Issue 12, Vol 143, The Brunswickan

ARTS // will music copyright laws send you to jail? >> pG. 9 Volume 143 · Issue 12 • November 25, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

Red bombers edge out Seawolves in AFL final

STUDYING IS CONSUMING LIVES ON CAMPUS

Alex Wickwire The Brunswickan The inaugural season of the Atlantic Football League came to an end on Saturday as The UNB Red Bombers and the Saint John Seawolves squared off for the Moosehead Cup at Milledgeville North field in Saint John. In a thrilling defensive struggle, the Red Bombers came out on top with a 3-1 victory.

“Our athleticism won us the game today,” was the praise from Offensive CoOrdinator Mike Demeio.

Excitement was in the air on the beautiful November day and players on the field fed off the energy radiating from a sideline crowd of about 500 people. The opening kick-off set the tone for the afternoon when players slammed into each other hard enough to send mouth guards and hip pads flying all over the wet grass.

Both offences struggled in the opening quarter, trading back and forth two and outs as the ball stayed in the middle of the park.

Quarter number two opened up with four penalties on a Red Bombers unsuccessful drive that was highlighted by a check down screen pass where tailback Josh MacArthur carried the ball for 32-yards.

The halftime siren went and the scoreboard read 0-0. Because of dominant defences, it was rare for either side even to complete a pass of more than five yards.

The third quarter was more of the same from both sides. After a routine punt, Seawolves kick returner Justin Cavan saw an opportunity for a big play, and by reversing the field in an attempt to get around the Red Bomber coverage, was stripped of the football deep in Saint John territory. UNB could not recover the ball, and after a dramatic fast paced scrum, Seawolves linebacker Chris Reid scooped up the pigskin and sprinted the entire field to the end zone.

The Seawolves celebrated and the crowd went wild. However, because of a holding penalty the play was called back. Shortly after the play, the field announcers predicted a Seawolves win disguised in clever broadcasting by saying “Six players are over 300 pounds on the Seawolves roster, when you’re congratulating them on the win after the game you can see for yourselves.”

SEE BOMBERS PAGE 11

Exams are stressful, and it seems to be all anyone can talk about. For tips on handling stress, and to see how others deal, see pages three, four and six. Above: Faith Shannon, Monique Hache, and Christine Boutot hard at work in the SUB. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Surveying the media landscape Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan This year’s Dalton Camp lecture featured the executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, who advised her audience on how to survey the world’s changing media landscape.

Canadian-born Sue Gardner is essentially the publisher of Wikipedia, one of the Wikimedia Foundation’s largest internet resources. Gardner has worked extensively in Canadian media, beginning her career as an intern at the CBC in Fredericton and working her way up to directing CBC’s online division.

Gardner appeared as part of the Dalton Camp Lecture series, an annual lecture on journalism and the media industry at St. Thomas University. This year’s lecture took place on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Gardner’s topic was “The Changing Media Landscape” and she covered everything from the emerging business models of online and print publications, the plights of traditional news organizations, the future of journalism and of course, Wikipedia.

“I believe that we’re currently experi-

encing a golden age in terms of our access to information. There’s more information. There’s more breadth. There’s more depth. There’s more quality available to people today easily for free and from anywhere than has ever been the case in human history,” she said.

Gardner said there are three reasons why this is a golden age for information: quantity, freedom from censorship and convenience. Quantity because there is an overwhelming amount of information available to internet users around the world on any topic, for any purpose. She used the example of Wikipedia, currently the largest collection of knowledge in the world, saying that it would not have been possible in “the old world” of media.

The executive director said that freedom from censorship is an essential part of the golden age of information because it allows information to flow freely around the world, even though it is not always accurate. Gardner used the “cute cat theory” to explain her point.

“If millions of ordinary people use a tool like Flickr, or Youtube or Facebook or whatever and they use it to share cute pictures of cats…and meanwhile a few activists also use that same tool for other

purposes to share information that people want to suppress that makes censorship difficult because if you try and shut down the tool people are using to share cute pictures of cats, they will freak out,” she said, the audience breaking into laughter.

“The cat lovers provide cover for tools that are also used for frankly more important purposes.”

Convenience, Gardner said, is very powerful because people are lazy. Today, people can get information from anywhere in the world, on any topic, without planning, anytime and for free, Gardner said.

“It’s a golden age because there is more information available to us, it is less censored and it is ridiculously cheap and ridiculously easy to get,” she said.

The speaker also covered the plight of traditional media formats.

Gardner said that in 1990, media was designed only for a mass audience and specialized publications for specific interests were often difficult to come by and were often very expensive.

“What’s been happening in the past 20 years or so is that the cost of production has begun to evaporate. So that’s why today we have an explosion of options be-

cause news and information is cheaper to create now than it ever has been before in human history,” she said, adding that all of the expensive necessities for traditional print media like paper, ink, delivery trucks and printers can be eliminated by moving online. The most expensive portion of traditional media, the human labour it requires to write, edit and lay out a paper, can also be reduced.

“Increasingly today, people prefer to consume their news online. We know that we’ve been moving online for ten years and online the vast majority of options are free because the costs of production are so much dramatically lower than the ordinary costs of production that used to be the case in the industry,” Gardner said.

The Wikimedia executive director said the biggest problem traditional media organizations are facing is combining new and old media methods of media.

She said that print organizations must continue to print their traditional media, but must also be looking to expand online for a new age of news consumers.

The presentation in full was recorded

by CBC Radio’s Ideas program and will be broadcast Thursday, Nov. 26.

Contest With Cash & Swag Prizes

brunswickannews

2 • Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143

Some arguments never evolve Sandy Chase The Brunswickan When the word mutation is heard, it’s not usually associated with books.

On the Origin of the Species, by Charles Darwin, is one of the most famous scientific publications of all time, but on Nov. 24, the 150th anniversary of its publication, a new, ‘evolved’ version of the book was distributed on campuses across the country.

Creationist Ray Comfort and Living Waters Publications are planning on distributing their own version of the book at 100 universities in the States and 24 in Canada. Comfort’s version of the book includes a special introduction written by Ray Comfort and is missing a few key chapters that were in the original text.

Comfort was unable to be reached for comment, but stated in a press release on his website that, “nothing has been removed. The book that

we will be giving to students is the complete edition. Charles Darwin said that both perspectives should be given, and we are giving both in a 50page Introduction. Like Darwin, we want people to read the two points of view and make up their own minds.”

Comfort went on to add “When I read On the Origin of Species, I was very impressed with Charles Darwin.

If he was alive today, I am sure that he would be one of Disney’s imagineers, or earn big bucks as a Hollywood screenwriter for science-fiction movies. He had a fantastic imagination.”

Steve Heard, Chair of the Biology Department, hadn’t initially heard of the planned distribution of the book with the special introduction written

by Comfort. Heard said that there isn’t as much of a political push with creationism and intelligent design in Canada as there is in the States.

“It’s harmless when people talk about what they think. In the States, what’s not harmless is attempts to get creation-

ism taught in public schools as science.”

Attempts to have creationism taught in public schools have been uncommon in Canada compared to the number of attempts in the United States.

It’s both silly and also important.

It’s silly in the sense that he and others will tell you at great length that there is lots of scientific doubt about evolution, but thats just not true. Evolution by natural selection is in about as much doubt as gravity. Actually less, we don’t know that much about gravity but we understand evolution in great detail.

The Biology Department is putting on a series of three lectures relating to Darwin. The year 2009 is both the 150th anniversary of the publishing of On the Origin of the Species and Darwin’s 200th birthday. On Tuesday Dec. 1, Michael Higgins will be lecturing on the interesting history of evolution and religion. The final lecture, from Ross Leckie on Darwin’s influence on the arts, will be presented on Dec. 8.

