February 12, 2009 Caring too much about the Stupid Administrative Council since 1875 Vol.

ce 1875 Vol. 138 Iss. 16

Argosy
T
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e
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
The Blues Society hosted Toni Lynn Washington at Georges Roadhouse this weekend. See full story on p. 7
Jessica Emin
New Brunswick Premier Shawn
Graham has been caught in a lie by
Macleans On Campus magazine. e
idea of a student debt cap has been
rejected by the provincial government
with the explanation that New
Brunswick would have been the
only jurisdiction in Canada to move
forward on such an initiative.
However, Ontario, Manitoba,
Newfoundland, Alberta, and British
Columbia are already way ahead of
us. Although the programs may not
be formally called debt caps, the idea
is the same.
e Ontario Student Opportunity
Grant, for example, essentially limits
the amount a student has to repay
per academic year to $7,000. e
remaining sum is awarded in grants.
is means that at the end of a four-
year program, an Ontario student can
be, at most, $28,000 in debt, while the
New Brunswick student incurs the
highest average debt in the country:
$34,000.
e New Brunswick Student
Alliance (NBSA) has been lobbying
the government for a debt cap since
Helena van Tol
Argosy Staff
September 2007. But the Premiers
premature rejection of debt caps
has poisoned the atmosphere of last
weeks meeting with Minister of
Post-Secondary Education, Donald
Arseneault.
ere has been eectively no
progress made, complained Mark
Brister, SAC VP External and NBSA
member. He asked us what our views
were on a tuition freeze. We outlined
our position on a tuition freeze. It
was in the plan that we gave to him
when we rst met him a week after
we had our protest. Does he really
not know our position on this? I dont
understand and frankly the mood
among students is that were getting
a bit frustrated.
Tuition freezes are not the answer,
agreed Ron Byrne, VP International
and Student Aairs. eres
copious amounts of data out there
that will show that tuition freezes
in and of themselves do not increase
accessibility.
e NBSA is lobbying for targeted
student aid that helps those from
lower income families. Government
initiatives, such as the tuition freeze,
$2,000 entrance bursaries, and
$10,000 tax credits, do not make post-
secondary education more accessible.
Rather, they act as subsidies for
upper- and middle-class students
already attending university.
Arseneault was unavailable for
comment, but Brister explained his
argument. A debt cap costs too much
during this time of economic crisis.
It would cost the government $38
million for a $6,000 per year debt cap,
as proposed by the NBSA. However,
they are also open to a $7,000 per year
debt cap, which would only cost $27
million.
Brister argued that it would be
scally prudent to reallocate the funds
from the current policies. It should
be absolutely no problem for them to
do this.
Premier Graham promised to make
post-secondary education a priority in
his throne speech, and has stated that
the government is willing to revamp
the $2,000 grant program because
the students say that money can be
more focused in certain areas.
Brister conceded that perhaps the
government will support educational
accessibility in the budget, but so far
the plan doesnt show it.
e NBSA will decide on a course
of action this week, which could
include organizing another protest.
e alliance hopes to act fast since the
$24,000 - Average Canadian student debt upon graduation
$34,000 - Average New Brunswick student debt upon
graduation
39 per cent - Percentage of Mt. A students on loans
$8,800 /year - Average loan for those 39 per cent
$7,000 /year - Point where students start dropping out
of school, according to research by the
Millennium Scholarship Foundation
NB Premier rejects debt cap, considers revamping $2,000 grant
Students frustrated with lack of government action
Professors in the Dunn received a
shock on Friday morning when they
showed up to work to nd their oces
had been broken into.
Mathematics professor Andrew
Irwin came into the building at 8
a.m., and was informed by custodians
that the locks looked broken. e
door handles were sort of twisted,
said Irwin.
Six oces had been broken into,
but only two oces had items missing.
Department head Ron Beattie
believes the thieves were interested
in any fancy looking electronics of
high value and low weight; however,
they didnt end up taking anything of
Dunn break-in
Justine Galbraith
Argosy Staff
value.
ey stole stupid stu that isnt
actually worth any money, said
Andrew Hamilton-Wright, one of
the professors whose oce had been
burglarized. However it was later
reported that a lap-top and data stick
had been taken. It is assumed that
the break-ins occurred late ursday
evening. Campus security and the
RCMP are investigating the matter,
although no leads are currently
known .
As far as I know, theyre chasing
stu up, said Hamilton-Wright.
is is one of a rash of break-ins on
campus this year, but Irwin believes
the rate of thefts at Mt. A to be a lot
lower than at other universities. Still,
he encourages people to be vigilant.
Historys queer leaders
Features
p. 13
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2 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY NEWS
e meeting began with SAC Chief Returning
Ocer Kyra OHanley having councilors sign
up to man polling stations. is election will
feature three polling stations as opposed to the
usual two.
VP Academic Ryan Robski passed around
the draft copy of the SACs response to the
academic renewal working group papers. e
draft is based on issues raised in council and in
the public forums that have been held.
Next was a presentation by Heather Elliot,
the executive director of the New Brunswick
Students Alliance (NBSA). She explained the
policies the NBSA is lobbying for: a $6,000 debt
cap, enhanced repayment options, and targeted
grants to students from underrepresented
groups. e government has responded that
they dont have money for these policies, she
said. She also said the NBSA advocates ending
the $2,000 grant to rst-year students and the
tuition freeze, because other programs could do
more to increase accessibility.
Councilor Concerns
Erik Johnson said that a student had been
Student politics, cookies and Timbits were served at
the February 4 SAC meeting
concerned that the e-mail the SAC sent out
about the Uncle Larrys situation could have
been more professional in language. VP
External Mark Brister said the e-mail had been
read by several members of the administration
before it was sent out.
Rachael Betuik asked when exactly students
should express support for term position
professors getting permanent jobs. Ryan Robski
responded that immediately writing a letter to
the Dean works best.
Ben Kropp expressed concern that in meal
hall snow was piled up directly outside of a re
door, and that a re alarm was behind a milk
machine.
Tim Lang asked whether political parties
could campaign on campus. VP External Mark
Brister said they could not, but that their campus
groups are free to advertise their presence.
Paul Rasbach asked whether the SAC could
get a member on the Pubs board of directors.
Mike Currie said that the SAC was going to
make a presentation putting forward the idea to
the Pub soon.
VP Campus Life Report
Pat Berry reported that Skip-a-Meal was being
organized for February 17. He also mentioned
that the Ascars committee had begun talking
about themes, that the Justin Routledge concert
had broken even, and that naturally the free
concerts from winter carnival had lost money.
Responding to Cejays concern about there
not being debit at the New Caf, Dan Wortman
mentioned students can use their debit card at
the Bookstore to put Mountie money on their
student cards, which they can then use at the
caf.
President s Report
Mike Curries report included the mention
that he had been in Moncton on the previous
Monday to drop o legal papers involving the
Uncle Larrys lawsuit, and that as of Februrary
26, Larry Hebert has 30 days to respond or the
SAC will automatically win its case. Currie
also mentioned he had been getting e-mails
from people concerned about the Uncle Larrys
situation. He said he has responded to these
e-mails, and students were generally on the
SACs side after hearing Curries explanation of
events.
Currie also explained that the university
is working on a new smoking policy that will
increase the distance required between lit
cigarettes and academic buildings.
Chris Durrant
Argosy Staff
e SAC hopefuls eld questions about their platforms on the rst night of speeches
On the campaign trail
Chris Durrant
Argosy Staff
VP Academic
Academic renewal process
While not having read all the reports on
Academic renewal, Mark Comeau feels that the
recommendations that came out of the process
are okay, but there is work to be done. For
Sarah Carrigan-Kent, the best recommendation
was the loosening of distribution requirements,
particularly for science students.
Student evaluations
Both candidates agreed that student
evaluations need to go either to department
heads or the administration. Carrigan-Kent
stated it was important for students concerns
to be heard, and listened to and acted on,
while Comeau said the student union needed
to be going to the faculty union to have their
complaints heard.
When pressed on that point and on his
statement that the student union had to stand
up to professors and the administration they hid
behind, Comeau explained his particular issue
is the administrations alleged unresponsiveness
to negative student feedback in a recent granting
of tenure to a professor.
VP Campus Life
Priorities
Candidates had dierent priorities for next
year. Patrick Forestells focus is on improvements
to campus security, including the broken security
phones but extending to a whole reevaluation of
the campus security system. On the other hand,
Jesse Ambler stressed the Pubs need for a better
dance oor and that the Pubs owner, Jonathan
Scooter Clark, needs more support.
When asked if he had non-alcoholic priorities,
Ambler stated that he was interested in getting
better benets for club sports teams and more
student support for varsity teams.
Alternative entertainment events
Forestell said to minimize live concert costs,
he would focus on creating a venue and the
opportunity for Mount A students to perform
and develop a repertoire for both musical and
non-musical acts.
Ambler suggested beer gardens (outdoor mid-
day drinking events) and a mix of live concerts
and DJs. Both candidates agreed that live
entertainment is expensive.
SAC VP Finance and Operations Dan
Wortman, when contacted later, claried
that of the SAC $455,000 budget, the SAC
entertainment budget has $20,000 in funds, but
it is only budgeted for a loss of $5,000.
Board of Regents Rep
e universitys ten-year direction
For Rich Bertrand, rather than the schools
traditional focus on enrollment, creating a
homey feeling at the school should be the
focus, particularly in the student centre because
it doesnt feel like a student centre. Trevey
Davis had two priorities: internationalization
and next years new athletic director.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is pushing
for the university to reduce its carbon footprint?
Davis answered a 9.9 and Bertrand, taking
advantage of getting to answer second, said 9.95.
Davis qualied his answer that his missing .05
represented his insistence that initiatives had to
be within students economic feasibility, while
Bertrand mentioned he was working on a paper
about carbon footprints and that the SAC had
been looking into investing in a wind farm.
VP External
New Brunswick Students Alliance policies
Both candidates agreed that low-incomes
students should be the priority for NBSA
policies, with Ben Kropp stating they should
have an emphasis because they have fewer
opportunities aorded to them, and Alex
MacDonald applauding the NBSA and current
VP External Mark Bristers eorts to get
[accessibility] issues out there.
e cost of joining the Canadian Alliance of Student
Associations
Basing his estimates on a report by former VP
External Mal Baxter, MacDonald answered it
would take approximately 10 dollars per student
to join CASA. Kropp made clear that he was
opposed to the idea of joining CASA, and that
there would be additional costs, including ights
to Ottawa for conference.
Advocating for low-income, non-NB students
MacDonald stated that he thought good
policy spreads, meaning that implementing
programs in New Brunswick that help low-
income students means those programs are
more likely to become political issues in other
provinces. Kropp stated that benecial programs
for low-income students have started in Ontario,
Manitoba and Alberta, and that it is debatable
whether joining CASA would help low-income
students.
SAC President
Encouraging environmental friendliness
Ryan Robski stressed the need to set goals
to inspire students to become environmentally
friendly, mentioning carbon-neutrality and the
SACs current investigations into a wind farm.
Paul Rasbach began his answer by praising
current student initiatives, but stated students
are doing the best with the facilities that they
have, and I think what we need to do now is
start changing the facilities. Consequently, he
stated that the SAC is behind making carbon-
neutral initiatives a JUMP campaign priority.
Shahzad Ali said I dont believe there is a
problem with the environment; its like minus
30 degrees outside, I think we could denitely
use some more global warming.
Stance on a mandatory contribution to the JUMP
campaign
Echoing claims made by some Windsor
residents that their house was unsafe, Ali said he
was in favour of a mandatory contribution to the
JUMP campaign, likening it to life insurance,
as it would help for a better residence life.
Rasbach said that without any explanation
from the administration about where the money
would be going, he would say no, but that if
the administration came up to talk to me,
Id come up with open ears like I would any
conversation, and that he could not commit
to any position without all the details. Robski
explained that both his personal stance and
the SAC executives stance this year when the
situation arose was a neutral one. He commented
that the SAC didnt want to use our position to
force students on the question.
Between Facebook groups and Argosy proles,
getting your hands on SAC candidates platforms
isnt hard. e answers candidates gave during
their rst night of speeches however, are more
telling as to their intentions. Documented
below (minus their hemming and hawing) are
what the candidates came up with when they
rst answered questions from the Argosy and
the residents of Windsor and Hunton houses on
the evening of Monday, February 10.
3 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY NEWS
171 people have died in Australian wildres said to have started by the
extremely hot and dry weather, with temperatures reaching 47. Around
30,000 reghters are attempting to gain control of the res but over 3,000
sq. km have been aected. e government has announced an aid package of
A$10 million (US seven million dollars) including cash payments to victims,
but in many places help is slow to arrive.
28 or more have been killed by police in an attack on an unarmed protest in
Madagascar. Earlier in the day, a rally with over 20,000 people was held in
support of Mayor Antananarivo Andry Rajoelina, who was dismissed after
criticising the countrys president and announcing a transition authority.
Defense Minister Cecile Manorohanta has since resigned, saying that, As
a mother, I do not tolerate this violence. She has been replaced by Mamy
Ranaivoniarivo, the chief of military sta.
7.6 per cent is the US unemployment rate for January. is is an increase
from 7.2 per cent in December and is the highest rate since 1992. Last month
the American economy lost 598,000 non-farm jobs. Meanwhile, Canadas rate
is at 7.2 per cent, with an unexpectedly worse drop of 129,000 jobs.
4,000,000 Chinese are suering from droughts in northern and central
regions. Over half of Chinas winter crops are also aected. No rainfall is
forecasted for the next 10 days, indicating that the problems are likely to
continue. e Chinese government has allocated 400m yuan (US $58m) for
relief eorts.
50 Islamic militants were killed in a Pakistani raid in Khyber, on the
Afghani border. Reports say a large stock of ammunitions were also destroyed.
Meanwhile, in the north-west seven police ocers were killed in a night attack
by a dierent group of militants.
84 Nigerian children ages two to seven have died, mostly from organ
failure, after using the teething syrup, My Pikin. Made domestically, it has
been found to contain engine coolant. e National Agency for Food, Drug
is week in the world
A weekly miscellany compiled by Rebecca Dixon
Administration, and Control (Nafdac) has shut down the production site and is pursuing an investigation.
A $3,000,000 ransom was given to Somali pirates for the release of the MV Faina. e Ukrainian ship carrying arms
and battle tanks was captured in September and its 20 crew members have been held in the town of Harardhere. e
ship is continuing to its original destination of Mombassa, Kenya.
7,000,000 people in Zimbabwe - around half its population - will be dependent on food aid. e situation is especially
critical in the months before the April harvest. Meanwhile, political leaders Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai
are only now in the nalising stages of a power-sharing agreement initially proposed last August.
36 previously marginalised Bolivian indigenous groups have been granted the right to territory, language, and their
own community justice systems after President Evo Morales enacted a new constitution. Other changes include
allowance for him to run for a second term. e new constitution met with 61 per cent approval in a referendum in
January. However, this and other radical moves since Morales election in September have increased division within
the country.
145 shermen were rescued after being stranded on a slab of ice on Lake Erie. e segment broke o after temperatures
rose to above 0C this weekend. ere was only one death.
62 per cent of Afghans say their living conditions are somewhat good or very good, reports the Afghan Centre for
Social and Opinion Research in Kabul for an opinion poll commissioned by BBC/ABC; 83 per cent held the same
view in 2005. 30 per cent think they have beneted directly from aid, but 67 per cent say they have not. Support for the
Karzai government and general expectations for the future of their country are also low compared to previous years
polls.
Shahzad Ali is running for SAC
President as Mt. A needs a
change at this point.
Changes
Ali thinks it is important to:
- Increase support and funding
for varsity sports
- Increase the number of
security guards and x broken
emergency phones
- Increase funding for groups
and societies
- Increase maintenance on south
side
- Ensure textbooks are promptly available at the book store
- Have more events for underage students and more live music
at the Pub
Experience
Ali believes he has the enthusiasm, dedication, and honesty
required of a good leader. He has been in touch with current SAC
executive members for guidance.
VP Campus Life candidate
Jesse Ambler is ready to take on
administration. Im passionate
about the quality of our campus life
and want to be the person to make
the administration recognize that
we, the students, wont go unheard
in how our campus life functions.
Changes
Amblers goals include:
- Making the new student centre
into a more comfortable space
- Pushing the administration to
improve the Pub in both space and design
- Getting entertainment in the Multicultural Lounge
- Creating a security walk-home service
- Obtaining better benets for club sports
- Increasing campus-wide dry events
Experience
Ambler grew up on university campuses as his mother worked
towards her PhD, allowing him to compare Mount As campus
social facilities with other universities. He has worked at Bow
Valley College in Calgary, where he worked with students to
achieve their educational needs.
Since I have been involved with
groups and positions on campus
that cover a wide range of university
life, I feel that my experience
makes me the best person to bring
students issues, whatever they may
be, to the Board of Regents, said
candidate Richard Bertrand.
Changes
Bertrand hopes to keep students
informed on Board meetings
and engage the student body in
dialogue so that voices are heard.
If the students dont say anything that sends a negative message
of sorts to the Board [then] they will proceed with what they view
to be the most pressing issues, said Bertrand.
Experience
Bertrand was the Bigelow house representative on the SAC in his
rst year. He was also on the Campus Life and Athletic Aairs
committees. Last year, he was a Residence Assistant in Bigelow.
He currently sits on the Ascars committee and the SAC budget
review committee, and has been involved with Leadership Mt. A,
S.M.I.L.E., B.O.D.I.E.S, and the Commerce society. Bertrand
also works at the Pub.
I want to get on the level of students
and bring forward issues directly
pertaining to their education and
push to make positive changes, said
VP Academic Aairs candidate
Sarah Carrigan-Kent.
Changes
Carrigan-Kent wants to:
- Increase academic support for
students, including an easily
accessible online database for
student tutors
- Update the SACs past exam
database and increase awareness about it
- Start career fairs, and have readily accessible information and
support for graduating students
- Decrease distribution requirements for students in all faculties
to ensure exibility
- Ensure B.Sc. degree requirements are reduced, giving science
students increased options
Experience
Carrigan-Kent is currently a SAC O-Campus Councilor. Last
year, she served as Harpers Academic Mentor, and has been
involved with groups such as Best Buddies and S.M.I.L.E..
Mark Comeau is running for VP
Academic.
Changes
Comeau hopes to
- Establish online textbook use at
Mt. A
- Promote the availability of
correspondence courses
- Help with the ongoing creation
of extracurricular transcripts
- See the exam schedule for both
semesters set in September
- Clearly dene the freedom to teach policy
- Evaluate degrees to see what else Mt. A can do to attract
students
Experience
Comeau is a member of the Sackville Volunteer Fire Department,
and is Humour co-editor for the Argosy. He is a working member
of the Mt. A Debating Society, and is a member of the Physics,
Chemistry, Gaming and Aviation societies on campus.
Ben Kropp is running for VP
external because he wants to
represent this university and
the students to all levels of
government, the NBSA, and other
student administrations.
Changes
If elected, Kropp will:
- Encourage Community Colleges
in NB to join the New Brunswick
Students Alliance [NBSA] to
help the alliance resolve the debt
cap issue
- Try to resolve student debt issues in NB
- Continue the idea of a landlord rating system, along with the
initiative to ensure o-campus housing is up to code
- Donate his honorarium to the university in the form that he
sees t
Experience
Currently, Kropp is the Bennett house representative on the
SAC, and served on the ad hoc committee that examined the
disagreement between Uncle Larrys and the SAC.
VP Academic Aairs
VP Campus Life
Board of Regents rep
VP External
President
Below are the proles of the remaining SAC election candidates that were not featured in e Argosy last week. Missing is Board
of Regents rep candidate Trevey Davis, who did not submit any information to e Argosy. O-campus speeches are taking place
ursday night, and voting begins February 16. Dont forget to vote!
Election time is nigh
By Rachel Gardner and Justine Galbraith
Argosy Contributor and Staff
Jessica Emin
Jessica Emin
Jessica Emin
Jessica Emin
Jessica Emin
Chris Durrant
NATIONAL
4
TORONTO (CUP) Dogma will
soon be hit by karma or rather,
busma in the streets of Toronto.
So-called Atheist Buses are coming
to the city on Feb. 16, sporting a
provocative ad that reas: eres
probably no God. Now stop worrying
and enjoy your life.
Its got a few in a ap, but its mostly
just got people talking.
Modeled after a nearly identical
campaign already underway in
Britain, the ads are intended to
help make atheism become part of
the mainstream public discourse,
says Justin Trottier, president of the
Freethought Association of Canada.
Trottiers organization is behind
the Canadian branch of the now
international campaign, and has
already raised over $34,000 here
from individuals and anonymous
corporations to run the message
on Torontos public transit and
elsewhere.
While the Atheist Buses will also
eventually be touring in Calgary,
and perhaps Vancouver and Ottawa,
Atheist buses spark religious ad war
ere probably is an atheist bus, now stop worrying and enjoy your life
Joe Howell
CUP Ontario Bureau Chief
Halifax has already nixed a similar ad
on its public transit.
ere, an ad that read: You can
be good without God was rejected
for being too controversial, and
the company in charge of managing
transit ads in the city wrote: All
advertisements must meet acceptable
community standards of good taste,
quality and appearance.
Some believers nd the Atheist
Buses anything but. Charles McVety,
president of Canada Christian
College, was quoted in the Toronto
Star as saying: If they want to attack
other people and show intolerance for
[their] belief systems, then that is . . .
bigotry, and public space is no place
for bigotry.
Other religious groups are taking
the transit ads as an opportunity
to generate a larger discussion. e
United Church ran a similar full-
page ad in the Globe and Mail on
Saturday, showing the rst message
but also including a second option:
eres probably a God. Now stop
worrying and enjoy your life.
Underneath, it plugged wondercafe.
ca, where anyone can vote for either
choice.
Probably no God was leading by
about 500 votes at press time.
Still, Trottier is pleased. e theist
point of view has had a lot of press
its monopolized the press for 10,000
years.
He is also pleased with the United
Churchs counter-campaign, and
sees it as an opportunity to engage in
debate.
Michael Bourgeois, University
of Toronto associate professor of
theology and member of the United
Church, would have liked to see his
church respond a little dierently,
though.
I thought it was odd that the
existence of God was a cause for worry
[...] if thats the God you dont believe
in, I dont believe in it either.
While he admitted the ring
counter-ad was kind of clever, he
would have written the response as
follows: Yes there is a God, now stop
worrying about yourself and start
helping other people.
Jurvetson-Flikr
The Atheist bus in Britain
WINNIPEG (CUP) John
ompson, known to students as
e Book Man, has been selling used
books at the University of Manitoba
since 1988. But university policy is
forcing him to take his paperbacks
elsewhere.
In accordance with a longstanding
U of M non-competition policy,
ompson who set up shop on
campus during Market Days and for
a few days at a time throughout the
year will be disallowed from selling
used books in University Centre after
February 2009.
Pat Reid, director of ancillary
services, says the non-competition
policy is designed to protect the
universitys interests and ultimately,
to provide students with the highest
quality service possible.
