Fulcrum 101608

Letters Choosing roads that lead to change Re: “Choosing the best road” (Editorial, Oct. 2) DUE TO A penchant for sensational journalism, the editorial in the Oct. 2 issue of the Fulcrum fell into a trap it laid for itself. The editorial attempted to shed light on the current state of activism on our campus. But what is “activism”? Activism is the participation in social change. One of the tools that activists have to increase media and societal awareness in an issue is public demonstrations. Other tools that activists are using in the student movement include face-to-face meetings with administrators and politicians, letters and faxes, petitions, gathering community and labour union support, etc. In other words, those in the media would have to cover more than the demonstrations in order to discover all the means that student activists are using to achieve change. While accepting that public demonstrations have been very effective on our campus, the author contends that the most effective road to change is “practiced behind closed doors”. The example used in the editorial to support their argument was how students were able to defeat the code of conduct. As some of those student leaders whose “artful diplomacy also played a decisive role in bringing change”, let us be abundantly clear: had students not mobilized by the thousands in sign-

ing the petition and by the hundreds in a rally in the middle of exams, the final handshake that killed the code could have never been shaken. Because of this collective pressure, that final handshake was shaken by thousands of students, not just one. As we in the student movement engage in issues, such as reducing tuition fees, neither a simple handshake nor a single demonstration will win the day. However, when students act together using a diversity of tactics; we can, and will, achieve change. As university students, our power rests with our ability to conduct research, come up with arguments, and lobby through our strength in numbers. The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) is proud that students on our campus are dedicated to actively pursuing change; we are proud that there is a student movement building in Ontario, and the SFUO wants students to know that we recognize ALL their efforts, even if the Fulcrum does not. It must be said that the SFUO wants to work with all students and media in order to bring positive and progressive social change. We hope that you join the movement on Nov. 5. SFUO Executive Of equality and discrimination Re: “In support of women’s rights” (Letters, Oct. 2) WHILE I DON’T necessarily agree

Contents

SFUO in talks to build student centre on campus

News

Amanda Shendruk reports on the latest plans for finding more student space at the U of O. p. 4

p. 4

Tuition fees continue to rise across the country. p. 6

Video Democracy

Arts

Hisham Kelati explores the YouTube phenomenon. p. 10

p. 10

The Constantines tell Peter Henderson to Flick Off. p. 11

Welcome victory

Sports

Men’s hockey team earns their first notch in the wins column. p. 18 The truth about energy drinks. p. 23

p. 18 Feature

Why move to France? Rebecca Murray investigates French Immersion studies at the U of O. p. 14–15 Dear Di goes cyber, part 2. p. 26

p. 14

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Oct. 16–22, 2008 with the decision to institute a womenonly time, I can certainly understand it and it has nothing to do with sexual harassment (which I have never been witness to in either gym). One need only walk into one of the gyms on any given day to find an understandable impetus behind the decision. Both gyms tend to be loaded with rather large males cycling to and from different workout stations and I think it easy to see how females may choose not to enter this melee and stick to the treadmills and stair climbers. It is less the decision itself than the manner in which such a decision was made that I feel should be addressed. This should have been brought to the attention of the student body with greater transparency and discussion and I commend Ben Myers on at least drawing attention to this flawed process. The university should not be governed by interest groups which seek to exclude the majority of students from the decision-making process and discussion. Furthermore, I think that we do walk a fine line when allowing for equality which does not treat all people equally and defining the equality of people differently based upon cultural and religiousbased values. As a society striving to embrace multiculturalism, creating such defined differences threatens the idea of an equal and stable multicultural society, particularly when the debate and decision-making process lacks inclusion and transparency. This concern is directed at the letter titled “In support of women’s rights” (Oct. 2), which identified that the decision was made specifically to accommodate Muslim women. In this letter, the Women’s Studies Students Association executive (WSSAE) writes “the purpose of women-only gym hours are NOT to discriminate against the men of the U of O community”. I think that the WSSAE is confusing the importance of intentions and consequences. Perhaps there is no intention to discriminate, but inevitably the consequence is discrimination. I think it would be far more constructive to recognize

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, Andrew Wing, and Scott Bedard. To contact the Fulcrum’s BOD, contact Ross Prusakowski at (613) 562-5261.

that this does inherently involve discrimination and thus is a measure that should only be undertaken with careful consideration of all arguments and potential consequences and in open discussion that includes all relevant parties. Kelwryn Ord Third-year history and political science student A final word on women-only gym hours Re: “No penises allowed” (Editorial, Sept. 11) IT IS INTERESTING to see two pages of letters consistently being published this year in the Fulcrum, a good sign that student apathy towards issues has left for the time being. However, one thing that isn’t leaving should be, and that is the opportunity that women get with their segregated times at the gym and Montpetit Pool. Men pay the same amount as women do at this university, as was mentioned in a past letter. The problem with this is that at no point in time on our transcripts were men told that they would be paying the same amount of money for fewer services. The student body can laugh it up and pretend that this boo-hoo attitude is undeserved, with a measly three hours a week being dedicated to the practice. Considering we spend nearly 30 weeks with access to these facilities during the year, men are paying for 90 hours of service that they can’t even get. There are two arguments that have been brought forth in favour of this; one being that women should not have to feel appraised or sexualized in a context at the gym; and one of religion. The problem with the primary argument is a large overstepping of assumed behaviours that is quite sexist in itself. Men, or rather the majority of men that I have gone to the gym with, or have met at the gym, or otherwise conversed with, are at the gym for the same reasons as women—to get in shape or to tone muscle. To act as if women are innocent in objectifying men at the gym, or to pretend that

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men are the only creatures that are walking around, appraising specific targets, and being sexualized all the time is ridiculous. This facility is supposed to be one of equality, including the right of ALL students to have access to the services. To grant this issue is a slippery slope in and of itself—to what extent should we recognize that (insert group here) feels in some way persecuted by (insert group here). Whether or not you want to qualify your claims along the same lines, segregation is highly immoral, and segregation based on gender is a disgusting U of O practice—now officially endorsed. Finally, to the point of religion. Religion is a highly personal issue, and with it comes value systems that are highly personal as a society, but not to the society at large. Should Muslim women on campus choose to follow their faith in the aspect of covering their hair and skin as much as possible in the presence of public eyes is their choice. Enforcing this choice at an institutional level is unfair to those who would fall outside of a sub-cultural practice, men in this case. As an example, the LGBTQ society on campus has not visibly pursued their own rights to establish safe-zones and times which its members can only access facilities offered to all, and if it was put to the student body as a whole, there would surely be outrage at the thought of segregation based on orientation. Avoiding the argument of biological versus socially determined orientation, men should not be discriminated against for an aspect that we cannot change (without copious surgery) and should either be given a refund for the 90 hours we cannot enter the gym, or be given equal rights once again. Justin Smith Second-year criminal justice and history student Ed: In order to ensure a variety of issues can be examined in this space, discussion on the U of O’s women-only gym hours will be truncated here. Thanks to all who wrote letters.

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

Got something to say? Send your letters to [email protected] 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 e-mail [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.

Dropping the Drop CFS blog THERE ARE FEW things more offensive than self-righteous indignation or blatant ignorance. One of them is the combination of both. Of course, such outrageous offences to both reason and morality should be challenged. We have a very striking example of this with the Drop CFS blog (dropcfs.blogspot.com) which has recently surfaced and I intend to refute the mendacity which permeates this rag. To begin, I have no particular sympathies for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). It is made up of fallible mammals whose frontal cortexes are too small, whose adrenaline glands are too large, and whose excrements are invariably as foul smelling as anyone’s. However, I did have the opportunity to attend the Activist Assembly in Toronto (Sept. 26–28) and it would be blameworthy for me to continue to judge this issue solely on a theoretical basis. I also attended the famous meeting during which the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA) passed the contested motion. Allow me therefore to share with you, dear reader and fellow students, what I saw, what I felt, and what I

have come to learn. Earlier this summer, the BOA passed a motion to allow a referendum regarding CFS membership. This motion made the SFUO a prospective member of the CFS. This is the issue that has been compared to the tactics employed by the University of Ottawa administration. This comparison should strike the reader as not only a poorly constructed attack, but a rather poor showing of the understanding of those who wrote it. In as many words, this statement is far more revealing about those that drafted it than the people that it attacks. The motion in question does not bind the students to join the CFS. In fact, the only actual issue is the allowing of a referendum. The prospective membership is without charge. In fact, the members of the SFUO who attended the Activist Assembly did so without any cost. The bone of contention is the fact that the SFUO did not consult students. Now, this critique would be valid, if the frame of reference was just. Visit thefulcrum.ca to read the rest of this letter. Renaud-Philippe Garner Third-year philosophy student

www.thefulcrum.ca

Im in ur website, steelin’ ur newz.

www.thefulcrum.ca poll Have you followed the federal election?

Yes

29%

Yes Moderately

58% 13%

No Moderately

No

This week’s question:

Did you vote in the federal election?

Yes No Go to thefulcrum.ca to vote! Oct. 16, 2008 LETTERS 3

Emma Godmere News Editor [email protected]

News

Oct. 16–22, 2008

Students seek new space

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United Way campaign aims to raise $450,000 at the U of O by Kenny Dodd Fulcrum Staff

The SFUO is looking for more space for all students on the U of O campus.

SFUO pursues plans for new building by Amanda Shendruk Fulcrum Staff AT THE OCT. 5 Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA) meeting, the ad hoc Committee on Student Space presented a report outlining preliminary proposals for the construction of an SFUO-owned student centre. The extensive report outlines the history of finding student space, problems with the current Unicentre, possible solutions to these problems, the SFUO’s recommendations, and a tentative project timeline. The report explained that the Jock Turcot University Centre was originally slated to be a student centre. Before construction, however, the U of O administration disagreed with the idea of a studentrun centre, took control of the project, and in 1974 the Unicentre opened its doors under the ownership of the university. The report said the Unicentre is now “old, unattractive and dysfunctional”, with the probability of extensive and expensive upgrades in the future. As well as highlighting other pertinent issues, the report stated that the Unicentre does not offer sufficient room for campus clubs, student organizations, or the expansion of SFUO services. SFUO President Dean Haldenby reaffirmed these concerns. “We have a very inadequate student centre,” he said. “One that doesn’t fit the needs of students, or the associations around them.”

Three possible solutions were presented in the report: do nothing, take controlling ownership of the existing Unicentre, or construct a new student centre on the green space just east of the Unicentre. The report proposed the latter as the best option, stating that among other things, the new centre would “house all SFUO offices, services, businesses, including the Agora Bookstore … be an environmentally sustainable and attractive centre … [and] not have any ownership (other than the land) by the [U of O].” As concrete plans for the building have not yet been put forward, the cost of the project is unknown; however, the report suggested the building could cost $15-$60 million. In order to finance the endeavor, the report recommends “that the SFUO Board of Administration hold a referendum on whether or not to create a new student centre fee to build a new student centre in its 2008–09 general elections.” The SFUO is in preliminary talks with the U of O administration and Haldenby expects that negotiations will progress smoothly. “The university seems to be quite open to a number of different possibilities,” he said. U of O vp resources Victor Simon said he has discussed the construction of a student centre in general terms with Haldenby. “As the details of this proposal are not yet known, it is premature for the university administration to comment in more specific terms, except to say that the Board of Governors’ final decision will probably turn on the level of student support for this project,” he said in an e-mail. “Given the shortage of communal student space on campus, we will certainly give our student unions’ proposal serious consideration and assistance in the planning process.” The SFUO has also begun talks with architectural firms, and by Nov. 2 Haldenby will present the BOA with the best of three consultations. This

photo by Martha Pearce

presentation will include preliminary design ideas and costs. The role of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSAÉD) in the building of a new centre is unknown. The report plans to incorporate the GSAÉD, stating they will be included in talks regarding a master plan and the building’s upper management; but what percentage of the building they will control, if any, remains to be determined. Serge Dupuis, GSAÉD university affairs commissioner, explained that the SFUO would be the main owner of any student centre, but that the GSAÉD is on board with the initiative. “We certainly have an intention to be in that student centre—to insert our student services and to insert our offices,” he said. The SFUO is not alone in their request for a student centre. Currently, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) and the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) are in the prebuilding stages of their own student centres, after both recently passing referendums for increased student fees. “Currently, full time U of S students are paying $88 per year for infrastructure fees, however, next year this fee will be increased by [inflation], plus ten dollars,” explained Shannon Dyck, vp student issues of the USSU. The UTSU hopes to have their student centre completed by 2010, with students paying $28.50 annually for the first 25 years of the building’s existence. If supported, Haldenby said the construction of a student centre would be the largest project undertaken by the SFUO, but one that he has been ready for since the beginning of his administration. “During my election campaign I made it quite clear—it was my first point—that I would work at building a new student centre for students, by students,” he said.

