Latest News

a, Opinion

Editorial Dissent—Ideals require solidarity, not indifference

on

More in a:

The Tribune’s editorial board was split this week over the concept of legal student strikes. This dissenting editorial argues for students’ right to strike in light of the struggle for accessible higher education in Quebec. We do not agree with the position expressed in this week’s main editorial that the individual right to attend class supersedes the right of accessibile education, or that so-called “boycotts” are an effective and meaningful way to pursue collective action.

Gaps and questions certainly exist that require us to avoid the conflation of tuition-paying students with labouring workers. That being said, strikes are, in both cases, a valuable tactic of collective action in struggling for rights. They have often ensured that a majority is not only heard, but is taken seriously by those who hold institutional power. If not enforced, a strike is ineffective, and encourages those in power to provoke division amongst strikers and to ignore their demands. Student unions, given the right to strike, would likely need to be restructured or redefined in order to function fairly in a context that does not involve workers. Yet, the need to struggle collectively remains central in light of the continuing fight for accessible education in our society.

Free education in Quebec is recognized as a universal right and has been realized in sectors of education up to and including public cégeps. University education is also public, insofar as it is overseen and subsidized by the province. Some 49 per cent of McGill’s revenue comes from the provincial government, and 28 per cent comes from student tuition—a proportion that has increased yearly, nearly tripling since the early ’80s. The average student debt after graduation in Quebec today is $13,000.

[pullquote]“Education is not an individual pursuit based on our ability to buy degrees; accessible education is a way to grow as a society, and fighting for this right is a struggle for equality.”[/pullquote]

If education is truly a public service and a universal right, why is it that students here have been burdened financially for this right, above and beyond taxation? The notion expressed in the main editorial that, rather than voting on striking collectively, students should “boycott” classes—as though they were commodities—speaks to the growing reality in our society that education is not a right, but a product that can be bought and sold. The idea is this: those who pay should get their money’s worth. However, education is not an individual pursuit based on our ability to buy degrees; accessible education is a way to grow as a society, and fighting for this right is a struggle for equality. Such a struggle requires the ability to stand in solidarity and the willingness to take personal risks in order to maintain and further this accessibility that has advanced us in our lives.

This is a debate not only about the student right to strike, but about whether education is a privilege for those who can pay individually or whether it is a public right that should be guarded for all and advanced to society’s most vulnerable. The legal inability to stand in solidarity as students risks harming our peers and future generations because we cannot unite effectively in defense of Quebec’s ideals, even after a majority vote.

In the struggle for accessible education, powerful action is required. “Boycotts” are not only ineffective but self-defeating, because such a notion promotes individual indifference and reifies the notion of education as a commodity, rather than a right we must struggle to maintain. In demanding our rights, we must each face risks, but the benefit is immense for society and for the values we wish to see passed on to future generations.

Andra Cernavskis, Victor Temprano, and Samuel Reynolds participated in this dissent and agree with the views presented. Adrien Hu, Chris Liu, Carolina Millán Ronchetti, Elisa Muyl, and Adam Sadinsky did not align with either side.

a, Opinion

Individual access must be upheld in the right to education

on

More in a:

Earlier this month, Parti Québécois (PQ) Education Minister Pierre Duchesne announced a plan to grant student associations the legal right to strike. While it was quickly rebuffed by some in the Quebec political scene, particularly those who saw the move as yet another attempt at political posturing on the part of the PQ, Duchesne’s proposal raises an important question. Though boycotts of classes at cégeps and universities this past academic year were commonly referred to as “student strikes,” they were not legally protected in the same way that labour strikes are. Rather, in the eyes of the government, the movement was composed of individual students’ choice to boycott class. As evidenced by the many injunctions brought against student associations over the spring, students were not permitted to prevent their peers from attending class.

In stark contrast, Duchesne’s new proposal would grant striking student associations permission to set up picket lines and the right to legally—and peacefully—block access to class.

We find Duchesne’s proposal troubling, in large part because we believe strongly in the individual right of students to attend class, even in the face of a majority strike vote. Education is a public service, and a majority of students voting to strike does not legitimize preventing access to this service. We value boycotting class as a powerful discoursive tool, but it is effective as civil disobedience, not as a legally enrishined right.

