The McGill Tribune Vol. 28 Issue 8

THE LOVE CHILDREN OF ARTS AND SCIEN CES, PAGES 10 & 11

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Provincial and territorial prem iers m et for Founcil of the Federation m ee ting in d o w n vn M ontreal yesterday to discuss possible ponses to the current eco nom ic crisis.

The Council, formed in 2003 to give preers a federal voice, called the meeting last iek after Prime Minister Stephen Harper's nservatives formed another minority govîment in Ottawa. Though invited to the îeting. Harper did not attend.

The premiers arrived at 1000 Place Jeanul-Riopelle at 9 a.m. They briefly fielded lestions from journalists before heading to e 14th floor.

M anitoba Premier G a ry D oer said the goal th e m eeting was to reassure the public w hile m ly addressing th e issues.

"You've g o t to m ake sure yo u do n 't suircoat what's g o in g on, but at the same tim e •u're no t too fearful and u n d e rm in e confi;nce. So that's the kind of right balance we're /ing to have," D oe r said.

T h e prem iers em e rge d from the closed eeting for a press conference at 3 p m ., hich had been delayed to avoid overlapping ith Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's afternoon ieech. O ntario Premier Dalton M cG uinty, ?w Brunswick Premier Shaw n G raham , and ava Scotia Premier R odney M a cD onald left ;fore the press conference because of prior

com m itm ents.

Q u e b e c Premier and C ouncil of the Fed­ eration Chair Jean Charest em phasized that Canada was in a m u ch better position than m ost other nations.

"Th e situation in Canada is different from the United States and Europe in a great part, we're an exception to the rule. O u r banks are better capitalized, ou r institutions are better financed, and in that respect we're in better shape, but have a very o p e n e co n o m y and we're obviou sly affected," Charest said.

T h e prem iers agreed on seven future di­ rectives designed to address th e econom ic slo w dow n at th e m eeting: pursuing a "pru ­ d en t and responsible approach" tow ards fi­ nancial m a n ag em ent, increasing fu n d in g for infrastructure and innovation, reaffirm ing their c o m m itm e n t to achieving full labour m obility, elim inating provincial trade barriers, o p e n in g n e w markets to trade, preparing for a First M in ­ isters' conference, and endorsing the Bank of Canada's interven tion in m arket liquidity.

Charest em phasized th e im po rtance of extensive preparation for the proposed First Ministers' conference, in w h ich premiers m eet w ith the prim e minister.

"W e believe that if [a conference] is g o in g to be productive, it m ust be very carefully pre­ pared,"Charest said. "This isn't just a m eeting to

See CHAREST on page 3

Players' Theatre opens their season with a tale best described as m e e ts - O k la h o m a - m e e ts - H a r r y P o tt e r . See review on page 15 .

R o m e o a n d Ju lie t-

;SMU Council votes down failed GA motions

It u d e n t le g is la t o r s d e b a t e m e rit o f e x e c u t iv e 's p r o p o s a l 1T-1h e

J am es G

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The Students' Society Legislative Council voted against ifying six General Assembly motions as interim SSMU policy last Thursday's meeting.

The council motion, which was moved by SSMU President y Turner and seconded by Vice-President External Devin Faro, would have seen the six motions approved at both the itober 7 GA and in the ensuing online ratification vote adited as policy until the next GA.

• u r ln n t û H ac C C M I I six m otions could not be directly 5ado pted as SSM U

policy because the fall G A failed to m eet SSMU's n e w qualified q u o ru m requirem ents, sending th e m to an online ratification vote. Qualified q u o ru m at GAs is tw o per cent of the student body, currently 3 9 7 people. Approxim ately eigh t per cent of the undergradu ate student b o d y voted online, however, fall­ ing far short of the required 15 per cent.

T h e council m otion, w h ich was discussed a m o n g the SSM U executive before being proposed, called for the m o ­ tions, if ado pted as interim policy, to be voted on at th e next

f^A n H çscrapped r r a n n p r l aas s policy if not passed.

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Tu rn e r defended the im petus beh ind the m otion, argu ­ ing that it was m eant to both dem onstrate respect for student consultation, and satisfy SSMU's constitutional requirem ents.

"Th e constitution was com ple tely respected in this; all that the constitution specifies is that if these m otions d o not m eet q u o ru m th e y have to g o back to the G A , and it w as ex­ plicitly stated in th e m otion that th e y w ere g o in g to g o back

See QUESTIONS on page 2

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COVER PHOTO BY ADAM SC01

campus

Questions pushed to Winter GA 3 0 c o u n c illo rs re je c t m o t io n Continued from COVER to the winter GA,"she said.

The need to take this student consultation into account was a theme touched on by Alfaro as well.

"The idea behind this is that despite the fact that the GA process didn't reach the threshold that was required, there were still a lot of students that en­ gaged, a lot of students that made their opinions known," he told council. "A lot of people believe [these motions] should be our policy, and that's something we should take into account. And adopting [the motions] as an interim policy while we get the GA process more in order would be the best way possible to reflect the engagement that we've had up until this point."

Yet many councillors felt that the need to respect student consultation was not a sufficient argument, as the motions were approved by a vote that didn't reach quorum.

"My initial reaction was that we were lowering our standards," said engi­ neering representative Manosij Majumdar after the meeting, "in a democracy the means are as important as the ends, and even if I did agree with [Turn­ er's] ends, I couldn't agree with the means of actually lowering our quorum to achieve this."

Majumdar argued that quorum needs to be respected in such situations.

"There is a reason that there's a quorum, two people can't just turn up in a parliament and say'Oh the two of us are here, it's a parliament building, let's just sit down, write something, sign it, and call it a law.'It doesn't work like that."

The six GA motions that passed included three concerning the Canadian military's relationship with McGill: one to ban military advertisements in the Shatner Building or through any SSMU event or publication, another to oppose any McGill involvement in the development of thermobaric (fuel-air explosive) weapons, and one calling for "public transparency and ethical evaluation of all research at McGill funded by, or done in collaboration with a Military agency."

The other motions called for SSMU support for student-run food services, support for the Association of McGill Undergraduate Student Employees, and to lobby for a catered house party to be hosted by McGill's principal.

A suggestion to allow council to vote on each motion separately was re­ jected. Turner argued that the original motion was not meant to allow coun­ cillors to decide on each separate issue, but instead to give them a chance to respect the student consultation that came out of the GA. "The idea was to respect the consultation, so for us to say [that] some of these motions should be respected, and some of them shouldn't be, is highly problematic and not in the spirit of the motion at all," she said.

In the end the council motion was defeated after 30 councillors voted against it, but will most likely be put to vote again at the next GA, as the SSMU constitution stipulates that "Motions which fail to make quorum shall be in­ scribed on the agenda for the next regular General Assembly." ■

ADAM SCO'

Students' Society executives Devin Alfaro and Nadya Wilkinson at a council meeting earlier in the yeai

PROVINCIAL

Students protest hikes in international tuition P r o t e s t e r s fr o m t h r e e Q u e b e c u n iv e rs it ie s d e m o n s t r a t e in c a p ita l T rip Y a n g

Students from McGill, Laval University, and the University of Sherbrooke met in Quebec City last Friday to protest the provincial government's deregulation of international tuition fees. About 30 students attended the rally to express their op­ position to the hikes.

Since Quebec's 2007 tuition de freeze, the government has attempted to transfer the burden of post-secondary fund­ ing from taxpayers to universities. International students in mathematics, life sciences, computer science, engineering, management, and law will see an increase in tuition starting on September 11 2009.

"We decided to hold a protest shortly after the legislation was signed. This is an issue that affects all students in Quebec," said Fanny Tremblay Raciot, vice-president external of the Laval University Students'Association (AELIES).

AELIES joined another Laval organization, the Univer­ sity of Laval Confederation of Student Associations (CADEUL), along with the University of Sherbrooke Organization of Mas­ ters, Diploma, and Doctorate Students (REMDUS), and SSMU in organizing the Quebec City protest.

According to these groups, international student tuition

has increased seven-fold over the past ten years. And while deregulation is projected to generate $16 million annually, these organizations claim it is not enough to combat the un­ derfunding of Quebec universities.

While McGill has not announced exactly how much tu­ ition will increase, SSMU Vice-President External Devin Alfaro believes the increase will be approximately eight per cent. The current international tuition at McGill varies between faculties; engineering and science students pay $16,650 per year, while management students pay $16,200 per year. "This would defi­ nitely have consequences for student enrollment at McGill.

Enrollment would be skewed toward higher-income interna­ tional students," Alfaro said.

A decrease in campus diversity is a concern for many uni­ versity student groups. According to Olivier Cournoyer Boutin, a second year McGill law student, the principle of providing international students with a competitive and affordable edu­ cation is also at stake.

"By raising international tuition, we are affecting foreign students directly and local Canadian students indirectly," he said. "We are lessening Canadian students'cultural experience, and we may be depriving some international students of that experience entirely."

Because the differential gap in tuition between faculties

will increase, Alfaro believes McGill's enrollment strategies w change in response.

"Because enrollment in faculties such as science and ei gineering is more profitable, McGill may allot more seats i those disciplines than before. There may also be greater rt cruiting efforts for science and engineering students," he sait

While advocates of the tuition increase point to McGill policy of allotting 30 per cent of generated revenue towar financial aid, Alfaro does not buy into the argument.

"Allotting 30 per cent of revenue for financial aid sti leaves 70 per cent that goes toward the university. At the en of the day, the tuition hike is for the university to generat more money," Alfaro is skeptical.

Though the policy will affect all Quebec universitie schools that attract large numbers of international student such as McGill and Concordia, will be most affected. Despit the relatively large impact on McGill students, Alfaro is cor cerned about student apathy.

"There are many students who may think this doesn't ai feet them because they're not international students or be cause they're graduating this year. Regardless of whether th« policy doesn't affect some students directly, it's important fo all students to be aware of tuition increases and their man ramifications," he said. ■

21.10.08 -The McGill Tribune • 3

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MIONAL

.iberals win seats in many university ridings

Q u ee n 's, U B C s t u d e n t le a d e r s s a t is fie d w it h v o t e r m o b iliz a t io n e ffo r t s T ori C rawford Though disappointed with the overall results of last ek's federal election, student leaders at major Canadian earch universities appear satisfied with their get-out-thete efforts.

At McGill, the Students' Society focussed on informing dents about their eligibility to vote. SSMU ran a pamphlet npaign, answered questions at a desk in the Shatner build1, and emailed students with information.

Although McGill's riding, Westmount—Ville-Marie, was in by Liberal Marc Garneau with 47 per cent of the vote, VIU Vice-President External Devin Alfaro noted that not all idents voted in this riding.

"We provided forms for students to vote in their homewns. A lot of people were interested in that," he said.

Many McGill students also live in the Plateau Mont-Royal d Mile End neighbourhoods, which are in the Outremont d Laurier—Ste-Marie ridings. Incumbent MPs Thomas Mulir of the New Democratic Party, and Gilles Duceppe of the )C Québécois were re-elected in these ridings, respectively.

A similar situation at the University of British Columbia, :ated in the Liberal stronghold riding of Vancouver Quadra, ced student organizers to modify their tactics.

"One of the things about UBC is that we have a huge com­

muter body. Most students don't live within the [Vancouver] Quadra, so we tried to work with other constituencies," said UBC Alma Mater Society VP External Stefanie Ratjen.

Both Alfaro and Ratjen expressed frustation with the tim­ ing of the election, which caused difficulties for their organiza­ tions. The election was called on September 7, during the first week of classes, a time when both students and student soci­ eties were busy settling in to the new school year. The timing was also problematic for campus political groups.

"This election came together very quickly and many branches had difficulty getting an effective message out and informing voters enough about the issues," Ratjen said.

At Queen's, the University Alma Mater Society held two on-campus debates. The first debate occurred between the leaders of the parties'campus branches, while the second was an all-candidates debate for the Kingston and the Islands rid­ ing.

"We have a very politically engaged campus, locally, provincially, and federally," said Queen's AMS President Talia Radcliffe.'The turnout at both debates was great."

Voters in the Kingston and the Islands riding returned Lib­ eral incumbent Peter Milliken to office, who won with 39 per cent of the vote. Despite the results of their individual ridings, student leaders observed a sense of frustration among their student bodies regarding the overall results.

"There was a lot of talk on campus about strategic voting to try to beat Harper," Ratjen said. "Most students seem disap­ pointed."

Alfaro noted that the results also have implications for universities across the country.

"From an education point of view, it's not good and the underfunding problems will likely continue," Alfaro said. "The Conservatives don't seem too interested, but at the same time, the previous Liberal government did more damage to educa­ tion than any other government before it. There's just not re­ ally any change."

However, Radcliffe points out that the Green Party's 11 per cent vote share in the Kingston and the Islands riding was an encouraging sign.

Overall, the ridings in which Canada's major research uni­ versities are located favoured the Liberal Party far more than the rest of Canada. The ridings containing McGill, Queen's, UBC, University of Montreal, University of Ottawa, and Univer­ sity of Western Ontario all elected Liberal MPs. The NDP was also disproportionately favoured, with vic­ tories in the ridings that contain Dalhousie Unversity, the Uni­ versity of Alberta, and the University of Toronto. Of the G-13 group of major Canadian research universities, only the ridings containing McMaster University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Waterloo elected Conservative MPs. ■

ATIONAL

Zharest hosts Council of the Federation

G reater f u n d in g u r g e d fo r in n o v a t io n , sk ills t r a in in g , a n d in fr a s t r u c t u r e >ntinued from COVER ) around the table—this has to be a meeting where ere is a lot of prior work is done so that we are able sit down in front of a menu of options that will allow to put forward policies to deal with this economic Dwdown."

Charest said he explained the importance of eparation to Harper this past weekend in Quebec ty, where both leaders were representing Canada at e Francophonie summit.

However, several premiers differed in their attides toward running budget deficits during an eco)mic slowdown. British Columbia Premier Gordon impbell cautioned against a return to deficit spendg at the provincial level.

"I think we have to recognize that it took us a genation to get out of deficits. I'm not one of the people ivocating we [run a] deficit. It's like an addiction— ice you're there, it's very hard to get off it," Campbell lid.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said running mporary budget deficits might be better than raisg taxes or cutting funding to key services.

"I think you don't have a lot of choices," McGuinty lid.

When asked if a renewed commitment to innovaon and skills development in Quebec would include icreased post-secondary education funding, Charest aid that funding was already increasing, with $240 lillion earmarked for post-secondary education in 1st year's budget.

"We increased funding in the last budget for post;condary education, and also funding for the colleial level, the CEGEP level," Charest said. "As you know, re also expect the federal government to make more f an effort on that front. They cut funding for postecondary education in the 1990s and they did not restablish funding."

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Wilams struck a positive note near the end of the confernce, asking Canadians to maintain confidence in the conomy.

"The primary message I think premiers want to live Canadians today is to reassure them, to let them now that we have confidence in their Canadian conomy, that we have confidence in their banking ystem, and that we're prepared to act with resolve . . in order to make sure their confidence is renewed," Villiams said. ■

PHOTOS BY ADAM SCOTTI

Premiers Jean Charest, Danny Williams, Gary Doer, and Robert Ghiz at the Council of the Federation meeting Monday.

4- News -21.10.08

The McGill Tribi

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

McGill professors analyze federal election

E x p e rts fa u lt L ib e r a ls ' p e r f o r m a n c e a n d r e c o r d - lo w v o t e r t u r n o u t C a rm a n Irw in M iller, p r o fe s s o r o f h is to ry : L a s t Tuesday's fe d e ra l e le ctio n s re tu rn e d P rim e M in iste r S te ­ p h e n H a rp e r to p o w e r w ith in c re a se d s u p p o rt a n d p r o v e d d isa s­ tro u s fo r th e Lib e ra l Party, w h ich lo s t 19 se a ts it p r e v io u s ly held.

T he T rib u n e s a t d o w n w ith th re e M cG ill p ro fe ss o rs to d isc u ss th e im p lic a tio n s o f th e e le ctio n fo r th e C o n se rv a tiv e s, th e Lib era ls, a n d C a n a d a a s a w h ole.

