The McGill Tribune Vol. 29 Issue 9

BARBIE DOLL CROTCHES ARE IN, PAGE 16

FEATURES WILL FRIGHTEN YOU, PAGES 12 &1 3

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Published bv the Students' Society of McGill University

Vol. 29 Issue 9 • Tuesday. October 27. 2009

B u s h ’s M o n t r e a l v is it m e t w ith p r o t e s t

City prepares for Nov. 1 vote Campaign period has been dom inated by allegations JAMES GILMAN Managing Editor

ADAM SCOTTI

Demonstrators protest George W. Bush’s appearance outside the Queen Elizabeth Hotel last Thursday. See full story on page 4.

Montrealers will head to the polls to vote in a municipal election on Nov. 1, following a campaign period dominated by scandals.

On Sunday, voters will choose Mon­ treal’s next mayor, as well as city borough councillors. The frontrunners in the mayoral race are incumbent Gérald Tremblay of the Union Montréal party, who has been the city’s mayor since 2002, and Louise Harel of Vision Montréal, a former provincial cabinet minister with the Parti Québécois.

Harel has come under fire from many Anglo-Montrealers for her poor English skills and her history as a sovereigntist. On Sep. 22, Harel announced that she would not take part in the only English-language debate organized during the campaign period. The debate was subsequently cancelled by the scheduled host network CTV. The third major candidate is Richard Bergeron of Projet Montréal, who has run on an anti-corruption platform. Three other canSEE MUNICIPAL ON PAGE 5

PG SS subm its referendum petition to disaffiliate from CFS D aw son, C oncordia fo llo w suit TORI CRAWFORD News Editor

After more than a month of signature col­ lecting, anti-Canadian Federation of Students activists from three Montreal schools delivered petitions to the CFS last Monday, taking the first step towards holding referenda to decide whether their students’ associations should re­ main part of the lobbying organization.

The McGill Post-Graduate Students’ So­ ciety, Concordia Student Union and Dawson Student Union each obtained signatures from 10 per cent of their student populations, as stipulated in the CFS’s by-laws. The petitions were delivered by bailiff to the CFS-National’s head office in Ottawa. If the petitions are found to conform to the organization’s rules regard­ ing defederation, the CFS will be obligated to call a referendum at each school.

“The reality is that the PGSS pays more than $65,000 to the CFS,” said Ladan Mahaba-

—— F rid a y , O ctober 30 & — R ED M EN

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di, PGSS vice-president external. “We need to make sure that everyone has the right to decide once and for all if this makes sense.”

Lex Gill, a student and petition organizer from Concordia, cited corruption, lack of re­ spect for local autonomy, poor financial mis­ management, and a lack of transparency as some of the main reasons behind student dis­ satisfaction with the organization. However, she said there are two main issues that primar­ ily affect students.

“Students have no idea that [the CFS] ex­

ists, and there is no indication that they’re an effective organization,” said Gill. “What have they accomplished? What are we getting? Free International Student Identity Cards, and peo­ ple interfering in our elections.”

In total, there are 14 similar petitions un­ derway at 13 schools across the country. In Ontario, the CFS bylaws require that schools submit two separate petitions—one to the CFS-Ontario and one to the CFS-National.

The University of Guelph, Trent University, and Carleton University all submitted petiSEE STUDENTS ON PAGE 3

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SSM U G A loses q u oru m after votin g on fou r m otion s E x e c u tiv e d is a p p o in te d b y p o o r c o u n c illo r tu r n o u t

THOMAS QUAIL Editor-in-chief

The Students’ Society General Assembly was cut short last Wednesday after the meet­ ing, which was held in the Shatner cafeteria, lost quorum.

Of the eight motions originally on the table, three passed and one failed before the event wrapped up at about 4:30 p.m.

“To be fair, 1 was disappointed with the turnout,” said SSMU President Ivan Neilson at the GA. “We’re always trying to get things right in terms of time and location. But we had quorum for a little bit, so that’s encouraging.”

One hundred students—with a few caveates—according to the SSMU constitution, are required to secure qualified quorum. The GA lost quorum after the motion to install desks in all Shatner building bathroom stalls was easily voted down.

After the GA lost quorum, in accordance with the SSMU bylaws, a consultative forum was established, and the floor was opened up to questions. Students asked to what extent the

GA had been advertised to students.

“We made a concerted effort to advertise for the GA,” said Vice-President Internal Alex Brown. “You can run around and scream all you want, but if people aren’t interested— there’s not much you can do.”

Only about half of SSMU Council showed up to the GA, contravening an article in book one of the SSMU bylaws that states “The Executive and Council shall be present at the General Assembly and shall be present for the entire Question Period excepting extenu­ ating circumstances, including but not limited to, illness.”

Vice-President Clubs and Services Sarah Olle was disappointed with councillor atten­ dance, saying that “simply not showing up [to the GA] when you’re a student leader to an event that requires participation is irrespon­ sible, and really disappointing.”

The motion to prioritize student em­ ployment in the Shatner building, written by Vice-President External Sebastian RonderosMorgan, was the first proposal debated, and it clearly passed. The motion called on the cur­ rent, and future, SSMU executives to ensure that all future lease negotiations with Shatner

JULIA WEBSTER

Students raise their placards to vote on one of the GA motions last Wednesday.

JULIA WEBSTER

Students’ Society President Ivan Neilson addressed the General Assembly last Wednesday. tenants—for example, last year’s negotiation with Café Supreme—would “maximize the number of student opportunities for employ­ ment.” Currently, four of 30 employees in the Shatner building are students.

The next motion called for SSMU to lower its energy intensity by 40 per cent, or to 2.04 Gj per square meter—the average of Canadian university buildings—by 2015. This motion passed easily, too, and will require SSMU to solicit a professional audit of its en­ ergy consumption.

“We’re incredibly wasteful in this build­ ing,” Olle said. “I would really like to get a commitment from this body to move forward with changing that.”

First-year arts student and Tribune col­ umnist Brendan Steven argued against the mo­ tion, agreeing with its spirit in principle, but asking for clearer details about the cost of en­ ergy reduction.

“We shouldn’t set a clear commitment be­ fore we understand the facts and figures of this building,” he said.

Next, the GA voted to reword the “of­ fensive material” article pertaining to porno­ graphic material in the SSMU by-laws to read “The Students’ Society shall not participate in the production, funding, marketing or distribu­

tion of oppressive pornographic material for non-academic purposes.”

This motion, in part, served to clarify SSMU’s stance on pornography, and the dis­ tribution of pornographic material by SSMU services. Emily Hush, a music student, argued that campus wasn’t the place to explore sexu­ ality through pornography.

Brown disagreed with this sentiment.

“If you want to look at crazy, queer­ positive porn at the Queer McGill office, then yoq should be able to do that,” she said. “And you shouldn’t have to break the by-laws to do that.”

The last motion voted upon, which called SSMU to install hinged desks in the Shatner building’s stall doors for the purpose of “tak­ ing care of business,” was voted down. Engi­ neering Undergraduate Society Vice-President Internal William Farrell defended the mo­ tion, citing that it’s “really hard to find study space.”

Again, Brown disagreed, claiming that studying on the toilet isn’t particularly effi­ cient.

“Ladies, I wait long enough for the bath­ room already—I’m not going to wait for you to finish your paper. Regrettably, I am against this motion.”

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NYU , W ashington U collaborate KYLA MANDEL Contributor

A newly discovered multi-organ syn­ drome may lead to earlier diagnosis for infants with lung defects. Virtually identical defects between a mouse and a sick baby were found

by Elaine Davis, associate professor and Can­ ada Research Chair at the McGill department of anatomy and cell biology.

The mouse was part of Dr. Daniel Rifkin’s laboratory at the New York University Langone Medical Center. Rifkin studies the effects of a lack of LTBP4, a binding protein which keeps the growth factor, TGFfl, under control.

“We found that the development of the lungs was abnormal,” said Rifkin. “They did not mature, and the protein elastin, which is found in the walls of the lung, was observed in

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clumps rather than in linear bundles.”

The problems that inflicted the mouse were similar to those of the patient that Davis was observing. Zsolt Urban, a pediatric geneti­ cist at Washington University, had sent Davis the patient biopsy indicating defective elastic fibres.

“It was very striking [that] all the fibres were defected,” said Davis. “I was anxious to see the samples from the baby.” Davis recalls ecstatically realizing the similar defects upon examining the pictures of the baby and mouse side by side.

Upon further examination of patients with similar conditions, it was clear that this was a syndrome and not a one-time case. Not only are the patients’ lungs affected, their skin, bone and esophagus are affected as well.

“Often a disease will be named based on one thing because that is what it is. But these kids have so many different things, what are

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you going to call it? It is all of these systems that are affected,” says Davis. The name Urban-Rifkin-Davis Syndrome was proposed.

The baby that was examined suffered from Cutis Laxa, which is characterized by loose, wrinkly skin due to defective elastic fi­ bres.

“Depending on how the elastic fibres are messed up, sometimes it’s just the skin ... and other times it can start to affect the organs in­ side, so that is when it becomes more critical,” explains Davis. “There [are] a lot of different things involved that can cause this disease, which makes it hard to know what is going on.”

“Elastic fibres help things to recoil ... so virtually every tissue has a little bit of elastin,” said Davis. “Those structural proteins are re­ ally hard to fix because they’re like the frame­ work for your body. It’s hard to come back in and fix your house after you’ve put all the

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wrong beams in spot.”

It is the parents that carry the protein mu­ tation that causes the defect, explained Urban.

Neither protein that each parent gives to the child can be good. Urban believes that this discovery is important in terms of family plan­ ning.

“Just by knowing exactly what type of Cutis Laxa the patient has, the doctors can treat them much better,” said Urban.

The discovery also has important impli­ cations for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“The alveoli [in the lungs] are destroyed in patients with COPD and perhaps we can think about ways ... of regenerating the alveoli in patients,” said Urban.

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S tu d en ts attem p t to reform C FS p olicy in tern a lly CONTINUED FROM COVER tions by bailiff to the CFS-O in late September.

However student newspapers at both Carleton University and the University of Guelph have reported that the CFS-O has denied ever re­ ceiving the petitions. Petition organizers from the Society of Graduate Students at Western are also awaiting confirmation of receipts from both the provincial and national branches.

Despite the petition at Western, Rick Telfer, SOGS president, defended the CFS as a useful organization, but said he is not surprised that some students oppose the Federation.

“Can you imagine particular groups or individuals who might oppose the kinds of things that the CFS advocates? The Federation has advocated over the years to advance the rights of people who identify as gay or lesbian, they have advocated for Aboriginal rights, and they have played a significant role in advocat­ ing for women’s equality,” said Telfer. “There are many [people] within Canadian society who oppose these efforts. So when you won­ der why people are petitioning against the CFS, the answer is self-evident. It’s because they disagree with the objectives and aims of

the CFS.” have a really well-researched and truth-based it’s important for all members to get together As for claims that the wave of petitions campaign.” and come up with steps to evaluate what [they] from across the country is a right-wing politi­ In addition to referendum petitions, some have achieved.” cal ploy, both Gill and Jonathan Meyer, one students are attempting to reform the CFS in­ Mahabadi also defended the decision to of the petition organizers from the University ternally. Student leaders from various univer­ circulate the reform package to campus media, of Western Ontario, say they are completely sities, including Mahabadi, recently put for­ student unions, and other interest groups across unfounded. ward a reform package containing 43 motions, the country.

“This isn’t a cry from the far right. There which the authors hope will all be placed on “Last year, when the PGSS put forward are people involved from the left, the centre, the agenda at the upcoming CFS Annual Gen­ 10 reform motions, only one went through to the right,” said Meyer. “This isn’t one political eral Meeting in November. The proposed mo­ the agenda, and these should not have been agenda that’s being pushed ...It’s up for each tions, which were also endorsed by the CFS- censored at all,” said Mahabadi. “That’s why individual student to decide what they think Quebec, cover four main areas: accountability, we sent it out ... I sincerely hope it will be about the organization. And this will allow transparency and financial reforms, structural placed on the agenda at November’s AGM.” them that opportunity.” reforms, membership reforms, and specific Despite the reform proposals, Mahabadi In addition, anti-petition petitions have impeachment motions. emphasized that the ultimate decision on fed­ been circulating at some schools including the While Mahabadi said the proposals, eration should come from students.

University of Victoria, Carleton, and Western. which include motions to publish the organi­ “If you look back at PGSS council min­ For students from the PGSS, Concordia zation’s boycott list, disclose all litigation un­ utes, you can see there have been problems on and Dawson College, the next step is to wait dertaken in the last five years, and separate the and off since 1993, and, unfortunately, many for the CFS to call a referendum and set the CFS from its CFS-Services sector, are impor­ of those problems resonate, including trans­ date. Gill said the campaign period leading tant, she emphasized that the issues with the parency, accountability, and lobbying,” she up to the referendum will be crucial for both organization are not limited to those included said. “I’m all for reform, but the final answer sides. in the reform package. can only come from PGSS members.”

“Students don’t know a lot about this or­ “The CFS needs to improve their lobbying Neither the CFS or the CFS-Q returned ganization, so when the referendum happens methods; issuing a press release against high the Tribune’s phone calls at press time. we don’t want to be drowned out by shiny tuition costs is not enough,” she said. “They posters and bus ads,” she said. “We need to need to have tangible, pragmatic goals, and

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with information about the plan and also to ciate a city-wide composting service,” said to our existing six in the next 10 years. The help ease the lifestyle transition it demands. Maggie Knight, SSMU environment commis­ province has set aside $500 million in their Education and habit change stand out among sioner.

HATTY LIU March 2009 budget to fund municipal proj­ Contributor*1 the project’s 49 stated goals, a list which is De Sousa said that this is one of many ects, and four of our organic waste facilities available on the city’s web site along with in­ projects that are currently in the works. have submitted for inclusion in the plan. Ad­ The City of Montreal’s waste reduc­ structional guides for individual families and “We hope to complete the food waste pro­ ditional infrastructure for compost and organic tion projects have recently seen some notable businesses interested in reusing materials. gram by April 2010. We are working to add six waste treatment is also in consideration and developments—and an enthusiastic turnout Additionally, the city is collaborating eco-centres [treatment centres to which resi­ the province considers [them] top priority.” for Quebec Waste Reduction Week and the with community environmental projects and dents can bring recyclable or toxic materials] International Day of Climate Action last week events. The International Day of Climate Ac­ forecasts a greener environmental future for tion organized events around Montreal on Oct. the city.

24 and was focussed on the broader topics of Montreal’s Master Plan for Management policy change and environmental activism. of Waste Materials was passed unanimously Meanwhile, Quebec Waste Reduction Week by city council on Aug. 27 and is expected brought the plan’s goals directly to the com­ to stand regardless of November’s municipal munities’ doorsteps. election outcome. It was drafted in response to “Our event created awareness about waste Quebec’s 1998 Residual Management Policy reduction and how the public can help. We which had set a target for reducing landfill also work with smaller communities to send waste by 60 per cent in 10 years. The policy key messages about compost and waste to the stipulated that cities design their own environ­ population,” said Diana Guerra, committee mental plan. In the last decade, progress has president of Waste Reduction Week. stalled in most cities due to complications with DeSousa attended Waste Reduction municipal mergers, de-mergers, and a lengthy Week’s opening exposition on Oct. 18 to in­ approval process from the province. struct the food-preparation industry on re­ Montreal is now revisiting the task after ducing food waste, a major concern of the 11 years, and by creating and passing its own MPMWM for the upcoming year. He also in­ plan for waste reduction the city has set more troduced a competition between Montreal bor­ developments in motion. oughs and suburbs as to which community can “Our recycling rate has reached 53 recycle the most during the week. per cent, just short of the provincial goal ...

“This is the city’s ninth year of collabo­ [which] we expect to surpass,” said Alan DeS- ration with Waste Reduction Week. Not only ousa, executive member of the Montreal Sus­ do we support and promote it, we are active tainable Management Committee. “We have participants,” said DeSousa. food waste pickup in five communities on the The McGill administration and various island. There are now 7,200 recycling units on student groups, whose goals are similar but the island and we have increased public do­ whose actions are often restricted to the uni­ main recycling in parks, and especially after versity campus, have welcomed the plan.

HOLLY STEWART community events.”

“McGill offers composting on campus, Montreal has developed its own unique plan for improving waste reduction.

The city is eager to provide the public but students living off-campus would appre­

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4 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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Five protestors arrested at event LAUREN HUDAK Contributor

Former U.S. president George W. Bush gave a presentation at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal last Thursday as part of his cross-Canada speaking tour. Bush discussed the highlights of his two presidential terms as well as his vision for the future of his country.

Nearly 1,000 people attended the lun­ cheon ceremony held by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Bush’s speech was followed by a question and answer period be­ tween the former president and John Parisella, advisor to the premier of Quebec. Members of the audience were not permitted to ask ques­ tions.

During his speech, Bush described both the role of the presidency and its significance to American government in general. He stated that the institution of the presidency is far more important than the actual president. Because he did not appreciate former presidents pub­ licly criticizing his actions, he vowed to never criticize the actions of his successors.

