Xaverian Weekly - 117.18

Xaverian Weekly the

Mourning our loss since 1895

Thursday, March 12, 2009

issue 18 vol. 117

Nicholas Sheehan 1990-2009

Photo by Danielle Webb

Spend your evenings at “Delicious food, great prices”

Restaurant & Lounge Open at 4 pm Tues to Sun • Serving Dinner till: 9pm Tues, Wed, & Sun• 10pm Thrs, Fri, Sat • 76 College Str at Main• Fully Licenced • 863-2248 • alcovebistro.ca

2

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

News Editor Kate Clark [email protected]

Xaverian Weekly the

StFX’s student newspaper since 1895 Thursday, March 12, 2009 Volume 117, Issue 18 Next Issue: March 19

EditorialStaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Danielle Webb [email protected] | (902) 867-5007 MANAGING EDITOR: Will Fitzpatrick [email protected] | (902) 867-3732 ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER: Chris Doucette NEWS EDITOR: Kate Clark [email protected] CULTURE EDITOR: Shannon Tien [email protected] SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR: Matt Skube [email protected] FEATURES EDITOR: Kristen Stallard [email protected] OPINIONS & DISTRACTIONS EDITOR: Xandi Capistrano [email protected] SENIOR REPORTERS: Andrew Lauzon, Devanne O’Brien [email protected] | [email protected] COPY EDITOR: Andrew Blodgett [email protected] PRODUCTION MANAGER: Mary Cranmer-Byng [email protected] Photography & GRAPHICS Editor: Catherine Fancy [email protected] Senior Photographer: Chris Doucette [email protected] WEBMASTER: Colton White Distribution Manager: Kristen Stallard Phone: (902) 867-3732 Fax: (902) 867-3941 Rm. 111D, Bloomfield Centre PO Box 924 St. Francis Xavier University Antigonish, NS B2G 2X1

The Xaverian Weekly is the student newspaper at St. Francis Xavier University. The Xaverian Weekly is published on Thursdays by The Xaverian Weekly Publications Board and is editorially autonomous. The Xaverian Weekly has a circulation of 2,000 copies weekly. Opinions expressed in the Xaverian Weekly are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Xaverian Weekly or the Xaverian Weekly Publications Board. All materials appearing in the Xaverian Weekly are the copyright of their creator(s) and may not be used without permission. The Xaverian Weekly is a proud member of the Canadian University Press, North America’s largest cooperative of student newspapers. Campus Plus is the Xaverian Weekly’s national advertising agency.

Ted Smith shows off his product grown for the Cannabis Buyers Club (the Martlet)

// JOSH THOMSON

B.C. court makes med marijuana more legal Andrew Farris The Martlet (University of Victoria) VICTORIA (CUP) – The quasi-legal status of Victoria’s compassion clubs may have come a step closer to resolution this week after a B.C. Supreme Court ruling declared parts of Canada’s current medicinal marijuana laws unconstitutional. The law, which forbids any supplier from distributing medical marijuana to more than one patient, has forced the non-profit clubs into operating illegally, despite the consent of Victoria’s police. The judge has given Health Canada one year to review the laws and make it easier for purveyors of medicinal marijuana, both inside and outside the law, to keep patients supplied. The verdict comes as a huge victory, especially for Mat Beren of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society. Beren was caught tending the VICS’ grow-op in Sooke when police raided the facility in 2004 and confiscated 900 plants. Although Beren was found guilty of growing and trafficking an illegal substance, the prosecution’s demands for a stiff sentence were thrown out. Instead, the judge completely discharged the conviction, mean-

ing that there will be no penalty or criminal record because Beren had been growing the cannabis for the club. This ruling brings into light the legal limbo in which many organizations such as VICS operate. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that marijuana, which is effective for easing the suffering of those with chronic conditions, is a constitutional medicine and the government has a responsibility to provide it to those with a doctor’s prescription. Beren’s defence made the case that the marijuana provided by the federal government, grown in a Manitoba mineshaft, was of poor quality and obtaining it meant jumping over “unnecessary bureaucratic delays or obstacles.” Philippe Lucas, the director of VICS, also points out that the federal application process can take weeks or months, time which can be ill-afforded by those who are in enough pain to warrant a medicinal marijuana prescription. It was because of these regulatory hurdles and the inadequacy of the federal marijuana that the compassion clubs were able to spring into existence – VICS serves more than 850 doctor-referred patients on Vancouver Island. Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg ruled in Beren’s case that while compassion

clubs “enhanced other people’s lives at minimal or no risk to society,” they “did so outside any legal framework.” The onus to reform the legal framework lies not with the compassion clubs, which operate “openly, and with reasonable safeguards,” but with Health Canada and the Canadian College of Physicians who failed to make medicinal marijuana sufficiently available for chronic sufferers, said Koenigsberg. Other compassion associations, like the Cannabis Buyers Club, a corollary of UVic’s own Hempology 101 Society, have greeted the likely review of the laws surrounding clubs with enthusiasm. The Cannabis Buyers Club has undergone six police raids on their headquarters in downtown Victoria, and the operators have spent several nights in jail, with the charges overturned by courts each time. Kristen Mann, Cannabis Buyers Club spokesperson, says she’ll welcome what a review could mean for the club, but notes that the system still needs many changes. “Although we have been accepted by the Victoria Police and the B.C. courts, on a federal level, we are still considered to be distributors of marijuana, which is illegal,” Mann said.

@

Read us online at www.xaverianweekly.ca

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

3

First-year student falls from residence window Sheehan remembered fondly by all who knew him Danielle Webb CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief ANTIGONISH (CUP) – Nicholas Sheehan was one of the first people Michael MacDonald met when he arrived at St. Francis Xavier University this past September. Little did he know that only six months later, the friendship would be cut tragically short. At about 8:50 p.m. on March 8, Antigonish RCMP responded to a 911 call at the university. Upon arrival they found 18 year-old Sheehan, a first-year student, on the ground after he fell to his death from a fourth-story window in Lane Hall, a residence building on campus. Paramedics pronounced him deceased minutes later. MacDonald was in a neighbouring residence when he heard the news.

“I heard the news from a text from someone in [Lane] asking me what happened. I didn’t know what she was talking about and then she said someone fell out the window. I ran over and went up to the [fourth] floor and saw everyone sitting at the end of the hall with their heads buried,” said MacDonald. “Nick was a great guy; easy-going and could always make you smile.” The university responded immediately to ensure grief counsellors were on site and available to students throughout the night, said a release issued by StFX Communications Director Kyler Bell. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and classmates of Mr. Sheehan,” said Bell. An autopsy was conducted March 9 and toxicology testing was completed to determine whether or not drugs or alcohol were present in Sheehan’s

system at the time of the fall. The RCMP has ruled out foul play. Eric Goyette was in shock when he saw the news on a friend’s Facebook status. Goyette had known Sheehan since the two started Grade 6 at Albert Street Middle School in Fredericton, N.B. Goyette remembers playing hockey with Sheehan. “He was the type of player that on the ice he would do anything to stop you and when the game was over he would go back to being such a nice guy.” “Nick was the type of friend that everyone needs in their life. He may be gone, but will never be forgotten,” Goyette said. Fellow Albert Street alumnus and best friend of Sheehan, Conrad Fox, also heard the news through Face-

Health Centre re-opens

A long time coming, the newly renvoated Health Center hopes to provide a wider variety of servies to students // SETH RUTNER

Lane Hall mourns the loss of resident Nicholas Sheehan //CATHERINE FANCY book. “My immediate reaction was I didn’t know what to think. I was in shock,” said Fox. “He was a hilarious guy – very, very smart. He always got along with everyone and he was always willing to

help people out,” Fox continued. “Everyone who knows him is really going to miss him.” A candlelight vigil for the residents of Lane Hall was held Tuesday night, and a school-wide memorial service will be held sometime next week.

Kristen Stallard Features Editor

fer and some services were not easily accessible.” Students who have opted in to the Students’ Union health insurance plan, Campus Trust, will now pay very little to nothing for services. “This has been a long priority for The U,” he added. Indeed, achieving the renovations has been a long process. After trying to find financing from StFX administration and the Board of Governor’s, The U presented a referendum to students at the end of the last academic year. Students passed the motion to contribute $25 annually for ten years to finance the project. Delays during the summer had some concerned that renovations would be pushed back yet another year. The new Health Centre has enlarged its services and facilities to include not only nursing and physician care, but also chiropractic and naturopathic medicine. Expect massage therapy and a sports medicine doctor to follow next September, as well. Physically, the centre, located on the third floor of the Bloomfield Centre, received a modern and refreshed design. The addition of warm hues and dark wood for the room’s décor creates a professional entrance and waiting room for visitors. Television and wireless internet access is also available. MacGillvary informed students that the new design enhances privacy as well. “Before, going to the Health Centre was awkward. The waiting room was very open and you had to go up to the receptionist and tell her what you were there for in front of everybody,” MacGillvary said, adding that the centre is also working towards cutting wait times. In contrast to one doctor on staff, four physicians will now staff the centre while a nurse will also be on hand. There are also more examining rooms. To book an appointment at the Student Health Centre, contact [email protected] or call 867-2263. Operating hours are 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Students, staff and faculty were invited to view the new Student Health Centre during an open house on Wednesday, March 4. The Grand Reopening of the Student Health Centre represented the culmination of a five year process to renovate the campus clinic and increase staffing. The $500,000 project took six weeks to complete. Matt MacGillvary, President of the Student Union, was excited to see the long-awaited project completed. He remembered interest to renovate the Health Centre was voiced by students as early as during his first year. “Honestly, the Health Centre wasn’t close to what we needed back then,” MacGillvary explained. “Looking at The U’s health plan, the centre was not providing all that it should of-

4

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

News Editor Kate Clark [email protected]

N.S. reaffirms commitment to tuition freeze Danielle Webb CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief

ANTIGONISH (CUP) – Tuition in Nova Scotia won’t be going up, at least for the next two years, as the premier has vowed to honour the tuition-freeze agreement with the province’s universities. Rumours of a $10-million cut to post-secondary education funding began circulating on March 7 when the province announced that it is short on funds and will be looking for places to cut their budget. Students’ unions and student lobbying groups across the province had concerns that the province was asking the university presidents to make budget cuts that would affect the current tuition freeze and possibly raise fees by $300 per student next year. The cutbacks would be a direct breach of the Memorandum of Understanding contract between the province and Nova Scotia’s 11 university presidents. Terms of the contract outline a tuition freeze until 2010-11 in re-

Write for the Xaverian Weekly! Meetings Monday at 6 p.m. in the Newsroom, basement SUB

turn for provincial funds dedicated to meet operational costs. The Nova Scotia University Student Bursary trust was also rumoured to be affected. But the Alliance of Nova Scotia Student Associations – a provincial student lobby group – received word from N.S. Premier Rodney MacDonald on March 10 that the tuition freeze and the bursary trust would remain in place as promised. “In the May 6, 2006 speech to the throne, the Rodney MacDonald government made a commitment to make the cost of obtaining a typical undergraduate degree in Nova Scotia comparable to the national average within five years,” said Kelly Wilson, executive director for ANSSA. “We have been assured by government officials that this agreement will not be deviated from.” “Premier MacDonald and [Education] Minister [Judy] Streatch understand how important this agreement is to students. This commitment represents an investment in students, families, and the

economy,” said ANSSA Chair Matt Risser. Kyle Steele, president of the Students’ Union at Acadia University, is pleased the province is keeping their word. “A deal is a deal,” said Steele. “We’re extremely happy that the government has continued to commit resources to the present and future of post-secondary education in this province – even in a time of financial hardships.” “In tough economic times, people who lose jobs will tend to revert back to improving upon their education to open the door to new opportunities. Obviously, the government understands the importance of access to education and ensuring that tuition in Nova Scotia continues to be lowered to the national average.” More than 42,000 students attend university in Nova Scotia, with an average tuition rate of $5,932 for in-province students and $6,200 for out-of-province students. Nova Scotia has the highest tuition in the country, with the national average currently resting at $4,724.

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

Getting into the U

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

5

Explaining the U’s hiring process Devanne O’Brien Senior Reporter The names of the incoming Students’ Union executive are to be released this week, along with applications for the multitude of subexecutive positions available for the 2009-2010 school year. Current Vice President of the Students’ Union, Julia Clarke, says that interviews for the positions of VP Communications, VP Student Relations, VP Union Services, VP Campus Police, and VP Finance, have taken place this past weekend and the student body will be informed who the new executives are by the end of this week. The application for executive positions includes the submission of a proposal outlining the applicant’s ideas for the given VP post, as well as a standard resume and referenc-

es.

