The McGill Tribune Vol. 30 Issue 17

TO LAW SCHOOL?, PAGES io - n

Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 30 Issue No. 17

Paris bohemians, spider women, and Greek tragedy

ZAMBALLER, PAGE 16

M entor

By Maria Flores News Editor

AUTS, Players Theatre, and Opera McGill display student talents with The Kiss o f the Spider Woman, The Oresteia Rewritten, and La Bohème. See coverage pages 14-15. (Clockwise from top right: Holly Stewart, Alice Walker, Sophie Silkes / McGill Tribune)

As an attempt to enrich the university experience and increase direct contact between McGill stu­ dents, faculty, and staff, a StaffStudent Mentoring program is scheduled begin this term. Students will be randomly assigned to a men­ tor from a faculty different from their own, in order to build a nonacademic relationship and facilitate informal conversations.

The idea was initially proposed by chemistry professor David Harpp after the Principal’s Task Force on Student Life and Learning recom­ mended that the university enhance advising and mentoring. A group of students interested in the proj­ ect acted on Harpp’s proposal, and the program is set to be officially launched in March. “ [It is] a trusted relationship that could perhaps and hopefully benefit the students,” said Harpp, explaining that the program will “enable students to see that there is a wide net of stuff that goes on in this university.”

Students will typically have two mentors to choose from, which will be drawn from either the regu­ lar teaching staff or from the admin­ istrative staff. A mentor profile site See “PROGRAM ” on page 3

Newburgh authors motion to abolish General Assem bly Councillors Knight and Freedman call for further student consultation on GA reform options

By Tori Crawford Editor-in-C hief

Councillors were notified at Thursday’s Students’ Society Coun­ cil meeting of a proposed referendum question that could abolish SSM U’s General Assembly, the once-a-semester forum for undergraduates to

vote on issues of concern to them.

The referendum question, au­ thored by SSMU President Zach Newburgh, and moved by New­ burgh, Vice-President Internal Tom Fabian, VP Finance and Operations Nick Drew, and Athletics represen­ tative Emilie Leonard, would see the GA replaced with an annual General

Meeting at which motions could be debated but not voted upon. Vot­ ing on the question would then take place online through the existing referendum system.

According to Newburgh, the proposal would remedy many of the systemic problems in the current GA's structure.

“A lot of the resolutions that come to b a t... usually take the form of joke motions, which makes those who are not currently involved think that the Society is silly,” Newburgh said. “The second piece [of the problem with the GA] is that when there is importance lent to the GA, it's normally due to highly conten­

tious, politicized motions, whereby individuals, instead of debating, are racing to get the highest number of like-minded individuals to cast their votes and debate at each other rather than with each other.”

Despite arguments that the abolition of the GA would mean the See “M O TIO N ” on page 3

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N ews CAMPUS

Consultation forum held to enhance com m unication Some attendees concerned by absence or lateness of key members of administration

By Todd Chan C o n trib u to r

Last Friday, the Student Con­ sultation and Communication Work Group held an open forum to en­ courage students to suggest ways of improving communication, and con­ sultation between the McGill admin­ istration and student body.

The Work Group was created in October 2010 in response to contro­ versies over such administrative de­ cisions as the closing of the Architec­ ture Café and the conversion of the campus into a pedestrian-only zone.

Both issues frequently came up at Friday’s meeting, along with tuition fees and grading policies. Members include faculty, administrators, and student representatives from McGill Assocation of Continuing Educa­ tion Students, the Post-Graduate Students’ Society, the MacDonald Campus Students’ Society, and the Students’ Society of McGill Univer­ sity. They work together to fulfill the mandate to consider and make “rec­ ommendations about the methods used to consult and communicate

Cathal Rooney-Cespedes, SSMU Speaker of Council, offered suggestions to improve consultation relationship. (Holly Stewart / McGill Tribune) with students,” and to improve trust and transparency throughout the McGill community.

“We can’t solve wrongs that have gone on in the past ... ideas

about solutions, alternatives [for the future], that’s what w e’re look­ ing for,” said co-moderator Finn Upham, of the PGSS. While the turnout was low, those

in attendance confidently voiced suggestions to improve administra­ tive transparency. A common idea was the creation of a central website for the minutes of various university meetings, allowing students to fol­ low their progress. However, others disagreed, saying that, “we need to communicate the narratives, not the bureaucratic trappings.” Committee Chairman Paul Weisman noted that this was under consideration.

Another student said “the prob­ lem really lies in [that] many do not know where to begin. You would need a Service Point[-type] struc­ ture, to pass on your concern.”

The discussion ended with a joke about the forming of “Com­ plaint Point.”

Another student argued that students’ feeling that they are under­ represented can be traced to a lack of trust between the administration and students: “There is a patronizing parent-child culture and lack of ac­ countability. We never elected these people ... we don’t trust them be­ cause we don’t know who they are, and they don’t trust us because we

are so ephemeral.”

Another noted that the admin­ istration seemed to be making deci­ sions in the summer when students were not on campus.

But the focus shifted later on in the talks as one student noted that student representatives need to “do better at consulting our own student body.”

Michael Porritt, director of resi­ dences, noted that the student body was often equally split, using the issue of quiet hours in residences as an example.

Several members of the Work Group were absent at the start, in­ cluding representatives from the Students’ Society. Some students noted the absence of Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson as a sign of disinterest.

Dean of Students Jane Everett was in attendance but declined to comment.

McGill is also conducting a survey on consulation and commu­ nication, which is available to take online through Friday.

CITY

“N u rse -in ” draw s crowd to support public breastfeeding Mother asked to leave Orchestra children’s store after breastfeeding; Facebook event organized

By Kyla Mandel C o n trib u to r

On January 5, Shannon Smith, mother of three, was told she was not allowed to breastfeed in Orchestra, a children's store in the Complexe Les-Ailes on St. Catherine Street. In response, Genevieve Coulombe or­ ganized a “nurse-in” in front of the store on January 19th.

Smith was given no explana­ tion as to why she was not allowed to breastfeed in Orchestra; she was simply told repeatedly in French that it was not allowed by a store clerk.

Smith replied: “that’s incorrect. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives me the right to breastfeed where I like.”

“I left in tears. I was very upset.

I think that was really humiliating and I should not have been treated that way and in front of everyone in the store, in front of my children,” Smith said. “I have three kids and I’ve breastfed them all and I’ve never had an issue like this. It’s shocking to me in this day and age that we still have this ridiculous behaviour.”

The first thing Smith did was to share her experience online through Twitter and Facebook. “But you only have 140 characters on Twit­ ter, so you don’t really get to tell

the whole story and everybody had lots of questions,” Smith said. She then decided to create a blog called “breastfortheweary.com” to share the entire experience.

“I only really expected like 30 people, people I mostly knew, to care enough to read my blog ... but it spread like wildfire,” Smith said.

In reaction to this event, Genevieve Coulombe—a complete stranger at the time to Sm ith—created a Facebook event entitled Allaite-In (or “Nurse-In,” in English) for January 19, to which 173 people clicked “at­ tending.” The idea was to breastfeed to raise awareness of a m other’s right to breastfeed anywhere, at anytime.

In a speech given to introduce the event on January 19, Coulombe said that the path to awareness “starts with the education of the general public and especially with the edu­ cation of the new moms who don’t know all their rights.”

Myriam Baril-Boisclair, whose son is eight and a half months old, at­ tended the event after hearing about it on Radio-Canada. She believes it's important to have the right to nurse her child everywhere.

“It’s not because I like to do it, it’s because I have to do it. When he’s hungry I have to do something,” Baril-Boisclair said.

Over 50 mothers gathered at the “nurse-in” on January 19. (Alice Walker / McGill Tribune) Well over 50 mothers showed up to breastfeed. Not only mothers attended the nurse-in. Fathers came along as well to support their wives.

On January 10, Smith recieved an apology from Orchestra and on the Facebook event Coulombe wrote that “the water ran under the bridge. The store apologized to the mother. We are at peace with this store!” In a gesture of good will, Orchestra handed out goody-bags to

the mothers attending the event, and the Complexe designated an area for strollers to be kept safely.

Smith hopes that raising aware­ ness about this issue informs people that "breastfeeding is normal behav­ iour, protected by law," she said, and that "if you break the law there are consequences.” More importantly Smith hopes that the nurse-in will show mothers and mothers-to-be, “that they don’t have to ask permis­

sion to breastfeed ... that they don’t have to be ‘discrete.’”

In response to the nurse-in, the Canadian Breastfeeding Protection Petition has been created by Infant Feeding Action Coalition Canada and INFACT Quebec. This petition aims to get 100,000 signatures to de­ liver directly to Prime Minister Ste­ phen Harper asking “for action on improving breastfeeding support for mothers and babies across Canada."

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

SPEAKER ON CAMPUS

Tim H o rto n s’ C E O offers personal b u sin ess history Don Schroeder talks fair-trade coffee and the company’s franchise model

By Eric Mauser C o n trib u to r

Though the average Canadian may not know who Don Schroeder is, most will purchase at least one of his company's products during their lifetime. Schroeder, the CEO of Tim Hortons, gave a talk about his life in business on Friday in the Bronfman Building.

Describing how he became in­ volved with the company, Schroeder said, “I'm not sure if I should really be telling you this story.”

As a law student in 1976, Schroeder was out drinking when it occurred to him that it would be an excellent idea to own a Tim Hortons franchise. At the time, Tim Hortons was only a small donut and coffee chain in Ontario.

“It still seemed like a good idea when I sobered up,” he said.

In 1978, he bought the 45th Tim Hortons. Schroeder continued to own his franchise while practic­

Tim Hortons CEO Don Schroeder gave out free coffee and doughnuts before the talk. (Alissa Fingold / McGill Tribune) ing law and eventually joined the company full-time in 1991. He be­ came CEO in 2008.

Instead of making a speech, Schroeder opted to have a discussion with Alex Brzostowski, an MBA student, followed by a question-andanswer session with Management students. First, Schroeder and Brzos­ towski discussed Tim Hortons’ busi­

ness model, which is a “partnership” between the corporate administration and franchise owners, unlike the tra­ ditional “top-down” style structure.

Schroeder said this scheme is the source of the company’s success and that his top priority is, “to make Tim Hortons as attractive an investment for the next generation as it was for the last two.”

Motion to be debated by C o u n cil Continued from COVER end of direct democracy at SSMU, Newburgh argued that the current format of the GA is inherently un­ democratic.

“The GA allows a small seg­ ment of the Society that is unelected and exclusive, due to space and time constraints, to circumvent democ­ racy entirely,” he said. “In replacing the GA with a forum for debate and in keeping the referendum process alive, in fact we are making the So­ ciety all the more democratic.”

In order for the question to be placed on the spring referendum ballot, the motion must be passed

by Council at their next meeting, on February 3.

Some councillors, however, have argued that there was not enough student consultation in the drafting of the motion. Maggie Knight, Clubs and Services repre­ sentative, said Newburgh's attempt to recruit students to sit on a GA re­ view committee, to which only one student applied, was not sufficient.

“The GA is significantly flawed,” Knight said. “If the sug­ gested change is the best thing we can come up with, then sure, we should put that to referendum. But my feeling is very much that we have not done an exhaustive search for better solutions.”

Management representative Eli Freedman agreed. “[Newburgh] sent out an email, and no one applied to be on the com­ mittee. I don't really think that's ad­

equate,” he said. “I'm sure if he had asked people in person they would have been willing to at least go to some sort of brainstorming night or participate in some sort of problem solving exercise.”

Newburgh, however, argued that he had offered student voices sufficient opportunity to speak.

“I hope that individuals recog­ nize there was an opportunity for consultation, that they understand the word in the first place, and that it's not tantamount to agreement,” he said. “Those who have thus far made calls for increased consulta­ tion and complained about the pro­ cess are those individuals who either a) benefit from the status quo, or b) disagree with the motion but can't substantiate their disagreement.”

In an effort to further include students, Knight, Freedman, and Arts Senator Amara Possian created a Facebook event encouraging members to submit their own suggestions for GA reform. In addition, Newburgh is hosting a Town Hall meeting with the same aim on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Lev Bukhman room.

“I hope in the next week and a half we can come up with a structure that would be much better, which we can then offer as an amendment and hopefully come to agreement on what the best different option would be,” Knight said.

Despite these disagreements, Knight emphasized that this is not fundamentally a confrontation be­ tween members of the SSMU execu­

tive and certain councillors.

“That's why we're there as councillors: to try to hold the execs to account, and to try to make sure that they're consulting with students as much as possible,” she said. “I'm really happy we now have a Town Hall and I hope that everybody comes out to that and offers con­ structive feedback.”

The referendum question also includes a provision whereby any member of the society who collects 50 signatures can submit a resolu­ tion to SSMU Council. According to Newburgh, this will give the average student, “the opportunity to engage with an easier degree with the legis­ lative process.”

Should Council decide to reject the referendum question, Newburgh would have the option of putting it on the ballot through the student-ini­ tiated referendum process—some­ thing former president Ivan Neilson did last year with a question regard­ ing SSMU's committee structure.

“We don't have a lot of time, but I'm confident we'U either come up some sort of solution that is mu­ tually agreeable or we'll just vote down the resolution, which in my opinion is the most ideal solution,” Freedman said.

“If Council chooses to get hung up in process, rather than in debating the merits of the question, I would be open to considering a student-ini­ tiated referendum question,” New­ burgh said.

In the future, the company plans to continue expanding into the Unit­ ed States and possibly open franchis­ es on other continents. Schroeder emphasized that this process would deeply involve Tim Hortons within the communities where it wants to sell its products. This should be done “not simply to sell more coffee and donuts,” he said, “but to genuinely give back.”

