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a, Baseball, Sports

Baseball returns to the ‘Big O’ for annual exhibition series

by Wyatt Fine-Gagné on

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Nobody cares about attendance during Spring Training—or at least, nobody is supposed to. Each year MLB teams take a trip to either Florida or Arizona to prepare for the upcoming season. Pitchers and catchers report to camp around mid-February, with position players joining them a couple weeks later. The pre-season starts up around the beginning of March, and while there are winners and losers, and competitions for roster spots, it all tends to feel as though very little is at stake. Nobody worries about how many people are in the stands for these games—ticket revenue does not make or break a team’s Spring Training. That’s what is so unique about the Toronto Blue Jays’ annual pre-season exhibition series in Montreal: Attendance is crucial and it feels as though the season is on the line.

It’s been over 10 years since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, and until recently, there wasn’t much reason to believe a team would ever be coming back. The four Blue Jays exhibition games—the two this year and the two last March—however, have given Montrealers a reason to believe again. Over 96,000 fans attended the two games against the Cincinnati Reds at Olympic Stadium over the weekend, surpassing last year’s tally.

The games themselves were not all that exciting. The Blue Jays and Reds split the series, with the visiting Reds winning 2-0 Friday night and the ‘hometown’ Jays topping Cincinnati 9-1 Saturday. What these games represent, however, should excite baseball fans in Montreal. Despite a decrepit stadium, an extended holiday weekend, and the fact that these games do not truly ‘count,’ fans still showed up in droves, a signal to league officials that Montreal is serious about baseball.

“These are impressive numbers,” John McHale, senior vice president of MLB, told reporters over the weekend. “We thought that because of the Easter holiday and the novelty perhaps wearing off this year, there might have been fewer people for this year’s games. We wouldn’t even have thought that was bad.”

The possibility of baseball returning to Montreal has gained weight over the past few years thanks to the success of these games. Commissioner Rob Manfred recently stated that Montreal passed the first test in this process, but that a clear plan for a new stadium is necessary before a team moves to Montreal.

Though the weekend mostly centred on baseball potentially returning to Montreal one day, these games also offered a return of sorts to Montreal native and Blue Jays starting catcher Russell Martin. Martin signed a five-year contract with the Blue Jays as a free agent in the off-season and will be a key cog in Toronto’s lineup this season. While a trip to Montreal may not have been the main reason for his decision to sign with the Jays, it was certainly a welcome bonus.

Martin went hitless in both games, but still received a standing ovation from the Olympic Stadium crowd each time he walked up to the plate for an at-bat. His father, a saxophonist from Montreal, played the national anthem Friday night before getting to watch his son get the hero’s treatment from the raucous crowd.

With the MLB’s regular season now underway, the results of these two games are no longer of any consequence. Two games aren’t enough to indicate whether a city can support a team, but to make light of this weekend’s success would be a mistake. Spring Training games aren’t meant to have high stakes, but Montreal proved that doesn’t always have to be true.

parc jeanne mance milton parc volleyball
a, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Sports

10 Things: Canada’s Summer sports scene

by Mayaz Alam on

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  • 1) Pan Am Games

    Toronto, Ontario will be the host of the 17th Pan American Games, a multi-sport international event similar to the Olympics. This year, there will be athletes from 41 nations that span North, Central, and South America in what will be the largest sporting event ever held in Canada. The Games will also be carbon neutral and cost an estimated $2.57 billion, the highest total ever for a Pan American Games.

     

  • 2) F1 Racing

    The Formula One World Racing Championship has made its way to Ile Notre-Dame in the middle of the St. Lawrence River since 1978 and has become one of the most watched sporting events in the world. When the Canadian Grand Prix comes to town in June, many Montreal streets close down for racing-themed summer street festivals.

     

  • 3) World Cup Soccer

    Montreal is one of six Canadian cities playing host to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and will host a semifinal matchup this summer. Team Canada is currently ranked no. 8 in the world and has immense potential as a dark horse contender in the month-long tournament that goes from June 6 to July 7.

     

  • 4) Montreal Alouettes

    he Habs aren’t the only perennial playoff contender that plays in Montreal. The Alouettes will be seeking a 20th straight trip to the CFL post-season and play their games at McGill’s Percival Molson Stadium. The wide receiver formerly known as Ochocinco and the rest of the Als will be playing in front of a packed house from June 25 onwards.