E ric B éla n g er, p r o fe s s o r o f p o litic a l sc ie n ce :

What changes will take place in the near future in terms of Canada's governance?

Well, I think it won't change much for the next couple of years compared to the last couple, in the sense that Mr. Harp­ er's hands are still being tied with a m inority government.

He won't have all the freedom that he was seeking when he called the election.

What were the major faults of the Liberals in this cam­ paign?

I think that the left vote was overcrowded in this elec­ tion, and that the Liberal Party with their Green Shift tried to attract support from the left, but there was already the New Democratic Party and the Green Party ... They would have been better off going more towards the centre and trying to re-conquer some of the support that went to the Conserva­ tives. We should see, in the near future, the Liberals steering more towards the centre. It’s just a matter for the Liberals of finding a more appealing leader, for one thing, and redefin­ ing themselves, or reconnecting with the more centrist policy positions that they had in the past.

An estimated 59.1 per cent of eligible Canadians voted in this election. What do you think about this disappoint­ ing turnout?

This was the worst turnout in Canadian history. I think that one indicator is that the public doesn't find the major parties too appealing right now. That's probably one reason for the [low] voter turnout. The two [major parties] seem to still be in search of themselves. So, it's not surprising that the Canadian public is less interested.

Ç M c G ill

How will the results of this election affect the gover­ nance of Canada over the next few years?

We have a minority government, which I think is a healthy thing given the decision of Canadians. The 38 per cent of votes that the Conservative party received does not speak for the majority of Canadians. We have a parliament in which the other points of view will be represented. If the government wishes to govern, it must command the support of Parlia­ ment, which would mean, in my view, coming to reasonable compromises on the issues that divide them. And that's not a bad form of government.

Will a minority government act ineffectively?

It may be more effective. If effective [means] taking wrong but decisive actions, that's not the effect that I want.

If you want a government that reflects the opinions of the people then [this result] is as roughly [reflective] as our "first past the post" system permits it to be.

It reflects opinions, though not perfectly. For instance the Greens, although they did not do as well as the polls suggest­ ed they might, have a percentage that isn't represented. They are not being represented in parliament. That's unfortunate, because it is an opinion that is important to however many people voted for the Green agenda. So no, I don't think a mi­ nority government [will necessarily] be ineffective. One wants a parliament that reflects the strength of opinion that Cana­ dians have on issues. We want the government to do what the people want them to do, not what they want to force on individuals because they have a political advantage.

T h o m a s Velk, p r o fe s s o r o f e co n o m ics:

What mistakes did Stéphane Dion make in this elec­ tion?

I think the schemes of Mr. Dion were extremely unrealis­ tic in the first place, and quite dangerous.

To impose this tax burden on ordinary income tax payers for something like carbon would have been politically impos­ sible— there would be so much resistance, there would be so many special interests in play, and so on. If a shift were to

Un comité consultatif a été constitué pour la sélection du protecteur des étudiants. Ce comité se com­ pose des représentants suivants : R e p ré se n ta n ts d u S é n a t:

R e p r é s e n t a n t s d u C o n s e il d e s g o u v e r n e u r s :

Professeur lan Butler Professeure Jane Everett

Mme Roshi Chadha Mme Sally McDougall P r é s i d e n t : Professeur Anthony C. Masi (vice-principal exécutif) S e c r é t a ir e : Mme Johanne Pelletier (secrétaire-générale)

Andrea Long (AÉÉDTC) Nadya Wilkinson (AEUM)

L'Université McGill sollicite des candidatures au poste de protecteur des étudiants pour un mandat débu­ tant le i erjanvier 2009. Le protecteur des étudiants a pour principales responsabilités de fournir des services de médiation indépendants, impartiaux et confidentiels de nature à permettre aux étudiants d'obtenir une réso­ lution juste et équitable de tout différend en rapport avec l'Université, dès lors que les moyens administratifs non accusatoires normaux ne sont pas adaptés aux circonstances ou se sont révélés inefficaces.

Les candidats doivent faire partie du corps enseignant de l'Université McGill, occuper un poste menant à la permanence, être respectés des étudiants et des autres membres de la communauté de McGill, connaître l'Université, ainsi que ses politiques et procédures. Les candidats doivent de préférence pouvoir s'exprimer aussi bien en anglais qu'en français.

Le poste de protecteur des étudiants est un poste à temps partiel assorti d'un mandat de cinq ans non renouvelable, auquel l'Université met à disposition un bureau et un service de secrétariat.

Les mises en candidatures ou candidatures seront prises en compte au fur et à mesure de leur récep­ tion, jusqu'à ce que le poste soit pourvu. Elles peuvent être adressées par courrier à Mme Johanne Pelletier, secrétaire-générale, Secrétariat de l'Université, Pavillon James de l'administration, 845, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, bureau 313, H3A 2T5 ou par courrier électronique à iohanne.pelletiertamcaill.ca. Ces communications sont

naturellement strictement confidentielles.

What challenges will Stephen Harper face in his s ond government?

Harper's challenge [will] be to address the economic si ation. For Canada in particular it will have to do with deal with what might be falling prices for commodities. We live our exports to other countries, and in that sense we are pendent on their economic times. If the rest of the world I bad economic times, we do too.

In addition, Canada has some of the worst produc ity numbers in the G7, and that has to be addressed. Ma) Harper can take some lessons from the [United States] in tl regard—they have the best productivity numbers. Ma> they're doing something byway of science or technology?

Finally, I don't know if it's good luck or good mana< ment, but our bankers do have better capital. Our leverage tios are much more promising. The leverage ratio is the diff ence between liabilities and assets. When you have an aw lot of assets, you have to be able to take losses. When thei a big difference, you can afford to have your assets shrink value and not lose so much so that you can't pay your debi In Canada, we have about a 20:1 ratio, and in some ca: as low as 12:1. And the banks that are in trouble, in parti» lar Lehman Brothers, had a 30:1 ratio. Some banks even ha< 60:1 ratio. By these international standards, on that particu value at least, we look pretty good. ■ — C o m p ile d b y A lis o n Bail

N e w s B rie f COMITÉ CONSULTATIF POUR LA SÉLECTION D'UN PROTECTEUR DES ÉTUDIANTS

Destinataires : Membres de l'Université McGill Expéditeur : Professeur Anthony C. Masi, vice-principal exécutif

R e p r é s e n t a n t s d e s é t u d ia n t s :

occur at all, it would be highly imperfect and highly politic The whole idea of burdening producers of carbor based on a collection of ideas that is still very much in gi debate. Despite the propaganda to the opposite point, th is a serious question of whether mankind is responsible higher temperatures and whether the changing of our bef iour is able to make a large enough impact.

And the question is: even if you could change the imp is the cost of doing so worth it? It might just be easier to with your burden.

And finally, doing so in the face of an [unstable] econc ic situation, such as the one we are in now, would have b< really dangerous.

New SSMU website on its way The launch date for Students'Society's new website has been repe. edly delayed, but SSMU Vice-President Internal Julia Webster is optimis that it will be online soon.

The website launch was originally scheduled for September 1, thoui Webster cited September 18 as a more likely date in a late August inti view. Although the new website is nearing completion, Webster was i luctant to set a new launch date.

"I don't want to tie myself to another date, because we were let dov by the September 18 deadline. It should be soon, though,"Webster said

The new construction of the website was contracted out to the we ern Canada-based developer Lesia Design. Webster attributed the delà to problems with the website's complicated content management s) tern; the new website will incorporate more dynamic content, includii streaming headlines from all major campus newspapers.

Webster said that Lesia Design "underestimated the time it would ta them"to develop the content management system. Once Lesia complet the website's infrastructure, SSMU will begin to put content online.

"It's probably going to take a month to put all the information onto once we actually have access to the site,"Webster said.

In the past, SSMU has had trouble maintaining a fully bilingual we site. Webster acknowledged this concern, but explained that she is foci, sing on making at least the English version of the website fully oper tional. "[The website is] not going to be bilingual right away, but eventua it will be. There's just so much translation that needs to be done,"Webst said.

In spite of the delays, Webster remains optimistic.

"Students should be excited about the new site because it will act a portal of information regarding events, campus life, and what the st dents'society offers to the McGill undergraduate population," she said.

— B e rn a rd R u d i

'w.mcgilltribune.com

21.10.08 -The McGill Tribune • 5

MPUS

a rv a rd 's S te v e n P in k e r s p e a k s a t c o n fe re n c e n d e r g r a d u a t e s h ig h lig h t r e s e a r c h d u r in g H o m e c o m i n g W e e k A lana L evine Faculty, guests, and students filled the main hall of the Js Building last Friday for the the fourth annual Undergradu! Research Conference held by McGill's Faculty of Science— final event of Flomecoming Week. The day culminated Ih a presentation by renowned Harvard psychologist and |Gill alumnus Steven Pinker.

Kathryn Peterson, director of administration of the Faculty Science, undersored the importance of the annual event.

"The dean in the faculty is trying to highlight undergradu; research, and so this is one way of getting the students inlived in showcasing the work they do with various professors jthe department," Peterson said.

Victor Chisholm, undergraduate research officer for the tulty of Science, added that the faculty made the decision to Ihance research opportunities for students because McGill is |esearch-intensive university.

"Research should inform the curriculum, and thus, the facly formed the office for undergraduate research to promote search and expand the scope of opportunities,"he said."This parch conference is one of the ways we do it by bringing ! best and brightest from our various departments together |showcase their research."

This year, 42 students, ail of whom were nominated by )cGill science professors for their excellent academic standcompleted research projects. The projects were divided Ito four categories for judging purposes, earth system sciIce, health and life sciences, mathematical and computapnal sciences, and the physical sciences. The judges—eight ofessors from departments across the faculty, evaluated the jdents on their posters as well as their ability to explain their Search.

"What's really impressive is that when we have visitors Ir homecoming who might be professors from outside the piversity, they are really stunned by the level of [undergradue] research that is often {only found] at the doctorate level,"

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Chisholm said. these automatic unconscious emotion reactions. The value of U3 chemistry student Samantha Stratton, who won first science is to step outside yourself, to look at the world with prize in the physical sciences category, explained the process fresh eyes, and to look at yourself with fresh eyes," Pinker said, of completing her project. She said the most difficult part was in response to a question asked by a guest in the audience. deciding what she wanted to do.

Chisholm said that Pinker is a perfect example of the bril­ "As you are doing your undergrad, there are courses that liance that McGill fosters each year in its students. you like and courses that you really don't. You have to look at "This program is laying the ground for people like Steven the teachers that are in your field, and then just go with it. The Pinker," Chisholm said. "This is where we expect our students first step is choosing a supervisor who works in the field in to be five to to years from now." ■ which you are interested. I found a professor whose research I thought was. interesting. If the pro­ fessor is willing, they will give you a project, and hopefully you will get results," Stratton said.

Of the 42 students, two in each category were recognized by first and second place prizes. Prizes in­ cluded $300 and $150 for first and second place, respectively, as well as honorary diplomas, trophies, and memberships to the Scientific Re­ search Society.

The highlight of the event was Pinker's address in Moyse Hall on "The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature."

Pinker, who received a BA in experi­ mental psychology from McGill in 1976, has been named one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals

by Time magazine. He spoke about language and the insight gained by examining its use in thought, emo­ tion, and human social relations.

"Part of the idea behind this talk is to get people to think about their ARIK SCHWARTZ language, and not just surrender to Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker (right) poses for a photo following his presentation Friday at the Science Undergraduate Research Conference

® M c G ill

speed

-

A woman from Ontario was charged last week after she had her nine year old daughter drive her home after a night of what she thought was particularly heavy drinking. The 35 year old woman and her young designated driver were pulled over on a country road south of Ottawa after police noticed how small the driver was, and how slow­ ly she was driving. Neither the woman nor her daughter have been identified, however a breath test showed the woman to be within the legal limit.

Caught in the act early Monday morning, Michigan police ar­ rested a man that was allegedly receiving "sexual favours" from a car wash vacuum. At 6:45 a.m. Saginaw County Thomas Township police responded to suspicious activity at the car wash. Police Sgt. Gary Breidinger approached on foot catching the man in the act. The suspect is being held in a county jail.

A Nigerian man took his 20 year old son to court, accusing him of excessive idleness, and requested that he be sent to jail for refusing to engage in productive activities. "I am tired of his nefarious deeds," Sama'ila Tahir told the Islamic court. "Please put this boy in prison so that I can be free."The younger Tahir was given a six month prison sen­ tence and a caning for his idleness and for disobeying his parents.

89 year-old Edna Jester was just fed up. Charged with petty theft for refusing to give a child's football back, Jester faces a maximum of six months in jail, and a fine of up to $1,000. According to Police Capt.

James Schaffer, this incident was far from isolated.

—S o u rce s: R euters,

Yahoo

To:

McGill Community

From:

Professor Anthony C. Masi, Provost

ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE SELECTION OF AN OMBUDSPERSON FOR STUDENTS

An Advisory Committee on the Selection of an Ombudsperson for Students has been struck. The composition of the Committee is as follows: S e n a t e R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s :

B o a r d o f G o v e r n o r s R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s :

Professor Ian Butler Professor Jane Everett

Mrs. Roshi Chadha Mrs. Sally McDougall Professor Anthony C. Masi (Provost) Ms. Johanne. Pelletier (Secretary-General)

S t u d e n t R e p r e s e n t a t iv e s :

C h a ir :

Andrea Long (PGSS) Nadya Wilkinson (SSMU),

S e cre ta ry :

Nominations for the position of Ombudsperson for Students are invited for a term beginning January 1, 2009.

The Ombudsperson's primary responsibility is to provide an independent, impartial and confidential process through which students may seek the just, fair and equitable resolution of any university-related concern where normal non-adversarial administrative channels for addressing such matters are inappropriate in the circum­ stances or prove ineffective.

Candidates for this position should hold a tenure-track academic appointment at McGill University, be well re­ spected by both students and other members of the McGill community, and be familiar with the University and its policies and procedures. Facility in both English and French is desirable.

The post of the Ombudsperson for Students is a half-time appointment with a non-renewable five-year term. An office and secretarial support for the Ombudsperson are provided by the University.

Nominations or applications for this position will be considered as they are received until the position is filled.

Nominations and applications may be submitted to my attention c/o of Ms. Johanne Pelletier, the SecretaryGeneral, University Secretariat, James Administration Building, 845 Sherbrooke St. W., Room 313, H3A 2T5 or via email to iohanne.pelletier<a>mcaill.ca. All such communications will, of course, be kept in the strictest con­ fidence.

Opinion

COUNT HER FEET

NOT AJ3©THfH STUDENT POLITICIAN

What every McGill student wishes for

The moral high ground is meatless

RJ K elford RJKELFORD@GMAIL.COM

R iva G old YOURCOLUMNISHURTFUL@GMAIL.COM

I know that wish lists are usually written shortly before Christmas, and then mailed to Santa Claus. But my list is a tall order, and I'm not sure if our jolly old friend can fill it—even with his elven assistants. Santa might also turn me down because of the whole "naughty or nice" rule. So instead, I'm sending this wish list to our student politicians.

I'm writing because students want a lot of things on campus. But between midterms, term papers, final exams, and assignments, there isn't a lot of time left for the average student to change things at McGill. Of course, that's why we have student politicians and a Students' Society to represent us. Unfortunately, McGill's student politicians are getting bogged down. Because SSMU executives spend so much of their time responding to the administration's constant bar­ rage of new policies, they have less time to push forward student agendas. They need to use their limited time and resources wisely, and that's where my wish list comes in: granting these wishes would improve the lives of the vast ma­ jority of McGill students.

I wish for better exam schedules. Our stu­ dent politicians have been working on this, al­ beit quietly, for some time now. It's absurd that the McGill administration doesn't provide exam schedules before the course change deadline.

