explaining the processes involved in getting funding for my in­ ternship. I got assistance in every step of the way," Ottisova says. "The Arts Internship Office really stands out at McGill."»

Photo by Traci Johnson. The push-pin map in the AIO reflects where McGill interns have travelled: pick a country, any country.

Parlez-vous Français? tHabla Espanol?

McGill's language department offers lots of alternatives M aria F orti Undergraduates often com plain that lan­ guage classes at McGill can be 'hard to find."

Some are tucked away in remote corners of the cam pus and are more difficult to register for than regular classes. For many languages, such as French, class registration is a slightly more com plicated than a click o f the m ouse on Minerva (one must trek all the way down to Sherbrooke and University to take a *gasp* placem ent test first), This should not discourage new students from dabbling in other tongues. The language departments at McGill are far from insular or unaccom m odating, despite w hat many stu­ dents are led to believe.

According to Professor Maria Predelli, the chair of McGill's Italian Studies department, McGill is one of the best institutes at w hich to study language. While that may sound like a lofty statement, McGill does offer a very wide range of language classes. In addition, the at­

m osphere of Montreal serves as the perfect place to practice not only French, and English for Francophone students, but a wide range of other languages as well. Besides the popular French and English classes, McGill offers Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Yiddish and He­ brew. Each departm ent also provides culture courses that cover topics such as film, history and literature.

Renee Degener, Uo Arts, for example, has been extremely pleased with her experience in her beginners' French class. Unlike many of the typical 600-plus lectures directed at McGill first years, Degener's French class offers a re­ freshingly intimate environment, and a profes­ sor w ho encourages "listening, speaking and learning gradually, rather than memorizing and regurgitating information."

Interestingly, there is not actually a French Studies Departm ent at McGill, like there is for Italian, German, Russian and Slavic, Hispanic and East Asian languages. While there is the

Departm ent de Langue et Littérature Français, this departm ent is mostly for francophone or fluent French speakers.The English and French Language Center, meanwhile, functions dif­ ferently from McGill's other language facul­ ties. According to Helene Riel-Salvatore, the director of the Centre, the courses in this de­ partment are not necessarily geared towards the simple teaching of languages to begin­ ner students, unlike the other languages at the University.'The courses in this departm ent help students succeed in academ ic life,"she ex­ plains. The Centre offers academ ic paper writ­ ing courses and classes designed to improve academ ic performance.

All the language courses in the depart­ ment are referred to as “Second Language" classes. Valerie Evans, U3 Environmental Biol­ ogy, is enrolled in both French Grammar and Writing and Intensive Beginners' Spanish. As an Intensive program student, Evans attends Spanish classes every day o f the week. She took French for nine years before entering McGill and

is taking French Grammar as a way to brush up on her writing skills.'They are both very differ­ ent," she says of her classes. 'T he Spanish class is more fun," she remarks, adding that learning a new language adds appeal to the class. For serious Italian students, Professor Maria Predelli recom m ends McGill's sum m er program in Flor­ ence. Referring to the program as a "piece of McGill," Predelli notes that students can study language, culture, art history, music and history.

A similar program exists in the Departm ent of East Asian Studies. Grace Fong, the department chair, describes the program, w hich takes place in Beijing at Peking University, as an "intensive summ er language course."

Overall, McGill offers a cohesive language experience for those w ho seek it. "Language courses are there not just to develop language, but to develop the way students think," insists Riel-Salvatore. While she is referring specifi­ cally to English and French classes, the other languages provided at McGill can certainly be seen in the same light. ■

S tudent L iving p e r s p e c t iv e

Accents get you laid SH E

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International students come here for the academics, right?

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6 K \ L U A fO r J

After I received my rejection let­ ter from Oxford and decided to attend McGill instead, my main reason for studying in this hockey-loving, poutine-eating, North American paradise was as follows: Ca­ nadian w om en love English accents.

"The only reason you chose Mc­ Gill, Oliver, is to use your English accent to hook up with girls," my ancient His­ tory teacher quipped at me last year, irritated at my motivations. I informed him that McGill was, in fact the high­ est-ranked university in Canada, and I will be attending for its academ ic prowess. I was only half-lying.

As expected, my first few weeks at McGill taught me a lot. For exam­ ple, I learned that chugging Smirnoff vodka from the bottle was more wor­ thy of approval am ong the class of 2010 than a valid contribution in a conference (and probably still is). But more importantly, I learned that my expectations about North American w om en and Englishmen were, fortu­ nately, true.

During my first few weeks here, 1 have experienced dozens of conver­

sations that sounded precisely like this: Me: Hi I'm Oliver.

Girl: Hey I'm <insert name here>,... wait, you have an accent! Like w here are you from? Australia?"

Me: Er n o ...

Girl: New Zealand, then?

Me: No, London actually.

Girl (with a horrified look appear­ ing on her face): London, Ontario?

Me: No! London, England.

Girl: Oh! (Flood of relief and ap­ proval, followed soon by a nod to my exotic appeal) That's awesome!

Now don't get me wrong, it's nice to have that immediate fem inine at­ tention bestowed upon you because you have som ething that distinguish­ es you from the rest of the guys - al­ though it should be noted that the only real difference between us is that I actually pronounce myTs and all my vowels. Yet, at the same time, w hen a girl says: "Just speak to me!" w hen you are in bed with her, it begins to dawn on you that maybe she's using you for

HOW-TO

something other than your rugged good looks and toned, bronzed body.

But, as Turtle replies to E's ques­ tion in Entourage - w hich is whether he could get laid w ithout being friends with the fictional movie star: "The question is, do I give a fuck?"

Over the past few weeks I've had emails from friends back in England contem plating whether they should apply to McGill next year. My reply has always been along the lines of: "Get on the first plane out of Heathrow and get your arse (not ass) over here, be­ cause it's awesome! And apparently the teaching's above average as well."

O f course, my only fear is that w hen my student visa expires (thanks to the good people at Quebec im­ migration) and I am forced to return to England carrying som ething re­ sem bling a B.A., I will have lost my old accent only to have it replaced with -*gasp*- a Canadian one! Because believe me, any of you potential ex­ change students to the UK w ho think it will be easier to get girls because of your sexy Canadian accent... it just doesn't work that way. Sorry. ■

CELEBRITY NEWS BIT

The sex feels better' S m o k e -f r e e Q u e b e c , s m o k e -f r e e y o u

Diamond in the rough Earlier this week Dustin Diamond (a.k.a Screech) publicly released a scandalous sex tape called "Saved by the Smell/' which features TV's favourite nineties nerd in various compromising positions with two young girls... one of which is Mr. Belding. Just kidding.

S a u d A ld aw sa ri Here are some tips that will help you quit this nasty habit, make you hotter and - hate it or love it - live longer.

Trp#i: Start with nicotine patches, actually work. Do n o t start with nicotine gum; it stops your craving by giving you heartburn.

Also, when starting the process, never ever think ring it. Some under-the-table advice for ■patches; whenever you're on it and feel like smoking, rub on it.

Tip #2: Pick up a sport, for godsakes! Sweat out your craving and clean up your system. Let those tight lungs loose. Yes, the first week will be harsh, but guess what? It's pay back time. Your body is torturing you for shamelessly abusing it.

Tip #3: Some people may quit smoking but pick up the munchies in the process. This is not a Break a bad habit, relish in the benefits. big deal. Make Green tea your ally; it has a bitter Tip #4: The most difficult time for a quitter is w hen there is alcohol taste and it burns fat, too. Green tea will keep your hands busy, keep your appetite down and burn around. Admit it, a ciggi feels healthier with a drink. However, in dif­ ficult moments, scream this in your head: "Rub on the f****n patch!" your fat. Stay away from coffee. Coffee is evil.

You are almost over the worst. Just keep rubbing, just keep rubbing, just keep...

Tip #5: Times will com e where you just need a ciga­ rette and that is that. In this situation, stop for a second and remember that most of the people around you are not smokers. It is your habit calling for a cigarette, not your system.

Tip #6: Take this quote from the movie C lo serd u d e Law: "How did you manage to give up?"Natalie Portman: "DEEP INNER STRENGTH." Without cigarettes, the sex feels better, the body is sexier, and sleep is awesome. Your clothes do not smell like an ashtray after a crazy night spent huddling outside the club. Most importantly, the hangover is milder.

Who says that nerds can't have a good time?

Only one question remains, then: W hy do w e do it when it's much cooler not to? ■

03.10.06 • The McGill Tribune • 15

WWW...

Bored-room blog amuses and offends Creator of D ilb e r t a n s w e r s all o f your p h ilo s o p h ic a l questions Liz C ooper To be truly politically correct these days, w e as a "modern"society, are forced to either insult no one at all or-better yet- abuse everyone equally. For those with a weak heart or no ability to detect sarcasm, this site might not be your sort of thing. For the rest of us, however, it could be a source of wonderful, timewasting fun. Scott Adams is the author of the office-based, popular com ic called Dilbert. In his comics, Scott tends to mock everyday office life, w hile in his blog, he tends to mock anything and everything. The overall aim of any Scott Adams com m ent is to rile people up; he is extremely sarcastic and cynical about society.

"I think opinions have entertainm ent value and that's about it. It's not as if people change their views because som eone made a better argument. And rarely are opinions based on adequate information. So from that perspective, all opinions are equally (un)important. I won't accuse Michael Jackson of being a child m o­ lester. You can never fully rule out'disturbed weirdo of galactic proportions with © Scott Adams, astonishingly bad judgm ent."

There's som ething very am using about som eone w ho takes a comedian seriously; you have to w onder w hy they are so gullible. Because Adam s'audience often takes him seriously and insults him, the blog's com m ents (which can be added or read freely at the bottom of any entry) are at times just as entertaining as the blog itself. He enjoys poking fun at people and general stupidity seems to amuse him and fuel his com ic ideas at times.

In his blog, Scott frequently makes statements with the direct intention of offending som eone enough that they write to him in outrage, either to convince him how incorrect his ideas are, or just to insult him. These are the sort of people w ho wouldn't enjoy reading his blog entries, the ones w ho take personal offence to things that aren't meant to be taken seriously. These are the same people that inanely question the professor in the middle of a lecture. They just like to prove others wrong, even the random blog com edian saying strategically inappropriate things about the Pope.