     

  • 5) Milton-Parc Volleyball

    Parc Jeanne Mance is a hotbed for summer activity within the greater McGill community during the summer. Beach volleyball has been the main attraction since 1973 and hosts nearly 1,000 players each week in a recreational setting.

     

  • 6) Stanley Cup in Canada

    Four Canadian NHL teams remain in strong contention to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada after a 22-year hiatus. The Montreal Canadiens, who already clinched a playoff spot, will have to navigate a tricky Eastern Conference but could keep on playing deep into the summer.

     

  • 7) Rogers Cup

    The best tennis players in the world converge to Toronto and Montreal each summer in one of the most coveted non-major tournaments. This year, the men’s tournament will be held at Stade Uniprix, and Canadian Milos Raonic will be vying for his first tournament victory on home turf.

     

  • 8) Toronto Blue Jays

    The Jays, who just capped off a two-game preseason series against the Cincinnati Reds at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, are the only MLB team currently playing in Canada following the Expos’ departure prior to the 2005 season. Toronto has an excellent chance at making the playoffs for the first time since 1993 in a wide open AL East.

     

  • 9) Montreal Impact

    Although the Impact is currently struggling—the team is ninth in the Eastern Conference and 19th in the MLS—it has held the title of the best soccer team in Canada in each of the past two years. With the season barely a month in, look for the Impact to make a run at the top half of the table over the summer.

     

  • 10) Slacklining at Tam-Tams

    Every Sunday of the summer, Mount Royal Park comes alive with drum circles and picnics. For a laidback, but surprisingly challenging activity, try to find your balance on the slackline. It’s a lot like tight rope, but the line is broader and hangs slightly loose between two trees.

     

Pan Am Games 2015
a, Sports

Raining on Toronto’s two billion dollar parade

by Elie Waitzer on

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When Toronto was chosen in 2009 to host the 2015 Pan American and Parapan Games, the provincial and municipal governments celebrated the chance to bring a boom of tourism to the shiny capitalist engine of Canada and revitalize the city. Toronto would follow up the legendary Vancouver 2010 Olympics with its own summer spectacle, and finally get the attention it rightfully deserved. But if Toronto had cared to seek advice from Vancouver, Montreal, or really any city with sports hosting experience, it would have wisely withdrawn its hosting bid tout suite.

With the Games just three months away, the similarities between Vancouver and Toronto’s taxpayer-funded budgets are striking. The cost of the 2010 Olympics was estimated at $1.68 billion in construction expenses and $580 million in operating expenses. Taxpayers ended up financing the majority of a $6 billion total project budget. In Toronto’s case, the original total estimate was approximately $1.3 billion, but has since almost doubled to $2.5 billion, according to the National Post. 

The Toronto Sun’s Sue Ann Levy took a deeper look into those numbers, and found that something about large amounts of public money causes executives to spend like children in a candy store. Included in the budget is an estimated $247 million allocated for security and enhanced services from the Toronto Police, $3.8 million going towards illuminating the underside of the Bloor Viaduct with a colourful light display, and $20,000 to give athletes and their families bracelets carved out of maple trees.

A freedom of information request filed by the Sun in 2014 led to the firing of Pan Am CEO Ian Troop after the scandalous details of his lavish expense account were revealed. His severance package amounted to $500,000. The list of public projects that could put these outrageous sums of taxpayer money to better use is too long to go into, but you could get a good picture by reading up on any Toronto politician’s platform.

But it’s sports and fun in the summer, people are excited; there have to be some positives, right? Politicians have made countless phony arguments in favour of sports hosting. For example, the planning committee claimed the Games would generate close to $2 billion in economic activity and that the construction would generate 17,000 jobs. But if Vancouver couldn’t come close to recouping its budgetary costs with the Olympics, Toronto has even less of a chance of being a net positive to taxpayers with the comparatively milquetoast Pan Am Games. Ticket concessions, for example, are expected to bring in $40 million off of a projected 1.5 million sales, but only 350,000 have been sold thus far.

A common refrain is that the construction of gleaming new facilities will provide an everlasting ‘legacy’ for the host city, but it’s hard to see Torontonians flocking to use a fancy handball arena for years to come. Look at Montreal’s legacy facilities: The Velodrome built for the 1976 Olympics is now the Biodome, and the underused Olympic Stadium is in a state of disrepair. 