[pullquote]“We have a fundamental problem with allowing a majority of students to prevent access to education, even if this is with the view of ultimately improving accessible education.”[/pullquote]

We take particular issue with allowing student strikes to operate under a legal framework, because that would further legitimize student associations as final decision-making bodies for all of their constituents. Unlike labour unions, which people enter for protection and collectivization, student associations are more informal and represent a greater diversity of viewpoints. There is also the issue of consent—membership in most student associations is automatic and a necessary condition of attending university.

Legal student strikes hold more clout than boycotts. Of course, this is chief advantage cited by proponents, but the economics of a sanctioned student strike are hugely problematic. The all-or-nothing nature of a legal strike would likely lead to the closing of a university if half of the students voted in favour of such action. This means professors, administrators, and employees would all still be paid—at the public’s expense—for work no one would benefit from.  Much of this financial burden rests with taxpayers. Students certainly have the right to come together as a faculty or student association and collectively choose to boycott class; but they do not the right to put the burden of that decision on a third party, even if the tactic ultimately puts pressure on the government.

More importantly, legal strike action puts a larger part of that burden on dissenting students. During the boycott last year, all students continued to pay tuition. If it were legally sanctioned, students who chose not to strike would be paying for a service from which they would not benefit.

We have a fundamental problem with allowing a majority of students to prevent access to education, even if this is with the view of ultimately improving accessible education. There are other ways to achieve such a goal that do not involve harming our peers, including protests and political action. Enshrining this right in law would give it legitimacy; we don’t believe it deserves that legal recognition.

The Tribune editorial board also ran a dissenting editorial piece on this issue this week.

a, Opinion

State of the Liberal leadership race

by Joshua Freedman on

More in a:

Now that the American election is finally over, we can once again set our sights closer to home, where an interesting leadership battle is brewing in the Liberal caucus between Martha Hall-Findlay, Justin Trudeau, and more recently, Marc Garneau—who is expected to declare his candidacy very soon.

As things stand now, the Conservatives and New Democrats are playing it politically safe, each trusting that a cautious approach will lead them to victory in the next election. In contrast, the reduction to third party status has forced the Liberals to break this tedious pattern. They have attempted to distinguish themselves from the other parties by putting forward some innovative ideas with yet-to-be-determined results. The Liberals hope that these pioneering ideas will draw immediate attention to their upcoming leadership convention—attention which will later be parlayed into further electoral gains.

Sketch by Ben Ko
Sketch by Ben Ko

Justin Trudeau made a big splash this week by declaring himself unabashedly in favour of a Chinese petroleum company’s attempt to buy Nexen, a Calgary-based oil company. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have been hemming and hawing about the proposed deal, stating that they need to consider Canada’s economic interest, in defiance of the party’s supposed pro free market principles. Unsurprisingly, the New Democratic Party (NDP) has come out against the bill, arguing that it is selling Canada’s sovereignty, apparently unaware that this practice is common in all developed economies. Trudeau has also given tentative support to marijuana’s potential decriminalization in the future, a position that will likely prove popular amongst wide swathes of the population.

Martha Hall-Findlay has also swung to the right on some economic positions, declaring that the policy of supply management in the dairy and poultry sectors is an antiquated relic from Canada’s past. Marc Garneau has similarly been critical of the Tories’ economic stewardship, and he will likely run his campaign promising increased fiscal leadership.

All of the above seem to be incredibly tactical moves on the Liberals’ part. The Liberal Party of the ’90s is best remembered for its sensible economic policies that reversed Canada’s economic decline. While Canada has handled the recession better than most other Western countries, the Conservatives’ promise to balance the budget continues to be pushed back, and growth has been less than stellar these past few quarters. The Liberals seem to be positioning themselves as responsible fiscal conservatives with more liberal social policies—a ploy that they calculate is a winning formula.

However, there is still a lot more fine-tuning that the Liberals need to do if they expect to regain their position as Canada’s default ruling power. The Liberals must take the attitude that winning the next election would be an unexpected bonus, and that it is more important to broadly position the party for the future. The fiscally conservative message will go some ways in rehabilitating the Party’s Western support, although recent derogatory comments about the West continue to plague their efforts. The Grits must also find a way to win back traditional Liberal seats in Quebec. Having a native son such as Trudeau or Garneau at the helm would certainly help there.

