The McGill Tribune Vol. 28 Issue 21

M IS S IN G P. FEB-

VO L:

2

8

1

1

7

-

2

-

2

0

0

9

IS S U E

2

1

17.02.09 •The McGill Tribune •3

/ww.mcgilltribune.com

ROVINCIAL

.e g is la t io n w o u ld r e g u la t e u n iv e r s it y b o a r d s M c G ill

B o G

C h a ir

R a b in o v it c h

!

c a lls

C o u r c h e s n e

" q u it e

v in d ic t iv e "

j

.

I

Dntinued from COVER aldoff, a prominent Montreal lawyer and McGill alumnus, ading the charge against the bill. Maldoff called the legistion a serious threat and said Bill 107 represents "more than slippery slope" in its implications for government interferîce in the way Quebec universities are run.

In a long discussion of the issue, several governors jreed that McGill is fundamentally different than other ■riversides in the province. "[We need to] measure ourselves against the internaanal community, not Chicoutimi," Maldoff said, rerring to the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi.

The governors strongly criticized Courchesne jring their discussion, with Board chair Robert sbinovitch saying that the minister "can be and is jite vindictive."

McGill Chancellor Richard Pound then proased sending a letter signed by Principal Heather unroe-Blum, Rabinovitch, and himself, emphasizing the irious nature of the legislation.

"Frankly, I would use up one of our big [negotiating] rips on this," Pound said. "We should use more than one rip if we have to."

Senate representative and department of pediatrics ember Gary Pekeles then introduced a motion for Rabinotch, Munroe-Blum, and Pound to send such a letter, which le Board unanimously approved, with support staff repremtative Allan Youster abstaining from the vote.

While the reason Courchesne introduced the bill re­ ams somewhat unclear, McGill Executive Head of Public ffairs Vaughan Dowie speculated that the bill stemmed om the Quebec government's desire to increase control of "riversides following the provincial bailout of the Univerty of Quebec at Montreal's troubled finances.

"This Bill is a response to the real estate problems that occurred at UQAM, but in reality those events had less to do with university governance and much more to do with project oversight and the sharing of information within that university," Dowie wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Because McGill's Board of Governors is already com­ posed of 25 members, the proposed bill would affect only the composition of the Board. Currently, 12 of the positions on the Board are reserved for members-at-large unaffiliated with the university. If passed, Bill 107 would raise that num­ ber to 16 or 17.

According to Turner, the Board is worried about the potential for future legislation further regulating the univer­ sity.

"The real problem that the Board has with [Bill 107] is what it potentially means— the spirit of the legislation," Turner said.

SSMU took action on the legislation after the Board of Governors first discussed Bill 107 last September. Vice-Pres­ ident External Devin Alfaro introduced four motions resolv­ ing that "privately chartered universities [such as McGill] re­ main sovereign regarding the composition and functioning of the governing bodies" and calling on SSMU to oppose the "political control" of universities, which Council passed by a large margin on Oc­ tober 28. Alfaro's counterparts at the Univer­ sity of Sherbrooke and Laval University passed similar resolutions.

"Frankly, I would use up one of our big chips on this.

We should use more than one chip if we have to."

—McGill Chancellor Richard Pound Pound and M unroe-B lum currently sit on th e Board, in a ddition to th ree representatives o f th e McGill A lum ni Asso­ ciation and tw o representatives each from Senate, academ ic staff, and adm inistrative and support staff. Post-G raduate S tu dents'S o ciety President John Ashley Burgoyne and Stu­ dents'S ociety President Kay Turner sit on th e Board as w ell.

According to D ow ie, th e university has already m ade m any o f th e changes th a t w ould be m an dated under Bill

107.

"McGill has reform ed and m odernized our governance m odel and instrum ents over th e past fe w years and w e did not require a law for th a t to have happened," D ow ie w ro te in an em ail to th eT rib u n e.

Representatives o f th e M inistry o f Education, Recre­ ation, and Sports did not return th e Tribune's requests for com m ent.

"Our point o f view is th at w h ile it's good to have external people w h o have expertise in running organizations on th e Board o f Governors, it's th e people w h o w o rk here, w h o study here, w h o teach here w ho have th e m ost in tim ate know ledge o f th e needs, [and] th e problem s th a t are facing this institution," Alfaro said.

In addition, Turner said th at she and Burgoyne have had productive discussions a bout th e bill. Burgoyne said th e issue will be discussed at th e PGSS Executive's next m ee t­ ing.

According to Turner, SSMU supports the governors'ac­ tion against the bill.

"SSMU is not in favour o f these regulations, and I th ink th a t m any o f th e governors spoke incredibly eloq uently and th ey w ere all to tally right in th at th e g o vernm ent doesn't have a place in telling us how to do th e specifics o f our gov­ ernance," she said. "And I th in k th a t everyone loses w h en the g o vern m en t com es in and does that." ■

Interested in student issues?

Want to get involved in campus life?

Deadline for submission of Nominations Elections McGill is accepting nom inations for the following positions with the S tudents’ Society of McGill University (S S M U ):

1.President 2.VP U n iversity A ffairs 3.VP External 4.V P C lu b s and S e rv ic e s 5.VP Internal 6.VP Fin an ce and O perations 7. Student S en ato rs (faculty of a rts: 2) (1 seat each for: sc ie n c e , engineering, m anagem ent, education, law, dentistry, m usic, R elig io us stu d ie s, m edicine) 8. Fin an cial E th ic s R ese arch Com m ittee (3 F E R C C o u n cilo rs) 9. R ep s to C K U T board of D irectors (2)

Elections McGill is also accepting nominations for Yes / No committees for the next set of referendum questions.

Nomination kits are available online at www.electionsmcaill.ca or from the Elections McGill office, Shatner 405.

N o m in a tio n s a r e d u e

Shatner, salle 405 Téléphone: (514) 398-6474 contact@ electionsm cgill.ca

F r i d a y , F e b r u a r y 2 0 th a t n o o n .

e le c t io n s ^ :

•U* - (

ill

;

4•News •17.02.09

The McGill Tribune

CITY

N e w s B rie f

J u s t f o r L a u g h s e x p a n d s t o U .S .

C o m e d y

fe s tiv a l

r e a c h e s

T rip Y ang

Following successful shows in Toronto and Europe, M o n ­ treal-based com edy festival Just For Laughs plans to expand its operations to the U.S., the M iddle East, and Australia. The project will be funded largely by a $io-m illion financing deal betw een the Solidarity Fund QFL and Just For Laughs' parent com pany Gestion Juste Pour Rire Inc. M any w ell-know n comedians have perform ed at the M o n t­ real festival over the years, including Tina Fey, Drew Carey, and Ray Romano.

Founded in 1983 as a two-day francophone comedy show, Just For Laughs has since expanded to become one of the most recognizable brands in comedy. The annual month-long festival showcases both aspiring and established talent, and has become a hotbed for young entertainers breaking into the industry.

"We've brought shows to the Bahamas and Singapore before, because there was an English-speaking com ­ edy m arket in those regions," said Leisa Lee, Just for Laughs direc­ tor o f com m unica­ tions. "The same is true o f our current expan­ sions. The U.S., M iddle East, and Australia are regions w here w e can m arket our brand suc­ cessfully."

The festival, which is usually held in M on-

o u t

in t e r n a t io n a lly

treal but made a stop in Toronto two years ago, draws thousands of tourists annually from around the globe. Hundreds of artists perform for comedy fans as well as 1,200 agents, scouts, and other industry officials. The company organizes 30 road shows per year and airs the Just For Laughs television show in 125 mar­ ket areas. With its growing popularity base, Lee said outward ex­ pansion was only a matter of time.

"We would have continued our planned expansions to some degree regardless of outside factors, such as financing from the Solidarity Fund or the slowing economy," Lee said. "As with any other industry, you have to expand to grow."

The Solidarity Fund was created in 1983 as a "capital for de­ velopment" fund with the goal of preserving and creating jobs.

As of November 2008, the fund had net assets of $6.2 billion and has produced, maintained, or protected 126,000 jobs. The $10 million from the Solidarity Fund will provide the necessary credit to market the comedy brand internationally, so shows can be created with local partners and local talent.

"The goal of the Quebec Solidarity Fund is to promote Que­ bec companies and protect Quebec jobs," said solidarity fund QFL PR advisor Josée Lagacé. "We are pleased to be a partner of Just For Laughs, and proud of their sense of innovation."

Cirque du Soleil, another Montreal-based entertainment company, has successfully expanded operations into the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East. Lee believes Just For Laughs can fol­ low their example to achieve overseas success.

"Anytime you see a business model succeed, your first reac­ tion is to wonder how that model can be incorporated into your business so you can achieve similar success. Like Cirque du Soleil, we also incorporate local talents in our travelling acts," Lee said.

In July 2007, Just For Laughs celebrated its 25th anniversary with a month-long festival in Toronto. A flagship festival in Chica­ go has already been scheduled, featuring both local and regular Just for Laughs talent. ■

McGill opens Sustainability Office McGill's Office of Sustainability opened last Wednesday to an audience of administrators, profes­ sors, and students crammed into the office in Room 216 of the Ferrier Building.

Principal Heather Munroe-Blum and Vice-Principal (University Services) Jim Nicell kicked off the launch.

Their speeches emphasized the social, environmental, and economic impact of sustainability at McGill.

Students' Society Vice-President University Affairs Nadya Wilkinson, former director of the Sustainable McGill Project, said that Wednesday's launch was a huge success and a step in the right direction.

"Of course this isn't enough," she said. "But this is one of the biggest steps we have taken to improving sustainability on campus."

The idea for a sustainability office came up at a Senate Sub-Committee of the Environment meeting in 2005. At that time, professors, administrators, students, and staff agreed that a sustainability office was neces­ sary, but everyone had different ideas about what they wanted. Three years of broad consultation ensued.

"At one point, we had consultation in the Shatner Ballroom with images on the wall, and surveys going around asking students what they wanted," Wilkinson said. "And we also had smaller round tables, say, with one person from the planning office, a prof from geog­ raphy. We would propose what we were looking at, and refine the model from there."

The finalized proposal for the space was submitted to Nicell last year.

The office aims to cultivate sustainability on cam­ pus. According to McGill's press release, the opening marked "an important step in the university's drive to become a thoroughly green institution."

Reducing McGill's energy consumption is one of the Sustainability Office's main goals. On Wednesday, McGill Sustainability Director Dennis Fortune explained simple methods to solve McGill's overarching energy problems. For example, dimmable lights coupled with motion sensors have recently been installed in the Bronfman building to reduce energy consumption.

— T hom as Q u a il

CAMPUS

C h o o s e L i f e g a i n s f u ll s t a t u s C ritic s

a r g u e

g r o u p

is o p p r e s s i v e

J ames G ilman

The Students' Society Council approved pro-life club Choose Life's full status application last Thursday with a vote of 16 for, seven against, and one abstention.

Council voted on the recom m endation o f the Clubs and Services C om m ittee th at Choose Life be approved for full sta­ tus as the club had m et the necessary requirements "In response to whether Choose Life deserves to be a full status club the committee's answer is 'yes.'Their application was complete and extremely thorough. They demonstrated that their group is organized, enthusiastic, and fulfilling their mandate.They have met the requirements for becoming a full status club," said Interest Group Co-ordinator Sarah Olle, who chairs the Clubs and Services Committee.

Choose Life was approved as an interim status club at Council's October 28, 2008, meeting, where the constitutional­ ity of approving a pro-life group was debated by councillors and members of a packed gallery.

In order to fulfill the requirements to become a full sta­ tus club, an interim status club must organize three events, attract 25 members, and submit a full status application. Full status clubs can apply for direct funding from SSMU as well as office space in the Shatner Building, whereas interim status clubs can only apply for funding on a per-event basis through the Campus Life Fund. Interim clubs can get a SSMU email ad­ dress, participate in Activities Night free of charge, and receive some other benefits from SSMU. Olle explained that full status is not permanent status, however, and that any full status club can have their status revoked.

"Both interim and full status clubs are subject to the same scrutiny o f SSMU,"she said. "Any group can be reprim anded or disbanded at any tim e by [SSMU's Judicial Board], the equity officers, Council, or the executive committee."

Following the Clubs and Services Committee report, councillors and gallery members debated whether or not Choose Life should be granted full status.

t o

w o m e n

Councillor Hanchu Chen, a member of the Clubs and Services Committee, argued that Council had already had the debate over whether Choose Life should exist, and that Thurs­ day's debate was to decide if the group had met the full status requirements.

"When a club applies for full status, the debate is no lon­ ger about whether they deserve a right to existence, that right was proven months ago, back in October, when this very leg­ islative body said, 'You provide a unique and valuable facet to student life,"'said Chen.

However, Councillor Sarah Woolf argued that unlike when Choose Life was granted interim status, Council was now able to debate the club's record— its three month period as an interim club and the three events Choose Life held over this time.

"This is a different discussion, because instead of a dis­ cussion based on hypotheticals, we now have seen how the club has acted," she said, pointing to a Choose Life event held in November at which they displayed images of fetal devel­ opment. At the time, the SSMU Equity Officers decided not to reprimand Choose Life for the event.

Woolf argued that displaying these pictures was unac­ ceptable, and that the ciub and its position are oppressive towards women who have had, or may consider having, an abortion.

