Latest News

News

TaCEQ Gears up for a Second Year

by Noah Caldwell-Rafferty on

More in News:

The Quebec Student Roundtable (QSR, or TaCEQ in French), a provincial student lobbying group, is gearing up its campaign for the coming school year.

TaCEQ represents the student associations of the undergraduate and graduate students of Laval University, the graduate students of the University of Sherbrooke, and the Students’ Society of McGill University. According to SSMU Vice-President External Myriam Zaidi, the organization represents roughly 65,000 students in total.

“We’ve been working already in conjunction with these associations that are a part of TaCEQ right now,” Zaidi said. “We meet once a month, at a roundtable of the associations.”

TaCEQ, which was started last fall, spent much the last year drafting its bylaws and campaigning to introduce paid practicums for Education students. This year, however, TaCEQ plans on tackling a number of issues facing Quebec universities, including the tuition hikes scheduled to be rolled out in 2012.

“We are trying to get different actors in Quebec to endorse alternative solutions to underfunding instead of tuition increases, whether it’s businesses, university administration, or the government,” Zaidi said.

The coming tuition hikes are being approached in different ways by the different student lobby group, throughout the province. Others include the Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ), and the Student Union Solidarity Association (ASSE).

“They all go at it differently to a certain extent just to make sure that they offer something different to their constituents,” Zaidi said. “We will be going at it in the sense that we really want increased government funding for universities.”

This differs from FEUQ’s campaign, which, according to their website, is focused largely on the management of finances in university administrations.

However, there is some overlap when these different groups come together at the Table of University Partners (TPU). “It’s a roundtable of all the partners in Quebec universities. That includes student groups, professors’ unions, teaching assistant unions, and others,” said Zaidi.

TaCEQ is in the process of obtaining recognition by the Quebec government, which would allow them to get government funding. Zaidi is also working on increasing the group’s visibility at McGill by promoting TaCEQ’s English-language acronym, QSR.

News

Safety Week Delights

by Maria Flores on

More in News:

Starting as “Safety Day” at McDonald Campus and continuing downtown over the next four days, the second annual Safety Week took place at McGill last week. The event was opened by Principal Heather Munroe-Blum, and included a series of presentations, games, and a closing barbecue.

“Safety Week’s purpose is really to get as much of our information out to the community, and for the community members to know exactly what we do, and who we are,” said Pierre Barbarie, associate director of university safety.

A Safety Week tent was located on Lower Field where tables representing security, emergency measures and fire prevention, and environmental health and safety were accessible to students and staff.

In addition, some student clubs, such as McGill First Aid and McGill Walksafe, were at the tent, as well non-McGill organizations like the Commission for Health and Security at Work (CSST), who showcased what they do for the university community.

“That was a positive for us too, to really get our partners involved in Safety Week,” Barbarie said.

Issues including hostile intruder, ergonomics (health and safety), and self-defence were among the topics of the presentations. Ten different sessions were held throughout the week, which people could attend by registering online.

While last year’s concept was kept the same in terms of what McGill Security offers to the community, Barbarie explained the marketing and advertising aspects were done differently this time around. Emails in the form of “All-notes” to students and staff were used as an attempt to attract more people, and the registration was done through myMcGill, which brought a lot of positive feedback.

“We tried to get out there a little more in terms of trying to attract more people, so we did a little more advertising,” Barbarie said.

On average, attendance increased to 25 people per presentation compared to six or seven last year according to Barbarie. The number of people who came into the tent and stopped at the tables was also greater than it was last year.

“We really want to keep this an annual thing [and] visibility is huge, so we definitely want to increase the numbers,” Barbarie said.

Opinion

Toronto Loudmouth Needs to Walk the Walk

by John Hui on

More in Opinion:

Dion Phaneuf is a loud guy. You can have endless debates about his abilities, about his paycheque, or about his girlfriend (notorious puck bunny Elisha Cuthbert), but there’s no debating his mouth. And while his brashness may have excited the Toronto Maple Leafs enough for them to name him captain, it has also gotten him into a lot of trouble. I am almost certain that a statement he made last week in particular will come back to haunt him: “It’s definitely a playoff team. Our goal going into the start of this year is to make the playoffs,” he said. “Anything short of that is unacceptable.”

For a team that ranked 29th out of 30 NHL teams last season, that would be quite an accomplishment. While the Leafs’ payroll along the blue line resembles that of a playoff entente, there were many nagging questions as the Leafs entered into camp last week. Who will the scorers be, aside from Phil Kessel? Will the blue line hold up or crumble? And does J.S Giguere still have what it takes to be a starting goaltender? Unless there’s some sort of miracle, Phaneuf will have to accept the unacceptable at the end of the year.

