Last week, the Tribune ran a feature titled “Why McGill can’t ‘Pack the Stadium,” which discusses the lack of a sports culture at McGill. It argued that the numerous other entertainment options in Montreal, a shortage of athletics funding, and a few specific features of McGill’s athletic facilities, were the reasons why more McGill students aren’t McGill sports fans.
The question of “why don’t people at McGill get involved in athletics or become fans?” is a valid one. However, last week’s article ignored the structural, institutional, and cultural aspects that might alienate McGillians from a sports culture. Furthermore, it seems to propose that such a culture is a good thing, while failing to recognize the negative side-effects of sports culture.
It’s obviously possible that if McGill Athletics advertised more effectively they might be able to get more people out to the games. But maybe it’s not the cold or the overwhelming other entertainment options in Montreal, but rather the perceptions of athletics and athletes themselves that keeps McGill students from becoming sports fans. Perhaps McGill students don’t go to sports games because they, for very legitimate reasons, were dissuaded from coming to an athletics game long before they ever arrived in Montreal, or at least, before game day.
Perhaps they were dissuaded by previous negative experiences with ‘jocks’ in their high schools. Or maybe it was when they walked into the McConnell Arena and had a ticket checker call them a “fag” and maliciously suggest that they wanted to be “pat down,” as happened to a student earlier this year. Maybe it’s because they find the members of McGill sports teams that they know personally to be misogynistic and sexist. Maybe it’s the separation of sports teams into ‘male’ or ‘female,’ which leaves no space for their gender identity. Or that they were alienated by the sign in the Athletics facilities put up—and eventually taken down—this summer that said “Be a Man!” and then listed sexist stereotypes about what ‘being a man’ entailed.
Maybe they were put of by the team name “Redmen” which, yeah, okay, maybe is named after a Scottish kilt or something, but still seems kinda racist, and is kind of like naming a team “the Rapists” after an author with the (unfortunate) last name Rape and then defending the team name by saying “No! Wait! It’s not offensive! It’s a reference to a famous author! Don’t get so worked up!”
Some of the above listed are not the fault of McGill Athletics. Others are. In any case, they underscore a pretty major issue that was unexamined in last week’s piece: maybe people at McGill aren’t going to games because sports, organized athletics, players, etc. have been excluding them for most of their lives, and this doesn’t make them want to go to games and cheer on these athletes. This culture of exclusion in sports at large is not the specific fault of McGill Athletics, but the onus should be on McGill Athletics to prove to people that unlike athletics at every university in the world, the one at McGill is not oppressive nor exclusionary.
Do we want a culture of athletics on campus?
I also wonder what people have in mind when they envision a ‘strong culture of athletics,’ and particularly how they would see it manifesting at McGill. Obviously, it would include a stadium packed with fans for every game; but are those fans drunk fans? Do they host post-game ragers in packed (frat) houses? Does it include a culture of adoration of athletes on campus? In short, are they envisioning—and idealizing—a McGill-ified version of the culture of athletics that exists at many of our institutional cousins south of the border?
If so, I think this should give pause. In addition to packing the stadium with fans, “strong culture[s] of athletics” such as these tend also to have other unfortunate correlates. These include a culture of binge-drinking that alienates the many people on campus who choose not to imbibe (at McGill, 10.2% of students at our school report never having drank according to McGill’s 2013 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment survey). They also valorize athletes (especially hyper-masculine male athletes) which gives them a near-mythical status that allows them to get away with crimes like sexual assault.
Another way of saying this is that I don’t think that anywhere on earth there exists a positive “strong culture of athletics.” As such, if the McGill “culture of athletics” is going to look anything like what it’s like at other schools, I don’t want it at my university. I only want a strong culture of athletics here if it’s going to be inclusive, positive, and non-oppressive. If my friends and aquaintances’ past experiences with McGill Athletics and sports teams are any indication, this doesn’t seem like the most likely scenario. Considering the unfortunate incidents mentioned above, McGill Athletics—though well-intentioned and trying hard to be more inclusive—is simply not ready for a bigger role on our campus. It has alienated and hurt McGillians despite its minimal relevance, and I can’t imagine that these types of incidents would somehow decrease in frequency if sports and athletics took a more prominent place in campus life.
This commentary was printed in abridged form in the October 22nd issue of the McGill Tribune.
This semester marks the pilot stage of myInvolvement, a web-based tool designed to showcase workshops, events, and volunteer opportunities available to McGill students. The project provides a way for students to gain awareness of extra-curricular activities and for faculty and staff to track students’ involvement. It also allows initiatives taking place on campus to publicize their events.
Tool to capture involvement for all students
MyInvolvement gives students access to information about extra-curricular activities by providing tools to search, register, and track participation in extra-curricular activities. It also provides students with a Co-Curricular Record of Involvement (CCRI) from McGill, which is an official document that provides a summary of students’ extra-curricular activities to go along with their academic transcripts.
Lina Di Genova, who is responsible for myInvolvement and is the manager of student assessment for McGill Student Services, said that this initiative fills the need for a more supportive campus environment where students can recognize the contributions they make to campus life.
“After looking at years of survey data, we wanted to make sure that such a tool could capture involvement for all students—undergraduate or graduate—and in the future, create spaces for all different student initiatives to have the equal opportunity to get out there in the community,” Di Genova said.
MyInvolvement assists faculty and staff in promoting activities that students are eligible to participate in. Di Genova outlined the vision for the initiative, which is to encompass the maximum possible number of organizations across the university and to allow these groups to present themselves from one accessible, consolidated source for students.
“We wanted it to grow to allow different organizations across McGill to capture involvement in a way that was meaningful for their organization,” Lina said.
Anurag Dhir, community engagement coordinator of McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office, said it is important for students to be recognized for their involvement in the community within and beyond McGill.
“The fact that there is now a tool that helps collect this information as well as promote all engagement opportunities is a great initiative,” Dhir said. “The success in its application will be based on how well it reflects the diversity of engagement opportunities available through McGill.”
Getting involved
Because MyInvolvement is currently in its pilot stage, students have the opportunity to voice their opinions and be a part of consultation aimed at improving the initiative. According to Di Genova, 23 organizations currently belong to the program and over 1,500 students are using it.
Students can find out which organizations are using the tool through myInvolvement’s website. A link to the site will be added to Minerva in the future.
“We have received really positive feedback,” Di Genova said. “Students who have participated through Community Engagement Day have started to suggest activities that they want. We’re going to include some of it, so it’s a neat feature that students have intuitively started to think about all these other [involvement] opportunities.”
Laura Couteille, U0 Arts, said myInvolvement helped her make sense of the information given to students who are new to McGill.
“During the first few weeks of school, there were so many pamphlets and events and groups that it was overwhelming, but MyInvolvement’s easy-to-navigate Organizations Directory helps make sense of it all,” Couteille said.
Kaelan Forgues, U0 Management, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Being engaged with myInvolvement has brought me access to opportunities that I would have originally been interested in but not aware of,” Forgues said.
Growing initiative at McGill
According to Di Genova, the initiative will continue to grow as the extent of services offered expands.
“We wanted the co-curricular record to reflect the McGill student life, so we’re expanding it to include workshop training, professional development activities, volunteer opportunities,” Di Genova said. “It will keep growing and is definitely something to keep an eye on.”
“Two roads before you, and you must make your choice,” legendary ska singer Roy Panton intoned during the final night of the 2013 Montreal Ska Festival. His words aptly described the contrast between the final two nights of the festival, though thankfully for many Montreal ska fans, they didn’t have to make a decision.
Friday night’s events took place at Café Campus, and it was clear from the wide assortment of hair colours, piercings, and ripped jeans among the crowd what kind of a night this would be. Sure enough, once local band The Real Deal took the stage, the near-capacity venue was consumed by spirited fans gleefully moshing with one another and an infectious outbreak of crowdsurfing. Their set consisted of songs that mostly sounded like Blink-182 B-sides, but the audience wasn’t willing to let The Real Deal’s derivative tunes get in the way of them having a good time.
After The Real Deal played, Montreal favourites Kman and the 45s, a band the audience responded to by ratcheting up their exuberance even further. Their efforts were rewarded with several ska covers of Ramones classics halfway through the set, which were easily its highlight.
The night concluded with veterans Big D and the Kids Table which were clearly the act that most people had come out to see that night. Frontman David McWane fed the crowd’s excitement with an immediate burst of energy upon taking the stage, which didn’t wane over the course of the set. The crowd matched his enthusiasm, and by the end of their set, most seemed more than willing to listen to them for the rest of the night.
(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)
Saturday night brought a shift to the larger and more upscale Club Soda: here, both the makeup of the audience and the music itself reflected the change in venue. Gone were the ripped jeans, dreadlocks, and faded plaid jackets that had permeated Café Campus; instead, they were replaced by slacks, grey hair, and collared shirts.
Chicago act Green Room Rockers made it immediately clear that Saturday was going to be different with a melodic guitar solo from Ryan Frahm that showed a level of virtuosity not seen in any of Friday’s bands. Frahm’s playing only improved as the set progressed. His proficiency was complemented by the range of genres that could be heard as they played. The impressive scope of their music was encapsulated by “You and I,” a song that began with a 12/8 gospel feel, before seamlessly transitioning into a 4/4 Jimmy Cliff-esque reggae sound.
Next came Panton and Yvonne Harrison, who were backed by Minnesota band The Prizefighters. Their seemingly effortless vocals were a welcome contrast to the testosterone-laden shouts that dominated Friday’s sets. Harrison’s vocals in particular cut above the band in a way that drew attention to their simple elegance.
The night ended with veteran New York City band The Slackers. Like Green Room Rockers, their set welcomed a variety of styles ranging from ska to rocksteady to rockabilly. The Slackers were helped by saxophonist Dave Hillyard, whose witty quote of the standard “I’ll Remember You” (popularized by Elvis Presley) in an early solo was only one of many delightful moments throughout the night.
The festival concluded with an after-party at Ye Olde Orchard that featured local band Danny Rebel and the KGB. The crowd practically danced on top of the band, bringing back the grungy feel that had been prevalent on Friday. Truly, there was something for all sorts of Jamaican music fans at the 2013 Montreal Ska Festival.
On Oct. 7, the province’s Commission d’accès à l’information handed down its ruling in McGill’s case against a group of 14 students who had made multiple Access to Information (ATI) requests to the university. The ruling rejected McGill’s petition for the discretionary power to deny ATI requests the school judged as being “overly broad” or “frivolous,” while leaving open the question of whether the university can deny 19 specific contested ATIs made by various McGill students and alumni in late 2012. Yesterday, Oct. 21, McGill made public its decision to appeal the ruling. The mediation process of the parties involved is expected to begin near the end of November.
The court’s decision, which was a rejection of the sweeping and arbitrary powers the university was seeking, should be applauded. What was particularly egregious about the administration’s motion to the commission was that it explicitly sought to ban student journalists—specifically the McGill Daily and Concordia’s The Link—from accessing these records, due to their allegedly “abusive” and systemic nature.
While McGill’s dispute will continue to wind through a mediation process at the very least, the troubling issues this case raises about institutional transparency are not limited to the university. Last Thursday, federal Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault released her annual report to Parliament, with much of her announcement devoted to the state of Canada’s Access to Information system.
Due to a lack of staffing resources, many federal agencies are barely able or completely unable to meet their basic obligations under the Act: in one example highlighted, Parks Canada took no action on a request for documents on a national park for 11 months. For comparison, the original Act requires a 30 day response to the request from the institution. Such slow responses are endemic to federal agencies; Transport Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Health Canada are also among the entities the Information Commissioner’s report highlights for slow ATI acknowledgements, lengthy deadline extensions, and fully missed deadlines. In the case of the RCMP, the agency does not have the staff to even acknowledge receiving an ATI request within the required 30 days.
The real harm of these delays is that they significantly erode the capacity for the ATI process to act as an accountability mechanism on federal agencies, for average citizens and journalists. When it takes nearly a year for an individual request to be acknowledged, the chances that the immediate circumstances which prompted the request will be substantially different by the time the documents are delivered—if ever—are quite high. Additionally, such a drawn-out process gives the impression to those petitioning information of deliberate stonewalling and evasiveness on the part of the government, even if the real reason for the delays is understaffing.
We have already seen the importance of having robust and functional official channels to hold governing bodies agencies accountable. The case of the continuing National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance revelations stemming from the tranche of documents leaked by Edward Snowden is instructive. In that case, weak or actively stymied congressional oversight, and an increasingly hostile prosecution of those who do bring official wrongdoing to light, created an environment where domestic spying programs were allowed to develop in a manner shielded from substantive debate and ultimately inconsistent with public opinion.
The issue of official transparency is one that is fundamental to any free society. While it remains to be seen how the ATI situation will be settled at the federal level and at McGill, as a publicly funded entity, we hope to see progress towards a more effective culture of openness at both institutions.
There is something to be said for a team that gels at just the right time, and the McGill Martlet soccer team has found its time. Entering their contest against the UQAM Citadins (2-8-1), the Martlets (7-3-2) were riding an eight game unbeaten streak, dominating opponents in all aspects of the game. It was no different on Thursday, as McGill strolled to an impressive 4-0 victory at Molson Stadium, clinching their 26th consecutive RSEQ playoff berth.
After losing their first two division matches of the year, the Martlets have turned their season around. Head Coach Jose Valdes has noticed his team’s progression and attributed the shaky start to the transition to a new offensive and defensive system.
“We struggled to score early in the season but this was a result of the players adjusting to a new coaching staff with different systems being introduced [….] We [have been] able to adjust to a higher level of play and synchronize our play,” he said. “We are now seeing the payoff on the score sheet, and the team’s confidence level is high.”
The Martlets controlled the ball in the first half, en route to a 57 per cent possession advantage in the game. Following a few quality chances, McGill finally tallied a goal when junior midfielder Meghan Bourque sent one past UQAM goalkeeper Valérie Labbé in the 38th minute. This sparked some momentum as Bourque notched another just minutes later, giving the Martlets a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
Bourque has been key for the Martlets all season both in terms of producing timely goals and proving to be a strong role model for the squad’s nine freshman.
“[Bourque], along with our two other captains Carolyn Bell and Kelsey Wilson, have been very good leaders on and off the field,” Valdes said. “They know what it takes to play at a high level in this league. They lead by example and show the way for our freshmen to develop a better work ethic.”
The Martlets started the second half with the same intensity they brought in the first 45 minutes. The team generated a number of fluid rushes, characterized by all three waves moving in tandem up the pitch. More impressively, McGill stifled almost every UQAM attack. The Citadins recorded just two shots on goal in the entire game.
Despite a light amount of action, Martlet goalkeeper Victoria Muccilli was key to the victory and collected her RSEQ-leading fifth clean sheet. She is finally healthy after a couple of injury plagued years, and has remained composed despite facing some competition from the two rookie Martlet goalkeepers. Valdes views it as healthy competition.
“We are the only team in our league that has played three different goalkeepers and I think that has proven to be beneficial for us,” he said. “They may both be young but have pushed [Muccilli] to earn every single one of her starts [….] We are very happy with the trio. They love working together.”
McGill maintained its pace through the rest of the match. Wilson put one past an injured Labbé, who went down while making a save. In the 83rd minute, Wilson rang a free kick off of the crossbar before senior defender Hannah Kirby headed the rebound into the back of the net. From there, the Martlets cruised to the 4-0 win.
With just two games remaining before the playoffs, the Martlets will look to maintain their strong defensive effort, having outscored opponents 21-2 during this nine-game undefeated stretch. However, the Martlets must ensure that they are prepared mentally as they head into the post-season. Lapses in focus will translate into lapses in play, something that can send a team packing in an elimination situation.
“We know that we are only good when we are focused and ready to play hard for a full 90 minutes,” Valdes noted. “We have had moments during games where we lost our rhythm without too many consequences. But when it comes down to the crunch, these little lapses may cost a playoff game, and the season will be over in a flash.”
The Martlets followed up their victory with a disappointing 2-1 loss against UQTR (3-8-1) on Sunday. They round up their home schedule against Bishop’s (2-10-0) on Friday night at 6:30 p.m., before wrapping up their regular season in Quebec City against Laval (8-3-1) on Sunday.
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.
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With nearly 40,000 students and an endowment that is upwards of $1 billion, McGill is no doubt a large and well-funded university. Despite this, attendance rates for sports games are low, and a general sense of apathy is palpable towards athletics at McGill.
McGill’s athletic history, much like its academic past, is both prestigious and noteworthy. Dr. James Naismith, a McGill alumni and former Director of Athletics, invented the game of basketball. McGill students were also instrumental in the formation of another sport, ice hockey, as they collaborated to codify the first rulebook of the sport before creating the McGill University Hockey Club in 1877, the first of its kind. McGill also had a major impact in the development of another of the ‘Big Four’ of North American professional sports—the remaining being hockey, baseball, and basketball—as the first North American styled football game was played between McGill and Harvard in 1874.
McGill’s athletic success isn’t simply limited to the history book, either. In the past three years, the Redmen and Martlets have combined to win 15 championships in conferences such as the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and the Reseau du Sport Etudiant du Quebec (RSEQ), among others. In addition to this, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s baseball, men’s lacrosse as well as men’s and women’s tennis have won national championships in the past three years.
The obvious lack of school spirit and excitement surrounding varsity sports gives the impression that McGill student athletes are unsuccessful. With the exception of the men’s basketball, hockey, and football teams—collectively known as the ‘Big 3’—most games are played in front of near empty arenas and stadiums. Even for the aforementioned ‘Big 3,’ attendance rates over the last three years have lagged considerably compared to other schools with significantly smaller student populations and comparable athletic records.
According to former McGill Martlet Kristin Hazzard (2002-2006), the culture of athletics at McGill has always been like this. She started off her career on the women’s volleyball team, a program that ranked consistently in the nation’s top 10. After her first year, she made the switch to the ice where the historically dominant Martlet ice hockey program made it to nationals every year she was on the squad. Despite the success in both sports, she noted that fan engagement was clearly lacking.
“I was on very good teams […] but nobody really watched us except for family and [sometimes] friends,” said Hazzard.
One of the main reasons that McGill Athletics struggles to generate interest is because of the university’s location in the heart of a major city. For many schools located in rural or semi-rural areas, university-sponsored sports are an integral part of daily life. Without alternative sources of entertainment, students are naturally drawn to varsity sports. Hazzard’s experiences echo this sentiment.
“At French-Canadian universities in smaller towns like Laval and Sherbrooke there would just be a different atmosphere,” Hazzard said. “[In] Sherbrooke […] the volleyball program was just something the entire town got behind.”
Tessa MacDougall, a former Syracuse Women’s Soccer player (2006-2010), commented that it was fairly common to see student life centred around college athletics at a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) school like hers, compared to its relatively low profile at McGill.
“There were a lot of events [surrounding] sports, things like pep rallies or homecoming were a huge deal […] and there were tailgates for every game of every sport.”
(Laurie Anne Benoit / McGill Tribune)
Syracuse is in a metropolitan area with a population of less than 700,000 people and only one major higher education institution. Montreal, on the other hand, has a greater population of just under four million and hosts four major universities. Consequently, students here are given limitless options to satisfy their entertainment needs. Olivia Sutter, a former Carleton Raven and current McGill Martlet, noted that despite being the fourth largest city in Canada, Ottawa pales in comparison in terms of city life.
“In Montreal, as a student, there’s just so much more to do. There’s the culture, the nightlife, [whereas] in Ottawa you’d be more inclined to go to games because you know your friends are going,” said Sutter.
Neal Prokop, a forward on the Redmen ice hockey squad and former student athlete at the University of Manitoba, noted that schools that are in urban centres with large swaths of commuter students face added difficulty.
“Once a student leaves campus [for the day], they aren’t as inclined to come back, especially in the colder months of the year,” explained Prokop. “I think it is difficult for a school to maintain a ‘campus atmosphere’ with students spending so much time living ‘off-campus.’”
Drew Love, McGill’s executive director of Athletics and Recreation, sees the other entertainment options as just another component of what he calls the ‘Montreal Fabric.’ The centrepiece of this idea is, of course, the Montreal Canadiens who dominate a disproportionate amount of both the media coverage and the fan engagement and interest. Other professional teams have struggled for a market share whilst competing against the Habs, despite seasons having very little overlap. The Alouettes, Montreal’s CFL team, have struggled to stay in the city throughout the course of their history while the Impact, Montreal’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team, have really focused on finding its consumer base in the large immigrant population.
Hazzard believes that funding is a major factor that drives the culture of athletics.
“It always seemed like other universities were pumping in more money into their programs. We were very lucky in ice hockey with the funding we had. I know in most other sports, including volleyball, it was very minimal.”
MacDougall’s experiences at Syracuse were completely different. She noted that funding was never an issue and was a consistent driving force in the development and maintenance of a successful culture.
(Alessandra Hechanova / McGill Tribune)
“I was paid to go there [through my scholarship] just like all the other student athletes. And […] alumni donate back to make sure the experience improves,” MacDougall said.
While McGill Athletics has a budget of $3.8 million, most NCAA athletic departments see much bigger numbers. Syracuse Athletics’ profit alone is around $4.1 million.
In addition to this, there are certain characteristics about the student body that are unique to McGill. One such characteristic is the location and structure of the athletic facilities.
“At Carleton the arena was right on campus and everyone knew where it was. Here, it’s hidden,” said Sutter.
Hazzard noticed that the atmosphere around the McGill vs. Concordia rivalry game was noticeably different if the game was being played at Ed Meagher Arena at Concordia, as opposed to McConnell Arena.
“The game [at Ed Meagher] was always more popular and the atmosphere was better […] because their arena was structured so that there was only one side of the ice for bleachers.”
Love reiterates the statement when it comes to McGill’s field sports, as the atmosphere created is misleading if only attendance rates are taken into account.
“You can’t create a sense of urgency around buying a ticket when you never sell out […] because our venues are so large that if 3,000 people show up you can’t black-out the rest of the stadium and create a positive atmosphere,” Love said. Percival Molson stadium has a seating capacity of over 25,000. so even a crowd of 3,000 would look relatively modest.
Another key factor that is mostly unique to McGill is the academic and research-orientated nature of the school. This is something that affects everyone that is a part of the university, including those in the Athletics program.
“We know that this is an academic institution,” said Love. “That’s why we’re all here, and we say that we develop student athletes, students first, athletes second [….] We see, even in [the Athletics Complex], the result of fans and players who have to fight their way through very difficult academic situations […] It’s just reality here and it affects the fan base.”
MacDougall’s experience at Syracuse, a reputable and top 50 institution in the United States, is a far cry from those within the McGill community.
“It was the sort of situation where you’d rather skip an exam than skip a game […] because it’s the main reason you’re going to the school,” she explains.
McGill still has a long way to go in terms of branding its program compared to other Canadian universities. Sutter has noticed the marked change during her time as a Martlet.
“[Here] there aren’t flyers anywhere promoting the games. [At Carleton] it was everywhere on every wall of the student centre,” said Sutter.
Prokop noted that the University of Manitoba was able to parlay two major developments on campus, the building of a new stadium and a new active student centre, into added interest for university athletics.
“The school is using the opportunity to create a new ‘fan experience’ through student promotions, university events, state of the art facilities and a new website,” he explained. “The football team has drawn some of their largest crowds to date, and the ‘buzz’ on campus, with the help of social media, is focused on engaging as many students as possible.”
Prokop also believes that a successful athletics program should strive to move past just success or fan engagement and focus on the development of its student athletes.
“I think the healthiest university athletic program are those that produce great student athletes,” said Prokop. “Having the support in place to help athletes succeed in and out of the classroom should be a priority.“
In this respect McGill undoubtedly succeeds. However, as evidenced by the current state of the program, more needs to be done by both McGill Athletics and by the student body as a whole. Love says he is fully aware of the unique, inherent problems that McGill faces when trying to develop its fan base and has been spearheading the charge to tackle these issues. It has become clear that it is not enough to just broadcast that there will be games certain nights and expect fans to show up. Rather, its latest policy has focused on generating buzz through step-by-step solutions that make it easier and more exciting for the greater McGill community to attend games.
“We’ve created special event nights [like] ‘Fandemonium’ and ‘Pack the Stadium’ […] to generate interest and get people [in],” said Love. “We’re trying to work with Red Thunder and get them more active and out to more games. We’re working [on] some programs now with [the residences…] to get the community to come in […] but the thing is it’s never-ending, it’s a four year cycle that keeps on going.”
The program is also currently going through a marketing program that has focused on bringing more advertising towards main campus and away from the Athletics complex. The new strategy places a greater emphasis on branding the uniqueness of McGill. Phrases such as: “Behind every great team there is a great university,” or, “#werunthiscity” can now be found on walls in academic buildings on campus. Despite the continuing efforts of McGill Athletics, students must also choose to shift time away from alternative entertainment options and choose to support their peers. A perfect opportunity to do so will be Homecoming Week. McGill football faces off against the Université de Montreal in the annual Homecoming Game on Saturday Oct. 19 at 1:00 p.m. in Molson Stadium, a tilt with major playoff implications. Later that evening, as part of the festivities Men’s Ice Hockey will also be playing its Homecoming Game against UQTR at 7:00 p.m. in McConnell Arena.
The foundation for creating a strong culture of athletics exists at McGill. The shared onus now falls upon the entire community to take the next step forward.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is showcasing their interdisciplinary exhibit, Splendore a Venezia, exploring the interplay of visual art, music, and political culture in the Venetian Republic between the early 16th century and the fall of the Serenissima. The museum investigates these overlaps, exhibiting a diverse collection of work: prints, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, original period instruments, and early music texts.
Although music plays in the background of the exhibit, viewers are encouraged to use complimentary audio guides, available via portable music players and headphones. Many pieces are paired with a specific track number designed to accompany your interpretation. This intimate experience provides greater understanding with regard to theme and time period of the artwork.
“At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, it is now equally impossible to see without listening, to listen without seeing,” remarks Museum Director and Chief Curator Nathalie Bondil. Matched with François Filiatrault, musicologist for the event, these combined talents have ensured the success of Splendore a Venezia.
Difficult to imitate, the culture of Venice is authentically depicted here. There are three major themes explored in the exhibit, each aesthetically organized. The first is titled “Art and Music in the Public Sphere,” focusing on the influence of art in religion and politics. Some major features include items such as the “Corno-Ducale,” a crown worn on official occasions by the Doges of Venice (translated as ‘Duke’). This section looks at ceremonies and processions, with the inclusion of many period instruments that have never before been exhibited in North America.
The second theme revolves around “Art and Music in the Private Realm.” During this time, music was the art of the courtier and educated class; nobles were often depicted with instruments or were in the process of composing. The pieces in this section celebrate Venetian musicians, concerts, and street performances of the 17th and 18th century and include “The Concert” by Titian, on loan from the Palatine Gallery in Florence. Also featured is an authentic Venetian gondola, crafted in the late 20th century by Pietro Amadi, comprised of various woods and metals, and inscribed with the phrase “In Barca Vien Con Mi” (Embark With Me).
The third and final theme focuses on “Art, Music and Mythology,” detailing the world’s first public opera house, Il Teatro Nouvo di San Cassiano, which opened in 1637 in Venice. This section focuses on mythology in Italian Renaissance paintings, showcasing a heritage marked by allegory, myths, and symbols. A beautiful pastel portrait of the great soprano Fuastina Bordini is part of this section, along with other drawings by Count Antino Marie Zenetti that have never been exhibited in North America.
There were 61 contributors to the exhibit worldwide, including the MMFA, the New York Public Library, and the Louvre, to name a few. The MMFA’s publishing department has issued a full color exhibition catalogue in English and French featuring essays by leading international experts in Venetian art, culture, and music. Bourgie Hall, the MMFA’s fine concert venue, will also be producing a series of 20 concerts which will explore five centuries of Venetian music.
Splendore a Venezia provides a fresh perspective on history; capturing the full scope of the two golden ages in Venetian art and entertainment, this exhibit is classic and informative. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch a glimpse of this key period in art history.
Splendore a Venezia exhibits at the MMFA from Oct. 12, 2013 to Jan. 19, 2014. Tickets are $10.44.
The man behind Fidel Gastro, a Toronto street food experience company, held a pop-up restaurant event at Prato Pizzeria on St-Laurent last Friday. Between serving foodies and the occasional exclamations of his catch phrase ‘Ole,’ Matt Basile took the time to speak to the Tribune about street food, making it in business, and giving in to your professional appetite.
Basile didn’t always dream of becoming a culinary sensation. He started off working as a copywriter in Toronto. Cooking was something he did with his family and to make a little money on the side. When he realized he wasn’t doing what he really enjoyed, Basile gave notice that he would be leaving his job at his marketing firm in order to pursue his passion for food. According to Basile, listening to Steve Jobs’ commencement address to Standford University on YouTube consolidated his new outlook.
“It was so much aligned to what I had just done moments earlier that it was like Steve Jobs was talking to me directly,” Basile said. “You know, people aren’t meant to be task-doers; they’re meant to carve their own way. That’s the human spirit—do your own thing.“
Basile has certainly trod his own path. In addition to doing pop-up food events, where he takes over a restaurant for a night to serve up his own food, Basile sells street-fare from his food truck, Priscilla, and runs his restaurant Lisa Marie in Toronto. These ventures are featured on Travel and Escape network’s television show Rebel Without a Kitchen, which he hosts.
Looking for a last-minute destination to pop-up in, a stop in the Belle Province was a no-brainer for Basile. One need look no further than the food trucks parked outside Leacock to realize that the street food movement has hit Montreal with full force.
“I’m not from here, but I definitely have a huge love for this city,” Basile said. “I [thought], how do we do something in such a short amount of time and still [do] Montreal justice?”
For his Friday night menu, he prepared two variations of Montreal-inspired poutine—if they can even be called that. The first dish incorporated Schwartz’s smoked meat into the classic Quebecois meal. Though smoked meat-topped poutine certainly isn’t unheard of, Basile made the Montreal experience his own by topping it off with Dijon honey sauce instead of the traditional gravy.
The second was a marinara poutine made with delicious local cheese curds and marinara sauce prepared by him and Prato’s owner, Rosa. It simultaneously delivered the standard Italian-style tomato, basil, and cheese trio and satisfied any late night poutine cravings.
“Smoked meat, poutine, pizzerias—these are all things that are near and dear to everyone’s hearts, so all I [had] to do [was] put the Fidel Gastro twist on it,” Basile said.
That “Fidel Gastro twist” is what Basile does best.
“Whether it’s in my restaurant or in my truck, or on a table in Montreal, in order to really make an impact in the food industry, you just always have to be different,” he said. “That’s the most important thing.”
Although Basile’s job comes with reality television-esque drama, like issues with his deep fryer and Prato’s power on Friday, he said he feels incredibly fortunate to be where he is today.
“I love my job and I love doing it every day,” he said. “I’m very blessed in that sense.”
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