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a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Blue Sky Miners EP – Blue Sky Miners

by Jack Neal on

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Seemingly appearing out of the woodwork, Blue Sky Miners has in fact been working on this self-titled debut EP since 2013; carefully selecting a producer—Todor Kobakov—and fine-tuning their lyrics as well as meticulously crafting their sound into self-described 'Rocky Mountain Desert Rock' end result. The sound of their music is something of a question mark: Twangy and guitar-laden, it evokes a sense of mid-America, however their raw vocal style and simple lyrics root the album in its entirety somewhere in the South. Think of it as a mix between Edward Sharpe, Of Monsters and Men, and The Lumineers, but without the same conviction.

Opening with, “Cold Water,” the British Columbia-based band nudges the listener to reflect on aspects of the world they don’t even know exist or even think about very much at all: “There’s water under the ground / Dig deeper to hear the sound.” Ultimately, this proves to be one of the more intriguing lines in not only a dull song, but unfortunately a rather unconvincing or even uninspiring EP. The second track, “Are You Lost,” is immediately more arresting; but only in the same way that a 10-hour flight isn’t as gruelling as a 16-hour flight. It lacks any sort of punchiness, but also doesn’t hold the thematic or musical merit for its perceived lengthiness. The songs here outstay their welcome, and on an album consisting of a mere six tracks, it’s not a good sign.

Interestingly, the second half of the album is more varied and thus better than the first. Here, the melodies hold more nuance within them; the lyrics are more intimate; and the instrumental layering and entire production actually reflect the changing lyrical themes far more accurately than the first three songs. It’s even possible to go as far as comparing standout track, “Six Feet Small,” with the most recent material released by Arcade Fire’s re-issue of Reflektor (2013).

Still, by the time the last track, “Riot,” rolls around, you wonder what you’ve gained by listening to it all; and unfortunately the answer is not much at all. While they seemingly draw influences from a multitude of genres and other artists, ultimately they fail to carve out a unique sound where they can fully let loose and operate. The vocals, admittedly, improve even over the course of the album (see fourth song, “Bones”), therefore it’ll be interesting to see the band’s growth if they move to recording a full-length album. As it stands, though, Blue Sky Miners EP neither evokes nor alludes to any emotion: It remains a whole lot of dust being kicked up but not much movement.

Standout Tracks

“Bones” and “Six Feet Small”

Memorable Line

“There’s water under the ground / Dig deeper to hear the sound.”

Sounds like

A jumbled combination of The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Fading Frontier – Deerhunter

by Maxime Scraire on

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Last December, Deerhunter’s lead member, Bradford Cox, got hit by a car while crossing the street. The incident was the beginning of a paradigm shift for the songwriter that led him to seriously consider the idea of settling down. He has since acquired a dog, and bought a house in which he lives as a recluse. “[Getting hit by the car] erased all illusions for me,” he recently told Pitchfork, “I just want safety. I would like to avoid physical pain and illness and mind my own business and have peace and quiet.”

Consequently, Fading Frontier—Deerhunter’s seventh album—is by far the band’s most serene and interpersonal effort. Contrasting in all possible ways with the crisp, claustrophobic vibe of their previous LP, the hateful Monomania, this record’s clean and dreamy soundscape boasts infinite space for the instruments to breathe; a delight that lets the mind wander freely within over and over.

Never before have Cox’s lyrics been this personal. His voice, which was once drowned out by guitar reverb in the middle of the mix, has been pushed to the forefront this time around; ultimately enabling the listeners to fully experience the singer’s undervalued poetry and newfound open-heartedness. “Jack-knifed / On the side-street crossing / I'm still alive / And that's something,” he squarely sings near the end of “Breaker,” referencing a distinct events in his own life in a way he would have shied away from only two years ago.

The record also represents the culmination of Deerhunter’s slow but steady progression from indie towards pop. Cox’s natural talent for crafting sumptuous melodies has often been overshadowed by the groups tangent to focus on ambiance and textures, but on Fading Frontier, overlooking his gift has simply become impossible. Most of the songs feature simpler-than-usual structures, featuring strong and distinct choruses, while the omnipresence of synthesizers and the general softness of the ensemble make for an important mainstream appeal. The album even has two legitimate single-ready tracks— “Snakeskin,” and “Living my Life,”—something that could not be said of any of their previous material.