The administration is afraid that if they release exam schedules earlier, students will choose courses that maximize their vacation time. But most.McGill students are more mature than that. And, setting aside the lowest common de­ nominator's scheduling philosophy, what about the large proportion of McGill students from outside of Canada? These students have to pay significantly more to fly home for the holidays because the exam schedule isn't finalized until the end of October—assuming their breaks are long enough to make the trip worthwhile. Short breaks announced on short notice aren't fair to McGill students.

Unfortunately, everyone treats the exam schedule issue like a pipe dream. SSMU should make it a priority, talk about it with students, and see how far they can take it. This is one of the best policy changes that SSMU could negotiate

with the administration—it would have a posi­ tive impact on almost every student's life. As a follow-up, I wish for a fall reading week, but we can put that off for now.

My next wish is for more student space. The lack of space on campus affects almost every student at McGill. For clubs and student orga­ nizations, booking space is an arduous and ex­ pensive undertaking. Some progress has been made, but there's plenty of room for improve­ ment. Group meeting space is even more impor­ tant to most students. All across campus, group meeting spaces are almost always full. SSMU, the libraries, and the faculty associations need to address this demand. Even small changes— like reorganizing the Lev Bukhman room into group tables when it's vacant—would help with the space crunch. Students need space to study, work on projects, and have club meetings. SSMU and the McGill administration need to help de­ velop that space (and some nap space, if they have the chance).

My last big wish is to revive an old rela­ tionship, and heal some wounds from the past: I wish we could sit down and work things out with Molson. Someone needs to remind them why sponsoring McGill events is a great idea. Boreale is great to have on campus, because they do a lot of promotion and give SSMU plenty of free beer to pass on to students. Unfortunately, Boreale tastes awful. The biggest challenge in bringing Molson back to McGill is that Molson doesn't give us nearly as good of a deal as Bo­ reale does. Everyone knows that Molson brews better beer than Boreale, but from a business point of view, it's no contest. At the very least, McGill's beer of choice should be on the agenda at the next General Assembly. Imagine the turn­ out for that debate.

There's more on my wish list—like a stu­ dent-run food service in Shatner, better visiting speakers, opt-outs for ancillary fees, and more non-drinking events like Movies in the Park— but I don't want to ask for too much. By granting these wishes, SSMU would improve the lives of almost every student at McGill. While Santa may leave me lumps of coal, I hope our student politi­ cians will deliver something better. ■___________

I 'm not a zealot, an animal liberationist, or dedicated to the pursuit of global misery. But I've been a vegetarian for nine years—for moral reasons. I don't claim to live among intolerant, meat-eat­ ing hooligans who throw cooked flesh into my mouth when I'm not looking in order to relieve me of the disease that is vegetarianism. However, I don't under­ stand why meat eaters don't concede the moral high ground to us.

I agree wholeheartedly with Eric Weiss when, in his last column, he described People for the Ethical Treatment of Ani­ mals as a truly, deeply evil organization. I agree with PETA that humans should treat animals better in a broad sense, but PETA's extremist and often criminal actions make them as alien to moderate vegetarians as they are to meat-eaters. Any group that opposes animal testing for life-saving medical purposes is deplorable.

My anti-PETA stance often gets me the instant, albeit fleeting, approval of meat-eaters. To them, I am one of the rare "reasonable ones," who are vegetarian perhaps by accident. This good impres­ sion lasts until I explain that, for most people, a vegetarian lifestyle is a morally superior choice. And while vegetarianism alone doesn't guarantee my moral fibre, it should count in my favour rather than against it.

We've all heard of vegetarianism's many moral perks. I won't explain all of them in detail, but consider two important ones: the meat industry is often incredibly cruel, and vegetarianism is much more en­ vironmentally sustainable. If you don't be­ lieve me;do some research. However, the main argument for vegetarianism's moral superiority is this: animals aren't necessar­ ily equal to humans, but as sentient be­ ings, we ought to care about them at least a little bit.

In his article, Eric wrote that "Eating meat is not wrong. Our ancestors ate meat in order to survive and we've inherited

their place at the top of the food cha Ah, the good old naturalistic fallacy. Bei natural or traditional doesn't make sorr thing morally legitimate. This is especia true about eating meat, because the cc text of dietary decisions has changed d matically in recent years. Our ancestc didn't have access to modern soy prote vitamin supplements, and the like. Mr was often their only option. But just 1 cause meat was the right choice th doesn't mean it's the right choice no when being vegetarian is easier than ev Don't get me wrong—like Eric, I thi that humans are superior to animals. B our superiority isn't based on our place ' the top of the food chain." (Besides, a lion you meet alone in the jungle will b to differ.) Humans are uniquely importa because we're capable of making mo judgements. We have the capacity f compassion, for reason—in short, for h manity. Only humans can weigh the min pleasure of eating beef against the pa and suffering that produced it.

Human superiority is precisely w we shouldn't be needlessly cruel to ai mais. We're not special because we ha pen to have a perch atop the food chai We're special because only we are in a p sition to use our power ethically. For eve cow we kill when we could easily eat tof for every chicken we needlessly coop u we lose a little bit of our humanity.

Aside from cases of anaemia and po erty, I have yet to hear a compelling mor argument for eating meat. And until I d I will continue to take the moral, and di tinctly human, high ground at every ar mal-free meal I enjoy.

Ultimately, every individual maki their own choices. I have no intention joining radical, anti-meat protest group or proclaiming that animals are equal i humans. It's precisely because humans a not like other animals that we shouldr be acting like them when we make dietai choices. ■

FOOT IN MOUTH

At McGill, fine arts get the short end of the stick E ric W eiss ERIC.WEISS@MAIL.MCGILL.CA

R

egular readers of this column won't be surprised to learn that I'm a theatre student. And yes, in fact, McGill does have a theatre department. It's hidden in the English de­ partment. You should check it out because theatre, like most of the fine arts at McGill, is sorely under-appreciated. It's also virtually invisible on campus. And for that, I blame the media.

If you don't believe me, try taking part in one of McGill's many theatrical productions. Players'Theatre's production of D a rk o f th e M o o n opened last week with a press preview last Tuesday. Unfortunately, the term "press preview" is a misno­ mer, since no reviewers actually attended the performance.

The media no-show is symptomatic of the attitude to­ wards the arts at McGill. Last year, Tuesday Night Café The­ atre's T he A ttic, th e Pearls, a n d T hree Fin e G irls, was completely ignored by the campus press (both the McGill Daily and the Tribune) during its two week run. The scant theatre coverage that did appear—like the Daily's review of W ho's A fra id o f Vir­ g in ia W oolf— revealed more about the reviewers' egos than the shows themselves. Any way you look at it, the current Mc­ Gill theatre coverage is inadequate for something that plays such an important role in campus cultural life.

Even without adequate publicity, the number of people who attend McGill theatre productions shows that theatre

matters to many students. The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society's production of U rin eto w n , for example, sold out four consecutive shows at Moyse Hall last year. To put that in per­ spective, approximately 1,300 students either saw or worked on U rin eto w n . In ignoring the production, the press ignored the interests and contributions of 6.5 per cent of McGill un­ dergraduates. Yet, this month's General Assembly, which at­ tracted a paltry 120 students, consumed two weeks' worth of news coverage. What do you think mattered more to stu­ dents? 1,600 students may have voted in the online plebiscite, but most students wouldn't care if the GA disappeared.

The same can't be said of McGill theatre. Thousands of people will see the dozens of shows that McGill theatre prac­ titioners will put on This year. From D a rk o f th e M o o n to H air, from Ju liu s C a e sa r to The Im p o rta n ce o f B ein g E a rn est, the Mc­ Gill theatre calendar includes something for just about every­ one. V-Day McGill's annual presentation of T h e V ag ina M o n o ­ lo g u e s is one of the most anticipated events of the year. So why doesn't the campus press write more about something students are obviously interested in? Isn't publicizing student endeavours a major function of student media?

Amateur productions depend on the campus media for the bulk of their publicity. It takes months of work to put on

a play, and we want to share these plays with our. fellow stt dents. That won't happen unless students know about 01 productions in the first place. It's frustrating when the Dail devotes its limited press space to a self-indulgent photo fe; ture about a former editor's kittens, instead of something re evant to students outside the Daily's office. Similarly, it's hype critical to criticize the Harper government's arts funding cut if you're not willing to support independent fine arts project yourself.

Mcdill's vibrant cultural life shouldn't be ignored. Hur dreds of students are involved in the fine arts, and we're pat sionate about the projects we create. I'm not just talking abou theatre, either. Did you know that the Schulich School of Musi is one of the best music schools in Canada? You might have but no thanks to the campus press. McGill music students an pushed aside in favor of indie bands you've never heard of.

Some reviewers will have seen D a rk o f th e M o o n over thi weekend and made my complaints (partially) obsolete. I'd lovi to be proven wrong on this particular topic. But, in the mean while, I invite you to be a part of the McGill theatre communi ty. Whether you're a participant or a spectator (D e p a rtu re s am A rriv a ls opens atTNC on Wednesday), just come out and havi some fun. Show people that the fine arts matter at McGill. ■

21.10.08 •The McGill Tribune • 7

ww.mcgilltribune.com _______________ The McGill

fR TRUNK www. meg iIItri bu ne.com

Editor-in-Chief Matt Chesser editor@mcgilltribune.com

Managing Editors Crystal Chan Thomas Quail seniored@mcgilltribune.com

Production Manager Samantha Chang production@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors James Gilman Theo Meyer news@mcgilltribune.com

Opinion Editor Bernard Rudny opinion@mcgilltribune.com

Features Editors Meghna Marjadi Carolyn Yates features@mcgilltribune.com

Arts & Entertainment Editors Carolyn Grégoire Laura Tindal arts@mcgilltribune.com

Sports Editor Jacob Kanter sports@mcgilltribune.com

Photo Editors Niki Hyde Adam Scotti photo@mcgilltribune.com

Online Editor Kaylea Howarth online@mcgilltribune.com

Design Editors Femi Kassim Janet McMullen design@mcgilltribune.com

Copy Editor Tori Crawford Advertising Manager Matt Ward cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca

Publisher Chad Ronalds

EDITORIALS

Free speech for clubs

The same old GA story

oltaire apocryphally said "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."These words have become a cliché in freedom of expression debates, but for good rea­ son. True freedom of expression is demonstrated by the reception of un­ popular ideas.

The Students' Society's support for this principle will be put to the test this week, as Choose Life, a pro-life awareness group, is applying for club status at McGill. Their application is controversial. Some students see the group as inherently discriminatory and sexist because of its position on women's rights and reproductive rights. However, Choose Life claims that their goal is to raise awareness, and not to change the legal status of abor­ tion. SSMU Council will decide Choose Life's fate in a vote next Tuesday, after debating whether the group conforms to club regulations banning discrimination.

It's tempting to deny Choose Life's application and sweep the issue under the rug. Pro-life advocates are a small and often unpopular minority on campus. At first glance, keeping them off campus may seem reasonable.

Nobody's constitutional freedom of speech would be abridged. Choose Life members just wouldn't be able to express their views at McGill.

But the issue at stake isn't constitutional free speech—it's campus free speech. Clubs are the heart of public life at McGill. They're the one truly ef­ fective way for students to organize and assemble. In practical terms, with­ holding club status and funding is the surest way to stifle a campus group's freedom of speech, conscience, and assembly. Without SSMU approval, it's hard to do much of anything on campus.

The Tribune is staunchly pro-choice. We don't support Choose Life's views or agenda. But we do support their right to exist. If pro-life students want to provide information and raise awareness about pregnancy, they should be free to do so. Being a (sometimes unpopular) minority doesn't exclude you from participating in campus life. For some students, being pro-life is a matter of conscience or religious belief. It's only civil to let them express their convictions.

Students have nothing to fear if Choose Life becomes a McGill club. The discussion of pro-life views poses no tangible threat to anyone on campus.

If anything, discussing these issues is a good thing. The fundamental justice of abortion rights becomes obvious in public debate. That's why taboos and abortion bans went hand-in-hand for much of the 20th century.

McGill students are mature enough to discuss abortion in a produc­ tive and non-adversarial manner. There's no reason McGill can't also have a pro-choice group. And there's no reason why other groups can't respond to Choose Life's arguments. The Tribune welcomes any student letters or columns on this topic.

And students who, for whatever reason, still fear Choose Life should remember that SSMU still has oversight of the club. If Choose Life gains club status and then acts in an unacceptable manner, their status can be revoked.

SSMU has the obligation to monitor and reign in any club that negatively affects McGill students—but not pre-emptively. Choose Life has yet to do anything objectionable, and there's no evidence to suggest that they will.

In the interest of a free and diverse campus, the Tribune encourages SSMU to grant official club status to Choose Life. We may not like them, but we'd like to see them survive. ■

e know what you're thinking: "Dear God, not another edito­ rial about General Assemblies." In the last two weeks, a handful of GA motions have been put to a vote on three separate (and inconsequential) occasions. First, the October 7 GA failed to meet quali­ fied quorum. The motions approved at the GA were then carried over to a special online referendum, which also failed to meet quorum. And finally, the Students'Society Council debated and then rejected the motions last Thursday.

But don't worry—this isn't another editorial bemoaning student apa­ thy at McGill. It won't be long until student politicians start calling for an­ other round of GA reform, and talking about how students should be more involved. But the problem with GAs isn't the low turnout. McGill students are already voting on GA motions—with their feet.

For many students with moderate political views, the current GA sys­ tem rewards abstention. Because GAs are dominated by the political fringe, a moderate student opposing a fringe motion will probably be outvoted.

Their vote has little impact on the system. But because GAs are often un­ able (or barely able) to meet quorum, that same student's abstention can have a much larger impact on the system.

Playing the odds in this manner may seem cynical, but it's also per­ fectly rational. Members of the campus political fringe dominate the GA system. They submit most of the motions, thereby setting the agenda for the GA. Turnout is also highest among fringe members, so they wield a disproportionate influence during the voting process. It's difficult for mod­ erate students who oppose a motion to make their voices heard.

Their absence, on the other hand, speaks volumes. It says that many students find it easier to achieve their personal goals by avoiding GAs. It says that the most recent set of GA motions mattered to only a handful of students at McGill. And it says that direct democracy at McGill, at least in the current form of the GA system, doesn't work.

The SSMU executive's attempt to resurrect the GA motions at last Thursday's Council meeting was troubling. Quorum exists for a reason. If the motions were unable to secure a mandate through the GA, they don't represent the opinion of McGill students. According to the SSMU constitu­ tion,"Motions which fail to make quorum shall be inscribed on the agenda for the next regular General Assembly." Bending these rules, even under the pretense of furthering direct democracy, is unacceptable. SSMU should respect the spirit of its own constitution, and theTribune applauds Council for voting down the reintroduced GA motions.

It seems trite to once again call on SSMU for GA reform. However, the issue can't be ignored. SSMU is constitutionally obligated to hold GAs, and they're not cheap. But when they restart the reform process, SSMU shouldn't focus on combatting student apathy. They should fix a broken system.

There's nothing wrong with having a direct democratic process at Mc­ Gill, as long as it accurately represents student opinion. SSMU could re­ place the GA system with an online referendum system. Internet voting is more popular, more convenient, and less susceptible to fringe dominance.

Thanks to Elections McGill, the infrastructure is already in place.

Until that happens, or SSMU finds a way to end the fringe dominance of the GA system, students will continue to vote with their feet. ■

V

W

OFF THE BOARD

Tam ing Canada's w ireless w ild ern ess

J ames G ilman mid-2009.

There's even the possibility of a new tors have resisted moving toward open networks, C anada's wireless communications sector is a global laggard, and consumers are pay­ keeping many products tied to a single service national provider emerging to challenge the ex­ ing the price. Canadian mobile phone users provider.The government also allocates the wire­ isting triumvirate.

But while the spectrum auction is a step have long endured high prices, mediocre service, less spectrum unilaterally, and bans spectrum Contributors and restricted choices. They pay some of the trading between companies. As a result, Canada in the right direction, it's not the quantum leap \lison Bailey, Steve Beirness, Margot needed to improve Canada's wireless market. highest prices in the world for cellular services, is trapped in the wireless dark ages. lishop, Kyle Carpenter, Riva Gold, RJ Many potential bidders didn't pass the neces­ However, Canada's wireless situation is set but receive fewer standard features.

