Fulcrum 030509

Letters Cowardly coverage Re: “U of O bans pro-Palestinian group’s posters” (News, Feb. 25) I AM WRITING this letter in response to your very flawed articles regarding the banning of the Israeli Apartheid poster by the university. News editor Emma Godmere wrote in a column that, while she has little knowledge of the intricacies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she believes the posters are inflammatory and seemingly supports the university’s decision. She claims that Israeli Apartheid Week will continue to happen, so what’s the problem with banning their poster? Well, these posters have the ability to reach a broader audience than the simple event for this week, since oftentimes, as everyone knows, these events tend to largely amount to preaching to the converted, whereas the uninterested and uninformed, such as Godmere, may notice the posters hung up around campus and take enough interest to find out if what’s depicted on the poster is in fact happening, as Godmere should have done. What’s really missing is the brave mention that over 400 children were killed in the recent Israeli “intervention” in Gaza, making the poster’s image pure fact, multiplied by 400! But what would be still more important to address is this question of whether depicting the sort of crime committed by the Israeli forces incites anti-Semitism, which is what the university is insinuating. Did we ban the far more provocative images of Iraqi

victims in Fahrenheit 9/11, which was shown at the university when it came out, because they would provoke anti-Americanism? Or do we refuse to show films of Holocaust victims because they would promote anti-German discrimination? Of course not! That would be horrible censorship of historical fact. Yet, this is the classic cry of Israel supporters who wish to deflect criticism of their policies; a cry you are ultimately echoing. Though I fully appreciate that regarding this issue people will rag on you from either side no matter what you write, I think your coverage was cowardly. More courageous coverage may have offended a historically horribly oppressed group that has unfortunately seen a part of its population transformed into terrible oppressors in Israel (which many Israelis courageously oppose). On the side you chose however, you are complicit in marginalizing comment on the killing of more than 400 innocent children. Some things are worth receiving angry mail over. Jonathan Williams Second-year international development student The wrong approach Re: “Staying Safe in Sandy Hill” (News, Feb. 25) I WAS DISAPPOINTED that, in its reporting on the prevalence of sexual assault in Sandy Hill, the Fulcrum chose to focus on policing and restricting women’s freedom of move-

Contents

Students file lawsuit against U of O

News

Plaintiffs claim university “derailed” research by closing Rancourt lab. p. 4

p. 4

Students organize a well-attended debate on abortion. p. 5

Overthrowing EMI

Arts

Peter Henderson and Nick Rudiak look into Cherrypeel.com and digital music distribution. p. 9

p. 9

Justin Farinaccio reviews the Gladstone Theatre production of Doubt. p. 9

Still alive

Sports

Women’s basketball to make first trip to national championship since 2004. p. 15

p. 15 Feature p. 12

Sandy Hill Winter Classic features some pond hockey for a good cause. p. 15

Knock-knock Who’s there? An article about comedy in Ottawa. Knock-knock jokes are stupid. p. 12–13 You’ve spent a year in residence sleeping with your floormates, and things are getting hairy. Di can help. p. 20

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] March 5–11, 2009 ment and agency over their own choices. The article suggests tips on avoiding sexual violence, which include walking along in pairs along a “planned route”. As a 20-year-old university student, I should feel capable of walking myself home from class on streets that I did not take time to map out beforehand. The fact that I could be at risk of attack is not because I have not taken the proper precautions to keep myself safe, but because of the systemic issues of male violence and sexual assault. Yet nowhere in the article was there discussion of the policing of the perpetrators of the crime; perhaps men should be advised to stay indoors, avoid parties, and be walked home by authorities to avoid the possibility of raping women. I also take issue in advising women to “monitor their alcohol consumption”, which not only leads to the shaming and guilting of assault survivors, but falsely suggests that the most significant barrier in convicting rapists is inadequacy of the victim’s testimony. Unfortunately, there is no way to protect oneself against rape; it occurs far too frequently and indiscriminately. To insinuate that those who have suffered attacks is by fault of their own carelessness is false, degrading, and counter-productive. Victoria Sands Third-year women’s studies student An open letter to the SFUO executive MARCH 1 WAS a sad day for the students at the University of Ottawa. On that day the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) members voted to condemn the U of O administration for banning a poster. This poster features a warplane with the word “Israel” written on it firing a rocket at a child who is wearing a kaffiyeh and holding a teddy bear, his shadow spelling “Gaza”. This poster demonizes several groups of students on campus, including Israeli students, most Jewish students, and any other student who believes in Israel’s right to exist and right to defend itself, implying that they support the murder of children. The SFUO seems to have forgotten a key element of their constitution, found under the heading “statement of principles” which states, “We, the undergraduate students of the University of Ottawa, feel the need to speak with one voice in asserting our legitimate needs and, for that pur-

pose, we recognize The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) as the instrument of political action of the undergraduate student population.” Notice that this doesn’t say “we the undergraduate left-wing students” or “we the undergraduate students who are pro-Palestinian”. No, the constitution of the SFUO says “we, the undergraduate students”. All of us. The executive seems to have forgotten that they are accountable to all students, regardless of political affiliation, religious belief, or ideology. So when that same executive elects to put up a poster that demonizes a certain group of students, those very students who they have been elected to represent, we have a problem. The SFUO needs to understand that they are accountable to all undergraduate students and that means that they are responsible for ensuring that the right to freedom of speech of some students does not take precedence over all students’ right to a sense of safety on campus. The administration, in banning this poster is not stifling anybody’s freedom of speech. The parties involved are still holding their events, and have been allowed to put up posters that are moderately less likely to incite hatred. I would like to applaud the administration for their bravery in banning this poster. I hope that the SFUO will be able to put their personal or political agendas aside and do their job properly, representing all of their students. Rebecca Margel Fourth-year biology student Free speech? I FIND IT utterly detestable that the University of Ottawa would have the audacity to disallow the practice of free speech on campus. I am referring in particular to the administration’s recent decision to ban posters promoting the upcoming Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) on campus. What is even more detestable is the administration’s reference to human rights as a justification for its actions. The U of O’s communications office sent a communiqué to the group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, which reads in part: “A poster from the campus group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has recently come to the attention of the Communications Office. All posters approved

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by the Communications Office must promote a campus culture where all members of the community can play a part in a declaration of human rights recognizing the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students. Consequently, we will not place this particular poster on our campus billboards.” In fact, the very purpose of Israeli Apartheid Week is to speak out against human rights abuses and inform others of what is taking place in Palestine. The week is meant to be one of educating the general population, which is what a university is all about. I call upon the U of O to recognize the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students, stop this ridiculous censorship, and allow the IAW promotional posters to be posted on campus. In the words of the American historian Henry Steele Commager: “The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion.” Shawn Smith Fourth-year English student Due to space constrains, we were unable to print all letters received this week. Visit thefulcrum.ca/letters to read the others.

thefulcrum.ca poll This week’s question What do you think of the U of O’s decision to ban the Israeli Apartheid Week poster? Great move: Terrible decision: Unsure:

Last week’s results Have you attended a GeeGees game this year? Yes: No:

40% 60%

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.

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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

Emma Godmere News Editor [email protected] March 5–11, 2009

Students file lawsuit against U of O

4

SFUO backs freedom of expression BOA passes motion to defend fundamental right by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff

photo by Liam Kennedy-Slaney

Students attempted to deliver the official document outlining their lawsuit against the U of O to President Allan Rock on Feb. 24. their contractual, administrative and statutory particular, in order to continue my research unobligations and have caused pecuniary and ir- interrupted, and to ensure that other students reparable harm to the plaintiffs,” read the claim. do not get treated this way in the future.” Slater declined to comment. Kelly echoed similar sentiments. “Given the subject of my research project, I During a Feb. 24 press conference in Tabaret Hall, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Yavar Hameed, spoke will not be able to complete the project if Dr. Rancourt is removed as my supervisor,” he said about the situation. “I am here on a very grave and serious occa- in an email. “No one has the equivalent experby Amanda Shendruk sion,” he said to a crowd of 20. “It is not a normal tise … in the city, province, or country; thereFulcrum Staff course of action for students to take legal pro- fore, I chose to file a lawsuit in order to pursue ON FEB. 24, two University of Ottawa graduate ceedings against an administration and against my claim that the university has breached the students and a post-doctoral research associate professors within the administrative establish- contract they have with me (to provide the best conditions for excellent education and refiled a lawsuit against the U of O alleging that ment of an academic institution.” On Dec. 3, Dang, employed by the U of O search).” “their academic and research careers have been The three plaintiffs are seeking $50,000 in frustrated and/or derailed” due to the Dec. 10 since 1996, had her contract renewed with the U suspension of physics professor Denis Rancourt of O to continue research in the Rancourt labo- damages, and Kelly and Hickey are additionand the closure of his laboratory. ratory. Upon closure, however, Dang could not ally requesting the reinstatement of Professor Filed with the Ontario Superior Court of access her data or research, and stopped receiv- Rancourt as their graduate supervisor and access to the closed lab in order to continue reJustice, the claim listed graduate students Sean ing her pay from the university. Kelly and Hickey both claim that without search. Kelly and Joseph Hickey, along with research U of O President Allan Rock, who accepted associate Miezhen Dang, as the plaintiffs. They Rancourt as their supervisor and access to the have directed their legal action against Dean of laboratory, they will not be able to continue their the claim on behalf of the university, did not go the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Stud- research due to its highly specialized nature and into detail about the university’s response to the lawsuit. ies Gary Slater, Dean of the Faculty of Science Rancourt’s expertise in the subject. “My main motivation for taking legal action “I’m not going to discuss the details [of the André Lalonde, and the University of Ottawa. “In locking down the Rancourt laboratory and is that my research supervisor, Denis Rancourt, claim] because the lawyers will have to deal with separating the Plaintiffs from the guidance and is being removed from me,” Hickey explained that,” he said. “But we are going to instruct our supervision of Professor Rancourt, the Plaintiffs via email. “I am pursuing this legal claim against lawyers to defend it vigorously.” —with files from Emma Godmere state that the Defendants have acted contrary to the university, and deans Slater and Lalonde in

Plaintiffs claim university “derailed” research

A HEATED DEBATE surrounding freedom of expression opened the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration meeting on March 1. Faculty of Social Sciences representative Amy Kishek brought forward a motion at the beginning of the meeting that aimed to ensure the SFUO’s support for freedom of expression. The BOA voted to include it at the top of the agenda. The motion cites the SFUO’s statements of principle, where the SFUO shall “establish a framework whereby its members can share experiences, skills and ideas, communicate, exchange information and debate” as reason for “vigorously [defending] the principles of freedom of expression as a fundamental right for every student”. The motion further states that the SFUO must “[communicate] its concern with the administration’s position to prohibit a poster and lobby the administration accordingly”. Kishek indicated that the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) campus group, that posted the Israeli Apartheid Week poster that was banned by the U of O’s communications office on Feb. 17, approached her to present the motion. The poster and the IsraelPalestine conflict in general ended up being the subject of a large portion of the BOA debate surrounding the motion as audience members present from the campus’s Palestinian and Jewish communities also commented on the SFUO taking a stance on the freedom of speech and expression issue. Rebecca Margel, former president of Jewish group Hillel Ottawa, was given speaking rights at the meeting to read a letter she had sent to the SFUO the night before, blasting them for allowing the posters to be put up. “The SFUO needs to understand that they are accountable to all undergraduate students and that means that they are responsible for ensuring that the right to freedom of speech of some students does not take precedence over all students’ right to a sense of safety on campus,” she said. Regardless of some of the concerns that were raised with the motion, surrounding inclusivity and having a peaceful community on campus, Kishek was pleased the motion was passed. “I am very proud of the decision the board made yesterday,” she said via email. “It goes beyond this poster. It’s a fundamental issue regarding the freedom of speech of students on our campus. Banning these posters would have set a dangerous precedent. I hope the support of the BOA will strengthen the SFUO’s lobbying of the administration to reverse their decision and apologize to the affected students.”