What all Canadians can hope for is that a rejuvenated Liberal party will not only be a boon for Liberal supporters, but that their cohesive message will force the Conservatives and New Democrats to step up their game as well. The cautious approach taken by both the Conservatives and the NDP robs Canada of potentially impactful legislative accomplishments, and is not to the country’s benefit. So far, the Liberal leadership campaign has broken historical taboos around foreign takeovers, and criticized outdated economic practices that have not been challenged in a long time. A more open-ended and innovative political culture is desperately needed in these times, and the Liberal campaign is a great step on the path of redeeming our stodgy and monotonous election cycles.

a, Opinion

War on Twitter

by Meghan Sauer on

More in a:

Following eight days of rocket exchanges, hundreds of deaths, and thousands of injuries, Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire last Wednesday.  The thousand-year-old conflict and ongoing political and religious tension over the land known today as Israel is a primary cause of the eruption of violence—but an external element, new to warfare, helped propel it.

Twitter is known for its featured celebrity commentary and its youth appeal—the most-followed twitter accounts include those of pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. But of the 170 million Twitter accounts in active use, two belong to Hamas’ al-Qasssam Brigades (AQ) and Israel’s Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The AQ and the IDF are military organizations on the Eastern Mediterranean coast unable to compromise the opposing beliefs—political, religious, and otherwise—which tie them to the same land.  So when each staked claims on new ground—the Twittersphere—war was inevitable.  They posted attack updates, successful hits, death tolls, as well as videos and pictures of explosions, wreckage, and the civilians on the ground. Each also tweeted threats against its enemy.  While the internet today acts like a natural extension to our physical world, in many ways, it distorts and trivializes what is real.  The images, videos, and words we see on our screens inevitably contain bias.

War invaded western living rooms in the ’60s through household television sets, forever changing the way North Americans at home viewed military conflict.  Smartphones and laptops have allowed the portable web to keep us informed wherever we take it: war is with us on the bus ride to campus, it accompanies us to a boring lecture, and might even keep us up in bed late at night. One could argue that war is closer and more real to us than ever before— but is it really?

The images and videos shared via the AQ and IDF Twitter accounts are emotionally captivating, and in turn, quite persuasive.  But at the same time that a rocket hits Jerusalem in a Youtube video posted by the IDF, Hamas could be reporting a brand-new list of deaths in the Gaza Strip. The accounts are heavily biased, and neither one is tweeting all of the facts. They aren’t intended for their own civilians, either, but serve more as propaganda machines than news sources. Each has English language accounts, and post links to French and Spanish versions.  The images of strong and serious Hamas soldiers and of Israeli children’s bedrooms destroyed by rockets are posted specifically for the rest of the world to see, and one can easily be  persuaded one way or the other.  The tragedies of a war occurring across an ocean cannot be accurately expressed in the palm of a western spectator’s hand.  Rocket sirens coupled with constant, imminent danger—not buzzes or notification beeps—are keeping those under attack on both sides up at night.  Foreign support is each army’s objective, but the domain in which propaganda is presented hurts their cause.

Because we are accustomed to frivolous 140-character blurbs on our Twitter feeds,  the combination of 140-character threats and death tolls just doesn’t feel right.  But when they do find their way there, they blend into the mass of all other blurbs, and become a part of Twitter’s trivial landscape.  By waging war on Twitter, Hamas and Israel may be unintentionally trivializing their own battles—and war in general—for their foreign followers. In fact, the opposing governments interact over the Internet, replying to and re-tweeting each other. While they geographically rest side by side, the two have never been able to communicate directly in the real world; Twitter has created a space for them to safely interact.  But how safe is it when thousands of people read every update?  Because of social media’s instantaneous and democratic nature, many Twitter users—youth, politicians, and celebrities alike—are subject to the impulses of irrational tweeting.  When battling armies enter the cyberspace, they are just as likely to make irrational, impulsive statements.  When thousands of people read them, these statements could possibly have great consequences which could spill over into the ‘real world.’

