BLACK HOLES, NEW WORLDS AND THE UNIVERSE: A three-part public lecture series in honour of the International Year of Astronomy.
First in the series is “Origins and Aliens: The Search for Other Earths” by Professor Sara Seager of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. September 21, 2009, 6 p.m., Leacock 132. For thousands of years people have wondered, “Are we Alone”? With over 350 planets discovered to orbit nearby stars, the existence of “exoplanets” is irmly established. Astronomers are now able to routinely measure planetary sizes, masses, and atmospheres for a subset of hot, big exoplanets. The race to ind “habitable” exoplanets is on with the realization that big Earths orbiting small stars can be both discovered and characterized with existing technology. Professor Seager will present highlights of recent exoplanet discoveries and discuss when we might ind another Earth and what kinds of signs of life we are looking for.
Do You Feel Less Energetic in the Winter than in the Summer? The Department of Psychiatry at McGill University is looking for healthy women (18-40 years old) for a study of the effects of a dietary factor and light exposure on how individuals feel and behave. The study involves a preliminary interview and two one-day experimental sessions, during which participants will ingest a protein drink, perform psychological tests, and have blood samples taken. Participants will be compensated for their time. E-mail us at mcgill.light.study@gmail.com, or call 514-398-5166. This study is supervised by Dr. M. Leyton.
Looking for a challenge BEYOND the books?
http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/seminars/PSC_seager.html
LSAT MCAT GMAT GRE Preparation Seminars • Complete 30-Hour Seminars • Convenient Weekend Schedule • Proven Test-Taking Strategies • Experienced Course Instructors • Comprehensive Study Materials • Simulated Practice Exams
Solve some of the world’s toughest problems for cash awards ranging from $5,000 - $1,000,000.
• Limited Class Size • Free Repeat Policy • Personal Tutoring Available • Thousands of Satisfied Students
OXFORD SEMINARS 1-800-269-6719 416-924-3240 www.oxfordseminars.ca
Submit to News news@mcgilldaily.com
WWW.INNOCENTIVE.COM Solve Problems. Earn Cash. Change Lives.
News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
3
MBA fees jump to $29,500 Program rejects government contributions in favour of self-funding Stephen Davis The McGill Daily
P
rofessor Don Melville, director of McGill’s Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program, announced in an email to MBA students last Thursday that tuition will increase to $29,500 for all incoming students as of September 2010 – an increase of more than 1,663 per cent for Quebec residents, 531 per cent for out-of-province students, and 48 per cent for international students. Current MBA students will not be affected by the increase, and will continue paying regular rates of $1,672.80, $4,675.68, and $19,890 for Quebec, out-of-province, and international students, respectively. The tuition increase is part of a move by the MBA program to become self-funded. Under the new model, the University will forego government subsidies in order to maintain autonomy in dictating tuition fees. Melville’s email also stated that the decision to shift to self-funding was made based on feedback from both alumni and stu-
dents. “Such a change will allow us to invest even more in student services, the curriculum and the external reputation of the program,” Melville wrote in the email. Professor Susan Christoffersen, Academic Director of the MBA program, said that following the 2008 overhaul of the MBA curriculum, it was clear that greater financial support was needed to provide students with certain resources for seeking employment. “[The faculty] didn’t have the resources to support our students,” Christoffersen said. She was hopeful that higher tuition fees would allow the program to begin devoting the same attention to career planning services as other leading business schools. “We want to make sure our students can get superior jobs,” Christoffersen said. While Ron Duerksen, Director of Marketing and Communication for the faculty, said that the MBA Student Association was consulted in the decision, Post-Graduate Students’ Society President (PGSS)
Daniel Simeone said PGSS should have been involved in the process. “I think that the PGSS, as a representative of all graduate students, should most certainly have been consulted,” he said. McGill’s reputation was also a factor in the decision to adopt the self-funded model. Christoffersen expressed cautious support for attention to McGill’s ranking in publications like the Financial Times. “You don’t want to be driven completely by the rankings, but they matter a lot in terms of your ability to attract the best students…. We’re sensitive to [the rankings] and I think rightly so.” Simeone, though, was wary of an emphasis on reputation, claiming that the Financial Times and other publications often overlook valuable measures of the quality of education. “The current way in which these metrics are calculated is fundamentally at odds with the quality of education,” Simeone added. In an email to The Daily, Duerksen acknowledged that these rankings are “not entirely valid,” but added, “the reputation of a business
school is driven by the reputation of its MBA program.” But the accessibility of the MBA program – among the most expensive graduate degrees but with one of the highest financial returns – remains a point of disagreement for the administration and PGSS. Simeone maintained PGSS’s support for a system of regulated, frozen Quebec tuition that allows for changes in accordance with inflation. “I think it’s clear that [charging] $30,000 a year…for anything impacts accessibility,” he said, adding that McGill’s current policy of contributing 30 cents of every dollar to student aid from increased tuition fees is inadequate. Duerksen, though, was confident that the program would remain accessible, explaining that, “The self-funded model will enable [the faculty] to increase…scholarships ten-fold.” Still, Duerksen admitted that a higher tuition rate may deter a small number of applicants, but added that students should expect to pay high fees in exchange for the financial security of “high gradu-
ating salaries.” Barbara Dourley, U3 Management and President of the Management Undergraduate Society, acknowledged the financial security that an MBA can provide, but expressed concern that such high fees might discourage students from pursuing less lucrative careers with not-for-profit organizations. “I don’t think [McGill] has realized that there are a lot of different students that want to do an MBA,” Dourley said. “I think in the future there is going to have to be a way for the MBA program to somehow involve that kind of student.” In his email, Duerksen promised the faculty would plan specific scholarships for students intending to work for non-profit organizations. Duerksen added that many prospective students expect to pay high tuition fees for an MBA. “This is not news to the rest of the world,” he said in his email. Due to other commitments, the dean and associate dean of Management were unavailable for comment. The MBA Student Association was unable to respond to The Daily by press time.
Residence dining in disarray Students, staff upset by change in prices and policy
Connecting the Dots Alison Withers News Writer
W
hat happens when student suggestions for improving campus life get misinterpreted? In McGill residence cafeterias, students are now adjusting to a new dining system that some wish they hadn’t asked for in the first place. For years, students in Royal Victoria College (RVC) and Upper Residences – Molson, McConnell, Gardner, and Douglas – had been curious as to why their cafeteria system only had limited hours of operation, no weekend food services, and a fixed, albeit large, portion of food at each meal – a system that generated a lot of waste. Administrators are now saying that they’ve responded to years of
student feedback by extending dining hours until 10 p.m., keeping the cafeterias open on weekends, and providing more flexible meal options. All residence students now have declining balances and are permitted to spend 85 per cent of their funds at their home residence, and the remaining 15 per cent at campus food spots. This split ensures that McGill Food and Dining can cover their contractors’ fees at each location. Students are still dissatisfied, however, due to hikes in food prices. A standard dinner costs around $13, and students are charged extra for healthy items like salads – which used to be free and unlimited – and fruit. Instead of paying extra – like $1.05 for an apple – some students are eating less and complaining that food services are overpriced and monopolistic.
The meal plan is mandatory for all students in the Upper Residences, RVC, New Rez, and Carrefour, and each is serviced exclusively by McGill Food and Dining – a new centralized body comprised of the former Residence Dining and McGill Dining offices. Concerned students have already prompted McGill Dining to tweak their price system. Yesterday morning, students arrived for breakfast to find that all meal prices had dropped by an average of $2 – a small victory. Part of this development can be attributed to a petition started by Patrick Dibb, a resident at McConnell who quickly garnered the support of 120 of his peers. “Various meal options were ridiculously overpriced,” he said. “They were wringing us dry on every single little thing.” Dibb, however, was not able to get his petition accepted by anyone in the administration, and admits that the petition’s role will be negated by the election of Food Reps from each residence. There are still several kinks to work out in the new dining system. Floor fellows who were familiar with the old system are now complaining that the sense of community around the dinner table has disappeared with the extended
Vera Khramova for The McGill Daily
Formerly free, students now have to pay for salad. meal times. In addition, students from RVC are finding it difficult to manage without their cafeteria at Sherbrooke and University – an ideal lunch spot for students during the day – which is closed for major renovations and won’t be open until January 2010. The new Carrefour residence only has breakfast and snack service, and their residents must travel
to New Residence Hall to eat most meals. As with most shocks to a system, it appears that the adjustment of students and staff to the new system has been slow. With luck, students’ feedback will be duly noted by the administration throughout the year, and McGill Food and Dining Services will eventually establish a viable and pragmatic arrangement.
Big ideas? Write a feature! features@mcgilldaily.com
Classifieds
FREE
To place an ad, via email: ads@dailypublications.org phone : 514-398-6790 fax : 514-398-8318
everyday banking for
students.
It’s worth a talk. CIBC Advantage® for Students offers FREE transactions1 and no monthly fees. Now you can apply online2!
