Ovarian cancer is the fifth-most diagnosed cancer among Canadian women, accounting for four per cent of all new cases. Tragically, 75 per cent of these new cases prove terminal within five years of their diagnosis. Although it is often compared to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is, in fact, more deadly, because detection usually occurs at a relatively advanced stage.
“Breast cancer patients die—not because of the cancer itself, but because of the migration of the cancer cell, while ovarian cancer patients die because it cannot be controlled,” Dr. Patricia N. Tonin, cancer researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and associate professor in McGill’s department of medicine, said of the disease.
Recognized as the most lethal gynecological cancer, ovarian cancer differs from other forms in its aggressive characteristics and the general lack of clinical and technological advancement in treatment techniques.
While 95 per cent of ovarian cancer cases can be labeled as benign, they are treated in the same way as the malignant cases—with extensive rounds of chemotherapy and cytoreductive‡ procedures.
However, a recent study conducted by the RI-MUHC—in collaboration with the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre—has discovered two distinctly different genetic patterns that will not only shed light on the biological make-up of the disease, but may also revolutionize treatment plans, which currently lack customization, by focusing separately on each of these two cases.
According to Dr. Tonin, who led the study, the underlying mechanism causing ovarian cancer is the mutated form of gene TP53, which produces an abnormal, mutant protein p53. When the protein is functioning normally, it “maintains the integrity of the genome,” by detecting massive reorganizations, which is a signal of possible mistakes conducive to the advent of cancer. The protein either decides “this is such a mess; we are going to kill the cell [or] we can fix this mistake,” Dr. Tonin said.
In over 90 per cent of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSCs), a common form of ovarian cancer, the gene that has been mutated is typically responsible for sensing problems with the organization of the genome. The mutant gene instead blocks any opportunity to dispose of the troublesome cells.
The consequences of ovarian cancer vary dramatically across cases, based on the biology of the protein. A cell with mutated TP53 either may or may not produce a mutant p53 protein, and these two outcomes are directly linked to the survival rate of ovarian cancer; the former results in longer survival times and delays in cancer cell reoccurrence than the latter. This is a groundbreaking discovery because it is the first to uncover the biological difference between the two genetic patterns of ovarian cancer.
Dr. Tonin’s research paves the way for future studies into the pharmaceutical solutions to cancer. Scientists will continue working to find medications that are specifically targeted at each individual pattern, so as to reduce the invasiveness of future clinical procedures, and improve the overall outcome of treatment plans.
“Our next step,” Dr. Tonin said, “is to replicate our findings with publicly available datasets, separate the samples into two groups, and see if the patients actually survive longer, and also to generate more sophisticated data points to identify the genes involved in a more specific way.”
‡Cytoreductive: reducing the number of cells, as in surgery for a tumor.
Writing, directing, and producing a movie is a difficult undertaking. Films take on the enormous task of representing the world—all its sensations and nuances, beauties and horrors—in a very limited medium. Considering the added difficulty of portraying an event as appalling and horrific as the Holocaust, an accurate depiction through film seems nearly impossible. In fact, it is impossible. And yet, film is still the best way to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. Relatively few people will read textbooks, listen to interviews, take seminars, or go to museums, but everyone watches movies. Cinema, though imperfect, is the optimal form of media to connect people to the Holocaust.
This month, Cinema du Parc makes an honourable attempt to embrace as many Holocaust narratives as possible in their showcase, About the Holocaust: A selection of rare films. The movies range from the very old to the very recent, from documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters. Though no film will ever be able to portray the Holocaust with complete accuracy, this wide assortment of attempts generates a relatively holistic interpretation of the Holocaust. Acknowledging that it cannot be condensed into one narrative, one victim, or one emotion, Cinema du Parc hopes that presenting all these films collectively will be the best attempt.
The short French documentary, Night and Fog, asks “what hope do we have of truly capturing this reality?” The narrator states that “words are insufficient,” but continues nonetheless, attempting to find the language that can even begin to describe the Holocaust. Like many other films of this genre, Night and Fog is a paradox that acknowledges the impossibility and hopelessness of relaying the Holocaust through film, but tries anyway. The struggle to achieve the impossible is the most important thing we can do as a post-WWII generation.
