3

Frank Appleyard

Letters
A response to the SFUO president
Re: “Moving Forward”
(Letters, March 12)
DEAN HALDENBY, YOU alone are
responsible for the Student Arbitra-
tion Committee (SAC) hearing deba-
cle on March 6. A few thoughts as to
blatant inaccuracies and overreach-
ing liberties taken in your most re-
cent unofficial address to the student
population.
You were elected through a by-elec-
tion in which less than five per cent of
the student body voted and you did
not receive even close to 100 per cent
of the vote. You are not the leader or
president of the vast majority of the
student population. Do you really
believe describing yourself as “[our]
president” is an accurate reflection
of student faith in your performance
this year and in your character, ethics,
and ability to lead? Most of us didn’t
vote for you. In fact, almost all of us
didn’t vote for you.
You “made it clear” that arbitra-
tion could not continue, but did you
not make it clear that every effort was
to be made for the arbitration to pro-
ceed? Or did you immediately make
the conscious choice to leave the
student arbitrators in the middle of
a volatile, hostile situation with their
personal safety in jeopardy? Further,
did you ever offer the arbitrators
any level of support as the one per-
son who was ultimately responsible
for permitting that display of overt
intimidation to occur? You write of
your disappointment that a safe space
was not ensured, and yet you don’t
seem to accept the responsibility for
not having made this happen. You do
indeed hold the position of president
of the Student Federation of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO), so are you
not ultimately responsible for all ac-
tions resulting from the invocation of
the SFUO constitution?
You call these events something
we experienced “unfortunately”. This
term is inappropriate for the circum-
stances. Perhaps we may alternately
use the terms disgusting, unthink-
able, horrific, and terrifying. You are
responsible and accountable.
Finally, you conclude with a quote
describing students as each others’
enemies. Regardless of the circum-
stances, such a label is abhorrent,
especially from the president of a
student federation. Perhaps consider
the following instead: “Integrity is not
a 90 per cent thing, or a 95 per cent
thing; either you have it or you don’t”
(Peter Scotese). Shame on you.
Allison Enright
Third-year earth sciences student
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
RESPECT. WEBSTER’S DICTION-
ARY describes respect as esteem, re-
gard, consideration, or honour. With
respect, people with differing opin-
ions can share a calm and reasoned
discussion. With respect people can
feel free to voice their opinions with-
out fear of discrimination or humili-
ation. Respect creates a positive and
embracing environment, which in
turn fosters growth and knowledge
within the community.
March 19–25, 2009
Unfortunately, I am increasingly
finding that respect is not something
that is practised on campus. Students
disrespecting the U of O administra-
tion are supported by the SFUO, voic-
es in opposition to movements are
shut down with partisan and ignorant
comments, students protesting the
election results are humiliated, and
student movements themselves are
taking the easy and childish route of
being disruptive. We demand respect,
but why should others respect us,
when we ourselves do not practise it?
Respect does not entail that you
must agree with everyone else, it does
not mean you can’t protest anything,
and it does not mean that you must
keep your opinions to yourself! Re-
spect simply means that these things
are done in a considerate, calm, and
reasoned manner, while in turn, they
are acknowledged and listened to in
this same way.
Respect needs to be practised and
supported on this campus. Without
it, meetings will continue to descend
into chaos, defences will continue to
be put up, and opinions will be kept
silent. Let us embrace a respectful
campus: practising what we preach,
and being considerate of each other
as we discuss, learn, and grow during
our time here.
Christina Taekema
Fourth-year political science student
A poor display
IT’S WITH OUTRAGE and a great
deal of disappointment and an even
greater surprise that we are writing
this letter. But we absolutely feel that
mentioned have left numerous in
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca
piercing pain.
With the Haitian community be-
ing an unwavering part of the U of
O’s student body and the black com-
munity; the Congolese Student Asso-
ciation, the West-African Student As-
sociation, and the Kilimanjaro Black
Student Association are joining forces
to combat such despicable and disre-
spectful behavior.
It comes across as quite a surprise
to many, for a couple days earlier that
week Belvitt was heard by numerous
people firmly speaking on many “rac-
ist issues on campus”, especially those
targeted towards visible minorities
like her. We are completely horrified
by this incident and the lack of pres-
sure to condemn it by the people in
the room. In an educational institute
filled with studious young men and
women of all walks of life, events of
this genre need to be condemned
and cannot at any point be tolerated
or go scot-free. What we demand as
a community of black people and in
support to our brothers and sisters of
the Haitian community, is that Belvitt
makes an official apology to the black
community as a whole.
Her actions show that she does not
seem to be applying the same justice
and values she declared to be fight-
ing for in her election campaign. By
standing as an actor in that trial, and
then turning around and insulting
the entire Afro-community made it
seem like she blamed them for the
March 6 election hearing complaints.
Contrary to what she shouted, yes,
the members of the Afro-communi-
ty voted rationally, and did not just
Belvitt’s response
I WOULD FIRST like to begin by ad-
dressing those groups that addressed
me directly in their open letter. If my
words offended anyone, I apologize. It
would be dishonest of me to disavow
what I said, so I will not. I will simply
attempt to explain my words.
Almost three weeks ago, I was asked
to be a witness for a group of students
who appealed the SFUO elections.
When I accepted, I had never imag-
ined that such a decision would be so
controversial and that I would have
to endure personal attacks and slurs
diminishing who I am and what I
stand for. As a black woman on this
campus I know more than anyone the
struggles which minorities face every
single day. I see how black students,
among other minorities, are used to
promote certain campaigns and ac-
tivities. I see how groups such as the
Muslim Student Association and the
Kilimanjaro Black Student Associa-
tion are approached by student poli-
ticians during election campaigns for
endorsements and then ignored for
the other 11 months of the year. I was
asked to participate in videos and
posters for certain candidates, for no
other reason than for the color of my
skin and to showcase just how ‘mul-
ticultural’ and ‘open’ these candidates
are.
Over the past month, I have been
attacked by fellow black students who
have told me I am not black enough.
And why? Because one of the defen-
dants facing accusations of electoral
fraud happens to be black. Coordi-
nated attacks, such as the open letter

Contents it is both our right and the right thing

to do to share with the entire student
body what one of the newly elected
vote, as she claims, for candidates
“just because of their ethnicity”. Her
discourse is an apparent indication
sent out to the media, were done in
the attempt to discredit me, margin-
alize me, and rally support for the ac-

News Employment, impeachment candidates of the SFUO election has
said about the black communities
Plans to find new arbitrators and threat of here at U of O.
executives’ impeachment further SFUO election This incident took place right af-
appeal saga. p. 4 ter the SAC hearing which took place
March 6. Board of Administration di-
Common Law student newspaper blasted for
p. 4 “demeaning” content. p. 7
rector-elect Aminka Belvitt was heard
by many espousing her personal view
The blame game
about SFUO VP Social-elect Jean
Arts Guillaume’s supporters, other mem-
bers of the Haitian Students’ Associa-
Nick Rudiak explores the absurdity of tion, and the black community. These
Don’t Blame the Bedouins. p. 9 very same individuals were there be-
cause they too had voted and wanted
Peter Henderson interviews funnyman
Jon Lovitz. p. 14 their voice to be heard. The words
p. 9 Belvitt used were not only extremely
crude but specifically directed at the
Finishing fifth
black communities and on top of that
Sports the Haitian community members that
were present. These hurtful words she
Men’s basketball team settles for consolation
success at national championship . p. 16 Business Department
of her incompetency in being sen- cused.
sitive enough to represent an entire LETTERS continued on p. 20
student body that entrusted her to sit
in and represent them in the post she
was voted in.
This sort of behaviour is utterly
thefulcrum.ca poll
unacceptable and horrendous for any- This week’s question
one, especially someone the student
Do you believe that SFUO
body elected as their representative.
The members of the Afro-community
who felt affected by this demand that
executives voting on their
decisions be taken so that Belvitt fully SAC appeal is a conflict
fathoms the effect and consequences of interest?
to her actions to assure that justice is
served to those gravely offended.
Yes:
Haitian Students Association,
Congolese Student Association, No:
Nigerian Student Association,
Kilimanjaro Black Student Associa-
Got something to say?
tion, West African Youth Association
Send your letters to
Advertising Department editor@thefulcrum.ca

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 4
Emma Godmere

News March 19–25, 2009

News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca

BOA approves SAC hearing re-launch

Conflict of interest
allegations, impeachment
threats surface at
emergency meeting
by Emma Godmere
Fulcrum Staff

AN EMERGENCY MEETING of the of the

Student Federation of the University of Ot-
tawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA)
on March 13 resulted in a change in direction
for the current SFUO election appeal facing the
Student Arbitration Committee (SAC) and the
launch of a movement to impeach all current—
and consider impeaching next year’s—SFUO
executive members.
The emergency meeting was called in reaction
to the March 6 SAC hearing that descended into
chaos after the defendants—current VP Univer-
sity Affairs Seamus Wolfe, VP Finance Roxanne
Dubois, VP Communications Julie Séguin, and
VP Social-elect Jean Guillaume—expressed their
dissent with the SAC’s arbitration process and
left the hearing. An appeal of the SAC’s decision
to move forward with the hearing was originally
on the meeting’s agenda; however, once Wolfe
retracted his appeal, debate moved to a motion
to re-launch a reformatted SAC appeal.
The motion, put forth by SFUO President
Dean Haldenby, was passed and will bring the
appeal dealing with the alleged formation of a
slate by the defendants in February’s SFUO elec-
tions back to the SAC, while effectively relieving
photo by Martha Pearce
the current student arbitrators working on the
case. The “new” hearing will also be closed to SFUO President Dean Haldenby presents his motion at the March 13 BOA meeting while VP University Affairs Seamus Wolfe looks on.
the general public, save for those implicated in “Obviously, board members have the right to at the board saying that they don’t even think should have made that as an official decision.”
the appeal and campus media, but allows for the abstain on a vote, so we sought legal opinion on that this motion should be at the table, certainly
creation of a live-listening space for people to that issue,” he said. “The opinion of the lawyer not in its present carnation, it indicates that that The option of impeachment
watch the proceedings in real time. was that, given the time sensitivity and the judi- motion should not be passing, regardless of the
“The motion, as passed, obviously clears up ciary responsibility of the board, the vote could number of votes in favour or against,” she said. Renaud-Philippe Garner, one of the three appel-
some of the issues related to the initial commence- go forward if that was the case.” “I think there was a significant degree of conflict lants in the SFUO elections appeal, was present
ment of the arbitration that I felt were of issue and According to Haldenby, the mass abstentions of interest present around the table, and it’s cer- at the March 13 meeting and strongly believed
that the board needed to decide upon,” Haldenby were an interference tactic. tainly the reason why I, myself, chose not to vote that there existed a conflict of interest.
said. “The motivation behind it obviously was to “I had heard rumblings that certain members at all ... I question the legitimacy of [the board’s] “The defendants voted on their own trial; they
ensure that all of our constitutional provisions in were going to try and filibuster the business of decision, in particular because of the defendants just micromanaged their own judicial process,”
our section were being followed properly to ensure the board and the business of the [SFUO], and voting on it. There [were] three votes from peo- he said shortly after the meeting. “They have
that everything was fair and by the book.” therefore I spoke with Federico and told him ple who were directly involved in the case and just shown the defendants can have the arbitra-
that and he asked me to garner a legal opinion that was completely unjustified.” tors changed for their own case if it doesn’t suit
Motion passes, despite abstentions on exactly whether or not such a move could be Wolfe, Dubois, and Séguin—who all have seats them ... This is nothing short of corruption, and
... used,” he said. “So I did ... and Federico, with- on the BOA—are defendants in the election ap- we’re going to start impeachment procedures
More than one-third of BOA directors abstained in his right, used that opinion to rule as chair peal. All voted in favour of Haldenby’s motion. for every single last member of the executive
from voting on the motion—which, accord- on that motion, to favour the motion. I find it Séguin indicated her belief that no conflict of in- who voted on their own procedure.”
ing to the SFUO’s constitution, forces the mo- unfortunate that certain members are trying to terest existed for those involved in the appeal. Third-year earth sciences student Allison En-
tion to be brought back to debate. On a second uphold the process of the board and I hope that “I can say for sure that I didn’t feel like the right, who was also in attendance, launched an
vote, over one-third of directors abstained once they do realize the error of their ways.” motion on the table was at the advantage of online petition seeking to bring the question of
again—and according to the constitution, if this [either] the [appellants] or the defendants,” she impeaching all of the current SFUO executives
occurs twice in a row, the motion should be Conflict of interest said. “Almost 20 people around the table had a to students via a referendum.
“deferred for consideration to the next regular direct link to that motion, but not necessarily “I feel that each individual member of the ex-
meeting of the Board of Administration”. How- BOA Faculty of Social Sciences director Amy a gain. I don’t think I had something to gain; ecutive compromised their ethics in the vote on
ever, BOA chair Federico Carvajal ruled that the Kishek abstained from both votes and explained I think that, as a director, it was a time for me Friday night at the emergency BOA meeting and
motion passed—regardless of the abstentions— that her implication in the election appeal forced to basically do my role as a director and choose I don’t feel that they have the confidence of the
citing the time-sensitive nature of the motion her to do so. something that’s going to be fair, and I thought student body anymore,” she explained. “I think
and support from the SFUO’s legal counsel. “When you have ... over a third of members that was the fair thing to do.” the petition demands that the question be asked