U of O earns $8.9 million for research Four new Canada Research Chairs awarded to professors by Amanda Shendruk Fulcrum Staff THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa has secured $8.9 million in funding from the federal government for the creation of four new Canada Research Chairs, and the renewal of three more. On Feb. 23, the U of O announced the addition of the new chairs in the fields of catalysis science for energy applications, global health, neuropsychiatry, and native peoples and legal diversity; and the renewal of the alreadyexisting chairs for health knowledge transfer and renewal uptake, catalysis using renewal nano-structured materials, and health equity. “These are really important for us,” said Gilles Morier, director of research, grants, and ethics services. “The Canada Research Chairs are chairs that are created to either retain

or to attract some of Canada’s and the world’s best scientists. They cover all of the disciplines and they are targeted at either senior people who have already established themselves as world-class researchers or at the really hot up-and-comers that have the potential to develop international leadership.” The Government of Canada established the Canada Research Chairs Program in 2000, with the aim of creating 2,000 research positions in universities across the country. According to the government’s website, chairholders “improve Canadians’ depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen the country’s international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision, teaching, and the coordination of other researchers’ work.” The Canadian government invests $300 million a year to ensure the quality, accomplishment, and longevity of the researchers and the program. As of February 2009, there are 1,831 Canada Research Chairs

at 70 universities. Specialists from outside of Canada fill 31 per cent of the chairs, and the male-to-female ratio is 3 to 1. Since its initiation, $2.29 billion has been spent on the program. “This was exciting news for the University of Ottawa,” said Ruby Heap, associate vp research at the U of O. “I think it’s a testimony to the research strength that we have at the university, and to its position as a leading research-intensive university. The renewals and the new chairs will of course contribute even further to increasing research strength in the designated areas.” Tom Baker, new Chair in Catalysis Science for Energy Applications, indicated the progam highlights the country’s accomplishments on the whole, as well. “The Canada Research Chairs program has done a really great job of helping Canada build excellence in education and research in its universities,” he said via email. “Having received a comprehensive education in Canada that allowed me to pursue

exciting careers in the chemical industry and a large U.S. Department of Energy National Lab, I am excited to be awarded this Canada Research Chair that now allows me to help bolster Canadian research ... and to train the next generation of Canadian scientists.” Baker joins U of O professors Edward J. Mills, Georg G. N. Northoff, and Ghislain Otis to fill the newly acquired Canada Research Chairs. The renewed chairs will continue to be held by Jeremy M. Grimshaw, Abdelhamid Sayari, and Peter S. L. Tugwell. “We’re really thrilled about these,” said Morier. “They matter to us because it allows us to intensify our research in areas that are important to us and that helps us in terms of our strategic plan, but it’s also really good for our graduate students, because they get the opportunity to work with some of the world’s top people, and that’s something that a university really aspires to.” The U of O now has 53 Canada Research Chairs. —with files from Emma Godmere

Funding is worth between $100,000 and $200,000 and can be renewed for up to seven years. source: chairs.gc.ca

The Fulcrum 2009–10 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

-

Production Manager

March 5

-

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

The following Fulcrum staff are eligible to vote in the elections: Frank Appleyard Danielle Blab Hilary Caton Laura Clementson Katie Declerq James Edwards Kristyn Filip Nicole Gall Emma Godmere

Jolene Hansell Andrew Hawley Peter Henderson Laurel Hogan Hisham Kelati Danyal Khoral Sarah Leavitt Jaclyn Lytle Alex Martin

David McClelland Ben Myers Michael Olender Robert Olender Megan O’Meara Anna Rocoski Maria Rondon Martha Pearce Ross Prusakowski

Amanda Shendruk Len Smirnov Alex Smyth Jessica Sukstorf Amlake Tedla-Digaf Nick Taylor-Vaisey

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

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.05.09 //

NEWS // 5

Abortion debate draws large crowd

www.thefulcrum.ca

U of O students and community members packed Arts 026 on Feb. 27 to watch an abortion debate co-hosted by Ottawa Students for Life. pro-life side of the debate was Stephanie Gray, child does not have a right to his mother’s body. by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff executive director of the Canadian Centre for Sneddon was invited to speak by a former stuBio-Ethical Reform, who argued that abortion is dent who had heard him discussing abortion in ARTS HALL’S AUDITORIUM in room 026 was immoral because the unborn should be consid- class, and explained that he often discusses the filled to capacity on Feb. 27 with students and ered as human as any other living person. Gray, issue with his students. “I routinely teach this issue in some of my community members gathering to watch a de- who has previously defended her position in debate on the morality of abortion co-hosted by bates against various abortion advocates across courses where it’s a natural part of the topic,” he Ottawa Students for Life (OSFL) and the East- the country, explained that the U of O debate explained. “Given that there’s general interest ern Catholic Chaplaincy of Ottawa. highlighted an important issue university stu- and that a university is a good place for rational discourse and a respectful exchange of ideas, Rebecca Richmond, president of the pro-life dents should be concerned with. “A good number of abortions happen amongst that’s enough … to make this an important OSFL campus club, was thrilled with the turnout and interest in the event. university-aged women, so it’s essential that thing for university students to at least have a “The simple fact that it was held was an the issue be opened up and discussed,” she ex- forum to think about it in.” The Feb. 27 debate was of particular imporachievement, and showed that the abortion de- plained. “Abortion really affects all of us ... even bate is still alive and relevant on university cam- if women haven’t directly had abortions, women tance for OSFL, as it was successfully held during puses and in Canada,” she said. “It also showed and men will know ... their mothers, their sis- a time when other post-secondary institutions that we can have a dialogue on such a controver- ters, their friends who have had abortions, and have limited their students’ ability to address the issue. In February 2008, an abortion debate was sial and emotionally charged issue in a respect- so in some way we’re all touched by it.” U of O philosophy professor Andrew Sned- cancelled at York University three hours before it ful manner.” The two-and-a-half-hour event focused on don defended the pro-choice side of the debate, was scheduled to begin when the York Student the morality of abortion. Representing the arguing that abortion was permissible because a Centre Board of Directors cited equal-rights is-

6 \\ NEWS

photo by Martha Pearce

sues. At other universities, such as the University of Guelph and the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, pro-life clubs have been banned or denied funding by student unions. “It’s nice to be able to point to cases like this [debate at the U of O] and say it worked; we don’t have to use just York as an example,” said Sneddon. “I think universities’ administrations might have legitimate worries here, but maybe those worries are worth balancing with the likelihood of there being a good debate as opposed to a not so good one.” Daniel Gilman, OSFL vice-president, expressed the club’s appreciation for their right to express their views on the issue as he wrapped up the event. “While pro-life clubs and abortion debates have been shut down throughout Canada, our university has proven that respectful and open debate is possible and is taking place on the subjects that are the most controversial.”

The minimum wage is going up. If you're an employer, here's what you need to know. General Minimum Wage

Students under 18 and working not more than 28 hours per week or during a school holiday

Liquor Server

Hunting & Fishing Guides: for less than five consecutive hours in a day

Hunting & Fishing Guides: for five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive

Homeworkers (people doing paid work in their home for an employer)

Current wage rate

$8.75/hour

$8.20/hour__

$7.60/hour

$43.75

$87.50

110% of the minimum wage

Mar. 31, 2009 wage rate

$9.50/hour

$8.90/hour__

$8.25/hour

$47.50

$95.00

110% of the minimum wage

On March 31, 2009, the general minimum wage will increase to $9.50 per hour from the current rate of $8.75 per hour.

To find out more about how the new minimum wage guidelines affect employers and employees, call or visit the Ministry of Labour web site. Paid for by the Government of Ontario

\\ 03.05.09 \\ www.thefulcrum.ca

1-800-531-5551

www.ontario.ca/minimumwage

News in brief

Vote of confidence

Pack it up and leave

Emma Godmere News Editor FOR THE THIRD time in as many months, the University of Ottawa’s Senate meeting on March 2 was cancelled before it even began. The monthly protests are almost expected now. Suspended physics professor Denis Rancourt, deregistered student Marc Kelly, and graduate law student Mireille Gervais are joined by the same group of 10 or so U of O students and community members to protest at every Senate meeting that has attempted to be held since January, forcing the proceedings to be shut down by administrators every single time. Earlier on, their purpose for protesting was understood: they were pressuring the Senate to establish a clear policy on allowing recording devices at their public meetings after Kelly was arrested when he attempted to film the Dec. 1 meeting. Over a dozen of these group members tried to film the Jan. 12 meeting themselves before U of O President Allan Rock quickly cancelled the meeting. After this incident, the university actually responded to their protest: Rock ended up meeting with SFUO VP University Affairs Seamus Wolfe to discuss Senate transparency, and shortly after, the administration drafted a recording policy and presented it to the public for feedback before it was to be brought to the Feb. 2 meeting. All things considered, their protest

worked: the university reacted to the group’s actions by creating a policy that was not only going to address the very thing they were fighting for, but that was also up for public discussion in which the group was more than welcome to participate. But apparently that wasn’t enough. The same group arrived at Tabaret Hall on Feb. 2 with the same show, forcing the acting chair, U of O VP Academic Robert Major, to cancel the meeting yet again. It was this meeting, though, that had the recording policy discussion at the top of the agenda—and the group was well aware of this. Paradoxically, their protesting for improved Senate transparency lead to the shutting down of that very discussion. The group’s actions at the March 2 meeting were even more ridiculous. As soon as senators were settled in their seats, ready to discuss the recording policy once again, Gervais appeared at the front of the room with a microphone, announcing that their own “Senate” meeting was ready to begin. She proceeded to announce the group’s agenda, which was printed on fake U of O letterhead distributed to all in attendance, and included “rules concerning speaking” and their own point recording policy. Rock asked the group to take their meeting elsewhere before cancelling the real Senate meeting for the third straight time. At the end of the agenda they passed out, this group chose to print a quote from the U of O’s Vision 2010: “We encourage freedom of expression in an atmosphere of open dialogue, enabling critical thought, supported by intellectual integrity and ethical judgment. Collegiality, transparency, and accountability are the principles that guide our university governance.” By consistently shutting down their meetings, this group is not allowing the Senate to engage in open dialogue in an accountable or transparent manner. This group is forcing