Save money with no monthly or transaction fees. Open a CIBC Everyday® Chequing Account and enrol in CIBC Advantage for Students and get FREE transactions1 and no monthly fees. You’ll also get:
Save money Bank conveniently Apply online
• Free transfers to your other CIBC personal bank accounts • Free basic record keeping by bankbook, basic monthly or quarterly statement, or paperless option
Access your account easily & get free account balance inquiries. Enjoy 24-hour access to your account with bank machines (CIBC has the largest network of bank machines in Canada!), CIBC Telephone Banking, CIBC Online Banking and Interac* Direct Payment.
It’s easy – just go to www.cibc.com/studentlife
Here’s how you qualify
We’ll need to see verification of your enrolment in a qualifying full-time post-secondary program (college, university, or CEGEP) each year. Ask for details. Also, additional fees apply to withdrawals from non-CIBC bank machines. To apply, talk to a CIBC advisor at any branch, call 1 800 465-CIBC (2422) or visit www.cibc.com/studentlife
Cost : McGill Students & Staf : $6,70/day; $6.20/day for 3 or more days. General public : $8.10/day; $6.95/day for 3 or more days. 150 character limit. There will be a $6.00 charge per contract for any characters over the limit. Prices include taxes. MINIMUM ORDER $40.50/ 5 ads. Categories : Housing, Movers/Storage, Employment, Word Processing/ Typing, Services Ofered, For Sale, To Give Away, Wanted to Buy, Rides/Tickets, Lost & Found, Personal, Lessons/Courses, Notices, Volunteers, Musicians, etc. Lost & Found ads are free.
Housing 4 1/2 - MTL North, renovated, large rooms, very quiet and clean, close to buses, metro and all services, 15 mins. away from downtown (Pie-IX metro station), available Oct 1st. $545. Call (450) 661-6110
Employment MASTER SCHOOL OF BARTENDING Bartending and table service courses Student rebate Job reference service • 514-849-2828 www.Bartend.ca (on line registration possible)
“LAZY EYE”
Have you had a since childhood? McGillVision Research is looking for study participants. Please call Dr. Simon Clavagnier at 514934-1934 ext. 35307 or email mcgillvisionresearch@ gmail.com for further information.
HELP WANTED - Suchen fliessend deutsch-sprechende Studenten/-in um unseren Kindern durch Konversation und Spiel Deutsch zu lernen. Die Kinder haben bereits gute Deutschkenntnisse. Tageszeiten sind flexibel - idealerweise spaeter Nachmittag zwischen 4-7pm jeweils fuer 60-90 Minuten, einmal oder zweimal pro Woche. Bezahlung muss besprochen werden. Bitte kontaktieren Sie Familie Bucheit in Montreal: 514-932-2499. Wir freuen uns Sie kennenzulernen.
ADVERTISE IN THE MCGILL DAILY! 11,000 readers every Monday and Thursday 514-398-6790 ads@dailypublications
GET YOUR CLASSIFIEDS ON THE WEB! 1 Transaction includes: cheques, withdrawals, pre-authorized payments, bill payments (including CIBC Visa), and Interac Direct Payment purchases. Additional fee(s) apply to all withdrawals at bank machines not displaying the CIBC name or logo; the student discount does not apply to this. Free transfers to other CIBC personal bank accounts, free basic record keeping and free account balance inquiries through CIBC bank machines, CIBC Online Banking or CIBC Telephone Banking are standard features of the CIBC Everyday Chequing Account and not a special student benefit. 2 If you’re applying for the CIBC Advantage® for Students online, you must provide verification of enrolment in a full-time, post-secondary, qualifying program (college, university or CEGEP) at a branch within 60 days of receiving your Welcome Package. ® Registered trademark of CIBC. “CIBC For what matters.” and “It's worth a talk.” are TMs of CIBC. *Registered Trade-Mark of Interac Inc.; CIBC authorized user of the trade-mark.
Place your classifieds in The McGill Daily and for only 10$ more, we’ll add them to our website! www.mcgilldaily.com/classifieds
News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
5
Senate & BoG Reports on McGill’s highest bodies
The McGill Daily
Research and recruitment McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) convened for the first time this academic year on Monday. Members of the administration announced their intentions to continue to develop McGill as a research-intensive university with a focus on graduate programs. A lack of resources – due to both an endowment affected by the economic crisis as well as a decrease in government and private research funding – has factored heavily in the administration’s plan to attract graduate students who are in highrevenue fields. In a presentation about research revenues, questions were raised about the significant drops McGill has seen compared to the other top-five Canadian research universities over the past four years. Denis Thérien, Vice Principal of Research and International Relations, said the trend is due in part to the time it takes grant money and investments to be accounted for in the University’s budget. He added that McGill has also failed to prioritize research and graduate subsidies in comparison to several other universities.
McGill cuts $1 million in health benefits “We have to stay extremely disciplined,” said Principal Heather Munroe-Blum regarding the University’s current financial situation, “Tough decisions will have to be made.” One such tough decision will be a cut of $1 million from the University’s employee health benefits program. McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) member Trevor Garland submitted a petition of over 1,000 signatures that calls the cut to employee health benefits “unfair and unjust.” MUNACA Vice President of Labour Relations David Roseman later commented that MUNACA doesn’t intend to refuse cuts outright, but wants to renegotiate the terms of their collective agreement to rearrange their health benefit plan, rather than reduce it.
University governance The Quebec government has introduced Bill 38, which would control university governance by setting up specific requirements to be met by administrations across the province – including a clause requiring 60 per cent of a board of governors to come from outside the university. Munroe-Blum, as a member of the Conference of Rectors and
Principals of Quebec Universities (CREPUQ), said she is working to create a proposal rejecting this lobby by the government. Chairman of the BoG Robert Rabinovich echoed her statements, saying the bill would “infringe on the independence of the University.”
Shatner was packed with undergraduates Monday and Tuesday evening for the annual rite of Activities Night. Students were able to visit three floors’ worth of clubs and services soliciting their membership and email addresses – and in some cases, offering an exchange of free food and pens.
Course packs delayed The McGill Senate convened for the first time this year on Tuesday, and high on their agenda was a motion tabled by education professor Alenoush Saroyan asking the administration to explain why course packs were printed late this September. Saroyan took issue with the administration’s decision to stop using Eastman Systems – the company McGill has relied on for the past 10 years – and to move the printing in-house. This year, McGill Ancillary Services took over the job of printing course materials – a move Saroyan argued was not in the best interest of faculty or students. Associate VP University Services Jim Nicell replied that despite 10 years of work with Eastman, the company’s contract was up for renewal and that moving publishing to McGill would cut costs by making the most of using digital resources – instead of paying copyright twice on material the University already owns. He informed Senate that the delays were due to start-up problems, such as working out legal details and purchasing new printing equipment, and that Ancillary Services has added a third shift to their staff who are now working around the clock to print the 11 remaining course packs.
H1N1 pandemic preparation Geography professor Tim Moore raised concerns over the University’s handling of H1N1 prevention. He questioned the Senate on whether the administration’s “social distancing” – avoiding groups of people – would actually be effective. He also asked whether the University has any medical steps in mind for dealing with a pandemic, and if hand sanitizers will be made available on campus. The administration responded that the University has been working on pandemic planning since last June, but that the key to prevention was personal hygiene. While hand sanitizers will be made available at various locations across campus, it was stressed that prevention comes down to washing your hands and sneezing with etiquette. Some senators commented that hygiene at McGill becomes rather difficult when washrooms are left a mess. Principal Heather MunroeBlum responded that the University would take all necessary measures to maintain hygiene, regardless of the cost, if more janitors are required.
Devon Hart for The McGill Daily
Courtney Graham and Humera Jabir
Campus Eye
Students flock to SSMU Activities Night
McGill adopts Project Hero Scholarships assist the children of deceased Canadian soldiers
Kartiga Thiyagarajah The McGill Daily
P
roject Hero, a new scholarship program that waives tuition for the sons and daughters of fallen Canadian soldiers, has made its way to Concordia University and several other Canadian universities. Initially the vision of retired Canadian general Rick Hillier and honourary lieutenant-colonel Kevin Reed, Project Hero will reach out to financially dependent children of soldiers killed while on active duty. Eligible candidates must be 26 years old or younger and full-time undergraduate students at participating universities. Concordia’s Director of Media Relations, Chris Mota, said the decision to adopt Project Hero was a simple one. “We learned about the project from a member of our board of governors. Soon after, the University wanted to get on board right away,” explained Mota. “It simply made sense.” At McGill, Project Hero has not been overlooked. According to Morton Mendelson, McGill’s Deputy Provost, the program is being put into effect here as well. “We have been working on implementing the program for some time and it was finalized this week,” said Mendelson. “Although no general advertisement has been
made as of yet, we will be announcing this decision to the McGill community shortly.” Once an announcement has been made, applications will be available to students in the Scholarship and Student Aid Office. “After hearing about the project, we looked at our own scholarship program and asked ourselves, ‘How can we make this work?’” Mendelson explained. “It fit into our program reasonably and allowed us to do our part in supporting the Canadian Armed Forces.” Judy Stymest, Director of McGill’s Student Aid, felt that Project Hero reflected McGill’s tradition of aiding the families of Canadian soldiers. “McGill, like many universities, has a history of support for the families of soldiers,” said Stymest. “We have an aid program for the families of soldiers who were in World War I and II, which is still in existence.” According to Mota, Concordia has had a long-running relationship with the military. “After World War II, when many G.I.’s returned home, several attended Concordia,” said Mota. “We’ve been there to get them back on their feet.” “Although there may be individuals who are for or against Canada’s presence in Afghanistan, the University decided that this was not the time for such a debate,” Mota said. “Instead, we chose to support the families.”
