Issue 25, Vol 143, The Brunswickan

brunswickan Volume 143 • Issue 25 • March 31, 2010

canada’s oldest official student publication.

Report Card I ssue

brunswickannews

2 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

Slow clap for rising rates of chlamydia Hilary Paige Smith News Reporter According to statistics recently released by health officials, cases of chlamydia are on the rise among New Brunswick’s younger population.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada, according to the federal department of health. It is especially prevalent among university students.

The statistics show that reported cases of chlamydia have been increasing by 10 per cent each year in recent years.

According to the statistics, infection numbers are highest among university students in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John. Figures also show that roughly 1,500 New Brunswickers between the ages of 15 and 29 have reported and been diagnosed with the infection.

Susan Lamb, a registered nurse, said she believes that some students have an “invincible” attitude about sex and don’t feel they need to protect themselves against disease and infections.

She attributed high rates of infection to attitudes expressed in mainstream media and casual attitudes about sex.

“I don’t know what the statistics say about students’ attitudes toward

sex, but shows on TV now are hypersexualized, people are becoming friends with benefits and this is having an impact why are people having more sex with more partners. It makes sense that there is gong to be more spread of infection,” she said.

Sarah Olsen, co-ordinator for UNB’s Sexuality Centre, also attributed the spread of chlamydia to the “invincible” attitude held by some students.

“To be honest, people still think they are invincible and don’t think they should be practising safe sex themselves,” she said.

Olsen also said drinking plays a role in the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

“The issues with drinking and sex become more prevalent when going out and going to bars. Sex and alcohol are linked. There is a pretty strong relationship and it’s not always positive. [Alcohol] changes the way you view things. You’re less inhibited and maybe safety is not at the top of your list,” she said.

Olsen also believes that some schools and parents do not properly caution students against sexually transmitted infections at the middle and high

school levels.

Both Lamb and Olsen said proper barrier contraception, like male and female condoms, is necessary for preventing the spread of chlamydia. They also suggested having a clear idea of your partner’s sexual history, as well as your own.

“Know the history of your partner…

I know one of the nurses in my office, who if there are any STI’s, has to call the person to find out the partners they’ve had and she has to call the partners and tell them in order to keep the infections under control,” Lamb said.

Olsen also suggested getting yourself tested for infections after each new sexual partner and being prepared for sex with methods of infection prevention in mind.

“You have to plan sex, as unsexy as that sounds,” she said.

According to Health Canada, chlamydia rates have been climbing since 1997. The infection is known as the “silent disease” because more than half of infected men and women show no symptoms. Though symptoms are not always present, up to 40 per cent of women with untreated chlamydia are at risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility.

SU free tax clinic makes money and sense Colin McPhail Sports Editor As the 2010 Canadian tax deadline quickly approaches, Sujan Saha, a first year UNB student from Bangladesh, was thoroughly confused on how to complete his tax return. And he was not alone.

Students, who are already dealing with schoolwork, are faced with the difficult task of filing their taxes every year along with the rest of the adult population.

The UNB Student Union was able to lessen the workload, though, by initiating a four-day long tax clinic from Wednesday, March 24 to the Saturday of that week.

Lisa Solte, vice president finance with the SU, was intrigued by a similar function held at UNB Saint John last year. Recognizing the need for a tax clinic on campus, Solte, in conjunction with the Canadian Revenue Agency, was eager to get started.

“There were a couple workshops up in Marshall d’Avray to help students file their taxes, to give them the four-one-one, basically,” said Solte.

“I was then contacted by someone at the CRA to do a clinic similar to the one UNB Saint John had done, and that was something more like what I wanted to do.”

The free service was designed to aid and inform all members of the university community.

“The 20 or 50 dollars it takes to get it done at H&R Block goes a long way for students and there are even some staff members of university community that took part in the clinic,” added Solte.

Out of the 140 participants, the

majority were international students with no previous knowledge of the Canadian tax system. Among them was Sujan Saha.

The Bangladesh native arrived in room 103 of the Student Union Building with his documentation and in search of help. He was greeted by one of the many students volunteering at the clinic. Within 20 minutes, Saha was outside getting on with his day.

The simplicity of the process was enabled by tax preparation software entitled UFile. The program takes the user through a number of easy steps where the only requirement is to fill in the information found in your tax documents.

Saha left feeling confident that he could complete his return on his own next year and is appreciative of the service.

“It was the first time I was submitting my tax return and I had no idea how to actually do it. I could have gone somewhere else, but having it on campus was very useful.”

Cassie MacKinley, a second year arts student and tax clinic volunteer, saw the potential and utility of the clinic.

“I think it’s great. The services need to be offered so that people can get help for free. If you can go to H&R Block and pay 30 dollars, that’s great.

But if you’re only getting a 20 dollar return, then it’s pointless. We’re doing it for free and helping you out and showing you, so you might be able to do it on your own.”

Solte advises any student completing their return by themselves to visit the CRA website, www.cra-arc.gc.ca, for useful information. She expects the clinic, which helped many students much like Saha, to become an annual event.

Annual General Meeting

Sunday April 18 2:00 p.m.

Location: In the bar

Members Only

brunswickannews

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 3

NB Power deal called off

Sarah Ratchford Editor in Chief

The countless citizens who protested the contentious deal to sell much of NB Power’s assets to Hydro-Québec can breathe a sigh of relief — the $3.2-billion deal has been cancelled.

On March 24, Premier Shawn Graham declared that the deal — which, after five months of public discussions, was to be finalized within weeks — would no longer go through.

He met with Quebec premier Jean Charest the night before, and announced at the New Brunswick legislature that Quebec had proposed changes to the deal that would not be in the best interest of New Brunswick residents.

“It is with much regret that I am announcing this morning that we are no longer proceeding with discussions to finalize the energy agreement with Hydro-Québec,” he told the assembly.

In a statement, he said that “over the past several weeks, as we worked to take the energy agreement and turn it into a full legal document, a number of issues emerged.

“Hydro-Québec asked for changes to the agreement that would have unacceptably taken away some of the value and increased some of the risks for New Brunswickers.”

The premier said he still stands by the merits of the original $4.8-million deal, as well as the amended deal proposed in January.

“However, with Hydro-Québec’s proposed changes, I do not believe New Brunswick receives enough in direct benefits and reduced risks to provide a deal worth signing.”

Graham said that Hydro-Québec, in doing “its due diligence,” found more long-term risks than it was willing to deal with. The company’s changed position meant that the agreement could not be

After many protests against the sale of some of NB Power’s assets, the government has called off the deal. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan met, and Graham said that his government could not accept that.

Opposition MLA Bruce Fitch, who was New Brunswick’s minister of energy from 2003–2006 under Progressive Conservative premier Bernard Lord, said Graham is trying to pawn the decision off on Hydro-Québec.

“It’s interesting that Mr. Graham, the premier, is laying this all at the feet of Hydro-Québec — I think it’s the voice of the people that has been heard,” he said.

He called the announcement an excuse to save “whatever’s left of his credibility.”

Fitch also said that the Liberal premier should apologize to New Brunswickers, and that Jack Keir, the current minister of energy, should apologize to NB Power employees.

“NB Power has been a symptom of the whole mismanagement of this government.”

Despite the recent troubles, Graham said he plans to continue working on energy issues in the province.

“I think it is pretty clear to everyone that, even if you are doing the right thing, or the necessary thing, there is a right way and a wrong way of going about it,” he said.

“People were not upset with us for taking on the electricity issue; they were angry with us because they wanted to be part of the solution and our process did not let them in.”

Graham said he looks forward to working with the people of New Brunswick to solve the province’s energy troubles.

Just like ripping off bandAIDS Sandy Chase News Writer Twenty students left the SUB with a little less hair on their bodies in support of the HIV/AIDS cause.

On Wednesday at noon the International Development Association set up tables in the SUB cafeteria to wax students’ bodies. The funds raised from the event will be put towards purchasing a bicycle ambulance in Mali. The bikes, which cost $380, are used to transport those who cannot walk due to the virus.

Organizers set a goal of $500 and went to work on the chests, backs and legs of the willing participants.

Allyson Fradella, one of the organizers of the event, was happy with the support and number of participants getting waxed.

“We’ve had a lot of girls, so a lot of eyebrows, a few legs, and one guy got his armpits done. We’ve only had three guys who have been waxed so far, there’s a few more coming who have never had it done,” said Fradella, adding that none of the male participants had ever been waxed before.

Matthew Roscoe, who had both his back and chest waxed for the cause, raised $100, the largest single donation.

Roscoe, another first time waxer, braved the session for the entertainment of the crowd.

“I figured that people would find it more funny if I donated my chest and back hair, and apparently people did,” said Roscoe. He said that it was easy to raise the funds.

“As soon as you mention that you’re volunteering your back and your chest for people’s amusement, they’re pretty quick to help out,” Roscoe added nervously as he watched the was being prepared.

The event raised just over $400.

Graduating to a better elections process Lee Larrett News Editor When the Student Union elections wrapped up, the valedictorians were still undecided and the chief returning officer washed her hands of the mess.

The valedictorian elections were cancelled during the February SU elections because no accurate voter list could be compiled, according to the CRO. Because the SU runs the Valedictorian elections as a favour and not as part of the constitution, once issues arose the SU handed the responsibility back to the Grad Class Committee.

Stephanie Lord, president of the grad class, said, “the CRO definitely dropped the ball,” on the Valedictorian elections.

The Grad Class has had to take over the elections themselves, scrambling to pull voting together in time for encaenia.

Lord explained that a list of the 1,507 graduates has been in existence for over two weeks with no word from the CRO on how to proceed.

“Something should have be happening far before now,” Lord said, pointing to the emergency meeting the committee had just called. Lord stressed that valedictorian elections are, “not something to be taken lightly,” and are something the candidates have been working hard for their entire university career.

Lord explained that there is still some discontent from the candidates given the situation. With the later election date there will be less time to prepare a speech, which needs to be researched, written, and approved by the university.

Lord commented that the current timeline will put the potential valedictorians under “extreme time constraints.”

Lord felt that the CRO’s choice to postpone the election until it could be done with an accurate voters list was a good decision, but was disappointed that there was no follow up.

“She left us all in the lurch,” she said, especially because the grad committee had conflicts of interest in running their own election (Lord herself is a candidate).

At press time no official dates had been set for the valedictory elections, but the grad class plans to move forward as quickly as possible. All graduating students will receive an email telling them when to vote, and voting will be open for one week.

Lord stressed that not all aspects of the grad committee are facing trouble.

“We’ve changed the face of the grad class,” Lord said. This year’s grad class has decided to host events instead of doing a grad class project. She explained that the grad class is no longer leaching money from the alumni, or spending large amounts on benches or other physical monuments to the class to be placed on campus. The grad class has put on a series of events including a lock-in at Kingswood that had large turnout, and a weekend trip to New York on the first days of April. There’s also an upcoming grad dance at the Delta Hotel on May 20.

The legacy that the graduating class of 2010 will leave behind will be three scholarships at $500 each based on every grad donating one dollar.

Have an idea for an arts story?

Let us know.

arts@thebruns.ca The ALPS (Adult Learners, Part-Time Students) Executive Board of Directors is calling for nominations for the Spring Election.