Ultimately, Fading Frontier is the perfect soundtrack for those early fall mornings, where being awake becomes a relative notion, and sipping coffee is enough to keep one busy until well past noon. If Cox can make songs about settling down this thrilling, then Deerhunter’s already impressive run is still far from over.

Essential tracks

“Take Care,” “Living my Life,” and “Snakeskin”

Sounds like

Spoon’s They Want my Soul

Most Memorable Lyric

"You should take your handicaps / Channel them and feed them back / 'Till they become your strength / All around, it's all the same"

a, Martlets, Sports

Hockey: Martlets blank Gee-Gees behind Melodie Daoust’s heroics

by Ellie Solloway on

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McGill Martlets
5

Ottawa Gee Gees
0

If the McGill Martlets’ (2-0-0) 5-0 shutout win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-2-0) on Saturday night is any indication, this season should be a thrilling one to watch. The Martlets, who kicked off their 2015-2016 season this past weekend with back-to-back victories, proved worthy of their top-three ranking with a near perfect offensive and goaltending display.

Saturday’s game started slow, with freshman forward Olivia Atkinson providing the lone goal in the first period, but built up in intensity as the clock ticked down towards the first intermission. The last minute of the first period saw a furious scramble by the Gee-Gee’s, who dominated during that time in hopes of evening the score at one a side. McGill’s senior goalie Taylor Hough was up to the task, turning away all eight shots she faced in the period with ease.

“[Hough] made the saves when we needed her to,” Head Coach Peter Smith said. “I thought she stood up and did a real good job there.”

Helped by a stubborn defence, Hough’s success carried into the second period as the Martlet offence started to take off. Senior Melodie Daoust added a goal in a dominating middle stanza for the Martlets, who had control of the puck in the offensive zone the entire period save for a few penalty kills. Though the Martlets held off the Gee-Gee’s five-on-four advantages throughout the game, their own power play proved just as unsuccessful, an area in which Smith would like to see some improvement.

“I thought we played pretty well on the power play, but we just need to get it in the back of the net,” Smith elaborated. “We had a lot of good chances, we just need to continue to get more pucks to the middle of the ice.”

The lack of scoring on the main advantage didn’t hinder the Martlets, however, who erased any notions of a Gee-Gees come back from a 3-0 second period deficit. Forward Pamela Psihogios hit the back of the net less than five minutes into the third. Daoust, who won a gold medal with the Canadian Olympic team last year, scored her second of the night in sublime fashion on an end-to-end breakout while the McGill was shorthanded. The Canadian national team member picked up a perfect pass from defenceman Kelsie Moffat, decked through three Ottawa defenders with impressive ease, and lifted the puck past the shoulder of Ottawa netminder Sarah-Maude Labrecque for the Martlet’s fourth goal of the night. Capitalizing on Ottawa’s misery, forward Erika Pyke tacked on one last goal to put the final score at 5-0.

Saturday’s win came after an impressive victory on Friday, in which McGill won 2-1 in overtime against the No. 2 ranked Montreal Carabins (1-1-1). Senior forward Joanne Cagianos sent the game to overtime with a stunning third period goal, and Daoust scored the game-winner in the shootout. The team is back in action next weekend when they visit Ottawa on Friday, and host Montreal at home on Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Sound Bites

“We always have a game plan. We liked some of the things we did [on Friday against Montreal]. We wanted to be better in the offensive zone, more attempts, and I thought we did a good job of doing that today. It’s a very coachable group we have here.” <em>-Coach Smith on McGill’s weekend performance.</em>

Moment of the Game

Daoust’s crazy display of precision and creativity to find the back of the net shorthanded in the third. Honorable mention: Cagianos’ painful but productive blocked shot in the first period to keep Ottawa off the scoreboard.

Stat of the Game

Martlets outshot the Gee-Gees 39 to 21.

demar derozan toronto raptors nba
a, Basketball, Sports

Raptors defeat Wizards 92-82 in final NBA pre-season game at the Bell Centre

by Mayaz Alam and Zikomo Smith on

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“I’m tired of [the] pre-season,” Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said after the Raptors  92-82 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre last Friday. “I think we train so hard in the summer to be ready for opening night.”