Making New Brunswick housing affordable Alex Kress The Brunswickan Kelly Lamrock, Minister of Social Development in New Brunswick, says poverty is everybody’s problem, and we are all have a responsibility to help end it.

Lamrock gave a keynote address at the 2009 third-annual conference for Affordable Housing Day at the Crowne Plaza in Fredericton. He and others from varying backgrounds addressed past project milestones and discussed plans for the future.

“One of the most important parts of reducing poverty is the fundamental belief that we’re all in this together”, said Lamrock. He said we can only work toward making change “by being part of something bigger than ourselves.

“The lack of affordable housing speaks to the lack of resources [available] for people to afford anything at all,” he said. “The government needs to create a more humane, decent social system.”

He said social assistance must be reformed immediately. Most people living in poverty are living on less than $300 a month. As a result it is very difficult, if not impossible, for these people to consider long-term possibilities; they can only live day to day.

Recently there have been some reforms made by government. They have agreed to raise New Brunswick’s minimum wage to meet the Atlantic standard of $10 per hour.

The government is also seeking to extend health card terms by three years for all people on social assistance to avoid the gap in health coverage which can occur during transition into or out of social assistance.

Lamrock said the range of affordable housing can be expanded if public transportation options are improved to and from housing regions.

He mentioned a need for legislation that protects renters and boarders and offers rent supplements to ensure affordable rent stays affordable. The integration of mixed income neighbourhoods was also an important topic Lamrock highlighted.

He spoke of Bobby Kennedy as a personal political hero for his efforts in civil

rights affairs.

“He had almost no political strategy at all, the way he handled things. He needed to teach America how the other half lived. We can never truly be at peace as a society until we understand we’re all in this together.”

Lamrock takes great pride in New Brunswick’s capital city for its values of neighbourhood and community and said that at its best, “Fredericton often encapsulates these values that maybe other bigger centres don’t.”

“The greatest thing we have is social capital; social capital is what lifts people out of poverty,” he said.

Scott Ross with Ross Ventures Real Estate communicated with those at the conference via a pre-recorded video, as he was at home awaiting the birth of twins.

He talked about the success of his project, Frog Hollow Apartments, a 16-unit building in Fredericton with half of the units categorized as affordable housing. There are families, students, and working professionals currently living in the building. Demand was very high; the building was completely full within two weeks.

Ross pointed out what an excellent opportunity housing projects like Frog Hollow present for young professionals just starting out in business or construction.

“This is a great opportunity because the start-up money is not coming out of their own pockets.” It also makes for an invaluable addition to a resumé, he said.

He said it costs $80,000 to build a unit and 50 per cent of project costs are funded by the government upfront. However, funding for projects like this one has been frozen until 2012, so Ross stressed the importance of citizens writing their MP’s to force its thawing.

“With enough lobbying, funding will advance faster. The waiting list [for affordable units] isn’t getting any shorter.”

Echoing the key points that Minister Lamrock made regarding social capital, Ross stressed that we are morally obligated as a society to do what we can to make a difference.

“We can’t turn a blind eye here. We have a responsibility.”

The Brunswickan is hiring an arts reporter! To apply, send resume and cover letter to editor@ thebruns.ca

brunswickannews

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 3

Be ‘sold out’ in this place: protester New bylaws for the SU

People of all ages from across New Brunswick were vocal Nov. 17, protesting the sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Lee Larrett The Brunswickan People from New Brunswick flooded the lawn in front of the provincial legislature building, spilling onto the steps of the Art Gallery which prompted the closure of part of Queen Street on Tuesday Nov 17.

As the new session of New Brunswick’s legislature was about to begin, protesters sent a clear message: don’t sell NB Power.

Lydia Calhiun with the NDP was busy selling protest signs and buttons. She said that she thinks the people of New Brunswick are having such a strong reaction to this proposed deal because, “NB Power, it’s a crown corporation so we’re the ones who technically own it, for someone to make a decision without consulting the public I think it’s [wrong]. [I think] that we need to have our voices heard we want to say whether or not we want to have it sold.

Whether or not you agree with the sale, it’s just good to get our opinions on it.”

“Just to make that decision without consulting the public, I think some people want a referendum. Just make it a more open process, it hasn’t been open,” said Najat Abdou, also there with the NDP. When asked who was out at the protest Calhuin said, “I’ve seen University students, older people, some people just stopping by on their work break, there’s been a whole range really.”

Another table was set up on the lawn of the legislature, and it was covered in petitions. Lois Dunnfield was collecting the sheets and said that lots of people have been signing. The petition is asking for a referendum on the sale of NB Power, which would give New Brunswickers a chance to offer input on the fate of the sale.

“They’ve been signing left and right, we haven’t had time to count,” Dunnfield said. The petition was created by Bethany

Thorndexra of New Brunswick People First, who gave a speech at the rally.

Huge signs were held high in the air as people chanted together different sayings, all with the same meaning: Shawn Graham should not sell NB Power. Speeches were delivered from a platform near the steps of the legislature, where police officers watched the protest continue.

Signs sent a clear message to any onlookers, “Our assets, our vote, our future,” and “deal or no deal, let us vote.” Some protesters got creative. Playing on the New Brunswick slogan, one sign read “be ‘sold out’ in this place.” Another protester held a real estate lawn sign reading “NB Power – Fire Sale,” with a red ‘sold’ marker. Language was no barrier to New Brunswickers wanting to voice their opinion. Many signs had bold French slogans, all with the same message.

This rally represented the largest public demonstration since the possible sale of NB Power was announced in October.

To manage stress, do the obvious Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan Classes are winding down, but stress levels are climbing up. All that can be seen on campus is stressed out students surrounded by papers and sundry caffeinated beverages.

Exams and final papers are all anyone can think about, and there is no way out.

There are, however, ways to manage stress. Dr. Diane LaChapelle teaches health psychology at UNB, and she has some words to the wise for students when it comes to managing stress.

She suggests trying meditation. Although many people initially shy away from this method, once a good technique is learned it can be very helpful to one’s well-being. LaChapelle suggests meditating about 15 minutes per day.

Time management is an important skill as well, she says.

“Sit down with a calendar and figure out a roadmap to get from today till the end of exams,” she suggests.

LaChapelle places a strong emphasis on the basic ways in which we care for ourselves.

She recommends eating well, getting exercise, and sleeping your eight hours, no matter how time strapped you are.

“Students tell me all the time ‘I don’t have time for stress management.’ If you’re not eating and sleeping you won’t have a good memory—making time seems counterproductive, but these things make you more efficient when you study,” she says.

Memories are consolidated during sleep, LaChapelle points out, so if you’re not getting sleep chances are your memory isn’t working at full capacity.

LaChapelle did, however, acknowledge that there isn’t always time during this hectic time of year to cook healthy meals and get enough shuteye. When it’s crunch time, she says, all you can do is employ positive self-talk.

“Acknowledge the reality of the situation.

At this point, all you can do is the best you can do. Just tell yourself, ‘It snuck up on me, but here’s the time frame.’ Allot X amount of time for this and X amount for that, accepting the reality.”

She advises students to stick to what’s realistic. If it’s the night before an exam and you haven’t started studying, for example, don’t try to study every chapter or you won’t take anything in. Focus instead, she says, on the most important points.

“Just tell yourself ‘I’m going to do well on what I can accomplish, rather than poorly on everything,’” she says.

“In terms of actual exams,” LaChapelle says, “if you’re anxious or stressed, breathing and visualization help. It makes a big difference to get yourself in a calm state before you start writing.”

