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a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Shortform, longform, we all scream for MPROV

by Jack Tokarz on

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“Welcome to Montreal’s MPROV Festival, the place where everything is made up and the points don’t matter.”

That Whose Line is it Anyway tagline may be what some audience members would expect to hear at the beginning of any of the improv comedy festival’s shows over the past week, seeing as the popular show accounts for the total exposure many people have to improvisational theatre. But in reality, it only gave viewers a small sample of what improv can be.

In Whose Line, a group of four comedians make up situations and jokes on the spot, and this is indeed the core of improv; however, the show is based off of a series of games that are concerned with speed and limitation, intrinsically keeping the created scenes goofy and short. In this manner, the comedians usually make one good joke and move on to a new scene without worrying about character development or setting. This is funny, but not nearly the best that improv has to offer.

The Montreal Improv Theatre hosted nine MPROV shows last week, each involving three groups of improvisers on the bill, and each presenting a different flavour of improv comedy. There were group performances, duo performances, musical improv, and an improvised soap opera among other variations of longform and shortform—from 15-second scenes to 30-minute story arcs.

Shortform—which includes, but isn’t limited to the quick games that Whose Line ran—consists of the improvisers performing a series of independent scenes, each creating a new plot and characters. These can be as simple as two friends climbing on each other to try to activate a fire alarm, or as absurd as the moon inviting the sun to not set and party with him and the stars all night. Sometimes scenes can carry characters from one into the next; for example, when the improviser concocts a hilarious individual like an omniscient robot with the voice of a smooth jazz radio host, and wants to see him in a different setting.

Longform takes this one step further, creating a world throughout the duration of the show. This world can be established in the first scene and see the story continue linearly like a film, or it can be built piece by piece as each scene reveals a new aspect of the same world, with characters eventually overlapping and conflicts coinciding. On Friday night, the duo K$M performed six scenes over the 30-minute set, each taking place in the same setting. The duo Easy Action began with a motocross racer getting an x-ray from his drug dealer/doctor “Uncle Bob” at night, and ended with that same character falling in love on a pirate ship delivering suicide-inducing drugs the next dawn. When the world is improvised, things are not always—or nearly ever—straightforward, but the silliness drives the humor.

The other determining factor for performance type is the size of the cast. A show can consist of any number of improvisers, with the average size group of casts typically being around five members and the other most common being only two. A duo show, like Rapid Fire Theatre’s “Sex with Your Ex” on Friday, must have high-energy improvisers to put on a 30-minute show without the same two people becoming boring. This one took a suggestion from the audience for a difficult relationship to structure their first scene around, and then transitioned into new scenes by physically running across the front of the stage to wipe it clean for the next sketch, or simply by making funny faces at each other until that transitioned into a new idea. This show welcomed audience interaction, basing an entire scene on a conversation with a spectator, whereas others like “Summer Boyfriend” began without a suggestion and run the full time without a single interaction.

Improv comedy can be hilarious or it can be awkward depending on the comedians’ overall skill as well as their level of creativity. Because performances are entirely original, even the best improviser can have a terrible show if they are not fully alert—or they can unwittingly have the perfect show. This is the excitement of improv: It cannot be predicted and must be experienced live. Sometimes, as Bob Banks from Kitty & the Bee demonstrated on Friday,  the best humour comes from watching somebody actively realize that what they are saying is not logical but cannot stop: “I live above a pizza shop, and I’m lactose-intolerant—it sucks. It’s like living above an ice cream factory…and…still being lactose-intolerant.” Shows like those at the MPROV Festival are one-time-only events, and there’s no telling what such creative minds can fabricate when armed with a stage and a concept.

Information on upcoming improv shows taking place in Montreal can be found at www.montrealimprov.com.

rosamund pike washes her body
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Lose yourself in Gone Girl ’s mind games

by Frances Lash on

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David Fincher’s new film Gone Girl, based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, tells the story of a resentful marriage that devolves into lies and gore. The film may not be as cinematically stunning as past Fincher film Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or have the intense character study boasted in The Social Network; however, Gone Girl hums along gracefully as its plot unfolds and drops unexpected twists, and Fincher’s polished vision and skill make it an engaging film.