Thus is the life of an NBA player. There is little time to rest with hectic, jet-setting schedules. Washington Wizards guard John Wall was more excited about coming to Montreal for the annual NBA’s Canada Series.

“I think [Montreal] is a beautiful city,” Wall said. “I definitely want to come back and visit when I have more opportunity to freelance and do whatever.”

Tired or not, the Raptors and Wizards put on a show for the 20,000 fans in attendance, including the Montreal Impact’s Didier Drogba, tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard, and UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, who all sat courtside.

On the court, Washington started off with a stronger shooting performance, making 50 per cent of their first quarter shots compared to Toronto’s 36 per cent. Toronto screened effectively and DeRozan looked dangerous slashing to the basket, but the team was inefficient, missing seven of eight three-point attempts.

“You gotta give credit to [the Wizards], they pushed the tempo [at the start],” DeRozan said.

Wizards Head Coach Randy Wittman, who has been widely criticized for a lack of offensive creativity, urged his players to push the ball in the first quarter. Washington shared the ball effectively and their wings came off screens regularly—a far cry from the pick and roll sets that characterized their 19th-ranked offence last year. Additionally, the Wizards’ big men were active from three point range, opening up driving lanes for guards.. Kris Humphries, who has converted only two regular season three-pointers in his 13 years in the NBA, and Drew Gooden, who has averaged  0.4 attempts per game for his career, have averaged 8.7 three-point attempts per game in the pre-season.

“I think that’s the way we want to play,” Humphries said. “It’s kind of like adapt or die, so we got to start shooting threes and play that open style basketball we’ve been working on. [I’ve been] working with the basketball development guys […] and they’ve been like ‘hey we think you can do it.’”

Overall it looked like a haphazard pre-season game when Toronto went into the break up 46-45. The Raptors shot a poor 18 of 49 from the field while the Wizards committed eight turnovers. Toronto’s Patrick Patterson missed all of his first half three pointers, continuing his poor pre-season.

“One thing I have always been told is that shooters never forget how to shoot, like riding a bike,” Raptors Head Coach Dwayne Casey said of Patterson’s struggles. “It’s just a stretch he is going through.”

Toronto responded with an electric 29-point third quarter, capped by a stunning reverse layup from DeRozan. The lead proved too much for the Wizards despite a strong defensive fourth quarter performance and rookie Kelly Oubre Jr’s impressive play. The 19-year-old wing recorded three steals and a block.

“I think [Oubre] has improved,” Wall said, “There will be ups and downs. Adjusting to the NBA is totally different [than] college: You’re seeing the lane and trying to guard screens […] all he has to do is keep listening every day.”

Even after last year’s playoffs, when Washington swept Toronto, it’ presumptive to say the Wizards and the Raptors are rivals. It’s reasonable to expect, however, many future matchups between the two sides as they compete for high playoff seeds in a wide open Eastern Conference.

“I mean, I guess because we played them last year in the first round, if you want to call it [a rivalry], the guys play hard,” Humphries said. “Anytime you have a point guard like [Kyle] Lowry who sets screens, plays tough basketball it adds to [the competition]. I don’t know, I don’t really believe in rivalries, it’s whoever you have to play you gotta play”.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

Swimming: Martlets, Redmen make a splash in second University Cup meet

by Mayaz Alam on

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McGill Martlets
2nd

 

 

 

 

 

 

McGill Redmen
3rd

 

 

 

The youth movement was on full display for the Martlet and Redmen swimming teams this past Saturday at the second RSEQ University Cup meet of the year held at McGill’s Memorial Pool. The Martlets, who have nine rookies, finished second on total points while the Redmen, who have 10 rookies, finished in third.

Team captain Simone Cseplo, junior Katerina Cardi, and rookie Rebecca Gillis led the way with two medals each for the Martlets, who are coming off a ninth place finish at CIS Nationals last year. Cseplo placed second in the 200m freestyle (2:02.59) and qualified for the National Championships. She also combined with Jennifer Henderson, Cardi, and Katie Caldwell for a silver in the 4 x 100m freestyle (3:58.21). Caldwell, one of two seniors for the Martlets and a former RSEQ swimmer-of-the-year, is optimistic about her team’s outlook for season.