U of M says goodbye to e Book Man
Kevin Schulz
The Manitoban (University of
Manitoba)
Its an agreement between [the
U of M Students Union] and the
University of Manitoba that allocated
products and lines of products for
dierent businesses to sell, because we
understand that this is an area where a
lot of students are passing by, and we
simply want to protect the universitys
investments, said Reid.
He explained that the university
Book Store is a cost-recovery oriented
business; its mandate is to provide
textbooks and other services to the
students.
ompson is disappointed with
the decision but continues to believe
in his business justied place at the
university.
I know what university students
generally like and look for, and
besides most of my collection is
scholarly literature which can be used
as a complement to what the Book
Store is selling, he said. I just dont
see how my table here makes any sort
of dent out of their revenues.
Reid stressed that the decision to
disallow ompsons business was
related more to the precedent that his
continued presence would set rather
than on the Book Stores bottom line.
[We] dont want competition
with used-book [...] sellers in the
University Centre. If we let John in,
then it becomes a slippery slope, he
said.
I will end up telling the president:
Well we let this used-book seller in,
so why not this one? e problem
is there is a lot of used-book sellers
out there and we cant, we wont, be
allowing them because it is just too
contrary to the policy.
In addition, Reid claims ompson,
who was notied last year of the
universitys decision, also does not
meet the original criteria for the U of
Ms Market Days.
Market Days was rst intended to
promote arts and crafts vendors, and
now ancillary services is dedicated to
working towards re-establishing that
agenda.
Its been a new management team
that came in, and since July 2003 I
have been responsible for ancillary
services. Honestly, we have not gotten
around to review every policy. We are
getting to it, but we havent quite done
that yet, he said.
ompson notes that he
unsuccessfully appealed the
universitys ruling earlier this year
and has decided not to pursue this
matter further.
Im reluctant to take any negative
approach just in case I do ever have
a chance to come back. is is a
signicant sales source for me, but I
do try to sell at a number of dierent
places, just in case one location dries
up, said ompson.
Kara Fast, an instructor at the
English Language Centre, says she
understands the rationale behind the
U of Ms decision. However, she is
disappointed that the university does
not recognize the academic merit of
ompsons business.
I guess the university has the right
to make that decision but I think
that the used-book store is great for
learning because a lot of his books
are academic, which is something the
university ought to promote, Fast
said.
In opposition to the ruling, student
Nick Danzinger fears that this move
signals the onset of an unsettling
trend.
I think its really unfair and I dont
think the university should have
a monopoly on any products. Plus
he doesnt even sell textbooks its
literature, Danzinger said.
Although he believes his business
will still be successful, ompson, a
U of M alumni, would prefer to stay at
the school and is now reaching out to
the university community for help.
If there is anyone out there that
would be willing to help me with
this I would really appreciate it,
ompson said.
NEW WESTMINSTER (CUP)
Brainify.com is designed to alleviate
the stress of online researching for
students and professors alike.
Boasting itself as a website founded
for brainiacs and by brainiacs,
Brainify is a social bookmarking tool
that aims to bring academics from
around the world together to share
their favourite web-based resources.
It was created by Murray Goldberg,
the University of British Columbia
computer science prof who invented
WebCT, an e-learning system used
by many post-secondary schools for
New site simplies web searching for students
Ashley Whillans
The Other Press (Douglas College)
their distance education programs.
With universities, organizations,
and professors putting up tons of
information on the Internet, the
problem isnt the quantity of academic
online content, but organization of the
available information, says Goldberg.
ere are an amazing number of
outstanding academic sites on the
web, said Goldberg. If a great site
exists, there is a student somewhere
who knows about it. If a student has
a question, there is another student
somewhere who knows the answer.
Brainify is about student-focused
education, academic community, and
peer learning.
Academic social bookmarking
allows students to browse websites
previously bookmarked, agged, and
rated by other students or academics,
instead of resorting to broad and
spam-ridden search engines.
If a user is unable to nd what they
are looking for through Brainify, they
can post their questions on the online
forum, or perform an education
ltered web search.
I [have] always thought it would be
really fantastic for academic students
to connect worldwide. Students have
great social networks outside of school
such as Facebook that go beyond the
people that [are] around them, but not
so much with their academic studies,
Goldgerg said.
When people start coming to
Brainify, they nd a few websites that
work the best for them, bookmark
them for their peers, which not only
saves time for themselves and others,
but ultimately has the potential to
help them do better in school, he
added.
An additional feature of Brainify
is the user reputation scale. A users
reputation is meant to represent the
value of an individuals contribution
to the website. If a user is ranked
amongst the highest contributors,
they have the potential to receive
money for their eorts.
Goldberg has promised to distribute
30 per cent of the sites proceeds, if
ever sold, to these valued members.
While the future of Brainify seems
promising, it needs student support.
Brainify is going to live or die by
word of mouth, and if [the students]
tell their friends, we can build
something that could be fantastic for
students all over the world. Hopefully,
Brainify will facilitate the creation
of widespread persistent academic
communities for all students,
Goldberg said.
Goldberg is hoping that with
the help of students and professors,
Brainify will become the place for
students to nd academic information
online, save time, money and most
importantly, create an academic
community outside the classroom.
OPINIONS
Ryan Lebans
Last November, the Harper government
presented a pre-budget scal update
to the Canadian Parliament. is
seemingly commonplace aair sparked
what was perhaps the most tumultuous
week in Canadian politics since the
1995 Quebec referendum. e world
was in the midst of a severe economic
downturn, and our Prime Minister, via
his deputy Mr. Flaherty, was telling us
that no, everything was ne: through
some clever vending of public assets,
Canada would indeed nish 2009 with
a modest surplus!
e scal update cracked the
seemingly impenetrable perception of
Mr. Harper as a brilliant parliamentary
strategist. Moreover, the Prime Minister
in this instance showed himself
out of step with the growing global
consensus on how best to deal with
the economic slowdown. In the United
States, President-Elect Obama made
it extremely clear that his incoming
administration would do its best FDR
(Franklin Delano Roosevelt) impression,
putting in place its own version of the
New Deal in an attempt to reboot the
economy. Mr. Harper ignored the host
of governments around the world (even
conservative ones) spouting the merits
of economic stimulus, choosing instead
to pretend that here, north of the 49th
parallel, e fundamentals of the
economy are strong.
As stated two weeks ago in this paper
by the Mount Allison Young Liberals,
the forming of a coalition government
by the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc
Quebecois would have been in no way
illegitimate; together, these three parties
hold a majority of the seats in the House
of Commons. But bringing down a
government, especially in the midst of
an economic crisis, is not something to
be done haphazardly. In this budget, the
PM has been forced to do that which he
hates most: compromise. Mr. Harper,
who has said previously that Canada
is a Northern European welfare state
of the worst kind, is with this budget
substantially increasing the reach of the
state in order to mitigate the economic
downturn. He is in eect turning his
back on the conservative ideologies he
has spent his entire life advocating. Only
the prospect of losing power has changed
the PMs perspective.
Whether or not you agreed with the
controversial prorogation of Parliament
is at this point inconsequential.
During the pause, MPs did not sit in
Ottawa, but political manoeuvring was
nonetheless present in abundance. In
December, Stephen Harper appointed
18 new Conservative senators; they now
sit in a red room he used to denounce
as illegitimate and undemocratic. e
leadership process to replace Stephane
Dion was truncated, and Rick Mercer
helped Michael Ignatie move into
Stornoway.e political landscape in the
new Parliament is strikingly dissimilar to
the last.When the budget was presented,
our MPs were no longer voting on the
wayward economic path that Harper set
out in the scal update last November,
they were voting on the merits of
economic stimulus. Even if they publicly
deny it, the NDP and BQ voted on the
Conservative budget based solely on
their desire for power. ey signaled this
intention long before any details of Mr.
Harpers budget were released. is left
Coalition must be the
nuclear option
the Liberal Party in the dicult position
of having to actually decide whether
the deciencies of the January budget
merited the toppling of a government.
In a choice between: (a) implementing
the policies of the November 2008
Harper scal update, or (b) voting non-
condence in the Harper government
and asking the Governor General to
allow a coalition to govern, certainly
the latter would be the only responsible
option for the opposition parties. But
now, when the condence matter is the
issue of the Harper stimulus package,
the ousting of the Conservatives in
favour of the coalition should not be the
immediate, knee-jerk response.
Aside from their joint belief in scal
stimulus as a remedy for the ailing
economy, the three former coalition
members are not natural allies. Most
obviously, although its policies are
generally left-leaning, the BQ advocates
secession from Canada, a belief which is
of course anathema to the Liberals and
NDP. Surely they could work together
in a coalition while setting aside the
issue of sovereignty, but this arrangement
should only be sought as a last resort.
And although a there has been much
talk of a formal Liberal-NDP merger,
a unite-the-left movement similar to
the Progressive Conservative/Canadian
Alliance merger of 2003, the similarities
between the parties are vastly overstated.
e ideological roots of both parties are
decidedly dierent: one is democratic
capitalist, the other social democratic.
Take the recent positions of the two
parties regarding the so-called Buy
American clause. In response to threats
of protectionism creeping into the
stimulus package in the United States,
the NDP dismissed the danger to
Canadian exporters, calling instead for
similar Buy Canadian policies in our
country. e Liberals, on the other hand,
have a completely dierent take on the
matter, lambasting the Conservative
government for not educating U.S.
lawmakers more eectively on the merits
of transnational trade.
e legitimacy of a coalition
government which has the support of
the majority of the House of Commons
should never be questioned. e option
of the coalition in its current form,
however, should only be turned to if
absolutely necessary. Elections dont
elect a government, but they do elect
a Parliament. Our last one gave us
a House with four parties with very
dierent views on the future of our
country. e forming of the coalition
would have required the parties involved
to drastically alter many deeply held
beliefs in order to govern with stability.
With respect to the global economy,
would the Liberals move towards the
NDPs position and begin to advocate
protectionism? Or, alternatively, would
the coalition NDP begin to espouse
the benets of globalisation and open
markets, and in the process risk cutting
its ties to organised labour? What if the
BQ grumbled about scal imbalance?
Would the Liberal-NDP coalition give
in to their demands in order to stay in
power? ese risks would have been
valiantly faced if Mr. Harper hadnt
acquiesced to the opposition and changed
his mind on economic stimulus. Only
the prospect of spending next Christmas
at Stornoway instead of 24 Sussex Drive
pushed the Prime Minister to embrace
his seldom-seen, compromising, blue
sweater self.
Weekly Grati
Michael Mandale
Send your images of grati to argosy@mta.ca. Include where and when you took the photo.
Chris Durrant
You cant blame them, theyre just kind
of like hunting dogs, but for money,
is how I put it after a presentation by
Mount Allisons External department.
eyd been talking about raising
money for the JUMP campaign
and putting a large emphasis on
the environment. However, what
disappointed most students in the
audience was that there seemed to be
little actual emphasis on infrastructure,
particularly, on making the campus
carbon-neutral. e hunting dog
analogy comes from the fact the lack
of solid environmental infrastructure
plans isnt the External departments
fault. ey get their orders from above.
Talking with Michael Cantwell from
External and Rob MacCormack from
Facilities Management, I got the
impression that the people who could
be making the environment a priority
at the school are VP Administration
David Stewart and the Board of
Regents.
So when I asked the candidates for
the Board of Regents this election
how important they think it is to be
pushing the university to become
Im spoiling my ballot
For the Board of Regents rep
carbon-neutral, and on a scale of one
to ten, they ranked it as a 9.9 and a
9.95, I was thrilled. But then I wasnt,
because I asked them what they would
tell a Board of Regents member who
asked them what direction the school
needs to be going in the next ten years;
they said things like making the school
feel more homey, internationalization,
and the importance of the new director
of athletics.
Undoubtedly the Board of Regents
representative and the SAC president
get the most access to the Board,
and I suspect a lot of their inuence
on the board comes from informal
conversations. Board of Regents
members probably ask the student
representatives informally what
their interests and concerns are. It
think its more likely that the student
representatives main opportunities to
put ideas in the heads of the board
members come over the dinner table
instead of the conference table. at
is why I want my Board of Regents
rep to be living and breathing the
environment at this point. I dont want
them talking over lunch about sports.
or blank student-centre walls, or about
coming from Maine if they havent
already had a discussion about the
environment. Based on the answers I
got at the current candidates, I dont
think carbon-neutrality is going to be
the rst things out of their lips.
What do I hope to accomplish by
spoiling my ballot? Im going to do
it rst of all because both candidates
are unacceptable to me. ats how
voting should work. It will register my
discontent. I urge anyone who nds all
the candidates in a race unacceptable
to spoil their ballot. My second reason
is that Im hoping for some kind or
miracle where somehow there is mass
ballot spoiling, and there are more
spoiled ballots than votes for either
of the candidates. at would mean
nominations would be reopened, and
an environmental candidate could run.
e third reason is that likely one of
the candidates will get elected, but
Im hoping my spoiled ballot and this
editorial will send the message that
Im serious, and that they need to push
the environmental issue. I hope people
will join me in spoiling their ballots to
reenforce that message.
is position of mine isnt a
personal attack against the candidates.
And really, part of this is my fault.
If I feel this strongly about having a
environmental voice on the Board
of Regents, I should have been out
encouraging someone I would nd
acceptable to run.
In the larger scale of things, this is
a lesson for environmentalists. If we
think this is an important issue, we
should be running in every position
possible to get our message across.
Conservatives in the United States
in the 1980s realized that if they
wanted to make society in the image
they wanted, they were going to have
to ll every political position they
could, from president to school board
member. Environmentalists need to
take a page from their book.
Montreal, Fall 2007.
6 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY OPINIONS
Sheena Costain
So one day, my friend and I were studying diligently in the library (green oor, if you were curious) and we were forced to
endure a traumatic experience that scarred us for eternity. So we were sitting at our table, quietly, when a guy approached a
girl sitting at the table next to us. After her eyes lit up, he appallingly took a dominating stance over his obvious possession
(hand on table, towering over her, inches apart) and began talking (not quietly) to her about how much he loved her. en
started the kissy-smooch fest. It kept going. It did not end. It was revolting. I was weeping inside. My friend and I had
exchanged several WTF? glances by now.
We then proceeded to run down the stairs to stie our laughter. Please heed the following guide:
Hand holding. Putting each others hands in each others back pockets
(and in case it is not a given, under each others garments
is also unacceptable).
A kiss on the cheek, or a peck on the lips.
e classic hug
Tongue twister, tonsil tennis, sucking face, mouth raping,
tongue wrestling, doing the tongue tango, macking it.
Grope fest.
Saying, love you/ya when departing. Saying, My pants, 8 oclock,when departing (though I did
get quite a bit of controversy with this one as a dont).
Saying, Well talk about this later Saying OMFG (insert name here) YOU ARE SUCH
AN INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE. GO CRAWL UP
YOUR OWN ASS AND DIE!
NOT grinding each other in the hallway/ on the
sidewalk.
Grinding in the fucking hallway/on the fucking sidewalk
so that everyone has to go around you because your
physical relationship is obviously what everyone wants to
see displayed before them when they are trying to get to
class!
Using appropriate pet names, i.e., hun, love, and I
would also approve of either Cheech, or Chong..
Using inappropriate pet names, i.e., hot stu,sex kitten,
Mr. Big, pooky, shnookums, toots, love mun,
sweet pea, daddy, my beloved, honey bunches of
oats, babycakes, peaches n cream, Wicked Hot-
Tiger Twinkies, Sweetums Numnum-Lovey Cakes,
Sweetums Chocolate Kisses-Pinkie Pot Cheeks,Chuck
Norris(not because it is an inappropriate pet name, but
because YOU ARE NOT CHUCK NORRIS).
Pleasantly enjoying the movie at e Vogue with your
signicant other.
Making out at e Vogue (or other things I will not
mention) ... its not cool, its not retro, you suck.
Keeping your love-life comments in your head while in
class.
Talking to your friends the whole damn time about how
your boyfriend doesnt get you, or how your girlfriend
isnt Jessica Alba-hot...because guess what? I DONT
PAY ALMOST $7000 A YEAR TO LEARN ABOUT
WHAT STI YOU CAUGHT FROM WHO!
P.D.A
Your ultimate DOs and DONTs guide
Dos Donts
The Argosy is hiring its Editor-in-Chief for the
2009-10 publishing year
Qualications:
Excellent leadership skills
Interest in student journalism
Experience in editing and design an asset
Applicants must be Mt. A students
Term: May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010
Honorarium: $4000 paid quarterly
Please submit a cover letter and resume to:
Louisa Strain
c/o The Argosy
3rd oor, Wallace McCain Student Centre
or mlstrain@mta.ca
Deadline for Application: February 19, 2009
Andrew Jardine
If you are taking three courses you
pay the same amount as ve. I would
like them to address this because I
am taking ve courses as opposed to
four because I am paying for a full
course load either way
What is the most important
issue for the SAC to deal
with in the upcoming year?
Jessica Emin, Argosy Staff
Corey Hunter
I think the SAC should continue to
support the needs of humanitarian-
based groups on campus such as
Global Medical Brigade and Free
e Children. ey should ensure
that these groups have funding from
them and that people are made aware
of the groups through e-mail.
Matthew Park
e SAC needs to evaluate its own
role in addressing climate change as
part of the Mt. A community.
Mary J. Fisher
I think, personally, the SAC
executive need to focus on the aspect
of communication. When looking at
the elections right now there are only
a few people running, so aiming at
better communication and rentention.
ey need to communicate what
they are advocating in order to nd
more ways of breaking through the
clutter on campus.
Hannah Allen
I dont really know what to say on
this issue; the only news I get seems
to be on Facebook, but that is not
really enough.
Jessica Emin
ENTERTAINMENT
Every single one of us should aspire
to be Toni Lynn Washington when
we reach the age of seventy-two. Since
not all of us possess the vocal talents
of Washington, Im referring instead
to the spirit and charisma that she
still is able to exude while on stage.
Saturday night was a night of grooving,
hollering, and blues as legendary singer
Toni Lynn Washington and her band
took over Georges Roadhouse.
Despite coming in late to the
show, it wasnt hard to see the eect
Washington and her legendary band
had on Sackville. Georges was packed
to the edges with people of every
age range either boogying on the
dance oor or grooving in their seats.
e show, which was put on by the
Tantramar Blues Society, brought in
people from every area of town and,
more than likely, from out of town.
Playing along side Washington
was her band, which despite being
smaller than normal, gave an amazing
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
Boston blues queen gains a throne in Sackville
Toni Lynn Washington plays Georges in an event by the TBS
Growing Op (Canada, Written &
Directed by Michael Melski, 2008)
Growing Op is a heartwarming
comedy that tells the story of a
homeschooled boy with a less than
normal home life. Quinn Dawson
(Steven Yaee) and his family live in
a quaint suburban neighborhood but
they are hiding a secret behind their
picket fence, a full blown marijuana-
growing operation. Quinn, who has
been forced to live a life of secrecy and
has always had trouble tting in, not
in small part because of his radically
anti-establishment marijuana-growing
parents. But when a new girl moves in
across the street, Quinn is determined
to nally go to high school in order to
win her heart. e story that ensues is
one of hilarity and pure honesty.
Filmed in Moncton, New
Brunswick, the lm has a familiar and
welcoming feel to it. Knowing that the
movie was shot just 30 minutes from
our own front doors, gives it a sense
of real world possibility. And the East
Coast pride doesnt stop there as the
soundtrack boasts such show stoppers
as Joel Plaskett, Jill Barber, and Jenn
Grant to name just a few. To top o
Erin Bulger
Argosy Contributor
performance. When Washington
periodically left the stage for breaks,
the band would continue performing
by themselves, keeping people on
their feet. If the chaotic movements
of the dancers were any indication, the
raw sounds of the bass, guitar, drums,
keyboard, and sax were powerful and
striking.
Each band member was smiling as
they moved along to the rhythms they
produced. Whether it was a soulful
movement or swamp-rock pounding,
they kept up with Washington. A
highlight of the night was the hum
of the bass and guitar players. In what
seemed like double time, the boys kept
up with Washingtons cadence.
e power of her band was obvious
as the applause occurred at the
beginning, middle, and end of each
song. While Washington was easily
the heart of the night, the sax player
may have been aiming to steal her
light. Looking close to bursting a lung,
he threw out intense solos that might
have just blown our little roadhouse
down.
Washington was a powerful entity
as she took the mike. She enticed
the audience into several choruses of
call and response, and even found her
boyfriend in the crowd. Despite
looking completely calm, and
surprisingly cool in the sweltering
roadhouse, Washington polished o
song after song. While I couldnt tell
you the name of or recite any of the
lyrics of Washingtons songs, I could
tell you that each made you want to
dance and move.
e crowd trickled out as the second
set progressed, leaving the more die
hard fans and those who could stay past
midnight. It is hard to appropriately
describe the sound of Washington and
her blues band. Her vocals switch from
sultry whispers to hip shaking croons
that tell tales of lovers, loneliness, and
a life well lived.
If anything could describe that
night it was two things: the shock of
the amount of people who turned out
for the concert and the overwhelming
grace of a singer who at seventy-two
owns the stage, the audience, and the
night.
Jocelyn Turner
Argosy Correspondent
Wanna get high?
Canadian comedy takes a look at normal
ere are some doubts
Meryl Streep straps on her golden cross in Doubt
Doubt (Starring Meryl Streep, Philip
Seymour Homan, and Amy Adams;
Directed by John Patrick Stanley,
2008)
e spectre of sexual abuse in the
Catholic school system rears its ugly
head in the Oscar darling, Doubt, set
in a 1960s New York Catholic school.
Head priest Father Flynns behaviour
towards the newest and only black
student at the school, Donald Miller,
is the seeming catalyst of the conict
at the centre of the lm.
When Father Flynn draws the
young student from her class, Sister
James (Amy Adams) becomes
suspicious. Miller returns smelling of
alcohol and appeared to be a bit upset
and discontent, as he placed his head
upon his desk. While clapping along
and laughing at the mishaps as the
children attempt to learn a new song,
Sister James spots Father Flynn at the
boys lockers with a white altar-boys
shirt in his hand. He smiles at her and
places the shirt into the locker. Once
he is gone, James opens the locker
to discover Millers shirt, reeking of
alcohol. With that, she heads o to
talk to Sister Beauvier, Meryl Streep.
Despite a sparse and seemingly dull
plotline, the lm was actually quite
decent. ere were cute little jokes in
the story that actually made it worth
watching. When you think about it
in general, the way the movie nished
didnt sit right, because I know at the
end I was like, Is that it?
Homan in the role as Father
Flynn didnt really surprise me. He
strikes me as the kind of actor who
tries to push his limits and take on
random roles that make the audience
think, which is exactly what this role
did. e lm and his acting took you
away from wondering why the hell he
was playing Father Flynn, a potential
sexual oender, and wondering
whether or not he was guilty. When
you watch him up on the big screen, in
this lm anyways, you can see why he
is perennial Oscar material.