Finally, there is the alluring promise of the Athlete’s Village. The City of Toronto has committed to keep 10 per cent of the $700 million housing project “affordable,” and many are hailing the redevelopment of the West Don Lands as a long overdue solution to the city’s affordable housing shortage. But below the surface, the Athlete’s Village represents a boon for developers and a convenient justification for gentrification. 

Why does Toronto need the pretense of a sporting spectacle to provide affordable housing for its residents? Sadly, in the answer to that question lies what might be the only truthful argument in favour sports hosting. Large, public events provide immovable deadlines that spur plodding parliamentary governments into action. The redevelopment of the West Don Lands has been one of Toronto’s top priorities for years, along with the development of its waterfront and the expansion of its public transit system. With the Games approaching, the Union Pearson Express train—in the works since 2001—is suddenly on track to be completed for this summer, and the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront has been kicked into gear. The 2015 Pan Am Games will rehash a depressing reality, but at least it’ll be warm.

a, Student Life

Summer and beyond—Making use of campus resources

by Natalie Wong on

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Planning for the future is a daunting task for all students, filled with uncertainties and confusion. Summer is the season to look back on what the previous academic year has offered and what challenges have been faced. It is also the season to look forward to future goals and take steps to achieve desired goals.

Open year-round, the McGill Career Planning Services (CaPS) provides numerous resources to help students prepare early on for long-term future career goals. Equipped with review services, a mentor program, a comprehensive website, and a resource centre, CaPS is a free, informative, and helpful service for students that want to start planning for steps to take in the coming academic year.

Successful job searching and career planning require students to be informed on how to present themselves to potential employers and how to constantly look for potential opportunities. CaPS offers various services to students, including CV and cover letter reviews, mock interviews, and LinkedIn review services.  

According to Omer Juma, U3 Arts and Mentor Program Coordinator at CaPS, it is important for students to learn how to present themselves accordingly for future job prospects, especially because McGill students are desirable candidates for many jobs. 

“Employers approach us [to post jobs to hire] students tailored to a specific field,” Juma said. “[Companies] always want students from McGill.”  

According to Mie Beers, U1 Science, CaPS’ review services helped her improve on her professional presentation to employers. 

“I found [CaPS to be] very helpful,” Beers said. “The advice they offered really helped me focus in on the most important aspects of my CV and gave me a better idea of how to present my experience in a more professional manner.” 

Joy Aguilar, U3 Arts, echoed a similar sentiment.

“The review services have helped me frame my profile in a way that is most presentable to a prospective recruiter,” Aguilar said. “[Examples include] knowing the standards and proper formatting of a resume, the do’s and the don’ts. It’s important that they offer that service because students need to know how to be able to sell themselves before they graduate and apply for jobs [or] grad school.”

CaPS also collaborates with the McGill Alumni Association (MAA) to run the McGill Mentor Program, which provides students the opportunity to connect with McGill alumni. According to Juma, the mentor program is a valuable way to learn from a relatable individual who is successfully working in a field of interest and get advice on career development.

“CaPS Mentor Program helps [many things such as] finding jobs, deciding on a major or a minor, and [developing] interpersonal skills,” Juma said. “[There are] over 800 mentors in various fields.”

Aguilar stated that the mentor program provided her with guidance on prospective career paths. 

“I’m interested in a career in international relations—my mentor works in that field and gives me helpful advice,” she said.

According to Juma, the mentor network provides training for a global network of McGill alumni and mentees in McGill before entering into a mentor-mentee partnership.

“With mentors [and mentees], we discuss effective communication,” Juma said. “Mentors usually don’t have problems [with communication], but students are usually the ones who are unsure or shy. We teach them how to break the ice, [or if the mentor offers students advice], what students should do to research and follow up.”      

CaPS also has a comprehensive website for students to explore and thoroughly research opportunities in the summer. Highlights of the website include an Explore Careers section, which teaches students to properly assess their interests, studies, industries, and job market trends. It also includes information on where and how to look for job, volunteer, or internship opportunities. Juma said that while CaPS cannot directly offer jobs or internships for students, it provides a comprehensive network for students to explore many opportunities available and to acquire the tools necessary to apply for positions.       

