November 26, 2009 Disgruntled with technology since 1875 Vol. 139 Iss.

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Argosy
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I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t J o u r n a l o f Mo u n t A l l i s o n U n i v e r s i t y
e Olympic Torch Relay is an im-
portant precursor to the Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games of Vancou-
ver 2010 and Sackville was able to be
part of it by hosting the torch for an
afternoon.
On November 23 at around 3 pm,
the Sackville community welcomed
the arriving torchbearer Anna Sheri-
dan-Jonah, a Sackville resident, and
the Olympic convoy at the Tantramar
Olympic torch comes through Sackville
Relay passes in front of Mount Allison Wallace McCain Student Centre
Jens Holder
Argosy Correspondent
Hundreds of people gathered along the side of the road to watch and cheer as torchbearers ran through Sackville bearing the Olympic ame.
Jessica Emin
Rebecca Anne Dixon
Argosy Staff
Mount Allison is runner up in PETA contest
Students vote for most vegetarian university in Canada
The vegetarian section is often popular with non-vegetarians as well. See VEGETARIAN page 2
Callan Field
Civic Centre.
Sheridan-Jonah stated that she
felt proud to be part of the Olympic
movement.
It just feels absolutely amazing.
In a speech at the Civic Centre,
Deputy Mayor Robert Berry talked
about the importance of athletes and
sports in the Sackville community.
I am very excited about the Winter
Games, he said. It means a lot to our
community - I am glad it came to our
town. Berry thanked the organizers,
all the volunteers, and congratulated
the torchbearers who have been se-
lected to carry the torch through the
streets of Sackville and the area.
To become a torch bearer, people
had the opportunity to apply online.
Applicants had to indicate how they
were engaged in sports or how they
stayed active.
For example, Mt. A second year,
Alexis ibeault, wrote about help-
ing with the Special Olympics in her
home in Newfoundland and ended
up being chosen to carry the torch in
Summerside Prince Edward Island.
It was really intense, the entire time
you were carrying it you were looking
up [...] it was so surreal, she said.
Youre pretty much part of the
Olympics.
Traditionally, the Olympic Torch is
lit in Olympia in Greece and arrived in
Victoria on October 30, where it start-
ed in northern direction through the
territories and then down through the
Maritimes for the longest Torch Relay
within one country ever in the history
of the Olympics. After more than a
hundred days and more than 45,000
km travelled the Olympic Torch is
going to arrive for the Opening Cere-
mony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Winter Games on February 12.
As is well-known, the ame burns
during the whole Games and histori-
cally symbolizes peace, friendship and
brotherhood but it is as well an indi-
vidual and personal symbol.
Lea Ward, teaches at Sackvilles Sa-
lem Elementary School and carried
the torch in Shediac.
It was the most moving experience
I have ever had, full of emotion, she
described. It started from the min-
ute I met other people in [the ocial
torch-bearer] suit. You are bonded
instantly and feel connected for the
whole time.
According to her, the torch stands
for the future, her children and how
they work together to get there.
Brenda Henry was the rst torch-
bearer to take the torch o of its
guards on Monday. To her the torch is
a chance for everybody who dreams of
and watches the Games to be a part of
it, whether people just see it or have
the chance to run with it.
After a short rest in the Civic Cen-
tre, the torch made its way down York
Street past the Wallace-McCain Stu-
dent Centre and down to Main Street,
where hundreds of Sackville inhabit-
ants and students welcomed the con-
voy. On this sunny day, only few people
talked about the negative side of the
Olympic Games, which include prob-
lems related to the displaced homeless
people in Vancouver, the high nancial
expenditures and illegal drug use of
athletes.
After half an hour, aside from some
happy kids playing alongside the
streets with the promotional para-
phernalia from Coke and RBC, the
Olympics major sponsors, everything
was back to normal on Main and York.
e event left Sackville with a taste of
the Olympic atmosphere, and antici-
pation for Vancouver 2010.
More OLYMPICS in the
centrefold.
Mount Allison is the Canadian run-
ner-up in the People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) Best
Vegetarian University Contest. e
university had won rst place last year,
but is now bested by McMaster Uni-
versity.
e method for deciding on the
top school is a voting process rather
than a knowledgeable organization
doing the research and making a de-
cision, explained Michelle Strain,
Director of Administrative Services.
McMasters larger student population
may be partly behind its mobilization
this year.
e nominees in the contest are
picked by recommendations made by
students throughout the year, as well
as through research as to the quantity
and quality of meatless meals. Mt. A
then had to make it through three
rounds of voting.
I think it shows a lot of credence
towards our students for getting us to
second place, said Brian Slemming,
Director of Dining Services. I think
our menu is still very, very strong and
one of the best in the country.
Mt. A has been in the top ve veg-
etarian-friendly schools for three years
now and vegetarian options are avail-
able at almost every food station in in
Jennings Meal Hall.
Strain described further benets of
serving more vegetarian options.
Grizzlies and Canadians top
Colberts notice board
p 18
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2 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY NEWS
A SAC quickie on November 18
Ankur Ralhan
Argosy Correspondent
e SAC met for one of their shortest meetings
to date, lasting just over an hour. is meeting
was marked with a shared excitement and antici-
pation for the Presidential election, an event that
members of the SAC hoped would bring about a
better reputation for itself amongst the student
body. e atmosphere within the SAC was for
the most part cheerful as debates over election
by-laws were put to a rest until the new President
could guide the committee with his own sense
of direction.
ere were two major issues that sparked de-
bate within the meeting, despite the otherwise
lighthearted mood. e rst of these was the pre-
sentation of an amended SAC honoraria payout
by VP Finance and Operations, Ryan Sargent.
is presentation was delivered to the Council
with no intention of stirring debate, as its details
had already been nalized within the SAC of-
ce. However, the resignation of former Chief
Returning Ocer (CRO), Mike Minard and
his request that his honorarium be donated to
the Center for the Advancement of Democracy,
gave rise to debate. One of the concerns were
that due to Minards request, current CRO Dar-
ren Mercer would receive only a fraction of the
honorarium that the CRO would receive for a
normal term, although it could be argued that he
did an equal amount of work as a full term CRO
since Minards resignation.
Secondly, Sargent noted that technically be-
cause Minard did not withdraw his honorarium,
it was never his money to donate, and thus the
SAC could do whatever they wanted with that
money. is sparked conict within the SAC
with regards to the technicalities of the honorar-
ia. Some members, who felt that Minards request
should be granted since he had put in signicant
time and eort into his position before resign-
ing, were appalled at the idea of disregarding
his request because of a small technicality. ey
emphasized the SACs commitment to promot-
ing democracy, the cause Minard selected. Other
members however, felt that Minards request
should be ignored as he left the SAC in its dir-
est time, putting Sargent on the spot to take on
additional responsibilities as acting CRO. Un-
fortunately nothing came from this discussion as
the amended honoraria payout had already been
nalized and was not subject to change.
Next, was the report from VP Campus Life,
Patrick Forestell on discussions that had oc-
curred over the past week with Mount Allisons
administration. He opened with a piece of good
news, that Mountie Money machines on campus
were now up and running again. One member of
council brought forth her constituents concern
of a lack of butt-stops for smokers around cam-
pus. Forestell was quick to point out the locations
of these around campus, but also to acknowledge
that there are not any in front of the new stu-
dent center. He also noted, that the school did
not want to promote smoking, but that the butt-
stops would play a role in reducing this form of
litter around campus.
Forestell proceeded to inform the SAC about
the results from a meeting about admissions for
next year, which said that the target number of
freshman students for the 2010 2011 would be
750, but that this number was by no means a cap.
is seemed like an optimistic point, until the
question was raised about last years target, which
Forestell admitted was only 720. Forestell assured
the SAC that the Admissions Department had
complex formulas for working out the projected
number of students that actually show up in Sep-
tember versus how many they send acceptance
letters to. Of course this past year was abnormal
and their projection estimate was far o, result-
ing in the crowded campus experienced this se-
mester. Forestell admitted that accepting so many
students was a gamble, but assured the SAC that
the dice were certainly in the right hands within
the department. Admissions say that their target
population is still at 2275.
e next SAC meeting will be December 2 at
7 p.n. in AvD Rm. 111
e SAC elections at the end of last week have
nalized the positions of President, O-Campus
Councillor and Board of Regents Representative,
lled respectively by Trevey Davis, Sean Rasmus-
sen and Kristina Mansveld.
Election turn-out was reasonably high, at 1055
despite this being the fourth round of voting this
year. O-campus voters were at 408.
Davis, the new President, received 702 votes
out of 1055 total. While the 50 per cent plus 1
requirement had been eliminated, Davis would
have surpassed it, receiving almost 67 per cent of
votes.
Its one of those things with two reactions,
Davis said, a sigh of relief and a breath in of be-
ing excited.
His work has started immediately. In the up-
coming week he will focus on transitioning with
the rest of the SAC Executive, who had taken
on additional responsibilities in the confusion, to
establish what Davis everyday role will be.
eres denitely a learning curve, but itll be
fun, he commented.
His fellow candidate, Michael Glover came in
at 304 votes.
Obviously I am disappointed in the nal
results, commented Glover. However, I know
Trevey will do an excellent job, and I look for-
ward to what he will bring to the SAC.e sec-
ond candidate for O-Campus Councillor, Rob-
ert Downey, expressed similar sentiments after
hearing the results.
Although I am not a part of the voting mem-
bers I still intend to [...] voice my concerns for
student safety, he said. I want to congratulate
the newest members of the SAC and wish them
all the best of luck in
their terms.
Rasmussen and Mansveld will also be getting
straight to work straight away, with their rst
SAC meeting in their ocial positions being this
past Wednesday as well as a Board of Regents
Rebecca Anne Dixon
Argosy Staff
SAC positions nalized
Last weeks election shows clear results and high turn-out
Davis was recently elected as SAC President.
Jessica Emin
rough student support we have consciously
oered menu items that are lower on the food
chain, which in turn lowers our carbon emissions.
e peta2 contest is important, but reducing
global warming is even more important.
e current oerings will be looked at in light
of the contest result, but not greatly.
Every year we retool [the menu] a little bit,
explained Slemming. Where we see the feed-
back is in how much is consumed. We know
whats popular.
Some of the most popular meals include mock
chicken fajitas and mock chicken and broc-
coli crpes, red ai vegetable noodle bowls, and
mock teriyaki beef and broccoli.
Meanwhile, both Slemming and Strain wel-
comed suggestions and ideas from students on
Mt. As dining options.
In the end we place a higher value on opinions
from students that are oered to us directly as we
can make the dining operation t what students
in residence want to eat, said Strain.
is feedback is mostly positive.
I think Jennings certainly deserves a high-
ranking title for the food it provides for us veg-
etarian students, said Shawn Seeley of Campbell
Hall. I denitely feel like I get catered to prop-
erly. Since Ive not been to the cafeteria at Mc-
Master, however, I cant really say that I believe
Mt. Allison deserved the rst place position.
Even non-vegetarian students, like second year
Tristan Roddick, have recommendations.
People who are vegetarian are only going to
eat vegetarian food, but those of us who arent can
still dapple in the vegetarian section, so I think
putting more eort into the vegetarian section is
a really good idea.
Students can contact Dining Services with
their feedback, or ll out one of the sheets, which
are then posted outside of Jennings.
Vegetarian options at Jennings Meal Hall have increased in recent years
Continued from front page
Julie Cruikshank
meeting on Friday. e results of the election
were well-timed with SAC Awareness week.
Davis believes this will help make the new
members become more recognizable.
Were going to be so visible on campus al-
ready.
THE ARGOSY NEWS 3 NOVEMBER 26, 2009
is week in the world
A weekly miscellany compiled by Kristina Mansveld
Julie Cruikshank
Deaths in Chinese mine disaster
An explosion in a Chinese coal mine
on Sunday left at least ninety-two
people dead, and hopes for nd-
ing more survivors are dimming,
although sixteen miners remain
missing. e explosion took place
early Sunday morning in a mine near
Hegang in Heilongjiang Province.
A total of 528 workers were in the
mine at the time, and 420 have been
rescued so far, according to Chinese
state television. Reporters were al-
lowed to witness rescuers attempts
to descend into a tunnel to search for
survivors, but little else. Chinas coal
mining industry is reported to be the
worlds deadliest.
Iranian war games escalate tension
Iran has begun a ve-day stint of war
games, according to Ahmad Mighani,
the head of the countrys air defence.
Mr. Mighani explained that the ex-
ercises were meant, to display Irans
combat readiness and military poten-
tial.e move follows Irans rejection
of international proposals to export
70 per cent of its enriched uranium
to France to be processed into nucle-
ar fuel rods for nuclear power. Irani-
ans are particularly concerned about
a nuclear attack from Israel, who along
with the United States, has not ruled
out military action if Iran continues
to refuse to cooperate. Mojhtaba Zol-
noor, an aide to supreme leader Aya-
tollah Ali Khamenei, threatened that,
If the enemy attacks Iran, our missiles
will strike Tel Aviv.
East Antarctica ice sheet shrinks
e East Antarctica ice sheet appears
to be shrinking, according to scien-
tists who previously believed that it
was stable. e West Antarctica and
Greenland ice sheets have both been
previously observed to be losing mass,
and have the potential to increase sea
levels by six to seven metres if they
both melt. e massive East Antarc-
tica sheet, if completely melted, would
raise sea levels by up fty to sixty me-
tres. Scientists have discovered that
the sheet has been losing about fty-
seven billion tonnes of ice annually
since 2006.
Italian prostitute dies suspiciously
A transsexual prostitute named in a sex
scandal with a former Italian politician
turned up dead in her at in Rome last
week. Lazio governor Piero Marro-
zzo quit last month after a video was
circulated showing footage of him
with the woman. Marozzo claims to
have been blackmailed by four Ital-
ian policeman who shot the video.
All four have since been arrested. e
prostitute, named Brenda, as well as
another named Natalie, were both
implicated in the video. Marozzos
lawyer, Luca Petrucci, has called for
police protection for Natalie, saying
the aair is taking a tragic and wor-
rying turn.
Abducted journalists and politicians
Twenty-one journalists and politicians
in the southern Philippines have been
found dead and mutilated after be-
ing abducted for political reasons. e
Philippines is to hold elections na-
tionwide in May 2010 and registration
had just begun. Ismael Mangudadatu,
a mayor in the Mindanao region, had
registered for the position of governor,
challenging a local leader Data Andal
Ampatuan. A group of his aides and
lawyers as well as his wife were among
those captured. Jess Dureza, advisor to
President Gloria Arroyo has recom-
mended imposing a state of emergency
in the area.
Local restaurant for sale
e Olive Branch is in the market for a new owner
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
Jessica Emin
The Olive Branch restaurant space is for sale and interested purchasers must submit a formal offer soon.
e Olive Branch, a downtown Sack-
ville restaurant labelled as serving
Canadian/Mediterranean meals, will
either be under new ownership or have
shut down by January 1 2010. e
current and original owner, Jonathan
Scooter Clark, launched a webpage
detailing the sale in early fall. e res-
taurant, which has been in operation
since 2002, was previously located on
York Street, but was moved into a
newly renovated and larger space in
2008.
e sale oers prospective buyers
the chance to purchase a turn key
restaurant, essentially a ready-to-use
business. Clark has oered all equip-
ment, furniture, signage, the restaurant
car, inventory, and the legal rights to
the company name in the sale. e
restaurant is currently at the end of the
second year of a ve year lease. is
would enable the new owners to have
three years with no rent increases in
the current location.
I have [] things that I really want
to concentrate on in the next year and
a half, including building a large re-
cording studio just outside of Sack-
ville, explains Clark. As he is also
working as the manager of the campus
pub, Clark doesnt believe he has the
right amount of time to dedicate to
the restaurant. A restaurant needs an
owner/operator who can devote a lot
of time to the business.
While the Olive Branch is being
sold as is, there is no stipulation that
the location must remain a restaurant.
Cindy Ochieng, a third year student,
was surprised to hear this news.
Its been such a great venue for
events, like the student improv nights,
coee houses or just a birthday din-
ner, she explains. It is basically one
of two spots you can go out for a nice
dinner in Sackville, so I hope the new
owner keeps it as a restaurant.
Although he wont discuss the par-
ties who have submitted formal pro-
posals, Clark says that approximately
fteen parties have shown interest.
Ive been speaking to three who
have expressed a strong interest if they
can arrange nancing,he says. at is
going to be the biggest hurdle, because
that might prove dicult in todays
lending environment.
Scott Lloyd, a member of the Im-
prov group that uses the Olive Branch
for performances, says that although
they have know about the sale for some
time and have talked with Clark, there
are no concrete plans for after the sale.
Since we started doing shows at
the Olive branch the entire group has
been oored with Scooters involve-
ment and dedication to our shows.
He was the one who built us a stage
and even had lights installed, explains
Lloyd. Scooter is a saint, and without
him our show would not be what it is
today. Although their continued use
of the Olive Branch space is uncertain,
Lloyd is quick to say that the Improv
shows will continue in the winter se-
mester with the support of their grow-
ing audiences.
Fourth-year student Ryan Robski
is disappointed about the sale, saying
that the Olive Branch has been an
important part of the Sackville experi-
ence for many students since well be-
fore my time. It has hosted many stu-
dent functions, fundraisers for campus
clubs, and oered many great deals for
students on a tight budget. Like most
students, Robski says he thinks that
the current economic situation and
the diculty of sustaining a business
in Sackville are the reasons why Clark
is selling the restaurant. Similar busi-
nesses such as Reel Catch, the seafood
restaurant next to the Bridge Street
Caf, and the Hong Kong Kitchen, on
Main Street both faced closure or sale
based on low revenue.
Clark denies the economy as a mo-
tivating factor in his choice to sell the
restaurant. According to the sale page,
the projected revenue for the restau-
rant is higher for this year than last.
He seems optimistic about the reports
of the economy beginning to show
signs of recovery but maintains that
the choice came down to personal
reasons and his desire to concentrate
on his music.
Although he is optimistic about the
sale, Clark explains that if he doesnt
receive an ocial oer by the last day
of classes, he will close on December
20.
Well start selling o the remaining
food & alcohol inventory and not con-
tinue to re-stock, says Clark, Weve
already started to minimize working
inventory levels, just in case. Maybe
well have an inventory blowout sale
on the last two days of exams.
e details of the sale are currently
A restaurant needs an
owner/operator who
can devote a lot of time
to the business.
available through the Olive Branch
website. Clark is open to any oers,
although they must be submitted for-
mally. Essentially he would like to see
the new owners desire to invest time
and energy into the restaurant and
take advantage of the opportunities
that are being missed out on.
e restaurant will be missed. Sev-
eral students have expressed sadness
over the possible closure. ird-year
student Leah Mighton says that the
restaurants appreciation of students
and work with student groups has
always been a high point for her. She
hopes that the business is sold as it
would be a shame to lose what has be-
come such a pivotal part of Sackville,
not just for the students but also for
the community.
THE ARGOSY NEWS 4 NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Transgender Day of Remembrance held in Sackville
Candlelight vigil for victims of transphobic violence
Susan Rogers
Argosy Staff
Server crash causes loss of valuable services
Problems with the hardware lead to external maintenance
Rebecca Anne Dixon
Argosy Staff
H1N1 vaccine clinic tentatively scheduled for campus
All students are eligible to receive the vaccine
Rebecca Anne Dixon
Argosy Staff
Despite rain and technical diculties,
the Transgender Day of Remembrance
vigil went ahead as planned, right in
the midst of Midnight Madness. e
vigil, which is held annually around the
world on November 20, is in memory
of those who have died as a result of
anti-transgender hate or prejudice.
According to the statistics from the
Transgender Day of Remembrance
website there have been 143 deaths
internationally between January 1
and November 21 of this year. e
site posts the names and stories of
the victims from each year, even if the
available information is limited to the
location.
e vigil in Sackville was organized
by Catalyst and had between ten to
fteen people take part. Members of
Catalyst, the student body, and the
town congregated on the corner of York
and Bridge St. with candles to read the
names of the people lost this year to
anti-transgender violence. Despite the
rain, which eventually smudged the
names on the list of victims into il-
legibility, the vigil lasted about half an
hour. e central location and busy-
ness of Midnight Madness certainly
furthered awareness of the event, and
encouraged both students and mem-
bers of the town to participate. Amelia
orpe-Gosley, one of the organizers,
said that she liked the location because
they were visible, but not obstructing
the popular town event.
Some participants in the vigil spoke
movingly about their experiences
with transgender people. While some
recalled their rst friendships with
transgender people, others remem-
bered those they had lost to suicide.
Others simply listened to the stories.
e event is incredibly important
because it increases visibility, while
bringing people together to honour,
mourn and remember those who
might otherwise be forgotten, ex-
plained orpe-Gosley. It allows
transgender individuals, friends, fam-
ily, partners and allies from all back-
grounds to express their support and
stand up against this violence and
prejudice. e event brings attention
to this serious issue, one that is not
often discussed or noted in our soci-
ety. ere were over 150 victims on the
list this year, and this represents but a
fraction of those hurt by transphobic
violence worldwide.
An exciting addition to this years
event was the presence of musician
Rae Spoon, who despite being late for
the sound check of his own show at
Georges Roadhouse, was present for
a portion of the vigil. orpe-Gosley
said the addition of Spoon, who is one
of Canadas few openly transgendered
musicians, was fantastic. She described
him as a role model.
Hes an inspiration. Lots of people
look up to him.
Spoon himself commented on the
importance of the memorial.
I think the Transgender Day of Re-
membrance is really important. Being
trans is one identier and then theres
other identiers that go along with it,
depending on your class and culture
and where youre living, all this stu it
all plays into it. So I think its a good
unifying day[] hopefully it inspires
support.
More information can be found on
www.transgenderdor.org or by email-
ing Catalyst at catalyst@mta.ca.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is commemorated worldwide.
Internet Photo/Photobucket
Mount Allison students were con-
fronted with the absence of important
academic services this past weekend.
On Friday November 20 the hardware
that allows Webmail, Moodle, Con-
nect, printing and services linked with
use of Mt. A student identication
cards failed, leaving the campus with-
out these services.
is is a situation that shouldnt
have happened, said Computing Ser-
vices Director Helmut Becker. ats
why we bought all these redundan-
cies. To have redundant hardware
simply means that there is a back-up
for each component of the system and
that if the original component fails, it
automatically switches to the next one.
is time, for reasons as yet unknown,
the parts themselves all indicate that
they are working but the overall sys-
tem ceased functioning.
Sta came in during the weekend to
attempt to gure out what the prob-
lem was. Webmail was able to be made
accessible again by Saturday and other
functions soon followed. e delay
with Moodle, which was only restored
on Tuesday at midday was due to try-
ing to preserve all of the data.
We back this stu up every day,
explained Peter Crawshaw, Network
Manager. Moodle could have been re-
stored earlier, but any materials added
on Friday, including tests completed
and assignments submitted, would not
have been saved. In the end, Moodle
was made operational without any loss
of material.
It did cause some problems for stu-
dents.
I ha[d] a midterm on Wednesday,
and all my notes were online, related
third year Jennifer Jeans, I was plan-
ning on studying all weekend [...] my
professor ended up sending the notes
on Saturday night. Despite the notes
being made accessible, Jeans was still
unhappy with losing a full one and a
half days of study time.
e problem eventually had to be
xed by the manufacturer of the hard-
ware, who arrived later than had been
scheduled. e university has had this
particular machinery about two years,
said Crawshaw. We did all this to im-
prove reliability and we havent had a
failure like this in a long time.
Becker assured students that the
sta had denitely work[ed] as hard
as [they could], pushing the vendor
into doing whatever possible to miti-
gate problems.
While the health centre claims that
the reports of u-like symptoms re-
main low, an H1N1 vaccine clinic has
been scheduled for the Mount Allison
students.
Great emphasis has been placed on
the fact that this is a tentative date
only and that the university will only
be serving as the host for the clinic
and thus has little inuence on the
process.
e clinic will be open to all Mt. A
students, who must bring along their
student identication cards. Mt.A
sta and faculty are only eligible if
they have a chronic medical condition
such as a lung disease that requires on-
going medical care, or other breathing
diculties related to a physical, neuro-
logical or muscular disorder.
Dr. Rima Azar, a Mt. A associate
professor of Psychology stresses that
the panic of H1N1 may be exagger-
ated.
We need to remember that most of
the cases are mild and we dont hear
about them in the media, or they dont
strike our attention, she explained.
According to the Public Health
Agency of Canada, New Brunswick
has had forty-eight hospitalizations,
three Intensive Care Unit admissions,
but zero deaths. Ontario and Quebec
have been harder hit, with thirty-seven
and thirty-ve deaths respectively.
However, this does not imply that
there is no need to get the vaccine.
It remains a choice...we have the
responsibility of not only protecting
ourselves but the community, re-
minded Azar.
e clinic will take place on Decem-
ber 2 from 9 am to 5 pm at a location
yet to be announced. A public vaccine
clinic is also tentatively scheduled
on the same day at Tantramar High
School.
The H1N1 vaccine is only now widely available to non-priority groups.
Internet Photo/Urban Christian Review
The server break-down complicated students weekend study plans.
Internet Photo/Flickr
Read interview with Rae Spoon
in Entertainment page 13
THE ARGOSY NEWS 5 NOVEMBER 26, 2009
ATLIS student organization distributes new publication
e Issue includes articles from students, professors and campus clubs
Fraser Harland
Argosy Staff
Canadian forces accused of war crime
Afghans knowingly transferred to local authorities for torture
Kristina Mansveld
Argosy Correspondent
Mount Allisons Atlantic International
Studies Organization (ATLIS) has re-
leased a new publication called e Is-
sue. e magazine is another way that
students, tting within the universitys
theme for the year, can become inter-
nationally engaged on campus.
