McGill Tribune Issue 17

Volume No. 32 Issue No. 17

TRIBUNE THE mcgill

Published by the Tribune Publication Society

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crossword P 13 oscar shorts p 10

student of the week P 14 track and field P 17

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Burst water main damages buildings, floods campus and downtown Montreal Most classes reopened on Tuesday after cleanup operation; several buildings still inaccessible

Erica Friesen and Carolina Millán Ronchetti News and Managing Editors

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evere flooding from a 48-inch water main break Monday evening caused widespread damage to buildings on campus, confirmed Doug Sweet, Director of Internal Communications of McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO). “[The damage is] very extensive to James Annex, where water broke windows in the back of the building and rushed through the main floor,” Sweet said. “That building requires significant repairs.”

According to Sweet, McGill staff and a cleaning firm worked through the night to clean up debris and complete repairs. Water continues to flow near the Wong and James Administration Buildings, but according to a message from the MRO,

the water does not pose a threat to the buildings and is being diverted into the sewer system.

Classes reopened on Tuesday in most buildings following the cleanup operation. Classes in Wilson Hall and Birks Hall were cancelled, and those at the Wong Building were relocated. Additionally, Service Point and the James Administration Building were closed. Sweet noted that Wong will likely be closed for a few more days and that administrators are trying to determine when other buildings may be reopened.

The flood began at 4 p.m. when a water main burst under Doctor Penfield Ave. in front of the McTavish Reservoir. Campus buildings were evacuated and all evening classes were cancelled.

The flooded area stretched from Dr. Penfield Ave. to Ste. Catherine Street, and from Union Street to Peel Street, causing pedestrians and

traffic to be re-routed in downtown Montreal. At about 9 p.m., the MRO announced that the City of Montreal had shut off the water from the burst main.

The Reservoir is in the middle of the second phase of renovations, which aim to replace the surrounding tank and water mains. The repairs, conducted by the City of Montreal and estimated to cost $16.4 million, began in October 2012 and are expected to be completed in August 2013. Built in 1852, the Reservoir provides drinking water to 500,000 Montrealers in seven boroughs of the city.

A McGill Fire Prevention Crew worker who chose to remain anonymous said that, despite the harsh weather conditions of the past week, the cold was probably not the reason for the break. “[The construction workers] were working with the big machin-

Flood takes on McGill campus. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune) See backpage spread for more photos. ery,” he said. “They hit the seal, it broke, and they thought there was no pressure in that pipe, but there was pressure in the water.”

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper said the flooding was a great inconvenience for SSMUfest, the Winter semester’s Activities Night.

The event was planned for the evening, but had to be rescheduled for Tuesday night, the day after.

“It’s the worst possible timing,” she said. “We told the club leaders to get here at 3:30 p.m., and now they are trapped with no people to greet.”

The MRO sent out a series of emergency emails throughout the evening. One message referred to the flooding as “a serious situation,” and mentioned that “a number of

buildings” on the downtown campus had been flooded.

“We are trying to assess damage as best we can, but it will be extensive,” read an MRO message from Monday at 4:55 p.m. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Following the evacuation of the SSMU Building, SSMU President Josh Redel said that there were no signs of flooding in the building.

“We’ve been checking the basement, and everything’s good to go,” Redel said. “We haven’t seen any leaks in areas where we’ve noticed them before.”

In Sept. 2011, a leak in a 16inch water main at the entrance of the pumping station of the Reservoir See “Flood” on p. 2

NEWS campus

McGill Principal says universities will face more budget cuts Admin announces permanent operating procedures for dealing with protests to be released with Statement of Values Andra Cernavskis News Editor At the Jan. 23 McGill Senate meeting, Principal Heather MunroeBlum spoke on the government-imposed university budget cuts that the Parti Québécois (PQ) announced in December. Vice-President (Finance and Administration) Michael Di Grappa also updated Senate on the progress of the Statement of Values and Principles concerning freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Munroe-Blum told senators that she has received “signals” from Minister of Higher Education Pierre Duchesne that more budget cuts will affect the budget for the 2014 fiscal year.

“While we are committed to accountability and working productively with the government in every way we can, we also must take the course of not taking these retroactive cuts in this academic year,” she told Senate. “It would be irresponsible.”

According to Munroe-Blum, the university would be in a better position to accept budget cuts this year if the government promised to reinvest back into the university system in the years to come. However, she said Quebec Premier Pauline Marois “refuses to commit” to reinvestment, or indicate when such an action may come.

Munroe-Blum also noted that she has been participating in preEducation Summit meetings in Que-

Flood

bec City on behalf of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universities du Québec (CREPUQ) and McGill. University leaders from Montreal intend to hold their own summit on Feb. 4.

“The goal of the summit is to set an agenda, and create Montreal as a centre of education … before the government summit begins,” Munroe-Blum said.

The principal also asked Di Grappa to provide an update on the statement of values and principles, which will be released this week. He announced that the statement will be accompanied by a separate document, detailing permanent “operational procedures.” These will serve as guidelines that campus security and disciplinary officers will follow when dealing with protests on campus.

Di Grappa confirmed that, while the statement of values and principles will be voted on by both Senate and the Board of Governors (BoG), the operational procedures will be implemented with no vote in either body.

“The operational procedures are an administrative document, not a matter of academic or fiscal policy.

We have all kinds of operational procedures at McGill, in various units and departments,” Di Grappa said following Senate. “They are not approved by Senate or Board.”

Although they will be separate documents, the statement and operational procedures will face consulta-

tion together.

Consultation fairs over the statement of values and principles, as well as the operational procedures will occur at both campuses, and an open website is expected to launch this week, according to Di Grappa.

Arts Senator James Gutman expressed concern at Senate about how the last consultation period was handled, pointing to the fact that the administration only received 25 responses.

“One thing that upset me when you sent out the consultation email is that you sent it out during exams, and then had it end when students were coming back to McGill on Jan. 7,” he said. “I think that was really bad. … There is a reason only 25 people responded.”

Senate also discussed the possibility of expanding the McGill campus into the Royal Victoria Hospital area, as well as introducing the topic of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Following updates from top administrators, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) VicePresident University Affairs Haley Dinel asked Di Grappa if there were any plans to use Royal Victoria Hospital for university-related purposes like classes or research.

Di Grappa pointed out that the university does not own the hospital, but that before the PQ government was elected in September, there had been talks with the Charest government over the potential transfer of

the property to McGill. The hospital will soon move to another site. According to Di Grappa, the government will have to decide what it does with the property once this move takes place.

“It is now unclear how Marois would deal with this,” he said.

“McGill needs to expand its space.

The hospital represents an important amount of space, in which the school could gradually expand over time.”

“The new government is undertaking a ‘reflection’ on what to do with this property, as well as Hotel Dieu,” he said following Senate.

“We have met with representatives of the new government to make the case that McGill should acquire the site.”

Di Grappa also said it might not be the best time for the university to pursue plans to expand.

“It would appear that renovation costs would probably be too high,” he said. “We are examining this more to see if it is feasible. The university is also dealing with budget cuts … and a campus that has buildings that [already] need reparations.”

The majority of Wednesday’s Senate meeting was spent discussing MOOCs—online courses that universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have begun to offer. The discussion outlined how various members of Senate feel about eventually implementing large online lectures into academic programs at

McGill. Opinions on this topic varied widely.

Arts Senator Max Zidel said he supports the idea, but would like to see these programs as one option out of many that students could use when completing their programs.

“I would like to think of them as different [than] conferences and lectures,” he said.

Zidel suggested that high school students could be allowed to take MOOCs before coming to McGill to get certain prerequisite classes and program requirements out of the way.

Other senators showed concern about the idea of online courses.

“My gut feeling is that, at its root, this is ultimately a revenue generation exercise,” said Medicine Senator Daniel Bernard. “I know there might be a feeling that if we don’t get on this train, we might miss it, but I think we should consider that the train may be going nowhere or, worse, over a cliff.”

Dinel expressed hope that the courses would be open to a wider demographic, which could involve people in other countries.

“It could provide a great societal development,” she said. “It would provide access [to education] to students and people who can’t come [to McGill]. … It’s a great way to share our knowledge with everyone else.”

continued from cover

flooded Service Point, McLennan Library, and Wilson Hall. In 2009, a burst in a 42-inch pipe at the top of Dr. Penfield Ave. flooded many of the same buildings.

“We continue to assess dam-

age and costs and will work as hard as we can to get our teaching and research spaces reopened,” Sweet said. “Our prime consideration, of course, is the safety of the members of our community.”

65-70% of arts courses are taught by permanent staff the goal is 80%

the cuts at a glance information from christopher manfredi infographic by susanne wang

the current TA to student ratio is 1:80

following course cuts, each TA is projected to teach 20 fewer students

Curiosity delivers. |

NEWS

| Wednesday, January 30, 2013

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McGill bars students from filing Access to Information requests University claims that recent surge of ATIs filed by students include requests that are “overly broad” and “frivolous” Erica Friesen News Editor McGill is seeking to prevent its students from filing Access to Information requests (ATIs) through a motion submitted to the Commission d’accès à l’information, the organization responsible for ensuring that public institutions comply with Quebec’s ATI laws.

The motion targets 14 individual McGill students and alumni, but also asks that the Commission allow the university to deny ATIs filed by McGill students, student journalists from The McGill Daily and Concordia’s The Link, people associated with McGilliLeaked—a website that posts documents obtained through ATIs—and “persons that could reasonably be linked to such requestors.”

McGill requests the authority to deny these requestors’ ATIs when the request is “overly broad,” similar to previous requests, or “frivolous.”

Christopher Bangs, a U3 arts student and one of the 14 respondents in the case, called the motion “paranoid” and “extreme.”

According to Bangs, this legal action could allow the university to avoid disclosing information to McGill students or student journalists for up to a year and a half, due to the severe backlog at the Commission.

“This is an attempt for [McGill] … to avoid disclosing anything they don’t want to disclose, to shut down campus media, and to really hurt the campaigns that students and allies are running to make this university a better place,” he said.

According to the motion, which was filed on Dec. 7, the university’s attempts to accommodate the growing number of ATIs have caused “serious impediments to its activities.” While McGill received 37 ATI requests in 2011, 120 were filed in 2012.

“The scope of documents and information requested by the respondents is unreasonable, each request often representing hundreds, if not thousands of pages, and spanning a time period of often more than 10 years,” the motion reads. “McGill does not have the resources to process many of the individual requests, notwithstanding the fact that they

are all submitted within the same timeframe, even on the same day.”

Many of the ATIs listed in the motion deal with subjects such as military research, university documents relating to Plan Nord, and administrative expenses. McGill alleges that these similarities indicate that the 14 respondents were working together. However, several respondents pointed out that these topics were prominent in campus dialogue last semester—and are still prominent—at general assemblies and during the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Legislative Council meetings.

“I was legitimately doing the requests for [researching] SSMU Council motions,” SSMU VicePresident Clubs and Services Allison Cooper, who is one of the respondents, said. “If you look through which motions I have moved and argued in favour [of in Council], they are clearly correlated.”

McGill’s motion points to one of Cooper’s requests as an example of an ATI that contained the exact wording of an ATI filed by another respondent. Cooper said she sought

help phrasing the ATI at the Legal Information Clinic at McGill, and suggested that similarities in wording may have arisen from other respondents taking a similar course of action.

The motion also identifies McGilliLeaked—a website created by Bangs—as a website that encourages people to submit ATI requests to McGill. McGill points to the website’s creation in October as corresponding to a “new wave” of ATI requests.

Several respondents said they were aware of the ATI system before the creation of McGilliLeaked.

“I think that McGill should recognize that there is an increased interest in universities in general, following a lot of the issues that were brought up over the strike, especially related to how they spend their money and what kind of external partnerships they have,” another one of the respondents, SSMU VicePresident External Robin Reid-Fraser, said.

Bangs said he created the website so people could share the ATIs they had received from the Univer-

sity. He said not all of the 14 people that McGill alleges were working together, even knew each other, although he has collaborated with several of them.

“Some of the people there are my friends and we are working on some campaigns together,” he said.

“Finding out more information was a part of [these] campaigns, but obviously not all of us are connected through these campaigns.”

According to Bangs, the court case will not be able to progress for another three or four months, when a mediation session between the involved parties will take place. Several respondents expressed disappointment with the way McGill has addressed the issue.

“They could have easily invited us to meet to discuss the issue from their perspective before going to the Commission,” Reid-Fraser said. “It just seems quite unfortunate that they chose this direction, [instead of] a more constructive conversation.”

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Dean of Arts addresses student concerns over course cuts Manfredi says consultation on the subject has been underway since 2006; cuts to target under-enrolled courses Erica Friesen News Editor Last Tuesday, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi listened to students’ concerns about cuts to arts courses, during a Town Hall hosted by the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). AUS Vice-President Academic Tom Zheng invited Manfredi to speak about the faculty’s decision to cut up to 100 courses and reduce the number of temporary lecturers teaching in the faculty for the 20132014 academic year.

Manfredi said he would pass students’ concerns along to department chairs during the next step in the process, where individual departments will decide which courses they can cut without affecting students’ ability to complete their programs. He announced the reductions to professors and students at a faculty meeting on Jan. 15.

According to Manfredi, the restructuring is intended to increase the proportion of courses taught by permanent teaching staff, and to get rid of classes that are typically under-enrolled. With the remaining funds, the faculty intends to

hire more teaching assistants (TAs).

The goal is to hire one TA for every 60 students, rather than the current ratio—one TA per 80 students.

Some students, however, expressed frustration at the implication that full-time faculty members provide a better educational experience than part-time lecturers.

“A lot of course lecturers are better at teaching courses than fulltime professors,” Arts Senator James Gutman said. “I know a lot of fulltime professors who are great at research but aren’t so good at talking to a crowd of 200 people. Course lecturers are great at that, so why, I ask, are we cutting them?”

Manfredi said consultation on the subject took place with teachers and students in 2008, and a dean’s working group on academic program delivery was held in 2010-2011. He expressed surprise at recent student criticism of the decision, saying that he had already discussed the upcoming course reductions at faculty meetings in September and November, although he and the AUS were unable to plan a Town Hall until last week due to exams.

“There’s nothing secret about

it,” Manfredi said. “We did these consultations, and we learned that students were dissatisfied with the level of teaching assistant support, [and that] students were concerned that there was a disconnect between research and teaching in the faculty.”

Although the cuts will target courses with fewer than 20 students, Manfredi emphasized that the intention is to cut courses that are underenrolled, and not simply small.

“If a course is small by necessity … [or] because pedagogically it has to be small, no problem,” he said. “However, some courses are small by design because the professor doesn’t want to teach more students … and some courses are small because their topics are so esoteric and uninteresting to students that they don’t enroll in those courses.”

Associate Dean of Arts Gillian Lane-Mercier, who also attended and spoke at the Town Hall, emphasized that relatively few courses will be “retired.” Options include offering courses every two or three years, and creating new courses that combine the topics of several smaller courses.