New tech­ Kelford, John Kelsey, Leanne Kilroy, sary regulatory hurdles—for example, foreign to improve, if only slightly.

The government auc­ nologies and products often enter the Canadian Kailan Leung, Alana Levine, Lukas companies couldn't bid independently—and the tioned off new wireless spectrum space this past market long after the American, European, and Samuelson, Arik Schwartz, Katie East Asian markets. Consumers are constrained summer, which should help open the market. It's initial list of about 30 interested companies was Stavro, Renee Sutton, Ryan Taylor, by long term contracts, which make it difficult to a small step, but it shows that policy makers have narrowed to a handful of new entrants. Without Eric Weiss, Trip Yang switch providers. Unsurprisingly, Canada has one the right idea. The federal government should more competition, consumers won't see dra­ of the lowest cell phone penetration rates in the be lauded for reserving 40 per cent of available matically reduced prices or improved service. developed world. There are just over 19 million spectrum for new companies entering the mar­ The $4.25 billion spent at the auction could also mobile subscribers in Canada, yielding a pen­ ket. Think of this as affirmative action for new cause a fee increase, as providers pass the cost on etration rate of approximately 57 per cent. The competitors. Because government policy has to subscribers.

Tribune Offices The government needs to adopt sensible United States has a penetration rate of around 84 reinforced the dominance of the big three for regulations that facilitate the entrance of new so long, new entrants need a leg up to be on a per cent, and the rates in many European nations Editorial competitors, ensure a fair and competitive mar­ level playing field.

The big three, bidding on the are even higher.

Shatner University Centre A lack of competition and poor government remaining 60 per cent of spectrum, paid dearly ket, and allow free spectrum trading. But the Suite 1 1 0 ,3 4 8 0 McTavish M ontreal, Q C H 3 A 1 X 9 policies have protected the status quo. The Cana­ to defend their turf: Rogers alone spent almost $1 most important step is to permit greater foreign T: 514 .3 9 8 .6 7 8 9 dian wireless industry is an oligopoly dominated billion. The auction raised a higher-than-expect- ownership. Small start-ups and regional compa­ E: info@ m cgilltribune.com by the three major national providers: Rogers, ed total of $4.25 billion and, most importantly, nies aren't serious rivals to Rogers,Telus and Bell.

Telus, and Bell. This triumvirate controls roughly gave new entrants Globalive Communications, True competition would come from providers Advertising 95 per cent of the wireless market as measured Shaw Communications, Data and Audio-Visual already established in the United States, Europe, Brown Student Building by revenue. The Canadian government restricts Enterprises Wireless, and Quebecor a foothold and elsewhere. Canadian policy makers have Suite 1 2 0 0 ,3 6 0 0 McTavish M ontreal, Q C H 3 A 1 Y 2 foreign ownership in the wireless industry, pro­ in the industry. Canadians may begin to see the started down the right path, but they need to T: 514398.6835 F: 514398.7490 tecting the big three from competition. Regula­ effects of (somewhat) increased competition by take that extra step. ■ Lhe McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Students' Society of McGill University in collaboration with the Tribune Publication Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the udents' Society or McGill University Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor's name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and ibmitted onlyto theTribune. Submissions judged bytheTribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobicor solely promotionahn nature will not be published. TheTribune reserves the right to éditai! contributions.

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

8 «The McGill Tribune* 21.10.08

Letters to the editor Omar Khadr and the working class I am from Vancouver and I'm glad that the students at McGill Univer­ sity are getting involved in the Omar Khadr case. This case is important for the working class in Canada. It shows that the government of Canada doesn't care about its own citizens. The unions should get involved in this case too. It will be up to the working class in Canada to get Omar Khadr back to Canada. This is a travesty of justice involving the Canadian govern­ ment.

—Stan Squires The madness never started Re: "Letters to the editor: Lest we forget last year's ruckus" (15.10.08) Dear Byron Tau, No I didn't [h e lp re m o v e 11,000 co p ie s o f th e Tribune fro m n e w s sta n d s la st y e a r- E d ]. Although it was a pretty reasonable thing to do.

—Fred Burrill, U3 history Y o u c a n d o b e t t e r . A p p ly t o o p in io n @ m c g i ll t r i b u n e .c o m .

/ ---------------------------

CORRECTION In last week's article "On­ tario government regulates fees," a new policy created by the Ontario Ministry ofTraining, Colleges, and Universities was described as affecting ancillary fees charged by all post-second­ ary institutions in Ontario.

In fact, the new policy applies only to ancillary fees charged by colleges, and not universities or other post-sec­ ondary institutions, in Ontario.

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tudent

L iving

1IND FU N K

When exams attack, panic and anxiety punch back R e c o g n iz in g a n d d e a lin g w it h a n x ie t y Katie S tavro

Too little sleep, too much caffeine, and countless ours of studying combine to form a stress-producg concoction. Acute attacks of stress can accumulate nd provoke bouts of panic, or panic attacks, which are ne form of anxiety disorder. Panic attacks are typically olated episodes that are short-lived, unpredictable, nd intense. They do not have defined triggers, but if panic attack occurs during a specific situation, that tuation may act as a cue for later attacks.

What is a panic attack?

Often, panic attacks begin with a feeling of sudden ar that is not readily associated with a specific stimuis. That feeling causes the adrenal gland to release a urge of adrenaline, which in turn evokes the fight or ght response—a natural physiological response of e sympathetic nervous system to threatening situaons. A panic attack represents an exaggeration of this sponse. Common symptoms generated by a panic atck include increased heart and respiration rates, dizness, difficulty breathing, nausea, hot flashes, chest ains, de-realization (feeling that the world is not real), ar of losing control, fear of dying, and numbness. Atacks can last anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour. the moment of an attack, not much can be done to mit it. Prescription medication is available, and deep reathing can help, but most treatment plans for panic iisorder focus on preventing future panic attacks.

Am I susceptible?

Individuals with family members who have beeniiagnosed with a panic disorder are more likely to xperience panic attacks, as they may have inherited

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Does this mean I have a disorder?

Panic attacks are one facet of a family of anxiety and panic disorders. For a patient to be clinically diag­ nosed, panic attacks must be chronic (occurring over a period of a least six months) and must negatively im­ pact the individual's personal, social, or occupational capacity. Experiencing panic attacks during stress­ ful times, such as exam periods, does not necessarily mean an individual will develop a disorder. It's time to see a doctor when occurrence of panic attacks, or fear of having them, begins to limit daily activity. While anx­ iety disorders are often treated with anti-depressants like selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors and benzo­ diazepines, which dampen brain activity (eg., Valium), treatment for panic attacks follows more therapeutic strategies for coping. Cognitive behaviour therapy, which works to change the individual's perspective on how to interpret their body's reaction, in combination with exposure therapy, has been shown to be just as effective as medication in treating anxiety disorders. ■ M cG ill S tu d e n t M e n ta l H ea lth S ervices, lo c a te d in th e B ro w n b u ild in g , is d e s ig n e d to h e lp stu d e n ts co p e w ith stre ss-re la te d sy m p to m s a n d o th e r p s y c h o lo g ic a l a ilm en ts. A p p o in tm e n ts ca n b e m a d e b y p h o n e o r in p e r­ so n , a n d stu d e n ts a re g e n e ra lly se e n w ith in tw o w eek s o f in itia l req u est. F o r m o re in fo rm a tio n , visit w w w .m c g ill. ca /m e n ta lh e a lth .

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certain genes that play a strong role in determining who will develop a panic disorder. However, a family history is not a prerequisite for panic attacks, they can also stem from exposure to life transitions, chronic stress, or large amounts of caffeine or drugs (particu­ larly marijuana). People who suffer from panic attacks may develop other disorders, like depression.

The University of Guelph offers over 75 online degree credit courses.

ie e

Engage in University of Guelph’s interactive, online degree credit courses this Winter.

Campus Calendar V-Day McGill's Annual Art Show When: Oct. 23.8 p.m.

Where: Brutopia (1215 Crescent St.) V-Day McGill is holding their annual art show, featuring works focusing on the themes of gender, the body, and sexuality. All pro­ ceeds from the show will go to carefully selected Montreal charities aiming to end gender-based violence.

Roots of Grass: An (Incomplete) History of Alternative Media in Quebec When: Oct. 24.6:30 p.m.

Where: Arts W-125 Speaker Anna Leventhal presents a public talk on the history of alternative media in Quebec. Sponsored by CKUT 90.3 FM and Media@McGill.

Dark of the Moon When: Oct. 23-25 8 p.m., Oct. 25 2 p.m.

Where: Players'Theatre, 3rd floor Shatner building Based on the ballad of "Barbara Allen,"this tale recounts the trag­ edy of doomed romance as a witch boy deals with powers of magic and fate to realize his love for the mortal Barbara.

Reserve tickets: call 514-398-6813 or email foh.players@gmail. com.

The Boys Upstairs: Projecting Change in the American Film Industry, 1926-1933 When: Oct. 28,530 p.m.

Where:Tanna Schulich Hall, Music Building The Mossman Endowment of McGill University presents the Eliz­ abeth B. McNab Lecture in the History of Science. RSVP by emailing rsvp.libraries@mcgill.ca, or call 514-398-4681 for more information.

Advertise your event for free in Campus Calendar.

Send the name, date, location, and other info to features@mcgilltribune.com with "event" in the subject line.

L E A D E R S H IP T R A IN IN G P R O G R A M L e a d e r s h ip S k ills D e v e lo p m e n t W o r k s h o p s

Leadership -M c G ill

If you are a student involved in campus activities as an executive, organizer or event Leadership Training Program planner, you qualify for First-Year Office the Leadership Training Program’s FREE Skills Development Workshops.

Develop and build your leadership skills. Attend a minimum of five workshops throughout 08/09 academic year and receive a certificate of completion.

This October & November, check out...

E v e n t P l a n n i n g a n d P r o m o t i o n s - M a k e it H a p p e n

R e g is t r a t io n Is E a s y . . .

Monday, October 27, 5:30-7:30pm

1. Identify the course you wish to take.

2. Obtain a Letter of Permission from your university 3. Send us your registration as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Red tape got you down? Learn the ins and outs of event planning at McGill. If you’re in a club or service planning on holding a fundraiser - make sure you’re there!

♦ Registration Deadline: December 19, 2008 ♦ Courses begin: January 5, 2009

B a l a n c i n g A c t o f S c h o o l , W o r k & S o c i a l L ife

For further information, contact Mickey Smart at: Tel: 519-824-4120x56050 Email: msmart@open.uoguelph.ca

Having a tough time juggling all of your different school, work and social commitments? Take steps towards a more balanced life by attending this practical workshop focusing on time management tips and strategies.

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E n r o ll to d a y / F o r a lis t o f u p c o m in g o n - c a m p u s c o u r s e s

www.o pe n

Tuesday, November 4, 5:30-7:30pm

Registration for workshops: In person, one week in advance, on a first-come, first-served basis, in the First-Year Office.

For more info, drop by the First-Year Office in the Brown Building, Suite 2100, or call 514-398-6913

F EATURES

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he question of which is superior—the left side of the brain, which deals with logic, or the right side, which deals with creativity—is a long-standing debate. However, contemporary artists working in all mediums have begun tossing the debate aside and mixing both logic and creativ­ ity—with astounding results.

Art was an avenue into science for Jane Baas, a Western Michigan University dance professor and member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. Dance has often been useful to physicists studying human motion and acceleration.

In dance science the art of dance inspires unique research in fields such as kinesiology and various areas of medicine, including orthopaedic surgery and physical therapy.

One incarnation of this is an IADMS five-year study with the goal of improving the way danc­ ers train. Since kinesiological norms drawn from the general population don't apply to dancers, the study has collected normative data from the danc­ ers themselves, which will create a pool of research that can be used to improve training.

"We're doing research in various areas of dance technique to find the best ways for dancers to train so that they can dance without injury or with less injury for a longer period of time,"says Baas.

Computer lessons: the 21st century's piano lessons.

Dressing up theatre costume design A similar collaboration between art and sci­ ence is happening right here in the McGill theatre community. For a long time, psychologists have been researching theatre performers and audiences to develop theories of cognition and perception.

Theatre technicians have employed the physics of light, sound, and gravity to expressive effect, and set designers have used computer programs such as AutoCAD to draft designs. But it was not until this August that costume designers began to move beyond traditional tape measure tailoring to incor­

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porate complex science in their work.

To bring costume design into the 21st century, McGill war manager and resident costume designer Catherine Bradley is oping a digital costume illustration system. The system, whicl Photoshop, will work with exact proportions of actors' bodic faces by rendering their photographs into digital mannequins transforming pre-existing drawings to fit the actors'proportion "Before, everything was hand-drawn," says Bradley. "Des tend to sketch long, thin bodies, but not everyone is the sarr and shape. Using the actor's photo as a base for a sketch solv< problem. It also standardizes sketches; it's hard to tell if directoi sketches that make the best costumes or the ones that are t drawn. A lot of the time you'll also have period influences des for a Victorian with a 19-inch corseted waist. The program show the dress from 1898 would fit the modern body."

The first results of the project will be worn at Moyse Hal vember run of The Im p o rta n c e o f B ein g E a rn e st; Bradley will pi the idea at several talks this year before taking it to the United dom next summer.

Science: the musician's magic wand Across campus at the music technology labs, music prof< contribute to engineering and kinesiology research in an aca< area that is rarely found outside of McGill. Combining electrici materials engineering, they work on developing programs si those that help listeners identify other music they might like by ing tunes similar to those they already listen to; an example c type of "music information retrieval system" is responsible forth nius button on your iTunes.

"I'm interested in using my knowledge to help people a make it easier for myself as a musician," says Gary Scavone, music nology area chair at the Schulich School of Music.

From J.S. Bach's symmetrical fugue patterns to Rolf Wallin': tal modern art-music or Radiohead's complex rhythms, scienc factored into music for a long time. But not until recently has th< of music technology started using it to produce what was previ impossible.

"After extracting parameters from natural sounds, we can rr them. These [sounds] could be used by composers for sound d< such as in the movie industry, or for video games," says prof Philippe Depalle of McGill's music technology area.

Physics equations and mathematical algorithms can be plu into computers to create or recreate sounds normally unava to musicians, such as the sound that might come from giant t

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Artist-mathematicians and mathematician-artists The two-way street between visual art and science

The age-old practice of doodling in math textbook margins is one form of art.

But for some artists, the textbook material itself can be transformed into art.

Despite the perceived gulf between the two subjects, artists seem to turn to mathematics for inspiration, while some mathematicians turn to art; M.C. Escher was substandard as a math "George Escher, M.C. Escher’s student but was later inspired by geometric son ... bought a piece from me one Islamic art to create the mind-boggling time," says Termes. "He said to me: 'My father visual math-puzzles he is known for. was a mathematician-artist. You're an artist Dick Termes has no background mathematician.' My background is in art. Math, in mathematics, but experiments research to try and do my art better." with high-level geometry and sixConversely, former Microsoft employee Michai point perspective to create his Schultheis's background in science and economic termespheres, globes that display inspired his painting process. Schultheis works witl interiors on their exteriors. acrylics and graphite on wood for Winston Wachte Fine Arts, layering over equations such as Galileo' derivative Cyclades, or C=d-n, with paint, sketching shapes, and other mathematical formulas. His layert artwork is inspired by the cluttered white boards his board room days.

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A rts & E ntertainment books

A press of one's own for local writers A lt e r n a t iv e p u b lis h e r s s h o w c a s e p o e t ic a n d lite ra ry in n o v a t o r s C arolyn G régoire Toronto-based publishing house Coach House Books joined forces with up-and-coming Montreal press Snare Books on October 19 for their joint fall 2008 book launch, a self-described "ultimate mash-up of literary presses," at Green Room bar on St. Laurent.The two small literary press­ es focus primarily on poetry, but feature several novels in their fall lineups as well.

