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SAC progressWith elections underway, we ponder the uses, abuses, successes, and failures of the SAC

OP/ED, PAGE 5

Here we go...Sackville is once again pushing our cold tollerance. How could we survive in the extreme?

SCI & TECH, PAGE 18

THE ARGOSYJanuary 27, 2011 Braving the Sackville weather since 1875 Vol. 140 Iss. 15

The administrators swung into action to find an appropriate replacement for the position of Vice President Research and Academic when Dr. Stephen McClatchie announced his departure from Mount Allison at the end of the academic year.

Dr. Berkeley Fleming, who has thirty-three years of experience at Mt. A and is the currently acting Dean of Social Sciences was selected by Dr. Robert Campbell, President of the university, after consultation with other senior administrators.

“This new job is a wide portfolio but I’ve been sufficiently involved over my thirty-three years here...that I can think I can handle it. There’s a learning curve, but I don’t think it’ll be that steep,” said Fleming, who will begin his new one-year position on July 1, 2011.

The portfolio of the VP Academic and Research includes overseeing academic renewal, external reviews, and hiring of new staff. Despite the brevity of his term, Fleming has plenty of ideas for projects that fall under his portfolio.

He cites increasing the number of faculty in the smaller departments, such as sociology and anthropology, consolidating academic advising services for students, carrying on with support services to new faculty, and improving the registration process as the main changes he would like to see implemented. “The idea is to maintain the momentum that has developed over the past couple of years,” he said.

FLEMING, page 4

Rebecca Anne Dixon

Argosy Correspondent

New VP Academic announcedDr. Berkley Fleming named interim while search begins for replacement

Lea Foy

If diamonds are forever, will the mayhem surrounding them be everlasting? Instead of admiring a sparkling gem on display, consider the indirect deaths it may have caused on its journey to the store window. On January 22, Ian Smillie met with Mount Allison students to share his take on the nasty diamond trade and the violence that it funds.

Conflict or “blood” diamonds are illegal, but how do you know if the gem is or isn’t tainted? A diamond that is mined in an area controlled by criminal forces, and then sold in order to finance hostility against civilians or government, is considered to be a “blood” diamond.

Smillie, a diamond expert, helped link the trade to violence in Africa.

Smillie took interest in the topic when he noticed that some countries were importing large amounts of diamonds from nations who hadn’t produced the product t h e m s e l v e s . Where were the rocks coming from? Answers came in chaotic fragments. In 1991 in Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) ignited an eleven-year bloodbath with incessant attempts to secure illegitimate authority over the nation. To fund this civil war, the

RUF looked to diamonds. The RUF took control of areas

where the high-valued rock was being mined, and proceeded to

sell diamonds for financial support. These blood diamonds spill into the stream of gems that companies i m p o r t , u n d e t e c t e d . Through lack of regulation and awareness, every dollar that consumers spent

on diamonds was a dollar in the RUF’s pocket.

Smillie spoke at the Atlantic International Studies Organization (ATLIS) conference about the

issue of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone and other affected areas. He explained that diamonds are not the cause of war and violence: they are simply fuel for the fire. Smillie spoke of the Kimberley Process (KP), an organization that helps prevent conflict diamonds from being traded.

In 2003 the KP Certification Scheme (KPCS) began to enlist countries that were willing to monitor the flow of diamonds through their borders. This means closely inspecting all diamonds that are exported or imported, so that a gem may be tracked from its mined birthplace to its final retail destination. In order to obtain a KP certificate and legally sell the product, participating nations must adhere to strict laws in order to

IAN, page 10

Anissa Stambouli

Features Writer

Battling blood diamondsIan Smillie speaks to students about the controversial diamond trade

It hadn’t occurred to us that a member government would actually kill people in order to enforce the KP which is all about stopping the killing of people.

Ian SmillieAuthor and independent

consultant

Olenka Krakus serenading the crowd on Friday night at the Vogue Cinema. Krakus was part of an all-star lineup that took part in Stereophonic 8 last weekend in Sackville. For more coverage, check out the full centrefold with reviews and pictures on pages 14 and 15.

NEWS January 27, 2011 argosy@mta.ca

thursday january 27, 2011 volume 140 issue 15

John Trafford, Madi-son Downe, Anna

McLean, Anna Rob-ertson, Andrew Nicol,

Bernard Soubry, Rosalind Crump,

Isabel Turk, Rebecca Dixon, Madeleine

Northcote, Morgan Traynor, Martin

Wightman, Nicolas Albert

THE ARGOSY is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national co-operative of

student newspapers.

T H E A R G O S Yw w w. a r g o s y. c a

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E4L 1E2

Telephone 506 364 2236 Email argosy@mta.caTHE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc, a

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IT MANAGER Pat Losier argosy@mta.ca CIRCULATIONS M.E. Garley argosy@mta.ca

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contributors

writingstaffNEWS Carly Levy POLITICAL BEAT Rachel Gardner

FEATURES Anissa Stambouli ARTS Jennifer Musgrave

ENTERTAINMENT Becky Martin SCIENCE Matt Collett

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Student contribution in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic design and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca in microsoft word format, or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion.

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Information on Memorial Library finally accessible to studentsAdministration speaks to students directly about Memorial Library decision

News Writer

Carly Levy

An information session was held Monday for students interested in learning more about the recent decision to replace the Memorial Library building with an entirely new building that would house a Fine and Performing Arts Centre.

The information session featured a presentation by Mount Allison Vice-President Administration David Stewart followed by an open forum moderated by SAC President Sam Gregg-Wallace. The session gave students a chance to ask the administration questions that are important to them.

After giving a brief introduction to the history of Mt. A’s buildings, Stewart described the four stage process of renovating several academic buildings on campus outlined in the Facilities Master Plan created in 2001. Currently the university is moving into stage four of the process: converting the Memorial Library, the former student centre, into a new Fine and Performing Arts Centre.

In early fall, the administration released the results of an assessment by Zeidler Partnership Architects which determined that it would be imprudent to use the building in its current state. Mt. A’s internal project managers then assessed the feasibility of retaining the building keeping in mind the requirements of the Fine Arts department and Windsor Theatre.

After taking into consideration specific requirements such as sufficient head room in studios and the load bearing capabilities of the building, the report found an additional five million dollars would be required to convert the present building into a space sufficient for the new Fine and Performing Arts Centre.

These findings were presented to the Board of Regents at a meeting in early October. Stewart elaborated that a clear consensus was reached among the representatives present at the meeting that the building should be replaced by a new building. “It’s not a lack of commitment to our buildings,” said Stewart, who cited the main reason for this decision as the extra cost, which would have to be recuperated by a hike in tuition fees.

Stewart broke the five million dollar expenditure down, explaining that the money would have to come from the university operating budget which is comprised of fixed government grants and student tuition. “We’re not going to be able to fundraise the extra money, it’s not going to come from the donors,” explained Stewart.

He referred to the Wallace-McCain Student Centre conversion project to explain his reasoning behind this statement. “We made a special appeal for funds for alumnus during the construction of the student centre,” said Stewart who went on to say that an additional twenty thousand of a project estimated at 17.5 million dollars were raised.

Fourth year student Alex MacDonald raised the point that the five million dollars extra to retain the current building would only mean an increase in tuition of approximately 150 dollars per student, to which Stewart contrasted the point that the five million could also pay for two new full-time faculty members indefinitely.

MacDonald also asked Stewart why the project couldn’t be put off until further down the road, giving the university more time to raise the necessary funds. The answer to this

concern comes back to the students. Stewart points out that the centralization of the Fine Arts Department and renovation of Hart Hall, which holds photography and print making facilities and is in a desperate state of disrepair, will be contingent on the completion of a Fine and Performing Arts Centre.

Several students raised concerns about the decision to replace the building. It was questioned whether or not the Fine and Performing Arts Centre could be built at another site and the Memorial Library building be used for something else. Stewart explained that there is no real space to build another building and that there is no use for that building currently, claiming, “We have too much square footage as it is,” said Stewart.

In a recent letter to the editor in The Argosy, Professor Emeritus Ronald Boorne noted that the university had not made the report by Zeidler Partnership public, and this was also questioned on Monday. Stewart stated that the university has several thousand documents and contracts and that it would be inappropriate to open up internal documents - especially one that offers advice to the university - for public debate.

Fourth year student John Brannen raised concerns over the fact that the building itself is a memorial to Allisonians who lost their lives in war. Stewart was adamant that the memories of the fallen students will be retained, and insisted, “We are very respectful of those who

died in the war and who came from Mt. A.” He pointed out that moving the commemorative plaques from the Memorial Library to the more highly frequented Wallace McCain Student Centre would make more sense instead of being inside an unused building.

Finally some students wondered if the new building would stay true to the look and feel of the campus. Second year student Paras Satija remarked the red sandstone façade of the current Memorial Library is a critical element that deserves to be retained. Stewart reiterated that it is a goal of the administration and Zeidler Partnership to incorporate echoes of the old building and elements of other Mt. A buildings into the new design.

Satija, who came to the information session with the goal of finding out more information prior to forming an opinion on the decisions surrounding the building, feels satisfied with the presentation by Stewart. He thinks that as long as we commemorate the soldiers the building was meant for there’s no point arguing about it. “You do what you have to do, and I don’t think what we are doing is necessarily disrespectful,” said Satija.

Kevin Geiger, a fourth year student, came to the presentation because he wanted to make sure enough information was available for students and because he is interested in budgeting for large scale projects. Geiger thought that Stewart did a good job presenting all the information and especially enjoyed hearing the history of renovations on campus. “Students should take advantage of David Stewart opening his door for questions and concerns, there is enough information out there for students to be able to form an opinion,” he said.

While there has not been a vote finalizing the destruction of the building, the board has approved the expense of creating a design for the new building to be completed in approximately eighteen months. Stewart confirmed that there will be conceptual drawings available for viewing by the Mt. A community to give feedback and comments, with another Board of Regents meeting scheduled for March. Stewart assured the students that there already has been discussion surrounding the use of certain structural elements such as the entrance to the Memorial Library and including them in the new designs.

Projected Price Tag of Fine and Performance

Arts Centre

costs Estimated Cost of Fine and Performance Centre: $ 30 Million

Breakdown: $20 Million from donation

$ 10 million from Operating Budget including:- Provincial Budget- Tuition

VP Administration David Stewart explains the reasons behind the university’s decision to not include the Memorial Library in the new centre for Fine and Performance Art.

Maggie Lee

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 3NEWS

The January 19 SAC meeting kicked off after the all-candidates debate speeches at 7:30 pm, with a number of executive councillors absent until the end of question period at the candidates debate.

Under business of the union, VP Finance and Operations Ryan Sargent went over proposed changes to the duties and function of the ombudsperson. These included changing the name from the SAC ombudsperson to the ‘student union’ ombudsperson to create a broader impression of accessibility of the ombudsperson to the student body, as well as a change from being an ‘impartial’ individual to a ‘designated

neutral.’ These changes were based

off the University of Waterloo ombudsperson duties and functions. The proposed changes will be voted on at the next SAC meeting.

Next was a presentation by Gregg-Wallace on the budget submission to the university. Under the sub-section ‘tuition,’ the SAC is advocating that the administration reduce or maintain tuition at $6,720 a year.

Edwards SAC rep Evelyn Wainewright asked if it was possible for the tuition to be maintained if the NB government takes off the tuition freeze. Gregg-Wallace replied that it was the SAC’s responsibility to advocate for tuition to be maintained with the university.

Hunton SAC rep Natalie Brunet commented that the SAC should be pressuring the NB government

to keep funding the same, with Social Sciences Rep Kevin Geiger iterating that the SAC should lobby the university to put pressure on the government, and advocate on both ends.

Under extended health and dental plans, Gregg-Wallace stated that the SAC would like administrative support, not more funding, for an opt-out health and dental plan. The plan would be set up in a manner in which students pay fees to the university, who transfer the fees to the SAC, who transfer the fees to the health and dental provider. Those wishing to opt-out of the plan would be sent a refund by the provider, and students would have the option to be kept on a list to be permanently opted-out of a plan.

The SAC has additionally requested that an external audit

SAC discusses budget proposal and MAFA negotiations

The long-winded negotiations between the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) and the university administration look to be reaching an end after months of the conciliation process. The provincially appointed conciliation board is set to finish by the mandated January 31 deadline. However, the sides have yet to reach an agreement.

In an email to the university community, Director of Marketing and Communication Tony Frost noted that the conciliation process had ended on January 15 without an agreement. Both sides are slated to meet this week and again next week. “There is still a lot on the table,” says MAFA P r e s i d e n t R i c h a r d Hudson. “The two sides are very far apart on some important issues.”

T h e c o n c i l i a t i o n board is scheduled to report by its January 31 deadline, set by Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour Martine Coulombe. After the board delivers its report to the Minister, both sides anticipate that Coulombe will release the report to the two groups.

Once the report is released to both sides, the conciliation process will be officially over. Under the New Brunswick Industrial Relations Act, seven days after the conciliation process has ended, both sides will be in the position to take job action.

For the university administration, this means that they will have the power to lock out MAFA members

Conciliation process nears endMAFA negotiations drag on

Editor in Chief

Noah Kowalski

Political Beat Writer

Rachel Gardnerbe conducted for the security department, for staff training, funding, and include student consultation.

Next under business of the union, VP Academic Nathan Walker expressed that the conciliation process for the Mount Allison Faculty Association had ended unsuccessfully. The minister now has to report with her plan of action by January 31, and seven days later, either the administration or the faculty are allowed to take job action. The administration could lock out the faculty, or the faculty could strike. Walker stated that he had expressed in Senate the sentiment that students “hope not to be used as bargaining chips,” and that the parties realize that students stand to be most negatively impacted by a strike or lockout.

VP External Mark Kroeker reported on the new copyright policy issued over the Christmas break, stating that students currently pay $3.83 for copyright issues, which is added to the price of course packs. The university wants to increase this to forty-three dollars because of copyright issues associated with online sources and Moodle. Kroeker stated that he’d cross-checked Mt. A’s policy with CASA’s position, and the Policy Officer informed him that it was “the most comprehensive policy he’s ever seen.” Off-campus councillor, Catherine Burrows, asked where the new fees would be seen, to which Kroeker responded that it would be added to the ‘student fees’ section of university payments.

There is still a lot on the table...The two sides are very far apart on some important issues.

Richard HudsonMAFA President

while MAFA will be able to hold a strike vote. However, both of these actions are last-resort measures that are rarely taken.

The last time Mt. A saw a strike was 1999 when MAFA voted to go on strike after a frustrating semester of negotiations which saw the campus embroiled in the fierce negotiation between the two sides.

The key issue during the 1999 negotiations was faculty salaries with both sides refusing to budge on their offers. The strike ended after twenty-six days when a provincially-appointed mediator brought together a last minute deal between the two sides.

During the latest round of negotiations, both sides have been tight-lipped about the issues on the table. However, the most recent update from the university

administration noted that, “the c o n c i l i a t i o n board process helped to focus talks on financial issues, on which issues the University believes it has presented the

framework for a fair and reasonable settlement.”

The negotiation process began back in May 2010. Each side has appointed a negotiation team; the two sides have met over sixty times since the start of negotiations. In July, MAFA called for a conciliation officer to be appointed to help negotiations and in November, Coulombe appointed the three-member conciliation board. The board, comprised of a chairperson, MAFA representative, and university representative, can make non-binding recommendations to both sides.

FREDERICTON (CUP) — A new report shows students graduating from Maritime universities are largely satisfied with the quality of education they received, despite a fall in employment rates among graduates.

The  report, by the Maritime Provinces and Higher Education Commission, is a collection of data gathered from a little more than 1,700 students who graduated in 2007.

“Two Years On: A Survey of Class of 2007 Maritime University Graduates” tracks the progress of first-time bachelor’s degree holders two years after they finished their first degree.

Ninety-five per cent of respondents said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of the education they received, says MPHEC CEO Mireille Duguay.

“We’re looking at very high

Students satisfied with Maritime education: reportEmployment down among 2007 graduates

CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief

Jamie Rossnumbers in terms of satisfaction,” said Duguay. “In terms of availability of professors, class sizes, even access to computer equipment.”

Duguay said thirty-four per cent of those surveyed said their time at Maritime universities developed their skills of independent and critical thought to an extent, while sixty-four per cent believe those skills were developed to a great extent.

Graduates were also asked how they find themselves financially after two years out of university. By 2009, seventy-three per cent of graduates indicated that they borrowed money to finance their education.

On average, those students who relied on sources like student loans, lines of credit and borrowing from parents to fund their studies, borrowed $37,013 to finance their degrees, while one-third of those students borrowed $45,000 or more.

Further, when it comes to paying that money back, twenty per cent of borrows still owed at least $45,000 two years after graduation.