Applicants are then short-listed by the Students’ Union President Elect and Vice President Elect before being called to an interview. The interview panel is comprised of the individual currently occupying the executive post if he or she is not reapplying for the job, either the current Students’ Union President or Vice President, two councilors, and both the President Elect and Vice President Elect. Depending on the position, a full time staff member employed by the Union may be asked to sit on the panel. This year, there were five applicants for the position of VP Campus Police, four for VP Finance, eight for VP Student Relations, two for VP Communications, and two for VP Union Services. Clarke explains that the inter-

view panel typically discusses each candidate after the interview and comes to a consensus about who should fill the position. “If it’s contentious and people [within the interview panel] are really against [an applicant being selected] then it goes to a vote,” she says. “But usually from the interview, it’s kind of clear [which applicant will be selected].” Clarke says the Union is doing the best it can to prevent personal relationships or friendships between applicants and those on the interview panel from interfering with hiring decisions. She says that in some cases, interviewers voluntarily remove themselves from the panel if they have personal ties to the applicant. The biggest safeguard, however, is having a large number of interviewers on the panel to help ensure the right

person is picked for each job. As applications for sub-executive positions will be released shortly, Julia Clarke hopes to debunk the myth that previous experience with the Students’ Union is a prerequisite for these jobs. “Union experience is important, but if I look at myself, I wasn’t involved in the Union at all and then I had this position,” she explains. Clarke says volunteer work and involvement in the campus community in other areas is generally what impresses interviewers. Applications for sub-executive positions will be released shortly. The incoming executives are responsible for this round of hiring. “We love to see people getting involved,” Clarke concludes. “It order to get involved with the Union, you need to apply for one of these jobs.”

Other Students’ Union jobs available Marketing and Communication : - Web administrator - Marketing manager - Marketing team members - Internal marketing manager - X-Army marketing squad Student Life: - House presidents/VPs - Off-campus coordinators Voice of Students: - Chair of Council - Deputy Chair of Council - Chief Returning Officer - Deputy Chief Returning Officer - Returning Officer - Councillors - 1 Senator Union Services: - PhotOstudio Manager - Environment Officer - Student Food Bank Coordinator - Off-campus Housing Officer - X-Helpline Coordinator - Student Advocates Campus Police: - Deputy Campus Police Chief - Senior Campus Police Officer - Campus Police Officer Activities and Events: -Entertainment Coordinator - Society Coordinator - O-Crew Co-Chairs

Could this be U? //

SETH RUTNER

6

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

International news Lisa Rankin Contributor

Prostitutes available on Craigslist The online ad site Craigslist is facing charges of promoting prostitution. Charges were laid by an Illinois sheriff, Thomas Dart, who claimed the site has done nothing to prevent the promotion of the sex trade, and wants the erotic section of the site shut down. However, spokespeople from the site say they are cooperating with authorities to end any illegal activity. Craigslist has already settled another lawsuit on the issue, and promised to stop any illegal usage of the site. However, Dart does not believe better usage of the ad site has occurred. When discussing the site, Dart expresses the role Craigslist plays in promoting prostitution is like a virtual pimp, forcing missing children, runaways, abused women and trafficked women to be forced into the sex trade. - With files from the BBC

The road to love Men from the village of Barwaan Kala, India, known locally as “the village of unmarried people,” have decided to increase their odds. Over 100 men have come together to build a 6 km road to connect with the rest of the district in hopes for better access to potential wives. The remoteness of the village is blamed for the lack of marriages, as the last recorded occurred 50 years ago. A major obstacle in the road construction is its passage through a wildlife protection zone. Authorities have stated that the men will face repercussions for damage caused. The village has very poor infrastructure, as they have no working water pumps, no teacher at the local school, and the closest police station and hospital are over 45 km away, which has contributed to the refusal of local fathers to allow their daughters to marry men from the village. - With files from the BBC

Man caught with cocaine cast A Chilean man attempting to enter Spain with 4.87 kgs of cocaine was caught by Spanish police after a flight from Santiago. The cocaine was dispersed between a hollowedout six-pack of beer, two hollowed out stools and a leg cast made of cocaine rather than plaster. Upon examination of the leg, it was revealed that the man actually had a fracture in his tibia and fibula,

though it is unknown whether the injury was self inflicted in order to give legitimacy if x-rayed. Spain is a major connection point for cocaine travelling from South America to Europe, and the country has the highest rate of cocaine consumption in Europe. After the discovery was made, the man was taken to hospital where his injuries were properly treated.

News Editor Kate Clark [email protected]

Former POW calls for solidarity with Palestine Soha Bechara, known for her attempt to assassinate a South Lebanon Army commander, spoke to students in Montreal

-With files from CNN and the BBC

Zimbabwe’s PM recovering in Botswana Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s recently sworn-in prime minister, is recovering from injuries suffered during a car accident which claimed the life of his wife this week. He will be treated for neck and back injuries. Tsvangirai’s rival, President Robert Mugabe has visited the PM in hospital, and sent his condolences for the death of his wife. Tsvangirai’s vehicle was sideswiped by a lorry which belonged to US government funded USAID, causing the SUV to flip several times. The collision is not considered suspicious by officials, but Tsvangirai’s political party will be conducting its own investigation. Questions of the new PM’s ability to govern the country despite personal tragedy have arisen, as the task had already been difficult within a power-sharing government. - With files from the BBC

Women face difficult times in Iraq A study performed by Oxfam International has shown Iraqi women have been facing extreme hardship despite the decrease in violence. It is estimated there are currently 740,000 widows in the country, as their husbands were killed, abducted, disappeared, or incapacitated. Over 35.5% of women surveyed were now the heads of their household. Many of these women are unable to earn a decent living, and are therefore forced to make many difficult decisions on the welfare of their children. The survey was conducted last summer and included 17,000 women in five provinces across the country. The Executive Director of Oxfam International said the survey uncovered that of the participants, one-quarter have no access to safe drinking water, one-third cannot send their children to school, and one-half have been the victim of violence. - With files from the BBC

www.xaverianweekly.ca

Former Lebanese prisoner of war Soha Bechara says Palestinians must resist occupation // Giuseppe Valiente

Giuseppe Valiante CUP Quebec Bureau Chief MONTREAL (CUP) – Soha Bechara has never been to Israel. Nor have her toes felt the sand lining Gaza’s beaches. Yet this timid-looking, middle-aged mother of two commands immense respect internationally as a symbol of resistance to occupation, especially for Palestinians. When Bechara took the stage last Tuesday night in Montreal’s north end to give a speech called “Prisoners of Occupation,” the 200-plus crowd rose instantly and clapped with respect and admiration. The respect comes from the 10 years she spent in the notorious Khiam prison inside then-Israelicontrolled Southern Lebanon. Israel occupied the country from 1982 to 2000. Bechara joined the resistance and was captured in 1988 after she tried to assassinate the leader of the South Lebanon Army, Antoine Lahd. The SLA was a militia force supported by the Israeli forces. Bechara was beaten, electrocuted, and forced to endured other tortures at the hands

of the SLA. She was released from prison in 1998. Bechara was invited to speak as part of Israeli Apartheid Week, a week of conferences with the goal of highlighting what organizers see as Israeli’s discriminatory policies towards the Palestinians and to grow support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Bechara called on the audience to take their “Canadian passports” and visit the Palestinian territories and come back to Canada to testify about what they have seen. “It’s not because I’m Arab; it’s because I’m human that I say we must do something,” said Bechara, who was born in Lebanon. She said the movement to impose sanctions on Israel is important because only the international community that can make a difference in the lives of Palestinians. The Palestinians should not be negotiating for peace, she said. “I know my position is more militant than Hamas. No negotiations,” she said the night after the speech, in a small apartment in uptown Mon-

treal. “The occupied doesn’t negotiate with an occupier. You negotiate with someone when you are on an equal level. The Palestinians are very far from this.” The Palestinians don’t really have any leadership to negotiate with anyway, she said. “The occupation has strangled the leadership,” she said. “When at 14 years old you find yourself in prison . . . this is a society that can no longer produce leaders.” She says all the Palestinians can do is resist. “Its not an Arab or Israeli question. It’s a fundamental question for humanity.” On the subject of her torture and imprisonment for 10 years, Bechara says it doesn’t affect her life negatively. She has mothered two children since her release, wrote an autobiography, and now teaches mathematics in her home in Switzerland. “[My imprisonment] was an honour. It was a moment very important for me,” she said. “That I could resist it until the end . . . it brings nothing but pride to have passed this test without failing.”

BEST SUMMER JOB EVER!

Join our team! Premier brother/sister camp located at the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Kent, CT. World class facilities located 2 hours to NYC, 4 hours to Boston. 200 acre facility includes waterfront activities, team sports, individual sports, outdoor adventures, extreme sports, performing and visual arts programs. Looking for staff who have a love for working with children and enjoy being a part of a team. Jobs available include specialty counselors, general counselors, office/secretarial staff, camp store staff and other administrative staff positions. E-mail [email protected] or Phone Tom Troche at 305-673-3310 Browse our website at www.kenmontkenwood.com and fill out our application. Contact us if you would like to meet one of our staff on your campus.

NEWS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

National news Patrick Connors Contributor

Li not criminally guilty

The big T-dot celebrates a big year. //

PAYTON CHUNG

Happy birthday, Toronto! Canada’s largest city turns 175 Kate Clark News Editor It is not often in Canada that we celebrate Toronto. Their sports teams—sorry, Matt Skube—suck. Comedian Will Ferguson described it as a “slowly expanding blob.” Sometimes, in the summer, you can’t breathe, and it frequently smells like pee. But Toronto really is a great place, and it’s celebrating its 175th birthday. The area had been inhabited by various First Nations groups before the French created a permanent presence around 1750. The earliest large influx of English-speaking immigrants was from Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution in the 1780s, and became the capital of Upper Canada in 1788 because of its distance from the new American border. They called this settlement York. York was razed by the Americans during the War of 1812, beginning a movement to change the name so as to differentiate it from

New York City. Toronto was encorporated into a city in the midst of a cholera epidemic, on March 6, 1834. The name comes from a Mohawk name for the area, meaning “where the trees stand in the water.” Three years later, it was home to the Upper Canadian edition of Rebellion of 1837, which had several results—responsible government, the six-year incarceration of this writer’s great-grandfather, Edward Clark, and a law prohibiting the dragging of a dead horse down Yonge Street on a Sunday. Toronto grew after Confederation, as southern Ontrario flourished. The city’s multicultural nature came out in the late nineteenth century, as German, Italian, Jewish, Russian, Polish and Chinese immigrants came to the city. Toronto continued to grow and diversify in the twentieth century, becoming English Canada’s cultural and academic capital. Toronto encorporated the country’s first public and seperate (Catholic)

school boards, and was home to both the T. Eaton Company and Simpson’s. Babe Ruth played baseball in the Exhibition Park, and Ian Fleming lived in the Annex. Riots, streetcars and Stanley Cup victories dominated the city’s landscape in the years before 1967. The second century of Confederation brought the Toronto we’ve come to know and love—the CN Tower was completed in 1976 and began to dominate the now-familiar waterfront landscape. The final two cement sections of the spire had to be hoisted up with a helicopter. Trudeau-era immigration policies brought in many of the 49 per cent of Torontonians who are foreign-born. Toronto today is steeped in history, both centuries past and in the making. Celebrations abound for different cultures and religions in what is heralded as the most multicultural city in the world, but this week, they are all just celebrating the city they call home. So Happy demisemiseptennial Birthday, T-Dot! You deserve it!