In the past, ATLIS sta have had
their hands more than full with the
organization of their annual confer-
ence and publication of their academic
journal.
However, this year with many sta
staying on, they felt that they could
take on some new initiatives.
One such endeavour is e Issue, a
magazine covering a range of student
perspectives on global issues.
Sasha van Katwyk, ATLIS Publica-
tions Manager and Co-President, and
editor of e Issue is excited about this
new way for students to engage.
International studies isnt just
about research and experiences abroad,
its also about being open to the ideas
and alternative perspectives out there.
Hopefully e Issue can oer a means
by which students can explore and
contribute to that, van Katwyk said.
While the new publication focuses
on international issues, it is not limited
to International Relations students.
Van Katwyk explained that publica-
tions and presentations have come
from students in History, Geography,
Anthropology, Canadian Studies, En-
vironment, BioChemestry, a few years
back; and last year we even got the
Fine Arts department involved. Every
student has something to oer; and
this magazine is an even easier format
to get involved in than our conference
and journal.
If the response to the rst publica-
tion is positive, then the sta plans to
publish two more issues next semester.
On the other hand, if students dont
seem interested in it, then well utilise
those resources for other things, said
van Katwyk.
e ATLIS sta is also looking for a
larger creative sta to develop the issue
even further. ey hope that the mag-
azine will come to play an important
role on campus.
For van Katwyk, staying abreast of
international issues is of the utmost
importance. He acknowledges that
students have hectic schedules, but ar-
gues that its important to break the
culture of ambivalence of which were
accused. For him, the issues were
faced with on a global scale aect ev-
ery facet of our society, and therefore
Canadas government has found itself
embroiled in a scandal that endangers
its international credibility and pos-
sibly implicates the country in a war
crime.
On November 18, Canadian diplo-
mat Richard Colvin told a parliamen-
tary committee that Canadian forces
transferred captured Afghans to local
authorities, knowing that they would
be tortured. Colvin, who served seven-
teen months in Afghanistan, said that
many of the detainees were just local
people: farmers, truck drivers, tailors,
peasants random human beings in
the wrong place at the wrong time.
Methods of torture used are said to
have included electric shocks, beat-
ings, open ames, sleep deprivation
and other brutal methods that would
sometimes go on for months. e
diplomat claims to have witnessed
evidence of torture himself when he
visited the jails where transferred de-
tainees were held.
Colvins testimony implied that the
Canadian Forces framework for pris-
on transfer was alarmingly loose and
without any semblance of accountabil-
ity. He pointed out that Canada hand-
ed over six times more detainees than
Britain, and twenty times more than
the Netherlands over an eighteen-
month period in 2006 and 2007. At
this time it was common knowledge
that torture was widely favoured by lo-
cal authorities, but eorts by the Red
Cross to warn Canadian ocials about
the torture of detainees were ignored.
Both Britain and the Netherlands re-
ported detainee transfers to their na-
tional legislature, while Canada kept
the information under wraps in order
to preserve national security.
Perhaps more shocking is that ef-
forts to raise a red ag on the issue
were silenced. Colvin, who formerly
served as the diplomatic head of the
Canadian reconstruction team in Af-
ghanistan, rst began to raise concerns
in April 2006. As the prisoner abuse
allegations scandal loomed large, se-
nior cabinet ministers in the House of
Commons were denying any credible
reports of torture had been received.
Colvin was instructed by his Ottawa
bosses not to leave a paper trail of his
concerns, but to use the telephone in-
stead.
In Ottawa, the Conservative gov-
ernment is on damage control. Defence
Minister Peter MacKay dismissed
Colvins allegations as nothing short
of hearsay, second- or third-hand in-
formation, or that which came directly
from the Taliban. ese rebus di-
rectly contradict the diplomats claims
that his repeated warnings to his supe-
riors of the torture taking place were
ignored.
e scandal has serious implica-
tions for Canada. Stephen Harpers
impending visit to China will be af-
fected; headlines across the country
blazed with the news, and any attempt
by the Prime Minister to bring up
Chinas alleged human rights abuses
during the visit could be shot down as
hypocritical. International law requires
the Canadian state to investigate the
torture allegations and prosecute all
those involved, regardless of their level
of government. However, some believe
this is unlikely to take place as it would
Canadian forces alledgedly handed over civilian captives to local forces, knowing they would be tortured.
Internet Photo/Army Live
Editor van Katwyk peruses The Issue, now found around campus.
Maggie Lee
implicate very high ranking military
ocials and politicians.
Regardless of who eventually shoul-
ders the blame, the situation exposes
a raw and inconvenient truth about
Canadas international missions.
One can only hope that these
crimes will serve as a wake-up call to
people both at home and abroad who
believe that Canadian foreign policy
presently constitutes a force for good
internationally, commented Mount
Allison International Relations pro-
fessor Dr. Dave omas.
Canadians seem to have found a
brash and convincing wake-up call
indeed.
demand our uninterrupted attention.
is year, the ATLIS conference
will be held next semester from Janu-
ary 22 to 24. e ATLIS Journal will
be published later in the second se-
mester.
Dont worry, weve moved with the times.
Write Argosy News...
Well give you a voice recorder.
Meetings every ursday 5 p.m
3rd oor of the Student Centre
NATIONAL
FREDERICTON (CUP) Power
was the running theme at last week-
ends New Brunswick Liberal Biennial
Convention, but not the kind you can
win in an election.
e proposed sale of the provinces
electrical utility, NB Power, to Hydro-
Qubec by the governing Liberals in
New Brunswick was the elephant in
every room at the Fredericton Inn,
the conventions host. Selling the util-
ity would rid the province of the $4.8
million debt currently held by the
Crown corporation, but members of
the public and opposing political par-
ties have been up in arms over, among
other reasons, a lack of consultation
over the deal.
Federal Liberal and Opposition
leader Michael Ignatie was in town
for the convention, though he kept
a distance from commenting on the
sale.
[Its] a provincial matter, he said
in a November 13 media scrum. [Pre-
mier] Shawn Graham doesnt get
asked about Afghanistan, and I dont
get asked about provincial matters.
Its important that New Bruns-
wickers have their say, that the details
come out and theres a full public de-
bate, he added.
On Saturday, November 14, mem-
bers of the public were invited to speak
Graham about the proposed deal.
e New Brunswick premier pre-
empted the question-and-answer
period with a speech outlining his
thoughts on the memorandum of
understanding signed between New
Brunswicks utility and Hydro-Qu-
bec, which is not yet legally binding
until ocially legislated.
By making this debt payment, said
Graham, we are releasing future gen-
erations of New Brunswickers from
debt.
e premier then related a situ-
ation where a young single mother
approached him and told him not to
drop the deal for the sake of people in
situations like hers.
A number of questions were asked
on topics ranging from Point Lepreau
to energy eciency.
Grahams responses largely reiter-
ated his belief that debt would be
eliminated and rates lowered if the
deal goes through.
A few details of the agreement were
cleared up during the session. En-
ergy Minister Jack Keir said that the
province will not be giving up energy
policy decisions to Quebec.
Plans for more wind power are also
in the works, and it was said that these
plans would be a transparent pro-
cess.
One audience member brought up
the projected $5 billion in rate savings
expected for the next ve years, should
the deal go through. Instead of rate
cuts, the young man asked why the
province wasnt focusing on energy ef-
ciency initiatives such as retrotting
houses.
Graham responded by saying that
other provinces have sold their utili-
ties, and that were the only political
party oering the option to x rates
and debt going up.
e man who asked the question
responded that his question had not
been answered.
Another audience member ques-
tioned the value being put on the sale,
claiming that the sale value of the
Point Lepreau nuclear generating fa-
cility was for less than its actual worth,
and that Hydro-Qubec would then
obtain the rest NB Powers assets es-
sentially for free.
He asked if a fresh appraisal of the
assets was conducted, why or why not,
and if so, why the information had not
been made available.
Keir responded that the total value
of NB Power is between $3.3 and $4.1
billion, and that he had been briefed on
the value by the provinces department
of nance prior to the convention. e
deal, he said, has taken many months
to work out, and was not a weekend
thing over a beverage.
ere will be a full transparency
process when the deal is nalized,
Keir said.
We werent going to start a debate
until we had a deal to debate, Graham
said.
Graham also addressed Newfound-
land Premier Danny Williams highly
publicized comments against the deal.
Williams is using the province of
New Brunswick as an opportunity to
get a better deal for himself with Que-
bec, he claimed.
Provincial Liberal conference discusses NB Power sale
Parties and public divided over government decision
Sarah Ratchford
The Brunswickian (University of
New Brunswick)
Internet Photo/Top 100 Projects
Campus group acts against Coca-Cola
Food Fight wants Coke products out of university due to human rights and environmental concerns
Austin M. Davis
The Carillon (University of Regina)
Coke is sold on most campuses.
Jessica Emin
Depression as a mass marketing campaign
Drug companies prot as antidepressant prescriptions increase
Keith McLaughlin
Meliorist (University of Lethbridge)
REGINA (CUP) A University of
Regina campus group called Food
Fight is waging a battle against the
worlds largest manufacturer, distribu-
tor, and advertiser of non-alcoholic
beverages: the Coca-Cola Company.
e Food Fight initiative was born
when Mariel Harvey and twenty-two
other students attended Food Sover-
eignty Mexico 2009, a course that was
oered through the university. ere,
students paid specic attention to is-
sues like water privatization and food
sovereignty. Harvey returned to Cana-
dian soil with a plan, motivated by the
information she had received.
My action plan was to remove
Coca-Cola from campus, Harvey ex-
plained. Mayah [Stratton] and I had
talked about this previously a couple
years before, actually and never got
our act together until this group was
formed and we had other people back-
ing us up.
e group ocially formed in Sep-
tember of this year. Citing human
rights violations and environmental
abuses that were committed by Coca-
Cola as the groups motivation, Food
Fight has made signicant progress
despite having only existed for several
months.
Harvey, Stratton, and other mem-
bers of the group rst had tables in
various high-prole places on the
University of Regina campus to spread
awareness of their cause in early Octo-
ber. ey repeated this tactic on No-
vember 16, this time at the campuss
largest food court.
e growing visibility has beneted
Food Fights petition to try to abolish
the soft drink giant from campus. e
petition currently has about 700 sig-
natures, according to Harvey, growing
the chances to put forward a deciding
referendum on the matter.
e goal is to remove Coca-Cola
products, including Dasani, Fanta,
Minute Maid, Nestea, Powerade, and
Sprite from the campus.
Food Fight has partnered with two
organizations, the Campaign to Stop
Killer Coke (killercoke.org) and Cor-
porate Accountability International
(stopcorporateabuse.org).
is ght against the drink com-
pany adds the University of Regina
to a long list of North American and
European post-secondary institutions
campaigning for for the same ban.
Food Fight members have been
handing out copies of material used by
killercoke.org that claim criminal, ma-
licious activity by Coca-Cola, discuss-
ing lawsuits led in 2001 and 2006
against the company.
For the most part, I think people
are impressed that theyre learning the
issues behind Coca-Colas practices,
said Stratton of the campaigns recep-
tion.
e reliance on anecdotal evidence
from killercoke.org, however, and not
sources from the company or the Co-
lombian government, has had some
students question the issues being
brought forward.
A lot of people have never heard
of such issues, said Stratton. A lot of
people want us to prove such things,
[but] those kind of things arent really
our purpose to prove.
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. (CUP) - Since
the emergence of antidepressant drugs
in the early 1980s, more and more
cases of depression are being reported.
According to Dr. Brad Hagen, a clini-
cal psychologist and faculty member at
the University of Lethbridge, the rea-
son for the skyrocketing rates of de-
pression are a matter of heated debate.
Depending on how you look at it,
depression either started becoming
more common or recognized, or it be-
came marketed, says Hagen.
In the 1950s, reported cases of de-
pression were practically unheard of,
but now the World Health Organiza-
tion warns it could become the second
leading cause of disability in the world
by 2020.
Most persons with depression
are treated by antidepressants, even
though counseling which can be
signicantly more expensive and time-
consuming has demonstrated equal
eectiveness in osetting feelings of
depression. In the U.S, 87 per cent of
physician visits for depression result in
antidepressants being prescribed.
In 2007, sales of antidepressants
topped $11.9 billion in the U.S.
Some in the medical community
wonder if the spike in diagnosed de-
pression cases over the last twenty
years is exaggerated.
Some question whether its an
overinated number because essen-
tially theres people that benet from
so many people being diagnosed, says
Hagen.
Sales of antidepressant drugs
worldwide are in the tens of billions
of dollars each year. Dr. Hagen says
the number of sales is actually quite
mindboggling.
Its hard to nd any other product
like Goodyear Tires, Nike shoes, Coke
or Pepsi, or anything that rivals the
dollar values of antidepressants sold
per year, he says.
Hagen says drug companies not only
market their antidepressant drugs, but
also market the condition itself, and
young women are their primary tar-
gets. In the U.S., direct consumer ad-
vertising of prescription drugs is legal.
Often ads portray a pretty, condent
woman, who appears constantly happy
and emotionally complete.
e latent message in these kinds of
ads is that if you are not like the wom-
an presented, you may be depressed,
and that you could be like that woman
if you start taking the pill.
eyre essentially selling the pos-
sibility of happiness, says Hagen, and
its very compelling if youre in the
depths of despair.
Between 2002 and 2003, 20 per cent
of women in British Columbia were
taking one or more forms of antide-
pressant drugs. While little research
has been done to ascertain whether
persons can become physically depen-
dent on the drugs, studies have shown
that patients are taking the drugs for
prolonged periods of time, and that
they can become psychologically de-
pendent, because many fear that if they
stop taking the drugs they will become
unhappy again.
e fact that patients are taking
antidepressant drugs often for years
bodes well for the bottom lines of drug
companies.
Dr. Hagen says that e truth prob-
ably lies somewhere in the middle.
Drug companies are marketing their
antidepressants and the condition of
depression in an eort to increase sales
and enlarge prot margins, but that
does not necessarily mean the rise of
antidepressants is a nefarious plot of
pharmaceutical companies to make
money. Hagen says in many cases an-
tidepressants are eective in mitigat-
ing feelings of depression, especially in
cases where counseling fails to work.
The sale of NB Power featured in discussion at the Liberal Convention.
OPINIONS
Espress yourself clearly
Communicating well takes more than words
Have you noticed how Starbucks is
constantly making up new kinds of
specialty coee? A cursory glance at
their menu tells me nothing. I have no
idea what most of the menu represents,
and thats okay with me. ere was a
time when you could feel trendy and
modern when you bought specialty
coee. Ive even purchased Jones Soda
at Starbucks in Regina and felt very
Bohemian. Richard Florida uses proxy
measurements for quantifying cool,
but I think specialty coee should
be the standard. e problem is that
you always have to up the ante to stay
ahead of your lame suburban friends
who also enjoy deuterated caramel
mocha matcha chai frappucinos on
their commute to work. Once upon
a time, if you drank espresso that was
enough.
Truth be told, though, theres a huge
problem with espresso, and its not
that the beans arent properly ground
or the water isnt hot enough. e
problem is with the pronunciation. Ive
heard far too many people refer to this
overpriced ebony nectar as expresso.
And it doesnt stop there: the last ve
or six times someone has used the term
Et Cetera in my presence, theyve said
Ex Cetera. During the Bush years,
nuclear routinely became nuke-ular.
Heck, even pronunciation becomes
pronounciation at times. Leaving
that aside, the invention of new words
is always a good time. Irregardless is
my favourite. Unthaw and dethaw
are equally hilarious.
One would do well to ask with
what we are replacing our decreasing
capacity to speak English. And
the answer, this year, is clear: text
messaging. No particular oense to the
frosh, but texting hit Mount Allison in
a new way this year; you have to keep
your head up walking around campus
to avoid running into someone who
is texting. And the quality of the
communication is mind-numbing. Its
like grade six kids on msn. However,
the texting, the mispronunciations,
and the invented words really are not
what I want to highlight. A new, less
personal, style of communication is
pervading our lives. We assume that
we can do two things at once. We give
our cell phone more attention than the
person in front of us. Whats up with
that?
Occasionally Ive been asked if Im
paying attention to what someone is
saying. I, and many people, tend to
get a bit defensive and embarrassed,
but I think its a good question. Mt. A
and all the things here can compete
for your attention to such an extent
that it sometimes feels like the best
option is to do multiple things all
at once. Ive certainly been guilty of
trying to send a quick email while
talking on the phone. My mom can
always tell, though. And thats because
when Im not really present in a
conversation, Im not really present
in that conversation. At a certain
point, you must ask yourself whether
the person across the table from you
matters. And if they do, they deserve
your physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual attention. Eye contact is
hard to nd, as is someone who will
take twenty minutes out of their day
to ask about yours. Small talk, on the
other hand, is easy to nd in a vibrant
university setting, but Im concerned
that real communication is being lost
in the shue. Deep understanding
requires deep communication, and
an investment of time and energy. I
would argue, though, that we all long
for someone to understand us deeply.
ats hard to nd when the land
is littered with text messages about
nothing in particular.
In cities, Ive noticed that people
often dont really know anything about
their neighbours, but they ride the bus
or drive across town to meet someone
they have known for a long time. New
friendships, it would seem, take too
much time. Were too busy texting our
buddies to gure out where to meet to
notice that our neighbours are having
trouble moving a freezer up the stairs.
Dont misunderstand me: its not
texting itself that I am decrying. I
think that the real problem is that
it seems to be allowing us to ignore
the human beings walking around
Sackville. Depths of friendship, love,
and understanding wont drop in our
laps. We have to work for them. Multi-
tasking wont do this time. It takes
intentionality to sacrice your time and
energy investing in communication.
But maybe its time that intentionality
becomes the new buzz word. Just dont
mispronounce it.
Martin Wightman
Argosy Staff
You probably remember the out
of order signs that were placed on
bathroom stalls to promote gender-
neutral bathrooms. You probably
remember how much controversy
arose in response to the campaign. I am
writing this in regards to one particular
incident. When the custodians visited
each oce in the student centre to tell
us that the bathrooms were not out of
order, I was at work at the International
Centre. When the custodian came
in, visibly upset about the signs, and
saying the people who put the signs
up had no authority, I bit my tongue,
because I was on the clock.
Well, Im not on the clock now. A
fellow Argosy sta member told me
that the custodians had come to the
Argosy oce to also warn us that
the toilets were, in fact, in perfect
working order. (I was not there for
this incident.) is other sta member
then told me that one custodian held
up the out of order sign and said,
is means nothing. Yes, that is true.
e toilets were indeed in working
order. But then, she held up the other
sign, the one that outlined the reasons
behind the push for gender-neutral
bathrooms, and apparently said, And
this means even less.
Dear custodians of Mount Allison.
I, and so many others, appreciate the
hard work you put into keeping the
campus clean. Your job should not
be underestimated or undervalued.
You do have a right to say the out
of order signs are a problem. You do
not, however, have a right, while you
are on the job or on the clock, to say
that the message that is being spread
by those out of order signs means
even less. When you are on the
clock, and in your Mt. A uniform,
you are representing the university. I,
and surely many others, do not want
the school represented as a place that
does not at least accept, acknowledge,
and respectfully listen to the problems
various groups on campus have
regarding campus life. I am extremely
oended that the comment about
the message meaning even less was
made.
Please remember that you can say
whatever you want when you are at
home. But not while you are on the job
and on the clock. anks for reading.
Say, What!?
Vivi Reich
Argosy Staff
is past weekend I attended a couple
of home games for our basketball
teams, and while I commend the teams
on their performance, something that
occurred during the games somewhat
soured my experience as a spectator.
During the boys game, a group of
students showed up decked out in
Mount Allisons garnet and gold,
armed with noisemakers. At rst, I was
excited to see them present to cheer
on our teams, however, as the game
progressed; their behaviour made me
ashamed to be from the same school.
As a varsity athlete myself, I am aware
of how nice it is to have the support
of fans cheering at the games. I know
that it really does help to have fellow
Mt. A students take an interest in
what you do and make an eort to
be there with you. However, it seems
that some people need a lesson in
sportsmanship.
ese students were loudly shaking
their noisemakers at inappropriate
times, like during the time-outs, so the
opposing team could not hear their
coach talk, and just as the away players
were shooting foul shots. is, to me,
is not sportsmanship. I have always
felt that, win or lose, sportsmanship is
the most important thing in a game.
I believe I am not alone in saying
that most athletes do not want to win
games because their fans distracted
the other team, but they want to win
because they have superior skills.
While I am sure that these students
did not mean any harm by their actions,
I would ask them, and any others who
act in a similar fashion, to please think
about what they are doing. Would they
wish for things like that to happen to
our team at our away games? Do we
really want a reputation for having
hecklers instead of supportive fans at
our games? How do we want to present
Mt. A to people from other schools?
at being said, I hope that
students continue to show an interest
in supporting our sports teams. We
appreciate cheers and encouragement,
but please be respectful of the other
teams too everyone on the court or
the eld has worked hard to be there
and deserves your courtesy.
Sincerely,
Heather Murray
Dear editor,
Missed@MTA
Creative writing Bridge St. dude
Youre too young for me. But youre
still cute. And your writing strikes a
chord in me.
Boys with Big Hearts
ank you for helping me nd that
poor, lost dogs owners. It really made
my day that there are still people in
this world that will take the time to
help out animals in need. Im sure its
owners are also appreciative.
Flower Girl
anks so much for the anonymous
owers you left on my door when I
was sick. I only wish I knew who you
were!
Inside-out Pants Girl
Im still not sure if you just didnt
notice, or if you just didnt care. Either
way, your pants were inside out the
other day and it was really funny.
anks for making 8:30 physics class
a little more bearable.
Guy with the long black coat
You and I have the exact same coat. I
would have given you a high ve but
that would been weird.
Boy with the long blond dreads
You were wearing a blue and red
stripped sweater. We saw you across
the street from the Student Centre
when the Olympic Torch went by and
wanted to say hi.
Teasing Tag Team
Despite my constant objections, I nd
you questionable critiques endearing.
Your creativity is astounding. Keep up
the valiant eort!
Hey Suitey,
Sorry we dont see each other very
much anymore. I miss your late night
TV, pretzels, and our opposing views
of Meal Hall food. At least we still
have shortness in common...
Hula Hooper
When you were practicing your
gymnastics in the Rectory Lane
Parking lot half of our section in
meal hall was watching. We were
all amazed by your beautiful moves,
maybe you could give us an ocial
show sometime!
Library Rocker
I dont know how you read with
that heavy metal blasting from your
headphone but from my perspective
it makes for rhythmic study beat.
Hope we study nearby again soon!
Harper Hall Hero
Youre without a doubt the best RA
I could hope for. You took such good
care of me the other night even
though I was incredibly obnoxious.
You make my residence experience
what it is!
Internet photo/thesilverscroll
NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY OPINIONS 7
Last week, over 5,000 McGill students
voted to create the countrys largest
Sustainability Project Fund (SPF) to
date, an estimated $2.5 million dollar
fund over three years. With plans to
drastically alter the environmental
capacity of the university, the SPF
promises to substantially alter the
environmental landscape of universities
across Canada.
Spearheaded by only a handful of
students, the group secured half of
the funding from the university itself,
reaching an agreement after only one
ocial forty-ve minute meeting.
With detailed plans to ensure nancial
security and accountability, the
university agreed to contribute half of
the $2.5 million over three years. e
other half of the fund comes from the
students themselves who voted last
week to commit fty cents per credit, a
total of seven dollars per semester, per
full-time student.
After three years of work,
campaign leader Jonathan Glencross
explains, students and the university
have united and committed to moving
forward on real environmental changes.
ere are literally hundreds of projects
that would substantially reduce the
universitys environmental footprint
and now students have the nancial
backing make to sure it can happen.
e SPF at McGill is a student-
driven project that hopes to create
the nancial capacity for students to
realize their environmental projects
on the McGill campus. Located
downtown Montreal with a satellite
campus in the West Island, the fund
promises to lead both Canadian
post-secondary institutions as well
as major international cities like
Montreal in moving forward on their
environmental commitments. Being a
small city within the city, the nearly
50,000 undergraduates, post-grads,
faculty, and sta have a signicant
impact on the environment.
With several caveats to ensure project
success, explicit mention of the value
of Applied Student Research (ASR)
is made in the opening paragraphs of
the SPF. A revamped and refreshing
way of looking at coursework, ASR
encourages students to apply their
coursework in the research and
development of projects in their
surrounding environment. Allowing
students to use the fund for both
already existing coursework and in the
creation of student-guided, problem-
based courses, an ASR approach to
coursework allows students to receive
academic credit for their practical
and innovative work around campus.
As environmental awareness in youth
continues to rise, the SPF will likely
further McGills ability to attract some
of the brightest and most innovative
students from around the world.
Although incomparable in absolute
value, Mount Allison students created
a similar investment fund last year
in our referendum, committing
ten dollars from every student to
support carbon-reducing projects in
our community. Starting in winter
semester this year, students will be able
to apply to the fund to help realize
their environmental initiatives in our
community. Further questions about
the SAC Green Investment Fund
(GIF) can be directed towards the SAC
Environmental Aairs Co-ordinator,
Curtis Michaelis (camichaelis@mta.
ca). It is my belief that the opportunity
of the taking lead in the Maritimes in
a similar project would allow us to
attract even many more of Canadas
brightest and involved students.
I dont know how it happened,
comments Glencross, but already [the
University of ] Western [Ontario] has
contacted us to ask us how we did it.
