November 27, 2008 Seeing Starbuck in the Salvation Army since 1875 Vol. 138 Iss. 10

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I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t J o u r n a l o f M o u n t A l l i s o n U n i v e r s i t y

What’s not to love? p. 9

When it comes to on-campus dining at Canadian universities, vegetarians and vegans can sometimes get the short end of the stick. Not so at Mount Allison, which won the Most Vegetarian-Friendly University in Canada competition hosted by peta2.

Peta2 is the youth division of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the world’s largest animal rights organisation.

“[We] work primarily with high school and college students on issues that they face on a daily basis, like improving vegetarian and vegan options in dining halls and obtaining alternatives to dissections for example,” explained Ryan Huling, peta2’s college campaign coordinator.

PETA is well-known for resorting to shocking tactics in order to get their message across. However, peta2’s vegetarian campus contest is definitely mild in comparison to their media attention-grabbing stunts.

!e nominees were chosen based on student feedback from Facebook, Myspace, and peta2 blogs. Universities were pitted against each other, going through three rounds of voting before the winner was announced.

Even though peta2 sta" members didn’t visit any campus dining halls, Huling believes that the results were representative of our vegetarian dining consistency and quality.

Helena van TolArgosy Staff

of the recipes online at PETA; and I think we deserve it because the students voted for it, they showed a commitment, and I think it pulled us through, absolutely.”

While there are many vegetarian friendly dishes available at Jennings, some students are concerned about the lack of options for vegans.

Sharon Clarkson, a student who is vegan, sometimes has trouble finding something to eat in meal hall. Vegetarian options at Jennings often have cheese on them, and this can be problematic for vegans, who don’t include any animal by-products in their diet.

“I love animals more than I love food, and as good as it tastes, it’s just a matter of what you love more,” explained Clarkson. “I love animals, so I don’t like taking things from them. It doesn’t seem fair.”

Slemming has responded to these complaints and explained that the options are continually improving. Last week, there was vegan cake. According to Clarkson, vegans usually never have dessert.

“What we’ve started doing last week and the week before, is that we try as best as we can to make one item

on that station itself that is a vegan alternative,” said Slemming, “We’re even indicating on the glass where we write our menus whether it’s vegan or not. Further to that, if you are a strict vegan and can’t find anything, please come and see me, or see Tom, and we’ll absolutely take care of you, no problem.”

Many students may have noticed that this year’s vegetarian section has changed from last year’s. Usually the menu is tweaked a little every summer, but this year they totally revamped the veggie station.

“Most of the recipes, I’d say 90 per cent of them, are new items that the students haven’t seen before,” says Slemming, “On a go-forward basis, we will continue to tweak, and continue to move along in that direction.”

Huling was blown away when he saw the revamped vegetarian menu, and apparently, so are many prospective Mt. A students.

Mt. A’s first place ranking in Maclean’s is drawing attention from students across the country, but only time will tell whether or not this first place vegetarian-friendly ranking will encourage Canada’s vegetarians to look into the university.

I love animals more than I love food, and as good as it tastes, it’s just a matter of what you love more

- Vegan Sharon Clarkson

“It’s important to note that students aren’t necessarily the only people to vote in the contest,” said Huling. “Schools aren’t necessarily required to vote for themselves if they think that their options are not so hot. !ey might be inclined to vote for another school besides their own. But, I think that an important factor […] is that student motivation is determined by the real situation that students have to face every single day.”

!e “real situation” faced by Mt. A students is, in fact, very positive. First year student Rose Fisher, says that out of all the university meal halls she’s visited, Mt. A is the only one at which vegetarians can consistently eat a well-balanced meal.

“We put a lot of e"ort into it,” admits Brian Slemming, director of dining services. “I researched a lot

“”

Jessica Emin

Jessica Emin

The vegetarian options at Jennings were voted best in the country in an online survey initated by peta2

Vegetarians at home in Jennings Mt. A won ‘Most-Vegetarian-Friendly University’ title; even with revamped menu, vegan options limited

PAGE 2 • THE ARGOSY • NEWS • NOVEMBER 27, 2008

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!ree chalk outlines of a body were marked on the floor of the chapel. Each represented the lives of ten transgender individuals killed in the last year.

!is was part of the ceremonies of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, held on November 20. It is the second time that Catalyst, Mount Allison’s queer-straight alliance, held the event.

In addition to the chalk outlines, the ceremony involved the reading aloud the names of the 31 transgender people killed in the last year, as candles were lit in remembrance. Each year since the violent death of Rita Hester in San Francisco in 1998, a day of Transgender Remembrance has been held to honour those killed in acts of transgender hatred.

Organizers of the event emphasized the fact that since the first day of remembrance, not a month has passed without the murder of a transgender person. Catalyst activism chair Emmet Forsythe said the media often underreports acts of transgender hatred, and that only occasionally is coverage given to a murder.

“We lose the picture of how alarmingly frequent an event this is, because of the focus that gets put on certain deaths,” said Forsythe. “So I think an event like this that puts together all of the deaths is important.”

Forsythe believes that that because of the underreporting of these crimes, the list of names for the year is probably missing some people.

A reoccurring theme in the event was the need to go beyond commemorating the lives of dead. During the ceremony, Catalyst president Katie Saulnier talked about how “the need to memorialize these lives is great, and the need to bring about change is greater still.”

In his prayer, University Chaplin John Perkin asked God to inspire those with anger over the

Chris DurrantArgosy Staff

deaths to “use it to dismantle hate, dismantle the fear of di"erence, and dismantle all that insights violence.”

More than 30 students, sta", and community members were in attendance, including first year student Amelia !orpe-Gosley. She believes that it is important for students to show their support of topics that are “touchy” and “that people don’t really like to talk about.” Second year student Martin Wightman said he was there representing the Mount Allison Christian Fellowship.

“I thought it was important to come out and show support,” said Wightman. “[I’m] not saying that we always agree with the things that happen in these situations, but we certainly want to show support, that we totally support the anti-violence message here.”

!e event at Mt. A was one of more than 120 hosted around the world that day, with ceremonies taking place in locations ranging from San Francisco to Turkey and virtual ceremonies taking place in the online game, Second Life.

Catalyst remembers those transgender individuals killed in acts of hatred

It was a dark and snowy night. !e SAC meeting began with President Mike Currie’s assurance to the council that Bell Scholarships would in fact be o"ered in the upcoming academic year.

VP Communications Abigail McGillivary reminded councillors of the importance of emailing their constituents the weekly SAC news and of cc’ing her to the email for accountability. Councillors who don’t send their emails or cc McGillivary will be responsible for presenting in front of the council the reasons why.

During Councillor Concerns, O"-campus councillor Cejay Riley asked that students be sent an email about when the grill in the new café is going to be shut down, so they can make alternative food arrangements.

Bigelow rep Rachael Betuik brought up the bad smell and leaking in the entrance of the new Student Centre, and mentioned that some students who walk through the puddle end up slipping in the main foyer. VP Campus Life Pat Barry said that the leak is the cause of the smell, and since the building is still under warranty, Facilities Management has to go through the contractor to have the problem fixed, which could take a long time.

Campbell Hall rep Tim Lang asked if

Student politics, clementines, and homemade chocolate chip cookies were served on November 19

Justine GalbraithArgosy Staff

Jennings could have a master list of people on a meal plan so that students who can provide identification don’t have to pay for meals if they forget their card.

O"-campus councillor Alex MacDonald said that he would like to see a centralized lost-and-found system put in place, and VP Finance and Operations Dan Wortman mentioned that if a custodian finds an item on campus, they tag it and bring it to facilities management.

Science senator Nathan Walker would like to see the door leading out of the new café unlocked, and Barry replied that it will take a lot of demand and time for this to pass. When other SAC members expressed their wish to have the door unlocked, Social Science senator Erik Johnson suggested an o#cial SAC vote on the topic to present to administration.

Walker also asked if it was possible to have a copy of each course’s textbook on course reserve at the library. VP Academic Ryan Robski said that this raises the possibility of students intentionally not buying the book and ‘freeloading’ o" the library, and Currie said that Librarian Bruno Gnassi mentioned that this was too expensive, and since required books frequently change, it was not a good investment for the library. Johnson also mentioned that it is usually up to the professor as to whether or not a textbook is placed on course reserve.

Lang brought up the concern that students who were taking less than five courses were still paying full tuition. VP External Mark Brister responded that last year the SAC expressed its support of the aims of the DEBT (Demanding Equity in the Billing of Tuition) initiative. As he understands it, members of the group are now part of a working group with university VP Academic A"airs Stephen McClatchie looking into this issue. Robski said he’s working to ensure that this will take place.

Brister handed out housing issue response kits to o"-campus councillors, saying that they should encourage students to go to him with any complaints or concerns they have about their housing.

Brister also reported on the recent Day of Action, saying there were logistical di#culties such as constructing the shanty and providing eight hours worth of firewood. Currie mentioned that this was the first protest on campus in his time here.

!e protest was orchestrated by the New Brunswick Student Alliance, said Brister, and he gave an overview of the media coverage of the event. He also mentioned that he met with Beausejour’s MLA Mike Olscamp about student finances, but said that the meeting was “fruitless.”

Students, staff and members of the community attended the candlelight vigil held in remembrance of transgender individuals killed in the last year.

Jessica Emin

Jessica Emin

A need for change

NNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • NEWS • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 3

Cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is looking at the worst cholera epidemic since 2000. !e World Health Organization has placed the number of people su"ering from cholera in Zimbabwe at 6,072, with 294 deaths. It has o#cially spread to all provinces, though the concentration is supposedly worst in Budiriro, a suburb of the capital city Harare.

Cholera is an intestinal infection and can easily be treated with antibiotics; however, poor sanitation makes it spread quickly, especially in areas with a high concentration of people and poor infrastructure.

“!e outbreak is likely to continue as the water and sanitation situation is worsening, with severe shortages of potable water, sewage, and waste disposal problems reported in most of the populated areas,” explains the WHO.

Many hospitals are forced to turn away those seeking help as the system is overwhelmed. Others, including the Harare Central Hospital have been shut down completely.

Zimbabwe once had an exemplary health system, but this has since deteriorated as the country faces a shrinking economy and political unrest.

!is Week in the World A weekly miscellany compiled by Rebecca Dixon

Election violence in Kashmir

Two people have been killed during protests against the elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Others were been driven back forcefully as police tried to control the separatists, who argue that the polls confirm India’s hold over the disputed region.

!is is the second stage of voting, which is being done district by district in seven stages to facilitate the administration process. No votes will be counted until December 28. A much higher than expected turn-out was observed in the first stage of electing a new state government, which fell apart in July after a land transfer deal.

US National Intelligence Agency predicts decline of US international role

!e US National Intelligence Agency’s report forecasts the evolving global scene over the next two decades. It shows China, India, Russia, and Brazil rising to compete against US influence, especially in areas of scientific and technological advances. !e Agency suggests that a world where power centres are more widely distributed will be less stable and that nuclear weapon proliferation

and use will become more frequent. As the e"ects of global warming

and rising populations set in, “types of conflict we have not seen for a while - such as over resources - could re-emerge,” the Agency says.

!e Agency also predicts that the US dollar may cease to be the world’s dominant currency, though no replacement is suggested.

!is report is prepared by the National Intelligence Agency for the beginning of each new President’s term and is thus revised every four years.

Dali Lama advocates contact with Chinese people

!e 73 year old leader of the Tibetan movement has warned his fellow exiles against the Chinese government, but encouraged them to form bonds with ordinary Chinese people. He claims

that his “faith in the Chinese people has never been shaken.” A changing mood in the society could lead to prosperous results.

!e Dali Lama is pressing for a “Middle Way” solution to the disputes over Tibet’s independence. Rather than complete independence, which he says is “not practicable,” he and his supporters are requesting autonomy for the region, which China continues to claim as its own.

!e situation was aggravated this past summer as protesters took advantage of the world’s focus on China for the Olympics. Talks this autumn failed to make much progress as China claims the “Middle Way” is a veiled attempt at independence.

Blockade in Gaza Strip opened

For the second time in three weeks, Israeli forces allowed supplies of food

and diesel fuel for the Gaza Strip’s only power plant. !e blockade was tightened at the beginning of the month after attacks by Palestinian militants.

!e United Nations is concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis inside the Hamas-controlled area. !e supplies being delivered are “ just not enough,” according to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) spokesman Christopher Gunness.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he may potentially call elections in early 2009 if reconciliation with his Hamas opposition does not go well. !e Hamas have declared this move would be “unconstitutional” and simply a means of the President staying on for an extra term.

Day of Action sparks meeting with Minister NBSA argues current financial policies are not fitting the needs of low income students

What’s the di"erence between a university graduate from New Brunswick and any other university graduate in the country? $10,000.

!e average New Brunswick student graduates with $34,000 accumulated in student loans, which is $10,000 above the national average. SAC VP External Brister feels that this high level of debt is due to imprudent financial aid policy on the part of the provincial government.

Representatives of the New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA), including Brister, have recently been promoting awareness on the province’s financial aid policies as well as the amount of debt of a New Brunswick graduate compared to the rest of the country. !e NBSA wants alternative loan policies that are more focused on helping low-income students.

“In terms of debt accumulation, Mt. A is one of the worst culprits, so we should be the most heavily engaged in this issue,” said Brister.

Currently, students in New Brunswick attending a post-secondary institute are given financial aid in the form of a $2000 entrance scholarship, a $10,000 tax credit over five years upon graduation, and the Learn to Discover program, targeted at low income and minority groups in order to bring them into post-secondary education. !e province is also currently undergoing a tuition freeze.

“Personally I’m not against the idea of a tuition freeze, if the government is really committed to aggressively

Justine GalbraithArgosy Staff

pumping money into the institutions,” said Brister. “But that’s clearly not going to happen.”

Brister, along with other student lobbyists, is hoping to convince the government to implement new policies of a $6000 per year debt cap on student loans, income contingent loan repayment, and increase in outreach programs. !ese policies are reasonable, easy to administer, and not expensive, he explained.

“We’re not asking for any new funds necessarily. We’re merely asking for a reallocation of existing funds,” said Brister. “!is isn’t even a particularly progressive campaign and that’s what makes it particularly stinging that we haven’t been able to get what we want for the past two years.”

A debt cap would also target low income students, a focus which Brister believes is lacking in the current provincial financial aid program.

Still, the province’s new Minister of Post-Secondary Education Donald Arsenault believes the government’s heart was in the right place when the current policies were implemented.

“!e intent is a good intent, it’s to help those students,” he explained.

After the recent Day of Action, organized at universities across the province by the New Brunswick Student Alliance to raise awareness about student debt levels, Arsenault admitted that there could be room for improvement.

“When I read those reports, 16,500 students all saying ‘that’s not what we need, it doesn’t really address the concerns that we’re raising’ [...] If those programs are not fitting the needs then I’m open to discussion.”

!e protest took place on

Arsenault’s second day on the job. !e first thing he did as Minister, he explained, was to get into contact with each university student president and set up a meeting in December to discuss the issues surrounding student financial aid.

However, Brister is reluctant to be optimistic about this upcoming meeting. He stated that he has previously met with former Minister of Post-Secondary Education Ed Doherty as well as the finance minister on this issue and “got nothing out of those meetings”.

“I don’t know Donald Arsenault. He seems to be willing to sit down with us, but then again, so was Ed Doherty, so was the finance minister.”

While Arsenault feels that a debt cap on student loans could be an avenue for the government to look into, he does have some concerns.

“I’m not totally against it,” he

explained, “but there are some issues that we need to discuss.”

One of these issues is the financial aspect of the debt cap. No formal cost has been assessed for the implementation of the program, although Arsenault explained that a potential student debt cap of $35 million dollars is “a lot of money” for the government.

“We have to realize that we are going through one of the worst economic crises of all time,” said Arsenault. “!ere’s a lot of other sectors in need as well.”

However, Brister thinks that in the face of a global recession, the government has more of a need to reform its post-secondary education policies “because the economy and skilled labour go hand in hand.”

Arsenault is also concerned about an equitable solution in the debt cap considering the varying tuition rates in universities across the country.

Di"erent students have very di"erent costs, he explained.

But when it comes to discriminating between levels of tuition, “students should be able to attend whatever institution they feel they would be best educated at,” said Brister. “I don’t think that [tuition] should ever be a prohibitive characteristic of a university.”

While the details of a revamp to current financial aid policies have not yet been hammered out, and both sides are open to negotiation, Brister is firm in his advocacy of change.

“We need to make sure that we’re steadfast and we demonstrate political repercussions if our voice isn’t heard, because we’re not demanding outrageous policies. What we’re demanding is fiscally prudent, responsible, equitable policies. So if we don’t get those, I think the course of action is going to have to be a little more dramatic.”

Jessica Emin

How much do you owe your government?

PAGE 4 • THE ARGOSY • NEWS • NOVEMBER 27, 2008N

On what would have been just another day at Mount Allison, students accessing the university’s home page discovered a new era of the school’s representation to the net-world.

!e page, complete with 11 immediately presented pictures of student jubilance, larger “In !e News,” Events, and News Release sections, and an entirely new colour scheme, was “a way to maximize our new Public Relations approach to communications,” said Sheila Blagrave, director of marketing and communications.

!e primary changes to the architecture of the site were in attempts to fit more events and news releases onto the front page. In the past, there would be event announcements that would be bumped from the feed before the event even occurred.

“Now consistent with many interior pages [of Mt. A’s website] designed last year, the home page includes a number of features that have begun to be part of our look for both web and print applications,” Blagrave elaborated.

!ese design changes include a wider gamut of colour, stacked images, and a top bar of images that can be regularly changed.

Both the Communications and

New home page redesigned to maximize public relationsSasha Van KatwykArgosy Staff

the Computing Services o#ces have expressed their pride over this joint project to enhance the marketability of the university. “Many positive responses have come into the Communications O#ce,” said Blagrave, “and many seem impressed with the aesthetics of the page.” One comment she received was that “happy and engaged students are always the best advertisement!”

Indeed, the first step of any potential student or professor upon first hearing of Mt. A is going to mta.ca and, as they say, you never get a second chance at a first impression.

Just like with any change at Mt. A, there are those among current students and sta" who are euphoric over every pixel, those who think it’s a travesty to the university, and those who don’t find it a big enough deal to state a position.

But while we might argue over the colour schemes, the changes to the home page, as accentuated by what o#ces were in charge, are about information propagation and market strategy.

“!is new home page design fills all our needs,” concluded Blagrave, “it reinforces our new PR approach to marketing, communications, events, and news; and the design was created after careful research by [Computing Services] into trends and comparative analysis of other university and corporate web sites.”

!e boxcar, the wispy, the sanchez, the abracadabra, the rockstar, the major, the regent and the after eight. !ese are all styles of that suave and distinguished form of facial hair known as the moustache, and if you have been anywhere on campus within the past month you may have noticed a surprising number of young men sporting this fad. !at’s because it’s Movember time at Bigelow house and across campus.