When Vince Li stabbed and decapitated Tim McLean onboard a Greyhound bus in Manitoba he supposedly believed God told him to do it. Justice John Scurfield found him not criminally responsible, which the law allows in situations where the perpetrator suffers from a severe mental illness. Justice Scurfield said that Li was unable to understand that what he did was morally wrong, and psychiatrists for both the Crown and defence testified that the defendant suffers from schizophrenia. Mr. Li will appear before a criminal review board in the next 90 days to determine how he will be institutionalized. Justice Scurfield tried to assure that this would not mean Li would go free. He stated that as long as he was deemed to be a threat to society he would remain in an institution. The victim’s mother was not pleased with the result. Carol deDelley expressed anger over Li not being found criminally responsible and said the law needs to change. - With files from the Globe and Mail

Nova Scotia finance minister succumbs to cancer Family, friends and colleagues gathered last Thursday to say goodbye to a man who was described by a colleague as “large in size but also large in heart.” Nova Scotia Finance Minister Michael Baker died last week after a threeyear battle with cancer at the age of 52. Hundreds crammed into two Lunenburg Churches for his funeral. Mr. Baker was praised for tireless public service to his community and province, his sense of humour, and dedication to his family – all of which he did not given up during his three-year struggle. Premiers, opposition leaders, and other community leaders praised his efforts. Former NS premier John Hamm said he was “one of the finest public servants of his generation.” Prior to politics Baker practiced law in Chester and Mahone Bay. He is survived by his wife Cynthia and two teenage sons. - With files from Chronicle Herald

$2 billion university fund reserved for science and tech The federal government has told universities and provincial governments that it wants a $2 billion infrastructure plan to be used on science and technology investments. Some university leaders and provinces came out in opposition to this demand. They believe that all universities should receive some of the funding, and that universities should decide where it is spent. The federal government maintains that the money should be spent on science and technology upgrades. Schools are expected to apply to the federal government to receive some money. If approved, the projects will receive 50 per cent of the funding from

7

the federal government and 50 per cent from the university or its province. One Ontario university complained that the non-science and technology projects are higher on their list of needed improvements. Federal Liberals criticized the government for trying to impose strict controls on university spending, noting that it is the universities who know best how to spend the money. - With files from the Globe and Mail

Liberal strategist files lawsuit against Tories A Liberal strategist has filed a $1 million libel suit against the Conservative party and Public Works Minister Christian Paradis. Warren Kinsella alleges that a Feb. 25 news release bearing Conservative party letterhead implied that he is “unsavoury, dishonest and that [Liberal Leader] Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal party of Canada” should cut ties with him. The news release quoted Paradis calling Kinsella, who will run the Liberal war room during the next federal election campaign, a “disgraced Chrétien backroom organizer.” Kinsella’s lawyers also allege that Tory MPs have abused their Parliamentary privilege by making “defamatory” comments in the House of Commons. A pair of Conservative MPs took verbal jabs at Kinsella on Tuesday in the Commons before question period. Kinsella’s Toronto-based lawyer, Brian Shiller, accused the Conservative party and Paradis of “egregious conduct.” “It’s a concerted campaign by the Conservative party to target and defame and destroy the reputation of a private citizen who is a volunteer for the Liberal party and nothing more,” he said. - With files from the Canadian Press

EU to ban seal products Inuit leaders say European legislation intended to ban seal products will hurt Arctic communities despite exemptions designed to protect them. “History has shown that the entire market collapses when countries talk about banning seal products,” explained Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak. “Inuit in Nunavut will be affected by this decision, whether or not an exemption is in place and that is not right.” Last week, the EU’s internal market and consumer protection committee endorsed a bill that would impose a ban on the import of all seal products to the 27-member union. The bill contained provisions that would allow Inuit to continue to trade seal products “for cultural, educational or ceremonial purposes.” Environmental groups perceived to have played a leading role in building opposition to the hunt are still widely scorned across the North and “Greenpeacer” is used as an insult. The Inuit hunt is a small fraction of Canada’s annual seal harvest, the world’s largest. But still, in 2004 – a year of healthy prices and open markets – sealskins brought in $450,000 to remote Inuit communities with few other ways of earning cash. The EU parliament is expected to vote on the proposed measure in April. - With files from the CBC

8

OPINIONS Mar. 12, 2009

Opinions Editor Xandi Capistrano [email protected]

In the wake of tragedy Letters to the Editor Danielle Webb Editor-in-Chief “There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften.” — Cicero Tragedy struck StFX this week, and with it, many of our eyes turned to those closest to us. Those who knew Nick Sheehan are mourning the loss of a great friend, confidant and family member. And those who didn’t know him are still contemplating the loss of someone close. There is never an adequate reason for the loss of an innocent life. Those of us left behind, who have had our closest friends ripped from our lives, are simply left to pick up the pieces and try to make sense of a life ended too soon. This much we know: Nick was a good friend; he was a caring brother and son; nobody will ever know why he had to leave us so soon; and he will be missed dearly. I, like many others on Sunday night, heard the tragic news through Facebook and text messages on my cell phone. I could do nothing but stare in shock at the screen in front of me for nearly an hour. There isn’t a student, faculty member or administrator on this campus who has not been touched deeply by the loss of Nick Sheehan from our number. The X family is

one student fewer today than this time last week, and the loss is still resonating across the campus. On Tuesday, Nick’s friends and fellow Lane residents held a candlelit vigil in his honour. Proof that through death comes unity, remembrance and faith. His memory was honoured while it is still being formed in the minds of those who loved him, and for that we must be happy. Nick will never be forgotten. His memory has left an impression on this campus that will never fade away. There are times in each of our lives when we question that which surrounds us every day. When the haze of our every day lives is lifted and we can see more clearly, more sharply, that which we really value. These are times when we become closer with those we love, be they family, friends, teammates or coworkers. These are times when we must come together, unify and strive to move forward together. I’m proud to say that our campus is doing just that. As part of the Xaverian family, we will help each other get through this. StFX has suffered a shocking loss, and Nick’s friends and family know it better than any of us. May we all take this opportunity to come together, to comfort one another, and remember that which is most valuable in all of our lives.

Re: failure is an option Dear Editor, I took offence to the article ‘Failure is an option’ in the Feb. 19 edition of the paper, where the choice to do away with supplementary exams was extolled as a victory. It did not look at the whole situation regarding supplementary exams, ignoring students who struggle with exams completely, and instead wrote off all students who write supplementary exams as slackers. While I do agree it is not right to allow students who have neglected their studies throughout the semester a second chance, you said yourself that it an exam rarely constituents an entire grade. In this case, should a student have failed to comprehend or complete the coursework, a supplementary exam is extremely unlikely to give that student a passing mark. It should also be noted that a student needs a mark between 45-49 and permission from the professor to even be given the option of a supplementary exam. It is highly unlikely that a student who did absolutely nothing all year would have the option of a supplementary exam. I was also annoyed with the implication that all those who require supplementary exams do so because they have ignored their coursework. I can assure you that this is not always the case. I, unfortunately, suffer from rather severe test anxiety and consequently do not tend to perform well on exams, despite understanding the course work adequately. On an occasion where anxiety gets the better of me, I can fail the entire exam, even though I have preformed reasonably well throughout the semester, and have burned the midnight oil studying. This is not an uncommon problem; I know I am far from the only student to have this kind of anxiety. I found that this article very irritating and felt it did not adequately represent the situation regarding supplementary exams at all.

CentARCUP 2009 CentARCUP 2009 Atlantic Canadian student journalism conference Two days of cutting edge journalism from some of this country’s leading professors, reporters, editors and designers.

Kelsey MacGillivray

No name drugs

Open to all students and faculty

Featuring: • Tim Currie — Online journalism professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax. • David Swick — Journalism ethics professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax. • Marnie Gillis — Production manager at Halifax’s The Coast, an independent and locally-owned weekly newspaper.

To register: [email protected]

St. Francis Xavier University,Antigonish, N.S. March 27-29, 2009 Hosted by the Xaverian Weekly

Dear Editor, Despite being chemically identical, in some instances generic drugs actually don’t work as well as brand names. Aspirin®, for example, works better than its no-name equivalent, so long as people know what they are taking. The reason is that although brand name drugs affect the body in exactly the same way as generics, our perception of how well they work is influenced by our expectations. We expect expensive fancy drugs to work better, and so they do. Branding has an analgesic effect. But it gets far odder than that! Some drugs are actually more effective when they are initially released on the market

(because we think new is better); pills of different colour and different shape work differently; positive media coverage of a drug can alter its effectiveness; and perhaps coolest of all, a drug works better when we think it costs more. Welcome to the strange world of the placebo effect. So the bottom line is, students might actually be better off shelling out a few extra bucks for the Tylenol Ultra. All that packaging and advertising really does make it a better medicine. When it comes to subjective phenomena like pain, belief really does make it so. Weird, eh? Jason Loxton

Basketball players Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in response to the incident that took place on Feb. 21, and the frenzy of reaction that has followed. For those who are unfamiliar, three X-Men basketball players were involved in an altercation outside of Pat’s Place and another StFX student was severely injured. The unnamed victim is severely concussed, needed 35 stitches and is bruised from shoulder to hips. His girlfriend was also thrown to the ground (by her hair) while attempting to help him. I know that everyone makes mistakes, but after the events that led to now-ex-coach Garry Gallimore leaving his position, the academic dishonesty of two X-Men who were caught cheating on a final exam last December and the X-Man who pled guilty to being in possession of stolen property last April, I have had enough. As a former varsity athlete, I am fully aware of how much time and energy athletes give up for their sports and their university — I am not arguing whether this is fair or not, simply that it is the truth. Student athletes are often the face of the university in the eyes of the public, and as such are often held to higher standards of responsibility than other students. Many of our athletes are extremely intelligent, involved in volunteer endeavours and caring of their peers. Most members of the men’s basketball team fall into this category, so I am truly sorry for those whose image has been tarnished by your not-somoral teammates. A few bad students have ruined the student athlete image for everyone else. This most recent story has made news across the country and, frankly, I am sick of talking to friends, family and even other athletes across the country, and being asked about the situation with the men’s basketball team. Sharing the same varsity athlete title as these young men who have broken the law is insulting. A fifth-year player and team captain was allegedly involved in the incident on Feb. 21. The sad thing is that

a team’s attitude reflects its leadership, and when the leadership of a team is allowing players to get away with violations of the community code (articles 1, 9, 12 and 29), and the law itself, something is seriously wrong. I want to know how a player can steal, cheat and assault and still be on the floor at the X-Men’s home game against Cape Breton on Feb. 26 — perhaps because it was a 4-point game for first place in the league? I am aware that these players are innocent until proven guilty, but one X-Man has plead guilty in a court of law and is not only still on the team, but still playing regularly, so does it really matter? The administration does not want to jump to conclusions based on the accusations surrounding these young men, which is understandable. But while these players are being sidelined for this weekend’s final 6, the decision to keep them off the court is being revisited if the team makes nationals. That tells me that winning is being given a higher priority than moral and judicial integrity. I want to make myself clear that I am not placing blame on any one person or committee. I think the athletics department, dean of students, Coach Konchalski and team captains are all to blame. The quality of leadership, more than any other factor determines the success or failure of an organization, and I think that it is safe to say that the X-Men basketball team is severely lacking in this category. The fact that one of the players who was caught cheating on his final exam was the same player that plead guilty to stealing electronics from his housemates tells me that Coach Konchalski’s in-house disciplinary measures are not working. How are these players still allowed to play the sport they love, when it should be one of the first things taken away from them? When the captain of the team is taken out of practice in handcuffs, what image is set for firstyear players? That it is alright to break the law because your coach, athletic department and university will make sure you get back on the court? Director of athletics Leo MacPherson recently retracted his statement of support for the three basketball players that have been charged with this horrific crime, and for that I applaud him. I would like to remind Coach Konchalski and the entire disciplinary team at StFX of our motto: Quaecumque Sunt Vera — Whatsoever things are true; whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever things are just; whatsoever things are pure. Call me an idealist, but I don’t see breaking both the community code and the law as true, honest, just and pure. I implore you to take action to ensure that the good name of both the university and the entire athletics department are returned to a good light. These young men need to be disciplined and the varsity athlete image restored. Pat Hoyland

Have something to say? Send your thoughts to xw.eic@stfx. ca. Please keep all letters under 300 words, and include your name and contact information. Letters are edited for grammar only. Letters must be submitted by Saturday at 3 p.m.

OPINIONS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

An open letter to every girl I’ve ever dated Conor Meade The Peak (Simon Fraser University)

BURNABY (CUP) – Hey babe, You’re a great girl. I really mean that. But for the love of God, can you please stop sending me so many goddamn text messages? I know you splurged on the unlimited data package, but it doesn’t mean you have to send me a “Hey . . . what’s up? xoxo” quite so often. A guy’s gotta relax sometimes, and that’s hard to do when it takes longer to make a bag of popcorn than it does for you to send yet another one of your cute, sweet, but ultimately very time-consuming “Thinking of you” updates. It wouldn’t be a problem if I were allowed to read the message, smile at your thoughtfulness, and then go back to whatever I was doing. But I have learned that ignoring them is hazardous. Sure, letting a few consecutive texts slip by unanswered provides some short-term peace of mind, but there will be a steep price to pay tomorrow, when I ask how you are doing, and you demand to know where I was last night, and whether I was with that whore from my intramural volleyball team. All that for one text-free evening? No thanks. Instead, I’ll heed the sage advice of Dr. Phil and talk about my feelings: Stop texting me so goddamn much. I hate it. Sweetie. It’s not that I don’t like you. Spending time with you is great. Talking on the phone is less great, but it’s a fast and simple way to

make plans. Also, I accept that you are somewhat emotional and start to miss me when we spend a few days apart. In those situations, sure, give me a call. You caught me at a bad time and I can only talk for a few minutes, but it’s no problem. It’s nice to hear from you. E-mailing is also cool. If you’re at school or work, and in front of a computer, and you think of me, I understand that you’d want to tell me such. I’m flattered because, hey, that’s very sweet of you. Other forms of communication I haven’t mentioned, we’ll review on a case-by-case basis. Smoke signals, pigeon-messengers, are tin-can phones are all acceptable. Any other creative ideas you might have, run them by me. But the one medium I must rule out, firmly and without exception, is the text message. I’ve tried to understand your intrinsic need to send and receive text messages, and I have failed. There is absolutely nothing a text message can accomplish that cannot be done faster and better with a phone call, unless the recipi-

ent is deaf. I assure you I am not. I don’t mean to single you out. Fully 90 per cent of your otherwise wonderful gender sends many times more text messages than is sane or reasonable. I don’t know why this is the case, and I doubt I ever will. I also don’t know why it’s taken me so long to sack up and make my dislike of text messages perfectly clear to you, or why similarly inclined men everywhere are hesitant to tell their girlfriends’ exactly what I’m telling you: We like you. Love you, in some cases. If you want to come over tonight and hang out, that’d be great. But if you can’t get a handle on your text message addiction, or at least refrain from indulging in it with me, I’m leaving you for an Amish chick.