Montreal literati enjoyed pints as eight Canadian writers took the stage to read brief selections of their newly-published works, which ranged from dark poetry to an account of a 14-year-old discovering spirituality for the first time.

Hosted by Snare editor Jon Paul Fiorentino, the event featured readings by Mi­ chael Blouin, Kyle Buckley, Margaret Christakos, Jeramy Dodds, Geoffrey Hlibchuk,

ups of authors w e 've d o n e in a w h ile ... I th in k it'll be really

film w o rk, b u t this is his first a tte m p t at a novel ..

good,"says M u nday.

C o m in g u p for C oach H ouse is th e pu blication o f a b o o k by G u y M a d d in on his critically acclaim ed p s e u d o ­ d o c u m e n ta ry a b o u t his h o m e to w n , M y W in n ip e g . T h e press

peop le are really g o in g to like it,"says M unda y.

is also loo king to increase th eir profile in th e U n ite d States, b y distrib u tin g m ore books south of th e border.

Th is season's collection features tw o novelists and three poets. " T h e books w e d o are a bit stranger th an the

M ike H o o lb o o m , Pasha M alla, and Mike Spry, w ith m usic b y Billy Fong Parade.

"We've been doing our fall book launch with Snare books for three years now. We get a lot of people o u t... It's usu­ ally a successful night," says Evan Munday, publicist for Coach House Books.

Coach House Press, a well-established independent publishing company located on the University of Toronto campus, has been printing fiction and poetry since 1965. Each year they hold a spring book launch in Toronto and a fall launch with Snare Books in Montreal. "[The company] has been well-known for a long time for doing poetry.They pub­ lished the first poetry books from Michael Ondaatje in the 60s ... It was around 2000 that they started getting known for doing more fiction," says Munday.

With a growing national reputation, Coach House was recently awarded the Ontario Premier's Award for Excel­ lence in the Arts. According to Munday, the company was amazed to win because they were up against renowned film and jazz festivals. "We didn't expect to win at all but when we did it was amazing. We were very excited," he says.

think

Montreal's Snare Books is also offering an exciting group of poets. Operating under the slogan, "Snare books endeavours to provide a space for the innovator," the press was founded in 2006 by John Paul Fiorentino and Robert Allen as the result of a discussion about the state of literary arts in Canada. That same year, Snare Books owner and op­ erator Fiorentino published with Coach House T he T h e o ry o f th e L o se r C la ss, his poetry collection celebrating and exploring the socio­ cultural status of the nerd.

Snare's repertoire focusses pri­ marily on the poetry of emerging Canadian writers, but also features the occasional experimental novel or short story collection.

Newfoundland native Pasha Malla read from her collection, A ll O u r G ra n d fa th e rs a re G h o sts, a book of humorous poetry about searching for order amidst total moral collapse and chaos. Mike Spry, also a poet with Snare Books, read from J a c k , a book of poems which depicts a dark urban landscape, and the people who find themselves lost in it.

T o ro n to w rite r Kyle Buckley read from his e x te nde d poetic narrative.

Th e L a u n d ro m a t E ssa y , a c o n v o lu t­ ed and absurdist a ccou nt o f a m an (w h o se o w n na m e he has fo rg o tte n ) w h o tries to g o to th e la u n d ro m a t across th e street from his a p a rtm e n t b u t is held back b y th e c h a n g in g ar­ chitecture o f his a p a rtm e n t a nd the city, as w ell as his o w n m em ories.

GRAPHIC BY NIKI HYDE

typical bookstores ... A lot of th e p e o ple w h o are interested

Recently, Coach H ouse has shifted its focus from p o ­

seek us out," M u n d a y says.

N otab le first-tim e writers for C oach H ouse inclu d e CBC Literary A w a rd -w in n in g p oet Je re m y D od ds, w h o read a pow e rfu l yet h u m o ro u s selection from his w h im sical d e b u t collection, C ra b w ise to th e H o u n d s. T h e press also boasts an exciting d e b u t from M ichael H o o lb o o m w ith his novel, The

etry to prose. "In th e past co u p le years, ou r fiction has really been taking off ... W e have a really strong collection this fall. Both th e spring a nd th e fall are som e o f th e better line­

S te v e M a ch in e . "[It's] th e first novel by a film m aker w h o does a lot of fring e film ... He's really w e ll-k n o w n intern atio nally for his

Of his poems, Buckley says, "They're fragments and shards of some kind of efforts to write poetry ... I was really in­ trigued with the idea of what it means to carry on in your life with kind of failed efforts of writing something. It's about the process of living while trying to write."

In a literary world dominated by big publishers and sellers like Random House, Chapters, and Barnes & Noble, small presses like Coach House and Snare Books offer tal­ ented but lesser-known writers and poets a press of their own.

"Small presses are the houses of the most exciting and innovative writers of our day," says Buckley. ■

POP RHETORIC

Concert etiquette 101 T

here is n oth ing I love m ore than live music: the show

a nn o u n ce m e n t, paying those outrageous process­ ing fees, the m onth s of anticipation, w aiting in line at the venue, perusing the m erchandise table, the house music d im m in g before the headliners— it's abo ut as close as I get to a religious experience. But w ith o u t fail, if m y e vening falls short of perfection, it is b y the hand of the concert buffoon: you know , that g u y w h o thinks the band is playing a personal sh ow for him and thus w e can rightfully act in any fashion, no m atter h o w obscene or ann oying. Buffoons take note: concerts can be m ore fun for e veryone if a few sim ple guidelines are follow ed.

First of all, crow d surfing is never appropriate— ever.

C ro w d surfing is perhaps the single m ost selfish act that one can perform at a concert. You hit people in the head, land on their necks, and m ake th em eat shoe all in the nam e o f "fun." Does a nyone ever consider that th e act itself consists o f essentially being m anh andled b y h u n ­

dreds of greasy hands that may or may not find their way into your pocket? Listen carefully: crowd surfing does not make you cool—it makes you obnoxious.

Second, be sure to keep your shirt on. There is noth­ ing worse than having the sweaty, potentially hairy skin of a total stranger invade your personal space, not to mention the fact that those who have their shirts off probably shouldn't. You came dressed for a reason; keep it that way.

Third, moshpits should be away from the stage. You paid good money like everyone, and if all you want to do is run into people, that's fine. Power to you. But please, don't detract from the experience of people who actually want to w a tch the show. Though a designated "pit area" is a far-off idea and a tad ridiculous, try to destroy other people at a reasonable location. Chances are, if someone is at the front, they want a close-up view, and if at the back, a view of the entire stage. "Pitters" take note: throw

R yan T aylor

d o w n on the neutral g ro u n d in betw e e n. By the same token, if som eon e falls, pick him or her up. Pits can be scary places w ith b o th y o u r feet on the g ro u n d , so im a g ­ ine if you're ass over ankles. You kn o w that w h o le "treat others the w a y you w a n t to be treated" idea? W ou ld you w ant to be tra m pled? I didn't think so. It's just c o m m o n courtesy.

Finally, respect the o p e n in g bands. So th e y m ig h t suck. It happens. But h urling verbal insults or projectiles at th e m isn't g o in g to ch a nge anything. R em e m b er that everyone started som ew here , y o u r favourite band in­ cluded. G o grab a beer and talk w ith y o u r friend— the set w o n 't be that long anyw ay. A n d w h o knows, you m ig h t even e n jo y it.

Th e bo tto m line is that con cert etiquette is just as m u ch a b o u t the consideration of others as yo u r o w n e n ­ jo ym e n t. N o w g o forth, be a role m odel to yo u r fellow concert-goers, and rock h a rd .*

14 • Arts & Entertainment • 22.10.08

The McGill Tribune

DANCE

C O U L D BE

D a n c in g in th e m o o n lig h t G r a n d s B a lle ts d e a ls a w in n in g h a n d w it h R u s s ia n c la s s ic T h e

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ar olyn

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Q u e e n

r é g o ir e

Stunning visual effects, such as the illusion of two dancers floating through a cloudy, moonlit night sky as they leap and twirl across the stage, are just one example of the many modern and innovative twists inThe Grands Ballets Canadiens of Montreal's fall 2008 production of the classic Russian love story The Q ueen o f Sp a d es.

Based on Alexander Pushkin's 1833 novella and the subsequent opera

by Tchaikovsky, Gabriel Thibaudeau's reworking of the tale is performed as a full-length story ballet and is one of the company's most ambitious undertakings to date. Artistic director Gradimir Pankov went all-out with elaborate costumes and staging that make the ballet a visual and auditory feast for its audience. The music excels every bit as much as the stage work; the Grands Ballets Orchestra, under Conductor Allen Louis, beautifully A ll th e czar's m e n . executes Tchaikovsky's lyrical and moving score.

T he Q u een o f S p a d e s tells the tale of Hermann, a Russian army officer who gives in to the temptation to gamble, and becomes obsessed with learning an old countess' "secret of three cards," which he believes will allow him to win card games and gain social status. In order to get closer to the countess, he seduces her ward, Lisa, but one night he inadvertently causes the countess'death. Hermann rejects Lisa's love after he sees the three cards in a vision, and heads straight to the gambling table.

But when the last ace turns into a queen of spades, Hermann loses his entire fortune and descends into m adness.The dark love

GOOD

o f S p a d e s

story combines themes of fate, chance, and social climbing in an engaging live performance.

Originally choreographed in 2001 by Danish filmmaker and choreographer Kim Brandstrup, the classsic ballet is performed this year by a talented group of dancers. Brandstrup's colourful and imaginative choreography also creates a new spin on the nineteenth century tale. Complementing the dancers are the production's inventive virtual sets, which lend the classical music and pointed work a distinctly modern feel.

The artistry of the beautiful and elaborate period costumes and sets are another highlight of the ballet, allowing the story to seamlessly juxtapose the czar's lavish St. Petersburg courts with Stalinist military barracks and burlesque bars.

Despite several lapses in synchronization, the dancing is spectacular, particularly in a series ROLAND LORENTE of pas de deux between Lisa and Hermann. The audience will find it difficult to tear their eyes away from principal dancer Rachel Rufer, who delivers an impressive performance in the role of Lisa.

Very accessible for audience members unfamiliar with the ballet, the evening show runs just under two hours and the storyline is easy to follow. With the aesthetic appeal of its staging, costumes, and choreography. The Q u een o f S p a d e s is a highlight of the Grands Ballets'fall 2008 repertoire and a production that can be enjoyed by ballet aficionados and newcomers alike. ■ The Queen of Spades p la y s e v e n in g p e rfo rm a n ce s a t P la ce des A rts ' T h ea tre M a iso n n e u v e u n til N o ve m b e r t.

- GREAT----------

P LAfë BEST WORK workplaces

IV iï.'Iï 2 0 0 8

O c to b e r 2 i - 26

Tuesday: Theatre. The Importance of Being Earnest. Hydro-Quebec Studio of Monument-Na­ tional. Oscar Wilde's classic satire of Victorian social hypocrisy is being put on by The National Theatre School of Canada. See Canada's next batch of tal­ ented young actors. Only nine bucks. Runs until Oc­ tober 25.

Wednesday: Theatre. Departures and Arrivals.

Tuesday Night Café theatre (first floor Islamic stud­ ies building, beside Leacock). TNC opens their sea­ son with a theatrical adaptation of Canadian lit icon Carol Shields' novel, set entirely in airport terminals.

Friday: Music. Duffy. Metropolis. When Amy Winehouse transformed from the UK's favourite soul-pop singer to a walking overdose, Duffy was ready with the same shocking vocals but in a blonde, tattoo-free package. Eli Paperboy Reed opens.

Saturday: Music. Urban Preacher. Clyde's (286 Lakeshore, Pte. Claire). Funky saxophone and piano tunes lend a jazzy feel to this rock band. With a line­ up including recent McGill grads, this bluesy-rock band makes you wonder why more bands don't in­ clude a sax.

Sunday: Film. The Animation Show 4. Cin­ ema du Parc. A showcase of independent animated short films, selected by Mike Judge of "Beavis and Butthead''and O ffice S p a c e fame, plays until October 30. Funny, artistic, and often dirty, this collection will remind you that Pixar isn't the only one who can do smart animation.

C D R e v ie w s I Set My Friends on Fire. You C a n 't S p e ll S la u g h te r W ith o u t La u g h ter. I Set My Friends on Fire is one of those bands that managed to escape from MySpace obscurity by riding on the coattails of some of-themoment song. In the case of ISMFOF, that song was their coarse, screamo cover of Soulja Boy's "Crank That," which received more than a million plays on their site. Unfortunately, there is very little alteration to the obnoxious beat of the original "Crank That," and the song is simply covered in hoarse screams that make the listener want to send the band some throat lozenges.

The Miami duo's debut album, You C a n ’t S p e ll S la u g h te r W ith o ut La u g h ter, lacks any cohesive flavour and switches genres without consis­ tency, making every song feel like it's divided into four sections. The song "Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beerholder" perfectly captures the contradic­ tions of the band. The song evokes fast-paced screamo à la Alexisonfire, then transfers to the soft pop punk vocals of a band that would open for Blink 182. The track wraps up with the hoarse, incomprehensible death metal screams which channel thrash metal group Gwar.

You C a n 't S p e ll S la u g h te r is not an enjoyable listen. However, you have to give them props for interesting song titles like "Reese's Pieces, I Don't Know Who John Cleese ls?"and"ThingsThat Rhyme With Orange/'ISMFOF try to do too much on this first effort, and should limit their future aims in order to connect to their listeners.

- M a r g o t B ish o p

o u r Facebook page.

=il Ernst &Young Q u a lity In E v e r y t h in g W e D o

Rise Against. A p p e a l to R ea so n . Chicago natives Rise Against are back with their fifth album, A p ­ p e a l to R ea so n . Jumping off with the track "Collapse (Post-Amerika)," a hard rocking yet preachy song about climate change, the album becomes just an­ other indie rock album rife with a political agenda While it's fine for a band to want to get a message across, A p p e a l to R ea so n leans towards overkill. The album's sound is reminiscent of The S u ffe re r a n d The W itness, which is a letdown for fans who yearn for the raw punk-based hard rock of Rise Against's earlier albums. Instead, the new Rise Against has a more watered-down, Top-40 rock sound (not surprisingly, the new album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200). However, A p p e a l to R ea so n does have a silver lining. Tracks to listen for are the album's first single, "Re-Education (Through Labor)," and especially "Kotov Syndrome," which bears most resemblance to the old Rise Against repertoire. While it displays both merits and flaws, A p p e a l to R ea so n will disappoint fans who have followed the band for longer than their last two albums.

- Kyle C a rp en ter

21.10.08 «The McGill Tribune • 11

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ART INSPIRED BY MATH AND SCIENCE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP-RIGHT: ARTIST MICHAEL SCHULTHEIS'S"RIDDLE IN GOLD 01,02," PHOTO BY FRANK HUSTER; ARTIST

T H E

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A G A IN S T

C U L T U R A L

L O B O T O M

DICKTERMES'S"LOOKING FOR THE ORDER",

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ARTIST GEORGE W. HART'S "EGGHEADS."

Winterscraftfractals,DJsplaycomputers. Inoilfieldsofart,artistsand thosewho work with them areincorporating cienceand contributing toscientificinnovation.As creativevisions(andcreativetechnologies)change, artistsare ncreasinglyditching theleft-brainversusright-brainsupremacy debate togeton with theart. e-long clarinets. You can even play the computer itself as an innent; Wanderley works on instruments he likens to Wii controlwhich are fashioned out of conductive paper as pressure sensors applicable to any other object. Anyone can make music; anything oecome a musical instrument.

"With computers, there's no more relation between the device the sound you get," says Marcelo Wanderley, an associate profesn music technology at the Shulich School of Music. "You can play ;e cups... This could make instruments more economical, easier ay, or [into] something complex or strange."

Wanderley also supervises kinesiology research by "analyzing ements of players ... to identify injury-prone behaviours." Scavstudies vocal tracts in motion to tailor instrument mouthpieces iptimal response, reducing strain for musicians.

