FEBRUARY 17, 1994 ------·--· ·· --·------.:CJJ Ru:...O. B.D

0 N C 0 R D I A,S SDAY ~PORT VoL. IS FEBRUARY I7, I994 No. IS Philosophy Week panel asks questions without ready answers The hazards of driving on the electronic highway asserting philosophy's relevance to said. With Internet access, users can BY SARA IWAASA the high-tech topic. "Even within share ideas and search distant philosophy programmes and libraries. "'\ J{ ]hat is the electronic super research, we deal with such applied Atwood wondered aloud who will V V highway? How will it affect problems as technology, artificial control access to the electronic us? Who will control it? And what intelligence and bioethics," he said. superhighway. Giant communica does it have to do with philosophy? Atwood began with a simple tions companies are jockeying for As part of Philosophy Week, a explanation of the technology position, and total corporate control group of Concordia professors met behind electronic networks such as could lead to censorship and threats at Loyola last Thursday to discuss the Internet. Originally a small to individual privacy. "Public-inter the implications of the infor_mation American defence-research net est groups could well be needed to superhighway. work, the Internet now includes an counter the dominance of commer Moderated by Philosophy Profes estimated 1.3 million linked com cial interests," he said. sor Vladimir Zeem, the panel dis puters and reaches tens of millions Collins concurred. The informa cussed "The Electronic of people worldwide. tion superhighway could lead to a Superhighway: Freeway or Toll As people begin to stretch the better-informed population, or it Road?" Panelists William Atwood new electronic medium, innovative could be used to control people. "It (Computer Science), Garry Boyd uses for it will develop. For exam could go either way," she said. (Education), Louise Collins (Phi ple, Atwood recently co-wrote a Collins also raised the possibility losophy) and Dennis Murphy paper after meeting with his collab that the technology could isolate (Communication Studies) had more orators only once. "The completed people. A future in which people no questions than answers. paper was done in two months' time longer have to leave home to work, Zeem opened the discussion by with no paper being moved," he Continued on page 11 Choir-and-instrumental ensemble plays authentic early music Going for Baroque Ancienne de Montreal (SMAM), fessional Tudor Singers), they com hit the top-10 charts in France. BY SUSAN SCHUTTA has definite opinions about how mand a repertoire that spans the Yet over the last two decades, the early music should be performed. period from roughly 1550 to 1750, Studio de Musique Ancienne de used to be debates "There Montreal, which was the first pro about how to play early The SMAM is devoted to recreat including such composers as Byrd, fessional ensemble of its kind in music. Mozart, for example, has ing the authentic sound of the 16th, Bach, Handel, Biber and Mozart. Qyebec and is still fairly unusual in always been played 'big,' or 'heavy.' 17, and 18th centuries, the Renais Early music is now enjoying a North America, has produced just Now the debates are over,'' stated sance, Baroque and High Baroque surge of popularity in North Ameri one compact disc, of Franz Biber's Christopher Jackson, clearly pleased traditions. ca and Europe. Last year, the Vespers. his approach has won. Twenty-one instrumentalists and soundtrack from the film Tous !es Jackson, co-founder and artistic 18 singers (many of whom were matins du monde, featuring Jordi "A recording is a group's identity director of the Studio de Musique drawn from the now-defunct pro- Savall playing the viola de gamba, papers. It's a mark of whether you exist,'' said Jackson, not without a trace of disdain. He added reluc tantly, "We're starting a phase of recording. It's time to do more." Artificial results Jackson's reticence to record is a matter of principle. He believes that the relationship between performers and audience is irreplaceable. For him, the music industry and its dig ital editing equipment allows mediocre performances to sound first-rate. The result is not only arti ficial, it lacks the "combination of tension ·· and communication" between artist and audience which is so inspiring at live events. Baroque music was written to be heard in sprawling cathedrals or concert halls, not in living rooms, Jackson argues, and only when the Members of the Studio de Musique Ancienne, under the artistic direction of Concordia's Associate Dean of Fine Arts music is considered in its historical Christopher Jackson, in rehearsal at the downtown Church of St. John the Divine in preparation for their next Continued on page 11 concert on February 20. The group is in its twentieth concert season. Writing clearly is a tough task for some OFF UFF Students get technical to communicate better BY MICHAEL ORSINI