”

I also don’t know why it’s taken me so long to sack up and make my dislike of text messages perfectly clear to you, or why similarly inclined men everywhere are hesitant to tell their girlfriends’ exactly what I’m telling you: We like you. Love you, in some cases.

9

Don’t abandon the Canadian Forces

More military spending is needed, especially in a recession Frank Cybulski Readings from the Right The current economic downtown has sent politicians on all sides rushing to dole out government aid in an effort to win votes, to be seen as ‘doing something’ about the crisis and to stimulate a slowing economy. However, much of these funds are being misdirected: one of the biggest beneficiaries of Canadian public funds should be the Ministry of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadian Forces have been underfunded for decades, with aging equipment continuing to serve long after its intended lifespan. It is not uncommon to find tanks, planes and other pieces of equipment that are older than their operators. While the Conservative government has attempted to address some of the most pressing concerns, increases in funding and personnel have lagged behind the military’s ever-increasing responsibilities. Canada’s levels of defence spending are proportionately some of the lowest in NATO — an organization whose members we often accuse of ‘not pulling their weight.’ Afghanistan will remain a combat zone for Canadian troops until their withdrawal in 2011, and the past few years of constant combat operations have taken a severe toll on the Forces’ personnel and equipment. Shortages of crucial armoured vehicles and the mechanics to serve them are becoming a chronic problem. It is appalling that while we as a country are willing to send our soldiers into combat

to fight and to die, attempts to increase military procurement are met with pacifist hysteria and laments for Canada’s lost peacekeeping past. The military’s problems do not stop with equipment. Recruitment of additional personnel has been a top priority, but even the increased incoming flow of recruits has barely kept pace as more and more aging members of the Forces retire and return to civilian life. Amidst all the cries for billions of government dollars to be spent on constructing infrastructure, the military has largely been ignored. This should not be the case. Money spent on defence largely stays within Canada, benefiting a significantly sized defence industry and a large number of vulnerable high-tech industries. As well, the military provides jobs and careers both directly and indirectly for a good number of Canadians. In a time of global economic instability, investing money in the Canadian Forces is one of the most prudent decisions the government could make. The men and women risking their lives on a daily basis overseas should be entitled to the best equipment and protection that money can buy. Spending it will not only benefit the military, but the Canadian economy as a whole. The first and foremost responsibility of a government is not to dole out welfare and EI payments, but rather to protect its citizens from internal and external threats. Instead of wasting money on digging unnecessary holes in the ground, Canada should keep its people in uniform at the top of its spending list.

PHOTO CONTEST! Win concert tickets

The Xaverian Weekly challenges you to take a photo of the most creative use of this newspaper you can think of.

You can submit photos for consideration to [email protected]. The winning photo will be printed in next week’s issue and the winning photographer will win two tickets to the upcoming Dirty Deeds concert at the KMC on April 4. Dirty Deeds is an AC/DC cover band.

10

DISTRACTIONS Mar. 12, 2009

Distractions Editor Xandi Capistrano [email protected]

HIT! or SH!T Other people’s children. – HIT! All the fun and zero responsibility. The Bachelor dumps his fiancée on national television and takes back the other girl. - SH!T Why you wanna do me like that, love huh? Michael Jackson announces a series of comeback concerts in London, England. – HIT! What’d I’d give to see that man grab his crotch live. Hair on a wet floor. – SH!T Because you know that hair is automatically gross after it leaves someone’s body. The water pressure in New Rez. – SHIT! Obviously. When you have a party at your house and people leave alcohol there. - HIT! It’s better than Christmas.

You tube, we tube, everbody Youtubes! Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_ CdNPuJgwatch?v=IiUVwdpxGss They call them fainting goats. Or nervous goats…

Want t o work Xaveria for the n Week You’re ly? in lu ck beca use we g for a ’ r e n e Apply wi w th resum s t aff! For comp e, cover letter an lookin lete job d

d writing or photo gr s and gen eral infor aphy samples to x mation, e w mail xw.e [email protected]. [email protected] March 20 a. , 20

escription

Apply by Friday,

09 for:

News Ed itor Culture Editor Sports/H ealth Ed itor Opinion s/Distrac tions Ed itor Features Editor Copy Ed itor Students a

re encour a

ged to ap

Senior R eporter ( 2) Managin g Editor Producti on Mana ger Photogr aphy/Gr aphics E ditor Senior P hotograp her Online E ditor Distribu tion Man ager

ply for m

ultiple po

sitions

DISTRACTIONS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

11

What really grinds my gears You know what really grinds my gears? ... how the Inn, which is dying for business from us poor starving students, has the most expensive pitchers in town. And what the hell is with those wings? Better give me a straw for all that sauce. - 0DM …the lack of discipline that our fine university is handing out to certain X-Men basketball players. I mean come on, shouldn’t these guys suffer a harsher punishment than being benched for the AUS Championship? Honestly, it is easy to say that they have been disciplined, but one of them had an injured ankle and probably wasn’t able to play, and the other two didn’t contribute enough to the team to make a difference anyway. Maybe the school should finally muster up the guts and expel these guys. What’s the use of putting together a championship calibre team if they undermine the integrity and respect of the university? - StFX’s Moral Compass. …that on theU.ca, webmail opens up in a new window. I mean, I understand not navigating away from the website, but a tab would be nice. Oh, and I don’t like the spelling mistakes on the site either. - Gertrude …pedestrians. I don’t enjoy having to creep up at 10 km/h behind you, beeping my horn for you to get out of the way. Let’s be nice and share the concrete, shall we? - On your heels Is anything grinding your gears? Email your rant to [email protected].

Street Beats If you were the eighth dwarf, what would your name be?

House. – Ashley, 4th year History

n o i t r a i e c m e r o App Cust

Gabrieau’ s s l a i c Spe e n i d n a c o w T s a e l t t i l s a r fo $26.99 Bistro

Exquisite Cuisine & Exceptional Service. “It’s Our Pride and our Passion.”

Show your appreciation to someone special

2 Gourmet 2 - 9oz New 2 Baked York Striploin OR Atlantic Salmon OR Seafood Pastas Steaks Dinners Dinners

Preparations may vary nightly Daily after 5pm eat in only

Sniffy. – Laura, 4th year Women’s Studies & Psych

Barfy. – Marci, 3rd year Marketing

reat food at great prices

350 Main Street Antigonish, NS 902-863-1925

www.gabrieaus.com

Inventory reduction sale held over for another week!! Every home has a kitchen & we have something very special for yours. Cooking and Entertaining essentials

Great savings up to

Lazy. – James, 3rd year Poli Sci

220 Main Street, Antigonish, NS

50

% off!!

902-735-1925

12

FEATURE Mar. 12, 2009

Features Editor Kristen Stallard [email protected]

the

lo

What volunteering means to students

and those they serve

Kristen Stallard Features Editor Today, being a student is about so much more than schoolwork. In recent years, the emphasis to become well rounded has driven students to carry on more than their studies. Rather than focus solely on academics, involvement in athletics, clubs, and the community has become a checklist for the successful student. Setting yourself apart The reasons for this level of involvement for students are plenty. For some, it’s about setting yourself apart from your peers. “Volunteer work and extra-curricular things figure in a lot when we look at your application,” explained StFX Admissions Officer Sarah Murray of the selection process StFX uses to choose applicants. “We read everything from cover to cover. It’s about getting the right fit for the school and for you so that you do well.” “I sometimes think students have 72 hours in a day. They can do all these things and still do well academically,” she added. Murray explained that the StFX admissions process is very comprehensive, particularly in comparison to other universities. Applications ask for reference letters and resumes. It is a way for admissions officers such as Murray to gauge how a potential student could benefit from attending StFX and how they will help sustain and grow the school’s community spirit. She added that, while the community involvement standards of the StFX application process may not be the same for every university, this type of work will continue to be im-

portant for life after graduation. This includes filling out your next set of applications to graduate school and professional programs. Preparing For others, volunteer work and extra-curricular activities represent the chance to enhance their resumes, form relationships with contacts and improve their skills set. According to a national study conducted by Statistics Canada, Canadians, age 15 to 24, are among the most active volunteers in the country. This participation is also growing. Between 1987 and 1997, the volunteer rate doubled amongst this age group from 18 to 33 per cent. More than one out of every two young volunteers stated they contributed their time in order to increase their opportunities for employment, compared with one in five individuals in the 25–44 age group and one in ten individuals in the 45–64 age group. The survey results showed that amongst individuals aged 15 to 64 who believed their volunteer activities helped them find jobs, 24 per cent were in the 15–24 age bracket. This was a much larger proportion than respondents in any other age category. Tell us about yourself Murray believes it helps school admission departments and employers learn about your interests, priorities and values, as well. “The average student is involved in their school somehow. I get to know a lot of students almost personally from their description of themselves and their activities,” Murray said.

Discovering what a student is capable of and interested in becomes important for a school or business when trying to distinguish between an onslaught of applicants. Candidates prove they can stretch themselves and handle a wide variety of tasks in the ways they work outside of their job descriptions and their comfort zones. Passing the test StFX registrar Tim MacInnes explained StFX has specifically tailored their application in order to find students who fit such descriptions. The way to test applicants can be surprisingly simple. MacInnes says StFX enlarged their admissions application to 13 pages in the belief that the interested student would take the time to fill it all out. “This may seem risky but it’s really worked for us,” said MacInnes. He believes this is contributing to the school’s high retention rates, proving the application process finds students who are more likely to succeed and stay at StFX. “A lot of universities try to scramble for applications. If you fill out a card you can even be considered an applicant who just hasn’t sent in their complete registration yet,” he said. “We are a small school with small resources, so we want to focus our resources on students who are interested specifically in coming to StFX,” MacInnes continued, adding that StFX was very happy with the results of their new application process. Doing unto others However, as the old adage goes, the love you take is equal to the love you make. After all, once you begin volun-

teering you are likely to continue, even after you pass those application procedures and earn those jobs. Gina Sampson believes she knows why. As co-ordinator for Service Learning at StFX, she oversees approximately 800 students in placements throughout Antigonish as they fulfill research requirements for their courses. “People may come for broadening their horizons for jobs but we’re in it for the learning aspect,” Sampson explained. “When it’s done well, performing service gives the student time to reflect on what they’re doing.” In contrast to focused volunteering and direct service, Service Learning puts students in a course angle. They are often behind the scenes where they perform consulting, accounting, organize funding and administrative duties. While Service Learning does not follow-up with their students as a procedure, anecdotally Sampson knew a student’s service often had a major affect on their career choices. Sampson continued by explaining the learning aspect may not be what students expect. Instead, the personal benefit is something they pick up often unconsciously and realize after they finish their work and reflect. “Most people expect charitable and service agencies to welcome students based on their ability to offer another set of hands to help with their work,” Sampson said. “While they do note the benefit students have in helping their clients, agencies we work with report the most important thing is getting students involved with their causes.” “They know they’re investing in students who will leave StFX and hopefully be advocates for their clients,” Sampson added.

“I named the foundation based on a special quote: in every acorn there’s an oak tree, and in every child there’s a king.” – Frances Tibollo, Founder of The Oaklands Foundation

FEATURE Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

ve

you

13

take Why do students volunteer? Frances Tibillo When Frances Tibollo, a third year Political Science major, gets involved with her community, it’s no understatement. At 17, Tibollo founded a charity, The Oaklands Foundation, to dedicate resources to building schools and enhancing education in Nigeria. The impetus for Oaklands came by chance. In 2006, Tibollo acted as a judge and interpreter for an international teakwon-do competition in Ireland and Nigeria. Anticipating the chance to visit her high school’s Nigerian sister school, Mount La Salle College, she organized a Pen Pal Pencil Case Drive to bring school supplies. It was her first of many fundraising activities for her project of passion in Africa. “Sometimes, the kind of things you may be volunteering for, others don’t have stomach for,” Tibollo said. “Because of what I’ve seen, I wanted to do something. What I saw shook me pretty bad and you can’t just ignore it.”

Since her first fundraising effort, Tibollo has engaged in letter writing campaigns and other forms of fundraising to raise capital for bigger projects. Last summer, the non profit organization, established an internet café for LaSalle. When she first visited the school, the entire village did not have access to a phone. Tibollo sees the future for The Oaklands Foundation in extending their efforts to neighboring countries. She credits Oaklands’ success specifically to the vision and enthusiasm of her fellow young volunteers who comprise Oaklands’ Executive Council. “We, as young people, have an opportunity to ask questions about things adults couldn’t ask for many reasons,” she said. “Our generation’s raw energy and passion hasn’t been harnessed yet. But if you put with us adults and people with experience, we can be easily taken seriously more often. Give young people the opportunity or else it won’t happen in the future.”