the Senate—which is responsible for passing educational policies, creating and abolishing programs and faculties, and setting criteria for admission and degrees—to drop items off their growing list of issues to cover and even resort to in-camera meetings, which no member of the public is allowed to watch, not even the media. This group, which according to their agenda claims to be the “Office of the Student Population”, is no longer effectively representing students at all when they are single-handedly silencing discussion on academics— academics being the reason students study at this university. In an email to the Fulcrum, Joseph W. Richards II, a student senator representing the Faculty of Law, put the group’s actions into perspective: “The actions of Marc Kelly & Co. are ridiculous and directly contrary to the interests of students. Students want the administration of the university to get things done, and that involves allowing the Senate the opportunity to deliberate on important topics that affect our academic lives (i.e. creation/ modification of programs). Honestly, I felt like a hostage at the meeting today; a prisoner of fellow students.” This group has indeed forced the Senate to grind to a halt and almost all important university academic decision making to come to a standstill. But instead of using this hijackinglike pressure to their advantage, the methods have backfired: neither senators nor the students the group claims to represent care anymore. The Senate is finding alternate ways to get its work done and few U of O students are standing by the group in solidarity. It’s time to realize that everyone is ignoring you and your foolish behaviour. Your fight has lost its relevance. Get over it. [email protected] 613-562-5260

Report pushes 25 per cent tuition hike TORONTO (CUP) – A RECENT REPORT by the non-profit Educational Policy Institute warns of tuition-fee increases amounting to $1 to $2 billion over the next three years. The think tank predicts that post-secondary institutions will raise tuition by 25 per cent or begin to cut programs and services. Entitled On the Brink: How the Recession of 2009 Will Affect Post-Secondary Education, the report paints a grim picture of the future. Canadian universities and colleges will be battered by circumstances including weakened endowments, changing demographics, increased enrolment pressure, increased operating costs, and reduced government funding. Student groups, such as the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, agree with parts of the report but criticize it for proposing a large tuition hike during a recession and asserting that Canadians can afford increased fees. John Milloy, Ontario’s minister of training, colleges and universities, told the Globe and Mail that increases coming after 2010 would not keep qualified students out of college or university. —Joe Howell, Ontario Bureau Chief

tal investments into post-secondary education in partnership with the federal government will create jobs and provide space for B.C.’s colleges and universities. Tim Chu, newly elected vp external affairs for the University of British Columbia’s undergraduate students’ union, is unimpressed. He indicated that the increase only works out to $55 million a year, and does not make up for the “damages caused by the $60 million that was cut last year”. Before the budget announcement, Camosun College predicted it would carry a $3.4 million deficit for 2009– 10 and has already asked department heads how they can cut five per cent from their budgets—a task that has some faculty concerned about their jobs and students fearing a tuition hike. —Guy Alaimo, Nexus

Student groups bash B.C. budget VICTORIA (CUP) – DESPITE A 7.3 per cent hike in funding for postsecondary education, the 2009 provincial budget still has B.C. student groups fuming. The budget gives post-secondary institutions $228 million over three years, with $165 million of that allocated towards making higher education more accessible for students. The government also states that new capi-

The National Arts Centre English Theatre presents a Mopo Cultural Trust (South Africa) production

Photo: Ruphin Coudyzer

“If you only see one show this year, Tshepang demands to be the one... superbly written and performed.” — Sunday Independent (South Africa)

Written and directed by Lara Foot Newton Starring Mncedisi Shabangu and Constance Didi

March 10 to21 Opening Night March 12 | Previews March 10 and 11 Studio 8 p.m. (Sat. matinee 2 p.m.) Tuesday–Saturday Tickets $31.50 & $36, Previews $26 16+ MATURE CONTENT suitable for adults only. Designed by GERHARD MARX Lighting by WESLEY FRANCE

National Arts Centre ENGLISH THEATRE PETER HINTON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

www.nac-cna.ca NAC BOX OFFICE MON.-SAT. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. GROUPS 10+ 613-947-7000 x384 | [email protected]

613-755-1111

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.05.09 //

NEWS // 7

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Arts & Culture

Peter Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected]

March 5–11, 2009

9

Power to the people Cherrypeel.com and the democratic music revolution by Nick Rudiak and Peter Henderson Fulcrum Staff SO YOU SAY you want a revolution? Andrew Stern is at the forefront of an unfolding revolution in the music industry, and he has some of the biggest media conglomerates in the world square in his sights. The rise of file-sharing and digital piracy has shaken the record industry to its core. Old business models have become obsolete in the face of competition from illegal file-sharing and free music streaming websites like MySpace and Last.fm. To make matters worse, for every band and label that speaks out against downloading, there are dozens of musicians encouraging free distribution of their work and websites facilitating the process. This is where Stern comes in. As the co-creator of the website Cherrypeel.com, Stern is aiming to put the power back in the hands of the consumers by offering a platform for the free exchange of music that’s rated and voted on by the site’s users. Cherrypeel.com is a part of what Stern calls the democratic music revolution. The website allows listeners to vote either for or against a particular song or playlist of songs, and the results are tabulated and ranked by popularity. A top-10 list appears on the website’s homepage, and a simple user interface allows for building personal playlists and sharing songs with friends. “People get to choose what they hear,” Stern explains. “We assumed that people knew what they wanted to hear so they could do the hard

work in selecting music for others. We have an algorithm that sorts [for the popular list on the front page]. The algorithm doesn’t just work on amount of votes, which is what a lot of them do. What we do is [tabulate] votes over time—if you come back the next day the same artist won’t be at the top.” As of March 3, the top song on Cherrypeel. com was “La Resistance” by the Greycoats, with 31 points. Though the song in second place, “Orpheus” by Phantods, has 120 points, “La Resistance” gained its votes within two days of being uploaded, whereas “Orpheus” is a week old. Stern created the website, which went live in June 2008, in partnership with his friend Scott Hyndman to address the problems that they saw with the mainstream music industry. Like MySpace and Last.fm, Cherrypeel.com allows bands to upload music and bypass the major labels in getting their songs to the masses. “We were discussing the difficulties of the music industry one day and how hard it is to find new music, and how old the system is,” Stern explains. “Bands don’t currently need a record company to make an album. In the old days it cost tens of thousands of dollars sometimes, but now you can do it in your basement for like $200. Our site is trying to take over the marketing, which we do through our popular page, and distribution, which is really just the Internet.” As music fans, Stern and Hyndman didn’t feel like their interests were being served by the major labels. “We found it was too difficult to find new music,” says Stern. “Big corporations wanted you to only hear the latest pop star and were affecting the charts too much.” The most revolutionary aspect of Cherrypeel. com is the ability to easily share songs and playlists between users, which marries the accessibility of MySpace with the social networking of

illustration by Martha Pearce

Facebook. “[On] MySpace, each page is more like an island,” Stern says. “The only people that see that page are the people that the band directs to the website. So it’s really hard to be exposed to new music.” Digital distribution has proved to be a serious challenge for major record labels. The typical price on iTunes for an album is $10, whereas many CDs in retail stores sell for much higher prices. Although record companies claim that illegal downloading is the chief culprit in their declining revenues and profits, the success of alternate forms of distribution has lead many, including Stern, to question that conclusion and point to traditional pricing models as the biggest culprit for falling sales. “There’s an interesting article I read recently that basically said ‘the future of the [music] industry is convincing them to buy something else,’” he says. “What you need to do is build a strong fan base. Trent Reznor [of Nine Inch Nails] released [the four-disc instrumental album] Ghosts I-IV last year, and gave away the first disc for free but made millions off [the] deluxe box sets and vinyl [editions].”

Reason, justice, and uncertainty

Doubt: A Parable challenges audiences at the Gladstone Theatre by Justin Farinaccio Fulcrum Contributor

photo courtesy Andrew Alexander

With Cherrypeel.com, Stern is encouraging artists to imitate Reznor and give away at least some of their music for free and develop a “fan base” that will buy the full albums and purchase concert tickets. Reznor’s innovation was figuring out that, much like bonus features on DVDs, people will pay for premium and additional content even if they can get some of the music for free. The official Nine Inch Nails website reported over US$1.6 million worth of sales for Ghosts I-IV in the first week of release. Reznor’s success paves the way for other artists to embrace digital distribution, and Stern thinks that Reznor’s model will be just one of the many new ways in which musicians will get their music to fans. “There is probably going to be a whole bunch of different models for music distribution in the future,” he says. The revolution in music distribution will not happen overnight. Cherrypeel.com is just one of the thousand cuts that are killing the major labels. Stern isn’t vehemently against everything in the old business model, but he thinks that drastic change is inevitable. The future is fragmented, and Cherrypeel.com is just one solution to a complex problem.

“WHAT DO YOU do when you’re not sure?” asks Father Flynn. “That’s the topic of my sermon today.” The opening line of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play Doubt: A Parable sets the stage for 90 minutes of uncertainty and conflicting perceptions of the truth. Presented by Gladstone Productions and directed by John P. Kelly, Doubt is a great mix of acting and dialogue, suspense and, surprisingly, humour.

Sister Aloysius (Mary Ellis) is the principal of a Catholic elementary parish school in 1964 in New York City. She is a strict conservative nun who proclaims to have natural insight into people, while fellow teacher and nun Sister James (Emmanuelle Zeesman) is an inexperienced newcomer who tries to do her best at pleasing her superiors in both the school and the church. The plot begins to move when Sister James informs Sister Aloysius of some odd behaviour from one of her students, Donald Muller, the school’s first black student. Sister Aloysius begins to suspect that the new priest at the school, Father Flynn (Kris Joseph), is abusing the boy. On her crusade to prove Flynn’s guilt, she involves Donald’s mother, Mrs. Muller (Natalie

Fraser-Purdy), and sets the stage for an emotional showdown. Doubt plays out like a psychological thriller—by the end of the play, the audience is left harbouring doubts of their own, questioning the validity of the opposing claims made by Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. Shanley’s taut script is nothing short of remarkable, and it is truly deserving of the wide acclaim it received after the play’s debut in 2004. The play’s language heightens the tension and underlines the ambiguous and murky nature of the plot. As Father Flynn says, “even if you feel certainty, it is an emotion, not a fact.” The play boasts excellent performances on the parts of all four actors. DOUBT continued on p. 10

DOUBT continued from p. 9 Ellis does an outstanding job portraying a strict nun, while Joseph portrays Flynn as a character full of emotion and substance. Zeesman’s performance as the naïve Sister James brings much-needed humour to the solemn story, as her inexperience provides fodder for comic misunderstandings. Even FraserPurdy, in her relatively small role as Muller’s mother, plays her character with aplomb, capturing the conflicted feelings of being a black woman putting her son into a white school at a time when racial integration was still highly controversial. The production values of Doubt, though acceptable, do not measure up to the fantastic acting and script. The actors do the best they can with an ambitious but crowded set that is divided into three sections: an office, a garden, and the church. The transitions between scenes could

be smoother, but the long scene changes give the audience time to reflect on the challenging and thought-provoking material that the play presents. Doubt: A Parable is an exceptional play that asks much of its actors, but the Ottawa troupe called upon by the Gladstone Productions company are more than up to the task. Doubt was recently released as a feature film, garnering AcademyAward nominations for all four main actors. The intimate power of live theatre and the phenomenal acting by the Ottawa cast make this production superior to the filmed version, and there is no doubt that Doubt: A Parable is a play you shouldn’t miss. Doubt: A Parable runs at the Gladstone Theatre (910 Gladstone Ave.) until March 14. Tickets are $28 for students. For more info, visit thegladstone.ca.

