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Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Toronto International Film Festival 2016 Roundup

by Natasha Michaeloff on

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After months of waiting, it’s finally here—the holiest of weeks for Canadian film buffs—the Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF, as it’s colloquially known). From September 8th to the 18th, Toronto is transformed into a mecca for moviegoers and celebrity sightings. Out of the many films premiering, here is a breakdown of the four that have generated the most buzz this festival season.

 

Free Fire

Director: Ben Wheatley

Cast: Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, and Sam Riley

A loud, rollicking ride from start to finish, Free Fire opens with a seemingly uneventful business transaction between two criminal groups and quickly devolves into chaos  when two members from the opposing parties have a violent disagreement. Brie Larson’s role is effectively reduced to the token “hot girl” in the boys’ club—her sex appeal leads to squabbles between some of the male characters. However, Armie Hammer’s understated comedic ability shines through, alongside other more clownish standouts Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Sam Riley (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). The rapid-fire dialogue, pop culture references (hello, John Denver), and scenes of bloody mayhem echo Quentin Tarantino and will surely be a treat for anyone who’s a fan of his works.

 

Before the Flood

Director: Fisher Stevens 

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio

From producers Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio, the latter of whom acts as narrator, this documentary on climate change is 2006s An Inconvenient Truth, and offers virtually no new information for those who have seen its predecessor. Taking on the role of eager-to-learn student, DiCaprio interviews Pope Francis, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and US President Barack Obama, as well as figures in the scientific community and oil industry. He travels as far as China, Indonesia, and the North Pole to see firsthand how human activity has affected different ecosystems across the globe. It’s hard not to laugh when he solemnly compares the appearance of the Alberta oil sands to Mordor from Lord of the Rings and as he continually asks his guests dumbed-down questions. However, if DiCaprio’s star power can draw in larger audiences of those who are uninformed or unconvinced about the existence of global warming, that can only be a good thing.

 

American Pastoral

Director: Ewan McGregor

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Rupert Evans, and Uzo Aduba

The most disappointing of the four films reviewed here, American Pastoral is an adaptation of Philip Roth’s 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Seymour “Swede” Levov and the destructive impact of sociopolitical movements on his idyllic upper middle-class, suburban family life. In his directorial debut, Ewan McGregor tries too hard to touch on everything the book had more time to explore. In doing so, the film leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. As an actor, he does an adequate job of physically embodying Swede, but demonstrates no real depth of character. Both Jennifer Connelly (Reqiuem for a Dream) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) are underused as the Swede’s beauty queen wife and one of his top employees, respectively. Although Dakota Fanning delivers a promising performance as Swede’s troubled daughter Merry, the movie’s shaky tone and uneven, uninspired storytelling prove to be its downfall. 

Snowden

Director: Oliver Stone

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, and Nicolas Cage

As the title suggests, Snowden is a biographical account of the events surrounding the June 2013 leak of classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA), courtesy of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the socially withdrawn Snowden—though his accent is a bit overkill. Director Oliver Stone adeptly provides ample reasoning for why Snowden willfully committed what the US Government determined was an act of treason. Shailene Woodley plays Snowden’s girlfriend Lindsay in an unremarkable turn for the actress. Rounding out the supporting cast are Rhys Ifans and Nicolas Cage, both in great form as two government officials on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. A riveting piece of political commentary that is ever more relevant in light of the upcoming American presidential election. Keep an eye out for this one at the Oscars.

Out on the Town, Student Life

Crew Collective & Cafe makes space for brews and brainstorming

by Ellie Solloway on

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One would think the expansive, ornate lobby of what was formerly the Royal Bank of Canada headquarters lobby would not make a great place for an experiment. Its church-like echo lends itself to hushed exchanges rather than bold and uninhibited conversation. Its dark corners and maze-like passageways are better imagined collecting dust than housing a small team of start-up innovators. And yet, it’s the perfect setting for Crew Collective & Cafe, which is proving to be quite the experimental undertaking.

