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a, Arts & Entertainment

Private View, public remembrance

by Tara Boghosian on

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What do masks, political upheaval, and student theatre have in common? On Wednesday Oct. 10th, all will be part of the debut of Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) Theatre’s latest production, Private View. The show will honour an important figure of Czech history, former president of Czechoslovakia Vaclav Havel, while telling a compelling story of individual struggle against the backdrop of political turmoil. Written in 1978 by Havel, the play is directed this year by McGill’s own Gabriela Petrov, U3.

The story centres around protagonist Vanek’s visit to the newly renovated home of his married friends, Vera and Michael, in the wake of the ’60s Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. He finds that his friends have decided to remain unaffected to the political situation, instead focusing on the pursuit of pleasures in food, sex, family, and leisure. Vanek tries to communicate to them the desperate nature of their country’s predicament, but in the end the characters must all make their own choices.

According to Petrov, this is a story that remains relevant in today’s world. “There are a lot of comparisons to be made when you think about the nature of the protests that have been going on and the fact that these characters are dealing with a world in which protest is impossible,” Petrov said. “So they try and rebel in their own ways.”

TNC is one of McGill’s oldest student-run theatre companies, producing plays written by both internationally-renowned authors and student playwrights. Private View is the first play Petrov has directed while at McGill, but she has acted her whole life.”

“I’m a performer, first and foremost,” she said, “but I found it immensely helpful to be able to approach directing from the angle of the actor.”

Petrov noted that her history of acting gave her insight into what to avoid as a director, often drawing  on her personal experiences see the show from the shoes of her cast.

She believed that directing Private View was one of her most edifying experiences at McGill.

The retelling of Private View honours Havel’s legacy, an intriguing figure who was a staunch opponent of Soviet intervention in his country. He was known for his political dissidence, and most of his written works creatively challenge social injustices. Havel’s death in 2011 elicited tribute by well-known figures worldwide, from U.S. President Barack Obama to Czech novelist Milan Kundera.

Private View made its first North American appearance in 1983 at New York’s Public Theatre. In a review for the New York Times Magazine, the late art critic Mel Gussow wrote that “the dehumanizing effects of totalitarianism are demonstrated with wounding honesty and irony in Vaclav Havel’s ‘Private View.’ This…is an event of artistic and political urgency.”

Throughout the play, the subconscious desires of the couple are acted out by masked figures. The use of masks is not something often seen in theatre productions, but they serve to make the TNC’s rendition stronger.

“It was hugely different to be part of a play with masked actors, even since the audition process” Petrov said. “It was challenging at first, but we had an amazing group of people who are so talented…I’m really excited about the show.”

Given the play’s rich history, relevance to current events, and the production’s creative presentation, there’s certaintly reason to be.

TNC’s production of Private View runs from Oct. 10th to Oct. 13th, and Oct. 17th to Oct. 20th at Morrice Hall

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Cruel Summer: G.O.O.D. Music

by Tara Boghosian on

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If summer was cruel to producer Kanye West, this album makes me wonder if it was just because his artistic ambition was not up to its usual standards. Coming out on the tail end of the warm season, G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer largely misses the mark of a classic summer album.

With over 15 artists featured, the songs are too varied, and do not seem to centre around any particular theme. Each song has some merit and is worth listening to, but as a whole, the composition does not have the usual cohesive vitality of a Kanye-produced album. Songs mostly fall into two respective camps: aggressive hustler anthems and soulful, introspective melodies.

Of the former, the two most notable are the high-energy “New God Flow” and “Mercy,” which were released as singles prior to the album. The only other truly worthwhile song in this category is “The Morning,” in which seven artists deliver clever, revved up verses. In the second, more melodic category of songs, standouts include “To the World,” in which R. Kelly returns from oblivion to deliver some memorable lyrics. Another notable contribution is made by Ma$e, the one-time Diddy sidekick, on the seductive and progressive track “Higher.” “Bliss,” a soulful duet delivered by John Legend and Teyana Taylor, is wonderful, and Kid Cudi’s “Creepers” is also a highlight—if only because it’s reminiscent of the former rapper’s contributions to the genre. “The One” is another gem, balancing a hopeful melody with earnest, skilled rap.