"There's a lot of legitimacy in calling this group oppressive to women,"she said."SSMU operates under an anti-oppressive environment, and we cannot allow this club to continue."

Former Councillor Erica Martin also spoke against ap­ proving Choose Life as a full status club, arguing that while initially approving the club may have been the right thing to do, the debate over Choose Life's constitutionality should be revisited.

"The club that got approved for constitutionality was the club based on their submission, and the mandate they sub­ mitted. I think that's great, nothing there offends me, [there's] nothing there I can foresee oppressing any of your members," Martin said from the gallery. "Unfortunately what they have done as an interim club has shown that they go beyond that,

ADAM SCOTTI Choose Life President Nathalie Fohl at SSMU legistlative Council last semester.

it's not about discussion, it is about ostracising, [and] it is about oppression."

Councillor Jose Diaz, also a m em ber, o f the Clubs and Ser­ vices C om m ittee, argued th at it was unfair to call Choose Life oppressive.

"Choose Life is not being oppressive. By oppression we understand [a certain group o f people] using powers, privi­ lege against another group o f people," Diaz said. "If we are cen­ soring them , th at is oppression. If w e let th em be, we are not being oppressive, and they're not being oppressive." ■

/vww.mcgilltribune.com

17.02.09 •The McGill Tribune •7

V O X PO PULI

ED ITO R IA L www.mcgilltribune.com

Editor-in-Chief

M a tt Chesser

editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Crystal C han T h o m as Q uail

seniored@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager

S am a n th a C hang

production@mcgilltribune.com News Editors

Jam es G ilm an Theo M eyer

news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor

B ernard R udny

opinion@mcgilltribune.com Features Editors

M e g h n a M a rjad i C arolyn Yates

features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Kyle C a rp e n te r C arolyn G régo ire

arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editor

Jacob K anter

sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor

A d am Scotti

photo@mcgilltribune.com Online Editor

Kaylea H o w a rth

online@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors

Fem i Kassim Jan e t M c M u lle n

design@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Tori C raw ford

Advertising Manager M a tt W ard

cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca Publisher

C had Ronalds

Contributors

Nasser M ohieddin Abukhdeir, Nasser Al-Shawwa, Zoe Daniels, M eaghan Davis, Arielle Frank, Stephanie Gutnik, Niki Hyde, John Celsey, Shannon Kimball, Kailan Le­ ung, Andrew Miller, Zoë Miller-Vedam, Sabina Roan, Nadim Roberts, kahna Siegelberg, M ax Silverman, folly Stewart, Renee Sutton, Vincci Tsui, Nate Vanderweerd,Trip Yang

Tribune Offices Editorial Shatner University Centre Suite no, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1X9 T: 514.398.6789 E: info@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200,3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514-398.7490

D e a lin g w it h a

Hands off the BoG n a province where needless regulation is the vogue, Bill 107 shouldn't come as a surprise.The bill, which was first tabled before the Quebec National Assembly last fall, regulates the internal governance of the province's universities. It's also an ill-conceived and unnecessary piece of legislation.

Bill 107 was harshly criticized at McGill's Board of Governors meet­ ing last week.There are two main problems with the bill: it would erode McGill's independence, and it micromanages the university's Board of Governors.

Bill 107 allows the provincial government to appoint at least one member to every Quebec university governing board. It was suppos­ edly prompted by financial mismanagement at the University of Que­ bec at Montreal. However, this kind of blanket regulation is unneces­ sary at McGill— which is well-governed— and breeds resentment. If the government wants to foster trust and co-operation with McGill, forcing its way onto the Board of Governors is the wrong way to go about it.

The bill also dictates the composition of McGill's Board of Gover­ nors with pedantic detail, it imposes a 25-member cap, a gender parity rule, and restrictions on the board's composition. When implemented in tandem, the member cap and gender parity regulation become problematic.

McGill's Board of Governors already has 25 members, of whom more than two-thirds are men. There's nothing wrong with increasing the number of female governors— except when it comes at the expense of qualified male governors. First and foremost, the Board of Governors should be a meritocracy. But under Bill 107, McGill could be required to dismiss qualified governors specifically because of their gender. That's a strange way to battle the legacy of gender discrimination.

The bill also includes several provisions dictating who can be ap­ pointed to the Board of Governors. If the legislation passes, at least two-thirds of governors must be "independent directors,"with no direct involvement in the university.There's a strong case for having indepen­ dent governors, as they bring a valuable outside perspective. But it's unclear why they should make up a majority of the body— there's an equally strong case for appointing people who have a stake in the uni­ versity, and McGill already has 12 independent governors.

If McGill is forced to comply with Bill 107 and make room for these new governors, we can't help worrying that student representatives will be the first to go. McGill undergraduate and graduate students fought hard to secure seats on the Board of Governors— it would be a shame to lose them because the Students' Society president is of an inconvenient gender.

f r ie n d 's s u ic id e

I

Bill 107 never received a full reading because of the D ecem ber pro­ vincial election. However, it will rear its ugly head again w hen the Na­ tional Assembly reconvenes in March, and we hope Quebec legislators will vote for good governance at universities— and against Bill 107. ■

A ndrew M iller andrew m iller 5 @ m ac .com

was sifting th rough Facebook

I w h e n I cam e upon w h at I th o u g h

was a crude joke: "RIP Cody" was posted as a friend's profile status.

W hat th e hell was he talkin g about?

I angrily clicked on m y friend's pro­ file, d e m an d in g to know w h a t was going on. W hen he w ro te back th at our friend Cody had died, I v e h e ­ m en tly shook my head and w rote back, "Are you joking?!"

He said, "No." It seem ed to o surreal, and I just d id n 't— or co u ld n 't— accept it. M y th ro a t was suddenly dry. M y head was th ro b ­ bing. I shook my head again and searched for inform ation on Cody.

I saw a n o th e r person w ith a profile status th a t lam ented his reported death. It was to o m uch. I w e n t to our high school w ebsite to see if th e school had posted anything.

I d id n 't see anything on th e front page, b u t I saw a n u m b er one next to deceased in our graduating class. I clicked on Cody's profile on th e school w ebsite, and saw a "D" next to his nam e.

Tears began to fo rm . I rushed to th e bathro om , tu rn ed th e w a te r on to hear som e noise instead o f just eerie silence, and cried. A fter w h at seem ed like forever, I left the bathro om , te x t messaged m y g irl­ friend, and talked to her a b o u t it.

She help ed give m e som e solace, for she to o had been th ro u g h a sim ilar experience.

Sitting here at m y desk, I stare at th e com puter, trying to figure out w h a t I'm supposed to w rite to explain all that's h a ppened. I can't. O ne has to experience this

to understand what it's like. I'm not going to pontificate about what one should and shouldn't do in re­ gards to suicide. That's for each per­ son to decide.

I have been overwhelmed with guilt and frustration. What could I have done to help? Why didn't I write more often? Why did he do it? All of these recurring questions pound my head. But, in retrospect, I realize that it's vain to think you can change other people's lives if they choose not to trust others with painful, dark secrets. One person can only do what he or she can— you can't save everyone.

Looking back on this long, surreal week, I've appreciated life more, and have been humbled by death's unexpected call. I had only experienced death once before, when my grandmother passed away when I was at the pivotal age of 13. You don't expect this to hap­ pen. Yes, there's the idea of it hap­ pening with the help of books and movies, but you still don't expect it to hit until it's too late.

The guilt won't go away, but at least I can hope that Cody is happy wherever he is, which will hopefully bring some solace to his loved ones.

I see him as I walk outside, look at the water reflection in the sink, and when I walk around the school campus, hearing his contagious laughter and loud, happy voice. It's still hard to believe he is dead, but his laughter and voice live on. ■ A n d re w M ille r is a U r h is to r y a n d H is p a n ic s tu d ie s s tu d e n t.

Letters to the editor Make no exceptions for Bush and Cheney Dear Ricky Kreitner, I agreed with most of your precise cri­ tique of Reynold's disjointed, fallacious logic ("Daily Columnist Defends the American Way," 10.02.09), and certainly enjoyed the linguistic acumen with which you exposed its weakness­ es. Had you not digressed into a sugary mono­ logue heralding America's virtue, your piece would have been quite strong. As a political theory student, presumably you are aware that Bush was technically not elected democrati­ cally by the Electoral College in 2000. The Su­ preme Court appointed him to the presidency.

Also, both Bush and Cheney are well known to have n o t been held accountable to the law thus far, with countless examples of legal viola­ tions both on the national (e.g. providing arms to foreign countries that are then used against civilians) and international level (e.g. torture).

While you do not specifically deny either of these facts, you are quite wrong to say that these former heads of state are exceptions rather than the rule. There is tremendous sym­ bolic value attached to the positions they for­ merly held— as heads of state they are the fore­ most authority to uphold the law (including the Constitution) and their operation outside of these legal parameters is representative of how meaningless the parameters themselves have become.

These exceptions represent positions of such gravitas that they are the rule. Having the law applied to such "exceptions" would be the

best way to prove their actual applicability be­ yond theirtheoretical beauty, and the strongest way to argue their existence as a "rule.'The fact that American law appears to be unsystemati­ cally applied to individuals depending on their level of power denigrates the Constitution and the original ideals of the Founding Fathers. It renders that portion of the Constitution you mention to an admittedly beautiful ideal that no longer has a basis in reality.

Other than that, great piece! I especially enjoyed the line "her rather puerile and myo­ pic tirade."

— David Paterson, U3 neuroscience Cut God some slack, for Christ's sake We will soon have an ad campaign with this slogan on city buses: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Perhaps we should change the slogan to read: "There's probably no Allah," or substitute "Bud­ dha," or any other deity. I wonder what people of these religions would say? Or do? Burn down buses? Burn trains?

I wonder if our society should permit free­ dom of speech to the extent of insulting each other's beliefs. Hasn't freedom of speech gone a little too far? Remember those cartoons of Mohammed with warheads? Do we want a re­ peat of the carnage that followed? Do we not have any wise men who will put an end to this folly?

— Ed Hoyer, B.Eng 1967

What can you do with an IDS degree? Keep writing to the Tribune about old news!

This is in regards to the article"McGill pays ex-VP $321,471 severance" by Thomas Quail in the issue of the Tribune published on Febru­ ary 10. This same issue was brought up in the Montreal Gazette on the same day. A McGill administrator receiving upwards of $1 million (including severance) for a year and half of work, another being paid $500,000 per year.

[E ditor's n o te : The T ribune re p o rte d th a t A n n D o w s e tt J o h n s to n c o lle c te d ju s t u n d e r $ 760,000 d u rin g h e r r 9 -m o n th te n u re .]

What I find particularly troubling about all of this is the notion of the confidential­ ity clause. To me, this appears to be a means of McGill having the ability to buy its way out of any accountability for any wrong doing it may have committed. Specifically, I am talking about the situation of Norman Cornet. Cornet was let go from McGill and his situation at the moment is incredibly difficult, to say the least.

McGill, however, has refused any sort of settle­ ment with Cornet unless he signs a confidenti­ ality agreement, thereby keeping its misdeeds private.

Cornet deserves his settlement, but he also deserves to have his case heard and made public. By refusing to accept responsibility and insisting on a confidentiality agreement, McGill is trying to hide and avoid any negative attention that may come its way, regardless of the ethics and morality involved.

— Aly Jivraj, B.A. 2007

‘he McGill Tribune isaneditorially autonomous newspaper published bythe Students'Society of McGill Universityin collaboration with theTribune Publication Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those )f the Students'Society or McGill University. Lettersto the editor may be sent to letters@mcgilltribune.comand must include the contributor's name, programand year and contact information. Letters should be kept under :oowords and submitted only to theTribune. Submissionsjudged bytheTribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely promotional in nature will not be published. TheTribune reserves the ight to edit all contributions. Editorialsare decided upon and written bythe editorial board. All other opinions are strictlythose of the author and do not necessaply reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, itseditors or its taff. Please recyclethis newspaper.

8«The McGill Tribune •17.02.09

V O X PO PULI

Make a difference at Israeli Apartheid Week N asser M ohieddin A bukhdeir

NASSER.ABUKHDEIR@MCGILL.CA n the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, the Palestine-lsrael issue is being brought into focus. On McGill and Concordia cam­ puses, a broad coalition of student groups has organized a week-long series of events in March as part of the inter­ national Israeli Apartheid Week. The intent of these events is to introduce students and the broader community to the analysis of Israel as an Apartheid state.

The definition of the crime of Apartheid, as stated in Article Two of the ICSPCA, involves inhuman acts commit­ ted for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domi­ nation by one racial group of persons over any other-racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them. The term is most commonly used to refer to the South African Apartheid, where it originated. It's relatively easy to show that the state of Israel's policies regarding its non-Jewish citizens and Palestinians under occupation also constitute an Apartheid system, and this topic should be given a thor­ ough treatment. I believe that the the events of the IAW in Montreal achieve this, with speakers such as Ronnie Kasrils, who was directly involved in combating the Apartheid re­ gime in South Africa as a member of the African National

O

Congress. My intent is to convince the greater McGill com­ munity to attend these events. Three key reasons quickly come to mind: First, it was Canada that spearheaded the imposition of economic sanctions against the Apartheid regime in South Africa in the 1980 s. A concerted effort by Canadian civil society including businesspeople, students, and clergy ultimately contributed to the imposition of an international economic boycott of the Apartheid regime. This culminated in a relatively peaceful end to the regime, with inclusive all­ race elections occurring in 1994 . Canadians should, once again, take the lead in human rights issues globally. A first step in this direction is gaining awareness of these issues and this year's IAW is an ideal opportunity.