Rice Fuller is Director of Counseling Services at UNB, and he also stresses the importance of the basics: eat, sleep, and exercise.

“People say they don’t have time, and my response is, if you want to be able to concentrate better and study better, these are the things you have to do,” he says.

“You need to take care of your body to make your brain function well,” Fuller also points out.

No matter how much work you have, though, you still need to take care of your mental health. The best way to do this, LaChapelle and Fuller agree, is to give yourself a break every so often.

“Take a good chunk of a day, an hour at least, that you’re doing something other than schoolwork. Something relaxing. It can’t be study, study, study all day long, you have to take a time out,” Fuller says.

“Making time for having fun is important,” LaChapelle says. “It’s helpful to have a break and go out with friends, or have a break and watch a TV show-- a little fun to take the pressure off.”

Lee Larrett The Brunswickan The Governance Review Committee, formed by a mandate from council in September, presented their findings to council this week.

The GRC conducted research and consultation sessions looking into the comprehensiveness, representation and effectiveness of council. The report recommends bylaw changes to address issues in three categories, executive structure, council structure and elections and referenda.

Twenty- six recommendations were made in the report. These recommendations will go to the policy committee who will fashion the recommendations into bylaws which council will have three readings to scrutinize.

Recommendations to executive structure included changing the role of Vice-President Academic into Vice-President Internal, maintaining the same portfolio and formalizing their position as one of internal advocacy. Another recommendation was that the bylaws clarify that executive councilors (VPs and President) have the power to hire team members that will work under them to help them fulfill their obligations. Also recommended was that the VP Academic be awarded a seat on Senate automatically, ideally by having a seat added to Senate for the person in that position.

Changes to Council Structure recommended by the GRC included creating a network of non-voting members of council, called liaisons, who have speaking rights. This will include but not be limited to International Student Liason, Residence Liason, and Off-Campus Liason. It was also suggested that the meeting time of council be changed from Monday nights at 5 p.m. to Sunday evenings, to better avoid conflicts with academic commitments. It was recommended that proxy voting be allowed, but not a permanent proxy of anyone’s voting power.

The number of seats given to each faculty was also examined and the GRC recommended that each faculty be given one seat,

and the remaining seats be distributed among all faculties to best preserve the proportions of the student population. It was also recommended that councilors hold a weekly office hour to be more accessible for their constituents.

It was also recommended that Student Union Fees increase by inflation as defined by the Consumer Price Index.

Recommendations to Elections and Referenda were also made in the report; these included keeping online voting and instituting a biennial code audit. It was recommended that slates be allowed to run but their resources shall be the same as an individual. It was also recommended that the executive investigate the feasibility of preferential ballots for elections, and that a campaign freeze during the voting period be implemented, requiring all active campaigning to cease but allowing posters to remain up. This recommendation was made in conjunction with the suggestion that the restriction against campaigning within ten meters of a computer terminal be struck.

It was suggested that nominations require signatures from 20 per cent of constituents or from 25 constituents, whichever number is smaller. It was also suggested that there be one polling station with a minimum number of hours at dedicated locations of the SUB Cafeteria.

Reports to Council from Executive members included a summary of Canada Organization for Campus Activities (COCA), which was hosted at UNB Fredericton, and the CASA Annual General Meeting, which took place this past weekend. Reports to Council from councilors included a report on the survey done by the faculty of nursing to bring feedback from students to the strategic planning sessions. A report from Computer Science discussed the results of their constituency meeting held that morning, including a suggestion that policy require all professors to accept open format files, such as PDF, for assignment submissions, and to use only open format files for documents they give classes. Science reported on their constituency meeting held the week prior.

brunswickanopinion

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 4

editor@thebruns.ca

Unleashing your inner hippy

the brunswickan

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief • Sarah Ratchford Managing • Alex Duncan News • Lee Larrett Arts • Doug Estey Sports • Colin McPhail Photo • Andrew Meade Copy •Nick Howard Production • Christian Hapgood Online • Alison Clack Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher Contributors Zaheer Abbas, Stephanie Allen, Danielle Bodie, Chris Cameron, Kathryn Chase, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Maggie DeWolfe, Dave Evans, Sarah Farquhar, Josh Fleck, Kennie Gathuru, Dan Hagerman, Ayat Abed Isiad, Cody Jack, Jacques Landry, Brandon MacNeil, Cameron Mitchell, Matthew Murray, Sam Perlmutter, Jon Salmon, Brian Savoie, Hilary Paige Smith, Ysabelle Vautour, Alex Wickwire & Valerie Woodman.

Returning to a hippy-esque lifestyle can help with the inevitable stresses that arise during exam time. Internet

The Opinionator Nick Howard Are you running out of room on your walls for post-it notes? Have grey hairs begun to sprout unwanted from your young head? Are your veins black with late-night coffees? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you’ve come down with the stress.

Stress is a part of normal life, particularly for a student during exam time. Stress can be a great motivator, coaxing you away from the magnetic draw of the internet to more productive screen use. Like most things, however, stress is only okay in moderation.

In excess, stress has been linked to unhealthy blood pressure and heart

disease as well as a host of psychological illnesses. These stress related problems are easily prevented with some proactive stress management techniques, most of which are tidbits of common sense that just aren’t very common any more.

Don’t take yourself so seriously! Put life in context, because no matter how crazy it gets, your busy life is just one in 6,692,030,277. You define what matters to you and if you’re stressing yourself to death it might be time to reevaluate those priorities.

Exercise. I realize I’m a hypocrite by recommending exercise since it’s a rare occasion during the winter months that I challenge my heart and lungs with more than a walk to class.

However, as you can probably imagine, the built up tensions and crossed eyes developed from prolonged reading and writing can be relieved with some heavy breathing and heart pounding.

Running is good, but I’ll leave the

specifics up to you.

Meditation. Meditation techniques vary as much as stress levels. The stereotypically invoked image of Tibetan monks chanting on a mountain top with a breath-taking vista is just one possibility among many. The old excuse of “I just can’t find a mountain vista that is perfect enough” won’t cut it anymore. If praying is your thing, do that. If thinking is your thing, that’s great. If laughing with your friends is your meditation, build it into your schedule more often. The goal is to relax your mind, body and spirit, so anything from yoga to walking quietly will work. No enlightened being is making you find a mountain top, that’s just some ad-execs in Manhattan.

Be a hippy. You don’t have to take mind altering drugs to re-invent yourself as a child of the earth. They may be dirty, smelly and communists, but hippies had some things right; visualization, for example. If you can see it,

you can be it (I’m sure someone has said that before). Close your eyes and picture yourself relaxing, one limb at a time. When you wake up three hours later you’ll be relaxed and well rested. *Warning: do not attempt within three hours of an exam. The Bruns will not be responsible for any student who misses an exam due to the exceptional advice provided within its pages.

Play. Whether it’s with your dog, cat, or other species of best friend, make some time to laugh and play.

Play can allow you to combine all the best aspects of destressing – meditation, laughing, friends and frolicking.

Indoors or outdoors, the possibilities for play are endless and once again, the specifics are entirely up to you.

The moral of this stressful story is not to worry. Finding a balance is the best way to stay destressed, so experiment a little with these and other techniques and pray that the grey hairs stop appearing.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.

About Us The Brunswickan, in its 143rd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated

by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.

We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 6,000.

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed.

Letters must be 400 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

Editorial Policy While we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editorin-Chief.

