The Paulinian - Edition One

Why God won’t come to University Jeffrey Burwell, SJ Staff

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6 reasons why CFS will always fail Pierce Cairns Contributor

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elcome back everyone to another year of university life, and inevitably another visual assault of colourful Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) posters demanding lower tuition. Most students will not take note, few others will nod their heads in blank agreement, and still fewer will throw their arms up in disgust, but take solace in the fact that it is irrelevant. Criticizing the CFS has become somewhat of a hobby for me, so I will attempt to remain objective in highlighting briefly why the CFS will fail in its campaign to lower tuition fees. They are good at failing. Over the last 6 years, I have been approached annually by CFS representatives promoting their drive to freeze/lower tuition. In those 6 years, tuition has risen (through one backdoor means or another), student interest has waned, and the annual Crusade on the Legislature (Day of Action) has bottomed out and been cancelled (although I see it is back on this year, in balmy November rather than crisp February). CFS has employed the same tactics despite worse results, and they show no signs of changing. They have unrealistic goals. Now that the tuition freeze is scheduled to end, CFS has raised the bar from “maintain the freeze” to “drop fees.” Negotiating 101: when the other party offers you less and less, you

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cannot demand more and more and expect results. Granted, this requires you to even be at the bargaining table. When Gary Doer hears CFS is at the doorstep, he wonders what the Child and Family Services wants. They confuse ideology and reality. The poster claim: “Education is a right!” One zealous Facebook group (those powerful parliamentary institutions) claims “It is in the Charter!” Actually, it is not. I recommend you all read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is fairly short, and makes you feel warm and fuzzy about Canadian values. Thankfully, having taxpayers provide free/cheap post-secondary education for every future Starbucks barista is not a “right.” It may be easy to convince students with such rhetorical statements, but students do not determine tuition fees. . They are a one-trick pony. Remember how the federal Green party did in the last election? In case you missed it, they won zero seats. CFS needs to downplay the chronic failure of lowering tuition and focus on other issues, lest they suffer the same fate of irrelevance. . They epitomize pork-barrel politics. From hiring previous Student Union-level puppets (Jacks, Aziz, almost the entire current UMSU Executive), to running extensive campaigns where there is a fear of a school dropping out of CFS, “patronage” and “CFS” have become almost synonymous.

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See EPIC FAIL on Pg. 8

f you’re like a lot of university students, I bet you can’t remember the last time you thought about religion or God or spirituality. For the vast majority, ponderings about class schedules or weekend gatherings replace any religious inclination within about five minutes of stepping on campus. The remainder of the semester (and often the year) will often pass in the same way. By late October, many of the tangible effects of your early Catholic education have seemingly all but vanished. Although plenty of folks on campus want to speak about religion, they’re often not the sorts of folks you resonate with as a student: they smile during midterms, they want to fellowship during finals, and they always turn the conversation toward theology when you just want to talk sports. Religion on campus can have the same hard sell feelings you’d find at a car dealership. By contrast, the university itself is steeped in both empirical philosophy and the scientific method. Both frameworks are often employed in a totalitarian manner that reject all talk of God and scoff at anyone who wants to explore religious values. For the most part, we are told that real academics don’t need concepts like love, forgiveness, compassion, and hope. If it can’t be measured or taken apart, it’s of no real value. Yet in the midst of conflicting value systems, you have heard—often unwittingly—the (not so) gentle call of God. Sometime during their university experience, nearly every student begins to ask the questions that no professor can answer. They are the types of ideas that emerge at the least-expected moment and that turn your world upside down. These feelings—these calls from God— will leave you with a profound sense of longing and a deep, almost painful, sense of emptiness.

See CALLS FROM GOD on Pg. 5

The Paulinian, along with the St. Paul’s Students Association, held a successful debate on Tuesday, September 23rd in the MPR room. All candidates of major political parties in Winnipeg South Centre attended with Rachel Heinrichs (NDP), John Loewen (Liberal), David Cosby (Green), Rod Bruinooge (Conservative). You can watch the entire debate again online at thepaulinian.com.

Letter from the Rector Dr. Dennis Bracken Rector

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’d like to begin by thanking Editor Kevin McPike for the opportunity to write something for the Paulinian. It is probably the first time I’ve written something for a student paper since my days as the editor one of the student papers where I did my undergraduate degree. That was longer ago than I care to remember, so I’m glad to have this opportunity. Student papers are a good chance for people to air their views, discuss issues, provide information and entertainment (infotainment?) and give budding journalists a chance to see if they’ve got what it takes. The last issue of the Paulinian that I remember was probably about 4 years ago, so it’s good to have it back and your Student Council deserves our thanks for bringing it back. I hope your experiences of the College this year have been good ones, whether you are a first year student struggling through U1, or an old hand at essays, exams, tests, hanging out in the cafeteria etc. in your second or subsequent year. There is a sense of community here at the College this year, as the crowds in the cafeteria

demonstrate. One of the things I remember about my undergraduate days was the opportunity to hear interesting people speak about interesting things. On November 19th at 1:30pm a woman named Flora MacDonald is speaking in UMSU, sponsored by the College’s Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace & Justice. Ms. MacDonald was a cabinet minister in Joe Clark’s government back in the early ’80’s, and the first woman in Canada to be Foreign Affairs Minister. She will be speaking on “the other Afghanistan,” a country where she, despite being a person of advanced years, visits for 3 months each year. She has established a foundation for development work in that country, and will be speaking on why this is as important work for Canadians as the military operations that seem to dominate the news. The College works hard to provide these opportunities for students to broaden their horizons a little, and we hope you take advantage of some of them while you are here. More importantly, if you have ideas for things we here at the College should be doing, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Drop in to room 210; I’d like to hear your suggestions.