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Coraline

Good Film

THE ANIMATED FILM Coraline, adapted from the Neil Gaiman horror-fantasy children’s novella of the same name, is a treat for both young and old. Too often children’s films attempt to please both parents and kids and end up pleasing neither. Director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) deserves high praise for creating in Coraline a film that entertains both adults and children by telling a simple yet timeless story that elegantly explores the common childhood feelings of isolation and alienation. The film tells the story of 11-year-old Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning), who moves with her busy and inattentive parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) to a new house in the country. Her solitary adventures in her new home lead her to a portal to a similar but apparently perfect world, but in time she realizes that perfection is not as satisfying as she initially thought. When she tries to return to her normal life, the denizens of the perfect reality turn out be far more threatening and possessive than she had imagined. The characters in Coraline are brought to

A

life by excellent voice-acting from the cast, and though animated, are entirely believable. Bringing animation to life is no small feat, yet the animation and voice work in Coraline makes each character feel like a living, breathing person (or creature). The film boasts an excellent soundtrack that flawlessly sets the mood and keeps the scenes suspenseful. The artistic design, the peculiar but entertaining horror-fantasy atmosphere, and the well-done evocative music are all reminiscent of The Nightmare before Christmas, but Selick can’t be blamed for re-using thst successful formula. Like Nightmare, Coraline is filmed using stop-motion animation, but it is augmented by the latest in digital wizardry and 3-D effects. It was meant to be seen in 3-D, and the filmmakers take full advantage of the technology. The film boasts some amazing cinematography that captures both the innocence of Coraline’s childhood view of the world and the weird fantasies of her alternate reality. Like the fantastical Pan’s Labyrinth and the 1951 cartoon Alice in Wonderland, Coraline is sure to thrill audiences regardless of their age. —Justin Farinaccio

Bad Madea Goes To Jail

Film

ATTENTION TYLER PERRY: stop ruining African-American culture. Your movies are holding back equality and harmony with their broad stereotypes and pitiful production values. Madea Goes to Jail, the latest film in Perry’s Madea series, is a comedy-drama adaptation of his 2006 play, but it should have never left the stage—come to think of it, it never should have left Perry’s unfortunately prolific mind. The plot deals with the elderly and outspoken Madea (Tyler Perry), who is sent to jail due to her uncontrollable anger-management issues. It’s up to her bizarre yet unfunny family to get her out. At the same time, an assistant district attorney (Derek Luke) gets a case that’s deeply personal: he’s assigned to defend a young prostitute from the same mean streets in which he grew up. The prostitute (Keshia Knight Pulliam) gets put in jail, where Madea shows the prostitute her own exaggerated and over-the-top brand of motherly love. The plot is supposed to touch on modern racial issues, but this is about as far from a Spike Lee film as you can get. For all his faults, Lee often deals with racial issues in a sincere and intelligent

F

way. Perry deals with these controversial issues with the subtlety and wit of a sledgehammer to the groin. Not unlike the rest of Perry’s films, the script in Madea Goes to Jail is terribly weak. The dialogue is mostly slang that is meant to be witty, but ends up being unintelligible, while the characters are all incredibly exaggerated black stereotypes—Luke’s lawyer from the streets is an embarrassingly racist Uncle Tom figure, and Madea herself is an amalgam of every bad label ever attributed to African-American females. Comedies often skimp on plot and character development in order to concentrate on humour, but there’s no humour to be had in this film. So, basically, Madea Goes to Jail leaves the audience with nothing. The only bit of genuine talent and energy comes from the scene-stealing Cosby Show alumna Pulliam, but Marlon Brando in his prime wouldn’t have been enough to save this awful film. There are only a few people who deserve to have their license to make films revoked. Tyler Perry tops that list. —Hisham Kelati images courtesy Focus Features and Lionsgate

Album reviews

Paisley Jura Time in Between

B

PAISLEY JURA’S DEBUT EP of pop tunes with a jazzy twist, Time in Between, is a far cry from her classical training as a bassist and pianist. However, the intricate melodies woven throughout the album still reflect her extensive musical training and experience. Jura’s soothing and evocative voice carries a bit more growl than most other female pop musicians, and this edge is best showcased on “Timing”. Jura brings a sense of jazz to her music, which sounds like a freewheeling cross between the innovation of Stars vocalist Amy Millan and the soft folk of Regina Spektor. Jura’s preference for soft, rolling piano melodies is shown on the album opener “Forgotten Ones”, and in “Sweetness” the minor guitar and violin accompaniments draw attention to the voice and lyrics— the true strengths of Time in Between. Jura shines brightest when she abandons the all-too-common piano-heavy ballads that populate the easy-listening airwaves and allows her phenomenal voice to become the centrepiece of the song. Time in Between is a great start to Jura’s career, and here’s hoping she can avoid the trite, formulaic songwriting that unfortunately defines this type of female pop and bring something new to the pop genre. —Eleni Armenakis

N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo

F

THE SPIRIT OF Apollo seems to feature every artist working in the music industry right now, including the RZA, M.I.A., Kanye West, and—weirdly enough—Tom Waits. But not even the combined talents of these artists can save the debut album by N.A.S.A., the undynamic duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon. They clearly don’t know that it takes more than big names to make good music. The entire record is nothing but cyclical, tedious beats with a constellation’s worth of special guest stars rapping, singing, or mumbling their way through lyrics that sound like they were whipped up on the fly. Waits is a musical genius, but freestyle rap is definitely not his forte. The third song, “Money”, has an annoyingly repetitive one-word chorus, and that sort of unimaginative mixing is unacceptable when the song features the likes of Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Talking Heads’ David Byrne. “O Pato”, which features no one of note, has whiny pitch-shifted vocals inspired by the Chipmunks, only with filthy lyrics. There isn’t a song on the mind-numbingly repetitive The Spirit of Apollo that’s listenable past the first minute. The fact that this monotonous album was created with the help of some of the greatest musical minds in the history of popular music is absolutely criminal. If KRS-One, George Clinton, and Ghostface Killah can’t make your album worthwhile, it’s time to seek alternate employment. —Eleni Armenakis

The Matadors Sweet Revenge

B+

THE MATADORS’ FIFTH release, Sweet Revenge, is a bizarre mixture of hillbilly, punk, country, and rock, full of humourous songs about topics like hand jobs, the perks of drunk driving, and selling your soul to the devil to bring you happiness. The Matadors carefully create a long but utterly insane fictional backstory that they explore on their albums. Sweet Revenge goes further into detail about the band’s debauched rise to fame on songs like “The Devil Taught Me How”, which describes the deal signed between the band and Lucifer himself. Despite the ridiculous lyrics, the music on Sweet Revenge is extremely good. It’s all done in a tight, uptempo style with no shortage of intricate guitar solos, bouncing bass lines, and high-pitched Hank Williams-style harmonies. The band’s attention to detail makes songs like “Bush Party Handjob” and “Buzzin’” into deeper musical expressions than the absurd subject matter suggests. “That Kind of Love” is a slower song that showcases the band’s versatility and the deep, Elvis-like crooning of lead singer Joel Perkins. In the end, if you can get over the unorthodox lyrics and the band’s devotion to the Lord of Darkness, then the Matadors are great fun—even if you’re not drunk off your ass. —Andrew Champagne

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.05.09 //

ARTS // 11

The anatomy of

capital comedy Dissecting a joke’s journey from brain to stage by Dave Atkinson Fulcrum Contributor “I HAD TO quit my job recently. I worked at a porno store, and the manager would pay me to dress up as a super pervert so the regular perverts felt more comfortable. I’d stand in the European DVD section wearing a lycra catsuit and whisper to the movies in German.” With a microphone in my hand and a stage under my feet, I start whispering in German while rubbing my stomach in the creepiest way I can. At the same time, I’m keeping an eye out for the little red light that is the most polite way Howard Wagman has to say “get the hell off stage—time’s up”. Wagman is the manager at Yuk Yuk’s new downtown location at 292 Elgin St. It’s new talent night and I’m third on the bill. This is the life of an amateur Ottawa comic—six minutes a month, anyway. This city has produced a lot of very talented funny people. My theory: the button-down government atmosphere is effective in fostering vast amounts of smartassery in its snarky citizenry. Norm McDonald, Tom Green, Dan Aykroyd, Jon Dore, and many others have kick-started their careers here. Ottawa is still producing said talented funny people who

page 12 | the fulcrum

Wendi Reid: Cute and comical.

are picking up microphones all over town, desperate to make you laugh. But how does the comedy scene work in Ottawa? What are the ins and outs? How does an amateur get onto the stage at a comedy show? Is there some kind of handshake? Must one sacrifice livestock? Don’t worry, dear reader. Let me take you by the hand and explain just how a joke goes from an Ottawa comic’s brain to the comedy club’s stage.

The anatomy of a joke The journey starts with a premise—a concept on which you can build a joke. For example: “acting like a super pervert so the regular perverts feel more normal” is a premise which came to me a few months ago and so I sat down in my room and wrote out a series of jokes around it. Writing is a big part of comedy, and the jokes you hear on stage are rarely delivered off the cuff. Most of the time, each joke is carefully thought out, then written down. This is proven by the fact that most comics have a notebook open before the show; they’re remembering each new joke and deciding which ones will get them the most laughs. My newly written porn-store joke is

just what I need for an open mic night, the next stop on my comedy journey.

