Caper Times Issue 10

The Caper Times

Volume 30, Issue 10

February 11th, 2009

What Is Your Final Answer? Get Out and Vote on February 12 and 13

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In This Issue: Election Coverage (Pgs. 2-5) “Taken” Review (Pg. 6) Battle of the Bands (Pgs. 8-9) “Marion Bridge” Leaves Many Wanting More (Pg. 10) Short Story Series (Pg. 11) Capers Coverage (Pgs. 12-14) Letter to the Editor (Pg. 15) And Much More!!! The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily the opinions of CBUSU or the Caper Times Editorial Board.

Pictured above are the candidates running for positions in the upcoming CBUSU elections. All photos are courtesy of Chris Lawrence. The Caper Times is: Editor-in-Chief: Chris Lawrence Associate Editor: Griffyn Chezenko

Business Manager: Marisha Bandaratilaka Distribution Manager: Misty MacPhee

Writers: Brittany Harnum Kenny McClean Sean O’Neill Leslie Yorke

If you do not agree with something in this paper, then do something about it. This is a student and community paper, and both the university and local community are encouraged to be heard. Have something that needs to be said or just want to say something? Contact the Caper Times at [email protected].

Page 2 /// Commentary

‘Tis the Season Once Again

Commentary from Chris Lawrence

‘Tis the season once again. Not THAT season again, but an important one nonetheless. This is the time of year when we make the decisions that we have to live with, officially, for 365 days. In reality, however, the decisions to be made on February 11th and 12th are ones that should affect CBU for a long time to come. We have an election this year. Unlike previous years, where it’s either a yes/no vote or there is only one good candidate, this year we have three tickets to choose from. Yes, that’s right, we actually have three. Up until the time of this publication, however, there only seem to be two tickets campaigning. I have not met with or discussed policy with the third team so they will go relatively unmentioned in this opinion. Up on the block this year, for your discretion, are the teams of Ricky and Francis, and Suzanne and Adrianne.

Both of these teams seem to have a clear, committed outlook on how the Students’ Union should be executed from the time they take office and thereafter. For the preparation of this piece, I had asked both teams to meet with me, on their time, and allow me to ask them a few questions about their policy and their “visions.” We’ll start off with the similarities. Both teams are experienced, capable, and would make a good choice (let’s get that out of the way). Both teams have a strong work ethic and a fairly precise idea of what they want to do with their time as executives. They both have good working relationships between the President/Vice-president before entering the race. The dynamics between the Presidential candidate and their VP are similar, in that the President is the negotiator and policy maker, while the VP leans more towards personal communication and relations, and both teams want nothing but the best for CBU students.

This is where things begin to differ, however. Granted, some of their platforms are similar. Both agree that updates need to be made to current union communication systems, and that more advocacy and lobbying must take place. But their ideas on achieving these goals are a bit different. The Ricky/Francis ticket seems to be a more “in the now” campaign. Everything they seem to be shooting for would affect students who will be voting for them. Their main concern is making the 20092010 year’s experience as good as they possibly can. I get the impression, however, that the Suzanne/Adrianne ticket wants its main priority to be lobbying to fix problems that will affect students now and in the years to come. To me, the choice seems to be between the union we currently have, with added lobbying and a union of lobbyists with community events taking second place. Other than this prioritizing, the intent of both groups is the same. Make

The Caper Times

the union better. It is up to you, the voter, to decide on whose personality you like more, who you find more accessible. You have to decide who you think will be more approachable to you, the student. Both teams will spend many long nights working for you, the student. You have to decide whether you want them to spend that night preparing rally speeches, tracking down contacts and networking, organizing a big concert, or working on programs that will better define and benefit our university. Unfortunately, there are more aspects of this than I can possibly cover with one article. It is up to you, the voter, to decide who you like more for president. Both teams are suited, but you have to have your say to pick the face you want to put on our hard-working union.

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February 11, 2009

Notices

My name is Andrew Letson and I am running for the position of Business Representative on the SRC. This is my first year at CBU and I am in my third year of business studies. Not only do I want to represent the Shannon School of Business at SRC, but every CBU student as well. I think being involved with your school is a very important thing and provides the opportunity to help improve student life. I am from Saint John, New Brunswick, and completed the Business Administration: Marketing program at the New Brunswick Community College. I enjoy being part of the student body here at CBU and look forward to hopefully serving all of you on SRC. Thank you.