“I love my country. I understand how hard the job is. [Obama] has plenty of critics, but I don’t plan on being one of them,” Bush said.

The former president also stressed the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada. Canada and the U.S. have the world’s largest bilateral trading relationship, and more than three quarters of exports from Quebec go to the United States.

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Most importantly, the United States and Can­ ada share the longest friendly border in the world. Yet, the true testament of their friend­ ship, according to Bush, has been the current War on Terror.

“Canadians accepted 25,000 passengers from planes we had grounded,” said Bush.

“In tough times there is nothing better than friends.”

Bush also stressed that the War on Terror is an unconventional war, complicated by the fight against extremist groups insead of a par­ ticular nation-state. While he acknowledged that many people believe that he entered Iraq in pursuit of material interests, particularly oil, Bush claimed that his most important job was protecting the innocent.

“It is not a religious person who kills in­ nocent people in order to achieve political gains,” said Bush. “If given the chance to be free, people will do courageous things.”

Bush emphasized that America’s involve­ ment in Iraq did not begin during his adminis­ tration. He cited the bill that former president Bill Clinton had signed which called for a re­ gime change in Iraq. Furthermore, Bush stated that 41 countries joined the coalition to take action in Iraq and that 42 countries joined the coalition to take action in Afghanistan. Re­ garding the threat of Saddam Hussein, Bush reported that Saddam had applauded the 9/11 attacks, that samples of anthrax were sent to the United States, and that “every intelligence service, including your own [Canadian intelli­ gence], thought that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.”

C a n a d a - U .S .

MAX SAWICK1

As for the future. Bush said that the private sector is the only engine that can get America out of its current economic crisis— not big government. He also emphasized that temporary economic measures must remain temporary and not become permanent solu­ tions to problems.

Bush also announced that he plans to re­ lease a book within the next few years.

“Most people think that I cannot read, so

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Many protestors outside of the event brought old shoes in solidarity with now famous Iraqi journalist Muntador al-Zaidi.

they will be surprised that I can write,” said Bush.

Mitran Mehta, senate representative to SSMU, said the presentation helped him un­ derstand the controversial former president. “[Bush] was the leader of the free world for eight years. I came here to hear his side, his experiences, before I form an opinion over his presidency. He is definitely an inspiration to people,” said Mehta.

While the audience inside the hotel wel­ comed the former president, hundreds of pro­ testors gathered outside, burning two Ameri­ can flags and an effigy of the former president.

Police in riot gear and on horseback held back the protestors using René-Lévesque Street as a strategic barrier.

In total, two were arrested for trying to get past the police. Most protestors brought a pair of old shoes to symbolically throw at the former president, an action resembling that of the Iraqi journalist Muntador al-Zaidi last spring.

“I was pretty happy with the turnout from various community groups. There were a lot more people present than just students,” said Joël Pedneault, Arts representative to SSMU, who attended the protest. Some of those groups include Québec solidaire, Échec à la guerre, and various Quebec communist groups. The burning of the George W. Bush effigy marked the end of the protest.

“There was a mask of George W. Bush.

The hands were these Halloween gloves that were really bloody. It was to symbolize that George W. Bush has blood on his hands and that he was the head of a country that had in­ vaded Afghanistan, killing many civilians in the process,” said Pedneault.

While the protest remained non-violent, Mehta questioned the motives of the protes­ tors.

“They [the protestors] believe in free dia­ logue and non-violence but effectively they are telling somebody not to talk. You cannot form a free society by telling people to shut up,” said Mehta.

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CONTINUED FROM COVER an anti-corruption platform. Three other candidates, Louise O’Sullivan of the Parti Montréal-Ville Marie, Michel Bédard of the Montreal Pride Party, and Michel Prairie, an independent, are also running for mayor.

One of the biggest controversies so far during the campaign has been the scandal-rid­ den water-meter contract the city awarded to a private consortium in 2007. The $355-million contract was suspended recently amid accusa­ tions of conflicts of interest, corruption, and collusion.

“The huge issue has become corruption.

As the campaign has gone on, there have been more and more revelations,” said Devin Al­ faro, a volunteer for Projet Montreal's cam­ paign and last year’s Students’ Society vicepresident external, who called the water-meter contract revelations “the biggest bombshell” of the campaign so far.

The latest scandal to hit the municipal political scene came last week when Benoît Labonté, the borough mayor for Ville-Marie, resigned from his role as leader of the opposi­ tion and Harel’s top lieutenant after allegations that he had accepted money from companies involved in the water-meter contract. Labonté, formerly a top political ally of Tremblay until he left Union Montréal for Vision Montréal in 2007, was also forced out of the party by Harel.

In an interview with Radio-Canada broad­ cast last Thursday, Labonté admitted to lying when he initially denied meeting with the busi­

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nessman involved in the water-meter contract.

Labonté also alleged that organized crime was deeply involved in Montreal politics.

“Is there a mafia-like system that is run­ ning the city of Montreal? The answer is yes,” Labonté said during the interview.

According to Nathalie Rochefort, Vision Montreal's candidate in Jeanne-Mance, the Labonté scandal has not only increased inter­ est in the election, but has also had a positive effect on her party.

“At first we were shocked, but now this has motivated us to work even harder,” she said. “We can now say we’re working hard to clean up our own house.”

Although much of the election coverage has focussed on the allegations of corruption and the personalities involved, there are many important issues at stake, including several which affect students living in the city.

“Municipal politics is really important, and does affect the amenities such as waste disposal that we have, the environmental poli­ cies of the city, bike routes, and public transit, which is probably the most important thing for students,” said SSMU VP External Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan.

The three main parties have all pledged to implement more aggressive environmental policies and invest in public transit.

Union Montreal's platform includes plans to construct a tramway grid, to extend the metro, and to build a light rail track from downtown to the airport. Vision Montréal pledges to freeze STM rates, add more buses to the city’s fleet, and look into the possibility

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of a tramway grid and metro extension. Projet Montréal’s platform includes plans to decrease the prices of monthly transit passes, to allow free passage on public transit downtown at night, and to build a train from downtown to the airport.

On the environment, another issue Ron­ deros-Morgan cited as important for students, Union Montréal plans to add more bike paths and increase the city’s recycling rate, Vision Montréal proposes to limit waste removal to once a week, increase the recycling rate, and to create a series of “eco-neighbourhoods” around the city, and Projet Montréal hopes to improve the city’s air quality, promote urban sustainability, and also add more bike paths.

“The fact that we want to increase the use of public transit means that we also want to reduce the place of cars in the city, and this is also a move to reduce greenhouse gasses, so it does of course have an impact on the environ­ ment,” said Michel Prescott, who’s running for councillor in Jeanne-Mance for Union Mon­ tréal as the incumbent.

However, according to Alfaro, Union Montréal has failed to put the city on a more sustainable path during its tenure.

“Everyone wants to be green, everyone is saying the right things about more public transit, fewer cars, but with the current ad­ ministration it hasn’t been there. The amount of vehicle traffic going through the city has increased throughout Tremblay’s two man­ dates,” he said.

However, turnout for municipal elec­ tions has historically been very low, especially

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among young people. In addition, according to Ronderos-Morgan, few McGill students regis­ ter to vote in city elections, and there was only a narrow window available for voter registra­ tion.

“Unfortunately, there were only four days at the end of September where there was a window of opportunity for [signing up to vote],” he said. “It’s very restrictive—it’s very unfortunate that it is so—and also the reality is that we are a student body that is very tran­ sient in Montreal, so a lot of students don’t see Montreal municipal politics as something that they necessarily are going to be affected by in the future.”

Yet Ronderos-Morgan argued that despite their low turnout, students remain an important part of Montreal, and municipal politicians should pay attention to student concerns.

“I think that [one] could really make the argument that students are a huge economic force in this city, and they’re really important to the city’s dynamism, and reputation, and culture,” he said. “So while turnout among youths in this city has never been that high ... our concerns should be seen as important, because we are such an important economic force in this city.”

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6 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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Students p resen t their ideas MARIA FLORES Contributor

McGill’s New Residence Hall Ballroom hosted the eighth annual Rethink Conference last Thursday. Organized by the McGill Sus­ tainability Office, this year’s topic was educa­ tion and sustainability, which gave professors, students, and staff the chance to present their views regarding sustainability.

“It’s one of the few conferences at McGill where you have staff, students, and faculty get­ ting together and actually demonstrating what they are doing to make campus more sustain­ able and talk about how we can make things better,” said Kathleen Ng, McGill’s environ­ mental officer.

The conference began with a presenta­ tion by Jim Nicell, Vice-Principal (university services) and professor Nigel Roulet, director of the McGill School of Environment, who ad­ dressed broad issues of sustainability and how

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it can be incorporated at McGill. John Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environ­ mental Health and Human Habitation at the Harvard School of Public Health, then gave the keynote address.

Spengler explained that the concept of sustainability should be embedded into the tra­ ditional academic system of every faculty and department according to their needs. “[Sustainability] should not be thought of something distinct, it should be thought of as the mission of the university, so it’s not an add­ on, it’s imperative,” said Spengler.

The presentation illustrated how sustain­ ability and education is linked, and Spengler provided examples of leadership initiatives such as recycling, increasing energy efficien­ cy, and biodiversity on campus actions that are collectively supported by the community.

“All you have to do is see the idea, give it a little nudge, and it is embraced by -everyone in the university ... It is amazing how sustain­ ability can be a motivating factor,” he said.

Spengler also emphasized the utility of

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incentives as well as the importance of making sustainability a constant priority.

“Sustainability has to be so eased, because people are not willing to sacrifice unless they are rewarded,” he said. “This is always a work in progress and there shouldn't be any end­ point. There’s also a lot of experimentation, sometimes it works and sometimes it fails.”

Following Spengler’s lecture, student presentations illustrated how the students feel the university stands in terms of sustainability and education, and what they would like to see McGill doing differently.

“What should come out of this is ongoing discussion about the role of sustainability and education at McGill, as well as the educational relevance of this knowledge to the real world and not just to further education, as well as getting the whole community more involved,” said David Grey-Donald, U3 environment and one of the student presenters at the confer­ ence.

Grey-Donald acknowledged that the topic has become a lot more important to McGill

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than it has been in previous years, but stressed that there is still a great deal to be done.

“A lot of things that are going on [regard­ ing sustainability] are still fairly invisible to the public eye,” said Grey-Donald.

The second part of the conference was composed of roundtable discussions where participants expressed their opinions on is­ sues such as how professors could become more sustainable in both their research and the classroom, and how the university exercises its role and responsibility in education for sus­ tainability.

“This is the eighth edition, and every year everyone thinks that these break-up groups are great because so many great ideas come out of them,” said Ng. “Last year’s main objec­ tives have already been implemented or are in progress.”

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H 4 n ot eating enough produce ELISA MUYL Contributor

Arecent study conducted by the Dietitians of Canada has revealed that almost a quarter of Canadians do not get their daily servings of fruits and vegetables, while about 38 per cent do not regularly consume milk or milk prod­ ucts. In addition, Canadians regularly neglect many of the four basic food groups from their daily meals.

The four food groups as defined by Can­ ada’s Food Guide, are fruit and vegetables, grains, milk and dairy products, and meat (or protein substitutions, such as tofu). The study found that people tend to opt for the quicker, simpler options. It is no surprise, therefore, that snacks, most notably chips, chocolate bars, and soda, amount to roughly one quarter of the average Canadian’s caloric intake.

In a recent interview with CBC News, Kathy Furgala, a member of The College of Dietitians of Ontario and Dietitians of Canada recommended simply planning ahead for three meals a week, whose leftovers can serve as lunches or even suppers. She also suggested eliminating the unhealthy components of our diet by throwing out all sorts of pre-packed snacks and stocking the fridge with food that falls within one of the four main groups. She believes that by taking small steps, Canadians have a lot to gain.

Many Canadians, however, are simply not aware of the health benefits of eating correctly.

The regular intake of dairy as well as fruits and vegetables may have the effect of “con­ trolling blood pressure or reducing the risk of some cancers,” said a press release from the Dietitians of Canada. Once made aware of these potential benefits, the study showed that people display more interest in improving the

JEFF ST. AUBIN

Kraft Dinner and pancakes may be delicious, but the Dieticians of Canada says they won’t help you develop a healthy diet. choices they make with respect to the four food groups.

This issue is of particular relevance to university students, who are often pressed for time and for whom price is an important factor in choosing food.

“Last time I looked in a supermarket, the chip and soft drink aisle hadn’t shrunk ... [and] producers of broccoli don’t do a lot

of advertising on television,” said Katherine Gray-Donald, a dietetics and human nutrition professor at McGill and president of the Cana­ dian Society for Nutritional Sciences.

Gray-Donald did note that schools are now pushing to provide healthier food on campus and in residence cafeterias, and this strong initiative is counteracting other forces that tend to draw students, as well as everyone

else, towards the less healthy options.

“Our knowledge of how nutrition affects health has improved dramatically in the last twenty years, and as that understanding comes through, we’ll do a lot better,” said GrayDonald. “I’m hopeful that people will take this seriously.”

Curiosity Delivers

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J e a n Norwegian man smuggles snakes in his pants Just a few weeks after Barack Obama’s historic Nobel Peace Prize, Norwegian cur­ rent events are once again making national headlines. Last Sunday, a 22-year-old Nor­ wegian citizen was arrested after customs of­ ficials discovered the 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos that he was attempting to smuggle into the country. Customs official Helge Breilid said that the man, who stuffed the reptiles in his clothes, had stored the nonpoisonous snakes in stockings and duct taped them to his torso, while transporting the geckos in boxes attached to his thighs. Clearly not the type to travel light—the reptile smuggler was searched after customs agents discovered a ta­ rantula crawling through one of his bags.

—Associated Press

Dear budding journalists, Interested in writing about campus, Montreal, or national news?

Come write for the Tribune news section.

Meetings are Mondays at 5:30 in the Shatner cafeteria.

If you’d really like to write, but can’t make the meeting, send us an email at news@ mcgilltribune.com.

With love, Tori and Steven.

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Lecture p a r t o fM IS C series

tant part of culture, explaining what she sees as recent declines in culture growth due to a MATT ESSERT lack of funding.

Contributor “[Montreal’s culture] is not growing as much as it should,” she said. “The federal gov­ As part of a series of talks on post-war ernment has historically been a financial sup­ Montreal culture sponsored by the McGill porter of cultural development, but in recent Institute for the Study of Canada, Anne-Ma­ years there have been cuts and it has hurt very rie Jean of Culture Montréal spoke this past much because the cuts have mainly been di­ Wednesday on the importance of awareness rected to exports-for example, touring for the and action for the development of the city’s cultural companies. Taxes have not grown as culture. much as expenses are growing. ‘Culture’ is “[Culture Montréal] is like a think tank,” only starting to become part of the everyday Jean said. “[Its job is] to promote culture as an government vocabulary.” essential part of the city’s attractiveness. We Jean explained Culture Montreal's argu­ look at the development and participate in the ment that supporting culture should also be a debate. We advise on what the government can citizen’s movement. Jean fittingly quoted Cul­ do to promote culture.” ture Montreal's chairman Simon Brault from Jean explained that culture is often his book Le Facteur C (The C Factor). thought of as a side note to other societal con­ “Don't leave culture to politicians,” cerns such as health and education. However, Brault wrote. “It’s too important.” she believes that this is not justified.

Jean also tried to explain the essence “Culture is essential to economic success, of Montreal’s culture and what makes it so not just a fringe benefit,” said Jean. “[The] unique. most value is created with people’s minds. “[Unlike other cities], we have no spe­ Highly educated, creative people are the life­ cialty here,” Jean said. “Here we have muse­ blood of a modem economy.” ums, we have dance companies, we have or­ Jean also said that just as culture is impor­ chestras, we have theatre. All disciplines are tant to the economy, the economy is an impor­ very active. What we have here are people

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who create. [A large international show] will not necessarily stop in Montreal because here there is so much local production. It is more a city of creation than a tourist destination. It’s a city of creators.”

With the Montreal municipal elections around the comer on November 1, Elsbeth Heamen, the academic program director at the MISC, thought it would be useful to have a speaker who could discuss issues that are im­ portant and interesting to a younger audience.

“We timed it right before the election,” she said. “We want to pull students outwards to the city.”

Paulina Mickiewicz, a PhD student in communication studies, found the talk inter­ esting and enlightening.

“It was very helpful for my dissertation research,” she said. “It is interesting to learn about the communication of the larger institu­ tions with the smaller ones.”

The talk was the fifth of eight talks this semester put on as part of a “Lunch and Learn” series by the MISC. Three more free talks are being offered this semester on Wednesdays in the MISC’s building at 3463 Peel St.

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8 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fresh Hell Zoe Daniels 4 f t . JP; | | ' zdaniels@mcgilltribune.eom THE ULTIMATE QUESTION If you ask most university students if they know how to play ultimate frisbee, their answer will probably be “yes.” Most of them are lying. Not intentionally, but lying nonethe­ less.

Ultimate has evolved as a sport since its pot-smoking hippie days, but its public image hasn’t changed. Most students think that toss­ ing a disc while shirtless and barefoot as a white guy with dreds and a guitar looks on constitutes an ultimate game. Not so. Ultimate has matured into a real sport played by serious athletes. L’Association d’Ultimate de Montre­ al has over two thousand paying members and McGill has fielded full women’s and men’s varsity teams for the past decade.