UNITED WAY–CENTRAIDE Ottawa’s campaign at the U of O is aiming to raise $450,000 for the local community this year, with the help of volunteers and donations on campus. “We are confident that we are going to reach our goal again this year,” said Lyse Piché, the U of O’s employee campaign coordinator, who is working closely with the United Way this year. Dedicated to “increasing the organized capacity of people to care for one another,” the United Way gives financial support to organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and a host of other national and local charities. It has been present at the U of O for several years in the form of the Workplace Employee Campaign, where employees of the university are encouraged to donate a specific amount of money from each pay period to the United Way. However, the campaign is not limited to university employees. Students are also invited to get involved by donating to the United Way and participating in fundraising events on campus, the next being Bucket Day on Oct. 29. Volunteers will be stationed around campus asking for small donations for the U of O Student Aid Fund, a registered charity the United Way supports to help U of O students in times of critical financial need. “We need volunteers, and last year we really had great participation both for the graduate and undergraduate student associations,” said Lyse. “[We] raised $2,745 in just a few hours.” While the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa and the Graduate Students’ Association indicated they have not yet finalized what role they will take in this year’s campaign, Piché pointed to the talent show being held by Community Life Service on Nov. 19 as another excellent way for students to get involved. This year’s United Way-Centraide Ottawa campaign on campus has, so far, raised approximately g $43,000. The city-wide campaign ends Dec. 2. For more information about the United Way’s campaigns on campus, check out unitedway.uottawa.ca.

Food co-op to open in Sandy Hill Wilbrod location to stock organic, fair-trade, and local products by Amanda Shendruk Fulcrum Staff “I FIND LOBLAWS pretty belittling,” explained Derek Reid. A resident of Sandy Hill and founding member of the Sandy Hill People Food Co-op that is currently under construction, Reid talked corporate versus cooperative grocers with the Fulcrum on the steps of the co-op, at 317 Wilbrod St. “I find the vast selection [at Loblaws] is just multinational corporations’ food products that are made who knows where and with what ingredients,” he said. “[The co-op] is going to be dealing with companies that have ethics in mind all the time.” Reid is not a novice when it comes to organizing cooperatives. Across the street is the Sandy Hill Pet Food Co-op, of which Reid is also a founding member. Already four years old, it is a not-for-profit cooperative that sells natural dog and cat food. Like the pet food co-op, Reid’s new project will be not-for-profit and will cater to the conscious consumer. Or-

ganic edibles, fair-trade products, and goods from local companies will fill the shelves. “I think Sandy Hill, overall, is a pretty smart neighborhood. It has got all types and I think all types are into healthier ways of living and alternative models of business,” Reid said. The Sandy Hill People Food Co-op will be a worker, not a consumer, cooperative. As opposed to a consumer co-op, where customers purchase memberships that contribute to keeping prices low, the worker cooperative uses employee wages to keep products affordable. Workers will also be owners and can contribute as much or as little time as they like. Instead of paying employees—the wages will be re-invested in the company—workers will be able to purchase products from the co-op at wholesale prices. “It is membership-based, but on a worker level,” Reid explained. Although he has several collaborators from community association Action Sandy Hill and the pet food co-op, Reid stressed the need for time investments from many people. “It’s a nice environment,” he said. “There’s no evil boss perching over you. Everybody is a boss. Everybody respects each other.” As for the store’s direction, Reid said the initiative would start small. They will offer mostly non-perishable

photo by Martha Pearce

The Sandy Hill People Food Co-op is located at 317 Wilbrod St. products they know will sell well, with the possibility of introducing fresh produce and perhaps even baked goods depending on consumer demand. Reid explained that ultimately the community would dictate the future of the cooperative.

“We’re going to grow based on what people want,” he said. “As a cooperative it’s a democratic environment. I can sit here and tell you what I think, but in the end it’s going to be not my decision; it’s going to be out of my control as soon as we start having our

meetings.” “It’s a democratic environment so direction is going to go the way the group wants it to go.” The Sandy Hill People Food Co-op is expected to open its doors the week of Oct. 20.

Flick Off tour pulls into Ottawa The Fulcrum is looking for students to join its board of directors. If you are looking for experience in business or not-for-profit organizations, e-mail Ross Prusakowski, the Fulcrum’s business manager.

[email protected]

David Suzuki, Constantines to promote sustainability and environmental awareness by Laura Clementson Fulcrum Contributor FAMED CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTALIST David Suzuki will be rolling into Ottawa Oct. 18 on the Flick Off Express in an effort to rally students in support of sustainability and environmental awareness. The University of Ottawa is the final destination of Suzuki’s Ontario-wide tour that is rallying to get young Canadians to flick off their lights and act on climate change. The Flick Off tour began at the University of Western Ontario on Oct. 15, making stops at York University on Oct. 16 and Queen’s University on Oct. 17, before concluding the four-day journey in Ottawa on Oct. 18. In an attempt to keep with his environmentally friendly message, Suzuki has shunned planes for the trip, instead opting to travel by train. Riding along on VIA Rail across the province are environmental experts from the David Suzuki Foundation, as well as Canadian bands The Constantines and Spiral Beach. According to its website, the Flick Off

www.thefulcrum.ca

illustration by Lihang Nong

Express campaign “is urging individuals, corporations and politicians together to commit to a renewable energy plan that replaces our reliance on fossil fuels with clean green alternatives”. Toronto-based broadcaster, author, and environmentalist Gill Deacon will host the rally in Ottawa at Confederation Park, which will feature live music and a speech from Suzuki and several other environmentalists. “The idea is to give students at the uni-

Oct. 16, 2008

versity campuses a voice and a forum to educate themselves about these issues,” Deacon said. Deacon feels the Flick Off campaign is useful because there are tangible ways for students to make a difference. “The great thing about Flick Off is that it is very solution-oriented. It’s about ‘here’s what you can do’,” she explained. Deacon emphasized that students should be particularly concerned about the environment since Canadians are among the greatest consumers of energy per capita. She also explained that being environmentally friendly can be simple and can actually save money. “Environmentalism in my book is all about saving money,” she said. “It’s so much cheaper to hang your laundry on a clothes-drying rack than it is for you to pay electricity to run a dryer. It’s cheaper to walk than it is to drive a car.” Although she admits she realizes the importance of the economy, healthcare, and education, Deacon feels that the environment is the most pressing issue currently facing Canada. “None of that exists if we can’t breathe the air [and] if we can’t drink the water,” she said. On Oct. 18, Suzuki, Deacon, the Constantines, and others will rally at Confederation Park 2:30–4 p.m. For more information, visit flickoff.org.

NEWS

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Ottawatch U of O students head to the polls OCT. 14 WAS voting day for the 40th Canadian general election. Students on campus voted at a handful of local polling stations, including on-campus locations at L’Église Sacré-Coeur, Hyman Soloway residence, and the residence complex at 90 University. As of mid-day, neither polling station had experienced problems with long lineups. However, an Elections Canada official at Sacré-Coeur who did not wish to be identified suggested that some stations nearby had run out of ballots.

Most U of O students who emerged from the polls at Sacré-Coeur did not wish to be interviewed. Two students said they could not vote because they had arrived at the wrong polling station. During the federal campaign, student lobby groups launched campaigns to discuss issues and party platforms, and get students out to the polls. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) national office launched voteeducation.ca, while the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) embedded an election centre in their website at casa.ca/index.php/ election-centre.html. Both student organizations also

released report cards that graded the federal parties on their commitments to post-secondary education issues and other issues pertaining to students. “From what I’ve been hearing from our provincial representatives and our local representatives is there’s been quite a bit of enthusiasm about the federal election,” said CFS National Chairperson Katherine Giroux-Bougard. “I think we’ve accomplished the goal of raising the issues among our members, and educating our members.” CASA national director Zach Churchill was also satisfied with his organization’s campaign. “Our campaign was a very suc-

cessful one. We had over 10 million impressions on the Internet. That’s people who saw our advertisement at least, and hopefully clicked on our website or video,” said Churchill. “Our members were very active,” he continued. “We had on-campus debates organized by every one of our members across the country, [and] we had local candidates talking about post-secondary issues in the ridings that we were targeting.” Giroux-Bougard said she was disheartened that the Conservative Party had declared some all-candidates’ meetings on campuses to be off-limits to their local MPs. —Carl Meyer

Tuition fees on the rise across the country ed in the absolute wrong direction. We’re out of step with the rest of the provinces and the government is out of step with Canadians on how accessible they want their postsecondary education,” said Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) VP University Affairs Seamus Wolfe. Federico Carvajal, external commissioner for the Graduate Students’ Association by Emma Godmere (GSAÉD) and chair of the Canadian FedFulcrum Staff eration of Students (CFS) Ontario Graduate STUDENTS ACROSS CANADA have expe- Caucus, expressed that graduate students rienced a 3.6 per cent increase in tuition fees have been hit hard by the latest increases in for the 2008–09 academic year compared fees as well. “Ontario pays the highest graduate tuition to last year, according to a recent Statistics fees [in] Canada,” Carvajal said. “It’s becomCanada report. The document, released Oct. 9, indicated ing an issue of access for graduate students— the rate was higher than the 2.8 per cent in- with the increase of undergraduate tuition fees, people are graduating with larger and crease witnessed in 2007–08. The report also cites that since the 1998– larger debts which means that they’re less 99 academic year—when students paid likely to go on to graduate school, especially about $3,064 nationally—tuition fees have if they have to be burdened with the highest tuition fees in the been on the rise country.” at an average of While the feder4.4 per cent, while “Ontario … is just headed in al report stated that inflation has only the absolute wrong graduate students increased at an avwitnessed a smallerage rate of 2.3 per direction.” er tuition increase cent over the same Seamus Wolfe over last year—3.3 period. The curSFUO vp university affairs per cent—grads rent national avercontinue to pay age sits at $4,724. more in tuition “As the economy continues to slow down, higher education generally, as the national average for graduand re-training will be critical to minimiz- ate students currently sits at $5,777. Wolfe mentioned that the latest tuition ing the impact on low- and middle-income families,” said Canadian Federation of Stu- increases act as more motivation for students National Chairperson Katherine Gi- dents to get involved in the provincial day roux-Bougard in a press release. “Canada’s of action against tuition fees on Nov. 5, part economic health depends on affordable of the CFS Drop Fees campaign in partnership with the SFUO, GSAÉD, the Carleton post-secondary education.” Ontario students, who pay some of the University Students’ Association, and the highest tuition fees in the country, saw an Carleton Graduate Students’ Association. “[The increases] just give more impetus increase of 4.7 per cent from last year. Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and Prince that … the student movement in Ontario Edward Island also witnessed tuition in- [has to] stay strong because this is somecreases, while scholarly fees in the rest of thing that if we don’t band together to fight, we’re going to … have an even more serious the country remained about the same. “It just proves that Ontario … is just head- crisis on our hands,” Wolfe said.

Ontario once again higher than national average

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NEWS

Oct. 16, 2008

illustration by Alex Martin

www.thefulcrum.ca

turn the Clubs Council’s decision and grant YPY funding. The board voted 11-6 with one abstention to refer the question back to Clubs Council so that they can hear Murphy’s stance and decide if it breaks UVSS policy. —Sam VanSchie, The Martlet

News in brief

Three campuses to offer courses in Antarctica

image by UVic YPY

UVic anti-abortion group calls for student funding VICTORIA (CUP) – AN ANTIABORTION STUDENT club that was denied funding in a vote by student clubs has asked the University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) to reconsider the decision, claiming the club is in compliance with the Society’s prochoice mandate. The UVSS policy since 1989 has been to support “freedom of choice in the matter of abortion”.

Monica Murphy, president of the pro-life Youth Protecting Youth (YPY), says her group has never taken an anti-choice stance, but that it does believe that choosing life is “the right choice”. Murphy explained that the YPY member that represented the club at Clubs Council, where club representatives vote on who gets funding, was unprepared to debate the club’s merits and erroneously said the YPY was anti-choice. She asked the UVSS board to over-

EDMONTON (CUP) – IN FEBRUARY 2009, a new university program will bring participants to the far reaches of the globe for a unique two-week opportunity exploring the Earth’s southernmost continent. This program allows students from the University of Ottawa, University of Alberta, and the University of Northern British Columbia to earn three credits exploring Antarctica. Each school is offering different courses for the voyage: U of O students will learn about glaciology, U of A students will take an earth and atmospheric sciences course, and UNBC students will have the opportunity to learn about recreation and tourism. Students will learn through lectures and hands-on workshops related to the course. There are 70 reserved spots for students at a price of $8,500 per student, plus airfare. At press time, there were still openings. The organization planning the educational opportunity, Students on Ice, hopes to make the trip at least once every two years.

