The McGill Tribune Vol. 29 Issue 1

Page 1

GET TO KNOW YOUR SSMU EXECUTIVES, PAGES 6 & 7

THE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO MCGILL, PAGE 10,11 & 14

T r ib u n e

M c G il l Published by the Students' Society o f McGill University

www.mceilltribune.com

Volume No. 29 Issue No. 1 • Wednesday September 2. 2009

Frosh kicks off another school y ear; O A P debuts new beer

SSMU reveals beer contract Deal offers McAuslan alongside Boréale MATT CHESSER ______

Opinion Editor

Students will be able to enjoy a little more variety when drinking on campus this year, thanks to a new three-year deal between the Students’ Society and the Boréale and McAuslan breweries. The deal, signed on August 21, guaran­ tees Boréale exclusive rights to SSM U events such as Frosh and SnowAP, but allows for certain McAuslan products to be sold at Engi­ neering Undergraduate Society and Macdon­ ald Campus Students' Society events, as well as at events held in the Shatner ballroom. Boréale and McAuslan will be respon­ sible for supplying more than 400 kegs and 4,000 cases of beer in each year of the con­ tract. They will also contribute money towards

campus events, provide promotional materi­ als, and fund faculty awards banquets. The total value o f the contract is approximately $400,000. “Our goal was to find inexpensive beer so that we could make events on campus cheaper and easier to plan,” said SSM U Vice-President Internal Alex Brown. “We also wanted to find a company that wanted to support events on campus, because campus events are constant­ ly facing challenges and a little support makes things a lot easier. I think everyone can be happy with the deal that we signed with Boré­ ale and McAuslan.” Although the companies originally ten­ dered separate bids, SSM U asked Boréale and McAuslan to submit a joint proposal after EUS President Andrew Doyle indicated that if Boréale was awarded exclusive rights the EUS would not partner with SSM U on a con­ tract. The EUS is responsible for running the Open Air Pub, OAP Lite, and Blues Pub, as well as other faculty events. “There was a need for a change,” said Doyle. “Engineers drink a lot of beer and that meant we’ve drank a lot o f Boréale over the

See BEER on PAGE 2

The ‘big five’ seek funding Other schools would focus on undergraduates TORI CRAWFORD News Editor

While many students were on holiday this summer, the leaders o f five o f Canada’s top universities proposed a new plan to make the nation’s post-secondary institutions more competitive at an international level. The “big five,” as the group is now called, is composed o f McGill University, and the universities o f British Columbia, Toronto, Alberta, and Montreal. The leaders of these institutions are asking for an increased share of government-funded research grants and a greater concentration of graduate students on their campuses. In an interview with M aclean ’s in late July, the leaders o f the big five schools ar­ gued that this change is necessary in order to

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provide Canadian graduate students with the resources they need to conduct world-class research, and to attract international graduate students and professors to Canadian universi­ ties. However, Students’ Society Vice-Pres­ ident University Affairs Rebecca Dooley is concerned that this might come at the expense o f McGill undergraduate students. “It’s of course concerning since [this] means that the focus is drifting further away from undergraduate students,” she said. “You don’t want to see undergraduates becoming a second-class group that is a major source for tuition but doesn’t receive as much attention and resources or prioritization in terms of space on campus, course materials, and things like that.” In the M aclean ’s interview, McGill Prin­ cipal Heather Munroe-Blum said that in ad­ dition to an increase in graduate students and grants, the new plan would allow these five universities to benefit from collaboration with various industries. She suggested that a pilot project incorporating government, university, and industry leaders would likely demonstrate whether this project could provide practical

See EDUCATION on PAGE 2

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2 • Wednesday, September 2, 2009

NEWS

Cover Photos by Alice Walker

CAMPUS

McAuslan offered at EUS events, SSMU events stick with Boréale Deal valued at $400,000 over three years Continued from COVER last three years. The same thing happened at the end of our contract with Molson—it was just too much of one type o f beer after a while. Now we can offer some variety, which is nice.” In addition to the McAuslan brand of beer, McAuslan Brewing Inc. also brews the Belle Guelle and Moosehead brands for dis­ tribution in Quebec. Doyle indicated that the McAuslan brands had so far proved to be much more popular than Boréale at OAP. “About 85 per cent o f the beer we’ve sold has been Moosehead,” said Doyle. “It’s vastly outselling the Boréale.” McAuslan products will not be available at any SSM U events held outside of the Shatner building or events held by the Arts, Sci­ ence, or Management faculties. “The balance of benefits offered by both companies begs to have us have a greater pres­ ence from Boréale,” said Brown. “In order for us to get the benefits that Boréale offered us— mostly a much cheaper price, the other brew­ eries weren’t even close—we had to give them the larger presence on campus. They didn’t mind sharing, but they did want to be the more prominent brand.”

Boreale, McAuslan, Molson, Labatt’s, Sleeman’s, Unibroue, and Bierbrier all sub­ mitted proposals to SSM U in the initial round of bidding. O f those seven companies, only Boréale, McAuslan, Molson, and Bierbrier submitted final proposals. Sustainability was also a factor in the bidding process. SSM U asked beer companies

to come up with “green” initiatives in order to lessen their impact on the environment. Boréale, for example, highlighted their use of green packaging, solar and geothermal energy, and the recent conversion to hybrid vehicles. McAuslan too emphasized their environmen­ tal initiatives during the bidding process. “Right now we have 15 different proj­

ects underway to reduce energy consumption throughout the brewery,” said Brian Phillips, a senior sales representative at McAuslan. “Our sales force uses hybrid vehicles, all o f our packaging is fully recyclable, the heat used to produce our beer is recycled for heating, washing, and cleaning water ... We’re really making an effort to be more ‘green.’”

EDUCATION

Select Canadian universities emphasize global competition Munroe-Blum sees benefit from funneling research grants into top institutions Continued from COVER results. According to the big five’s proposals, other Canadian universities would be left to focus primarily on undergraduate studies due to less graduate funding. However, many of these institutions have expressed concern about what their role would be within this structure. Queen’s University Principal Daniel Woolf and Carleton University President Roseann O ’Reilly Runte have both expressed concern in the national media that this type of system would leave their institutions at the bottom of a two-tiered system of Canadian universities. In an email to the Tribune, Con­ cordia University President Judith Woodsworth emphasized the important role research plays at all universities. “What happens in the classroom and the research lab can no longer be artificially sepa­ rated. For any university to be dynamic there has to be a creative flow between innovative teaching and the research that continually ex­ pands the boundaries o f the particular disci­ pline,” said Woodsworth. The Association o f Universities and Col­ leges o f Canada, an organization that repre­ sents 94 Canadian public and private not-forprofit universities and university degree-level colleges and whose mandate includes encour­ aging cooperation among universities, de­ clined to comment directly on the issue. “The current discussion related to the dif­ ferent types and mandates of universities in Canada is best left to individual institutions/ Presidents to present their own views on the

ADAM SCOTTI

subject,” said AUCC Publications and Com­ munications Director Lyse Huot in a statement sent to the Tribune. “AUCC provides an op­ portunity for Canada’s universities to come together and discuss issues they have in com­ mon.” Although Dooley said that she has yet to see any material results from the proposed changes, she is confident that undergraduate

students are in a good place to protect their position within the university. “[Undergraduate students! do have more representation purely by our larger numbers on campus ... and the university does acknowl­ edge our representation. We are a student-cen­ tered first, research-intensive university, and I think it’s really important to emphasize that with the administration.”

“Rather than pit our schools against one and other, we should acknowledge that each university in Canada is unique,” said W oolf in an August 25 letter to The Globe and Mail.

i


Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • 3

Curiosity Delivers

CAMPUS

McGill Professor at centre of ghostwriting controversy Sherwin acknowledges error, poor judgment TRIP YANG News Editor

McGill psychology professor Barbara Sherwin has been implicated in a ghostwriting scandal, according to documents revealed by a successful court challenge. Sherwin’s article, published in 2000 in the Journal o f the American Geriatrics Soci­ ety, promoted the use of drugs manufactured by Wyeth Inc. Although Sherwin was not compensated by Wyeth Inc. or other outside parties, subsequent legal research revealed that one of Sherwin’s publications was partial­ ly ghostwritten by writers hired by the phar­ maceutical company. In her position as Canada Research Chair in Hormones, Brain and Cognition, Sherwin specializes in research involving hormone use on memory and mood. The article in question promotes the use of the hormone estrogen for treating memory loss in older patients. Documents uncovered following a classaction suit put forth by 8,400 women claiming to have been harmed by drugs manufactured by Wyeth Inc. show that Sherwin’s publication was at least partly authored by DesignWrite, a ghostwriting company based in New Jersey. Sherwin admitted to erring by not acknowl­ edging other contributors, but maintained that

the article was scientifically accurate. “It is an error I regret and which had never occurred before or since ... I believe the article, which was peer-reviewed, represented sound and thorough scholarship and in no way could be construed as promotion for any par­ ticular product or company,” said Sherwin in a statement released by McGill. According to DesignWrite President Mi­ chael Platt, all information and research pre­ sented in Sherwin’s article was scientifically legitimate. He also claimed that for all the articles for which DesignWrite was compen­ sated by Wyeth Inc. experts and researchers had full editorial control and final say over content, and peer-reviewed science journals had jurisdiction over published articles. When asked to what extent DesignWrite was involved, Platt explained in an email to the Tribune that DesignWrite provided medi­ cal writing assistance to professor Sherwin. Platt also stated that it was “acceptable indus­ try practice” back in 2000 for authors to de­ cide whether to acknowledge assistants. “Some people are trying to paint a pic­ ture that DesignWrite and the medical writing industry as a whole are presenting inaccurate scientific and medical information. That sim­ ply is not true,” said Platt. “The article was scientifically accurate and reflected professor Sherwin’s views and work ... It is perfectly normal, acceptable and ethical for researchers and physicians to have substantial assistance

in drafting articles.” The criteria set by the International Com­ mittee o f Medical Journal Editors constitute authorship in three parts: substantial contribu­ tions to content, heavy involvement in draft­ ing and revising, and final approval o f content. Authors must meet all three conditions. ICM JE further states that “acquisition o f funding, col­ lection o f data, or general supervision o f the research group” separately does not validate authorship. “Professor Sherwin was listed as the only ‘author’ of the article because she was the only person who fulfilled the criteria for authorship set by the ICM JE,” Platt said. She made sub­ stantial contributions to the analysis and inter­ pretation o f the data, she revised it critically for intellectual content, and she gave final ap­ proval of the version that was published.” In a media statement, Wyeth Inc. spokes­ person Doug Petkus cited a US federal court judge who stated that ghostwriting practices were “the norm in the industry.” “The bottom line is that the authors of the articles in question exercised substantive edi­ torial control over the content o f the articles and had the final say, in all respects, over the content—all of which was scientifically accu­ rate,” said Petkus. McGill Provost Anthony C. Masi de­ clined to comment directly, but in a prepared statement Masi informed the media that McGill was investigating the matter.

MONTREAL GAZETTE

McGill psychology professor Barbara Sherwin was recently named in a ghostwriting scandal. “M cGill University is committed to the highest standards of honesty and integrity in research and scholarship and takes substanti­ ated allegations o f research misconduct very seriously ... We have policies and procedures in place that require us to investigate serious allegations o f academic misconduct,” he said in the statement.

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CAMPUS

PGSS to join FEUQ after summer referendum passes easily Exec moved vote up from October to late August THOMAS QUAIL Editor-in-Chief

The Post-Graduate Students’ Society voted to join Quebec’s largest student lobby group, the Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ), last week by a clear major­ ity. Five hundred and eighty-eight votes were cast. 58.3 per cent o f the ballots cast were in favour of joining FEUQ, 35.7 per cent voted against affiliation, and six per cent of voters spoiled their ballots. 10.2 per cent of PGSS members voted, easily surpassing the elec­ toral bylaws’ five per cent quorum. The $2.50 semesterly fee will be instituted on January 1,

2010. PGSS President Daniel Simeone, who also served as the acting elections commis­ sioner for the referendum, was pleased with the turnout. He called the referendum a “suc­

cess” and noted that the turnout was the high­ est for any PGSS referendum or election in “a year and a half, at least—if not more.” FEUQ now represents 16 student asso­ ciations from across Quebec. It is comprised of over 120.000 students, and is the only stu­ dent lobby group officially recognized by the Quebec government. In 2009, FEUQ secured workplace health and safety insurance for graduate student researchers, $35.6 million in student financial assistance, and a $14.7million funding increase for Quebec’s grant­ ing council. The question o f whether to affiliate dates back a few years, but was officially set into motion last March. At the March 4 PGSS Council meeting, a motion was passed “to send a letter to [FEUQ] requesting a referen­ dum be held to decide whether the members of the PGSS would like to join the FEUQ.” The letter of intent, addressed to FEUQ but avail­ able online and included at the PGSS Annual General Meeting, outlined P G SS’s intent to hold an affiliation referendum with a voting

period slated for October 5 to 9. (A letter of intent, however, is not binding). In August, at PGSS Council, a motion was proposed that moved the FEUQ affilia­ tion referendum dates forward. According to the motion, the voting period would take place between August 24 and 28 instead of October. Due to the inability to reach quorum at Coun­ cil, the motion was then tabled at executive committee, where it passed unanimously. Simeone maintained that the change was “logistical,” and added that the executive sim­ ply had more time to organize the event in August. “Last week I put 80 hours into that referendum,” he said. “I couldn’t do that in October when I have a full class load.” PGSS policy stipulates that Council must ratify any motion passed by the executive committee. Thus if Council fails to approve the executive committees’ decision to move the referendum dates forward, PGSS enters a constitutional grey area. PGSS is now a member of two student lobby groups: the Canadian Federation of Stu­

dents - a national lobbying group - and FEUQ. But, according to Simeone, because education is a provincial responsibility, it is prudent for PGSS to have representation at both a provin­ cial and national level. Nevertheless, Simeone acknowledged that there is currently “a large group of students who are working on disaf­ filiation [from C FS].” According to Simeone, CFS disaffiliation is not currently a PGSS position. If, however, a petition is presented to council with in ex­ cess of 10 per cent of the PGSS membership, the executive is obliged to take the appropriate action. The Table de Concertation, the Students’ Society fledgling student lobby group, made overtures to the PGSS earlier this year, court­ ing their membership. However, according to SSM U Vice-President External Sebastien Ronderos-Morgan, at the time PGSS and FEUQ were “too far along in the process” of potential affiliation. “We would have loved to have had the PG SS,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Arnold Steinberg reflects on becoming the new McGill chancellor

JULIA WEBSTER

On July 1, M ontreal native an d M cGill alumnus Arnold Steinberg was appoin ted the 18th ch an cellor o f McGill. Although Steinberg began his ca re er in corp o ra te fin an ce, h e has b eco m e a leading figure in the health ca re s e c ­ tor an d acts as ch air o f the B oa rd o f C an ada H ealth Infow ay Inc., an organization aim ed at facilitatin g the health ca re shift fro m p a p e r to digital. His contributions to the M cG ill co m ­ munity a re vast and significant, having serv ed on a range o f boards an d com m ittees ov er the p ast 40 years. The M cG ill Tribune sat down with Mr. Steinberg and discu ssed his new p o ­ sition a s chancellor.

