Fulcrum 102308

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected]

Letters Does the Fulcrum help students? Re: “Choosing the best road” (Editorial, Oct. 2) THE FULCRUM’S OCT. 7 editorial cartoon asking “Like, why is it we can’t, ya know, just schedule a meeting with the admin and go over our concerns with them?” was an insult. Just schedule a meeting with the admin at U of O? But the admin doesn’t talk to students! I started my work at the Student Appeal Centre in May 2007. To date I have worked on 567 student cases. I see and know how the admin works. You want to schedule a meeting with the U of O admin? Sure, you can try. If it’s a lower level of administration you will probably get a meeting. This doesn’t mean your concerns are going to be addressed. But how often do members of the administration—Allan Rock, Pamela Harrod, Robert Major, Victor Simon, and Mona Nemer—meet students face to face to talk about concerns? When is the last time you tried to schedule a meeting with Allan Rock? Oh, that’s right—you are the student newspaper. You foster a friendly and diplomatic relationship with the central admin. They are happy to talk to you. You aren’t asking them to take action to fix a problem. You aren’t emailing them to describe your case of harassment or abuse. This week only I was a witness to two cases where students are fighting— not to win their case—but just to get a meeting with U of O’s central admin.

Does the Fulcrum realize its privilege? Does it know that their representation of the admin is not reality? It would be nice to read a student newspaper that works for students, not against them. Mireille Gervais Master’s law student

model (see Wikipedia) is going to find themselves between a Rock and a hard place. Try it. Denis Rancourt Physics professor

Fulcrum off on activism

Re: “Smoke-free campus campaign” (Letters, Oct. 2) AS A UNIVERSITY of Ottawa student and a non-smoker I believe that the notion of a campus-wide smoking ban is abhorrent and an affront to the rights and freedoms espoused by all Canadians. First of all, how much regulation do we need? Are we so damned useless as to require Big Brother to step in and legislate our lives? I have always firmly believed in an individual’s right to choose his or her own actions and to bear the consequences for good or ill. I believe this to be an inalienable right. Who the hell are people to say you can’t smoke because it inconveniences them? As far as the health issue is concerned, let’s just put things into perspective. The amount of carcinogens cigarettes pass along as you walk to class is categorically negligible, especially considering that the campus is located in downtown Ottawa. We’re in a metropolis people, smoke happens. If it were really a matter of air quality the banning of cars would be a far larger concern than cigarettes. The proposed campaign advocates for a campus where we can live and learn. That’s all well and good, but for whom? Everyone or just nonsmokers? The authors also claim that they can’t “travel past any entrance on campus” without passing hordes of smokers. Really? The smokers I see are few and far between and have never caused me any inconvenience. They consume a legally purchased

Re: “Choosing the best road” (Editorial, Oct. 2) JUST MAKE AN appointment and meet The Man! Yup, and I’m selling the Macdonald-Cartier bridge for a good price. Wow. Hey Fulcrum: An institution resists all moves that take any power and control away from the institution. Don’t newspaper editors study institutional analysis? In your defence, if you have never tried to take power away from an institution, as in make it more democratic, then you can’t really appreciate this social science theory stuff. In your world view, I think it would go something like this: Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) Executive: Hey Allan, please double the number of elected student reps on all committees and pay elected student committee members the same as profs get for the same work. Rock: Geez, ya, that would increase functional representative democracy on campus; why didn’t I think of that? Anyone who tries to level the height of the hierarchical pyramid towards a participatory democracy

Contents

U-Pass-es through City Transit Committee

News

SFUO receives councillors’ support for pilot project. p. 4

p. 4 Arts

Due to space constraints, we couldn’t print all letters received. Please visit thefulcrum.ca/letters to read more letters on the Fulcrum’s coverage of activism, the U-Pass, and the continuing death of the U of O library.

Cause=Interview

Will you benefit from the SFUO’s U-Pass?

Did you vote in the federal election?

Yes: No:

Yes: No:

Len Smirnov takes readers behind the facade of the Bronson Centre. p. 10

... but men’s football gets another chance. p. 16

p. 16

p. 12

“TUITION RATES IN Ontario soar above national norm” read a recent headline in the Ottawa Sun. Once I finished reading the article, either due to homework induced insanity or the realization of futility of our goals, I started giggling uncontrollably. Our wise student leaders are, again, taking it to the politicians through the use of the media, trying to reduce tuition fees and not realizing how useless and ineffective their efforts really are! I mean, this has been done before hasn’t it? Well, yeah, and it has worked the other times hasn’t it? Well, actually, no it hasn’t. Despite their efforts, we still see continual rises in our tuition, year after year, government after government and yet our wise student leaders keep making the same mistakes. Petitions, protests, and TV commercials: what do they have in common? The answer is they are worthless (at least to this cause). Sure, these ordinary methods of lobbying work for everybody else so they must work for us. That is like saying I turn on the light to help me see in the dark therefore so should a blind man. It won’t work. We are different. The other lobbies are different and the segments of society they are representing are different. And what is that

Last week’s results

Women’s rugby loses to Laval, ending their season... p. 16

Feature

Grading student lobbying

U of O gets carded A photo feature displays student cards, past and present. p. 12–13 Do nice guys finish last? Or not at all? Dear Di explains how to break out of the friend zone. p. 22

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essential difference that separates us from them? We don’t vote. That is our inherent handicap: our collective complacency and our innate laziness. Do you really think politicians are going to pay attention to the suffering hoards of students? Why should they when their jobs depend on the voterrich middle-age segment of society? Imagine a scenario where politicians have to decide between either lowering tuition for students or increasing health care for seniors. In the real world, which we should probably start living in, there is a trade-off. You pick one, you give up the other. Nobody has unlimited resources. So, what are they going to fund: tuition or health care? If you think tuition then think again. Since their jobs depend on votes and three-quarters of seniors vote while only a quarter of students do, they’ll choose seniors over us. Would you blame them? No, it just makes sense. We are handicapped by ourselves. And yet, our wise student leaders decide to spend the majority of their time and resources not on getting our collective asses to the polls but on catching our attention and informing us of the issues, which is in essence shining a light for the blind. Recently, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), as a gimmick, published report cards of the different parties and graded how their different policies impact students. I saw a lot of F’s in those report cards. What grade would you give the CFS? Luan Ngo Master’s economics student

thefulcrum.ca poll

It’s all over

Sports

For a smoke-freecampaign-free campus

product in the legally prescribed manner. What more could a rational, free-thinking individual ask for? This proposed segregation of campus should offend every single person who believes in an individual’s right to choose. It should be received with nothing but the greatest of disdain and disgust. I advocate for mutual respect, civility, and tolerance among the entirety of the student community. Lise Legault Second-year medicine student

CFS referendum to hit campus in less than a month. p. 5

Jaclyn Lytle interviews Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene. p. 9

p. 9

Oct. 22–29, 2008

79% 21%

Go to www.thefulcrum.ca to vote. 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-forprofit 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.

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.

News

Emma Godmere News Editor [email protected] Oct. 23–29, 2008

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U-Pass gets green light City Transit Committee approves pilot project for September 2009 by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff

photo by Lihang Nong

STUDENTS CAN ANTICIPATE riding OC Transpo with a universal bus pass as early as September 2009, thanks to Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) President Dean Haldenby and U of O Sustainability Coordinator Jonathan Rausseo’s presentation to the City of Ottawa’s Transit Committee on Oct. 15. The committee of nine city councillors passed a motion to recommend that council implement the SFUO-proposed U-Pass as a pilot project for full-time undergraduate students at the price of $125 per semester next academic year. Last February, students voted in favour of the project and the proposed price in an SFUO referendum. “I’m very excited about it,” said Haldenby. “I think it means that we have one more step forward for a universal bus pass for our students at the price that they want.” The presentation by Haldenby and Rausseo included analysis of universal bus passes at other universities and municipalities across the country, and highlighted the fact that even at $125, the U of O’s UPass would be one of the most expensive in Canada. Ottawa’s U-Pass represents a 50 per cent drop from the price of a regular OC Transpo student pass, while other universities, such as Guelph and McMaster, pay 75–89 per cent less than their cities’ regular transit pricing. OC Transpo has been strongly recommending a $198-per-semester U-Pass in order for the transit service to remain revenue-neutral. This would mean a 20 per cent reduction in price for students, and would require approval from U of O students in another referendum. “There [are] always going to be many questions surrounding [the $125 price], but the facts remain the same,” Haldenby said. “We do know that this is still going to be one of the most expensive passes in the country, and, from what I understand, North America.” At the meeting, Innes Ward Councillor Rainer Bloess pointed out that the $125 price tag seemed to be “pulled out of thin air”, and many other councillors expressed worry in regards to the $2.1 million revenue loss that OC Transpo would suffer. “The true cost of the program will probably be somewhere a little over what we’re proposing to be the $125,” said Rausseo, who has been involved with the project since its early stages in 2001 and who is

representing the university’s interest in the project. “In that case, we’re looking for the city to pick up the rest of the bill.” Councillors will need to find an extra $2.1 million to fund the project at budget deliberations in December, if the U-Pass is to be offered at $125 per semester. “The tougher challenge will come during budget, because we’re in a difficult budget situation—we’re always in a difficult budget situation,” said Transit Committee Chair Alex Cullen. “What are the tradeoffs for $2.1 million to enable this project?” Rausseo echoed Cullen’s budgetary concerns. “Come budget time, the U-Pass issue [is] also up there with libraries and police budgets and everything,” he said. “[However], we think that there are savings that are going to be generated from the program itself. If we’re distributing the pass, then OC Transpo doesn’t have to pay for people to distribute the pass,” Rausseo continued. “They don’t need to have to worry about printing out another pass every single month, because it’s one pass that’s good for the entire academic year. They [won’t] have those massive lineups at the Rideau Centre … we’re able to take away a lot of that stuff. “We can get rid of a lot of rider fraud,” he added, “because there are so many people that just jump on the bus and come to the university and, of course, OC Transpo’s not making any money off these people.” The SFUO has been gaining support from other city and university groups, including the Pedestrian and Transportation Advisory Committee that passed the U-Pass motion unanimously, and the Carleton University Students’ Association, which was also present at the Oct. 15 meeting and plans to propose to their student population a U-Pass referendum question similar to the SFUO’s. In order to successfully pass this pilot project through council, the SFUO will need to garner support from at least 13 councillors at the city’s Nov. 12 council meeting, and then subsequently ensure that the city is willing to take care of the extra $2.1 million during budget meetings in December. “Does this mean that we trade off on other projects? Does this mean that we increase taxes? [That is] a difficult thing to do… when bus fares are going up and [with] a mayor that says ‘zero means zero’—but it’s not impossible,” said Cullen. “It’s a political process and the student body just can’t sit back and say, ‘there, we’ve punted the ball, and it’s someone else’s now’,” he continued. “For this to be successful, they have to participate all the way through. It’s a two-stage effort, so they will need to stay engaged in order to make sure that we move this ball across the goal line.”

CFS: no or yes? Referendum to be held Nov. 18–20 by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT the U of O will decide this November whether or not the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) will become a full member of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). In a statement released on Oct. 20, the Referendum Oversight Committee (ROC)—which represents both the SFUO and the CFS—announced that a referendum on full membership will be held on the U of O campus Nov. 18–20. “We looked at a couple of time periods that would be available for us, one of those being November and [the other], March,” said SFUO President Dean Haldenby, who holds one of two SFUO positions on the ROC. “There were pros and cons to both, and in the end we decided on November.” “We do realize that it will be a busy time, however, at the same time the [month of March] was not really all that good of an alternative either,” he said. “It’s so close to our regular elec-

tions … We did not want it to become the overarching issue for our general elections.” Regarding the involvement of the SFUO and their executive in the referendum campaigns, Haldenby explained that for the most part employees would be able to act as they wish. “At this point, we welcome any of our students, [and] any of our student employees to be involved in the [referendum], and that includes the executive,” he said, “but as far as the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa goes, we have not taken a stance.” The campaign period runs Nov. 7–20, leaving students with only 13 days to get informed about potential advantages and disadvantages to joining the CFS. Shelley Melanson, the chairperson for CFS-Ontario and a former president of the Carleton University Students’ Association, believes that this is the ideal time to inform U of O students about what the national student advocacy group has to offer. “I think this is an opportunity to provide students with information about [CFS], about the work that we do collectively across the country, and to evaluate whether or not working with students from across the country towards advocating for higher quality and more affordable post-secondary

image courtesy cfsontario.ca

education is something that students at the University of Ottawa are interested in doing,” she said. Haldenby indicated his desire to ensure that as much information as possible is presented to U of O students throughout the 13-day period.