War has taken on a new, questionable form. It may distort our very definitions of conflict.

a, Opinion

Corruption and McGill’s obsession with rankings

by Victor Temprano on

More in a:

The recent case of Arthur Porter comes as little surprise to those who have some sense of how McGill, and other big universities in general, recruit well-known and top-ranking professors. Benefits such as large, publicly undisclosed salaries and low-interest loans are a perk if you are a valued academic signing a contract with McGill. For Porter, this meant nearly $100,000 on top of his public $256,000 salary—for teaching he may not have done—and access to a $500,000 loan at one per cent interest, given explicitly for real estate deals.

These benefits are not at all indicative of a poorly-working administration, or of one individual’s corrupt attempt to steal from taxpayers and students. One of McGill’s major causes for overspending, according to a Financial Fact Sheet put out by the Office of the Provost, is its “expenses associated with [the] recruitment and retention of top academics.” Porter is an example of how this monetized and rankings-oriented university efficiently bureaucratizes the movement of wealth from taxpayers and students to those who can give the university what it needs: namely, another rankings boost.

Porter is an anomaly in that he has not fully paid McGill back; but he is not an anomaly in the sense that, if one has a certain degree of prestige, it is far from unusual to have back-room deals where extra money can be secured from university coffers. This back-room stinks of an ‘old boys’ club,’ and it tells of a university structure built with the intention of making it easy for staff members—or more precisely, staff who have some value to rankings and are therefore considered worth retaining—to rely on taxpayers and tuition to get as much as they think they need for their own private use. The obsession with rankings institutionalizes friendliness towards corruption in the form of self-serving and non-transparent transfers of revenue from taxpayers and students to prestigious individuals. This strays far from the ideal of a public university.

49 per cent of McGill’s budget comes from Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), and another 28 per cent from student tuition payments. 33 per cent of students at McGill receive some type of government aid, mainly in the form of loans with interest. Without doubt, even the loneliest student reading this has at least one friend using student loans, which have rates that vary between five and eight per cent—if not more. Student loans will prove a burden for years, and perhaps decades after graduation, depending on one’s job prospects. This means that those using student loans will be paying proportionally far more for borrowing than Porter would have had to pay on his one per cent McGill-approved property loan. While Porter’s high income would disqualify his children for student loans, Porter himself qualified for borrowing from McGill’s taxpayer and tuition revenue for his housing acquisitions—borrowing for which he was already approved from banks. Such is the price of “top academics.”

The best professors are by no means always the most visible. Yet renowned figures certainly bring the most public attention; and that, for McGill and other large universities, is the most important factor. Porter, after all, may not even have taught the courses he was paid for at McGill; it seems fair to say that he was being paid his extra salaries, not for his teaching, but for his public prestige. The ideals of liberal education—free and critical thought —serve not as guides, but as rhetorical devices in McGill’s obsessive pursuit of the preservation of its prestige.

The institutionalization of easy money is disgusting, but not unexpected in a highly capital- and rankings-oriented university that must bend the rules and hide some professors’ salaries in order to stay ahead. While students are incurring debts that will likely chain them for decades, well-paid Arthur Porters get whatever they need, because they have ‘real value’ to the university.

McGill wants more money every year—in part to keep up with the demand for continually growing back-room contract benefits. This may very well be what you want university to be: a place focused on recruitment for rankings, and not for teaching; on the prestigious McGill brand, rather than on free thinking; on back-room deals, rather than openness and solidarity with each other. You are the students; you can shrug your shoulders, and do as you like. But don’t be surprised at this instance of corruption; for if getting ahead is the only important thing, what else would you expect?

Defensive duo Ryan McKiernan and Vincent Barnard steer the puck to safety. (Remi Lu / McGill Tribune)
a, Sports

All Braun in third period rally, Redmen freeze Lakers

on

More in a:

The Redmen entered McConnell Arena this weekend looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss against the UQTR Patriotes. They did so in an exhilarating fashion, dominating both the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Nipissing Lakers in back-to-back contests that had McGill fans cheering through the weekend.

After defeating the Blues 3-2 in a shootout the night before, the Redmen skated into Saturday’s game against the Lakers with the intention of defending their home ice once again. They didn’t disappoint, prevailing 4-3.