Students’ Union Elections 2009 /// Page 3

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Page 4 /// Students’ Union Elections 2009

The Caper Times

Suzanne and Adrianne Want Your Votes

A Message from Suzanne and Adrianne

We are excited to put our names forward for candidacy for Students’ Union executive, and to offer a strong voice of change and new leadership on our campus. We have a mix of the experience needed, as well as the fresh insights and new ideas, to advocate strongly for the interests of the entire student body. We need a stronger and more effective Students’ Union. Rather than the status quo, we need to enhance the union’s lobbying and activism on behalf of the interests of all students on our campus, improve the services the Students’ Union provides, and work with the administration and our university faculty and staff to create a student-friendly institution. Our experiences in various types of campus-based as well as community activism and advocacy have taught us valuable lessons. It is a steep uphill climb to secure even the smallest of victories. One of the most important lessons that we have learned in recent years is that there is strength in numbers,

and that when students are united, people in positions of power have no choice but to listen. The current threeyear provincial government agreement to freeze tuitions is an immediate example of gains that can be made by unity and solidarity on our campus, as well as with the broader students’ movement throughout the province. Student activists across Nova Scotia mobilized in large numbers and engaged in concerted lobbying campaigns to win the current tuition freeze. We are committed to working towards extending that freeze and going beyond it— to winning gradual tuition reductions and improvements in provincial government funding for the University of Cape Breton. Tremendous amounts of student debt are an issue we hear from students about daily, and we need a Students’ Union Executive which is committed to working now on strategies to reduce student debt loads, including increasing federal government transfer payments as well as provincial government contributions. It’s the job of the Students’ Union work

with the Administration of CBU to achieve a student-centered approach to running this institution. It’s also our job to remind our elected officials at all levels of government that investing in students and education improves our society, and that valuing education means making our university fully ac-

cessible. But we can’t depend on government to see the value in education, we have to actively lobby for it, organize people in support of it, and when needed, actively fight on students’ behalf for it. We all pay into the Students’ Union budget through our fees, and one of the most important things we do as fellow union members is support each other through our union’s services and programming. Our platform (which is accessible on

our website at www. unitedcbu.ca) contains ideas and commitments that would reinforce and improve such services as tutoring and emergency bursaries. The tutoring program provides much-needed services to members of our campus community and an important area of employment and income for students on the campus. Improved accessibility, a competitive salary for tutors, and simple renovations to the tutoring room would make this important program even more successful. Communication between the Students’ Union leadership and the rest of the student body is crucial, which is why it is a key plank in our platform. No one has legitimacy to speak on behalf of students if no attempt, or only weak and half-hearted attempts, are made to engage with and listen to student concerns, or to let them know what is going on. An “open door” policy is useless if you don’t know where that door is, or if you don’t feel comfortable approaching an office space that often seems like a clique and social club. We commit to reach out and engage with the entire student

body, including establishing a booth in the cafeteria to make information and resources more accessible and to do our part to meet students in a more physically accessible place and to actively solicit a breadth of opinions from throughout the campus community. A functional and effective Students’ Union is not just a handful of people sitting at desks in offices. The Union is all of the students, and it’s the duty of the executive to make sure all voices are heard. We have heard from many of the students on this campus of the need for change in leadership, and for a leadership that will be passionate and committed to acting on behalf of all students interests. When you vote for us—Suzanne and Adrianne—you are voting for a team that will work passionately in solidarity with you, not hide from you in our offices. You will be voting for a team that is committed to enhancing communications, improving infrastructure, and making advocacy a top priority. You will be voting for significant change, not an ineffective status quo.

February 11, 2009

Students’ Union Elections 2009 /// Page 5

Ricky McCarthy and Francis Mvere 2009-2010 “Experience Matters” A Message from Ricky and Francis

Hi Everyone! We are very proud to introduce our team to YOU, the students. As the polling dates approach, we will be campaigning throughout the school. Our focus right now is to try to get to know as many students as possible and get their opinions and suggestions on what they may like to see from their Students’ Union in the upcoming 2009-2010 year. Leading up to this election, we assembled our campaign team with fifteen very motivated and driven students. They have been there every step of the way and have really gone above and beyond anything we could have asked from them. We are looking forward to the days to come and wish all candidates the best of luck! Ricky is a local student from Glace Bay. He is in his 4th year, finishing up an Arts degree, concentrating in psychology, and beginning his BBA. Ricky is a big fan of the local sport and music scenes. He has enjoyed being a volunteer in the union through Shinerama, Love Africa week, and Frosh Week to name a few. After spending a year keeping stats for the Capers varsity sports teams, organizing intramurals for Campus life, and becoming a dedicated volunteer in

the Students’ Union, he decided to he had something more to give to our school. Along with Matt Stewart, the current President of the SU, Ricky ran for Vice President-Academic. This has been a great learning experience and we feel more than confident that Ricky is ready to lead the students of our school to new heights. Being Vice President this year has really been an incredible experience; however, there is more that he feels he would like to accomplish. As President, Ricky is ready, willing, and able to give the students of this university, the effort and determination that they deserve. Francis is an International student all the way from Zimbabwe. He came to Canada to attend CBU and has never turned back. He is in his 4th year of a Business degree with a concentration in marketing but has decided to return to broaden his area of study to finance. Francis is always keeping busy. As a Residence Director in 06-07, he helped provide students on residence with a safe and enjoyable place to live. In 2007, Francis decided he wanted more responsibility and ran for Vice President of the International Students’ Society. This was a great year for the society and Francis is still a big part of the society today. He is now the Assistant Manager

