Fulcrum 020509

Interested in Science Outreach for Youth?

Presented by

Synapse – CIHR Youth Connection invites you to

®

Science with Impact

Workshop

This is a free workshop, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required. February 19, 2009, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Stanton Residence, Room 202, Ottawa University Facilitator: Sue McKee To register or for more information contact: Nicole Kaiser at [email protected] or 1-877-474-4081

Letters Putting a new spin on things Re: “Big dreams and small hopes” (Feature, Jan. 22) JOE HOWELL’S ARTICLE “Big dreams and small hopes” is guilty of several lies of omission. I would like to address a number of them. First of all, Howell neglects to mention that the Camp David talks failed when Yasser Arafat got up from the negotiating table without making a counter offer; apparently he was too cowardly to accept 97 per cent of the West Bank and 100 per cent of Gaza. The 3 per cent of the West Bank—land inhabited by only Jewish Israeli citizens— that Israel was to keep, would be compensated by some of the most fertile soils of Israel proper, and would have expanded the size of the Gaza strip. Instead Arafat returned to Ramallah and launched the second intifada against Israel. Howell mentions that Hamas was democratically elected. He fails to explain that this so-called democratic organization has a charter based on the destruction of fellow human beings. Hamas’ charter states: “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.” Rather than focus on the well-being of the Palestinian people, Hamas chooses to devote all time, money, and energy to attacking their

neighbours. Howell also mentions the right of return of the four million displaced Palestinians. In fact, only 85,000 Arabs left Israel in 1948 and 85,000 Jews were forced out of Arab countries at the same time, not to mention the thousands of Jewish refugees coming from Europe after the Holocaust. Finally, Howell made sure to omit the fact that officials from the European Union, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, among others, have said that Hamas is to blame for the war this past month. These are just a handful of the facts that one should keep in mind when considering Howell’s simplistic attempt at explaining the regular unrest in the Middle East. One can only hope that the students at U of O are intelligent enough not to take Howell’s article at face value. Jennifer Hadad Hillel Ottawa student representative Don’t hate on Twilight! Re: “Shut up about Twilight already!” (Opinion, Jan. 22) IN RESPONE TO Maureen Robinson’s article criticizing Stephanie Meyer’s saga Twilight, I think that someone is taking the teen novels too seriously. I also have read the four-book series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) which predominately targets the female population, and though admittedly none of the novels are Nobel Prize-worthy, they are getting thousands of people picking up

Contents Election!!! p. e1

Election extravaganza

The Fulcrum presents this year’s SFUO election candidates. p. e1 It’s your money. The referendum questions explained. p. e7

Ocean of controversy

Arts

Jaclyn Lytle explores the depths of Saving Luna. p. 9

p. 9 Sports

Sepideh Soltaninia gets down with Make Your Exit. p. 14

Bouncing back Men’s basketball rebounds from loss to Carleton. p. 15

p. 15 Feature

Men’s soccer team survives in spite of not having a coach. p. 17

Bees?! The U of O is full of great researchers. Sarah Leavitt introduces you to them. p. 12–13

p. 12–13

Di explains how confidence makes the man. p. 22

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Feb. 5–11, 2009 books again. I think it’s wonderful that the love story of a mortal girl and a vampire is bringing back the love of reading. Similarly, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling was met with similar criticism in regards to it containing the aspects of magic and the dark arts. And yet, it has become both the most widely read and most challenged book series of the 21st century. But just as in the case of Harry Potter and the magical world of Hogwarts, I am sure that the Twilight novels are not creating “a generation of young girls who believe that the Edward Cullen prototype actually exists”. No, not everything in the book is realistic, which is why the book is categorized as just that—fantasy. Britney Castleman Second-year French as a Second Language student More than just a village Re: “Not in my village” (Letters, Jan. 29) DEAR TRAVIS WEAGANT, While I respect your wishes to start a No campaign against the Millennium Village initiative, I feel you are at best seriously missing the point, and at worst gravely misinforming students. Firstly, you mentioned that this has nothing to do with your education. Well, it does. There will be internship opportunities in the villages—it looks like several positions a semester—to learn about solutions-based, holistic community-led development approaches. There is also talk of creating courses and incorporating the idea into a global community services centre. More than just a village, it’s a platform for engagement in these issues that exists nowhere else. And I’m not just talking about international development students. This will greatly enhance the learning experience for anyone interested in cross-cultural perspectives on sustainable development, chemistry, biology, agroforestry, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, policy administration, engineering, economics… need I go on? We will be one of the first, if not the first university in the world to do anything like this. This has already generated, and will continue to generate, a world of opportunities for students in many ways. Secondly, you mentioned that you already give to charity. That’s awe-

some! But the truth is that this is more than just a charity. Yes, you will be helping improve the lives of 5,000 people and facilitating their own ejection out of extreme poverty, but it’s also about creating a partnership between Carleton University, the U of O, and a leading research institution, the Earth Institute at Columbia University. It’s about creating hands-on learning opportunities for students who want to make a real difference. It’s about showing other universities, the government, and the world that we care and about leading by example. It has nothing to do with “trying to donate your money better than you can”. As a member of the Students To End Extreme Poverty, these are only some of the reasons why we are asking students if they will invest $6 per year in support of a Millennium Village, as much for your own education and growth as for the villagers you will be supporting. Kellie Piché U of O alumna Defining the privilege of tenure AS AN ALUMNUS of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa, I have a vested interest in the reputation of both the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science at the U of O. While I can not comment on the specific circumstances of Professor Denis Rancourt’s dismissal, I have heard him speak officially at the Ottawa Public Library on his views regarding both the pedagogy of the Faculty of Science and U of O President Allan Rock. The main point of contention brought up in this talk was that the Department of Physics had refused to allow one of Rancourt’s fourth-year physics students to conduct a fourth-year project of his own choosing that would count towards his degree. When I questioned the student as to the topic of his project he told me it was on how the way science is taught affects what is learned in the course. I would have to agree with the Department of Physics that, while it may be a valuable topic to explore, it is not a topic that falls into the domain of physics and hence should not count towards a physics degree. Professor Rancourt very much struck me as both a rebel without a cause and an anarchist. While he should be free in Canadian society to be both, these views are in no way related to aca-

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demic freedom that is afforded a tenured professor. If Rancourt had been viciously attacking a physics theory or a published experiment then the university would have a duty to safeguard his academic freedom. As it is clearly not the case in this situation, I do not believe that the privilege of tenure has been violated. Jason Butler U of O alumnus Millennium Village missing a few steps NEXT WEEK WE will be voting on six referendum questions, one of which is the funding of a Millennium Village at the cost of $6 per academic year, per student. At first glance it seems like a wonderful project that will truly benefit families that are deeply in need. Don’t get me wrong, a project like this isn’t terrible at all; it has achieved good things and I’m completely for its idealistic nature. However, some things have to be said. What is the Millennium Village? It’s based on the United Nations’ development goals established in 2000 to end poverty in Africa. Economist Jeffrey Sachs, who had a utopian ideal for solving poverty dilemmas in Africa, led the project. LETTERS continued on p. 20

thefulcrum.ca poll This week’s question How do you plan to vote in the SFUO election? Online: Polling station: I won’t vote:

Last week’s results Do you think the benefits of online voting outweigh the potential problems? Yes: No:

53% 47%

Got something to say? Send your letters to

[email protected]

Business Department The Fulcrum, the University of Ottawa’s independent English-language student newpaper, is published by the Fulcrum Publishing Society (FPS) Inc., a not-for-profit corporation whose members consist of all University of Ottawa students. The Board of Directors (BOD) of the FPS governs all administrative and business actions of the Fulcrum and consists of the following individuals: Ross Prusakowski (President), Andrea Khanjin (Vice-President), Tyler Meredith (Chair), Peter Raaymakers, Nick Taylor-Vaisey, Toby Climie, Scott Bedard, Andrew Wing, and William Stephenson. To contact the Fulcrum’s BOD, contact Ross Prusakowski at (613) 562-5261.

Advertising Department Deidre Butters, Advertising Representative phone: (613) 880-6494 fax: (613) 562-5259 email: [email protected] Check out our rate card online. Go to www.thefulcrum.ca and follow the link for “Advertisers”. Multi-market advertisers: Campus Plus: (800)265-5372 Campus Plus offers one-stop shopping for over 90 Canadian student newspapers. The Fulcrum is a proud member of Canadian University Press: www.cup.ca

Letters deadline: Sunday, 1 p.m. Letters must be under 400 words unless discussed with the editor-in-chief. Drop off letters at 631 King Edward Ave. or email [email protected]. Letters must include your name, telephone number, year, and program of study. Pseudonyms may be used after consultation with the editor-in-chief. We correct spelling and grammar to some extent. The Fulcrum will exercise discretion in printing letters that are deemed racist, homophobic, or sexist. We will not even consider hate literature or libellous material. The editor-in-chief reserves the authority on everything printed herein.

News

SFUO Election coverage p. e1–e8

Emma Godmere News Editor [email protected]

Feb. 5–11, 2009

Shedding light on human rights

International Development Week brings global experts to U of O by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff SINCE FEB. 2, INTERNATIONAL Development Week has been in full swing at the University of Ottawa, with volunteers spreading awareness about this year’s theme: “Development: A Basic Human Right?” Julie Cook, international health and development coordinator with the U of O and one of the organizers of the week-long event, explained the theme in greater detail. “The theme is human rights, and more specifically development as a human right,” Cook said. “We formed it as a question because we want students to actually discuss and debate over the issue, to ask themselves— is development actually a human right?” Cook explained that the main reason for choosing the theme was the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10. “We decided we want to continue in that vein and celebrate human rights and raise awareness of human rights abuse,” said Cook. International Development Week has been raising awareness of issues

Several NGOs were on campus to kick off International Development Week on Feb. 2. surrounding globalization on campus for four years , but last year was the first comprehensive week with several events planned for each day. The week is run at the U of O by the International Health Centre and the Political, International, and Development Studies Students’ Association, however the event originates from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Although the theme varies from cam-

pus to campus across Canada, it is always held the first week in February. The week-long event this year is divided into different sub-themes that the day’s activities and speakers are based around, including the right to food, water and sanitation, education, health, and security. The English, French, and bilingual events occur across campus until Feb. 7. International Development

photo by Martha Pearce

Week’s keynote speaker is former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, who will explain his perspective on Canada’s responsibilities in international human rights at the National Gallery of Canada on Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The activities on Feb. 5, all surrounding the right to health, include a screening of Michael Moore’s Sicko playing in French at 4 p.m. and a speech by the High Commissioner

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of India, S. M. Gavai, at 7:30 p.m. Both of these events are being held in the Alumni Auditorium free of charge. “[Gavai will] be speaking about the myths and realities of India and the challenges of having the largest democracy in the world,” she said. On Feb. 6, Alexandre Trudeau, journalist and son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, will be giving a speech in French in the Alumni Auditorium at 7 p.m., with a bilingual question-and-answer period afterwards. He will be speaking about his experience as a journalist overseas— Trudeau was well known for covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq—and how it relates to the right to security. Tickets are $10. Many different campus organizations will be hosting workshops open to all students on Feb. 7 including the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, the Centre for Equity and Human Rights, the Graduate Students’ Association, and the Ontatrio Public Interest Research Group, among others. “The workshops are skill-based and designed with the intent of teaching students how to take the information they obtained throughout the week and put it into action,” explained Cook. For a full schedule of the week’s events and ticket information, visit sdi.idw. uottawa.ca.