Movember, a trend that began in Australia and slowly leaked across the Atlantic, is an event held to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer. At the beginning of November, guys register with a clean-shaven face; they are then o#cially known as ‘Mo bros’ and have the rest of November to grow and groom their moustaches. Girls can participate as well and become ‘Mo sistas’ through registering and o"ering support for their Mo bros and helping to raise funds. Every year around 24,700 Canadians participate Movember, and this year Bigelow house is representing Mt. A.

!e idea originally was proposed at Mount Allison by Pat Joyce, a first-year student returning from a gap year abroad in New Zealand.

“I first heard about Movember when I was in New Zealand; it’s a

Introducing MovemberBigelow House grooms facial hair to raise funds for prostate cancer research

Christina AshleyArgosy Correspondent

pretty huge deal there, and I thought, why not get Bigelow house and Mount Allison involved?” said Joyce.

Once Bigelow house president John Brannen and the rest of the house embraced the idea, it took o" and approximately 20 young men were registered to begin growing out their ‘staches. Several others registered to help in the campaigning process.

!eir house’s goal is to raise over $750 for Movember, who partners with the Prostate Cancer Research Centre of Canada (to which all the proceeds go). So far they are a third of the way there, with pledges from numerous house residents, and a fun-filled day spent at the Co-op gathering donations.

In order to reach their targeted amount, the Mo sistas and bros will have a table set up in Jennings meal hall for the final week of Movember (Nov 24-28) where they will be selling blocks for a ra$e, in which the winner will receive a gift basket filled with prizes from local donors including Jacks, Jean Couteau, Bridge Street Café, Main Attraction and more, as well as the chance to shave a Mo bro’s moustache of your choice.

“It’s been a lot of fun and a great ride. It only seems fair to o"er the rest of the students another chance (as all other houses declined to participate in Movember when it was first presented as an idea) to join in on the fun!” said Joyce.

With Movember coming to an end, the moustaches are growing more and more prominent and raising more and more attention, and Bigelow is, as the Movember campaign slogan declares, “ Changing the face of men’s health, one mo at a time.”

For More information On Movember and links to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Canada website please visit www.movember.com

!e worst part is the looks you get from people who don’t want to understand, but at the same time it’s a way to raise awareness

- Bigelow House president John Brannen on his moustache

“It’s more than just raising awareness for a worthwhile charity, it’s raising awareness for men’s health in general,” explained Brannen, unconsciously stroking his moustache. It has been a rigorous ride, he said, with awkward stares and leftover food in the ‘stache to deal with.

“!e worst part [is] the looks you get from people who don’t want to understand, but at the same time it’s a way to raise awareness” said Brannen. “It always catches people o" guard when you catch them staring and begin to explain that it’s all for a cause, that we have a goal to reach by doing this.”

“”

NATIONAL

TORONTO (CUP) – Two riot squads, 138 arrests, more than 600 fines, and 8,000 people at an illegal, all-night street party made for a $300,000 policing bill. By the numbers, Queen’s University Homecoming this year was a thing to behold.

If you missed it, though, you’ll have to wait at least two years to attend the next one.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Queen’s University Principal Tom Williams announced that in 2009 and 2010, his school would change the annual fall tradition to a “homecoming-styled” reunion in May.

It’s the latest and most drastic step Queen’s has taken to battle the massive, infamous Aberdeen Street party that has become inextricably linked with Homecoming.

!ough unsanctioned, the bash is always held the same weekend as Homecoming. In 2005, it turned into a riot when people flipped a car and set it on fire, and hurled bottles at police. Last year, one sergeant called the event a “success,” with only 54 people arrested.

!is year, a 35 year-old was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being assaulted by a 19 year-old from Ottawa in town for the

Queen’s cancels homecoming to combat massive street partyJoe HowellCUP Ontario Bureau Chief

party.“While Homecoming is not in itself

the problem – Homecoming does not cause the Aberdeen Street gathering – I believe moving fall Homecoming is an essential part of the solution,” said Williams.

Not all students agree. Leah McPherson, a first-year Queen’s student, said that “simply a ban or stricter security on the Aberdeen street party would su#ce.”

“Homecoming is about the pride we as students get to feel from attending this school and seeing all the brilliant minds who have graduated walk the football field during halftime,” said McPherson. “Without that, the school loses connection with the past and current students. We simply become just another university where we are numbers.”

Cynthia Cheng, who graduated from Queen’s in 2002, was discouraged by the lack of input solicited from alumni.

“I recall getting an e-mail about it, but it was jumbled up with a bunch of other alumni-related news. Really, it sounded like they were going to cancel it no matter what, and just sent out an e-mail to everyone for suggestions because they had to,” said Cheng.

She would have liked to see the administration combat the Aberdeen party by moving Homecoming to the winter.

“At least it’ll be while school is in session. And because it’s cold, it’s

unlikely people will party on the streets. A spring reunion weekend is just high school-ish,” added Cheng.

Some alumni support the decision. Recent grad !omas Simmons said that while he had been to his share of parties, “this is the best decision Queen’s could have come to.”

“It’s no longer about Queen’s or

school spirit, but just an excuse for people to get drunk and do something stupid. People just want to go to the big party, and that’s all there is to it. !is once manageable event called homecoming is ruining the school’s reputation and increasingly becoming uncontrollable,” said Simmons.

!ousands of people have joined

Facebook groups protesting any change to the fall reunion, but Simmons is unconvinced.

“When people say that cancelling Homecoming is a travesty against school spirit and tradition, they really just mean they’re going to miss the biggest day-long kegger they’ve been to. Boo-fucking-hoo.”

The Aberdeen Street party turned into a riot in 2005 when people flipped a car and set it on fire; this year, an attendee was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries

Jaimmie Riley

MONTREAL (CUP) – Four McGill University students are coming to the close of a two-week challenge to eat food produced within a 100-mile radius of Montreal, a project designed to demonstrate that it’s possible to eat locally.

Aynsley Merk, Ian Vogel, Tim Dowling, and Johanna Paquin keep a blog to track their experience.

“I don’t think about what we can’t have, but what we can have,” said Merk. “I look forward to what will come into season, and it changes

!e eating experiment: four students keep it localGreening McGill initiative supports Montreal and regional food producersHayley LapalmeThe McGill Daily (McGill University)

every week.”Eating locally saves on fossil fuels

burned to import food, and supports fair payment for farmers.

Supporters of the movement swear that local food simply tastes better; naturally-grown produce arrives fresh in comparison to fruits and vegetables cooped up during long-distance travel.

!e Greening McGill group was inspired by Vancouver duo Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, who documented their year-long experiment with local food in the bestseller The 100 Mile Diet.

McGill ’s experimenting localvores searched for local food by metro,

foot, phone, and on the Internet.Participants found it challenging

to make time to buy produce directly from local farms and expanded their food diversity beyond an initial reliance on eggs and potatoes.

Vogel explained that misleading food labels made it di#cult to be sure that products were made locally.

“Foods are often labeled: ‘Produit du Quebec,’ but it might just be the processing that is local and not the ingredients,” he said.

While all four admitted to spending far more time in the kitchen than normal, they maintain it’s possible to adapt to local eating.

“As long as you are willing to change your lifestyle and diet a bit, you could do this diet at any time if you wanted,” Dowling said.

!e group avoided processed goods and mega-stores, which tend to carry imported and long-distance products.

!e students explained that local eating doesn’t break the bank. !ey could a"ord pricier goods like honey and organic dairy products with the money saved by cutting out ca"eine and take-out.

All participants saved money due to the near-impossibility of eating at restaurants.

While none of the students are

planning to commit strictly to the diet once the experiment is up, there is a consensus that they are more willing and better equipped to seek out local foods in the future.

Greening McGill will amass the tips and experiences of these students in a distributable form.

“I haven’t eaten this well since I got here in September. !e meals have been wonderful and often the four of us will meet and make meals,” said Dowling.

“Now it is sort of becoming routine, I don’t even feel like I am being challenged, because I have it figured out enough.”

OTTAWA (CUP) – University of Ottawa sociology professor Hassan Diab was arrested in Gatineau, Quebec on November 13 amid allegations of involvement in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980.

!e RCMP arrested Diab at the request of French authorities who are asking for his extradition to France, where he is wanted for multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and willful destruction of property. !ese allegations have not been

U of O prof accused in 1980 Paris bombingFrance alleges prof ’s involvement in decades-old synagogue attackAmanda ShendrukThe Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)

proven in court.On October 3, 1980, a blast outside

the Copernic Street synagogue in Paris killed four people and injured many others. !e explosion came from a bomb hidden inside the saddlebags of a motorcycle parked outside the synagogue.

A Palestinian extremist group, !e Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Special Operations, was blamed for the event, which quickly sparked the imposition of tight security measures at synagogues around the world.

According to Agence-France Presse, the 56-year-old professor is accused of constructing the explosive device. However, Ontario Superior

Court Justice Michel Charbonneau has imposed a publication ban on proceedings, meaning the public will not be told the particulars of the French government’s case, or what evidence was presented during Diab’s bail hearing on November 20.

Rene Duval, Diab’s lawyer, has said he will fight to keep Diab in Canada.

“We will oppose his extradition because this is a case of mistaken identity,” he told the Ottawa Citizen. “It will be di#cult for the prosecution to make its case because all this happened 20 years ago.”

Quoting unnamed sources, France’s Le Figaro newspaper alleged in October 2007 that Diab led the

commando team responsible for the attack, and that French authorities had requested assistance from Canada in inquiries at the time.

In September 2007, a French magistrate re-opened the investigation case when German authorities discovered Diab’s name on a list of former members of the group blamed for the attack.

Diab, who is also a professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University, was teaching three sociology courses at the U of O when he was arrested last week. In an o#cial statement released November 14, the university said that these classes would not be interrupted by the incident.

While the U of O Department

of Sociology and Anthropology has refused to comment, Matt Babcock, president of the undergraduate Sociology and Anthropology Students Association, was willing to briefly discuss the situation with the Fulcrum.

“He has the right to remain innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “It will be a long process.”

Babcock was a student of Diab’s last year, and had kind words for the professor.

“He was very kind and helped students wherever he could,” he said.

!e U of O released an o#cial statement last week confirming Diab as an employee of the university, but refused to comment further.

OPINIONS

Mayme Lefurgey, B.O.D.I.E.S.

Buy Nothing Day takes place on November 28, and is promoted by Adbusters, a magazine that o!ers alternatives to the typical media messages that are presented to us everyday. "is event was started over a decade ago as an informal protest of the mass consumerism our society partakes in.

As a society we are often sold an idea that material items can produce happiness; many peoples sense of self is connoted by what they own and what they buy. People often feel, consciously or unconsciously, that what they own is a reflection of themselves, their tastes, and their social status. We are sold the idea that without a certain brand of shoes, jeans, cars, bags etc. that we are not all we could be, and that by

Buy Nothing Day

buying certain products we can rectify many of our life’s problems. We are sold an idea that one can morph into a popular, beautiful, fit, tanned, toned being just by buying certain products. It is easy to get wrapped up in this sense of consumerism, never feeling totally secure or worthy, and hoping to create this sense of completeness by purchasing di!erent things. It’s a never ending circle, there is always something newer, better, more coveted and there will always be people who possess something “better.” Buying into this idea (no pun intended) will lead most people into a life of endless purchases always looking for the perfect thing to complete an outfit, a room, a gift, a life. By taking a day away from buying it allows us to reflect on the di!erence between needs and wants, as well as to look at why needless spending occurs.

Buy Nothing Day is especially

Noah KowalskiArgosy Staff

“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

That’s what President-elect Barack Obama promised us on election night. Change was coming to Washington. Millions of US voters, including myself, believed in Obama, believed in his change. Don’t read this the wrong way: I still do believe that he is going to be a phenomenal president. He will bring a new order of accountability and leadership to Washington. However, many things that have been leaked after the election have eroded my belief in his change.

“This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.” Obama has been given that chance, and he is right in stating that if we go back to the way things were, they will never change. However, it ’s troubling that the recent rumored appointments for his administration have been, for lack of a better phrase, the way things were. His Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, worked in the Clinton White House. In fact, this colorful character was actually the inspiration for one Deputy Chief of

Change?Staff Joshua Lyman in the hit TV series, The West Wing. Now I know that Obama needs a Washington insider to help him navigate the White House so that he can hit the ground running from day one, but sadly, the list of Washington power players does not stop there.

Hillary Clinton, who openly disagreed with Obama’s policy of precondition-less summits and on the Iraq War, is the front runner for the Secretary of State job. Not only is she underqualified for this position, she is “considering” accepting the position. This shouldn’t be a question that you need to consider. Given Clinton’s history with Obama, she should be grateful for this massive favor from Obama. Do I need to remind her that if she declines, she just goes back to being the junior Senator from New York?

Obama’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary is former Senator Tom Daschle, the former Senate Majority Leader. While Obama vowed that no lobbyist would be appointed to his cabinet, where has Senator Daschle been working since he lost the 2004 election? That’s right, for a public policy and legislative group Alston and Bird, otherwise known as a lobby group. Daschle isn’t registered as a lobbyist, but he has been advising clients on a range of issues, including health care. It is also rumored that several Bush appointees may be sticking around for the Obama administration, including Defense Secretary Gates. Change is hard to believe in when the people haven’t changed.

While it is early to be making these kinds of accusations, I think that President-elect Obama needs to remember why so many people voted for him. He needs to show us change that we can believe in.

Chris DurrantArgosy Staff

We’ve been together a long time now, and I think its time for “the talk.” Yes, you know what I mean: the relationship talk. I know you’ve been comfortable with this cash-based thing we’ve had going for the last two hundred years or so. It’s been easy to not let things get too heavy, making our decisions based on a cash-maximizing basis. But I’ve had this feeling that I’ve been hurt more times than I should, the way we’re doing things now.

Like when my landlord doesn’t own an answering machine, it hurts me. I don’t want to be needy, but when the

Dear Society,heat goes o! in my house during the cold snap, I really do need to get in contact with him.

And when the natural gas guys come and start to install the new heating system, but don’t finish the job, and don’t tell us when they’ll be back, it hurts too. It hurts even more when we run out of oil, because my landlord ended the contract with the oil company, because he thought the gas guys would be done.

Don’t get the impression I think you’re all bad though. When the Sackville oil guy comes, and gives us a bucket of his own oil to heat our house for the night, because the company won’t, it gives me hope. And when he gets the company to fill up our tank the next day, even if we’re switching to natural gas, it feels right.

"at’s why I want to take our relationship to the next level. If we started making decisions about each other based on more values than money it would just be more satisfying. Like if when I rent a house, and the

landlord understands himself to be responsible for my welfare in some ways and understands that I depend on him in certain situations, instead of understanding me solely as source of money, I think I could be really happy. I think I might even care more about trying to save him some money on the heat and electricity bills.

I know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately. I know our relationships is getting so complex that often we have to mediate our interactions through vast bureaucratic structures and corporations. I know these bureaucracies often make you feel helpless, because they have their own internal drives to monetary ends. But I was thinking, if all the individuals inside the structures, from the decision-makers to on-the-ground labourers, acted out of personal responsibility to more than just the bottom line, things could be a whole lot better for us.

And I know this might seem like a lot, especially when I’ve been on this big environmentalism kick, not to mention the whole moral responsibility to the

important as we look at the changes the planet is going through due to over consumption of natural goods, exploitation of non-renewable resources, and the massive amount of waste our society produces. Buy Nothing Day is also a commitment to the environment that purchasing of goods will be done in a thoughtful way. We should all try to step away from the idea that material goods bring happiness, and that status can be obtained through what one owns, and instead focus on purchasing things that are essential and also environmentally friendly.

So on Friday try and refrain from buying anything to send the message that your life is not ruled by material goods, and that you are concerned about the mass consumerism and exploitation of the planet to create many of the goods we buy.

developing world thing. But I think you might find that if you started thinking more in terms of responsibilities you have to other people in your day to day life, that it’ll become easier to make decisions relating to your responsibilities to people you’ve never met.

And Society, I know this isn’t going to happen over night. But it’s something

I want to you to think about, because if we’re ever going to overcome this bureaucratic structures problem we’ve been having, we really going to have to make our values stronger and more defined.

I know you can do it!Love,Chris

Vivi ReichLet’s do business with our hearts

Chinese Democracy “turns its spear point on China.” - !e Chinese Communist Party of in !e Global Times

Jessica EminLet’s not do business on Friday

ONOVEMBER 27, 2008 • OPINIONS • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 7

Rebecca Dixon

Over 140 Mount Allison students left their studies and died fighting for Canada in the wars around the world that have taken place throughout the past century.

"e full name of each and every one of these former students was read out at the memorial service at the Wallace McCain Student Center on November 11. Unfortunately, as a commerce student standing next to me estimated, only about 0.7 per cent of the student body were present to hear this, and

Who remembered?

to appreciate the e!orts of Professor Klaus and the Brass Quintet whose music contributed to the solemnity and emotion of our reflections.

Admittedly many students went home for the weekend and so could not attend; others chose to attend only the ceremony at Convocation Hall - though here also the scattering of students amongst the crowd of townspeople was sparse. Even so, I have a general idea of how many students were left in my residence alone, and the fact that there were only four of us standing there frustrated me considerably.

Kyle GreenwayA short while ago, an extremely-democratic election yielded results that should inspire hope in all of us for the future of democracy – Evo Morales received over two-thirds of the vote of a national referendum to keep his presidency of Bolivia. "is took place in August when Morales, the first fully indigenous president of the 55 per cent-indigenous Bolivia, called an election to answer charges of being a dictator, charges levied by the American-backed right wing group Media Luna.

Since then, Morales has successfully put down the American-backed rebellion orchestrated by Media Luna after the referendum, expelled United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents from his country for their hand in that coup among other documented cases of political espionage, and ratified a new and progressive constitution in Congress that will go to a national referendum in January, where it is expected to pass by a wide margin. What’s more, in an emergency meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Morales and his government received the unanimous support of all 12 member-states of the Union, and Morales is currently seeking wider international support by visiting the United Nations – that organization Bush described as an “irrelevant debating society” – this week to report on the recent US coup attempt.

Why are the events in that country significant? Well, they make for a striking comparison with the US, and the man you probably thought this article was about – Obama. While Obama has declared himself an agent of change, like Morales, he has done very little so far to suggest that he’ll follow through. He’s already announced plans to fill his sta! with ex-Clintonites – including a real live Clinton! – of which not one was opposed the Iraq

Change we can really believe in

war, other than Obama himself. He’s also caved to political pressure by ignoring a congratulatory letter from Iran’s leader, in spite of the historical significance of receiving such a letter as well as his early pledges of meeting with all world leaders, even if they disagree. Furthermore, he plans to escalate the war in Afganistan, is okay with using unilateral force on Pakistan – a country with nuclear weapons – and plans to otherwise continue Bush’s fantastical “War on Terror,” minus a scaling-back in Iraq. "e list goes on, and though he is widely seen as the new hope for America, his proposed administration’s members and policies seem remarkably similar to Clinton, if not Bush.