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike play Nick and Amy Dunne, a young and beautiful couple living in Missouri whose lives are shaken up when Amy disappears and Nick becomes the prime suspect. Affleck as the affable but unlikable Nick is convincing—his pretty smile never extends to his eyes, which hint at darker intentions. Pike’s performance as Amy exhibits both personas of victim and aggressor and is one of the highlights of the film. Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon are also excellent, enhancing the movie in their supporting roles. Trent Reznor—of Nine Inch Nails—and Atticus Ross’s score help create a falsely soothing atmosphere, suddenly erupting when everything we’ve been led to believe comes crashing down.

This film deals with the stereotype of beaten wife and unfaithful husband, coming out at a time when domestic violence scandals are at the forefront of the media. Usually when we hear about domestic abuse, it’s a case of a man beating a woman—we don’t often see the opposite. The idea that men are aggressors and women are victims is so ingrained in our heads that we expect it. This is a perception that Gone Girl explores, showing how our view of people is often formed without real knowledge of who they are. Nick Dunne is suspected of beating and murdering his wife because of his infidelity and hints of Amy as a victim. As a consequence, hordes of reporters and news shows are dedicated to defaming and harassing him.

However, Gone Girl does not entirely fool us into believing that Nick is the abusive husband that we so often see in the press and film. Nick is set up from the start as the audience’s most relatable character: He takes care of his cat diligently, he has a loving relationship with his sister, and the most telling sign that the viewer is meant to sympathize with him is the unreliability in Amy’s voice-over narration. The affected tone in which she speaks and the quick descent from inattentive to violent spouse that she pins on Nick is almost too perfectly-crafted to believe. What could have been a more nuanced and dynamic film falls short and only really offers one side to understand and relate to. This takes away the mystery of Gone Girl. From the beginning of the film, we’re heavily guided to side with Nick and question Amy.

Propelled by Fincher’s meticulous directing and solid performances from its actors, Gone Girl is an excellent film that immerses us in a story where media speculation and well-known tropes of love and relationships are tested. The film isn’t perfect—the first third plays out slowly and it runs about 20 minutes too long—but it does further solidify the fact that Fincher makes good films. Gone Girl doesn’t quite match up to his previous work, but does move with precision through the steps of good storytelling.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: Oct. 7

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beyond

Beyond the Box Score

Martlets Soccer

– McGill (3-5-2) suffered a setback in its hunt for a playoff spot on Friday, losing 2-1 to the division-leading Laval Rouge et Or (8-1-0) in a hard-fought match. After a penalty kick from sophomore midfielder Alexandra Tinfow tied the game up in the 17th minute, the two teams remained deadlocked until a strike from Laval’s Joelle Gossellin found the net with 20 minutes left to play. With four regular season games left, every match is now a must-win for the Martlets if they are to catch Concordia for the final playoff berth. McGill faces the last-place Bishop’s (1-8-0) on Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Redmen Lacrosse–

The Redmen (10-0) extended their winning streak to nine with a decisive 21-0 win over the last-place Concordia Stingers (0-7) on Saturday. McGill rested 10 starters, showing confidence in its rookies and bench players against a Concordia team that has only managed to score four goals all season, while allowing a staggering 159. Junior midfielder Jake Gutman led the attack with five goals and four assists, and rookie Augustus Bolton chipped in five goals of his own, with 10 Redmen players getting in on the scoring action. McGill will look to stretch its streak to eleven as they face Concordia once again on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m.

Redmen Baseball–

After a rough stretch in the middle of their season, McGill (14-4) bounced back with a perfect week, which included walk-off wins over Montreal and Concordia, and two victories against Carleton. The four-game win streak propelled the Redmen to clinch first place in the Northern Conference of the CCBA, their third conference title in five years. The team got standout performances from rookies Rob Sedin and James Pavelick in the 9-8 win over Montreal, as the two combined for six hits in nine at-bats. McGill finishes up its season with a rescheduled game against Ottawa before playing in the Northern Conference playoff semifinals this weekend.