At age 17, Tibollo founded The Oaklands Foundation after her first of several trips to Nigeria //FRANCES TIBILLO

14

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

Culture Editor Shannon Tien [email protected]

Better side notebooks

Inspiring students to be more mindful of waste Andrew Lauzon Senior Reporter There will soon be a new option for notebooks on campus, made in an effort to reduce waste. With note-taking being a daily aspect of undergraduate life, notebooks play a big role in student life. Curt Wetmore is the Environmental Officer for the campus, and he has been working to improve the relationship between the StFX students and the environment. Last semester, Wetmore ran a campaign to educate students on the impact of waste from disposable coffee cups. Reusable mugs were distributed in exchange for cleaning up little from a small portion of the campus. This campaign was aimed at both raising awareness, as well as immediately providing a number of students with reusable mugs. His most recent endeavor involves notebooks created from paper that has only been used on one side. Given the name ‘Better Side Notebooks’ these come in a variety of sizes, and are bound with string. The most striking feature of the books is the covers, which are each different and hand drawn with bold graphics and

slogans. While a notebook has a finite lifespan in the number of pages is contains, Wetmore hopes they will have an impact that lasts much longer. Wetmore explained where the idea came from to create notebooks like these, saying, “There are similar sorts of campaigns that I have found out about, run on campuses all over the country.” He went on to add that “Schools have so much paper that can be reused, this is an excellent way to reduce their waste of paper.” “The materials used for the books come from the Students Union, as they are a steady source of excess paper. The pages are created using posters from the marketing team, printed on high quality paper that does not wrinkle easily.” Wetmore hopes that this can inspire students to be more mindful of the everyday resources they take for granted. “It may be only a dollar for a typical notebook with hundreds of sheets of paper in it, so the motivation to conserve isn’t by the financial cost.” This is why Wetmore is not trying to use the notebooks to raise funds, rather just to promote the idea. “The whole point of this is to show just

An alternative to traditional notebooks, Better Side Notebooks hope to encourage the use of recyclable paper // CATHERINE FANCY how easy it is to maximize resources like paper by reusing sheets on their clean side, and make a cool book to hold your notes. Inspiring this type of behavior is what this project is concerned with.” For anyone interested in helping

with this project, they can bring any paper that has one good clean side, and is not wrinkled to the office of the Environment Officer, or the Vice President of Union Services. In addition, the project can be taken further by anyone wishing to get

involved. Wetmore explained, “The project is just starting up here, and its main focus right now is to get students thinking. It could easily boom well beyond this in the near future.” “Do it yourself as well, it’s such an easy project, and I mean, why not?”

Third Eye Film Series does it again The Secret Life of Bees Colby DeMerchant Contributor

The all-star cast of the lastest feature from 3rd Eye //

IGN.COM

The MD report Madeline Driscoll & Josh Downey CFXU Music Directors

This past week was our annual radio FunDrive. Every year, we dedicate one week to raising money to keep our little radio station on the air. This year we took in well over $1000. We’d like to voice our appreciation

for the continued support given us from those who advertise with us, our loyal listeners and all of our volunteers who donate their effort and time into bringing an alternative voice to the Antigonish airwaves. Without community support, running a decent station would be impossible, so again; Thank you to everyone who keeps the Fox foxy!

Earlier this year Cory Leblanc, of Antigonish County’s newspaper ‘The Casket’, boasted that this year’s installments of the Third Eye film series are the best collection that the arts council has ever accumulated. The latest showing this past Monday on March 9th, definitely supported Leblanc’s confident speculation. A nearly full capacity crowd at the Capitol theatre was bedazzled once again by the latest film in the series the highly acclaimed motion picture “The Secret Life Of Bees”. Based on Sue Monk Kidd’s novel of the same name, the film was laced with an all-star cast that included: Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson, Alicia keys and Paul Bettany. The cast as a whole was brilliant with Fanning standing above the rest, while Latifah was a pleasant surprise (which is more than anyone can say about her appear-

ance in “Last Holiday” and her pitiful attempt as a crime fighting cabbie). The characters in combination with the superb adaptation to the screen by Gina Prince - Bythewood had the audience drawn in right from the initial pull of the curtain. Set in South Carolina in 1964, the fictional plot is cleverly embedded into actual historical facts. Kidd offers an original modification of the timeless tale of Huckleberry Finn while demonstrating her uncanny ability of story telling as those in attendance shared in the screen players’ laughs and tears. In the midst of the conflict the audience members took away a valuable and heart warming lesson of unconditional love. The next Film in the series “I’ve Loved You Long Time” is showing on April 13. To any Xavierians who have not yet had the privilege of taking part in the Third Eye experience, put this film on your ‘MUST SEE’ list as you will not be disappointed.

CFXU Top 10 for this week

1. Strangeboys- Shoot First 2. Mother Mother – O My Heart 6. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane 3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post 7. The Hylozoists – L’ Île de Sept Villes Pavillion 8. Bruce Peninsula – A Mountains a 4. Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees - self- Mouth titled 9. Glory Glory Man United - self-titled 5. Timber Timbre - self-titled 10. K’Naan – Troubadour

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

15

Strangeboys’ strangeness impresses

Haligonian grassfusion band plays for CFXU FunDrive Jimmy Thomson Contributor This past Friday, the place to be was somewhat unusual. It wasn’t the Pub, it wasn’t Pat’s Place – it wasn’t even the Inn. It was the church – in particular, the basement of St. James United Church on Main Street, which hosted two of the strangest and most ridiculously talented bands in Nova Scotia. The show, which had students and staff mingling with members of the community, featured Antigonish’s own Mishra’s Dream, who set the stage brilliantly for Halifax grassfusion sextet The Strangeboys. Gypsy-swing group Mishra’s Dream - of ever-growing popularity in today’s climate of musical open-mindedness, and featured on CFXU’s recent compilation, This is the Sound a Fox Makes – are set to release their long-awaited debut album Saturday, March 14, 8:00, at the Bauer Theater. The show is set to have pre-and-post-show receptions featuring, respectively, Betsy Macdonald, Max Macdonald and Greg Melchin, and Mike Morrisseau and Kate Paradis. The band has rotated through a few members in their short history, but now with a longer-standing membership, the full talent of Mishra’s Dream can come through, and come through it did on Friday night. Once generally known as the Liquor Store Band, for their busking appearances in front of the NSLC, Mishra’s Dream is a seriously talented group of musicians ready to take their spot in the Nova Scotia indie lineup, and they put on their typical performance Friday – completely unique from every other band and every other show, ever. No one in the modest sized audience quite knew what to expect when the Strangeboys stepped on stage with their mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo, and bass guitar (the drums, being too large to set up quickly, had been there all along). They opened with a blazingly fast song – a pace they maintained all night and which quickly emptied half the seats in the house in favour of the dance floor. Thereafter, the front of the stage was packed with a crowd dancing feverishly to a genre probably not even heard before by most of those involved. The quick pace and friendly instrumentation, along with the fun atmosphere generated by the selfdepreciating and often hilarious banter broke down all the normal cross-genre inhibitions that would normally be present at a show with such a style of music so rarely pursued by university students. A dance competition suggested by the band, with a CD as the prize, helped as well – at least in getting people to dance. In the long run, it may have simply encouraged some of the weirdest dance moves ever

Strangeboys and Mishra’sDream heated up the stage Friday night as the wrap-up for CFXU’s Fun Drive fundrasing event // CHRIS DOUCETTE performed however, since the music was enough to have most of the crowd dancing as it was. The concert was the wrap-up for last week’s FunDrive, the annual CFXU fundraising event. Although the station didn’t take

a share of the profits from the show, it was organized and hosted by CFXU programming manager, Joanna Barker, as a final flexing of the radio-hippness muscle after a very successful week of events, including a record-breaking celebrity

auction that raised over $700. A piece of advice: if you see “CFXU presents…” on a poster from now on, don’t let it be that show you missed for 90s night. Given events past and future (such as the upcoming Tanya Davis show

featuring The Smokin’ Contra Band on March 21st, and Sam Ryan Band and The Grass at the Inn, March 28) it’s pretty much guaranteed that if you skip those shows without a sick note, you will end up kicking yourself.

16

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

Culture Editor Shannon Tien [email protected]

Jeans to suit your genes: making the latest trends work for you Tara MacInnis Fashism

The most coveted, and of course difficult characteristic to find in an article of clothing is versatility. Something that goes with boots, flats, sweaters, t-shirts and dresses, in any colour, pattern or level of quirkiness. Something that can dress an outfit up or down, and can be worn on any outing, be it the bar on a Saturday night or dinner with your uptight grandparents. All of this may sound impossible, but if you fit the statistic, you’ve got approximately six pairs of these miracle garments in your closet: jeans. Jeans were originally designed as work-wear, because of the strength of denim, and they have kept this strength with the transcendence of the ever fluctuating world of fashion. They compliment every shape and size, and as aforementioned, will fit nicely into your wardrobe. However, a big contributor to the staying power of jeans is their ability to adapt. Forty years ago, jeans were embroidered, painted and psychedelic, and now they’re high-waisted, skinny, widelegged, low-rise, boot-cut, dark, light and everything in between. Figuring

out what suits you best can definitely become overwhelming. The first style to address is the skinny jean. We all thought they’d be a thing of the past by now, but their ability to be tucked into boots and worn under dresses is making this style a classic. However, they are a world that needs to be entered with caution. If you’re pear shaped, they probably aren’t your best bet. Getting the right fit is important too. They are supposed to be tight, but there is a fine line between tight and painted-on. Also, balance should be taken into consideration. If you’re going to wear skinny jeans, try to pair them with something looser on top so as not to look like you’re wearing a cat suit. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the wide-legged jean. These are more relaxed and suit almost every body type. But please don’t wear long shirts or dresses with these; it will leave you looking shapeless and shorter. Tucking wide-legs into boots is also not cool. Poufy and overflowing are not words that should be used to describe your jeans. High-waisted is coming back from the seventies, and although not many people outside of Hollywood are em-

bracing it, it can be a nice break from crack-bearing low rise jeans. If you have an hourglass figure, not only am I jealous, but this cut of jean is perfect for you. If you don’t, make sure that the waistline hits your natural waist. The bell-bottom version of these is unfortunately only for taller girls; if you’re short, it’ll only make you look shorter. Your first jean purchase was probably boot-cut. They are timeless, and suit everyone. They make legs look longer, butts look sexier, and they balance out roundness on top. The bootcut jean is very popular, but can be interpreted in different ways. Sometimes it means a flared leg, and sometimes it means looser at the thigh. If you’re not sure how they’re supposed to fit, check with the salesperson, but no matter what size you are, they’re bound to flatter. If you find regular blue jeans are getting a little monotonous, you’re in luck because coloured jeans are steadily becoming a trend. They come in every hue imaginable, and are great if you want to stand out amongst a sea of stone wash. Going with more of a neon blue is a good way to transition into bright jeans, but don’t push it. Blinding people with your legs might

not attract the desired kind of attention. As for the gentlemen, the biggest thing you should be aware of is where the waistline of your jeans hits. If you’ve got enough cash to afford Armani boxers, that’s super, but I don’t want to see more of them than your jeans. It’s called a waistline, not an underyour-butt line. Find your hip bones, and that’s the general vicinity for where your jeans should sit. Otherwise, I’ve actually been fairly impressed with men’s jeans lately. They’re always cut well, and they aren’t as holey as previous years. Take advantage of this; pick up a new pair if you need them because they’ll look great for a long time. There are countless styles to choose from when it comes to finding the right pair of jeans. However, the two most important things to keep in mind are fit and practicality. If you want to love your jeans, make sure they love your body. Too low waistlines can result in muffin tops or whale tails (that’s when your thong makes an appearance above your jeans,

FYI). Pockets that run too far down your backside can confuse people when it comes to the location of your butt. Jeans that are too long get torn and dirty, but flood-ready isn’t good either. I’m a big believer in asking for the help of a salesperson when it comes to the perfect fit, and you should be too. Apparently jeans that look like they offended Wolverine are the next big thing, but this is Nova Scotia and rips will result in drafts. Never buy a pair of jeans that reek of trendy. They are supposed to evolve with your wardrobe, so timelessness is a must. Patience is key when it comes to finding the perfect pair of jeans, but when you finally do, it will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. They’ll go with the majority of your wardrobe and accentuate all of your assets, so listen to Marky Mark and don’t let anything come between you and your Calvins. Or American Eagles, whatever.

”

“There are countless styles to choose from when it comes to finding the right pair of jeans. However, the two most important things to keep in mind are fit and practicality.”

