Mcgill Daily 98_26_12jan09

Volume 98, Issue 26

January 12, 2009

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News

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

Principal talks tuition, research

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Munroe-Blum takes positive attitude towards contentious campus issues To start off the semester, Principal Heather Munroe-Blum sat down with The Daily, our sister publication Le Délit, and The McGill Tribune to talk about tuition, teaching assistants (TAs), and First Nations at McGill. McGill Daily: The Charest Government has allowed Quebec universities to increase tuition, often by very large amounts in short periods of time, and you’ve largely welcomed this. Do you think a university should have the right to set tuition at whatever price the market can bear? Heather Munroe-Blum: I don’t see any evidence of huge changes, they’ve been extremely modest on every account. From the time I’ve come to McGill, I’ve argued on every account for a different policy on tuition, which is one that would essentially be characterized as reregulation, not deregulation. I actually don’t believe in driving costs as high as they can go – I don’t think that funds [determine] either accessibility or quality in a university, but I do believe our tuition is too low, I believe our funding overall is too low – that’s empirically supportable. The policy that I asked the [Board of Governors] to approve in my first year, which they did, is that we be able to, within the legislative possibilities of Quebec, raise tuition within the normal range, so you could even use the Canadian average or Canadian plus the public American average. MD: What about international student fees? HMB: It’s hardly a dramatic step that [Premier Jean] Charest has made. Re-regulation would mean that we would have the flexibility of fees that would be approved by the [Board of Governors], but with a notion...that 30 cents of every dollar go to student aid.... What I hope to say while I’m Principal is that no qualified student will be refused, or be unable to come to McGill because they don’t have the financial means to come. We still don’t have enough financial aid through McGill or through Quebec.... If you compare us to the other researchintensive universities in Canada, we lack about $100-million a year that would normally come in from tuition. If you look at the universities outside Quebec, no government pays for international students, so they are completely cost-driven fees – and the same in the public universities in the U.S. with which we associate ourselves. We like international students as part of the richness of McGill, not as a moneymaker. Deregulation means you can charge whatever you want. Re-regulation means you have principles that would govern the way you raise fees. McGill Tribune:* [There are] new travel restrictions that prevent students and professors from certain areas because of travel warnings that the Canadian government have.... Were you happy with the way that process was implemented, and do you

Stephen Davis / The McGill Daily

Principal Heather Munroe-Blum discusses her ideas for “re-regulation” of tuition fees. feel that that might adversely affect students who work in areas that naturally deal with conflict or strife? HMB: Of course we’re not happy when things don’t get communicated smoothly and effectively, and I don’t think anybody would say they were. I’m not going to pretend they were, and I don’t think Provost [Morton] Mendelson would say they were either. I think the process that has evolved subsequently is a good one...that is a small group working with the Deputy Provost that iterate on the regulations for international travel. So those will be coming back to Senate for discussion, and they’re well developed, and there’s been a wide consultation process. Look, our goals are we’re a deeply internationalized university, we’re proud of it, it’s part of our essential character. The goals are to support student mobility in every way we can while being prudent on safety. We’ve lost three collegues as you know in the developing world in the last six months. MD: McGill’s pow-wow tries to attract First Nations high school students to the University, but the First Nations House tells us little has changed in the number of First Nations students enrolled at the school. We wonder if the lack of a First Nations Studies program has anything to do with the low enrollment. Do you agree? HMB: We don’t know how many aboriginal students we have because we don’t register students in that way. You have to identify as aboriginal in

order to qualify for any special services or support. That being said, we have a number of initiatives to reach out to aboriginal communities and to support aboriginal students to participate in the academic programs of McGill. The Deputy Provost is leading an initiative looking at, for example, not only at Native Studies, but how to offer educational programs that will be accessible and of interest to aboriginal students. And then, how do we support aboriginal students when they come in to be able to succeed in their studies – and especially those who come from remote communities. It’s an area we have as a priority for fundraising as well, in [Campaign McGill], not just review and planning, but implentation as well.

MD: There has been presence of corporate and military research on campus. We’re curious about the involvement McGill might have in their research. HMB: Our normal policies pertain to grants of any kind, whether a foundation, a not-for-profit, a corporation, or government. A contract, whether it’s with [a] government, has different ways of looking at intellectual property and that’s determined again by our policy on a case-by-case basis. A lot of these questions then become philosophical: Who do you take money from? Well we don’t take illegal money. We then take a whole lot of money from a range of public sources – the majority of our money by far comes from public sources

“The tuition increases have been extremely modest on every account.” Heather Munroe-Blum McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor MD: How should the University determine who owns the rights to content produced here. How much should the source of funding of research, the facilities used, and the amount of contribution between students and professors affect this determination? HMB: The intellectual property [IP] ownership should be determined through policy. We have policies that govern IP, and those policies are set in this case by Senate.

and the one example of so-called military research sponsored by the Department of Defense was for prosthetic research. For better or worse, it’s unfortunate that the countries who have put the most into military research – the U.S., Singapore, Israel – have had more breakthroughs in science because so much basic science gets funded out of that. The fact is that governments spend an enormous amount of normal basic science

research or applied science research – prosthetics would be an example – that has a broad human benefit or knowledge benefit. We look very much at what is the content of the research that’s being done here. Is it being used to benefit the quality of education here? MD: Considering how much power TAs have on undergraduate marks, especially in large classes, do you think the amount of training they receive is sufficient? How would you change the way TAs are trained at McGill? HMB: Dean Martin Kreiswirth – Dean of Graduate Students – works very closely with the faculties in giving full support to the orientation of graduate students and preparing them to teach. In any event [it] is a priority and progress is being made on that. This is an issue that could be expressed in a number of ways. Graduate students want preparation and high quality supervision and undergraduate students want TAs who are well prepared and do what they do. The close working relationship between professors and TAs is a key part of that. The Provost has overall responsibility for this, and has this as a high priority. – compiled by Erin Hale

*The Tribune asked a question The Daily planned to ask, so rather than ask the same question again, we are reporting the question and answer that occurred during the interview.

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News

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

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MUNACA, McGill prepare for strike Nearly two-thirds of MUNACA members support pressure tactics Ethan Feldman News Writer

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nion members within the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) say they’re prepared to strike if collective agreement negotiations with the University continue to stall. MUNACA President Maria Ruocco explained that the union – which represents over 1,800 non-academic workers at McGill – and the University are still at odds about salary increases. “The University is not budging, salary is the only outstanding issue,” said Ruocco, adding that shift premiums and job security measures are some of the other issues resolved during negotiation. During a General Assembly (GA) held December 4, 65 per cent of GA attendees voted to give MUNACA the mandate to use pressure tactics, up to and including a general strike. The union has been in contract negotiations for 13 months, and held a series of demonstrations last semester. The strike mandate followed a motion where 68 per cent of members rejected McGill’s December 1 salary offer. In October, MUNACA also rejected McGill’s proposed 12 per cent salary increase over four

years, saying they would not accept an offer below 13 per cent over the same time frame. Negotiations are now considering shorter time frames. Currently, MUNACA is requesting ten per cent over three years, with scale and progression, while McGill is presently offering a paltry 8.5 per cent. Ruocco said MUNACA was not being unreasonable in their pay demands. “I don’t think we’re being outrageously demanding, compared to other universities. Our thing is ‘Why is our work not worth the same as at

what it could mean for life at McGill. “Students will suffer in the end. I don’t believe management can keep up with the same work at the level they do it now,” she said, highlighting the role MUNACA workers play at the University. “Professors are aided in everything they do: course materials, exams, timetabling for classes, timetables for exams, also technicians who help researchers.... Nurses would not be able to help or substitute doctors when students come in and they’re not healthy.” SSMU VP External Devin Alfaro

“The University is not budging, salary is the only outstanding issue.” Maria Ruocco MUNACA President other universities?’” she said, pointing to a similar union at Concordia which was offered a 20 per cent pay increase over four years. “We’re here to contribute to the University and we want them to recognize what we’re doing.” In the event of a general strike – which MUNACA hopes to avoid, and publicly explained in full page ads placed in the December 20 editions of The Gazette, Le Devoir, and La Presse – Ruocco was uncertain about

predicted that in the case of a general strike, schedules would be shortened and certain services may be limited, although many would keep operating at some level. “Not everyone who works in a lab or library is MUNACA. Only the technicians would strike, so basic tasks could still be done,” Alfaro said. In an email sent to The Daily, Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources) Lynne Gervais wrote that she could not legally discuss negotia-

AMUSE puts its chips in Undergraduate union collects enough signatures for accreditation Henry Gass

The McGill Daily

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union for undergraduate on-campus student workers appears to be one step closer to realization, thanks to the recent acquisition of 50 per cent of undergraduate student workers’ signatures. With them, the Association of McGill Undergraduate Student Employees (AMUSE) has a sufficient number of signatures as required by Quebec labour law to apply for accreditation with the Quebec Labour Relations Board – which means it can become an official union. “We’re waiting right now [for accreditation],” said Max Silverman, former SSMU VP External Affairs and current AMUSE organizer. “It could come in the next couple of weeks or at the end of the semester; we’re not really sure.” This hurdle has been a relief to organizers, who were forced to work without a list of the approximately 3,000 undergraduate students employed at McGill after the administration refused to provide them with a list of undergraduate student workers. Deputy Provost Morton Mendelson defended McGill’s actions in an email to The Daily.