Letter from the Editor Kevin McPike Editor

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Friends,

“For nothing will be impossible with God” Luke 1:37 perhaps best describes the formation of this issue of The Paulinian. What at first seemed impossible has finally become possible. I am honoured to serve as this year’s co-editor alongside a good friend, Stefan Paszlack. Of course, there have been many contributors, all of whom have made this paper a great success. In this role as editor I see it as my place to say something that resembles metaphorical inspiration. So in my attempts to sound witty and charming I offer you the story about the famous explorer Hernando Cortes. In 1519 he arrived on the shores of Veracruz, Mexico in an attempt to conquer the land in the name of Spain. Confronted with the brute force of the enemy, Cortes called upon some of his men to return to the shores with orders to ‘burn the boats’. With nothing left to retreat to, the soldiers had no option but to press on in battle. In our daily battlefields, whatever they may be, it is important to persevere and carry on as though retreat just isn’t an alterna-

tive. I hope that you will enjoy this issue of The Paulinian so much that you will feel compelled to contribute to the next edition – I know I won’t stand in your way. Perhaps many of you would like to know more about The Paulinian before you even think about contributing. The Paulinian was first released on December 15, 1951 under the direction of its first editor (now Doctor) Paul Adams. Since the first issue The Paulinian has evolved into a weekly newspaper printed on newsprint, to collated photocopied pages, and for the past few years it has been non-existent. Today, the once bustling Paulinian Office, that saw a brief stint as a broom closet, has been converted back to its old state. Let’s hope brooms stay out of the office, at least for this year. And so in the words of St. Polycarp “Help one another with the generosity of the Lord, and despise no one. When you have the opportunity to do good, do not let it go by.” All the best,

Kevin McPike, Editor-in-Chief

St. Paul’s College Events Archdiocesan Youth Gathering Friday, November 14 7:00 pm, Christ the King Chapel Never experienced Praise & Worship before? No problem! Come out for a lively prayer service followed by social gathering. Strike Out Hunger Saturday, November 15 Join other St. Paul’s students to make a difference in the community. The even will begin with an afternoon of volunteering at Winnipeg Harvest followed by bowling at Dakota Bowling Lanes. If you would like to attend please contact Adam in room 224 to sign up. Or email: [email protected]

Sol Kanee Lecture on Peace and Justice: The Honourable Flora MacDonald, P.C. C.C., O.Ont., O.N.S. Wednesday, November 19 Manitoba Room, 2nd floor University Centre, 1:00 pm Overflow Friday, November 21 7:00 pm, Christ the King Chapel Never experienced Praise & Worship before? No problem! Come out for a lively prayer service followed by social gathering. Feast of Christ the King Sunday, November 23 11:30 am, Christ the King Chapel This is the feast day of the chapel at St. Paul’s. A special Sunday mass and blessing for students.

Barn Mass Sunday, November 30 Depart from St. Paul’s 4:00 pm Who invited the cows and chickens to mass? Celebrate the First Sunday of Advent and discover the meaning of Christ’s birth the way it happened at the first Christmas. Exam Cram December 5th – December 18th (Exam Period) The St. Paul’s Students Assocation will sporadically distribute coffee and donuts to college members in the cafeteria. If you would like to advertise your event, please email the event along with the date to [email protected]

Clubhouse Sandwich: Better than a party at a club or a house Brian Hodge Staff

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n the long and mouth-watering history of the culinary arts, a handful of edible masterpieces have been created. These food equivalents to the Monet’s and Da Vinci’s of the art world, are timeless tasty testaments to man’s ingenuity. Dishes like Macaroni and Cheese, the Banana Split and the Fat Boy hamburger spring to mind as prime examples of such masterworks. Another dish included in this exclusive culinary canon, is the great Clubhouse sandwich. The Bell Tower Café offers up such a sandwich on its daily menu and with such great potential, I decided to see if their offering would measure up. Upon receiving my Bell Tower Clubhouse the first thing I did, although my stomach disagreed, was examine the sandwich’s contents. My inspection revealed thankfully, that the Bell Tower cooks made the wise choice of conforming to the traditional specifications of a Clubhouse sandwich. Three pieces of lightly toasted bread held together bacon cheese, lettuce, turkey, tomato and mayonnaise. No questionable creative additions were to be found, save for a permissible dill pickle on the side. Pulling back for a full view of the dish I realized something else, the sandwich looked great. Perhaps it was the fluorescent lights in the cafeteria or maybe someone slipped something into my chocolate milk, whatever it was, it made the colour and texture of

the sandwich dazzling to the eyes. I ogled for minutes at its juicy red tomato slices, moist auburn turkey, fresh lettuce, cool golden cheese and shimmering bronzed bacon. I was completely transfixed by it. Eventually, my belly couldn’t take anymore of these lip smacking sights and it growled loudly; openly voicing its anger that I hadn’t begun the Clubhouse’s journey towards it. Breaking my stare, I sensibly heeded the message and proceeded to pick up a half of the sandwich for the initial mouthful. Before I continue further, I believe a word on the proper handling of this sandwich is in order. Many inexperienced diners will attempt to grasp the titanic Clubhouse using the standard one hand method, as though it were a humble PB and J sandwich or other similarly small sized food. Unless you have hands the can palm a watermelon, this will end in calamity. Believe me I have experienced the folly of using a solitary hand to hold a Clubhouse. One minute I held the sandwich confidently, smoothly guiding it to my mouth. The next I was red faced, trying to play it off like I meant to spill the entire contents onto my lap. There is no way around it, two hands firmly clenching each side of the sandwich is the only way to keep the Clubhouse intact and one’s pants clean. So as I held the sandwich tightly in both my hands, I took the first bite. Almost immediately after beginning to chew, I realized the boys behind the counter at the Bell Tower had hit a home run. Unlike most other Club-