Post-secondary show-and-tell GSAÉD Interdisciplinary Conference highlights students’ research by Jolene Hansell Fulcrum Staff THE 12TH ANNUAL Graduate Students’ Association (GSAÉD) Interdisciplinary Conference kicked off Feb. 2, featuring 82 presentations of the University of Ottawa’s own graduate students’ research. This year’s theme—which acts as the focus for all of the research presented and which was interpreted in several different ways by students from all faculties—was “Position Canada: Identities and Innovation”. This year’s conference boasted three keynote speakers and a multitude of research sessions in four rooms over four days. The projects presented by students cover a wide range of subjects. Engineering, health sciences, literary studies, war, identity, translation, and environmental degradation are just a few of the disciplines that were covered by students at the conference. Additionally, this year undergraduate students were invited to present research for the first time. According to GSAÉD university affairs commissioner Serge Dupuis, the intent of

opening up the conference to undergrads was to expand the scale and scope of U of O students’ research. “We wanted to get undergrads involved in research this year,” he said. “This was a pilot project this year, as was the project to get more French presentations.” Participation in the GSAÉD conference has grown exceptionally over the years. This year’s record breaking 82 presentations was almost double last year’s participation rate. “We are happy with this kind of success ... [and] we are excited that many students want to share their research with the university this year,” said Dupuis. Calls for research papers were sent out in August 2008, asking interested students to submit their research papers by Nov. 26. Theses were then evaluated by a committee of professors. “Pretty much everyone who wanted to participate and who made a conscious effort to complete their abstract got in,” said Dupuis. The conference also awarded cash prizes to students based on the evaluations of their presentations. The first, second, and third place prizes were $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively, and each included an English award and a French award, while third place offered two per language. This year, the Student Federation of the Uni-

photo by Martha Pearce

Students discuss research in ethnography as part of the GSAÉD interdisciplinary conference. versity of Ottawa (SFUO) also stepped up to sponsor prizes worth $200 and $300 for the best two presentations by undergraduate students. “I think it’s a great partnership between the GSAÉD and the SFUO,” said SFUO President Dean Haldenby. “It’s a good opportunity to bridge the undergraduate and graduate studies so that students can kind of get a feel for what

they’re going to have to do in the future, should they want to continue into graduate studies, and we’re excited to be a part of the process.” The GSAÉD interdisciplinary conference wraps up Feb. 5. The schedule and locations for all of the events can be found on the conference website, at gsaed. ca/conference2009/home_en.html.

‘This is about Canada’ National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine talks to the U of O about last year’s historic apology by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff LAST JUNE, CANADIANS witnessed their federal government offer a long-awaited apology to aboriginal peoples who suffered through residential schools for decades. At these government-organized schools, many Aboriginal students experienced abuse and neglect thanks to federal policies that have been likened to cultural genocide. On Jan. 29, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine— who was present at last summer’s historic announcement—visited the University of Ottawa for the third annual David Makow Lecture on Tolerance and Intolerance. The Fulcrum had the opportunity to sit down with Fontaine prior to his presentation to discuss what the historic event means for today’s students—and where young people come into play in continuing to bring Aboriginal issues to light. Fulcrum: Your lecture focuses on Aboriginal rights in a post-apology era. Many students watched the federal government’s historic apology last year, but they did not know a Canada with residential schools. What responsibility do today’s students of all backgrounds have in maintaining awareness of Canadian Aboriginal rights? Fontaine: The apology was important for all Canadians. When Prime Minister Harper ruled in the House of Commons to apologize to the survivors of the residential school experience, he was doing it for all Canadians. The apology was about attempts by successive governments to eradicate any sense of Indianness from this country, and they did it through a policy that was designed to kill the Indian in the child. That’s what residential schools were designed to do: it was to do away with our cultures, our languages, to deny us our history, and it had in too many cases tragic consequences. So, the apology was about this experience, but sadly, most Canadians were not aware that residential schools existed. We see the apology as an opportunity for the country to transform Canada into a place that respects the rights and interests of all of its peoples. The apology makes it possible, because what we are also about to embark on is a truth and reconciliation commission—to write the missing chapter in Canadian history. And we will be able to do that by ensuring that all of the unique perspectives that factor into the residential school experience will be able to come forward before the truth and reconciliation commission ... and that survivors will also be able to tell their stories. So this is about Canada; the process is about making things right in Canada, and all peoples have a role and a responsibility in ensuring that the story is told. It’s incumbent upon young people to know and understand their country, to know and understand how Canada came to be, and to know and understand the place of all peoples in this country, including the First Peoples. So there’s an obligation on the part of all. Do you believe there’s even more of an obligation for students in Ottawa, based on their location in the capital, to act and bring attention to Aboriginal rights? One could make the assumption that students

here would be more sensitive and more knowledgeable, because this is, as you noted, the capital of Canada, but students here are no different than students in different parts of the country. The history of the First Peoples is virtually non-existent, and so universities and colleges and governments [do] in fact have a responsibility to make sure that Canadians are given every opportunity to learn about Canada, the true history of Canada—for example, to dispel the myth that Canada is made up of two founding nations, the French and the English. The First Peoples are the original founders of this land, and so when we talk about the Canadian federation, we should be talking about three founding nations: French, English, and the First Peoples. So we have a pretty big challenge before us, and I believe that we can turn this around ... For example, one of the suggestions that we have—and it will [be] a formal recommendation to the Canadian ministers of education—[is] that ... a course in Native studies be compulsory before you graduate from a university with an undergraduate degree. That will build a level of knowledge that’s sadly lacking today. You were quite young when you became Chief of the Sagkeeng community in Manitoba. What advice do you have for today’s young people who may be inspired to seek positions of leadership in their communities?

photo by Alex Martin

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine spoke at the U of O on Jan. 29.

Rather than focusing on me, I would say look to [U.S. President Barack] Obama. There’s someone [who has] inspired the world, and Obama stands for change ... and also has a significant message—that anything is possible. There are so many opportunities before us here, to be engaged and to help transform our country, and young people in particular are in an advantageous position because they’re educated, they have a much more expansive view of the world, they’re not as confined in their thinking, they [have a] much broader perspective. That’s what we need to bring about the kinds of changes that are necessary and important for Canada. Last year’s residential schools apology was undoubtedly a big step forward for Canadian Aboriginal rights. Where do we go from here, and what role do young people play in this next step? [The apology] was a momentous occasion, and I see it as a [starting] point to transform Canada into a place that it deserves to be. If you look at where we are today, or where we fit in [in] Canada, we’re the most impoverished group in Canadian society. And this grinding poverty exists in the midst of incredible wealth—Canada’s one of the richest places in the world ... This is our homeland; we should be able to benefit from the incredible wealth that’s being created here daily off our lands. Canada was once all ours. Today, we possess and occupy less than one half of one per cent [of] this incredible, wealthy landmass, and there’s no reason for that. It’s young people like yourself that have this incredible opportunity to change Canada, just in the same way that Obama has inspired so many to think about change, change that is positive for the United States. Well, we have to think in the same way about our place here.

www.thefulcrum.ca // 02.05.09 //

NEWS // 5

News in brief Wilfrid Laurier University to put classes on BlackBerrys

Anti-Islam posters spark controversy at UVic

WATERLOO (CUP) – WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY is set to provide over 100 incoming MBA students with BlackBerrys and data plans this fall, in an attempt to incorporate new technology into the classroom. WLU got the idea from a similar project established at Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey in August 2008. Administrators at the school were able to move 30 per cent of the curriculum of various first-year programs to BlackBerry Pearls and allow students to select courses using the smartphones. The purpose of the program at WLU is to incorporate modern social networking into the classroom in an effort to influence teaching and learning methods. The university, after purchasing the devices at a special rate, aims to maximize the use of the BlackBerry to allow students to access course material, multimedia, tests, and eventually the school’s web system. dap_campusp_4x7-5_sep12.eps —Linda Givetash, The Cord Weekly

VICTORIA (CUP) – POSTERS CALLING FOR a ban of Islam “in the interest of human values and universal love” recently appeared on University of Victoria notice boards, causing some students to voice their concerns regarding the tolerance of hate speech. The poster, which was designed like a petition and addressed to the International Court of Justice, contained various quotes and signatures from alleged international supporters. Copies had not been stamped for approval and were removed on discovery by various groups on campus. The posters, as well as an antiIslam cartoon, were put up around the same time as the Muslim Student Association hosted a lecture series entitled “Islam and the West” in order to promote education and awareness. It is unknown who posted the material. 09/12/2008 9:47:52 —Kailey AM Willetts and Danielle Pope, The Martlet

Guerre des Tuques

photo by Martha Pearce

For the first time since the competition’s beginning, the Student Association of the Faculty of Arts (SAFA) won the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s annual Guerre des Tuques competition, where representatives from faculty student associations battle to build the best snow fort outside the Unicentre. SAFA beat the Engineering Students’ Society and the Political, International, and Development Studies Student Association to win a Wii console for their Simard Hall office.

The Fulcrum Publishing Society The Fulcrum Publishing Society will be holding its annual general meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 in Desmarais Hall, room 1160. There will be pizza and refreshments provided. The meeting will be dealing with the society’s audit, electing five (5) student directors to the FPS Board of Directors for the 2009-10 year and proposed amendments to the Society’s bylaws. All U of O students have a vote, come and use it! All proposed motions will be posted at www.thefulcrum.ca/business seven (7) days prior to the meeting. Visit the site for more information, or contact [email protected].

The Fulcrum 09–10 editorial board elections The Fulcrum is holding elections for next year’s editorial board. If you have a passion for student journalism, we have the opportunity for you! Candidates must prepare a platform outlining their vision for the role they would like to play next year. Platforms are due at 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to the election date of the position, and should be emailed to [email protected]. All elections will take place at the Fulcrum office at 631 King Edward Ave. during the weekly staff meeting Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. The election dates and platform deadlines are:

Position

Election date

Platform due

Editor-in-Chief

March 5

Feb. 27

Production Manager

March 5

Feb. 27

News Editor

March 12

March 6

Sports Editor

March 12

March 6

Arts & Culture Editor

March 12

March 6

Executive Editor

March 19

March 13

Features Editor

March 19

March 13

Art Director

March 19

March 13

For more information or to submit a platform, contact Frank Appleyard at [email protected]