“I can tell you that at least my goal is to make sure that … the pro and con sides have their opportunity to be able to have themselves heard in an equal manner, but also to have information about what the Canadian Federation of Students is, to make sure that [stu-

dents] are informed about it,” he said. The SFUO has been a prospective member since July 2008. The referendum comes 13 years after SFUO members voted overwhelmingly to defederate from the CFS in a 1995 vote, ending 10 years of membership.

Labs damaged by fire in D’Iorio Hall Chemical fire, water damage leaves third floor out of commission by Emma Godmere Fulcrum Staff

photo courtesy Faculty of Science

The fire at D’Iorio Hall on Oct. 19 could not be extinguished using water or fire extinguishers.

www.thefulcrum.ca

FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED to D’Iorio Hall shortly before noon on Oct. 19 after a graduate student working on the third floor noticed smoke in a hallway outside a laboratory. Arriving on the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m., firefighters attempted to put out the flames with water, carbon dioxide, and dry chemical fire extinguishers; however, the fire resisted all efforts. According to Alain St. Amant, chair of chemistry for the Faculty of Science, the cause of the fire was attributed to air-sensitive compounds that reacted after their storage containers developed air leaks. “[They were] compounds that react with air, that react with water, so they only way to put them out is basically by smothering them with a totally inert substance,” said St. Amant. “That’s why it was so hard to put out, and it just burnt out by itself eventually.” The fire triggered the sprinkler systems for the entire floor, including inside professor Sandro Gambarotta’s lab, where the localized fire occurred.

Oct. 23, 2008

“The main damage, ironically enough, was generated by the sprinkler,” Gambarotta said. “It’s just one cabinet underneath one fume hood which [was] destroyed by the fire and the intense heat, but the fume hood is still working.” No one was in the third floor lab when the fire occurred on Sunday. “I think the good news is that no one has been hurt, [and there has been] no major damage,” Gambarotta continued. Andrew Zlotorzynski, environmental health and safety officer for the Faculty of Science, explained that the biggest concerns were the lasting effects of the water that was used to try to put the flames out. “Right now, to prevent any future problems with mould, you have to act very quickly, [after] this amount of water used by firefighters themselves and the sprinklers,” he said. Zlotorzynski explained that only four hours after the fire occurred, people were already on site cleaning up the water damage. “There [were] 2–3 centimetres of water on the third floor,” he said. Total damage was estimated at $100,000. Zlotorzynski expected the floor to be back in use by Oct. 22. The particular laboratory affected by the fire is expected to be out of commission until early next month.

NEWS

5

Vote of Confidence

Haste makes waste

Emma Godmere News Editor IN LESS THAN a month, undergraduate students will be faced with yet another ballot on which the decision they make will greatly impact their next few years at the University of Ottawa. The referendum to decide whether or not the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) should join the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) as full members will occur Nov. 18–20. The campaign to present students with general CFS information and highlight the pros and cons of joining begins Nov. 7. This means that students will have only 13 days to evaluate their experience as prospective members—which they have only been experiencing for about four months—adequately weigh the pros and cons of joining the CFS, and make an educated decision. In an interview with the Fulcrum, SFUO President and Referendum Oversight Committee (ROC) representative for the U of O Dean Haldenby explained that the ROC was faced with two options for referendum times: November 2008 or March 2009. There were arguments made against March, as Haldenby noted its proximity to SFUO executive and federated body elections. He expressed concern over the fact that such a big decision as choosing whether or not to take out full membership with the CFS could potentially take over the SFUO’s February elections. On one hand, Haldenby brings up a valid point. The distraction of a March CFS referendum would likely overshadow executive elections and potentially leave undergrads to witness a single-issue campaign—or alternatively, the elections would out-shine the CFS debate and leave students uninformed about the referendum positions. There are far too many other issues facing our campus—student space, commercialization, or accessibility, to name a few— that need to be recognized during executive elections in the spring, and yet the CFS debate is extremely important. On the other hand, a November referendum

means students have to make an informed decision in less than a month. The SFUO has only been a prospective member since July, which begs the question: have students really had the time to experience the CFS and its offerings? Haldenby noted in an interview that the SFUO will have attended two major CFS general meetings, taken part in a major provincial campaign on Nov. 5, and experienced several other campaigns, such as the ones revolving around sustainability and ending date rape. But as always, it comes down to whether students have actually been informed about these CFS activities and taken part in them. It’s important to remember that, according to CFS by-laws, undergrads are locked into whatever decision they collectively make for at least two years, since the minimum time period between federation or de-federation referendums is 24 months. This is an important issue to take into consideration, especially for undergraduate students who are still just beginning their degrees. For those first- and second-years in particular, the decision made in this upcoming referendum will greatly impact their U of O experience for the rest of their time on campus. The SFUO’s campaigns, initiatives, and general mandate all have the potential to be affected by CFS membership, whether for the better or worse, and it’s the SFUO that undoubtedly plays an important role in the campus life of all undergrads. The SFUO has a lot on its plate right now; Green Weeks are wrapping up, the U-Pass is still making its way through City Council, the Nov. 5 Drop Fees campaign is right around the corner, and to top it off, this CFS debate is about to hit campus in full force. Is a November referendum simply too soon, and is 13 days too short a time period to make an informed choice? Undergrads have been handed a very short and quickly approaching period of time to make the CFS decision. All this campus can do is make the best of the situation, but beware: the SFUO and U of O undergrads should not and cannot blow past this decision and mark up their ballots on a whim. Rushing a decision has never helped anybody. Students can’t afford to quickly make up our minds and regret any decision soon after. Simply put, haste makes waste. [email protected] 613-562-5260

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.

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NEWS

Oct. 23, 2008

Café Alt celebrates re-opening by Amanda Shendruk Fulcrum Staff

photo by Ian Flett

Café Alternatif has been re-imagined with new furniture and a new SFUO-run food service.

FOLLOWING MONTHS OF renovations, student-run Café Alternatif officially re-opened its doors in the basement of Simard Hall on Oct. 21. Last year, with support from the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Arts (SAFA) and the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), a group of students spearheaded a campaign to renovate the run-down café under the name “Project Alternatif”. After a successful SAFA referendum in September, Arts students will pay a levy of $3 per semester for the first year and $1.50 per semester for subsequent years to Café Alternatif. The levy, which will take effect for the 2009–10 academic year, will assist with the café’s renovations and future upkeep. The new SFUO food-service under the same name will offer exclusively fair-trade tea and coffee. The food service will also sell fresh sandwiches, salads, cookies, and pastries, among other foods.

Ottawatch Oct. 14 election results THE OCT. 14 federal general election yielded a third consecutive minority government for Parliament. The Conservative Party gained 16 seats to form a 143-seat minority government, only 12 short of garnering a majority. Speaking to his supporters in Calgary on Oct. 15, Stephen Harper exclaimed that “Canadians have voted to move our country forward and they have done so with confidence,” according to cbc.ca. The Liberal Party retained its status as the official opposition, but lost 19 seats in the House of Commons. Party support is currently at its lowest level since 1867, according to the CBC. On Oct. 20, following disapointing election results, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion stated that he would resign his position when a new party leader is chosen at an upcoming leadership convention. The Bloc Québécois remained strong in Quebec, winning 50 of the 75 seats available in the province. The Tories won 10 Quebec seats despite much greater expectations, prompting Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe to boast on election night that “without the Bloc Québécois tonight, Mr. Harper would have formed a majority government,” according to cbc.ca. The New Democratic Party won 37 seats, retaining those of party leader Jack Layton and his wife, Olivia

Chow. Layton expressed optimism over the fact that the seven seats gained in this election will move the NDP closer to becoming Canada’s governing party. “In fact, we’re in a stronger position to pursue [the office of Prime Minister] now with some important new seats that we’ve been able to win—particularly in Alberta, in Newfoundland and Labrador—and for the first time ever an elected member of Parliament in a general election from Quebec,” Layton said on Oct. 14, according to cbc.ca. The Green Party failed to win any seats, including in the riding of Central Nova where party leader Elizabeth May lost to Conservative Minister of Defence Peter MacKay. “Next time, we’ll make all the difference,” May said to supporters on the night of Oct. 14. “We will be staying in force in Central Nova because I’m not going anywhere.” The Maritimes also witnessed the election of independent Bill Casey, an ex-Tory from Nova Scotia, while another independent, André Arthur, was elected in southern Quebec. All 15 Ottawa area ridings kept their incumbents. A handful of ridings in central Ottawa remain Liberal and NDP strongholds, while several nearby suburban and rural areas were won once again by Conservative candidates. —Len Smirnov, with files from Danielle Webb (CUP)

www.thefulcrum.ca www.thefulcrum.ca

“The menu will still be refining itself in the next few weeks,” said SFUO VP Finance Roxanne Dubois, via e-mail. “One of our priorities is to offer affordable food options for students that are also fair-trade when possible, and fresh.” At the café’s grand opening, SAFA President Liz Doneathy expressed her excitement that after almost a year of planning and renovations, the café is finally open to students. “I’m very happy. I think the place looks lovely. I’m so excited for more students to come down and spend time here and get to see it,” she said. SAFA is in charge of both the café space and event booking. Dubois echoed Doneathy’s excitement at the opening. “I’m really happy we’re here. I’m very proud that we’ve decided to go ahead and open a student-run café on campus,” she said. “We have a café that I think represents the need that there is for good food options, as fresh and as cheap as possible, on campus. “I’m looking forward to having a café that’s really in touch and in tune with students’ needs,” said Dubois.

Education and Engineering face BOA by-elections by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff ELECTIONS WILL BE held Oct. 22-23 in order to fill the currently vacant Engineering and Education seats on the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA). Each faculty has one student running for the positions, leaving voters to choose either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for their candidate on the ballot. Myriam Bérubé is the lone candidate running for the Faculty of Education’s spot on the board, and is currently the president of the Faculty of Education’s French student council. She cites her position on the student council as sufficient experience for the position on the BOA. “I usually run everything by my student council first,” she explained. “We consult the students on what they want to do.” Bérubé was not initially intending to run for the position, but noted no other students seemed to have a desire to. She felt someone was needed to represent the faculty. “I waited until the last minute to see if there was anybody else interested in the position, because I think it’s a position that could have been filled by anybody else,” she said, “[But] I thought it was important that somebody represent the students.” Her main focus, now that she is running, is to emphasize the importance of her fellow students’ participation in decision-making. “I wouldn’t say I have one platform to defend,” she explained. “My objective is to take a democratic stand and

Oct. 23, 2008

to consult the students … to know if they want to defend something or if they want a certain project [to be supported].” Rob Arntfield is the sole candidate running for the Faculty of Engineering’s spot on the board, and is currently the president of the Engineering Students’ Society (ESS). He highlighted accountability as one of the top priorities he would take on, if elected to the BOA. “I would like to start holding the SFUO more accountable,” he said. “I’d like to … create more of a policy manual where if the executive aren’t completing a set of designated duties, then they’re not getting paid for their job. “That would be something very… feasible, because I certainly know, at least from a federated body standpoint, that members of the [SFUO] executive are taking on tasks that are above and beyond their mandate, however they’re not completing their mandate to begin with, so it seems counter-productive.” Arntfield explained he can bring experience from his position with the ESS to the BOA. “I would say that I would be bestsuited to represent the engineering students at the BOA because I’m already elected to represent engineering students to the Faculty of Engineering,” he said. “That involves consistent meetings and sitting on various boards.” Only students enrolled in the Faculty of Education can vote for the Education seat on the BOA, and only students from the Faculty of Engineering can vote for their Engineering representative. Polling stations will be set up in the main entrance of Lamoureux Hall and in the SITE food court, and will be open 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 10 a.m.–7 p.m. on Oct. 23. Results will be released on the morning of Oct. 24. —with files from Emma Godmere