Ultimate, for those of you who don’t know, is played by tossing a 175-gram disc to members of your team, with the goal of advancing into the opposition’s end zone.

These discs were originally manufactured by the Frisbee company (hence the nick­ name), but now Discraft and Wham-O discs are much more common. Ultimate is played in two halves with a halftime, time-outs, and stoppages of play. There are fouls, travelling calls, and out-of-bounds. Players wear cleats and uniforms, and can play competitively on single-sex or mixed teams. As with any other sport, pick-up games are much more informal; shirtlessness and white guys with dreds are not unheard of.

Incidentally, ultimate does not have ref­ erees. Players call their own fouls and dis­ putes are settled through sometimes hostile, but generally respectful, discussion between teams. (In higher-level games, observers, who are appealed to in the case of a contentious call, have been introduced, but they do not control the game with the same omnipotence as officials in other sports.) This is one of the issues to which detractors point when arguing that ultimate isn’t a sport. I find it funny, how­

GREEN EXTREMISM DOESN’T HELP Once again Greenpeace has shown the ugly side of its environmental activism.

In the organization’s latest publicity stunt, aimed at Alberta’s oil industry, 19 of its members broke into private property, climbed atop three smokestacks, and unfurled signs condemning Alberta’s “climate crimes.”

This was the third time in several weeks that Greenpeace attempted to disrupt oil ex­ traction in the prairie province. Greenpeace seems content to continue violating Canadian law in order to publicize its message, which is a rather simplistic one: stop the tar sands.

Stop the tar sands? Hang on a seconddoes Greenpeace really understand what that

O p in io n ever, that those people who otherwise seem unconcerned with fine-toothed distinctions are suddenly semanticians when it comes to legiti­ matizing ultimate.

Anyone who would deride ultimate as “not a real sport” is invited to both watch a competitive game and to reread the diction­ ary definition of the word "sport.” For those whose Merriam-Webster dictionaries are hid­ den under piles of pennants and foam fingers, a sport is “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.” Nowhere is there mention of a ball, a referee, or the prohibition of a tutu. (Actu­ ally, capes have been banned from the sport because they give a player an unfair advantage on defence, but that’s not the point).

One of the things that makes ultimate great is that individual teams can have person­ alities. The spirit of the game is such that play­ ers don’t take themselves too seriously. Some teams play in costumes or host tournaments with dress-up themes, but that’s not to say they’re not athletes. Underneath the glittery Value Village tops are Under Armor shirts, and Nike cleats that they will use to run you up and down the field as quickly as their som­ berly clad brethren.

The McGill women’s ultimate team placed second at the Canadian University Ul­ timate Championship tournament this year.

I’ve played for the Martlets for three years and every year we have made it into the finals. We don’t wear costumes. We are dedicated to our sport. We have 6 a.m. practices because it’s the only time the fields aren’t being used by more mainstream clubs. We flew to the national tour­ nament in Vancouver on fundraised dollars be­ cause McGill can’t seem to find any money for us. We play tournaments nearly every week­ end in September and October, midterms and sleep deprivation be damned. McGill’s team is both serious, and seriously good.

But what I’ve found most enjoyable about playing with the Martlets isn’t the hardware— it’s finding out that the silly tutu-loving sensi­ bility of early ultimate is compatible with the vicious athleticism that I expect from a team sport. I’ve discovered that ultimate is the sexy librarian of sports: it’s underrated and some­ times hard to understand, but when you start playing for keeps, it’s more fun than a pack of high school cheerleaders.

means? There’s no denying that the tar sands are environmentally damaging and that some­ thing needs to be done to reduce their impact.

The oil sands account for about 20 per cent of Alberta’s C02output, and around five per cent of Canada’s C02emissions.

Yet it’s extreme and unrealistic to brand the industry as evil and seek to completely de­ stroy it. There are better solutions to the envi­ ronmental challenges posed by the oil sands than to have them banned. That is not a so­ lution at all: in fact, it could be economically devastating.

Canada has always faced a unique chal­ lenge: a core of regions whose economies are significantly developed, and a periphery of regions who rely on profitable (yet somewhat insecure) natural resources for survival.

Alberta, for many years, was one of the latter—searching for a way to bring about greater industrialization, but lacking the finan­ cial means. Those means now exist because of the oil sands. The industry has been power­ ing a massive economic boom in the prairies, where such a boom was long overdue. More

mcgilltribune.com

A few weeks ago I used Montreal’s mo­ torcycle gang wars as a metaphor for the sad state of federal politics in this country. Today, as I turn my focus to Montreal’s election, I feel silly for invoking a connection between politics and organized crime in a purely meta­ phorical sense, when our city hall offers a real case study in criminal politics.

Over the past couple of months, Mon­ treal mayor Gérald Tremblay and his execu­ tive team have been mired in scandal over their ties to sketchy developers and the gifts those shady characters use to reward their loyal friends in City Hall. The latest scandal involves Tony Accurso, a construction tycoon who was awarded the largest single contract ever given out by the city ($355 million for water meters). In exchange for the lucrative deal, members of the city’s executive received questionable campaign financing donations and vacations on Accurso’s yacht. When su­ perficial personnel changes at City Hall were announced by Tremblay in response to media reports on city corruption, many of the highranked functionaries who got the boot were quickly re-settled on the boards of companies affiliated with Accurso.

For many voters who intended to vote for the opposition Vision Montreal party, the up­ coming election was not about whether party leader Louise Harel was a good candidate. It was about getting Tremblay’s goons, and the people whose pockets they lined with cash, out of power.

But then, early last week, allegations of corruption against the spiritual figurehead of Vision Montreal, Benoit Labonté, began to surface. Media reports accused Labonté of ac­ cepting large sums of cash in unmarked enve­ lopes from Accurso, intended to finance his bid to take over Vision Montreal. Labonté denied the allegations and originally insisted that he had never met Accurso, but he now admits to having met the construction mogul on a num­ ber of occasions during his leadership bid.

Why anyone is feigning shock about this

is beyond me. Labonté was Tremblay’s top po­ litical ally and the mayor’s face in Ville-Marie, the borough run by Labonté for many years.

Rather than shocking, it seems obvious that a top-ranked official in a corrupt regime would bring some of that baggage to his new fiefdom of absolute control, after leaving Tremblay a couple of years ago.

Municipal governments are a lot like student union governments. Under the law, cities are corporations, not governments, just like student unions. This means that under the guise of democratic decision-making, it is very easy to amass near-absolute power and control over the corporation’s resources. This means that—even more so than federal or provincial governments—small cliques can run munici­ pal governments, and that it’s easy for outside business partners to exercise more sway over decisions than any member of the community.

Montreal, in particular, has a long and proud tradition of municipal corruption.

But like students’ unions, the non-gov­ ernmental nature of municipalities means that they are shaped by whoever is running them.

Elect corrupt leaders—as the two main con­ tenders have proven themselves to be—and you’ll get a corrupt City Hall.

But what if we elect someone trying to run the city in its citizens’ interest? What if that person and his team chose to voluntarily hire John Gomery, the man responsible for the investigation of the federal Liberal Party’s sponsorship scandal, to keep a watch on their activities during the election and beyond?

I’m not one for blanket endorsements and remain very skeptical that anyone in power in a city government will stay away from corruption for very long. Nonetheless, on November 1, Montreal’s citizens have an opportunity to elect a unique candidate: Projet Montreal’s Richard Bergeron. Bergeron and the party have developed a non-ideological platform dedicated to getting out of the “business-as-usual” rut that has brought about cor­ rupt regime after corrupt regime. They have endorsements from every forward-thinking Montrealer, as well as experts in the fields of sustainability and citizen-focussed (rather than developer-focussed) urban development.

And the recent endorsement of the party by Gomery—the only person in recent Canadian history to actively seek out and quash corrup­ tion - should assure anyone seeking to end the gross misconduct in City Hall what the logical choice is on November 1.

than 145,000 Canadians are employed in the oil sands and other mining sectors in Alberta, providing a regular income for their families, and creating wealth and new industry in the province.

Alberta's energy economy accounts for a whopping 28 per cent of its gross domestic product. In 2008 Alberta collected $3 billion in royalties from oil sands projects, flooding the provincial treasury with funds to invest in edu­ cation, healthcare, and other social programs.

Greenpeace is ignoring the economic re­ ality of the tar sands—they are too important to Alberta’s economy to be shut down. By ar­ guing for an unrealistic solution, Greenpeace’s members allow themselves to be marginalized as extremists when they could be helping re­ duce the oil sand’s impact.

Thankfully, the Albertan government has shown some willingness to seek solutions that are feasible for the people of Alberta. They were the first provincial government to require emissions reductions for private corporations, mandating a reduction of 12 per cent for large facilities beginning in 2007 and achieving 6.5

million tonnes of actual reductions in 2008.

Those reductions are the equivalent to pulling over a million cars off of the road.

As for reclaiming land damaged through open-pit mining, thanks to the Albertan Envi­ ronmental Protection Security Fund, doing so will cost only $2 per barrel of oil produced— an expense paid by the oil companies. Scarred land is already in the process of being re­ claimed.

By choosing to advocate extreme en­ vironmentalism, Greenpeace is attempting to paralyze nearly one-third of the Albertan economy and stop billions of dollars of gov­ ernment income from being reinvested into Albertan society.

In a time of recession, such environmen­ talism could see 145,000 Canadians lose their jobs.

Greenpeace needs to stop protesting and start contributing. By blindly following their extremist environmental agenda, instead of ad­ vocating for effective and realistic changes in policy, Greenpeace is making itself an enemy of hard-working Albertans.

CORRUPTION AT CITY HALL

Curiosity Delivers

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 • 9

9* r ■Ê M C G I L L , P* [ T r i b u n e www.mci•illtriibune.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Thomas Quail editor@mcgiIltribune.com MANAGING EDITORS James Gilman jgilman@mcgilltribune.com Carolyn Yates cyates@mcgilltribune.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Adam Scotti ascotti@mcgilltribune.com NEWS EDITORS Tori Crawford Steven Hoffer news@mcgilltribune.com OPINION EDITOR Matt Chesser opinion@mcgilltribune.com FEATURES EDITORS Shannon Kimball Brahna Siegel berg features@mcgilltribune.com ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Kyle Carpenter Laura Tindal arts@mcgilltribune.com SPORTS EDITORS Kailan Leung Jon Rubenstein sports@mcgilltribune.com PHOTO EDITORS Alice Walker Julia Webster photo@mcgilltribune.com DESIGN EDITORS Alison Bailey Zoe Brewster design@mcgilltribune.com COPY EDITOR Carolyn Grégoire

ADVERTISING MANAGER Dallas Bentley cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca PUBLISHER Chad Ronalds

CON T’- BUTORS Christophe Boyer, Jon Cohen, Zoe Daniels, Matt Essert, Francesca Ferenczi, Marfa Flores, Lauren Hudak, John Hui, Sam Jessula, Becca Kasmin, Walker Kitchens, Adam Levine, Hatty Liu, Kyla Mandel, Janet McMullen, Morton J. Mendelson, Elisa Muyl, Gabe Pulver, Stacy Rect. Adam Saifer, Max Sawicki, Michael Sengara, Katrina Sieniuc, Max Silverman, Jeff St. Aubin, Brendan Steven, Holly Stewart, Ryan Taylor, Sean Wood

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Montreal, QC H3A 1X9

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It seems trite and repetitive to once again call on the Students’ Society for Gen­ eral Assembly reform. After all, in the past four years there have been three separate referendum questions involving GA reform.

All have promised to “fix” the system. All have failed.

However, after last Wednesday’s Fall GA lost quorum after debating four mo­ tions, the issue can’t be ignored—something needs to be done. Too much money, time, and effort is put into promoting, planning, and holding GAs to simply chalk this up as another example of student apathy. It’s time to put this unrepresentative experiment in direct democracy to rest. It’s time to get rid of the regular GA. Biannual GAs have a short and check­ ered history here at McGill. Instituted in 2006, the once-per-semester GA replaced a previous model of holding Special GAs when a significant issue requiring student consultation emerged. Attendance has fluctuated wildly from a high of about 700 students, to lows of approximately 100 stu­ dents—with very little in between.

There seems to be no happy medium for GAs. When controversial issues arise—

Commentary M o r t o n J . M e n d e ls o n

ONLINE EDITOR Alexandr Cartasiov online@mcgilltribune.com

Shatner University Centre ,

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T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490

The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper pub­ lished by the Students' Society of McGill University in collabora­ tion with the Tribune Publication Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Students’ Society or McGill Uni­

FREE SPEECH: A CORNERSTONE OF THE UNIVERSITY Freedom to express a wide range of ideas—a privilege of our democracy—is es­ sential in a modern university. Sharing ideas is indispensable to the quest for knowledge, which drives the intellectually curious who make up a university. It shapes our research and our attempts to discover what we do not yet know. It enriches our understanding, allow­ ing us to add dimension and nuance to what we think we know and what we may take to be accepted truths. And it helps us understand that, in fact, there is so much yet to learn.

By pursuing intellectual freedom, we ex­ pose ourselves to a wide range of ideas. We will agree with some of them and disagree with others; we will be mildly dismissive of some, but we will be repulsed, offended, or even shocked by others. And, with luck, this active engagement with the world of ideas will continue throughout life, as some of our per­ ceptions of what is true and what is offensive nonsense change.

Accepting and protecting another’s right to express a point of view does not preclude our right to express our own opposing opinion.

But there is a crucial difference between ex­ pressing disagreement and preventing others from presenting their views in the first place.

Keeping others from speaking, or otherwise

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like the motion to condemn the bombing dergraduate student body. Concerned stu­ of educational institutions in the Gaza strip dents can attend Council meetings to take last year—the GA devolves into a shouting part in the discussion of important issues, match between two ideologically charged and can lobby their councillors to intro­ groups. Things are even worse when no duce motions on their behalf. In many ways one shows up, which is the case with most Council is more representative of the stu­ GAs. Political fringe groups force through dent population than the average GA crowd, motions that affect the entire undergraduate and they have the all-important legitimacy body, despite the average GA attendance of being elected, not self-selected, student being roughly one per cent of the student representatives. body. Allowing such a small, unrepresen­ SSMU already has an effective form tative group to hijack discussion and set of direct democracy in biannual referenda.

SSMU policy is the antithesis of democra­ In the 2009 Winter Referenda Period 3,631 cy—it’s tyranny of the self-interested mi­ students cast ballots—more than five times nority. the largest GA attendance. Although GAs This isn’t an issue of student apathy provide a chance for students and their rep­ or advertising—rather students have voted resentatives to interact and debate, this ben­ with their feet by staying away from GAs. efit is trumped by greater participation.

Even the best-attended GA of the last four If an urgent issue arises that needs years represented less than five per cent of broad student consultation, then SSMU the undergraduate student body. If students Council has the power to call a Special care, then they will make time to vote, if GA—which is held on an ad hoc, as-needed not, then they trust their democratically- basis. The current system is not worth the elected representatives to make decisions on cost. Both the literal expense of advertising trivial issues—such as the ones debated at and the toll on democratic policymaking— Wednesday’s GA—on their behalf. Indeed, incurred by an unrepresentative few making that’s the purpose of SSMU Council —to decisions for the masses—are too great. debate contentious issues that affect the un­

stifling debate or exploration, violates the concept of free speech that is fundamental to a university, and thereby attacks the very core of the academy.

A university must provide a wide berth to the ideas that can be expressed within its community. And that’s why McGill must act to defend the right to free expression when someone attempts to undermine it. But there are limits to what may be said and dissemi­ nated on campus. Our legal system prohibits hate speech, defamation (libel or slander), and obscenity—prohibitions that apply here.

On campus, there may also be limits imposed on the placement of disturbing images meant to support positions or on handouts to people who have not willingly agreed to accept such materials.

There is an important difference between legally defined hate speech and speech that some find hateful. The former is not permitted: the latter can be, even if some are offended or disturbed by it. Our tolerance may be tested, but as long as the audience is present by choice and not by accident or requirement, even ob­ jectionable speech ought to have its place.

The students who sang and shouted down the speaker at the recent Choose Life “Echoes of the Holocaust” event violated one of the university’s core values: ideas must be given free expression in a place of learning and dis­ covery. No one was compelled to attend the event; it was scheduled in a room that is not an open public space. No one was forced to see graphic imagery that many would find of­ fensive; the publicity advised that the imagery would be shown, and the images were con­ fined to the room.

Yet the protestors—a small group of selfappointed guardians of “truth”—decided that others should not be allowed to hear the speak­ er's views, even adults who voluntarily came to do just that. The protestors assumed that members of our community are not sufficient­ ly mature to decide for themselves whether the speaker’s views are legitimate or nonsense; worthy of debate or worthy of derision.

Some have mistakenly argued that once the Students’ Society Legislative Council voted to censure the Choose Life event, the university had no business allowing the event to proceed. When an event is duly organized according to McGill’s rules, as this one was, no individual or group of individuals—be they parents, donors, a student association, interest­ ed outside parties, or others—should be able to restrict free expression on our campuses.