of Caper Convenience and is a proud father of his daughter Lindsey. He now feels he wants to make one last mark and provide students with a VP Academic it deserves. There are many issues facing the Students’ Union and our university. Together we have come up with a solid platform that has several attainable goals. We will lobby

on tuition, with or without ANSSA, depending on the results of the Referendum in March. We personally believe it is in our students’ best interest to join this group as they represent an overwhelming majority of the post secondary student population in our province and effectively lobby the Provincial Government. We will also question the Administration of our school on parking issues, wireless internet, and the lack of internships and CO-OP programs in schools oth-

er than business. Not to mention the possibility of receiving credits for these programs like they have at other Nova Scotia Universities. Our team has had numerous discussions on where exactly priorities should lie within the CBUSU. We both feel that our main purpose as a Students’ Union should be to provide our students with the best possible experience while attending this university, whether it is ensuring high-quality academics, organizing campus events and concerts, or providing students with on-campus career expos to aid in finding careers both on and off the Island. It also very important that we remember our campus is filled with first year students that have yet to reach the age of 19 and we will ensure that it will be a priority to increase the amount of events and activities for all of these students. There are always those things that can be done quick and smoothly, but there are also those that may take some time. We refuse to make false promises and will work diligently to ensure we carry out as many of our campaign ideas as possible. Things we are going to work incredibly hard at, but may take some time, are the idea of a healthy selection in Caper Convenience, developing an online forum, and continuing the

increase in traffic on the CBUSU website. Tradition is something we feel is extremely important for a university campus and improves the overall atmosphere of the student population. Over the past few years, we have noticed the campus tradition here grow dramatically. Student crowds at Capers Athletics games have increased, volunteer fundraising has never raised more money, and the pride felt when wearing a CBU ring is increasing every year. This is why we will do our best to bring back this University’s Ring Ceremony, and attempt to increase the unity of our students. Please remember, our ideas do not just sit in this all-encompassing campaign platform. We want your suggestions, opinions, comments, questions, and anything else you can throw at us. We have set up an email address, rickyandfrancis_2009@hotmail. com, and will be around campus and visiting class rooms for the next few days. Feel free to email anything that may be on your mind or stop us in the halls to question us about our campaign. We look forward to this election process and will do our absolute best to become your next President and Vice President of the Cape Breton University Students’ Union. Thank you all for your time and your Vote!

Page 6 /// Arts & Entertainment

The Caper Times

Celluloid and Cynicism - Taken

By Kenny McClean

It’s easy to sit back and pick apart bad movies. It’s a lot easier to gloat about plot holes and poor acting than it is to keep things in balance. For every plot hole you could drive a truck through, “Taken” had a scene or a line that made up for it, until about halfway through the movie, when it became a brainless action film that would have suited Steven Seagal in his prime. We’ll start with the good, because it’ll be over quickly. Liam Neeson is not a bad actor. Every other person in “Taken” hams it up like a high school production of Hamlet, but Neeson at least put forward a halfhearted attempt. It’s a good thing, too, because he and his wrinkles take up the screen 95% of the time. Neeson takes up most of the screen time, and after the plot is taken care of (about 20 minutes in), he spends the remaining hour and 10 minutes of the movie running people over and hitting them in the throat. That’s all fine and good for an action movie. The problem I have is thus: Liam Neeson is 56 years old. He is of retirement age and showing it. He’s of the age that he should be put out to pasture, not playing secret agent/white knight. There is no way a man of his age could run around France kicking ass and taking names in such an egregious fashion, no matter what kind of training he held. Putting this aside, Neeson does as best a job as he could with the storyline he was playing a part in. If any middle aged man could take on a Bulgarian gang singlehandedly and win, I

am convinced it would be Liam Neeson. I vote we send him to end the conflict in the Middle East: by all appearances, he’s bulletproof and some sort of ninja. The other problem I had with “Taken” is that none of the characters are likeable. I was not able to sympathize with the plight of Maggie Grace as a kidnapped rich white girl, nor was I able to empathize with Liam Neeson as the father who refused to say no, had his spoiled 17-year-old daughter run off, and then had to commit atrocities to rescue her from her own idiocy. Famke Janssen’s character is unlikeable at best, and a shrill, bitter harpy at worst. Perfectly content to give Neeson the cold shoulder at first and then send him to do the wet-work when things go bad, her character has no redeeming features or qualities, much like her acting job. Acting and plot aside, “Taken” flowed quickly in the grimy, washed out underbelly of Paris, a world that most definitely exists. There’s more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre: poverty, corruption, and misery exist everywhere, and “Taken” took this to heart. Director Pierre Morel has assembled a cast of unlikeable characters playing out a preposterous plot line ripped from a Tom Clancy novel, without the slick production values of movies such as The Hunt for Red October. Nearly devoid of merit and seemingly lacking in any member of the production crew who cared, “Taken” is bound to be a steal in the 2-for-$10 bin at Wal-Mart by this time next year.

