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McGill Tribune / Sam Reynolds, Ryan Reisert
a, Sports

McGill Sports Previews

by Babcock, Downey, Lampert on

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Redmen Football

The Redmen football team has recently become a confounding disappointment for McGill Athletics and their fans. As a heavily bankrolled team, results akin to McGill’s hockey successes should rightfully be strived for and expected. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Both of the last two seasons have ended without a tally in the victory column. However, the recent showing of promise and offseason dedication by the squad leads to the belief that the overused expression “things will be better this year” might actually have substance this season.

McGill excitedly welcomes Clint Uttley to his first full season as head coach following the completion of his interim duties. His desire to increase practice drive and intensity can already be observed. Whether or not this will translate to on-field success remains a question, but the direction is undoubtedly encouraging. Stepping off the sidelines and onto the field, McGill must primarily battle the mental errors and egregious turnovers that have plagued them over the past few years. This will rest primarily in the hands of the starting quarterback, whose identity remains unclear. The opening day starter, untested second year Dallon Kuprowski showed promise, whilst substitute and former CIS Rookie of the Year Jonathon Collin struggled as he battles to complete a return from injury. Regardless of who ultimately gets the consistent nod, cool-headed leadership and reduced turnovers must become the top priorities.

The sole bright spot for the Redmen continues to rest in special teams as rookie kicker Sammy Rassy is as consistent as they come.

Unquestionably, McGill will not be a break-out threat this season. However, if solid growth as a unit and an improved mental game is witnessed, some greatly needed victories will come and help kick-start the sputtering program.

Marlet Soccer

The Martlet soccer team entered last season with high expectations, regarded as one of the best teams in the country. As the hosts of Nationals, they automatically qualified, and made it all the way to the CIS semifinal only to come up short in their final two matches. These setbacks left the squad with a hollow, fourth-place national finish. After such a disappointing result, the Martlets looked eager and more focused this summer. They played very well in early exhibition games and tournaments notably winning the annual Old Four Tournament in late August. Fourth-year midfielder Julia Bahen, likely the team’s most consistently strong player, will be called upon often to lead the squad. The finishing will be left to emerging third-year star forward Stephanie Avery, who has already had an impressive start to her campaign. Another potential offensive threat is McGill’s freshman midfielder Kristina Pearkes, who tallied two goals and an assist in a standout performance in an exhibition match against Windsor. She should lock down a starting spot and progress as the season develops. Barring the spot filled by Pearkes, most of the Martlets’ starting lineup returns, leaving them with an older and more experienced team. This camaraderie should translate into success. With this in mind, anything short of another CIS semifinal appearance will be viewed as a disappointment.

McGill Tribune / Sam Reynolds, Ryan Reisert
McGill Tribune / Sam Reynolds, Ryan Reisert

After an impressive fall 2011 regular season, the Redmen soccer team advanced to the RSEQ final, only to fall to University of Montreal. With this result, however, they still managed to qualify for nationals, eventually ending up fifth in the country. Once the season had passed, Head Coach David Simon stepped down from his position, leaving ex-Redmen goalkeeper Jose Valdes at the helm. Valdes looks to steer this team back to nationals, which may not be an easy task. Many of the leaders from last year’s squad have graduated, meaning that some of the returning players must step up. For starters, new team captain and fifth-year midfielder Jeremy Hurdle will be called upon on both ends of the pitch. Offensively, third-year forward Sebastian Munro, and exciting freshman Marc Palaci-Olgun will be relied upon as primary scorers, and should create chances frequently. The backend is led by dual-threat Alexis Pradle, who was arguably one of the team’s best defenders last season. He will lead the group in front of sophomore goalkeeper Charles Kelly. Kelly should benefit from last year’s CIS Championship experience and Valdes, being a former Redmen goalkeeper, will only help his development. The Redmen had decent exhibition results, but the RSEQ will be even more competitive. McGill lost to every division rival except Concordia at least once last season. This must change if they are to achieve RSEQ success.