Duguay said the other major

findings in the study were related to employment rates among graduates.

Compared to students who graduated in 2003, the employment rates among 2007 grads is down eight percentage points, from about ninety-four per cent to eighty-six per cent. She said the drop is indicative of the recessionary times of 2008 and 2009, when there were fewer jobs available.

But what’s more interesting, she said, is the myth that a humanities or arts degree might not be enough to get you a competitive job in the labour market. Those students make up about forty per cent of the graduate pool of first-degree holders in the region.

“If they’re working full- or part-time, they’re earning on average around 32,000 or 33,000,” said Duguay, which means they’re about on par with the average worker’s salary in the region. “That’s not bad when you see the [regional] average is between 34,000 and 37,000.”

Especially when those graduates are only two years out of the school, she said.

A recent study found that students graduating from Maritime universities are largely satisfied with their education experience.

CUP Newswire/ Wikimedia

4 January 27, 2011 argosy@mta.caNEWS

“[Registration] is actually much improved over what it used to be, but there are some new issues that have arisen...What I want to focus on is finding ways of anticipating better or earlier where the big enrolment issues are...this requires finding resources within the budget,” he explained.

Fleming who intends to retire the following one-year term sees the interim position as an exciting way to end his career at Mt. A.

While Fleming is looking towards the next few months as a

Continued from coverwindow of opportunity to learn from McClatchie, the administration will begin the search for a permanent VP Academic and Research shortly.

The process will take a year, with the goal of having the new administrator start in July 2012. The first stage is to form a committee comprised of representatives from all parties of the university: students, administration, faculty from the social sciences, sciences, and arts, and the Mount Allison Faculty Association, as well as the Deans and other VPs.

As is standard among university hiring at the VP and Presidential level, Mt. A will hire a professional search consultancy firm. “The

mechanics of [the hiring process] are pretty elaborate in terms of finding out who is in the market, getting background on them, getting people to apply, [facilitating] recruitment…” revealed Campbell. The firm will help with networking and with all of the logistics of the search.

Campbell also noted that Mt. A should foresee new faces taking responsibilities of many of the university’s senior positions over the next couple of years. Since many of the VPs and Deans were hired at the same time, their terms also expire all around the same time. Over the next couple of years, Mt. A will be conducting searches for many of these senior positions. Next year,

search committees for the Dean of Science and the Dean of Arts will be formed, although there is the chance that the university will renew the incumbents.

Students who are interested in taking part in the search committee should talk to the SAC, which will be selecting the student representatives in these types of university hiring committees.

Campbell encourages students to consider the role. “A search committee is intellectually a lot of fun,” he said. “You learn a whole lot about how the university works...it really is a moment when you’re thinking hard about your school and its challenges.”

Fleming eager to fulfill the position of VP Academic in his final year at Mt. A

The candidates interested in securing senior positions in next year’s student government were in full campaign mode last week in anticipation of the upcoming election.

To all students who showed up at the Students’ Administrative Council (SAC) candidate debate last Wednesday at Gracie’s Café, candidates eagerly pitched their respective platforms and showered students with promises for a more accountable, effective, and efficient student governing body.

The seven male candidates running for the four executive positions (President, VP Academics, VP Campus Life, and VP External), participated in the public debate. The evening discussion was structured in three components: an introduction, a formal debate, and submitted questions.

Presidential hopefuls included Mountie football team member Ben Halpern, current VP Campus Life Patrick Joyce, and former SAC councillor and former VP External Alex MacDonald.

Among the presidential candidates, the financial sustainability of the union’s operating budget was addressed as a key issue. Halpern suggested making alterations to the existing budget, while Joyce expressed interest in exploring different strategies to meet present and future needs of students and the union.

Starting off the debate, Halpern explained that “[As] SAC President, my main responsibility would be to ensure a responsibly run organization that runs efficiently and effectively every single year.” He expressed deep concern over SAC’s allocation of $51,000 towards The Allisonian, the SAC funded yearbook, as an expenditure that must be reviewed regularly. “It should be re-evaluated publicly every year. It’s a decision I don’t feel has been made responsibly over the past years,” Halpern said.

Joyce is aspiring to set the wheels in motion for financial sustainability. “We need to start seeking out sustainable investment

opportunities…we need to set up systems that will allow us to make responsible decisions regarding students’ money,” he explained. Joyce hopes to seek professional advice to see how to better collect revenues that will result in direct benefits to students.

MacDonald’s election platform includes utilizing the existing structural surplus in a more effective way by extending business opportunities through the promotion of the ISIC (International Student Identification Card). He used the introduction as an opportunity to express his support for a health and dental plan, developing relationship with the Board of Regents throughout the year beyond quarterly meetings, as well as publishing minutes from the summer meetings.

Meanwhile, Mark Kroeker and Stephen Spence are going against one another for the VP External position. While Kroeker highlighted his love for his adopted province of New Brunswick, Spence, a Satellite Councillor, laid claims on his homegrown roots.

Kroeker, the current VP External

affairs, hopes to be re-elected next year in order to continue the work he has already done. “I ran last year because I wanted to give back and I am running again because I don’t feel like I am done,” Kroeker told the crowd.

Spence likewise expressed his commitment for the students, both as an on-campus councillor for Anchorage and through his involvement with the SAC over the past two years. Spence’s campaign is centred on four points: “I’m from here, I love politics, I love the SAC, and I want to make a difference.” He attributed his knowledge of provincial politics as an asset for his position, saying, “New Brunswick politics is in my blood, and [being from New Brunswick] I have a home field advantage.”

Kroker’s platform focuses on implementing better ways to access landlord information and housing issues, furthering the university’s relationship with the town through the farmer’s market initiative for student engagement, and cultivating Mt. A’s connections with provincial and federal level governments through the New Brunswick Student

Alliance and the Canadian Alliance of Students Association.

Michael Watkins and Erik Fraser are running uncontested for their desired positions of VP Campus Life and VP Academic.

Michael Watkins, a second year biology student, believes his experience in events planning and relationships cultivated with Student Life as Harper President will allow him to transition into the role of VP Campus Life. Watkin would like to see Residence Assistants be compensated for the cost of first aid training, implement safe walk home programs, pledged his support for a health and dental plan, and continue with assisting in planning successful events for Mt. A students.

Lastly, Erik Fraser, current Social Science Senator, and VP Academic hopeful, wants to see extended library hours become a permanent feature at the Mt. A library. In addition, if elected, Fraser hopes to lobby the administration to implement a more lenient GPA requirement for scholarships by reducing the existing GPA requirement of 3.7 to 3.5 in order to facilitate scholarship retention.

Hopeful candidates debate key student concerns

News Editor

Maggie Lee

Recent executive election held for senior members of SAC for 2011-2012

Portuguese president re-elected

Voters in Portugal re-elected President Anibal Cavaco Silva to another five-year term on Sunday, choosing the president in favour of six other candidates. President Silva has been in power since 2006. Silva defeated his opponents after receiving fifty-three percent of the votes cast. Among the opponents defeated were former two-time prime minister and one-time president Mario Soares and another candidate named Manuel Alegre, who claimed nearly twenty-percent of the vote and was the first runner up. The president of Portugal has the power to dissolve parliament without justification.

Coalition collapses in Republic of Ireland

The majority-holding coalition government in the Republic of Ireland has collapsed as the Green Party announced early this week that it was pulling out of the coalition. This decision is expected to make the election on the eleventh of March inevitable. The pull-out by the Green party follows an earlier decision by Prime Minister Brian Cowen to quit his post as head of the leading Fianna Fáil party and yet remain Prime Minister. Prime Minister Cowen is currently attempting to push through a new finance bill and should he fail, he will be obliged to step down.

Mile-long oil slick near Mumbai, India

The Indian state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation announced early this week that a leak occurred in its Mumbai-Uran trunk pipeline. The leak was plugged and had its oil supply diverted within two hours. Although the leak was plugged relatively quickly it is estimated that twenty-five thousand barrels of oil spilled into the waters off of India’s western coast. This is the second oil spill near Mumbai in the last seven months as an oil tanker spilled five-hundred tonnes of oil into the Arabian Sea last August.

Trial begins for former Guatemalan president

The trial of former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo for embezzling public funds began last Friday in Guatemala. The former-president was charged with, and has subsequently denied, allegations of embezzling fifteen million dollars of funding from the defence ministry after sending the money there from the public purse during his presidency. It is alleged that these funds ended up in US and European bank accounts.

This Week in the World

A weekly miscellany compiled by Scott Green

The seven candidates are aiming for the executive positions in the Students’ Adminstrative Council.

Maggie Lee

OP/EDThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

John A. W. Brannen

Submissions Editor

Noah Kowalski

Editor in Chief

At the end of a recent interview with CBC anchor and Mount Allison Chancellor Peter Mansbridge, Prime Minister Stephen Harper touched on a number of hot topics. Mansbridge proposed a hypothetical situation where Harper and the Conservatives overcome their five years of minority governments to gain a majority. He then asks about a number of issues including abortion rights, Senate reform, and the death penalty.

In the interview, Harper admits that he personally believes that, in some cases, capital punishment is appropriate. However, he also acknowledged that the majority of Canadians are against the death penalty and said that he has no plans to bring forward the issue in the next Parliament.

Members of the opposition were quick to respond to Harper’s comments. “Canadians have no reason to trust Mr. Harper’s claims he won’t seek legislation on the death penalty after he already changed Canada’s foreign policy so we no longer seek clemency for Canadians facing the death penalty in other countries,” said one senior Liberal official. Liberal House Leader David McGuinty added, “If Mr. Harper is genuinely in favour of capital punishment ... he should bring a bill to the floor of the House of Commons so he can give credence to his beliefs.”

Capital punishment was eliminated in Canada in 1976 with

the last execution occurring in 1962. The last capital punishment-related legislation came up in 2007 when the Conservative government reversed the longstanding policy of automatically calling for clemency for Canadians sentenced to death in other countries. The new policy is to consider each instance on a case-by-case basis.

Even in the United States, efforts are being made to phase out capital

Examining the death penalty

SAC elections These two words, when placed

next to each other, makes most of us squirm or recall the acute carpal tunnel syndrome from chronic voting. I am referring of course to the SAC of 2009-2010 when elections and resignations of student politicians became so popular that even Japan and Italy were put to shame. Alas, the year ended with one definitive election and the current SAC took the reigns of governance. Fast forward to today where we once again find ourselves in the midst of an election with three presidential candidates. As per my democratic duty, I took the liberty of preparing some questions for the Q and A section. Little did I know that I would become infuriated with the questions, nay, accusations by my fellow students who had questions

Missed@MTAForget that cute guy’s name at the bar?

Did somebody make your day? Want to shout out to your meal hall crush?

Send in your “missed” moments to missed@mta.ca

for candidate Alex Macdonald, a member of the SAC executive in that so-called annus horribilis.

The majority of questions directed at Macdonald were innocently prefaced with statements such as, “As a member of the ineffective SAC executive last year,” or “You were part of one of the worst executive councils in recent history,” and my favorite, “Being part of the SAC that didn’t get anything done…” These remarks are about as loaded as a frosh on homecoming. You know that feeling you get when anger starts to rise from within and you can feel yourself turning red and beginning to shake? That’s exactly what I was going through, for I was a member of the executive in that year. Nonetheless, I composed myself for the duration of the Q and A.

There appears to be some doubt about what last year’s SAC did to benefit students. Well, for all of those who, like the uninformed gentleman at the Q and A, who believe they “didn’t get anything done,” and the chorus of others, consider this.

In Finance and Operations, money flowed into clubs and societies and the SAC’s own constitution and bylaws, not to mention the election procedures, received a second sober thought. The electoral process was completely overhauled into the efficient system we enjoy today.

In External Affairs, Mount Allison was well represented at the New Brunswick Students’ Alliance. More importantly, students voted Mount Allison into the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, where we now have access to federal politicians and the ability to effectively lobby in students’ interests.

Within the Campus Life portfolio, great strides were made across the board. First, Dish it Out, a new campaign to address hunger in the local community was created and successfully raised more than the previous campaigns. Let’s also not forget the campus wide survey conducted to address whether or not a health and dental plan should be offered to students with roughly the same results as the repeat survey

conducted this year. In Academic Affairs, some of the

most apparent advancements were made for students. Early in the year, student teaching evaluations were finally made mandatory throughout the university. Later, the first student-run teaching award was successfully developed and awarded at C o n v o c a t i o n . Perhaps the most notably, however, the executive lobbied for a career counsellor and, with the help of a petition signed by over 1,000 students, the administration actually took notice and created a position for the 2010-2011 year.

Hard work and sacrifice was put into every day that

Anything but ineffectivewe worked on the SAC executive and it is down right untrue that I, Macdonald, and others were part of the “least effective executive” or that we “didn’t accomplish anything.” In fact, we would venture to say that we made some of the most dramatic

improvements seen on campus in recent history. Even

m o r e

disappointing is when the people elected to fill our

positions, the current SAC, were silent as students hurled these insults.

A wise man once said, “If you aren’t being criticized, you aren’t working hard enough.” By this token, our executive worked far harder and achieved much more by creating waves than simply by riding them.

Recent comments regarding last year’s SAC untrue and unqualified

punishment. The Illinois’ state legislature recently voted to ban capital punishment, joining ten other states who have outlawed the practice. As well, the number of executions has fallen to its lowest levels since 1976.

Capital punishment raises a number of concerns including the potential for punishment of innocent people. The permanence of the death penalty means that those convicted can never be exonerated and released. In addition, the racial demographics of death row inmates are alarming. In the US, forty-one per cent of those

sentenced to capital punishment are African-American while they only make up twelve per cent of the total population. As well, people who murder white victims are more likely to get the death sentence; a whopping eighty per cent of death row inmates murdered white victims even though murders of white and racial minorities are virtually equal.

In Harper’s interview, he declared that he would not bring the issue up if

presented with a majority government. With sixty per cent of Canadians opposed to the death penalty, I would think it would be political suicide to introduce legislation to try to change the standard. Maybe this was just pandering to his conservative base to give them something to rally around. However, Harper has proven time and time again that he is a cunning politician who isn’t afraid to take risks in order to get his way. Only time will tell as we look forward to the next federal election.

Beautiful BrunetteWe met outside the Dunn building when I opened the door for you before class one afternoon. You always look amazing, and seeing your smile is definitely a highlight of my week. Maybe we can compare notes sometime.

Mysterious TWe love your Sherlock Holmes hat almost as much as we love you! Please be the next professor interview in the Argosy.

Dear snow on sidewalkCould you please go away? I need to walk to school. Thanks. <3

Dear Mystery ManI see you everywhere. STOP STALKING ME! It’s creepy. From, REB.

Rojo CalienteI loved how bold you were dancing on a chair Saturday night at the Pub. Next time, pull me up and I’ll go all night with you.

New FaceIts a new semester and you’re a new face, I see your yellow jacket all over the place, your house is having a party and I wanted to know, if I went would you like to give me a show? - Mardi Gras Boy

Spilly DrinkersDear drunk students at the pub: please learn how to drink without spilling or go back to high school. Seriously, drink like you’re legally allowed to.

SAC OfficeYo exec, please treat it like an office and not a motel. Thanks.

Rugby RookieYou were iced in the library on Monday morning. Watch out! It’s going to happen again soon. Xoxo.

Dear MTA, Thank for writing - write more!From, Missed@MTA

Internet Photo/New Harper

Graphic courtesy of the SAC

6 January 27, 2011 opinions@argosy.caOPINIONS & EDITORIALS

During frosh week, Mount Allison hosted a guest speaker, Sue Johanson, who brought up a very interesting point about self-image. In the beginning of her presentation, Sue spoke about how women are not aware of their bodies when they are young and therefore are more likely to develop a negative self-image when they grow older. Men on the other hand, wake up in the morning, look at their bodies, and put on a show. Even if their number one attribute is the flab that they exhibit so nicely, most still admire their bodies from time to time. Meanwhile girls are told constantly to look “pretty” and are bombarded by advertisements in

Love the way you look and feelNicholas Alberts

Argosy Submission

the media showing skeletal-looking women. I must say that this was the first time I had ever really thought about the issue.

Middle school was a gauntlet of bullying and gossip for a chubby kid, but even when I waddled my rotund figure into the bathroom I would

There is a mathematical equation that almost everyone knows, but hardly anyone wants to solve. It’s called the ‘when was I conceived’ equation, and it involves tracing back nine months or so from your birthday to identify the general time-frame wherein a romantic evening brought you into existence. Perhaps it was punctuated with flowers, or two glasses of red wine, or a bubble bath, but let’s not talk about it.