For more information, check out studentsonice.com. —Jonathan Taves, The Gateway Student group alleges discrimination at York TORONTO (CUP) – YORK UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Mamdouh Shoukri has denied claims that Palestinian students were racially profiled and barred from an event where a prominent Israeli diplomat delivered a speech. Hasbara Fellowships, a student group that advocates Israel’s wellbeing, hosted an event that featured Israeli Consul-General Amir Gissin. His speech dealt with Israel’s attempt to re-brand itself in order to attract new investment and tourism to the country. Members of Students against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) alleged that they weren’t allowed into the event by organizers, York security, and Toronto police. They claimed they were barred due to racial profiling. Aaron Rosenberg, co-president of Hasbara Fellowships, denied SAIA’s claims, saying that only members of his organization were ever invited to the event. In a letter to Shoukri obtained by Excalibur, Nuri Jazairi, a York economics professor in the Faculty of Arts, called for an investigation into the racial-profiling allegations. Shoukri replied that Hasbara Fellowships had a right to book the

space for “an RSVP-only event”. —Scott McLean, Excalibur McMaster study sparks rapid HPV test HAMILTON (CUP) – MCMASTER UNIVERSITY IN Hamilton, Ont. has researched a faster way of testing women from developing countries for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Dr. John Sellors, a McMaster professor of family medicine, in conjunction with researchers from Beijing and London, has released findings on a new rapid HPV test that will provide results in two hours and allow for patient testing and follow-ups to occur in the same clinic. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the world, often causing genital warts and putting women at high risk of developing cervical cancer. There are 30 strains of HPV that are sexually transmitted, 13 of which are highrisk. Although up to 75 per cent of Canadians will contract the virus, 80 per cent of deaths from high-risk strains of the virus exist in developing countries. The new, inexpensive HPV test is a leap forward for medical treatment in developing countries, as women there must be treated for the disease first to determine if they need a pelvic exam. In Canada, this Pap test is performed as part of an annual physical. —Lee Johnstone, The Silhouette

University of Ottawa

Graduate Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences

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Oct. 16, 2008

NEWS

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U of O hosts international conference on former Czechoslovakia Czech and Slovak experts weigh in on historic events of 1968 by Maria Habanikova Fulcrum Staff ON OCT. 9–10, an international conference entitled “The ‘Prague Spring’ and the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1968” was held in Tabaret Hall at the University of Ottawa. The conference, marking the 40th anniversary of the 1968 events, was hosted by U of O professor and Chair of Slovak History and Culture Mark Stolarik with the support of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic and the Embassy of the Czech Republic. “There are conferences going on all over the world this year, marking the event, and mine was one of the most significant because I asked myself, ‘how can mine be different from all of the others?’,” said Stolarik. “I answered the question by saying I’m going to invite a scholar from every single Warsaw Pact country to present a paper based on their most recent archival research—in other words, what [we learned] when the archives opened up after communism fell in Eastern Europe.” Nearly 150 guests attended the conference, including scholars and diplomats from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the United States, and Canada. Diana Štrofová, state secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic spoke at the opening of the international conference that marked the 40th anniversary of Prague Spring. “Even after 40 years and even in Canada, [this event] still promotes interest and inspires [contemplation]

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NEWS

about whether Prague Spring could have changed the principles of socialism,” she said. The term Prague Spring refers to Alexander Dubček’s rise to power in Czechoslovakia in January 1968 and his six months of political liberalization while the country was under the domination of the Soviet Union. Štrofová explained that the August 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and members of its Warsaw Pact allies to halt the liberal reforms came as a shock to citizens. “[It was a] harsh awakening for the majority of [the Czechoslovakian] population, [and] opened [the] eyes of many causing the benevolent image of [the] Russian brother to be reconsidered and questioned,” Štrofová said. The first day of panel discussions began with a paper presented by Jan Rychlík from Prague’s Charles University, following a discussion lead by Michael Kraus from Vermont’s Middlebury College in the U.S. The panel described the origins of the reforms in Czechoslovakia in 1968. Rychlík cited the “asymmetry of Czechoslovak perceptions”, because for Czechs, the stimulating factor was a lack of freedom, while for Slovaks, it was general “[dissatisfaction] with the centralist regime in Prague”. Kraus claimed there were more factors overlapping each other. “[It was] the state of the economy and the decline of national income in [Czechoslovakia] as well as restive intelligentsia demanding freedom of expression,” he said. “Intelligentsia [played] a crucial role [as it] denounced the regime and demanded changes in accordance with democratic propositions,” Kraus continued, before concluding that the “state of Czechoslovak relations [merely led to the] precipitation of the crisis [as a whole].” Their discussion was followed by a debate between Slavomir Michalek

Oct. 16, 2008

photo by Martha Pearce

The U of O hosted speakers from around the world for the Oct. 9–10 conference on 1968 Czechoslovakia. from the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, Slovakia and Stanislav J. Kirschbaum from Glendon College at York University in Toronto. “1968 was history compressed in a matter of months—[without which] 1993 [when Czechoslovakia split] would not have happened,” said Kirschbaum. Explaining the Czechoslovakian crisis in the context of Soviet geopolitics and presenting a paper from independent scholar Mikhail Latysh from Moscow, Matthew Quimet from the U.S. Department of State

maintained that the nature of Prague Spring is one of the most ignored aspects by scholars and that socialism was reformable at the time. “Dubček could have succeeded but lost control of the process … Soviets [had to consider] their own national interest [when] Prague Spring was no longer an internal issue. [They justified] the right to invade Czechoslovakia because they [were the ones who had] freed them from the German Nazis,” Quimet said. This past February, Czech Republic Prime Minister Miroslav To-

polanek stated in a speech given at the University of Ottawa that 1968 was one of the eight most significant milestones in Czechoslovakian history. The historic Cold War event had lasting effects on future Czech generations, a sentiment mirrored by Štrofová in her conference-opening address. “Weapons were not powerful enough to silence the [next] generations [who realized] the need for democracy, freedom, and human rights protection,” she said. —with files from Emma Godmere

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Every vote does not count, say critics

Staff meetings. We have them. Thursdays at 1 p.m. 631 King Edward Ave. The Fulcrum. photo courtesy sxc.hu

Experts, politicians divided over proportional representation by Toban Dyck The Uniter WINNIPEG (CUP) – IN A POLITICAL system where the majority dictates which parties are represented in Parliament, critics say a spectrum of political views go unrepresented. Canada’s current electoral system, called first-past-the-post, dictates that the party that receives the most votes in any riding wins. Larry Gordon, executive director of Fair Vote Canada, says it’s not good enough. “The NDP got a million more votes than the Bloc [Québecois], but the Bloc got twice as many seats [in the 2006 election],” said Gordon. “The biggest flaw of first-past-the-post is that it rarely produces an outcome proportional to the vote,” said Christopher Leo, a politics professor at the University of Winnipeg. “In first-past-the-post voting systems, the majority of ballots don’t elect anybody,” said Gordon. “First-past-the-post is not firmly anchored in democratic principles.” According to Gordon, proportional representation is a voting system that gives every vote equal consideration. Parliament, under proportional representation, would be a more accurate representation of every vote cast; if the Green Party receives 30 per cent of the popular vote nationwide, then the Green Party would represent that 30 per

cent in the House of Commons. A form of proportional representation is used in over 80 countries, Gordon noted. However, how seats are divided depends on the country, and a Canadian method of assigning seats in Parliament would need to be devised if the country were to adopt proportional representation. While electoral reform is an important matter for many, others hold tight to the current first-past-the-post system. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” said Marcelle Marion, Liberal candidate for Winnipeg North. “Changing the system to proportional representation is a little delusional.” Marion argues that with proportional representation, the smaller parties would keep the larger parties from doing their jobs. “Proportional representation does not account for regional diversity,” added Marion. Larry Gordon Regional diversity, arExecutive Director, gues Gordon, is tearing Fair Vote Canada Canada apart. Not all Albertans are conservative and not all Ontarians are liberal, yet under first-past-the-post, he says Canadians are led to believe they are. According to Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP candidate for Winnipeg North, her party has been actively engaged in trying to pass their own brand of proportional representation, but without success. “Proportional representation would send a message to Canadians that your vote really does count,” said Wasylycia-Leis. Ontario citizens were presented with the option of switching to a mixed-member proportional electoral system in a referendum question in the 2007 provincial elections. However, 63.1 per cent voted against electoral reform.

“In first-past-the-post voting systems, the majority of ballots don’t elect anybody.”

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Oct. 16, 2008

NEWS

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Arts & Culture

Peter Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected]

Oct. 16–22, 2008

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YouTube: All the world’s a stage image by Amlake T-Digaf

Internet stardom and the road to riches by Hisham Kelati Fulcrum Staff THE SOUTH PARK episode “Canada on Strike” put forward a controversial hypothesis: it’s impossible to make money by getting famous on YouTube. South Park gets many things right, but this time creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are dead wrong. Almost anybody can become an instant star thanks to Internet video-sharing websites. The biggest of these sites is YouTube. Exceptionally user-friendly, YouTube presents a simple interface that allows users to easily upload and track videos. The site’s simplicity has allowed it to become the most popular video-sharing website on the Internet with more than 20 million unique visitors each month, and that popularity has had a mutually reinforcing effect on its position at the head of the pack. Google, the Internet titan involved in online searches, mobile phones, and

software products, bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock on Nov. 16, 2006, giving the site a solid backing of both financial clout and online credibility. Thousands of videos are uploaded hourly onto YouTube. Some people upload videos as personal journals (a form of blogging), some upload videos because they think the Internet needs one more clip of a cute animal, and some upload with the hope of having their video seen by as many people as possible—they just want to be famous. The first step to becoming a YouTube star is creating your own personal channel, so that users can watch all of your videos in one place. For those in search of a quick buck, there’s always corporate sponsorship. YouTube offers a comprehensive advertising partnership that splits money between the content producer (the individual user) and the website. Ads can be banners, sidebars, or even embedded in the video itself, as small text boxes that open up other sites when clicked. Best of all, users get to keep the copyrights on their videos, so they can put them on as many sites as they like. This doesn’t exactly bring in record-contract money, but it’s the first step to proving South Park wrong and making money with YouTube. While this idea of using YouTube to become

rich seems absurd, it isn’t a bad plan. The conventional route to fame and fortune involves earning your stripes by playing low-level gigs—working your way through clubs, coffeehouses, or local theatre productions. This takes time and effort that could be better put to use partying with the A-list celebs in Hollywood. So, rather than working their way up, people upload videos showing their talents. They hope that if enough people see their videos, their performance will catch the eye of a talent agent. YouTube videos can be viewed by millions, as in the case of Judson Laipply, whose video “The Evolution of Dance” has been seen by more than 100 million people from almost every country in the world. There’s huge potential for exposure with YouTube for anyone who wants to be the next big thing. Two examples of people who have managed to turn a minimal amount of time and money into legitimate fame and fortune through YouTube are lonelygirl15 and Bo Burnham. Lonelygirl15 was a fictitious video-blog ostensibly about a lonely teenage girl who often hinted at darker, more complex storylines than the usually mundane blogosphere produces. The popularity of lonelygirl15 allowed the actress, real name Jessica Lee Rose, to get a head-start on a television career with roles in shows such as

Greek and Sorority Forever. Similarly, Bo Burnham, an 18 year-old comedian/musician whose hilarious songs about subjects like his penis and how his whole family suspects him of being homosexual have received over 10 million hits. Based on this success, he got invited to Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival, which brought him to the attention of comedy producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and landed him a four-album deal with Comedy Central’s record label. Apatow has commissioned Burnham to write a script and music for a film that’s supposed to be, according to Burnham, the “antiHigh School Musical”. All that success comes from just a few funny videos. Becoming rich and famous through YouTube isn’t easy, and there’s no set formula for success. Making and posting a video is a simple process, and if enough people see your video, your name is going to get thrown around. However, there are thousands of other people with similar ideas, so if you have talent, skill, and more than a little luck, you’ve got a shot at hitting the big time. Many more fail than make it, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. South Park is wrong, but not totally—it’s hard to make money by getting famous on YouTube, but it’s not impossible.

Canadian rock goes green The Constantines join drive for action on climate change by Peter Henderson Fulcrum Staff CANADIAN BAND THE Constantines are coming to renewably energize Ottawa with the power of rock, and this time they’ve got a message. The Constantines are touring as part of Flick Off, a provincial campaign sponsored by MuchMusic, the Ontario government, Virgin mogul Richard Branson, and several others, that aims to galvanize regular citizens into action on climate change. The Flick Off tour is visiting four Ontario universities to raise awareness of sustainability and environmental issues, and includes guest speakers Jian Ghomeshi, Sarah Harmer, and, in Ottawa, David Suzuki. Music will be provided by The Constantines and Spiral Beach. The Constantines were asked by their label, Arts & Crafts, if they wanted to be a part of the Flick Off campaign. Having recently switched to a biodiesel tour bus, the band felt it was time to be a part of a campaign for positive change on the enivornment. The group’s conversion to a green philosophy wasn’t an epiphany, says guitarist and vocalist Bryan Webb, it just grew over time. “I think that for us it’s always been more of an individual thing,” he says. “I was kind of lucky. My father was a teacher who was very aware very early on of environmental causes, and he passed that on to me. He saw David Suzuki speak years

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photo by Dustin Rabin

ago, and that changed his ideas about the environment. Also, I have a brother-in-law who’s a part of the alternative energy program at a college in Kingston, so I’m still exposed to that.” The changing of attitudes doesn’t come overnight, though. “As a band, we’re just beginning to figure some of this stuff out,” says Webb. “It’s harder, especially for a young band who’s just starting to tour, to put biodiesel or something like that at the top of their priorities.” The Constantines switched labels in 2007, moving from Seattle’s famous Sub Pop to Toronto-based Arts & Crafts. “I like the situation we’re in now,” explains Webb. “The label roster is smaller, and they’re close to us and where we practise.” Webb also praises the band’s new label for their management. “Sub Pop was pretty hands-off when it came to management … but Arts & Crafts is really hands-on and does a lot for us,” he says. The Constantines have played at countless college and university campuses across the nation over the past nine years, but Webb sees the Flick Off campaign as something different. “We’ve had brutal experiences playing event weeks,” he says. “Sometimes, people aren’t interested. They’re not there for us—we’re just some rock band. This one’s completely different from all of those. We’re just a small part of what’s happening. [Flick Off ] is based around policy change and the environment, we’re just the entertainment.” The Constantines will play at a rally at Confederation Park on Oct. 18 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit flickoff.org.