Second, while Canada's strong record in support of human rights internationally is indisputable, human rights violations suffered by indigenous peoples here in Canada continue to this day. A specific example here in Quebec is the plight of the Barrière Lake community. One of lAW's events focusses on the issues of indigenous rights and the ongoing struggle for them in Canada.

Finally, the results of recent elections in Israel show that the chances for a just peace are growing slimmer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \

CO RRECTIO N S

L e f t o u t in t h e c o ld b y t h e G A N asser A l - S hawwa

V_____________________________________________________________________________ y

NASSER.AL-SHAWWA@MAIL.MCGILL.CA T

$

3.95

/m onth FLAT RATE !*

Canada + 50 countries $ 1 3 . 9 5 B E L IE V E IT ! or pay as you go with 10-11 -295 from 2 Ca minute from any Bell landline

T r ib u MSc a l l «art#

% W tM

Call N ow 514 448 9205 Or see: w w w .w o rld lin e .ca S a y T h e M e G ift T r ib u n e * w h e n a s k e d ! * $10 annual network fee applies to flat rate plans

Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir is a fourth-year PhD chem cal engineering student. Israeli Apartheid Week runs fror March 7 to 8, and a full schedule can be found at www.ian montreal.org.

V O X PO PULI

In last week's theatre review "An unconventional crime," the role of Prosecutor was incorrectly cred­ ited to Glen Pannell. In fact, the role was played by Kyle Foot.

Also, in last week's article "A brief history of the FLDS," Winston Blackmore was incorrectly described as Harold Blackmore's son. In fact, the two men were cousins.

UNLIMITED Canada long distance - Cell and home included

These elections have seen a surge in power of an extremis political party, Yisrael Beiteinu, which has been condemnei for supporting the ethnic cleansing of Israeli Arabs. Previ ous to these elections, disturbing poll data released by th Israel Democracy Institute in June 2007 found that abou 56 per cent of the Jews in Israel publicly oppose full equa ity for Israeli Arabs. Almost 78 per cent believe that Ara parties shouldn't be allowed to join the government or an important political decision-making body. Shockingly, ou of those Jewish Israelis polled, 55 per cent believed that Pa estinian citizens of Israel should leave the country.

There are many additional reasons to attend the uf coming IAW events, and I have only given what I feel ar the most compelling. As McGill students and Canadia residents, we enjoy a unique set of privileges that the vas majority of humanity does not. I believe that we should le verage our unique privileges to work towards justice for al and that starts with the simple task of becoming aware. ■

he Arab-lsraeli conflict has been a main focus of McGill publications over the past few weeks. The violence in Gaza, which ended with a unilateral cease-fire on January 18, provided a large amount of material for editors and opinion columnists providing infor­ mation and ideas as well as blame, justification, and (of course) argu­ ments going back and forth be­ tween one issue and the next.

On February 5, the Students' Society's General Assembly was host to over 700 students, most of whom came to vote for or against the motion regarding the condem­ nation of the bombing of edu­ cational institutions in Gaza. Not that many people seemed willing to listen, though. For most of the attendees, the vote was already decided upon entry to the Shatner cafeteria. So, instead of a debate, or even a presentation of ideas, the GA turned out to be a battle of organized efforts of different bod­ ies, each with a unique agenda.The motion was eventually postponed indefinitely by a majority vote, ren­ dering it out of bounds for discus­ sion, amendment, and (ultimately) implementation.

At first, I felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief. I did not want to accept the fact that my evening went entirely to waste, since this motion was the only reason I was present in the GA. But then I asked myself about the real source of my disappointment. Was it really that the motion was not voted for or passed? I remembered what I stood in line to say, and I realized that I would be satisfied with conveying the message I had to convey, re­ gardless of the outcome of the vote after the question was called. The real reason I was appalled was that I was forcibly silenced by a major­ ity vote to postpone the motion indefinitely.

After the motion to postpone

passed, the room erupted wit cheers from the majority voter which was rather strange. Wh would one be so proud of stiflin debate and discussion? Is it tru that the best way to deal with irr portant issues such as this one is b brushing them aside and ignorin them? If you knew that the majo ity vote was still going to be your why was it so hard for you to allot us to speak? Clearly the motion t postpone wasn't representative c the majority of the McGill studen body. Rather, it was the outcom of a successful campaign to gatht enough voters to eliminate th Gaza motion. Granted, this motio may be considered one-sided, bi what was so important about S! Mil's stance on the Gaza issue?

In early December, a state ment was issued on behalf of th university to extend condolence to the families of two members c the McGill community who wer killed in the terrorist attacks i India— without blaming anybody which is the right way to go abou it. In that case, there was no nee for a GA to push for such a state ment to be published. I was prou that McGill expressed disdain am bitterness over the loss of life, anj grieved for those whom it con sidered members of the university' family. The university's letter state* that "many of McGill's student: staff and alumni have close ties t< India, and the university is offering help to any members of the com munity touched by this tragedy along with a suggestion that stu dents needing assistance contac various offices at McGill.

What did the Palestinian McGil students get? Nothing. ■

Nasser Al-Shawwa is a U2 engi neering student and vice-presiden of publications for the Arab Student: Association. He is also a Gazan Pales tinian.

L

t u d e n t

;avel

iv in g

i/la ca u : A t a s t e o f P o r t u g a l in A s ia h in a 's

le s s e r

k n o w n

S A R

V in c c i Tsui With a population of only 557,400, it's easy to dismiss cau as just "China's other special administrative region." wever, with well-kept historical sites standing alongside ver developments by foreign casino companies, it is said t the former Portuguese colony has just as much character, ot more, than Hong Kong.

A handful of airlines offer flights to the Macau Internaial Airport, and Macau is also accessible by boat from Hong ig. A good place to start your sightseeing is Largo do Selo, or Senate Square. Paved with artistic black-and-white tuguese pavement, Largo do Senado is part of the HistoriCentre of Macau, a collection of over 20 locations that have n collectively named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The are itself is surrounded by other buildings that have made list, such as Leal Senado, the General Post Office, and St. ninic's Church.

Head northw est through the shop-lined, tourist-packed ets behind St. Dominic's Church, and you will soon reach Ruins o f St. Paul's Cathedral. Although the rest o f the ca­ drai was destroyed by fire in 1835 , the southern façade of cathedral rem ained miraculously intact. Its carvings, which ibine Catholic and Oriental themes, have been the subject tudy for m any archaeologists. Behind the ruins is Fortaleza M onte, or M oun t Fortress, w here tourists can check out the nons or adm ire the view o f the city below.

Another historical must-see is the A-Ma Temple, a 520r-old temple honouring Matsu, the goddess of fishermen I seafarers. Skip Macau's Fisherman's Wharf; in operation e 2006, the theme park ineffectively feigns history with ictures that resemble colonial-style buildings and Roman >s.

If you're interested in seeing something built in the 21st tury, Macau Tower might be just the ticket. On a clear day,

c o n tr a s ts

h is to r y

w i t h

V e g a s -s t y le

g litz

in addition to the city of Macau, you can see parts of mainland China and Hong Kong from its top. Daredevils can try the 233metre bungee jump— the ‘highest in the world— off of the tower, while everyone else can take the "Skywalk" around the tower's outer perimeter.

A trip to "Asia's Las Vegas" isn't complete without trying your luck at one of the city's casinos. The Casino Lisboa has a more local feel to it than most of the other big names, and is also home of Michelin three-star restaurant Robuchon â Galera.

If you'd rather gamble your money away to some American companies, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Mirage have all built glitzy hotel resorts in Macau that rival their Las Vegas counterparts.

And don't leave without trying something from Macau's famous souvenir bakeries. With locations strategically placed in busy tourist areas, these shops are famous for their almond cookies, sesame, peanut, and ginger candies, and various jerk­ ies. Salespeople stand well outside of their stores with trays of freshly baked goods, urging you to try some of their wares be­ fore buying a few boxes to take home— a perfect surprise for your parents or roommates.

If you're loaded: Help out the floundering Las Vegas Sands company by staying at the luxurious Venetian MacaoResort-Hotel, for a minimum of $320 per night. Get lost in the million-plus square foot Grand Canal Shoppes, a shopping mall within the hotel which features a canal complete with gondo­ liers who will serenade you.

If you're frugal: The Augusters Lodge is a German-owned hostel located steps away from Largo do Senado and Casino Lisboa, with beds starting at about $20 per night. If you'd pre­ fer not to share a washroom with a stranger, the Pousada de Mong-Ha, which is run by students from the Institute for Tour­ VINCCI TSUI ism Studies, has rooms starting at about $80 per night. ■ The southern façade of The Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral remains standing, despite extensive fire damage in 1835.

THE PROVOST'S ADMINISTRATIVE TASK FORCE ON DEALING WITH ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY

M c G ill V T h u rsd ay , F e b ru a ry

H o w wi l l M c G i l l m e e t th e c h a l l e n g e s

1 2 :0 0

o f the g l o b a l e c o n o m ic dow nturn?

Leacock Building, Room 232 855 Sherbrooke St. W.

Principal H e a th e r M unroe-Blum a n d

-

1:3 0

pm

M on d ay , F eb ru ary 1 2 :0 0

P ro v o st A n t h o n y C . M a s i invite s tu d e n ts,

pm

pm

-

12

1:3 0

16

pm

Jack Cram Auditorium Education Building, Room 129 3700 McTavish Street

f a c u l t y a n d s ta ff to a s e r i e s o f T o w n M o n d a y , M arch

2

Hal l m e e t i n g s t o d i s c u s s w a y s to c u t

1 2 :0 0

c o s ts a n d i n c r e a s e r e v e n u e w h ile

Desautels Faculty of Management Bronfman Building MBA Lounge— 3'd Floor 1001 Sherbrooke St. W.

pm

-

1:3 0

pm

m aintaining a c a d e m ic e x ce lle n ce .

N F O R M A T IO N : provost, off ice&mcgill.ca Submissions are also welcom e at w w w .m cgill.ca/econom ictaskforce

M o n d ay , M arch

2

3 :0 0

pm

pm

- 4 :3 0

Macdonald Campus Raymond Building, R2-045 21,111 Lakeshore Road Ste. Anne de Bellevue

t r

G l o b a l

1

Sustainability meets style in buildings that generate their own energy right here in greater Montreal, from left to right: Concordia's John Molson School of Engineering, Ecoterra and Alstonvale model homes.

T

V

J

1

i

r m

1

a r c h i t e c t /

GRAPHICBYMEAGHANDAVIS JMSB PHOTOBYNATE VANDERWEERD BOTTOMPHOTOSCOURTESYOF CANADAMORTGAGEAND HOUSINGCORPORATION

«

d r e a m

o f

a

c a r b o n - n e u t r a l

/k ij l l i n e

C rystal C han

the conference. "We just thought it was som ething th at m ade sense a consistent w ith w h at we were doing."

Most of us don't have the means or willpower to trade in our energychugging laptops and move to candlelit communes, or emulate the DiCaprios or Gores who can afford retrofitting their SUVs to run on electricity. But now there's a movement for the majority: the 2030 Challenge, a global initiative calling for carbon-neutral buildings by 2030, outlines steps towards a green future forged on practical and affordable urban technologies.

In an otherwise transportation-centric green movement, the 2030 Chal­ lenge targets buildings.This makes sense: homes, offices, and schools produce roughly 45 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gasses, while transportation is responsible for only 28 per cent. Buildings also consume more energy than anything else; they consume around 75 per cent of all electricity produced.

The numbers are similar in the United States, where in 2002 Edward Mazria founded Architecture 2030, a coalition of green-minded architects.

Why 2030? Research projections suggest that by that time, most current buildings will have to be restored or replaced. According to Mazria, it's also when "scientists are saying [transformations in our energy usage] are neces­ sary by in order to avoid dangerous climate change."

Although initiatives like Build Green Canada, the Canada Green E Council, and the Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Home Builder's / tion's R-2000 and Advanced Homes already exist, Canada's carbon en have actually risen roughly 30 per cent over the past decade, ranking it only the U.S. in carbon dioxide emissions per capita. Under Manasc dency, the RAIC led the way in adopting the tougher Challenge 2030 might just be the change we need; it was first to sign on to the 2030 Ch in 2006. Since then, organizations, architects, and even municipalities 47 countries have signed up. Her firm, Manasc Isaac, was the second practice in Canada to commit to the 2030 Challenge.

According to Manasc, due to Canada's colder climate, we've emp innovation on energy-efficiency unlike our neighbour to the south, wf focussed on materials. So Canada's right on track to be the emerging le energy efficiency-based projects like 2030.

One way the 2030 Challenge leads the way to a green future is b doning the back-to-basics approach to global warming and turning t an urban-based green utopia.

"The world [population] is too big to go back to being farmers anc

Sustainability after the stone ages Mazria first presented the coalition's goals as a formal global challenge in 2005 at the Royal Architectural Institute of Cana­ da's annual Festival of Architecture conference.

"When Mazria presented the 2030 Challenge, we thought, 'That's a good idea!' But we hadn't thought it could be a huge international initia­ tive," says Vivian Manasc, a McGill architecture alumna and former RAIC president who chaired

and gatherers," says RAIC executive director Jon Hobbs. "We're an urba and environm ent— the m ajority o f people live in cities. We really have brace technology to get us out o f this problem."