The question-and-answer pe­ riod saw some students raise more specific concerns. Artem Luhovy, a MD/MBA student, asked about Tim Hortons' refusal to buy fair trade coffee. Schroeder answered that it rejects fair trade because the company sees flaws in the fair trade industry. He cited the $1,000 fee a farmer must pay to become fair trade certified—money many coffee farmers do not have. Schroeder said Tim Hortons has instead focused on efforts to provide farmers with tools and information that will make them more productive, regardless

of whether or not they ultimately decided to sell their coffee to Tim Hortons. He added that Tim Hortons also has invested money in educa­ tion for the children of coffee farm­ ers in rural areas.

“Tim Hortons has a history of trying to do the right thing without patting ourselves on the back,” he said.

At the talk, Schroeder tried to communicate his company’s prin­ ciples on a personal level, patiently listening to each student, supplying free donuts and coffee prior to the session, and providing Tim Hortons gift cards to every student who asked a question as well as to the McGill cleanup staff.

On coming to McGill, Schroed­ er said it was an “honour to be here at a great school,” and advised stu­ dents to “find a job that they loved.”

He added that a professor once told him, “You haven't lived until you've read a good book, seen a good play, and done something you loved.”

Program starts in March Continued from COVER will allow students to see the men­ tor’s interests, and if there are spe­ cial preferences by either the mentor or the mentee, these can be specifi­ cally met.

“The program isn’t intended to replace anything that McGill al­ ready has,” said Arts Senator Amara Possian, who has been working on the project for eight months. “The idea is to build a sense of commu­ nity from both sides.”

While explaining that the aim of the program is non-academic and that the mentor is not intended to act on the student’s behalf, Dean of Students Jane Everett recognized that the program could also help stu­ dents to better understand the over­ all functioning of the university.

“It doesn’t mean that the mentor could not help the student figure out how McGill works,” Everett said.

“But we also think it would be very valuable for mentors,” she added, “because unless you are in a job like mine you don’t get to meet people from across the university, and in some of the administrative units, you don’t see students at all.”

According to Harpp, “cross­ connectivity is more apt to happen” when mentors are matched with stu­ dents from different faculties.

“It could become academic under certain circumstances, but it hopefully will become a trusting relationship,” Harpp said. “So if a student in the Faculty of Law got to know a Management faculty mem­

ber, it is likely that they talk about business, but they may also likely to talk about a personal situation.”

Listervs, classroom announce­ ments, Facebook groups, and book­ marks have been used to promote the program. But organizers are hoping that word of mouth will play a large role as well.

A checklist of guidelines is outlined on the website in order to make clear that the program of­ ficially exists within the university.

Mentors have been asked to commit a minimum of two hours per term, which should happen during busi­ ness hours at least initially,’to ensure the program is run professionally.

“We are going to have a launch in early March,” Possian said. “This is a pilot project so we are expect­ ing a few problems. We are going to work to get feedback to find out what we can do to improve and then w e’ll take it from there.”

Over time, the program’s goal is to develop the concept of getting to know somebody who can poten­ tially assist students in some way during their stay at McGill. Accord­ ing to Everett, spending time with another person at McGill with whom one previously had little connection may give the sense that “someone’s got your back, in a way.”

4 -------------------------------E D U C A T IO N

Ryerson program to help N H L e rs NHL Alumni launches “BreakAway Program” with school

By Kat Sieniuc C o n trib u to r

Ryerson University and the Na­ tional Hockey League Alumni have teamed up to move coaching from the locker room to the classroom.

The new “BreakAway Program” of­ fers current and retired hockey play­ ers the opportunity to enhance their business education for success off the ice by covering topics of finance, leadership, privacy law, marketing, and personal branding.

According to Pat Flatley, the program’s director, the Ted Rogers School of Business Management at Ryerson and the NHL Alumni’s unique partnership is what makes the program so effective.

“The BreakAway Program of­ fers all current and former players the opportunity to work with one of the top schools in North America that truly understands the unique circumstances of professional ath­ letes,” Flatley said.

Wendy McCreary of the NHL Alumni Association said that Break­ Away’s main objective is to help players find a career in the world beyond hockey.

“Their love is the game; that's all they know,” McCreary said. She added that the program hopes to pro­ vide players with enough confidence to successfully transition into a post­ hockey career.

“We hope to give them the ability to pursue a different identity when they come out of the game,” she said.

Program liaison and Ryerson marketing professor Marla Spergel believes the BreakAway Program is something from which all NHLers can benefit.

“When players leave hockey, they are at a void,” Spergel said.

The program will customize its courses to supply players with the specific tools they might need to fill the void created by a lack of formal business training.

The BreakAway Program con­ sists o f 15 hours of material and has a completion deadline of six months.

Its online format is player-accessible and designed to accommodate their busy schedules and fast-paced work environment.

“We wanted to produce a pro­ gram that gives them the ability to educate themselves online at their

own convenience,” McCreary said.

Although the players do not receive a degree, Spergel provides guid­ ance counselling to those players who wish to continue further stud­ ies with other university or college programs.

“As an outsider I am pretty impressed that there is such a com­ mitment from the alumni to want to really get them prepared for when they leave,” Spergel said. Although there are currently only a handful of students enrolled in the program, she notes that BreakAway is in the pro­ cess of developing an extensive mar­ keting plan to reach more NHLers.

“Since it is all very new, a lot of players have no clue this thing exists yet,” she said.

McCreary declares that part of the program’s mandate is to also reach other universities. “A good portion of our constituency is based in Montreal,” she said. BreakAway will be asking McGill if it would like to start its own branch of the program some time in the future.

Curiosity Delivers, www.mcgilltribune.com

News in Brief Montreal experiences six attacks on various Jewish establishments There has recently been a se­ ries of six rock-throwing attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools in Montreal.

Targeted in the attacks were the Beth Rambam, Tifereth, Beth Zion, and Beth Davis synagogues and Academie Yavne in Côte St.Luc; the Dorshei Emet synagogue in Hampstead; and Congregation Shaare Zedek in Notre-Dame-deGrace.

Côte St.-Luc has a vibrant Jew­ ish community. Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Synagogue said in an interview with the National Post that, among North American cities, this area of Montreal has the highest percentage of Jews living together in predominantly middle-to-uppermiddle-class neighbourhoods.

According to Rabbi Steinmet: “A guy came sometime Saturday night and threw a rock at a set of sec­ ond story windows, above the doors.

And he threw a rock and broke a hole in a window and cracked it. It was just one rock. But this has now happened to six different Jewish in­ stitutions in Montreal. It’s a pathetic attack. It’s a cowardly attack. But it

is a direct attack.”

A spokesman from the Mon­ treal Police Department noted that authorities currently “have no sus­ pects. This was serious and we will look at all events in the same area.

These attacks could be related, since the same type of ammo was used.”

An expert detective has been assigned to the investigation.

There have been other assaults against Jewish areas of worship in the past: firebombings of the library at United Talmud Torah School in 2004 and a firebombing of the Jew­ ish community centre in Snowdon in 2007.

Calling last weekend to report the attack, a Holocaust survivor said that she was devastated to see acts of hatred following her from her past all the way to Montreal.

On Monday, Liberal leader Mi­ chael Ignatieff said that the attacks were, “hateful and systematic acts” that “represent an attack on an entire religious community.”

-Andrew M ille r

SPEAKER O N C AM PU S

Andrew Cohen says U .S .-C a n a d a cultures converging Journalist and McGill alumnus delivers J.R. Mallory Lecture in Canadian Studies at Faculty Club By jimmy Lou C o n trib u to r

Last Tuesday, Andrew Cohen —one of Canada’s preeminent non­ fiction writers and a McGill alum— delivered the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada’s 18th annual J.R. Mallory Lecture in Canadian Studies, discussing Canada’s cul­ tural convergences with the United States.

Although things have changed over the years, Cohen said that many Canadians today still want to distin­ guish themselves from “belligerent, pompous” Americans. According to Cohen, medical care, poutine, and a fervent love for hockey have been badges of a distinctly Canadian identity. “But,” he said, “take away health care and other cherished iden­ tities, and what’s left for us, and be­ tween us?”

Cohen pointed to four subjects on which Canada and the U.S. have become indistinguishable: obesity, frugality, criminality, and multiculturalism. Although Canada once considered itself more fit than its southern neighbour, statistics show increasing obesity rates for both

adults and children. In 2005, Canada was the fifth-most overweight na­ tion in the world, while the U.S. was number one. But in a more recent poll, the U.S. has a 66 per cent obe­ sity rate, compared to 60 per cent in Canada.

In terms of spending habits, Cohen said that “although [the idea that Americans spend more than Ca­ nadians] is true to a certain degree, [as Canadians] we are no longer frugal.” National debt continues to rise in Canada. Canada’s national household debt was a record $1.41 trillion in 2009 and has continued to climb. In addition, Canada’s income distribution gap is expanding, with the richest one per cent holding 34 per cent o f the wealth.

Traditionally, Canadians have thought their country safer than the U.S., Cohen said. Granted, this is still true. But the American crime rate has dropped to levels that haven’t been seen since the 1960s.

Also, capital punishment in the U.S. has become more moderate in the last 10 years. Not only have many states abolished capital punishment, but the states that still use it are is­ suing increasingly low numbers of

Andrew Cohen argued that Canada isn’t so different from the U.S. anymore. (Anna Katycheva / McGill Tribune) death sentences. California, for in­ stance, has not ordered one in five years, and Texas—notorious for ex­ ecuting crim inals—only issued 17 in 2010, compared to 400 in 2000.

Chris Espamer, a U1 politcal science student from the U.S., said he sees a clear distinction between the two neighbouring nations.

“I think that Canada has some good traits from both American and European culture. They seem to be less obsessed about military

strength, and are less corrupt politi­ cally in general.”

People often believe that Can­ ada is more tolerant towards im­ migrants than the U.S.. Cohen sug­ gested, however, that “the pot is no longer melting” and that the U.S. has become much more accomodating to its minorities.

Cohen also mentioned the co­ operative relationship that has per­ sisted over time between U.S. and Canada. Despite some disagree­

ments, the two nations have gener­ ally worked in political, economic, and social harmony.

“It was a very informative [lec­ ture], and I was surprised at some o f the differences,” said Kateryna Sherysheva, a U1 political science and international development stu­ dent.

“This lecture has made me think deeper about the issue and reconsid­ er different sides,” said Sherysheva.

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WANTED: «i PHARMACISTS My experience w ith the Forces has been re m a rk a b le . A fte r paying fo r my education, they put me to w o rk around the w o rld . Now i never know w h e re my next challenge w il l take me."

Captain BRYAN WILLOX

FIGHT WITH THE CANADIAN

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Canada

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Give discourse a chance!

Last weekend, the McGill Daily and Le Délit hosted the Cana­ dian University Press’s annual con­ ference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Montreal. The confer­ ence was a huge success, providing a unique opportunity for student journalists from across the country to meet one another and engage with professionals in the field. It’s ironic that the rich atmosphere of discourse fostered by the conference is often absent within McGill itself.

You’re probably sick of the cir­ cular arguments and fruitless backand-forth that surrounds issues like Israel-Palestine, Choose Life, and increased fees for the Daily. Politi­ cal discourse at McGill has come to resemble a schoolyard shouting match, particularly over the issue of QPIRG opt-out; it can barely even be called discourse any longer.

Discourse is an exchange of opinions between parties on equal footing. It involves an honest attempt to reconcile two opposing points of view; the goal is always increased understanding. W hat’s happening at McGill is not discourse. Two groups are yelling at each other so loudly that the other side can’t even hear w hat’s being said anymore. Anyone standing nearby who might want to listen has already been scared off by all the noise. Can these people even hear themselves?

The new Prince Arthur Her­ ald was recently described in the Montreal Mirror as a news portal

that “singles out the McGill Daily and thebubble.ca as bastions of the unreasonable campus left.” Such descriptions are even more disheart­ ening for their utter predictability.

The extremes on both ends of the political spectrum at McGill are a testament to our school’s diversity.

However, they can also be “poison­ ous,” as Brendan Steven pointed out in his final Trib column last week.

A students, w e’re expected to think critically about our own be­ liefs and opinions—to question as­ sumptions we have never thought to question before. Just because representatives on both sides of the political debate at McGill are able to produce articulate and nuanced arguments for their own positions doesn’t mean they’re able to listen to the arguments expressed by their opponents. If we want to give genu­ ine discourse a chance, we need to be able to listen to what other people are saying. We need to open our ears and our eyes.

But being open-minded about an issue is not simply a matter of saying that you’re willing to listen.

Open-mindedness has to be demon­ strated, over and over again, through gestures. In the many exchanges be­ tween the left and right at McGill, how often have you actually heard someone admit that they’re wrong?

Whether you’re a student or not, whether you read the Daily, the PAH, the Tribune, Le Délit, the Re­ porter, or the walls of the bathroom stalls in McLennan, it is always im­ portant to take a step back and gain some perspective. Remember that McGill gives us an once-in-a-lifetime chance to engage with a variety of viewpoints expressed by a vari­ ety of people. It gives us a chance to have our opinions challenged.

The refusal to engage in discourse doesn’t just affect you—it affects everyone.

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Protecting McGill since 2010 As the self-proclaimed repre­ sentative of the silent student major­ ity, things have been tough here at Life Lines. There is no genuine sta­ tistical data on the political beliefs of this majority, so I am left writing heartwarming, greeting-card-linedrenched pieces that attempt only to make the average student smile. Al­ though once described as “trite” by a snobby-nosed English major, Life Lines aims to protect the world from the likes of the McGill Daily and the Prince Arthur Herald. Without at least one smiling (and moderate) idiot waving a fun-loving, anecdotal column as a white flag, debate might become so polarized that 90 per cent of our student body loses interest.

Oh wait: that’s already happened.

But let’s not just blame the student pundits; from the capital to the coastline, student societies have been caught supporting causes that students either don’t care about or really don’t care about, No wonder people are disillusioned and uninter­ ested in campus political discussion.