As for Meryl Streep, Im left
wondering about her. In Doubt, shes
the head bitch, for lack of a better
description, but I still couldnt help but
think of her in those overalls and crazy
pattern-lled dresses from Mamma
Mia. I really question her for taking up
this role. Im aware that she won the
Screen Actors Guild Award for this
role, but I dont know if I completely
agree. She played the part well, but
for some reason I feel like she didnt
fully invest herself in her role, like
she did in Mamma Mia, or as well as
she routinely does with other roles. It
seems to me like she did this lm for
the paycheque - its almost as though
she looked at her bills and was like,
Oh! e mortgage is due, and signed
up for the role.
e idea of molestation in a church
makes your stomach turn, and the
Jessica Emin
idea that it could be hidden makes
you wonder how widespread it was,
and still is today. If this movie does
anything, I hope in the very least that
it draws attention to the Catholic
Churchs skeleton in the closet that is
nally being tackled in a real way.
If I had one major criticism of the
www.commonwealmagazine.org
lm, it would be the last line spoken
by Streeps character. She makes a
reection on the entirety of the lm by
saying one word. I dont nd that the
lm really needed it, as it did a pretty
good job of it on its own. Overall, the
lm was good, denitely worth 3.5
stars.
that delicious sundae of East Coast-
ness there were even several fellow
Mounties spotted in the background
busting out their acting chops.
East Coast pride aside, the movie
was a denite hit. e main character
Quinn is a very honest personality.
You could really feel his desperate
yearning to break free from the
connes of his abnormal family to join
the normal world. Quinn soon realizes
however, that the outside world is far
more screwed up then his own drug
pedaling familys. ough there is
denitely some over-dramatization
of the stereotypical characters in
every high school, for the most part
the characters were all very believable
personalities. e notion of drug use
evidently plays a major role in this
lm and is very naturally woven in. It
doesnt ever for one moment seem odd
that the Dawson family has a practical
jungle of marijuana growing in their
home. e script was written and
executed in such a fantastic way that
we never question how abnormal this
may actually be.
I am a big believer in paying more
attention to the audiences reactions
then reading what critics in magazines
and online have to say. I nd that
sometimes critics take their job titles
too seriously and are nothing but
critical. Well if the audience is any sort
of gauge on how good the movie is
then Id say two thumbs way up. e
crowd was in harmonious laughter
throughout the entire lm. During the
pivotal scenes the gasps and hands to
mouths were in unison and if that isnt
enough validation for you, the whole
crowd applauded at the end. How often
does that happen now a day? Growing
Op is deantly a crowd pleaser.
Tonights Film Society movie is Ive
Loved You So Long (France/Germany
2008). Tickets are $8 or $6 with a
membership. Come out and support
you local theater.
8 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY ENTERTAINMENT
For some people, art is contained
within a frame or a canvas, a subjective
yet nite work. en there are those
who like to tweak those boundaries.
Take, for instance, the IRiSs workshop
at Struts Gallery.
An acronym for Integrated
Ruptures in Sensory spaces, IRiSs is a
collaborative, improvisational work of
audio-visual art, equal parts concert and
art installation. Artists from Sackville,
Moncton and Halifax brought along
their own unique approaches to sound,
from digital four-track recorders to
laptop samples and what appeared to
be a video game controller. I spoke to
Struts Artist in Residence, Amanda
Dawn Christie, who used contact
microphones to contribute to the
piece. ese tiny mics are made from
musical greeting card elements the
metal parts that recognize when the
card is opened and closed soldered
to wires that are hooked up to a mixer.
e mics are indierent to noise, but
theyre extremely sensitive to touch.
Everything from silk to steel wool
creates a dierent sound, which is then
processed through the mixer.
Sometimes youre not even sure
whos making which sound, says
Amanda, adding that youre
modifying each others sounds at the
same time theyre being made. e
result is an amorphous, constantly
developing soundscape that every
visitor will experience dierently.
When I arrived, for example, the room
was lled with an oddly soothing
blend of jittery laptop samples and
static haze that eventually resolved
into a laid-back beat.
As for the visual portion of the show,
Amanda uses a vintage military analysis
projector that can freeze-frame, speed
up and otherwise manipulate her
collection of 1940s lm loops. e
image is then moved around the room,
using prisms and mirrors.
e idea is the lm isnt just one
screen that goes from start to nish
[with a] beginning, middle and end,
Amanda tells me. While the lm is
in progress, she stays at the projector,
trying to work with the musicians to
have a dialogue between image and
sound.
e end result is what Amanda
Christie calls an experiential space
where you can wander in [and] you
can wander out as you please. e
beauty of such a concept is that it lends
itself well to collaboration. If you have
a talent youd like to contribute, theres
another IRiSs workshop scheduled for
mid-April, though it might be held in
Halifax. Anyone who wants to take
part just needs to get in contact with
the organizers a few days prior to the
event. Watch the Argosy for more
information, and if youre in the mood
for something dierent, try having
your senses ruptured.
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
Struts struts its stu
Audio workshop bends time and space
On February 3, the Canadian Academy
of Recording Arts and Sciences
(CARAS) released the list of nominees
for the 2009 Juno Awards, to be held
in Vancouver. at same day, a nation
of critics and music fans collectively
banged their heads against the nearest
solid object. Its not hard to see why:
despite lovingly curated, burgeoning
music scenes around the country, the
Junos unfailingly honor mega-selling
critical btes noires like Nickelback,
Celine Dion and Simple Plan. So if
the Junos celebrate the excellence
of achievement in recorded music,
according to CARAS website, why do
they keep handing out nominations to
artists who show nothing of the sort?
In a word: sales. e Junos occupy a
middle ground between the Grammy
Awards, which base their nominations
on merit, and the now-defunct
Billboard Music Awards, which hands
out awards to the biggest sellers. Bear
with me, as this gets a little dry. Six of
the major, non-genre categories at the
Junos are based at least partially on
physical and digital sales. International
Album of the Year and Album of the
Year choose nominees based strictly
on record sales, while nods for Group
and Artist of the Year are determined
by CARAS members votes and sales.
New Artist and New Group of the
Year nominations are based on a
combination of sales and panel voting.
e winners are then chosen based on
member votes.
e remainder of the categories,
however, are completely independent
of sales, with nominees being chosen by
panels of experts. CARAS voters pick
the winners of awards 9 through 16,
38 and 39, which encompass country,
rap, alternative, pop and vocal jazz
albums, while the remaining winners
are chosen by these mysterious panels
of experts.
As much as I bristle at the idea of
basing awards even partially on sales, it
makes sense in this context. e Juno
Awards are, after all, a Canadian music
showcase, one founded and maintained
by music industry representatives. e
sales-based categories act as a tour de
force, an attempt to draw attention to
the Canadian roots of internationally
successful acts. So lets grit our teeth,
call it a necessary evil and move
further down the list, where the Junos
did many things right. ese panels
of experts chose well, giving nods to
deserving artists like Sloan, Old Man
Luedecke, Matthew Barber, Plants
and Animals, Elliott Brood, Fucked
Up, Chad VanGaalen and Black
Mountain. e genre-based nominees
are leaps and bounds ahead of those
at the Grammys: having experts
pick nominees and winners in niche
categories ensures that lesser-known
records are given due consideration.
Yeah, the Grammys nominated
Radiohead and Lil Wayne for album of
the year, but their Alternative Album
category might as well have been
called Best Rock Album Teenagers
on the Internet Seem to Like.
ats the Faustian bargain of
the Junos kneel before the throne
of Kroeger, and you get to sneak
your cool friends into the ceremony.
Look beyond the predictable main
categories, and youll nd theres a
wealth of worthy artists who stand to
gain a much wider audience. e Junos
are frustrating, sure, but you still cant
help being proud of them.
How very Canadian.
My Juno Predictions
Fucked Up will perform live, so
that frequently-shirtless/bloodied
lead singer Pink Eyes (nee Damian
Abraham) can break bottles of Colt 45,
three microphones and Ben Muloney
over his head.
Crystal Castles will also perform,
with Anne Murray standing in for
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
www.irocknroll.com
Alice Glass. e subsequent surge in
hipster cred will result in an all-covers
album where Anne performs songs by
Nine Inch Nails, Prince and Dr. Dre.
e presence of Guns n Roses,
Metallica and AC/DC in the Best
International Album category
will cause a rip in the space/time
continuum, sending Vancouver back
to 1987. Millions of dollars worth of
Vancouver 2010 merchandise will go
to waste. Axl Rose, however, will feel
right at home.
Not wanting to be outdone by
M.I.A.s very pregnant Grammy
performance, all four members of
Nickelback will give birth onstage.
Within hours, the newborns will
be able to play 90 per cent of the
Nickelback songbook.
Canadas Grammy award worse than Granny
Combination of record sales and critical reception criteria make for an interesting mix of nominees
All hail King Chad, Leader of Men.
CHMA 106.9 CAMPUS & COMMUNITY RADIO BULLETIN
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WE CAN BUILD IN PIECES
FEBRUARY 12, 2008.
ORENTATON SESSON TO BE HELD EVERY TUESDAY AT 4:00 PM N THE CHMA OFFCE LOCATED ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF
THE WALLACE MCCAN STUDENT CENTRE
For more info contact the Program Director @ 364-2221 or chma_pro@mta.ca - www.mta.ca/chma

CHMA CHARTS
JOHY[ZJVTWPSLKI`T\ZPJKPYLJ[VY1HTLZ.VKKHYK
LOCAL MUSICIANS TALK ABOUT THEIR
FAVOURITE MUSICIANS
Do any of these mus|c|ans stand out above the rest?
Ray LaMontaigne as far as influence goes. He has influenced my lyrics a
lot, getting me to write about the world around me as opposed to the
world l know about but haven't experienced.
Is there anyth|ng you |ook for when you are ||sten|ng to mus|c?
Simplicity is a big thing l have been noticing more recently. Especially on
the Beck album 'Modern Guilt'. l was really struck by what he could do
with simple orchestration. Even Field Museum, at the Justin Rutledge
show, had a really big sound with just two guitars and a small drum kit. l
have a tendency to make my own music convoluted, that l am trying to get
away from.
How much does what you ||sten to |nf|uence your mus|c?
l would say 50/50. When music l'm listening to influences me it is usually
an immediate thing rather than something sustained. l get inspired to try
something and then l do it. Often it is more about recording techniques
and how a certain sound is created. Although, most often l listen to music
for enjoyment and to be informed.
From outs|de of mus|c what th|ngs do you enjoy?
Films and books. l have had to read a lot for my honours English degree.
l have a personal mission film wise to watch all the Criterion series.
Especially now that you can rent them online. Also any lists of best works,
like the Times 100 Greatest Novels list.
Be s0|e not to m|ss Ke||en's CD |e|ease s|ow Ma|c| 3|d on camo0s.
7||s |s t|e second |nsta|ment |n a se||es |n w||c| |oca| m0s|c|ans d|sc0ss
t||ngs t|ey |||e. Pa|t|c0|a||y t|e|| m0s|ca| |nf|0ences. 7||s wee| we |ad
t|e oooo|t0n|ty to ta|| to one |oca| m0s|c|an w|o |s a fo|me| CHMA
P|og|amme|.
Name
Kellen Barrett
Who are some of your favour|te Mus|c|ans?
Probably Ray LaMontaigne, Amos Lee, folksy type stuff harking back to
the '70s singer songwriters. l'm pretty into Beck right now and l enjoyed
Justin Rutledge last week. The Zombies are a big influence on me, and
they are pretty underrated.
Bruce Pen|nsu|a - A Mo0nta|n /s A Mo0t|
lf Tom Waits made Frank Zappa "squeal like a pig" in the Ozarks in 1979,
raised 15 kids and taught them how to sing Hillbilly Gospel, they would
be proud fathers of Bruce Peninsula. Serious. This band has bizarre
instrumentation and stylish authenticity of Waits, the vision and number
of members as Zappa at his prime. lt is easy to imagine the sweat rolling
off Neil Haverty's face, you can almost hear it. You can almost hear the
chorus' collective eyes rolling back in their heads. The album was
recorded in several locations, including churches and studios across
Toronto. One can certainly tell these people rehearsed in church-like
spaces. Deep gospel and roots influences permeate the album and the
band itself. They give themselves wholly to the music. There is no doubt
playing and singing is a spiritual experience for Bruce Peninsula. A
Mo0nta|n /s A Mo0t| is a beautiful, sweaty, eye rolling album.
-A.B.
Here it now on CHMA 106.9FM
Highlight Tracks : 2, 3 5 8
http://www.escapegoatrecords.com/bruce/index.htm
ALBUM REVIEW
o|oto: Y00|a Ben|vo|s||
CHMA 106.9MHz - Sackville
* indicates Canadian artist. Chart ranking reflects airplay during the week ending
03-Feb-2009.
Top 30
03-Feb-2009
RANK ARTlST TlTLE (LABELj
01 WOODHANDS* - Heart Attack (Paper Bagj
02 THE CONSTANTlNES* - Kensington Heights (Arts & Craftsj
03 COREY lSENOR* - Young Squire (lndependentj
04 JUSTlN RUTLEDGE* - Man Descending (Six Shooterj
05 THE SUPERFANTASTlCS* - Choose Your Destination (lndependentj
06 vARlOUS* - Attack ln Black/Shotgun Jimmie/Ladyhawk Tour 7 (Dine Alonej
07 MOUNT EERlE - Lost Wisdom (P.W. Elverum & Sunj
08 OLD MAN LUEDECKE* - Proof Of Love (Black Hen Musicj
09 TOM FUN ORCHESTRA* - You Will Land With A Thud (Company Housej
10 GlANNA LAUREN* - Fist ln A Heart (lndependentj
11 RAE SPOON* - Superior You Are lnferior (Washboardj
12 THE OLYMPlC SYMPHONlUM* - More ln Sorrow Than ln Anger
(Forward Music Groupj
13 JON-RAE FLETCHER* - Oh, Maria (Weewerkj
14 THE WEAKERTHANS* - Reunion Tour (Anti-j
15 HEY ROSETTA!* - lnto Your Lungs (Sonicj
16 B.A. JOHNSTON* - Stairway To Hamilton (Just Friendsj
17 TWO HOURS TRAFFlC* - Little Jabs (Bumsteadj
18 PLANTS AND ANlMALS* - Parc Avenue (Secret Cityj
19 GEOFF BERNER* - Klezmer Mongrels (Jericho Beachj
20 THE BlCYCLES* - Oh No lt's Love (Fuzzy Logicj
21 THE MAYNARDS* - Date & Destroy (lndependentj
22 DlvlNE BROWN - The Love Chronicles (Warnerj
23 NEW ROYALTY* - Sleepover (lndependentj
24 MATT MAYS AND EL TORPEDO* - Terminal Romance (Sonicj
25 SAlD THE WHALE* - Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia (Upper Managementj
26 ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS* - Forest Of Tears (lndependentj
27 THE FAMlNES* - Black Sea (lndependentj
28 HlLOTRONS* - Happymatic (Kelpj
29 HOT TODDY* - Trio (lndependentj
30 THE ARKELLS* - Jackson Square (Dine Alonej
31 ANDRE ETHlER* - Born on Blue Fog (voidj
CHMA PRESENTS LIVE MUSIC
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH
SHOTGUN JIMMIE (FAREWELL FOR NOW SHOW|
GEORGE'S ROADHOUSE, WITH GUESTS
CONSTRUCTION & DESTRUCTION
ROY EARLINGTON
10PM.
FEATURES
Rebecca Dixon
Argosy Correspondent
You are going to vote for me, right?
was the bold question Amil Kibash
posed to people passing on the
streets of Sadr City, Iraq. Standing
beneath banners of her swathed
face on battle-scarred buildings,
she engaged in some last-minute
campaigning for the Iraqi provincial
elections held on January 31, 2009.
Of 14,400 total candidates running
in the elections, approximately
4,000 were female. While there
was undoubtedly more freedom
for women in this election than in
those of the last decade, many are
critical of the legislative steps taken
towards more equal representation.
e elections took place in 14
out of 18 provinces. Previous laws
had stated that 25 per cent of each
partys candidate list was required to
be female, matching the percentage
constitutionally required in the
Iraqi Parliament. However, the nal
wording was vague, reading that there
had to be a woman at the end of every
three winners. Initial confusion arose
over whether this meant that every
third seat or every fourth seat had
to go to a woman, but subsequently
claried to mean the former.
At rst, the problem is not fully
apparent: a third is better than a quarter,
right? e trouble comes in the fact
that this approach works best when
large parties win multiple seats. Due
to a recent reduction in the number of
seats and constituencies, many parties
ran and won only a few seats apiece.
If a party wins only one or two seats,
they do not have to appoint a woman.
Any party winning above three seats
must appoint one-third women,
but can round this number down.
Furthermore, women faced
challenges during campaign time;
many felt too nervous to include
the 2005 elections due to security
concerns, participated and regained
some power in several regions. e
increase in Sunni voters indicates that
the decline in overall voter turnout
is due to fewer Shiite, Arab, and
Kurdish voters. Some of the causes of
this could include voter registration
problems (especially a concern for
internally displaced persons), an
overly confusing electoral system,
and general political dissatisfaction
with existing politicians and parties.
However, the relative peacefulness
of this election compared to those
of the past is denitely a very
Iraqi election rules allocate seats
for women, barriers remain
positive sign of Iraqs progress.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-
moon made an unexpected stop in
Baghdad on the day the initial results
were released. He commended Iraqis
for running this election independently
while allowing international
observers in each constituency.
Nonetheless, he also reminded them
that Iraq must go even further
before it can say to the world that it
is fully [be] able to enjoy genuine
freedom and security and prosperity.
Engaging women in politics is one
very important part in this progression
to freedom and security. When the
nal results are revealed, Iraq can be
sure that its own female citizens and
the rest of the world and will be gaging
the eectiveness of the new legislation
to promote and ensure a more gender-
representative political system.
A polling station in the city of Balad Ruz is patrolled by police ahead of the 2009 election.
Darren Mercer
Argosy Staff
When president Rachel Embree
reestablished the Mt. A Eurhetorian
Debate Society this past fall, she
couldnt have have realized the several
thousand dollars of endowment
money, the group would come
eventually come into, in later months.
Mt. As debating society was
founded in 1841, although its lifespan
has not exactly been continuous.
Despite being, in the words of Embree,
very successful in the past, and
including such notable alumni as Ian
Hanomansing, its been eight or ten
years since Mt. A has had a functioning
debating society on campus. Embree,
a rst-year student, was disappointed
that there was no society on campus,
so she took the lead in reinstating
one. After a short time in existence,
Embree and the clubs dozen members
found a lucrative source of funding.
I was looking for funding from the
SAC, says Embree, and I was told
that we had this mysterious pool of
money with several thousand dollars.
e account was created many years
ago by donors, who put very specic
parameters on the account that the
money was only to be used for a
debating club. So the money was
just sitting there waiting for us to
use, which has been very helpful.
e society has focused on attending
a large number of events this year,
with limited results, as they are a new
team. Tournaments attended include
the Acadia Halloween Invitational
in October and the McGill Winter
Carnival tournament, which is in the
words of Embree the biggest baddest
tournament of the year with 64 teams
competing. While no team placed
at McGill, Embree was awarded
the third novice speaker overall. At
the Canadian University Society for
Intercollegiate Debate (CUSID)
Atlantic Championship Tournament,
held February 6-8 at St. Francis
Xavier, a Mt. A team of Embree and
Susan Sharpe placed sixth overall.
e societys plans for the
future, says Embree, include to
keep attending tournaments
and recruiting members. As
well, the society is attempting
to recruit a faculty advisor.
e society is looking forward
to kicking o the next academic
year with the CUSID Novices
tournament, which they recently
won the right to host in 2009.
Look whos well endowed
Cindy Crossman
Registered Nurse / Educator
Sexual and reproductive health is a
huge part of overall individual health.
Choice of contraceptive method,
pregnancy, sexually transmitted
disease, and infection testing, along
with vaccinations and sexual health
counseling, can aect both your
and potential partners health. e
Wellness Centre can inform you
and provide services for these issues.
e Health Matters Society works in
collaboration with the Nurse/Educator
to focus on health awareness initiatives
that are specic to the University
population. One initiative that the
Health Matters Society focused on this
year was the promotion of reproductive
health through a condom rose
campaign. is campaign supported
peer education, campus leadership, and
activism on health and safety issues.
Students of all ages are faced
with making personal decisions about
health and safety. Developing positive
decision-making skills impacts student
life and prepares students to enter the
real world and the greater community
to promote healthy and safe lifestyles.
e condom roses were made
of pipe cleaner, condoms, and
cellophane. In the condom roses, or
condom-grams, condom instructions
were included (just as orists
present watering instructions).
Students could send one of these
to a friend on Valentines Day, with
the message: Sober sex + Condom=
Safer Sex; Advocating for Sober Sex.
is type of a campaign is fun and
innovative way of educating peers.
Finally, include sexual health as
part of your regular check-ups. You
can get STI testing, pap-smears, and
breast exams done at the Wellness
Centre, as well as participating in the
Well Persons Clinics that are routinely
oered each semester that include
things such as nutritional information.
For further information on
reproductive and sexual health, or
any other health issues, concerns,
and questions, please see the
Health Services website: www.
mta.ca/health. To contact the
Wellness Centre, phone (506)
364-2163, or email health@mta.ca.
Sexual Health
Health Matters committee members making condom roses, available at
Speed Friend-Dating, Friday,Feb 13, beginning at 7pm at the new caf.
Cindy Crossman
27
per cent of candidates were female
502
parties ran in the election
36
active coalitions within the 502 parties
Provincial Election Comparision:
January 2005 January 2009
Voter Turnout 55.7 per cent 51 per cent
Voter Turnout
in Sunni provinces 14.9 per cent 40 to 60 per cent
Armed Attacks
on polling sites over 100 14
Deaths 44 civilians, suicide four candidates
bombers, or candidates assassinated
Funding uncovered for debating society
their photo in campaign materials.
Ban al-Sammarrai who ran for
the Secular Iraqi National List
party explained: Samarra is a very
conservative town, and to avoid gossip,
I did not include my photo. Her
concerns are certainly legitimate, but
also call into question her chances of
success. Areas that are too conservative
to allow the use of photos of aspiring
candidates seem unlikely to actually
vote in and accept a female politician.
One positive aspect of these
elections was the Open List system,
which allowed voters to select either a
party or an individual candidate. is
meant that women candidates could
be clearly identied on the ballots.
e preliminary results were
announced on February 5, with the
nal outcome not expected for several
weeks. Statistics for the number of
women actually elected are not yet
available. However, it appears that the
provincial-level allies of current Prime
Minister Nouri al-Malikis State of
Law coalition were most successful,
winning 38 per cent of votes in
Baghdad, and 37 per cent in Basra.
ese gains come at the expense of the
Supreme Islamic Council, a strongly
Shiite party considered to share close
ties with Iran. Al Maliki is also said
to hold a Shiite bias, but has become
more popular in the past year through
the tackling of militant violence
with the help of the United States.
Sunni Arabs, who boycotted
aljazeera.net
11 THE ARGOSY FEATURES FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Vision in Blue
My rst stop for V-day is usually a
sex store. For me, they have all the
valentines day essentials: clothing,
and lube, and penis molds!
Yeah, you read that right, a penis
mold. It comes with chocolate, so
essentially you make a mold of your
wang (erect, hopefully), and then ll
the mold with melted chocolate. After
leaving it to harden, you then you have
an edible mold of Mr. Happy.