My beginning was, by my best guess, sometime in January 1988 — just a week or two before a ruling was announced in R. v. Morgentaler, the case wherein legal action called into question the constitutionality of the Canadian legal system regarding abortion. The ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada on January 28 of that year found that the section of the criminal code regarding abortion regulation in Canada was, indeed, flawed.

What happened next was, well, nothing much. The ruling from the Supreme Court had eliminated the

Abortion and the tests of tolerance

restrictive force of the law, but stayed out of the redrafting process, on the one hand stating “The interpretive approach to the Charter adopted by this court affords no support for the entrenchment of a constitutional right of abortion,” but then qualifying it with “it is unnecessary for the purpose of deciding this appeal to evaluate or assess ‘foetal rights’ as an independent constitutional value.”

So where did that leave Canada? It left us with a redrafting of the law that died on a tie vote in the Senate. Since then, there has been no law regarding abortion. Abortions can be carried out legally at any point and for any reason during a pregnancy. There

are somewhere around 100,000 per year in Canada. The legal freedom doesn’t necessarily make abortion universally accessible, though. There are provincial regulations and differences on issues like access and payment.

An Angus Reid poll from August showed that Canadians apparently have all sorts of mixed opinions about abortion. For example, over half of us think that abortion is legally restricted to the first trimester. But, like our parents’ romantic evenings, we’d prefer not to talk about it. Over half think the debate should remain

Martin Wightman

Argosy Columnist

closed. However, only one in five Canadians is actually aware of the true nature of abortion regulations and laws in Canada.

This suggests to me that we need to be careful. It can be dangerous to put any issue permanently ‘off-limits.’ In a sense, it’s irrelevant that most Canadians prefer not to reopen the debate, because that’s not how we decide what we can talk about. But, you may ask, how do we decide?

The Charter — the document that in a sense initiated full-scale legal abortion in Canada — guarantees freedom of conscience and freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, and freedom of the press. (Granted, certain legal limits on our freedom of speech exist, but I would respectfully suggest that they do not apply here.)

I can easily recognize why it is such a volatile issue: the stakes are extraordinarily high on both sides. Each side can, in their own view, couch their argument in terms of ‘rights.’ So in a certain sense, it gets discussed; it just doesn’t tend to be an open or informed discussion.

But it is precisely our ability to allow open, informed, non-violent discussion (from any perspective) about volatile issues that is the test of our tolerance. Canadians ought to be mature enough to sufficiently educate themselves, usefully debate an issue, and, through established, agreed-upon democratic means, implement or choose not to implement legislation within the parameters set for legislation that exist in the constitution, particularly the Charter.

So, Canada, are we truly tolerant of open debate, or do we restrict our tolerance to opinions that are easy to tolerate?

“Do” of the Week...

By Rena Thomas

Name: Cindy OchiengArea of study: Fourth Year Biology and AnthropologyWhat is your inspiration? Colour and contrasting thingsHow many pairs of PJs do you own? ThreeFavorite Disney movie? “The Lion King“Sparkle or raindrop? Sparkle because they shine

do a quick Herculean pose before I jumped into the shower. Now, after I’ve lost nearly fifty pounds, I can not help but admire my new figure (which is in no way perfect, nor does it resemble the likes of Matt Damon’s or Hugh Jackman’s bods....much). It’s exhilarating to admire my body.

It’s powerful and energizing. And more importantly, it gives me the confidence to continue my day.

So I have a message to all the girls out there who think they don’t look beautiful.

You ladies are beautiful. The perfume you wear, the way you

toss your hair across your face, the innocent smile you give, the swing in your step, your mesmerizing eyes, THE CURVES, your gorgeous skin, be it pearl white, rosy hued, or freckled. All of it, it works on us guys. And we are so taken back by it that all we can manage is a quick, manly grunt and we go on our merry way blushing like a ripe tomato.

No one is perfect. And for every guy that doesn’t respond to your feminine wiles, there are five others staring at you from across the room trying to get you to turn their way.

Love your bodies, because they are simply amazing.

Meanwhile I’m going to strut my stuff next time I catch myself in the mirror. And when I have a daughter and she asks, “Daddy, can we go to the beach today?” I’ll respond, “Not until you tell yourself you’re beautiful in every way.”

Beauty is much more than skin deep

Sue Johanson, famous for her “Sex with Sue“ series, often challenges stereotypes regarding our bodies.

Internet Photo/Gavel

Internet Photo/SFU

Rena Thomas

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 7OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Dear Editor,

After the Great War, the Alumni and Alumnae Societies resolved “an effort should be made to erect a library as a memorial to the loyalty and heroism of Mount Allison men and women in the war. No greater service could be done for Mount Allison than to provide such a memorial building. The Mount Allison boys who are out there ‘in Flanders fields’ to stay deserve all the honours a grateful country can bestow on them.” It was a time of grief and financial difficulty, but finally in 1927, under the presidency of Dr. George Trueman, the Memorial Library was completed. For forty years this bold edifice served as the library and heart of the university. For the last forty years the Memorial Library has been part of the student centre known as the University Centre. There are several reasons why Mt. A should repurpose the Memorial Library to be part of a contemporary Fine and Performing Arts Centre.

1 The Memorial Library is its legacy, one of only six heritage buildings that remain on the main campus, and one that writes in physical form a heroic chapter in the history of Mt. A.

2 The Memorial Library is the keystone of the campus that Sir Charles G D Roberts referred to as “the most beautiful campus that I know in Canada.  It is the most picturesque, varied and well-treed campus I have seen in Canada.” 

3 The Memorial Library was conceived and constructed as a memorial to the seventy-three members of the Allisonian family who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War. It has stood proudly on the campus for over eighty years in honour of its brave heroes.

4       The Memorial Library is an architectural treasure, designed by “one of Canada’s great architects,” Andrew Randall Cobb. Its Tudor Revival exterior envelops a grand reading room, the most impressive interior space on campus. 

5 Conservation of the Memorial Library reflects the necessity in this age to be good stewards of our planet. Mt. A has an environmental responsibility to recycle and repurpose its older buildings to provide sound functional use. Sustainability includes a social and cultural consideration.

6 The residents of Sackville have a degree of ownership in the Memorial Library. For several generations it has been a significant object in the streetscape of the town, standing firmly on the campus edge as a reliable marker on the well-traveled Main Street.

7    The Memorial Library would bring a lyrical air to the composition of a contemporary Fine and Performing Arts Centre. It would enrich the educational experiences of future generations of students and enhance the imagery of a gateway building desired to be the reflection of a progressive educational institution. 

8    The Memorial

Dear Editor, I remember spinning vinyl at CHMA in the 1970s in a tiny but adequate studio at the top floor of the Memorial Library building. It is strange and odd that we should be having a discussion at all about this seemingly under-used and elderly building on Mt. A’s Campus. It has been characterized as an old, dilapidated building after all.

What actions should we be taking to encourage a better re-use of this building?  Would its parts be better sold off to a real estate developer who could use some of that precious antique hand-quarried sandstone for some of their upscale clients?  Should we consign parts to create a “folly” like the MacKenzie King Estate in Gatineau, Quebec?  Or, should we instead take a braver path?  I have lived in both small towns and large cities and have seen the ruin that can become of beautiful historic buildings when decisions based on convenience or greed rather than preservation and

Dear Editor,

I write in response to Hannah Saunders’s recent article entitled “My body’s nobody’s but mine?” Saunders explains the allegations that “Bodies… The Exhibition,” which displays plastinated (preserved via plastics) human cadavers, has unethically used the bodies of people that may not have consented to such treatment. I take no issue with the article’s points about Premier Exhibition’s history of failing to document proof of consent, and the possible involvement of human rights abuse in China. All reasonable people should agree that only those who have consented to plastination and display should receive such treatment. In that vein, I would suggest that people who are interested in seeing such an exhibit look into “Body Worlds,” which is the first such program and has a strong history of proof of consent.

While the article states, “This exhibition might have some educational content for the general public” I would like to contend that these exhibits offer incredible educational benefits. In the same way that learning more about how your car’s engine works would lead to better maintenance, learning about how your body functions offers the chance to be a better caretaker of your own health and safety. In a

Library is the only building on campus that is entrenched in the memories of all Mt. A alumni living today. For its eighty years, first as the library and later as part of the student centre, it has been the social heart of the campus, where many a Mt. A friendship was fostered.

9    Mt. A is known as a school that teaches respect and cherishes its traditions; surely Mt. A does not knock down its history.

10 The best reason for the conservation of the Memorial Library was related to me in a recent conversation with a delightful fourth year music student. During her stay at Mt. A she has performed several times in Windsor Theatre and is very familiar with the Memorial Library. Her comment to me was: “Mt. A is

special because there is so much history …if you take down

that old building it is like taking away some of the *magic*.”  She said it perfectly.

restoration are made.    Most places in Canada require

that any development of property deemed to be of architectural and historical value (this  building’s bona fides speak for themselves) should include significant elements of the  historic property.  This would mean preservation of a facade and/or other unique elements, all the while developing behind, above or around the historic property.  This may require a partial destruction of parts of the building to better “envelop” this gem of history. On a project of this  scale, to argue that a couple of million dollars might be added to the  project, and this somehow gives the planners the moral right to tear down the whole building, is indeed a red herring. Cost over-runs generated by construction delays will be more costly than that!

Would Chancellor Mansbridge be interested to know that CHMA had

a long run in the Memorial Library building or that many of Canada’s most talented performers entertained thousands at its pubs and coffee houses?  We should all be caring enough to ensure that this most elder and stately memorial of the fallen is not consigned to the rock crusher or made into some ornamental feature next to the pond!  In truth, none of us “owned” the school when we attended.  We paid for the privilege of attending.  We did however, along with many alumni, invest in the care and upkeep of all buildings, included this star-crossed one. This is why we all should care.

The smart advice is to listen to the local architect who wants to save what is to all of us a gem of memory in sandstone.  Please decide in favour of keeping this wonderful old building as part of the new Fine Arts space. 

Lorey Miller

world so closely monitoring health and wellness, this type of knowledge is valuable. I have had the benefit of working with cadavers, learning from people who donated their bodies to science and medicine. It is always a tremendous experience. I have also viewed interactive displays of plastinated bodies, and they are the closest thing to a standard cadaver the general public can access. To dismiss them as gawk-fodder is disrespectful to those that would learn from them, and to the people who made such a significant donation.

Al Mac Farlane

Dear Editor,

On behalf of the Health Matters Society I would like to thank all of those who kindly donated to our AIDS awareness campaign on December 1 (World AIDS Day). With all your spare change and in only a short period of time, we raised $56.39. This money was donated to CANFAR, the Canadian Research Fund for AIDS/HIV. CANFAR has had many breakthroughs in research including, but not limited to, the discovery of the antiretroviral cocktail and reduction of transmission rates between an HIV-positive mother and

her baby. CANFAR also takes these breakthrough technologies to other countries, such as Africa, to work with children affected with HIV/AIDS. Every little bit of money raised makes a difference so thank-you once again for in participating in our campaign. For more information on CANFAR and AIDS/HIV research visit www.canfar.com.

Jenn MacKenzie, Chair of Health Matters Society 2010-2011.

Internet Photo/Bodies

Ainslie Moss

Are you pleased with the SAC elections? Were they fair and balanced?

Write opinions@argosy.ca

FEATURES January 27, 2011 features@argosy.ca

As the winter term picks up pace, hurtling us deeper into assignments and somehow leaving us feeling as though we are already charging into busy, academic mayhem, we can lose sight of things outside of class and assignments. But keep your head up – C3 is headed our way! The Campus Climate Challenge (C3) is just around the corner, taking place throughout the month of February.

Mount Allison University‘s EcoAction group has been holding C3 for five years, with the goal of the inter-residence competition being to conserve the most energy. Bennet and Bigelow residences won the last C3 with a thirty-four per cent reduction of energy consumption.

The winning residence not only gains campus bragging rights but also a prize awarded by EcoAction with the help of Facilities Management. Last year, much debate was held over the mysterious “goat” prize that was advertised. This year’s prize will be a coffeehouse for the winning residence – you provide the talent, and EcoAction will provide the funky venue, treats, and door prizes.

Rosalind Crump

Argosy Contributor

C3 returns with a new twistThis year, the Campus Climate Challange goes Maritime

Strategies for conserving energy have included a variety of options from diligently switching off all electronics, swearing off the use of elevators for the month of C3, and even stretch as far as taking cold showers at top speed to save on heat. Each year, Mt. A students continue to increase the levels of energy conserved during this month-long challenge, the impacts of which are felt and appreciated by the university.

Academic buildings will also be pitted against one another, and the university departments are invited to challenge one another in attempts

to conserve the most energy. The winning department will also receive a prize. The event will kickoff on February 1 with a meal of all local food and a movie at Jennings from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The cost for off-campus dwellers is six dollars or five dollars with Mountie Money.

With the help of the Environmental Trust Fund of the New Brunswick government, C3 has gone Maritime. This year EcoAction is extending the Campus Climate Challenge to universities across the East Coast. As a result, not only will Mt. A be competing within its own community, but the stakes have been raised to outdo the other campuses in the creativity of ideas to conserve energy. The winning Maritime C3 campus will be voted on according to photos illustrating the ingenious and creative conservation tactics posted on the website. Everyone is invited to vote; for more information visit www.mta.ca/c3.

C3 doesn’t end on campus, there is also opportunity for students off campus to get involved. EcoAction has some treats for everyone who participates. They encourage everyone to try switching off power bars at night, showering in the dark, draping your laundry across your room to air-dry, and feel free to come up with your own ideas on how to conserve energy and join in the challenge.

5 ways to conserve energy1. Unplug all your appliances when you are not using them.

2. Turn off the water in the shower while you lather up.

3. Turn off the lights everytime you leave the room.

4. Hang your clothes to air dry instead of using the dryer.

5. Wash your clothes in cold water.

Argosy Photo ArchivesThis year students across the Maritimes will participate in C3 by making moves to conserve energy in their homes and on campuses.

Rosalind Crump

Students try a variety of tactics to conserve energy for C3 at Mt. A.

Through Stained GlassRev. John Perkin

University Chaplain

As we approach African Heritage/Black History Month my mind turns again to the great leader of the American civil rights movement, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A new biography was recently released on King, the author suggesting a new biography was warranted in order to more fully explore King not just as a civil rights leader, but as a spiritual leader.

We often forget that King was an ordained minister, and served a pulpit in Atlanta as preacher and pastor; his leadership and his oratory in the civil rights movement emerged from his deep personal faith and c o m m i t m e n t to the church. King is, for me, one of the great “protestant saints”, one of those individuals who, out of his faith and c o m m i t m e n t , a c t e d c o u r a g e o u s l y and boldly, accomplishing great things for people.

I have often thought I would like to put together an inspirational volume about some of the great men and women of faith who are, in the real, but not the specific or Roman Catholic sense of the word, saints of the church. I might explore the lives of people like John Wesley, the Methodist evangelist of the eighteenth century, and Albert Schweitzer, the biblical scholar who turned to medicine to practice what he believed, moving to serve among the people of Africa. I would include Toyohiko Kagawa, the Japanese Christian who worked among the poor of Osaka to form labour unions, to save unwanted children, and who chose to live in poverty among people who were impoverished.

Closer to home, I might include Tommy Douglas, the Baptist minister in western Canada who acted on his beliefs to build a better way of doing things, founding the CCF, the forerunner to the NDP. There are many more, theologians, writers and artists, dreamers and doers, people whose lives have epitomized a commitment and a practice that has set them apart, and whose lives are witness not only to faith but to the fully engaged life to which faith calls us.

In fact, if I were to write of the saints in my life, many of the names would be unknown to most people. The list of saints would include those who have in their own way accomplished significant things at the local level, in their own way making a difference to their communities and to lives around them, based on their own witness and understanding of the urging of God in their lives.

There is biblical precedence for overlooking some of the heroes, or saints, of faith; in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, the author writes of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and then goes on to write “what more should I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson...” Barak is the unsung hero; we all know of

Gideon and Samson.

A n y o n e who has opened the drawer of the bedside table in a hotel can tell you that Gideon is not an unknown name, known for his

leadership of the Israelite forces in the period of the judges, and for refusing to be acclaimed as king. Samson is known for his great strength, and the ability to yield a weapon still used in war and politics: the jawbone of an ass.

But Barak ... who knows Barak? Despite his accomplishments in battle, all that is recorded in Hebrews is that “time would fail me to tell....” The Book of Judges records his military deeds, under the direction of the prophetess Deborah, and then records that Barak and Deborah sang a song of victory on that day – but the song has been passed on in scripture and in tradition as Deborah’s song. Barak is the unknown, and there are many in faith who have accomplished great things, but are not remembered.