If Cruel Summer had been a playlist of rap and R&B songs someone had thrown together for me, I would have probably loved it. However, from something produced under Kanye West’s name, I can’t help but expect more.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Sic Alps: Sic Alps

by Sebastien Grant on

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Nostalgia is the first word that comes to mind upon hearing the first strings on the new self-titled album from Sic Alps. Nostalgia, in this case, refers to a wistful longing to have had experienced the wild changes of the ’60s. Listening to this album feels similar to being transported to a different world, full of the smell of patchouli, with peace emblems on every wall.

The opening track, “Glyphs,” reminds one of the enthusiastic craze of the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. The fast-paced psychadelic jams of Jefferson Airplane are also evoked in songs such as “God Bless Her, I Miss Her” and “Moviehead,” with playful riffs coming together for a fun, upbeat rhythm. Sic Alps then slow down their pace, leading one on a calming journey through the sonic fields of “Lazee Son” and “Rock Races.” The whole album has a raw, garage quality; from the imperfect vocals, to the dissonant sounds of heavily distorted guitars, to the freedom to experiment—it gives rise to a feeling that has been so lost in the modern world.

So to Sic Alps’ new album, I say thanks, for letting me feel a modern interpretation of the experience my parents had when they listened to the beauty of psychadelic rock 50 years ago.

Sic Alps will be playing on Oct. 23 at Divan Orange (4234 Saint Laurent).

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Dwight Yoakum: 3 Pears

by Joanna Schacter on

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For the past 20-odd years, Dwight Yoakam has been writing and singing what he calls “Honky-tonk music.” Honky-tonk indeed: his new album, 3 Pears, released last month, has a distinct ‘bang-that-keyboard, strum-that-guitar’ feel.

3 Pears both is and isn’t a typical country album. While Yoakam’s voice is tinged with Southern flair and follows traditional country motifs (namely, high last notes at the end of each phrase, which admittedly becomes repetitive), the instrumentation is the real stand-out. Somehow, while retaining a country barn feel, electric guitars and a strong rhythm drumming lend themselves to a modern, almost-but-not-quite pop atmosphere. Still, for those who aren’t country aficionados, the songs on 3 Pears may begin to blend together halfway through. While certain numbers like “Take Hold of My Hand” and “Nothing But Love” may make you smile and tap your toes, lyrics like “If I had a big giraffe/he’d have to take a real long bath/and that’s why waterfalls are really neat” will just come off as plain silly. Nevertheless, 3 Pears is an undeniably entertaining listen, regardless of which genre you might prefer. Eventually, you may even find yourself counting Dwight Yoakam among your guilty pleasures.

This awkward moment is just one of many in Bonsai. (www.toutlecine.com)
a, Arts & Entertainment

In search of lost love

by Hannah Feinberg on

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Chilean director Cristián Jiménez’ Bonsai is at its roots a familiar modern love story: shy boy falls for punkish girl, love blossoms, love fades, melancholy grows, lives separate, and girl dies. No spoiler alert there; its tagline is its ending. From the first frames, we know Emilia dies and Julio lives; that he is—and will always be—alone. Yet Bonsai unfurls slowly; characters and backstories developing like tendrils rather than shooting up as its abrupt start might suggest.

We meet Emilia (Nathalia Galgani) and Julio (Diego Noguera) as literature students in college, united by their mutual lie of having read Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Eight years later, Julio is an idealistic yet downcast bookstore clerk and Latin tutor, writing his own novel while claiming to his current girlfriend (Gabriela Arancibia) to be transcribing the latest work of Chilean author Gazmuri. As Julio develops his forged novel, his girlfriend’s readings into “Gazmuri’s” intentions and flashbacks to eight years prior reveal that the book, though phony, has a history of its own. Julio’s past only slowly reveals itself, coming to life as he commits to paper the tragic romance behind it.