There are legitimate ways to express op­ position to a particular view—for example, debating in good faith, or holding an event to present a counter-argument or an opposing point of view. Indicating opposition through protest can be a form of legitimate expression.

But stifling others’ speech goes too far and un­ dermines a basic tenet of the university.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental element of our civilized and democratic soci­ ety, without which we would be immensely impoverished. We must all do our part to pro­ tect this essential right at McGill.

Professor Morton J. Mendelson is the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) of McGill University. You can send mail that some may find hateful (but not hate mail) to. morton.mendelson@mcgill.ca.

versity. Letters to the editor may be sent to letters®mcgilltribune. com and must include the contributor's name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune

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Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or sole­ ly promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by the editorial board-All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

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mcgilltribune.com

10 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

PLAYING THE BLAME GAME: THE BAD KIND OF FAT ‘SUITS A South Carolina mom whose 14-yearold son weighs 555 pounds was arrested this summer for criminal neglect. If the case goes to court, Jerri Gray will claim that she did not force-feed her child to his morbidly obese state and that he gained weight out of his own free will. She could even try to sue McDon­ ald's for making her son fat, but it’s unlikely that scheme will work twice.

Tobacco and seatbelt laws serve as exam­ ples that it’s hard to change human behavior without creating laws to restrict the behaviour.

However, consuming and producing fast food will not become illegal because it has a time and place. Ask a single mom who works mul­ tiple minimum wage jobs whether or not fast food should be banned, and she’ll likely tell you it’s sometimes the best way to put food on the table. She doesn’t want to get taxed (or arrested) for feeding her family a cheap meal on the go.

Nonetheless, the national obesity rate— defined as having a body-mass index over 30—has climbed to 35 per cent in the United States and 15 per cent in Canada, and chain restaurants certainly don’t help. On a fam­ ily trip to rural Kansas I was shocked by the obesity, which made for wider chairs in res­ taurants and even wider escalators in shopping centers. My mother grew up in Kansas in the 1960s—her dad had a vegetable garden, they lived healthy lives. A huge change has taken place in urban and rural areas since those days. A drive on any highway will reveal a sea of neon lights and cheap prices. And it’s much easier to stop by McDonald’s than tend to a vegetable garden or roast a chicken.

When I was in grade 12 my high school imposed a ban on soft drinks and candy after hiring a new food service. It didn’t affect my

own diet significantly, but I turned 18 that year, so if I needed a caffeine boost or some chocolate to get me through the day, I felt I had the right to it. The ban didn’t carry much weight, though. Students just went off campus to get their sugar fix, and the prom commit­ tee went so far as to sell soda underground to raise money. Not surprisingly, they were suc­ cessful.

My parents didn’t force vegetables down my throat, but they did teach me the conse­ quences of a sedentary lifestyle. Fast food restaurants have the right to market unhealthy choices just as much as we have the right to refuse their food. Given the choice between a salad and a burger, or exercising and sitting on the couch. I’ll make the right choice most of the time, especially if I know that diabetes is around the comer if I don’t. I rely on my basic knowledge of the food pyramid to make these choices. Given the right resources, these dayto-day decisions are not hard to make.

Parents and children have myriad ex-

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“I’ll make the right choice most of the time, especially if I know that diabetes is around the comer if I don’t.”

T uesday, N ovem ber 3, 5:30-7:30pm (D ow ntow n C am pus) Having a tough time juggling all of your different school, work and social commitments? Take steps tow ards a more balanced life by attending this practical workshop focusing on time m anagem ent tips

cuses, some valid, some not, as to why they shouldn’t be blamed for the obesity problem.

Ajury will decide if it’s Jerri Gray’s fault that her son is obese, and whether or not she de­ serves to go to prison. Either way, her son will find a way to eat candy if that’s what he wants.

Instead of searching for someone or some company to blame, we should focus on fixing the problem by making health education eas­ ily accessible both inside and outside of the home. Some will use the information to make good choices, and some won’t. Darwin would call that natural selection. I think that it’s com­ mon sense. Healthy choices may not always be easy, but at least they won’t land you in a coffin. Or in prison.

and strategies.

Comm unication S k ills fo r Dealing W ith D iffe re n t Personalities M onday, N ovem ber 9, 4:00-6:00pm (M acdonald C am pus) T hursday, N ovem ber 12, 5:30-7:30pm (D ow ntow n C am pus) Is there a clash in personalities in your organization or club? Learn techniques and strategies that will allow you to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with skill and confidence.

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veillance when it’s done by the government— despite the fact that the government, at least theoretically, is concerned with the welfare of its citizens—but don’t have privacy concerns with Street View. When surveillance comes from a corporation, it lacks the restrictions that might be imposed on government activity.

And while Google still has legal obligations, it does not have to act in anyone’s interests be­ BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING, AND sides its own.

SO IS EVERYONE ELSE From Google’s point of view, the images captured by Street View cameras are those that Google Street View launched in Canada would be publicly available to anyone walking just over two weeks ago to much fanfare and down the street. But when private property can precious little concern about privacy. Street be seen from public property, there’s a prob­ View, which lets users explore the world lem.

When Street View arrived in New York at street level, initially launched in several in 2007, resident Mary Kalin-Casey looked American cities in 2007 and has expanded north in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olym­ her address up and noticed that she could see pic Games. But while there has been intense her cat sitting in her second-story living room criticism for governmental monitoring of pub­ window, and asked for the image of her build­ lic spaces, Google’s image-capturing has been ing to be removed. In an interview in the New eagerly anticipated and embraced by the Ca­ York Times, she said, “The issue that I have, ultimately, is about where you draw the line nadian public.

It’s somewhat puzzling that so many Ca­ between taking public photos and zooming in nadian citizens have a problem with public sur­ on people’s lives. The next step might be see­

ing books on my shelf.”

While Google does have privacy measures in place, and reportedly considered privacy implications before launching the program, its measures seem insufficient and incomplete.

The images aren’t real-time, which reduces the “stalker factor” considerably, and faces and li­ cense plates are supposedly blurred (though a brief scan of Montreal reveals that the system has not been perfected—many people are still identifiable). Users can request that an image of themselves, family members, or their hous­ es or cars be removed, and while Google has said it will try to process all requests quickly, stories about break-ins, prostitute purchasing, and nudity visible on Street View seem to indi­ cate that there is some delay—or that Google will only acknowledge a problem if users re­ port it.

Street View seems to create a democracy of surveillance: I can see into your apartment online, but you can see into mine, and so can the rest of the world. Big Brother may not be watching, but everyone else is.

And what they’re seeing is far from pretty. In addition to people upset that their

spouses or employers can see them buying adult videos, the cameras were chased down the street in England following concerns that they would help burglars, have been decried by PTA-going parents worried about their young children, and have been forced to adjust to fit regulations in several countries (in Japan, for example, the height Google films above street level was lowered, because otherwise the cam­ eras would be filming over garden walls).

Google claims to be collecting the foot­ age for journalistic, artistic, or creative pur­ poses. And there is no denying that the service is useful. Maps are helpful, and paired with satellite view, you can get a pretty good idea of where you’re going and what it looks like, but to stand in front of an address before you have to find it is invaluable.

Nevertheless, the idea that preserving art or journalism requires giving up personal privacy is obscene. Google has been greeted with complacency despite its ability to harvest a growing level of personal data about nearly anyone in the world. Street View itself isn’t the problem; apathy is.

St u d e n t l iv in g

Curiosit^Delfvens

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 • 11

X V S .Y

Slutty vs. Scary SLUTTY

SCARY

Temperature: Skimpy outfits won’t protect you from the already cold weather.

Temperature: Go ahead, make it a warm and scary cos­ tume. You might as well whip out that gorilla suit, just to be extra cozy.

Judgments: A chance to dress slutty without being called a slut. This is particular­ ly beneficial for men.

Risks: Wardrobe malfunctions are al­ ways a risk. The less you wear, the higher the chances of some­ thing slipping out. But this is probably your objective, so go for it.

BIGSLIMFL.BLOGSPOT.COM

Grooming: Clean up. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Judgments: Chances are you won’t be looking your best; just make sure it doesn’t end up on Facebook.

Risks: You’ve seen Mean Girls, right?

Winner Scary. Let’s face it—you can pretty much always get away with wearing something slutty, so why not take advantage of the one opportunity to wear some­ thing outrageous and scary? The costume possibilities are endless, and this is your chance to get really cre­ ative. Push the limits with exaggeration. The one thing you won’t regret is a great time.

Hook-up potential: You’ll finally get the attention you’ve been lacking all year.

—Francesca Ferenczi

Fun accessories: Thigh-highs, anyone? Whips, animal ears, and leather short-shorts are also given new mainstream appeal.

Grooming: SUPREME.PH Have things gotten a little fuzzy during midterms? In a scary costume you can cover up any problem areas, or better yet, make it part of your costume. That will scare anyone off.

Hook-up potential: No one will hit on you, not even the guy in the wolverine mask, who probably looks like a wolver­ ine under the mask, too.

Fun accessories: Nails, teeth, fake blood. Go crazy and embrace the scary.

R E C IP E

Q u ic k

a n d

e a s y

R ew orking a traditional fa ll recipe CAROLYN GREGOIRE Copy Editor

I I I I I I

I spent the Sunday of my Canadian Thanksgiving weekend attending two potluck dinners in a row, which meant not only that by the end of the night I was stuffed and in need of a nap, but also that I had to come up with a quick and easy—while still impressive and delicious—dessert to take to both gatherings. And given my midterm schedule, this needed to occur with minimal time spent outside of the library. The solution was pumpkin cheesecake squares. More original than pumpkin pie and even more delicious, they proved a huge hit at both potlucks.

While at the Cybertheque on Sunday morning finishing up a paper, I did some I quick Googling to find an interesting recipe, which I then altered and simplified in order I to use fewer ingredients and require no more than an hour in the kitchen. 1 used nutmeg I and cloves (which were already in my spice drawer) instead of allspice, crushed almonds I for the topping instead of chopped walnuts, and I didn’t pre-bake the crust as the recipe I suggested. This was actually a mistake on my part—I forgot that the crust was supposed to L _ _ _ _ _ _ _

p u m

p k in

c h e e s e c a k e

go in the oven for 15 minutes prior to the pumpkin-cheesecake mixture, and only real­ ized this as I was pouring it into the baking pans. But this blunder was in fact an improve­ ment to the recipe. Instead of having a hard crust, like pie does, the bars were more like a gooey, delectable seven-layer bar which, though slightly softer, still held together and didn’t crumble on their way from the plate to the mouth. I’ve since repeated the recipe using a baked crust, and find that I prefer the melt-in-your-mouth texture of its buttery un­ baked counterpart.

The result of my quick-fix solution was intensely satisfying and shockingly simple.

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar 5 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup crushed almonds 1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. vanilla extract

s q u a r e s

Directions 1. Combine the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. With a fork or your hands, cut in softened butter to make a crumbly mix­ ture.

2. Set aside 1/3 cup of this mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into bot­ tom of two 8x8 inch baking pans. (Optional: Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15

minutes. Cool slightly.)

3. Combine cream cheese, sugar, pump­ kin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla in large mixer bowl and blend until smooth. Pour over baked or unbaked crust.

4. Sprinkle with reserved topping and crushed almonds. Bake an additional 20-25 minutes.

5. Cool before cutting into bars.

Makes 32 Bars.

Violent crime is everywhere these days, from television hits like Law and Order and CSI—each of which have multiple spinoffs— to violent topics in music, to media coverage of celebrity criminal cases like the Roman Polanski scandal, to media coverage of criminals-turned-celebrities.

Pop culture is obsessed with crime and violence—its perpetrators, its victims, and its punishments. Violent topics infiltrate the media to point that scandals and gruesome murders are no longer outrageous. But what are the implications of this obsession with the dark side?

Typical and atypical fascination The glorification of crime is nothing new—crime has been part of Western culture for centuries.

"There’s a long history of this,” says Will Straw, professor in art history and communi­ cation studies. “In the 14th and 15th centuries people wrote songs about criminals.” Com­ pare this to the late Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison or rap music’s focus on gang violence and violence towards women today.

“The glut of crime stories is that they are truly stories of good and evil,” says Carrie Renchstler, professor in communications and women’s studies. “They are moral tales.” Be it OJ. Simpsom or Charles Manson, we can count on stories of violent crime to teach us something about society and ourselves.

“The crime stories that are the most vis­ ible are those that are the most unique,” says Rentschler. “So we tend to see lots and lots of

M

u r d e r e r s

• Becca Kasmin Murder has an uncontested place in the public imagination, but online, it’s an obses­ sion that has developed to new levels. Mur­ der Auction, a tailored eBay for memorabilia from murders and murderers alike, is one such incarnation.

“Murder Auction was created to bring true crime enthusiasts together in a common place where we could develop a working re­ lationship with each other, and learn who to trust as well,” writes Tod Bohannon on the site, who currently runs the site.

Collectibles—ranging from postcards to replica medical examiner charts—and autographs are among the site’s more popu­ lar items. DVDs, letters, photos, books, art, magazines, and action figures are also listed.

murders, when murder is not the type of crime that one is most likely to face. And the kinds of murders we tend to see are interracial, and sexually motivated, which are also not the most common motives, as well. ” Celebrity crime is even more popular because it relates unique power to good and evil.

“Celebrities that are either victims or crime perpetrators are news because there is a kind of story telling about crime that is about power, and critiquing power and status—that they are, in fact, bad people,” says Rentschler.

Celebrities operate in a class of their own, and accusing one of a crime rolls back the illusion of morality, and can also bring down their so­ cial status.

Some people, however, are taking it one step further—reading about or watching fic­ tionalized murders is not enough to satisfy their appetite for guts and gore. Websites such as Murder Auction, which features murderbilia from perpetrators and victims, illustrate the drive for a crime enthusiast to own part of a crime.

“It’s partly the scarcity, because most of us don’t encounter crimes in our every­ day life,” says Straw. “So there’s a sense [of] touching something that’s kind of bigger and more glamorous than us.” That same glamor can’t be found in collecting mundane objects.

Talking about the issues, not the crime Despite the obvious negative implica­ tions for victims of violent crime, the pros­ ecution and media coverage of some types of

a n d

crime may actually benefit society.

Straw argues that celebrities and crimerelated television programming may even serve as a platform for discussion of sensitive social issues that otherwise might fade into the background. “No one sits around and talks about child molestation in an abstract way.

But you put up Michael Jackson—that’s our pretext to talk about it,” says Straw.

Popular television also allows people to discuss larger social issues, partly because of the celebrity factor. “One the things that peo­ ple say about popular entertainment that uses criminals is that it’s the only way we can mea­ sure ourselves morally and work out our own moral position,” says Straw.

But few people head to the television hoping to work out their moral positions. The conversations that take place after watching a particularly gruesome episode of Law and Order, or reading about a serial killer’s latest victim are side effects of a mysterious curios­ ity. There must be something about crime that fascinates people to the point of fixation. Most likely it’s the scarcity of crime that’s so entic­ ing. Rentschler argues that viewers are unlike­ ly to experience what they see on television or here on the news.

“What we see is that which is most un­ likely in our own lives, for the most part,” she says. So the crimes that make it to news or television programming must become more and more outrageous to catch viewers' atten­ tion.

Generalizing the sources of violence But the growing cultural obsession with crime can be harmful to society, or at least isn’t having the positive moralizing effect that it could. Renschteler argues that society’s fas­ cination with crime is not proportional to the most pressing issues in people’s lives.

“We also tend to see social problems de­ fined through programming in ways that may not get at what are really pressing issues in society, and forms of crime that we don’t talk about that are incredibly harmful,” he says.

Unfortunately, losing one’s life savings, which has happened to thousands of people and institutions, does not make for as excit­ ing television as statutory rape, which has an arguably lower incidence rate. Crime pro­ gramming tends to go towards the more out­ rageously violent and rare.

While celebrity cases and television pro­ gramming may serve as platforms for discus­ sion, those discussions may be surrounded by unrealistic context.

“If we aren’t quite vigilant in challeng­ ing the kinds of ways those crime stories are deeply racist and sexist —because of most of them are—we end up replicating really harm­ ful, really punitive ideas about whose lives are worthy and whose are unworthy.”

This obsession certainly does nothing to tell us about the true and problematic sources of violence. But maybe one day popular cul­ ture will be jaded by the gore and violence, and focus its attention on something equally interesting.

m u r d e r a b ilia

Many of the items seem to be about murders or murderers, rather than items which may have been owned by the criminals themselves, though replicas of evidence (signs or charts) and items such as pay stubs, receipts, and in­ surance bills abound. Prices range from fourdollar books to $499 for a cancelled check from Herb Baumeister to $9,500 for a hand­ written and signed note from A1 Capone.

Murder Auction has not flown under the radar. While the aesthetics of the site itself are Web 2.0-esque and omit gory crime scene im­ ages, it has still faced criticism.

In April of 2009, Correctional Services of Canada imposed regulations on art, memoirs, and crafted items created by criminals.

“The restrictions are to reduce public notoriety primarily to prevent negative con­ sequences for victims and their families,” ac­

cording to an internal document from Correc­ tional Services.