There is also a specific section on the CaPS website dedicated to graduate school inquiries and preparation, which is useful for students who wish to use the four months of summer to research the steps required to prepare for graduate school applications. It provides information on how to find programs, where to acquire books regarding personal statements and grad school interviews, and a compiled list of handouts and resources for medical school applications.

According to Elise Jackson, U3 Science, CaPS helped prepare her for applications for medical school as well as scholarships. 

“I used CaPS for one-on-one appointments for interview preparation—medical school interview and [the] Rhodes Scholarship interview—as well as attending one of their […] multiple mini interview practice sessions,” Jackson said. “I’ve found it helpful to get individualized, personal feedback; there’s a lot of information available on how to prepare for things like medical school interviews, but it was really useful to be able to get feedback on my answers and my performance specifically.”

Jackson also said that CaPS was accommodating in accepting students for appointments on short notices. 

“Both times I made appointments, they were able to squeeze me in quickly on pretty short notice,” she said.

CaPS also provides a Career Resource Centre that provides collections of career-related books, DVDs, websites, periodicals, databases, and magazines. According to Juma, when students embark on career-related planning, it is essential that they know what to research and the resources available for them.

“Students need to do some research on their own, and the resource centre is an excellent place to start your research,” Juma said. “[After the appointment], the advisors […] usually refer students to the [CaPS] librarian or the specific sections [in the resource centre] to guide the student in this process.”

Jackson echoed a similar sentiment. 

“I think that having both an extensive library of print resources, as well as having such helpful counsellors is really amazing and allows [CaPS] to offer a wide variety of services to students,” Jackson said. “[This] depends on whether students are looking for information on specific careers or want a face-to-face appointment to discuss career paths or practice for interviews. The counsellors are also extremely knowledgeable, which is great.”  

While CaPS provides many resources to prepare students for graduate school or job applications, it also provides a web channel that allows students to directly search for full-time, part-time, or summer jobs, internships within specific programs at McGill, as well as post-graduate internships. According to Juma, many employers from respective fields come to McGill to search for potential employees during the On-Campus Recruitment (OCR) season in September, which is highly useful for students to learn about in the summer months leading to the season.        

“myFuture […] is where you learn about different employers that come to McGill to recruit,” Juma said. “myFuture has campus [and] off-campus jobs, internships, and volunteer [opportunities that are global] posted on it. Students can explore what employers are looking for at [candidates] from McGill [and] what jobs are available.”      

For students who are in need of financial aid, McGill also provides an exclusive Work Study Program that provides students with various job opportunities on-campus or in a McGill-affiliated organization and/or hospital. According to Juma, if students are interested in looking for on-campus jobs, the Work Study Program is the ideal place to start their search.       

“[If students are interested in] summer jobs, look at the Work Study criteria on scholarships and the financial aid department,” Juma said. “Seventy per cent to 80 per cent of on-campus jobs are [found] through Work Study. [They] are not posted on myFuture.”     

A common student concern while searching for employment in Montreal bilingualism requirements. According to Juma, knowing French and English is an asset to job or internship applications in Montreal, but it is not essential.       

“[CaPS] tells students [that] if they really want to stay in Montreal, [they should] get language skills and polish their French,” he said. “[There are] different resources to [fine-tune your language skills], like the YMCA [or even] SSMU mini courses. In case a student does not have time to learn a language, [CaPS] helps [the student tailor their] profiles to showcase all their skills in a way that employers are still inclined to choose them.” 

With the last month of finals approaching, students can freely explore all that is offered at McGill, especially with the resources at CaPS, the financial aid services, and the Work Study program. With these resources open in the summer, students can use these four months to browse their options, research the fields they may want to enter, and use CaPS services to look at job or volunteer databases, mentors, and opportunities on-campus. For students who are in need of financial aid, combining their research using CaPS resources and the Work Study Program is a helpful addition. According to Tessa Battistin, U2 Arts, summer is the perfect time to plan out the steps she will take in the coming academic year. 

“I look forward to the summer because it gives me an opportunity to explore a new career path through an internship, or spend time travelling—both of which give me a [chance] to expand my horizons past my studies,” Battistin said. “CaPS is the ideal place to explore these opportunities.”

a, Science & Technology

Where’s your head at?

by Ayla Tse on

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From the days of Karl Lashley—who believed each memory leaves a physical trace on the brain—to Dr. Wilder Penfield—whose electrical stimulation studies identified functions pertaining to specific areas of the brain—these scientists are a testament to the value of physically studying the brain in order to understand it.