So if Holocaust films are inaccurate, then why make them? The films do not exist just to make us cry, or to make sure we never forget—the responsibility of Holocaust movies is to trigger our innermost sense of humanity. We must ask ourselves, as The Reader so bluntly puts it, “What would you have done?” Thanks to Cinema du Parc’s wide collection of films, there is no shortage of situations where we can, and must, ask ourselves this question.
Each movie shows different individuals in different circumstances, and they all have to make moral and ethical choices that define them as human beings. In Sophie’s Choice, Meryl Streep’s character begs, “don’t make me choose”—in the kind of world we want to live in, we shouldn’t have to make the kinds of choices that she made. Yet, movies force us to imagine just that kind of world. Cinema thrusts our latent, most basic levels of humanity to the surface; it encourages us to evaluate ourselves through the perspectives of various characters, so that we will be prepared to make the right choices.
Experiencing past attrocities through cinema makes us strive to be more humane in the present. In this way, we can reassure ourselves that we—as individuals and as a contemporary society—will never let such events happen in the future.
Holocaust films will always fail in the sense that the topic simply cannot be perfectly translated to film. Whether or not they succeed depends on what we learn from them—not about the Holocaust, but about ourselves. Because, as The Reader asks, “if people like you don’t learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?”
What does it take to fool the Iranian Revolutionary Guard? If Argo is to be believed, the answer lies in a little Hollywood magic. Director and star Ben Affleck excavates the human story that so often gets buried beneath the rubble of political turmoil. The result is a tightly-wound, deftly-scripted film that is less of a history textbook than a how-to guide on building cinematic suspense.
In 1979, Iranian students, aflame with revolutionary fervour, overran the American Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American diplomats hostage. Before the Islamic Republic of Iran had even taken its baby steps, it picked a fight with an alpha dog of the international order. Unbeknownst to Iran, however, six Americans managed to escape, seeking refuge in the residence of the Canadian ambassador. The result is a tale almost too fantastical to believe. In the words of one CIA division head (played by Bryan Cranston), delivered in a deadly deadpan tone: “this is the best bad idea we have sir—by far.”
This idea involves CIA ‘exfiltration’ officer Tony Mendez (Affleck) sneaking into Iran to help the six Americans to pose as a Canadian film crew. They’re in Iran scouting locations for a film, ‘Argo: A Science Fantasy Adventure.’ Now they’d like to leave—please. What could go wrong?
Affleck’s last directorial effort was The Town (2010), and though it differs from Argo in key ways—the former an action-oriented heist film, the latter a slow-simmering political thriller—both are evidence that Affleck is a better director than actor. The Mendez that we see is no-nonsense, gets the job done, a man who sacrifices family for his work—in other words, the boring archetype that passes for antihero in the 21st century—and it doesn’t help that Affleck plays him with whatever is the opposite of charisma.
The true strength of the film lies in the cinematography, the editing, the script, and the interplay between the three. The skillful editing of historical reels, interspersed amongst filmed footage, endeavours to ground the film in historical reality. The selective use of the handheld camera makes its appearance, such as during the initial siege of the embassy, even more effective. Dialogue can be sharp and biting, and the screenplay’s adroit weaving of levity and tension, particularly in the hands of Cranston, is a pleasure to behold.
On to the politics. The script goes to great lengths to present the views of both ‘sides,’ but only during the moments that function as history lessons. The rest of the film is mostly stripped of this level-headedness. The fact that the ‘balanced view’ is seen during historical narrations, while the meat-and-bones of the film is replete with subtle (and not-so-subtle) bits of American triumphalism, reinforces a cognitive dissonance in the viewer. The result is an audience who can hold simultaneously a sympathy for the Iranian people and a self-righteousness for the Western endeavour, a contradiction reflected in the murmurs of the audience.
Nevertheless, Affleck’s focus clearly isn’t on the political. In fact, Argo is successful not despite, but because of this tactical decision. The taut, high-strung journey is fundamentally a tale of heroism, of human triumph through political machination. I cringe when thinking of how many high school teachers will be substituting a social studies class with this film in the years to come—but at least they’ll have good cinematic taste.