Founded as a start-up in 2012, Crew Collective & Cafe matches interested businesses and agencies with freelance creative professionals, of which they’ve established a vast network. In 2014, CEO Mikael Cho decided to reify their successful online business by bringing it into a physical space that acts doubly as a cafe. As the happy brainchild of Crew Co., the company has positioned itself on the front line of the “greatest economic movement since the Industrial Revolution,” or so boasts their website.

“The idea was to make a space as multipurpose as possible while celebrating its history,” Sophie Silkes,  head of Partnerships and Events for Crew,  said. “The idea behind using this space was to create an adaptive reuse project and to help open it up to the public so that they are able to celebrate the space, which is really such an architectural marvel.”

Crew’s versatile space consists of two areas for work: The cafe space, which is set up for individuals to walk in and work, and the collective space, which is only for members. The latter houses rows of large desks with giant MacBooks, clear and sleek meeting rooms, and long grey couches. Members of the collective pay a fee for unlimited monthly access to the space, marked off by only a transparent glass divider. The collective space creates a unique yet productive environment in which freelancers and small businesses meet and operate.

“[Crew’s space] is really accessible to people that don’t see themselves fitting into the traditional office environment,” Silkes said. “We get a lot of people that work in tech space, a lot of independent artists [….] I think a totally diverse set of industries represent themselves really nicely here.”

The Crew business model may be a reactive adaptation to the changing workforce, but Silkes would be the first to tell you that it’s still very much an experiment. A necessary side effect of innovative projects like this is that they involve substantial trial and error; they must gather data on what works and what doesn’t. Silkes says Montreal is the perfect laboratory in which to experiment.

“The cost of living [in Montreal] is pretty low. It’s the kind of city that is driven by the creative people that live here,” Silkes explained. “Because the city can be easier to live in, I think it’s easier to try something out that would potentially be impossible in any other North American city.”

Crew Cafe & Collective serves coffee and meals for solo studiers and budding start-up founders. (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune)
Crew Cafe & Collective serves coffee and meals for solo studiers and budding start-up founders. (Lauren Benson-Armer / McGill Tribune)

Nearly five months after its inauguration this past May, the experiment could certainly be considered a rousing success. According to Silke, the Montreal community has been very receptive to both the collective and the coffee at Crew. The cafe attracts students from nearby universities, professionals looking for a place to host a meeting, and tourists from nearby Place d’Armes metro station looking for a quick stopover.

Crew is beautifully architectured, and the space flows effortlessly. The details added to the former bank backdrop were included to accentuate what already existed. Relics of old deposit boxes are left on the walls, and darkening bronze contrasts with sturdy marble. Silkes clarifies that the contrasts present in the space are intentional, a product of the company’s vigorous architectural process.

No venture is complete without a mission—a definitive reason behind the hours and labour put into the project. Yet, Silkes was coy when asked if Crew had a mission statement in mind.

“I think we are kind of anti-mission statement here,” Silkes laughed. “We are more of a walk-the-walk, talk-the-talk type of company.”

It looks like the company is looking to let their successes speak for themselves, which is no easy feat. However, with Crew’s unique business model, impressively tasty food, and Instagram-worthy space, this innovative venture is set to last.

Off the Board, Opinion

Where are you from? In defence of seeing race

by April Barrett on

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“Where are you from?” is a loaded question. At McGill, depending on who is asking and who is being asked, the meaning of ‘where are you from?’ can range from an ambivalent, ‘where did you grow up?’ to a watered down, ‘why aren’t you white?’ As a person of colour myself, ‘where are you from?’ is at best confusing and at worst a red flag. The question, even in its amended form—where are you from originally?—has the potential to alienate and undermine a person’s place in Canada. Many people of colour, second-generation immigrants in particular, retort quickly with an indignant “I’m from Toronto! Where are you from?” causing both asker and asked to leave the interaction with a sour feeling. This is a misunderstanding that can be avoided.

Cultural and ethnic origins don’t have to be sensitive or private information. While racial identity—especially that which is visibly apparent—can be difficult to navigate in a majority white environment like McGill, the question ‘where are you from?’ has the potential to encourage understanding rather than deepening divides. By recognizing difference and talking about it, instead of striving to melt identities down in a pot, belonging becomes a very real possibility.