Scott writes: "The Pope is in a tricky situation. He can either say that he believes Muslims picked the wrong religion, thereby triggering massive violence. Or he can be a liar with a funny hat. He thought he found a clever middle ground that involves attributing any bad thoughts about Islam to a dead

AROUND TOWN

A r o u n d t h e w o r ld in f o u r fe s t iv a ls One w ould be hard pressed to find a city that is more culturally diverse than Montreal; the sheer num ber of ethnic and cultural festivals happen­ ing around the city is a telling indica­ tion of this fact. There are an endless am ount of culturally-based festivals that take place throughout the year in this city. Here is a preview of a few must-see celebrations that trans­ form this heterogeneous city into a hom ogenous one, if only for a few hours.

The International Dragon Race Festival This oriental com m em oration falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. Held in hon­ our of the Chinese poet and Patriot Qu Yuan, celebrations include dragon boat races and beating drums. This annual festival is an international water sport and cultural event that is generally set in the month of July at the Olympic Basin. Immerse yourself in Oriental culture over tw o days of boat races and other exotic activities. www.montrealdragonboat.com

Festival International Nuits d'Afrique de Montreal It's an African celebration: 13 days of performances by more than 450 sing­ ers, dancers and m usicians from all over the world. The festival also hosts "le village des nuits d'afrique," w hich is located at Place Emilie-Gamelin

IncVDist. by UFS, Inc. guy...So far it isn't working.'The response reads: "A lot of people hold the Pope in high regard. Why do you have to make fun of him? I will pray for your mortal soul.” Still, if you can take the politically incorrect out of everything he says, Adam s'com m ents are always am using and often hilarious, not necessarily for his originality, but for the interesting way he gets his point across. He takes everyday situations and twists them in ways that insult him and people in general."Today I am whacked out on pain killers because yesterday I had surgery to correct my deviated septum. I didn't ask a lot of questions about the procedure but I can deduce most of the details based on the way I feel today.

Apparently doctors shove a starving wolverine into one nostril, w here it scratches and eats until it hits brain.Then they pull him out by his tail. Nurses stop the bleeding by packing each nostril with a queen size mattress that is carefully wrapped around a wino."

Moving from medical procedures to bathroom hygiene, Adams writes, "I just visited an airport Men's Room that only had warm air blowers to dry your hands - no towels. They might as well just hang up a sign that says'We Encourage You Not to Wash Your Hands"So, c'm on,just give it a try, the worst that could happen is that you get addicted to reading it and waste your otherwise productive time writing snide remarks online to Scott Adams. ■

FASHION

Celebrating the city's diversity S aud A ldawsari

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(metro Berri). Look forward to three days filled with activities, workshops (such as “Montreal muticolore"), ex­ otic ethnic food and live outdoor per­ formances. www.festivalnuitsdafrique. com

Lookin' good, boys T o p 10 m a le fa s h io n tip s J oanna R eznick Two issues ago, Student Living published an article outlining the top 10 female fashion tips for fall. It would be truly unfair to deny men the same fashion advice for this season. So here it is, and not a m om ent too soon because a new extreme regime of metrosexuals have been spotted roaming the halls of McGill in recent weeks.

Most guys around cam pus appear to be more fashionable than ever before. The days of baggy pants, visible box­ ers and oversized sweatshirts have finally com e to an end and the sleek, preppy look is here - hopefully to stay!

1) The blazer - This is a great going-out look, espe­ cially when paired with dark denim and a casual t-shirt.

Montreal Italian Week This is a hot week in a hot month.

Taking place in August, this event is a dream com es true for any lover of the Italian culture. The art, music, fashion and food "d' Italia" are com bined to create a jovial ethnic spirit in the vari­ ous districts of Montreal. The organiz­ ing committee sets the program each year in order to show the richness of the Italian-Quebecers way of life. So,whether it's a fashion show with a Cavalie model or an art exhibit with a Caravaggio panting, the week will definitely appeal to the inner-ltalian in everyone, www.italianweek.ca

The Montreal Arab World Festival The festival is an Arabian celebration in a contem porary context, featuring Arabian music, dance, poetry and humour. With a distinguishable and often eccentric them e every year, the festival serves as a great illustration of Arab culture to the general public.

This year's them e is "rebellious proph­ ets," taking place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 12. All the show and performance tickets are on sale now. www.festivalarabe.com What's left to say is:"Don't we all wish the world was like that?" ■

7)Three-quarter length overcoat - For the quickly approaching cold weather, this coat is both practical and fashionable.

10) Graphic

tee

- The best t-shirts are found at Urban Outfit­ ters.

2) "Vintage" jeans What happened to tradition­ al Levi's? Men's jeans are now as varied as women's and com e in a num ber of differ­ ent washes and styles. Cuts to avoid: please restrain from purchasing the skinny jean for men; it's a slightly unfor­ tunate fad.

With a^ariety of slo­ gans, the graphic tee can be racy, funny or even stupid. A personal favou­ rite: "If you like my guns, you'll love my rocket," with arrows pointing to the appropriate and inap­ propriate places. ■

3) Chunky sweater -This knit is both warm and comfortable and com es in a variety of styles. The newest trend: a double collar.

4) Long-sleeved polo - W hether it's Lacoste, Ralph Lauren or Old Navy, the polo is always a popu­ lar look.

tones are in this season for both genders. However, a bit of colour is always key. Red is the new high­ light colour for women and apparently, it is purple for men.

8) Plaid shirt - Although preppy is the dominant look, grunge is back in the form of the plaid shirt. Gentlemen, unleash your inner lumber­ jack.

6) Suede Sneakers - Put away the worn-out Converse sneaks and Birkenstocks. Find a sleeker and more stylish running shoe to work for both casual and semi-formal occasions.

9 )T h e FaUx-H aw k-T h e faux_hawk is always hot especia||y w hen com pared to hr,...i ,. ,t

5) Grey, black and purple - Darker and muted

A rts & E ntertainment m u s ic

Annual Pop Montreal Music Festival offers a variety of artists This year's Pop Montreal festival, while not boasting some of the "big ticket" offerings that it did last year, is oriented towards the up-and-coming artists within our borders, as well as from the United States. Here is an abridged sampler of what you can expect from this year's fest.

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Featured amidst Friday's flur­ ry of Pop Montreal goodness is local favourite, Islands. Comprised of Nick Diamonds (formerly of the Unicorns) on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Patrice Agbokou on bass, Patrick Grégoire on guitar, keys, banjo and bass clarinet, Kate Perkins on vocals and violin and multi-instrumentalists Sebastian and Alex Chow on violin, keys and various other instruments, this infectiously-catchy and musicallydiverse group is set to take the stage Friday night at the Saints.

Renowned for their buoy­ ant, energetic and well, fun live shows, Islands just wrapped up a European sum m er tour and is now spreading its brand of capti­ vating calypso-pop across North America. According to Sebastian Chow, fans in attendance at Fri­ day night's show can expect to see "people on stage having a lot of fun," with the band generating a sweetly silly, feel-good energy that the audience cannot help but absorb.

Chow also assures that the recent departure of drum m er and Diamonds' former Unicorns bandmate Jamie Thom son from Islands has not affected the group's unique sound and the special live experience that fans have grown to expect from the band. "We've got a new drum m er [Aaron Harris] and he's fantastic...

we're still Islands; we're still going strong," says Chow. Along with Harris, Islands also brought on board violinist/percussionist/vocalist Kate Perkins this summer to help round out the line­ up for the European summer tour.

According to Chow, the band plans to

WWW.ABSTRACTBOYS.ORG

Islands hits you with a wave of sound. lay dow n tracks for a sophom ore album this winter, nipping at the heels of its debut out­ ing, Return to the Sea, w hich was released last April. Judging by the newly-furnished lineup and a hectic tour schedule, fans can breathe easy knowing that Thomson's exodus from the group does not signal the end. Islands has a delightfully eclectic sound that's difficult to pin down, but lies som ewhere along the lines of post-Brian Eno Roxy Music, that is with a string section, a ukulele and a touch of Earl Scruggs on a sugar high. With a penchant for on-stage theatrics and a cache of unreleased mate­ rial to perform, Islands is sure to light the lamp Friday night at the Saints; the band will likely produce one of the tightest, most upbeat and dow nright enjoyable sets of the Pop Montreal festival. Islands plays on Oct. 6 at Les Saints, 30 Ste-Catherine 0 . ■

C ole Ryan "It's particularly exciting to defy a genre or fad," explains lead singer and guitarist Matt Whyte of the hard-rock group Earl Greyhound.

The tall, lanky, long-haired Whyte - w ho bears a striking resemblance to Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers - is dragging rock music into the 21st century by its ankles, belting out meaningful lyrics and busting fresh guitar riffs to go along­ side Karama Thomas, w hose powerful voice and skilled bass playing blend smoothly with Whyte into a seamless sound.

While Whyte and Thomas worked together for four years as a piano and guitar duo, the re­ cent addition of Rice Sheridan behind the drums made the sound of the band "immeasurably big­ ger" and solidified Earl Greyhound into a pound­ ing rock trio. Sheridan "really drum s with jazz and Motown sensibility and brings a lot of soul right to the table," explains Whyte. "He's got a big sound and he loves to swing, and that's what I love to hear." Citing the "sound of strident English rock bands" such as Queen, T.Rex, Bowie and Led Zeppelin as their sources of inspiration growing up, the band seeks to be an energetic, hard-hit­ ting, and harder rocking outfit. Rather than rely­ ing on equipm ent to produce an effects-laden louder, harder, but artificial sound, the band sim­ ply turns up the energy through its skilled gui­ tar riffs, beautifully harmonized vocals and wild, thunderous beats from Sheridan. The result is a unique sound that pays respect to the group's British inspirations, while at the same time estab­ lishing a new and versatile sound of their own.

After releasing a self-titled EP in late 2004, the band toured and worked on its debut full-length album S o ft Targets.

The title of the album com es from a magazine spread that Whyte and Thom as saw one day at rehearsal around the same time that the United States was invading Iraq. The article featured pictures describing various pieces of military weaponry, their ca­ pabilities and designed uses. "There were categories such as 'infrastructure,' 'tanks,' and then som e that said 'soft targets,'which was meant to designate humans," says Whyte. "It's a defensive strategist's term, and I'm no more of an activist than the next guy, but I think it's always important just to keep that sort o f thing on everyone's minds."

Self-producing the album was a

particularly difficult yet rewarding task for the young band, w ho eventually put together 11 hard-hitting songs that cap­ tivate the listener throughout the entire record."It was really finding the right bal­ ance of self-confidence and self-doubt," says Whyte, and "[we were] wondering with each song if this is the best pos­ sible thing w e can do." For Whyte, writ­ ing lyrics was a challenging and truly artistic task. "Something happens to me that elicits a phrase and I build a song around that,"he says. But like a true bard, Whyte always considers more than just the words; the lyrics becom e a poem where everything interacts. "I write the words and then react to how the words themselves sound. I don't look at things as separate, everything has to flow to­ gether to create som ething just right," says Whyte.