The change was in response to art cre­ ated by Roch Theriault, who is serving a life sentence for, among other things, murder and leading a cult in Burnt River, Ontario in the 70s and 80s. After the change in regulations, only one of his paintings remained on Murder Auction.

Evidence also finds its way onto the site.

In 2008, items relating to serial killer Clifford Olsen—including letters, photos, and other personal items—were made available on the site. Olsen is currently serving a life sentence for murdering 11 young adults in British Co­ lumbia in the 80s, and did not post the items himself; they came from an unidentified seller from Australia. After the items went public, the stepfather of one of Olson’s victims struck

out against the site, chastising it for giving profit and attention to a murderer.

But the interest still exists. And with price tags running from $1 to $9,500, some people will do anything to get their hands on what brings themjust a little bit closer to these notorious figures.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 «13

Locked up in love Shannon Kimball EHarmony and match .com gave lovebirds around the globe a chance to connect with the click of a mouse. Things have changed, and the market has expanded. Prisoners are prov­ ing that it isn’t that hard to get a date, or at least a regular companion in the conjugal trailer.

Dating sites such as Inmate Passions, the subtle Meet-an-inmate, and the not-so-subtle Cow Town Info, offer male and female pris­ oners—even those on death row—a chance at true love. Users simply log on, check their nearest prison for profiles, and write, email, and eventually meet their love interest.

Such sites are based in history: inmate pen pal organizations have been around for decades, and some devotees discovered they were attracted to their pen pals. With the In­ ternet, the isolation of imprisonment is easier than ever.

Many male prisoners have had a strong female following: Ted Bundy received thou­ sands of love letters from women while on trial and in prison for the deaths of a purported 35 young women in the 1970s. The good looks and charm that he used to trick his victims ap­ parently worked on the general population during his widely publicized trials. Turning down numerous proposals from unknown fol­ lowers, Bundy eventually married and had a child with a former girlfriend while on trial, disappointing fans everywhere. San Quentin death row inmate Scott Peterson, convicted of murdering his wife Laci and unborn child in December 2002, continues to receive fan mail from female admirers.

The logistics are more than confusing—

many inmates on these dating websites will never leave prison. In fact, some are scheduled for execution. For those that do leave prison, a convicted felon has a very small chance of landing a secure job. While stereotypes may be politically incorrect, one has to wonder about the motive behind pursuing a relation­ ship with a convicted felon, particularly those convicted of violence crimes.

However, it seems to work well for Asha Bandele and her inmate husband Rashid, who met and married after Bandele had volunteered at an upstate New York penitentiary. Bendele’s memoir, The Prisoner’s Wife, details her expe­ rience of finding love in an unlikely place.

Some singles are convinced by the ageold argument that people change. Many pris­ ons now offer the incarcerated educational services, counseling, and rehabilitation pro­ grams, something that Canon City inmate William Huffstutter uses in his personal ad.

Huffstutter ensures potential love interests that he is committed to overcoming his addic­ tions. Jabbar, of the Sullivan Correctional Fa­ cility, says in his personal add on the same site that posting an add “was a difficult task,” but was driven to the site from the loneliness of incarceration. “I really don’t know what to ex­ pect," he adds, “but if someone out there feels my sincere expression, please write, because 1 believe everyone needs a cause to which they can devote themselves.”

Inmates can be sure that their love inter­ ests are not judgmental —in fact, this is listed as unofficial criteria for curious singles on sites like Inmate Passions. One thing is certain—a relationship of this sort requires a great deal of trust.

Lizzie Borden: From murderer to cult icon Brahna Siegelberg Few murder cases have been as fetishized as that of Lizzie Borden.

A New England spinster at the end of the 19th century, Lizzie was the perpetrator of the gruesome hatchet murder of her father and stepmother. The murder and subsequent trial became a cultural phenomenon during the time of the trial, and continues to captivate minds today. Although Borden was actually acquit­ ted, the mystery that surrounds the murder and the reasons behind her exoneration have taken hold of the popular imagination.

On August 4, 1892, Borden’s father and stepmother were found murdered in the fam­ ily’s Massachusetts home. The only people believed to be home at the time were Lizzie and the maid, Bridget Sullivan. According to Sullivan’s testimony at the trial, she was lying

innocently in her room when she heard Lizzie screaming that she had found her father cov­ ered in blood, and dead on the couch. Shortly thereafter, Sullivan claimed to have found the body of Mrs. Borden in the bedroom. Both Mr. and Mrs. Borden had been killed by hatchet blows, as evident from their mangled skulls.

Although the evidence seemed to point clearly to Lizzie, nobody could find a clear motive. She had supposedly been resentful of her father for remarrying another woman after the death of her mother, although this circum­ stantial evidence did not seem a sufficient a motive for such a repugnant act. According to the local pharmacist, Lizzie had attempted to purchase prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) ear­ lier that week, claiming she needed it to clean her coat. Furthermore, a hatchet was found in the basement of Lizzie’s home.

Borden was arrested on August 11, 1892,

with her trial beginning almost a year later.

Although a case like this one could be easily solved today with forensics, at that time, there were no fingerprints to test, and thus, no real way to prove her guilt. There was no bloodsoaked clothing, although there was a burned blue dress found near the kitchen stove. De­ spite all the incriminating evidence, the jury officially acquitted Borden on June 20, 1893.

For whatever reason—perhaps because the perpetrator was an upper class woman, or because the murder itself was so gruesome— the trial received an enormous amount of na­ tional publicity. It was the 19th century equiva­ lent of the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, John Wayne Gacy, or Richard Ramirez.

Over the course of the next century, the story of Lizzie Borden began to pop up in various parts of pop culture. Morton Gould wrote a ballet on the subject of Lizzie Bor­

den, Fall River Legend, which premiered in a production by Ballet Theatre at the Metro­ politan Opera House in New York City. The song “She Took An Axe” by the thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam tells Borden’s story, though it treats it with a bit of sarcastic hu­ mour. Hers is even the name of an American glam metal band. In literature, she has been the source of countless novels and poems, and Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock wrote a play called Blood Relations, which explores the events leading up to Borden’s trials.

So what is it that people find so fasci­ nating about murder cases? Why is it that a woman’s frightening and misguided act has become such a source of interest and fetish?

While these are not easily answered, Hallow­ een—a day that is about all things scary, mar­ ginal, and creepy—is undoubtedly the time when we can bring them to the table.

mcgilltribune.com

14 » Tuesday, October 27, 2009

TRAVEL

B e c o m in g

‘b e w it c h e d ’ in

S a lem lig h ts up on H a llo w e en BRAHNA SIEGELBERG Features Editor

Only a Greyhound ride away, Salem, Massachusetts is the place to go if you’re looking for both a historical and kitsch filled weekend. Located a half-hour outside of Bos­ ton, Salem has a fascinating and rich history, preserved in its architecture, museums, and landmarks. Much indebted to the witch trials in 1692, Salem’s spooky ambiance makes it the perfect Halloween destination.

Salem was one of the first seaports in the New World. The Puritans founded the city in 1626, in the midst of an already inhabited Na­ tive American village and trade center. They called the town “Salem,” both the word used for Jerusalem in Genesis, and also related to the Hebrew word for peace, ‘shalom.’ As the Puritans viewed the future state of Massa­ chusetts as their ‘New Israel,’ the name was deemed appropriate.

Most famously, in 1692, there began a se­ ries of accusations against women in the town for being “witches.” The witch-hunt was of­ ficially underway when two young girls began to have epileptic fits, and complained of the

o n e o f A m e r ic a ’ s o ld e s t c it ie s

feeling of being pinched and pricked with pins. With their highly superstitious belief in witches and devils—and more importantly, in misogyny and patriarchy—members of Salem Village began accusing women, particularly those unmarried, widowed, or land owning, of being responsible for these fits. By the end of the 15-month frenzy, over 150 people were imprisoned, and 19 convicted and hung.

Witches aside, Salem has a rich history that entices tourists year round. During both the American Revolution and the War of 1812, the port town was the center for privateering.

It was also the site on which trade with China and the West Indies took place, bringing cod­ fish, sugar, and tea to North America. The trade with China left Salem with a wealth of fine architecture, much of which can be seen in the historic mansions that pervade the town.

The town has taken its rich, if problem­ atic, history, and turned itself into a large-scale tourist operation and witch-themed enterprise.

Police cars are embellished with witch logos, the local public school is known as the Witch­ craft Elementary School, and Gallows Hill— the site of numerous public hangings—, is used as a playing field for various sports. Salem is filled with witch trial-related museums, and is home to countless new age and Wiccan bou­

You can even enjoy the amusement of lis­ tening to gullible tourists heed the words of ghost-tour operators claiming they caught white orbs on their camera lenses, signifying traces of ghosts.

Where to stay: Although accommoda­ tions in Salem can be pricey—particularly around Halloween—there are a number of more frugal alternatives available. In the heart of the old city, The Coach House Inn, an adorable bed and breakfast, offers not only proximity to great shopping and fine dining, but also the allure of a restored Victorian man­ sion that retains the historical charms of the area. Affordable and in the middle of the ac­ tion, The Clipper Ship Inn is a combination of a motor lodge and an inn, which offers all the basic amenities. However, if you are planning a trip to Salem, I recommend looking for one of the many historical B&B’s as opposed to the motels.

What to eat: Nothing says America and port town quite like food and beer. Whether you’re a fan of lobster, veal parmesan, steaks and potatoes, or shepherd’s pie, Salem offers hundreds of affordable restaurants, and is the perfect place to indulge seaside in authentic American cuisine. Don’t forget the pint of Guinness on tap.

tiques. Most recently, a bronze statue of the Samantha Stephens character from Bewitched was erected in the middle of Salem’s Lappin Park.

If you’re interested in literary history, you can visit the Customs House near Pick­ ering Wharf in which Nathaniel Hawthorne worked and wrote The Scarlet Letter. Visi­ tors can also see Hawthorne’s birthplace, the House of the Seven Gables, which inspired the eponymous novel. The witch trials that took place in Salem are also the source of Arthur Miller’s canonical play The Crucible.

If you’re a keener for maritime-related paraphernalia, the seaport town is home to the Friendship, a reconstruction of a 52-meter, three-masted Salem East Indiaman trading ship, which traveled the world and returned to Salem with loads of foreign goods. The Pea­ body Essex Museum is a leading museum of early American maritime trade and whaling.

Although Salem profits year-round on its ghostly charm, in October, the town becomes a site of pilgrimage for Halloween-enthusiasts around the world. Beginning with a massive fireworks display, the town becomes a fullfledged hub of wild costumes, parties, and spine-chilling walks through graveyards and sites of supposed paranormal occurrences.

T O O T ) C j ' U ' R ' U ----------------------------------------!A

A rev C o m p u te rs

b e e r - b r a is e d c h ic k e n b o tc h

T he B M H redux, th e ea sy w a y ADAM LEVINE Contributor

It can be so hard to admit defeat. About a month ago, I had this brilliant plan to prove that I have eaten a delicious meal in the resi­ dence cafeteria at BMH. Everyone who has lived in Upper Rez seems to have so many unpleasant memories of the cafeteria food, but I kind of liked it. This dish in particular was actually perfect: chicken braised, on the bone, in a wine sauce with pearl onions and potatoes served over rice. I had planned to recreate the meal in my own kitchen with a few gourmet touches like baby potatoes, morel mushrooms, and a nice, dark stout beer instead of wine.

Anyone planning to make this could choose their favorite mushroom, their favorite potato, and their favorite beer. It could be as simple or as complicated as you want.

And I failed.

It was mediocre. In fairness, it was also terribly executed: I didn’t buy my meat from a butcher, used criminis instead of morels, and I used a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon instead of a rich, dark beer. Better meat really does come from butchers. I have nothing against criminis, but I was pretty excited about morels, and PBR is rather drinkable for its unit price but it car­ ries some embarrassing hipster connotations and doesn’t really lend rich flavours to any dish. Moreover, a can of it exploded inside my jacket pocket the other night, so it has since been essentially blacklisted from my kitchen.

P* I braised the chicken legs and thighs (bone in—this keeps the chicken moist) with

O rd in a te u rs A re v pearl onions, crimini mushrooms, and baby potatoes, with a can’s worth of PBR and a tea­ spoon of whole grain mustard (note: braising means searing a piece of meat at high heat to cook the outside, and then stewing it in liquid at lower heat to finish the inside). I served this stew on top of Savoy cabbage that I cut into thin ribbons and sautéed with butter and salt until it reached the perfect blend of soft and crunchy. But while the dish had some redeem­ ing qualities, it just wasn’t particularly deli­ cious. However, the cabbage by itself was de­ licious, and I’d recommend it. If you like, you could do the same thing with Brussels sprouts.

But only try the ‘BMH Redux’ if you’re up for a challenge.

I have a time-tested variation on this dish that I’m certain yields consistently better re­ sults. Take three to five really thick chicken breasts patted dry and sprinkled with salt and pepper, and sear them on high heat with olive oil in a large pan until they are crispy and gold­ en on one side. Flip them, and add a chopped bulb of fennel and several halved cherry toma­ toes around the meat. While the other side of the chicken breasts are searing, make sure the vegetables cook down a bit. Add a cup of good white wine and a teaspoon of whole grain mustard, and cover. Allow this to simmer on low heat for between 15 and 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through but before it gets too tough. Serve over rice, or a thick slice of rustic, toasted bread and enjoy the hearty, warm flavors.

I remain puzzled about the divine propor­ tions of BMH’s version, but I’m pretty happy with my variation as well.

Contact: Ara

514-246-7575

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M IN D F U N K

H a v e

Campus Calendar! a h e a lt h ie r H a llo w e e n , b u t k e e p th e t r e a t s

D elic io u s a n d n u tritio u s ca n d y a lte rn a tiv e s JANET MCMULLEN Contributor

Halloween is a favourite occasion for children and university students alike be­ cause it provides an excuse to not only sport wild costumes and attend themed parties, but also .to indulge in candy and other delicious sweets. While they won’t kill you, make this Halloween a healthier one by trying some of these alternatives to classic Halloween favou­ rites. With a variety of healthy components— from fiber to flavonoids—these treats will still satisfy your tastebuds but pack a bit of extra nutrition.

Homemade candy apples We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away—but a candied apple? For a healthy twist on this classic Halloween treat, use a low-sugar caramel coating. You can

purchase this in the supermarket or make your own by substituting an artificial sweet­ ener like Splenda Brown Sugar Blend into any caramel topping recipe. Regardless of the type of apple you use, all are fat-free and contain dietary fiber, which contributes to a healthy digestive system, among many other benefits. To pack in even more nutrition, try covering your reduced-sugar caramel coating with chopped nuts, which are rich in healthy unsaturated fats.

Sugar-free treats Although many of these were originally put on the market to benefit diabetics, sugarfree sweets are a great choice for the health­ conscious. Supermarket aisles are filled with these healthy versions of old favourites, from chocolate-covered peppermint patties to red licorice. They taste just like the originals, but are typically sweetened with aspartame, acesulfame potassium, or sucralose instead of sugar. While they don’t exactly boast high nutritional value, they are a much healthier

HaHbweeniEdition

selection compared to their sugar-filled pre­ decessors.

Dark chocolate When in doubt, choose dark chocolate over milk or white chocolate treats. Dark chocolate contains potent antioxidants called flavonoids which help get rid of harmful free radicals inside your body, contributing to dis­ ease prevention. The key to receiving benefits from dark chocolate is to consume it in moder­ ation. If you get a chocolate craving this Hal­ loween, try Dove Dark Chocôlate, which is loaded with flavonoids to boost your health.

4Floors: Monster Mash 10:00 p.m.-3 a.m.

Shatner Building Halloween’s biggest, cheapest, and most awesome party! SSMU shuts down the Shatner Building to host an all-out bash on 4 floors with cheap drinks, great friends, rockin’ music, and more! Tickets are $8.

Popcorn balls Without the movie-theatre-style butter topping, this Halloween classic is a healthy substitute for processed candy bars. With a moderate portion of fiber, popcorn balls are a delicious, filling, and nutritious treat that will get you in the mood for Halloween.

Strip or Treat 11:30 p.m.-3:00 a.m.

Tokyo Bar, 3709 St. Laurent It’s the guys’ turn to walk around half-naked on Haloween! Strut over to Tokyo for great costumes, loud music and watching your guy friends strip for charity! All proceeds go towards water and sanitation to the Matupene slum in Nairobi. Tickets are $5.

Halloween @ 1234 10: 00 p.m.- 3 a.m.

Club 1234 This party rocks the Montreal party scene to its foundations and leaves us begging for more. Throw on a costume and watch GRANDTHEFT (TEAM CANADA) spin the hottest tracks all night long. Tickets are $15 in advance. Call (514) 518-0500 or (514)919-8200.

WaterCan McGill 10:00 p.m.-3 a.m Le Medley, 1176 St. Denis WaterCan McGill presents Halloween.

With crazy costumes and killer DJ’s, this is one of the biggest events on the McGill party calender and is all you can drink. All proceeds to WaterCan’s clean water and well projects.