NEWS

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News in brief

Students protest StFX code of conduct

photo by Catherine Fancy (CUP)

ANTIGONISH (CUP) – STUDENTS AT ST. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia rallied on Oct. 15 to protest their campus’s code of conduct. The Community Code of Conduct outlines the rights and responsibilities of StFX students. Similar codes have spurred protests at campuses across Canada, such as the rally on April 25 over the proposed code of conduct at the U of O. The event that sparked the protest was the dismissal of Kat Fraser from her position as president of Thompkins and Thompson Hall, a campus residence building, and her transfer to another residence, after allegedly mistreating a first-year student during frosh week. The StFX Students’ Union supported the rally, although the executive did not play an active role in its organization, and some members of the executive had expressed concern over the approach taken. The rally served to increase both student and administration awareness of the code of conduct. The StFX administration is interested in holding a town-hall style meeting in order to address student concerns, and students have expressed optimism about increasing dialogue. —Kate Clark, The Xaverian Weekly

ing a second medical school, issues concerning infrastructure, resources, and funding must be resolved. —Elias Rahjiak, The Peak Brandon University faculty strike over BRANDON (CUP) – STUDENTS AND FACULTY at Manitoba’s Brandon University breathed a collective sigh of relief Oct. 15 as the school’s faculty strike came to an unexpected end after 16 days and 10 hours on the picket lines. The tentative agreement was signed late in the afternoon between the administration and the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA), but has yet to be officially ratified by the faculty association or the university’s board of governors. BUFA members returned to work on Oct. 16 and classes started up the next day. According to faculty members, the fall term is still scheduled to end on time. Many students voiced concerns that it may prove difficult to complete their courses by the end of the semester due to their heavy work loads. Faculty assured them that allowances will be made, and that students will face no academic penalty because of the strike. —Maryann Buri, The Quill U of Windsor students feel strike’s aftermath

B.C. plans second med school BURNABY (CUP) – PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ARE underway regarding the potential establishment of a second medical school in Surrey, British Columbia; possibly an extension of Burnaby’s Simon Fraser University. There are currently 56 doctors per 100,000 people in Surrey, compared to Vancouver’s 140 per 100,000. To compound the dilemma, Surrey expects a population increase of 300,000 over the next 30 years. The lack of doctors forces patients with non-life-threatening medical issues to resort to using the emergency facilities at hospitals, resulting in long wait-times in emergency rooms. Generally, doctors tend to settle in the area in which they are trained, therefore, to resolve the lack of doctors in Surrey, it has been suggested that Surrey should have a medical school of its own. However, prior to establish-

WINDSOR (CUP) – AFTER RETURNING TO class after a 17-day strike on Oct. 13, University of Winsor students were notified that their exam period was revised to include exams as little as two days before Christmas. Additionally, the revamped December exam schedules include testing as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 8 p.m., leaving many commuting students upset. The university is looking into ways to allow out-of-town students to stay in residence for the duration of exams, according to University of Windsor Students’ Alliance President Tiffany Gooch. The strike began on Sept. 17 and ended on Oct. 6 when the Windsor University Faculty Association voted in favour of a new contract with the administration. Many students are concerned that the new contract will have a negative effect on tuition. —Hannah Larking, The Lance

REFERENDUM NOTICE On November 18-20, 2008 undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa will have an opportunity to vote on membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. The referendum campaign period will be from November 7 to November 20. Information about referendum deadlines, committees, polling locations and hours will be released by October 28. For more information please contact: [email protected]

8

NEWS

Oct. 23, 2008

www.thefulcrum.ca

Peter Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected]

Arts & Culture Oct. 23–29, 2008

9

Broken Social Scene

has something for everyone photo courtesy Norman Wong

Canadian rock supergroup plays the Bronson Centre by Jaclyn Lytle Fulcrum Staff INDIE ROCK COLLECTIVE Broken Social Scene has reached almost a decade of performing together as the biggest supergroup in Canadian music. The band, which has varied in size from two members to over a dozen throughout the years, was originally put together by Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew, two Toronto-based musicians. Jason Collett, Leslie Feist (Feist), Emily Haines (Metric), Andrew Whiteman (Apostle of Hustle), and Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan (Stars), have all been involved with Broken Social Scene at some point of their career. The supergroup has made a major contribution to the definition of Canadian alternative rock. Broken Social Scene plays an eclectic mix of rock, folk, and alternative, with each member of the

band having their own unique style and impact on the final project. The band’s second album, You Forgot It In People, won a Juno for Alternative Album of the Year and ranked fourth in Chart magazine’s 2005 reader poll of the 50 greatest Canadian albums of all time. Pitchfork Media called their music “endlessly replayable, perfect pop”. Broken Social Scene has received widespread acclaim, and they have become one of the biggest bands on the Canadian music scene. Although they’ve played across the globe since the release of You Forgot It In People in 2002, the group is no stranger to the Ottawa music scene. Broken Social Scene plays the Bronson Centre Theatre on Oct. 30. “We come once or twice a year … I’ve never been disappointed by the Ottawa crowds,” says Canning, who shares guitar and vocal duties for the band. Broken Social Scene has a sound that’s hard to pin down into one genre, and that indefinable quality allows them to play many different types of shows and festivals. “I have pretty fond memories of both [Bluesfest and the Ottawa Folk Festival],” Canning says. “You know, we’re not really a blues or a folk

band but I appreciate getting to go play [the festivals] … and the club gigs. The last few in recent memory have all been really good.” The band is currently touring in the U.S., on the leg of their Something for All of Us... tour, which Canning describes as a “U.S. election [leg].” “We’re in the swing states right now,” he explains. “[We’re] throwing in a little Canada at the end, so we can feel good about being home again.” Election season in Canada ended on Oct. 14 and Canning is glad it’s over, although he applauds the new national prominence of the Green Party. “We’ve already had a Canadian election that seemed to do absolutely nothing one way or another, other than waste a lot of money that could have gone to cleaning up lakes but instead went into campaign advertising,” he says. “Same old bullshit. If anything, it sort of got Elizabeth May a little more press time. She became a slightly more known force ... I think she’s got a lot of good ideas and she’s progressive.” The band has been touring since Feb. 20, playing both old and new material, to promote Canning’s debut solo album Something for All of

Us... It’s the second release in the Broken Social Scene Presents: series after Drew’s 2007 release Spirit If... “It was something that I felt came at a good time for me because I’ve been in lots of band scenarios over the years, and I hadn’t necessarily ventured out as a front man, shall we say,” explains Canning. Although Canning claims that his solo album isn’t “that much of a departure”, fans can expect a variety of new sounds, including experimentation with “guitar feedback loops, extra keyboard tracks and … a little extra acoustic-guitar picking than is on some of the other Broken Social Scene stuff.” Recently, the band signed on to the Yellow Bird Project. The Montreal-based not-for-profit organization commissions bands to design tshirts that are sold from the Yellow Bird website (yellowbirdproject. com), with all the proceeds going to a charity of the artist’s choosing. Other participants in the Yellow Bird Project include Rilo Kiley, The Shins, and Wolf Parade. Profits from the Broken Social Scene t-shirt, designed by Kevin Drew, will go to Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a group dedicated to water issues around the Great Lakes Basin. “You know, anything that will help

clean up our waters is a very necessary cause,” Canning says. “On the topic of water, it’s pretty disappointing that Toronto is right on a lake that is often not so swimmable. You can take a drive on the [Queen Elizabeth Way] and drive into Hamilton or Burlington and then you get hit by the massive plants. Just massive, massive industry that neglected to think about the cleanliness of water or the future of the planet. I’m all for it, any small little token we can do.” Broken Social Scene will continue the American leg of their tour until Oct. 30, when they will celebrate their return to Canada at the Bronson Centre. The tour will wrap up in Toronto on Nov. 28 after three other shows in Canada and another swing southward into Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. As for the future of the band, Canning confirms that there are plans for another Broken Social Scene album, but says it might be a while before it hits the streets. “We’re thinking about it, [but there’s] nothing much to report right now.” Broken Social Scene plays the Bronson Centre on Oct. 30. Tickets are $27.50 from Ticketmaster, End Hits, or Vertigo Records.

Music to save the world Bronson Centre offers rock, roll, and affordable office space to local NGOs by Len Smirnov Fulcrum Contributor

photo by Ming Wu

Stars played the Bronson Centre on April 3, one of dozens of bands that have visited the venue.

CONCERTGOERS HAVE COME to expect that the money they pay for tickets will be split in one of two ways: lining the pockets of Ticketmaster executives, or providing the artist with their next impractical stage outfit. Ottawa’s Bronson Centre, located at 211 Bronson Ave., takes a different approach—it gives the profits back to its community. The centre has hosted several renowned artists in recent years, including Feist, Matthew Good, Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton, Tegan and Sara, and Animal Collective. Martha Wainwright will grace the stage in December 2008 and the Sam Roberts Band will rock it in January 2009. The centre uses a portion of the revenue it generates by hosting concerts to invest in discounted office space for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with limited resources. If the offer of discounted office space appears contradictory to economic logic, it is. The Bronson Centre does not try to make profit from renting out office space. Instead, it focuses

its fundraising efforts on renting facilities to the general public and local businesses. Its central location and discount prices make it a highly attractive base for local NGOs. The centre became more active in holding musical concerts as a way of raising its revenues in the early part of this decade. The Bronson Centre was established as a registered non-profit charity by the Grey Sisters religious order. Located in the former Immaculata High School, which moved to a new Ottawa location in 1994, the centre underwent $400,000 worth of renovations to add new office space and community facilities, prior to its opening in 1996. The centre currently boasts a 900-seat theatre, a reception hall with a kitchen, stage areas, and several meeting rooms. There are 34 NGOs based at the centre. Among others, they include the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Service, Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa, and Anti-Poverty Project. These NGOs have limited resources and rely on the Bronson Centre’s discounted rent to maintain their services. The centre guarantees the organizations permanent and affordable space, and provides Internet, reception services, and administrative support to ensure that they operate with the same advan-

tages as professional businesses. There is turnover in the NGOs who use the centre’s facilities, but the Bronson Centre staff work hard to uphold its mandate of affordability. “We are trying not to be the cause of them leaving,” notes the Bronson Centre’s Executive Director Corey Mayville. The NGOs also benefit from close proximity to each other. They readily exchange advice and sometimes coordinate their services. “What I have here is a community of people who are like-minded in wanting to improve the quality of populations,” says Mayville. “They work within their space, but know that the guy next door will be willing to help.” The camaraderie is a strong incentive for NGOs in choosing to rent office space at the centre. Mayville cites that the groups like “just being surrounded by people who think like you” and have a common concern for society. The Bronson Centre’s charity work does not translate into higher ticket prices, notes concert promoter Shawn Scallen. In fact, there is nothing to suggest that the centre holds registered charity status when compared to other concert venues in Ottawa. To concert goers, it’s just another excellent venue, but for NGOs and the people they help, it’s a godsend.