McGill students vote in $2.5 million Sustainability Project Fund
Graeme Bousada
Argosy Submission
It is already spreading and I have not
done anything to promote it!
Our world is faced with many
great diculties and now we have the
opportunity to be truly progressive.
Bringing in high-prole speakers is no
longer enough to remain innovative.
Work with the incredible power of
academia to start taking action in our
community and Mt. A will compete
with the Canadas leading universities.
The University of McGill has voted to create the largest environmental sustainability fund in Canada
Internet Photo/mcgill.ca
Television shows are a funny thing.
Once created, conceptualized, and
shown o to producers, they will,
hopefully, wind up on the air. en,
the show in question needs to hold
the viewers attention for, well, as
long as it can. Which brings up a very
important question: what does hold
our attention?
My mother was telling me over
the phone that a couple who had
appeared in several reality TV shows
had conned the Denver police into
thinking that their six year old son was
caught aboard a hot air balloon. After
a stellar chase, the police found that
there was no child in the balloon at all.
e parents had created the fable out
of jealousy of celebrities such as Jon
& Kate plus 8. So, the only plausible
conclusion I can come to out of all this
is that idiocy holds our attention?
Television stations are ooded
with reality TV shows of all kind:
Survivor, one of the longest running
bitchy-backstabbing games of all time
still chugs along nine years after its rst
broadcast in 2000. Crime shows also
drown primetime TV with an endless
ow of recycled stories, blood, and
cheap one liners. Who amongst those
reading this hasnt seen David Caruso
from the hit TV series CSI Miami
deliver only half clever quips before
putting on his shades dramatically to
the blaring and obnoxious opening
music. CSI Miami also shares air time
with several other versions of itself,
while a myriad of other cop shows
cram into the prime slots on major TV
networks. Needless to say, these shows
are huge. According to IMDB, CSI
Miami, which was rst broadcasted
on September 23, 2002, has had
181 episodes aired, and has had two
Primetime Emmy wins.
Perhaps this is simply a frustrated
viewer speaking, but why, why are
people entertained by products that, at
their core, insult the intelligence of the
viewer?
Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe, the
two big blockbusters of the summer,
and lms that have been touted by
critics as the worst icks of the decade,
made record sales. According to
BoxOceMojo: $833, 229, 011 was
made for Transformers 2 alone.
Like CSI Miami and Wife Swap,
they are poorly written, badly
acted, and in the case of the two
previous blockbuster lms, feature
the destruction of various landmarks:
in Transformers the pyramids were
vaporized; G.I. Joe dissolved the Eiel
Tower with green slime.
And all the while, worthwhile,
provocative television and lm gets
cancelled by production companies
and ignored by the average viewer.
Pushing Daisies, a cleverly written
and directed show about a pie maker
that can bring the dead back to life,
was cancelled after only two seasons,
despite its critical acclaim. Likewise,
lower budget lms that lack the zip
of CGI and exploding pyramids get
woefully less coverage: even District 9,
which was anticipated as a competitor
to Transformers 2, grossed only about
an eighth of what its dumber peer did,
according to MovieWeb.com.
So what does this say about us,
the viewer? Are we really so reticent
to watch something that may actual
do more than just entertain? While
on the phone with my mother, she
also indicated that there is a limit to
experimentation in the entertainment
industry. And I will allow that that is
true: but need we stop at CSI Miami
and Transformers? I hope not.
Sincerely,
Samuel Wilson
What are you watching?
What was your best or worst
classroom experience?
Amanda Aitchison
e best classroom experience for me
is the pre-cal shue!
Heather Evans
My best classroom experience was
getting out of class to go see the
Olympic Torch!
Joel Chevarie
My best classroom experience was
when the guy sitting in the row
ahead of me was in Paint Program,
drawing an exact portrait of the prof
while he was lecturing. He didnt
miss a detail.
John Brannen
My worst classroom experience was
when somebody threw up inclass, a
stadium-style seating classroom. It
procceeded to ow from one row to
the next, it was unstoppable.
Kyle Keough
e best classroom experiences always
come in my Philosophy class because
my prof is just a really entertaining
teacher!
Nick McLeod
e worst classroom experience Ive
had was when the two people sitting
next to me had swine u, I knew I
was done. I ended up getting it.
Jennifer Boyce
The Students Administrative
Council
S.A.C. Fact
Upcoming Events & Reminders
Contact Us
Email: sac@mta.ca
Phone: (506)-364-2231
Location: 1st Floor of the Wallace
McCain Student Centre
2IFHKRXUV: 8:30am - 4:30pm week-
days.
SAC Meetings
Council meets every Wednesday at 7pm, in
Avard Dixon, room 111. Everyone is welcome
to attend!
Yearbooks
2nd, 3rd, & 4th year students pleas pick up
your 2009 Allosonian Yearbook from the SAC
oIfce
Buckets O Beer
At the Pub every Friday from 1:00 to 9:00pm!
Mounties Hockey
Mt.A. vs. UPEI, Saturday November 28,
6:15pm at the civic centre.
Company
A Windsor Theatre production, Shows
starting Wednesday November 25 to Saturday
November 28. Contact emjewer@mta.ca.
Course Evaluations
Make sure you fll out course evaluation Ior
each of your courses! This is your say about
Academics at Mount Allison!
Allosonian Art Garden
Gala & Auction, Friday November 27, 6:00 to
9:30pm, Convocation Hall
Habitat for Humanity
Flip Cup, Friday November 27, 8:00 to
10:00pm at the Pub, $20 per team of 4.
Snowball Smackdown
Fundraiser to collect clothes for the Sackville
Community Association, Saturday November
28, 11:30 am 1:30pm, at the gym.
The Students Administrative Councils
mandate is to improve student life and protect
student interests. The Mount Allison Students
Union aims to foster a community where the
qualite of student life (educational, social, and
personal) is constantly improving. The Council
has two major responsibilities: to be a political
representation and to provide services for the
students.
What We Are About:
EXAM BONANZA!!
We Need Your Help!
The SAC is revamping our Exam Database!! We need YOUR
help! Please bring in all of your midterm exams to the SAC
oIfce to be photocopied (your name will be blanked out).
For every exam you bring in, you will receive a ticket for
a for draw sweet prizes! We will be collecting exams until
December 4 at 4:30pm. This year we plan on converting all
the exams to PDFs and having them available for download
on the SAC website, to help you study!
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
To join or not to join? That will be the question.
LAST CLASS BASH!
Saturday, December 5
SAC Entertainment is planning a big event for last clash
bash. Tentative plans include a Classy theme Tweedie
Hall, and a Trashy theme in the Pub. Stay Tuned for more
details!!
Federal representation is an issue that has arisen every few years within the SAC
since the decision was made to withdraw from the Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS) approximately fifteen years ago. At the time of withdrawal the students of
Mount Allison expressed their frustration with the CFS for their lack of transpar-
ency as well as their stances on social issues that were not directly related to post-
secondary education (PSE) in Canada. Since leaving the CFS a new option has
arisen from the ashes in the form of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
(CASA), an organization that prides itself on representing students solely on PSE
issues. CASAs resistance to diluting their message by taking stances on social
issues like abortion or the conflict in the Middle East, CASA carved a niche as a
strictly PSE focused lobby organization.
This strictly PSE focus is what has made CASA successful in student lobbying.
Take for example the 2009 federal budget which allocated $2billion for the Knowl-
edge Infrastructure Program (KIP). Industry Canadas website describes this pro-
gram as one that responds to the needs of students as identified by the Canadian
Alliance of Student Associations. This statement is indicative of the effectiveness
of CASA as a federal student lobby organization. Furthermore, as tuition rises in
Canada, students are relying more and more on loans (both private and government)
to finance their education. With the federal government providing for the largest
portion (60%) of student loans as well as funding grants for underrepresented and
low-income students. To ignore the role of the federal government in PSE would be
nonsensical.
Being responsible for lobbying the federal government on behalf of the students at
Mount Allison I have been investigating potential membership in CASA over the
past 7 months. At next weeks SAC meeting I shall be tabling a motion to refer the
question of CASA membership to all members of our student union. This will offer
students the opportunity to express whether they want their voice heard by the fed-
eral government through active participation in CASA as a full member.
I will be presenting a summary of how the organization operates internally and ex-
ternally on the December 2 meeting of the SAC. Feel free to stop by the SAC office
if you have questions in the interim about federal lobbying, CASA, or even the role
of the federal government in PSE. Im in the office a lot and hold my office hours
all day Thursday.
HUMOUR
5. Monsters Under The Bed. You know theyre
there. Lurking in the shadows, pressed up against
the underside of the mattress so your naive
parents can never fnd them when you make
them check for them. The easiest solution is to
trade the bed in for a hammock. Who ever heard
of hammock monsters?
4. Dentists. All those sharp instruments poised
for your delicate gum line. There are two tactics
to take here: either treat your teeth like tiny
pearly gods and foss the hell out oI them so a
dental check up is never warranted, or gargle
soda pop till all your teeth rot out and theres
nothing left for the dentist to rip from your skull.
3. Bullies. Unfortunately, the guy who stole your
lunch money will grow up to be the tool who
steals your girl and eventually the coworker who
steals your coffee mug. Obviously the turn-the-
other-cheek advice is crap, but so is standing
up for yourself and getting pummeled. The best
advice? Recruit Paul Bunyan Irom fve numbers
up, take his net and give him a baseball bat, and
let him go to town on that bullys kneecaps.
2. Vegetables. Theres something about an
eggplant under a full moon that just looks evil.
The good news? In university, theres no one to
stop you from eating a plate full of ice cream for
supper. Take that, carrot casserole.
1. Raptors. Sorry friend. Unless youre in an
industrial kitchen or know gymnastics, youre
shit out of luck. DONT GO INTO THE LONG
GRASS!!!
Lindsay Laltoo
10. Gremlins. Obviously theres the obvious
dont get them wet, and never feed them after
midnight, but sometimes a more aggressive
approach is in order. Arm yourself with portable
hair dryers and never feed anyone anything at
anytime. This has the added bonus of trimming
your food bill nicely.
9. Clowns. Those creepy, oddly-attired eccentrics
with indefatigable spirits and the ability to
ft more individuals into one vehicle than is
physically or legally possible. While they can
be relentless, a banana cream pie to the face can
slow them down signifcantly.
8. The Dog From The Sandlot. Dude, that thing
was GIANT. And how do you fght a giant dog
that eats baseballs/kids? You fnd the World`s
Most Giant Dogcatcher. Paul Bunyan with a net
instead of an axe should do the trick.
7. Stepmothers. Theyll make you scrub the
foors wearing rags and Ieed you poison apples.
Call on your Fairy Godmother Attorney and
emancipate yourself. Just make sure you grab
any glass footwear or all-knowing mirrors on the
way out.
6. Jellyfsh. Kinda like the zombies oI the sea
with their relentless driIt to unsuspecting fesh
it will, if not tear apart to consume the brain
matter within. defnitely severely sting and make
all blotchy and red. These guys are best fought
with an aerial assault of precisely launched rocks
that will weight them down to the depths of the
ocean.
a touch of grace
by Erik Fraser
Argosy InAction by Lindsay Laltoo
Top Ten Childhood Fears And How To Protect Yourself From Them
11 THE ARGOSY HUMOUR NOVEMBER 26, 2009
e Mun Review is back by popular demand.
Ive spent the last few weeks meditation
atop the highest point in Sackville to achieve
enlightenment before attempting to review
another positively pleasurable pastry. Under cold
showers, meteor showers, and the thoughts of
wind power I sat and contemplated upon which
muns I would choose. Here it is, the next
segment to inform, enlighten, and tempt you, my
dearest reader, into picking the most prefect mu
in the MTA library.
Black gold- this term is most common when
discussing the precious resource known as oil,
but something more precious can be found
in our very own library. Im not talking about
books, nor writing resources, or even educational
documentation; Im talking about a mun, the
Rvftujo n;
I think my roommates
stealing my milk. Should I
confront him?
B;!Noah, Sports Editor: I hate when you
wake up, pour yourself a bowl of cereal, go to
the fridge and, surprise surprise, your roommate
has used up the last of your milk making his
late night drunk KD. II he was borrowing the
milk to, say, give his cat a treat for successfully
walking across a wooden foor in kitten mittens.
that would be one thing, but drunk snacks? Not
acceptable.
Rather than confront him, I would suggest
taking a more passive aggressive approach. Hes
Finding a tasty mu in
the MTA library.
Nobody loses when muns are
involved
Benjamin H. Turkel
Double Chocolate mun to be exact. ey say
chocolate is a girls best friend, so when they
say double chocolate you better believe a girl is
going to be very happy. is dark and delicious
delight isnt only for the feminine physique,
but can be enjoyed by all peoples regardless of
gender. e brown crunchy top is a gateway
to a moist and supple inner core with hidden
gems. Like a miner panning for gold, these
nuggets of chocolate are a welcomed surprise.
It is clear to see why the word double is placed
before chocolate, with a scrumptious brunette
body and a loaded chocolate-chunk soul this
divine mun makes anyones day a bit sweeter.
However, to my tremendous disappointment, it
would seem like the wax wrapping enjoyed the
mun as much as I did and did not want to give
it up willingly
Now to the extreme! Well, to the Extreme Fruit
that is. is mun had me begging for more
from the rst bite. In fact, its rather hard for me
to come up with clever and witting analogies
due to the sheer pleasure Ive gained from this
ridiculously rockin mun. e amount of fruit
in this mun would have Barney give up stealing
Freds fruity pebbles. When I rst laid eyes upon
the brown top it was splattered with fruit like
the aim of a bad paintball gunner. Its tie-dye core
was literally stued with a cornucopia of berries,
too many to count. I tasted berries I didnt even
recognize and could not readily identify as
other than mouth-watering. My taste buds was
assaulted in every direction by the sweet and
fragrant avor of fruit and berries that persisted
for heavenly minutes in between bites. Frankly,
this mun is fucking awesome. is isnt an
opinion, its a fact. Its a statement. Its reality.
When we look at the stats we can break down
our mun madness. e Double Chocolate
mun was an intensive explosion of chocolatey
goodness that was both rich and delectable. is
mun is prefect for that needed break in the
afternoon or after dinner. is decadent dessert
mun had me relaxed and chilled and gave me
a greater perspective on my day. e Extreme
Fruit was a fresh burst of fruit and berries that
overwhelmed my senses to no end. Prefect for
that needed boost of fruity power, especially
in the morning or during the evening. is
positively powerful mun had me energized
and equipped and gave me the vigor I needed to
complete my day. Now its up to you, my hungry
reader, to make your choice and pick a tasty mu
in the MTA library.
stealing milk? Steal things from his room like
pictures of loved ones. Too much? Try covering
his bed sheets in a thin sprinkling of powdered
milk. While he sleeps, it will seep into his pores,
giving him the wonderful smell of sour milk for
days. If he asks why he smells like that, inform
him thats the smell of a guilty conscience and
guilt him until he confesses.
B;!Stuart, Sci/Tech Editor: Hmm. As Ive
always been in the habit of dispensing advice
in the style oI my people (viz. nerds with poor
social skills), let me recommend against actually
talking to him (or her). Firstly, it might result in
shouting, and secondly, an alternative might even
yield scientifcally interesting (viz. hilarious)
results! I recommend getting ones hands on a
drug to inhibit the catabolism of lactose (a sugar
found in the milk your roommate pilfers), and
dumping a bunch oI it into a sacrifcial carton oI
milk. Youll receive positive conformation of the
milk thiefs identity when he or she begins to,
ah, experience unusual gastrointestinal activity
due to the lactoses use as fuel for gas-producing
gut fora. Then. and only then. do I recommend
confronting your roommate, and even then, only
to laugh at him. Or her. Youll want to plug your
nose while laughing. Trust me.
Noah & Stuarts
Q+A!
We nd the obscure word, and you supply
the meaning. One of these is the correct
denition, and the rest are made up by your
fellow classmates. Can you tell which ones
right and which ones are balderdash??
e Word: mathematicaster
i. What the rhythm guitarist of a math
metal band calls his axe
ii. e science of measuring the necessary
ratios between wrappings and glue to create a
proper cast
iii. A lame game your parents get you to play
so you learn math
iv. An awful mathematician
Answer: iv. Meaning a minor or
incompetent mathematician, as in Dorothy
dropped her calculus class when she realized
she was destined to be a mathematicaster,
and picked up Drinking On Tuesdays 101.
Campus Balderdash!
ENTERTAINMENT
e Twilight Saga: New Moon is howlingly bad
e vampire romance blockbuster is self-important, bloated and - worst of all - boring.
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
Like a sparkly, impossibly dreamy bear
trap, the Twilight saga has pop culture
in a death grip that shows no sign of
abating any time soon. e glowering
faces of stars Robert Pattinson and
Kristen Stewart dominate magazine
racks and prime time TV, while a
merchandising machine pumps out
Twilight band-aids and body glitter
at a frightening clip. Perhaps more
telling are the reams of unauthorized
goodies, from Edward Cullen panties
and shower curtains to glittery vampire
dildos and (I swear to God) heroin
baggies.
So what kind of entertainment
editor would I be if I didnt take in
New Moon, the latest installment in the
lm adaptations of Stephenie Meyers
book series? Directed by Chris Weitz
(About a Boy, e Golden Compass),
New Moon is a fascinating case study
in stretching out an impossibly imsy
narrative to absurd lengths. e plot,
as it were: high school student Bella
Swan (Stewart) and ageless and sexy
vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson)
are in love. We know this because they
look meaningfully at one another and
say thing like Youre my only reason to
stay aliveif thats what I am. As the
script frequently reminds us, Edward is
torn between his feelings for Bella and
his desire to kick back with a cool glass
of mopey teenage plasma. So when an
unfortunate papercut causes Edwards
brother Jasper (who looks distractingly
like Harpo Marx) to go all Nosferatu
on Bellas ass, he decides it would be
best if he abandoned her and never
saw her again in order to protect her.
So Bella spends the next few months
moping around, having frequent
night terrors and shrieking as if going
through heroin withdrawal. She does,
however, nd solace in the company
of sexy werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor
Lautner), and in the visions of Edward
that appear when she does something
risky like (seriously) ride a dirtbike.
And thats it, really. ere are some
spectacularly half-hearted attempts to
inject some tension into the story with
the introduction of a vengeful vampire
from the rst movie, and a trip to Italy
to prevent Edward from being killed
by the Volturi (like the Vatican, but
campier and for vampires). But mostly
New Moon is a showcase for a morose
teenager mooning over personality-free
supernatural mancandy. is wouldnt
be so bad if the movie werent two hours
and ten minutes long and treated with
the same gravity and seriousness as
the D-Day landing in Saving Private
Ryan. Moments of levity and humor
are largely unintentional, like the
frequent and inexplicable shirtlessness
of Jacobs wolfpack (which happened
to coincide with the projector going
out, twice), and some of the hokiest
CGI work in recent memory.
If nothing else, New Moon passably
evokes that age when matters of
love and burgeoning sexuality seem
like Life and Death Situations but
instead of incorporating this into a
larger, more interesting narrative, the
lmmakers are content to just wallow
in it. So if youre fourteen and the boy/
girl of your dreams wont pay you any
attention, you might get something
out of New Moon. Anyone looking for
a decent movie, however, is out of luck.
Youre better o saving your money for
a sparkly dildo.
Static Era and friends kickstart START party
A quartet of ne bands rock the student-run gallerys tenth-anniversary celebration
Geoffrey Campbell
Argosy Staff
On Friday night there was a ve
hour, four band extravaganza at the
START gallery on Lorne Street to
commemorate the student-run art
gallerys tenth anniversary. e lineup
of the Strawmen, the Tireless Sedans,
Five Storey Fire, and Static Era all
together made the long night worth
it.
START has a nice small town feel
to it. ere was a yellow parking meter
set up inside that accepts donations
and you could see the ghostly remnants
of what used to be painted gures on a
large painted over wall.
Visiting town from Moncton,
the Tireless Sedans opened the
show. ey played a familiar but still
interesting type of self described small
town Canadian barroom rock n roll.
Lead vocalist Dave Rahmer created
a catchy rhythm using his strong
vocals. Unfortunately the band had
to play a very short set as they were
also opening for Wax Mannequin at
Georges Roadhouse later that night.
e Strawmen, a garage/country/
punk band from Albert County, NS
kicked o their set strong and loud.
e playing was so intense that a
few people decided to do some ska-
dancing, rst in the main entrance
and then right by the stage. is is a
punk show...this was my high school
life one of the dancers said. I asked
if they could understand any of the
lyrics over the deafening music. Not
one word..this is your typical high
school punk band. Its nostalgic...I
cant understand any of the words but
I like it.e Strawmen managed to t
in what sounded like a punk-version of
the 1970s Heart hit Barracuda. e
crowds got bigger about halfway into
the concert and a pretty big crowd of
people braved hearing-loss to listen to
the indie (striped blue shirt, striped
blue tee, and annel-clad) band play.
Static Era brought a more melodic
sound to the crowd. ey reminded
me of AFI, but less pretentious and
with more straightforward rock.
eir quieter bass levels led to more
comprehensible lyrics. ey played a
really solid cover of Dont Forget Me
by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. e band
played really well together and seemed
at ease in the small environment. ey
played nished o the set with an
untitled song about revolution and a
really intense nale with their best-
rehearsed song Blindfold. ey were
the most vivid and entertaining band
of the night.
e last band up, FiveStoreyFire
were a good up and coming Canadian
indie band. ey played a decent, if
short, set. It was a set louder traditional
rock that displayed skills and years of
practice. eyre a relatively new band
thats just developing their own sound
and Id like to see them again as they
grow. Overall it was a pretty great
concert. e length and unfortunate
timing of the Tireless Sedans double
set aside, it was well worth the $5
cover. Bottom line: Great set at an
untraditional venue. If any of these
acts (especially the Strawmen and
Static Era) return to Sackville again
they arent to be missed.
Internet Photo/inking of Rob
Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) share one of many moments in New Moon.
Internet Photo/e Twilight Fansite
Taylor Lautner as the frequently shirtless Jacob Black in New Moon.
Georey Campbell
Static Era, performing at START Gallery. The concert coincided with the tenth anniversary of the gallery.
13 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY ENTERTAINMENT
A conversation with Rae Spoon and Wax Mannequin
Talking shop with two of Canadas most acclaimed singer-songwriters.
Amelia Thorpe-Gosley
Argosy Correspondent
Last Friday Georges Roadhouse
welcomed Wax Mannequin and Rae
Spoon, their rst New Brunswick
stop in their joint tour, which started
in Ontario and is heading towards
Newfoundland. Wax Mannequin,
hailing from Hamilton, and Rae
Spoon, a Calgarian living in Montreal,
took some time the morning after their
show to talk to me about their music.
Amelia orpe-Gosley: ank you
both for taking the time to speak with
me. Youve both toured extensively, of
all your shows, which was the most
memorable and why?
Rae Spoon: I always like playing in
the Yukon. I played in Dawson City
this summer and it seems like whatever
I come up and [play] theyre really
receptive to it up there. I was playing
to baby boomers, but I was playing
electronic music and they were really
excited and I thought that was cool.
Wax Mannequin: I liked playing in a
tiny little bar in Nuremberg, I walked
in and I thought that thered be another
room for the stage, but they put me in
one little aisle and everyone crowded
in around the other aisles, and it ended
up being really intimate and cool.
ATG: Could you talk a bit about the
origin of your respective names?
Wax: Its what Ive gone by for a
while and I cant remember the
initial motivation behind it but it
had something to do with being in
university and reading philosophy
Its just a name and it sticks and it
works. I like keeping my stage identity
an aspect of who I am.
Rae: Something to do with a cutlery
drawer
ATG: What genre of music do you
consider your work to be? How has
your music evolved since you started
playing?
Wax: I guess I would classify my music
as weird folk music or weird rock
music. I started out playing quieter
songs I wrote on my acoustic, then I
toured a lot and got more interested in
bigger sounds and bought an electric
guitar, and now Im nding a place for
both, and I feel like its working for
now
Rae: I think I have a history in folk
music, so even if Im playing electronic
or rock I end up presenting it like a
folk song, with a long introduction
about the Spanish Civil War
ATG: Rae, I know you started out as
a country musician, and many people
still refer to you as such. Do you mind
this, and what inspired you to change
your tune?
Rae: To me it was a period of my life
full of taxidermy animals and mullets,
and so I if I hear a country singer
Im like woah and picture myself
walking through Red Deer alone with
my rolling luggage thinking the next
person is going to throw a bottle at me.
So no, I dont identify with that lifestyle
anymore. I dont live in Alberta, I dont
nd my inspiration in the country
because I have since turned into more
of a cosmopolitan person But I dont
deny that I played country, because
nobody would believe me
ATG: Who are your major inuences,
respectively?
Rae: Ive had a varied life on the
political spectrum. e beginning of
my life wasnt much my choice, so I
think when I did start writing music
I was thinking I might be a Christian
contemporary singer, when I was twelve,
which was the only good option for an
independent life as a woman, so I could
leave and go on tour en I guess I
found Kurt Cobain... then I found
Bob Dylan and then Ani Difranco,
for a brief period and I still respect
her, then I found Hank Williams,
then something a bit back towards the
Christian contemporary, Alan Jackson,
which is a bit questionable, and then
Kraftwerk.
Wax: I started with little songs that Id
come up with in my head I did a lot
of musical dinner theatre, cheesy show
tune medleys. It got me interested in
not doing that to make the weirdest
possible music I could
ATG: What can you tell me about your
instruments? What made you choose
the instruments you have now?