Students must be a registered UNBF student with a GPA of 2.0 or above and meet one of the following criteria: • Be a Registered Part-Time Undergraduate Student on the Fredericton Campus, • Be a Registered Part-Time Undergraduate Student off-Campus/Open Access, • Be a Registered Full-Time Undergraduate Adult Learner.(+25) The following positions are available: President VP Student Affairs VP Social Events VP Administration VP Finance VP Administration Senator

Students went through a little pain for a lot of gain in the fight agains HIV/AIDS. Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Nomination forms and detailed terms of reference for each position can be picked up at the ALPS office - located at 130A of Marshall d’Avray Hall. Also, terms of reference can be viewed on the ALPS website. (http://www.unbf.ca/alps) The elections will be held from April 19 to the 23, 2010.

For more information, contact ALPS at 453-3596 or alps@unb.ca

brunswickannews

4 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

Chug chug chug: historic NB Liquor Alex Kress News Writer City Council has made it official: the York Street train station that is to become the newest liquor store in Fredericton is being conserved as an historic property.

It was recently added to the Fredericton Local Historic Places Register (FLHPR), established in 2003 to protect and raise awareness about historic properties. It will be part of a list of buildings in the city that are protected from being destroyed.

Juan Estepa, manager of heritage and cultural affairs for the city, feels the restoration will improve the area by enhancing the former train station and adjacent properties.

“It will transform a derelict building into

something with a useful purpose,” says Estepa. “The former liquor store that was downtown was closed, so it’s certainly a use that’s needed downtown.”

Estepa says the new liquor store will also enhance the streetscape in the York Street area, particularly because it is the historic route to the heart of downtown. The Hartt Boot & Shoe Company opposite the train station on the west side of York Street is also part of the FLHPR and was restored and transformed into an attractive apartment building. Also, the York Street school house was under threat of being demolished until the city bought it. They plan to rent it for offices.

“Now that we have the Hartt Boot & Shoe Company that’s been restored nicely

and the train station, we have a nice heritage gateway entry into the downtown on York Street,” Estepa says.

The Preservation Review Board values conserving the former train station because it was a substantial source of growth and communication for Fredericton. Passenger traffic petered out in the 1960s and freight service continued until 1990. The station was sold to New Brunswick Southern Railway, a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Ltd. in 1995 and was protected by the Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act. J.D. Irving is restoring the outside of the building and maintaining its brick interior.

It will be leased for 20 years to Alcool NB Liquor. The project is expected to be completed in August 2010.

Fredericton Social Innovation grows greater Hilary Paige Smith News Reporter It has been a big year for Fredericton Social Innovation-- so big they have expanded their reach to the capital city’s neighbouring towns.

The newly dubbed Greater Fredericton Social Innovation has grown exponentially since its founding in 2004. The organization, which describes itself as a “new approach to addressing community opportunities and challenges with broad community support from the public, private and non-profit sectors,” had an eventful year with the recent success of its open space forum.

Tim Ross, a member of the Greater Fredericton Social Innovation secretariat and head of communications, was happy with the success of the open space forum.

The event, which took place in late February, hoped to draw a crowd of 300 Fredericton

residents in its three day run. Ross said the goal was nearly met.

“I found out that a lot of individuals are passionate about their community,” Ross said.

Ross said the event was well-received

by Frederictonians from all walks of life, everyone from students and members of the academic community to the average, everyday citizen. The open space forum was also attended by politicians at the municipal and provincial levels.

The goal of the open space forum was to generate discussion and ideas that could eventually evolve into reality in Fredericton.

One such idea was a volunteer centre to match volunteer skills with non-profit organizations in need. Ross also mentioned the possibility of an online volunteer matching system.

“That discussion started as one of 52 discussion topics and it became one of the ten

main themes that were identified. A group mobilized around the volunteer centre and they’re meeting every other week now to get things going,” Ross said.

Other priorities that were identified included promoting local food initiatives, a bike/pedestrian bridge and a community garden.

Ross said the open space forum was a risk for the organization that ended up a success.

“The open space was what gave us access to the community. It’s what raised our profile in the community, and if that had not been a success we probably would have had to pack up, put our organization on the shelf,” he said.

Future plans for Greater Fredericton Social Innovation revolve around reducing poverty in the city with a working group for problem-solving and educating the public about poverty issues. For more information visit www.fsi-isf.ca.

Council features report to council on CASA Lee Larrett News Editor In the second last council meeting of the year things centered on President Jon O’Kane and VP External Ryan Brideau’s participation in the recent CASA conference held in Ottawa.

O’Kane and Brideau gave a recap of the week’s events. The conference began with a five hour plenary, discussing CASA policy and lobbying technique to prepare the delegates for the lobbying in the following days. The next few days were spent meeting with different politicians on Parliament Hill. Every evening delegates gathered to debrief, discussing how their lobbying was going to inform the lobbying all delegates did the following day. The conference closed with a 17.5 hour plenary which focused on internal governance for CASA. New board structure and a new fee structure, which would see the UNBSU pay slightly more for membership, was discussed.

CASA outlined six lobby points in their 20 lobby document that served as the basis for all delegates lobbying activities. First CASA wants to see a dedicated student transfer: federal money given to the provinces and earmarked for spending on PSE. CASA also lobbied to reform the Canada Student Loan program, especially in light of these poor economic times when students need as much financial help as they can get. CASA was interested in lowering the burden of high interest on student loans. Currently the government is making money off of student loans as the risk associated in lending to students has decreased while the interest rate has stayed

the same. CASA was also concerned with strengthening federal support for First Nations education. Specifically there was concern about a cap placed on the Post Secondary Student Support Program, which assists Aboriginal and First Nations people in accessing education. CASA lobbied to create more graduate scholarships through redistribution, reducing large single beneficiary recipient scholarships to benefit larger numbers of people. Lastly, CASA lobbied to support Canada’s learning needs, specifically that Canada needs its own research data about PSE to make evidence based decisions.

Over the course of the conference O’Kane and Brideau met with a series of politicians to lobby on points that the politicians were personally passionate about. O’Kane, who has plenty of lobbying experience from being last year’s vice president external, met with Brian Murphy, Mike Savage, the Liberal PSE critic, Ralph Goodale, Gerard Kennedy, Niki Ashton and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose assistants and policy staff lent an ear for the details. Brideau, with less experience, met with smaller names including Scott Andrews, Rick Dykstra, Joseph Day, James Cowen, Noel Kinsella, Frank Mahovlich and Peter Stoffer.

O’Kane and Brideau reported that many times politicians were interested in the lobbying points and promised to write letters on the topics, or bring these points up in the house. CASA’s government relations office has come forward to say that in the two weeks since the conference points they have advocated for have been brought to light in parliament.

brunswickanreportcard

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 5

brunswickannews report card.

UNBSU President

B+

UNBSU VP Academic

BUNBSU VP External

Jon O’Kane put his lobbying and public speaking skills to good use this year. He was instrumental in many of the SU’s lobbying efforts and had success including a tuition freeze.

O’Kane was also a media contact, representing students on such issues as debt and the UNB teaching contract negotiations. O’Kane did some internal housekeeping for the SU, spearheadeding the governance review, which improved the SU on representation, comprehensiveness and voting.

O’Kane also had a role in many UNB initiatives including strategic planning.

Shannon Carmont-McKinley planned two of the most successful Book Buy and Sells in UNB’s history. She also ran the Pizza and Plagiarism and Great Grade Launch events.

During exams she coordinated the exam study space. Acting as vice president internal (the new name of the position for the coming year) she worked with Michelle Alexiu of UNB/ STU Student Health Must Change Facebook group to help facilitate communication with the Student Health Centre.

C

Ryan Brideau’s biggest achievement is probably the SU Haiti Relief effort he organized. In the fall he started a carpool initiative, but by the second last council meeting of his term all he said is that he finally got feedback from the SU lawyer and “it doesn’t look good.” He spent a lot of his term lobbying against Acadian bus line’s continuous cutting of their service, which greatly inconveniences students. He has also worked on projects such as the apartment safety posters, and the upcoming Move out Madness.

A

Lisa Solte spent her year being busy behind the scenes. She put together this year’s budget and next year’s preliminary budget, ran open budget meetings, and the free tax clinic in March which met with great success. She ratified and recognized clubs and societies all year long, and provided them funding for their different initiatives.

UNBSU VP Finance

UNBSU VP Student Services

B

UNBSU Chief Returning Officer

F

Stephanie Lord wears many hats as she says, holding multiple positions on campus including vice president services, cheerleader, grad class president and senator. As vp services she helped organize entertainment events going from the kick off concert to the last class bash. She also brought back annual events such as Red n’ Black Revue and Winter Formal. She planned Crabbe night as part of an ill fated winter carnival that mother nature warmed up a bit too much to. She coordinated many services including Safe Ride, the great computer give away, and the student medical and dental insurance.

The fall byelection and spring SU election both met with trouble. The fall byelection meet and greet was planned so last minute that not even all the candidates could attend. It wasn’t a big loss for those candidates that didn’t show up though, as no students came either. In the spring election an almost complete lack of advertising led to so few nominations that the nomination period had to be extended. In the end all the positions had candidates running for them, but only two executive positions were contested. To wrap up her term the decision to cancel valedictorian elections until a proper voters list was available led to the abandonment of valedictorian elections.

brunswickanreportcard

6 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

UNB Administration

B+ UNB Student Health Centre

Parking

DD-

The university administration has made a great effort to reach out to students.

Eddy Campbell engaged with students through the strategic planning sessions held this year. Although not many students showed up, the effort was put in to enrich student life. Also notable were the efforts of Dr. Anthony Secco, the university’s vice president academic, who committed his time to Tuesdays with Tony. The initiative gave students the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with Secco over coffee and chat about issues they had with the university. So, yes, the administration is adding extra fees onto our frozen tuition, and students aren’t filled in on these until the last minute. But they are certainly trying to engage with students, and fees are no real surprise when it comes to PSE. B+ for the admin, then.

The SHC underwent a number of changes this year, but they failed to be for the better. Moving to C.C. Jones Centre for Student Services improved the facilities and they hired a Clinic Manager. Paying her salary was part of the reason students were slapped with a new fee this year: the Student Health Service Fee at $25 per term. Students had to shell out further if they wanted to use non-N.B. Medicare covered services. It was also the inaugural year of the problematic same day scheduling system that is at the heart of the complaints from members of the “UNB/STU Student Health Must Change” Facebook group. The SHC says they are focused on the special health needs of students in an academic setting, but it seems they’ve lost sight of this under the pressure of limited resources.

“It’s not great, but it’s cheap,” is Security and Traffic’s slogan for parking. They sold 1400 student passes by the fall, and only have 450 designated student spaces. The unpaved lots are filled with haphazard parking and turn into slippery mud pits, while the paved lots crumble away, and the pot holes multiply and grow. Security and Traffic’s strategy to soothe the complaints of students and staff alike is to ticket those people that choose to buy passes, and tow those people who choose not to pay tickets. Towing has become a serious threat to non-pass holders. The future of parking is more grim than the present: the university’s plan is to turn the campus completely pedestrian. So enjoy the SUB lot now, because frustrating as it might be to find a spot there, soon they’ll all be gone.