Monday, the band embarked on a month-long exhaustive tour of the northeast, w here they hope to spread their name, but also to start work on a second album ,which the group expects to record in the winter. "We can already see some of the sounds com ing to­ gether for the next album," says Whyte.

"We're really recognizing each other's instincts and play to meet one another.”

Earl Greyhound rolls onto the stage at 11 p.m. on Oct. 6 at L'Escogriffe, 4467A StDenis. ■

All aboard the (Earl) Greyhound

Pop goes the city!

POP RHETORIC

Oh television, I hardly knew ye o here it is: last year, my roommates and I lived in a third world hell hole of an apartment - a squalid, unfinished place formerly inhabited by m ethadone addicts with names like "Buckwheat" and "Andre the Russian," w hose pri­ mary source of incom e was their em ploym ent insurance cheque. The bright side of taking up residence in such an in­ auspicious dom icile was that the low rent allowed us to pool together our m oney and afford certain luxuries, specifically, satellite television. Oh, how w e basked in its warm, radiant glow! What fun we had pilfering away the afternoons to fivehour S ta r Trek: The N ext Generation marathons and The J o y o f Painting reruns! These were the party days.

But alas, just as every TNG episode must end after an hour (except those kickass two-parters w hich are total liferuiners), so our days of televised decadence came to an end.

Now, having substantially improved our living arrangements, we find ourselves without the disposable incom e to allocate towards a com parably awesome TV set-up. For a while after­ wards, I lived my life in a state of wraithlike junk-sickness, me­ andering around in the sunlight wondering when and how I could get my next fix (my skin even started to lose its healthy pallor). I would sit in class and pretend to take notes, but my mind was constantly consum ed with the StarTrek exploits or Bob Ross landscape paintings I was missing. That was until I

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remembered the glory of DVDs. W hoever thought of putting TV shows on DVD is a fuck­ ing genius. I mean, for a cost that is negligible, really, (con­ sidering the near infinite replay value of those glorious little pieces of plastic), I can consum e entire sea so n s of television according to my whims. The tyranny of satellite television is no more! Oh, sweet emancipation! Seriously though, there's som ething wonderfully liberating about being able to digest an entire season of C oach or Kids in the Hall in a single sitting.

Watching TV shows on DVD for me, as I'm sure is the case for many of you intrepid Tribune readers, has becom e as m uch a part of university life as smoking on the steps of the Arts building or bitching about the price of textbooks.

With that in mind, I have com piled a short list of the best TV shows available on DVD; these are the ones that will get you through those cold winter days w hen you should be writ­ ing term papers and give that hand-m e-down, rabbit-eared piece-of-shit in your living room som ething to get excited about.

A rrested D evelo p m en t - The Fox Network's redheaded stepchild, A rrested D evelo p m en t was a genuinely funny show that got yanked after three seasons because, well, in this A c­ co rd in g to Jim world, most people don't know shit from Shineola. Luckily, the show has gained a renewed life on DVD,

J o hn S em ley

w hich is good, as it warrants repeated (and repeated and repeated) viewings.

Mr. S h o w - Starring David Cross (best recognized as To­ bias from A rrested D evelopm ent) and Bob Odenkirk (best rec­ ognized as Bob Odenkirk from Mr. S h ow ), this was probably the most postmodern, Dadaesque half-hour qf com edy ever televised. It was also probably the funniest. There's a box set out there with all four seasons. Go buy it.

The O ffice [UK] - Funnier and more tragic than its w a­ tered-down American counterpart, Ricky Gervais and Ste­ phen Merchant's series about a painfully dull British office ensures recurring laughs, what with all the frustrated inter­ office romance, dry wit and of course, some free love on the free love freeway. If you think Larry David wrote the book on social awkwardness, you haven't seen office boss David Brent (Gervais) regularly alienate himself from co-worker and stranger alike. The DVD set (containing the first and second series, as well as the Christmas special) is four discs of com ic gold.

Sure, my Sunday won't be the same w ithout the anticipa­ tion of the unbeatable King o f the Hill/Curb Your E n th u sia sm / Trailer Park Boys lineup, but at the end of the day, life without TV isn't so bad after all.To paraphrase a man m uch wiser than myself: television may be bad, but we fucking need it. ■

03.10.06 «The McGill Tribune • 17

B en L emieux

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Raising the Fawn began in 1997 as John

C O Crossingham's bedroom solo project. Since that

time, the group has seemingly been in a state of perpetual flux, shifting from a quartet to a duo to <U a trio, Crossingham taking occasional hiatuses to contribute to Toronto's breakout ensemble group Broken Social Scene. Rasing the Fawn's spring 2006 release, The Maginot Line, indicated a consolidation of the group's sound and structure. Crossingham, together with bassist Scott Remila and drummer Dylan Green, has crafted a modern masterpiece, a post-rock album rooted in clever guitar licks, meandering, unpredictable melodies and deeply moving, gorgeously sculpted verses. Crossingham spoke with the Tribune from his Toronto.

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Pop Montreal has become a big hit in the past couple years, as have similar festivals across Canada, as well as the insurgence of indie-rock • • and Canadian music in general. Do you think that something about the Canadian musical sound has grown more distinct or solidified in recent years?

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I think actually the opposite has happened, which is what has made things so great. I think that more than ever, Canadian bands don't sound like one another. To look at the Arts & Crafts family that we're a part of as a microcosm for the country as a whole, I don't think that many of the bands that we're peers with— whether it's Jason Collett g ^ o r Metric or Do Make Say Think— I don't think they sound all that much alike. I think there are com­ mon lines, and you can tell that, "Oh yeah, these two bands really enjoy Dirty Three, or these two ’ Î 7 ) bands really enjoy Tortoise or old NewWave stuff," or whatever it may be, but I think everyone has (Ü their own take on it.

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Next week, McGill will play host to the sixth annual Future of Music Policy Summit, an annual gathering of musi­ cians, music business executives, attor­ neys and academics. The first of these summits was held in January of 2001 at .Georgetown University in Washington, DC and garnered an attendance of over 500 musicians, lawyers, academics and policy-makers. Current Summit Director and organizer Kristin Thomson attributes the summit's popularity to interest in the emergence of an overwhelming increase in internet music technology, According to Thomson, one of the primary goals of the summit is to give musicians and artists a voice in the policy­ making decisions of the music business in order to ensure that "the flawed structures of the past are not replicated in a digital future." The summit, which in past years has featured presentations and discus­ sions featuring musicians such as George Clinton (ofthe Parliament Funkadelic), leg­ endary hip-hop producer Hank Shocklee (of Public Enemy fame) and FCC commis­ sioners, has succeeded in creating an open dialogue between artists, policy-makers, music technologists and music business executives; it is a dialogue which ensures that as many parties as possible hold an equal stake in the future of music.

One ofthe greatest successes result­ ing from past FMC summits, says Thomson, is the creation of a space where people who "are not once-removed from the pro­ cess, but who are the process [are] talking about [their issues],. .from a very personal perspective." A conference of this nature assists in lessening the conversational gap

your latest album, The M aginot Line, have a lot of those features. Longer tracks— seven of eight minutes— you're working out a lot of interesting textures with overdubs, but the thing that's, for lack of a better word, unusual is that there are just three of you. And a lot bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor have eleven or so members, but when you think of a basic rock trio (guitar, bass, drums), you tend to think of Johnny Winter or John Mayer as opposed to a post-rock outfit. What was the process through which you elected to have this format as a band?

I think it just growing confidence. After the band fell apart, when we finished recording The North Sea, Scott and I just looked at one another and we were like, "Well... rather than finding another guitarist and a drummer, why don't we just find a drummer for now and keep it simple."

When we found Dylan we just felt comfortable. I think we viewed it as a challenged, like, "How can we find ways to sounds outside of the power-trio format? To create a huge, expansive sound but still be three people?" When I became the only guitarist in the band, I suddenly had this whole sonic range to myself, and I think that along with playing in Social Scene, learning to play the guitar in a different way, or just having the opportunity to because I wasn't the rhythm guitarist, I just was able to do soundscapes. All those things combined to it being me looking at Scott and "saying, "I like having all this space. I don't want to share it with anyone." It also spoke more to the central theme of the band, which is that even if you don't have a lot of people, you shouldn't have to feel as if you should all be playing at once in order to cover the range. You actu­ ally gain strength by having points where there are only two people playing sometimes, so that the other person's contributions have more of a pronounced impact.

H ow do you manage to recreate all these songs onstage, where you don't have the same avenues open as you do in a studio with limitless amounts of tracking possibilities?

I love pedals. We use some loops, but it's all live, noth­ ing sequenced. But like anything else, it's an instrument.

It's something you learn how to play and make better use of over time. We try to make sure we don't overuse the pedals too. Because I've seen a lot of bands just play pedal hopscotch, especially the guitar players. I like the idea of having my guitar sound a little different, maybe not always like a guitar, or just making sure I'm getting as much po­ tential sound out of it as possible, but if you're not careful you're creating a different sound for the sake of a different sound. The worst thing you can do is get a new "toy" and try to use it in every song. ■ Raising the Fawn plays Thursday Oct. 5 at 0 Patro Vys, 365 Mont Royal £ Midnight.

between the artists and those relegated to the less glam­ orous and more bureaucratic aspects ofthe music indus­ try. With the rise in popularity and accessibility of illegal music download sites and the subsequent tightening of industry profit margins, the summit also creates a forum for all those involved in the music business to discuss how best to adapt to new technology and once again regain control of their intellectual and legal property.

Previews

Literature: Thirteen Moons, released Oct. 3, 2006.

Charles Frazier, author of the widely acclaimed bestseller-turned-movie Cold Mountain, has a new novel which will hit stores tomorrow. The book has been tagged with the nickname the 'most expen­ sive novel ever published,' as its high anticipation earned Frazier a whopping $8-million advance.

The novel is another historical fiction, this time set before the Civil War. It follows a Forrest Gump-style story of an everyman,Will Cooper, who manages to bump-up against all the big movements and fig­ ures of his time, including Davy Crockett, Senator John C. Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson. The heart ofthe story is Will's obsessive love with a girl he won in a card game from a mixed-race Native American when they were both 12 years old - a love which will lead him into an entangled involvement with the Native American affairs of a country at a critical crossroads. " '* * ■

Music: The New Pornographers, Oct.10 at 9

p.m.; Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent). This indierock'supergroup'stops in Montreal next week on their North American tour. Their third album, Twin Cinema, was released last summer to great success and released singles such as "Use lt"and"Sing Me Spanish Techno". Notable for their avoidance of cliché pop harmonic progressions, this promises to be a great show and should not be missed. Call (514) 908-9090 for ticket reservations.