By the Numbers

0:

Number of runs allowed by Ryan Kramer in a complete game one-hit shutout against Carleton on Sunday.

2:

Shots on goal the Martlet soccer squad was limited to by the Laval Rouge et Or in a 2-1 loss on Friday.

10:

Number of starters resting in the Redmen lacrosse team’s 21-0 shellacking of the Concordia Stingers on Saturday.

18:

Points scored by Caroline Suchorski in a 23-21 win over the Montreal Carabins on Saturday.

a, McGill, News

McGill students rally in solidarity with Hong Kong protesters for democracy

by Philippe Dumais on

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McGill students rallied in front of the McConnell Engineering Building near the Milton Gates on Wednesday in solidarity with thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who are calling for free elections in 2017. The protests come in response to the Chinese government’s laws regulating who will be permitted to run for election to become the leader of  Hong Kong. Recent events have attracted international media coverage.

The event, organized by students and endorsed by the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPRIG) McGill, was also attended by professors and members of the Montreal immigrant community.

The decision to hold the rally at McGill University was a symbolic one, according to Michael Law, U2 Arts, who was involved in organizing the rally.

“[This] shows that we’re in solidarity with the students in Hong Kong, and that we know that an empowered people will empower others and a freed person will free others,” Law said. “Democracy is contagious and this is a non-hierarchical, grassroots movement.”

During the rally, Law addressed the issues that students in Hong Kong are currently facing.

“The students […] are fighting an uphill battle against an undemocratic government and are being brutalized by the police with excessive force while they exercise their right to assembly in a peaceful manner,” he said.

Catherine Lu, professor of political science, attended the rally but questioned its effectiveness.

“I am not actually sure what kind of impact such movements can have,” she said. “I am just here because I want to express some kind of solidarity with the students who are protesting in Hong Kong against the electoral process.”

This hesitancy was shared by Juan Wang, a McGill professor of contemporary Chinese politics.

“I don’t think [the protests] will affect the Chinese government’s decision in any way,” Wang said. “[There] are always anti-Chinese government protests, whether it’s [in] Tibet, [by] students, or [by] Chinese [people] living abroad [….] It doesn’t really change the Chinese government’s policy [….] I am not sure to what extent this foreign support would substantively affect the protests in Hong Kong.”

The protests in Hong Kong have been compared to the Tiananmen Square events of 1989, when the central Chinese government cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators in the Square with tanks and armed forces. Professor Wang explained that the two events, while sharing some features, were very different.

“The comparison is mainly because its a student protest and because it’s large-scale and in general it’s pro-democracy,” Wang said. “[However,] what the students back in 1989 called democracy might be very a very different thing than what the Hong Kong students want now.  In terms of the overall political environment, the Chinese government had much tighter control back in 1989 [….] Hong Kong does have a system—even though it is not direct elections—it does have a very relaxed political environment compared to mainland [China.] I can see the protests going on for a while, but I don’t really see how [the participants] in [current] protests [are] similar to what we saw in 1989.”

Wang said that she was not surprised that students were at the forefront of the demonstrations in Hong Kong and abroad.

“When you look at large-scale protests in many countries, in many instances, it is always students,” she said. “Students are easily organized [and] have more time. They are idealists; they tend to have a more liberal ideology, a more radical ideology.”

SSMU Building at McGill
a, News, SSMU

SSMU Building Fee questions pass during first Fall referendum period

by Sara Cullen on

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Full-time undergraduate students will be facing an additional $5.78 fee per semester, following the 69 per cent approval of the University Centre Building Fee questions during the first Fall 2014 referendum period. The fee was proposed in order to finance the negotiated lease agreement between the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and McGill. The fee will also increase at a rate indexed to inflation each year, as stipulated by the second question of the referendum, which was approved by 55.2 per cent of voters.

Had the fee not passed, SSMU executives said that the SSMU would have faced shortened building hours and raised prices at various businesses and services that SSMU provides, such as Gerts and minicourses.

“We’re extremely excited to move on with the year and start planning things and bring back a lot of things we campaigned on—[for example,] student research positions, bringing our budgets back to where they once were […] and also not worrying about finding ways to pay for rent and utilities that would also cut services,” said SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa.