How do you see your role as chancellor, and what do you think you can accomplish while holding this position? I think that I have a number o f roles. There is the formal one where I preside at the formal events, convocation, and [greet] visi­ tors to the university. Also, I chair a number of committees that are either under the bylaws of the university or traditionally have been han­ dled by the chancellor, meetings between the Senate and the Board o f Governors, meetings

dealing with honorary doctorates and convo­ cations. And in my capacity as chancellor I am invited to participate in all of the Senate and Board o f Governors meetings. So those are the more formal ones. In a less formal way, I act as an advisor on issues that come up that are not in the normal course of events and things that impact on the reputation o f the university. Another thing, which has become more and more o f a tradition is working with alumni particularly in the area of fundraising. In my own particular case, I have a long history with the university, from not long after I graduated, of being involved in the health care sector in the faculty, with the associated hospitals, and on government research bodies as well. That’s an area that is one of M cG ill’s strengths and an area in which I would hope I would be able to, working with the dean and other members o f the faculty, advance M cG ill’s.

Can you describe your path to the posi­ tion? Well, I ’m not quite sure. It came as a total shock, obviously a very pleasant one. I am honoured and thrilled to have been asked. It’s clear that it’s based on the fact that I have worked on behalf of the university for the last 40 years. I have served on the BOG and on numerous committees ... I ’ve taken an active role on the research side going back to the 60s. So it has been a long process but a very enjoyable one. It’s been an important part of my life and it has culminated, of course, in the chancellorship which is really, as I said, totally unexpected. But o f course I ’m thrilled.

Do you have any specific long-term goals? I have the individual responsibilities and I hope to carry those out in the best possible way. The only specific goal that I currently have is to try and enhance M cG ill’s reputation not only in terms of its hospitals but also in terms of looking at health care delivery and

innovation. I think that unless there [are] some new and innovative ways o f handling health care delivery then society is in very deep trou­ ble. And I think McGill can be a major center o f study in that area. Hopefully I will be able to have some success there. I hope to get through all the convocations without collapsing and that’s the most short­ term goal I have.

What are your thoughts on the recent talks surrounding the “big five” universi­ ties and graduate funding? I was unaware of it until I read about it. It clearly has had a lot o f negative reaction both editorially and in terms of op-ed pieces. It is understandable that the government has not responded. I do believe that Canada is suf­ fering from inadequate funding in the area of research. I am directly involved because of the role I play in the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and so I see how we do rela­ tive to other countries. But I would prefer not to comment on my own personal view.

Are there any experiences that you had as an undergrad that you have been revisit­ ing in thinking about your new position? Well, we worked a lot less hard than the students do today. I did a lot o f sports, I played water polo for all four years that I was at McGill and as I say, the load on the students was nowhere near what it is today. The other thing is nobody ever worried about getting a job; there were always more jobs available than there were applicants. I remember think­ ing, only because there was family pressure, about possibly going into law. I really wasn’t all that interested in it. But I happened to call the faculty and I said “I ’d like some informa­ tion, I am considering maybe applying for law.” This was in 1953, I graduated in ‘54. Within 24 hours I had a telephone call from the dean. He introduces himself, he says, “I am the dean and I understand that you are in­ terested in applying to law.” I said, “Well, I ’m

thinking about it.” He says, “Well, why don’t you come and see me?” I was not an excep­ tional student, more like an average student. I went up to sit with him and talk and he tried to convince me to go into law. There was clearly a shortage of people considering law. So, I ’ve told that story from time to time to people who have either applied or are considering apply­ ing to law ... basically, in those days, if you graduated and you wanted to go into law you got into law. They did fail out a number of stu­ dents. but it wasn’t considered an exciting field and certainly not one that most people aspired to. O f course, things have changed. They have gone the other way because now [people] are having great problems getting jobs.

Have you received any advice from past chancellors? I have not spoken to Dick [Pound], but I have spoken to other people who have given me some advice. I have been close to the uni­ versity for so long and have really watched how it has evolved ... I think I have a pretty good feel ... and I ’m pretty sure that I will be able to struggle through it. I feel terribly hon­ oured to have been asked. I am looking for­ ward to the challenge. I think that McGill has a lot going for it. - C om piled by Steven H offer

Ch

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M C G IL L T R I B U N E .C O M


Curiosity Delivers

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • 5

CAMPUS

McGill, Oxford announce neuroscience research collaboration New chancellor plays important role in deal THEO M EYER Contributor

McGill and the University of Oxford, two o f the world’s leading centres of neuroscience research, announced a new bilateral partner­ ship in the field this summer designed to ben­ efit scientists on both sides o f the Atlantic. Originally conceived through a series of discussions between Dr. Alastair Buchan, the Canadian-born head o f medicine at Oxford, and M cGill’s Dr. Claudio Cuello, the partner­ ship is designed to foster collaboration and data sharing between neuroscientists at both universities. This partnership will create a framework for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to do research at the other university, with the possibility that undergraduates will be able to participate in similar exchanges in the future. Among the scientists set to benefit from the partnership are M cGill’s Alan Evans and his counterpart at Oxford, Stephen M. Smith. Evans, director of the Clinical Trials Im­

aging Lab at M cG ill’s Montreal Neurologi­ cal. Institute (MNI), uses a technology called positron emission tomography to produce three-dimensional images of brain activity. Researchers at his lab then take the data and map it onto a standardized three-dimensional frame, compensating for the variations in size and shape o f individual brains. “You can think of it in a way that is very analogous to the cartographer, who is map­ ping the globe,” Evans said. “They have a two-dimensional coordinate system defining latitude and longitude for any point on the earth’s surface.” Using this standard brain model, Evans and his team are able to compare the normal brains with those o f individuals with mental disorders, for example, and analyze chemical differences between the two sets of brains. The universal model—often called MNIspace in homage to the Montreal Neurologi­ cal Institute, where it was developed—allows researchers like Evans and Smith to share data far more easily. “Rather than just reading about each others’ work in scientific journals,” Evans said, “you can share data and reproduce those experiments locally in exactly the same three-dimensional coordinate space.”

Brain-mapping, however, is just one of the neuroscientific subfields that researchers intend to collaborate on. Dr. Christopher Kennard, chair of Oxford’s Department o f Clinical Neurology, is also enthusiastic about the pos­ sibilities for collaborative work in fields such as neuroethics and neurophilosophy. Both Cuello and Kennard lauded McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum for her role in setting up the partnership. According to Remi Quirion, another McGill scientist involved in setting up the partnership, the university was able to con­ vince incoming chancellor and alumnus Ar­ nold Steinberg to finance M cGill’s end o f the project through a one-time philanthropic do­ nation, which Oxford then matched. The combined funding for the next three years stands at approximately $200,000, though scientists at both universities are op­ timistic about attracting further funding once the partnership gets going. “It takes time to build up these partner­ ships,” Kennard said, “and you’ve got to prove that it’s working before you can go out to bigger institutions, charities, foundations, that sort o f thing.” According to Cuello, the partnership may

eventually result in a joint degree program be­ tween the two universities. “It would be spectacular if we could do that,” he said. “A McGill-Oxford degree would be quite interesting.” Though this is the first formal partnership between Oxford and McGill, neuroscientists at the two universities have been collaborating informally for decades. Dr. Wilder Penfield, who founded the Montreal Neurological Insti­ tute in 1934, had previously studied under Dr. William Osier and Dr. Charles Sherington at Oxford. Kennard said that when he surveyed his colleagues at Oxford, he found that many were already working with McGill neurosci­ entists. “That’s the way that science functions these days,” Kennard said. “You can’t sort of sit there and occupy yourself—you need to work together with top colleagues at your uni­ versity, at other universities in your country and abroad.”

CAMPUS

McGill to make lower campus virtually car-free by end of 2010 Announcement comes as city plans new bike path JA M E S GILM A N ____________________ Managing Editor____________________

McGill has announced it will be taking steps toward reducing parking and car traffic on lower campus, in a push to become virtu­ ally car-free by the end o f 2010. The announcement is part o f a wider, multi stage plan to make lower campus more pedestrian-friendly, and to boost M cGill’s green credentials, known as the Green McGill Project. “This is an important step as we continue to implement our vision for greater sustain­ ability and continue our steps toward a better environment,” said François R. Roy, vice­ principal (administration and finance) in a McGill news release. “Our campus exists for its people and for the enjoyment o f the broader community. By these actions and measures, the campus will be cleaner, quieter and much safer for all.” According to the plan, all parking on lower campus will be eliminated, and vehicle access will be gradually reduced, with only service and delivery vehicles allowed access through the Milton Gate, while all vehicular access through the Roddick Gate will be cut off. “It’s interesting that this has all been taken up so much,” said Students’ Society VicePresident University Affairs Rebecca Dooley. “I think, in large part, it’s the result of student efforts, because there have been so many over the past years, and I think that student groups devoted to sustainability have really changed the campus culture.” This initiative coincides with an August

ALICE WALKER

Clockwise from top left: the bike path on de Maisonneuve, University St as it is now, de Maisonneuve, and Milton St. 24 City o f Montreal announcement that a new bike path will be built along University Street in order to link up the Parc-Milton and de Maisonneuve paths. Cyclists have long com­ plained that there is no safe link between the two, and many travel the wrong way down the one-way University street in order to meet up with the de Maisonneuve path, or cut through the McGill campus to reach Sherbrooke

Street. “With this project, we can improve the quality of life of the university community, en­ sure the safety o f bike travel in the the down­ town area, and connect the cycle network to other neighbourhoods,” Mayor Gerald Trem­ blay said in a press release. A lane will be removed from University Street in order to make room for the two-way

bike path, which will be separated from the rest of the street by a concrete median. Park­ ing on the street will be restricted and the Bixi bike stations will also be removed from the area. The first phase o f construction will begin this year, and will complete the path from Sherbrooke down to de Maisonneuve.


=— SSMU Ex e c u t iv e Sp e c ia l — In anticipation o f the new sch o ol year, the Tribune sat down with each o f the SSMU executives to discuss current projects, long-term goals, an d the nuts and bolts o f their respective portfolios.

Sarah Olle VP Clubs and Services

Ivan Neilson President Q: What are your long-term goals for this year? A: I ’ve had a couple o f meetings with [Deputy Provost] Morton Mendelson about is­ sues in the coming year. One of these issues is an extension for the lease of the Shatner building, which expires at the end o f next year. Another big thing is the Tribune independence process, which has to go to referendum and then be approved by the Board of Governors. We’ve started the process now in the hopes that some o f this groundwork will make it eas­ ier in the future. We’ve looked into doing a lot of renovation projects in this building, giving it a facelift. One, in particular, is taking some o f the cafeteria space and turning that into useable student space.

Q: This past year’s SSMU elections saw four acclamations out of a possible six spots. Voter turnout dropped as well. How will SSMU contest student apathy this year? A: You can only do as much as students are willing to be engaged. That has definitely

been a big priority and all of the execs who were acclaimed have made it a priority to get more students interested. We can get a lot more information [out] on what we have going with the clubs, services, and events. We’re going to be tabling at the Y intersection to get a lot more visibility. We want as many students as possible to know who the execs are and who [students] can talk to [so they can] provide new ideas.

Q: Your predecessor, Kay Turner, stated in an interview with the Tribune last year that institutions run by students are not perfect. Do you believe there is a limit to how effective student organizations can be? A: The reality is that there is a limit, but we have to do as much as possible. We can’t reach every student. We can’t do everything perfectly, but where we are effective, we can be very effective, so we have to be very tar­ geted and very focused on the students who are willing to engage with us.

Q: What are your long-term goals for this year? A: My priorities for the year are demon­ strating to students that SSM U is a resource for them. SSM U does a lot of great things most students don’t know about, so we’ve been working really hard over the summer to clarify our channels o f communication and improve the services that we offer to students. We hope that they appreciate it and see what we can offer them. The ways that I’ve been working on this are producing brochures with more information for students [and] cleaning up our website. We’ve also been working to simplify our forms and bureaucracy so it’s easier to get through.

Q: How has your experience as Inter­ est Group Coordinator helped prepare you for your current role as VP Clubs and Ser­ vices? A: I think it was excellent preparation. Being the IGC really helped me understand how SSM U works. Most o f the other VP Clubs and Services have come from a club or ser­ vice [background], but that does not help you understand the internal workings o f SSMU.

However, being an employee o f SSM U, I got a much better grasp on the organization and that allowed me to jump into the role much more quickly.

Q: The application of Choose Life as a new pro-life student group last year prompted much debate and discussion. The Chair of the clubs and services committee walked a delicate line in moderating the ap­ proval process. How important is it to not let your personal opinions influence your professional judgments in these situations? A: I think that the role of the VP Clubs and Services is to ensure that everyone on campus is able to find something that they would like to do ... and should spend their time making sure everybody feels comfortable on campus. As a member of the clubs and services committee last year I wanted to argue my own points for what I thought SSM U should do. However. I think as VP Clubs and Services, as a leader, as an executive o f SSM U, I think I am more accountable to all members o f SSMU. I will do my best to accommodate those who think a club [should be approved] or not and I will listen to anyone’s opinion on the matter.

Alex Brown VP Internal Q: What are your long-term goals for this year? A: My goals this year are to bring the events calendar back to students. What I ’d like to do is have more and different events that in­ clude different parts o f the student population. Also, I ’m trying to put together better net­ working and communications opportunities so it will be easier for students to get involved. I ’d like the website to be easier to use, infor­ mation easier to reach, and SSM U more userfriendly. After Frosh we’re starting our Vis­ ibility campaign—getting ourselves out there and making SSM U more present on campus and more available to students.

Q: One of your marquee events, SnowAP, has drawn criticism for suffering deficits in the past three years, such as los­ ing over $6,000 last year. Would you change the format of SnowAP, and how would you do it? A: I ’m looking to evaluate the positives and negatives. I ’m interested in talking to dif-

ferent students and groups to see what people want. One o f the biggest reasons people want to keep SnowAP is that it’s a tradition, but if the student population is not interested in the tradition, then who’s the tradition for? Based on the facts, I don’t know how much I could change to make it better. In terms o f combat­ ing low attendance and rising prices, there’s not much I can do to change that. So it may be more about changing the calendar than chang­ ing the event.

Q: Are there any fundamental differ­ ences between this new alcohol contract and the previous contract with Boréale? A: It’s a more creative agreement, where we kind of stepped outside the box and [se­ cured] a contract that satisfied everybody’s priorities. But the idea behind both contracts is to get beer at an inexpensive price and, at the same time, support students’ activities, so the goals have been the same.


Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • 7

Curiosity Delivers

Jose Diaz

Rebecca Dooley VP University Affairs Q: What are your top priorities for this year? A: Simple, everyday solutions to a stu­ dent’s day to day life at M cG ill—things like medical notes for classes ... feedback on course work, course scheduling, improve­ ments to student services, and grading stan­ dards. Another top priority is sustainability. We created the Office of Sustainability [but] it needs to have life breathed into it. It needs resources, it needs plans, it needs to start en­ gaging the student community. Another issue [is] the joint Senate Board of Sub-committees on Equity. I would like to see McGill taking a more active examination of itself in terms of equity. It is something the university is aware of. The principal’s latest task force is the Task Force on Diversity, Excellence and Commu­ nity Engagement. That’s just starting up and I hope I will be involved in it.

Q: What have you been working on over the summer? A: I spent a lot of the summer on commit­ tees talking about how we’re going to prepare for a pandemic outbreak [of the H1N1 virus]. It involved a lot of internal planning ... and it also involved a loi of academic planning.

Right now there haven’t been any changes to policies or procedures, but I would say that we are quite prepared. One thing coming up in the fall is M cGill’s new ethical research policy. SSMU has a commitment to promote certain ethical research policies. The thing about the policy that is going to interest me the most is ensur­ ing that it has the power to enforce ethical re­ search.

Q: The administration mentioned nu­ merous times last year the possibility of funding cuts. What are your biggest con­ cerns with regards to these possible cuts? A: In terms of the budget that we saw, while they’re not cutting any jobs, what they are doing is when a job becomes vacant they are going to be deliberating whether or not to keep that position. The thing about that that concerns me is the type of jobs that are turned over every year: student jobs. They did make it a priority that they didn’t want any cuts to be made to services for students, and o f course students pay through their fees for a lot of that anyways. But I think one thing we definitely want to avoid is asking students to make up for where the university doesn’t have money.

Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan VP External Q: What are your priorities for this year? A: SSM U has been pretty integral in the formation o f a new province-wide student lobbying organisation [the Table de Concerta­ tion], so that’s been a big project of mine over the course of the summer. Another thing that I ’d like to accom­ plish by year’s end will be coming up with a [community engagement] plan for the next few years. And that has a lot to do with the Milton-Parc community and our relationship with them. Another goal that I have is to re­ suscitate the TuitionTruth website [which] was a website created to [fight] the defreeze in tuition that took place in 2007, and we’re in the process o f ... revamping and updating it. There’s also a municipal election campaign ... and I ’m meeting with another informal co­ alition of student associations in Montreal to build a campaign ... to basically bring student issues onto the radar of municipal politicians.

Q: How does the PGSS’ recent refer­ endum on joining the Quebec Federation of University Students affect your relationship with them? A: The issue is pretty much sealed right now, the referendum has been conducted. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t conduct the refer­ endum during the academic year, as organi­ zations like the Tribune and the Daily would have been able to cover it. That being said, I ’ve been in contact a lot with the executive of the PGSS, and our relations are good.

Q: What strategies can you use to get students more interested in the external portfolio and the issues that go with it? A: The big question always looming around this portfolio is students’ awareness of what goes on here ... because it’s dealing with issues that exist outside of the immediacy of club affairs, social event planning, etc. ... But it comes down to education, it comes down to accessibility of information, and those are two goals that I have.

VP Finance and Operations Q: What are your plans for the coming year? A: I am working particularly on transpar­ ency and visibility of the financial aspects. In terms o f the transparency, for instance, during the summer we placed all o f the financial state­ ments from 1992 until last year on the website ... I want to make Gert’s a better place for stu­ dents to hang out and have fun, so we have been putting a lot of energy over the summer to change it. Right now we have made some minor modifications. If you go into the bar, you will see that we got rid o f those ugly metal planks ... There are also long-term projects in terms o f changing the actual bar and floor that will come later in the year ... I ’ll be putting a lot o f energy into invigorating Gert’s.

that didn’t match our structure. It will not be fully integrated until after the rush period be­ cause right now it’s unfeasible ... We will also be working after the rush period on seeing how we can diversify what Haven has to offer, es­ pecially to compliment that lull between early September and January.

Q: What are your long-term goals? A: Something else I want to do is work on a long-term plan for both the finances and operations ... I met with the person who man­ ages the portfolio over the summer and we discussed how this might be a good time to change the 80-20 per cent risk ratio that we have to something a little more aggressive if we are capable of that for the long term.

Q: Has there been any progress on the management and strategies of Haven Books?

Q: Given the controversy surrounding your position, did you have any doubts or reservation about the responsibility?

A: Haven was very time consuming over the summer because we had no manager, but now there is a new manager. Council approved this new system called profit line last year and we were supposed to implement it this year, but there were all sorts o f complications deal­ ing with delays from the developers and things

A: Absolutely not. The more I get into this, I feel that a lot of it was unfounded, that a lot of personal feelings and frictions between people last year led to the point that they were not able to work, and thus leading to the res­ ignation. I have absolutely no hesitation or reservations.


8 • Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Ask Congressional Republicans to name their political heroes and you'll most likely get the same few responses: Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, perhaps Teddy Roosevelt. But not Benjamin Disraeli. It is to this 19th century British prime minister, however, that Republicans might look to resuscitate their battered party. In Disraeli's Britain, the goal o f expand­ ing the electoral franchise occupied a similar place in the domestic political terrain that health care reform has for the last 20 years in America. Like the health care debate, many politicians on the left harboured dreams of re­ forming the franchise while their counterparts on the right feared it. Like health care reform, franchise reform seemed inevitable in the long term yet remained a challenging short-term prospect. And like health care, a reform bill’s success could make or break a government. Unlike today’s Republicans, however, Benjamin Disraeli understood that success in the politics of opposition requires more than just voting “nay.” In 1866, William Gladstone, a leading British Liberal, introduced a reform bill de­ signed to extend the vote to working class men who met a certain property qualification. Though the bill was a moderate one, Glad­ stone and the Liberals made a number of tacti­ cal errors in their efforts to pass it. The reform bill—and with it, the Liberal government— went down in defeat, and the Conservative Party came to power. Along with Lord Derby—his counterpart in the House of Lords—Disraeli then per­ formed a brilliant political maneuver: he in­ troduced another reform bill. In doing so, he usurped a traditionally Liberal issue and beat the opposition at its own game. And because Disraeli’s bill actually extended the franchise further, it was more popular with the public. What motivated Disraeli to take such an unexpected action? It certainly wasn’t sympa­ thy for Gladstone—the two men loathed each

Fresh Hell Zoe Daniels zdaniels@mc2nrtriftune.com I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (AND I DON’ T C A R E) The first two weeks o f school always remind me of the kids’ TV show Captain Planet and the P laneteers. You see, there are five distinct Planeteers, and everyone I know identifies with at least one. I ’ve found that McGillers are overwhelmingly Linkas. Not just because she’s white and a math whiz, but because her Planeteer ring controls the power of wind. Don't get it? Consider the amount o f air required to have the “What did you do this summer?” conversation every time you

O p in io n

mcgilltribune.com

other and clashed publicly. Instead, Disraeli recognized that despite Gladstone’s tactical failure, public enthusiasm for reform re­ mained strong. By introducing his own reform bill, Disraeli could outflank Gladstone on the left while winning support for his party. Disraeli’s strategy stands in stark contrast to that of today’s Congressional Republicans. While Disraeli seized the issue of the day and used it to his political advantage, Republicans cannot, or will not, court voters beyond their own shrinking base. Thus, their legislative strategy has primarily entailed voting against Democratic bills while waiting for President Obama to slip up. To their credit, some Republican strate­ gists recognize that this strategy won’t be vi­ able forever. “Some o f the stuff that is going to work for us in the short term is not going to work in the long term,” Mike Murphy, a G.O.P. consultant, recently told The New York Times. “The heavy lifting we need for a real comeback—a comeback that would give us majorities and not just slow down Obama—is going to mean modernizing what conserva­ tism means because the demographics o f the party are changing and we are not.” Murphy’s correct, but today’s Republi­ cans don’t seem to have any interest in begin­ ning that heavy lifting. Republicans in Congress are in no way bound to support the president’s health care efforts. I f they believe the legislation Congres­ sional Democrats are producing is deficient, then they should vote it down. But the G.O.P. needs to recognize that the voters they need to win majorities are dissatis'fied with the current state of American health care. Americans aren’t wedded to the Demo­ crats’ specific proposals, however, and Re­ publicans can use this to their advantage. The Healthy Americans Act, an alternative bill in­ troduced by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Republican Senator Robert Bennett, at­ tracted support from prominent members of both parties earlier this year. If the Republican leadership threw its weight behind such a bill, it would be political suicide for Democrats to vote it down. Disraeli’s lesson for Republicans is this: faced with public demand for change, it is bet­ ter to effect that change on your own terms than to stand in the way of it. Americans want health care reform. If Congressional Demo­ crats fail to deliver it, then Republicans should take up the challenge.

I'm starting to feel really old. Objectively, I know I ’m not old—I ’m only 23. But as I start the sixth year o f my Bachelor o f Arts degree and my second year writing for the Tribune, it’s hard not to feel pretty ancient. With apologies to my comrades in age, it sucks being the old guy on campus. You try to talk about movies or TV shows with your classmates, only to get answers like “I think my older sister watched that one.” You smile at froshies and instead o f come-hither looks, you get furrowed brows and calls o f “stranger danger.” You’re forced to smile politely as kids list off their favourite albums by bands with incomprehensible names. All in all, it makes you feel like an old man. O f course, one would think that a positive aspect of being old and writing a current affairs column is having some historical perspective. And I ’ll admit I occasionally love being the pretentious know-it-all who remembers things that happened when most of my classmates were still in high school. “In my day, we went on strike alongside 300,000 other Quebec stu­ dents—now that was activism!” sounds pretty badass. But on the whole, “back in my day” lectures are not well received by people trying to carve out their own place in the proud tradi­ tion of Quebec student activism. At the same time, historical perspective is important and often lacking on a campus that runs on a three-to-four-year cycle. For ex­ ample, at least three-quarters o f the students who voted to stop turning over $100,000 per year of our money to the historically separat­ ist, historically unilingual, and historically useless Quebec Federation of University Stu­ dents (FEUQ) have left campus. That’s part of the reason why the same bunch o f FEUQers (say it out loud, it’s funny) were able to dupe graduate students into voting last week to join a student organization that will spend most of its time fighting against the interests of McGill students. (To make matters worse, the referen­

dum to join FEUQ was shamefully held in the middle of the summer when no campus media were around to publicize the importance of the vote and the downsides of joining FEUQ.) Similarly, the McGill administration is good at outlasting students who stand up to them. I would bet that almost no one reading this column remembers when the adminis­ tration evicted the Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students’ Society from its night office. SACOMSS runs its daytime operations out of the Shatner building but needs McGill to pro­ vide a confidential night office, whose loca­ tion is kept secret for the safety of the volun­ teers that staff the organization’s anonymous phone lines. But in the spring o f 2006, McGill attempted to evict SACOM SS from their night office, citing liability concerns and the policy that the university does not provide space for students’ non-academic initiatives. O f course, if you ask me, the real reason that McGill tried to evict SACOM SS was because of a pend­ ing legal battle with Muslim students demand­ ing prayer space on campus. Booting out the most valuable student-run student service in the country to secure a better legal position for another issue—that’s just politics as usual at McGill. Thankfully, after widespread student outrage, McGill agreed to let SACOM SS op­ erate under the umbrella of the McGill Mental Health Services program. When I started my BA in 2004, I was a young activist with a healthy disgust for the concept of “student politics.” But at the end of my first year, college and university students across Quebec organized en masse to defeat a part of Premier Jean Charest’s attack on Que­ bec’s social services and economic system. That showed me that students can play a vital role as agents of social change in Quebec. This prompted my involvement in SSM U —where I served for two years as vice-president exter­ nal affairs—and honed my interest in student groups that fight for a better education system, and, consequently, a better society. My point—and I do have one—is that historical memory is important when going up against people with the power and resources to outlast their opposition. Student federations fighting against students’ interests, an admin­ istration hell-bent on eliminating student in­ volvement on campus, and other evil forces in our society love when we forget both our past mistakes and triumphs. To paraphrase a line from lefty folk music: a long student memory is the most radical idea in our universities.

bump into someone you know. Right, it takes less wind to knock over an anorexic. To have that superficial exchange with everyone who asks—from the girl who was on your floor in rez to the sort of cute library stocker—takes Herculean lung strength. And I don’t have that kind o f energy. I prefer to quickly summarize my summer in a blog, Facebook post, or cof­ fee date. I am Wheeler when it comes to firstweek conversations: loud, quick, and bonafide Amer-i-can. Channelling the brash and hot-headed Brooklynite, I feel comfortable suggesting a campus-wide boycott o f the “How was your summer?” conversation. No longer will we spend endless minutes between classes dawdling on Lower Field pretending to care about someone’s “life-changing” trip to South America. There will be no more smiles faked at the mention of a family wedding and no faux sympathy for joblessness, removal of wisdom teeth, or dead pets. No friendship will have to be feigned during the long minutes in line for

advising. We can all go back to listening to our iPods and worrying about our graduation requirements in blissful silence. I ’m not saying you need to keep your pre­ vious months’ activities a state secret or that you can’t update your best friends. I ’m just saying that you should keep the gushing about your Haitian boyfriend to a bare minimum and that if I haven’t held your hair while you puked, don’t start talking about how inspira­ tional you find camp counseling. And come to think o f it, fuck your sunny vacation. I worked in an office with no windows for eight hours a day, and came home to an apartment with no air conditioning. Your picturesque Europe­ an jaunt, that your parents probably paid for, would put a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie to shame. I don't need to feel inferior within four minutes o f receiving my first syllabus—I ’ve got English theory reading lists for that. Worst of all. these conversations are often initiated by people I would never talk to oth­ erwise. The people I end up having the “first

week” conversation with seem to be friends of friends, or people I met at a party three years ago. Just because we’re friends on Facebook doesn’t mean we’re friends in real life. If we are Facebook friends, be aware that I already know what you did this summer because I spent mine on an unmonitored computer. Cute bikini, by the way. If we have to catch up on the entire sum­ mer during the first week o f school, we’re probably not very good friends. The only rea­ son I ’m even really acknowledging these fake friends is to keep our tenuous connection alive so that if they ever become famous, rich, or die, I can get something from them. Maybe that’s terrible, but nepotism makes the world go round, right? But because we haven’t waved or smiled at each other in four months, we have to have a perfunctory conversation that will make me late for lunch. A lunch at which I will likely sit down and say to my companion “It’s so good to see you! What’d you do this summer?”