6 \\ NEWS

\\ 02.05.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

Online voting boosts turnout in student elections Atlantic Canada ahead of the game when it comes to online polling stations by Danielle Webb Atlantic Bureau Chief ANTIGONISH (CUP) – THE STUDENT FEDERATION of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) elections bureau is hoping the introduction of online voting will help increase voter turnout in this year’s student union election. “Following a dismal three per cent voter turnout in a by-election last year, [the Elections Bureau] felt we needed to experiment with new ideas,” said SFUO elections chief information officer Wassim Garzouzi. “It is a very engaged campus, yet fewer students have been voting in student elections. The CFS referendum was able to get a 22 per cent turnout and protests easily attract a few thousand students, yet when it comes to SFUO elections, there was simply no connection with the students,” he continued. But students at many Atlantic universities are already voting online, slowly increasing voter turnout at universities like Dalhousie in Halifax, N.S., Acadia in Wolfville, N.S., and most notably, St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, N.S., who saw 50.4 per cent voter

turnout in their 2008 election. Acadia Students’ Union president Kyle Steele believes the convenience of being able to vote online is definitely playing a role in their turnout increases over the past four years. “The accessibility [of online voting] is much more practical than the paper ballot. When people can vote from their beds, you would figure voter turnout would be higher,” said Steele. Online voting in Atlantic Canada took off in 2004 with the launch of iVoteOnline by Dalhousie graduate Mike Smit. Dalhousie has also seen voter turnout increase since adopting Smit’s program. “Before online voting, Dalhousie had a voter turnout of between three and five per cent. Over the years, we have seen turnout range from 12 per cent in our first year [of online voting] and reach up to 21 per cent,” said Dalhousie Student Union’s chief returning officer Sarah Amyotte. Online voting has also been instrumental in enabling Dalhousie to reach new demographics of the student body as well, said Amyotte. “Dalhousie is an institution not limited to our three campuses. We have co-op students all over the world and even a nursing program in Yarmouth, N.S. With online voting ... students everywhere, those who only have class one day a week to those who are working for their engineering co-

op in Alberta, to those studying in a castle in Glasgow, Scotland, are able to log in and vote,” said Amyotte. The St. FX Students’ Union has been using Smit’s program since 2005. “It’s much easier for the voter; they can hop on any computer in the world and vote. It’s certainly much easier to increase your actual votes when communication is driving [students] to an online poll, rather than making them walk or drive to a polling station,” said Neil Stephen, former vp communications for the St. FX Students’ Union. Stephen’s efforts to increase awareness around the election and rallying his fellow executives in engaging the student body led to St. FX’s 50.4 per cent voter turnout in 2008. But, Stephen will admit there are problems with the system. “It’s not totally secure, it doesn’t look very good, it takes away the one-on-one connection with a polling station—that visible connection is lost,” he said. Despite any negatives, Stephen does believe online voting is here to stay. “Like it or hate it, [online voting is] not going anywhere. The positives far outweigh the negatives.” The SFUO will be e-voting Feb. 10–12. Garzouzi and his colleagues are aiming for a 30 per cent turnout, which would more than double last year’s turnout.

Second consecutive Senate meeting shut down by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE University of Ottawa Senate meeting was adjourned less than 10 minutes into sitting on Feb. 2. U of O VP Academic Robert Major, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of President Allan Rock, ended the meeting without a vote after over a dozen students and community members refused to stop filming the proceedings. These actions—identical to what occurred at the Jan. 12 Senate meeting—were made once again in solidarity with deregistered student Marc Kelly, who was arrested after attempting to film the Dec. 1 Senate meeting. Ironically, the first item on the Senate’s Feb. 2 agenda was discussing a policy on recording, broadcasting, and photography at their meetings. After Senate members left the Tabaret Hall meeting

room, about 20 of the spectators—many of whom had been filming—created their own meeting and remained in the Senate chambers for almost an hour. The group, which included Kelly and suspended physics professor Denis Rancourt, composed a list of demands and proceeded to the office of the U of O Legal Counsel Alain Roussy. The group listed their demands to Roussy and occupied his office for over an hour. The responsibility of dealing with Kelly’s trespassing charges from the previous Senate meetings falls to Roussy. As the group began chanting their demands to see Kelly’s charges dropped, recording allowed at all U of O meetings, and Rancourt’s suspension removed, two Protection officers arrived to monitor the situation. Kelly was told to leave the premises before Ottawa police would be called to remove him. No arrests were made.

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www.thefulcrum.ca // 02.05.09 //

NEWS // 7

Arts & Culture

Peter Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected]

Feb. 5–11, 2008

The lonely orca

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Documentary film Saving Luna makes its Ottawa premiere by Jaclyn Lytle Fulcrum Staff

ger in frequent interactions between boats filled with the general public and a killer whale that could one day SUZANNE CHISHOLM AND her grow to weigh more than 5 tonnes. husband, journalist Michael Parfit, “The [issue was] that a bunch of have a whale of a tale to tell. Their groups were trying to do what they new documentary, Saving Luna, de- thought was the right idea to save picts the story of Luna, an endearing Luna,” says Chisholm. “There were all and daring whale that lost his mother these different perspectives; you had and found companionship in the most conservation organizations saying he unlikely of places—the tourist boats should have no contact with humans; that populate Canada’s west coast. the First Nations saying [we should] Luna became the centre of a let nature take its course; some other controversy that erupted in Brit- conservation groups saying he should ish Columbia in 2004 between con- be relocated to his pod; [and] some servationists, the government, and people saying that he should go to an the First Nations groups of Nootka aquarium, because then he would be Sound. After three years of follow- safe.” ing Luna’s story, Chisholm and Parfit It was at this point that Chisholm co-directed and co-produced Saving and her husband arrived and began Luna, an award-winning documen- filming the events as part of their retary that chronicles the struggle to search. Although they were initially protect Luna and how one lonely careful, as journalists, to remain unwhale swam his way into the hearts involved, they too began to form their of thousands. The film premiered at own opinions as to how the problem the Vancouver should be apInte r nat i ona l proached. The Film Festival pair became acin December tivists for Luna’s 2007, and had welfare, believits Ottawa preing that it was miere on Dec. the responsibility 30. of those involved Luna was not to create a safe quite two years environment for old when he behim. came separated The clash befrom his mothcame heated in Suzanne Chisholm the summer of er. In July 2001 the baby orca 2004 when the made his way federal Departinto the Nootka ment of FisherSound area, where he began to inter- ies and Oceans (DFO) made a deciact daily with residents. sion to attempt to relocate Luna. It “Without other whales he took was hoped that the young calf would the next best thing and tried to make be able to reintegrate into his pod, friends with people,” Chisholm re- which was being tracked by U.S. recalls. “It took him a little while before searchers. he started approaching boats, but “[The DFO] only decided to [exeonce he did, he got used to people cute the reintegration plan] after a lot pretty quickly. He wanted to be with of pressure from conservation orgapeople, there’s no question. If you nizations and the general public,” says think about their socialization [prac- Chisholm. “They started to think that tices], males stay with their moms Luna was on a collision course [with their entire lives. They never leave. the public]. He was getting bigger, When you think about those social he was getting more interactive with bonds it seems natural that he would people, [and they felt] this could be be looking for something in the ab- dangerous.” sence of other whales.” Due to intervention on the part of By the time Chisholm and her hus- a local First Nations group, the DFO band became involved with Luna, a abandoned their attempt to relocate conflict had escalated between several Luna. But the conflict was by no groups that were concerned for Luna’s means at an end. Fears continued to welfare. Though Luna’s antics seemed grow as Luna became older, larger, harmless to most, those with marine and more insistent on receiving atexperience could easily see the dan- tention. The outcome of Luna’s story,

“We are definitely not the only species [that] needs friendship, that needs contact. These whales definitely do.”

photo courtesy Suzanne Chisholm

Saving Luna details the long fight over the future of Luna, a human-loving whale that lost his family. however, Chisholm and her husband are careful not to reveal. Rather, more can be learned, Chisholm explains, by watching the film and coming to know Luna personally. “It’s always amazing when you think about a wild animal coming to humans for contact or social connections because if you think about the relationships, they don’t come to us for companionship, they come to us for food,” says Chisholm. “But Luna

was completely different. He came to humans because he wanted companionship. That is an amazing thing. People responded; they love Luna.” Chisholm explains that being part of an experience of this kind teaches us about our place in the world, a lesson that she herself came to learn from being a part of Luna’s story. “We as humans could have done better. There are some lessons that I’ve learned from the whole expe-

rience [about] what our role is in the world. The need to connect [is] amazing; we are definitely not the only species [that] needs friendship, that needs contact. These whales definitely do.” Saving Luna is playing at the Bytowne Cinema (325 Rideau St.) until Feb. 8. Tickets are $9 for non-members, $6 for members. For more information, visit bytowne.ca.

Album reviews

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Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream

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Eccodek Shivaboom

WORKING ON A Dream, the Boss’s 16th studio album, is catchy in the classic Springsteen tradition, but as a whole simply isn’t all that great. “My Lucky Day”, “What Love Can Do”, and the title track are all passable rock anthems, but the only two true standouts are his ode to late keyboardist Danny Federici, “The Last Carnival”, and the Golden Globe-winner “The Wrestler”, which is available only on new pressings as a bonus track. Elsewhere, songs like the cheesy “Outlaw Pete” and “Queen of the Supermarket” are some of the worst songs Springsteen has ever penned. The music of Working on a Dream is saved somewhat by the E Street Band, who are used sparingly but add depth to some of the weaker moments. Coming from the man who wrote “Thunder Road”, this album is a huge disappointment. —Nick Rudiak

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Late of the Pier Fantasy Black Channel

SHIVABOOM IS CANADIAN sound scientists Eccodek’s third venture into the genre of world music. Shivaboom, like most world music albums, features vocalists and artists that you’ve never heard of singing lyrics that you will probably never understand. Shivaboom is really a drum-and-bass album at its core. Deep beats underscore a number of vocalists from countries such as Mali, India, and Turkey. Eccodek gets credit for incorporating an Indian tabla drum into the beats, as the instrument adds a harddriving rhythm to songs like “Lover’s Trance” and “Behind the Mask”. But like most drum-and-bass albums, Shivaboom sounds like sex music, and it’s encouraging to know that the soundtrack to sex sounds the same in any language. —Julian Blizzard

LeATHERMOUTH XO

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FANTASY BLACK CHANNEL is the brainchild of four young, musically ambitious Britons known as Late of the Pier. On their debut album the band come up with an ambiguous test in musical ridiculousness that is hard to classify as anything but experimental. The mishmash sounds like an unholy mixture of nu-wave, metal, and disco—a bizarre musical mongrel that’s still eminently danceable. The extensive use of strange synthesizers and samplers characterizes the album, but these are blended with the more traditional sounds of guitar, bass, and drums. Although a few songs like “The Enemy Are the Future” are heavy with electronic noises and sound like someone threw a bunch of instruments down a flight of stairs, most of Fantasy Black Channel is captivatingly written and irresistibly likeable. “White Snake” has a great glampunk sound while “Space and the Woods” has a pulsating disco beat that seems to shift styles throughout the entire song. Fantasy Black Channel is not for the conservative music fan, but for those willing to risk some musical experimentation, its catchy tunes and throbbing beats will make you move. —Andrew Champagne XO IS LeATHERMOUTH’s debut album, a foray into screamo and hardcore. The band is the side project of Frank Iero, rhythm guitarist for My Chemical Romance, and that should give you some idea of the quality of the music here—Iero plays backup guitar in a shitty band, so why would you ever listen to an entire album of his? XO features driving, blindingly fast, distortion-laden licks with Iero screaming his angst-ridden lungs out. XO’s largest flaw is easily the wearisome, incoherent, indecipherable high-pitch screaming Iero uses gratuitously throughout the album. He stated in a press release that LeATHERMOUTH is an opportunity for him to “vent about all the bullshit that I see going on in the world that makes me ill.” Be that as it may, his constant screaming is more likely to make his audience feel ill. The songs on the album aren’t all bad, however. The track “Catch Me If You Can” is a glimmer of hope for Iero’s future career—it’s intricate and well-composed, and it is the only instance of Iero’s voice diverging from the monotonous screaming in all the other songs. Hopefully he can build on that style in the future and stop his one-man vocal assault on the eardrums of his audience. —Julian Blizzard