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Heroes of hardcore Comeback Kid hits Ottawa by Peter Henderson Fulcrum Staff WINNIPEG-BASED HARDCORE rockers Comeback Kid visit Ottawa on Oct. 17, and it’s just one more stop on the road for one of Canada’s busiest bands. Comeback Kid is almost always touring, having visited countries in Eastern Europe, East Asia, and South America. Andrew Neufeld, the lead singer and sometime guitarist for the band, believes that spending a lot of time touring is part of his band’s formula for success. “We started touring just because we love touring,” Neufeld says. “It’s almost a necessity—this is a full-time thing for us, and we’ve got to stay busy.” Comeback Kid is touring in support of their new DVD, Through the Noise. The DVD features a recorded concert from Leipzig, Germany, as well as a documentary on the band’s history. It also comes with a CD of the

Leipzig concert. Neufeld said the idea started as a small tour diary and blossomed into a much bigger project. “We had a big tour last November in Europe, and Jeremy [Hiebert], our guitar player, was like ‘Maybe we should bring a friend along to shoot a DVD’,” says Neufeld. “We ended up bringing a friend to Europe with us, just to shoot whatever was going on with the tour. Then it turned into something where we wanted to talk about the beginning of the band and the member changes and stuff, so we just compiled all this footage we had from the past seven years.” Comeback Kid is supported on their Through the Noise Tour by Bane, Misery Signals, Outbreak, Shai Hulud, and Grave Maker. “It just kind of got thrown together,” Neufeld states. “You ask people, and you’re not sure if they can do it, and then there’s other bands along in the mix. All the bands [on this tour] are bands we’ve always wanted to tour with or we’ve toured with before and we know people in. It really works out well.” As for the future of Comeback Kid, Neufeld knows that another album

is definitely on the horizon, but right now they’re completely focused on touring. “For a while, Comeback Kid’s just been doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it. Put out a record, tour, tour, tour. Two years later, put another record out— same cycle,” he says. “We just don’t want to feel any kind of pressure to get a record out, because we want the next one to feel right.” Comeback Kid’s last album, Broadcasting…, took their melodic-punk hardcore sound in a darker, more complex direction, and Neufeld believes that their next album will continue down that road. “Writing [Broadcasting…], recording it, and listening back to it, I think I’ve learned some stuff about how to phrase things,” he claims. “I think with every record you learn things from the last one, things that you did that you want to change, or want to do a little different later on after you’ve listened to it. I could very well see it being … a little more thrashy.” Comeback Kid plays an all-ages show at Babylon on Oct. 17. Tickets are $18 in advance. Doors open at 4 p.m.

photo by Cindy Frey

A playlist for your broken heart

If you’re reading this, you have the attention to detail we need in our proofreaders. Come to 631 King Edward on Tuesday evenings to keep the Fulcrum error-free.

The top five break-up songs by Jaclyn Lytle Fulcrum Staff IT ALWAYS STARTS out well. Things are new, exciting, passionate. You feel as though you could just spend hours together, adoring every look, every motion, every word. But alas, time goes on, and nothing lasts forever. When it comes time to part ways, music is the universal way to cope. The Fulcrum has compiled the top five tracks to nurse your wounded heart while you make your way through the emotional stages at the end of a good thing. “Jolene” – The White Stripes Most sincere apologies to Dolly Parton, but the Stripes beat her out on this one. This cover was released as a B-side by the two-person garagerock band in 2000. This clear, simple take on the country classic has a fuzzed-up tone that’s just a bit more raw than anything Parton served up in her heyday. The ballad deals with the pain and anger of watching your darling fall for someone else: “Jolene, I’m begging of you please don’t take my man.” “Jolene” lets you wallow in self-deprecation and feelings of inadequacy. “Everybody Hurts” – R.E.M.

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This sorrowful tune was released in 1992 on the band’s eighth album, Automatic for the People. This is an ideal track for when you reach that point post-break-up when the sight of your ex’s toothbrush is enough to get you blubbering. When the waterworks are going, this song is a good reminder that it’s okay: “Sometimes everything is wrong / but everybody hurts sometimes.”

ARTS

Oct. 16, 2008

“Hurt” – Johnny Cash This Nine Inch Nails cover was released on Johnny Cash’s 2002 album America IV: The Man Comes Around. There is a mournful quality to Cash’s version that speaks to a broken heart: “I hurt myself today to see if I still feel / I focus on the pain, the only thing that’s real.” This track is a deep expression of loss and sadness, and Cash’s sombre voice matches the solemn, grim lyrics perfectly. “One More Night” – Stars Stars presents an interesting take on the breakup song with this track from 2004’s Set Yourself on Fire. “One More Night” is about spending one last night in bed with the one that crushed your heart—an idea we’ve all toyed with. This song has real merit for the bluntness of the lyrics: “When she’s breaking his heart / she still fucks like a tease.” The song doesn’t dance around its subject, and it takes an occasion often riddled with guilt and turns it into poetry. “Go Your Own Way” – Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” was a big hit from Fleetwod Mac’s 1977 record Rumours. It belongs last in this list because it perfectly suits the final stage in a break-up: moving on. This song is for that point when you’re ready to get over everything and move on. Just like Stevie Nicks sings: “Open up / everything’s waiting for you / you can go your own way”. “Go Your Own Way” is the perfect track for when you’re sick of feeling down and you’re looking for something to pick you up and get you out into the world again.

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photo courtesy Leave the Pants at Home Equity Co-op

Exploring the Conservative side of sex Conservatives in Love serves up some political comedy by Nigel Smith Fulcrum Staff “FUCK RECYCLING!” BLURTS out a tightly wound young Conservative with borderline orgasmic glee late in the ribald comedy Conservatives in Love. That this line is met with laughs, not gasps, from the audience speaks to the light, sly touch of the proceedings. Having premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival, where it was met with unanimous critical praise, Conservatives in Love has now landed in the political vortex of our country— smack dab in the middle of an election. The timing couldn’t be better, and local theatre troupe Leave the Pants at Home Equity Co-op are banking on it. The co-op is made up of actors Margo MacDonald, Geoff McBride, Kate Smith, Ian Travis, and director Patrick Gauthier. This is their first production, but everyone involved has extensive theatre experience. “We all got called by [Gauthier],” says Smith. “We’d all worked with him in the past in some capacity. We didn’t have to audition—it was just a group of professional actors working together, so he knew what we were capable of.” Detailing the many plot lines in Conservatives in Love seems unnecessary, given the anything-goes farcical nature of the piece. The story revolves around a group of young Conservatives—and one radical socialist— falling in and out of love over the course of one night. If the idea of watching a bunch of uppity right-wing folks declaring their love for one another sounds tedious and predictable, think again. Smith thinks that some people will be turned off by the title, but believes the play has non-partisan appeal . “It’s light. It’s a comedy with a political bent,” she says. “It’s great because you don’t really have to be plugged-in to the political scene to understand it. You get it, even if you

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just see the front page of the paper when you walk by the box. It’s not overly complicated.” The characters in the play are all stereotypes, many of whom you wouldn’t necessarily deem a Conservative at first glance. There are some young office bimbos reminiscent of The Hills; a young bisexual man who cheats on his long-term, overly flamboyant boyfriend; an ignorant, promiscuous, and married business tycoon; and a sexually repressed but very horny Conservative spokesperson. They all gather at a Young Conservatives meeting at an art gallery in downtown Toronto. Conservatives gathering at an art gallery is ironic, and that’s just one of the ways in which the play challenges convention. Sexual shenanigans run rampant throughout the 75-minute show, with hysterical results. Smith admires writer David Carley’s script, and believes that the comedy will appeal to everyone. “A lot of it is very overt, because it’s farcical—you know, it’s slapstick, it’s silly, people are running in and out of doors,” she says. “But a lot of the jokes are very subtle. It’s just a very funny script.” The cast of this first production by the Leave the Pants at Home troupe is uniformly engaging and quirky. Being an ensemble piece, with each actor playing two characters or more, no one truly stands above the pack—each performer is equally impressive. Although they fit into stereotypes, each character is sharply drawn through witty, incisive writing and the talent of the performers. Carley is not out to lambast the Conservative Party, but rather to have fun with the preconceptions that are associated with its members. Though there are plenty of digs at Conservative values and hypocrisies, Carley doesn’t let the other national political parties get off easily, slipping in jabs where appropriate. All in good taste, the farce is more focused on the characters’ sex lives than their political affiliations. Smith thinks the play is an equal-opportunity farce. “It’s non-partisan—we mock everyone,” Smith says. “We mock the Liberals, we mock the Conservatives, it’s quite equally done. We mock the Canadian political system as a whole.

When you’re truly mocking someone, you’re teasing gently enough that people aren’t being offended—they’re laughing at themselves.” Near the end it seems almost as if the Conservative rally at which everyone converges was an afterthought, but Carley brings the piece full circle in a speech concerning the economic as-

Oct. 16, 2008

pect of art delivered by a Conservative spokesperson. It’s a subversive moment, encapsulating the aim of the piece: a comedy that will make you think while you laugh yourself silly. Conservatives in Love runs at the Arts Court Library until Oct. 18. Tickets are $12 for students.

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photo by Marc Gobeil

Par

French immersion stud the University of Otta

photo courtesy Club d’Immersion

by Rebecca Murray Fulcrum Contributor WHILE SOME UNIVERSITIES boast beautiful campuses, a high ranking in university reviews, or Nobel-prize winning alumni, the University of Ottawa proudly promotes its bilingual nature. The university has been equally French and English since its beginnings in 1848, and is the only officially bilingual university in Canada. The U of O is also unique in Canada for its French immersion studies. Introduced in 2006, the program has grown to include over 750 students, eager to learn both of Canada’s official languages.

The program’s short history While French immersion has only been available since 2006, the idea of French immersion had long been discussed. Marc Gobeil, the U of O’s director of French immersion studies, explains the program’s genesis. “For the longest time, the university did have a second-language requirement for a person to graduate. They had to pass a certain level of language knowledge, in French or English, in order to graduate,” he said. “In the mid-1980s, some language professors started tinkering with a model of immersion courses to help students in their other language.” However, it wasn’t until 2000 that a French immersion program was considered an important

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addition to U of O academics. While ideas had been discussed, there had never been a real effort to put together a clear structure for a French immersion program. “Courses had been offered here and there over the years, but there was never any real effort to promote them,” said Gobeil. “It wasn’t until the new millennium that Graham Fraser, the current Canadian commissioner of official languages, [pushed] for the university to do more [in terms of language learning].” In 2004, the U of O put together a proposal to create an immersion-studies option, which was approved in 2005. In September 2006, the U of O welcomed its first group of immersion students.

The procedure In order to be accepted into French immersion studies, students must take two competency tests. One test focuses on the reading and oral comprehension components while the other test gauges writing and speaking abilities. These tests provide information to the U of O’s Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) testing staff, who then determine which grammar, writing, or oral comprehension classes the student should register in. These courses are exclusively for students taking French immersion studies. Students must complete a total of 36 credits in French, as well as pass FLS 3500—a standardized language evaluation—in order to complete the French immersion studies. Once they have met

Oct. 16, 2008

all the requirements, graduating students receive a note on their diploma stating they completed French immersion. What is unique about French immersion studies is that students attend regular French courses along with a language professor who meets with them afterwards for a review session. As language professors also attend the lectures, they are able to provide consistent help concerning the content. These 30-minute sessions are mandatory and occur after every lecture, ultimately counting as a full course (three credits). French immersion students, therefore, receive three credits for the French course as well as three credits for the halfhour review classes. Hélène Knoerr, an associate professor at the OLBI, explained that there are two levels of the French as a second language review classes which are chosen by the students according to their proficiency in French. “[The second-year courses] focus on receptive skills [like] listening and reading. The emphasis is on helping students understand lectures and required readings,” she said. “[The third-year courses] are harder and focus on productive skills [like] speaking and writing. The emphasis is on helping students make oral presentations and write assignments in French.” Immersion students are not limited to only those courses that have accompanying review sessions. Students who feel comfortable with their language skills can choose to take any French courses available at the university. They

remain French immersion students but have to make up the credits by attending regular courses instead of the 30-minute review sessions.

Safety nets included There are two safety nets for immersion students—one academic, one social. The academic safety net consists of the opportunity to be graded qualitatively. In their first two years of immersion studies, students are able to select up to eight courses in which they will receive a qualitative grade: S for Satisfactory (a pass), or NS, for Non-Satisfactory, (a fail). After a student has had eight courses graded qualitatively, the remainder of their courses are graded quantitatively, resembling regular courses. Qualitative grades are one of the factors that often help students finalize the decision to register for French immersion. Daniel DeLenardo, a French mentor at the Immersion Mentoring Centre, believes this is a great way to encourage students to enroll. “[A student] takes a business course and they work really hard but it’s a challenge and they can’t bump their grade up from the 60 they’re at because of the language barrier,” he said. “They take the pass or fail [course] and they can still pursue their studies in French but they no longer have to worry about grades.” The Immersion Mentoring Centre offers both social and academic help to those in French immersion. DeLenardo explained the centre’s pur-

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dies at awa

pose. “Our main objective is to be a resource for students. Our function is to sit down with French immersion students and go over course selection with them and plan a personalized path across their four years at the university,” he said. “[We talk] about which courses to take in French, and which courses will help their development of their language. We explain to them the specific requirements of the program as well as the restrictions. We also offer workshops in time-management, note-taking, [and] oral presentations in their second language.” The safety net for the social side of Immersion studies is the Club d’Immersion de l’Université de Ottawa (CIUO). The CIUO is open to all students, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in French immersion. The club organizes outings and events that include multi-day trips to Montreal and Quebec City to movie nights and theatre trips to Gatineau. All events promote both the French language and French and Outaouais culture. The club also offers the opportunity to meet fellow students in immersion studies. CIUO President Kate Stokes believes that the club offers more than just support for students enroled in French immersion. “Our club’s members range from those who have no background in French but want to start learning, to those whose first language is French and who want to encourage the practice and use of their language and simply enjoy meeting and socializing with new people,” she said. “Ultimate-

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ly, we’re here for anyone and everyone who wants to take French outside of the classroom and use it in their everyday lives—we’re here to facilitate and support that.”

Bumps in the road The U of O is continuously moving forward in immersion studies but like any new program, there are bumps in the road to overcome. One of the problems that the program has encountered is the unique requirements of the language professors. While the professors are trained in language teaching, they may not be familiar with the structure of French immersion studies. In particular, attending a course taught by another professor may be challenging to some professors. Gobeil believes the bumps are natural for such a new program. “It’s only a three-year [old] program, so there is still a lot of building and tweaking going on,” he said. “The challenge is that we have to depend a lot on part-time professors. Language teachers teach language, grammar, and verbs, [and] we are getting them to function with what another professor is doing in a specific discipline.” Another difficulty with immersion studies is the strict requirements students must follow in order to get the French designation on their diploma. Some programs, such as engineering, have minimal flexibility in allowing students to take electives outside their discipline. This restricts the students in programs with little course

choice from participating in French immersion. “I don’t think that people who are entering French immersion quite understand the program requirements,” Gobeil said. “In nursing, for example, it’s practically impossible to get that immersion designation [due to rigid course requirements in their program]. What we are hoping to do this year is change those requirements so that students have a bit more flexibility in the courses that can be recognized as French immersion.”

“The CIUO works hard on promoting itself to all students interested in speaking and practising French in social and cultural situations,” Stokes said. Knoerr believes Ottawa is a great place to study French immersion, in and out of the classroom. “It allows them to meet francophone students and to bridge the cultural gap,” she said. “In addition, [it gives] immersion students various opportunities to use their second language and experience the culture in authentic, real-life situations.”

Ottawa’s bilingual environment

A program fulfilled

The key element in the immersion program is the bilingual environment that the Ottawa-Hull region and the U of O offer. For students like Julian Gill-Peterson, a third-year history student from Vancouver, Ottawa is an immersion paradise. “The bilingual atmosphere of U of O and Ottawa in general really appealed to me,” he said. “I decided that I might like to try the French immersion program out, because the idea of taking my courses in French seemed like the ultimate test of my bilingual capabilities.” At many other universities studying French is a classroom affair, whereas at the U of O there are multiple opportunities on both sides of the Ottawa River to speak or learn French. Taking a French tour of Parliament, taking in a French flick at the Bytowne, or reading La Rotonde (the U of O’s French-language newspaper) are just a few ways to use French around town.

“This program is beneficial to students,” said Knoerr. “It gives them the confidence to take courses in their second language because they are getting support with the language in addition to taking the subject-matter course. It is a wonderful asset to be proficient in Canada’s official languages.” The bilingual environment of both the city and the university has helped over 750 students fully immerse themselves in French language and culture. “The U of O French immersion program is unique and the only one that can be called immersion [in Canada],” said Gobeil. “The program is on the fast track to [make] immersion [available to] any student who wants it.”

Oct. 16, 2008

Visit immersion.uottawa.ca for more information about French immersion studies.

FEATURE

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Film reviews

Good Film RocknRolla GUY RITCHIE IS in need of a comeback. It’s been eight years since his last hit, Snatch, and during that time he’s released movies that failed to please either critics or audiences, including the mega-bomb Swept Away. Thankfully, RocknRolla should put him right back on top. It’s pretty damn close to the brilliant gem that is 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Ritchie’s first and best film to date. In RocknRolla, which Ritchie wrote and directed, he goes back to what he does best: gritty English angry gangster mafia mayhem. The labyrinthine plot of RocknRolla centres on a land deal that a crazed Russian billionaire is trying to set up in London. Things get complicated when old-school mobster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson), a petty thief named One-Two (Gerard Butler), and an accountant named Stella (Thandie Newton) get involved. The movie has an excellent ensemble cast, but Butler’s performance as the leading man is the standout. He’s fantastic playing a hard-edged thief and hired

A-

goon, with his real acting chops and impeccable comic timing emerging during signature Ritchie comedic bits. Like all classic Ritchie films, RocknRolla’s plot is near-incoherent. Although scenes are beautifully shot and executed with perfect timing, the subplots are copious and heavily interwoven with layer upon layer of hidden subtexts and dialogue. Importantly, even when the scenes are meant to be dark and ominous, there’s a bit of dry humour that can’t stop you from smiling, even as a man gets beaten with a golf club. Of course, because it’s a Ritchie film, it’s got ample amounts of blood, sweat, and the sounds of fist on face. RocknRolla is set up as the first in a possible trilogy, continuing with whatever characters are left at the end of each film. If Ritchie keeps the next two films up to this high calibre, he might be able to make up for the travesty that was 2005’s Revolver. It’s good to see him on the path to redemption. —Hisham Kelati

Bad Quarantine

Film

F

THE FUNCTION OF the documentary ap- of startling moments followed by lame gore efproach to a horror film is to emphasize reality fects. It requires no skill or imagination on the and audience alienation in a situation that is part of the filmmakers. The camera technique extraordinary or supernatural. The two most doesn’t add any realism or excitement, mainly due to the ultra-boring menace notable hand-held movies, and the fact that all the attacks Cloverfield and The Blair Witch There’s no horror are visually identical to other Project, both used this stylistic constraint to incredible effect. here, but just a series modern zombie films. In both films, the plot and visuThere’s a mild twist on the als come together to create real of startling moments zombie story at the end, and followed by lame had Quarantine dealt more with mystery and a disturbing atmosphere, which could not have this plot device, maybe the film gore effects. been accomplished through would have actually been scary and interesting. If, for whatevtraditional filmmaking techer reason, you’re determined to see this film, niques. In Quarantine, a remake by director John you’ll get what you pay for—there are loads of Dowdle of the 2007 Spanish horror film REC, screaming and jump scares. For everyone else, none of the above applies. This can be attributed just type “REC - Final Scene” into YouTube to the film dealing with the dullest and most asi- and watch the first result. That small clip of the nine movie monster ever created—the zombie. original film is more enjoyable than this boring With this film, the hand-held approach is used piece of shit. —Danyal Khoral as a crutch. There’s no horror here, just a series

Independent Corner Rosemary’s Baby ROSEMARY’S BABY HAS Mia Far- brooding visual style: the claustrophobia row portraying Rosemary Woodhouse, of Rosemary’s apartment, the looming one of the most paranoid and alienated building in which it is situated, and the eewomen in the history of cinema. Rose- rie decor fill each frame with dread, grief, mary is the pregnant and apprehension. As and good-hearted wife Rosemary is increasingly of Guy Woodhouse isolated from the outside (John Cassavetes). She world and everyone she gets entangled in what The 1968 film sets reaches out to spurns she believes to be a tension builds and the mood for intense her, sinister and diabolithe audience wonders cal plot to destroy the fright—a perfect lead- just what lengths she will world. In a scene that’s go to in order to destroy up to Halloween. ambiguously portrayed her child, and whether as either a feverish or not she is of sound nightmare or a realmind. The 1968 film sets life satanic ritual, she is the mood for intense raped by Satan. Rosemary begins to be- fright—a perfect lead-up to Halloween. lieve that the baby she’s carrying is the —David Davidson Antichrist, yet no one around her seems to want to help or even care. Rosemary’s Baby plays at the ByTowne Much of the film’s intensity is derived Cinema Oct. 20 at 9:05 p.m and Oct. 21 from director Roman Polanski’s dark and at 4 p.m. Tickets are $9, $6 for members. images courtesy Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Screen Gems

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ARTS

Oct. 16, 2008

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You’ll never eat brunch in this town again

Student survival gear: coffee, Facebook, art

Peter Henderson Arts & Culture Editor TIME IS PRECIOUS at university. Studying, working, socializing—it seems like there aren’t enough hours in a day to keep up with everything you should do and everything you want. Unfortunately, while we’re stressing about school, vital artistic pursuits can fall by the wayside. The simple truth is that we need art to survive in our modern, fast-paced world. Art can be a catalyst for emotional development and release, which anyone who’s ever cried during a movie can attest. Students are often busy, running from place to place and drowning in a sea of assignments. Art can help you part that vast sea, whether it’s through reading, music, movies, or theatre. As American painter Robert Motherwell once said, “Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it.” Art and artistic expression are hugely important to humans on a biological level. Our brain is divided into two hemispheres, a left and right

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brain, that each have their own functions and specializations. Although the difference is often exaggerated, the fact remains that our left brain is analytical and logical, while our right brain is intuitive and creative. Neglecting either side for long periods can lead to problems with memory and comprehension. Although the process is reversible, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Albert Einstein said that “imagination is more important than knowledge”, and yet school seems to be based on the very opposite assumption. We need art as a counterbalance for our sometimes overwhelming amount of schoolwork. Art has been proven to have a beneficial effect on the human psyche. In young children, exposure to new and different types of art has been shown to increase memory, the ability to learn, and attention span, and decrease negative and anti-social behaviours. This effect isn’t limited to children, either. There are many prison programs for creating art in both Canada and the United States, and their effectiveness in dampening violent outbursts by prisoners in the program has been proved in several studies. You may not be a child or a convict, but it’s safe to say that art will have a positive effect on you, too. Reading for pleasure is often the first thing that goes out the window once the university crunch hits. Reading the right book or magazine can provide just the antidote for the heavy reading required in some courses. For magazines, try The New Yorker for intelligent and funny political and current events coverage, or Rolling Stone for a dose of pop culture. In books, Nick Hornby’s

High Fidelity is a must-read, and Great Expectations is a classic that hasn’t aged a day. Both of these books are entertaining, and also explore deeper ideas of love and loss; they’re an example of how reading is great for emotional release. No matter how you’re feeling, someone else who’s a better writer than you has already felt it. One of the easiest ways to express yourself artistically is by playing music. The benefits of playing a musical instrument cannot be overstated. Numerous studies have confirmed that playing music increases memory, alertness, and reduces stress. Personally, this is my preferred avenue of stress relief. Jamming out a tasty lick after a hard day’s work at the office or the library is the perfect release, and nothing beats the blues like a crunchy Hendrix groove. Guitar is by far the easiest instrument to pick up—$200 and a few hours of practice are all you need to be playing along to Oasis’s “Wonderwall”. Movies are a staple of university life, and they can be a great venue for artistic expression and enjoyment. Forget making your own films, as that’s far too complicated a task. Instead, try to watch films that are artistic or explore fundamental human truths and emotions, as opposed to the usual Hollywood dreck. Unlike something big, dumb, and loud like Transformers, a more cerebral film like Annie Hall can actually aid in your emotional development. Films by directors like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, or even Spike Lee are both entertaining and intelligent. They explore issues of emotion. race, and identity in ways comparable to literary giants. Trust me

Oct. 16, 2008

when I say you’ll learn more about yourself by watching Raging Bull or Do the Right Thing than you ever would with Iron Man. Art of any kind is important for humans, and it’s doubly important for busy students. You always have time for the right song, book, or movie, and I promise they can change your life. Hell, if the studies of children are any indication, art can even make you a better student. [email protected] 613-562-5931

ARTS

17

Sports

David McClelland Sports Editor [email protected] Oct. 16–22, 2008

A welcome victory

stop 12 other Redmen shots throughout the period. “You just have to continue to stay in the groove, and make sure that you can freeze everything to slow by David McClelland down the play a little bit,” said WhitFulcrum Staff lock after the game. “Personally, you just have to continue to play hard and SECOND-YEAR GOALTENDER RI- work hard in those situations, battle LEY Whitlock weathered a midgame to see the puck, and just do the best storm for the University of Ottawa you can.” men’s hockey team, keeping the GeeThe third period was a topsy-turvy Gees in the game and allowing them affair. The Gees outshot the Redmen to emerge as victors over the McGill 17-8, but McGill defender MarcRedmen at the Sports Complex on André Dorion broke the tie to put Oct. 11. The 4-3 win was Ottawa’s McGill up 3-2 with less than six minfirst of the season, after the team lost utes remaining in the game. Just over their opening two a minute later, with games. Ottawa on the pow“These are games er play, McDonald “Getting that first [win] out of evened the score by that will have a the way is great for flicking a wrist shot huge impact in us and great for over the shoulder of [our] confidence, netminder March, when it’s McGill so now we’re going Danny Mireault, playoff time.” to be rolling,” said who replaced Morin Gees centre Dan Dave Léger at the beginning of McDonald, who the second period. Gee-Gees head coach Left-winger Ryne scored twice in the game. Gove notched the The Gee-Gees were in trouble out game-winning goal for the Gee-Gees of the gate. McGill centre Sam Bloom when he grabbed a huge rebound off opened the scoring less than 90 sec- a shot by Charron and easily deposonds into the game when he fired a ited it into the net with just under shot home in a well-executed two- three minutes left in the game. on-one. Ottawa was able to tie it up “We talked before the game about 11 minutes later on the power play having a complete game,” said Geewhen left-winger Yanick Charron Gees head coach Dave Léger followconnected on a cross-ice pass from ing the match. “We challenged the McDonald, slipping the puck into the guys to have some foresight now. side of the net. Then, with just two These are games that will have a huge minutes left in the period, McDonald impact in March, when it’s playoff corralled a rebound in front of the time, so it was a huge two points that McGill net and knocked it through we got from [McGill] and huge that rookie netminder Hubert Morins’ we didn’t give up any points.” five-hole to give the Gee-Gees the lead. With the win, the Gee-Gees improve In the second period, a listless Ot- to 1-2-0 and sit fourth in the Ontario tawa squad left Whitlock to stand University Athletics Far East division. on his head to protect their lead. They play next on Oct. 17, when they While he eventually let a goal squeak host the Concordia Stingers at 7 p.m. through at the end of the period to at the Sports Complex arena. Tickets make it 2-2, Whitlock managed to are $4 for students.