McGill started the game blazing, attacking Nipissing’s defence by moving the puck and executing on second-chance opportunities. Despite Laker goalie Daniel Spence’s stellar play, first-year centre Mathieu Pompei finally converted McGill’s offensive efforts into a goal, with about five minutes left in the first. The Redmen ended the period with an astonishing 24-4 shots-on-goal advantage, silencing any worries that they may be drained by their previous night’s contest against Toronto.

“Players are used to playing [many] games… and we practice every day to get used to playing with fatigue. I don’t think [that exhaustion] was a factor today,” assistant captain Marc-Olivier Vachon said after the game.

Remi Lu / McGill Tribune
Remi Lu / McGill Tribune

Unfortunately, when the Redmen entered the second frame, they seemed like a different team than the one that closed out the first period. The contest settled into a back-and-forth match, with McGill’s play taking a backseat to Nipissing’s increased offensive pressure. Lakers’ Grant Toulmin scored off of a rebound shot nine minutes into the period, and Kevin Rebelo recorded another quick goal a minute later to put Nipissing ahead, 2-1. McGill ended the period looking disoriented, prompting Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes to refocus his group.

“Our coach told us the statistics that we had the first period, how we outshot [Nipissing] and outplayed them, and how we didn’t bring that into the second,” freshman left-winger Trevor Braun said. “We [knew] what to do, we just [had] to pull it together … and win that game.”

Riding their momentum from the second period, the Lakers opened the last frame looking to continue their physical play. Nipissing’s Vern Cooper added to their goal total, which extended the team’s lead to two, and consequently sparked an increase in scrappy play between the teams. However, the Redmen furiously rallied back on offence, with Braun leading the way. He scored his first CIS goal midway through the third, and tallied another just two minutes later, thanks to a 25-foot rocket to tie the game at 3-3. The Redmen and the crowd were ignited. McGill capped off the comeback after Pompei capitalized on the powerplay with only three minutes left in the game. The Redmen stalled Nipissing’s attack in the final stretch, and sealed their one-goal victory.

The Redmen have played well lately, going 8-2 in their last 10 games after starting the season 0-3. The team’s improved chemistry and the further development of the roster stand testament to this turnaround. McGill has had continued injury troubles in the early goings, and have played without co-captains Marc-Andre Daneau and Patrick Belzile, as well as first-year defenseman Jean-Philippe Mathieu. However, Coach Nobes is confident that his team will continue to improve and play well.

“We have pretty good depth, so I wouldn’t say that [injuries] have affected our approach,” he said. “You know, certainly, not having our captains in the lineup is not something that any team wants. And the other guys have had to step-up into that leadership role. [Hopefully] we’ll get some guys back next weekend, and for sure after Christmas.”

The McGill Redmen will hit the ice looking to continue their winning streak when they take on the Ryerson Rams at the Maple Leaf Gardens on Nov. 30.

a, Sports

Around the Water Cooler

on

More in a:

In case you were too busy being impeached from your mayoral position, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports …

BASKETBALL — Well, Raptor fans, there’s not much to say. Toronto lost four heartbreakers this past week, a trend that has been developing since their 90-88 loss to Indiana in the season opener. First, the Raps blew a fourth quarter lead against Philly on Tuesday. Then, they followed that effort up with two straight one-point losses to Charlotte and Detroit. Finally, they fell in double overtime to San Antonio on Sunday afternoon. One bright spot for the team: Jonas Valanciunas. The big Lithuanian rookie tallied a career-high 22 points on Sunday, and is impressing executives and players around the league.

In NCAA Division III basketball news (no, really), Grinnell Pioneers guard Jack Taylor broke an NCAA record with 138 points in a 179-104 victory over the Faith Baptist Bible College Eagles on Tuesday night. Taylor shot 52 for 108 from the field, but only made 27 of his 71 attempted three-pointers. “I gotta thank the man upstairs. I was able to multiply my talents tonight,” Taylor said after the game. He probably meant multiply by billions. In any case, I’ll have what he’s having.