Our money goes to student councils and they spend it on facilities, caf­ eterias, information programs, and radical political parties with weird, confusing names like Canada’s Only Liberal Anti-Progressive Commu­ nist Green Party of Canada Party.

Zach Newburgh, president of our own Students’ Society, expressed similar sentiments in a recent chat.

He too noted that “referenda and elections are faulty indicators, as

only those who care most about an issue will vote, which often leads student governments to take posi­ tions that are unrepresentative of the majority of their constituents.” What is to be done? Student councils can’t be purely neutral and never take a stand. That would cripple effective organizations in situations when the large majority of students obvi­ ously need them. One example of a worthy issue is facilitating dialogue between students and the adminis­ tration when there is a possibility of sharp tuition increases.

The answer is fairly simple. In matters directly related to the stu­ dent’s university experience a stu­ dent union should do its utmost to enhance said experience, incorporat­ ing and debating the many perspec­ tives on what such an experience should be. Ultimately, in these cases, SSMU should take a stand. Other­ wise it should sit down and shut up.

Newburgh agrees; “I do believe that it is better for student governments to stay out of taking political stanc­ es that diverge from post-secondary education and administrative deal­ ings, as it really is far too difficult to determine ‘what students want’ beyond these issues.”

This by no means suggests that we have an apathetic, anti-political student body. Student groups and clubs which have a fairly good idea of their members’ views should be free to fully support their respective causes. They should even be en­ couraged to do so. Newburgh says: “I do believe that it is important to fund students who wish to take part in political action.” And I agree. But until they have a much better idea of what their constituents’ views are, student unions themselves should be wary of explicitly rallying behind a specific cause: At the end of the day w e’re all students: we prefer pastries over propaganda.

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Death o f a dictatorship When Mohamed Bouazizi soaked himself in paint thinner and set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, it wasn’t just his body that erupted. It was an entire country.

Bouazizi was a Tunisian who dropped out of high school in order to support his family of eight. He worked on a small farm owned by his uncle until the government un­ justly seized it. Desperate and un­ employed, he resorted to selling fruits and vegetables on the streets, until the police confiscated his cart and literally slapped him across the

face.

Helpless, he marched to the re­ gional government headquarters to plead his case and redeem his rights.

No one listened. In fact, government officials kicked him out of the build­ ing, essentially spitting on whatever dignity he had left.

Filled with despair, the 26-yearold burned himself alive in front of the same government that bulldozed over his right to live with honour and dignity. Shockwaves of protests im­ mediately reverberated throughout the country. Tunisians poured into the streets and fearlessly marched into clouds of tear gas.

Authoritarian regimes are able to survive so long as their citizens are perpetually terrified to die. This is why corrupt governments keep their people in an endless circle of anxiety, to ensure uncritical compli­ ance, conformity, and obedience by all citizens at all times.

However, these myopic tyrants

don’t realize that constant stimula­ tion leads to desensitization. Even­ tually, citizens learn not to fear death any more precisely because their governments cheapened the currency of life. All it takes for the tables to turn is for someone like Bouazizi to epitomize this reality.

All of a sudden, it was the ruth­ less Tunisian president who was made to choose between fight-orflight. Being the brave man that he was, he naturally opted for the lat­ ter.

Meanwhile, dictators in neigh­ bouring countries have started tak­ ing measures to ensure that their own citizens do not get any ideas from Tunisia’s experience. But they already have.

Egyptians, who arguably pro­ duce the largest number of anti-gov­ ernment jokes per capita, are beyond fed up. President Hosni Mubarak has kept Egypt in a state of emergency since 1981—the entire duration of

his rule. In other words, for over 29 years (and counting), the Egyptian government has had the power to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, without trial or due process.

This is part of the reason why several Bouazizi-inspired Egyptian citizens—including a lawyer—set themselves on fire over the past week, hoping for change. , However, the Egyptians must realize that President Ben Ali did not flee Tunisia after 23 years of merciless rule because of one selfimmolation event, or even five. He fled because a critical mass of Tuni­ sians realized that rampant poverty, corruption, censorship, unemploy­ ment, and soaring food prices are not a detour away from death; they are a superhighway that leads di­ rectly to it.

Given that Tunisia is now polit­ ically shattered and in need of direc­ tion, Western governments will be

tempted to make an aggressive sales pitch for democracy. There is noth­ ing wrong with extolling the virtues of elected government. However, there is everything wrong with in­ sisting that democracy is only legiti­ mate if it’s imported from the West.

We have seen what happened when George W. Bush’s political surgeons insisted they could suc­ cessfully transplant American-style democracy into Iraq, even though Iraq’s drastically different cultural, religious and economic climate sug­ gested this was a bad move. Now, almost eight years later, Iraq re­ mains in a coma.

We have a moral obligation to empower those around the world who continue to struggle and bleed and bum for the sake of claiming what rightfully belongs to them.

And when they do, let us celebrate their victory and help them rebuild a country that best serves their inter­ ests, not ours.

T h e M c G ill

—

T rih u n e WWW.MCGILLTRIBUNE.COM

Editor-in-Chief Tori Crawford editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Mookie Kideckel mkideckel@mcgilltribune.com Theo Meyer tmeyer@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Iain Macdonald imacdonald@mcgilltribune.com Senior Design Editor Zoe Brewster zbrewster@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Matt Essert, Sean Wood and Maria Flores news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Ricky Kreitner opinion@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Alison Bailey features @mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Brahna Siegelberg and Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Sam Hunter and Walker Kitchens sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Holly Stewart and Alice Walker photo@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Kathleen Jolly design@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Kyle Carpenter Advertising Manager Dallas Bentley cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca Publisher Chad Ronalds

Contributors Mohammed Ashour, Johanu Botha, Todd Chan, Monique Evans, Alissa Fingold, Alex Hamilton, Anna Katycheva, John Kelsey, Jimmy Lou, Isabel Luce, Kyla Mandel, Andrew Miller, Gabe Pulver, Sam Reynolds, Ryan Reisert, Maxime Sawicki, Kat Sieniuc, Sophie Silkes,

Tribune Offices Editorial

E d it o r ia l = C o u n cil should let students vote on the G A A bit earlier than usual this year, the General Assembly is already making waves on campus. A pro­ posal to create a referendum ques­ tion seeking to abolish the GA and replace it with two (bi-)Annual Gen­ eral Meetings and so-called “private members’ bills” has spurred several Facebook groups and a spirited back and forth among councillors, ex­ ecutives, and students. The proposed AGMs would provide a forum for debate on referendum questions as well as performing some legally re­ quired duties, while the private mem­ bers’ bills would enable any student to get a motion with 50 signatures considered by Council. It is perhaps unsurprising for the Tribune to advo­ cate strongly that councillors adopt this motion, given our oft-expressed interest in abolishing the GA. But it’s addressing some of the concerns re­ garding this new proposal.

“Consultation” concerns One common concern pertains to the degree of consultation under­ taken before the motion was submit­ ted to Council. Some argue that the Steering Committee was supposed to look at several options for reforming the GA, rather than simply approve a motion to submit its abolition to referendum. There could have been focus groups, town halls, surveys, and the involvement of more coun­ cillors, rather than what many con­ sider to be the brainchild of a handful of self-selected people.

“Consultation” has been a pop­ ular word recently. But in this case it feels like a distraction rather than a legitimate concern. Students’ Society President Zach Newburgh was inter-

7

ested students to discuss referendum questions, but hopefully eliminate the highly contentious and polarized situations we’ve seen in the last two years. While the proposed AGMs do not allow students to amend motions, this is a price we are willing to pay for a clearer, easier, and more demo­ cratic system.

Some students also have con­ cerns about an increased reliance on Council. The new proposal would put more power in the hands of coun­ cillors, elected it’s true, but often ac­ claimed or voted in based on popu­ larity. Yet for all its flaws, council is voted in through elections accessible to all students and its actions are more representative of those students than those of a self-appointed mob accountable to nobody.

Opponents of the resolution are also concerned that eliminating the GA is tantamount to scrapping a rare example of direct democracy at McGill. They see the GA as the only forum on campus in which all

students can amend, debate, and vote on motions; that this unique oppor­ tunity for face-to-face interaction is not adequately replaced in the new proposal; and that therefore the GA, however flawed, shouldn’t be aban­ doned.

Any contentions that the new motion seeks to erase direct democra­ cy at McGill must be framed against a crucial fact: the GA as it exists is fundamentally undemocratic. Stu­ dents with scheduling conflicts can­ not attend and thus cannot vote. If the room gets filled to capacity, students who cannot get in do not get to vote.

The G A violates the democratic prin­ ciples both of one-person-one-vote and the right to a secret ballot (with­ out the majority’s assent). Reform, too, seems impossible. It would be difficult to advertise more than past SSMU executives have. SSMU could rent a larger room, but this requires a substantial investment for something that is normally under-attended. The process could be changed—but no replacement could guarantee more civility or eliminate a learning curve.

The ancient Greeks knew well that when a community passes a certain size, direct, interpersonal democracy becomes impossible. The ideals of the GA are inspiring, but they may be more easily achieved with the abolition of the GA rather than with its stubborn preservation.

The proposal on the table would preserve debate while reserving vot­ ing for the referendum process more traditionally associated with direct democracy, and which provides time and privacy for any student to vote in comfort. The proposed AGMs will still provide a forum for inter»

cois are the primary movers behind the decision, and now their federal party relatives, the Bloc Québécois are petitioning to have the kirpan banned in Parliament as well.

At first glance, the solution seems obvious. Religious or not, weapons shouldn’t be permitted in legislative bodies. No one would expect to be allowed to carry a hunt­ ing knife into Parliament. But then again, the physical threat represent­ ed by the kirpan isn’t entirely clear.

One editorialist called the govern­ ment silly and reactionary, claiming that a kirpan can’t even cut through a banana. Another pointed out that a Sikh man was stabbed in Brampton, Ontario, last spring with a kirpan wielded by another Sikh. Kirpans, which range in size and sharpness, are allowed in schools, so long as they are underneath clothing and sewn inside their sheaths, and per­ mitted on VIA Rail trains, but not

on airplanes. Consider also that a Liberal MP from Toronto has been wearing a kirpan in the House of Commons for years now.

Clearly, making a decision based on any one of the ad hoc precedents for the kirpan isn’t an option, and an absolutist list of religious items that could be considered security threats—in somewhat far-fetched, “what i f ’ scenarios—is not the solu­ tion. For example, the four Sikh men were testifying regarding Bill 94, which would ban the niqab, a veil worn by some Muslim women, from public places in Quebec for fear that anyone could be concealing their identity under it. The government of Quebec isn’t trying to toe the faint, squiggly line between security and accommodation. They have made it clear that they are choosing security and letting the accusations of intol­ erance fly as they may.

Initially, my reaction is to

agree with the ban on kirpans. But given the minimal risk it poses and the number of public places where it’s currently permitted (and recur­ rent tendencies toward xenophobia within Quebec nationalism), a small dull kirpan does not pose much of a security risk to the national assem­ bly. As the Bloc Québécois secular­ ism critic put it, “Multiculturalism is not a Quebec value. It may be a Canadian one but it is not a Quebec one.” In regards to the kirpan and the niqab, Quebec is wrong to put that statement into practice. At the same time, we must recognize that some kirpans are clearly dangerous weapons (do a quick internet search if you don’t believe me). Small, dull kirpans should be permitted in public places, including Parliament, where at least one MP has been per­ mitted to wear one for years—while kirpans of the hunting knife variety definitely should not.

ested enough in consultation to call for committee members to review the GA, but he received only one volunteer in response. Opponents said he could have tried harder, but this seems more like a dispute about personal interpretations of how much consultation is enough: a question of degree rather than principle.

It’s also curious to complain of a lack of consultation on a motion being put forward to Council, which is, in fact, a consultative body. Stu­ dents elected by their peers will have the opportunity to debate, amend, and vote on the motion before it pro­ ceeds to referendum. All students can speak at Council and have the right to petition their councillors to vote in a certain way. Should Council allow this motion to go to referendum, every student will have the opportu­ nity to either reject or accept it. Con­ sultation before action makes sense.

But the main complaint seems to be that there was not enough consulta­ tion before, well, consultation.

Finally, the vast majority of students have shown a consistent unwillingness to engage in consulta­ tive mechanisms such as town halls.

Students’ opinions should be sought but cannot be forced into existence.

All this talk of “consultation” and “process” is a distraction from the real debate, which should be about the merits of the motion itself.

The GA is not democratic

Ask the students directly A vote for this motion is not a permanent commitment to anything except making tangible change.

Change in any direction has been elusive for several years and should not be delayed again. The arguments regarding consultation are analogous to Republicans claiming they did not like Obama’s health care plan be­ cause of the voting process. And let’s not forget the most important point, one that all councillors concerned about democracy and consultation should be able to agree on: If this entire debate is about how to make SSMU operations more democratic, this question should go to referendum. There is surely no better way to consult with students than to ask their opinions directly, in a referendum.

Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1X9 T: 514.398.6789 Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490

There are kirpans, The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a stu­

and there are kirpans

dent society of McGill University. The content o f this publica­ tion is the sole responsibility o f The M cGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune and does not necessarily represent the views o f M cGill University. Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact infor­ mation. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submit­ ted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune Publication Society to be libellous, sexist, racist, homophobic or solely-promotional in nature will not be published. The Tribune reserves the right to edit all contributions. Editorials are decided upon and written by die editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those o f the author and do not necessar­ ily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

Should daggers be allowed in the national assembly, Quebec’s legislative body? T hat’s the gross oversimplification that Quebec poli­ ticians are debating in the latest con­ flict between Quebec and religious minorities over the issue of religious accommodation.