Rae: I have a guitar and a laptop. I
have an electric guitar. I played acoustic
for years, then my friend in Germany
and I traded guitars, because he had
the guitar I always wanted when I
was fourteen, the Sunburst American
Stratocaster. en I found this guitar,
its supposed to be a mini guitar, but
on me, it actually makes me look like a
regular sized man, so Im quite happy
now. No one is allowed to come near
me, because theyll see the actual
dimensions, Im going to get a tinier
laptop, and heels
Wax: When I tour solo I have my
sequencers with me. Also a guitar and
a mouth. ose are my favourites.
ATG: I know last night was Wax
Mannequins CD release party, could
you tell me a bit about your newest
album?
Wax: is is my fth album, my third
studio album. is one revisits my
earlier records, more acoustic based,
[and] there are some more somber,
quieter songs on there. So its kind of
refreshing for me, it took me a long
time to get comfortable on stage to
begin with.
ATG: Rae, You recently returned from
Berlin, where you recorded Worauf
Wartest Du/What Are You Waiting For?
Could you talk a little bit about the
project and the inspiration?
Rae: My friend Alex who did
some electronic sounds on
Superioryouareinferior does youth
workshops in Berlin, and found out
that people were putting on an art
project about the U10, which was a
train line in Berlin that was never built.
We wanted to make a project sort of
tracking the imaginary waiting space
of a train that never existed. So Alex
went down with a recorder and asked
people what they were waiting for, and
then we compiled all their responses
and wrote song out of it. I think in the
end we were trying to make a picture
of the underground train in Berlin. We
compiled nine songs and performed
them in six U-Bahn stations, playing
twice a day for three days all over
Berlin.
ATG: Yesterday was the Transgender
Day of Remembrance (TDoR), and
Rae, you played a song in honour of
this day. Would you mind telling us
about the importance of the Day of
Remembrance, and the importance of
being out as transgender musician?
Rae: I wrote the song for my friend
named Joan, and she is trans and
I basically wrote it as a song about
the dangers of walking around when
you look a certain way and how this
translated in both of our towns. We
were both experiencing this kind of
danger, and how nice it was to meet
someone else who was having a similar
experience. It ended up being a love
song about sticking together. I think
the TDoR is really important, being
trans is one identier and then theres
other identiers that go along with it,
depending on your class and culture
and where youre living, all this stu it
all plays into it, so I think its a good
unifying day. Hopefully it inspires
support. ere are people all over, I
think its really important to me
ATG: What advice do you have for
people who want to form their own
bands?
Wax: Play solo. Dont have a band.
I dont mean that as cynically as it
sounds, but it is nice to be scalable to
be able to travel solo or with others. It
can be really rewarding onstage too to
just be one person up there. Play a lot
and give away your music.
Rae: and give away your clothing as
you tourere are so many dierent
ways to play music, and pay attention
to the industry, because the industry
has actually changed a lot. eres
no huge record deal that lifts you up,
which I kid of think is awesome. Its
just basically what do you want to get
out of it and how much you are willing
to put in.
ATG: Youre both stopping in here
on a larger tour, where do you head
next, and when might we see you back
around Sackville?
Wax: I think well probably be back
East in about six months. I try to get
out here at least a couple times per
year.
Rae: I think Ill be back in Sackville
someday. I like Sackville. I dont know
when, the Greyhound has changed
their Discovery Pass, so it makes
things harder.
Wax: Im intrigued by this option.
Rae: Its not better or worse, just
cheaper, I feel like even with therapy
added, the Greyhound is still the
cheapest option.
Wax: ats right, I cant really aord a
personal therapist.
Rae: Ill be your therapist!
ATG: Any last remarks?
Rae: Come to shows.
Wax: Yes, people are busier than ever
these days, a reason to get drunk and
listen to music more than ever as a
result.
Rae: Or if they dont drink they can
have gummy bears
ATG: ank you both!
Internet Photo/Rae Spoon
Calgary singer/songwriter Rae Spoon, on tour with Wax Mannequin
LIKE MUSIC? WRITE ENTERTAINMENT!
14 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY ENTERTAINMENT
Beauty in black and white
Sackville Film Society presents Francis Ford Coppolas Tetro
Becky Martin
Argosy Contributor
Tetro, a lm written and directed by
Francis Ford Coppola, is as unusual is
it is familiar. Coppola is known for his
masterful work in mainstream cinema
with movies like Apocalypse Now and
e Godfather but hes expressed before
that these kinds of movies dont reect
the kind of lms hes always wanted
to make. With a small budget and
an arthouse pedigree, Tetro is a lm
which probably strikes much closer to
the directors vision.
e movie begins mysteriously and
becomes quite operatic as it progresses.
It is the story of two brothers, reunited
in Buenos Aires after a long separation.
ere are deep emotional chords in
the movie, that converge with classic
lm themes and inuences to create
something essentially modern and
new.
Shot almost entirely in black and
white, Tetro is sleek and stylish. It has
a beautiful, lm noir-like aura that
adds an intense dramatic quality. It
also makes you constantly aware that
what you are watching is a work of
ction -someones construction. ere
are many points throughout the lm of
great inorganic beauty. In a way, Tetro is
as much about the act of telling a story
as it is about the story being told. is
resonates throughout the structure and
the plot, as the two central characters,
a pair of reunited brothers, are both
writers.
At certain points in the movie, it
almost feels like the characters could
break out of their stories, like they are
aware of the ctions that comprise
their lives; or maybe theyre really
only part ction. Youre never quite
sure how many layers of stories are
being told in Tetro. Beyond all these
questions about ction, though, the
Jennifer Musgrave
Argosy Staff
Comforting Coasts
A review of Jon Bryants latest album
Jon Bryants new CD Two Coasts for
Comfort surrounds the listener with a
familiarity that can only be described
as honest. is is reected in his use of
studio talk to break down that invisible
barrier between the actual person
singing the song and the one listening
to it. Beginning the CD this way - and
even, in one song, restarts it at the
beginning betraying a strong sense of
realism. e music predominantly uses
a primary acoustic guitar with others
backing up it up at dierent times.
However, Bryant also brings in other
instruments for various songs such as
violin, piano, and even an accordion (for
the song Were You ere). Hes not
opposed to other musical conventions,
though, as he includes clapping and
stomping. and a harmonized female
voice on Hallelujah.
lm at its core feels very raw and
real, likely because the plot draws on
Coppolas real-life experiences. What
is so striking about the movie was
the bizarre space it navigates between
reality and storytelling and where
the two aspects become inseparable.
Fittingly, the lm takes some odd
detours, including scenes from a ballet
used to help narrate the plot, but this
never felt out of place or awkward.
eres another aspect to the lm
which I dont think I can emphasize
enough:the beauty of light. eres one
scene in which the main character Tetro
is driving, staring at light reecting
o glaciers, which then reects in his
eyes. It is something which feels quite
self-consciously placed in the movie by
human hand, but that hardly matters.
e phenomena is beautiful, whether
as a part of nature or as an obvious
construction.
Engrossing and beautifully
rendered, Tetro was a classic story in
every sense. In my enthusiasm for the
lm I was surprised to discover that it
received fairly mixed reviews. Many
critics found the lm pretentious,
awkward and overblown. One critic
said it would make a better coee
table book. While there are a lot of
really unusual aspects to Tetro which
could potentially make it jarring, these
same aspects are exactly where the lm
pushes boundaries, takes risks and, in
my eyes, becomes a work of art.
Come to the Sackville Film Society
ursday, November 26 to check out In
the Loop, the critically acclaimed British
political satire. e show starts at 7:30pm
and admission is $6 with membership
and $8 without.
His voice itself conveys a calm
tiredness that lends a strong, serious
demeanour to what hes doing, while
at the same time allowing himself to
sound emotional and begging. He also
adds a subtle echo to the vocals which
when added to his soft voice gives a
feeling of reminiscence. In some songs
Bryant re-emphasizes this by using
repetition in a way that makes you
picture a black and white lm reel
repeating over and over. is strong
feeling of nostalgia, coupled with
lyrics about love and even religion,
runs through the entire track list. In
one song he overlaps his voice with
a speech about Jesus Christ and the
cheering that goes with it. Some songs
even have a tendency to sound like
hymns such as Hallelujah and Were
You ere.
At times the music can also be
twangy and have a slightly Western
feel to it, but Bryant is careful to make
sure the music remains true to his own
style. His lyrics could be considered
at times to be poetic while at others
completely simple. Its really up to the
listener to decide whats deliberate
and whats not. e song Deaf was
probably the pinnacle of his work
with lyrics like the poor wont stop
the ghts and the deaf need better
reasons to strum a dierent chord.
Overall, the music was beautiful in its
melancholy, its strength and character
conveyed through nicely contrasting
styles. Two Coasts for Comfort is a good
album, with a warm folk style thats
just perfect to listen to on those really
bad days. If youre a fan of City and
Color, Jon Bryant will probably suit
your style.
B.A. and Jimmie take care of business
Canadian troubadours Shotgun Jimmie and B.A. Johnston shake Struts Gallery all night long.
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
When you think of an art gallery, you
probably dont think about kickdrums,
electric guitars and sweaty shirtless
men singing about having deep fryers
in his bedroom. Leave it to Shotgun
Jimmie and B.A. Johnston to shatter
stereotypes. Rolling through town on
their Taking Care of Business Tour,
these hometown heroes made use of
an unusual venue and delivered the
goods to a delighted crowd.
e last time Jimmie performed in
Sackville was at SappyFest, backed by
album collaborators Attack in Black.
On this tour, Jimmie is performing
solo, electric guitar in hand and kick
drums at his feet. It was a relaxed,
intimate performance - it was easy to
tell that he was happy to be back home.
He told stories about touring across
Canada, played a capella versions of
some songs and invited the crowd to
sing along with others. e laid-back
stage show meshed perfectly with
Jimmies songs. Using ramshackle,
lo- instrumentation and stream-of-
consciousness lyrics musings about
slow motion, drinking champagne
in a garden and Joey Jeremiah
they suddenly tumble into odd and
profound little moments. Love is
impossible, goes one song from his
new EP, but its also a popsicle. Like
his performance, its a statement thats
simple, catchy and true.
B.A. Johnstons show was, rst and
foremost, a spectacle. Running onstage
wearing a hobo suit and waving lit
sparklers, B.A. took the pyrotechnics,
sweat and bluster of an arena rock show,
cut it down to size and deep-fried it,
yielding a tasty, uniquely Canadian
treat. ough he spends some time
on keyboards and acoustic guitar,
B.A. typically cues up tracks on his
iPhone(a beat up discman) and sings
along. Well, he doesnt just sing along;
hell stand on chairs, slide through
the audience (occasionally running
into someones feet), head outside,
and collapse against pillars. And that
was before the hobo suit came o to
treat the audience to the gun show.
But the most underrated element
of the B.A. Johnston show might be
his actual songs. In this post-James
Brown era, its time we bestowed the
honor of e Hardest Working Man
in Showbusiness on B.A. Johnston.
Often based o of campy and fun
electronics or quickly strummed
acoustic guitar, B.A. uses symbols of
quote-unquote low culture - Robocop,
blinking Nintendos, Humpty Dumpty
potato chips - and wrings genuinely
funny and awkwardly sincere stories
out of them. A poet laureate for
Canadas dirtmalls, B.A. Johnston is
not to be missed.
B.A. [ Johnston] took
the pyrotechnics,
sweat and bluster
of an arena rock
show, cut it down to
size and deep-fried
it, yielding a tasty,
uniquely Canadian
treat.
Internet Photo/Sean McMullen
Internet Photo/ree Cheers for Darkened Years
A scene from Francis Ford Coppolas Tetro, starring Vincent Gallo.
Intenet Photo/Phog Lounge
Shotgun Jimmie takes aim. The Sackville singer/songwriter recently
released his new EP Paint it Pink, and is touring with B.A. Johnston.
Intenet Photo/Facebook
PROGRAMMER HIGHLIGHT
THE DIGITAL RELEASE
By now it is well-established that what was once thought of as the
music industry a handful of major labels with big distribution wings
moving massive amounts of product through retail outlets in malls - is
an anachronistic business model. CDs don't sell. That proposition
has become the one a priori assumption of the music industry. That
said music continues to be made and sold. The decline in CD sales
has, however, forced the music industry at large to take note of
something rappers had been doing for years. The best way to get
people to listen to your music, and hopefully like it, is to give it away
for free.
Lil Wayne's sixth studio album 'Tha Carter III' became 2008's
best-selling album. This following three years of almost constant
music production and distribution, via mixtapes, at no cost. Both
Radiohead and Trent Reznor have accrued tidy sums offering their
music on a pay-what-you-can basis. Certainly there are the detrac-
tors, such as Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon who claim that the clout and
past success of Radiohead allows them certain luxuries that lesser
known acts are without. The poor sales of Saul Williams 'The
Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust', championed by
Trent Reznor and originally available to download for free as well
as purchase, seems to indicate that to make money through free or
flexible distribution models requires a certain amount of star-power.
This fact, however, hasn't deterred smaller acts, who are not
necessarily as sales oriented from getting in on the music giving
action. 'Coup D'Etat' off The Sleepless Nights newest EP seems to
suggest a certain solidarity with music fans more interested in
listening to music than buying it; Old Gene Simmons and Tin Can
Lars need their hands on my money like a hole in the heart they
sing. The Sleepless Nights, walking the walk as well as singing the
song, are spending the year releasing EPs that they will be giving
away for free on their website. Culminating in the conventional
release of a full-length with material culled from the EPs. A plan
reminiscent of Bishop Allen's year spent releasing a new EP each
THE CHMA 106. 9 FM CAMPUS & COMMUNI TY RADI O BULLETI N
NOVEMBER 26, 2009 AUTUMNS LAST GASP
JULIE FADER
OUTSIDE IN
HANDDRAWN DRACULA
"It's buried away somewhere far into, a recess of your
mind" are the opening lines that set the contemplative tone
for Julie Fader's album Outside In. Like these lyrics from the
first song "Maps" suggest, this album is a thoughtful journey
exploring emotions. This album is a quiet reflection of
thoughts set to music. Fader's singer songstress style is
perfected by her delicate voice and complemented by
skillful instrumentation.
Outside In is Fader's first album but she has had a long
musical career up until now. She tours with Canadian folk
queen, Sarah Harmer, and is a member of the Great Lake
Swimmers. You also may have heard her singing alongside
Chad VanGaalen on the Soft Airplane album and with
Attack In Black on Years (By One Thousand Fingertips).
These musical friends and more helped her to create the
collection of songs we have now. Chad VanGaalen, Tony
Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers, Brian Borcherdt of Holy
Fuck, Sarah Harmer, and Justin Rutledge all lend their
vocals to Fader's album not to mention a myriad of contribu-
tions from members of notable Canadian indie rock bands.
In short this is a collection of songs created by Julie Fader
with love and help from her musical family and friends.
"Goodbye Before Hello" shows how Fader uses all of these
musical talent collected on the album to create a beautiful
and emotionally moving song. Starting off quietly with steady
and determined guitar and electric drumming, Fader's sweet
voice chimes in and is joined by harmonizing violin to create
a climactic wall of sound. Like footsteps though an empty
cathedral, Julie's voice echoes with musings about the
difference between loneliness and being alone. "Lullabye" is
another beautiful example of how Fader's enchanting voice
can turn the most melancholy and biting lyrics into a
mesmerizing song. The lyrics "You were so coked out" are a
bitter interjection into a song which otherwise might sing you
to sleep. The jaded and haunting duet "Skin and Bones" is
another track to attend to on Outside In. The minor key of
this song makes for an eerie duet which stands out on an
album of mostly sentimental songs.
-Vanessa Blackier
www.juliefader.com
Recommended Tracks: 1, 4, 6, 8
Hear it now on CHMA 106.9 FM
A WEEKLY RECORD REVIEW
CONCERT OF THE WEEK
ATTIC TRANSMISSIONS
THE CHMA CHARTS WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 27, 2009
THE CHARTS
RANK ARTIST TITLE (LABEL)
01 SHOTGUN JIMMIE* Still Jimmie (You've Changed)
02 WAX MANNEQUIN* Saxon (Zunior)
03 SAID THE WHALE* Islands Disappear (Hidden Pony)
04 THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC* And The Ever Expanding Universe
(Arts & Crafts)
05 DANIEL, FRED & JULIE* Daniel, Fred & Julie (You've Changed)
06 PAT LEPOIDEVIN* Blue Tornadoes (Self-Released)
07 VARIOUS* Attack in Black and Baby Eagle - Split (You've Changed)
08 THE TIRELESS SEDANS* Parts + Labour EP (Superbob)
09 SHARE* Slumping In Your Murals (Forward Music Group)
10 DEEP DARK WOODS* Winter Hours (Black Hen)
11 SIDNEY YORK* Sidney York (Self-Released)
12 LIGHTNING DUST* Infinite Light (Jagjaguwar)
13 JULIE DOIRON* I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day (Endearing)
14 LITTLE GIRLS* Concepts (Paper Bag)
15 JULIE FADER* Outside In (Hand-Drawn Dracula)
16 CONSTRUCTION & DESTRUCTION* Video Et Taceo (Self-Released)
17 DUPLEX!* Worser (Mint)
18 CLUES* Clues (Constellation)
19 DOG IS BLUE* Lakes Ghost Noises (Self-Released)
20 YORK REDOUBT* York Redoubt (Noyes)
21 LAND OF TALK* Fun And Laughter (Saddle Creek)
22 ZEUS* Sounds Like Zeus (Arts & Crafts)
23 THE SWELL SEASON Strict Joy (Anti-)
24 THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW* Invisible Girl (In The Red)
25 PINK MOUNTAINTOPS* Outside Love (Jagjaguwar)
26 WE ARE WOLVES* Invisible Violence (Dare To Care)
27 YOU SAY PARTY! WE SAY DIE!* XXXX (Paper Bag)
28 SUNSET RUBDOWN* Dragonslayer (Jagjaguwar)
29 ELEPHANT STONE* The Seven Seas (Elephants On Parade)
30 KAREN O AND THE KIDS Where the Wild Things Are (Interscope)
31 CAROLYN MARK AND NQ ARBUCKLE*Let's Just Stay Here (Mint)
DOUG HOYER
JAMES GODDARD
WHAT A DAY FOR A RIOT! HOSTED BY GRANT
SUNDAY 8 PM
Serving up white hot slabs of 60s garage, soul, psych,
surf and a touch of the new on CHMA since 2006, Grant
Hurley says: "Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, wouldn't it be
nice if we could live together? Ride a painted pony and let
the spinning wheel spin in an octopus's garden in the
shade?" We agree. Bring the ruckus to your weekend and
tune into What a Day for a Riot for all that the sixties you
care to remember (or forget).
Only on CHMA 106.9 fm on Sunday nights at 8:00.
MOST SERENE REPUBLIC
+MATT REID & MARDEEN
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28
STRUTS GALLERY ~ 8PM
ALL AGES ~ $10
month before finally assembling the best tracks to make the album
'The Broken String'.
It is quite common for artists to make at least some of their new
material available for audition prior to its release. Everyone from
Kanye West and Tv On The Radio to our own local boy Corey
Isenor has used Myspace as a pre-release platform for new
material. Putting music on Myspace makes it available for listening
but not downloading and all the burning, torrenting and manipula-
tion that can follow.
Alongside the promo give-away artists seem to be increasingly
interested in producing their music on archaic technologies, like
cassettes, or incredibly limited releases. This is often accompanied
or followed by a free digital download of the product. Halifax's
York Redoubt went this path with their first cassette, which can now
be acquired free of charge from their myspace. This was also the
case with Forest Fire's 'Survival' released in tiny quantities via blog
label Catbirdseat, it was eventually made available for download
free of charge.
Then there are those musicians who it seems are just charitable,
giving away full albums worth of music with no strings attached or
future releases advertised. Brian Borcherdt's newest double-
lengthed release 'Torches (the ward colorado demos)' is being given
away on his label Hand Drawn Dracula's website. In a similar vein,
Edmonton label Old Ugly records, which is home to rapper The Joe
and a loopy side-project from chart-topping Doug Hoyer entitled
Bike Month, currently has six albums available for download while
only one conventional for sale release.
It is difficult to see exactly where this trend will go. It seems likely
that we will see a growth in the amount of music released for free
the best way to get someone hooked is to give them that free
sample.
16 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY OPINIONS
Vancouver is a city of diversity and extremes; it is home to some of the wealthiest echelons of our
society while Canadas poorest postal code is just down the street, more than half of the population
speaks a rst language other than English, it is Canadas densest city, and yet is surrounded by
pristine wilderness. Ironically, the only thing steady about Vancouver is the weather. As the worlds
focus falls on Canada and its hosting of the XXI Winter Olympics, members of the community of
Vancouver will be using the occasion to highlight many of the social ills plaguing their city.
While the origins of Vancouvers social ills are many there should be no one in Canada unfamiliar
with the many hardships facing this community, particularly in the Downtown Eastside. With
HIV prevalence rates on par with anything seen in sub-Saharan Africa, the Downtown Eastside is
also home to crippling rates of crime, drug use, and violence. Sex trade workers are pushed to this
area through exclusion elsewhere and creeping gentrication. Despite these many problems, the
community is also home to North Americas rst safe-injection site, InSite, and some of the most
active and involved social advocacy groups in Canada. With the arrival of the Winter Olympics this
year, the eects both good and ill, have been profound.
On the one hand, the date of the Olympics coincides with a commitment by the city of
Vancouver to eradicate homelessness and provide sustainable low-income housing. Whats more,
the Olympics have brought the issues on the ground into sharp focus, both here at home in Canada
and internationally. Unfortunately, the Vancouver Organising Committee (VANOC) and the City
of Vancouver dont seem interested in seizing this historic opportunity. It has become abundantly
clear that the pledge to provide aordable housing will not be met on schedule; the City has already
postponed their homelessness elimination date back to 2015 and most activists doubt even that
will be sucient. Moreover, the lustre of the games have attracted immense interest in an already
expensive city and the resulting increases in property values and living expenses have pushed many
low-income families over the brink into homelessness, with more than seventeen single-room-
occupancy hotels sold in the past year and yet more on the auctioning block.
In addition to creating homelessness, the Winter Olympics also have the City of Vancouver
on the oensive to create a polished image in time for the games. Among some of the initiatives
put through on this front are the Civil City programme and a contentious bylaw change limiting
city residents right to protest. Proposed and created by former Mayor Sam Sullivan, the Civil City
Initiative is a programme that aims to cut down on visible homelessness, the sex and drug trades,
and aggressive panhandling. Touted by city ocials as a way to clean up the image of Vancouver and
cultivate a safer city, critics claim it criminalises poverty and does nothing to address the underlying
causes of these problems. Regarding the by-law change, the City of Vancouver recently passed an
amendment prohibiting the unauthorised distribution of material relating to the Olympics during
the games with a special exemption for celebratory signs, which are dened as those that celebrate
the 2010 Winter Games and create or enhance a festive environment and atmosphere. Currently,
a lawsuit supported by the BC Civil Liberties Association is before the courts claiming that this is
an unconstitutional violation of Freedom of Speech though it remains to be seen whether the courts
will hear the case in time for the games.
Additional changes brought about in preparation for the Games include the destruction of the
Eagleridge Blu wetlands to make room for an expanded highway between Whistler and Vancouver,
the creation of designated free speech zonesakin to those used in Beijing, the relocation of homeless
closest to the games venues, and a $1 million bill to taxpayers for the purchase of 1000 luxury suites
at the Olympic venues for BC MLAs.
Ultimately, the Winter Olympics might be the cause for celebration and sportsmanship, however
the current games like so many before them have not been without criticism. In a city like
Vancouver, where the social conditions for some are as bad as anything seen in Canada, the Olympics
have not been the shining inspiration all the media hype and corporate sponsorship would have us
believe. At stake are the lives and rights of real people, whose problems will be aggravated by the
Olympics and will certainly still be there once the hype, like the Olympic torch, has blown out.
I grew up in one of the winter sports meccas of Vermont. I was two minutes away an ice skating pond,
ve minutes away from a cross-country skiing trail, and forty-ve minutes away from a ski hill. Winter
sports were a huge part of my childhood and I was privileged enough to grow up skating, skiing, and
everything in between. Whenever its time for the Winter Olympics, I cheer on Vermonters like Ross
Powers and Hannah Teter as they dominate the competition.
However, why is it that countries such as the United States, Canada, and Germany are consistently
in the top countries for medal counts? Unlike the Summer Olympics, which features 11,000 individual
athletes representing 204 dierent countries, the Winter Olympics has a mere 2,500 athletes from
a whopping 80 countries. e International Olympics Committee recently selected Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. e Winter Olympics has bounced from a
diverse range of countries such as France, Austria, Italy, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
Sports featured at the Winter games require incredible investment, both individually and nationally.
If you want to ski, you have to spend at least hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to merely buy the
equipment necessary to get started. Contrast that with sports such as running and soccer that require
little to no investment to begin playing casually.
Most people have seen the movie Cool Runnings. It comically tells the story of the Jamaican
bobsled team as they train to participate in the 1988 Calgary Winter Games. roughout their entire
time training and qualifying, they are ridiculed for being out of place. Who could imagine a team from
a warm island nation as ever having a hope of being competitive? e argument bears some merit;
while I had the ability to go out every night after dinner and go skating, someone who lives where
snow isnt a reality are at a natural disadvantage.
is isnt to say we shouldnt be proud of our athletes who are in Vancouver, representing our
countries. When I watch the games this February, I will still cheer on the US team as they compete
against the best in the world for the chance at a spot on the podium. However, it is important to
remember that these games are not the same as the Summer Olympics; these are not games where the
whole world can compete. ese are games that are still predominately a competition between the rich
countries of the world while everyone else could care less.