FORMULA 1 — Sebastian Vettel became the youngest three-time Formula 1 champion, after finishing sixth in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. The 25-year-old German becomes the first driver to win three titles in a row since seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher won five straight from 2000-2004. Schumacher is retiring for the second time after returning to race in 2010. He leaves as the most successful Formula 1 driver ever: with the most wins, pole positions, fastest laps, and most podium finishes in the sport’s history.

The 2013 season will kick off in March. We’re sure North American sports fans can’t wait.

FOOTBALL  — The 100th Grey Cup took place this past Sunday night, pleasing Mounties and Canadian football fans around the country. The Toronto Argonauts prevailed over the Calgary Stampeders 35-22 in front of their home crowd at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The title marks their first championship since 2004. Argos’ quarterback Ricky Ray proved his critics wrong with an impressive postseason run, culminating in two touchdown passes in the big game. The Argos defence led the way and stalled Calgary’s offence from the beginning of the contest. Starting running back Chad Kackert was named the Grey Cup’s Most Outstanding Player after he recorded 195 yards of total offence in the victory. Kackert was actually cut by Calgary a couple of years ago, so the performance was in typical revenge fashion.  Rejoice, Toronto sports fans! You finally have something to cheer about! Oh, and Biebs totally killed the halftime show.

a, Sports

Point Counterpoint

on

More in a:

On Nov. 19, the MLB approved a blockbuster 12-player deal between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins. The Blue Jays received an influx of proven, but injury-prone MLB talent, and sent a slew of top prospects to the Marlins. With the trade, many baseball analysts believe the Jays are the favourites to take home the American League (AL) East crown next season. Two contributors weigh in on Toronto’s chances.

Blue Jays will win the AL East

The blockbuster trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins has finally been made official. Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Emilio Bonifacio will by playing baseball north of the border next summer. The Jays also signed free-agent Melky Cabrera, who hit .346 last year, and was the MVP of the All-Star Game.

According to my fellow contributor, the Jays are acquiring a great deal of risk with this deal. But are they? Johnson is injury prone, but he’s also in the final year of his contract, and should be motivated to put up a huge season. Reyes has been equally fragile, but he’s only two years removed from a batting title and led the National League in plate appearances last season. Cabrera was suspended 50 games for using performance-enhancing drugs, but in his previous drug-free season, he had 201 hits and 44 doubles.

The risk is present, but the upside of this acquisition is unquestioned. Everyone in baseball is talking about the Jays again.

The real story is this: Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopolous pulled the trigger on a deal that makes his team instant contenders. Their projected lineup may turn out to be one of the most prolific offences in baseball—the type that can carry a team to a division title, even with an average pitching staff.

Lucky for Jays fans, their hurlers should also be well above average. The top four starters in the rotation will be the aforementioned Johnson and Buehrle, along with Ricky Romero, and Brandon Morrow. Again, there is some risk and injury history here, but the upside is exciting.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the deal is how the new players will adapt to the AL East division—generally known as the toughest in the league. But for the first time in a decade, the division looks vulnerable and the Blue Jays have a chance to seize the opportunity. The Boston Red Sox are rebuilding, the New York Yankees are getting old, and the Baltimore Orioles will regress after their surprising playoff appearance this past season. That means that the Tampa Bay Rays may be Toronto’s toughest competition, and even they are set to lose B.J. Upton while dangling half their pitching rotation as trade bait.

There are many moves still to be made this offseason, and in two weeks, another team in this division could become the instant favourite—especially if the Yankees sign Josh Hamilton. But as we stand today, the Toronto Blue Jays have the most well-rounded roster in the division. Their lineup is deep and powerful, their pitching staff is ripe with potential, and they have one of the best general managers in the league.

Toronto is buzzing about its team and with good reason. The Jays are back, and soon to be AL East champions.

— Trevor Drummond

Blue Jays will not win the AL East

For much of the past decade, the MLB landscape has been dominated by one division—the American League (AL) East. Despite fielding some quality teams that have posted winning records, the Toronto Blue Jays remain the only team from the division not to have made the playoffs in the last 10 years. However, this offseason has the culmination of GM Alex Anthopolous’ plan to launch the Jays to the forefront of the World Series discussion.  Earlier this month, Anthopolous pounced on the Miami Marlins fire sale and completed a mega trade that netted the Jays Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, and Emilio Bonifacio. The Jays also signed Melky Cabrera, capping off a string of bold moves that brought an influx of talent to Toronto and excitement to Canada. Although the new-look Jays finally have the talent to reach the top of the AL East, their quest will ultimately be thwarted by one of the division’s powerhouses.