Cinema du Parc’s retrospective begins Friday, Oct. 12, and includes Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Play It Again Sam, and Sleeper. Tickets $8, show times can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com
Film
Kubrick’s Firsts
Friday Oct. 12 through Sunday Oct. 14, legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s first films (Fear & Desire; The Seafarers) are on display. This is a rare opportunity, with Fear & Desire recently restored piecemeal from strips in private collections. Tickets $8, show times can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com
Film
Classic Films That Must Be Seen
This Saturday and Sunday, catch Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation and Virgin Suicides as part of Cinema du Parc’s classic films series.
Tickets $8, showtimes can be found at www.cinemaduparc.com
Music
Montreal Ska Festival
The Fundamentals, Victor Rice vs. The M7, and The Planetsmashers are featured Thursday through Sunday at the fourth Montreal Ska Festival.
Tickets: $17.20-$20.20, and can be purchased at www.montrealskafestival.com
Comedy
Russell Peters
The renowned comedian plays the Bell Centre this Monday, Oct. 15, as part of his Notorious World Tour. Tickets $52.50-$99.50, and can be purchased at www.evenko.ca
Though peppered with clichés like “we accept the love we think we deserve,” The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not a typical teen movie. Director Stephen Chbosky’s adaption of his own novel feels genuine—at times, heart-wrenchingly so. Fans of the book will welcome the film’s loyalty to the original.
Charlie (Logan Lerman), the film’s outcast protagonist, sends letters to an anonymous reader, searching for the outlet he lacks. These letters detail Charlie’s struggles to connect with a world outside of his family and overcome mental trauma. Rather than becoming a dreary plot-advancement device, the letters allow the audience to become his “dear friend,” to whom he turns to in his times of need. Lerman’s portrayal of Charlie is orchestrated to the last detail; his manner of speech and body language betray how lonely and anxious this wallflower is, even without dialogue.
During one high school football game, Charlie walks up to Patrick (Ezra Miller), a senior in his freshman woodshop class. Later that night he meets Patrick’s step-sister, Sam (Emma Watson), and Charlie begins to (quite literally) dance away from his wall as he connects with them.
While Patrick is the vibrant class clown, he also happens to be dating the high school football star Brad on the side, and he steals all of the attention away from Charlie, perhaps intentionally. While Miller handles Patrick’s range of emotions, from punchlines to despair, with ease, Watson falls flat. Her mediocre performance as a damaged music lover, with a line of awful boyfriends, is decidedly forgettable. Nevertheless, the three grow close; as Charlie is exposed to drugs, alcohol, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, he finally experiences a world outside of his crippling depression.
The aesthetics of the film, especially the cityscapes, make it a pleasure to watch. The cinematography effortlessly depicts ‘90s Pittsburgh, from mix-tapes to walkmens. During one of their first encounters, Patrick and Charlie drive through a tunnel while Sam stands triumphantly in the rear, the city’s skyline emblazoned in the background. The skyscrapers, with their bright lights and monumental longevity are a tangible representation of how, in that moment, the trio “feel[s] infinite.”
The pacing translates well from the novel. Charlie’s experiences feel like snapshots of his life, and his perspective is told through his letters. However, the movie feels rushed and glossed over. There are several sub-plots that feel irrelevant because they are not properly fleshed out.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t really a boy meets girl story—more like boy meets lots of emotional issues. However, it never feels fake or forced. It’s definitely worth seeing for its rising stars or excellent soundtrack alone. Much like Charlie, the film thrusts the stuff of life—both happy and sad—onto view. The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t just comedy—rather, it’s humour interlaced with a sombre look at what it means to stand up and take part in life.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is currently showing at Cineplex Scotiabank Theatres, 977 rue Sainte-Catherine.
Muse was heard across the world this year with their official Olympic anthem “Survival.” Their sixth album, The 2nd Law, followed hot on its heels, and much like their Olympic debut, brought back the grandiose musicality and exuberant magnitude that Muse fans have been dying for the band to rediscover.