A university is an international meeting ground; it’s an exciting and constant reminder of the diversity in the world. Approaching the question, ‘where are you from?’ from the understanding that everybody has a complex and multifaceted background—or, in other words, nobody really belongs—is a good way to start. Once this is acknowledged, no one fits into a diverse social setting like McGill more than anyone else. Highlighting differences rather than only similarities is a reminder that there is no mold in which to fit.

There is often an affinity between people who know what it is to walk into a classroom and scan it for anyone else who sticks out as much as they do. When two people of colour ask each other the question, ‘where are you from originally?’ they mean to explore: Where are you from that isn’t here, and how did we both get here? This isn’t to say that people of colour can only be comfortable discussing their background with other non-white people—a conversation about origins between two people of colour can become defensive as well. It is to say that the reception of the question depends a lot on the intention of the asker: ‘Where are you from?’ must not be asked because the asker is fixated on the difference. The asker must approach with the intention of comparing and contrasting the answer to their own culture with a genuine interest in getting to know how the person’s background affects their experience.

It is better to see colour and it is okay to ask someone where they’re from. But the question has to be employed with sensitivity, and it must not be the first or only question asked. In my experience, being open about my religious, ethnic, and cultural background has always added dimension to the way others view me and helped me to have open conversations about race and identity; it doesn’t necessarily lead to immediate pigeonholing or stereotyping. While one identifying label can never fully encompass a person, it can add nuance to a personality made up of many intersecting identities.

Martlets, Men's Varsity, Private, Sports

McGill Martlets in first, Redmen in second at McGill Open cross country meet

by Nicholas Jasinski on

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The McGill Redmen and Martlet cross country teams began their seasons last Saturday morning at the 2016 McGill Open. 550 runners total representing 24 men’s and women’s teams from universities and CEGEPs across Quebec competed on the Mount Royal course. McGill’s François Jarry and Mélanie Myrand both took home gold in the men’s six-kilometer and women’s four-kilometer races, respectively. Their contributions were enough to lead the Martlets and Redmen to first- and second-place finishes, continuing McGill’s dominance on their home course in recent years.

Last season’s RSEQ Athlete of the Year Myrand won the race in 14 minutes, 24.8 seconds, finishing a whole 22 seconds ahead of the second place runner. The nursing graduate student and Lachine, Quebec native was followed by Martlets Charlotte Jacquemin in fourth place, rookie Sofia Butseva in seventh, Elizabeth Hirsch in 18th, and Ashni Bhoolaton in 20th place to round out McGill’s scorers for a total of 50 points. The Laval Rouge et Or’s 75 points earned them second place while the University of Montreal came in third with 94 points.

“I thought our women represented very well, the ones that were able to run,” Head Coach Dennis Barrett said. “Mel was way ahead of the field and that was very nice to see. We had a big surprise with Charlotte […] who came to the team only recently [….] She performed very well on Saturday.”

The Martlets’ victory was even more impressive considering a number of runners—including captain Georgia Hamilton—were sidelined with injuries and unable to race.

“The problem with cross country [is that] if you get hurt during the season you don’t get much time to recover,” Barrett said. “Hopefully we can get these girls back in fairly good shape before the conference championships [at the end of Oct.] That’s our goal going forward.”

Laval was entirely dominant in the men’s race with all five of their scoring runners finishing in the top seven for only 23 points. McGill scored a second-place 97 points with Redmen runners coming in first, 11th, 23rd, 24th, and 38th. Jarry, a fourth-year physical and health education student won the race in 19:05, just 15 seconds short of the course record. English-major Santiago Bessai–who came in first at the same meet as a rookie last season but was battling an illness on Saturday–finished 11th in 19:53.

“On the men’s side Laval is quite strong, ” Barrett said. “[…] But two of our best runners were out and Santiago was sick and probably should not have raced but he did. [Redmen captain] Ben Forestell was out [because] he was sick. Jeremy [Briand, 2015 CIS rookie of the year,] is coming off a stress fracture to the hip and he’s not ready to race yet.”

Coach Barrett and his teams are eager to compete this year and boast increased depth compared to previous seasons, making a RSEQ conference title entirely attainable.