21 Pacey Drive, SUB Suite 35 Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 main office • (506) 447-3388 advertising • (506) 452-6099 fax • (506) 453-5073 email • editor@thebruns.ca www.thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 5

Because they were women

Musings on monarchy Cody Jack The Brunswickan

In 1989, 14 women were killed at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. Dec. 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Flickr CC From the Women’s Centre Special to the Bruns On Dec. 1989, Canada mourned. Media across the country were all telling the same story: at four that afternoon, a man entered the École Polytechnique de Montréal , shot and killed 14 women and injured 14 others before turning his gun on himself. Fourteen women dead in less than 45 minutes. I was thirteen years old then, and this catastrophic news hit very close to home. In my mind, I could easily have been one of them. I was one of countless people who had a single question burning in their minds: Why? At thirteen, my mind refused to wrap itself around the answer. Because they were women. That was why one man decided that fourteen people in the prime of their lives deserved to die.

We lit candles that night, read the names and descriptions of the women who had died, and they became real to us. We shed tears for these people we had never met and we shared our grief

and shock that something like this could have been allowed to happen. This was how we coped in 1989, but that was a long time ago.

Many current UNB students were not even born by 1989, and since then there have been many more school shootings, and many more horrific events. What are 14 lives compared, for example, to the nearly 3,000 killed on Sept. 11, 2001?

Why should we bother to continue to commemorate this particular date?

This tragedy shouted from the rooftops something that has only been whispered behind closed doors for far longer than 20 years. Violence against women, for the simple characteristic of being women, is a daily event in Canada and around the world.

Most of it is at the hands of intimate partners, in the relative isolation of their homes, and this allows us to convince ourselves that it’s private, it’s ‘not our problem’. We can pretend it’s not happening, decide not to see the warning signs, or assume that they point to a simple lover’s quarrel in which we have no right to interfere.

The horror of Dec. 6 1989 was impossible to ignore. That is why this date was chosen as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This is Canada, where men and women are considered equal and protected from all forms of violence under the law.

Let’s make sure our voice is heard when we say that we really mean it. For 45 minutes, before many of you were born, 14 women were hunted down and killed, for no other reason than their gender. Today, we have the power to make sure that their deaths weren’t in vain, to add our own scream from the rooftops that no form of violence against women is acceptable or ignorable.

A service in honour of the fourteen women killed, and commemorating all victims of violence against women will be help at the SUB Ballroom on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., including a guest speaker from the Muriel McQueen Centre for Family Violence Research and the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. There will also be a service on Dec. 4 at noon at the Head Rest in Head Hall. All are welcome to attend.

Is SLIC For You? Alysha Bayes Submitted As you may or may not know, full time undergraduates have access to one free hour of legal services, care of the Student Legal Information Centre.

The SLIC office is “staffed” by upper year law students. We are here to offer information to students.

So what sorts of issues can SLIC help you with? There are three main areas that we focus on: landlord/tenant, employment and small claims. We do not offer services for family or criminal law, but we know who does. So the next question is, what constitutes a landlord/tenant, employment, or small claims issue?

Landlord/tenant issues may have to do with landlord access to your apartment, eviction, and leases. So if your landlord shows up unannounced to show the apartment to a prospective tenant, chances are they are in violation of a law. If you have received an eviction notice, we may be able to assist by providing information on legal grounds of eviction.

Employment matters may relate to being fired without notice, vacation time, or pay in lieu of vacation. There are also minimum wage rules, so if you think you are being paid below the legislated minimum wage, you may have a claim. There is also legislation in place in New Brunswick that allows some employees to refuse to work on Sundays.

Small claims matters can arise if you have been served with a claim, or if you wish to file a claim. If you have been served with a claim, you would be well advised to seek out legal advice immediately, or visit the SLIC office, where we can give you information about the claim. A claim would likely have been personally served to you, meaning it was probably handed to you, and like on TV, the person may have said, “You have been served.”

There are strict time limitations in relation to small claims court and significant consequences for missing them. So time is of the essence.

You may also wish to file a claim against somebody. Currently, claims must be for less than $6,000. You may have a claim against your landlord if they refuse to return your security deposit, or if you loaned somebody money and they haven’t paid you back as agreed. If you had a roommate who damaged your property, or if your roommate caused damage to your

shared rental unit, but the landlord has forced you to pay for the repairs, you might have a claim against your roommate to recover your costs. Again, time is off the essence.

Ultimately, if you are not sure if you have a valid claim, come down to the SLIC office. We can provide information, and we can forward the details to the overseeing lawyer. We also have contact information for legal clinics that can help with criminal and family matters, or information about your legal rights in many areas of the law.

To allow us to give you all the information, please bring any documents relating to your matter, such as your lease, or a claim that was served. The more information we have, the better for you. We hope you don’t need to use our services, but we are here if you do!

The SLIC Office is located in the Student Union Building, Rm. 128, from 9am-4:30pm, Mondays to Fridays. We can be reached at 447-3068 or SLIC@unb.ca.

The Canadian Friends of the Royal Family recently conducted a survey as to how Canadians feel about the Monarchy and its roll in Canada. I was not all that concerned about the statistic that, of the 1,400 Canadians polled, over half felt that having a monarch as the Head of State was outdated.

The statistic that made me shiver was that, of those people, 47 per cent did not know that Canada was a Constitutional Monarchy. I am not a fan of the Royal Family by any stretch. I am, however, a very concerned citizen who is afraid that a large percentage of Canadians do not know how our government works.

Ignorance is a scary thing and can allow for a large number of problems when it comes to political discourse within our country. A fine example occurred last December when the proposed coalition between the Liberal Party and the NDP with support from the Bloc Quebecois was called a “coup d’etat”.

What was ignored was that the unelected Governor General, using her Constitutional powers, prorogued Parliament. Canadians were more outraged by political parties working together and doing the things they are allowed to do under the parliamentary tradition than the actions of the Governor General.

It becomes frightening to me to even ask Canadians to decide on the abolition of the Monarchy or if the Governor General should be an elected position. If the response is that “the Monarchy is outdated”, I don’t think the complexities of the issue are understood. The political discourse surrounding the issue may be too superficial.

To even open any questions surrounding Canada’s Head of State would require a constitutional conference. All provinces would have to agree upon the newly proposed replacement

or amendments to the role of the Governor General/Monarch. You would also have to hope that provinces didn’t bring up other issues like senate reform, putting private property as a right in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the continued issue of Aboriginal rights or the fact that Quebec has yet to sign the 1982 Constitution Act. These are all important political and legal questions that may or may not arise, and they are questions I am not sure many Canadians would know to ask.

These topics were debated by late conservative thinkers like Edmund Burke during the French Revolution.

They feared that by getting rid of tried and tested traditions (for Burke it was the French Monarchy) you put the stability of a society at risk. This is a thoughtful response and was valuable to the discourse of the time.

To play on national sentiment or national pride should not be the sole basis of one’s argument. I do not dismiss the importance of knowing one’s history nor the complex parts that history plays in Canadian society, but it would be sad to think that Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy could be justified on the basis that it creates difference between us and the Americans.

Before an issue of this magnitude can be addressed, Canadians need to receive more education on how politics work. Political life has lost its importance in Canadian society and in the education system. The emphasis is on creating tomorrow’s work force rather than tomorrow’s citizen. The reality of our society has created such fear and insecurity in the job market that it is all we care about. Education is no longer about understanding how our society works or how our society came to be, but it is now solely viewed as a tool or means of getting a job.

The ignorance of Canadians about the monarchy and politics in Canada is symptomatic of something more unsettling about Canadian society than the issue of the monarchy itself.

thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

6 • Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143

Student

Viewpoint.

How do you cope with stress?

Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“Play guitar and go to work.”

Blake Archibald

“Liming with friends.”

Cheselle Scott

“Accumulate stress & drink it away.”