Manfredi said funds from

courses that are no longer offered would be reallocated towards teaching assistantships, internships, and advising. However, some students expressed skepticism that the additional funds created by reducing courses will lead to an improved learning experience.

“We’ve been told to get less with a very whispering promise of ‘more,’ ” Gutman said. “What we do know is that course lecturers [and] small courses are going to be cut.”

Manfredi responded to the claim that students may not see “more.” He estimated that the faculty will be able to reallocate $500,000 towards teaching assistantships and $200,000 towards advising and internships.

Students also questioned TAs’ ability to compensate for smaller classes taught by temporary instructors.

“I’ve heard from TAs that they feel ill-equipped when they go into conferences because they’ve never facilitated conversations before or they’ve never really learned how to teach,” Talitha Calder, president of the Political Science Students’ Association, said. “If there are more

resources that are being put into the number of TAs … will they also receive the adequate training that is needed to fulfil that position?”

Manfredi encouraged students like Calder to submit their general feedback about the quality of teaching at McGill by completing course evaluations, and by reaching out to the undergraduate representatives of their department.

“We don’t want to offer a low quality educational experience,” Manfredi said. “We’re trying to deliver the best programs we can deliver with the resources we have, and none of us benefit from doing that poorly.”

Zheng said the AUS is committed to preserving the diversity of courses offered by the faculty of arts, and will try their best to ensure that student consultation continues to be part of the process.

“There were a lot of questions that were answered [at the Town Hall] … and there was some good rationale on his side of the story,” Zheng said. “But the changes are going to occur, and people still aren’t going to be happy about it.”

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013 |

NEWS

| Curiosity delivers.

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Students and staff protest protocol in James Square

Protestors concerned with impending operations management policy regarding protests to be released this week Jimmy Lou Contributor On Jan. 23, a group of McGill students, staff, and members of campus unions congregated at James Square to protest the provisional protocol regarding demonstrations, protests, and occupations, as well as any protocol the university might implement to regulate peaceful assembly on campus.The protest comes after Provost Anthony Masi and Vice-President (Administration and Finance) Michael Di Grappa announced on Jan. 16 that the current provisional protocol will be replaced by a statement of values and principles concerning freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, rather than the draft

permanent protocol that McGill released on Nov. 30.

According to Di Grappa, the provisional version of the protocol will likely remain in effect until April’s Board of Governors’ (BoG) meeting, at which point the BoG will vote to adopt the statement of values.

The first draft of a permanent protocol generated criticism due to its restrictive clauses, lack of clarity, and absence of student input.

“We’re hoping to get the message across to both [the] administration and the Board members, that the population of McGill is not in support of this protocol,” Kevin Whitaker, president of McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA), said. “We believe

Highlights SSMU from the January 24

Council

Motion Regarding Support for Indigenous Peoples and Allies

Heated debate occurred between councillors over a motion calling for SSMU to “adopt a position in support of the Idle No More movement, and in support of the struggles of the Society’s First Nation and Inuit members and allies.”

Senate Caucus Representative Max Zidel expressed discomfort with Council stating support for the Idle No More movement as a whole. Other councillors said that adopting a position in support of Idle No more was external to Council, and that the motion should be committed to the next SSMU General Assembly (GA).

Council voted on the clauses individually, in order to allow councillors to commit the clause that was considered external to the GA, it also allowed them to while vote on the other two clauses, which were considered to be within Council’s purview.

Ultimately, Council voted to send the first clause—that SSMU adopt a position in support of the Idle No More movement—to the Feb. 4 GA, where it will be put to a student vote. Council passed the other two clauses, which concerned lobbying the McGill administration to divest its holdings in companies that do not engage in consultation with First Nations groups when conducting business on Indigenous land.

that it is a violation of the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we will not support this.”

According to protesttheprotocol.com, dissenters are particularly concerned that McGill plans to launch a new operations management policy regarding protests on campus, that does not require approval from either Senate or the BoG. This will be released in tandem with the statement of values, which will require approval from both Senate and the BoG. Although McGill withdrew the draft of the permanent protocol on Jan. 16, participants in last Wednesday’s protest said they wanted to remain vigilant, and to continue communicating their discontent in hopes of receiving a more accept-

able proposal from the next round of consultations.

“We already consider that there is victory on our party’s part, because the [draft of the] permanent protocol has been removed,” Julian Menezes, mobilization officer for McGill’s Teaching Union (AGSEM), said.

“But … we’re just out here to make sure that McGill knows that all protocols [and] all statements of values that restrict freedom of expression and association … on campus are not acceptable. They do not reflect the democratic values of this institution, [nor] the people who built this institution.”

Jaime MacLean, president of the Association for McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE), expressed similar sentiments.

“We don’t need any protocol because the city of Montreal has its own protocol,” she said. “If anything, we need to be freer on campus.”

Baptist Rownir, a U2 arts student who attended the demonstration, expressed his support for the protest. “[This protest is] basically another episode of administration and student conflict,” Rownir said. “I don’t think it’s great for the atmosphere [on campus], but we need it.”

“I definitely support the protest,” Bita Eslami, U2 social work, said. “[The] McGill administration is infringing [on] our freedom of assembly and expression. I don’t think it’s good for campus.”

Motion Regarding a McGill Free from Fossil Fuels A motion

calling for SSMU to lobby the university to “divest its holdings in companies engaged in fossil fuels and from financial institutions that invest in or give loans to companies engaged in fossil fuel production” provoked debate between councillors.

Science Representative Devin Bissky Dziadyk asked the movers of the motion why specific actions were not included in it. Others councillors then called for the motion to include specific actions, so that the movers would have something concrete on which to follow up.

The motion was ultimately amended to mandate that the Political Campaigns Coordinator draft a plan, detailing and proposing ways in which SSMU can lobby McGill, which would be presented to Council at a later date. The motion passed after being put to a vote.

Council endorses Daily Publication Society Following guest

speeches from The McGilly Daily Coordinating Editor Queen Arsem-O’Malley and Le Délit Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Quiazua, councillors voted in favour of endorsing the Daily Publication Society (DPS)’s existence referendum, with 21 votes in favour—none against—and six abstentions.

“As much as I disagree with [some things] The Daily runs, I do think that it should exist, it offers such a good platform for students to … share ideas,” Music Representative Katie Larson said.

Announcement: New student space

SSMU President Josh Redel announced that the end of SSMU’s sublease with the student travel agency Voyage Campus would allow student space in the building to expand for the first time in several years.

Redel said that the area, located on the main floor of the SSMU Building and spanning 115 square metres, represented “potential for just about anything.” He explained that a consultation process with McGill students on how to transform the vacant space would commence shortly, starting with a Strategic Summit on Student Space in the Madeleine Parent Room on Feb. 1.

SSMU Vice-President Finance and Operations JP Briggs later suggested that the area could be a “potential place” for the long-awaited student-run café.

(Elizabeth Flannery / McGill Tribune)

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First Idle No More teach-in at McGill fosters discussion Teach-in features Indigenous speakers; organizers call event a success Emma Windfeld Contributor McGill’s Thomson House Ballroom was filled to capacity on Friday afternoon during McGill’s first Idle No More teach-in. The event focused on educating attendees about the Idle No More movement, which draws attention to the socioeconomic, political, and cultural relationships between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government.

Friday’s teach-in represented an effort by three McGill entities— the Anthropology Graduate Students Association (AGSA), the First Peoples House, and the Centre for the Study of Society, Technology, and Development—to promote campus discussion on the movement, which began in November. The event was the first in a two-part series.

Chelsey Vowel, a Métis woman who currently teaches Inuit youth in Montreal, explained that clarity on issues such as tax exemption and subsidized education would result in less resentment towards Indigenous peoples.

Vowel said the Idle No More Dawson Defends Expulsion of Al-Khabaz Montreal’s Dawson College expelled computer science student Ahmed Al-Khabaz after he discovered vulnerability in the college’s student portal. The college cited this as a violation of the department’s code of professional conduct. As the student portal is shared with other CEGEPs, the error compromised the personal information of 250,000 students. On Jan. 20, Al-Khabaz’s case came to the public’s attention when the National Post reported on his expulsion.

A statement released by Dawson College charges that the National Post article is “inaccurate.”

The statement further suggests that Al-Khabaz was issued a ‘cease and desist’ order following his initial discovery of the vulnerability, which he contravened, attempting “repeatedly to intrude into areas of College information systems that had no relation with student information systems.”

Al-Khabaz maintains that he was only trying to help Dawson fix a serious security flaw in its system. He pointed out that in running his scans of the system, he never attempted to conceal his identity.

Since his expulsion was first reported, Al-Khabaz has received 12 job offers, as well as one scholarship from Skytech, the company which designed Dawson’s website.

movement is about first breaking down the wall between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples.

“We all want a better life for ourselves—Native or non-Native— and the only way we’re going to get there is if we cooperate,” she said.“We need a better understanding of the history and the obligations we have to one another, [and address] specific legislation coming out that’s threatening to erode Indigenous rights. … Ignorance breeds contempt,” she said.

McGill alumnus and lawyer Jameela Jeeroburkhan discussed certain federal bills that have upset Indigenous communities like Bills C-45 and C-38, which together implemented 114 amendments to federal laws.

“If a potential Aboriginal right or interest is affected by a project, [the government has] an obligation to consult the Aboriginal people affected,” she said. “Less environmental regulation [means] the duty to consult will not arise, and Aboriginal peoples will be less informed about development taking place on

What happened last week in Compiled by chris liu Ontario elects first female premier Last Saturday, Kathleen Wynne was elected as Ontario’s first female premier at a convention devoted to choosing a successor for former Premier Dalton McGuinty. Wynne beat out former Windsor Member of Provincial Parliament Sandra Pupatello, with a vote of 1,150 to 866 during the third ballot of the convention.

Wynne, who represents the Don Valley West riding in Toronto, is also the province’s first openly gay premier. She faces several challenges as she takes office, including an ongoing dispute with the province’s teachers’ unions, a $12 billion provincial deficit, and a provincial election that may be called as early as this year. The premier has said that she hopes to avoid an early election by working with the opposition.

With Wynne’s election, female premiers now represent 87 per cent of the Canadian population, holding the leadership in six of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.

waterways that they use.”

The final speaker was Aaron Detlor, a lawyer and Haudenosaunee citizen from the Bay of Quinte, Ontario. Detlor claimed the Idle No More movement is not supposed to have a focus; instead, its purpose is to discuss multiple interconnected issues of Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state. According to Detlor, protests of Bill C-45 are due less to the content of the bills, and more due to the way they force Indigenous peoples to conform to nonIndigenous ways. “[Bills like Bill C-45] force us into an adversarial system, so even if we were to decide ‘yes we’re going to court’… it denies our most fundamental relationship with the Creator and our most fundamental relationship with each other, and that’s the ability to come to one mind,” he said.

The teach-in lasted just under four hours, beginning and ending with a Mohawk prayer. Each speaker paused frequently to take questions from the audience.

Erin Linklater, U3 arts , said she came to the event in support

Canada?

Rob Ford Stays On As Mayor An Ontario Divisional Court ruled in favour of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford last Friday, in an appeal of a court decision in November that would have removed him from the mayor’s office.

Ford’s legal woes stem from a 2010 report by the city integrity commissioner, which obliged Ford to pay back $3,150 in donations from lobbyists and corporations, given to his private football foundation. On Feb. 7, 2012, Ford voted in a city council motion that absolved him of the obligation to return the $3,150.

Ford admitted last September that he had never read the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, which forbids a member of council from voting on motions in which the member has a financial interest, nor a handbook given to city councillors regarding conflict of interest.

Last Friday, the court accepted Ford’s argument that city council did not have the authority to impose a personal financial penalty on Ford, as the donations had been accepted by his football foundation, and not Ford personally.

Students attending the teach-in. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune) of the Idle No More movement because it addresses issues, such as the environment, that are important to all Canadians.

“As an academic, it’s important to be informed, whether you support it or not,” Linklater said.

Ruth Loft, a member of the Montreal community, attended the forum with her husband Dr. Michael Loft, who teaches in McGill’s School of Social Work, specializing in First Nations Issues.

“It’s important for students to get involved because one person can make a difference,” she said.

Paige Isaac, coordinator of the First Peoples’ House and one of the teach-in’s organizers, thought the event was a success.

“The speakers had good focuses, and the questions [from the audience] were great,” Isaac said.

Following the event, Jessica Dolan, a PhD student in anthropology who came up with the idea of having a teach-in, thanked the audience for coming and sharing their perspectives.

The second installment of the series took place Sunday afternoon at the Centre Scalabrini de Montréal.

Chief Spence Ends Hunger Strike

Keystone XL Pipeline One Step Closer to Reality

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence ended her hunger strike last Wednesday, after subsisting on fish broth and medicinal tea for 44 days.

Her hunger strike was an effort to press for a meeting between First Nations leaders, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Governor General David Johnston. Johnston has refused to meet with First Nations leaders, citing his inability to shape government policy.

The end to the hunger strike came after Liberal, NDP, and First Nations leaders agreed on a 13-point declaration to present to the government. NDP Member of Parliament Romeo Saganash, who helped to negotiate the declaration, and who was a prominent Cree public figure prior to entering politics, expressed frustration at the federal government’s lacklustre response.

“This is Canada, and this is 2013,” Saganash told the CBC. “We shouldn’t beg to have our rightful place in this country.”

The declaration calls for “an immediate meeting … between the Crown, Federal Governments, Provincial Governments, and all First Nations.” It also calls for greater enforcement of treaty rights, environmental oversight, and a review of the constitutionality of the omnibus budget bills passed by the Conservatives.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved an alternate route to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline last Tuesday. Heineman’s decision was praised by TransCanada, the Calgary-based pipeline company heading the project, as well as Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver, and Alberta Premier Alison Redford.

The old route also went through Nebraska, but the new route avoids an environmentally sensitive area, where erodible sand dunes heighten the risk of groundwater contamination. Nebraska has been a site of fierce opposition to the pipeline, as landowners and activists raised alarm over possible pollution of the Ogallala aquifer. The new route still crosses part of the aquifer.

The $7 billion project now awaits a decision by the U.S. State Department. The fate of the pipeline will lie in the hands of Hillary Clinton’s expected successor, U.S. Senator John Kerry, who has a reputation for being a dedicated environmentalist.

The day after Heineman’s decision, 53 senators signed a letter urging President Obama to approve the Keystone XL project. Polls show that a majority of Americans also support the pipeline.

The U.S. State Department does not expect to reach a decision before April.

opinion editorial

THE Mcgill

TRIBUNE Editor-in-Chief Elisa Muyl editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Carolina Millán Ronchetti cmillanronchetti@mcgilltribune.com Adam Sadinsky asadinsky@mcgilltribune.com

Accountability must come first in Access To Information debate A fundamental pillar for the success of a publicly funded institution is the public’s right to know and understand where its money goes, and what is being done with it. McGill’s recent motion to the Commission d’accès à l’information seeking the authority to ignore Access To Information (ATI) requests threatens this right, and risks severely compromising the school’s accountability to students and staff, and to taxpayers in general. As a media outlet, the Tribune firmly believes in the importance of a fair and functional ATI process. We feel that were the university’s motion to be approved outright, it would set a dangerous precedent and concentrate excessive power in the hands of the administration.