“[For the Martlets,] the goal is to try to reclaim the conference championships.” Barrett said. “I think we have the girls there to try and get the banner back [….] Then we’ll take the team to the CIS championships and see what we can do there.”

Laval presents a difficult opponent for the Redmen but at full strength the team hopes to be able to give them a run for their money.

“[At the conference championships] our goal is to run the best that we can and break up that Laval dominance.” Barrett said. “Hopefully with Ben and Jeremy [back from their injuries] we can do some damage.”

McGill's next meet is on Sept. 24 at Sherbrooke University.

Stat Corner

The Redmen and Martlets switched podium positions from last year’s McGill Open, when the Redmen dominated the race for a first place team finish and the Martlets came in a close second place.

Moment of the Race

McGill’s François Jarry managed to out-kick a pair of Laval runners at the end of the men’s race to claim gold with a time of 19:05, just ahead of the Laval runners’ identical 19:07 times.

Quotable

“The start was rough since there were so many runners,” said François Jarry, winner of the men’s race. “There was a lot of pushing and I almost tripped. However, I managed to move up to the head of the pack and lead the race. During the final lap, two Laval runners passed me [but I knew when to start my] final acceleration since we practice on the course often. I initiated the final push on the big hill and they were never able to catch me back.”

 
Features

Under your skin

by Albert Park on

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A registered organ donor can save up to eight lives and drastically improve the lives of over 75 people. This statistic—while impressive—does not tell the entire story. It does not reveal the number of hours that a kidney recipient would be able to spend at home with their family instead of on a hospital bed. It cannot measure the amount of happiness that a parent might feel in seeing their child, who has just received new lungs, run for the first time. It cannot illuminate the sense of hope and gratitude that one might experience in holding their partner’s hand after undergoing a successful heart transplant operation. Indeed, it is overwhelming to consider the full implications behind these numbers. I remember the day when I first heard this statistic; I was in grade ten. I had excitedly stepped into my favourite class in high school—science. Immediately, I noticed the serious expression on my teacher’s face, a countenance that was hard to spot on someone with the reputation of being the most laid back teacher in my school. I recall word for word what he said to the class before his lesson that day. “We learn a lot of important things in this class: Optics, cells, chemical reactions, the periodic table. These are all very important topics, yes,” he said. “But, I can guarantee that no other piece of information you receive from this class will have a greater impact on your life and society than what you are about to learn in the next few days.” What followed was a series of lessons about organ donation. It was the first time I was formally educated on the topic. Naturally, we covered some of the science behind it, but my teacher made great effort to emphasize the need for awareness about organ donations. He showed us documentaries, wrote down statistics, and engaged us in conversation about the lives of the people on the waiting list for organs in Canada. Since then, I’ve tried my best to stay up to date on news about organ donations. Some facts are reassuring; for example, organ transplantation rates have risen by 23 per cent over the last decade in Canada. Yet, this figure cannot change the reality that in 2014, there were 4,573 Canadians on the waiting list for an organ donation. Out of that group, 300 people died while waiting for an organ that year. The struggle to meet transplant demands in Canada can be accounted for by the insufficient rate of successful organ donations in the country. Quebec is relatively successful when it comes to facilitating organ donation. The province had the highest deceased organ donor conversion rate in Canada in 2014, with 21 per cent of eligible deceased patients donating their organs However, according to Transplant Quebec, barely one per cent of all patients that pass away in the hospital end up donating organs. In 2013, about 15 people out of a million Canadians ultimately became organ donors, which was significantly lower than countries such as the United States, where approximately 26 people out of a million became donors. Experts in medicine and the humanities has expended significant effort to identify the factors behind Canada’s low organ donation rate. According to Matthew Dankner, an MD-PhD student at McGill, and a member of the McGill Students for Organ Donation Awareness (MSODA) group, there are two primary contributing factors to the issue. “Our group has identified two main reasons [for the low number of organ donations in Canada],” he explained. “Most people aren’t [registered] organ donors, they don’t know about it, [or] they don’t sign the card [….] But what we’ve come to realize over our three years [running MSODA], is that what is arguably even a bigger issue is that health professionals are not adequately trained in [organ transplantation].” Dankner’s first point about the lack of awareness and preparedness regarding organ donation is an issue that everyday Canadians can do more to alleviate. For Dankner, the decision to become a donor came naturally. Therefore, he believes that awareness is the most effective way to increase organ donation rates.