Earlier this week, four Sikhs carrying kirpans—small symbolic daggers carried by most Sikh m en— were denied entrance to Quebec’s national assembly. The Parti Quebe-

8 Drop the laptop?

Not so fast For my first three years at McGill, I hand-wrote my notes in class. Every semester, I would re­ stock my supply of coloured note­ books, labeling each with the prop­ er course code. It worked w ell—I would go to class, write down ev­ erything the professor scrawled on the board, and then review it later.

Last semester, though, I started tak­ ing my laptop to some classes, a choice I don’t regret.

The use of laptops in the class­ room has long been a topic of con­ versation for students and profes­ sors, and there are valid arguments on both sides. Laptops allow stu­ dents to take notes more efficiently and keep track of slides, but they can be distracting for both users and nearby students. Ultimately, the benefits and costs of laptop use in the classroom depend on the situa­ tion.

The average person can write

between 25 and 30 words per min­ utes, type 50-100 words per minute, and speak 100-200 words per min­ ute. This would suggest that a typist can copy two to three times as much as a pen and paper note taker. How­ ever, much of note taking consists of filtering through information and identifying the important parts. The ability to do this is independent of the medium being used.

Laptops can be quite useful in upper level courses, in which the subject matter depends heav­ ily on prerequisite courses. Due to changing professors, some of these prerequisites are inconsistent from year to year. Learning new mate­ rial relies on the ability to recall information learned in semesters past, and a computer can make this information more accessible, allow­ ing the student to follow the lecture more closely. While a pen-and-paper note-taker may be stuck wondering what a B+ tree is, a laptop user can look it up and get back on track in the middle of the lecture.

In addition to relying heavily on fundamental material, many science and engineering courses emphasize details. While in some English, phi­ losophy, or history courses, lecture slides are used to guide discussions, they serve as an exhaustive reference guide in most science or engineering

courses. In classes such as thermo­ dynamics, organic chemistry, or computer engineering the ability to simultaneously write down critical information and follow the lecture is crucial to success. Clifford Nass, a psychology professor at Stanford, cites multitasking as the main prob­ lem with laptop use. However, all note-taking is multitasking; students must listen to the lecture while copy­ ing key points. The use o f a comput­ er allows the user to spend less time writing, and more time listening, re­ sulting in better learning.

Despite the obvious benefits, many denounce laptops in the class­ room, claiming they can be distract­ ing for the student using the com­ puter and those nearby. While this is certainly true, it would be ignorant to posit that those without comput­ ers are model students. Crossword puzzles, neighbourly conversations, and naps are commonplace in lec­ tures. Someone quietly taking notes on a computer is no more distracting than those who whisper, eat, or pass notes in class.

In support of these criticisms, Professor W. Joseph Campbell at American University says, “Laptops can be a serious distraction, which is a principal reason I prefer not to see them open in the classroom.” While Campbell may be correct, there is no

Socrates: “We w o n’t be in error, then, if we call such people lovers o f opinion rather than philosophers or lovers o f widsom and knowledge? Will they be angry with us if we call them that?”

No, Socrates. W e love opinion, unabashedly.

doubt that there are some students who can use laptops effectively.

Should these students put away their laptops in order for their peers to perform better? Surely disallowing computers in a situation where they would be advantageous is unfair.

The disciplined students who can use laptops to enhance their learning experience shouldn’t be penalized because their peers are distracted by notes taken on a computer.

While laptops can certainly be useful in class, there are many who abuse the privilege. The debate is not one with a right and wrong answer, but rather depends on the context.

The onus is on each student to make the right decision.

G O T O P IN IO N S ?

O P IN IO N @ M C G IL L TR IB U N E .

COM

ERRATA T h e article “ N e w c on serva tive s tu d e n t new s source la u n ch e d M o n d a y ” (ja n . i8 issue) incorrectly identified Za ch Paikin as “ a fo rm e r p re sid e n t o f the Y o u n g Liberals o f C a n a d a .” H e w as the V P F ra n c o p h o n e Affairs for Liberal M c G ill last year.

In a d d itio n , the article “A S h o rte r F ro s h ” (Jan. n issue) incorrectly identified A rts U n d e rg ra d u a te Society President D a ve M arsh a ll as a m e m b e r o f the Integrated O rie n ta tio n W o rk in g G ro u p . In reality, he w a s o n ly a m e m b e r o f an in form a l Frosh w o rk in g g ro u p th a t m e t in O c to b e r.

T h e T rib u n e regrets the errors.

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BITS & PIECES

The “D aw so n ” in D aw son hall Architectural transformations and roaming cattle under Sir John Dawson

By Isabel Luce C o n trib u to r

Sir John William Dawson was one of M cGill’s earliest principals, working from 1855 to 1893. His ten­ ure at McGill was marked by major transformations in the school’s ap­ pearance. When recalling his first impressions of the campus back in 1855, Dawson said: “Materially, it was represented by two blocks of unfurnished and partly ruinous buildings, standing amidst a wilderness of excavators’

Sir john William Dawson (mccord-museum.qc.ca)

and masons’ rubbish, overgrown with weeds and bushes. The grounds were unfenced and pastured at will by herds of cattle ... The only access from town was by a circuitous and ungraded cart-track, almost impass­ able at night.”

Upon his arrival to McGill, Dawson moved into the east wing of the Arts Building, which to this day is still called Dawson Hall and now houses the Arts and Science administrators and advisors. One of the most notable dilemmas Dawson faced was that of rogue cattle from neighbouring farms grazing the fields of the McGill campus. With funding from some of Montreal’s wealthiest citizens—specifically the families who lived in the “Golden Square Mile” surrounding McGill and made up 80 per cent o f Canada’s wealth at the tim e—Dawson super­ vised the construction of many of the buildings that are now mainstays on campus. One such building was the Redpath Museum, the oldest North American structure built solely for the purpose of being a museum. In 1860, Dawson hired the well-known architect J.W. Hopkins, to add an impressive wooden entrance to the Arts Building, lined with Doric col­ umns. The Arts Building as we know it today was completed in 1925 by the architects Harold Lea Fether-

Random parties and people

By Kyle Carpenter Copy Editor

A grainy photograph of the McGill campus, where you can see the Arts Building in the centre, James Administration Building to the right of it, and a cow grazing on the field, (archives.mcgill.ca) stonhaugh and J. C. McDougall, who also created the entranceway in front of Moyse Hall. Dawson died in 1899, leaving behind a very dif­ ferent McGill than when he had first arrived: architecturally transformed, and more importantly, free from

wild, roaming herds of cattle.

—Isabel Luce is the President o f the Redpath Museum Club, fo r more information visit their website at redpathmuseumclub.wordpress. com

HOW TO...

Staying warm when going to class Booze, not Canada Goose, to keep you warm in -30°C weather

By Matt Essert News Editor

In order to stay warm in this city during the winter months, the first thing you need to do is realize you will never stay warm in Mon­ treal. Accept that as a fact. Now let’s move on.

Second, you need to ask your­ self whether you want need to stay warm. Do you ever really want to leave the comfort of your apart­ ment’s fireplace and enter the fro­ zen tundra where you would need to try to stay warm? There are a few considerations to ponder within this question: Where are you going? Do you really need to be there? C an’t you just use Skype? These are diffi­ cult questions, so for now let’s focus on this dilemma as it relates to uni­ versity students.

First question: Where are you going? Are you going to class? If the answer is yes, then you definitely

do not need to go outside. Class is a waste of time and you won’t learn anything you can’t learn on You­ Tube, Wikipedia, or by “Asking Jeeves.” If, however, you’re one of those total nerds who feels the need to know what your professor is say­ ing in lectures, try to make friends with someone who is tech-savvy and easily manipulated. You're going to want to convince them to turn their computer towards the front of the class so you can just watch the lec­ tures via Skype. It’s basically the same as watching a recorded lecture, but not all classes are recorded and you can’t ask or answer questions if this is the case, a luxury which you can enjoy while Skyping into class.

But imagine, for the sake of this discussion, that you are such a nerd that you “need” to physically attend class. What should you do to stay warm on the way to class? Let’s say you have a 9:30 a.m. class. Wake up at 6:30 a.m. at the latest and start

Th e (too) m any uses o f random

pounding brews and doing shots off your roommates’ sleeping bellies.

Contrary to what science may or may not say, drinking will definitely keep you warm. I’m not really sure why, but I think its has something to do with the fact that you’ll be having so much fun drinking that you’ll forget how cold it is outside. Furthermore, the rush you’ll get from drinking so early in the morning will surely add to your excitement and enjoyment, thereby helping you ignore your oncoming frostbite. And don’t start complaining that you don’t want to drink that early in the morning.

You’re in university and you should start acting like it.

I should note that before you get too drunk, you should put on long underwear. It will help keep you warm in general, and will also be useful if you get lost during the journey from your apartment to Lea­ cock.

At this point you should be

pretty drunk—drunk enough that you would feel comfortable talking to a police officer about his horse’s droppings, drunk enough that you have lost some inhibitions, but not drunk enough to get arrested for public intoxication.

Now you’re ready to go to class. You might also want to con­ sider having a text message typed out and ready to send to your friend telling them that you’ve passed out in a snow bank and might die. Right now, you’re pretty drunk, so watch out for snow banks; those things come out of nowhere, man.

If you do succeed in finding your classroom, try to keep your voice down as you enter. This will be quite difficult because, at this point, everything you have to say is probably very funny and smart —right now you feel great, nothing can stop you. Remember this feeling because it will soon be overcome by the feeling of vomit.

The word “random” has never sounded right to me. It hits the ear in an awkward way and for what­ ever reason it makes me think that you were just too lazy to come up with a more specific word. But there are bigger problems with this com­ monly used term.

To begin, it has too many dif­ ferent uses. First, it can mean unex­ pected: “That was random.” It can also mean unusual, as in people you don’t see very often or perhaps don’t know very well: “There were so many randoms at the party.” Finally, it can mean just plain weird: “You’re so random!” Sure, most of the time you know which one the speaker is trying to convey, but not always. For example, if a friend says, “We were at this random house party,” does that mean they found it by accident, or it was full of people they didn’t expect, or there was something about it that made it weird? All of these? None? Who knows?

It will always sound better and be easier to understand if you substitute a more specific word for random, or if you just cut it out of the sentence. And that’s the second problem with using random: it’s often unnecessary. For example, you don’t need to start a sentence with “We went to this random bar” and then presumably explain why it was random with whatever follows.

Saying “We went to this bar” and then explaining why it was random is just as meaningful.

Maybe my hatred of random stems from my frustration with people speaking like they’re on the Internet in real life. I ’m all for slang, but pseudo-words like random be­ coming a mainstay in everyday conversation only homogenizes our sentences and shrinks our vocabu­ lary.

Write for Features!

Meetings Tuesdays at

5:30

Law school in canada vs. u i For students who have had their hearts set on going to law school since childhood, David Segal’s recent New York Times article, “Is Law School a Losing Game?” offered a familiar but oft-ignored warning: law school is difficult and expensive; proceed with caution.

In his article, chronicling the overwhelming debt and the unforgiving job market faced by an estimated 44,000 hopeful American JDs each year, Segal argues that the decision to pursue a legal degree should not be taken lightly, since, contrary to the statistics being published by the schools themselves, it’s an investment that doesn’t necessarily offer great returns. Of the 44,000 new graduates each year, only 26,000 find work in the legal field, according to statistics published by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). The remaining 20,000 have to find a way to pay back their extensive student loans—often up to $250,000—with jobs outside their domain of expertise.

One of these new graduates, Kimber Russell, uses her blog (shillingmesoftly.blogspot.com) to warn prospective students of the harsh realities of the legal services market in the United States.

Both she and Segal point to the graduate employ­ ment statistics that schools publish as the source of the problem. These statistics determine school rankings, and thus the amount of funding and the calibre of new prospects they receive. This conflict of interest often results in the statistics’ drastic exaggeration. Fourth-tier law schools will report rates of employment at 90 per cent nine months after graduation, counting those who work at McDonald’s as well as post-grads working only on the day the survey was taken.

“It’s pretty well-known that, for a long time, the statistics they’ve been putting out are grossly inflated,” Russell says of the fourth-tier schools. “[They are] the worst offenders, in my mind.”

Fact-fudging is not limited to the less pres­ tigious schools, though. Segal gives the example of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., which often provides temporary jobs for unem­ ployed recent graduates in the university’s admis­ sions office. These positions are typically offered in January and February, which coincides with the nine-month mark, and new hires are then in­ cluded among the number of Georgetown’s statis­ tically employed graduates, boosting the school’s ranking.

“What the schools are saying doesn’t jive with reality,” Russell says. “If you’re dropping that much, the law school should be held to a standard ... the schools are culpable. It’s not all delusion and wishful thinking on the part of the students.”

The current situation is the result of a con­ fluence of factors. In 2006, the American Bar As­ sociation approved the practice of outsourcing entry-level jobs, while the 2008 recession brought massive layoffs and a surge in all professional school applications by those looking to weather the economic downturn by returning to the ivory tower. In the wake of what Russell calls a “per­ fect storm,” the market for entry-level law jobs is over-saturated, forcing indebted JDs to look else­ where for employment. It’s often necessary for recent grads to start earning money immediately

since student loan repayments begin upon gradu­ ation and are not dischargeable in bankruptcy, and loan default results in the removal of your legal licence. Russell puts half of her monthly sal­ ary toward debt repayment—and considers her­ self lucky by comparison.

M eanwhile, North of the Border...

The situation in Canada is drastically differ­ ent, and certainly more promising for prospective students. Much of what ails the American mar­ ket has been preempted in Canada by an entirely distinct system in which there are both fewer schools and less divergence in terms of academic quality.

“The situation’s a lot better in Canada be­ cause we have far fewer law schools,” says Leeann Beggs, director of career services in the Fac­ ulty of Law at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. “The likelihood that you’re going to get into your profession is very good.”