Its the perfect valentines gift for
any girl or guy you know, because a) it
tastes better than your wang and b) its
great to practice things, like fellatio.
Not only that, but its the gift that
keeps on giving, as you can reuse that
mold and make a jello penis, a higher
quality chocolate penis, a avoured
chocolate penis, or an ice penis to
oat in the punch bowl at the next
party. e possibilities are endless.
Some more usual Valentines day
accessories include roses, massage
oil, and chocolate body paint. As a
precaution, though, to anyone with
body hair: chocolate and excess chest
hair (or pube hair) dont mix well,
so you might want to take that into
consideration before you pour.
For those of you who cant get out
to buy chocolate body paint, or dont
want chocolate with sugar (as it does
nasty things to females down there),
you can always make your own.
Start with two and a half semi sweet
Bakers chocolate squares, melt that
(in the microwave) with one quarter
cup of whipping cream, and then add
about three to six tablespoons of sugar
(sweeten to taste). Mix thoroughly
in a bowl, and remember to let it
cool completely before applying to
sensitive tissue.
For those wanting to go the
sugarless route, just substitute
unsweetened chocolate for the semi
sweet, keep the amount of cream the
same, and add ve to ten teaspoons of
Splenda (to taste).
Continuing the do-it-yourself
theme, if you want to make your own
massage oil, start with a simple base
of Sweet Almond Oil, which you can
usually nd at the drugstore, or a health
food store. Add one to two drops of
your favourite essential oil, or mix a
bunch together to nd your perfect
scent. Personally, I like a mixture of
rose, chocolate and tangerine.
You can also use whipping cream,
but like the caution above, this one
isnt really recommended for people
with copious amounts of body hair.
You can also use the whipping cream
made from petroleum products and
articial sweeteners, to be safe for
women.
Some people like the rose petals on
the bed thing, and while thats nice,
I caution you to stay away from real
rose petals, as not only do they stain
the sheets, but theyll also stick to your
body, which is really quite unsexy.
For those who prefer the rose petals
thing, I strongly advise you to invest
in silk/satin rose petals, you can buy
them in a box at the drugstore (usually
in the condom section) from a sex
store, or even at a sex toy party, and
the best part is, theyre reusable!
Remember kids, keep t and have
fun!
Emily Bird
Argosy Correspondent

Menswear collections were all
about relaxation and comfort for
Spring 2009. is season, designers
demonstrated the power of simplicity
through crisp shapes and neutral
colours.
Do not assume that these classic
American designs are to be solely
sported outside of the oce. e
softened casual ensembles extended
throughout all collections, formal,
casual, and the work place. Mens
city style has evolved into a modern
conception of fragile masculinity as a
result of the deconstruction of structure
and an emphasis on simplicity.
Runway hues mirrored delicate
spring pastels and soft charcoals. From
monochrome ensembles to sensible
multi-toned medleys, stylists have
fallen in love with this colour palette
that every man can comfortably
approach. Lavenders, pinks, pale blues,
mint greens, and oranges painted the
excessive silks, cottons, and knits. e
layering of tones on tones achieved
the classic quality with proportional
balances of charcoals, beiges, and
khakis.
Designers positioned pastels both
above and below the torso, such as Perry
Ellis Signature that had models present
a spectacle of pastel shorts and trousers.
Spring pieces were predominantly solid
colours, which dominated collections
including that of Louis Vuitton, but
athletic emblems have materialized
on cardigans and blazers such as those
of Dolce & Gabbana. Although the
weight of busy patterns dramatically
recessed in mens spring collections,
paisley, polka dots, stripes, and argyle
appeared in small doses, correlating
with the seasons emphasis on American
archetypes.
e deconstructed trend appeared
on catwalks for Spring 2009 with
common shapes and fabrics. e
desired impression of class was attained
through the lavish amounts of silk
twill, silk cotton, silk jersey, and silk
everything! Not only does this luxe
sheen achieve elegance, but it exudes
tremendous comfort in any shape or
form.
City work-wear has been re-
envisioned as tie-less and low-key, no
longer forcing sophistication onto men
with the tie. e v-neck paraded in the
spotlight for this springs take on casual
sophistication. e deep v-neck is
admired in vests, pullover windbreakers,
and knit hoodies. Some shirts exhibited
a pleating, creating billowy volumes
betting the softened season.
A wider leg appeared in trousers and
shorts,providing more breath compared
to the conning skinny that been
dominating previous seasons. Several
designers went as far to take trousers
back to the mini are. Again, the relaxed
pants and short shorts exude comfort,
yet maintain class with the rich fabrics
in cashmeres and silks; other designers
opted for drawstring trousers.
Individual casual pieces have
been combined in several dierent
Casual deconstruction
Corey Isenor and
James Goddard
Argosy Correspondents
Valentines Day is upon us and even
though one may think that taking
your love interest out to a ne dining
experience may be your best move,
James and Corey have discovered
that cooking dinner or having dinner
cooked for you proves to result in a
much more romantic and enjoyable
time spent together, at least for
the two of us. We were privileged
enough this past Monday to have our
friend, recipe columnist Jessica Emin,
provide us with dinner and dessert in
her apartment.
You may have noticed that Corey
and James have been experimenting
with dierent kinds of eating
experiences; potlucks in the past,
and this week, a romantic at-home
dinner. As Valentines Day is fast
approaching, and pennies are being
pinched to save up for that wild
Reading Week vacation, not to
mention the oft-discussed recession,
we thought this would be a good
opportunity to discuss the merits of
eating in.
Much like our review of potlucks,
making dinner at home often proves
to be the most rewarding experience,
that is, if you have enough interest
to make an actual meal, avoiding
the easy option of throwing together
some KD (although that is a great
post-night-out snack).
Jessica is a fantastic chef and oered
to provide and cook the whole meal
herself, no involvement from Corey
and James whatsoever. Also a plus
to our dinner date was the inclusion
of our own musical choices and the
comfortable feeling of being at a
home and in a more private setting. If
you wish to swoon a certain someone
these things are key ingredients.
Although there are several worthy
restaurants in Sackville, nothing
compares to making the perfect mix
tape to set the mood in your own den
or dining room. Corey and James
heartily recommend a selection of
soul music, it has enough oomph
not too seem too forward but is slow
enough not to be distracting.
On the menu for the evening was
Seafood Red Pepper Linguini, with
Raspberry Chocolate Volcano Cakes
for dessert. We unfortunately did not
have time to get to the liquor store for
a nice bottle of wine, but were quite
content with just water, although
Corey and James are enthusiasts of
spirits and ales during dinner. With a
seafood dish like this we recommend
a nice dry white, an Alsatian riesling
perhaps or maybe a pinot grigio.
e main course was quite delicious,
certainly satisfying our taste buds
with the rich creamy avour of the
seafood sauce. e dessert was equally
delicious, combining the richness of
chocolate with a tart berry avour.
It should be noted that seafood and
chocolate frequently make lists of the
best edible aphrodisiacs.
Dessert proved to be one of Jesss
fortes in the kitchen. As it was both
tangy (from the raspberries) and
smooth (the chocolate), James and
Corey were very pleased.
e topics of conversation ranged
through several sexy subjects,
everything from how to talk to girls
to the best date spots in town; Jesss
cosmo magazine was also the source of
endless discussion. If this Valentines
day is to be your rst, you might want
to stick within more germane getting-
to-know-you lines of discussion, but if
youre eating in with friends feel free
to talk about eating out. Sometimes
the best sex and relationship advice
comes over dinner with friends.
Corey and James give dinner in with
friends or with a date two thumbs up
and heartily recommend it, especially
for St. Valentines Day.
Corey and James eat out
A piece from the Perry Ellis Spring
2009 Menswear Collection.
Eating in, at Jess Emins apartment
thematic fashions. Dolce and
Gabbanas collection was inspired by
the French Riviera as they expressed
their art with crisp whites and peak-
lapel suits. DKNY gives us a perfect
example of layering. One can achieve
the perfect ensemble by combining a
plain v-neck tee and cardigan with a
stone-coloured suit and crisp white
sneakers. Accessorize with a soft scarf
to continue the soft casual theme.
White espadrilles, as well as sandals,
were the footwear of choice, paired
with shorts, as well as work trousers.
One may feel out of place, replacing
the casual jeans, tee, and ip-ops
with this alternative approach that too
exudes luxurious comfort. However,
little eort is required to achieve this
look. A khaki cotton suit, worn with
an untucked pastel shirt and sandals is
eortless chic.
is modern approach to menswear
enables one to dress in comfort while
exuding a professional impression,
a task that rewards with ease and
comfort.
Jessica Emin
yelp.com
V- Day es s ent i al s : Choc ol at e c oc ks ?
men.style.com
12 THE ARGOSY FEATURES FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Argosy Staff
The Devils footprints in
England
On the night of February 8, 1855,
heavy snow covered Southern
Devon, surrounding villages, and
the countryside; the last of the
snow is thought to have fallen just
around midnight.
Sometime between then and
sunrise, footprints that measured
about 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide and
eight inches long appeared in the
snow, through the countryside for
about 100 miles, and, although they
veered at several points, appeared to
have traveled straight over houses,
haystacks, rivers, and through some
obstacles like walls.
A naturalist had taken the
measurements, sketched the shaped
of the footprints, and found that
the spacing between them was
consistent. It was also noted that
the way they were placed one in
f ront of the other, that whatever
made the tracks had to be a biped,
rather than a four-legged animal.
Theories of the footprints origins
ranged f rom some clergymen
believing it had been the devil
walking the countryside in an
attempt to find sinners (which
was also backed by some rumours
about sightings of a devil-like
figure in the Devon area during the
scare), to the papers picking up on
a story that some kangaroos had
escaped f rom a private zoo nearby
(however the type of tracks made
bear no resemblance to any tracks
a kangaroo would make). Other
theories even ranged f rom hopping
wood mice to being connected
with sightings of the mysterious
Spring Heeled Jack (a figure f rom
Victorian folklore), known for his
extraordinarily high jumping skills,
to it simply being a meteorological
phenomenon.
The crime of the century
On February 13, 1935, aviator
Charles Lindberghs infant sons
kidnapper and murderer, Bruno
Hauptmann, was found guilty by a
jury in Flemington, New Jersey.
On March 1, 1932, Lindberghs
son, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., was
kidnapped f rom the Lindberghs
family home near Hopewell, New
Jersey, sometime after 7 pm, when
his mother and nanny put him to
bed for the night. The nanny, Betty
Gow, made sure to check the boy
every few minutes until he was
asleep. Around 10:00 pm, Gow
checked the boys room and found
that he wasnt there.
After telling Mrs. Lindbergh, the
two women came to the conclusion
that Lindbergh was playing a
practical joke on them, because
apparently, not long before that
day, Lindbergh had put the child
in a closet and pretended not to
know his whereabouts while the
household searched for him. When
his wife and the nanny questioned
him, Lindbergh grew alarmed and
insisted that this was no joke.
They then searched the childs
room and discovered that the bed
sheets seemed undisturbed (making
it improbable that that the child
had climbed out of his crib), and
that there was a letter (presumably
f rom the kidnappers) sitting on the
window sill. However, Lindbergh
wouldnt allow anyone to touch the
letter until the police had arrived.
After a call to the police was
made, Lindbergh searched the
house and grounds, finding a ladder
on the ground just under the second
floor nursery.
After the ransom notes demand
of $50,000 had been paid, no child
had been produced.
Finally, in May, a childs
mutilated corpse had been on the
side of a road, not far f rom the
Lindbergh home. When the body
had been identified as Charles, Jr.
by Lindbergh himself, the autopsy
revealed that the child had been
bludgeoned to death not very long
after he had been kidnapped.
A month afterwards, the
US Congress passed the new
Lindbergh Law, making
kidnapping a federal offense if the
victim has been taken across state
boundaries, or if the kidnappers use
common communication systems as
means to demand a ransom (such as
through the mail).
German carpenter and ex-convict,
Hauptmann, had been accused and
found guilty of the kidnapping and
murder of Lindberghs son, even
though he claimed he was innocent,
and was sentenced to death by the
electric chair.
The event would later be known
as the Crime of the Century.
Also this week in history:
Feb. 8, 1587: Mary, Queen of Scots
is executed for being suspected of
being involved in the Babington
Plot to kill her cousin, Elizabeth I.
Feb. 8, 1622: James I of England
disbands Parliament.
Feb. 8, 1677: Birth of French
astronomer, Jacques Cassini.
Feb. 8, 1692: A doctor in Salem
Village, Massachusetts, suggests
that two daughters of the village
minister may have been suffering
f rom bewitchment, leading to the
Salem Witch Trials.
Feb. 8, 1828: Birth of French writer
Jules Verne.
Feb. 8, 1879: Stanford Fleming
proposes the adoption of Universal
Standard Time at a meeting of the
Canadian Royal Institute.
Feb. 8, 1882: Birth of Thomas
Self ridge, the first person to die in
an airplane crash.
Feb. 8, 1904: A surprise torpedo
attack on Russias Port Arthur by
Japan begins the Russo Japanese
War.
Feb. 8, 1932: Birth of composer and
conductor John Williams.
Feb. 8, 1998: The first female ice
hockey game in the history of the
winter Olympics (Finland beat
Sweden 6-0).
Feb. 9, 1822: Haiti invades the newly
founded Dominican Republic.
Feb. 9, 1870: The US Weather is
established.
Feb. 9, 1881: Death of Russian
novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Feb. 9, 1895: William G. Morgan
invents a game he called Mintonette,
which becomes later known as
A weekly compilation by Sarah Robinson
This week in history
volleyball.
Feb. 9, 1942: Year-round Daylight
Savings Time is re-instated by the
US as a wartime measure in order
to conserve some energy sources.
Feb. 9, 1964: The Beatles play for
the first time on the Ed Sullivan
Show, performing before an
audience of 73 million viewers.
Feb. 9, 2002: Death of Queen
Elizabeths sister, Princess
Margaret.
Feb. 10, 1542: Catherine Howard,
fifth wife of Henry VIII, is sent to
the Tower of London to be executed
for adultery.
Feb. 10, 1840: Queen Victoria
marries Prince Albert of Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha.
Feb. 10, 1906: The MHS
Dreadnought is launched.
Feb. 10, 1931: New Delhi becomes
the capital of India.
Feb. 11, 1531: Henry VIII is
recognized as the head of the
Church of England.
Feb. 11, 1752: The first hospital
in the US, Pennsylvania Hospital,
opens.
Feb. 11, 1814: Norway gains its
independence.
Feb. 11, 1916: Emma Goldman is
arrested for lecturing about birth
control.
Feb. 11, 1934: Birth of Mary Quant,
inventor of the mini skirt and hot
pants.
Feb. 11, 1938: The BBC produces
the worlds first sci-fi television
program.
Feb. 11, 1963: Death of writer
Sylvia Plath.
Feb. 11, 1964: The Beatles play
their first American concert at
the Washington Stadium, in
Washington, DC.
Feb. 11, 1990: Nelson Mandela
finally f reed f rom Victor Verster
Prison in South Af rica after 27
years.
Feb. 12, 1554: Lady Jane Grey is
beheaded for treason a year after
claiming the throne of England for
nine days.
Feb. 12, 1809: Birth of English
naturalist Charles Darwin.
Feb. 12, 1809: Birth of Abraham
Lincoln.
Feb. 12, 1970: Birth of Jim Creeggan,
Barenaked Ladies bassist.
Feb. 12, 2000: Death of cartoonist
Charles Schultz.
Feb. 13, 1542: Catherine Howard is
beheaded in the Tower of London.
Feb. 13, 1633: Galileo arrives
in Rome for his trial before the
Inquisition.
Feb. 13, 1883: Death of German
composer, Richard Wagner.
Feb. 13, 1955: Israel obtains four of
the seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
Feb. 14, 1779: Death of British
naval captain and explorer James
Cook.
Feb. 14, 1838: Birth of Margaret
E. Knight, inventor of a machine
that folded and glued paper to
form brown paper bags (still used
today).
Feb. 14, 1989: Death of Ian
Flemings fictional spy namesake,
James Bond, an American
ornithologist.
Feb. 14, 2003: Death of Dolly
the sheep, the first mammal ever
cloned.
Jessica Emin
Argosy Staff
ese recipes make a perfect date
meal for Valentines Day. Impress your
date or signicant other by whipping
something up yourself instead of
making reservation. is week I fed
Corey and James from the column
Corey and James Eat Out who will in
turn review my (hopefully wonderful)
creations.
Seafood and Red Pepper Linguini
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 6 medium sized white
mushrooms, washed and quartered
(with stems)
- 3/4 cup frozen peeled shrimp
(small) or 10 large frozen shrimp,
thawed
- 1/2 cup small frozen scallops,
thawed
- 2 cloves of garlic, nely diced
- pinch of dill
- tsp. of parsley
- dash of pepper
- dash of salt
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 4 tbsp. of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of 10% cream
- 1/3 cup cream cheese spread
- linguini pasta, enough for 2
persons (fresh or hard), cooked
Instructions:
In a large frying pan on medium
heat, cook the shrimps, scallops,
mushroom, garlic and red pepper in a
tablespoon of olive oil. Stir frequently.
Add the dill, parsley, pepper, and salt
to the pan after the contents have been
cooking for a few minutes. Continue
stirring.
Once the vegetables have softened
and the seafood has browned and
shrunk, mix in the olive oil, lemon
juice, cream and cream cheese. Mix the
sauce ingredients until they become
homogenous then bring to a simmer
for a few minutes to reduce the liquid.
More cream cheese can be added to
make a thicker sauce.
Once the sauce has reached a desired
consistency take it o the stovetop and
mix it into the prepared and drained
linguini. Serve and enjoy.
RaspberryChocolateVolcanoCakes
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 semi-sweet Bakers chocolate
squares
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1/2 cup of icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 tbsp. our
- 1/2 pint of raspberries
- 1 tbsp. white sugar
- vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Instructions:
Firstly, prepare the raspberry
puree, which will be at the center of
the cakes, by simply taking half the
pint of raspberries in a blender with
a tablespoon of white sugar. Puree
and set aside. Preheat the over to 425
degrees.
In a small dish, melt the chocolate
and butter together. Once it is
suciently melted whisk the mixture
until smooth. In a medium sized
mixing bowl combine icing sugar,
our, egg and yolk. To separate the
yolk from the white I nd it easiest to
break the egg into my hand over the
garbage can and agitate my ngers
letting the white carefully slip though
them. So, to clarify, there should only
be one white but two yolk used. Add
the chocolate mixture to the egg and
our mixture and stir until smooth.
To bake the cakes you will need two
well-greased ramekins. ey can be
coated with either shortening or olive
oil to prevent sticking. Once they have
been prepared divide half the mixture
into each ramekin then scoop a
tablespoon of the raspberry puree onto
the cake mix. Use the remaining cake
mixture to cover the raspberry puree.
Place the two individual cakes in the
oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or
until the tops start to rise and no longer
look wet. e consequence of over
cooking these cakes is that you may
lose the runny center. Undercooking
may cause the cakes to fall apart when
you try and take them out of the
ramekins.
Once the cakes are cooked let them
cool for a few minutes then take a
knife and loosen the edges of the cake.
Carefully ip the ramekins over on to
two plates and wait till they fall onto
the plates. Sometimes they will need
coaxing with a knife if the ramekin
wasnt greased suciently.
Garnish the cakes with the remaining
puree, whole fresh raspberries and the
vanilla ice cream.
Jessica Emin
Valentines Menu: Serving Two
Cooking with Jess
Jessica Emin
13 THE ARGOSY FEATURES FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Sasha Van Katwyk
Argosy Staff
Johanna Sigurdardottir, the new Prime
Minister of the north Atlantic nation
of Iceland, has been proclaimed the
rst gay head of government in history.
Many are considering this an
indication of great progress in our
modern history; the U.S. elects a black
man and Iceland is led by a gay woman.
If we abandon questions of correlation
over causality, it may look like an
economic crisis is exactly what the
social minorities of the world needed.
However (not to ruin the moment),
before we had Fox News to act
as our gay-dar for world politics,
the bright ag of the entire colour
spectrum waved proudly through
the halls of nearly every head of
states palace at one time or another.
is piece looks to bring some of
our beloved leaders out of the closet,
and the list can get pretty lecherous.
To begin with the well-known
ones, few people doubt Achilles and
Alexander the Great each had their
male inamoratas nearby at all times
so close that they even battled together.
In fact, there are some questions
facing the entire male Greek
demographic; the gods engaged in it
in their myths, fornication was more
rampant than the plague, and Spartan
soldiers were sent into the army to be
amongst men, and only men, from
the age of seven. Unlike today, they
didnt have Britney Spears or the
Playboy Bunnies making their way to
the frontlines to help boost morale.
In Ancient Rome, the story was
the same; the baths alone would leave
any modern rightwing Christian
screaming for a second dose of Sodom
and Gomorra to be rained down.
ere is evidence of Emperors Sulla,
Cicero, Caligula, and Marcus Aurelius
all engaging in acts of fornication
with men. Elagabalus even declared
one of his male lovers his husband,
and Julius Caesar was thought to
have had a pretty close relationship
Nicomedes, King of Bithynia.
Speaking of rightwing Christianity,
theres proof of Pope Hadrian IV
getting biblical with John of Salisbury.
ere was also Pope Julius III,
Pope Benedict XI, and Pope Sixtus
IV; even Pope Boniface VIII was
accused of sodomy by Phillip IV of
France, but it was always political
with those guys, and its not like
Phillip IV of France was free of
male copulation accusations himself.
at leads us to France, where
anyone who has seen Versailles
knows there had to be some agreeable
History says otherwise; the proof gets raunchy
First gay head of government appointed in Iceland
debauchery going on in that place.
King Henry III and his mignons
Mougeron, Joyeuse and Epernon; King
Charles IX; and King Louis XIII. King
Philip II Augustus was even thought
to have had relations with his English
enemy King Richard the Lion Heart.
Richard the Lion Heart, whose
list of lovers certainly does not end
with his French connection, opens up
the closet to Britain. King Edward
II was rather prurient, as was King
James I and VI, and King William III.
Now if women are feeling left out
so far, its only because its easier to
hide ones libido, to keep the throne,
than it is to hide ones gender. But
Queen Anne was one to break both
glass ceilings with her intimate
relationship with Sarah Churchill,
Duchess of Marlborough. ere are a
whole series of female saints thought
to have found the chastity tenet a
rather easy one to skirt around, and
Queen Christina of Sweden was
known to have a sensuous relationship
with a much younger woman.
Even Washington D.C., isnt
believed to be free of blooms of love
between matching chromosome
pairs. Alexander Hamilton and
John Laurens had many late-night
meetings unbeknownst to their
wives, and compared each other to
Damon and Pythias. Granted, the
Greek story is meant to signify true
friendship, but after Shakespeares
mentioning of it in Hamlet, bets on its
meaning have been taken both ways.
Since China is increasingly on the
radar, it must be pointed out that
the ten Han emperors were each
known to have their male concubines
amongst their many female, and
each had their favourites of both
gender. And while Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like
to say that there are no gay people
in Iran, Persian and Islamic history
says quite dierent, with Omar
Khayyam, Saladin, and Mehmet II al
Fatih each holding true to gay pride.