Art; The Invisible Man, until Oct. 7 ; Concordia's

Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery (1455 de Mai­ sonneuve 0 ). With his new exhibition, The Invisible Man, Mike Hoolboom crosses over from cinema art to vthe visual arts. Known for his work in the film world for over two decades, the Toronto native's newest artistic venture most decidedly makes use of his past expertise. His exhibition weaves in clips from Hollywood flicks, documentary footage and even homemade videotapes. A unique art gallery fusion experience. Call (514) 848 -2424, ext. 4750 for more in­ formation.

Theatre; Carmela's Table, Oct. 5-29 Tuesday-Saturday

at 8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday at 2 p.m.; Centaur The­ atre (453 St François-Xavier). Carmela's Table follows up Centaur Theatre's success last season with Fiellfire Pass. This second installment in what plans to be a trilogy picks the story up where it left off. Once again we meet Silvio Rosato, an Italian immigrant and dec­ orated WWII veteran who in Fiellfire Pass confronted old family enstrangements in Chicago. In Carmela's Table, Silvio travels back to Ville Emard, Montreal, where he is finally joined by his wife Carmela. Ten"•CTwomaw»»»!

— *' sions threaten to tear the newly reunited family apart, however. Celebrated playwright Vittorio Rossi bases this lauded theatre series on his own father's life as a struggling Italian immi­ grant in Canada.

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For more information on the Future o f Music Coalition, visit www.futureofmusic.org.

C rystal C han

th ir te e n m o o n s

"the flawed structures ofthe past should not be replicated in a digital future."

— Kristin Thomson, Summit Director This year's conference, which will be held Oct. 5 to 7 at the newly-renovated Schulich School of Music, will feature panelists ranging from Don DeVito, producer for such art­ ists as Tony Bennett and Bob Dylan, CBC Radio host Grant Lawrence and Kent Nagano, the musical director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.

Amidst Thursday's schedule is a special keynote speech by former Talking Heads frontman and rock icon Daivd Byrne. Byrne's presentation, entitled "Record Companies: Who Needs Them?" will address how recent changes in the music industry have affected both artists and record labels and examine what new business mod­ els can be implemented in the face of these changes.

The Future of Music Coalition's decision to host this year's summit at McGill, according to Thomson, was root­ ed in both the exemplary facilities provided by the uni­ versity and the progressively minded musical climate pro­ moted by next week's annual Pop Montreal festival, which is presenting the summit in conjunction with the Schulich School of Music. With the future of music more question­ able than ever in an age of Napster, Podcasting and digital home-recording, the FMC summit plays an invaluable role in facilitating discussion amongst those responsible for the creation ofthe music we cherish. ■

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The McGill Tribune

18 •Arts & E n te rta in m e n t •03.10.06

FOOD FILM

It's better with the lights turned down low

The tail that wags the dog Acting vitalizes formulaic script of The Guardian - one must ask, will he ever be able to fill at least a half-bad role? Well he If explosive dangers, unpredict­ does. Not that this really redeems a able ocean storms and volatile ships career of schlocky acting. It is, plain tangent to emotionally complex and simple, a portrayal of a seriously drama and unstable relationships are flat rescuer who is searching for some­ attractive to you, then The Guardian thing; a role with no more dynamicity is your kind of movie. The Guardian, than a squirrel looking for his nut on directed by Andrew Davis, is by no a two-dimensional Cartesian Plane. means one of a kind. The film takes a However, Costner manages to bring very simple, often times overlooked emotional depth to this seemingly lifestyle - in this case that of the shallow role. Ashton Kutcher fits his Coast Guard - and makes a movie part as well as a cocky jock picking out of it. Ashton Kutcher, who plays up older ladies at bars. Whether it was high school superstar swimmer Jake simply because his love interest was Fischer, joins the Coast Guard in an older or because The Butterfly Effect attempt to escape a haunted past. Al­ taught Kutcher how to act, he man­ though the Coast Guard may not be ages to pull off a believable perfor­ the cure to Fischer's problems, a dis­ mance as the athlete who had it all tinguished and highly decorated vet­ but then lost it in a freak accident.The eran swimmer, Ben Randall, played by plot is strong, and follows a meticu­ Kevin Costner, just might fill the role. lous pattern built into so many movies The Guardian fills a predictable in which the reckless learn from the mold that has been reused in so many competent and the competent make movies over the last decade; it is a Top a sacrifice for the reckless. The Guard­ Gun modification characterized by ian, however, draws viewers in with loyalty and loss. But what movie isn't a breadth of emotional tension that just filling a mold nowadays? What re­ builds throughout the entire movie. ally matters is the depth of the story Although the film could have cut half and the relative capacity of the actors of the pointless scenes that contrib­ to portray that depth. Kutcher and ute nothing to the plot, it would have Costner, two usually mediocre actors, ruined the complex thread of emo­ manage to create something beauti- tion weaved into the story. ful.The unfortunate truth about Kevin The movie is made up of reused Costner is that hollow and often times components with a new polish; on flat roles have become the trademark top of this its glorification of the US of his career. Not since Robin Hood: Coast Guard smacks of propaganda, Prince o f Thieves has Costner acted to but The Guardian really does deliver his potential. Since then, he has filled a grand slam. It is rated PG-13 for "in­ flimsy, often laughable roles, such as tense sequences of action/peri I, brief a wily cowboy, a fantasy merman and strong language and some sensual­ a rapist of three generations of Rob­ ity" and definitely ranks in the top 10 insons. Besides the obvious question "to rent" list for next year. ■ - why does Costner keep his agent?

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1316 D e Maisonneuve W est Montreal 514-286-6073 433 Place J acque cartier Montreal 514-786-4121 1272 Ste-Catmerine East M ontreal 514-524-3672 105 East Rue Guindon S te-S auveur 450-227-4612 1200 McGill College Montreal 514-392-1226 920 D esserte Laval 450-689-3611

What you don't see tastes delicious as well as in Old Montreal.The Italian-French fusion menu contains either two course or three course meals; each en­ trée, main course and dessert section has a "surprise dish" that arouses curiosity. As our dishes arrived in the dark one after the other, we groped for them on the table blindly, using our body parts to the maximum - fingers, mouth and finally, face. The good thing about consuming in the dark, we concluded, is that no one cares about manners.

The grilled portobello mushroom and grilled veg­ etables with goat cheese was delicious, as was the main dish, served on enormous plates that prevent diners from making a mess on the table. My surprise dish was a con­

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Our night was about to begin - in the dark. True to the words (which we could barely read) on the restaurant O Noir's flyer: "close your eyes and open your mind to a culinary adventure like no other," we were surrounded by such utter, pitch darkness that opening and closing our eyes made no difference to what we saw. After we ordered our food in the dimly lit bar section, Hesna, our waitress and guide in this strange world, led us to our table con­ tinuously asking "ça va? ... ça va? ... ça va?" to ascertain our presences inside the enclosed space.

Why this darkness, you ask? How are you going to eat if you can't see your food? Well, whoever said eating is all about seeing? Whatever happened to tasting and smelling? Indeed, the restaurant promises to in­ tensify the dining experience by heightening your other four senses.

While we, the blind ones, felt completely lost in the black­ ness, the servers were much more adept in the nocturnal en­ vironment. This is due not only to the intensive training they go through called "Nazareth Louis Braille,” which specializes in training the blind on how to move and maneuver through everyday tasks, but also to the fact that all ten of them are 50 to 90 per cent visually impaired.

The server to patron ratio is also O Noir offers rare job opportunities to the visually impaired. much lower here than at other restaurants, mainly because the number of people affects coction of chicken and beef with grilled and boiled veg­ how servers react and how they communicate to the cus­ etables including pepper, garlic, eggplants, asparagus and tomers, which is key in a place like O Noir. mashed potatoes. A vegetarian dinner contained in addi­ Such new concept restaurants began about six years tion to peppers, capers, and olives, an obscure houlloumi ago in Switzerland, according to Moe Alameddine, the cheese, which tasted like tofu. The surprise dessert turned manager and owner of O Noir. The trend has since spread out to be mango soufflé (or mousse, maybe), which satis­ to Paris, London, Australia, L.A. (by the name of Opaque) fied the sweet tooth at our table. All of the food was cut and New York, and there will be another opening soon in into small, bite-size pieces and the meats were deboned Moscow. to prevent choking.

After visiting the European dark "origins," Alamed­ To take full advantage of the 0 Noire experience, the dine was inspired to bring the creative idea to Canada. He restaurant suggests customers leave all cell phones and chose Montreal because it reminded him of Paris, where glow-in-the-dark devices in a locker so that no light can the young and the hip gather. "There are so many cultures interrupt the night. When dining at this spot, put away here... more so than any other province." your watches, resist the urge to text message and let your With a background in business management, Alam­ server be your guide. ■ eddine sought to create something that would provide career opportunities for those having difficulty finding jobs in the service sector, especially amongst the younger Restaurant O Noir generation. "There are students who dream of having jobs www.onoir.com in restaurants like their friends, but no one would hire 1631 Ste-Catherine 0. them because they are handicapped.. . here, handicap 5H-937-9727 is a qualification." Alameddine further points out that five Scale o f 1-10: per cent of the profit is donated to an organization called Food: 8.5 Horizon Travail, a human resources group designed to find Bathroom: 7 jobs for individuals with disabilities. "It's a win-win situa­ Service: 9 tion in the end," he adds.

Prices: Fixed-price menu, $30 for2 cours­ So the concept of the restaurant is ground-breaking, es; $37 for 3 but what about the food?