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16 » Tuesday. October 27, 2009

A&E

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j THEATRE

Players’ launches an uncocked rock ‘n’ roll musical M a x Z id e l sta rs in H ed w ig a n d the A n g ry In ch LAURA TINDAL A & E Editor

It’s always a little saddening to meet a woman with legs far sexier than your own.

When she also has a voice you’d kill for, it’s even worse. But the most crushing blow comes when this woman is a man. Such is the case in the Players’Theatre production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch—starring Max Zidel as Hed­ wig—and complete with outrageous outfits, heavy makeup, and sexy fishnet-clad legs.

The play tells the story of an East German transgender rock star reduced to playing latenight gigs in crappy venues and hotel bars with her oddball punk-rock band. She tells her life story to the audience through monologue and song, creating places and characters in the au­ dience’s mind without ever leaving the Hotel Riverview stage. Hedwig was bom Hansel, a “slip of a girly-boy,” living with his mother in an apartment so small he slept in the oven.

He falls in love with an American soldier, and in order to get married and move to America, Hansel has a sex change and becomes Hed­ wig. As fate would have it, the operation is botched, and she’s left with a one-inch mound of flesh between her legs, which she calls her “inch.”

Through expressive and flamboyant, yet painfully sincere storytelling, Zidel makes us believe he is the left-behind, eccentric, ut­ terly self-aware being strutting her stuff on the stage. Still hurting from her abandonment by ex-lover Tommy Gnosis—now a wildly successful rocker who happens to be playing a show across the water that night—Hedwig drowns her sorrows on stage through power­ ful rock and bitter jabs at her current husband and bandmate, Yitzhak (played by Elizabeth Conway). The evening follows Hedwig back through her troubled past, to her current place as an “internationally ignored song stylist” trying to come to terms with her two halves.

The nature of the play is such that it can only really be a one-man show, with Hedwig as the star she always wanted to be and the rest of the cast as the back-up band. Luckily, Zidel

shines under the spotlight. Despite a shaky start, Zidel came into his own 20 minutes in and fully stepped into the dramatic queen-beewith-a-damaged-interior attitude that makes Hedwig such a larger-than-life character. His greatest scene is a two-way inner monologue in which Hedwig reenacts a conversation she had with Tommy Gnosis back when they were in love. Watching the two characters banter and bounce off each other, you see that Zidel has succeeded in what Hedwig strived fo rbalancing and uniting two sexes into one— and you almost forget there’s only one person standing in front of you.

The rest of the cast did well with the few lines the script gave them. Conway’s voice was a definite highlight: beautiful and unex­ pected. she harmonized perfectly with Zidel.

Her character calls for lots of silent moping, but she does a good job playing Hedwig’s punching bag. Conway is only in her first year at McGill, so there will hopefully be another chance to witness her vocal and acting talent.

The rest of the band—William Hisey on gui­ tar, Robin Warner on bass, and Parker Bert on drums—kept the production true to its rock musical genre.

Directed by Jessica Kostuck, who previ­ ously directed Stones in His Pockets and Urinetown, Hedwig is a perfect play for Players’ black-box theatre. The grungy, dark stage on which the band drinks and Hedwig tells her story fit the space well, and old TV sets playing video clips helped create an 80s ambiance. On several occasions, a curtain is pulled back to reveal lights and music from a concert across the lake from Hedwig’s band, truly transport­ ing the audience to the Hotel Riverview.

Originally written by John Cameron Mitchell, the play has amassed a cult follow­ ing since its debut in 1998, and for good rea­ son: the script is darkly witty, Hedwig is an intoxicating character, and the music gives a rebellious punk-rock flavour to the show—as if a play that sings about having a Barbie-doll crotch needs any more deviance.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch plays at Player’s Theatre October 28, 30, and 31.

ADAM SCOTTI

Despite appearances, the story is never a drag.

Pop Iffietoric THE FAME GAME Growing up in Paris, I remember see­ ing posters of a random person all around the city. There was no tagline, name or prod­ uct attached: just his photo. I later found out this was a publicity stunt for someone who simply wished to become famous and therefore plastered his picture all over town in hope that people would recognize him on his daily walks to pick up baguettes.

With the popularization of reality TV, ordinary people could become famous for no apparent reason. Since you no longer need to prove anything to attain C-list Hol­ lywood status, everyone started believing they too could be recognized on their way to buy a baguette. As fame becomes common,

how does one stand out? And more impor­ tantly, are there limits to what people will do in order to be famous?

Last week’s “Balloon Boy” fiasco is just another example of this ongoing stupid­ ity. I do not want to give this family any ad­ ditional publicity, so let’s call them Mr. and Mrs. Hoax. For those of you who have been buried in midterms and haven’t read up on this, Mr. and Mrs. Hoax had the world be­ lieve their son Falcon was soaring through the air in a homemade helium balloon. The prank turned on them when on Larry King Live, little Falcon announced, “You had said that we did this for a show.” It turns out that little Falcon was not the victim of excessive curiosity, but of bad parenting. Later, the scheme was revealed as an attempt by the

parents to gain attention in the hope of land­ ing a reality TV series.

Frankly, if you are going to go through all the trouble of making a floating device, hiding your son. and lying to the world, at least teach him not to spill the beans on live TV. The next morning Balloon Boy did more than just spill the beans; he spilled his breakfast on the Today Show during an in­ terview (again, live). This moment captures the essence of the entire scheme; it’s sicken­ ing. Sickening that a family would put their son through such an ordeal just to be in the spotlight. Sickening that they would use a significant amount of state resources for a prank. Sickening that they would endanger the credibility of a real child victim. You go ahead and vomit, Falcon, because the world

SAM JESSULA should be vomiting with you. The truth is we are addicted to meaningless entertainment that we pass off as news.

The issue here is not only that this fam­ ily is deranged to the extent that they would create such a ruse, but that our culture al­ lowed it to happen in the first place. Bal­ loon Boy and related terms were the top 12 searches on Google on October 15 within hours of the incident being announced. This family is now receiving more publicity than they would have had their stunt succeeded.

Perhaps they will get their wish and be on a reality TV show, although as the legal con­ sequences of their scheme comes to light, that show might be Court TV.

^iesda^O ctober^7^2009*I7

CuriosityDelivers

BOOKS

Screw the environment, save the deli

M c G ill a lu m ’s b o o k lo o ks a t d eli cu ltu re in N o rth A m erica STEVEN HOFFER News Editor

“McGill is probably one of the great­ est deli universities that you can go to,” says David Sax, a McGill graduate-tumed-deli afi­ cionado who recently released Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen.

While the Jewish delicatessen has long held a special place in Sax’s heart, his journey from dedicated customer to hot pastrami-his­ torian originated in an undergraduate course at McGill—The Sociology of Jews in North American, taught by Professor Morton Weinfeld. With the freedom to choose any topic relevant to the course material for his term paper, and in search of something a little more lighthearted than the assimilation of Eastern European Jews in post-World War II North America, Sax and a friend settled on Jewish delis.

“We realized that we couldn’t just go to the library and read about this because there weren’t any books written on it. So we went out and went to Schwartz’s and we went to Snowdon Deli. We called delis that we knew in Toronto and even phoned a deli in New York and we spoke to the deli owners,” says Sax. “And what we found was that there was this trend among the owners that they were all pretty despondent ... and they were all wor­ ried about the future of the delicatessen. So we wrote about that in the paper, which really be­ came the basis for the book.”

After travelling between New York and Los Angeles to study the community history that nurtured the deli’s rise, Sax points to both cultural and economic reasons for the neigh­ borhood eatery’s gradual decline.

“It went from being an immigrant food, like, let’s say, Mexican food is now, where there is always going to be Mexicans coming over, to food that was very much Jewish Cana­ dian or Jewish American,” says Sax. “So every generation growing up made it more and more difficult for the business to survive.”

Rising real estate and rent costs also add to economic challenges, particularly in a city like New York where, according to Sax, the fa­ mous Stage Deli just above Times Square pays over one million dollars in rent each year.

“You are selling a food that is actually quite expensive and difficult to produce ... and yet you can’t charge a lot for it because people expect it to be cheap.”

Fortunately, for smoked meat lovers, “There is just that great communal feel­ Montreal and its preserved deli culture offer it and they have adopted it as one of their foods a glimpse of why some establishments have like poutine. And the smoked meat poutine is a ing, that smell, that sound of a place that lets logical next step.” you know you are in a great Jewish deli.” survived.

Montreal’s famous Schwarz’s is prob­ So for all of the McGill students and Mon­ “Montreal is the exception to the rule,” says Sax. “The deli culture is really strong in ably the best example of quality and luck as trealers who don’t realize that they are living Montreal. Certainly stronger than Toronto and the foremost explanations for why some delis in a dwindling Mecca of delicatessen history, withstand the test of time.

Sax has a small piece of advice: “Ease up on a lot of other places.”

“Reuben Schwarz was a terrible business the Alto’s for one day.”

According to Sax, when the separatist movement began to emerge during the 1970s man, a horrible gambler, a philanderer, and he and the Anglos and Jews dispersed, the French just happened to have the best food,” says Sax. David Sax will be speaking at Paragraph Canadians, being such a food-oriented culture, “He was actually out of the business really Bookstore on McGill College, Nov 5 at 6:30 adopted the deli business as their own. [early on] and good people took over.” p.m. Food will be supplied by several of Mon­ With the majority of small neighbourhood treal’s best delicatessens.

“If you go to the Laurentians or Gaspé, way the hell out in the middle of Quebec delis having closed up over the years, Sax and you’ll find a smoked meat sandwich in every his crusade to “save the deli” are attempting to diner of every town,” explains Sax. “They love preserve a small slice of smoked meat history.

M U S IC

The Hidden Cameras darken the mood B ra m p to n b a n d to u r in su p p o rt o f n e w a lb u m RYAN TAYLOR Contributor

If you don’t already have plans for Hal­ loween, let me make them for you: The Hid­ den Cameras at II Motore, touring in support of their newest release, Origin:Orphan.

Origin.Orphan is the fourth album from the Mississauga band that once described their sound as “gay church folk music,” but band­ leader and founder Joel Gibb says that label doesn’t really apply anymore. “I think there’s classic Hidden Cameras moments that come through on the new record, but you can’t re­ ally define it in one term,” says Gibb.

That’s probably because no catch-all term can properly describe an album that opens with a two-minute medieval-like drone and then proceeds to cover every genre from bouncy synth pop and lush orchestral acoustic songs to post-rock and 50s style ballads.

Though Origin. Orphan starts off with the infectious “In the NA,” much has been made of its more sinister nature when compared with the seemingly more upbeat earlier albums, yet Gibb believes that this has been an ongoing theme in their music. “Other previous records have had a darker element, just perhaps lyrical, not necessarily music,” says Gibb.

And while songs like the title track com­ bine dark lyrics—“A whore when he speaks / A whore when he thinks”—with equally un­ settling music, one only needs to look at “Ban-

GUNTAR KRAVIS

When you’re feeling office-rage, why stop at the copier?

Marriage” from 2003’s The Smell of Our Own, which tackles the controversial topic of gay marriage through a sugary-sweet, joyful pop song to see the ominous undertones in even the happiest-sounding songs. There’s a reason “Dreadpop” comes up as the genre when you load the CD into iTunes.

The overt, envelope-pushing, conserva­ tive-upsetting sexual imagery of earlier al­ bums is absent, but that is to be expected, ac­

cording to Gibb. “You evolve as a songwriter, you’re not always going to be singing about the same subject matter,” says Gibb. “Part of being a songwriter is finding new ways of say­ ing things and [finding] new models for ex­ pressing yourself.”

That’s not to say that sex is gone com­ pletely from the music—“Underage” implores the listener to “Do it like we’re underage ...

I’ll pretend you’re seven, you’ll pretend I’m

eight”—but is instead balanced by heartfelt and poignant songs about longing and loss like “Colour of a Man” and “Kingdom Come.”

The band has played host to a number of other prominent Canadian musicians in­ cluding Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Laura Barrett, and “Gentleman” Reg Vermue, who is supporting the band throughout the North American tour.

When asked if Vermue will join the band onstage for some of the older songs, Gibb re­ sponds, “Stranger things have happened.”

If there is one thing that The Hidden Cameras are known for, it’s their exuberant and theatrical live performances, and their Halloween show at II Motore promises to be no different.

“We start dark and go light. Especially for Halloween, we’ll be working really on the darker stuff,” says Gibb. While they’re re­ maining tight-lipped on the subject, it’s proba­ bly safe to bet on Hidden Cameras trademarks: brass, strings, choirs, maybe a go-go dancer or two, and plenty of costumes. But you’ll have to see for yourself.

The Hidden Cameras play II Motore on October 31. Gentleman Reg opens.

mcgilltribune.com

18 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

F IL M

BOOKS

never takes off

Nothing to be scared of

A

N ijfe n e g g e r ’s s e c o n d n o v e l g ives g h o sts su b sta n ce

T oo little o f to o m u ch d o o m s A m e lia f o r th e b a rg a in bin

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(once as a passenger and the other flying solo), and her attempt at circumnavigating the world.

Each flight is an opportunity for beautiful cin­ ematography, and the film doesn’t disappoint in this regard. Whether she is flying over the African plains or through thunderheads over the Atlantic, the film’s use of photography is amazing. The attention to detail is also impres­ sive, working in Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog,” which she allegedly once wrote as an answer on a physics exam.

From the beginning, we are thrust into a love story between Earhart and publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere), which is com­ plicated by the introduction of Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). While Gere's performance is commendable, McGregor falls flat with his one-dimensional showing.

It’s tough when you go into a film with high expectations: best-case scenario you’re right, and in any other case you’re bound for a let-down. While Amelia has all the elements of a great film, the disjointed timeline gives view­ ers a mere taste of Earhart’s life without flesh­ ing it out, and the performances from Swank and McGregor only add to the disappointment.

Despite the buzz, it doesn’t seem like there are any Oscars in the film’s future.

KYLE CARPENTER

LAURA TINDAL A & E Editor

A & E Editor

Audrey Niffenegger’s first novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, seemed to be one of those books that people either loved or hat­ ed—it was either your favourite book ever, or a depressing waste of time.

Luckily for me, The Time Traveler’s Wife—the story of a man who travels through time without control, and the woman who loves him—was one of my top 10 favourite novels.

Now, timed perfectly to ride in on the wave of publicity brought by the summer release of the Time Traveler film, Niffenegger has released her second novel, Her Fearful Symmetry.

Again dabbling in the supernatural, Niff­ enegger’s newest book is a gothic ghost story set in modern day London. Julia and Valentina Poole are identical mirror twins—biological reflections of each other—who have been to­ gether almost as one being for every step of their 20-year existence, despite their very dif­ ferent personalities. After dropping in and out of universities and never settling on what they want to do with their lives, the girls receive a package from England, telling them their mother’s twin, Elspeth—from whom she has been estranged for as long as the girls have been alive—has passed away and left them her estate. Like a true ghost story though, the girls cannot have the money nor sell the property unless they live in Elspeth’s apartment for one year.

Although Julia has to convince the timid Valentina, the pale, skin-and-bones girls move out of their parents’ home in America and ac­ cept the challenge. Once in London, in their new apartment next door to Highgate Cemetary, the girls get to know the other occupants of the building: Julia adopts Martin, an intel­ ligent man suffering from obsessive-compul­ sive disorder, unable to leave his home, while Valentina falls for Robert, Elspeth’s lover, re­ sulting in an odd, mildly pédophilie relation­ ship. Meanwhile, Elspeth’s ghost remains in her apartment, and she gets to know the nieces she never knew in life.

Unfortunately, Her Fearful Symmetry will not be joining my top 10 list any time soon. Although the story is interesting and her concepts and imaginings on ghosts are intrigu­ ing, the most unbelievable aspect of the story are the relationships within the novel, and how each character feels towards the others. Niff­ enegger is at her strongest when writing about Elspeth, trapped as a ghost, and learning what this is like and what she can do, while trying to interact with the building inhabitants. As she gets stronger she is able to communicate with the girls and Robert, but until then her story is almost separate from the others, and the stories of the living are nowhere near as enjoyable as those of the dead.

The greatest weakness of this novel lies in the characters. The Poole twins are rather unlikeable. Whether you prefer the bullying extrovert or the meek victim, it doesn't matter, and Robert is never explored deeply enough to fully appreciate him. Character interactions are often stiff, and there never seems to be any passion between any of them. To be dealt characters whose greatest outbursts are pas­ sive aggressive is disappointing after such an emotional, passion-filled debut.

It’s not until later in the book, when the meat of the human-spirit relationship starts to

We all know how the story of Amelia Earhart ends. The film Amelia begins in antici­ pation of that ending, as Earhart—played by Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby)—prepares for her fateful circumnaviga­ tion of the globe.

The film works on a strange timeline, jumping between different times in Earhart’s life, beginning with the preparations for her first flight across the Atlantic and moving to her journey around the world several years later. This allows the story to develop ex­ tremely ‘quickly, with jumps in time some­ times spanning several years. The drawback of this technique is that little time is spent on Earhart’s early life, and the viewer does not re­ ally discover when and how she learned to fly in the first place—which is something I’d like to know. The viewer is also only given a brief glimpse of 1930s society, and although there is some mention of the Great Depression, the film’s historical context is largely left out. It is therefore difficult to judge the impact of Ear­ hart’s journeys on society—the film seems to suggest that she becomes a superstar socialite after her first flight, though it is not entirely clear why.