Literature is as much a character in Bonsai as are Julio and the women of his life. This is evident in the books Emilia and Julio read to each other before going to bed; in the ghost novel Julio writes eight years later; in the Proustian framing device separating the movie into seven volumes; and in the ever-present notion that life is sometimes stranger than fiction. Dialogue—sometimes whip-smart, sometimes the fumbling poetry of teenage love, and occasionally the post-modern poetry of a professor alternating between notes on the mundane and musings on the profound—has the self-awareness appropriate of a movie so heavily indebted to words.

Full of visual humour—a copy of In Search of Lost Time tattooing Julio revealed as he sunbathes on the beach, for example; and carefully styled shots: Julio’s cluttered desk filmed from above like an I-spy image of the writer’s jumbled mind —the film looks good. As is so popular in ‘artsy’ movies of today light saturates outdoor scenes like a misprint in an old photograph, and colours are limited to the dusty palette of a 2012-via-1975 Instagrammed aesthetic.

Like the delicate plant after which it is named, Bonsai is carefully pruned and artfully arranged. Hedging itself to art-house ambitions, Bonsai could appropriately be described as charming, twee, endearing, or all the other diminutive adjectives that accompany many of the indie romances offered at Cannes or Toronto Film Festival. This is a movie for our particular generation of nostalgia-chasers, eager to see their own lives, loves, and losses mirrored onscreen, just as Julio finds his story reflected in the pages of Proust or Fernandez or Flaubert. After all, as Gazmuri notes, what happens here is “lo de siempre”: same story, different author.

MLB
a, Sports

Major League Baseball Playoff Preview

by Jeff Downey and Steven Lampert on

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American League

New York Yankees

Unsurprisingly, the Bronx Bombers find themselves in the thick of it in October. The Yankees carry the most World Series titles of any club in history and they will not be fazed by the sport’s biggest stage. The Yanks are equipped with an explosive arsenal of big arms in C.C. Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. The usual offensive suspects Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Derek Jeter means opposing teams will have their hands full. It’s always hard to bet against the Yanks; and this year it is particularly true, as their arch-nemeses, the Red Sox, hit the links early. Look for New York to contend for yet another World Series championship. Anything less than an American League crown will be a disappointment.

Detroit Tigers

Although the Tigers are limping rather than roaring into the playoffs, they do so on the backs of two big league stars. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are two of the best hitters in baseball, and together form the best one-two punch in the game. Fielder made the transition to the American League better than his other high-priced contemporary, Albert Pujols, and it is paying off in Detroit. In addition, ace Justin Verlander had another strong year on the mound, vying for his second consecutive Cy Young award. Whether or not the bats of Cabrera and Fielder will keep producing deep into October, this team has shown that it is capable of duelling with the big boys in the AL.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have guaranteed themselves a trip to the playoffs with their win on Sunday, and barring any meltdowns, will win their division as well. Texas is one of only eight MLB teams never to have won a World Series. This especially hurts considering the team has made the October classic the past two seasons. Texas is trying to knock the monkey off its back and has the ability to do so, but making the World Series three years in a row is no small feat. Yu Darvish has provided some exciting, young talent on the mound, but his control issues will make him tough to rely upon heading into the postseason. The team, however, can certainly trust Josh Hamilton to produce and lead an offence that will be an integral part of another World Series push.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles came out of nowhere this year. Having last reached the playoffs in 1997, and with nothing to indicate a turn-around, they have already exceeded expectations. Any route out of the American League is a difficult one, but armed with some potent bats in Nick Markakis and Adam Jones, one can count on Baltimore’s firepower moving forward. Additionally, closer Jim Johnson, the MLB’s league leader in saves, assures Baltimore fans that most leads are safe come crunch-time. A duel with the Yanks seems imminent and that spells trouble for this Cinderella story.