While we disagree with the broad implications of McGill’s request, various aspects of this issue stirred much debate amongst members of our editorial board. We felt that certain grievances brought forward by the administration are legitimate, but the school’s response has been equally problematic. The claims brought forward in the university’s motion do not justify the severity of the course of action being pursued.

McGill claims that its recent

backlog of ATI requests is the product of a deliberate and coordinated attack on the school “as a retaliation measure against McGill in the aftermath of the 2011-2012 student protests.” If a conscious effort to

“Giving an institution the ability to decide what is and isn’t important to disclose directly enables it to dodge accountability in the future, whether or not it is its current objective.

”

hamstring the administration is really being undertaken, then this is also extremely worrisome. Money spent needlessly compiling thousands of pages of documents is money that will never reach a classroom, and such action benefits no one. However, these allegations on the part of the school amount to speculation at best, and the proposed solution could also put a stop to well-intentioned requests. We feel that when freedoms and liberties are at stake, people must be given the benefit of the doubt.

Another complaint put forward

in McGill’s motion pertains to the nature of the requests, stating that they are frivolous, repetitive, or too broad in scope. Once again, there is a fair argument to be made to this effect; spending excessive amounts of time disclosing the contents of fridges prevents the administration from making more effective use of its resources. However, other topics outlined in the motion include corporate ties in fossil fuels and weapons research, as well as breaches of privacy. These are some of the issues that matter, and under this motion, it would be entirely within the university’s purview to avoid them altogether. Giving an institution the ability to decide what is and isn’t important to disclose directly enables it to dodge accountability in the future.

In addition to seeking to reject ATI requests based on their topics, the motion outlines a specific list of individuals whose requests it seeks to disregard. Moreover, its broad terms include student journalists, all McGill students, and anybody the administration feels “could reasonably be linked” to any of the above.

The lack of clarity here and the resulting level of arbitrary power on the part of the school are both extremely troubling, and would further

put McGill in a position to extensively limit what can or cannot be disclosed; in essence, the passage of this motion would allow McGill to become its own arbiter.

Rather than pursue such a dire course of action, we feel that the university should be willing to invest in necessary infrastructure that would facilitate responses to such queries.

The Government of Canada is currently in the process of implementing an online repository of previously disclosed files, to which duplicate queries can be referred. A similar system would also help to alleviate strain on the university. While this would be an investment on the part of the school, it is one which would serve to bolster the rights of the McGill community, and encourage institutional accountability.

Nevertheless, the motion has not yet moved beyond its submission state. It seems unlikely that McGill will be granted its desired level of freedom in this domain, but the request itself is clearly indicative of the administration’s attitude towards the issue. Although the pressure that an increased number of ATI requests puts on the administration may not be sustainable, it is important, as we move forward to ensure that our rights are valued above all else.

COLUMNISTS

Production Manager Sam Reynolds sreynolds@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Bea Britneff, Andra Cernavskis and Erica Friesen news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor Ben Carter-Whitney opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Caity Hui scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Jacqui Galbraith studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Sara Espinal Henao feature@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Chris Liu and Ilia Blinderman arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Steven Lampert and Jeff Downey sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Alexandra Allaire and Simon Poitrimolt photo@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Susanne Wang design@mcgilltribune.com Senior Design Editor Heather H. Lee design@mcgilltribune.com Online Editor Victor Temprano online@mcgilltribune.com Social Media Editor Lisa Yang socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Adrien Hu copy@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Manager Myriam Richard cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors Jacob Hardy (Chair): chair@mcgilltribune.com, Bea Britneff, Elisa Muyl, Jonathan Newburgh, Maria Surilas, Swathi Sadagopan

Contributors

Zero Dark Torture?

Joshua Freedman

Commentary

In an Academy Award season mostly bereft of controversy, Zero Dark Thirty has filled the void with its brutal and frank depiction of torture. The film, a dramatization of the American military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, was written based on conversations with people who had first hand knowledge of the events in question. Condemnation of the movie has come from many different angles, the vast majority of which has coalesced into variations on the issue of torture.

The first point of criticism centres on the contention that the movie’s torture scenes are not grounded in actual events, and give viewers the misleading impression that torture was partially responsible for finding Bin Laden. While this is a

vital point of historical debate, there simply isn’t enough proof to support any one position. A few U.S. Senators, led by John McCain, have claimed to have seen confirmation that torture played no role in catching Bin Laden. Others, like former CIA director Michael Hayden, have said that torture was involved. Much of the evidence that would illuminate the matter is classified information, and thus, the question remains unanswerable at this time.

A more interesting criticism, which is a permutation of the first, is that the use of these torture scenes endorses torture. Viewers see a key detainee tortured, leading to his supplying testimony that eventually led to the location of Bin Laden. It was thought that upon being shown a utilitarian value to torture, the public will begin to perceive it as an important and legitimate tool to be used by the defence community. While this is possible, I think that this criticism ultimately misses a far more important point.

Criticism of torture can reside on two different levels: moral and utilitarian. Although both play into

this discussion, the moral issue is typically considered much more important. If torture is inherently wrong, which most would concede, any potential utility it may have is a moot point. Any other conclusion would go grossly against the basic principles of justice. Comparably, denying people the right to ‘habeus corpus,’ or being able to search a suspect’s property without a warrant may have utilitarian value if the principal desired result is to obtain a conviction. However, because these actions would be moral wrongs, law enforcement officials are not allowed to engage in this behaviour.

Similarly, even if torture can garner useful information, itself a contentious proposition, the gross moral wrong it creates means that it should not be practiced.

Back to the movie: if the above is true, the movie cannot be said to endorse torture. The viewers see despicable acts being carried out against the detainee, and the moral wrong is clear in this unjustifiable violence. The fact that the detainee eventually gives the torturers information is then seen as an ends

reached through decidedly improper means.

Besides this philosophical interpretation, the movie itself addresses much of the criticism lodged against it. Yes, the detainee does share information, but he does so outside a setting of torture, baited by the promise of good treatment and a decent meal. Also, after the successful raid against Bin Laden’s compound, the main character, a CIA officer, breaks down into tears—seemingly overwhelmed by the pointlessness in expending so much time and effort into achieving this goal.

I do not see the movie as endorsing torture, but rather, presenting an imperfect history of regrettable and despicable actions carried out in the name of finding justice for victims of 9/11. Surely, these dark moments of American history should not be glossed over. The movie provides an excellent forum for debate, and a way to re-examine preconceived notions of the ongoing war on terror.

Mayaz Alam, Will Burgess, Trevor Drummond, Elizabeth Flannery, Joshua Freedman, Ira Halpem, Cecilie Jensen, Evie Kaczmarek, Alex Kpeglo-Hennessy, Jennifer Lee, Jimmy Lou, Liam Maclure, Bronte Martin, Abraham Moussako, Luke Orlando, Michael Paolucci, Susan Westfall, Emma Windfeld

Tribune Offices Editorial

Shatner University Centre Suite 110, 3480 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 T: 514.398.6789

Advertising Brown Student Building Suite 1200, 3600 McTavish Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2 T: 514.398.6835 F: 514.398.7490 The McGill Tribune is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Société de Publication de la Tribune, a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of The McGill Tribune and the Société de Publication de la Tribune, and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University.

Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@mcgilltribune.com and must include the contributor’s name, program and year and contact information. Letters should be kept under 300 words and submitted only to the Tribune. Submissions judged by the Tribune 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 the editorial board. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the McGill Tribune, its editors or its staff. Please recycle this newspaper.

7

columnists Cuts and an inconsequential conversation

Abraham Moussako

Commentary

At the beginning of last term, I wrote that this year would—hopefully—be free of the sort of acrimonious student politics that characterized 2011-2012 at McGill. Recent events have put the lie to that hope.

While much of the attention on campus is currently centred around The Daily’s fee referendum, a more important set of controversies goes directly to what sort of education we will have as this university moves forward.

In December, the Parti Québécois (PQ) government suddenly announced a retroactive $124 million budget cut to provincial universities. The province-wide cut will take

about $19 million out of McGill’s annual budget, and is reportedly just the first of several more cuts. The announcement of these cuts prompted vague, generalized outrage from the student body, with some of those more receptive to the proposed tuition increases—which the governing PQ rolled back—launching into full ‘told-you-so’ mode. What was most interesting to watch was the reaction of the one group that can be counted on to have a strong opinion about any issue inside the Roddick Gates, regardless of importance: the so-called “campus radicals.”

To their credit, they were similarly outraged by the cuts, but oddly enough, they targeted this outrage not at the PQ government, but at the James Administrative building, staging a largely satirical protest asking Heather Munroe-Blum and the rest of the McGill administration to go on a general strike to protest the cuts. The protest, which as usual involved an attempt to enter the Board of Governors meeting underway at

the time, can only be described as profoundly non-constructive. Participants quoted in media accounts admitted that the real purpose was to make some sort of high-concept ironic observation on structures of pedagogical authority—or something like that.

Even looking past the satirical conceit, the campus Left had no new ideas to offer in response to this highly unexpected cut. The usual slogans abounded; re-evaluating priorities, something about how caring about the university’s global reputation is bad, and some other oblique thing about cutting the salaries of a certain administrative bogeyman— or in this case, woman. Formal student and campus organizations thankfully responded with more coherent expressions of dismay.

Just as students returning from winter break were coming to terms with this budget ‘adjustment’—if they had spent even a moment during break thinking about anything related to the university aside from

exams and marks—the administration announced another set of cuts: this time to 100 courses, all small selections in the Faculty of Arts.

Here the outrage was similarly swift, sharp, and seemingly justified. The Dean of Arts claims that these cuts are completely unrelated to the reduction in the annual budget from the province, which is likely true only because the alternative involves the administration telling a lie that would make it look far worse, from a PR perspective, than the truth.

These cuts, which would reduce the number of upper-level courses available to students, are undeniably troubling. Again, they provoked a predictably nonconstructive response from the campus left. Arts Senator Jimmy Gutman, for example, alleged that these cuts were to “punish” course lecturers for forming a union. This accusation was not actually substantiated by anything, but was accompanied by the claim that the cuts were a step down the road to the elimination of

any personalized education at the university.

As we move forward, we’ll see whether or not there is anything that can be done to avert the negative effects of either set of cuts. The arts cuts, if truly unrelated to the provincial budget reduction, are a stunning example of administrative incompetence from both a quality of education and public relations perspective. The provincial budget cut, however, speaks to many things; the shortsightedness of most of the tuition protesters, the duplicity of the PQ, and a broken clock moment for those in the student movement who shrank back from the support of Marois and decided to continue fantasizing about the total smashing of the state. Their rigid ideological consistency, for once, resulted in nothing more substantial than the very smug, very satisfying ability to say, “told you so.” Unfortunately, it seems that this is the most substantive thing anyone has contributed to this debate.

Letters to the Editor Letter to the editor On the faculty of arts course restructuring

Much has been written about the faculty of arts proposal to enhance the connection between research and undergraduate teaching by increasing the proportion of courses taught by professors who devote their careers to advancing their disciplines, as well as increasing the availability of teaching-assistant support to professors and students.

These objectives have long been part of the strategic plans of the university and the faculty, going back to the Provost’s 2006 White Paper (Strengths and Aspirations).

Some of the reaction to these realignments has tended toward the

Letter to the editor

Universities are not easy to run.

Administrators are constantly under pressure to make ends meet. To balance the budget sheet they must pay thousands of salaries, manage millions of dollars in infrastructure, fundraise, lobby and beg to pay for it all. In an age of austerity, this is unimaginably harder. All this considered, to make the budget work, should the administration be squeez-

apocalyptic. But let us keep things in perspective. Arts students will experience many benefits by reallocating resources to teaching assistantships: more financial support for graduate students, smaller conference sections, better undergraduate student access to certain courses, and more time for professors to have substantive interactions with students.

All of which students have told us, repeatedly, that they want.

Discussions about these objectives go back to 2008. In 2010-2011, the faculty held important consultations with students, including a Town Hall—in which the issue of diminishing teaching-assistant support came up frequently—and a Dean’s Working Group on Academic Program Delivery that included students and consulted widely.

The student press reported on

both at the time.

At the first meeting with the Chairs of arts departments on Sept.

2, 2012, I indicated that the faculty would make progress on these strategic priorities. I outlined the importance of the objectives and outlined some initial thoughts on how to achieve them at the first Faculty Council meeting of the year on Sept.

25, 2012. I reported on it again during the Nov. 20 Faculty Council meeting, and met the VP Academic of AUS on Dec. 6 to discuss the proposal in more detail.

I suggested it would be valuable to hold an AUS Town Hall on the topic. I again updated the Faculty Council on the proposal on Jan. 15, 2013—which seems to be when people began to pay attention.

Rather than a sudden announcement of something new, my discussion on

Jan. 15 was an update of a lengthy process of discussion and consultation.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the faculty of arts teaches a large number of low-enrolment, even under-enrolled courses. In 2011-12, the faculty offered 443 undergraduate courses (excluding such things as reading courses) with 20 or fewer students, representing 37 per cent of all its courses that year. More surprisingly, the Faculty offered 230 courses (about 20 per cent) with 10 or fewer students.

Here’s my question: could the faculty free up resources by teaching 100 fewer small or under-enrolled courses? I asked Associate Dean Gillian Lane-Mercier to consult with each teaching unit in search of an answer.

To be sure, there are conse-

quences to offering fewer lower-enrolment courses. One scenario could be that the faculty offers 100 fewer courses with enrolments below 10, which would result in the displacement of about 550 students to the faculty’s remaining 1,100 courses (which would raise the average size of those courses by 0.5 students).

Many have asked about the message the faculty is sending to potential students. I think the message is this: that when the faculty of arts promises prospective students that they will be taught by some of the world’s leading experts in their fields, we are able to honour that promise by having those experts in undergraduate classrooms.

ing SSMU for every last penny? I say no.

Between cutting paycheques and writing letters to bureaucrats and donors, sometimes the administrators need to pay attention to students. Most universities leave it up to students to collectively organize in student-run spaces. They allow students to collectively levy a fee, and create a union which runs services and funds clubs. In the best of times, these unions are the centre of student life—a fond memory for alumni and a pull for potential students. They run essential services like childcare for young parents

seeking an education and a stable future, and student clubs for marginalized students seeking a safe, familiar, and comfortable space. Although our dear SSMU isn’t omnipresent— and thankfully so—it provides great happiness and stability to many students, and by extension makes everyone’s lives better, including those of the admin. So what’s the problem?

The administration has been charging SSMU a ridiculous, almost debilitating amount of rent for the Shatner building. Read the past budgets on the SSMU website; hundreds of thousands of dollars [Ed.

note: $210,000.00 in 2011-2012] have been sucked out of SSMU’s meagre budget for rent (one of the lowest budgets of any student union) into the dwindling coffers of McGill.

While it is understandable that McGill needs money, it is wrong to take it from students. At this moment, our SSMU execs and the admin are in confidential negotiations to decide on the terms of the lease.