Men’s hockey team earns first win

photos by Elizabeth Chiang

Defender Mathieu Desjardins fights to hold on to the puck against McGill on Oct. 11.

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Gee-Gees mired in injuries

photo by Alex Smyth

An injured player on the field has been an all-too-common sight for the 2008 Gee-Gees football team.

Men’s football falls to Queen’s in third straight loss by David McClelland Fulcrum Staff IT’S BEEN A long hard fall for the Gee-Gees. When they began their season in September, expectations were high. The team was loaded with talent, and they were a favourite to compete for the Vanier Cup, especially considering last season’s 8-0 regular season record. But after their Oct. 11 38-16 loss to the undefeated Queen’s Golden Gaels, the Gee-Gees have lost three in a row and have skidded to a 3-4 record, now facing a must-win game against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Oct. 18 to make the playoffs. The Gee-Gees have been plagued by injuries this season, which is undoubtedly a large part of the reason for their slide. The team’s receiving corps has been especially hard hit, with the team having gone through a franchise-record 15 receivers even before the game against Queen’s. The situation is so desperate that backup quarterback Brad Sinopoli suited up as a receiver for the game, despite not having run any of Ottawa’s pass patterns until the week before. Nevertheless, he managed to haul in three catches for 30 yards. “Our receiving corps is a veteran corps. You cannot replace experience at this level, and most of our guys were third-, fourth-, and fifth-years.

And now we’re playing with guys who have weeks in the CIS as a resumé,” said head coach Denis Piché with a rueful laugh. “For the most part, the young guys have played very well and we’re still putting money in the bank with them—we’ll see what happens,” he continued. “But one thing that is for sure is that right now, today, we have no one left from our starting seven receivers at the beginning of the year.” The Gee-Gees got off to an uncharacteristically slow start in Kingston. Quarterback Josh Sacobie went 4-14

“You cannot replace experience at this level.”

Denis Piché Gee-Gees head coach

in passing attempts for 48 yards and no touchdowns. Ottawa’s defence had difficulty stopping Queen’s, who rolled over Ottawa to score 31 points in the opening half. “We’re all constantly observing each other to see how good Queen’s is and how good Ottawa is, and I think some of our younger guys and even our older guys get caught in that,” said

Sacobie. “We forgot about ourselves for a second and started focusing on how good [Queen’s is], so [we] lost our minds a bit there.” The Gee-Gees were able to play a significantly better second half, with running back Felix DesjardinsPotvin rushing for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Ottawa defence was able to force Queen’s to concede a safety in the third quarter, and held the Gaels to a single scoring play, a 52-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. “We came out in the second half, and we played like ourselves,” said Sacobie. “Our defence slowed down their offence, our field position was a lot better and our offence started generating some good drives.” While the Gee-Gees next game is a likely win against the 2-5 Toronto Varsity Blues, Piché is taking nothing for granted. The Gee-Gees must win the game to make the playoffs. “We’re going to be fighting for our lives this week, and that’s okay, we can handle it,” said Piché. “Toronto is not the Toronto we used to play, they’re no longer the little brother everyone beats up on … If we lose we’re done, and a win gives us one more week to bring back some of our starters.” The Gee-Gees now have a 3-4 record, putting them in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics conference. They will play their final 2008 regular season game on Oct. 18, when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues at Frank Clair Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Tickets are $6 for students.

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Around the horn Ravens to restore rivalry? THE CARLETON RAVENS may be fielding a varsity football team again as early as 2010, according to an article published in the Ottawa Citizen on Oct. 11. The previous Ravens football program was cancelled in 1999, as Carleton administrators did not want to continue paying $250,000 to $300,000 annually to fund a team that typically returned poor results on the field. The Ravens, who first competed in the 1945 Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union season, played their final game to date on Oct. 31, 1998. However, Carleton University athletic director Jennifer Brenning says that the school is currently looking into the feasibility of reviving the program, with an announcement expected the weekend of the Vanier Cup in Hamilton, which occurs on Nov. 24. The Gee-Gees had an extensive rivalry with the Ravens football team, playing for a bronze Panda trophy every year from 1955 to 1997 in the annual Panda Bowl. The event was one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Ottawa, with attendance reaching upwards of 20,000. The GeeGees had a 31-13 record in the event. —David McClelland 180 goalless minutes for women’s soccer team THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa’s women’s soccer team played two complete games without seeing a single goal scored during a road trip to Toronto. The Gee-Gees tied both the Ryerson Rams and the Toronto Varsity Blues 0-0 on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, respectively. The game against Ryerson was a midfield battle, and led to very few shots on net. The Gee-Gees were able to get off five shots on target, while the Rams tested Ottawa goalkeeper Jess Charron just once throughout the game. Playing against Toronto, the GeeGees were faced with a similar game, though Charron was tested more often, stopping nine shots throughout the match. Ottawa was also unable to beat Toronto goalkeeper Mary Anne Barnes. The Gee-Gees now hold an 8-2-3 record, and with a lock on second place in the OUA East, just one point behind the Blues. The Gee-Gees played their final game of the regular season on Oct. 15 against the Carleton Ravens. The result was unavailable at press time. —David McClelland

Undefeated final weekend for women’s fastball THE WOMEN’S FASTBALL team had a perfect 4-0 weekend as they finished their regular season with a pair of doubleheaders against the York Lions on Oct. 10 and the Queen’s Golden Gaels on Oct. 11. Against the Lions, the Gee-Gees’ first victory can be credited to dominant pitching, as starter Jillian Taylor pitched a one-hit, seven-inning shutout to lead Ottawa to a 2-0 victory. The second game of the day featured more hitting, and the Gees slugged their way to a 9-2 win. The Gees had little difficulty coming up with a 6-2 victory in the first game against Queen’s. Ottawa stumbled slightly in the second, as the Gaels jumped to an early 3-0 lead that looked like it might have been enough to secure a win, but the Gees scored three runs in the seventh to force extra innings. After matching each other in the eighth and ninth innings, Ottawa scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th to win the game. The Gee-Gees end their season with a 17-5 record, good for third place in Ontario. They next see action in the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastball Association Championships Oct. 17–19 in Waterloo. —David McClelland Women’s rugby secure playoff berth for 17th straight year THE WOMEN’S RUGBY team was in Quebec on Oct. 13, where they beat the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 185. The Vert et Or came out strong, scoring a quick try in the game’s first two minutes, but were able to prove themselves to be the stronger team and triumphed in the end. Thirdyear hooker Tegan Bradshaw scored two penalty goals and a convert while first-year fullback Janine McKay and first-year backrow Philippa Ogbemudia scored a try apiece. With the win, the Gees secured a playoff berth in the six-team Quebec Student Sport Federation conference. The Ottawa squad has made the playoffs every year since 1991. The Gees finished their regular season with a record of 2-4. They are in action on Oct. 18 when they will meet the undefeated Laval Rouge et Or for a one-game conference semifinal in Quebec City. —Sarah Leavitt

I want you. I want you so bad. [email protected] Oct. 16, 2008

SPORTS

19

Scoreboard Team

Record

Standing

Last game

Next game

Football

3-4

5th in OUA (tie)

38-16 loss vs. Queen’s

Oct. 18 vs. Toronto. 1 p.m. at Frank Clair Stadium.

Men’s hockey

1-2-0

4th in OUA Far East

4-3 win vs. McGill

Oct. 17 vs. Concordia. 7 p.m. at the Sports Complex.

Women’s hockey

1-0-0

1st in QSSF (two teams not yet ranked)

3-1 win vs. Carleton

Oct. 18 vs. Concordia. 2 p.m. at the Sports Complex.

Women’s rugby

2-4-0

4th in QSSF

18-5 win at Sherbrooke

Oct. 19 at Laval. QSSF semi-final.

Women’s soccer

8-2-3

2nd in OUA East

0-0 tie vs. Toronto

TBA. OUA quarter-final on Oct. 25.

SUBJECT TO CLASSIFICATION

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SPORTS

Oct. 16, 2008

Lighting the lamp

An open letter to the Gee-Gees football team

David McClelland Sports Editor DEAR MEN’S FOOTBALL team, First of all, I just want to say that you guys have the potential to be great. I know the last few weeks haven’t been the best for you, having lost three games in a row for the first time in three years, but it actually isn’t the end of the world. You play the Toronto Varsity Blues next weekend, a team you should be able to demolish handily (they are, after all, basically the same team that set a Canadian Interuniversity Sport record with a 49-game losing streak), and that should be enough to help you squeak into the playoffs.

The moment you clinch a playoff spot marks Trust in each other to do your jobs, and don’t the point at which you have to stop, clear your get trapped into over-thinking things. It’s minds, and start playing football again. Okay, more important to focus on getting your next it’s true that you’ve been cursed with a string first down rather than worrying about who of injuries this year—I know it’s bad when you you might have to play in your next game. It’s have to play your backup quarterback as a re- important to get into a playoff mentality: you ceiver. But football is a funny can’t afford to lose anymore, so extend that to every facet sport. Anything can happen, of your game. Don’t just be and any team can gel in time While I admit that to make an impact. Put the magically healing all of satisfied with holding your opponents to a field goal, but losses behind you, but don’t forget about them—use them your receivers would strive to make them give up as inspiration instead. help, you also need to the ball on every single posNo one likes to lose, but at work with who you session. the same time, remember that Many sportswriters would have available. take this time to list what everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to you’re doing wrong, and tell you how they think you discern why you lost, isolate which mistakes were critical, and work on not should fix it. I won’t be so arrogant as to prerepeating them. While I admit that magically tend I know more about football than you do, healing all of your receivers would help, you and anyway, it’s important for you to work also need to work with the players you have out what’s wrong on your own, because I’m available. As the saying goes, it’s a poor work- certainly not going to be whipping up more man that blames his tools, so take whomever columns for you to read during halftime. you have and mould them into winners. I guess what I’m trying to get across to you I know that it’s not as simple as sitting here is that it’s not too late to turn this around. down and deciding that you’re going to win Your quarterback, Josh Sacobie, along with a a game, but confidence is key in the playoffs. number of other players, is in his last year of

eligibility, and he deserves a chance to go out on top. Even if the situation seems hopeless, as it must have over the past few weeks, don’t give up. Keep fighting, because if you do you just might be able to turn your luck around. You never know, you might be able to find that winning squad waiting in the wings just in time to make a difference in the playoffs. [email protected] 613-562-5931

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Oct. 16, 2008

SPORTS

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photo by Erica Erwin

Jockeying for position

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SPORTS

Oct. 16, 2008

while sporting the Gee-Gees logo. They have T-shirts made each year that bear the club’s slogan: “Hung like Gee-Gees support- a Gee-Gee.” However, as time passed, the club ers vying for club became about more than just predrinking and face-painting. The club status hosted a pancake breakfast and recently held a hot dog-eating contest by Megan O’Meara where they gave out Ottawa Senators Fulcrum Staff tickets before the Gee-Gees football and men’s hockey games on Oct. YOU CAN FIND them at Gee-Gees 4. Since the club has begun hosting home games: dozens of students more diverse events, the leaders have wearing the home side’s colours and started looking into getting club stachanting loudly to help the Garnet tus with the Student Federation of the and Grey find victory. No, you haven’t University of Ottawa (SFUO). entered some strange alternate uni“As of now, we aren’t connected verse, you’ve just encountered the with the university,” said King. “We Jockey Club. didn’t do it initially so that we would Although it … [have] a little was only resurmore freedom to “The men’s hockey rected a year ago, what we want.” team, the football team, doNow, after the original the club is club dissolved in the Sports Services pro- looking to expand the early 2000s, motions office—they all and be taken more the present seriously. They support us.” Jockey Club is hope that funding Rob King from the SFUO growing fast. The group of sports Jockey Club member will help them to enthusiasts was put on more events created by a few and create more of students, including Rob King, Amy an atmosphere at the games. Roberts, and Kathleen Reeves, who “We’re just looking to go out and get were disappointed with the turnout a little more support and make it fun to at Gee-Gees home games and wanted do at the same time,” King explained. to find a way to encourage others to “The men’s hockey team, the football come out and watch. They began hav- team, the Sports Services promotions ing parties before the games started, office—they all support us.” hoping that this would encourage For those interested in joining others to join in and support the Gee- the club, check out their Facebook Gees. page, which is simply titled “GeeGees “Initially it was basically just come Jockey Club”. Club members try to atto the football game Saturday, come tend as many Gee-Gees home games to our house a couple hours before- as possible, especially involving the hand and we’ll get a keg and we’ll get football team, men’s hockey team, and a 60 and go from there,” said King. men’s basketball team, and are always Club members would paint each looking for more people to help them other’s faces and wear garnet and grey fill the stands.