The restaurant is headed by Chef Marco, a renowned cook who has spent considerable time in Italy and France,

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The M cGill Trib un e is th e m ost w id e ly read stu d en t p ap er

03.10.06 • Arts & Entertainment • 19

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MUSIC

Expanding empire Meet Kasabian: Tom, Serge, Chris, Jay, Ian was hooked like Pete Docherty on co­ caine. The band opened with its lat­ M e l a n ia S z t y k est single "Empire" and played other Kasabian lefttheirLeicesterhome unforgettable songs including "Shoot in England to embark on a North the Runner," "Processed Beats" and American tour this fall. Having toured "Last Trip," closing with fan favourite with Jet and Oasis in 2005, the band "L.S.F." Kasabian's energy, rough vocal was already on the path to style and sometimes cha­ success after they created otic sound has allowed the a solid North American fan group to adopt a wide range base through alternative of styles, which range from indie-rock singles such as glam-rock to psychedelic "L.S.F." (Lost Souls Forever) and everything in between. and "Processed Beats" from Kasabian has always at­ their first self-titled album. tracted criticism for their al­ Hopes were therefore high leged excessive confidence to "gather more troops" and arrogance. However, through the release of their after snagging an invite backsophomore album, Empire. stage to party with the band Having performed sold-out and being offered a choice shows in huge venues all of RedBull, Vodka or bananas around the U.K., Kasabian's - we agreed that the band's show at Montreal LaTulipe confidence, far from being (4530 Papineau) was a decid­ extreme, has rock-hard foun­ edly more modest venue to dations. Their onstage per­ adapt to. But what a night. formance is epic, and their OneThousand Pictures, friendliness and likeability an up-and-coming band is undeniable. Music critics from California, opened should judge them for what for Kasabian. Vocalist Evan BBC.CO.UK they are: they're not out to Robinson introduced the Who wants to save the world when you could rock it? save the world (they left that audience to the group's to Coldplay), they are simply Snow Patrol-Keane-Interpol sound tion and by the end of the set patrons damn good British rockers. They do and presented a surprisingly good were ready for Kasabian to steal the what they do and they do it well. Kas­ start to the show. abian has already conquered Britain; show.

Mew was up next - a band with it's time the band spreads its empire Suddenly, the lights went down, an unfortunate name and an even to North America. ■ the headliner came on and the crowd more unfortunate sound. If its neverA

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ending songs or over-the-top inter­ pretation ofThe Flaming Lips weren't dreadful enough, the pictures of dead babies and mutated frogs on the screen definitely were. Needless to say, while Mew was on stage, the bar in the back was the main attrac­

NIGHTLIFE

Goodbye dirty Dome Opera opens, swanky replaces sketchy J es s ic a S h a p ir o

There were only a handful of memorable qualities about the club Dome - dirty men, dirty drinks and dirty dancing. It's no wonder Mon­ trealers may not be proud of all the venues at which we elected to party.

Thankfully, however, evidence that club Dome ever existed has been wiped clean from the face of the city, unveiling a new era of partying.

The once raw and sleazy club known as Dome has been transformed into Club Opera - a classy cabaret suited for the most pas­ sionate partygoers in Montreal. As Corey Koffler, an enthusi­ astic night spot pro­ moter, noted, "They left the walls and the floors and changed everything else."

The new owners of Club Opera invest­ ed around $2-million in its extreme makeover. It took them four months to renovate the shabby, worn insides of the decrepit club and transform it with a chic and stylish décor. Accord­ ing to one owner, who has been in the nightclub business for 20 years, "It turned out exactly how we wanted it. We were going for a big glamour club, something Miami-like."

Although the entrance still leaves

as much to be desired as Dome did, once safely up the stairs, through one or two metal detectors and onto the dance floor, it is possible to lose your­ self for a moment.

"I've been to clubs all over Eu­ rope and I felt like they tried to aes­ thetically create an Ibiza-like club in Montreal" attests Cale Brillinger, who attended the Opera Welcome Back Party on Sept. 8.

The club comprises three beau­ tifully decorated bars on the main dance floor and a couple more as you make your way to the top of the building. The bartenders are dashing, the music is happening and the styl­ ish white icicle lights hanging from the ceiling create just enough light­ ing to prevent collisions. The lucky socialites who find themselves in the VIP section of Club Opera will enjoy

cascading booths (stoked with glass tables with built-in ice buckets) that hover over the dance floor. They can also indulge in $200 bottles of liquor, while the rest of the crowd settles for $6 shots.

This swanky new face may seem like the perfect replacement for the deceased Dome, but the owners do not necessarily have McGill students as a target audience in mind.The club calls for a more elite crowd, the partygoers with the bigger pockets. Luck­ ily for us univer­ sity types, Hype Productions, a McGill studentrun promotion company based out of Montreal, will occasionally throw parties at the posh spot.

Club Opera has certainly done justice to the big empty building at the corner of St-Laurent and Ste-Catherine's, and its promot­ ers have succeeded in making its ar­ rival on the Montreal scene known.

"They tried to change the demo­ graphic of the club," notes Brillinger, "and in doing so they created a desir­ able spot for everyone to party."

So go ahead, order your dirty martinis, and say goodbye to dirty Dome. ■

JE

Reviews Literature — Matthew Holmes. Hitch. "The Poet," writes Emerson,"by an ulterior intellectual perception...puts eyes and a tongue, into every dumb and inanimate object.'This is a quality particularly applicable to New Brunswick poet Matthew Holmes, who demonstrates his affinity for the inanimate in his first collection of poems, Hitch. With im­ pressive skill, Holmes tackles such topics as "The Life and Evolution of Dust Bunnies,'"'A Local History of the Air Condi­ Hitch tioner," and "The Trials and Exiles of Fridges.” Naturally, this is not poetry without a sense of humour. It is to Homes'credit that even when addressing weightier topics, he can still infuse them with a dry, self-reflexive wit. In "Hotel (After the Flood),"for example, after a rather clichéd description of'rooms of whodunnit/walls designed to repel and keep the hair or semen or skin," he goes on to relate how the speaker will "sit in a chair on a porch in the rain/ breathing in the cool clear air, watching the neighbours come home late/ only to find I'm in a commercial for a nasal decongestant." It is this sense that sometimes the most poetic moments in life are cliché, or have become so, that makes Hitch stand out. In other respects however, Holmes falls prey to some of the more embarrassing tendencies of contemporary poetry.

He should realize that a page reading only "this poem is intentionally blank" is neither clever nor edifying, nor in any way worth the reader's attention. And the only impression the International and Navy Code Flag illustrations make is that of a put-on authenticity, as if a reminder of the author's Maritime creden­ tials is necessary in order to appreciate his writing. The same is true of the entire knot motif underlying the collection's final and weakest section, bringing un­ comfortably to mind the pretentious and unconvincing regionalism of Annie Proulx's The Shipping A/ews.This is all especially unfortunate given that Holmes is quite capable of evoking local atmosphere through the strength of his writ­ ing rather than his gimmicks. In "Belgrave Avenue," for example, he captures perfectly the corner store with its “cigarettes,/ bus passes, / the fold-out hockey calendar that fits in your wallet." This sensibility makes Hitch a strong debut, and Holmes shows great promise despite his flirtation with literary fashions that, for all their popularity, are ultimately meaningless.

— Ezra Glinter Four Tet. Remixes. Kieran Hebden of Four Tet brings us a two-disc album of electronica remixes, . p u y n* drawing from a variety of artists and genres: Ra­ Up £jj» jpg* diohead, Beth Orton, Sia and Madvillain, among others. The first disc comprises 12 of his favourite Four Tet remixes while the second contains every iflM lf E3 official remix to date by Hebden and other artists, many of which have previously been available on vinyl only. With each remix, Hebden strips a song down completely, retaining only a bare memento of its individuality and adds unique facets to each song, with subtle electronic nuances in the spirit of the original. From electronicallyaltered voicing — at times reminiscent of Cantonese news radio — to heavy breathing, to Street Fighter-esque VG music contrasted by wind-chime-like sounds, to wild drum rhythms, to rubbery squeaks against a slippery floor morphed into an impressive rhythm and bubbling bass undertones, Hebden injects an effervescent eclecticism into his sound. FourTet's Remixes screams infinite creativity and never offers listeners any less.

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—Jacqueline Leung Westbound Train. Transitions. Perhaps the most

striking thing about this record is the ability of its songs to conjure up the unmistakable feeling that you've heard them before. Albeit somewhat generic, this release from Boston's Hellcat Records is not completely devoid of interesting musical arrangements. The nostalgic effect of Westbound Train's music could be attributed to its array of in­ fluences, spanning the reggae, soul, blues, jazz and ska genres. The record opens with a rather obnoxious intro - a bunch of shuf­ fling sounds and little else - but picks up with the pleasantly upbeat "Please Forgive Me.'The body of Transitions shows off frontman Obi Fernandez's soulful baritone vocals, which coolly spin some vaguely emotional lyrics in the listen­ er's direction. Also delectable is hearing a tremendously talented ensemble making good use of a very diverse instrumentation, particularly the hefty brass section, the organ and the bass. Sadly, this instrumentation occasionally lapses into dull, plodding background music on certain tracks. On a whole, the first half of the album is much stronger than the latter and redeeming moments on "For the First Time" and "I'm No Different" make Transitions a worthwhile lis­ ten. Although during some unfortunate turns this might seem like the type of music your parents would listen to, for those with an appreciation for ridicu­ lously happy ska, the record might be worth picking up.

— Laura Anderson

A&E Writers Meeting Monday 5:30 p.m.

Gert's Pub

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' S ports FOOTBALL— MONTREAL 29, REDMEN 3

Carabins thoroughly embarrass Redmen McGill defence yields over 600 yards to U de M M

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Two fundamental keys to victory in football are to avoid turnovers and to capitalize on your opponents mistakes. The Redmen failed to do both of these things on Saturday as they fell to Université de Montréal 29-3.

In front of a homecoming crowd of 4,749 at CEPSUM, the Redmen turned the ball over six times to the Carabins. Quarterback Matt Connell more than doubled his interception tally for the season with five on the day, having thrown only two going into the game.

U de M, meanwhile,tookadvantageof McGill's horrendous defence, gaining an outrageous 645 yards on the day. Runningback Joseph Mroué racked up 216 yards in an impressive performance, which saw him average an eye-popping 9.4yards a carry, while adding a touchdown.The Redmen, on the other hand, scored only three points despite three Carabins turnovers and 26 penalties.

"There wasn't anything good out of this game," Connell said. "This was the worst showing for our team this year."

Missed opportunities abound The Red 'n'White came out fired up against their francophone counterparts and controlled the game early. Defensive back Anthony Lucka intercepted a Marc-Olivier Brouillette pass to put an end to the Carabins first drive of the game.

McGill then marched down the field but was stopped on the four-yard line and forced to settle for only three points.

McGill followed that up with another drive early in the second quarter only to give up the ball on an interception in the endzone.The pick came courtesy of saftety Maxime Gagnier, who finished the day with two INTs and a recovered fumble.

"I don't think Matt played his best game," said Head Coach Chuck McMann. "I think he got frustrated and tried to push the ball down the field.”