Advocates of the 2030 Challenge point out that cities can actr greener than rural communities; resources are more easily shared a is more densely used, which means that buildings have less enviror impact. Architects also affect transportation use, through the placer bike racks, for example, or by taking note of nearby pedestrian paths < for public transit when designing buildings.

Green urban architects also make cities more livable, with desk

II w a l k i n M eghna M arjadi

Navigating around patches of ice, Montreal drivers, lost tourists, painfully slow and those children on a rope can be frustrating for students on their way to class. Not the slightest mistep of a rope-attached child cause sidewalk chaos, but city walkin seriously stressful, and may have a negative impact on memory and attention.

The results of a University of Michigan study suggest that a walk in the park is g< cise for both the body and brain. The study investigated how human interactions wi and cities affect memory performance by sending participants on 50-minute walk environment. Half of the study participants walked in downtown Ann Arbor, the otf Ann Arbor arboretum. Prior to the walk, participants were assessed for mood, merr attention. They were also given GPS watches to ensure that they remained on rou they returned, researchers gave participants the same memory tests. A week later, tf walked in the arboretum repeated the same procedure, but instead walked in the those who previously walked in the city walked in the park.

"We found that when the people walked in the park ... they showed significant i ments in their memory and attention," says Marc Berman, a University of Michigan 1 student who worked on the study.

According to Berman, "The combination of nature's absence and constant att« cars and other hazards causes stress."

"The idea is that when you're in nature you can let your mind wander," says "There are lots of interesting things to look at, and you can rest some portions of a While, in an urban environment, typically you can't rest attention so much . . . You nr really vigilant that you don't get hit by a car or walk into people."

There are two types of attention: directed attention— voluntary control of atten

emphasize narrower buildings with more windows and better ventilation. What's more, all these innovations aim at greener living in cities rather than retreating to a rural past. As Solar Buildings Research Network scientific director and Concordia university civil and environ­ mental engineering professor Andreas Athienitis explains, "Many people think they have to sacrifice their lifestyle or go back to the Stone Age just for some sustainability. This is not the case."

More green for your buck Consumers don't have to sacrifice their lifestyles to pay for green buildings, either. As green techologies become more popular, they become more affordable. And they have been getting popular: for CBC's"A Million Acts of Green," Canadians reported a million home-green­ ing tasks six months ahead of schedule; the Canadian solar power market has grown at an average of 25 percent per year. Companies such as The Sunpower Corporation have even cre­ ated incentive starter loans to emphasize that green technologies pay off.

"The bottom line is that energy-efficient home design saves money. With energy prices continuing to rise, homeowners can save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills by meeting the 2030 Challenge targets," says Mazria.

The know ledge and technology already exist for carbon-neutral homes.

"My cottage has had photovoltaic cells probably for 20 years now," says Hobbs. "I'm off the grid completely. [The cells] lasted that whole time without any maintenance."

Athienitis predicts that green technologies will be viable for middle-income families with­ in 10 years. For new houses, smart design can save future owners high-energy costs through something as simple as the orientation of the house.

For existing homes, "There are no-cost, low-cost or cost-saving strategies, such as build­ ing orientation and colour, daylighting, appropriate materials, natural ventilation, and passive solar heating and cooling strategies. If you can't meet the targets through design, then we recommend adding technology, such as high-performance glazing, solar hot water heating, photovoltaics, micro-wind turbines, energy management systems and daylighting controls," says Mazria.

The average homeowner also doesn't need to tear down their homes and build green

park: (he n

ones from scratch. "One of the nice things about sustainable buildings is that there's a recog­ nition that existing buildings are inherently sustainable ... [We can] conserve resources by reusing them rather than wasting th em and landing them in the landfill," says Manasc.

The keys to your carbon-neutral house With 2i years to go, green buildings are already part of Canadian cityscapes. Quebec's first two green buildings were the Montreal Polytechnic school's Pierre-Lassonde and ClaudetteMacKay-Lassonde buildings. Other innovative sustainable designs in Montreal include the Benny Farm lower-income housing project, the landfill-turned-Cirque du Soleil and National Circus School circus city, and Laval University's Gene H. Kruger Pavilion.

Apart from teaching the only environmental engineering program of its kind in Canada, Athienitis's team designed the 300-square metre solar generated heating system for Concor­ dia's business school, along with two homes for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpora­ tion (a supporter of the 2030 Challenge) sponsored Equilibrium Housing initiative. Thehouses use renewable heat-recovery, which supplies space and water heating as well as electricity, and were designed with sustainable materials; the second can charge an electric car. As net zero buildings, they generate enough renewable energy to run themselves. Through public tours, Equilibrium hopes to show these houses aren't science fiction— they're livable homes

But before green homes becom e com m on, policy and education need to catch up with commercial innovation.

"Companies need to be given incentives to innovate," says Athienitis. "Students need to apply pressure on the universities to be more responsive ... Education needs to be brought up to date to reflect the new technologies." And for consumers, "We need incentive measures from the governm ent such as [a change in] the pricing o f ... renewable energy."

Although several municipalities have begun to adopt environm ental building standards as policy, most awards for green design currently com e from the RAIC, CGBC, and other orga­ nizations of building sector professionals.

"Advocate to the federal government but also municipalities to adopt the 2030 Chal­ lenge," says Hobbs. "All this infrastructure spending should be tied to energy efficiency and environmental design." ■

BBGq DBo Oeo eBGcn tftaSoaii?

ask at hand— and involuntary attention— when the mind is captured by interesting things in he environment. The benefits of nature can be explained by the Attention Restoration Theiry, developed by University of Michigan professor Steven Kaplan, who was also involved in erman's study.

"The idea behind ART is that if you are in an environment that activates involuntary attenion, it allows directed attention a chance to rest,"explains Berman.

Simply put, natural settings spur involuntary attention, and therefore give directed attenion a little break— so when it's called upon next it's sharper.

How to make the city greener Simple changes like adding a few trees here and there can easily help city residents. How!ver, large-scale changes such as green roofs may take longer to appear.

"Just adding some trees in an urban environment is beneficial. There have been studes that show that people who have apartments that have nature views—just modest nature riews of just some grass or some trees— children living in those apartments have better memrry and attention than those who live in apartments with views of urban areas," says Berman.

Urban planners certainly aren't oblivious to the psychological benefits of adding parts of he real jungle to its concrete counterpart.

"I think that it's been shown over and over again that having nature around really helps rou a great deal in terms of dealing with the stresses of urban living," says David Brown, direcor of the McGill School of Urban Planning. "It's comforting to see other forms of life around us. .. Certainly the possibility of going off and spending some time on Mont Royal is a treasured hing."

Incorporating green spaces isn't a new trend, however. Since the industrial revolution, planners have included green spaces in cities— most notably through the advent of zoning. In

the late 19th and early 20th centuries, green spaces became important in development.

"When we were planning developments that didn't at all incorporate green space, it was a disaster," says Brown, referring to the aftermath of the industrial revolution. "By introducing green space and by providing people with an opportunity to get together [in] an open area that's exposed to the sun, the sky ... already there's a benefit that's felt both personally and communally by people who live in that area. There's a social importance, there's a psycho­ logical importance, a health importance, and there's importance as well for the health in the ecosystem."

Though green spaces have long been a consideration in urban planning, not all ideas have been successful. For example, when planners divided areas into green spaces, residen­ tial spaces, and work spaces, a separation between nature and city residents resulted. Zoning efforts reintroduced nature into the city landscape. Such ideas include green roofs, creative balcony arrangements, and vertical gardens.

Nature benefits— even at -20 Celsius It's not that difficult to incorporate nature into everyday life, and it's not necessary to be­ come a hiking enthusiast to reap its benefits. Simply spending time in a park and interacting with nature more regularly can help.

"We found that just a 50-minute walk showed pretty significant improvement— so it's not like you have to be doing it every day, or going far away to get the improvement," says Berman.

It doesn't even matter if the walk is pleasurable.

"You don't even have to enjoy the walk to get the benefits. We had people walking in Jan­ uary, when it's really cold in Ann Arbor, and people didn't like the walk. But they still showed the improvement," says Berman. ■

S

t u d e n t

L

iv in g

X VS. Y

T h e M o n tre a l b a g e l sh o w d o w n St. Viateur

Fairmount

Variety: St. Viateur special­ izes in sesame and poppy seed bagels, but if you're lucky, you can get a fresh cinnamon raisin or whole grain bagel.

Variety: Fairmount offers over a dozen types of bagels, including traditional sesame and poppy seed, blueberry, chocolate, and the "Bozo," an extra large braided bagel coated in sesame and poppy seeds.

263

Location: 74 Fairmount West. About a 30-minute walk from campus, but at least you'll earn your bagels.

Location: Located at

STVIATEURBAGEL.COM St. Viateur West, the shop

is a bit further into MileEnd than Fairmount. However, St. Viateur's bagels can be purchased at most Provigo stores, and even online. There's also a bakery on Mont Royal street.

Curb appeal: Fairmount's shop is THEDUDESCORNER.CA packed with trays of bagels stacked to the ceiling behind glass, and its cozy atmosphere is further complemented by the warm breaths from the bagel oven.

Winner: St. Viateur Curb appeal: St. Viateur's bagel shop is far from glamour­ ous, with bags of flour lining the windows and white walls, but the oven is in full view: bagels roll right down the ramp and into heaping baskets.

Texture and longevity: Because the bagels are so fresh, you're likely to bite into steaming dough, so you won't even need toppings or a toaster. However, even a Ziploc bag won't preserve the soft texture for more than a day.

Fairm ount m ay take the lead in variety and décor, but it didn't pass the bag tem perature test, which is always the indicator o f freshness. A bag o f St. Viateur's bagels releases steam when opened, indicating th at each doughy bagel clearly just cam e out o f the oven. A bag o f Fairm ount ba­ gels is room tem perature, w ith a few warm bagels at best.

To be fair, Fairmount's sesame bagels are always fresh, but the large variety means th at they bake in bulk only a few tim es a day, and no one wants a stale bagel. ■

Texture and longevity: Not all Fairmount bagels are soft and fresh, but their plastic storage bags are complete with instruc­ tions on how to prepare them best and make them last a few extra days.

—Shannon Kimball

FO O D GURU

C a m p u s C a le n d a r The Yeomen o f the Guard When: Feb. 19-21 at 8 p.m.

Where: Moyse Hall, 853 Sherbrooke W. The McGill Savoy Society, in its 45th year, | presents The Yeomen of the Guard, which fea­ tures some of Sullivan's most beautiful music I and a darker side of Gilbert's writing that sac-1 rifices none of his wit. Tickets are $12 students/1 seniors, $20 general admission, and may be| purchased at www.mcgillsavoy.ca

Glamour Puss(y) When: Feb. 20 Where: The Playhouse (5656 Parc) Head & Hands presents a dance party to I support queer-positive sex ed. Come dressed in old-school holiday style. All money raised goes to the Sense Project, Head & Hands' inclu­ sive sex education program. For more info visit I www.headandhands.ca or call 514-481-0277.

McGill Swing Kids workshop When: March 7, 1-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m.

Where: Email msk.montreal@gmail.com; locations vary by workshop Join the McGill Swing Kids in their annual I workshop and campus dance. The workshop will cover introductory Lindy Hop from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. That evening, go for a free beginner's lesson in Triple Swing from 8 to 9 p.m., with a live band dance at Gert's starting immediately after. For more information, including pricing and locations, email msk.montreal@gmail.com.

H I h a v e a m a r t in i, p l e a s e S h a k e n

o r s tirre d ?

T h e

d e b a t e

S tephanie G utnik

The m artini is arguably one o f the world's most timeless cocktails. The com bination o f gin and verm outh, garnished w ith a single olive, can be found on nearly every lounge drink m enu across the globe. W hile the concoction itself is transpar­ ent, its history is anything but clear.

There is a great deal of controversy over the origin of the martini, but the most widely accepted story dates back to the 1800s, when it was created by the head bartender at the Oc­ cidental Hotel in San Francisco. A customer of his, who com­ muted daily to Martinez, California, would drink it to beat "the morning chill"— reasoning which might justify an occasional pre-noon visit to Gert's. The martini has become increasingly popular with both evolving younger crowds and the older,

"I'll have the usual" types.

Vodka, possess­ ing a much more neutral flavour than gin, has spurred a w idening range of martinis. The vodka m artini, in which vodka is substituted for gin, is a com ­ mon variation— and James Bond's drink o f choice. Flavoured vodka is also an o p ­ tion, and additional ingredients can be added or changed BAILEYS.COM to suit personal pref­

r a g e s

o n

erence. As a result, it's common to find green apple martinis, Crantinis (with cranberry juice), and of course, the cosmopoli­ tans of Sex and the City notoriety. One variation, however, is a special favourite: the Chocolatini.

Ingredients

4 cups 35 per cent cream 16 ounces chocolate, chopped 1 cup Irish Cream liqueur Optional: 2 tbsp white chocolate shavings Directions

1.

2.

Heat the cream until it simmers.

Pour cream over the 16 ounces of chopped chocolate.

Stir the mixture until cooled.