“The team this year is really young and it’s a very different dynamic […] but it’s bringing a good vibe to the team,” she said. “I know on everyone’s mind is bringing home banners at provincials [….] That’s definitely our goal. It’s very possible this year, we have a great team.”

Although the Martlets had a strong showing this weekend, individual University Cup meets during the regular season have little effect on the final RSEQ standings. Instead, the primary focus is on sharpening the technical aspect and taking steps to be successful later in the year.

“Every cup meet is focused on trying to get the qualification and trying to get as many people at the CIS standard,” Caldwell explained. “Because they are all in-season meets we’re not really tapering down for them [….] It’s hard to be swimming at best times so we’re just trying to push as a team […] to win the battles to get qualified.”

17-year-old freshman Kade Wist was sensational on the Redmen side, finishing with two golds and two silvers as the highest-scoring swimmer of the meet. Wist, who had three gold medals in the first University Cup meet of the year, is quickly cementing himself as one of the best swimmers in the RSEQ despite being far younger than his competitors.

“I try and not to think about it,” Wist said about the age difference. “I just try and focus on getting my hand on the wall.”

William Dixon, another rookie, finished with a silver and a bronze while junior David Whiteside also finished with two medals. Only four Redmen swimmers qualified for last year’s National Championships where they placed 12th. This year, with only one senior on the team, the Redmen have the potential to lay the foundation for something special over the coming years

“We’re looking to become a dominant force at the CIS level and just place higher and higher every year,” Wist said. “Personally I’d like to make a final and then compete for a medal at CIS.”

The McGill swimmers will make the short trip to Outremont for their next meet as the Montreal Carabins host the third leg of the University Cup on Nov. 7.

Sound Bites

“Training with an injury is always a challenge. It’s mentally hard and it’s physically hard. Going into this last year […] I’m just trying to push through for these last six months […] and have fun” – Caldwell on battling through injuries during her junior year.

Stat of the meet

McGill’s combined score was 185, just one point behind the Laval Rouge et Or, pushing the home team to third best in the meet.

Moment of the meet

In a hotly contested 100m butterfly race, Wist held off Pascal-Hugo C. Cantin of the Rouge et Or by just a hundredth of a second .

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Trib Mix: Creep

by Hailey MacKinnon, Elie Waitzer, and Zikomo Smith on

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Late October is synonymous with Halloween. To get you in the scary mood the staff at the McGill Tribune has compiled 25 tracks that define what "creep" means for them. Remember to scroll down to the end to check out the Spotify playlist and happy listening!

The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”

Halloween may be scary and chilling, but there is also something surprisingly sexy about pretending to be someone or something else for one night only. No song is able to float within this enticing and mysterious space as confidently as The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games."

The clinching factor in “Wicked Games” is the enigma enveloping the song. Its slow, slinky pace is neither creepy nor soothing—the firm base line makes it comfortable to sway along to, yet singer’s desperate plea of “Even though you don't love me/Just tell me you love me,” is surprisingly unsettling. The song opens with seemingly white noise, most reminiscent of a foggy night—the perfect kind of Halloween night—followed by The Weeknd’s gentle and alluring first note. The lyrics “Bring your love baby I could bring my shame/Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain,” takes the song from a standard R&B song to a dangerous and thrilling level.

If Halloween is the time to be joyously intoxicated with fear and uncertainty—Wicked Games is the perfect song to accompany you as you do it.

– Hailey MacKinnon

Rihanna – “Disturbia”

The same year the global economy fell apart, a naive beauty combusted and out from the wreckage stepped a fully-formed, unstoppable Rihanna. If 2007’s Good Girl Gone Bad was a subtle attempt to hint at the Barbadian diva’s demonic conversion, 2008’s Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was a roundhouse kick to the heart. Jay-Z anticipated precipitation, but even he couldn’t imagine the torrential downpour that Rihanna would unleash upon the mortal world with her single Disturbia, released shortly after the Shia LaBeouf horror flick of the same title.