Meanwhile, if you’ve heard about Morales, he’s almost definitely been cast in an ambivalent light – downright hostile if you’ve heard about him from American Media. "ough you’ve certainly heard about Obama receiving record votes, obtaining support from 32.7 per cent of eligible voters, you probably haven’t heard about Morales’ support from 57 per cent of his country’s eligible voters. While Obama seems to be continuing business as usual, Morales stared down the US in a region they are known to subversively control, showed respect for the international community, and is transforming Bolivia into one of the world’s strongest democracies. A democracy that is, incidentally, vastly superior to the US where over a billion dollars was spent selling candidates with the same techniques used for fast food and cars.

So, if you’ve caught yourself staring at the ever-increasing cracks that are beginning to show in the Western world’s take on democracy and change – you might recall Bush’s stated goal to bring change to Washington – you need look no further than countries like Bolivia for the kind of change we can really believe in.

Word on the Street: Jennings, November 23“What do you think of Mount Allison’s new home page?”

“I think it looks great. I like it better than the old one. I like all the pictures across the top.” – Jessica Berube, first year Science

“I think it looks really childish; it doesn’t look like we go to the number one school in Canada. Where is the garnet and gold?” – Carolyn Cutting, second year Psychology

“Do we go to a day care, or a top-tier university?” – Amelia "orpe, first year Arts

“I think its fun and more internet 2.0, and I think that its easier to navigate; but it does look a little less professional for a university home page.”- Shawn Seeley, first year Arts

“I like it very much, there’s more information. All the colours are very light; maybe they could make it more colourful.”- LuYao Li, third year Physics

“It screams, ‘ Hi! I’m in grade three!’ I see ONE of the school colours...”- Regan Cairns, first year Arts

Susan RogersArgosy Correspondent

Susam Rogers

abc.net.au

Eleven am is not unreasonably early to be awake, and the ceremony was brief, though poignant. We had three other nights that week to stay up late; three other mornings to sleep past noon. Protests of having “too much work” don’t carry much weight in my opinion – out of a four day weekend, 30 minutes to remember the actual reason why we have that extra time o! is not asking a lot.

I’m not going to lecture and use the typical arguments of how we take our rights, our freedom, and our safety for granted. We’ve all heard that sort of complaint too often for it to a!ect most of us anymore, myself included sometimes.

I’m just struck by the contrast between our generation, in which people are so preoccupied with their own lives, and those 140 students who suspended their dreams on behalf of others. I think that more of us could have gotten up on time, or set aside that essay for the morning, in honour of others. We’d at least have had a chance to take a nap later or complete our work in the afternoon. "e students who answered the call of this country probably hoped that they would one day be able to come back and finish their education. Tragically, they were unable to return and achieve those personal goals, sacrificing their lives for the common ideals of this country.

Jessica Emin

Evo Morales - a leader who has brought change

ENTERTAINMENT

Neil BonnerArgosy Staff

While my plastic guitar gently weeps

Quick question: what do the Beatles have in common with Journey, Kris Kross, the Spice Girls, and 50 Cent? Sometime next year, they too will get their very own video game.

!e project was o"cially announced at a press conference on October 30. Harmonix, originators of the Guitar Hero franchise and makers of Rock Band will be developing the game, which will then be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts. To say this is a huge get for Harmonix is an understatement. With a few exceptions – the most egregious being a Nike sneaker commercial set to “Revolution” – Beatles songs are rarely licensed. Not even Apple can

convince the Fab Four to release their music digitally.

On a larger scale, the Harmonix announcement is indicative of the growing perception of music games as viable platforms for music sales. Earlier this year, it was announced that Activision (current proprietors of the Guitar Hero license) was considering developing a Guitar Hero-based platform to sell music. Why? Consumers can find free alternatives to the mp3s sold by iTunes, but to keep up with the latest content for their favourite music game, they have to go to the publisher.

Business aside, there’s a lot to be intrigued about. !e press release calls it “an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of !e Beatles,” and it has the blessing and

creative input of surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Beatles widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. !e track list will draw from the band’s master recordings from their tenure at EMI, and most importantly, it will be an entirely new, non-Rock Band property. !is isn’t an unexpected development. Every stage of the Beatles’ artistic growth is engrained in the collective consciousness of music fans: the early, leather-jacketed days in Hamburg; the group of natty, mop-top lads driving girls wild at Shea Stadium; their dalliances with psychedelia; the iconic final performance atop the Apple Records building in 1969. !e current Rock Band aesthetic, with it’s convincing but bland embodiment of rock clichés, just won’t cut it.

But as good as the prospect sounds, !e Beatles still seems like an odd

choice for this type of game. Unlike Aerosmith and Metallica, two bands who have also received a plastic-guitar based game, !e Beatles aren’t a band known for the pyrotechnic guitar heroics. Sure, songs like “Drive My Car” and “Helter Skelter” will be a blast to play, but I can’t shake the feeling that if Harmonix wanted a heretofore unlicensed legendary rock band, Led Zeppelin would have been a much better fit.

Still, Harmonix has a nearly flawless track record; even their pre-Guitar Hero games Amplitude and Frequency were hits. !e Beatles will present a whole new set of challenges. !ey’ll have to convince generations of fans, from baby boomers and tweens who really liked Across the Universe, that a video game can do their most beloved band justice.

Co!ee and Cigarettes (Starring an ensemble cast, Directed by Jim Jarmusch; 2003)

Every time I attempt to describe how wonderful this film is, I end up making it sound like the most boring thing ever put to celluloid. My awkward attempt usually sounds a little like “well, um, it’s a bunch of famous people, all of them awesome, and they play themselves, sort of. And they sit around drinking co#ee and smoking cigarettes. !ey have awkward conversations that don’t really go anywhere. It’s in black and white. You’ll love it.” Leave it to director Jim Jarmusch, master of all things that don’t really go anywhere and yet, on some level do, to make a compelling collection of short films about nothing in particular.

Oh sure, there are recurring themes that might be worth an essay or two, but it never seems like you need to pick up on some sort of hidden meaning in order to enjoy what’s being presented: independent films have such a marvelous way of thumbing their nose at people who try to decode them.

Among the diverse cast are big names like the elegant chameleon Cate Blanchett; two personal favourites Bill Murray and Steve Buscemi; masterminds of musical innovation Tom Waits and Iggy Pop, Jack and Meg White of !e White Stripes, Wu-Tang Clan rappers GZA and RZA, and numerous others. Despite the cast’s diversity, everyone is excellent.

!ey are given the opportunity to just lose themselves in the script, as well as considerable freedom to improvise. As a result, each scene is both natural and deliciously awkward to watch. !e real spark comes in matching up various

Dangerously addictiveDylan CunninghamArgosy Correspondent

talents with people you would never really expect to see them with: Waits and Pop; Murray and a quarter of the (living) Wu-Tang Clan; Blanchett and her fictional cousin, played by herself. !e result is all kinds of strange conversation topics from co#ee on a stick to roadside surgery, and endless uncomfortable silences. All the actual dialogue in these segments seems to take place between the words being said. I’ve never seen that captured like this before.

All in all, it’s a tremendously relaxing film. Even if you don’t like a scene, given five or ten minutes there’s a brand new one for your viewing pleasure. I won’t lie and say that this one has mass appeal. Not only is there no action or plot to speak of, the characters hardly even move from their seats. !e market for this collection of films is those who love the way a simple phrase can mean so much more when it’s said just right, or those who love to watch a conversation flow naturally, admiring the delivery of every word. I’ll also say it’s a great, subtle comedy, but I was

the only one in the room laughing. I like to think it’s not just because I’m easily amused.

I recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of any of the talents featured. Try it out just to see your one favourite performer, and maybe you’ll enjoy the other scenes along the way. Everyone acts in their most stripped down and natural form, with a healthy dose of bizarre for good measure. It could almost be imagined as eavesdropping rather than watching a film, except eavesdropping on a slightly skewed alternate universe, however that works.

Yes, you guessed it. Top marks. !e only negative I can cite for this one is the terrible e#ect it is sure to have on anyone trying to quit either of the two title vices. I know I wanted a cigarette and cup of co#ee afterwards, and I don’t even like either. !e hope was that they would improve my dialogue skills. Or maybe rob me and my surroundings of their colour.

Anyway. Go. Watch. !is is a must see.

Music is important. It can entertain. It can inspire. It can a#ect your world in numerous ways. Conduct Becoming’s annual goal is to produce an album of original student material that entertains, a#ects, and inspires the community to take a stand against Cancer. Established in 2000, Conduct Becoming is a non-profit organization that began as a means to honour the memory of student Jason Abraham, who died of cancer.

Since the release of the first album

in 2001, the organization – comprised entirely of volunteers from the Mount Allison and Sackville community – has released eight albums that showcase and celebrate the diverse talents of the University’s artistic community. Auditions for this year’s album will be held over the evenings of December 1 and 2, 2008. If you are unable to attend the auditions, it is also possible to submit an audio recording for review. To submit your name or band for consideration, contact Kellen Barrett at kdbarrett@mta.ca. For more information, please visit www.conductbecoming.ca.

Bill Murry hanging loose with GZA and RZA in Coffee and Cigarettes

Co!ee and Cigarettes a definite ‘must see’

"e Princess Bride (Starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Directed by Rob Reiner;1987)

For a movie that’s older than I am, The Princess Bride (1987) is by far one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen. !e whole appeal of the movie is in the tag-lines: “Heroes. Giants. Villains. Wizards. True Love. - Not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairy tale.” “Scaling the Cli#s of Insanity, battling rodents of unusual size, facing torture in the Pit of Despair - True love has never been a snap.”

Directed by Rob Reiner (who, in my opinion is the king of funny, sappy, feel-good movies) "e Princess Bride is based on William Goldman’s book of the same title. !e movie is about a boy who is home from school because he’s got the flu; his grandfather comes over to read him a book, enter

Alexandra TherouxArgosy Correspondent

S. Morgenstern’s "e Princess Bride. Like any young boy would, the kid groans and complains thinking his grandfather’s going to read him a sappy girly book.

He is so wrong.With characters like Buttercup

(played by Robin Wright Penn) with her incredible powers of being a damsel-in-distress; !e Man in Black/Westley (played by Cary Elwes) and his amazing fighting styles and charming wit; Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) who is consumed with finding revenge against the “six-fingered man;” Fezzik (Andre the Giant) the lovable giant who just wants to be friends; and the evil Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon) who just wants to start a war and cause pain. !e movie is all about the characters and how they all factor in Buttercup and Westley’s love story.

For anyone who enjoys a good laugh with a great story mixed in, "e Princess Bride is a classic you just can’t miss.

!e fab four to headline own Guitar Hero game next year

It’s no kissing bookO#beat ‘80s gem still shines

Kellen BarrettArgosy Contributor

Break a legAuditions for Conduct Becoming open

www.cinemotions.net

Graphic by Vivi ReichWe all know John Lennon would have played Guitar Hero....

ENOVEMBER 27, 2008 • ENTERTAINMENT • THE ARGOSY• PAGE 9

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Contact us if you would like to meet one of our staff on your campus.

Everything about David Bowie is so wrong, it must be right. He starred in Labyrinth, hands down the worst movie ever made, and I still can’t get enough of it. His songs have so many things happening in them at the same time that if you broke it down into each instrumental sound, you’d likely have every genre ever concocted. He single-handedly promoted coloured face paint in music videos and made the 80s that much more awkward. And I don’t care what people say, he totally had a thing with Freddie Mercury.

Despite making everything he has ever been involved with feel so wrong to all five senses, we’re somehow still so attracted to him. And perhaps that’s it; David Bowie is beyond physical senses. He’s the omniscient power

Ground Control to Major Tom: you’re greatSasha Van KatwykArgosy Staff

that represents all our shameless social fetishes from MTV and Hollywood to embellished fashions and anti-Americanism.

Be it through celebrity cameos in Zoolander (to help out those of you who don’t look before your conception),

or by revamping one of his CDs with the hottest new hip hop singer, David Bowie is always reminding the entertainment world of his mystical presence in the cutting edge of pop culture.

He’s to music what Jack Nicholson

is to movies, Peter Mansbridge is to Canadian news, or rhinestone studs are to the fashion scene; the beginning of an age that we only wish we were past but can never quite let go of. !ey’re just too good and represent a part of us that we feel we outgrow but whenever we see them again, we indulge.

To add some context, I was trying to find another CD to review because talking about the blues has its limits. I looked over my collection and saw David Bowie’s name jumping out at me in florescent pink; and from the moment I put it on, I realized just how horrible his music really is, and how much I love it.

It reminds me of all those things in our lives that are completely pointless: knowing the lyrics to Disney songs, the awkward turtle, and most things on the magazine rack. !ey’re the things that we treat as childish or shallow, but are also what define us as society.

!e fact that Cosmopolitan and "e

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants are the kinds of pulp that we are contributing to the Western cannon as well as the fashionability of wearing leggings without anything over them and emo hair can be a morbidly depressing reality. But whenever I get depressed about how we’re portraying ourselves through our entertainment and fashion, I think of David Bowie.

David Bowie took every sound, every Hollywood mantra, every fashion trend, and he pushed it to the very edge and then five steps further and we loved it all. We still do. He’s cool because he embraces everything we love and hate and makes it work.

While I myself couldn’t tell you what’s on MTV these days, who’s hot and not, and I only buy trashy magazines for easy airplane reading, I still embrace the David Bowies out there because, while it all might be pointless, he makes me feel cool about indulging in it.

An animated David Bowie with friends Iggy Pop and Klaus Nomi from a second season episode of The Venture Brothers

Sasha Van Katwyk gushes about his love for everything Bowie

!e Time Out Sydney Record has praised their music as “…some of the most energetic and genuine to emerge from the Australian rock ‘n’ roll underground in recent times. !eir songs lift the band above the realm of novelty and give them a cultural cache in the image-obsessed world of indie rock.” Lost at E Minor has reviewed them as playing “…a brand of Killers-esque pop so catchy that you quickly leave your preconceptions at the door. You may also start to question your own potential in life.” !eir sound has been described as “…Joy Division having a Gary Numan party while eating pitch perfect cookies…” !ey have even been

invited as the first indie-rock group ever to play at the United Nations. Who is this new super group taking the world stage by storm?

Australian band Rudely Interrupted is unique in the music world, and not only because of their musical achievements; five out of the six band members have a disability (Blindness, Deafness, Aspergers, Autism, and Down Syndrome). Ranging in age from 21 to 37, these rockers have been appearing in major Australian newspapers and TV shows since 2006. Formed by music therapist Rohan Brooks, the group first met at the St. John of God Accord Day Service on the outskirts of Melbourne. !e Rudely Interrupted has come a long way since its first song, “Don’t Break My Heart,” which sprang from a debate between

Kelly O’ConnorArgosy Correspondent

two band members over the universal question of whether or not one can die from a broken heart. Since then, they have performed alongside the likes of Feist, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah.

!e members of Rudely Interrupted come from a wide variety of musical backgrounds. Rory, the group’s lead singer, was born with no eyes and has Asperger Syndrome. He uses his lack of sight to his advantage to concentrate on the music and achieve a perfect pitch. “We are here to show people what we can do and just because we have a disability doesn’t mean we can’t ROCK,” said Rory. “We write our own music about our own experiences. We use our weaknesses as our strengths.”

Josh, the band’s drummer, got his start in the world of percussion with a set of pots and pans he would bang at

home. “I’d listen to music on the radio and hit them to the beat. !at’s how I used to practice my rhythm.” Josh only played his first set of real drums when he joined Rudely Interrupted.

Bass guitarist and exhibitionist extraordinaire Sam has Down Syndrome. “I used to play drums at school. But this is the first time I’ve played bass. I want to fly over the audience with fire and explosions and lightning.”

Marcus, the band’s keyboard player, has been tickling the ivory since he was fourteen. Marcus also has Asperger Syndrome. “I’ve always wanted to play in a band and do gigs, and now I am. Sam has started calling me ‘Blackboards’ because of the keyboards, so I’m not sure who I am anymore.”

Constance Kirkpatrick, Rudely

Interrupted’s “human metronome,” is blind, and has Down Syndrome. Connie’s talent with rhythm enables her to play and record several instruments.

Brooks describes the excitement of being invited to play for the UN to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3: “We’re thrilled to be playing at the UN and touring the world. It’s a genuine once in a lifetime opportunity to profile the band and their ‘di#erent abilities’ on the world stage. We’re stoked to be given this opportunity. It’s awesome!”

!eir New York gig will serve as the kick-o# for their first world tour, in which they travel to five cities on two continents.

!ey’ve got rock-abilitiesAustralian band to play at United Nations for International Day of Persons with Disabilities

bp0.blogger.com

return of the PUB

be ready

January 9, ‘08

Mark BristerMount Allison SACVP External

As the massive number of first year students move off campus, the housing market in Sackville will be off-balance.

Students will face the usual disadvantageous information asymmetry (since few students are actually aware of their rights and tend to be pushed around), but also bear the various negative consequences of higher demand for living space. The SAC is working with the Town of Sackville on a

landlord forum to be held second semester of this year. In conjunction with this forum, a town housing inspection committee is being constructed to investigate residences which may not meet occupancy standards. You can play a part in helping future students have better living

conditions by reporting your current misery! Send us your housing/landlord complaints and your address so we can log these complaints and potentially have the houses inspected. Additionally, the SAC is always open to giving advice on how to deal with, for example, damage

Call for Housing ComplaintsThe SAC Needs Your Help to Hold Landlords Accountable

Mark Brister Mount Allison SAC VP External

Despite numerous problems with our woefully antiquated website, the SAC housing directory remains one of

the most comprehensive, best maintained, and user-friendly directories of its kind. It is likely to be one of the only elements of our present site that will be completely retained after our digital overhaul this winter. The searching feature is particularly

valuable: you are able to specify the length of the lease you are searching for, type of accommodation, rent, landlord, number of bedrooms, and occasionally view previews of the residence (throughout the year we will be working to

increase the number of previews available). After clicking on an individual space for rent, you are able to view a wide variety of specifics including distance from campus, the number of washrooms, what is included in the rent, whether or not pets

Check Out the SAC Sackville Housing Directory

deposits or getting repairs done in a timely manner, and we have many useful forms at the SAC office including a housing checklist, accommodation inspection checklist, information on tenants rights, etc. For more information contact your off-campus councilor or me at mcbrstr@mta.ca.

or smoking are allowed, etc. This is an immensely useful (and underused) tool for those seeking living accommodations in Sackville.

The website is at: http://sac.mta.ca/housing/

Student clubs reflect the diversity of student interests within our campus community. Many, such as the Bio-Med Society, Commerce Society and Historical Society, relate to specific fields of study, while

others focus on specific social and community issues or leisure interests. Our weekly student newspaper, The Argosy, and campus radio station CHMA-FM, convey in-depth campus and student information on everything happening

at Mount Allison. If you should have a particular interest for which no organization now exists, the solution is simple... start one! Overseeing the activities of these clubs and societies is your Students’ Administrative Council!!