SSMU shouldn’t be praised by students in its handling of the lease.

It hasn’t been doing the best job raising awareness about the most important issue facing its existence.

Whereas it should be making public

demands, staging rallies, and writing to alumni, the execs sit and quietly negotiate. Most students have no idea that SSMU’s ability to function is at stake. Almost none know about the negotiations and fewer, not even me, can name what our core demands are.

The lease is the sacred, long term document which decides how much SSMU will have to pony up to exist. Other universities charge basically nothing to their student unions.

So should McGill.

Christopher P. Manfredi Dean, Faculty of Arts

Jimmy Gutman Arts Senator

arts & entertainment Exclusive nterview

Matt & Kim ride the lightning

Brooklyn duo’s livewire performance comes to Montreal Ilia Blinderman A&E Editor When we get on the topic of Montreal, Matt winces.

“Do people just not get us there?”

We’re discussing Matt & Kim’s last Montreal appearance, a show that Matt remembers had a painfully low turnout. Immediately, however, he regains his characteristic ebullience.

“We were looking for a chance to get back there and do it again. I’m expecting, or hoping, that this show will be awesome, that [Montreal]’s back on our map. We’re not scared!” he laughs.

Prior to forming the keyboard/ drum powerhouse that is Matt & Kim, Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino met while studying at New York’s Pratt Institute. Immediately, they got along. (Kim initially had a crush on Matt; the Tribune infers that this crush has been reciprocated, since the musical duo are now a couple.)

“We’re one and the same in a lot of ways. I’ve played with bands with five guys in the past, and everyone’s got a different idea of what a song should sound like. You compromise so much that it’s watered down and loses focus. I have a very difficult time compromising, and so does Kim—luckily we’re on the same page and [we] make a lot of the same decisions.”

The two got on so well, in fact, that the band came out of their relationship, rather than vice versa.

“She didn’t play drums, I didn’t play keyboard, but we did other stuff; we had similar interests in art, and we worked well together,” Matt reminisces. “It almost seems [that] before you find a bunch of musicians who are good at their techniques and put them together, you should find people you’re good with.”

Seven years later, Matt & Kim have made a name for themselves through both their exuberant live shows, and indie-pop singles like “Cameras,” “Daylight,” and most recently, “Let’s Go.” While their

fourth album, Lightning, contains their trademark catchy hooks and effusive, thumping tracks, the sound is less slick than their past two releases.

“I consider Lightning to be both the most mature, and the most immature album we’ve ever made. We made the [second] album in my parents’ house, in the bedroom I grew up in, my old skateboarding posters still on the wall. It was just unfiltered Matt & Kim because we didn’t have any producers, or engineers…. Then with the [third] album, we went in with a producer, and different studios—I think three or four different studios—and in the end, we [loved] that album. But some of the humanity was taken out, because of people who knew what they were doing, as opposed to me and Kim, who have no fucking clue what we were doing,” Matt laughs.

“We decided that we should go back to having no clue what we’re doing, so we went back and made the Lightning album.”

With Lightning garnering an

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. (www.clubnotes.pmpblogs.com) enthusiastic response from critics and fans, Matt & Kim are about to embark on another whirlwind tour.

Whatever Montreal’s reception— and if their recent shows are any indication, it will be overwhelmingly positive—the two are happy to be on the road together.

“Any relationship I’ve [had] in the past, it’d be a bloodbath right

now,” Matt jokes. “No one should be able to work together and be in a relationship together. I feel really lucky that we are.”

Matt & Kim perform with Passion Pit on Feb. 15 at The Metropolis (1909, Ave. des Montreal). Admission $40.15.

Festival

Beat the cold with the coolest beats

On a bitingly cold weekend, one intrepid reporter braves the elements to bring first-hand coverage of Igloofest Will Burgess Contributor After a week of chilly weather, Montreal crowds knew what they signed up for when they headed to Igloofest. Vieux-Port is hosting the annual music festival, which is now halfway over after a second weekend of survival dancing in neon snowsuits.

I volunteered to join the crowds and report back, so last Friday I suited up and travelled south to scope out the ‘club-ification’ of Montreal’s historic district. The Jacques-Cartier pavilion—a tourist info centre in the summer—houses a shop to buy Igloofest hats, warm up, and rally one’s troops. Between marshmallow roasting and table-curling stations, a

structure sponsored by Jagermeister let people sample their wares before careening down an ice slide. I was sorely tempted, but instead found myself drawn to the main stage by another German attraction—Berliner DJs: Pan-Pot. Both artists succeeded in playing enough techno to keep everyone warm, with much of the audience raving like it was the ‘90s (in ski jackets from the same era).

If I was comfortably numb on Friday, Saturday’s feature duo, TNGHT, had me sweating under my parka hood. Normally, this could be attributed to giddy nervousness in anticipation of talking to Montreal native Lunice; but I was informed earlier that day that he had declined to do an interview. Instead, fuelled

by a mixture of electronic trap tunes I’ve been listening to for weeks, I fought and danced my way to the front row. From this vantage point, I noticed that TNGHT’s other half, UK producer Hudson Mohawke, was conspicuously missing, leaving his Canadian collaborator to mix all by his lonesome. A Brit I talked to later on had come to see Mohawke specifically, yet did not notice his absence. Perhaps Mohawke has moved to bigger and better venues since signing with Kanye West’s vanity label G.O.O.D. Music. But I wasn’t bitter—just a little cold.

My theory is that as a Montrealer, Lunice alone realized the advantages of playing at VieuxPort. All things considered, it’s an incredible space. From the artists’

perspective, colourful neon signs and strobe lights illuminate an enormous, enthusiastic crowd against the backdrop of Old Montreal’s skyline.

The organizers clearly put some effort into both the elaborate ice sculptures and the delightfully juvenile sideshows. The eponymous igloo of the festival works well as a more intimate stage for smaller acts, and I can see it serving as an especially good space for the garage and trance music that’s bound to be played in upcoming weekends. I plan on going back on the last Saturday of the festival to see Joy Orbison, an UK producer, who, despite his Igloofestappropriate music, will be playing to a main stage crowd.

The festival makes for an entertaining weekend, especially if

you’re a fan of Igloofest co-organizer Piknik Electronik’s annual summer series (or, if you’re simply tired of dealing with coat checks).

In 2013, the festival failed to score the same EDM giants they did last year (i.e., Diplo and A-Trak), but the wide variety of smaller international acts have, thus far, proven themselves capable of holding down a heated dance party off the coast of a frozen river.

Igloofest runs Thursday through Saturday nights at VieuxPort until Feb. 9th. Weekend admission is $40, individual nights range from $16-20.

could be good Music The Hiram Key Project

Theatre Dreaming in Autism

Performance Art Marlon @ Studio 303

Music Quavaria

Film Fair Ciné-bazar

A mysterious movement self-proclaimed to be restoring honour to hip hop. Learn more by attending their next event, complete with a multitude of musical guests.

This one-woman show is a vivid portrayal of actor/writer Christine Rodriguez’s experiences raising her autistic son.

Three works explore sexuality, gender, womanhood, seduction, domesticity, and patriarchy.

Celebrating both American jazz and French pop of the early 20th century.

Encore performance following a sold-out concert; dinner provided.

Members of the Quebec film industry will be selling everything from vintage posters to rare VHS.

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., Selwyn House (95 Cote-St. Antoine). Suggested donation $10.

Saturday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 3, 4 p.m., Studio 303 (372 Ste. Catherine West, 3rd floor). Student tickets $12.

Thursday, Jan. 31, 9 p.m., Cafe Chaos (2031 St. Denis).

Saturday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m., Rendez-vous du thé (1348 Fleury). Tickets $44.95.

Saturday, February 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Centre du Plateau (2275 St. Joseph East).

Admission $3.

arts & entertainment Theatre

9

Despite potential, West Side Story leaves something to be desired Gang violence meets love in classic tale of urban grit Chris Liu A&E Editor America, despite its violent early emancipation from its colonial overlords, has always harboured a deep-seated, almost shameful Anglophilia. This is perhaps most evident in the cultural sphere, where only the audacity of the American would allow him to appropriate that most revered of all English literary titans, William Shakespeare. West Side Story, one of the more successful efforts at such appropriation, transplants the star-crossed passion of Romeo and Juliet from the opulence of Verona to the blue-collar grit of ‘60s New York City. The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society (AUTS)’s rendition of this classic is mostly faithful and acceptably competent, with a few flashes of strength and talent.

Whereas conflict in Romeo and Juliet stems from aristocratic feuds, West Side Story traces its problems to ethnic tension. The irony is that the solution proposed here—the stick-and-carrot combo of assimilation and ‘the American dream’—is decidedly less universally palatable than the authors may care to admit.

The Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang, the Jets, Caucasian; the latter accuses the former of moving in to take ‘their territory’; repeated skirmishes between the two sides have not served as a valve to release pentup pressure, so much as to incubate it. Caught in the middle are the lovers Tony and Maria, each from an opposing side of the ethnic divide.

Given this context, it is unsurprising that the musical brims with heightened passions. Yet, AUTS’ cast is too often too limp, overcome with lethargy. This is particularly true in large ensembles, and during the first act, where the lack of energy makes for noticeable problems in synchronicity. To director and choreographer Rebecca Pearl’s credit, it can be deduced from her dynamic blocking and vigorous choreography that the intention of the production is no pulled punches, a choice of force over subtlety—yet the cast lacks the necessary momentum to follow through on this promise.

Christopher Stevens-Brown’s Tony maintains a curiously stooping posture, with short, staccato cadence that seems like an attempt to channel Jesse Eisenberg. StevensBrown’s speaking voice is a stark contrast to his singing, which glows with richness, despite being occasionally challenged in the upper registers. As Maria, Piper Ainsworth is likewise stronger in her vocals than in her characterizations, though she does find compelling dimensions to the role in the second act. Unfortunately, the lack of chemistry between the two is a formidable stumbling block for much of the production.

The clear stars of the show are two of the prominent supporting characters, Anita (Vanessa Drusnitzer) and Riff (Ryan Kligman).

Drusnitzer possesses no flaws—she is equally formidable and brilliant in her singing, dancing, and acting.

For her nuanced portrayal, Drus-

nitzer is rewarded with a memorable, scene-stealing turn. Kligman similarly exudes personality, bringing to Riff a certain slick suaveness that this critic has not seen in previous renditions. Much of the reason why “Cool” is this production’s best song can be credited to Kligman.

Another standout was Diesel (Ben Harris), who, in going beyond the confines of the script, breathes life into the character.

Michèle Robinson’s lighting design is wonderfully imaginative, with a boldness and deftness that compliments the production’s aspirations. The live orchestra was generally capable, making minimal errors, though the brass section was a cause of concern at times. As noted earlier, Pearl’s choreography— aided by Galen Macdonald’s unobtrusive and functional set design— is effective and sharp, which comes through even with imperfect execution. The performance attended also had sound errors too frequent to ignore; one hopes that this is a wrinkle that will be quickly smoothed over.

By the very end of the production, AUTS’ cast finds a powerful emotional chord to pluck, finally fulfilling the potential that is drizzled tantalizingly throughout the show. Alas, this discovery of strength comes far too late.

The Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society’s production of West Side Story runs Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m. at Moyse Hall. Student tickets $15.

Theatre

The Glass Menagerie: Great Depression, great escapism McGill Players’ Theatre explores life and death in 1930s St. Louis Ira Halpern Contributor The extent to which Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is autobiographical will always remain ambiguous. The play, however, looks undeniably inward, casting its spotlight on tensions that emerge within the four walls of a house. This memory play, told from the perspective of Tom Wingfield (nicknamed “Shakespeare”), who reminisces over his adolescence in Depression-era St. Louis, is currently being performed by McGill’s Players’ Theatre.

The absence of a father informs the relationships between Tom, his mother Amanda, and his sister Laura. It causes Amanda’s desperation to find a “gentleman caller” for

her limping daughter Laura, who she fears will otherwise wind up alone as well. It also forces Tom to step into his father’s role as breadwinner for the family. Lest the audience forget the father, his portrait hanging on the wall, reminds the audience of his absence by intermittently lighting up.

With the exception of this gimmicky touch, director Rowan Spencer has chosen to play a subtle hand. Spencer noted that his initial intention for the set was to show a dilapidated living room covered in sheets, which would gradually be uncovered throughout the performance to reveal the set pieces. But in the end, he chose a more minimalistic approach: the walls of the set are fragmented, perhaps alluding to the fragile nature of memory, or the

characters’ lives. Yet, the set does not draw attention to itself—it remains a backdrop. Spencer’s conservative approach to the production as a whole is commendable. He brings out the poetry of Williams’ work, rather than superimposing his own.

This intimacy is suited to a small theatre, and especially fitting a student production where all but one of its characters are young adults.

Andrew Cameron plays Tom with an appropriately heavy dose of sarcasm and teen angst. Arlen Stewart plays the painfully shy Laura; her relationship with her mother and awkward chemistry with the other characters are appropriately cringe-worthy, but occasionally they weigh down the pace of the play. Jim O’Connor, the “gentleman caller” that Laura finally receives, is audacious, com-

plete with a set of grandiose and lofty ambitions; but James Kelly’s performance incorporates enough of a human touch to prevent him from becoming a mere caricature.

Amanda is the only character who is not a young adult, but Ingrid Rudie’s performance is spot-on. It is appropriately over-the-top, with a Mississippi cadence that will ring in your ears even after the lights come on. Though, as Tom mentions, her character is certainly no “sphinx.”

Amanda plays the role with nuance; though assertive, she is also insecure. Even in her cheeriest moments, we often sense that she is trying to refrain from crying.

A central tension in The Glass Menagerie is entertainment versus reality: Tom escapes from his mundane life to the adventure offered

by the movies; meanwhile, Laura lives in a fantasy world with her little glass dolls. This production of Williams’ play offers escapism done well. Melodrama is a difficult feat to pull off: overdo the weepy factor, and the play is no longer believable; not enough emotion, and we are no longer invested. Like Laura’s glass dolls, when it comes to melodrama, there is a fine line between illusion and illusion shattered. The cast and crew have demonstrated excellent taste, and ensured that at least one illusion—the play itself—remains intact.

The Glass Menagerie runs Jan. 30-31, Feb. 1-2, at 8 p.m., Players’ Theatre (3rd floor SSMU building).

Student tickets $8.

10

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 |

arts & entertainment

| Curiosity delivers.

Opera

A dash of aristocratic culture, ‘Gangnam’ style Opéra de Montréal’s latest production is accessible, rambunctious, and full of flavour Evie Kaczmarek Contributor Attending the opera might seem like an unlikely Saturday night activity for a McGill student. But if you’re looking for a taste of culture and are ready to take a trip back to Montreal’s 19th century high-society nightlife, then you just may want to buy yourself a ticket to Opéra de Montréal’s lively production if Die Fledermaus by Johann Baptist Strauss.