Last Wednesday, students made their way down the halls of the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry building to attend the Neuroscience Undergraduates of McGill’s (NUM) third annual Touching Brains event. Started two years ago by Maria Zamfir, now a student in McGill’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN), Touching Brains has become one of the most anticipated NUM events of the year, providing students the opportunity to hold, touch, and feel real brains. 

Obtaining brains is no easy feat, and required the collaborative effort of the NUM Council, McGill postdocs,  TAs, professors, and undergraduates from other faculties. 

“I heard they didn’t have mice brains this year,” explained Christina Chou, U2 biology. “And since mice are used so extensively in neuroscience research, I thought it’d be nice for people to be able to see [them] in real life.” 

Chou, who was able to provide mice brains courtesy of her lab, was part of a collective effort that provided—along with human—songbird, monkey, and mice brains for students to interact with.

For students with little exposure to the field of neuroscience, the organizers hoped Touching Brains could break down barriers that might discourage their pursuit of knowledge in the field.

“It […] makes neuroscience more approachable,” stated Taiji Wang, NUM president. “Being able to see and touch a real brain inspires a passion for this study that theoretical learning never can.”

Associate neurology professor David Ragsdale was able to provide a comprehensive exhibition on the human brain, a tool that was incredibly insightful for those with no prior knowledge on the brain. Even for those implicated deeply in the field, his intricate and encyclopedic-like presentation was sure to teach something new. 

Despite initial hesitance, students soon became accustomed to touching brains; these hands-on experiences NUM advocates for neuroscience and other students alike. 

“We spend so many years learning about the brain and yet we never actually get to see them in real life,” explained Shawn Wen, one of the organizers of this year’s NUM event. 

Hands-on experiences are an outlet for learning that NUM is seeking to provide for neuroscience and other students alike.

“This event makes the field of neuroscience more accessible and concrete,” Wang said.

“It’s something that is lacking from our classes,” added Henrie Sun, another organizer.

While some students quietly examined the brains, others actively participated by naming the major sulci, classifying cortical cell types and columnar organizations, and identifying Brodmann areas and their associated deficits. The passion and excitement for neuroscience was tangible. 

Additional insight came from being able to compare the different animal brains. From the fingernail-sized mice and songbird brains, to the walnut-sized verbid monkey brains, to the remarkably massive human brain, having them all in the same room provided a perspective on the evolution of the brain. Moreover, evolutionary changes in structure, texture, and weight were made even more explicit. 

“Being able to compare our brain to other animal brains really puts thing into perspective,” explained Wen. “[It’s interesting because], the way that our brain has adapted […] is not clearly mirrored in the anatomical differences between the different brains.” 

When handling the brains, the striking volume of white matter—the tissue connecting between brain areas—was palpable, as well as the petiteness of the internal capsule, a white matter structure. Being able to physically observe these various structures enabled students to form a deeper understanding of their functions. 

“Touching Brains is the first opportunity we have to see a physical representation of the theory we learned in class,” stated Wang.

Events like Touching Brains provide students with experiences that help enforce lessons taught in the classroom.  or even better, an opportunity to learn something new.

a, Behind the Bench, Football, Sports

Behind the bench: Hanging ’em up

by Zikomo Smith on

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There is a saying that athletes die twice. Once in retirement and the other time just as we all do. Patrick Willis rejected that idea when he announced his retirement from football at the relatively young age of 30.

“Retired doesn’t mean you’re dying, it means you’re putting something to rest and going on to do other things,” Willis told reporters in his goodbye press conference.

Chris Borland of the San Francisco 49ers and Jason Worilds of the Pittsburgh Steelers recently retired at the ages of 24 and 27, respectively. Borland stopped playing after one season because he felt that his love of football was not worth the risk of potential head injuries. Worilds left because he felt a religious call to do so. Willis felt his injured feet would not allow him to play to the high standard he demanded of himself.

These players have three things in common: They were all linebackers, all excelled, and all loved their roles. Borland was outstanding, recording 107 tackles in only 14 games as a rookie, Willis is on his way to the Hall of Fame, and Worilds was sought after by many teams in the off-season, but they all left the game to pursue other interests. The final point is the most telling.