The wonderful folks at The Belltower. houses I have consumed, this one had perfectly proportioned ingredients. All the players I described above worked as a team, no one component dominated nor were any marginalized, this is exactly how a Clubhouse should be. On top of the success of this chemistry, was the deliciousness of the ingredients themselves. They tasted as good as they looked; there wasn’t a stale, bland or molted culprit among them. These delicious foods, combined in such an ideal way, produced a symphony of flavor that washed over my tongue with wave after wave, until the last of it had vanished down my throat. Since I’m not Scooby-Doo (or Shaggy for that matter), it took me several more bites after this initial one, to

be left with an empty plate. I could further entice you with the sensual experience I had eating the rest of the sandwich, but that would increase this article to a length that would likely make the editor unhappy with me. To keep in his good books, I will summarize the rest of my meal succinctly by saying that the utility of the first mouthful pervaded until the very last and left me a very happy (and very full) customer. In conclusion, I highly recommend the Bell Tower Clubhouse for your consumption. Unless you have a phobia of great culinary accomplishments or have trouble holding a sandwich with two hands, you won’t be disappointed with this delectable dish.

Study Finds Catholic Colleges Have Little Positive Impact on Faith, Values

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groundbreaking survey of Catholic college students published by The Cardinal Newman Society’s (CNS) Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education finds that most students on Catholic campuses reject key Catholic moral values and tenets of the faith, and significant numbers engage in pre-marital sexuality activity and the viewing of pornography. The study was released in the wake of Tuesday’s presidential election, just as many commentators are looking for reasons why the Catholic vote broke the way it did in such large numbers for a pro-abortion candidate. It is the only known nationally representative survey of students at Catholic colleges and universities. For the current study, CNS commissioned QEV Analytics, which conducted an analysis of the Catholic vote for Crisis magazine prior to the 2000 presidential election, to conduct the random survey of current and recent

students at U.S. Catholic colleges and engaged in sex outside of marriage. universities, all between the ages of 18 84% said they had friends who and 29. QEV President Steven Wagner, engaged in premarital sex. a former researcher for the U.S. Infor60% agreed strongly or somemation Agency, has conducted studies what that abortion should be legal. for several federal agencies and the Na60% agreed strongly or sometional Center on Additional and Sub- what that premarital sex is not a sin. stance Abuse (CASA). 78% disagreed strongly or “Most respondents say that the somewhat that using a condom to preexperience of attending a Catholic in- vent pregnancy was a serious sin. stitution made no 57% agreed “Key findings clearly demondifference in their strongly or somesupport for the strate that large numbers of stu- what that same-sex Catholic Church or dents at Catholic colleges and “marriage” should its teaching or their universities are in clear conflict be legal. with the Catholic Church.” participation in 57% said the Catholic Sacraexperience of atments,” Wagner writes in his report. tending a Catholic college or university Key findings clearly demon- had no effect on their participation in strate that large numbers of students at Mass and the sacrament of reconciliaCatholic colleges and universities are in tion. clear conflict with the Catholic Church: 54% of respondents said that Nearly 1 in 5 knew another stu- their experience of attending a Catholic dent who had or paid for an abortion. college or university had no effect on 46% of current and recent stu- their support for the teachings of the dents—and 50% of females—said they Catholic Church.

56% said their experience had no effect on their respect for the Pope and bishops. In April 2008 Pope Benedict XVI, recognizing the reality on many Catholic campuses, told Catholic college presidents gathered at The Catholic University of America that the Catholic faith must permeate all aspects of Catholic campus life. “Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools?” the Holy Father asked the college presidents. “Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold. From this perspective one can recognize that the contemporary ‘crisis of truth’ is rooted in a ‘crisis of faith’.” This article is courtesy of the free, independent newsfeed: CatholicPRWire.com

How to be a Good

Fr. Joe Mroz, SJ Contributor

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n twelve easy steps? Three? One? This is the question, isn’t it? So it wouldn’t surprise us that it is either as easy as saying “I choose this” or as hard as living a life. The young man asked Jesus “what should I do to have eternal life?” Jesus said “you know already! Follow the Commandments! The ones” (he said, just in case the young man said ‘which commandments?’) “God gave you.” The young man was already doing this. So my first ‘answer’ is ‘you know how to be a good Catholic. Follow the Commandments. Do what Jesus said. Live like Paul (and everybody since him) describes. Don’t sleep around. Don’t do drugs or get drunk. Don’t tell hurtful stories about people. Don’t kill babies. Don’t dump toxic waste in the River. Don’t ignore the poor. Don’t live the life of an animal, or a plant, or a rock. Live the life of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ (His Church), receiving the Sacraments and growing in wisdom.’ Is that easy or hard? This answer opens up the can of worms that had been waiting for us since paragraph one, which is this. Many people want to be good without all that Catholic stuff. Many people are perhaps good without all that Catholic stuff. We live in a society that sleeps around, that gets stoned, that loves to make fun of people (aka just about any tv show that doesn’t have David Suzuki in it), that kills babies, that eats roast beef while Sudanese refugees eat grubs, that never puts off to tomorrow what can become someone else’s problem in 20 years. Surely they can’t all be bad? Surely they can’t all be going to hell? Well, this is not about them. This is about you. Let’s agree on this for the purposes of the next ten minutes or so: we’ll worry about us. “The unreflected life is not worth living” said Socrates. “Just do it” says another famous Greek, the goddess of Victory (and financial excess for sweating a lot). Which is it for you? We can imagine people who are drugged and kept unconsciously unaware of themselves – the Matrix – but the suppressed society in Brave New World succeeds exactly because the people in it are such as don’t ever have or choose to have an