“The University takes its obligation to maintain the confidentiality of students very seriously. A group such as AMUSE did not have the right to see lists of students employed at McGill,” he wrote. “Unless obliged by law, the University could not, in fact, provide such information to a third party about a student, without the written consent of the student.” As a result of McGill’s initiatives, AMUSE turned to enlisting students’ signatures one by one around campus. “On the one hand, it was time consuming, and on the other hand it was really irritating,” said Silverman. “We felt bad having to walk up to people.” Despite the tediousness of the operation, AMUSE was eventually succesful. “[The strategy to acquire signatures] has been really effective,” said Silverman. “Students have responded really well.” But the arrival of a new union at McGill could mean even more labour disputes for McGill – in the past year the University has faced a strike by the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) and a strike by the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Assocation (MUNACA) seems likely. Despite McGill’s current lack of cooperation with AMUSE, Mendelson anticipated a warm relationship

between McGill and AMUSE, should they become an official union. “If AMUSE is indeed certified under the Quebec Labour Code, the University will fulfill its obligations under the Code,” said Mendelson. “McGill’s labour relations are, indeed, very good; most labour contracts have been settled without disruptions over the past several decades.” Given the ambiguity surrounding AMUSE’s potential accreditation, a specific date has not been assigned as to when the union could be upand-running. They have, however, been able to clearly state their functions. “We will do representational work, like grievances and harassment in the workplace,” Silverman said. “And we’ll also have a collective agreement, a contract that involves everyone in the union, that will handle [things like] working hours, wages, and benefits.” Silverman also said that until a collective agreement is signed and students start receiving benefits, they won’t have to pay union dues. For the moment, however, the future of AMUSE remains in limbo. A hearing regarding its application is scheduled at the Quebec Labour Relations Board on February 2. “Everything’s up in the air right now,” Silverman said. “But there will be some movement within the semester.”

tions and played down what effects a strike could have. “The administration has taken steps to keep the University functioning in the event of a strike or [in the event] other pressure tactics are employed, but we continue to work to arrive at a settlement, as we have all along,” Gervais explained. Ruocco claimed that MUNACA has not heard from McGill since its members rejected McGill’s offer in early December, and worried that they were being treated with the same attitude McGill commanded in their dispute with AGSEM, the graduate students’ union, during the teaching assistant (TA) strike. “We are very worried about scab workers,” said Ruocco. “The issue is in the hands of our lawyers, and they’re looking in to it. If it means sending inspectors like the TAs had to, then we must.” Alfaro added that McGill’s attitude toward unions has led to continual impasses in negotiations. “In general, McGill has a very heavy handed way of dealing with unions on campus. This has led to reoccurring problems with labour disputes because of the general attitude that the McGill administration takes,” Alfaro said. He suspected that this attitude stems from a shrinking budget and mistaken priorities.

“McGill is very much underfunded. There is a lack of investment, especially on the public side. McGill wants to keep prominent faculty members, and the public intellectuals on staff, and they do want to take care of them. They treat support staff, like TAs as more expendable. It’s here that McGill tries to save costs. McGill has tried to get unions to back down, rather than have honest discussions.” Gervais instead pointed to multiple negotiations with unions, and didn’t state that underfunding affected salary shifts. “We have had two somewhat difficult negotiation processes this year because of the coincidence of contract expirations, but we don’t feel this represents any particular pattern or is out of the ordinary.” She referenced how McGill was named one of Canada’s Top 100 employers and that recent contract disputes are an anomaly. “We feel our relationships with the unions that represent McGill workers are good in general,” Gervais said. Ruocco was hopeful that negotiations would soon end. “Basically, the McGill population should know that MUNACA, MUNACA executives, and the negotiating committee just want a fair deal for our members and our share of what is owed to us,” she said.

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mcgilldaily.com redisgned this Thursday

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News

What’s the haps

Speaking out on the environment Tuesday, January 13, 5 p.m. Thomson House Restaurant, 3650 McTavish As part of PGSS Green month, listen to Dr. Joe Schwartz, Director of McGill’s Office for Science and Society, speak on “Chemicals in the Environment.” All welcome to this free event. Green Cleaning Workshop Tuesday, January 13, 6 p.m. Thomson House Restaurant, 3650 McTavish Celebrate PGSS Green month by making your own greener, cheaper, and healthier home cleaners. Registration required at the PGSS office by Tuesday, January 13, at 4 p.m. Cost is $10. René Cassin and Gaza: A Judaism of Human Rights Wednesday, January 14, 6:30 p.m. Leacock 219, 855 Sherbrooke O. Israeli peace activist Jeff Halper will discuss nonviolent strategies to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict, focusing on the ideas of Nobel Peace laureate René Cassin. V-Day McGill Annual Burlesque and Comedy Show Thursday, January 15, 8:30 p.m. La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent V-Day McGill is holding their annual Burlesque & Comedy Show, including performances by Deanne Smith and the Dead Doll Dancers. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. All proceeds from the show will go to carefully selected Montreal charities that fight gender-based violence. An Evening for the Elizabeth House Foundation! Saturday, January 18, 7 p.m. 4897 St. Laurent The McGill Rotaract Club would like to invite you to a cocktail party at the beautiful art studio Mosaik Art. There will be live music from LineSpectra, Simon Honeyman, and Tara Hall, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, and drink specials! All proceeds go to the Elizabeth House Foundation, in support of young families in need. Tickets are $15. Email [email protected], call Sean at (514)-972-8904 for tickets, or buy them at the door. Why Liberals and Feminists Should Defend the Unborn Monday, January 19, 6 p.m. Leacock 232 Choose Life is hosting Mary Meehan, a veteran prolife writer and public speaker from Maryland, who will be giving a talk about the compatibility of pro-life and liberal and feminist philosophies. A question period will follow this free event.

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

Small numbers of loud voices protest Gaza Concordia a shadow of larger weekend demonstrations Erin Hale

The McGill Daily

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few dozen protesters decried Israel’s military offensive on Gaza amidst Wednesday’s lunchtime crowd in a Concordia cafeteria, a small version of larger rallies that have taken place across the city. Wednesday’s event was organized by Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) Concordia and social justice collective Tadamon! focused on attacks aimed at Gaza schools. “Our basic demands are that the University’s administration condemn the fact the Israeli military is bombing schools in Gaza,” explained QPIRG Concordia member Aaron Lakoff. “We also demand the University immediately cut its ties with all Israeli academic institutions.” Lakoff explained that both groups felt Israeli universities were complicit in Isreael’s actions as none have spoken out against them. QPIRG and Tandamon! also called for students to boycott companies that supported Israel: Starbucks, McDonald’s, Chapters, and Indigo Books. Both groups also joined the ranks of community and civil society organizations at a protest downtown on Sunday that drew a crowd of between 5,000 and 10,000. “There was a very palatable, visceral anger in the streets,” Lakoff said. A six-month cease-fire between the two countries expired on December 19, as Hamas stated Israel had not lifted the blockade into Gaza

QPIRG and Tadamon! brave the cold to protest Israel’s military actions in Gaza. except for limited humanitarian aid. Israel, incensed at the 500 rocket and mortar attacks launched into Israel thus far during December, launched a military operation against Hamas in Gaza on December 27. At press time 13 Israelis and about 800 Gazans have been killed from air strikes and a ground offensive, while 137 Israelis and about 3,300 Gazans have been wounded, although exact numbers vary and are impossible to obtain. Laith Marouf, another QPIRG member and Concordia chapter coordinator of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, a national student-run non-profit, explained that Sunday’s

Stephen Davis / The McGill Daily

objectives varied slightly from the Concrodia protest: while student groups have called for academic boycotts, Sunday’s protest called on the Canadian government to use diplomatic means in pressuring Israel to end the offensive. Sunday’s protest also had one violent instance where an Israeli flag was burned whereas Wednesday’s was peaceful. A second Montreal protest was organized for Saturday – but this time community and civil society organizations will be joined by labour unions, including the Montreal branch of the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN-Montreal).

“Yesterday we adopted a proposition that says we will support the Palestinian people in Gaza, and we invited all our members to participate in the march,” said Dominique Daigneault, the second vice president of CSN-Montreal. Montrealers are not alone in condemning the attacks, with protests being held around the world. The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1860, which called for “an immediate, durable, and fully respected ceasefire,” among other things, but both Israel and Hamas rejected the resolution and the ceasefire.

said that although part of its mandate relates to the redistribution of the research back toward activists and organizations working on prison justice, it was difficult to achieve. “The main advantage, the biggest success we had with Indyclass, was having a class that was only students and therefore that could really end up coinciding with our needs, our interests, and what we wanted to do,” said Higgins. Professor of Sociology Marcos Ancelovici, who supervised five of the students last semester, thought the class was a useful resource for students. “I think it’s great if students have the initiative to come up with an idea, and if they can organize, get together, and select a topic they are all interested in,” Ancelovici said. “It’s a great initiative.” Ancelovici addded that the project would help develop independent thinking. “I think it’s good in terms of fostering autonomy, allowing students to study something they are really interested in, and fostering self-

management as a way to empower students to have more control over the educational process, as opposed to just doing what the professor tells them to do,” he said. The professor found the project interesting, but it was somewhat difficult to reconcile his responsibility as advisor with the students’ freedom. He added that professors might be reluctant to take on students in another Indyclass due to the increased workload, but he hoped they would. Higgins agreed. “I would encourage people to start their own Indyclass. Find something that’s interesting to them and/ or people they know and/or an organization they are working with and start one,” Higgins said. “It’s not something that requires any special knowledge. None of us knew about prisons before we did the prison edition.”

Indyclass takes off

Students seek greater role in their own education Pamela Fillion

The McGill Daily

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tudents can expect to see the second edition of Indyclass: Student movements this winter. The student-run course brings together undergraduates taking independent research reading courses to collaborate and discuss themes relating to their topics. Joel Pedneault, the current coordinator of Indyclass, said the class allows people to study topics usually not discussed at McGill. “The idea of this Indyclass is to act not just as an academic forum for discussion, but also as a more open type of seminar,” said Pedneault. “Indyclass gives an opportunity to break out of that mould.” The course intends to bring together the different perspectives of students performing similar work, though in different faculties. This semester’s theme will focus on student politics and more effective activism. “[Indyclass gives] a new spin on

how student politics and education are done at McGill,” said Pedneault. “[It] will hopefully lead to more focused activism.” Indyclass founder and U3 Sociology and International Development Studies student Cleve Higgins, heard about a program at the University of California, Berkeley called Democratic Education at CAL (DECAL), which consists of approximately 100 student-run courses. Higgins found that there was a large overlap between the work done by students for social movements both in and out of McGill. “[I thought] about the different research and knowledge production that people here at McGill do outside of school for activist groups,” he said. “There was a need for creating more space for people to be able to pursue those type of activities, like academic research and knowledge activities that they are interested in...that are relevant to them within a space at school and within the academic context.” When asked about the success of the first Indyclass – prisons – Higgins

Indyclass is also open to students who are not undertaking an independent study course. For more information consult indyclass.wordpress.com.