According to Heather MacDonald, the Media Relations Officer of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), VAC does have programs to assist children of veterans or members of the Canadian Forces in financing their educations. “One such program is the Educational Assistance Program, in which surviving children of deceased veterans and Canadian soldiers receive funding for their education,” said MacDonald. “Another is a program that partially reimburses the tuition of former students.” Nevertheless, MacDonald does not feel that Project Hero is redundant. “Project Hero is very important in demonstrating that Canadian universities are recognizing veterans and the service they provide. This is invaluable support.” “Those who serve our country deserve our respect,” Mota said. “They have made the ultimate sacrifice and the least we can do is help their children aspire to a higher education.” For Mendelson, giving special aid to the children of fallen soldiers is McGill’s duty as a Canadian institution. “Symbolically, Project Hero is very important,” Mendelson emphasized. “It is a small measure we can take to demonstrate our support for the families of Canadian soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice.”
6 News
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
Luke Thienhaus / The McGill Daily
ACORN Founder speaks on “the new McCarthyism” The Daily discusses grassroots advocacy with prominent activist Wade Rathke
W
ade Rathke began his career in activism by organizing against the Vietnam draft with the group Students for a Democratic Society, while he attended college in Williamstown, Massachusetts in the late sixties. In 1970, he founded the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which represents the interests of lowerincome communities across the United States. He stepped down from his position as ACORN’s chief organizer in June 2008. Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau announced its disaffiliation from the group after two employees were caught on camera offering business advice to two individuals who were masquerading as a pimp and a prostitute. Rathke spoke at Concordia’s Samuel Bronfman Building Tuesday evening, promoting his new book, Citizen Wealth.
McGill Daily: Why did you found ACORN and what is its political mandate? Wade Rathke: ACORN is a membership organization of lowerincome working families that began in the United States, largely because there wasn’t an organized voice for such families and neighbourhoods. People started coming together and trying to build some power to address [issues like] housing or income or wage or health issues. MD: Do you see the recent scandal – the U.S. Census Bureau’s disaffiliation from ACORN – as a deliberate attempt to smear the organization? WR: After being there for 38 years, it’s very saddening and painful for me to see the Republicans and right wing try to target ACORN because of its association with President Obama, and because
they really don’t want poor people to have an organized voice. The census thing is a manufactured issue. [ACORN] was simply telling people they ought to be willing to be counted in low-income neighbourhoods, which is actually a huge problem in the census. So it doesn’t hurt ACORN per se, but this new McCarthyism [that] is raging in the United States – I think that is a very frightening thing for any organized group – labour or community or anything else – that’s [otherwise] allowed to continue unabated and to succeed. MD: Why do you think ACORN has become the scapegoat of the right wing press? WR: I’ll be damned if I know but I think it comes down to a frighteningly simple thing. One, it is poor people, and they believe that it’s easier to bully them, and they don’t
NEWS BRIEFS
our most urgent maintenance projects that have been deferred for several years” and to “allow McGill to attract the next generation of brilliant Canadian innovators.” Arti Sharma, director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, a lobby group which works to attract deferred maintenance funding for post-secondary institutions, called the move a “band-aid solution,” and added that it will go only part of the way to reversing a trend of brain-drain from Canada’s universities due to budget cuts made in the nineties. While upgrades to McGill’s science facilities will doubtless be a boon to the University, some are wondering why new buildings are being constructed while old ones, such as the Leacock Building, are in a dangerous state of disrepair. The cause of the mysterious illnesses of eight secretaries at Leacock last year, which some believe was linked to contact with muriatic acid fumes due to a failure of the ventilation system, has still not been fully addressed by the University.
McGill receives $103 million from federal stimulus Quebec Education Minister Michelle Courchesne and Senator David Angus announced last Monday at McGill’s Otto Maass Chemistry Building that the University would be receiving a grant of $103 million from the federal and provincial governments. The grant, which comes through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a part of January’s $12 billion Economic Action Plan, will invest in a brain imaging centre at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, new life sciences facilities at the Macintyre Medical Building, renovations at the Otto Maass Chemistry Building, and new facilities at the MacDonald Engineering Building. These upgrades, according to Principal Heather Munroe-Blum, are designed to “address a few of
—Ross Ward
like the fact that they’re standing up. And secondly, the organization is largely minority-led; the majority of its membership are AfricanAmericans and Latinos. Clearly, you can watch these pictures of the town halls and these ruddy-faced overweight people yelling at the top of their lungs; that’s not the ACORN constituency. MD: ACORN has been active for a number of years in fighting predatory lending and more recently, it has encouraged people facing foreclosure to stay in their own homes. WR: Yes, while I was there, ACORN was very involved in trying to stop predatory practices of subprime lending that were essentially luring people into loans that – [when] they qualified for regular mortgage rates – were putting them in disadvantaged situations. So we got agreements with Countrywide, which at that time was not owned by Bank of America and was the biggest [mortgage bank], to try and stop some of these activities. [Currently] the foreclosure crisis is spreading and it’s very difficult for many families to navigate their way out of this. While I was there the government kept announcing programs to help people facing foreclosures but there’s no progress. I have read that there have been a number of efforts – and ACORN’s is one of them, but there are many of them – where people are saying “stay in
Ottawa City Council eliminates age cap on student transit passes On September 9, student unions from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa succeeded in lobbying the Ottawa City Council to rescind the age cap on student discount transit passes. Previously, students over 28 years of age paid the adult rate – a policy student groups viewed as discriminatory against older students. Union members presented a petition with 2,400 signatures demanding that City Council recognize that students face financial barriers, regardless of their age, and that the policy be reversed. Ottawa City Council voted unanimously to rescind the ruling. Each student over 28 is now eligible to purchase OC Transpo student passes – which equates to about $200 in savings a year. Erik Halliwell, President of the Carleton University Student Association, told The Daily that
your homes” until the government finally does succeed in getting the servicers to agree to modify mortgages. MD: In recent years the liberal media has been paying closer attention to how private lobbies have managed to alter legislation. Do you see ACORN as an organization that needs to work within the lobby system or do you see that system as being inimical to its interests? WR: Well, I don’t think it’s a system we can work in. The kind of system you’re talking about – the private lobbies – is really pernicious. It’s amazing, for instance, the bailouts of Wall Street, and all the
money people got and what they gave away. [Yet] Wall Street lobbyists and bank lobbyists were still all over Congress afterward, preventing real regulation from coming in to correct those problems in the future. I think any membership organization is certainly not a lobby; you have to represent your members, and ACORN and similar organizations and unions have been very aggressive in standing up and communicating – not privately and in smoke-filled rooms and behind closed doors – but very publicly saying, “this is not the way you can do business.”
convincing the non-student population to understand and support the student cause is the key to reversing discriminatory policy. “Doing your best to make it a public issue is going to really help you in your fight. Councillors need to feel the heat sometimes in order to change,” Halliwell said. In Montreal a student must be under the age of 25 in order to purchase student fares, while a student bus and subway pass in Toronto is only available to students between the ages of 13 and 19. Montreal student unions are gearing up to take the issue to the City this year – in hopes that Montreal will follow Ottawa’s example. SSMU VP External Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan told The Daily that removing the arbitrary age cap in Montreal is already one of his top priorities. “We are going to demand that there is accessibility to the Metro Transit System for all students, specifically when it comes to reduced fares for passes, on a non-discriminatory basis – and that of course
refers to the age cap,” RonderosMorgan said. He was enthusiastic about cooperating with student unions from around the city in order to lobby candidates in the upcoming municipal elections, including groups from Université de Montréal, various CÉGEPs, as well as the Post Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS). In an email to The Daily, Ladan Mahabadi, Vice-President External of PGSS, said that the External Affairs Committee is currently pursuing a plan to develop a total transit pass for full-time students at McGill, similar to the Vancity U-Pass program which provides students with unlimited Translink access for $23.75 a month. “It doesn’t seem like there is any justifiable reason for the age cap, outside of financial limitations that the STM might have, but financial constraints shouldn’t dictate whether policy is discriminatory or not,” Mahabadi said.