John O’Neill

Geoff Forgie

“Mountain biking”

“Sleep.”

Matthew Mitchel

Justin Theriault

“I don’t do anything.”

Michiko Merasty

“Running.”

“Go to the gym.”

“Women.”

Nathan White

Ryan Poulan

brunswickaninternational UNB Students Experience the Global Classroom

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 7

Understanding the Niqab Speak Out Ayat Abed Isaid

Katriena McKay holds a cuddly koala during her time at James Cook University. Submitted

Brian Magee Submitted to the Bruns Each semester, while most UNB students are sinking back into their usual routine, those who chose to study abroad are kicking off a four-month adventure. While studying or working abroad isn’t always easy, most students agree that the benefits of giving up your familiar environment for a short period of time far outweigh the reasons to stay at home.

The willingness to break out of your comfort zone is often the first but largest hurdle when contemplating studying abroad. Yet that challenge of moving into the seemingly unknown, immersing yourself in a new physical geography, a new culture often with an unfamiliar language, without the comfort of familiar faces can be a rewarding struggle.

“I had to step very far out of my comfort zone - but it was worth it,” says Katriena McKay, who studied at James Cook University in Australia for the full academic year in 2008-09.

Most would agree that it takes no time at all to engage in a new and different communit y. History student Joanna Saunders, who studied studies at Anglia Ruskin

University in Cambridge, England in the winter term of 2009, reflected on the distinct bond that is often formed between those who suddenly find themselves in a new country.

“Knowing that we had a limited time together meant we made the most of that time.” Thinking of the community of friends she gained while studying in England, Saunders noted, “We shared our personal experiences and gained new ones together.”

On top of gaining new friends and experiences while being immersed in a different culture, study abroad and internship programs often lead to an enhanced academic experience.

McKay, studying Biology in the Faculty of Science, found her courses at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia came to life due to her close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. “... [It] gave me a chance to study hands-on parts of biology that I have only read about in textbooks.”

While the unique course offerings at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore were also a highlight for Civil Engineering student Alex Campbell, the day-to-day perks of study in a tropical climate left a lasting impression.

“I wore shorts and a t-shirt to class all winter,” says Campbell. The facilities at some partner campuses seem to make studying abroad all the more fun, as Campbell added, “I often spent a good portion of the afternoon lazing under a coconut tree at the campus’ outdoor pool!”

Ultimately, breaking out of one’s familiar environment and into a study abroad program is a great leap towards building up global connections while broadening your own perspectives.

“This whole experience has been like one big adventure,” says McKay. “Along the way I have learned a lot about the kind of person I am and met some people with some incredible stories that made me look at parts of my life completely differently.”

When it comes to taking advantage of upcoming international opportunities, Campbell has a few words of advice. “If you’re contemplating study abroad, do it. If you’re not, you should be!”

For more information on UNB study abroad programs or international internship opportunities, visit www. unbf.ca/international or contact the International Relations Office at iro@ unb.ca

Students and teachers are now banned from wearing the Niqab, a garment that covers the entire body including the hair and face, excepting the eyes, in many Egyptian universities.

But the Niqab is not only becoming an issue in Egypt. It is also creating controversy in Europe and Canada.

I am a Muslim. I was raised in Jordan.

I don’t wear the Hejab or the Niqab there, but I was taught to dress modestly-- not everyone does in Jordan.

When you walk in the streets there, you will be surprised to see girls wearing sleeveless shirts and short skirts.

But when I moved to Canada to go to school, I started to dress as most average Western girls do to fit in, even though I dress modestly by Canadian standards.

I also hid my religious views and worship. After 9/11, I did not want Westerners to look at me and see a culture of wife beaters and terrorists who make their women dress in tents.

I met my friend Sara Fagir at the Harriet Irving Library at UNB. When I saw her, I actually felt at home because she was wearing a beautiful long gown and head cover resembling the Muslim woman’s dress code.

She is happy with her Hejab. She told me she is becoming curious about Niqab. She feels that wearing it will make her interaction with men at school easier because in Sudan, where she was born, women are not allowed to speak to men on a daily basis. My Canadian friends wonder why Sara would prefer to wear the Niqab. But she refuses to answer because it doesn’t seem acceptable for most Canadians.

The reason behind wearing the Niqab is actually deeply rooted in a woman’s culture, and believe me, it is usually left to the Muslim woman to decide for herself whether she wants to

cover fully with the Niqab, or not.

And I think the Niqab is just an expression of woman’s faith and Islamic identity.

In John Bowen’s book, Why the French don’t like headscarves, he says the French are trying to ban the wearing of Hejab and Niqab because there is a sense that when people publicly display their religious or ethnic characteristics are a slapping the face of French culture.

But I think people who believe that the Niqab should be banned are trying to force Muslims to reject some Islamic traditions.

Whether you are a Muslim who believes that Niqab is an Islamic obligation or a matter of choice in the religion, it is an issue that is affecting all of us – Muslims and non-Muslims.

Westerners stare and they judge. Some see it as an affront to their culture.

The wearing of the Niqab is quite rare in Canada. And what drives me insane is that most Westerners think that the Niqab oppresses women. How can the Islamic dress that guards the modesty and respect of the woman be accused of enslaving her? I think that the enslavement of women takes place in many Western societies – where pornography and strip clubs are acceptable and seen as a freedom of expression.

The Islamic reason for giving women the choice to wear or not to wear the Niqab is to avoid any attraction between men and women, and we all know that that attraction does exist. And if left unharnessed it has the potential to break down the values of society.

I know that you all wonder whether I would wear the Niqab someday. Well, I guess not. I feel that the Niqab might limit my chances to work as a journalist.

When I do my interviews for instance, I want people to trust me. I don’t want them to stare at me and wonder what I look like behind that veil. I want people to see my facial expressions. Since I came here in 2006, I have learned that as a human being, I have the freedom of choice to do whatever I want and to wear whatever I want. And if Muslim women want to wear the Niqab in public, then let them do that. We should be tolerant of it.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 8

Old-world instrumentation through new-world amplification

Doug Estey The Brunswickan Anyone who’s ever tried to start their own band knows some of the trials and tribulations involved with the whole process. As for starting a band in a search for international recognition? It’s a whole different ball game.

It’s a long, winding road, one full of obstacles and achievements, pitfalls and glory - and the five young men of La Strada have come together to start the trek to make their orchestral indie rock heard around the world.

They’re starting that journey in Brooklyn, of all places.

It’s one huge music scene, but member Devon Press has the right attitude.

“The biggest challenge is probably the competition. There’s such a multitude of bands in New York that it’s very easy to go unnoticed if you don’t keep busy and active. But at the same time, it’s an amazing experience to be in the midst of so much great music.”

But he adds, “One huge advantage is that there are a billion people everywhere. No matter where you play there is almost always some kind of audience.

“It’s a very organic, natural sounding record... We used a lot of orchestral instruments in addition to guitars and drums.”

Meeting up through mutual connections and even venues such as Craigslist, the band’s policy has been fairly straightforward from the beginning: make enough money to sustain the ability to produce music full-time.

With that in mind, it’s been life in the fast lane. Hot on the heels of an acclaimed

Getting a band off the ground in New York City is daunting to say the least, but orchestral indie rock outfit La Strada certainly seems up to the task. Submitted debut self-titled EP, the band is touring with another indie rock sensation that’s firing on all cylinders: Hey Rosetta!.

The band’s EP, which is the result of a year of writing prior to nine long months in the studio, has been described by various New York media outlets as being “Brooklyn’s next big thing” and “one of the most promising bands in the city.” The Huffington Post sums it up as “interesting music

made by talented people who have a point of view and a love for what they do.”