I can certainly think back to the church I grew up in; some of the saints there will not be known beyond that community, but they made a significant difference to my life and others. There may be saints in your background, outstanding individuals who by faith or service have made a difference and made the world a better place. There may even be a Barak or two, an unknown or unsung saint, on the campus. I will be watching for them, through stained glass.

There may be saints in your background, outstanding individuals who by faith or service have...made the world a better place

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 9FEATURES

As you enter Dr. Aiken’s office, your eye is met with some very intriguing pieces of furniture and some unique decorations. Among these is a large tapestry of bears frolicking in the woods, which hangs behind Dr. Aiken’s desk, something his aunt gave to him when he was younger and which he has held onto ever since. As a young boy, Dr. Aiken enjoyed collecting frogs and toads, and it was his love of nature which made the study of biology a natural fit for him. Now he teaches marine biology, animal behaviour, and other such courses at Mount Allison.

Where did you complete your undergraduate?

I went down to the States for my undergraduate. I was in the University of Maryland. At the time, all told, Maryland was about 60,000 students; it was huge. It was quite a bit more

impersonal. We wouldn't have dared to go see a professor until about third year, and even then you had to make an appointment with the department secretaries to see a professor. It was during the middle of the Vietnam war too. Quite a turbulent time on the campuses: a lot of upset and rioting and tear gas and all sorts of good things, so it was a strange time to be in university. I finished up my undergraduate with National Guard troops on all the doors of the buildings, guarding them. It was a very strange experience, especially for a Canadian.

Where did you grow up?I grew up in Scarborough. When

we first moved to Scarborough, it was farm country, and then it became suburbia. My father was a printer. He was the one who pushed all the kids to university because that was what he thought was the best route to having a good life.

What is a favourite childhood memory?

I guess the strongest thing is that

we used to spend summers up on Lake Huron. The beaches and the water—essentially out of the city in nature, really.

What do you do for relaxation?Well I have two large dogs that

I like playing around with. When I have time, I do carpentry and woodworking. I built our first set of living room furniture. I am presently in the process of building my own workshop.

What type of music do you listen to?

Oh anything. I have a fairly wide taste. I guess my least favourite would be things like opera; I just don't get it. The best music is the stuff you had when you were about twenty, so the late 1960s and 1970s stuff—all that rock era. My iPod here has everything from Willie Nelson to Gregorian chant.

What country would you like to visit someday and why?

I would like to visit Italy, Greece, and North Africa—around the Mediterranean there—mostly for the

historical and archaeological aspect. If your house were on fire, what

would you grab on the way out?Assuming my wife could get out

on her own, I'd make sure my dogs were out.

What is one thing you would encourage your students to do?

If something grabs your interest, take a shot at it. Students come to me and say, “I’d like to do this, but I’d never get accepted.” I tell them, “Go for it.” If it’s something you're applying to, that is someone else’s decision to make and not yours, so give it a shot.

Andrew Nicol

Argosy Correspondent

Portrait of a professor: Dr. Akin

Bernard Soubry

Argosy Contributor

Know your nation. This mantra will be a key focus for Mount Allison’s Model United Nations members. Hosted by McGill Model UN (McMUN) in the Sheraton Resort, delegates representing assigned countries will arrive and attend multiple sessions. There, teams will discuss current issues facing the UN and attempt to find a solution that best promotes their assigned country’s needs.

Mt. A’s MUN Vice President, Amanda Bergmann, shared information on the group’s focus points for the 2011 conference. Bergmann explained that due to the team’s large member count (nineteen students this year while past conferences attracted only seven to ten Mt. A participants), delegates will be representing a combination of several member states, NGOs, and specific council members.

In early December, the Allisonian troop received their roles and country assignments. “Within the next few weeks background guides and specific positions were given to each delegate so that they could narrow their research to relevant topics,” Bergmann explained. It is imperative for the delegates to learn as much as possible about the issued subject during this allotted time in order to triumph over competing schools such as Harvard and Yale.

While Benin and the Bahamas

will be represented by most of Mt. A’s group, four students will be sitting on the NGO Forum as representatives of the International Rescue Committee. Bergmann reported that each of the four students will be covering one of the following: Netherlands in the Arctic Council, NHL Board of Governors as a representative of the Pittsburgh Penguins, MOSSAD, and

finally, WADA as a representative from the International Olympics Committee.

When asked about the reward for victory, Bergmann joked, “There is no prize other than bragging rights.” However, she expressed the true benefits of winning, by adding that, “an award reflects well on the represented university, as it shows that the university’s students are applying their classroom education to real-world purposes successfully.” She continued to explain that coming out first in a competition is always impressive on a resume, not to mention an excellent way to form social networks and advantageous

connections for future career prospects in UN affiliated careers.

McGill University has been hosting annual McMUN conferences since 1990. McMUN’s staff—over 350 McGill students—welcomes 1,400-2,000 participants from eighty-five universities around the world. Though 2011 marks McMUN’s twenty-first year of operation, no one

knows exactly how the concept of Model UN (MUN) came

into existence. Signs of student-run

simulations began in the 1920s, before

the UN itself was officially founded. Beginning as a group of students organizing mock-discussions about global issues,

MUN became a conference that is

recognized world-wide today. There

are now an estimated 400 MUN conferences

per year, according to the organization’s main web source.

While McGill may be renowned for its ability to host McMUN year after year, Mt. A has a pride of its own. In 2006, a Mt. A student competed in the Canadian International Model United Nations conference in Ottawa and brought home the prize. Charlene Taylor was awarded “Best Delegate” for her in-depth research and understanding of her assigned-nation’s dilemma.

On January 26, Mt. A’s delegates left for Montreal, the famous nightlife hotspot of la belle province. The McMUN conference will run January 27-30.

Anissa Stambouli

Features Writer

Mount Allison’s Model UN team competes in the big city

Wanted: your junkFreecycle.org opens group in Sackville

Andrew Nicol

Internet Photo/UCCS

Freecycling will be a great way for students to obtain furniture and other awesome things!

Emily MannSecond year student

Sackville has a time-honoured tradition of garbage pickups: every fall and spring sees students and townspeople alike wandering the streets in pickup trucks, looking for furniture and hidden treasures from one's proverbial trash.

But what about the time in between? How do you get rid of that chair that's been hanging around your back room, or find a cheap table for your new apartment? Some have found the answer by trying to Freecycle.

Freecycle.org, a website that has existed in large cities since 2003, has opened an online chapter in Sackville, allowing residents and Mount Allison University students to exchange goods through its forum. Founded by Darren Beal, Freecycle has 4,909 groups with a total of 8,103,367 members across the globe. It is non-profit, free to join, and regulated by volunteers.

Freecycling follows a simple concept: if you don't want it, someone else probably does. And if you want something, it's probable that someone's got one—and that they don't want it anymore. So add the Internet into the equation, and you get a remarkable tool: a site to give and take stuff for free.

Following a few simple rules, no payments, no lying about items, and no dangerous materials, the chapter works like an online forum. If a member has a couch that they don't

want, for example, they can post it up for offer on the site; another member who wants it can claim it and come pick it up.

Freecycle is a project based in communities. While many people would turn to Kijiji or the Salvation Army to find what they need or get rid of unwanted goods, Freecycle allows people to do this in their community without any cost.

Joining the Freecycle movement allows students and townspeople to inexpensively obtain furniture, utensils, video games, and assortments of oddities—known as “grab boxes”—while kicking a whole lot less stuff to the curb. “There aren't too many retail options in Sackville,”

says Emily Mann, a second-year Environmental Studies student. “Freecycling will be a great way for students to obtain furniture and other awesome things!”

With so many students moving into Sackville in September and moving back out at the end of May Freecycle offers an innovative way to save money while being environmentally friendly.

“It's a really easy way not to buy things”, say Rosalind Crump, another second-year student. “Especially if you're already spending money paying rent and tuition,” Brie Nelson adds.

Any Sackville resident who wishes to join can create an account at www.freecycle.org, then search the site for Sackville, NB and begin posting almost immediately.

More information can be obtained at www.freecycle.org, or at the Sackville group: http://tinyurl.com/SackvilleFreecycle.

Watch out McMUN

10 January 27, 2011 features@argosy.caFEATURES

Continued from cover

Ian Smillie talks to students about a controversial practice

Emily LewisIan Smillie was the key note speaker at the recent ATLIS conference at Mt. A. He spoke on the issue of conflict driven by blood diamonds.

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by: the pink panther

Cosmopolitan Magazine is known to many women, and some men too, as a great source of advice about sex and relationships. However, the suggestions of things to try in the bedroom (or other various places) that Cosmo gives are not always good...actually, sometimes they are downright awful. Here at the Sex Bomb we are always encouraging people to experiment and try new things, however we do not suggest anything that could be painful, or cause a potential hospital visit. This week the Sex Bomb presents Cosmo's worst sex advice: a list of things you should NEVER do in bed.

The hurtful hand-job: Cosmo has put out a lot of advice on how people can give their partners a unique twist on a hand-job, however this piece of advice i n v o l v e s a twist (literally) that would bring any man to tears. The suggestion went something like this; hold your man's penis with two fists and instead of rubbing up and down like you normally might, hold firmly and twist your fists. In opposite directions. First of all unless you have really tiny fists or your man is very well endowed (and if that's the case, lucky you!) chances are you are not going to be able to fit both your fists on his penis. But more importantly, twisting your fists in opposite directions like that on someone's arm would be painful, I don't think we even need to imagine what it would feel like on a penis. Just don't do it.

Pepper: According to Cosmo sneezing it a little bit like having an orgasm. It's kind of true, who doesn't love a good sneeze, however, I'm sure most of us would prefer not to sneeze during

sex. Cosmo suggests combining a sneeze with an orgasm could make it absolutely mind blowing. How do they suggest you make this happen? Well by sprinkling some pepper under your partners nose just as they are about to come. It's true, I kid you not. Think about it this way, when you're having sex you're about as close to a person as you can get, where do you think they're going to sneeze? Yup, right on you, nothing says sexy like spit and mucus.

I love (to hurt) you: Cosmo has suggested that when doing it missionary style you should use your fingernails to “etch” the words I love you into you partners back so they can read it in the mirror later. Yes, some people

like sex a little rough and some scratches can happen in the heat of the moment, but, this is extreme. First of all you have to scratch pretty hard to

leave a mark that your partner will be able to see later. Second of all, even if your partner would enjoy this, the amount of coordination it would take to write that legibly is ridiculous, not to mention your partner will most likely get really confused about why exactly you are putting such random scratches in their back.

Knot a good idea: Cosmo recently suggested a new way to experiment with the basic sex position, girl on top. They say to take a scarf and tie it in a knot around your man’s balls and penis and then get on top, apparently the knot helps stimulate clitoraly. I can’t imagine too many men want anything tied around that area, even for a sexual purpose. Also, the scarf would probably act something like a towel and take away any natural lubricant which could potentially cause some nasty chafing.

adhere to strict laws in order to ensure a conflict-free diamond trade.

“The KP is quite good,” Smillie said. “It’s really ingenious. It’s voluntary, but you have to be in if you’ve got any kind of diamond industry, otherwise you’re going to be working in the outside gray or illegal trade.”

But even the most promising plans can fall through. With twenty tons of diamonds being mined per year, tracking each individual gem is no easy task. Smillie, a cornerstone of the KP, recently resigned due to a loss of faith in the organization’s standards. “I left the KP with a bang,” he comments. “I made quite a lot of noise about it and I’ve been talking about it ever since.”

According to Smillie, holes in the KP’s morality first emerged during the communication conflict with Venezuela. “Venezuela just fell right off the radar,” Smillie said regretfully. The government stopped issuing KP certificates and ceased reporting their annual production statistics to the KP, as if they had withdrawn from the diamond trade entirely.

At first the KP assumed that the government had lost interest in the trade, or lost control over its authority. However, further investigation uncovered unsettling news. “One hundred per cent of Venezuela’s mined diamonds were being smuggled out,” Smillie declared. “[The Venezuelan government] simply wasn’t paying attention [to monitoring smuggled diamonds] anymore.” After heated discussion, it was concluded that the KP would not expel Venezuela from the organization. Instead, the nation was placed on a two-year suspension period during which time they were expected to “get their house in order”.

The issue with Venezuela was strike one for Smillie, who believed that by failing to take action, the KP was indirectly endorsing the smuggling of diamonds. Strike two occurred eighteen months ago in Zimbabwe. A diamond rush was discovered in the land and citizens flooded the area with sparkles in their eyes. The government of Zimbabwe was determined to uphold its commitment to the KP. In order to protect the regulation of diamonds and prevent people from stealing and smuggling unmarked gems, the government released their air force power. Two hundred artisanal diamond diggers were shot. Beatings, theft, and rape of civilians ensued.

But since Zimbabwe, technically, hadn’t offended its relationship with the KP, its government wasn’t reprimanded. According to Smillie, the KP doesn’t include human rights in its minimum standards for

They say to take a scarf and tie it in a knot around your man’s balls and penis...

participating countries to abide by. Smillie and concerned NGOs had a mouthful to say in protest to the gruesome event:

“Countries that don’t have a good human rights record in the KP should be taken to task. And in the case of Zimbabwe, there was major smuggling—no rule of law,” he argued. “We said that Zimbabwe should be expelled—it should be suspended from the KP. That didn’t happen, [...] and Zimbabwe continues to export diamonds today.”

To conclude his reasons for leaving the KP, Smillie finished, “The KP was simply covering up a lot of bad things that were going on, and in the case of Zimbabwe, you clearly have blood diamonds. It hadn’t occurred to us that a member government would actually kill people in order to enforce the KP which is all about stopping the killing of people. The logic doesn’t scan.”

Internet Photo/NYTimesA conflict diamond is one that is mined in an area controlled by illegal groups and then traded to fund hostility against civilians or government. Diamonds worn across the globe can be connected to conflicts.

Write for features.Meetings Thurdays

at 5:30 pm.

Website: sac.mta.caPhone: 364-2231 Email: sac@mta.caOffice Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Check out the SAC WEBSITE

sac.mta.ca

tThe 60+ volunteers that that helped out with scarefeast collected over 600

pounds of non-perishable food items for the sackville food bank!

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Hey Mount A students! Did you know that you are members of

the Atlantic Co-Op here in Sackville? And now, when you buy $40 of groceries, you can get $1 off your cab ride back

home!!

Co-Op Discount

library hoursextendedNEW

thanks to a cost-sharing initiative

spearheaded by your SAC, the library

hours have officially been extended

new added hoursSaturday

Sunday

7:45 PM -10:45 PM

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

HUMOUR January 27, 2011 humour@argosy.ca

So you think you know

Mt. A...Q: With all of the concerts going on it got me thinking: is there ever a

time and place for crowd surfing...when you’re not a rock star?

A. Geoff Hutchinson:Great question. I too sometimes have the urge to throw myself into a crowd of strangers, who have no regard for my personal space and relative well-being, hoping beyond hope that they’re going to catch me safely and not just let me eat asphalt.

I personally don’t see a reason why you can’t crowd surf any time, anywhere there’s a crowd. Would your high school graduation not have been better if you could have been handed your diploma, followed quickly by a quick kick to that moronic principal’s genitals, some hilarious one-liner and then a running dive into the waiting arms of your now-adoring class mates? Or maybe you went to the clinic, and the doctor tells you that it’s actually not herpes? I’d say that’s a situation that calls for you to sprint into the waiting room and jump directly at the gaggle of elderly woman in the corner, right? They look

Do you pee in the shower?Casey: Yes, it’s actually quite eco-friendly and progressive. Google Brazil’s Pee in the Shower Ad campaign, you’ll see.

Emily: Many people even drink the “midstream of their morning pee” and call it urine therapy…I don’t go that far.

Describe your first kiss.Casey: I am not sure what her name was. I prefer anonymity and a lack of emotional connection… knowing a person’s name kind of ruins it for me.

Emily: It was in a coat closet in kindergarten…I can’t remember his name…oh dear, setting a bad precedent early.

Have you ever woken yourself up from a fart?Casey: No, I have the uncanny ability to sleep through most things, including fire alarms but excluding my roommate having sex.

Emily: I didn’t know that could even happen until Noah cared to share with us the fact that he has woken up repeatedly from violent farts, so no.

Do you pick your nose?Casey: No, I find that too disgusting and plebeian… that’s why I get the maid to do it for me.

Emily: …with a tissue? Sometimes it’s necessary. But on the whole, not frequently.

Would we date each other?Casey: I am not the dating type. I am more of a wham, bam, you’re welcome ma’am type of guy. It’s nothing personal, Emily, but this tiger refuses to be chained down.

Emily: I’m holding out for Eric Bana…sorry Casey.

Do we find Noah attractive?Casey: Noah’s not really my type. I like my men like I like my coffee: dark, strong, and ready to go. Unfortunately for Noah he is Asian and currently limping, thus he fails two out of three of the requirements.