3. Add one cup of Irish cream liqueur. Once the mixture has chilled further, the drink can fill up to six glasses (though sharing is optional). Sprinkle some white choc­ olate shavings on top for an impressive pièce de résist­ ance.

But where should you go in Montreal to get a martini fix?

Try Jello Bar (151 Ontario), informally known as "la maison du martini." With a menu composed solely of martini variations, there's something to satisfy everyone. While ordering, keep in mind the following lingo: a gibson is served with cocktail onions, a twist is garnished with a lemon sliver, and an olive is finished with a speared pimento or olive of choice.

As for the infamous debate, a proper martini is always blended. But it still just feels so suave to say "shaken, not stirred." ■

The Plate Club

The Plate Club can provide clubs and asso­ ciations w ith economical and environm entally friendly dishware for events. Email theplateclub@gmail.com for more inform ation.

G IZ M O S & G A D G ETS

L a w n = c e ll p h o n e C arolyn Y ates

P o st y o u r e v e n t in c a m p u s ca le n d a r.

S en d t h e n a m e , d a te , lo c a tio n , a n d o th e r info t o f e a tu re s @ m c g illtrib u n e .c o m .

The idea o f green electronics has been taken literally by Je-Hyun Kim, the designer o f the Natural Year Phone— a cell phone m ade out o f grass. The phone, which is not only green in colour but is constructed from w h at appear to b e— and in fact are— lawn clippings, has a life of approxim ately tw o years, after which it begins to break down.

The electronic com ponents can then be rem oved and the rem ainder of the phone will com post naturally. ■

COATED.COM

r t s

&

E

n t e r t a in m

e n t

u s ic

F r o m M c G ill r e z t o a r o c k 'n ' ro ll r e s i d e n c y t o u r o lle r a d o

p la y s

s e v e n

c itie s

in

s e v e n

d a y s —

f o u r t im e s

band. A good band is awesome to see but I want it to be super fun."

Hollerado knows how to put on an entertaining show in a One month, seven cities, and a show every single night, small venue— there were people in front of the stage jumping his is the whirlwind tour schedule for up-and-coming rock in a makeshift moshpit and a girl dancing on the bar with one and Hollerado. Instead of undertaking just one residency hand on the ceiling and another grasping her glass of punch. playing several shows on a set night in the same bar), HolleAt one point, drummer Jake Boyd leaped over his kit and ado have taken the idea to a whole new level. The band have joined Verteeg on the mic for the chorus, before scrambling een driving between Boston, New York, Lacolle, Hamilton, to get back in time to finish the song. Occasionally Versteeg oronto, Ottawa, and Montreal to perform for seven nights in would turn the mic to the crowd and step off the stage to join ach different city. them for sing-a-longs.

"When we left we really had no idea what to expect," says Three of the band members are McGill alumni, and they ead singer/guitarist Menno Versteeg. "We started to try and feel very welcome coming through Montreal every week. ook a couple residencies just to see how that went, and then "We're at home [in Montreal]," says Versteeg. "Everyone comes e kind of got the idea, a bit of a lark, to try and see if we could out, everyone sings along, people come on stage. We can be et one every day of the week." really lazy on stage because all our friends sing the songs for Last Saturday, the group played in front of a packed crowd us. It's really a good time." t Barfly. As they were setting up on stage, they urged fans The band's first full-length album, Record in a Bag, is avail­ o indulge in free glasses of punch, passing the vodka-heavy able for free download online. It contains a nice balance of oncoction through the crowd in those Spiderman disposable catchy pop rock songs and songs with heavier instrumental ups that you would expect at a kids' birthday party. roots. The band recently released a video for"Americanarama," "We want to make sure it's fun," says Versteeg. "I know which satirizes an unusual target. It features Kids in the Hall hen I go to a show that I want something besides just a good star Dave Foley dancing around a clothing warehouse while dressed up as controversial American Apparel CEO Dov Charney.

"In every city you pick up the weekly magazine, Now Mag­ azine or the equivalent of The Mirror... and on the back of it [there's] always an ad," says Versteeg. I think it seeped into our subconscious. The song is originally called "Americanarama" but when you see the video they broke it up to make it look like American Arama (like American Apparel) and that was kind of funny."

According to Versteeg, the band met Foley through a mu­ tual friend while on tour in L.A. "Dave Foley showed up and Mikey from Priestess was there. ... We were super, extremely nervous." Unfortunately, their nerves weren't the biggest ob­ stacle of the evening. "The venue wouldn't let Dean and Jake in because they were under 21. They finally let them in just to play, and then they kicked them out. We wanted to drink with Dave Foley but because two guys couldn't get in, we got him to come drink in our van with us, and that was it. ... We just had fun and kept bugging him to be in our video.”

Hollerado will be playing Satuday at Barfly for the next two weeks before working their way through an Ontario tour, and then finally on to play South by Southwest in March. As crazy as their schedule is, it beats their day jobs.

"It's gotta be [non-stop]. Our jobs when we get home are really dreadful, so we try to avoid that as much as possible," HOLLERADO.COM says Versteeg. ■ A few short of 99 red balloons.

in

a

r o w

K yle C arpenter

s»CfOAy5 >

5v*6»Ys W OW QAys TvslM/S wt&*e<t*75 Tk~tJLrS

otHw*

HOLLERADO.COM Lead singer Menno Versteeg shows off his Sum 41 impression. Below: Hollerado's full residency schedule.

PO P RHETORIC

S a v a g e a d v ic e R enée S utton

U

nfortunately, existential crises are an ongoing battle that everyone faces. There is something odd however about the growing number of motivation­ al and self-help books available online and on bookstore shelves today. Apparently learning to become a happy person requires a great deal of reading. But if you want to give your eyes a rest, take a moment and tune into sex and relationship advice podcast Savage Lovecast— you're guaranteed to feel a whole lot better afterwards.

The Savage Lovecast is hosted by the almighty Dan Savage, best known for his syndicated sex advice column, Savage Love. Dan Savage is actually helpful, and his words of wisdom are more valuable than those given by most advice columnist/self-help gurus. Savage's cynical humor is decidedly amusing, but unlike the many supposed experts out there, he actually answers questions frankly and honestly. Although it's fair to question the authority of someone offering sex and relationship advice. I would say that Savage offers a lot more insight and guidance

than he gets credit for.

Savage Love has a strict no-bullshit rule. It's not sur­ prising that some people find this offensive, because we're often more comfortable getting sugar-coated ad­ vice. Though his language may be crude, Savage tells it like it is. This doesn't make him any less qualified to give advice than psychiatrists and therapists who claim to know what's best for us. We can look at this in a broader context, to the public figures that have disappointed us.

Someone like Mark Foley is a nice example (Savage is a huge fan of his). Foley seems to feel that being part of numerous ethical committees makes up for his alleged interest in young boys.

Of course, we might also think of the more personal choices we make, a common one being therapy sessions with a Freudian-type psychoanalyst. These are the ones who may tell you that your first desires as an infant in­ volved sleeping with one of your parents, and killing the other. The result of this is apparently the cause of your

current strange behavior.

Savage encourages his listeners to be who they are, as opposed to assuming that there's something wrong with them. Though people generally try to keep them secret, fetishes are not at all uncommon, and Savage en­ courages his audience to act on any desire so long as it's safe and completely consensual. It's also easier to be in a healthy relationship when you don't lie to anyone, includ­ ing yourself.

Inevitably, many Savage Love fans claim that they just like to listen to the crazy sex stories. While I admit that they possess a certain entertainment value, why do we care if they can't somehow be applied to our own lives?

His work not only helps those who ask the questions, but also offers a certain comfort to those who tune in. The truth is that we all do things that might seem stupid or gross, we all feel embarrassed and conflicted, and once in a while it's nice to hear that you aren't a freak because of it. ■

The McGill 1 ibunt

14•Arts &Entertainment -17.02.09

M U S IC

FILM

C a lif o r n ia lo v e

S h o p a h o lic s u n - a n o n y m o u s

A n y a

M a r in a 's

m a k e s

a

s t o p

t o u r in

d e

fo r c e

M o n t r e a l

F ilm

a d a p t a t i o n

o f C o n fe s s io n s o f a

S h o p a h o lic p r o v i d e s

g irly , e s c a p is t f u n

C arolyn G régoire K yle C arpenter

Californian Anya Marina is currently working her way through North America while on tour with Greg Naswell and Jay Nash, after a long run opening for The Virgins. With her light-hearted persona and armoury of addictive songs, Marina has shown she's more than capable of setting the stage for the popular groups. "I'm playing all these gigs solo," says Marina. "So I have my work cut out for me opening up for two big rock bands [tonight]. Luckily I have my trusty iPod of drum beats with me, so it feels like a band."

Marina got her start by playing open mic nights armed only with an acoustic guitar. "There's nothing like playing live consecutively to really get you into great entertainer shape,"says Marina. "And that's what I con­ sider myself to be: an entertainer of people, not just a musician. I don't like to just go out there and stare at my shoes and play songs. I really like to connect with people and give them a good time."

Marina's sound is characterized by the unexpected. From the addic­ tive tempo-shifting track "Move You" to the jazzy "All The Same To Me," she has a variety of styles in her repertoire that many musicians lack. "I was really disenchanted with the same kind of songs I was hearing in coffee shops and from singer/songwriters and I really wanted to separate myself from that pack," she says.

Her eclectic sound may be a product of her wide range of musical influences. When writing songs, she draws on "Everything from what I grew up with, which is the Beatles and jazz, to stuff I listen to now, which is Spoon and even hip-hop music. The rhythms and the poetry in hiphop music are really inspiring to me."

So far, she's had nothing but good things to say about the tour. "[I've played] almost 20 shows," says Marina, after trying to name every city so far while counting with her fingers, "I've lost track, it's all like one long stint at summer camp." After singing at a hugely successful show at the El Macambo in Toronto, Marina is feeling the Canuck love. "Canadian fans are the absolute best, hands down.'The next week, she spent two nights opening for her good friend Jason Mraz. "[We met] in San Diego at Java Joe's," says Marina. "It's an old coffee house where Jewel got her start and Jason got his start, and me too. He's such a nice gentleman who loves his raw nuts and his avocadoes."When asked about possible collaborations with him in the future, Marina re­ plied, "I'd love to work with Mraz. We've played around before, so maybe.

Maybe if we get some time off." She leans forward and speaks sardoni­ cally into the recorder, "Manager, give me a day off!"

It would be a mistake to attribute Marina's popularity solely to her famous friends, however. In 2006, her song "Miss Halfway” was promi­ nently featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

As for the future, Marina's hectic touring schedule has no end in sight. "I will be on tour until I'm 75 years old," she jokes. "And I couldn't be happier for it."«

Becky's statement in the opening scene of C onfes­ sions o f A S h o p a h o lic ,"A man will never treat you as well as a store," sets the tone for the rest of this quirky new chick lit-turned-chick flick. In today's economy, when indulging in a little retail therapy simply comes at too high a price, this lighthearted film serves as an unre­ alistic but escapist pleasure. We watch with a mixture of amusement and disgust as Becky Bloomwood drops thousands on things that she just doesn't need, swip­ ing away on her 12 credit cards just to get that euphoric rush that accompanies the purchase of a new and need­ less possession— like $200 Marc Jacobs underwear.

Becky's materialist antics and "what-the-hellI'll-take-the-bag-as-well!" attitude are endearing but slightly eye roll-inducing. When her excessive shopping addiction leaves her $16,000 in debt and she loses her job as a journalist at a gardening magazine, she finds herself with nothing to show for herself but an over­ flowing closet. Cue a job offer writing about personal finance for S uccessful S avings; Becky sees it as a way to her dream job as a fashion journalist at S uccessful S av­ in g 's sister publication A le tte magazine, the pinnacle of style and sophistication. The obvious irony is that Becky advises people on how to handle their money while she's hopeless when it comes to managing her own expenses, going to such elaborate measures to avoid paying her bills as trying to pass off her debt collector as a stalking ex-boyfriend when he comes to her office to track her down.

Isla Fisher stars as Rebecca ("Becky") Bloomwood, financial journalist-turned-financial failure, alongside Luke Brandon (played by dashing Brit Hugh Dancy), her sexy, charming editor at S uccessful S avin g s magazine.

Fisher as the quirky and vivacious Becky Bloomwood is analogous to Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in Le­ g a lly B lo n d e — the perfectly cast comedic role undeni­ ably makes the film. John Goodman and Joan Cusack are also hilarious in their supporting roles as Jane and Graham Bloomwood, Becky's frugal and unsophisti­ cated parents. However, the chemistry between Fisher and Dancy is nearly non-existent, as evidenced by the

S h e 's n o t t h a t in t o t h is film flic k d o e s n 't

c o r r e s p o n d

B rahna S iegelberg

M c G ill

B IO T E C H N O L O G Y Master of Science Applied and Graduate Certificate Non-thesis graduate programs offering 16- or 4-months training programs in m olecular biology, proteomics, bioinform atics and general biotechnology, as well as intensive hands-on laboratory training. The M aster’s program also offers a research internship in industry or research laboratories.