New chapter for writers fest Ottawa International Writers Festival brings together scribes from across the globe by Carl Meyer Fulcrum Contributor

was presented to Shane Rhodes for his work The Bindery. Afterward, Ottawa Deputy Mayor Shad Qadri presented the Ottawa Book Awards, that included three categories: English Fiction, English Non-Fiction, and French Fiction. The winners, respectively, were Elizabeth Hay for Late Nights on Air, Tim Cook for At The Sharp End, and Andree Christensen for Depuis toujours, j’entendais la mer. Carleton University professor wins award

THE AWARDS CEREMONY and opening night of the 11th Annual Ottawa International Writers Festival was not without a sense of humour. On Oct. 18, prominent writers from around the world gathered at Library and Archives Canada (395 Wellington St.) to kick off the twoweek-long bilingual celebration of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in the nation’s capital. The festival runs Oct. 18–27. This year, almost all the events take place at this venue. Wearing a blue and orange CBC shirt, CBC Ottawa radio host Alan Neal stepped up to the podium and welcomed the full house to the awards ceremony about to unfold. “I repeat: ceremony, not a gala,” Neal said, smirking. A chorus of laughter and groans echoed through the crowd. It was a reference to a comment made during the recent election campaign by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his defence of cuts to government subsidies to the arts. On a September campaign stop in Saskatchewan, Harper had said that “ordinary working people” can’t relate to artists who attend “rich galas” and complain about arts cuts. The ceremony to which Neal referred included the Ottawa Book Awards and the Lampman-Scott Award for Poetry. The Lampman-Scott Award

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ARTS

At The Sharp End is part of an extensive twovolume look at primary source material from the First World War. Cook is a professor of Canadian military history at Carleton University and a historian at the Canadian War Museum. He told the Fulcrum in an interview after the ceremony that he had originally begun the project as a Master’s thesis. “It’s difficult to get [material on the First World War], because a lot of the material was destroyed in the Second World War,” Cook explained. He obtained his material from Library and Archives Canada as well as the Imperial War Museum in Australia and sources in Germany. “The official records span tens of thousands of pages. You can never look at everything,” he continued. Cook said that aside from looking at official reports, personal source material such as letters and diaries written by soldiers was just as important in constructing the historical record. “All those testimonials that really help to explain what a battalion was doing. A battalion is a thousand guys, and in a battle like Vimy Ridge where you have 100,000 Canadians, to tell that story you have to find visuals, you have to let the reader experience what they were doing.”

Oct. 23, 2008

photo by Carl Meyer

Amateur and professional writers alike united in Ottawa for the Ottawa International Writers Festival. Writers Festival runs until Oct. 27 Students hoping to catch a glimpse of famous authors will not be disappointed. Events run throughout the rest of October, with some postfestival events happening in the first week of November. One of the most famous authors attending the festival is renowned cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, who will be giving a talk on his latest book, The Stuff of Thought on Oct. 25 at 12 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students. Pinker became famous after publishing The

Language Instinct in 1994, which suggested the human brain, as an evolutionary trait, has an innate ability to learn language. This refuted commonly held beliefs at the time that language must be taught. Another famous author is host of the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet, Jay Ingram, who will be speaking about climate change on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students. For ticket information and a full schedule of events, visit the Writers Festival website: writersfestival.org.

www.thefulcrum.ca

Film reviews W.

A

OLIVER STONE’S FILMS have a Bush is deemed a failure and an emknack for provoking discussion. Pla- barrassment to the family name by toon, JFK, and Natural Born Killers his overachieving father, George H. were all met with protests and contro- W. Bush (James Cromwell), a war versy due to their subject matter and hero, former CIA director, and forStone’s reputation for stirring the pot. mer president. The uphill battle Bush His latest film, W., is no exception. fights to earn his father’s respect, and W. chronicles the life and presiden- the subsequent turn he takes away cy of George W. Bush, the first time from his father’s guidance, forms the there has ever been a film biography emotional crux of Stone’s film. of a sitting president. Most of Stone’s Weiser takes a bold approach by filmmaking experience lies in tack- telling the story through Bush’s eyes. ling controversial historical topics It’s an effort to make the audience from a left-wing relate to a man perspective. With most other writStone surprisingly Bush still in office ers would simply and his advisors attempts to give a fuller lampoon. Brolin’s still prominent in complex perforand much more complete mance also helps the news, W. is a portrait of Bush as a gamble, even by this cause. By Stone’s risk-taking not falling into fallible human, and a standards. the trap of mere simple man in way over mimicry, Brolin The audience is his head. first introduced to crafts a portrait of Bush (Josh Broa man so lost that lin) addressing he doesn’t even an empty baseball stadium, looking know it. Substituting macho gusto out of touch and strangely inert as he for brains, Brolin’s Bush is in constant gazes into the empty bleachers. The need of guidance, yet would never film returns to this visual metaphor admit it. for loneliness and grandeur often, as Familiar figures pop up in the film, from there screenwriter Stanley Weis- and the excellent performances Stone er flashes back to the key moments gets from his actors somehow make that shaped Bush’s life. the characters seem more real on the Bush is portrayed in his younger movie screen than the actual people years as a privileged, whiskey-loving do on the nightly news. Elizabeth southern boy. Wayward, erratic, and Banks does a superb job as Bush’s lacking any true sense of ambition, stalwart wife, Laura, while Richard

Dreyfuss delivers a note-perfect facsimile of Dick Cheney, the powermad vice-president. The only exception is Thandie Newton’s portrayal of Condoleezza Rice. Caricature does not even begin to describe the broad way that Newton approaches the role. Her performance fits in the realm of parody, clashing with the authentically nuanced portrayals of current public figures in the film. Stone and Weiser were not out to make a documentary on the current administration, but rather to expose a man simply not fit for the job at hand. They argue their case by sticking to many true accounts, but also

embellishing events where it fits their cause. There is no way of truly knowing what goes on between Bush, his wife, and his many advisors behind closed doors, but the audience knows that. They expect to be served a point of view with their history lesson. Dramatic exchanges between Bush and his father, which make up the bulk of the film, are a clear example of this true-to-life but fictional approach. Taking artistic license to subvert our preconceptions is necessary for a feature film based on a sitting president. W. succeeds in handling this dangerous territory with a deft touch, although some pundits have criticized

it as being too soft on its subject. Stone is clearly out to make a statement by releasing this film so close to the current election. W. does not set out to attack Bush and hold him solely accountable for all the havoc that has befallen the U.S. Instead, Stone surprisingly attempts to give a fuller and much more complete portrait of Bush as a fallible human, and a simple man in way over his head. All leaders are susceptible to the same pride and emotion as regular people, especially in Bush’s case. W. is a fitting tribute to a man who is very much a known unknown. —Nigel Smith

images courtesy 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Lions Gate Films

Max Payne MAX PAYNE IS the best film ever adapted from a video game, but that’s not saying much. It’s the story of a renegade cop, the titular Max Payne, who has spent three years searching for the killers of his wife and baby. His old partner informs Payne of a string of drug-related deaths in the city that seem to have a connection to his search, and in his crusade for the truth Payne leaves a trail of bullets and bodies in his wake. Payne is played by tough guy Mark Wahlberg, whose recent string of badass character roles in The Departed, Shooter, and We Own the Night have made him the new go-to guy for gritty action movie anti-heroes. Wahlberg fits into the role like a second skin; after all, this isn’t the first time he’s played a vengeful cop. Max Payne is based on the two video games of the same name, whose disparate plots are chopped up and mixed together to make a sin-

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B+ gle narrative in this film. What separates Max Payne from Doom or Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is that it feels like more of a movie than a liveaction video game. The cinematography and direction is brilliant, with fantastic action scenes and dialogue that is surprisingly not campy or cheesy. Unfortunately, the character of Mona Sax (Mila Kunis) could have been written out of the movie. She only has about 10 minutes of screen time and seems to be onscreen only to please fans of the video game Max Payne 2 and add some cheap sex appeal. The movie’s conclusion is pretty anti-climactic, and might leave some viewers feeling cheated out of what could have been a spectacular finale. Video-game movies are getting better, but they’re still not a reliable cinematic commodity. —Hisham Kelati

C+

Body of Lies IF YOU ARE one to spend multiple hours on Google Earth, then chances are you will enjoy sitting through the two choppy hours of Ridley Scott’s newest film, Body of Lies. Set in the Middle East, the film depicts the conflict between two CIA operatives working against terrorists who have carried out an attack in Europe and are threatening to strike again. Agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is followed throughout various terror-fighting operations with an aerial camera that’s reminiscent of a satellite image. This is appealing at first, but this innovative film angle is exhausted by overuse. Ferris does all of the fieldwork for his supervisor and mentor, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe). Gaining upwards of 50 pounds to play his role, Crowe is mostly shown either barking sardonic orders or foul-mouthed spy-film clichés into

Oct. 23, 2008

his suspiciously prominent Blackberry. Both actors play their roles expertly, with Crowe obviously relishing his chance to play an arrogant heel. Unfortunately, the skilled acting in the film is undercut by the underwhelming script. Adapted from David Ignatius’s novel of the same title, William Monahan’s screenplay includes an excessive amount of settings and geographic jumps, often leaving the audience scratching their heads in regard to the characters’ whereabouts. This is a disappointing outing from Monahan, as his Oscar-winning script for The Departed placed intense emphasis on developing the local mood and colour of the city of Boston. Body of Lies showcases Ridley Scott at his worst, and offers nothing to distinguish it from other recent thrillers. —Kalin Smith

ARTS

11

University of Ottawa student cards

The evolution of iden [1890]

[1963]

The year was 1890. No photocopiers existed. Neither did computers. The university had to rely on typewriters and pens to create student cards.

The archives held no cards from the 1900s to property, With much scavenging, the Fulcrum the 1960s, the U of O improved its card-makin as lamination. The cards became more officia student cards.

[2003]

[1996] The 1990s saw the U of O start using computers to design a more reliable form of identification. In 1990, cards included a barcode for taking out library books as well as a student number for identification during exams.

Moving into the new millennium, colour photos were introduced on student cards.

THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa has existed as an educational institution since 1848 and ever since its inception h halls. The Fulcrum delved into the U of O’s past and unearthed a trove of both antique and contemporary studen meal plan, and Ontario Student Assistance Plan card all-in-one.

12

FEATURE

Oct. 23, 2008

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ntification

compiled by Sarah Leavitt Fulcrum Staff

[1970]

50s as they are considered personal m found a few more gems from the past. In ng abilities by introducing a picture as well al, longer-lasting, and more similar to today’s

[2004] In 2004, the U of O unveiled a new and improved student card. The card clearly stated the university’s name and brought the university’s colours into students’ wallets.

The 1970s cards introduced the student’s signature as a form of proper identification.

[2008] Four years later, the U of O increased the technology of the cards by including an electronic chip. The chip enables students to put money directly on their cards for photocopying and printing purposes. With the launch of the Gee-Gees Rewards program, students also use their cards to accumulate reward points over the year.

has churned out student card after student card for the undergraduate and graduate students who have filled its nt cards. Over the years the U of O student card has morphed from merely a form of identification into a library,

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Oct. 23, 2008

FEATURE

13

Album Reviews

Winter Gloves About a Girl

B+

PACKED WITH SWEET lyrics and backed up by a beautiful musical performance, Montreal band Winter Gloves’ debut album About a Girl is a 30-minute adrenaline rush. The 8-bit Nintendo-style piano melodies are innocent and joyful, and blend perfectly with dreamy guitars and the occasional drumming outbursts. The fuzzed-out tones on the album, particularly on “Hillside” and “Invisible”, separate Winter Gloves from other piano-based bands. The album is loaded with soulful and unforgettable choruses, and singer Charles F. has a superb, soaring voice that sends the listener into a euphoric state. About a Girl should definitely be on your Christmas list. —Rami Haidr

Kaley Bird Kaley Bird

B

EDMONTON’S KALEY BIRD skillfully blends folk, jazz, and pop music on her self-titled debut album. The songs explore an entire spectrum of emotions, from the melancholy of “It’s Just So” to the child-like amusement of “Dishes Ain’t Done” and “Dress Me Up”. Bird delights her listeners with inventive lyrics like “Well, the dishes ain’t done / Hell, they belong to no one” and conveys a comforting sincerity in her performance. There is a familiar Canadian style in all of Bird’s songs, including direct references to Canadian weather in “Northernline” and “Be Your Blanket”. Regrettably, Bird takes few artistic risks with her music and does not complement her lyrics with equally daring rhythms and melodic variations. The lack of artistic experimentation restrains Bird’s first effort, but the album still yields high expectations for the artist’s future musical endeavours. —Len Smirnov

Underoath Lost in the Sound of Separation

A-

CHRISTIAN HARDCORE BAND Underoath’s latest album Lost in the Sound of Separation succeeds in refining the developing sound of previous releases, such as the band’s last major release Define the Great Line. It was on that last album that the band first included the additional vocals of Spencer Chamberlain, whose clear singing contrasts the harsh screaming of bandmate Aaron Gillespie perfectly on this new release. Despite this addition, Lost in the Sound of Separation still has the hard, screamo-punk tone of Underoath’s former albums. The band stays faithful to its Christian basis in their writing, which gives their lyrics depth: “I roamed around the wasteland and I swear I found something / I found hope / I found God / I found the dreams of the believers”. “Too Bright To See Too Loud To Hear” and “A Fault Line, A Fault Of Mine” will have fans singing as much as “The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed” will get heads banging and moshers running violently into one another. —Jaclyn Lytle

Ever find yourself using the phrase, “I prefer their old stuff”? Then review some albums for the Fulcrum! E-mail [email protected] to hop on the free CD train.