Redmen Baseball

The McGill Redmen baseball team suffered from a national champions’ hangover last season, when they failed to return to the tournament. This year, however, the team appears re-energized following an offseason coaching change. Head Coach Ernie D’Alessandro stepped down from his position, ending his 16-year tenure with the Redmen. Leading the transition will be new bench boss Jason Starr. Starr, a former Redman himself, has been on the team’s coaching staff for the past seven seasons. He brings a new attitude to a Redmen team that looked complacent for much of last season. Training camp has been one of the most competitive in recent memory, and Starr is giving every player his chance to fight for playing time.

On the field, McGill welcomes eight new players to the roster, most notably, 2010 team MVP, Max Tierno, who missed the 2011 season on exchange. Aside from Tierno, look for veteran outfielders Chris Ames and Adam Gordon, as well as first baseman Casey Auerbach to lead the club throughout the year. The pitching staff is yet untested, and will likely determine how successful this Redmen edition becomes.

Looking forward, Carleton is hosting nationals this season, and thus receives an automatic berth in the tournament. This leaves only one qualifying spot in the Northern Division up for grabs. The Redmen’s toughest challenge for the berth will likely come from Concordia—the team that ended McGill’s 2011 campaign. However, the Redmen have had months to digest last season’s disappointment, and enter looking focused and hungry to return to their  championship form.

Photos by: Sam Reynolds and Ryan Reisert

a, Sports

Martlet Rugby: Rugby women down CIS Champs

by Steven Lampert on

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The McGill Martlet rugby team dominated their first preseason game, defeating the defending CIS champion Guelph Gryphons 89-0 on Sunday. The 89-point difference is the largest margin of victory for McGill since a 109-0 victory over Bishop’s last season. Brianna Miller led the way for the Martlets tallying 19 points in the match. Freshman Diana Foster had an impressive showing in her first game, adding 15 points on three tries. This game also proved to be a successful debut for new Head Coach John Lavery, who took over the duties in June. The team followed up their impressive performance on Monday with another overpowering performance, crushing St. Lawrence College 69-0. The Martlets head to Ottawa on Sept. 9 for their official season opener against Carleton.

— Steven Lampert

a, Sports

Redmen & Martlet Soccer: Footy teams start preseason play

by Jeff Downey on

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Both the Redmen and the Martlet soccer teams took to the field over Labour Day weekend in a pair of exhibition tournaments. The Martlets found themselves in Fredericton in the UNB Fall Classic. They left the event with a 7-0 romping against the hosts, and a 1-1 tie against the PEI Panthers. The weekend was highlighted by strong play on both sides of the ball, principally by striker Stephanie Avery who slotted a hat trick against UNB.

On the men’s side, Sherbrooke played host to the preseason action, and the Redmen emerged with a 1-1 record. They defeated UNB 4-0, primarily due to their strong defensive play. The 2-1 loss came at the hands of the St. FX X-Men in a thrilling, hard-fought match.

Both teams start the official campaign Sept.6 at Molson Stadium.

— Jeff Downey

a, Sports

Martlet Swimming: Two Silvers for Grand’Maison in London

by Adam Sadinsky on

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McGill’s own Valerie Grand’Maison took home two swimming silver medals this week at the Paralympic Games in London. Her first came on Sunday in the 50-metre freestyle. On Monday, she was looking to improve on her second place performance in Beijing 2008 in the 100-metre freestyle, but fell short—missing out on the gold by .51 seconds. Four years ago, Grand’Maison was Canada’s most decorated Paralympic swimmer, winning three gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. Just making it to London should be seen as a success for the McGill swimmer, as she dealt with a shoulder tear only a year and a half ago.

Grand’Maison is McGill’s only Paralympic athlete, joining 14 Olympians who competed earlier this summer in London. She is accompanied by Martlet swimming Head Coach Peter Carpenter, and will compete in two more events before returning back to Canada.

— Adam Sadisnky

 

a, Sports

Around The Water Cooler

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In case you were too busy looking after kids, getting coffee for your very prestigious boss, or … tanning, here’s what you missed this past summer in the world of sports:

EURO 2012 — The tournament started off amid accusations of racism by European Football Championship hosts, Poland and Ukraine, and ended the same way things usually have in soccer these days: with Spain lifting a trophy. Mario Balotelli was a breakout star for runner-up Italy while Christiano Ronaldo finally performed on the international stage (but inexplicably didn’t take a pentalty kick in Portugal’s semifinal match against Spain). International soccer fans now turn to qualifying for World Cup 2014 in Brazil where, if we had to wager, we’d put a couple of Euros (or maybe not …) on Spain.