opportunity to reflect on themselves. Thank goodness we are not such zombies! Marilyn Manson summed it up as consumption and fear, the two tools of the Combine to control us. I have to admit I just wanted to get that in here somewhere. My entire knowledge of MM comes from Bowling for Columbine (whence the following) and Family Guy. “FLOODS !! GUNS IN SCHOOLS !!! RAPE !! MURDER!!....cut to commercial...buy the Colgate, buy the Oxy...if you have bad breath, noone will talk to you, if you have acne, the girls won’t want you....” Or the greatest fear of a Paulinian perhaps: who wants to grow up to be Steven Carell – either as The Office Manager or The Forty-YearOld Virgin? Personally I think he is hilarious. Well, this is not about him or Marilyn Manson either, but really, if you want to be a good Catholic, you will probably not be such a good citizen, or at least not such a good sport. I heard a Rabbi explain kosher food laws to a class of kids once by saying that every single bit of food he puts in his mouth he has thought about. If he chooses to eat a cheeseburger he will think “am I eating a calf that was killed and covered with cheese made from its own mourning mother?” A good Catholic will question everything, and say “what is in accord with my authentic human nature, which God created in His image and likeness? What will help me achieve the end for which I was created, and what will hinder me from that? (i.e. make me miserable for ever)” A good Catholic life is a reflected and reflective one. So, God is the mirror. God made us. Why? For eternal happiness AS HUMAN BEINGS. He created the model, He wrote the manual, He provided the warranty. Stick a knife in a toaster to ‘fix it’ yourself, and the company won’t pay. ‘Fix’ God’s Commandments and He says “okie dokie then, you’re on your own.” That reminds me of C.S. Lewis’s great line about how the worst thing we can hear as God’s parting words to us will be “okie dokie then, THY will be done, not MINE.” But on the positive side, what glory! What strength! To live a good Catholic life we will reflect our lives against God’s will for us. So what is God’s will for you? We sometimes do an exercise on retreat where we imagine “What does God see

when He looks at me?” (if the retreat is progressive of course it will be “What does God see when God looks at me?” so you can read it that way if you prefer). But that still has us looking at ourselves. Try this one instead: “What does God dream about when He looks at me?” Any new parent looks at their child and sees her or him beautiful, intelligent, strong, charming – just like the parent themselves (see I am open to novelties, such as ‘themselves’). What does God dream about when He looks at you? When God dreams about you He dreams about a human being fully alive. He dreams about a human being who freely chooses to love. He dreams about a human being who in his or her flesh shares in the Divine Nature. He dreams about a human being who lives in this world as His Son or Daughter in a Paradise of Eden. Or again. How to be a good Catholic? Ask yourself this and decide an answer: do I believe in God as God, or not? That same Rabbi was asked “what is your understanding of the nature of God” by those kids (Catholic kids in a Catholic school, that’s why they asked such an excellent question) and without a blink he said, “God is eternal, God is incorporeal, God is unique, God is the Creator of all things, God is the Master of the universe.” Whatever happened to the good old “God is love, God is forgiving, God is nice”? God is those things too. But God is also an all-consuming Fire of Passion and Love for His Creatures, whom He created so that they could stand before His Awesomeness and not be consumed by fear but look Him in the face and cry “Abba!” Not hold back any bit of your life! Not even – well you know what. That is why the old basics – live a good Christian life, go to Confession, go to Communion, love the poor, make the world a better place – are still where we start. Jesus said “if you love me you will keep my commandments. And I and the Father will come and dwell with you. And you will be where I am.” So determine whether you really believe in God, and then see how you do. ry it this way. BE! Be religious! The Romans praised piety, which was living a life that honoured your parents and the gods. This is not an obscure or quaint notion. Be competent at humanity! That means live a good real human life – intellectually, aesthetically, humbly, globally, lo-

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cally. Be loving! Especially those you don’t particularly like. That’s really harder, for me at least, than loving ‘the poor’. Be committed to doing justice! There, the poor snuck back in. This also can be taken to mean ‘be outraged at the same things God is outraged about! Be outraged at structural injustice! Be outraged at the desecration of the world, which God created (and then pronounced GOOD, and then said “I’ll share it with you ‘cause I love you guys”). Be open to growth! Be prepared to be led by God in ways you didn’t expect, or choose, or don’t even particularly like! As Pope John Paul II used to say at World Youth Days, in between the rock and roll and the Latin, don’t be afraid! Put out in the deep! Look trust God and be prepared for wonderful things! “Be”-ing is not as easy as it seems, in part because it looks so much like just plain “being”. There are several different audiences for a commentary about how to be a good Catholic. Are you trying already, more or less in the right direction? Keep going! Courage! Find a spiritual director. Find good Catholic friends. Etc etc. Are you trying to justify a bad Catholic life? Sorry. It would be a different essay to explain to you why Catholicism (the authentic variety practiced for 2000 years) is the best answer for short-term and long-term happiness. Are you drifting along, more or less a good person, reasonably happy but increasingly doubtful?I never did believe that story about the frog in the pan of water that gets slowly boiled to death: I think we all have a voice inside that cries “Attention must be paid!” The late Fr John English SJ, a great master of the spiritual life, said one definition of mysticism was ‘a long loving look at what is really real’. God is looking at you lovingly. He sees something worth loving, and dreams dreams. A good Catholic life is a mystical life, a life in God’s vision of the world, and of you. Fr. Joe Mroz is no stranger to Winnipeg; he served as the President of St. Paul's High School from 2001 to 2006. Joe is presently teaching at Loyola High School in Montreal, which is a Jesuit-run school.