Oakland Athletics

Oakland is another team that came out of nowhere in the American league. Looking to return to the postseason for the first time in over a decade, these boys have shown that there is more to them than just Brad Pitt movies. Brandon Moss continues to pummel the ball, and youthful phenom Yoenis Cespedes’ blistering speed seemingly allows him to score on anything hit to the outfield. The A’s also have a fairly deep and reliable pitching staff. This is particularly important on a roster that lacks a true ace. Many people counted out the A’s following some questionable offseason trades, but this team has punch. Should Oakland manage to get through the wild-card showdown, that tenacity could help grind out a win in the American League Divisional Series.

National League

Washington Nationals 

In what was supposed to be yet another building year in D.C., has turned out to be a breakout campaign that few saw coming. The Nats head into the postseason as the team to beat in the NL, compiling the best run differential in the league during the regular season. Much of their success came on the backs of, arguably, the best pitching staff in the league, led by Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman. Washington made the tough decision to shut down Strasburg in September, abiding by the inning limit set for him in Spring Training. Nevertheless, this weakened pitching staff will be backed by a deep lineup, featuring plenty of power hitters including Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse, Jayson Werth, and rookie phenom Bryce Harper. That being said, Nats fans can only hope that cutting out Strasburg won’t hurt their World Series chances.

Cincinnati Reds

Coming off of their most successful season since 1990 when they won the World Series, the Reds franchise is rejuvenated thanks to a pitching staff and bullpen that sits atop most major pitching categories. All five starters have been fairly effective this season, headlined by NL Cy Young candidate Johnny Cueto and offseason acquisition Mat Latos. The bullpen features electric closer Aroldis Chapman, who should hope that his arm won’t fatigue in October. The offence, though, is what may drive the Reds out of the postseason. 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto missed most of July and all of August after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee. Second-baseman Brandon Phillips provides consistency, but nothing that will make opposing pitchers scared. The bright spot in the lineup is outfielder Jay Bruce, who mashed 34 home runs and will continue to be relied on if Votto can’t regain his form. With this in mind, disappointment seems likely in Cincy.

San Francisco Giants 

The Giants are back in the playoffs after their magical 2010 season, which culminated in an unexpected World Series championship. This year’s roster is reminiscent of that team. The pitching staff is solid, despite a horrible year for former ace Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Ryan Vogelsong have anchored the staff and kept San Fran competitive throughout the year. However, the offence leaves something to be desired, as the team ranks last in home runs. The Giants will rely heavily on catcher Buster Posey, who has set a torrid pace since July. Trade deadline acquisition Hunter Pence helped jumpstart the offence a bit, but without Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt performing, the team may struggle to manufacture runs. The Giants will have to play small ball—a strategy that has worked in the past. If Lincecum can somehow regain his form in the postseason, San Fran may be the sleeper team to emerge from the NL.

Atlanta Braves

Despite being overshadowed by the incredible season put together by their division rivals—the Washington Nationals—the Braves are sneakily good. Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward are a lethal outfielding duo at the plate as well as on the grass, while Kristopher Medlen has been great as Atlanta’s chief starting pitcher. This team will be dangerous should the bats stay hot and Medlen continues his success. Additionally, the Braves have the air of a team that has been there before, which is crucial as October creeps along. Getting past the wild-card showdown seems likely, and beating Washington without Strasburg is a definite possibility. Look for this team to challenge for the NL crown.

St. Louis Cardinals

Getting rid of Albert Pujols hasn’t been too bad for the Cardinals. Catcher Yadier Molina has taken the reins of power production and performed well in the role. Coupling him with fellow offensive juggernauts Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig, and Kyle Lohse’s unbelievable 16-3 record on the mound, St. Louis has done well for a so-called rebuilding year. Athough the goal will be to defend their World Series championship, any results past the wild card showdown would be a pleasant surprise for the team and Cards’ fans.

