September 14, 2011

Tribune The McGill

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 2

Dalai Lama McTavish Floods Editorial Paul Watson Fashion Week Polaris Preview NFL Preview Redmen Football

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Fashion Week, pages 10-11

This week in photos

Clockwise from top left: Fashion Week Montreal; Redmen fall to Sherbrooke; Dalai Lama addresses crowd in Montreal; Burst pipe floods McTavish Street. ( Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune )

Gert’s event conflicts with SSMU Equity Policy Coyote Ugly 2.0 raises concerns over gender equity

By Elisa Muyl News Editor An event at Gert’s was suspended last week when it came under scrutiny for featuring female bar-top dancers. Concerns that the women were being sexually objectified almost resulted in the event’s cancellation. Instead, the event has been postponed and will include male dancers as well.

SSMU hosts many major annual events at Gert’s: Ocktoberhaus, Saint Patrick’s Day, and Coyote Ugly, to name a few. The first installment of Coyote Ugly was held in January of last year and was set to make a comeback Sept. 29. With almost 540 Facebook attendees— about 200 more than had RSVP’d to January’s event—it seemed that Coyote Ugly 2.0 was back due to popular demand.

However, for those who have been looking forward to getting an idea of what Coyote Ugly means, the event’s Facebook page offers a disappointing message: “Please note that this event has been cancelled as SSMU strongly upholds it’s [sic] Equity Policy and there are concerns that this event is not in line with those policies.”

Comments responding to Wednesday’s cancellation express confusion

and disappointment over the source of the decision. What, indeed, is the SSMU’s Equity Policy, and what does it have to do with Coyote Ugly 2.0?

“The SSMU has a long standing history of leadership on issues of Equity and Social Justice,” reads the statement available on the SSMU website. “The development of formal mechanisms for addressing Equity matters has been in a constant

process of growth, development, and improvement over the past two decades. The SSMU has demonstrated in its history a commitment to not only excel in the practice of equity, but to be a progressive leader in the field.”

Emily Yee Clare, SSMU VP University Affairs, corroborated this. While equity has always been a focus for SSMU, the scope has See “COYOTE UGLY” on page 2

News

Campus

AUS threatens EdUS with lawsuit Dispute over Frosh fee escalates

By Beatrice Britneff Contributor The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) has threatened to sue the Education Undergraduate Society (EdUS) following a dispute over the terms of EdUS participation in Arts Frosh.

In the past, students from the faculty of Education have typically participated in Arts Frosh activities and EdUS paid a nominal fee of $2,000 each year for its students to do so. Early this summer, after carefully reviewing costs, AUS President Jade Calver and AUS VP Finance Marlene Benevides decided that fee was too low and raised it to $8,000.

Kady Paterson, representative to SSMU for EdUS, had previously met with Arts Frosh coordinators about Education’s involvement in AUS Frosh. According to Calver, Paterson said she was present at Arts planning committee meetings “on behalf of EdUS” and “claimed to be the EdUS Frosh rep.”

Calver claimed that when confronted with the new fee, Paterson agreed. “She said this wasn’t a problem … [EdUS] was willing to pay up to $10,000 to participate,” Calver

said. Paterson continued to attend weekly planning meetings.

According to Calver, Paterson attended one of the final planning meetings in August and announced that EdUS would in fact not be paying the $8,000. “I was definitely taken aback by this,” Calver said.

“It was legally binding, it was a verbal agreement.”

Paterson, however, alleged that she is not the hired Frosh coordinator for EdUS and never was. “As Representative to SSMU for the EdUS, I have no authority to guarantee money,” Patterson said. “[The] AUS was told that the $8,000 could not be [guaranteed] without passing a motion through EdUS council,” Paterson said. “I was clear [about this] throughout the summer.”

Towards the middle of August, Paterson said she informed the AUS that the motion to increase the EdUS frosh budget by 400 per cent had been defeated. Paterson claimed that upon hearing this, Calver threatened legal action, citing breach of a verbal contract. “[The EdUS and I] were completely unaware of entering such a contract,” said Paterson. “I do not have the authority to enter a contract

regardless.”

On the second-to-last day of Frosh registration, EdUS announced they would no longer be using AUS Frosh services and would be sending students to Science Frosh.

“The choice […] was not made lightly, and was only made after the AUS threatened to deregister Education froshies from Arts if a payment was not made,” said Paterson.

The EdUS was also looking to avoid Education students “showing up at [Arts Frosh] registration tents and being unable to register.”

Calver believed that the EdUS paid the Science Undergraduate Society to participate in their Frosh.

However, the SUS agreed to take all Education leaders and participants for free. “Had EdUS donated $8,000 to Science Frosh,” said Paterson, “Education would have been the title sponsor of Science Frosh, something unrecognized by [the] AUS.” For any faculty council, $8,000 is a lot of money to lose. However, for a faculty who operates on a yearly budget of approximately $30,000, “[It] would be a significant loss,” according to Paterson.

For Calver, the matter is not a question of gaining or losing money.

“From the beginning, it was never about needing the money,” Calver said. “It was about what was fair… [the raised fee] was a calculated price.”

The AUS’s recalculation of the Frosh fees may have stemmed from its financial woes of last year.

“The financial situation that AUS found itself in last year was the result of years of financial mismanagement and a legacy of bad financial practices,” Todd Plummer, SSMU VP Internal and former AUS VP External, said via email. “To our surprise, the AUS corporation owed the government thousands of dollars in back-taxes. Moreover, AUS Frosh 2010 lost a lot of money.”

However, Plummer indicated that the AUS’s finances were in order and would no longer be an issue.

“At the end of my term as an AUS executive last year, it was my impression that the AUS’ financial situation had been solidified and normalized after a turbulent year of financial reform,” Plummer said.

Monetary disputes aside, there are concerns that the students’ interests were not being represented.

Many Education students were split up during Frosh, “which isn’t the

point of orientation,” Calver said.

Some students were switched into Science Frosh, but others remained in Arts Frosh without any support from Education.

“This decision [to switch] on behalf of the EdUS ended up hurting their students the most, which I think is the worst part,” Calver said.

When discussing the possibility of legal action, Paterson was uncertain. “We are unsure at this point, but [the] EdUS hopes we will be able to resolve this misunderstanding without resorting to legal action.”

Calver would not comment on whether any legal action would be pursued.

Despite the terrible miscommunications that occurred, both faculties are keen to reach an amicable solution. “[It was] poor business practice on their behalf,” said Calver. “[However], we wouldn’t want to cause the [EdUS] any harm.” “[The EdUS] apologizes for the way events have transpired,” Paterson said. “Regardless of the outcome of any actions taken […] we will look to solidify a positive working relationship with [the] AUS.”

Coyote Ugly 2.0 postponed Continued from COVER grown in recent years. As former Equity Commissioner, she helped craft the present Equity Policy: for instance, this year, the Equity Committee will create an appeals process for the complaints procedure, in order to better address grievances.

“There was a new equity policy put in place last year ... [in the 90s] it was just a paragraph, now we have a full-blown policy and a complaints procedure,” Clare said. “It changes a lot [because] equity is a process ... once you start using a system, it’s important to adapt it and see where the loopholes are. [For example,] last year’s policy is infinitely better than the one prior to that.”

Perhaps expedited by the new complaints procedure, Coyote Ugly 2.0 was cancelled due to concerns from fellow students. There were complaints over provocative posters the year prior; this year, student groups are upset about the objectification of girls dancing on the Gert’s bar.

According to Shyam Patel, SSMU VP of Finance and Operations, the cancelation message posted on the event is inaccurate.

“We did discuss either cancelling or revamping the event; it may not have been done the best way ... the cancellation should not have

been done in this manner.”

Patel acknowledges that the event will in fact be taking place, albeit with a few changes mandated

by SSMU’s equity policy, including men dancing on the bar along with women. SSMU will later review the event to see what went well.

“The event really isn’t being revamped; all the planning has already been done and so it is going to go ahead as planned,” Clare said.

“I just want to emphasize that it really hasn’t been changed at all.”

The only change being proposed is the inclusion of men dancing on the bars, which may have been considered at some stage in the original planning process.

In fact, not much has changed from last year’s event, either. SSMU is maintaining its prior security and strict no-pictures policy, to ensure the privacy of the bartop dancers.

Students relaxing at Gert’s this Monday were critical of the event’s revamping.

“I find [it] really ridiculous that guys are going to be dancing on the bar; it’s not a solution at all,” said a U2 Engineering student, who declined to give his name.

L.J. Aguinaga, U3 Management, found the entire back and forth process a bit perplexing.

“I think it’s awesome that Gert’s

is having legit events ... I understand why they cancelled it, although I feel that they should have run it by the groups that probably were behind cancelling it,” he said. “Because we know McGill is a very sensitive community ... [they should] make sure they talk to the right people before putting together the event.”

In contrast, the SSMU execs think of this event as an opportunity to engage students in a discussion that otherwise might not be held.

Despite disappointment with the way the cancellation was handled, both execs seem unfazed by Coyote Ugly’s reinstatement.

“This is a good conversation starter,” Patel said. “There’s a long process that needs to be taken because equity [has] a learning curve ... it is a gray area, because its so difficult to explain and to define; [holding this event] is a good step forward.”

“It’s hard to say if something is equitable or not because these things always fall in a grey zone,” Clare said. “Equity really is a process; it’s a dialogue and discussion. It’s important to actually have your facts and really understand what’s going on or we won’t be able to move forward.”

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

campus

MUNACA strike, week two

Negotiations reopened but fruitless, SSMU maintains position on strike

By Eric Mauser News Editor The MUNACA strike has entered its second week with newly restarted negotiations remaining at a standstill, despite Quebec’s appointment of a conciliator. Meanwhile, SSMU has steadily supported MUNACA. On Friday afternoon, McGill announced that a conciliator was appointed to bring the McGill’s administration and the striking workers together. Professor Morton Mendelson, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), expressed his hopes.

“We would like to see a quick, negotiated settlement to the strike. A meeting of MUNACA and the University with a conciliator is a good step in this direction,” Mendelson said in an email to the Tribune.

Workers on the picket line also seemed to welcome the new rounds of talks.

“We’re hopeful,” said one picketer, who declined to be identified.

As of Tuesday, however, MUNACA workers remain on picket lines and neither side had budged.

MUNACA workers spelled out exactly what they hope to achieve through the strike.

“The key issues are pension protection and wage increases,” said a striker on the picket line, who declined to give her name.

Strikers also maintain that the university should be willing concede in negotiations and that the onus was on McGill’s administration to help move talks forward. “[The talks] could end any minute, it’s really up to McGill to decide when they are done,” another anonymous MUNACA striker said.

One thing that strikers do seem to be happy about, however, is the amount of support they have been receiving from students and from SSMU. “We’re so appreciative. The more [students] we get, the better,” added the anonymous striker.

“We had a meeting a couple of days ago ... with one of the representatives from SSMU. One of the people from SSMU came and explained that they were going to do a protest with students. [Students] gathered around here and then they went to a meeting,” said another nameless striker.

The workers interviewed added that they thought that having students’ support makes their case to the university stronger.

SSMU is obligated to support MUNACA in accordance with a resolution passed in 2006 by the SSMU General Assembly.

Conservative McGill disapproves of this resolution.

“The McGill University Conservative Association is concerned about the endorsement of the MUNACA strikers provided by the SSMU executive. While the Association will not comment on the issues at stake in the strike, it is our view that it is entirely inappropriate for SSMU to endorse one party in the dispute on behalf of the student body,” Brendan Steven, a representative for Conservative McGill said.

“To do so is unrepresentative of the opinions of the student body at large, and divisive. The SSMU executive enjoys no clear mandate from the student body by whom they were elected to make such an endorsement.”

Joël Pedneault, VP External Affairs of SSMU, acknowledged that some students disagree with SSMU’s position on the strike, but noted that there was little SSMU could do to change its policy.

“What I’m hoping for is that people who disagree with the SSMU policy as it is now can come to the

MUNACA workers on strike. ( Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune ) General Assembly and make amendments from the floor ... to those students I would say ‘Well, show up!

It’s your job to come to the General Assembly,” Pedneault said.

All 10 students interviewed voiced support for striking workers and SSMU’s position, though some tempered their support with caution.

Colin Lairche, a U1 Science Student, had this to say: “SSMU is supposed to be here to respect the students ... If they went with something more radical or more disruptive to the students, I might have an issue with it, but as it stands, I’m not too concerned.”

international

Ten years later, McGill remembers 9/11 Anniversary prompts reflection

By Eric Mauser News Editor This Sunday marked the tenth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The attacks shocked America, Canada, and the world, and even now maintain a deep, palpable psychological grip on many.