The McGill defence kept the eighth-ranked Montréal team off the scoreboard until midway through the second quarter, when Mroué scored on a 14-yard run. It looked as though the Redmen LUKASBERGM ARK were poised to answer on the next drive as they once again advanced the ball into Carabin territory, The diminutive Joseph Mroué ran over and through the Redmen defence. only to have a pass intercepted by defensive back

Jean-Francois Vibert after an Erik Galas drop.

Dropped passes were a recurring theme for the Redmen receiving core on Saturday. Three out of the five interceptions were off a McGill receiver and there was a slew of incompletions throughout the game.

"In the first half, we were still in the game despite everything we did wrong," Connell said.

"So I think if we played our game we would have definitely won".

As the contest went on, McGill was given even more opportunities, owing to the 292 penalty yards the Carabins accrued throughout the contest. Nevertheless, the team was unable to convert these opportunities into points. With the game still within reach at 14-3 and 445 left in the third quarter, the Redmen began a drive on the Montréal 38 thanks to the ejection of Vibert. Yet they were still unable to convert the opportunity into points on the scoreboard.

U de M racks up 460 rushing yards Considering the disparity between the two squads' running attacks, it was amazing that the game wasn't even more lopsided. Montréal finished the contest with an astonishing 460 rushing yards on 48 attempts; McGill, however, couldn't muster a single yard on the ground, having only attempted three rushes. To say that the Redmen's defensive front four were overcome by a bigger, more experienced Carabins offensive line would be an understatement.

Although Mroué had a huge game, the Carabins were able to spread the wealth, putting five rushers over the 40 yard mark. Conversely, Connell's 251 yards in passing was not able to make up for the lackofany semblanceofa rushing attack.

The Redmen, now 1-3, play rival Concordia next week in the 20th edition of the annual Shrine Bowl. Concordia is undefeated and ranked sixth nationally this season. The Redmen will have to improve in almost every aspect of their game to avoid being embarrassed by the Stingers next week.

"We just have to totally forget about this game, flush it down the toilet and move on," Connell said. "We always get up when we play Concordia so hopefully it will be a good game". ■

THIRD MAN IN

A media unmediated D avid C amapana he national sports media is starting to sound like the tabloids. For about six hours on Thursday, it was believed that Cowboys'wide receiver Terrel I Owens had unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide. In those six hours, it looked as though cable television, newspapers and talk radio had driven their most popular whipping boy past the breaking point.

Now the dust has settled and it appears Owens had a bad allergic reaction caused by a combination of pain killers and supplements. That's fortunate for us, because the truth is that it wasn't inconceivable that he would have done this.

For nearly two years now, Owens has been berated by the media for his detrimental presence in the locker room.

The media has often sought to find fault with Owens and consistent with the way we've handled him so far, we, again, may have created a big deal out of nothing. The incident brings to light three major problems with the way in which we report on athletes.

The first is quick-to-judgment reporting. Terrell Owens

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apparently did not try to take his own life, and that is not the kind of news story where a mistake is forgiveable. What happened to having multiple sources, exploring alternative explanations and the burden of proof?The truth is that these news gathering principles were disregarded. Not a single sporting news agency held its fire on this story because they ran the risk of losing viewers, readers and listeners to the competition. Even worse, the media storm has only begun.

Soon, every NFL analyst will be asked what they think ofT.O.'s mental state and not one of them will be qualified to answer.

But we, the fans, will listen because, after all, it's juicy gossip.

And that is why the media needs to report accurately the first time.

The second problem is that virtually every major athlete is sensationalized to the point of appearing inhuman. The fans demand mental and physical perfection from their athletes; the stakes are so high that when a player surpasses expectations, he is a hero and when he falls short, he is a villain. The real world just isn't like that. Michael Jordan had

a gambling problem; Babe Ruth had a drinking problem.

Yet these are our heroes. Terrell Owens? No addictions, no criminal record. But he is most definitely a villain. In this case, it is a media comprised mostly of ex-football players that have decided that TO.— a charitable man off the field but a bad teammate on it— is the poster-child of evil. But maybe, just maybe, he's neither hero nor villain. Who knows, maybe he's like us little people. If you cutT.O. does he not bleed?

Finally, the sports media just does not care about its "villains," least of all Terrell Owens. For six hours, we-cared.

But he's okay now. He probably didn't try to kill himself, which means we didn't push him too hard. We are absolved.

Owens will be criticized and once again, he will be accused of being a distraction to the team. But, no matter how much fun it might be to publicly gossip about T.O. and predict the downfall of his team, let's not. Let's breathe a sigh of relief, give the man the privacy he deserves and shut up, content with knowing one less life was lost today. But we all know that won't happen...the media doesn't work that way. ■

03.10.06 «The McGill Tribune • 21

FROM THE CHEAP SEATS

BASEBALL— MLB PLAYOFFS PREVIEW

Road to the Fall Classic

Smallball, large myth

Eight teams vie for the World Series crown NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres The once powerhouse Cardinals face the Padres with fewer resources than ever. Without closer Jason Isringhausen, who recently underwent hip surgery, their bullpen is very weak and ace Chris Carpenter has been an enigma all season. First baseman Albert Pujols carries the team offensively, and it seems like no pitching staff will ever be able to solve this silver slugger. However, the Cards have been horrible down the stretch run, almost blowing a seven-game division lead. They also backed into the playoffs on an Astros loss and not their own victory.

Padres'top starter Jake Peavy— who struggled early in the season— has found his groove, at the right time, shutting down opposing lineups with an ERA just over 2.00 in September. The San Diego lineup is a potent mix of speed, using players like OF Dave Roberts and SS Khalid Greene, and power, found from the bats of OF Brian Giles, C Mike Piazza and CF Mike Cameron— always a dangerous combination for opposing pitchers. Finally, the Padres will be searching for revenge after being easily swept in last year's division series by these same Cardinals.

Prediction: San Diego in four.

-Matthew Strassberg

New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers The New York Mets have been the best team in the National League and don't expect that to change once the playoffs get under way. Even with the injury to SP Pedro Martinez, the Mets lineup is too talented and too déep for the Dodgers to pose a serious threat. Led

by SS Jose Reyes, 3B David Wright and both Carloses— 1B Delgado and CF Beltran— New York will not be stopped by a mediocre Dodger's pitching staff. Plus, the Mets have a rotation tailor-made for a short series. Starters Tom Glavine, Steve Traschel and Orlando Hernandez will provide the stability needed for closer Billy Wagner to shut down Los Angeles late.

While L.A. is a good, young team, they are still at least a year away. The Boys in Blue are starting two rookies— LF Andre Ethier and C Russell Martin— neither one of which have ever played this much baseball in a season. The loss of 1B Nomar Garciparra should further hurt the Dodgers' offence. Expect the Mets to win the first two games at Shea Stadium, lose the third on the road and finish the job in game four at Chavez Ravine.

Prediction: Mets in four.

-Sam Greenwood

AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland Athletics The Twins come into the playoffs as the improbable AL Central champions after a white-hot second half in which they went an outstanding 71-33 over their last 104 games. Anchored by arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Cy Young hopeful Johan Santana, Minnesota is a team that no one wants to face in a five game series as Santana can pitch twice. The offence is dangerous too. Joe Mauer became the first catcher in AL history to capture the batting title and Canadian slugger iB Justin Morneau has had an MVP calibre season, batting .321 with 34 home runs and 130 RBIs. All-star CFTorii Hunter, as usual, has been clutch both in the field and at the plate, giving the Twins a dynamic core in their lineup. Athletic pitchers and hitters will struggle against this squad.

Throughout the year, the Oakland Athletics have remained under the radar screen. Designated hitter Frank Thomas has led the A's into the playoffs with 38 home runs and 110 RBIs. Corner infielders 3B Eric Chavez and iB Nick Swisher are also an integral part of their lineup and always threats. The pitching staff has been carried by ace Barry Zito, whose curveball presents a difficulty for left-handed hitters in theTwins' lineup, such as Morneau. Rich Harden, Joe Blanton and Dan Haren provide adequate help for the rotation, but will find it hard to keep theTwins at bay.

Prediction: Twins in three.

-Aaron Sigal and Evan Saperstein

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers Yankee nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when Detroit blew its shot at the Central Division, thus sparing the pinstripes of the red hot Twinkies, led by the aformentioned Johan Santana. Instead, they face a Tigers team that has languished down the stretch.The starting rotation contains a mix of youth and experience, led by Kenny Rogers, Justin Verlanader and Jeremy Bonderman. But beyond that, Detroit boasts a solid, but not stellar bullpen.

For the Yanks, that plays right into their season-long strategy.

Certainly, they posses the best one-through-nine lineup in the AL; but it's how they use this powerful unit that has been the story. Rather than always trying to get out in front early, Jeter, A-Rod and Co. have been taking as many pitches as possible early, getting the starters out of the game and then absolutely punishing opposing bullpens, all the while knowing that closer Mariano Rivera is untouchable with a lead.

Forget for the moment that the Yanks are going in with Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina as their only serviceable starters. And forget that Detroit has a decent, albeit unspectacular, offence. As long as the Yankees can keep the games close early on and get to the Tigers'bullpen, they should be on their way to the ALCS.

Prediction: Yankees in three -David Blye

M att Segal he objective of baseball analysts, when it comes to on-field performance, is actually quite straightforward: explain why one team defeated the other.

Of course, the explanations can be complex. Statistical scrutiny u can be an edifying tool. For example, the stats on the mythical "Mighty Casey"— a burly left-handed slugger— would indicate that he hits for a significantly lower average against southpaws. Accordingly, the wise skipper trots out to the mound and taps his left arm, bringing in the lefty and creating a more favourable match-up for his team. In such a scenario, the Mudville faithful should have seen the strikeout coming.

While probability may dictate what a manager ought to do, “gut feeling"and managerial approach always figure into what he actually does. Ultimately, the way these decisions affect wins and losses are f)ow bench bosses are evaluated.

Last fall, many pundits latched onto the notion of"smallball,"and praised its enabler Ozzie Guillen, manager of the world champion Chicago White Sox. Smallball refers to the strategy of coupling strong defence and pitching with baseball's unglamorous tasks, sacrifice bunts or RBI groundouts, to win low-scoring and/or close games.

Confident that this was a bona fide recipe for success, the experts were rarely at a loss for words as the Sox made their playoff run. But in 2006— with Chicago finishing third in the American League Central— the experts should be eating those words.

The Pale Hose missed the playoffs this year. So, what has happened to this beloved approach? Nothing. The system never existed in the first place.