OLYMPICS — Following the Euro Cup, the world turned its attention to London, as the Games of the XXX Olympiad welcomed athletes from 205 nations. Usain Bolt was clearly still eating his chicken nuggets as he defended both his 100 and 200-metre titles, becoming the first runner ever to accomplish the feat. Michael Phelps concluded his last Olympics in style, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 22 medals. Rosanngh MacLennan bounced to Canada’s only gold medal of the games in trampoline, while our women’s soccer team was unfairly bounced from the semifinal against the USA due to what many called questionable refereeing. The red and white finished with 18 medals, the same amount they earned in Beijing four years ago.

BASEBALL — The Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Rays, A’s, and Reds are all in playoff contention. The Angels, Red Sox, and Phillies are not. What? A surprising summer has led to the MLB standings being turned on their heads. Former Expos fans will finally see their old team make the playoffs (sorry, we had to), but the decision to shut down ace Stephen Strasburg before the team’s first playoff appearance in 31 years was probably made by the same person who built the Olympic Stadium. The Nats’ beltway rivals in Baltimore are also experiencing a renaissance, and are currently tied with the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Elsewhere in that division, Edwin Encarnacion seems to be playing on a team by himself in Toronto and the Boston Red Sox are completely imploding… again.

HOCKEY — It looks like the NHL is heading towards another lockout. Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr better figure this out soon, or poker might once again rise to television glory. Seriously though, if there’s no Canadiens hockey keeping people busy a couple of nights a week in Montreal, Montrealers might just take to the streets…

a, Sports

Redmen Football: Redmen drop season opener to Laval

by Steven Lampert on

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The McGill Redmen football team dropped their 2012 opener on Sunday 33-15 against No.2-ranked, and perennial RSEQ powerhouse, the Laval Rouge et Or. Head Coach Clint Uttley wasn’t too happy with the result. “We did not play well, we did not execute in the red-zone, [and] we had 10 penalties which is too much,” he said. McGill led throughout the entire first quarter, finishing it at 9-7, thanks to three field goals by freshman kicker Boris Bede, who eventually ended up 5-5 on field goal attempts in the game. Following the first quarter however, Laval took back control, exposing the middle of the Redmen defence and compiling 182 rushing yards on the day.  Freshman wide receiver Shaquille Johnson impressed, leading McGill with 85 all-purpose yards, which included six receptions for 57 yards. Junior linebacker Alexandre Bernard was a standout on the defensive side, tallying nine tackles in the loss. The Redmen return to Molson Stadium on Sept. 7 for their home opener against Sherbrooke.

— Steven Lampert

a, Student Life

Frosh: a senior (citizen’s) persective

by Elisa Muyl on

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Every year, McGill’s campus goes quiet as students flock home for the summer. The laws of physics that govern summertime seem to slow down time and campus becomes calm, almost quaint. It persists in this way for almost three months, unperturbed by the bustle of Downtown Montreal. But then—a strangely familiar call sounds. “McGill once, McGill twice….” rumbles from the depths of SSMU, through the Roddick gates, letting Montreal know: Frosh is upon us.

I have a lot of trepidation about this “Frosh.” Why do they need to chant so loudly? I’m skeptical about how many friendships will outlast this first week. They seem to be drinking a lot of alcohol. Where are their parents? Trying to cross campus is like negotiating an obstacle course during the zombie apocalypse, except the zombies are drunk and in search of pizza. What is the point of this anyway—how many of you will remember how to get around campus? Good, then can one of you help me to get around Ferrier? I’m confused.

Before Frosh, McGill was peaceful and quiet. I could read my books while I walked around campus without worrying about bumping into anyone. I had my pick of seats in the library. I could even do a few yoga moves in the SSMU lounge, to the occasional passing security guard’s amusement.

Overnight, this changed. I arrived one day to find that McGill was once again, a living, breathing, and drinking organism. Now, SSMU is occupied by girls in cut-offs, drinking from what look like sippy cups.  Wide-eyed freshmen have overtaken campus, walking behind excited parents wielding cameras, waiting in line at the Fido booth and eating all of the free ice cream.