News

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

Better brews could improve SnowAP This year’s big white tent hopes to make a financial turnaround Sam Reisler

News Writer

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now Air Pub (SnowAP) organizers are banking that this year’s big white tent will attract more revenue than last year’s financial flop, but some think that an alternative beer contract could help its future performance. “Last year was a really hard year,” said SSMU President Kay Turner, who organized the event last year as VP Internal. She explained that last-minute costs changes put an early dent in last year’s budget – like the price of the tent doubling a month before the start of the event. SnowAP, now in its 13th year, has operated at a loss before, and often fares worse than its counterpart Open Air Pub, held in the beginning of September. Turner hoped that with the better scheduling and budgeting, the event will be more successful and profitable than last year’s disappointing returns. Despite an early obstacle on Wednesday when heavy snowfall led the Fire Prevention Office to close SnowAP early, she said the first day

was successful. “It was full at 2:30 p.m.,” she said. While the supplementary financial difficulties confronting SnowAP this year seem to have been addressed, some students think that the solution is to switch from Boréale to another beer. “A better beer is more likely to attract more people,” said U1 Nursing student Rebecca Saunders. U1 Arts student Spencer Hill conceded that the taste of the beer served at SnowAP was not spectacular, but its prices were attractive. “It was very cheap, and on par with cheap college beer,” Hill said. SSMU’s three-year contract with Boréale – which limits the beers that SSMU and the faculties can sell to students – will expire this year. According to current VP Internal Julia Webster Boréale was selected because the company contributes to the Campus Life Fund and fits environmental requirements of being a local provider. Additionally, since SSMU collaborated with a majority of faculty associations to obtain a contract, the prices were cheaper. As SSMU shops around for a potential new provider, Webster

says they will collaborate with faculties and interest groups. The McGill Environment Student Society was involved in the process of developing proposals sent to several beer companies including Molson – which held the previous contract – Boréale, Sleeman, Unibrpue, and others. “[SSMU] met with all of the faculties and Gert’s to discuss and come up with a proposal,” Webster said. Interested companies will submit pitches to SSMU – which will select the best offer with faculty representatives. Webster also explained that SSMU needs to consider affiliations between beer companies and Montreal bars in order to plan pub crawls during events like Frosh.

Evan Newton / The McGill Daily

News brief Journal de Montréal workers fight for contract Abating fears of a lockout after two months of stalled talks, employees of the Journal de Montréal – represented by the the Syndicat des travailleurs de l’information du Journal de Montréal (STIJM) – began a new round of moderated negotiations Wednesday with Quebecor Media, the publication’s parent company. The moderator has been appointed by the Quebec Ministry of Labour, following an official complaint made by the union. For employees who currently work 30 hours a week, Quebecor Media hopes to increase the number to 37 without increasing pay, while the STIJM is vying for an annual 2.5 per cent pay increase and extra vacation pay. Isabelle Dessurault, Vice-President of Public Affairs at Quebecor Media, said a new business model is needed. She saw the change in hours less as wage cutting and more as saving valuable money. “The newspaper industry was, in

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the eighties and early nineties, the media with a capital T. This is not the case anymore. We are facing changing readership habits,” Dessurault said. “We need to invest more money to make sure that we still have our place in the media environment.” However, the union’s secretary, Pascal Filotto, believed that the challenges Journal de Montréal faces as a part of the newspaper industry were being overused to justify fewer employee benefits. His union sees the potential change as a 20-25 per cent wage cut. “The situation with French papers in Quebec is not the same as in the U.S. or Canada. The readership is pretty stable as far as the printed editions,” Filotto said. “We understand that the business is at a crossroads, but it felt from the beginning that they were trying to use the ‘world context’ [of journalism] to take everything we had away.” The contract between the STIJM and management was supposed to be renewed by the end of last month, as the old one expires at the end of this month. Although negotiations regarding contract renewal began on October 28, they were halted on November 18. Both groups have agreed to keep a tight lip on any progress until their negotiations conclude on January 23. – Jeff Bishku-Aykul

LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM

Leadership Skills Development Workshops If you are a student involved in campus activities as an executive, organizer or event planner, you qualify for the Leadership Training Program’s FREE Skills Development Workshops. Develop and build your leadership skills. Attend a minimum of five workshops throughout 08/09 academic year and receive a certificate of completion. This January, check out...

Diversity Amongst Students Wednesday, January 21, 5:30-7:30pm What does it mean to truly be aware of diversity issues? Is your club, service or organization being as inclusive as it can be? Come identify things that you can do to make your organization more welcoming.

Troubleshooting Communication Breakdowns Thursday, January 29, 5:30-7:30pm Become a better communicator and leader by making the messages you send and receive clearer. You’ll see the difference it makes in your volunteer positions and in your career! Registration for workshops: In person, one week in advance, on a first-come, first-served basis, in the First-Year Office. For more info, drop by the First-Year Office in the Brown Building, Suite 2100, or call 514-398-6913

THE DEPARTMENT OF JEWISH STUDIES

Call for Submissions Blacher and Glasrot Families Memorial Award for Holocaust Research Established in 2000 by Mr. and Mrs. Josef Glasrot, survivors of the Holocaust and residents of Montreal. Open to any student at McGill University, the award is presented for excellence in research in Holocaust and related studies, and particularly on the history of the ghettos of Warsaw and Kovno [Kaunas]. Essays prepared in any course or independent research may be considered. The award is administered by the Department of Jewish Studies in cooperation with the Jewish Community Foundation. The award will be presented during the Closing Exercises of the Department of Jewish Studies in May, 2009. The value of the Blacher and Glasrot Families Memorial Award is $1000. • The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at McGill University. • Students must submit 2 typed copies of their essays together with full contact information. • Essays can be based on primary or secondary materials and work in all related disciplines will be considered. • Essay submissions must reach the Dept. of Jewish Studies Office, 3438 McTavish Street, no later than April 10, 2009.

University of Ottawa

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Science+Technology

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

9

Sasha Plotnikova / The McGill Daily

Family matters

Researchers find family rejection a predictor of negative health outcomes in LGB youth Nikki Bozinoff

The McGill Daily

F

amily support may be more important than previously thought for the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth. A study, published in the January 1 issue of Pediatrics, found that higher rates of family rejection were associated with poorer health outcomes. LGB youth who reported higher rates of family rejection were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with their peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection. Based on in-depth interviews with families or caregivers and their LGB children, the researchers identified 106 specific behaviours that parents use to express rejection or acceptance. Some “rejecting behaviours” identified were verbally expressing shame, blocking access to gay friends, or pressuring a child to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The researchers then administered a survey to 224 white and Latino self-identified LGB youth aged 21-25. They assessed an individual’s level of rejection based on the frequency of having experienced specific rejecting behaviours.

The survey also assessed nine negative health outcomes among the participants such as depression, life-time suicide attempts, sexual-risk behaviour, and substance abuse. Caitlin Ryan, the paper’s lead author and a clinical social worker, explained that though it is difficult to generalize, low self-esteem as a result of rejection by parents or caregivers may be partly responsible for poor health outcomes. “For a child who only hears negative messages about who they are, who is punished or excluded from the family…you could see how their sense of the future is more limited,” she said. “Those are the kinds of experiences that could lead a person to really live in the present. You know, ‘Why should I bother to use a condom,’ or ‘Why should I bother to use a seatbelt, what difference does it make?’”

Common sense?

Although the link between family rejection and poor health outcomes may seem evident, Ryan explained that parents are generally surprised by the results. “For more than two years we’ve actually been sharing these findings with very ethnically diverse families…and we find that they are shocked. First of all, they’re shocked because they didn’t realize that these very specific behaviours had consequences…. Secondly, they’re shocked

by the very high risk related to those behaviours,” she said. Stephanie Brill, co-founder and Director of Gender Spectrum Education and Training – a Seattlebased organization that supports parents and caregivers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children through support groups and an annual conference – explained that families are largely unaware of the effects of their rejecting behaviours because a lot of these behaviours are a result of the parents’ desire to protect their children. “When parents parent an LGBT child in isolation, frequently without support or other resources, of course they do their best, but their best often unknowingly happens to be the worst. In other words, as they try to get their children to change, perhaps to ensure their safety, they unknowingly are rejecting their child which then leads to all these now well-researched potential outcomes that are negative,” Brill said. Ryan agreed that parents’ reactions are often motivated by good intentions. “What we saw was that these specific behaviours of trying to change them [LGBT youth], or prevent them from being who they were, came from love and concern. They wanted their children to have a good life, to fit in, to be happy. And when they learned that their child experienced these behaviours as rejection, as very

hurtful, as a very deep kind of wound, they were shocked,” Ryan said.

Staying positive

Though the paper focused largely on negative, rejecting behaviours, Ryan also hopes that this information will help promote positive behaviours among parents. Specifically, she stressed that the project is less about parents’ personal beliefs, and more about how they interact with their children. “We have not done this work to change families’ deeply held beliefs, we are really working with them as an ally to decrease their children’s risk. There are a lot of behaviours that we’ve identified on the positive end that parents can do to support their children and a very neutral one for parents that are rejecting and conflicted is just to sit with their child and talk with them,” Ryan said. Brill agreed that education about what appropriate and ideal parenting behaviour might be for parents or caregivers of LGBT youth, would go a long way in helping them cope. “I think the most important thing is for each and every parent to recognize that where they are now, where they’re starting from is perfectly fine, but that the goal is to grow, step by step incrementally toward greater acceptance,” Brill said.

The next step

This research is part of a much

bigger project that has consumed the better part of the past seven years for Ryan. She and her team will now work to develop interventions and a new family-related approach to help families help their LGBT children. “I think part of what we’re able to do here is to create a bridge between parent and child, to help the parent understand that there are very specific empirically identified behaviours that can help their children, and others that put them at great risk,” Ryan said. Brill was enthusiastic about the results of the study and hoped that they will help parents of LGBT children better understand their role in their LGBT child’s life. “Frequently by the time a parent starts parenting a preteen or a teenager they often feel like their role is no longer so significant and what this study shows us, is absolutely that it is untrue, that the parent or caregiver’s role is actually the most critical in terms of future longterm health, well-being, and resiliency of LGBT children,” Brill said. In Ryan’s words, “We have a great sense of hope because we’re building on something very, very deep, which is the bond that families have with [their children]. Underneath whatever disappointment or anger that may emerge when a parent finds out that a child is LGBT...underneath all of that, is love.”

The Sci+Tech section is looking for a bi-weekly columnist. Think you can weave words? Have a verbose vision? To apply, submit three writing samples (two of which must be sample columns, 500 words each) as well as a brief vision statement.

To submit applications, or for more information, email [email protected].