This philosophical apparition can be chalked up to the baseball media doing what they know best— looking for that new angle. Yet prior to the steroid-fueled power surges of the late'90s, Smallball was referred to by its previous name: baseball. Maybe young fans don't remember, but regular old baseball usually consisted of getting runners around the bases and giving up as few runs as possible, not just hammering out home run after home run.

In reality, the actual strategic innovation of the last decade was Moneyball: a concept first advocated by the Oakland Athletics I that values on-base percentage and power while viewing the fait accompli of a sacrifice bunt as a wasted out. Needing a contrast to the Moneyball model, the media seized upon smallball and hailed it as the counterrevolutionary movement. Baseball's beat reporters, television announcers and national columnists— some of whom are dyed-in-the-wool purists— sought refuge in the old style of play by spinning it with a fresh angle.

However, the numbers indicate Guillen's team is hardly the poster child for "doing the little things." As smallball eschews reliance on the potential home run in favour of more reliable strategic maneuvers, the 2005 White Sox should have been near the bottom of the league in homers, right? But actually, the Southsiders were one of only five Î teams to have 200 longballs or more last season. Eight of their nine regulars socked at least 13 dingers. If this is the formula, it's no wonder other teams have struggled to duplicate it. Most likely, the teams attracted to the smallball approach are not those that have the luxury of high-priced sluggers like Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko.

The most damning fact of all, however, followed the 2005 season.

Chicago acquired power-hitting veteran Jim Thome in exchange for rangy outfielder Aaron Rowand. It turns out general manager Kenny Williams didn't have as much faith in smallball as the bandwagon : jumpers in the press.

Finally, smallball is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the example of the 2005 World Series, the teams' offensive capabilities were actually quite similar. The ChiSox finished ninth in runs scored in the AL | and were praised for their action; but the Astros finished 11th in the National League and were chided for being lacklustre at the plate.The conclusion? When a team wins a game during which it only scores three runs, they are lauded for being good at smallball. When a team tallies three and loses, the analysts say they just need more offence.

Post-hoc explanations, like smallball, are very convenient— the model is already in place. However, they fail when the theorist has not waited long enough to observe the entire picture. From the vantage point of 2006, Ozzie Guillen looks more like a reckless gambler than : a master tactician of a year ago. Most likely, smallball's efficacy (or existence) and Guillen's inventiveness were overstated by a media of baseball lifers excited to return to pre-Moneyball, pre-steroid normalcy. Of course, my analysis could be premature— for all I know, light-hitting small market teams could be bunting their way into the postseason for years to come. If someone wants to pillory me at that time, I'm fine with that. Besides, I'm just a columnist looking for an angle. ■

T

The McGill Tribune

22 • Sports • 03.10.06

WOMEN'S SOCCER— MARTLETS 6, BISHOP'S 0

Martlets keep on rolling McGill maintains undefeated season J o h n D ingle

Coming into the season, the McGill Martlets soccer team were certainly favourites to challenge for the CIS championship. Although they struggled early in the season to find their scoring legs beneath them, there is no doubt now that this squad has rounded into form.

In another big win for the Martlets, the women picked up right where they left off after last weekend's 5-0 pounding of Concordia. On Friday, they dominated the Bishop's Gaiters en route to a 6-0 victory. Six different players found the back of the net for McGill— showcasing the team's balanced attack— as the Martlets recorded their highest offensive output of the season.

"I'm quite pleased that the team once again worked until the end and got some rewards," said Head Coach Marc Mounicot. "Adding a few more goals is good for your confidence. It was a team effort. I told them we will go somewhere as a team but we will not go anywhere if some individuals are just trying to play for themselves."

McGill scores early, late McGill controlled the game from beginning to end, limiting the Gaiters to a single shot on goal and earning a shutout for the third time in four games this season. The breakthrough came just seven minutes in when defender Kathryn Acton, an unlikely scorer, potted her first goal for McGill with a strike from just outside the area. The Martlets were constantly threatening the Bishop's net and doubled their lead with six minutes left in the half as midfielder Sarah Chimielewski recorded her third goal in two games.

Despite their continued dominance, the Martlets were unable to add to their lead until the 77th minute, when striker Magalie Kolker bent an accurate shot around the Bishop's keeper Chelsea-Lyn Aboud for the third goal.The floodgates then rushed open for McGill as

Antonietta Pascale in the 81st minute, Carolyne Pelletier in the 82nd and Bonnie Walsh in the 90th all got their names on the score sheet. "[In games like this] I think you really need to focus on working as a team, getting your passing down, getting your connections so you can work harder and do better in the stronger games," Acton said. "I think we picked it up a lot and started connecting with each other a lot better. In the first half we just couldn't finish but in the second half obviously we got four goals so it was really good."

Fitness pays off for Martlets Though they were in complete control throughout, for long stretches of the game the Martlets were unable to convert their overwhelming advantage in possession into goals. It was only with the four-goal explosion in the final 13 minutes that the scoreboard began to reflect McGill's dominance on the field.

"I think the end of the game showed some kind of talent difference but I think it's also related to the fitness levels," Mounicot said. "I think our team is fit. It's what happened at Concordia also, we scored some goals after 65 or 70 minutes because I think fitness is a question mark for some of the teams."

On Sunday, McGill continued its unbeaten run, blanking UQAM1-0 on the strength of midfielder Bonnie Walsh's goal. Though the score may not reflect it, the Martlets actually dominated the game, only conceding two shots against.

The Martlets will face a tougher task next week, as they play back-to-back games with a Université de Montréal side that has been one of their biggest rivals over the last few years. As impressive as their recent wins have been, the Martlets will hope to raise their game again and show that they can dominate against quality opposition as well as the minnows of the QUSL. ■

Sports Briefs Redmen fall to UQTR, knock off Western and York Forwards Eric Beaudin and Thiery Poudrier scored power play goals less than two minutes apart, late in the second period as UQTR edged McGill 2-1 in men's pre-season hockey on Thursday night. It was the first meeting between these bitter arch-rivals since McGill swept the Patriotes to capture the OUA East championship last spring. The game featured a combined 29 penalties for 66 minutes but the Redmen were unable to take advantage of their power play opportunities. They scored on just one of 14 man-advantage situations, while the Pats went 2-for-io on the PR On Saturday, forward Marko Kovacevic scored on the power play with 1:43 remaining as McGill rallied for a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Western, advancing to the York Invitational men's hockey tournament gold medal game.

Defenseman Steve Pearce, had given the Redmen a 1-0 lead in the first period but Western roared back with three straight goals to take a 3-1 edge by the midway mark of the second period. Forward Lucas Madill cut the lead to one at 13:24 in the second and then set up defenseman Ken Morin's goal with less than two minutes remaining in the period. Star goaltender Mathieu Poitras turned aside 20 shots, improving his pre-season record to 2-1- 0 .

In the final on Sunday, the Redmen overcame an early deficit to take a 4-1 decision over the host York side. Sam Bloom led the way with two power play goals, as McGill is now 3-1-0 in pre-season play.

Martlets give Toronto the Blues Freshman goaltender Charline Labonté made 23 saves in earning her first career CIS victory as McGill blanked the Toronto Varsity Blues 3-0 in a penaltyfilled women's hockey game. Rookie defender Jasmine Sheehan's first CIS goal, a power play marker at 1:11 of the opening period, held up as the gamewinner as the Red'n'White earned the victory in the pre-season Marion Hilliard tournament. Defender Catherine Ward and forward Valerie Paquette also scored for the Martlets. McGill would go on to defeat Ottawa 6-2 and Alberta 3-2 in the gold medal game to claim victory in the prestigious pre-season tourney.

Redmen rejected by top seeded Carleton The three-time defending national champion Carleton Ravens defeated McGill 75-57 in men's university basketball at the Hoops Classic for Autism tournament in Brockville, Ont. on Friday. Forward Sean Anthony and guard J.P. Begly had 18 and 16 points, respectively, for the Redmen. On Saturday, McGill was downed 73-58 by York in the consolation final. Guard Yannick Chouinard threw down 18 in a losing effort. McGill is now 0-3 in pre-season play.

ON D EC K Redmen Football— McGill at No. 6 Concordia; Saturday, 1 p.m., Concordia The Redmen travel west to vie for the Shaughnessy Cup in the 20th annual Shrine Bowl. Since its inception, the event has raised over $519, 000 for j the Shriner's Hospital of Montreal. This year's edition pits an undefeated j Stingers squad-which has climbed to the sixth position in the CIS national j rankings-against a struggling McGill team. But don't let their records fool you; when these teams hook up it's always a tight battle. A good cause and a good game; what more could you possibly need?

Redmen Lacrosse— Ross-Victory Cup Tournament; Saturday and Sunday, Forbes Field and Molson Stadium The Redmen will play four games in two days against competition from all across the country. Elite squads from Calgary, British Columbia, New Brunswick and London, Ont. will each get a shot at the boys in Red and White.This should be a strong test for a team that is 6-1, with their only loss coming in overtime. For more information on game times and locations please visit www.athletics.mcgill.ca.

PATRICKFOK

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Coiffure

| McGill will play two non-conference games against Moncton on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The Redmen are coming off a big win against perennial powerhouse Western this past weekend and will look to build on that success against a good Angle Bleus squad. The regular season is fast approaching and this is your last chance to see the Red 'n'White before they kick off the campaign.

P ie rre Barber 5 0 0 SHERBROOKE W EST L O T O Q U E B E C B U IL D IN G (BETW EEN AYLMER AND CITY COUNCILLORS)

Goal scorers Kolker (above) and Chimielewski (left) work to gain the advantage against Bishop's on Friday night.

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NHL Hockey— Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs; Saturday, 7 p.m. on CBC It's here! Hockey Night in Canada is back for another season and will be kicking things off in fine fashion. It's hard to find a more heated rivalry then this one in hockey, or any sport for that matter. On the ice, things may have cooled down in recent years but the fans of these two franchises still can't stand the sight of each other. So grab a beer, hunker down and hope I to god your team wins. Bragging rights are vital here.

NFL Football— Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles; Sunday, 4:15 p.m. on FOX The travelling T.O. circus never ends. Just two weeks removed from his suicide attempt err...allergic reaction, #81 returns to the scene of the crime. Both teams are locked in a struggle for supremacy in what could very well be the NFL's toughest division. But really that's not why we're going to watch. All eyes will be on the Eagles and their fans to see what kind of reception they reserve for their prodigal son.

www.mcgilltribune.com

03.10.06 • Sports • 23

NHL Preview: F’ uck drops here * d e n o te s p la y o ff te am s

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A T L A N T IC D IV IS IO N

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N O R T H E A S T D IV IS IO N

Eastern Conference S O U T H E A S T D IV IS IO N

Philadelphia Flyers*

Ottawa Senators *

If the Flyers manage to stay healthy this season, look for them to finish atop the division. The team has a potent offence led by C Peter Forsberg and LW Simon Gagne and complemented by young centres Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.Their defence is strong but largely immobile after losing quick D Kim Johnsson. Philly, as usual, will be a top team in the East and a possible Cup contender.