TH E OLD AND TH E R ESTLESS


Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • 9

Curiosity Delivers 9»

w ic G il l M T r ibu n e www.mcgilltribime.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Thom as Quail editor@ m cgilltribune.com

MANAGING EDITORS Jam es Gilman jgilm an@ m cgilltribun e.com Carolyn Yates cyates@ m cgilltribune.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Adam Scotti ascotti@ m cgilltribune.com

NEWS EDITORS Tori Crawford Steven H offer Trip Yang new s@ m cgilltribune.com

OPINION EDITOR Matt Chesser opinion@ m cgilltribune.com

FEATURES EDITORS Shannon Kim ball Brahna Siegelberg features@ m cgilltribune.com

Ed it o r ia ls PGSS FEUQs up referendum dates Rushing democracy, even with the best intentions, usually creates problems and raises questions o f legitimacy. And ques­ tions are all we seem to have when exam­ ining the Post Graduate Students’ Society’s decision to move forward the dates for their recent referendum on joining the Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ) by over a month. In August, PGSS President Daniel Simeone proposed a motion at PGSS Council to move the voting period for the FEUQ affilia­ tion referendum to August 24-28, instead of the originally announced dates o f October 5-9. The motion was sent to Executive Com­ mittee—due to a lack of quorum at Coun­ cil—where it was unanimously passed. Since then, we've yet to hear a good reason for the referendum being moved. Simeone claims that the date was changed because the executives could put more time into a referendum while they're free in Au­ gust, rather than when they have class in October. This strikes us as disingenuous, as

the majority of the advertising and organiza­ tional work for the referendum could have been done before the start of school. This may sound callous, but it’s the job o f the ex­ ecutive to do what’s best for the society as a whole, not what’s best for their personal schedules. And if there was another reason for moving the referendum forward, the PGSS executives need to say so publicly. As it is, all we can think of are good rea­ sons not to move the referendum date. While many graduate students remain on campus during the summer, it’s much more difficult for those students to mobilize for a referen­ dum. Without a campus press to inform and facilitate debate, students on both sides of the affiliation vote were hampered in their ability to inform others. And by waiting until August to change the date of the referendum, the executives gave students less than three weeks to plan information and advertising campaigns. Even more troubling is that PGSS Council didn’t approve the date change. One

of the reasons that Council exists is to act as a check on the executive. And since the executive was involved in the FEUQ affili­ ation process, they shouldn’t have been al­ lowed to change the date o f the referendum without the approval of Council. It also puts PGSS Council in the odd position o f voting to approve an election that has already oc­ curred. It’s extremely unlikely that they’ll vote against the date change, since it would put the PGSS in a difficult grey area. The Tribune doesn’t question the refer­ endum result. With a clear majority of stu­ dents voting “yes” and a turnout o f just over 10 per cent, it’s fairly likely that the mem­ bership o f the PGSS would have voted to join FEUQ even if the referendum was held in October—but that’s impossible to know for sure. Whether intentionally or not, the PGSS executive limited debate on the ref­ erendum through their shortsighted actions, and on an important issue such as provincial representation, that raises a lot o f troubling questions.

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PUBLISHER

A tiered funding system will stifle competition In late August, McGill Principal Heath­ er Munroe-Blum, along with the heads of four other premiere research-intensive Ca­ nadian universities, proposed a new national approach to university funding. According to the proposal, this “big five” would re­ ceive a larger portion of research funding and graduate students, while other Canadian universities would shift their focus to under­ graduate studies. The leaders of the newly-christened big five—the universities of Alberta, Montreal, Toronto, B.C., and M cG ill—are correct that Canadian universities are underfunded and Canadian education is suffering. But their proposal to concentrate graduate studies in an artificial top tier is misguided. The Tribune believes that the ultimate goal should be to strive for the best overall standard of Canadian research. And the best

way to do this is to ensure fair competition between all institutions—not by anointing a big five and guaranteeing them a bigger piece of the pie. Universities outside the big five can, and do, produce valuable research. Just look at Waterloo—you can thank them for your BlackBerry. It should be the prerogative of each Canadian university—not the govern­ ment—to determine what sort of institution it will be. Many Canadian schools, such as Queen’s University and the University of Western Ontario, try to strike a balance between research and undergraduate stud­ ies. They should be allowed to do so, just as McGill should be allowed to focus on grad­ uate studies. A university’s focus shouldn’t be nationally mandated. Considering the amount of influence the big five have, it’s disheartening that

they’ve chosen to focus on this, instead of seeking to make tuition more affordable and improve undergraduate studies. The undergraduate experience at many o f these universities, including McGill, has already suffered enough. In recent years, McGill has increased undergraduates’ access to research. But it’s not enough. Increased investment in undergraduate research would serve to improve the undergraduate experi­ ence and inspire a new generation of gradu­ ate students to continue producing worldclass research at McGill. A choice between improving research and improving undergraduate studies is a false one. While one can argue that Cana­ dian research is underfunded, concentrating more of the limited resources in the graduate programs of only five universities is not the answer.

Chad Ronalds

CONTRIBUTORS Kathryn Amey, Zoe D aniels, G race G low icki, John Kelsey, Adam Laidlaw, T heo Meyer, Em m a Quail. M ax Silverman

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I was always a piss-poor writer. In ele­ mentary, junior high, and high school, English class was always a challenge. I was simply bad at it, or so I thought at the time. And, ac­ cording to my peanut-sized schoolboy brain, no amount o f practice would—or could—ever change that fact. Nevertheless, I came to McGill in the fall o f 2006. I was a typical first-year science stu­ dent—I took careful class notes, finished my WebWork, and studied for midterms and finals. Like most first-year students, I also enjoyed the more-than-occasional weekend of binge­ drinking. But in January of my first year, after a particularly rough Saturday morning, I de­ cided that I needed something else. My usual nightly routine of Alexander Keith’s, Korova, and Madonna Pizza had lost its luster.

My friend, a fellow Calgarian, had written a few pieces for the McGill Tribune, and one Sunday afternoon, we met for shawarma. He suggested that I should write for the Tribune. In response, I listed off a host of reasons why that was a bad idea: I was a terrible writer, I could barely read, and I ’d been lying about my Grade 12 English results since the end of high school. But he was persuasive. I caved, and I went to a Tribune news meeting. On a Tuesday after class, I walked into the Tribune office—an intimidating place, to say the least. I regretted going immediately. I sat down quietly, and my friend introduced me to the editors and the fellow writers. I still felt ill at ease, but at least everyone was friendly. Near the end of the meeting, everyone picked a story and went their separate ways. For four days, I researched, interviewed, and wrote as best I could. I submitted my article on Friday and waited—fearfully—for Tuesday’s issue. On Tuesday morning, I rushed to pick up a Tribune. My fears were confirmed—it was a massacre. The editors had changed ev­ erything. Upset and embarrassed, I resolved to never set foot in the Tribune office again. For a full week I was resolute: there was no way I was ever going back. I had been humiliated, I thought. There was one catch though: I had really liked it. The research­

ing, the interviewing, the fact checking, the writing—I enjoyed it all. And my name was in the newspaper—that was cool. So, slowly, it ate away at me. And that following Tuesday, I walked into another news meeting with my tail firmly set between my legs. I imagined as I walked to the meeting that when I entered the office, the editors would slyly look at each other and roll their eyes, as if to say: “There’s Tom Quail, he can’t write a damn thing.” But to my surprise, their reaction was quite the opposite. They smiled and told me how pleased they were to see me. In fact, they thanked me for writing two weeks previ­ ous. I was awestruck. And so I kept writing. I learned the style guide. I learned about ledes, transition sen­ tences, and the inverted pyramid. And, slowly but surely, my writing improved. The more I wrote, the more I improved—I was shocked. Writing isn’t simply a natural talent or a celestial gift. It’s a human skill that’s devel­ oped through hard work, dedication, and prac­ tice. So if you’re interested in writing, please send the Tribune an email—or, better yet, drop by the Tribune office (on the first floor of the Shatner building, room 110). We always need new contributors. And I ’m living proof that anyone, if interested and willing to learn, can write.


McGill

SHANNON KIMBALL AND BRAHNA SIEGELBERG

PART

Your first week at McGill might leave you feeling like a fish out of water. The pub crawl was a blur, you don’t have any idea where to find your classes, and your knowledge of Montreal has a four block radius. But now that Frosh activities have died down, hango­ vers have subsided, and your bags are mostly unpacked, it’s time to get down to business. Presenting the Idiot’s Guide to McGill: a summation o f all the important things that will guide you through your first year in Montreal. Or, if you’re an upper classman, provide you with some information you might have missed, were too drunk to realize, or simply never knew.

School

Advising McGill advisors will help you graduate in a timely fashion, but they are not career advi­ sors or mentors. Long-awaited appointments may last only a few minutes, so be prepared to look elsewhere for advice. Floor fellows will know about first year classes and requirements, and have heard enough stories to recommend specific profes­ sors. For departmental or career advice, ask someone who knows the departmental prereq­ uisites and understands your interests. If a lec­ ture on 19th century Dutch painting inspires you to switch from a chemistry major to the art history program, talk to the professor who gave the lecture. He or she can provide advice on classes, research, and graduate school op­ tions. Professors like to talk about their inter­ ests—it’s what they do for a living. However, McGill has many well renowned professors with busy schedules, so TAs may be just as useful and more available for office hours.

Courses Don’t be afraid to shop around for cours­ es. The add/drop deadline is September 15, and depending on your program, you may be able to register for six classes until you find the right combination of interesting courses that fit into a manageable schedule. McGill is a big university, and while some departments have smaller classes or confer­ ences, there will always be courses in which the professor has no idea who you are. If you want to be noticed, visit professors during of­ fice hours, or transfer to Mining Engineering, which only matriculates 10 students per year. Don’t skip a class just because it’s record­ ed. It may be hard to wake up for an 8:30 a.m. class, but it’s even harder to catch up a month later. Recordings were designed for the rare occasions when skipping class is necessary, and for reference when studying for exams.

kept secret and any stu­ dents’ best friend, the Degree Evaluation Record helps students avoid three hour line-ups and five minutes with your advi­ sor. Found on Minerva in the Student Re-

Locations

PART

Su rvivin g School Sludging Materials Textbooks are expensive, and the more advanced your classes become, the more ex­ pensive they get. The M cGill libraries have multiple copies o f every required textbook, but securing a copy before an exam is risky. Luckily, the used textbook market is expand­ ing. Many texts are available on Amazon.com or eBay. Haven Books allows students to set their own prices for previously owned books. The McGill Bookstore also sells used books, and they are likely to be in good condition. Textbook companies are constantly look­ ing to update their content, but the motivation to do so is usually financial. Ask professors about content differences between old and new editions—often the older, cheaper ver­ sion will suffice. If you must get shiny new books, don’t go to the McGill Bookstore in the first week. Buy textbooks when your schedule is finalized and the lineups are shorter. Used textbooks can’t always be returned, and course packs have no monetary value once the seal is broken. School supplies are cheap unless you buy the designer versions. Pharmacies and dollar stores have a wide variety o f decent supplies, and Bureau en Gros is far cheaper than the McGill Bookstore.

cords menu, the Degree Evaluation outlines in what areas and what courses you need to complete your years at McGill. Look it up, avoid the line-ups and enjoy September with a cool drink on a patio worry free.

M cGill has over a dozen libraries, but most students flock to McLennan and Schulich during exams. While the Cyberthèque is modem and chic, a desk, a quiet space, and perhaps some coffee are the only tools neces­ sary to study. Explore all o f the McGill librar­ ies and lounges and come up with a short list of study spots. Coffee shops and lounges are a great place to pretend to study. You can bring all of your books, sit at a table, and chat with your friends about studying until you’ve procras­ tinated enough to forget about your assign­ ments. This habit is harmless occasionally, but being lonely in the library is a better option in the long ran. Don’t forget to study for your exams. Midterms can occur over the course of six weeks, giving you plenty of time to fix lazy habits, but you may be unlucky enough to have five finals in five days. There’s no use setting up camp in Schulich in September, but keep a steady study schedule during the semester, and start buckling down for exams a few weeks beforehand.

Edible Fuel On Campus If you have no desire to channel your inner Julia Child but don’t want to fuel the res­ taurant business, the Martlet Meal Plans can be used at over twenty campus eateries. The prices are reasonable, especially compared to downtown Montreal restaurants, and the food is decent. While bland food may not be the most appealing, at least there’s variety. Midnight Kitchen also proves that there may be such a thing as a free lunch: go to the Shatner Building at 12:30 p.m. during the week for free and pay-as-you-can vegan meals. It’s worth a try, even for carnivores. In the Ghetto The McGill Ghetto boasts almost every type o f chain restaurant and café. Subway, Thai Express, and Pita Pit can easily become staples o f your diet. For something a little less commercial, try Amelio’s on Milton and St. Famille for pizza or Lola Rosa on Milton and Aylmer, for brunch and vegetarian food.

The Supermarché Those willing to venture into the kitchen should head to Provigo and Metro, both of which offer 10 per cent student discounts on Mondays for purchases over $50. Drinking on Campus I f you want to take a nice, relaxing break or wind down at the end o f a hard day with an ice cold beer, stop by the Open Air Pub (OAP) located right at the center of campus during the first few weeks o f school, or Gert’s bar in the basement of the Shatner building (open all year round).

Safety McGill is located in the center of a cos­ mopolitan city known for its nightlife. Uni­ versity students, particularly drunk ones, are an easy target. Be aware o f M cG ill’s security services, including on-campus security and Walksafe. Use common sense when out at night and never carry more money or personal identification than necessary.

all-nighter — helper Second Cup and Presse Café, both at Milton and Parc, are great for coffee and food to go, but will be jammed during exam season. El Mundo, a new café also on Milton and Parc, has a wide selection o f sandwiches and paninis as well as a full coffee menu. Coffee shops take a toll on bank ac­ counts, so invest in a coffee machine or French press. Save the expensive coffee for when you can enjoy it instead o f guz­ zling it before class. A regular coffee ma­ chine is not complicated, and can easily be found for under $50 at Canadian Tire.


P A R T ^

What you're doing when you tell the parents you're studying Nightlife Thankfully, you go to school in a city that is not only culturally rich, but also happens to have an esteemed nightlife. And best of all, there are no fake IDs necessary.

On Saint Laurent Tokyo If you are a first year, you probably don’t need to be told twice to go to this Sean PaulRihanna-Lady Gaga-pumping club. But for the uninformed, Tokyo is the place to go— particularly on Thursday nights. The line can be a deterrent, especially when the weather drops below zero, so getting there early is a must. Bifteck Bar Bifteck is the classic go-to bar if you’re feeling unadventurous but want to go have a beer with your friends (or perhaps get drunk before heading to Tokyo). While it smells a bit like rancid beer, you’re guaranteed cheap drinks, a chill atmosphere, pool tables, and best o f all, free popcorn.

Cafeteria Resto-Bar If you’re looking for something more posh, the red plush chairs and waitresses in little dresses at Cafeteria just might fit the bill. While it’s a bit expensive, if you’re in the mood to wear your best outfit while sipping on a cocktail and munching on a refreshing appe­ tizer, then this is a perfect place to go. Monday night is Ladies’ Night, so if you have a late Tuesday class or are hangover-re­ sistant, enjoy the endless flow of alcohol.