Swank’s portrayal of Earhart gives her a personality similar to a lead character of an Ayn Rand novel: an unconventional hero who is smart, determined, and, most of all, unwill­ ing to conform to those around her. The au­ dience sympathizes with her as we watch her sell her soul by starring in kitschy advertising and publicity gimmicks in order to finance her adventures. However, Swank’s performance falls short of what would be expected from her by mostly playing Earhart as a reserved fish out of water, despite her obvious intelligence and courage.

Given that the film is just under two hours in length, it still manages to pack in a lot of adventure, and covers Earhart’s three most fa­ mous flights: her two trips across the Atlantic

Her Fearful Symmetry was released October 6 by Knopf Canada. be breached that it becomes difficult to put the novel down. The plot and the characters get a jump-start when the true conflict kicks in, and the book adjusts almost all of the failings found in the early half. Patience is the best vir­ tue when it comes to reading this work, but it does pay off, although the characters never truly won me over.

To write the book, Niffenegger worked in the Highgate Cemetary, soaking in the his­ tory and the ambiance, and this translates well to the page. Her Fearful Symmetry is a great ghost story, and much of the book is fascinat­ ing and enjoyable, but when it moves to the land of the living, the characters and their rela­ tionships start to lose their substance.

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ACESHOWBIZ.COM

Who knew a young Ron Howard flew?

C a ll f o r N o m in a t io n s !

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Want to Represent First Year Students at McGill?

• • • • • •

Get Involved!

Run for a Position on First Year Committee of Council! (FYC)!

Shatner, room 405 (514) 398-6474

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Get a FYC Nomination Kit online at: Electionsmcgill.ca Kits Due: Nov. 2nd

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Curiosity Delivers

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 * 19

BOOKS

Borel unstops boozy journey

D a d d y -d a u g h te r ro a d trip tu rn s into w a r o f w in e CAROLYN YATES

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Managing Editor

Regardless of whether you love wine, killing old men, or women with daddy issues, Corked is a charming, but disappointing, ride.

A memoir and first book from Kathryn Borel Jr., Corked begins when Kathryn kills an old man in a car accident, and is suddenly faced with the prospect that her father, too, will eventually die. Since his passion is wine, Kathryn proposes a two-week wine tour in France (read: drunken international road trip) in an effort to connect with a father whom she knows very little about.

Of course, the crucial combination of booze, driving somewhere, family, and any time period greater than 20 minutes results in a rising crescendo of arguments. At first, it’s almost sweet, but with increasing hyphens and caps lock comes a final venting of familial drama that can only be called disappointing: it’s about wine.

Obviously this should have been expect­ ed: the book is more or less all about wine.

Of course the argument also covers catego­ ries such as mortality and childhood neglect, and working within the confines of a mem­ oir, one’s ability to augment fact is somewhat limited. The climactic battle is improved by a Fight Club-esque swing into oncoming traf­ fic, but Kathryn, who is driving, swerves away to safety, and despite residual angst, every­ thing wraps up neatly in the end. They have both grown as people; Kathryn has picked up enough knowledge about wine to suitably impress and feel connected with her father, and her father has listened to her relationship drama patiently enough for the both of them.

They fly off into the sunset while happily mak­ ing pedophilia jokes about a priest.

All of this is far from satisfying.

One of Corked’s redeeming qualities is the useful, if somewhat forced, knowledge it

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imparts about wine. For instance, 1945 was an extraordinary year for Port, Chateauneuf-duPape wines are assembled from many differ­ ent varieties of grapes, and Pinot Noir grapes have thin skins. The intense discussions about sunlight and grapes do add a bit of charm (and they are, after all, on a wine tour) but in places it means that Corked reads more like an Idiot’s Guide than a narrative, albeit an engaging one.

The premise is also forced. Kathryn hit and killed an old man with her car, leading her to the realization that her own father was a) an old man, and b) was eventually going to die re­ gardless of whether or not she knew anything about him. It is not initially clear that this is the reason for their trip, but it is all too obvi­ ous later on, as Borel mentally references the accident and her desperation to reconnect with her father in angry italics that end up working as visual clues to skip ahead.

What is most charming—and disappoint­ ing—about Corked is all the hidden potential.

Borel is a founding producer of a CBC arts and culture program, appears on Newsworld and MuchMusic, and has had columns in The Na­ tional Post and Eye Weekly. In these formats, she has a fascinating voice and an engaging take on epicurean delights. It would have been nice to see either in Corked, but hopefully her next work will do her justice.

Wednesday. Film. Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam.

Michael Muhammid Knight is a white American who was raised as a Catholic be­ fore converting to Islam. His first book, a work of fiction entitled The Taqwacores, inspired a real Muslim punk following. The film follows Knight’s life in the wake of the book’s success, as he begins to create the chaotic Muslim punk scene he had only dreamed of before. Don’t miss it.@ Cinema du Parc.

Thursday. Music. Moneen.

Canadian rockers Moneen are kicking off their Canada-wide tour in support of their fourth full-length album, The World I Want to Leave Behind. While it may be lacking in song titles containing pop culture references—“Life’s Just Too Short Little Ndugu,” and “Don’t Ever Tell Locke What He Can’t Do” are past favourites—the new album explores new ground for the boys from Brampton. @ Underworld.

Saturday. Music. Kill Halloween.

Masked DJ duo The Bloody Beetroots will be headlining the Kill Halloween party at the Telus Theatre. The Beetroots are com­ ing off a month-long hiatus, joining a host of DJs in Montreal on Halloween night.

There’s a lot of buzz and “bloody” adjec­ tives being thrown around about this one, so it sounds like a good option if you’re look­ ing to spend your Halloween in true club style. @ Telus Theatre.

Sunday. Music. GWAR. Every day is Halloween when you dress like giant space monsters on stage.

GWAR is best known as the theatrical hard rock band whose appearance and stage show will always overshadow their music.

From spraying their audience with fake blood to performing mock executions of pop culture icons, GWAR know how to put on a show—imagine what they’ll have in store for the holiday. @ Club Soda.

Monday. Film. This Is It. Friday. Music. White Cowbell Okla­ I guarantee that this will not be it when homa. it comes to the flurry of postmortem Mi­ They may not be superstars, but White chael Jackson films, album releases, and Cowbell Oklahoma’s live performances are paraphernalia. Sure to be the top Hallow­ infamous. This tour marks the 10th anni­ een costume of the year, the M.J. craze has versary for the band, and their performance only intensified with his death, and this film the night before Halloween should raise tries to look at why people were so obsessed the stakes for mischief and mayhem. That with him and his music. Bound to be inter­ said, be forewarned about chainsaws, blow­ esting, and at least you know the music will torches and power tools popping up during be good. @ Scotiabank Theatre. the show—and who knows what else. @ L’Esco.

TH EATRE

JULIA WEBSTER

Actors to take a time warp back to 1975 at a rehearsal for The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball 2009. The Rocky Horror Ball has become a Montreal tradition, with a cast of actors performing in front of the screen while the cult-classic movie plays in the background. Audience participation is a must. The night includes a costume contest and is hosted

by Plastik Patrik. For exciting, campy, flamboyant halloween fun, head over Theatre Rialto (5723 Parc Ave.) at 8 or 11 p.m., Thursday to Saturday.

Sports

20 • Tuesday, October 27, 2009

mcgilltribune.com

MARTLET SO C C ER- MCGILL 1, CONCORDIA 0

Martlets slip past Concordia in defensive battle S im m o n s h elp s M c G ill p u n c h p o sts e a s o n ticket JOHN HUI Contributor

The McGill women’s soccer team was happy to get out of the rain on Friday night, and happier still to have clinched a playoff berth in the competitive Quebec University Soccer League. Vancouver native Hannah Simmons registered the only goal of the match in the 44th minute of play, and the Martlets edged perennial rivals Concordia by a score of 1-0.

The win left the Martlets in sole possession of fourth place in the eight-team league, with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Martlets dictated the tempo and style for a full ninety minutes, nullifying the op­ position’s game plan and continually forcing the Stingers back into their defensive third.

The Martlets looked poised to score early on in the first half, as sophomore defender Claire Hooper carried the ball up the left wing before dishing it off to a streaking Alexandra MorinBoucher. But early pressure from Concordia keeper Jessie Davis denied Morin-Boucher the goal, and McGill was forced to regroup before attacking once more.

The Stingers were outmatched from the opening kick, and struggled to create scoring opportunities against a tight McGill back line.

The visitors’ commitment to defence and dis­ regard for their own goal-scoring opportunities made it clear that Concordia was looking to come away with a draw. McGill Head Coach Marc Mounicot was more than happy to take advantage of Concordia’s defensive strategy.

“They had only one tactic,” said Mou­ nicot. “It was to defend the ball and wait for

Martlet defender Claire Hooper moves up the pitch to try her luck against Concordia goaltender Jessie Davis. a mistake to happen. They were hoping they could get something from us, but obviously they weren’t even close.”

While the Stingers failed to put together any meaningful attacking runs, the Martlets struggled to capitalize on their own chances.

While McGill held a whopping 13-2 advan­ tage in shots on goal and dominated the rest of the score sheet, the Martlets seemed unable to put the nail in the coffin for much of the game.

Simmons’ goal seconds before intermission— finally converting a fumbled cross from Hoop­ er—was certainly not the prettiest the team has seen this year, but the home squad was content to come away with the win.

“We had a lot of chances,” said Simmons.

“We definitely made [Concordia keeper Jes­ sie Davis] look good because a lot of kicks went right to her. In the second half, we lost

T

MANNY BEING MANNY As his Los Angeles Dodgers suffered one of the most agonizing postseason losses in baseball history last Monday, superstar left fielder Manny Ramirez was shampoo­ ing his dreadlocks in the clubhouse. Taken out of a tight game with the Dodgers leading the Phillies 4-3, he skipped the ninth inning for an appointment with Mr. Old Spice. Un­ fortunately, he also missed Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins converting a stunning twoout, two-strike, walk-off double.

Perhaps even more stunning was how entirely unaffected Manny appeared in his post-game interview.

“What can you do?” he asked. “It’s baseball. A team gets the right hit at the right time. What can you do?”

Manny has always done things on his own terms, and because of that, many peo­ ple want his head on a silver platter. Cer­ tainly, much of the criticism he has received has been well deserved. He often plays left

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field like a tranquilized rhinoceros. He re­ fuses to play on even the slightest injury.

And most recently, he was found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.

But as I was about to join the crowd of fans and analysts calling for him to be burnt at the stake after this most recent incident, I had second thoughts. Manny’s sense of humor—however bizarre—is impossible to deny. He’s been seen gabbing on a cell phone through a hole in the scoreboard at Fenway Park, and once leapt up to slap highfive with a fan after snagging a fly ball.

Manny represents the polar opposite of the “win-at-all-costs” youth baseball coaches I had growing up. These were the grown men. who scream at the umpire about a called strike, while the eight-year-old bat­ ter and catcher stand by, blissfully ignorant of the conflict at hand. I remember learning the word “asshole” from the coach of my rookie-level team when I was seven.

Manny’s sports mentality also flies in the face of all the over-zealous fans I grew up with in Philadelphia. The kind of people

our focus. Luck was definitely not on our side tonight.”

While Mounicot was disappointed with his squad’s inability to break open the game with multiple goals, he was pleased that the Martlets stuck to the game plan and avoided any careless defensive mistakes.

“We didn’t change our game plan at all,” he said. “The conditions may have been dif­ ficult, but we just tried to keep attacking. [But overall] we were unable to direct our shots at the net and weren’t playing up to the level we know we can.”

The Martlets will not have the luxury of converting such a low percentage of their shots on goal once the postseason begins, but the team is confident that Friday’s performance was simply an off-game. Simmons was quick to point out some of the positives the team

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who spend their days calling into sports radio stations to whine about the Eagles’ running game. The kind of people who be­ have like barbarians in the upper levels at Flyers games. The kind of people who— when the Phillies won the World Series last year—turned over cars, lit them on fire, looted stores, and peed on bus stops.

Like many of the city’s sports zealots, I let each heartbreaking loss or come-frombehind victory affect me personally. When it became evident that the Phillies were going to win it all last year, I fully expected to undergo some type of profound change. I figured that somehow, the sun would shine brighter and my exams would be easier once we became champs. I was wrong. I awoke to find myself the same person as always on the morning after the Phillies won the World Series.

As for Manny, I just can’t imagine him getting wound up enough about baseball to light a match, let alone a Toyota Camry.

However, po one can argue that he isn’t good at what he does. He is a master craftsman

gleaned from the victory.

“We were controlling the play, and cre­ ating a lot of opportunities on the wing,” she said. “We are going to concentrate on retaining possession of the ball [and] playing it wide, and we definitely need to capitalize on our shots and get the ball in the net.”

The Martlets certainly put those changes into effect on Sunday night, annihilating the visiting UQAM Citadins 5-0 to improve their record to 8-3-1 and inch closer to third place in the league standings. The Martlets cap off the regular season on the road this weekend, when they travel to Lennoxville on October 30 to take on the Bishop’s Gaiters, and then head to Trois-Rivières to face the UQTR Patriotes on November 1.

SEAN WOOD at the plate, working the bat like a sculptor works his chisel. Fouling a pitch to the left, letting one go, poking one to the right, then stepping back into the batter’s box to crush the ball into the left-field bleachers? With a .313 lifetime batting average and 546 home runs, Manny is a surefire selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre, a true baseball lifer, was unsurprised by Manny’s shower antics, but equally unapologetic.

“He’s always done that, [so] last night wasn't going to be any different. As we say, Manny is Manny. He’s a cool customer. But he certainly doesn’t have any lack of respect because of that.”

Philadelphia fans celebrated wildly last Wednesday as the Phillies went on to elimi­ nate the Dodgers and clinch a berth in the World Series. If the Phillies lose the World Series, there are some people who are going to be depressed for weeks. They may even light a car on fire. Go ahead, guys. I’m going to go take a shower.

Curiosity Delivers

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 • 2 1

R E D M E N L A C R O S S E - M C G IL L 7, T R E N T 12

Tentative Redmen no match for physical Excalibur S lo w start, h e sita n t p la y d o o m s M c G ill in loss to T ren t WALKER KITCHENS & CHRISTOPHE BOYER Contributors

Coming off an emotional win over the Bishop's Gaiters on Thursday night, the McGill men’s lacrosse team (7-3) suffered a major letdown on Saturday afternoon, losing 12-7 to the Trent Excalibur (7-2) at Molson Stadium. In a clash of two lacrosse powerhous­ es, McGill was outplayed from start to finish, as the visitors outworked and outmuscled the uncharacteristically timid Redmen.

The game looked to be in McGill’s favor soon after the opening whistle, as senior mid­ fielder Scott Bailey opened the scoring four minutes into the game. The Redmen kept the pressure on the Trent defence, but were unable to find the back of the net for a second time in the first quarter. McGill’s inability to capital­ ize left the door open for the Excalibur, who answered Bailey’s goal with three markers in a five-minute span to swing the momentum in their favour.

“Perhaps it was tough to have a big emo­ tional win over Bishop’s on Thursday night, and then have to turn around and play [Trent],” said Redmen Head Coach Tim Murdoch. “[Trent is] very, very good. They just out­ played us in a lot of the fundamental aspects of the game. They won the ground ball battles, they scored on offensive opportunities—they were just a better team tonight.”

Trent continued their strong play in the second quarter, controlling most of the posses­ sion. The Excalibur’s Mack O’Brien notched the third of his six goals with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter and Trent fin­ ished the half up leading six to two.

McGill rallied to start the second half, with freshman Ryan Besse scoring a quick

goal to pull the Redmen within three. Howev­ er, this was as close as McGill would ever get.

Trent responded with five unanswered goals to put the game out of reach. The Excalibur were relentless in their attack, cycling the ball and finding open attackers in great scoring posi­ tion.

Despite entering the fourth quarter trail­ ing 11-4, the Redmen showed impressive heart and hustle, outscoring Trent 3-1 behind goals from Greg Henry, Will Edwards and Jishan Sharpies. The Redmen attack was fi­ nally able to break through the tough, physi­ cal Excalibur defence with quick passes and better player movement. McGill’s defensive

line, along with star goaltender Guy Fox, were also successful in neutralizing O’Brien and the dangerous Trent attack, a positive aspect that Fox believes will help the team in the coming postseason.

“We didn’t bring our best [effort] to start out the game,” he said. “I’m glad that we dug deep in the second half, and tried to make a comeback in the fourth quarter. We showed Trent who we really are and we hope to see them in the playoffs.”

Saturday’s game marked the fourth con­ secutive Redmen loss to the Excalibur. While certainly stinging from the loss, Murdoch is determined to use the result as motivation for

his team heading into the playoffs.

“Strangely enough, with a loss we might have a little bit of a psychological advan­ tage,” said Murdoch. “The [other] three games we had with them ended in a tie and went to overtime. They were the better team tonight.

We had an off night and we’ll get it back next weekend.”