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Bad New in Town

Film

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IT’S OFTEN HARD for romantic comedies to break the stereotypes of the genre. The trite and tiresome plot devices that pepper every romantic comedy are, to some, tried and true (and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). New in Town, a romantic comedy starring Renée Zellweger, takes all these stereotypes and more and creates a tired and trite pastiche sure to please no one. What if you made a movie that was entirely predictable, entirely stereotypical, and devoid of all originality? Well, the result would look a whole lot like this film. New in Town stinks, and it’s all been done before. Our workaholic heroine, Lucy (Zellweger), gets thrust from her high-stakes job in Manhattan to the slow-paced world of New Ulm, Minnesota, in order to facilitate her company’s takeover of a local manufacturing plant. Lucy, who is supposed to be a high-powered woman out of touch with her feelings, just comes off as a callous and unfeeling bitch. The movie is supposed to be about her character development—the woman who learns to love—but in the end she still comes off cold and distant. Zellweger has natural charm, but it’s completely lost in this sea of clichés and pratfalls that writers Ken Rance, C. Jay Cox, and director Jones Elmer force on her. That’s right, the physical comedy that was

so endearing in Bridget Jones’s Diary is present here, but its only purpose seems to be to remind the audience of the other, better romantic comedies Zellweger has starred in. The clichés continue to cascade as Lucy gets acquainted to her small-town surroundings. She falls for her main adversary in the factory takeover, workers union representative Ted (Harry Connick, Jr.). Ted is another poorly realized character, a belligerent slob whose glaring personal defects are supposed to be excused once we find out that he’s damaged goods. Just because someone has experienced emotional trauma doesn’t mean he has the right to be an asshole all the time, but nobody told the writers of New in Town. Seldom have two more dislikable people been brought together in a romantic comedy, and seldom has a relationship seemed more absurd. New in Town is no Bridget Jones’s Diary. It’s no When Harry Met Sally. Hell, it’s not even on par with P.S. I Love You. This is a movie without a single endearing character or quality, which is a feat in a genre where that is supposed to come so easily. New in Town should be ridden out on a rail. —Peter Henderson

LAURENT CANTET’S THE Class, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, is an engrossing and entertaining classroom drama. Adapted by François Bégaudeau—who also stars as himself—from his semi-autobiographical 2006 novel Entre les murs, the film details the struggles of a literature teacher at a tough, inner-city Paris school. Based on his experiences as a teacher, Bégaudeau’s screenplay has a real life ear for classroom chatter and dynamics, and the line between truth and fiction in The Class is often blurred. Bégaudeau and the junior high students—all amateur actors—bring an unmatched authenticity to the film with the natural portrayals of their subjects. Begaudeau’s performance as a persistent, consciously idealistic teacher is endearing. Many of the students are foreign born and immersed in cultures outside that of mainstream France, representing the new multi-ethnic makeup of the country. They, like real teenagers, can be smart, soft-spoken,

ignorant, rude, contemptuous, compassionate, and aggressive. Cantet’s direction sits the audience down in the classroom and through his intimate camerawork he is able to focus in on each student and his or her peculiarities. Students are seen solely in the classroom and during recess, but through their attitudes, appearance, and actions, they emerge as three-dimensional characters. The original French title, Entre les murs, can be translated directly into English as “between the walls”, which would be a much more appropriate title as Cantet starts and ends many of the scenes with empty rooms. These rooms are used as a metaphor of change and hope, but the audience’s expectation for both erodes as the classroom tension escalates and the students challenge their teacher with increasing intensity. This is one class you do not want to miss.

Taken

Good Film

TAKEN IS A suspenseful and gripping thriller with enough car chases and shootings to go around, but it’s the emotional family bonds that drive both the plot and the characters forward. When Kim (Maggie Grace) and her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy) are kidnapped while on vacation, it’s up to Kim’s father Bryan (Liam Neeson) to rescue them before it’s too late. As Neeson murders his way through the criminal underworld to find information about his daughter’s disappearance, he uncovers a conspiracy that reaches further than he could have imagined. The plot of Taken may be predictable, but the action is awesome. The film never gets repetitive or boring, and any weaknesses in structure are quickly forgotten when the action scenes ramp up—even if the actual violence is minimal. Apart from the action, though, Taken has a surprising emotional core. The audience believes in Bryan’s desire to protect his daughter, and the family dynamics that the film explores—albeit briefly—make the characters much more iden-

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tifiable and three-dimensional. Thankfully, Taken moves away from the shaky-cam trend that has plagued other recent action movies like Quantum of Solace, Eagle Eye, and Batman Begins. Director Pierre Morel lets the action speak for itself instead of overwhelming it with fancy camerawork. The movie is filmed in dark shadows and back alleys—it’s lit like an Alfred Hitchcock film, but that is a very good thing. Although Famke Janssen’s role as the bitchy ex-wife is unusually weak, the rest of the cast is incredible and manages to bring out the emotional undercurrent of the film. The always amazing Neeson plays a man driven to desperation out of love and concern, giving a nuanced performance that makes him seem at once a devoted father and a ruthless killer. Although Taken sounds like typical action movie fare, it has an emotional heart that sets it apart from other films in the genre. —Nick Rudiak

Independent Corner

In French with English subtitles. —David Davidson

www.thefulcrum.ca // 02.05.09 //

ARTS // 11

by Sarah Leavitt Fulcrum Staff

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rom the greenhouse that sits on top of Gendron Hall to the chemical warning signs in Vanier Hall, the U of O is abuzz with researchers at work. According to RE$EARCH Infosource Inc.’s 2008 ranking of Canada’s top 50 research universities, the U of O is ranked seventh in research intensity and is home to almost 1,000 laboratories in a wide range of disciplines. The research has not gone unnoticed and U of O researchers are consistently rewarded, nationally and internationally, for their efforts. According to the U of O, researchers at the school amassed over $124.7 million in grants in 2007. The flight of bees Most people shrink away when they hear a bee buzzing in their vicinity, but Charles Darveau marvels at the energy and power of that yellow- and black-striped insect. Darveau is an assistant professor in the department of biology and his research focus is the study of metabolism, using flying insects—bees in particular—as his models. Darveau received his bachelor of science from the Université du Québec à Rimouski and his PhD from the University of British Columbia. He explained that he is enraptured by the flight of bees. “We all know as humans that if we exercise, that’s pretty much as expansive as it gets in terms of activities,” Darveau said. “But in animals, the mode of locomotion that is the most expansive is flight. And in flying animals, insects really have the most expansive form of flight.” In his lab in Gendron Hall, Darveau happily watches his bees fly around. Strategically placed flowers provide the bees with much-needed pollen while the insects occupy themselves with serving the queen bee and nce tending to their colony. At least once a day, Darveau or one of his graduate ate students extracts a bee from its colony ony in order to study its flight. “Small species [of bees], in order der ces, to fly, hover and gather resources, have to beat their wings at 250 beats ats per second,” Darveau stated. “OrOrchid bees—the large bees—in order der to hover and fly, probably beat their heir nd. wings at 80 to 100 beats per second. If you look at one muscle cell of the small species and the large species, the small species has to consume three times more oxygen to produce three times more energy to accomplish the exact same activity. We have this great diversity in the amount of energy needed to accomplish a similar activity.” From observing their flight, Darveau and his students gain a better understanding of bees’ individual cellular metabolism and the fuel they need in order to fly. “We end up looking at very intricate details of how biochemical pathways are put together,” said Darveau. “By doing this research, we are working with these very neat animals and

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Ranked seventh in research intensity in Canada

Extraordinar i 714 research laboratories

statistics courtesy University of Ottawa

we end of asking questions that are related to the lifestyle of these animals.” Darveau’s research has been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and the Canadian Society of Zoologists Bulletin. Ottawa’s grassroots The next time you take that shortcut through the park or field, you may be destroying the very thing Julian Starr is studying. Starr is completing his first year at the U of O as an assistant professor in the department of biology and spends most of his day working with plants; sedge grasses in particular. According to the Canadian En-

cyclopedia, sedges are “grasslike plant[s] distinguished from grasses by their 3-sided, solid stems and by leaves with 3 ranks instead of 2.” Starr was one of five Ottawa scientists to receive funding from the Ontario Research Fund for his research. With his $89,683 grant, Starr is looking into the DNA of sedges. “They’re the kind of things that practically nobody would even recognize or know that they were different from grasses,” said Starr. That’s what makes his research so difficult. Starr works in systematics, or what is commonly known as biological classification. “It’s the science that names, classifies, and determines the evolu-

tionary nature of things,” explained Starr. “From the point of view of biology, to learn anything you need to make a comparison, even if you are comparing individuals. But the only way that you can truly understand something new is by knowing [the differences] within a group of species or in a family, [as well as having] some sense of the evolutionary distance [between species].” Starr splits his time between the Canadian Museum of Nature, where he works as a research scientist, and the U of O, where he teaches plant categorization to undergraduate and graduate students. He spends much of his time classifying his sedges at the facilities of

the Natural Heritage building of the Canadian Museum of Nature where Canada’s biological collections are kept. While his work with sedges has taken him across the world, Canada offers him a great place to do his research, as its landscape is dominated by sedge grasses. These grasses make up 10 per cent of the country’s flora and are particularly prominent in Ottawa. “Believe it or not, there’s over a hundred species of the sedge genus I study in Ottawa proper,” said Starr. “That is a phenomenal number. From a Canadian perspective, [the sedge family] is extremely important ecologically,” said Starr.

The world of spo

While the world the opening cer Vancouver 2010 Games, the game be running aroun frenzy. That’s the p pics that truly f Parent. Parent is an as in the School of and her current on the organizatio ing events, or wha sporting world as ment”. “What I am inte ing to see how [a ally organizes the

Ranked 10th in total research funding in Canada

ry nnovation U of O academia at its finest

ort management

is transfixed by remonies of the Olympic Winter es’ organizers will nd backstage in a part of the Olymfascinates Milena

ssistant professor Human Kinetics research focuses on of major sportat is known in the s “sports manage-

erested in is lookcommittee] actuese things, which

273 teaching laboratories photos by Martha Pearce and courtesy Murat Saatcioglu and Charles Darveau

are huge and have big budgets but not much time to do it,” Parent explained. “They involve many different stakeholders like the government, the media, sponsors, the community, sport organizations, and international delegations. How do they organize all these people and their activity within a short amount of time?” The Olympics originated in 1896, but there has been little research conducted into how events like the Olympics, the Pan-American Games, and International Swimming Federation World Aquatics Championships are run. “There isn’t that much literature out on it, so I had to essentially start at the beginning when I did

my doctoral studies,” said the University of Alberta graduate. “I had to say ‘Okay, what does an organizing committee look like and what does it do?’” By sifting through past committee final reports, press releases, documents, and by speaking to a variety of individuals involved in large-scale sporting events, Parent gathers the information she needs in order to uncover the answers she is looking for. She hopes her research and results might prove to be key to the success of future Games. “Besides the undergraduate and graduate students who work with me, I’m the only one in Canada who does this kind of work,” she

said. Parent has co-authored the second edition of the textbook Understanding Sport Organizations: The Application of Organization Theory and has had a number of her research articles published in the Journal of Sport Management and the Journal of Business Ethics. When things go boom If one day you are sitting in class in Colonel By Hall and feel a small earthquake, don’t duck and cover—it’s just a routine experiment. Ioan Nistor, a professor of civil engineering and vice dean of research in the Faculty of Engineering, is researching the im-