Ryan Besse dominated Carleton, tallying four goals in the vicotry. (Michael King / McGill Tribune)
a, Sports

Redmen depth proves too much for Carleton

by Peter Laing on

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The Redmen lacrosse team cruised to a 17-3 victory over the Carleton Ravens on Saturday afternoon, demonstrating once again why the program is hailed as one of McGill’s best.

The McGill squad (6-1) showcased its roster depth throughout the match. However, the Redmen opened with an uncharacteristically slow start, as the Ravens (1-3) dominated play scored just under seven minutes into the first quarter. This prompted Head Coach Timothy Murdoch to call a timeout, upset with his team’s lack of aggression.

“I told them to tighten up the loose ends; we took two silly offside penalties and I told them to forget about it,” Murdoch explained.

The message was well received, and proved to be a turning point for the offence that currently leads the RSEQ in goals scored. The team went on to score 15 unanswered tallies and controlled the play for the rest of the match.

Ryan Besse, McGill’s all-time leading goal scorer, led the offensive outburst and added four goals to attackman Connor Goodwin’s hat trick. Richie Klares proved to be the game’s best playmaker, leading the team with three assists and tallying a goal of his own.  Overall, the scoresheet was a testament to McGill’s depth, as 10 different Redmen registered a goal over the course of  the afternoon.

Despite the clear offensive onslaught, McGill’s victory was also largely attributed to its defensive effort. Surprisingly, Murdoch opted to start his substitute defensemen for the game—a successful move, and one that again illustrated just how vast the talent is in the McGill squad. Carleton was consistently shut down by the Redmen’s aggressive and well-disciplined play. The Ravens’ offence was blatantly frustrated and unable to convert on their scarce possessions.

“We have such a deep bench,” Murdoch said.  “[We have] a lot of talent on this team and a lot of guys ready to play at any time.”

Even though the score was indicative of McGill’s domination, large scoring margins often make players complacent. However, the entire Redmen team stayed focused on the task at hand, and did not let up on the Ravens despite the significant lead they had throughout the game.

Murdoch attributed his team’s mental discipline to the players’ mindset coming into the game.

“Our guys aren’t cocky at all,” he said. “We never take anyone lightly, and particularly [not] Carleton, who we’ve had trouble with over the last few years.”

The victory proved to be an important one for the team’s confidence, after the Redmen fell in a heartbreaking 11-10 decision against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Thursday. The Gaiters are currently challenging the Redmen for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

A deep and cohesive squad will continue to help McGill work towards a chance to play in the CUFLA championship, after bowing out in the semifinals last season.

The Redmen journey to Ottawa on Oct. 4 for a rematch against Carleton, who will be looking to redeem itself.

The Redmen study film before their final preseason game. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)
a, Sports

Redmen Hockey Preview

by Trevor Drummond on

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The McGill Redmen hockey team enters the 2012-2013 campaign as the defending National Champions for the first time in its 137-year history. Last year, just one season after losing in the CIS Final to the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, the Redmen hoisted the trophy in the 50th edition of the University Cup. They defeated the Western Mustangs 4-3 in overtime.

Captain Evan Vossen led by example during the game, netting the OT-winner and finishing his Redmen career with a school record of 216 games played.

This year’s edition of the Redmen looks markedly different from their championship squad. The team’s top six scorers from last season have all graduated.  This group includes Vossen, league MVP and Defenseman of the Year Marc-André Dorion, two-time league leader in goals Francis Verrault-Paul, and former MVP and scoring champion Alex Picard-Hooper.

Despite a slew of new faces and the departure of the core group of leaders, Head Coach Kelly Nobes—entering his third campaign as Redmen bench boss—has the same high expectations for this year’s team.