Registration deadlines Fall admission: M ay 15, 2009 for Canadians February 15, 2009 for internationals

In fo rm atio n

www.mcgill.ca/biotechgradprog program.biotech@mcgill.ca ( 5 1 4 ) 3 9 8 -7 7 2 5

FASH-ECCENTRIC.COM

setting, a hip, A girl on a shopping mission, smart career girl looking for life and love in the big city, and the toker BFF-cum-shopping sidekick. While the film could be labelled a romantic comedy, little room is left for love as Becky's shopping misadventures take the spotlight providing a refreshing respite from the commitment seeking and broken-hearted heroine of the average chick flick. S h o p a h o lic should be enjoyed like a gooc piece of chick lit bathtub reading: as purely escapist fun.

Though the plot is almost annoyingly unrealistic, it offers a welcome distraction from the current economic reality. The audience can indulge vicariously with Becky as she purchases and parades myriad pieces of design er clothing, then when the film is over, return to living within their means.

In a lighthearted way, the film in fact encour ages the audience to feel good about their inability to spend frivilously; it treats shopping as a genuine addic tion which is costly for Becky in more ways than one.

We're left with one important message: friends don't let friends indulge in retail therapy. ■

FILM

C h ic k

9

anti-climactic and rather improbable scene in which Becky and Luke fi­ nally kiss (in front of a shop window, of course). A view­ er quickly gets the sense that pur­ chasing her new violet Yves Saint Laurent cocktail dress is a far more exciting event for Becky than get­ ting the guy.

Shopaholic features all the sta­ ples of the chick lit genre— an urban

If you were looking for the film that would finally debunk every wretched female stereotype and reflect the modern liberated woman, be warned that He's Ju st N o t T h a t In to You— one of the latest chick flicks to send women (and their reluctant boyfriends) flocking to movie theatres— is not this film.

Based on the eponymous bestselling self-improve­ ment book that was inspired by an episode of Sex a n d th e City, the film centres on a group of interconnected 20 and 30-somethings who all face various obstacles finding their ideal mates.

The leading figure, Gigi, is comically overplayed

by Ginnifer Goodwin. She is an extreme example of a woman driven to desperation by years of hapless male rejection and futile blind dating. Following a date with real estate agent Connor (E nto u ra g e's Kevin Connelly), she stands by the phone for days waiting for his call, incessantly checks her voicemail, and finally leaves him what Carrie Bradshaw would likely deem the most imperfect phone message of all time. After her most pathetic attempt— going to Connor's favorite bar in hopes of "accidentally" running into him— she meets Alex (Justin Long), a womanizing bartender and Con­ nor's roommate, who delivers her the film's great words of wisdom: "He's just not that into you."

Meanwhile, Gigi's coworkers face guy problems of their own. Beth's (Jennifer Aniston) long-term boy­ friend (Ben Affleck) refuses to tie the knot, and Janine's (Jennifer Connelly) husband (Bradley Cooper) is having an affair with sexy yoga instructor Anna (Scarlet Johan­

w i t h

r e a lity

sson). In an effort to not make it seem like a mere mon­ tage of women's fruitless attempts to reverse men's commitment-phobic and sex-driven habits, the film also portrays Connor's attempts to sleep with the se­ ductive Anna, who seems interested in little more than the foot massages he generously gives her.

For the modern woman, this film is downright insulting. If Sex a n d th e C ity ushered in the future of gender relations— declaring that women could be the ones doing the rejecting, making the calls, and having detached sexual relationships— then this movie has brought us back to a Jane Austen-esque world in which women wait in hopes of procuring male affection.

In fact, the only thing modern about this movie is the constant reference to the various tools in which people can be reached in today's cyber world. In a sup­ porting role as a sales rep who helped place Connor's real-estate ads in a gay newspaper, Drew Barrymore's character bemoans the fact that modern innovations like Facebook, text messages, Blackberries, and MySpace have only made dating harder. Now she gets "re­ jected by several different technologies."

The film presents a host of stock characters: the woman desperate for a relationship, the player who repents his ways, the married couple going through a sexless drought, the man who refuses to tie the knot, the lustful couple who must have each other at every moment, and the flamboyant gay men who laugh at heterosexual foreplay. Even the A-list cast cannot save this film from its perpetuation of false gender stereo­ types, its misogyny (as the film's title so aptly conveys), and the extremity of its clichés. ■

17.02.09 •The McGill Tribune •15

ww.mcgilltribune.com MUSIC

USIC

u s ic t o k e e p y o u w a r m in te r G lo v e s

h e a ts

N iki FIyde Winter Gloves front man Charles F. spent summer abroad to find out what the music Icene was like outside of Canada. But the jourpey ultimately led him back to the allure of the /lontreal music scene.

Working at a pub in Brighton, England, tharles F. served beer to support his concertgoing habit. "I spent a lot of money going to see [hows, working at the pub to go see new indie lets," says Charles F. What he didn't expect to near was that in the wake of the early millennial burst of the indie scene— which crowned Arpade Fire as indie's second coming— everyone vas talking about Montreal. "[I thought] what the fuck! I've gone so far hway to look for new bands and stuff and ev­ eryone's talking about home! So I decided to go lo Montreal and see what everyone was talking pbout,"says Charles F. Shortly thereafter he moved back to Mon­ treal, bringing with him a glut of newly-comoosed songs that would soon comprise Let Me ~)rive, Winter Gloves' first EP. Surprisingly, al­ though Charles F. and many of his bandmates pre francophone, they choose to sing in English.

Iharles F., however, balks at the suggestion that |they made this choice for commercial appeal vhen it was really more phonetic. "It's because of the way you can sing in English.The language Is more in the throat and you can do more with rhythm; with French the language is more in |the mouth and lips."

Though Winter Gloves in its current incaroation has only been around for a little over year, they have already played with estab­ lished Canadian scenesters You Say Party! We Say Die! and Beast. They've also appeared at

u p

L e s

T h e b r o t h e r s F in k R o c k

S a in ts

a

many of the nation's major festivals, including Canadian Music Week, Pop Montreal and North

by Northeast. YSPIWSD! took Winter Gloves on their first tour this past fall, stopping through Montreal during Pop before heading out to the East Coast. "We fell in love with those guys," says Charles F. YSPIWSD! contributed more to the band than just the occasional beer and shared hotel room. Charles F. credits the band with influ­ encing the sound of Winter Gloves. "Musically, they're pretty punk live. Our music is poppier, but I think we brought [home with us] a bit more of their energy after the tour."

Reminiscent of both Mates of State and a far more interesting Los Campesinosl, Winter Gloves makes music for hot nights in this cold city. Charles F. explains his vision for the band's debut album About a Girl on Paper Bag records.

"It is about a girl, but it's about being in a new city, about working a nine-to-five job that you don't like and you have to ride there by bicycle and there are cars everywhere ... It's about a guy from the suburbs who's living in the city he loves and hates at the same time, for the first time. ... It's really about me living in Montreal and the city's seduction that we feel at night."

Winter Gloves put this seduction to the test in a show at Les Saints last Friday, their last before heading off on a larger North American tour that will take them across Canada with Thunderheist and then back down to the states for South by Southwest. They're also working on a new album.

"Everything is happening at the same time," says Charles F. "We want to keep the rhythm to work on the songs to make it happen faster."

Judging by this month's leap from Jupiter Room to Les Saints, these guys won't be slowing down anytime soon. ■

>

b a n d

c e le b r it y

B a r t o n

F in k

b e c o m e s

o v e r n ig h t A rielle F rank

Finally, Montreal has produced a band that is here to deliver explosive, fun music.

Moscow-born brothers Vagan and Charly Aden are the driving force behind the fivemember band. Lead singer Vagan Aden looks and acts every bit the part of a rock star, with the l-donit-give-a-damn attitude, and the electric red Mohawk to back it up. The only way to describe Vagan Aden is larger than life— he has an insatiable appetite for life. Vagan frees himself of artistic constraints and expresses a disdain for formal musical training, allowing his unique vision to shine through in their new album, Gears.

"We got signed, we got an album in a month, people liked us, we opened for Beast, and I didn't need your stupid fucking school to do that. So there you go," says Vagan.

Vagan's brother Charly has also been instrumental in the development of Barton Fink. Charly, the soft-spoken youngest member of the group, has similar visions to his brother Vagan. Unlike Vagan, Charly studied music in CEGEP, yet he emphasizes a similar dislike for rigid musical training as Vagan. "You have to rebel on a constant level when you're in school and always question things,"says Charly.

Barton Fink takes an organic approach to the recording process. "Press, record, play, and that's what comes out, because that's what you feel. There's no bullshit," says Vagan.

Charly adds, "Whatever comes out naturally you realize is the best."

The Aden brothers reiterate that Barton Fink is music that they felt and subse­ quently recorded, nothing more. This seems to be a winning formula, since in just three months, the band was signed, recorded an album, and opened for Beast to a sold-out crowd of 850 at Club Soda.

Although the band's success seems to have come overnight, they've struggled for a while to find their own sound. Vagan explains that in an effort to emulate the bands that inspired them, such as Radiohead, they lost their own creative point of view. The band then started anew.

Vagan stresses the role his producer played in influencing Barton Fink's sound.

"Cristo, the producer, was really really important. He was the only one who could chal­ lenge us,"says Aden. As wild and impulsive as he is, Vagan needed someone who would push his music to the limit, and that's just what Cristo did.

Cristo layered many electric sounds over the traditional instruments such as guitar, keyboard, and drums. While there were times when Barton Fink questioned Cristo's use of effects, "It turns out, our visions weren't really different," says Charly.

Their final product was the edgy and addictive alburn Gears. "[We thought] let's make a really explosive album, every song has to sound like a single— really special.

Let's write every song a crowd pleaser, a hit single, number one," says Vagan.

Barton Fink is all about having fun and living in the moment. "This new generation that we belong to, Generation Y, we're more outgoing, we don't get hung up, we're not depressed. We work our way through shit that bothers us but in a positive way. It's kind of like that's where we belong, that's where the music comes from," says Aden. ■

Barton Fink is performing on February 21 at Club iambi (4465 St. Laurent).

L

e

V

ie u x

D

u b l in

L \ v e ^ c H o C over

p u b S ty te

%

SPECIAL PRICING FOR M cG fLL STUDENTS

w e lc o m in g

6361 .a t hea rt

M cG IL L S T U D E N T S to o u r n e w lo c a t io n

Come* join us for great food, one of the largest selections of imported draft beer in the city and live music Winer Gloves frontman Charles F. sings songs About a

Oirl.

NIKI HYDE

OPEN 11AM- 3AM DAILY

636 Rue Cathcart ] http://www.dublinpub.ca

;; »1 !i

The McGill Tribum

16•Arts &Entertainment *17.02.09

W e can 't

all afford to go on vacation in the

Journalists are used to

C arribean

over reading week.

low wages, long hours , and bitch work . You can be too .

M eetings

W rite for A & E. every M onday at 5 :3 0

in

G ert's.

C D R e v ie w s Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Lonely Road. At first you maj swear you're hearing something off of C hinese D e m o c ra c y but no, this is Red Jumpsuit Apparatus"'You Better Pray from their sophomore release Lonely R oad. Unforn nately n i l they ignored the urgings of Freestyle, and by the —cone m ■ W M 1 track they have completely stopped the rock. Instead "Nc ■ ■■ " ■— Spell" has some Killers-esque effects, Yellowcard sound a-like build-ups, and a général air of disappointment that continues througf "Pen and Paper" "Represent", "Pull Me Back", and the rest of the album, which just gets worse and worse.

The band apparently didn't know what they were trying to do with thi; album. Most of the time they come off as a Warped Tour pop rock band made for 13-year-olds who are really into snowboarding, video games, and West 49 However, other times their surprisingly soft tracks could make even the mos emo rock fans cringe. This is quite a departure from their acclaimed debut D o n ' You Fake It, which, at the risk of sounding crass, at least had a pair. The lowes of the lows comes in "Believe" which is hard to distinguish from the repetoirc of the equally school dance-sounding group Nazareth or something off of the soundtrack from T ita n ic. When you disappoint all of your fans, it is no wonder that you walk a very lonely road.

— Kyle C a rpentei ^

“

—

N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo. N.A.S.A. is a collaborate project of Squeak E. Clean.and DJ Zegon, featuring a star studded host of musical A-listers like Kanye West and M.I.A Combined, the songs rack up a full hour of music, unitec by a Brazilian funk undertone. There is certainly a lot to get excited about, like Tom Waits making his way into a hip hop album, and a posthumous appearance of Ol'Dirty Bas tard on "Strange Enough". It is clear that the album holds itself in high regard; whether or not it is able to deliver is a different story.

Certain songs like "N.A.S.A. Anthem" and "O Pato" come off sounding pre tentious, to say the least. Strangely, songs like "The Mayor" and especially "The People Tree" sound like they're straight off of the album D e m o n D ays by Goril laz.

The album does have its perks, however. As expected, the standout track is "Gifted", featuring Kanye West, Lykke Li, and Santogold. It draws you in within the first 30 seconds, and when West comes in things only get better. The song has a minimalist, yet outer space feel to it, fitting the allusions of the album.

Lykke Li handles the chorus well, and provides a surprisingly complimentary sound to West. Because this album is not worth shelling out full price for, skip the filler and just download "Gifted" and another couple of tracks that suit your tastes ("Strange Enough"and"Whatchadoin?" would be good choices).

— Kyle C a rp e n te r

m oney back

COULD BE

GOOD F e b ru a ry 19 -2 2

Thursday. Books. Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook Launch. Head over to Paragraphe bookstore on McGill College for something beside text­ book-buying. From"one night stand breakfasts" to "break-up brunches," this culinary guide allegedly "ain't yo mama's cookbook." Author-chefcomedian Nadia G will be there to sign your copy.