While the attacks happened hundreds of miles away, Canada and the McGill community still felt their effects. Some experienced the attacks on television or through the news; others experienced them first hand. Jamie Merrell, from New York, like many McGill students, was only in elementary school at the time. Despite this, her memories of the day are vivid.

“My whole class was outside for recess when both of my parents came to pick me up,” Merrell recalls.

“It was still early, so the school had not announced anything to the students yet. When my parents told me what had happened, I remember

feeling upset and confused.”

Merrell’s cousin worked in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Even ten years later, she feels strongly about his experience.

“He saw the first plane hit out of his office window,” she said.

“Everyone in his office was instructed to stay in the building, but he said he knew that he had to get out. He took the stairs and convinced everyone he could to come with him.

He was still in the building when the second plane hit. He risked his own life to help save those of others.”

While Merrell’s cousin survived, she feels sorry for the thousands of others who were not so lucky. She remembers Sept. 11, both for the bravery showed by many on that day and for the lives lost.

Another member of the McGill community, political science Professor Stephen Saideman, was working at the Pentagon at the time. He remembers first hearing about the attacks at the World Trade Center before the Pentagon was attacked.

“I … was told to watch TV and it was immediately clear [the at-

tacks] were no accident because of the way the planes hit and the way [the towers] collapsed, and so immediately [those at the Pentagon] thought ‘terrorism’ and so there was a meeting in Washington.”

Saideman was on a bridge between Virginia and Washington when he began to hear radio reports that his own place of work had been attacked. He described the sudden changes to the Pentagon that came in the aftermath of the attacks. Aside from a changing of focus at the Pentagon and changes in policy, parts of daily life changed as well.

“Instead of civilian guards, there were military ones,” Saideman said.

“They closed the metro stop to the Pentagon and you had to walk all around one side which added considerably to the commute.”

The Pentagon Metro station has since reopened, but it now does not allow direct access to the Pentagon as it once did.

Canada faced challenges as a result of the terror attacks. In a letter written to Prime Minister Stephen

Harper for the tenth anniversary of the attacks, U.S. President Barrack Obama described how all domestic and incoming U.S. air traffic on September 11th within the United States was halted.

“As airspace over our two countries was shut down, hundreds of flights en route to the United States were landed safely by Canadian air traffic control in seventeen Canadian airports from coast to coast,” Obama wrote.

“The small city of Gander, Newfoundland, population 9,600, received 6,600 diverted passengers, while Vancouver received 8,500 people. For the next three days—before our airspace was reopened—those displaced passengers were treated like family in Canadian homes, receiving food, shelter, medical attention, and comfort.”

Obama also commented on the strength of American-Canadian ties.

“Ten years later, we continue to be grateful for Canada’s friendship, and for the solidarity you continue to show us in our shared fight against terrorism.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who visited New York in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks, reflected on the Canadians who perished.

“Today, as we recall the senseless and cowardly attacks of Sept.

11, we honour and mourn those Canadians who died on that tragic day,” Harper said.

Even after ten years, Harper remained resolute in his commitment toward ending terrorism and bringing peace.

“Though we are not immune to the threat of terrorism, our society is vigilant and resilient. Canada will stand firm with our allies, defending and protecting our democratic values—freedom, human rights and the rule of law­­­—in the hope of a more secure and peaceful world,” the Prime Minister said.

—Additional reporting

by Nathaniel Finestone

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Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

campus

News in brief

McTavish under water

Montreal hosts 2nd Global Conference on Religion; Dalai Lama in attendance McGill hosted the Second Global Conference On World’s Religions After September 11 in the week leading up to the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11. His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke in the morning and was followed by yoga and spirituality guru Deepak Chopra. The afternoon’s panel discussion featured Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss-born Muslim scholar who has written on the place of Muslims in Western society and frequently advises the Swiss government on issues related to Muslims. Ramadan presented his views on global perceptions of Islam and other religions following 9/11.

“Religions have nothing against women but religious people can ...

Islam has nothing against women but Muslims should show some concern about the way the scriptural sources sometimes are used,” said Ramadan, responding to the subject of women in Islam which had been brought up by a journalist earlier in

the day. When frequent clapping interrupted the momentum of his talk, Ramadan suggested that when audience members agreed with something he said, they meditate briefly in lieu of applause.

Other panelists who participated in the discussion included Robert Thurman, an American who studied under the present Dalai Lama and is now ordained as a Buddhist Monk; Gregory Baum, a Roman Catholic convert who served as Professor of Theological Ethics at McGill’s Faculty of Religious Studies; and Professor Steven T. Katz, director of the Elie Wiesel Centre for Judaic Studies at Boston University. The questions that the audience asked were as diverse as the audience of nearly five hundred itself. One attendee even recited a poem he had written before asking his question.

—Holly Stewart

Street flooded after water main breaks

By Anand Bery News Editor McGill students enjoying the warm weather early Thursday evening on McTavish Street found themselves along the banks of a gushing river.

Around 5:30 p.m., a burst pipe at a pumping station on Dr. Penfield Ave. sent thousands of gallons of water flowing down McTavish Street. Water flooded a number of campus buildings, including the Service Point, McLennan Library, and Wilson Hall. Friday morning classes at Wilson had to be relocated.

Firefighters arrived on scene minutes after the leak occurred, and stayed on campus cleaning up late into the night.

“The call came in around 5:30 p.m. [Thursday] and the last unit to leave the scene did [so] at 2 a.m.

[Friday] morning,” Simon Limoges, chief of operations for the Montreal Fire Department, said.

The leak, which occurred in a 16-inch main pipe at the entrance of

the pumping station, was stopped quickly by city employees. However, water continued to flow down McTavish for nearly an hour.

“The leak was stopped pretty fast,” Limoges said, “but a 16inch pipe has a lot of water in it, so that’s why it had time to enter the building[s].”

“We used high-capacity pumps to pump out [the water],” Limoges said. “As for the library, there was not enough water to use pumps so we helped the workers there to evacuate the water through the drain.”

In total, seven units comprising of about 15-20 firefighters were sent to help.

Ron Proulx, McGill’s Executive Director of Facilities Operations and Development, explained that buildings far from McTavish, like Ferrier and Wilson on the east side of campus, were flooded not from surface water but rather from infiltration through the ground.

“This is water that found its way through subterranean channels,” Proulx said.

He recalled a similar incident that took place two years ago in which an underground 42-inch pipe at the top of Dr. Penfield Ave. burst and flooded many of the same buildings.

“Any time that there is an excessive amount of water, it will most likely find those channels,” Proulx said. “This is what I shared with the director of city water-works.”

MJ Tyler, U3 Arts, was outside McLennan when a friend received a call about the flood.

“Of course, the first thing to do is gather your stuff and race to see what’s happening,” Tyler said. “We stood around for a while and then I realized, why stand outside the river when you can play in it?”

Tyler noted that the stream of water was about four inches deep, moving quickly, and that “it could knock you over if you weren’t careful.”

She and her friends were later “shooed out of the water” by McGill security and city workers.

campus safety

McGill safety event takes a bite out of crime Zombie-themed safety presentation goes on despite complications from strike

By Holly Stewart Managing Editor “It gives me great pleasure to welcome all you brains,” opened Wayne Wood, McGill’s Associate Director of Environmental Health and Safety in the Frank Dawson Auditorium, at a screening of Zombieland on Monday that was originally intended to kick off Safety Week.

Due to the MUNACA strike, Safety Week has been suspended. The zombie-themed safety presentation was the only event not affected by the strike.

Administrative staff dressed as zombies flooded the room, pulling students from their seats to answer general safety questions on emergency preparedness and how to avoid accidents. A McGill safetyzombie gnawed on a forearm as she spun the “Wheel of Misfortune.”

When students answered the mock game show questions correctly, they chose from a variety of prizes including zombie movies and The Zombie Survival Guide. The safety awareness game was followed by a screening of Zombieland.

Wood explained that the safety tent, normally set up outside during September, has been postponed due

to the MUNACA strike.

“MUNACA members are essential to the setup of Safety Week and make up a large portion of the audience,” Wood said.

Safety Week may be replaced by a series of Friday lunch hours spanning the entire semester. Numerous events—including the arguably more important ones such as the laptop protection program— have been postponed to later in the semester, when Wood hopes that the MUNACA strike is over.

“We’re looking at Safety Week morphing into ‘Safety Weekly,’” Wood said.

Although numerous students had been drawn in from the rain, the “Wheel of Misfortune” questions related only to germane, common sense safety issues, such as stretching properly to prevent lumbar injuries from sitting at a computer all day and lifting heavy boxes carefully.

Members of both McGill Walksafe and the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (MSERT, formerly MFAS) were in attendance to advertise their services to students and to recruit new volunteers.

McGill Walksafe, in particular, has increased its publicity efforts this year.

“A lot of people think we’re a myth,” Schuyler Ozbick, Management Coordinator of Walksafe, said.

Walksafe, a volunteer-based student organization, offers an important service by walking students home at night. This is particularly important for students passing through the Milton-Parc community, which has been the site of several attacks in recent years.

“We were very busy with Frosh; we were up until 3 a.m.,” Ozbick said.

MSERT agreed that Frosh was a demanding time for them, particularly as they have increased their presence on campus this year.

“We’ve just expanded our service. We used to only be in Upper Rez and now we have a room in RVC as well,” Ahan Ali, a volunteer with MSERT, said.

Overall, both MSERT members in attendance were pleased with the zombie theme, since it gave them a large audience to advertise their primary message: that students can reach MSERT at any time by calling campus security.

Thankfully, MSERT was not needed that particular night to attend to any zombie bites.

Zombies take safety to the exteme. ( Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune )

5

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Fleuve McTavish

By Sam Reynolds

Opinion On the Record

James Gilman

jgilman@mcgilltribune.com

The free tuition fantasy What a way to start the year.

The first sight that greeted many returning students was that of striking MUNACA workers picketing outside the major entrances to campus.

The general strike means that many students are facing reduced services across the university. While the strike will hopefully have only temporary effects on McGill students, it can be traced back to the root cause of so many of the issues we’ve faced over the past few years: McGill’s ongoing budget crisis.

The university is always quick to point to its fiscal struggles anytime these issues come up. And it has a point. Despite all the budget tightening, the university faces another large operating deficit this year, projected at $6 million. McGill has to meet its obligations in a tight fiscal straightjacket, and the pain needs to be spread around. MUNACA employees receive a generous benefits package, and given the university’s fiscal situation, modest benefit cuts as part of a final deal seems like a reasonable outcome.

Cuts to MUNACA employees’ benefits alone won’t come anywhere near solving the problem.

The biggest factor contributing to the McGill’s fiscal crisis is the underfunding of Quebec universities, and one can’t talk about underfunding without talking about tuition.

The Quebec government’s decision to decrease provincial funding for universities while preventing them from raising tuition has been the driving factor behind the problem.

The provincial government is in a serious fiscal mess of its own, and shifting the responsibility for funding the province’s universities away from the government is an understandable move. In this context, rising tuition seems an inevitability, and it’s time for students, especially those student associations that have

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers, The ongoing McGill University Non-Academic (MUNACA) workers’ strike has imposed logistical concerns which impact the Tribune’s production process. While the strike continues, the Tribune

been fighting a losing battle for years, to be realistic.

Tuition in Quebec is not going to be eliminated. Almost everyone accepts that students will have to contribute to making up the funding gap. It would be one thing if students saw no benefits from increased tuition, but we’ve already seen and felt the effects of the alternative: increased enrolment leading to booming class sizes, conferences cut from classes, and much more. In short, students have suffered because of the university’s fiscal troubles, and it’s reasonable to assume that increasing the university’s revenue would significantly improve the student experience at McGill.

Of course increasing tuition could affect accessibility in a worrying way. Yet the solution is not to push for a model in which every student’s education is heavily subsidized, regardless of whether he/ she can afford it, while allowing the quality of that education to fall further. Instead, we should push for a model in which part of the revenue from increased tuition is used to subsidize the education of lowincome students, thereby protecting both accessibility and quality. The provincial government has already taken steps in this direction: its budget for 2011-12 allows for annual tuition increases of $325 for five years beginning in 2012, while stipulating that around a third of the revenue raised this way go toward bursaries for low-income students.

Meanwhile, McGill has committed to spending 30 per cent of new tuition revenue on student support.

In the end, students will have to bear some of the costs of closing the funding gap, and increased tuition has to be part of the solution. Students should accept this and focus lobbying efforts on ensuring that part of the extra revenue is used to support those who actually need subsidized education, instead of focusing on the fantasy of tuition elimination. In the end, we have to remember that a university degree is an investment. A degree from McGill still significantly increases one’s future earning potential, but if we let things continue as they are, that may cease to be the case.

will publish on Wednesdays. We will return to our standard Tuesday publishing schedule as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvience this has caused our readers.