Check, 1,2,3, check The best place for a comic to try a new joke and gauge its hilarity is at one of the many open mic nights around the city. This is where amateur comics stretch their legs and where the $1–3 cover reduces the pressure to deliver top-notch material. Because the two professional comedy clubs in town, Yuk Yuk’s and Absolute Comedy, are about success, comedians stick to tried-and-true material; the jokes that bring the crowds. They tend not to experiment with new jokes for fear that untested punchlines may not go over well (and being consistently good is the only way to get more work). A comic’s line “I wrote a joke about chain-smoking cats”, gets the response “Try it at the Oak.” The basement of The Royal Oak pub at 161 Laurier Ave. E. and other open-mic sites act as workshops where comedians can test out the wackiest of jokes. Audiences see the weird, the obscene, the dark, the goofy, and the subtle consistently and shamelessly on display. Open-mic nights are where the Ottawa

comedy scene is truly thriving, where new and strange jokes get their start, and where the city’s comedians are most comfortable. Think of these nights as comedy’s equivalent to musical jam sessions—10 comics goofing around and experimenting with new ideas in a comfortable environment. It helps that Ottawa comics are a talented lot, and their talent shines brightest when they’re dishing out their new, raw jokes. My porn store joke goes up at an Oak show for the first time along with jokes about Apple releasing an iPenis, the OC Transpo strike, roadkill, and other new stuff. The other comedians are laughing because they’re hearing fresh material, the audience is laughing because the stuff is funny and they can tell I’m excited to be trying it, and I’m having the time of my life up there. After I get off-stage, I have a better understanding of how and why the joke works, and where the weak points are. I change it, say this part louder, cut this bit out, make this bit longer. When that is done, I hit another open mic night and try it again, and again, and again. Once I think it’s ready, and I have several other jokes that I’m confident in, it’s time to move up the comedy ladder: it’s time to take my jokey brood to a professional club.

Where to see comedy in Ottawa: The Sunday Gospel Comedy Revival Every second Sunday at 8:30 p.m. The Royal Oak (basement), 161 Laurier Ave. E. Free. Join the Facebook group for regular updates. Next show: March 8

Will all the amateurs please stand up Every month, amateurs call in to book time for New Talent Night at Yuk Yuk’s and Pro-Am night at Absolute Comedy. You call on the first Tuesday of the month to book a date, and you’re allowed six minutes onstage to do whatever you like. As a comic, you have to understand that both these clubs are focused on business. Comics are supposed to bring the funny which brings the people who buy the drinks and eat the nachos that make the money that pays for the funny. With a heftier cover charge, audiences expect a club to offer the best comedians. There’s an unspoken expectation from the management: “We’ll get you an audience, you make them laugh.” So, if you want to be taken seriously as a comic and if you want to be invited back by the club, you polish your finest material and hold up your end of the bargain with the club managers. The two big boys in town are Wagman, the aforementioned Yuk’s manager, and Jason Laurens, the manager at Absolute Comedy. They hold the keys to stage time, exposure, and the paid gig—the holy grail of amateur comedy. Wagman has been in the game for 32 years (a quarter century of which has been in Ottawa) while Laurens, a comic himself, is newer to the management fold. Both managers have in common the unenviable task of organizing people whose job it is to be subversive smartasses. As an amateur, nerves hang over any interaction I have with either of them as their judgment determines how much stage time I get. The path to getting paid is weird and vague. If you do enough amateur nights and prove you can consistently do six funny minutes, one of the managers might offer you a spot opening for a Thursday or Friday show and boom, you’re a professional comedian. Kind of. Getting to this point can take months or years. Sometimes it’s as simple as being at the right place at the right time.

The Monday Night Comedy Spotlight

Dom Paré proves that sometimes, jokes are ugly.

Every second Monday (alternate weeks to the Royal Oak show) at 8:30 p.m. Zampub in the Sports Complex, 801 King Edward Ave. $3 at the door. Join the Facebook group for regular updates. Next show: March 16 photos by Alex Smyth

Yuk Yuk’s Wednesday–Saturday at 8:30 p.m. with 10:30 p.m. late shows Fri. & Sat. New talent night: Wednesday 292 Elgin St. $6-20 (student specials on Thursday and Friday). Call for reservations at 613-236-5233. Check out at yukyuks.com for featured comedians.

Absolute Comedy Wednesday to Sunday at 8:30 p.m. with 10:30 p.m. late shows Fri. & Sat. Pro-Am night: Wednesday 412 Preston St. $5-12. Call for reservations at 613-233-8000. Visit absolutecomedy.ca for featured comedians.

Finding the funny bone So that’s how the amateur comedy scene in the capital works. Amateurs aren’t paid, we aren’t onstage more than 20 minutes a week, and we often have to bus across the city to get up in front of nine people and try to work out a new joke about a puma in a canoe. It is sometimes difficult, sometimes soul-crushing, but almost always fun. We do it because we love it. That or we’re compulsive attention-seekers desperate for validation from complete strangers.

Trevor Thompson likes to dress sharply for the audience.

the fulcrum | page 13

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Child of conflict brings a message of hope

Staff meetings. We have them. Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. 631 King Edward Ave. The Fulcrum.

photo courtesy Emmanuel Jal

THE ETE IN COMP O T Y R D OMA O BE REA R DIPL U O Y SS TAKE INESS. BUSINE A L BU S IONAL T N A IO N T R INTE E. TERNA OLLEG ITH AN D OF IN NCE C EVEL W E WO R L L R T W X A E EN TO ST. L E TO TH U NEED E FROM DEGRE CE YO IFICAT N T E R E ID C F NT CE. CON GEME KETPLA S AND MANA L MAR A E SKILL B H T O L U O ING G GIVE Y HANG WE’LL EVER-C E H T ED IN SUCCE TE MENT NAGE RADUA SS MA E POST G IN S GE A L BU COLLE ATION ENCE R INTERN ON W A L T ST. ESSION S RAM A TION S A M R AMPU PROG TON C N INFO S A G R IN O K SF 7PM, JOIN U , 5 TO ND 18 A 1 1 H MARC S: ACT U CONT N.CA [email protected] DREAM 2 63-075 1-800-4

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Emmanuel Jal explores his time as a child soldier in the documentary, album, and memoir that share the name WARchild. “I’m feeling weak today. I normal- readers of the graphic horror stories ly have energy, which I save to use he recounts. He admits to the audifor important things,” he says. He ex- ence that the release of such painful plains that he has lost 13 kilograms memories actually induced nosesince beginning the fast. bleeds for him for a month straight. Despite the headaches and weak- At the end of the night, Jal shares by Shannon Busta ness, Jal insists on talking about his his love for his rescuer, British aid charity—he’s trying to build a school worker Emma McCune, with a perThe Cord Weekly in his hometown in Sudan—and his formance of a song off the album WATERLOO (CUP) – EMMANU- third album, WARchild, a decisively WARchild, “Emma”. EL JAL THINKS he is about 29 years personal work of art with unmistakThe three expressions of Jal’s stoold. Born into war-torn Sudan, Jal able political and spiritual overtones. ry that make up WARchild offer a is not sure of his exact date of birth. The album aims to show that hip-hop chance to educate the public about a This is actually not all that uncom- is about music, expression, and art, part of the world that is all too often mon for those born in Sudan in the not sex, bling, and glorified violence. ignored. Jal hopes that educating the 1980s, a time of civil war, violence, Jal expresses frustration over the loss Western world about those suffering in Africa will, in turn, bring a higher and chaos. of the original spirit of hip-hop. Growing up in the centre of con“It’s the image that has been built quality of education to Africans. He flict and experiencing life as a child by the system,” he says. “Sex and vio- feels that education can prevent war and change Africa permanently for soldier has left Jal with one hell of a lence sells.” story to tell, and he’s sharing it in evLater that day, Jal, clearly fatigued the better. “When you are not educating peoery way he can. He is currently tour- from his lack of nutrients, hosts ing to promote his hip-hop album, a screening of the documentary ple, there will always be conflict,” he memoir, and documentary, all of WARchild, performs some music off told the eager audience. “The reason which share the title WARchild and his new album, and signs copies of his Europe is what it is now, is because of tell the story of his tumultuous life. memoir. During the film, the sounds education.” “In Africa, music was used as a of people choking back tears fill the Passion and love, when translated theatre. Jal, who returned home to into education and awareness, can way of recording history,” Jal says. Sitting down to discuss his life, Jal his village in Sudan for the first time change the lives of many. Jal hopes to is struggling through his 78th day liv- in over 15 years to make the docu- be living proof of this sentiment. ing on one-third of the food that he mentary, brings the audience with normally consumes. He started this him as he relives the trauma of his For more information or to contribute fast of sorts to raise awareness for his past and confronts the injustice that to Emmanuel Jal’s charity visit www. gua-africa.org, or www.emmaacadcharity Gua-Africa, and during the still weighs heavily on his mind. At the book signing, Jal warns emyproject.com. interview he sips on warm water.

Sudanese activist works on an almostempty stomach

David McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sports

Finding the

March 5–11, 2009

15

silver lining

“Make no mistake; we are going to Regina to win.” Hannah Sunley-Paisley Gee-Gees centre

Women’s basketball nets berth at nationals despite losing provincial final by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff

photo by Frank Appleyard

While having four arms couldn’t hurt Ottawa’s chances, Gee-Gees centre Hannah Sunley-Paisley knows the team will have to be aggressive to be successful.

GUNNING FOR THEIR second-ever provincial title, the University of Ottawa women’s basketball team was in Windsor on Feb. 28 to battle the Windsor Lancers in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final. After a hard-fought match against a powerful Lancers squad, the Gee-Gees ultimately fell 68-51. The Gees, who qualified for the game after defeating the Toronto Varsity Blues 68-55 in the semi-final on Feb. 25, got off to their worst start of the year in one of their biggest games to date. A combination of frayed nerves on Ottawa’s part and dominant defensive play from the Lancers gave Windsor a daunting 42-14 lead going into halftime. Gee-Gees head coach Andy Sparks felt that the Lancers were psychologically better prepared at the beginning of the match. “I think they just were very focused for the game, they got hot early and they made a lot of shots and we didn’t make anything early,” said Sparks. “I think [we were] just steamrolled a little bit for the whole first half.” After the horrendous start, Ottawa

turned their game around in the second half, with second-year guard Emilie Morasse scoring a game-high 18 points for the Gees. Though unable to capture the win, Ottawa outscored the Lancers 37-26 in the second half to make the final score a more respectable 68-51. Sparks was satisfied with Morasse’s effort in the second half, and regretted that she didn’t have an opportunity to stand out in the first. “She made a big step and … I think she’ll do the same job all the time if her teammates find her, but we just weren’t able to find her in the first half,” said Sparks. “In every game there are ups and downs,” explained Morasse. “We tried another offence in the second half and the Lancers were not ready to handle the screens that we were setting. That situation left me wide open, so we were able to take advantage of it.” The Lancers, who were ranked third in Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) going into the game, won their first-ever OUA championship. Ottawa captain and fourth-year centre Katie Laurie felt that the team might have been overwhelmed by Windsor’s skill. “I think we were a bit intimidated because they were ranked number three in Canada,” said Laurie. “Once we got a taste of how they played, we realized we could play with them despite being down by so much.” Despite the outcome of the provincial final, the Gees still qualified for the CIS championships in Regina

March 6–8. The Gee-Gees, seeded eighth for their third-ever appearance at the national championships, will take on the top-ranked Simon Fraser Clan—who were 22-1 in the regular season—to open the tournament. Although they are to face the number-one team in the country, Laurie was confident that Ottawa can compete against the Clan. “We can compete if we come out hard and play with intensity the entire game,” said Laurie. “We know Simon Fraser is the best in Canada, but we can play with them if we play harder than them by doing the little things [like] getting on the floor for loose balls, rebounding, boxing out, and playing team defense.” Sparks was not as optimistic after the loss to Windsor, but still thinks his team has a chance to pull off an upset. “There’s a reason why we’re seeded eighth and they’re seeded first,” said Sparks. “They’ve been the best team in the country all year, and … I think it will be decided very early if we can compete with them or not. We have to have everything go right for us to be in this one, and hopefully it will.” Second-year centre Hannah Sunley-Paisley left no doubt about what her approach to the championship would be. “No one thinks we are going to beat them. But no one thought we would make it all the way to nationals either. Anything can happen and make no mistake; we are going to Regina to win.”