“We’re not changing the style that we’re going to play,” Nobes said. “We’re going to play the same style that we’ve played the last two years: up-tempo, aggressive [and] in your face.”

Those are encouraging words for McGill hockey fans, who watched their team skate to a 22-4-2 record in 2011-2012. The Redmen finished with the best record in the league for the second consecutive season, but did so in the face of stiffer competition. They were very successful in tight contests, finishing with an astonishing 12-1-2 record in one-goal games.

[pullquote]“We’re all part of a big winning tradition at McGill,” Brunelle said. “It’s like the players, the individuals, don’t really matter. We’re just a big family. We feel like a group already.”[/pullquote]

This season, the title of National Champions may earn the Redmen even more attention from their opponents. The target is on their backs, making the task of repeating their historic victory that much more difficult. However, this is the sort of pressure that championship teams embrace.

“We don’t resent it, we relish it,” Nobes said. “Our standard of play has to be there, night in and night out. That’s how we approach it. At the end of the day, it makes us better.”

Though this year’s team is short on veteran experience, it is loaded with youthful speed, skill, and grit. The Redmen will lean on their increased toughness and balanced attack in the quest for another national championship. Though player turnover is a valid cause for concern, the team’s chemistry is developing much faster than Coach Nobes had anticipated. First-year winger Jonathan Brunelle is the perfect example of a rookie who has bought into the team’s system.

“We’re all part of a big winning tradition at McGill,” Brunelle said. “It’s like the players, the individuals, don’t really matter. We’re just a big family. We feel like a group already.”

With nine freshmen on the roster, the Redmen will look for leadership from the few returning players they do have.

Although not technically a returning player, defenceman Guillaume Monast hopes to be one of these leaders. Monast sat out last season in order to be eligible to play in the CIS, after splitting his time during the 2010-2011 season between the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL). Though he found it difficult to sit in the press box, Monast was able to study the system and gain insight into how he can best contribute to this season’s success. Monast offered another vote of confidence for the new recruits.

“Everyone brings something to the table,” Monast said. “The new guys are young, but they are very good players. They have all been captains before, and they are smart players who know what to do.”

Despite an offseason of changes, optimism still emanates from the Redmen dressing room. The team posted a 3-1 preseason record, including a convincing 6-2 victory over Western. Coach Nobes leads his team into the 2012-2013 season with a career regular season record of 46-6-4, which only sets the bar higher for this year’s new-look team.

The McGill Redmen open the season on the road against the Concordia Stingers on Oct. 5. They will raise their championship banner at home on Oct. 6 against UQTR.

a, Behind the Bench, Sports

The Boston Pizza Bruins? Not for my kid.

by Hrant Bardakjian on

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In parenthood, our primary concern will be raising our children properly, from ensuring their happiness and well-being to familiarizing them with the colours of division rivals. The proudest occasion of any sport-loving parent will be the purchase of his or her child’s first jersey.

Picture the joy on their faces upon unboxing the iconic Bruins spoked-B or the classic Celtics’ green. Then picture the desolation on yours as they happily point to the horrid ads surrounding the team’s emblazoned logo. Sadly, this will be reality of North American sports in the near future.

The never-ending quest to increase revenue streams is now targeting the very aspect sports fans love and cherish the most—the jersey. Is there no end to this madness?

Europeans are already accustomed to jersey advertisements. The biggest soccer clubs in the world have large prints of company logos adorning the front of their jerseys. The situation is even worse in European hockey, where players look like Jimmie Johnson’s racecar.

Luckily, the trend has not yet caught on in any major North American sports. Particular care and thought have always gone into designing the jerseys of these leagues. Remakes and alternative styles are constantly introduced, and radical models ultimately fade away, replaced by those that manage to preserve a sense of tradition.