The Tribune is urging McGill and MUNACA to reach an agreement quickly in order to minimize the strike’s impact on students.

Thank you for reading the Tribune.

—Shannon Kimball (Editor-in-Chief, The McGill Tribune)

jbotha@mcgilltribune.com

Oh, Canada?

Johanu Botha

Forgetting Jack already?

No matter where you stand on that peskily limiting left/right political spectrum, it was tough not to like Jack. During the last election the NDP was still that obscure leftist party to Liberals, with ideas that scared the hell out of Conservatives, but their cane-wielding, mustache-sporting leader somehow made the orange campaign boards seem friendlier than the blue or red ones. Now, as the 41st Parliament gets the job done, Jack’s party is far from obscure (them being the Official Opposition and all), and their ideas still really scare the hell out of Conservatives. It seems like Canada’s flagship socially democratic party has finally grown up, but this coming-of-age period has come at a cost: Jack’s party has no Jack left.

What now? is the question for Canada’s so-called progressive forces. Even as our finance minister joins other economy-doctors in France to remedy this stubborn recession, and as the big beast below us starts the first rumbles of another election, those on the left of the proverbial centre in Canada are asking, “Dude, where’s our party?” The tragic death of the man who kept his team cohesive has opened up doors for the non-Harper parties, but their leaders are not quite sure if they should walk through them.

From the outside, this parliament looks like a would-be smoothie of unappetizing ingredients going into the blender. Both the Liberals and the NDP are currently guided by interim leaders. And, while the latter party is doing some muchneeded post-Jack soul searching, the former is in a straight-up identity crisis. Toss in some small but fierce ideological differences and big personalities fighting for the scraps of leadership, and you’ve got a downright mess. The proposal that the two parties unite to clobber the blue

Letter to the Editor

Dear Mr. Kreitner, I was disappointed to read your claim that “the new SSMU team […] would ideally have us all joining MUNACA in its strike for fairer pay, and thus would have us miss classes until whenever the dis-

crew, keep ing them tucked safely away within the borders of Alberta, seems a long shot at best.

No wonder the unified Conservatives are gloating every which way. ‘Progressive forces’ is a gross overstatement; ‘confused-publicservice-people-who-probablyagree-on-universal-healthcare-anddisliking-Harper-but-that-might-beit’ fits better. In a horrible reverse to the current American situation, Canada’s conservatives are edging forward grand visions of their own while the liberals squabble over what’s what.

Interested in photojournalism?

Those on the left of the proverbial Centre in Canada are asking “Dude, where’s our party?”

So now what? Ideas are coming from everywhere, but what most centre-and-left politicians have forgotten is the approach of a man who’s passing away was the catalyst for the current dilemma. Jack would not have shown the wildeyed scrambling that his colleagues are exhibiting now. And he certainly wouldn’t be power-mongering when trying to tackle the NDPLiberal merger problem. For him it was always about the greater cause.

One gets the feeling that if a leader more capable than him had arrived, he would have stepped aside, smiling. He would not have expected the center-left to agree on everything, but he would not have stooped to the petty levels of confusion and pieceof-pie-grabbing we see now. Of all the questions Canada’s non-conservatives should ask themselves during this time, What Would Jack Do? should be on top of the list.

agreement is resolved” [“Crossing the line,” September 7]. The SSMU Executive is in no way encouraging students to cut class in order to support the strike, as evidenced by the following sentence, also included in our statement, which you may have overlooked: “Students interested in showing their support for McGill’s non-academic staff are welcome to participate in one of MUNACA’s many picket lines near campus entrances when they are not in class.”

We may both agree that show-

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ing up for class can be a struggle (especially the ones that start at 8:30).

However, I believe it is possible for students to get an education while supporting the folks marching on the picket lines. I believe both activities do not contradict each other, and moreover, that taking part in social change is one of the best forms of education.

—Joël Pedneault (SSMU VP External Affairs)

Tribune The McGill

Editorial

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Editor-in-Chief Shannon Kimball editor@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Sam Hunter shunter@mcgilltribune.com Holly Stewart hstewart@mcgilltribune.com Production Manager Iain Macdonald imacdonald@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Anand Bery, Eric Mauser, and Elisa Muyl news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editor opinion@mcgilltribune.com Features Editors Kyla Mandel and Kat Sieniuc features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editor Ryan Taylor arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editor Adam Sadinsky sports@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editors Ryan Reisert and Sam Reynolds photo@mcgilltribune.com Design Editor Kathleen Jolly design@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Marri Lynn Knadle Advertising Manager Cori Sferdenschi cpm@ssmu.mcgill.ca Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors James Gilman (Chair): chair@mcgilltribune.com Johanu Botha, Shannon Kimball, Iain Macdonald, Zach Newburgh

Contributors Beatrice Britneff, Noah Caldwell-Rafferty, Trevor Clarke, Morgane Ciot, Monique Evans, Nathaniel Finestone, Filippo Furlano, James Gilman, Alexander Hamilton, Lucas Kruitwagen, Chris Liu, Sonny Moroz, Kelly Malfara, Christopher Nardi, Joël Pedneault, Joshua “Bucky” Prizant, Brandon Romano, Kevin

7

September 11 is not a political tool The Harper government’s decision to reintroduce two controversial clauses of the Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36) in the House of Commons this past week is no small coincidence. At a time when the 2001 attacks on the United States are on everyone’s mind, and every media source features news analyses, personal anecdotes, and political essays about the attacks on its front page, the Conservatives are trying to capitalize on the shadow of fear enveloping Canadians and Americans alike.

The first of Bill C-36’s clauses would permit the warrant-less arrest of anyone suspected of planning an act of terrorism and their detention for up to three days. The second

clause authorizes judges to force a witness to testify in secret under threat of incarceration, even when charges have not yet been laid in a case. Only the second clause has been upheld by the Supreme Court as constitutionally valid, while the first hasn’t been tested.

Originally instituted immediately after the attacks as part of the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2001 by Jean Chretien’s Liberals, the clauses expired in 2007 despite the efforts of the then-minority Conservative government to extend them. Parliament voted 159-124 against reinstating the clauses.

While the clauses were never used in that six-year period, they

nonetheless represent a serious threat to the liberties of all Canadians. The first is arguably the less necessary and more reprehensible of the two clauses. The second has stirred less outrage, since it was very nearly applied during an investigative hearing into the Air India Flight 182 bombing to elicit testimony from the wife of one of the men on trial. The constitutional validity of the clause was only upheld after the trial ended in acquittals.

The Tribune believes that both clauses represent an infringement on Canadians’ civil liberties and should not be passed through the House of Commons. The Harper government has failed to present sufficient evi-

dence that the clauses are necessary.

Further, this version of the AntiTerrorism Act would not mandate any future reviews of the controversial clauses. Sunset clauses in 2001’s Bill C-36 ensured that issues relating to the civil liberties of Canadians would be debated in light of Canada’s national security status five years from 9/11. Excluding provisions for review is entirely unjustifiable.

The institution of these clauses would not turn Canada into a police state, but they would eventually result in a human rights violation, and one instance is still too many. It is our government’s responsibility to guide us by reason and not by fear.

Engineering reports should flood the public Students leaving class for OAP last Thursday saw Montreal’s version of Niagra Falls when a burst water main on Docteur Penfield sent torrents of water down McTavish and into downtown Montreal (News: “McTavish Under Water,” p. 3).

While many students enjoyed frolicking in Le Fleuve McTavish, the flood is symptomatic of Montreal’s crumbling infrastructure, and caused the Tribune to run for cover while others ran for their bathing suits.

On July 31, a 15-tonne slab of concrete fell in the Ville Marie Tunnel. Similarly, on Sept. 8, a 20 by 30 centimetre chunk of concrete fell from an overpass in Sainte Julie on

Montreal’s South Shore. Fortunately, no one was injured in either incident.

The Champlain Bridge—one of the most trafficked bridges in Canada— has the structural integrity of a wet cracker and is at risk of collapse.

Recent reports on the bridge indicate that short-term maintenance could cost taxpayers as much as $25 million per year. This is all occurring in a city in which taxpayers also pay millions every year to keep the Olympic Stadium from collapsing.

The Quebec transport ministry has yet to release over 500 infrastructural reports which it promised to release after the Ville Marie Tunnel incident. As reported in the Montreal

Gazette, the reports have been withheld, despite frequent probes by the media. Wikileaks may be in order.

While the layperson may not be able to appropriately interpret these reports, Montrealers should be aware of the dangers they may face daily.

Whether the release of these documents will incite panic remains to be seen. Accidents do happen, but withholding critical engineering reports from the public will make it impossible not to blame the city when the next tragedy strikes.

The fiscal costs of band-aid solutions to city-wide, chronic infrastructure problems are beyond imagineable, and the Tribune hopes that the

municipal government has budgeted for repairing frequent bridge and tunnel collapses. While last Thursday’s flood was an entertaining diversion, McGill was lucky to escape without permanent damage. The city of Montreal, and its citizens, may not be so lucky.

The Tribune advocates for the immediate release of the engineering reports. Though the money isn’t available yet for the repairs, releasing the reports is a step in the right direction.

spite being almost 25, I am also still not licensed to even be behind that wheel in the first place. And I still cannot speak Canada’s other official language outside of bars. To add to that overwhelming curriculum vitae of acquired skills, I have the reflexes of a toddler on a horse’s dose of Benadryl, and my ability to recognize and remember faces is almost an impairment when I sit down to play a game of Guess Who. Despite knowing all these things about me, still, every other month or so, there is the email titled something unassuming like “hi” or “miss you,” and there inside is the link to the CSIS application site and some encouraging words. Something along these lines: “You could do this if you want to.” Now that’s parental confidence. Or well-intentioned delusion. I really can’t decide.

Can you imagine an intelligence agent using the bus in a car chase? Can you imagine her glasses fogging up as it begins to drizzle in the middle of pursuing a suspicious suspect? One pause to spritz

n’ shammy so she doesn’t trip over a trash can, and the suspect is gone.

And how would the Anglophone in as an incognito observer in a small Francophone village that may or may not be unknowingly harbouring an international criminal?

None of those situations end well for our heroine, and I have a niggling feeling that while a Hollywood director might pay someone to enact such a farce, the Canadian government is less interested in funding such comedic reality entertainment at the expense of the security of its citizens. (I also have a feeling those aren’t really the things CSIS agents do, but I refuse to believe my dad could be so enthusiastic about advocating for a career in desk-sitting and paper-pushing.)

When these recruitment sessions were over dinners, they were usually accompanied by a vivid verbal depiction of the typical workday I could look forward to: it starts with a plainclothes informant (who incidentally happens to fit my father’s description) reading a newspaper at

a café, and ends with the successful arrest of the quarry by an up-andcoming agent (that’s me). Apparently the background music is provided

by David Holmes, the guy who did the Ocean’s 11 soundtrack.

I should start sending my dad links to apply for those by-correspondence blockbuster screenwriter programs; then the push for vicarious wish-fulfillment can go both ways. With his experience, he’d also do well as a CSIS recruitment officer. CSIS: where casual Fridays mean you’re deep undercover.

The next time a parent heckles you to pursue a career as a superspy, a transatlantic balloonist, an Alaskan crab fisherman, or as the next pilot for the Snowbirds, try to derive a feel-good, comforting, universal principle of limitless opportunity from my dad’s warm-hearted persistence, and apply it to your own circumstance.

In a way, he is right. I can still get my driver’s license, and there’s always Lasik. As for the rest, we’ll see.

Whittaker

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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.

My CSIS and desist My dad keeps emailing me a link to apply to be an Intelligence Officer in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Since moving 4,000 kilometres away from my home town and leaving frequent face-time with him behind, what was once a playful career pitch over martinis has now become a quasi-regular feature of my Hotmail inbox. I look forward to these recruitment emails like a vegetarian looks forward to St-Hubert chicken discount flyers.

You may sensibly wonder what astounding qualities and qualifications provoke his endorsement. My eyes are so myopic that glasses, stylish or not, are a legal requirement if I’m behind the wheel. De-

8

Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

Commentary Kevin Whittaker

A letter from MUNACA To fellow members of the McGill commnity, We are McGill employees, each of us working in a different capacity at the university. Between us we have given almost 100 years of service to McGill. We work hard and we take pride in the work that we do. Like you, we are members of the McGill community.

We are also MUNACA’s Executive, elected by our coworkers.

As you are no doubt aware we have been on strike since Thursday, September 1, along with approximately 1,700 of our co­workers. We are not pleased about being on strike, and it is not a decision that we have taken lightly. But we feel that McGill administration has given us no choice.

Over the last several years we have watched as our terms and conditions of employment have deteriorated: the implementation of a twotier pension plan; cuts to retirees; cuts to our benefits.