BY ALLAN KUNI G IS Offthe Cuff is a column of opinion and insight into major issues in the news. Ifyo u are a Concordia faculty or staff member and have something to say ou're a pilot flying a plane at 20,000 feet Ywhen you discover an air-pressure prob ''off the cuff," call CTR at 848-4882. lem. You need to find out quickly and clearly how to correct the malfunction. With lives on the line, you reach for the manual and flip Cigarette smuggling wasn't legitimate way through it as the seconds tick. Examples like this show how important it is to make a living: Gerald Alfred for Engineering students to be able to write Now that the federal government has solved the so-called smuggling problem on clearly and concisely, says Corinne Jette, co Mohawk reserves, where does that leave the natives? Gazette columnist William ordinator of the in-house Technical Writing Johnson has said that the Liberal government should start talking tough with service of Concordia's Faculty of Engineering natives and cut off the funds going to the reserves "as long as they remain in a and Computer Science. "In technical writing, you need an absolute, state of insurrection. " He quotes RCMP commissioner Norman Inkster, who has universal standard," she said. said that 70 per cent of cigarettes smuggled into Canada pass through Akwesasne, Even less dramatic situations call for "clear, a reserve that straddles the Quebec-Ontario-US. border. concise, economical writing that includes Also, no money should be transferred to reserves, Johnson said, without the for every step," Jette said. "Maintenance on a mal acceptance of Canada 's constitution as a precondition to any self-government plane costs an airline money for every minute agreement. it sits on the tarmac." Professo_r Corinne Jette (above) is the co Two native leaders, Kahnawake Chief Joe Norton and Akwesasne Chief Mike Unfortunately, most Engineering and Com ordinator of Technical Writing, part of the Mitchell, have pointed to the 1794 Jay Treaty, signed between the United States puter Science students entering university are core curriculum in the Faculty of Engineering and Great Britain, as proof that natives have the right to bring in goods duty-free ill-prepared for the varied writing challenges and Computer Science. The other instructors are ·oonald MacMillan, Patrick McDonough from the United States and resell them in Canada. But although the treaty is that lie ahead. "There's a wide discrepancy. and Mary Silas. respected in the U.S. , the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1956 that it has no Some students write very well, and others just legal effect in Canada. Off the Cuff spoke to Political Science Professor Gerald don't have the skills," Jette said. Alfred, a Mohawk who lives in Kahnawake. Alfred, who teaches two courses in abo She attributes this inability to articulate proposals for funds and oral presentations. riginal politics, is doing his PhD at Cornell University in Ithaca, N. Y., on Mohawk thoughts to a shortage of time devoted to Teachers have to make the topic relevant to nationalism. basic grammar, spelling and punctuation in students from five departments - Computer high school, a lack of encouragement to read, Science, and Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and How will natives on the reserves be affected by the crackdown on cigarette overexposure to electronic media, including Building Engineering - using examples smuggling? Nintendo, and learning too many languages ranging from computer-user documentation to Mechanical Engineering's vibration analy We kriew it was coming. It was never viewed as a legitimate way of making but mastering none. sis reports. money, but our way is not to judge people unless they are affecting us negatively. "The skill level of the vast majority of stu The majority of people on the reserve saw [the cigarette trade] as a major annoy dents is so inadequate that we encourage them Techno-speak ance. There will be less money flowing to legitimate small businesses on the to take advantage of all the tutorial services They must cut through jargon that has only reserve, but the major impact will be less money being spent by cigarette sellers on they can find." worsened with "techno-speak." Students various forms of entertainment. Many students enter the first-year under "back-up" and "boot," and they all understand graduate Technical Writing course (ENCS WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get, What should we make of threats by some native leaders that natives will 281) thinking, 'What am I doing here? I'm a Science student." The first step for Jette and for the techno-illiterate.) Does "Are you begin smuggling other goods? crashed or are you just down?" refer to a plane The contraband industry has always included other products beside smokes, so it's her colleagues is to wake students up to the changing realities of the working world.

Load more