To Stand on One’s Answer Jason Brown Staff

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nce, two relatively ordinary men met on a footpath in England on a Sunday afternoon. One was heading home from market, the other, heading in the opposite direction, from church. As they were about to pass each other, one man, whose named happened, through no fault of his own, to be Pilate lifted his derby cap in a very gentlemanly good-afternoon-sir gesture. The other man, whose name was Thomas, being equally magnanimous replied “God bless,” with a smile and a tip of his own derby. Pilate found himself in great conflict. He appreciated the sentiment expressed, of course, but he felt it more proper that he be wished well in a way that didn’t require belief in a particular metaphysical entity. He sincerely had no desire to offend, however, and did not intend to suggest to the man that he be greeted strictly on his own terms. This conflict occurred and was resolved even as the two men replaced their caps, and Pilate said, stopping, “Hold, sir, a moment. I do not quarrel; I only ask that you offer me good afternoon in a more pluralistic manner. What if, my friend, I do not believe in God, but think that this life and the meaning we give it are all we have? I am not so obtuse to be deaf to your good wishes, yet sending me blessings from a God in whom, for all you know, I strongly disbelieve seems rather exclusive. Do you only intend your blessing for those who share a belief in your God?” Now, Thomas was slightly ruffled. However, in addition to a belief in God he had a formidable belief in quick repartee. “God blesses all, regardless of their knowledge or ignorance. Good day, sir.” He moved to continue on his way, but Pilate stopped him again. “My honourable friend, can’t you understand that many others believe differently, and that their beliefs deserve as much respect as your own?” Thomas was becoming slightly annoyed. “I respect those people in their ignorance, and may God bless them and lead them to the light,” he replied shortly. “Good afternoon.” Pilate was becoming somewhat flustered and annoyed as well, which is what led him to forget that it would be common courtesy to let his stubborn friend go on his way in peace. Instead, he said, “Sir, are you so dogmatic and closed-minded to not allow for even the possibility that you are wrong?” At this point Thomas became nearly hostile, and said, “I know very well when something is really proved, and once it is I have no longer a doubt in my mind.” Pilate, rising equally to the occasion, replied quickly, “Nothing can be scientifically proven, it can only be disproved.” “Excuse me, nothing?” Thomas retorted, slightly off balance but riposting quickly. “Let me prove to you that this path exists,” and twice he stomped hard on the rough cement of the footpath. “Are you yet assailed with doubts about the reality of the path?” “Anything can be doubted, our senses and our reason included.” Pilate replied confidently, crossing his arms and feeling sure that any of the other man’s protests could be easily answered thus. By this time Thomas no longer had any intention of moving on his way until his point had been made; furthermore, he knew he was laying a track for this confused gentleman that led straight there. “Anything can be doubted, indeed, but not everything ought to be. My foot thumping

here,” he gestured at the ground and stomped twice again, “should be all the proof you need. If you still doubt that this path exists, then you must doubt whether anything really exists.” Pilate still felt himself on firm ground. “Indeed, except that something exists right now to do the doubting.” Thomas smiled. “Something doubtful does indeed exist where you are standing,” he said, and leaned forward, “but you cannot be sure that that person, the world or the path we’re standing on will not disappear anytime, can you?” “Certainly not, nor can you.” Pilate snorted. “I can be sure of that and I am,” he replied firmly; and with the intention of a final and satisfying conclusion to this debate, Thomas pointed a finger at Pilate’s face and said, “As for you, if that were the case then I would happily leave you to your paralytic existence, wondering whether or not this path or the world or you will exist in the next instant, because I think it intensely boring and profoundly meaningless.” His speech began to hasten as he gained momentum. “Since you are obviously not in that state and I have seen you ambling confidently along this path just now,” he waved an arm in the direction Pilate had come from, “it seems you do take the existence of the path and

Calls from God Continued from Front Page These are God’s own version of the metaphysical munchies. The questions you find yourself asking can only be answered when you tap into the knowledge beyond the textbooks, the silence beyond the noise, and the reality beyond the superficiality. This article wasn’t written to promote religion. It was written to encourage you to listen to the funky feelings that gurgle up from the depths of your soul. This is your personal call from God. While you can mask the feelings today with tunes from your iPod, you can’t do it forever. Responding to the call isn’t as hard as you think and doesn’t have to be as radical as you’ve been told. Take a few minutes out of your day to think about what’s important in your life. Spend an hour or two every week volunteering. Consider looking at the ways that your own religious background might actually have some very real answers. Decking yourself out in religious paraphernalia, or openly embracing extreme right or left wing politics are not your only options at university. You can be a person of faith and compassion in ways that are sophisticated, balanced, and mature. Each one of us has had a deep longing for something more. You can pretend it’s not important and you can buy into a worldview that silences God’s voice. Yet this call is a real part of who you are. It invites you to live radically, with both integrity and meaning. Reflect on it. Trust it. Respond to it. Recognizing that God is both on campus and an intimate part of your life could be the most important lesson you will ever learn. Jeffrey will be ordained a priest on Saturday, 23 May 2009 at 10 am in St. Ignatius Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