February 11, 2009

News /// Page 7

The failure of 50.4%

Why high voter turnout at St. FX won’t be an annual occurrence By Danielle Webb The Xaverian Weekly (St. Francis Xavier University)

ANTIGONISH (CUP) – “We’re going to stick it to St.FX,” proclaimed an ambitious University of Ottawa Elections Bureau radio host on his campus’s radio station last Monday morning. There’s plenty of praise for the record-shattering voter turnout for last year’s student union election at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. Conversations with student journalists across the country confirm it: Everyone is in awe of the 50 per cent turnout feat, and their respective students’ unions are scrambling to beat it – all of them failing. For years, St. FX was just like every other university across Canada, struggling to get students to vote. Students’ unions were accused of corruption, scandal, over-spending, self-indulgence, and the list goes on. Participating in union elections felt like trying to get the big kids to let you play ball. Disconnect was synonymous with student politics. Last year, a strong, competent and visionary elections office, combined with an engaging executive, managed to convince almost every student that their vote mattered and that nobody was truly disenfranchised from student

politics. Democracy was alive, the gloves came off, and for the first time in student union history, we gave a damn. But last year’s efforts will all be in vain. Last year’s enthusiasm and engagement are virtually non-existent. Compare the number of posters that campaigns have raised across campus. Compare the number of buttons, advertisements, and discussions. Compare the major issues on every student’s lips. How many people are even aware of the election, let alone who’s running? What about the simple fact that not a single senate or senior class president candidate has been announced? Or, that the union’s chief returning officer resigned on Tuesday? On the heels of a landmark campaign that raised St. FX’s profile across the country, when the eyes of student governments from coast-to-coast are upon us – we seem destined to disappoint. Last year’s vote handed this year’s executive the confidence of most students on campus. All they had to do was keep relations on par, and who could fault their work? But things haven’t been on par, and unionstudent communication, or lack thereof, has been the biggest factor. Take Drive U for example. This program that offers safe transportation home for students was one of the better, more plausible ideas that came out of

last year’s election. It was one of the first promises the new president and vice-president followed through on. But, it’s been failing miserably because students don’t even know it exists. This election is suffering from that same lack of publicity. I’ve seen two, count ‘em, two posters – on 8.5 x 11” computer paper – advising students on how they can submit their names for candidacy.

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa – largely in its efforts to beat St.FX’s record – put together such an extensive recruitment campaign this year that they have ten candidates running for board of governors alone. Now that’s engagement. It’s the kind of engagement we had last year and it’s the kind of engagement that’s been tossed out the window this year.

Students need to know you care about them, even after you’ve been elected. Unless something drastic happens in the final days of the campaign, voter turnout will decrease dramatically, just like old times. If the University of Ottawa wants a fight, we’re ready to hand them their victory. Our students gave it 50.4 per cent and the union hasn’t been able to even meet us halfway.

Page 8 /// Arts & Entertainment

Battle of the Bands @ the Pit Here are some of the highlights from the first few performances. If you want to check out some of the bands live, the Battle rages on for several more weeks. Performances run on Thursdays at the Pit. For more info, check out the Battle of the Bands Facebook Group.

The Caper Times All Photos Courtesy Chris Lawrence /// CT

February 11, 2009

Arts & Entertainment /// Page 9

Page 10 /// Arts & Entertainment

The Caper Times

Personal Struggles On and Off Stage

By Brittany Harnum

“Another day, another drama.” You might recognize these words from Britney Spears’ song “Piece of Me,” and I’m going to be brutally honest with you (which may or may not be a good thing). Those words were how I felt when I was assigned to write this article. There was nothing against the Playhouse, the editing staff, or my boss at the Caper Times; but I just wondered what another play could offer me? (Editor’s Note: Brittany, you’re fired!) What if this was just another play with a depressing but warm tone about families coming together. Yet again, there isn’t anything wrong with that; I was just unenthusiastic because I believed that it had nothing to offer me. I’ve been writing about the plays from the Boardmore Playhouse for about two years now and I felt that there was nothing left to surprise me. How could I write a review or commentary on something

that didn’t offer anything new? “Another day, another drama.” Nothing new, just the standard broken family, three sisters, trying to make amends before their mother dies story. I expected tears and heartache, long over done, metaphorical monologues and a bare stage. We have all been there: a standard play with a basic plot and little left for the imagination. It’s plays like this that the make you feel that once you seen one, you’ve seen them all... I was, without a doubt, most certainly WRONG! Daniel McIvor’s play “Marion Bridge” was more then I ever expected, and the actresses had a better chemistry on stage then I imagined. But what I didn’t expect was humour. I must admit that the only other play I read by Daniel McIvor was “In On It,” and I don’t remember laughing through that. So like a lot of us, I went into that theatre one chilly opening night thinking that one McIvor play was just like the other. A friend of mine