—Compiled by Niko Block
—Ethan Feldman
Commentary
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
7
COMMENT
Rape isn’t funny The Daily’s Amelia Schonbek tackles the notion that a song is just a song
I
f William Farrell intended to use his Hyde Park, “Engineering Frosh is not sexist,” (Commentary, September 14) to dispel fears that participants in Engineering Frosh engage in activities that further anti-feminism, he failed miserably. Rather ironically, Farrell’s piece instead served to illustrate exactly the type of misguided thinking that continues to perpetuate societal gender inequalities to this day. First, we have to get one thing straight: “I used to work in Chicago” is an anti-feminist song, and though its verses depict – and make light of – the subordination of women, it continues to be sung at Engineering Frosh. Farrell states that it takes “an enormous leap of logic” to reach the conclusion that the song depicts violence against women, an opinion that can only be seen as misinformed. Repeatedly, the song’s lyrics tell of women who are on the receiving end of acts of sexual abuse. In the song, women are “nailed,” “slammed,” and “banged.” That the song uses inherently violent language to describe sex should not be overlooked, nor should the fact that it uniformly shows women as those being dominated, while men are the dominators. Though Farrell seems to think that “there is absolutely no indication that [the song] depicts anything but consensual relationships,” the lyrics clearly tell a different story. Verse after verse, a pattern emerges: women ask for something mundane (“butter she wanted”), and as a result, are subjected to sexual violence (“spread she got”). What exactly about such an encounter is consensual? The woman gets
spread, she doesn’t spread her legs herself. And though Farrell cites the fact that there are “myriad verses where the pronouns are switched or are in fact written about men walking into the store” to suggest that the song isn’t so bad after all, the fact remains that sexual violence against men or women should not be celebrated through song. Even faced with the above evidence, Farrell seems to think that singing a song like “I used to work in Chicago” does not equal “malice toward women, but rather comedy through innuendo.” He couldn’t be more wrong. Songs that portray violence toward women are not “silly” or “harmless” things, and calling attention to this fact does not “make issues where there were none before.” Rather, these songs reinforce and perpetuate a way of thinking that glosses over sexual abuse and uphold the notion that women are objects to be used to suit men’s follies. One may argue, as Farrell did, that only a person who is “psychologically disturbed” would ever carry out the type of actions described in “I used to work in Chicago.” Such a statement is not only wildly offensive, but it also completely misses the point. Let’s not be absurd – the main concern here is obviously not that swarms of male froshies, inspired by this song, are going to seek out department store jobs and take advantage of their female customers. The issue is that the song normalizes women as voiceless entities who are there to be taken advantage of – whether they like it or not – and that singing it is a statement of support for this brand of gender bias.
Sasha Plotnikova / The McGill Daily
Even something as seemingly innocuous as a Frosh song can reinforce gender inequalities. Further, to treat a song like “I used to work in Chicago” as merely “comedy through innuendo” is to fail to comprehend the significance of the words it contains, and their power. Surely, Farrell wouldn’t agree that it is acceptable to walk through campus and read aloud statements like “A lady came in for some help / Some help from the store / Help she wanted, AIDS she got!” Why, then, is a song containing these words so staunchly defended as good, honest fun? Part of the problem is that songs, for whatever reason, are seen
as innocuous no matter what their content. But the truth of the matter is that, although transmitting information through a song may be perceived as less serious or weighty than some other forms of dissemination, this is not the case. The information that surrounds us – all of it, in all its forms – influences the way we think and the opinions we hold. Singing an anti-feminist tune breeds anti-feminism, whether or not you somehow think the song’s contents are funny. The truth is, violence against
women is not funny, and it should never be trivialized as it is in “I used to work in Chicago.” Continuing to sing the song ensures that existing gender inequalities grow stronger, and does both men and women a disservice. The only way to fight against inequality is to expose it and work toward abolishing it. Stop singing “I used to work in Chicago.” It’s the first step. Amelia Schonbek is The Daily’s coordinating Culture editor. She holds a B.A. in English literature.
HYDE PARK
The problem with engineering is non-engineers’ gossip Jill Vandenbosch
W
hen I was looking at universities, I considered many different engineering programs across the country. McGill’s Faculty of Engineering was particularly attractive because of the high level of female enrolment. In fact, engineering at McGill has one of the highest percentages of female enrolment in the country – approximately 24 per cent across all departments, well above the national average of 16 per cent. Enrolment ratios vary widely between individual majors, with chemical and civil engineering close to parity, and electrical and mining having a higher male enrolment. In her article “Engineering Frosh is sexist” (Commentary, September 10), Sarah Mortimer unknowingly highlighted one of the biggest chal-
lenges facing women in engineering: the misinformation spread by non-engineers. Our current paradigm tells us that men dominate in engineering and that women face too much oppression or discrimination within the field to succeed. Consequently, young girls simply do not consider engineering as a career option. Unfortunately, over the last decade, female enrolment in engineering programs at all Canadian universities has declined while enrolment in general has been increasing. Most engineers, male and female, are quite distressed by this trend, and national and provincial engineering societies in Canada have created programs geared toward promoting the cause of female engineers and encouraging young girls to consider engineering. At McGill, Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering (POWE) organizes an
annual conference called Future Women Engineers for girls from Montreal-area high schools and CEGEPs. The girls are invited to spend a day at McGill to learn about engineering. They participate in a design competition, tour several labs, and listen to testimonials from professors, professionals, and students from all the engineering departments. When asked if they faced any opposition to pursuing a career in the field, many of the participants told stories of non-engineer parents or teachers discouraging them. I can sympathize: both my physics teacher and my guidance counsellor discouraged me from studying engineering, despite the fact that science and math were where I excelled in school. Luckily, many of the participants and other POWE committee members had stories of a relative who was an engineer or of a particularly encouraging par-
ent or teacher who helped them to choose engineering. My experience with Engineering Frosh at McGill was anything but one of oppression or discrimination. One of my favourite things about studying engineering is the sense of community and the importance of teamwork. Frosh was the first time that I had that feeling. Through design competitions, elaborate pranks, and by uniting in a ridiculous song based on innuendo and word play, first-year engineering students, both male and female, were welcomed into the engineering community. To suggest that Engineering Frosh is misogynistic or sexist detracts from the event’s true value. The main challenges facing women in engineering today are most certainly not at school. Unfortunately, of the women that graduate in engineering, not many pursue careers in the field, but rather in management,
technical sales, or another discipline entirely. Women studying engineering today need to be given the necessary tools to adapt to the current male-dominated workforce. They need encouragement from everyone, both male and female, engineers and non-engineers, to pursue a career in engineering so that the next generation of female engineers does not have to face the same problems. Even more importantly, we all need to work together to encourage today’s young women to consider engineering as a legitimate career option, so that one day there may be equality in the workplace. This certainly won’t be accomplished by debating the allegedly sexist and misogynistic lyrics of a silly song. Jill Vandenbosch is a U3 Chemical Engineering student and is the chair of POWE. Write her at jill. vandenbosch@mail.mcgill.ca.
8 Commentary
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
DNA database debate The McGill Debating Union will be presenting an exhibition debate on the question “Should the government be allowed to construct a universal DNA database?” The debate will take place Monday, September 21 at 6 p.m. in the Shatner Ballroom. The following two articles summarize some of the arguments surrounding the topic.
Doug Breuer / The McGill Daily
POINT
COUNTERPOINT
The U.S. should establish a universal DNA database Natalya Slepneva & Riva Gold
A
merican sci-fi writer David Brin once said, “When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.” Brin is a wise man. It’s time for the United States to implement a federal, universal DNA database for criminal investigations. With a universal database, everyone submits a sample for storage in a federal DNA bank, regardless of their previous run-ins with the law. In a country where over 1.3 million people annually fall victim to violent crimes, a DNA database would be a vital tool for the establishment of a fairer, more reliable, and more effective criminal justice system. A universal DNA database would provide us with the ability to solve virtually any crime in which the perpetrator leaves hair, skin, blood, or other fluids at the scene. Under the current system, DNA evidence is only useful if it happens to match that of someone already in the database – that is, someone who has already been convicted of a crime – or if DNA is volunteered by a suspect. Though the police can get a warrant for a suspect’s DNA, they need to have other evidence of guilt first, which is often a serious impediment to the time-sensitive investigative process. A universal DNA database can actually help prevent crime, not only because of its powerful deterrent effect, but also because it allows criminals to be caught sooner – before they re-commit. Since DNA testing can be done immediately, it would reduce the need for a lengthy search for suspects. A universal database would be a particularly powerful tool for catching serial murderers and rapists who are clever enough to commit their crimes in different jurisdictions, and who rely on the notoriously bad communication between different law enforcement agencies to remain undetected. It’s not just a numbers game, either – a universal DNA database results not only in more convic-
tions, but in more reliable ones. DNA is frequently used to establish the innocence of the wrongfully accused. It’s far more reliable than eyewitness testimony or speculation about motive, and it is immune from police and jury bias. In a justice system wrought with racial and religious discrimination, a DNA bank reduces the subjective power of individual police officers and lowerlevel court officials over the accused. A blanket DNA collection ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender, race, or religion, can be investigated under the same metrics and is subject to the same standards of evidence. Unsurprisingly, many people find the idea of forfeiting such personal information to the state somewhat unsettling. Activists across the country have dug out their Big Brother posters in a rush to oppose the creation of such banks in the name of purported “privacy rights.” Sure, it can be slightly disconcerting to find that the government has some identifying information about you. But the reality is, people regularly trust the government with far more sensitive information. One’s full medical history can be subpoenaed for legal proceedings, or even demanded for something as routine as a Medicare claim. A Social Security number reveals, well, everything. Yes, it would be bad if the government abused the DNA database and breached existing privacy laws. But it’s beyond pessimistic to insist that constitutional privacy protections would be insufficient when we already trust the government with far more valuable data. In a country where sexual assault is committed every two minutes and over a third of murders go unsolved, it’s not just acceptable for the government to go ahead and make a DNA database – it’s exactly what we should demand of them. Natalya Slepneva is a U2 Cognitive Science student and Riva Gold is a U3 Philosophy student. Write them at natalya.slepneva@gmail.com and rivagold@hotmail.com.