This whimsical operetta, traditionally set in Vienna, now takes place in 1890s Montreal. Resonating with national pride, the first ever entirely Quebecois cast dazzles in front of a glorious backdrop of the Mount Royal cross, shining through a living room window in the elegant home of socialite—and main character—Gabriel Eisenstein (Marc Hervieux).

As the show commences, a cackling, fiendish man named Falke (Dominique Côté) expresses his desire for revenge on Gabriel. Gabriel, the year before, had abandoned

Die Fledermaus marries classic charm with Montreal familiarity. (Simon Poitrimolt / The McGill Tribune) Falke after a wild costume party.

Falke, still embarrassed about being left on the streets in his bat costume (hence the title Die Fledermaus, German for The Bat) assumes the role of puppeteer as he weaves an intricate and vengeful—albeit hilarious—web designed to humiliate his dear friend. Before long, he sweeps up Gabriel’s wife, Rosaline (Caroline Bleu), and their flighty but lovable housemaid, Adèle (Marianne Lambert) into his waltzing scheme.

This tumultuous comedy introduces an eclectic cast of characters: a bumbling, legally blind lawyer; an apathetic, effeminate prince; a sex-crazed music teacher; a comically intoxicated jailer; a few exotic dancers; and a cross-dressing cousin. By Act III, you’ll be in stitches, astounded at the madness that has unfolded in front of you. The champagne flows freely, and eventually, everybody ends up in jail, still waltzing away to Strauss’ bounding

melodies.

The enchanting talent in the production is undeniable. Much of the cast is internationally renowned, and all members have built extensive careers in opera and theatre throughout Quebec and Canada.

As important as the actors are, the foundation for their brilliance is the boisterous, captivating music that sails up from the orchestra pit.

Johann Baptist Strauss, one of the world’s greatest Romantic compos-

ers, is known as “The Waltz King,” and deservingly so. The three-beat cycle complements the smooth, flourishing tones of the vocalists, and makes you want to tap your feet from the moment the overture starts to the last note of the finale. The Viennese-style rhythm encapsulates a timeless joy. In fact, the choreography sneaks in a surprise piece modern flair with a quick, tasteful dance reference to “Gangnam Style.”

As operas go, Die Fledermaus is not only digestible, but will leave you craving more. The majestic opera house at Place des Arts serves as a change of pace for a Saturday night; the opera is a cultural destination that all McGill students should experience Die Fledermaus runs January 26, 29, and 31, and February 2 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Student tickets $30 when purchasing two shows or more.

Film

Short in length, but with long-lasting delight

Frequently overshadowed yet bursting with talent, the Oscar-nominated short films come to Montreal

A still from the vivid, beautiful Adam and Dog. (tumblr.com) Chris Liu A&E Editor Every year, popular media whips up a great hullabaloo over the Oscars. However, it’s important to keep in mind exactly which aspects of the awards generate buzz: Who is leading in the Best Picture race?

When will the next Harvey Weinstein temper-tantrum be? Is Bjork wearing a swan around her neck?

But sometimes, the side dish is better than the entrée.

As predictable as the parade of snobs and snubs may be, an equally reliable aspect of the Academy Awards is that ‘minor’ categories will be overlooked. This is particularly true for the ‘shorts’ categories—live action, animation, and documentary—which not only serve as important launching pads for future auteurs, but often feature talent and artistry that rival, if not best what is offered by the Best Picture

slate.

Cinema du Parc will be screening this year’s Oscar-nominated animated and live action short films, and while there is no mind-boggling ‘must see’—Logorama (2009), anyone?—the diversity and imagination represented in the selections practically guarantee that something will catch your fancy. If not, have no fear—they’re shorts after all, and are thus decidedly quicker and less painful to sit through than the latest Adam Sandler film to which you were dragged by friends (or so you claim).

The shortest short is in the animated category, with PES’ Fresh Guacamole clocking in at just under two minutes. In creating the titular dish out of everyday objects such as light bulbs and baseballs, PES demonstrates not just narrative imagination but also technical skill, as transformations are accomplished with wizard-like alacrity. Similarly light-

hearted is David Silverman’s Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare” which follows the adventures of the youngest Simpson at the Ayn Rand Daycare Center, and features an escape sequence reminiscent of Indiana Jones, accompanied by a brilliant-as-usual score from Hans Zimmer.

Timothy Reckart’s Head Over Heels, in which an elderly couple navigate life together while holding completely opposite world views— one lives on the ‘floor,’ the other, the ‘ceiling’—benefits from a delightful premise, though the claymation is a little rough around the edges (it’s no Wallace and Gromit). And the current frontrunner in the race—take note, all those participating in Oscar pools—is John Kahrs’ Paperman, which has gotten a big boost in name recognition thanks to its studio Walt Disney Animation. This is not to detract from the short’s excellence, which unites a saccharine tale of love with a new animation technique that gives more control to artists and animators.

The clear personal favourite, however, is Minkyu Lee’s Adam and Dog. It is difficult to put a fresh spin on a story as old as Genesis, but Lee accomplishes this confidently, through brilliant Miyazaki-like animation. The lushness of the Garden of Eden is captured in breathtaking textures—every still could be a wa-

tercolour masterpiece. The power of the storytelling is particularly formidable when one considers that the film is absent of dialogue; here, Lee’s virtuosity speaks for itself.

The live action category features a Canadian entry, Quebecker Yan England’s Henry. The short shares many similarities with Michael Haneke’s Amour, nominated for Best Picture and practically guaranteed to win the Best Foreign category. In addition to being shot in French, the two each portray aging musicians as they struggle with mortality, and the physical and mental decline that inevitably comes— though Henry is decidedly more sentimental. Don’t expect a statuette for England however; a win would be a long shot, despite Canada’s strong overall record in the shorts categories throughout the years.

Other nominees include Bryan Buckley’s Asad, a snapshot into the life of a young Somali boy as he struggles for survival in a wartorn country, with a cast entirely comprised of Somali refugees. Tom Van Avermaet’s Death of a Shadow possesses several strengths: a highconcept sci-fi premise, a beautiful steampunk-inspired production design, and the star power of Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead; Rust and Bone). But the short that hit home personally was Sam French’s Buzkashi Boys, a universal tale of hope

and aspiration, set in the impoverished strata of Afghan society and framed through sport (Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan; think polo, but replace the ball with a goat carcass). Under French’s lens, Afghanistan looks stunningly beautiful, even if evidence of the country’s tumultuous recent history is apparent in every shot. In a perfect world, Buzkashi Boys would leave the Kodak next month with gold.

Our world is far from perfect, however, and strong buzz surrounds Shawn Christensen’s Curfew. The writer and director also plays the lead role, as a twenty-something whose life is, quite literally, saved by the chance call of his estranged sister and his sassy niece. This category has rewarded films that situate effervescent, often nihilistic humour in bleak contexts, so Curfew seems perfectly poised to take the crown.

To an extent however, who will win the statuette is a pointless enquiry; every one of these shorts displays merit, talent, and artistry—and each deserves much more attention than they will inevitably earn.

The 2013 Academy Award Nominated Shorts start Feb. 1 at Cinema du Parc (3575 Avenue du Parc).

Curiosity delivers. |

arts & entertainment

Album

Theatre

reviews

Petra Haden Petra Goes to the Movies

Naked Days Sleeping in Herndom

AC Club

Self-released

There must be something in the water in Iceland. The nation has given birth to many popular acts, such as Björk and Sigur Rós, known for treading into strange, experimental realms with their music.

Apparat Organ Quartet certainly fits this mould, with their inventive electro-rock and their particular style, which relies on using reclaimed or thrown-out instruments.

Their sophomore album, Pólýfónía ,is a compelling, genre-twisting mélange that doesn’t cease to entertain.

“Babbage” begins with keyboard licks before transitioning into a relaxed, lyricless rock beat.

It sets the tone for the rest of the album, and most other pieces follow in its style. The first single, “Cargo Frakt,” is more anthemic, with distorted lyrics and a grittier feel. The lyrics of “Konami” weave together with less focus on the instruments to create one of the album’s more accessible tracks. “Pentatronik” pulsates and contrasts; it starts frenetic, slows down to a crawl, and finally picks up its pace and lets loose.

The lyricism of “123 Forever” is ethereal, yet somehow spot-on; it intermingles with the rock-style electronica flawlessly. This is the type of song that captivates, with enough complex components to warrant many listens. Finally, drawing Pólýfónía to a chaotic close is “Songur Geimunglingsins,” layered deep with angst.

Apparat Organ Quartet have created something rare with Pólýfónía. While strange and puzzling, it’s done in an innovative way.

The novelty of their sound is indicative of the band’s adventurous nature. Unlike their instruments, none of their sound is recycled.

You might have heard of the American singer and musician Petra Haden, in connection with her collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists, such as The Foo Fighters and Bill Frisell. Or, if a cappella is your thing, you may be familiar with the solo album she released in 2005, containing a cappella renditions of The Who’s masterwork The Who Sell Out. With her newest album, Petra Goes to the Movies, Haden undertakes a similar musical experiment—this time featuring unique a cappella reinterpretations of famous movie soundtracks, from Psycho to The Social Network.

After this introduction to her second go at a cappella covers of popular songs, the first question on your mind might be, “Why?” The answer is simple: because she can. The album stands as testimony to the fact that Haden is a musician of enormous talent, in possession of unique vocal skills that enable her to pull the project off with surprising success—at least from a technical standpoint. The skillfulness with which she rethinks complex instrumental orchestrations (as in the Superman theme song) into multi-layered vocal renditions is impressive.

Praise thus given where it is due, some of her interpretations are so experimental that they pass beyond the ‘unique’ classification.

They can be described as nothing else but ‘weird’ and, at times, ‘annoying.’ Unfortunately, rather than compelling one to press replay, the album’s 45-minute long display of Petra Haden’s unquestionable vocal talent tempts the listener to seek out the original versions of the songs.

Naked Days, an eclectic band hailing from Leesburg, Virginia, brings us a unique arrangement of acoustic alternative sound. Reminiscent of the likes of The Silversun Pickups, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, and Montreal’s own Thus:Owls, this indie foursome fuses a muffled, low-definition sound with sweet lyrical supplement in their newest album titled Sleeping in Herndon. Featuring patchy percussion, quirky vocals, and dashes of violin and trumpet, Naked Days impresses with some tracks, and bores with others.

Of the six songs on Sleeping in Herndon, two are noteworthy. “Bran Flakes” features the complimentary vocals of Degnan Smith and Amanda Schiano Di Cola that act as a strong call and response through the male and female lyrical dynamic.

The muffled sound and prominent acoustic guitar work well here, as well as in “Bug Eyes”—the only other song truly worth a listen. Both encompass Naked Days’ acoustic yet scratchy riff quality, juxtaposed with a sultry harmony, which are lacking in the rest of the album (particularly in “Cold Cold Dairy” and “Bird’s Brain”).

The overall feel to this sophomore album was amateurish, with occasional flares of potential. The band hovered around a concrete sound, but didn’t seem to agree on it. I haven’t given up on you just yet, Naked Days. Third album’s the charm?

—Alex Kpeglo-Hennessy

— Cecilie Jensen

Apparat Organ Quartet

Pólýfónía Head in the Sand Records

| Wednesday, January 30, 2013

www. mcgilltribune.com @mcgill_tribune

— Bronte Martin

11

Jesus Christ, superstars Godspell marks unstoppale march of McGill talent

Jesus (Dane Stewart) and John the Baptist (Elizabeth Conway).

(Tristan Brand / Courtesy of Beautiful City Theatre) Alex Kpeglo-Hennessy Contributor Beautiful City Theatre’s production of Godspell, the hit broadway musical, promises to be a unique experience. It presents the life of Jesus through a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew.

However, this shouldn’t discourage the non-believers—the company holds humanistic values and asserts that many different themes can be found throughout.

Godspell is very much a demonstration of the McGill community’s participation in Montreal’s world of professional theatre. Several members of the cast, like Dane Stewart (Jesus) and Elizabeth Conway (John; Judas), are current students. Moreover, the two founders of Beautiful City, Calli ArmSstrong and Natalie Gershtein also studied at McGill. Even a McGill professor, Myrna Wyatt Selkirk, was involved and led workshops for the actors.

According to Armstrong, who also directed the show, McGill’s theatre community is invaluable, because it “allows people to develop their ideas and learn all aspects of theatre.”

Armstrong describes Beautiful City as a “process-oriented company.” One of the musical’s main themes is about a group of people coming together. In order to demonstrate this on stage, the company spent several weeks engaged in group activities, following the script reads. In addition, each actor was encouraged to develop their own childlike character that was independent of themselves, but nonetheless still inspired by personal experiences.

The script itself allows this sort of method to be implemented on the production itself. Only two of the actors—Stewart and Conway—ac-

tually play named characters. The original Godspell was developed with the participation of its original actors, who lent their names to the characters they portray. There is a general ambiguity about elements in the original script that has allowed this work to have many varying iterations. This opens the piece to interpretation and gives creative licence that can be used to present mandates like Beautiful City’s, which seeks to examine humanity and its interactions.

One of the ambiguous elements is the set itself. Beautiful City continues in the same vein as past productions by refraining from explicitly discussing the location. Instead, it chooses to create an atmosphere of play and childhood. This story is used as a venue to introduce lively characters and examine the universal themes of the development of independence and sexuality. In doing so, Godspell becomes instantly accessible to anyone—from a university student to a theatre aficionado. It also shies away from presenting the parables exactly as the Bible does, but rather, delivers a new twist to the way they are presented.

The musical promises a uniques experience: the show goes outside the realms of conventionality by breaking the fourth wall and including improvised elements. In short, every single performance will be unique and fresh.

As Armstrong says, “Aside from it being very thought-provoking, it’s a lot of fun. It’s something to be experienced.”

Beautiful City Theatre’s production of Godspell runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m. at Centaur Theatre (453 St. François-Xavier).

Student admission $20.

Sciedence & technology RESEARCH

Alzheimer’s diagnosis could be found in the blood McGill develops blood test to detect neurodegenerative disease Tracy Yuen Contributor Until recently, a postmortem analysis of brain tissue was the only method capable of confirming that a patient suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, as opposed to another mental illness. Despite the many realtime medical assessments available, such as blood tests, brain scans and neuropsychological tests, none of these results are definitive. With no means to acquire a conclusive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease before the illness has run its course, there is a dire need for a quick and noninvasive alternative.

In the past few years, the focus on blood-based approaches to diagnose patients with Alzheimer’s disease has increased exponentially.

Researchers have generated a list of blood-based proteins more commonly found in those afflicted, compared to healthy individuals, patients with other forms of neurodegenera-

tive disease, such as Parkinson’s, or those with mild cognitive impairments. Based on the existence of such biomarkers in the bloodstream and various personal characteristics, including age and education, a derived algorithm could correctly identify patients with Alzheimer’s disease with moderate accuracy.

Recently, a team led by Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, director of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, made a major breakthrough in blood-based diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers believe they have developed a blood test that can detect Alzheimer’s in its early stages, well before patients exhibit the disorder’s characteristic advanced signs, previously used for diagnosis.