Reyes, the biggest name in the trade, is an injury-prone player. He relies on his speed to turn himself into an excellent hitter and fielder, which will not bode well for the future as he gets older. If Reyes manages to stay healthy, one needs to only look at Carl Crawford—a similarly built player—to envision what kind of regression may lie in Reyes’ future.

Cabrera has spent the majority of his career being a league average hitter and fielder, while exhibiting little power or speed. His two most productive seasons have come under the influence of steroids, eliciting doubts as to whether Cabrera can produce post performance enhancing drug use.

The most consistent of the new additions, Mark Buehrle, should continue pitching at an All-Star level, but is also the oldest at 33 years old.

Finally, recently re-hired manager, John Gibbons, is simply not the right person to lead this roster. Gibbons’ track record inspires little confidence in his abilities as a manager, possessing a lifetime .500 record. Also, his career is littered with controversies surrounding his handling of veteran players. Sound familiar? It’s the same kind of mishandling of veterans that caused former Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine to lose his job after guiding a similarly star-studded squad to a 69-93 finish.

The AL East produced the American League’s wildcard winner, nine out of the past 10 years, and also sent a team to the World Series in five of those years. In essence, what this debate boils down to, is whether or not I have faith in Toronto over the tough field of teams in the AL East. When the Jays’ roster is filled with question marks and the division is as deep as it is talented, I’m inclined to go with the field. Jays’ fans will have to wait for yet another year.

—Mayaz Alam

Winner: Blue Jays will win the AL East

Despite the injury risk of some of the acquisitions, the Jays will take advantage of the weakened AL East to climb to the top of the divison. Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle will immensely improve the team’s rotation, while Jose Reyes will provide the Jays’ with a top-of-the-order stud.

a, Sports

Sports Briefs

by Steven Lampert on

More in a:

Basketball — Redmen 69, Concordia 68: Redmen defeat Stingers in dramatic finish, Dufort records 25 pts., 14 reb. in win

The McGill Redmen passed their first true test of the season on Saturday afternoon by defeating the Concordia Stingers 69-68, on the road to improve to 3-0 on the season. Again, Vincent Dufort was huge for the Redmen. He scored a game-high 25 points on 12-18 shooting, and grabbed 14 rebounds in 34 minutes played. McGill built a six point lead heading into halftime, but struggled in the third quarter with too many turnovers. Concordia capitalized and outscored the Redmen 24-11 in the quarter. McGill rallied after being down nine points, with seven minutes left to play to take a four-point lead. Concordia drained a three-pointer with just less than five seconds to go, but it wasn’t enough as the Redmen walked away with the one-point victory. McGill extended its winning streak to 11 games dating back to the preseason, and opens its home schedule against Bishop’s on Nov. 29

Hockey — Martlets 7, Carleton 1: Martlets extend unbeaten streak to 10, Clement-Heydra tallies six points in rout

The No.1-ranked McGill Martlets routed the Carleton Ravens on Saturday night 7-1, to extend their undefeated streak to 10 games. Despite playing without leading scorer Leslie Oles, the rest of the Martlet roster stepped up in a big way. Katia Clement-Heydra scored a hat-trick, and added three assists, while second-year teammate Mélodie Daoust recorded five points, including two goals. With the five-point outburst, Daoust takes over the top of the CIS national scoring lead with 31 points in just 10 games. Although the Martlets weren’t sharp in the first period, they still managed to build a two-goal lead. Carleton opened the second frame with their only tally on the night, but McGill responded with three straight to close the period. Clement-Heydra scored two of her three markers in the third period to seal the game. Martlet goaltender Andrea Weckman was solid in net, stopping 14 of the 15 shots she faced. McGill returns home for a rematch against Carleton at McConnell Arena on Nov. 30.