Charity classic

by David McClelland Fulcrum Staff

WITH THE SUN high overhead, dozens of people clustered around the rink outside the Sandy Hill Arena, as members of the community and U of O students played some good oldfashioned pond hockey for charity in the inaugural edition of the Sandy Hill Winter Classic on March 1. The four-hour tournament was organized by the University of Ottawa Student-Athlete Council (SAC) in partnership with community group Action Sandy Hill (ASH) and the charity Right to Play. Half of the pro-

ceeds from the event were donated to Right to Play, which works to improve the lives of children in developing countries through sports, while the other half went towards sponsoring four local children to attend a GeeGees summer camp. The Sandy Hill Winter Classic was initially the brainchild of Danika Smith, captain of the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team and chair of the SAC, and Joshua Zanin, who maintains the outdoor rink and is the secretary of ASH. Right to Play became involved not long after the idea got off the ground. SANDY HILL continued on p. 17

Pond hockey: officially the most Canadian way to hold a fundraiser.

photo by Martha Pearce

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SANDY HILL continued from p. 15 “[The event] started between myself and [Zanin],” explained Smith. “[Then] literally what happened was I was walking through the [Unicentre] and saw a Right to Play table, and I thought this is probably something they’d want to do as well. So I asked them, and they were completely onboard.” “[Right to Play] is a really big international humanitarian organization,” said Premal Patel, president of the U of O Right to Play club, which works to raise money for Right to Play on campus. “They work in many countries—mostly Africa and the Middle East—and they use a sports for development program to try to foster peace in children affected by war or disease, and really just try to rebuild broken communities. It’s about sustainability and development.” Four teams competed in the tournament, one composed of Gee-Gees athletes, another of Human Kinetics professors, and two made up of Sandy Hill residents. The event offered free coffee courtesy of Timothy’s World Coffee. Funds were raised through entry fees, a barbeque, and selling raffle tickets for prizes including tickets to an Ottawa Senators game and Toronto Maple Leafs jersey autographed by forward Jason Blake. In addition to raising money for charity, the aim of the Sandy Hill Winter Classic was to build stronger links between the U of O campus and its students and the Sandy Hill community—a major aspect of ASH’s mandate. “We’ve been pushing for more outdoor and more activity [based events] here in the community, and this is just another one we hope to have every year now,” said Robert Stehle, president of ASH, who was on-hand to watch the tournament. “[Sandy Hill] is a very diverse community. And unless you plan activities together like this, what usually happens in communities like that you all tend to centre in your own areas, and you don’t tend to intermingle. And that’s what these activities do—they bring people together.” “We’re always trying to tackle that divide which exists between the university and the permanent residents who live here,” said Zanin. “There are a lot of perceived barriers there, and if we can break them down with as something as easy as a hockey game, then why not? And I think we met that goal today.”

photo by Martha Pearce

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www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.05.09 //

SPORTS // 17

Lighting the lamp

More than fun and games

David McClelland Sports Editor SPORTS FANS SOMETIMES get a bit of a bad rap for being so absorbed in something that ultimately seems trivial and pointless. After all, in the grand scheme of things, sports don’t matter very much—or do they? Actually, we saw proof that sports can be used for a good cause just this

past weekend. The Sandy Hill Winter Classic, covered in detail on p. 17, was all about using sports to help make a difference. Half the proceeds of the tournament went to Right to Play, an organization that works to help children and communities in underdeveloped parts of the world. The organization uses sport and play programs to promote basic education and childhood development, educate people about health, teach conflict resolution skills, and encourage community development. Closer to home, sports can also be used to bring communities closer together. The Sandy Hill Winter Classic was in part created to do just that, by providing an event where University of Ottawa students and Sandy Hill residents could mingle, breaking down the barriers and tensions that sometimes exist between the two groups. Some people might argue that it would be

more effective to bypass sports entirely, and just fund developing countries or community redevelopment directly. The truth is that sports have a strange ability to get people interested and involved in something. And not only that, but playing a game is a much more fun way of raising money for a good cause—who wants to trudge door-to-door in the cold when you can play hockey instead? Sports can be a very valuable tool when used to help people directly. It’s been demonstrated time and again that sports are often a very significant positive influence on the lives of young people, for example. Here on campus, both Aminata Diallo, a leftside/rightside hitter with the women’s volleyball team, and Josh Sacobie, former quarterback on the men’s football team, have credited sports with helping them through difficult situations when they were young. Kids who are involved in sports, both here in Ottawa

and around the world, tend to be healthier and happier than kids who aren’t. Obviously, sports can’t fix all of the world’s problems, but on a small scale they can be a very valuable tool for individuals and groups. We should be striving to use sports as a tool to help bring people together more often. Events like the Sandy Hill Winter Classic are a great start, and should serve as a model for other events to build bridges between different community groups. The bottom line is that sports can help individuals and benefit communities. That’s why it’s important to continue to support sports and athletic development around the world, both to improve the places where we live and the lives of those in countries less fortunate than our own. [email protected] 613-562-5931

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Dynamic duo powers Gees Gibson-Bascombe and Wright combine for 54 points in playoff win by Andrew Hawley Fulcrum Staff

photo by Alex Martin

Nemanja Baletic (12) kickstarted Ottawa’s second-quarter comeback with his energetic and aggressive play.

A POOR START by the University of Ottawa men’s basketball team at Montpetit Hall on Feb. 28 was quickly overcome as two strong middle quarters propelled the Garnet and Grey to a 96-81 victory over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinals. The 19-3 Gee-Gees were seeded second in the playoffs and had beaten the third-seeded 15-7 Blues twice during the regular season. “We just stuck with the game plan,” said fourth-year guard Josh GibsonBascombe after the game. “We locked them down defensively.” However the Blues were able to take control early, playing aggressively and shutting down Gees’ fifth-year centre Dax Dessureault, who was swarmed by Toronto’s defence throughout the first quarter. Dessureault had been the key to success in Ottawa’s two previous wins against Toronto this season, scoring a total of 41 points, and the Blues were determined not to be exploited by him again. “[Toronto] came out real strong tonight, and they were great early,” said Ottawa head coach Dave DeAveiro af-

ter the semifinal. “We were actually a little lucky because we could have been down more than we were.” The Gees trailed 20-11 late in the first quarter, and it looked like the Blues might run away with the game. But as time was winding down in the frame an unlikely Gee-Gee turned the game around: third-year forward Nemanja Baletic. A bench player for much of the season, Baletic made the most of his court time by out-hustling Blues players to the ball. He scored Ottawa’s last five points of the quarter, helping cut the Blues’ lead to 24-19 before both teams retired to their dressing rooms. “[Baletic] gave us a great lift when we needed it,” said DeAveiro. “He had a good practice this week and we were hoping he would step up, and he did.” Baletic sparked a barrage of Gees points in the second quarter. The frame began with two consecutive baskets from Gibson-Bascombe, who led the Gees on a 9-0 tear that put Ottawa in front. Toronto then got into foul trouble, which freed up Dessureault and gave him the opportunity to sink free throws. Meanwhile, GibsonBascombe continued pulverizing the Blues, adding four more points late in the quarter as the Gees poured in baskets until the buzzer sounded. Having outscored Toronto 31-10 in the frame, the resurgent Gee-Gees were up 50-34 at halftime. “We just came out much stronger in that quarter,” Gibson-Bascombe recalled afterwards.

“We were making better shots on offence,” added DeAveiro. “We were also much better defensively.” The punishment continued in the third quarter. Gibson-Bascombe added another seven points, while fellow fourth-year guard Josh Wright also poured in baskets, scoring 13. The duo combined for 20 points in the quarter, and a total of 54 points by the end of the match. “[Ottawa]’s two guards are the two best in the country,” Toronto head coach Mark Katz conceded after the game. By the end of the third quarter, the game was basically over as Ottawa held a commanding 81-51 lead. The final frame gave DeAveiro the opportunity to rest his starters and give his bench players some court time. Third-year forward Louis Gauthier, heir apparent to the centre spot currently occupied by Dessureault, was brought in, along with secondyear guard Jacob Gibson-Bascombe, first-year guard Warren Ward, and third-year forward Marvin Bazile. The Gee-Gees were outscored 30-16 in the quarter, but were never in any real danger as they cruised to a 96-81 victory. The Gee-Gees played the Carleton Ravens on March 4. The result was unavailable at press time. The winner of that game will advance to the OUA final, as well as qualify for a berth at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships.

Lights out Women’s hockey demolishes Carleton to close regular season by David McClelland Fulcrum Staff THE GEE-GEES WOMEN’S hockey team enters the playoffs on top of their game after closing out the regular season with a commanding 6-1 win over the Carleton Ravens on Feb. 28. “[A big win] just gives you that little bit of swagger that I think you need going into a playoff series,” said assistant coach Miguel Filiatrault, who is filling in for Gee-Gees head coach Shelley Coolidge, currently in China to help coach the Canadian national women’s university hockey team. The Gees wasted little time establishing a lead, as fourth-year forward Joyce Spruyt poked a bouncing rebound past Ravens goaltender Amanda Muhlig less than five minutes into the game. Just three minutes later, third-year forward Taryn Brown added a second goal with a well-placed backhand.