10 Features

A game of chance Students’ gambling addictions compromise academics, social lives, relationships

Lily Panamsky

The Silhouette (CUP)

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t’s Friday, and some students are thinking of taking a risk tonight. They’re grabbing their money, heading to the nearest casino, and letting their chips fall where they may. Gambling opportunities and venues are nearly ubiquitous: Lotteries, scratch cards, and online poker are easily accessible to everyone of age, including students. And of course, the traditional dimly-lit casinos, havens for gamblers, are scattered throughout cities. Given the many forms of gambling, it’s not surprising that the total profit from gambling operations in Canada is high. CTV News estimated the net revenue from government-run lotteries, video lottery terminals, and casinos at $13.3-billion in 2006. Although millions of Canadians dabble in risky gambling, and the Responsible Gambling Council reported that 332,000 people in Canada experience gambling problems, it is universityaged students (18-24) that are most likely to actually develop problems. In fact, the rate at which students find themselves playing toss-up with their money is double that of people over 24. McGill did a review of 23 postsecondary gambling studies in 1999 and found that gambling problems were prevalent in seven per cent of postsecondary students, compared to 3.4 per cent of adults. The Responsible Gambling Council states that in 2005, 6.7 per cent of students had a moderate or severe gambling problem. When asked why students are at the highest risk for developing an addiction, Nathan Cooper, a psychologist for the Centre for Student Development at McMaster University in Hamilton, says the historical context of gambling plays an important role in its current status. “If we look historically at when gambling was introduced, when it became legalized, and how it’s emerged culturally, students in particular within the past ten and 20 years are the first

generation that have grown up in a culture that has accepted and legalized gambling activity. So that is a particular susceptibility in terms of overall general attitudes toward it,” Cooper says. He nonetheless claims that a university environment does not necessarily increase the frequency of gambling. It is usually the market outside of a postsecondary setting that targets students through online pop-ups and good deals on casino nights. Third-year McMaster Engineering student Jonathen Suriyakumar gambles recreationally with friends once or twice a week and attends casinos every few months. Suriyakumar says he gambles “for the money and the feeling you get when you win.” “It’s like a rush of adrenaline,” he explains. “It’s like giving a little kid sugar.” Suriyakumar confesses to having steadily increased his allotted spending amount. “[I] started going to the casino in February only willing to spend $100, now I am willing to go as much as $600 and lose it without thinking of it.” Cooper says increasing your spending limit or breaking your set amount is a sign of a potential gambling problem. Suriyakumar explains that his interest in casinos and gambling lies in the promptness of it all. “It’s like a quick investment. You put down a certain amount of money and you can doubleup or even get more [than] what you invested. There is the obvious risk of losing it, but I’ve gambled enough to be pretty confident that I will win, hence making it, in the end, not a waste of money.” An overconfident attitude, especially after a few wins, is common among students unfamiliar with the probabilities of gambling. Cooper says gambling has particular psychological aspects. “Basically, it’s a series of superstitious behaviours: the ability to recall wins versus the ability to recall losses,” he says. “People are making judgments, they actually feel that they can beat the odds, when in reality,

the house always wins.” After a little beginner’s luck, gamblers may find themselves quickly losing their money, causing them to panic and continue playing to regain their losses. Chasing one’s losses, Cooper says, is the most common way to get stuck in the gambling whirlpool. Imagining himself in a gambler’s shoes, he explains the thought process: “I get into the hole [of] $2,000-3,000, there’s really no other way I can think of to generate that amount of income within a short amount of time.” Getting caught in the gambling spiral can have devastating financial and social results. “Cash flow issues; credit problems – maybe that’s not an early sign but it [can lead to] a lot of white collar crimes; preoccupation with it; starting to interfere with personal and social functioning. That’s how a lot of things are diagnosed about pathological gambling,” Cooper says. “This is interfering with ability to do your schoolwork successfully and it’s also starting to negatively affect your relationships. People really don’t want you around a poker table anymore. Other close friends may be noticing a change in your behaviour if you seem a little more agitated, or they simply haven’t seen you if you’re sitting behind a computer screen the whole time, playing blackjack or poker,” he continues. The direct risks involved with gambling are fairly evident, including losses in cash and other assets; and feelings of restlessness, anxiety, and depression. But there are also many indirect risks. Gamblers may adopt risky attitudes in the daily sectors of their lives, including their jobs. They may find themselves riding emotional rollercoasters and feeling isolated from their peers, their friends, and their families. Suriyakumar has a few friends whose lives have been affected by their parents’ gambling problems, leading to social and familial complications. “One resulted in a divorce, another [in the parents not speaking] to each other anymore,

[and the] last one resulted in a separation, but the father worked out his gambling problems and hasn’t gambled ever since,” he says. Like any addiction, recognizing and admitting the problem is the first step to recovery. Unfortunately, many people remain in denial until it is too late to turn back. “Most people that are drinking, doing drugs, or gambling are pretty happy with themselves. They really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel – they have to be out cash, out a job, lose a house – before they say: ‘You know what, everybody told me, but I finally get it. This is a problem and I want to do something about it,’” Cooper says. Some biological traits particularly increase the likelihood of an addiction, like impaired impulse control or hypersensitivity to endorphin-based stimulation. Although Cooper declares bingo and lotteries to be the most addictive gambling activities, they yield smaller losses than other engagements, like games played in casinos or betting. Addictions associated with online gambling are also gaining prevalence. Online gaming is currently the fastest rising sector in the gambling industry. The games are very private – communication with other players is limited to networking – and if played excessively, begin to hinder social stimulation. While most forms of gambling have more cons than pros, card games can at least help develop rational skills and provide a forum for social engagement. Online gaming removes that forum; participants can spend hours upon hours huddled behind a computer screen without any physical interaction with others. Overindulging in any type of gambling, however, can be seriously detrimental and should be addressed. “It’s disturbing to hear about somebody who’s wearing a Depends diaper so that they can sit at a slot machine [or] sit at a computer,” Cooper says. “[When] they don’t want to miss a round of poker [that badly], it’s problematic.”

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

11

Sasha Plotnikova / The McGill Daily

12 Commentary

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

Tadamon! is no paragon Piñata diplomacy Ricky Kreitner “Allah will sooner or later punish those who transgress the rights of innocents.” – Turkish PM Recep Erdogan

I

did not closely follow the debate in these pages a few months ago over the QPIRG funding of Tadamon!, the Montreal artists “activist” collective whose name means “solidarity” in Arabic. Apparently the debate revolved around a certain Isaac Blinkovitz not wanting to vote for a QPIRG fee increase because he disapproved of their association with the Tadamon! collective. In light of the recent events in Gaza, I decided to go back and look at the debate, and at Tadamon! to see what all the fuss was about. After minimal research, I've come to the conclusion that Tadamon! represents exactly what I can't stand about human beings: we're so damned opportunistic. One thing that opportunists do is take undeniably horrible circumstances and use them to their own advantage. And not in a good way like that Hilary Swank movie where her young husband dies so she goes on a long vacation that he had previously planned out for her. Poignant. Rather, think of 9/11, which George Bush used to pass the Patriot Act and the New York Yankees used to finally

ban spectators from bringing their own food and drinks to the stadium. (My dad's rants about the Yankee Stadium policy were surely formative in shaping my political philosophy.) Tadamon!'s bulletin is updated several times a day, and seems to be barely trying to convince even itself of seriousness. One of these posts on January 5 read: “Demonstrations in Montreal also targeted the Canadian government support for Israeli military actions in Gaza which have heavily targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.” So, let’s review the situation. Under threat of untimely death, Hamas forces Gazan civilians to allow their homes to be used as terrorist bases to launch rockets at Israeli civilians. Israel warns those Gazans to expel either themselves or the intruders from their homes. But the mustachioed guy with the Uzi at the door doesn't like either of those options. Israel, because it (justifiably, and unlike Hamas) ranks the protection of its own citizens as its first priority, bombs the home, killing the captives with the captors. And Tadamon! says that Israel has “heavily targeted civilians?” Let's lower the rhetoric decrying Israel’s “disproportionate response.” The American cartoonist Chip Bok had an excellent cartoon last week-

Nadja Popovich / The McGill Daily

A whole new set of terms are under scrutiny with the Israeli offensive in Gaza. end depicting an Israeli soldier, in the first panel saying, “The UN is calling for a proportional response.” In the next frame, the soldier is lighting a fuse and says, “Random rockets aimed at civilians.” Those who raise the disproportionality issue fail to convince me that Hamas’s ineptitude and inefficient weaponry somehow relieve them of the moral responsibility for trying. Furthermore, high Palestinian deaths hurt the public relations cause of the Israelis more than it hurts the political cause of Hamas, and Hamas knows it. Israel knows it too. What does Tadamon! think is Israel’s

reason for “targeting civilians?” Spreading the blood of non-Jews on their heads for Passover, as one commentator sarcastically offered? Let me make this clear: If Israeli soldiers die, Hamas wins. If Israeli civilians die, Hamas wins. If Palestinian civilians die, Hamas wins. The only way for Israel to win is to kill Hamas soldiers, but that’s hard when they hide behind the horribly literal skirts of Gazan civilians. But do not consider my defense of Israel an absolute one. Israel needs to publicly define its goals. Those goals need to be reachable. Are you taking out the tunnels or are you taking out

Hamas? I sympathize with the need to keep this information away from Hamas, but I resent being asked to continue to support a military effort the intended results of which I have not yet been fully informed. Yes, Israel has made mistakes, both moral and political. But let us not oversimplify. More importantly, let us (if I may be so bold as to say there is an us) never allow the nihilists to use our own morality against us. Ricky’s column appears every Monday. Send your literal skirst to [email protected].

This year, read beyond the bearded cover Life Lines Johanu Botha

“In the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom and knowledge, sexual virility, or high social status...”