the world as well for granted, based on the proof of your feet. From there, I leave God to you to work out; he is proven just as well as I have proven the footpath.” Taking a breath, Thomas pronounced, “Now if you’ll excuse me I will be going home, along this path which, I assure you, will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.” Intensely pleased with his closing statement, though also feeling slightly like a windbag, he did indeed move past the still-doubtful Pilate with all intention of walking confidently home. Unfortunately, certain events of weather and matters of geography had conspired to wash out an area underground, and as Thomas placed his foot stridently on the path the soil underneath him gave way and he fell dirtily into an earthen sinkhole ten feet deep. Pilate leaned over the rim of the pit and called down, “I’m going to get help, but first I’d just like to point out that I did not take advantage of this occasion for any smug remarks!” Jason Brown is a second year history student at the University of Manitoba.

Paulinian of the year

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ho could be more deserving of such an acclaimed title as Paulinian of the Year than Pope Benedict XVI? Since his election as Pope, Benedict has worked to strengthen traditional Catholic values. Benedict's insight into the Second Vatican Council with his ability to make it relevant to Catholics today have been ground breaking. Not to mention, the Pope's constant and unwavering ability to stand for truth regardless of the cost has brought a sense of renewal to the Church; it has found its feet again.

Lessons to be Learned From a Man and his Ditch William Gould Contributor

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n 1997, Manitoba was struck by an epic flood, which invariably tested the resolve of all citizens and qualified the foresight of an earlier man. However, does the Flood of the Century teach Manitobans other lessons that go beyond natural disasters that are relevant to our province in the here and now, the answer is a deafening yes. Premier Duff Roblin’s vision of the floodway to prevent the Red’s waters from ravaging the city as it had during the 1950 and 1861 flood was a product of history. The realization of reoccurring cycles and past calamity quantified its future inevitable reoccurrence. Thus, it was not a matter of if the waters would roar but rather when would they?

arrangement akin to two cripples running a threelegged race, unsustainable, dangerous, and imprudent. Exactly the opposite of the foresight that the Roblin government contained. This government speaks of debt repayment while passing legislation that allows them to run unprecedented debt with immunity, while Manitobans suffer in a crisis that was rooted in debt mismanagement. While workers in Manitoba are questioning the solvency of their pensions and the status of their em-

“Once again, the waters of the flood are heading towards the Keystone Province and Manitobans must be prepared.” The lesson of the Duff’s Ditch goes beyond the Red River banks and speaks to Manitoba’s future prosperity and well-being. Roblin realized that it was not merely assets that the diversion was to protect but the lives tied to them. Manitoba is not an island and there are factors beyond the control of ordinary citizens that can impact, damage, and influence our lives permanently. The case of Duff’s Ditch is a sure indication that leaders with proper foresight, prudence, and wisdom can mitigate the effects of these cyclical disasters. Today Manitobans are faced with a different cyclical disaster: a global financial crisis. This is another case that clearly demonstrates that Manitoba is not an island and is affected by the world around it. Once again, the waters of the flood are heading towards the Keystone Province and Manitobans must be prepared. Yet what has the current government of Manitoba done, a government that has been in power for over a decade to mitigate the oncoming financial flood waters? This government has chosen dependence rather than independence. Creating a relationship of unsustainable dependence on our neighbouring provinces asking them to bear our load in the financial crisis while they are deprived themselves. It is an

Premier Duff Roblin, who held office from 1958 until 1967. ployment, the government has voted to divert Manitobans’ taxes that could be used to create opportunities for jobs and prosperity directly into the pockets of their governing party. While farmers are struggling for their family farms and way of life, this government has shut down a farm industry based on no science except the divisive strategy of pitting rural Manitobans against urban Manitobans to maintain their seats. This is a government of euphemisms, smoke, and mirrors in a time where frankness, clarity, and wisdom are needed. This government has created an environment of fear for business by shutting an industry down, lay-

ing the ground for the possibility of unprecedented debt, and mismanaging Manitobans finances. The government claims it has put aside roughly 800 million dollars into a rainy day fund, but when the government must spend over 800 million dollars a year to simply service its debt, then, how is this foresight? If the financial crisis spreads that rainy day fund will be as effective as the ditches of Charleswood in restraining the mighty Red.

“Could Premier Doer assure Manitobans without a Janus like disposition that Manitoba is truly ready for real dividend paying economic growth?” While this government has been collecting equalization payments, Manitoba’s once poor cousin Saskatchewan has been strongly repaying its debt to prepare for the future. While the Manitoban government squandered hundreds of thousands on Spirited Energy, the Saskatchewan government exclaims loudly that it is Ready for Growth. Could Premier Doer assure Manitobans without a Janus like disposition that Manitoba is truly ready for real dividend paying economic growth? The government conversely says it may lead the country in growth. Growth fueled by government dollars from equalization payments and anticipated borrowings. The government is claiming that Manitoba is the MVP on the team because Manitoba is the coach’s choice for most improved player. This type of growth tells essentially nothing about Manitoba’s real shape in this time of economic uncertainty. It is simply more smoke and mirrors. In 1997, Manitobans benefited from the prudential wisdom of Duff Roblin’s Progressive Conservative government. Today one wonders whether or not the government has learnt from past financial events. However, if one is to judge by the governments actions in shutting one of Manitoba’s most important industries down, moving taxpayer revenue into their party’s coffers, and laying the groundwork to spend without hesitation, one severely questions their foresight and prudence. What this government has forgot is that it is not a matter of if, but of when. William is a third-year political science student at the University of Winnipeg.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November Marc Ouellette Staff