The team built on their previous work on alternative pathways in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) formation—a brain hormone—to develop a method to distinguish between patients with Alzheimer’s dis-

ease and healthy individuals or those with mild cognitive impairment.

The test is based on subjecting a blood sample to a chemical reaction known as oxidation, the concept underlying rusting metals. When the blood of healthy individuals is oxidized, they generate high levels of DHEA as a method of protection against oxidative stress. In contrast, patients suffering from Alzheimer’s did not showed marked changes in DHEA levels.

The team successfully replicated their findings from animal models and in vitro brain tissue in a clinical sample—a major step towards the creation of a blood-based diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease.

While progress has been made towards developing a blood-based diagnostic test, the end of the search is not quite near. Studies on bloodbased biomarkers (proteins in the blood) have identified panels of up to 30 different biomarkers to probe for—and there is little overlap be-

Previously, Alzheimer’s disease could only be detected postmortem (nethealthsite.com) tween the studies. This lack of consistency between studies indicates that the perfect set of blood-based identifiers of Alzheimer’s disease remains elusive. Also, replication of these findings in larger sample sizes is necessary prior to making these tests available in clinical settings.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease also raises a slew of ethical concerns. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder with no definitive preventive measure or

cure—would it really help patients to confront this prognosis in their youth? However, there is emerging evidence that early interventions and diagnosis, especially prior to onset of symptoms, can improve quality of life in both patients and caregivers.

As Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, predicted to affect one in 85 adults globally by 2050, the development of a rapid non-invasive diagnostic tool is critical in its management.

SCIENCE

Fear of vaccination breathes new life into virus Violence in Pakistan threatens eradication efforts towards the poliovirus Jennifer Lee Contributor Poliovirus has been eliminated in most of the developing world.

Its eradication has been primarily due to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a multilateral proposal passed by the World Health Assembly in 1988. However, three countries—Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan—stand between the GPEI and its goal of making polio the world’s second eradicated virus.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is an international health initiative 20 years in the making.

The project involves tens of thousands of vaccinators scouting people door-to-door in villages in developing countries—many of which are highly inaccessible and dangerous.

Equipped with little more than GPS systems, vaccinators must navigate the shifting political landscape of the developing world in search of the disease.

The biggest challenge ahead for the GPEI lies in the recent rise in local resistance to vaccination efforts. The gunning down of nine vaccination workers in Pakistan’s largest city in December 2012 resulted in the suspension of the GPEI’s vaccination campaign and its 225,000 workers—a tragedy for which Taliban-linked militants are

largely thought to be guilty. As political pressures mount, vaccinators are missing key opportunities to improve the situation. The success of the campaign relies on the crucial dry season—the next two months— during which the virus is weakest and spreads least effectively.

Poliovirus primarily affects children under five years of age. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestinal tract. It is then shed into its surroundings through feces. Once in the environment, polio can spread rapidly through communities, hitting those with poor hygiene and shoddy sanitation infrastructure the hardest.

Most infected people have little to no symptoms, so cases often go unrecognized. However, in its most severe occurrences, poliovirus can lead to infantile paralysis and degenerative crippling through inflammation of the spinal cord’s grey matter and the death of motor neurons.

While there is no cure for polio, the vaccination is over 90 per cent effective. If such efforts are halted, it will become increasingly difficult to contain the disease. The more time that is lost in the GPEI campaign, the more likely it is that polio will spread back out into other areas of the world—reversing any efforts made by this worldwide program.

Furthermore, steps need to be taken

on a global scale to prevent the re-emergence of mutated vaccinederived polioviruses that may be prevalent in small numbers.

Resistance to vaccination efforts stems from a variety of reasons.

Attitudes of distrust and skepticism towards Western immunization workers are prevalent among many Islamic militant groups and the general public following the CIA’s hepatitis vaccination campaign ruse.

Last year, the CIA sponsored a widespread vaccination effort against hepatitis in a failed attempt to collect DNA from children living in Osama bin Laden’s compound in northern Pakistan as confirmation of his whereabouts. Not only did the CIA fail to obtain DNA samples, but it also fostered a lack of trust amongst Pakistanis and vaccination workers.

Extremist groups also crudely associate polio workers with the devastating U.S. drone strikes responsible for killing civilians, giving rise to anti-West sentiments that may continue to lead to violent attacks, like last month’s shootings.

Efforts are further impeded by widespread rumors adopted by parts of the Muslim community, such as suspicion that the vaccine contains pork or is being developed to sterilize Muslim girls. These rumors are based on inaccurate scientific information. For example, the ster-

Polio could be the world’s second eradicated virus (econugenics.com) ilization myth was based on the vaccine containing trace amounts of estrogen, which they believed would have negative health impacts.

However, the concentration of this hormone is too low in the vaccine to cause medical problems.

Yet the skepticism of the public towards these vaccination attempts is not unfounded historically. The chemical company Pfizer tested its meningitis antibiotic Trovan in remote communities in northern Nigeria in 1996, resulting in the death of 11 children. As a result, the Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group, has publicly opposed vaccinations in Nigeria.

Resistance among the public to vaccination has mounting consequences. Nigeria is presently the only country in the world for which the year-to-year incidence of polio is rising, but Pakistan could soon face a similar fate if its the vaccination program is not resumed.

Vaccination campaigns are trying to integrate the distribution of mosquito nets and vitamin supplements into their program in an attempt to regain favour with the general public; but a final eradication of Polio hot-spots in some of the poorest and most remote pockets of the developing world will prove no easy task.

Curiosity delivers. |

science & technology

| Wednesday, January 30, 2013

RESEARCH PROFILE

13

Communication critical step in combating tropical disease McGill professor Greg Matlashewski works towards eradicating visceral leishmaniasis Caity Hui SciTech Editor For Greg Matlashewski, a McGill professor and former chair of the department of microbiology and immunology, branching out from the lab and into the field had many positive results for his work regarding treatment for visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis, transmitted by sandfly bites, is one of many neglected tropical infectious diseases. Also known as ‘kala azar,’ it is characterized by high fever, substantial weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, as well as anemia. The disease severely compromises the immune system, leaving patients with little resistance to fight off other infections. When left untreated, visceral leishmaniasis is almost always fatal.

There are an estimated 360,000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis each year worldwide; and 70 per cent of all cases in the world are focused in northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This concentration of visceral leishmaniasis is correlated to the extreme poverty of this area.

Poverty has caused malnutrition,

rendering locals much more susceptible to the disease. Sandflies, too, are highly common in the area and are attracted to these villages’ mud huts.

Matlashewski’s research on leishmaniasis was originally focused in the lab; however, he wanted to see to it that his work was both relevant, and had an impact on people’s quality of life . “Tens of thousands of people are dying from the disease,” he said, “and yet, there is an excellent treatment for it.”

Working with partners at the World Health Organization (WHO), Matlashewski discovered that although the best available treatments for visceral leishmaniasis may be present at the primary health care centres only several kilometers away in afflicted areas; these are of limited value if people with visceral leishmaniasis remain undiagnosed in the villages and uninformed of the available treatments.

“It’s not a matter of cutting edge science, but rather a question of getting into these villages, and identifying and treating the people to bring the case load down….We need to make sure people know

about the available drugs.”

In order to address these problems, Matlashewski took a twoyear leave of absence to work for the WHO, and lead a leishmaniasis elimination program as part of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.

The program focuses on actively finding cases of leishmaniasis in endemic villages through the use of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). ASHAs are women who live in the village and are largely responsible for maternal and childhood health. The program works to train these women to identify those with chronic fever and make sure they are diagnosed. Informative posters are also being placed in villages in order to increase community awareness of the disease, its treatment, and the diagnosis available.

Despite a need to improve communication within villages about this disease, the treatment available is very promising. The cure rate for visceral leishmaniasis is over 95 per cent, with a single dose of liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome).

What’s more, patients only require a single treatment—there is no need

THIS WEEK IN SCITECH by

Across 1. Visceral leishmaniasis, aka __ __ (with 12-across) 5. Cerebral imaging test 12. cont. from 1-across 13. Orion has one

14. Obama’s dog 15. Cartier-Bresson, Smith, and Evans all used one 17. In Vice City and San Andreas (abbr.)

18. Technical term for a car’s mass (abbr.)

20. For hearing and balance

SAM REYNOLDS

21. River from Spain to the Portuguese border 22. Spoken in Mozambique and Malawi 24. Android, Linux, and Snow Leopard are examples (abbr.)

25. __ or treat!

(www.virology.wisc.edu) for a course of pills.

According to Matlashewski, eliminating the disease is a feasible target. It is no longer a question of developing or improving treatment, but rather one of improving communication and education.

“One of the largest problems that the program faces is the massive scale of this disease. The pilot project alone consists of up to 500 villages—to deal with the disease

would require reaching tens of thousands of villages.”

Nonetheless, the work of the leishmaniasis elimination program has taken many positive steps towards eliminating the disease in the future.

“If we just stay in the laboratory, there is little impact. I wanted to make a difference; it’s as simple as that.”

27. Someone en route to a holy place 29. Where one only buys in bulk 30. Contracted teacher’s helper (abbr.)

31. Phone home 33. 1945 World War 34. US emergency bureau 37. Suffix denoting linguistic contrast 39. Fake Nintendo game console 40. Pathogen responsible for poliomyelitis 41. Scottish derogatory term 43. Popular 1997 fantasy MMORPG 45. Term for someone opposed to medical help (abbr.)

47. 140 character prose 50. Tornado strength rating system (abbr.)

51. Peter Gabriel’s fifth album 52. Expression after a refreshing drink 53. Convinced 54. Iceland’s online country code 55. Mitosis blueprint, with “cell” 58. Alcoholism support group (abbr.)

59. Degenerative disease with no known cure 62. “__ and outs,” or workings 63. To take legal action against 64. The biggest problem facing 28-down

16. Latin “before noon” 19. Provides immunity to pathogens like 40-across 22. Kitchen store, also means “to add coal” 23. UK lobbying group for election reform (abbr.)

26. Down for the whole count (abbr.)

27. Fitness rehabilitation (abbr.)

28. Multilateral program for vaccinating polio (abbr.)

32. Earth, to Pierre 34. Red Hot Chili Pepper’s bassist 35. Where 40-across enters the body 36. A promise to one’s wedding partner

38. Pacific lost continent rebuffed by science 42. An abnormal medical problem, ex., 59-across 44. Medical assessment, with blood 45. Village women trained to recognize 1-across 46. Molybdenum 48. December woes 49. Levels of a cake 50. Liechtenstein’s currency 52. Æ 54. Suffix meaning “to treat with a specific substance” 55. Very unlikely; “__ in the sky” 56. Outdoor equipment retailer 57. Test measuring contractions in the third trimester (abbr.)

60. Glottal genre of Tibetan folk music 61. Medical drama originally starring Clooney 62. Indium

Down 1. A type of cabbage high in vitamin K 2. Harlem rapper Banks 3. Den 4. Convex curve 5. The King of the Blues 6. To replace your lawn statues?

7. Parc pizza I order too often 8. Global club of trombonists (abbr.)

9. Nike skateboard shoe 10. Capacity allowing one to process information 11. State-of-the-art

Student living Q: If you could change one thing about Montreal, what would it be and why?

A: [I would want to] make it friendlier for bikes, and make it easier in the winter.

Some cities in Denmark and

Norway are very friendly for bikes, and it’s just a normal thing to ride your bike in the winter. Here, car drivers are very aggressive, and [a cyclist is seen as] a weird guy.

Q: What kind of work do you do with the robotics research lab at McGill?

A: It’s called the Reasoning and Learning lab. So we don’t actually do robotics directly, but the stuff we develop can be applied to robotics. In my case, that’s my primary interest, but I work from more of a theoretical point of view.

Q: Where did you do your undergrad, and why did you decide to pursue your master’s degree at McGill?

student week of the

with Jacqui Galbraith

Pierre-Luc Bacon 2nd year graduate studies comp sci (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

A: I did my undergrad at McGill … because to me, they had the This week’s student was nominated for his tireless efforts to provide the city of Montreal with free Wi-Fi

best computer science program. I wanted to focus more on the theoretical aspects of computer science rather than the practical side.

Q: You work with a company called Ile Sans Fil; what is its main goal?

A: Really what we want to do is make the internet more accessible to people in the public space. We see Wi-Fi as a way of bringing people together as well, and even as a vector for art.

Q: What’s the nature of your involvement with the organization?

A: I’ve been the president [of Ile Sans Fil] since last April. It’s been in Montreal since 2003. The goal [is] basically to spread free Wi-Fi over the city.

And initially, in 2003 up until 2010, it [was] entirely volunteer-based. The service grew quite quickly, up to a point where it was completely unmanageable for volunteers to provide support for [users]; so in 2010, we hired a director, and from that point, the organization changed quite a lot.

And we’ve hired two more people, so now it’s a three person, non-profit company. We have pretty cool projects actually, that we’re going to announce. [Last October] we announced a partnership with the city to install WiFi hotspots in cultural places [like] museums and theatres.

boards spark fire.

Q: What kinds of places use Ile Sans Fil? A: Ile Sans Fil is not in all the cafés, but I can say for sure that because Ile Sans Fil was there so early, it kind of made it the norm to provide free WiFi in Montreal. I think it’s because of Ile Sans Fil that now, you can get free WiFi. If you go to other cities in the world, most of the time, you have to pay crazy fees just to get basic internet access. Right now [in Montreal], it’d be impossible, I think, for a café to ask the users to pay for [internet], because of Ile Sans Fil. Q: So Ile Sans Fil was basically the first organization to do this in Montreal?

A: Yes. Ile Sans Fil [also] developed our own technologies, and that set of technologies [is used] by other cities in the world. It was pretty early technological stuff; [in] 2003, WiFi was just starting.

Q: When did you get involved in the organization?

A: During my first year at McGill, in 2008. I became Secretary in 2010, and President in 2012.

Q: Name one book you think everyone should read.

A: I think everybody should read “Le Monde du Sophie.” I think people tend to think that philosophy is not very useful. It’s a good book to make you realize that philosophy’s something you kind of need for everyday life.

Q: What’s your least favourite sound in the world?

A: I hate the sound of cars. That’s an easy answer. I bike a lot, and I guess I kind of hate cars. I think that we should have fewer cars, especially in cities like Montreal. It’s a very bike friendly city, but it could get better.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?

A: I don’t like the Bixis in the streets.

They’re very unpredictable. I think it’s a nice project, but there are a lot of people that use those bikes who aren’t very careful about [other] people.

Q: What’s your go-to way to warm up on cold days like the ones we’ve had this week?

Q: What’s your secret talent?

A: Just jump on my bike.

A: I’m very good at making circuit

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Newly opened Indian restaurant does it right Namaste serves up traditional dishes just steps away from the heart of the ghetto

with care.

Susan Westfall Contributor

Quick service: Hungry and on the run? Try one of Namaste Montreal’s amazing Samosas for only one dollar! Just don’t tell anyone in Bronfman you’ve been straying. Or, top off their samosa with a ladle-full of channa masala for only three dollars—the perfect snack on a busy day.