Nevertheless, change is inevitable and necessary in sporting gear. Hockey, for example, has benefitted greatly from the implementation of protective gear and high-performance equipment. Even jerseys have been subject to technological advancements. While original garments used wool and cotton, players today have the added advantage of micro-fiber material, which keeps them dry by wicking sweat away to the surface. To a certain extent, this keeps the player more comfortable and, hopefully, allows for a certain degree of performance improvement. However, beyond these small technological benefits, the jersey has remained true to tradition and replicas have continued to sell.

While sports merchandise already represents a steady and important source of income, leagues see no harm in exploring all avenues to bolster profits. And when this could lead to an additional $100 million in revenue—the amount earned by the English Premier League in 2010—their eagerness in pursuing such a path is understandable.

According to a report by Sports Illustrated, the NBA plans to introduce jersey ads at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. Considering the NBA is an industry of entertainment with internatinal access, it would be foolish not to pursue these changes. Where fans see tradition violated, owners see new, lucrative traditions. Where fans see a fashion faux-pas, owners see fashion statements; and where fans see selling out, owners see adapting to changing times.

Admittedly, the NHL and other North American leagues could benefit by following in the NBA’s footsteps. Isn’t the current lockout mainly hinged upon a dispute in revenue sharing? A nine-figure increase in profits would go a long way in settling their differences. These advertisements would allow for an astronomical margin of profit once the cost of stitching on the patches is deducted. The owners win, the players are satisfied, and the fans get their beloved sport back.

Although I dislike the idea, I am more than willing to give it a chance for the sake of the growth and improvement of the games that I love. Who knows, perhaps the ad placements won’t be as bad as originally perceived. It all boils down to a question of tradition, but what are modern day professional sports but corporate versions of these once unprofitable pastimes? Fans still hold considerable leverage, as seen in the recent events surrounding the replacement referees in the NFL. As clients of the leagues, if we value tradition, we should voice such an opinion and reshape the outcome to our liking. The final product will ultimately depend on fan approval.

 

a, Science & Technology

Don’t Knock the Floppy

by Jaime Sanderson on

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Different generations can’t understand each other when it comes to technology.

When older professors discuss the joys of computer programming on punched cards, I nod periodically and feign interest, but secretly send texts under the table.

Soon enough, however, it will be us spouting technological trivialities on the next generation’s deaf ears. In fact, it’s already happening to me. A friend asked me recently if I knew about 8-tracks, and I replied in the affirmative: “Yes, of course, apparently they were quite useless because they jammed all the time.” It turned out she was referring to the internet radio site, 8tracks.com, not the obsolete sound recording technology I assumed we were discussing.

While few will feel regret as 8-tracks fade from memory, there are a number of much loved gadgets, revolutionary in their day, which will never be known by future generations. The rise of cell phones is bringing about the fall of wrist watches, themselves responsible for shoving pocket watches off the world stage. Future generations may wonder: What is that thing the white rabbit keeps looking at? Why would Dumbledore have to wind his cell phone?

Just as we smile bemusedly at the mention of floppy discs, tomorrow’s youth will return blank stares at references to encyclopedia sets. Think back to your first memory of reading: it probably involves a book that was used, shared, or gifted. E-books could spell the end of book exchanges between travellers in hostels, lending a favourite book to someone you know will appreciate it, and getting the feel of where a book has been by touching its pages.

Photography is an even sharper example of the shift from hard copy to digital. It is not uncommon to see seven-year-olds toting around iPhones and taking pictures at arm’s length. How many will grow up without the memory of looking through a viewfinder, or winding film? Will any of them experience the magic of an image suddenly materializing out of nothing on a blank page in a dark room, or the anticipation of taking in a completed roll to be developed, and the surprise at getting the photos back?

The benefits of new, innovative technologies are obvious and numerous; but respect is owed to the various successes and failures along the way. Those intermediaries made the improved, more efficient versions of today possible.

In the words of Terry Pratchett, author of Discworld: “It is important that we know where we come from, because if you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.”

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