This album is incredibly adventurous and a little cheeky. While it doesn’t stray from the expected themes of political resistance and apocalyptic forecasts, some tracks, namely the standout number “Panic Station,” skirt the edges of funk, reminiscent of a mid-‘80s David Bowie. The band even ventures into ‘brostep’ territory, with Nero producing “Follow Me.” Strangely enough, these all come together under the banner of a quasi-sci-fi theme (the title of the album referring to the second law of thermodynamics) to form an epic, entertaining record. Unusually for Muse, The 2nd Law adds a second voice into the mix, as fans get to hear bass player Christopher Wolstenholme take vocal lead on “Save Me” and “Liquid State.”
It seems fitting then, that this album contains a minute-long instrumental “Prelude” in classic Baroque style, that segues into “Survival.” With its cacophony of operatic voices, bass heavy music, and thundering guitar that persist throughout, the album may perhaps be a modern take on the operatic form, based on an allegory including thermodynamics and the global economic crisis. Or, it could just be Muse doing what they do best: creating the kind of music that is meant to be played live in stadiums to enthralled audiences.
While this album is nothing like Muse classics (Black Holes; Revelations) The 2nd Law far outshines their last release—The Resistance—and sets the groundwork for a new spin on Muse’s well-oiled formula. The 2nd Law keeps the epic and adds the funk, and frankly, this new spin suits Muse well.
Oct. 5, 2012 proved to be a day of excitement for experimental-pop group Thus:Owls. Not only was it the release date of their most recent album Harbours, but it was also a day of positive response from devoted fans. Erika Angell, a Swedish singer/composer is to thank for gathering this fragile and ghostly concept-band which came into existence just over three years ago. Since then, Thus:Owls have not sat still, touring extensively throughout Europe and North America.
The Angells (Erika and her husband Simon), Cecilia Persson, Martin Höper, and Olga Hultgren spent long hours in the French countryside recording all nine compositions for Harbours, and finally arrived at an album that they believe “straddles the world of fragility with cinematic intensity.” Decorated accordingly, with strings, percussions, and horns, Erika Angell’s voice (reminiscent of Julia Stone) glides over memorable tracks such as “I Weed The Garden” and a personal favourite, “Farmers In Japan.”
Thus:Owls’ eerie, ethereal sound seems to be grounded in their international influence, stretching from Sweden to Montreal. Unfortunately, their signature sound was missing in a number of the songs (“Museum” and “Roots”), and the sense of melancholia characteristic of their work was absent in almost half of Harbours’ tracks. In spite of the hit-and-miss nature of the album, the few enjoyable songs work well to relieve one’s autumn blues.
English soccer player John Terry resigned from further international matches this week. His retirement came amidst a hailstorm of controversy stemming from a well-publicised racial incident involving fellow Briton Anton Ferdinand in 2011. In his resignation statement, Terry announced that the Football Association had made the situation “untenable.” This is just one of the increasing number of occurrences of racism in soccer, highlighting the need for strong action against this unacceptable behaviour.
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As Euro 2012 wound down, very little about the sport had changed; fans still loved soccer, and players were still diving. Spain remained the untouchable champions and kings of football; and the other elite nations—chiefly Germany and Portugal—had fallen in nicely as well. Of course, merciless England blundered another round of penalties, and returned home to their tea and crumpets prematurely. Unchanged was the brooding and ugly presence of racism in Eastern European soccer stadiums.
Realistically, to continually refer to soccer in its current state as ‘the beautiful game’ is to be willfully or woefully naïve. The days of the beautiful game are gone. Those inspiring pictures and videos of impoverished but united youth, kicking paper balls across compact sand pitches have been buried under a mounting list of scandals and hateful chants. Contrasting the superficial on-field failures like flopping, laziness, and contrived showboating—which merely cause the raising of a cynical eyebrow—the sweeping pandemic of racism damages soccer’s greatest asset: its ubiquitous worldwide appeal. It all but obliterates FIFA’s famous, but misleading mantra “My game is fair play.”
Quite simply, today’s fans neither live in the beautiful age of soccer nor relish its golden aura. Instead, soccer faces a legitimate threat to its global popularity and relevance—a threat made worse by the egregious shortcomings of its two principal governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA. FIFA seems far more concerned with threatening Canadian Olympians who disagree with suspect officiating, than with defending basic human rights by enforcing racism-free stadiums. It would appear a complete rethinking of the timeless sport is in order by fans, players and organising officials wishing to restore the game’s global pull.