Thinking about starting a club or society??? Its easier than you think. Fill out one of our forms and bring it into the SAC office and you are half way there! The SAC council will then vote on whether to make you a club or society, and once

approved you’re in! And yes, there are perks when you become a club or society... Interested? Have questions? Feel free to drop into the SAC office in the STUD or send a quick email to sacfinance@mta.ca.

SACStudent Administrative Council Page

Clubs and Societies

Pridham’s Studio 12 York ST 536-0401

Pridham’s Studio is the official photographers for the class of 2009. Call now for your appointment which will ensure your photo is included in the Yearbook and the department Composites.

FEATURES

Zoe WilliamsArgosy Staff

!is Sunday, Jim Harding, a retired professor, and author of the book Canada’s Deadly Secret, visited Mount Allison and gave a talk that shed some light on a Canadian secret – the nuclear industry.

According to Harding, there is a concerted push in this country to expand the nuclear sector, which includes both mining and nuclear plants, and indirectly, nuclear weapons.

Canada, he said, has been at the forefront of the nuclear industry since the beginning, and although today there is a decline in interest in nuclear globally, Canada continues to promote this form of power.

It’s a complicated issue, and there are a number of aspects Harding believes Canadians need to understand about the industry.

“First, that we have been critical in the nuclear weapons stream from the beginning, that we are still in it, it just happens in an indirect way, that we are the major producer of uranium and that is an environmental carcinogen that we are exporting around the world, that we need to start thinking in terms of environmental ethics a little more, that Canada is not a leader in renewable energy, and there are reasons why, because the non-renewable sector is so powerful as a lobby.”

Harding blames the powerful business interests behind non-renewable energy, including nuclear, for stifling Canadian innovation.

“!ere was an innovator in Ontario who got nowhere and he’s now producing in Germany, the electric car, same story, so that the next generation has to struggle to open up the market and the space for the renewable, because we are really falling behind.”

Harding cited Germany as a prime example of making renewable energy work, and he emphasized that the German renewable energy sector now provides more jobs than their auto industry.

!e nuclear industry has promoted itself as being both more e"cient and more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel-based energy, but Harding said this is demonstrably false.

“!ey have over their 60 some year history, falsely promoted themselves as being a cheap source of energy, and all the economics show that when you do full costing, they are five or six times the cost, and I don’t know how you do cost-management of

plutonium over thousands of years.”“!ey promote themselves as

peaceful, when it is a carcinogenic product, let alone that it finds its way into the weapons stream and they have promoted themselves as safe in terms of the radiation, when the cumulated knowledge all over the world shows that the levels of radiation that are permissible under regulations are going to increase cancers and particularly childhood cancers around nuclear facilities...they are doing what the tobacco industry did around smoking and cancer.”

Why has this dangerous and ine"cient industry been as successful in Canada as it has been? Harding believes the answer lies in the support it receives from the government, in the form of subsidies.

“If these subsidies were pulled they wouldn’t be around, they are state backed [...]”

!e reasons for these subsidies come from the historical connection between nuclear energy and weapons manufacturing.

According to Harding, “ [...] the state funded them as a weapons industry, and are keeping them around, and I’m not sure it’s just for the electricity, I have a feeling they are still wanting to keep some sort of monopoly on nuclear weapons. You aren’t going to get disarmament if the West builds up nuclear weapons and then threatens people.”

A fundamental problem is a failure in international governance on nuclear issues, which Harding describes as being “without teeth.”

A Canadian example, said Harding, is Canada’s ambivalence with regards to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NTP).

“[...] Canada signs the NPT and then sells the CANDU to India which hasn’t signed it, Canada signs the NPT and provides uranium to France which is still doing atmospheric testing.”

Harding believes that a democratization of international bodies like the UN would aid in the fight against nuclear energy.

!e three most popular political parties in Canada have been largely complacent on the nuclear issue, including the left-leaning NDP.Harding believes the Green Party has the best policies regarding nuclear power, but he said, “We can’t be sectarian about it, because it’s a historical change. I know Liberals and Conservatives and NDPs who are open to rethinking this. growth paradigm... this is a paradigm shift. So get ready for it.”

Retired professor visits Mount Allison to discuss Canada’s nuclear industry

Canada’s deadly secret

Retired professor Jim Harding, author of Canada’s Deadly Secret

Jessica Emin

Vivi Reich Argosy Staff

In 1999, at the University of Bologna in Italy, 29 European countries came together to sign the Bologna Declaration, an attempt to standardize academic degrees that are recognizable between the 29 countries.

!e declaration proposed a European Higher Education Area in which students can move freely between countries and their qualifications from higher education are recognized equally and can be used as entry requirements for further study in other countries. Subsequent meetings have taken place between 2001 and 2007, in which the declaration has been presented to other European countries which are part of the Council of Europe.

!e Lisbon Recognition Convention was also created under the Bologna Declaration, which has been signed by 47 countries, including the non-European states of Australia, Belarus, Canada, the Holy See (episcopal jurisdiction of the Pope), Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the US. In this convention, it is declared that “degrees and periods of study must be recognized unless substantial di#erences can be proved by the institution that is charged with recognition.” !e Bologna Declaration will be fully implemented by 2010.

!is is just one more example of the European continent’s e#orts at unification since the formation of the European Union in 1993, which allows those with citizenship in one (or more) countries in the Union to easily move between them and work without a special visa or permit. It is only reasonable to allow students to have the same ease when pursuing their studies.

Most countries have previously required students to study for five or more years, ending with a degree equivalent to a master’s in North America. !e Bologna Declaration will introduce a new educational atmosphere in which students will finish a three to four-year bachelor’s degree and a one to two-year master’s degree if they so choose to go on studying.

!is will be a very new system for European countries, and could have negative and positive e#ects. So far, business programs have been e#ected the most.

France France has had a long tradition of students remaining in the country for their university studies.

!eir grande école system is unique

in that it is Gallic-centric, which prevents France and its graduates from achieving any high-powered status on the international market. France, along with other European countries, is striving to have more of an influence internationally, as the EU seeks to become an economic power to rival the US. !e Bologna Declaration will help France further this goal, however education experts are worried that some business schools may adapt while some may vanish.

Michel Raimbault, the associate dean for the grande école HEC, which currently has an MBA program, says “Some recruiters are parochial and appreciate the national path, with its image and networks... !is will protect the French system.”

But Ahmet Aykac, the director of the !eseus Institute in Nice, believes this change in the system will be a “revolution” for which the administrators of French universities will have to prepare: “Governments, in particular the French, are going to have to learn to let go administratively and managerially, and universities are going to have to stop being civil servants.”

to burden German universities financially. Many programs, not just business, are available as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Germany already.

Finland and ScandinaviaFinland will not experience much change to its higher education system.

Before the Bologna Declaration, the higher education system was divided between universities and polytechnic schools. Universities were divided into three-year programs called “kandidaatti,” and were followed by a two-year upper degree called “maisteri.” !e Bologna Declaration will only change these names to bachelor and master.

Engineering and medicine are the two programs that will be changed the most to fit the bachelor and master system.

Barry Bermingham, a student from England who has studied in Finland for the past few years, says “!e job market is becoming increasingly international [...]; it’s great that I can have a degree from London and find a job in Finland without an employer having to ask me ‘What’s a bachelor’s?’”

!e Anglo-Americanization of Europe’s education system

Vivi Reich

Bologna Declaration marks changes to higher education

GermanyGerman students have benefited from free or very cheap university tuition for a long time. However, universities have become underfunded, understa#ed, and overcrowded, and subsequently have introduced tuition.

Peter Gaehtgens, president of the Free University Berlin, says, “!e education system is from the 19th century. It doesn’t work anymore [...]. !ere are not enough libraries, no student services, no student housing. !ere is no fundraising or alumni network.”

!e German Ministry of Education sees the Bologna declaration as a solution that will push German students through the system faster so they can pursue a master’s degree in another country, and so as not

Sweden’s universities work in cycles: undergraduates finish a two-year university diploma (“Högskoleexamen”) and then an additional year of a bachelor’s degree (“Kandidatexamen”) in the first cycle. Students can then study an additional one to four years in the second cycle for their master’s degrees. !e adoption of the English terminology will create more internationally-recognized degrees.

In Denmark, prior to the Bologna Declaration, the lowest degree o#ered was the equivalent of a master’s degree. Now, students are are able to receive a bachelor’s degree after three years, and can move on to a master’s. Very few students stop after their first three years.

Norway has not signed on to the Bologna Declaration.

Write Featuresand you too can

* Sparkle *in the Sunlightlike a VampireRandomeObsessor

of DeviantArt.com

FNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • FEATURES • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 13

Rebecca DixonArgosy Correspondent

!e word “pirate” probably brings to mind swords, parrots and palm trees, or maybe the skull and crossbones. In popular culture pirates are veiled in romance and adventure, venturing out on the oceans in huge, salt-stained ships.

Forget about masts and sails. Pirates these days set out from “mother ships” on speed boats to attack commercial vessels. !ey use modern technologies such as GPS and satellite phones, and are well equipped with rockets, grenades, and AK-47s. Creeping onboard with grappling hooks at night, they are able to gain control before crews realise what is happening.

Last week the Saudi Arabian tanker Sirius Star was captured by Somali pirates o# the coast of Kenya. It is the largest ship hijacked to date, and was carrying the equivalent of a third of daily Saudi oil production,

worth over $100 million. !e 25 crew members onboard come from Britain, Poland, Croatia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and were apparently allowed to call home briefly on Monday.

“!e problem of piracy around Somalia is a grave danger to the stability in the region,” comments the UK Foreign Minister David Miliband on the substantial rise in piracy in the last year.

Over 90 vessels have been attacked by pirates, with about a third of these o# the coast of Somalia. When captured, the ships are held for ransom along with their crew and cargo. An estimated $30 million has been paid in ransom so far this year.

!e International Maritime Organization reports that more than 600 crew members have been kidnapped in such attacks, with two reported deaths. At the present time the fate of 14 ships and 280 seafarers remains up in the air.

“We do not like to negotiate with either terrorists or hijackers” Prince Saud al-Faisal said.

!e Saudi government joins the majority of o"cials in other countries in this position. However, it is the owners of the Sirius Star who will make the decision and carry the burden of paying the pirates. !ey are currently involved in negotiations but no o"cial terms have been announced.

Meanwhile, the issue of piracy is being much discussed on the international front. !e U.N. Security Council has authorized sanctions against people and entities supporting acts that work against peace in Somalia, which piracy is certainly obstructing. Humanitarian aid has been delayed as pirates have seized food and other necessities for 3.2 million needy Somalis.

In Egypt, seven Arab nations met to discuss solutions, with the conclusion of establishing permanent committees that would meet in the new year to develop strategies for alleviating the problem. Many express that a regional solution is necessary, and that with satellite technology, monitoring should

!e rise of Somali piracy as a modern industryArr! Pirates!

Receiving a flu shot from Mt. A. Registered Nurse Cindy Crossman.

be far more e#ective than it currently is. !e International Association

of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) has suggested a UN or NATO blockade in the region, but both organizations have stated this is not under consideration at the moment.

While many navy detachments have been sent to patrol the busiest and most dangerous shipping routes, one of the few notable successes came this past week with the sinking of a pirate “mother ship” by the Indian navy.

It spotted the vessel and demanded it stop. !e pirates apparently responded that they would “blow up the naval warship if it closed in.” Shots were exchanged resulting in an explosion on the pirates’ ship, sinking it. Two boats escaped with survivors.

Companies are now recommending that ships, especially slower-moving ones, travel around the entire continent instead of using the Suez Canal to pass from the Mediterranean. !is longer route will take 12 to 15 days, each one costing $20,000-

Cindy Crossman Registered Nurse / Educator

How can I tell if I have a cold or the flu? A cold and the flu have many

of the same symptoms. But a cold is generally mild, while the flu tends to be more severe.

A cold often starts with feeling tired, sneezing, coughing and a runny nose. You may not have a fever or you may run a low fever - just a degree or two higher than usual. You may also have muscle aches, a scratchy or sore throat, watery eyes and a headache. As the cold worsens, your nasal mucus may turn from thin and watery to yellow and thick. Your symptoms may vary with each cold.

A cold usually lasts three or four days but can last up to 10 days. Many adults will have at least one or two colds a year, and most children will have five to eight. Colds are most common during months when people tend to gather indoors, such as in the winter.

!e flu, which is a nickname for the influenza virus, starts suddenly and hits hard. Your fever may go as high as 40˚ C (105˚ F). You’ll probably feel weak and tired, and have a dry cough, a runny nose, chills, muscle aches, severe headache, eye pain and a sore throat. !e fever may last for three to five days. After the flu goes away, you may still feel weak and tired or

keep coughing for up to three weeks.!e flu is most common in

winter and early spring. It often occurs in outbreaks. !e flu virus changes often. About every ten years it undergoes major changes, so that more severe outbreaks occur.

What causes colds and the flu? Viruses; over 100 di#erent viruses

can cause colds. !e flu, on the other hand, is caused by just a few di#erent viruses each year. !at’s why there’s a vaccine for flu but not for colds.

What can I do to feel better? !ere’s no cure for a cold or the

flu. All you can do to feel better is treat your symptoms while your body fights o# the virus.

Stay home and rest in bed, especially while you have a fever.

Stop smoking and avoid second-hand smoke, which can make cold symptoms worse.

Drink plenty of fluids like water and fruit juices.

Try frozen flavored ice (Popsicles). Fluids will help loosen mucus. Fluids are also important if you have a fever because fever can dry up your body’s fluids, which can lead to dehydration.

Drink hot tea with lemon and honey to soothe a sore throat and help loosen the mucus in your nose. Eating chicken soup can also help loosen the mucus.

Don’t drink alcohol.

Gargle with warm salt water a few times a day to relieve a sore throat (1 tsp. of salt in 1 cup of water). !roat spray or lozenges may also help relieve the pain.

Suck on cough lozenges or hard candy to quiet a cough. Try to use ones low in sugar.

If a child is too young to blow his or her own nose, use a suction bulb to remove the mucus. (A cold mist vaporizer may also help.)

Use saline nose drops to help loosen mucus. !ese nose drops don’t contain medicine, like decongestant nose drops do. Saline nose drops are like salt water and simply help moisten the tender skin in your nose (1/4 tsp. salt in 1 cup of water-cooled).

Should I take medicine for my cold or the flu?

Although Canadians spend more than $300.2 million a year on over-the-counter cold remedies, none of these products can cure a cold or make it end sooner. Medicine can, however, help relieve some of your cold or flu symptoms.

Why won’t antibiotics help treat a cold or the flu?

Antibiotics don’t work against viruses, so they can’t cure a cold or the flu. But antibiotics can be helpful if you get an infection from bacteria, such as a sinus infection, an ear infection or pneumonia ( an infection in the lungs).

Is it a flu or a cold? How can you avoid catching the cold or the flu?

Viruses are transmitted mainly by the hands, or by touching an item

$30,000 more. Companies are taking extra security precautions and their insurance premiums are on the rise. Unfortunately, these augmented costs will be reflected in higher prices for consumers buying goods o# the shelf.

In contrast, business in the pirate town of Eyl is booming. Piracy is becoming an industry. Pirates have accountants. Restaurants are opened specifically to feed hostages. While part of their earnings are used to purchase and develop newer and more advanced technologies, pirates are also now able to indulge in large houses and expensive cars.

Support of piracy is strong in the region. !e central government of Somalia is widely acknowledged to have little power, and local government has answered accusations of association with the pirates as “more than true.”

!ese circumstances will add greatly to the di"culty of determining diplomatic solutions to the Somali piracy problem as it grows into one the region’s vital industries.

nytimes.comThe Saudi oil tanker, the Sirius Star, now held by Somali pirates, contained one-third of a daily Saudi oil output.

recently infected by another person. It is by rubbing your eyes with your hands or touching your face that the viruses can contaminate you.

Submitted Photo

Somali pirates hijacking a Ukrainian freighter, using small boats.

nytimes.com

F PAGE 14 • THE ARGOSY • FEATURES • NOVEMBER 27, 2008

Tom LlewellinArgosy Correspondent

“Iceland is bankrupt,” proclaimed Arsaell Valfells, a University of Iceland professor, in October.

At that point, the tiny Nordic nation of 300,000 had already been under heavy strain, with its stock market shut down, its largest bank being nationalized, and the value of the Icelandic krona deteriorating to near-junk status.

Protests f rom Icelanders grew more and more f requent over alleged government mishandling of the moves made to desperately shore up Iceland’s tiny economy. Throwing another wrench into the machine, Iceland’s government itself announced later in the month that it was unable to meet the country ’s budgetary needs.

Such a move was perhaps a little unusual for a sophisticated Scandinavian country that had consistently topped UN lists as the most developed country in the world, but nonetheless believable in the “new economic order” where previously unshakable titans have begun to fall.

However, Britain was especially displeased by the fact that the – now nationalized – Landsbanki bank contained about $39 billion (CAD) of British money before its nationalization. The British

financial sanctions. The result of such sanctions are prohibitions on trade with the country in question, which also make it impossible to transfer money or goods.

By association, Icelanders are considered terrorists, said Icelandic

Prime Minister Geir Haarde to TIME magazine two weeks ago.

Using that law was the only way for Britain to f reeze the British assets of Landsbanki and therefore recoup investors’ money at some future time.

However, it had the side-effect of delivering a staggering blow against a weakened country that sees itself as a “scapegoat to distract attention [f rom British incompetence in managing their own debt],” said the Guardian.

Even in Britain, 100,000 jobs depend directly on Icelandic investment, and the fate of the $39 billion remains unresolved. Icelandic students studying abroad have faced student loans that have disintegrated in value, and are unable to receive any money at all f rom home, reported TIME.

A petition to the British government by the hastily-formed Icelanders Are Not Terrorists has received over 80,000 signatures, with a flood of user-contributed messages delivering words of support for the Icelandic people and condemnation for the actions of the British, whom Icelanders have traditionally admired for centuries. An exhibition of photos of 79 “Icelandic Terrorists” by

government, despite the fact that the entire country ’s GDP is only $12 billion annually, demanded that Iceland’s government repay British depositors the $6 billion of failed assets, which Iceland’s finance minister told the Royal Treasury that it would do.

The following week, Alastair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, appeared on British radio on October 8, claiming that “Iceland has no intention of honouring their commitments to the [British] government.”

Later that day, a curious sight greeted visitors to the Royal Treasury’s website. On a mothballed page listing countries subject to embargoes and financial sanctions, between Iraq and Syria sat a new arrival - Iceland.

As it turns out, the Labour government of Gordon Brown had invoked a heavy-handed 2001 antiterrorism bill – the country ’s equivalent to Bill C-36 or the PATRIOT Act – against Landsbanki, the Central Bank of Iceland, and the Icelandic government. Therefore, Iceland was officially considered a terrorist haven.