While there are almost 200 American law schools, there are only 20 in Canada, all of which are highly competitive and prestigious. Because they are essentially “all tier one schools,” Beggs says, it is very difficult to be admitted, but stu­ dents can also be assured they will receive a highquality legal education once they are there. Be­ fore passing the bar, law students are expected to article, or work and learn at a law firm in some sort of legal apprenticeship. Furthermore, there seems to be no sort of legal outsourcing being practised in Canada.

“It’s pretty tightly controlled who gets access to legal work here,” Beggs says.

This is in direct contrast to the hundreds of American law schools, not all of which are ac­ credited—some of which are online—that gradu­ ate thousands of new lawyers each year who must then fight for a diminishing number of entry-level jobs. As a result of the Canadian system, recent graduates in this country have a much better chance of gaining the employment they desire.

They have already been singled out as the best and the brightest and are competing against a much smaller pool. Some expectations may have to be lowered in terms of starting salaries, says Beggs, but new lawyers should have no problem getting a foot in the door.

vides you with the access to any legal market you want,” he says. “The reach is broader because of the civil law/common law degree in combination with its reputation and its quality.”

Nanci Ship, the director of development pro­ grams and student affairs at Davies Ward Philips and Vineberg, a law firm with offices in Montreal, New York, and Toronto, said her firm often re­ cruits McGill Law grads.

“I’d have to say that McGill is obviously im­ portant to us,” says Ship. “We have many alumni that come from M cGill... it’s an important school that we place a certain amount of emphasis on.”

A More Supportive Environment

McGill aside, the Canadian system seems to have avoided some of the problems faced by its American counterpart because it is well regu­ lated. Another im­ portant difference between law school in the two countries is the price tag as­ sociated with a law degree. Annual tu­ ition alone can be as much as $45,000 in the States, compared to McGill’s $3,700 for Quebec residents and $21,000 for in­ ternational students, according to Bleau.

At the University of Toronto, annual tu­ ition sits at around $23,000, but this is on the high end of the scale, as most other schools aver­ age around $12,000.

“In Canada, the debt load does not really require you to go work for firms who do the kind of legal practice you don’t want to do,” Book­ man says. “Law stu­ dents are not forced The McGill Advantage into that the way they are in the U.S.” The story at McGill is even better, says Cath­ Even though the cost is comparatively low in erine Bleau, director of the Career Development Canada, Bookman was careful to emphasize that Office in the Faculty of Law. McGill Law stu­ this doesn’t mean law school is financially acces­ dents receive both the standard Canadian com­ sible to everyone. mon law degree and a civil law degree, due to “Cost is a factor to everybody ... I don’t care the school’s “trans-systemic” approach. Because if you’re paying in-province tuition or the inter­ of this unique approach, graduates can practice national fee. It’s a significant investment of time virtually anywhere they like: bilingual and with and money.” both degrees, they have access to markets in Que­ Another potential benefit of attending a Ca­ bec and the rest of Canada, as well as some states nadian law school is that the relatively small num­ in the U.S. They are in such high demand, Bleau ber of law schools in Canada has fostered a much says; that about two years before graduating, al­ more supportive environment than in the States. most half of the students will have jobs secured A reciprocity agreement between the schools, in through organized recruiting. which students can be referred to the career ser­ Michael Bookman, a law student in his final vices office of another law school anywhere in the year at McGill, is headed to a job in New York country, is indicative of this. after graduation.

“We work together a lot,” Bleau says. She “What’s great about McGill is that it pro­ was recently in contact with someone in the Fac­

ulty of Law at McGill gradua in Nova Scotia the student’s rate in the pr< frequently and the industry, si

The recrui trolled, and o\ development c “It’s prett expect and wi After submitti be interviewe» second round, flees for anoth

In what Sh cess,” during » 25 per cent of ing to hire indi firm’s philosph “It’s not ju! having an inte passion for thii

Th) Although s clearly a com] cess, the relati, and the well-c means that ne» ter chance of fi While Bookma York have bee graduates are

D y Elisa Muyi )alhousie University in Halifax. A e had been offered a job at a firm and Bleau wanted to make sure 'tarting salary was the standard vince. Career offices collaborate meet on a yearly basis to discuss e says.

Recruiting ing process is similarly well con;rseen by the law school’s career fice. standardized; you know what to en to expect it,” Bookman says, g an application, a candidate will on-campus and then, during the :an be flown out to the firm’s ofr interview.

in Canada. Rather than go to New York, new JDs can find legal work in Toronto, rural Saskatche­ wan, or, of course, they can remain in Montreal.

In fact, Ship says, the job market in Montreal at the entry level is stable. The legal services mar­ ket in Quebec has weathered the 2008 recession well; Davies’ entry-level hiring has been roughly the same over the last few years.

Once hired, the career path for a young law­ yer “is pretty much standard in Quebec,” Ship says. After being hired for a six month stage, the next step is to become a first-year lawyer, then a second-year lawyer, moving up the ranks and be­ coming eligible for partnership after the fourth year at the firm. While the workload of these young lawyers involves the typical litigation and document review that Russell describes as “te­ dious,” but Ship calls “critical to the heart of what we’re doing [at Davies],” their relative inexperience doesn’t limit them to very basic legal work.

“I was very impressed by the level of development that was given to young lawyers at Davies ... yes, you’re always supervised, but for every due diligence and document review, there’s another frontline op­ portunity as well,” Ship says, citing the example of one new lawyer’s in­ volvement in the drafting of a brief deposed before the Supreme Court, during her first few months at the firm.

Canadian schools are much more competitive than American schools.

While there are over 200 schools in the US, there are only 20 in Canada.

To Go or Not to Go?

p calls “a highly competitive prohich Davies interviews only 20 to ob applicants, law firms are lookiduals who will fit in well with the t about getting the best grades but •est in the law we do, [as well as] gs outside of the law,” she says.

: Canadian Market ecuring a job after graduation is letitive and comprehensive proely small number of new lawyers mtrolled nature of the industry if Canadian JDs have a much betnding work than those in the U.S. says fewer recruiters from New coming to McGill lately, McGill digible to practice law anywhere

It appears that unlike the situa­ tion in the U.S., life after law school isn’t so bad in Canada. However, the Canadian experts agree that despite their differences, there remains one theme common to both the American and Canadian fields of legal educa­ tion: the decision to go to law school should not be taken lightly, and it should not be the default destination for Arts students.

“Its fine to come to law school by curiosity, to save the world ... but it’s still a big decision, [involving] more than three years in school, and you have to justify why you did it,” Bleau says, adding that graduates may realize they aren’t “turned on by mergers and acquisitions.”

Russell says that an undergraduate in politi­ cal science, the typical applicant to law school, will find that the field of their undergraduate study has “absolutely nothing to do with law school.”

Some of Bookman’s peers have opted to find work at big consulting firms because the skills accrued at law school—problem-solving, writing, advocacy—are useful and transferable to careers in industries like government and business. Fur­ thermore, he says, there is mobility across legal jurisdictions. However, Bookman urges prospec­ tive law students not to base their interest off how they have seen lawyers portrayed on films and television.

“I wouldn’t expect anybody to take any of

Annual tuition alone can be as much as $45,000 in the US, compared to McGill’s $3,700 for Quebec residents and $21,000 for international students.

Graduates from Canadian Law schools are more likely to find employment in their field of study. Because American graduates will have much higher debt on average, 40% of them will be forced to find work outside of the legal field.

12

Curiosity Delivers - mcgilltribune.com

G IZ M O S & GADG ETS

The McGill Tribune is still in need o f a Features editor.

Intel attem pts to lim it access to pirated flicks Intel hopes DRM is only water under the Sandy Bridge By lain Macdonald Production manager

It could soon become more dif­ ficult to watch the latest Hollywood flick on your personal computer using illegal technology. The war between media producers and In­ ternet piraters has been waging for years, and is unlikely to end soon.

However, recent developments in the hardware world have shown that Hollywood is willing to take the next step in preventing illegal file sharing.

Many are familiar with the con­ cept of digital rights management, or DRM for short. Apple used this technology for many years to limit the number of computers on which purchased music could be listened to. DRM is a software method for verifying that the owner of the ma­ chine is also the owner of the media they are trying to play on it. Op­ ponents of the technology cite the restriction as a violation of users’

rights and a as barrier to free trade.

Whether this is true or not depends entirely on who you ask.

The use of DRM is made pos­ sible by lower levels of competition.

There are many sectors of technol­ ogy that are dominated by only a few companies. For example, the field of desktop processing unit manufacturing is one of the many questionable oligopolies of Silicon Valley. The industry is dominated by two players: Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. While other compa­ nies like ARM and IBM exist, they are unable to compete with the two big dogs. Intel has long been known to produce slightly more powerful chips, albeit at a higher price, with Advanced Micro Devices offer­ ing more economical, but still very capable Central Processing Units, more commonly known as CPUs. The latest weapon in the duel between the two is Intel’s new pro­ cessor architecture, Sandy Bridge.

With Sandy Bridge, Intel is offering

A jS f a n c h i C K & n

By Monique Evans C o n trib u to r

After a long day of skiing on Saturday, I arrived home with a serious craving for the spicy Asianstyle soup my mom always makes.

I ’ve collected a significant number of Asian ingredients over the past year, so I figured I ’d look up some recipes for guidelines. This soup is loaded with veggies, noodles, seaweed, and chicken. It’s hearty and spicy, a combination which is the ultimate cure for an oncoming cold.

Ingredients • 6 cups chicken broth • 1/4 cup soy sauce • 1/2 a lime (juice and zest)

one of the first octo-core processors, available later this year, using the smaller, 32 nanometre manufactur­ ing technique. Additionally, some of the CPUs will ship with an unlocked clock multiplier, something Intel has not previously done. This new fea­ ture will allow manufacturers and enthusiasts to increase the speed of the processor to fit their needs.

Along with these new and ex­ citing features, Intel is also making a more controversial move. The com­ pany is embedding a new technol­ ogy directly into the processor ar­ chitecture called Intel Insider Code.

While the manufacturer claims this is not a type of DRM restriction, many claim otherwise.

Intel says that the Insider Code is a method of streaming high defini­ tion Hollywood films directly, with­ out any threat of piracy. They claim this measure will make it safer for filmmakers to offer digital stream­ ing copies of their movies. However, many are wary that the Insider Code

jso u p

• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and slice into small pieces • Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to taste (This is the spicy part. I douse my food in the stuff quite liber­ ally. Others may not want that much heat.)

• 2 tbsp brown sugar • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips • 3 tbsp cornstarch • 1/2 cup Wakame Seaweed. (This can be found at Asian markets, like the Marche Oriental off Jean-Talon street.)

• 1 cup snap peas • 1 bell pepper, sliced • 5-6 shiitake mushrooms • 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped • 3 small nests of egg noodles • A splash of orange juice

is simply a control measure.

Whether or not Sandy Bridge is a form of DRM remains to be seen. However, it seems optimistic to assume that it will facilitate a de­ crease in piracy. Those looking for a cheap flick may opt to use an Ad­ vanced Micro Devices processor, or stick with an older chip on the Intel line. Whether or not this move by Intel will cause a market shift to the benefit of longtime underdog Ad­ vanced Micro Devices is an interest­ ing question. If this does happen, it could cause a major shift in the CPU industry.

The expression Wwhere there’s a will, there’s a way” suggests that piracy is unavoidable. As hard as manufacturers try to thwart the dis­ honest movie watchers, they may be fighting a lost battle. Intel can only hope that Sandy Bridge introduces enough new and exciting features that consumers won’t avoid buying the CPU altogether.

So far, hypothetical applicants have little to no competition.

Apply today.

Send a cover letter, CV, and 3 writing samples to editor@ mcgilltribune.com

L eadership T raining P rogram

----------

Facilitator Training

Directions • 1. Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, Sriracha sauce, lime juice, and ginger and let boil for five minutes.

• 2. Toss chicken with cornstarch until completely coated.

• 3. Add chicken and shiitakes to broth and simmer for 10 min­ utes.

• 4. Add seaweed and snap peas and let simmer for another five minutes.

• 5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in red pepper, zest, ci­ lantro, egg noodles, and orange juice.

• 6. Let soup stand five minutes before serving to let the egg noo­ dles cook.

Interested in developing your facilitation and leadership skills in a student-friendly context?

We need motivated students who want to be involved in our

Leadership Training Program!

Learn key facilitation skills and have the opportunity to lead various workshops throughout the 2011/12 academic year.

Successful ca nd id ates w ill ta ke p a rt in a free tw o -d a y c o m p re h e n s iv e fa c ilita tio n tra in in g w e e ke n d . You m u s t be a re tu rn in g s tu d e n t fo r th e 2011-2012 year as w e ll as a vailab le fo r tra in in g o n th e w e e k e n d o f Saturday, March 12th and

Sunday, March 13th fro m 10:00 to 16:30.

Please pick u p an application at the First-Year Office (o r p rin t one o n lin e fro m www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/leadertraining/

facilitatortraining ) and submit it in -pe rso n with your CV and

cover letter to the First-Year Office, Suite 2100, Brown Building.

(Macdonald Campus students ONLY - email apps accepted)

Deadline to apply is Friday noon, February 18th.

Contact: Joan Butterworth leadership.training@>mcgill.ca

Leadership McGill

514-398-6913 or 514-398-8991 www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/leadertraining

L

J

f.

Le ad e rsh ipTrain in gP ro g ra m First-Y earO ffice

A&E MUSIC

Sparkle and glitter for Diamond Rings John O ’ Regan brings

80s

g lam to M o n tr e a l’s in d ie scene

By Manisha Aggarwal-Schifeilite A&E Editor

This week, Toronto-based per­ former Diamond Rings will open for Scandinavian dance-pop giant Robyn as part of a multi-city North American tour that promises to be anything but boring. Diamond Rings, also known as John O’Regan, has become famous in recent months for his outlandish costumes, ener­ getic performances, and infectious dance beats. Those who are famil­ iar with O ’Regan from his days as the lead vocalist for Toronto band the D’Urbervilles may be surprised by his penchant for glitter and body paint. O’Regan says, however, that this is a natural transformation.