Ask Ainsley, Student Life

Ask Ainsley: How do I network with my professors?

by Ainsley on

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Dear Ainsley,

I’m going into my third-year in September, and even though it’s far away, the thought of graduate school is already weighing heavily on my mind. I’m fairly certain my GPA will be good enough to get into the schools I want to apply to, but I feel like I don’t have good relationships with my teachers. I’ve been told so many times that to get into grad school you need at least a couple good recommendation letters from your professors, but so far I have none. How do I go about developing a strong relationship with a professor so I can land a good recommendation letter?

Sincerely,

Restless about Rec Letters (RARL)

Dear RARL,

Good for you for already thinking about life post-undergrad. It’s easy to get caught up in life at McGill, and to forget that once we’re finished with these four short years—or in some cases, three—we’re left to fend for ourselves. Connections are crucial to getting ahead in the job market and in the race to graduate school; scoring a good recommendation letter will undoubtedly give you a leg up in both. The first step to doing so is to make connections with your professors.

On the one hand, we are privileged to attend a large research university. McGill has hundreds of school clubs, some of the best professors in North America, and endless opportunities to explore different career paths. On the other hand, many of us face the ‘small fish in a big ocean’ problem. It’s hard to set yourself apart from others when there are thousands of other hardworking, intelligent students potentially vying for the same spot and attention as you. It doesn’t help that in many programs, classes can have up to 600 students enrolled. You’re easily forgotten in a lecture hall if you don’t do your best to make an impression.

If you’re in the Faculty of Arts, consider looking for classes or seminars that are smaller, or try doing a one-on-one independent study with a professor. Once you get to your upper years, classes typically have a better professor to student ratio, allowing most of the networking to get done on its own. If taking smaller classes isn’t possible for your program, do your best to speak up in class. By continuing to do this, your professor may start to recognize you and immediately look to you for any discussion questions they may have. This is also made easier if you sit in the front of the lecture hall. Also, in my opinion, it’s a lot less daunting to answer or ask a question in class if you can’t see the other students sitting in front of you.

Another way to stand out in the eyes of your professors for large lectures is to stay after class to ask questions, taking the time to introduce yourself to the professor, and showing interest in the course material will really set you apart from other students. If you can’t think of anything to ask teachers after class, or are in a rush to get to your next class, office hours are another great opportunity to get to know your professor. Taking the time to show up can really show your professor how much the class means to you. Try coming up with some questions from your readings beforehand so you have something to talk to them about—the more specific the question, the better, as it shows the depth at which you have been studying the material.    

If you have some extra time on your hands, consider running for your faculty or departmental student association. Student association members often work closely with professors to organize research panels and networking events, which is a great way to get on a first-name basis with a professor. If you’re already tied up with extracurricular activities, do your best to attend as many events as possible, and consider staying afterwards to talk to professors about their research. In any given week, there should normally be at least a couple relating to your field of study.

Even though we have a seemingly long time at McGill, the years go by quickly. Balancing class workload, extracurricular activities, and social life often takes precedence over planning for the future. Do your best to get your foot in the door with your professors early, and you’ll thank yourself come graduation.

Best of luck,

Ainsley

Football, Sports

Football: Redmen crush Bishop’s to earn winning record

by Patrick Beacham on

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A packed Molson Stadium roared as the McGill Redmen (2-1) took the field against the Bishop’s Gaiters (0-3) on Friday Sept 16. The fervor of the spectators was matched only by the intensity of the gameplay, which ended in a decisive 43-to-9 victory for the Redmen.

The victory comes unexpectedly in the new season given McGill’s lack of early-season success over the past few years. The Redmen have now defined the start to this season with a winning 2-1 record.

“It’s a big win, we’re really happy as a team,” running back Anthony Deschamps said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do [still], but we improve every week and it’s game by game, so we’re ready.” 