-Noah Kowalski
Argosy Sta
Ben Butler
On the one hand, the recognition of building
sport and athletes is a goal that I nd valuable,
as well as fostering international community.
However, the entire aair seems to have been
mismanaged and mishandled, wasting funds
and raising ire. I cant get behind that shit.
Tara MacPherson
I think its great for Canada, itll boost tourism
because its a time when the global economic
climate is weird. Something like this is great!
Rowan Chandler
Its very exciting for the people in Vancouver.
Kelsey Ryan
I have concerns about displacement of people
who live in areas being taken over by the
Olympics
Communities bearing an
Olympic burden
-Stephen Middleton
Argosy Sta
True north strong but
certainly not free
Canada hosts XXI Winter Olympics:
Vancouver 2010
What are your thoughts on
Canadas hosting of the 2010
Olympics?
Internet photo/thetyee
17 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY OPINIONS
Spencer Burns
I think its really exciting that something like
this is happening in Canada. I like to watch the
Olympics and to think that that might happen
here is pretty cool.
Abby Hunter
I think its awesome. I think itll be a lot of fun
to watch; its just too bad theyre so far away.
Robyn Edgar
Im really excited because the Winter Olympics
are my favourite and Im really glad theyre in
Canada.
We hope Canada does well!
Mount Allison Mens Basketball
We think its great for the country. I think they
should go for it all! e torch coming through
town was great at bringing the community
together. Itll be great for the Canadian
economy.
Most people probably do not consider how much work is put into making the Olympics happen.
e truth of the matter is, not all participants working behind the scenes are paid. In fact, a very
large amount of the work and support comes from volunteers, unpaid, but necessary to hold the
whole system together.
e 2010 Vancouver Olympics website says that they expect 25,000 volunteers for the Games
between February 12 and 28. ey are involved in assisting athletes while they compete, guarding
access points to events, taking tickets, and other odds and ends jobs. Mount Allisons very own Jessie-
Anne Peace, a student from outside Halifax, will be taking part as a volunteer in 2010, assisting with
gure skating and speed skating.
Peace applied in December 2008 online. Following her application, she completed a phone
interview. ey asked what she thought about helping with certain tasks, and wanted to know how
many languages she speaks. e fact that Peace speaks English, French, and some German surely
inuenced her application positively. e interviewer was also interested in knowing how she would
handle people who go out of line. Because Peace had previously been an R.A. in Edwards, she
explained that she has had experience with this kind of situation.
If I can kick out the big drunk guys [from house parties], I think I can handle it, she says.
e schedule for a volunteer at the Olympics is nothing to be taken lightly. While most of Peaces
shifts will be approximately ve hours long, she does have one shift where she must work twelve
hours. e accommodation is not supplied by the actual Olympics, and volunteers must nd their
own place to stay. ere is obviously no money paid for a volunteers time, and it is no guarantee that
a volunteer will get in to events free, unless he or she is volunteering at that particular event. Despite
this Peace comments, Im excited to be part of something so big, and to interact with people from
all over the world. [...] Im hoping that I might be able to assist athletes because I know three
languages. She does get days o, in which she hopes to see some hockey games, although she will
have to pay for the tickets herself.
ere has been much controversy around the Winter Olympics of 2010, including the environmental
destruction, the rights of low or no income residents, lack of transparency and consultation in
decision making, and development on indigenous land that has never been surrendered to Canada,
according to Angela Sterritt of e Real News Network. But the controversy does not phase Peace,
who commented, ere are always conicts with big events. People will nd ways to make them
controversial.Despite these negative comments that have arisen over the Olympics, Peace is excited
to help in a competition that has existed for thousands of years.
-Vivi Reich
Argosy Sta
A priceless opportunity
Canada hosts XXI Winter Olympics:
Vancouver 2010
ere is an organization that encourages and attempts to improve health, development of life
skills, and peace for children in devastating situations around the world. Known as Right to Play,
this humanitarian organization brings together athletes from over forty countries and children in
twenty-three countries. In December 2008 the International Olympics Committee (IOC) banned
Right to Play from not only the 2010 Vancouver Games but also the Games in 2012 and 2014.
Whispers of discontent arose in the early planning stages of the Vancouver Olympics as it was
acknowledged that Right to Play had several sponsors that were in conict with Olympic sponsors.
Mitsubishi, Adidas, and EFG (a European bank) are some of Right to Plays sponsors that clash
with sponsors of the Games such as General Motors Canada, the Royal Bank of Canada and
Canon Canada.
In an ocial letter, the IOC banned the group from being involved in any of the Olympic venues
or entering the Olympic Village. In previous Games the organization had booths and roundtables
set up within the Village. Right to Play is actually headed by a former Olympian and many current
Olympic athletes participate in the organization.
I suppose what I nd most shocking about this situation is the idea that the IOC is banning a
humanitarian organization that in no way protests the Games or the IOCs actions. An organization
that aims to help children in areas aected by war, poverty, and disease through sports. Call me
naive, but I nd serious moral fault with the IOC on this issue.
A representative for VANOC, Dan Cobb, suggested that the issue had more to do with the
commitments the IOC was facing from other charities as well as the demands on their athletes
and the big picture. I translate this as the IOC was receiving pressure to dismiss Right to Play. e
pressure more than likely arose from the Vancouver Games sponsors taking issue with possible loss
of revenue due to split attentions.
Do we blame the Economic giants? Or is it a question of business and morals?
While there is certainly room for disappointment over the lack of concerned and involved thinking
being done by the IOC and VANOC, they are certainly within their rights to ban a group from the
Games. eir reasoning is certainly shaky and lacking in substantial facts, however, they may have
done Right to Play more of a favour.
IOC ocials have acknowledged that the decision to ban Right to Play has shoved both
organizations into the spotlight; each side has diering opinions on whether that light is a positive
or negative development. For Right to Play, the ban merely serves as a motivator and talking point
as they will be present at the Vancouver games, though not in an ocial IOC approved capacity.
For the IOC, the ban sheds yet another conicting light on an organization rife with controversy
and disagreement, despite international adoration of the Games.
Personally, I think the IOC made a huge error in banning Right to Play from the Olympics they
have only exacerbated an already hazardous question of how important human rights are to the
success of the Games (not just within the ocial events, but also within the preparations). In the
end, for the IOC it was a question of sponsors, of money to be lost, but I suspect it will, in the future,
become about their role as a leader in integrity and respect.
Money over children as IOC
bans Right to Play
-Julie Stephenson
Argosy Sta
Internet photo/Olympic
Internet photo/Olympic
FEATURES
Calling Canadians syrup suckers and
ice-holes, American comedian Stephen
Colbert has sparked a controversy in
a way that only he could. e issue
revolves around Canada, speed-skating,
and the 2010 Olympic Games.
Stephen Colbert plays an over the
top mock-conservative character on
his nightly political satire and talk
show.
e latest controversy began on
November 2 when he declared that
he would be sponsoring the United
States speed-skating team at the 2010
Olympics in Vancouver.
e team needed a new sponsor
after its original one, Dutch bank DSB
declared bankruptcy in October.
e bank had previously signed on
to pay $300, 000 US to the team, which
left them high, dry and desperate for
new funds so that they would be able
to compete.
Enter Colbert who, although not
sponsoring the team himself, called
upon his fans (or as he calls them, the
Colbert nation) to support the team.
is new sponsorship eort has been
remarkably successful, with Colbert
raising $40,000 US on his website in
the rst twenty-four hours.
As part of the deal, the Colbert
Nation logo will be emblazoned on the
skaters uniforms. In Colberts words,
on their enormous, billboard thighs, it
will say Colbert Nation.
So far the story doesnt sound too
controversial. But, with Colberts
character being staunchly patriotic, it
took no time at all for the trash talk
to begin.
Immediately upon choosing to
sponsor the team, Colbert complained
that It still tragically involves a lot of
Canadians. Its kind of unseemly how
many Canadians Im going to have to
be dealing with.
en it got more serious as Colbert
discovered that the Canadian Olympic
Committee wasnt allowing American
athletes what he deemed adequate
access in Olympic facilities.
He declared, Canada is cheating...
ose syrup suckers will not let our
athletes practice at their Olympic
venues.
He then encouraged his fans to print
o a form letter from his website and
send it to the Vancouver Organizing
Committee (VANOC). e letter
reads simply, Dear Canada, Dont be
an ice-hole! Sincerely, proud member
of the Colbert Nation.
Moreover, he has put Canadian
Ice-Holes on notice. Any fan of his
show knows that Colbert reserves
this punishment for only the highest
oenders. Canadians now join the
ranks of Jane Fonda, Grizzly Bears,
forgiveness, and the Journal of
Paleontology as things and people that
Colbert despises.
Reactions to Colberts allegations
here in Canada have been varied.
VANOC has taken the complaints
very seriously.
A representative from VANOC
defended the organization saying,
Weve oered ample training time
to international teams, including the
U.S. team, said Renee Smith-Valade.
We had training earlier this year for
international teams and were working
right now to oer one more session
of access to the international teams
before the games.
is behaviour is not dierent from
the way that host countries typically
manage facility access for foreign
athletes.
However, perhaps VANOC would
have done well to clue into the
overall context of Colberts comedy.
Indeed, just after calling Canadians
cheaters, Colbert said, is is the
most unsportsmanlike conduct by
Canadians since it was discovered
that Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy
Halladay was a moose.
It seems questionable if an ocial
response was necessary.
Some Canadians gured this out
and instead countered satire with
satire.
e facility that Colbert has
been talking about is the Richmond
Olympic Oval, where the long-track
speed-skating competition will be held
during the Games.
Ted Townsend, the senior manager
of corporate communications for
Richmond decided to see if he could
beat Colbert at his own game.
In a letter addressed to Colbert,
Townsend called on Colbert to accept
the title of Richmond Olympic Oval
Ombudsman to ensure that no
American speed skater is mistreated or
otherwise harmed in the making of the
Olympic speed-skating competition.
If he were to accept the position,
Colbert would be asked to don a pink
tuque while completing his duties as
ombudsman.
Townsend further explained that,
It takes a lot to upset us. After all,
the combination of the languid smell
of beaver musk and the freezing
temperatures generally make us a
docile people. Still, we just cant stand
the thought that someone would think
we arent playing fair. You might have
noticed that us syrup suckers are big on
rules and regulating things; thats how
we got universal public medicare.
However, Colbert is rarely one-
upped in a battle of wits.
He quickly retorted by asking, Can
I even work in Canada? Dont I need a
green card, or whatever you call it? A
beaver board?
At this point, its yet to be seen if
Colbert will be heading to this side
of the border for the 2010 Olympic
games. In the meantime, its nice to
know that at least some Canadians
know how to laugh at political satire.
Indeed, if theres one thing we need
not do when dealing with a man
like Stephen Colbert, it is take him
seriously.
Fraser Harland
Argosy Staff
Colbert vs. Canada
Stephen Colbert takes on our country over the Olympics
Internet Photo/Comedy Central
Stephen Colbert signing with the US speed skating team to become their ofcial sponsor for the olympics
Here at Mount Allison, weve become
accustomed to discussing major global
issues and the solutions we would
like to see take shape. In shaming
tones we systematically identify the
selsh and short-sighted bodies that
are worsening--or at least being
ambivalent towards--the state of the
world.
While it is our luxury as academics
and students to be the critical scholars
of our generation, the community of
critics has burgeoned beyond the ivory
towers.
e reason for such cynical masses
seems to be the result of expansive
mistrust of our leading governing
bodies and major institutions.
e loathing of politicians is as old
as the profession itself. Its summed up
well by the saying politics is the second
oldest job in the world; its astounding
how similar it is to the oldest.
Collective mistrust has extended
beyond our national leaders; a survey
by BBC found that in the majority
of Western European countries and
North America, more people trust
politicians than the press.
is is more a critical shot at the
press than it is a vote of condence in
our politicians. e North American
info-tainment and Euro tabloid
culture deserve the kick.
ere have been rumours that long
before our generations time there were
mythical journalists that were valued
by the major networks and newspapers,
who published serious stories without
fear sponsor or owner censorship.
Today this scenario seems as likely as
Narnia turning out to exist.
Not entirely disconnected from
the press, private interest has become
synonymous with selshness, greed,
and the antithesis of ethical business.
Ironic, to say the least. For many years
there have been intense criticism
of primary and secondary sector
corporations, however it has been
with the latest economic crisis that
our nancial institutions have received
the heaviest--and potentially longest
lasting--blows against their public
image.
Despite this critical atmosphere,
civil society groups have somehow
gained special status as the peoples
new and true method of expression.
Its in fact an exciting development;
traditional bodies to dictate policy
and community priorities have been
replaced--albeit partially--by localized
and globalized social movements.
Foundations and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) that encapsulate
social movements have gained special
status as the trustworthy bodies of our
time.
Its a telling indication that someone
like David Suzuki holds greater clout
with public opinion than the United
Nations Environment Programme
or governmental environment
departments.
Our general trust in civil society
organizations is perhaps unfounded,
but given the ideological foundations
of doing so have encouraging
implications for our future.
Traditionally its fallen to the next
generation of idealistic university
graduates to change the world through
changing the systems in place. If our
cynical points of view remain as they
are, this tradition will be drastically
altered. Instead, our values may be best
expressed through the entrusted social
movements and grassroots institutions
that we personally rally behind.
Some have described this as a return
of absolute democracy; others as the
modern hippie movement. Each could
be considered votes of condence or
damaging criticism, by all technicality.
Either way, the modern tides seem
to be moving in an overall positive
direction; with social movements
taking greater hold, involvement in
our own local and global governance
is becoming more possible. e
solutions were suggesting are, perhaps,
becoming more accessible. Warning,
however, with a shifting of tides, our
ivory tower may be broken and with
it our academic assertions of the right
course of action.
Frames of reference
Whom do we trust?
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Internet Photo/Boston
rough Stained Glass
19 THE ARGOSY FEATURES NOVEMBER 26, 2009
e great mainstay of university life is
reading; it brings us into contact with
ideas, perspectives, imaginations,
and concepts. A lot of time is spent
reading in the academic world, and
we read for information, to learn, just
to nish the book; sometimes we read
for entertainment or for personal
development.
Do we also read for our spirits, to
renew or restore our souls? ere is
power in literature to illuminate not
only our minds, but our souls, and yet
we have forgotten what it is to read
devotionally, spiritually, to nurture
ourselves deep within through the
imagination of someone else. We can
read to encounter the deeper truths
and divine mysteries, to awaken
ourselves to new directions, hopes,
faith; we can read to feed the spirit.
Augustine, writing in the early
fth century, noted that good
communication not only delights
but also teaches. Surely good writing
not only teaches but also delights. To
do both is to nurture the spirit, to
gladden the soul, and to engage it at
the same time.
Good writing can render the
world truthfully, helping us to see it
and ourselves afresh. Good writing
can bring into words those stories,
feelings, emotions, truths often
left unspoken, because they are too
painful, too powerful, too wonderful,
too much beyond the range of our
own powers of description.
In experiencing the world of the
spirit in writing, we can get in touch
with our own story as it intersects
with others; we can be rewounded,
or lifted up again, invigorated one
more time, or left pondering. We
see in the stories of others a little of
our own story, and we have a chance
to reshape our own story because it
has been touched by anothers, and
possibly even by God.
Sometimes, as Duke Chaplain and
professor William Willimon notes,
Despite themselves, God gives
writers the slip and pops up in a story,
even when the author thought that
this story had no room for God. And
that is precisely where the Spirit of
God engages our spirit, and the story
becomes more than story it becomes
holy mystery, food for our souls. God
is present, if we see with eyes of faith,
in the literature we read.
e twentieth-century philosopher,
social activist, and Christian mystic,
Simone Weil, wrote that the soul
knows for certain only that it is
hungry... e danger is not lest the
soul should doubt whether there is
any bread, but lest, by a lie, it should
persuade itself that it is not hungry.
While there are many ways to feed
the soul, I suggest that we have
forgotten that reading good literature
can be one such way.
To feed my soul, I read literature
that is not for information, not
for courses or for theology, not for
preparation of sermons, not for
writing reports. I read to encounter
the world, God, and myself.
I will read Dostoyevksys Crime
and Punishment again this Christmas
(I have a new translation I have to
keep it at the oce, because my family
already thinks me mad with my eight
copies at home, but in my defense
they are dierent translations).
And this year, for the tenth year in
a row, I will read a favourite novel
during Advent, Mr. Ives Christmas,
by Latino-American writer Oscar
Hijuelos. Mr. Ives Christmas tells the
story of an ordinary man who lives
an ordinary life, except that his son is
killed in a random act of violence. Mr.
Ives could be any one of us, and in his
response, his experience of grace, we
realize we could also experience grace.
And hope and grace are experienced
just in reading the story.
John Calvin, the Reformation
theologian, notes, Whenever,
therefore, we meet with heathen
writers, let us learn from that light
of truth which is admirably displayed
in their works, that the human mind,
fallen as it is, and corrupted from its
integrity, is yet invested and adorned
by God with beautiful talents.
If we believe that the Spirit of God
is the only fountain of truth, we shall
neither reject nor despise the truth
itself, wherever it shall appear, unless
we wish to insult the Spirit of God.
In good literature, good writing, we
are fed, and good writing is food for
our souls. God is present, and we
are comforted, lled with hope; we
are challenged, we are enlivened, we
see ourselves and our world a little
dierently.
I encourage you, this coming
December, to read; read for your
spirits, for the word and wisdom, the
presence and truth, the challenge, and
comfort of God. May the Spirit of
the Living Word nurture your soul
through the printed page, even as the
Light of the World shines through
stained glass.
Rev. John C. Perkin
University Chaplain
A thirty-seven year old Rwandan
man was charged with genocide
earlier this month in Ontario. Jacques
Mungwarere, who has been living in
Windsor, Ontario, is alleged to have
committed an act of genocide in the
Kibuye region of Rwanda during the
100 day genocide that took place in
that country in 1994.
e brutal genocide of Tutsis and
moderate Hutus in 1994 caused the
death of an estimated 800,000 people
in only three months. In Kibuye, where
Mungwarere is accused of having
committed genocide, an estimated
2,000 people died when bulldozers
attened the church they had taken
refuge in.
Mungwarere is only the second
person in Canada to be charged under
the eight-year-old Crimes Against
Humanity and War Crimes Act. e
rst person, Desire Munyaneza, was
sentenced only last month to life in
prison with no chance of parole for
twenty-ve years. He also was charged
with genocide during the Rwandan
genocide. In his ruling, the judge
wrote that Mr. Munyaneza chose to
kill, rape and pillage in the name of
the supremacy of his ethnic group,
reminding us that every time a man
claims to belong to a superior race, a
chosen people, humanity is in danger.
Mungwarere was arrested after a six
year investigation, which began after
a complaint from a Canadian citizen.
According to the RCMP, there is a
link between the two cases.
e Crimes Against Humanity and
War Crimes Act applies to anyone
who has committed or conspired to
commit an act of genocide, a crime
against humanity, or a war crime.
When it was introduced on October
23 2000, Canada became the rst
nation to introduce legislature that
incorporated the provisions of the
International Criminal Court Statute
into domestic law.
An interesting question however,
is why Mungwarere is being tried in
Canada at all. Ordinarily criminals
face justice where they committed
the crime, and Mungwarere never
became a Canadian citizen. Whereas,
for Munyaneza, extradition to
Rwanda would have been incredibly
unlikely because Rwanda still had the
death penalty when he was arrested,
Mungwareres case would be much
simpler since Rwanda abolished its
death penalty in 2007.
e RCMP War Crimes section
has been in contact with the Rwandan
authorities, and has travelled there on
multiple occasions during the six year
investigation.
In the past, the Canadian
government has been criticised for not
devoting enough funds to the RCMP
War Crimes Section whose annual
budget is $16 million. Munyanezas
case cost $4 million.
Huge numbers of trials have been
held surrounding the Rwandan
genocide. In 2000, there were 125,000
people being held in Rwandan
prisons, waiting to go to trial, and
approximately 3,000 suspects were
tried between 1996 and 2000.
Mungwarere appeared in court via
video on the November 12 to say he
had not yet hired a lawyer. e RCMP
has oered details to the case very
clandestinely.
Susan Rogers
Argosy Staff
International justice in
domestic courts
Residents of Campbell Hall took full
advantage of having the day o from
school the Wednesday after last by
spending their afternoon cleaning
up garbage throughout the town of
Sackville.
Students covered areas around
Waterfowl Park, the Drew Nursing
Home, and the parking lot near Pizza
Delight and the Visitors Centre, lling
more than fteen bags with forgotten
trash.
Reassuringly, Waterfowl Park was
relatively free of litter, and the garbage
cleanup quickly became a wonderful
excuse to be outside. Near the the
highway and the Visitors Centre there
was far more garbage, which had been
blown into a fence.
e garbage had been left on by its
previous owners to battle the elements
and to litter the ground with its plastic-
y wastefulness.
e ground has been given
a moments breath; a chance to
recuperate before a new seasons wind
drags along a new batch of litter.
Campbell, along with all the other
residences, have been participating
in the Campus Climate Challenge
(C3), and the garbage cleanup was
an excellent way residents to raise
awareness for this ecologically friendly
month.
Having said that, a lot more can still
be done within the connements of
all residences, including unplugging
appliances, limiting elevator use,
conserving water, and turning o
lights. Campbell former-resident and
garbage picker-upper Keleigh Annau
said, It was nice to see how many
people came out from Campbell, but
we denitely could have had more
considering how large the residence
is.
About 10 per cent of Campbell
showed up for the cleanup. anks go
to the town of Sackville for donating
supplies, to the Campbell Executives
for organizing the cleanup, and to
those who participated!
Emily Mann
Argosy Contributor
Campbells suite gesture
Raising environmental awareness for C3
Internet Photo/Lucid Magazine
Churches were often havens for eeing civilians, making them popular targets to destroy by genocidaires
Write for Features
by Loves Assassin
20 THE ARGOSY FEATURES NOVEMBER 26, 2009
e last couple of weeks the topics
have been a little on the negative
side, so lets get our heads out of the
gutter and well into the gutter.
With the holiday season right around
the corner, I think Santa had it right
when he coined the phrase, Ho, ho,
ho.
So all you hos were going to
talk about the 12 Days of Sex-mas.
If youre worried about cost, dont,
because as we all know cheaper is
always better, providing it is the right
kind of cheap.
Day 1: Long intense make out
session.
Stay with me it gets better
because this is just a warm up, and
with winter comin on fast we all need
a bit of re in our rey-places.
Day 2: 69 until you drop.
Now thats the spirit of giving, and
youre welcome boyz.
Day 3: A trip to the video store.
Oh yeah, guys we like it too well
talk about that in-depth another time
;)
(Tip: if youre running short on
cash or the public venture is putting
you o, there are some great resources
online)
Day 4: A raunchy strip tease.
Break out the monopoly money!
Oh, you knew that old game would
come in handy sometime.
Day 5: A lap dance.
yeah who-ever didnt strip
uhhh your up!
Day 6: He found my G spot!
Nu said guyz
Day 7: A full body hot oil massage.
And I do mean full body oh yeah,
I got a kinky right there
Day 8: Play the game Truth? Go
with the Sex - Dare!
Its like truth or dare minus the
truth ;)
Day 9: Its her night ladies rst!
You get to do whatever or whoever
you like however you like.
Ladies, lets show these boyz how
to play with our toyz!
Day 10: Its his night OK big boyz,
youre it!
No Sunday school manners
required no really, I mean it!
Day 11: Time to go to the Dollar
Store kidz!
Buy some toy handcus, a
sleeping mask, and well use your
imagination. Sex toys for a buck,
dude! (oh, and grab some index cards
for tomorrow)
Day 12: e gift that keeps on giving:
take twelve index cards each and on
the back write sex, adventure, or
romance; on the other side write
a fantasy you want fullled. Once a
week (more if your extra naughty),
you pull from each others deck and
walk away so you can plan in private.
You have to fulll the fantasy for the
other person within a week yeah, a
week is a long time to go with getting
any.
With the spirit of giving upon us,
this should put you right into the
holiday groove. A schedule like the
one prescribed by your personal love
guru should keep o those dreaded
holiday pounds, lift any holiday
gloom, and well, lets be honest,
our little elves will be in a lot better
spirits when visiting the parentals
now wont we?
Best of all you can share these
ideas with all your friends back home
and my my, wont they be impressed
with what you learned this semester.
is should keep you naughty til
New Years! Now go be a Ho! like
Santa said!
Obama has recently announced to
the public that he will unfortunately
not be able to make the deadline he
set for himself after his inauguration
ceremony to close the prison facility in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
e deadline was originally
scheduled for January 22, 2010.
However, it seems that various
obstacles have prevented this from
occurring.
It started when Obama proclaimed
they would close the Guantanamo Bay
prison Camp as well as all overseas
CIA detention centres for terrorist
suspects, so that the methods in this
war would agree with American
values. He also ordered that a review
of military trials be undertaken for
suspects and put a ban on all harsh
interrogation methods.
Obama believed that Americans
would be safer once the prison was
closed and claimed that the closure
would take place no later than a year
from then. Technically he has not
failed to meet the deadline yet, but the
way things are moving makes it seem
unlikely that he will.
Moreover, some have argued that
just closing the facility for the sake of
closing means that it will just be re-
established somewhere else instead.
Its not addressing the issue of where to
put and what to do with the detainees.
Its estimated that about 90 to 215 of
the men held in Guantanamo could
be released or repatriated. However,
U.S. ocials refuse to share details of
their eorts to relocate the prisoners;
so far it seems that there has been little
progress to speak of.