Residences

UNB Greening Initiatives

B

It was an eventful year for UNB’s 15 student residences. Initiatives for house charities were successful this year, in addition to a successful fundraiser for Haiti earthquake relief. House traditions continued this year including the Neville Jones Bed Push, the Harrison House Pumpkin Sacrifice, Bridges Polar Dip, Unsung Heroes, Neill House Pie-YourProctor and Headshave. Residences also raised thousands of dollars for their respective charities.

B+

Residences participated in an energy conservation competition and Aitken House cut their energy consumption by 24 per cent, taking the top prize. Facilities Management challenged the UNB community to reduce it’s environmental footprint with a Greening the Campus campaign. The campaign included installing lower wattage lightbulbs and auditing buildings for energy and water consumption. It also included an Acts of Green registry where community members can register their environmentally friendly acts. Greening the campus was also identified as a goal in UNB’s ongoing strategic planning initiative, with many participants outlining sustainable goals for the future of UNB.

D

Acadian moved its Fredericton terminal in the fall from its downtown location to 85 Hubbard Road, forcing many people to take taxis. The coach service is also looking at eliminating routes between Fredericton and Miramichi and between Bangor, ME and Saint John. As a company that is supposed to serve the public, though, Acadian Lines has largely neglected its duty.

Acadian Bus Lines

Provincial Government

C-

The provincial government has done well by students this year. Tuition has been frozen again this year and the government is currently in the process of implementing its 33 point Action Plan to Transform PSE. It has also been working on the New Brunswick Social and Economic Inclusion Plan, recognizing the less fortunate in the province and starting an initiative to help.

But people have lost trust in the government over the controversial plan to sell assets of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec. Although the deal has been cancelled, the government failed to listen to the public outcry, and it also failed to hold a referendum.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 7

editor@thebruns.ca

Real beauty, or the right to flaunt? You decide The Looking Glass Sarah Ratchford

It is a fact that women are, and have been for far too long, viewed as objects by men, other women, and themselves.

The Hilltop Grill & Beverage Co. here in Fredericton recently hosted a “Best Tan” competition put on by Miami Tanning. The contest saw women dress up in bikinis and other summery garments like short shorts and crop tops, putting themselves on display for a panel of six judges—two women and four men—as well as the rest of the restaurant’s patrons. People of all walks of life were given the opportunity to slobber all over women as well as steaks.

Now, these women can do whatever they like. As my coworker Sam Perlmutter will argue in his column this week, these women clearly do not see themselves as objects—they likely enjoy the attention, or why would they participate? Or maybe they simply like being seen as beautiful. The ladies who participated are entitled to view themselves as they please, and if they would like to parade about in bikinis at restaurants, no one is stopping them.

Women have choices today. We don’t have to be viewed as objects, but if we would like to be, we are welcome to do so. Some women gain a sense of empowerment when they have the admiration of others, and that is okay.

But the contest got me thinking about beauty pageants and our ideas of female beauty in general.

What I question is the values of our society and our concept of beauty. The idea of a cute brunette girl with chubby cheeks and normally sized breasts transforming herself into a bleached blonde, fake-boobed wraith to try to attract more glances from the d-bags of this world makes me very sad. The fact that so many women believe that this is the way they need to look is just an absolute travesty.

Societal pressures surrounding female beauty are so strong that many women and girls don’t even realize they’re there. Ever seen Josie and the Pussycat Dolls? That film is honestly not too far off the mark. What’s being sold along with brand names is image.

I know this doesn’t seem like news by any stretch, but the forceful nature of images in the media is truly severe.

Take a commercial for facial cleanser, for example. “Clean, clear and under control,” a perky female voice offers from your television. An equally perky, young, blonde, freshfaced and slim teenage girl is projected into your living room. Her teeth are perfectly white, her eyes are blue and her cleavage is just right, giving way to a “perfect” slim waist.

Girls see these commercials and think, “I have to be that.”

Think I’m saying girls can’t think for themselves, or “How would you know?” Honestly, I’ve been there, that’s how I know. In my 21 years on the face of this earth, I have spent thousands of dollars trying to fit that image. I used to dye my hair blonde, painstakingly straighten it, rush out and buy the latest and greatest eyeliner gaurenteed to give you the sexiest smoky eyes in history. I would buy pushup bras, stilettos, and the skankiest polyester garments guaranteed to catch eyes everywhere.

You know what though? None of

the brunswickan

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief • Sarah Ratchford Managing • Alex Duncan News • Lee Larrett Arts • Alison Clack Sports • Colin McPhail Photo • Andrew Meade Copy • Sam Perlmutter Production • Christian Hapgood Online • Doug Estey 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.

In the North American scheme of things, ideals of female beauty are precise and often difficult to adhere to. Are beauty pageants legit, or an unfair demand on women? Orange County_Girl/Flickr CC these things made me feel pretty. They made me feel weird and constructed— which I was. I didn’t look natural, and I was attracting the wrong kinds of people. It made me angry that I would go to a bar and guys would stare at me like a piece of meat. So I stopped constructing myself into a Barbie wannabe.

Perspectives of female beauty are brutally skewed, and that needs to change. Women are used as images to sell beer, cars, clothing, cosmetics, vacations, salads, hamburgers, watches.

It never ends. Yes, women are beautiful, but they need to realize that they are naturally so.

What a lot of women tend to masochistically overlook is that the women in the fashion mags are fake. They don’t really look like that; they are airbrushed. And the reason they’re so skinny is that they’re 6 feet tall and likely don’t eat.

Want to know another thing? The reason those women are so thin is that they are supposed to wear the clothes like a coat hanger does. That is why they are so thin; the clothes need to drape.

There is nothing underneath a clothes hanger. Do you want your body to look like nothing?

Women’s bodies are meant to run, dance, eat, have sex, bear children.

They’re meant to live. They can’t do that if they avoid eating.

We do not need men or other women to verify our beauty. All we need is self verification, self love. When you feel at peace with yourself on the inside, it shines through. You move with more ease, you’re not constantly tugging down your grotesque little skirt, you don’t have makeup all over your face if you happen to rub your eyes.

When you love your actual self, you’re not constructed and fake. You’re at peace.

So, to all the women out there who are trying to be something you’re not, quit. Give yourself a break and be yourself. I challenge you to wake up in the morning and dress for yourself. Wear things you’re comfortable in and that you love. Wear only as much makeup as you feel comfortable in. And if you really examine yourself and it makes you feel great to wear minimal clothing, sky-high heels and a truckload of eyeliner, all the power to you girl.

But before you decide, take a real look at the situation. Is it you who’s deciding, or others? Is it your brain or the media? That’s what you need to figure out, in fairness to you.

Take My Word For It Sam Perlmutter

The “Best Tan competition,” put on by Miami tanning at the Hilltop restaurant, recently came to its thrilling conclusion. In the event competitors answered impromptu interview questions, paraded around in bikinis and summer clothes, and of course showed off their tanned bodies.

Apparently the folks over at the Hilltop theorized that the only thing better than watching scantily clad tanned girls prancing around is watching scantily clad tanned girls prancing around with a steak in front of you.

Customers definitely were not leaving the Hilltop wanting more meat.

Personally, and not just because I am a heterosexual male, I think competitors in a tanning competition would greatly supplement my steak-eating experience. But that may be just me. Beyond that though, events like the one hosted by the Hilltop are perfectly acceptable and not demeaning to the participants in them.

My colleague Ms. Ratchford believes that events like these objectify women. Many others have spoken out against beauty pageants and modeling competitions, claiming that these are simply no more than a forum for objectifying women. I will respectfully disagree.

Beyond simply the aesthetic appeals these types of events may offer to various audiences, they are no more than perfectly acceptable competitions. If you asked the participants in the competition whether they were showcasing their best assets or being objectified, I think you can guess what they would answer.

Objectification, much like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.

Often people compete to improve their skills or demonstrate their aptitudes and abilities. Winning competitions or doing well in them often can provide validation. People usually feel good about themselves after winning or placing highly in a competition.

Each person has different attributes and skills that make them unique. Competitions are the forum where we take our best assets and put them on the line.

Some people’s greatest abilities lie in their intellect. These people may compete in chess tournaments, or software designing competitions. Some people are really really

good at driving around in circles really fast for hours, that’s why we have NASCAR. Some people are really good at eating lots, so we have eating competitions. We have all sorts of different forums for people to showcase their best skills.

For some people, their best feature is their body. For these, we have bodybuilding competitions, beauty pageants, etc.

The people who are going to win these competitions invariably put lots of work and effort into maintaining their best attributes.

The world’s best eaters spend a whole lot of time eating. The best driver’s drive, and the beauty queens primp, diet and exercise.

The competition is a celebration of the time and effort people have put in to their chosen attributes; in the Hilltop’s case, this happens to be tanned bodies. Speaking from experience, I can attest to the difficulty, time, and effort that goes into crafting an exquisitely tanned body.

The people claiming this is objectification are the only ones turning the competitors’ bodies into objects.

The participants in these competitions - as in all competitions - compete because they want to win. They want to showcase their skills. Frankly, I don’t think it is our place to judge the merits of how these competitors spend their time, or what they choose to do with their bodies. Different strokes for different folks.

For the participants in beauty pageants, best bikini competitions, or even wet t-shirt contests, this is no more than a choice they have made as to what they want to do, what skills they want to work on, and what they think they can be best at.

In fact, I would argue that by claiming these women are objectifying themselves we are trivializing their abilities and accomplishments. By treating their bodies as simply objects, we are refusing to recognize the work they put into maintaining them and preparing them for competition.

Some people like to showcase their intellect, athletic abilities, whatever. We all have things we are good at. When girls want to showcase their bodies, who are we to pass judgment on it? (unless of course we are a judge, but that’s a different type of judgment).

Sidney Crosby is really good at hockey; Candace Doucet, the winner of the best tan competition, is really good at tanning.

Both have advantages in their chosen fields of competition because of their genetics. That doesn’t mean one of them is objectifying himself or herself while the other one isn’t.

You don’t have to like beauty pageants or beauty queens. But don’t tell people trying to be the best at something that they are objectifying themselves in doing so.

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

8 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

Got opinions?

Tell us. editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion Stop spreading misinformation about Cuba Dr. Omar Basabe & Shane Martínez Submitted This opinion article is in response to an article printed in The Aquinian in February 2010, and attempts to remedy an extensive collection of allegedly erroneous and offensive content about Cuba. The impugned material was found within the article written by Ashley Charlton and Alex Solak, entitled “Communist Hovel, Capitalist Haven”. The editorial staff of the Aquinian declined to print this response.

The article about Cuba that appeared in a February edition of The Aquinian, entitled “Communist Hovel, Capitalist Haven”, was a troubling work by Ashley Charlton and Alex Solak that utilized no shortage of offensive language and inaccurate information to unfairly portray Cubans and their chosen economic and political models.

Let it first be said that one need not be communist, socialist, anti-communist or anti-Castro to address the topic of Cuba.

Yet one must approach reality unhindered (to the maximum extent possible) by forms of prejudice and pre-existing bias. It is crucial to avoid obsession with superficialities and simplicities stemming from an initial perception when approaching a reality that is foreign to us in its dynamics and its depths. One is to approach that reality in its totality, and not through select, disconnected observations, as though the socio-political system appearing before us can be defined by a series of photographic snapshots.