I can’t imagine what this is doing to McGill’s reputation. Frankly, those shorts are too short for my taste. What, did your sleeves take the day off? I really don’t approve of all of this yelling and carrying on. When I was your age, I worked during the summer. I had a career to think about. You kids don’t know how lucky you have it: when I did Frosh we had to walk up three sets of stairs to get to 737.  Upstairs both ways!

Frosh makes me uncomfortable because it’s a reminder of how old I am. I know that in three years, this generation of freshman will look back with the same mixture of amusement, horror, and nostalgia I’m feeling now. Some will find Frosh to be just as ridiculous as I do; others will continue to love it and will partake in the madness again and again. All I can offer this chanting army of incoming Hype weekers and Four-Floors participants is this: you’ll understand when you’re older.

a, Science & Technology

Upcoming Fall 2012 Science Events

by Leigh Miller on

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If you could eat science and technology, fall at McGill would be one big free lunch. Here are some upcoming events on and off campus. Check out the Tribune website for more SciTech events throughout the year!

DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

Soup and Science — come for the soup, stay for the science

This wildly popular lunchtime lecture series brings students and professors together to discuss research. Each professor is given five minutes to present their research, then presenters and students discuss the research over free soup and sandwiches. This fall’s lectures will cover topics that range from ‘weakly electric fish’ to earthquake physics. It’s a great opportunity to get hired for lab work, to get inspired by cutting edge research, or simply to eat free food. Be sure to get there early as it fills up quickly. If you miss this session, there’s another in the winter.

September 10-14th at 11:30 a.m.
Redpath Museum
Free
See more at http://www.mcgill.ca/science/research/ours/soupscience 

Freaky Fridays — science fact meets science fiction

At Freaky Fridays, informal lectures are paired with popular movies. Examples of past ‘freakies’ include Climate Science and Geology — A Tale of Three Histories and The Day After Tomorrow, as well as Oxytocin Me Baby —The Truth About the So-Called Love Hormone and The Notebook. Get a beer at Gerts afterwards, and you’ve got yourself an awesome casual date. The first Freaky Friday will  be Monster Ants and Genetic Engineering and Super 8 on October 26th.

Friday afternoons at 5 p.m.
Redpath Museum
Free
See more at http://www.mcgill.ca/redpath/whatson/freakyfridays 

Sunday Afternoon Science Movies — add a little wonder to your weekend

Watch documentaries from NOVA, CBC, Science, Disneynature and similar networks on the big screen in the museum. This could make a nice study break come midterm season, or a decent hangover cure. This weekend’s documentary is Amazing Journeys, the story of six migrating species.

Sundays at 3 p.m.
Redpath Museum
Suggested student donation $2 (includes refreshments)

Redpath Museum Special Events —dinosaur bones by flashlight and much more

The Redpath Museum holds inexpensive or free events throughout the year including late night flashlight tours on Nuit Blanche. Upcoming free events include a presentation on First Nation culture (September 30th from 1-3 p.m.) and the Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium (October 13th from 1:30-7 p.m.). Dinosaur bones, mummies, and a geological garden can also be seen by daylight, during the museum’s regular hours. For more information visit the Redpath Museum website (www.mcgill.ca/redpath/).

Cutting Edge Lectures in Science 

McGill researchers lecture on their latest findings for the general public. The first lecture of the fall, In Search of the Source of Earthquakes, includes a chance to look at rocks formed during earthquakes.

September 13th at 6 p.m.
Redpath Museum
Free

Hack Ta Ville [Hack Your City]

SSMU is inviting you to hack the city of Montreal—for the greater good. Help write programs to improve various aspects of Montreal—transportation, urban planning, agriculture, sustainable development, land use, housing, parks, public spaces, and more. New hackers can take workshops to improve their skills. Cheap food and coffee will be on hand for hackers of every skill level.

September 8th from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
SSMU Ballroom
Free

5th McGill Conference on Global Food Security — “Food Prices and Political Instability”

During this two-day conference, speakers and participants from over 25 countries will deliver concrete ideas to improve global food security. Students can attend this high-level, international event for less than 15 per cent of the normal registration fee. Those who can’t make the conference can always attend the public lecture that kicks it off.