For scientists like Wanderley, developing scientific innovations in 3rts is an especially rewarding application of their training.

"The fun part of engineering for me is to use these theories and oply them to something that I can touch, I can manage, I can cresays Wanderley. "It's too abstract to talk about transmission of sigin space or microwaves. It's similar theory, but it's not palpable."

Luke, I am your stunt double Movie magic is also dependent on physics, mathematics, and iputer technology. The film industry uses physics equations to te graphic special effects such as stunt doubles, mythical char:rs, and dangerous or rare occurrences like explosions, collisions, storms.

It used to be that every wrinkle in a cartoon character's shirt ded to be drawn frame by frame. Now technology, developed 3ixar after 1995's Toy S to ry , inputs partial differential equation tions into the computer animation programs to predict how ain properties will move and react according to the ; of physics. Measurements and the resulting ations can also predict how wood, rock, and other common materials would re or break in different situations.

For animated characters in live-ac films, the amount and degree of nination that is hitting the area >re the character will later be ed is measured at the time of oting. The measurements are i plugged into physics algorithms predict how light bounces off of

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objects in the scene. The same predictions can tell editors how to cast realistic shadows for animated characters after they are incorporated into the live-action footage.

Polarization schmolarization Many artists believe that this type of integration between the arts and sciences is crucial to creativity.

"My work in science directly influences my work in dance," says IADMS executive director Steven Chatfield,"and it goes the other way around: my choreography and teaching helps me in my research, it helps me see what is important to study."

Similarly, computer science professor and sculptor George Hart of Stony Brook University believes his scientific background inspires his artwork.

"My academic work at Stony Brook University involves designing and studying algorithms for three-dimensional design. This overlaps strongly with my artwork, because I can design algorithms which help me create, visualize, and physically produce new sculptural forms," Hart says.

Cross-pollination between dif­ ferent fields has been largely responsible for innovation and creativity in everything from politics to literature.

Despite the current polar­ ization between the sciences and the arts in schools, job descriptions, and media, art and math benefit from each other when they are combined.

"In our system of education today, there is an over-emphasis on the separation between right and left-brained activity," says computer-scientist-turned-paint­ er Michael Schultheis. "But art and; math—they're not contradictory and can greatly benefit each other. The ancient Greeks had it right: we have the capacity to develop all our fac­ ulties. We are not walking lobotomies."*

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Working together Artists who do not consciously f*m * incorporate science into their work cannot completely avoid its presence; geometry, patterns, symmetry, and the golden ratio are important elements of artists' work. Cubists, such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, explored quantum "While working at Microsoft, my teams would come physics and relativity without any academic o my office and we would fill white boards with our discusknowledge of the subjects. Metal sculptors îs. I often took photographs of the white boards to capture such as ChuckGinnever have no engineering t we talked about... Now, instead of erasing the contents of background but employ computer ite board, I rub out the paint on the canvas before applying systems to enable creative play with ideas 1er layer," says Schultheis. before construction. Art can also inspire Math and physics graduates turned wood sculptors and archi- innovation; painter Georges-Pierre Seurat Jane and John Kostick first started woodworking in order to experimented with optical techniques and er visualize their homework. proto-pixilation, which in turn contributed "In any multivariable calculus book you can look at to modern printing techniques and iwings of shapes such as paraboloids or ellipsoids, colour television. ut it's one thing to look at a diagram and another to see and touch the physical version of it," says Jane.

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Today, many organizations such as the International Society of the Arts, Mathematics, and Architecture actively foster this convergence between mathematics and the visual arts. The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics is one such organization and hosts an artist-in-residence: algorithmic artist Jean-Pierre Hébert. A leader in his field since the 70s, Hébert creates "visual synonym[s] for scientific equations" by working with physicists on patterns and singularities, black holes, waves, symmetries, and the process of RNA folding. He helps physicists discover and understand new shapes, processes, maths, and algorithms through visualization, while KITP's funding promotes art through talks, exhibits, and grants.

Hérbert's work contributes to that of physicists and other artists.

From Piero della Francesca to Leonardo da Vinci, the visual arts have been unique in producing some of the most important figures in both arts and sciences. Contrary to popular belief, J k the link between the two disciplines can be instinctive and ^ fruitful.*

Student L iving

travel

Nature meets Vegas in Niagara, Ontario

H a v e a r e a l-liv e N ia g a r a F a lls e x p e r ie n c e , n o b a r r e l r id e r e q u ir e d M eghna M arjadi Home of the famous Niagara Falls, Niagara, Ontario is an extremely popular tourist destination that tops many 'places to visit before you die' lists. While the biggest waterfalls in the world are a sight to behold, after you've gawked at the 50-metre wall of water from every angle and enjoyed the evening light display, it's time for the Las Vegas-like attrac­ tions of the tourist town, including indoor sky diving, heli­ copter rides, an indoor water park, shopping, and, of course, casinos.

If you're loaded: Book a hotel room with a view of the falls; most of these luxury hotels are located in the Falls Ave­ nue entertainment complex. The Crown Plaza hotel features dining with a view of the falls and Victorian-style rooms as well as an indoor walkway to the Falls Avenue indoor water park. The Fallsview Plaza hotel boasts a complete fitness cen­ tre, including an indoor swimming pool with a fake waterfall; their indoor walkway will take you to the Fallsview Casino. If the tourist complex is too busy for you, try hotels a little bit outside the area. For a truly extravagant stay, book 'The Ex­ perience'package at the newly-opened Sterling Inn and Spa. A limo will pick you up, offer you chilled sparkling wine, and whisk you away to your hotel room where chocolate-covered strawberries and flowers will be waiting. Once there, you can

enjoy breakfast in bed and a five-course dinner with wine.

When you go to see the falls, join the likes of Elton John and Mary Tyler Moore by taking a 12-minute helicopter ride over the falls. Niagara Helicopters sets up riders with com­ mentary in one of 12 different languages during the excur­ sion. The helicopters fly from 9 a.m. to sunset. Once you’ve taken the tour, fly over to one of the area's vineyards. Book a 'Picnic at the Vineyard'at the Henry of Pelham Family Estate and enjoy a bottle of wine, picnic meal, vineyard tour, and souvenir cork screw.

view from—surprise!—behind the falls. An elevator allows tourists to descend 150 feet, where they can walk through tunnels to observation decks. For a cheap dinner with a great view, plan a picnic at the park next to the falls to watch the evening light show.The falls are illuminated in beautiful color combinations and better yet, it's free! ■

If you're frugal: Save money by opting to stay on the American side of the falls in Niagara Falls, New York, where there are more economy hotels available than in Niagara, Ontario. Unfortunately, there are barely any restaurants on the American side and even fewer attractions, so you will have to cross the border during the day. Make sure to ask the hotel if they are located walking distance from the falls so that you can cross the border on foot rather than by car.

While the most cost-effective and exhilarating way to fully enjoy the falls is to jump in a barrel and take your chanc­ es riding down, there are other ways to see the falls from every possible angle without risking life and limb. The Maid of the Mist steamship offers rides for $14.50 and lets custom­ ers see the falls up close. Journey Behind the Falls offers a

MISCELLANEOUS

WIKIVISUAL.COM

FOOD GURU

soup The fate of blue bins Recession F illin g f o o d fo r t h o s e w it h R e c y c lin g in fo , s a n s B ig B ird S ean W ood For those whose knowledge of re­ cycling is limited to what you learned on Sesame Street at age five, here's a more advanced explanation of what happens when you put things in the blue bin.

On campus, McGill Building Services empties the bins and passes the contents on to a subcontractor called Colfel (if you live near McGill, they likely pick up your re­ cycling as well). Colfel transports the con­ tents of the bins to St. Michel, a 192-hectare"eco-centre" where most of Montreal's recyclables end up.

"Sixty-two per cent of the recycling [in] Montreal goes to this centre," says Valerie DeGagné, a communications of­ ficer at St. Michel.

St. Michel houses a sorting facility, where workers separate plastic, paper, and glass so that the goods can be resold to pri­ vate companies. The eco-centre must sort the recyclables because companies are interested in certain types of material—a company producing paper has no need for plastic or glass. However, in order to be sorted properly, recycling needs to be clean. Greasy pizza boxes and dirty coffee cups cannot be sorted at recycling plants because they put the workers in danger of disease. They can also contaminate other recyclables and reduce the marketability of recycled products. If sorters find dirty items in a bin, they will usually throw away all the contents of that container.

"Contamination rates are still very high,"says Nadya Wilkinson, Student Soci­ ety vice-president university affairs. "That's still one of the main problems [with recy­ cling]."

Private companies remake the re­ cyclages into usable, sellable goods. For example, this very newspaper is printed on recycled paper. Newspapers and card­

e m p ty p o ck ets L eanne K ilroy

board are recycled directly;that is, recycled newspaper is made into more newspaper.

To make office-quality recycled paper, the plant bleaches old paper before process­ ing it.

Recycled plastic, metal, and glass are melted before being resold. Like newspa­ per and cardboard, glass can be recycled directly. However, manufacturers often don't recycle glass because making new glass is inexpensive.

In addition to collecting recyclables, St. Michel houses a compost facility that oversees the decomposition of organic waste into humus, a rich fertilizer.

Recycling and composting help re­ duce the burden on landfills and provide a source of revenue for the city. For these reasons, Montreal is a relatively recyclingfriendly city.

"In Montreal, you can recycle basical­ ly everything except number six plastic," says Maggie Knight, a SSMU environment commissioner.

Number six plastic, or polystyrene, includes all styrofoam, take-out contain­ ers, and disposable cutlery. Other than those items, Montreal will recycle nearly everything made of plastic, even shower curtains and toys.

Montreal's recycling operation is con­ siderably more extensive than those of other major cities. In New York City and Los Angeles, for instance, you can only recycle plastics number one and number two. That means that residents cannot re­ cycle plastic bags or any food containers.

Additionally, the McGill Waste Manage­ ment Program handles the recycling of batteries, cell phones, refrigerators, and computers— items which are still recycla­ ble but require special treatment. ■

If you thought you were a poor starving student b e fo re this month's economic tur­ moil, by now you're probably trying to sneak into enough wine and cheeses to get yourself through to November. But don't fret—this rec­ ipe is cheap and warming, so you don't have to spend too much on heat. It may seem way too simple to be good, but trust me, it's delicious.

And with a can of chickpeas going for $1.19, it definitely won't break the bank.

1.

2.

3.

• • • • •

Ingredients 2 cups chickpeas (1 big can, drained and rinsed, is fine) 1chicken or vegetable bullion cube (or 3-4 cups mild broth) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 6 oz. long, flat pasta (such as pappardelle or broken up lasagna noodles) rosemary twig (optional; you can use any herb)

4.

Directions Boil heavily salted water for the pasta and cook until al dente (1-2 minutes less than it says on the package). Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring about five cups of water, the chickpeas, and the bullion cube (add the rosemary if you're using it) to a low boil.Take out about 1/3 cup chickpeas with some of the broth, mash it up with a fork, and add it back to the pot.

Heat the olive oil and remaining rosemary in a pan. Fry 1/3 of the cooked noodles in hot oil about five minutes, or until crispy.

Meanwhile, add remaining noodles to the pot with the chickpeas. Add salt and pep­ per to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls, top with fried noo­ dles and oil, and serve (with grated cheese if you can afford it).

Yields; four servings Estimated price per serving: $0.62 ■

LEANNE KILROY

22.10.08 «The McGill Tribune* 15

www.mcgilltribune.com

THEATRE

White trash and witchcraft at Players' Theatre Song o f th e South js brought to life b y talented student a c to rs who played Uncle Smelicue Jed, a hilarious old redneck. The hoe-down and general store scenes were when the directing With Halloween looming, Players'Theatre is putting on and cast chemistry hit its peak.

On a more serious level, this setting allowed for a criti­ a gothic, supernatural love story to get you ready for the sea­ son. D a rk o f th e M o o n , written by Howard Richardson and cal look at the intense Christianity and power of the church William Bemey, tells the story of a witch boy named John within the town. A controversial play in this regard, one town (played by Julian Robert Silverman) who falls in love with a in Texas tried to have the production banned for its nega­ human girl named Barbara Allen (Emily Elizabeth Goodman) tive portrayal of the overbearing, all-powerful place of the church in parts of and has himself turned the southern United into a human so that States. Tom Sullivan they can be together. As does an incredible can be expected from job as the charismat­ a small, super-religious ic Preacher Haggler. town in North Caro­ His accent never lina such as the one in wavers, and his im­ which the play is set, the pression of those townspeople don't look loud, over-zeal­ too kindly upon a witch ous, motivational, in their midst. This play fire-and-brimstone strives to portray the preachers we've all trials of an especially watched on televi­ rough first year of mar­ sion is dead-on, and riage. best portrayed in Directed by Zak the wedding scene.

Rose, who also man­ This sort of so­ aged last year's hilari­ cial commentary ous B e y o n d T h era p y, the (and in-bred mock­ play gains its strength Nobody wears flannel shirts in this town but me!

ADAMSCOTTI ery) makes the play from its great student enjoyable, and at times makes you wish there was no need actors, but it struggles to find its voice. The mood bounces unsettlingly from comedy to horror to awkward romance. for the supernatural witch boy love story. With his shaggy The production garners much of its enjoyment from the hu­ hair and puppy-dog eyes, Silverman seems to have been morous hick setting of the play, allowing the actors to put on cast for the role of John by a 14-year-old girl who loves T w i­ exaggerated Southern accents and play the occasional slack- lig h t. He does well as the pensive, tormented witch boy, but jawed yokel, much to the crowd's amusement. The crowd the chemistry between him and Goodman just isn't there, at favourite in this regard was Spencer Alexander Malthouse, times making them seem awkward.

L aura T indal

The set was even sparser than usual for a Players' pro­ duction, and the addition of a few props would have helped.

Overall, the strength of the actors made up for these minor pitfalls. The supporting characters provided some of the best flavour and amusement in the play. Grace Glowicki as Edna and Francesca Anderson as Miss Metcalf were both well-per­ formed side characters whose stories were just as intriguing as that of the witch boy's transformation. Inspired by Appa­ lachian folk ballads, the melodies of the hauntingly beautiful songs linger long after viewing.

D a rk o f th e M o o n is definitely worth a look to see some well-done student acting. Or at the very least, the play's dark, mystical ambiance will get you in the mood for Halloween.

Dark of the Moon p la y s a t P la yers' Th ea tre (3rd flo o r Sh atn er) O c to b e r 23 to 25 a t 8 p .m ., a n d o n O ct. 25 a t 2 p .m . S tu d e n t a d m issio n is $6.

Wait, so the witch boy's not Harry Potter?

ADAMSCOTTI

MUSIC

Bad at flirting, but good where it counts

Bad Flirt's lead singer talks about the new album and her love of bad 90s sitcoms K yle C arpenter

Indie rock band Bad Flirt has just released their new album. Virgin Talk. Originally the solo project of singer/guitarist Jasmine White-Gluz, Bad Flirt has expanded their ho­ rizons to include a full band, a hectic tour schedule, and a strong fan base.

Although the band members hail from Montreal, they've been getting an even warmer reception south of the border. "We're better received in America," says WhiteGluz. "We spend a lot of time on tour, so I would say we're about as involved with the Montreal scene as we are the Austin, Texas scene."

Bad Flirt has been featured alongside big acts and has played at even bigger festivals. "One of the most exciting gigs that we've had recently was that we played the Virgin Fest in Toronto," says White-Gluz. "The headliners were the Foo Fighters ... Bloc Party played, MGMT, so it was cool to play alongside all those bands."

Virgin Talk was released on October 14 as the product of an unusual source of inspiration. While many albums are motivated by themes of love, politics, and death, Virgin Talk was inspired by a 90s family sitcom."We wanted the album to have a theme," says White-Gluz. "We were all kind of ob­ sessed with this late-6os, early-zos sort of vibe, and this par­ ticular show really encapsulated innocence and youth ...

So we based a whole record on that, and had every song as an episode from that show."