Other Hot Spots Crescent Have trouble making up your mind? Go to Crescent Street and have a beer at Brutopia, take a shot from a test tube at Madhatter, and then go dancing at Light Ultra Club (though beware o f the $10 cover). If you’re hungry af­ terwards, get the best shwarma o f your life at Boustan’s.

Peel Pub Peel Pub is the cheapest place to combine eating, drinking, dancing, and sports-watch­ ing. Located right on the very lively St. Cath­ erine Street, the bar also has different drink and food specials every night. Benelux Located on Sherbrooke Street only five minutes away from campus, Benelux is a great place to go if you are looking to have a beer in style. The floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed brick décor, kegs in the entranceway, and end­ less selection o f beers brewed on site are a beer aficionado’s wet dream. On Wednesdays, the bar morphs from quaint beer joint into club hotspot with an impressive bouncer and an even more impressive crowd. Korova If you want to dance in an extremely sweaty room to vintage funk and rock music in the heart o f the Plateau, then whip out those skinny jeans and head to Korova. Fully equipped with pool tables, foosball, and a PacMan machine, Korova is undoubtedly the place to make the best of that one shot too many.

drunken _ m unchin* La Belle Province Whether you want some greasy poutine, a cheap burger and fries, or a chicken gyro, this is the perfect fast food choice after a wild night.

$2 Chow Mein Don’t feel like taking the time to walk into a restaurant? Just stop by the $2 chow mein window right near Ave. des Pins and St. Laurent and indulge in a greasy, flavor-infused delight that is sure to satisfy drunk munchers.

St-Viateur Bagels A Montreal institution, St-Viateur offers hot, fresh, homemade Montrealstyle bagels 24/7. So if you happen to be around St-Viateur and want to enjoy a warm, doughy, sesame-seed-laden slice o f heaven, this historic factory is definitely worth the trip.

Cam pus Events

McGill offers countless opportunities to both participate in as well as to observe its many student productions. Whether you’re interested in musicals, dramas, or behind-the-scenes set production, just walk by the bulletin board in the Arts or SSMU buildings to find information on audition dates and performances.

ADAM SCOTTI

Student sports get a bad rep here at McGill. Where else can you get cheap beer, watch some great games, oogle cheerleaders, and yell about amorous relations between Queen’s University athletes and sheep? All for under $5.


CAMPUS RECREATION 24/ 7 O n - L i n e S e r v i c e s For M c G i l l S t a f f and S t u d e n t s Vi si t w w w . m c g i l l . c a / a t h l e t i c s for det ai l s .

INTRAMURAL SPORTS SPORTS

LEAGUES

LEVELS

COST

REGISTRATION DATES

PLAYERS TO REGISTER

GAME DAYS

FREE AGENTS MEETING

BALL HOCKEY

MEN & WOMEN

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 15,17:00

8

Mon, Tues 8, Sunday

8-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

BASKETBALL

MEN & WOMEN

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 15,17:00

8

Tues, to Fri. Weekends

8-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

DODGEBALL

COREC

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 15,17:00

4 Men 8, 4 Women

Mon. 8,Tues. Weekends

8-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

FLAG FOOTBALL

MEN & WOMEN

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 9,17:00

8

Monday 8, Sunday

3-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

ICE HOCKEY

MEN & WOMEN

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE BEGINNER RECREATIONAL

$675.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 9,17:00

11

Mon. to Fri. Weekends

3-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

OUTDOOR SOCCER

MEN, WOMEN & COREC

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$160.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 9,17:00

12

Mon. to Fri. Weekends

3-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

ULTIMATE DISC

COREC

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 9,17:00

4 Men 8, 4 Women

Mon. to Fri. Weekends

3-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

VOLLEYBALL

MEN, WOMENS, CO REC

COMPETITIVE INTERMEDIATE RECREATIONAL

$140.00 per team

August 25,12:00 to September 15,17:00

8 4 Men 8, 4 Women

Mon. to Fri.

8-Sep 17:00 Tomlinson Hall

2009-2010 INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM GENERAL INFORMATION

A re you looking fo r work? Applications are now being accepted for officiating and tim er positions in the McGill Intramural Program for the following sports:

ELIGIBILITY •

BALL HOCKEY

BASKETBALL

HOW TO ENTER

DODGEBALL

• . •

FLAG FOOTBALL ICE HOCKEY SOCCER

Paying the team entry fee on-line prior to the entry deadline. Submitting scheduling restrictions and a copy of the team roster by the registration deadline. Blank rosters may be obtained from the Athletics website - www.mcgill.ca/ athletics Reading the rules & regulations that govern the intramural sports program, and being familiar with the specific rules of the sport. Having enough players to field a complete team for each game throughout the season. Appropriately filling out and signing the game sheet before and after every game (even defaults).

Experience and/or officiating certification preferred.

J f

I M

I

McGill ATHL E T I CS & RECREATI ON

INFORMATION:

Individuals are encouraged to form their own teams. Teams may come from the same faculty, department, residence or any other group. Captains must enter their team by paying the team entry fee on-line prior to the entry deadline. Teams are taken on a first come first served basis.

CAPTAINS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Please forward your resume (.doc) to perry.karnofsky@mcgill.ca or fax 514-398-4901.

f L

All full-time McGill University students are eligible to participate. McGill staff and alumni who have purchased a Sports Complex Membership may also compete in intramural activities. Players are required to present their McGill identification card to the timer prior to each game. Failure to comply with this rule will prevent the individual from participating in that game.

Keeping in touch with the league coordinator via email, and forwarding correspondence to their team mates.

514-398-7011


FALL 2009

FITNESS AND RECREATION COURSES C o u rs e

Day

T im e

C ost

W ks

3 9 .8 6 /5 7 .5 9

8

Aquatics A d u lts L e a rn T o S w im (L e v e l 1 B e g in n e r) A d u lts L e a rn T o S w im (L e v e l 2 & 3 In te r m e d ia te ) S w im F it

M onday

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :2 5

S a tu rd a y

1 1 :1 5 -1 2 :1 0

W ednesday

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :2 5

S a tu rd a y

1 1 :1 5 -1 2 :1 0

T u e s & T h u rs

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :2 5

4 4 .3 0 /8 8 .5 9

10

W ednesday

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :2 5

2 6 .5 8 /4 4 .3 0

8

8

( C a r d io - R e s p ir a to r y E n d u r a n c e ) S tr o k e I m p ro v e m e n t

REGISTRATION INFORMATION On-line and walk-in registration for fall programs begins at 12h00 Tuesday, August 25,2009 and continues through Monday, September 28, 2009. Registration takes place on-line and in the Client Services office (G-20C) of the Sports Centre, Monday through Friday 8h30-20h00. Most classes begin instruction the week of September 14,2009. Pay-As-You-Go classes begin the week of September 14,2009, and run until December 20,2009. Full-time McGill undergraduate students may register for courses at the member's fee. Non-members can register for courses but may only use the facilities during their designated class times. Please note: There will be no classes held on October 10,11 and 12 due to the holiday weekend. Be sure to download our TOP 10 TIPS TO REGISTER ON-LINE, found at www.mcgill.ca/athletics.

Dance F rid a y

1 6 :3 0 - 1 8 :2 5

7 9 .7 4 /1 0 1 .8 9

10

B e lly D a n c in g

M onday

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

B e lly D a n c in g

W ednesday

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

F rid a y

1 8 :3 0 - 2 1 :5 5

3 5 .4 4

20

B a lle t

C o n te m p o r a r y D a n c e

C o u rs e T e n n is In tro

( S tu d e n ts O N L Y - A u d it io n R e q u ir e d ) F la m e n c o H ip H o p

Day

T im e

C ost

W ks

Sports M onday

1 6 :0 0 - 1 6 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

M onday

2 0 :0 0 - 2 0 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

W ednesday

1 9 :0 0 - 2 0 :2 5

5 3 .1 5 /7 5 .3 1

10

Tuesday

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

T u e s d a y (b e g in n e r)

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

W ednesday

1 4 :0 0 - 1 4 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

Tuesday

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

10

T h u rs d a y

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

T h u rs d a y

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

10

S a tu r d a y

0 9 :3 0 - 1 0 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 0 .7 5

4

Sunday

1 0 :0 0 - 1 1 :2 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 0 .7 5

4

F rid a y

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

10

M onday

2 1 : 0 0 - 2 1 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

J a z z I & II

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 7 :0 0 - 1 8 :2 5

8 4 .1 7 /1 2 8 .4 6

10

Tuesday

1 6 :0 0 - 1 6 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

J a z z II & III

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :5 5

8 4 .1 7 /1 2 8 .4 6

10

Tuesday

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

W ednesday

1 5 :0 0 - 1 5 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

T h u rs d a y

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

S a tu r d a y

1 1 :0 0 - 1 2 :2 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 0 .7 5

4

Tuesday

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

L a tin D a n c e L in d y H o p I - S w in g D a n c e S o c ia l D a n c e

M onday

1 9 :0 0 - 2 0 :2 5

5 3 .1 5 /7 5 .3 1

10

T h u rs d a y

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

M onday

2 0 :3 0 - 2 1 :5 5

5 3 .1 5 /7 5 .3 1

10

Fitness & Wellness

T e n n is In te r

T e n n is A d v a n c e d M onday & W ednesday

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

W ednesday

1 6 :0 0 - 1 6 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

T h u rs d a y

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 5 .1 8

6

B o d y D e s ig n

S a tu rd a y

1 2 :0 0 - 1 2 :5 5

2 0 .3 8 /4 2 .5 3

10

B o d y W o rk s

M onday & W ednesday

1 2 :0 0 - 1 2 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

Tuesday &

1 8 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

8 8 .6 0 /1 3 2 .8 9

10

M onday & W ednesday

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

F rid a y

1 7 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

10

10

A b s , B a c k & B o o tie

B oot C am p

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

C a r d io J a m

M onday & W ednesday

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

S a tu rd a y , T B A

0 9 :0 0 - 1 7 :0 0

7 9 .7 4 /8 8 .6 0

1

C la s s ic C a r d io C P R X F irs t A id

S unday, T B A

1

C P R R e -C e rt

TBA

0 9 :0 0 - 1 7 :0 0

4 8 .7 3 /5 3 .1 6

D e -T o x C y c le

S unday

1 1 :0 0 -1 1 :5 5

3 1 .0 1 /5 3 .1 6

10

M onday & W ednesday

0 8 :0 0 - 0 8 :5 5

4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6

8

1 6 :0 0 - 1 6 :5 5

4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6

8

1 8 :1 5 - 1 9 :2 5

6 6 .4 5 /1 1 0 .7 4

10

H a th a Y o g a I

1 9 :3 0 - 2 0 :4 0

5 3 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

0 8 :0 0 - 0 8 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

1 6 :0 0 - 1 6 :5 5

4 2 .5 3 /7 7 .9 6

8

1 7 :0 0 - 1 8 :1 0

5 3 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

M onday & W ednesday

1 7 :0 0 - 1 8 :1 0

5 3 .1 6 /8 8 .6 0

8

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 8 :3 0 - 1 9 :4 0

6 6 .4 5 /1 1 0 .7 4

10

M onday & W ednesday

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

3 9 .8 7 /8 4 .1 7

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 8 :0 0 - 1 8 :5 5

6 2 .0 2 /1 0 6 .3 1

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

H a th a Y o g a II

K ic k , P u n c h , J iv e & J a m P edal Jam P edal & Pum p P e r s o n a l T r a in e r D e v e lo p m e n t

F rid a y W ednesday

|

1 6 :3 0 - 1 7 :5 5

4 6 .9 6 /6 9 .1 0

10

1 9 :0 0 - 2 1 :5 5

2 2 1 .5 0 /2 5 2 .5 0

14

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

1 9 :0 0 - 1 9 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 3 :0 0 - 1 4 :1 0

6 6 .4 5 /1 1 0 .7 4

10

P il창 te s I & Il

F rid a y

1 4 :3 0 - 1 5 :4 0

3 9 .8 7 /6 2 .0 2

10

P o w e r Yoga

M onday & W ednesday

1 3 :0 0 - 1 3 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

1 7 :0 0 - 1 7 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

S a tu rd a y

1 2 :0 0 - 1 2 :5 5

2 6 .5 8 /4 8 .7 3

10

T u e s d a y & T h u rs d a y

0 8 :0 0 - 0 8 :5 5

6 2 .0 2 /1 0 6 .3 1

10

S p in & T rim

M onday & W ednesday

1 8 :0 0 - 1 9 :2 5

9 3 .0 3 /1 3 7 .3 2

10

S te p

S a tu rd a y

1 1 :0 0 -1 1 :5 5

2 0 .3 8 /4 2 .5 3

10

Tai C h i

T h u rs d a y

2 0 :0 0 - 2 1 :2 5

3 1 .8 9 /4 9 .6 1

8

M onday & W ednesday

0 8 :0 0 - 0 8 :5 5

M onday & W ednesday

2 0 :0 0 - 2 0 :5 5

4 4 .3 0 /7 9 .7 4

8

M onday & W ednesday

2 0 :0 0 - 2 0 :5 5

4 4 .3 0 /7 9 .7 4

8

T h u rs d a y

1 4 :4 5 - 1 6 :1 5

6 2 .0 2 /7 9 .7 4

8

H o c k e y II

F rid a y

1 4 :4 5 - 1 6 :1 5

W ednesday

1 5 :0 0 - 1 6 :1 5

5 1 .3 9 /6 9 .1 0

W ednesday

1 0 :3 0 -1 1 :2 0

3 5 .4 4 /5 3 .1 6

S a tu rd a y

1 1 :3 0 -1 2 :2 0

S q u a s h In te r

7 9 .7 4 /1 4 6 .1 8

1 7 :3 0 - 1 9 :2 5

7 0 .8 8 /1 1 5 .1 7

10

K a ra te

M onday & W ednesday

1 9 :3 0 - 2 1 :2 5

7 0 .8 8 /1 1 5 .1 7

10

Kendo

Tuesday &

2 0 : 0 0 - 2 1 :5 5

7 0 .8 8 /1 1 5 .1 7

10

S a tu r d a y

0 9 : 0 0 - 1 0 :5 5 10

K ic k b o x in g

M onday & W ednesday

1 5 :0 0 - 1 6 :2 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

K ic k b o x in g - S a v a te I

T u e sd a y & T h u rs d a y

2 0 : 3 0 - 2 1 :5 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

K ic k b o x in g - S a v a te II

T u e sd a y & T h u rs d a y

1 9 :0 0 - 2 0 :2 5

5 3 .1 6 /9 7 .4 6

10

Tae K w o n Do S h a o lin K u n g Fu

M onday & W ednesday

1 9 :3 0 - 2 1 :2 5

7 0 .8 8 /1 1 5 .1 7

10

T u e sd a y & T h u rs d a y

2 0 : 0 0 - 2 1 :5 5

7 0 .8 8 /1 1 5 .1 7

10

S a tu r d a y

1 3 :3 0 - 1 5 :2 5

1 4 1 .7 6 /1 5 0 .6 2

6

Sunday

1 3 :3 0 - 1 5 :2 5

S a tu rd a y , S e p te m b e r 19

A ll D a y

5 1 .3 9 /5 8 .4 7

A ll D a y

7 0 .8 8 /7 5 .3 1

Outdoor Pursuits E q u e s tr ia n

H ik in g

6

1

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The 514 (or 4 3 8 if you're a neMb) Around Town You’re lucky enough not to go to school in some small university town in the middle of nowhere. Montreal is a vibrant city that is culturally and historically rich, with lots to ex­ plore in your free time. Plus, all of these sites add a bit of culture to a university education, and are easily accessible by foot or metro.