“I knew there would be a day I’d leave, and I always told myself that I wanted it to be on my terms,” Willis announced when he called it quits.  

All three players left football with no regrets because they played hard on the field and had interests that could sustain them off the field. They felt they were equipped to deal with the uncertainty of changing their career path at such young ages. There is an echo of this in Derrick Rose’s comments in 2014 that his playing decisions were predicated on his long-term goals. 

“I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball,” Rose told ESPN. “Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be […] sore just because of something I did in the past. [I’m] just learning and being smart.” 

Retirement is a personal choice and, in many circumstances, a gut-wrenching one. It seemed like Michael Jordan and Brett Favre retired every other year, and it’s something all athletes must go through. After Chris Borland announced his retirement, Ravens’ linebacker John Urschel wrote in the Players Tribune that while he understood the long-term health risks, not playing football has never been an option for him because he loves it so much. He knows that he will eventually reach an age where he can no longer physically play the sport, and is fortunate to have a passion for mathematics that can occupy him after his NFL career.

Athletes need to be prepared for retirement while studying in college and high school. They need to learn how to cultivate off-field interests and support networks. Borland was always prepared to transition into a post-NFL career with a history degree and a good relationship with supportive parents. He also reached out to ex-NFL player Dave Muggysey when he felt concerns about his health. Having that network helped Borland make an informed decision on his career and leave without any misgivings.

The real question is whether the majority of athletes are prepared to handle real life. At the moment, the answer is “no.” 78 per cent of NFL players, and 60 per cent of NBA players go bankrupt within five years of leaving the league. Playing professional sports for a living is one of the best gigs on earth, and the thought process behind accepting the risk associated is understandable. All athletes must retire eventually, and planning for life after sports is crucial to their happiness. The fate of the players mentioned here seems clear, as all seem able to deal with the ambiguity of the future gracefully. Hopefully someday, that can be said for the majority of athletes.

a, Recipes, Student Life

Taco recipe

by Alycia Noë on

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Fried Fish: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 cup beer

1 kg white fish of your choice (ex. cod, tilapia, haddock, etc.), cut into 1-inch wide strips

 Oil for frying

 

1)    Mix the flour, black pepper, and paprika together.

2)    Gradually add in beer while mixing.

3)    Whisk batter together until smooth.

4)    In a pot, heat the oil (1/2 inch depth) to 350°F so that the tip of a wooden spoon makes a sizzling noise when placed in the oil.

5)    Dip the fish strips into the beer batter, coating both sides. Allow the excess batter to drip off and fry the fish in the oil until golden brown (approximately two minutes per side). Cook fish in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

6)    Place cooked fish on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

 

 

Guacamole:

 2 ripe avocados

1 shallot or 1 small onion, finely chopped

 ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

½ Jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

 

1)    Chop the shallot, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper.

2)    Place chopped ingredients in bowl.

3)    Add avocados into bowl and mash ingredients together. 

4)    Add the lime juice in at the end. This will prevent the guacamole from browning.

Slaw:

·      5 cups shredded red cabbage

·      3 tbsp cider vinegar

·      1 tsp vegetable oil

 

Steps 

1) Toss cabbage in vinegar and oil.

 

 

Corn and Tomato Salsa:

·      ½ red onion, finely chopped

·      1 large tomato (include seeds and juice), diced

·      ½ cup corn

·      ½ lime, juiced

1)    Chop all ingredients and then combine in a bowl. Add the lime juice.

2)    Allow ingredients to sit together for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. This allows flavours to blend together.

 

 

Cream:

1 teaspoon olive oil

 2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

5 chillies in adobo sauce

Water (as needed to thin out sauce)

 

1)    Heat oil in a small frying pan.

2)    When oil is warm, add garlic to cook for two minutes until aromatic and golden in colour.

3)    Place garlic in a food processor and add all remaining ingredients except water.

4)    Pulse ingredients together and add water to thin out. The consistency of the sauce should be creamy and thick enough to drizzle, with little to no bumps remaining.

Assembly and Serving:

·      12 Six-inch diameter soft flour or corn tortillas

·      Lime wedges

·      Salt

 

Steps

1)    Warm tortillas in the oven.