Devon Press admits that while it was a great deal of effort, he’s proud of what he and his bandmates have already accomplished.

“We were pretty picky and it took a while but we’re very happy with the result.”

And that’s just the beginning.

“Actually we just finished our debut full-

length album called ‘New Home.’ It will be coming out on Ernest Jenning Record Co. in March 2010 (in the U.S.).”

La Strada is hoping to keep their music from the heart.

“I would say that we would hope to not be associated with any prestige or ego.

We’re a group of like-minded friends who really enjoy creating music from our hearts. I think we steer away from a concrete image or representation because we’re all aware that

people change constantly... if we keep our band away from too many set ideas, it gives us the opportunity to grow in whichever way feels natural to us.”

The tour sees both groups hitting Eastern and Atlantic Canada, a path that will see them perform from Ottawa to Halifax to St. John’s.

La Strada will appear with Hey Rosetta! at the Ballroom in the Student Union Building on Dec. 10.

Why is hollywood so scared of queer culture?

Myles Herod The Silhouette What’s the deal with Hollywood? It’s a town built on the reputation of such liberal ideals, yet it’s so afraid of lending voice to the gay and lesbian community. Sadly, the term “homosexual” still holds negative connotations within the world of cinema.

The 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain,” which garnered eight Oscar nominations for its portrayal of two gay cowboys, was met with as many discriminators as admirers. A frontrunner for best picture, its legacy

as the first crossover film to achieve such prestige was not to be. When Jack Nicholson announced the winner on Oscar night in 2006, a dismayed murmur rang out in the Kodak Theatre, as the racially charged “Crash” beat out the film so many felt was the true stand-out of the nominees. Even Nicholson was shocked, stating to reporters afterwards that he voted for the gay-themed romance.

Why is this a taboo subject? Well, in the case of “Brokeback,” its defeat came with many of the older – and I mean older – academy members’ disdain for what they

saw as America’s purest genre, the Western, tarnished by two men falling in love and, gasp, having sex. The decrepit Ernest Borgnine, all of 89 years young at the time, had the most disheartening comments of all.

“I didn’t see it and I don’t care to see it . . . If John Wayne were alive, he’d be rolling over in his grave,” he said. While the actor’s slur came across as being appallingly arrogant, it also reinforced a hidden fear – a fear that some in tinsel town still cannot concede to homosexuality, nor comfortably market it to the masses or themselves.

With rare exceptions like Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris, the choice in coming out has long been acknowledged, more or less, as career suicide within the North American market. A notable example is that of Rock Hudson, a dashing leading man recognized for romantic comedies of the 1960s. One of the first major stars to succumb to the AIDS pandemic, Hudson’s death was thought to be the result of a tainted blood transfusion.

When word got out of his homosexuality, many colleagues and friends were taken by surprise, with no idea of his secret life.

More recently, Jodie Foster, respected actress and two-time Oscar winner, reluctantly admitted to her homosexuality, not by means of self-acceptance but from being outed by none other than self-proclaimed “Queen of All Media,” Perez Hilton, and the LGBTQ magazine, Out. Her script choices, usually more intellectual than commercial, have strangely stalled in the last few years from a creative standpoint.

As for Perez, he’s a self-made industry. A magnet of much criticism, Hilton’s tactics have not only assisted in “outing” Jodie Foster and Lance Bass, but have brought on speculation about the highly personal lives of celebrities like Tom Cruise.

I can see Hilton’s intent. Although obnoxious in terms of degrading his peers as well as his enemies, he strives for unification in an industry still wary of the unknown, where the perception of an actor and their sexuality are still highly magnified.

Why should it matter though? A great film is a great film. An actor’s job is to achieve the goal of having us believe in them as that character. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about their sexual orientation.

“New queer cinema,” a subgenre of the American independent film movement that started in the late 1980s, focuses heavily on issues of identity and culture, bringing about a bevy of talent that’s still

prospering in Hollywood today.

Just last year, director Gus Van Sant reached an artistic apex when his film “Milk” received eight Oscar nominations.

Centering on the political career of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office, it boldly confronted the homosexual culture of San Francisco in the 1970s as well as the bigotry felt and still seen today in political challenges like Proposition 8.

For his magnificent portrayal of the slain gay politician, Sean Penn won his second Oscar, making up for the loss of “Brokeback Mountain” only three years prior. In a speech that reflected California’s recent choice in opposing equal rights for same sex partners, Penn, in a moment of worldwide attention, challenged the resistance, stating, “I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect, and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if that continues in way of support.”

In an industry where almost anything goes, it’s amazing that this topic is still an issue. Then again, the entertainment industry is just a sliver of the overall viewing demographic. There is hatred all over the world, far removed from the smoke and mirrors of sunny Los Angeles and the cultural metropolis of New York City. For all the good this generation has to offer, there will always be the bad. Let’s hope things change.

brunswickanarts

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 9

ACTA places Canadian copyright law at risk this week in fredericton.

Theatre St. Thomas presents ‘Cloud 9’ Nov. 25 – 28 at 8 p.m.

This week, Theatre St. Thomas presents Caryl Churchill’s play, Cloud 9. The play is a social commentary whose setting ranges from Africa in 1885 to London in 1979. Doors open at 8 p.m., tickets are $5 for students.

Most Serene Republic @ The Capital Bar Thursday, Nov. 26

The critically acclaimed band will be coming to the Capital complex on Thursday. Tickets are $12 at the door. Advanced tickets (with service fee) can be purchased at Read’s and Back Street Records.

CHSR Presents: A Black Tie Affair Thursday, Nov. 26

This wine and cheese event benefitting campus radio will feature door prizes and a silent auction in addition to a show by the Joel Leblanc Trio jazz band.

Tickets are $30.

Share @ The Capital Bar Friday, Nov. 27

Local powerhouses Share and the Slate Pacific return to Fredericton this Friday. Tickets are $8.

SPCA’s Animals and Art Sunday, Nov. 29

This gala event in support of the Fredericton SPCA will include an art auction and sale, as well as a lesson on wines by a professional sommelier. Tickets are $30.

Monday Night Film Series Monday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

This Monday’s event (put on by the NB Film Coop) will feature Italian film “Il Divo.” The film, which was acclaimed at festivals like Cannes, starts at 8 p.m. in Tilley 102. Tickets are $3 for members or $7 for non-members.

Paul Healey Exhibition @ Gallery 78 Ends Sunday, Nov. 29

If you haven’t taken the time to go see this NB native’s art exhibition yet make sure you do this week. The exhibit ends this Sunday, Nov. 29.

twitter.com/brunsarts

Andrew Olsvik The Brunswickan When I crossed the border into the US in September with my older brother and his girlfriend, we had a relatively painless experience. Although we were questioned inside the office while our car was being searched, the whole ordeal took less than 20 minutes and we continued on our way no problem.

Can you imagine how long the wait time at the border would be if the officials had the prerogative to search iPods and mp3 players for “pirated” material?

While wait times at the border is arguably the least pressing of the issues that could become a reality following implementation of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (currently being discussed and drafted by a number of countries including the United States, Japan, the EU and Canada in response to the increased trade of counterfeit goods and copyright piracy), it is perhaps the best example to demonstrate one of the most significant themes of ACTA – privacy invasion.

It should be made clear that ACTA is being created under extremely tight security and as a result, the information circulating the internet on ACTA (and by extension, this article) is largely based on a handful of miraculous leaks, with little confirmation by the governments involved. Efforts to formally obtain information on ACTA in the United States were denied on the grounds of national security (wtf?), though Canada has allegedly requested the right to disclose its own nation-specific documents in the future.