“I consider myself more of a performer than a musician,” O ’Regan says. “I ’m following in a long line of performers, trying to do what my favourite musicians have done be­ fore me.” Included in this tradition are bands like Kraftwerk and Devo and pop icons like Janet Jackson, who are well-known for their public images and live performances. “It’s like a never-ending feedback loop,” he says. “To separate [the image and the music] is pointless; it all feeds into the same thing.”

While O ’Regan’s loud and colourful style has played a signifi­ cant role in the rising popularity of Diamond Rings, he hasn’t stopped striving for more. “I’m learning a lot about making electronic music, and

Diamond Rings’s John O ’ Regan is touring North America with Scandinavian artist Robyn, (aux.tv)

P

T h e CBSC f# & s up

The Canadian Broadcast Stan­ dards Council (CBSC)—a non-govemmental organization committed to applying the standards of Cana­ dian broadcasting to its members, made up of over 700 broadcasters— has recently ruled that the 1985 Dire Straits song “Money for Nothing” must be edited for radio play. The problem? The word “faggot,” which is used three times, spurred a com­ plaint from a listener in St. John’s about the song’s alleged homopho­ bic message. Upon review, the CBSC decided that the song violated clauses of both the Canadian Asso­ ciation of Broadcasters (CAB) Code of Ethics and the.Equitable Portray­ al Code. While their decision isn't binding on non-members, members

things that require a lot of time and energy. I wish I could wear makeup all the time!”

Incorporating an image into musical performance also requires walking a fine line between artistic integrity and pleasing the audience.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the audience before,” he says. “But ul­ timately it’s hard to pretend there aren’t people out there who are an­ ticipating and judging what I do next.” Dealing with a captivated

how to write a good song,” he says.

“It’s a lot easier to make something a challenge to listen to, [but] to try to do something that’s really honest... it’s a brave thing to do.”

The character and public image of Diamond Rings have been inte­ gral to O’Regan’s popularity as a solo artist, but it can sometimes be a tricky balance offstage. “There are so many mundane aspects of being a career musician,” he says. “It’s a lot of work, and there are so many

can now only play an edited version of the song.

The ruling has ignited a debate over censorship in Canada, with many media outlets, as well as the Canada Radio and Television Coun­ cil (CRTC)—which acts as an ap­ pellate body for complaints against CBSC rulings—calling for the CBSC to reconsider their decision.

The outcry against the ruling seems to represent a larger concern over retroactive censorship, especially as a result of misinterpretation.

As many journalists have been quick to point out, the use of “fag­ got” in “Money for Nothing” is ironic—as a counterattack against a boorish MTV viewer. The offending lines, “See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup/ Ÿeah buddy that's his own hair/ That little faggot got his own jet airplane/ That little faggot he's a millionaire,” mock his

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audience has made O’Regan more introspective about the messages in his songs. “Each song is a learning experience,” he says. “As soon as you try to write for someone other than yourself, things get complicat­ ed ... but if I hold true to that spirit of making music I like, I can only hope that that will translate [to the audience].”

After more than five years of touring and recording with the D ’Urbervilles—and becoming an

established member of the Cana­ dian independent music scene in the process—O’Regan is determined to keep things exciting, both for him­ self and his fans.

“I’m growing as a musician, which is a really fun challenge,” he says. “There’s no formula, and no clear-cut way to do it ... Maybe I can even make something my mom will like.”

Going solo hasn’t been an easy adjustment for O ’Regan. “I ’m still getting used to it,” he says. “Per­ forming solo is radically different, but there’s a thrill of stepping off a cliff on your own, with no one to look over to at any point in the show. It’s just about me and the fans, which is challenging, but that’s why I like it.”

Despite its challenges, being on his own has allowed O’Regan to experiment with pop-based per­ formance tactics, including choreo­ graphed dance routines and 80s-inspired costumes. “I ’ve been doing a bunch of new stuff [for this tour],” he says. “New outfits, new makeup, new dance routines ... I’m trying to keep things interesting for myself.

I’m just trying to create my own world, and the live show is the best place to do that.”

Diamond Rings opens for Robyn at Metropolis on January 27.

ic

point of view and choice of words; it’s as if the singer is making air quotes around the word when he says it back to the man who called musicians like him a faggot.

While there is no question that the word is offensive, the context in which it is used needs to be taken into account. The singer’s intent is not irrelevant. Strangely, the most popular songs on the radio at any given time are likely to be far more provocative; in fact, they often try to be. What is worse—material that aims to be provocative, but slides under the radar of the CBSC, or ma­ terial that is upfront yet unintention­ ally provocative?

Let’s look at some of the songs topping the charts right now. Drake’s opening lines in Rihanna’s “What’s My Name?” are “I heard you good with them soft lips/ Yeah you know word of mouth/ The square root of

69 is eight something.” These could violate the code’s stance against “unduly sexually explicit material.”

What about Enrique Iglesias’s “To­ night (I’m Lovin’ You)?” It contains the lines, “Now rock your body/ Damn I like the way that you move/ So give it to me/ Cause I already know what you wanna do” and “To­ night I’m gonna do/ Everything that I want with you.” Do these lines not violate the Ethics Code’s stance against sex-role stereotyping? The point is, anyone can run amok with these codes if they try hard enough (or in this case, not very hard at all).

To be clear, I don’t think any of these songs should be subject to a radio edit (the Billboard Hot 100 might have been reduced to the Billboard Hot 10 if I kept going).

If I had my way, music wouldn’t be subject to censorship before it hit the airwaves. Kids are going to learn

swear words sooner or later, be it from movies, the schoolyard, or that time their mom stubbed their toe; it’s the job of a parent to make sure that kids understand certain words are inappropriate to use at a young age. If you’re an adult and you’re offended by swearing in music, feel free to wrap your Snuggie around your head when the radio is on; the world neither can nor should always cater to your preferences, especially on a divisive issue like this. As for the theme of a song, it’s important to remember that truly offensive mate­ rial censors itself—in short, it gets silenced because nobody wants to hear it. However, none of this seems to matter to the CBSC, who have proven that they place content over context in what can only nicely be called a hypersensitive. f#@k-up.

—Kyle Carpenter

14

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Theatre Song and dance for the tortured soul T h e A U T S p e rfo rm s T o n y -a w a rd w in n in g m u s ic a l, T h e K i s s o f t h e S p i d e r W o m a n

By Brahna Siegelberg A&E Editor

What do you do when you’re trapped in a Buenos Aires prison?

You fantasize about movie stars, of course.

That, at least, is how Molina—a gay window-dresser in prison for “corrupting a minor” —has gotten through his darkest hours. When Val­ entin, a hunky Marxist revolutionary accused of attempting to overthrow the government, becomes Molina’s new cellmate, the self-described “resident queen” is forced to choose between cooperating with the pris­ on’s wardens to obtain his freedom, and risking his own life to save the man he soon grows to love.

This slightly twisted plotline belongs to The Kiss o f The Spider Woman, the latest musical produc­ tion to come from the Arts Under­ graduate Theatre Society. Directed

by Renée Hodgins, this play is any­ thing but your average musical. The prison is run by cruel vixens, the in­ nocent are the ones incarcerated, and the love story takes place between two men—one of whom is not ho­ mosexual.

Initially, Valentin (Ryan Peters)

seems more bothered by Molina’s flamboyancy than by his own im­ prisonment. While he wants to be left alone to read Marx in bed and dream about his beloved Marta, Molina (Dane Stewart) spends his day re-enacting scenes from movies featuring his favourite movie star, Aurora (Zara Jestadt). Unlike Valen­ tin, who exists in the world of cold, harsh facts, Molina escapes dreary prison life by inhabiting a dream world in which the beautiful Aurora sings and dances his troubles away.

The one role Aurora plays that Moli­ na is not tempted by, however, is that of the Spider Woman, who murders her victims with one fatal kiss.

Juxtaposed with scenes of lack­ lustre prison life are outbursts of song and dance, in which multiple “spider women,” played by girls in tight black pants, shake their asses and perform sultry dance numbers.

Always spearheading the dance is the Spider Woman, threatening to assault the prisoners’ imaginations with her tantalizing but lethal touch.

In this musical, proscribed gen­ der roles are cast into question, as women are both objects of desire— Molina dreams of Aurora, Valentin of Marta—and also the ones respon­

sible for cruel and unusual torture.

The three prison wardens are mod­ em Brides of Dracula, who move in gyrating motion, finish each other’s sentences, and play up their feminine wiles to extract information from prisoners, and Valentin chastises Molina for not acting “manly.” Like the black widow spider, who bites the male spider’s head off once she is impregnated, the women of Kiss are as fatal as they are seductive.

Not an easy or straightforward production to stage, the AUTS man­ ages to pull off the musical with an impressive level of professional­ ism. The atmosphere is decidedly dark, with black bars framing the stage and serving as an artful means through which the prisoners can move their spider-like limbs. As the composers of Kiss, John Kander and Fred Ebb, are also responsible for shows like Cabaret and Chicago, it makes sense that the show depicts a dark, retro style.

Although quite hammy at times, Stewart’s portrayal of Molina is incredibly poignant; in addition to his Broadway-calibre singing, he manages at once to delight audi­ ences with his off-hand jokes and stir emotion when he faces darker

Aurora entrances Molina and Valentin. (Alice Walker / McGill Tribune)

struggles like external homophobia and coercion by the wardens. Pe­ ters’s Valentin is less sympathetic, but his hauntingly beautiful vocal performance stirs. Finally, Jestadt handles her role as Aurora with poise and skill, capturing the spirit of the attention-mongering Holly­ wood actress without hogging the stage herself. The impressive size of the orchestral accompaniment also adds an essential dramatic compo­ nent to support the singers.

Based on the 1976 novel by Argentine writer Manuel Puig, the play grapples with the price of a disengaged aesthetic perspective; in a world where people are asked

to take sides, maintaining that you are simply “co-operating” with an unjust authority is never a neutral stance. While Molina teaches Val­ entin about the subversive potential of escapism—as well as a few more scandalous lessons—Valentin teach­ es Molina the value of becoming an engaged citizen. The chorus repeats the haunting phrase “over the wall” to signal a world beyond the prison’s walls, but it is ironically within them that the psyche is able to discover new terrain.

The Kiss of the Spider Woman runs at Moyse Hall, Jan. 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. $11.

In Goethe-inspired opera, a fatal attraction O p e ra o f M o n tre a l puts a m o d e rn spin on Jules M a s s e n e t’s W e r t h e r

By Ricky Kreitner________________ Opinion Editor

Shortly after the curtain rises on Opera of Montreal’s production of Werther, a young boy wheels a bicycle across the stage, laughing and carousing with his friends. The bicycle remains onstage through the first act, occasionally pedaled by the boy but mostly left in a comer, untouched and overturned. Along comes Werther, the melancholic protagonist, just in from the fields, walking as if in a daze and singing of his love for nature. He leans in to smell a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. He admires the sound of the children, now off-stage, sing­ ing Christmas carols in July. Almost absent-mindedly, he approaches the bicycle and spins the back wheel, watching it turn round and round.

One cannot help but wonder what the Opera of Montreal means with this bicycle. Werther, a French opera written in 1887 by Jules Mass­ enet, is based on a 1774 novel by Jo­ hann Wolfgang von Goethe. Bikes were not yet invented in the era of the writer and not yet popular in that of the composer; one wonders, then, about the meaning of this innovation

and what it tells us about the time­ less Werther story.

In Geothe’s novel, Werther, a prototypically sensitive and passion­ ate young poet, meets and falls help­ lessly in love with Charlotte; who is engaged to Albert. The wedding throws Werther into a fierce, sui­ cidal depression. When he realizes Charlotte will never leave Albert, he borrows the latter’s pistols and shoots himself in the stomach. Char­ lotte mshes to the scene and holds Werther while he dies.

The opera based on this story could quite possibly have been based not on the novel at all but rather on a summary of the same brevity as the one above. It covers the rough plot outline but doesn’t even attempt to depict the more interesting aspects of Goethe’s novel. It eschews the epistolary form of the novel (letters from Werther to his friend Wilhelm) for a more direct dramatic approach, and the audience loses the relatively unmediated access that the letters give us to the state of the protago­ nist’s mind.

Werther as a musical composi­ tion, however, provides an addition­ al outlet for expression that gives the story a direct emotional appeal.

(Opera of Montreal)

Although originally written for a tenor, Massenet reworked the com­ position in 1902 to accommodate a baritone he wanted to sing the part of Werther. Opera of Montreal chose to produce this rarer version, believ­ ing correctly that the baritone (Phil­ lip Addis) would enrich the depth of Werther’s passion and fall.

A review of a 1986 performance of Werther by the New York City Opera, stated, “The only way to ap­ proach Werther is to assume that the 20th century never happened. There is almost no way that the psycho­ logical, religious, and social dilem­

mas that faced Goethe's sorrowful young hero in the 18th century can be translated into modem terms.”

Globalization, for instance, among other social and cultural changes, has often been described as destroy­ ing our sense of living within hori­ zons: we recognize those horizons as arbitrary and therefore as mean­ ingless. We couldn’t possibly expe­ rience or empathize with Werther’s rhapsodic views about Charlotte and the world.

The bicycle, then, as emblem­ atic of the Opera’s decision to situate the story of Werther in the 20th cen­

tury (called “gratuitous” by the Ga­ zette), can be seen as a response to the suggestion that we modems are incapable of either appreciating or replicating such commitments. The children ride bicycles, the women wear flapper-like dresses, Charlotte uses a telephone to call for help after Werther’s suicide: all these remind the audience that what Werther suf­ fered through were not merely pre­ modem histrionics but rather quintessentially human experiences.