Indeed, while we should be proud
of ourselves for our inadvertent falling
upon a gay head of government in
our modern world, love between
the same sex in the highest oces is
certainly not novel. Progressives are
right to be happy with this outcome,
but in matching the mood being felt
in much of Europe in regards to PM
Sigurdardottirs election: its nothing
new, and it shouldnt be a big deal.
From the left, Marcus Aurelius, Alexander Hamilton, and King Henry III of France, three historical leaders still surrounded by rumour.
narod.ru
wikimedia.org
columbia.edu
Picture yourself with MASSIE in 2009!
A big thanks to the roommates, conversation partners, residence assistants, and partner families who helped to
make the 2008 Program such a success. Applications are now available for the 2009 Program.
English Conversation Partners (Summer 2009 / Fall 2009)
Spend at least one hour per week in conversation with a MASSIE student. Application deadline = March13
Residence Assistant (Summer 2009)
Spend the summer in residence with the 30+ MASSIE students. Accommodation provided by MASSIE.
Application deadline = March 13
Partner Families (Summer 2009)
Share part of your summer with a pair of MASSIE students.
Students live in residence but meet their families for a meal/outing at least twice a month (May-August).
Roommates (Fall 2009)
Spend the fall semester with a MASSIE roommate. Have the option of a super-single for the winter semester.
Applications are available through thH5HVLGHQFHOLQNRQ07$VKRPHSDJH
For more information, visit www.mta.ca/massie or call 364-2124.
Applications are available on-line & can be submitted directly to the International Centre
2F, Wallace McCain Student Centre (62 York Street, fax: 364-2130).
14 THE ARGOSY FEATURES FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Rev. John C. Perkin
University Chaplain
February marks the celebration of
African Heritage/Black History
month. Within the Christian church,
as in the University Chapel this year,
that that celebration particularly
connected with two things: the
stories of perseverance in the search
for justice, and the music of the
spirituals. But these are not separate
things.
e music of the African-
American tradition is deeply rooted
in the Christian faith, celebrating the
reality of the promises of God, and
deeply also rooted in those promises
of justice, of a new world where all
people are equal, and of a new life
where there are no divisions.
e music is itself a celebration
of the God of hope and justice. e
songs of the African-American
tradition are known as spirituals,
from the term spiritual song. e New
Testament letter to the Ephesians, in
the King James Version, encourages
the congregation to speak in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord. e term
spiritual song was often used in the
white Christian community through
the 19th century, and the African-
American community also adopted
the practice of singing spiritual
songs; these became known as
spirituals by the middle of the 19th
century, referring in the form of a
noun to religious songs sung sitting
or standing in place, as distinct from
spiritual shouts or spiritual talk.
Although numerous elements
of these spirituals can be traced
to African sources, by the mid-
nineteenth century this musical
form was emerging as a unique
and specic form to the African-
American religious experience. e
spirituals were primarily expressions
of religious faith. ey may also
have served as sociopolitical protests
against enslavement. Because they
were unable to express themselves
freely in ways that were spiritually
meaningful to them, enslaved
Africans often held so-called bush
meetings, and in these the melodies
and harmonies of struggle and
overcoming, of faith and forbearance,
and of promise and hope that have
come to be known as spirituals
emerged. e Christian principles
which teach that those who suer on
earth hold a special place with God
in heaven undoubtedly spoke to the
enslaved, who saw this as hope and
could certainly relate to the suering
of Jesus.
While slaveowners used
Christianity to teach enslaved Africans
to be long-suering, forgiving, and
obedient to their masters, as practiced
by the enslaved, it became something
of a liberation theology. e story of
Moses and the Exodus of the Israel
crossing the wilderness and the
Jordan River, resonated deeply with
African-Americans. e lyrics of
Christian spirituals make reference to
symbolic aspects of Biblical images,
and in African American hands and
hearts, Christian theology became an
instrument of liberation. Sometimes
during work parties, the slaves would
be permitted to sing, and the images
of their songs became a kind of code
for their hopes and aspirations, often
connected with images of freedom
for example, a home is a safe place
where everyone can live free. So, a
home could mean Heaven, but it
could also refer to Africa, to a sweet
and free country, a future haven for
slaves, a good life where justice
reigned.
Some of the African-American
spiritual songs draw on the imagery
and poetry of the book of Revelation.
e well known spiritual When the
Saints is one that has been adapted
and shaped by secular use in both
instrumental and vocal renditions.
e song is apocalyptic in tone,
drawn from Revelations hope-lled
images, and there are so many forms
of the lyrics that the original cannot
be found. Often sung as a childrens
chorus, or campre song, it began its
history as a deep armation of the
promise of justice, hope, a home with
God in the next life.
Like When the Saints, another
spiritual from the African-American
tradition has been adopted by the
secular world as a traditional folk
song, or left as a childrens song. But
the traditional song, Michael Row
rough stained glass
The dark days of bondage and the development of African-American spirituals
James Goddard
Argosy Correspondent
On January 28 and 29, Mount
Allison students, faculty and Sackville
community members were treated
to two enlightening lectures that
touched on issues of race in Canada.
On Wednesday January 28, Dr.
Sharon Beckford, an assistant professor
in the English Department of Saint
Marys, gave a talk entitled e
Canadian Palimpsest: Why Some
Writers Reinscribe a Black Presence in
Historical Canada, a frank discussion
of the attempts by two ction writers to
reveal the covering up of Canadas Black
history. Her talk focused on a play and
a poem by Afua Cooper. e former
shows how Canadians use renaming
to hide the Black experience, and the
latter discusses the appropriation of
Black cemeteries for use as farmland.
On ursday January 29, Dr. Cecil
Foster, a sociology professor at the
University of Guelph, currently on
sabbatical at Saint Marys University,
presented a talk entitled Where
Race Does Not Matter: Are We
ere Yet? Multiculturalism in
light of Obama, which, despite the
reference to contemporary American
politics, was really a problematizing
of Canadas multiculturalism
policy as it is experienced today.
One afternoon I was given
the opportunity to sit down with
the pair to discuss the state of
Blackness in our country. Here are
some of the things they had to say.
Talking Black
extent. I have spent more years in
Canada than I actually spent in
Barbados, in a sense my Canadian-ness
and feeling part of a wider community
doesnt feel in any way alienated.
Beckford: I am similar in that
respect; I feel that my Jamaican
background does contribute to my
sense of self and who I was, because
my formative years were in Jamaica.
At the same time having come here
and integrated in dierent parts of life;
working, studying and now teaching,
I feel that my sensibility is more
Canadian. So I am too comfortable
in this space with who I am to say
that I am alienated. I have always
found spaces, here, where I could
t in and negotiate my way around.
year. Like Martin Luther King Jr. and
Malcolm X, just to name two powerful
examples, that are important to our
sense of self. But in addition to that,
there are also Blacks in Atlantic Canada
who have contributed in very important
ways, in light of achievements and
rsts that we havent thought about.
Like Portia White (Writers note:
a teacher and musician of African-
Nova Scotian descent, achieved
international fame as a classical
concert singer in the 1940s and 1950s)
and Carrie Bess (Writers note: Im
at a loss, marginalization at work).
I have had students at Saint omas
University who asked me if I would
do something for Black History
Month because they have always
felt that the achievements of Blacks
in Nova Scotia arent considered.
Foster: If it comes to me, I would say
that we have been celebrating Black
History Month now since November 4.
is is a signal moment, where, in
fact, everyone for the rst time perhaps
in history is celebrating Black History
Month; we cannot underestimate the
impact of President Obamas victory
in the United States. I still think there
is a need for a Black History Month
because I do not believe the election
of one man is really the end of the
struggle. It is only an indication of what
could have happened so long ago if we
had been given equal opportunities, if
we had been allowed to develop the
way we ought to, and indeed that is
all that Black History Month is about.
It is about why some of us are left
out. It wasnt meant as something
where you learn Black history at the
expense of somebody elses history. It
was simply to say: Hey, the things
that that group of people who have
been left out have been doing are
just as remarkable and ought to be
celebrated. I should say though that
I look forward to the day where we
dont need a Black History Month.
On Blacks in Power in Canada
Beckford: I think it is not enough to
say we have one or two because when we
can count them; there are not enough.
It is not enough to say we
have a Governor-General and a
Lieutenant-Governor and Pinball
Clemons. We can count them on
one hand and we should use that to
say there should be improvement.
On Canadas Multiculturalism
Foster: We expect President Obama
to come to Ottawa around February
the 19, and one of the things that
will show the dierence between the
United States and Canada is that when
President Obama is meeting with
bureaucrats and our top politicians he
is going to be the only one in the room
with any colour to him. To me that
is something that is very important.
Remember that we are the ones
that are ocially multicultural; we
went multicultural in 1971. e
United States has never said that
they are ocially a multicultural
country, yet they produce an Obama.
So when we look at images of the
Conservative caucus and members of
parliament and we see no Blackness
we should ask: Is this a picture of a
future Canada or is this a picture of a
discredited Canada? My hope is that
it is a picture of a discredited Canada.
James Goddard sits down with two respected scholars
On e Importance of Blackness
Foster: In our construction,
in the way that we think of
multiculturalism, we put emphasis
on two parts: multi and cultures.
e way that we look at it, Black is
considered to be part of the multi, and
Blacks create their own cultures. Where
do we create it? Within a place called
Canada. So everything that is produced
within Canada is Canadian. When I
talk about Blackness, I am saying that
if we are going to look at all things
that are created that are Canadian we
ought to equally raise up those things
that are created by those we call Blacks.
By and large, the story of Canada,
for a long time, has been one where the
things that are produced by the people
called Blacks have been marginalized,
have been put to the side. In my
work my goal is to argue that much
of what has been thrown away, much
of what is outside the mainstream
should be part of the mainstream.
On e Erasure of Black
Presence
Beckford: When I talk about erasure,
speaking in terms of Canada, what I
see in the writing is sometimes what
I see outside. So I try to marry those
two in my investigation of Blackness.
Why is it that these Black artifacts
are talking about things that we dont
see? Why is it that when I go to Pier
21, I do not see a reection of myself?
at is what my whole idea of looking
at Blackness is about. One, to nd
out why it is missing. And two, what
we can do about it. What can we
do to bring a more positive or even
any engagement with [Blackness
and its] presence in Canada?
On e Importance of Black
History Month
Beckford: I think that the idea of Black
History Month should be broadened.
Black History Month should not
just include the rsts and achievements
of some Blacks, year after year after
It is not enough to
say we have a Governor-
General and a Lieutenant-
Governor and Pinball
Clemons. We can count them
on one hand and we should
use that to say there should
be improvement.
- Dr. Sharon Beckford

On Being Canadian
Beckford: I was born in Jamaica; I
came to Canada 27 years ago, so I have
been here longer than I lived in Jamaica.
Foster: I have lived in Jamaica,
but I often say that I was born
on the better island, Barbados,
so I am Barbadian-Canadian.
For me Canadian-ness is inclusive.
It is very hard to dene any purity in
Canada or Canadian-ness. Canada has
always borrowed from the world and it
will always continue to borrow from the
world. So that my Barbadian or Bajan
roots can always nd a place in Canada.
If we think historically we will see
that it is not only me; for generations
that has been the case. So I do not see
any conict as such. I can be Barbadian
and I can be Canadian. I can be a
Barbadian-Canadian, because what
multiculturalism teaches us is that we
are individuals and at the same time
part of a wider collective. e wider
collective, which I call the universalism,
is Canadian. So in that wider sense I live
the Canadian experience; I contribute
to Canada, so I am Canadian.
Furthermore, I have spent so much
time in Canada that it is debatable
whether I am Barbadian to the same
I do not believe the
election of one man is really
the end of the struggle. It is
only an indication of what
could have happened so long
ago if we had been given
equal opportunities, if we
had been allowed to develop
the way we ought to...
- Dr. Cecil Foster

e Argosy celebrates
Black History Month
15 THE ARGOSY FEATURES FEBRUARY 12, 2009
God Down Moses song dates back
to the American Civil War era, when
the song served as a rally cry among
former slaves who formed special
units within the Union ranks.
e song particularly captures the
words of Exodus 5:1, And the Lord
spoke unto Moses, go unto Pharaoh,
and say unto him, thus saith the
Lord, Let my people go, that they
may serve me. is vision of justice
was echoed in songs of various kinds
plaintive laments, cries for freedom,
assurances of a new day, and jubilant
celebrations of the reality of Gods
promise, even though they had not
yet been realized.
Songs such as Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot, capture the image
from the Old Testament of God
coming to deliver his people, just
as Elijah was taken to heaven in
a chariot of re. Among African-
American congregations, Christian
theology became an instrument of
liberation, and also empowerment
and consolation, as well armation
of life.
Hes Got the Whole World in His
Hands, joyfully arms the presence
of the living God. One of the great
spiritual songs, made famous in
recordings through the 1950s and
60s, declares this armation of
essential goodness, even in the face
of evidence to the contrary; His eye
is on the sparrow speaks of Gods
love for all people, and the response
of faith and joy:
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heavenly home
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me
I sing because Im happy
I sing because Im free
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.
e spirituals began their life
as Christian songs, most of them
concerned with the promises of God;
the dark days of bondage were
enlightened by the hope and faith
that God will not leave slaves alone,
and that a new world was coming.
the Boat Ashore, also speaks from
the depths of suering, oering a
hope-lled resolution in apocalyptic
terms. It speaks of faithfulness and
trust in the hands of the sure angel
Michael, condence in victory over
death, and the promise of a new land
across the Jordan River. First written
down by a member of Union forces
during the Civil War, it was being
sung by former slaves whose owners
had abandoned their estates and
slaves in the face of Union victory
near the end of the war. e popular
words speak in metaphor of the
journey from life to death, and from
death to new life in God.
e traditional folk tune Mary
Dont You Weep, blends elements
of the Exodus journey through the
wilderness to freedom in the promised
land with gospel strands of freedom
from the power of death. e song
depicts Mary of Bethany mourning
at the death of her brother, and the
assurance of the resurrection:
Well if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Pharaohs army got drownded
Chorus:
O Mary, dont you weep, dont mourn
O Mary, dont you weep, dont mourn
Pharaohs army get drownded
Well Mary wore three links of chain
On every link was a Jesus name
Pharaohs army got drownded
e hope of personal resurrection
and the hope of collective liberation
become bound together, and the
assurance is given in the singing of a
new day when all are free.
e song Go Down Moses,
captures this story in a spiritual song.
While few African-American slaves
were literate in the nineteenth century,
their spiritual songs served the same
purpose as stained glass windows in
European churches centuries earlier
they brought the stories of scripture
to life and recollection. In singing
together, the stories became not just
stories of the bible in the past, but
stories to be brought to life.
e message of deliverance and
justice was not just rooted in the
past, but in the presence of a living
God who would once again bring
salvation. e rst record of the song
The dark days of bondage and the development of African-American spirituals
Katelyn Viner
Argosy Contributor
What does it mean to be Black? In this
globalizing world where cultures are
converging and assimilating, where we
cry for the equality of all people and
cultures, is there really any point in trying
to box in a particular Black identity?
When you think of what it means
to be Black, what is it that denes
the Black identity? Perhaps Barack
Obama, and his triumph in becoming
the rst Black president of the United
States? Perhaps Aretha Franklin and
her soulful Black gospel singing?
Perhaps Michael Jordan and his
immense basketball talent? Perhaps
Tupac Shakurs ghetto-inspired rap
lyrics and his ve bullet wounds?
Is there really any way we can create
a concrete, all-inclusive denition of
what it is to be Black? Is it merely that
ones skin is dark? Or that one can play
certain sports, or rap? I was told once
that the way I talked was too white, so is
to be Black to talk in a certain manner?
By tracing the history of the Black
experience within our nation, perhaps
it is possible to gain some insight into
what it is to be a Black Canadian.
e rst known Black citizen in
Canada was a slave named Oliver Le
Jeune, who was recorded as having
been sold to a Canadian resident in
1629. is marked the beginning of an
adherence to the custom of slaveholding
in Canada, and saw the rst wave
of Blacks moving into the country.
Slavery in Canada varied slightly
from the culture of brutalized
plantation workers in the South,
because the climate was simply too
cold to sustain labour-intensive cash
crops. e majority of Blacks in Canada
served in religious orders, the military,
and as domestic servants, as opposed
to working as agricultural labourers.
Slaves in Canada also had more
opportunity when it came to issues
of education, practicing religion,
and engaging in marriage, due
to the minimally more tolerant
European population. At this
time the Black identity was one of
Dening Black
subservience and inequality, but also
one that was allowed to preserve
some elements of a unique culture.
Subsequent immigration of Blacks
to Canada was driven largely by
major events in American history.
e rst notable wave of Black
immigrants came to Canada following
the American Revolution, when the
British promised freedom and land
to Loyalists who had maintained
allegiance to the British monarch.
e majority of these people settled
in the Maritime regions, particularly
in Nova Scotia where several large
communities were founded. Here
the early beginnings of racial tension
set in, as Blacks were denied their
promised land and treated as inferior;
this provoked the beginnings of race
riots in this area. e Black identity
in this period was one of struggle,
of deception and of resentment.
In 1793, the Upper Canada
Abolition Act was passed, freeing any
slave who came into Ontario (Upper
Canada), as well as any child born
to a slave mother, once they reached
the age of 25. e other Canadian
provinces soon followed suit, and
by 1800, slavery was limited in the
nation. In 1833 the British Imperial
Act ocially abolished slavery in all of
its colonies, and thus saw the concrete
end to this practice in Canada. With
the promise of a free nation, Canada
grew to be a sort of safe haven, a
dream destination for those suering
in bondage in the American South.
After the War of 1812, knowledge
of Canada as a region free of slavery
spread with returning soldiers, and
increasing numbers of slaves decided
to take the risk of journeying freedom.
To be Black at this time meant
to have hope, to have a glimmer of
optimism that there was a better
life, and to be thankful for ones
freedom once it was obtained.
Despite the absence of slavery in
Canada, Blacks still continued to face
racial discrimination and prejudice,
and were subjected to segregation
laws that required them to attend only
Black schools, use Black-designated
public washrooms, sit in Black sections
on buses, and other such restrictions
designed to emphasize their inferiority.
As more and more Blacks began
to challenge their place in society,
and began to seek the equality they
deserved, the Black identity began to
be characterized by a culture of change
and an atmosphere of determination.
Over time, as the ght for equal
rights persisted, the eorts of
Blacks across the nation began to
be rewarded. Black Canadians were
accepted into the Canadian military
during the Second World War for
the rst time, where, although there
was still some segregation, they
served alongside their compatriots
for a common purpose. Hundreds of
Black workers joined labour unions
for the rst time during this period,
as they began to step up and take over
the posts of those serving overseas.
In 1944, Ontario became the rst
province to create an act against
discrimination, one that banned any
publication and or display bearing
a form of ethnic, racial, or religious
prejudice. Further societal changes
involved a reconguration of Canadas
immigration policy, the introduction
of Canadas Multicultural Policy, and
the emergence of Black personalities
in all areas of Canadian culture,
from political to athletic. rough
this period, to be Black meant to
be proud, to triumph, to be equal.
e Black identity has been
characterized by persistent
redenition. In the beginning, to be
Black meant to be subservient and
base. As time moved on to be Black
meant to be human, but still a lesser
being entitled to fewer rights and
privileges than the rest. Most recently,
the Black identity is viewed as one
which has faced many obstacles in its
course, but which has overcome them.
It is a story of struggle and
persecution, but also one of triumph
and persistence. It has gone from
being a heritage that people have tried
to hide to being a background to be
proud of. e Black identity is full of
richness, of diversity, of community. To
recognize the Black identity, perhaps,
is as simple as recognizing this.
e development of a Black Canadian identity
The Pan-African ag, adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities
League in 1920. Red represents the blood that unites all people of African ancestry, and shed for liberation,
black,, the black people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is afrmed by the existence
of the ag, and green, the abundant natural wealth of Africa. Source: wikipedia.org
e Argosy celebrates
Black History Month
ARTS & LITERATURE
Valentines Day in Sackville is a little
bit special. Of course it comes with
the usual traditions candy, bouquets
of roses, cynicism etc. But it also has
something that you wont get anywhere
else: e Sweetest Little ing.
e Sweetest Little ing is an
evening fundraiser and social event put
on every year by the Owens to raise
money for Struts Artist-Run Centre
and the Owens itself. It takes place on
February 14, and the festivities include
a silent art auction, a cakewalk, games,
music (provided by a DJ), dancing,
and general merriment. e event is
now in its 10th year; it started out as a
small art-auction fundraiser at Struts,
held in the START gallery space. It
is now the biggest event of the year for
the Owens, with last years attendance
totaling 331 people pretty much the
gallerys capacity.
e art auction is a big part of the
night. Submissions come from local
artists, artists from around Canada,
and Mt. As very own third year Fine
Arts class. Zimbel donated one of
these prints several years ago.
A general guideline for submissions
is that they can be no larger than a
cabbage. e auction is somewhat
unique in this way, because it
provides people with the chance to
own a piece by an artist whose work
would otherwise be inaccessible. For
instance, Garry Neill Kennedys work
tends to be large gallery installations
that are painted over when the show
ends, making it dicult to really own
one of his pieces. But at the Sweetest
Little ing, you can. People are also
able to pre-bid on the art online at the
Struts website, which has raised some
awareness about the event and also
started some healthy competition for
some of the more coveted pieces.
e art auction isnt the only event
worth mentioning. e fundraiser also
features the well-known cakewalk. If
you dont know what a cakewalk is,
its pretty simple: there are numbers
arranged in a path along the oor.
When the music starts, you walk along
the path, and when it stops, you do
your best to stand on a number. If your
number is called, you get to choose a
cake; its basically a higher-calorie
version of musical chairs. e cakes, in
some cases, are every bit as impressive
as some of the art on display. People
are known to go all-out when crafting
their sugary contributions to the event
(all of the cakes are donated, both by
individuals and by local establishments
such as the Save Easy and Alipers
Hearth). Some of the more memorable
entries include cakes shaped like a
duck, teeth, and a love boat.
e event also features games, a
rae, and door prizes. Bears made at
the Deconstructing Hairy workshop
held at Struts last month serve as
prizes for some of the games. e
event also traditionally features a photo
booth called the Instant Lovin booth.
is may well be the last year that the
photos can be taken the way they have
for the last ten with a Polaroid instant
camera. Since the (tragic) demise of
Polaroid and the discontinuation of its
lm, the required supplies have been
increasingly hard to come by. is
could be your last chance to take home
Weve got your sweets right here
A preview of the annual Sweetest Little ing fundraiser
Julie Cruikshank
Argosy Staff
Last weekend at Windsor eatre two
plays were brought to the audience as
part of a double-bill: Crave, directed
by Emily Frontain, and e Lover
directed by Caroline Samp. Last week
in Arts and Lit, we featured the rst
of these two plays. is week, its e
Lovers turn; director Caroline Samp
shares some of her thoughts on the
experience of directing Harold Pinters
play.
What is the play about?
e play is about the power struggle
between a husband and a wife as they
both participate in their own marriage
and illicit love aairs.