When Poland and Ukraine were awarded the honour of hosting the 14th edition of the European Championships in mid-2007, many were skeptical of their capabilities to saddle the momentous cost such an international event demands. The doubt seemed well-founded: both are former Soviet-bloc states in different stages of social and economic development, and are the first of their kind to host the quadrennial tournament. After analyzing the figures, reported preparation costs soared to over $39 billion across the two nations and amassed a debt of $8 billion in Ukraine alone.
[pullquote]With increasing amounts of bigotry across the entire spectrum that is football, one must remember thatsoccer is the chosen ambassador of globalism in sport and thatracism affects not only those subjected to it, but the entire two billion fans worldwide who long for a prejudice-free medium.[/pullquote]
Yet, there is some benefit in allowing nations to host events like the Euro if they believe they have the capacity to afford it—inasmuch as they will not require long-term bailouts (think of the Big “Owe” here in Montreal). It is in the spirit of international events to enhance global awareness and equality, and instills national pride and wonderment. However it is up to these nations to operate under the umbrella of fair play and social justice. It is here that not enough scrutiny was placed. Nobody, much less the UEFA, seemed to be paying any attention to the increasing incidences of racism in that region since the early 90s, both related and unrelated to soccer.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, most countries in the Eastern Bloc have seen a steady increase in ethnic tension as they struggle to forge identities following years of social oppression. The war in Yugoslavia at the conclusion of the 20th century provides a strong example of how deeply and fundamentally this feeling is rooted.
To put this specific European Championships’ region into perspective, an internal 2010 Ukrainian poll conducted by the Kuras Institute highlighted that 70 per cent of Ukrainians exhibited xenophobic behaviour and described ethnic outsider influence as disagreeable. In Poland, the European Values Survey revealed similarly disheartening numbers, despite an initial levelling out following Poland’s entrance into the European Union. Meanwhile, in Russia—the host of the 2018 World Cup—over 3,700 racially fuelled, violent attacks causing death or injury occurred between 2004 and 2011. Most disturbingly, however, is that all sources point to a high level of governmental ambivalence, which breeds this sort of behaviour.
But what does this all have to do with soccer? On the surface, nothing—as bigotry and intolerance are omnipresent cultural issues that affect every aspect of society, and can be separated from sport. However a hard line cannot be etched between sport and society. In fact, an 18-month bigotry exposé of the host nations, undertaken by the Warsaw anti-racism group ‘Never Again,’ found numerous instances of racism classified as “giving rise to concern” leading up to the games. Most abashedly, the study highlighted an incident in a 2011 Polish match where a massive anti-Semitic poster was put on display for most of the contest without any police or security groups intervening. The inquiry gave credence to 195 individual events occurring in each of the two countries before “Never Again” closed its study in mid-2011.
Racist soccer fans in Italy. (yfrog.com)
The build-up to the tournament was again sensationalist in bigoted misfeasance from its infancy. The BBC visited the region just prior to the opening match to comment on the progress of the grounds, but was instead shocked to discover the prevalence of anti-Jewish and anti-African chants that swept through the stadiums and post-match events. These chants were so widespread that British soccer officials recommended that families of black athletes on the English team remain at home, safe from persecution in the stadiums.
Mario Balotelli, an up-and-coming Italian star, threatened “to kill” anyone found throwing a banana at him and to “walk off the pitch at the first sign of trouble.” Although his sentiments were about as tactful as a bull in a china shop, they offer insight into the fear and resentment of many promising players towards racism in the sport specifically when it came to Euro 2012.
[pullquote]Open your ears. If you did hear it and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse. — Dutch Manager Mark van Bommel[/pullquote]
The actual event itself served to solidify pre-tournament trepidation and highlighted UEFA’s inadequate stance on racism. When the Dutch national team arrived for their first training session before the event, they were met with malicious singing from Polish spectators, leaving captain Mark van Bommel crestfallen. In an interview with the BBC, van Bommel said “Open your ears. If you did hear it and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse.” UEFA, who had cameras at the event, cited no offence and chose not to respond the incident.