While the Ravens managed only three shots on net in the first frame, they were able to score their lone goal after a long slapshot from Victoria Germuska found its way through traffic and past fifth-year Ottawa goaltender Jessika Audet. Ottawa took off in the third period with a flurry of goals. Rookie forward Jodi Reinholcz began the assault three minutes in, and was followed just eight seconds later by Ashley Burril off the ensuing faceoff. Second-year forward Erika Pouliot added a goal on a breakaway, and third-year forward Joelle Charlebois rounded out the scoring with a marker from right in front of the net. The game’s final frame featured no scoring. After killing off a five-on-three penalty at the beginning of the period, the Gees cruised to a 6-1 victory. The game leaves Ottawa with an 8-8-2 record to finish the regular season, good enough for secondplace in the Quebec Student Sports Federation (QSSF). With an evident psychological advantage, the Gees began the playoffs on March 4, facing the third-seeded Ravens in a best-ofthree series. The results of game one were unavailable at press time.

photo by Alex Martin

Gee-Gees forward Alicia Blomberg races for a puck during Ottawa’s 6-1 victory over the Carleton Ravens. “We didn’t want to give [Carleton] hope for Wednesday’s series,” said Filiatrault. “That was the goal tonight, and it looks good going into Wednesday.” “The plan for today was … to crush any confidence [Carleton] would have going into Wednesday,” agreed fifth-year defender and team captain Danika Smith. “We definitely sent a

message.” The win left the Gee-Gees eager to again face off against the Ravens. “Both of us are really fast teams,” said Reinholcz after the game. “I think we have more overall skill, [and] after this game I think we kind of showed them we have the drive, we have the fire [to win].”

Ottawa next plays March 6 at Carleton, and, if necessary, will play game three at the Sports Complex on March 8. Tickets are $6 for students. The winner of the series will qualify for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship, as well as advance to the QSSF finals.

www.thefulcrum.ca // 03.05.09 //

SPORTS // 19

Distractions

Sarah Leavitt Features Editor [email protected]

March 5–11, 2009

Dear Di

Thryllabus Thursday, March 5

Sunday, March 8

Lecture: An Exciting, Energetic Approach to Wellness by Wolfgang Jaksch. 7:30 p.m. St. Paul’s University. 223 Main St. Free.

CD launch: The Land of Song by Shannon Mercer. 3 p.m. St. Andrew’s Church. 82 Kent St. $20.

Friday, March 6 Vernissage: Mother Goose by Jonathan Hobin. 7 p.m. The Dale Smith Gallery. 137 Beechwood Ave. Free. Event: Value Village Prom. 9 p.m. Pub 101. 101 York St. $5 donation to Ontario Children’s Treatment Centre.

Saturday, March 7 Concert: The Skivvies. 1:30 p.m. Zion United Church, 1831 Smallman Rd. $10.

Monday, March 9 Film: Cadillac Records. 9:05 p.m. ByTowne Cinema. 325 Rideau St. $9, $6 for members.

Tuesday, March 10 Musical: Nunsense. 8 p.m. Centrepoint Theatre. 101 Centrepoint Dr. $35.

Wednesday, March 11 Book signing: High Voltage Tattoo! by Kat Von D. 12 p.m. Chapters. 47 Rideau St. Free.

20

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

Dear Di, So I’m a first-year student in residence and my floor is having some serious ‘floorcest’. The sex was freaking amazing and it taught me a lot about pleasing the female fun pleasure points. But then the Discovery Channel actions turned into a huge drama-fest as people started getting more and more emotionally attached to each other. I just wasn’t into the sex anymore. My friends from home found out about my scandalous activities and now just think I’m a filthy man-whore. Should I get back into the sex scene and deal with all the drama or should I just move on and look for a real relationship? And what do I do about my friends’ respect? —First-Year Floorcest

sudoku answers on p. 18

Dear FYF, There’s nothing like a little floorcest to make your rookie year at the U of O truly memorable. However, when the raunch melts into emotional attachment, it’s a lot less sex and a lot more bullshit. In short: it’s time to cut the cord, at least until the drama subsides and the carefree animalistic tendencies return. If you decide to bow out altogether, please don’t try to substitute your new-found insatiability for sex—or to cover up your man-whore tracks—by forcing a relationship with anybody. Even the most shallow relationships are based on more than just sex, so keep things sweet and casual until you spot someone who interests you both in and out of bed. As for your friends? You have just had the ultimate first-year sex experience, which your friends have only fantasized about in between masturbating to college party sex videos on Pornhub. Something tells me that you’ve secured alpha-male status in the

Hearsay

group and they’re nothing but jealous, so bask in the glow while it lasts. I mean, it’s university—someone is going to one-up you sooner or later. Love, Di Dear Di, Over the past few years I have found it increasingly difficult to define my sexuality. To this date I’ve not had sex, a blow job, a hand job, or anything aside from a set of intense make-out sessions with a woman who really understood me but was already taken. This is where it begins to confuse me: I can’t stand watching straight porn on the Internet; I don’t find it arousing in the least bit. However, I still fantasize about having real relationships with women and envy those who have them. On the other side of the spectrum, I masturbate to gay porn regularly and find it incredibly arousing, aside from deep penetration and the “ass cam” shots. I also fantasize about having sexual relations with men, but would never want a relationship with one. I’ve even experimented using a toy for anal sex and enjoyed it. If you could help me a bit, it would be welcome. —Guy Having Difficulty With Definition Dear GHDWD, It seems to me that your problem has less to do with defining your sexuality and more to do with how you perceive sexuality in a social context. You write that you would prefer to be with a woman publicly, but you privately prefer male company. This makes me wonder how you view homosexuality or bisexuality as op-

by Jordan Moffatt

posed to heterosexuality. Sexuality and sexual preference do not fit into a rigid classification system; they are more fluid than that. Not everyone fits in to the few socially mandated categories we have to work with, and I don’t like to make assumptions. You may be a straight man who is aroused by gay porn, which is entirely normal. Likewise, it’s possible you may be bisexual with female-targeted emotional preferences and male-targeted sexual preferences. Finally, perhaps you sit more towards the gay end of the spectrum and for some reason you’re unable to reconcile your private passion with your idea of what a ‘real’ relationship should consist of. Everyone has an idea of what a real relationship is, and how it should work. As you haven’t had much personal experience with actually being in a relationship, I can understand why a heterosexual relationship would seem ordinary to you. In reality though, a gay couple is as capable as a straight couple of having a real, functioning, and positive relationship, and sexual compatibility can be just as important as emotional harmony or well-matched personalities. I recommend you reconsider your definitions and stay open-minded about what you’re looking for in that special someone. Defining your sexuality is a process, and if you need some more advice along the way, my friends at the Pride Centre are always there to help, whether in person or anonymously by phone or email. For more information, visit pride.sfuo.ca. Good luck with everything! Love, Di

Opinion

Michael Olender Executive Editor [email protected] March 5–11, 2009

Want to transfer schools?

21

Reconsider

illustration by Alex Martin

by Kathryn Shermack Fulcrum Contributor ON THE TELEPHONE, as the horrible hold music began to eat away at my last shred of patience and the 45-minute mark approached, I began to question my sanity. But these 45 minutes were just a taste of the torture the University of Ottawa would put me through in my epic battle to transfer schools. Equivalencies, admissions, prerequisites, and calls beginning with “please hold”—over the course of about six months, these words would almost drive me insane. At the beginning of my third year of enrolment in political science at Lakehead University I decided it was time to move on to the bigger and better. And what better place to study political science than in our nation’s capital? The University of Ottawa—a mere 15-minute walk from Parliament—seemed perfect. I applied to the U of O in early January 2008. “Expect your response in approximately six weeks!” the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre website cheerfully informed me. Excited at the prospect of moving to a new city, I began telling friends and family of my probable departure to Ottawa, browsing apartments, and bragging to my friends who would be stuck in the cold abyss that is Thunder Bay. I had heard stories about the nightmares that transfer students are put through by university administrations—but I had no idea. By May I had still not received an official response from the U of O. I was growing more and more impatient, and my phone calls to the admissions department became more and more frantic. But every time I called I got a different answer:

“You’ll know by the end of this week,” was one. “We didn’t receive your final transcript,” was the next. And this was my personal favourite: “You probably got in. But it’s not for sure yet.” I was so relieved when, at the end of June, I finally got my official acceptance from the U of O. Now, I understand that transferring is a tricky business. Different universities have different courses, different prerequisites, and different course content. However, there are some things that the U of O’s admissions department could have done to make the transfer a lot easier. If the U of O—and universities in general— wants to make transferring from school to school smoother, it must improve its communication methods. After I was accepted, I found out the reason for the delay was not only the fault of the admissions department; different departments were taking their time in deciding if my courses were equivalent to courses offered at the U of O. More (or better) communication between the different departments and the admissions office would have made the whole transferring process a lot easier. A simple “Your file is with this person or this department” would have put my mind at ease, and significantly lowered my blood pressure. It also would have been a lot easier if there were some kind of criteria for the transfer of courses. Right now, it seems like course equivalencies are completely arbitrary decisions made by the invisible powers at the U of O. There should be information available that explains why some courses transfer and some do not. If this information were readily available, it could help students decide if it is worth their time to

transfer before they start the long and painful application process. The creation of comprehensive criteria clearly outlining the terms and conditions required to transfer to the U of O could also be an excellent opportunity for the university to create some new jobs—paid or voluntary—for students, who could be available to assist other students considering transferring by explaining why courses are equivalent or not. Employed students could also help improve communication between potential transfer students and admissions. For those of you who are really bent on getting away from Ottawa, I would like to offer an alternative: an exchange program. In an exchange, you are still registered at the U of O,

and any credits you get while on exchange are credited back to the U of O, as long as your faculty approves them. The criteria for deciding whether or not the courses will be approved are already well established, which eliminates a lot of confusion and wasted time. For exchange students there are also a lot of programs already in place to help new students feel comfortable for the semester or year that they’re at a different school; things like finding a place to live, making friends, and finding fun things to do are a lot simpler when you’re just visiting. Of course, you still have to maintain decent marks, and there is a significant amount of work in the exchange process, but let me tell you it’s a lot easier than a permanent transfer.