But Phaneuf wasn’t thinking of a miracle when he made his statement; he was just being himself. And that’s his problem. He is too abrasive and too reckless to be a captain. Even Mark Messier, the man who made the famous guarantee in the ‘94 Finals, couldn’t follow through on his promise to lead the 2000 Rangers to the playoffs.

As a captain, Phaneuf has to be accountable to both his teammates and the legions of Leaf fans who are hanging on his every word. But these comments have been made and he has to move on. He needs to focus on playing like the seven-million-dollar defenceman that he is. That means avoiding 25-game goalless droughts when his offensive game is supposed to be among the NHL’s elite. It also means restraining himself from that big hit if it will put him out of position.

While I may not agree with his captaincy, I can appreciate what a superstar presence on such a young team means. Maybe the kids listened and will continue to listen to him because of his Norris nomination, because of his experience, or because they just found him agreeable (which I doubt). Whatever the reason, Dion has to understand that this is his team. No matter how hard things get from now on, he has to suck it up, be the big guy, and stop being the locker-room cancer he was rumoured to be in Calgary. A Phaneuf who cherishes his status is valuable to his team; one who doesn’t is just another overpaid, overrated Leafs superstar.

Which brings me back to my point: Dion Phaneuf is a loud guy. Whether that will be Dion the game-breaker or Dion the cheap talker, is up to him.

Sports

Fill the Stadium 2010

by on
  • Author

More in Sports:

This Friday’s home game against Concordia (2-1) is McGill Athletics’ Fill the Stadium 2010 event. The game starts at 7 p.m., and will have a pre-game party starting at 5 p.m. with $2 food and drinks, a barbecue, and live music.

This will the third annual Fill the Stadium, and the first after Molson Stadium’s renovations. The event began in 2008 after the success of the Corey Cup, a McGill-Concordia varsity men’s hockey game at the Bell Centre. In previous years, the event has drawn record crowds. This year, the promoters are looking to draw 6,000 people, and have relied on fundraising efforts with campus clubs to bolster the ranks.

Sports

Redmen fall in double overtime to Bishop’s, 26-19

by Tori Crawford on

More in Sports:

Adam Scotti

In their first game in the newly-renovated Molson Stadium, the Redmen football team suffered a 26-19 loss in double overtime to the fifth-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters on Saturday, bringing their regular season record to 0-2.

Gaiters’ quarterback Jesse Andrews connected with freshman running back Quincy Van De Cruize on a 10-yard pass in the second round of overtime after both McGill’s Austin Anderson and Bishop’s Josh Maveety converted on field goal attempts. Anderson’s 48-yard kick earned him a new career record.

McGill failed to even the score when QB Ryne Bondy, who went 21 for 41, was taken down as he threw his third attempt, with the ball going out of bounds and ending the game in Bishops’ favour. The game was Bondy’s second for the Redmen, after a knee injury last week put starting quarterback Jonathan Collin out for the season.

“We knew that having a new quarterback would present some interesting prospects and Bondy played up to expectations and above, so that’s something very positive going forward,” said Head Coach Sonny Wolfe, “Ryne played real well. Certainly the first time you’re in a game in over a year there are some issues that he may have been able to make a better decision once or twice and not give up a sack but you would probably say that sometimes about a third or fourth year starter. It was a terrific performance by Ryne.”

The team announced the full extent of Collin’s injury last Wednesday. An MRI showed two torn ligaments in his left knee and a stretched nerve in his left foot. He will have surgery in the upcoming weeks, and hopes to return next season.

After a scoreless first quarter, freshman running back Sean Murphy put McGill on the board with a 10-yard run into the end zone with three and a half minutes on the clock in the second. Murphy also led the team in rushing, racking up 44 yards.

With 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and Bishop’s leading 16-9, sophomore Thomas Fortin connected with Bondy’s eight-yard pass into the left corner of the end zone to bring the Redmen within one point of the Gaiters. Anderson’s kick pushed the game into the QUFL’s first overtime match since 2003, and the Gaiters’ first since 1998.

“Our biggest strength was that we were able to compete for 60 minutes. It’s been a while that we’ve been harping on that as a huge component to having a chance to be successful, and we feel we now have a team that does compete regardless of the competition and regardless of the circumstances,” said Wolfe, “But we played hard for 60 minutes and that gives us a chance to be successful.”

After becoming the first player in CIS history to reach 200 receptions last week, fifth-year Charles-Antoine Sinotte increased his tally to 214 with eight more catches on Saturday. However, freshman Justene Edwards was also a bright spot on the McGill roster, matching Sinotte’s 85 yards in reception in only five catches.