Few places in Montreal will satisfy your cravings for wholesome Indian food, and fewer still that are competitively priced and right in your own backyard. Namaste Montreal, a new Indian restaurant on Milton, meets all three of these requirements, offering healthy Indian food at reasonable prices.

Healthy recipes: All of Namaste’s dishes are made fresh daily without preservatives, without artificial colours or flavours and without cornstarch.

Every dish is made with a healthy conscience by minimizing oils and maximizing flavour. Everyone can find a satisfying meal at Namaste Montreal on a student budget, whether you’re vegetarian, carnivorous, vegan, or sweet-toothed.

Every dish on Namaste Montreal’s menu is homemade and never frozen. If you’re a spice junkie, or prefer your Indian food slightly on the milder side, either way, the conscientious staff will cater the dishes to your taste.

(www.facebook.com/NamasteMontreal) Cheap prices: Namaste Montreal offers its authentic Indian cuisine at a reasonable price. A hearty portion of either Channa Masala (chickpeas cooked with onions, garlic, ginger in a tomato curry) for Dhal Makani (spicy lentils cooked in a rich creamy sauce) costs only six dollars, while the non-vegetarian meals, including

Butter Chicken and Lamb Curry, run for only seven or eight dollars. Or, try a Biryani—vegetables or chicken layered with basmati rice and baked to perfection.

Classic favourites: Top off your meal with classic Indian breads like naan or roti, a healthy serving of rice and or a serving of cooling Raita, a gently spiced

yogurt dish with cucumber chunks.

But make sure to save room for the grand finale! Finish your meal off with the sweet taste of traditional Rasgullas or Gulab jamun for just one dollar and a perfect cup of Masala chai. The items on Namaste Montreal’s menu are limited, but they don’t disappoint. Their focus on these signature dishes ensures that you get the freshest meals, made

The final verdict: Namaste Montreal opened just a few weeks ago and is ready to serve you. Let your senses be pampered with the delicate blend of Indian spices embellishing the warm environment. The cozy red walls and friendly staff will make you and your friends feel right at home in this little pocket of authentic Indian culture amidst the chill of Montreal winter.

Located at 212 Milton, on the corner of Sainte Famille.

Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Telephone: 514-660-1822 https://www.facebook.com/NamasteMontreal

15

Wednesday January 30, 2013 |

STUDENT LIVING

| Curiosity delivers.

Pro tips

Weathering the windchill means more than extra mittens How to conquer the cold when staying at home isn’t an option Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor Montreal’s recent cold snap saw students bundling tighter than the kid from “A Christmas Story,” and crowding campus hotspots like the Redpath basement well past capacity. Hopefully we’re out of the woods now, but just in case temperatures plummet again before this winter’s through, the Tribune has compiled some tips to help you ward off frostbite, as well as a monster heating bill.

This season, more is more: Layers are your new best friend. To give you an idea of how far you can take this idea, last week, I repeatedly wore two pairs of socks (one of them extra thick), leggings under my jeans, a shirt, and a sweater, along with my winter coat and boots. During one trip to the gym, I found that sweatpants over yoga pants were the first combination to keep my legs totally warm. Some people have their reservations about the appropriateness of sweatpants in certain situations—I say, ‘Let them freeze.’

There’s a certain point at which staying warm is more important than looking cool; and after this week, I’ve realized that for me, that point

is somewhere around minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Furthermore, such cold weather makes accessorizing essential, even if you think you’re too macho to use that word. The name of the game is ‘no exposed skin,’ which means that gloves, mittens, scarves, balaclavas, toques, and hoods are vital.

For some, this is an excuse for a shopping trip, which is never a bad thing. For others, it means digging into your closet and finding that ridiculously huge scarf you swore you would never wear, but now that gigantic amount of coverage suddenly seems to make perfect sense.

Stay warm with Tim’s: A little silver lining to this incredible cold is that all your favourite coffee shop drinks suddenly become a necessity. It’s not extravagant to buy a vanilla latte everyday if you’re walking through frigid temperatures to get your classes, right? And who’s to say that your double-double isn’t what’s staving off frostbite? I would rather err on the side of caution­—or more coffee. The only downside is that your favourite coffee joints will likely be crawling with equally frozen McGillians—but hey, body heat.

It’s cold in Montreal (www.geosmontreal.com) Shortcuts: Another way to keep your limbs as toasty as possible is to learn all the campus shortcuts to get to your classes in the warmest way possible.

Did you know McGill has a tunnel system? You can leave your Leacock 132 class and study in McLennan just minutes later, all without having to put your jacket on. For a comprehensive look at which tunnels

can get you where, check out unofficialmcgillguide.squarespace.com or just wander through them yourself, and see where you wind up!

Additionally, you can cut through other buildings on your way across campus. For example, you can duck into McConnell at the Milton Gates on your way to the Maas Chemistry building, or through the Arts building and Leacock if you’re heading for the SSMU building.

Don’t blow your electricity bill: This type of weather forces us to worry about more than just our core temperatures. Montreal winters can wreak havoc for our hydro budgets, so be sure to check out our partner article below, with money saving tips to keep your apartment warm and your wallet happy.

Pro tips

Keep you body heat up and your heating bills down

Tricks to conserving energy; save your wallet and the planet Elisa Muyl Editor-in-Chief In case you hadn’t noticed, it was incredibly cold last week. With temperatures reaching an average of minus 27 degrees Celsius with windchill, this weather seems to mean repayment for the warm beginning to January lulled us into a false sense of security. At temperatures that seem to freeze your nose and the tips of your ears, going inside should be a respite; and Montrealers tend to crank up the heat at home.

Energy consumption in these conditions is reaching increasingly high levels every year. Last week outstripped 2011’s record consumption level with a peak of 39,000 megawatts according to the Montreal Gazette. HydroQuebec is asking the province’s households to cut their consumption of electricity. According to an email by McGill to all students, the firm shut off the iconic logo on their building in an effort to lower this consumption, and “avoid

overloading the grid, which could— ” here, the email cuts off, inadvertently, but ominously.

So, how can you stay warm sustainably? You can make changes to your apartment to make sure that the heat you do use stays in, according to several do-it-yourself (DIY) sites like ApartmentTherapy.com, WikiHow, and even Pinterest.

In your apartment: 1. Keep heat in and cold air out by sealing up your windows and doors. Your best bet is to pick up some plastic window film or foam weather stripping from a hardware store. You can also use packaging tape or stuff a towel around leaky doors and windowsills.

2. Keep the curtains open in rooms that get a lot of sunlight, and allow the sunshine in as much as possible. Install heavy curtains (or pin up some extra blankets) in other rooms to keep the heat inside your

house.

3. Keep doors closed, especially to unoccupied rooms—air circulates less.

4. Lay down rugs or carpets, or at the very least, wear slippers.

5. Clean your radiator—dustless radiators allow conduct heat more easily.

If you’re really desperate: 1. Space heaters, humidifiers, and even lightbulbs can keep your room hot, but they also expend electricity, so weigh the pros and cons before springing for one. In a moment of desperation, hair dryers also work wonders.

2. After baking anything, leave your oven door open so heat can escape; make use of the energy that you’ve already expended and paid for. Take caution with this technique if you have a cat.

Another way to stay warm. (http://en.rian.ru) 3. Wear tights or long underwear underneath your clothing.

4. Put on moisturizing lotion after a warm shower, locking in some of the heat and moisture that will otherwise be stripped away by the wind within seconds. Think of it as a second skin!

5. Buy an electric blanket to

snuggle up with in bed. Fleece blankets are also a cheap way to keep warm overnight.

6. Keep your head covered.

And hands. And feet. According to the old adage we’ve all heard a million times, heat escapes through extremities.

7. Shower at the McGill gym— for free!

Curiosity delivers. |

STUDENT LIVING

| Wednesday January 30, 2013

16

top ten

Why everyone should watch the Super Bowl Passion for football not the only reason to tune in this Sunday Jacqui Galbraith Student Living Editor This Sunday marks the 47th Super Bowl, which means everything to some of us, and absolutely nothing to others. For those in the latter category, here is a list of reasons to enjoy the upcoming festivities. If you’re still unconvinced by the end of this article, there’s always the Puppy Bowl.

1. Everybody else does: We’re all taught that caving to peer pressure shows a lack of character, but I prefer to look at this as ‘going with the flow.’ Most of us will be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, and if you don’t, you will quite simply be left out. Come Monday morning, whether you’re in class or at work, you’ll hear countless conversations about that one incredible play, or ridiculous call, or wardrobe malfunction – and you will have no context.

2. The half-time show: On that note, the Super Bowl half-time show always offers astounding musical acts to keep us entertained at intermission. Two words: Janet Jackson.

Rumour has it this year’s show will see the (temporary? I hope not!) reunification of Destiny’s Child, which is reason enough to tune in, even if the rest of this list does noth-

ing for you. If that doesn’t come together, we’ll still have Beyoncé. I don’t know about you, but that alone is reason enough for me.

3. The commercials: Usually, commercials are annoying, and get in the way of whatever it is you’re trying to watch, but hear me out on this one. The Super Bowl is a big undertaking; depending on your level of enthusiasm, it can even be a day-long commitment. You need those commercials to pace yourself. Whether it’s a bathroom break, a nacho run, or, heaven forbid, needing to talk to your Baltimore Ravens-obsessed companion about something important – commercials provide your window of opportunity.

4. Eye Candy: Whether you’re looking at the players or the cheerleaders, there are some pretty attractive people to watch at the Super Bowl. I don’t have much more to say about this one; do with it what you will.

5. Quality time with your friends, roommates, family etc.: Whatever your reason for watching the Super Bowl, it can certainly bring people together. It provides a great backdrop to sit and hang out with people you haven’t seen in

The Super Bowl can be fun for everyone. (www.superbowl2013live.com) a while. Catching up is great, but there’s something to be said for just being together – even if you’re not really doing anything.

6. The opportunity to shout at the screen along with actual sports fans: I love shows like Community and Mad Men, but they’re not really the kind of programming that gets me yelling. I may engage in a spirited debate or two with friends over them, but I’d feel a little weird screaming at Don Draper to get his life together. When watching sports, I get to shout right along with my dad at Ray Lewis to step up his game. And that’s actually pretty fun.

7. The food: Okay, let’s be hon-

est, one of the best parts of ‘Super Bowl Sunday’ is the food that accompanies it. We’ve got a few recipes in this section to get you started, but the possibilities really are endless.

8. Pre-gaming: What goes better with football and food than beer?

Not much, in my opinion. While Sundays are usually stressful and laden with schoolwork, take the opportunity to break routine, get psyched up for the game, and kick back with a cold one. Just make sure you don’t have anything too important to do that night.

9. The opportunity to make new friends: Going out to a bar

whenever there’s a significant sporting event taking place guarantees a higher level of camaraderie and hilarity, especially if most patrons have followed number eight on this list. Anyone you meet who’s cheering for your team is automatically your new best friend; and celebrating a touchdown with thirty people is way more fun than celebrating it with two.

10. It beats studying: What sounds like a better Sunday to you?

Hanging out with your friends, eating some good food, and grooving to Beyoncé, or getting caught up on your readings? That’s what Saturday afternoon is for.

By: Susan Westfall

Super-Bowl Recipes If you’re feeling traditional: The classic ‘seven layer nacho dip’ Ingredients: 1 oz. taco seasoning 16 oz. refried beans 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 16 oz. sour cream 1 cup guacamole 16 oz. salsa 1 large tomato, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk chopped green onions ½ red onion, chopped Finely chopped hot peppers (to taste) 6 oz. canned, sliced black olives 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

If you’re feeling ambitious: Crunchy Asian snack mix Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce 1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil ¾ tsp. garlic powder 2/4 tsp. ground ginger ¾ tsp. cayenne pepper 8 cups popped popcorn 6 cups shreddies 1 can Chow Mein noodles 1 package Asian rice cracker snack mix 2 cups salted, roasted cashews or peanuts 1 cup wasabi peas or dried peas

Method: Method: Mix the taco seasoning with the refried beans in a bowl and spread evenly in a large dish. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream, and spread in a second layer on top of the refried beans. Next, add the layer of guacamole, followed by a layer of salsa, and then a layer of veggies, excluding the hot peppers and black olives. Now, add the layer of shredded cheese, and garnish with the black olives and chopped chili peppers if you like it hot. Serve with your favourite nacho chips, and a frosty drink!

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, with two racks evenly spaced. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in sugar, soy, hoisin, sesame oil, garlic powder, ginger and cayenne. Combine the popcorn, shreddies, Chow Mein noodles, Asian snack mix, cashews and peas in a very large bowl. Drizzle with butter mixture and stir well to coat. Spread evenly on 2 large baking sheets. Bake for one hour, turning every 15 minutes to heat evenly. Cool completely, and serve.

(discoveryfoodsdirect.com)

19

SPORTS

Track & Field — McGill Team challenge meet

Records fall at biggest indoor track meet in Canada McGill claims a gold, silver; Guelph Gryphons claim top spots in men’s and women’s overall Jeff Downey Sports Editor Famous Canadian sprinters Bruny Surin, Nick Macrozonaris, and current Olympian pentathlete Jessica Zelinka hold all-time records in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse in their respective events. Over the past weekend, further history was made, as McGill played host to the 18th Annual McGill Team Challenge Meet—the largest indoor track meet in Canada.

The event saw 11 new meet records while three other Fieldhouse records were established. More impressively, 41 CIS standards (qualifications) were met, as the participants won the chance to compete at the National Championships, held in March in Edmonton. Most notable amongst them were Alex Brussieres from the Laval University Track Club, who ran to a new Canadian Junior Record in the 1000m (25:60), and Olympic Pole Vaulter Mélanie Blouin, who posted a new Fieldhouse best at an impressive 4.35m.

The results of the day were slightly more ambiguous for the McGillians, as the men’s and women’s squads finished 11th and eighth overall, respectively.

Nonetheless, there were a few standout performances. Chief amongst them were a pair of podium finishes for the men and women.

McGill hosted meet for eleventh straight year. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune) Alana Battison dominated the competition en route to a personalbest, gold medal performance in the pentathlon, collecting 3492 points over the race’s five events.

However, the gold medal win comes with a slightly sour

THIRD MAN IN “The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places—the school, the church, and the skating rink— but our real life was on the skating rink.”

Last week, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held a week of events to better inform McGill students about the province in which they study. Possibly due to time constraints, or a fundamental misunderstanding of what really makes this province tick, they left out one of the main pillars of Quebec’s cultural history: the game of hockey, and specifically the Montreal Canadiens. The excerpt above is from Roch Carrier’s legendary The Hockey Sweater— which can be seen on the back of Canada’s five-dollar banknote—is a testament to the central role of hockey in Canadian culture, and particularly that of the Quebecois

aftertaste, as Battison just missed out on qualifying for the CIS Championships. Her final score fell mercilessly only 23 points short of the required 3515 points.

Not all hope is lost, however, as there are still at least three

opportunities left to qualify before the end of the season. On the men’s side, the sprinters were extremely successful, as the 4×400 metre team claimed silver in McGill record time. However, despite their 3:19:11 time, this too was just short of the

CIS standard, outlined for the event at 3:18:11.