University of Ottawa

Rock Talk Unplugged! Come hear Allan Rock share some of his reflections after a few months as president. He will take questions from students following his address. Allan Rock talks to students Friday, October 24, 2008 at Noon Agora, University Centre, downtown campus

Check out Rock Talk at www.president.uOttawa.ca/blog

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ARTS

Oct. 23, 2008

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The Fashist

Im in ur website, steelin’ ur newz.

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www.athabascau.ca/standout



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The skinny on ties

LET’S DISPENSE WITH the formalities. My name is Gustav Elatus, and I’m here to fix you. I’ve spent my last three years attending the prestigious Austrian School of the Sartorial Arts—that’s fashion school for all you plebeians—and I was also a summer intern at the British Vogue, not the vulgar American pastiche that shares the same title. I’m here on an exchange, and the Fulcrum has asked me to use my vast fashion expertise to show you poor, misguided students how to dress. I’m sick and tired of the fashion crimes I see every day, and I’m putting you all on notice. The foliage and frost of the fall season is now upon us. It’s the perfect time to look employable by donning the uniform of the season: sweaters, vests, and sweater-vests. Of course, a collection of carefully selected ties adds much to your wardrobe, but you should be careful when selecting a tie to match your outfit and your body type. Pay attention to colour, pattern, and the width of your tie, not to mention how you tie it. You may have noticed choosing the right tie isn’t as easy as your father would have it seem. Those Looney Tunes ties you’ve been giving him every Christmas are a crime against humanity, and no self-respecting fashionista would ever be caught dead with anything considered novelty. Jokes are for comedians, not for wearing around your neck. Tie colour is pretty basic: match it to your shirt. Don’t wear anything too bright or flashy; uncouth Americans always do this when they visit my home country, and we can’t help but snigger behind their backs. My friend Calvin founded a large fashion house, and you’ll never see him wear anything too outré around his neck—unless it’s that devastating fur I bought him last Christmas. Choose

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colours that blend well and don’t clash, using your best judgment. From the fashion decisions I’ve seen around this campus, however, your best judgment probably isn’t very good at all. There are several rules for choosing the correct tie pattern. Break these at your own risk—Mr. Blackwell may have passed, but I’ll gladly name you and shame you with my own “Worst Dressed” list. Striped shirts look good with patterned ties. Shirts with subtle patterns look good with boldly striped ties, as do the checked shirts that are so popular these days. Dotted ties work with almost any shirt because they look awkward no matter what you wear. If it looks like it would be worn by Bozo the Clown, it’s probably not haute couture. And remember the two out of three rule— if your suit and shirt are striped, your tie shouldn’t be. My Italian tailor, Giorgio, once threatened a man’s life because he refused to follow this rule. Skinny ties are the latest thing, thanks to the hip teen bands Fall Out Charlotte and Panic! at the Drive-In. I don’t listen to such vulgar assaults on the ears—my taste runs more towards Rachmaninoff and the earlier works of Shostakovich. But from what I’ve seen during the daily torture session I call Entertainment Tonight Canada, skinny ties are about as ubiquitous as that young Miley Montana girl. Skinny ties make a statement, but they don’t make the same statement for every person. For some people strutting around Ottawa in their skinny ties, that statement is “I just hopped on the back of the fashion train—where do I get a ticket?” Unfortunately, these ties only work for some people. Thin ties are for thin bodies, and normal ties for normal bodies. If you’re shaped more like

a linebacker than a horse jockey, throw out anything thinner than two inches. Also, be sure to match small collars with thinner ties, and vice versa. God knows how many times I have physically cringed when a student comes strutting into class thinking he’s hot shit, but actually he looks like he just raided his fashionchallenged father’s wardrobe. The knot is a big part of tie style. There are several different types of knots, but only two of consequence. The Four in Hand knot is the most common, which means it should be avoided—you don’t want to look like everyone else. A common alternative, the Windsor knot, is large and bulky, and makes it look as though there’s a cobra attacking your neck. Nobody wants to look like they spend too much time in the reptile house. The Half Windsor is an acceptable substitute, but only those with true style use the Pratt knot. It’s all the rage in Europe, and you’ll find me sporting it whenever I need to impress anyone, which is never, because I impress everyone all of the time already. Check out instructions on the Internet, and Giorgio won’t have to give you his famous Italian backhand. Hopefully this little guide has shown you unfortunate, style-deprived students how to correctly wear one of the most important parts of any man’s wardrobe. Don’t think you can avoid my gaze, either—I’ll be returning to criticize University of Ottawa fashions. Trust me, there’s more to come—I haven’t even touched on women’s fashions. But first, I believe fellow columnist Di and I have an important meeting. She’s going to show me something you Canadians call a “G-spot”, whatever that is. Got a question for the Fashist? E-mail [email protected]

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Oct. 23, 2008

ARTS

15

Sports

David McClelland Sports Editor [email protected] Oct. 23–29, 2008

16

A valiant try in Quebec City Gee-Gees women’s rugby team defeated in semi-finals by Anna Rocoski Fulcrum Staff

photo courtesy Suzanne Chaulk

A determined effort was not enough to keep the Gee-Gees’ playoff run alive.

ON OCT. 18, the University of Ottawa’s women’s rugby team travelled to Quebec City to take on the undefeated Laval Rouge et Or in their Quebec Student Sports Federation (QSSF) semifinal match. Laval won the playoff match 47-0, closing out the Gees’ season. Despite the season-ending loss, Gee-Gees head coach Suzanne Chaulk was proud of her team. “You had to have been there because I know people are looking at the scoreboard going ‘Oh great, [a] crappy game’, but it wasn’t. For the majority of that game they played well above what they had played all season,” said Chaulk. The game was decided within the first 30 minutes, in which the GeeGees allowed 40 points, while surrendering just seven through the rest of the 80-minute game.

“We played like a team that was very, very nervous. [When] they weren’t sure they could do it, they played with nerves,” said Chaulk. “We couldn’t get a ball from one set of hands to the other [and] … [the Rouge et Or] were coming through easily—it was like we were butter on defence.” The Gee-Gees rallied and came together in the last 10 minutes of the first half and played with determination for the duration of the second half, limiting Laval to a single try. “I was really pleased, that last 50 minutes was amazing. We had the ball more in the first 10 minutes of the second half than [we] had it the entire first half,” explained Chaulk, “The key is that [the Gee-Gees] know that they can do it and that’s the trick to any team. They have to get to a point where they believe they can, and once they reach that point then they can [win].” Chaulk believed that her entire team put in a lot of effort, especially those playing up front. “Our entire front row—Esinam Egbeyaka, Philippa Ogbemudia, and Tegan Bradshaw—did a phenomenal

job,” explained Chaulk. “It’s a gruelling job, especially when you are playing defence, but if they had not done the job they did, we would not have had the game we had.” With the season over, the team will now continue to work hard in the offseason. “To be honest [this is when] the real work begins for us,” said Chaulk. “Because, unlike winter sports, we don’t have any pre-season with our players, so we get them as they are. If they don’t show up at training camp [in late August] as fit as we would like there’s not much we can do about it until the season’s over.” The U of O has a women’s sevens team—a variant of rugby played with seven players instead of 15—which the team plays on to stay fit in the offseason. The main difficulty is finding a suitable heated dome or indoor stadium to play in. Currently, games can be hosted in Ottawa at Frank Clair Stadium and at a dome in Montreal operated by Concordia University. The QSSF final features Laval and the Concordia Stingers facing off on Oct. 26 in Quebec City.

Gee-Gees rush towards playoffs Sacobie misses out on record as running game leads Gee-Gees past Varsity Blues by David McClelland Fulcrum Staff THERE WAS A point during the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees’ football game on Oct. 18 when it seemed that the team’s season might come to an early and inglorious end. With both Ottawa and the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues needing a win to make the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs and the GeeGees down 23-10 at halftime, the future of the Gees’ 2008 season looked grim. However, the team came back from the locker room re-energized and won 39-30, thanks to a dominant running game. Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Sacobie, already impeded by a heavily injured receiving corps, bruised his hand slightly in the first half, causing him to have difficulty gripping the ball properly for the remainder of the game. While Sacobie was an uncharacteristic 10-20 in passing attempts with just 122 yards, the Gees were able to make up for the lack of passing by coming up with 329 yards on 42 rushing attempts. The 122 passing yards meant Sacobie fell short of reaching the all-time

CIS regular-season passing yards record of 10,201, set the same day by Matt Connell of the McGill Redmen. Sacobie ends his career with 9,885 passing yards, good for third all-time in the CIS. “I’m not too happy with my performance, unfortunately, [but] I really don’t care either because our running game was dominating,” Sacobie said following the game. “I told the boys that I just loved handing the ball off and watching them run. I just wish I could be a part of it—go out and block—but unfortunately the coach doesn’t want me to do that.” In the first half, it didn’t look like the Gee-Gees would be able to get any facet of their game working. Despite opening the game with 10 quick points off a one-yard touchdown rush by Sacobie and a 13-yard field goal by kicker Luigi de Lellis minutes later, the rest of the half was a disaster for Ottawa. The Gees’ defence was unable to contain Toronto’s offence, and while in possession of the ball the Blues’ determined defence prevented the Gee-Gees from moving the ball downfield. Led by second-year quarterback David Hamilton, the Varsity Blues were able to score three touchdowns in the half and added two singles to give them a 13-point lead at the halfway mark. A humbled Gee-Gees squad came out in the second half, but was able to tighten up their defence. The Gees also switched to moving the ball almost exclusively on the ground, with Sacobie doing little

photo by Alex Smyth

Normally a quarterback, Brad Sinopoli suited up as a receiver against U of T, and caught four passes for 44 yards. more than handing the ball off to his running backs. The change in philosophy was successful, as running backs Felix Dejardins-Potvin and Davie Mason both ran for touchdowns, while Sacobie ran one in himself. The Gee-Gees were able to add a fourth touchdown when Sacobie connected with receiver Alex Fortier-Labonte with a sevenyard pass to seal the victory.

“Well, it was urgency,” laughed Mason regarding the difference between the first and the second half. “If we lost, we would be going home, never to play again [this year], so the only thing we were thinking was: we can’t lose.” “We put it on our O-line to shake things up, to say let’s go play some old-style throwback football,” said Ottawa head coach Denis Piché after

the game. “We didn’t care how good or pretty it was going to look, [we] just [went] and got it done. [We had] a lot of resilience, and bought ourselves one more week.” With the win, the Gee-Gees finish their regular season with a 4-4 record in fifth place in the OUA. They now visit the Guelph Gryphons on Oct. 25 in a OUA quarter-final match-up.

Gee-Gees run into penalty trouble After a win against Concordia, men’s hockey team struggles with Patriotes by David McClelland Fulcrum Staff

photo by Alex Smyth

Gee-Gees left-winger Sean Smyth ties up Concordia’s Marc-André Element behind the net.