Emily: Well, now that I know about Noah’s violent farts, no.

Isabel Turk

sprightly, and you’ve been dieting. I’m sure it’ll be just like jumping into the crowd of twenty-somethings at Warped Tour.

A word of warning; Crowd surfing technically isn’t even really welcome at concerts (ever try to reason with one of those security guys? They will beat you in the face as a WARNING), so doing it in public places that aren’t usually privy to crowds or surfing may get you some strange looks, jail time and a new girlfriend by the name of Crusher. Surf Accordingly.

A. Sean Baker:No. There isn’t. Only certified rock stars are allowed to engage in this activity, for only certified rock stars are deaf, intoxicated, and drug-addled enough to believe that surfing on people is a good idea. Also, they have proper training and certification. Years ago, an amateur who lacked this training literally picked up a

surfboard and flung himself onto a crowd of people. Several were injured and the surfboard was irreparably damaged. Since this incident, crowd surfing has been strictly monitored.

If you are interested in becoming a certified crowd surfer, you must pass a written exam to prove that you are a rock star (example questions include: “What are your feelings on the establishment?” “Define: groupie” and “How many litres of alcohol do you consume daily?”) before enrolling in a two-year course on the physics, anthropology, musicology, sociology, and psychology of crowd surfing. Only then will you be qualified to throw yourself onto a crowd of strangers who will grope and/or pickpocket you. What fun!

Should you attempt to crowd surf without proper certification, the Board of Xtreme Xports (BXX) will find you, and imprison you. Do not tempt them. They are everywhere.

Ask the Experts

ACROSS2. Last word of acronym MASSIE4. Campus Climate _6. The largest lecture hall on campus7. Floor of the library with blue carpet9. Annual music festival organized by CHMA12. Largest party of the year14. Last word over the athletic center15. The Owens is the _ art gallery in Canada17. One of Mt. A’s colors18. A Mt. A notable graduate

DOWN1. Mt. A offers certificates in3. The objects Mt. A founder Charles Frederick Allison’s family offended Irish tax collectors with5. Mt. A has produced more numbers of _ per capita than any other university in the Commonwealth7. Mt. A’s bilingual theatre troupe8. Name of Mt. A’s observatory10. Mt. A’s international house11. Legend of Hart Hall13. First female graduate of Mt. A16. Location of the physics department

Since we’re still fairly new to the Argosy, Casey and I agreed to answer a few or our fellow editors’

questions. We learned a bit about them as well...

With Geoff and Sean

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Chic For 9Check www.mta.ca/student_life/int_orient for a full schedule of events

14 January 27, 2011 argosy@mta.caCENTREFOLD

Peter BohanSackville’s own began the night with acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Bohan’s songs, as he tells in his banter, are drawn from his experiences of moving between Ottawa and Sackville, being sorely left by his ex for an older lawyer, and serving coffee to yuppies. His lyrics often deal with the complications that arise from living in two places; his songs are full of love and loss, train whistles, and people growing apart. His set was well received and seemed to fit nicely into the cozy atmosphere that the Vogue provided.

- Becky Martin

El Ron MaltanI felt truly sorry for the poor drummer of this duo. He had to sit helplessly

and watch as the guitarist/ lead singer tuned his guitar between EVERY song while muttering incoherent phrases into the microphone. While the genre of music would be most easily classified as rock, they did try to play a somewhat more avant garde piece, which ran far too long and was painful to listen to. Anytime there were lyrics in a song it was difficult to resist squirming in discomfort. The lead singer even said it himself, “this microphone has an aversion to my voice, it keeps moving away.” During the last song he was also quoted as singing, “blah blah blah, I don’t know the words to this song, but I’m sure glad you all are here, I hope you sing along.” Needless to say, we didn’t.

- Anna Robertson

Olenka KrakusThe lead vocalist of Olenka and the Autumn

Lovers played the final set of the evening, curiously without her Autumn Lovers. With roots tracing back to Poland, but residing out of London, Ontario, Krakus’ songs have a distinctly European tone. They are often politically charged but still maintain a haunting quality to them. Rather, the politics form a compelling backdrop for their nostalgic and emotional quality. Krakus seemed a bit like a stowaway with a rich lovely voice up on stage, and her songs had the transporting quality of great stories.

- Becky Martin

Klarka WeinwurmGracing the stage was the petite but powerful front-woman Klarka Weinwurm, lending

her cool voice to the microphone and sending waves of intoxicating indie rock music over the crowd. Weinwurm’s voice is a smoky blend of Nina Simone, and Tegan and Sara, the soul of jazz with the sound of a seasoned folk singer. While the band seemed fairly reserved on stage they were clearly invested in the moment, a state that bled into the listeners. The only disappointment was finding that an album wasn’t available for sale at the merchandise table. Listening to more of her songs would definitely be worth the price of a CD.

- Anna Robertson

Baby EagleFollowing Bohan was the night’s second

replacement act, Baby Eagle, which is the solo act of Steven Lambke, who is known for singing and playing guitar in the gritty Canadian rock outfit, the Constantines. Baby Eagle is perhaps just as gritty as the Cons but more pared down; the minimalist guitar and Lambke’s unusual voice compliment the poetic nature of his songs. Being one of Sackville’s most reputable acts, Baby Eagle is a mainstay around town, but I’ve never seen him perform in a quieter sit-down venue like the Vogue. With only vocals and guitar, it was easy to focus on Lambke’s surprisingly compelling lyrics. He closed the set with two Constantine songs off their album Kensington Heights, “Shower of Stones” and an upbeat version of the ethereal “Windy Road”.

- Becky Martin

Mount Whaley

Landon Braverman

Babette Hayward

Cousins

Splooge

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 15CENTREFOLD

El Ron MaltanI felt truly sorry for the poor drummer of this duo. He had to sit helplessly

and watch as the guitarist/ lead singer tuned his guitar between EVERY song while muttering incoherent phrases into the microphone. While the genre of music would be most easily classified as rock, they did try to play a somewhat more avant garde piece, which ran far too long and was painful to listen to. Anytime there were lyrics in a song it was difficult to resist squirming in discomfort. The lead singer even said it himself, “this microphone has an aversion to my voice, it keeps moving away.” During the last song he was also quoted as singing, “blah blah blah, I don’t know the words to this song, but I’m sure glad you all are here, I hope you sing along.” Needless to say, we didn’t.

- Anna Robertson

Mike EvinChanging it up from the usual indie rock/indie

folk bands was the pop stylings of Mike Evin on the piano and vocals, with Andy Creeggan, former member of The Barenaked Ladies, on percussion. It has to be mentioned that Creeggan’s percussion instrument was not a drum set, but a wooden box that he sat on and slapped with his hands, along with an array of tambourines and maracas laid out next to him. It was amazing to watch this showcase of great talent and creativity combined. Mike Evin did not cease to impress, smiling through all of his songs and playing the piano with so much energy that he appeared to be hovering over his stool instead of sitting on it. His energy transferred to the audience, who joined in the lyrics for the last songs, to which Evin got down on his knees and began conducting. The pair are not only great musicians but amazing performers. They connected with the audience and left behind a memorable show.

- Anna Robertson

Jon McKielLiving up to the glowing reviews of his critics, Jon

McKiel performed flawlessly on Saturday night. Pulling songs off his new album, like “Motion Pictures”, McKiel transformed the crowd into a sea of foot tappers, body rockers, and wolf whistlers. With an affecting voice that you can’t help but respond to, McKiel’s performance was well worth the wait. Even with the addition of electric spacey sounds, his songs sounded as beautiful as they do on his album. He even indulged the crowd in a much-desired encore, choosing the resounding and deep notes of “Monster of Miramichi” as the final song of the evening.

- Anna Robertson

Construction and Destruction

Fluttering her hands across the strings of a guitar and wailing into the microphone, Colleen Collins of Construction and Destruction was a great example of alternative rock done right. David Trenaman was equally impressive, singing until his face turned red. The quiet demeanor of the duo between songs was a far cry from their personas while playing, an interesting contrast to witness. Raw and unassuming, their lyrics and music had a haunting effect over the listener and commanded the attention of the audience. Both Collins and Trenaman alternated between instruments, demonstrating the range of their musical skill without hampering the fluidity of their performance.

- Anna Robertson

Pat LePoidevinThe first of the originally listed acts, LePoidevin took the stage next. His set covered

a lot of new material from his yet to be released album Highway Houses. If you’ve never seen Pat perform, it’s well worth making it out to see him. With just guitar and vocals (and occasionally a small pipe or some other instrument) he builds up a wall of sound, using a pedal to loop different layers of the song together. He has received some merit among critics lately in Canadian media; Vish Kahn wrote of his performances in Exclaim! Magazine, commenting that “LePoidevin is winning over fans with his earnest voice and lyricism, for sure, but he’s all the more intriguing for his composition with a loop pedal that captures his acoustic instruments one layer at a time.” Keep on keepin’ on, Pat!

- Becky Martin

All photos by Lea Foy

Background art courtesy of Matt Collett and Moorea Hum

Cousins

Baby Eagle

Lucas Hicks

This ad is a part of a campus wide campaign to engage students Owens Art Gallery - Mount Allison University, Sackville NB

www.mta.ca/owens or Find us on FacebookMonday to Friday 10-5pm and Saturday to Sunday 1-5pm

For more information please contact: klatkins@mta.ca

 

14  February  7:30pm

SCI & TECHThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

Researchers have identified a genetic link in certain sockeye salmon on their way to spawn in British Columbia’s Fraser River, which they believe makes the fish more susceptible to viral infection. The infection may be linked to the dramatic decline in the number of salmon returning to the Fraser River basin. In 2009, a mere 1.5 million salmon returned to the spawning grounds, compared to the average of eight million.

Sockeye salmon found in the ocean were 13.5 times more likely to die during their migration to the spawning grounds in the Fraser River basin if they were found to have a specific genetic signature, according to a recent CNBC report. Salmon tagged in the Fraser River and found to hold the genetic profile were fifty per cent more likely to die before spawning. A research team led by Kristina Miller, a researcher with Fisheries and Oceans Canada investigated the salmon deaths. They predict that a virus infects the fish at sea, and that the infection progresses while on route to the spawning grounds. “We tend to think that it’s the conditions in the river that determine whether the fish makes it up there or not,” stated Professor Tony Farrel, research chair at the University of British Columbia’s department of zoology, in a recent CBC report.

Researchers still have doubts about whether or not the genetic flaw is truly linked to a viral infection. Scott Hinch, one of the paper's authors told the Argosy that research was ongoing to characterize the infectious agent, and that well characterized salmon viruses had been ruled out.

The researchers don't believe that river conditions are at fault in this case. "Salmon carrying the signature predictive of survival in the river carry this signature >200km before they reach the river, which shows us that salmon are physiologically compromised before river entry.  These data suggest that river conditions alone may not be the only

factors associated with high salmon mortality. That is not to say that they are unimportant, as we expect that it is the combined stress of a compromised fish entering a stressful (high water temperature) environment that may be most detrimental to their survival," said Hinch.

Another possible cause of the rising deaths of the sockeye salmon population is the introduction of sea lice from aquaculture operations in open-net fish farms along the BC coast, although a University of California study found no evident to support this claim. Miller and her colleagues also suggest that warming water temperatures, linked to reduced delivery of oxygen to the salmons’ tissues, may be related to the rising fish deaths. Implanting radio-transmitter tags in about 150 salmon, researchers observed which salmon passed receivers placed periodically along the river. These receivers allowed researchers to investigate

Fishy salmon deaths linked to genetic flawRachel Gardner

Political Beat Writer

along which stretches of river the fish were most likely to die. While researchers can tell how far along the river the salmon travelled, difficulties arose in identifying the cause of death for fish travelling along the river. “We just know that they just disappeared... They might have run out of energy, they might have been eaten by a bear or eagle,” commented Farrell.

While more research is needed, the dominant hypothesis is a viral infection linked to a specific genetic signature found in certain salmon. “It may not be a virus... but the hypothesis is that it is,” stated Farrel. “We need to find out if it is a virus – and if it is picked up somewhere, we need to find out where... there’s still a mystery out there.”

In 2010, thirty-four million fish returned to Fraser River basin, the largest salmon run since 1913. This was an anomaly to the declining fish populations that have been noted since the 1990s.

Internet Photo/UBC Zoology

Last September the astronomy community was abuzz as scientists and enthusiasts alike marvelled over the discovery of Gliese 581g, a planet located some twenty light-years from earth. At the time, it was thought that the planet, which is about three times the size of Earth, might be potentially habitable. Initial analysis showed the planet was likely rocky and in possession of temperate regions and an atmosphere. But most importantly, it was located at a sweet spot in relation to its star where it was neither too hot nor too cold; a place where liquid water could exist.

However, soon after the duo of American planet hunters named Vogt and Butler announced their discovery, scores of independent researchers plunged into the data as they sought to see if they too, could find a trace of the new planet. The results are now beginning to surface and the verdict is out: Gliese 581g might not even exist.

Before delving further it is important to note that nobody has

Matt Collett

Science and Technology Writer

ever claimed to have seen Gliese 581g. Most exoplanets, that is planets beyond our solar system, are far too distant and tiny to be seen with telescopes. They usually cast less than one-millionth the light of their parent star and even that little light is usually lost in the star’s glare. In fact only ten exoplanets have been directly imaged with telescopes.

In order to discover these planets, scientists must rely on a variety of indirect methods of observation. The

most common technique, which also happens to have been the one that ‘discovered’ the disputed Gliese 581g, is called the radial velocity method. Using this method, scientists are able to detect variations in the speed with which a star moves towards or away from earth. Since a star moves in its own tiny orbit, the presence or absence of planets around it will affect its movement ever so slightly. Using this data, scientists can then infer the approximate size, position, and composition of the suspect planet.

Evidently, when staking any claim on a new exoplanet there are plenty of numbers involved and Phillip Gregory, an astrostatistician at University of British Columbia is in the business of analyzing such numbers. Gregory recently released a study to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in which he outlines his months of analysis and delivers his dismissive conclusion. Vogt and Butler’s eleven year set of observations that ended in the discovery of Gliese 581g has a 99.9978 per cent chance of being false. A separate European team has also arrived at a similar conclusion stating that their data has not offered

any corroboration of the fabled planet.So for now at least, it seems that

the possibility of a habitable planet is still one of science fiction and not fact. However, if the current rate of planetary discoveries can be extrapolated across our entire galaxy, then we can surmise that billions of planets are still waiting to be discovered. To date we’ve only discovered 519 exoplanets so there are certainly plenty more to find.

Internet Photo/Universe Today

Dashed hopes for a habitable planet

ScienceBriefs

January 27, 2011

Curious like a cat?The world’s newest species of cat, the Sunda Clouded Leopard, which was only discovered as a separate species of leopard in 2007, was recently discovered to actually be two different species of cats. One lives in Borneo, while the other lives in Sumatra, and the two are thought to have diverged over one million years ago, despite the fact that we only tracked them down four years ago. Learning by writingAccording to a recent study done on 200 college students in the States, it's best to write down what you are studying, in order to retain it. The study showed that students who wrote a free-form essay about the topic they were studying retained more of the information. The study also showed that although students who studied by mind mapping and cramming didn’t do as well as the students who wrote essays, they felt like they remembered more of the information. Green motivesPeople choose environmentally friendly goods instead of luxury goods when they are looking to increase their social status, reports a new study from the University of Minnesota. Participants in the study chose green products over luxury items in public, while they were more likely to buy the luxury items online when their behaviour wasn't being judged by peers.Worm SpermResearchers studying nematode worms have shown that the sperm of the Rabditis nematode worm that would produce male offspring are paralysed. The sperm are unable to move and fertilize eggs, meaning that large numbers of daughters are produced. Overall it means that the population of nematodes can multiply very quickly.

18 January 27, 2011 scitech@argosy.caSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

A:

Q: What are the signs of frostbite and what can you about it?

Susan Rogers Science and Technology Editor

This week’s drop in temperatures has probably had some thinking about wintertime survival techniques. Today we address a compelling issue for Canadians, and particularly New Brunswickers: How to Survive a Blizzard.

On Foot: While it may feel that we survive

blizzards every few weeks here, in reality blizzard conditions include fifty kilometer per hour-plus winds, near zero visibility, and extremely heavy snowfall. One hopes that in the event of such weather, readers would find themselves at home, or as FEMA puts it, in a ‘warm shelter’. If you find yourself out of doors in a blizzard, the disaster relief organization helpfully suggests getting inside. If even an abandoned building like a barn or shed is not in sight, it’s time to build a shelter out of whatever is available – most likely snow and perhaps cardboard. Remember that deep snow acts as insulation, so piling some extra on top of your structure might actually help keep heat in. Keeping out of the wind and staying dry and warm are the keys to survival in this situation – so if you can build a fire, do so, and remove wet clothing if possible. Most importantly, try to stay hydrated, but avoid eating snow. The energy used by your body to melt the ice in your mouth is energy that is being taken away from the important task of keeping you warm and frostbite free. Instead, you can collect snow in a container and keep it close to your body for a more

energy efficient melting process.