“I think there was a significant degree of

Séguin emphasized that the original SAC whether or not we have the confidence in them,
arbitration process was unfair and therefore so it should be going to a vote by the students

conflict of interest present around the table.” needed to change.

“I did read the report about the response of the
Amy Kishek Student Arbitration Committee,” she continued,
referring to the SAC’s official decision to move
BOA Faculty of Social Sciences director forward with the original hearing. “I don’t agree
with any of it at all and I don’t even think that they
directly at this point.”
Enright hopes to collect the 1,500 required
signatures within the next several weeks in or-
der to launch a referendum before the end of
the academic year. The petition can be found at
petitiononline.com/UO0309/petition.html.
 U of O agrees to
negotiation process
with Rancourt
Administration gives
deadline of March 31 to
complete negotiations
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staff
AT 9 A.M. on March 17, there were more re-
porters than students in the lobby of Tabaret
Hall. Extensive national and international me-
dia coverage surrounding Denis Rancour—the
tenured University of Ottawa physics professor
suspended in December for awarding only A+
grades in a winter 2008 fourth-year physics
course—and his dismissal case lured the CTV,
CBC, and several student journalists from both
the U of O and Carleton University to campus
to await the outcome of the meeting.
On the lower level of Tabaret Hall, Rancourt
was participating in the final of four meet-
ings attempting to reach a settlement with the
university. Also present at the meeting was a
representative from the Association of Profes-
sors of the University of Ottawa, Dean of Sci-
ence André Lalonde, and a liaison officer for
the university. The outcome: the administra-
tion indicated a willingness to negotiate with
Rancourt, but only under strict conditions and
only if the negotiation process is completed
before the next meeting of the Executive Com-
mittee of the Board of Governors (BOG) at the
end of the month.
During the meeting Rancourt put forward
his proposal for reconciliation—previously
made public—entitled “Will grade for food:
but will not end dissent” in which he propos-
es to “do [his] grading in the most open way
possible, in the most open way ever done by
any tenured professor”. The proposal was in
response to the U of O’s official Feb. 6 press re-
lease citing “assigning a grade of A+ to all stu-
dents” as grounds for Rancourt’s suspension.
While the meeting was in progress, Taba-
ret Hall steadily filled with Rancourt’s student



supporters, community members, and the cu-
rious. Deregistered physics student Marc Kelly,
a former student of Rancourt’s, approached a
microphone that faced the crowd with a large
yellow box over his head, which featured U of
O President Allan Rock’s photocopied face on
all sides. He proceeded to ‘speak’ as the presi-
dent of the university to a crowd of about 60
by playing a recording of a low, distorted voice.
The voice was often incoherent, but comments
including “the integrity of the university can-
not be trusted” could be heard from the gar-
bled recording.
Following Kelly’s appearance, Rancourt’s
supporters spoke at length about their dedica-
tion to the man and his ideas, and the unjust
nature of his suspension.
“Denis Rancourt is a radical in a world where


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it seems like there are so few radicals left,” said
If you’re reading this, you have the attention to
detail we need in our proofreaders.
Come to 631 King Edward Ave. on Tuesday evenings to keep the Fulcrum error-free.
Mireille Gervais, coordinator of the Student
Federation of the University of Ottawa’s Stu-
dent Appeal Centre.
Of the many supporters present were twin
boys Sebastian and Douglas Foster, who made
headlines in September 2006 when the then-
10-year-olds were enrolled in Science and So-
ciety, a course on science and social activism
taught by Rancourt, with their mother, U of O
student Wendy Foster.
“It’s an embarrassment to the university,” said
Sebastian, currently in Grade 7, when asked
about his thoughts on the situation facing Ran-
court. His mother was similarly adamant.
“I know that [the university is] definitely be-
ing unfair to [Rancourt],” she said.
When Rancourt emerged from the meet-
ing about an hour after supporters began their
rally, he announced to the crowd that the ad-
ministration indicated that they were prepared
for a negotiation process.
“[The university] basically said, ‘we will me-
diate, but under these very strict conditions’,”
he said. Without outlining all conditions, he
spoke at length about the university’s request
photo by Alex Martin
to view the final exams of PHY4385-5100, the
Suspended physics professor Denis Rancourt speaks to supporters and media on March 17.
course in which the suspect A+s were given—
exams that included written comments from
students on their impressions of the course.
“[It] puts me in a very difficult situation be- The
cause if I were to follow that condition I would knowledge
need to break the professional promise that I to compete
Sprott MBA
made to students during the course,” Rancourt
said, “which was that I would not allow the ad-
ministration to see their exam copies ... includ-
ing in that their personal comments.
“I believe that the conditions that are being
imposed ... are basically saying we’re not inter-
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31], and you’re out,” he said.
Graduate student Sean Kelly, one of three – Financial Management
plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the U of O – International Business
for damages incurred due to the suspension of – Management & Change
Rancourt and the closure of his laboratory, was – Technology Management
surprised by the administration’s decision.
“I thought that they were just going to stone t
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ations with other unions, putting [forward]
ridiculous conditions to cause mediations to Take your career to the next level with
fail,” he said. the knowledge to compete.
Rock was brief in his reaction to the day’s
proceedings. sprott.carleton.ca/mba
“Today there was a procedure in connection
with his collective agreement process,” he said.
“The ball’s in his court; we responded to the of-
fer he made, and put an offer to him, and now
we’re just awaiting his response and that pro-
cess is just following its usual course.” Next Information Sessions:
The Executive Committee of the BOG will
meet and is expected to discuss Rancourt’s ne- .BS

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Reserve your place today!
mba_info@sprott.carleton.ca 613-520-2807
www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.19.09 // NEWS // 5
Province grants grad money
by Amanda Shendruk
Fulcrum Staff
THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL govern-
ment has allocated $51 million in oper-
ating funding for 3,300 graduate student
positions across the province, with at least
277 funded spots at the U of O, the univer-
sity announced on March 2.
This spending is part of the Reach-
As part of the Reaching Higher package,
the U of O will also receive a small capital
allotment for each funded student position.
Capital funding is used for such things as
renovation and construction projects.
The U of O’s annual capital spending is
significantly greater than the Ontario gov-
ernment’s allocation.
“During the 2008–09 academic year,
the U of O’s capital spending was well in
set into graduate-specific space, Dupuis
stressed that the university is far from
having adequate space for the current
number of enrolled graduate students.
“I think we probably should have wait-
ed for this expansion. I don’t think we’re
ready for it,” he said. “I think if we had
invested those kinds of sums in improv-
ing the student experience we would have
gotten more ahead. I’m not sure that this

ing Higher plan, a multi-year investment
in post-secondary education launched
in 2005 by Ontario Premier Dalton
McGuinty. By the 2009–10 academic year,
provincial investments in colleges, univer-
sities, and training will reach $6.2 billion.
Doing
excess of $30 [million] while the provin- is all an expansion that’s in good faith.”
cial capital allocation was $3.3 [million] in
total to cover both ‘deferred maintenance’
and graduate study spaces,” wrote Simon.
“So any minor capital funding adjust-
ments to the provincial allocation [from is the new

For the 277 spaces at the U of O, operat-
ing funds will depend on both the num-
ber of Master’s and doctoral students, and
their programs of study. Operating funds
cover salaries, supplies, and other expens-
es incurred in the expansion process.
“This additional operating funding
should amount to approximately $5 [mil-
lion] annually when the enrolment targets
are met, which should take two or three
years,” U of O VP Resources Victor Simon
explained in an email.
The U of O is focused on graduate ex-
pansion. In 2002, 1,841 full-time Master’s
students and 541 full-time doctoral stu-
dents walked the halls of the university. By
2011, these numbers are expected to climb
to about 2,856 full-time Master’s students
and 1,073 full-time doctoral students.
learning
the recently announced funding] will as-
sist in closing that gap, as we enter difficult
and challenging financial and economic
times.”
Serge Dupuis, university affairs com- volunteer@thefulcrum.ca
missioner for the Graduate Students’ As-
sociation, isn’t convinced that the funded
graduate expansion is a good thing.
“We’re creating these new spaces but
we’re not necessarily creating the infra-
structure to support it,” he said. “We’re
going to create more student places before
we’ve actually caught up to the amount of
students that we have now, so I see that as
kind of problematic.”
Sufficient study and work space has
been an ongoing problem for graduate
students at the U of O. Despite the recent
conversion of the sixth floor of Moris-