So-called “advisory” or “consultative” meetings with the University to “discuss” these matters, where we are told that we need to agree to such reductions or else expect worse.

The fact of the matter is that

these unilateral changes are not happening at other major universities in this city. They are not happening because other universities such as the University of Montreal and the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) have agreed to protections for their employees’ plans. We believe the same can and should happen here.

Recently Provost Masi has taken to negotiating via the media and via communications to the broader McGill community by outlining in detail his interpretation of our initial proposals, made to the university in negotiations in February of this year. We should expect better from senior administrators at the university. Clearly the university’s intent is to divide McGill staff.

But with respect to pension and benefits, to be clear, we have told the university that we are prepared to discuss joint committees for both our pensions and benefits, committees with representatives from all staff associations on campus, so that we as staff might have some control over what happens to our benefits and our pensions. To date, McGill has said no. We all pay millions into these plans; we deserve to have a say in what happens to them.

It is true that we are in dispute with respect to wages. We seek a proper wage scale, like those in place at other universities. Indeed, McGill has taken recently to referring in its communications to settlements that the provincial government has arrived at with its employees. Union-

ized provincial employees that do the same work as MUNACA members have proper wage scales. We do not. Instead we have to work at McGill for 37 years before we earn a full salary. The annual salary of Principal Monroe-Blum is greater than that of the Prime Minister of Canada. Millions are spent on renovating her office. Provost Masi is one of the highest paid University administrators in the province. And yet we are told that we cannot have a proper wage scale like other schools.

This, unfortunately, is consistent with what we have seen at McGill in recent years. Needs of staff are at the bottom of the administration’s priority list, if we make the list at all.

Our union is ready and willing to negotiate, and there are serious issues that need to be addressed in this round of negotiations. The sooner that the administration demonstrates a willingness to address these issues the sooner we can all get back to work and get back to serving the McGill community.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we’d like to thank the hundreds, if not thousands, of members of the McGill community for the outpouring of solidarity and support shown for our struggle to make McGill a better place to work. It is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the strike, visit one of our picket captains on the picket lines, or contact us at reception@munaca.com.

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OMSAS

Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir, I wish to encourage The Tribune to do some actual journalism regarding the Integrated Orientation Week [“First frosh after revamp goes off without a hitch,” Sept. 7, 2011] The event has in fact faced frequent and numerous hitches, beginning with its conception some four months ago. The statements of three frosh leaders, two froshies, and a politically-guarded SSMU exec cannot adequately encapsulate the challenges and outcomes of this year's event. Furthermore, this “revamp” is part of an ongoing multiple-year strategic plan beginning several years ago, and to treat it otherwise poses a dangerous risk to students' interest in the event.

Best regards, —Lucas Kruitwagen ( EUS VP Finance )

ERRATA

An article in last week’s Tribune (“Meet your SSMUshies, Emily Yee Clare,” Sept. 7, 2011) mistakenly states that the Diversity Survey is a project this year. That survey was actually performed last year through the Deputy Provost’s Office. SSMU is working with the Deputy Provost’s office in the inception of focus groups as a follow up to the Diversity Survey. The Tribune regrets this error.

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Send a CV, letter of intent, and three writing samples, including a sample column, to editor@ mcgilltribune. com.

Student Living ENVIRONMENT

Peace signs and stink bombs: Paul Watson and his war One man’s quest to save the whales

By Kat Sieniuc Features Editor As far as activism goes, Paul Watson could be considered an outlaw, especially after Greenpeace voted him off of their team in 1977.

He has since been called the badboy of the Canadian environmental movement, a professional radical ecologist, and the ocean’s very own Rambo. Yet pacifists feel he is no more than a pirate of the high seas, an aggressive extremist who wages a belligerent war which he has fought since the early ‘70s. A war that is causing Ishmael to turn in his grave: a war to save the whales.

Film director Trish Dolman dubs Watson an “Eco-Pirate” in her most recent film of the same name, which documents his stormy battle to conquer the environmental front lines at sea. Gandhi would be appalled. But how exactly did a nature-loving-sea-worshipper pick up such a naughty rep? Being kicked out of Greenpeace by a vote of eleven to one (his own vote being the one) certainly helped.

“He was willing to do things that, as an absolutely non-violent organization, we weren’t prepared to do,” Rex Weyler, fellow co-founder

(artistsconfederacy.com) of Greenpeace, said in the film.

In Dolman’s documentary, Watson himself had a lot to say about his controversial take on activism. As a man who takes pride in making enemies (on behalf of the earth, mostly), Watson was not fazed by his divorce from the Greenie clan. He never agreed with their conscientiousobjector-M.O. of taking pictures

and hanging banners. “How is [protesting] stopping anything?” asks Watson in the film. “It can hardly be called non-violence. You are just allowing the violence to continue by doing nothing.”

Since starting his own ecoextremist vigilante organization, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Watson has brought what he calls

the “environmental revolution” onto his own ship. Here, aggression and change fall hand-in-hand—and a bit outside the law—and signs and whistles are better left at the aquarium.

Watson has put his zodiac in the line of Russian harpoon fire, thrown rope beneath whalers’ boats to tangle their propellers, and catapulted stink

bombs onto the decks of Japanese boats doing ‘scientific research,’ as he argues, “we all know you don’t need to kill whales to study them.”

He has also intentionally chased after and rammed into various whaling vessels with his own ship—most notably, he sunk the Sierra, the infamous pirate whaling ship responsible for killing 25,000 whales.

“There has never been any single social revolution achieved without violence,” says the enviro-renegade.

“All revolutions are violent revolutions.” Even environmental ones.

Paul Watson continues to lead the eco-revolution as its most combative environmental patriot. He is the ocean’s savior, a sea-superhero who gallantly fights to protect a species from extinction. Extreme?

Of course. But as Canada’s environmental elder David Suzuki says in the film, “If we don’t have such people with extreme positions, then we tend to be much more conservative with where we fall.”

Paul Watson may be an eco-pirate, but he makes environmentalism look cool. Perhaps his vigilantism is exactly what the earth demands in these times of green war.

RESTAURANTS

Bangkok Express a must-try

Tasty Thai that won’t break the bank

By Kyla Mandel Features Editor This relatively new Monkland restaurant has gathered quite a loyal following. Located at 5645 Monkland in N.D.G., Bangkok Express offers a variety of mouth-watering Thai dishes. While minimally decorated and not very sizable, it is always full and has seating outside for those warm summer nights and crisp fall afternoons. Due to its low-key atmosphere and small size, it is both the perfect place for an intimate date, or for a supper out with friends.

After my friend and I placed our orders, we quickly worked up an appetite smelling the amazing aromas in the air. In addition to its chicken, beef and seafood options, the menu offers many veggie-only dishes, and as a vegetarian, I had no trouble selecting an entrée: the yellow curry with tofu. My friend, the omnivore, chose chicken in peanut sauce with crispy spinach. To compliment my meal, I ordered a Chinese beer, Tsingtao.

While waiting, a constant trick-

le of people entered the restaurant to pick up meals to go, something the restaurant offers, in lieu of delivery service. As a customer sitting down for my meal, however, I felt this slowed down the kitchen. Nonetheless, I didn’t care because as soon as I put one spoonful of curry in my mouth it was all worth it. The curry was a concoction of tofu, green peppers, fried potatoes and onions, and the side of steamed rice was just asking to be dipped into the yellow sauce. As I ate, that perfect Thai flavour enveloped every bite. We both ate in silence for the first 10 minutes—too focused on eating— which you know is a good sign. My only complaint is that, despite feeling stuffed, there wasn’t enough. I wanted more.

Not only was the food amazing and the beer cold, but the prices were affordable. For two plates, two sides of steamed rice and the one drink, the total came out to $30 plus tip.

Leaving the restaurant with our bellies full, conversation quickly turned to what we would order next time. Just thinking of the food

now whets my appetite, so I know I must return. To find this gem from McGill, hop on the 24 bus and ride it to Villa Maria metro and then simply walk down Monkland. The affordable prices and the unbeatable food are worth making the trip from downtown.

Ten other ways to use your heavy textbook 1. Kill giant bugs invading your bedroom 2. Keep a window or door open 3. Flatten that crumpled essay you need to hand in 4. Weight lifting when school work takes away your gym time 5. Pile them up and they can be a night stand or a makeshift chair 6. Press the flowers your boyfriend got you 7. Cut out the center and use it as a safe 8. Prop up air conditioners or fans so you actually feel the cool air 9. As a table for your laptop 10. As a step for aerobics

Thai vegetables and shrimp curry. (3.bp.blogspot.com)

MONTREAL FASHION WEEK Compiled by Brittany Rappaport

BARILA

MELISSA NEPTON

MARTIN LIM

Barila’s collection had a peaceful, real-life feel.

Antique floral prints with exposed shoulders, frocks, and shirts and dresses alike came alive in pastel blue with tan accessories to boot. Barila is often able to weave femininity into her collections while using edgy and relaxed designs.

Melissa Nepton’s collection improved with each piece that walked down the runway and those drawn to black and white will be impressed. But the focus was on a new style of drapery, a recurrent black and white tribal print shown in different formats, on oversized cowl necks and hoods in a beautiful balance of fitted and swathed; and amidst the black and white, spots of tan, olive, and pale orange.

Martin Lim used soft materials to express his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Neutrals, as well as delicate pinks, greys, and browns, complemented his ensemble. Many of his pieces had a ‘60s mod spin to them, but Lim still managed to keep it modern with flowing accents. Horizontal and vertical stripes also made their way into his collection, but without the typical nautical look due to his color palette and piece design. He kept his collection both calm and upbeat by including simple yet striking ensembles.

Spring into fashion with … a classic, ‘allAmerican’ shirt dress with Barila distinction.

Spring into fashion with … a beige open-neck, long-sleeved, boyfriend-fit onesie with orange waist bow tie.

Spring into fashion with … a loose bubblegum pink and black spaghetti strap dress with ivory folds in the detail.

From Sept. 6 to 9, our cultural metropolis captivated the industry and the public alike at the 21st edition of Montreal Fashion Week. Bonsecours Market, in the hub of the Old Port, was the place to be seen and heard by buyers, bloggers, journalists, fashionistas, and fans, as all gathered to witness the Spring/Summer 2012 collections of both new and veteran local designers. With fashion shows, cocktail receptions, and off-site events, it was a jam-packed week of things to do and people to see. Although much of Fashion Week is about buying and selling, the events have recently come to attract more attention worldwide, as Montreal creeps up the fashion ladder and becomes more visible to competitor fashion cities. Surrounded by fashion-loving attendees and Spring/Summer 2012 looks, Montreal presented a variety of fun and fresh styles to look forward to after the dreaded winter months.

SECOND

TRAVIS TADDEO

Second has thoroughly expanded from their original denim line toward a wonderful collection of youthful and chic women’s wear, complementing a variety of styles in their design. They had a light yet structured feel to their collection, with very real-looking flowers in dresses, shirts, and even sash belts. Light denim colour made another appearance in dresses, skirts, pants, and coats as they mixed fresh whites, pale pinks, and corals for a very wearable and playful collection. With flowing tops, whimsical summer dresses, colourful shirt and skirt pairings, Second pleased yet again.

Many of Taddeo’s pieces followed the expected Spring/Summer template, but then came the feathers, combined with a lovely use of blush tones and peachy-tan-pink colours that set his work apart from the floral inspiration for this season. The inclusion of lightweight and pale denim in anything other than pant format was well done, but the acid wash and paint splatter weren’t as successful. His western-style cloth poncho and subsequent two-piece were intriguing, and provided a different look for spring and summer. It was also nice to see how he balanced his leather pieces with flowing, light-coloured materials.

Except for a couple of pieces, Travis Taddeo’s overall collection was strong.

Spring into fashion with … a Gardenia printed strapless gown.

Spring into fashion with … a cocktail-length feather appliqué dress.

DENIS GAGNON

ANOMAL COUTURE

DIMITRI CHRIS

It was great to see Gagnon use more colour than usual at this year’s Fashion Week. Mini floral patterns were intertwined with fiercer black leather, as well as champagne satin and shimmering highlights. Gagnon does not cease to amaze with his intricate detailing in every collection. There was a nice combination of tuxedo suiting as well as flirty and fun materials in rompers, dresses, and gowns as Gagnon mixed feminine and masculine borders.

Daring bodysuits were the ultimate show-stopper for designer Sonia Leclair. Shimmering caramel, black, gold, and midnight blue were in the works for her Spring/Summer 2012 collection in both fierce and elegant ensembles. Leather, satin, and eclectic patterns were eye-catchers along with kimono-inspired detailing.