On Wheels: Although being trapped in a car

is infinitely preferable than being trapped outside with nothing but a cardboard structure and a snow bank, your number one aim is also rescue. While you are in a significantly better position, you also need to focus on staying warm and attracting attention so as to aid discovery and rescue. The number one rule is not to leave your vehicle – you are much easier to find in your Cadillac Escalade than as a

Madeleine Northcote

Argosy Contributor

Getting caught in a blizzard

tiny, stumbling figure in a white out. Make sure to run your engine every ten minutes or so – not only to reheat the car, but also to ensure that your engine doesn’t stall. Try and keep your mind active by playing cell phone games, writing the Great Canadian Novel, or staying up to date with the radio weather report. If it is safe and possible to do so, consider drawing attention to your stranded state by either popping the hood of the car, or tying something brightly coloured to your radio antenna. When out in the elements, it is essential to stay awake

– falling asleep will further lower your body temperature and put you at greater risk of hypothermia and death.

On Couch: If you are at home during the onset

of such weather, congratulations, as it is the ideal location to sit out a blizzard. It is also the safest place for your children and pets, so don’t forget to bring them in from outside – it’s alarming how often dogs and cats are locked out in storms. First, you need to be ready for an extended period

indoors – make sure you have enough of the essential foods, particularly non-perishables that don’t need electricity to be prepared. Wrap your water pipes up with newspaper and foam and leave the tap dripping – both help to prevent freezing pipes. You should fill your bathtub and extra buckets up with water in case it happens anyway. Also, while a gas or kerosene stove may prove handy, remember that many forms of gas stoves produce dangerous fumes - so only use them in well-ventilated spaces. Abstain from caffeine and alcohol – both open up your blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, speeding loss of heat.

If you have the luxury of being well prepared for a blizzard, a final consideration would be those around you- don’t forget about elderly and vulnerable neighbours in the area. If you know they might be alone or unable to cope, check in and make sure everything is all right, that they too know the steps and are able to follow them.

Lea FoyDo you know what to do if you are caught outside in a blizzard, with no chance of getting indoors?

Frostbite is an injury that is caused by freezing body parts, and your nose, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes are the most vulnerable. Since severe frostbite can require amputation of limbs, keeping an eye out for the warning signs is a good idea. The first signs of frostbite are redness and pain in the skin, followed often by white or grayish yellow skin, firm or waxy skin, and numbness. Just because you can’t feel your skin freezing doesn’t mean you aren’t getting frostbite; your skin may have gone numb without you realizing it. As soon as you realize that you have frostbite (though its better if you realize before hand) get inside to a warm room. You can immerse the afflicted area in warm water, but don’t use hot water. Instead you can use body heat to warm up your frost bitten limbs. Try using your armpit to warm up your frozen fingers. Be especially careful of frostbite when the temperature drops blow -28 degrees Celsius with wind chill. When the thermometer drops to -40 degrees with wind chill, exposed skin can freeze in five to ten minutes. Below -48 degrees, just stay inside. Trust us.And if you get frostbite, get medical help.

Stay Safe

Keep bottled water on hand

Don’t eat snow for waterInstead melt the snow with your body heat

Keep a blanket in your car

Run your car engine every ten muinutes

Keep your mind occupied

-10 to -27 °C Risk of HypothermiaDress in warm layersWear a hat and mitsStay Dry

-28 to -39 °C Risk of Frostnip and Frostbite

Skin can freeze in 10 to 30 minutes

-40 to -47 °C High Risk of FrostbiteSkin can freeze in 5 to 10 minutesCover all exposed skin

-48 to -54 °C Very High Risk of Frostbite

Skin can freeze in 2 to 5 minutesCheck your face and extremities frequently for numbness and whiteness

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 19SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Geek Chic of the Week

Want to never have to subtly sniff at your deodorant ever again? How about bringing a breath of fresh air to every room you walk in to, especially while impeccably dressed? Try the “Herself ” dress for your next classy party. The dress, which is designed by Catalytic Clothing as a project between the University of Sheffield, the University of Ulster, and the London College of Fashion, is potentially the world’s first air purifying dress. Although at the moment the dress is being presented as art and is actually made of concrete imbued with the ability to clean the air, the science behind it stands, and could one day be used in order to make wear-able clothing that has the ability to improve the air we breathe.

Fifteen years after General Motors controversially released and subsequently redacted the world’s first mass-produced electric car - the EV1, they’re once again offering us a taste of the future with the release of another electric car; the aptly named Volt. Unlike its predecessor, however, the Volt is not fully electric. As a “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle” or PHEV, the Volt features an electric engine with batteries that can be charged by plugging the car into an outlet in addition to a conventional combustion engine.

The plug-in hybrid certainly is looking to be the automotive story of 2011 with the introduction of the Volt but that isn’t to say that the Volt is the only PHEV on the road today.

Matt Collett

Science and Technology Writer

The rise of the plug-in hybridGeneral Motor’s ‘Volt’ leading the eco-friendly auto race

For example, owners of the Toyota Prius can modify their vehicle to plug in, and hybrid transit buses are often outfitted with extra batteries and plug-in capabilities. With the exception of the Volt, PHEVs in North America are currently user-modified and not available from the manufacturer. However, to date Toyota, Ford, Volvo, Suzuki, and Audi have all stated their intent to offer plug-in hybrid models to challenge the GM’s Volt.

General Motors claims the Volt can run between forty to eighty kilometres on its lithium-ion battery alone. Once the batteries are depleted a small four cylinder combustion engine kicks in which powers a generator that delivers power to the

electric engine. At highway speeds, the combustion engine can also combine with the electric engine for added propulsion. If the electric engine isn’t being strained too hard, any excess electricity then gets sent to the batteries to be used later.

Already, the Volt has a number of awards and distinctions under its belt. It has unseated the Toyota Prius as the most fuel-efficient car sold in the United States and has received car of the year titles from Motor Trend, North American International Auto Show, and a host of others. The Volt can currently only be purchased in the United States after having been made available to a handful of states in mid-December. The rest of North America can expect to experience the Volt by late summer 2011 with prices likely starting at US $40,000.

There really seems to be nothing negative to say about the Volt or the prospect of PHEVs in general. A

problem that North Americans in particular have had with the concept of an electric car is the issue of range anxiety. Since batteries will run out and outlets are not always available many fear that they could be stranded if power runs out. With the Volt, however, the presence of a small gasoline engine effectively resolves this conundrum. The only real problems that may arise are for those who rely on parking their vehicles where power isn’t available such as on streets or in parking garages. This is where public and private investments will need to be made in order to ensure that these PHEVs are available for those without personal driveways and garages.

InternetPhoto/Ecoautoninja

The Argosy’s Pat Losier chooses iPhone and iPod apps so you can get the best out of your technology.

Angry BirdsClickgamer.com ($0.99) Angry Birds is simply the best spend of $0.99 in the App Store. This simple game offers an addictive getaway for today’s busy student.    With over 200 unique levels, this game will bring countless hours of entertainment.  The premise of the game is simple: launch your birds and knock out the pigs; a challenge that is easy at first but becomes progressively more difficult as you unlock more levels.  Angry features achievements that allow for competition with friends to determine who is the best gamer, or perhaps, the most addicted to the game. 

Nike+ GPSNike, Inc. ($1.99) The Nike+ GPS app takes the technology that has existed through Nike’s iPod-enabled sneakers, and makes it so that anyone with an Apple device can take advantage of the powerful running app, without the need for Nike shoes.   Nike+ uses the power of the iPod/iPhone’s GPS technology to track a runner’s route, distance, and pace.  It then plots out your run onto a map, showing areas of speedy running, and areas of the run that could use some improvement.  Best of all, by analyzing your run, it’ll be able to tell you just when that “power song” of yours will help you most.  Run to the App Store and check out this app for $1.99.

InstagramBurbn, Inc. (Free)         Instagram is any aspiring photographer’s dream.  The app allows the transformation of regular iPhone photos into amazing works of art.  It features over a dozen artistic filters, all of which can take a bland photo and transform it into something more.  Instragram has provides a fun and addictive social side to photography, allowing you to upload your photos to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and enabling you to find extraordinary photos created by others using the app.  Best of all, it’s a freebie available for download on the App Store.

January 27, 2011:Herself

Pat’s app picks

Write for

Argosy Sci&Tech

scitech@argosy.ca

InternetPhoto/All Things Mac

InternetPhoto/Top News

InternetPhoto/HighTechReview

InternetPhoto/GreenDiary

ENT. January 27, 2011 entertainment@argosy.ca

Two seasons ago, Jenny Slate made a rookie error in the taping of her debut sketch episode – she let the f-bomb slip. As a common term in practically everyone’s vocabulary, it really doesn’t seem like a big deal. On a live, syndicated, prime time show however, it can mean the death of a career. In her first season, Slate parodied famous celebrities like Lady Gaga, Ashley Olson, and the queen of t e e n a g e a n g s t , K i r s t e n Stewart. S h e was not outright fired for her language but then her contract wasn’t renewed for another season. Was her past misdemeanor the culprit, or her lack of skills as a comedienne?

According to the number of hits Slate earned when she first went viral with a short, animated film, “Marcel the Shell with shoes on”, I would say her comedic skills are more than sufficient. In August of last year, Slate collaborated with her partner, Dean Fleischer-Camp, to co-write and record, in stop-motion, the woes of a shell: “One time I nibbled on a piece of cheese and my cholesterol went up by nine hundred”. Slate voiced the shrill voice of Marcel, a character she imagined up to entertain some friends at a wedding. “I was sharing

Marcel the Shell with shoes on is a little voice with great expectations

Michelle Cielen

Entertainment Editor

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CUP) — Double Rainbow, The Bed Intruder Song, Old Spice commercials, Greyson Chance singing Paparazzi, Keenan Cahill lip-synching Teenage Dream, Katy Perry singing with Elmo, Teach me how to Dougie, Kanye West’s Runaway, and a three-year-old crying over Justin Bieber are all YouTube videos of 2010 that you have likely seen.

In fact, we as Canadians are the most likely of any nation in the world to have seen these cultural phenomenons. A recent report from comScore has declared Canada the undisputed “king of YouTube.”

Canada has the largest percentage of Internet users that visit YouTube on a regular basis among the G8 nations, at seventy-one per cent, topping even the U.S., who comes in with only fifty-five per cent.

One cannot deny the cultural influence and power that YouTube has over society today. With each new trending video, it seems like almost everyone is quoting lines from said video, trying to recreate something

they have seen, or posting their own video responses to it. If I say, “Swan dive into the greatest night of your life,” or “Hide your kids, hide your wife,” you most likely know what I’m talking about.

Some observers have claimed that sitting in front of our computer screens watching random videos is quickly becoming our new national pastime. While this may seem laughable, it is not far off from the truth.

There is great concern that our culture is spending more time in front of a computer or television screen, rather than getting outside or being physically active in one way or another. In regards to our official national pastime of hockey, which we love so much, there are fears that it actually may be slowly dying in Canada.

No, our love for the sport has not diminished, as evidenced by the obsession with the 2011 World Juniors competition, and the painful reaction to our loss to Russia that filled cyberspace shortly after. However, the fact remains that enrolment and actual participation in the playing of hockey is on the decline. The well-respected magazine, The Hockey News, recently dedicated

Canada rules the world of YoutubeIs the new national pastime something to be proud of?

Sean McEvoy

The Xaverian Weekly (St. Francis Xavier University)

its cover story to this pressing issue.While we cannot place the sole

blame for our inactivity on YouTube, it is interesting to speculate what life would be like without it, and how we would spend those hours instead. Would we be a more ambitious society, instead of simply marvelling at the amazing accomplishments of others, or have we in fact used the site as a means of inspiration for ourselves? The debate can easily be made for both sides.

Whatever your opinion of the issue, we cannot deny the good that has come out of it; the careers it has made, and the dreams it has made come true. We need look no further than the homeless Ted Williams, who had a “God-given gift” of a perfect radio voice. Mere days after a video of him was posted this past week, he has already landed jobs with Kraft Foods and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So while we will for the foreseeable future continue to love the site, it is important to not get caught up in it all, and take time to appreciate our own world. Get out there and live your life cause who knows, you may find a double rainbow of your own? Just make sure to upload it to YouTube, so I can see it, too.

a hotel room with my boyfriend and three other people – we were all just packed in there because everyone was trying to save money, and I felt pretty teeny tiny,” explained Slate in a USA Today interview. “I just started doing the voice, which I’m pretty sure was pretty annoying for my pals, and at like four in the morning I was still doing it.” Little did Slate know that an inside joke posted online for fun would become an online phenomenon.

The difference between SNL skits and animated videos is that

SNL sets up a face to the voice. Comedians are

automatically judged before they even

set up a punch line, and this

is even m o r e

prevalent for female

c o m e d i a n s . This viral video is

a perfect example of when

the public judges comedy based on its content rather than who the comedian is. Slate is a great comedian, and she is in her element when she records character voiceovers.

Marcel the Shell charmed many at the recent American Film Institute Festival, so many in fact that it ended up winning the Audience Award for Best Animated Short. Slate hopes to continue making viral videos, and introduce new characters with little voices. Check out for yourself, “Marcel the Shell with shoes on”, on Youtube. I defy you to watch it only once.

Top: Old Spice launched its fastest growing viral campaign ever in July 2010, garnering 6.7 million views after twenty-four hours.

Right: Keenan Cahill has one of the most well-known faces on Youtube, after he hilariously lip-synched Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.

Internet Photo/Flickr

Internet Photo/NY Daily News

In 2009, Jenny Slate played a raunchy biker chick in her debut skit on SNL, and shocked audiences everywhere when she swore on live tv.

Internet Photo/Nine Multimedia

Internet Photo/ BP Blogspot

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 21ENTERTAINMENT

Bryan FerryOlympia

On first glance, this album looks like a pretentious fashion shoot. It is full of glamour shots of Kate Moss, posing as a 1940s vixen swathed in silk bed sheets. Truthfully, before I played the first track I was biased. Upon listening to the first track “You Can Dance” I was confused at the song’s atypical structure. The entire song followed the same beat, with no bridge and an undefinable chorus; the same song pattern continued throughout the album. That is except for “Shameless”, a dance track that borrowed eighties synth elements, and the only track that I really enjoyed. Ferry’s vocals have an interesting aloof quality, like David Bowie circa 1970, but they are lost in the instrumental’s numbness.

- Michelle Cielen

Life Without Buildings

Any Other City

Life Without Buildings was a Scottish indie-rock band that lived for two years in early 2000. Created by students at the Glasgow School of Art, they played simple pop songs, with choppy rhythms and spoken lyrics. The songs aren’t always coherent, but the lead singer Sue Tompkin’s weird spunk make them compelling. They weren’t well known or acclaimed, but their single album Any Other City managed to make an indelible mark on a few ‘die hards’ - critics, DJs, and teenagers with an affinity for that which is obscure. If you’re looking to impress someone with your atypical taste in music, congratulations! You may now use Life Without Buildings as a conversation piece. Regardless of social agendas, Any Other City is an interesting and evocative album from a band that could have been big in an alternate world.

- Becky Martin

Despite both the album title and band name, Spring Breakup’s It’s Not You, It’s Me has a simplistic humour. It resonates not only in their lyrics, but in the plucking of Mathias Kom’s ukulele and the strumming of Kim Barlow’s banjo. This album might attract heartbroken lovers, but provides the perfect catalyst to get over a relationship gone sour: humour. The sixth track, “Mother & Wife,” was the butter cream icing on this delicious pound cake of an album, persuading the listener to abandon their drowning wife and save their drowning mother: “I can always get another wife, but I can never get another mother in my life.”

- Anna McLean

Hailing from Ontario, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings represent the best of Canadian folk rock. The trio, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and Tom Wilson, formed almost fifteen years ago, and they have been going strong ever since. Each of them is a well-known artist in their own right, but in tribute to Willie P. Bennett they collaborated to create what they thought would be their only album as a group. They definitely meshed well together because they abandoned their own successful solo projects and have been musically inseparable ever since.

Since the band’s start in 1996 they have produced six albums; currently they are touring across Canada to promote their latest, Kings and Queens. They travelled across North America, from Toronto to New York, to Los Angeles and to the home of country, Nashville, to record. Every song has classic story telling woven within the lyrics, from upbeat jigs to mystifying grooves. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are truly men of the blues.