JUST AS THE University of Ottawa men’s hockey team seemed to be gaining momentum in their season with a 4-2 win over the Concordia Stingers on Oct. 17 their bubble was burst the following night in a 7-1 loss to the University of Quebec at TroisRivières (UQTR) Patriotes. Against Concordia, Ottawa got off to a sluggish start, but after killing off a penalty assessed to left-winger Jakub Blundil for slashing at the five-minute mark, the Gee-Gees came alive. Gees rookie left-winger Matthieu Methot netted the first goal of the game with eight minutes left in the period. The Stingers responded shortly afterwards when a loose puck in front of the net made it past goaltender Riley Whitlock 14:28 into the period. It only took 30 seconds for the Gee-Gees to reply as team captain Martin Hérard fired home a one-timer off a pass from centre Pat Millette. “It’s true it took us a little [time] to get in the game,” said Gee-Gees thirdyear left-winger Yanick Charron af-

ter the game. “But we [said] to each other, even after the first period, that we’re a better team than that, so it was kind of a wake-up call for us.” The second period saw both teams score on the power play. Ottawa tallied eight minutes into the period when Stingers netminder Maxime Joyal bobbled the puck, which was then poked into the net by Charron. A minute later, Concordia responded as a well-passed puck was knocked past Whitlock by right-winger Nicolas Lafontaine. The third period was replete with penalties, with 32 penalty minutes accumulated between the two teams. Despite the ensuing power plays, scoring was light, with the only goal coming from Charron at the 7:21 mark when he cut across the Stingers’ crease and fired the puck top-shelf. “There were a lot of penalties in the game, but I thought we played very well today,” said Gee-Gees head coach Dave Léger after the game. “There are a lot of hard feelings still [between Concordia and Ottawa]. We have a player who sustained a broken jaw last year as the result of a slash, and I actually thought we were quite disciplined relative to what the guys’ first instincts [were].” The next evening, the Gee-Gees took on the UQTR Patriotes, but with

Aerobics class offers cardio with a twist—literally by Anna Rocoski Fulcrum Staff FOR SOME, A Saturday morning involves a hearty breakfast from Father & Sons; for others the morning is used to catch up on sleep. But on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. or earlier people begin arriving at the Sports Complex to sign up for the 9 a.m. Saturday morning Zumba aerobics class. Zumba is a type of aerobics with upbeat Latin music and unique dance moves. It’s an increasingly popular form of exercise in North America that was created in the mid-1990s by Columbian trainer Alberto Perzen. In 1999, the booty-shaking fitness class made its way to North America when Perez moved to Miami, Florida. “It’s like being on a vacation—just the moves you do [are like] salsa-tropical dance,” said third-year political science and history student and Zumba participant Andrea Khanjin. “It’s a nice break from the weather if it’s cold outside. You leave the change room and summer is gone, so it makes it a bit different.”

Zumba is a brand-name fitness program led by certified instructors, and is a very energetic workout thanks to the dancing and upbeat music. It is similar to regular aerobics (rhythmic, wholebody fitness exercises usually set to techno or dance music) except there is a lot more twisting and dance-style moves incorporated into the workout. The fact that workouts are spent dancing can make for a much more entertaining cardio workout than simply getting on a treadmill or exercise bike. The workout is focused on the abdominals —the tighter your abs, the more successful the workout. “I try to come every Saturday. Basically you get an early start to the day, it’s energizing and exciting and it’s a different kind of workout. It’s really refreshing and invigorating,” explained Khanjin. Even though dancing isn’t everyone’s forté, participants can still fit in. Classes usually contain a large group of individuals that may be equally bad at dancing, and most classes have a large contingent of newcomers, so no one has to worry about being the only person not knowing what they’re doing. “I’m not into dancing so I might not look cool, but it’s fun jumping around looking like an idiot and you’re with a

The Gee-Gees now have a 2-3-0 record, good for third in the Ontario University Athletics Far East division. They next see action on Oct. 24, when they host the Concordia Stingers at 7 p.m. at the Sports Complex Arena. Tickets are $4 for students.

sudoku answers from p. 22

Ay ca-zumba!

much different results. In the first period, UQTR established the lead with a pair of power play goals in the second half of the frame. Methot responded with a goal of his own with less than three minutes remaining, leaving the Gees behind by one goal at the intermission. From the start of the second period, the game went downhill for the Gee-Gees, as the Patriotes scored five more times—twice on the power play—while Ottawa was completely unable to respond. In all, seven different players scored for the Stingers, making the win a true team effort. The Gee-Gees struggled to kill penalties, especially in the first two periods, as the Patriotes scored on all but one of their five power plays in the first and second period. UQTR did not score any even-strength goals until the final period of the game, when they scored three. In contrast, the Gees were unable to score on any of their eight chances with an extra attacker.

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. illustration by Martha Pearce

group,” said Kathleen McTavish, a thirdyear sociology student and Zumba participant. The Zumba class takes place in the Sports Complex in the multi-sports room every Saturday morning. Make sure you show up at least a half-hour before the class begins because there are limited spaces for students in each class.

[email protected]

For more information on Zumba, as well as other aerobic classes at the U of O, visit geegees.ca.

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Oct. 23, 2008

SPORTS

17

Back and forth

Around the horn

Women’s hockey team tallies a win and a loss over weekend by Megan O’Meara Fulcrum Staff

Trio of victories for men’s basketball in Newfoundland

dents, while a day pass is $8. —David McClelland

THE UNIVERSITY OF Ottawa women’s hockey team had mixed results on Oct. 18 and 19, besting the Concordia Stingers 6-2 and then falling to the Carleton Ravens 3-2 in a shootout. Against the Stingers on Oct. 18, Ottawa goaltender Jessika Audet worked hard to protect the net in the first period as Concordia hit her relentlessly with shots. Ottawa eventually recovered as third-year forward Taryn Brown notched the GeeGees first goal of the game with just under three minutes to play in the first period. A minute later, rookie forward Fannie Desforges fired a hard shot into the Stingers’ net, allowing Ottawa to take a two-goal lead into the intermission. In the second period, fourth-year Gees forward Joyce Spruyt scored at the 10:20 mark, while Desforges followed it up six minutes later with her second goal of the game. Meanwhile, the Stingers replied with a pair of goals themselves, as forward Mary Jane O’Shea and defender Valerie Lapage-Barrette added their names to the scorecard. In the final period, rookie Ottawa forward Jodi Reinholtz picked up her first goal of the season, and Desforges continued her streak, adding to the lead in scoring the sixth and final goal of the game for the Gee-Gees. With a goal in each period, Desforges earned her first Canadian Interuniversity Sports hat trick. Gee-Gees head coach Shelley Coolidge was proud of Desforges’ performance throughout the game. “I was really excited for [Desforges] … she was going to the net hard all game,” she said. Desforges stressed that her success was a team effort, saying that she receives a lot

THE GEE-GEES MEN’S baseketball team won the SeaHawk pre-season basketball tournament held in St. John’s, NL., Oct. 16–18 with victories over the Ryerson Rams, RMC Paladins, and Memorial SeaHawks. The first game of the tournament on Oct. 16 was the closest for Ottawa. Down 42-36 to the Rams at halftime, the GeeGees showed determination and came back to win 83-82 in dramatic fashion with fourthyear guard Donnie Gibson sinking a free throw with 0.2 seconds left. The next two games went more smoothly for Ottawa, as they put on clinics for both the Paladins and the Sea-Hawks. The Gee-Gees came up with a 102-40 win over RMC on Oct. 17, and followed it up with a 94-54 victory against Memorial the next day. Fifth-year centre Dax Dessureault was awarded tournament MVP honours, while fourth-year guard Josh Gibson-Bascombe was named a tournament all-star. The basketball team will play next on Oct. 24 when they host the Jack Donahue tip-off tournament. Their first game is that night, when they play the UPEI Panthers at 8 p.m. in the Montpetit Gym. The tournament runs Oct. 24-26. Tournament passes are $20 for stu-

Women’s volleyball sweeps Kingston trip

photo by Alex Martin

Rookie forward Fannie Desforges (21) had a hat trick in her third CIS game. of support from her fellow teammates. “[Centre] Kayla Hottot was very encouraging on the bench, and a lot of other girls just keep encouraging and pushing, and it helps a lot,” said Desforges. Coolidge was pleased with her team’s performance. “I thought [Gee-Gees goaltender Jessika Audet] did an exceptional job of covering the rebounds and the girls did a good job of … limiting Concordia’s second shots,” she explained. “We ended up with 32 shots on net at the end of the game, and any coach should be happy with a number like that.” While the team put in an excellent performance to earn their second straight win on Oct. 18, the following day the team suffered its first loss of the season when they visited the Ravens. Carleton lead the way in the first period as forward Jennifer Gordon scored the first

goal for the Ravens at the three-minute mark, and was followed five minutes later by a goal from forward Kristen Marson. After a scoreless second period, the GeeGees managed to score twice in the third period, as defender Michelle Snowden narrowed the Ravens’ lead to one goal, setting up forward Amber Foster’s gametying goal with 14:07 remaining to force overtime. Neither team managed to score during overtime, and Audet was tagged for goals three times during the shootout. While the Gee-Gees outshot Carleton 36-29, they did not manage to score on Carleton goaltender Amanda Muhlig in the shootout. The Gee-Gees now hold a 2-0-1 record and sit first in the Quebec Student Sports Federation conference. They next play Oct. 24 when they visit Concordia.

THE GEE-GEES WOMEN’S volleyball team came out on top in their season-opening road trip to Kingston with a pair of victories against the Queen’s Golden Gaels and RMC Paladins on Oct. 17–18. The Gee-Gees played Queen’s on Oct. 17 and looked shaky out of the gate. The Gaels won the first two games, posting 25-20 and 25-22 scores. The Gees managed to rally together and came back with three straight victories, winning 25-21, 25-23, and 15-13 to take the match. The next day, the Gee-Gees visited the Paladins and were able to emerge victorious, winning three of the four games to bag the victory. The Paladins won the second game of the match 25-13, but the Gees took the rest with scores of 25-22, 2522, and 25-12. Rookie middle Aminata Diallo had 14 kills and 10 digs for the Gee-Gees in her second regular season game. The Gee-Gees are currently in a tie for first place in the Ontario University Athletics East division, and next play Oct. 25 when they host the Western Mustangs. The game starts at 2:30 p.m. in the Montpetit Gym. Tickets are $4 for students. —David McClelland

GSAED FEST: Departmental Graduate Students Association Fair October 24, 2008, UCU

WHY? Because Graduate studies are about Graduate students. Mingle with Graduate students and make new friends. Learn more about services provided to Graduate students at the University of Ottawa.

Special features:

1pm, Agora: Implications of Commercialization, organized in cooperation with the Office of the President. 9pm, Nostalgica: Grad NIght

18

SPORTS

Oct. 23, 2008

www.thefulcrum.ca

Lighting the lamp

Ottawa’s future stadium?

David McClelland Sports Editor A FEW WEEKS ago, I used this space to denounce Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melmyk’s plan for a Major League Soccer stadium in Kanata, saying that Ottawa would be much better off with a downtown stadium (“Learn from the past, don’t repeat it”, Oct. 2). Thankfully, it seems that someone else in Ottawa understands what I was talking about. A group of local businesspeople, led by Ottawa ‘67s owner Jeff Hunt, currently have a conditional Canadian Football League franchise, which hinges on their having a stadium

deal in place with the City of Ottawa by March than what currently exists. Instead of parking 2009. On Oct. 17, they revealed their plan for lots, fans could enjoy a selection of stores and a revamped Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne restaurants built near the stadium and the Park. If their plan is accepted, this new stadium landscaped parkland along the Rideau Canal. could be one of the best things to hit Ottawa in Meanwhile, the proposal calls for parking to be years, for both the sporting community and the built underground, or perhaps for incorporatcity as a whole. ing park-and-ride systems at nearby Billings If you’ve taken in Bridge or Carleton University. a Gee-Gees game at Frank Clair Stadium re- Frank Clair stadium is partially Additionally, as the proposal’s website cently, you know that it’s demolished, and the harsh (lansdownelive.com) a long way from being concrete stands look like a beautiful stadium or somewhat snidely even a pleasant place to something out of a dystopian notes, the new stadium watch a football game. would be suitable for science-fiction movie. amateur and profesIt’s partially demolished, sional soccer as well as and the harsh concrete stands look like somefootball—placing it in thing out of a dystopian science-fiction movie. direct opposition to Melnyk’s plan. Given the Needless to say, this does nothing for the sta- flexibility that Hunt’s group says that they are willing to show in negotiations with the city, dium’s atmosphere. The new plan, however, calls for a complete- and the sympathy city officials have shown ly refurbished 25,000-seat Frank Clair Stadium towards a more centrally located field, a reat the centre of a stunningly redeveloped Lans- developed Frank Clair Stadium certainly has downe Park. Instead of the current concrete a leg up over a new facility in Kanata. As there monstrosity, there will be a comfortable mod- needs to be a deal in place with the city by ern stadium, more like BMO Field in Toronto March of next year for the conditional CFL

franchise to go through, we will probably see Melnyk and Hunt’s proposals duking it out over the next five months. And what of the Gee-Gees? The University of Ottawa’s football team is currently the only regular tenant at Frank Clair, and the university will very likely soon be faced with having to choose between building their own field on campus, or becoming involved with the plans for Lansdowne Park. In this sports editor’s opinion, the Gee-Gees would be far better off sticking with Frank Clair—it’s a short bus ride from campus, and the Gee-Gees could play in a world-class stadium, which would certainly help entice students to come to games. With any luck, Lansdowne Park will look completely different in a few years. No longer will it be a place where events are hosted because there is no other choice. It will be a place we’ll want to go and watch a variety of highcalibre sports. Ottawa may one day have sports facilities better suited to our status as Canada’s capital, in place of the current facilities fit for a provincial backwater. [email protected] 613-562-5931