The bill is only usually applied to countries designated as “rogue states,” with the aim of paralyzing or severely weakening those countries’ regimes as well as their popular resolve through

Above: After invoking the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001 against the Icelandic Bank Landsbanki, the bank was placed on the above list of regimes subjected to financial sanction, available on the HM-Treasury website. Following the launch of the “Icelanders are not terrorists” campaign, the bank was moved to a new list, “Asset freezing measures not related to terrorist or country-based financial sanctions”. Below and Right: Postcards from the “Icelanders are not terrorists” campaign. Photo credit for all images, unless otherwise stated: www.indefence.is

Vatnajökull, pictured above, is the largest glacier in Iceland, and covers eight per cent of the country.

Iceland’s Frozen EconomyHow Iceland entered an economic f reefall, and

why Britain labeled it a terrorist nation

FNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • FEATURES • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 15

Icelandic photographer Thorkell Thorkelsson drew massive crowds when it was unveiled three weeks ago in Reykjavik, the country ’s capital.

Since Britain is the biggest importer of goods to the country, Icelanders are finding that getting their hands on some vital consumer goods is proving difficult. Icelandic companies have found that doing business and trading currencies with companies in other countries is proving to be very difficult or impossible, due to the Treasury’s sanctions.

According to a press release by

the group behind the petition, recouping the money the British government has claimed it is owed will be significantly more difficult thanks to the fallout of their actions.

Iceland: more than meets the name

Iceland has an unique relationship with Europe; the tiny island, half of which is above the Arctic Circle, is located an equal distance between Newfoundland and London.

In the eleventh century, the Vikings used the fertile island as a base of operations to attack North America and the British Isles; Iceland is also the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, with the Al$ingi (pronounced ulf-ling-ah) first sitting in 930.

The Icelandic language is virtually identical to the Old Norse

language used in Viking texts, and 93 per cent of the population traces its descent back to the Vikings.

After gaining independence f rom Denmark in 1918, the isolated nation has enjoyed an economic and cultural revival. Musicians like Sigur Rós and Bjork have brought Icelandic culture to North America, and the growth of Landsbanki as one of Northern Europe’s most powerful banks brought Icelandic investment to other countries as well.

The country was ranked by the United Nations as the most developed country in the world, as well as the place with the highest quality of life, last year. In addition, Reporters Sans Frontières of France ranked it as the most f ree and democratic country in the world based on f reedom of the press.

Due to a climate too cold for large-scale agriculture, Iceland must import food, mainly f rom Britain. However, it is the world leader in geothermal power

technology, which uses steam f rom geysers (the Icelandic word for “flow of steam”) to generate electrical power and heat.

Canada has a direct stake in what happens in Iceland as well. Canada has the world’s largest population of people of Icelandic descent outside Iceland itself, with close to 90,000 reporting Icelandic ancestry, 85 per cent of whom are located in Manitoba.

Winnipeg is the home of a major international head office of Landsbanki which has been very active as a philanthropist in the city, and to one of only two departments of Icelandic Studies in the world, at the University of Manitoba.

Bilingual English-Icelandic speakers are a common occurrence in an area of the province north of Winnipeg that was briefly the Republic of New Iceland in the nineteenth century.

The fate of Winnipeg’s Núna (“Now”), the world’s largest Icelandic music festival that brings in millions of dollars in tourist revenue, is uncertain now that Landsbanki and the Icelandic government are on shaky ground, said Calum Vatsndal of the festival board.

So who are the IMF anyway? Near the end of the month, the Al$ingi announced that Iceland planned to pursue approximately $7.2 billion CAD in emergency aid f rom the American-controlled International Monetary Fund, thanks to continuing deterioration of the krona and escalating government debt exacerbated by Britain’s actions.

“[It] is probably the only thing Iceland can do,” said London Business School economist Richard Portes at the time.

Like most other Western countries, Iceland was shouldering a heavy consumer debt burden, with consumer use of credit

soaring between 1996 and 2008. Demand for consumer goods, which are traditionally extremely expensive because they must be shipped over long distances, was at insatiably high levels.

Now, in the wake of October’s events, Iceland has debt worth 110% of its gross domestic product, according to the IMF.

IMF loans have a tradition of being accompanied with conditions based heavily on the prevailing wisdom of the American f ree-market. Recipients are directed to slash social spending, privatize as many government assets as possible, placing them more often than not in the hands of select American companies, and allow economic policy to be made at the IMF’s discretion.

When Bolivia was in debt to the IMF in 1997, the organization directed the city of Cochabamba to sell its water utility to Bechtel, an American engineering firm. Water prices shot up to the point where they used up the majority of the average worker’s monthly pay, and the revolts that followed were successful in restoring the utility to public ownership.

The fund, described by economist Amartya Sen as a “bloated [...] bureaucratic” organization, shows no signs of having revised its policy positions in the wake of America’s use of government bailouts – the IMF’s ultimate foe – to rescue Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and a plethora of banks and financial institutions.

On November 20, it was announced that Iceland will receive $10.2 billion (USD) in an IMF package, led by the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, which have pledged to offer pre-financing to the island nation.

‘As far as the value of the krona is concerned, I am confident that the krona is going to stabilize at somewhere in the range where it is trading right now in (the) onshore market, and soon start appreciating,’ IMF Iceland mission head Poul Thomsen said in a conference call, following the announcement of the bail-out.

An exhibition of photos of 79 “Icelandic Terrorists” by Icelandic photographer Thorkell Thorkelsson drew massive crowds when it was unveiled three weeks ago in Reykjavik, the country’s capital.

“

”

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Iceland’s Frozen EconomyHow Iceland entered an economic f reefall, and

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F PAGE 16 • THE ARGOSY • FEATURES • NOVEMBER 27, 2008

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“Besides, friends don’t let friends drive drunk,” he quoted with a chuckle. I could smell the unbearably sweet fragrance coming o! his chest.”

“Drunk?” I objected.“You’re intoxicated by my very presence.” He was grinning that playful smirk

again.“I can’t argue with that,” I signed. There was no way around it; I couldn’t resist

him in anything.- Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

I guess it can’t be that hard!

Rev. John C. PerkinUniversity Chaplain

!e coming weekend marks the beginning of the new liturgical year in the Christian church; the upcoming four Sundays of Advent denote the time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of the Messiah into word and life.

What began, in the early church, as a time of anticipation of the second coming – as a future reality or a spiritual metaphor, depending on one’s theology – has certainly been recast in the modern church. Advent, a time of openness to the theology of the coming of God into life in the light of the ministry of Jesus, has become a kind of prolonged Christmas season, with the focus on the first coming, the birth of Jesus, with the traditional retelling of the annunciation to Mary and the visits of shepherds and the Magi.

!e Christmas story, as it is traditionally told in the church narratives and liturgies, in Sunday School pageants and church nativity displays, is a compilation of the birth narratives from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. !e annunciation of the birth, to Joseph in Matthew’s gospel (where Mary is little more than a silent witness) and to Mary in Luke’s Gospel, are conflated into one narrative. !e story of the Magi following the star and inquiring of the King himself concerning the whereabouts of the newborn “king of the Jews” is from Matthew. !e journey to Bethlehem, the birth in rough surroundings, the angel voices announcing the birth to shepherds in the fields, and the visit of those shepherds all come from Luke.

!ese stories, as romanticized as they have become, are part and parcel of the church’s celebration of the birth of Jesus. And I would not alter them, for they speak to the heart as well as the mind. !e di"culty is not in the stories, but in what we do with them. Somehow, in the telling of these parables of birth, we have contributed to the loss of the Jesus who might more truly inform our faith.

On the one hand, there has been a tendency to a"rm that the stories must be literally true in each word, never mind the inherent problems of timing and location that emerge in trying to conflate these di#ering versions. On the other hand, a liberal interpretation that has allowed the

stories to speak as stories, and not as literal history, has been equally culpable in leading churches further away from, not towards, the real Jesus of history, who is at the heart of faith.

For Matthew, for example, the Gospel announces that Jesus is the Messiah who has been long-awaited by his people; but writing from a Jewish perspective, Matthew writes of a Messiah who came as a new Moses. Over the years, that has come to mean, for generations of church-goers, as “newer” and “better”, and that this new Messiah came to bring a new religious code that would replace an obsolete old form. For the ancients, however, the old was good; it was the new that might seem suspect, except as the old was renewed, transformed, and thus fulfilled. !at is why Matthew begins his story of the ministry of Jesus with Jesus standing on a new (renewed) Mount Sinai, giving a new (read: renewed) law or Torah, and proclaiming “you have heard it said ... but now I say to you.”

!e renewal of law, in other words, is at the heart of Jesus’ preaching, not simply the wiping away of what had been. So Matthew makes sure he includes in his gospel the explicit warning of Jesus: “do not to think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.” But too often we interpret this “new Moses” as one who seeks to sweep away all that has gone before, and end up with a Christianity that sets itself as superior to the Judaism from which it emerged.

However, we need to see Jesus, at Christmas and through the church year, as a Jewish child, born in a Jewish culture, and proclaiming Jewish teachings to a principally Jewish audience. In composing the story of the birth of Jesus as the opening to a story about Jesus as a new Messiah, who is a new Moses to Jews and Gentiles alike, Matthew carefully foreshadows the story that is to come: he fills it with the foreshadowing of danger and deliverance, of jealous and violent human opposition, but with eventual divine vindication. Matthew even gives hints about the crucifixion and the resurrection in creating his parable about the newborn Jesus. And he does it within the context of the Jewish world into which Jesus was born.

It is this context that cannot be ignored, for if the church does ignore this Jewish world, it does it to the peril of not being able to fully understand the Gospel or the figure of Jesus at

!rough stained glassthe heart of the gospel. As has been set out by scholars John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg, among others, discussing the birth of Jesus without understanding the context of the birth – both of the child Jesus and of the gospel about him – or without understanding the context of the Roman empire into which he was born and in which the gospel was written, would be like studying about Gandhi without understanding anything about the British Empire, or studying Martin Luther King without knowing anything about the politics of segregation in the United States.

We all want a Jesus meek and mild, who, as the traditional Christmas carol “Away in a Manger” has it, when the cattle are making noise, “awakes/but little Lord Jesus/no crying he makes.” And I continue to delight in singing those words, yet recognize the inherent danger they pose in removing us from a human Jesus, an historical Jesus, a Jewish Jesus, a Messiah who does not dismiss the Jewish context into which he is born and in which he preaches, but who embraces it.

New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, who is Jewish, is working to correct some misconceptions on this score, trying to restore the Jewish Jesus for both Christians and Jews. She does not want to lose the historical Jesus to those who would read the text as literal history, nor does she want to lose the Jewish Jesus to “well-meaning ministers who are uninformed”; and Jews shouldn’t feel too superior, she notes, for they also need to bone up on their own history and appreciate, not reject, Jesus’ role in it.

So I will celebrate, with the traditional Gospel stories, the birth of Jesus in the context of church and faith, but I will also remember the Jewish origins of both Jesus and Gospel, and pray that churches would have a greater sensitivity to these historical roots, to historic and contemporary Judaism, and to the way in which Christianity need not repudiate or diminish Judaism in order to ennoble itself.

As candles are lit during Hannukah, and as other candles are lit during Advent and Christmas, I will realize that the simple pure light of a candle is for humanity, a symbol of hope and faith, whatever our creed.

Perhaps as you pass the chapel you might see the flickering light of a simple candle, even through stained glass.

Argosy Staff

!e princely pretender On November 23, 1499, a young man by the name of Perkin Warbeck was hung as an impostor claiming to be the Duke of York, Richard of Shrewsbury.

!e Duke had disappeared from the public eye along with his brother, King Edward V, around September of 1483, after being sent to the Tower London by their uncle Richard III (later they became known as the “Princes in the Tower”). Warbeck appeared in 1491 (in France), during the reign of Henry VII (after the death of Richard III at Bosworth Field), claiming himself to be the long-thought dead, young duke.

While in France, King Charles VIII welcomed him and gave him a guard of honour, mostly likely just to spite his English enemy. After Henry VII agreed to the Treaty of Etaples, Charles VIII had to ask Warbeck to leave. As he did so, he made his way to Belgium, where he met the young duke’s exiled aunt, Margaret of Burgundy, who o"cially recognised him as her nephew (whether she knew he was a fraud or not is another thing) through his knowledge of court life and birthmarks that were supposedly on “Richard’s” body.

Warbeck gained many followers, either believing that he was indeed the duke, or hoping to help him to overthrow Henry VII. He was welcomed by other European monarchs, accepting invitations to such things as the funeral of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III, at the invitation of the emperor’s son, Maximilian I.

Warbeck landed in England in 1495, in Kent, where he wasn’t met with the favour he expected, his supporters being cut o# from him. He ran to Ireland, then Scotland after an unsuccessful attack on the English forces. While in Scotland, James IV showed him great favour, marrying him to a young noblewoman of the monarch’s family.

Later Warbeck tried to attack again in Exeter, but retreated upon seeing the royal troops approaching. He surrendered very soon after that and was hung a year later (1499).

!e disappearance of ‘D.B. Cooper’On November 24, 1971, a man who called himself ‘Dan Cooper,’ or more famously as ‘D.B. Cooper,’ hijacked a Boeing 727 airplane over Washington State, and parachuted from the plane with $200,000 in ransom money. Cooper, nor the money has never been found to this day.

According to an account from the

Minneapolis Tribune (Nov. 27, 1971), a stewardess on the plane had been sitting next to Cooper, who had passed her a note saying that he had a bomb, and demanded $200,000, a few parachutes, and the cooperation of the crew of the airplane.

Apparently, Cooper wasn’t at all what you’d except from a hijacker. According to the report from the Tribune, he was seemingly quite nice and not mean to any of the people on board. Cooper got everything he wanted, and using a couple parachutes, he jumped out of the plane somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada.

No sign of the man, or parachutes had been found during the investigations that followed the crime; at the time, Cooper’s thievery had become the bane of the FBI, who failed to get their man. Even today, very little evidence has been produced to find out exactly what happened to Cooper and who he was, and if it really happened.

Also this week in history:Nov. 23, 1890: King William III of

the Netherlands dies, leaving no male heir, and a special law is passed saying that the king’s daughter, Princess Wilhelmina is to become queen regnant.

Nov. 23, 1936: First edition of Life is published.

Nov. 23, 1963: Doctor Who is first broadcast.

Nov. 24, 1859: Charles Darwin publishes his On the Origin of Species.

Nov. 24, 1864: Birth of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Nov. 24, 1962: !e West Berlin branch of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany forms another party, the Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin.

Nov. 24, 1963: Lee Harvey Oswald ( JFK’s supposed assassinator) is assassinated by Jack Ruby on live television.

Nov. 24, 1974: Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discover “Lucy,” a 40 percent complete skeleton of an Australopithecus afarensis, in Ethiopia (suggested to have been named after !e Beatles’ song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”).

Nov. 24, 1991: Death of singer Freddie Mercury.

Nov. 25, 1867: Alfred Nobel patents dynamite.

Nov. 25, 1952: Agatha Christie’s murder-mystery play, !e Mousetrap, opens in London, and eventually becomes the longest continuously-running play in history.

Nov. 26, 43 BCE: !e Second Triumvirate is formed with Julius

A weekly compilation by Sarah RobinsonThis week in history

Caesar’s nephew Octavian (later Augustus), Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

Nov. 26, 1504: Death of Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Nov. 26, 1778: Captain James Cook lands in the Hawaiian Islands, becoming the first European to set foot in Maui.

Nov. 27, 1095: Pope Urban II declares the First Holy Crusade.

Nov. 27, 1927: !e first Macy’s

!anksgiving Day Parade is held in New York City.

Nov. 27, 1955: Birth of everyone’s favourite science guy, Bill Nye.

Nov. 28, 1814: !e London Times is printed for the first time using steam powered presses, which signaled the beginning of the availability of newspapers for the masses.

Nov. 28, 1943: !e Tehran Conference – Franklin D. Roosevelt,

Sir Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin meet in Iran to discuss war strategy.

Nov. 29, 1780: Death of Austrian Empress, Maria !eresa (mother of Marie Antoinette).

Nov. 29, 1831: Death of writer Louisa May Alcott.

Nov. 29, 1898: Birth of writer C.S. Lewis.

Nov. 29, 1922: Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun’s tomb to the public.

FNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • FEATURES • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 17

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Send your burning questions to:argosy@mta.ca Subject: Sex Bomb

Bailey Edgemont

!is will be the last question and answer column of the term. If anyone still has sexual questions that they want answered, email argosy@mta.ca, attention Bailey Edgemont, and they will be covered in a sex column next term.

Dear Bailey, I have been sexually active for about

a couple years now, and though I’ve never had an STI test or anything like that, I have noticed a funny smell coming from down there. I was wondering if it’s anything serious or if I should get it checked out?

Sexually Active But Uninformed

Dear SABU, Once you do become sexually active,

you should get checked out every year. !e rates of HPV are astronomically high on university campuses, so even if you’ve only had sex once, you could have come in contact with the virus.

As for your funny smell, does it smell fishy? Do you have a “cottage cheese” discharge and pain, because if so, it’s likely a yeast infection. Does it hurt when you pee? If so, you may have the Clap. If you notice anything di#erent down there, smell, colour, whatever, you should get it checked out, because it could be the sign of a problem.

If you have any questions about your sexual wellbeing, or general health, then you should see the nurse in the Wellness Centre on campus.

Dear Bailey, I never remember to take my birth

control, I always miss one pill, maybe two, and I’ve had a couple of close calls recently. I was wondering if you could maybe go over some of the monthly options out there.

Afraid Of Pregnancy

Dear AOP, If you cannot remember to take a pill

everyday, there are a couple of monthly options that might suit your needs.

!ere’s the Patch, which works kind of like the nicotine patch, except you’re getting estrogen instead. You stick it on your body at the start of the month, leave it on for three weeks, and then take it o# during the fourth week, which is when you menstruate. !e patch is good for people who are traveling and don’t want to carry pills around with them or for people that want a monthly option. Just a note though, if you’re having really rough sex, on a carpeted surface, the patch won’t stay on, so you must remember to put it someplace where it can stay relatively safely for three weeks.

!ere is also the NuvaRing, which is a jelly ring that you insert into your vagina so it circles around your cervix, and able to give hormones directly. You insert this at the beginning of the month, take it out three weeks later, and then for the fourth week, you menstruate. !is is a more expensive option; so think about how much money you want to spend before you sign up.

One last one, and I’m only mentioning this so you don’t take it, but there’s Depo, which is an injection you get every three months. While you’re on this, you won’t have a period and it’s a progesterone-only drug. However, women under the age of 35 are strongly

Q&As

discouraged to take this form of birth control, as it will prevent the absorption of calcium by your body, which may lead to osteoporosis and other bone disorders later in life.

If I were you, I would talk this over with your doctor to make sure you understand each option.