The loss knocked the Redmen out of first place in the CUFLA Eastern Conference.

McGill will finish in second or third depending on the outcome of Bishop’s final two games.

ALICE WALKER

The Redmen relinquished their hold on first place in the CUFLA Eastern Conference with a loss to Trent on Saturday.

R E D M E N S O C C E R - M C G IL L 4, U Q A M 0

Capolungo dazzles as Redmen smash Citadins M c G ill lo o ks stro n g a s team p r e p s f o r p o stsea so n KAILAN LEUNG Sports Editor

A small crowd of UQAM fans serenaded the McGill men’s soccer team with chants and taunts over a portable loudspeaker at kick­ off. Less than half an hour later, the visiting fans had switched their amplifier off, and sat dejected in the cold weather, waiting for the final whistle to blow. The Redmen put on an offensive clinic in the first half of the match at Molson Stadium on Friday night, stomping the visiting Citadins, 4-0.

“I think it was an all-round good per­ formance,” said Redmen Head Coach David Simon. “I wouldn’t limit it to the midfielders and forwards. Every time the ball was on our side the defence was effective in clearing the ball and [putting] the ball in good position for the midfield to run the offence. It was just a very good all-around performance.”

On a cold, windy night, both sides started

off slow, looking lethargic and congested on the pitch for the first 10 minutes of action.

However, a missed free kick by McGill just outside the UQAM box seemed to energize the Redmen, as they increased the pressure on the Citadins’ defensive line. Despite facing a more physically imposing team, the Redmen showed no lack of heart, winning the majority of balls in the air and challenging every pass in the midfield.

The visitors managed only one shot on goal before sophomore midfielder Yohann Capolungo put the Redmen ahead with a blis­ tering free kick from 20 yards out in the 21st minute. Capolungo missed time with an ankle injury early in the season, and Simon was eager to put his star midfielder on ice once the game was out of reach.

“Today [Capolungo] was simply out­ standing,” said Simon. “He was so good that I didn’t want to take the risk of having him injured in the second half.”

McGill showcased impressive teamwork later in the first half, with the midfield con­ sistently finding their forwards with pinpoint

passes up the wings. Fifth-year forward Gareth Pugh released fellow senior Eugene Graske with a beautiful through ball up the center of the pitch, giving Graske a one-on-one oppor­ tunity that he converted with ease.

Six minutes later, Capolungo struck again, this time with a highlight-reel play that had the entire Redmen bench celebrating raucously on the sidelines. Taking a cross from midfielder Cory Marcon, Capolungo trapped the ball with his chest, let it drop, and sent a rocketing vol­ ley into the net from 18 yards out. However, Capolungo downplayed his own performance, preferring to concentrate on what the victory meant to the team.

“It was very important to get the clean sheet, because we haven’t had [many] during the season,” he said. “We scored a lot of goals [as well], so it was a good game offensively and defensively. It was a good thing for the playoffs [coming up].”

While the Redmen know that the level of play in the postseason will be a far cry from the soccer they faced in Sunday’s game, Simon has to be encouraged by the team’s im­

proving chemistry and skill level. A goal by Pugh off a rebound put the Redmen up 4-0 at the 45-minute mark, and Simon was able to give his bench some valuable minutes in the second half.

“We had a difficult first part of the sea­ son,” said Simon. “We had six or seven inju­ ries to key players and ever since they came back and are now healthy, I think we have good momentum. But it’s a tough league and we have to make the playoffs officially, and we’ll take it from there. The last three games were promising.”

McGill is hoping to go deeper into the playoffs this year, after a disappointing firstround loss to the Laval Rouge et Or last sea­ son. Currently, the Redmen sit in third place in the competitive Quebec University Soc­ cer League, two points behind second-place Laval. McGill travels to Trois-Rivières to take on the UQTR Patriotes in the final game of the regular season on November 1. The playoffs begin on November 6.

mcgilltribune.com

22 » Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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S o u t h w e s t

C o n f e r e n c e

San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili is the best sixth man and biggest X-factor in the league. Tim Duncan is a living legend, and an automatic Hall of Famer. Antonio McDyess brings a winning attitude to the team, Tony Parker is the hardest point man to defend in the NBA, and Richard Jefferson plays twoway ball with the best of them. The Spurs are scary good. Injuries be damned, they can win 60-65 games. The Lakers can be beat, and the Spurs are the team that will beat them.

New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets spent the better part of last season relying on Chris Paul to bail them out on every offensive possession. Don’t expect too much to change.

David West is the worst all-star in NBA his­ tory, and the team often gets stuck playing re­ ally ugly basketball. However, if Paul can turn in an MVP-worthy year, the Hornets will be fine.

N o r t h w e s t

Dallas Mavericks: Many are predict­ ing a top-five finish for the Mavericks this season, but the critics are overlooking key deficiencies. The addition of Shawn Marion— poor character, perpetually dissatisfied—to an aging team of hard workers and passionate players will not make Dallas any better. Dirk Nowitzki is still good enough to single-hand­ edly win some games, but it won’t be enough.

Expect the Mavs to make the playoffs, but just barely.

Memphis Grizzlies: If the Grizzlies were looking for a locker room cancer, they found one in Zach Randolph. Shockingly, this team could actually contend for a playoff spot.

They might have to score 140 points a game to do it, but they have four guys in their lineup that can (and probably will) drop 20 every single night. They’re a team that can beat any­ body, and lose to anybody, on any given night.

Signs point towards the latter.

Houston Rockets: Neither Yao Ming nor Tracy McGrady will start the season in uniforin—losses which will prove too much for the young Rockets to overcome. Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, and Trevor Ariza form a pretty athletic, exciting young backcourt, but they lack the talent to win games. Shane Bat­ tier is an excellent defender, but the bench is thin. Chase Budinger and Pops Mensah-Bonsu? Rick Adelman deserves Coach of the Year if he gets this team to the playoffs. Hell, he deserves it if he gets them close.

—Gabe Pulver

C o n f e r e n c e

Denver Nuggets: Coming off a West­ ern Conference Finals appearance, the Nug­ gets look poised to take the division this year.

Denver hopes that new acquisition Aaron Afflalo can play the role of defensive stalwart, a position previously held by Dahntay Jones. A full training camp with Chauncey Billups will do wonders for George Karl’s squad.

Portland TVail Blazers: The Trail Blazers have the pieces to contend, but things don’t feel right this year. The Blazers had prob­ lems setting up their offence last year, and new floor general Andre Miller is already sounding unhappy. With no great creator besides Bran­

don Roy, the Blazers will have a strong regular season but struggle come playoff time.

Utah Jazz: Deron Williams will be hell-bent upon leading the Jazz deeper into the playoffs, but without any major offseason ad­ ditions, look for more of the same from Utah this year. Jerry Sloan’s teams are always com­ petitive, and this year’s version will definitely make the playoffs; just don’t look for them to make it out of the first round.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder continue on their journey towards respectability this year, hoping to at least com­ pete against some of the league’s top teams.

Though they may not finish with a winning record, a young nucleus of Kevin Durant, Rus­ sell Westbrook, and Jeff Green look poised to make great strides in the upcoming season.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are in full-on rebuilding mode, with much of the construction centred upon star forward A1 Jefferson. The team has a solid in­ side presence, but no veteran presence and a rookie head coach. Jonny Flynn will be fun to watch, but the T-Wolves look like a lock for the lottery this year.

—Michael Sengara

P a c i f i c

C o n f e r e n c e

Los Angeles Lakers: The defending

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champions upgraded at the small forward posi­ tion by trading Trevor Ariza for defensive stal­ wart Ron Attest. Lakers fans need not worry about Artest’s controversial past, as coach Phil Jackson has dealt with difficult players before.

While critics have expressed concern over Derek Fisher’s age, point guard backups Jor­ dan Farmar and Shannon Brown are more than capable. The Lakers are ridiculously deep, and the only way they don’t make it to the Finals is if Kobe switches teams midseason.

Los Angeles Clippers: After a dis­ mal 19-win season, the Clippers look to re­ enter the playoff race behind first overall pick Blake Griffin. Enigmatic point guard Baron Davis has the ability to take over games like few other players can, but his relationship with coach Mike Dunleavy seems strained. If Davis

is consistent, the Clippers have enough fire­ power to compete for a playoff spot. If not, the curse continues.

Phoenix Suns: It has been years since the Phoenix Suns were the team to beat in the Western Conference. Now, after a few experi­ ments gone wrong (Terry Porter, Shaquille O’Neal), Steve Nash and company are look­ ing to return to their run-and-gun style of play.

With a healthy Amar’e Stoudemire, as well as veteran contributors Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, and Grant Hill, the Suns should be back in the playoff mix. Questions of depth still plague this team, and they can’t afford any injuries.

Golden State Warriors: The War­ riors’ summer has been one of public contro­ versy: Monta Ellis has questioned his ability to play alongside rookie Stephen Curry, and Ste­

phen Jackson hasn’t been shy about request­ ing a trade. However, this team has a young talented group in Curry, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins and Anthony Morrow. But unless Don Nelson’s squad can learn to play some semblance of defence (30th in points allowed last year), they will once again be lottery-bound.

Sacramento Kings: Last year, the Kings were the worst team in the NBA, and after a very quiet offseason, there isn’t much reason to expect that to change. Sacramento has solid young players in Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson, a promising rookie in Tyreke Evans, and a dynamic scorer in Kevin Martin, but the team lacks the skill and experience to compete for a playoff spot. The Kings are re­ building, and it will be a few years until they make a splash in the Western Conference.

—Adam Saifer

Curiosity Delivers

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 • 23

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A t l a n t i c

C o n f e r e n c e

Boston Celtics: The Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are run­ ning out of chances to win a second champi­ onship. The additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels are strong upgrades to the Boston bench. The Celts are arguably the most talented team in the league, and if they can avoid injuries and attitude problems, they will run away with the Atlantic and challenge for the ‘ship.

Toronto Raptors: The Raptors are hoping to become part of the Eastern elite this year, and with newcomers Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack, and rookie DeMar Derozan joining Chris Bosh and company, the Raptors definitely have the talent to compete with the

best in the East. Offence will not be in short supply, but the Raps will struggle to rebound and defend, limiting their chances at becoming legitimate contenders this year.

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers enter the season with questions at the point guard position. Can Lou Williams replace Andre Miller? If he can, Philly looks like a very dangerous team. Elton Brand and Andre Igoudala are both potential all-stars and Thaddeus Young has developed into a nice athletic wing.

If the Sixers can run their offence smoothly, they might be able to sneak into the playoffs.

New York Knicks: The wait for the summer of 2010 begins. With six players in their contract year, the organization has a

much better chance of landing Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, or Chris Bosh this off-season than making the playoffs. A1 Harrington and David Lee are the only legitimate starters on a team that lacks overall depth and talent.

New Jersey Nets: The rebuilding era has officially begun. By dealing Vince Carter for a package of prospects and picks the Nets have thrown in the towel for this season.

Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Brook Lopez are a great young core, but the team lacks a legitimate star. The Nets are destined for the lottery this season, but with a few smart picks and some free agent signings, Jersey has the potential to be a decent team in a few years.

—Walker Kitchens

C e n t r a l

C o n f e r e n c e

Cleveland Cavaliers: How well LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal gel in the first month of the season will determine whether or not this is the year Cleveland wins it all. Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker were excellent additions, and as long as The King stays healthy, the Cavs will stroll through the regular season. With the Big Sidekick in town, a showdown with the Lakers in the Finals seems inevitable.

Detroit Pistons: By signing Ben Gor­ don and Charlie Villanueva, the Pistons have forsaken their defensive identity. This team is packed with backcourt scoring, but may struggle to find production in the post. With the Allen Iverson drama behind them and a

new coach at the helm, count on the Pistons to have a successful—if not spectacular—regular season.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls made be­ lievers out of many with a gutsy first-round performance against the Celtics in last year’s playoffs. Losing Ben Gordon hurts, but Chi­ cago is hoping Luol Deng can come back from injury to be the player he once was. James Johnson and Taj Gibson were underrated pick­ ups to shore up the frontcourt. The Bulls might not end up with a high playoff seed, but they will certainly make things uncomfortable for whichever team they face in the first round.

Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger has emerged as a consistent scoring threat and Roy

Hibbert was impressive during the preseason, but the Pacers lack leadership and maturity at the point. Tyler Hansbrough showed flashes of brilliance in summer league action, and could end up being a serious asset to the team. With only one marquee scorer, though, the Pacers are a couple trades away from playoff conten­ tion.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings has Iverson-like quickness and the talent to challenge for Rookie of the Year. Scott Skiles is an excellent defensive coach, and if Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut can stay healthy, the Bucks might finish close to .500. If not, they get a shot at John Wall in the 2010 draft.

—Kailan Leung

S o u t h e a s t

C o n f e r e n c e

Orlando Magic: Expect a drop-off gle-handedly brought the Heat to the playoffs for the defending Eastern Conference champs. last year. With greater contribution from the Vince Carter is not the same kind of playmaker rest of the team, look for Miami to make some Hedo Turkoglu was, and few teams have made noise in the postseason. it back to the Finals after losing the previous Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks are one year. The Magic will remain a stellar defensive of the youngest and most exciting teams in team, and their offence is nothing to scoff at basketball, but they failed to make any dras­ either. Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard all tic improvements over the summer. This is a but guarantee a solid finish and a high playoff talented team, but one that needs a significant seed. player addition to get it over the first-round Miami Heat: Dwayne Wade couldn’t hump. Keep an eye out for Joe Johnson: he’s a possibly be better than he was last year, could great talent who is entering a contract year. he? The answer to that hinges primarily on Washington Wizards: Warning: whether or not Michael Beasley becomes the here lies a dark horse. With a potential big player the Heat drafted him to be. Wade sin­ three of Antwan Jamison, Caron Butler, and

Gilbert Arenas, this team—if healthy—is un­ derrated and could make a huge splash this season. The health of Arenas’ knees will be a major topic of analysis this year. How well the team gels will depend on new head coach Flip Saunders.

Charlotte Bobcats: The Southeast Division features four strong teams ... and the Bobcats. On paper, Charlotte doesn’t look too bad: Tyson Chandler and Gerald Wallace are both solid players, and Larry Brown is the epit­ ome of coaching excellence. But the question is, who on this team can score? A poor finish and a good chance at a high lottery pick might not be the worst thing for MJ’s franchise.

—Jon Cohen

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McGill Convocation 2010

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Early Bird Pricin

S U S T A I N A B L E

P R O J E C T S

F U N D

WHEREAS both the SSMU and the McGill Administration have made commitments to creating a culture of sustainability at McGill, and; WHEREAS there is no formal structure set in place to foster collaboration on new sustainability projects between students and the Administration, and; WHEREAS student groups nor the Administration currently have the capacity to effectively plan, finance and implement large scale, culture changing, consensus based sustainability projects; Do you agree that McGill University should create a Sustainable Projects Fund, which will be available to all members of the McGill community and governed by a consensus based parity committee, with equal representation from students and the University?

Do you further agree to institute a fee starting in the Winter semester 2010 and ending in the Winter semester 2013 of $0.50 per credit per student per semester (up to 15 credits), conditional on matching contributions under the responsibility of McGill University, in order to establish this fund?

A

M

B

A

S

S

A

D

O

R

F E E

M

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1

WHEREAS the McGill Legal Information Clinic (MLIC) is a student-run, volunteer-driven, registered non-profit organization that provides free, bilingual legal information and referral services to McGill students and to the public; WHEREAS MLIC has served tens of thousands o f McGill students and community-members since its establishment in 1973; WHEREAS Student Advocacy is a service offered by MLIC since 1989, which provides advice and assistance to McGill students alleged to have committed a disciplinary offence or who are involved HI a dispute with the University; WHEREAS all members o f the Students ' Society of McGill University (SSMU) are voting members of MLIC; WHEREAS all McGill undergraduate students currently pay a fee of $3.25 each Fall and Winter semester to support MLIC and its Student Advocacy program, and thisfee is not subject to an opt-out; WHEREAS studentfees account for approximately ninety-four percent (94%) ofMLIC's annual budget;

WHEREAS participation in extra-curricular and academic competitions and conferences is an asset to the members of the SSMU and to the SSMU itself,

WHEREAS a no vote will result in the termination o f the activities of MLIC and Student Advocacy;

WHEREAS the SSMU does not currently have a fund to support these trips,

Do you support the McGill Legal Information Clinic as a recognized student activity supported by student fees, with the understanding that a â&#x20AC;&#x153;noâ&#x20AC;? vote will result in the termination of all undergraduate student fees and membership in the McGill Legal Information Clinic?

WHEREAS the creation of such a fund would promote and permit the participation of groups on campus in such competitions and conferences;

A N NOU NCEM ENT OF

Do you agree to the following?

1) The SSMU will create a fee called the SSMU Ambassador fee; 2) A student levy to be known as the SSMU Ambassador Fee will charged to every member of the SSMU for $1.00 per semester for each the Fall and the Winter terms, through the winter of 2011 3) 3) The money from the Ambassador Fee will be used to sponsor travel to and participation in academic and extra-curricular competitions and conferences; 4) The allocation of this fee is be decided by the SSMU Finance Committee

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