The stands were covered in McGill colours Friday night as the “McGill RezWarz RezFest II Football Game” event brought many first year students to the stadium.

“Having a big crowd is a very big advantage for us,” Head Coach Ronald Hilaire said. “It’s good for us to have that, but we’ve gotta keep it growing, and winning is gonna help that.”

A strong defensive game was cited as a crucial factor in Friday’s win, with the Gaiters only getting one touchdown by McGill’s defensive line.

“We’ve got to clean up some things on our alignment, but we’re pretty good [defensively],” Hilaire explained. “We’re aggressive, we tackle well, we’ve got a young group there, but a very hungry group.” 

Strong defensive tactics, including multiple sacks and interceptions by the Redmen, kept Bishop’s yardage to a minimum. Mistakes on offense, however, led to multiple turnovers throughout the game. Despite the turnovers, the Redmen held a solid 19-2 lead at halftime.

“It was tough to run the ball because they were giving us a lot of different fronts,” Wide Receiver Coach Ryne Bondy said. “Our passing game was there early, but then we were kind of missing some throws, overthrowing our receivers and missing some reads on the quarterback position.” 

With both quarterbacks only in their first and second years of eligibility, the Redmen are still relatively young and inexperienced. In fact, this year’s team currently consists of 44 freshmen, accounting for about half of the entire roster.

“We had 10 to 18 [freshmen] on the roster [for Friday’s game],” Hilaire said. “Everyone got a chance to play, so it was a good night for everyone.”

The next game will be at home against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2:00 p.m. A close game is to be expected, as the last matchup between McGill and Sherbrooke ended in a narrow 19-18 victory for the Redmen. McGill is focused on reducing turnover frequency in this game. 

“I think we turned the ball over eight or nine times [last time against Sherbrooke],” Bondy said. “I mean, we had about 250 more total yards of offense that game, so as long as we don’t turn the ball over, we’ll be in good shape.”

Quotable

“We invited our residences out to the game, but we’d like to see a few more of those first-years […] to show them that McGill football’s back on the map.”—Wide Receiver Coach Ryne Bondy on the game’s high RezFest attendance.

Stat Corner

Redmen Football is 2-1 to start the season for the first time in a decade.

Moment of the Game
A third down punt by the Gaiters was blocked by a Redmen player’s helmet, sent the kick towards the sideline, which was then picked up by receiver Louis Brouillette, who ran it in 17 yards for the final touchdown.

Men's Varsity, Sports

Redmen Lacrosse Season Preview : New season, new faces, same challenges

by Zikomo Smith on

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The McGill Redmen Lacrosse team, reigning CUFLA champions, is rebuilding; Last season’s championship winning team lost 14 players to graduation and consequently has added 15 new faces for the 2016-17 season. Coach Tim Murdoch and the rest of the coaching staff’s first challenge is to establish a good team culture.

“We are really taking things game by game,” Murdoch explained. “It would be presumptuous to make that statement [that we should win the title….] We would like to win the Eastern title and qualify for the playoffs. We certainly have the talent, it is a question of how quickly these young freshmen develop.”

There are a number of talented freshmen players new to the team, many coming from pedigreed high school programs. Players such as forward Liam MacDonald, and midfielders Jay Jiranek and Kieran McKay, are having immediate impacts. So far, the rookies have performed well, even beating the upperclassmen in one of the team scrimmages.

The CUFLA East is a tough division with Bishop’s, Queen’s, and Trent being McGill’s strongest competition. The Redmen will have to mesh quickly and perform consistently throughout the season in order to win the championship again.

“On any given day, if we are underperforming, we will lose to those teams,” Murdoch said.

Some of the 2015-16 season championship-winning standouts are returning: Spencer Bromley was McGill’s second highest scorer last year and William Waeshe was the CUFLA’s best goalie. 

Backing them up is the Redmen’s dedicated coaching staff, which consists of four volunteers.

“I would like to think that we are setting the bar higher than any other team with regards to the time commitment we put into recruiting and scouting,” Murdoch said. “Sean Steinwald is continuing in his role as head of our scouting [….] We have four volunteer coaches [.…] We also have [a goalie coach].”