tells me never to assume anything and I hate to admit that he was right (but we won’t tell him that). The play is in the McIvor fashion: a plot that appears simple on the surface, with as few characters as possible, and a stage furnished with only the necessities to emphasize a setting. The plot goes something like this: three estranged sisters who live completely different lives (one an alcoholic struggling actress, one a nun, and the other the average teenage girl) forced together to tend to their dying mother in the family home. Tempers blaze as their worlds clash. Emotion seeps from the first monologue by Agnes played by Serena MacDonald to the final blackout. What made the play was the chemistry between the three women. At first I doubted whether they would be able portray the bond and convince the audience (and me) that they cared for each other. They had to prove that there was that relationship from start to finish, through the scenes that they argued and raged and the scenes in which they were sympathetic and supportive. The family drama played out on stage with little or no effort. The anger and frustration filled the stage and the tenderness brought tears to the audience’s eyes. Their personal struggles of acceptance, understanding and healing were felt throughout the dark theatre. The emotional rollercoaster held the on-lookers in their seats. But as mentioned, I never expected to laugh so much. Perhaps it was the simple family bickering

that everyone could relate to or something more but either way it was funny. From Agnes’s sarcasm, or Theresa’s (Kerrianne MacKenzie) innocent naivety of modern world, to Louise’s (Rachael Rossiter) seemly oblivious nature to anything outside her world, it had me amused and entertained. In fact I was still talking about it in the days that followed (to the annoyance of my friends who had to suffer through my enjoyment through their only breaks from class). As I think about the play now I realize that I’m happy to be wrong. My faith in the theatre had been restored. I guess it’s kind of like a horror movie: we all go knowing there is going to be a ghost, an axe murderer who didn’t get enough love from his mother, a shack in the woods, a group of teenagers on spring break, and a blonde that always dies first. But we still see it because it’s the unexpected that brings us back. I’m not comparing “Marion Bridge” to a grade B horror flick (it’s so much better and worth your money), all I’m trying to say is that it’s what we don’t expect that keeps our faith and the seats full.

I guess I needed to find a reason to go again and to write this article. After all, two years of play reviews can be kind of daunting. Then it hits me—the reason, that is. And I can’t take credit for it because, really, it was something some one always said to me. Mike McPhee (Director of “Marion Bridge) has been a dear friend for the last couple of years and used to be my drama teacher. After I graduated, I tried to attend the local plays his students performed because, in case you can’t tell, I love the theatre. And at the end of every play he would find me and ask me the same question, “Did you like it?” and usually I did; that was my answer to him. Then he would say, “Good. Now go tell your friends and get them here.” And that would be it. It was the usual McPhee way, encouraging and to the point. It was endearing in his own way. But after all these years, the words left an impression on me. So I’ll try my best and tell my friends. Not promising that they will all come but I’ll try to try. And that’s really all a person can do.

For more information on the CBU Drama Group and upcoming plays and events, check out their website. discovery.cbu.ca/drama

February 11, 2009

Diversions /// Page 11

Caper Times Short Story: “Lillian” (Part II) By Leslie Yorke

Ready for a baby? Who is able to answer that? Are you the one supposed to decide whether or not you are capable and ready to handle a child or is someone else supposed to answer that for you? We are ready. The clock ticked slower than normal each day while we waited for Thursday. The day the miracle would happen. We thought about everything; seriously everything. We discussed names, baby showers, colors, room decorations, godparents, elementary schools, churches and even what food we would feed it. My girlfriend decided she didn’t want to breast feed which is fine, but the kid’s going to end up with eczema like me and it’s her fault. We decided we would feed the baby half organic and half home made foods. My mother in law made her babies food and they loved it. So that was decided.

Money was put away specifically for the baby that was not even in her stomach yet. My girlfriend even started drinking milk all the time just so that she could get in the habit so the little one’s bones would be strong. All the pills and medicine are put away in a cabinet tied tightly by a shoelace so no infants can get in it. It would have a kind of Noah’s Arc themed bedroom with cuddly animals all over the place. All the details were basically shaken out and decided. My best friend who would soon be the father would have endless conversations with us about how happy he was and how he would do anything for us. He was given us the miracle of life and I don’t think he realises how much that means to us. All the details were finalised and we purchased all that was needed to get the job done. It was simple and it didn’t take much work, just paComics courtesy XKCD.com

tience and a willingness to continue. This was a commitment to all parties. Having a baby doesn’t always work the first time so for us we all would have to be open to continue trying. Which every party agreed to. I should have made up legal documents to sign. The lines of a donor run very clearly. Of course it’s different depending on the case. Like ours for instance he would be a donor, godfather and would be able to be there for it to the extent he chose. He is my best friend after all and I trust him with everything. Including the life of my unborn baby. What is a donor? A donor is someone who willingly donates a part of themselves to help another person. Does that give them any right to make a life changing decision for you? Or does their opinion even matter at all on the subject? If someone has offered you something

it should not be a problem for that person to go through with it. The donor must separate himself from the lives of the people he is affecting. In our case we gave him the option to see our beautiful miracle as much as he chose. Only of course because he is my best friend and the God father after all. Is he technically the father? Yes, genetically he is, but legally as a donor you give up your right to say that it is your child. You gave over all parental right to the parents you are helping. So many questions come up when I am talking to people about this decision I have made. They ask me questions like am I ready? Or can I afford to have a child? The answers to both of those questions is yes. The process of going to a clinic in Halifax would be difficult and expensive; not that actual baby. I have basically been the mother to my sister for as long as