pact of explosions on hydraulic infrastructures, such as dams. He received his undergraduate diploma in hydrotechnical engineering from the Technical University of Iasi and his PhD in coastal engineering from Yokohama National University in Japan. “[As an] example, someone comes with a truck on the crest of a dam and blows it up,” Nistor explained. “Water is going to start crushing through the crater and you will have massive flooding which might wipe out a city or a village. We look at how long it would take for the dam to fail.” Together with engineering professors Murat Saatcioglu and Dan Palermo, Nistor secured a grant

for the purchase of a $500,000 shock tube. The tube—located in the structural engineering lab in the basement of Colonel By Hall—simulates explosions and shakes the entire building when used. “It’s the only shock tube in operation in a university in Canada,” said Nistor. “With it, we are looking at the impact of blasts on various infrastructure: walls, columns, pipes, reservoirs, and so forth.” By working together, the team combines the particular aspects of their fields to construct a complete picture. “[Palermo] and Saatcioglu look at the structural aspects, I look at the hydrodynamic aspects,” Nistor explained. “We have an interdisciplinary approach. That is a quite novel approach and that’s why I think we have an edge on this particular project.” GLBT refugee rights Adopted on July 28, 1951, the United Nations Convention on Refugees was the first international convention to be adopted concerning refugee rights. Canada was one of the original signatories of the convention, which listed five grounds for claiming refugee status. The fifth ground of “membership in a particular social group” is considered an open category, but many problems have arisen from the interpretation of this particular condition. Nicole LaViolette, vice dean of the Faculty of Law, looks into the decisions made by the Canadian Immigration Refugee Board concerning refugee claims made by gay or lesbian individuals and whether they are considered members of a “particular social group”. She obtained her bachelor of arts from Carleton University and her baccalaureate in common law from the University of Ottawa. Her research involves reviewing refugee cases and looking at the documents used to make the decisions on claims. LaViolette has been interested in this human rights issue for over ten years. “I want to see to what extent are the commission and the court using human-rights documentation when it came to sexual-minority claimants,” LaViolette explained. “Are they relying on work produced by Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch or other human rights organizations?” By reviewing case laws and looking at the actual decisions made by the board as well as the claims that went to Canada’s Federal Court, LaViolette is able to gain a better understanding of how such decisions were made. Her research so far has proved fruitful. She was asked to submit an article on her research findings for a special issue of the International Journal of Human Rights. “In some sense, the situation is better. A lot of human-rights organizations are doing much more work in different countries to document the persecution of sexual minority,” she stated. “However, there is still a need for those human-rights organizations to do this kind of documentation work for more countries.”

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Jane Eyre meets Jim Belushi Belle Moral brings gothic comedy to the NAC by Peter Henderson Fulcrum Staff COMEDY AND HORROR do not coexist easily, and it’s rare that combinations of the two actually work out. Belle Moral: A Natural History, a new play at the National Arts Centre (NAC), is a rare treat—a gothic comedy that’s eerie and amusing in equal measures. Belle Moral, which runs at the NAC until Feb. 14, deftly straddles the thin line between humour and horror, providing a classic gothic storyline that happens to have a hefty dose of jokes, sight gags, and laughter. There are mysterious deaths, a cryptic and disturbing scientific investigation, and a terrible storm at the play’s climax—all gothic tropes recognizable to those familiar with the works of writers like Edgar Allan Poe or Mary Shelley. What would make Poe turn in his grave, however, are the numerous absurd moments in Belle Moral— an ancient butler who is constantly referred to as “young”, a young man with an unfortunate predilection for underwear-free living, and rapid-fire dialogue that would seem more appropriate in a 1940s Katherine Hepburn screwball comedy. Though it exists in an uneasy place between two disparate genres, Belle Moral is a modern classic that’s engaging and

hilarious. The play, written by bestselling Canadian novelist and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald and based on her 1990 play The Arab’s Mouth, tells the story of the MacIsaacs, a Scottish family coping with the death of their father and the family secrets that his death unearths. Pearl MacIsaac (Fiona Byrne), the capable, intelligent, and studious daughter, must keep her brother Victor (Jeff Meadows) from self-destructing long enough to untangle their inheritance while dealing with the meddling of her aunt Flora (Donna Belleville) and her father’s oldest friend, Dr. Seamus Reid (Peter Hutt). The greatest strength of Belle Moral is the script. It’s fast-paced, funny, and intelligent, and it never pauses long enough for you to see how predictable the whole plot really is. Although MacDonald depends heavily on gothic devices—suicide, madness, and family secrets squirreled away in the attic—the witty dialogue and intricate plotting keep the play fresh and energetic. Director Alisa Palmer has done an outstanding job of bringing Belle Moral to life. Inventive staging that utilizes a large backdrop with three rotating pieces adds diversity to what could have been a dreary set, as many of the scenes are set in two distinctly boring locations—a drawing-room and a study. Even the scene changes are executed well, making use of both stage hands and actors to perform quick switches that never distract from the plot. Some of the scene changes even have jokes, physical comedy that’s

photo courtesy Emily Cooper

Donna Belleville and Fiona Byrne make Belle Moral: A Natural History a delight for theatre fans. barely visible in the dark. This is a daring move because it draws attention to the stage and breaks the suspension of disbelief. It’s a credit to Palmer that it works in Belle Moral. Though the script is the primary strength of Belle Moral, the superb acting leaves very little to be desired. Byrne’s Pearl MacIsaac is a wonder to behold, a woman of exceeding intellect and sharp wit who could hold her own against any literary heroine. Byrne is in almost every scene and has several long monologues, yet she

dominates the play with grace and aplomb. Her character’s chief foil is Dr. Reid, and Hutt plays his conflicted character well—a man caught between loyalty to his best friend and a desire for scientific progress, one who espouses compassion one moment and the amoral evil of eugenics the next. The rest of the cast is strong as well, with Belleville a standout in the role of Flora. It’s no surprise that Belle Moral was a hit when it first premiered at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival

in 2005. Much of the original cast, including Byrne, return for the Ottawa edition of the play, and they play their familiar roles with effortless joy and charm. Theatre done well is a treat for the senses, and Belle Moral gets everyy thing nearly perfect. Belle Moral: A Natural History is at the NAC (53 Elgin St.) until Feb. 14. Tickets are $42 for adults and $22.25 for students, $37 and $19.95 for matinees. For more information, visit naccna.ca.

Breaking out of the cubicle Old friends Make Your Exit exchange business for rock by Sepideh Soltaninia Fulcrum Contributor FOR THE MEMBERS of ambient alternative band Make Your Exit— think a tighter, smaller Broken Social Scene—their high school band was more than just a teenage pastime. And now, it’s their vocation. After completing their respective degrees and entering the business world, these six long-time friends from Toronto reunited in late 2007. They had a common realization—there’s more to life than work. “All of us sort of parted ways when we went to university,” explains lead vocalist Jeff Buckley. “Then we all got our standard office desk jobs where we were working in cubicles and were essentially hating what we were doing. The name [of the band] pretty much boils down to me saying, literally, that I wanted to make my exit.” For Make Your Exit, which consists photo courtesy Make Your Exit

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of drummer Mike Thomson, guitarist Mike Denby, saxophonist Oliver Pauk, keyboardist Adam Pesce, bassist Mike Dellios, and Buckley, leaving the corporate world required rekindling some very old friendships. The guys, most of whom have known each other since high school, made an effort to get back together, and they now describe the band more like a family than a job. “We’ve known each other for so long and we’ve grown as musicians together,” recalls Dellios. “When I started playing bass, I think the first time I picked one up was with Jeff and we were in Grade 7. So knowing how people play and just coming into your own with specific musicians makes it more of a family attitude where you don’t feel that it’s awkward to be honest and straightforward.” The band will be showcasing music from their debut self-titled EP at a concert hosted by the University of Ottawa’s Criminal Law Students’ Association on Feb. 6 at the Rainbow Bistro. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Association in Defense of the Wrongfully Convicted (AIDWC). AIDWC is an organization that advo-

cates for those charged with murder in whose cases evidence of their innocence exists. “It feels nice to have another reason to play a show that can make you feel good and provide a service and funding to a good organization,” explains Buckley. Make Your Exit will also be stopping in several other cities across Ontario in February and March. As a band, the guys are working hard to distinguish themselves in the independent music industry. “It is what you make of it,” says Buckley. “You can be a super successful indie band that grinds it out and pushes really hard to make it happen or you can sit around and let it pass you by. If you don’t work hard it’s not going to happen for you, because no one else is doing it for you.” Make Your Exit play at the Rainbow Bistro (76 Murray St.) on Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $14 at the door. Tickets are on sale now, and are available every day between 11:30 a.m and 1 p.m. in Fauteux Hall. For more information, visit myspace.com/makeyourexit.

David McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sports

Feb. 5–11, 2009

Back with a vengeance

Men’s basketball destroys opposition by Anna Rocoski Fulcrum Staff JUST TWO DAYS after dropping the Capital Hoops Classic 87-72 to the Carleton Ravens, the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team bounced back and defeated the Laurentian Voyageurs 88-52 on Jan. 30 and the York Lions 111-76 on Jan. 31 in Ottawa. “We’re disappointed we didn’t play our best game on Wednesday night [against Carleton], and so we wanted to come back and correct some mistakes we made,” said Gee-Gees head coach Dave DeAveiro after the game against York. “I thought we did that this weekend, so now we have to build on these two games because we got a tough weekend next weekend in Toronto.” “Coming into these two games this weekend, they were statement games,” said third-year centre Louis Gauthier. “What we wanted to do was compose ourselves and show that even though

we lost [to Carleton], we’re a tough team and no one is going to walk over us like that.” On Jan. 30, Ottawa coasted to an easy win over Laurentian, led by an 18-point effort by fourth-year guard Josh Gibson-Bascombe. The Gees looked confident throughout the game and capitalized on a lethargic Voyageurs side to jump to a 45-24 lead at halftime. Although Laurentian improved their play in the second half, Ottawa pulled away and had no trouble wrapping up an 88-52 win. Against York the following night, Ottawa once again had the game sewn up at half time with a commanding 55-28 lead. Gibson-Bascombe and fourth-year guard Josh Wright were the top scorers for the entire game with 26 and 25 points, respectively, but neither saw any time on the court during the fourth quarter. DeAveiro used the final quarter of the game to give many back-up players a chance to rack up some minutes of playing time. This included secondyear guard Bojan Dodik, who played the last five minutes and nailed three three-pointers, as well as Gauthier, who finished with 13 points. Gauthier, who stands 6’8”, is being tapped as

an eventual replacement for veteran center Dax Dessureault. “[Gauthier] played great tonight,” said DeAveiro “[He] has made a steady improvement and progress throughout the year and he is getting more and more playing time. When [Dessureault] graduates, Louis is going to be the guy to step in next year, so this is good for him in terms of that.” “I think I played pretty well,” said Gauthier. “Minutes are always good. When the coach says you’re doing well you get minutes, so I’ve got to keep working hard and get [them].” With the pair of wins, DeAveiro also entered the Gee-Gees record books as the winningest men’s basketball coach in the U of O’s history. The victory against York gave him a 167104 overall record spanning eight seasons, surpassing the 166-221 record held by Jack Eisenmann, established from 1989 to 2001. The pair of wins improve Ottawa’s record to 15-2, leaving them in second place in the Ontario University Athletics East division. The Gee-Gees next play on Feb. 6, when they visit the third-place Toronto Varsity Blues.