Chris’ collections are always cute and preppy, and his male models oh-so-well-coiffed and put together. His work just makes you want to have a good old-fashioned, clean-cut boy to take home. Chris made great use of the nautical/sailor look that’s been seen time and time again, but what makes him Fashion Week-worthy is his tidy and fresh take on it. The little boat print was not as wearable in the suiting department, but was definitely a cute touch as a muscle tee. Chris showed that short-shorts can never really be too short, and looked classic with a blazer and relaxed sleeveless shirt to pair.

UNTTLD

DINH BA DESIGN

SOIA & KYO

UNTTLD wasn’t shy about making a strong statement on the runway at their debut at Fashion Week. Their fierce attitude paid off, with a unique combination of pieces demonstrating an outside-the-box mentality.

The collection is primarily black and white but fear not fashionistas, UNTTLD balanced the simple colouring with a wide variety of textures, including leather, chiffon, mesh, and crochet. They also used a diverse cast of models to display their collection, connecting with Montrealers’ wide variety of lifestyles.

Dinh Ba showed an extensive collection for Spring/Summer 2012, but perhaps most exciting was the prospect of seeing tribal prints integrated into next year’s collection. The use of both bright colours and blacks in the collection was a nice change as we often see designers using solely monochromatic palettes or bright colours alone. There were a number of floral details used, including both petal and flower appliqué and pattern to the designs. While there wasn’t as much continuity between each piece as with other designers, Dinh Ba did a fine job bringing together many different styles and looks.

You can always count on Soia & Kyo’s Ilan Elfassy to keep a youthful yet classic vibe to his jacket and coat designs for both men and women. This upcoming Spring/ Summer collection creates room for some new, fun styles but doesn’t foresake attention to detail. Black, tan, ivory, and some splashes of colour make way for a glamorous array of fits as well as a great selection of unique looks for every individual style. Leather fitted jackets and bombers, trench coats, and sporty apparel too—Soia & Kyo’s focus is unforgettable, as is their ability to style head-to-toe.

Spring into fashion with … a boat-print sleeveless top with white fitted blazer and navy shorts. Classic and unbeatable.

Spring into fashion with … a high neck, backless, black crochet, sleeveless top with black full-length skirt … silver chunk accessories more than welcome.

Spring into fashion with … a sleeveless, brighter-thanbright-blue, fitted dress with rose appliqué detail in the bottom half, worn with tone-on-tone blue tights.

Spring into fashion with … a shiny burgundy red bomber jacket.

Spring into fashion with … a black chiffon, whitebibbed shirt with pleated collar and cuffs over a pair of white shorts.

Photographs taken from montrealfashionweek.ca

Spring into fashion with … a sequined gold and black draped kimono.

12

Curiosity Delivers - mcgilltribune.com

Around the Town

Little Italy, big market Exploring the local produce at Marché Jean-Talon

By Noah Caldwell-Rafferty Contributor One recent Tuesday afternoon near the entrance of Marché Jean- Talon, a young man with slick Elvis hair played blues on a chrome resonator guitar. Among his audience were two casual wall-leaners, a pair of dancing five-year-olds, a whole market full of produce vendors, my roommate, and myself.

The scene was unusual to a couple of McGillians used to the academic hum-drum of the student ghetto. But within moments we had settled easily into the rhythm of the neighborhood, allowing the happy-go-lucky ambience to overtake us. This was the reason we had walked for half an hour up Boulevard St. Laurent.

Heading north from downtown, Little Italy sits east of Mount Royal between the streets of St. Zotique and Jean Talon. A marble arch announces the community’s border, reminding its visitors of Chinatown.

Generic thrift stores and delis quick-

ly give way to upscale boutiques and delicious Sicilian restaurants, exuding a rare combination of prosperity and humility: kid-friendly parks are surrounded by a noticeably high number of Ferraris.

Little Italy is a historically idyllic enclave. By the end of the 19th century, thousands of Italian immigrants were following jobs in the railroad yards and quarries to this exact spot, soon establishing a parish and cultivating a distinctly Italian way of life. What was once farmland was transformed into a thriving community, recreating all the pleasures and amenities of home.

Back in Marché Jean-Talon, we strolled corridors of fruit, vegetables, gelato, and even the odd poutine stand. A spunky vendor caught our eye, presiding over an array of maple treats that even made me, a Vermonter, look in wonder. Syrup, butter, fudge, lozenges, you name it. A seasoned veteran of the market, and no older than 30, he confidently surveyed his surroundings.

“We get our syrup from Rougement in the eastern townships. Big farm?

No, no, tiny farm. They make it just for us.” He gestured: “This is where they close off the market in winter.

We move to right there.” He pointed, with a shy grin, which I took to mean his stand was one of the established few which remain all year round.

The small-town aura was inescapable as we walked the rows of gleaming produce. Finding a particularly exotic display, I asked the vendor if he had any Korean pears (a favorite of mine). With a serious frown he shook his head, recommending the Chinese grocery down the road. Two subsequent vendors shrugged, with the same response.

Perhaps I had found the market’s true nature: local means local. Local fruit, local syrup, local everything.

I debated how off-kilter I would sound asking for a Korean pear in a Chinese grocery.

Luckily, Jean Talon came through in a pinch. At Chez Louis, a store overflowing with freshness,

recipes

I know I’m not the only student who laments the price of cheese.

How can such a comforting staple like a grilled cheese sandwich cost as much as a piece of chicken? The tiniest amount of cream cheese costs up to $5 and when you’re a student on a budget, a package that only lasts a few bagels just isn’t worth that price. But what’s one to do? I always thought homemade cheese seemed too time consuming, and never mind the cost of equipment.

Oh, how wrong I was. The latest issue of Bon Appétit gives a DIY “Ricotta” from Chef Nancy Silverton. I couldn’t have been more surprised at how easy it looked. A litre of whole milk, a lemon, and some salt are the only ingredients in her recipe, which yields a more than a full cup of fresh, creamy cheese.

Though it’s not a true ricotta, the quality of this queso fresco is considerably higher than those at a supermarket—free of stabilizers and preservatives. I tried out the recipe on Friday night and was more than impressed with how easy the process was and what a lovely cheese it made. I had my fresh ricotta with dinner and was still left with plenty of time afterwards to get ready before I went out for the night.

Built in 1919, it is the parish’s pride and joy, sporting sublime frescoes inside its Romanesque, cruciform architecture. We perused its perimeter and read its National Historic Site of Canada plaque before trying the doors. It was locked—mass wasn’t until 7 pm.

If you go to Little Italy, arrive around dinner time. Pre-dinner shopping will bring an appetite worthy of restaurants second to none in the city. After a gelato at Jean Talon, catch evening mass at Difesa, marvel at sparkling frescoes, and head home quite content.

Crime TV too real for me

DIY cheese in 30 minutes or less

This homemade ricotta can be used to stuff pasta or for crepes.

If drained long enough it can also be moulded into little ricotta pancakes. You can even use it in Italian ricotta cheesecakes, which are much fluffier than the New York style and lend themselves well to light citrus flavours. My personal favourite is to spread the queso fresco on toast with some fresh fruit or jam.

DIY cheese doesn’t end with ricotta. With increasing levels of effort you can make a mascarpone cream cheese, or mozzarella for an even greater challenge. However, for a quick, and wallet- friendly fix, this basic ricotta recipe is perfect.

The Bon Appétit recipe is as follows: 1) Bring four cups of milk, half a teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil without stirring, and immediately remove from the heat.

2) Let stand for 15 minutes, while it begins to form curds. If only a few curds form, add one tablespoon of lemon juice, stir gently and let stand for another five minutes.

3) Line a sieve with cheesecloth (available in grocery stores or kitchen appliance stores) and place over a large bowl. Then, using a large spoon, scoop the curds into the sieve. Let the curds drain until they form a dense cheese.

I found an Asian pear. Louis himself informed me that depending on the time of year, they could be Korean, Chinese, Japanese. “What matters is that they’re fresh,” Louis said. I couldn’t agree more, and we departed from the sprawling market, fruit in hand, without a single disappointment.

While the Marché is Little Italy’s main shopping attraction, the historic glue of the community lies down the street. The Church of the Madonna della Difesa, on Rue Henri Julien, sits amidst a plethora of biblical street names (Dante, Alma, etc.).

Odds and Ends

Cheese for dummies

By Monique Evans Contributor

(Noah Caldwell-Rafferty / McGill Tribune)

The danger of watching prime-time crime

By Kat Sieniuc Features Editor

(Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune) Recipe courtesy of: http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tips/2011/09/mozza-homemade-ricotta

To all of those TV junkies who have recently taken up a nightly routine of watching prime-time crime shows such as Criminal Minds, CSI, and CSI Miami (also known as the better CSI), I come to you with a grave, grave warning: too much exposure to police procedural dramas is dangerous for your psyche.

As gripping and often captivatingly disturbing as these late-night shows are, the cheap thrill of finding out “who dunnit” comes at a momentous price. In my case it has manifested as an incessant paranoia of dark corners.

I hear sounds from the deep, dark corners of my room and feel chills as I walk past them in the streets on my way home.

You see, after nightfall everything becomes anything, and as the sun is setting much earlier with the onset of autumn, I constantly find myself seeing questionable figures in the shadows—figures I can only assume to be serial killers.

I can no longer go a whole day without seeing at least five criminals worthy of death -row walking down the street. That apparently normal man on the metro looks eerily like that rapist-murderer from CSI who preyed on brown-

haired brown-eyed college girls.

You know the one. I haven’t seen my neighbour once this semester.

She has probably been kidnapped by that Joe-Schmo-stalker who no one suspected on Criminal Minds.

Even my handyman is giving me the creeps—he fixes leaky pipes and creaking doors after 9 p.m. (undoubtedly a violation of normal handyman etiquette that you see far too often on CSI Miami). But that’s not all; such shows have also infected my dreams, giving me relentless nightmares, the details of which I shall spare you.

Call it twisted, but wait until it happens to you. I wasn’t always like this. No, I used to embrace the dark and all its fine offerings—restful sleeps, impeccable movie lighting, and of course a comfortable place to sport a bad haircut. Those were the days when I watched crime shows merely for their “story value.”

There comes a time, however, when the story instills fear into the depths of your soul.

If you don’t want this to happen to you, stay away from all crime genre shows (unless it’s The Wire, because for some reason drug busts aren’t nearly as psychologically scarring.) For all else—even good ol’ Law and Order—watch at your own risk. If you know when the season finale is, it’s already too late.

A&E Comedy

Don’t put this conscious comic in a corner Comedian Hari Kondabolu doesn’t want to be niche

By Sam Hunter Managing Editor If comedians were meals, Hari Kondabolu would be the delicious, home-cooked variety. Other standup comics are frequently almost equally tasty, but often, I find myself enjoying a routine only to feel nauseous looking back at what I’ve tacitly endorsed with my laughter— exactly how I feel after eating McDonald’s. Following a Kondabolu set, I feel good.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to make the guy sound boring— he is laugh-until-you-hurt funny.

What’s special is that Kondabolu’s brand of socially conscious stand-up manages to be utterly hilarious while also utterly avoiding the racist, sexist, and homophobic jokes that have made such easy fodder for others.

Sitting in the audience, I laughed hard at everything, without glancing around guiltily to see if other members of the audience were the butt of the joke.

Kondabolu got into comedy at an early age, starting to write at age 16, influenced by the likes of Margaret Cho, Stewart Lee, and Paul Mooney. At Bowdoin College he started to move away from some of the easy, sometimes stereotypical jokes of his youth and towards political humour, and particularly, the

politics of race.

In 2006 Kondabolu made a short movie, Manoj, where he portrays both an Indian comic named Manoj who uses stereotypical portrayals of Indians for easy laughs— “A lot of times people come up to me and say, ‘Manoj, why do Indian people eat monkey brains all the time?’” Manoj says in the film.

“That is simply not true. If you knew anything about monkey brains you’d know monkey brains are very, very expensive. You can’t just eat them all the time. If I had a dime for every time someone came up to me and asked, I could actually afford to eat monkey brains!”—and himself, an Indian comic disgusted by Manoj’s material. The film was a hit, airing at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival .

Kondabolu didn’t take a normal road to comedy, if there is such a thing. After graduating from Bowdoin College he moved to Seattle to work as an immigrant rights organizer, focusing on “detention and deportation issues,” while continuing to do stand-up at night. There, he found a supportive community of comedians and other artists and was able to make new strides with his material. Eventually, he applied to a human rights masters program at the London School of Economics.

Everything happened at once

for Kondabolu: he was discovered by the HBO comedy festival, he got a set on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and he got into LSE, all in the same week.

“I didn’t know what the fuck to do because comedy wasn’t the plan.

I just really liked doing it and you’ve seen what I do, I just didn’t assume this would work in more than Seattle, San Francisco, now Montreal, … there’s [only] a handful of places I could play, so it was kind of weird I was getting mainstream national recognition,” Kondabolu said.