I can remember and I believe whole heartedly that I am prepared and ready to be a mother. I want this more than anything. You can have the clothes off my back and the roof over my head (not really I would need those things to raise a child) to have this beautiful child. It is a difficult road and I am ready to take it. I have a new job, more money and more than anything, I have determination. My partner of course has all these things also. So do we deserve this baby? My best friend is hesitant. He is unsure. There is not much time before Thursday and it seems as though my hopes and dreams are being torn from me. I’m not sure if I can convince him that this is okay or if anything will change his mind. The clock is ticking. Will this be the end of our wonderful Lilly? She hasn’t even had a chance yet. Can he rip that from her already?

Page 12 /// Sports

The Caper Times

An Eventful Week: Controversy, Cancer Awareness, Scoring Records, National Awards & Tearful Good-byes By Sean O’Neill

The pre-game atmosphere at the Sullivan Fieldhouse had been the most palpable of the season on January 25. The source of the excitement was longtime rival St. Francis Xavier’s trip to the Cape for a massive four-point game on both the women’s and men’s side of the basketball standings. Each game gave Capers fans moments that they will never forget... and for completely different reasons. On the men’s side of the basketball, most of the Canadian basketball community is aware of what transpired at the home game against St. FX. The polarizing incident, one that will linger longer in the memory than the astounding basketball game that was taking place on the court, has finally come to some closure. St. FX assistant coach, and former X-Men player Garry Gallimore has resigned from his post effective immediately. With 13.7 seconds left in the game, Gallimore slapped a CBU minor official in the face after a dispute in which St. FX head coach Steve Konchalski believed that the time-out he called was not buzzed-in at the scorer’s table. This comes after a formal complaint from CBU was filed to Atlantic University Sport, accusing both Konchalski and Gallimore of “Breach of Conduct” and written articles about the

incident were written by all members of the gameday staff recalling what they saw transpire at the scorer’s table. Initially, Gallimore was suspended by St. FX for four games. But less than a week after the episode, Gallimore resigned and issued the following statement to StFX Communications: “In light of the events that occurred in the StFXCBU basketball game of January 28th, I have decided to step down as assistant coach of the StFX men’s basketball team. I realize that physical confrontation with game officials has no place in university sport. My action at the end of the game was totally out of character with how I have conducted myself through many years of basketball. But my action was unacceptable, and the right way to show that is to resign.” “I sincerely apologize and express my personal regret to the young man involved, to Cape Breton University, and to my alma mater, StFX University.” “The StFX Athletic Department expects and requires high standards of conduct from athletes and coaches,” said Director of Athletics, Leo MacPherson. “Mr. Gallimore’s resignation reflects an understanding of what is acceptable and what is clearly unacceptable.” While St. FX countered the CBU complaint by claiming that a “lack of crowd control and unpro-

fessional behavior” contributed to the loud and boisterous atmosphere at the game, no logical correlation can be made between a rowdy crowd and a moment of madness from a coach. They are two separate incidents, and St. Francis Xavier has now admitted as much. Gallimore has taken responsibility for his actions, and now both teams, fans, and universities can move on from this incident. It’s a shame that so much as been written about this incident, because if it didn’t take place, the internet and newspaper articles dedicated to this game wouldn’t be as large, diverse and profound; basketball message boards would not be heating up with biased and un-biased debate; and the highlights of the game would not be taken down from YouTube because of derogatory messages written beneath the video. In reality, this was the most energetic, dramatic and exciting basketball game to be played at the Fieldhouse in years. Lead changes were plentiful; 3-pointers were being drained left, right, and center; a player on each team took the game by the scruff of the neck; and the atmosphere in the building was the best all season long. The Capers won the dramatic game 90-86 behind a mammoth performance by forward Phil Nkrumah as he registered 39 points, 18 rebounds, nine of which were offensive, four