This album has a distinct Southern edge to it, greatly due to the fact that they were able to work with some astounding and iconic Nashville vocalists. Emmylou Harris, Serena Ryder, Lucinda Williams, and Roseanne Cash (the daughter of the late Johnny Cash) are only a few of the big names you will hear.

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are set to start February off right, with a good dose of old country roots

Bennett lives on through these kingsMichelle Cielen

Entertainment Editor

Spring Break -upIt’s not you,

it’s me

Fittingly, Roseanne’s vocals are a perfect addition to BRK’s style in the song “Got you Covered”; their sound is reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s signature, and they do him justice.

In 1999, BRK received the Juno award for the Best Roots and Traditional album for Kings of Love. They also received nominations for

Internet Photo/Back to the Sugar Camp

High or Hurtin’, Bark, and Let’s Frolic in 1996, 2003, and 2007, respectively. Willie P. Bennett passed away in 2008, but his musical influence lives on through the craft of BRK – in the past and in their promising future.

To get a taste of what BRK is all about, I recommend checking out their popular song “Stoned”. Blackie

and the Rodeo Kings will be playing at Live Bait Theatre, located on 87 Main Street, this Tuesday, February 1 at 8:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Live Bait box office for twenty-five dollars, or for thirty dollars at the door.

Bottom: Blackie and the Rodeo Kings formed as a band to pay tribute to Willie P. Bennett.

Left: Tom Wilson, Colin Linden, and Stephen Fearing (from the left) all had promising futures individually, but together they are a force to be reckoned with.

Internet Photo/Exclaim

JANUARY 27, 2010 CONSTANT CHATTER EDITION

RANK ARTIST TITLE

02 OLYMPIC SYMPHONIUM* The City Won’t Have Time To Fight (Forward Music Group)

(LABEL)

08 BABY EAGLE* Dog Weather (You’ve Changed)

07 COREY ISENOR* Frost (Self-Released)

06 WOODEN WIVES* Tail (Self-Released)

04 PAT LEPOIDEVIN* Moonwolves (Self-Released)

03 GIANNA LAUREN* Some Move Closer, Some Move On (Forward Music Group)

05 IT KILLS* It Kills (Self-Released)

13 DUZHEKNEW/COUSINS* Duz/Cuz (Self-Released)

12 JAMES BLAKE James Blake (A&M)

11 JULIEN SIMON* The Day Before 11 (Self-Released)

09 DAVID SIMARD* Doorways, Alleys, and Wooded Places (Self-Released)

21 JENN GRANT* Honeymoon Punch (Six Shooter)

20 BATHS Cerulean (Anticon)

18 K.C. ACCIDENTAL* Captured Anthems for an Empty Bathtub (Arts & Crafts)

17 OWEN PALLETT* A Swedish Love Story (For Great Justice)

16 YUKON BLONDE* Yukon Blonde (Bumstead)

15 BAD VIBRATIONS* Bad Vibrations (Self-Released)

14 LONG LONG LONG* Shorts (Self-Released)

30 SUFJAN STEVENS The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)

29 CARIBOU* Swim (Merge)

28 THE BESNARD LAKES* Are The Roaring Night (Outside)

27 THE NATIONAL High Violet (4AD)

26 THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH The Wild Hunt (Dead Ocean)

24 THE SADIES* Darker Circles (Outside)

23 ARCADE FIRE* The Suburbs (Merge)

22 KANYE WEST* My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella)

ORIENTATION SESSIONSEVERY TUESDAY

4PM364-2221

WWW.MTA.CA/CHMA3RD FLOOR

STUDENT CENTRE

THE CHARTSFOR THE WEEK ENDING TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 2010

OLENKA & THE AUTUMN LOVERS*01And Now We Sing

(Oh!)

10Confidence Lodge

JON MCKIEL*

(Youth Club)

Mount Benson 19 APOLLO GHOSTS*

(Self-Released)

Thank You For Being A Friend

25 B.A. JOHNSTON

(Just Friends)

Then We Learned to Dance

31 BRIE NEILSON*

(Self-Released)

As CHMA’s flagship program, airing Monday to Friday 11am till 1pm, BOARDWALK RADIO has it all. From alternating hosts to suit your own varied tastes to a wide range of music, the midday news program aims to please. Check out this term’s hosts and what they say are the best features of their hour on air. Tune in to 106.9 FM to hear them all.

BOARDWALK RADIO

Kickin’ off the Boardwalk week, I bring you an assortment of previews for the week’s events and am the first to report on the past weekend’s raddest events. It is a fast paced hour full of tunes and the best of the best of Sackville happenings.

MONDAY/MARIA & JESS

TUESDAY/DAVID & VANESSA

11-12

WEDNESDAY/KENT & JULIE

THURSDAY/MARC & CHRIS

FRIDAY/SCOTT & ALY & MELISSA

The best cure for a case of the Mondays: feel-good tunes and local news focusing on art and music happenings around town and worldwide, dosed out at noon by someone who loves the beginning of the week! Tune in weekly for best results.

Want to hear some of the latest albums in Canadian music? So does David White! Tune in as he checks out an album for the first time on the air, punctuated with local news, weather, events and sports.

Don’t miss the second half of Tuesday’s editon of Boardwalk, filled with great music and great talk. Host Vanessa takes you through the hour with the latest and the greatest in music and news.

11-12I’m new to the boardwalk scene so not only is it new and exciting to you, it’s new and exciting for me. I’m going to play classic rock and catchy pop hits to brighten up peoples’ lunch-hour and at the same time, keeping the people informed.

Don’t let the middle of the week blues get to you...unless they’re the musical blues! Join me as I sift through new and old music, keeping you up to date on the news and the happenings in Sackville, and try to create a playlist to match your day.

Marc and co-host Mel’s boardwalk hour is filled with music and engaging conversations and debates. Topics are usually related to Sackville community news, environmental matters and local food issues.

Okay, kids, hear me out: you need to fix yer radars on brand-new Canadian music, right? What better way to do this than taking a listen over Thursday’s lunch?

11-12:30FACT: Friday is everyone’s favourite day of the week. This is because you get to tune into Boardwalk radio hosted by Aly & Scott and hear their favourite facts of the week.

Looking to stay more in touch with the SAC? Listen in for the most up to date council happenings, interviews with those making a difference and some great music brought to you by SAC Entertainment!

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12:30-1

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ARTS & LITThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

Seussical premiers tonight

This year, Mount Allison University’s Garnet and Gold Musical Theatre Society happily presents a “high energy, super colourful, and ultra-fun” musical, “Seussical”. Ali Grey-Noble the president of Garnet and Gold this year, says that it will be a great family show that will keep audiences

of all ages entertained. “Seussical” is a new show that combines all sorts of classic Dr. Seuss tales into a jam-packed two hour-long performance. It is mostly based around “Horton Hears a Who,” and “Horton Sits on an Egg,” but there’s so much in this show that everyone will certainly have a fun time picking out as many references as they can. The show premiers in Convocation Hall at 8:00 pm tonight, and runs every night until January 29. Doors open at 7:30

pm and tickets are twelve dollars for adults, ten dollars for students. People can get purchase ticket at the door, or get them ahead of time at the SAC Office, Tidewater Books, or Joey’s Pizza and Pasta restaurant. If you can’t get enough Dr. Seuss, closing night there will be an after party featuring Kalamazoo Cocktails at Joey’s.

Horton the Elephant takes the leading role as protagonist in this quirky cast of around forty actors. When the crazy Mayzie La Bird

leaves Horton to take care of a neglected egg, he finds himself with all sorts of new problems to solve. This weekend, Con Hall will be the home to “a place where the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, imagination, and community are challenged but emerge triumphant in the end,” as it should be. It’s a fast-paced performance, and the show really zips by. The costume designs from Sarah Underhill are really fun and look amazing. The cast has been

rehearsing diligently since September, when casting first began. They’ve been practicing almost every day this past month and have since become a super close-knit community. Hopefully it will show on stage; Director Karen Valanne chose to do “Seussical” this year because she wanted to “make a show that was aesthetically pleasing that brought people together.” Everyone involved with the play says that compared to past years, everything is really running smoothly.

The Seussical cast rehearsing on Con Hall stage the last weekend before the show premiere. The cast has been rehearsing almost every night this month in preparation.

Some might say that everyone uses their time however they please. People get up; they go to school or work, eat, sleep, and socialize. People do whatever it is that they decide is an important use of time that day, never stopping to question what it sounds like. William Engelen, a Dutch artist, appears to question this through his music, which is a reflection of daily activities. Listening to the sounds he creates, we start thinking about how they all fit together. We see how they are all connected despite their

contrasting differences.Motion Ensemble,

a group that

focuses on neo-classical and new music, performed songs composed by Engelen for a week. The six musicians were instructed to keep a diary from January 7 to January 14. Eugelen then transformed the diaries into six solo compositions. Their weekly activities were broken down into five categories: eating, sleeping, traveling, working, and leisure. Each hour was equated to twelve seconds of music. The categories were then given - not notes, but tones with specific pitches and lengths. In addition, the level of improvisation and the categorization of major and minor were determined for each category. All of this was affected by the individual’s emotions at the time. This was brought out in the music through the vivacity and intensity of the performance.

In Engelen’s piece “Verstrijken,” Motion Ensemble performed their

six solos all together. It was very interesting not only

to follow

along with the days of the week the musicians were performing, plotted out with colour bars on the walls, but also to see how the patterns of the individual lives differed and coincided. Slowly, one by one, they’d go to sleep and the notes would become long and low; when suddenly one would get up in the night. Others perhaps would be having a conversation, speaking indecipherable sounds, while others would be working, perhaps tapping at their computers.

Another interesting piece by Engelen was titled “Can you tell me a joke?” and was composed with similar methods. Helen Pridmore, soprano, had asked each of the musicians in the ensemble a series of questions and recorded their individual responses. Engelen then translated those answers into music. In the performance Pridmore would ask a question and each musician would respond with his or her musical answers at the same time. The questions all related in some way to their vocation: “What’s your profession?” “What type of music do you like playing?” “Can you describe the character of your instrument?” A written record of their answers was posted along the walls for people to read.

Also performed this evening was a piece titled, “Falten Rock” performed

by Nadia Francavilla on violin and Engelen on Haegum. Two pieces by the composer Kunsu Shim were performed “Piece Japonaise” and “verbunden, aufgelost.” The first piece was particularly interesting, and delicious, as the audience was invited to partake in eating chocolate. The catch was that they could only make noise eating the chocolate (unwrapping, biting, and chewing) when they heard a specific instrument (Richard Hornsby on Clarinet) play. The performance became a sort of musical chairs game; each individual had to stop eating, even if they were in mid-bite, through different intervals. This brought strong attention to the sound qualities of a collective group eating the same food.

The concert overall was well received with a healthy balance of comedic and introspective reflection. Engelen’s

exhibit can be viewed at Struts Gallery; it’s a smaller version of his piece, located at the UNB arts centre, entitled, “Can you tell be me a joke about your profession?”

Motion Ensemble has been performing concerts since 1998 and was founded by musician Andrew R. Miller. Miller performs in the group as a bass player, along with Nadia Francavilla on violin, Richard Hornsby on clarinet, soprano Helen Pridmore, Karin Aurell on flute, and Darcy Philip Gray for percussion and electronics. The ensemble will be returning again to Sackville on February 5 at the Struts Gallery for another concert.

Lea Foy

Mira Le-Ba

Arts and Lit Editor

Space, time, and motion

Internet Photo/motionensembleblogInternet Photo/motionensembleblog

Jennifer Musgrave

Arts and Lit Writer

24 January 27, 2010 artsandlit@argosy.caARTS & LIT

How does a person truly empathize with the character’s situation in a story? This was the question Keith Oatley presented to his audience last Wednesday evening at the Owen Art Gallery. Oatley, a psychology professor, is also a novelist and has written three books to date. His latest book, Therefore Choose, was the book

he decided to read from.For the past ten years Oatley

has conducted research on the cognitive and emotional processes of reading and writing fiction. Oatley aspires to write fiction novels which enable readers to experience the psychological events. “Art enables you to experience your emotions,” claimed Oatley. Pushing this idea further, Oatley says that this way people who

read are experiencing the emotions of others as their own. Readers can thus experience empathy and in so doing, be more empathetic towards other people.

His novel, Therefore Choose, is a test of this experience. It follows the lives of the characters George and Anna who cross paths during the summer in 1936 in Germany. The subject of war presented in the novel, for many, brings the important issues in human relationship into sharper focus. However, as Oatley explained,

his job as a novelist is not to tell you his emotions but rather to tell you of a situation and ask you, as a reader, what you think. This is part of Oatley’s broader theories of fiction, that the novel is a simulation run through the human mind.

Oatley supports this idea by arguing that fiction is a product of the imagination; our brains are actively working to recreate the experience

or simulation of the novel’s narrative. Oatley cited a couple psychological studies that showed that when a person experiences an action visually or mentally, the neurons which react are the same ones that react when he or she is actually performing the action. A very interesting study, conducted by Nicole Speer and Jeffery Zacks, was mentioned in which a subject read a narrative while an FMRI scanned their brain activity. Amazingly enough, areas in the brain activity corresponded to events in

the narrative. For example, when a character looks at her stove in the narrative, the subject’s brain region which analyzes landscape or scenery is activated.

These types of studies fall in line with Oatley’s idea that people experience the emotions of the character they read about. “We don’t feel the character’s emotions because they are abstract,” said Oatley. “Rather,

what we feel is our own emotions in reaction.” We imagine the situation, yet as we do so we also stimulate the neurons which experience those emotions. However, Oatley explained that not everyone’s experience is the same. The more emblematic the theme of the simulation, for example with the subject of love, the more we can relate. Even though Oatley has memories of when he was young during the Second World War, he does not necessarily place those emotions within the novel. Rather he

externalizes those experiences into a simulation, a question which the reader can find his or her own answer to. “My job is to transmute these emotions into an external experience,” said Oatley. This is one idea, amongst others, which everyone who came to hear the talk were greatly interested in.

Much of Oatley’s education and teaching focuses on cognitive

psychology. He was a professor in New Glasgow before taking up a position at the University of Toronto as a Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology. He is now professor emeritus as well as a former president of the International Society for Research on Emotions. His research has specifically focused on physiological psychology, visual perception, artificial intelligence human computer interaction, and epidemiological psychiatry. His other two novels include The case of Emily

V., a novel which involves both Freud and Sherlock Holmes working on the same case in 1904. His second novel, A Natural History, revolves around the mechanisms of a scientist’s mind as he tries to grasp the nature of infectious disease (set in 1849). His first novel also won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel in 1994.

Lessons in empathyKeith Oatley gives talk on the psychology of reading and does a reading of his latest novel

Junot Diaz’s debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is the story of a nerdy boy from the Dominican Republic growing up in New Jersey attempting to become a famous writer and find love.

The title of this novel is a reference to Hemingway’s short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” which in effect generated high expectations for Diaz’s novel. Since its publishing in 2007 the book has been a critical success, winning numerous accolades and awards, most notably the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The title obstinately insists that this is the story of Oscar Wao’s life, however large sections of the novel are focused on Oscar’s sister and his mother. His mother’s history of abuse and neglect allows the reader insight

into why she is the way she is, and how this affects Oscar. The family travels back and forth between the US and the Dominican during the course of their lives. During their travels, they believe that a curse, known as a “fuku”, is haunting the family. The magical realism of the family’s curse and other aspects of Oscar’s story are reminiscent of writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

The novel is peppered with references to the Trujillo dictatorship of the Dominican Republic and the history of the country, which is explained in lengthy footnotes for readers lacking this knowledge prior to reading. Additionally, sentences throughout the book are written in Spanish without translation. This creates a further obstacle for the non-Spanish speaking reader.

Diaz seems to be very similar to his protagonist; they both share a love of science-fiction and nerdy activities. There is a considerable amount of The

Lord of The Rings and comic book references. Diaz says, ”I know I’ve thrown a lot of fantasy and sci-fi in the mix but this is supposed to be a true account of the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. “ Oscar is a character the reader is supposed to root for though he ultimately never catches a break.

This novel may be one of the best new works of contemporary fiction but it’s an uphill climb for a reader not familiar with Dominican culture. The narrator changes frequently and remains unclear for the first portion of the novel. Diaz’s command of

language is impressive but perhaps is better suited for the short stories that he is known for. The backgrounds of Oscar’s family members are described in incredible depth despite serving no apparent literary purpose.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a fascinating, if deeply flawed book. The lack of cohesive theme and brutal language may limit the enjoyment of this book for many readers. However, Diaz has a knack for narrative and the characters are enough to leave a lasting impact on the reader.