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The jolt in energy drinks could shock you

www.thefulcrum.ca

Im in ur website, steelin’ ur newz.

by Hannah Larking The Lance WINDSOR (CUP) – THE BUZZ OVER energy drinks is understandable. Caffeine-laden energy drinks help students stay up late when they need to cram, and aid concentration during the morning-after class. But what might appear to be a gift from God in midterm season may turn out to be a serious health problem waiting to happen. Energy drinks have risen in popularity faster than they make your heart beat, but a medical conference in Prince Edward Island held in September has cited a cause for concern in the midnight miracle. While their stimulating effects may seem necessary in the moment, health repercussions have one doctor from the conference referring to energy drinks today as the cigarettes of 30 years ago. The high amounts of caffeine in energy drinks claim to increase performance level, concentration, and metabolism, but research shows those same ingredients could also help you develop a cardiac arrhythmia—a potentially fatal heartbeat irregularity. According to a 2008 article released by the Pennsylvania Medical Society, other harmful side effects include hypertension, anxiety, headaches, and interrupted sleep patterns. Additionally, the study says energy drinks should be avoided by individuals younger than 18; those who are pregnant or nursing; or those with a

family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, or glaucoma. However, not all brands bear these warnings. The same article stated that some energy drinks contain up to two or three times as much caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee—which ranges from 80 to 135 mg—plus an additional equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar. “Energy drinks contribute to sleep disturbances, obesity, tooth decay, and dehydration,” said Dr. Suzan Steele, chair of the Philadelphia Assembly, PA Academy of Family Physicians. “We’re looking at a generation that will have serious problems with osteoporosis based on a lack of calcium intake and obesity from too much sugar. Brittle bones and too much weight just spells trouble,” she added. Meanwhile, new concoctions being popularized in bars across the nation combining alcohol with energy drinks are hazardous, Steele says. The high caffeine levels found in energy drinks plus alcohol can send mixed messages to the nervous system and cause heart rhythm irregularities, and the dehydrating effect of alcohol combined with caffeine’s diuretic effect can also be dangerous. Dr. Anthony Kovatch, a pediatrician from Pittsburgh, emphasizes that athletes are no exception to the rule. “In the humid heat of summer … if you drink this stuff because you’re hot, you’re defeating the purpose. Not only does caffeine raise your heart rate, it’s a diuretic,” said Kovatch.

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“You’re likely to go to the bathroom more often, which is a problem in the middle of any sporting event. You may think you are getting hydrated, but instead, you’re getting dehydrated. And that can be dangerous.” One 250 ml can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, a chemical known for its ability to interfere with or block adenosine—the nucleotide responsible for the feeling of fatigue. But that’s not the only active ingredient in energy drinks; there are many other chemicals involved such as taurine, the health effects of which have not yet been properly studied. Most energy drinks are much higher in caffeine than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit, according to an article published in the Boston Globe. The FDA has a limit of 65 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. in sodas, but does not regulate caffeine levels in energy drinks—some of which contain over four times the recommended level. Students looking for alternative and natural pick-me-ups can try low-fat milk, unflavoured water, diluted fruit juice, vegetable juice, peanut butter, bananas, eggs, yogurt, and many vegetables. Other ways to boost your energy are through herbs and vitamins such as ginger, licorice root, ginseng, green tea, and B-50 vitamin formula. Exercise is also always beneficial—particularly methods of yoga and tai chi, both of which are geared towards relieving stress, improving energy levels, and increasing concentration.

sudoku answers from p. 26

photo illustration by Matt Johnny

The Fulcrum staff meetings: Thursdays at 1 p.m. 631 King Edward Ave. New volunteers always welcome.

Oct. 16, 2008

SPORTS

23

Michael Olender Executive Editor [email protected]

Opinion

Oct. 16–22, 2008

illustration by Alex Martin

Jumping the shark

T

HE TERM “JUMPING the shark” pinpoints the moment when the good goes bad. It originated from the TV show Happy Days, when the Fonz put on a pair of water skis and literally jumped over a shark. It was a watershed moment for the popular show—a sign that it had peaked and was on the decline. The term has since burrowed its way into everyday vocabulary and is used to announce when someone or something has lost it. The Fulcrum spots the fin around the world.

so that when she wakes up, the sheet will be stuck on her like a cape. For genres that had originated as a way for young blacks to voice their concern about black culture, racism, and oppression, the decline was hinted at when they began celebrating grills, rims, and Cristal. A number one song about “supermanning hoes” just confirmed it. —Hisham Kelati

The Liberal Party of Canada

remember when I was really young—around nine or ten—when all the information I had learned about sex was acquired through innocent hearsay from my classmates. I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but I suspected it had something to do with love and affection, given that mommies and daddies everywhere did it. Age 11: I finally discovered Bleu Nuit. Prior to this, my only sexual images came from dogs doing it on the street and my own imagination. Watching late night soft-core films, I had questions like: Why does her head need to be so close to his crotch and what exactly does she get out of it? This doesn’t happen in nature. A dog has never gone down on another dog. With this, I realized sex is dirty, useless, and emotionally vacuous as it’s strictly a way to satiate one’s primal desire. Time usually spent thinking about and participating in sexual activity should instead be used for more productive purposes like the exploration of black holes, time travel, and the colonization of Earth’s oceans. Sex jumped the shark when I realized what it was. —Danyal Khoral

I

n the 1990s, the Liberal Party of Canada was riding high. It managed to split its opposition, and had won two consecutive majority governments. Then they jumped the shark: thenprime minister Jean Chrétien called an election in 2000 for no real reason. He was only three years into his five-year term, and called the election primarily to catch the newly formed Canadian Alliance Party off guard while it was young and disorganized. While Canadians granted the Liberals another majority government, things only went downhill from there. The party was plagued by scandals (most notably the sponsorship scandal), and when Chrétien retired in 2003, he left a power vacuum which was weakly filled by Paul Martin. After Martin failed to win another majority government in the 2004 election and then handed Canada’s top job to Stephen Harper in the 2006 election, the Liberals were divided over who to elect as leader. Stéphane Dion was eventually chosen as a compromise between competing camps, and has proven ineffective ever since. It’s been a long, painful slide for the Liberal Party, one from which it has yet to truly recover. —David McClelland

Lost

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ost lost its marbles when it decided in season four that the bug-eyed villain Ben would twist some sort of steering wheel, causing the island to disappear and emerge somewhere else. Okay, we already know this is a “special” island, one that has wielded stylish black smoke that either bloodies people up or sucks them into the ground. And I suppose it’s not that much of a stretch to go from killer smoke to teleporting islands, but the series jumped the shark at that precise moment. Being the hugely successful show that it is, some good may have come from that moronic moment: a world record was broken for the number of eyes rolling at the same time. —Mark Naser

Hip hop and rap music

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hen Soulja Boy’s hit single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” became the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., hip-hop and rap music jumped the shark. An entire country danced and sang at the top of their lungs, about doing, amongst other things, the “Superman”. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it’s the act of ejaculating on your girl’s back and placing a bed sheet on it,

Sex

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Starbucks

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will honestly admit that I often need a grande, non-fat, no-whip, white chocolate mocha to start my day on the right, caffeine-powered foot, but it’s sheer overkill when I can pick one up about four or five times on my way to campus. Starbucks—which apparently is now desperately closing stores in some areas—jumped the shark as soon as they started opening up locations across the street from one another. At first, it seemed innovative and edgy. Then Second Cup started upping its competition (there really can’t be any difference between a caramel macchiato and a caramel coretto) and Bridgehead brought its game with fair-trade practices. Soon enough, Starbucks was lamely recycling some of their drinks and unnecessarily killing off others (that honey latte was glorious, you idiots). We’ll still go after that infamous white paper cup, but never with the same snooty prestige again. —Emma Godmere

Communism

R

emember when communism was all the rage? Neither do I. However, during the 1960s, communism was actually quite popular among Western youth. Soviet support for anti-colonial liberation movements and the legendary stories of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara inspired

disaffected youth. Communism jumped the shark as a popular ideology on Aug. 20, 1968 with the Soviet-led invasion to halt political liberalization in Czechoslovakia. The display of military force to subjugate the freedom of an independent state demonstrated the hypocrisy and injustice inherent in Soviet policy and ruined much of the credibility of communism. With the invasion, the Soviet Union destroyed the expression of the very fundamental freedoms that allowed young people in the West to challenge societal norms and government policy. Young people within the Western world increasingly recognized the communist model for what it was: a static, selfinterest based system run by a succession of geriatrics. —Kelwryn Ord

Racism

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he belief that race is the defining characteristic of intelligence and potential officially jumped the shark when Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. While racism isn’t necessarily over and the thought that we live in a post-race society is ludicrous, the fact that a black man is less than a month away from possibly being the president of the United States has put a sizeable dent in racism. —Hisham Kelati

Nicolas Cage

N

icolas Cage, an actor now often ridiculed for his grimace-inducing overacting and bad haircuts, was once an actor of repute. When he first came onto the scene, Cage was a fearless actor who worked with avant-garde directors. He could have been the gruffer twin to Johnny Depp. Unfortunately, he met a mogul by the name of Michael Bay, auteur of such films as Pearl Harbor and Con Air. Cage jumped the shark with their first project together, The Rock, and never looked back. Gone were the edgier works that tested his acting chops, as he morphed into the “go-to man” for flashing that cocky grin and flexing his hairy biceps. He still gets work, and films like National Treasure gross millions, but it’s all a such shame—he could have been one of the greats. —Nigel Smith

CERN

C

24

ERN jumped the shark when the world didn’t end.

CERN is the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or in English, the European Council for Nuclear Research. It’s basically the most badass research institute on Earth for studying how atoms and subatomic particles—the building blocks of the universe—work. On Sept. 10 this year, CERN first tested its Large Hadron Collider, a 27 km circular particle-accelerator on the border between France and Switzerland, used to study how protons interact when they collide. I won’t pretend to understand how it works (something about magnets). Anyway, when these protons collide there’s a chance they could create miniature black holes. In laymen’s terms, France has a fucking doomsday device— it could end everything. One wrong calculation and the earth disappears in a flash. Well, not a flash, more like a blank. In the lead-up to this experiment, CERN pushed Paris Hilton off the front pages of newspapers around the world because of its capability to bring accidental and instant Armageddon. So, in September they launched their first protons through this thing… and nothing happened. No black holes. Not even a grey hole that could suck up Switzerland. After you threaten to end the universe, it’s a tough climb back to credibility. —Ben Myers

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa

T

he SFUO jumped the shark during the last Ontario provincial election when it blatantly told students to vote for the mixed-member proportional (MMP) system of representation. At that moment, the SFUO went from attempting to represent all students’ interests to actively representing the interests of a few. All of this could have been avoided if the SFUO had simply encouraged students to vote in the MMP referendum. Instead, a politicized SFUO was born. —Toby Climie

Capitalism

F

orget about jumping the shark on a pair of water skis, capitalism jumped the shark by jet-pack. Stocks are dropping, insurance companies are folding, hedge funds are shrinking, banks are being nationalized, and slowly but surely capitalism is starting to crumble. Meanwhile, Fidel Castro is enjoying a fine cigar and a hearty laugh. —Hisham Kelati

HECKLES by Ben Myers Fulcrum Staff FELLOW CYCLISTS, WE can get away with a lot. We can bob our way through traffic with relative impunity. We can jump between sidewalks and roadways depending on the traffic and our moods. We can even get away with not having provincially mandated safety equipment like helmets (mandatory for cyclists under 18), bells, and lights— most of the time. Although we can get away with all of this, there is one fundamental rule that we must follow while dodging traffic without a helmet: we have to stop at stop signs and red lights.

I saw the sign, you didn’t open up your eyes, I saw the sign

There I was, biking along Laurier Avenue, following most of the road rules, when a red light reared its ugly head. So I stopped. Some cars made their way through the intersection and then the street became bare. A car beside me patiently waited for the red to turn to green. Meanwhile, one of my fellow bikers blew past me, disregarding the red light, myself, the car beside me, and the possibility that he could be hit by a car and die trying to shave five seconds off his travel time. It’s just not worth it. Bikers, when we’re on the roads, we’re very vulnerable. As anyone who has tried to bike along Rideau Street knows, many bus drivers and motorists are angry, hurried people.

Many of them don’t know how to drive alongside a cyclist. If they lose their concentration for a split second, it could mean the untimely end of a biker. They fudge the rules, as do we, but the fundamentals must

be observed. Red lights, stop signs, walk signals. For a cyclist, a bicycle hitting a pedestrian could be just as bad as a bicycle hitting a car. At any intersection in Ottawa, it may seem like no one is around, but a pedestrian could suddenly leap across the crosswalk and send a cyclist flying. And while someone in a car is relatively protected, a pedestrian isn’t so lucky. At the centre of this issue is the respect that cyclists should be showing everyone. Motorists need to know that we will act and react in predictable ways. Blowing through a stop sign on a whim makes motorists, pedestrians, and fellow cyclists alike uneasy. Do we want to be taken seriously

or not? Signs lining the roads read “Share the road”. Do we want to share, or do we want to be renegades who cause confusion and frustration? If cyclists want to be respected, we have to follow the basic rules of the road. When stop signs go unheeded, rebel cyclists are saying that they’re above the law. We already get away with a lot—don’t bet your life that you won’t get caught by some motorist who also thinks that he or she is above or outside the law. Renegades give cyclists a bad name, and are putting themselves at unnecessary risk. Red means stop, no matter how you’re getting home from work.