He decided to take a year off from comedy to get his masters, but came right back afterwards. For the past three years he’s travelled and performed, played a part in a Sandra Bullock movie, and built his reputation.

“I don’t want to be niche to be perfectly honest. I don’t think the issues I’m talking about are niche.

Racism should not be fucking niche.

This should be mainstream and my goal is to be mainstream.” ***** Kondabolu performed to a standing-room-only crowd at the centre culturel Georges-Vanier this past Thursday Sept. 8, at an event co-hosted by CKUT, Rad Frosh 2011, and QPIRG Concordia and McGill.

The organizers led the set with the 15-minute film Manoj, which got

Kondabolu mines serious issues for comic gold. ( sophiek.com ) big laughs, even though more than a few of those were for the simple jokes that Manoj was satirizing.

Regardless, the audience was ready when Kondabolu took the stage.

It’s difficult to imagine an audience and a performer more perfect for each other than the crowd there and Hari Kondabolu. Educated young people who are politically aware seem to be the target market, and the Montreal crowd couldn’t get

enough of the jokes or the worldview. He received a semi-standing ovation, which he later mocked in his Q&A. Later he tweeted, “Fun show in Montreal. Had poutine after. Feel bad I need to leave this city so quickly.”

So does Montreal.

Visit harikondabolu.com for more information.

Film

Kung fu film an action-packed epic

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame subtly critiques Chinese politics

By Morgane Ciot Contributor It’s 690 B.C. in ancient China, on the eve of a coronation that will vest a woman with the power of emperor for the first time in China’s history. Looming in the background is a titanic Buddha, under construction as a tribute to the empress’ power and the witness of several spontaneous human combustions. This is the mystery that the empress calls Detective Dee back from prison to solve—the mystery of the phantom flame, a phenomenon that has felled several important personages surrounding the empress and the construction of the Buddha.

Dee, played by leading talent Andy Lau, is a sagacious, kung fufighting sleuth who commits his all to solving the case despite a history of fomenting rebellion against the empress. In the process, he discovers a cloak-and-dagger subplot involving contending factions vying

for the crown à la Game of Thrones.

While Dee steers clear of external pressures and incentives, he becomes pseudo-romantically involved with the empress’ loyal protector, Jing’er, a feisty and limber sidekick with her own branch of rope-whipping kung fu (the movie approaches a sex scene but disappointingly fails to deliver).

While the plot is certainly convoluted enough to engross most people for two hours, the real magnum-ness of the opus is the visual eye-feast. Each scene is lush with magical floating petals, lambent gold lighting, majestic talking deer, purple skies, or subterranean Danteesque rivers populated by airborne automatons. The kung fu scenes amplify the imagery and make the action scenes resemble a prolonged minuet danced underwater. It is elaborate and entertaining. The choreography, engineered by Jackie Chan’s masterful mentor Sammo Hung, is drum-tight and applicable anywhere in the movie, from fighting deer to

one-on-one battles suspended in mid-air by ropes. The rapid-fire kung fu movements parallel the battery of plot twists, and both work to keep the viewer attentive.

Like any movie that employs fantasy elements and details a complicated story, Detective Dee toes the line of melodrama. This is compounded by the sometimes artificial graphics, such as the immolating victims of the phantom flame or city-wide shots that end up not being on-par with the rest of the movie’s visual splendor. Bouts of humor manage to mitigate this, allowing the artificiality to fit with the style of the movie—a tad over-the-top, like many wuxia films, but by no means kitsch or pretentious.

Certain melodramatic instances are also infused with greater meaning considering contemporary China’s repressive atmosphere. The movie ends with the compelling message that right and wrong should not be confused when in office, and that

there is a right time to turn power over to others. Echoing Henry David Thoreau, a blind man warns Dee as he is released from incarceration that one might be ultimately freer “inside” (of prison) than “outside,” where the empress’s dissenter-crushing stratagems have engendered fear and dissent. Her adage “to achieve greatness, everyone is expendable,” has motivated her to employ ruthless schemes against the people and

inevitably brings to mind the current Chinese authorities’ reactions to the tragic train crash this past summer.

Dee, in the end, gently reminds her that it’s torture that alienates the people from the empire. The film thus shies away from a typically Manichean good-bad dichotomy and, despite its sweeping imagery, offers some important messages.

In theatres Sept. 16.

Dee (Andy Lau) must solve the case before it’s too late. ( mymovies.ge )

14

Curiosity Delivers. - www.mcgilltribune.com

The Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best full-length Canadian album released that year, independent of genre or commercial success. Loosely based on the UK's Mercury Prize, the judges evaluate each year's nominees based on their creativity, diversity, and artistic integrity.

Past winners include Caribou, Fucked Up, and Karkwa. This year’s gala will be held Sept. 19. And without further ado, the 2011 nominees...

Compiled by Alexander Hamilton and Ryan Taylor

Preview Timber Timbre: Creep On Creepin’ On

Many thought Timber Timbre was robbed of a short list spot for its self-titled 2009 album, but this year’s nomination has more than just goodwill going for it. Creep On Creepin’ On, the band’s fourth record and first with multi-instrumentalists Mika Posen and Simon Trottier as official members, builds on the swamp-rock, spook-folk of past albums. It’s heavy on atmosphere—icy piano chords, weeping strings, three decidedly unsettling instrumentals—and singer/songwriter Taylor Kirk’s creamy croon acts as the cloaked narrator leading you by lantern into the dark.

The record is carefully calculated with everything strategically placed for maximum eeriness, but it’s got a beating heart too, delivering lovelorn sentiments refracted through a twisted lens. This could easily take the prize, but it still might be a bit too “out there” for the jury.

Arcade Fire: The Suburbs Despite almost universal popularity, anyone championing Arcade Fire’s third and newest album is going to have to deal with a lot of detractors, not that The Suburbs is bad.

Win Butler channels The Boss as effectively as ever and Régine Chassagne’s vocals fit the moment so well on songs like “Sprawl II” that it’s almost heartbreaking. The apocalyptic tension of earlier albums has been tempered, one might say matured, to a more appropriate level. The Suburbs varies between straightforward anthems like its title track, and moody double-headers like “Half Light,” However, there is one simple reason for the naysaying: nothing is ever going to be better than Funeral. Furthermore, the mainstream success of The Suburbs (winning the 2011 Grammy and Juno for Album of the Year) prevents it from being a genuine contender for the Polaris Prize, despite what the judges may say about not being biased.

Austra: Feel It Break The first thing to say about New Wave revivalists Austra is that their debut album Feel It Break is immediately listenable. The first few tracks channel everything that was great about the ‘80s movement, albeit with the polished production of this decade. Although Austra may not make a big splash when almost every other band seems to be jumping on the New Wave train these days, there is no denying their talent. The synth groove at the beginning of “Beat and The Pulse” would make even Hot Chip jealous, and lead singer Katie Stelmanis’s vocals vary from the monotone stylings of The Knife on “Darken Her Horse” to the shimmery textures of a choral section on “Lose It.” Nonetheless, Austra seems an unlikely choice for Polaris, simply because they fail to stand out from the pack.

Galaxie: Tigre et diesel The only francophone group to be included on this year’s shortlist of nominees, Galaxie’s third album is one that will be unfamiliar to most people. The group hails from Montreal, which has a history of turning out good bands by the dozen (including last year’s Polaris-winner Karkwa). Tigre et diesel does nothing to contradict this reputation. Going from hard-hitting numbers like “Piste 1” to the balladic strumming of “Jusqu’à la fin,” Galaxie displays enough versatility to keep the listener enthralled. With bass sections dense enough to rival Death From Above 1979 on tracks like “Camoflar” and “Diesel 2,” an enthusiastic high-energy delivery, and an ear for melody, the band is a class act. A Polaris win could be a possibility, though whether the judges will pick francophone groups two years running is another question.

Braids: Native Speaker Youngsters Braids’ debut Native Speaker created quite a stir in the music world. But despite possessing an incredible stage presence, I doubt many people will have been able to listen to the album from start to finish without getting either: (a) bored, or (b) confused. Braids seem to delight in experimentation for the sake of it, blending post-rock and dream-pop in bewitching fashion. They are a band of contradictions—the casual profanity of Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s lyrics on tracks like “Lemonade” clash with her girlish vocals, and most of the songs meander repetitively without ever seeming to conclude or even develop. All that being said, there’s still something hypnotic about Braids’ music. No one seems to know what they’re doing, perhaps least of all themselves. Native Speaker is an odd pick for Polaris and one that will inevitably provoke the question: “what are the judges getting that we aren’t?”

Colin Stetson: New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges A betting man would put money on Colin Stetson winning the prize this year. Well, at least in some capacity. Aside from his own record, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, he also contributed saxophone to both Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Timber Timbre’s Creep On Creepin’ On. Three out of 10 ain’t bad. Still, without question, his solo offering of avant-garde saxophone pieces is the most challenging and contentious record on the list (progressive virtuosity? Self-indulgent wankery? Both?). Whichever camp you happen to fall into, it can’t be denied that Stetson has created the most unique record to ever reach the ranks of Polaris. A dark horse for sure, it’s the type of left-field record jurors love to recognize, and that he even made it this far is a testament to the open ears of Canadian music critics. Weird, wild, and wonderful, this is what the Polaris Prize is all about.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Weeknd: House of Balloons The surprise debut of Torontobased R&B singer Abel Tesfaye (better known as The Weeknd—no “e” in “end”) ticks all the boxes: his beats pay tribute to post-dub acts like James Blake and melancholic indie rockers the xx in equal measure, all the while cultivating a distinctive hip-hop sound. He quotes Pharrell Williams in “Glass Table Girls”—“I’m a nice dude, with some nice dreams.” His whispery, almost-feminine vocals go from falsetto to borderline misogynistic in a heartbeat. Two of the words often used to describe his music are “narcotic” and “nocturnal”—as exemplified by the fan-made music video for “What You Need.” Given that it showcases so many underrepresented subgenres, House of Balloons could certainly be a top pick for Polaris.

Hey Rosetta!: Seeds Nominated for a second time (their sophomore LP Into Your Lungs (and on through your heart and around through your blood) made the short list in 2009), Hey Rosetta! are the lone hope for the Maritimes this year. Seeds is a big record, layered with strings, keys, guitars, and percussion. Arcade Fire comparisons abound—both bands strive for catharsis via huge instrumentation—but Hey Rosetta! are equally adept at quieter, more reserved moments, albeit inbetween said grandness (see “Yer Fall.”) That Arcade Fire are also on the list doesn’t do wonders for their chances, and while they’re appreciated, it’s doubtful they’ll walk away with anything other than continued respect. Not a bad thing to reap.

Destroyer­: Kaputt With Ron Sexsmith getting the attention for “lifetime achievement” it’s easy to forget that Dan Bejar’s Destroyer project has been around for almost as long. The Vancouver musician and New Pornographers member has been making eccentric music since 1995 and every album he’s put out since then has been predictably unpredictable. Kaputt, his ninth, is no exception, but with soft rock/smooth jazz influences, 80s synths, and horns it might be the least “Destroyer” of Destroyer records. It’s also arguably the best—a relaxed, breezy affair and a triumph of vision and aesthetic that is far more than pastiche. It would be the sexiest record to ever win the Polaris Prize, and it’s very likely that it will.

Ron Sexsmith: Long Player, Late Bloomer The “lifetime achievement” tag comes up a lot when discussing his short-list nod, but the fact that Sexsmith has been around so long wouldn’t mean anything if the songs on Long Player, Late Bloomer weren’t so strong. Working with producer Bob Rock, best known for his work with Mötley Crüe and Metallica, didn’t exactly seem like it would complement Sexsmith’s oft melancholic pop rock. But there are no glam rock solos or double kicks here, just a polished and well produced addition to Sexsmith’s storied canon. Maybe not a frontrunner to take home the prize, but a reminder that hard work and perseverance pay off. Lifetime achievement indeed.

Album Reviews

Neon Indian: Era Extraña Nowadays, music genres rise and fall in popularity on a yearly, if not monthly, basis. There was a time when Texas’ Neon Indian was the vanguard of “chillwave,” named for its dreamy synthwork layered around deliciously nebulous vocals. The group's debut Psychic Chasms—which did much to establish the movement—was applauded by hipsters and critics alike.

But two years can be a long time. While contemporaries like Washed Out and Toro y Moi sharpened and expanded their sounds to dizzying effects, Neon Indian’s sophomore effort Era Extraña seems more like a reactionary response. It's murkier and less lucid, though not without moments of nostalgic brilliance. Standout “Polish Girl” features a simple but irresistible riff looping over flaring synth lines. “Future Sick” puts Palermo's whispy vocals on top of lurching, glittering arrangements. The titular “Era Extraña” cuts through the synth haze of previous tracks with a spacious and grandiose delivery.