Dear Bailey, I’ve been out of the dating scene for

a number of years, and I don’t know how to get back in the game. Where do people even pick up anymore? Do you have any ideas?

Lost And Confused

Dear LAC, Well, there’s the usual bar option.

You can try Club L, for more of the pub ‘ho scene, Ducky’s for the more intellectual one (though not so when people are shitfaced) and the Pub for more of a relaxed student-only feel.

Other than that, I’ve found the library to be the best place to pick up, as it’s more of a social mecca than anything. Just coast along, pretending to look for a book, until you stumble on someone cute, and ask them some questions about the book they’re reading.

You could also try a café or a restaurant, maybe during the day, and strike up a random conversation with someone there.

My favourite place to pick up is actually a bookstore, like Chapters, or something similar. I aim for the cooking section, and then ask people questions about the books they have or pretend I don’t know how to cook and ask them for advice.

Good luck!

Emily Bird Argosy Correspondent

As the holidays approach, visions of open fires, sounds of sleigh bells, and perfumes of eggnog, cinnamon, and turkey envelope the atmosphere, but these delectable festivities would not be as sensational without the flurry of excessive holiday glamour.

Dressing for the holidays is a quintessential element that plays out the whimsical atmosphere of the season, flourishing dreary cloudy days with classic elements of personal decor. ‘Tis the season where one brings out their treasure chest of rich silks, royal gems, shimmering cocktail dresses, and floor grazing ball gowns.

When sophistication is paraded during its prime season of the year, there is no excuse for anybody to be a wall-flower. Every event is an occasion to play up vintage frocks and costume jewellery.

!is holiday season, designers more than simply pleased the anxiously awaiting crowds of shoppers as they

awaited the arrival of glamourous frocks to garnish and congest their closets. !is season, festive events will enchant guests ever more so as traditional celebrations will be elaborated in reinvented frocks.

Designers presented their clientele with ravishing cocktail creations, delectable baby dolls, and enchanting gowns in a remarkable spectrum of embellished hues. Designers were not holding back at all regarding modern reinvented looks.

Colour was experimented with as the classic black was obscured by beaming colours, particularly berry brights in magentas, plums, and violets that were admired in numerous delicate collections such as that of Dior.

Hit a high note in an adorable fuschia confection embellished with a dazzling statement broach. If you would like to opt for another manner of setting a fun tone, adorn your porcelain winter skin in a short coloured sequined piece in colours such as forest green or royal blue. Play it up with a belt to accentuate your waist, and slip on those rule breaking high pumps; the ensemble will surely

bring out the fun in the night.If you prefer a less pronounced

manner of costume indulgence, ordain yourself in one of the romantic frocks that paraded down this season’s catwalk. A soft rose hue compliments the majority of skin tones. Some may think that one’s dress may be boring, but with a black satin bow around the waist and vintage rhinestone detail will evoke complete soft elegance.

If you are one to sport modern reinvented looks, don the new take on the tuxedo; menswear was seen on runways of both genders this holiday. Fashionistas of all genres can sport this look whether they are thrive or shy away from colour. !e black and white confections this year were decked in glittery vintage embellishments of gold and silver, adding a hint of crafty fine art inspiration.

Lastly, the little black number; never one to lose it’s esteemed value amongst the holiday flair. Black is definitely not to be associated with bore as designers proved otherwise with their array of textured style ingredients. Designers, such as Bill Blass, did a take on modern

!e perfect holiday recipe Audrey Hepburn elegance with short little numbers accentuated with tulle, tinsel and other festive details that brought about the holiday atmosphere. If you wish to add a sliver of colour, sport a dainty satin handbag, or set the mood in a pair of patent cranberry heels.

!is is the season to sparkle and shine in a many fashions that please your

taste. Seek inspiration from seasonal staples such as shades of forest green, rich cranberry, luxurious golds, shiny metallics, and glittering berry hues. You may be shy at first to done some of the holiday frocks, but as many events are held at night in dimmed light, the combination of sparkle and glitter make this season a most epitomized season for style.

PopSugar.com

A piece from the Betsey Johnson collection.

ARTS & LITERATURE

Overnight crosswalks, man-hole covers, and streets were transformed into giant boot prints, zippers, and jungles of vines and wildlife. Responsible for the larger than life stenciled art was Montreal native Peter Gibson or as he was known from 2001 to 2004 before his arrest, Roadsworth.

Citizens and o!cials of Montreal woke up perplexed by the many stenciled tra!c markers. Gibson worked at night and kept his paint cans – yellow spray paint was the artist’s first choice but he branched out over the years - hidden up his sleeve while he completed his designs.

Using large stencils that he designed and prepared himself, Gibson moved through Montreal for almost three years without getting caught. He never signed his name.

On November 29, 2004, Montreal police arrested Gibson and charged him with more than 50 counts of public mischief and vandalism. "e apartment Gibson shared with two other roommates was searched and his designs confiscated in a manner akin to crime movies where the cops strew belongings across apartment floors. For the duration of his endeavour, Montrealers could decide whether Gibson’s work was art or vandalism. After his arrest, the public cried out for Gibson’s release. Several galleries and online art collectors began campaigns

protesting the government’s charges against Gibson.

"e artist maintains today that he owes the government’s eventual lenient decision to the public. In a statement on his website, Gibson says, “…news of my arrest from both alternative and mainstream media … garnered a certain amount of public support.” In the end, Gibson received what he called a “slap on the wrist” in the form of a $250 fine and 40 hours of community service.

Since the conclusion of "e City of Montreal vs. Roadsworth case, Gibson has received commissions from the city of Montreal, arts festivals, Cirque du Soleil, Tour du France, schools, and charities for this colourful and thought provoking stencil art. "e artist says while he has been asked if he considers accepting commissions as selling out, he doesn’t know.

Originally Roadsworth began spray painting bike paths. Gibson was tired of riding his bike on roads ruled by cars and other transport vehicles. He said that the government had been “encouraging” environmentally friendly alternatives to fuel use since he was a kid – the stencils became a way to address the lack of bike paths in Montreal.

Inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy – a British landscape artist – and liberated by the crushing events of 9/11, Gibson said he began the works as acts of activism. Eventually the work turned into an art project – a fact Gibson does not lament. "e artist maintains that the work was an act of expression, a need for voice and

Montreal masked artist Roadsworth is thrust into fame with discovery and documentaryBike paths, spray paint, and arrests

to not feel helpless. As the coverage of his work grows, Gibson feels the message has become less about what he is trying to say and more so about how he is doing it.

Gibson was back in the news recently as the National Film Board of Canada and Loaded Pictures joined together to create Roadsworth: Crossing the Line. "e documentary by filmmaker Alan Kohl follows Gibson from his 2004 arrest through the resulting trial, publicity and continuation of his work. Created from over two hundred hours of footage, the documentary provides a view into Gibson’s creative process and his thoughts as events developed.

"e documentary was released last week as part of the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM) in Montreal. It will be released to theatres nationally in the upcoming months.

Gibson understands other’s frustration at his earlier work. He says in his online statement, “…after all, who am I to impose my opinions on others? I don‘t pretend to have answers for anything and the complexity of the world is beyond the scope of my understanding…” While the work currently appears to be only commissions, the artist still vehemently believes in free expression – even if it breaks a few rules. Gibson says, “…I still believe that I have the right to ask “Who are you to push hamburgers on me?” or “Who are you to pollute my air?” or “Who are you to tell me to go to war?””

Once compared to the British gra!ti artist, Banksy, the Montreal artist Gibson continues to complete his stencil art across Canada and in other countries – active in both his beliefs and his art.

Julie StephensonArgosy Staff

After his arrest, Gibson received commissions from the city of Montreal to create bike paths like the one above.

Roadsworth worked under the cover of night with stencils and spray paint cans hidden in his sleeves.

roadsworth.com

roadsworth.com

Fans of bilingual theatre are getting an early Christmas present as Mount Allison’s Tintamarre theatre troupe prepares for their semester-ending show. "is year’s performance is entitled Argument, and deals with a young girl named Ernestine (played by Dominique Piché) who, like all teenagers, is having some trouble relating to her family. As a way of dealing with (or perhaps escaping) them, Ernestine keeps a journal. One night she is surprised when the journal, in human form, enters her room and begins re-enacting scenes from her life.

"e re-enacted scenes centre mainly on "or, an aspiring sculptor who Ernestine has met and befriended. Needless to say, Ernestine’s upper-class parents don’t approve of their darling daughter’s association with the young artist. But all is not well at home, either. Ernestine’s father is losing his job, and her mother is finding coping somewhat di!cult.

"or and his artist friends, who all hang out at a local café, seem to be met with opposition on all sides. Stephen Arstalker, a conservative politician, is opposed to some of the radical ideas championed by "or and his group. Arstalker’s character bears a striking resemblance to a certain arts-funding slashing Prime Minister we all know

and love. Especially those of us in the process of getting art degrees.

Featuring a cast and crew of 51, Argument is a musical comedy that comments on the influence of the arts in society, and the opposition surrounding them. "e characters in the show represent opposing viewpoints on the subject; some believe that the arts are a waste of time, while others like "or and Ernestine believe that they are essential to forming healthy, engaged communities. In light of today’s politics, Argument is especially pertinent. "e show’s writer and director, Alex Fancy, has never been afraid to tackle current events in the Tintamarre shows. “Early in my career I started to experiment with theatre as a way of supporting French language acquisition, and found that the results surpassed my expectations!” says Fancy. He explains that while traditional teaching methods, theatre allows students to play with more non-verbal methods such as physicality, music, rhythm, intonation, and gesture.

Tintamarre was started up as a company in the eighties, and has only grown since then. To date, the company has staged over a hundred productions, and has also produced plays for special occasions such as seminars and conferences. Argument, like other Tintamarre productions, will be toured to schools in the Maritimes in a slightly revised version. Tintamarre plays have toured to schools in six provinces and two countries. Fancy has also

given workshops in the ‘Tintamarre Method’ in six di#erent countries. He is committed to student-centered learning, and to empowering students who want to shape their own learning experiences.

Although Fancy writes the final script, Tintamarre shows are formed based on brainstorming sessions, feedback, and suggestions from actors and participants. Like all Tintamarre shows, Argument also features original music, composed this year by Landon Braverman and Spencer Yarnell. Students are also involved in the writing process – Argument features

a scene written by Denis Cormier. Sets and costumes were once again designed by Decima Mitchell, and lighting was designed by Paul Del Motte. "is year features the largest cast and crew to ever volunteer. "ere are 31 actors on the stage, and a crew of 20 more behind the scenes. "e cast and crew represent eight provinces and territories, and nearly every program at the university. "ere are also three members from the U.S.

"e company began production on September 16, and have been working steadily since then. “I am deeply moved by the generosity, talent, and

Tintamarre’s ArgumentA preview of the bilingual theatre troupe’s latest production

team spirit of the designers, crew, and cast who have created this very high-energy show, a bilingual comedy with 48 characters, four songs, and much humour and satire – a perfect late-November tonic!” says Fancy.

Argument opened on Wednesday, November 26 at 8 pm, and runs until Saturday, November 29. "ursday, November 27 is pay-what-you-can night. It has been my own personal experience that Tintamarre shows rarely disappoint, and Argument looks promising. So take a break from your pre-exam panicking and go find out what everybody’s arguing about?

Julie CruikshankArgosy Staff

Ernestine’s (Dominique Piché) journal comes to life in Tintamarre’s Argument.

Emily Jewer

ANOVEMBER 27, 2008 • ARTS & LITERATURE • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 19

&L

TORONTO (CUP) – Mike raises his sketchbook above his head.

“Signaling the universal call of the sketch artist,” he says, laughing. It must be, because as soon as he does, people around him start sliding sketchbooks out of their knapsacks.

"ey approach him asking: “Excuse me, are you here for the subway sketches?”

A group gathers and begins chatting about the zombies roaming around the Toronto Transit Commission subway until, inevitably, the conversation lands and sticks on Bobby Chiu.

Chiu, a life-drawing professor at Sheridan College and director and owner of Imaginism Studios and Schoolism – Imaginism’s school of digital art – started the subway sketch group in 2005.

Since then, the group has met consistently every Sunday at 3:30 pm along the Union Station subway platform in Toronto. "e conversation turns back to zombies when, casually, Chiu walks up and joins the group.

“Oh, Bobby’s here,” one artist says in awe, tipping-o# those unaware that this short, broad-shouldered, leather-clad man chatting and shaking hands is Chiu.

Chiu says hello to those he knows and introduces himself to those he doesn’t. He asks the group if they are ready to leave. "ose who have already started sketching raise their heads from their sketchbooks and nod while others excitedly respond, “Let’s go.”

When the next train pulls into Union Station, the group of artists shu$e aboard and sit in a tight group. "ose without a seat hold their sketchbooks close to their chests and wait for a seat to open up, knowing the group will be switching subway lines soon. At St. George Station, the artists file out and transfer onto the Bloor line.

It’s busy, so they spread out, searching for any seat available. "eir feet teeter on tip-toe, supporting their sketchbooks; others cross their legs, making a desk – either way, the artists’ legs hide beneath masses of paper.

Chiu takes two full seats to do his work. "ere is silence: no talking, only the scratching of pencils, and the screeching of wheels.

"ose who have been here before anticipate the jerks of the subway and lift their pencils.

“It’s usually not this bad,” says Chiu, while others sigh and grunt in frustration as their lines go o#-course. “Initially, the whole idea [behind subway sketching] was so that I could go and get away from my studio work, do some drawing for myself, but I always like to teach, so it kind of just organically changed into what it is today,” he says.

He found a lot of people were sending him e-mails for help.

“It’s easy to write an e-mail asking how to draw hands, and it takes me forever to respond, so I figured if they come out and meet me on the subway, they put in the e#ort, so I’ll put in the e#ort to teach them.”

Most have found a seat. Some sit on their own, others in pairs, as they workshop their sketches. It’s a comfortable setting and the artists share mutual respect and criticism. All of them are here to learn from one another.

Two artists even sit together with one sketchpad, working on a single sketch together. Mike Seravalle, a third-year English major at York University, sits huddled against one of

the barriers beside the exits. He’s in a race with an artist he’s sketching.

Hands move frantically, veins pop, lips squeeze between teeth, and his eyes dart between page and subject.

His headphones are on, head bouncing, and mind elsewhere. Seravalle zips through face after face in a frenzy of sketching adrenaline. He chooses his next victim, slashes their lines on the page – his lips curved, head and back hunched over.

Chiu sits with his legs crossed, body drooped and relaxed, his hair softly tied in a ponytail and floating above his head, while his bottom lip protrudes. Chiu seems more relaxed than Seravalle, lazy even, entranced and thoughtful, not frantic.

Beside him, another artist inks deliberately, choosing every line carefully. Once Seravalle finishes, he shows his friend.

“Sorry, you turned out too menacing; my sketches always turn out so sinister.” Chiu overhears them and asks if they would like some tips.

Seravalle sits beside him, handing him his sketchbook. "e others down the subway notice the instruction and quickly scurry over to listen. It turns into a little school session, a mini-lesson on simplifying characters and

capturing their essence.“With caricatures, the idea is you

don’t wanna look for the exact lines to copy,” Chiu begins. “It’s not about just enlarging features and shrinking them down; it’s about getting the essence of the character.”

“Ask yourself questions that describe the character, almost like a criminal lineup,” he adds.

Chiu picks a caricature already sketched by Seravalle and sketches his version while instructing.

“"e best way to draw things you aren’t familiar with is to relate it to things that you do know. You might not know how the toque sits on his head, but to me it kinda looks like a condom, so I’ll push that humour into the sketch.”

After instruction, Seravalle goes back to his seat. His hand simmers, his lips tighten, his headphones come o#, and his leg cross like Chiu’s.

He rests his head in his hand, contemplating, before slashing lines onto the page. Chiu spends the remainder of the afternoon traveling up and down the subway train o#ering tips and advice.

“He [Chiu] even told me how to use a pencil. I improved like crazy by holding the pencil the right way for

Students take art classes on Toronto subwaySketch artists meet at Union Station every Sunday for some instruction and adviceAlex ConsiglioExcalibur (York University)

One of Bobby Chiu’s subway sketches.

The Sunday Subway Sketchers on a field trip to the Toronto Zoo.

...Hands move frantically, veins pop, lips squeeze between teeth, and his eyes dart between page and subject... ”“

sketching,” says Alex, an artist hoping to enroll at Sheridan College. "ose riding the subway don’t seem to mind the artists. Rather, they curiously sneak peeks at their sketchbooks and look away when caught.

One lady, drawn into watching one artist sketch, sits with her novel hanging open in her hands, her eyes remaining locked on the artist’s sketchbook and ignoring her book.

"e artists that make it out come for the advice, but also the security. Chiu explains that when artists travel in groups, those around them can tell it’s for educational purposes.

“By yourself it’s completely di#erent. People can be intimidating, but in groups we’re the intimidating ones,” he said.

"e group will continue to meet every Sunday, and passengers will continue to gaze on in wonder. "e artists lend their knowledge to one another, in a reciprocal and mutually respectful way. "ey critique each other’s work and o#er tips for improvement.

“"at’s why I like this idea, because it’s all positive vibes. We’re not here to make money, we’re here for the art of it,” Chiu says.

Art is expensive. In today’s auctions fine art can be sold for prices ranging from the thousands to millions. Prices for entrance to galleries and exhibitions climb higher all the time. However, there is one individual who would like to change the system. Adam Neate, an artist from England, decided to place and leave 1000 pieces of his own artwork across the streets of London in a rather large and unique art show. "e signed art pieces were left for people to find and essentially do with as they pleased. "e plan was put into action on Friday November 14, when Neate and his helpers spread out though the streets of London just past dusk to distribute the art pieces under the cover of the night. "e next morning residents of the city awoke to find the art show “Street Art Action” had occurred in their very own front yards. Multitudes of paintings and sculptures were placed in locations all across London; from the rich to the poor neighbourhoods, to the great landmarks and lesser known

areas of London. Of course, the artist did not do this alone. Neate received approximately a million euros in funding in order to perform this amazing feat and essentially give away his art. Each painting would have been worth about %43,000 if it had been sold through the art market. Each two and three dimensional piece was made with recycled cardboard boxes used as canvas. All of the pieces have a complex layering style coupled with a bold use of paint colour that completes a style recognizable as Neate’s. Each of Neate’s works were made unique with an intricate and individual combination of stamping and printing placed upon it. "e inspiration for this unusual art show can be found in Neate’s past. Before artistic success, Neate painted constantly as an escape from his ordinary day job. However, he did not have enough room in his apartment for all his artwork, and so decided to leave them outside charity shops for people to claim. He would leave dozens and dozens of paintings behind; when returning the next day he would often find paintings in the same place he had left them. Fortunately,

this eventually led to an art gallery soliciting his work. Since then his art has raised substantially in value, selling for as much as %80,000 at auction. However, the question remains, why would someone whose artwork is that valuable leave it on the streets for just anybody to see or take home? For Neate the answer is simply that

art should not be exclusive. Rather it should be free and open to all those who have not experienced it, from the young to the old. Neate has said that he did not really care what happened after he left the pieces in the streets. He allows that people can do with them as they please, whether it is to take them home and put them on their walls, or in the

trash can. "e main idea he wanted to express was that art should be accessible to ordinary people to experience and view in di#erent environments. It is a puzzling situation to think about and can potentially stir up a lot of controversy. On the one hand you people should have the same accessibility to art whether on the streets or in the gallery. On the other hand, many artists struggle and work hard every day to try and make a living through getting exhibitions in galleries and making a name for themselves by having their work bought by collectors. Perhaps one solution would be for artists to receive welfare payments from the government under the condition where they happened to be recognized and employed by a gallery, but also were not making enough to live on from their art sales. "is seems reasonable considering self-employed citizens are able to apply for welfare, and yet artists cannot when they are essentially working within society. Society can have a tendency to take advantage of something that artists love to do, making life exceptionally hard for some. However, it could be that very struggle which gives the

Art on the streetsA rebellion against gallery fees?Jennifer MusgraveArgosy Correspondent

...viewing art is rather cheap when considered along side everything else we spend money on in our everyday lives. !e reality of the matter is that attendance at art galleries is low...