The Gaiters demonstrated the impressive range of their ground play, particularly midway through the third quarter when Matt Burke caught a 19-yard pass from Olivier Mongeau on a fake field goal, making the score 9-7 Bishop’s. The Gaiters ended the game with 193 yards rushing, compared to the Redmen’s 76. Maveety also provided the Gaiters with two field goals in the fourth quarter, while McGill earned their extra two points on a safety.

The Redmen will look to earn their first win of the season on Friday as they take on the Concordia Stingers (1-1) at Molson Stadium at 7 p.m. The game will double as both the Shaughnessy Cup and the Fill the Stadium event.

“Every week we try to play to our strengths a little bit, and a couple of things we may be able to exploit in terms of how they play offence and defence and special teams,” said Wolfe. “So we’ll try to change things around a little bit, not too dramatically. We ended up having some issues with substitutions, so there are a number of things we want to clean up and we are working really hard to ensure that happens.”

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Snoop Dogg – The West Coast Blueprint

by Nicholas Petrillo on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

In celebration of Priority Records’ 25th anniversary, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg runs through his catalogue of West Coast favourites in The West Coast Blueprint. With a few well-placed interludes, Snoop guides the album along like a radio DJ, providing insight and commentary on California hip-hop’s golden age. Blueprint has tracks that any casual hip-hop fan will recognize and also includes some forgotten gems. Tracks like “Pay Ya Dues” by Low Profile and “Playaz Club” by Rappin’ 4-Tay have bass and G-Funk vibes, but they failed to earn the universal respect that “Eazy-Duz-It” and “Alwayz Into Somethin” achieved.

It’s clear that Snoop Dogg put some thought into selecting these tracks, but it’s hardly as comprehensive a tribute as he’d like you to think. Sure, gangsta rap was at its peak from the birth of N.W.A. to the death of Tupac, but since he ignored the 2000s, the album comes off as incomplete and, to be honest, a little lazy. Snoop also filled the album with his own material. Six tracks on the album credit him: three are interludes, two are his own material, and one features his hip-hop posse The Dogg Pound. But then again, what is hip-hop without blatant self-promotion? The rest of the tracks are all well selected. The classics are here, but it’s the unknown songs that make the album shine. Regardless of how much you like hip-hop, The West Coast Blueprint should at least give you a track or two to add to your iPod’s pre-drink playlist.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Iron Maiden – Final Frontier

by Emma Hambly on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

At first glance, the new Iron Maiden album reads like an epitaph. But the British heavy metal giants are very much alive, kicking, and rocking out.

When their latest album, Final Frontier, was announced many began to worry that this would be the last we’d hear of Iron Maiden. Lyrics in the opening number seem to signal a farewell: “I have lived my life to the full / I have no regrets / But I wish I could talk to my family / To tell them one last goodbye.”

Thankfully, the album is set on an expanding frontier, not a terminal one. Final Frontier satisfies with the usual Maiden blend of driving, layered performances and powerful lyrics, and still pushes forward as a modern album. Contemporary topics such as consumerism and the media are explored in fantastical, historical, and supernatural allegories. The guitar riffs and solos are edgier than we’re used to, and the experiment pays off.

Final Frontier is a solid entry in an already impressive Maiden catalogue. It’s definitely worthy of multiple listens and head-banging sessions. Highlights include the electrifying single “El Dorado,” the anthemic “Coming Home,” and, of course, “When the Wild Wind Blows”-an instant Maiden classic,. The monumental final song runs 11 minutes, but in typical Maiden fashion, leaves you wanting much more.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Boxer the Horse – Would You Please

by Bianca Van Bavel on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Jeremy Gaudet, drummer Andrew Woods, Isaac Neily on keyboard and Richard MacLeod on bass, Boxer the Horse is a home-grown Canadian band with lots of kick. The boys hail from Charlottetown, where the music is crude and the coastal vibe is real.

After the release of their self-titled demo shortly followed by their EP, “The Late Show,” the band gained a strong following in the Maritimes. With the national release of their first full-length album, Would You Please, the band is slowly moving west and making waves beyond their island home.

The band’s ability to shoot straight and maintain a clearly defined sound should never be underrated. There is never too much going on at one time, making it easy to focus on the distinct components of each song. Loud and clear, they master their own sound, and give a kind shout out to Montreal between the up-beat blasts in “Pot Valiant.”