MTV killed the intelligent teen HECKLES: The death of a demographic by Hisham Kelati Fulcrum Staff THE FUTURE OF humanity has never looked bleaker than it does right now. Forget about the global financial crisis, global warming or terrorism; we’ll figure that out within the next 10 years. The real catastrophe is something much more dangerous and terrifying—a deceived generation. I’m talking about the young people who in a decade will become adults, those who should be the world’s future movers and shakers. Many of them have been doomed to a life of frivolity and disappointment, having had their minds rotted by MTV, the last bastion for dumb, glitzy, bubble-gum-chewing airheads. MTV is an American network whose original sole purpose when it went on air in 1981 was to play music videos. But today, it is nothing more than a mega-cult, brainwashing millions of impressionable adolescents and young adults by getting them to drink the way-too-sweet poisoned Kool-Aid programming that has taken over MTV airwaves: reality television. Ever since airing The Real World in 1992, MTV has affirmed itself as one of the leading causes of stupidity among young people. The introduction of The Hills in 2006 marked the moment it became the leading cause. The greatest crime that MTV has committed is reinforcing an underlying principle that all their ‘reality programming’ is unscripted and unedited, which leads me to worry that it has led young people to assume that a great deal of what goes on in the show could happen to them, and when it doesn’t they’ll feel cheated. The best example, which also makes watching water-boarding not all that painful, is The Hills. It’s essentially a show that glamourizes the lives of wealthy teenagers as they zip around Los Angeles in their BMWs and spend whole episodes complaining about their love lives. It’s sex, drugs, and easy, happy endings. Producers for many of MTV’s reality shows have gone on record stating that whatever is seen on the show is directly what is happening at that specific moment, but numerous published articles quote whistleblowers saying that entire scenes and plot lines are staged and re-shot by the producers. One funny, albeit expected, trip up for the producers was getting ‘cast mates’ for leading lady Lauren Conrad. The bio on Audrina Patridge’s homepage contained this explanation: “Living a stone’s throw away from the MTV production of The

image courtesy MTV

Hills, Audrina was spotted sunbathing by the pool and asked by a producer if she would like to join the cast. She happily accepted her role as the dear friend of Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag in what was sure to be the beginning of her enticing career.” Yeah, I’m pretty sure in real life your “best friends” aren’t auditioned by MTV producers. The show is a big deal to millions of people, and I don’t feel I’m blowing its impact out of proportion. It’s been listed as #82 on Entertainment Weekly’s list of “100 Best Shows of the Last 25 Years,” and averages an audience of 4.7 million viewers per episode in the 12–34 demographic. I’ll bet good money that four million of those average audience members are girls aged 12–16, and this is where the trouble begins. The tweens enchanted by The Hills live lives entirely dictated by technology and consequently spend a lot of their days with a TV, cell-phone or computer. This essentially creates a social bubble within which each person is zigzagging to and from friends, part-time jobs, or the mall. MTV’s reality programming perpetuates the blatant lie that this bubble will never burst. I’m afraid that young people watching shows like The Hills are going to expect an impossible future. Misunderstanding what the world is really like leads to arrested development, instilling in people emotional immaturity that doesn’t transfer well to college, university, or the working world after high school. Instead of being exposed to what it takes to establish life as an adult, young people are fooled into expecting to spend hours doing their nails, gossiping, and souping up their cars. You could argue that it’s unrealistic to expect that a 16-year-old should watch the news from time to time, but when I was in high

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school, I remember having discussions about the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and their repercussions in global politics. Today, you’ve got kids having round-table discussions about last week’s episode of The Hills (Please Google “The Hills: The After Show” for a good dose of reality). To people reading this, try to introduce reading newspapers and books into your younger siblings’ lives, because TV isn’t helping them shape their futures. Don’t scare them with water and oil shortages or the 2008–09 Israel-Gaza conflict, but realize it’s healthy to show siblings that these issues exist. Further, explain to them that it’s important to understand the dog-eat-dog job market they’ll be entering into. If they realize the competition they’re up against, maybe they will think about committing to post-secondary education. Additionally, teaching siblings to managing finances at an early age can help them establish the financial discipline required in adulthood. They need to realize that not everything is fashion design and choosing the right bikini. The consequences of MTV’s reality programming and the tight grip the network has on teenagers are frightening. Twenty years down the road, North America will have an adult population of deeply jaded, deeply depressed, and—in many cases—deeply spoiled men and women. Those who have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that their work, their relationships, and their financial situations aren’t as easy to patch up as the ones on TV are going to crash and burn pretty early and pretty epically after graduating from high school. Oh, those kids are in for one big surprise when their bubbles burst. Thankfully, the upcoming fifth season of The Hills will reportedly be its last—so there’s hope for my sisters yet.

Saving the environment two slices at a time by Andrew Champagne Fulcrum Contributor THE LAST TIME I got upset was when I was at the University of Ottawa cafeteria buying two slices of pizza from Pizza Pizza. Knowing very well that I was going to eat both slices immediately, I asked that they both be placed on the same cardboard pizza tray. To my surprise the employee refused and attested that his supervisors do not allow it for fear of people possibly trying to pass off two slices of pizza as one at the cash register. To me, it’s ridiculous that a cashier could not notice if there were two thick pizza slices stacked on top of one another. In any case, Chartwells, I think it’s great that you’re trying to preach sustainability, but something isn’t adding up here. Your Eco-Card, which gives me a free meal after I buy nine meals served on a plates instead of in Styrofoam containers, is a terrific idea. Not only that, I think it’s great that I get 20 cents off the price of coffee when I bring my own plastic mug. But Chartwells, if you’re going to exploit the public’s growing environmental consciousness with a marketing strategy to boost your reputation, it may be smart to standardize your practices. Why not give me 20 cents off the price of pizza when I put two slices on the same tray? Am I being less eco-friendly by sparing a pizza tray rather then a coffee cup or a styrofoam container? Whether or not I get a discount or a stamp on my Eco-Card, you could at least start stacking up some plates at the Pizza Pizza for those who feel inclined to use them. I could fit two pizza slices on a plate, and the cashiers would see them just fine.

23 Sparking a renaissance

Editorial

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Draining threes from downtown since 1942. Volume 69 - Issue 23 March 5–11, 2009 phone: (613) 562-5261 fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 [email protected] www.thefulcrum.ca

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected]

March 5–11, 2009

Recycle this paper or we’ll break out the salami and cheese.

Staff Frank ‘air’ Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Ben ‘magic’ Myers Production Manager [email protected] Michael ‘the stilt’ Olender Executive Editor [email protected] Martha ‘hot plate’ Pearce Art Director [email protected] Emma ‘chocolate thunder’ Godmere News Editor [email protected] Peter ‘the mailman’ Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected] David ‘jesus shuttlesworth’ McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sarah ‘the answer’ Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Danielle ‘big aristotle’ Blab Laurel ‘big red’ Hogan Copy Editors Amanda ‘sleepy’ Shendruk Associate News Editor [email protected] James ‘the squid’ Edwards Webmaster [email protected] Jessica ‘d-whistle’ Sukstorf Volunteer & Visibility Coordinator [email protected] Megan ‘spud’ O’Meara Staff Writer Alex ‘a-mart’ Martin Staff Illustrator Inari ‘tex’ Vaissi Nagy Jiselle ‘the threat’ Bakker Ombudsgirls [email protected] Travis ‘doug e. fresh’ Boisvenue Ombudsboy [email protected]

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HIS TIME LAST year all the University of Ottawa women’s basketball team had left to do was clean out their lockers, take one last look around the Montpetit Hall gymnasium, and quietly turn out the lights on the season. The Gee-Gees had stumbled to a 3-19 regular season record and head coach Carlos Brown was informed by Sports Services that he would not be returning to the sidelines in the following year. After not making the playoffs for three seasons, the team’s image was faded, torn around the edges, and players and fans alike were long on disappointment and short on optimism. But this year the Gees have one additional task to complete before they wrap up the 2008–09 season: compete for the national title. They will be arriving in Regina for the March 6–9 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championships having compiled a 15-7 regular season record, and fresh off a berth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final. The Gees are confident, competitive, and boasting a sparkle that basketball fans at the U of O and across the country can’t ignore. It’s a true Cinderella story. But it is in dissecting the Gees’ success this year that the tale becomes all the more captivating. At the Canadian university level such rapid change cannot be spawned by throwing money at talented players or by trading

for the game’s finest. Rather, revolutionary change comes from the hands of visionaries; those capable of not only coaching, but of building, moulding, and inspiring. Head coach Andy Sparks has proven himself to be such an architect. Brought in last summer to take over a team of mostly young players and with little time to recruit new talent, few imagined that Sparks—who had never previously held a head coaching position at the university level—could lead the Gees to the heights they now find themselves occupying. And certainly not so quickly. The depth of Sparks’ coaching clearly goes far beyond manipulating ‘x’s and ‘o’s on a chalkboard. He has forged a team atmosphere and imparted a strategic vision for the Gees’ growth, while re-drafting the women’s basketball program into one built on confidence, determination, cohesion, and above all, success. By all accounts, Sparks—who was recently named OUA East coach of the year—is every bit the mastermind the Gee-Gees’ results this year have indicated. Fifth-year centre Katie Laurie offered perhaps the most significant testimony of Sparks’ influence, saying, “We want to win for him.” Such statements are not made of average coaches—they are reserved for those who do not only instruct players, but who build winners. Such coaches instill passion, pride, and responsibility while giv-

ing their players the tools to be successful. In only nine months on the job, Sparks has done exactly this, dramatically overhauling not just the Gee-Gees play on the court, but their approach to the game and to being a team. Of course, Sparks is not solely responsible for the Gees’ success. The fundamental attitude shift he catalyzed has been embraced by each and every member of the team, many of whom have matured tremendously in as little as one year sporting Garnet and Grey. The players have cast aside the haunting memories of last season and emerged as a cohesive unit dedicated to winning week in and week out. While it takes a great coach to build successful teams, it takes the commitment and persistence of each and every player to translate attitude into results. It matters little whether or not the Gees bring home a trophy, a medal, or even a single win from the CIS championships. The team has already accomplished the unthinkable, emerging from the tatters of last season and restoring a shimmer to the reputation of the Gee-Gees women’s basketball program. When the Gees take that last look around the gym at the end of this season it should be with a well-deserved sense of triumph. [email protected]

Nicole ‘the edge’ Gall Staff Proofreader Robert ‘the worm’ Olender On-campus Distributor Deidre ‘white chocolate’ Butters Advertising Representative [email protected] Ross ‘q-rich’ Prusakowski Business Manager [email protected]

Contributors Eleni ‘the pocket rocket’ Armendkis Dave ‘the black hole’ Atkinson Andrew ‘porky’ Champagne Katie ‘il mago’ DeClerq Des ‘rambo’ Fisher Justin ‘the rain man’ Farinaccio Andrew ‘mr. mean’ Hawley Liam ‘larry legend’ Kennedy-Slaney

Jacyln ‘the cobra’ Lytle Jordan ‘microwave’ Moffatt Maureen ‘little general’ Robinson Anna ‘melo’ Rocoski Nick ‘mo pete’ Rudiak Alex ‘l-train’ Smyth Kathryn ‘silk’ Shermak Nick ‘d-wade’ Taylor-Vaisey

Cover by: Martha Pearce

University of Ottawa

A contest for you and about you!

Have a good idea to improve the student experience? Send it to us along with a brief explanation of 250 words or less to www.uOttawa.ca/goodideas by 4 p.m. on March 12, 2009. You could win $500 to be applied towards your tuition fees. A student jury will evaluate all ideas based on originality, feasibility and supporting arguments.

20 prizes of $500 each will be awarded! Put your best idea forward! www.uOttawa.ca/goodideas The University of Ottawa retains intellectual property rights to all of the entries submitted.