6 \\ NEWS \\ 03.19.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

 Law student newspaper blasted for ‘offensive’ content
Faculty, students
outraged at Inter Pares
column
by Emma Godmere
and Laura Clementson
Fulcrum Staff
INDEPENDENT COMMON LAW student
newspaper Inter Pares has been blasted by many
in the University of Ottawa community for print-
ing “offensive” content in its March 3 issue.
Inter Pares, which produces seven issues a
year, published a satirical column entitled “The
Guys’ Corner: Figuring Women Out, One Pa-
thetic Blunder at a Time” which aimed to advise
male law students on how to attract women.
In one instance, the author—writing under a
pseudonym according to a March 16 Ottawa
Citizen article—refers to “disclosing one’s status
as a law student, for the purpose of serving as
a catalyst (in lieu of tequila) for getting shizzy
with the nizzy.” Faculty members and students
have taken issue with the statement, believing it
incites rape.
In an email sent to staff and students in the
Faculty of Law on March 12, Dean of Common
The Fulcrum is hiring
for the 2009–10
publishing year
If you are interested in the following
positions:
Associate News Editor
Volunteer and Visibility Coordinator
Copy Editor (Two positions available)
Webmaster
Contact news@thefulcrum.ca for more
information or to apply.
Applications are due April 10 at 5 p.m. Email
a cover letter, resumé, and clippings (if ap-
plicable) to news@thefulcrum.ca or drop
them off at 631 King Edward Ave.
Law Bruce Feldthusen expressed his disappoint-
ment with the article.
“As many of you know, the [March 3] issue of
Inter Pares contains what can only be described
euphemistically as an offensive article, [and] de-
meaning to women,” he wrote. “I am writing to
you simply to say that the administration, fac-
ulty, and staff of Common Law is committed to
creating and maintaining an atmosphere that is
free from all forms of unlawful and unaccept-
able discrimination.”
Feldthusen indicated that the faculty would
be looking into reconciliatory and preventative
measures for the newspaper.
“We will take whatever steps we can to edu-
cate the editors about their journalistic respon-
sibilities, and to insure that policies are put into
place to prevent a recurrence,” he continued. “If
we are unable to achieve a level of confidence
that this will not happen again (as it has hap-
pened on other occasions in the past) we will re-
view the limited connection that presently exists
between Inter Pares and the faculty ... I am very
encouraged by the widespread, strong, and ar-
ticulate criticism from fellow students that this
publication has attracted. I believe that student
intervention on this matter will prove more ef-
fective than anything the administration can do.
That said, we intend to do our part.”
Noah Arshinoff, a law student and associate
editor at Inter Pares, expressed that some of the
criticism and response the editors have received
from both faculty and students has been threat-
ening in nature.
“It got blown up to the point where there were
threats and personal attacks, which is not really
the standard I’d hold a university faculty to,” he
said. “One prof in particular is attempting to
force us to run his response to it, which is person-
ally attacking [and claiming] myself and others
of being pro-rape and obviously [not] victims of
sexual assault, and it’s kind of astonishing to me
that he thinks its appropriate to force the publish-
ing of an overtly defamatory article.
“Overall, I have no problem admitting an
error in judgment in publishing an article,” he
continued. “My problem has nothing to do with
the way that people have reacted to it; it’s the
way that the faculty has actually handled the
situation ... we’re going to publish an apology ...
and publish people’s responses to it, and that’s
that.”
The Student Federation of the University of
Ottawa’s Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) drew
parallels between the Inter Pares article and the
March 2008 controversy surrounding content
deemed offensive and misogynistic printed in
the Engineering Students Society’s student-run
News in brief
U-Pass defeated for second time at
City Council
OTTAWA CITY COUNCILLORS voted against
reconsidering the University of Ottawa’s U-Pass
pilot project when it was presented at a March
11 City Council meeting. The project failed dur-
ing a vote in December 2008, but was brought
back to the council’s attention after it was unani-
mously supported by the city’s transit commit-
tee on March 4.
The U-Pass, which was approved by 73 per
cent of voting U of O undergraduates in a 2007
referendum, would have seen more than 24,000
full-time students pay $125 per semester for an
OC Transpo bus pass.
Since the project’s debut at City Hall, council-
lors have argued that students should pay $196
per semester to balance the costs of the pilot
project. The Student Federation of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa (SFUO) rejected raising the fee,
but remains committed to pursuing the project.
“We will return to the negotiating table with
the City and OC Transpo to find a workable
program,” said Ted Horton, SFUO vp university
affairs-elect and long-time project volunteer.
“We have support from all parties. We simply
need the terms that are acceptable to everyone.”
The university will survey students in No-
vember 2009 to determine their transportation
Staff meetings
Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
THE
Drop by FULCRUM
631 King Edward Ave.
and pick up a story.
www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.19.09 //
Oral Otis.
“This type of discourse is reductive and tired.
We are growing weary of having to continu-
ally address these sorts of problems on campus
(within student publications) every year,” the
WRC said in a collective statement emailed
to the Fulcrum. “On the heels of the Oral Otis
fiasco, which happened around this time last
year, this article demonstrates that sexist and
patriarchal attitudes continue to exist within
our society, and more specifically, within our
university community. Inter Pares or any news-
paper should not have the right to insinuate that
practicing sexually coercive behavior is accept-
able or appropriate, even when it is written in a
supposedly ‘humorous’ fashion.”
Feldthusen reiterated that the faculty is look-
ing to take action on the issue.
“A small ad hoc committee of professors and
staff are meeting with the editorial board to de-
termine what steps must be taken to [ensure]
that this is not repeated,” he wrote to the Ful-
crum in an email. “The meetings are continuing
and no decisions have been taken yet. Interfer-
ing with the distribution of a student newspaper
would be the last resort. We prefer to see if edu-
cation and goodwill will prevail.”
The next issue of Inter Pares is expected to hit
stands by the end of the month.
needs and the long-term impact of the recent
51-day strike on student ridership.
“If anything, the strike has increased the need
for a U-Pass as a means to encourage students to
use a valuable service in an affordable manner,”
said Horton.
—Len Smirnov
Calgary college launches tuition-free
nursing program
EDMONTON (CUP) – BOW VALLEY COL-
LEGE, an institution which specializes in Eng-
lish as a second language, is introducing a free
pilot program designed to help immigrants with
a nursing degree upgrade their skills and find
employment in Canada.
With funding for the first two terms of the
project coming from Alberta Employment and
Immigration, students who apply will be not be
burdened by the cost of tuition as they work to-
wards developing their knowledge of the coun-
try’s health-care system.
After completing the pilot period, the goal
is to have the 20-month program sustain itself
through enrolment fees. There are currently 30
students enrolled for May, and there are plans to
have another enrolment period in January 2010.
—Kirsten Goruk,
Alberta and Northern Bureau Chief
NEWS // 7

Arts & Culture
Desert drama, sexy Stalin
A comedian’s revival
Jon Lovitz finally
gets around to
stand-up
by Peter Henderson
Fulcrum Staff
JON LOVITZ IS nervous. His years of
experience in television, movies, and
sketch comedy didn’t prepare him
for his biggest challenge yet: stand-
ing alone in front of an audience and
trying to make them laugh. Although
he started doing sketch comedy in his
college years, the 51-year-old Lovitz
didn’t make the jump to doing stand-
up until 2004.
“I never tried stand-up, I was just
too nervous,” he explains. “Finally,
about five years ago, the movie roles
were slowing [down] and I didn’t want
to sell my house so I thought I’d better
find another way to make money.”
Lovitz is currently touring across
North America with an act that com-
ments on sex, politics, and religion.
Though he’s new to stand-up, Lovitz
has had a long career in show busi-
ness. He got his start on Saturday
Night Live (SNL) in 1985, and contin-
ued on to roles in The Wedding Singer,
High School High, and Rat Race. He’s
also had starring roles on television
photo by Martha Pearce
shows like Newsradio and the ani-
mated comedy The Critic, as well as a
famous turn as the voice of the lech-
erous Artie Ziff on The Simpsons. His
versatility has allowed him to work
as a dramatic actor, a funnyman, and
a voice-over artist, but he’s most fa-
mous for his unique nasal voice.
“I never thought my voice was dis-
tinctive at all,” says Lovitz. “I grew up in
Los Angeles, and I’d hear these actors
with deep, rich voices, and I’d think
‘What a great voice’. People would say
‘You’ve got a distinctive voice’ and I’d
think ‘I do?’ I never noticed it, never!
I wasn’t trying to have a distinctive
voice, I was just speaking.”
As a kid, Lovitz idolized Woody
Allen, and remembers the exact mo-
ment he decided to become a comic.
“I saw [Allen’s] movie Take the
Money and Run when I was 13, and
I said, ‘I want to be a comedian like
him.’”
Lovitz attended the University of
California at Irvine and graduated
with a degree in drama. After a stint
with the Groundlings—the famous
Los Angeles-based improvisational
comedy troupe that counts Will Fer-
rell, Conan O’Brien, and Phil Hart-
man among its alumni—Lovitz
became a cast member of the long-
running NBC sketch show SNL.
“I never, ever thought I’d be on
March 19–25, 2009
Don’t Blame the
Bedouins premieres
at the U of O
by Nick Rudiak
Fulcrum Staff
DON’T BLAME THE Bedouins is, at
the very least, hard to explain. Two
trains barrel toward each other on the
same piece of track in the Australian
desert, one driven by Santa Claus and
the other by a sultry female Stalin.
Tied to the track halfway between
these two trains is an Italian sopra-
no, whose only salvation may be the
German muscle man watching from
the mountains above. And there’s a
myopic student wandering the desert
nearby. This brief summary doesn’t
even begin to describe the depths of
absurdity in Canadian playwright
René-Daniel Dubois’ play.
Don’t Blame the Bedouins, playing
at the University of Ottawa’s Academ-
ic Hall until March 21, is a English
translation of Dubois’ French play Ne
blâmez jamais les Bédouins, though it
also includes lines in French, Man-
darin, German, Arabic, Russian, and
Italian. The play is a complex critique
of power struggles and war, and it
won the Governor-General’s Award
SNL,” says Lovitz. “I couldn’t believe
it when I got it. It was amazing. It
was very thrilling—I had an office in
Rockefeller Center!”
He spent five seasons doing sketch
comedy on SNL, but Lovitz still shied
away from stand-up. During his time
on the show he worked with many
other comedians who had gotten their
start doing stand-up, including Chris
Rock, Dana Carvey, and Kevin Neal-
on. Though surrounded by stand-up
comedians, Lovitz still couldn’t find
the nerve to commit to the stage.
“[Nerves] were the reason I took
so long to do it,” he says. “You’re on-
stage by yourself, there’s just nothing
but you. It takes a lot of guts just to
get up [there]. Anybody, I don’t care
if they’re good or not, if they can get
up and do that, they’re courageous. It
took me 20 years!”
He finally found the nerve to start
doing stand-up in 2004, and not just
because of the economic imperative.
Lovitz wanted to challenge himself,
and he set out to do a routine at some
local clubs in his hometown of Los
Angeles. He remembers the one piece
of advice that helped him get over his
crushing stage fright.
“Dana Carvey, who does great
stand-up and [is] one of my best
friends, said ‘Just keep getting up, and
eventually it goes away,’” Lovitz re-
Peter Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca
for French theatre in 1984.
“This was written in the mid ‘80s,
during the Cold War,” explains direc-
tor Kevin Orr, a professor of theatre
at the U of O. “The two trains facing
off against each other are being con-
ducted by Santa Claus and Stalin,
who represent the conflict between
the West and the [Communist] East.
Inside of that is the subplot, where the
three characters exist in a single mo-
ment and have to grow into one big
monster to stop the monster of prog-
ress that the trains represent.”
In addition to being deeply rep-
resentative of the balance of power
and progress, Orr jokes that there are
“about 270” other different themes
and complexities within the work.
Many of these intricacies are brought
to the fore in Orr’s highly conceptual
take on a very strange play.
The set for Don’t Blame the Bed-
ouins is composed of several ladders,
which are used by the actors to cre-
ate mountains, railroad tracks, and a
myriad of other settings. Images are
projected on the backdrop, which
interacts with the characters as the
story evolves.
“The basic idea for the set came
from my set designer, Margaret
Coderre-Williams [who is also chair
of the Theatre Dept. at U of O],” ex-
plains Orr. “Since it has Santa Claus
calls. “It’s four little steps to get to the
stage, and they’re the hardest steps to
walk up.”
Though it took him decades to
start doing stand-up comedy, his re-
cent career shift reminded Lovitz of
the thrill of writing and performing
his own material, something he culti-
vated during his years on SNL.
“With Saturday Night Live I got to
9
and all these other crazy characters,
we wanted to make the stage look like
a graphic novel, following the linear
lines of a page, and paying careful
attention to the colours of the stage
[and] the costumes.”
The U of O performance won’t be
the only time you can catch Don’t
Blame the Bedouins. The troupe will
perform the show in Ottawa again
June 5–6 at the Magnetic North The-
atre Festival.
“Magnetic North will be a really
great opportunity for the performers,”
says stage manager Brittany Jukes.
“It’s a national festival and we’re hope-
ful that the playwright will attend, but
right now we’re focusing on getting
through this run.”
Although the play is bizarre, as-
sistant director Jamie Bell thinks that
Don’t Blame the Bedouins is a terrific
opportunity for the U of O’s theatre
department to let loose and test their
boundaries.
“A lot of [the theatre] we produce
at the U of O is kind of inside the box
and realistic,” she says. “But this [play]
is a whole different ballgame.”
Don’t Blame the Bedouins runs un-
til March 21 at Academic Hall (133
Seraphin-Marion). Tickets are $8 for
students. For tickets call the Theatre
Department at (613) 562-5761.
photo courtesy Jon Lovitz
write and perform my own material,
and now I get to do that again,” says
Lovitz. “It just keeps getting more
fun, because I just keep getting more
confident and relaxed.”
Jon Lovitz performs at the Cen-
trepointe Theatre March 20 at 7:30
p.m. For more information and tickets,
visit centrepointetheatre.com.
Album reviews
IF BLADE RUNNER had a club scene, the two
dudes in TMDP would be the DJs. The Toron-
to-based duo’s self-titled debut blends funk,
synth-pop, and electronica to create a sound
somewhere between Daft Punk and New Order.
The album’s synthesizer melodies are blended
seamlessly with funk guitar and electro-bass
lines—there is no singing on the album—giv-
ing it a distinct 80s movie soundtrack feel. The
electronic intro and pounding beat of “Glades”
and the distorted, 8-bit sounding “Balcone” are
made for getting your groove on, but on songs
like “Heat” and “Too Much”, the duo switches