An interesting concept, although the band is not one to reveal their sources. "I'm not at liberty to say the show, but if you listen to the album you can figure it out. It's not "Full House"though, I can tell you that."

The band settled into Montreal studio HotebTango to

record Virgin Talk. The studio is no stranger to fame, with clientele that includes Arcade Fire, The Museum Pieces, and Wolf Parade. "We wrote a lot of the record on the spot there," says White-Gluz. "Just the entire experience of being at HotebTango totally helped." Clearly, there's a certain something that gives HotebTango its Midas touch. "They have a lot of vintage gear that we got to use ... A lot of in­ struments that because they were lying around the studio, we were like'Oh OK, let's use this organ on the song, or let's do this there.'"

Armed with an arsenal of musical instruments, Virgin Talk is both polished and complex, and takes Bad Flirt's sound to a new level. The new album is a tidy-bundle of indie pop rock, featuring addictive guitar riffs and the re­ freshingly refined vocals of White-Gluz. There is a balance between songs that lean toward dance-punk, like the standout track, "Hiroshima, Mon Frère," and those like the piano-based song, "Homecoming," that showcase Virgin Talk's softer side. In between these opposite ends of the spectrum, there lies an assemblage of first-rate indie rock, from the cheery track "Mad, Mad, Madeleine World" to the Strokes-y tune "Heart of Darkness." Virgin Talk has no short­ age of songs that you'll be playing over and over again.

So what's next for Bad Flirt? "We are coming back to do our launch in Montreal at Sala Rossa, and then we head out again. We're doing Halifax Pop Explosion and then doing another U.S. tour right after that." Come out and see them while you can, because after hearing Virgin Talk, you'll be sitting around watching 90s sitcoms, waiting for them to come back.* Bad Flirt's la u n c h

o f Virgin Talk w ill ta k e p la c e o n O c to b e r

21 a t 8 p .m . a t L a S a la R o ssa (48 4 8 St. La u ren t).

Sports BASEBALL—CIBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

McGill takes flight at National Championship

Y o u n g R e d b ir d s ' m ir a c le m a r a t h o n S u n d a y e n d s in h e a r t b r e a k in g lo ss J acob K anter As dawn broke on Sunday morning, the odds were stacked high against the McGill Redbirds making it to sunset.

After splitting two games on Saturday, the Redbirds had to win three games in eight hours to capture the program's second National Championship in three years—an already daunting task that seemed even more impossible considering that eight of the team's 20 players were freshmen. The youthful squad fell just short of the finish line on their marathon day, as the Red­ birds lost to the University of New Brunswick Cougars 5-3 in the final of the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association National Championship Tournament.

The Redbirds played in the tournament as both hosts and co-champions of the Northern Division, with the Collège Laflèche Dragons. Both McGill and Laflèche went 1-2 in the opening round, which led to a tiebreaker at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Heroic pitching performances Pitcher Ben Fax took the mound for the Redbirds against the Dragons on only one day's rest, after surrendering his first seven earned runs of the season against UNB on Friday. But Fax pitched a masterful complete game, yielding only four hits and two runs while striking out seven batters over seven in­ nings. McGill rode Fax's performance to a narrow 3-2 victory over Laflèche.

"I was hoping to get four or five good innings out of [Fax], and he pitched a gem,"said McGill Manager Ernie D'Alessandro.

"He kept them off balance, he kept the ball low, and [Laflèche] couldn't do much with him."

2B Steven Hersch was the player of the game, batting 22 with two runs scored. But in a showing of camaraderie, he gave his prize of a bat bag to Fax, who pitched the Redbirds into a semifinal match against the St. Clair Saints.

Pitcher Simon Ayotte matched Fax's heroics with a sub­ lime performance in the semifinal. Ayotte held the Saints to one earned run over seven innings, yielding only five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters, to lead the Redbirds to a 5-4 victory over St. Clair.

McGill's defence faltered in a torturous fifth inning, when three Redbird errors allowed the Saints to score three runs. But C Justin Cloutier saved the day for the Redbirds, picking off LF Paul Cordi at third base to end the inning and prevent St. Clair from tying the game at 5-5.

Cloutier was also the hero at the plate, smacking a solo home run—the Redbirds' second of the season—to right field in the second inning, and scoring what proved to be the win­ ning run in the fifth on an RBI single by 3B Alexandre Choui-

nard.

"The first pitch was right [where I like it], and I let it go by," said Cloutier of his home run at-bat. "I honestly didn't think I was going to get another one [to hit]. But [P Jamie Hamilton] came right back with the same pitch a little bit more inside, and I just turned on it. I got the good part of the bat on it, and knew it [was gone] right away."

Two down, one to go The victory over the Saints set the stage for a show­ down with the UNB Cougars, last year's national champi­ ons, in the CIBA National Championship final.

Facing knuckleballer Pete Shaw, McGill built a quick 2o lead in the first inning, thanks to a two-out RBI double by freshman CF Adam Gordon, who later scored from third on an error by Cougar 2B Jason Snow. D'Alessandro sent fresh­ man David Haberman to the mound against the Cougars, who had defeated the Durham Lords earlier in the day to make the final. Haberman pitched himself into trouble in each of the first three innings, but did not allow a run.

Haberman's luck ran out, however, as the Cougars broke through over the next two innings. Cougar iB Jake Waugh led off the fourth with a walk, reached second on a sacrifice by C Mark MacNevin, and scored on a two-out double by CF Phil Brown. The Redbirds were left clinging to yet another one-run lead—only this time, to a team that had beat them 9-0 two days earlier.

UNB finally broke the game open in the fifth inning, scoring three runs thanks to two Redbird errors and some shaky relief pitching by Aaron Besner, who walked two of the three batters he faced. D'Alessandro gambled by bring­ ing in Fax in relief, even after he had already pitched seven innings that day. The gamble didn't pay off, as the Cougars scored on a wild pitch, and later on a deep home run to right-centre by Snow that took the air out of the Redbirds' COURTESY MCGILL ATHLETICS comeback hopes. After six innings, it was 5-2 Cougars, and The Redbirds battled throughout a grueling triple-header, but the Redbirds hadn't seriously threatened Shaw since the ultimately fell just short of a national championship. first inning.

All-Tournament team, signifying the team's hope for the com­ But there was one last rally in D'Alessandro's club. The ing years.

Redbirds loaded the bases with only one out against Shaw in "Yesterday at this time, I don't think any of [the players] the seventh, and SS Alex Day hit into a fielder's choice which thought that we'd be here today," said D'Alessandro after the scored Simon Ayotte, who had pinch-run after a Chouinard game. "I'm very proud of the boys. They worked so hard all sea­ single, from third. But'iB Casey Aurebach, the Redbirds' num­ son. They showed guts right up to the last inning when we ber-three hitter, bounced to second as the Cougar bench loaded the bases and scored a run that brought us back. We whipped their gloves in the air and charged the mound. The just ended up a little bit short. At the beginning of the year, we Redbirds, exhausted after three dramatic, emotional games, were looking to develop our young talent. We didn't want to were left to watch from the dugout as UNB celebrated win­ embarrass ourselves at Nationals knowing that we were host­ ning the tournament for the second consecutive year. Gordon ing and that we'd be in them. I think that our mission was more and Aurebach, two freshmen, represented the Redbirds on the than accomplished." ■

THIRD MAN IN

Keeping up w ith the Jo neses J acob K anter

T

he National Football League is the most popular professional sports league in North America, the gap between it and the other three major leagues widens each year. The league's dominance is so com­ plete that no one seems to challenge any of its deci­ sions, no matter how curious. On the contrary, most "pundits" defend NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at every turn. Goodell can do no wrong. He's overseen the NFL's recent rise to the pinnacle of the sports world, and therefore, in the eyes of both media and fans, he must be doing everything right. Right?

But Goodell is not sitting idly by, enjoying the NFL's success. He continues to alter the NFL's image, and to make every fall Sunday a national holiday. He continues to half-heartedly try to rid heavy hits from NFL games, and most visibly, he continues to try to banish "thugs" from the league. All of these endeavours are worthwhile and feasible—to a point. But when it comes to the case of Adam "Pacman" Jones, the NFL has gone too far, and no one seems willing to stand up to Goodell.

As a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans, Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season as a result of his involvement in various incidents, the most notori­ ous being a strip club riot during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas which left a security guard para­

lyzed. Though a year-long suspension may have been harsh, it was certainly justified. Upon Jones' reinstate­ ment at the beginning of this season, Goodell instated a "zero tolerance" policy for Jones' behaviour. Equally justified.

The Dallas Cowboys signed Jones in the offseason and hired a team of bodyguards to protect their new investment. The first few weeks of the season went off without a hitch. But on October 8, the NFL finally caught Jones with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Various media outlets, led by ESPN, reported that Jones fought with his bodyguard. Tommy Jones, in a restroom at the Joule Hotel in Dallas, and that there had been some damage done to a vanity in the restroom. No charges were filed, but ESPN reported that "police were called to the scene," and that Jones "might have been drinking."

After an internal investigation by the Cowboys, team owner Jerry Jones determined that the incident did not require any punishment. But Goodell thought otherwise, and suspended Jones for at least four games, and a lifetime ban is still a possibility. Apparently, a na­ tional news story with the words "Pacman," "drinking," and "altercation" warrants a suspension, because that was all Goodell had to go on.

Police officer Rodney Allen handled the situa­

tion, but he was at the hotel before Jones arrived; po­ lice were not "called to the scene.'* In his report, Allen stated that he "observed Mr. Jones and his bodyguard joking around with each other," and that "hotel security then asked me to check out the problem because two male individuals were in the restroom playing around."

The words "playing" or "joking" were nowhere to be found in any of the mainstream media's early reports.

ESPN's headline was "Pacman gets in fight with body­ guard at Dallas hotel,"though the police report made no such mention of a fight. All three Joneses—cornerback, bodyguard, and owner—said everything was okay. But there was no stopping Goodell's crusade, and the media proceeded to knock Jones to the ground while simulta­ neously lifting Goodell over their shoulders.

In a letter to Jones, Goodell wrote that Jones ex­ hibited "a disturbing pattern of behaviour... clearly in­ consistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL." In the NFL, one incident is ap­ parently a pattern in and of itself. In the NFL, zero-tol­ erance factors in even when there is no offence to be tolerated. In the NFL, second chances are jettisoned to send a sacrificial lamb to the altar. But the worst part?

I'll still watch every Sunday, and I'll love it more than ever. ■

21.10.08 • Sports • 17

www.mcgilltribune.com

’ROFILE—J.P. DARCHE

hoosing footballs over stethoscopes :o r m e r R e d m a n D a r c h e t u r n s lo n g s n a p p in g in to a lo n g c a r e e r J a c o b K a n ter

McGill University tends to prioritize academies over ath­ letics. We hear much more about the Nobel Prize-winning speakers on campus than we do about our own graduates In the athletic world. John-Philippe Darche bought into that pystem in the mid-1990s—the Redmen's star linebacker did tot come to McGill to play football. He was here to become 1doctor. But his career took an unexpected turn when a monentary detour turned into an ongoing 10-year-long joyride.

A local product Darche was born in Montreal in 1975. He attended CEGEP it Collège André-Grasset, where he was a starting linebacker from 1993 to 1994.

"After CEGEP, I didn't expect to be a National Football .eague player by any means," Darche said. "I decided what iniversity I was going to based on academics. My main goal /as to eventually get into medical school. I chose McGill >ecause I thought it was the best place to go academically.

It was the best place for that goal ahead—to go to medical school."

Darche was a star middle linebacker for the Redmen >ver five years, from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1997 with |a degree in physiology, but played with the Red 'n'White for two more years after he was accepted to the McGill Medical ISchool class of 2001. By the end of his five years as a Red­ man, Darche was the all-time leading tackier in McGill history Iwith 272 tackles. But his success in a helmet and pads paled in [comparison to his aspirations to one day work in scrubs.

"At McGill, I had no intention of playing professionally, [especially not in the NFL,"said Darche."In my last year, Charlie Baillie, who was the head coach [of the Redmen] at the time, was getting some calls from some Canadian Football League teams about me. I thought that maybe that could be a pos­ sibility, but I was only really looking at playing out the year |and then taking a year off."

He certainly needed a year off after the toll of two years lof medical school, compounded by life on the varsity football |team, started to wear on his body.

"I was very tired," Darche said of his last two years at McIGill. "[There were] a lot of short nights of sleep, and a lot of

gie White lined up in front of me for a field goal,"said Darche as he remembered his"Welcometo the NFL" moment. "I thought, 'There he is. Right in front of me. I could touch him.' He was looking at me, and he knew obviously I was a rookie. I was the smallest guy on the field by 75 pounds. And there was Reggie White, just gigantic, a legend, a hall-of-famer. And he was looking at me and laughing and joking around and messing with me, and trash-talking me. I'll never forget that."

studying late at night and get­ ting up early, and just surviving.

I figured I'd take a year sabbatical from school and play profession­ al football, which is ... the dream of any kid that plays sports com­ petitively. I figured I'd do that for a year—get my little sports fix and then come back and finish medical school."

Making the jump

Despite Darche's recordbreaking tackling prowess, CFL scouts were far more interested in another one of his skills— long Specialization snapping.

As he climbed the football "I was always primarily a line­ ranks, Darche's duties became backer, starting in high school more and more specialized. all the way through [university]," "When I was in the CFL, I was said Darche. "But [long snapper] a long snapper, but I was also a is one of those positions where backup linebacker," said Darche. no one else can do it and no one "On the Seahawks, I participat­ else wants to do it. In high school, ed in the linebacker drills, but I our coach took a bunch of guys wasn't really a linebacker. I was and said, 'Try throwing the ball never going to go in and play with both hands. Try snapping COURTESYCDN.NHL.COM linebacker. The reason I'm [in the it.' And I kind of picked it up very naturally, and they decided Once a star linebacker for the Redmen, Darche NFL] right now is because of my long snapping ability." that I would be the snapper. So I ditched his bulky pads to play on special teams.

After six years with Seattle worked on it, but I never paid that and a Super Bowl trip in 2005, Darche was signed by the Kan­ much attention to it." sas City Chiefs in 2007. In his ninth year in the league, Darche Darche was the long snapper for the Redmen but, like in is making a veteran's salary doing a job that was once done high school, he never paid much attention to that particular exclusively by rookies. In what is often considered a fickle duty. It wasn't until Baillie was contacted by CFL scouts who were impressed with his snapping that Darche realized he league, Darche stands out as a glaring exception.

"The reason I've lasted so long is consistency, and the possessed a unique talent.

The Toronto Argonauts selected Darche in the third round—as the 21st pick overall—of the 1999 CFL draft. He played in Toronto for one season as the Argonauts' long snapper and backup linebacker. After the season, Darche had completed his year off from medical school, but the pros­ pect of being an NFL player was too enticing to pass up. He was invited to the Seattle Seahawks'training camp in 2000, and won the long snapping job.

Darche became the first Mc­ Gill graduate to play in the NFL. DE Randy Chevrier entered the league in 2001, but he lasted only 13 games. To date, Darche has played in 119 regular season NFL games and five playoff games.

Not bad for someone who had never seen an NFL game before playing in one.

COURTESVNFLCANADA.COM

In 10 years as a professional football player, Darche has made this position look sexy.

"There's a different mind­ set," said Darche of the difference between university football and professional football. "In college, you're playing with your buddies, and no matter w hat happens, ev­ erybody loves you. At the profes­ sional level, it's pressure-packed.

It's production based .... That wasn't something I was used to."

Darche also wasn't used to playing against NFL Hall-of-Famers, who were lacking in the CIS and CFL. "I remember playing against the Carolina Panthers, and Reg­

coach being able to trust me. He knows that by keeping me instead of keeping a rookie that would make a third of the salary [that I make], he doesn't have to worry at night if we have to kick a game-winning field goal, if the snap's going to mess the whole thing up."

Since entering the league, Darche has never produced a bad snap— one that goes over the punter or holder's head, or lands before it reaches him.