One of the most pressing issues
for many is that the people in
Guantanamo are in fact dangerous and
are not entitled to any of the judicial
rights available to American citizens,
so when and if they are released they
need to be placed somewhere where
they are not going to harm others.
Most countries will simply not accept
them because of the social and political
risk that they embody.
Washington is taking the brunt of
the blame for this because they do not
accept the detainees on American soil,
leading to the trend of thought among
other countries that if the Americans
wont take the risk, then they should
not either. Despite this, the State
department expects that at least forty
of the prisoners will be able to be
moved to other countries (most of
them in Europe).
Another factor is where to try
these individuals (about forty-sixty)
suspected of terrorism. e toughest
group to handle for them will likely
be the 100 Yenmeni prisoners, many
of which are suspected to be dedicated
cadres of al-Qaeda (even though there
is no evidence against them). However,
on the other side of things is the issue of
keeping them there any longer. Many
of the detainees they want to continue
holding without charge because they
lack evidence against them but fear
their release.
e legal process for these prisoners
has been widely criticized by many
including several human right groups;
not surprising, seeing as the U.S.
military takes on the role of jailer,
judge, and jury in their trials. Of the
205 detainees remaining in prison, up
to 90 of them could face an indenite
detention which is sure to anger all
parties.
e indenite detention
tactic, reminiscent of the Bush
Administration, has been criticized
by not only human rights groups but
Obama himself during his campaign.
However, Obama changed his mind
on this issue and embraced indenite
detention in his speech given to the
national archives on May 21, 2009.
Its an unfortunate situation
where the Obama administration is
desperately trying to come up with
a package that will please everyone;
either way each side is sure to be angry
about something. e conservatives are
upset about detainees being released;
some once thought to be dangerous
are now attaining habeas corpus in
cases while others are being repatriated
and getting trials within their own
countries. On the other side the
liberals are not happy with the current
indenite detention methods. Human
rights groups are even urging that
Obama apply the terms of indenite
detention only to prisoners that are
currently in the facility and not to any
future detainees.
ere are currently about thirty
detainees that have been placed under
the law of war detention, while sixty
more may soon be as well. What facility
they will be sent to however remains
in question. Several have already been
taken into consideration including the
facility in omson III. However, the
Administration has also announced
that there will be further trials in U.S
Federal courts for detainees facing
military commission.
As for the new deadline, none has
been announced, only an ambiguous
date has been mentioned that will
take place sometime next year.
Meanwhile the Obama administration
is maintaining its right to detain
terrorist suspects without trial or
charge and to render them suspects
in other countries for interrogation. It
seems there is really no idea yet as to
when these detainees will be released
if ever however, Obama has stated
that a lot will depend on co-operation
from Congress. How this progress will
develop over the next year remains to
be seen.
Jennifer Musgrave
Argosy Contributor
Obama administration says
no go for Guantanamo
Barack Obama announces he will not be able to make his
deadline for closing the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay
Internet Photo/Hackitectura
21 THE ARGOSY FEATURES NOVEMBER 26, 2009
After being on the Strasbourg exchange
last year I had my fair share of
adventures, homesickness and culture
shock. e following is the third and nal
instalment of my personal experiences
and thoughts recorded during my
exchange in France last year. Welcome
to the mind and musings of an exchange
student.
ursday, May 14 and Monday, May
18, 2009
One more exam left today and then
Im washing my hands of the Institut.
Im happy though because a few kids
from last semesters class [various
dierent international students
from my original homeroom class]
and I are going to get together on
Saturday and share a few beers and
eat together.
I read over a bunch of letters
my friends had written to me at
the beginning of the year for my
plane ride, all of them encouraging;
telling me not to be sad that I was
leaving; that it was such an amazing
opportunity. I laughed a little while
reading my own frailty between the
lines - and I wonder if Im at all the
same person that stepped on that
plane last September? Ive changed
so many of my perspectives on life.
To think I cried in the airport before
leaving (or was it on the plane?), and
called my family on calling cards,
desperately lonely.
Im dierent now. I rarely get
lost. Ive developed a photographic
memory and can pretty much always
nd my way back to a certain point no
matter which city, country or native
language. Ive been sick and alone
and taken care of myself, even when
it meant dragging my food poisoned
ass to the doctors after three days
of agony (re: Chinese food). Ive
learned the true meaning of trust
and of keeping secrets, and Id like
to think Ive helped guide others to
a better understanding or acceptance
of themselves.
And Ive made friends for life.
Friendship, one of the most
important things Ive learned
about this year. e importance of
friendship, and the essential place
of friends in the safety net we cast
around ourselves. And their ability
to love you for who you are, and to
forgive the personality quirks that
drive your family mad.
Im going to miss traveling with
S, talking romance and relationships
with R, and just...being with C.
Its been a good year.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Since Amsterdam I have:
Visited the South of France
- Avignon, Arles, Marseille and
Cassis.
Tried couch surng for the rst
time in Avignon and had a blast.
Saw my rst corrida (they didnt
kill the bull) in Arles.
Hiked the Calanques of Cassis in
Crocs. (alliteration...!)
Done so little school its too sad to
be funny.
Had my rst surprise birthday
party (ank you C, R and the Mt.
A kids <3).
Had my rst drunken karaoke
surprise party (anks to Les
MISS).
Visited family I hadnt seen for
fourteen years, and still felt like I was
at home.
Played rugby in Belgium and
partied in Brussels.
Todays my last day in Strasbourg.
Tomorrow morning I catch the 6:45
am train out to Paris to join my
family for travel. I feel like the past
two weeks of my life have been the
conclusion to some kind of cheesy
novel or maybe a sitcom, where
everyone reects about how far
theyve come in the last year.
Im going to miss the skyline.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
La bohme came on by Charles
Aznavour today and I wanted to put
my head down and cry. Even though
I lived far from poverty over there I
still feel like my experience in France
is epitomized in that song. Et je
parle dun temps que les moins de
vingt ans ne peuvent pas connaitre...
Living o of bread and cheese,
going down to the caf Kreutz in
the morning for a caf au lait, being
happy being poor, laughing with
friends over thrown together dinners
(fried eggs, green beans and potatoes
with nutella spring to mind...) in
makeshift, hand-washed clothes...
I miss France and European living...
ings seem so big and stupid here
sometimes. [referring here to trucks,
shopping malls, gigantic department
stores, impersonal bakeries, etc.]
Sarah Visintini
Argosy Correspondent
International
Insights
With only a few weeks left before
the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Copenhagen, former
US Vice-President Al Gore has
released a new book, OUR CHOICE:
A plan to solve the Climate Crisis.
And if the conclusion of the book is
anything to judge by, the timing of this
release is no coincidence.
ough it wasnt without its Al
Gore-isms stories about his past
as vice-president, his mistakes, and
references to his childhood Gores
book was highly informational,
discussing in depth several dierent
sources of energy, and the benets and
short comings of each.
Gore also touched on several
other related issues, tying them into
the web of climate change causes.
Some of these major issues included
malnutrition and soil erosion in Africa,
population growth and the need for
girls education. He also tackles some
of the more dicult questions like
how to change the way we think.
Gores book also discussed some
of the alternative ideas to solve
climate change, from interesting idea
of painting roofs white in order to
compensate for the smaller amount of
light reected by ice and snow, to the
more chilling ideas (no pun intended)
of lling the air with sulphur dioxide
or putting billions of tinfoil strips
into orbit in order to block and reect
incoming sunlight.
For all of its merits in discussing
the pros and cons of each energy
source, Our Choice is certainly not an
unbiased book. Filled with short asides
about climate change and visionary
entrepreneurs, Gores perspectives
on which methods are viable options
is easily seen. Not only does the
book present a spread of quotes
from religious texts on the need for
environmental protection, but the
book even contains screen shots of abc,
msnbc, Fox News, as well as CNNs
Lou Dobbs, as they promote climate
skepticism.
With its easy to read format, and
glossy diagrams and photos, this book
does seem to have the potential to bring
knowledge of climate change issues to
a wider audience. Unfortunately, the
authors politics may play against him.
And its unlikely that his endorsement
of Barak Obama in the later chapters,
and the statistics he cites, such as 19 per
cent of college educated republicans
believe humans are causing global
warming, versus the 75 per cent of
democrats, will aid him in reaching
climate skeptics. But regardless of who
it is picking up the book, they will have
a dicult time missing the focus Gore
puts on the impact Copenhagen could
have.
What is most needed is the kind
of vision, focus, and determination
at the national leadership level that
we have seen produce revolutionary
improvements in companies and in
government policy when visionary
leaders were in charge of driving
eciency improvements, says Gore in
the book. And Gore leaves no doubt
that he expects the United States
to play a much larger role this time
around than they have on climate
issues in the past.
But as nations prepare to head for
Copenhagen next week, there is a lot
of work still to be done. Yvo de Boer,
executive secretary of the United
Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change, says that there
are four points that it is absolutely
essential to come to an agreement on.
First is the amount that industrialized
countries are willing to reduce their
green house gas emissions. Second is
how much developing countries like
India and China are willing to reduce
their emissions. ird is how to nance
the aid that developing countries will
need to reduce their emissions and
adapt to climate change. Fourth is how
to manage the money in the previous
point. All of which will take signicant
negotiating.
And with the President of the
Copenhagen Conference, Connie
Hedegaard, saying that failure to make
an agreement is simply not an option,
since it would take years to regain the
momentum that has built up going
into this conference, there are many
who feel that this is the now or never
chance to stop climate change.
As many may have seen, even
by simply looking at our small
Mount Allison campus, much of
the enthusiasm for major change on
climate issues is coming from our
own generation. e world is not only
beginning to recognize the profound
role that youth are playing, but it is also
beginning to lend us a hand. In fact,
rather than giving out goodie bags
to conference delegates, Denmark has
taken the 537,000 Euros normally
spent on these item, and is using
them to award eleven scholarships
to international students to complete
their masters degrees at universities in
Denmark.
Says Gore in his imaginary
monologue telling future generations
about how we solved climate change,
Young people brought incredible
passion and commitment to meeting
the challengeeir idealism and
seemingly inexhaustible energy was a
renewable resource we had forgotten
about.
Gore certainly seems to think
that Copenhagen will be a dening
moment in the worlds climate change
action. In his nal chapter, he lays out
the two possibilities as he sees them.
e rst is tragic, and is the scenario in
which the world lets the opportunity
of Copenhagen pass. e second
is the case where the Copenhagen
agreement, while criticized for being
timid, is the rst of many steps.
And in this second case, Gore sees
the Copenhagen agreement being
strengthened repeatedly, just as the
Montreal protocol was strengthened
so that now the ozone layer is nearly
repaired.
Not too many years from now, a
new generation will look back at us
in this hour of choosing and ask one
of two questions. Either they will ask,
What were you thinking? Didnt you
see the entire polar ice cap melting
before your eyes? Didnt you hear the
warnings from the scientists? Were
you distracted? Did you not care?
Or they will ask instead, How did
you nd the moral courage to solve a
crisis so many said was impossible to
solve?
Al Gore present us Our Choice
Susan Rogers
Argosy Staff
Cooking with Jess
is is a quick, cheap, and easy way
to make a night romantic. Pair with a
bottle of champagne and a movie!
Ingredients:
-1 quart of Strawberries, washed and
dried
-200g bag of crushed hazelnuts (crush
them yourself in a freezer bag)
-2 Lindt milk chocolate bars (or other
high quality chocolate)
-1/4 milk
-2 tbsp olive oil
In a saucepan heat the olive oil and
milk at low to medium heat. After
the liquid has been heating for a few
minutes add the chocolate. Break the
chocolate into small pieces before
putting it in the saucepan. Stir the
chocolate constantly to prevent it from
burning.
Once the chocolate is melted
completely pour the contents of the
saucepan into a small deep bowl. Place
the crushed hazelnuts in a similar
bowl.
Take the each strawberry and dip it
into the chocolate then carefully roll it
in the hazelnut. Place the strawberries
on a large plate covered in wax paper
and place them in the refrigerator
for 30 minutes. Enjoy this sweet and
simple treat!
Serves: 2
Hazelnut Berries
Jessica Emin
Argosy Staff
22 THE ARGOSY FEATURES NOVEMBER 26, 2009
WATERLOO, Ont. (CUP) Coee.
We all know about it, most of us drink
it and many of us cannot function
without it. Coee is far more than
a comforting stimulant, however. It
touches the lives of millions, possibly
billions, every day. It is one of the
most exported goods coming out of
the global south and it has the power
to shape the lives of over twenty-ve
million families worldwide.
Coee, a tree crop, rst entered
Europe in the seventeenth century,
though it did not experience a rise
in popularity until the nineteenth
century. Coee suers from extended
periods of excess production and low
prices, making economic sustainability
dicult to attain for those involved in
the production of the crop worldwide.
Across the globe, more than 500
billion cups of coee are served
annually. A staggering 146 billion of
those cups are consumed in the United
States alone. is translates to roughly
400 million cups of coee consumed
every day by our southern neighbours.
ose cups of liquid energy dont
always have a clean history, however.
e problem with coee
Coee is the second most valuable
legally exported commodity from
the global south after oil, said Dr.
Gavin Fridell, an assistant professor of
politics at Trent University and author
of Fair Trade Coee: e Prospects
and Pitfalls of Market-Driven Social
Justice.
According to Business Unusual:
Successes and Challenges of Fair
Trade, published by the Fair Trade
Advocacy Oce in Brussels, the price
of coee has experienced extreme
drops in the last twenty years, as the
value of the worlds leading agricultural
commodities have fallen between 50
and 86 per cent.
And when [coee] provides an
income for twenty-ve million coee
farmer families, as Fridell explained,
the global decline in coee prices
can mean only one thing: poverty for
millions. More often than not, this
poverty is extreme.
Low international coee prices
ultimately mean that many coee
farmers cannot aord to feed their
own families, which makes it even
more dicult for them to maintain
their land or invest in more ecient
farming practices. is results in a
cycle of unmanageable poverty.
Before 1989, coee farmers were
protected by the International Coee
Agreement, a document designed to
regulate the global price of coee. e
agreement also worked to maintain
a reasonable return for the millions
of coee producers worldwide. is
agreement protected coee farmers
and the economies of the global south
that are heavily reliant on the popular
export.
at year, the U.S. pulled out of the
international agreement, triggering
a collapse. e price of coee is now
regulated by the international markets
and has been dropping ever since.
e families reliant on coee exports
are no longer protected by international
trade regulations. Instead, they are
subjected to a market dominated by
corporations and public demand.
Each year, coee farmer families
receive less than 10 per cent of the
estimated sixty billion dollars that the
global coee industry earns annually.
e collapse of this agreement has
contributed to coee becoming the
rst fairly traded agricultural product.
Prior to the collapse of the
International Coee Agreement,
a group of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and alternative
trading organizations like Ten
ousand Villages were focusing their
energies solely on trading handicrafts.
Skilled artisans, predominantly in the
global south, were creating crafts to be
sold by these fair trade groups.
With the sudden fall in coee prices
internationally, many felt the need to
extend fair trade beyond the realm of
handicrafts, so coee and tea were the
rst agricultural products to be traded
fairly.
Fair trade is a complex system that
places a higher value on the rights
of marginalized producers and the
environments they work in than what
is traditionally available through the
global market. Alex Latta, assistant
professor of global studies at Wilfrid
Laurier University, identied fair trade
as a model of production, distribution
and marketing that operates parallel to
the global market.
e global market has been described
by some as an ideal democratic
economic system, one that has the
potential to oer equal opportunities
to all.
Fridell is a realistic supporter of what
fair trade oers the global economy.
e global market does not oer
everyone win-win solutions that are
ethical. e more you let the market
run our society, the less ethical things
become, he said.
Ethical trade practices make up
a large portion of the logic and
motivation that fuels the fair trade
movement.
e ocial denition of fair trade,
as dened by the World Fair Trade
Organization, is a trading partnership,
based on dialogue, transparency, and
respect, which seeks greater equity in
international trade. It contributes to
sustainable development by oering
better trading conditions to, and
securing the rights of, marginalized
producers and workers especially in
the South.
In order for coee to be classied as
fair trade it must be grown, processed
and purchased under strict regulations
that are fair to the producer, the
consumer and the environment.
Often, fair trade results in more
personal trade partnerships.
By diminishing the distance
between producers and consumers, the
fair trade movement brings humanity
back to consumerism.
e coee at Ten ousand Villages
in Waterloo, Ont. is an example of a
product that has been produced in
ethical and socially responsible ways.
According to the assistant manager
of the store, Nikki Bakes, 26 per cent of
the proceeds from every bag of coee
from the Max Havelaar Foundation
sold by Ten ousand Villages returns
to the farmers who produced the
beans. is represents a signicant
improvement when compared to the
10 per cent that returns to the farmers
of coee on the international market.
In terms of the average returns to
farmers who benet from fair trade,
26 per cent is on the higher side.
Fair trade organizations often
work in conjunction with farming
cooperatives in a democratically
structured process that seeks to bridge
the gap between consumers and
producers.
ese organizations assist farmers
by oering various types of education
in the hopes that it will encourage
more eective farming techniques
to increase yield, credit support and
increase workplace safety.
Because the global demand for coee
is so high, many groups, including the
Global Exchange Organization, argue
that all coee should be fair trade.
However, fair trade does not
necessarily imply complete fairness.
I mean, maybe we should all be
paying ve times what we pay now for
coee, that would probably be closer
to whats fair, said Fridell.
With such an inux in the fair trade
market and consumer response, large
corporations such as Starbucks and
Nestl have jumped onto the ethical
bandwagon.
Fair trade is becoming increasingly
corporate-driven, said Fridell. Now
0.2 per cent of the coee beans Nestl
uses are fair trade, and they are using
this to launch a huge ethically-based
marketing campaign.
Ethical business practices have
become one of the most popular
marketing trends in recent years. Of
course, each companys denition of
ethical is going to dier.
A product that meets the standards
of fair trade can be certied as such by
TransFair. Meeting these requirements
can be costly, however. For this reason,
countless ethical labels with more
exible standards are making their way
onto the products we consume daily.
Nabob Coee Company, for
instance, oers Rainforest Alliance
Certied varieties, which are touted
to contain at least 30 per cent
Rainforest Alliance certied coee.
is certication body works to
conserve biodiversity by transforming
land-use practices. While protecting
the environment is immeasurably
important, the Rainforest Alliances
standards for social responsibility have
been found to be signicantly lower
than those of TransFair.
Similar to Nabob, Starbucks coee
is C.A.F.E. certied. Where Nabob has
sought out a certication body that has
less stringent farming and production
standards, Starbucks has chosen to
employ C.A.F.E. coee and farmer
equity as their own certication label.
Fridell refers to this label as a
watered-down version of fair trade,
which demands much less of their
southern partners.
Fair only in theory?
A fairer price for a commodity that
is a dominant player in the global
market seems inevitable, and fair trade
Buying fair trade is
important and showing
solidarity with southern
farmers who have the same
values as you is important,
but it only helps three per
cent [of farmers], and at
the end of the day we need
to nd ways to help the
other 97 per cent of fair
trade farmers
has ultimately risen exponentially as
a proportion of world sales. However,
this rise in success does not mean that
fair trade is without its critics.
According to Fairtrade Labeling
Organization International, last year the
fair trade market increased its span by
22 per cent; a shocking level of growth
compared to traditional markets.
Fair trade certainly has some positive
impacts, but the question remains:
should you buy fair trade coee, and
does it really matter either way?
We cannot pretend that a problem
doesnt exist and think that buying
fair trade coee makes up for it, said
Fridell. Buying fair trade is important
and showing solidarity with southern
farmers who have the same values
as you is important, but it only helps
three per cent [of farmers], and at the
end of the day we need to nd ways to
help the other 97 per cent of fair trade
farmers.
Buying fair trade supports a set of
values and ideals that place the dignity
and rights of those less fortunate ahead
of the bottom line. rough supporting
these values, the consumer can make a
small statement about how they think
global trade should be conducted.
On the subject of the limitations
surrounding fair trade, Latta stated
that in being an alternative to the
system, [fair trade] doesnt necessarily
challenge the system, though the
global studies professor does emphasize
the importance of the movement.
ere are fairly few examples in our
time of social activism that are able to
create alternatives that work, he said.
Latta said that despite critiques and
a lack of enthusiasm by many for fair
trade, its market gains are exceptional.
What is special about fair trade is
that it is an organization that works
with niche markets. e percentage
growth in fair trade products compared
to growth across the market is really
phenomenal and shouldnt be ignored,
Latta added.
e world is paying attention to
fair trade coee; this fact has been
made clear by corporations desperate
attempts to present themselves in a
similar light to those organizations that
truly sell fair trade coee.
Ultimately, fair trade may not change
the situation of everyone, but it makes a
big dierence to those involved.
While fair trade is growing in
popularity, demand is being outpaced
by production. Only 20-30 per cent of
fair trade farmers can nd buyers for
their product. e rest is sold on global
market at a loss to the producers.
Currently, 670,000 families benet
from sale of fair trade coee. is is
undoubtedly a huge number of people,
but since over twenty-ve million
families produce coee globally, fair
trade benets less than three per cent
of all producers.
Changing these numbers requires far
more than a consumer commitment,
but no attempt to better the situations
of others should be undervalued. So
get educated and consider becoming a
supporter of fair trade.
Shannon Busta
The Cord (Wilfrid Laurier
University)
Stimulating ethical economics
Julie Cruikshank
By the numbers
$164.71 = e average amount
drinkers spend on coee annually.
79% of coee consumed at home
in Canada is purchased at the
supermarket.
63% of Canadians over 18 drink
coee on a daily basis.
25 million = the number of coee-
farming families worldwide.
Who gets what on the open market?
10% goes to farmers.
10% goes to exporters.
25% goes to retailers
55% goes to shippers and roasters
ARTS & LITERATURE
Oh, the Twilight phenomenon! You
either love it or hate it. If you love it,
you will rejoice in the fact that last
weekends opening of the second lm
in the Twilight saga, New Moon, has
generated the third largest opening in
box oce history (with an estimated
$140.7M). If you hate it, you might
enjoy all the bad reviews the lm has
been receiving even before its release. Or
you might take pleasure in watching all
the spoofs and sarcastic remake videos
posted all over the Internet over the
last few weeks. In any case, Stephenie
Meyers ctional characters have taken
over our entire entertainment industry.
Forgetting about the sexy actors
and Hollywoods adaption of the
novels, lets just focus on the books.
Im sometimes a little embarrassed
to admit that I have read all four of
them. I read them out of curiosity
- I wanted to know what all the fuss
was about. Here is what I think.
Yes, the books are badly written. e
story is more like a never ending fan
ction about a teenagers fantasy and
her vampire lover rather than a set
of published novels. I have thought
often that any female teenager could
have written these books. It is hard
to imagine that they were written by
a thirty-ve year-old stay-at-home
mom who graduated with a bachelors
degree in English. e terrible syntax
and poor vocabulary found in the
Twilight quartet appear to have
lowered the bar of our current literary
standards. I have over and over again
wondered how the editor could send
a manuscript like this o to print.
But, the story is good. e intrigue
captivated and maintained my interest
throughout all four books and the idea
that vampires could live amongst us is
appealing. Yes, vampires are nothing
new, but neither were witches and
sorcerers (right, Rowling?). With the
seventh and nal Harry Potter book on
store shelves and only two more lms
to go, the world needs a new fantasy to
day dream about. Harry Potter created
e Twilight phenomenon
Our (art)isitc rea(lit)y: A weekly column by Maria and Vivi
Maria Maute
Argosy Staff
Believe it or not, Sackville used to
have a tattoo studio. It was called
Pins and Needles, and only survived a
few months. ere were probably not
many memories of that studio etched
into peoples minds, let alone skin. But
it did produce a new tattoo artist, who
graduated from Mount Allison in 2007,
lived in Fredericton and Montreal, and
returned to Sackville this summer.
at graduate is Moorea Hum.
Hum started an internship at Pins
and Needles, then continued with
the internship in Fredericton. She
was responsible for customer service,
drawings, cleaning, coee runs, as
well as watching everyone work as
much as possible, guring out how the
shop worked, and staying on my toes!
as she puts it. She was able to start
tattooing on oranges and grapefruits.
Her mentors arm was the rst skin
she was allowed to actually tattoo.
Soon enough, she became a full
time tattoo artist in Fredericton for
two summers, then left for Montreal,
where she lived for another two years.
She says that she loved it, learned a
lot, worked in a great shop, spoke lots
of French, and met a lot of amazing
tattoo artists. Soon, a change of pace
seemed in order for Hum and her
partner, and they returned to Sackville,
where they now rent a house, complete
with a studio for Hum. In her studio,
she tattoos, but also works on drawings,
designing tattoos, and watercolour
paintings. In exchange for a Freddy
Kruger style sweater handknit by
a friend, she is designing wallpaper,
which she will turn into a stencil and
repeatedly paint on the wall. For the
past two summers, Hum has tattooed
at Sappyfest as well. While she left the
hustle and bustle of Montreal behind,
she seems to be keeping busy here, too.
Hum considers her studio a private
space, and tattoos by appointment only.
She says, is is the rst time Ive
had a functional, cozy, feel-at-home
kind of studio! Im really enjoying
working here, being in control of
everything, and having more privacy.
She says she has business cards, but
does not outwardly advertise. Still,
she does tattoo on a regular basis. Her
business is called For Keeps Tattoo.