A
gears with a relaxed, down-tempo feel. Though
TMDP
lacking radio-ready hits, TMDP is an incred-
TMDP ible debut album from start to finish, one that
breathes more awesomeness into Canadian
electronic music.
—Julian Blizzard

REMEMBER SOUNDGARDEN? THE heavi-

est of the big early-90s grunge bands combined
Black Sabbath-influenced metal with a more
polished alt-rock sound. Fronting the group
was vocalist Chris Cornell; part Robert Plant,
part escaped lunatic, in his prime he was one of
the most distinctive and versatile voices in rock.
So, what the hell is Scream? The whole idea of
a rocker like Cornell working with too-prolific
producer Timbaland and Justin Timberlake
feels like some kind of surrealistic nightmare.
The whole thing feels more like a comedy al-
bum than an artistic statement. On songs like
Chris Cornell
D-
the atrocious and overblown “Part of Me” and
Scream the equally awful (and misleadingly named)
title track, Cornell mumbles into an Auto-tune
vocoder stolen from Kanye West. Timbaland
drops his once revolutionary but now conven-
tional spaced-out dance beats under all of the
songs, and Cornell’s off-beat ‘N Sync-inspired
ramblings fit so poorly against the music that
the whole album sounds like a toddler’s experi-
ment with a My First DJ playset. Like Joaquin
Pheonix’s insane career moves as of late, it’s hard
to tell if Scream is a joke or not. If it isn’t, per-
haps Phoenix and Cornell can collaborate on
what surely would be the most awkward pop
album ever.
—Nick Rudiak

THE THREE SASKATCHEWANIANS behind

the inaccurately named Ultimate Power Duo
return with their self-proclaimed style of “de-
molition rock” on their second LP, New Normal.
With influences including Pixies, the Who, and
the Ramones, the band is aiming an all-out as-
sault at your eardrums. From the spectacular
melodies on the opener “Count Chocula” to the
awesome finale of the title track, the album suc-
cessfully forges a party-punk atmosphere that
makes you want to paint your bedroom walls
black and push your grandmother into a mosh
pit. Although songs like “John’s On Acid” and
Ultimate Power Duo
B+
“Noam Disco” are conventional and boring
New Normal punk-by-numbers, the rest of New Normal is
full of crunchy licks and playful lyrics. The al-
bum puts the raw back in rock.
—Julian Blizzard

10 \\ ARTS \\ 03.19.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

 Canada’s best and brightest
CBC Literary Awards
honour human geographer,
Indian immigrant, poet
by Justin Bromberg
The Link

MONTREAL (CUP) – TO BORROW A line

from Shakespeare: “A rose by any other name
would still smell as sweet.” Would a writer by
any other name, then, still write as well?
If the winners of the 2008 CBC/Radio-Cana-
da Literary Awards are any indication, it’s a re-
minder that one should never judge a book by
its cover.
This year’s award ceremony was held Feb. 26
at the Montreal Opus Hotel, honouring a host of
writers from across the country. Four winners—
two English and two French—were selected in
three categories: poetry, short story, and creative
non-fiction. The purse for first prize was $6,000,
while second-prize winners took home a cheque
for $4,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for
the Arts. All winning entries will be published
in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine.
Submissions were accepted from across the
country, which perhaps explains the diversity of
the winners’ professions. photo by Justin Bromberg
“We artists ... we’re the people; we’re the sol-
Hosts Shelagh Rogers (left) and Christiane Charette share a laugh during their opening speech.
diers; the ones who say: ‘Wake up!’” says Sue
Goyette, the first-prize poetry winner, a creative natic music—a form of South Indian classical fiction. Every sentence in this [story] is based B.C., in 2008. Though de Leeuw is also a poet,
writing professor and active community mem- music—and to present an image of South In- on a real moment.” creative non-fiction is her preferred genre.
ber in her native Halifax. “And it’s a challenging dian women that differed from “a kind of self- Over in the non-fiction category, first-prize “I’m an academic so I have to write boring,”
time to make art, so whenever I get an opportu- sacrificing image”. winner Sarah de Leeuw was celebrating her un- she says. “You get to be inspired by events in real
nity to give a lecture, or a reading, I always say “There’s a sense, though you have to guess, expected first-place finish in the creative section. life, but have to aestheticize them.”
that art is a really important thing.” that they’re discovering India with an eye that’s A native of northern British Columbia, de Leeuw “But with the Columbus Hotel and the trag-
She describes her winning entry, “Outskirts” different from [the] Indian [perspective],” Kola- is a human geographer who teaches in the medi- edy that ensued, I followed it particularly [close-
as “a series of poems dealing with the loss of nad says about her story’s two main characters. cal program at the University of Northern Brit- ly] because I have a great interest in marginal-
darkness; literally and metaphorically the loss of “That’s something that happened to me when I ish Columbia. Human geography isn’t a common ization. Which is something I think Canadians
our wilderness. We’ve covered a lot of land in visited India.” term, and de Leeuw takes time to define it. should take more notice [of], especially in a
our sprawl, and I’ve just noticed that it’s a chal- Her work is a self-professed “fictionalized “Well, if a historian studies time as a basic so- country as rich as Canada.”
lenge to find places that are dark, and silent, and memoir,” which takes its inspiration from ele- cial concept, geographers study space,” says de Other winners include Denise Ryan, who fin-
untouched.” ments of the author’s life. Leeuw. “We are interested in human interactions, ished second in the English creative non-fiction
In the short story category, second prize “One of the things that fiction allows you is relationships … the way that space makes us who category for her work My Father, Smoking; Jim
went to Gitanjali Kolanad. Born in India, Ko- that you don’t have to stick to time frames, so I we are, and how we make space human.” Johnstone, who placed second in English poetry
lanad grew up in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. guess that’s the kind of license I wanted. But on Her winning piece, “Columbus Burning,” for his collection Invertebrate Poems; and Claire
The inspiration for her story, “The American the other hand, it’s very important to say that describes the events surrounding a fire that de- Battershill, who finished first in the English
Girl” came from her desire to write about Car- things like this happen, that this is not science stroyed the Columbus Hotel in Prince George, short story category for her story “Circus”.

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.19.09 // ARTS // 11

Chewing gum Gummy origins
Gum has a colourful history that reaches back to
prehistoric people first discovered the habit of
resin—a thick, sticky liquid secreted by conifero
Swedish archeologists happened upon a wad of

chronicles
with honey. The ancient gum was estimated to be
years old and had the teeth marks of a prehistor
Archeologists have discovered that the habit
was an international affair. The ancient Greeks
tree sap to clean their teeth and freshen their
second-century Mayans of Central America we
ing on a particular type of resin—chicle. Nativ
joyed chewing resin found on the bark of spruc
the early settlers of New England arrived, they
Dissecting the colourful touch of beeswax to the resin in order to soften
The International Chewing Gum Association

history of the chewy stuff ganization of worldwide gum manufacturers an

pliers formed to present a united voice on gum r
the globe. According to Stefan Pfander, preside
by Megan O’Meara candy was commercialized in the 19th century b
“Inventor Thomas Adams was hired [by the g
Fulcrum Staff quered the Alamo, Antonio Lopez de Santa Ann
velop a new type of rubber using the gummy s
Pfander explained. “Try as he might, Adams wa

E
VERY YEAR, BUBBLE gum enthusiasts around the world
celebrate Bubble gum Week in the second week of March.
While chewing on a piece of a gum is a regular action for stu-
dents, many know little about the history of the tasty candy.
Gum—or a variation of it—has been a part of human existence
for thousands of years. Its appealing history warrants an in depth look
into the sticky substance that is gum.
page 12 | the fulcrum
his experiments but recognized the potential chi
uct that was chewed. Out of his experiments ca
York No. 1, the first modern chewing gum.”
Closer to the 20th century, gum manufacturi
popular, with companies like Wrigley’s and F
opening and mass-producing the treat and givin
of flavours—spearmint, tropical fruit, and cinnam
ers. In 1906, Frank Henry Fleer, founder of Fl
invented bubble gum—a stickier, more flexible
which could be blown into bubbles. Fleer called
Blabber. Unfortunately, consumers found his fo
and the gum never got distributed.
It took inventors 22 years to find perfect the r
emer, a 23-year-old accountant working at the Fl
had been playing around with gum recipes
he happened upon the unique recip
sought-after bubble gum in 1928.
tic pink of bubble gum also happe
it was the only food colouring ava
at the time.
Fleer named Diemer’s creation
and the gum exploded onto the ma
US$1.5 million worth in its first year alone—a su
in the 1920s. While selling his creation, Deimer p
salesmen how to blow bubbles with the gum so t
turn teach customers. Dubble Bubble ruled the
despite the fact that Deimer never patented h
mistake proved costly as other brands of bubb
 s pop up, taking customers away from Dubble Bubble and the Fleer “I grew up in the 1960s when trading cards amongst us kids