Eventually, UEFA would fine three nations “for improper behaviour of [their] fans… racist behaviour and racist chanting.” First, Croatia was dinged with a fine of €80,000 for verbal assaults on the frightened Balotelli, €40,000 of which were actually for setting off fireworks in the stands. Russia and Spain were quickly slapped with additional €30,000 and €20,000 fines respectively, for similar for similar transgressions. On paper, this appears progressive, as if UEFA was actually taking a resolute stance on fighting racism in Europe. In reality, it is far from doing so.
Euro 2012 spectators may recall a different, though newsworthy altercation when gleeful Danish striker Niklas Bendtner pulled up his shirt and slightly lowered his shorts to reveal a green pair of “Paddy Power” drawers after scoring his second notch in his match against Portugal. The penalty for this obviously farcical display? Bendtner was fined €100,000 and earned a one-match competitive fixture suspension for the upcoming World Cup Qualifier. To reiterate, the harshest punishment handed out by UEFA during the Euro Cup 2012 was for a cheeky goal celebration, and not in response to insults and bananas being hurled at black athletes. It is as if the grey-haired heads of European soccer gathered in a conference room to discuss how they could appear to care about crucial problems facing their sport whilst not actually caring about them at all, proceeding to get completely sidetracked in order to uphold 20s’ indecency laws against exhibiting undergarments in public.
UEFA’s Executive Board is not diverse. First of all, there are 17 members. All of its members are Caucasian and all of them are quite old. Only one of them is under 50 (49 and eight months) and only four are younger than 60 years old. But, in a hip and defiant move, UEFA broke up the boys’ club by adding a single, relatively young (51) female… in 2012. Not surprisingly, these executives are either a little out of touch as to how to correctly run and police a sport dominated by youthful exuberance and multiculturalism.
These events are not occurring in Eastern Europe alone. It is often easy for fans in the “civilized” Western world to wrongfully dismiss the problems experienced in the “barbaric” East as a hangover from years of radicalism and irrelevant to our age-old democracies and equal-rights societies. In actuality, when the wrongdoings are scrutinized, the West is anything but chaste.
For instance, among the countries penalized for racism in the European Championships was Spain. The West is not immune to bigotry. Moreover, in some areas of Germany the problem has risen so substantially that in FC Cottbus’ stadium, racial epithets are considered the norm. England appears to be the worst offender of all, with at least five supporters ejected in the past year alone for racially abusing opposing players and fans. Anti-Semitism also runs almost rampant in football expositions in Britain. Most infamously, Chelsea and Arsenal have long persecuted members of Tottenham, a team with a significant number of Jewish supporters.
[pullquote]To believe the problem of racism in soccer and society stops at the fallen Iron Curtain, then, is as short-sighted as those engaging in racism to begin with.[/pullquote]
To believe the problem of racism in soccer and society stops at the fallen Iron Curtain, then, is as short-sighted as those engaging in racism to begin with. Again, it can be said that the organizing committees have been almost willful in their compliance. The British FA continually refuses to indict fans accused of racism. Instead, the FA chooses to slap them on the wrist with menial bans that are difficult to enforce. This all but nourishes a sense of appropriateness amongst the general public.
This is not to say that the offences and faults rest solely with soccer fans. In actuality, the principal and often repeat malefactors are the players themselves. The competing teams, leagues and countries have become somewhat of a hyenas den, mercilessly gnawing and biting at the foes’ race or creed until the spirit of competition is lost.
During an October 2011 match, Luis Suarez of Liverpool racially abused Patrice Evra of Manchester United repeatedly, which ultimately led to the Suarez’s suspension by the FA. Weeks later, amidst a media-fuelled fire, former England captain John Terry was cleared, by a court of law, of racial allegations against Anton Ferdinand, an English soccer player of African descent. Terry admitted to using “black” and “extreme sexual language” in the same sentence towards Ferdinand. Ferdinand’s brother, famous footballer Rio Ferdinand, was then accused of racism over Twitter, towards fellow African-Englishman Ashley Cole, who supported Terry throughout proceedings.