Although students are able to “opt out” of certain fees, the University Centre Building Fee will not be one of them. The current lease agreement is set to end in 2021 and will also mark the expiration of the building fee.

This was the second time SSMU has run the building fee levy questions. Originally presented during the Winter 2014 referendum period, the University Centre Building Fee proposal was opposed by 53.6 per cent of the voting student body. Similarly, students also voted against the proposed yearly fee increase of 5.6 per cent.

Aiming to inform the McGill student body on the repercussions of the building fee referendum not passing the second time around, SSMU formed a “Yes” committee and gave out information through its website and Facebook pages.

Ayukawa explained that accessibility was an important part of SSMU’s campaign.

“Campaigning was a really great way to get feedback from people, and was also a really nice way to hear how students on campus in different years are feeling about SSMU and the things that SSMU does,” she said.

There was a 21.8 per cent voter turnout for the Fall 2014 referendum,with a total of 4,890 students, as compared to 18.3 per cent in the Fall 2013 referendum period.

“It’s hard to say whether or not this increase in turnout is statistically significant,” SSMU Chief Electoral Officer Ben Fung said. “However, we can presume that increased turnout could be explained by increased coverage by campus publications, increased campaigning efforts by committees, or simply the importance or relevance of the referendum question to the electorate.”

The rerunning of the building fee questions has been a point of contention on campus, with some students claiming that students should not be held accountable for the payment of a lease that SSMU should be responsible for.

Nadia Kadri, second-year law student, said that although having a “Yes” vote on the second referendum is important for SSMU’s operations, a student fee should not have been necessary in the first place.

“I don’t think that student fees should be compensating SSMU for being unable to cover more of its costs from its revenue-generating endeavours, like Gerts and The Nest,” Kadri said. “I think that imposing such a high fee and indexing it for inflation reduces SSMU’s incentive […] because now they will rely on our money to pay the bills.”

Former Council member Élie Lubendo, U2 Management (Labour Relations), also criticized the lack of transparency of the SSMU lease negotiations.

“I give credit to the SSMU for preparing a successful “Yes” Campaign in response to the backlash that the last referenda question received [….] but as representatives of the SSMU, I believe that a more detailed account should have been presented,” he said. “Moving forward, the passing of the fee is a temporary victory. Plans should be discussed as to how we want to re-negotiate the lease in the future and what steps we are willing to take to achieve such a goal.”

In response to the criticisms of the SSMU lease negotiations, Ayukawa stated that SSMU will try to ensure the transparency of future negotiations, such as SSMU’s upcoming negotiation of its memorandum of agreement (MOA) with McGill, which will end in May 2016.

“Since the fee passing, we’ve had a bunch of conversations about […] things that people were pleased about, things that people were less pleased about, and how to move forward with that in mind,” she said. “The lack of transparency with regards to negotiating the lease was a frustration that a lot of people had [….] VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan and I have already met with Ollivier Dyens, Deputy Provost [Student Life and Learning]. In our first meeting with them, we told them that our first priority was for the [MOA] meetings to be completely transparent, except for things that are confidential by law.”

According to Ayukawa, the revised budget that incorporates the funds garnered through this fee will be presented to SSMU Council on Oct. 23. Pending the budget’s approval, certain programs offered by SSMU will be restored.

“I know that [the] UA is hoping to bring in a couple of student research positions,” she said. “Until that budget is approved in Council, we can’t start planning any jobs or job descriptions.”

The SSMU building will resume regular hours of 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays as of Oct. 18. Students should see the building fee charged on their student accounts by Oct. 3.

a, McGill, News

McGill football coach resigns following player’s suspension from team

by Jenny Shen on

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Clinton Uttley resigned from his position as head coach of the McGill Redmen football team on Tuesday, Sept. 30, following McGill’s response to running back Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota’s arrest for assault and his subsequent suspension from the team.

In his resignation letter, Uttley wrote that McGill’s statement in response to the suspension “does not represent [my] personal morals or values with regards to sport, recruiting, and life in general.”