One of the most important things to understand about ACTA is that the civil and criminal enforcement provisions of the agreement do not deal exclusively with counterfeited or pirated property intended for profit. That rare EP you downloaded by your favourite band for personal use?

Pirated.

Congratulations, you are a criminal!

And although we don’t know the specifics, there is a list of penalties in ACTA

Media piracy is a hot topic. With lawsuits spawning around the world at an exponential rate, an industry-consumer tug of war has broken out. Internet including financial charges and even prison sentences - though I doubt possession of a downloaded Lil Wayne album will land you in the slammer.

Under ACTA, customs and border officials would find their powers drastically strengthened, giving them the ability to search, seize and/or destroy (without compensation) what they believe to be counterfeited or pirated property. In addition, the information disclosure provisions in ACTA require countries to openly share information on alleged counterfeiting operations and specific individuals suspected to be involved to other countries conducting investigations.

As if this wasn’t troubling enough, the internet provisions are, at least to me, the most disturbing part of this whole mess.

If ACTA is passed, internet service providers may be required to enforce what has become known as ‘Graduated Response’ or ‘Notice and Termination’, similar to the current internet laws in France. What this means is that, under ACTA, ISPs would

be responsible for the content stored or transmitted using their service, and if you are caught three times storing or transmitting content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others (i.e. pirated Lil Wayne albums), your internet service will be shut down for one year.

While ACTA is still in the drafting stages, Dr. Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa speculates that ACTA could be in effect by 2012 unless something is done.

Dr. Geist is regarded as one of the leading experts on copyright law and ACTA in particular, and much more information on the subject can be found on his blog (http:// www.michaelgeist.ca). Various Canadian and international organizations have taken stances against ACTA, including the Pirate Party of Canada (http://www.pirateparty. ca) and Creative Commons (http://creativecommons.org/), but cannot do it alone.

Please visit these websites to learn more about the threat of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and the much less oppressive alternatives.

brunswickansports

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 10

sports@thebruns.ca

Men’s Reds volleyball ends first half on a strong note

Colin McPhail The Brunswickan UNB was the setting for the first interlock tournament of the 2009-10 season.

The weekend saw four very competitive Quebec teams square off against the three AUS squads in some thrilling matches. It was an important tournament for the Varsity Reds and the boys did not disappoint. After a frustrating loss to Laval in the opening match, the squad came back and took the next three.

“Overall, I think its an absolute huge step for our program this weekend,” said a satisfied Head Coach Dan McMorran.

“We’ve been working hard for the last month and it was a huge step for us this weekend.”

In Friday’s opener, the Reds walked onto a court in front of a noisy crowd down at the LB Gym to face the number four ranked team in the country, Laval.

UNB got off to a good start, surprising the visitors with a 25-18 win in the first set. However, the Reds made several careless mistakes in the second set and Laval took full advantage winning the set 25-15. The following two sets could have a gone either way, but the Reds couldn’t summon the points when they needed them and Laval stole the final sets 25-23 and 27-25 for the win. “[It felt] pretty good,” said McMorran.

“The match against Laval was probably one of the best matches we’ve played so far this season and we even had opportunities to take that match ourselves 3-1.

That’s what happens when two good teams come to play.”

Saturday was a much different story.

Besides the constant theme of service errors, their play was at a high level of intensity as they knocked off Sherbrooke in four sets 25-16, 23-25, 27-25 and 2519. Later that night, the Reds walked over Montreal in three sets 26-24, 26-24 and 25-16. The Reds’ presence around the net overwhelmed their opponents as they totaled 48 blocks, with veteran Jacob Kilpatrick leading the way with 16 during Saturday’s matches.

The Reds closed out the tournament with a win in a five-set thriller against McGill on Sunday. The teams traded 25-23 sets at the beginning, but the

Reds middle Jason Sheehan jumps up for one of his many kills against McGill. UNB defeated the Redmen in a five set nailbiter to close out the tournament. After dropping the opening match, the Reds went on to win three straight. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Reds’ play picked up and they snatched the third frame 25-19. McGill was not to be outdone and pushed the match to an extra set with a 25-22 win in the fourth. The Redmen jumped out to an early lead, but the Reds stormed back and Ryley Boldon sealed the 15-11 win with two serve aces.

There were only a couple negative areas that stood out this weekend with the most prominent being service errors.

There were 72 in total.

“There’s a fine line between making service errors and serving easy,” commented McMorran. “We definitely don’t want to be serving easy to our opponent because it makes it very easy for them to pass well and run a very good offense.

It’s an area where if our guys are in a match and there’s not a lot of confidence going, they’re either going to make errors or they’re going to serve easy and we’ve got to get through that and get mentally stronger in our service department.”

Fortunately, the work ethic of several players can negate those errors and produce a positive outcome; players like Reds setter Andrew Costa. Throughout the weekend, the Summerside native recorded 43, 39, 13, and 54 assists respectively with .898 success rate.

Overall, it was am impressive weekend for the Reds as they went 3-1 and now sit in second in the AUS with a 5-3 record.

The top seed Dalhousie Tigers are sitting comfortably with a 7-1 record and Me-

morial is at the bottom of the table at 1-7.

The next action the men will see is the Excalibur Tournament at York University.

They open up the second leg of the 20092010 season on Jan. 22 at McGill for the next interlock tournament.

“What we’re going to do, as the guys have an exam period coming up, is hit the weights very hard in our kind of mini-offseason right here. We’re going to be bigger and better than we were in the first semester.”

the brunswickan presents

the panel

Does Twitter have a place in sports?

voice your opinion

Colin McPhail

Tony von Richter

Alex Wickwire

Twitter and sports is genius combination. Twitter is available basically on any mobile device, where gametrackers and sports stories are not readily accessible. Crunching a recap into 140 characters gives the on-the-move sports fan what they need. Also, live tweeting events provides that very fan with ‘sports nourishment’ when they can’t reach any resource.

Absolutely. I think it’s actually more important for lower profile leagues like the CIS that don’t get that much media attention as the teams can provide game updates and information directly to the fans that they wouldn’t be likely to receive otherwise.

I think it’s pretty good. Kevin Love broke a story about his team and Shaq uses it for his lame humor. I love instant news and bad jokes.

Sports Editor

CUP Sports Bureau Chief

Sports Reporter

Christopher Cameron Sports Writer

Yes, it does in a specific market. In local sports or university sports where the technology is not already present for live scoring this tool is very useful. We can see how we are trying to use it here at UNB and I believe its working well.

brunswickansports Bombers take Moosehead Cup FROM BOMBERS PAGE 1 The first score of the game took place in the third quarter. A deep punt from the Red Bombers was trouble for Justin Cavan in his own end zone. He mishandled the ball and the Red Bomber coverage hit him hard enough to create separation. After a scrum the officials ruled that the play resulted in a safety, and UNB would receive two points and possession of the ball.

In the fourth quarter, the Red Bombers drove from deep in their own territory with conservative play calling and a ground game that relied on runningbacks Tommy Broad, Josh MacArthur and Devin Kearney.