In the end, the day belonged to the nationally No.2 ranked Guelph Gryphons. The club bested the 27team competition all weekend, and climbed to the top of the podium in several events, claiming the championship on both the men’s and women’s sides. The Gryphons dominated the distance events, as Guelph swept the Men’s 1000m and the Women’s 1500m, while amassing an additional three medals in events over 1000m distance.

Although the overall team results were slightly lower than desired and did not amount to many podium appearances, the outlook is still positive for McGill track, as the club will make the trek south of the border to attend a major NCAA competition at the Armoury in New York City next weekend. The meet is sure to be an exciting one, as it will expose the athletes to a strong level of talent.

Following this, the Redmen and Martlets will compete in one more home competition—the RSEQ Championships—at the Tomlinson Fieldhouse Feb. 23-24. It will serve as the final opportunity for athletes to qualify, before the successful parties travel to Alberta for Nationals on Mar. 6.

SSMU drops ball, should have dropped puck

identity.

Maybe hockey wasn’t included because it isn’t political, and that’s what we all want to learn about, right? Forget that due to the move from the World Hockey Association to the NHL of the Quebec Nordiques in 1979, the province had two professional teams whose fanbases were largely divided along geographic, political, and linguistic lines. The infamous “Good Friday Massacre” between the ‘Nords’ and the ‘Habs’—in which numerous line brawls erupted during a playoff game—was a violent microcosm of the province’s larger divisions.

The game has sometimes become so political that former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe campaigned for the establishment of a Quebec international hockey program to compete against Canada at the Olympics.

One highlight of the schedule was a session about the student

movement—I imagine only first years might attend, as I’m pretty sure we all know enough about that—but how about the riots of March 1955 when Montrealers took to the streets to protest the suspension of Canadiens—and Quebec hero—Maurice Richard?

The timing of the riot during the Quiet Revolution was symbolic of an emerging idea concerning a secular, nationalist Quebec, and it took on racial overtones, as rioters claimed Richard was discriminated against by NHL President Clarence Campbell based on his French-Canadian heritage. Richard was Quebec—every hockeyplaying child in The Hockey Sweater wore his signature number nine­—so it’s no wonder Quebec history textbooks devote pages to his significance.

Some might say that one cannot understand politics simply by analyzing the importance of sport.

Those people are correct. It is

problematic, however, that many of our understandings of “Quebec” are purely based in politics of sovereignty and language.

SSMU should have recognized that understanding a place has much to do with culture, and that often, what unites populations is specifically the apolitical. It might seem that there are no similarities between a Francophone from Shawinigan and an Anglophone from Montreal West; but ask them whether Scott Gomez should have been bought out or if Alex Galchenyuk is the future of the Habs, and you’ll find that those nearly irreconcilable differences melt faster than you can say “René Lévesque.”

If a ‘poutine crawl’ were your choice of cultural immersion for the week, then ask yourself, “Where do most Quebeckers eat their poutine?” At hockey games, of course. Take any town in Quebec, from Gatineau to Abitibi,

Shawinigan to Rimouski, and you will undoubtedly find an arena with a minor hockey game, and a pub showing RDS coverage of the Canadiens. Each of those establishments will likely smell like gravy, cheese curds, and fries.

Gatineau’s Robert Guertin Arena, home of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques, serves little other than poutine, hot dogs, Pepsi, and Molson beer. It’s about as Quebecois as Celine Dion eating maple syrup.

In all fairness, kudos to SSMU for recognizing an opportunity for education, and seizing upon it. That being said, if you want a real cultural experience, go to a hockey game. That’s about the most Quebecois thing you can do.

—Adam Sadinsky

18

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 |

sports

| Curiosity delivers.

hockey — Redmen 2, Concordia 3 (OTS) • Redmen 3, Carleton 4

Weekend of woe: Redmen drop two more Losing streak to three, McGill sits third in OUA East with four games remaining Trevor Drummond Contributor The McGill Redmen entered McConnell Arena on Friday evening hoping to bounce back after a tough 3-2 overtime shootout loss to UQTR last Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the Redmen, history repeated itself, as the Concordia Stingers outlasted McGill 3-2 in another overtime shootout.

Despite falling behind just 22 seconds into the game, McGill regained control, dominating the pace and constantly putting the Stingers on their heels, deep in their own zone. The Redmen outshot the Stingers 27-12 through two periods, and tallied their first marker midway through the second, as Jean-Philippe Mathieu scored his first career CIS goal.

The game was tied headed into the final frame, before a Stinger winger committed a cross-checking penalty sending McGill to the power play. The Redmen capitalized, as first-year winger Patrick Delisle-Houde buried his fifth goal of the season, giving McGill a 2-1 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. The Stingers responded with a flurry of shots on Redmen starting goaltender Andrew Flemming, as they fired 15 to McGill’s 3 shots in the third period. Finally, in desperation, Stinger fourthyear forward George Lovatsis tied the game with 35 seconds and their goalie pulled.

The goal was Lovatsis’s sixth on the year—good for third on the team—but the centre is just one season removed from a 20-goal cam-

Around the

paign that saw him finish second in the OUA behind McGill’s own Francis Verreault-Paul. The absence of a premier scorer on the Stinger’s roster has made the difference for Concordia this season, after they finished .500 last year. Without this scoring presence, the team has struggled mightily to a 6-14-3 record so far—well behind last year’s pace.

Entering the extra frame, the game eerily resembled the Jan. 9 contest between the teams. Just over two weeks ago, it was the Redmen who tied the game late, as Guillaume Monast scored with 13 seconds left on the clock to force overtime.

Jonathan Brunelle went on to score the game winner, and McGill came out on top 3-2.

However, in this most recent encounter, the extra frame settled nothing and was a relative stalemate. Concordia managed just three shots on goal while holding McGill to zero. The teams were forced into a shootout, and Lovatsis was the hero again. He scored the only goal in the tiebreaker to lift the Stingers to the 3-2 shootout victory.

The win brings the Stingers within 3 points of the final playoff spot in the OUA East, while also holding a game in hand on the Ryerson Rams. The Redmen won’t get another crack at Concordia unless the Stingers can catch either Ryerson (9-15-0) or Queen’s (9-9-5) for the final playoff spot.

The Redmen dropped to 14-63, but still hang onto the third seed in the division with a three-point advantage over the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

McGill suited up again to take

W

on second place Carleton on Sunday.

However, the Redmen effort just wasn’t there for most of the game, as the team fell behind 4-0 by the midway point of the second. McGill ended up scoring three unanswered goals—including two power play markers from Mathieu—but their

TENNIS — The year’s first major tournament ended on Sunday, as familiar faces came out on top of the Australian Open. On the women’s side, world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka won her second consecutive Aussie title, after defeating the sixth-seeded Li Na in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-3). Na suffered two ankle injuries in the match, and Azarenka was able to take advantage of her hampered mobility. Serena Williams was ousted in the quarterfinals, after playing too much tennis of the table variety in the new iPhone 5 commercial. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic became the first male to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, after he outlasted Andy Murray in four sets (6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2) on Sunday. Djokovic’s win solidifies his top world ranking ahead of No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Murray. Players have about four months off before the next major tournament, the French Open, gets underway on May 26.

ater cooler

In case you were too busy a) freezing at Igloofest b) pretending you were part of the United Nations or c) sending a mokey to space, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports ...

SOCCER — In a bizarre tale, Chelsea midfield-

comeback bid fell short. While the Redmen have earned points in seven of their last eight contests, the team is on a four-game losing streak. On the bright side, their power play unit is red hot, and looks to be potent as the team competes down the stretch.

The Redmen will look to get

er Eden Hazard was given a red card in a match against Swansea on Wednesday after kicking a ball boy in the stomach; the boy smothered the ball in what seemed to be an attempt to waste time. The ball boy—named Charlie Morgan— reacted quite strongly to the kick and looked to be in pain as he walked off of the field. While Hazard shouldn’t have kicked Morgan, the boy clearly overreacted, so we’re not showing much sympathy. Morgan even tweeted before the game: “The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting.” So apparently he had this planned all along. They’re both early candidates for Worst Guy 2013.

HOCKEY — The first week of the shortened NHL season ended on Sunday, and teams can barely catch their collective breath. The Chicago Blackhawks are on fire, going a perfect five for five to start the year, as they currently sit at the top of the league. The San Jose Sharks are right behind the Blackhawks in the Western Conference, thanks to a huge first week for Patrick Marleau, who has tallied nine goals in five

back on the winning track during a short two-game road trip this weekend, as they battle the Varsity Blues on Friday before taking on the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday.’

—With additional reporting from Steven Lampert

games. Marleau has scored more goals than the Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers through the first week of play—so that’s like pretty impressive. The Ottawa Senators appear to be Canada’s best team at the moment, as goaltender Craig Anderson has backstopped them to a solid start. Meanwhile, the Leafs have dropped two straight games in which they had two goal leads. Some things never change.

BASKETBALL — The All-Star reserves were announced this week, with few surprises overall.

The East will feature five first time All-Stars— most notably Cleveland’s star point guard Kyrie Irving. Golden State sends power forward David Lee, who becomes the first Warriors representative since 1977 to be selected to the team. The Raptors send no one because Amir Johnson is currently the team’s most consistent performer.

However, none of this really matters, as the All-Star game are usually not much more than a skills showcase that involves practically no competition. So there’s that.

Curiosity delivers. |

49ers Final score

sports

| Wednesday, January 30, 2013

19

SUPERBOWL

By Mayaz Alam and Trevor Drummond

PREVIEW

49ers 30 Ravens 23

Offence All the talk surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is focused on quarterback Colin Kaepernick—and rightfully so. The 2011 second round pick has sent former starter Alex Smith to the bench, just like Tom Brady did to Drew Bledsoe back in 2011. When Kaepernick beat Brady in Foxborough in Week 15, it vaulted the young quarterback into the national spotlight and had most observers pining for a Super Bowl rematch of that Monday night thriller. However the Baltimore Ravens had something to say about that; we will instead be treated to Ray Lewis’ dance one last time.

For the 49ers to come away victorious in Super Bowl XLVII, Kaepernick will have to play like a star. However, there are two players on San Francisco’s offence who must also come up huge in order to win this game: Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree. Neither are sleepers by any means; the former is a Pro Bowl running back, while the latter is a wide receiver who caught 85 balls for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. If the 49ers win on Super Bowl Sunday, expect both players to have put up big numbers.

Part of what makes Kaepernick such a threat is the fact that San Francisco has numerous playmakers in the running and passing game. When opponents focus on shutting down those playmakers, Kaepernick breaks off highlight-reel runs. But when opposing teams put the pressure on Kaepernick, he finds his stars, like Gore and Crabtree, for big gains.

Defence With the narrative set on Colin Kaepernick, it’s easy to forget that the 49ers’ brand, for the better part of a decade, has been its stout defence. 2012 has been no different, as the San Fran D boasts no less than six Pro Bowlers.

No doubt that they’re incredibly upset that they couldn’t play in Honolulu.

Three linebackers, both safeties, and a lineman got the invitation—over half of the team’s starting eleven. As you can tell, the defence is just as much of a threat as the Kaepernick-led offence, and has an equal chance to make a game-changing play in the Super Bowl. At the very least, their defence is capable of controlling the field position game—which could make the difference in a tight contest.

X-Factor David Akers. He fits in perfectly to the x-factor mould, due to his exceptional talent, but suffering through a struggling season. Akers holds 10 NFL records over his 16 year career, including six Pro Bowl nods.

However, this season has not been his greatest— hitting only 69 per cent of his kicks, despite having an 81 per cent career success rate. His lowest came on Nov. 25 against the Saints where he went 1-3 with a long of 27 yards and a blocked 33 yard attempt.

Which Akers is going to show up on Sunday? The one who can kick 63 yards, or the one who can’t hit 30?

The answer is unclear at this time, but it will factor into the final score immensely. If Akers brings his A-game, this one is a lock for the Niners.

Ravens Final score

Ravens 27 49ers 21

SUPERBOWL predictions

Jeff Downey Sports Editor Prediciton: San Fransisco 34, Baltimore 27

Steven Lampert Sports Editor Prediciton: Baltimore 24, San Fransisco 21

Adam Sadisnky Managing Editor Prediciton: San Fransisco 27, Baltimore 23

Elisa Muyl Editor-in-Chief Prediciton: Baltimore 100, San Fransisco 5

Andra Cernavskas News Editor Prediciton: San Fransisco 31, Baltimore 24

Earl Zuckerman McGill Athletics Communications Officer Prediciton: San Fransisco 31, Baltimore 24

Josh Redel SSMU President Prediciton: San Fransisco 24, Baltimore 20

Offence For years now, the Ravens have created an identity as a ‘ground-and-pound’ team that is more than satisfied to play a smash-mouth brand of offensive football.

Led by pint-sized dynamo Ray Rice—who compiled his fourth consecutive 1000-yard season—the Ravens are committed to wearing opposing defences out behind an offensive line that averages at 6’5 and 325 lbs. This unit combines veteran grit and savvy with youthful athleticism and sheer power, and has manhandled opponents at the line of scrimmage in the playoffs. What separates them from the rest of the pack, however, is the emergence of Joe Flacco as an elite quarterback. Flacco has shed the dreaded label of “game manager” and has morphed into a confident and mistake-free gunslinger. Flacco, unlike his 49ers counterpart, is a proven commodity in the playoffs, and has shown the poise necessary to handle big time situations—just ask the Denver Broncos secondary. Flacco’s weapons complement the ground game, as receiver Torrey Smith stretches the defence, and Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta control the middle of the field.

Defence The Ravens’ defence, for the past decade, has wreaked havoc and caused nightmares around the league. The team didn’t live up to this mantra during the regular season, as stalwarts Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs both missed extended periods of time; subsequently, the defence struggled to stop opponents. However, with the two of them healthy, Baltimore has allowed the fewest points per game in the playoffs, a sign of a unit peaking at the right time. The line is stacked with space-eating goliaths, like Haloti Ngata, who will attempt to clog any running lanes. Behind them is a feared linebacking crew that is led by perennial pro-bowlers Lewis and Suggs.

Ed Reed, who still has a knack for coming up with the game changing play when his team needs it most, leads the secondary. The question will be whether the defence can handle Colin Kaepernick in the read option scheme.

Kaepernick is still raw in many senses—inexperienced for the pressure that will be thrown at him from all directions.

Yes, he may break off a few long runs or string together a few nice passes, but this defence is aggressive, mobile, and smart; therefore they are well equipped to shut Kaepernick down.

X-Factor Ray Anthony Lewis. Could it be anything or anyone other than Ray-Ray? Following the announcement of his upcoming retirement at season’s end, the Ravens have rallied around their unquestioned leader and are the hottest team in football. Lewis has played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder, and the rest of his team has adopted this mindset—playing as though it’s them against the world. The Ravens bleed black and purple because of Lewis and his will to win. Some may call it dumb luck that has guided the Ravens this far, while others may say destiny. To me, it seems like the stars have aligned around #52, and they will only settle once he ends his career hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

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