What drew you to this play as a
director?
I was drawn to e Lover because
of Harold Pinters evident interest
in semantics and his exploration of
the English language. Additionally,
Pinters examination of the nature of
silence emphasizes the underlying
failure of language as a means of
communication.
Do you think that the play has an
important message to impart to the
audience?
I want the audience to consider the
characters dialogue and actions, which
dictate and react to the onstage events,
as contrived moves that identify life
as a perpetual game that has no true
winner. It shows, in this way, that
individuals perform roles in real life in
the same way that they might perform
roles in the theatre.
What was your favourite part of
directing e Lover?
My favourite part of directing
e Lover was working with actors
who were so willing to contribute to
dening their characters and work hard
to convey these ideas onstage. I also
enjoyed working with crew-members
who were so willing to oer their own
artistic opinions and facilitate the
process as a whole.
What do you feel that you have learned
from your experience directing e
Lover?
I learned the importance of catering
to the needs of the show as a whole
during the rehearsal process. It
is important to plan rehearsals in
advance, but it is just as important to
be able to recognize problem areas as
they emerge and be exible enough
to modify plans if necessary. Also, I
learned that Harold Pinter really likes
big words.
Was it a dicult play to direct?
It was dicult because as the actors,
designers, and I worked through the
script, we continuously discovered
additional layers that invited
reinterpretations of both Pinters and
the characters intentions. It was also
dicult because during rehearsals, the
actors and I had to identify silences
and determine how to eectively
convey them as either deliberate
manipulations of the conversation
or merely the absence of language
while maintaining audience interest.
However, the actors so actively
contributed to conversations during
rehearsals that it was fairly easy to
make decisions and solve these types
Before and after
A look back at e Lover pre- and post-production
Julie Cruikshank
Argosy Staff
Some of the more high-
prole artists who have
donated art to the auction
include ...George Zimbel, the
Montreal photographer who
produced the iconic photo of
Marilyn Monroe with her
dress billowing up around her
as she stands on a grate.

a little piece of history.

Perhaps the most important thing
to mention about e Sweetest Little
ing is the sense of fun and community
that permeates the atmosphere at the
event. is is not a snooty, exclusive
party at an art gallery. Nor is it a
couples-specic Valentines Day event.
Its a chance for people to come
together, to hang loose, to dance and
have a good time. Traditionally people
attending the event are encouraged to
dress in red and pink. Its amazing not
only how many people do, but also the
sense of community that this creates.
Students, professors, and people from
the Sackville community all attend
and are welcome at the event. Some
also come from out of town. When
the bidding has ended and the games
wind down, the evening culminates in
a dance downstairs, which runs until
midnight. Just like the main event,
the dance is an opportunity for people
to come together in a fun and inviting
atmosphere, and to simply have a good
time.
For the second year in a row, Corey
Isenor has written a jingle for the
event. Last years jingle can be seen
on the Struts and Owens websites,
and is also available to download as a
ringtone.
e Sweetest Little thing is
probably the most inclusive, most
original, and most fun Valentines Day
event youll have the opportunity to
attend in Sackville, and quite possibly
anywhere else. Everyone is welcome,
and the evening never fails to create
a sense of fun and community with a
unique Sackville avour. So throw on
your best pink duds, and come spread
some lovin.
of problems.
What are the best and worst things
about a show ending?
I have always found that the nal
performance of a show is bittersweet.
On the one hand, I feel relieved of
the responsibility of participating in a
rigorous rehearsal/tech schedule. But
on the other hand, I feel a sense of
loss because I know that every show
is unique and, as a result, I will never
have the same experience again.
Do you have any upcoming projects
that youre looking to?
I plan to direct a couple of
monologues for e Vagina Monologues,
which will be performed on March
13 and 14. is project will likely
pose new and hopefully stimulating
challenges for both the actors and
myself.
All photos and graphics in article courtesy of the Owens Art Gallery.
17 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY ARTS & LITERATURE
Despite spending his rst few hours
in Sackville at the hospital, Cyril
Dabydeen was in good spirits as he
spent the day Tuesday speaking to
students and sta. Originally from
Berbic, Guyana, Dabydeen has
become a prominent gure in Canada.
He is well known for his writing,
teaching, and political advising.
Currently Dabydeen is a professor
at the University of Ottawa. During
his visit to campus this past week,
Dabydeen spoke with students about
multiculturalism within Canada and
read a selection of his work at the
Owens Art Gallery.
Dabydeen was quick to ask students
to refer to him by his rst name, saying
that he feels more comfortable being
informal. e informality was obvious
as Dabydeen spoke openly of his life
outside of the professional sphere.
ough the work was an inuential
experience in working with other
minorities, Dabydeen explained a fact
that many might not know about him.
For several years, the professor worked
as a tree planter and during a span of
three years he estimates he planted
over a quarter of million trees. He also
humorously added he was able to get
lost more than ve times.
Dabydeen is noted as one of the
writers who has lived through the
changing times of multiculturalism
in Canada. During his talks with
students, Dabydeen explained his
perspective on the area and importance
of multicultural writing. He stressed
the importance of learning about
multicultural writers as a means
of staying away from tokenizing
the culture and genre. Dabydeen
passionately stressed that we as part
of the ever changing multicultural
scene do a disservice to ourselves by
not talking about it or studying the
literature.
I always tell students that Canada
lies in your hands, said Dabydeen.
e professor seemed frustrated as he
talked about the lack of multicultural
literature courses in most universities.
Dabydeen, a constant traveller,
explained that the more globalized we
can become the better. He sees the
growth of multicultural literature based
on the open-mindedness of people and
how we continue to incorporate it into
society.
Dabydeen assuredly explained that
thousand of things are happening in
multiculturalism everyday and anyone
who thinks they know it all is horribly
misinformed. He was, however,
resolute in his armation that we
have more in common than what
divides us.
At one point, Dabydeen stood to
Apocalypse in a teacup
Literary persona Cyril Dabydeen stops in Sackville
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
read a selection of poems. Dabydeen
referred to his earlier trip to the hospital
explaining that he had fallen before his
trip to Sackville. He jokingly asked
people to help him if he fell while
reading. Dabydeen is a man with a
sense of humour and an excitement
for what he talks about. is showed
throughout his discussions and as he
read his poetry. Using the medium as
a commentary device, Dabydeen read
poems such as Multiculturalism,
Lady Icarus, Streets, and Sir
James Douglas. As if continuing a
conversation with someone, Dabydeen
reads his poetry with the same vigor
present in his conversation.
Besides poetry, Dabydeen has
written novels and collections of short
stories. He described the process
of writing his poems as harder than
novels but compared writing short
stories to needing a poets sense of
style and a [novelists] sense of drama.
Giving advice to students on writing,
Dabydeen emphasized the importance
of multiple drafts. He told an anecdote
about meeting Joy Kogawa for lunch
while she was writing her famous novel
Obasan. Dabydeen amusedly said
that although he would tease Kogawa
about her drafts, the constant rewrites
were what made the novel what it was.
Good writing is constant rewriting,
revealed Dabydeen.
Dabydeen is a passionate and witty
gure who undoubtedly has made a
large impact on the Canadian literary
scene both as a multicultural writer
and an inuential thinker. He is armed
with an aectionate perspective of
Canada and an honest opinion of the
state of multiculturalism. Dabydeen
visit to campus was made possible by
the English and Canadian Studies
Depts. and the Canada Council.
Technical Tuesdays Workshops
Every Tuesday the Faucet
Media Arts Centre oers
workshops in the Struts
gallery. e workshops
oer hands on teaching for
media art production. Run
by Amanda Dawn Christie
(pictured to the left), the
workshops run from 6-
10pm.
A record attempt Dale K Robinsons exhibition Vinyl Attempt opens at START
Callan Field
Callan Field
Callan Field
www.poetrymap.com
Callan Field
18 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY ARTS & LITERATURE
Julie Voyce compares her introduction
to printmaking to seeing a man at a
party who she wanted to sleep with.
Although she originally explained the
comparison in a coarser but amusingly
cute way, the sentiment is clear. Voyce
has an undeniable connection with her
creativity and an enthusiasm for what
she does.
Voyce graduated from the Ontario
College of Art and Design (OCAD)
(known then as the Ontario College
of Art). She describes the experience
as being unleashed. She credits
a large part of the experience to
the group of her peers that she was
assigned to during her time there. It
was good fortune to be in this really
fabulous group, she explained, We
were ruthlessly competitive. Voyce
explained the assistance art school
gives students by showing them they
arent the best in the world. She says
it prepares them for a life of a lot of
rejections.
Voyce laughingly described the
Ontario College of art as dierent
than OCAD for the Association of
the Ontario College of Art they were
given instead of the formal degree.
It basically meant dick-all, laughed
Voyce, I absolutely loved it. Its not
hard to tell that Voyce received more
than the traditional education from
her time at school, as she talks with
aection and amusement. She spoke
in scandalous tones as she described
the time her group of friends lled
a bathtub full of pure bleach and
bleached out an abandoned reel of lm
while drinking beer with the windows
and doors locked. e group went on
to randomly hand-draw animations
on the lm strip, creating a group
animated lm and an experience Voyce
still laughs about.
Describing herself as a designer
pretending to be an artist, Voyce is
modest when it comes to her own
skill. She is hesitant to label herself
as an artist and despises the idea of
limiting herself to one area. Voyce
explained that she has jumped from
medium to medium, following the
ideas in her head rather than a pattern
of form. ere is a cornerstone, and
thats printmaking, said Voyce as we
chatted before her talk at the Owens
Art Gallery.
Unfortunately, during her time at
OCAD there were limits on the courses
rst years in which rst year students
could enroll. In an attempt to stay
as close to printmaking as she could,
Voyce joined silk-screening. e classes
turned out to be horrendous for Voyce.
At the time, the process was close to
toxic with the cleaners and chemicals
used to clean the silk-screens. Voyce
made a choice to discontinue that
medium but decided she wasnt quite
ready to go back to printmaking full
time. From silk-screening she moved
on to illustrating childrens books,
animations, sculptures, designing hats,
making dolls, abstract paintings with
house paint, watercolour works and
silver-point drawings. During the
medium switches, Voyce said that she
moved back and forth between ideas
that were representational, abstract
and gurative.
Smiling rather bashfully, Voyce
suggests that she is every interviewers
nightmare. Honest to God, Im
really bad at big universal statements.
I cant do them. Voyce says that her
work is based on the everyday. She
insists that her work is more about her
nding satisfaction and pleasure in her
creations. Voyce joking called herself
a toymaker, saying that it often feels
more like she is playing than creating.
I would say I veer to whimsy [But]
I hope theres some kind of toughness.
I call it beauty with backbone.
A few years ago, the Toronto Arts
Council Foundation asked to redesign
the award they give out each year to an
emerging artist or business in the arts.
e business that won was Sketch, a
programme that ran a large studio
in Toronto for Street Youth, where
kids could come and learn dierent
art forms. In the middle of the large
studio was a common kitchen that was
meant to facilitate community. e
usual award each year was a plate, but
the coordinator of the award asked
Voyce to add a more artistic element
to it. Voyce laughed as she explained
that her design ideas were more geared
towards getting a atware deal from
William-Ashley than having her
designs bought by the National Art
Gallery of Canada.
Voyce, who said she decided to be
an artist around the age of seven, has
shown at several locations in Canada
and outside including Paris, Tokyo,
Rome, Glasgow, and London in the
United Kingdom. Although she
enjoys travelling to show her work,
Voyce agrees that it takes a lot of eort
to coordinate a gallery showing. Ill
see somewhere I would like to go and
then spend the next three years getting
there, she said. Even though her
choice of space does rely on the interest
of the galleries, Voyce insists that she
wouldnt even think of working with a
gallery if their programming was bad.
e one thing Ive experienced over
the years is it doesnt come down to
geographic location of a gallery or an
art centre. It comes down to the IQ of
the people who are working there.
Voyce, who is on her second visit to
Sackville, donated a piece of artwork
to the upcoming Sweetest Little ing
Fundraiser. She says she is excited to
attend the event. Her praise of the
people at Struts is high and she smiled
Bleaching lm and designing plates
Talking with Julie Voyce
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
at she explained that they know whats
going on. Voyce eccentrically explains
that her time in Sackville is a bit of an
adventure. Sackville is an interesting
place, she said as she talked about
working in dierent locations. eres
so much going on and such an
atmosphere.
Voyce is an assuming force who
values the ugly and the everyday.
Talking with her was time well spent
as most of it was spent laughing. Voyce
has a charming and rather smut-lled
sense of humour that is evident in her
work. Her unique way of looking at
the world and her perspective on
art is refreshing. Julie Voyce will be
in Sackville until Sunday and if you
happen to see a woman with a dirty
blonde bob and biker boots walking
around town, you should go say hello.
Julie Voyce spoke at the Owens Art Gallery this past Wednesday. She
went through two sets of slides and twenty-nine years of work.
Julie Stephenson
If you have more than ve minutes...
...walk down to the artist-run Struts
ey always have a funky artist
in residence
e window display hasnt
changed in two years
If you go, maybe Paul
Henderson will sign some
hockey memorabilia
Isabel Gertler
19 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY ARTS & LITERATURE
It only takes one fumbling sailor to
send a ships crew and a trio of witches
into ts of giggles. at was the scene
as musical director Helen Pridmore
and stage director Paul Del Motte
watched their cast for their upcoming
opera. At the end of rehearsals an
amused Del Motte slyly mentioned
that focus was needed. Working
collaboratively, Pridmore and Del
Motte are directing Henry Purcells
Dido and Aeneas, a production put on
by the annual Opera Workshop and
Windsor eatre.
is years show marks two
dierences for Opera Workshop,
a program run by Pridmore.
Traditionally the program chooses to
perform multiple scenes from dierent
operas. is year, it was decided that
the group would undertake an entire
opera. Dido and Aeneas is however a
relatively short production, clocking
in at approximately an hour in length.
Its very appropriate for a university to
be presenting this opera, because it has
many roots in history and music, says
Pridmore during a recent interview.
Most music students study the opera
in rst year history courses, which
allowed for accessibility as Opera
Workshop approached the piece.
Dido and Aeneas is the love story
of the warrior Aeneas, a survivor of
the fall of Troy and Dido the Queen
of Carthrage. e opera opens with
the lovers in the middle of their aair.
eir love, unfortunately, is not to last.
After the fall of Troy, Aeneas was sent
on a quest by the Gods. e warrior
must give up his true love and leave
to found Rome. e loss of her lover
causes Dido great sadness which leads
the opera to its tragic conclusion.
ere is a mixture of personalities
among the characters, calling for the
singers cast in the roles to truly emote
as they play their part. Del Motte came
into rehearsals in January to work with
the cast, lling in backgrounds and
working with each character. Pridmore
says that having Del Motte coaching
the singers has been a wonderful
learning experience for the students.
Pauls great at nding ways for them
to express their character and still sing
well.
Pridmore explains that working
with Windsor eatre and Del Motte
has been a good experience for Opera
Workshop since it gives them a chance
to have professionals working on the
production. Its great working with
Paul because hes very interested with
musicHe likes working with singers
to help them understand a bit more
about stage craft.
Although Pridmore and Del Motte
have worked with each other on other
performances such as Chicago, Rocky
Horror Picture Show, and another
opera, this collaboration has brought
a new set of challenges for the pair to
approach. Dido and Aeneas is the rst
production they have run in Brunton,
an auditorium not actually set up as a
theatre. e lighting is very dicult
to work with [and] theres not much
backstage space, so thats been a real
challenge for Paul and for Decima
[Mitchell], our designer. eyre
just doing great things with it, says
Pridmore.
During Mondays rehearsal, the
cast worked against a nearly blank
backdrop. Del Motte assured me that
it looked bare because the main set
dressing the large backdrops that will
hang on stage are just being nished.
eyre really beautiful, explains
Del Motte. Deciding to go with a
traditional approach to the opera and
the set, Del Motte and Pridmore both
agree it is better to focus on the singers
and the music. We talked about
updating it but we decided that there
were so many beautiful elements of the
story as it is that we would do a kind of
classic version of it,says Pridmore, its
quite simple but I think its going to be
quite beautiful in its presentation.
e other notable dierence with
this years production is the decision
to double cast some of the roles. [e
double casting] is new to this year,
because usually we do dierent scenes
in Opera Workshop and I choose the
scenes to accommodate the dierent
people who want to sing. is year
we kind of had to do it the other way
around. Pridmore explained that the
response of talented singers was so
good that they decided not to turn
anyone away. Although rehearsals
have become more complicated as
they require two runs-throughs of the
opera, one with each cast, Pridmore
says its an enjoyable experience.
While the main roles of Dido and
Aeneas are played by the same singers
throughout all four performances,
the roles of Belinda, Didos sister,
the Second Woman, a handmaiden,
the two witches and the First Sailor
are each double cast. Pridmore sees
strengths in each cast and remains
positive that double casting was the
right decision. I think both casts are
equally strongthey relate slightly
dierently in each cast but theyre all
doing really good musical things and
sounding good musically.
During rehearsals, Pridmore says she
has noticed a dierence in the singers
who were cast to play the witches.
theyve been given the same
staging and the same direction, she
explains, but each pair is presenting
the characters quite dierently. Its
really neat to see that. eyve kind of
worked together but then theyve gone
their separate ways.
e cast and crew are composed
completely of Mount Allison
students. While many of the singers
are participating to earn a credit for
being part of an ensemble, Pridmore
says there are students from other
disciplines besides music. Besides
the cast, there is a small instrumental
ensemble made up of students, that
acts as the orchestra. Elliott Chorale
acts as the chorus for the production,
lling in information for the audience
and adding a beautiful atmosphere to
the auditorium.
Its a short operait gives a taste
of the art form but not like youd have
to sit through endless hours of it,
laughs Pridmore. She understands
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
Dont be scared, its just opera
e Opera Workshop and Windsor eatre present Dido and Aeneas
a little of this poetry and a little of that
Mr. al Zaidis Ten-million Dollar Shoe
Centuries of dissent and
Bloodshed
Were resolved yesterday when
A shoe ew
And unied a nation under
One cause.
We want you out!
And the world secretly applauded.
that students might be reluctant to
attend the performances because the
idea of operas can be a little daunting.
Looking for a balance of entertainment
and education, the Opera Workshop
and Windsor eatre are hoping
for a good audience. is is such a
beautiful story and the music is really
gorgeous, says Pridmore, I think you
might even be moved to cry
e performance is shaping up
well. If Mondays rehearsals are any
indication, the tragic love story of
Dido and Aeneas might just move
you to tears after all. Both casts have
unique qualities that will make each
performance captivating. ough as
Pridmore and Del Motte both pointed
out at the end of rehearsal there
are things to improve on before the
opening night. It will be interesting
[the witches] been given
the same staging and the same
direction, she explains, but
each pair is presenting the
characters quite dierently. Its
really neat to see that. eyve
kind of worked together but
then theyve gone their separate
ways.

to hear if the singers can follow

Pridmores instructions to work on
their diction. Although the opera is in
English, it was hard at times to hear
the singers. Nonetheless, the cast
performs beautifully without the full
set and costumes. Dido and Aeneas is
sure to be an amazing performance, no
matter the day, no matter the cast.
Dido and Aeneas opens Friday
February 13 and runs until Sunday
February 15 at Brunton Auditorium.
The cast of Dido and Aeneas is consists of Mount Allison students.
The roles of the witches (one pair is pictured here) are double cast.
Helen Pridmore prepares with the six-piece student ensemble.
untitled
sun picture shining
& raw iron
bare
light in the
shadows
there is always beauty
after all
penned by scribbles penned by k-dime
Come One and All to Black Tie Productions annual
Fundraiser, Black Tie Live!
is performance will feature many of the Black Tie cast
members. e evening will be lled with singing, acting and
a few surprises. ere will be a cash bar available to those of
age. Black Tie Live will take place February 12 and 13, Doors
open at 7:30pm, show starts at 8pm. At Live Bait eatre.
Tickets are $6 Adults, $4 students and available at the door,
by phone 8720-2650 or by contacting blacktie@mta.ca.
Hope to see you all at the show.
BLACK TIE LIVE!
A variety show like no other
~ Tricia Black
Julie Stephenson
Julie Stephenson
Julie Stephenson
HUMOUR
V
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Q&A wi t h Noah and St uart
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this advice column are not the opinions of the Humour Editors, the Editors-In-Chief,
or Argosy Publications, and are hopefully not the opinions of Stuart or Noah.
Dear Noah and Stuart, In light of Valentines day I want to do something extra special and creative for my hunky man. Hes
asked me to plan something involving furry animals and glowsticks...but I just cant come
up with anything decent! Can you help me?
Noah, Sports Editor: Valentines Day is the time when you show the ones that you care about just how
much you care. I knew a girl once who was into stuff like that. She really liked role playing, pretending to
be a tennis instructor, showing me how to do a proper forehand and overhead smash. It was kinky and for
the first few times, very interesting. But furry animals and glow sticks? Nothing says naughty times like a
glow in the dark monkey. Plus, the stuff from those glow sticks wash out of fur with no problem. They test
those things on animals before they market them anyways. So go wild this Valentines Day and if you want something really
wild, try doing a Lion King.
Stuart, Sci/Tech Editor: ...Wait, you
think I have sex? Well! This is
pleasant news; clearly the public
perception of my life is becoming
complementary (as opposed to
the traditional position of aversion
and mild concern about my being a
danger to myself, others, and lab equipment). As to
your question, Im afraid I might not be able to provide
much assistance at all. I havent much experience with
that sort of thing, and apparently I havent even the
compentence to research the problem. You see, I tried
googling hunky man furry glowsticks and, well, lets
just put it this way: the fine physicians at the Sackville
Hospital tell me the cornea damage isnt permanent.
Vivi Reich
V
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Welcome to a wonderful evening
of theatre and picking up after
yourselves.
21 THE ARGOSY HUMOUR FEBRUARY 12, 2009
B
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SAC
Student Administrative Council
12 York ST
536-0401
Pridhams Studio is the ofcial photographers for the
class of 2009. Call now for your appointment which
will ensure your photo is included in the Yearbook and
the department Composites.
Pridhams Studio
Call to Student Leaders
Abigail Dawn McGillivary
Mount Allison SAC
VP Communications
What makes a great
student leader?
A great student leader
within the SAC represents
and advocates on behalf
of students. On the ninth
of February until the ninth
of March, nominations will
be open pertaining to a
wide variety of Student
Administrative Council
leadership positions
ranging from appointed
executive positions
to Student at Large
positions on committees.
Be sure to get your
nominations forms lled
out and submitted to help
next years team make
change in this upcoming
school year of 2009-2010.
A list of the names of the
positions will be posted
at sac.mta.ca on the VP
Communications page.
Appointment and Recruitment
Abigail Dawn McGillivary
Mount Allison SAC
VP Communications
Tomorrow night, Friday the
13th, an event is to take place
at the PUB unique to all the
years before. Your Mount Al-
lison Students Administrative
Council is hosting speed-dat-
ing with a twist, Speed-Frien-
dating.
Uniquely termed by our
current President of the SAC,
Mike Currie, the idea behind
the name was to spice things
up a little bit. With a little bit
of zip and zest, the event was
organized so that students
could meet as many different
types of poeple as possible.