Lions lament Laurie lashing

photo by Laura Barclay

Gee-Gees centres Hannah Sunley-Paisley (pictured) and Katie Laurie combined for 53 points against weekend opponents Laurentian and York. Playing against a smaller York team, GeeGees head coach Andy Sparks knew that making Laurie the centrepiece of the team’s game plan could yield results. “For a lot of this year, our perimeter players by Ben Myers have carried us,” Sparks said. “In this game, beFulcrum Staff cause [York] was a little smaller and beaten up a bit with a couple injuries, it meant we had a IS KATIE LAURIE getting better with age? The post advantage, so we were trying to play to the 23-year-old centre celebrated her birthday on post.” Jan. 31 with a 23-point game, helping the GeeThe Gee-Gees point guards fed Laurie the ball Gees defeat the York Lions 74-60. Coupled with in the paint throughout the evening. Reaching a 76-67 overtime win against the Laurentian over defenders for easy buckets, the fifth-year Voyageurs the previous evening, the Gee-Gees centre exploited the Lions’ most glaring weakare once again within reach of first place in the ness: size. Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division. LASHING continued on p. 16

Gee-Gees centre has season-best 23-point game

15

photo by Alex Martin

Ottawa’s David Labentowicz hooks a shot past Laurentian forward Matas Tirilis.

Gees ground Ravens Carleton fans silent as offence falters by Andrew Hawley Fulcrum Staff IF NOT FOR the last 20 seconds of the Jan. 31 showdown between the University of Ottawa women’s hockey team and the Carleton Ravens, the Ravens’ Ice House would have put a library to shame. Ravens fans only got one opportunity to cheer, for a last minute goal that broke Ottawa’s shutout bid in the Gees’ 2-1 victory. The confident Ottawa squad improved to 3-0-2 against their cross-town rivals this season. It was the first Gee-Gees win at the Ravens’ home Ice House since January 2008. Ottawa brought pressure early by outshooting Carleton 10-3 in the first period. While they generated chances on two power plays, it was their defence that shone by keeping the Ravens from getting shots through to the net. “We had a quick start to the first period,” said Gee-Gees head coach Shelley Coolidge. “I was impressed how well as a five-man unit we were committed to the back check. We competed [well] for loose pucks in the defensive zone.”

In the second period, the Gees penalty kill was put to the test as the team took five penalties, including two from second-year defender Kelsey deWit just seconds apart. Ottawa was successful in killing them all. “The penalty killers played very well tonight,” noted Coolidge. “They got into the shooting lanes and stopped shots.” The Gee-Gees’ efforts were rewarded with a goal from first-year forward Fannie Desforges seven minutes into the second period. She received a dead-on pass in the slot from fellow first-year winger Jodi Reinholcz and put it past Carleton goalie Amanda Muhlig. “It was a beautiful pass and a beautiful goal,” said a smiling Desforges after the game. “We were having difficulty scoring lately so it was important to get one to set the tone.” Coolidge noted that the Gees sat back on their heels in the third period, as Carleton outshot Ottawa 9-4. Gee-Gees fifth-year goaltender Jessika Audet was forced to make some key saves, especially on an early Raven power play. Audet also received some help midway through the period when a wrist shot from Carleton forward Sara Seiler got past her, but then ricocheted off the post. “[Audet] played really solid for us tonight,” commended Coolidge after-

LASHING continued from p. 15 Lions point guard Laura McCallum tried her best to force the Gees into a shooting contest, scoring 28 points with killer accuracy from the three-point line and quick darts to the basket. Combined with 12 points from a surprising 5958 win over the Carleton Ravens the previous evening, McCallum now holds the title of most prolific scorer in Lions women’s basketball history. “It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take [the win],” GeeGees fourth-year guard Allison Forbes said following the game. “Our first look down the floor was to get to our high-low [play] … and they couldn’t stop it, so we kept going to that.” In the second quarter, McCallum gave the Lions the lead while Laurie and the Gee-Gees’ shooting went ice-cold. The Lions out-scored Ottawa 17-9 in the quarter, knotting the game at 30-30 at halftime. “It just seems like we can’t [maintain] prosperity,” Sparks said of the team’s second-quarter woes. “We can’t really put [teams] away, and that’s been our problem all year. We’ve been in a lot of close games and sometimes we’re our own

photo by Alex Martin

wards. “She stepped up in the third period.” Along with Audet’s third-period performance, Desforges contributed offensively again when she made a pass to second-year forward Erika Pouliot, who scored a backhand goal on Muhlig’s stick side to give the Gees

worst enemy.” The Gee-Gees recovered in the third quarter, scoring three-straight three-point baskets and opening up a 48-42 lead by the end of the quarter. From there, Ottawa had no problems sewing up the game, coming away with a 74-60 win. Hosting Laurentian on Jan. 30, the Gees had their shooting game running at full steam as guards Emilie Morasse and Forbes scored 21 and 16 points respectively. Ottawa outscored the Voyageurs 10-1 in the overtime frame to win the game 76-67. A crucial game against the OUA East division-leading University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Feb. 6 in Toronto will likely determine the Gee-Gees’ final position in the standings as they head to the playoffs, which begin Feb. 18. Ottawa is currently tied with Carleton for second in the division with a 12-6 record, while the Blues are 13-5. The Gees have four games remaining. “After we lost at Scotiabank Place, I thought we were going to have some trouble [winning both games],” said Sparks. “But we responded with two wins this weekend and Carleton took a loss [Jan. 31] to York, so we’re back [to] controlling our own destiny again.”

a 2-0 lead. With a last-minute power play, the Ravens pulled Muhlig and forward Jennifer Gordon scored a onetimer from the slot, finally getting the team on the board. But with just 19 seconds left to play it was too little too late, and the Gees took home

the win. Ottawa remains second in the QSSF with a 6-5-2 record. They host the St. Thomas Tommies in an exhibition game Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. and then the McGill Martlets on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $4 for students.

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Self-run and self-motivated Coachless men’s soccer team still going strong by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff THEY DON’T HAVE a coach and they have to pay many of their expenses out of their own pockets, but the Gee-Gees men’s soccer team still manages to keep itself running. While the women’s soccer team is a varsity team, the men’s team only has competitive club status, meaning they receive much less money from the U of O. Veteran striker Ben Trenaman explains that the university provides some funding and the players bear the everyday costs of running the team. “We do receive a small sum of money from the U of O, but [we] pay for most of our tournaments and travel costs as well as referees. Gear and field time [is paid for] with money the team fundraises,” he said. In addition to the financial responsibilities, the team hasn’t had a coach since 2007, and has been running itself ever since. Captain Marc-André Paulin runs the team with co-captain Shawn Spendlove and a few other veteran players, including Trenaman. Paulin explains that there are three players in charge of choosing the

team’s players for tournaments, while he takes care of the team’s finances and another player looks after the practice schedule. He noted that, unlike varsity teams, the competitive club teams don’t get a lot of gym time. “Obviously the gym time is really booked during the year so we were only given 8:30–10:30 [a.m.] on Tuesdays,” he said. “We actually need a lot more and that’s why the coach from the [women’s] team lets us practice with them on Monday and Wednesday.” Along with the limited gym access, the team is also forced to travel for almost all of its games. “We don’t have a slot for games on the weekends here, so we can’t host any home games,” explained Paulin. “We have to go to other schools and play them on their fields.” Fortunately, the members of the team are able to raise enough money to cover these costs, and only need to pay for extras like tracksuits or new balls. Despite these issues, the team has been able to thrive, beating varsity teams in exhibition games at other schools. The players often get compliments from the coaches of other teams. “Over the past few years we have had good results and [proven] to be highly competitive with these much higher funded and more organized teams,” said Trenaman.

photo courtesy Ben Trenaman

It’s been two years since they’ve had a coach, but the Gee-Gees men’s soccer team has still found a way to survive. Paulin noted that while the team The team wishes it could be a var- that aren’t coming out for the team has consistently good results, they sity team, contending that they are just because we aren’t varsity,” said benefit little from them. skilled enough to compete and that Paulin. “There’s still a lot of talent at “It is frustrating because it’s always having this status would encourage the university that we wish we could exhibition games and we don’t even more students to try out. With varsity use … to maybe even better our count in the standings,” said Paulin. status, the team would receive fund- team.” “We prepare for the games but there’s ing for travel and equipment, a paid Those players that do play in spite no real point of trying to set a goal to head coach, and would be eligible to of these challenges are willing to face try and make it to the finals or the [Ca- compete in Canadian Interuniversity them head on. nadian Interuniversity Sport] champi- Sports. “We’re trying to do the best that we onships at the end of the year.” “There’s still a lot of good players can with what we have,” said Paulin.

Around the horn Men’s hockey can’t repeat upset AFTER SHOCKING THE second-ranked Université de Trois-Rivières à Québec (UQTR) Patriotes with a 3-2 win on Jan. 23, the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team was unable to repeat the feat during their road trip Jan. 30–Feb. 1. They lost to the Patriotes 5-3 on Jan. 30, and then lost to the Concordia Stingers 5-4 in a shootout two days later. While UQTR, now ranked third, was set on avenging their loss to the Gees, for a while it looked like Ottawa might pull off another upset. Goals from rookie centre Phillipe Bolduc, fourth-year centre Dan McDonald, and thirdyear winger Yanick Charron gave the Gees a 3-2 lead after two periods. But UQTR tied the game early in the final frame and then scored again with less than five minutes to go. An empty-net goal in the dying minutes of the game secured the win for UQTR. Against Concordia, Gees third-year winger Keven Gagné had a field day, scoring a hat trick, his best single-game performance this season. His third goal was on a power play in the third period to tie the game 4-4 with less than 30 seconds left to play. But the Gees’ comeback was thwarted when Concordia’s Nicolas Lafontaine scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Stingers the win. Ottawa remains last in the OUA East with a 9-10-5 record. They next play on Feb. 8 when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues at 2 p.m. at the Sports Complex. Tickets are $4 for students. —Andrew Hawley

Women’s volleyball swept aside on Toronto road trip TORONTO WASN’T KIND to the Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team on Jan. 30–31, as the squad lost two games in straight sets to the Toronto Varsity Blues and York Lions. Against Toronto on Jan. 30, the Gees started strong, battling the Blues to a close 27-25 loss in the opening set. But Ottawa was unable to maintain the solid effort and couldn’t stay close enough to the Blues to threaten them in the final two sets, falling 25-13 and 25-22. Third-year leftside/rightside Aminata Diallo was Ottawa’s top scorer with eight kills. The next day, the Gees bit off more than they could chew against the Lions, who are undefeated in 17 games this season. York made short work of the Garnet and Grey, defeating Ottawa 25-22, 25-16, and 25-20. Fifth-year Ottawa leftside hitter Karine Gagnon led both teams in scoring with six kills and 14 digs. The loss drops Ottawa to 12-6 on the season, leaving them in second place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division. The Gees will round out their season on Feb. 7 when they host the 12-5 Brock Badgers at Montpetit Hall at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for students. If the Gee-Gees win, they will host an OUA quarterfinal on Feb. 14. —David McClelland

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SPORTS // 17

Lighting the lamp

David McClelland Sports Editor

I didn’t watch Super Bowl XLIII I HAVE A confession to make: I didn’t watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Truthfully, I have never worried about it much. I know, it seems incongruous—I am, obviously, a sports fan, and you can often find me glued to a television during the Stanley Cup finals or the World Series. But never during the Super Bowl. I’m often met with shock when I tell people I didn’t watch it, like I’ve just admitted that I burned the Mona Lisa or that I personally orchestrated

fake NASA moon landings. I’ve never quite understood it. Sure, the Super Bowl is a championship game, but it’s not like it’s the only major professional sports championship that’s decided over the course of any given year. Yet it seemingly draws fans out of the woodwork, as people who don’t even like football end up watching the game. There’s a reason for this of course: the Super Bowl has become a complete and utter circus over the years.