T

he above is taken from one of today’s most popular, most approachable, and most widely circulated sources (Wikipedia) and thus should be given its due attention. It goes on to name the number of great figures who have sported this epitome of manhood, notable ones including Aristotle,

Leonardo da Vinci, and Brad Pitt. Although the online encyclopedia fails to mention it, I too have joined the ranks. For the past month or so I have not touched a razor to my face, growing this remarkable thing they call the beard (which, in case you forgot, is said to represent sexual virility). Wikipedia continues and talks about the converse effect, something about how beards can be related to filthiness, crudeness, and an eccentric disposition. But we all know how fickle the Internet can be and since a beard – which I happen to have –

typifies sexual virility there is no way it could mean such things. Tongue-in-the-cheek aside, I have been continually surprised at the different reactions to the new addition to my face. Yes, I now have a fiery red (non-patched) collection of hair that deems my neck invisible. Yes, I have a mustache, which I have to smooth to the side to stop it from filtering any liquids I take in. But it seems that, according to those strangers who don’t know me well, I also have an added feature to my character. Sure I crack more “I just shaved this morning” jokes than normal, and now and then, I pretend that I’ve converted to one of the many religions that endorse beards but in general I’m still the same person I was a month ago. Yet judging by the different way I’m treated by air hostesses, waiters, casual acquittances, and the like, you would think I had had a total personality makeover. I was asked for three ID’s at the airport as opposed to the usual one. It is harder to make small talk with a waiter after

I’ve ordered, and frankly, I am having a lot less eye sex in the hallways. Now it’s not as if my beard is horribly upsetting. Throw me an email and I’ll prove it. But it’s big and very much there. And it has led to my fascination with how much people,

with wonderful friends who might love me even more with the beard. This is merely a shout out to all of us, including me, to continue to be aware of the human behind the veil. For me, it has been an amusing experience; for others it could very well

It’s harder to make small talk with a waiter, and I’m having a lot less eye sex in the hallways. quite possibly subconsciously, treat other people on mere face value. Now I know it has been said a million times. In fact calling it a cliché is in itself a cliché, but nevertheless, let’s try not to judge books by their covers in 2009. This is not an attempt to get more waitresses to talk to me, I’m actually enjoying observing this change in people’s behaviour and am blessed

be frustrating to know that the perception of their true personality is undermined by some physical factor. In 2009, let’s read our books through before making our minds up about them. Johanu’s column appears every Monday. Send him your non-patched collection of hairs and shaving jokes to [email protected].

Commentary Ben Peck / The McGill Daily

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

13

HYDE PARK

CUPE boycott brings bigotry to academia

HYDE PARK

Israel’s moral high ground Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir

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t has been two years since 1.5-million-plus residents of Gaza have been under siege. With points of entry by land, air, and sea blocked by Israel and Egypt, Gazans have been reduced to “smuggling” in bare necessities of food and fuel through tunnels under the Egypt-Palestine border. All facets of life for the Gazans have degraded to deplorable states. Parents cannot feed their children; more than one in four Gazan children are malnourished, almost 50 per cent under age two are anemic due to the denial of basic medical supplies. Gazans suffering from chronic illnesses are denied adequate care and are rarely allowed to travel for life-saving medical treatment. Those who are allowed out of Gaza suffer interrogation and coercion to collaborate against their community by the Israeli military before given treatment. Tragically, most never receive treatment; 245 of these patients have died in the past 12 months alone. Without the ability to obtain necessary raw materials, the Gazan economy has been decimated such that there is no way to earn a wage, and scarce amounts of food and

fuel to buy. As a result, nearly half of Gazan households are below the poverty line, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Electrical utilities require fuel, so basic services such as water and sewage pumps sit idle. This is only a small sample of the deplorable conditions that Gazans have been put through in the past two years. This is on top of the four-decade long Israeli military occupation that preceded this current siege. The quality of life that I have described up to now was what life was like for Gazans before Israel’s massive bombing campaign began just a few weeks ago and ground invasion which started only a few days ago. Since then, hundreds of Palestinian civilians have been murdered by every flavor of modern weaponry, which Israel can buy with over $3-billion of military aid it receives annually from the U.S. This includes one-ton (2000-pound) bombs, Hellfire rockets, medium artillery, heavy machine guns, and possibly chemical and depleted uranium munitions, which Israel has used in the past in Gaza and Lebanon. The Israeli government claims to be at war on Hamas which, by some stretch of the moral compass, includes

targeting bureaucrats, police, rescue workers, and recently UN-run school and aid convoys. Attacks on UN-run schools, which are being used to shelter thousands of Palestinian civilians from Israeli attacks, have killed 43 and wounded 100 – all refugees desperately seeking safety. So, what exactly is Israel’s moral high ground? Isn’t it obvious? A small minority of the starved, bombed, shelled, and desperate Gazan community is firing make-shift rockets into Israeli towns. These rockets have killed five Israelis during these most recent hostilities. Over the same time period, the Israeli military has ended the lives of almost 763 Palestinians, over 200 of them children, and wounded over 3,121. This includes at least four paramedics who were killed by Israel’s bomb-wait-bomb tactic that targets rescue personnel. The obvious conclusion is that Israel has no moral high ground; it is a regime that continually commits terrorist acts, no better than the “terrorists” they claim to be fighting...although unarguably more effective. Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir is a PhD4 Chemical Engineering student. You can reach him at nasser. [email protected].

HYDE PARK

Tell SSMU what you want Devin Alfaro

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n the past, McGill has seen many heated debates about the issues facing students and society. So far this year, campus has been quieter than it has been for the past few years. As a whole, last semester was marked by disappointingly low political participation among McGill students. The SSMU General Assembly (GA) just met quorum, but the online ratification vote that followed did not. Moreover, not enough people voted in the fall elections for their results to be valid. These elections were all the more impressive because for the first time in McGill history, students had the chance to vote on University ancillary fees and choose whether they were willing to pay more for certain services. Despite this unique opportunity, there was little debate and anemic participation. In a place like McGill, it can often be hard for the average student to get their voice heard and to feel that they can make a difference when it comes to what happens on campus. Taking part

in the decision making of the SSMU is one important place for students to voice their opinions and affect change. SSMU is your student union. It is there both to represent you and to provide services that give you a better university experience. However, it can only do these things effectively if people show up, have a healthy debate, and help set the priorities and policies of the organization. This year’s SSMU executive is committed to working for students, and we take the mandates that we’ve been given seriously. One tangible example is the work we’ve done standing up for students who are also parents. In the Fall 2007 GA, SSMU was given a mandate to work on making the University a better place for student parents. SSMU got the message and looked for ways to make progress on the issue. Next month, we expect to open a new nursery with spaces for eight children of undergraduate students. A group of students who cared about the issue proposed a GA motion, other students got behind it and made it policy, and now there’s a new service that will make a world of a difference

for students in need of child care. When we are given political mandates, like fighting tuition increases or supporting our teaching assistants, we speak out and make sure that students have their say. The more people who participate, the more representative our policies are, and the stronger we can make a stand. This semester, take part and make sure your voice is heard. Everyone has an opinion on what they’d like to see done differently on campus. McGill is a better place when we students take ownership of our campus and work to change it. One important aspect of this is through taking part in setting the policies of your student union, SSMU. Engaging in SSMU’s decision making process is one of the few places your opinion counts and decisions made have to be implemented. We take representing students seriously, but in order to do that you need to tell us what you want. Devin Alfaro is the SSMU VP External and a U3 Geography (Urban Systems) and Sociology student. Say what the SSMU exec can do for you at [email protected].

Mookie Kideckel

M

eet Sid Ryan, the firecracker leader of the Ontario wing of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). He has used this role as a bully pulpit to rant and roar not just about labour issues, but also about his native Ireland, and, for some reason, Israel. Through his activism, Ryan has impressed many by accomplishing the seemingly impossible feat of convincing cynical non-believers like me that obsessive criticism of Israel is, in fact, anti-Semitism. Let’s start in 2006, when he led CUPE in adopting a resolution calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. The Canadian Arab Federation was so impressed that they gave him their Social Justice Award for 2006. The National Post was so impressed they gave him the title “disgrace and embarrassment.” After Lebanon, the Middle East stayed fairly quiet and so, impressively, did Ryan. But, in case you just crawled out of the womb and the doctor didn’t tell you, the rivalry in the region heated up this winter as Israel responded to Hamas rockets with an air and ground incursion into Gaza. So on January 5, apparently concerned that not enough people were making fools of themselves, Ryan boldly declared that, “In response to an appeal from the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees, we are ready to say Israeli academics should not be on our campuses unless they explicitly condemn the University bombing and the assault on Gaza in general.” I don’t have enough space to detail everything wrong with this proposal, so let’s run through the basics. Ryan claims it is in response to the bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza, which Israel alleges was being used by Hamas. Yet no matter your view on the act itself, and the war in gener-

al, there are some things that should go without saying: Israeli academics don’t set policy, so the ban makes no sense; it hurts academia to limit the free exchange of ideas and speech; and it sets a dangerous precedent to declare that university hiring will be based on explicitly expressed political views. But let’s pretend for a minute we’re in some alternate dimension where Ryan’s proposal is actually reasonable. In that case, he is guilty of prejudice. He claims he is responding to a war. But American-led forces were responsible for more than 9,000 civilians deaths in the first two years of the Iraq war. Where is the ban on their academics? What about a ban on scholars from the Sudan, whose president is committing genocide. Or Iran, whose president would like to? No, Mr. Ryan is not concerned with states at war; he is concerned with the Jewish state at war. I know, I know – not all Israeli academics are Jewish, so how can this be called bigotry against Jews? For one thing, since Ryan is convinced Israel is a Nazi-like state – though he did apologize for revealing this view in public – which confines its nonJewish inhabitants to only the lowest echelons of society, I’m not sure if he even knows there are non-Jewish academics. And if he does, he likely views them as collateral damage. Israel is, inescapably, a Jewish state. And applying an unfair double standard to Israel, consciously or not, by punishing its academics for actions that other states have committed, often to a greater extent, is anti-Semitic. Ryan’s proposal goes beyond the absurd, and into the realm of bigotry. The situation would be hilarious – if it wasn’t so incredibly frightening. Mookie Kideckel is a U1 Political Science and History student. Send all your thoughts on Semitism to [email protected].

Opinions aren’t meant to be caged.

Set them free in The Daily. Ask how at [email protected].

Letters

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

18 Culture

14

The McGill Daily, Monday, November 24, 2008

Laying down the law Loving the Police is not a crime

Stuck on Shuffle Zachary Shuster

M

y roommates and I recently threw our first chili cook-off. It was a massive success for a number of reasons, primarily because lots of people brought chili to my house. As I often do before social gatherings, I had positioned my DVD of the Police’s Synchronicity Concert on top of the television. It functions as a highly effective conversation piece, and I can usually channel the conversation into a public viewing, and then, well, I’m typically set for the evening. As it happened on this particular Sunday, one attendee noticed the DVD as things were winding down, and I quickly swooped in, grinning broadly and claiming ownership. Our conversation was as follows: Curious chili lover: Yeah...man, I love the Police, but I’m usually too embarrassed to say that out loud. Zach Shuster: Really? Last year I spent the bulk of my accumulated summer earnings to fly from my home in Honolulu, Hawaii to Manchester, Tennessee to see a Police reunion concert. My dominant fandom thus established, I was suddenly shocked to see that most people in the room were grimacing. I came to a terrible realization: Being a really huge Police fan might not be cool. For the sake of addressing this unfortunate social reality, I hereby present to McGill Daily readers, skeptics, and believers alike, three reasons why the Police are the greatest rock band ever – past, present, or future.