“

”

artist their inspiration. So where does the validity lie? Should the complaints about high gallery and exhibition prices be taken seriously? Or are those prices valid in that they pay for artists’ continued inspiration and work? People may complain about art galleries charging up to $20 to view their exhibits, but those same people may also pay up to as much as $20 or more to go to the movies, a theme park, or even a concert. In some cases art galleries don’t even have any charge at all - Mount Allison’s own art gallery the Owens charges no admission. In retrospect, viewing art is rather cheap when considered along side everything else we spend money on in our everyday lives. "e reality of the matter is that attendance at art galleries is low; about 25 per cent of Canadians visit an art gallery at least once a year and one million of which are children. "e real issue here is whether people (or more precisely the government) should be allowed to take art for granted by cutting funding left, right, and centre, and not helping out those artists who contribute to the building of our cultural identity.

Imaginismstudios.com

Imaginismstudios.com

HUMOUR

ARIES (March 21-April 20) — Have you ever noticed that when your life starts to get boring, BAM! Something comes a long and snaps you out of your comfort zone. Maybe it’s a pop quiz, maybe it’s a paper, maybe it’s a bad case of crabs. Whatever your shock will be, try to prepare yourself for the worst this week Aries. You’ll thank me later. TAURUS (April 21-May 21 ) — You’ll have money problems this week Taurus, so BE CAREFUL! Sure, buying everyone a round seemed like a good idea last night - but remember those who can afford to do laundry. Just ask the lonely stinky bastard in my English class. No one loves his stinky drunk ass.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) — Fuck off.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) — Things have been getting you down lately Cancer. But don’t worry! Your time will come. Maybe it’ll be a small victory - like finding your cheque book. Maybe it’ll be a big victory - like finding your cheque book.

LEO (July 23-August 23) — I think the people behind Special K are full of shit! All it is - is flattened out Rice Krispies! They charge like 7 bucks a box for that shit! Don’t be a sucker this week Leo.

VIRGO (August 24-September 22) — I miss being young and carefree. So do you - let’s go to Crystal Palace and ride the Roller coaster till we puke! If you aren’t up for that we can just get drunk on vodka and Kool-Aid,

buy some plastic swords and play fight in the Swan Pond.

LIBRA (September 23-October 23) — Ok Libra - let’s skip the swords, go straight to the heavy drinking and hook up in the Swan Pond.

SCORPIO (October 24-November 22) — Let’s skip the Swan Pond, go back to the swords and hooking up. We can role-play at my place. Safe Word: Bananas.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23-December 21) — I had a dream last night - you were in it. You had a broom in one hand and a huge block of cheese in the other and you kept referencing Jack Black. I asked you to buy a gardening tool, and you said I had toilet paper stuck to my shoe. Stay away from cheap drugs.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 20) — No matter what happens this week, Capi, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, tell a cop to “Put it on my tab.” Bad shit will happen to you, and your “purdy mouth” when in prison (did that go too far? Maybe a little).

AQUARIUS (January 21 -February 18) — Flannel is totally making a comeback, Aquarius, and you should totally spearhead the trend. It’s warm AND it’s sexy - what more could you want in a fabric?

PISCES (February 19-March 20) — Don’t drink and drive. On second thought, don’t drive. I’ve seen you on the roads - it’s fucking terrifying.

Iosotdoqft"

Cz!Nbebn!Tubscfbn-!xio!jt!bxftonf

CCSS

Creative Writing Society

HNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • HUMOUR • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 21

I remember back in the

days before Sidekicks

when people used to

actually talk to each

other. But how could

texting not be so cool?

I mean, even when you

call someone you can’t

recreate the magic of the

text “Fruuuuuunk!!!11!”

Texting has the same appeal of drunk Facebooking,

a recreational sport that has also grown in

popularity over the past few years. Gone are the days

of restraint where people would try to minimize their

impact on the world in an inebriated state. Now,

even people who are thousands of miles away must

be informed of your debauchery, but hey, you’re

a university student so drunk dialing is way too

much effort. A phone call can’t convey the same

emotion as the text message “durnk and stripping!

Where you aat?” Really, the text message just

represents our generation’s need to increased social

networking and companionship. Because when

you’re alone and drunk, the text messages brings

everyone a little closer together.

I’d like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 autogyro?

Hey y’all, we need you buckaroos to rustle up some funny hoot en

annies for us to use in this here

paper, dangnabbit

getonouttahere you dirty old

kiote I’ll string you from a tree.

So write for humour and be famous cowboy!

You’all come back now Bye!

Overheard at Mount A:

1. “Last night, I said something so un-

grammatically correct.”

2. A: “Don’t have babies.

B: “From your ass?”

3. “She’s doing it with salmon

Sperm...” (I think she was talking

about a science experiment...)

4. “I love the church of orgasm! I go

once a week, plus i go to the normal

church, so I’m extra holy.

5. I want to have sex witha balloon,

like those guys on the internet

Credit: Sebatian Avery

“Aliens” By Adrian Binakaj - !e Nexus (Camosun College)

QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH NOAH AND STUART: When did texting get to be so cool?Well, I pondered the question

for while before concluding

that I personally didn’t have

the resources to answer it. Since

most telecoms’ data plans make

texting prohibitively expensive

(a recent study concluded that,

per megabyte, data sent down

from the orbiting Hubble Space

Telescope is cheaper than text sent

from phone to phone, at least in

the UK), I’ve never really got into

it. However, I reasoned that my

compatriot’s obvious enthusiasm

for the activity made him a perfect subject to examine. It was

the work of a moment to design a AI routine and insinuate

humorous picture attachment. Extensive observation, through

the phone’s camera, of his texting behaviour has revealed texts’

seeming purpose - for telling the world one is drunk.

time in the history of the august advice column that I fully

agree with him.

Crosby slips it in at the end of the period.

HPAGE 22 • THE ARGOSY • HUMOUR • NOVEMBER 27, 2008

Ok, since nobody has yet to answer my trivia question. It still stands, “Why did Han Solo say he did the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs when this is a unit of measure-

ment and not time?” Emailanswer to ARGOSY@mta.ca Subject: HUMOUR TRIVIA

First person to do so wins something.

CCSS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Geek Chic of the Week

Barring a few notable exceptions, most geeks’ cooking expertise doesn’t extend beyond the microwave (or even the chip bag). !is frying pan, with a temperature sensor built right into it, displays the surface temperature of the pan via a display built into the handle. USD$49.99 is a small price to pay for scientific replicability of one’s cookery.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeo"ce/kitchen/a7a9/

November 27, 2008:Digital Thermometer Pan

!e recent spate of modern-day piracy - eight vessels seized in just two weeks - has taken many Canadians by surprise. ‘Piracy’, to most people, brings to mind swashbuckling adventure and the Jolly Roger (or perhaps basement-dwelling geeks stealing music), not headlines like the New York Times’ “Indian Navy Says It Sank Pirate Ship”. Despite this, the recent hijacking of the Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star by Somali pirates is only the latest, most brazen move in a decades-long war between pirates and commercial shippers that has passed largely unnoticed by most North American media.

Even so, piracy is on the rise - but so is the complexity of the countermeasures being deployed against it. From high-powered water hoses to ‘sound guns’, all sorts of advanced technology is on o#er to once-defenseless ships to hold their own against the predations of pirates.

As pirates approach in the dark of night, a British-made C-Vigil thermal camera (thoroughly waterproofed, of course) can monitor their heat-signatures’ approach from a staggering 3.6km. As they draw alongside the ship, the now-alerted crew could man their remote-controlled water cannons and knock the pirates from their boarding craft at a range of 100m.

If that doesn’t work, a right-angled 9000-volt electric fence from the Netherlands’ Secure-Marine bolted to

the ship’s hull could easily knock would-be hijackers back into the ocean. An even more esoteric defensive weapon, the “MAD array”, uses planar magnetic drivers under computer control to directionally project ridiculously loud sounds. HPV Technologies, the US company responsible, claims that an array of eight is capable of 120dB at 60m - a sound about as loud as a jet engine at 20m!

!e pirates, on the other hand, have an array of decidedly low-tech, yet e#ective, tricks up their sleeves. Eavesdropping on VHF radio tra"c allows pirates to tap into maritime communications, and UN-mandated Automatic Identification Systems transmit all sorts of information about cargo ships to those who can intercept them. Wooden boats protect pirates from being noticed on radar, and donning wetsuits e#ectively eliminate any thermal signature from pirates’ bodies. Once the pirates steal up to the ship undetected, good old fashioned rocket-propelled grenades cause more than enough chaos to allow a successful capture.

As of the moment, only a tiny fraction of ships have any of the high-tech deterrents just discussed, but wooden boats and wetsuits aren’t hard to come by. Plus, say experts, stabilizing governments of currently-piratical nations will be far more e#ective in the long run than any defensive gadget.

!at said, if things were to get too dicey and the abandon-ship sounded, I’d appreciate having a couple of Russian manufacturer Sensum’s bulletproof lifejackets lying around.

Modern age of piracy

Stuart TownsendArgosy Staff

!ere has been a load of hype surrounding the new format for home entertainment known as Blu-ray. !ese discs are new, expensive, and, according to the advertisments, incredible. Being a skeptical person I decided to test that statement when my friend got an HDTV and a Blu-ray player. All I could say was “Holy crow.”

When watching a regular DVD on a regular TV with a DVD player the picture looks pretty good, right? When you put a Blu-ray Disc in a Blu-ray player and watch it on a full 1080p HDTV, the picture, naturally, looks pretty good. Here’s where the di#erence comes into play: when you watch a Blu-ray disc on that wonderful masterpiece of a TV then put the DVD version of the same movie in a DVD player to watch it on that same beautiful TV, it is like taking someone with 20/20 vision and putting a veil over their head. !e di#erence is insane.

I have terrible vision to begin with but when I watch a Blu-ray disc I can see the little things that everyone else sees in the theatre (but that I would totally miss on a DVD) and when I watch a DVD on an HDTV it’s just like taking o# my glasses; the picture is pixelated, blurry around the edges, the sound isn’t as good, and forget about being able to read anything written on a sign in the background (or even the foreground, for that matter).

Another factor in Blu-ray’s dominance is durability. !e biggest complaint that I hear most often regarding DVDs is how fragile they are. One fingerprint, one little piece of dust, a little bump on the table, and the DVD is basically useless. With Blu-ray you can literally rub it on a dirty counter like you’re trying to wax Mr. Miagi’s car and it will still look great and play perfectly. As far as I can tell the only way to break these discs is by taking a very sharp knife directly to the surface and pushing very hard on the disc until it breaks (and I mean very hard).

!e greatest thing about Blu-ray (and the one thing that made me really mad about DVDs replacing VHS) is that Blu-ray players can play DVDs. !is means that you only have to replace the titles you want to replace in your DVD library; you don’t need to throw out all your carefully collected movies and spend tons of money all over again on the same thing. !ere are some movies which need to be watched on Blu-ray: action, adventure, epics like Lord of the Rings - the picture just looks a million times better. Movies that you wouldn’t even go to the theatre to see (such as comedies or dramas) don’t necessarily call for Blu-ray.

If you’re on the fence about upgrading to the new home entertainment technology (and don’t believe this article), go and ask someone who’s seen it. It really is as amazing as they say.

Blu is the new blackAlexandra TherouxArgosy Correspondant

Captain Blackbeard’s methods meet Tom Clancy’s technological deterrents

To say that Ziad Fazah is an anomaly is a bit of an understatement; once courted by the United Nations and several intelligence agencies, this Brazilian language teacher claims to speak, read, and write fifty-nine languages. Born in Liberia to a Colombian father, Fazah grew up near a Lebanese sea port, where he tried to strike up conversations with sailors from all over the world. At age eleven, Fazah decided he wanted to learn all the world’s languages. Over three years (during which he never left Lebanon) Fazah studied more than fifty languages, several simultaneously, taking about three months to master each one.

Elite athletes, prodigious savants, extraordinary scientists, people with photographic memory and unusually sharp senses, as well as astute centenarians, may all share an altered brain physiology which favours their incredible abilities. But good genetics are not the end of the story.

In a recent study of adult graduates of New York’s prestigious Hunter College Elementary School (in which the mean IQ was 157, considered a “genius” score reached by only 1 in 5000 people), “there were no superstars, no Pulitzer Prize or MacArthur Award winners, and only one or two familiar names,” explained study leader Rena Subotnik. !e Hunter grads, while reasonably successful and happy with their lives, had not achieved the stratospheric achievements that their IQ scores would predict. Something was missing; an essential ingredient to translate that esoteric intelligence score to pure genius.

Intelligence tests, it has been found, do not reliably predict whether or not someone will become an astonishing mathematician or artist; conversely, neither do one’s achievements provide a predictable indicator of one’s IQ. Studies done on highly accomplished artists, chess players, scientists, and musicians found their IQs to be in the 115 to 130 range, which is in the top fourteenth percentile of the population; while this score is somewhat remarkable, much more notable are their achievements.

Pure genius, it seems, comes from a rather humble combination of natural talent, good instruction, and hard work. Anders Ericsson, professor of psychology at Florida State University, elaborates on this finding: “It’s complicated explaining how genius or expertise is created and why it’s so rare. But it isn’t magic, and it isn’t born. It happens because some critical things line up so that a person of good intelligence can put in the sustained, focused e#ort it takes to achieve extraordinary mastery...On one hand it’s encouraging: it makes me think that even the most ordinary among us should be careful about saying we can’t do great things, because people have proven again and again that most people can do something extraordinary if they’re willing to put in the exercise. On the other hand, it’s a bit overwhelming to look at what these people have to do. !ey generally invest about five times as much time and e#ort to become great as an accomplished amateur does to become competent.”

While genetics may allow one person’s synapses to be constructed faster than another’s, the number and strength of the nerve connections which store memories and skill only increase in proportion to how often and how vigorously a lesson is repeated. Intense practise creates neural networks of prodigious expertise, but the time must still be invested in order to create them.

Researchers have even pinpointed the amount of time one needs to work in a given field to reach world-class proficiency; the average amount of

time it takes a swimmer to land a spot on an Olympic team, or for top concert pianists and researchers to achieve international recognition, is ten to fifteen years. Even those seemingly born with extraordinary capabilities actually just start practicing before everyone else, learning to swing a golf club or play the piano before they can walk. !rough focused, sustained, quality instruction, intense practice, and with the support of solid role models, these prodigy children are merely winners in the cosmic jackpot in terms of the perfect combination of nature and nurture which results in genius.

If the major barrier to brilliance is hard work, then there is the possibility that each one of us has as yet untapped reserves of potential genius. In this vein, Allan Snyder of Australia’s Centre for the Mind is creating a controversial “genius machine.” Snyder’s technique involves turning o# certain parts of the brain via transcranial magnetic stimulation (or TMS; a fairly common procedure in hospitals) to allow subjects to access their genius, which he claims is normally obscured by the conscious mind. !e idea arose from the phenomenon of incredibly talented but mentally compromised autistic savants; however, it has been argued that these savant skills are naught but highly refined copying. Many experts sco# at Snyder’s ideas and inconclusive results, but past examples of brain damage revealing amazing abilities suggest there may be some truth to what he is saying.

Maybe it would just be easier to work like crazy.

You, too, can become a geniusKelly O’ConnorArgosy Staff

With a lot of effort and some talent, you can be as smart as Einstein

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

http://www.chess-theory.com/

CELEBRATE HISTORICAL PARADIGMSAND INDEPENDENT MEDIA

SPORTS & FITNESS

It was an up-and-down day for everyone associated with Mount Allison football on !ursday, November 20. While two members of the 2008 squad were selected to the first All-Canadian team, a search was declared to look for a head coach for the 2009 season through the 2011 season.

In Hamilton at the All-Canadians banquet, Gary Ross and Callan Exeter were selected as All-Canadians.

Ross, a third-year student from Windsor, Ontario, was named to the first team squad as a receiver and the second team as a returner, one of two players in the CIS to be on both the first and second teams. He led the AUS in receptions with 47, which is one short of the AUS record of 48 held by Grant Davy and Jermayne Baldwin. He also led the AUS in receiving yards with 675. !ose stats placed him fifth in the country in receptions and ninth in yards. For the third year in a row, the science major led the conference in all-purpose yards, racking up 1601 total yards, the fourth most ever in the AUS. Ross holds the record of 1936 all-purpose yards, which he set last year.

While his future with the Mounties is unknown, Ross has certainly been a di"erence-maker and game-changer since coming to the Mounties prior to the 2006 season. !e father of three children (Gary Jr, Denzel, and Zariyah), and husband to Tenecia, has been nationally recognized on an

annual basis, and many expect him to be able to soon make the jump to the professional ranks. !is past year he was recognized as one of the top five greatest Mounties of all-time, alongside names such as Eric Lapointe and Grant Keaney.

Exeter, a sophomore free safety from Ajax, Ontario, had an unbelievable season at his position. He demolished the AUS record for tackles in a season with 77.5, beating the previous record of 62.5. !e margin between first and second in the AUS in tackles was almost di#cult to fathom, as second place behind Exeter was Tom Labenski of Acadia with 42.5 tackles, just over half of Exeter’s total.

“I just spent a lot of time watching film,” Exeter said. “Coach Esty (Peter Estabrooks) made sure we were always prepared to come out every week and compete.”

!e 6’2” safety became the fastest man to ever reach 100 tackles in his career, with 107.5 to his credit thus far, only two years into his CIS career. His 77.5 tackles not only led the AUS but also the country. He added three interceptions this season, and was the vocal and statistical leader on the Mounties defence, which struggled against the run.