Our DNA is too valuable for the government to own it Sean Hayward
I
n our postmodern world, it is unsurprising that many cling to a few “facts” that science offers in investigating crimes. DNA profiles can help solve crimes and exonerate the innocent. In court, these profiles allow juries to eliminate reasonable doubt when used with other evidence – even though DNA profiles are not 100 per cent accurate. But outside criminal investigations, DNA information holds power beyond its use as the 21st century’s fingerprint. The vast array of information that DNA holds about an individual suggests that any mass collection of information has the potential to trample on privacy rights. Few would suggest that the government has the right to know an individual’s sexual orientation, susceptibility to specific diseases, predisposition to certain behaviour, or if they were a result of a mother’s affair. Each one of these “facts” has been linked to DNA, and scientists suggest even more details about human behaviour may be entwined in our double helix. Proponents of DNA databases argue that information beyond the genetic fingerprinting of criminals would not be available to the public. One cannot be entirely confident in this statement. Insurers have the potential to reap immense profits by rejecting applicants with genetic predisposition to diseases requiring expensive treatments, just as they now reject applicants with certain prior conditions. In the political realm, one can imagine the ease with which the government would be compelled to examine teachers whose DNA profile indicates a predisposition toward violent or predatory behaviour. It took centuries to eliminate institutional
racial discrimination – many argue it still exists. Racism reflects the misuse of constructed notions of race; if genetic discrimination becomes a reality, it will be even harder to dismiss than racism. The driving force behind DNA databases is their use within the justice system. If this is the goal, then the existing procedures already provide adequate access to DNA information. After all, DNA evidence alone is insufficient to win a case. Convictions require corroborating accounts that establish a chain of evidence confirming the accused’s motive and actions. If the only information the prosecution holds is DNA material proving that the accused was present at some point at the crime scene, reasonable doubt would bar a conviction. DNA evidence can tell us the accused was there, but it cannot tell us what happened. Investigators should have the ability to subpoena DNA samples from suspects. They do not require a DNA database to do so. In this debate about DNA databases, many are unaware of the extent of information that would be held by the government. Science itself is not fully aware of the power of DNA to influence present behaviour and future actions. The current information provided by DNA will have an impact on individuals if it becomes publicly available. Centralized databases will make it easier to determine who was at the scene of a crime, but they will not make it easier to make a conviction. A crime without witnesses remains the most difficult to prosecute. The solution is not to give the government access to such precious, private information. Sean Hayward is a U3 History student. Write him at haywardsean@gmail. com.
Commentary
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
9
Re: “Engineering Frosh is not sexist” | Commentary | September 14
In a society where women and femininity are subordinate, it’s much easier to disregard sexist humour when you’re not the target.
Letters
Lisa Miatello U4 Women’s Studies
I’m just a bill, yes, I’m only a bill
The funny is political
Re: “Landry for mandatory French in CEGEP” | News | September 14
Re: “Engineering Frosh is not sexist” | Commentary | September 14
I wonder why 32 years after the passage of the Charter of the French Language, only Frenchlanguage writers call it “Loi 101,” while English-language writers still quite pejoratively use the term Bill 101? English publications like The Daily or the Montreal Gazette seem to have lingering mixed feelings about the implications of this statute (such as whether it should apply to CEGEPs). Nonetheless, it is no longer a bill, but the definitive linguistic and cultural law of Quebec. Shouldn’t we stop pretending it’s 1976 and admit the bill has been adopted as law?
Similar to you, I think that the mainstream liberal conception of political correctness is fucked up. On the other hand, I would venture a guess that our reasoning for this contention differs radically. In order to maintain the peace and avoid offending people, we are encouraged to censor ourselves. This sort of argument generally assumes that some words are bad, and in order to rectify their badness, we should stop saying them. Unfortunately, not saying certain words does not lead to not thinking them or to not acting upon them. Words do not exist as inconsequential, superficial, and disconnected manifestations of our thoughts and actions. Rather, I would argue (and so would many) that they are only the tip of the iceberg. To put it simply, ideas don’t precede language – it’s language that creates ideas. We see, hear and use words, but we forget
Alexandra Dodger U3 Law Daily contributor
the history and the context that underlie, inform, and enact every single one, finally to create the world in which we live. That being said, I have a serious problem with people dismissing the anger generated by sexist or otherwise oppressive comments. True, not everyone will get pissed when you invoke ideas that imply women and femininity are inferior to men and masculinity. But if I do get indignant, don’t you dare tell me to lighten up. In a society where women and femininity are subordinate, it’s much easier to disregard sexist humour when you’re not the target. And when you call for the “free exchange of ideas (and jokes!),” what you seem to mean is, “I’m going to be as sexist as I see fit, and you’re going to take it.” This certainly isn’t new: a privileged group telling an oppressed group that oppression doesn’t exist whilst firmly reasserting it. You want to achieve “unity” through sexist humour? I wonder on whose terms that unity is going to be defined. Lisa Miatello U4 Women’s Studies
Sarah Olle, ace reporter Re: “Everything you always wanted to know about SSMU” | News | September 3 In their SSMU reviews, The Daily printed several factual errors. I emailed the News team to ask for printed corrections. They responded that the situation was “pretty embarrassing” and that they would be “be happy to run the errata” on certain corrections. Two issues and several conversations later, my corrections have yet to be printed. So, finally, I’ll just do it myself. Here are the corrections: Alex Brown is the SSMU VP Internal. Sarah Olle is the SSMU VP Clubs and Services. Julia Webster was the 20082009 SSMU VP Internal, not the SSMU VP Clubs and Services. Ivan Neilson’s name is not spelled “Ivan Nielson.” Nadya Wilkinson’s name is
not spelled “Nadia Wilkinson.” Jose Diaz does not manage Gerts or Haven. SSMU has a Gerts manager and a Haven manager, whom Jose oversees. The entire SSMU web site has been translated into French. SSMU is finishing up a few minor things, like translating forms and event listings into French, before they launch the French web site. As one of the primary sources of information on issues affecting students at McGill, one would hope The Daily would strive for the highest level of journalistic integrity on issues big and small. It is vitally important to SSMU that students are accurately informed; it is this information that allows students to enact positive change within the McGill community. Sarah Olle Vice-President Clubs and Services (SSMU)
The Daily received more letters than it could print this issue. The rest will appear soon. Send your thoughts to letters@mcgilldaily.com from your McGill email address, and keep them to 300 words or less. The Daily does not print letters that are transphobic, classist, sexist, racist, or otherwise hateful.
HYDE PARK
Let Caster Semenya choose how to live Quinn Albaugh
S
ince I wrote about Caster Semenya (“Transcending sex and gender binaries,” Commentary, August 31), the South African runner and gold medallist forced to undergo sex determination testing by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), there have been a number of troubling developments in the case. Last Thursday, the Australian press published rumours about Semenya’s test results, stating that Semenya is a “hermaphrodite.” The Canadian, American, and British press have parroted this story. However, the IAAF has not actually released its findings on Semenya, so we don’t know what the official results are. This coverage has wronged Semenya in two ways. First, the press has used the word “hermaphrodite,” which is at best inaccurate and outdated, and at worst an otherizing and sensationalizing term. A hermaphrodite, technically, is someone who has both male and
female genitalia. The reports contradict this by stating that Semenya has undescended testes and XY chromosomes, characteristics which indicate that Semenya probably has Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), a condition that prevents a person with XY chromosomes from developing along typically “male” lines because the body fails to respond to testosterone. Instead, people with AIS share the physical characteristics of XX females, except for ovaries and a uterus. Second, the media has violated Semenya’s privacy, while – ironically – protecting the privacy of whomever started the test-result rumours. All this may have already caused Semenya intense emotional harm – just look at the abruptness with which Semenya dropped out of a race last Saturday, just after the news broke, or how Semenya is reportedly under suicide watch. The question is this: What happens to Caster Semenya, now that this story, regardless of its truthfulness, is out in the public sphere? Semenya should certainly keep the gold medal. Imagine your medical history, especially regarding a
socially stigmatized condition related to your sex, discussed openly in the international press. How would you feel? Then add to that the pain of losing a gold medal and having a race that came approximately two seconds away from the women’s world record invalidated. How would you feel then? I contend, then, that the IAAF’s and the media’s violation of Semenya’s privacy alone morally justifies letting Semenya keep the medal. In any case, if Semenya has AIS, she would not be a “hermaphrodite” and she would not be disqualified from competition – the IAAF already allows people with “complete or almost complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome” to compete without question. However, for those who are concerned about whether Semenya has an “unfair advantage” due to having testes, we should look again at these reports. As I’ve said, if they’re correct, Semenya has AIS. So even though Semenya supposedly has undescended testes that produce more testosterone than the “female” mean, Semenya’s
body cannot turn that testosterone into the muscle advantage cited as the reason for sex segregation in sports. Semenya probably does have other advantages, such as increased height, because of AIS. However, we routinely allow athletes who are especially tall to compete. This isn’t much of an unfair advantage. The only reason Semenya’s genetics are even an issue here is because the potentially advantageous genes in question might be on those socially fraught sex chromosomes. The next question is whether Semenya will be able to compete again. Unfortunately, Semenya will likely be pressured into having the testes removed, both by the sports establishment, which will seek to avoid controversy about allowing Semenya to compete, and by the medical establishment, which usually recommends surgery to remove internal testes in all cases, officially because the testes are at risk for developing cancer. However, since it’s possible to provide appropriate care by monitoring the testes and removing them when the first
signs of cancer appear, I suspect that a better explanation is the medical establishment’s historical practice of “normalizing” or “correcting” intersex people’s genitalia. If Semenya wants to run again, it seems very likely that these organs will have to be removed. Following that surgery, good medical practice would offer Semenya a choice between “male” and “female” hormone replacement therapy. Sadly, South Africa’s strong support for Semenya during this spat probably comes with the price of ostracizing the runner if Semenya doesn’t want “female” hormone replacement therapy. Everyone – including the IAAF, the media, and even Semenya’s South African supporters – needs to step back and let Semenya alone decide how to proceed. At present, any involvement with this case will only lead to more harm and will interfere with Semenya’s ability to make these deeply personal decisions. Quinn Albaugh is a U3 Political Science student. Write Quinn at quinn.albaugh@gmail.com.