Re: “Laying down the law” | Commentary | November 24

“So Lonely” is indeed the best of the Police’s oeuvre, as anyone with respectable taste will agree. Thanks for increasing awareness of the insidious oppression of Police fans. The struggle to appreciate earnest, occasionally overproduced rock songs unridiculed can now begin–well, in earnest. Myles Gaulin U1 English and Psychology

Let’s talk about The Daily, baby Re: “Addressing the Public Editor...” & “Addressing The Daily’s uniform content...” | Commentary | Dec. 1 & Nov. 20 I applaud Marc Selles’s assessment of The Daily’s content, but am disappointed by the dismissive response that it has received. Stylistic concerns aside, the issue of The Daily’s exclusivity and uniformity of opinion demands further dialogue. Ted Sprague’s letter in the December 1 edition is very troubling, as it seems to suggest that such dialogue will not be forthcoming. The words “radical,” “progressive,” and indeed “alternative” have come to define an increasingly rigid set of political and social views – a codification that should be evident to a regular reader of this publication, or to any hapless soul who reveals himself or herself to have “conservative” views within the walls of our campus. I am appalled by the single-mindedness that prevails at an institution like ours, where difference of opinion should be viewed as a prime opportunity for conversation and learning, and regret that The Daily has come to reflect it. To dissect issues and assess the value of different views is the charge of The Daily as a newspaper and as a representative of the University; to propagate a particular set of “marginalized” views as the only reasonable positions (or, much more shockingly, as the only “human” ones), is tantamount to the silencing of intellectual discourse in what should be a forum for just that, and indicates that other opinions are now the victims of marginalization. The solution to the “prejudice perpetuated by the current mainstream media” that Mr. Sprague so forcefully decries is not the creation of a nearly identical system of intellectual prejudice within the media at McGill. The Daily belongs to all of us, not simply to the massive, overbearing clique of the like-mindedly “alternative.” I hope that the McGill community will not abandon it to the fate that it seems bound for. Mike Prebil U1 History

Reason 1: Tantric Sting

Sasha Plotnikova / The McGill Daily

The lead singer of the Police is Sting. Sting is proficient in a number of areas: he can play the bass (can you play the bass?), he has golden vocal chords, and he is a celebrated practitioner of tantric sex. In fact, he is frequently the subject of parody due to the candor with which he discusses his sex practices. What many people don’t know is that Sting is also a world-renowned practitioner of what I like to call “tantric conversation.” Allow me to explain: most interviews of music personalities delve only briefly into intimate discussions of personal sexuality. Clinical findings suggest that the subject occupies perhaps seven to 13 minutes (on average) of overall interview time, before reaching a climax and trailing off into a refractory period of variable length (this is usually when the celebrity professes a dedication to preserving the environment). Sting, by employing an arsenal of synchronized breathing techniques and refusing to break eye-contact, can maintain a discussion on

Why do we value the lives of Canadians above others?

Education isn’t a right, it’s a commodity

Why I changed my name to Andy Summers

Re: “Praying for friends killed in Mumbai” | Commentary | December 1

Re: “PGSS stabbed us in the back...” | Commentary | November 24

Re: “Laying down the law” | Commentary | November 24

Let me begin by expressing my horror at the recent violence in Mumbai; opening fire on civilians was truly a heinous act. I read Mr. Holzman’s piece in your previous issue. I cannot convey my sorrow at such senseless loss of life. However, one rather unique facet of these attacks has captured my interest: its coverage in the Western media. It is fascinating to me that this event, while tragic and appalling, has garnered such interest amongst our beloved broadcasters. In the last few days of November, the BBC has produced myriad headlining stories detailing the belligerents’ every move. These stories have also portrayed a mutilated city in dire straits; symbols of its previous glory tattered. I challenge these sentiments. I wonder as to the significance of the “historic” Taj Hotel in the life of a slum-dwelling Mumbaiker. With a population near 20-million, Greater Mumbai is an exceedingly huge metropolis. Furthermore, this city is hardly naïve: in 2006, 190 people were killed in train bombings. I believe Mumbai will flourish once more. In fact, the only reason this tragedy has elicited such a strong response is due to the deaths of Western nationals. My conviction comes from our large ignorance of other major world events. We rarely hear of the 10,000-30,000 Afghans slaughtered this decade; neither of at least 150,000 innocent Iraqis murdered in the name of democracy. There has even been scanty coverage of a sectarian riot that caused over 300 deaths in Nigeria only last week. So I ask: why do we value the lives of our countrymen above others? Are we not all human beings? It seems to me that we are not.

I read with dismay Ted Sprague’s article about the $10 graduate tuition fee hike. Sprague succumbs to the popular notion that education is a right, not a privilege. Nowhere does it say we have a right to a university education. UN declarations refer to a minimum level of education, and are focused on developing nations. In a first-world country like Canada, education is a commodity available only to those who can afford it. If you think the government should pay for you, fair enough, but why? What, other than a faulty rights rhetoric, is this based on? Yes, there are societal benefits to an educated public, but maybe we should focus on fixing our primary and secondary education systems first. You don’t need an undergraduate degree. You are just told that you do and you don’t know what else to do with your life. A university education is largely superfluous. It’s a privilege and a bonus. But some students know what they want. So should they not be funded? Okay, but who should pay for them? Why not have corporations pay? Well, they already do, to an extent, but the same student “activists” who decry moving the financial burden of postsecondary education onto the students themselves refuse to accept this potential solution. A novel solution would be to make universities elite, not in a financial sense, but academically: raise the entrance requirements and take only the true best and brightest. Let the rest find jobs – a good three year CEGEP program will help you out with that. That way, the government could afford to put more money into education at all levels, they’d be getting a higher quality product, and there would be more money for student services. Treat your time here as a privilege, not a right.

My dad (Ed) has been an Orlando, Florida support-my-familywith-my-earnings musician since the 1970s, playing popular tunes to tourists in and around my hometown many hotels, bars, lounges, etc. Whatever his disdain for the music he played to bring home the bacon, he played it regardless, because cash is cash. He did, however, like the Police, especially the music of their guitarist Andy Summers. I grew up watching and hearing my

John Lofranco Law II

Please send your letters from your McGill email to letters@mcgilldaily. com, and try to keep them to about 300 words. The Daily does not print letters that are sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise hateful.

Rohith Bhargavan U2 Microbiology and Immunology

In defense of cats, and offense on Mendelson Re: “McGill centralizing food services” & “Enough with the cats” | News & Commentary | December 1 1) People of earth! Ignore Morton Mendelson’s sugar-coated promises! Recognize that by “centralizing food services” and “making things more efficient” he actually means “unilaterally taking over all campus food providers.” He has made it clear that he does not want to introduce new student-run food services. If centralizing McGill food services actually made it more effiicient, he would have no reason to fear a little healthy competition from students. His dialogue is blatantly anti-student autonomy, though, when he says “We’re not contemplating handing any more locations over to students.” What do you mean handing any more locations to students? You didn’t hand Architecture Café to students, you took it away from students and annexed it under campus food services. And the idea of taking over the SSMU food court is laughable. Students need at least one space where student-run food is a priority. That said, I’m not sure SSMU actually prioritizes student-run food as much as they say they do, considering the distinctly un-student

the topic of tantric sex for up to 14 hours, leaving the interviewer thoroughly, transcendently informed.

Reason 2: Fadeouts The Police know they rock. They write songs that rock so hard that they don’t feel the need to write endings for them, because ending a song means admitting it needs to end. The Police don’t play your game. That’s why almost every Police song ends with a fadeout, implying that it’s still playing somewhere. You see, the fadeout is the rock song equivalent of awkwardly leaving a boring conversation at a house party. When “Walking on the Moon” is “finished” on your iPod, and “On Any Other Day” starts playing, that doesn’t mean the song is actually over; it just means it’s done with you, and it’s gone to do something better with itself. It’s probably made its way over to my iPod, where it will be appreciated by someone who’s willing to eat nothing but buttered pasta for weeks just so he can stand in a dirty field in the Deep South to see Sting from a distance.

Reason 3: A hundred million bottles Jokes aside, the Police have written some of the most enduring pop songs of the last 40 years. (Which by itself is no big deal – even Journey cranked one out.) What sets them apart is the fact that most, if not all, of their most celebrated tunes deal with alienation, and not just in the “sexy people won’t talk to me” sense, but the “I always feel like I’m stranded on a desert island” sense, the “You don’t love me anymore so I’ll probably kill myself” sense, and, most popularly, the “I’m constantly watching you through your bedroom window because you’re my property...and God only knows what I’m up to in this tree” sense. (That’s “Every Breath You Take,” I’m afraid, and depending on how old you are, there’s a good chance it was played at your parents’ wedding.) There’s something at work here that I happen to think is brilliant: Imagine tens of thousands of people in their eighties best, packed in arenas around the world; huge crowds of folks standing shoulder to shoulder, singing along about how lame they are, and how wretched it feels to be alone. The Police’s best jam, “So Lonely,” can be found on the 1978 album Outlandos d’Amour. Next time you’re feeling particularly shitty, I suggest you throw it on. It’s a buoyant pop/ reggae number of the best variety, with lyrics about melancholic hang-ups against a backdrop of new-wave sunshine. Before you know it, you’ll be beaming along with a proud tradition of Police fans through the years who’ve known the value of translating the worst human preoccupations into radio rock staples. So lonely, indeed.