"When I first got into the NFL, teams were starting to have specialists for the long snapping instead of using back­ up tight ends," Darche said. "It was a new thing that was get­ ting established. But they'd keep young guys because every­ one is tight under the salary cap. So when a guy was getting old, they'd get rid of him and find a rookie. But when you do that, you end up going through three or four guys just to find one that can do it consistently. Nowadays, most teams pay kickers and punters so much money that they don't mind in­ vesting in a long snapper."

Darche currently lives in Kansas City with his wife Joanne, and three children—Justin, aged six, Catherine, aged five, and Zachary, aged three. He is one of only two CIS players to play in a Super Bowl, and is the only native Quebecer to be named an NFL team captain. But despite Darche's success, something is still missing.

"Obviously I want to go back and do the med school thing, but now I'm just enjoying my career," Darche said.

On what was originally a whim, Darche has turned a one-year hiatus from medical school into a 10-year profes­ sional career. But as a medical student, the hiatus has done him more harm than good. When Darche returns to McGill to continue his studies, he will have to start over.

"It's been a decade since I've been in Medical School," said Darche,"so I need a little refresher [in the medical world].

Things have changed over the last ten years." ■

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The McGill Tribu

18 • Sports • 21.10.08

HOCKEY—MARTLETS 6, CARLETON 0

Martlets get off to a red 'n' white-hot start

M c G ill b e g in s title d e f e n c e w it h r e s o u n d in g t h r a s h in g o f C a r le t o n too much for the Ravens to handle. McGill played a puck-pos­ session game to perfection, as the Ravens went long stretches The McGill Martlets, the top-ranked women's hockey without touching the puck. McGill even controlled the play team in the country, started their national title defence on Fri­ during their penalty kills, pinning Carleton in their own end day night in familiar fashion: with a lopsided victory. A 6-0 win and attacking the net as if the Ravens were the shorthanded over the Carleton Ravens gave the Martlets their 24th-straight team. victory against Canadian university opponents dating back to Ravens' goaltender Valerie Charbonneau gave a valiant last year. But despite the easy victory, McGill Head Coach Peter performance in a losing effort, making 43 saves, but was un­ Smith was cautious not to get carried away. able to withstand the relentless Martlet pressure. She was out­ "I thought we played quite well, but I don't think we were played by McGill goaltender Charline Labonté, who earned as consistent as we would like to be," said Smith. "It's early in her first shutout of the season, after posting an incredible 11 the year, and there are still some things we have to work on." regular season shutouts last year.

The Martlets' speed and precision passing were simply "The biggest thing for us this year is that we have to keep fo­ cussed on the pro­ cess," said Smith.

"Every game, re­ gardless of the score, we have to keep doing all the good things that are going to be important when we get down to crunch time. Be­ cause if we get away from those things, we could get into trouble."

The Martlets opened the scor­ ing on a powerplay just over a minute into the first period when Jas­ AOAM SCOTTI defender mine Sheehan R avens G V a le rie C h a rb o n n e a u tu rn s a w a y fro m o n e o f th e M a rtle ts' six ce le b ra tio n s o n F rid a y n ig h t. fired a low point shot past CharS teve B eirness

S p o r t s B rie fs M artle ts rig h t th e ship

The McGill women's soccer team is finally playing to its poten­ tial. After looking like they might miss the conference playoffs for the first time ever, Marc Mounicot's team went 3-0 this past week, including a win over the top-ranked University of Montreal, which had previously been the only team in Canada to win all of its games.

The Martlets defeated the Carabins 2-0 at Molson Stadium on Friday night, on a pair of goals from freshman striker Kyrin Dhaliwal. With two games remaining against Bishop's and Concordia—whom the Martlets have outscored 6 -i this season—McGill is tied for third in the QSSF with Laval at 7 -4 -1 - With one win, the Martlets will have secured a spot in the QSSF playoffs, which begin on October 31.

R e dm ens' h o pes fo r a w in are on ice

The 2008-2009 season has gotten off to a dubious start for the Redmen hockey team. After opening the year with a pair of onegoal losses to Concordia and the University of Ottawa, the Redmen dropped a 4-1 decision on the road to Carleton University on Satur­ day afternoon. McGill Head Coach Martin Raymond removed fresh­ man goaltender Danny Mireault after the first period in the Ottawa game, and replaced him with fellow first-year Hubert Morin. Morin got the start for the game against Carleton, and made 24 saves while allowing four goals. Mireault and Morin have identical save percentages of .889, though Morin has played one more period.

Freshman forward Alexandre Picard-Hooper leads the team with two goals and one assist through three games.

A series o f pre d ic tio n s

Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will cause millions of people to hit the "mute" button on their remotes. Jeanne Zelasko will cause mil­ lions of people to throw their TVs out the window.

The series will involve thrilling games featuring some of the game's brightest stars, like the Rays'BJ. Upton and the Phillies'Cole Hamels. But FOX will cry itself to sleep because "New York" and "Boston" aren't in either of the teams'names.

Praise for Joe Maddon will hit absurd levels by the end of game one. Upset at having been banished from the Rays'name, the devil will send a cow intoTropicana Field, but everyone will think that the fans' cow bells lured the cow into the stadium.

Viewers will hear about Philadelphia's 25-year championship drought approximately 583295 times.

The Rays will win in seven games.

bonneau. McGill added two more goals before the perio end: one from forward Alessandra Lind-Kenny and anotf from rookie forward Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, with or one second left in the period. As the clock ticked down, t freshman forward streaked down the right wing and firec slapshot past Charbonneau's outstretched blocker.

"She's an explosive player: she's a goal scorer who can fi the back of the net," said Smith of his Leclerc-Auger, who w back-to-back scoring titles in the Quebec collegiate AA leag before coming to McGill.

"I received a pass from Cathy Chartrand and heard f shouting to shoot. So I did, and it just went in," said Lecle Auger of her first period goal.

The McGill women continued their dominance in t second frame but waited until the period was almost over add to their lead—Assistant Captain Vanessa Davidson scor with three minutes left in the period to make the score 4 Forward Caroline Hill added a goal with 13 seconds remainii in the period, which, along with two assists, earned her fii star honours.

"It was an amazing game to start the year," said Hill. "V came out strong and worked hard no matter what the sco [was]. If we keep it up and work on the little details that v have to [work on] then we should do well for the rest of tl year."

By the third period there was little question that McC would skate to an easy victory, but that didn't stop the Mai lets from continuing to press a beleaguered Charbonnea firing 18 shots on net in the final stanza. Forward Ann-Soph Bettez finished off the scoring for the home squad when sf powered past a lone Ravens' defender, and slipped the pui off her backhand through Charbonneau's five-hole.

The Martlets maintained this torrid pace with a 10-0 dru bing of Concordia on Sunday at the Ed Meagher Arena. An Soberano netted a hat-trick, Bettez notched a goal and thr< assists, and Labonté needed only five saves to record her se ond straight shutout, in McGill's shellacking of their cross-tow rivals. However, the Martlets will face stiffer tests this weeker as they visit three Ivy League Universities: Dartmouth on Fi day, Harvard on Saturday, and Yale on Sunday. McGill will ser revenge against the Crimson, who beat them 2-0 last year. ■

FOOTBALL

Seniors go out with a bang

Q B a n d W R b r e a k r e c o r d s in la st h o m e g a m e J acob K anter

nell. "But it's a great team record—it's not just a record fc me. Obviously, over my five years, I wouldn't have been abl Just before fading into the distance, two of Canadian to do it without the receivers and linemen ... hopefully university football's biggest stars burned even brighter. Mc­ will stand for a while and it will be something I can show m Gill quarterback Matt Connell and wide receiver Erik Galas, kids in the future."

McGill's loss to the Carabins dropped their seaso both in their fifth year with the Redmen, broke two of the most prestigious CIS football records during McGill's 45-23 record to 0-7, and the Redmen haven't won a game sine 2006. The team's struggles over the pa: loss to the University of Montreal two years have weighed heavily on bot Carabins at Molson Stadium on Galas and Connell.

Saturday. Connell passed former "It's great to have [set] a recorc McMaster University quarterback said Galas. "I'm ecstatic about it. But I' Ben Chapdelaine's record for most love to have a victory. It's hard to de; career passing yards, while Galas with reaching a personal mileston broke the career receptions record when we're struggling as a team. M previously held by the University first goal is to win games." of Western Ontario's Andy Fantuz.

The duo's records do, howeve Connell threw for 345 yards hold some special significance for Cor against the Carabins to bring his nell and Galas, who both came to McGi careertotaltoio,20i yards—eclips­ as freshmen in 2004. ing the seven-year-old record of "Erik and I are best friends," sai' 9,974 career yards held by ChapConnell. "We've been in every class tc delaine. Galas caught 13 passes for gether, we're in the same program, an< 181 yards to move into first-place we played all of our years together. So on the career receptions list with was great to [set our records] togethe 190 catches. in the same game."

The duo's records—in addi­ "It's much better to have [set 01 tion to the career completions records] together," said Galas. "To hav record Connell set earlier this it happen on the same day in the sam year—are a silver lining on what game, in our last game ever at home a has been an otherwise dreadful McGill... the only thing that would hav football season, and Connell and been better would have been a victory Galas are treating them as such.

JOHN KELSEY Connell and Galas will each pla They both view their records as A fte r five years o n th e R e d m e n , M a tt their last game in a Red 'n'White jerse part of a larger picture.

"It's a great record. It's some­ C o n n e ll is o n e o f th e m o s t a c c o m p lis h e d next Saturday at 1 p.m. against top ranked Laval in Quebec City. ■ thing I'm very proud of," said Con­ q u a rte rb a c k s in th e h is to ry o f th e CIS.

21.10.08-Sports - 19

ww.mcgilitribune.com

\SKETBALL—REDMEN 80, WESTERN 78

McGill drives back Mustangs in final seconds tn t h o n y 's ju m p e r s e a ls la s t -s e c o n d v ic t o r y o v e r W e s t e r n K a il a n L e u n g

Sean Anthony hit a game-winning jumper with 5-9 see­ ds to go as McGill squeaked past the University of Western ntario Mustangs on Saturday night 80-78, in the second of ree games in the McGill Redbird Classic. in a physical game that featured three technical fouls in e opening period and a combined 41 personal fouls for the ght, it seemed as if McGill might wilt under pressure. But hot looting and some key defensive stops allowed the Redmen draw level with the Mustangs with only seconds remaining, ving the way for Anthony's heroics.

After Anthony scored on a putback to give the Redmen two-point lead, Mustang center Colin Laforme muscled in a yup to tie the game at 78 with 20 seconds to go. On the ening possession, Anthony found himself isolated at the top the key against his defender. Using a pump fake to freeze man, Anthony dribbled twice and unloaded from 15 feet ut, draining the shot and sending the home crowd into a enzy. Western had a chance to send the game into overtime hen forward Bradley Smith was fouled with no time left on 1e clock, but the big man missed both free throws to seal the me for McGill.

but we have a good team this year, we're deep, so even if I'm not happy about [fouling out], we've got guys who can come in and play."

The Redmen went 2-1 in the Redbird Classic, beating the University of Toronto—ranked sixth in the preseason CIS standings—87-81 on Friday night, and losing to Queen's Uni­ versity 71-67 on Sunday afternoon. McGill is 4-4 in preseason play, including an 88-83 win over the University of Virginia, an NCAA Division I team.

McGill Head Coach Craig Norman, entering his fifth sea­ son with the team, attributes much of his players' early suc­ cess to hard work put in during the offseason.

"The core group of guys returning from last year trained hard over the summer.They like each other, they've played to­ gether for a few years now, and they're focused on winning a championship. We're looking for big things come the regular season. We still have some unfinished business [to take care of]."

That unfinished business won't start for a few weeks, as the Redmen play six more games before the regular season starts on November 14. McGill travels to Ottawa for three games in the Jack Donohue Tip-Off, from October 24-26. ■

I think the team's cohesion has gone up," said Anthony. )own the stretch, we trust each other to get the job done, att [Thornhill] hit big shots, [Moustafa El-Zanaty] hit big lots, Mike [White] hit sh o ts ... I had the ball in my hands for le last two shots, but [my teammates] just opened it up for

The effects of playing two games in as many nights owed early on for McGill, as the squad turned the ball over equently and nearly fell behind by double digits in the first minutes. The Redmen found their stride late in the period, ough, and took a one-point lead going into the second uarter, thanks in large part to the outside shooting of guard att Thornhill, who went 5-9 from behind the arc en route to points. Senior guard Moustafa El-Zanaty shook off a slow art to score 18 points.

Despite a significant advantage in size, Western had no nswer for the energy and athleticism of Redmen forward Milael White, who took home Player of the Game honours for cGill. White was a force at both ends of the floor, finishing ith seven rebounds, two steals, and 21 points on 7-11 shootg before fouling out late in the fourth.

ADAM SCOTTI

"Any player wants to play come crunch time," said White, McGill's Michael White, who finished with 17 points and was named Player of the Game, looks for a passing lane. was in a situation where I picked up a couple cheap fouls ...

ACROSSE —REDMEN 8, QUEEN'S 7

_acrosse Redmen have a flair for the dramatic

v'lcGill w r a p s u p p la y o f f s p o t w it h o v e r t im e w in o v e r G o ld e n G a e ls M

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hesser

With an 8-7 overtime win over the Queen's Golden Gaels : Forbes Field on Saturday afternoon, the McGill Redmen inched a home playoff berth and got a new nickname from îeir head coach, Tim Murdoch.

"We've become the cardiac kids of McGill," said Murdoch.

A/e make these games a lot harder than they need to be. We ?em to play up to the level of good teams, and down [to the tvel] of teams that are weaker ... Queen's doesn't have the lient pool that we have, but they played a lot harder than us, rid we needed to take the game to overtime to beat them. It's ustrating, as a coach, to see that type of inconsistency."

Attackman Luke Lacava scored just over one minute into vertime to seal the victory in what was McGill's sixth game ecided by one goal this season.The Redmen have registered >ur one-goal wins this year, and currently sit in second place ) the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association East Divion, with a 6-3 record.

McGill led by as many as three goals early in the third uarter, but found themselves trailing 7-6 with three minutes ;maining after the Gaels' Matt Denis blasted a shot past Redten goaltender Guy Fox to give his team the lead. The Red 'n' Vhite's sustained pressure would pay off, however. Midfielder cott Bailey took a feed from Will Edwards and fired a shot over ie shoulder of Gaels' netminder Dan Blackburn, with just 55 econds remaining in regulation time, to tie the game and set he stage for Lacava's overtime heroics.

Edwards, a highly touted freshman midfielder who turned lown NCAA scholarship offers to attend McGill, had his best jame of the year notching four goals and an assist in the vicory. Matt Jankowski, also a freshman, and Nick Moreau scored

from our offence—our defence has been rock-solid all sea­ second quarter goals to round out the scoring for McGill. "[Edwards] had a great game," said Murdoch. "As with all son—but if we get that there's no reason why we can't fulfill freshman, he's a guy who has been adjusting to life in Montre­ the lofty preseason expectations everyone had and finish the al and our style of lacrosse, and he seems to be blossoming at season as national champions."* exactly the right time—with the playoffs just around the corner."

The victory over Queen's came on the heels of a 7-6 comefrom-behind victory over the Bishop's Gaiters on Thursday at Forbes Field. The Redmen trailed 4-1 at halftime to the Gaiters, but a second half hat-trick by Lacava helped McGill claim sole posses­ sion of second place in the CUFLA East Division.

The Redmen finish regular season play on Saturday at 8 p.m. as they take on the Carleton Ra­ vens (1-7) at Forbes Field. McGill has already claimed a home play­ off date, and will likely face Bish­ op's in the first round of CUFLA post-season play on November 1.

"I still believe that this team has the potential to win a Nation­ al Championship this year," said Murdoch. "There's so much parity in this league that on any given day, there are four or five teams JOHN KELSEY that can finish as a champion.

The Golden Gaels could not stop Luke Lacava when it mattered on Saturday.

We'll need some consistent play

SPORTS REVIEW: HOMECOMING WEEKEND

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PHOTOS BY ADAM SCOTTI AND JOHN KELSEY