Carolina Hurricanes *

The Senators underwent serious restructuring this off-season.

Goaltender Dominik Hasek is gone, and Martin Gerber is in.Though he did well in Carolina, Gerber remains untested as a true starter.

The loss of D Zdeno Chara leaves a big hole on defence, and RW Martin Havlat's scoring will be missed. However, the Senators are still a great team who know how to win— in the regular season, at least.

The'Canes return with the same nucleus of players that brought them their first Stanley Cup, led by C Eric Staal, LW Erik Cole and Conn Smythe winning G Cam Ward. Long-term injuries to C Cory Stillman and D Frantisek Kaberle may slow them down early, but Caniacs, don't panic— this team has the skill for another deep run.

New York Rangers *

Buffalo Sabres *

If RW Jaromir Jagr can produce as he did last season, the Rangers are a shoe-in for the playoffs. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist proved himself last year and should be even more confident between the pipes with an NHL season under his belt. The Rangers will build on their surprise result in'06 and will make the post-season once again.

Buffalo finished only three points behind Ottawa for the division title last year and to many they are the prototypical "new NHL" team— young, fast and hard-working. The team is essentially unchanged from last season.They should be good, but much will depend on sophomore G Ryan Miller maintaining last season's form— a difficult task if history is any guide.

The Thrashers, led by wingers Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa are loaded with some of the most potent offensive weapons in the league. However, the defence is suspect, and the departure of high-scoring C Marc Savard hurts the forwards'depth. But if talented G Kari Lehtonen can stay healthy this year, then Atlanta will challenge for a playoff spot.

New Jersey Devils*

Boston Bruins

In the second half of last season, the Devils played like a team possessed and this year, they hope to match that style of play under new head coach Claude Julien. Watch for them to continue their defensively dominant style of hockey after resigning G Martin Brodeur. However, salary cap difficulties and the absence of RW Brian Gionta will hang over this team all year.

The Bruins got the most radical facelift in the Northeast this offseason.They appointed a new GM and coach and made a huge splash in the free agent market by signing D Zdeno Chara, C Marc Savard and RW Shean Donovan. They also have two of hockey's best young players in centres Brad Boyes and Patrice Bergeron.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tampa Bay Lightning * Tampa Bay was paralyzed in the off-season by the massive contracts they have given out to their three top players, spending a collective $20.9 million on RW Martin St. Louis, C Vincent Lecavalier and C Brad Richards. Recently acquired G Marc Denis is a massive step-up from last year's starter John Grahame. But the lack of depth beyond the big three and a largely immobile defence corps could be an issue as the season wears on.

The Leafs were busy during the summer after missing the playoffs.

They bought out G Ed Belfour and RW Tie Domi, signed C Mike Peca, D Pavel Kubina and D Hal Gill, traded for G Andrew Raycroft and hired Paul Maurice as head coach.The Leafs'blue line is much improved and the team is younger, but will Raycroft be the goalie who won the Calder in '04 or the one who was run out of Boston in'06?

In trading G Roberto’‘ Luongo, Florida received a capable netminder in Alex Auld. A largely unheralded offence led by C Olli Jokinen, was also bolstered by the addition of LWTodd Bertuzzi.

With young stars in D Jay Bowmeester, RW Nathan Horton and C Stephen Weiss, the Panthers could surprise this year.

Centres Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are beacons of hope for this struggling team and may be the only reasons the Penguins finally escape the Eastern conference's basement.

Although the Pens possess a heap pf young talent, they still need several years to mature. This April they'll likely find themselves golfing.

Atlanta Thrashers*

Florida Panthers

New York Islanders

Montreal Canadiens

With a new head coach and general manager— Ted Nolan and Garth Snow— the Islanders will look to improve on last season's 78 points. But even with the changes that were made, this team will likely be fighting to stay out of last place. After resigning G Rick DiPietro to a ridiculous is-year contract, the fun in Long Island will be off the ice instead of on it.

Washington Capitals

The Canadiens made the playoffs last year on the back of G Cristobal Huet's stellar play, which earned him a lucrative new deal in the off-season. The Habs also signed LW Sergei Samsonov and RW Mike Johnson while unloading underachievers RW Richard Zednik and C Mike Ribeiro. Montreal will have a hard time making the playoffs unless Huet can replicate last year's form.

^ ^ ^ v a r^ m d r^

— Adam Smith

The lowly Capitals are undeniably a one-man show, but that one player is worth the price of admission. LW Alexander Ovechkin is a prolific scorer and will challenge for the Art Ross Trophy despite being surrounded by journeymen. The sophomore phenom, along with solid G Olaf Kolzig, deserves a lot better than the team than GM George McPhee has assembled.

— Matt Chesser

Western Conference C E N T R A L D IV IS IO N

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Detroit Red Wings * The loss of captain Steve Yzerman and LW Brendan Shanahan was certainly a blow to the Motor City faithful. However, a defence anchored by Niklas Lidstrom coupled with the return of G Dominik Hasek will keep opponents frustrated. Add to that a potent attack led by LW Henrik Zetterberg and C Pavel Datsyukand a sixth straight division title looks likely.

Nashville Predators * Predators owner Craig Leipold went on a spending spree this off-season in hopes of dethroning the Wings. An already powerful offence— led by LW Paul Kariya— will be much stronger with the additions of C Jason Arnott, RW J.P. Dumont and C Josef Vasicek. However a young defence and the health of G Tomas Vokoun could undermine the Preds run.

N O R T H W E S T D IV IS IO N

Calgary Flames * The Flames enter the season again as the favourites in this division. Calgary is very deep at the back with Vezina winner G Mikka Kiprusoff between the pipes with defensemen Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf patrolling the blueline. The concern as always for the Flames will be offensive production. Last season they netted only 218 goals but the addition of LW Alex Tanguay alongside RW Jarome Iginla will surely lead to more lamp lighting.

Vancouver Canucks * After missing the playoffs, the Canucks made noise in the off-season by acquiring G Roberto Luongo in a blockbuster deal. Vancouver may struggle in their own end, however, due to the losses of D Ed Jovanovski and Bryan Allen. But Luongo appears to finally answer Vancouver's goaltending concerns and they will certainly qualify for the post-season.

Colum bus Blue Jackets Columbus has never been to the playoffs in its brief history and there is no sign that this year will be any different. LW Rick Nash will lead the offence while RW Nikolai Zherdev will try to build on his 2005-2006 achievements. But an injury to C Sergei Federov, the loss of D Radoslav Suchy and the inexperience of G Pascal Leclaire will be the Jackets'undoing.

Edmonton Oilers * The Oilers are coming off an improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals; however, only days after it ended D Chris Pronger asked to be traded and the Oilers did not adequately replace him in the off­ season. Instead, Edmonton got stronger up front. With the arrival of RW Petr Sykora via free agency and young RW Joffrey Lupul in the Pronger deal, their offensive fortunes are looking up.

Chicago Blackhawks Chicago sported one of the least productive attacks last year.

To address that concern, the Blackhawks brought in RW Martin Havlat, C Michal Handzus and C Bryan Smolinski. If G Nikolai Khabibulin can return to his 2003-2004 form, the 'Hawks will be a more competitive team. That being said, the playoffs remain out of reach.

St. Louis Blues After posting the league's worst record, the Blues hired John Davidson as President. Davidson, who has no prior managerial experience, has brought in a multitude of players to try to rebuild the squad; G Manny Legace, C Doug Weight and D Jay McKee have been added to help. But this team is a work in progress, so look for St. Louis to keep singing the blues come April.

— Mike Vallo

Minnesota Wild The defensively-minded Wild made a couple of moves in the off­ season to boost their offensive production. C Pavol Demitra was imported to skate alongside RW Marian Gaborik, giving the Wild at least two competitive lines. G Manny Fernandez will be just fine with the number one job to himself. The defence remains solid and much more mobile with the addition of D Kim Johnsson from Philadelphia.

Colorado Avalanche The Avs saw D Rob Blake leave and RW Alex Tanguay dealt to Calgary. Captain Joe Sakic enters his 18th season and may begin to weardown whileGJoseTheodore's play will still bean unknown. The Avs will need a lot out of RW Marek Svatos and incoming D Jordan Leopold if they hope to reach the post-season.

— Dan McQuillan

P A C IF IC D IV IS IO N

Anaheim Ducks * The Ducks became instant Cup contenders by adding D Chris Pronger. Pronger joins Norris Trophy finalist Scott Niedermayer and budding star Francois Beauchemin on one of the league's top blue lines. Offensively, Anaheim will relyonC Andy McDonald and RWTeemu Selanne to lead the charge and for improving C Ryan Getzlaf and RW Corry Perry to provide secondary scoring.

San Jose Sharks * The Sharks appear poised to make a run in 2006-2007.They have a strong group of forwards, led by Hart Trophy winner C Joe Thornton, Rocket Richard award winner RWJonathan Cheechoo and C Patrick Marleau.The defence is anchored by Scott Hannan and Kyle McClaren. Meanwhile, goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala are both quality options between the pipes.

Dallas Stars * Crippled by cap troubles, the Stars were forced to say good­ bye to RW Bill Guerin while replacing C Jason Arnott with C Eric Lindros. If the Stars can stay healthy and Lindros can develop chemistry with an experienced core, then look for the Stars to make the playoffs. However, if Lindros doesn't step up or if G Marty Turco falters, it could be a long year in Dallas.

Phoenix Coyotes The Coyotes have retooled this off-season, adding defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Nick Boynton. The forward group is led by RW Shane Doan and LW Ladislav Nagy but there are questions as to whether or not aging newcomers C Jeremy Roenick and RW Owen Nolan can still contribute. A lack of offensive depth plus G Curtis Joseph's shaky play should equal another spring on the sidelines.

Los Angeles Kings New GM Dean Lombardi got right to work. He added Marc Crawford as the new head coach, signed vets G Dan Cloutier and D Rob Blake and brought in C Alyn McCauley and LW Scott Thorntonfrom the Sharks. Finally, Lombardi unloaded the aging Pavol Demitra. However, the lack of credible scoring threats or a first-rate net minder should spell disaster for the Kings.

—James Walker

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