Mind&Body
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
13
Short-term work, long-term stress Study finds health inequalities in the workplace and argues need for fringe benefits Emma Gray The McGill Daily
T
he type of employment that you hold may be bad for your health. According to research conducted by McGill Sociology and Epidemiology Professor Amelie Quesnel-Vallee, those who enter into temporary or short-term contract work have a greater chance of developing mental health issues than those who have a permanent relationship with their employer. The research, conducted using data from the 1979 U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, studied a cohort of individuals who were then between the ages of 14 and 21; subjects were surveyed annually or biannually until 2002. QuesnelVallee had previously worked in a cross-nation study analyzing workers in France and the U.S. After that study concluded that contingent workers were more likely than permanent workers to have low wages and to be unemployed, QuesnelVallee’s interest in temporary work was piqued. “I was interested in health inequalities, and saw this as an opportunity to see what the impact [of contingent work] was,” says Quesnel-Vallee. It seems that the impact is significant. Individuals were surveyed about how frequently they experienced seven symptoms, all physiological markers of depression, such as lack of sleep or appetite. These answers were then coded, with a four indicating very frequent
experience of a given symptom and zero signifying no experience. Temporary workers, even those who experienced steady employment in temporary positions, scored an average of 1.5 points higher than the rest of the population in all categories. The implications of this study are notable for both workers and employers across North America. According to Quesnel-Vallee, employers often create temporary positions to sidestep the legal requirement of providing fringe benefits for permanent workers. “The greater the fringe benefits and protection for workers [in a country], the greater the use of temporary positions to circumvent them is,” says Quesnel-Vallee. This logic holds true, as four to five per cent of American jobs are temporary, compared to seven per cent of Canadian positions, Canada being a country that casts a wider social net around its workers. Employers in Quebec use contingent positions even more frequently. Although employers use these positions in order to cut costs and increase efficiency, the absenteeism caused by employee strain may in fact do just the opposite. Around 50 per cent of all absenteeism in Quebec is mental-health related. Those jobs that are a detriment to employees’ mental health are also likely to post low-efficency rates. For Quesnel-Vellee, her findings lead to a clear and distinct conclusion: “The bottom line is you have to care for your workforce.”
Rebecca Chapman and Alexsiina Chapman/ The McGill Daily
Knead for bagels A love letter to a Montreal staple Irina Gulerez The McGill Daily
T
he smooth crust gives in with a slight crunch. Immediately, the tender, full dough floods my mouth, my senses…. For you Montreal newbies out there, know that the fuel of this ecstasy is the one and only, the soft, warm-hearted St. Viateur Bagel. B. Capital B. Not to be confused with other, ordinary bagels. Prior to coming to Montreal, my encounters with these chubby rings had been quite minimal, to say the least. My only previous knowledge was of those sugar-loaded impostors, bagels’ overly bedecked cousins: doughnuts. Montreal changed that – it triggered a revolution and an epiphany in my perception not
only of bagels, but of bread in general. It was a sort of bread-bug that delineated my life into two eras: the before-Bagel (BB) and the afterBagel (AB). It is in this after-bagel era that I began to promote the presence of the Bagel on the breakfast table from occasional visitor to an eternal, ubiquitous existence – one that I cannot do without: whole wheat or white bread, whether it’s poppy seed sprinkled, or sports sesame seeds, assorted or charmingly plain, it is a sociable kind of bread, easily forging friendships with peanut butter, cream cheese, jam, or Nutella! Needless to say, the Bagel is a prized component of the town’s culture – French customs have left their fingerprint on the city. Bread is abundant, rich in variety,
and inimitable in superior taste. Montrealers pride themselves with making the best bagels in Canada, and even have the audacity to name them the best in the world. I have not tasted non-Canadian bagels yet, but right now, my relationship with the slightly sweet, mignonne St. Viateur kind is so pristine and sincere, and (I’d like to believe) mutual, that I’ll be feverishly treading Parc for a long while still. For those who’ve never been, I’ll only say: head north up Parc (away from Old Montreal), and when you smell the delicious scent of freshly-baked bread, turn right, and let your senses guide you. Prepare to exit the bakery with (at least) two bags chock-full of tastebud delight. Be warned though, that they are not for the faint-willed: the aroma is so devilishly inviting and the warm
freshness so alluring, that the load is bound to lighten up by the time you reach home to store them in the fridge. The St. Viateur Bagel and I are bound by a special sort of camaraderie. Over the course of one year, I have seen it behave in countless situations, and it never let me down. Lying snugly on my morning plate after a short tan in the toaster, patiently braving the sub-zero cruelty of the freezer just so that I would find it fresh after a week, bouncing along in tandem with my pace when I carried it to university (so that it may save me from the growling pains of hunger during a particularly heavyon-the-intellect class). This risen yeast and flour mixture was my life-buoy. At this point, reader, you might
ask, “Can it really be that spectacular in taste or is there another reason for this bagel-induced mania?” Well, I can’t say. No, it isn’t like I was deprived of any source of bread or carbs in my infancy and therefore formed a Freudian attachment to the Bagel in my (near) adulthood, nor do I believe it to be an ancestral, primitive adoration of “our daily bread.” I could delve into the social, cultural, and psychological roots of my quasi-obsession, but I know you wouldn’t like it, nor would I have the space. And, I’d rather eat a crispy bagel – it’s been toasting for a while and if it doesn’t catch fire, my olfactory neurons will, firing like mad as they are! So instead of the next protein or fitness bar, have a St Viateur Bagel. If nothing else, it’s definitely fresher.
Culture
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
15
Liberté, égalité… et la danse? Dance series provides entry point into French culture Allison Friedman The McGill Daily
L
’Agora de la Danse, one of Montreal’s contemporary dance centres, just stumbled upon a creative way to save you airfare in these precarious economic times. For the next two weeks you can go to l’Agora and see Destination Danse, an annual event intended to whisk the viewer away to a certain geographic region through that area’s contemporary dance. This year’s hotspot is France, the land of romance, belles-lettres, wine, and fine cheese – a stereotype that Destination Danse seeks to transcend in favour of presenting a fresher, lesser-known side of the country’s culture. While popular shows like “So You Think You Can Dance?” have made dance more accessible, it can still seem daunting to those who, like myself, are largely unfamiliar with the artform. A friend recently related the story of how he’d burst out laughing in the middle of a professional dance performance and found himself unable to stop. He hadn’t found anything particularly funny – the solemnity of the piece had simply become too much for him. Perhaps the fear of experiencing something similar has kept me a stranger to contemporary dance thus far. But Destination Danse
organizer Marie-Josée Beaudoin notes that this event is “entirely approachable” for first-timers, providing one with the opportunity to “discover something new.” The press release reads like a travel brochure, encouraging you to pack your suitcases for a cultural escapade. The journey is composed of four works by four separate artists: “Matter” by Julie Nioche, “Press” by Pierre Rigal, “Le Cri” by Nacera Belaza, and “Abstraction+Gravité” by Fabrice Lambert. Beaudoin describes the pieces as “very different” from one another. “One is more emotional, another more intellectual, another acrobatic,” she says. Yet together “they form a portrait of France today.” The acrobatic piece – Rigal’s – explores the unfolding of an existential crisis; Beaudoin insists that, weighty subject matter aside, the show is a remarkable gymnastic display. Belaza’s “Le Cri” combines spirituality and sensuality, while Lambert’s performance uses illumination to reflect upon our collective human consciousness, and how it will drive us toward the future – I’m guessing that’s the intellectual piece. Nioche’s “Matter” is an homage to three women with whom the artist lived for three years, and has been praised for its outstanding visual beauty. The four works run consecutively each night, and can be viewed together or sep-
arately, though it seems like seeing just one would be missing out on the full experience. “The performers are really a new generation of dancers in France,” Beaudoin explains. “French dance has traditionally been influenced by classical ballet, but the dance that has been emerging over the past couple of years has been freed from the constraints of classical technique. It involves a lot of mixing techniques and disciplines; it borrows from cinema.” Beaudoin’s
passion for the art is quite evident, and entirely infectious. Her advice to newcomers is to “experience slowly, seeing a number of different approaches to discover what you like.” She believes that this event is a great place to start, and emphasizes its uniqueness. “It’s a kind of dance that we don’t usually get to see in Montreal,” Beaudoin says. “We often get big groups who have been doing this for 20 or 30 years, but rarely such young choreographers. That’s what makes it so
special.” Destination Danse: France offers you the opportunity to expand your horizons, through both its theme and through the art form itself. And even though school’s been in session for less than three weeks, who doesn’t already need a vacation? Destination Danse: France runs through September 26. Tickets can be purchased at agoradanse.com or by calling 514-525-1500.