2)    Place on table alongside fish and other toppings.

3)    Allow guests to make their own tacos with toppings to their liking.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Kids take control on the Blue Planet

by Audrey Carleton on

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It’s common for children’s stories to use fantasy and translate a moral to their young readership. Blue Planet, presented by the McGill Department of English Drama and Theatre, follows this model to a tee. Based on Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason’s award-winning children’s book, The Story of the Blue Planet (2012), the play brings light to issues of environmental protection and ethics by directing messages toward younger audiences.  

The Blue Planet is very similar to planet Earth, the only exception being that it is solely populated by children and is uninhibited by modern technology. The play begins on an upbeat note, with children playing, dancing, and singing about the joys of living on the Blue Planet. The mood goes downhill as the show progresses, when one day, best friends Brimir (Harrison Collett) and Hulda (Cara Krisman), and the rest of the children discover that a spaceship has landed on their planet. With it arrives an adult—the first on the planet—named Jolly Goodday (Shanti Gonzales, Nathaniel Hanula-James, and Bailey MacKay), who turns the childrens’ lives upside down.

The show takes a fresh look at environmental and ethical issues, wisely incorporating elements of fantasy to keep the story exciting for younger target audiences. Multiple scenes show the children manipulating their environment for personal gain, either by taking the dust off of butterfly wings for a temporary high, or moving the clouds to one side of the planet, forcing half the population to live in darkness.

The show also repeatedly plays off of the common childhood fear of the supernatural. During one point of the play, Hulda and Brimir find themselves lost in a forest, scared and alone. The trees in their midst come alive, singing ominously and touching them with their branches. The spiders, lions, and hyenas in this forest do the same, speaking to the children with vicious demeanour, showing the dramatic shift in the relationship the children hold with nature. 

The sound effects of the show further force these themes to hit home. Various ominous scores play throughout dramatic scenes in which the children face danger, with loud drum beats that mimick the sound of a rapidly beating heart.  Additionally, any time the children make a purchase from Jolly Goodday, selling bits of their youth in exchange for new products that guarantee happiness, a brief cha-ching! plays, to reinforce criticisms of modern consumerism and its effect on the environment.

With wisely timed musical interludes, smart depictions of childhood visions, and powerful sound effects, Blue Planet depicts modern day issues through the lens of someone too young to understand them. This perspective provides a fresh take on current issues, offering a variant from overdone lectures heard in the news and mainstream media. 

Blue Planet is playing in Moyse Hall Theater April 2, 9, 10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m., and on April 4 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Osheaga: 10 for 10

by Rebecca Lavery and Anna St. Clair on

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With Osheaga firmly entrenched near the top of the list of Montreal’s summer highlights, it’s hard to believe that the festival has only been around for a decade. To commemorate the occasion, the Tribune decided to break down the 2015 lineup and highlight five prominent returning acts that blew up after their first appearance and five acts making their first stop at Osheaga that look to be headed for a similar trajectory.

  • Acts to remember

    Half Moon Run

    Montreal-based band Half Moon Run has quickly become a fan favourite, having performed at Osheaga twice in the past three years. They debuted as a low-level act in 2012 shortly after the release of their first album Dark Eyes. They’ve since been dubbed one of the most notable emerging indie bands with atmospherics comparable to those of Radiohead. That explains why they returned as a headlining act in 2014, earning themselves a spot on the poster next to Childish Gambino.

    Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

    The psychedelic folk band with a revolving lineup of 10-12 members first came to Osheaga in 2010 at the top of the up-and-coming acts, following the success of their 2009 single “Home.” The band has since gone on tour with Mumford and Sons, released two more successful albums, and earned themselves the privilege of headlining major festivals. This year, they return to Osheaga for the third time in a well-deserved position of prominence.

    The Black Keys

    The Black Keys are hailed as one of Osheaga’s most consistent acts, but they had to climb their way up to the top. They made their first appearance in 2008 following the release of their fifth full-length album, Attack and Release, which received relative critical acclaim. Shortly thereafter, 2010’s Brothers catapulted the rock duo to commercial success. This year marks their fourth Osheaga appearance and their second time as a headliner.