assists, four steals, and a block. He drained 59% of his field goals and 67% of his three-pointers. X guard Christian Upshaw was fantastic in defeat, showing why he might possibly be the best player in the conference. Upshaw scored 38 points, shooting 12/21 from the field and 9/15 from behind the arc. A place on the bleachers at the Oland Centre for the rematch on February 26 will be the hottest seat in Nova Scotia. Two days later, the Capers played in a game that had the anticipation of a 50-inch snowstorm. The last-place University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds were the Capers next opponent, and the result was predictable as the Capers won easily 91-62. Tremaine Fraser led all Capers’ scorers with 18 points and six assists. Nkrumah finished another massive game with his second double-double of the week, as he registered 12 points and 15 rebounds. For his efforts Nkrumah has won both Subway AUS Male Athlete of the Week and CIS Male Athlete of the week for the period ending February 1, 2009. The Capers currently sit second in the AUS standings with a 10-3 record for 30 points. They are two points behind St. FX for first and a comfortable eight points ahead of Saint Mary’s, who has taken all eight points from the Capers this year but have fallen off due to a surpris-

ing loss against Acadia. The Huskies have two winnable games against UNB on the 7th and 8th of February and two fourpoint games against Memorial on the 13th and 14th. These 12 points should be fairly straightforward for the Huskies, which renders the two games at UPEI on the 7th and 8th vital for the Capers if they are to keep their first-round bye spot. However, UPEI is 6-1 in Charlottetown this season, and have added two players from the Bahamas for the second half of the season, in 6’7” forward Gamaliel Rose and 6’2” guard Jeffrey Rodgers. Rose has made an immediate impact as he has averaged 18.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in the 10 games in which he has played. After the two games against the Panthers, they finish off their home schedule with two games against Dalhousie, on the 14th and 15th of February. The Capers split the two games against the Tigers at the DalPlex this season. ***** Turning to the women’s side of the basketball, the Capers faced an X-Women squad that was vastly improved from the team that failed to make the playoffs last season. With former Caper player Matt Skinn directing them on the sidelines, St. FX gave CBU all they could handle as they pressed them to death and the game went down to the wire.

February 11, 2009 With 28.2 seconds left in the game, the Capers were up by 4 as X took a time-out. The X-Women have committed five fouls in the fourth, while the Capers have only been whistled for three. The lead is cut to one as X guard Ashley Stephen drains a three-pointer with 18.4 left on the clock. Capers forward Karmen Brown is fouled after the time-out, but makes only her final shot as CBU’s lead is now at two. X’s chance to tie the game is squandered as Stephen picked up her dribble and launched a desperation shot that was missed badly and the Capers grabbed the rebound. Kari Everett was fouled with 4.3 seconds left. Another twist in the tale was about to unfold as Everett missed both freethrows and St. FX raced down the floor and threw a desperation shot up as time expired. However, Elyse Hnatiuk was clearly fouled as she launched said shot from half-court as the buzzer sounded. The foul was called on the Capers’ Kelsey Hodgson, and everyone in the building thought that Hnatiuk would go to the foul-line for three shots, needing to drain all three for the win with no time left on the clock. But the referees claimed that it was not a shooting foul. How they made this determination is unknown, but with a foulto-give, the Capers escaped the situation as the ball was inbounded with one second left on the clock—which was not nearly enough time for X to get a meaningful shot up. The Capers won the game 66-64. The Capers survived this game by the skin of their teeth, and the

X-Women should feel that they could have won this game if the refereeing decision went the other way. Everett led all scorers on the day with 21 points, as well as five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Stephen led St. FX with 18 points. On January 27, the Capers rocked their brandnew pink uniforms for Shoot for the Cure day, as they tried to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research, when they faced the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. All of the related activities on the day made the game seem obsolete. Along with more than 40 cancer survivors walking around the gym at halftime to show the collective strength of surviving this terrible disease, a gym decorated in pink, and endless opportunities to donate money to the cause, the day was an absolute success. In total, more than $11,500 was raised for the fight against breast cancer, and Capers centre Stephanie Toxopeus raised $1,000 on her own—which led to her head being shaved at halftime of the men’s game. Nothing on the court could out-shine all of the good work going on around the game, but Kelsey Hodgson did her best to bring the attention to herself. Against UNB she scored a school record 46 points, which is the second highest total in AUS history behind Carol Turney, who scored 50 for Saint Mary’s in 1976. Her pace helped the Capers beat the Varsity Reds 85-61. Following in Nkrumah’s footsteps, Hodgson did the AUS-CIS daily double as she swooped up both Female Athlete of the

Sports /// Page 13 Chris Lawrence /// CT

Week awards for the week ending February 1, 2009. The Capers currently sit in first-place in the AUS with an 11-3 record for 38 points. If the Capers can get a split against Dalhousie in their two remaining home games, they should be in great shape for one of the first-round byes in the AUS playoffs, which begin February 27, at Dalhousie. They play last-place UPEI twice on February 7 and 8, then come home for the final home-stand of the season against Dalhousie on the 14th and 15th as they look to lock-up a firstround bye in the playoffs against the nearest rival in the standings. ***** For the women’s vol-

leyball team, they have already concluded their home schedule for the 2008-09 season. On January 23, the Capers played a five-set marathon against St. FX. After dropping the first two sets 25-18, 26-24, the Capers rallied back into the match. They won the next two sets 25-15, 25-17. The fifth and decisive set was exhilarating as the Capers won 15-12 to win the match 3-2. It was a massive result that leap-frogged them over St. FX in the standings. The final two matches were also straightforward. They defeated UPEI 2521, 25-21, 25-21. The final home match was against Acadia, and prior to the opening serve, a special presentation was made to Brianne Walsh and April