Redmen Lacrosse, like a number of McGill varsity programs, has been very successful. Last year, they stormed the league and won comfortably in the playoffs. This excellence, in addition to McGill’s academic reputation, is why a some students choose McGill over NCAA programs. Murdoch is proud to point out that last year, a third of the lacrosse athletes were honours students.

Funding, however, is an issue for the Redmen Lacrosse team; playing fees and travel costs often fall on the players. Murdoch finds this to be one of his greatest challenges as coach.

“We are really challenged financially at the varsity level, to such an extent that our players have to pay very high team fees just to be on the team,” Murdoch said. “This has become somewhat of a distraction and a burden to me as the head coach.”

For example, at last year’s CUFLA finals in Lennoxville, the Redmen players had to pay for their own hotel rooms.

“McGill was able to only provide the cost of bus transportation, they did not pay for our hotel rooms at the national championship,” Murdoch said. “That is just wrong. How can you send your team to a national championship and not pay for a hotel [….It’s] awkward.”

Nonetheless, the McGill Redmen should have a successful 2016-17 season. They are 2-0 so far, handily beating the Nipissing Lakers (0-2-0) twice to start the season. The passion driving the program is still evident and is at the heart of its success. Despite the challenges, if the rookies step up, McGill Lacrosse will maintain its success this season.

Men's Varsity, Soccer, Sports

Soccer: Redmen refreshed by rookies

by Selwynne Hawkins on

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The McGill Redmen (2-0-0) soccer team is off to a roaring start, defeating the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 4-0 on Thursday night at Percival Molson stadium. With two wins in their first two games of the season, they are the only undefeated team in the RSEQ conference. Last season, the Redmen finished fifth with a 3-8-1 record. Their performances in the first two games this year, however, have made it clear that this is a very different group.

“We have a great recruiting class,” Head Coach Marc Mounicot said. “Since day one, it’s working well.”

With 13 rookies joining the Redmen for the 2016 season, half of the team is new to the McGill program. The athletes echoed Mounicot’s comments, speaking positively about the newest additions to the squad.

“[The rookies] brought in a great energy,” goalkeeper Bladen Allan remarked. “All of them fit in extremely well [.…There is a] great feeling all around.”

Many first year players have already made an impact in their short time with the team. This season, four of the team’s nine goals have come from players who are wearing McGill’s colours for the first time.

Freshman striker Mehdi Ibn-Brahim has scored 2 goals for the Redmen so far. Most recently, he beat the Sherbrooke goalkeeper in the 13th minute with a cheeky back-heel touch from just past the front post. McGill rounded out the scoreline with two goals from master’s student Valentin Radevich and one from first-year forward Raphael Tepe.

“It’s always a pleasure to win,” Ibn-Brahim said. “We [had] some great passes [and] good possession.”

The Redmen were equally impressive on defence. Veteran defenders Davide Salvoni and Justin Dragan were joined by first-year players Ramdane Tafer and Alexis Solis in Thursday’s starting lineup. They worked as a cohesive unit, and denied Sherbrooke any dangerous opportunities.

As the Redmen continue to fight for a playoff berth, it will be interesting to see how the young group handles the more experienced teams in the league. The Redmen hit the road next week, playing away games against first-ranked UQTR Patriotes and third-ranked Laval Rouge et Or. They will then return to home turf on Sept. 30 for a matchup against the reigning RSEQ champions, the UQAM Citadins.

Quotable:

“We have [the quality] to beat all of the teams. [Everyone] has to be careful when they come to McGill.” – Midfielder Valentin Radevich

Stat of the game:

Senior goalkeeper Bladen Allan made 7 saves to give McGill its first clean sheet of the season.

Moment of the game:

For his second goal of the game, Valentin Radevich caught the Sherbrooke goalie off his line with a shot from 35 yards out. 

 

A former version of this article published on Sept. 18, 2016 incorrectly spelled goalkeeper Bladen Allan’s name. The Tribune regrets this error. 