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Graduate Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences

Open House Wednesday, October 29, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. University of Ottawa, Tabaret Hall, Room 112, 550 Cumberland Street Graduate programs offered: t

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Oct. 23, 2008

SPORTS

19

Opinion

Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Oct. 23–29, 2008

Hustler nails Palin where it hurts

20

HECKLES: Dun u h8 it wen ppl type lyke dis? by April Lim Fulcrum Contributor

illustration by Alex Martin

by Jaclyn Lytle Fulcrum Staff “LOOKING FOR A Sarah Palin look-alike for an adult film to be shot in next 10 days. Major adult studio. Please send pix, stats etc. ASAP. Pay: $2000-3000 No anal required.” This advertisement, posted on craigslist by Hustler Video on Sept. 10, suggests that founder Larry Flynt and his staff at Hustler are hoping to tap into what could be a new niche in the pornography industry. Hustler’s latest project, entitled Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?: Adventures of a Hockey MILF, is a satirical exploitation of 2008 U.S. Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin; the porn empire’s first attempt at a political parody porn. The New York Daily News broke the story on Oct. 2. The newspaper quoted a spokesman for Larry Flynt Publications—which owns Hustler and Hustler Video—who confirmed that the film was in production at that time. At press time, the video’s release date was unavailable, although Hustler is reportedly fast-tracking it to get it on shelves before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4. The complete script became available at tmz.com on Oct. 9. Erotic actress Lisa Ann portrays Serra Paylin, who is involved in a variety of sexual encounters, each increasingly hilarious. In the opening scene, Paylin is reading a copy of “Today’s MILF” when she is interrupted by two Russian soldiers knocking at her back door. The soldiers, whose tank has inexplicably crashed into a tree in Paylin’s yard, want to use her phone, and they aren’t denied any hospitality. In a later scene—a flashback dream sequence—a youthful and eager Paylin is a student at “I-Da-Ho

University”, where she gets some one-on-one assistance from her creationist professor after class. The final scene depicts Paylin at a news conference, addressing accusations that she is having an extra-marital affair. Once the crowd clears out, Paylin is left seemingly alone, until “Hilly”, the bisexual bipartisan, crawls out from

Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? should be recognized for its merit as a clever and brave critique of Republican party policies. beneath Paylin’s podium. The two find themselves in a sticky situation when “Condi” enters, and the politically charged threesome have at it. The Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? script is equally pornographic and entertaining, and it does more than just appeal to fantasy. Despite the excessively corny dialogue, the writing is actually quite clever. There is a political statement disguised within the script that suggests the upcoming erotic feature is more than just pornography. For instance, the majority of the characters included in the script parody major U.S. political figures. The dialogue is designed to be relevant to issues in the current

election, and is filled with satirical commentary that specifically targets recent events concerning the Republican party. A large portion of Paylin’s lines, for example, are only slightly altered from sections of speeches that Palin has made. It is no coincidence that Flynt and his team at Hustler posted their advertisement only days after the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Flynt, who is very liberal, has been a long time advocate for freedom of expression. His 2005 book Sex, Lies, and Politics: The Naked Truth admonishes Republican policies. It appears that Flynt is using Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? as a statement of his own political belief. Although Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? may be a somewhat indirect route for Flynt to make his statement, this movie is perhaps the most effective manner of creating discussion. He is using an outlet he feels is being suppressed in order to make an openly satirical statement about those he considers responsible. Flynt is trying to nail the Republicans where it hurts, and show the American public the naked truth about Palin. It is unlikely that the release of Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? will have any visible effect on the Nov. 4 election, but that doesn’t appear to be Flynt’s intent. The film, instead, is a subversive reminder that at least one American will not accept a limitation of his rights. Hustler is creating a whole new frontier in the sex industry with this film. Who’s Nailin’ Paylin? should be recognized for its merit as a clever and brave critique of Republican party policies. If John McCain and Palin do get elected, you can be sure that this won’t be the last time we hear from Flynt.

OH YES, I’M talking to you, you Internet lingo and slang enthusiast. Whether you are a closet or full-out “1337”, I have developed strong feelings of dislike towards certain individuals like you who insist on typing “lyke dis”. Does it really save you time to write one fewer letter in a word? Does replacing the letters “a-t-e” with the number eight really clear up time in your busy schedule? Please do me a favour by at least acting like you have the time to talk to me on MSN by typing out full words in complete sentences. Whenever I sign on to MSN, I prepare myself for an onslaught of poor language and grammar. I even have a post-it cheat sheet of formulas on my desk so that I know when you type, “BRBG2P”, you mean, “Be right back, got to pee”. Be considerate. It may save you time, but it certainly does not for me. It takes me forever to decipher what the heck you’re saying. Not only is the use of Internet slang confusing and time-consuming for the receiver, but it is also rude and less personable. I don’t know about you, but if my boyfriend messaged me, “143 4eae!” (code for “I love you”—each number represents the number of letters in the words) I would first think, “Really, why am I dating this tool?” and then my second reaction would be a rabid response of caps-lock hatred directed at him for not being able to spend the extra five milliseconds to type, “I love you forever and ever and ever”. I would expect Internet lingo to be used mostly by pubescent teenagers (or in some cases by moronic boyfriends), but apparently that is not the case if I am receiving cryptic messages from my fellow classmates. A word of advice: If you are an avid, die-hard, Internet-slang user, ensure that your excessive use of it does not seep into your essays, lab reports, or theses. I realize that the invention of the Internet and its continuous evolutions have made everything more convenient and efficient; however, conversations and communication do not have to be speed efficient. So, if you type in Internet slang, I strongly discourage you from talking to me on MSN unless you want a raging yet perfectly worded and grammatically correct reply. Better yet, instead of doing me a favour, do yourself a favour and learn and appreciate how to type sincerely and correctly. Your current friends won’t hate you and your future friends will thank you, or at least I will.

Reviving the Cold War mentality Russia’s actions in the Russian-Georgian conflict are unjustly condemned by Len Smirnov Fulcrum Contributor IN REACTION TO Russia’s military advance into Georgia on Aug. 8, Western countries are condemning Russia as an aggressor and accusing its leaders of reviving Cold War hostilities. Dubbed the 2008 South Ossetia War, the conflict involved five days of heavy fighting, and ended when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared a halt to the operation on Aug. 12; a formal Russian withdrawal was completed on Oct. 8. Russia is considered to be the victor in the conflict, as Georgia lost control over parts of Abkhazia and South Ossetia it previously held, and Russia recognized the regions as independent republics. U.S. President George W. Bush called Russia’s actions “unacceptable in the 21st century” and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused the Russian government of “bullying” the former Soviet republic. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper echoed these sentiments, suggesting that Russia’s invasion “indicates a Soviet-era mentality”. These strong statements aimed to intimidate Russia and bolster democracy in Georgia, but they also revealed the Western leaders’ ignorance of history and their profound misunderstanding of Russia’s role in the summer conflict. Western leaders claimed that Russia acted as an aggressor because the country initiated the August attacks without any provocation. This claim disregards the fact that the Georgian government committed the first act of aggression in the conflict. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili authorized a military attack on South Ossetia, a separatist and pro-Russian Georgian province, in the hopes of bringing the province under firm Georgian rule. The Georgian military forces entered South Ossetia on Aug. 8. They

bombed and occupied the province’s capital Tskhinvali, killing South Ossetian residents as well as Russian peacekeepers in the process. Russian citizens living in South Ossetia were left to the protection of a weak local militia. The militia ultimately offered little resistance to the well-trained Georgian military forces and was unable to prevent massive South Ossetian civilian casualties. Russia responded by sending armoured Russian divisions into Georgia from North Ossetia, a neighbouring Russian province. The Russian divisions expelled Georgian troops from South Ossetia and advanced to the Georgian city of Gori. The Russian attacks on Georgia were a necessary response to Georgia’s deliberate assault on its own citizens and the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the province. The Western leaders’ arguments concerning Russian aggression appear even more misguided upon considering that Russia had a legitimate motive for getting involved in the conflict. Russian peacekeepers, stationed in South Ossetia on the conditions of a ceasefire arrangement brokered between Russia and Georgia in 1992, were killed as a result of Georgia’s offensive. According to Timothy William Waters, professor at the Indiana University School of Law, Russia’s involvement in the conflict following the killings of its citizens is entirely compatible with international law and cannot be interpreted as aggression. Russia’s duty to intervene in the conflict can also be traced to its historic ties to South Ossetia. After Georgia’s separation from the Soviet Union in April 1991, South Ossetia voiced its desire to remain affiliated with Russia. Although it was automatically included in Georgia, the province considered itself independent of the new country. Recent referendums show that South Ossetian people still feel a close connection to Russia and prefer Russia’s guidance over rule from Geor-

gian capital Tbilisi. Vast portions of South Ossetians hold Russian passports and classify themselves as Russian nationalists. Russia was required to respond to Georgia because it was directly implicated in the issues that generated the military confrontation. Russia’s attacks on the Georgian military forces were used for the self-defence of its peacekeepers and citizens in South Ossetia. These defensive actions demonstrate that Russia will resist any aggression against its nationals—a goal many Western nations are likely to identify with—and cannot be interpreted as unprovoked intervention in another nation’s domestic affairs. Western leaders, such as recently retired Canadian minister of foreign affairs David Emerson, argue that Russia acted as an aggressor because it used disproportionate force in its attacks against Georgia. They criticize Russian forces for marching outside of South Ossetia, burning villages and killing Georgian civilians. Richard Cohen of the Washington Post went as far as to state that Russia’s bombing of Georgia “is not merely disproportionate, it is purposely, studiously, coldly atrocious”. These claims assume that Georgia’s incursions into South Ossetia will end as soon as all Georgian troops are expelled from the separatist province, and ignore the possibility that Georgian forces might re-enter South Ossetia after the withdrawal of their Russian counterparts. Russia is helping to prevent future attacks on South Ossetia by venturing beyond the boundaries of the province and destroying key Georgian military installations, port facilities, and communications infrastructure. Russia’s surge into Georgia can even be seen as a positive development for global security. In reaching Gori, the Russian troops were able to seize weapons left behind by the retreating Georgian army and secure them against theft by terrorist organizations. Regrettably, the Western leaders refused to recognize Russia’s practical intentions and see the country as anything other than an aggressive nation. They further vilified Russia’s actions by presenting Georgia as a beacon of democracy in the former Soviet Union. Such depictions

position Russia as an authoritarian country that is determined to suppress Georgia’s democratic traditions and prevent Georgia’s inclusion into Western organizations, such as NATO and the European Union. The Western portrayal of Georgia as a democracy is entirely disconnected from the current conditions in the country. Saakashvili came to power during the 2004 Rose Revolution at a time of nationwide confusion and chaos. Since then, he has rarely upheld the democratic slogans that grant him popularity in the Western world. Lincoln Mitchell of The New York Times notes that Saakashvili reduced media freedom, weakened opposition parties, and modified the constitution to grant greater powers to the president. In November 2007, Saakashvili used force to suppress peaceful demonstrations against government corruption. Notably, on Oct. 1, 45 Georgian politicians created the Movement for Freedom and Justice to oppose Saakashvili. According to The New York Times, the Movement demands that Saakashvili “put the interests of the country and the people above personal ones” and stop pretending that Georgia has already achieved democracy. Growing complaints from opposition groups, such as the October Movement, undermine Western perceptions of Georgian democracy and the image of Saakashvili as a victim of Russia’s authoritarian aggression against the free world. Following the conflict, Harper urged his government to “review everything” in Canada’s relations with Russia and U.S. Republican presidential nominee John McCain suggested expelling Russia from the G8 as a punishment for the country’s aggression towards Georgia. As the Western leaders debate and raise hysteria over Russian aggression, it is necessary to critically examine which side is reviving the Cold War mentality: Russia or the West?