Marching across the 55-yard line into Seawolves territory, the Bombers did not score a touchdown, but rather a deep punt pinned Justin Cavan deep enough in his own end zone to force a touchback and score a single point for UNB. With two minutes remaining in the game, Saint John quarterback Jeremy McAuley drove the Seawolves to the UNB 15-yard line. After two dropped passes in the end zone, the Seawolves missed the

V-Reds Results Friday, November 20th Hockey UNB 2 - UPEI 0 @ UPEI Men’s volleyball Laval 3 - UNB 1 @ LB Gym Saturday, November 21st Women’s basketbal Acadia 81 - UNB 76 @ Acadia Men’s basketball Acadia 88 - UNB 79 @ Acadia Men’s volleyball UNB 3 - Sherbrooke 1 @ LB Gym Men’s volleyball UNB 3 - Montreal 0 @ LB Gym Women’s volleyball UNB 3 - UdeM 1 @ LB Gym Sunday, November 22nd

twitter.com/brunssports

Men’s volleyball UNB 3 - McGill 2 @ LB Gym

potential game tying field goal, settling for a touchback and the Red Bombers took over.

After a quick two and out and the scoreboard reading 3-1, the Red Bomber defence stopped the last assault from Saint John by sacking McAuley and forcing a fumble with eight seconds remaining. The first ever AFL Championship was in the books, and it likely will be the lowest scoring game ever played for the new Moosehead Cup. The Red Bombers wanted to make sure their defensive players were given the credit they deserved for holding the top offence in the province to a single point.

“The defense played great,” said ecstatic Bombers quaterback Brendan Cornford.

“My defence played awesome… we didn’t blitz as much, which is what they expected,” said Defensive Line Coach Jamie Edwards. “We played well, we’re a very athletic group.”

An enthusiastic Brendan Cornford was so overjoyed with the victory, the only words he had were that it had been the “best game ever!”

The Bombers are back after 29 years, and in their first season back on the field they did not disappoint.

Nov. 25, 2009 • Issue 12 • Volume 143 • 11

Women’s Volleyball drops U de M Christopher Cameron The Brunswickan The Varsity Reds women’s volleyball team got the monkey off their back, winning their first match of the season three sets to one at home on Saturday against UdeM. The Reds struggled at first, dropping the first set 25-14. In the second set UNB came back with a vengeance winning the set 25-13. The third set was back and forth as both teams fought for set point, with UNB taking the set 31-29. The final set was another intense one as UdeM held the lead until the V-Reds took it at 28-27, getting the 29th point to take the set and the match.

Head Coach John Richard has also been out for two and a half weeks fighting some health issues and was not on the bench for Saturday’s match, forcing long-time Assistant Coach James Cress to take over that position.

Cress was pleased with his team’s performance, but did point out that the team’s struggles were based around their passing.

The Reds got their regular season back on track as they finished UdeM in four sets to win their first league match. Prize. Nancy Ward / The Brunswickan «The first set was a rough start,” said be shutting play down until they fly to Cress. “Everything for us is based around Toronto for a week of training as well passing on that first contact. When that as an appearance in the University of goes awry the rest of our game follows.” Toronto Invitational tournament begin“Our passing stats were very low in ning on Dec. 28. the first set resulting in the loss, but once “Players will work out off the court, the girls got the passing back we saw the but as far as on-court stuff, we’re not gobetter results.” ing to go on the court,” said Reds bench The V-Reds volleyball team will now boss John Richard.

12 • Nov. 18, 2009 • Issue 11 • Volume 143

the brunswickan presents

notgettinghurt.

brunswickanhealth

Behind the Red: Jill Blanchard

10 tricks and tips to not get hurt by Alex Wickwire 1) Stretch - duh! Since first grade gym class we’ve been taught to stretch out before sports. Do it. Get a routine, and ask an athletic friend if you’re not sure how.

2) Isolate muscles when stretching - Stretching a quadricep muscle by holding your heel against your butt works, but make sure you’re standing the right way. Use common sense and make sure you can feel the muscle you’re trying to stretch out.

3) Hold for 30 seconds or more - It may seem ridiculous, but ask any physiotherapy student and they’ll tell you at least half a minute is needed for optimum benefits from stretching.

4) Spin! - An Exercise Bike is gold. If you’ve got access to it, get on a bike. Stationary spin cycles are used by athletes at all levels; it’s a great way to get blood flowing through your legs.

5) Train like you play - Don’t work out during the week on cruise control conserving energy like a Toyota Prius and then push yourself to the limit in the game burning energy like a 1960s muscle car. Always go hard, but make sure to stretch out.

6) If you don’t use it, you lose it - Feeling overly sore makes anybody want to rest. Rest time is necessary to allow your body to heal, but the more you rest your body, the more difficult it is to get limbered up.

7) Breathe, be warm, check heart rate and blood flow- The equipment needed to monitor your blood pressure and heart rate isn’t something typically found in a student’s gym bag. However, proper breathing and maintaining a good body temperature will be great for circulation and act as a good defence against muscle injuries.

8) Think like Murphy - If it can go wrong it will. Keep a mental checklist while you limber up and make sure each individual muscle is game-ready. Or else the single muscle you forget will rip right off the bone while you’re on a breakaway.

9) Be mindful of rough terrain - Whether it’s a run through the park or a pickup game of frisbee on a poorly maintained field, uneven ground has the potential to do lots of unwanted damage to your shins, calves or hip flexors.

10) Cool down - Winning an athletic contest at any level, whether it’s a city championship or a game of Wednesday night intramurals, gives anybody an urge to celebrate. Running from the field to the bar is tempting, but take the extra 15 minutes to get your body out of sport mode. The beer will only be colder when you make it to the party.

Christopher Cameron The Brunswickan In this week’s installment of Behind the Red, the Brunswickan was able to catch up with fourth year women’s volleyball player Jill Blanchard.

Blanchard spent the summer with the Canadian beach volleyball team this summer in Toronto, and returned in early October after competing in beach volleyball at the World Francophone Games in Lebanon. She was an AUS All-Star last season and a leader both on and off the court with the Varsity Reds.

She is currently at UNB for an honours degree in biochemistry, looking at a potential move to med school after she graduates.

When we sat down with Blanchard she told us about how she stumbled upon the sport and about her experiences.

Brunswickan: How did you get involved in volleyball?

Jill Blanchard: I started playing in grade nine. I was a wildcard on the provincial team, I fell in love with it and now that is all I play.

B: Did you just happen to fall upon it as the sport you loved?

JB: I played basketball and soccer for years before I started playing volleyball and after trying a broad spectrum of sports, found the one that suited me best.

B: As such a skilled volleyball player you could have gone to many different schools, what brought you to the Varsity Reds?

JB: It is close to my home in Saint John. I’m kind of a home body; I like to see my parents once in a while, so that was a plus. The team here was great and I had played with a lot of the girls that were already on the team, so familiarity was another factor that brought me to UNB. B: What is your fondest memory as a V-Red?

JB: There are so many. The feeling the first time I walked out on the court, against Saint Marys which had one of the top teams that year. I was starting in my first game and I just remember my hands were shaking out of control. My second fondest would be walking out for the first game against Montreal when we hosted our first nationals.

B: After playing with the Canadian beach volleyball team and competing in the World Francophone Games, what did those experiences do for you personally and as a player?

JB: I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. I think it brought more personally then on the team level. I developed more and I’m more confident in my abilities both on and off the court.

B: What have you become involved with in the UNB community outside volleyball?

JB: I volunteer at a Links program (a literacy program) in Marysville. I also referee and coach volleyball. I am currently working with intramurals right now, running the volleyball, looking after referees and stuff like that.

B: When you are done at UNB, what will you do with your volleyball career?

JB: It’s still up in the air, I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing with it. I would like to go to med school careerwise, but I don’t know if I’m going to be ready to give up volleyball just yet.

So we will see in the next few years what happens with it.

B: Do you ever think about what might have happened if you had gone to a different school?

JB: There’s definitely times where I wonder about the “what ifs”, but right now I’m definitely happy with where I am; not only for volleyball, but school and the people here. I never had any doubts about the volleyball team and the choice I made to come to UNB.