Costello as they played in their final match at the Fieldhouse. Head coach Claude Lapre read to the crowd about how he expected Walsh to become the best player on the team—and did. And how Costello would show as much energy in practice and games as she did singing on the way home from games. He also raved about their commitment to the team and the university. Suffice to say, things got a little emotional as they were introduced to the crowd and flowers were handed to the graduating players. Walsh and Costello walked off the Caper floor the final time as winners as they beat Acadia 25-12, 25-14, 21-25, 25-14. These three wins have clinched... Continued on Page 14

Page 14 /// Sports

The Caper Times

St. F.X. Loses More Than a Basketball Game at CBU

Chris Lawrence /// CT

Chris Lawrence /// CT

Capers Athletics — Upcoming Events Men’s Basketball Saturday, February 14, 2009: Dalhousie @ CBU — 8 PM Sunday, February 15, 2009: Dalhousie @ CBU — 3 PM Friday, February 20, 2009: CBU @ Memorial — 8 PM Saturday, February 21, 2009: CBU @ Memorial — 2 PM Thursday, February 26, 2009: St. FX @ CBU — 7 PM Women’s Basketball Saturday, February 14, 2009: Dalhousie @ CBU — 6 PM Sunday, February 15, 2009: Dalhousie @ CBU — 1 PM Friday, February 20, 2009: CBU @ Memorial — 6 PM Saturday, February 21, 2009: CBU @ Memorial — 12 PM

Above Photo: St. FX Assistant Coach Garry Gallimore is escorted out of the Sullivan Field House by police after an altercation at the time keeper’s table.

Continued from Page 13 the Capers’ playoff spot, with a game to spare. They play Saint Mary’s February 7. Until then, Go Capers!

For scores, stats, and schedules Check out the Capers website!

www.gocapersgo.ca Your online source for the latest Capers info!

February 11, 2009

Letter to the Editor

Firstly let me apologize on any bad publishing on my part: this letter is being written in the CBU library where I find the positioning of the keyboards quite... hideous to say the least. Being delivered to school quite early today, 7 am, because the roads where absolutely terrible in North Sydney and a family member with 4-wheel drive was leaving early, I had much time to dwell, and I remembered this University had a paper! I tracked one down, read it, and decided to make some comments. Firstly, the article, “The New “Me”dia: An Exercise of Vanity?” was absolutely fantastic. I’ve been debating my peers and others for many years over this social networking business. I’m at a loss how it became the way to be an “individual” by conforming to these networks and allowing everyone to see you in the light you choose. The loss of identity through these mediums is something which alarms me. I know this first hand because I was on Facebook and I had not made an account. My wife made an account on my behalf (without asking) from the United States where she is attending school. Not only can you lose an identity through information being stolen, but someone can actually easily impersonate you... which I find disturb-

ing.

I deleted my account merely because I didn’t care about who was in a relationship with who, who was sad, who was getting drunk... I thought it was absolutely idiotic that people felt so obligated to post every little insignificant detail which no one cares about. Although I found it amusing that people I absolutely loathed in high school or people who I never spoke to added me to Facebook merely to have bragging rights about how many “friends they had.” I was probably the most unpopular person on Facebook: I only added two people in the few months I used it. Secondly, the article “Staying tuned.” If I hear Guitar Hero one more time, I’m seriously going to write a public rant. I despise the whole overly commercialized play thing. It seems like the addition of “Metallica Guitar Hero” is just pushing the boundaries, trying to sponge the most cash out of the game before people realize they have wasted their lives playing it for ten straight hours. Put the controller down and decide to resume life! Also, since when did “Slayer” become Metallicaesque: please listen to each individually and get back to me. On the light side I thought the Jesus reference in accordance to the lead singer of Nickleback

Letters /// Page 15

was quite funny. Thirdly, the article “Obama will be a big letdown”... Thank you! It is the first time I have seen it written and it looks quite good out side the frameworks of my thinking. I’m eagerly awaiting his fall so I can see the faces of the Obama sheep, both American and Canadian, who blindly follow him and have placed him on such a pedestal that reason has been replaced by ignorance. Well that seems to be all I have to say. I’ve managed to kill 30 minutes writing this and feel slightly accomplished... *posts on Facebook* Just kidding. Sincerely, S t u d e n t 20055992

We appreciate your commentary on anything you may read in the Caper Times. We encourage you to be vocal and tell us what is on your mind. If you want to write a letter to the editor, please do so! E-mail us your thoughts at capertimes@gmail. com or drop by our office.

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