o 7,000 BCE when

Corporation. With the emergence of a wider range of flavours
and the sugary new bubble gum, the chewing-gum industry had
were popular: baseball cards, sports car cards, monster cards,
Wacky Packs, you name it,” Wardlaw said in an interview with
Chewing gum
chewing on tree
ous trees. In 1993,
begun its incredible ascent. the Fulcrum. “My personal favorite: The Beatles collectible cards.
Half the fun of a new batch of trading cards was chewing that flat, facts
f resin sweetened Bubble gum and baseball stiff, powdered-sugared rectangle of gum while shuffling through
e more than 9,000 the photos of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.” The record for the largest
ric teenager on it. From the 1930s onward, gum and trading cards were known
t of gum chewing as a two-for-one deal. Over the years, the faces of famous Ma-
A little chewing bubble gum bubble is an
used to chew on jor League Baseball stars, the Beatles, and even Clark Gable and enormous 23 inches in
breath while the Marilyn Monroe have helped tie bubble gum to the pop culture goes a long way
ere fond of chew- of the times. diameter, held by
ve Americans en- Before the 1930s, baseball cards were distributed in cigarette According to Wardlaw, the worldwide gum industry was worth
ce trees and when cartons. Trading card companies stepped away from being linked an incredible US$20 billion in 2007—not bad for a product that
American Susan Williams.
added their own with tobacco in order to focus solely on the child demographic costs a buck or two a pack. In fact, while researching for her book,
the treat. associated with the trading cards, and turned to bubble gum in Wardlaw found that when the economy takes a dive, gum sales
n (ICGA) is an or- order to attract children. In 1933, Goudey usually rise. In 1944, a man from
d ingredient sup- Gum Company came out with their gum, Gum is popular for a number of rea- Pennsylvania lost some
regulations across Big League Chewing Gum, and were the sons but few people know the benefits. A
ent of ICGA, the first to sell bubble gum packaged with 2000 study completed by the Mayo Clinic teeth when the piece
by happenstance. baseball cards. in Rochester, Minnesota found that chew- of bubble gum he was
general who con- Writer Paul Sommers researched the ing gum relieves stress by releasing pent-up
na] in 1869 to de- emergence of baseball cards and bubble energy. Wardlaw discovered the correla- chewing inexplicably
substance chicle,” gum for his 1992 book Diamonds Are For- tion between chewing gum and stress relief exploded.
as unsuccessful in ever. when researching for her book.
icle had as a prod- “The 1930s manufacturers of chewing “Gum chewing helps to relieve stress and
ame Adams New gum in particular saw the player cards’ anxiety,” she said. “More teachers should
special potential as reliable promotional allow their students to chew gum (quietly,
The longest gum-
ing became more vehicles for selling gum to kids and began of course) during tests. They might be sur- wrapper chain ever
leer Corporation in earnest to supply such cards with their prised by the improved test scores.”
ng it a wider range wares,” he wrote. A 2002 study completed by the Cognitive made was constructed
mon, among oth- World War Two halted the production Research Unit in London, England looked by Gary Duschl from
leer Corporation, of baseball cards due to the rationing of at the mental benefits of chewing gum. The
and sugary gum paper products, but in the 1950s the Topps scientists discovered that the chewing pro- Virginia Beach, Virginia
his gum Blibber- Company gained control of the market. cess helped increase both short- and long- in 2007 and is an
ormula too sticky The company had developed a new style term memory by up to 35 per cent.
for the cards with the picture of the player “The results were extremely clear; specif- incredible 8.13 miles long.
recipe. Walter Di- on one side and statistics on the back, a ically we found that chewing gum targeted
leer Corporation, change embraced by all. The first set of Topps cards were issued memory,” said neurologist Andrew Scholey in an interview with
as a hobby when in 1951, and with the release of the Mickey Mantle card the fol- the Washington Post. “People recalled more words and performed Chewing gum has been
pe for the highly lowing year, the company saw their sales rise. Mantle was consid- better in tests on working memory.”
. The characteris- ered the best baseball player of the era and his card was the most Chewing gum doesn’t only enhance brainpower; it also has
banned in Singapore
ened by chance, as popular trading card at the time. Today, the same Mantle card positive dental effects. When chewed after meals, sugar-free since 1992 after van-
ailable to Diemer is estimated to be worth over US$200,000. By 1956, Topps was gum—which arrived on the scene in 1984 and immediately be-
producing trading cards for all major league sports. came more popular than gum with sugar—has been proven to dals across the country
n Dubble Bubble The card and gum packages took hold, with trading cards remove plaque from teeth. According to the American Dental As- placed their chewed
arket, selling over for musicians and movie stars soon being distributed alongside sociation (ADA), chewing gum after eating increases the amount
ubstantial amount athletes. The cards became a cultural phenomenon for children of saliva in your mouth, which neutralizes and washes away acids gum in keyholes, mail-
personally taught growing up in the 30s and beyond. produced by the food eaten. Studies have shown that if sugarless boxes, and on door
that they could in Lee Wardlaw, author of the 1997 children’s book Bubblemania: gum is chewed for 20 minutes following meals, it can help pre-
market for years The Chewy History of Bubble Gum, was fascinated by the candy vent tooth decay. The ADA gave sugarless chewing gum its Seal of sensors of the Mass
his creation. This and its interesting history. She was one of many children who Acceptance, only given to products that have provided scientific Rapid Transit system.
ble gum began to loved the addition of bubble gum to trading cards. evidence towards one or more indications of healthy teeth.
images courtesy sxc.hu and rarebeatles.com
the fulcrum | page 13
 The Fulcrum is hiring
a Business Manager
The Fulcrum Publishing Society is hiring a Business
Manager for a one-year term running from
May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010.

If you have experience or interest in basic bookkeeping,

dealing with Mac computer environments, print produc-
tion processes, non-profit governance and enjoy working
in a student environment, you may be our ideal candi-
date.

Applications must consist of a cover letter and resume.

These should be submitted to the attention of the
“Business Manager Hiring Committee” either by email
to business.manager@thefulcrum.ca, by fax to
613.562.5259 or to Fulcrum’s mailbox at 631 King
Edward Ave.

Applications must be received by Friday April 3rd 2009

by 5 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Only
shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Rideau Centre 2nd level 613.562.0101 799 Bank St 613.233.2065 www.magpiejewellery.com

 Bring on the bromance
by Hisham Kelati
Fulcrum Staff

BROMANCE IS THE special type of intimate and

affectionate friendship between two men, and it’s
also the subject of John Hamburg’s new comedy I
Love You, Man. Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), a meek
real estate agent who’s anything but macho, tries to
find himself a best man for his upcoming wedding
to Zooey (Rashida Jones). After going on a series of
man-dates, Peter discovers a best friend in Sydney Fife
(Jason Segel). Unfortunately for Peter, his bromance
with Sydney begins to put Peter at odds with Zooey.
Rudd and Segel are Hollywood comedy veterans,
and they sat down for an interview about brotherly
love, the KKK, and full-frontal male nudity.

photo courtesy Warner Bros.

Paul Rudd and Jason Segel have a bro-ner for one another in I Love You, Man.

Fulcrum: In I Love You, Man, you guys are
playing close friends; two dudes with a deep
and complex relationship. Did you have to do
any preparation beforehand to develop chem-
istry?
Segel: We had a couple of hangs. We went to the
bar a couple of times, and scored a few brews.
Rudd: We pounded some brews. Thankfully, we
knew each other, so there was already a little bit
of a built-in familiarity. We made several boner
jokes before we ever started filming this one, so
we already spoke the same language.
S: I wasn’t joking.
R: I wasn’t joking either, and when I say boner
jokes and language, I mean, it’s an actual lan-
guage called ‘Bonerist’.
S: Yeah, it’s a lot like sign-language, unfortu-
nately.
R: It’s like sign-language without the hands.
S: There’s really only a couple of letters.
R: That’s an ‘L’.
S: Nope, it’s an ‘I’!
I Love You, Man features male nudity, much
like Segel’s other project, Forgetting Sarah
Marshall. What’s it like to show off the goods?
S: Well, I was the first to show my dick, [in For-
getting Sarah Marshall], as far as I know, in a co-
medic sense. Can you say ‘dick’ in Texas?
R: Yeah, you went full-frontal, but I think there
was a dick in Walk Hard. But you only saw a
dick. You kind of put dick and face together.
That came out wrong. I went ass in 40 Year Old
Virgin.
S: That’s right, you did. You know, between my
dick and your ass, we’re pretty funny.
R: That is true. Just wait until we do the sequel
to this [movie], we’re both going to show our
taints.
You’re both veterans of the work of prolific
producer Judd Apatow, though he’s not in-
volved with this film, and so is the director
and co-writer of I Love You, Man, John Ham-
burg. How do you two find working with the
group of performers, writers, and directors
who seem to orbit around Apatow?
S: Yeah, what attracts me is … that we formed
a very tight comedy coalition, and so Paul and
I worked together a bunch, and John Hamburg
and Paul and I have known each other for so
long. It’s a very, very comfortable environment.
R: I also call it a comfortable comedy coalition,
but what I do [is] I change it up and I use K’s,
so I’m involved in a very Komfortable Komedy
Koalition...
S: But Paul, that’s the KKK.
R: Whoops! I realize that I [do] belong to the
KKK, the Komfortable Komedy Koalition. What
we like to do is improvise, have some fun, and
we’re an extremely racist group.
S: If it’s just about comedy, I think you should
rethink the uniforms.
R: Yeah, it’s the hats that really…
S: Yeah…
R: I think we need to rethink the spelling, and
just go with…
S: Oh, Paul is getting dead eyes. I’m watching
him right now.
R: No, no, I’m just trying to think of something
with the initials S.S.
People are fascinated with the idea of ‘bro-
mance’. What do you feel is so appealing about
this type of relationship? Why did you choose
to explore it?
S: I think it’s been a long time coming, to see
a good male platonic comedy, and that’s what
we’re going for. We got as close to the homo-
erotic line as possible, without crossing it, which
we both found comedically satisfying.
R: It seems to be the word of the moment, ‘bro-
mantic’. Jason, what are your favourite broman-
tic movies from the ‘80s?
S: I think my favourite comedy is Midnight Cow-
boy. Twins is pretty great, and its follow-up Junior!
How do you go out with a girl who says “Oh, I
loved you in Forgetting Sarah Marshall...”
R: “...but what I really loved was seeing you and
that taint.”
S: It actually makes [life] much more comfort-
able, because [now] the girls know what they’re
going to get. So there’s not any mystery or awk-
ward moments where there’s a “Yeah, this is what
I’m working with”. If they want to go on a date,
they’ve already checked out the goods. And on
the big screen too, which [is] more helpful.
R: But there’s also a chance that they watched
it on iTunes, and they watched it on their iPod,
which would give you an iDick.
S: I’m hoping the big screen, cause it adds 10
pounds.
R: You have a 15-pound dick!
S: Which means … that my dick would weigh
five pounds in real life.
R: But I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall on an
IMAX screen, which adds 20 pounds, and in
actuality, and I don’t mean to offend you Ja-
son, but I think your dick weighs negative five
pounds.
S: Ooh, zoinks!
R: Boo-shaklaka!
S: I’ve got mail!
I Love You, Man opens in theatres March 20.