Guimont-Mota was arraigned in court last Thursday, Sept. 25 and released on bail. In 2011, he was also charged in Quebec City for assault and subsequently served a 90-day intermittent sentence in 2013. On Sept. 26, McGill referenced the 2011 case in an email to the university from Ollivier Dyens, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), stating that “this individual should not have been invited to join [the] team. That was not in accordance with the values of [McGill’s] community.”

In his resignation statement, Uttley said that Guimont-Mota had already served his sentence for his 2011 conviction and that the case was not concealed from the university.

“I believe in rehabilitation,” his statement reads. “The student athlete accepted his conviction and did his punishment, a fact that was not hidden from the university. At the time of his arrival, the university tolerated and accepted his presence and then proceeded to celebrate his accomplishments thereafter.”

Dallon Kuprowski, U4 Arts student  and quarterback for the Redmen football team confirmed that he was aware of Guimont-Mota’s previous conviction for assault.

“I wasn’t aware of the specifics of it, but [….] I was aware that [Guimont-Mota] was convicted of assault […] prior to the most recent allegations.” Kuprowski said

Dyens responded to Uttley’s resignation in an email sent to all students on Sept. 30.

“McGill accepts Coach Uttley’s resignation and thanks him for his dedication and service to McGill and the Redmen football team,” Dyens’ statement reads. “The university maintains that the pedagogical mission of our institution takes precedence. We wish Mr. Uttley well in his future endeavours.”

According to Uttley, all students should have access to universities, and those seeking rehabilitation should not be excluded.

“For McGill University to say now that this individual should not have been allowed on our team in the first place because of his past, deeply troubles me and in good conscience I cannot work for an organization that does not embrace equity and inclusiveness,” he said in his statement. “Post-secondary education should be accessible for all, not just the ones who have no known incidences. How can someone aspire to rehabilitation when the leading institutions of Quebec and Canada shun those who have made an error in judgment?”

Uttley further cited his own experiences with football programs during his undergraduate studies and the effect those opportunities had on his life.

“If the football coaches in my life had not provided me with an equal opportunity, I would not have completed a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and a Masters of Education in Inclusive Education,” his statement reads. “I wanted to give back to those who mentored and influenced me in a positive way through the use of sport as those who offered their support to me.”

“If providing young men with a second opportunity has effectively cost me my position as head football coach at McGill, then I accept that consequence in order to maintain a higher moral standard than what’s been dictated,” said Uttley in his letter.

According to Kuprowski, the goals for the Redmen football team remain unchanged.

“Our goals all along have been to be successful students and successful student athletes regardless of what individuals are in charge,” he said. “Right now, we’re just waiting on a decision from McGill Athletics to determine […] what the process will be moving forwards in terms of a head coach.”

McGill Athletics and Recreation announced the appointment of Patrick Boies and Ronald Hilaire, previously offensive and defensive coordinators, as co-coaches to replace Uttley.

“Coaches Boies and Hilaire will continue in their respective roles and assume additional responsibilities,” McGill Athletics Executive Director Drew Love stated in a media advisory. “They will work together with the rest of the coaching staff to maintain continuity in the program for the remainder of the year and we plan to name a head coach after the season is over. We will provide some additional administrative support to help the staff so they can focus on the football side of the program and support our student-athletes as we prepare for our remaining games.”

Uttley declined to comment beyond his released statement.

An earlier version of this article ran online on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.

Picture of Molson Stadium
a, McGill, News

McGill football player charged with assault, suspended from team

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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A running back for the McGill Redmen football team identified as Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota was arrested Wednesday on charges of assault and armed robbery. In response to the incident, Ollivier Dyens, deputy provost (Student Life and Learning) issued a statement explaining that Guimont-Mota had been suspended from the football team. Guimont-Mota was arraigned in court on Thursday and subsequently released on bail.

“The Office of the Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) will actively investigate the matter,” Dyens’ statement reads. “In line with the values and policies of McGill University, we will take any and all measures that are deemed to be appropriate.”

The athlete was arrested on Wednesday after the police received a call by Guimont-Mota’s wife claiming he had assaulted her in a case of domestic violence, the Montreal Gazette reported. The details of the hearing this afternoon were not released, though Guimont-Mota’s lawyer was quoted saying his client was a victim of assault.