Skinny jeans are fast becoming a wardrobe classic // CATHERINE FANCY

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

17

Brand new world

Social networking takes personal branding to a new level Culture is my Boyfriend Shannon Tien Culture Editor

Rock out this summer at Warped Tour //

MATT KLEINSCHMIDT

North American Summer Music Festivals 2009

The season of sunshine bears musical gifts aplenty Jessica Fry Contributor As the bleak rains of spring descend upon us, we music-loving university students have only one thing in mind: summer music festivals and concerts. And though they may seem to be in the distant future, start saving now because a weekend pass to one of these events can put you out anywhere from $200 to $300, not including the cost of food, camping, and transportation. To some, the experience justifies the price, but for those without the funds or the proximity to get there, a simple download of Pez’s The Festival Song can do wonders to create the illusion. So grab a lawnchair and a boombox because Mom’s back lawn (although slightly lacking in roaring crowds) is looking a lot cheaper than these mindblowing music blowouts.

Lollapalooza

Location: Grant Park, Chicago IL Running Date: August 7-9, 2009 History/Vibe: Originally organized by Perry Farell of Jane’s Addiction in 1991, Lollapalooza started out as a travelling show featuring diverse groups. Its lineup of grunge and alternative bands was immensely popular but lost steam by 1997, causing an indefinite cancellation. Revival attempts were sporadic until 2005 when the event was changed from a tour to a single location festival located in Chicago. The change was a commercial success, resulting in the current annual festival format which features a diverse palette of music on multiple stages. 2009 Lineup: Yet to be announced Little Known Fact: Nirvana pulled out of the 1994 lineup just the day before the death of Kurt Cobain. This was a blow to Lollapalooza as it marked the end of the grunge influence present at all the previous festivals.

Coachella

Location: Indio, California

Running Date: April 17-19, 2009 History/Vibe: The first Coachella festival took place in 1999. Despite the success of the event, there was no follow-up in 2000 because the first festival had failed to generate enough profit. The idea was revamped for 2001 and has been a success every year since, despite the blistering desert heat. 2009 Lineup: Franz Ferdinand, Girltalk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and others. Little Known Fact: Sweltering temperatures at Coachella often rise above 100°F (38°C).

Bonnaroo

Location: Manchester, Tennessee Running Date: June 11-14, 2009 History/Vibe: This festival got its start in 2002 and has since gained the reputation of the best summer music festival around. If multiple stages and shows weren’t enough, this event boasts an arcade, cinema, comedy club, theater performers and beer festival. 2009 Lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, Paul Oakenfold, MGMT, Beastie Boys, Coheed and Cambria, and others. Little Known Fact: Bonnaroo has been named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll.

Pitchfork

Location: Union Park, Chicago IL Running Date: July 17-19, 2009 History/Vibe: Pitchfork joined the ranks of the great festivals in 2006 when it drew more than 35,000 attendees to its inaugural event. Organizers claim a focus on diversity of genre in the lineup and of reasonable ticket prices. The result is that Pitchfork has traditionally been more affordable than its counterparts, with day passes selling for just $30. 2009 Lineup: Yet to be announced Little Known Fact: At Pitchfork 2007, headliner Yoko Ono performed

‘Mulberries’ with Thurston Moore. She performed the song for just the third time in her life. On the previous two occasions, she was accompanied by Sean Lennon and John Lennon respectively.

Sasquatch

Location: The Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA Running Date: May 23-25, 2009 History/Vibe: Sasquatch was founded in 2002 as an event aimed at showcasing bands from the Pacific Northwest but also including others. Although the primary concentration is on indie rock, acts representing other genres are also prevalent. 2009 Lineup: Kings of Leon, Sun Kil Moon, Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, TV on the Radio, Explosions in the Sky, and others. Little Known Fact: The Gorge Amphitheater is considered one of the best concert venues in the world. Large spectator area and good weather contribute to this, as well as beautiful views of the Columbia River. The location lies almost due south of Kelowna, BC.

Warped Tour

Location: Cities throughout North America, including Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Running Date: April 2- August 23, 2009 History/Vibe: The 2009 Vans Warped Tour will mark the 15th anniversary of the event. With roots of early tours in punk rock, acts in recent years are usually described using pop, punk, rock, or emo classifications. Lineup: The Ataris, Underoath, Thrice, Flogging Molly, Lights, Alexisonfire, NOFX Little Known Fact: Warped Tour is often criticized for becoming so commercialized making heavy use of sponsors and releasing compilation cds. Despite this, it has been consistently supported and well attended over the years.

According to a recent report in the Globe and Mail, e-mail is a thing of the past. Vulnerable to spam and incapable of informing your peers of your most immediate action/feeling/ favorite song lyric, the greatest invention of the 90s has lost the popularity contest to social networking. Facebook and Twitter — along with blogging sites — are now the fourth most popular online activity, taking up the time of one in every 11 minutes spent online. What does this mean for our generation? Well, for starters, these social networking applications are no longer just nifty address books for university students attempting to stay in contact with everyone they meet. The “member community” has actually increased to include an extra 11.3-million people from the 35-49 demographic. And major companies and businesses are starting to recognize the importance of viewing such Internet innovation as a tool rather than a threat. With approximately 175-million users, the Facebook profile — the king of all networking applications — has, understandably, gone through a dramatic makeover. The once humble address book has morphed into an interactive site which users can post videos and pictures of themselves, as well as chat with their friends and display their personal interests and activities. It seems pretty tame — safe and efficient even. People can get to know each other, and whether or not they would be compatible as friends without actually going to the trouble of engaging in face-to-face interaction with each other. For the socially awkward of us, this is quite simply a dream come true, unhealthiness aside. Unfortunately, this transformation has tapped heavily into the self-definition market which runs rampant among our individuality obsessed generation. Our Facebook profile has now become a cyber space representation of ourselves — or at least a representation of what we would prefer the other 175-million users to view ourselves as. A recent blog posting on hipsterunoff.com addressed this cultural phenomenon in sardonic terms, spe-

cifically speaking of the profile picture: “It’s really hard to decide who u want 2 b on the Internet. Like u have this lil box on your profile, and u have to choose an image which ‘represents u.’ U have like 300×300 pixels to show the world what ur all about. Seems like a lot of pressure.” It is a lot of pressure. When 175million users are about to judge you based on your profile picture, it becomes extremely important that you pick the most accurately representative one. The writer goes on to categorize several typical types of “user pics,” including: “I’m a bro who likes to hang with other bros because brotherhood is important to me,” “I just got married and my life is more meaningful than yours,” “I am spunky,” “I am artsy because my picture is not centered,” “I like to go out with my girlfriends a lot,” “I’m a chill dude who appreciates formal wear and sunsets,” “I’m a tween who wants to get laid,” etc. I think it’s safe to say that the profile picture observation can be expanded to include the whole Facebook profile as well though. When one creates their Facebook or Myspace or Twitter profile, one consciously decides what category they are placing themselves in and what category of people they want to attract. It’s scarily similar to a dating service, in fact. But in all seriousness, how often have you accepted a friend request and then immediately reviewed their profile, subconsciously categorizing them as someone you liked or didn’t like? The problem with this is that, really, these profiles are just socially constructed personal brands — not real people (insofar as one can be a real person on the internet). It’s true; people have been branding themselves for as long as social interaction has been prevalent in civilization — through fashion choices, career paths, everyday conversation, etc. There is nothing actually wrong with this, as projecting one’s identity to the world is a way of coming to terms with your own actual identity. The problem instead lies within the underscored goal of social networking — making (and keeping) friends. And the incredible rise in popularity of sites such as Facebook suggests that we are perhaps taking social networking too seriously and putting too much stock in the reality of “user pics.”

”

“Our Facebook profile has now become a cyber space representation of ourselves – or at least a representation of what we would prefer the other 175 million users to view ourselves as.”

18

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

Culture Editor Shannon Tien [email protected]

My balogne has a first name… The Oscars, in review Meaghan Crowley Contributor The Xaverian Weekly has its fair share of reviews for books, movies, performances, and galleries alike. Thus it is fitting to present a review reviewing the greatest artistic culmination of them all: The Academy Awards. Every year the pageantry that is the Oscars draws its international audience in. The glitz, glam, and sheer politics of it all is fascinating, and this fan is not ashamed to say she is a ten-time Academy Award viewer. Over the past few years the Oscars have been privy to low ratings. One would have to sit through three hours of boring categories like Editing, or Cinematography just to get to the good ones, which of course are not until the very end. This year, the Academy made a conscious effort to spice things up, and they started with taking on Hugh Jackman as this year’s host. Incorporating his fly dancing skills and killer chops, Wolverine took us on a journey to the age of the musical, complete with numbers choreographed by Baz Luhrmann (mastermind behind “Moulin Rouge” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”) and a ‘surprise’ appearance from Beyonce. Already it could be concluded that this was the best awards show in recent memory. Way to go, “Boy from Oz.”

The cast of Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire //

I earned my

undergraduate degree,

now

I want a

rewarding career * * not just a job

In less than one year, Humber postgraduate programs will help you launch your career in: • • • • • •

Financial Planning Human Resources International Development International Marketing Marketing Management Public Administration

Building on your university degree, Humber’s postgraduate programs offer a concentrated curriculum, career-focused courses and practical field placements. You’ll gain the real-world experience and skills that employers value most.

Get the career you want – apply now. business.humber.ca

Recession? What recession? Aside from the Swarovski crystal curtain on the Kodak stage, the red carpet had a few gems of it’s own. Most of us watch the Oscars in large part to see what everyone is wearing. Indeed, it is now customary before any major award show to provide complete coverage of the stars’ entrance on the red carpet. Some stand-outs included Natalie Portman’s Rodarte pink strapless dress, and Kate Winslet’s grey and lace Yves Saint Laurent (complete with Grace Kelly hair). Anjelina Jolie finally made an effort to look presentable (maybe because Jennifer Aniston was there?) wearing a black strapless Elie Saab gown accessorized with emerald earrings and matching ring. Brad looked good too. As much attention as the clothes may get, the prestige and honour of winning an Oscar is what the night is actually all about. A movie’s commercial success is determined not just by how well it did at the box office, but by how many nominations and awards it receives. Without a doubt, the most exciting awards of the night reflected the films that were the “must sees” of the year; the majority of these awards coming from the acting categories. Penelope Cruz won her first Oscar for her role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” The most emotional and unforgettable award winner of the night was for Best Sup-

WWW.GREGINHOLLYWOOD.COM

porting Actor, which of course went to the late Heath Ledger (rip). His family

”

“The most emotional and unforgettable award winner of the night was for Best Supporting Actor, which of course went to the late Heath Ledger (rip).” accepted on his behalf, reminding the audience of the many legendary performances he gave, most notably that of Patrick Verona in “10 Things I Hate About You.” Kate Winslet won Best Actress for her role in “The Reader,” and Sean Penn won his second Oscar for “Milk,” consequently robbing Mickey Rourke in the process. Each of the acting categories were presented by five winners from previous years. Notable appearances, in

this viewers’s humble opinion were from Anjelica Houston, the fabulous (a word not to be used lightly) Grand High Witch from Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” and Christopher Walken (yes, the Chris Walken). The different faces representing the many generations of the movie industry made the process of watching interesting, enjoyable, and moved the night along at a nice pace. It should be noted that presenters were introduced by a method that never gets old for the Oscars: montages. In fact, everyone loves a good montage. But when the Oscars run a montage, they absolutely run it. As if the legendary scenes from movies flashing before your eyes aren’t enough, the orchestra strikes up an inspirational tune to really send it home. Most notable is “In Memoriam,” which of course is done annually to honour those in the industry who have died within the past year. Normally, the most prominent figure is displayed last. This year it was Paul Newman. His legacy is enormous, leaving us with treasures such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and his successful salad dressing empire, “Newman’s Own.” Though many dismiss the Oscars as a commercially driven show, it is easy to overlook what it represents deep down. For the longest time, films of all shapes and sizes have provided us with an escape from an unfair world. Whether it be from war, terrorist attacks or what have you, movies have provided us with the elusive “happily-ever-after,” which we sometimes need in our lives. Though the ending may not be realistic, the power of movie-magic makes it so, allowing and inspiring us to carry on because after all, “Tomorrow is another day.”

CULTURE Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

Album reviews Album: Hollow Crown Artist: Architects Keltie Coupar Contributor This is the third album from the British metalcore band Architects. The cover of “Hollow Crown” alone proves that the medieval motif hasn’t gone out of style, just when you thought it finally would. Unfortunately, compared to their earlier work, the cover art is the most innovative aspect of this album. Don’t read this wrong, it’s a fine collection of some solid songs, but compared to their earlier, near prodigal work, it’s lacking in inspiration. If you’re a newcomer to them, however, just listen to everything in reverse order and it’ll only get better.

Film: He’s Just Not That Into You Amanda Sanders Contributor Starring Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long and Jennifer Connelly and directed by Ken Kwapis, this movie is based on the book of the same title written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The movie follows several thirtysomethings through their relationship woes, where they are all connected, through work, dating and friendship.

For those who aren’t familiar with the genre of metalcore at all, “Hollow Crown” is the textbook example of the dead centre of it; the death growling and heavy precision and bass blended with the clean vocals and the skilful rifts of hardcore punk rock. Some bands can make an absolute mess of this, but if Architects have managed one thing, they’ve got the perfect balance down to a science. The problem is, all too often when a band finds something good, they play it over and over again without risking the variation that makes for a widespread album. Because of their reluctance to take a chance, the songs are more familiar than original, but that doesn’t always equal terrible - just not brand new. The titular song is usually the best, and “Hollow Crown” doesn’t disappoint; it’s post-hardcore in that the clean vocals aren’t shoved to the side but the metal side makes itself known.