In her recent spare time, she created
a collection of watercolour paintings, in
the style invoking early tattoo images
such as pin-up girls; in her words:
Traditional American old school
tattoo ash. e collection is called
Ladies, and was featured at under
and Lightning on November 13. Each
lady she painted is named, but not
after anyone she knows personally.
Her method was to start sketching
the design, then stop at a certain point.
[...] I wont continue until I have a
name. en, Ill start painting and
lling in the tattoos. At the twenty-
four hour show (Hum was not there
the whole time, understandably), she
received positive feedback and there
was a good turnout. It feels great to
have some completed work on paper
that I can hold onto, she says, and
continues, a lot of tattoos I do that
I really love and put a lot of work
into designing, I never see again!
While Sackville is not as big or
busy as Montreal, it seems to hold
much potential for this young artist.
It is beyond question that Hum
has years of success ahead of her.
A young artist is for
keeps in Sackville
Arts and souls: spotlight on artists
Vivi Reich
Argosy Staff
a whole new pop culture with over
400 million books sold, fan videos,
and parodies taking over the Internet,
obsessions over the characters and the
actors, and endless controversies. Both
Meyer and Rowling took outdated
mythological and folkloric creatures
and have modernized and adapted
them to t into our current society.
So what can we make of this? Well,
we can see the Twilight phenomenon
in a positive way. Just like the Harry
Potter books, the Twilight quartet has
drawn millions to simply sit and read
a book. Nothing bad can be said about
our society going back to reading.
Take my forty-year-old neighbour for
example; she had not picked up a single
book since she graduated from high
school over twenty years ago. When
her teenage daughter started reading
the Twilight series, she began reading
them too and discovered the pleasures
of reading. After she was done with
the four books, she went out and
bought more ction novels and is now
reading instead of watching television.
e Twilight books might be a badly
written collection of cheesy romance
novels about a girl and her over a 100
year-old vampire boyfriend, but the
fact still remains: they have attracted
an enormous readership of all ages.
Some go as far as getting a tattoo of a quote from the book.
Internet Photo/You ruined my childhood
Moorea Hum poses with her favourite Lady, Donna.
Vivi Reich
Gordon Monahans eremin
Pendulum sound installation at the
Owens Art Gallery is described in the
informational pamphlet as follows:
A theremin antenna made of exible
wire is mechanized so that it swings
spastically as a chaotic pendulum. is
causes the theremin to change pitch
according to the swinging motion of
the pendulum. e sound produced
is multiplied by a delay system so
that the viewer hears the sound of
eight theremins at the same time.
e pamphlet also goes on to say that
there is a LED light that swings with
the antenna, and shadows are cast in
the darkened gallery, mirroring the
frequency waves in the theremin.
Essentialy, the sound bounces o the
walls and the people in the gallery.
Sounds intriguing. In fact, it sounds
visually and auditorally stimulating.
e pamphlet failed to mention,
however, that the sound produced
by the theremin would sound like
screeching children overlapping each
other times eight, and that the two
tiny spots of light that y around the
gallery are dizzying. e combination
of the darkness, sound, and zipping
lights create a feeling that is best
described as creepy. At rst, I felt
shocked, and slightly claustrophobic.
I wasnt even sure how far into the
room I could go because it was dicult
to see in the dark. As time went on,
I began to feel uncomfortable. e
screeching child sound began to slowly
fade into one prolonged note, to my
relief. It is extremely hard to explain
in words. It has to be experienced.
Monahan is a sound artist. He
was a student at Mount Allison from
1976-1980, and has created sound
installations and performances in New
York, Minneapolis, Donaueschingen,
Germany; and Berlin. He was the
artist in residence in Berlin with the
D.A.A.D. program, as well as in Ban
at the Ban Centre for the Arts, the
Exploratorium in San Francisco,
the Western Front in Vancouver,
Podewil in Berlin, Kunsthalle
Krems, the Museumsquartier
Vienna, and is a fellow with the
New York Foundation for the Arts.
It is obvious that this artist is
successful, and his installations
have inspired and wowed audiences
internationally. Despite my own
uncomfortable experience, the theremin
pendulum certainly causes visitors to
be in touch with their reactions to the
unfamiliar. It will be in the Owens
Gallery until December 4, and is worth
a pause in ones day to experience
something completely dierent.
An unconventional light show
Vivi Reich
Argosy Staff
Sarah Henderson
24 NOVEMBER 26, 2009 THE ARGOSY ARTS & LITERATURE
Its the most wonderful time of the
year, everyone. Pre-exam crunch time!
If youre anything like me, then chances
are right now youre running around
like the proverbial headless chicken
trying to hand in that last paper or
do that last presentation before exam
season hits. When youre spending
your days in a caeine-fueled frenzy as
you desperately try to get work done,
sometimes it can clear your head a bit
to just take a break for a few hours.
If this is sounds like just what the
doctor ordered, then Windsor eatre
probably has the prescription youre
looking for. is Wednesday, November
25, was the opening night of Company,
the classic Sondheim musical brought
to us by the usual group of stellar
Mount Allison talent, including but
not limited to Landon Braverman,
Tommy Smith, Sarah Bell, Scott Lloyd,
Juliet Manning, and Eric Biskupski.
Acclaimed Broadway composer
and lyricist Stephen Sondheim
wrote Company in 1970, and it went
on to win six Tonies. One of the
particularly remarkable things about
him is that he does the music and
lyrics himself, says musical director
Helen Pridmore. Some of Sondheims
well-known musicals include West
Side Story and Sweeney Todd. Set in
New York City, Company tells the
story of Bobby, a young bachelor who
refuses to settle down, his best friends
ve married couples and his three
girlfriends. e musical is unique in
that it isnt set in real time. Instead, it
plays out through a series of vignettes
between Bobby and his dierent sets
of friends. Its kind of a nice theatrical
device, says Pridmore, because it
allows the relationships to develop.
Says director Paul Motte, Its what
I call a memory piece, explaining
that the show originated as a group
of eleven one-act plays that were
strung together to form a musical.
e musical also explores Bobbys
relationship with the three dierent
women he is seeing, and his
unwillingness to commit to any one
of them something that is never
completely resolved. Eventually Bobby
comes to realize that marriage is about
more than just convenience it takes
care and compassion and a willingness
to share your life with another person.
At the same time, by leaving Bobbys
relationship with his girlfriends
unresolved, Sondheim avoids the
easy, happy, moralistic clich ending.
One notable aspect of the
production is its set. Sondheim had
a passion for New York City and the
people in it, and this translates directly
onto the stage. Director Del Motte
recalls a production of the musical
that he worked on in Toronto in 1983:
We had elevators, he says. Obviously
Windsor eatre isnt equipped to
do something quite as elaborate,
but as Pridmore explains, that hasnt
held the production team back. Its
amazing the versatility the director
and set designer can pull out of this
little space. A quick glance at the sets
in progress reveals a group of cut-out
buildings painted in shades of purples,
blues, and yellows that certainly
evoke a sense of nighttime in the city.
Based on some of Windsor eatres
previous sets, I think we can have high
hopes for Companys visual aspect.
One of the most remarkable aspects
of this production is the inclusion of
a live band during the performance.
Naturally this has involved some
intense coordination and practice to
nd the right balance between the
musicians and their instruments and
the actors onstage. e music is
very tricky, explains Pridmore. e
cast has been rehearsing like mad.
In good Company with Windsor eatres newest show
Julie Cruikshank
Argosy Staff
Because the play is an ensemble
piece, the fourteen characters in it are
onstage almost all the time, which is
elaborate, but simplistic at the same
time according to Del Motte. He
adds that one interesting aspect of
the show is that it doesnt date itself
the issues and experiences of Bobby
and his friends are still relatable in
todays environment. Married couples
still have problems. Some bachelors
still have trouble settling down.
e musical is also a great
opportunity to see the integration of
students from both music and drama.
e cast is made up of six men and
eight women, and according to Del
Motte, it is an excellent grouping.
In addition, many of the students
working on the show are fullling
some of their course requirements.
e set designer, assistant director,
production manager, and some of the
actors are all involved as part of 4000
level drama projects. Also involved are,
of course, the musicians, and students
from the technical production course.
Company starts Wednesday and runs
until November 28 with an additional
2:00 pm matinee on Saturday. If
the end-of-term blues have got you
down, check out what some of the
other students on campus have been
furiously working towards. From the
sound of it, you wont be disappointed.
Company
Cast:
Landon Braverman
Kristen Good
Tommy Smith
Hilary Ready
Robyn Harrison
Sarah Bell
Scott Lloyd
Juliet Manning
Justin omas
Emma McMullin
Eric Biskupski
Hilary Cole
Je OHara
Cat McCluskey
Directed by Paul del Motte
Assistant direction by Deanne
Tucker
Musical direction by Helen
Pridmore
Costume design by Decima
Mitchell
Set design by Jessica Itiaba
On November 20, Betty Liang held
her rst showing at under and
Lightning for Midnight Madness, a
twenty-four hour event. is was not
Everything can be pretty
Betty Liangs rst showing at under and Lightning
Rebecca Caissie
Argosy Correspondent
Betty Liang poses excitedly with the work of her rst show.
watercolour paintings were pieces that
she made to compliment her featured
pieces. All pieces were a part of a
collection, but the watercolours were
also stand alone pieces. ey are small
and intricate, pulling the viewer in for
a closer look, and one is stunned by
the unexpected mixture of story book,
anime and science ction that the
pastel-like colour scheme camouages.
e inspiration for these pieces, Liang
explained, were very personal: mostly I
like to be surrounded by pretty things,
she explained, even decay, for example,
can be pretty. Life, reading [] really
everything can be pretty.
Painting is Liangs preference for
artistic expression, but she has never
taken classes, stating the deadlines
would stress her out, and painting
is something she feels cannot be
rushed. Her rst showing was a
wonderful success with friends and
fellow students turning out to launch
Liang into the world of sharing art
as she joined the ranks of the many
wonderful artists featured at under
and Lightning Studio.
Photos by Jessica Emin
I like to be surrounded by
pretty things. [...] Even
decay, for example, can be
pretty. Life, reading [...]
really anything can be
pretty.
only her rst art showing at the much
loved studio, it was her rst showing
ever. I met with Liang, a second
year art student at Mount Allison,
as she was she was setting up in the
studio. As she went calmly about her
work, her quiet pensive voice spoke
volumes about her as an artist, much
like the pieces she was setting up
for this installment. Included in the
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Sci/Tech
News Ticker

Detroit judge sentences Alan Ralsky and son, spam masterminds, to 51 months prison for spamming
MONTREAL (CUP) When Cory
Doctorow talks, the Internet listens.
Doctorow is a co-editor at Boing
Boing, a blog with a higher weekly
readership than the Globe and
Mail. Hes also a prolic author who
makes all his books available for free
download, including Little Brother,a
dystopian young adult novel that spent
six weeks on the New York Times
childrens bestseller list. Additionally,
hes a crusader for fair copyright, equal
access to the Internet and the right to
privacy.
Major access barriers on the Internet
include network caps, the upload and
download limits imposed by Internet
service providers. According to
Doctorow, those caps are bad for the
economy.
It punishes experimentation
because you have to ration your
network use. What this does is
undermine entrepreneurship, he said.
Although not reserved to Canada,
the problem is so serious in this
country that Toronto-born, London-
based Doctorow once wrote that it was
subpar Internet that would prevent
him from moving back.
Canada is really lagging among
[nations in the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and
Development] in access, speed, cost
and equality. ey keep trying to
redene what [high-speed Internet]
is in order to make us look better, he
said. Doctorow pointed to Internet
speeds in nations like South Korea,
which are four times faster than those
in Canada.
Doctorow blamed the problem on
the lack of competition in the Canadian
telecommunications industry. He
characterized the current state of
aairs, in which a few companies
are allowed to control the majority
of media and telecommunications
interests, as a total policy disaster.
Somewhere out there, said
Doctorow, theres an entrepreneur
who wants to provide the network that
Canada deserves.
Unfortunately, he doesnt see that
happening without the intervention
of Canadas telecommunications
regulator, the Canadian Radio-
television Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC).
e Internet isnt the only thing
Doctorow sees going wrong in
Canada. He foresees problems with the
enhanced drivers licences, currently
being rolled out in Quebec, Ontario,
Manitoba and British Columbia.
ose licences are heavily reliant
on biometric identication, such as
ngerprints, which can prove to be a
hugely problematic security feature.
Fingerprints leak like crazy. How
many surfaces do you think you left
your ngerprints on today? he asked.
Copying ngerprints is also easy.
Doctorow recalled an event in March
2008 when a German hacker group
released the ngerprint of German
nance minister Wolfgang Schauble
to protest biometric passports.
Enhanced Drivers Licenses are
being adopted in order to comply with
newly created American regulations
on what constitutes an acceptable
document for crossing the border.
Doctorow did not view this as a
sensible excuse.
If all the other G20 nations were
jumping o western democracy and
landing in a boiling pit of fascism,
would you jump with them? ats not
a basis for good governance.
But it was not all doom and gloom
from the sometimes-dystopian writer.
Doctorow revealed that he had hope
for the future of information policy.
I would like to se e a
kind of information bill of rights
that mirrored the UN Declaration of
Human Rights and that was widely
accepted as kind of rote by people, where
you didnt have to explain why privacy
is important or why neutral networks
are important, said Doctorow, who
has pushed for Internet activity to be
free from censorship or surveillance
by Internet providers or governments.
I think if we got that, everything else
would become easier.
Doctorow is currently on a North
American tour for Makers, his latest
novel. Its freely available for download
in a variety of formats from craphound.
com/makers.
e digital backwater
Boing Boing co-editor alarmed by state of Canadian Internet
Ginger Coons
Concordia University
In 1979, e Buggles lamented the
inevitable demise of the radio star as
video became the new, hip medium.
Now, in 2009, video seems poised to
shift another paradigm as it threatens
to unseat still photography as the best
Matt Collett
Argosy Correspondant
means to a perfect picture.
According to a recent article from
New Scientist, new technologies
called computational cameras will
be the next big shift in photography.
Following close on the heels of the
radical switch from lm to digital, this
technology, exemplied by the likes of
Casios EX-F1, claims to be capable of
taking the perfect picture regardless
Video (and computers) killed the camera star
of the photographers savvy or skill.
Currently, the computations of these
cameras are limited to single frames
from single exposures, meaning that
several exposures, taken miliseconds
apart, are merged digitally by the camera
producing a near perfectly focused and
perfectly exposed image. However, this
function in a camera requires a large
monetary investment and still requires
a fair degree of technical prowess on
the photographers part.
Imagine you want to get that
perfect shot of something in motion
say the look on your friends face
as a water balloon collides with their
head. Obviously, this shot would take
plenty of skill and even more luck
in order to get the timing and the
exposure just right. What researchers
at Microsoft have now devised is a
means of aordably extracting perfect
photos from video. Currently, doing so
with even a high end camera would
yield a fairly low resolution, under-
exposed and poorly focused image.
However, Microsofts new technology
actually captures a video stream
while simultaneously snapping high
resolution still images. e user can
then select any frame of the stream
and the computer merges content
from both the video and the stills
producing a perfect picture. Currently
this technology is computer-based, but
Microsoft sees it being incorporated
into cameras in the near future.
e concept of computational
cameras has also produced other novel
means for us to take more artistic
photos. Researchers have developed
a way for cheap cellphone cameras
to produce high quality shots with
background blur. Currently, the only
real means of achieving this without
digital software is by using a high-end
SLR or DSLR camera that enable
extensive aperture control. However,
in the near future this neat eect will
be commonplace on the cheapest of
cameras thanks to innovative digital
post-processing.
Interestingly, these seem to be
yet more contributions to the rising
trend of making art more accessible
and easy to produce. Recent releases
like Microsofts Songsmith famous
not only for its terrible commercials
but also its promise to make anyone
a songwriter and the multitudes of
software that claim to transform photos
into paintings or Warhol-esque visions
are becoming an accepted creative
outlet, despite the fact they represent
nothing more than a clever algorithm.
So would that perfect photo really
be art or just another extension of
a culture fascinated with image and
individual expression? Surely not a
question for the Sci/Tech section; we
just like shiny stu.
SciTechLink:
Casios EX-F1
product/specs page,
complete with
$999 price tag
http://bit.ly/4ymSKc
Computational cameras offer the promise of perfect pictures, no matter your photographic prowess.
Stanford University
New camera technologies may have us all snapping perfect pictures, eortlessly
26 THE AFCDSY - SCENCE AN0 TECHNDLDCY ND7E|8EF 26, 2009
Geek Chic
of the Week
Anyone with any knowledge of popular culture (which honestly might not include many readers of this column)
will recognize this timeless, responsibility-free pet. Pet rocks are known for their low-maintenence lifestyles, and
now you can get yours powered by USB! Honestly, we here at Geek Chic of the Week are not really sure why this
product exists, but if its USB powered* and ridiculous, were contractually obliged to include it.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/c208/
*Note, this rock doesnt actually draw power from your computer.
November 24, 2009:
USB Pet Rock
Stair Dismount game slated for iPhone -- Anti-energy drinks, such as Slow Cow, Ex Chill and Malava Relax, hitting shelves!
e impressive profusion of
smartphones in todays technological
climate is no surprise. As more and more
of our lives are ensnared by technology,
the ability to carry a little computer
that allows us to stay connected to our
digital lives is an irresistable lure to
many. With the blockbuster success of
such products as Research In Motions
Blackberry (favoured by businesses
due to its seamless integration with
enterprise technology) and Apples
iPhone (favoured by hipsters because
it was designed by Apple), smartphone
designers are always on the lookout for
the next big thing in functionality.
Current hype is focussed on
augmented reality, a concept made
possible by increasing processor power
in smartphones. e term augmented
reality - or AR - is dicult to dene,
but easy to recognize: if youve ever seen
the puck digitally highlighted during a
hockey game, or seen a ghter pilots
heads-up display, youve seen AR. And
its coming to your smartphone.
AR is already on display in many
new applications for the iPhone 3GS.
e very rst, and a canonical example,
is Nearest Tube, an app that overlays a
target pointing to the nearest London
Tube station overtop the view from
the iPhones camera.
But whats next?
A researcher at the University
of Washington thinks hes on to
something -- a heads-up display that
ts into a contact lens.
Babak Parviz, whose research
interests include embedding microscale
electronic devices in substrates like
paper or plastic, also wears contact
lenses. It was a matter of putting the
two together, he says.
Parviz admits the nitty-gritty of this
project is challenging. e prototype
lens consists of a micro-LED to project
images directly into a users eye, and a
loop antenna that harvests radio waves
to power the LED. ese components
cant be integrated into the lens during
manufacture, so instead they are
encased in a biocompatible material
and secured into niches carved into
the lens.
e system, which currently needs
330 microwatts of power, could
eventually be congured to recieve
both power and data from a users
cellphone, making AR even cooler than
it is now. e addition of more LEDs
and an array of microlenses to focus
the image could allow for all kinds of
neat applications, like subtitles when
conversing with a foriegn language
speaker, or even a personalized video
game visible only to you.
Eyes-up display
Are contacts the next computer screen?
Stuart Townsend
Argosy Staff
In our grandparents era, the space race
kept everyones eyes to the newspaper,
keen to nd out which country would
be rst to claim space, that famously
nal frontier. Today, a dierent sort of
race will soon have a champion: the
race for speed.
ree teams across the globe are
putting the nal touches on their own
versions of a land vehicle that will go
a heck of a lot faster than your moms
or anyones minivan. A joint US-
Canadian team, North American
Eagle, the UKs Bloodhound SSC,
and the proudly Australian Aussie
Invader are all gunning to be the rst
to reach a land speed record of 1000
miles per hour, or 1609 kilometers per
hour.
ats fast enough to get you from
Sackville to Moncton in under two
seconds at full speed.
Apart from the wheels, brakes, and
steering wheel, though, theres not
many parts youll nd in these cars that
wouldnt look out of place in a minivan,
and even those that do will put the van
to shame. e 10, 000 rotations per
minute these wheels have to deal with
would easily tear conventional tires
apart.
Probably the coolest thing about
these cars is how theyre powered. e
North American car uses a jet engine
and fuselage from a pair of retired
supersonic aircraft to reach its current
max speed of 400 mph. e Australian
car uses four rockets that are strong
enough to dig quite a ditch behind it.
e UK car tries to get the best of both
Ross MacLean
Argosy Staff
worlds, using a jet engine for initial
acceleration and a rocket to propel to
full speed.
Automobiles at this speed face a
variety of new challenges. Once over
250 mph the importance of traction
diminishes and steering becomes
all about controlling airow. At this
speed, steering becomes more like
operating an air- or watercraft than
a car. As they approach the sound
barrier (761 mph, pretty easy for them)
they produce a shockwave that actually
liquees the ground in front of them.
Safety requirements for cars such
as these are nonexistent, and they too
seem to resemble those of your moms
minivan.
Although the cockpits are
reinforced, none of the three cars oer
their drivers the security of an ejector
seat. For the Australian team, the
biggest worry are animals; they require
at least a fourteen mile at stretch to
reach their goal, and a kangaroo could
be waiting anywhere along that length
Race for speed
to completely ruin their day (and their
car).
Currently, both the UK and the
Aussie teams claim to be able to reach
their target speed, although the earliest
anyone will going for the record is next
year.
Amazingly, the British car reaches
1000 mph in 42.5 seconds, while the
Australians only need 19 seconds! In
the process, their rockets eat up about
three tonnes of fuel.
e North American car plans to
go for the record on the July 4, 2010,
so it wont be long before weve got a
winner for this new-age space race.
SciTechLink:
6,453 mph unmanned
speed record set
by rocket sled
at Holloman High
Speed Test Track!
http://bit.ly/6jMRH1
Internet Graphic /
inkGeek
From left: Bloodhound SSC, North American Eagle, and Aussie Invader
Curventa
e race is on to build a car capable of going 1000 mph
the future, soon
ranting about televizzle for
1.14992189 10^-4 millenia
Stuart Townsend
Argosy Staff
As the miniturization of processors
and ubiquity of technology marches
ever forward, the lines between
previously disparate technological
doodads become less and less clear.
Is your Xbox 360 a computer?
Most people would probably think
not, but its components outpower
most netbooks, and with the
installation of Linux (thanks to the
Free60 project), it suddenly gains
almost the entire gamut of functions
normally reserved for computers. e
Ethernet port, once used exclusively
to connect to Xbox Live, now delivers
any Internet info; USB ports on the
front of the system used to recharge
controllers can now house a mouse
and keyboard.
How about your car? Once
completely mechanical, most engines
now have computer-controlled fuel
injection systems, making them
slightly more ecient now but yet
another technology thatll fail once
the bombs (and their accompanying
computer-disabling electromagnetic
pulses) fall.
Er, lets step back from the whole
nuclear apocalypse thing. My point
was that, these days, computers are in
anything and everything. Moreover,
the devices that computers now
power are almost defying denition.
Smartphones, the obvious,
canonical example, mash up phones
and computers to the delight of techie
dilettantes and businessmen alike,
but the concept can be approached
from a dierent angle.
e Internet has become so
pervasive in our daily lives that the
concept of a smartbook is not only
gaining ground, but gaining devotees
as hardware companies announce
prototypes and -- oh, sorry.
A smartbook is a sort of
contrapositive version of a
smartphone -- a netbook-style
computer that connects to the
same cellphone networks used by
smartphones, via the same hardware
that cellphones use to complete calls,
but for the exclusive purpose of
connecting to the Internet.
We have reached a threshold
of gadget saturation! Such is our
passion for connectivity (and such
is our ability to make miniaturized
processors) that soon well have
bespoke computers capable of being
shoehorned into basically anything!
Want a fridge that connects to the
Internet? Sounds... actually real!
Seriously, google it.
I, for one, cant wait.
SPORTS & FITNESS
e Mount Allison womens volleyball
squad continued its impressive title
defense Saturday at home against the
hapless Holland College Hurricanes.
e Mounties dominated the
match from the start, winning 3-0.
Led by the always solid play of second
Volleyball Mounties continue ACAA domination
Run over Holland College to stay in second place
1 3
year middle blocker Caila Henderson
(8 kills, 3 aces, 7 digs) and second year
newcomer Alexina LePage (6 kills,
1 dig), the Mounties swept away the
Hurricanes with game scores of 25-
6, 25-11, and 25-8. Captain Laurie
Marchbank was named player of the
match for her 8 kills, three aces, 7 digs,
and 1 stu block in the winning eort.
e Mounties were an impressive
51.1 per cent from the oor with 28
team kills and only 4 attack errors.
With the win, the Mounties
maintain their position in the national
rankings, holding at the eleventh
position as the highest ranked ACAA
team. In the ACAA, they sit in second
behind UNBSJ. is coming weekend,
they travel to Holland College for their
last match before the winter break.
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
November 21, 2009
Second year player Caila Hen-
dereson controls a return by the
Hurricanes during Saturdays
action. The Mounties blanked
Holland College 3-0.
Sue Seaborn
Last Saturday, the Mount Allison
Basketball Mounties faced o against
the Kings College Blue Devils. Both
teams were successful with the Lady
Mounties grabbing a 82-65 victory and
the mens squad scoring a 75-65 win.
e rst game between the Lady
Mounties and Kings was characterized
by powerful oensive eorts by both
teams, which led to Mt. As highest
scoring game of the season and the
Blue Devils second highest scoring
Mounties were third year forward
Meghan Dickie, who scored a game-
high 25 points and grabbed a total
of 8 boards, second year forward
Marlon Smith who scored 11 points,
grabbed 2 rebounds and 3 steals and
Sackville native Jennifer Robinson
who nished just shy of a double
double with 8 points and 8 boards.