Mounties quarterback Kelly Hughes was also in attendance at the banquet, as he was nominated for the Hec Creighton trophy as Canada’s most outstanding college football player, but the award went to Laval’s Benoit Groulx. Receiver Adam Molnar and defensive tackle Scott She"er were also up for All-Canadian honours, and it is the feeling of many Mountie players and supporters that She"er got snubbed in his bid for All-Canadian. All five players have their

All-Canadian tapes uploaded online on YouTube (just search their names) for the public to view.

Earlier in the day before the banquet, the university posted on its website that it was now accepting applications for the head coaching position. Coach Kelly Je"rey, in Hamilton for the Vanier Cup festivities, could not be reached for comment.

Je"rey took over the reigns in June following the unexpected resignation of Steve Lalonde. Je"rey led the Mounties to their best record in an eight-game season since 1999, and took them to the playo"s for the first time since 1998. Many players have already taken the initiative to write to certain members of the university’s administration, voicing their opinions about who they want as their head coach next season.

“He is a very personable coach who

will do what is in the best interest of the team and the players that are on it,” fourth-year quarterback Jake Maxwell said. “He knows what it takes to unify a group of men who have been through so much.” Junior receiver Scott Brady said, “He’s a stand-up guy who all the players respect, and he is committed to this program and knows what it takes to win.”In three seasons with the Mounties, Je"rey has helped develop Kelly Hughes into an MVP quarterback, and engineered one of the most feared special teams units in the country. !e university says they will be accepting applications for the head coaching job until December 3, and hopes to have a Head Coach selected by mid-December. It is expected that Je"rey will apply.

Far Left: All-Canadian defenseman Callan Exeter returns an interception.

Left: All-Canadian receiver and returner Gary Ross returns a kick against St. FX.

Pair of football Mounties named all-CanadiansNationwide search for head coach beginsWray PerkinArgosy Staff

While their peers were at Jennings Meal Hall enjoying chicken wings, a few players hit the hardwood at the Athletic Centre to fight for a spot in the Mount Allison Varsity Indoor Soccer League (MAVISL). With two-time AUS All-Star Jules Alie and Commissioner Paul Rasbach overseeing the action, the mixture of varsity and non-varsity players played friendly, but intense four-on-four matches.

Rasbach explained that the league has been around for several seasons, but this year, they were looking to expand beyond the varsity athletes, and to encourage participation from the greater university community. While the varsity team practices throughout the winter, opening the league up to more players has the potential of discovering and cultivating potential players for the fall. Fourth year player Trevey Davis agreed, pointing out that the soccer season begins very early after the preseason, forcing the coaching sta" to make quick cuts.

One success story that he noted was Curtis Michaelis, who was cut in his first year from the squad, but earned a spot on the team in his second and fourth years, started every single game for the Soccer Mounties, winning the Student-Athlete Community Service Award for the AUS.

Commissioner Rasbach mentioned several other changes he hopes to see in MAVISL for this season. !ey are currently working on adding corporate sponsors. !ey are also hoping to incorporate a community service program with each team performing five hours per squad. With four teams in the league currently, if interest is high enough, additional teams may be added in the future to accommodate more players.

In addition to the men’s league, the women’s varsity team is starting up their own league using the four team format and an open tryout which was held on Wednesday. !ird year captain Lauren Ledwell views the women’s league as a forum for returning players to stay competitive and play soccer while also adding new players to the mix. “A lot of very talented, skilled girls tried out for the team in September,”

she says. “If that is of any indication of what the league may be like, I think the experience will be very fun and

exciting for all players involved!”Barry Cooper, head coach of the

men’s varsity team credits the over the top passion of the players as the key to the success of MAVISL. It is a player initiative, but one that he views as a good opportunity for players to stay involved with the game and with the team.

With both the men’s and women’s leagues running this winter, there will be plenty of opportunities for varsity and non-varsity players alike to get in some playing time and work on their skills.

Mount Allison Varsity Indoor Soccer League kicks o!Men’s and women’s leagues open up indoor seasons with open tryoutsNoah KowalskiArgosy Staff

A lot of very talented, skilled girls tried out for the team in September. If that is any indication of what the league may be like, I think the experience will be very fun and exciting for all players involved!

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First year striker Hilary Hamilton will join the rest of the Lady Mounties as they hit the floor for the first season of the Ladies Indoor Soccer League.

Sue Seaborn Sue Seaborn

Sue Seaborn

SNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • SPORTS & FITNESS • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 25

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!e Mounties hockey team hosted the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Saturday, and stuck with them for as long as they could. !e visitors scored a pair of goals in the waning moments to pull ahead for the 5-1 victory.

In what was star defenceman Katie Tobin’s final home game as a Mountie, the home squad fought to make it a good finale.

!e first period saw U de M pull ahead 1-0 while outshooting the Mounties 13-5. Mount Allison was able to stay in it due to strong play by goaltender Alison Heard.

A much closer second period had the Aigles Bleus score on an early powerplay to increase the lead, and shots in the second were only 9-6 for Moncton.

A Mt. A powerplay early in the third turned into disaster, as they were unable to get any shots on goal, as well as surrender a short-handed goal to Moncton captain

Kristine Labrie. Halfway through the period, the Mounties would respond. Mountie defenceman Andie Switalski took a hard shot from the point on a powerplay. !e rebound bounced right to rookie forward Katelyn Morton, who put it into an empty net for her team, leading the third powerplay goal of the season.

Moncton would score twice more before the end of regulation however, ending any hopes of a comeback. Final shot tally favoured Moncton by a count of 33-20. Neither team really got anything going on their powerplays,

with Moncton going 1-for-7 and the Mounties 1-for-8.

Heard made 28 saves in the loss, while Moncton goalie Marie-Pier Remillard stopped 19 shots for the win. !e eighth-ranked Moncton team moves to 11-0 on the season, while the Mounties fall to 3-7-1, fifth in the competitive AUS division. !ey are two points ahead of Saint Mary’s, whom they have defeated twice, and four points behind Saint !omas, who they were scheduled to play on Saturday, but that game was postponed due to the weather conditions.

Hockey Mounties lose to UdeMHard-fought game vs. eighth-ranked Aigles Bleus

!e game was the final home game of the calendar year for the Mounties, who next play in Sackville on January 17 against Dalhousie.

!e Mounties are much-improved since last season, already reaching the same number of wins all last season, and are rapidly approaching their goal total from last year. !ey are currently hanging on to a playo" spot, and should qualify as they play Saint Mary’s twice more, Dalhousie twice more, and last-place UPEI twice more in the new year.

Wray PerkinArgosy Staff

A few weeks ago the Anaheim Ducks announced that their General Manager, Brian Burke, who led them to their only Stanley Cup in 2007, was stepping down for his position. !is announcement kicked the Toronto Maple Leafs rumour mill into hyper-drive.

Toronto’s interest in Burke, and Burke’s interest in Toronto, since the Leafs fired former GM John Ferguson Jr. last February has been possibly the NHL’s worst kept secret. !e two would appear to be a perfect match. No NHL team gets more media coverage than the Maple Leafs, and few GM’s like talking to the media, for better or for worse, more than Burke. Fans of

the Vancouver Canucks, where Burke was GM for six seasons, can attest to that.

Talks between the Leafs and Burke have already begun, and current Leafs GM Cli" Fletcher has said he’ll hand the job o" to whoever is hired as he only sees himself as interim GM following the firing of Ferguson Jr.

!e winds of change may also be blowing at a higher for the Maple Leafs. Richard Peddie, President of the Leafs and Toronto Raptors ownership group Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, may also be shown the door within weeks, or at the end of the season. Peddie has come under scrutiny from the board of directors for several poor management decisions, particularly the hiring of the inexperienced and inexpensive Ferguson Jr.

Elsewhere in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators continue to dangle near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Goal scoring has been the surprising Achilles heel for them. In the month of November only Dany Heatley and Mike Fisher have more than in October.

!e Boston Bruins have emerged as genuine surprise in the NHL. Lacking any real o"ensive stars, the Bruins have built three solid scoring lines and are backed up by Tim !omas, one the top goaltenders in the NHL over the last two seasons. !e Bruins currently sit atop the Eastern Conference just three points back of the San Jose Sharks for top spot in the NHL.

!e Montreal Canadiens really seem to be missing Mark Streit so far this season. His quarterbacking the power play helped the Habs build

the NHL’s top power play last season. !e Habs power play currently sits at twenty-third in the NHL. Otherwise, the Habs have played well this season, although they have been overshadowed by North Division rival Bruins.

!e Vancouver Canucks have learned over the past few weeks just how valuable goalie, and captain, Roberto Luongo is to them, posting three consecutive shutouts and then stopping 30 of 32 shots from the Maple Leafs in a 4-2 win, allowing the Canucks to climb to top spot in the Northwest division, and third in the Western Conference. However in a game against the Penguins last Saturday, Luongo was forced to leave with a groin injury, and his status is, as of yet, unknown. Any long term injury to Luongo could be devastating for the Canucks.

NHL RoundupRumors of change in Toronto; Canucks lose valuable star

!e Mount Allison badminton squad swatted their way to a second-place finish, falling short of Université Sainte Anne by just two points at 68-66 in the first ACAA conference league tournament.

!e tournament was comprised of sectional play in both doubles and mixed doubles with the Mounties, picking up first or second-place finishes in seven sections of play and third in one section.

Brothers Justin and Brent Barkhouse provided the firepower for the men’s side, taking first place in section one, while veteran Braden Freeman teamed

up with rookie Callan Field to capture first place in their division.

Women’s doubles also had a family flavour with sisters Carrie and Heather Murray scoring a second-place finish, while Sally Ng and Alexina LePage placed second as well.

Mixed doubles saw the rookie team of Justin Barkhouse and Heather Murray take second place in division

one, while Brent Barkhouse and Carrie Murray took 10 points and a first-place finish in section three. Braden Freeman and Sally Ng finished first in section two. Rookies Field and LePage also played hard, losing in three games to the Sainte Anne team and to the Holland College squad, which knocked them down to the third spot overall.

!e Badminton Mounties travel to University of King’s College in mid-January and to Holland College before returning home in early February to host a tournament. Hopes are high and the squad is expected to challenge for the league banner when Mt. A hosts the conference championships in late February.With files from Sue Seaborn.

Badminton Mounties lose close contestSibling pairs lead Mounties to second-place finishNoah KowalskiArgosy Staff

With the loss of Luongo, how will the Canucks fare?

www.sharkspage.com

Ryan EschArgosy Correspondent

Goalie Alison Heard makes a save against UdeM. Jenna Briggs fights for the puck against a pesky UdeM Player.

Sue SeabornSue Seaborn

S PAGE 26 • THE ARGOSY • SPORTS & FITNESS • NOVEMBER 27, 2008

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TORONTO (CUP) – !e Globe and Mail recently published an article speculating that NHL governors have been informally discussing the prospect of bringing a second team to the ice in the Greater Toronto Area.

For the most part, sources have remained anonymous and contradictory, but fans have been lighting up sports talk-radio and hockey sites across the Net for weeks now about the speculation.

Is Toronto really able to host a second team? And, more importantly, is the prospect a possible one?

Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been tight-lipped regarding the prospect of a second team.

“Any talk about expansion or

relocation of another NHL team to Southern Ontario is purely speculative,” read MLSE President Richard Peddie’s brief response.

Richard Powers, Assistant Dean and Executive Director of MBA Programs at the University of Toronto’s Rotman

School of Management, notes that given the Maple Leafs’ current status as a financial juggernaut, a second team may be the only way to push for a winning team in Toronto.

!ough the Maple Leafs’ streak without a Stanley Cup is running on 41 years, this year their value increased nine per cent, to a total of $448 million – the greatest of any team in hockey history.

Powers notes that the Air Canada Centre must fill its so-called “blackout nights,” those days when there are no Leafs or Raptors games.He estimates that a secondary hockey franchise would fill up between 30 to 40 blackout

nights a year. “It’s perfect,” he said.Alan Middleton, Executive Director

at York University’s Schulich School of Business, disagrees. “Will you fill the stadium at the same price point as the main team? My answer is no.”

Middleton believes an expansion team couldn’t compete on the level of prestige held by the Leafs. Selling tickets at the same prices as the Leafs games would be “an inherently stupid idea.”

Middleton prefers the idea that the second team could be located in neighbouring Hamilton, referring to last year’s rumour that Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie might buy and

relocate the Nashville Predators to the Steel City.

Toronto fan Amit Puri notes that other large cities in North America have multiple sports teams, and says that Toronto could do the same, especially if the team locates itself outside of the downtown core. “It takes away some of the tra#c in the city. !ere are enough people in the Hamilton area that would go.”

Superfan Greg Kankas agrees that Hamilton isn’t that far to go for another hockey game. “Maybe on weekends.”

Does Toronto have room for a second NHL team?Another GTA team could sell cheaper tickets or locate in a neighbouring townJonathan OreThe Strand (Victoria College, University of Toronto)

!is past weekend, the Mount Allison women’s volleyball squad travelled to St. John to square o" against the UN-BSJ Seawolves in a pair of women’s ACAA volleyball league matches.

Friday evening saw the Seawolves keep pace with the Lady Mount-ies throughout the match. UNSBJ’s strong left and right side attackers, as well as numerous serving errors by the Mounties, kept the match close after the Lady Mounties surged to an early lead. Cheered on by a boisterous home crowd, UNSBJ won the fifth and deci-

sive set, giving them the 3-2 win with games scores of 15-25, 28-26, 25-27, 26-24, and 15-10 for the Seawolves. Laurel Carlton led the Lady Mounties with 24 kills in the loss.

Saturday afternoon saw a reener-gized Mount A squad hit the floor and roll to an outstanding 3-0 win over the Seawolves by scores of 25-10, 25-20,

and 25-18. Mountie middles Sarah McQuaid and Sarah MacDonald took down the Seawolves with their elusive play, collecting 11 kills and 8 kills re-spectively.

Following the split with UNBSJ, the Lady Mounties are currently alone atop the ACAA standings with a 4-2 record with STU second (4-0) UNBSJ

third (3-1) and MSVU fourth (3-2). !e Mounties’ final match of 2008 is at King’s College in Halifax this com-ing Saturday.

With files from Sue Seaborn

Volleyball Mounties split weekend matchesSit in first place following weekend roadtripNoah KowalskiArgosy Staff

Martin Wightman

Grey Cup reportCanada’s biggest game delivers again

!e Grey Cup is a Canadian tradition that dates back to 1909; the cup was donated as the trophy for the Amateur Rugby-Football Championship of Canada by His Excellency Earl Grey, the Governor-General of Canada. !e rich history of the game has contributed to its success; it is the most-watched annual television event in Canada. !e weekend of the championship game has become a national festival ever since excited Calgary fans cooked pancakes in the streets and rode a

horse through the lobby of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto to celebrate their victory in 1948.

!is year the 96th Grey Cup was hosted by the city of Montreal at Olympic Stadium, drawing a crowd of 66,308 people. Fans from all across Canada and some from the United States (a contingent of Baltimore residents continues to make the trek, insisting that CFL football is better than the NFL football that replaced the Baltimore Stallions) converged on the city for the weekend, partying and showing their team colours. !e Montreal Alouettes succeeded

in reaching the game, setting the stage for an uncommon home team advantage. !eir opponents, the Calgary Stampeders, visited as the representative of the CFL’s Western Division, along with their fans who no doubt took great delight in irritating Montrealers all week with cowboy hats and lousy French (or a complete lack thereof ). Although Alouettes fans were naturally in the majority, Saskatchewan Roughrider fans were surprisingly the next most numerous, followed by Calgarians and Winnipeggers, then a blend of all the other fans. Notable personages

attending the game included Walt Natynczyk, who tossed the coin, and Gilles Duceppe, who walked out of the stadium next to me, talking on his cell phone.

!e game itself began with a strong first half from Montreal, but after the half-time show the Calgary Stampeders owned the ball for 10 minutes of the third quarter, giving them the edge which resulted in their victory of 22-14. Calgary quarterback Henry Burris pulled down the ball for several successful scrambles and the Calgary defensive squad stonewalled Montreal’s running game. !e final plays of the game saw Montreal trying to make a long ‘hail-mary’ pass for a touchdown which would give them a chance to tie if a two-point conversion succeeded, but the touchdown was not to be as the team simply ran out of time. Calgary replaces Saskatchewan as the Grey Cup champions, and looks to defend their title next year. Calgary, be ye warned: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

My Grey Cup experience was nothing short of phenomenal; this was the first time I have been there in person. !e atmosphere in Olympic Stadium was electric and loud, reaching 95dB at times as the crowd attempted to drown out Henry Burris’s play calls. !e streets of Montreal were fun and boisterous leading up to the game, and the friendliness of fans of all stripes was refreshing. !e Grey Cup will be hosted by Calgary in 2009, and the CFL is on track to expand its influence and fan base across Canada, even with the NFL’s possible expansion into Toronto (“what fools these mortals be”). I’m already looking forward to next season and I hope you are too.

!is is the final CFL Report of the year. To celebrate this occasion I will bolster my ego by dubbing it (borrowing as I often do from William Shakespeare): “A long farewell to all my greatness.” But seriously, thanks for reading my reports; “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Remember: !is is our league. Notre Ligue. Notre Football.

Martin WightmanArgosy Correspondent

LOVE TO SUMO JOCKEY? WRITE SPORTS!www.graphicsarcade.com

SNOVEMBER 27, 2008 • SPORTS & FITNESS • THE ARGOSY • PAGE 27

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Five-foot-six shooting guard Catherine Cox of the Women’s Basketball Mounties has been honoured as Mount Allison’s Athlete of the Week for her play in the Mounties’ 56-48 victory on the road over King’s College on Sunday, November 23, in Halifax.

In Mount Allison’s win over King’s, Cox, who captains the Mounties, led her team with tenacious defense and

toughness in rebounding (eight points, four rebounds, one steal). !e victory for the Mounties over King’s was a first in four years for the Sackville squad.

A former MVP from Cobequid Educational Centre, in Truro, NS, Cox previously played basketball with the Bald Eagles and the Cobequid Cougars coached by Mike MacKay and Darren Gerier. While at Mount Allison, Cox has been a two-time

Academic All-Canadian Scholar and a student trainer with the men’s Soccer Mounties.

Cox is currently enrolled in fourth-year science and majoring in biology.

Other Athlete of the Week nominees were: Dennis Hopper (basketball), Laurel Carlton (volleyball), Kendall Boyd (hockey), and Justin Barkhouse, Heather Murray (badminton).

Athlete of the Week

Catherine Cox

Sue Seaborn

Mount A Sports Week

Fri, 28 Nov

Sat, 29 Nov

Sun, 30 Nov

Women’s basketball vs. ABU; 6 PMMen’s basketball vs. ABU; 8 PM

Women’s basketball @ STU; 1 PMMen’s basketball @ STU; 3 PMVolleyball @ UKC; 2 PMHockey @ Bowdoin; 12 PM

Hockey @ Bowdoin12 PM

SOME THINGS MAKE YOU WEAK. SPORTS WILL MAKE YOU STRONG. WRITE SPORTS.