Arts & Entertainment

Ancient Future festival blends art and electronic music

by Noah Sutton & Evelyn Goessling on

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Most of Montreal’s partiers end their nights seeing the sun rise from St. Laurent or St. Catherine, but rarely over Old Port’s stoic buildings and stunning views of the Saint Lawrence river. From Sept. 9 through Sept. 11 Ancient Future, Montreal’s newest electronic music festival, brought thousands of Montreal’s techno heads to the Old Port for an immersive musical experience. The festival featured house and techno headliners and pioneers like Randomer and Kerri Chandler, as well as more accessible electronic acts like Or Room, XXYYXX, TOKiMONSTA, and Montreal-native RYAN Playground.

This was only Ancient Future’s second iteration, but the project’s organizers— a group of promoters known as La Bacchanale—are already a familiar name for Montreal’s techno fans. Known for their darkened warehouse parties, La Bacchanale has gained renown throughout Montreal as curators of unique musical experiences. Inspired by their time in Paris, La Bacchanale began as a one-off birthday party for one of the founders of Ancient Future.

“The party was supposed to be intimate in the first place,” Francis Corbeil-Savage, a press representative for the Ancient Future festival, said. “We ended up renting a loft on Papineau, booking several DJs from the local scene, and creating a trippy vibe bringing more than 150 people. The party got shut down at 1:30 a.m. but I remember everyone had lots of fun.” This off-the-cuff style is characteristic of La Bacchanale’s events, even in a fully-fledged festival like Ancient Future. While the scope of the parties grows, the organizers attempt to maintain the organic and almost improvisational spirit of its founding.

Montreal is a city well-acquainted with techno as the home of venues that are both world-renowned and local favorites, such as Stereo, Datcha, and Salon Daomé. When it began, La Bacchanale was not directly associated with this scene, and they hosted their events in pop-up locations and put a greater emphasis on atmosphere rather than a specific genre. However, the bookings of bigger names like Rodhad and Robert Hood quickly led to it’s association with techno.

The festival stands on a long and impassioned history of electronic music in Montreal, and artists and organizers alike work to reconcile the old and new scenes. Emmanuel Cote and Karl Chulo, the DJ duo behind Or Room, have been performing with La Bacchanale almost since its inception.

“Last year was way more underground,” Chulo said. “This year they tried to open the festival into a new dimension. They want to bring people more from outside Montreal to reach more people with different styles. And the fact that they are trying, they’re daring, to bring so many different kinds of artists together—it’s something very interesting.”

Ancient Future maintains the underground vibe of its first parties while translating and transforming it into a larger festival format. This year Ancient Future had two outdoor stages for evening sets, while a large warehouse-like space known as Hangar 16 hosted the festival’s larger after-hours party. On Sept. 9 Hanger 16 was filled with partiers, dutifully raving the night away. The space opened out onto the water on one side and was filled with ambient light, which captured the spirit of Montreal’s underground clubs. Saturday evening’s outdoor stages were sweet and fun: Streamers, food trucks, hammocks, and the word escape in large graphic letters were among the decorations more appealing to a larger and younger audience.

The lineup this year was stocked with techno and house heavyweights but included more accessible electronic acts who stray far from the techno and house ethos, which may come as a surprise to existing fans.

“Ancient Future and La Bacchanale are not intended to embody the same musical identity,” Corbeil-Savage said. “Ancient Future will aim for a more diverse spectrum, when La Bacchanale will stick to underground techno and house [….] This year, [Ancient Future] joined the more electronica and future beats scene mainly because we realized that there was a pool of great talents from Montreal.”

Chulo and Cote both expressed that diversity in the line ups often makes for an equally diverse and open audience.

“We are expecting people really open minded here,” Chulo said. “That’s what this festival is all about.” As a new festival, Ancient Future attracts a new audience. Chulo added, “It’s people ready to hear something totally different than what you can hear at Stereo, what you can hear at every different club, at Piknic [Electronik]. It’s artists that some people have never heard before!”

“We’re going to prove [to] Montreal that we’re artists who can provide something new in Montreal,” Cote added.

In harnessing Montreal’s incredible talent, creativity, and passion for electronic music, Ancient Future upholds a longstanding electronic music tradition while breathing new life into it.

 

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