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This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Long copy or short – You decide

As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

For you, the skies will be blue, the birds will sing, and your copy will be crafted by a dedicated little man whose wife will be sitting at home, knitting, wondering why your entry demands more of her husband‘s time than it should.

But you will know why, won‘t you? You will have given her husband a chance to immortalize himself in print, writing some of the most persuasive prose on behalf of a truly enlightened purveyor of widgets. And so, while your dedicated reader, enslaved to each mellifluous paragraph, clutches his newspaper with increasing interest and intention to purchase, you can count all your increased profits and take pots of money to your bank. Sadly, this is not the real copy for this entry. But it could well be. All you have to do is look at the account executive sitting across your desk (the fellow with the lugubrious face and the calf-like eyes), and say ”Yes! Yes! Yes!“ And anything you want, body copy, dinners, women, will be yours. Couldn’t be fairer than that, could we?

a, News, PGSS

Post-graduate students vote to leave Canadian Federation of Students

Last Thursday and Friday, members of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS) voted against continued membership with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a national union for post-secondary student societies. (more…)

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Peer review: McGill Classics Play

In a world where Hollywood churns out high-budget Classics-themed blockbusters like Troy (2004) and 300 (2006) every few years, it’s pretty common to find these types of ancient stories being retold in a dramatic form that’s accessible to modern audiences. What’s far more rare though, is to come across a live production that actually stages ancient drama more or less as it was written; but three weeks from now, that’s exactly what will be happening when Thyestes, the fifth instalment of the McGill Classics Play, begins its four-show run at the Plateau’s La Sala Rossa.

Formed in the 2010-2011 school year by Classics professor Lynn Kozak, the McGill Classics Play is an organization which aims to provide a space for the exchange of arts and ideas around classical texts in the Montreal community. Its main annual project is staging a production of one of those dramatic texts—but only after it has undergone an original translation. This year, the responsibility for that daunting task fell on the shoulders of director Duncan McDonald (U3 Music and Greek Language), who had never tackled such an assignment before signing on for Thyestes.

“To translate it yourself, not in a class setting, and to have that goal of a performance-ready version, it’s a whole different experience,” said McDonald. “Because you’re thinking about way more things than you normally would [….] You’ll try and match what’s in the Latin word for word, but that doesn’t sound good in English, so it’s really turning it into a good English version that’s the most difficult.”

On top of the translation, which was mainly done over the summer, McDonald needed to completely add directorial vision to a text that may not have actually been performed.

“[Thyestes] is written by Seneca, who was basically prime minister for the Emperor Nero in the first century AD, and he wrote a series of tragedies in Latin on Greek mythological themes. What’s interesting about those is that we’re not actually sure if they were ever performed or if they were plays written for recitation in a room without being staged, the scholarly consensus isn’t there,” he explained. “So these plays have no stage directions, all you have is the text [….] You had to basically think of what you wanted before you started translating.”

In arranging Thyestes, there was another more genre-specific challenge McDonald needed to work through.

“One of the big things in classical drama is that there’s always a chorus, which at certain points in the play comments and kind of sums up the action, and it varies: Sometimes they can be part of the action or they’re separated from the action, so you have to decide what to do with them,” described McDonald. “And the way they speak, it’s these kind of ornate speeches [….] so deciding what to do with those is also a challenge. How do we make these big speeches interesting and engaging?”

Challenges aside, McDonald is excited about presenting Thyestes since there’s a lot that appeals to him in terms of its background and themes.

“The Classics Play had done four straight years of Greek plays, so I thought it would be cool to do a play in Latin because there’s a different sort of feel to the language, different structure,” McDonald said. “Also, the story itself is really attractive because you have this supernatural stuff—ghosts, demons. The language is completely over the top extravagant, and [there’s] cannibalism, murder, betrayal [….] I could really see a dark, baroque, spooky production.”

While the play is fairly sinister and dark, McDonald expressed that it’s been a pleasure working with its 12-person cast and the crew members.