While it's still w arm The Old Port About a 30-minute walk from campus, the Old Port is the historical, cultural, and so­ cial epicenter of Montreal. Stretching over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River, the Port was used almost 400 years ago as a trad­ ing post for early French fur traders. Today, visitors can enjoy a slew o f exciting activities including the Montreal Science Centre (which includes an IM AX theatre), dining on open patios, and, of course, a scenic location for walking, cycling, and rollerblading.

Tam Tams There is nothing that defines Montreal quite like free-spirited dancing, drum circles, and a whiff of a certain popular herb. Every Sunday (weather permitting), thousands of Montrealers gather at Parc du Mont Royal to enjoy an afternoon at Tam Tams. Whether you feel like dancing, drumming, playing Frisbee

or hackeysack, or—for the Dungeons and Dragons fans—jousting with foam weapons, Tam Tams is the place to be before the cold sets in. And don’t forget: you go to school on a mountain, so just taking a walk up to the top of Mount Royal is also something you should make time for before it gets too cold.

Piknic Electronik Enjoy techno music? For just $10, you can go to the Piknic and enjoy an afternoon or evening of eclectic musical styles and beauti­ ful waterfront views at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Ac­ cessible by bike or by metro, Piknic features talented and innovative artists mixing sounds and rhythms for an exhilarating atmosphere.

Montreal Botanical Gardens With 185 acres of themed gardens and greenhouses, the Botanical Gardens is a great place for all you botanists and environmental­ ists to spend an afternoon. Whether you want to get a sense of a typical Chinese garden with its winding paths and oriental structures and plants, or see a First Nations garden filled with native Canadian plants and artwork, the B o­ tanical Gardens feels like a step into another world.

La Ronde

Bixi Bikes

If you’re looking for a momentary escape from the world of books, deadlines, and pa­ pers, and you happen to love roller coasters (or delicious funnel cakes), then you might consider taking a trip to La Ronde—a member of the Six Flags family of theme parks. Lo­ cated only a 25-minute metro ride away from campus, La Ronde is a great place to let loose and have fun. And if you stick around a bit later, you can catch an awesome fireworks display.

If you’ve so much as walked outside, you will probably have noticed that bikers are ex­ tremely prevalent in Montreal. And thanks to Bixi bikes, you can now rent one o f your own without the hassle o f finding a place to lock it up. Stations are conveniently located all over the city, and you can return the bikes to any one. Both fun and healthy, renting a Bixi bike for a day, or even a month, is a great and en­ vironmentally friendly way to experience the city.

% /K.J.

chill factor

Montreal winters are cold, dark, and long, and can take their toll mentally and physically. Seasonal affective disorder, a type o f depression that occurs more often in the winter than the summer, is rampant in northern latitudes. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help with the winter blues. Since most of the year is cold, and there are end­ less indoor activities, here are some general tips on how to get through it.

Passing Time •

Winter is not an excuse to skip class. Invest in a long winter coat and tough it out. For all you art-lovers, take this op­ portunity to go to museums like the Museum of Fine Arts or the Contem­ porary Art Museum.

Pray for winter to end.

Warming Up •

Avoid cabin fever in the dead o f win­ ter by actually trying to enjoy the cold on Mount Royal. Ice skating, tobog­ ganing, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing will warm up your body, and

you can rent all the necessary equip­ ment at Mr. Royal. The view from the top is just as beautiful in the white winter as it is in the summer, so take a hike up the stairs. Drink hot chocolate at Juliette et Chocolat at 1615 Saint-Denis.

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“Film and Feast” 7: 30 pm McGill’s Lower Field

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Walk of Hope in support of Ovarian Cancer Canada Complexe environnemental

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Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the Walk activities continue until noon. Pre-register online at www.winnerswalkofhope.ca, or by phone: 1-877413-7970, extension 232. You can also register in person the morning of the Walk. Registration: $25 (adults). Children 15 years and under walk for free. Registration is waived for par­ ticipants raising $100 or more.

Join us for free local food provided by the McGill Farmer’s Market and the Organic Campus, a brief presentation by the McGill Food Systems Project (M FSP) on “Unpacking M cGill’s Food Sourcing” and a screening of an episode o f Planet Earth. Learn about where your cafeteria food comes from and what you can do about it. Visit mfsp.wordpress.com for more details.


A &E

15 « Wednesday, September 2, 2009

mcgilltribune.com

MUSIC

Mobile and illScarlett get SSM U F ro sh moshing SSMU sticks to Canadian content in Frosh concert K Y LE CARPENTER & LAURA TINDAL Arts & Entertainment Editors

For those who were there but unaware, last Sunday's Student Society Frosh concert was headlined by Mobile, with special guests illScarlett opening. Despite the distance—this year’s show was held at L’Oylmpia, out on St. Catherine Street East, at St. Timothee Street— froshies and leaders alike provided a respect­ able turnout given the noticeably oversized venue. In true frosh form, both artists who per­ formed are Canadian (Mobile hail from Mon­ treal, while illScarlett are from Ontario), and both have a successful track record in the Ca­ nadian music scene. illScarlett opened the show on Sunday to a sparse crowd who continued to trickle in until Mobile got started. Hailing from Missisauga, illScarlett keeps alive the trend of punk being born out o f the drudgery of the suburbs. Playing loud pop/punk infused with reggae, the band has been touring with B link-182 and The All-American Rejects, and has played the Vans Warped Tour in the past. “Back to schoool!” the band Tweeted on their way to play frosh. Their summer feel managed to get the

audience dancing—despite the initially low turnout—and as more people filtered in closer to the end of their 40-minute set, the audience was getting riled up for Mobile. “As a live band they had a lot of energy,” said Sasha, a first-year Arts student. “Nobody knew them that well, but people were moving. Not as much as for Mobile, though.” Outside of pop/punk circles, the band is known best for their hits “W ho’s Got It” (used as the official 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup song), “Nothing Special,” and “Heaters,” which is a favourite of Billy Talent, who often join in singing onstage when touring together. They will be releasing their new album, 1 UP!, on September 29, with the help of producer Robert Carranza, who has worked with Jack Johnson, Mars Volta, and Beck in the past. A tour will follow this fall. It was headliners Mobile who got the crowd going. For those who are unfamiliar with the band—like many people who attend­ ed the concert—they were a curious choice to play SSM U Frosh. They are a relatively wellknown, well-respected pop rock band in Can­ ada, who even earned themselves a Juno for New Group of the Year in 2007. Unfortunate­ ly, their fame is limited south o f the border. Their latest album, Tales From The City, was released last October. A combination of rever­ berating rock and pop hooks, Tales From The City scored points with critics but is not very

UNIVERSAL RECORDS

Mobile’s Mat Joly gives his best Clint Eastwood impression.

ALICE WALKER

Mobile gets the crowd moving at L’Olympia. well known among McGill students. However, it was their debut Tomorrow Starts Today that jolted them into the Canadian music scene. Hit songs from Tales From The City “Out of My Head” and “New York Minute” were in heavy rotation at Canadian rock stations when they were released. While they may not have appeared to be the perfect fit for a large group of mostly intoxicated students. Mobile wasted no time getting the crowd on their side. After the open­ ing song, they launched into “Montreal Call­ ing,” an immensely relevant sing-a-long hit from Tomorrow Starts Today. Following the “give them what they want” strategy, they also played covers of The W ho’s “Teenage Waste­ land,” The Police’s “Message In A Bottle,” and Oasis’s “Morning Glory.” You wouldn’t ex­ pect circular mosh pits (a particularly bruising variation of the traditional model) and crowd surfing at a typical Mobile concert, but hey, that’s frosh for you. A lot o f people may not have known who they were dancing to on Sunday night—hell, some froshies probably don’t even remember

Missisaugan punks illScarlett.

UWATERLOO

they were there—but that’s the nature of the event. Does anyone remember that Metric didn’t even play “Combat Baby” during her stint at Frosh two years ago? McGill always manages to score good Canadian bands, even if you haven’t heard of them yet.

P o p R hetoric JON & KATE PLUS A WHOLE LOT ________OF MEDIA W HORING A couple gets married much too young, can’t get pregnant on their own, turns to fer­ tility treatments, and has twins. Then they try for another bundle of joy and wind up with a bundle of six. And thus reality TV was born. Ever since TLC signed Jon and Kate Gosselin plus their eight kids in 2007, audi­ ences have had the pleasure o f watching their family experience everything from potty training to pumpkin picking for 30 minutes each week. This year the marriage went belly up, and the ex-pair is in the process of a bitter divorce, with each of them pandering to every media outlet and leaving the kids behind. Jon Gosselin has hooked up with Kate’s tummy tuck surgeon’s 22-year-old daughter. And, rumour has it, he’s also trolling college

campuses in upstate New York. He parades around New York City in nothing but Ed Hardy, rocks the double diamond earring—a look made popular by Chris Kirkpatrick of *N SY N C —and according to a recent Perez Hilton post, also enjoys making advances at the kids’ babysitter. And Kate is getting in on the action, too. According to P eop le, she’s hooking up with her silver-fox bodyguard and ignores her children while traveling the globe to pimp out her memoirs and cookbooks. And what exactly is going on with her hairstyle? It’s like a reverse mullet. Oh yeah, and she’s a bitch. Clearly, having an unreasonable amount of kids would lead you to occasionally lose it. While her relationship with Jon wasn’t per­ fect, it was entertaining. Each week America would chuckle as they watched Kate berate Jon in front o f crowds o f Toys ‘R ’ Us shop­

pers while simultaneously thanking their lucky stars that they didn’t need to coordi­ nate an outing for eight kids. Although Jon Gosselin undoubtedly has bad fashion sense, questionable taste in women, and badly honed paternal instincts, both he and Kate have learned to work the media. In the course o f a year, these two have gone from relative unknowns outside o f the soccer mom set to bona fide celebrities. Perez keeps us updated daily, as does P eople.com , and they are on tabloid covers every week. They even have endorsement deals. From all this mess they have made some good money. And while that money should be put away to pay for their children’s college tuitions, they are instead spending it on palatial houses in Pennsylvania, deluxe apartments in New York City, and expensive cars. As their series comes to a close—the original premise o f parents sticking together

through the trials and tribulations o f raising multiples now completely defeated—they should realize that with the end of their suc­ cessful TLC run will also come the end of their 15 minutes o f fame. Their eight cash cows are growing and thereby depreciating in value. I hope those kids can ace their exams or throw a football 60 yards, because with the way their parents are burning through money, that might be their only hope for a quality education. So Alexis, Leah, Hannah, Joel, Collin, Aaden, Mady and Cara: my heart goes out to you. I hope you can escape unscathed from the paparazzi blitz, not to mention your bob­ cat (male cougar) o f a father. And whatever you do, stay away from Ed Hardy.

KATHRYN AMEY


mcgilltribune.com

16 » Wednesday, September 2, 2009

CITY

N R J Radio launches in M T L K YLE CARPENTER Arts & Entertainment Editor

NRJ Radio (pronounced “énergie”) launched ten regional stations in Quebec last week as a result of a partnership deal with As­ tral Media, including their new location at 94.3 FM in Montreal. The company originated in Paris, though they have spread across Europe and now have locations worldwide. Quebec is the company’s first Canadian expansion. Despite starting as a pop station, NRJ plays primarily dance music—though some Top 40 tracks, such as King of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” sneak their way into the rotation. The new Quebec stations are also required to play 60 per cent French music, much like the CanCon requirements faced by other Canadian music stations. 94.3 FM, which went live on August 24, kicked off with a lavish party at Club Opera that featured brief performances by Quebec artists Champion, Marie-Mai, and New Cit­ ies. Marie-Mai and New Cities certainly fit the bill: heavy synthesizers, beats, and pop hooks. Whether or not you can stand the genre, there’s no denying it was perfect for the event. However, as expected, Champion stole the show, even taking the audience’s eyes away from the leather-clad cage dancers (for a mo­ ment or two, anyway). Since I last saw them in 2006, Champion have added three notable

things to their performance: a new male sing­ er, Maxime’s (D J Champion’s) shaggy mop of hair, and a killer new single called “Alive Again,” which could beat out “No Heaven” as the band’s flagship song. The band is releasing their new album R esisten ce on September 15. Music aside, the one thing that stood out at the launch party was the branding. The in­ ternational N RJ logo—bold red letters on top of a wavy panther—was displayed on nearly every available surface in Club Opera, not to mention the constant panther snarls mixed in with the music between bands. This raises an important question: Is N RJ going to be a sta­ tion f o r Montreal or a big brand in Montreal? “This partnership between Astral Media and the NRJ Group will bring exclusive inter­ national content to our listeners, amazing pro­ motion opportunities, and a brand highly rec­ ognizable and distinct that fits perfectly with our product values and programming style,” Astral Media Radio Inc.’s Vice-President of Programming and Music André Lallier told the Tribune in an email. “We are very excit­ ed to be the first French language network in Canada to bring an international brand into the market without compromising our main pur­ pose, being a local media.” If their efforts to remain a local media despite their big brand status continue, in all likelihood N RJ will be at 94.3 to stay.

— CALL FO R C O N TR IBU TO R S— The McGill Tribune is always looking for new writers. Stop by the weekly section-meetings and pick up a story, or email the section editors to contribute. News: news@mcgilltribune.com Meets Tuesdays at 5:30 in the Tribune office. Opinion : opinion @ mcgilltribune.com Email for more info. Features : features @ mcgilltribune.com Meets Tuesdays at 6:30 in the Tribune office. Arts & Entertainment: arts@mcgilltribune.com Meets Tuesdays at 5:30 in Gert’s. Sports: sports@mcgilltribune.com Email for more info. Photo: photo@mcgilltribune.com Meets Tuesdays at 5:30 in Gert’s. The Tribune office is on the first floor of the Shatner building, behind Cafe Supreme. Gert’s is in the basement of the Shatner building.