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hroughout the day on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, students gathered around the University of Manitoba with picket signs, bullhorns, and other protest gear in attempt to raise awareness and show their disapproval of the Provincial Government calling off the freeze on tuition that has been in effect for approximately eight years. At first glance, it seems to be a good cause since students are getting together from various faculties to promote awareness of the problem they feel should be dealt with and addressed. Unfortunately, these students are failing to see the bigger picture. The first problem is that these “activists” have little to no understanding of economics. They are trying to artificially cap students’ funding to universities. They are not in favour of increasing the funding that universities desperately need, and are shifting the obligation from the students to the government. This will only lead to larger con-

striction in terms of students, the funding won't be significant enough, and the universities will downsize, only hurting international and Aboriginal students’ chances of going to university. The protesters cite British Columbia in their literature as the example of when removing the freeze, tuition will skyrocket, however they fail to state some key points. The first is that part of the raise is because of basic inflation. They have to face the facts. Inflation is inevitable. After all, it is defined as a rise in the general level of prices in an economy over a period of time. Prices aren’t always going to stay the same, although some may believe, in their fairy-tale worlds, that they do. The second is that they cannot compare Manitoba to British Columbia. They also fail to mention that in that period of the rise in British Columbia, the cost of living also increased substantially. Manitoba is among the provinces as having the lowest cost of living, and therefore cannot be compared directly to British Columbia.

Finally, the universities in British Columbia improved in the user surveys in almost every appropriate ranking. Raising the tuition helps universities improve their faculties and provide more services for the students. The Faculty of Science at the University of Manitoba exemplifies the desperate need of funding the University needs. For example, the labs only have finite materials and supplies to last during the lab and students have to be precise in every measure, so they do not use up all of the supplies. If funding increases, it does not put more money in the professors’ pockets, as some may think, but improves the overall wellbeing of students, as more services and supplies are provided. Marc Ouellette is a second year sciences student at the University of Manitoba.

Ethno-Cultural Republicans Receive Stinging Indictment Paul Burbank Staff

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ovember 4th proved to be a day of considerable hope for all Americans: Democrats and Republicans alike. Americans of all colours, races, and creeds voted in an election that crossed divisive lines, challenged norms in American political culture, and coloured typically red states blue. Not just Democrats, but millions of Americans who were inspired by Barack Obama’s message of unity, conciliation, and change. It may seem odd then to suggest that supporters of the Republican Party should welcome the events of November 4th, 2008 with open arms. What the election offers the Republican Party and its supporters is at least four years to undergo rigorous self introspection while they wait, shut out of the executive and remain the minority party in both of the legislative assemblies as well as the judiciary. The Republican Party has undergone significant cultural, social, and political change since the days of Abraham Lincoln, a transformation that has been irreconcilable with moderate conservatives and libertarians in all areas of the United States. A cultural war is being waged and the divisive politics utilized by the McCain campaign and its predecessors should act as the catalyst for a revolution within the Republican Party itself. The Republican Party is at a critical juncture in its evolution as a representative of America’s interests. If the McCain campaign was at all successful, it was by proving that the American public has gone over and above the racial and identity politics that they relied upon so heavily in this election. The Republican Party is devoted to the American south, extending its appeal to white Protestants, and little else. We need not look any further than McCain’s last-ditch efforts to steal Pennsylvania in the closing days of election rather than attempting to secure the vote in the traditionally Republican ones such as Virginia, Indiana, and Missouri. The McCain staffers knew that if they had any chance of winning the battle for votes, it would be by spreading implicit, racially charged messages with the sole intention of fueling ethno-cultural anger. These messages, coupled with latent racist hostilities in what they called ‘the Heartland of America’- white, Protestant, rural America- could be

enough to secure a victory. We need not work too hard in recalling examples of the ethno-cultural fight that the only the Republicans fought. Consider the Republican National Committee’s decision to run adds- only days before the election- chastising Barack Obama for attending Reverend Wright’s church. The incessant and poorly

J. Sidney McCain III and B. Hussein Obama exchange terse greetings on Capitol Hill before becoming political adversaries. received accusations that Obama was ‘paling around with terrorists’ (in reference to Bill Ayers, a man whom Barack had served on a school board committee with decades ago) are emblematic of this cultural war; no doubt that Barack Obama’s middle name ‘Hussein’ was a consideration in this assault. Take as well, for instance, the McCain campaign’s appeal to Cuban Americans in south Florida in robo-calls days before the election. In these calls, which were only sent in Spanish, a pre-recording told Cuban American listeners that ‘Fidel Castro endorsed Barack Obama.’ While this would typically infuriate the heavily anticommunist and anti-castro Cuban Americans, they voted in unusually high numbers for Barack Obama; they would not be subject to these ethno-cultural divisions. The pinnacle of this ethno-cultural war was the advertisement in which the Republican National Committee likened Barack Obama with celebrities. The underlying premise of the ad, however, was to agitate latent racial hostilities similar in effect to that of the infamous “Call Me” ad that was believed to be the sole cause for the defeat of promising young (and