These boys are fresh and hold lots of potential. Would You Please is fun to listen to, and the band’s honest sound is a fresh addition to the indie rock scene. Contrary to the title of their first track, I’m finding it hard to see any “Bad Apples” in this bunch.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Teenage Web Wonder

by Lauren Pires on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

brittanykwasnik.com

Nowadays the Internet can be used for everything, including finding up-and-coming stars.

 

This Wednesday, local Internet sensation Brittany Kwasnik will perform an acoustic set at Le Cagibi. The 16-year-old singer-songwriter made her online debut about two years ago and is now signed to Montreal-based Justin Time Records, with her first album, I Don’t Know Me, set to be released in January.

 

Kwasnik’s success story has humble beginnings. Given a guitar when she was just nine, she taught herself to play via the Internet.  She then began writing music and lyrics.

 

“I would write [music] when no one was home,” Kwasnik says. “I did it secretly because I thought I sucked. But one day I was caught by my friends and mom, and they started making me sing for them. I then started doing open mic nights.”

 

After recording a song at a studio in Montreal, her friends got a hold of the MP3 and uploaded it to YouTube with a picture of her. After three days it had amassed close to 37,000 hits.

 

The teen’s indie sound and heartfelt lyrics appeal in a way that is hard to pinpoint. It seems to always come down to her “rawness.” That’s not to say that her songs are unfinished, but they avoid the clutter that most people associate with modern pop songs (read: auto tune., synthesized beats, etc.). Her songs are carried by her lyrics and her voice’s subtle maturity.

 

“When I’m doing an acoustic show, I can be very acoustic,” Kwasnik says, “But when it’s produced, I like to call it relevant pop. To me, that means the angst and honesty of indie music with the fun of pop and electro pop. It’s a fusion between that. A lot of my stuff is indie, but when it’s produced it’s much more electro pop.”

 

Though Kwasnik’s musical influences include Tegan & Sara, Taylor Swift, and Colbie Caillat, her personal background is more relevant to her sound.

 

“A lot of my music is because of a foundation I’ve created called Nobody Knows,” Kwasnik says. “It’s to help people who live with siblings or parents who are mentally ill. When I was younger I lived with someone with a mental illness, and my music helps me express and deal with it. In the future I want to start a house for those people, someone and somewhere they can call to ask for help or just talk. “

 

However, there is more to her inspiration. What makes her songs so relatable isn’t just their emotional value-it’s also their candor.

 

“I’m also just a really big observer of other people,” she says. “I can just be walking down the street, and see other people, or my friend walking down the street and that can be inspiration as well.”

 

 

 

Brittany Kwasnik is playing a free show at Le Cagibi on Wednesday, September 15. Visit www.brittanykwasnik.com for more information.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Get off with the Help of your Friends

by Lane Cameron on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

The latest movie to tackle the age-old convention of nerds trying to lose their virginity is aptly called The Virginity Hit. The film, with its newcomer cast, was produced by Will Ferrell. With the support of such a typically hilarious actor, one might assume that the movie promises to be as funny as some of his other film exploits. While it does have some funny moments, The Virginity Hit ultimaetly doesn’t hold a candle to Ferrell’s past work.

The film, which chronicles the mission of a high school nerd attempting to lose his virginity before graduation, is unique in that it uses a documentary-style aesthetic. Centering on the relationship between adoptive brothers, Matt, a painfully awkward boy with glasses, and Zack, a home movie enthusiast who spends most of his time with a camera attached to his hand, the movie’s ultimate goal is to see Matt lose his virginity-an exploit which happens to be entirely documented by Zack. Despite the fact that Matt has a long-term girlfriend, anxiety, fear, or possible homosexuality have left him the last virgin of the crew. His friends are no stallions, either-Zack is a portly ginger who aims to seduce girls by saying he’s going to “fuck the taste buds” out of their mouths.

The plot follows Matt as he tried to lose his virginity to whomever possible, ranging from a stranger on the Internet to his favourite porn star, Sunny Leone, and even his own adoptive sister. The gang hits several snags along the way, which they attempt to work around, demonstrating male camaraderie at its best. Matt’s friends will do almost anything to get him laid, whether he wants to at this point or not. Only after Matt is able to accomplish this supposed rite of passage to manhood will he finally have the privilege of taking a celebratory hit from a bong as his friends have done before him-the “Virginity Hit.”

Ultimately, the film rests on the clichéd assumption that boys who fail to lose their virginity before graduating high school suffer unbearable humiliation and embarrassment. But The Virginity Hit departs from past movies on this subject in its cast of unknown actors and its raw and personal cinematic style. The Virginity Hit is an apt portrayal of the  awkward­-yet at times amusing-trials of teenage years.

1 … 1,289 1,290 1,291 1,292 1,293 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue