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McGill Reporter
October 23, 2003 - Volume 36 Number 04
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On campus

King of radio gives Massey

Curious about native tales? The very topic is being addressed by author, scholar and photographer Thomas King at McGill, on Nov. 5, as part of CBC's 2003 Massey Lecture series.

Book cover

King will give a talk entitled, "The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative," where he'll examine the breadth of native experience and imagination. Beginning with native oral stories, King will weave his way from history to religion and politics to popular culture -- in an effort to make sense of North America's relationship with its Aboriginal peoples.

A professor at the University of Guelph and the creator of CBC Radio's Dead Dog Cafe Comedy Hour, King routinely uses humour to bring First Nations issues to the fore. He has written several novels, including Green Grass, Running Water, Medicine River and Truth and Bright Water.

The lecture will air on CBC Radio's Ideas in November 2003. Inaugurated in 1961, and heard on CBC Radio's Ideas since the program's creation in 1965, the Massey Lectures honour former Governor-General Vincent Massey, an advocate for the humanities. The lectures are a forum for contemporary thinkers to address important issues of the day.

"The Truth about Stories," 8 pm on Nov. 5, at Moyse Hall. Admission is $10. Tickets on sale at the McGill Bookstore, 3420 McTavish St., 398-7444. For more information, please visit: www.cbc.ca/ideas.

Quebec's experience of war

Caption follows
Major O.M. Learmonth, the Victoria Cross by James Quinn, 1918

Last spring, in response to the Iraq War, Montreal was the site of some of the largest demonstrations in the world, and certainly the largest in Canada. It wasn't superior organizational skill either -- Quebec society has always had a particularly ambivalent view of armed conflict. The last century alone saw Quebec opposition to the Boer War strong enough to scuttle plans to send an official Canadian force, riots in Quebec City over conscription during WWI, and another conscription crisis in WWII.

All this will be the subject of a McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) -- sponsored roundtable on "Quebec's Experience of War." Lynne Darroch of MISC explained that the event will be part of Veteran's Week.

"Quebec tends to react slightly more differently -- more pacifist, more rejection of war -- than other provinces in Canada. As a result, it tends not to be spoken about or studied as much here," said Darroch.

The speakers include Beatrice Richard, who recently completed her doctoral dissertation on just this topic, as well as Concordia professor Norman Ingram and ex-soldier Claude Beauregard. Desmond Morton and journalist Pierre Vennat will respond to their comments.

The event will be at the McCord Museum, and serves as a launch for "Canvas of War," a travelling exhibit of Canadian war art that is on display from November 11 to January 25. The paintings come from the collection of the Canadian Museum of War in Hull, and are depictions of armed conflict and its effects by artists such as Charles Comfort, Alex Colville and Molly Lamb Bobak.

Reactions: Quebec's Experience of War, Monday November 10, McCord Museum. RSVP to Lynne Darroch, 398-2658, lynne.darroch@mcgill.ca.

Family matters in film

Family matters are being examined at McGill this month. Three short National Film Board documentaries are being screened next Tuesday as part of Montreal Matters. They will be followed by a discussion panel.

Montreal Matters logo

The documentaries, from the Multiple Choices series. In Multiple Choices -- Families the traditional family of mom at home, dad at work, two kids and a dog living in the suburbs has given way to a host of alternatives; extended families, blended families, gay families, single parents and divorce.

Multiple Choices -- Power Lines asks the question, Can we be friends with our parents? The participants -- adults and teenagers -- confront each other about parental power, discipline and children's rights. Multiple Choices -- Community explores what kind of support families can find or create in their communities to cope with hectic urban life.

Directed by Alison Burns, the screening is sponsored by the Students' Society of McGill University and will take place in the presence of the filmmaker on Tuesday, October 28 at 7 pm at the Leacock Building, Room 26.

Healing words

Sir William Osler was a giant of medicine in his time, and Olserian medicine is a byword for patient-focused clinical care. After making his name here at McGill and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, he was appointed Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford.

On November 5, the current holder of that position -- also a Canadian -- will come to McGill to talk about the impact of modern medical research on Sir William's legacy.

John Irving Bell, who will be delivering the 27th Annual Osler Lecture, is one of the driving forces behind Oxford's "research crescent," which includes the Oxford Vaccine and Tropical Medicine Centre, the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Centre for Cell and Molecular Physiology and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics (which Bell founded in 1993).

Bell's research has largely been in genetics, but in recent years his work has turned towards what the clinical practice of genetic medicine will look like.

His talk, "Will genomics change Oslerian medicine?" promises to follow up on his recent writings, in which he has stated that the changes wrought by genomics are coming soon and that more care will be focused on the patient -- but this comes with risks.

John Irving Bell, "Will Genomics Change Oslerian Medicine," Rm 504, McIntyre Medical Building, 6 pm, November 5.

Dancing and dollars

Polish your dancing shoes -- two Centraide fundraising bops are at hand.

Tango dancers

On Nov. 13, McGill staffers Dorothy Luk and Lydia Martone are once again turning their love of dancing into one of the season's most anticipated affairs. The second annual Tango Passion unfolds from 7 pm to 11:30 pm, at the Faculty Club Ballroom.

The tangolicious event will feature fiery demonstrations by professional dancers, footwork lessons for the less gifted, and live musical numbers, not to mention assorted door prizes.

Last year, about $3,000 was raised by the chic soirée. About 250 people are expected to partake this fall. Admission is $15 or $10 for students. Cash bar available. Call 398-6565 or 398-7142 for tickets.

If you can't wait for Tango Passion, a different kind of party unfolds on Oct. 24. McGill's Golden Key Honour Society is hosting an evening at Gert's Pub (University Centre).

The event, which begins at 9 pm, will feature a DJ and specials on drinks throughout the night. Door prizes are in the offing and all proceeds go to Centraide. Admission is $4.

The parties, of course, are being thrown to help McGill meet its goal of raising $270,000 for Centraide by Dec. 1. One, two, three, dance!

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