Approaching a socialist system like the Cuban one requires an intellectual rigor that is not demonstrated within the article by Charlton and Solak. Two North American youngsters spend their vacations in Cuba, to enjoy the sun and the beach and one day decide to only spend hours in Havana. From that they elaborately construct something closer to anti-Castro punditry rather than an article that was the result of a profound contemplation about the Cuban reality. The authors are silent (or uneducated) about the history of Cuba, the criminal economic blockade of the island led by the U.S., the terrorist attacks on the Cuban people by the Miami Mafia, the countless foreign assassination attempts against Fidel Castro and the attempted Bay of Pigs invasion.

With specific regard to the criminal economic blockade, it was imposed by the U.S. in 1960. It worked to isolate Cuba from much of the world, including what should have been its largest trading partner, the United States. The blockade was an attempt (that has now been ongoing for nearly five decades) to make Cuba submissive to the Washington’s right-wing political agenda for Latin America. The blockade not only prohibits American companies from trading with Cuba, but also stipulates punishment for any country that trades with Cuba. American citizens are prohibited from traveling to Cuba as well. In the subtext portion of Charlton and Solak’s article, addressing what they call “The Chinese years”, we read that China has “little concern for the American trade embargo.” Here it is necessary to say that like China, Canada never respected the criminal blockade imposed by the imperialist politics of the United States.

In addition, Canada, as any other country in the world, has engaged in commercial trade with China. However, the authors do not address these interesting dynamics and the implications they would have on the veracity of their already formed opinions about Cuba.

Exhibiting a degree of simplistic analysis unacceptable in university students, the printed assessment by Charlton and Solak of the Cuban socio-political system is founded in large part on their feelings about the models of automobiles that circulate in the Cuban capital. This poor analysis is reduced to an implied conclusion that if the cars are new, the government is good, and if the cars are old, then the government is bad. This, however, is not entirely surprising. The pair admittedly spent most of their time in Cuba on “the

Sometimes people stretch their misconceptions a little too far when it comes to judging foreign regions. Cuba is one of these little understoof areas. Dominic’s Pics/Flickr CC beautiful beaches of Varadero, or sitting by the pool sipping limitless supplies of tropical drinks.” While they surely enjoyed their stint at the resort, a question begs to be asked: How audacious must they be to write such an unfounded critique of a country after a brief bus trip to its capital city? Despite having no apparent substantive knowledge or experience on which to base their opinions about Cuba, they felt the need to share them with the readership of The Aquinian as if they were facts.

Throughout their article the two carelessly perpetuate skewed images of the Cuban government and Cuban society, referring to unemployment as “nearly illegal”, and suggesting that toothpaste is a “luxury few can afford.” Contrary to their ill-informed opinions, unemployment does exist in Cuba and there is certainly nothing “illegal” about it. It is an economic ailment that Cuba, like any other country, experiences and attempts to eradicate. And they’ve done a far better job at doing so than we have. The online CIA World Fact Book lists the current Cuban unemployment rate as being merely 1.6 per cent nationwide, compared with Canada’s rate of 8.5 per cent. As for the strange comment made by Charlton and Solak about toothpaste being a “luxury” on the island, it is nothing short of ridiculous. Not only is toothpaste available and affordable, free dental and orthodontic care (including braces) is provided as well. According to the United Nations Development Program, Cuba is one of the healthiest nations in all of Latin America.

The people pride themselves on having a truly universal health care system – a system that, unlike ours, includes dental care.

Charlton and Solak further lament socialist Cuba through sharing what they seemingly consider to be a revelation of injustice – “part of everything you earn must go to the government.” Let it be offered here as a future reference point for the pair: This procedure where the government takes part of what you earn is something referred to as taxation. It is a standard practice throughout the world by which the state maintains funds to provide social services to its citizenry. And although it may shock and frighten you, it exists here in Canada too, and you will undoubtedly become acquainted with it once you graduate and enter into the workforce.

The duo neglects to provide even a single source besides the opinion of their tour guide, yet they present much of their article as fact, alleging claims about average families not being able to feed themselves on what they earn, and about the government allegedly forcing people into certain sectors of employment. Their propagation of myths and untruths contrasts starkly with reliable information provided just last month by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which stated that the Cuban state has successfully eliminated any form of severe malnutrition in children – it is the only country in Latin America to do so. José Juan Ortiz, UNICEF’s representative in Havana, stated that in the limited cases where health problems do emerge, they are “very controlled” and immediately addressed by the government.

UNICEF also reports that Cuba boasts a global under-5 mortality rank nearly at par with Canada, the percentage of its population suffering from HIV is only one-sixth of

the percentage suffering in the U.S., and the average life expectancy for Cubans is at the same level as it is for Americans. In the field of employment, Cubans, like Canadians, are free to choose what careers they pursue.

The difference, however, is that in Cuba all education (including at the post-secondary level) is provided free of charge.

The national reality for Cuba is that child homelessness does not exist – a status verified by UNICEF, and one that clashes greatly with our own national reality. One wonders whether the authors of the article have gone to Montreal, Toronto or any great city of North America or any other “capitalist haven” where there really are children living in the streets. Do these youngsters from St. Thomas University know about the soup kitchens that exist in Fredericton, where three daily meals are served to families that are unable to provide for themselves? Do they know about the shelters for homeless people in this city? In any case, Charlton and Solak do not seem to be inclined to describe Canada in the critical terms used to improperly describe the Cuban socialist system. But why bother? After all, in Canada the cars are more modern.

In addition to all of this, are these two familiar with the reality that in Cuba men and women receive equal treatment in all aspects of social, political and economic life? That the total well-being of pregnant women is guaranteed by the state? That Cuban scientists are amongst the best in the world, and that Canadian scientists work alongside them on the island as equals? The list of accomplishments is very long indeed, and yet somehow Charlton and Solak managed to neglect them entirely. And not only do they ignore these accomplishments, but they praise the antithesis of them. The preRevolution period praised by the authors of the article as the “glory years” was a period of tortures, murders, violations of women and children, persecutions, hunger and misery. It was a period in which Cuba was the gaming house of the United States, and Havana was a cavern of corruption and organized crime. In a university with a program in human rights and a strong tradition of advocating for humanity, to vindicate the capitalist period that preceded socialism in Cuba, the period of the violent Batista dictatorship, dishonours the very institution that The Aquinian is a part of.

Good journalism is defined by the writer’s ability to approach a social reality and exhibit a knowledge and understanding of its complexity. This requires one to avoid drawing unjustifiable conclusions after a few hours of superficial observations. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case for Charlton’s and Solak’s work, and as a result a great deal of misinformation occurred when their lack of substantive knowledge of the complex Cuban reality manifested itself into an obscene disservice to the readership of The Aquinian.

Dr. Omar Basabe is an Associate Professor within the Department of Romance Languages at St. Thomas University. His field of research is focused on Argentinean human rights, culture and history.

Shane Martínez is a student at the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law. Over the last decade he has traveled ten times to Cuba for extensive periods of time to participate in volunteer work brigades and independent studies.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 9

Oh, behave: Classroom etiquette 101

Finding love online Nathan Downey The Muse

Although the last five minutes of class make everyone antsy, it is clearly impolite to start rustling papers and texting. Just wait till the prof is done out of respect for everyone. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan James Learie The Muse ST. JOHN’S, N.L. (CUP) – It’s the last five minutes of class, possibly the most important part, and the professor is just beginning to make an important announcement about an upcoming exam.

Suddenly their voice is overshadowed by a cacophony of zippers and the flutter of rustling papers.

The early exit and similar discourtesies happen daily and they are the best examples of the terrible classroom etiquette displayed a certain contingent of students in each class.

To those who insist on being so disruptive: Everyone else in the classroom has somewhere to be too, but you don’t see us jumping up five minutes before class concludes and kicking up a huge ruckus. This commotion makes it hard enough for the rest of us to hear what’s being said, let alone the poor professor who has to stand at the front of the room and attempt to speak over the white noise.

This issue is just one of many which

are viewed as rude and ignorant by a majority of the student population.

I’ve been in classrooms where students are actually rude enough to whip out their cell phones and start snapping away, taking pictures of the notes being displayed at the front of the room.

The time I witnessed this — twice in one class, no less — the professor was very quick to put a stop to it. The thing is though, it happened twice in one class. What a complete lack of respect for the professor and other students, who have their classes interrupted while the offending pupil gets a lesson in manners.

Along with the “I have more important things to do than sit here” cretins, there are those who ask far too many questions. Actually, they ask one question, over and over again. This one question is sneakily rephrased several times, and answered the same way each time it is asked.

It’s more than a little annoying listening to someone make attempt after attempt to wheedle the answer

they want to hear out of the professor.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t ask questions, but think about how long the class is.

It’s not just the students who can be completely out of touch with respect and courtesy either. Professors can be just as bad sometimes. I’ve had classes where the professor encouraged the students to voice their opinions, but the second someone ventured to do this they were shot down instantaneously.

The way I see it, we all pay for the classes we attend. Why can’t we actually come to class willing to be respectful of everyone else who has put their hardearned dollars toward the 50 minutes a day in which we take instruction from someone who presumably knows what they’re doing?

Let’s face it — we’re all adults, most of us preparing for our future careers.

Maybe we should make the effort to be a bit more considerate of those around us. How about starting with waiting until class is over before getting ready to leave?

we’re hiring for 2010-2011 for the following positions: News Reporter Arts Reporter Staff Photographer

send your cover letter, resumé and sample pieces (3-5 written pieces, 5-10 photos) by email to: deadline: editor@thebruns.ca April 9, 4 p.m.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. (CUP) — When Facebook first attained what was to become its enormous popularity and market share, groups like “Six Degrees of Separation” and “I Wipe Front to Back!” swelled to memberships of hundreds of thousands of like-minded souls. As time went on, groups like this tended to dwindle, replaced by smaller, more useful assemblages designed to co-ordinate study groups or discuss *Deep Space 9*, or whatever.

This trend of moving from the general to the specific seems to have spread to the Internet’s other great social tool — dating sites.

Instead of LavaLife being the Internet’s only source for initiating that spark between lovelorn strangers, nowadays there are dating (or hook-up) sites for nearly every sub-culture and sexual bent.

Bearing this in mind, I set out to explore the world of specialty dating sites. I hopped onto CougarLife and, with a few nimble keystrokes, my cub dating profile “r_u_mrs_robinson” was ready to go. Within minutes, I had described myself as an Ultimate Frisbee-loving, frat-boy type, uploaded a photo of myself (from my halcyon days as a carefree, 19-year-old lifeguard) and was browsing through a surfeit of cougar-licious profile pages.

There was one message waiting for me in my inbox – a note from Claudia Opdenkelder, president of CougarLife. com, welcoming me to the site (which she claimed was recently voted the wildest dating site in North America).

According to Opdenkelder, “Cougars can take many forms: recent divorcées looking to date, yummy mummies looking to let loose or sexy singles like me . . . but we have one thing in common-- we are sexually charged, independent and interested in meeting young, virile men.”

I admit, up to this point I hadn’t really taken the site seriously at all, but there they were: profiles of earnest, genuinely sexy 35- to 65-year-old cougars, lots of whom apparently wanted my bird. Amazed by my results

(and unwilling to lead Cinnamon40, Pinklady, and Cupcake_1980 on), I aborted the experiment.