“It’s a good, manageable group; it’s a good energy, and I think we’re looking forward to an exciting production.”

Thyestes will be performed from Monday, Feb. 9 to Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. at La Sala Rossa (4848). Student tickets are $8.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: Redmen turn up for Carnival Game, send Ravens packing


McGill Redmen
2

Carleton Ravens
0

Invigorated by the bumping capacity crowd, the McGill Redmen [16-5] secured a well-fought 2-0 victory over the Carleton Ravens [16-5] in this year’s Carnival game. McGill stretched their undefeated streak at Carnival games to 13, while improving their overall record against Carleton to 27-20-1.

The 950-seat McConnell arena appeared way over capacity, with McGill fans crammed into the bleachers. Countless supporters stood to watch the play unfold so that they could be a part of the unique atmosphere.

Revelers turned up in all sorts of fancy dress: stars-and-stripes onesies, blue cows, and black ‘pukesuits.’ Students came prepared with signs such as “This is a Carleton Diploma.” The section behind the Carleton goaltender Patrick Killeen was heckling him relentlessly for the entire game.

This created an intimidating, almost unsavoury atmosphere for the visiting Ravens. And while McGill outplayed them start to finish, Carleton did rise to the challenge. In particular, Killeen had an impressive game. He made 20 saves on 22 shots, keeping his focus sharp while being screamed at by McGill fans for a full 60 minutes.

McGill’s puck movement was better than Carleton’s for the entire game, and junior right wings Max Le Sieur and David Rose led the attack with crisp passing and shooting. The two disrupted Carleton’s rhythm with a strong fore-check, and helped to break up many potential counter-attacks. McGill always seemed to have more bodies on defence than Carleton did because they were so effective at shutting down the counter-attack.

Despite McGill’s strong pressure, their shooters were denied on the power play on each of the team’s five chances. Carleton was excellent at clogging up scoring lanes in their third of the rink. The Redmen, as usual, returned the favour—shutting out the Ravens 0-5 on powerplays. McGill goalie Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, made 27 saves on his way to his first shutout of the year.

In such a defensive battle, McGill’s superiority on offence proved the difference. Senior forward Jonathan Bonneau tapped in a rebound off of freshman defenceman Dominic Poulin’s slapshot with four minutes to play in the first period to take the lead. The second goal came from 6’4” winger Neal Prokop, just minutes into the third period.

McGill’s sharpness extended to face-offs. McGill won 37 of them against 28 for Carleton. This was impressive given the spirited atmosphere and the number of penalties both teams accrued. Carleton’s Van Stralen was ejected in the second period for a game misconduct penalty. McGill racked up penalty minutes for roughing and high sticks. However, their play was more disciplined over the night, and it showed in the final result.

On Saturday, McGill beat the winess Royal Military College (0-17) 4-3 in a thriller. Junior centre Jonathan Brunelle, scored the winner with seven minutes left in the third period after McGill had given up a 3-0 lead against the scrappy RMC squad. In a rather stunning performance, RMC goalie Evan Deviller made 53 saves to keep his team in the game. With the win, they clinched a playoff spot, and are quickly closing in on the top spot in the conference.

On Sunday the Redmen went to the Bell Centre to take part in the Montreal Canadiens’ annual skills challenge. After a whirlwind weekend, the Redmen get a few days to rest before taking on the Queen’s Gaels at home Friday at 7 p.m.

a, Features

In conversation

“We’re all very happy to be working here actually. It’s a unique place, and we enjoy being here to serve the students. We all have kids—my kids are [in their 20s.]I see a lot of students grow up; they graduate and we talk, so [it’s a] very rewarding job for me.”

Why did you decide to move to Canada?