ED ITO RS SUM M ER PICKS 81*0 H i LOVELY FEffffllRS

nurnunror mm Wilco: Wilco (The Album) W ilco’s latest—a sentimental but live­ ly 11-track album—embodies their classic sound: clean, clear, and honest. Since 1995, the band’s music has transcended genre, and Wilco (The Album) is no different. Seamlessly blending simple folk ballads and rock anthems, the album reminds you that Yankee H otel Foxtrot need not be the only Wilco CD in your collection. Je ff Tweedy’s rough folk voice lends unusual colour while producers Jim Scott and Wilco masterfully mix the band’s many instrumental voices. Nevertheless, it is Nels Cline’s guitar solos that steal the show. His simple but superb style and clear guitar sound overshadows the rest of Wilco. And Cline never adds too much pedal—a welcome trait in any guitarist. Feist and Tweedy’s duo in “You and I” was also a real treat, creating a truly memorable track.

The Dead Weather: Horehound Finally, a good old-fashioned rock album. Angry, sexy, and loud, H orehound has a Southern twang with a True B lo o d ambiance. Alison Mosshart o f The Kills may be at the mic, but it’s Jack White o f The White Stripes and The Raconteurs who is leading the band. Sitting at the drums—in an attempt to give himself a new challenge—you can tell they’re his sexy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics coming out of Mosshart’s throat. In fact, on songs such as “Rocking Horse” where he joins in on vocals, it’s hard to tell whose angsty voice belongs to whom. White’s trademarks are there: gui­ tar solos soaked in booze, off-kilter ideas of love (“Treat Me Like Your Mother” is a good example), with the new addition of a hugely talented drummer. “Cut Like a Buffalo” and “60 Feet Tall” are examples of distilled rock perfection that should have other bands tak­ ing notes.

- Thomas Quail - Laura Tindal

The Lovely Feathers: Fantasy O f The Lot When a smart-mouthed kid in my high school English class asked my teacher how he knew that William Golding intended to cre­ ate all of the symbolism in Lord o f the F lies, my teacher's response was simple: "Because it’s there, whether or not he wanted it to be.” In Fantasy O f The Lot, the third album from McGill alums The Lovely Feathers, there is no shortage of homages to indie giants, inten­ tional or otherwise. Opening track “Lowiza” sounds like something from The Arcade Fire’s Neon B ible, while “Long Walks” has a Muse-like bridge and guitar sound. “Fad” is a combo platter with equal servings of Bright Eyes and Sufjan Stevens. But discussing the album through comparison alone would be trivial at best and marginalizing at worst. Instead, FO TL is a collection o f varia­ tions on a theme: tightly wound, memorable indie rock that is definitely worth hearing for yourself. - Kyle Carpenter

Levon Helm: Electric Dirt For Levon Helm, a veteran drummer and vocalist, simplicity breeds ingenuity. In his latest effort, Helm and his close-knit ensem­ ble o f musicians capture the essence of his live concert energy in E lectric Dirt, the pluggedin follow-up to the Grammy Award-winning 2007 acoustic release Dirt Farm er. By building a band around daughter Amy Helm, guitar virtuoso Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan Band, Phil Lesh), and Campbell’s wife Teresa Williams, Levon remains comfortably grounded in the presence o f close friends and relatives. Consisting of 11 tracks, mostly covers with select originals, the family pays tribute to Helm’s influences. An opening in­ terpretation on the Grateful Dead’s “Tennes­ see Jed” displays the vocal subtleties of the weary traveler. Keyboardist Brian Mitchell and bassist Byron Isaacs stand out on Muddy Waters’ “You Can’t Lose What You Ain't Never Had.” Helm has made a triumphant return with the classic sounds o f E lectric Dirt. - Steven Hoffer


Wednesday, September 2, 2009 * 17

Curiosit^Delivers

MOVIE REVIEW

T aran tin o ’s seventh film m akes W W II fun Done with gangsters, Tarantino moves to Nazis GRACE GLOWICKI SEPTEM BER

Contributor

Not for the prudish, Inglourious Basterds is dripping with the off-beat Tarantino style that has been winning attention since R eser­ voir D ogs. Quentin Tarantino miraculously turns the delicate topic o f Nazi-occupied France into an entertaining pulp fiction. The film presents us with two plot lines. The first revolves around the beautiful FrenchJewish Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who meets Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), also known as “The Jew Hunter” — the man who killed her entire family years before. The second focus follows the Inglourious Basterds, a group o f American guerilla fighters headed by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who orders that “Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps... and I want my scalps!” These bad-ass Robin Hoods make their way through the French countryside kill­ ing and scalping every Nazi they come across. With the help of German actress-tumed-counter-spy Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), they plan a Nazi bloodbath. The final chapter weaves the two plots together in an un­ expected climax. We may have heard that southern drawl on Pitt a few too many times recently, but his Lt. Aldo Raine is a keeper. Raine is the allAmerican bad ass, complete with a lynching scar and hilarious lines: “Quite frankly, watch­ ing Donny beat Nazis to death is the closest we ever get to going to the movies.” No matter how sexy Pitt may be, he is tramped by the remarkable performance of Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. Waltz is

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Wednesday: Music, extra happy ghost. Lo-fi, existential rock from Calgary native Matthew Swann (Hot Little Rocket). Expect lots of noise as they play from their album How The B ea ch Boys Sound To Those With No Feelings. @ The Green Room.

HEEBMAGAZINE.COM

You call that a knife? ... Oh wait, yes, that is a knife. A very big knife. creepy, terrifying, conniving, and exactly what we picture a man called “The Jew Hunter” to be. Seamlessly jumping from evil villain to comedic genius, Waltz’s talent is perhaps why the film stands on all fours. The female characters were disappoint­ ing, however. Tarantino women have been so vibrant in the past (Mia Wallace, The Bride, Jackie Brown), but both Kruger and Laurent quickly dissolve into just pretty faces. Tarantino combines suspense and farce masterfully. He builds up tension until it’s almost unbearable, and then breaks it with humour. It’s easy to be skeptical of Tarantino using the very real tragedy o f World War II for one o f his cinematic experiments, but within five minutes you find yourself fully engaged. It is history the way a schoolboy would rewrite it: kill the Nazis! Critics have complained that Inglourious

B asterds is not enough of a “Tarantino film”

“Seamlessly jumping from evil villian to comedic genius, Waltz’s talent is perhaps why the film stands on all fours.”

and that he is simply repeating his trademarks, but isn’t that what an auteur is? Everything we love about him is in this film: the sharp dialogue, excessive violence, trunk shots, farce humor, splattered blood, oozing blood, spraying blood, great music, chaptered plots, and Mexican standoffs. Inglourious B asterds is quirky, entertaining, risky, and perhaps the only sign of life left in the cinemas since 2008. Props for the comeback, Tarantino.

Thursday: Music. OAP bands. Montrealers Claptrap play their blend of groove, funk, and ska starting at 6 p.m., while Inter Alia gets lower field rock and rolling starting at 8 p.m. @ The Three Bares, Lower Field. Friday: Movies. D epartures. Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language film, this Japanese film is a sweet but funny look at an out of work celloist who moves home to work as an undertaker. @ Cinema du Parc. Saturday: Music. The Killers. Somebody told me that Brandon Flowers’ cocky, high-selling rock will have the whole centre singing along. Loud, hairy Australians, Wolfmother, open. @ The Bell Centre. Tuesday: Books. Day A fter Night. Anita Diamant, author of bestseller The R ed Tent, releases another look at history from a female point of view. Here her characters are refugee women in a Palestinian internment camp after WWII.

MOVIE REVIEW

Bowie’s boy shoots for the stars with directorial debut M oon 2009 ’s space oddity delves into human-robot relations EMMA QUAIL Contributor

Duncan Jones—otherwise known as Zowie Bowie, son of David—addresses the evil actions of energy companies, the straggles of isolation in space, and the idea of human ex­ istence in his debut film M oon. Through slow and picturesque shots, Jones beautifully cap­ tures a feeling o f lunar solitude and the slow deterioration of the main character’s physical and mental state. Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell, C onfessions o f a D angerous Mind, The H itch­ h ik e r ’s G uide to the G alaxy) has been commis­ sioned by an energy company to harvest and transport helium-3 from the moon to the Earth for three years. Sam lives a routine-based life: he runs on the treadmill in the morning, eats portions o f food from airtight plastic bags, collects helium-3, and carves little wooden figurines. Sam has no live correspondence with Earth and so relies on the company of the robot GERTY, voiced by Kevin Spacey (Su­ perm an Returns, Se7en), who expresses him­

HEEBMAGAZINE.COM

How many sci-fi movies will it take before humanity learns that robots cannot be trusted? self through an array of different emoticons. Three weeks before Sam is due to return home, his mental state starts to fluctuate. He has odd dreams and hallucinations, and ends up crashing a space shuttle as he is collecting helium-3. Sam wakes up in the lunar station where G ERTY tells him that a rescue team

is on its way to clean up the wreck. Curious, Sam explores the crashed space shuttle against G E R T Y ’S wishes. He makes a shocking dis­ covery that leads him to question the expedi­ tion. his return to Earth, and his entire exis­ tence. Rockwell does a staggering job as the

isolated astronaut, and his relationship with GERTY develops in a sophisticated manner. The viewer becomes personally involved with Sam and his seemingly adrift life. Similar to, and on par with, Solaris and 2001 : S pace Od­ yssey., Jones’ M oon is an hour and a half o f un­ diluted cinematic pleasure.


18 • Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Sports

mcgilltribune.com

REDMEN SOCCER

Talented squad looks to contend for top spot in Quebec league Coming off a stellar season, M cGill goes for gold this year KAILAN LEUNG Sports Editor

If there is one certainty the McGill men’s soccer team can draw from a superb 2008-2009 campaign, it’s this: they won’t be surprising anyone this year. With a deep and athletic ros­ ter that remains largely unchanged from last year, the Redmen will look to relinquish their dark horse role this season and challenge for the top spot in the ultra-competitive Quebec Student Sport Federation. McGill finished sec­ ond in last season's standings—only one point behind the perennial powerhouse Montreal Carabins—and shared league lead in goals scored. Despite the loss of three-time Q SSF Coach o f the Year Philippe Eullafroy to the ranks of professional coaching, fans can still expect the Redmen to exhibit the fast-paced, aggressive, and team-oriented brand o f soccer that led them to success last year. Interim head coach David Simon, a former Redmen player who spent the last two seasons on Eullafroy’s coaching staff, is optimistic that the group of players he has inherited is more than capable o f challenging for a spot at Nationals. “The last couple o f years, the team has come closer to [Nationals] by reaching the finals of the playoffs two years ago, and fin­ ishing second in the regular season last year,” said Simon. “I think we’re at the door o f Na­ tionals. .. We always expect the best—it’ll be a disappointment if we don’t make it to Nation­ als.”

Few new faces While the core of the team remains intact from last season, McGill will definitely miss the leadership and talent o f the five players that graduated this spring. The departures of Nicolas Martin-Pompl, Shawn Amarasekera, and second-team All-Canadian Jamie Schole-

field leaves a significant hole in the Redmen offense. The squad will also be hard-pressed to replicate the veteran savvy o f defender Omar John, and the sheer physical presence of 6-foot-2 goalkeeper Olivier Boulva. However, Simon believes that these departures present many of his younger players with an opportu­ nity to flourish this season. “Last year there were 12 rookies that came to the group. Overall, [the team’s] rela­ tively young still, [and] I ’m only expected to lose two players at the end of this year. It’s still a very young team that I think will fully ma­ ture next year. But [everyone] will have to step up this year if they want to do well,” he said. Defensively, the Redmen will rely heav­ ily on all-conference juniors Graeme Tingey and Axel Dovi. Both players exhibited excel­ lent defensive awareness last year, anchoring a back line that allowed a measly 10 goals in 12 matches. UQAM transfer Jean-Lou Gosselin, who red-shirted for the Citadins last season, is expected to start for the Redmen in goal. The midfield will be anchored by junior captain Thomas Lucas, an all-conference se­ lection who is expected to provide solid allaround play, and junior Michael Stein, who tallied four goals and two assists in last year’s campaign. Third-year midfielder Sami Obaid is back as well, and sophomore Peter Valente of Toronto will be counted on to play an im­ portant role in controlling the middle of the pitch. The star of the show this year could very well be sophomore midfielder Yohann Capolungo, a lightening quick and highly skilled im­ port from Vallon, Fance. Both a facilitator and finisher, Capolungo will have to improve on an already outstanding rookie campaign in order for McGill to make the jump from contender to champion in 2009. “[Capolungo] grew up playing in the French Academy System, so his technical abilities and level o f play prior to coming to McGill was very high,” said Simon. “He showed some promise last year, but I don’t think [he has] reached his full potential. We

can already see, this preseason, that he’ll be one o f the key, if not the key player on the team from an offensive standpoint.”

Confidence in chemistry Maturity, intensity, and focus will be key components for the success o f a team that fea­ tures 10 sophomores and eight juniors. Last year, the team displayed great trust and cama­ raderie on the field—qualities that made them one o f the most exciting and enjoyable McGill teams to watch. Simon hopes that last year’s chemistry can carry over into this season. “With only four truly new players at this stage in the year, the chemistry’s good. The

core o f the team is back, [and] the team spirit and ambiance is excellent. [Now] we need to have success on the field as well,” he said. Already, the Redmen have begun their preparation for the regular season in fine style, with sophomore midfielder Jeremy Hurdle notching a pair of goals on Saturday to beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and push M cGill’s preseason record to 3-0. With little more than a week to go before the start o f the season, the Redmen are poised to make waves at the provincial and national levels. The team plays host to the reigning conference champion Montreal Carabins at 8:30 p.m. on September 10 in their Q SSF season opener.

F ilin » M a n I n A LESS ROSY OUTLOOK ON THE NCAA Listen closely to NBA star guard Der­ rick Rose when he gives an interview. Not because he has anything profound, comedic, or particularly useful to say, but because most of what he says is largely incompre­ hensible. Rose visibly struggles to answer journalists’ most predictable questions, and even a prepared statement at Media Day is clearly an uphill battle. Listen to Derrick Rose speak, and it confirms the accusation that he falsified his SAT scores. While he may not have commissioned the stand-in who wrote the SAT for him, Rose was undoubtedly aware that the test scores submitted to Memphis were not his own. Similarly, the university’s athletic pro­ gram was—most likely—complicit in the sham. Sad? Yes. Pathetic? Certainly. But to me, this “scandal" reveals much more about the flawed nature of the modern NCAA than

it does about Rose as a person or Memphis as a school. The rivalries, the fervor of the fans, and the insanity that is March Madness makes the college basketball season one o f the sport­ ing year’s best events. However, shameless marketing ploys, over-the-top monetary in­ centives for schools and coaches, and the NCAA’s squeeze-them-dry attitude towards its star players needs to change. The Memphis saga—from accusations to denials to repercussions—highlights that men’s college basketball in the United States has become, above all, a business. Nobody doubted that Rose was an NBA-caliber play­ er out of high school. And when he commit­ ted to the University o f Memphis, only the most foolish of Tiger fans believed that he would stay for more than a year. He didn’t. He put the school in the national spotlight, sold plenty of merchandise, increased TV ratings, and then did what he should have done a year earlier: became a 19-year-old

multi millionaire in the NBA. In comparison to other recent outrages in college ball—particularly the crucifixion o f former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson for recruiting violations—the final punishment meted out to Memphis by the NCAA (the university was forced to “vacate” their Final Four appearance, and their record-setting 38-win season was erased from the books) is laughable in its leniency, and makes me wonder why the NCAA even bothered going public with the case. In his one season with the Tigers, Rose gave the NCAA exactly what it craved: a superstar and a cash cow. The later-revealed fact that he was ineligible is a small price to pay for what Rose contrib­ uted to college basketball in the 2007-2008 season. Derrick Rose should not have been at Memphis—he should have been in the NBA. If he wanted the education, he should have gone to a school for which he qualified aca­ demically. The problem, though, is that the

NCAA encourages its powerhouse schools to go after the best talent regardless o f their academic proficiency. With the strongest high school players invariably going to the same twenty-odd top-tier basketball schools year after year, college basketball remains a very lucrative enterprise. Partly to blame for situations such as these is the NBA’s ban on drafting players fresh out of high school. One year o f college does not qualify as a post-secondary educa­ tion. If these mega-talented 18-year-olds feel ready for the rigors of the NBA, let them chase that dream now, and go back to school if and when they want to. The Memphis af­ fair revealed just how reluctant the NCAA is to bite the hand that feeds it, and also re­ minded basketball fans everywhere that even the prettiest rose has its thorns.