I can’t help but compare it to our own Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League’s annual championship. Though things like half-time shows make appearances, the Grey Cup is much humbler and more down-toearth which allows the events in the game to shine through. With the Super Bowl, though, I always feel like the game gets lost in the noise, no matter how memorable it is. Between the ridiculously overblown commercials, the thousands

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of fireworks that are fired, and the overproduced halftime shows, I start to lose track of what the whole thing is about. Why can’t we simply enjoy the game for its own sake, without all the trappings? Take the World Series: over the last 10 years, it’s usually attracted between 15 and 20 million viewers per year. Nowhere near as high as the Super Bowl (which had 95 million this year), granted, but still a pretty significant number. However, Major League Baseball has resisted the urge to make the series into an over-the-top spectacle. At the end of the day, it’s about baseball—nothing more, nothing less. The Super Bowl is at the forefront of what I think is a bigger problem in sports—a need to be flashy and over the top. It’s impossible to watch any professional game these days without being bombarded by promotions and contests, like we need something to distract us from the game in case we get bored. I can’t help but feel that we need to dial things back and turn our attention back to the athletes and the game. I know I’m nearly alone when it comes to having this point of view, but I stand by it. Let’s enjoy games on their own merit, without needing to turn them into the Sporting Event of the Year™. Because the appeal of sports isn’t the half-time show, the ads, or even how many million people are watching; it’s the game. That’s what should matter in the end. [email protected] 613-562-5931

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Opinion

Michael Olender Executive Editor [email protected] Feb. 5-11, 2009

Tune in to learn

Recorded lectures might be key in the future of education by Lisa Le Fulcrum Contributor IT’S MIDTERM SEASON and lectures are dominating students’ time once again. Students suffer from hand cramps from scribbling down their professor’s words, and then strain their eyes trying to decipher their scrawls at home. One solution to the struggle of keeping up with professors could be recorded lectures. At the University of Ottawa, we already use Virtual Campus, where professors can post their own PowerPoint slides for students. So why can’t we add more media? Recording in-class lectures would give students the ability to refer to their lectures any time they wanted. This means that during ugly weather or paralyzing events such as a public transit strike, students would still be able to follow the classes they were unintentionally missing. During the recent OC Transpo strike, some students were unable to get to class on time, sometimes not even at all; forcing some to drop classes altogether. If the U of O had provided students with access to recorded lectures during the bus strike, students wouldn’t have had to miss out on as much content, and some would not have had to drop courses. Students aren’t the only ones who could benefit from recorded lectures—professors could extend their reputation outside of the U of O. According to a November 2008 article published in University Affairs, recorded lectures are catching on across North America. The article highlighted the experience of professor Robert C. Burk, an associate professor and chair in the department of chemistry at Carleton University, who was reportedly the first educator worldwide to record and release video podcasts of an entire course. This garnered him attention from students, other professors, colleagues, and media. Regardless, Burk focused on the recordings’ benefits for students, who he noted were combining class attendance with lecture review afterwards, correlating improved academic performance with increased lecture viewing. The article further cited research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that polled 7,500 students and found that 82 per cent preferred courses that were supple-

mented with recorded lectures posted online to courses without. Students said that they favoured courses with recorded lectures because the recorded components helped them make up for missed classes, review material and improve retention, and boost test scores. There are many other instances in which recorded lectures could be useful. Students who study at the university through correspondence could benefit more from recorded lectures than just word documents. Recorded lectures could improve international students’ chances of mastering English or French while keeping on top of course material. There are students in French Immersion who are still struggling to understand the French vocabulary, and with recorded lectures they would be able to review and solidify their knowledge of the content. Notably, at Carleton University a pilot program was recently launched which allowed students to cut and paste video clips from recorded lectures into a compilation of clips that they might want to refer to later— think of it like making a study sheet full of important points that you might want to review before a test. So the technology could be applied and improved to benefit both students and teaching methods. Of course there is a negative side to this solution. Professors would likely be discouraged if the majority of students in their classes skipped lectures and instead depended on videos available online. Another point is that students who rely on recorded lectures won’t get the face-to-face interaction with professors. Once students reach their third and fourth years of study, it becomes important to forge relationships with professors—especially if they need reference letters for graduate studies applications or jobs in their field. Finally there is funding: recording equipment and software isn’t cheap, and neither is your professor’s time. But university is already expensive, and if it’s possible, students should get their money’s worth by being able to access the lectures that cost them big bucks anytime they want. Are the benefits that trickle from recorded lectures worth the time, effort, and money? I believe that if the U of O provided the means to access recorded lectures, students would be able to maximize their learning and get more for their money. Professors could record the lectures they already give it class and then circulate them on Virtual Campus afterwards. It’s not too great of a stretch to envision this as the new standard in universities.

If the U of O had provided students with access to recorded lectures during the bus strike, students wouldn’t have had to miss out on as much content, and some would not have had to drop courses.

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illustration by Devin A. Beauregard

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The first Millennium Village Project started in 2004 in Sauri, Kenya, and its purpose was to fund $2.75 million in five years to make this village selfsustainable and economically empowered in order to be able to thrive in future generations. With added income to the families, a better water supply, more access to vaccinations, agricultural aid, and resources for education, it would supposedly permit the village to sustain itself. The money is being spent in good places, but will it really be beneficial in the long run? If Sauri is a success, this system will be implemented in other small villages. However, the problem with this is that African countries are often economically unbalanced for a reason. These nations are infested with corruption, meaning that the more money being funneled into the project is also putting more funds into the black market and powerful individuals’ pockets. It creates inner-village struggles and tensions amongst the surrounding communities, which indicates that throwing millions of dollars into specific villages would not be the best of ideas. Since the 1950s over $2.3 trillion from federal aid programs has been dedicated to aid relief in Africa. Overall, the corruption hasn’t changed, the situation is still dire and several conflicts are still very present. An idealistic project such as the Millennium Village creates false pretenses to the public about particular aid relief projects. The benefits to U of O students to partake in the Millennium Village project include taking an active role in effecting world change and contributing money to the less fortunate. But to realistically effect change in the world, you need passionate people who care deeply about these issues, not just a source of money. I feel like the Millennium Village project has skipped the important steps of raising awareness and getting people passionate about these causes to affect change; rather the initiative just collects $6 a student and expects the majority of the campus to forget the yearly donations, never having cared about these projects and surrounding problems in the first place. The students behind this project are doing something for a greater good. But I believe the approach is idealistic, not realistic. Money isn’t the quick, one-stop solution to these villages’ problems. You need to make specific investments to solve specific problems, such as reducing corruption, improving accountability, and involving the villagers effectively into the decision making process of their own development. And these types of actions need people who care enough to be leaders and fight for a solution to these problems. On Feb 10–12, you will be asked to fund this project for $6 a year—$24 during an average university stay. I would be happy to donate that money to a philanthropic initiative of my choice, but will simply saying yes to this referendum question make you care about the situation? Joël Larose Fourth-year communication student

HECKLES:

Lord Jones is dead

Official stupidity

The decline into irrelevance

by Peter Henderson Fulcrum Staff IT ONLY TOOK minutes for sportsreporting stupidity to hit after the Super Bowl matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1. The main National Football League blog on Yahoo! Sports—one of the most popular sports coverage outlets on the Internet—had an article titled “Officiating dictates Super Bowl XLIII to the unreviewed end”. The central thesis of the article was that the final play by the Arizona Cardinals, a fumble by quarterback Kurt Warner, should have been reviewed by the officials. The blog claims that since it was overlooked, it means that “an officiating controversy threatens to overshadow the stellar play on the field”. Oh, come on! Any sports fan knows that blaming the officiating is the last refuge of the loser, and for a prominent national blogger to say that one missed replay could overshadow one of the most thrilling Super Bowls in recent memory is patently absurd. This was, unfortunately for those watching, one of the most penalized Super Bowls ever played, but that doesn’t mean that the refs weren’t doing their jobs—in fact, it probably means that they were doing their jobs exceptionally well. Even after the game was finished, some claimed that the referees were partial to the Steelers as the Cardinals were dealt almost double the penalty yards. Listen to me, sports fans: refs don’t win the game, and they don’t score the points. I know it’s tempting to blame everyone other than the players on the field, but that’s what it comes down to. Only in incredibly rare cas-

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief

es do officials ever change the game, like referee Ed Hochuli’s inadvertent whistle at the beginning of this NFL season in a game between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers, which handed the game to the Broncos and almost knocked the Chargers out of playoff contention. That was a once-in-a-career mistake, and it’s the only time in my personal, professional-sports-watching experience that I’ve ever seen a referee change the outcome of a game. Great teams never talk about beating the refs. Great teams never talk about the wins they almost had. Great teams just win, pure and simple. People may complain about officiating, but it all works out in the end. Sure, Hochuli made the Chargers lose a game, but if they hadn’t played terribly for half the season, it wouldn’t have mattered come playoff time. If the team doesn’t want the referees to decide the game for them, all they have to do is win convincingly—no official can bungle a landslide. Stop whining about biased officials, and accept the outcome. Next time, the call might just go your way.

HOW THE MIGHTY have fallen. In 2006, radical physics professor Denis Rancourt had the sympathies of many at the University of Ottawa. His Activism Course was new and special, he was hailed by many as an innovator with his students’ interests in mind, and there was a sense that perhaps he—an educator with a unique perspective—was being treated unfairly by the U of O administration for his unconventional pedagogy. After all, universities are a birthplace of new ideas and free thinking—qualities that Rancourt certainly holds dear and employs in his teaching. But as the years passed, sympathy for Rancourt disappeared as he selfishly turned the U of O into his personal three-ring circus. His vocal opposition to the university administration—which began as a

well-founded battle for academic freedom—devolved into an undefined challenge of the university from the foundation up, battling the school on every front imaginable. The sideshow has been on campus for years, complete with 10-yearold students, lawsuits, human rights complaints, claims of ideological persecution, and now open defiance of orders to stay away from campus. Through it all Rancourt has gotten louder, and the basis of his struggle has become murkier. And so here we are—Rancourt an outcast at the U of O, and the same community he has attempted to rally in support offering little more than feelings of annoyance, frustration, and general apathy towards anything to do with the professor. His is no longer the battle of an unconventional professor against university oppression. Rather, it has degenerated into a personal vendetta with the sole goal of disrupting, subverting, and otherwise antagonizing the university community. Rancourt is not viewed as an educator fighting for a noble cause, but as a perpetual dissenting voice, and a nuisance to those who have tired of his “look at me, I disagree” antics. Activists, rebels, and revolutionaries have captured the hearts and minds of thousands throughout the ages. Not through their actions alone, but through their underlying visions, causes, and ideals. Suc-

cesses have not come through spurious struggles but through efforts to bring justice and fairness for the masses who needed a voice they were otherwise without. Rancourt’s dichotic and undefined battle offers none of these qualities. His motivation to ardently oppose and defy the university at all costs is a cause that few are willing to rally behind, and even fewer are willing to lend credibility to. The university and its administration are far from perfect. But Rancourt has wantonly harassed the university too many times and presented too many incredible claims for his struggle to garner even a scrap of interest, while ensuring that his right to determine his pedagogical method—a cause worth fighting for—is increasingly obscured in his conflicts with the university. In short, Rancourt has abandoned his duty as an educator to become a rebel on a long, loud, and increasingly irrelevant path to nowhere. To Rancourt: You are no hero. You have simply become a nuisance to this campus. Please, take your leave of the University of Ottawa, and let the rest of us get on with our lives and our education. In the words of Oliver Cromwell, “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you.” [email protected] 613-562-5261

The Fulcrum staff meetings: Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.