“I moved to Canada in 1991. When I came here, [it was through an] exchange [program] from China [that had] just opened [its] doors. Basically, everything we wanted to learn and to see outside of China was out there, and […] I came to Canada as an exchange fellow to study Medicine. I then […] graduated from McGill. I was a doctor before [in China. Then] I did a PhD at the MNI here, and I worked for the federal government. When I finished [my] PhD, I did several fellow exchange programs in different places. I think that the main reason I had to switch [careers] was because of my health. I wasn’t able to work at the labs; it had affected me a lot.”

ow long have you been working at Second Cup?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What is your most cherished memory?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What kind of struggles did you have?

“[Focusing] and having to do my homework. I had no one at home to actually help me with it, so it took me a little longer to grasp [subjects] like math and French, even English sometimes. It was so hard to focus. Sometimes I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ Also, I had to deal with the bullying, you know what you get in high school and what not. It was a struggle. They called me a whole bunch of names, because I would always look down on my paper in order to focus.””

How did you manage to cope with that?

“I joined a whole bunch of sports, like track, which kind of helped me. If you push through, hopefully they’ll leave you alone.”

What frightens you the most?

“I think that [it is] moving forward. There’s always a scare: Am I going to make it in the real world? Am I going to be able to wake up the next day and tell myself ‘Okay, I can do this?’”

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be a doctor—a pediatrician. It didn’t [happen] because only my mom [worked], so we couldn’t afford for me to go to university. I had to go to work.” “The most gratifying job I had [lasted] for 10 years. I ran an OASIS care centre. It was for pregnancy resources, helping young girls that got themselves in trouble, helping them make the right decision [….] I was the executive director.” “We ran out of funding, and we had a really hard time getting [new] funding […] and I was having a hard time [recruiting] volunteers. I’ll start it up again if I can get the volunteers—it’s getting the volunteers that’s hard.”

What was the happiest moment of your life?

“My happiest moment I think would be the day [that] my granddaughters were born! I have two granddaughters—one is seven and one is 10. I have two sons as well and that was gratifying, but I think [the happiest moment was] the day [that] my granddaughters were born. I adore them.”

What is the biggest obstacle you have faced?

“The biggest obstacle [I’ve faced] was deciding whether [to continue] my studies or whether to get involved in the business. It was a very hard time for me to choose between them—whether [to continue] school until I became an engineer, or whether I should quit school and work and become [involved in business. That’s why it was my biggest obstacle; [it was] the obstacle that made the decision of my life.”

Are you happy with your decision?

“I could say yes, I could say no. I see that I wasn’t made to work in an office, sitting down to work. This is why I told myself that, even if I ended up as an accountant or as an engineer, [an office job] wasn’t my type. I said [to myself that] it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be involved in a restaurant business. It was something that I wanted for a long time.”

a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

The peculiar ethics of The Bachelor

In light of both the show’s season premiere just two weeks ago and former Bachelorette Andi Dorfman’s recent split from her reality TV lover, Josh Murray, I think it’s time that the Tribune take a deep, fleshy bite out of one of the most peculiar, borderline tragic, and simultaneously popular pieces of our mainstream culture: ABC’s The Bachelor. (more…)

a, Student Life

A ‘fin’tastic workout

After graduating from HEC Montréal in 2012 and working shortly at Bell Canada, Marielle Chartier Hénault decided to follow her passion for the underwater world by creating AquaMermaid, a mermaid school based out of Montreal.

“I’ve always been known for loving the water,” Hénault said. “When I was younger, friends and family used to call me the little Mermaid. With my name being Marielle, [and] Ariel [as] the mermaid in The Little Mermaid, I guess it was just meant to be.”

Hénault embarked on a mission to find a way to combine her creativity and business education.

“When I was in business school, everyone around me would always tell me, ‘You are so creative, you have to do something with it,’” she said.

Hénault finally found her niche through the mermaid community.

“I have always been an active person and had previously done quite a bit of modelling,” Hénault continued. “So when a friend sent me an article about a mermaid school in Germany, I thought it would be the perfect way to combine my passion with my business education.”