    Gogol Bordello

    This eccentric gypsy punk band, known for the song “Start Wearing Purple” and their chaotic stage theatrics, first came to Osheaga in 2008 as a well-respected band with little commercial success. Keen to continue bombarding the English-speaking world with Eastern European music, the band has become even more well known on the festival circuit in the past few years and returned to Osheaga last year having climbed the billing ranks.

    Gary Clark Jr.

    Blues legend and Austin, Texas native, Gary Clark Jr. has been on the radar since winning a Grammy in 2013 for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Rolling Stone magazine hailing him as the musician that made Eric Clapton want to play again. Prior to all of this, Clark made his Osheaga debut in 2012 as a lesser-known artist. This year, he returns to Osheaga with greater prominence and a much larger fan base.

  • Acts to watch for

    The War on Drugs

    This Philadelphia group has achieved a completely unique sound in recent years. Their music has a distinct, laid-back vibe and is a great soundtrack for driving through a desert highway at sundown. Vocally, frontman Adam Granduciel sounds like a low-key Bob Dylan without the tonal harshness. The War on Drugs’ music sounds like it was made for those magic nights at a summer festival when the rest of the world seems to fade away.

    Shakey Graves

    With the recent switch in style by Mumford and Sons, it could seem like the trend of foot-stomping Americana is going away, but that can’t be said about Shakey Graves. Inspired by vintage folk and country music, there’s no denying this Austin, Texas musician’s talent. Detailed guitar and soulful folk vocals carry his music. On his most popular track, “Dearly Departed,” he’s accompanied by the powerful voice of Esmee Paterson.

    Marina and the Diamonds

    With her passionate pop ballads and impressive vocal range, Marina Diamandis is sure to wow at Osheaga. She released her latest album, FROOT, in March through slightly unconventional means, releasing one single a month. She manages to captivate in both soulful ballads, and sexy pop jams like “Froot.” Both her voice and her music are distinct and her lyrics have real depth, probably because she writes all of her own music.

    George Ezra

    George Ezra has blown up recently with his hit “Budapest.” His deep bluesy vocals and a range of guitar styles, from country-western to reggae make his music perfect for summer anthems. Not to mention the fact that his feel-good lyrics make Ezra’s music the perfect soundtrack for flower crowned and crop top clad festival goers to drunkenly sing along to.

    St. Vincent

    After winning a grammy for Best Alternative Album and releasing her fourth album, it’s no surprise that electronic alt-rocker St. Vincent will be a coveted act this year. St. Vincent excels at provocative lyrics, talented guitar playing, and catchy rhythms. She makes the kind of addicting rock that everyone will want to jam to at a festival.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Deep Cuts: Under the Sun

by Jack Neal on

More in a:

What A Buzz

Artist: Olly Murs

Album: Right Place Right Time

Released: November 26, 2012

All about a nervous first date, “What A Buzz” boasts simple lyrics, an incredibly catchy chorus, and goofy vocals. “Got ketchup on my trousers and my cheeks are going red […] What a beautiful buzz with the girl I might love,” Murs excitably confesses; and when paired with a ridiculously catchy whistle, it’s bound to get stuck in your head.

 

Worship You

Artist: Vampire Weekend

Album: Modern Vampires Of the City

Released: May 14, 2013

With its galloping beat and fast-tempo lyrics, “Worship You” progresses from a single guitar riff, before building momentum over time with the inclusion of various instruments, before reaching a stunning climax within the last 40 seconds. A fantastic and uplifting blend of smart lyricism, synthesizers, and heavy drums, these last few moments of “Worship You” easily render it one of Vampire Weekend’s most memorable moments.

 

Sexotheque

Artist: La Roux

Album: Trouble In Paradise

Released: July 18, 2014

Taken from her second studio album, “Sexotheque” features heavy ’80s guitar riffs and airy vocals. On a record jam-packed with tropical-sounding songs, this one holds its own in providing one of the catchiest melodies released last year.

 

Gotta Get Away

Artist: The Black Keys

Album: Turn Blue

Released: August 19, 2014

One of The Black Keys’ most straightforward, simple, and honest songs, “Gotta Get Away” sees lead singer Dan Auerbach pack up his belongings and drive cross-country in search of a new start. “I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo, just to get away from you,” he confesses, delivered over a fantastic blend of guitars and drums that literally makes you want to pack up your belongings too and drive off into the desert. If there was ever a song that /sounded/ like summer, this is it.

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