Save a life between classes by Ted Horton Fulcrum Contributor

PEN GOT A FRIEND S

DING

E ALL OF HER TIM

STUDYING

POKER? n stop playing is a sig Not being able to e. lin on re mo n ar lem. Le of a gambling prob

friends4friends.ca

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able to contribute on a disproportionately large scale to the health and well-being of someone else—that is IT’S 2 P.M. on a Monday afternoon, the value. It is the right thing to do. and I’m flat on my back. It’s not a Oh, and the snacks. After donating, hangover, nor is it a metaphor for be- there is a pick of cookies, fruit bars, ing knocked over by high tuition fees. juice, and coffee—a free snack for a I’ve got a needle in my arm, a text by hungry student. I can fit a blood doJean-Jacques Rousseau on my lap, nation, some rest, and snack time (all and I’m in the first-floor lounge of the while doing readings) into a 90-min90U residence. I’m giving blood. ute between-class break. It takes 56 days to regenerate your How? Giving blood is simple. donated blood, so every two months You call CBS (1-888-2-DONATE) or so, when Canaand ask to set up dian Blood Services an appointment (CBS) calls to let me I can fit in a blood do- at the next clinic know I’m eligible nation, some rest, and near you. On the again, I ask for the snack time (all while day, make sure to soonest donor clinic have eaten well and I make sure to doing readings) into a (don’t skip meals), 90-minute between- to have consumed attend. Typically I give on campus, at liquids (plenty of class break. the 90U residence. water helps the I make an appointprocess), and to arment by calling CBS, which guaran- rive on time. There is a questionnaire tees the nurses will have time for me gauging your risk (travel to Africa, (they do take walk-ins too). Even if it blood transfusions in the U.K., and were farther—at the CBS’s permanent unfortunately having had sex with a clinic at 1575 Carling Ave.—I’d gladly member of the same sex make you pay the bus fare for the opportunity ineligible to give). Your iron level is to give. taken (a pinprick), blood pressure Why give blood? read (a pump), and about half a litre The people. Everyone at the clinic of blood is taken. The needle for the is there for the same purpose, and can donation is small and painless, and only move through the process as fast I usually leave feeling better physias the nurses allow. It’s relaxing, both cally than I did going in. If you’re in terms of the ambience and know- interested for donating again, you ing that you can’t rush—only read, can sign up at the desk for the next wait, and give. clinic in the area (clinics are timed to For bragging rights. I won’t deny coincide with when you can donate that giving blood just makes me feel again) and you will receive a phone good about myself both intrinsically call to remind you when the date and when others talk about how they draws near. “just haven’t gotten around to it”. It’s Anyone can improve the welfare of satisfying to know I’ve improved those around them with little effort. someone’s health. Particularly around holiday weekends Because it is the right thing to do. I there is an increased demand for blood, enjoy friendly people (always a plus) but the need remains high year-round. and being able to share in the com- A small act with large benefits gets munity (a very positive one)—but the lost in the thoughts of how we could driving force is very simple. In truth, nap between class or grab a coffee the positive effects of giving bring me or go on Facebook. But instead, we back. To spend a minimal amount of could read, relax, give, and help to time relaxing and reading, and being save a life.

Oct. 16, 2008

OPINION

25

Distractions Dear Di

Sarah Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Oct. 16–22, 2008

26

Thryllabus Thursday, Oct. 16 Media Democracy Day lectures. 7 p.m. Fauteux Hall. Room 359. Free. Latin American cinema: La primera carga al machete. 7 p.m. Arts Hall. Room 257. Free.

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

Friday, Oct. 17 University of Ottawa Day. No classes! Dear Di, Last week I wrote in about avoiding package pics in online dating and I’m kind of surprised that you say the problem is me. I promise you, Di, my profile is tame, I’m clear about what I want (love, not kink), and at the first sign of onehanded typing I cut the conversation off. What I really need to know is how to avoid the real pervos—the ones who act like gentlemen long enough to have you let your guard down, then take genuine conversations about openness and vulnerability in relationships, and use them as opportunities to send junk mail! —Don’t Blame the Pic-tim Dear DBTP, Okay, so your profile says you’re a vanilla boy looking for love and you’re not speaking to people you meet online about bogeying the second hole. Looks like I’ve got to make my case for the widespread horniness of the online community. Listen DBTP, there are caring men out there online, but they’re few and far between. I just think that although there is a big pool of fish available to you in one place, most of them are cock-hungry piranhas. They’re online because it’s easiest to meet people on the Internet; there is no prejudice concerning appearance and there are no drinks involved, and you can cut to the chase or make your escape at your own pace and discretion. Basically, there’s less shame online. I could advise you to spend your precious time getting to know gentlemen, but you’ve seen it yourself. According to your last letter, you’ve gotten unwanted cock shots more than a few times. You were talking about openness and vulnerability, likely laying your emotions out there on the table. Instead of emotional reciprocity, these people sent you pictures of their cocks. And this wasn’t just a case or two; you said it happened six times. I could make the argument for changing dating sites, but I believe that the only way to circumvent the real perverts posing as gentlemen is to skip online dating sites altogether. You might say “been there, done that”, but what happened to singles nights? What happened to going dancing? What happened to just cruising? Ottawa is a city with a

substantial gay population with hundreds of gay men looking for love. I think you should consider online dating as “been there, done that”, and get back out there face-to-face for some candid, authentic contact. Good luck! Love, Di Dear Di, I read your column last week and really enjoyed your take on the porn found online these days. I’m a feminist and a masturbation-enthusiast who just wants to find porn free of women being degraded. I am sick of seeing bleached-out blondes getting covered in cumshots, being gagged, or getting slapped around while men drool over their performance. I’ve pretty much given up on free porn online. I have tried going to adult video stores but was simply handed girl-on-girl films. I would love to find some feminist-friendly, chauvinist-free porn. Any suggestions? —Desperately Seeking Real Sex Dear DSRS, Lucky for you (and all the other women desperate for fem-friendly porn), the feminist-porn and alternative-porn movement has really blown up over the past decade. It isn’t as hard as it used to be to track down porn that depicts women of all races, shapes, and sizes, enjoying sex that does not eroticize violence or rape. My favourite site for fem-friendly porn DVDs has to be goodforher.com. The name says it all. The website offers both erotic and educational films. The administrators of the site even started their own Feminist Porn Awards in 2006 and sell the winning films on the website. Although lesbian-oriented, fatalemedia. com sells videos covering a wide range of fetishes as well as how-to videos on topics such as female ejaculation. If you’re looking for a local sex shop, visit Venus Envy at 320 Lisgar St. and check out their wide selection of toys, vibrators, literature, and even erotic comics and zines. Venus Envy also carries films online at venusenvy.ca, where you can read customer reviews and ratings of movies and some of their products. Happy playing! Love, Di

Men’s hockey: Ottawa vs. Concordia. 7 p.m. Sports Complex. $4 for students.

Saturday, Oct. 18 sudoku answers on p. 23

Men’s football: Ottawa vs. Toronto. 1 p.m. Frank Clair Stadium. $6 for students. Fabric flea market. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Glebe Community Centre. 175 Third Ave. $2 voluntary contribution.

Hearsay

by Jordan Moffatt

Sunday, Oct. 19 Making Necrophilia. 8 p.m. Arts Court Theatre. 2 Daly Ave. $30.

Monday, Oct. 20 Master’s recital: John Kadz on the cello. 11:30 a.m. Perez Hall. Freiman Auditorium. Free.

Tuesday, Oct. 21 German cinema: Justiz. 7 p.m. Marion Auditorium. Free. Perfect Wedding. 8 p.m. Ottawa Little Theatre. 400 King Edward Ave. $10 for students.

Wednesday, Oct. 22 Women’s basketball: Ottawa vs. McGill (exhibition). 6 p.m. Montpetit Gym. Free.

Itch

The Thryllabus needs lots of events to remain so thrilling. E-mail [email protected] with suggestions.

by Daniel Kaell

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected]

Editorial

f

Oct. 16–22, 2008

27

And the winner is…

Party whip since 1942. Volume 69 - Issue 9 Oct. 16–22, 2008 phone: (613) 562-5261 fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave., Ottawa, ON K1N6N5 [email protected] www.thefulcrum.ca Recycle this paper or you’ll be removed from cabinet.

Staff Frank ‘Minister of Spatula’ Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Ben ‘Minister of Funk’ Myers Production Manager [email protected] Michael ‘Minister of Bed Head’ Olender Executive Editor [email protected] Martha ‘Minister of Gum’ Pearce Art Director [email protected] Emma ‘Minister of Bunnies’ Godmere News Editor [email protected] Peter ‘Minister of Big TVs’ Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected] David ‘Minister of Sillywogs’ McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sarah ‘Minister of Habs’ Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Danielle ‘Minister of Blab’ Blab Laurel ‘Minister of Shoes’ Hogan Copy Editors Amanda ‘Minister of Trees’ Shendruk Associate News Editor [email protected] James ‘Minister of Love’ Edwards Webmaster [email protected] Jessica ‘Minister of Red’ Sukstorf Volunteer & Visibility Coordinator [email protected] Megan ‘Minister of Yogurt’ O’Meara Staff Writer Alex ‘Minister of Brainwaves’ Martin Staff Illustrator Inari ‘Minister of Beers’ Vaissi Nagy Jiselle ‘Minister of OPIRG’ Bakker Ombudsgirls [email protected] Travis ‘Minister of Hair’ Boisvenue Ombudsboy [email protected]

illustration by Devin A. Beauregard

TRYING TO COVER major events like the federal election as a weekly newspaper is incredibly tricky. This year, our deadline passed before the actual results were released, so we were forced to find alternate methods of effectively informing readers. While this issue hits stands long after the results have been released, we trust that discerning readers will not see any noticeable decline in our hard-hitting, informative coverage. The media’s need to engage ordinary people has led them to turn to both user-generated and interactive content as accompaniments to more traditional journalism. The former features citizen reports filmed with cameras no more technologically advanced than a stapler, and the latter permits readers to capably and responsibly assist in the creation and editing of content (see: the prevalence of blogs and Wikipedia’s online domination). With such trends altering the media landscape, the Fulcrum would be remiss to pass up this opportunity. Accordingly, the Fulcrum is pleased to provide its own in-depth, user-generated, interactive coverage of the 2008 federal election. After the month-long grind of the election campaign, one person has clambered atop the Canadian political heap. This leader has been given

Deidre ‘Minister of Bling-Bling’ Butters Advertising Representative [email protected] Ross ‘Minister of Pumpkin’ Prusakowski Business Manager [email protected]

mean for us? The answer is: (not much/everything) . The election-winning (party name) platform contained (several/few) references to plans to (adverb) alter post-secondary education in Canada. In a (refreshing/saddening) move, (last name) promised to institute its (adjective) plan to (insert relevant post-secondary promise) upon election. Given the results of this election, the Fulcrum is convinced that this (party name) government will ultimately be a (massive/slight) (improvement/regression) for Canadian students. The post-secondary education plan put forward by the incoming (party name) government during the campaign offers (little/much) hope for improvements in not only tuition fees, but also in the quality of education being distilled in Canadian universities. In electing the (party name) party, Canadians have (missed out on/seized) an opportunity to dramatically improve the condition of this country’s colleges and universities. U of O students should be (elated/dismayed) at the prospects presented by this new government. The Fulcrum certainly is. [email protected]

Contributors

Nicole ‘Minister of Fingers’ Gall Staff Proofreader Robert ‘Minister of Cartoons’ Olender On-campus Distributor

a mandate by the Canadian people to govern this country to the best of his or her ability. That person is (first name) (last name) . With the election of (last name) and the (political party) on Oct. 14, voters across Canada are wondering exactly what shape this new government will take. Will a government be able (party name) to deliver on the litany of promises made during the campaign? Will this (minority/majority) government be more effective than the “dysfunctional” Parliament that Stephen Harper dissolved? And most importantly, how will the prime minister’s (choose one: poor English, robotic appearance, moustache, green ideals) ultimately be parodied by This Hour Has 22 Minutes? However, there are far more important questions being asked by Canadian students. And being a student newspaper, the Fulcrum is committed to ensuring U of O students have access to the most up-to-date, accurate analysis of the election from a student perspective, as measured by the number of times the word “post-secondary” appears in print. In this vein, the Fulcrum has provided the answer to U of O students’ most pressing question: what does the election of the (party name) party and their (adjective) leader

Elizabeth ‘Minister of Oils’ Chiang Devin A. ‘Minister of Pie’ Beauregard Laura ‘Minister of Ska’ Clemetenson Tobey ‘Minister of Pink’ Climie David ‘Minister of Candy’ Davidson Katie ‘Minister of Kickass’ DeClerq Kenny ‘Minister of Space’ Dodd Erica ‘Minister of Batman’ Erwin Cindy ‘Minister of Spicy’ Frey Marc ‘Minister of OSAP’ Gobeil

Maria ‘Minister of Blog’ Habanikova Ted ‘Minister of Opinions’ Horton Stephanie ‘Minister of DDR’ Ireland Matt ‘Minister of Speed’ Johnny Hisham ‘Minister of Google’ Kelati Danyal ‘Minister of iPods’ Khoral Daniel ‘Minister of Sexy’ Kraell Jaclyn ‘Minister of Punk’ Lytle Carl ‘Minister of Awesome’ Meyer Jordan ‘Minister of Candy’ Moffatt

Rebecca ‘Minister of Words’ Murray Mark ‘Minister of Blanks’ Naser Lihang ‘Minister of Rock’ Nong Kelwryn ‘Minister of Volleyball’ Ord Dustin ‘Minister of Pencils’ Rabin Nigel ‘Minister of Time’ Smith Alex ‘Minister of Votes’ Smyth Amlake ‘Minister of Nice’ T-Digaf Nick ‘Minister of Bus’ Taylor-Vaisey Jessica ‘Minister of Tired’ Walsh

cover photo by Dustin Rabin