illustration by Alex Martin

www.thefulcrum.ca

Oct. 23, 2008

OPINION

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Distractions Dear Di

Sarah Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Oct. 23–29, 2008

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

Dear Di, I’m starting to get back into dating after a hard relationship and I’m finding myself in the “friend zone” all the time, even when I go on dates with new people. I always end up in this area with them and I’m getting tired of having new “girlfriends”. I asked my friend about it and she says it’s because I’m too nice to date. What should I do about it? —Nice Guys Sleep Alone Dear NGSA, First, let me reassure you that there is nothing wrong with being a nice guy. At the end of the day most girls want a good guy who knows how and when to be a gentleman and who genuinely respects women. With new romantic interests, you might want to hold off on talking about your past relationships before you really get to know each other. It’s okay to show your vulnerability to your love interest after a while, but showing too much of it too soon might give her the impression that you’re insecure. I think you need to master the art of being what I call the Imperfect Gentleman. Here’s the general mindset: first, the IG takes care of himself—he smells great, cuts his fingernails, has brushed his teeth within the last 12 hours, and dresses with a bit of personal style. Second, let the lady know you’re interested without throwing your heart at her feet (that is how many first dates go awry). While you’re getting to know her, flirt with her a bit and see how she responds. If she seems interested,

ask her out on a date. Once you’re out on your date make it clear that you like her by offering to buy the first drink and flirting a little, but whatever you do, don’t lay all your cards on the table too fast. The real key to the IG attitude is for the girl to realize that you aren’t perfect but you’re pretty awesome. Remember that there are no standards to meet. When you’re interacting with the girl you’re digging you’ve just got to relax and be yourself—keep it casual and don’t take yourself too seriously. If you’re too worried about being nice all the time it’s going to be hard for women to get to know the real you. Good luck! Love, Di Dear Di, I’m embarrassed to ejaculate. My semen barely fills the tip of a condom and whenever my girlfriend asks me to come on her tits, I get so self-conscious about my low flow that I lose my hard-on. Why is my semen so wimpy, and how can I produce bigger, more impressive loads? —Not-So-Wide Load Dear NSWL, Have you been watching too much porn lately? It can be discouraging to compare your own ejaculate to the buckets of protein shake the Dirk Digglers of the world seem to have in endless supply. But let’s be honest: most aspects of porn are even more fake than its silicone-inject-

ed stars. Listen, remember that one episode of Kenny vs. Spenny, “Who Can Produce More Semen”, when Spenny fooled Kenny (for once) by pouring milky-white shampoo into his vial of sperm? That’s the oldest trick in a porno prop-master’s book. The truth is that males 20–30 years old ejaculate an average of just four millilitres each orgasm. We’re talking less than a teaspoon’s worth of semen here, NSWL, so I’d be willing to bet that yours isn’t nearly as “wimpy” as you think. The less time you spend worrying about your come and the more you spend simply enjoying sex, the better—for you and your partner. However, if you’re really bent on increasing your load, studies have shown that men in better overall health—those who watch their diet, exercise regularly, drink lots of fluids, and avoid cigarettes—tend to produce more semen. Eating foods that are high in amino acids may also increase the amount of man seed you can spread. Also, simply unloading less frequently could result in a slightly larger volume of semen. But even these suggestions might not make a noticeable difference in the amount of ejaculate you produce, so don’t worry. Just relax, and the rest will come. Love, Di

Thryllabus Thursday, Oct. 23 Green movie night: Refugees of the Blue Planet. 7 p.m. Unicentre 205. Free. Panel discussion: Al-Haq Human Rights Workers from the Occupied West Bank. 7 p.m. Carleton University. 101 Azrieli Theatre. Free. University of Ottawa Wind Ensemble. 8 p.m. Tabaret Hall. Room 112. Voluntary contribution.

Friday, Oct. 24 The Urban Aesthetics, Rude Boy, Harpoon, Channel One, and To the Rescue. 8 p.m. The Live Lounge. 128 York St. $8. 19+. 48-hour novella contest. 5 p.m. Register 2:30–5 p.m. Arts Hall. Room 321. Free.

Saturday, Oct. 25 24th annual Creative Hands craft market. 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Greenbank Middle School. 168 Greenbank Rd. Free.

Women’s volleyball: Ottawa vs. Western. 2:30 p.m. Montpetit gym. Students $4.

Sunday, Oct. 26 Men’s basketball: Ottawa vs. McGill. 4:30 p.m. Montpetit gym. Students $4.

Monday, Oct. 27 Lecture: The Politics of Musical Performance. 11:30 p.m. Pérez Hall. Room 307. Free.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 Exhibit: Radical Drag. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. SAW gallery. 67 Nicholas St. Free. The Department of Theatre’s Drama Guild presents: Brecht on Brecht. 8 p.m. Academic Hall. Students $8.

Wednesday, Oct. 29 Documentary: The Invisible Nation. 8 p.m. Unicentre. Room 205. $2.

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

sudoku answers on p. 17

Hearsay

by Jordan Moffatt

Editorial

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Frank Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Oct. 23–29, 2008

A masterful performance UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA undergraduate students are one step closer to seeing the implementation of a universal bus pass. The U-Pass, which was passed in principle by students during a referendum last school year, has been a long-time passion of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), and is now finally within arm’s reach of becoming a reality. The fact that a U-Pass is finally nearing realization for U of O students is only part of the story. The most noteworthy aspect of this saga is the manner in which this leap towards student transit access has been taken. The U-Pass’s genesis at the city level comes after what is arguably one of the most remarkable acts of lobbying by the SFUO in recent memory. The SFUO demonstrated not just effective but refreshingly inspiring leadership at the City of Ottawa’s Transit Committee meeting on Oct. 15, inducing the committee to give the project its first breath of life. The presentation to the committee made by SFUO President Dean Haldenby and U of O Sustainability Coordinator Jonathan Rausseo was near flawless. City councillors received an eloquent and clearly wellresearched pitch that turned the entire committee into supporters of the pilot project.

Taking the 95 downtown since 1942. Volume 69 - Issue 10 Oct. 23–29, 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 we’ll raise fares.

Staff Frank ‘mackenzie king’ Appleyard Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Ben ‘fallowfield’ Myers Production Manager [email protected] Michael ‘terry fox’ Olender Executive Editor [email protected] Martha ‘heron’ Pearce Art Director [email protected] Emma ‘bayshore’ Godmere News Editor [email protected] Peter ‘queensway’ Henderson Arts & Culture Editor [email protected] David ‘blair’ McClelland Sports Editor [email protected]

Sarah ‘strandherd’ Leavitt Features Editor [email protected] Danielle ‘baseline’ Blab Laurel ‘carling’ Hogan Copy Editors Amanda ‘south keys’ Shendruk Associate News Editor [email protected] James ‘walkley’ Edwards Webmaster [email protected] Jessica ‘cyrville’ Sukstorf Volunteer & Visibility Coordinator [email protected] Megan ‘confederation’ O’Meara Staff Writer Alex ‘moodie’ Martin Staff Illustrator Inari ‘westboro’ Vaissi Nagy Jiselle ‘lebreton’ Bakker Ombudsgirls [email protected] Travis ‘laurier’ Boisvenue Ombudsboy [email protected]

Deidre ‘train’ Butters Advertising Representative [email protected] Ross ‘pleasant park’ Prusakowski Business Manager [email protected]

Ultimately, the presentation was not just a feather in Haldenby and Rausseo’s caps, but rather a performance that all U of O students will benefit from. City councillors were openly impressed by the SFUO’s well thought-out approach, and were quick to heap praise on the U of O student body for its leadership and vision in lobbying for the U-Pass. The SFUO’s inventive plan and Haldenby’s determined performance cast U of O students in a positive light among city officials; one that can only be beneficial in future dealings between the two groups. The U-Pass pilot project is not yet a done deal, as city council must now approve the plan, and the proposal must navigate the always-treacherous city budgeting process in upcoming months. However, in getting this far, the SFUO has demonstrated their ability to cast an impressive shadow on a stage much larger than the one found in their typical intrauniversity work. Haldenby and the student leaders behind this proposal have impressed some of the city’s top brass, and for that they deserve respect. If this keeps up, U of O undergrads will be the proud owners of a U-Pass come September, and students will know exactly who to thank: their student leaders.

The great debate nears THE NEXT TWO weeks will be a period of calm before one of the most powerful storms likely ever seen on campus hits the U of O. Yes, the long-awaited referendum on Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) membership in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is about to arrive, with the campaign opening on Nov. 7. For the uninformed, this referendum will finally put to rest a debate that has absorbed this campus for several years: to join or not to join? Since 2006, on-again, off-again prospectivemembership, indecision, and division among student leaders have at times characterized the U of O campus. This drawn-out debate will finally culminate in what is truly needed: students having their say. Nov. 18–20, undergraduate students will have the chance to decide whether to join their graduate student brethren in CFS-dom, or to ef-

fectively silence the group of students who have advocated for membership in recent years. The stakes involved in this referendum cannot be dismissed. Depending on whom you ask, national student lobby groups such as the CFS carry a lot of clout or stigma—and sometimes both—at campuses across the country. As U of O undergrads will likely find in the coming weeks, there are as many merits and detriments to joining the CFS as there are people willing to passionately campaign for your vote. Membership in a prominent organization such as the CFS is not a trivial matter, and students should take note that their vote in this referendum is every bit as meaningful as their vote in the federal election. Students’ votes in this referendum will determine not only student fees, but also access to campaigns, services, and national representation in lobbying efforts. The campaign period is blissfully short—only

13 days—and you can bet that neither the ‘yes’ nor ‘no’ sides will waste a moment. That means that an incredibly large amount of information will saturate this campus in an incredibly small amount of time. So, enjoy the calm of the next two weeks. However, when the floodgates open, undergraduate students must keep their eyes and ears open and remember that one of the most significant decisions in recent memory is facing them. From the moment this campaign kicks off, pay attention to what is being said by all sides and determine for yourself exactly what the CFS is and what it means for you. The staff at the Fulcrum will do their best to help. Students have the opportunity to settle a longstanding debate and choose a decisive path for the SFUO, themselves, and future U of O students. Do not underestimate the power of this referendum. Involve yourself and embrace it.

[email protected]

Nicole ‘campus’ Gall Staff Proofreader Robert ‘lees’ Olender On-campu s Distributor

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Contributors Evan ‘millenium’ Abrams Dave ‘bay’ Atkinson Kenny ‘carling’ Dodd Katie ‘kanata north’ DeClerq Ian ‘lycée claudel’ Flett Phil ‘teron’ Flickinger Rami ‘hawthorne’ Haidr Ted ‘dominion’ Horton Matt ‘lincoln fields’ Johnny

Camila ‘trim’ Juarez Danyal ‘eagleson’ Khoral April ‘bayview’ Lim Jaclyn ‘riverside’ Lytle Carl ‘bank’ Meyer Jordan ‘kent’ Moffatt Kelwryn ‘metcalfe’ Ord Émilie ‘queensway’ Sartoretto Len ‘billings bridge’ Smirnov

Nigel ‘airport’ Smith Kalin ‘stittsville’ Smith Alex ‘greenboro’ Smyth Sasha ‘place d’orleans’ Speranzini Anna ‘elmvale’ Rocoski Lihang ‘st. laurent’ Nong Jack ‘iris’ Wang Norman ‘barrhaven centre’ Wong Ming ‘greenboro’ Wu

cover photo by Lihang Nong