To begin, when walking in
the door, all attenders will
receive a number and a Top
Five card. The tables will be
arranged in a large square
formation with a hollow
centre and chairs aligning
each side. Half of the stu-
dents will be placed on the
outside of the square facing
inward, and the other half
will sit on the inside of the
square facing outward. The
students will not be assigned
seating based on their
number. Theres the rub! This
means that the poeple who
attend will be meeting male
students or female students,
making friends or dates for
the rst 30 to 45 minutes! As
the event procedes, a siren
will sound and the poeple
on the outside of the square
formation will shift one seat
to the right.
This is where the Top Five
card will come in. As great
poeple are met, your top ve
favorite names of people will
be recorded on your card. At
the end of the event, when
poeples number one choices
lign up, their names are put
into a draw for reservations
at the Olive Branch!
After 30 to 45 minutes are
up, we will rearrange the
formation to have men on
the outside and women on
the inside.
A couple of other details
that are bound to spice
things up will be cinnamon
hearts at various intervals
around the tables, ice break-
er questions, as well as a live
D.J.!
As a lovely pre-cursor to
the event, the Wellness Team
will be puttin on quite a
pre-party! Our Best Times
are Not Wasted will be mak-
ing mocktails and yummy
valentines day treats to kick
off the evening. There will be
booths set up about healthy
relationships and healthy
relations; body language and
valentines day treats.

The Schedule for the event is
as follows:
7:00 @ the cafe

Team Wellness
Pre-Event
8:00 @ the PUB
S.A.C. Speed-
Friendating
VOTE
Even if its the last
thing you do!
Monday Feb 16
Tuesday Feb 17
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
BEST SUMMER JOB EVER!
Join our team! Premier brother/sister camp located at the foothills of the Berkshire
Mountains in Kent, CT. World class facilities located 2 hours to NYC, 4 hours to
Boston. 200 acre facility includes waterfront activities, team sports, individual
sports, outdoor adventures, extreme sports, performing and visual arts programs.
Looking for staff who have a love for working with children and enjoy being a part
of a team. Jobs available include specialty counselors, general counselors,
office/secretarial staff, camp store staff and other administrative staff positions.
E-mail tom@kencamp.com or Phone Tom Troche at 305-673-3310
Browse our website at www.kenmontkenwood.com and fill out our application.
Contact us if you would like to meet one of our staff on your campus.
Mediscene
A weekly leap to the frontiers of medicine
If only we lived in a world with
puppy dogs, lollypops, and sunshine,
life would be perfect; well, maybe
just the sunshine. New research has
thrown light onto the power of a
sunbeam, and ignited debate over its
potentially fatal eects.
Scientists at the University of
Bristol have found that children born
in the late summer or early autumn
are about ve millimetres taller and
have thicker bones than those born
in the late winter or early spring. is
is no surprise; bone growth, even in
the womb, is governed by vitamin
D, whose production is triggered by
exposure to sunlight. More time in
the sun may thus equal better bones.
Study leader Professor Jon Tobias
explains the signicance of this
nding: Wider bones are thought to
be stronger and less prone to breaking
as a result of osteoporosis in later life,
so anything that aects early bone
development is signicant.
e deleterious eects of vitamin
D deciency stem far beyond weak
bones to diabetes, heart disease,
breast cancer, prostate cancer, and
tuberculosis.
Last week, clinical neurology
professor George Ebers at the
University of Oxford released
research that may point to a link
between vitamin D deciency during
pregnancy and childhood and multiple
sclerosis. A study last year from the
American journal Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences
argued that those with higher levels
of vitamin D stood a better chance
of surviving colon, breast, and lung
cancer. eir study found that those
who lived at southern latitudes, which
receive more of the suns rays, were
signicantly less likely to die from
the aforementioned cancers than
those from more northern latitudes.
A team from Harvard Medical School
also found that vitamin D deciency
increased patients risk for developing
cardiovascular disease.
While many experts are now calling
for more time in the sun, its rays have
caused a rising tide of aggressive skin
cancers known as melanomas. Dr
Richard Setlow, biophysicist at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory in
the US and leader of the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences
cancer study, cautioned that: Since
vitamin D has been shown to play a
protective role in a number of internal
cancers and possibly a range of other
diseases, it is important to study the
relative risks to determine whether
advice to avoid sun exposure may be
causing more harm than good in some
populations.
Perhaps the most ironic point of this
debate is that vitamin D is not really a
vitamin at all. Vitamin D should really
be thought of as a hormone, says Dr
Peter Berry-Ottaway of the Institute
Kelly OConnor
Argosy Staff
Geek Chic
of the Week
Tired of ice-cream scoops getting all cold and therefore ineective at scooping your favourite frozen treats? Appar-
ently, this is a problem! Luckily, as with most problems, technology oers a solution (albeit a ridiculous one). Deep
inside this classic scoop designs handle (said design apparently dates from 1935) rests, er, antifreeze. Luckily, what-
ever chemical cocktail lurks in this commercial quality scoop is non-toxic.
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=752&f=14130
February 12, 2009:
Antifreeze Ice
Cream Scoop
Now, you may be sceptical at hearing
this, but before you turn up your nose,
just think. What if it were possibly
to grow meat and eat it without ever
hurting an animal?
Jason Methany, a doctoral student
and scientist at the University of
Maryland as well as a vegetarian, thinks
its possible. It was just this last July
that he was able to produce his own
home grown meat in the laboratory,
which, in theory could supply the
entire world with meat.
e process itself is actually very
simple, and is completely painless for
the animal. To create the meat one rst
has to collect some muscle cells called
myoblasts (basically stem cells pre-
programmed to form tissue) from the
animal with a syringe. ese myoblasts
are then placed in a giant petri dish
lled with glucose, amino acids, and
minerals kept at the same temperature
as the animal.
is primordial soup is then placed
into large plastic sheets which stretch
and exercise the cells until they form
muscle tissue (otherwise it would
just be a horrible mush). What is
produced a few weeks later is about a
millimetre thick sheet of meat which
can be grounded to make hamburgers,
sausages and the like.
Who, do you ask, would invest in
such a technology? Well, the Dutch
have already put $5 million into
research for cultivating pork from stem
cells. One of their lead researchers,
Hank Haagsman, even thinks that
they will have a marketable ground
meat product in six years; that is, if
there is a demand for it.
Now there are many positive aspects
of this; the most obvious one being
that there would longer be 40 billion
animals slaughtered yearly for food.
Another major benet to this would
be the improvement of the state of the
environment by reducing deforestation
and land pollution caused by farming
and pesticide use. We would also be
saving much of our clean water - it
takes 16,000 litres of it to produce one
kilo of meat - instead of producing
1.6 million tons of manure yearly to
contaminate that water.
Not eating traditionally-grown
meat doesnt just have a positive eect
on the environment but on the human
body as well.
By not eating real meat, one does
not consume any of the antibiotics
or steroids that are pumped into the
animal beforehand. Animal fat is also
not entirely healthy for the body as it
contains highly saturated fats which
can be replaced with healthier ones in
the home grown meat, such as omega
3. By not mass producing animals we
would also be eliminating the threat
of proliferation of harmful diseases -
many of the worlds diseases are in fact
associated with animals (such as mad
cow and avian u).
Despite these drawbacks, meat
production continues to rise as the
population increases (with the world
collectively consuming 240 billion
kilos of meat per year).
By consuming this amount of meat,
the average American is producing
Pork in a petri dish
How to eat an animal without killing it
the same amount of greenhouse gases
as a car driving 2900 kilometers per
year. Or for even greater perspective,
eating half a pound of hamburger is
equivalent in emissions to driving a
3000-pound car 16 kilometers.
e United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)
reports that the meat in our diet alone
accounts for more CO2, methane, and
nitrous oxide produced than either
industry or transportation. It follows
that the worlds current levels of meat
production are resulting in 14 to 22
per cent of the 36 million tons of
greenhouse gases produced per year.
In truth, though, everything we
consume as human beings aects the
environment in some way, whether
it is from transportation, the energy
required for refrigeration and farming,
or the emissions from animals.
To grow just half a pound of
asparagus, 64 grams of CO2 is
produced from applying insecticides,
fertilizers, pumping water, fuelling
farm equipment and transportation. A
cow emits between 70-130 grams of
methane for every 100 grams of meat
they produce; however, methane has
about 23 times the eect on climate
change than CO2 does, making the
equivalent more like producing 1.6-
3.1 kilograms of CO2 per 100 grams.
However, in order to produce that bit
of meat, there is also the requirement
of grains to feed and bed the animals
which in turn releases more wasted
gases into the air. Add that to the gases
from animal wastes and the amount of
greenhouse gases produced per pound
of beef is raised to the equivalent of 6.7
kilograms of CO2!
is scary-sounding fact only
applies to beef; for pork and chicken,
the amount of CO2 produced is
much less (1.7 kilos and .5 kilos,
respectively). However, it is still a lot
more ecient, energetically, to eat the
grains themselves rather than use them
to produce a small portion of meat.
Consider this: to produce half a kilo
of beef protein for your table requires
nearly 5 kilos of plant protein. If we
were to eat the grains themselves, wed
produce a lot more food for much less
money and fewer emissions, rather
than losing 75 per cent of it in an
animal.
So why not adopt Methanys
plan? Well the problem is, its grossly
expensive. To grow just a pound of this
meat would cost $5000. However, the
main goal of the previously mentioned
Danish research is to reduce this price
to a marketable range for the public
and theyre improving each day.
e other problem, however, is that
many may not want to eat something
that is grown in a lab. is isnt quite
reasonable considering how many
bio-engineered foods we actually eat:
cheese, wine, tofu, and tempeh, to
name a few.
In fact, theres no dierence between
eating regular meat or vat meat; you
just dont kill or cause the animal
to suer. Many vegetarians actually
support the idea of vat meat even
though many would still never go back
to meat; the reason being that it would
be good for those non-vegetarians
who still want to enjoy meat without
the cruelty.
Jennifer Musgrave
Argosy Correspondant
of Food Science and Technology. e
denition of a vitamin is restricted
to nutrients that are not only vital
to health, but also to those that can
solely be obtained from food. Vitamin
C and vitamin K (the former plays an
important role in warding o scurvy
while the latter prevents blood clots)
are found in citrus fruits, broccoli and
spinach. [Vitamin D] forms under
the skin in reaction to sunlight,
says Dr Berry-Ottaway. We do get
some from our food but our principal
source is the sun.
In places such as the UK, the
critical ultra-violet wavelengths
between 290 and 315 nanometres
reach the ground a mere seven
months of the year. is means that
people must rely on the vitamin D
they have stored from their sunny
strolls in the summer to last through
the winter doldrums. e eects are
even more severe for people with dark
skin who live in gloomy climates,
as they are unable to manufacture
as much vitamin D as their pale-
skinned counterparts. In fact, a 2007
report by the UKs Department of
Health revealed a major resurgence in
rickets, which is triggered by vitamin
D deciency. While this disease was
nigh eradicated in Victorian Britain
by more nutritious diets, the disease
has been intensied among women
who wear hijabs which block out
much of the sun.
SIZE MATTERS NOT,
AS YODA SAID
THIS AD IS SMALL,
YODA IS COOL
THEREFORE, WRITE
SCI/TECH QED
SPORTS & FITNESS
e Mount Allison volleyball Mounties
dominated their competition this week,
taking one match from the top-ranked
St. omas Tommies and beating up
on the winless Universit Sainte Anne
Dragons.
On Wednesday evening, the rst
place Tommies rolled into Sackville,
hoping to continue their undefeated
season. What they werent expecting
was the energized Mountie volleyball
squad backed by their raucous
supporters. Building o the energy
from the crowd, the lady Mounties
posted an impressive 3-1 victory over
the visiting Tommies, winning 25-18,
25-19, 22-25, 25-22.
Led by Player of the Game
Laurel Carlton, the Mounties attack
overwhelmed the Tommies. As well,
rst year leftside Caila Henderson
added 10 kills, ve aces, and 23 digs;
fourth year Libero Laurie Marchbank
had 25 digs. e Mounties avenged
their earlier season loss against the
Tommies where they lost 3-0.
Saturday, the Mounties cruised
to a 3-0 over the Universit Sainte
Anne Dragons 25-8, 25-8, and 25-12.
While the Dragons were reenergized
at the beginning of the second set,
an injury at 5-5 to third year Dragon
Katie MacQueen took the wind out
of the Dragons sails. e Mounties
used their balance attack to wear down
winless Sainte Anne. Kristi Kublik
was named player of the match for her
10 kills, 90.9 per cent spike eciency
rating, one serve ace, and two digs.
Sunday had the CBC on hand to
record the Mounties and Dragons
second meeting in less than 24 hours.
However, while it was a dierent day,
the outcome was the same with Mt. A
prevailing 3-0 again over Sainte Anne,
25-11, 25-13, 25-12. Several miscues
by the Mounties kept the Dragons
in the second set, but the Mounties
were able to stave o a erce Dragon
resurgence. Despite putting forward a
spirited ght, the Dragons were clearly
no match for the Mounties. Displaying
their incredible depth and resting their
key starters for most of the match, the
Mounties dominated the Dragons
from start to nish.
Again, Kublik was named player of
the match for her 12 kills, three serve
aces, and one dig.
With the trio of wins, the Mounites
solidied their hold on the second
place in the ACAA, with a 12-4 record
behind St. omas (13-2), in front of
UNBSJ (10-4), and MSVU (10-5).
On Saturday, the Mounties have their
nal regular season home game when
they host a rematch with St. omas at
2:00 pm. Saturday will also be the nal
home match for graduating seniors
Lori Joyce, Laurel Carlton, and Sarah
MacDonald.
Wednesdays Score
3
1
Saturdays Score
3
0
Sundays Score
3
0
Left: Kristi Kublik rises up for a spike against Ste. Anne in Sundays action.
Above: Sarah MacDonald and Lori Joyce put up a defensive wall against the Dragons on Saturday.
Mounties atten competition
Win all three matches to remain in second place in ACAA
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
Playing in their nal league tournament
Saturday at home, the Mount Allison
Badminton squad took rst place,
moving them into rst place overall in
ACAA badminton stats. Mt. A earned
42 of the possible 50 points, winning
three out of ve rst-place nishes in
womens doubles, mixed doubles, and
mens singles while coming in second
in mens doubles and third in womens
singles.
While coach Janet Robinson
shued the lineup, the Mounties were
still able to dominate their ACAA
opponents. Fourth-year player Braden
Freeman scored three victories over
Kings, Universit Sainte Anne, and
Holland College, while the mixed
pairing of Brent Barkhouse and Sally
Ng came through in mixed doubles.
Rookie Alexina LePage took third
place in womens singles with a win
over Kings. e mens pair of Justin
Barkhouse and Karsten Hempel had to
settle for second place after dropping a
match to Sainte Anne.
e best match of the day came with
two pairs of siblings battling it out in
womens doubles. e Hogan sisters,
Monique and Mirelle of Universit
Sainte Anne, faced o against the
Mountie duo of Carrie and Heather
Murray. e match stretched to three
sets and with Mt. A nishing strong,
the Murrays were able to knock o
last years conference champions and
secure rst place. With the Murrays
rst place nish, it was the rst time
the Mounties have been able to win
full points in this division this season.
e badminton Mounties next
action will be at the end of the month
for the conference championships
hosted by Mt. A, Saturday and Sunday,
February 21 and 22.
With les from Sue Seaborn
Tournament
Results
42 35 23 25
Badminton Mounties capture home tournament
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
Mounties Carsten Hempel (left) and Carrie Murray (right) reach out to make shots in Saturdays matches.
Sue Seaborn Sue Seaborn
Sue Seaborn
Ben Butler
25 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Mount Allisons basketball teams
dominated the visiting University of
Kings College Blue Devils in Sundays
doubleheader.
In the rst matchup, the third place
lady Mounties used their depth to wear
down the sixth ranked Blue Devils.
UKC jumped out to an early 8-1 lead,
while the Mounties were frustrated
with early foul trouble and shots not
falling in. e rst quarter ended with
the Blue Devils leading 14-12.
However, Mt. A came out with
increased intensity in the second
quarter. e Mountie defense began
to pay o, forcing several turnovers
and mistakes by UKC. e Mounties
were undeterred by the dirty play of
Lia Milito on the Blue Devils, who
proved to be a thorn in the Mounties
side, playing a very physical game,
and somehow avoiding being called
for increasing rough play. e second
quarter ended with Mt. A leading 30-
21.
e second half of the game saw
the Mounties pull away from the Blue
Devils. Fueled by Sarah Sutherlands
back to back to back three pointers,
Mt. A increased its lead over UKC.
Sutherland contributed a game high 17
points, and Marlon Smith and Natalie
Owens each added nine points, as the
Mounties won 68-49.
In the second game, the mens squad
raced to a quick 5-0 start and an early
11-4 lead. With UKCs shots refusing
to fall, the Mounties up-tempo attack
and suocating defense kept the Blue
Devils in check for the rst half, with
the players heading to the locker room
for halftime with the Mounties up 39-
31.
e second half saw Mt. A continue
its dominating ways. Led by Josh
Graham and Matt Sarty, the Mounties
potent oense caught re. Even with
the bench emptied, Mt. A dominated
the Blue Devils up and down the court,
leading to a nal score of 94-58. Five
Mounties were in the double digits.
with Graham and Sarty pouring in 18
each, Kevin Monahan chipped in 13,
and Je Sadler and Akil Smith adding
10 each.
With the wins, the lady Mounties
currently sit in third place with a
record of 12-4, behind MSVU (15-
2) and STU (15-1). e men move
up to second place with a 10-6
record, trailing only MSVU (17-0).
e Mounties travel to MSVU on
Saturday, and return home to face
STU on Sunday for the nal home
games for each team.
ursdays Scores
68
Women
23
83
Men
72
Sundays Scores
68
Women
49
94
Men
58
Kristin Atkins goes up for the jump ball against Lia Milito of
the Blue Devils.
Matt Sarty releases the ball as Stephen Bohan looks on.
Basketball Mounties run past UKC
Women and mens teams cruise to victory over Blue Devils
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
e Mount Allison hockey Mounties
lost 2-1 in a shootout with the Saint
Marys Huskies in a thrilling AUS
womens hockey game Sunday in
Sackville. is is the fourth meeting
between these two teams this season,
with the Mounties winning two and
tying one. is was also the second
consecutive shootout loss for the
Mounties after they fell 2-1 to STU in
Fredericton last weekend.
e rst period was a defensive
struggle between both teams with
few scoring opportunities for either
team. e Mounties were able to
outshoot the Huskies 8-7, but were
unable to capitalize on their chances.
e Huskies emerged in the second
period reenergized and the Mounties
struggled to keep pace, being outshot
22-1. First year goalie Meghan Corley-
Byrne kept the Mounties in the match,
stopping 21 of 22 shots in the period.
e third period showcased the
best hockey of the afternoon with
both teams creating excellent scoring
opportunities. ird year winger Katie
Ehrhardt tied the game at 4:33 when
she scored o a cross-ice pass from
Jenna Briggs.
e Mounties have two home games
this weekend at the Civic Centre.
Friday evening the Universit de
Moncton Aigles Bleus roll into town
for a 7:15 pm match up, and Sunday
afternoon, the St. omas Tommies
will be the visitors at 2:35 pm.
Sundays Score O/T Shootout
1 2
Hockey Mounties lose in shootout
Noah Kowalski
Argosy Staff
First-year goalie Meghan Corley-Byrne makes a save against SMU
in Sundays loss.
First-year winger Katelyn Morton
skates around the SMU goal Sunday.
Sue Seaborn Sue Seaborn
Callan Field Callan Field
Mountie
Point
Leaders
Jenna Briggs
9 goals
3 assists
Alison Greene
4 goals
4 assists
26 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 12, 2009
With my second favourite time of
the basketball season approaching
(my favourite? Opening night. As a
longtime Raptors fan, it usually just
goes downhill from there), I gured
theres no better time, not to mention
no more time, to talk about All-Star
Weekend. So without further ado, in
no particular order:
- A couple of weeks ago the NBA
decided to appease Bill Simmons
and implement a H-O-R-S-E
competition on All-Star Saturday
Night. Hopefully this means that
theyll be canning the Shooting Stars
competition. Why on earth would I
want to see Bill Laimbeer, Chauncey
Billups, and Swin Cash (2006 champs)
shoot free-throws against Shawn
Marion, under Dan Majerle, and
Diana Taurasi (2005 champs)?
Actually, that last team is pretty
legit However, in the name of good
business, the combatants arent going
to be playing H-O-R-S-E per se, but
instead G-E-I-C-O, in honour of the
events sponsor. I wish I were making
this up, but Im not nearly creative
enough.
Regardless, I know Im never
playing H-O-R-S-E ever again with
my buddies. From now on its G-E-I-
C-O or bust. I hope you feel the same.
Despite the ridiculous name-change,
G-E-I-C-O looks like it should be
at least half-decent, which is more
than you can say for a lot of All-Star
weekend events (I do like the Rookie-
Sophomore game though, mostly
because I suer from severe Dunk
Envy, and its a good place to get my
x).
he NBA experimented with G-E-I-
C-O in the 1970s (when early settlers
referred to the game as H-O-R-S-E),
with competitions featuring some of
the biggest stars of the day, including
George Gervin, Paul Westphaul, and
of course, Pete Maravich. As of when
Im writing this, participants havent
been announced yet, but if the league
can get players of that caliber, and
have them micd up, this could be fun.
Id really want to see Sheed, Manu
Ginobli, and MoPete (remember when
he was the King of the Circus Shot?).
- I think Dwight Howard will walk
away with the Slam Dunk trophy
again, although people are always
really impressed when little guys like
Nate Robinson can pull it o. But
I swear, if Nasty Nate has to try the
same dunk more than three times, Im
changing channels. It was unbearable
to watch him mess up the same dunk
20 times in a row, and then get 50 when
he nally nails it on the 21st attempt
(gures shown are more than likely
inaccurate) like a couple years ago.
- Heres my idea for a couple of
events that the NBA should add
to All-Star Weekend: the rst is a
gimme - a one-on-one tournament.
How would a guy like Paul Pierce do
against a big guy like Bosh? I know
everyone would want to see Chris Paul
vs. Deron Williams.
Personally, Id love to see LeBron vs.
Melo. As for the winner? Im putting
my paycheck on Iverson. No question.
I would also be open to an NBA
Jam-style two-on-two tourney (idea
courtesy of Ball Dont Lie). Who comes
out on top between Bosh/Bargnani, or
Dwight Howard/Rashard Lewis? e
best team for this HAS to be the Lakers,
right? Nobody is beating Kobe/Gasol,
unless Im missing someone. Okay,
the second event is a reincarnation
of Slam-Ball. Remember Slam-Ball?