Ginnifer Goodwin plays GiGi, a lovesick woman that has bad luck with men and becomes desperate when Alex (Justin Long) begins giving her advice based on his dating experience. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Neil (Ben Affleck) are a couple who have been together for seven years and hit a stand still. Janine (Jennifer Connelly) and Ben (Bradley Cooper) play a newlywed couple who have some indifferences. Mary (Drew Barrymore) is a successful magazine worker who is lost in the world of online dating and Conor (Kevin Connolly) is a realtor vying for the affection of Anna, who has other ideas in mind. For those who read the book, this movie takes a perspective different from the original narrative, yet still gets the points that Behrendt and Tuccillo wanted to get across – the fact that, quite simply, he might not be that into you. Behrendt even makes a cameo in the film. Behrendt was formerly a writer on the TV series “Sex and the City” set and also had a daily talk show when this book was released. Director Kwapis takes a comic approach to the dog-eat-dog world of dating and love, and throws it in your face that maybe, just maybe, he just isn’t that into you. Anyone who likes romantic comedies will enjoy this star-studded movie.

CYBF Entrepreneur Sarah Khallad she was stunning

“Left With One Last Minute” has a clear melody, unusual for anything with a metal slant, but it’s something a little different. “Early Grave” is one of the few songs that actually goes out on a limb and hit’s the mark. But all the same, it’s something any Architect fan has heard before. “Dethroned” feels like two genres sewn together rather than a smooth blend and it’s nothing short of distracting. “Follow the Water” is the musical equivalent of a bad horror movie in that you see the ending in the opening chords. Too long, didn’t read version: If you’re a die-hard fan of the band, I’d skip this and put your hope on their next album. If you’re a newcomer to metalcore, this is as good a place to start as any. If you’re a casual listener and you can get it for a good price, give it a try. It’s great for when you want something loud to drown things out, but not so bad that you can’t stand it yourself.

Film: Watchmen Keltie Coupar Contributor

After having dined many times in development Hell, “Watchmen” finally comes to the big screen, and it proves itself well worth the wait. Don’t let the capes and spandex disguise you, because this isn’t just a superhero movie; it’s a political film in a mask and tights with the cinematography of an animated metaphorical piece. Whether you’re a fan of historical politics, a graphics fan, or just like seeing people beating up on other people, director Zach Snyder has made sure you’re going to enjoy this film - a lot. Though the film is set in the 1980s, it’s an alternative history that asks the question “What if America won in Vietnam because of a blue giant that could make people explode at will?” No, seriously. Nixon is still in power, and in a response to police strikes and public rioting over the masked crusaders administrating anonymous vigilante justice, he puts a ban on non-government approved superheroes. Aforementioned blue giant, more personally known as Dr. Manhattan, able to bend material to his will, is

What was I

the only thing standing between the Cold War becoming nuclear. He and retired superhero Ozymandias are working tirelessly on a way to develop a free energy source that will eliminate the need for war, but problems are developing closer to home when an unknown force begins killing former heroes. As cliché as it’s becoming to refer to a film as “gritty”, it’s a word that fits “Watchmen” like a glove. The characters follow along the line superheroes are straying to - the portrayal of them as real people with very dark issues - leading to an almost primal form of pathos when one sees their emotions on clear display. It has the visual feel of the “Dick Tracey” film with the CGI assistance and special effects to literally bring the comic book to life. The opening credits alone watch like a short film, and it all escalates from there. And for the gore gourmets among us, there’s a lot of it. I wouldn’t say it’s gratuitous because it is there to make a point within the film, but if you’re squeamish, be prepared

to close your eyes for long spans of time. To be brief about the soundtrack, it’s everything right about music in the eighties. I don’t buy many soundtracks, but I plan to buy this one. The final word? Even if you don’t think you’ll like it, give this movie a chance. Its whole is a whole lot more than the sum of its parts, and at the very least you’ll find out who watches the Watchmen.

Thinking?

“During my second year as a photography major at the Alberta College of Art and Design, I had a unique idea of creating magnets from photographs I had taken of women expressing a thought or feeling. It was an exciting experiment for which I received a prestigious award and then started selling them to friends and at college sales. When demand quickly overshadowed supply, I took a big leap and decided to see where this adventure could take me and started my own business, she was stunning.

CYBF Mentor Rosemarie Enslin

19

What was I thinking? How was I going to do this? Somehow I did. After graduation, I got a loan and mentor from CYBF. I quickly learned that CYBF is more than just about money; it’s an entire experience, and my mentor became my most valued guide. At CYBF you’ll receive all the guidance and support necessary to take your ideas and create a sustainable and successful business. I encourage you to be your own boss and contact CYBF to get started. You’ll be amazed at what you can do.” – Sarah Khallad

BE THE BOSS. BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR!

Check out CYBF.CA or call 1-800-464-CYBF (2923) today!

cybf.ca

20

SPORTS Mar. 12, 2009

Sports & HealthEditor Matt Skube [email protected]

Three X-Men basketball to sit out of CIS championships Richards, Morrissy and Donkoh face charges of assault

From left to right, Will Donkoh, Tyler Richards, and Eamon Morrissy // Danielle Webb Editor-in-Chief As the X-Men basketball team travel to Scotiabank Place in Ottawa as the CIS’s wild-card pick in this weekend’s nationals, Tyler Richards, Eamon Morrissy, and William Donkoh will be sitting out. All three are facing charges of assault causing bodily harm, announced

on March 2, stemming from an altercation outside Pat’s Place on Feb. 21 that ended with another St.FX student being sent to the hospital. The men are scheduled to appear in a provincial court on May 4 and are expected to enter pleas at that time. Dean of students Joe MacDonald is also conducting an internal investigation into the matter. Athletic director Leo MacPherson

CONTRIBUTED

and men’s basketball coach Steve Konchalski initially stood behind all three players, saying they would not be suspended. “Just because there are charges pending doesn’t mean they are guilty of anything. I also met with the student-athletes and I’m comfortable with letting this one go until there are more facts on the table,” MacPherson told the Halifax Chronicle Herald on

March 3. The decision was quickly reversed, however, in light of the attention surrounding the incident and the subsequent decisions. The players were prohibited from playing in last weekend’s AUS Final 6 championship in Halifax and, similarly, while the players are traveling with their teammates to Ottawa, they will not dress for the championship games.

Richards has been playing for the X-Men for five years and is currently the team captain. He is a four-time AUS all-star and will finish his career as the third all-time scorer in X-Men basketball history. The X-Men lost in a heartbreaking upset to Dalhousie in the AUS final last Saturday. - with files from the Chronicle Herald

X-Women hockey fall to Moncton in AUS championship StFX still earns berth in national championship as host team Matt Skube Sports Editor It was close but no cigar for the StFX X-Women’s hockey team last weekend in Charlottetown. The X-Women were unable to defend their regular season title from last season after going down to the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleues 4-2 in the championship game. StFX net minder Katie Harvieux had a rough start, allowing two goals on only three shots in the first period. The X-Women out-shot Moncton the entire game, but Aigles Bleues goaltender and AUS most valuable player Kathy Desjardins stood on her head.

StFX’s first marker came from Carolyn Campbell. Campbell found the top corner to cut the Moncton lead in half. Brayden Ferguson, just off winning a gold medal for team Canada at the University Games, evened the score at two with a power play goal in the second. Also in the second, Anna Barrett was assessed a five minute major and game misconduct for slashing after running into Desjardins. Moncton got off easy and were able to capitalize on a 5-on-3, with AUS leading scorer Marieve Provost getting the goal. The score remained that way until Provost added an empty-netter with 42 seconds left in the game. Provost was named the tourna-

ment MVP and received $1000 for her performance. X-Women Suzanne Fenerty and Ferguson were both named to the tournament all-star team. The win gives Moncton their second AUS title in three years and a berth in the CIS national championship. StFX also qualifies for the tournament as the host team. The CIS tournament will feature the top six women’s hockey teams from across the country competing for the national championship. It is scheduled to take place at the Keating Millennium Centre from March 19th to the 22nd. Check back next week for a full preview of all participating teams.

The X-Women will have to be at the top of their game if they want to capture StFX’s first CIS medal in women’s hockey next weekend as they play host to the championships // EMERY GBODOSSOU

SPORTS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

21

X-Men head to national championship as CIS wild card

Blue and white beat Panthers in semi, edged out by Tigers in the final for the conference banner Dave Abbass Contributor The StFX X-Men were spot on as they dropped the UPEI Panthers 89-60 in the Friday night AUS semi final, but the CIS number five ranked team out of Antigonish couldn’t keep it going on Saturday, falling to Dalhousie 72-60 in the championship game. Coming into the tournament, the X-Men knew that they had their work cut out for them with Tyler Richards sitting out due to involvement with an alleged assault in the week prior. Richards, a fifth year guard out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was a conference first team all star and was second in the league in scoring, averaging almost 20 points a game over the regular season. The Friday night game opened as a back and forth battle, with UPEI taking the lead twice in the early minutes until Christian “T-Bear” Upshaw hit a three pointer to get the X-Men going. The blue and white went on a seven point run and the Panthers continued to look flat until forward Gamaliel Rose tried to fire things up with a hard dunk. Rose’s play was answered by a three point shot by Jeremy Dunn, an AUS All-Rookie player. The score leaving the first quarter was 24 to 18 for StFX. The second quarter opened slowly, with misplays by both teams, but once the X-Men got going, they didn’t stop, scoring 18 unanswered points before Andrew Black was able to put some numbers on the board for the Panthers.

The score heading into the half was 4425 for the X-men. UPEI never recovered as the X-men cruised to the AUS final. Alberto Rodriguez had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, and four other StFX players reached double digits in the win. Andrew Black scored 22 points and Gamaliel Rose contributed 20 of UPEI’s 60 in the losing effort. StFX coach Steve Konchalski credited his team for their ability to overcome the loss of their star player. “Everybody came in focused and ready to play,” he said. “We knew we weren’t going to have Tyler Richards and our bench wasn’t as deep, but at the same time everybody was really focused knowing that no one player was going to make up for Tyler Richards, everybody’s got to make it up and take it up a notch or two.” Konchalski mentioned Alberto Rodriguez and Terrence Taylor in particular, who both stepped up and played UPEI hard inside the paint. In Saturday’s championship, the X-Men had a bigger challenge to overcome. The Dalhousie Tigers were hungry after they barely held on to a win over Cape Breton the night before, taking the game by a single point after letting the Capers crawl back from a 22 point deficit. The game opened slowly, a defensive struggle that favoured the Tigers over the more run-and-gun style X-Men. The teams went to the locker room at half with the score a 27-27 tie.

If defensive is the word to describe the first half, explosive is the term to describe the third quarter. Dalhousie came out hard from the opening minute of play and quickly began building a bigger lead over X. Second year player Josh Beattie scored five three point shots and a jumper in less than five minutes and second team all star Simon Farine contributed another five points to put the Tigers up 49-32 as the Tigers took command of the game. By the end of the third quarter, the X-Men were able to narrow the gap, making the score 54-45 heading into the fourth. StFX began to play very aggressive defence and had success stealing the ball away from the Tigers as they tried to bring the ball up the court. Terrence Taylor scored an inside basket, and Will Silver stole the ball as the Tigers inbounded to put the ball in the net for another quick score. Jeremy Dunn drained a three point shot to bring the X-Men within six. The score didn’t get any closer, and the Dalhousie Tigers won their first championship since the 1995-96 season. Simon Farine was named tournament MVP and Josh Beattie was named Player of the Game. The season doesn’t end here for the X-Men. As the highest remaining seed without a berth to the national championship, the blue and white will compete in the final eight as the wild card. The national championship takes place in Ottawa next weekend, March 13-15.

Alberto Rodriguez in action this past weekend during the AUS championships // EMERY GBODOSSOU

The more the better?

Does having many children negatively affect a woman’s health and life expectancy? Jessi Fry Contributor As society has stepped away from a historical emphasis on producing large families, Canadians increasingly seem to look at cases of mothers bearing many children as novelties. The media often reports cases of high order multiple births as these stories are sure to garner attention. Not only prevalent in the news, this

theme of the large family is known to appear in TV and movies as well (Jon & Kate + 8, Yours Mine and Ours). Although it doesn’t seem to be the norm to have more children than one can reasonably deal with, Canadian culture is very much interested in the idea. But can the romanticized depiction of a big happy family inappropriately downplay the negative health consequences for the mother?