WANT TO START The OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre offers a wide range of programs and
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www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.19.09 // ARTS // 15

 16
David McClelland

Sports March 19–25, 2009

Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca

Western kills Ottawa’s championship bid

Men’s basketball team
finds redemption in
consolation games
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff
THE GEE-GEES MEN’S basketball team may
not have ended their 2008–09 season with a
championship title, but they did end on a high
note during the 2009 Canadian Interuniversity
Sport (CIS) national tournament. The eight-
team championship was held March 13–15 at
Scotiabank Place. Winning two out of three
games, the Gee-Gees finished fifth, winning the
consolation final. Meanwhile, the Carleton Ra-
vens emerged as the top team with an 87-77 win
over the British Columbia Thunderbirds, their
sixth title in seven years.
The Gees, who qualified for the national cham-
pionship with a win over the Windsor Lancers on
March 7 and were seeded fifth going into the first
game, kicked off the tournament on March 13
against the Ontario University Athletics finalists
the Western Mustangs. Ottawa served up one of
their worst efforts of the year in the game as they
were dropped 75-48.
“We just laid an egg,” said fifth-year centre
Dax Dessureault following the loss. “No one hit
any shots, [and] no one played well.”
The game actually started well for the Gee-
Gees. Ottawa matched Western nearly basket
for basket, and only trailed 15-14 at the end of
the first quarter. But the Mustangs took off in
the second quarter, going on a 10-point run and
soaring to a 33-20 lead going into halftime.
Much of the Gees’ problems stemmed from
an inability to hit the basket, despite having
clear shooting lanes. Ottawa had a dismal 23.3
per cent shooting percentage in the first half.
“We weren’t running a really crisp offence,”
said Dessureault. “We were getting open shots,
just we couldn’t hit them.”
The Gee-Gees’ woes continued throughout
the second half of the game, as Western built an
insurmountable lead. Although Ottawa’s shoot-
ing improved, they couldn’t match Western’s en-
with 24 points, a performance that was followed
closely by the 22-point effort from rookie guard Championship
quarter-final
Warren Ward.
With the victory the Gee-Gees advanced to
play against the Concordia Stingers for fifth-
place. The match was easily Ottawa’s most Ottawa 48
closely contested game of the tournament, with
the Gees eventually walking away with an 83-76 Western 75
win.
The game began with both teams fighting a
Gee-Gees FG%: 27.1
protracted battle, but Ottawa eventually estab-
lished a lead midway through the first quarter,
and found themselves up 22-20 by its end. The
Gees then poured on the effort and took a 40-32 Consolation semi-final
lead into the dressing room at halftime.
Still, the Stingers didn’t go gracefully, pulling
Ottawa 85
to within one point of catching up to Ottawa in
the third quarter. It wasn’t until the final minute
St. FX 63
of the game, when Concordia failed to capital-
ize on several crucial possessions, that the Gees
Dax Dessureault: 24 points
finally sewed up the victory.
“You don’t want to end your season on a loss,”
Warren Ward: 22 points
said DeAveiro. “And [the win] kind of builds for
next year, because next year starts now. We’re
getting ready to play, and we’re getting ready to Consolation final
prepare for next year.”
The match was not only the final game of Ot-
Ottawa 83
tawa’s season, but also the swan song for depart- Concordia 76
ing veterans Dessureault and forward David
Labentowicz, who have both completed their
fifth year of CIS eligibility.
Dax Dessureault: 22 points
“I had a good career. [I’m] happy with what I
did, and it’s good to finish on a win,” said Dessu-
Josh Gibson-Bascombe: 18 points
reault, who earned all three player-of-the-game
awards for the Gees in the tournament.
For Labentowicz, the game was not about the
end of his CIS career, but about the future of the
program and helping the Gees achieve success
after his departure.
“Honestly, it’s not about me,” said Labentow-
icz after the game. “I told these guys before the
game that this game today, and the game yester- photo by Alex Smyth
day, they’re build-ups to our championship run
Gee-Gees forward David Labentowicz drives
next year.”
to the basket in his final CIS championship.

“We just laid an egg.”

ergetic play, and trailed the Mustangs 54-39 at
the end of the third quarter. Western shut down
Ottawa’s attack in the final frame, strolling to a

Dax Dessureault
decisive 75-48 victory.
The loss sent the Gee-Gees to the consola-

Gee-Gees centre
tion semifinals the next afternoon, where they
cruised to an 85-63 win over the eighth-seeded
St. Francis Xavier X-Men.
“We’re playing three games at nationals. It
isn’t the three that we wanted to play, but we’re
still playing three,” said Gee-Gees head coach
Dave DeAveiro after the win. “This was a char-
acter game for us. We could have rolled over af-
ter getting beaten the way we [were] beaten last
night, but we came out and showed some pride
and some character, so I’m really proud of our
guys tonight.”
The Gee-Gees certainly looked like a more
confident team, opening up a 14-5 lead by the
midpoint of the first quarter and never looking
back. Up 43-28 by halftime, the Gee-Gees didn’t
let the X-Men even smell victory in the second
half, and ran away with the game in the fourth photo by Muse Mohammed
quarter. Dessureault was Ottawa’s top scorer Gee-Gees centre Dax Dessureault shoots a free throw in Ottawa’s 75-48 loss to the Western Mustangs.
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Martlets blow out Gee-Gees
Women’s hockey team
swept in Quebec finals
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff
AFTER SURRENDERING FOURTEEN goals
in two games, the Gee-Gees were demolished
by the McGill Martlets in the best-of-three Que-
bec Student Sports Federation (QSSF) finals.
The Gee-Gees fell 7-0 on March 11 and 7-1 on
March 13. However, as QSSF finalists, they still
qualify for a berth at the Canadian Interuniver-
sity Sport championship March 19–22.
The series began in Ottawa on March 11 with a
dismal effort from the Gees. Ottawa fell behind by
three goals in the first six minutes and were never
able to recover. McGill scored once more in the
first period, and then added three goals in the sec-
ond to seal Ottawa’s fate. It was the Martlets’ 50th
consecutive win against Canadian competition.
“Our players came out really tired and lethar-
gic, and we sat back and really let McGill go after
us,” said Gee-Gees head coach Shelley Coolidge,
who noted that her team was exhausted after
playing the Carleton Ravens in three consecu-
tive double-overtime games in the semifinals
March 4–8.
“We definitely did not play to our potential,”
said Gee-Gees captain Danika Smith. “It was
not a high-energy game for us, and we made a
lot of mistakes, more mistakes than we can [af-
ford] against that team. The game ended 7-0,
and against a team like McGill that’s what the
result is going to be if we play like that.”
The Gees stepped up their performance
in game two on March 6 in Montreal, beat-
ing McGill goaltender Charline Labonte once
in the final frame, but it was nowhere near
enough to win. Ottawa kept the Martlets from
running away with the game in the first and
second periods, holding them to three goals in
that span, but gave up four in the final frame
to hand McGill the QSSF championship.
“As a team, I was proud of the group in terms
of how we competed through that game,” said
Coolidge, who added that McGill’s power-play
hurt Ottawa. “As a group we need to be more photo by Joël Côté-Cright
disciplined. If we’re going to be successful this The Ottawa net was a busy place in the QSSF final, with McGill launching over 80 shots.
weekend at [nationals], it’s going to be because sity Sport national tournament, which will be said Smith. “We’ll have to play to our strengths
we play a more disciplined style and stay out of held in Antigonish, N.S. Ottawa is scheduled and not worry too much about their system of
the penalty box.” to open the championship against the Laurier play. I think if we just try to control the puck
As QSSF finalists, the Gee-Gees have earned Golden Hawks on March 19. and play our game, that’s the best way we can
a berth in the upcoming Canadian Interuniver- “We’re going to be trying to use our speed,” approach it.”

Golden again SUMMER

after 10 years COLLEGE PRO PAINTERS
JOBS

Young Gee-Gees is presently looking for responsible / hard-

track team coming working University or College
into their own students for:
by David McClelland
Fulcrum Staff Full-Time Painting Positions
NO UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa runner May - August
had won a gold medal at the Canadian No experience required,
Interuniversity Sport (CIS) track and
field championship since 1999—until
we will train you to paint.
March 14, when second-year runner
Julia Tousaw placed first in the women’s Positions available in your area.
600-metre race. The championship was
held March 12–14 in Windsor, with the
If interested call 1-888-277-9787
U of O women’s team finishing eighth or apply online at www.collegepro.com
out of a field of 20 and the men’s team
coming in 14th out of 20.

The Fulcrum is hiring

The Gee-Gees track team returned
to competition last year, after not
competing for the previous eight
seasons, due to the fact that the U of
O stopped sponsoring a team. The
squad relaunched in 2007 as a varsity
team in partnership with the Ottawa
Lions track and field club.
“The men [placed] where we
thought they might; we’ve had some
troubles this year,” said Gee-Gees
head coach Andy McInnis. “[The
women’s team] lined up to the greater
part of our expectations and in sev-
eral cases exceeded what we thought
might be possible.”
For her part, Tousaw cited her expe-
rience in last year’s CIS championship
as a big part of her success this year.
“[Winning] felt really good, obvi-
ously,” said Tousaw. “The race went re-
ally well. I really knew what to expect
this time around and I knew that if I
ran to my potential I would win it.”
U of O student Julia Tousaw won gold in the women’s 600-metre run.
In addition to Tousaw’s gold, the
Gees came home with three silver
medals. Fourth-year runner Jac-
queline Malette came second in the
women’s 1,500-metre run, second-
year sprinter Tyler Fawcette won
silver in the men’s 60-metre hurdles,
and the women’s 4x800-metre relay
team (which included Tousaw and
Malette) also finished second.
For McInnis, this year’s champi-
If you are interested in the following positions:
Associate News Editor
Volunteer and Visibility Coordinator
Copy Editor (Two positions available)
photo courtesy Mondo Sport Images
Webmaster
onship is just another step along the
road to turning the team into a true Contact news@thefulcrum.ca for more
competitor. He hopes that the team’s information or to apply.
success this year will help them at-
tract new runners in the future.
“It took a year for people to finally re- Applications are due April 10 at 5 p.m. Email a cover
alize that we had a program,” explained letter, resume, and clippings (if applicable) to news@
McInnis. “This is year two where they
take a look at our program, and year thefulcrum.ca or drop them off at 631 King Edward Ave.
three [will be] where [runners] decide
to come to our program.”

18 \\ SPORTS \\ 03.19.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

 CIS shake up
Lighting the lamp

David McClelland
Sports Editor
THIS PAST WEEKEND, Canada’s best uni-
versity men’s basketball teams descended upon
Scotiabank Place to compete for the Canadian
Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national title. As I
sat courtside during the tournament, I couldn’t
help but feel that the tournament has some
problems that need to be resolved for future
tournaments.
First of all, there is a problem with the way
seedings for the tournament were decided.
Teams are placed into two brackets based on
rankings determined by a committee of coaches
whose teams are not in the tournament, with ogy for picking the teams. The easiest way to do nals on the last day of the tournament. That’s all
the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth teams in one this would be to give the four conference cham- well and good, but what happens to the teams
bracket, and the second, third, sixth, and sev- pions seeds one through four, and then allocate that lose in the championship semifinals?
enth in the other. For the 2009 tournament, the the final four to the remaining teams. This year In short, they’re done. Their reward for win-
Carleton Ravens, Ottawa Gee-Gees, and West- that group would have been comprised of three ning the first game and coming up short in the
ern Mustangs (all three teams from the Ontario conference finalists and the Ontario Univer- second is not a chance to play for a bronze medal,
University Athlet- sity Athletics (OUA) but rather the end of their tournament. As such,
ics conference) were third-place team. there isn’t even a clearly determined third-place
all placed in the first Within these two team. This doesn’t make any sense. Why should
bracket—while both
There needs to be more blocks, statistics and teams that lose in the first round get to play on
teams in the Cana- transparency brought to the season records would Sunday, while teams that lose in the second don’t?
da West conference selection process, with a clear decide team rank- Sure, it would require fitting an extra game into
were in the other— ings, which should
methodology for picking the ensure fairness in the
the schedule, but at least that way there would be
meaning that the two a nice, neat one-two-three finish and no teams
playoff games leading teams. matchups, and make would be punished for being successful. The
to the national cham- the process easier to tournament included a bronze-medal game in
pionship were played understand. the 2006 edition, and I don’t understand what
between conference rivals, who already play one The other problem I had with the tournament would be so difficult about including it now.
another in the regular season. was its structure. There was nothing wrong with Overall, I think the tournament was a fantas-
This has led me to wonder what, exactly, went the scheduling of games, but I did find the pro- tic experience, but I can’t help but think things
into the process of deciding the seedings. No gression of the tournament to be odd. Teams could be better. It wouldn’t take too much extra
consideration was taken to split up conference that win in the quarter-final round obviously effort, and it would result in a more exciting and
rivals, and the actual methodology of the seed- move on to the semifinal round, while the los- fairer tournament in future years.
ings was hard to understand. So it becomes ob- ers are relegated to the consolation semifinals.
vious that there needs to be more transparency Teams that win in the semifinal games go on to sports@thefulcrum.ca
in the selection process, with a clear methodol- the national championship and consolation fi- 613-562-5931