Frédéric Stoll forThe McGill Daily
Pierre Rigal’s Le Cri turns the common conception of French dance on its head.
Face to face with depression Theatre In Actu’s small-scale production of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis
Thomas Large Culture Writer
T
he rise of film and television seems to have all but taken over the depiction of human drama, nudging theatre into an esoteric corner for a cultured few. One explanation for this shift is the convenient accessibility these media offer their audience. It is within this lack of convenience, however, that lies theatre’s power: in a culture brimming with portable media, theatre may just be the only art form that requires the spectator’s physical presence. Theatre In Actu’s production of 4.48 Psychosis, the last work by controversial British playwright Sarah Kane, takes full advantage of this aspect of theatre. The play is presented in a small space, in which 10 chairs are placed on either side of a
small, floor-level stage. This set-up is particularly wellsuited to the intimate nature of the play’s subject matter, which chronicles a clinically depressed mind’s last attempts to unify its fragmented self as it slips into madness. By having the audience and the minimal set surrounded by white curtains, director Liz Truchanowicz gives viewers the impression that they are actually within the central character’s mental space. The audience cannot escape what is happening on stage. There is no distance between actor and spectator – not even enough room to stretch one’s legs. The actors playing the male (Shane Houlston) and female (Stephanie Breton) halves of the segmented mind directly engage with the viewers – once even circling the audience, staring coldly into their eyes, standing only a few
feet away. This delivery, coupled with the intense, emotional language, sent chills down my spine. Truchanowicz noted that she wanted to evoke “a theatrical experience, shared with the actors.” The audience is even brought into the narrative through the use of lighting. As Truchanowicz notes: “When I felt that the audience was directly implicated in the action of [the play], the backlights would come on, exposing audience members sitting across from you.” Not only does this further involve the audience in the play’s action, it raises the problematic relationship between the audience’s intimate presence and the central character’s internal struggle. Are we mere voyeurs, witnessing the descent of a mind into psychosis and maybe even suicide? Or are we an active part of the society that is driving her to the brink of insanity?
Truchanowicz’s purposeful mise en scène allows for the play’s difficult themes of despair and madness to unfold freely, resulting in a powerful, immediate experience. In this case, the audience becomes a metaphor for society; as Truchanowicz explains, the play stipulates that “society is implicit to what happens to the individual.” For their production of Psychosis 4.48, In Actu partnered with Suicide Action Montreal, an organization aimed at preventing suicides from occurring and educating the families and friends of people suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. Sarah Kane herself took her life shortly after completing the play. And although suicide is a central theme of the play, it shouldn’t be seen as an elaborate suicide note. Rather, the troupe’s interpretation of Kane’s difficult script succeeds in com-
municating the thoughts and torments of someone suffering from clinical depression. The play is a challenging production because it forces the audience to take part in the internal struggle of the clinically depressed. Along with the script’s rejection of traditional theatrical form, the production is emotionally and intellectually demanding. Those planning on attending, however, may find it rewarding to be thrust into a realm radically outside their comfort zones.
4.48 Psychosis is playing until September 26 at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts Lab Space (5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine) at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for students. Tickets are available at theatreinactu.com or at the door.
16 Culture
For one month every other year, Montreal’s galleries, museums, and cultural centres are flooded with photographic exhibitions. The reason? The Mois de la Photo de Montreal, an international biennale celebrating the new and innovative in contemporary photography. This year, the Mois de la Photo is better than ever – during its month-long run, more than 20 solo exhibitions will be held around the city, showcasing work by artists from all over the world. To pique your interest, we’ve profiled some of our favourite Mois de la Photo happenings. But the work featured below is just the beginning. For a full schedule of exhibitions and events, visit moisdelaphoto.ca.
The great darkroom in the sky Robert Burley’s Photographic Proof at the CCA Kian Slobodin The McGill Daily
R
obert Burley’s public installation, Photographic Proof, offers Montrealers one last glimpse at a dying monument: Polaroid Instant Film. The piece takes the form of a black and white photographic mural that stretches across the north side of the Canadian Centre for Architecture building. Framed to look like an enormous strip of Polaroid type 55 film, the mural captures a sombre crowd gathered to watch the 2007 demolition of the famous Kodak-Pathé plant in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. Burley’s choice of medium carries a special significance due to Polaroid’s recent decision to terminate the production of instant film. The last rolls currently in existence are slated to expire within the next month, affording Burley a slim window in which to produce art based on the endangered film. Photography, he observes on his web site, often strives to “record something on the verge of change or disappearance. In this case, my subject is the medium itself.” Indeed, the death of Polaroid film is but one symptom of a consumer market overwhelmingly geared toward digital photogra-
phy. In recent years, an increasing number of analog films and cameras have been shelved in order to make room for emerging digital technologies. This past summer, for example, Eastman Kodak Company shipped another of the world’s photographic icons, Kodachrome Color Film, to the glue factory. Originally the first colour film to breach the commercial market, Kodachrome went on to give us Super 8 motion film, Steve McMurray’s National Geographic portrait of the “Afghan Girl,” and Paul Simon’s 1973 hit song “Kodachrome.” Foreseeing “the end of an analog era,” Burley examines this trend in The Disappearance of Darkness, an exhibition that appears alongside Photographic Proof at the CCA from September 11 to November 15. The exhibition consists of six chromogenic prints drawn from a larger project which documents the destruction of facilities that once produced analog film and equipment. But while the exhibition achieves its goal – to preserve a record of “the places where the alchemy of the photographic process was practised” – it fails to showcase the advantages and unique beauty of analog photography. Unlike Photographic Proof, The Disappearance of Darkness conveys neither the aesthetic appeal nor the vibrant warmth of film. The exhibition’s dreary
sterility is exemplified by “AGFA-Geveart Film Plant, Antwerp, 2007,” a spartan photograph that depicts the factory’s steel face rising against a leaden sky. Without the title and the minimal block of text accompanying the print, nothing would designate the building as anything more than an anonymous manufacturing plant. Aside from the two indoor darkroom shots, this anonymity pervades Burley’s exhibit. The absence of a tangible human presence in the exhibit (save for one long-distance shot of an unnamed individual standing in front of the gutted Kodak-Pathé plant) compounds the unaffected nature of Burley’s photographs. In The Disappearance of Darkness, the world of analog film, which demands a more tactile relationship with its subjects than digital photography, is inversely represented as a largely inhuman universe. The emotional sentiment missing from The Disappearance of Darkness is partially the result of Burley’s inability to convey what, exactly, is being sacrificed by the passing of the analog medium. In addition to obscuring his subject matter, Burley’s photographs fail to deliver on an artistic level. His minimalist approach (there are no fancy angles, filters, or effects here) is so stripped of any aesthetic compunctions that the end result is uncom-
promisingly bland. The photographs, which have a point-and-shoot feel, belie the experimental potential and creative merit of analog photography. In an online dedication to the project, Burley lovingly describes the process by which “blocks of silver were dissolved in nitric acid, mixed with the tissue of animals, and coated onto film and paper so the world could make pictures.” While Burley is clearly compelled by the production of analog film, this fascination does not translate to his photographic work, which barely hints at the complex procedure. But where The Disappearance of Darkness flounders, Photographic Proof pulls through. By filtering the Kodak-Pathé factory’s destruction through an anthropomorphic lens, the mural subtly communicates the loss associated with the decline of analog film, all the while acting as a tribute to the beauty and versatility of the medium. Photographic Proof confronts the viewer with a clear sense of what is at stake as analog film continues to slide into oblivion.
Photographic Proof runs through October 19 on the façade of the CCA (1920, Baile). The museum itself is open from Wednesday to Sunday 11-6 p.m., 11-9 p.m. on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Robert Burley
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
17
Spinning into sight Luc Courchesne’s Journal panoscopique Tamara Kit Culture Writer
H
ave you ever wondered what it’s like to fall down the rabbit hole, travelling in disarray from one world to another? Well, thanks to innovative Montreal artist Luc Courchesne’s newest exhibition, you can get a little closer to knowing what that feels like. Journal panoscopique is part of this year’s Mois de la Photo, which takes place from September 10 to October 11 in various locations around Montreal. Courchesne’s work is one of the 24 solo exhibitions chosen to represent this year’s theme: The Spaces of the Image, which was initiated and coordinated by French guest curator Gaëlle Morel. “I wanted people to become aware of all the possibilities in showing pictures,” says Morel. Each of the artists involved displays their brilliant avant-garde contributions to the field of expressive contemporary photography. Morel adds that artists are also very aware of the public while conceptualizing their works. “Many artists think of the relation of space as their relation to the public,” noted Morel.