The highly-publicized TV life of Jon & Kate + 8 //

First of all, there are the situations where a mother has simply had a lot of children. One study conducted by the University of Utah concluded that parents who raised families of many children were more likely to die young. This is even more severe for the mother, as she bears the physical cost of delivery. The data showed that the more children a couple produced, the higher the risk of early death. Many of the women

CONTRIBUTED

in this study died within a year of giving birth to their last child. Pregnancy in general can put a strain on the vital organs and on the body’s supply of nutrients, thus negatively affecting overall health. Repeating the process can serve to increase this strain. Then there are the more dramatic examples of multiple births. When a mother finds out that she is expecting more than one child from one pregnancy, excitement is sure to follow. The aspect of novelty surrounding these births is very strong and they receive a lot of attention. Official numbers of multiple births have been increasing lately as a result of increased availability of fertility drugs and high quality prenatal care in Canada. Although the romantic aspect of multiple births is well explored and discussed, we are less aware of the negative effects on the health of the mother of multiples. We know that the more developing fetuses there are in the womb, the higher the risk to their development and to a healthy outcome for the mother. Prematurity is a big issue, with seven per cent of twins and 92 per cent of triplets being born early. When mothers carry any more than three in the womb, delivery is inevitably premature. The longer babies are carried, the less likely they are to be born without serious problems and defects. If this weren’t enough of a risk, there are the effects on the Mom to be considered. At the less

serious end of the spectrum, there is the possibility for permanent increased foot size, expansion of both thighs and rib cage, and hair loss. Also, many mothers of multiples eventually develop iron deficiency, which can increase the risk of complications if left untreated. More serious health issues associated with high order multiple births are gestational diabetes, kidney infections, breakthrough bleeding, anemia, preeclampsia, hypemesis, and incompetent cervix. Some of these are life threatening not only to the mother but to the babies as well. Frequent checkups throughout the pregnancy can help to nip complications in the bud and keep them under control. Lower order multiples are less likely to cause serious complications. Carrying the pregnancy to term seems to greatly advance the health of the children, but often the mother of multiples will go into labour earlier simply because the body is not equipped to handle the strain of carrying many babies at once. The advancement of medical technology has made it possible for many couples to have multiple children born at once who survive and have good health. The more extreme the case however, the higher the risk. This applies too, to mothers who simply have a lot of children over the course of a lifetime. Though it may be desirable to have a big family, the medical repercussions must be taken into consideration.

22

SPORTS Mar. 12, 2009

Sports & Health Editor Matt Skube [email protected]

Birth control could pose risks

Doctors, sexual health specialists split on pros and cons of hormonal contraceptives

Sandy Klowak The Uniter (University of Winnipeg) WINNIPEG (CUP) – Birth control pills spring to mind the image of a cute pastel tablet that magically wards off babies and boasts other fun tricks, like fighting acne. “I think we’ve moved to a place where people think birth control pills aren’t even drugs; they’re kind of like vitamins,” said Christine Hitchcock, Ph.D. research associate at the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia. Hitchcock and others are concerned about the harmful effects of some types of hormonal contraceptives. The synthetic estradiol and progestin added to the body by hormonal birth control increase women’s risk for blood clots and affects their bone density, Hitchcock says – and there could be other unforeseen consequences. Hitchcock is particularly concerned with the effects of new versions of the pill, such as Lybrel, which is taken continuously and eliminates monthly periods altogether. She feels

there has not been enough research asking specifically for the pill. done on these methods. “My biggest agenda is helping “The hormones of the menstrual people prevent pregnancy if they cycle act throughout the body, and don’t want to get pregnant,” said Von interfering with the cycle may have Aweyden. effects we don’t understand,” she Von Aweyden does not feel that said. hormonal contraceptives pose seriBut women ous health risks, may not be even with long-term aware of viable use. In fact, they non-hormonal have been shown alternatives, to prevent endomelike spermicitrial, ovarian, and dal foams and cancers, “But most women colorectal gels combined she says. wanting birth But most womwith barrier control, especially en wanting birth methods such as diaphragms for the first time, control, especially and condoms. the first time, automatically for T h e s e automatically preprefer the pill fer the pill because methods are because of its of its prominence very effective at preventing prominence in in popular culture, pregnancy and Kisti Thomas, a popular culture.” says sexually transvolunteer birth conmitted diseastrol and unplanned es, says Hitchpregnancy counselcock. lor at Winnipeg’s Friederike Von Aweyden, a nurse Women’s Health Clinic. practitioner at Klinic Community “It’s more prevalent in the media,” Health Centre in Winnipeg says Thomas said. “It gives the perception non-hormonal options are discussed that there aren’t as many options [as] less because clients often come in there are.”

”

Laura Wershler, executive director of Sexual Health Access Alberta, feels that those prescribing contraceptives may be adding to this illusion. Birth control methods “are presented in a hierarchical fashion,” with hormonal contraceptives at the top, Wershler said. Health risks aren’t the only problems some have with hormonal contraceptives. “Not everyone likes how they feel [emotionally] when they go on the pill,” Hitchcock said. When on the Nuva Ring, a method of hormonal birth control, Thomas experienced several side effects, including altered moods. “I had sore body, headaches, and emotions all over the place,” she said. But, isolating the variety of factors affecting women’s moods can be difficult. Teenagers may find it especially hard to differentiate between normal emotional fluctuations and hormonal contraceptive effects, Hitchcock says. Wershler is concerned that doctors and other health practitioners may ignore patients’ concerns regarding hormonal contraceptives. “There’s a tendency to dismiss

women’s real experience,” she said. Thomas encountered this dismissal when she approached her doctor with birth control related health concerns. She also could not get any information on the fertility awareness method, which involves charting menstrual cycles so women know to rely on backup protection at their most fertile times. “They didn’t know how to handle the situation,” she said. “I was more informed than the doctor was.” Wershler advocates for what she calls a “body-literacy-positive approach” to sexual health, in which women take initiative to get to know how their bodies work and make birth control decisions based on that knowledge. “What I’d like to turn the spotlight on is healthy ovulatory menstruation,” she said. Thomas feels that those writing birth control prescriptions need to be more knowledgeable on the alternatives because it may directly affect the choices women make. “When I went to get the pill, if the doctor had said: ‘Do you know about X, Y and Z methods?’ maybe I wouldn’t have made that choice.”

SPORTS Mar. 12, 2009

The Xaverian Weekly Volume 117 Issue 18

23

“Canada should stick to hockey” X-Rated Sports Matt Skube

Sports & Health Editor

Check out dieticians.ca for useful information and fun facts on Nutrition month // DIETITIANS.CA

What’s special about March? budget. Although pricey, due to the fast pace and hectic schedule of university life, going to McDonald’s or A&W for Do you ever wonder what healthy mod- food can be an appealing option comifications should be made in your diet pared to making food at home. if you are an active individual? Or ponAnother valuable information sheet dered the importance of a healthy diet available discusses how to make more and physical activity on your future? health conscious options when eating You are in luck because March is out at fast food restaurants. For those Nutrition Month (Registered Trade- who enjoy cooking and trying new recimark), and the slogan for this year is pes, there are free recipes from the DC “Stay active. Eat like a champion”. This cookbook, Simply Great Food, available March is the 28th Nutrition Month, a on the Nutrition Month page, many Canadian social marketing campaign which seem absolutely delicious! founded by the Dietitians of Canada, a Additionally for aspiring cooks there trusted source of nutrition information. is a recipe analyzer available which not There are excellent resources available to only analyzes the healthfulness of the assist you in learning how to eat healthy current recipe that is being used, but for an active lifestyle and to emphasize provides suggestions on how to make the importance the recipe healthier of physical activwhile maintaining ity and nutritious a great taste. eating for future Nutrition health. Month is an opThe Dietitians portunistic time of Canada (DC) to explore ways website is an excelto improve your “...there is a health through lent information source for accurate recipe analyzer making changes nutrition facts. your diet. The available which in In the Nutrition foods and bevernot only analyzes ages you fuel your Month page of the healthfulness body with directly the website there are different topics of the current influence how covered that are feel not only recipe that is you designed to give currently but in being used, the future. Eating insight to how but provides nutritiously can healthy eating is a necessary composuggestions on help you feel more nent of an active and satishow to make the energetic lifestyle. A Myths fied. I encourage recipe healthier you to check out and Facts section while maintaining the DC website touches important misconceptions a great taste.” and to keep an on eating for aceye out for healthy tivity, including food taste testthe popular energy drinks, the truth on ing in the Bloomfield Center later this sports drinks and athletic performance, month by the Nutrition Society to as well as the importance of drinking demonstrate how eating healthy can water. Nutrition Month fact sheets are also be delicious! available to provide quick tips on the If you have any comments or nutriprevious myths mentioned. tion related questions you would like Information about eating healthy addressed in Something to Chew on, on budget is available through the DC please e-mail me at [email protected] website, which can be very helpful for students who are often eating on a tight -With files from www.dietitians.ca

Janine Dueck Something to Chew On

That quote comes from a comment made by a TSN viewer after Canada lost to Italy in the World Baseball Classic. I have to agree with it. Many questions and second guesses will be made about Canada’s early exit from the baseball tournament. Was it the lack of pitching that led to their downfall, or was it manager Ernie Whitt’s decision to sit his better starting pitcher and save him for the next game – which Canada did not end up making. Those are just two examples of questions baseball fans from around the country will debate for the foreseeable future. The question I’m asking is what happened to our highpowered offence? When you have Russell Martin, Joey Votto, Justin Morneau and Jason Bay in the heart of a lineup, it is expected that they will produce more than two runs in a game. Martin is arguably the best catcher in the league. Votto is a huge up-and-comer in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization. Morneau has a National League MVP under his belt. Bay was the NL Rookie of the Year a few seasons ago and one of the most well known Canadians in the major leagues. Granted the Canadian team would have been a much different team with some pitching depth. With the likes of Jeff Francis, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster and Erik Bedard all not participating, a lot of pressure was put on the offence. And they did not deliver. It is embarrassing to a point. I grew up playing baseball and Canada is slowly producing more major

league players. It just gets me that this team, on home soil in Toronto no less, loses two games in a row. Their first game against the United States team was a great game, but they came out flat against Italy. Somewhat reminiscent of the Canadian hockey team and the disaster that was the 2006 Torino Olympics — although not even close to the magnitude. The WBC is entertaining to watch. I enjoyed watching the Netherlands earn a huge upset win over a very talented team from the Dominican Republic. But the timing of the event is something that bothers me. The tournament takes place at the same time as spring training for the major league teams. This means that major league teams are putting restrictions on their players and strongly encouraging others not to play at all. This is understandable because they want their players healthy for the upcoming season. The problem is that this is not the best caliber of teams that are being fielded. Look at the pitching staff for team Canada. I’m not say-

ing that it would be any different if held at a different time of year, but it would have a very different look for Canada if those four hurlers were on the squad. The timing is a problem though and the best solution I can come up with is to break up the off-season. The World Series isn’t over until October and spring training starts at the end of February, so there’s really only four months of time off. I think earlier in February would be the most opportune time to hold the tournament. This gives the players enough time to rest after a long season. Players are able to come together and only worry about playing for their national team, and not be too concerned about their major league team. If you wait until the Superbowl is over, then TV ratings also might be half decent because there will be a quick transition from football to baseball, for Americans that is. Canadians might take more of an interest in the hockey season, but I still think it would work better then it being right now.

Should Canada “stick to hockey?” //

CONTRIBUTED

”

Athletes Male Athlete of the Week Will Silver, Basketball X-Men basketball point guard Will Silver was named the StFX Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending Mar. 8, 2009. Will, a third year Human Kinetics student from Halifax, NS played two strong games for the X-Men this past weekend at the AUS championship in Halifax. In Friday’s 89-60 semi-final win over UNB he scored 15 points and had 5 assists and 3 steals and in Saturday’s 72-60 loss to Dalhousie he had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Will finished the season with a 7.2 ppg scoring average and was in the top 6 in the AUS in steals and assists.

of the week

Female Athlete of the Week Carolyn Campbell, Hockey X-Women hockey forward Carolyn Campbell was named the StFX Female Athlete of the Week for the week ending Mar. 8, 2009. Carolyn, a second year Human Kinetics student from Ottawa, ON came back from an injury this past weekend to score 2 crucial goals for the X-Women in their AUS playoffs. In the 3-1 semi-final win Carolyn scored the third goal to give the X-Women an all important 2 goal lead en route to the win, and in Sunday’s close 4-2 loss in the final to Moncton she scored the first X-Women goal to get them into the game. She finished the season 3rd overall in team scoring with 28 pts (11 goals, 17 assists).

MARCH 16 - 18 AT THE MAIN LEVEL SUB ST. FRANCIS XAVIER

$100K ROCK BAND TOURNAMENT

FREE ADMISSION

GET FREE STUFF

OPEN 8AM-9PM EVERY DAY

†

THE HOTTEST GAMES

††

FACEBOOK.COM/AMPENERGYCANADA

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a division of MTV Networks. Rock Band developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. † No purchase necessary. Some conditions/restrictions apply. For details on how to enter and how you could win, go to facebook.com/ampenergycanada. †† Limited quantities available on giveaways. © Pepsi-QTG Canada, 2009.