As a school, AquaMermaid offers a new experience to anyone who has ever considered of learning how to be a mermaid or merman.

“[Mermaiding] is a mix of synchronized swimming, freediving, and regular swimming that involves performing dolphin kicks and undulating movements that you do when you practice the butterfly stroke,” said Hénault. “However, here, your legs are bound ogether by a neoprene mermaid tail.”

Unlike similar schools in Germany, the U.S., and the Philippines,Hénault’s school was developed to be slightly more formal. She wants to establish the concept beyond a gimmick that simply fulfils children’s dreams of becoming merpeople, which is frequently used by parents for their children’s birthday parties.

Hénault explained that her classes are a fun alternative to traditional workouts for adults to enjoy. She hopes that a new approach to this highly specialized sport will be more attainable for families.

“Fin-swimming is actually a niche sport that divers usually practice and compete in that involves all the muscles in your body,” Hénault said. “Not only does it reinforce your breathing and cardio, but you also strengthen your core and arm muscles However, as soon as you add a mermaid tail to the mono-fin, you forget about the challenging [task] you are doing.”

Hénault sought out many supporters for AquaMermaid to help her with the challenges young entrepreneurs face. For example, she had to find pools that would welcome her services, and she needed consulting for the legal regulations required for dealing with children.

“I was delighted at the number of people and professionals who supported my project and went out of their way to help me without expecting to make money,” Hénault said.

AquaMermaid also offers photo-shoots for individuals who wish to create a mermaid themed photo. The inspiration for these photoshoots originated from Hénault’s time as a model. She has been able to use her experiences and contacts to create successful photoshoots with professional photographers.

Hénault is also breaking into the retailing business and is starting to sell mermaid fish tails, which are made locally in Canada.

“I’ve realized that some clients love mermaiding so much they want to own their own mermaid fishtails,” Hénault said. “So I’ve decided to start selling my mermaid tails, [which are]purchased in Ottawa.”

In the future, Hénault wants to see the growth of a “mermaid community” in Montreal and Quebec with the organization of mermaid synchronized swimming competitions and races. She also has hopes of creating partnerships with holiday resorts in Cuba and other tropical destinations.

“I would like to offer my services to hotel guests who would enjoy a photoshoot on the beach or a mermaid session,” Hénault said.

Moreover, Hénault hopes that AquaMermaid will inspire other creative entrepreneurs.

“For the future, I hope that my academy become a reference for mermaid schools in Canada, and hope many people will be willing to jump in with me,” she said.

However, despite mermaiding’s appeal to some people, others are more skeptical.

“I like the idea, but for me, I think practicing this activity in a pool amongst many people might kill the magic of mermaids for me,” said Estelle Chappert, a U3 Management student.

Although mermaids may be a legend to some, Hénult’s launch of AquaMermaid may have turned the myth into somewhat a reality.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Belle and Sebastian – Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

Ever since Belle and Sebastian shocked the indie pop world with 2003’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress by releasing a louder, dancier, more mainstream album than anyone thought possible, fans have had to reconcile with the fact that they’re basically a different band now. Gone are the days of lead singer and songwriter Stuart Murdoch sing-whispering into your ear; gone are the intricate melodies and crescendoing horns.

(more…)

a, Montreal, News

Removal of Viger Square homeless encampment by SPVM spurs reaction from Anonymous

Following the Jan. 7 bulldozing of a homeless encampment in Viger Square, the Service de Police de la ville de Montreal  (SPVM) has responded to subsequent backlash.

In Nov. 2014, Anonymous, a hacker collective, began an initiative called Operation Safe Winter (OpSafeWinter). The initiative’s goal was to protect the homeless community through provision of blankets, clothing, and other cold-weather necessities.

Following the camp’s removal, Anonymous responded to the SPVM by occupying the square, threatening the SPVM with cyber attacks, and encouraging members of the community to help the homeless in any way they could.