Yet these few tracks all share a mere comparability with Neon Indian's brilliant debut disc. The rest of Era Extraña either embodies directionless blips and beeps (“Suns Irrupt”) or overdoses on fuzzy din (“The Blindside Kiss”). Much of the disc is schizophrenic rather than psychedelic.

This shouldn't set Neon Indian back indefinitely, but for a band that was at the pinnacle of experimental sound, Era Extraña lacks the artistic vigour to hurdle the sophomore slump, let alone revolutionize a genre as they had done before.

—Chris Liu

15

Red Hot Chili Peppers: I’m With You I’m With You, the tenth record from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the first after a five-year hiatus, takes the signature Pepper funk sound in a different direction.

The new route is undoubtedly due to the departure of long time guitarist John Frusciante, the band’s musical compass, and his subsequent replacement by Josh Klinghoffer.

It is evident that Frusciante’s exit has triggered a streak of selfreflectiveness among the remaining members, given the succinct length of the record and the wistful, intuitive nature of the lyrics. Anthony Kiedis’ voice is steady and poised as always. His classic speak-sing technique doesn’t have the same range as other front men, but he projects confidence in the power and depth of his vocals. Flea’s funky bass lines and Chad Smith’s pounding, cathartic beats are quick and excellent as always. Klinghoffer is searching for his footing with the band, however he does an admirable job finding his place with three men who have been playing together since the ‘80s.

Standout tracks include “Meet Me at the Corner,” a melodic, soulful number, and the cool funk of the album’s first single, “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.”

It’s a solid and enjoyable album, but not fully up to Chili Pepper standards. Far from needing to prove themselves as musicians, a few tracks give a bit of a waning edge and could have been snipped for an even more concise, clipped gem.

—Kelly Malfara

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Sports baseball— McGill 0, CONCORDIA 3 (Game 1) - MCGILL 4, CONCORDIA 9 (GAME 2)

National champs drop two to Concordia Title defence now a tall order for McGill

By Brandon Romano Contributor It was a beautiful day for baseball Saturday, as many fans made the trek to Trudeau Park in CôteSaint-Luc to watch McGill battle the Stingers in a doubleheader. The defending national champions were looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the season to divisional rivals Concordia. However, the afternoon did not go as planned as the Redmen (0-3) lost both contests by scores of 3-0 and 9-4.

Over the course of the twin bill, McGill’s pitching and hitting were solid but struggled with consistency. However, Head Coach Ernie D’Alessandro was quick to point out that key players were missing, one being Casey Auerbach, who is injured but should be in uniform soon. “It takes some time to gel but we’ll bounce back and win some ball games. It’s a long season and we’ve only played a few games.

They’re a good bunch of guys and we’ll improve,” D’Alessandro said, emphasizing that it is still early in the season.

The first contest began as a pitcher’s duel, with both starting aces looking sharp and in top form.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, with McGill in trouble with the bases loaded, starting pitcher L.J. Aguinaga induced a ground ball and the infield managed to turn a double play to get out of the jam. The Stingers’ starting pitcher threw a complete game, allowing only two hits in the three-run victory.

In need of some offence in game two, the Redmen hoped to re-

SCOREBOARD (Scores since Sept. 7)

Redmen Baseball Lost 3-0 @ Concordia Lost 9-4 @ Concordia Lost 8-2 vs. Ottawa Won 9-3 vs. Ottawa

Redmen Football Lost 39-13 vs. Sherbrooke

Redmen Lacrosse Won 16-9 @ Toronto Won 11-10 @ Trent Josh Gordon (right) applies a tag in Saturday’s doubleheader. ( Ryan Reisert / McGill Tribune ) vive their bats and they did just that as the match rolled along. In the top of the first inning with one runner on base, Chris Ames hit a two-run homerun to put McGill ahead. The Redmen led off with a double in the second, and with two outs all-Canadian Josh Gordon doubled to drive in another run. Gordon eventually made it home following a throwing error making it 4-0 for McGill. With a good start under their belts, things took a turn for the worse in the bottom of the second. Concordia scored five and never looked back. McGill only managed four runs, with all of them coming in the second inning.

Chris Ames, one of the bright

spots of the day, highlighted what went wrong in game two. “We were up four nothing early which is nice,” Ames said. “We had a couple of good innings but we gave a few free passes to some of their hitters and let them get back in the game. We just didn’t keep the pressure on, we just kind of faded and they took the game over.”

Game one starter, L.J. Aguinaga threw a solid 5 2/3 innings, striking out three and giving up only three earned runs. He doesn’t want the team to panic and forget its identity. “We have a lot of rookies on the team and we’re still trying to put things together,” Aguinaga said,

echoing his coach’s words. “We’re the National Champions and we’re here to defend our title for sure, but we still have to get the job going right now … We’ve got thirteen more games and we should definitely put out a good record for the rest of the season.”

Although the start of the Redmen’s season has been disappointing, the buzz and intensity surrounding this squad is undeniable.

Everyone is optimistic as McGill is looking to regain their championship form, and from all indications it certainly seems that they will.

Martlets Rugby Won 71-0 @ Sherbrooke

Redmen Rugby Won 26-10 @ Bishop’s

Martlets Soccer Won 2-0 @ Bishop’s Won 1-0 @ UQAM

Redmen Soccer Won 1-0 vs. UQAM

rugby world cup

Wake up for the cup The world’s eyes turn to New Zealand for rugby’s biggest tournament

By Trevor Clarke Contributor The 2011 Rugby World Cup is a love-driven addiction for fans and players alike around the world.

Canadians and expats will be staving off sleep to watch games in New Zealand that start at ungodly hours over the next two months. Similar to the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup (RWC) fields sixteen teams—including Canada—for this quadrennial event. One of the most popular sporting events in the world, the RWC is a global spectacle that wows devout rugby enthusiasts and new fans over an eight-week thrill ride.

The RWC is a relatively new

event; the inaugural tournament was played in 1987 as New Zealand took the Webb Ellis trophy on home soil.

England, South Africa, and Australia have all won the tournament, with the latter two having taken home multiple championships. Showcasing rugby’s global reach, teams from Samoa, Namibia, Romania, and Argentina are competing. Despite rugby’s niche popularity in Canada, the Canadian National team ranks 14th, below Japan and above Fiji.

Canadian rugby has a long and rich history spanning over 150 years. The first recorded Canadian rugby game was played at McGill University, as students from our university played against British officers stationed in Montreal. Rugby

is most prevalent in countries that were under British colonial rule, but unfortunately for Canada, the game never quite caught on as it did in other places.

This year’s RWC is primed to become a classic. In the past, there has been a clear-cut favourite going into the tournament, but after #1 ranked New Zealand lost to Australia in the Tri Nation’s Cup at the beginning of this month, the door is wide open for the Wallabies, Springboks, and All Blacks of the Southern Hemisphere to take on the powers of the North: England, Ireland, and France.

When taking in a game at your favourite sports bar, at home (TSN is showing all games), or if you can

make it down to New Zealand, keep an eye out for the stars of the game today. Ma’a Nonu, the Kiwi centre is on par with Australian scrumhalf Will Genia as the most exciting player on the planet. The stalwarts of the game are New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, Wallaby flanker David Pocock, and Irish outside centre, Brian O’Driscoll.

There is a large disparity between the top ten teams in the world and the rest – colloquially dubbed the ‘Rugby Minnows.’ Canada will have winnable matches against Japan and Tonga, with their tougher tests coming against New Zealand and France in Pool A. The Canadian team is optimistic after two solid pre-tournament wins against the

United States plus a game against an Australian Barbarians side (club team all-stars). Led by captain Pat Riordan, a hooker from Victoria, the Canadian side looks to get scoring from centre DTH van der Merwe, fullback James Pritchard and lock Jamie Cudmore. 21-year-old Connor Trainor, a Vancouver native, joins Taylor Paris, an 18-year-old from Barrie as two of the brightest young players Canada has produced in recent memory. Brothers Phil and Jamie MacKenzie—winger and scrumhalf—represent a growing number of Canadians playing professionally overseas, developing their skills and helping rugby in Canada grow. Get ready for some long nights and awesome rugby.

season PREVIEW FC NORTH

FC SOUTH

The Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC North this season. Joe Flacco is only improving with age and is becoming one of the elite young quarterbacks in the league. With Anquan Boldin at wide receiver and the addition of Lee Evans, Flacco has many options to throw to. The Ravens also have an elite running back in Ray Rice, who looks to have another big year. The defence has been the team’s driving force for years, with players such as Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. With their offence on par with their defence, the Ravens can prove in week one that they are better than the Steelers. Note: the Ravens beat the Steelers 35-7 on Sunday.

Nobody will mistake the 2011 Colts for the perennial powerhouse they have been for the past 7 years. Peyton Manning, the Colts’ four-time MVP quarterback, is coming off neck surgery in the off-season, and has a five-year, $90 million contract to live up to. Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne and a rejuvenated line lead the offense, while defence remains, as before, the Colts’ Achilles heel.

The Steelers are coming into the season hungrier than ever after their heartbreaking loss to Green Bay in the Super Bowl. There are many reasons to believe they can have another great season. Troy Polamalu is finally healthy after being injured for almost a full season last year. He will surely add some interceptions and some great pass rushing to the already potent Pittsburgh defence. Ben Roethlisberger is still in his prime, and has plenty of passing options and a great running back in Rashard Mendenhall who can run the ball effectively to further confuse opposing defences.

The Texans’ offense is extremely dangerous, with Andre Johnson leading the receiving corps and reigning NFL rushing champ Arian Foster entering his third year in the league. The defense improved through free agency and the draft, but the change to a 3-4 defensive scheme may prove challenging for some of the younger players.

If the Texans do win the division, it could be more due to the Colts’ injuries than their own successes.

The Browns look like a very promising team and their fans have plenty of reason to be excited, but this team simply is not good enough to compete in a division with the Steelers and the Ravens. Quarterback Colt McCoy has been handed the team after some solid starts last season. If the Browns are to be competitive this year, McCoy has to prove that he deserved his high draft selection. Their defence is quite young and, while it has potential, it does not look competitive enough to give the Browns a shot at the playoffs.

It’s out with the old and in with the new in Tennessee. The offense will be predominantly based around Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson and wide receiver Kenny Britt. Look for ex-Seahawk Matt Hasselbeck to have a rebound year at quarterback. The defense is young and fast, and will be bolstered by second round pick linebacker Akeem Ayers, who fell to them at number 39 in this years draft.

The sorry Bengals once again look like one of the worst teams in the league this year. The team is officially starting over following the departures of Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, and Head Coach Marvin Lewis is intent on running the ball more this season with the loss of Palmer’s prowess at quarterback. While the Bengals look inexperienced on paper they may surprise a few people with a great group of young players going onto the field with something to prove.

The Jags are intent on doing the opposite of the other AFC South teams, namely, winning games with their defense. Jacksonville drafted quarterback-of-the-future Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft. Expect him to get some playing time. On the defensive side, the Jags did sign two linebackers this offseason and should be excited about getting defensive end Aaron Kampman back after losing him to injury last season.

FC EAST

FC WEST

As the cutain rises on another NFL season, spirits are once again running high in Foxboro. After a highly successful 14-2 season, Brady, Belichick, and crowd will have their sights on a longer playoff run. If they do, the line will have to do a better job protecting Brady. The flashy signings of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth certainly won headlines, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will win games. New England will need these two to shine if they are to win their first playoff game since 2007.

The Chargers have fantastic skill players at all positions. Phillip Rivers is one of the best, most underrated quarterbacks in the league. When he plays, Antonio Gates is the greatest tight end in the world. V-Jax, Malcolm Floyd, and Patrick Crayton make up a filthy cadre of wide receivers, and RBs Ryan Matthews and goal-line vulture Mike Tolbert make for a two-headed running monster. Special teams have been this group’s Achilles heel in the past, and judging from the first game this year, that hasn’t changed. Note: The Chargers allowed a 103 yard kickoff return to Minnesota’s Percy Harvin in week one.

Mark Sanchez’s critics have been loud and clear and the Jets have tried to address that by signing Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason to replace the departed Jerricho Cotchery. New York’s defense will be strong once again and Rex Ryan will continue to fool opposing offenses with his defensive schemes. If the Jets’ defense can stifle Brady and the Patriots in their two divisional games, this team will have a great chance at taking the division.

This is a team that has signs of regression painted all over it. The Chiefs overachieved heartily last year, largely due to recently-departed offensive co-ordinator Charlie Weis. Running back Jamaal Charles is a beast, and has been wastefully shackled by his backfield timeshare with Thomas Jones—Charles will produce no matter what, but quarterback Matt Cassell and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe could struggle immensely.