Russian fans unfurled this inflammatory banner at a Euro 2012 match against Poland in Warsaw. (yfrog.com)
The list runs on and on. Brazilian soccer star Roberto Carlos was frequently subjected to racial remarks by competitors after signing a contract in Russia in 2011, and German player Kevin Großkreutz was suspended twice over his career for using racially insensitive language. Whether or not this behaviour by players is waning remains to be seen. With many anti-racism campaigns in football cropping up across the continent, what is clear is that players too, need to realize their faults in the steady trend of racism and fall into the mould of social conscientiousness if football is to transcend racism in the immediate future.
Regardless of whether the blame is assigned to players, spectators, or governing officials, or if it is Eastern or Western Europe worthy of condemnation, the fact of the matter is something must change. With increasing amounts of bigotry across the entire spectrum that is football, one must remember that it is the chosen ambassador of globalism in sport. Racism affects not only those subjected to it, but the entire two billion fans worldwide who long for a prejudice-free medium. Unless UEFA chooses to abandon its archaic form of rule, fans are subjected to more austere penalties for hooliganism, and players are less acrimonious in their exchanges with fellow competitors. Then, soccer faces the risk of losing its global relevance and its title as ‘the beautiful game.’
On Sept. 27, McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) convened for the first time this fall to discuss the university’s goals this academic year.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum opened the meeting with some remarks regarding enrollment strategies at the university.
“We got the year off to a good start,” Munroe-Blum said. “Our goal is to maintain the overall number of undergraduate students, but target some areas [like Macdonald Campus enrollment]. Then, in addition to maintaining the quality of our students, which is exceptional, [our focus will be] the proportion of graduate students to undergraduate students.”
According to the principal, around 25 per cent of the McGill student body are current graduate students. This ratio compares favourably to the average at other Canadian universities, where only 15 per cent of the student body is generally composed of graduate students, but is significantly lower than American universities, which often have 40 to 60 per cent in graduate school.
She added that it is difficult to determine whether there has been any significant change in graduate admissions this year, as graduate applications generally happen throughout the school year.
Munroe-Blum said McGill’s overall enrollment has increased by 2.6 per cent since last year. The geographical basis of the students has remained similar, with 55 per cent of students coming from Quebec, 25 per cent from the rest of Canada, and 20 per cent from other countries.
According to Munroe-Blum, McGill’s enrollment mix is just one of five core priorities outlined in the university’s Strategic Reframing Initiative. The other four are cost efficiency, performance enhancement, philanthropy, and transformative research and innovation.
She also stressed McGill’s commitment to pursue “technology-enabled, campus-based education,” saying that the administration is working to provide students with an applied experience wherever possible.
Jonathan Mooney, secretary-general of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society and one of two student representatives on the BoG, mentioned several topics that he hopes it will address this year. These include the potential establishment of fora that will allow the McGill community to engage with the governors.
“ I [also] think there should be a lot of discussion about the future of universities in Quebec and the role McGill and its students will play at the upcoming education summit,” Mooney said. “I think the governors will have a lot of insight and guidance for the university in approaching these crucial and far-reaching issues.”
Munroe-Blum also mentioned that the administration is considering several issues that arose from the previous academic year. McGill is looking to create an “open security approach” with a professional reception area in the James Administration Building, in order to improve student accessibility. According to Munroe-Blum, another issue is the adequacy of the McGill student disciplinary system, indicating that it is not a transparent procedure.
Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi, who ran an open forum series last year on the topic of free expression and peaceful assembly, will submit his report on his findings in mid-October. Munroe-Blum expressed hope that the administration can use his findings to create a permanent protocol—to replace the current provisional protocol—by the end of the year.
Munroe-Blum also drew the BoG’s attention to the numerous recognitions and awards McGill has recently received, including Professor Graham Bell’s appointment as president elect of the Royal Society of Canada, and the 14 prestigious Vanier scholarships award to McGill graduates.
Mooney said he was generally impressed by the BoG’s first session.
“Several of the most pressing and concerning questions I had planned to ask on a few issues were actually asked by other governors before I could ask them,” he said. “I think [this] shows how discerning and sharp the governors are.”