dad perform songs with a Stewart Copeland-esque percussive-tilt, and Sting’s vocal range. Listening to the Police for me, now, is like hearing my dad sing to me when I was a little boy. Zachary Shuster’s article (on how the Police are too often derided as lame and how they are actually super-cool) was awesome. Nice job, Zachary. From someone else who cares, thanks a lot. I mean, shit, I’ve even changed my name to Andy Summers. Andy Summers (White) U2 Sociology & Geography (Urban Systems)

run nature of Liquid Nutrition, the Shatner food court, Caferama, and the beloved but independent Al-Taib. Just pointing that out. 2) Allison McNeely, I demand that you apologize to the feline population of Montreal for your distinctly anti-cat rhetoric. As someone who will likely end up living in a dark musky basement with only the company of dozens of cats, I resent your implication that limiting the number of cats per household in a certain neighbourhood is not newsworthy. I, for one, was grateful to The McGill Daily for making it clear which neighbourhoods I should boycott. By claiming that cats are not front-page worthy, you marginalize the feline experience. And more seriously, the overpopulation of stray cats is a serious problem that won’t be solved by limiting the number of cats per household. People, please spay and/or neuter your pets. Also, I find it laughable that you accuse the article of being a front-page article when the front page of The Daily is clearly reserved for graphics. Meow, Iris Erdile U3 Education English & History

Culture

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

15

Get lost in a good bookstore Lesya Nakoneczny’s guide to finding books with personality in Montreal

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used and unique copy of a book has a certain romantic appeal. Used book stores offer a unique and vast selection of books that larger chains can’t provide, for a fair price. If that doesn’t have you convinced, remember that by buying used you are (hear the mantra) saving money, supporting local businesses, and supporting sustainable industries. There are many used book stores in Montreal, each with its own cut and jibe. More than a place of commerce, there is definitely a community aspect to these stores. Hopefully this guide will be of some use to those of us who find a moment to read something besides a textbook or course pack this semester. For book requests and more information on used bookstores in Montreal and other cities, visit usedbookcircle.com.

Ethan Landy for The McGill Daily

The Librairie Henri-Julien boasts a wide collection of philosophy and classic texts.

Odyssey Books

Librairie Henri-Julien

S.W. Welch

Pages

Sandwiched between “Phat City” and a luxury apartment building, Odyssey Books could easily go unnoticed, but it does not – and with good reason. After 28 years of business, this store has no doubt seen some great novels grace its shelves. Organized by category for non-fiction, and alphabetically for fiction in the literature section, this place has a wealth of interesting titles on a variety of topics. For book collectors, this may be a good place to visit – finds like a first edition copy of William Faulkner’s The Town have even turned up here. A quiet reprieve from the busy streets of the downtown core, this warm place has a couple chairs to sit in, records for sale, and of course a bargain book section. The owner, Bernard “Bernie” Wolff, prides himself on the selection – this is not one of those books stores that sells whatever it finds. Odyssey boasts their collection of “select second-hand books,” including those that are “scholarly, general, [or] rare.” They make house calls, but I suggest you check this one out in person.

In the Plateau for 20 years, Librairie Henri-Julien is a book collector’s dream. Not surprisingly, most of the clientele at this used bookstore are hobbyists. The majority of the titles are in French but there is a good spattering of those in English. If you’re interested in French authors, classics, books on the Second World War, armaments, or philosophy, visit Librairie Henri-Julien. The oldest book in the store is a 17thcentury Dutch hardback on the history of Amsterdam, engravings included. The walls are covered, floor to ceiling, with books of all kinds; one can barely make out the baby-pink paint on the walls. Every nook and cranny has been utilized. Like something out of a movie, with opera music playing, a rocking chair, and a friendly owner, Librairie HenriJulien is the quintessential used bookstore.

Owned and managed by S.W. Welch, this eponymous store mainly features books in English. The owner is attracted to an assortment of literary objects, including books with unique covers, ones he has never seen before, and uncommon versions of classics. Well-stocked and great for casual browsing, this Mile End bookstore is frequented mainly by regulars – maybe you should consider becoming one too. Sections are indicated by animated drawings throughout the store. With its comfortable chairs, leather couch, and bright lighting, S. W. Welch is well-organized while still maintaining a large selection. The film section is worth mentioning – when I went, it even contained a published copy of the Ghost World screenplay. While the layout is reminiscent of more commercial stores, S.W. Welch caters to many tastes.

With its store name in bright yellow letters on a red storefront, Pages certainly catches one’s attention. Venture inside and you find a store with personality. Relatively new, the philosophy at Pages is relaxed and welcoming – you can trade used books for store credit, and the owner, Tim O’Melia, is not one to discriminate. Anything worth reading has a home here. This place has also taken on a different role than other, more traditional bookstores: it serves as a community space, featuring fairly regular shows and occasional poetry readings. Thursday nights host a philosophical discussion group, and tea and coffee available every day. Pages is filled with found objects that add to its unique character – a model of an 18th-century Spanish frigate sits on a wooden trellis suspended over the cash, and the art on display is for sale. The mismatched furniture is cozy, and the conversation is good. A charming place with a friendly owner.

1439 Stanley, Metro Peel

4800 Henri-Julien, Metro Mont-Royal

225 Saint-Viateur O., Parc 80 bus

3255 St. Jacques, Metro Lionel-Groulx

16 Culture Classifieds

To place an ad,

via email: [email protected] phone: 514-398-6790 fax: 514-398-8318

Cost: McGill Students & Staff: $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.

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Moving / Storage. Closed van or trucks. Local + Long distance. OTT-TOR-NY-BOSTON-FLA. Low Rates Steve • (514) 735-8148

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? McGill Vision Research is looking for study participants. Please call Dr. Davar Nikneshan at 514-934-1934 ext. 35307 or email [email protected] for further information. Bilingual Industrial Engineer, student parttime to work from home. Interesting work filing “Invention Patents” & communicating with interesting companies with interesting products. Can lead to junior partnership with a start-up organisation. Contact inventor directly for further details, 514-351-5859

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Want to write for the Culture section? Email [email protected] for details.

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

The perks of being a pariah Surviving high school is no mean feat in Mariko Tamaki’s Skim Maeve Clougherty Culture Writer

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emember high school? Most of us are fairly nostalgic about our adolescent years; proms, parties, and other forms of teenage mischief dominate popular memory. However, after reading the graphic novel Skim, I realized that those years often seem better in hindsight. The story follows a young, angsty teen named Kimberly Keiko Cameron – known to her friends as Skim – as she suffers through adolescence at an all-girls private school. The story documents her woeful attempt to survive her teen years without any major psychological damage. Though at first glance Skim seems like an emo tribute to adolescent torment, the story is actually a touching and thoughtful homage to the protagonist’s formative years. Author Mariko Tamaki, who collaborated with her cousin Jillian Tamaki for illustrations, received national acclaim for Skim, earning a nomination for the Governor General’s Literary Awards. Though she did not win the award in the Children’s Literature category, the recognition was well-deserved. For those of us who made it through high school relatively unscathed, Skim is a powerful reminder of the brutality of adolescence. As an overweight, potentially lesbian Asian girl with few friends and an interest in witchcraft, Skim isn’t exactly prom queen material. In fact, she’s more like a fusion of common teenage insecurities that brand her a social outcast. The plot of the story is set in motion when Skim’s schoolmate loses her boyfriend to suicide, spurring the school into a frenzy of thrill and sympathy. As a clique of popular girls use the event as an opportunity to create the anti-suicide club, Girls Celebrate Life!, Skim is repulsed by the spectacle and remains contemptuous of her peers. Meanwhile,

Skim’s own social life takes an interesting turn when she finds herself romantically involved with her teacher, Ms. Archer. As a social pariah with an unrequited love affair, Skim learns that growing up requires a thick skin and a bit of faith in the future. I caught up with Skim’s author, Mariko Tamaki, in late December to get her perspective on the novel. McGill Daily: What was your inspiration for Skim? Mariko Tamaki: I’ve always been a fan of stories about high school, like Degrassi and other popular shows. I originally had the idea that it would be really cool to draw in the classic Lolita story with a modern twist on it by adapting the perspective to a queer character, which I thought could be empowering for women. I also wanted to draw on the daily boringness of high school; in popular movies and TV shows the lives of the teenagers are so dramatic and unrealistic. I wanted to portray high school as it really was for most of us – a series of boring events you have to suffer through.

with a teacher [and there was never] a suicide at school. I draw on my own experiences to create a potential history for the characters. The challenge was to figure out, if such an event happened, how would the characters react? MD: Who would you recommend this book for? MT: The book is listed as children’s literature, but it would be an amazing book for people who remember what high school was like and would like to reminisce. Ultimately, everyone relates to the adolescent experience,

though the book is probably most pertinent to teenagers. MD: How would you explain the message of Skim? MT: Skim has the opposite message of something like Romeo and Juliet; it’s a book about survival. Just because everything is not going your way doesn’t mean you have to give up and kill yourself. If you best friend decides she hates you and if you fall in love with someone you’re not supposed to, it’s not the end of your life.... It’s a part of the bigger picture. Life goes on after high school.

MD: What made you decide to write a graphic novel? MT: I was on the Perpetual Motion road tour, which is basically a bunch of artists driving across the East or West coast. The editor of Kiss magazine was with us, and she gave the writers and illustrators a chance to collaborate to write graphic novels. I knew my cousin was a talented illustrator, and I though it would be a cool idea to work with her on a graphic novel. I essentially wrote Skim as a theatre script with basic narration and dialogue, then sent the whole thing off to Jillian to illustrate. MD: Are there elements of your own life that influenced this book? MT: Skim isn’t completely divorced from my past. I went to an all-girls private school and the character is similar to me, but specifically, I never had a clandestine relationship

Courtesy of Groundwood Books

Infallible tests for year-end bests Top album lists, music-mag behemoths, and folky goodness Max Halparin

The McGill Daily

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nother year, another ten thousand year-end best-album lists. They’re great and all, but they probably offer more insight into the publication than the music. Take Rolling Stone, the once-relevant music and lefty politico mag, which seems to have felt obligated to include other former heavyweights Metallica, Guns ‘N Roses, and AC/DC in their best album list as an homage to 1987. Strangely, in the same issue, Axl Rose’s Chinese Democracy was rightly described as an overproduced

disappointment – yet it was also the 12th best album of the year. What I’d like to tell Rolling Stone in this piece they’ll never read is: just because the favourites of yesteryear release new albums doesn’t mean you have to care. The real purpose of year-end lists may be to distinguish all-too-similar media outlets. After reformatting to a smaller page size, Rolling Stone now looks remarkably similar to SPIN, but it goes one step further by offering the same subpar content in its few dozen pages that reads like what the guy in sales knows the text-messaging kids want these days. Also like SPIN, RS chose TV on the

Radio’s Dear Science as the year’s best album. Fair enough, it’s damn good, with soothing layers of fuzz, acoustic and electric drum beats that can be DAF (dancy-as-fuck), and bold vocals that could give MJ “satisfaction” when they shift to falsetto. (The older, born-white MJ.) But that’s beside the point. When I was in a rush and trying to quickly determine if a publication knew what it was talking about regarding music this year, I used the statistically significant Bearded Folk (BF) test. It’s a little complicated, but the gist is, if a list included Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, and Fleet Foxes’ selftitled album in their top ranks, it knew

what it was talking about. And boy you can guess what happened when the two albums weren’t included! (The source didn’t know what it was talking about.) It turned into a simple exercise with which many are familiar: scanning print and online pages for your personal favourites to read more about what you already know. But goddamn those two albums were so good. Turns out the BF test isn’t foolproof, as some who passed it sadly only pretend to know what they’re talking about – RS being one of them. Hopefully it’ll focus on its political musings, which are at least vaguely original.