Keith Oatley is an author and professor of psychology. In his presenation at Struts Art Gallery this past Wednesday, he shared his facination with how the two subjects relate to one another. He also did readings from the latest of his three novels, Therefore Choose. He is a former president of the International Society for Research on Emotions.

CorrectionIn Volume 140, Issue 13 of The Argosy published January 13, 2011, the author of “More than just ‘words, words, words’ was incorrectly identified as Alex Macpherson. The correct author is Alex MacPherson

The Argosy apologizes for this error.

Internet Photo/thestar

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoMadison Downe

Argosy Correspondent

Jennifer Musgrave

Arts and Lit Writer

Internet Photo/harbourfrontcentre

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 25ARTS & LIT

Mira Le-Ba

Arts & Lit Editor

I find it ironic that students don’t read enough good books anymore because they’re too busy reading their textbooks. If you live on campus, you’re never more than a five-minute walk from the Bell Library, but after talking to the library staff, it became clear that even though every student with a Mount Allison University ID can borrow books for free, very few do so for nonacademic purposes. A lot of graduating students, who have gone to Mt. A for four, five, or even six years, have never taken a book out of the library unless they had to for a course. I’m not going to lie; I’ve gone to Mt. A for almost two years now, and I’ve never even thought of taking out a book for fun. When I think of the library, I think of a place to study because I have to, not a place to read or get good books because I want to. I don’t think I’m alone in this, because whenever I see people at the library, it’s always to study. Also, at the end of the day, most students probably have just under a million books they have to read for school; the last thing they want to do with their free time is read some more. When they do get a free moment, everyone generally likes to balance the learning they did all day with television, video games, and drinking in the evening. Reading has become more of a chore than anything.

The lack of interest in taking books out of the library still doesn’t make sense to me though. I sometimes get sick of reading because I do it all day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever read. Almost everyone has a favourite book, and all of my friends read a ton over the summer. People like reading. Why don’t we do it more often then? Not having enough time is definitely an important factor, but that can’t be all there is. Maybe it’s just that the Mt. A campus is such a social environment that the idea of reading for fun, alone in your room, is a lot less appealing than hanging out with friends.

More importantly though, I think that we’re just not getting these books from the library. This seems silly when considering how many great novels are available to us for free. As students, we don’t take advantage of the great resources, like the library, because again, we’re too busy. Even though, as students, we’re all broke, people are buying the books they read in the summer, instead of reading these same books for free during the school year.

It makes me wonder how many other great, free things Mt. A offers that we don’t actually take advantage of, but later pay for in the summer.

A musical centred on how to make a musical is an interesting concept. It presents certain challenges that can be very difficult for a director and cast to overcome. However, it also grants insight into the creative process. “Title of Show” is a play about many things, but above all, it is a play about the power of dreams and the human audacity to dream big. The show follows the lives of four friends wanting to produce a hit musical and rewrite their drab lives. “Title of Show” may on the surface sound like many other feel good films and plays that have been produced, but be assured, it is much more than that.

The show opens with Jeff, played by Tommy Smith, and Hunter, played by Eric Biskupski, contemplating sending a script into a drama festival competition; Jeff and Hunter have to overcome their insecurities and fear of rejection. Their play is met with acclaim and the two have a chance to take their show to Broadway. Heidi and Susan, played by Rebecca Guilderson and Alexis Thibeault, respectively, are friends of Jeff and Eric and are involved in the process of this play. These four friends are almost torn apart by the demands of producing “Title of Show.” The plot of this musical does serve well in advancing the themes; however, there are some issues with it. It was a bit confusing at times.

The acting in “Title of Show” was great. Smith and Biskupski interacted with each other seamlessly and as the lead characters, this was essential to the play’s success. In one scene, Jeff and Hunter began to question each other and their motives for producing the musical; the actors handled this delicate scene very well. Smith and Biskupski were able to replicate a real friendship, and portray real challenges of friendship, opposed to the unrealistic, fake, Hollywood friendship. “Title of Show” also has well presented themes to go along with the good acting.

“Title of Show” held nothing back in its portrayal of what it takes to succeed in the drama department. The characters struggle at every turn to produce their musical and it was a challenge even getting noticed by critiques. The play says a lot about what it takes to be successful. It takes hard work and perseverance to make it big and “Title of Show” demonstrates these truths wonderfully. The friendship of the four characters is almost torn apart by the stress of taking a show to Broadway. In the end, success is great but friendship is much more valuable.

It has been a long time since I’ve watched a performance like this before. The acting was excellent, and the message was well delivered and resonated well. What makes “Title of Show” so great is its message on the power of friendship, and the way it got across to the audience. “Title of Show” was a well-done musical.

Students don’t read for fun anymore; they’re too busy studying

Windsor Theatre shows

We don’t often think about how music and culture are imported into Canada as easily as electronics and food. In the case of Portuguese immigrants, the majority of whom have been moving to Canada since the 1950s, music has been an integral activity that reminds people of their homeland, friends, family, and society. In the past few generations, however, children have been losing interest in this music that has been passed down. What has been a Portuguese tradition in Canada, forming bands known as “bandas filarmonicas” to play Portuguese music, could be a dying tradition.

“Only time will tell,” said Professor Wesley Ferreira at his Colloquium Musicum presentation this past Wednesday in Brunton Auditorium. Ferreira, of Portuguese descent himself, is a member of the Music Department at Mount Allison and has been involved with music in this diaspora community for his entire life. His talk “Bandas Filarmonicas in Canada: Cultural Retention in the Diaspora” was an informative lecture on the music of Portugal: how it began, how it developed, and how it has come to change within Canada.

It isn’t often that people have the opportunity or motivation to learn about a genre of music other than popular music. The bandas filarmonicas sound similar to American marching bands at first, which most people are probably more familiar with. A more discerning ear, however, could pick out many interesting differences, many of which Ferreira discussed in his lecture. For example, many instruments that we take for granted are missing from today’s music: flute, oboe, bassoon, and timpani. As a result, bandas filarmonicas have a unique timbre that would be unlikely to be heard anywhere else.

Music has been an integrated part of society for thousands of

years, from simple monophonic melodies to the dense and intense textures of Brahms’ symphonies. In this colloquium, Ferreira shared with his audience the Portuguese’s cultural significance, and how that significance has changed upon its migration to Canada. In Portugal, music performances are highly social events, and are most often performed in the open air at sacred and secular festivals and celebrations. One thing that stayed with me after the lecture was the fact that music actually ended the dictatorship of Estado Novo in 1974 when the country staged a military coup with bullets exchanged for carnations, which were placed in the barrels of guns and tanks alike. The music, marching feet creating

John Trafford

Argosy Correspondent

A review of “Title of Show”

BOUFFE!Tintamarre’s new bilingual comedy!Directed by Alex FancyFebruary 2-5

Good Night Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)by Ann-Marie MacDonaldDirected by Mary VingoeMarch 23-26

The Whole Shebangby Rich OrloffDirected by Robin MunroandThe Terrible False Deceptionby Rafe MacPhersonDirected by Hallie WalshMarch 11-12

Lea Foy

the accompaniment for solo and harmonizing voices, was played over the radio to cue the coup. After its success, red carnations became a symbol of freedom for the people.

While bandas filarmonicas are an important and prominent vehicle for music in Portugal and now the expatriates in Canada, it is interesting to note that choral music never developed in the same way. Instead, instruments were the musical voices of this society.

Ferreira, while a private instructor of clarinet and saxophone, is also a musical director of bands in and outside of Mt. A. He will be performing chamber works by Brahms, Babin, Lutoslawski, Kocour, and Mandat February 10 in Brunton Auditorium with David Rogosin, piano, and guest artists Mark Adam, percussion, and Nhat Viet-Phi, piano. He will also be conducting the Mt. A Bands on March 19 at 2:00 pm in Convocation Hall in a joint concert with Mt. A choirs, directed by Gayle H. Martin, and a visiting choir. Be sure to mark it in your calendars because it is assured to be a promising performance if the joint piece “Cantica de Sancto Benedicto” that will be performed by Choral Society, Elliott Chorale, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble is any indication!

A talk by Wesley FerreiraMorgan Traynor

Argosy Contributor

Internet Photo/bandaloriga

SPORTS January 27, 2011 sports@argosy.ca

What must have seemed like a dream run for the world’s 152nd ranked tennis player (and a Canadian, no less) came to an end earlier this week at the Australian Open in Melbourne. After beating the twenty-second and tenth seeds and becoming the first qualifier to reach the round of sixteen at a Grand Slam in twelve years, Thornhill, Ontario native Milos Raonic lost in four sets (4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4) to seventh-seeded David Ferrer. Had he won, Raonic would have become the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Not that Canadian tennis fans are exactly complaining.

Equipped with one of the most powerful serves on tour (ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe called it the strongest he’s ever seen) and a 6’5” frame that lets him cover the court with ease, nineteen year-old Raonic is the most promising player to come out of Canada in years. His confidence steadily grew throughout the week as his Aussie Open performance showed that he had the ability to compete amongst the tennis elite.

“There’s a lot to learn from today

The Great Canadian Hope

Wray Perkin

Sports Writer

Mount Allison pool reopens at last

Dave Zarum

Sports Editor

and from the whole two-week experience,” said Raonic, who unleashed fifteen aces in defeat. “The biggest thing is I’m not that far away from this level on a week-to-week basis. This is a great motivational thing for the work I’ve done.”

Of course, anyone in attendance on the opening night of last

summers’ Rogers Cup tournament

in Toronto k n o w s w h a t Raonic is

capable of against tennis’ top dogs.

On what had already

been dubbed “Tennis Canada night” at the s p o r t i n g organizations newly

revamped Rexall Centre on the campus

of York University, the Canucks shone bright.

In the evening’s first match, local kid Peter Peter Polansky (ranked

200th in the world at the

time) upset Austrian Jergin Melzer –ranked fifteenth -to the delight of the capacity crowd in attendance. Still, the best was yet to come.

When Raonic and Alberta’s Vasek Pospisil stepped on the court, they looked like they were about to be

fed to the lions. And, in a way, they were. Roanic and Pospisil, ranked 217 and 329, respectively, were set to take on the world’s number one and two ranked players, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokavic, in a highly anticipated first-round doubles match. It marked the first time that the top two players in the world had teamed up since Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe in 1976. Two closely-contested sets and a nail-biting 10-8 tiebreaker later, the Canadian Kids had beaten Nadal and Djokovic in what could only be considered a Tennis Canada Night miracle. Until now.

For Raonic, that match was the Big Bang of his career, the instant

when everything changed and his game rapidly expanded. He moved to Spain in September to train full-time under Tennis Canada coach Galo Blanco, and has shown steady signs of improvement ever since.

At the Aussie Open this week, Raonic gave a global viewing audience a taste of what he is capable of (in his four matches, he recorded over seventy-five aces), and his electrifying skills didn’t go unnoticed. As he left the court after his loss to Ferrer, those in attendance Down Under gave the kid from Canada a rousing ovation. It was their way of letting him know that, in their eyes, he was no fluke, and had been accepted as the real deal. Though he entered the tournament an unknown, the Great Canadian Hope with the big serve is surely one of the most intriguing players to watch as 2011 unfolds.

It’s been a long and challengnig process, but we will all benefit from these important upgrades

Pierre Arsenault Director,

Athletics Department

After several long months of waiting, the Mount Allison swimming pool re-opened on Tuesday.

“We are pleased to finally have arrived at the point where our students, faculty and staff and the community can start to enjoy the pool once again,” said Pierre Arsenault, Mount Allison’s Director of Athletics and Recreation.

The pool was filled with water last week, and was finally opened for use after several delays and setbacks.

“It’s been a long and challenging process,” said Arsenault. “[However], we are absolutely convinced that as users we will all benefit from these important upgrades.”

The actual renovation of the pool area did not start until well into

the summer months, after an early prediction of starting in May. In addition, the Decktron unit which works both in ventilating the pool area and regulating the water, arrived on December 13, almost two months after its scheduled d e l i v e r y , according to Arsenault.

“As you can imagine, the process couldn’t have been completed without this unit,” Arsenault said. “Once it finally arrived, work has progressed on schedule and as planned.”

In addition to community and campus users, the pool will welcome back the Mt. A Swim Team, who has been forced to commute to smaller

pools in Amherst and Moncton for the past few months. With the AUS Championship Meet only two weeks away, the timing couldn’t be better for Head Coach John Peters and his team

of swimmers.Along with

the addition of the Decktron unit, which sits in a fenced-off area behind the Athletic Centre, the renovations i n c l u d e d resurfacing the bottom of the pool itself, and a complete re haul

of the ceiling and roof, including interior lighting.

It was the first time the pool had been renovated in any way since the early 1990s.

Twenty year-old Milos Raonic has what it takes to be Canada’s first tennis star

Sue Seaborn

For more information on pool times and programs visit athletics.mta.ca

Internet Photo/TSN

Mountie swimmers are happy to be back in their natural habitat.

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 27SPORTS

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Former Mounties’ Women’s hockey coach Jack Drover said it best: “I don’t sleep well when we lose close, and I don’t sleep well when we win close…I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”

For the fourth time in a row since the calendar flipped to 2011, the Mounties took the game into overtime, erasing a 4-1 third period deficit to beat the UPEI Panthers 5-4 on Saturday afternoon in Sackville.

Katelyn Morton scored two goals, including the overtime winner, and added an assist while Darla Frizzell and Andie Switalski picked up a goal and two assists each.

The Mounties found themselves trailing 53 seconds into the game after the Panthers’ second shot eluded Meghan Corley-Byrne, who

allowed an uncharacteristic four goals on 20 shots.

For the second game in a row, the Mounties were down after two periods, but were not out. With Jenelle Hulan between the pipes at the start of the third, and facing a 4-1 deficit, the Mounties’ comeback began.

Two and a half minutes into the period, Switalski took a pass from Morton and fired a cannon that deflected in off a Panther defender. Four minutes later, Chelsea King pounced on a rebound and put it past PEI goalie Bailey Toupin to cut the lead to one.

The comeback was completed halfway through the period on the power-play when Frizzell walked around a sprawling defender and wired a shot through a crowd to knot the game up at 4-4.

In the four-on-four extra period, the Mounties were forced to kill off a penalty, and in what is becoming a recurring theme, the penalty kill

led by Kristen Cooze held strong, allowing the Mounties to extend the game and led to the game winner.

With two minutes remaining in overtime, a hard shot on goal by Switalski was jumped on by Frizzell, whose rebound bounced right in front to Morton who had a wide open net and made no mistake for her ninth goal and team-leading thirteenth point of the season.

Hulan picked up the win to improve her record to 3-1-1 this season, stopping all 12 shots she faced, while the Mounties peppered Toupin with 53 shots, the most by a Mountie team since they had 58 against UNB in February 2004.

“Our confidence is really high now,” said Switalski. “[It’s] higher than ever before. We know we can come back now and pull through.”

When asked about the consecutive comebacks, Morton said “We are focusing more on telling ourselves that we can win this, instead of thinking that we might lose or have

Cardiac Kids earn 5-4 OT win vs UPEI

Wray Perkin

Sports Writer

already lost.”In a game with many exciting

moments, it’s difficult to decipher what the turning point in the game was. Some, like Morton, will say Switalski’s goal to open the third and put the Mounties back on track was the turning point, while Switalski points to King’s goal as the moment where the team realized “Wow, we’re actually doing this again.”

Just as in the comeback victory against Moncton last week, the penalty kill and the face-off circle were huge factors in determining the outcome. Winning 41 of 31 face-offs, the Mounties were led by Ashlyn Somers, who won 13 of 18 face-offs including a big one that led to Frizzell’s tying goal.

Though the Mounties did surrender one power play goal on five attempts, a key penalty kill in the second and another in overtime seemed to swing the momentum towards the home squad.

The third-place Mounties, sitting

at 8-6-1, face off at St FX this coming Friday before traveling to Saint Mary’s on Sunday. They return home February 4, when they host the STU Tommies.

Morton, Frizzell, Switalski lead the charge for Hockey Mounties

4

5

AUS Hockey

All photos courtesy Sue Seaborn

Sue SeabornMounties’ Caila Henderson and Erica Cronkhite in action.

RUN THIS SHIP!

The Argosy is hiring a new Editor in Chief for the 2011-2012 publishing year.

Excellent leadership skillsInterest in student journalismExperience in editing and design an asset, but not required

QUALIFICATIONS: Honoraria: $5000 paid quarterly

Term: May 1, 2011-April 30, 2012

Deadline: Friday, February 18, 2011

Please submit a cover letter and

resume to the Argosy Business Manager Justin

Baglole at jvbaglole@mta.ca

Candidates must secure a faculty member to sit on the Board of Directors for a two year term before submitting an application.

Questions or comments? Email argosy@mta.ca