VOTE vo t e o n l i n e o n Fe b . 1 0 -1 1 -1 2

iwillvote.ca/obama

www.thefulcrum.ca // 02.05.09 //

OPINION // 21

Distractions Thryllabus Thursday, Feb. 5 Lecture: Global Health in Turbulent Times: What Are the Prospects? 12 p.m. Desmarais Hall. Room 3120. Free.

Friday, Feb. 6 Concert: University of Ottawa Orchestra. 8 p.m. Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities. 310 St. Patrick St. Voluntary contribution. Lecture: Alexandre Sacha Trudeau. 7 p.m. Alumni Auditorium. $10.

Saturday, Feb. 7 Panel: The right to communicate: Securing a voice for the voiceless. 1 p.m. Fauteux Hall. Room 147A. Free.

Sunday, Feb. 8 Women’s hockey: Ottawa vs. McGill Martlets. 6 p.m. Sports Complex. $4 for students.

Monday, Feb. 9 Film: Waltz with Bashir. 6:55 p.m. Bytowne Cinema. 325 Rideau St. $9, $6 for members.

Tuesday, Feb. 10 Concert: Radu Lupu on piano. 8 p.m. National Arts Centre. 53 Elgin St. $10.75 for students.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 Comedy: New talent stand up. 8:30 p.m. Yuk Yuk’s. 88 Albert St. $6.

sudoku answers on p. 18

Pop & Ice Cream

Sarah Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Feb. 5–11, 2009

Dear Di

22

If you have a question for Di, e-mail [email protected].

Dear Di, I grabbed a copy of the Fulcrum the other day and read your column. I was wondering if you could help with my problem. I am a single male in my early 30s and I have had only a few serious relationships in my life. I have been single for three years now and my problem is I don’t have much success getting dates or keeping a woman’s interest. I’m attractive and funny, but I just can’t seem to get my love life into action. Any and all help would be very welcomed and much appreciated. —No-Action Jackson Dear NAJ, No doubt this dry spell may have gotten your confidence down, but please don’t let it. It sounds like you’re a great guy who’s ready to commit, something that we women all know is hard to find. However, it also sounds like you might be lacking the ego that women love. That’s right, I said it. Women find confidence (sometimes even borderline cockiness) incredibly sexy. Ever wonder why hot girls go for unattractive yet overconfident men? It’s because there is something totally magnetic about a man who believes he is the cat’s pyjamas. When women are looking to settle down, they look for a guy with a swagger in his step. They see that the more confidence a man has, the better he will be able to take care of a wife and a family. Now, I’m not saying that you should fake it and go swaggering around asshole-style. The next time you meet a woman you have the hots for, just

remember what you wrote to me: you are attractive and funny. So just be yourself and surprise her every once in a while with a rose or a Tuesday night date and things will develop naturally. If she doesn’t respond as favourably as you’d hoped and she calls it off, she’s not The One. Some women are dead ends, so don’t let the end of a serious relationship here and there get you down. Carry on with your life and enjoy the time you have sans femme (you’d be surprised by how many people miss that single-time freedom even after they have found The One). I guarantee that a zest for life and confidence will start to draw in rather than repel the women you’ve got your eye on, and you’ll eventually find your One. Love, Di Dear Di, I hadn’t had sex before I met my girlfriend, who was pretty much my first everything (kiss, sex, BJ, etc.) I tried your tip about putting two pillows beneath her bum to enhance penetration and she loved it. Now I’m looking to pleasure her to the max. I’m getting there, but I need a few tips on how to make good sex into GREAT sex. —Wants to get her to scream

Dear WGHS, The funny (and frustrating) thing

about great sex is that there is no formula. What you need to do to set a lover aflame will be different every time, so I have to reiterate that communication is key. It sounds like you’re doing all right under the sheets over there, so I was thinking: What if you brought fantasies into bed? Some of the most explosive sex comes from the fulfilment of our deepest fantasies, whatever those may be. Maybe your girlfriend enjoys a spanking. She might like to have sex with her stilettos on. She could even be a ‘furry’ (Google it). If you don’t know what goes on in the gutter of your girlfriend’s mind, have no fear—many of us never find this out about our partners. That’s where communication comes in. Gently broach the subject before, during, or after sex. If she seems nervous, perhaps share a fantasy of your own (if you’ve got many, start with the least kinky and move on from there). If she is too shy or just isn’t a kinky daydreamer, try one of my personal favourites: make your girlfriend a big ol’ ice cream sundae (with extra whipped cream) and then use your mouth on her while she’s got her mouth on the sundae (yum!). My guess, though, is that she has a fantasy or two up her sleeve and will be psyched that you want to make her dreams come true. Happy wish granting! Love, Di

by Lance Mudryk (CUP)

Editorial

f

Not starring Kristy Swanson since 1942. Volume 69 - Issue 20 Feb. 5–11, 2009 phone: (613) 562-5261 fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 [email protected] www.thefulcrum.ca Recycle this paper or they’ll make another movie.

Staff Frank ‘buffy’ Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Ben ‘spike’ Myers Production Manager [email protected] Michael ‘xander’ Olender Executive Editor [email protected] Martha ‘darla’ Pearce Art Director [email protected] Emma ‘harmony’ Godmere News Editor [email protected] Peter ‘oz’ Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected] David ‘angel’ McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sarah ‘drusilla’ Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Danielle ‘faith’ Blab Laurel ‘cordelia’ Hogan Copy Editors Amanda ‘fred’ Shendruk Associate News Editor [email protected] James ‘giles’ Edwards Webmaster [email protected] Jessica ‘tara’ Sukstorf Volunteer & Visibility Coordinator [email protected] Megan ‘dawn’ O’Meara Staff Writer Alex ‘andrew’ Martin Staff Illustrator Inari ‘kennedy’ Vaissi Nagy Jiselle ‘vi’ Bakker Ombudsgirls [email protected] Travis ‘clem’ Boisvenue Ombudsboy [email protected]

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Feb. 5–11, 2009

23

Veiled democracy S

OME MEMBERS OF the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA) have a lot to be ashamed of after their Feb. 1 meeting. The issue of e-voting in the upcoming SFUO elections was again on the agenda, this time with the board discussing an amendment to the system that would have effectively scuttled the ambitious plans for the new voting platform. The initiative was defeated, but the content of the motion itself was hardly the most controversial part of the debate. What was most galling is the manner in which the issue of e-voting was finally put to bed: the board decided the fate of e-voting via a secret ballot, hiding the board members’ identities and opinions behind the safety of a small scrap of paper. The secret ballot process endorsed by the board ultimately removed all sense of responsibility from the decision being made. Claims that secret balloting lets board members vote with their conscience without fear

of retribution overlook the fact that student leaders should be held accountable for their decisions and their opinions. Hiding behind anonymity is not good for anyone involved. Sitting on the BOA should not be about being liked, or about making decisions that everyone will agree with. Rather, members’ priorities should lie in saying precisely what they think, and doing what they feel is best for the community they represent. A failure to openly stand up for beliefs and convictions is far worse than a failure to appease each student affected by the decision. The irony in this decision is that later in the meeting a motion was presented affirming the SFUO’s position that anyone is able to film or record the BOA proceedings, in the interest of transparency. It’s hard to be truly transparent when board members are afraid of putting their name to their beliefs. But the hardest part to swallow is that the SFUO has potentially lost a lot of credibility in its calls on the university administration for transparency and accountability

in the proceedings of its Senate and Board of Governors meetings. This is a cause that all students can support, and the U of O needs student leaders committed to the same principles that they’re supposedly fighting for. If BOA members are truly afraid to have their opinions known, perhaps they should reconsider why they ran for the board in the first place. As the SFUO’s highest governing body, the BOA makes difficult decisions— decisions that these members were elected to make. E-voting is a controversial issue that will affect every undergraduate student at the U of O, and students deserve to know how their representatives voted. In a democracy, we expect our leaders to put their name to a decision. And whether on the ‘winning’ or ‘losing’ side of the ballot, leaders will be respected for taking a stand. Sadly, the board members who supported secret balloting did not take a stand in this decision. [email protected]

The other campaigns

T

HROUGHOUT THE NEXT week undergraduate students will be bombarded by the election campaigns for the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) executive, Board of Administration, and the U of O Board of Governors and Senate. This campaign season sees a massive number of candidates all vying for attention and trying to convince some 30,000 students that they are deserving of representing students next year. These are colourful campaigns with faces, personalities, debates, and battles with other candidates, making them extremely captivating and easy to grow attached to. But the election of student leaders is only one of the important decisions facing students when the polls open on Feb. 10. There are six referendum questions up for debate this year—an extraordinary number—with the potential to impact the campus as much

as the election of any student leader. While referenda often lack the appeal and drama of the SFUO executive elections, they are no less significant. Referendum questions are the most direct form of democracy available to U of O undergrads—questions deemed important enough to require input from the student body on what action is to be taken, and questions based on the efforts of individual students. The referenda on the ballot this year (see p. e7 for a full rundown) include questions pertaining to restricting smoking on campus, a pitch to support a United Nations-led project, and an increase in fees for the SFUO’s food bank. These questions affect not only students’ on-campus lives, but also their wallets, as over half of the questions ask for fees to be collected to facilitate the introduction of new services or offerings. Student fees have become an integral part of the dialogue on

campus surrounding student issues, and voters must take care to study the causes to which they choose to offer both money and legitimacy. Students caught up solely in the oftintriguing election platforms and promises of SFUO candidates cannot make claims of being wholly informed or engaged. The significance of these questions dictates a need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of supporting or defeating a question. Referenda are often forgotten about until students stumble across the questions while casting their ballots, and the issues on the table next week are deserving of as much pre-polling scrutiny as any potential candidate. There may be less human drama in the debate over referendum questions, but they are no less important to the student experience. [email protected]

Nicole ‘willow’ Gall Staff Proofreader Robert ‘parker’ Olender On-campus Distributor Deidre ‘anya’ Butters Advertising Representative [email protected] Ross ‘principal snyder’ Prusakowski Business Manager [email protected]

Contributors Dave ‘groosalugg’ Atkinson Devin A. ‘wesley’ Beauregard Julian ‘glory’ Blizzard Andrew ‘adam’ Champagne Laura ‘the mayor’ Clementson David ‘jonathan’ Davidson Katie ‘lilah’ DeClerq Kristen ‘jenny’ Filip

Des ‘gunn’ Fisher Marie-Helene ‘lindsey’ Haché Jolene ‘doyle’ Hansell Andrew ‘joyce’ Hawley Aaron ‘angelus’ Kozak Lisa ‘connor’ Le Jacyln ‘lorne’ Lytle Catherine ‘professor walsh’ McIntyre

Carl ‘the cheese man’ Meyer Kaitlin ‘jasmine’ Milroy Anna ‘caleb’ Rocoksi Nick ‘warren’ Rudiak Brett ‘the master’ Skidmore Sepideh ‘slayer’ Soltaninia Nick ‘the beast’ Taylor-Vaisey

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