Sequined swimmers
Synchronized
swimming at the U of O
by Sarah Leavitt
Fulcrum Staff

EIGHT PAIRS OF legs emerge from the water,

perfectly in time, as the University of Ottawa’s
synchronized swimming team completes yet
another routine.
The synchronized swimming team has been
a competitive club at the U of O for six years,
competing in the student-run Canadian Uni-
versities Synchronized Swim League, which in-
cludes 15 university clubs. Kelly Hoop began the
U of O club in her second year of university in
2002, when eight swimmers joined together to
form a competitive team. In the 2008–09 season,
the club was made up of 25 players—enough to
form two teams. Since 2006, Hoop has served
as the team’s head coach. The U of O club meets
twice a week at the Montpetit Hall pool.
“We have practice every Sunday night for
three hours,” explains Lauren Roberts, a mem-
ber of the team. “For the first hour we do dry-
land stuff. The beginning of the year is mainly
choreographing our routine. We also practise
Thursday mornings. It’s pretty much in the pool
the whole time. We do sprints, lane workouts,
and then half the time we make up the routine
and work on it.”
The sport is a combination of gymnastics,
ballet, and swimming, so each swimmer has to
be incredibly physically fit, flexible, and aware photo by Kelly Hoop
of their teammates. A synchronized swimming The U of O synchronized swimming team practises its five-minute routine twice a week.
routine may only be five minutes long, but it in- of the water: a ballerina-type,” Hoop said. “Really, pression. artistic impression, they look at how you inter-
volves months of preparation. the whole time she is thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m “In technical merit what [judges] are look- act with the music and the originality of your
“The whole point is to make it look easy,” said going to die, when is this going to be over?’” ing for is basically the difficulty of the figures routine.”
Roberts. “It is pretty physically demanding in a The U of O club participates in three meets and the way it was executed,” Hoop explained. The club recently competed at the national
lot of different ways.” a year: provincials, nationals, and an event at “Because it’s synchronized with the team, they meet hosted by the University of Toronto on Feb.
“The classic image of the synchronized swim- McGill University. Judges of the competitions look also at execution. Is everyone doing it at 7. The first and second teams placed ninth and
mer is loads of makeup, a huge smile, one arm out give marks for technical merit and artistic im- the same time? Are all your angles the same? For 11th out of the 15-team field, respectively.

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.19.09 // SPORTS // 19

 LETTERS continued from p. 3

The groups sending out this letter

Tired of the right-wing corporate crap? are voicing their disappointment in
me. I would simply like to voice my
disappointment on tokenism. Racism
Don’t just sit there: is not a word that should be thrown
around lightly. Accusing the appellant
of being racist for bringing forward an

Wriseup.com
appeal against four students accused
of fraud is completely unacceptable. It
diminishes the meaning of the word,
it unjustly slanders a student, and it
showcases these student groups’ dis-
connect from reality.
Racism on this campus does exist.
It is a reality every minority faces ev-
ery day. To make light of it by show-
ing up in large groups at the request
of student politicians, to hold signs

E
accusing politically incorrect individ-

DU A
GRA AMST uals of being racist only to the benefit
of certain student politicians, and to
write open letters to the media (again

PROGR
to the benefit of the same student
politicians) accusing an advocate for

HE
a discrimination-free campus of em-

ON T
barrassing the black community is
completely reprehensible.

E
I apologize to all students for my

G
words. Not to black students, not to

ED
Haïtian students, but to all students.
This campus does not need any more
division than it already has. I ask the
members of the groups that signed
this open letter to question their

(Literally.)
leadership for their actions in the last
weeks and to ask: Is this why these as-
sociations exist?
Aminka Belvitt
Second-year public
administration student

Due to space constraints, we were

unable to print all letters received this
week. Go to thefulcrum.ca/letters to
read the others.

sudoku answers from p. 22

GET BEYOND THE CLICHE. ´ Beyond what you’d expect to find at a graduate school on the edge of North America. At
Memorial, our graduate tuition and fees are among the lowest in Canada, thanks to a government tuition freeze since 1999.
Our programs are leading; our research is edgy.
Despite the water, the horizon, the ridiculous beauty and the overwhelming sense of freedom that washes over you, this
is not a place for watching. It’s a place for doing. Literally.

School of Graduate Studies

MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND

www.mun.ca/become

20 \\ LETTERS \\ 03.19.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca


Opinion
What would happen if I were to tell
nothing but the truth?
by Hisham Kelati
Fulcrum Staff
LET ME START off by saying that I believe
that I am morally superior to most of the
people I know. I dislike my family and I’m
looking forward to moving far away from
them. I mostly write articles for the Ful-
crum just so I can see my name in print.
I only like a handful of my friends, the
rest being something akin to background
characters. I am outraged by social con-
servatism and a lack of social justice but
I don’t bother acting on it. I’ve fantasized
about every one of my girl friends, and
when I meet a new girl my initial reaction
is to imagine us having sex.
What you have just read are a few per-
sonal examples of a practice called Radi-
cal Honesty. I was re-reading the July 2007
issue of Esquire, where writer A. J. Jacobs
interviewed the father of Radical Hon-
esty, Brad Blanton. Blanton is a Virginia-
based psychotherapist whose theory and
practice is based on the premise that the
world would be a better place if we all
just stopped lying. But Blanton wants to
take it one step further by having every-
one remove the socially constructed filter
between thought and mouth, and have
everyone say whatever pops into their
heads, politeness be damned.
The process of Radical Honesty, as laid
out by Blanton, is to start a conversation
by saying either, “I resent you for” or “I ap-
preciate you for” and then to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
As well, all confessions (they really are just
that) should be face-to-face, as a person
should feel the emotional energy and see
the bodily reactions that accompany the
telling of the honest truth. The face-to-face
meeting also forces both members to share
in the moment, leading to a confrontation
of sorts that affects the relationship for the
better or worse.
Fundamentally, I’m a staunch believer
in telling it like it is. But I have a nasty
habit of appeasing or surrendering to the
actions and reasoning of my friends, as
I’m afraid of losing their respect. It also
doesn’t help that I need to be liked by ev-
eryone. Sometimes I know I’m lying, but
I’d rather lie to maintain a relationship
than tell the truth and possibly alienate
someone I really don’t care much for. This
all leads me to a continual state of inner
conflict. So in an attempt to break free of
the vicious circle of emotional self-spite-
fulness, I decided to live two weeks of my
life according to the Radical Honesty phi-
losophy.
The first thing I did was go through my
Facebook friends and delete 112 people,
commenting on most walls with, “I don’t
really know/like you, so why should I
bother?” Only one messaged me back, say-
ing she was sad that I didn’t consider her a
friend. I responded by asking if she was re-
ally sad, or if she was pissed for losing one
of her 1000+ Facebook friends. She didn’t
respond. Other than that blip, I chalked
this one up as a win for Radical Honesty.
Next, I told one of my best friends that
I appreciated and loved him. Rather than
laugh as I suspected he would, he told me
he loved me as well. We then discussed
what our friendship would be like 40
years down the road. This was another
win. Interestingly, this experience con-
firmed Blanton’s purpose of Radical Hon-
esty: continual communication solidifies
the true nature of the relationship, with
the relationship either moving forward or
the façade ending. In this case, the rela-
tionship moved forward.
Then I told my boss that I hated my
job and I was only there for the money.
She laughed nervously (loss). I told a girl
at Heaven nightclub that I wanted to take
her home, and then have her leave after
sex. She walked away (loss). I told a sales
associate who was helping me find a shirt
that I had no intention of buying one, and
was only going through with this interac-
tion because I felt guilty about wasting
her time. She was quite annoyed (loss).
During a brief intervention regarding my
future, I finally admitted to my mother
that I didn’t know what I wanted to do
with my life, let alone what I was going to
do after graduation. As assumed, no fur-
ther dialogue ensued, just a sad shaking of
the head and barely audible disappointing
‘tsks’ emanating from her mouth (loss).
On the final day of my Radical Honesty
experiment, I found myself sitting beside
a rather foul-smelling girl on the back of
a bus. I took a moment to steady myself,
and explained to her that she smelled aw-
ful and that she needed to move before
she made me puke. She called me a pig,
and I responded that it was either I step
up and tell her the truth, or that everyone
she met from that moment on would si-
lently judge her for her body odour. She
sat silently for a moment, and then let out
a mumbled, “thank you” before moving
towards the door and getting off at the
next stop. And there you have it: my first
legitimate Radical Honesty win—a com-
plete stranger acknowledging my unadul-
March 19–25, 2009
photo by Martha Pearce
tered honesty and thanking me for it.
Some people might liken being honest
to being rude or inconsiderate, but when
did telling the truth become rude? Is it
more socially acceptable to lie than it is
to be completely honest? We’ve become
so accustomed to lying that we willingly
changed the rules to allow the inclusion
of ‘little white lies’ just to ease our guilty
conscience. So now it’s worth more to
not hurt someone’s feelings and let them
continue on with their lie-based lives than
it is to be totally honest and give them a
chance to see the situation as it really is. I
think Blanton has the right idea, and that
by being totally honest with everyone,
only then will you ever be able to make a
meaningful connection.
That being said, in general I think stu-
dent life at the University of Ottawa could
benefit from an injection of honesty. I re-
sent it when people backbite one another,
but act like friends whenever they see each
other. I resent seeing immature and spoiled
students complain incessantly about their
‘miserable’ lives. I resent this general aura
of superficiality that hangs over campus
like a dark grey cloud. Bring in a little sun-
shine; spread a little light on the deception
and inanity of people’s actions! Radical
Honesty not only helps someone become
a better person by highlighting their faults
or good graces, it also helps create relation-
ships based on truth and sincerity. You’ll
help foster a lifestyle of genuine commu-
nication, which will cut through the fake,
trivial bullshit that is the centrepiece of the
dialogue in society today.
So the next time you find that you’re
censoring yourself, or that you’ve been
put into a situation where you feel fake
and insincere, why not throw in a bit of
Radical Honesty and see how it goes? By
being honest, you’re doing people a ser-
vice and you are nothing short of a con-
siderate, decent human being. Personally,
I’ve never been happier and I had never
felt so free than during those 14 wonder-
ful days.
21
Michael Olender
Executive Editor
executive@thefulcrum.ca
A co-op student
is still a student
So open services
outside of the nine to five
by Chelsea Edgell
Fulcrum Contributor
THAT’S IT. I’M going to say it: I’m incredibly disappointed and
frustrated with the inaccessibility of services to co-op students
at the University of Ottawa. At present, completing a work term
means that for a period of four to eight months it’s difficult—if
not impossible—to be on campus during regular business hours.
This means that it’s equally challenging to access certain U of O
and Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) ser-
vices as they’re only open nine to five.
Registration in a co-op program is a choice, so I won’t lament
the fact that work terms essentially prohibit co-op students
from engaging in many extra-curricular activities. We cannot
expect sports teams to hold all their practices during the eve-
nings, ask on-campus resources to allow us to volunteer exclu-
sively at night, or ask the Fulcrum to hold its volunteer meet-
ings at a time other than 2:30 p.m. Co-op is an opportunity that
necessitates time management and the temporary sacrifice of
extracurriculars like these.
However, a co-op student is still a student, and there are some
services that ought not to fall victim to the cruel necessities of
time management. A co-op student still pays fees to the U of O
and still pays fees to the SFUO. I feel that resources funded in
part by co-op student fees should be available outside regular
business hours. Co-op students have a legitimate need for access
to SFUO services such as the Bilingualism Centre, the Centre
for Students with Disabilities, the Centre for Equity and Human
Rights, and the Student Appeal Centre. Services offered by the U
of O should also be available outside business hours. All co-op
students should be able to make an appointment with Financial
Services or visit InfoService or (more importantly) speak to one
of their faculty’s academic advisors, not simply those students
with flexible employers and those whose placements are close
to campus. This is especially important considering that many
co-op students are obliged to pursue night classes in addition to
their full-time work terms.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to those who have at-
tempted to work around this issue. For example, co-op students
and others who could not make the meeting on SFUO electoral
reform (held at 2 p.m. on Dec. 5) were invited to share their
thoughts via email. Kudos to those responsible for making the
Peer Help Centre, Bon Appétit!, and other SFUO services avail-
able after 5 p.m. Thank you to those services that compensate for
their limited business hours by holding regular evening events,
such as the Pride Centre. This is a step in the right direction.
To all those services that are available outside regular business
hours: I commend you for your understanding and flexibility.
Please forgive me if I do not mention you specifically.
To those services that close at 4 or 5 p.m. each day: please
consider extending your business hours, or advertise flexibility
with regards to making evening appointments. Even one extra
hour a week could make a difference to a co-op student strug-
gling for support. It would also be appreciated if services such
as Health Promotion and the Student Academic Success Service
put on more events (Free Rapid HIV Testing, Career Fairs, etc.)
during the evening. Simply because co-op students cannot be
on campus from nine to five does not mean they do not want to
be engaged and active within the campus community.
I do not wish to compare the difficulties of co-op students to
more serious accessibility issues affecting students at the U of O,
but make no mistake about it: this is an issue of accessibility. A co-
op student is still a paying student, and paying students deserve
access to the services they have no choice but to fund.
Distractions 22
Sarah Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
March 19–25, 2009