A statement released by Anonymous on Jan. 9 demanded that the SPVM and the City of Montreal create a permanent moratorium on the raids of homeless encampments from Dec. 1 to March 1. The statement claimed that Anonymous would continue to occupy Viger Square, protest in the streets of Montreal, and attack the cyber infrastructure of the City of Montreal until its demands were met.

“OpSafeWinter is not about politics,” An Anonymous OpSafeWinter representative wrote in an email to the Tribune. “It’s about winter and homelessness. Just get out there and do something, anything, to help.”

According to SPVM Inspector Vincent Richer, the decision to clear the square was due to health and safety concerns.

“When they talk about ‘dismantling’ the encampment, that’s not what we did,” Richer said. “We took away some rubbish that was there. There were piles of stuff that were abandoned there by different people, and in these piles you have some syringes, old food that had rotted, and some rats, so we [had] to clean it up. I informed [the city workers] that for health reasons, we had to take these things away.”

Anonymous' OpSafeWinter representative disagreed with the SPVM’s description of the removed materials as rubbish.

“Much of the material that was destroyed at Viger Square was cold weather gear we had given those people previously as part of Op Safe Winter Montreal,” the representative stated.

According to Richer, however, this cleaning up is nothing new.

“Every Wednesday morning, city workers go and they pick up the syringes and the things that are abandoned.” Richer said. On Jan. 7, however, the cold weather caused a change of circumstances. “When the workers arrived with their shovels, it was all covered in ice and they couldn’t take it away, so they brought in that payloader.”

Richer also expressed that the SVPM hoped the police intervention would encourage members of the homeless community to seek out shelters for the night, as the temperature was expected to drop severely.

“My hope is that no one would sleep outside at -38 [degrees Celsius],” he said. “There were spaces in shelters, and Old Brewery Mission was working with us so that someone who wanted to sleep inside could sleep inside that night.”

Anonymous declined to comment on its future plans for protests and cyber attacks, stating that “You’ll just have to follow the Twitter, sit back, and watch.”

Richer described Anonymous’ attacks as unfortunate.

“Maybe they felt they have some reasons to attack us, but in that situation, our actions were for the well-being of the people that were there,” he said.

Students’ responses to the situation has been divided.

“I can see both sides to this problem.” U3 Education student Alex Lavkulik said. “Members of the homeless community have the right to be in a public space [….] On the other hand, the police are attempting to protect the wellbeing of the homeless community. They may not have gone about it the right way, but the intention was clearly there [….] I think, overall, there needs to be better communication between the SPVM and the Montreal community.”

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Sleater Kinney – No Cities to Love

Sleater Kinney has had incredible staying power, as their new release, No Cities to Love, is the band’s first in 10 years. The band which has its roots in the ’90s DIY and riot grrrl scene in America’s Pacific Northwest has made consistently great music and achieved a hybrid level of commercial and independent success without becoming a nostalgic arena rock staple like some other ’90s bands from Washington (here’s looking at you, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters). The band’s 10-year hiatus gave its members a chance to pursue other creative avenues, but the three come back together seamlessly in No Cities to Love, a pseudo-reunion album with impressive force.

Sleater Kinney continues with its unique combination of personal and political content. Album-opener “Price Tag” grabs the listener from the get-go with an assertive distorted riff reminiscent of its 2005 album, The Woods, and tells a tale of day-to-day living in the age of the Great Recession and austerity. On the other side of the political-personal spectrum, “Gimme Love” turns a personal need and insecurity into a message of strength. However, despite its lyrical strength, it is the least satisfying track on the album, featuring a stuttery chorus that kills the song’s momentum.

Corin Tucker’s voice combines with imposing riffs, thus grounding the album and pummelling the listener in the gut. Vocal unisons between Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein create some of the album’s soaring moments like in the intro and chorus of “No Cities to Love” and the anthemic end of ironically titled “No Anthems.” If you like distorted guitars and drums or have listened to rock in any of its forms, give it a listen.

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