Back in the earlier parts of this decade, there was a bit of a stigma attached to relationships made possible by the wonders of the Internet, but that’s no longer the case, it seems. The more we become dependent on the Internet, the more common meeting Mr. or Mrs. Right on one of these dating sites is going to be. According to the Online Publisher’s Association, the projected spending on online dating services will approach $1 billion in the U.S. alone by 2011.

I can think of a few reasons why it’s such booming business. The first reason, obviously, is that online dating is convenient. A person can sit at home and weed out potential toads, all the while wrapped in a Snuggie and munching on Ritz Crackers. Who they meet is up to them.

Another huge advantage is being able to screen a potential partner’s kinks and match them up with your own.

Without places like bdsmsingles.com, would-be kinksters would have a much tougher time meeting people with the same sexual inclinations as themselves.

It makes you wonder what we all did before the Internet, right?

I can think of a few drawbacks, too.

As more and more of our relationships begin online, it follows that our real-life interaction skills become rustier. And since, unfortunately, there’s no choice but to interact with people in real life, this is kind of a bummer.

Another thing is the safety factor. It’s impossible to be sure who you’re talking to online. Even if you’re chatting with a person over webcam, there could be a partially eaten corpse moldering just off camera.

Running the risk of sounding like a net nanny, it’s really important to trust your instincts when it comes to people you talk to online. And all the usual precautions apply if the person seems fit enough to meet in person.

Since the Internet is the biggest communication revolution since the inception of the telephone, we might as well get used to dating sites becoming as common as singles bars. What did our parents do without them?

Haven’t joined in the fun yet? Here’s your last chance for this semester. The final story meeting will be this Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in SUB room 35.

thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

10 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

Student

Viewpoint.

What is the biggest pass and fail on campus this year?

Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“Nothing really stands out to me either way.”

Brittany Altas

Colin Spares “Pass: Attendance of UNB events Fail: Strike threats.”

Thomas Fanjoy

Connor DeLong “Pass: Tuesdays with Tony Fail: Computer systems.”

“Pass: Beaver tails Fail: Parking lots.”

Jeremy Blom

Jamie Blom “Pass: Renovation of Tilley Fail: Health Centre.”

Karlie Hanoski

“Pass: Last Class Bash Fail: Karl Wolf.”

“Pass: Buckets Fail: Parking.”

“Pass: $1.50 Drinks at the S-Club Fail: Parking.”

“Pass: Jones’ House Fail: Accessibility.”

Kat Heaney

Frank Barrett

brunswickanarts

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 11

arts@thebruns.ca

The future holds a lot for Two Hours Traffic

Prince Edward Island natives Liam Corcoran (lead vocals and guitar), Alec O’Hanley (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Andrew MacDonald (bassist) and Derek Ellis (drums) make up Polaris Prize nominated band Two Hours Traffic. Scott Munn/ Submitted.

Alison Clack Arts Editor Despite an impressive past couple of years, Two Hours Traffic may be considering a new career path.

Well, not necessarily, but if you ask them about their future plans the band will hesitate to say whether or not they will be in the same position.

“In five years we could all be garbage men; it’s hard to predict what will happen in that many years,” says guitarist Alec O’Hanley.

In reality, the band has plans for travelling the world and getting some global exposure in the next couple of years.

“It’s always tough to talk hypotheticals, but getting over to Europe and the UK would be quite a treat,” O’Hanley says. “It makes sense for us to head down the New England coast and see if we can make a dent in Boston and New York, where we played recently. It just makes sense to play new places that aren’t Canadian.”

As for present plans the band is set to headline the first night of the UNB Student Union’s last class bash event April 9.

The band is no stranger to Fredericton or UNB. Over the past couple of years they have played here several times between the ECMAs, Harvest Jazz and Blues and St. Thomas University’s frosh week last year.

O’Hanley says that the show shouldn’t be the same that we’ve seen in the past.

“We’ve really dug into more recent material since then and acquired a bit of a live swagger – nothing cocky, of course, but finally learning to play our instruments,” laughs O’Hanley.

“In live performances, [songs] start to evolve and mutate. So, a lot of the new songs have really begun to reveal themselves after playing them for awhile.”

Since their first show at UNB, Two Hours Traffic have achieved a lot. The band received a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize for their 2008 album, Little Jabs.

“You can’t put a whole lot of stock in awards shows, but that particular award, the Polaris, would be pretty much the thing to strive for. The Junos – no slight to the company – but they tend to reward commercial appeal over artistic relevance. So, we

were quite humbled and appreciative to be placed in that set of bands and artists that we have nothing but the highest respect for,” says O’Hanley.

After they finish up some Canadian dates the band will be heading to the land down under for a mini tour and some sightseeing.

“We will be going to Australia in June for a month with this band, Dead Letter Chorus, so we’ll be hitting every little town on that continent.”

O’Hanley, who says he’s never been to the continent, is excited for the trip, but he has a few hesitations.

“Not getting bitten by any spiders would

top the list. Apparently you have to shake your shoes out before you put them on.

Scorpions would also be good to avoid.”

The band also has a few more amusing ideas on their list of things to do.

“Our drummer is training for a mixed martial arts fight in a month, so maybe he’ll box a kangaroo while we’re down there,”

O’Hanley laughs.

Whatever adventures their future holds, Two Hours Traffic’s show on Friday, April 9 should be a good one. Tickets for the one night are $10 for UNB students and $15 for STU students and the general public. A two-night pass for last class bash is $15 for UNB students and $20 for STU students.

brunswickanarts

12 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

A V Red turned rapper is seeing a bit of green Andrew Olsvik Arts Reporter Paapa Abekah, better known as P-Munnay, is hoping to cause a stir across the country with his soulful and down to earth hip hop.

Though he has gained attention for his live shows and the few tracks he has released to the public, the UNB alumnus’ newly released debut EP could mark a new page in his career.

Originally from Ghana, P-Munnay and his family moved to Canada in the early nineties where he first came into contact with hip hop music.

“I think that hip hop really started influencing me around grades five and six via Rick Dees and Much Music,” says P-Munnay, who is now based out of Ottawa.

“Back then it was just that I loved the music, even though I didn’t make my own songs. This was the mid to late nineties and it was all about the Fugees, Will Smith, Puff Daddy and Mase. I would listen to their songs over and over again until I could deliver them word for word off by heart. I would write verses here and there, just for fun at that age, but nothing serious.

“It wasn’t until I was 16 that I wrote my first song, but after that I really got

involved,” he continues. “I performed at FHS in Battle of the Bands, Mr. Mardi Gras, and the Yellow and Black Revue.

Then Red N Black Revue as a freshman at UNB as well as radio spots on 95.7 The Beat with two good friends of mine, Monark and Synphentry. I laid low after freshman year to focus on school, but really came back to it hard after graduating.”

P-Munnay didn’t spend much time in Africa as a child before he and his family moved to North America, but he maintains a close relationship with his roots and the influence of his heritage is reflected in his music.

“I was very young when my family left Africa -- just shy of four years old,” he told the Brunswickan. “We moved to the States for a couple of years before settling in Fredericton in 1991 when I was six. I had some but not many memories of my early childhood in Ghana. When I was 14 my dad took me back to Ghana for four months. I lived with my cousins for most of it and spent a lot of time in the village where I was born, so I have very strong memories of my village and life in Ghana.”

As one might assume, the amenities P-Munnay had in Ghana weren’t quite the same as what he has in Canada, but that

doesn’t really matter to him.

“I have to say that even though I didn’t have the ‘luxuries’ of North American life, I had an amazing and truly happy time when I was there. The people of Ghana are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet, and even though we might think they have so little, I never really felt like what I had in Ghana was little. It was always what I needed to get by and enjoy life at the same time.”

Although P-Munnay has made Ottawa his home base, he remembers his time spent at UNB fondly and even wrote a song about the Varsity Reds men’s soccer team’s struggle to make it to the championship.

“My time at UNB was great” says PMunnay. “I spent five years here at UNB and am proud to be a Varsity Red; I flaunt it anywhere I can here in Ottawa. I’d say the biggest part of my UNB experience was definitely being a starter on the soccer team all five years and wearing the captain’s armband in my last season.”

Since relocating to Ottawa from Fredericton, P-Munnay has been woring hard to make industry connections and build his reputation. P-Munnay’s debut release is a seven track CD EP that brings together several of Ottawa’s hottest producers and rising artists including Stunnin Rs and May-C. “It’s a CD about me,” P-Munnay admits. “A bit of who I am, where I come from, things I like to do, sports I like to

Paapa Abekah (aka: P-Munnay) graduated from UNB in 2008 with a BBA and also captained the mens soccer team in 07-08. Internet. play, and events and people along the way.

All of the tracks were recorded at Raven Street Studios here in Ottawa. I worked very closely with Nick Beaton, the sound engineer there, who has been there from start to finish. He and I have become close friends through the process.

“The main message that I wanted to get out there is that hip hop doesn’t need to be all about the bling.

“Life is much more than that. I’m just trying to make sure that the hip hop I

bring to people has soul and is something they can have fun with and be inspired by. Even though there’s no overarching metaphor to the album, each song tells its own story and I really made a conscious effort to make each song easy to listen to for everyone while still having a distinct hip hop vibe to them.”

P-Munnay’s debut CD will be available later this month at HMV stores all across Canada, online at www.pmunnay.com, and on iTunes.

Monsters and titans and gods oh my

Nick Fitzpatrick Staff Writer If you were to look up “bad-ass” in the dictionary, Kratos would be its definition. If it’s not, then your dictionary is faulty.

If by chance you need proof for such claims, the final instalment of the God Of War series will be proof enough.

We join Kratos, hitching a ride on the back of the mighty titan Gaia, while she climbs Mount Olympus to end the war between the gods and the titans. But Kratos is fighting a different war, and nothing will get in his way, be it man, monster or titan. He will kill everything to get his revenge, and he won’t stop until Zeus’ head is separated from his shoulders.

For its genre, hack and slash, God of War 3 has great graphics. The beginning clip of the titans climbing Mount Olympus is beautiful, although as you get further in the game you

may feel almost claustrophobic as you are frequently in closed off places.

However, this part of the gameplay is a disappointment if compared to the grandness felt at the beginning while riding on the back of Gaia.

Even so, the feeling of being closed off slowly diminishes while you kill hordes of monsters, tearing their heads off, splitting them in two with your bare hands and ultimately slaughtering them with gory combos and the weapons you unlock. Guaranteed after you finish the game you’ll have killed so many creatures that you will want to take a shower to wash away the blood.

The game plays exactly like the previous two God Of War games. The only exception is the quick time event speed. In this game you have plenty of time to react until you lose the event; a relief considering the previous two GOW games’ merciless quick time events.

Although the first time through you

can unlock items you can use on your second play-through, there are points in the game that you will never want to re-play.

If you haven’t played the first two games you will also likely lose most of the story.

In terms of god fights, most of them are really anti-climactic and seem improper; if you were to fight a god you would expect an epic battle, which rarely occurs.

A huge drawback is the length of the game. It only lasts five to seven hours at most. With the game being so short and having parts that you may not want to play again, it’s not worth the 60 dollar price tag.

God of War 3 is worth a playthrough just to have fun killing things for a couple hours, so go out, rent it, and give it a try. Though it is a great game to play through the first time, it’s not worth buying unless you’re a long time fan of the series.

brunswickanarts

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 13

TUNB ends its season on a high note Maggie DeWolfe Arts Writer Ladies and gentlemen, Theatre UNB has done it again. In their last show of the year, the cast and crew of “The Beaux’ Stratagem” have upheld TUNB’s reputation for great theatre.