Thursday. Theatre. Blessed Are They. The theatrical equivalent of R eligulous, Infinitheatre presents a play that challenges the role of religion in today's increasingly secular and fast-paced society. Appro­ priately, his performance will take place at the St. James Church on St. Catherine.

w a l k in w i t h y o u r t a x e s , w a l k o u t w i t h y o u r m o n e y

Friday. Opera. The Yeoman o f the Guard. The McGill Savoy Soci­ ety, a non-profit student theatre group, presents Gilbert and Sullivan's opera set in the Tower of London during the 16th century. Unlike the duo's usually comic works, The Y eom an o f th e G u a rd is a sentimental and serious work, which will be highlighted by a 30-piece orchestra.

and you could w in $5,000 tow ards a road trip, visit refundroadtrip.ca

Friday. Film. The Oscar Nominated Short Films Z009. Cinema du Parc presents the best of this year's short films: the 10 films nominated for Best Short Film (Animated) and Best Short Film (Live Action).

come in today or call

Saturday. Music. Public. Toronto rock ensemble Public will be playing at O Patro Vys on Mont Royal to promote their new EP, ...A n d in th e End, Release. Think Hot Hot Heat meets Interpol.

-800-H R B LO CK (472-56 25)

H & R BLO C K

Toqualifyforstudent pricing, student must present either(i) aT2202adocumenting4ormoremonthsof full-timeattendanceat acollegeor university during2008or(ii)avalidhighschool identificationcard.ExpiresJuly31,2009. MustalsoqualifyforInstantCashBackandCashBackproducts. Seeofficefor details.ValidonlyatparticipatingH&RBlocklocationsinCanada. SPCCardoffersvalidfrom08/01/08to07/31/09atparticipatinglocationsinCanadaonly.

ForCardholderonly. Offersmayvary,restrictionsmayapply. Usagemayberestrictedwhenusedinconjunctionwithanyotherofferorretailerloyaltycard discounts.Cannotbeusedtowardsthepurchaseofgiftcardsorcertificates.

Sunday. Film. 81st Annual Academy Awards. If you're not already hosting or attending an Oscars party, enjoy a big-screen simulcast of the not-to-be-missed awards show at Cinema du Parc. Free prizes such as DVDs and movie passes to Cinema du Parc will be given away. The cinema will also be featuring screenings of many of this year's nomi­ nated films all week.

S

p o r t s

BASKETBALL— LAVAL 9 9 , R E D M E N 83

R e d m e n f r e e z e u p a g a in s t R o u g e e t O r El Z a n a t y , A n t h o n y

h a v e

Doing their best to imitate Montreal's recent weather pat­ ens, Laval made it rain early on, and then froze up McGill's ffence to cruise to a 99-83 victory over the Redmen on Friday ight at Love Hall.

The Redmen took to the court in attack mode but forgot neir defence in the locker room, as Laval shot an incredible 57 1er cent from the field for the game. Although McGill connectd on multiple three-pointers in the first quarter, the perimeter hot proved to be unreliable, as the squad's outside shooting altered down the stretch. An inability to knock down open hots late in the game, as well as some halfhearted defence, iroved to be the hallmarks of McGill's defeat.

"We just weren't guarding shooters," said Redmen point luard Moustafa El-Zanaty, who finished with 23 points."[Laval] hot over 50 per cent from the three-point line for the game.

Vhen a team out-rebounds you by 16 and shoots [a high per:entage] from the field, you can't win. [Laval] has scored 100 joints on us in three straight games. We're not going to be ible to go point-for-point with them. We need to shut them iown and shoot the ball better."

The night started out well for McGill, as the home squad umped out to a 12-2 lead in the first three minutes of play. The tedmen employed a full-court press defence early on, and the nove paid dividends, as the size of their guards forced Laval nto 21 turnovers. McGill held a 36-30 lead after the first 10 minjtes, but Laval began the second quarter on fire, as the Rednen started to cool off.

"I thought we came out really strong,"said Redmen Head loach Craig Norman. "[As the game went on] we went away rom what was working for us. We didn't really play smart bas<etball."

Defensively, McGill worked hard to congest the lane and make life difficult for Laval's big men, but struggled to contest shots on the perimeter or capitalize on defensive rebounds. :orward Sean Anthony led the Redmen with six boards, while eading rebounder Michael White was limited to three— five □elow his season average.

Although McGill allowed countless second-chance points in the first half, they remained in the game at halftime thanks to some timely shooting by El-Zanaty and strong drives to the hoop by Anthony, who scored 22 points. But the discrepancy on the boards— Laval grabbed 39 to McGill's 23— along with Laval's lights-out shooting, proved too much for the home team to handle. "[Laval's shooting] was great, but we just didn't defend," said Norman. "We didn't have hands up in their faces, we were getting beat off the dribble, and we were giving up rebounds.

T H IR D M A N IN

A

s t r o n g

p e r f o r m a n c e s ,

b u t

M c G ill fa lls t o

L a v a l

El Zanaty (top left) and Anthony (top right) combined to score 45 points, but they couldn't spell out V-l-C-T-O-R-Y. You can't win [like that]. We were allowing guys to penetrate and [our guys] would step over and leave open lanes to the rim. If you can't defend the basketball you aren't going to win games at this level."

McGill shot a respectable 41 per cent from beyond the three-point line in the first half, but couldn't find their touch in the last 20 minutes, connecting on a measly four out of 16 at­ tempts from beyond the arc. Laval, on the other hand, showed incredible poise when starting the third period, confounding the Redmen defence with high pick-and-rolls and disrupting McGill's offence with an aggressive full-court press.

Guard Jean-François Beaulieu-Maheux turned in an effi­

cient performance for Laval, hitting all seven of his field goal attempts en route to 21 points. Point guard Xavier Baribeau registered a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists.

Friday night's problems were compounded on Saturday night in Quebec City, where the Redmen lost 97-75 to the Rouge et Or. After two huge victories over division-leading UQAM two weeks ago, the loss came as a severe disappoint­ ment for a team fighting tooth and nail for a playoff berth. But the Redmen have little time to hang their heads, as they pre­ pare for a set of must-win games against rival Concordia next weekend— the Redmen currently cling to the final playoff spot. The teams face off at Love Hall on Friday at 8 p.m. ■

Take a deep breath, Michael

ny non-team sport needs a dominant figurehead or two to help drive it forward. At the endof last summer, it seemed as though swimming had found its ambassador in Michael Phelps. A record eight gold medals won by a good looking, hard working, young American? He's too good to be true!

Not so fast. One series of interviews and a Satur­ day Night Live hosting gig later, Phelps proved himself to be a jejune, inarticulate simpleton, whose shallow­ ness lies in stark contrast to the pools he swims in every day. I rooted for his every stroke, I smiled each time he won, but I never once wanted to be him.

Phelps also has ghosts in his ghosts of swimsuits, caps, and goggles. In 2004 , at the age of 19, he was ar­ rested for driving under the influence of alcohol, but wasn't suspended by USA Swimming. But as you read this, Phelps is currently suspended from his national team. "For what?" you may ask, but you doubtlessly know by now. A photograph taken last November hit the newswire over two weeks ago, showing Phelps smoking out of a bong at a University of South Carolina party. Over the next few days, Phelps publicly apolo­ gized, lost a sponsorship deal with Kellogg's cereal, and

was suspended by USA Swimming for three months.

To recap: an athlete drives drunk at 19— a crime for which he served 18 months probation— and Team USA lets it slide. The same athlete goes to a college party and smokes pot— as millions of other college students do— and his life begins to crumble. Drunk driving and pot smoking are in no way comparable, but apparently USA Swimming could use a point-by-point comparison between the two.

There are over 40,000 alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. each year, of which at least 15,000 occur in an auto­ mobile. No statistics are available for marijuana-related deaths, but we all know that if there were, they would involve much smaller numbers. Drunk driving is an ac­ tion that endangers others, while marijuana— for all its faults— is a strictly personal vice. One could argue that Phelps showed a disregard for his own health by smok­ ing pot, but that's nothing compared with the callous disregard he showed for the safety of others by getting behind the wheel of a car while drunk.

Suffice it to say that USA Swimming's actions should have been inverted. Sponsors like Kellogg's should dump Phelps because of the negative public

J aco b K anter

opinion surrounding his actions, but USA Swimming picked the wrong issue to make an example out of Phelps. So did Richland County, South Carolina sher­ iff Leon Lott's department. To date, eight people have been arrested for possession of marijuana— found days later in the house where the party took place. Lawyers of two of the eight defendants said that the investiga­ tion had been "an excessive allocation of resources fu­ eled by Phelps's celebrity status." Phelps, however, es­ caped prosecution due to a lack of evidence. Believe it or not, USA Swimming and Leon Lott have a lot in common— an unwillingness to pursue punishment of people who put others in harm's way, but an alacrity to buy into America's war on drugs at every turn.

For his fellow simpletons, Phelps's marijuana mo­ ment was cause to proclaim, "See, he's just like us!" For the more cynical, his red-handed apprehension further proved his imbecility. The stoners spent hours, if not days, fantasizing about his lung capacity. But, despite the public's reaction, the photograph doesn't teach us all that much. Phelps is a young person, and young people smoke pot. My opinion of him hasn't changed ... and ... and ... whoa, he's a good swimmer. ■

18•Sports •17.02.09

The McGill Tribune

H O C K EY— R E D M E N 4 , CARLETO N 1

O U A p la y o f f s o n d e c k f o r r e d - h o t R e d m e n M c G ill fa c e s

d a t e

w it h

Matt Chesser W ith the playoffs set to begin tom orrow , the McGill Redmen are heating up at exactly the right tim e.

The Redmen's 4-1 win over the Carleton Ravens at McConnell Arena last Friday brought their season-high winning streak to eight games, and gave the squad 14 wins in their last 16 games. McGill had already locked up the third seed in the OUA Eastern Conference prior to the game, and will face the Ottawa Gee Gees in a bestof-three series that starts on Wednesday.

"Since we had already clinched [third place in the OUA], it was the first game we've played where the points didn't really matter,"said McGill Head Coach Mar­ tin Raymond. "Our big focus was to play well regardless of the fact that the game didn't matter in the standings.

And while we were a little bit sloppy in the first period, I was reasonably happy with our effort."

M arko Kovacevic scored tw ice in just over three m inutes and goaltender Kevin Desfossés m ade 21 saves to raise McGill's record against the Ravens to 10-10-1 alltim e. Desfossés m ade several key saves in a back-andforth first period, including a sliding right pad save to deny Brandon MacLean— the Ravens' leading scorer— o f a sure goal on a Carleton five-on-three.

"Our goaltending has been solid lately," said Ray­ mond. "We had a kind of lull in net with [Hubert] Morin getting injured and Dany [Mireault] having to take most of the playing time in the first half of the season— I thought it might have been a little bit too much for him.

But now with Kevin [Desfossés] coming in and playing more and more solidly, we've been winning some of the games we might have lost earlier this year."

Desfossés joined the Redmen in December after playing nine games with the International Hockey League's Port Huron Icehawks earlier this year. He looked shaky in his early starts for the Red 'n' White, but has been red-hot as of late. After his first game in net against York on January 9, Desfossés's save percentage was .786. But seven games later, his save percentage has risen to . 919 .

"I had been playing [in the IHL] before Christmas,

O t t a w a

a f te r fin is h in g

t h ir d

in

t h e ir c o n f e r e n c e

so it wasn't that hard adjusting to the level of hockey here [in the CIS],"said Desfossés. "It was more getting used to being back at school and getting used to being in Montreal that took some time. But I feel like I'm finally settled in here, and the guys are playing incredibly well in front of me."

Vincent Lambert opened the scoring for the Redmen less than three minutes into a fast-paced, end-to-end first period that took only 32 minutes to play despite a lengthy injury stoppage. Carleton's Andrew Gibbons would even the score on a Raven power-play, firing a long slapshot through traffic and past Desfossés's outstretched blocker.

McGill took the lead for good midway through the second period when defenceman Ben Gadzic blasted a booming slapshot past Carleton goaltender Alex Archibald on a five-on-three. Kovacevic would tally a pair of goals in the third period— a top-shelf backhand marker and a one-timer off a pretty saucer pass from Sam Bloom during a two-on-one— to put the game out of reach.

"It was great that after a tough first period we were able to come out, finish strong and get that three-goal cushion," said Kovacevic. "It was nice to get a couple of goals there at the end, but I was just lucky enough to get a couple of great set-up plays from my teammates."

The Redmen begin play in a best-of-three OUA Eastern Conference quaterfinal on Wednesday at McConnell Arena against the Ottawa Gee Gees, who defeated McGill 2-1 last Saturday. The Gee Gees evened the season series with the Redmen at two wins apiece, and beat out the Queen's Golden Gaels for the sixth and final playoff spot, thanks to a 35 save performance from goaltender Riley Whitlock on Sat­ urday night.

"[Ottawa] can have good goaltending," said Ray­ m ond. "And they're a good team , so obviously we're going to have to step up our game in the playoffs___ I

think w e can go to the National Cham pionship [Tour­ nam ent] w ith this team . We still have to get o ut o f the incredibly tough OUA, but I think we've definitely got a shot [at Nationals] this year." ■

ADAMSCOTTI Forward Marc-André Daneau (top) makes a Raven pay while patrolling the boards, while Lambert (bottom) forced a shot past Archibald in the first.