The song kicks off with a chilling scream and a driving chant: “bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum.” Rihanna asks “What’s wrong with me? / Why do I feel like this?” before giving a terrifying description of some ghastly being that “can creep up inside you / and consume you.” The music video is set in a subterranean torture chamber, where a possessed Rihanna twitches against her rusty shackles and gyrates on top of a rickety insane asylum bedframe, her milky eyeballs rolling back in their sockets. The imagery is scary enough, but the thought that will give you the spooks is that this song marks the dark fork in the road between “Pon The Replay” and “Rude Boy. As YouTube commenter Daniel Almir put it, “It’s hard to believe that this woman is the same from ‘Bitch Better Have My Money.’ How time changes people….”

– Elie Waitzer

TLC – “Creep”

TLC’s Creep either has you grooving to the rhythms and the raspy timbre of the backing horns, or reflecting on the singer’s dysfunctional relationship with her unfaithful boyfriend.

Tionne Watkins, in sultry tones, explains “I love my man with all honesty, but I know he’s cheating on me”. She then turns her lyrics towards the listener, saying she in turn cheats on her boyfriend, but “it’s only because I need some affection.” The vocals are intense and smothering. It’s as if the singer is creeping on the listener, while justifying her actions and rationalizing her loyalty her boyfriend.

Dissonance between the off-putting lyrics and the attractive beat, as well as the singer’s love for her unfaithful boyfriend despite her infidelities, is a key theme in this song. In fact, it was too much for Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC, who refused to rap on the track because she felt the song advocated staying in bad relationships.

The second verse shows the singer lamenting the emotional distance in her relationship: “And we don’t talk / like we used 2 do / now it seems pretty / strange but I’m not / bugging cause I still feel / the same yeah yeah.” She has now accepted her own unfaithful lifestyle as viable with her relationship: “Love you forever baby soul and mind” she tells her boyfriend.

She concludes ominously, however: “I creep around because I need attention/ don’t mess around with my affection.” The listener is constantly confused by the singer’s motives. It’s probably best to forget all the emotional turmoil and just dance to that fire beat.

– Ziko Smith

a, McGill, News

Senate discusses plans for internationalization

by Laura Hanrahan on

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Last Wednesday’s McGill Senate meeting saw discussions on the role of McGill in providing higher education to refugees, McGill’s strategy for internationalization, as well as a presentation on the current state of research misconduct within the university.

Access to education for refugees

During the previous Senate meeting, a question was brought forward by Law Senator Benjamin Brunot regarding McGill’s plans to facilitate access to higher education for students fleeing war or persecution. In a written response, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens cited massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a current initiative that will provide refugees with education opportunities.

“University [and] MOOC-provider partnerships are being designed to allow asylum seekers, without regard to their status or place of stay, to attend free online courses before settlement and then transfer to traditional university setting, obtaining an official degree at the end of their curriculum,” Dyens wrote in his response.

Brunot, however, raised concerns over the impact that MOOCs will have on international refugees.

“I was just worried about how McGill can actually reach refugees through MOOCs,” he said. “Maybe [the refugees] might not have easy access to either reliable internet connections or just basic technology where they are.”

Dyens acknowledged Brunot’s concerns, but stated that MOOCs are the most feasible option to offer education to refugees.

“As long as a person is a refugee, any access to McGill education will be a difficult thing to do,” he said. “I think what we’re trying to do is have a better presence online. [We want to] give as many as people as possible access to a McGill education and to do it as cheaply as possible [….] Access to internet and smartphones is better than having people come all the way here, take a plane, and pay all of these expensive costs.”

Report on research misconduct

Research Integrity Officer, Abraham Fuks, presented the annual report concerning the investigation of research misconduct at McGill.

“There were six [allegations] received this past academic year,” Fuks said. “Three dealt with issues of plagiarism and authorship, one dealt with falsification of data, and two were a more global category of issues of misconduct.”

Fuks additionally underlined a lack of attention to detail on the part of graduate research supervisors, specifically in regards to authorship attribution.

“A number of cases over the years have involved allegations from students who feel that they have not been treated fairly and acknowledged properly in publications,” he said.

During a discussion of the report, Education Senator Alenoush Saroyan asked what could be done to diminish the number of allegations even further. According to Fuks, both post-graduates and faculty members will need to put more emphasis on regulations.