Guimont-Mota had also been convicted of assault in Quebec City in 2010, according to The Globe and Mail. In 2013, he was permitted to serve a 90-day sentence for the charge on an intermittent basis, so that it would not affect his schedule during the football season.

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) published a statement on Thursday that applauded McGill’s prompt suspension of Guimont-Mota. It also called for further action from McGill and McGill Athletics regarding issues of sexual assault and gendered violence, referencing a 2011 case, where three McGill football players were charged with sexual assault on a Concordia University student.

“These incidents of violence together demonstrate the ramifications of the university and McGill Athletics’ failure to take substantive, proactive measures to engage with athletes on the subject of sexual violence,” the release reads. “The suspension is the first step towards reducing harm in the community, but the SSMU calls for meaningful proactive action now.”

SSMU VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan elaborated on the measures she believes McGill Athletics should enact.

“The Athletic Department should take on mandatory training for consent and gender violence for all McGill Athletes,” she said. “This is something that’s done for student leaders across campus [….] Students in residences get training on consent and equity. [This year] all frosh leaders, frosh coordinators, and orientation staff […] got consent training and equity training. Why has athletics been excluded?”

At the university senate’s first meeting of the year, Dyens said that McGill would not specifically target athletes, with regards to consent training, as it would unfairly target a specific subgroup of the university community.

“My position is that we’re not going to target one group of students for these kinds of things,” Dyens said at Senate. “We want to promote this to all McGill students [….] This being said […] we have asked the varsity council to meet with our harm reduction councillor to develop policies with [athletes] and develop training with them.”

According to Stewart-Kanigan, however, a more proactive approach is required.

“I’m hoping that this serves as yet another wake up call to the McGill administration, as well as officials running the athletics department, that sexual assault and violence is an ongoing problem on our campus right now.” she said. “It’s the responsibility of [McGill] Athletics to make sure that there are measures being taken to put those guidelines and policies into action. You need to change the way that [McGill Athletics] is making sure that [the values] are upheld.”

Redmen quarterback Dallon Kuprowski explained that McGill Athletics had discussed the student-athlete code of conduct last spring in a council that consisted of volunteers from McGill’s Varsity Council.

“[The council] reviewed the student athletics code of conduct to make sure that [we understood] everything in there as athletes and what expectations [McGill] has for us.” he said. “I only found out about [the incident] this morning and haven’t even had time to process it. At this point in time […] as far as the football program stands […] our goals remain the same: To be successful students and successful student athletes.”

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

McGill professor brings the noise at Montreal’s l’Off Jazz Festival

by Burgess Powell on

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For years, trumpeter, composer, professional bandleader, and McGill jazz professor Joe Sullivan has been instructing McGill students and connecting them with the greater Montreal music community. When he performs at the Segal Centre this weekend with the rest of the Joe Sullivan Big Band—plus special guests Lorne Lofsky and Kirk MacDonald—McGill students will have a chance to see the teacher put on a clinic.

But before he became a regular on Montreal’s stages, Sullivan made his way through the student ranks. Hailing from Northern Ontario, he began his career by playing in high school stage bands and went on to receive a bachelor’s in classical trumpet from the University of Ottawa, and a master’s degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music.  After playing alongside celebrated jazz musician Vic Vogul for over 25 years, Sullivan founded the Joe Sullivan Big Band in 1998, which has since released three CDs and received numerous accolades. Widely praised throughout the Montreal jazz community, Sullivan’s band will be performing as a part of the city’s annual l’Off Jazz Festival this Sunday.

“L’Off’s mandate is to feature, first off all, only jazz, and very creative jazz,” Sullivan explained. “They try to get a cross section of different genres [and] subgenres. They’ll have some free music and some straight-ahead music and just a really broad mix of different things.”

Sullivan’s band plays a style of jazz that intersects both old and new techniques.

“[It’s] contemporary mainstream jazz,” Sullivan said. “Contemporary in the sense that [we] employ modern melodies and constructions and forms, but [it also has] a lot of the traditional elements like swing, blues […] influences that come from the jazz tradition.”

On Sunday, the Joe Sullivan Band will perform 17 pieces, 16 of which are Joe Sullivan’s original compositions. These include “Nightfall,” written for MacDonald’s Toronto-based band, and “Unfamiliar Surroundings,” highlighting the talented Montreal trumpeter Charles Ellison. Sullivan explained the challenges he faced when arranging the program.

“It’s always the hardest thing,” he said. “You try to create a good program with nice pacing, but at the same time, you want to get everybody to play. Not everybody sounds good in every type of situation either. You can’t just plug them in and say, ‘Oh this guy sounds good doing this.’ I write for the band. I write tunes with specific people in mind to play particular parts.”

Sullivan’s distinctive approach to composition also encourages members of the McGill Jazz Orchestra he directs—which he refers to as the McGill Big Band—to be imaginative and collaborative.

“When students write and perform for the McGill Big Band, we try to keep it creative,” Sullivan said.  “We don’t only play stock charts that are from the [United] States or wherever. We mix in our own creative, original work, too. And then there’s the fact that the best players in the Big Band often get called to sub in my professional orchestra.”

The crossover between the two bands also awards Joe Sullivan some creative opportunities of his own.

“I play a lot of my own music in the McGill Big Band and students write for the McGill Big Band,” Sullivan said “I can take material from my Big Band and bring it to the McGill band. I end up changing things and rewriting passages. It’s a nice interplay between the two orchestras.”

While Joe Sullivan often refines his compositions through performances and reworks his music to accommodate the soloists, many of the songs that will be performed at l’Off Jazz Festival are quite personal. In discussing his latest CD, The Joe Sullivan Northern Ontario Suite, Sullivan remarked, “I’ve always wanted to write a tribute to my homeland.”

His piece “Tiger Lily” recalls the solitary orange tiger lilies that stand out in the lush green of the summer forests, while “Abitibi Breeze” was conceived by channelling ice-fishing expeditions on the Abitibi.

“It’s a very windy lake so it’s a crazy tune,” Sullivan explained. “A very turbulent tune.”


The Joe Sullivan Big Band will be performing as part of the OFF Jazz Festival at the Segal Centre on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 8 PM. Tickets range from $25 to $30.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Gotham: When Batman’s growl had a pre-pubescent pitch

by Anna St. Clair on

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Why do people love prequels? Is it the allure of watching the characters you know so well develop psychologically? Perhaps it’s because everyone is younger and—usually—better looking? In the case of Gotham, maybe it’s both.

Gotham, which premiered on Sept. 22, was created by Bruno Heller and begins with the immortal scene of the Wayne family exiting an opera and walking through an alley before Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered, leaving Bruce as an orphan. From there, the story shifts to a young Jim Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie), navigating the corruption of both Gotham’s criminals and its police department.

While the show centres on Gordon’s quiet rebellion against the corrupt police system as well as the mystery behind the Waynes’ killer, it also takes time to develop the background of numerous villains central to the Batman franchise. In the pilot, we see a teenage Catwoman stalking the streets of Chinatown, a young Poison Ivy cowering behind a plant from her abusive father, and a particular police officer with an affinity toward crafting riddles. Yet sometimes, it seems as though the writers are just trying too hard to put name recognition to faces. In one scene, a group of Carmine Falcone’s mobster cronies are beating up a man who owes them money when one of them says “hey take it easy pen-guin.” It’s about as subtle as having a cartoon penguin and a flashing arrow pop up on screen.

Unsurprisingly, Gotham is already being heavily compared to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of the larger DC vs. Marvel real-life saga. Whereas Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a twisting sci-fi adventure, Gotham is more of an alternative to the typical television crime drama, and for that it may have more staying power. It’s enough of an original concept to make it an interesting watch, yet has a mainstream appeal that could attract a large audience.