Culture

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

17

Slice-of-life, served cold Dave Lapp’s detached vignettes lack direction Culture Writer

L

et me start out by saying that I am not a connoisseur of graphic novels. And that I have trouble writing bad reviews. I hold this odd belief, as a bibliophile, that all books and printed materials are in some way or another sacred. And since someone has taken the trouble to print it, it must be of value. But perhaps, this one time, I have to say it: I just don’t think this is a great book. I keep trying to find ways to redeem it in my mind, but I can’t seem to do it. I picked up Drop-In with great interest because I had recently read and loved Persepolis and I wanted to learn more about the genre. But I found that the label of “graphic novel” may be misleading, because Dave Lapp’s book doesn’t have a plotline or a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. As the publishers more accurately described it, it is a “collection of stories about his work as an art teacher in an inner city Toronto youth drop-in centre.”

In this roughly 150-page book (I’m guessing, since there are no page numbers), Lapp creates a world in and around the youth centre, in which he is confronted with all the issues inherent in that world – poverty, mental illness, racism, etc. And though the subject matter is captivating, I spent most of the time waiting for something to happen. The most frustrating thing about Drop-In is that there doesn’t seem to be a message. Lapp doesn’t really say anything. He doesn’t take a stand or make a statement about anything. Only twice in the book did I find a clear message – in the first and last pages. The first image is that of a little plant growing up from the drain in the art room. And the last scene depicts a troubled black kid bumping fists with Lapp, giving him props. But even these images are cliché and uninspiring. Lapp intentionally places himself in the position of the confused or fearful spectator in most scenes. And I find this frustrating because the entire time I am silently urging him to do something, say something, or just freak out. To his credit, I believe

he does this intentionally in order not to cast judgment on the people in his stories. And that would be great if his characters unraveled themselves or went through some sort of transformation. But they remain relatively flat and Lapp remains the confused middle-class-white-guy observer. An expert might say, Camille, shush, you just don’t get it. And it’s true: I am not well-versed in graphic novels. And I am also unfamiliar with the milieu Lapp writes about. I have never experienced an urban youth centre and perhaps I lack the social compass that could guide me through these vignettes. So if I’m missing the point here, let me know. I agree with most of what the reviewers on the back of the book say: It’s true that Lapp offers an unblinkingly frank portrayal of what he experienced at the youth centre. And yes, “There’s tension in these small slice-of-life pieces but also a dreamlike quality, and that combination somehow captures life’s oddness.” But I can’t help but ask, So what? Unlike this reviewer, I didn’t laugh and I didn’t cry.

In the end it feels like Lapp is handing us this book of memories while raising his eyebrows and shrugging, as if to say “Beats me!” or “Here, you deal with this.” No thanks.

Sasha Plotnikova / The McGill Daily

Camille Holden

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Compendium! Lies, half-truths, and some ads The Bush years Arnie Foreman

Comics comics bo-bonics, no-nanonanonomonics ...COMICS! The Daily wants your comics.

compendium@ mcgilldaily.com

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

Across 1. One way to be taken 6. Get out, in Baghdad? 10. Wood sorrels 14. Pass on 15. High spots 16. Castle, e.g. 17. Geo model 18. Crude group? 19. At liberty 20. Underarmour, eg 22. Fill 23. Mozart’s “L’ del Cairo” 24. Sound effect 26. Bricklayers’ equipment 30. Control 32. Good for nothing 33. Biblical shepherd 34. New Mexico art community 36. Sixties protest 40. Jeep type 42. Catch 44. Old Roman port 45. Part of the Hindu trinity 47. Radiate 48. African antelope 50. Presidents’ Day mo. 51. Mailed 52. See (59) 56. “ a chance” 58. Kuwaiti, e.g. 59. Where you can get a shot 65. French door part

66. Palm type 67. Like The X-Files 68. Card catalog abbr. 69. Long look 70. Threefold 71. Convince 72. “ only” 73. Canadian insult Down 1. Kind of race 2. Page 3. A chorus line 4. Author John Dickson 5. Former capital of Japan 6. Freighthoppers 7. Bill Clinton’s birthplace 8. Companion of Artemis 9. Type of account 10. Children 11. Reef material 12. Stop, in Nice 13. Have the helm 21. TP type 25. Hail Mary, e.g. 26. Dead headwear 27. Kimono sashes 28. Balance sheet item 29. Santa’s signal 31. Negative 35. Disco time 37. A fisherman may spin one 38. “Pumping ”

39. Colourful salamander 41. Indian princess 43. Bigwig 46. Then’s predecessor 49. Lost liquid 52. Scruffs 53. Pontificate 54. Ear part 55. Break down 57. Choppers, so to speak 60. Discomfit 61. “My ” 62. Pupil’s locale 63. Opening time, maybe 64. Big game

Solution to “Examania”

18

19

The McGill Daily, Monday, January 12, 2009

EDITORS’ NOTE

volume 98 number 26

editorial 3480 McTavish St., Rm. B-24 Montreal QC, H3A 1X9 phone 514.398.6784 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com coordinating editor

Jennifer Markowitz [email protected] coordinating news editor

Shannon Kiely news editors

Erin Hale Nicholas Smith Alison Withers features editor

Claire Caldwell commentary&compendium editor

We’re back, with a new look After a relaxing break, The Daily is back. Athough we’ve been on our annual hiatus for the past month, we’ve been busy planning for the redesigned paper you’re holding in your hands. If you’ve made it to this page, you may have noticed some big changes. Aside from a general refreshment of fonts and basic design elements, we’ve decided to clean up the Commentary section to give more space to your letters and opinion pieces. We’ve always published every (non-hateful) letter we’ve received, and now we’re giving them an entire page to themselves, so that your voices have a consistent, distinct place in the paper. We’ve also added a separate page for our masthead and editorial, along with a new feature that will hopefully offer a fun and interesting look into how The Daily is made. For a more complete description of our new design standards, you can check out our design guide at mcgilldaily. com. The Daily is always evolving, and we welcome your comments and suggestions, at [email protected].

Max Halparin

coordinating culture editor

Braden Goyette culture editors

Joshua Frank Lisa Cuddy science+technology editor

Nikki Bozinoff mind&body editor

Nadja Popovich photo editor

Stephen Davis graphics editor

James Wilson

MAKING THE DAILY a look behind the headlines

production & design editors

Will Vanderbilt Aaron Vansintjan

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web editor

Ian Beattie copy editor

Whitney Mallett cover design

Ben Peck le délit

Maysa Phares [email protected]

5:30 a.m. – Five daily editors board a plane to Toronto, which is delayed due to a minor maintence problem. They miss their connection to Saskatoon by five minutes.

Contributors

Nasser Mohieddin Abukhdeir, Devin Alfaro, Jeff Bishku-Aykul, Johanu Botha, Angel Chen, Maeve Clougherty, Ethan Feldman, Pamela Fillion, Henry Gass, Camille Holden, Mookie Kideckel, Ricky Kreitner, Ethan Landy, Lesya Nakoneczny, Evan Newton, Lily Panamsky, Sasha Plotnikova, Ben Peck, Sam Reisler, Aquil Virani, Arie Voorman

Saskatoon

The Daily is published on most Mondays and Thursdays by the Daily Publications Society, an autonomous, not-for-profit organization whose membership includes all McGill undergraduates and most graduate students.

3480 McTavish St., Rm. B-26 Montreal QC, H3A 1X9 phone 514.398.6790 fax 514.398.8318

Boris Shedov Pierre Bouillon Geneviève Robert

advertising & general manager treasury & fiscal manager ad layout & design

dps board of directors

Angel Chen, Ana Gray Richardson-Bachand, Braden Goyette, Lauren Chang MacLean, Jennifer Markowitz, Lawrence Monoson, Maysa Phares, Perrin Valli, Eric Van Eyken ([email protected])

The Daily is proud to be a founding member of the Canadian University Press. All contents © 2009 Daily Publications Society. All rights reserved. The content of this newspaper is the responsibility of The McGill Daily and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Products or companies advertised in this newspaper are not necessarily endorsed by Daily staff. Printed by Imprimerie Transcontinental Transmag. Anjou, Quebec. ISSN 1192-4608.

4

Montreal The flight to Saskatoon is delayed by three hours, and finally leaves at 11:30 p.m. The editors arrive in Saskatoon at 3:30 a.m., the same time they left for the airport the morning before.

Every January, a handful of Daily editors are sent to some corner of the country for the Canadian University Press’s national student journalism conference. After 24 hours at the mercy of Air Canada last Wednesday, five of us touched down in Saskatoon, exhausted and dishevelled but excited to spend five days schmoozing with other campus papers and attending panels on everything from investigative reporting and activist journalism to layout and design tips. This year, the conference theme was “Upgrade”: speakers from many different backgrounds offered their insight into the shifting face of journalism in the country, spurred by the decline of the newspaper industry, the rise of Web 2.0, and the troubled economy. The outlook seems scary, but the message we’ve taken home – as proven by the sheer number of smart, passionate aspiring journalists at the conference – is that journalism is as important as ever, and will continue to thrive as long as there is news to cover and diligent reporters to unpack it.

Toronto

2

Air Canada re-routes the editors on a direct flight to Saskatoon, through Montreal. They board the delayed flight back to their starting point at 4 p.m. They miss their connection there, and are rebooked on the last flight to Saskatoon of the day – from Toronto.

3

6 p.m. – The editors begrudgingly board their second flight of the day from Montreal to Toronto.