In the early 2000s, between Slam-
Ball and the XFL, I think we were on
the brink of something amazing in
the sports world. Its sad. Every time
I hear the phrase, He Hate Me, or,
and the Diablos take the lead!, a
part of me dies. Granted, its a very
small part, but still So, the second
event is basically the Slam-O from
Slam-Ball. For those uninitiated,
Slam-Ball was a mixture of hockey,
football, basketball, and. gymnastics
(cue the record scratching). ere were
trampolines under the net, making
crazy 1080 or backward-summersault
dunks common-place. Body-checking
was allowed, but when a penalty was
called, things were decided by a Slam-
O. One defensive player would hover
around the net, while an oensive
player had to run up the court and try
to dunk on him. When you include the
trampolines, it was legitimate theatre.
So the NBA should do that Have
guys like Gerald Green or Dhantay
Jones (underrated dunker) snap their
radius trying to posterize guys like Joel
Pryzbilla or Darko. Maybe they can
bring back Shawn Bradley specially for
this event. In any event, the defender
should always be an awkward, seven-
foot white guy.
- A big part of me wants Shaq to
have a throwback game and win the
All-Star Game MVP on Sunday. Im
worried that were forgetting just how
good he was.
Correction: Wilt, not Michael
In last weeks article, I made a
comment on how guys like Charles
Barkley, Hakeem Olajawon, and
Mark Price were overshadowed by
Michael Jordan (by the way, nobody
got overshadowed more by MJ than
Scottie Pippen. Pippen was arguably
the second-best player in the NBA
during the Michael years). is is
true. However, I went on to say that
Jordan was the best player to ever
play the game. is, on the other
hand, is not true. How I let a massive
oversight like that occur is beyond
me. I must have ODd on hyperbole.
In any event, I wanted to set the
record straight: Michael Jordan is not
the best basketball player ever. Wilt
Chamberlain is.
While Ill grant you that MJ is
probably number two on the all-
time list, his feats were at least
accomplishable by other human
beings. Players today put up 50 and 60
point eorts with some regularity, and
though it is not nearly as stunning as
when Jordan does it, we see guys like
Kobe at least partially replicating some
of the things that MJ did. Nobody will
ever come close to doing what Wilt
used to do. Here are some things you
need to know about the Big Dipper:
- He was the most gifted player,
physically: a genuine freak of nature.
Wilt was not just the best basketball
player of all time - he may have been
the best athlete of all time: while in
college at Kansas, Chamberlain was an
NCAA champion in long jump, triple
jump, shot put, and the high jump. After
he retired from the NBA, he formed
his own professional volleyball team,
Wilts Big Dippers, and immediately
rose them to the top of the rankings.
Chamberlain himself was considered
the worlds best volleyball player for
years following his basketball days.
- Wilts averages in 1961-62: 50.4
ppg. 25 rpg. PER GAME. at means
if he went out and scored 35 and
grabbed 18 boards, it was an o-night.
e NBA didnt keep track of blocks
back then, but players at the time
attest that Wilt easily blocked over 10
shots a game.
- While his 100-point game is his
most famous statistical performance,
my favourite Wilt feat is his getting
55 rebounds in a single game(!).
Many people think he was so tall and
everyone else was so much shorter, and
worse. Well, that game was against
Bill Russell (who many argue to be
the best defender of all time) and the
Boston Celtics, so
- When arriving to a party late, with
massive, deep cuts along his chest and
arms, and asked about what happened,
Chamberlain calmly explained that he
had pulled his car over onto the side
of a California highway to take a leak,
when he was attacked by a mountain
lion. Wilt Chamberlain (according
to Wilt Chamberlain) proceeded to
take out the mountain lion with his
bare hands. Im not making this up -
its one of the most documented Wilt
stories around.
So there you have it. Mountain
lions killed by Wilt: 1. Mountain lions
killed by Michael Jordan: 0. And with
that, the debate of the greatest player
in NBA history is settled.
As always, send your questions,
comments, or gushing fan mail to
dczarum@mta.ca
DCZ for three
Reections on the NBA All-Star Weekend
David Charles Zarum
Argosy Correspondent
Most people lose track of their New
Years resolutions once February
comes around. ey slack o or forget
about it all together. Instead of this,
you could try to incorporate these
three components of tness, cardio,
strength, and exibility, into your
exercise routine. If you dont have time
to go to the gym, you can at least do
some of a workout in your room. I
know we all have stressful weeks full
of midterms coming up, but exercise is
a great method of relieving stress. Try
it out!
e rst component of tness is
cardio. Cardiovascular tness involves
running, biking, jogging, or any other
kind of aerobic tness that lasts at least
20 minutes and gets the heart rate up.
For cardio to help you lose weight or
stay t, it has to be sustained activity
that raises your heart rate. is means
that walking leisurely doesnt count,
it has to be at a fast pace so that it
actually causes your breathing rates to
change.
Strength involves weight training
to build up muscular strength and
muscular endurance. e majority of
people focus on cardio work because
it helps you to lose the most calories.
In reality, muscle burns more calories,
as it burns calories when you arent
working out as well as when you are.
By doing weights or other strength
training, youll help more with your
weight loss.
Focus on form and quality rather
than speed to prevent injury. Also,
warm up beforehand to prevent injury;
it is important to keep your muscles
limber during strength training. Listen
to your body so you dont cause injury,
but push yourself to fatigue. Dont
stop your push-ups while youre still
feeling good, but continue until its too
dicult, rest, and do the same number
of push-ups again. (is applies to
other strength training as well.)
Basic weight training at the gym is a
great way to start, but if you cant make
it to the gym, you can use your own
body weight for your training. Planks,
push-ups, lunges, calf raises, walking
lunges, front kicks, standing side leg
lifts, the superman these are all great
exercises to help build muscle. Squats
are another great exercise as they work
the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and
calves all at once! Pick an area to focus
on each day and make sure to rest
each muscle a day or two in between
training however this doesnt mean
you cant do cardio and exibility, or
that you cant train other muscles.
Flexibility is the third component
of tness. is doesnt just mean a
quick stretch after cardio. It means
a stretching routine for your whole
body. Flexibility not only helps prevent
injury and soreness, it also helps with
breathing. Stretching teaches you how
to breathe properly, from the stomach,
instead of the chest, and makes aerobic
and strength work much easier. Yoga
is one of the best ways of practicing
and improving exibility. If you cant
sign up for a yoga class, go online and
nd a few stretches to practice in your
room alone, or use the stretches you
remember from your old gym classes.
Despite what you think, these stretches
are extremely helpful in improving
your overall tness.
ere you have it: the three
components of tness that you need to
follow to get in better shape. Be careful
and listen to your body. You should
push yourself, but not too hard, or you
could cause serious injury. It is better
to push yourself more in cardio than
in strength training. As long as you are
careful you can become a healthier and
more active individual.
Nicole Butler
Argosy Correspondent
ree components of tness
YOU NEVER KNOW
WHAT YOULL FIND
ON THE INTERNET. www.argosy.ca
www.justphotos.ca
27 THE ARGOSY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Six-foot-two Mitchell Peters of the
swimming Mounties has been honoured
for a second time as Mount Allisons
Athlete of the Week. is time its for his
performance in the Dal University pool
at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
Championships swim meet. Peters made
nals in three events and swam four
personal best times in the 200 Free, 100
Free, 50 Free, and the 50 Fly. Swimming
against a talented AUS pool of swimmers,
he took a bronze in the 200 Free, breaking
a 1989 Mount Allison record set by
Bruce Squires, and also setting another
school record in the 50 Fly, beating Ian
Rutherfords 2001 time. With all four
times, Peters qualied for the Eastern
Canadian Championships this upcoming
weekend in Halifax. He is also one of
two male swimmers in New Brunswick
who has already turned in a 2009 Canada
Games qualifying time.
A resident of Sackville, NB, Peters
is a former student at 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. Peters is also a member of
Mount Allisons championship
mens Atlantic Colleges Athletic
Associations (ACAA) cross-country
team and a former eight-time
provincial all-star swimmer for New
Brunswick.
Along with Olympic aspirations,
Peters is enrolled in rst-year Arts
and majors in archaeology.
Other nominees were: Laurel
Carlton (volleyball), Sarah
Sutherland (basketball), Dennis
Hopper (basketball), Meghan
Corley-Byrne (hockey), and Heather
& Carrie Murray (badminton).
Athlete of the Week
Mitchell Peters
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Hockey vs. UdeM; 7:15 PM
VS
Mountie Sports Week
Volleyball vs. St. omas University; 2:00 PM
Womens Basketball @ MSVU; 2:00 PM
Mens Basketball @ MSVU; 4:00 PM
VS
@
Sunday, February 15
Hockey vs. STU; 2:35 PM
VS
Womens Basketball vs. STU; 2:00 PM
Mens Basketball vs. STU; 4:00 PM
VS
Volleyball @ U Ste. Anne; 1:00 PM
@
By the numbers...
2001 - 2004
Years when NY Yankees third baseman Alex
Rodriguez has admitted to taking performance-
enhancing drugs
Sue Seaborn

On select 3-year plans. Offers subject to change without notice. *Available with any BlackBerry device with subscription to sel ect plans and activation with BlackBerry Internet Service. Includes unlimited personal e-mail (up to 10 accounts) while using BlackBerry on the
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CANADAS MOST RELIABLE NETWORK;
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(506) 450-8485
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1380 Mountain Rd.
(506) 383-4123
AML Communications
735 Main St.
(506) 388-3388
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ENTERTAINMENT
Every single one of us should aspire
to be Toni Lynn Washington when
we reach the age of seventy-two. Since
not all of us possess the vocal talents
of Washington, Im referring instead
to the spirit and charisma that she
still is able to exude while on stage.
Saturday night was a night of grooving,
hollering, and blues as legendary singer
Toni Lynn Washington and her band
took over Georges Roadhouse.
Despite coming in late to the
show, it wasnt hard to see the eect
Washington and her legendary band
had on Sackville. Georges was packed
to the edges with people of every
age range either boogying on the
dance oor or grooving in their seats.
e show, which was put on by the
Tantramar Blues Society, brought in
people from every area of town and,
more than likely, from out of town.
Playing along side Washington
was her band, which despite being
smaller than normal, gave an amazing
Julie Stephenson
Argosy Staff
Boston blues queen gains a throne in Sackville
Toni Lynn Washington plays Georges in an event by the TBS
Growing Op (Canada, Written &
Directed by Michael Melski, 2008)
Growing Op is a heartwarming
comedy that tells the story of a
homeschooled boy with a less than
normal home life. Quinn Dawson
(Steven Yaee) and his family live in
a quaint suburban neighborhood but
they are hiding a secret behind their
picket fence, a full blown marijuana-
growing operation. Quinn, who has
been forced to live a life of secrecy and
has always had trouble tting in, not
in small part because of his radically
anti-establishment marijuana-growing
parents. But when a new girl moves in
across the street, Quinn is determined
to nally go to high school in order to
win her heart. e story that ensues is
one of hilarity and pure honesty.
Filmed in Moncton, New
Brunswick, the lm has a familiar and
welcoming feel to it. Knowing that the
movie was shot just 30 minutes from
our own front doors, gives it a sense
of real world possibility. And the East
Coast pride doesnt stop there as the
soundtrack boasts such show stoppers
as Joel Plaskett, Jill Barber, and Jenn
Grant to name just a few. To top o
Erin Bulger
Argosy Contributor
performance. When Washington
periodically left the stage for breaks,
the band would continue performing
by themselves, keeping people on
their feet. If the chaotic movements
of the dancers were any indication, the
raw sounds of the bass, guitar, drums,
keyboard, and sax were powerful and
striking.
Each band member was smiling as
they moved along to the rhythms they
produced. Whether it was a soulful
movement or swamp-rock pounding,
they kept up with Washington. A
highlight of the night was the hum
of the bass and guitar players. In what
seemed like double time, the boys kept
up with Washingtons cadence.
e power of her band was obvious
as the applause occurred at the
beginning, middle, and end of each
song. While Washington was easily
the heart of the night, the sax player
may have been aiming to steal her
light. Looking close to bursting a lung,
he threw out intense solos that might
have just blown our little roadhouse
down.
Washington was a powerful entity
as she took the mike. She enticed
the audience into several choruses of
call and response, and even found her
boyfriend in the crowd. Despite
looking completely calm, and
surprisingly cool in the sweltering
roadhouse, Washington polished o
song after song. While I couldnt tell
you the name of or recite any of the
lyrics of Washingtons songs, I could
tell you that each made you want to
dance and move.
e crowd trickled out as the second
set progressed, leaving the more die
hard fans and those who could stay past
midnight. It is hard to appropriately
describe the sound of Washington and
her blues band. Her vocals switch from
sultry whispers to hip shaking croons
that tell tales of lovers, loneliness, and
a life well lived.
If anything could describe that
night it was two things: the shock of
the amount of people who turned out
for the concert and the overwhelming
grace of a singer who at seventy-two
owns the stage, the audience, and the
night.
Jocelyn Turner
Argosy Correspondent
Wanna get high?
Canadian comedy takes a look at normal
ere are some doubts
Meryl Streep straps on her golden cross in Doubt
Doubt (Starring Meryl Streep, Philip
Seymour Homan, and Amy Adams;
Directed by John Patrick Stanley,
2008)
e spectre of sexual abuse in the
Catholic school system rears its ugly
head in the Oscar darling, Doubt, set
in a 1960s New York Catholic school.
Head priest Father Flynns behaviour
towards the newest and only black
student at the school, Donald Miller,
is the seeming catalyst of the conict
at the centre of the lm.
When Father Flynn draws the
young student from her class, Sister
James (Amy Adams) becomes
suspicious. Miller returns smelling of
alcohol and appeared to be a bit upset
and discontent, as he placed his head
upon his desk. While clapping along
and laughing at the mishaps as the
children attempt to learn a new song,
Sister James spots Father Flynn at the
boys lockers with a white altar-boys
shirt in his hand. He smiles at her and
places the shirt into the locker. Once
he is gone, James opens the locker
to discover Millers shirt, reeking of
alcohol. With that, she heads o to
talk to Sister Beauvier, Meryl Streep.
Despite a sparse and seemingly dull
plotline, the lm was actually quite
decent. ere were cute little jokes in
the story that actually made it worth
watching. When you think about it
in general, the way the movie nished
didnt sit right, because I know at the
end I was like, Is that it?
Homan in the role as Father
Flynn didnt really surprise me. He
strikes me as the kind of actor who
tries to push his limits and take on
random roles that make the audience
think, which is exactly what this role
did. e lm and his acting took you
away from wondering why the hell he
was playing Father Flynn, a potential
sexual oender, and wondering
whether or not he was guilty. When
you watch him up on the big screen, in
this lm anyways, you can see why he
is perennial Oscar material.
As for Meryl Streep, Im left
wondering about her. In Doubt, shes
the head bitch, for lack of a better
description, but I still couldnt help but
think of her in those overalls and crazy
pattern-lled dresses from Mamma
Mia. I really question her for taking up
this role. Im aware that she won the
Screen Actors Guild Award for this
role, but I dont know if I completely
agree. She played the part well, but
for some reason I feel like she didnt
fully invest herself in her role, like
she did in Mamma Mia, or as well as
she routinely does with other roles. It
seems to me like she did this lm for
the paycheque - its almost as though
she looked at her bills and was like,
Oh! e mortgage is due, and signed
up for the role.
e idea of molestation in a church
makes your stomach turn, and the
Jessica Emin
idea that it could be hidden makes
you wonder how widespread it was,
and still is today. If this movie does
anything, I hope in the very least that
it draws attention to the Catholic
Churchs skeleton in the closet that is
nally being tackled in a real way.
If I had one major criticism of the
www.commonwealmagazine.org
lm, it would be the last line spoken
by Streeps character. She makes a
reection on the entirety of the lm by
saying one word. I dont nd that the
lm really needed it, as it did a pretty
good job of it on its own. Overall, the
lm was good, denitely worth 3.5
stars.
that delicious sundae of East Coast-
ness there were even several fellow
Mounties spotted in the background
busting out their acting chops.
East Coast pride aside, the movie
was a denite hit. e main character
Quinn is a very honest personality.
You could really feel his desperate
yearning to break free from the
connes of his abnormal family to join
the normal world. Quinn soon realizes
however, that the outside world is far
more screwed up then his own drug
pedaling familys. ough there is
denitely some over-dramatization
of the stereotypical characters in
every high school, for the most part
the characters were all very believable
personalities. e notion of drug use
evidently plays a major role in this
lm and is very naturally woven in. It
doesnt ever for one moment seem odd
that the Dawson family has a practical
jungle of marijuana growing in their
home. e script was written and
executed in such a fantastic way that
we never question how abnormal this
may actually be.
I am a big believer in paying more
attention to the audiences reactions
then reading what critics in magazines
and online have to say. I nd that
sometimes critics take their job titles
too seriously and are nothing but
critical. Well if the audience is any sort
of gauge on how good the movie is
then Id say two thumbs way up. e
crowd was in harmonious laughter
throughout the entire lm. During the
pivotal scenes the gasps and hands to
mouths were in unison and if that isnt
enough validation for you, the whole
crowd applauded at the end. How often
does that happen now a day? Growing
Op is deantly a crowd pleaser.
Tonights Film Society movie is Ive
Loved You So Long (France/Germany
2008). Tickets are $8 or $6 with a
membership. Come out and support
you local theater.
8 FEBRUARY 12, 2009 THE ARGOSY ENTERTAINMENT
For some people, art is contained
within a frame or a canvas, a subjective
yet nite work. en there are those
who like to tweak those boundaries.
Take, for instance, the IRiSs workshop
at Struts Gallery.
An acronym for Integrated
Ruptures in Sensory spaces, IRiSs is a
collaborative, improvisational work of
audio-visual art, equal parts concert and
art installation. Artists from Sackville,
Moncton and Halifax brought along
their own unique approaches to sound,
from digital four-track recorders to
laptop samples and what appeared to
be a video game controller. I spoke to
Struts Artist in Residence, Amanda
Dawn Christie, who used contact
microphones to contribute to the
piece. ese tiny mics are made from
musical greeting card elements the
metal parts that recognize when the
card is opened and closed soldered
to wires that are hooked up to a mixer.
e mics are indierent to noise, but
theyre extremely sensitive to touch.
Everything from silk to steel wool
creates a dierent sound, which is then
processed through the mixer.
Sometimes youre not even sure
whos making which sound, says
Amanda, adding that youre
modifying each others sounds at the
same time theyre being made. e
result is an amorphous, constantly
developing soundscape that every
visitor will experience dierently.
When I arrived, for example, the room
was lled with an oddly soothing
blend of jittery laptop samples and
static haze that eventually resolved
into a laid-back beat.
As for the visual portion of the show,
Amanda uses a vintage military analysis
projector that can freeze-frame, speed
up and otherwise manipulate her
collection of 1940s lm loops. e
image is then moved around the room,
using prisms and mirrors.
e idea is the lm isnt just one
screen that goes from start to nish
[with a] beginning, middle and end,
Amanda tells me. While the lm is
in progress, she stays at the projector,
trying to work with the musicians to
have a dialogue between image and
sound.
e end result is what Amanda
Christie calls an experiential space
where you can wander in [and] you
can wander out as you please. e
beauty of such a concept is that it lends
itself well to collaboration. If you have
a talent youd like to contribute, theres
another IRiSs workshop scheduled for
mid-April, though it might be held in
Halifax. Anyone who wants to take
part just needs to get in contact with
the organizers a few days prior to the
event. Watch the Argosy for more
information, and if youre in the mood
for something dierent, try having
your senses ruptured.
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
Struts struts its stu
Audio workshop bends time and space
On February 3, the Canadian Academy
of Recording Arts and Sciences
(CARAS) released the list of nominees
for the 2009 Juno Awards, to be held
in Vancouver. at same day, a nation
of critics and music fans collectively
banged their heads against the nearest
solid object. Its not hard to see why:
despite lovingly curated, burgeoning
music scenes around the country, the
Junos unfailingly honor mega-selling
critical btes noires like Nickelback,
Celine Dion and Simple Plan. So if
the Junos celebrate the excellence
of achievement in recorded music,
according to CARAS website, why do
they keep handing out nominations to
artists who show nothing of the sort?
In a word: sales. e Junos occupy a
middle ground between the Grammy
Awards, which base their nominations
on merit, and the now-defunct
Billboard Music Awards, which hands
out awards to the biggest sellers. Bear
with me, as this gets a little dry. Six of
the major, non-genre categories at the
Junos are based at least partially on
physical and digital sales. International
Album of the Year and Album of the
Year choose nominees based strictly
on record sales, while nods for Group
and Artist of the Year are determined
by CARAS members votes and sales.
New Artist and New Group of the
Year nominations are based on a
combination of sales and panel voting.
e winners are then chosen based on
member votes.
e remainder of the categories,
however, are completely independent
of sales, with nominees being chosen by
panels of experts. CARAS voters pick
the winners of awards 9 through 16,
38 and 39, which encompass country,
rap, alternative, pop and vocal jazz
albums, while the remaining winners
are chosen by these mysterious panels
of experts.
As much as I bristle at the idea of
basing awards even partially on sales, it
makes sense in this context. e Juno
Awards are, after all, a Canadian music
showcase, one founded and maintained
by music industry representatives. e
sales-based categories act as a tour de
force, an attempt to draw attention to
the Canadian roots of internationally
successful acts. So lets grit our teeth,
call it a necessary evil and move
further down the list, where the Junos
did many things right. ese panels
of experts chose well, giving nods to
deserving artists like Sloan, Old Man
Luedecke, Matthew Barber, Plants
and Animals, Elliott Brood, Fucked
Up, Chad VanGaalen and Black
Mountain. e genre-based nominees
are leaps and bounds ahead of those
at the Grammys: having experts
pick nominees and winners in niche
categories ensures that lesser-known
records are given due consideration.
Yeah, the Grammys nominated
Radiohead and Lil Wayne for album of
the year, but their Alternative Album
category might as well have been
called Best Rock Album Teenagers
on the Internet Seem to Like.
ats the Faustian bargain of
the Junos kneel before the throne
of Kroeger, and you get to sneak
your cool friends into the ceremony.
Look beyond the predictable main
categories, and youll nd theres a
wealth of worthy artists who stand to
gain a much wider audience. e Junos
are frustrating, sure, but you still cant
help being proud of them.
How very Canadian.
My Juno Predictions
Fucked Up will perform live, so
that frequently-shirtless/bloodied
lead singer Pink Eyes (nee Damian
Abraham) can break bottles of Colt 45,
three microphones and Ben Muloney
over his head.
Crystal Castles will also perform,
with Anne Murray standing in for
Neil Bonner
Argosy Staff
www.irocknroll.com
Alice Glass. e subsequent surge in
hipster cred will result in an all-covers
album where Anne performs songs by
Nine Inch Nails, Prince and Dr. Dre.
e presence of Guns n Roses,
Metallica and AC/DC in the Best
International Album category
will cause a rip in the space/time
continuum, sending Vancouver back
to 1987. Millions of dollars worth of
Vancouver 2010 merchandise will go
to waste. Axl Rose, however, will feel
right at home.
Not wanting to be outdone by
M.I.A.s very pregnant Grammy
performance, all four members of
Nickelback will give birth onstage.
Within hours, the newborns will
be able to play 90 per cent of the
Nickelback songbook.
Juno nominees are hit and miss
Combination of record sales and critical reception criteria make for an interesting mix of nominees
All hail King Chad, Leader of Men.