Batman’s realism has always differed from its Marvel counterparts. Gotham City is based in New York, and elements of the organized crime ring that controls the city have real-life connotations, allowing Batman and his enemies to feel a bit familiar despite their crazy names and costumes. The largest drawback from this overall sense of realism is the large number of anachronisms. Following the typical story line of Bruce Wayne’s life as established by the comics, it would make sense for the show to be set in the ‘80s, around the time of Bruce Wayne’s childhood. Yet half the characters are walking around with bulky flip phones circa 2002, while the villains all drive cars that appear to be from the ‘70s. This lack of an exact time period just doesn’t work for the show and takes away a big chunk of that realistic feel that Gotham seems to be going for.

Overall, the pilot provides potential for Gotham to take a number of fascinating roads, allowing for vast intrigue and extrapolation among viewers. The big question that remains is how closely the creators will follow the comics, an uncertainty that will keep long-term Batman fans just as engrossed and on-edge as those new to the series.

 

a, Science & Technology

Microbeads discovered in St. Lawrence River sediment

by Chloe Nevitt on

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Professor Anthony Ricciardi’s team thought they were going to be studying the Asian Clam—an invasive species—when they dropped their sediment-collecting grabs below the surface of the St. Lawrence River last year. Instead, they found the microbead—a type of microplastic defined as any debris less than five millimetres in size.

Rowshyra Castañeda, the lead researcher and a former master’s student now pursuing a degree at the University of Toronto, kept noticing small, multi-coloured beads present in almost all of the sediment. When prodded, the beads, would shatter, indicating their synthetic nature. Further tests proved the hypothesis correct; the beads were in fact made of polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic.

“These could be particles of synthetic plastics formed by fragmentation of larger plastics,” Ricciardi said. “But most of these are probably manufactured on purpose, as small granules for industrial abrasives.”

Industrial abrasives are used in cosmetics and household products to slough off dirt and skin. Unfortunately, the granules used in the products are non-biodegradable. They have started to accumulate in aquatic systems because wastewater treatment plants can not filter them. This is a result of not only their size, but also their buoyancy. It is also the reason scientists didn’t think to look for microplastics in lakes or rivers; researchers assumed they would float out into the oceans.

Scientists believed freshwater systems would wash the beads out into the ocean, and therefore focused their attention there. Unfortunately, Ricciardi and his team are discovering otherwise.

After the team’s initial observations, Ricciardi sent his students out to collect more samples—this time focusing on the microbeads. What they found was startling.

Samples taken from a total of 10 sites along a 320-kilometre freshwater section of the river showed microbeads present at eight of the sites. According to Ricciardi, some sites had as many as 1,000 beads per litre of sediment.

“This rivals that of what has been found in oceans,” he said. “We believe we underestimated the concentrations [of these microbeads.] We show that they’re accumulating and that they’re ubiquitous [in water sources.]”

The microbeads develop a film when introduced to nature. This allows them to settle and accumulate at the bottoms of lakes and rivers.

The long-term effects this might have on the food system are still unknown.

However, a study done at the University of California showed the immediate dangers of microbead consumption for aquatic animals.

Consumption of unaltered, lab-made microbeads induced slight stress on the livers of tested fish, yet the fish exhibited severe liver failure when fed microbeads collected from nature. The polyethylene in the microbeads had absorbed pollutants from the water; consequently, the toxicity of the beads had risen to a million times more than that of the surrounding water.

Ricciardi believes that the microplastics have a negative impact on aquatic environments.

“We have reason to believe there will be a cost [on the environment,]” Ricciardi said. “We have reports that the plastic has been found in fish—hundreds of  them.”

Previous reports have speculated about the presence of microbeads in fish, but the team plans to take the next real step in finding out. With funding from the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS), Ricciardi and his team have started collecting round gobbies, a species of bottom-dwelling fish. Their goal is to examine the stomachs of these fish to see how prevalent these pollutants are in the food web, and how many of the microbeads are being consumed.

Other species will have to be tested and the ecotoxicity measured to determine the severity of the costs that microplastics will have on any environment.

Several states in the U.S. have already passed legislation banning microbeads from products. Canada has yet to propose such regulations. Ricciardi believes that microplastics should be regulated everywhere.

“I think they can be phased out,” he said. “This is an emerging issue in marine ecology, but companies can definitely use natural products as abrasives—[…] something that will break down.”

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