KAILAN LEUNG


Wednesday, September 2, 2009 * 19

Curiosity Delivers

REDMEN FOOTBALL

After productive offseason, Redmen football ready to win McGill looks to return to winning form JON RUBENSTEIN Sports Editor

“When you work as hard as these young men have, [you] create a belief in yourself,” said Redmen football Head Coach Sonny Wolfe. “We have to take that belief and transfer it to 60 minutes on Thursday.” If the Redmen wish to notch their first victory in over two years, they’ll certainly need to take Wolfe’s words to heart. According to Wolfe, training camp was a huge success for the Redmen, providing a competitive environment for position battles to take place. And Wolfe, for one, is positive that this year’s squad is better than the last two seasons’ winless teams. “W e’ve taken major strides,” he said. “We’re bigger, stronger, faster, and more ex­ perienced.” One of the biggest question marks sur­ rounding the team will be how the offence fares without all-time CIS passing leader, quarterback Matt Connell, who graduated last spring. Sophomore Ryne Bondy and freshman Jonathan Collin are expected to battle for the position. Bondy, who dressed for the final four games o f his rookie campaign, is more mobile than Connell was, while Collin—one o f the

top QB recruits in the province—comes with a winning pedigree, having led his CEGEP squad, the Champlain College Cavaliers, to an undefeated season and the Collegiate AA Bol D ’Or championship in 2008. Wolfe mentioned that both quarterbacks will likely see playing time on Thursday in the team’s season opener against the Montreal Carabins. A key to the team’s success this season will be its running attack, which has struggled in past years and must play a more promi­ nent role in the offence to take the pressure off Bondy and Collin. The Redmen run game features 6-foot, 205-pound senior Chris Hayes along with 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore Taylor Kuprowski. Added to the mix is An­ drew Hamilton, a Concordia transfer who has clocked a 4.38 second 40-yard dash. “We’re bound and determined to run the ball,” Wolfe said. “The run game will be critical to our ability to make the lives o f the quarterbacks easier.” The receiving corps, meanwhile, is led by Charles-Antoine Sinotte, a 2007 All-Canadian who is healthy after being hobbled by injuries for most of last season. He finished the 2008 campaign eighth in the country with 50 catch­ es in six games. A bigger and stronger offensive line featuring Paul Reinlein, Michael Pilon, Cam Stockman, and Jonathan Bower will attempt to create holes for the backs and provide ample

pass protection for Bondy and Collin. The McGill defense is anchored by two-time all-conference cornerback Anthony Lukca, who led the nation in 2007 with 71.5 tackles and ranked second last year with 73.0. Complementing Lucka in the secondary will be returning starters Greg Landry, Patrick Bourgon and Julien Lefebvre. Another cor­ nerback expected to make an impact is Moe Sidibe, a Concordia transfer and two-time AllCanadian. Special teams should also improve this year with the arrival o f special teams coach Jerome Erdman, who has coached in the CFL, and a healthy Austin Anderson, who will take care o f kicking duties. Overall, the team remains largely unchanged on the defensive

end from last year, returning 10 starters. “Last year we were very, very young, and now we’re just young,” Wolfe said. In the end, Wolfe believes, it’s all going to come down to whether the team believes it can get that elusive first win. “No matter how tal­ ented a team is, if [they] don’t believe in them­ selves, [they] won’t get that win,” Wolfe said. The Redmen kick off their regular season schedule on the road against a strong Carabins team on September 3. McGill will welcome Sherbrooke on September 11 in its home open­ er, followed by the annual Fill the Stadium match against Bishop’s on September 18.

MARLETS SOCCER

Youth movement continues as Martlets look to exceed expectations Team aims high for Nationals berth MATT CHESSER Opinion Editor

In the second year of head coach Marc Mounicot’s four-year plan, the McGill Mart­ lets women’s soccer team is showing signs of being slightly ahead of schedule. With a roster composed of 20 first and second-year players, and only one fourth-year, the Martlets’s intentions are clear: build for the future. McGill is scheduled to host the CIS Women’s Soccer Championships in 2011, and as the host team, the Martlets will receive an automatic berth in the eight-team tournament. With that in mind, Mounicot has built his team to peak in 2011, even if it comes at the expense o f some wins this year. “Our plan is to go back to Nationals in 2 0 1 0 —and hopefully we’ll do well there—and then go for it all at home in 2011,” said Mou­ nicot. “That’s the plan, but if we have a chance to upset a few people and go to Nationals this year, then that would be great. If not, we’ll just gain experience and continue to get better. But when we’re hosting in 2011 our goal is to win the gold medal.” The Martlets will have their work cut out for them, as only one team in the tournament’s 22-year history has captured the CIS champi­ onship on home soil.

Starting Strong If the preseason is any indication, howev­ er, the Martlets might still be able to surprise in what Mounicot has dubbed a “rebuilding sea­ son.” The Martlets were flawless defensively

in the Old Four Tournament over the weekend, posting two clean sheets as they defeated the University o f Toronto Varsity Blues 1-0 and the Queen’s Golden Gaels 3-0 en route to the tournament title. The Blues and the Gaels fin­ ished first and fourth, respectively, in the OUA Eastern division last season. “I learned over the last couple o f week­ ends, and this past weekend in particular... that there are definitely some [good] quality players on this team,” said Mounicot. “And that more importantly, compared to last year, there’s better team chemistry.” If McGill is to contend this season, it will be on the strength of its defence—one that hasn’t surrendered a goal in any of the Mar­ tlets’ four preseason games. Team co-captains Elizabeth Williams and Katherine Green—last season’s conference rookie-of-the-year—will anchor the back line for the Martlets. Thirdyear goalkeeper Anne-Catherine Huot will compete with sophomore Shimone Slomowitz for the starting position in net. Neither netminder has emerged as a clear starter, though Mounicot seems to be leaning towards giving Huot the majority of the team’s games. “I would not be scared to start either of them in an important game, but Huot is a little bit more experienced than Slomowitz,” said Mounicot. “I hope that there will be a healthy degree of competition between them this year.” After losing four midfielders to gradu­ ation, the Martlets’ will dress a relatively in­ experienced middle four. Third-year Hannah Simmons and second-year Laura Gibson will be relied upon to elevate their play after solid seasons last year. Up front, Alexandra Morin-Boucher and Cristina Di Caprio will try to mask the de­ parture o f three-time all-star Magalie Kolker.

A cohesive offence will be vital to the Martlets’ success this season. Morin-Boucher finished eighth in the confer­ ence in scoring last season with eight goals, while Di Caprio is rejoining the team after a two-year absence due to injury. Both have looked strong in the preseason, tallying five goals between them in four games. “I seem to work well with [Morin-Bouch­ er],” said Di Caprio. “This preseason has been good for our confidence because we thought that [inexperience might have been an issue] but the past few games have shown us that we’ve got enough talent on this team to win some games if we work hard.”

Baptism by Fire The Martlets won’t have to wait long to see how they stack up against the best in the Quebec conference, as the first two games of their 2009 regular season feature the top two teams from last year. McGill hosts the defend-

JOHN KELSEY

ing Quebec Student Sport Federation champion Montreal Carabins—heavy favorites to win the confer­ ence title this year, as they return essentially the same squad they fielded last season—on September 10, and visits the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on September 13. “[The game against Montreal] will be a good measuring stick for us—a good test for our team,” said Mounicot. “If we can compete hard against them and give them a good game, whether we win or lose or tie, isn’t that im­ portant because eight weeks later we’ll be a stronger team and they won’t be.” Despite his squad’s youth and relative in­ experience, Mounicot thinks the Martlets can challenge for the Q SSF championship, and possibly serve notice that they’ll be less-thangracious hosts in 2011. “I think we can be a contender, not a pre­ tender, this year... [and] we’re only going to get better.”


<irt/ | dancing | eating & drinking | education | language/ | fitne// cour/e/ C o u r/e 0 fl/ BEGINNING GUITAR BEGINNING GUITAR INTRO TO SKETCH PAINTING PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

D a y

T im e

lo c a tio n

Tuesdays Tuesdays Thursdays Thursdays

4:00-5:30pm 5:00-8:30pm 4:00-5:30pm 5:30-7:00pm

B29 B29 B29 B29

Thursday

TBA

Outdoors

D a n c in g BALLROOM BELLY DANCING BOLLYWOOD DANCE BREAKDANCING BURLESQUE HIP HOP LATIN DANCE 'SALSA SWING DANCE

Wednesdays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Thursdays

4:00-5:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 7:30-9:00pm 7:00-8:30pm 7:30-9:00pm 6:00-7:30pm 5:30-7:00pm 5:00-6:30pm 7:30-9:00pm

Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom

Gating & D rinking BARTENDING 1

Two-day course

6:00-9:00pm

BARTENDING II

Two-day course

6:00-9:00pm

Tuesdays Mondays Mondays Wednesdays

5:00-7:00pm 5:00-7:00pm 5:00-7:00pm 5:30-7:30pm

MARTINI 101

One-day course

6:00-9:00pm

WINE TASTING

One-day course

6:00-9:00pm

CARIBBEAN COOKING INDIAN COOKING 1 INDIAN COOKING II ITALIAN COOKING

Master’s School of Bartending Absolute Bartending Institute Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen Absolute Bartening Institute Master’s School of Bartending

Education One-day course

9:30am-4:30pm

B30

SPEED READING

One-day course

9:30am-4:30pm

Lev Bukhman ... .

la n gu age / Wednesdays Wednesdays Wednesdays Mondays Mondays Tuesdays Tuesdays Thursdays

4:00-5:30pm 5:30-7:00pm 7:00-8:30pm 4:00-5:30pm 5:30-7:00pm 4:00-5:30pm 5:30-7:00pm 4:00-5:30pm

HEBREW BEGINNER

Thursdays

4:00-5:30pm

MANDARIN SPANISH BEGINNER SPANISH INTERMEDIATE UKRAINIAN

Mondays Tuesdays Tuesdays Thursdays

7:00-8:30pm 7:00-8:30pm 5:30-7:00pm 5:30-7:00pm

B30 B30 B30 B30 B30 B30 B30 B30 Ghetto Shul (3459 ave. Parc) B30 B30 B29 B39

fitne// & Health DANCE AEROBICS KICK BOXING PILATES SELF-DEFENCE THAI YOGA MASSAGE YOGA

S e p te m b e r

O c to b e r

29 29

6, 13, 20, 27 6, 13, 20, 27 1,8, 15, 22, 29 1,8, 15, 22, 29

6:30-7:30pm 5:00-6:00pm 4:00-5:00pm 5:00-6:00pm 12:00-4:00pm 4:00-5:00pm

Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Ballroom Lev Bukhman Ballrom

D a y / N ovem ber 3, 3, 5, 5,

10, 10, 12, 12,

17, 17, 19, 19,

24 24 26 26

D e ce m b e r 1 1 3 3

S e p te m b e r

O c to b e r

N ovem ber

D e ce m b e r

30 28 29 30 28 29 30

7, 14, 21 5, 19, 26 6, 13, 20, 27 7 ,14,21 5, 19, 26 6, 13, 20, 27 7, 14,21 1,8, 15, 22, 29 1,8, 15, 22, 29

4, 11, 18, 25 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 3, 10, 17, 24 4, 11, 18, 25 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 3, 10, 17, 24 4, 11, 18, 25 5, 12, 19, 26 5, 12, 19, 26

2, 9 7 1 2, 9 7 1 2, 9 ______ 3______ 3

S e p te m b e r

O c to b e r

N ovem ber

D e ce m b e r

2, 16 5 ,1 2 29 28

6, 13, 20, 27 5, 19, 26,

30

7, 14, 21,28

_____________ 2 9, 16, 23, 30

7

19 22 O c to b e r

N ovem ber

D e ce m b e r

25 27 S e p te m b e r

O c to b e r

N ovem ber

D e ce m b e r

30 30 30 28 28 29 29

7, 14, 21, 28 7, 14, 21,28 7, 14, 21,28 5, 19, 26 5, 19, 26 6, 13, 20, 27 6, 13, 20, 27 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

4, 11, 18, 25 4 ,1 1 ,1 8 , 25 4, 11, 18, 25 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 3, 10, 17, 24 3, 10, 17, 24 5, 12, 19, 26

2 2 2 7 7 1 1 3

1,8, 15, 22, 29

5, 12, 19, 26

3

28

5, 19, 26

2, 9, 16, 23, 30

7

29

6, 13, 20, 27 1,8, 15, 22, 29

3, 10, 17, 24 5, 12, 19, 26

______ 3______

O c to b e r

N ovem ber

D e ce m b e r

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 5, 19, 26 1,8, 15, 22, 29 6, 13, 20, 27 17 6, 13, 20, 27

5, 12, 19, 26 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 5, 12, 19, 26 3, 10, 17, 24

3 7 3 1

3, 10, 17, 24

1

S e p te m b e r Thursdays Mondays Thursdays Tuesdays One-day course Tuesdays

&

14

S e p te m b e r

LSAT PREP

ARABIC BEGINNER ARABIC BEGINNER ARMENIAN FRENCH BEGINNER I FRENCH BEGINNER II FRENCH INTERMEDIATE I FRENCH INTERMEDIATE II FRENCH CONVERSATION

m o n th

28 29 29

1

* Times, dates, rooms, instructors, and prices are subject to change until registration week

R G G iiT R fiT io n m r o R f f l f i T i o n

u i u i u i .m

i n i c o u r / e / .c o /

Course registration will take place in the Lev Bukhman Room in the Shatner Building on:

September 8th: 3:00pm-7:00pm I September 9th-10th: 4:00pm-7:00pm I September 11th: l:00pm-4:00pm I September 14th & 15th (Activities Night): 4:00pm-9:00pm


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