This team should drop but neither of the teams ranked below have put together the kind of roster that can pass them.

The Bills may turn out to be one of the great surprises of the NFL season. Another year of development for the young core of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson, and CJ Spiller may signal the light at the end of a ten-year tunnel of ineptitude in Western New York. Watch for Spiller to take the starting job from veteran Fred Jackson. Buffalo is probably a couple of years away from competing in the AFC East, but they are finally trending up, which should be a relief for their long-suffering fans.

Oakland looked to be a team on the rise last year, but the loss of both premiere defensive player, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, and pass-catching tight end Zach Miller takes the gas out of the Raiders’ proverbial hot air balloon. Last year, running back Darren McFadden finally broke out and should continue to perform, but quarterback Jason Campbell isn’t great, nor is his receiving corp. Rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore has potential but solid production this year may be too much, too soon.

This may be a long season for Dolphins fans. The addition of Reggie Bush is exciting, but as long as Chad Henne is lining up under centre, this team will not taste the playoffs. Davone Bess and Brandon Marshall will be enticing options in the air, but the offence will have to score a ton of points in order to make up for a shaky defensive corps. It may be time to think about the future in South Florida.

Like many other teams, the Broncoes will struggle under a new head coach (John Fox) early as they adjust to a shortened off-season. Denver also has a problem at pivot—Kyle Orton’s the starter for now, but he’s not good enough to lead a team deep into the playoffs and has no future in the Mile High city. Either Tebow needs to step way up, or the Broncoes need to tank hard and pick up one of the highly-touted quarterback prospects in the 2012 draft.

CONTrIBUTORS: Filippo Furlano, sam hunter, christopher nardi, joshua “bucky” prizant, adam sadinsky

FC NORTH

FC SOUTH

The Packers are coming off of the most successful football season possible: a Super Bowl win. Yet for a team that suffered six losses by six points or less with 15 players on injured reserve, the Packers are destined to remain one of the NFL’s greats this season. Led by playoff MVP Aaron Rodgers, this season the Packers are expected to challenge for the NFC title, and probably the Super Bowl again.

The Falcons won the division last season and seem primed for a repeat this year.

Atlanta was able to trade their spot in the 2011 draft from 27th to 6th overall and acquired wide receiver Julio Jones. Jones, a standout at University of Alabama, will make Atlanta a Super Bowl contender if he manages to live up to the expectations bestowed on him. As long as Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez continue to play their strong offensive game, the Falcons are set to make a deep run into the playoffs.

The Bears, backed by President Barack Obama, made it to the NFC finals, where they suffered a 21-14 loss to the Packers, their division rivals. The loss itself wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t been for the extremely poor showing by quarterback Jay Cutler. If the Bears want to repeat their playoff appearance this season, it will be important for Cutler to improve his play and avoid becoming “NFC Finals” Cutler. Yet the team is in very good hands with head coach Lovie Smith and offensive guru Mike Martz, and the Bears will once again be playing meaningful games in January.

Following their Super Bowl win in 2009, the Saints had a very disappointing playoffs in 2010, losing to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks. During the off-season, the Saints lost their star running back Reggie Bush to free agency, but were able to draft Heisman trophy winner running back Mark Ingram, for whom the team has very high expectations. With Drew Brees at the helm, the Saints are once again expected to make the playoffs and compete for the Super Bowl title.

In 2008, the Detroit Lions finished dead last in the NFL with a 0-16 record. In 2009, the Lions finished 2-14, good for second to last place. In 2010, the Lions improved to 6-10, finishing third in the division and 21st in the league. Notice a trend? If quarterback Matthew Stafford can remain healthy and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh can keep his form, the Lions should continue to improve their standing. The playoffs, however, still remain a few years away.

Last season, the Buccaneers were one win away from making the playoffs, winning one less game than division rival Saints. Although wide receiver Mike Williams promises the playoffs, many wonder if the Buccaneers are a bubble team or if they’re the real deal. Led by quarterback Josh Freeman and wide receiver Mike Williams, the Buccaneers have a solid core of young, talented players with a lot of room for improvement. But with few off-season improvements, Tampa Bay’s star players will have to carry a lot of weight if the team is to make it to the playoffs.

The Vikings suffered a horrible season in 2010, coupled with various off-field distractions like the Randy Moss fiasco, Brett Favre’s NFL investigation, the Metrodome collapse and its subsequent modifications, and the firing of head coach Brad Childress mid-season. The 2011 season isn’t looking much brighter. With the third and final official retirement of Brett Favre, the Vikings didn’t help themselves by nabbing quarterback Donovan McNabb, an ex-star in the twilight of his career. New head coach Leslie Frazier will have a lot of work to do if he wants to bring this team back to what it used to be.

After a disappointing 2010, Panthers fans know that the road back to the playoffs is a long-term dream. Going 2-14 last season, the Panthers were able to draft Auburn star quarterback Cam Newton, who fills one of the great gaps in the Panthers’ line-up. Following last season’s disappointing record, previous head coach John Fox’s contract was not renewed, and Jon Rivera was hired as the new head coach. Although Rivera predicts the Panthers will win ten games this season, five wins is a more accurate projection.

FC EAST

FC WEST

The Cowboys are entering the 2011 season with more to prove than any other team in the NFL. The offense brings back Tony Romo and the defense boasts pass rushing specialist DeMarcus Ware, who has been the NFL sacks leader for two of the past three seasons. Head coach Jason Garret’s first personnel move was to bring in new defensive co-ordinator Rob Ryan (brother of Jets head coach Rex Ryan) to challenge the high-octane offenses of the NFC.

Simply by virtue of having burgeoning young star quarterback Sam Bradford at the controls, the Rams have a leg-up in this year’s race to mediocrity. Josh McDaniels is still offensively brilliant, and his addition as offensive co-ordinator should further accelerate Bradford’s already turbo-charged development. Further help will come from the addition of wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker. Although he played poorly last year, Sims-Walker could emerge as a credible WR1 with Bradford’s talents. Assuming injuries to running back Steven Jackson and Bradford aren’t serious, this team should be able to be just less-bad enough than its divisional competitors to get to the playoffs.

The Giants have gone with defensive players in the draft seven of the past eight seasons, this year drafting Nebraska defensive back Prince Amukamara to complement an already formidable pass rush. The Giants boast a very good defensive line and an underrated group of linebackers. Amukamara, who was widely considered the best cornerback in the draft, will complement an already very capable defensive corps. On the offensive front, Eli Manning leads an offense that will probably remain dedicated to the running attack.

Based on an incredibly small sample of games played, Kevin Kolb seems like he might be a legitimate solution at the quarterback position. However, just because there’s a solid signal-caller tossing to wide out Larry Fitzgerald again doesn’t mean that this team is going to be able to get back to the Kurt Warner glory days anytime soon.

Corner Patrick Peterson was a great pick, but a porous offensive line and no run game should leave the Cards on the outside looking in come playoff time.

The Eagles made a splash in the off-season, taking advantage of the free agent frenzy following the end of the lockout. The Eagles shelled out big contracts to All-Pro defensive back Namdi Asomugha, defensive end Jason Babin and resigned quarterback Michael Vick to a blockbuster $100 million dollar contract. Watch for wide receiver DeSean Jackson to have a huge year; he is resuming his role as the main punt and kick returner after the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” last year against the Giants.

Poor Jim Harbaugh, going from coaching that surefire number one overall QB pick to this 2005 first overall QB selection is the definition of the word letdown.

Harbaugh is confident he can get something out of Alex Smith, but colour me skeptical. The receiving corps is there, with newly-added Braylon Edwards lining up alongside second-year Michael Crabtree, it just remains to be seen whether or not Smith can deliver the ball. Frank Gore should have a good year, assuming he can stay healthy.

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan cleaned house in a very busy and public manner this summer, shipping out disgruntled defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth for a fifth round pick in the 2013 draft. Quarterback Donovan McNabb was also released, creating a quarterback competition between former cast-offs John Beck and Rex Grossman. The defense will be hard pressed to contain the elite offences in the NFC and the offence will probably not fare much better with either Grossman or Beck at the helm.

Tavaris Jackson is not good enough to start at the NFL level. That’s as kindly as it can be said. Free agent acquisitions Zach Miller and Sidney Rice should make plays if they can get the ball, but that’s unlikely. Seattle will miss longtime quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and will not make it back to the playoffs despite the mediocrity of the league’s worst division. Welcome to Seattle, Andrew Luck!

20

Curiosity Delivers. www.mcgilltribune.com

redmen baseball—McGill 13, Sherbrooke 39

Redmen lose home opener; winless streak now at 14 Passing game leads No. 7 Sherbrooke to road victory

By Sonny Moroz Contributor Regular season football rolled into Percival Molson Stadium on Friday night. A boisterous crowd of 5,512 fans sparked the Redmen to an early lead, but special teams and an outstanding game by quarterback Jeremi Doyon-Roch were the difference for Sherbrooke en route to a 39-13 victory for the Vert-et-Or. McGill came out strong, recovering a Sherbrooke fumble on the opening kickoff and capitalizing with a field goal to take an early 3-0 advantage. The lead, however, didn’t last long into the second quarter. A series of short swing screen passes, coupled with a persistent running game and a deep threat passing game, overwhelmed the Redmen who were carrying a burdensome 13-game losing streak on their backs into the home opener.

“We need to be better on offence,” Head Coach Sonny Wolfe said. He stressed that to climb up the standings they’ll need to “keep the defence off the field, and concentrate more on discipline.” Seven offside penalties put McGill in an uphill

The home-opener crowd gets its first look at rookie Dallon Kuproski (centre). ( Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune ) battle in the second half as well.

McGill rookie quarterback Dallon Kuprowski demonstrated sporadic success in mounting a drive of seven plays for 79 yards in the first quarter and a 12-play 70-yard drive in the third. The Redmen, however, only came away with two short field

Third Man in

The final series of the 2011 NHL playoffs will be remembered for several reasons. Perhaps for being the first professional sports event in which players tried to stuff their fingers in each other’s mouths.

Maybe as the year when Vancouverites tried to burn their city to the ground because they lost a hockey game. Again. For me, the highlight of the playoffs came just after game seven finished and before the riots began. Vancouver fans gave Gary Bettman one of the best boo-ings I’ve ever heard. A boo-ing so loud that the league commisioner had to scream as loud as he could into the arena microphone system to be heard over the roar.

To the uninvolved hockey fan, it might seem strange that every time the commissioner of the NHL makes an appearance, the fans boo him with all their might. I’ve been asked a few times why they do this, and my response was the same as any true hockey fan’s: “because they should.”

To elaborate on this point, though, I composed a brief poem to Gary Bettman.

Gary Bettman, How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways.

I hate thee for not one, but two lockouts. ‘94, and ‘04 no more.

I hate thee for thy silly expansions: Phoenix, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta hath nary an ice rink, nor a hockey stick.

I hate thee for moving thy Jets and thy Nordiques from this Great White North to that Great Hot South.

I hate thee for the shootout, which shall occur only in an All-Star contest.

I hate thee for thy new penalty rules. Hockey art not soccer. Thou shalt not receive two minutes for love-bumps.

I hate thee for signing with Versus, the worst TV network of yore.

I hate thee for threatening Vancouver’s Green Men. I hate thee for touch icing.

I hate thee for thy bloated salary, which thou hast neither earned, nor deserved.

I hate thee for thy smug demeanor. Thou dost not know best.

I shall hate thee until my death.

—Iain Macdonald

goals off of Austin Anderson’s boot.

The inexperience of the young 18year-old QB getting his second career start was evident when he threw two interceptions in the third. When asked about the young pivot, Wolfe spoke of his quarterback’s confidence and said he “fared very well

despite the field position.” Wolfe added, “the more he plays the better he’ll get.”

Sherbrooke won the field position battle on the shoulders of Raphael Gagne and Ismael Malik Bamba, who combined for 149 returning yards. Rookie QB Jeremi

Doyon-Roch completed 26 of 37 passes for 362 yards to a receiving corps highlighted by Simon Charbonneau-Campeau, who hauled in eight passes for 131 yards including a pivotal 53-yard reception that spurred the offence in the second half.

McGill’s defence held strong for much of the first half, generating a sack and forcing a fumble that was returned to the house by Alexander Hutchison III. The feat stunned the defensive lineman himself. “It was all in slow motion,” Hutchison said.

“All of a sudden I realized I had to start running, I woke up, and I found the endzone.” It was Hutchison’s first career touchdown, and he got there in blazing speed. He hopes to “one day run a 40 (yard dash) that fast again.”

Next on the schedule are two games in Wolfville, NS to play the Acadia Axemen, and Quebec City to face league-powerhouse Laval. The Redmen are back on Sept. 30th for the Fill The Stadium game against Bishop’s.