Dear Di If you have a question for Di,

email deardi@thefulcrum.ca.
Dear Di,
A friend of a friend of mine
wants to know if, when having in-
tercourse, one should change con-
doms when switching from coitus
to anal sex, and vice versa. Is it safe
for a girl to give head with the same
condom used in her va-jay-jay?
—Condom Clumsy
Dear CC,
sudoku answers on p. 20
done everything in the
bedroom from whips and
chains to rim jobs, and
even shitting on each oth-
er. She goes absolutely nuts
when I shit on her chest. So Dear Di,
I was thinking on the night Socks on or off during sex? (This
of our commencement, is a big thing with me; I can’t enjoy
I would swallow sex with my socks on, no matter
the engagement how cold my feet are.)
ring, and then —Sox Ain’t Sexy

I’m going to give you the Coles
Notes version. It’s safe to switch from
coitus to anal using the same con-
dom, but never ever use the same
condom when switching from anal
to coitus, as anal sex can weaken
the condom and switching from
the bum to the vag can lead to some
nasty bacterial infections. You can go
for a slurpie after his condom-clad
pecker has been inside you, but I feel
that changing the condom is always
a good idea. As my mother once told
me: “Condoms are cheap, darling, so
buy in bulk.”
Love,
Di
Dear Di,
My girlfriend and I have been
dating for over seven years. We’re
both Master’s students in our final
year and we’ve been talking about
settling down together. I’m think-
ing about proposing to her on the
night of our commencement. Now
she may seem reserved on the out-
side, but when the lights go out,
she turns into a filthy freak. We’ve
shit it out onto her chest later on
during foreplay. Since I only get one
chance to do this right, I want to be
absolutely sure that this is appro-
priate. Di, do you think she would
appreciate this gesture, or am I shit
out of luck? (No pun intended.)
—Neumann
Dear N,
Working as a sex columnist, you de-
velop a sixth sense for fake questions.
I’ve gotten several of them this year,
but this one is the outright winner
(loser?) for its unparalleled creativity.
I just don’t understand why some stu-
dents take the time out of their days
to write to me with clearly fake ques-
tions. Stop polluting my inbox! In the
extremely unlikely case that this is a
real question and this proposal actu-
ally crossed your mind, N, my answer
is this: she would absolutely not appre-
ciate your ‘gesture’. Instead, propose to
her in a fancy seafood restaurant and,
with the help of the kitchen staff, hide
the ring in one of her clams.
Love,
Di
Dear SAS,
Cold feet are a problem for
me too! Although leaving some
clothes on during intercourse can
be hella sexy, that doesn’t neces-
sarily apply to socks. But there’s
hope! Incorporating these little
personal fetishes into play ses-
sions can actually make for some
incredible experiences. Next time
your frigid tootsies are ruining
the striptease, ask for a foot rub
(your lover will oblige as long as
you promise to return the favour
wherever he or she feels a need for
a massage). If you’re really lucky
he or she might even suck on your
toes, which is not only a quick way
to warm ‘em up but also very sen-
sual (if you know things are going
to get steamy, please make sure you
give those feet a scrubbing before-
hand). This kind of stimulation
will warm up your toes, relax you,
and probably lead to some kissing
and licking elsewhere. Try it!
Love,
Di

Thryllabus
Thursday, March 19 Sunday, March 22
Poetry Slam. 7:30 p.m. Umi Café. Film: Examined Life. 8:45 p.m. ByTowne
610 Somerset Ave. W. Free. Cinema. 325 Rideau St. $9, $6 for members.

Friday, March 20 Monday, March 23

Play: Peer Gynt. 7:30 p.m. Irving Greenberg Roundtable: Millennium Villages.
Theatre Centre. 1233 Wellington St. W. $20. 6 p.m. Café Alternatif. Free.

Lecture: Eating and the Theory of Practice.

3 p.m. Desmarais Hall. Room 3105. Free.
Tuesday, March 24
Discover Indonesia. 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 Indonesian Embassy. 55 Parkdale Ave. Free.

Go-Green Exposition.
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Lansdowne Park,
Wednesday, March 25
Aberdeen Pavilion. 1015 Bank St. Free.
Concert: Kevin James on the baroque vio-
CRUDE CONTENT,
SEXUAL CONTENT, lin. 12:15 p.m. First Baptist Church.
COARSE LANGUAGE
140 Laurier Ave. W. $5.
STARTS FRIDAY, MARCH 20
 23
Frank Appleyard

Editorial March 19–25, 2009

Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca

f
In the NBC page
program since 1942.
Laying waste
to integrity
Volume 69 - Issue 25
March 19–25, 2009
phone: (613) 562-5261
fax: (613) 562-5259
631 King Edward Ave.
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
editor@thefulcrum.ca
www.thefulcrum.ca

Recycle this paper or

you’ll be cast off MILF island.

Staff
Frank ‘jack donaghy’ Appleyard
Editor-in-Chief
editor@thefulcrum.ca “If a member has a direct personal or
Ben ‘greenzo’ Myers
Production Manager
production@thefulcrum.ca
pecuniary (monetary) interest in a motion under
Michael ‘devon banks’ Olender
Executive Editor
consideration not common to other members ...
executive@thefulcrum.ca

Martha ‘nertz’ Pearce

[s]he should not vote on such a motion, but ...
Art Director
design@thefulcrum.ca cannot be compelled to refrain from voting.”
Emma ‘lutz’ Godmere
News Editor
news@thefulcrum.ca Robert’s Rules of Order
Peter ‘ridikolous’ Henderson
Arts & Culture Editor
arts@thefulcrum.ca

David ‘dr. leo spaceman’ McClelland
Sports Editor
sports@thefulcrum.ca
Sarah ‘liz lemon’ Leavitt
Features Editor
features@thefulcrum.ca
Danielle ‘grizz’ Blab
Laurel ‘dot-com’ Hogan
Copy Editors
Amanda ‘floyd’ Shendruk
Associate News Editor
associatenews@thefulcrum.ca
James ‘don geiss’ Edwards
Webmaster
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Volunteer & Visibility
Coordinator
volunteer@thefulcrum.ca
Megan ‘c.l.a.s.s.’ O’Meara
Staff Writer
Alex ‘l.u.n.c.h.’ Martin
Staff Illustrator
Inari ‘six sigma’ Vaissi Nagy
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Ombudsboy
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Nicole ‘brutality’ Gall
Staff Proofreader
T
HE MARCH 13 meeting of the
Student Federation of the Uni-
versity of Ottawa (SFUO) Board
of Administration (BOA) can be
described as little more than an assault on
ethics, honour, and integrity. For the first
time in recent weeks, the continuing saga of
the Student Arbitration Committee (SAC)
appeal of the 2009–10 SFUO executive elec-
tions was overshadowed by something far
more insidious—a blatantly exploited con-
flict of interests within the SFUO’s highest
governing body.
The motion before the BOA addressing
how the SAC should proceed with hearing
the now-stalled election appeal was a verita-
ble minefield of controversy, as several BOA
directors including current VP University Af-
fairs Seamus Wolfe, VP Communications Ju-
lie Séguin, and VP Finance Roxanne Dubois
are embroiled in the appeal to differing ex-
tents, and thus had a vested interest in the
decision to be made. Many of the directors
at the BOA table deserve credit for recogniz-
ing their conflicts of interest and abstaining
from voting on the motion. However, Wolfe,
Séguin, and Dubois—all defendants in the
appeal—instead disregarded their own in-
disputable conflict of interest and ducked
every expectation of trust placed in elected
officials by voting on the motion.
Robert’s Rules of Order—guidelines used
by the SFUO and corporations across the
world to govern meetings—state that “if a
member has a direct personal or pecuniary
(monetary) interest in a motion under con-
sideration not common to other members
... [s]he should not vote on such a motion,
but ... cannot be compelled to refrain from
voting.” It would be difficult to identify a
situation in which a more glaring conflict of
interests has existed at the BOA, as all three
held the power to vote on the process they
will now face in their appeal. And while
there was no way to mandate that Wolfe,
Séguin, and Dubois abstain from voting
on the motion despite their clear interest in
its result, one would expect that ethics and
decency would prevail among the leaders of
a multi-million dollar corporation. But ap-
parently relying on these values alone is not
enough to ensure that student leaders act
honourably when their political futures are
at stake. Their decision to vote—regardless
of how it is rationalized—came off as noth-
ing more than an abuse of power.
The SFUO has a similarly non-binding
conflict of interest policy for members of
the BOA. As such, its authority is depen-
dant on the integrity and ethical behaviour
of each and every director. U of O students
should expect such conduct as the bare
minimum from their elected leaders—and
if these expectations cannot be satisifed,
then such individuals have no business
at the head of the organization. The only
plausible explanations for the three SFUO
executives’ actions are that they either felt
that they weren’t in a conflict of interest, or
were aware of the conflict but voted regard-
less, flaunting the SFUO’s policy. Neither
apparent option is particularly appealing;
incompetence and malice should never be
the sole choices available to describe elected
representatives’ motives.
Simply put, U of O students deserve better
than the display put on by the three execu-
tives, and the voices now demanding better
in a petition to impeach the trio from their
current positions are justified—although the
simultaneous move to impeach SFUO Presi-
dent Dean Haldenby, VP Student Affairs
Danika Brisson and VP Social Joël Larose is
unfounded. In all, Wolfe, Séguin, and Dubois
flouted the principles of responsible leader-
ship and integrity by refusing to abstain from
voting on an issue in which all three have a
personal interest. Although cries of ‘shame’
have been heard all too frequently in U of O
political circles this year, the word has never
been more fitting than in this case.
editor@thefulcrum.ca

Robert ‘male enhacement’ Olender

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