S p o r t s B r ie fs Laval men, women, victorious at badminton team championsips McGill hosted the men's and women's Que­ bec university badminton team championship tournaments at Love Hall on Saturday afternoon, both of which were won by Laval. The Martlets qualified to participate over the course of the season, but the Redmen fell short and their place was taken by Sherbrooke. The hosting Martlets couldn't defend their turf, though, falling four matches to one to the Rouge et Or (Martlets Dan­ ielle Pontus and Rachael Pineo won their doubles match by default) in the semifinal, and falling 5-0 in the bronze medal stage to UQAM.The Rouge et Or women's team beat the University of Montreal in the final 3-2, and their gold medal effort was matched by their men's squad later in the day, beating the Carabins 4-0.

TOP: ADAMSCOTTI; BOTTOM:JOHNKELSEY

Different weekends, different venues, different sports: McGill hosted the QSSF badminton and swimming team championships.

Bielby shines, Laval triumphs in the water The Quebec university swim champion­ ships were held at McGill's Memorial Pool from February 6-8. Freshman Redman Steven Bielby won three gold medals over the three-day span, in the 400-metre freestyle (4:00.11), the 400metre individual medley (4:25.29), and in the 4x50 freestyle relay (1 :34.14). Bielby also took silver in the 200 butterfly, the 1500 freestyle and the 4x100 freestyle relay. For his efforts, he was named QSSF rookie of the year and QSSF a th ­ lete of the year (swimming) for 2008-2009. The Redmen as a whole won four gold, six silver, and two bronze medals, and finished third behind Laval and the University of Montreal— both at the meet and on the season. The Martlets g a th ­ ered 11 silvers and 10 bronzes, and finished sec­ ond to Laval at the meet and on the season. No records fell over the weekend.

“RUNNINGTHISUNIVERSITY ISNUTCHIAPr Quote from Principal Heather Munroe-Blum 0

I f t h a t is t r u e w h y is t h e U n iv e r s i t y t r y i n g t o g iv e s u p p o r t s t a f f a " c h e a p ” s a la r y in c r e a s e . T h e a r r o g a n c e d is p la y e d b y P r i n c i p a l M u n r o e - B l u m d u r i n g h e r t o w n h a l l m e e t in g o n t h e I O t h o f F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 t e lls t h e s t o r y . T h e r i c h g e t r i c h e r a n d t h e f o u n d a t i o n t h a t s u p p o r t s t h e m s h o u ld g e t w e a k e r .

W h y h a s P r in c ip a l M u n r o e - B l u m n o t a c k n o w le d g e d th e c r e a t io n o f a t le a s t fiv e n e w s e n io r a d m i n i s t r a t o r p o s it io n s d u r i n g t h e f a l l o f 2 0 0 8 , w h ic h r e p r e s e n ts , a t t h e v e r y le a s t, o v e r $ 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 o f n e w s a la rie s t o p a y ? M U N A C A a s k e d h e r a t th e t o w n h a l l m e e t in g . S h e a n s w e r e d t h e r e w e r e tw o v a c a n t p o s it io n s . Y e s , t h e r e w e re 8 h i g h - p a i d p o s it io n s a n d tw o w e r e v a c a n t p o s it io n s , b u t w h a t a b o u t t h e fiv e o t h e r n e w h ig h - p a y in g jo b s t h a t w e r e i n fa c t p o s te d as n e w ly c r e a te d j o b s . N o t a w o r d f r o m t h e P r i n c i p a l ! W h y ?

T h e P r i n c i p a l c la im s t h a t th e e x c e s s iv e s a la r ie s p a id o u t t o a v i c e - p r i n c i p a l a n d th e D e a n o f M e d i c i n e a re n e c e s s a ry , b u t is a $ 3 2 1 , 0 0 0 s e v e ra n c e p a c k a g e r e a s o n a b le f o r a p e r s o n t h a t l e f t tw o m o n t h s p r i o r t o th e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e c a m p a ig n f o r w h ic h s h e w a s h i r e d t o w o r k o n ? W e d o n ’ t t h i n k s o . H o w c a n th e s a la ry o f a D e a n b e j u s t i f i e d w h e n i t is m o r e t h a n d o u b le t h a t o f h is p r e d e c e s s o r a n d o f t h e C E O o f H y d r o - Q u é b e c o r t h e C a is s e d e d é p ô t ? W e d i d n ’ t t h i n k so e it h e r .

M c G i l l h a s , u n d e r t h is n e w a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , d is p la y e d h o w i t h a s a b s o lu te ly n o r e c o g n i t i o n o r r e s p e c t f o r its s u p p o r t s t a f f b y g iv in g o u t o u tr a g e o u s s a la rie s t o t o p a d m in is t r a t o r s , s h a m e f u l s e v e ra n c e p a c k a g e s , a n d t h e c o n t i n u e d c r e a t io n o f n e w h i g h - p a i d s e n io r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n p o s it io n s . I t h a s b e c o m e c le a r t h a t t h is M c G i l l a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s r e - e s t a b lis h e d a cla ss s y s te m r e m i n i s c e n t o f 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y E n g la n d .

A l l w e a re a s k in g f o r is a f a i r d e a l, so t h a t M c G i l l s u p p o r t s t a f f c a n c o n t i n u e t o s h o w p r i d e i n t h e i r w o r k a n d t h e i r w o r k p la c e , in s te a d o f u t t e r d is d a in f o r t h e P r i n c i p a l ’ s s e n io r a d m in is t r a t iv e te a m t h a t c a te rs t o t h e r i c h a n d ta k e s a d v a n ta g e o f t h e p o o r .

O n a n o t h e r n o t e , P r o v o s t M a s i w r o t e a f iv e - p a g e l e t t e r t o a c a d e m ic s a n d m a n a g e m e n t t o t r y t o d is c r e d it o u r c la im s b y c h e r r y p i c k i n g h is s ta tis tic s t o s u p p o r t h is s t a t e m e n t t h a t w e a re b e t t e r p a id t h a n a t o t h e r Q u e b e c u n iv e r s it ie s . W e s ta n d b y o u r c la im s a n d w e h a v e t h e r e s e a r c h a n d d o c u m e n t a t i o n t o p r o v e i t , s h o u ld P r o v o s t M a s i b e so i n c l i n e d . P r o v o s t M a s i h a s a ls o g o n e o n r e c o r d s t a t in g t h a t i n t h e e v e n t o f w o r k s to p p a g e f r o m s u p p o r t s t a f f " w e w i l l r u n t h e U n iv e r s i t y , w i t h o r w i t h o u t t h e m ( 1 , 7 0 0 M U N A C A m e m b e r s ) ” . T h e p o m p o s it y , a r r o g a n c e a n d u n p r o f e s s io n a li s m f r o m P r o v o s t c le a r ly s h o w t h e le v e l o f e lit is m t h is a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s n o w r e a c h e d w i t h r e g a r d s t o it s s ta ff.

P r in c ip a l M u n r o e -B lu m , y o u r lie s a n d d e c e it a r e e n o u g h !!

W h a t is g o o d fo r th e g o o s e is g o o d fo r th e g a n d e r.

G iv e M U N A C A a f a i r d e a l!

S u p p o r t M U N A C A m e m b e rs a n d le a r n m o r e a b o u t o u r cause a t m u n a c a . c o m

f i)

M

U

N

A

C

A

M U N A C A is th e u n i o n r e p r e s e n t in g 1 , 7 0 0 c le r ic a l a n d t e c h n ic a l w o r k e r s a n d l i b r a r y a s s is ta n ts a t M c G i l l U n iv e r s i t y w h o h a v e b e e n w o r k i n g w i t h o u t a c o n t r a c t s in c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7 .

0

ROGERS

M ONTREAL CarrefourdelaPointe PlaceBourassa Galeriesd'Anjou PlaceVersailles 5954MetropolitanBlvd.E 5110Jean-TalonSt. E 4455Saint-DenisSt. 1DeCastelnauSt. E,Suite101 3573St-LaurentBlvd.

1008ClarkSt., Suite206B PlaceVille-Marie 2170Pierre-DupuyAve. 997St-AntoineSt.W CentreCommercial LeVillage 2116GuySt. 2360Notre-DameSt. W , Suite102 1201GreeneAve. PlaceAlexis-Nihon 5529MonklandAve. CentreMontpellier 9012del'AcadieBlvd.

5150Jean-TalonSt. W 2100Marcel-LaurinBlvd.

PlaceVertu 7020Ch.delaCôte-de-Liesse 3339LdesSourcesBlvd.

2814St-CharlesBlvd.

14945dePierrefondsBlvd.

950St-JeanBlvd., Suite3 ABITIBI-TÉM ISCAM INGUE 374LarivièreAve., Rouyn-Noranda GaleriesVald'Or 2521reAve. W , Amos BOUCHERVILLE PromenadesMontarville BROSSARD MailChamplain PlacePortobello QuartierDIX30 CARIGNAN 2255ChamblyRd. CHÂTEAUGUAY 129St-Jean-BaptisteBlvd.

DELSON 28DMarie-VictorinBlvd.

DRUM M ONDVILLE 965St-JosephBlvd.

GATINEAU 360MaloneyBlvd.W , Suite1 GRANBY 583BoivinBlvd.

HULL 442St-JosephBlvd. ÎLE-PERB.QT CarrefourDon-Quichotte JOLIETTE 517St. Charles-BorroméeSt. N LAPRAIRIE PlaceLaCitière LAVAL 2142desLaurentidesBlvd.

CentreLaval 1888St-MartinBlvd.W CentreLépine 241CSamsonBlvd.

LONGUEUIL PlaceDésormeaux 1490Ch.deChambly,Suite101 M AGOG 221PrincipaleSt. W M ONT-TREM BLANT 507DeSaint-JoviteSt. REPENTIGNY 494ANotre-DameSt. LesGaleriesRive-Nord ROSEM ÈRE PlaceRosemère 135Curé-LabelleBlvd.

SAINT-CONSTANT Méga-CentreSt-Constant SAINT-EUSTACHE 360EArthur-SauvéBlvd.

SAINT-HU.BERI ComplexeCousineau SAINT-HYACINTHE LesGaleriesSt. Hyacinthe SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU LesHallesSt-Jean SAINT-JÉROM E 60BélangerSt. SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD .

3225Mrg. LangloisBlvd.

SHERBROOKE 2980KingSt.W Carrefourdel'Estrie TERREBONNE 1270MoodyBlvd., Suite10 TROIS-RIVIÈRES 5335DesForgesBlvd.

5635Jean-XXIIIBlvd.

2desOrmeauxSt., Suite600 VAUDREUIL-DORION 64HarwoodBlvd., Suite101

BlackBerry

Tyler loses Snowball fight

00:28 Views: 514 Nov 17, 2008 Home i Profite iFriends : Inbox(4) Matt wantstogosnowboard»rsg!

Who's«Y?

Watch Video

BlackBerry mm •

eooetji

UNLIMITED T X T E M A IL & IM

-.

O N L Y

•

F O R

A

L I M I T E D

T I M E

O RO G ERS

M ONTREAL CentreRockland LeBoulevardShoppingCentre ComplexeDesjardins Montreal EatonCentre 1015Ste. Catherine BEAUPORT Prom.Beauport BELOEIL Mail Montenach CHATEAUGUAY CentreRegional Chateauguay CHICOUTIM I PlaceduRoyaume DRUM M ONDVILLE LesProm.Drummondville GATINEAU ALL NEW Prom,deL'Outaouais GaleriesdeHull BLACKBERRY® CURVE™ 8900 BLACKBERRY® CURVE™ 8320 GRANBY LesGaleriesdeGranby JOLIETTE LesGaleriesJoliette LASALLE CarrefourAngrignon LAVAL CarrefourLaval R O G ER S .. . .

EXCLUSIVELY FROM LONGUEUIL PlaceLongueuil r o g e r s . c o m / u n l i m i t e d POINTECLAIRE FairviewPointeClaire SOREL-TRACY LesProm,deSorel CANADA'S MOST RELIABLE NETWORK; ST.BRUNO FEWEST DROPPED CALLS, CLEAREST RECEPTION LesProm.St-Bruno ST.FOY PlaceLaurier ST.JEAN CarrefourRichelieu ST.JEROM E CarrefourduNord WAL-MART ► ► FUTURESHOP la cabine l TERREBONNE SHNS-FIL eix...

R O G ER S SO U RC E LesGaleriesTerrebonne TROISRIVIERES 'Onselect3-yearplans. Offerssubjecttochangewithoutnotice. ‘AvailablewithanyBlackBerrydevicewithsubscriptiontoselectplansandactivationwithBlackBerryInternet Service. Includesunlimitedpersonal e-mail (upto10accounts)whileusingBlackBerryonthe LesRivieres RogersWirelessnetwork. Seerogers.com/unlimitedforplansanddetails. UsagesubjecttoRogersTermsofService&AcceptableUsePolicyavailableat rogers.com/terms.

CentreValleyfield ™Rogers&MobiusDesignaretrademarksofRogersCommunicationsInc. usedunderlicense. Allotherbrandnamesandlogosaretrademarksoftheirrespectiveowners. ©2008RogersWireless.

$999 * |549!L

*199"

O

t

RO G ERS