In part two of this Sunday double
header, the mens team took on a
determined Kings College squad with
the men emerging with the 75-65 win.
e game was an exhilarating match
that featured incredibly fast paced
transition basketball that contrasted
an impenetrable zone defense
from the Mounties and an array of
spectacular oensive plays by the Blue
Devils. While the Blue Devils came
out shooting, the Mounties, led by red
hot point guard Josh Graham who was
coming o a career-high 34 points the
previous weekend, fought back. e
Mounties zone defense silenced the
Blue Devils oensive eorts in the
second quarter, forcing them into a
six minute long scoring drought. e
Mounties outscored the Blue Devils
26 to 9 in the second quarter, giving
the Mounties a lead going into the
half. However, the Blue Devils were
able to recuperate during half time
and played incredible basketball in
the second half. ey overpowered
the Mounties defense with their
relentless hustle in the third quarter,
outscoring the Mounties by 10 points
and making some huge crowd pleasing
defensive stops and oensive plays.
In the fourth, the Mounties
defensively shut down the Blue Devils
and maintained their lead to top
Kings College. Top performers for
the Mounties included Graham, who
scored 21 points and secured 6 rebounds,
rst year guard Brandon Mallaly
who nished with a double double
on 16 points and 13 rebounds and
Sackville-native Stephan Bohan who
contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.
With the wins over the weekend,
the Lady Mounties sit in third place
in the ACAA while the men are in
fourth. Both teams travel to Holland
College on Saturday to take on the
Hurricanes in an afternoon matchup.

Basketball Mounties tame Blue Devils
Mens and womens squads score weekend victories
Ankur Ralhan
Argosy Correspondent
Women
82
65
Men
75
65
game (nishing just 3 points shy of
their 68 point eort against Holland
College). It also featured contributions
from a wide-variety of players,
including approximately a quarter of
each teams points coming o of the
bench. e game was a tight battle
from start to nish with each team
keeping the game close for the rst
two quarters of play. In the second half,
the Lady Mounties stormed out from
the break, outscoring the Blue Devils
by 16 to build a comfortable lead. e
Blue Devils rallied back in the nal
quarter outscoring the Mounties 16
to 7 but it simply wasnt enough to
overcome the Lady Mounties lead.
e top performers for the
Callan Field
Callan Field
www.argosy.ca - the best sackville student newspaper website on the internet today.
28 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS NOVEMBER 26, 2009
is past weekend, the Mount Allison
Mounties traveled to Halifax to face
Dalhousie, UNB and Memorial
in their rst real test of the 2009-
2010 Season. Along with the usual
competition however, the Mounties
welcomed McGill and Acadia to
the pool. Although small, for many
years now the Mounties have been
establishing themselves as a ercely
competitive team, consistently
improving and challenging the larger
teams for places atop the podium. If
this weekend was any indication of
the things to come, the Mount Allison
community would be wise to stay tuned.
Following the usual preliminary heat
then nal format, the Mounties started
the meet smashing their own personal
bests. On the womens side, rst
years Casey Losier, Erika Audfroid,
Poolside with John Peters and Duncan Bowes
Mounties swim strong against the Dalhousie horde
Gabrielle Curtis and Madeleine
Crowell each qualied for the nals
in their respective events while rst
year men Carson Dillon and Michael
Watkins held their own showing both
skill and prowess in a mens conference
dened by experience and speed.
Not to be outdone, David
Summerby-Murray showed
impressive breast stroking in all of
his events. With the bar set high by
newcomers, senior men and women
had their work cut out for them.
Starting up where they left o last
year, Tara Stokes, womens captain
Maggie Hadley, Marissa Smith
and Janelle St-Laurent all had fast
swims and nishes, qualifying for
nal upon nal. e womens team
shone most brightly when the senior
team came from behind to beat
Acadia in a thrilling relay nish.
Similarly the mens senior team,
comprised of Parker Vaughn, Mitchell
Peters, Brandon Richards, Patrick
Lamrock and mens captain Duncan
Bowes, set many new personal bests.
e standout on the Mens side was
Mitchell Peters who not only won
the 200m freestyle but drew ever
closer to qualifying for the Canadian
Intercollegiate Championships.
is accomplishment would make
Mitchell the rst Mountie to qualify
for the prestigious tournament in
six years. e Mounties now look to
the Winter semester and the smaller
meets marking the way to the AUS
championships in Charlottetown, PEI.
Duncan Bowes and John
Peters
Argosy Correspondents
e Mount Allison Badminton
Mounties travelled to Universite
Sainte Anne for the rst badminton
tournament of the ACAA year. e
reigning ACAA champions picked
up where they left o, dominating
their opponents and snagging 109
out of a possible 120 points on their
way to a rst place nish. Hosts
Universite Sainte Anne placed
second with 85 points while Kings
nished third with 54 and Holland
College nished fourth with 52.
In mens single play, fourth year
player Brent Barkhouse defeated
all opponents to grab rst place in
section one while rookie Mountie Eric
Freeman placed second in section two.
In womens singles, Rookie Katie
Shipp nished in third place with
one win and two losses while second
year player Erin Stewart shone in her
season debut with a second place nish.
In doubles, the mens, womens
and mixed divisions were dominated
by the Mounties with each team
grabbing rst place. Mens and
womens doubles showcased two pairs
of unstoppable siblings with Brent
and Justin Barkhouse and Carrie and
Heather Murray capturing the rst
division while Braden Freeman and
Eric Freeman, and Katie Shipp and
Erin Stewart took rst place in the
second division. e mixed doubles
matches saw similar results with the
Mounties sweeping the four divisions.
With the rst tournament out
the way, the Badminton Mounties
are focused on maintaining rst
place in the ACAA and preparing
themselves to defend their title at the
ACAA championships in February.
With les from Sue Seaborn
Badminton Mounties nish rst
Roar to rst place nish in rst tournament of the year
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
Were in the nal stretch of classes;
I can almost see the light at the end
of exams! However, studying and
nal papers or projects can stress you
out a lot, making it harder for you
to sleep and retain the information
youre studying or writing about.
One of the best ways to ease this
stress is by taking a break! Here
are ten tips on fun or relaxing
things to do while taking a break.
Tip #1: Watch a movie or TV
show with friends. Chill out for a
while and enjoy a funny or relaxing
story to take your mind o your
work. If you have the time, try and
catch a movie at the Vogue and eat
some deliciously buttered popcorn
while enjoying the fun full movie
experience! is will take you out
of study mode for a full two hours
and give you a deserved break.
Tip #2: Go skating! e rink is
now open for free skates Monday
to ursday from 12 to 1:30! So
sharpen your skates and hit the ice
for a relaxing and refreshing break.
e cool air will revive you and it
will distract you from the studying.
Another bonus is that you can spend
any amount of time on the ice, from
fteen min to an hour and a half.
So you can decide how long you
stay depending on your schedule.
Tip #3: Play a boardgame! Call up
some friends or yell down the hall
and gather for an hour of fun and
laughter. Its an easy distraction that
doesnt require too much thinking
so it will give your brain a good rest.
Plus, it can be organized and played
quickly so you dont take too much
time out of your study schedule.
Tip #4: Go to Bridge Street Cafe
for a cup of tea or to Mels for a
milkshake. e walk there will
refresh you and the drink will give
you some energy. Bring a book if you
need to, or a friend for a half hour
of pleasant company before putting
your nose back to the grindstone.
Tip #5: Go to the gym. Despite
many people thinking they dont
have time for the gym during this
busy season, its one of the best
things you can do and one of the
best breaks you can take from
working and studying. Exercising
will help lower your stress levels and
if you bring something to listen to.
e music will keep your mind o
of everything, but the cute boy or
girl over in the corner. Depending
on how much time you have, stay
at the gym between twenty min
or an hour. ink you dont have
time to walk to and from the gym
and then work out for thirty min
on top of that? en just go for
a walk around town as exercise.
Trust me; your body will thank you.
Tip #6: Hit up Sassys! A short break
that is rewarded with candy... always
fun! Got a craving for something
sweet? A few ve-cent candies will
do the trick. e walk over, topped
o by the yummy candy, will succeed
in taking your mind o the craziness
of exam prep. Remember not to buy
too much candy though! Too much
sugar will give you a sugar rush for
a while, but cause you to feel even
more run down at the end of the day.
Tip #7: Get out of the house or at
least your room. Studying in one
place for hours on end can be tedious.
You need a change of scenery and
some fresh air! Walk down the hall
to talk to some friends or change
study locations. e change may help
you to study better in the long run.
Tip #8: Go outside. Go for a leisurely
walk through the Waterfowl Park
or visit the Swan Pond and walk
over the bridge that goes nowhere.
e fresh air and exercise will help
you to feel better and if you bring
company, you can enjoy some
conversation while walking too.
Tip #9: Take a shower. Taking a
quick shower can help to wake you
up after hours of studying. Dont
make it too hot because that might
make you feel sleepy, but a cool
shower will help wake you up and
reenergize you for another couple
hours of work. It is the perfect fteen
minute break in between studying.
Tip #10: Laugh, because laughter is
the best medicine. Go nd a friend
to share some stories or watch
a comedic TV show. Laughing
helps you to relieve stress and
will distract you, plus it is fun!
Pick a few of these tips and take
a break! Taking a break will help
you to study and work better and
more eciently in the long run.
Good luck studying everyone!
Take a break!
Nicole Butler
Argosy Correpondent
Captain Jillian Greene moves the puck up the boards during the weekends action. The Hockey Mounties
dropped two close games, falling 3-2 to STU and 2-1 to UdeM.
Sue Seaborn
WRITE FOR ARGOSY
SPORTS. WE CAN
ONLY USE SMALL
WORDS. WERE
SPECIAL LIKE THAT.
29 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Chlorophyll is a pretty sweet molecule.
For those of you who paid attention
in biology when they were talking
about photosystems, you know all
about this. When I hear photosystem,
I think facebook, but regardless,
chlorophyll is awesome. And if youve
ever met me you know I dont just
love green because its the colour of
trees and grass and all that stu ---
thats great, but the real awesomeness
of green is that its the colour of
the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
ose same green Roughriders
romped to an exciting 27-17 victory
over the Calgary Stampeders, and
not surprisingly (for those of you
who have been around Canadian
football) the Canadian Air Force of
Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg, and Chris
Getzlaf rounded up the touchdown
passes from Darian Durant. Durants
parents were in the crowd for the rst
time ever, and beamed with pride on
their quarterback son who was told
he couldnt make it in the big leagues.
e Montreal Alouettes dominated
and systematically destroyed the
British Columbia Lions in typical
over-the-top fashion at Olympic
Stadium. e nal score of 56-18 is
a compliment to the talent and depth
of the Montreal squad, but also shows
how o the Lions were for most of
the game. Anthony Calvillo, the elder
statesman of Canadian quarterbacks,
remained his cool and collected self
as he tossed ve touchdown passes.
It should never be a surprise that
Canadians can play football given the
way they tear up the eld in important
games. Both the Montreal Alouettes
and the Saskatchewan Roughriders
start a roster with more than the
minimum number of Canadians, and
thats been a big key to their success
Sky of blue, sea of green
Martin Wightman
Argosy Correspondent
December is National AIDS
Awareness Month. e bright red
ribbons you will be seeing around
the trees on campus will not be
early Christmas decorations, but
instead represent those suering
with AIDS around the world.
Some may be under the impression
that AIDS is more so an issue for
distant continents, when in fact
58,000 people in Canada were
living with AIDS in 2005. More
shockingly, 14,911 (25.3 per cent)
were aged twenty to twenty-nine,
a group the majority of Mounties
fall into. e issue becomes further
escalated when individuals are
unaware that they are infected
and thus do not seek treatments,
unknowingly infecting others.
AIDS begins as HIV (Human
Immunodeciency Virus) in the
body. is is a virus that attacks
the immune system, resulting in a
chronic progressive illness that leaves
people vulnerable to infections and
cancers. is HIV stage can last for
more than ten years until the body
loses its ability to ght infection.
Once this ability is lost, the disease
becomes known as AIDS (Acquired
Immunodeciency Syndrome).
Currently there is no found cure
for AIDS or vaccinations to prevent
HIV. Canada is doing its share
by contributing to the Global
HIV Vaccine Enterprise in hopes
of developing a safe, eective,
aordable and globally accessible
HIV vaccine.
Since there is no known cure,
the best way to tackle the HIV/
AIDS virus is through preventative
measures. e virus only infects
a person when it enters their
bloodstream. According to
Public Health of Canada, this
means that HIV can only be
transmitted from one person to
another through:
-unprotected sexual
intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral)
-shared needles or
equipment for injecting drugs
-unsterilized needles for tattooing,
skin piercing or acupuncture
-pregnancy, delivery and
breast feeding (from an HIV-
infected mother to her infant)
-occupational exposure
in health care settings
e risk of transmission
can be reduced by:
-using latex or polyurethane
condoms when engaging in any form
of sex. is is the most important
preventative tip for the Mount
Allison, or any university campus.
Free condoms are available when you
rst walk into the wellness centre.
-Never share needles
or other drug equipment
-Ensure that equipment being
used from tattoo, body piercing, or
acupuncture businesses is sterile.
e safest way to get a tattoo or
piercing is to go to a professional
-If you work in a high risk
environment, ensure you always wear
gloves and to handle needles with care.
-Regularly get tested for HIV
and other sexually transmitted
diseases. is service can be provided
to all Mount A students free of
charge. You must call the Wellness
Centre and book an appointment.
e Mt. A community will
recognize World AIDS Day on
Tuesday, December 1, through a
number of campus events. ere
will be booths set up at the Library,
Jennings, and at Gracies Cafe
with information materials and
contests to raise awareness about
HIV/AIDS. Red ribbons will be
available at the booths, for a small
donation, with all funds raised to
go towards AIDS New Brunswick/
SIDA Nouveau-Brunswick (ANB).
Samantha Scribner
Argosy Correspondent
AIDS Awareness
this year. Contrary to what some
people say, the Canadian spirit doesnt
sit down when the pressure is on.
e Canadian spirit is what makes
the big game, the Grey Cup, so much
fun. Ive watched the Grey Cup
in farmhouses deep in the prairie
backroads, Ive watched it in the woods
in Ontario, with friends and enemies,
with hardcore CFL fans and confused
older ladies; I remember watching
when it snowed in Edmonton, and
I was there in person in Montreal
last year. eres nothing like it,
and thats why its been the biggest
sporting event in Canada for so long.
You can bet that the 97th Grey Cup,
held in Calgary, Alberta, is going to
be the biggest and best celebration
of Canada that youre going to nd
come this weekend. Cheer for the
Alouettes, or cheer for the Riders,
but most of all, cheer for Canada!
An AIDS awareness poster urging men to talk about HIV/AIDS.
Internet Photo/AdSideAs
November 10 of 2009 was a black day
for Germany and for the whole world
of sports. Robert Enke, candidate for
the number one goalkeeper of the
national soccer team of Germany
committed suicide. e nation was
shocked Enke was thirty-two years
old when he took his own life, leaving
behind only a farewell letter. For years
Enke suered from depression and was
in therapy, after many blows of fate.
He had to struggle with complicated
injuries, a mysterious viral infection
and three years ago he and his wife
lost their two year-old daughter in a
heart operation. In May of this year,
they adopted a two month old girl.
Enke was team captain of Hannover
96, a soccer team in the German
Bundesliga, and had played for
international clubs such as Beneca
Lissabon and FC Barcelona. Not
only fans from Hannover, but all over
Germany, loved him for his excellence
and leadership skills as well as for his
sympathy and his proximity to the
fans. Coaches and teammates describe
him as ambitious and friendly the
idol of a sportsman. is makes his
suicide very unexpected and the match
of Germany against Chile a few days
later was cancelled as the team was
unable to play. 40,000 mourners paid
their last respects to Enke in a funeral
in the stadium of Hannover 96 and
participated in his funeral march.
In his funeral speech, Dr. eo
Zwanziger, president of the German
soccer association, said that soccer
must not be everything in life.
e shocking death of Enke again
raises the question how portable the
pressure of success really is - not only
for soccer players, but as well for all
kinds of sportsmen in the professional
world of sports. Sportsmen strive for
records, peak sports performance and
perfection, but to what extent is this
possible, and where are the limits of
human beings? How much pressure,
defeat and stress can a person bear?
Depression is related to abjectness
and self-criticism up to the point of
total desperation. Unfortunately, it is
still not really considered as a disease
in society but, sadly, is often related
to personal weakness. In many cases,
the aected person is afraid of going
to a therapist, fearing the reaction of
his or her social environment as well as
fearing social exclusion. Most aected
people tell themselves to go on without
consulting professional help, although
depression can be healed in therapies.
With the death of Robert Enke the
world has lost a wonderful sportsman.
How much is too much?
German national keeper commits suicide at age thirty-two
Jens Holder
Argosy Correspondent
Internet Photo/Football Pictures
30 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS NOVEMBER 26, 2009
On this coming New Years Eve
Steve Yzerman will make one of
the most important presentations
in Canadian Hockey history. He
will, as General Manager of the
Canadian National Hockey team,
unveil the roster for the upcoming
Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Only once before has Canada hosted
the Winter Olympics, 1988 in
Calgary, and the Canadian hockey
team at that event was comprised of
mostly high-level amateur players. A
few NHLers appeared, such as Sean
Burke, Andy Moog, or Randy Gregg,
who for various reasons were not
with an NHL club at the time of the
Olympics. is was due to the fact that
the NHL did not take a break to allow
its players to the Olympics until 1998.
e team in Calgary played well, but was
over matched by the European teams
whose leagues allowed their players
to play. As expected the Soviet Union
took gold, with future NHL stars, such
as Vyachislav Fetisov, Igor Larionov,
and Alexander Mogilny. Canada
just missed a medal placing fourth.
Regardless of whom Yzerman picks
to play, his choices will be endlessly
debated by talking heads in the media,
and by thousands of armchair GMs
across Canada. So in that spirit I
present to you the players I would
pick if I were in Yzermans position.
First o, the players that most people
would agree will be wearing the
hallowed Maple Leaf on their chest in
Vancouver. ese are your quintessential
Canadians, the stalwarts of the Great
White North who will (hopefully) lead
our team to the top of the podium:
Sidney Crosby, Simon Gagne, Rick
Nash, Dany Heatly, Jarome Iginla,
Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger,
Robyn Regehr, Jay Bouwmeester,
Martin Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo.
Now for my more debatable selections;
Canadians who are good, but are they
Olympic-greats? Here they are: Joe
ornton, Ryan Smyth, Marc Savard,
Corey Perry, Patrick Marleau, Jordan
Staal, Shane Doan, Mike Richards,
Dan Boyle, Brent Seabrook, Mike
Green, and Marc-Andre Fluery.
Im not going to rationalize all my
picks but there are a few that Ill
mention. Joe ornton has taken a lot
of heat the past few years, especially
for the drop of production he and
former line mate Jonathan Cheechoo
experienced, as well as a reputation
for not performing when the chips are
down. However, the arrival of Dany
Heatly has rejuvenated ornton who
currently leads the NHL in assists, as
the two have found great chemistry, and
if paired in Vancouver with Iginla could
form a formidable second scoring line.
Patrick Marleau, Jordan Staal, and
Shane Doan are three of the NHLs
better two way players and penalty
killers. ere are few other players Id
like to have on the ice against the top
line of Russia or the Czech Republic.
Brent Seabrook has quickly become
one of the NHLs top defensive
defensemen, and would do a better
job than the more well known Dion
Phaneuf. Phaneuf has gone from
being almost a lock to having to play
his way onto team Canada. He saw
his lowest point production ever last
season, and this season has lost some
of his defensive ability. At times
he appears to risk good defensive
position for a bone crushing hit.
I chose Mike Green not for his defensive
abilities, but because in international
hockey you are allowed to dress
twenty-two players instead of twenty
in the NHL. is opens the door for
Power Play specialists such as Green.
Put him on the point with a man-
advantage with his shot that is both
very hard, and very accurate. Green is
also known in Washington as a clutch
player. His nickname is Game Over.
I chose Marc-Andre Fluery as the
third goalie for Canada over a number
of other potential goalies for no
particular reason. Mainly because if the
third goalie is playing at any point in
Vancouver, over Brodeur and Luongo,
then are some very serious problems.
Unlike in Turin four years ago there
are no Taxi-squads, where the team
could take three additional players
who would play in case of injury. e
date the team is announced is purely
cosmetic, changes can be made up
until right before the beginning of the
games in the event of injury or lemur
attack. However, past February 15, only
players named in the twenty-two-man
roster may play, regardless of injury.
Will Roberto Luongo be between the pipes for Team Canada in Vancouver this February?
Internet Photo/In Goal Mag
NHL Musings
My choices for Canadas Vancouver 2010 Team
Ryan Esch
Argosy Correspondent
VANCOUVER (CUP) Canadas
university sports league is looking
to change its scholarship rules
to allow full-ride awards for
student athletes by next year.
e principle is to keep the
best student athletes in Canada,
said Clint Hamilton, president of
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
(CIS) and University of Victorias
director of athletics. Currently, the
CIS is exploring what Hamilton
calls a exible scholarship model.
is model would remove the per-
student cap, which would allow
Canadian universities to give free
rides for key players. It would still
limit the total amount of money
available per sport, however.
For example, a basketball program
could have a scholarship budget of
$30,000 under the proposed model,
and they would have to determine
how many full-ride scholarships
were oered out of that pot.
e University of British Columbia
(UBC) has been one of the key players
in initiating the review and have long
considered making the jump into the
NCAA because it would give the school
more nancial exibility. UBC gave out
over $500,000 in athletic scholarships
this year, but have argued that they are
unable to keep the best local athletes in
Canada due to scholarship restrictions.
While it would help Canadian
schools retain talent, UBCs athletic
director Bob Philip said exibility isnt
enough the league needs to rethink
scholarship eligibility rules as well.
We think they should adopt
the NCAA rule and the NCAA
rule says if you are eligible to play
sports, you are eligible to receive
an athletic award, Philip said.
CIS student athletes need to keep
a 60 per cent average, be enrolled in
three classes during the season, and
gain 18 credits each year to be eligible
to play sports. To earn scholarships,
athletes need an 80 per cent average
out of high school and at least a 65
per cent average at the end of your
rst year. Students beyond their rst
year must keep a 65 per cent average,
with the exception of Ontario,
which requires a 70 per cent average.
Hamilton said any proposals
to change the eligibility rules
would doom any other changes
to failure when the CIS
membership votes on them in June.
I dont believe at this point that
there is an appetite to want to lower
the academic requirements that
are on the books as part of a more
expanded nancial oering in terms
of scholarship, Hamilton said.
Philip said that even if scholarship
rules do change, theres no guarantee
UBC would close the NCAA door.
e NCAA is an important
brand for athletes and playing in
the American league would help
attract the best Canadian athletes
to UBC, Philip said, adding that
it would also raise the level of play.
A Canadian student athlete
should be able to study in Canada and
have the same opportunities. Why
should they have to go to the States?
Still, UBCs vice-president
of students Brian Sullivan said
it would be an important step
towards resolving some of the issues
pushing UBC towards the NCAA.
One very important positive
elements is the scholarship exibility
. . . If that report comes back and
its a favourable action with respect
to eligibility for scholarship and
CIS scholarships under review
Flexible model may stop UBC from defecting to NCAA
Rebecca Lindel
The Ubyssey (University of British
Columbia
e principle is to keep
the best student athletes
in Canada...Currently
the scholarship siuation is
such that its limiting our
ability to do that.
scholarship situation is such that
its limiting our ability to do that.
Financially, we are not able to
compete with our counterparts
across the line in the NCAA.
e maximum amount of award
money CIS athletes are eligible for
is the cost of tuition and ancillary
fees. Meanwhile, the American
NCAA league oers additional
funding for residence and living
expenses, making it an attractive
option for talented Canadian athletes.
exibility for scholarshipsthat
would be a positive inuence that
UBC will take into account when
deciding whether or not to apply for
NCAA membership, Sullivan said.
31 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Athlete of the Week
Mitchell Peters
Sponsored by Joeys Pizza and Pasta
Six-foot-two swimming Mountie
Mitchell Peters has been named
Mount Allisons Athlete of the Week
for his gold-medal performance in
the pool this past weekend at the
DAL Invitational. Mitchell clinched
rst place in the 200m free during
the six-team meet, he swam personal
bests in the 50m and 100m free,
and narrowly missed qualifying for
the Canadian Interuniversity Sport
(CIS) nationals by 3/100th second.
A resident of Sackville, NB,
Mitchell is a former provincial record
holder from Tantramar Regional
High School, and a past eight-time
MVP with the Sackville Swim Club,
coached by his father and current
Mounties coach, John Peters.
Mitchell is also a member of
Mt. As two-time championship
mens Atlantic Colleges Athletic
Associations (ACAA) cross-country
team, a former eight-time provincial
all-star swimmer for New Brunswick,
and a past 2001 and 2009 Canada
Games competitor. He captained
the recent NB Canada Games team
which competed in
Prince Edward Island.
Last years University Rookie
of the Year, Mitchell is currently
enrolled in second-year Arts and
majors in archaeology at Mt. A.
Other athletes nominated this
week were: Jillian Greene (hockey),
Meghan Dickie (basketball),
Brandon Malally (basketball),
Laurie Marchbank (volleyball),
and Eric Freeman (badminton).
Mounties Sports Weekend
Saturday, November 28
@
Volleyball @ Holland College; 2:00 PM
Basketball @ Holland College; 2:00, 4:00 PM
@
Hockey vs UPEI; 6:15 PM
vs
Sunday, November 29
@
Hockey @ STU; 4:30 PM
Sue Seaborn
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!