African-American) Senate candidate in Tennessee, Harold Ford Jr. It was no coincidence that the McCain campaign attempted to link Obama to that of two young, white, sexually uninhibited socialites in Paris Hilton and Britney Spears; it attempted to evoke among its viewers bitter, long lasting sentiments that black men are threatening to ‘deflower’ white women. It was the election of Barack Obama that proved that divisive politics and the type of racial determinism exhibited in these advertisements were no match for a country that stands as one. No longer can the Republican party survive as a party of white southern evangelicals because Obama’s triumph showed millions of Americans who voted for the first time the magic voting can create, and the results it can yield. John McCain’s bitter defeat has left him dejected and despondent, and it certainly is not his fault. His campaign was the product of almost a century and a half of festering racial tensions in the American South. Considering the south switched to voting Republican nearly overnight as a result of their disgust in the de-institutionalizing of segregation in the 1964 civil rights act, is it a surprise that the Republican Party- and by affiliation- John McCain must pander to the radical, anti-Catholic, Protestant south? The Republican Party is at proverbial fork in the road, where the starting point of each distinct path begins now. The lessons of history can be heeded, and the Republican party can use this period of repudiation as a means for positive change, appealing to more than just white, Protestant, southerners. The first path the Republican Party leads to the shelving of this ethno-cultural determinism. Alternatively, as famous Libertarian blogger Andrew Sullivan believes, the Republican Party’s rejection by the rust belt Catholics could mean that “the GOP will become more fundamentalist, more southern, and whiter after this election. They now have the power in a shrunken Republican Party.” The latter of the two options is simply unsustainable, and it will only be a matter of time before the Republican Party must undergo a rigorous and painful transformation. Paul Burbank is a 2nd-year economics student at the University of Manitoba.

Why the U of M needs to rethink its approach to mandatory courses Michael Silicz Staff

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he more things change, the more things stay the same. This saying is especially apt for the University of Manitoba’s approach to education. Despite the rapid technological change the world has scene in the past ten years — with the rise of cell phones and iPods, to the proliferation of laptops and wireless Internet on campus — the U of M has done a poor job of helping its students adapt to the real world that awaits them upon graduation. One such thing that does not change is the method through which our university education is taught. For far too long, the university’s approach to education has been little more than to foster an extension of the way we were taught in high school.

The U of M foolishly forces its students to take a variety of courses in different disciplines in the hope that students will gain as broad an education as possible, an idea that is good in theory, but useless in practice. The problem is simple — the U of M does not prepare students for life outside of academia. The U of M needs to reinvent itself to help give its students a comparative advantage. This is something the faculties of Arts and Science must especially take heed of. Too many people are graduating university with little to no employment skills that will benefit them in the real world, let alone the skills necessary to make it far in the world of business and commerce. It is becoming more and more imperative that the U of M should be mandating courses on finance, a topic very few university students know much about.

The reason universities across Canada fail to offer real world courses is because they are stuck in a high school mentality. The U of M still forces students to take one math and one English credit course during their U1 years, much to the chagrin of most students. Most biology majors argue that they have no need for English, and there aren’t many Arts students eager to go to math class. But why do we enforce such childish, high school-like required compulsory courses? Do these perspective courses really help students in the long run, especially if they do not wish to take them? The situation becomes even more problematic when applying to the professional schools at the U of M.

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Take the Asper School of Business, for example, which mandates a full year of required courses that most perspective business students must take to gain entry to the faculty. But do these kinds of courses really give students a wide, grounded, and broad base of knowledge to allow you to go into the real world and survive? For the most part, they do not.

“Yet it would do U of M students a world of good to understand how much of the real world operates outside the walls of academia.” How handy have your introductory economic lessons come over the years? Can the average student explain the Wall Street crisis to others at a house party? Has that required English course you were forced to take made you more aware of the world? Or perhaps that mandated math course has opened your eyes to a whole new world of exciting mathematical courses? Chances are, they have not. Yet the real things students need to know — how the financial system works, the importance of loans and credit, how to pay taxes, and how to manage debt — these subjects are not taught at an introductory level, nor are they required by most faculties. Yet it would do U of M students a world of good to understand how much of the real world operates outside the walls of academia. Why not make courses on these beneficial skills that very few students know, let alone master, by the time they leave the U of M? For example, how many students do their own taxes? Better yet, how many students know that they can claim 60 per cent of their tuition back over the next twenty years? Or how about the fact that expenses like interest on loans and credit spent on school are also tax deductible? Useful knowledge like this should be taught to everyone in university, but sadly it is not. Knowledge like this sure would help people out more than learning matrices in Applied Finite Math does. It would be far more beneficial for the U of M to force all students to take courses that will at least help them out when making major life decisions. You can know all you want about Karl Marx or chemistry, but many grads still do not know what to look for when going to a bank for a mortgage. The U of M should revamp its mandatory class system, and replace the compulsory English and math requirements with courses that will provide grads with practical knowledge. Michael Silicz is the Legal Affairs Representative on the St. Paul’s College Student Council.

As aggravating as that is on principle, it is entertaining to see the same student politicians who failed at a local level fail at a national level, until they get nominated as sacrificial lamb candidates for real provincial or federal political parties (Heinrichs). It is difficult to scrub off that CFS taint. Finally, students are apathetic. Voter turnout in the last University of Manitoba student election was 9.7%. I cringe at the thought of what it was for the federal election. In my experience, only two kinds of students vote: Student A, a future leader who is averse to the government clawing back 43.4% of his/her income; and Student B, who realizes his/her 9-year Bachelor of University 1 will not secure a job, and needs all the government handouts they can get (generously provided by Student A). Everybody in between? Could not care less. And until CFS can somehow appeal those masses that are by very nature apathetic, they will continue to fail. So enjoy your year everyone, and try to avoid any doomed-to-failure campaigns, whatever they may be!

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Pierce Cairns is a 4th year pharmacy student and former presidential candidate in the 2008 UMSU election.