Pessimists though we often are, we too create horizons for ourselves, various sublime boundaries within which we have no choice but to live our everyday lives. Werther, capti­ vated by the spinning wheel of the bicycle, is no different than one of us, stopping at the comer of Pine and Park and admiring the snowy cliffs of Mount Royal. When Werther sings to Charlotte, “These eyes, my horizon, these sweet eyes,” we know what he’s talking about. The poetry stirs us because we intuitively know what it means.

Werther is playing at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts Jan. 26, 29, 31, and Feb. 3. For more infor­ mation, visit operademontreal.com.

Curiosity Delivers - mcgilltribune.com

Before there were hipsters...

Rewriting the classics

B rin g in g P u c c in i’s L a B o h è m e to th e M c G ill Stage

Players’ T h e a tre stages T h e O r e s t e i a

By Sean Wood__________________ News Editor

Though it usually operates on a smaller scale, this week Opera McGill will debut a big budget, bigcast version of what is arguably the world’s biggest-name opera: Gia­ como Puccini’s La Bohème.

“It’s the world’s favourite opera, in some way,” says Patrick Hansen, the director of McGill’s Opera Stud­ ies program. “A lot of people would probably say it’s numéro uno.”

Hansen’s relationship with the opera goes back to the beginning of his 30-year career, in which he has performed or viewed a scene or an entire production of the perfor­ mance.

First performed in 1896, La Bohème is about bohemians in love in 1830s Paris. Part of the reason for its enduring popularity is its ability to speak to young people.

“The thing that really makes Bohème powerful is that it’s a story about young people: artists, musi­ cians, painters, philosophers—you know, students,” Hansen says. “We could have [set] this in the McGill Ghetto. It would have been easy.”

Unlike most operas, La Bohème has made a number of leaps from the opera house into popular culture.

Australian director Baz Luhrmann started his career with an updated production of it, and later reused parts of the sets in his Moulin Rouge!

The music appeared in the 1987 ro­ mantic comedy Moonstruck, and the Broadway musical Rent is based on the story, even borrowing the names of the characters.

Philippe Sly, who will play Marcello, one of the two male leads,

on January 26 and 29, said that he found a lot of common ground with his character. “[Co-star Elias Berberian] and I decided we’re just going to play our­ selves, have a good time on stage, and we know that will resonate quite profoundly,” he said.

In March, Sly will go to New York to compete with a few dozen other singers (selected from a pool of around 2,000) at the Metropoli­ tan Opera House’s National Council Auditions contest.

Though Hansen has done Bohème for 30 years, this particular production has some new dimen­ sions. Most significantly, the orches­ tra will be on the stage as opposed to in the pit, which is too small for a full ensemble. Although that might sound trivial, it means big changes for the show’s basic dynamics.

“Everything about the produc­ tion is about how to technically make that happen,” said Hansen.

The production will therefore feature some significant technical changes, the most important being that performers will interact with the conductor via screens stage right, stage left, and in front of the stage.

“La Bohème via Skype, in a weird way,” Hansen said.

Though the scheme creates some challenges for the singers and musicians, in other senses Hansen said that it was the “easiest produc­ tion [he] had ever directed,” because the cast is talented and because the script is easy to stage.

“The thing that’s great about Bohème is that there’s not a wasted moment. It’s so compact and so pithy,” he said. “It’s almost made for ADHD folks ... There’s not a

By Daniel Sorger Contributor

Phil Sly sings Marcello. (Holly Stewart / McGill Tribune)

moment where you sit there and go ‘Gosh, this has been going on for a while,’ because there’s always a new character, there’s always something happening.”

When asked for a final word on his show, Hansen did not hide his confidence.

“I can’t imagine a better pro­ duction being done,” he said. “I just think that this is simply not to be missed. If [students] ever have thought for a moment, ‘I’m at uni­ versity, I really ought to be taking in an opera for once in my life,’ they would come and actually be sur­ prised at how amazing it is, how ingenious it is, and they might get hooked on it.”

La Bohème runs Jan. 26, 28, 29, 30, 7:30 p.m. at Pollack Hall.

Ticekts are $22.

Are you a creative person?

Are you passionate about your spirituality?

WANT YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MCGI CHAPLAINCY’S “F A T IH IN F IL M ” COMPETITION! Submit a short film of 10-30 minutes in length (deadline for submissions February 28"1 at noon) on faith and spirituality

Perhaps inspired by the trials of his conflicted protagonist, direc­ tor Max Zidel ambitiously attacks Aeschylus’ three-part tragedy in The Oresteia Rewritten, now on at Players’ Theatre. The result of his efforts: a powerful and unexpect­ edly fast-paced reproduction full of sound and fury.

From early on in the play it is clear that trying to accurately trace a detailed plot, let alone three, from this feverish production is a fool’s er­ rand. As a result, the world we enter in the third-floor orifice of the Shatner Building is constantly shifting, and full of in-your-face conflict.

As the main character, Orestes, wrestles with classic tragedian strug­ gles (murdered parents, political al­ legiances, and arduous journeys), the audience is beckoned away from the epic hero’s journey and invited to participate in the mental process of his struggle. As the chorus chants eerily in unison, we are fully trans­ ported to the world of this disturbed psyche.

Zidel and musical director James Campbell use the classical palette through powerful imagery and pulsating musical chorus-tocharacter back-and-forth to explore how we wrestle with ourselves and our choices. Carrying the burden of these choices, Orestes (David Arm­ strong) is able to capture and hold the audience’s attention because he is so completely self-possessed on stage. He reacts spontaneously and subtly to the familial conflict sur­ rounding him and eventually to the conflicting voices of “The Furies” in his maddened mind.

The bloody encounters between Orestes’s parents, King Agamem­ non and his wife Clytemnestra, are conveyed solidly by Cam Oram and Jamie Munro, respectively. As their disputes heat up in the first act, Munro takes control of her part with a rigid and unforgiving physicality. Hatef Mottaghi plays a pen­ sive and cleverly probing Menelaus, Agamemnon’s brother and advisor, who at times steals the stage from his sibling.

When the re-written parts of the dialogue get a little bit too Disney, with lines like, “I don’t know what

love means anymore,” the viewer can still rely on the frantic and spon­ taneous actions of the Chorus — functioning as a “conscience posse” for Orestes—to bring us back to the lively inner conflict around which the play revolves. Notable among the chorus is Emily Murphy, who is able to deliver gestures that border hauntingly on epileptic.

Feathers, unkempt hair, and dark, other-worldly makeup give the chorus a folklore quality that helps the show break away from its classical origins and into more mythical, timeless territory. Driv­ ing many scenes into this territory is the prophesying Oracle played by Lerato Islam. Islam is stunning in a shimmering dress and vibrant shawl, and commands the stage with a vis­ ceral voice.

The set functions well in sta­ tionary scenes, but in a show that is meant to transport us to radically different environments, it sometimes has a cumbersome quality. Similar­ ly, the lighting in the small theatre works very well at casting powerful shadows when the action is focused, but struggles to define the more mo­ bile scenes. One example of this occurs when Orestes and his sister Electra (played youthfully and con­ vincingly by Annie MacKay) revisit their convoluted past, their father’s grave symbolically lit from above at centre stage.When the production comes together in all its elements, which it does brilliantly and miracu­ lously at times, we can see the heavy backdrop of the set as a sort of myth­ ic and powerful stomping ground.

The Oresteia Rewritten grap­ ples with the daunting challenges of combining ancient and modem dialogue, staging an amphitheatre­ sized epic in a small black box the­ atre and, most obviously, condens­ ing three plays into one that runs for an hour and a half long. The product is very satisfying. While Zidel may not have been looking to create a faithful representation of the tragic trilogy, he clearly had good reasons for grounding his hyper-creative visions in the work of the Greeks.

Bring a friend and a flask, because it may be the only chance you’ve got hear the word “fuck” belted out of the ancient house of Atreus.

The Oresteia Rewritten runs at Player’s Theatre January 26-29.

and you could win $500 worth of books from the bookstore OR $500 from Future Shop! etails available at: www.mcgill.ca/students/chaplaincy/faithinfilm/ or email to James Farr at james.farr@mail.mcgill.ca

( Sophie Silkes/ McGill Tribune )

S ports HOCKEY— MCGILL 5 , MONTREAL 4

Back and forth battle decided by Bettez’s briliance P erfect p o w e r play p ushes M a rtle ts to hard fo u g h t victo ry o ver U n iv e rs ity o f M o n tre a l C arab in s

By Walker Kitchens Sports Editor

The top ranked McGill Mart­ lets (13-0-0) entered the third period tied 4-4, playing uncharacteristically disorganized hockey and in danger of having their 93-game Quebec University Hockey League winning streak snapped by the University of Montreal Carabins (7-7-2) on Sun­ day afternoon at McConnell Arena.

The Martlets rebounded in the final period to dominate the overmatched Carabins by outshooting them 19-3 and holding on for a well deserved 5-4 victory.

“I didn’t think we did a real good job in the first 40 minutes of playing our style of hockey,” said Martlets Head Coach Peter Smith. “[But we responded, and] 1 thought the third period was a real good pe­ riod for us.”

For the first two periods the Martlets struggled to pull away from the Carabins. McGill started quickly as they drew a penalty 1:04 into the game for tripping. On the power play, Ann-Sophie Bettez buried a loose puck in front of the net as Montreal netminder Katrina Giuliani was un­ able to freeze the bouncing puck.

Despite McGill’s impressive start, the Carabins responded quick­ ly. Just 47 seconds after Bettez’s goal, Montreal’s Stephanie Daneau found herself all alone in the slot

McGill dominated the third period by outshooting Montreal 19-3. (Maxime Sawicki / McGill Tribune)

and made no mistakes, sniping the five-hole. Following the tying goal, Montreal took a 2-1 and then 3-2 lead just six minutes into the second period.

The back-and-forth play contin­ ued as the Martlets appeared to have seized all the momentum just 10 minutes later, Jordanna Peroff and Katia Clement-Heydra scored less than two minutes apart on tipped point shots to put McGill up 4-3. The Carabins rallied once again, howev­ er, scoring a minute later as Josianne Legault batted a puck out of the air and past McGill goalie Taylor Salis­ bury. The Martlets argued that a high

stick scored the goal, but Legault’s goal was allowed to stand.

The high tension game changed dramatically in the third period as the Maretlets rediscovered their of­ fensive structure. Bettez scored her second goal of the game and ninth of the season on the power play 1:49 into the third period. The goal would hold up as the game winner, though McGill had many chances to widen the lead as they outshot the Carabins 19-3 in the third period. Smith cred­ ited the successful final push to the team remembering their game plan.

“Mostly we just talked [in be­ tween periods] about the fact that

we weren’t sticking with the game plan—we were skating all over the place,” Smith said. “We didn’t [do a] good job of playing our style of hockey, which is a high tempo game but also a game that has some struc­ ture to it. And I don’t think we were real good at that in the first or sec­ ond period. I think we lost our game tempo for a period of time. We talked about it at the end of the first and at the end of the second and I thought the third period was real good.”

The Martlets victory was led by a perfect power play, as they were four-for-four with the man advan­ tage, moving the puck well to cre­

ate open shots and many scoring chances.

“I thought we did a real good job at moving the puck [on the powerplay] —[we] moved it by pass­ ing it or moved it by carrying it,” Smith said. “And that created some openings in the shot lanes and we did a good job of getting the puck through. All in all I thought both our power play units did a real good job.”

Martlets captain Cathy Chartrand and Bettez led the power play unit. Chartrand tallied two assists with the extra skater as she quarterbacked the power play expertly from her spot on the point. Chartrand also got the lone assist on Bettez's game­ winning goal, who was incredible on the powerplay, finding open space and moving the puck quickly.

“She played terrific,” said Smith of Bettez. “[She’s] one of our most consistent players in terms of performance. It’s nice to see [her] play so well.”

With the win, McGill extended their QUHL winning streak to 94 games. They haven’t lost against a conference opponent since Febru­ ary 2007. The victory also clinches first place in the conference for the Martlets. This week McGill goes on the road to play back to back games against Carleton on January 29 and Ottawa on January 30.

TH IRD MAX IX Zamb on it, zamb on it

It’s often said that every Canadi­ an kid grows up with hockey in their .veins. We learn to skate before we can walk, have our first near-death experience playing street hockey, and know the (former) theme music to Hockey Night in Canada bet­ ter than the “real” national anthem (that’s the song they play when we win at the Olympics, right?). While this may be reality for many young Canadians, my childhood sports ex­ perience was a bit different.

To the extent that I played sports at all, I only played baseball. I could hit the ball pretty well, but my favou­ rite position in the field was "that kid who picks grass in left.” For some reason, they never introduced the designated hitter into house league.

I collected baseball cards though, and loved going to games with my dad—even if half the attraction was

the subway ride there.

As for hockey, I had mixed feelings. I watched, sometimes, dur­ ing that strange period of the late 90s when the Leafs seemed to make it into the playoffs every year, but mainly to keep up in grade five gos­ sip circles. I never played, was never jealous of those who did, and soon came to realize that the OHL kids at high school were often not very nice people. I loved mini-sticks and the McDonald’s memorabilia, and yes, I longed to be on the ice some day.

But when I skated my plastic mini hockey players in circles around my Bruce-Wayne-who-turns-into-batman action figure it wasn’t because I dreamt of being the next Gretzky or Lemieux. It was all a front, as I’m sure the whole game is, for the magi­ cal time in between periods when I could pull out the most storied of all hockey fixtures: the Zamboni.

A kid’s got to have some kind of ambition: mine was to be a Zam­ boni driver. I mean, why not? One minute, the ice is all scratched and

bumpy. Then this guy comes out on this monster machine, drives around in circles for a few minutes, and bam! The ice is sparkling, shiny, good as new. It’s like those CLR commercials or the old Mach 3 ads with the animated blades conquer­ ing even the most stubborn stubble so that all men could be muscular and constantly fondled by beautiful women. Except this wasn’t a car­ toon, and it didn’t need any fancy editing. The Zamboni is the greatest making-things-beautiful machine that exists, period. And if there’s one thing the Redmen Carnival game showed me, it’s that that still looks like a sweet profession.