“The Beaux’ Stratagem” was written in 1707 by George Farquhar. The play is a story of two young con men, Aimwell and Archer, who arrive in a small town in the English countryside with the intent to seduce and swindle the local aristocracy.

However, their plans go awry thanks to an amorous innkeeper’s daughter, a gang of bumbling highwaymen, a more than questionable priest and a lonely wife.

Though the play is a comedy, it also focuses on more serious issues. One of the main focuses of the play is the unhappy and emotionally abusive relationship between Mrs. Sullen and her drunken husband. Though it provides many comic scenes, the way Mrs. Sullen is dismissed and her loneliness are rather sad. These scenes question the status of women in early eighteenth century England, and whether or not they are meant to be more than just wives and mothers.

But don’t let the serious undertones fool you; this play is a riot. The cast absolutely nailed it, getting all their cues right and delivering their lines perfectly to pack a comical punch. Georgia Brown, who plays Mrs. Sullen, and Ryan O’Toole, who plays Archer, both say that learning those lines wasn’t as easy as it looked.

“The language was really hard to understand,” Brown says. “Plus, it’s humour from the 1700s, so it’s not as obvious.”

“You really have to play up the comedy,” O’Toole agrees. “It’s way more physical, and you can’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself.”

Secret Fredericton: Best springtime strolls Hilary Paige Smith News Reporter

TUNB’s last show of the year, “The Beaux’ Stratagem”is being put on by the English 2170 class.The show will go on at Memorial Hall; tickets are available at the door. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan And physicality plays a huge role in the performance. The blocking was choreographed very well, and the cast was able to use the stage without it seeming crowded.

Add to that the fact that the play is in eighteenth century English, and you’ve got quite a challenge.

“Understanding the language was really hard,” Brown says. “There are lots of different words, and words then that have different meanings than they do now.”

Though the language was old fashioned, there was never any point where the plot or what was being said got confusing.

Even if it had, I was too busy laughing to notice. Though it may sound cliché, my sides literally hurt after the play was over.

Director Len Falkenstein lucked out with a talented class who were all able to hold their own on stage. Though comedy

may be a little more difficult to pull off, they did it exceptionally well.

“There’s that saying, ‘comedy is serious business,’” Falkenstein says, “and comedy comes from practice, and timing. It’s about taking something and pushing it to an illogical, absurd extreme.”

Absurd is a word that describes the play to a tee. Whether the actors are sword fighting, plotting, or putting on surprisingly good French and Irish accents, they are hilarious. If I could give three words of advice to readers, they would be: go see it.

“There’s sex, sword fights, con men, blood, and even a little nudity,” Brown says. “Why wouldn’t you come see it?”

“The Beaux’ Stratagem” opens this Tuesday, March 30, at 8 p.m. and runs through Friday, April 2. Tickets are $6 for students and $10 for the general public.

cd reviews by andrew olsvik.

Play Guitar – Play Guitar [Released April, 2010; Noyes] Having only released a 7” and an extremely limited cassette prior to this self-titled debut album, it was tough to get a chance to hear Play Guitar away from compressed MySpace tracks. Now, with only 300 copies pressed, it drives me crazy to think that this masterpiece may never get the recognition it deserves. Filled with pop melodies swirled with ghastly guitar hooks and just the right amount of experimentation and abrasiveness, this album had all the right ingredients and was cooked to perfection by producer and Shellac bassist Bob Weston. If you play guitar, you’ll appreciate this album.

The Weakerthans – Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre [Released March 23, 2010; Anti-Records] Releasing a live album and DVD of a performance in their hometown of Winnipeg is probably the most predictable thing the Weakerthans could do at this point in their career. Transitioning between being Canadian indie superstars adored on college campuses everywhere to a middle aged band trying to remain relevant in such a saturated market, the Weakerthans are hoping to capitalize on the feeling of nostalgia present in so many of their songs and secure their place before they attempt another full length album. If that was their goal they’ve ultimately succeeded as Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre presents the best tracks the band’s catalogue has to offer, spanning their entire career. Though I am sure John K. Samson is used to it by now, I would be afraid of the bad karma resulting from saying “the Guess Who suck” in the building named after the man.

There is no better way to celebrate springtime than taking a long, relaxing walk through the streets of Fredericton.

Everybody has their daily walking ritual, whether it is the daily commute to campus or a trek across the hill for class. The college hill area has some interesting homes, side streets and greenery, but it is by no means one of Fredericton’s most exotic walking destinations.

Try a winding walk through Fredericton’s downtown heritage home district.

The leafy-treed streets are lined with massive homes, some of them a century old. These houses are beautiful; many of them outfitted with Victorian architectural features and painted crisp, vibrant colours.

Also, a lot of homes downtown are bordered with well-kept gardens that blossom with brightness as spring goes on.

Try leaving from the bottom of campus and heading down University Avenue.

Make your way to Charlotte Street and explore nearby streets like Aberdeen, St. John and Churchill Row. If you’re in the mood for more beauty, walk to the end of University Avenue until you reach Queen Street and head left toward the city’s downtown core. Walk alongside the Saint John River and take in the beautiful blues, greys and greens of the riverfront. Walk the green, a 4.0 km trail that runs from the Delta Hotel to Morell park and is one of Fredericton’s most popular walking destinations. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, take a stroll across the old train walking bridge to the North side and make yourself a part of the scenery.

Fredericton is peppered with maintained walking trails in every area of the city.

Try the valley trail that begins at Smythe Street and takes walkers or bikers along an abandoned railway for 9.4 km. If you are stationed on the north side, try the north side trail. Begin by at the pedestrian walking bridge and proceed upriver alongside the Saint John River and Carlisle Road.

If you’re looking to completely immerse yourself in greenery, try Odell Park. The 400 acre park includes a duck pond, a deer pen and several gardens, in addition to housing a number of walking trails. The park has several more rustic trails that make walkers feel as though they are completely removed from the city and surrounded by nature.

Blazing your own trail in Fredericton is what springtime strolls are all about. If you live closer to uptown, walk to the far end of Montgomery Street or Kings College Road.

These streets allow for a quiet, pleasant walk through well-kept neighbourhoods and give way to upper-class side streets with beautiful homes that send the average person’s imagination soaring.

For true calorie-busting exercise, take a slow, shop and site-filled stroll through the downtown area and walk past the hustle and bustle to York or Smythe Street, the two Everests of Fredericton. These streets are fairly residential and good for people watching. These can be difficult to trek for the average person; however, it is nothing but satisfaction and the odd bead of sweat when you reach the top.

Whether you have an hour or an afternoon, there is always somewhere new to explore in the city. Make a day of it and organize your own walking tour to your favourite stops in Fredericton.

Sometimes it’s difficult to get out of study or couch-potato mode, but a stroll is endlessly beneficial for the mind, body and soul.

brunswickanarts

14 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

TANNING SPECIALS

3 LOCATIONS 530 Queen St. 458-9771 1221 Prospect St. 454-8267 154 Main St. 472-5048

TWO FREE TANS

20% OFF VERSA SPA SUNLESS MIST TAN 04/30/10

do you have opinions? write us a letter to the editor. editor@thebruns.ca

Wolf Parade

contest entry.

By Craig Mazerolle

A true story of how a wolf parade almost stood in the way of me meeting the love of my life.

Summer 2008: Halifax was hosting the IIHF World Hockey Championship, and therefore drunk tourists were strewn throughout the downtown core at all hours of the day. Getting off the bus a few stops too early, I soon realized that I would have to make my way through this sea of hockey-loving debauchery. Walking along Argyle St., I noticed that a group of Slovakians were amassing behind me. Since I was wearing the Slovakian team colours, they must have thought I was leading the way to the arena. It’s not often that one gets to lead a drunken Slovakian parade through midday Halifax, so I took it in stride.

Then I saw the crowd of Slovenians marching towards us.

Turns out the two countries were facing off that day, and, as the Slovenians made their way towards me wearing jerseys with what ap peared to be wolves plastered across them, I had a feeling that we were heading towards a good, old-fashioned sports brawl. Yet, just as I bailed into the street, the Slovakians and the Slovenians began embracing each other as brothers, and I made off with a great story for my upcoming date.

Matt and I have been together for almost two years, and all of that was almost cut short because I was wearing the wrong colours in the face of a parade of wolf-wearing Slovenians. I gotta say, sometimes I am in love with the modern world.

Spring fashion:practicality and colour Sarah Ratchford Editor in Chief Spring is in the air, and people are shedding their cumbersome winter layers in favour of garments that are far easier to cavort in.

While it may be time to store heavy wool sweaters, hats and long johns, it is not yet time for bare legs and flip flops. We need to usher in new seasons with grace in our wardrobe transitions, and here are a few tips to help the ladies do so.

1.) Transition in stages. Just because it may be 14 C in early April does not mean you should shed your leggings if you’re out for more than a few hours. Nighttime still brings on the frostiness of a Canadian winter, and there is nothing less sexy than a shivering girl. It makes you look confused and generally unable to read a calendar. Do yourself a favour and at least pack a pair of leggings in your bag if you’ll be on campus from morning to night, like most of us are. That said, don’t go the other way and continue to wear your winter boots. If you have cute boots that are suitable for the mild weather of

spring and fall, bust them out. If not, head to Value Village and grab a pair for $5.

2.) Incorporate colour. Shed the black, blah rags of the dark winter months and inject some colour into your wardrobe. I don’t mean you should masquerade as a rainbow, only that you should acknowledge the upcoming months when life will come back to this frozen country and green mists will begin to adorn your surroundings. Wear flowery patterns, but tone them down. For example, a flowery, bright scarf looks great with a mono-coloured tee, skinny jeans and ballet flats. For a rainy day, pair with rain boots, which brings me to my next point.

3.) Be practical. Yes, lugging an umbrella around is a style-cramper when the clouds clear, but having a bad hair day because you neglected to bring one is far worse. Get a compact umbrella that can fold up and fit in your bag. Wear a water-repellant trench or windbreaker, and yes, rain boots. These serviceable treasures for the tootsies were considered the anti-accessory for far too long, but now practically every clothing company

out there is styling them up to complement the rest of women’s wardrobes. Rain boots are now available with everything from leopard print to tweed accents, so you’re sure to find a pair that screams your name. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. Peep-toe pumps simply do not do the trick in a rainstorm.

4.) Have fun. Dig out all your printed dresses and skirts from the back of your closet and make them suitable for spring weather with leggings and a slouchy, belted cardigan. Update the look with a little 90s style purse. Sub in either a fun umbrella or sunglasses depending on the weather, and you’re set. If you’re adventurous, wear a flowered crop top. I got one at reNeu boutique in the Tannery for $2.50, or you could find an obnoxious tee from there, Jingler’s or Value Village and cut it off. This looks super cute with a body suit underneath and high waisted jeans with ankle booties. In fact, I think that’s what I’ll wear tomorrow.

Remember, too, that April showers bring May flowers, so smile when it rains, as a smile is the best accessory.

Spring fashion requires some practical thinking; continue covering those legs with tights and when it’s raining hop into a pair of rubber boots. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

brunswickanreportcard

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 15

brunswickanarts report card.

Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival

A

UNBSU Entertainment Events

N/A Olympic Ceremonies

C-

Forward Music Group

A Foodclothingsheltermusic

TUNB

As always the end of summer celebration brought some amazing musicians to the area. Performances by Shad, Jill Barber and the Joel Plaskett Emergency stole the show. The only (slight) disappointment in the festival would be the afterburner. Despite Hey Rosetta’s stellar performance, the Bud Light sponsored event featured internationally acclaimed artist Bloc Party last year.

While the Newfs put on an impressive performance, they don’t quite measure up to the Brits’ appearance last year.

It appears the UNBSU failed to hand in some of their assignments this year. As far as the arts and entertainment side of their mandate went, the SU slacked off a little bit. The welcome week event was a less-than-great performance by Karl Wolf, and other than visits from Tony the X-rated hypnotist and Yuk Yuk’s, they failed to bring in another form of entertainment event until the upcoming Last Class Bash event. P.S.: Did anyone even hear anything about Winter Carnival?

The Olympic ceremonies are supposed to be a showcase of a country’s arts and culture. While the dance performances fit the bill well enough, the musical guests left something to be desired. Nickleback? Avril Lavigne? Bryan Adams? These are the musicians chosen to represent Canadian music to the world? What about Feist, Arcade Fire, Tragically Hip, the Guess Who, or any number of acclaimed Canadian musicians? To the Vancouver Organizing Committee: we’re talking about arts and culture; avoid commercial success alone.

Forward has achieved a lot this year. A number of their artists, including Share, Sleepless Nights and The Slate Pacific, released albums. Grand Theft Bus and Olympic Symphonium scored spots playing at the Atlantic House during the Olympics. To wrap it all up, between their artists and the group themselves, they rounded up seven ECMA nominations and earned two wins.

A+

For a collective that only formed in the past couple of years, this group has done an awesome job showing off their talent. They’ve held a number of successful showcases over the course of the year as well as managing to get some of their artists featured on CBC radio. Having brought together dozens of young and talented musicians from across the Maritimes, this group can only continue to exceed expectations.

A-

The UNB theatre group and classes are largely underrated and this year has proved it more than others. All of their performances have received rave reviews and kind words. The intro drama class shows strong promise and the upper year course have shown that they are growing into confident actors. The only thing that this group needs to improve on is its little self-promotion.

brunswickansports

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 16

sports@thebruns.ca

AFL Expansion: Dalhousie and Holland College to join

The Dalhousie Tigers and the Holland College Hurricanes will soon be competing against other AFL players such as the UNB’s Tommy Broad (left) and Moncton’s Sean Matchett (right). Now the only Atlantic province missing a team is Newfoundland. UNB GM Larry Wisniewski chuckled at the thought, but is open to it. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan “It made even more of a challenge now approval of field availability early in April.” as another way to provide some identity to fun. We think the UNB-Dalhousie rivalry that there are two provinces and two difAlbert Roche, the manager of student the community and Atlantic Canada. I will be a productive one, because that tends Colin McPhail ferent officials to set up,” said Wisniewski. services and athletics at Holland College, think the AFL is showing some growth to go back a bit.”

Sports Editor In all the commotion, Wisniewski “So, we need to make sure that all works is excited about the opportunity to build a and real potential. So, the timing was right.”

Roche is eager to field Holland Col- stressed the fact that the AFL is still in the Following a successful inaugural season, the really well. With the distance and working team in conjunction with UPEI. “It’s a community-based team that will lege’s first ever football, but is keeping low building stages. Yet, he is confident that the Atlantic Football League will be expanding out all the bits and pieces, it was a challenge addition of two teams will give the already draw from our students, some students expectations. to five teams as the Dalhousie Tigers and to get the two up and running.”

The AFL will hold an AGM in the from UPEI, and some students in the “Our expectations are fairly humbled attractive league even more attention. the Holland College Hurricanes will field “What we hope to do is to make sure the upcoming weeks in order to iron out community that play with existing teams to begin with. We want to get a team on teams in the fall. the field and get through the season and teams that are joining up this year have as Larry Wisniewski, the UNB Red any remaining concerns and discuss the in the summer.”

Holland College saw the expansion as compete. Then we can, hopefully, build good as a year in their first year as we had Bombers general manager, was slightly sur- upcoming season’s format. in ours. We’re pretty sure that bringing in “We have a tentative five-team schedule not only an excellent financial opportun- from them.” prised at the news, but thrilled all the same.

Another perk of the expansion for play- teams from further away will add to the “The big surprise was, in making this in place,” Wisniewski said. “We will have ity, but a move that will help build the ers and fans alike is the larger chance of attraction and the entertainment value that three-year plan, to add a team a year. This to mix and match a couple of other basic community.

“This was ideal in the sense that it was creating strong rivalries between teams. we can put on the field.” year we got two in and that took us a bit changes people have asked for, but the phil“What we hope to do is to keep that osophy in a general way is in place. It’s just not a huge budget to get into it, because the Wisniewski mused over a possible Bombersby surprise.” momentum and build. We never want As the expansion is completed, the a general pattern strategically that we want gear is available through the existing teams. Tigers battle.

“I think it will encourage some interest- to be what we were last year. We have to young league will be forced to tackle a to encourage or discourage, and then we We will still have to make some investment, should be able to get it to the universities for but from a marketing perspective we see this ing rivalries and I think it would be a lot of be getting better or we’re getting worse.” variety of new obstacles.

Red Blazers fall short in heartbreaking final leg Colin McPhail Sports Editor It was a tough weekend for the UNB women’s hockey team as they watched Acadia be crowned Challenge Cup champions.

The Red Blazers went 3-1 in the tournament, but couldn’t catch the first place Acadia squad that sealed the crown in the final period of the season.

Even though it was a devastating weekend, Mary Doucet, the Red Blazers’ manager, was extremely pleased with the club’s performance.

“The weekend went really well, but not as well as we hoped. We would’ve liked to come back with the Championship banner, but other than that the season went great. We couldn’t ask for better coaching and the girls came a long way.”

Sitting only three points behind Acadia, UNB travelled to Wolfville for

the final leg of the season last weekend.

They opened the tournament with a solid 6-2 victory over Cape Breton University. Katelyn Fitzherbert scored a pair, while Ashley Praught, Janelle Cantafio, Katie Marshall and Whitney Eastwood cashed in singles. Alysha Manderson picked up the win.

Unfortunately for the Blazers, they were forced to take on the top seed Acadia only an hour later. Tired from their previous match, the Red Blazers didn’t have enough in the tank to keep up with the host team and were downed 3-1. Sarah Thomas picked up the lone tally for UNB, while Manderson took the loss.

The Reds stormed back in their final two matches, shutting out Universite de Sainte-Anne twice. The final round robin match saw netminder Danielle Briggs shutout Sainte-Anne 4-0. Kristen Doucet and Caitlin Kenny notched their first goals of the tournament

along with markers from Praught and Fitzherbert to seal the victory.

UNB was slotted in the third place match as Acadia and CBU squared off in the tournament final. This time around, Manderson picked up the shutout, dropping Sainte Anne 1-0. Jenny Bourgeois’ third period goal was enough for the win and gave the Red Blazers a chance to win the championship.

With the ball in Acadia’s court, the Blazers were helpless when watching the final game. All they needed was a CBU tie or victory to capture the Challenge Cup, but that was not to be. Acadia pulled ahead in the final minutes of the third to edge UNB in the standings by two points.

It was a tough tournament to swallow as the Red Blazers’ failure to capitalize would be their eventual downfall.

The club only scored 12 goals total from their 192 shots. In the final two matches, winning periods was critical

for success, but the squad couldn’t find the twine. They tallied 124 shots in the last two matches, but only scored five times.

The heartbreaking loss aside, the team has attracted many upcoming prospects. Head coach Andrew Lavoie has already allowed new players to practice with the squad and is excited for the future.

Doucet was quite pleased with the team’s performance through the season and attributes the success to the newly structured league.

“We’re much further ahead this year than last year,” said Doucet. “We’ve had a goal to work towards because we played a 20-game schedule with a winner in the end, instead of exhibitions against boys’ team.”

Doucet suggests the possibility of expansion. Even though nothing substantial has been submitted, she realizes that it would be an excellent

opportunity for exposure and sponsorship. Finding a sponsor has been a difficult task for the club, but not for a lack of trying. The team has worked a number of community functions throughout the year, including volunteering at York Manor. The fragmented schedule is not attractive for potential sponsors.

“We’re hoping to get some sponsors.

It’s kind of hard when we only play one tournament a year here. It would be much easier if we could play teams like St. Thomas.”

Doucet hopes that the success of the team and the league will lead them back into varsity status.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that one day they’ll wake up and realize that women’s hockey is an exciting sport too.”

As for now, Lavoie and the rest of the Blazers will concentrate on capturing next year’s Challenge Cup.

brunswickansports

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 17

UNB’s Tremblay named CIS hockey player of the year CIS award winners

Tony von Richter CUP Sports Bureau Chief THUNDER BAY, Ont. (CUP) – Varsity Reds forward Hunter Tremblay was awarded the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy as the top player in CIS hockey after leading the nation in scoring this season.

Tremblay, a third-year forward from Timmins, Ont., was the only CIS player to average over two points a game, contributing 25 goals and 32 assists to help lead the University of New Brunswick team to a recordbreaking 27-1 regular season record.

The past three winners of the Sullivan trophy have come from Atlantic University Sport with Saint Mary’s University forward Marc Rancourt winning the honour last year, and UNB’s Rob Hennigar claiming the prize in 2008.

Considered by many to be the most competitive conference in the country, AUS players won a number of awards on Wednesday night. UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall won the Father George Kehoe memorial award as coach of the year and University of Prince Edward Island forward Jared Gomes earned the Clare Drake award for rookie of the year after scoring 17 goals and 16 assists for the Panthers in his first CIS campaign.

Two new awards were presented as Steve Christie of the Manitoba Bisons was named goaltender of the year and McGill’s Marc-André Dorion was named defenceman of the year. Other award winners included Francis Guérette-Charland (UQTR Patriotes) as the most sportsmanlike player while Tyler Metcalfe (Alberta) received the Dr. Randy Gregg Award as most outstanding student-athlete.

Major award winners Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy (player of the year): Hunter Tremblay, UNB Defenceman of the Year: Marc-André Dorion, McGill Goaltender of the Year: Steve Christie, Manitoba Clare Drake award (rookie of the year): Jared Gomes, UPEI R.W. Pugh award (most sportsmanlike player): Francis Guérette-Charland, UQTR Father George Kehoe memorial award (coach of the year): Gardiner MacDougall, UNB Dr. Randy Gregg award (outstanding student-athlete): Tyler Metcalfe, Alberta First Team All-Canadians Goaltender – Steve Christie, Manitoba Defence - Marc-André Dorion, McGill Defence – Andrew Hotham, Saint Mary’s Forward – Chad Klassen, Alberta Forward – Francis Verreault-Paul, McGill Forward – Hunter Tremblay, UNB Second Team All-Canadians Goaltender – Keaton Hartigan, Waterloo Defence – Kyle Fecho, Alberta Defence – Luke Gallant, UNB Forward – John-Scott Dickson, UNB Forward – Chris Ray, Waterloo Forward – Derek Ryan, Alberta

Varsity Reds forward Hunter Tremblay has become a legend around the UNB community and he’s recently added to his legacy.Tremblay was named the CIS player of the year.The first team All-Canadian tallied 57 points this year for UNB. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

All-Rookie Team Goaltender – Neil Conway, Saint Mary’s Defence – Ben Shutron, UNB Defence – Scott Aarsen, Western Forward – Sean Ringrose, Alberta Forward – Thomas Kiriakou, Guelph Forward – Jared Gomes, UPEI

Smith’s O.T. winner gives Saint Mary’s their first University Cup Tony von Richter CUP Sports Bureau Chief THUNDER BAY, Ont. (CUP) – It took 364 days, 69 minutes and 13 seconds, but the Saint Mary’s Huskies finally have their redemption.

Brad Smith, a first-year forward from Summerside, P.E.I., scored just before the halfway mark of overtime to give the Huskies their first national championship, defeating the University of Alberta 3-2.

“This is by far the biggest goal of my career,” said Smith. “To be honest, it’s probably the biggest goal I’ll ever score.”

Head coach Trevor Stienburg has dealt with last year’s defeat to the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds all season, and was at a loss for words following his team’s victory.

“I never would have dreamed in my life that I would win anything as big as this, so it’s pretty awesome,” said Stienburg. “We worked the guys very hard, turned up the heat on them in the playoffs, skated them hard, had long practices. We did everything and they responded.”

Perhaps no one appreciated the win more than former NHL player Mike Danton. Danton joined the Huskies in January after being released from a fiveyear stint in prison in September.

“First NHL game, goal, all that stuff, OHL championship — that was great, pre-incarceration. Everything that’s happened post-incarceration means a lot more to me because I’m a different person,” said Danton.

“I wasn’t a very good person back then, and now it’s the start of a journey that’s not over, which makes it that much more special.”

When asked if Saint Mary’s could repeat their win next year, Danton had

only one response.

“Why not?”

Although they came out on top of the game, things did not begin well for the eventual national champions. The topranked Golden Bears controlled the play in the first period, using their superior speed to beat the Huskies to the puck and control the flow of the game. Alberta’s efforts paid off towards the end of the frame as Tyler Metcalfe put a shot past St. Mary’s rookie goaltender Neil Conway to take a 1–0 lead after the first.

Cam Fergus, promoted to the Huskies’ top line following an injury to Colby Pridham earlier in the tournament, deflected a pass from the tournament’s co-leading scorer Cody Thornton to tie the game at one.

The Huskies took the lead early in the third when tournament MVP and co-leading scorer Andrew Hotham converted a pass from Mike Danton to put Saint Mary’s in front. Alberta set the stage for overtime when Derek Ryan redirected a point shot with less than five minutes remaining.

Hotham credited the team’s veterans with calming the team down and helping them refocus after Alberta tied the game.

“The leadership in our dressing room, with Marc Rancourt and the addition of

Mike Danton, they really settled the guys down. They did wonders. Guys came out with a focus in (overtime),” said Hotham.

Both teams traded chances in the overtime period, including a couple of breakaway opportunities for Danton, before Smith was able to end the game nine minutes and 13 seconds into the extra frame.

The loss was tough for the Golden Bears, who are a perennial top contender and are virtually expected to win a national championship each season.

“We come here to win,” said Alberta head coach Eric Thurston. “We don’t come here to go home early or lose in the gold medal game. Right from the start of every year, Sept. 1, we talk every year about going to nationals and winning.

It’s a mindset and it’s what we want our players to believe in. When you don’t reach your goal, it’s going to sting.”

To get to the championship game, the Huskies overcame a two-goal deficit against McGill in their first game before putting five goals past CIS Goaltender of the Year Steve Christie to defeat the Manitoba Bisons.

Following two years at Lakehead University, the tournament will shift to Fredericton, N.B. for 2011 and 2012 and will be hosted by the UNB Varsity Reds.

Huskies forward Cody Thornton kisses the University Cup.The title is Saint Marys’ first men’s hockey national championship. Cole Breiland / The Argus (CUP)

brunswickanreportcard

18 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

the brunswickan presents

the panel voice your opinion

report card. edition Colin McPhail Sports Editor

Men’s basketball Record: 3-17 Finished: 8th Playoffs: Missed Coach: Brent Baker

Women’s basketball Record: 8-12 Finished: 7th Playoffs: Missed Coach: Jeff Speedy

Men’s volleyball Record: 9-9 Finished: 2nd Playoffs: AUS final Coach: Dan McMorran

F C+

C+

Women’s volleyball Record: 9-9 Finished: 4th Playoffs: AUS semifinal Coach: John Richard

B-

In their greatest challenge yet, the panel grades the Varsity Reds.

Alex Wickwire Sports Reporter

Christopher Cameron Sports Writer

F. With a 3-17 record during the AUS season, the Reds missed the postseason for the fourth straight year. You can only go through the rebuilding process for so long and I believe this program is well beyond that point. “Bottom feeder” is a better description. I don’t relish handing out F’s, but we should expect more from Baker and his boys.

D-. Another building year, another three wins. They’ve got some serious athletes, but the fact that most of them are not even 20 years old yet is a real game-killer. Here’s to next year.

F. Rebuilding still? Looking strictly at standings over the past four years, the only team to finish below the Reds is MUN. We have struggled to get wins, accumulating only 14 wins in the last four years.

CBU won 18 this year alone.

Help?

C-. I actually think this is a good squad, but what they pulled at the end of the year can only be described in one word: choke. There is a lot of talent on this team and they’re backed by a good coach.

However, at crunch time, they were invisible. Even after an up and down season, the Reds were still sitting at .500 and in the playoffs. Yet, four straight losses to end the year and erasing their playoff hopes bumped them down a grade.

B-. They started out slow, but the second-semester-surge made them look legit. The only reason they didn’t get into the playoffs is because of the lame AUS rules based around scoring margin. Don’t forget that they beat CBU in a total barnburner that took overtime to decide a winner.

C+. This season was the first time in the past six years this squad has missed the playoffs.

The team loses two players next season. Although some consider missing the playoffs a failure, this season can be seen as year of growth. Upcoming players are impact players and should push the Reds back into the playoffs next year.

B-. This is unique situation.

Three teams in a league with absolutely no parity. The outcome was predictable as the Dalhousie Tigers dynasty grabbed their twenty-fourth consecutive title by sweeping the UNB boys. The Reds were dominated by the Tigers, but in turn dominated Memorial and played well in the interlock tourneys. I feel they deserve better than a C, but until they can get over the hump and beat DAL, they’re going to be in the middle range.

C+. Within their division, they stomp the crap out of Memorial, then proceed to get the crap stomped out of them by Dalhousie. It’s a lovely cycle. They play other teams too, and hold their ground very well.

C. They played 24 sets against the Tigers this season, winning only three. When they won the previous 23 AUS Championships you cannot expect to succeed. They showed improvement with rookies playing key roles, but consistency was lacking. Hopefully next year they will discover the Tigers’ kryptonite.

C+. A team plagued by injury and inconsistency is a simple explanation of the squad that should’ve finished with a much better result. Their play was unpredictable. On any given night, they would either look like one of the best in the country or a high school team on an off-night. Honestly, this team could have easily won the AUS title. However, their inconsistent play led to an early playoff exit.

B+. They’ve got a strong reputation, and rarely miss the post season. Throw in some national recognition for star players and a .500 record and it makes a great case for a B level grade.

C+. This season was the first time in the past six years this squad has missed the playoffs.

The team loses two players next season. Although some consider missing the playoffs a failure, this season can be seen as a year of growth. Upcoming players are impact players and should push the Reds back in the playoffs next year.

brunswickanreportcard Men’s soccer Record: 7-4-2 Finished: 3rd Playoffs: AUS quarterfinal Coach: Miles Pinsent

Women’s soccer Record: 2-10-1 Finished: 10th Playoffs: Missed Coach: Andy Cameron

B

B. Miles Pinsent put together a strong squad on all fronts; it has a good mix of young and veteran talent. The potential to crack the A range was there, but quickly erased with a tough overtime loss to UdeM in the AUS quarterfinal. They hovered around the top of the league all year, but I’m a strong believer in the fact that a good season is nothing if you don’t succeed in the postseason.

A-. An undefeated at home record resulting in a playoff berth: that’s a guaranteed A. They’re losing their captain and goalkeeper, but this squad wins its games because of superior athleticism and speed from the whole team. They outrun, outwork and are generally physically stronger than any of their AUS opponents, I’m sure next year they’ll be at the top or close to it.

B-. Although they suffered the loss in the first round of the playoffs, the team had a successful regular season. This was their best chance for the AUS championship as they are losing a handful of players next year. This leaves me no choice but to give them a lower mark.

D

D. Before I rant, I will say that this team has a lot of young and upcoming talent with 20 out of 23 players in their first or second year of eligibility. That being said, the 2-10-1 record seeded them last in the AUS and out of the playoffs for the third straight year. Their inability to capitalize has proven to be their Achilles’ heel. Over the last two seasons, the Reds only scored 19 times in 26 games. A 0.73 goals per game average does not equal success.

D. They won a game at Chapman field. Seriously, I was there. That’s the most polite way to put it. Saying anything mean about this squad would be like stepping on a kitten; they had more first years dressing than anybody else in Atlantic University Sport.

D. For the third straight season they have missed the playoffs. Although their wins increased from last year, so did the losses. They found themselves out of more games than in previous seasons. After all these negatives, the positive to take from this year is the large number of upcoming star players such as Robyn Potter and Sam Legacy.

B-. The squad saw some success this year, but mostly due to a few key individuals. It is the swim team right? Obviously I realize that, for the most part, it’s an individual sport, but they won’t see a higher grade or, more importantly, more success in the pool until they create a stronger supporting cast.

B. Mixed success. A team of wild-card athletes, every meet the wins and losses were all over the board. I’ll give them a B just because of their ridiculous practice and sleep schedule.

C-. After sending three swimmers to the CIS championships last year, the Reds increased their number to five this season. Rookie swimmers Danielle Losier, Jacqueline Murchinson, and Stefan Mader stepped up as well as second year swimmers Danielle Merasty and Jennifer Acheson. The team is moving in the right direction, but needs the senior swimmers to help out the young talent.

Swimming Men: 4th place at AUS Women: 2nd place at AUS Team: 2nd place at AUS Coach: Dan Monid

Hockey Record: 27-1 Finished: 1st Playoffs: AUS semi-final Coach: Gardiner MacDougall

Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143 • 19

C+

B+

B+. I’ve already mentioned how I value the importance of postseason play when defining a team.

The absolutely shocking defeat in the AUS semi-finals, erasing any chance of a repeat, outweighs their record-breaking season.

Only by a little, though. It was another fantastic regular season put forth by a model program. I wanted to hand out my first A, but the surprisingly early exit changed my mind.

A-. They were the best team Canadian university hockey had ever seen. Sure they flicked on cruise control in the playoffs and got bounced in three straight games, but a one loss season is still a great accomplishment. Wow, I must really sound like a New England Patriots fan.

B. Luckily for the men’s hockey team they still get a good grade. They failed the final exam, but did go undefeated until the final weekend of the regular season. Looking ahead to hosting to the CIS championship, we have a great program put together and should have an A+ next year.

20 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143

brunswickansports