“Encourage faculties […] to engage more resources and more time and energy into education of both faculty members and graduate students,” he responded. “[There are] many individuals who work very hard and […] don’t always have time to familiarize themselves with the regulations and demands of authorship, [which are] become more technical [and] more specific. The second [step] is to encourage graduate supervisors to pay attention to the mentorship of students.”

McGill’s international strategy

Saroyan raised questions regarding the distinction between international and internationalization, and asked for clarity on the motives behind the intended internationalization of McGill. Internationalization includes bringing in students and professionals from around the world to McGill.

“They’re two different things,” Saroyan said. “Internationalization has a lot to do with student mobility, equivalencies, and the motive behind it is revenue generating.”

McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier disagreed with Saroyan’s understanding, citing enhancement of research and learning opportunities as the prime motivation for internationalization.

“I believe that the motivation in this university for internationalization, for bringing people from outside of our country as students, as professors, as colleagues in the research partnership area has not been financial money,” Fortier said. “In fact, as you probably know, Quebec is such that we don’t retain those dollars for the most part, […] so it’s not a prime motivation.”

Fortier, went on to explain that the primary motivation for internationalization is in fact the potential for exposure to a wider range of minds and viewpoints that the university will gain.

“I think it’s been a belief within the university that for a long time a richer learning environment is created when you can bring together different perspectives, which comes from having people of different cultures, ethics backgrounds and so on,” she explained. “The motivation is very much linked to excellence in learning, teaching and research.”

3 Women
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Flashback: 3 Women (1977)

by Nico Wada on

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3 Women is an understated wonder by the iconoclastic director, Robert Altman. The film itself unfurls like a dream, most likely because Altman first dreamt of the film before proceeding to shoot something that he was still figuring out. Altman was known for his almost laissez-faire filmmaking philosophy; he was one of the first directors who allowed his actors to stray from the script with a cheerful nonchalance and was known for leaning strongly on improvisation. “I feel the medium of film has not yet been explored,” Altman once said in an interview with Dick Cavett, expressing his creative desire to use the platform of film to create something entirely original. He does just that with 3 Women, a film that perfectly mimics a dream in its juxtaposing elements of lucidity and haziness.

The film explores the entangled lives of Millie Lamoreaux (Shelley Duvall), Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek), and Willie Hart, (Janice Rose) three women living in an apartment complex in a California desert. A shot-by-shot scrutiny of 3 Women demonstrates Altman’s particular fascination with twins or doubles, and the idea that every individual searches for their perfect match. Millie, Pinky, and Willie are all solitary characters, even outcasts, who in the end seem to fuse into one monotone characterization of the female identity.

One of Altman’s fortes is his ability to create lively characters by giving them individual quirks and traits. In 1977 Duvall was won the Cannes Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Millie—a chirpy consumerist always dressed in yellow, blithely unaware that she’s ignored by those around her. Millie’s dialogue is a subtle but hilarious aspect of the film, as her conversation consists of a stew of clichés and brand names.

Pinky is the archetypal stranger-comes-to-town character who arrives mysteriously from Texas and joins Millie at her workplace, a geriatric therapeutic spa. Pinky is charmingly puerile, in one scene blowing bubbles into her coke glass at lunch with impish delight. When Millie is instructed to show Pinky the ropes at work, Pinky immediately idolizes Millie, going as far as reading her diary and moving in as her new roommate. Willie, the preganant wife of the owner of the apartment building, is the third woman. She is a sullen and mostly mute character who dresses like a pioneer from the wild west and spends her time painting mysterious murals of menacing serpentine creatures. Gerald Busby’s flute-heavy soundtrack picks up whenever Willie enters a shot, establishing Willie as a tragic, feminine force.

3 Women attests to Altman’s love for developing strong female characters, making him a particularly unique figure in Hollywood. While male roles exist in 3 Women, it seems only Willie’s philandering husband Edgar (Robert Fortier) drifts into focus, and even his character remains vague and distant. Edgar is an embodiment of traditional male stereotypes, defined by his motorcycles, beer, lust, and gun-slinging, but the other men in the movie are merely objects of Millie’s fascination.

Of particular curiosity is the intriguing use of water throughout the film. During a climactic scene, Pinky jumps into the pool in an attempt to kill herself, and when she wakes up from her coma, her character has endured what seems to be a rebirth as she and Millie have exchanged personalities. Altman has stated that the water that flows occasionally between his shots should be seen as the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus. The opening scene of the film depicts old people descending into an exercise pool at the geriatric spa; a clear juxtaposition of birth and impending death. Altman, however, warns against the overuse of allegorical interpretations saying, “it's the weirdest thing. We're willing to accept anything, absolutely anything, in real life. But we demand order from our fantasies. Instead of just going along with them and saying, yeah, that's right, it's a fantasy and it doesn't make sense.”

Daring in its sheer bizarreness, 3 Women contains a power that can only be described as ‘Altmanesque’ and is an unforgettable, spellbinding cinematic masterpiece that should be viewed more than once.

NFL Fantasy Football
a, Football, Sports

Fantasy Football: Week 6 takeaways

by Josh Blatt on

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Week 6 in the NFL was marked by two historically memorable and wacky moments.San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw for over 500 yards with no interceptions and still lost the game, and, the Indianapolis Colts ran the most inexplicable fourth-down play that had the looks of a Madden video game glitch. Here’s the other key fantasy football takeaways from the week

The Seahawks’ legion of gloom

The Seattle Seahawks have been good at losing football games this season. The 2015 Super Bowl runners-up blew their second consecutive fourth quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Sitting at 2-4, Seattle has been outscored 61-27 in fourth quarters and overtimes the season. Poor offensive line play has limited quarterback Russell Wilson to just seven passing and zero rushing touchdowns this season, while running back Marshawn Lynch has failed to top 73 rush yards in any of his four games thus far. Owners can only hope that upcoming matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys will prove to be the cure for Wilson’s and Lynch’s troubles.

A Stark change in Green Bay

Second-string Packers running back James Starks has carved out a substantial role in the Green Bay offence at the expense of fantasy bust Eddie Lacy. Starks has leapfrogged the injury-hampered Lacy by recording 286 yards on 63 carries thus far. Head Coach Mike McCarthy will likely ride the hot hand between Starks and Lacy after Green Bay’s Week 7 bye, making for a murky fantasy situation. Despite this, Starks needs to be owned in all formats because of his immense potential.

The spotlight Steeler

With wide receiver Antonio Brown struggling to produce elite numbers since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wideout Martavis Bryant, fresh off his four-game suspension, picked up the slack against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. In a shocking victory over the Cards, Bryant reeled in six catches for 137 yards and two scores with the inexperienced Landry Jones, who started the season third in the Steelers QB depth chart, throwing the ball. The Clemson product appears poised to pick up from where he left off in last year’s breakout season. Treat him as a second or third wide receiver with huge weekly potential that will only grow with Big Ben’s eventual return.

The Jets’ Ivory tower

In his third season with the New York Jets, running back Chris Ivory is finally proving to be a legitimate fantasy football asset. Ivory has topped 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in three of the four games he has played. His aggressive downhill running style, and ability to generate yards after contact have drawn comparisons to the Seahawks’ Lynch. Most notably, Ivory is averaging a league-leading 115 yards per game and is running the ball 20.8 times each contest. Look for Ivory to keep the good times rolling next weekend against the New England Patriots.

Melvin Gordon is losing charge

Playing in front of 60-plus family and friends in his return to Wisconsin, Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon spent the majority of the nail-biting battle versus the Packers on the bench. Gordon rushed seven times for 29 yards and turned the ball over twice, increasing his fumble total on the season to four. Pass-catching back Danny Woodhead, who has been ultra-effective for the Chargers, took on a larger role following Gordon’s benching. Gordon will be a very risky play next week against the Oakland Raiders, as it’s likely he has lost grip of his early-down duties.

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No say for students in Student Services appointment

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Following backlash from the McGill community over last month’s appointment of Robyn Wiltshire as the interim senior director of student services, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), Ollivier Dyens, has apologized, admitting student consultation should have been a part of Wiltshire’s hiring process. Wiltshire succeeds Richard Zereik, who served as interim director of Student Services from November 2013 to May 2015.

The interim senior director of Student Services

In September, the executive bodies of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Post-Graduate Students’ Society, the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), and the Macdonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society (MCGS) published a statement denouncing the lack of student consultation in Wiltshire’s appointment. According to the statement, an advisory committee for the selection of the senior director of student services was created in May, but the search was halted after the summer.

“The committee’s work was postponed as of Sept. 15,  2015, when members were informed that the search for a new senior director was being placed on hold while Student Services underwent substantial changes over the coming year,” the open letter reads. “Neither the committee, students, faculty, nor staff were consulted or previously informed of the appointment of a new interim senior director.”

In response to the statement, Dyens apologized to the members of the advisory committee.

“I understand the students didn’t like the fact that I didn’t consult with them, and you know what, they probably have a point,” Dyens said. “I should […] have consulted with them. I think they’ve made a good point, and I’ve told them so. And I’ve […] apologized to the [advisory] committee.”

Dyens continued to explain that Wiltshire was hired to allow the McGill administration to prioritize its review of the Students Services framework before hiring a permanent director of student services. According to Dyens, this review is intended to explore how Student Services can be more proactive in terms of providing resources to students.

“Right now we’re a downstream service […] students come to see us and we try to help them,” he said. “We have great challenges right now—mental health is an issue [….] We believe that thinking of a more proactive approach is the best way to provide services to our students. We tried to [find a candidate] during the summer and were not successful at it. One of the reasons […] was that we were saying to the people we want to rethink student services, but it was more of a general notion. And then I thought, why don’t we rethink the best way to […] have more upstream types of services […] and then go after the [candidate] we’d like to have.”

Arts Senator, Erin Sobat,  who sits on the Committee on Student Services (CSS), disagreed with Dyens’ viewpoint.

“There’s a concern that if you’re totally changing up the system, it’s not the best time to bring someone [new] in,”  Sobat said. “I’m a bit skeptical of that because I think that the best people to lead the kinds of changes that we want to see in Student Services are student services professionals […] with professional associations in research and literature. I think they’ll very much understand this context [….] What McGill’s looking at is not very groundbreaking in terms of […] building linkages and collaborations between units.”

Sobat also has concerns over the competencies required in the job description for the position of director of Student Services. This includes the possession of a master’s degree in a field relevant to student affairs.

“We would have loved to see someone with that [Student Services] background in the position to be leading that change, and it’s unfortunate that that’s not happening.” he said. “[Somebody] who meets the basic requirements of the committee that were in the position profile that was sent out [….] the current interim senior director does not have a master’s degree, or a degree in the area of student affairs.”

The hiring process at McGill

The hiring process for senior administrative positions at McGill, such as the provost, the deans, and the principal are outlined in McGill’s Statutes, which describe the procedures for government of all university affairs. Article 3.4.1 of the Statutes stipulates the creation and membership of an advisory committee for the hiring of such employees.

“Before recommending an appointment for the office of provost, deputy provost, or vice-principal, the Principal shall have consulted an advisory committee consisting of four representatives of the Board of Governors, four representatives of the Senate and two students,” article 3.4.1 reads.

Dyens explained that advisory committees suggest high-level candidates for the position.

“What the committee does, is that it brings forward recommendations on a number of candidates that the search committee believes are above the bar,” Dyens said. “Then we start negotiating with [the candidates].”

According to Sobat, the selection process for positions like the interim director of Student Services is much less structured. Following the CSS’s request to increase student representation on the advisory committee to select the senior director of Student Services, the student membership on that committee was raised from two to three individuals.

“The actual composition of the [advisory] committee in the end, we were very happy about. It was a good balance of students […] and administrators,” Sobat said.

Nevertheless, Sobat continued to underscore the challenges of student involvement within selection committees.

“There’s a very strong emphasis [on] the advisory role of pretty much all of these selection committees,” he said. “We had, in fact, asked if [McGill] would consider making [the advisory committee for the selection of a director of Student Services] a formal selection committee instead of just an advisory committee, and that request was denied.”

Going forward, Sobat stressed the importance of student consultation in the hiring process.

“[Students] are the minority in the [committee…] in a way, that’s not reflected by the actual composition of McGill,” Sobat said. “You do need to work a bit harder just to have your voice heard in a more convincing, effective way. When the McGill administration really works as hard as they can to incorporate student feedback into the process, then it tends to be better in the long run for the success of the individual in the position.”

This article was corrected on October 20, 2015. The Tribune regrets these errors.

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