But I think the Zamboni driv­ ing world may be in need of a little renewal. It has its traditions, to be sure, as does hockey. Change can be a rewarding thing, though, and as a fellow editor and I contemplated the future of Zambonis, we realized that not only are they magnificent engines of ice renewal; they might be the greatest party machines ever

invented.

Think about it. Hockey, unlike other more lucrative sports, is still about the game. How antiquated.

The Super Bowl is the most sticcessful TV event of the year because people who think that down is just a direction can still enjoy aging pop stars, big production values, and the promise of occasional nudity at the halftime show. The NBA is still benefitting from lending its biggest star to the Looney Tunes’ team to beat the Monstars, and baseball, like the 2008 financial crisis, is most important for giving U.S. congress­ men opportunities to make preachy speeches that are broadcast some­ where besides C-Span.

Hockey needs something to attract people who don’t actually care that much about the game. So­ lution? Party Zamboni. We’re talk­ ing pounding bass, flashing lights, smoke machines, dancers on top of the hood, and blasting music as the Zambo-nay rides around the ice, making provocative designs in it be­

fore finally cleaning the whole thing up. This could be those Mach 3 ads meets a halftime show for an under50 crowd meets Disney On Ice for the over-10 demographic. Guest Zamboni drivers. No matter how raunchy it got, it would still be less offensive than Don Cherry. And be­ cause hockey has three periods, this could happen twice. It would make the Super Bowl halftime show look like a Jane Austen dinner party.

Well, that's the dream anyway.

It may not happen. But it’s impor­ tant to remember how many things “love of the game” incorporates be­ sides just loving the game. More and more, Canadian kids are growing up living soccer, not hockey. And why not? Shakira sings its theme song, and it has a proprietary noisemaker everyone loves to hate to love. True, hockey had Mighty Ducks 1, 2, and 3. But if it wants to keep bringing people into the fold, it may be time to amp up the party (without losing the game of course. It rocks).

—Mookie Kideckel

17

Hiesday, January 25, 2011

Fantasy sports: Pain or pleasure?

Fantasy sports has become a billion dollar industry with millions of participants worldwide. Still, some aren’t sold. Our Editor-in-Chief, Tori Crawford, is one of these skeptics. She goes head-to-head with sports editor Sam Hunter on the benefits of fantasy sports (and other things).

Con As a former cheerleader, I like to think I have at least a decent grasp of the rules of football. While I don’t follow any team in particular, I genuinely enjoy watching the odd football or basketball game on TV. Simply put, I enjoy sports more than the average girl. What I can’t wrap my head around, however, is fantasy sports.

This feeling doesn’t stem from bitterness over an ex-boyfriend who paid more attention to his fantasy team than to me. I just can’t under­ stand how something that has so little grounding in reality can be so entertaining and popular to the point that it’s now estimated to have over 29.9 million participants and gen­ erate between $3-4 billion dollars across the sports industry per year.

For many participants, fantasy involves a much bigger commit­ ment than checking the standings online. You have to research possi­ ble trades, track players’ progress so you know who to start, and use end­ less statistics to attempt to predict the future. There’s an entire industry that revolves around making this easier for fantasy players, including blogs, podcasts, and an entire fan­ tasy sports division on ESPN.com, where numerous employees dedi­ cate their professional lives to com­ piling stats and scores. And this goes on throughout the entire year, since fantasy leagues exist for almost all professional sports.

Sports blogger Bill Simmons admitted he spends over 100 hours each season “managing” his team.

The strangest thing about this is

Pro

that Simmons, and all other fantasy players, are NOT real managers, and likely never will be. But it seems to be some sports fan fantasy to play God with a team. Fantasy fans pour endless hours, effort and emotion into something with little ground­ ing in reality, something that seems analogous to children playing with dolls.

Another foolish characteris­ tic that fantasy often invokes is the aggression and competition, which mirrors the stereotypical behaviour of children. Otherwise mature, car­ ing, rational men seem to revert to schoolyard intimidation tactics by trash talking their friends when their own “team” has a successful week­ end.

When I asked a friend what makes fantasy sports so attractive, he said it makes watching sports more exciting when your favourite team isn’t playing, and that draft­ ing a “winning” team is a reward­ ing experience. While I see the merit in his first argument, the idea that something with so few tangible benefits and so little grounding in reality can be rewarding seems sad and problematic. Wouldn’t spending your Sundays as a volunteer kid’s hockey coach instead of in front of a TV switching between numerous football games with your computer on your lap to track players’ statis­ tics be more rewarding?

W inner: Pro While it’s true that there are many more rewarding experiences in life than playing fantasy sports, it doesn't mean that fantasy sports are a waste o f your time. Draft a team, make some tardes, win a champion­ ship and enjoy yourself—just make sure to do it in private.

—Tori Crawford

Tori made the connection be­ tween managing a fantasy team and playing with dolls. How­ ever, I think the truth is that fan­ tasy sports are a lot more like playing with yourself.

When taken for what it is, there’s no questioning just how much fun a good fantasy league can be. A great league combines a bunch of enjoyable things into one neat and accessible package.

First off, fantasy is the most cut­ throat competition you’ll find out­ side of a group of McGill post-grads fighting for grants, and competition is something that everyone enjoys.

It takes real, in-depth research skills and dedication to outsmart 11 other zealots who are all sifting through combine results trying to discover the next Arian Foster—taking pride in getting that special player is no joke. And, really, just because Tori was able to shift her competitive in­ stinct from the playground toward more mature pursuits, like success in academia or taking over the media world, doesn’t mean that getting my competitive fix by staring at numbers on a screen is invalidated in any way.

Second, playing fantasy sports is gambling, which I love to a scary degree. But, even better, it’s gam­ bling with that perfect ratio of luck to skill, which, like poker or Set­ tlers of Catan, allows you to assume personal responsibility for all suc­ cesses while shunting off failure as the product of a bad roll of the dice (or the ankle, as the case may be).

Third, fantasy sports are a fan­ tastic source of camaraderie and a

great way to stay in touch with your university acquaintances. As a fifthyear, plenty of my friends have left Montreal and gotten jobs scattered across the globe (wherever employ­ ers would take them), but thanks to the message boards, I never have to miss out on regular vitriolic verbal beatings, or the inevitable mockery of my slow-as-B.J.-Raji-progress toward an undergraduate degree.

To those who would argue that fantasy sports offer nothing of value to the real world, and, when discussed in public, bore listeners to tears, I want to impart you with a bit of moth­ erly wisdom as a closing argument.

When I was younger, my moth­ er, a liberal, approached my sex edu­ cation with the same kind of straight­ forward honesty she used to elucidate all facets of life. “Sam,” she said. “If you want to play with yourself then go ahead and do it. Just make sure you’re alone behind closed doors.”

Her advice has kept me in good stead for all but the most in­ timate of present day scenarios, and I think the original principle ap­ plies just as well to fantasy football.

No one wants to hear you talk about it, even fewer want to watch you do it, but as long as it’s done in the comfort and privacy of your own hdme (with a minimal amount of groaning) then have yourself a blast.

—Sam Hunter

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Curiosity Delivers, www.mcgilltribune.com

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HOCKEY— MCGILL 4 , CARLETON 2

Redmen’s first period barrage buries Carleton Ravens sta r g o a lte n d e r takes flig h t d u e to M c G ill’s q u ick strike offen ce; M c G ill’s D o rio n ejected in th ird

By Cabe Pulver Contributor

What looked like an even matchup between the OUA’s two top goaltenders turned out to be lopsided, as the Redmen benched Carleton backstop Matthew Dopud in the first period after scoring three unanswered goals. The Redmen held on to win 4-2.

Dopud’s counterpart. McGill freshman Antoine Tardif, was stel­ lar, stopping 34 of 36 shots in the victory. With the win, number-tworanked McGill improved to 20-0-2 on the season (after Friday’s win over UQTR 21-0-2). The victory was hard-earned, as Carleton clawed back with two goals in the second.

“You take lessons from all your games, and certainly there were a few tonight,” said McGill Head Coach Kelly Nobes. “It’s good for us to have to learn to adjust.”

Not wasting any time, McGill’s Marc-André Daneau lit the lamp just 47 seconds in to finish off a lighting quick three-on-one. At 4:07 in the first period, OUA point leader Red­ man Alex Picard-Hooper scored his ninth goal of the season, extending his point streak to eight games. Six minutes later, Christophe LongpréPoirier netted a power play marker to give the Redmen three goals on seven shots, ending Dopud’s night.

After the first period, however, it looked like a different contest.

Ravens backup goalie Ryan Dubé

Longpre-Poirier led the McGill attack, scoring twice to put the game out of reach. (John Kelsey / McGill Tribune)

stood tall in net, turning aside all 24 shots he faced. Early in the second, Carleton struck back with two quick goals by Justin Caruana and Andrew Self, and maintained control of the action.

The shift in tone prompted Nobes to use his timeout barely half­ way through the period.

“I called it to kill a little of their momentum, and to say that ‘the game isn’t over yet’,” said Nobes.

“It wasn’t. We had stopped skating, were turning over pucks.”

Throughout the period McGill struggled to keep the puck out of

their own zone, getting outshot 1811. The third was much the same, as Carleton outshot the Redmen 8-6 in a contest that got more physical as the game progressed.

Altercations, both verbal and otherwise, escalated until McGill defenceman and alternate captain Marc-Andre Dorion was given a 10minute misconduct with 8:04 to go in the third, ending his night.

“I guess he was yapping at the ref,” said Nobes. “Certainly it’s not something we want happening. He’s one of our best D-men, and we want to have him on the ice. He knows

that.”

Nevertheless, McGill hung on without their top blueliner and at 19:48 of the third period, Christophe Longpre-Poirier netted his second goal of the night into an empty net to ice the game.

The team was once again play­ ing without national goal scoring leader Francois Verreault-Paul, who sat out due to a foot injury. The Red­ men were no doubt buoyed by the news, however, that earlier in the day Verreault-Paul had skated with the Martlets.

“Frankie’s a big part of our

team ... but [without him] I think everyone just gives a bit more, [and] we can win that way”, said forward Max Langelier-Parent, who finished the game with an assist. LangelierParent set the tone early when he checked Carleton captain Brad Good completely over the boards into his own bench, prompting a raucous cheer from the crowd.

Langelier-Parent, along with McGill teammates Dorion and Red­ men captain Evan Vossen, travel to Turkey next week to play for Team Canada in the World University Games.

testosterone in his body. Armstrong denies all allegations.

If these reports turn out to be true, the credibility of a sport that has already been severely compro­ mised due to cheating may be irrep­ arably damaged. As for Armstrong, it would be disappointing to see another heroic figure soil his legacy with PEDs.

The perennially awful New York Islanders did just that. Now, Nabokov is refusing to report and the Islanders are refusing to trade him. It looks like Nabokov’s trium­ phant return to the NHL may be over before it even starts.

championship game.

Na-bad year-kov

For those o f you who d o n ’t keep TSN as your home page or Sports Illustrated as your bedtime reading, we know the sports world can be hard to understand. This section is fo r you.

France overjoyed as Lance’s reputation is destroyed LANCE ARMSTONG: Lance Arm­ strong is widely considered the best cyclist of all time and is an inspira­ tional figure for his battle with can­ cer. His reputation took a serious hit this week, however, as Sports Illustrated published new informa­ tion alleging that Lance Armstrong took performance enhancing drugs

during his cycling career. The re­ port states that there is evidence that Armstrong took HemAssist (a drug that boosts the blood’s ability to carry oxygen) and smuggled per­ formance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and equipment onto private planes.

The report also linked him to a doc­ tor known to administer PEDs and alleges that blood tests have, in the past, shown an increased level of

EVGENI NABOKOV: 2011 is set to be an even worse year than 2010 for former superstar goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Coming off a 44-win sea­ son with the Sharks, Nabokov wasn’t offered an NHL contract in the off­ season and decided to take his tal­ ents to St. Petersburg of the KHL. There, Nabby slumped ... hard. In December he was cut from the team’s roster, but finally, on Thurs­ day, salvation arrived in the form of a contract with the NHL’s perennial powerhouse, the Detroit Red Wings.

The only problem is that, because he played in Europe earlier this year, he had to clear waivers, meaning other teams had a chance to jump in and steal him from the Wings.

What to watch for between the commercials NFL: The Super Bowl has finally arrived, with two of the most sto­ ried franchises in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, playing for the champion­ ship. In the semifinals both the Pack­ ers and Steelers led for the entirety of their respective games. Green Bay jumped out to a 14-0 lead and cruised to a 21-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, while the Steelers dominated early against the New York Jets, building a 24-0 lead, es­ sentially winning their matchup by halftime. This Super Bowl is going to be very exciting as both the Pack­ ers and Steelers have shut-down defences and all-star quarterbacks.

The only downside is the ridiculous, intrusive, and annoying 24/7, twoweek hype fest that precedes the

Marathon match in OZ TENNIS: In the fourth round of the Australian Open, Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova just kept playing, and playing, and play­ ing. Their marathon match went four hours and forty-four minutes, which sets the record for longest women’s tennis match at a major. Schiavone finally won the third set 16-14 over an exhausted Kuznetsova. It’s only January, but 201 l ’s match of the year may have already occurred.

Quote of the week “Too many people in the world right now allow the youth to not be as good as they can be, allow them to be lazy. Here, I’m giving them an opportunity to live up to the best of their abilities and be proud of what they’re able to accomplish. If that’s what I’m being blamed for, then OK, I accept it.”

—Christian Heritage High women’s basketball Head Coach Rob McGill on why he allowed his team to run up the score and beat their opponents (some might say in unsportsmanlike fashion) 108-3.

19

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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