Courchesne’s innovative work consists of a variety of landscapes taken with his own invention: the Panoscope camera. Invented in 1999, the contraption allows the artist to photograph images in a frameless manner. The photographs presented depict a wide range of landscapes captured by the artist over the course of his travels between 1999 and 2006. What immediately comes to mind when viewing the exhibit is the way in which each image was taken. Questions, that very likely will have no simple answer, challenge the viewer’s entire conception of the work. For instance, upon first glance each piece looks like two images, juxtaposed because they depict contrasting landscapes. However, further inspection reveals a single, flowing image displayed through a complex, dysmorphic point of view. Interestingly, the work also includes an interactive component – viewers can spin the Panoscope’s discs, creating an immediate impression of “virtual vertigo.” The capture of real life spaces, which are then transformed by the viewers into warped flashes of colours and shapes, creates the sense that we ourselves cause this type of bewilderment in our own world – we distort everything we touch. Spinning the disc, which displays a simple relatable image, causes a mind-boggling
sense of disorientation. If you can come up with an interpretation of what the disc shows as it is spinning, I applaud you immensely. As the image rotated furiously in front of my eyes, I was immediately caught off guard. I became frustrated and ultimately uncomfortable – I could no longer decipher what was up or down, real or imagined. While the disc spins, the resulting sense of vertigo creates tension because you can no longer explain what you are looking at. Simply put, art that has the capacity to challenge our thoughts and perceptions is worth taking a closer look at. Even if Courchesne’s photos leave a sense of bafflement, discomfort, or dizziness, they intensify one’s emotions in the most satisfying way. In today’s world, there is an urgency to register everything around us immediately as we hast-
Photo courtesy of Sammy Baloji
ily disregard all the challenging peculiarities present in everyday life. Panoscopic images force anyone examining them to question his or her conception of normalcy and look deeper into a distorted world. Journal Panoscopique runs through October 11 at Les Ateliers Jean Brillant (3550 SaintJacques O.).
Photo courtesy of Calerie Pierre-François Ouellette
Congolese history, at street level Sammy Baloji’s Vues de Likasi
Kate Panzetta The McGill Daily
I
magine, if you will, that you are in a place far beyond the periphery of the McGill gates, in a country whose culture has been devastated by Western colonization and gutted by the aftermath of war, a country that is so politically oppressed and unstable that a photographer is forbidden to document his or her surroundings, unable to show the world what has become of their homeland. The place I speak of is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to photographer Sammy Baloji. For his new solo exhibition, Vues de Likasi (2006), Baloji photographed the everyday life of the Congolese people in order to capture the aftermath of continuous war that the country faces. The exhibition shows how citizens of the DRC manage to live side by side with the all tooharrowing traces of their recent past. Baloji
illustrates this reality through a series of panoramic photomontages of the urban landscape of Likasi, a city in the southeastern part of the country. The artist focuses on architecture in his images, portraying how it reveals the different periods of the country’s history. The late nineteenth century Belgian architecture that is prevalent in Vues de Likasi is a stark reminder of the nation’s history of colonialism. It calls attention to the way in which the presence of this architecture necessitates that the Congolese people confront their nation’s past in every aspect of their day-today life. Like a puzzle, Baloji tries to understand the past by piecing together the present. He does this by creating complex photomontages of streets in Likasi. The subject of each photograph is displayed in four panels, each panel focusing on a different part of a street. Each piece totals 190 metres in length. The combinations of images that comprise the photomontages were taken of different parts of
each street over various days; the assortment of photos were then stitched together into one complete image of the street. This results in various modulations of lighting throughout each panoramic view, and jolting breaks in the flow of activity. The photos are fused together on the panels in a staggered way, like patchwork – all different lengths and sizes, yet merging together to create the image of the street. The panels are hung in the middle of the exhibition space. This gives the impression, as I wander through the room, that I am in fact wandering the streets of Likasi, slowly making my way around a city block. I feel as if I am experiencing moments in time flickering past as I follow the photographs through the space. These flashes reveal the mundane activities practiced by the Congolese people, such as women selling fruit on the street, men playing chess, a woman braiding a girl’s hair, or people loitering around a cigarette booth. The way these images are overlayed juxtaposes the past and present. Seeing the Congolese citizens go
about their daily lives amongst the architecture from Belgian colonialism demonstrates in a subtle way the impetus to overcome the past and move on. It is as if everything that is still not in order yet is trying to be. Due to laws of media control in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is forbidden to take photos of public buildings. By rebelling against this law and documenting the streets of Likasi, Baloji allows us the rare privilege of peeking into his world. I see it as his idea of subtle activism against this oppression, striving toward the larger goal of African independence from a colonial past. The exhibition is being held at Montreal, arts interculturels (MAI). The intense and moving images set a poignant tone for the centre’s upcoming season, demonstrating the power of art to state a political message.
Vues de Likasi runs through October 10 at MAI (3680 Jeanne Mance).
Compendium!
The McGill Daily, Thursday, September 17, 2009
18
Lies, half-truths, and panacea
Canada privatizes health care Also bans government road repairs, reason Harriet Rocco The McGill Daily
I
n an unprecedented attempt to out-America its gun-and-classlovin’ neighbour to the south, the ruling Canadian parties have tabled aggressive legislation that will see the country move to a completely private and individualized health care system by the end of the year. The reform was apparently set in motion when parliamentarians heard all the woes experienced by its citizens via so-called American media coverage, mostly on Nox Fews, which no one can tell whether it is a joke or not. The system will work as follows: each Canadian will have to pay a monthly premium to a health insurer, who will then grant them permission to administer health care to themselves, and will thus be a full step freer than the current American system. “Obviously, if you have anyone between you and your doctor – be it the government, your spouse, a doctor, whoever – the wrong decision is being made about your health care,”
Malton Daguinty said at a press conference last Wednesday, the same day that a little-known Liverpool band’s music came out again. “So the only natural health care system in a free society is one where no one but you makes decisions about your health care, and where you subsequently carry out the necessary medical procedures,” Daguinty said, adding that anyone currently occupying the soon-to-be-illegal profession of medical practice will be offered employment re-training programs into such fields as administrative assistantship for the aforementioned insurance companies. The news was met with characteristic charisma by President Oarack Babama, who was busy teaching an 18-month-old orphan how to take baby steps, similar to the ones he is currently failing to make in Hope ® of creating a public option in the formerly freest nation on earth. Beyond the drastic changes to the way health care professionals will soon (not) administer medicine, the bill also banned any new government-run road repair or construction. “Well yeah, it’s common knowledge that if you’re doing anything
Dominatrix Poopawitch / The McGill Daily
Montreal resident Jacques-Cartier Pompidou cures himself of the common cold. anywhere that’s been publicly funded in any way, you are in the wrong, morally,” said U4 Honours Political Science student Citrus Adabaum.
“It’s time we stop driving our four-wheeled freedom machines on government-paved surfaces! Drive free or die trying!” added one New
Hampshirer, unaware of the irony of loving both freedom and exercising said feeling on any road that has ever existed ever.
1. The Paranoid’s Guide to the 1001 Supra-governmental Organizations Putting Syphilis in Your Oatmeal 2. Cleavage as Metonymy: Tig-ass biddies and the lascivious Lacanian gaze of the Bedonkadonk 3. Quantum Calculus: Also other math shit 4. “We All Must Come Together”: Homoerotic subtext and Henry Clay’s September 7, 1811 speech to the U.S. House of Representatives 5. Jim’s Dog Shat In My Yard: Interneighbourhood political contention and Jim’s ugly, poopy face (1967-83) 6. What The Fuck, Waunakee?: An ontogeographical survey of Waunakee, WI, its lack of a proper video store, and general
Lassy Sin and Nyquil Dayirani / The McGill Daily
McGill Bookstore bestsellers shittiness 7. ¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!: Speedy Gonzales and the construction of the militant Chicano movement 8. Meeting on Toosday!: The Millis, MA-area Little Miss Strumpet tea-drinking society and their complete disconnection from ethnic negotiations of identity among the Yugoslav Partisans in World War II 9. The Third Duchess of Armando’s Green-Leafed Tea-Cup Saucer: A History 10. Sexual Tyrannosaurus: The Foucauldian optics of that scene in Commando where that guy says “sexual tyrannosaurus” to that other guy
Lovelorn looby? Lonesome loony? Send your romantic queries to Miss Heard and Miss Advised.
missheard@gmail.com Mallory Bey for The McGill Daily
Get up to Prepaid long distance
500 FREE EXTRA minutes* Are long distance calls on your cell phone BURNING UP your budget? Try VOX prepaid long distance calling cards and pay fractions. Visit VOX.CA today and get free bonus minutes everytime you recharge your card.
*500 EXTRA minutes are based on calling from Canada to Canada/USA with a $30 recharge of VOX International card (1.2¢ a minute Canada/ USA rate). Certain fees may apply. See VOX.CA for more information.
One employer thousands of opportunities PUBLIC SERVICE OF CANADA JOB FAIR October 6, 2009, 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Montreal’s Palais des congrès For college and university students and graduates
Information http://fair.jobs.gc.ca