Public Lecture
October 16th at 5 p.m.
Moyse Hall
$10

Conference
October 17-18th
New Residence Hall
$55 for students (includes food and a networking cocktail party)

McGill Sustainability Fair 2012

The McGill Office of Sustainability is holding a fair that will answer questions like: where can I recycle my old electronics, how do I get money for a sustainable project, and what are those green lumps on McTavish Street. The question they’ll answer best: how can I get involved with making McGill more sustainable?

September 21st all day
Tent on Lower Field
Free

The Montreal Biodome (techeasy.com)
The Montreal Biodome (techeasy.com)

MACDONALD CAMPUS

Food for Thought Lecture Series — “Macdonald – Across the Oceans and Around the World”

This fall lecture series focuses on international research; many lectures will discuss health issues in developing countries. The first lecture starts close to home with Why Canada Could Be the Next Bioenergy Powerhouse. However, the international way in which biofuel technology is being developed upholds the theme of the series. Lectures run bi-monthly from September to November.

September 11th – November 20th from 7-8:30 p.m.
Raymond Building R2-045
Free

OUTSIDE THE MCGILL BUBBLE

Concordia Public Lectures 

Darwin’s Mad Dream: What Error and Invention Tell Us About How Science Works is one upcoming public lecture at Concordia.

October 11th at 8 p.m.
Oscar Peterson Concert Hall
Free

Montreal

The Biodome is celebrating its 20th birthday with free admission for anyone born in 1992. The Montreal Science Center is turning 10 this year. Although the center is designed for a younger crowd, cool and interactive exhibits never get old.

Biodome
Tuesday – Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $13.50 for students

Montreal Science Center
Thursday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday – Wednedsay from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
$11.50

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR…

The Trottier Symposium — Food: A Serving of Science

A lecture series put on by McGill in November.

Concordia President’s Conference Series, — Experiencing the Media Mix:  Anime, Manga, Video Games 

A lecture series and video game development conference that will end in a massive gaming event in February.

For more information, please visit our calendar of events at http://mcgilltribune.com/?page_id=14634.

a, Science & Technology

A guide to cell phone plans in Montreal

by Leigh Miller on

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Purchasing a cell phone plan in Montreal can be a complicated undertaking. Browsing through the many contracts offered by over half a dozen companies (some of which are actually the same company) is enough to make any student swear off phones and opt for email and Skype. Before resorting to drastic measures, use the following tools to start your research.

Cell phone providers in Canada are mostly owned by three big corporations: TELUS, Rogers, and Bell. TELUS owns Koodo; Rogers owns Fido and Chat-r; and Bell owns a stake in Virgin Mobile. These providers operate Canada-wide, which means that they might be better for Canadians from outside Montreal who want to keep their phones year-round.

Carriers with a more limited range can be good choices if you only plan to use your phone in Montreal. These providers include Quebec-based Videotron and Public Mobile. Public Mobile is only available in certain cities.

Most of these providers offer a variety of plans: prepaid, text-heavy, talk and data, along with other plans to fit any usage. Finding the right package is a matter of deciding what you need and pricing those needs for every provider.

This is a daunting task for a student in back-to-school mode. Luckily, there are third-party websites which compare plans side by side.

Two of these websites are www.comparecellular.com and www.cellphones.ca. Both sites compare providers for specific types of plans.

Choose the Montreal region and input attributes like unlimited texting, 200 anytime minutes, or price under $25 per month, and these sites provide a list of plans that meets your criteria.

Select plans to compare, and the site will generate a detailed report that shows you every attribute of the plan, whether it’s an hour longer for unlimited night and weekend talk, or more memory on your voice mail.

These sites also provide reviews of carriers, maps of coverage areas, as well as store locators. Since wireless providers are constantly changing their available plans, both sites update plan information frequently. It’s a good idea to check the provider website to ensure a desired plan is still offered.

Most providers also sell phones. Buying a phone with a contract may seem like a good deal, but the price of the phone is spread over the term of the contract in small monthly payments.

Alternative places to purchase phones include the McGill Classifieds (www.mcgill.ca/classified/phones) and Craigslist (http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/moa/).

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