Basketball — Concordia 72, Martlets 63: Slow start plagues Martlets

A career-high 25 points from first-year guard Marie-Pier Bastrash was not enough, as the McGill Martlets fell to the Concordia Stingers 72-63 on Saturday. Concordia was on fire right out of the gate and built a quick 15-0 lead. The Martlets calmed the pace and ended up narrowing the Stingers’ lead to just three points by the end of the first half. McGill went on a 12-1 scoring run in the last four minutes of the third to take a 52-50 lead heading into the final quarter. However, echoing their poor start, the Martlets came out flat in the fourth and never recovered. Martlet centre Anneth Him-Lazarenko had another solid outing by registering 17 points and collecting eight boards in 32 minutes. The Martlets got virtually nothing from Mariam Sylla and Dianna Ros—the latter coming off an ankle injury. The Martlets will hit the court against Bishop’s for their home opener on Nov. 29.

Plante and Hébert rise for the block against Memorial. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)
a, Sports

Martlets reduce errors, roll against AUS opponents

by Jeff Downey on

More in a:

Love Competition Hall was packed with women’s volleyball action all weekend. Starting Friday, McGill hosted the second round of AUS Interlock play, a bi-seasonal tournament which pits RSEQ teams against four of the eight members of the AUS division.

Earlier this season, McGill travelled east to take on the first batch of Atlantic teams, and left with a 3-1 record. The Martlets matched their last result and finished interleague play for the year with a strong 6-2 record.

On Friday night, the Martlets easily handled the Memorial Seahawks. Though under-sized against Quebec teams, McGill switched roles on Friday, using their height advantage to roll over Memorial, 3-0. The first set was competitive, and the Martlets overcame two deficits to take the set 25-22. Third-year captain Geneviève Plante and fifth-year setter Marcela Mansure were instrumental in the match and connected 12 times in the game. The second and third sets were merely filler, as McGill’s cohesive and relaxed play made for an easy victory.

Next up, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds couldn’t do much to stop the Martlet machine on Saturday afternoon. In a match that took just over an hour to complete, McGill exploited the slower UNB middles, en route to another decisive straight set victory, 25-19, 25-17, and 25-16. Virginie Hébert, a third-year middle, stood out this time around, contributing eight kills, three aces, and three blocks in the effort.

In the evening affair, the Martlets highlighted the offensive prowess of their two starting power hitters. Rookie sensation Catherine Amyot flew to 15 kills on 37 attempts, while Plante added another 14 on her own 37 attempts. They helped pave the way to a four set victory over Cape Breton.

Offence has traditionally come naturally to McGill. What made the difference this weekend was the Martlets’ discipline. While the team committed 18 service errors just a week ago against Laval, the Martlets only gave up 19 total over the first three games of the tournament.

“We were really strong this weekend; we fought way more than we had fought in previous weeks. The difference was that we played together, stopped worrying about the score, and passed and served much better,” Hébert said. “[This had] a huge impact on our offensive and defensive transitions, which gave us much more momentum.”

McGill’s final match took place on Sunday against the Moncton Blue Eagles, and it was the only blemish on an otherwise excellent weekend for the Martlets. Looking slightly overwhelmed by Moncton’s intensity, McGill had no answer to their opponent’s scrappy attitude. Despite strong performances from third-year right side Marie-Christine Lapointe and newcomer Ashley Norfleet, the Martlets lost their only match of the weekend in three sets. Head Coach Rachelle Beliveau, honoured recently for coaching her 900th career match, added her thoughts on the loss, and the weekend as a whole.

“Moncton is a team that fights really, really hard, and does the basics well. At the start, we were doing very well, leading by five or six points. We let it go just a little bit and Moncton will always take advantage of it,” Beliveau said. “It’s disappointing because we wanted to finish on a good note. It’s the last game of the semester and we wanted a good ending … but [overall] the weekend was great, and we played very well.”

McGill heads into the break with a mediocre 7-7 record. Marred by inconsistent play against tough RSEQ competition, the Martlets find themselves last in the league. But, the team has found bright spots in some young players, and still has plenty of games left to right the ship.

“The RSEQ is a strong league … we are competing in the toughest league and gaining maturity,” Beliveau said. “We know what the calibre is now … so we’ll be starting again around Christmas time.”

1 … 1,062 1,063 1,064 1,065 1,066 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue