Issue 6, Vol 143, The Brunswickan

FEATURE // SEXUAL HARASSMENT: WHAT IT IS, WHAT TO DO >> pG. 4 Volume 143 · Issue 6 • October 14, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

By-election meet and greet flops

VARSITY BASKETBALL TOURNEYS HELD AT UNB

Lee Larrett The Brunswickan A meet and greet with the candidates for the UNB Student Union byelection was planned with good intentions, but didn’t attract a single student.

Catrin Berghoff, the Chief Returning Officer (CRO), was excited for the meetand-greet as a chance for candidates to mingle with each other and students in an informal setting. No formal speeches were planned; the event was about students getting to meet and talk with each candidate.

The event was planned for Thursday Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. in the lobby of the Student Union Building (SUB). Berghoff explained that notice of the event did not go out over student e-news because of a technical problem on her end. Due to the lack of advertising, she planned for students to walk by and join in.

The event consisted of candidates crowded around a small table in the SUB lobby. Students may not have approached the candidates because there was no sign or indication that they were there campaigning. Five candidates and the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) Laura Houghton were present.

Notification of the event was sent to the candidates just that afternoon they said, and Joshua Bojahra, a student running for Arts Representative, didn’t receive notification early enough to be able to attend.

Lauren Vail, elected to the senate by acclamation, wasn’t at the meet and greet because she did not need to campaign.

Houghton explained that SU bylaws state, “if someone runs uncontested for a senate position assuming that they have the right GPA, full time student, all the necessities, they automatically get the position and they don’t have to have a vote.”

Shannon Amey, running uncontested for Education Representative, said that she is disappointed to be running without opposition.

“I really thought there would be more people by the time they got to a postgraduate degree that would care about

SEE GREET PAGE 2

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

The Women’s Varsity Reds basketball team had an exciting start to their season this past weekend. The team had the chance to prove themselves at the Helen Campbell tournament, which was hosted here at UNB.

Straight from the heart of Ontario Doug Estey The Brunswickan Take two musically talented sisters. Add a little bit of heart. Toss in some soft vocal tones, vibrant keys, beautifully orchestrated strings and sounds created by everything from the violin and cello to the synth and glockenspiel.

The result is what Casey Mecija, songwriter, vocalist and driving force behind the project describes as Ohbijou.

This is a story of how the Brampton, Ontario native went from writing songs in her bedroom to performing in front of thousands upon thousands of screaming fans at Montreal’s Osheaga Festival.

Deciding to pursue her post-secondary

education in Toronto, Mecija balanced her life between a job at MuchMusic and the raw exposure of what she describes as a “vast and diverse music scene” all around her, quickly developing a desire to produce music of her own.

Enter Ohbijou, which capitalizes on the instrumental abilities of sister Jennifer and eventual band members Heather Kirby, James Bunton, Anissa Hart, Ryan Carley and Andrew Kinoshita.

The band has set out to carve a new stream of sound that can be called purely their own, and riding on the wings of newly-released sophomore album Beacons, they have spawned a cross-Canada tour in support.

“Beacons is a lot more of a full sound [than Swift Feet for Troubling Times],” explains Casey. “We focused a lot on

HARD ROCK

our arrangements. The first record is a lot more sparse and we wanted to fill up what we felt were gaps in the sound a bit with more dynamics.”

The band, having already completed a round of Canada and the United States, is just coming off of a tour in Europe that encompassed cultural manifestos such as Germany and the Netherlands.

“It was definitely an experience that won’t be leaving my mind any time soon,” says Casey.

And as for touring in Canada?

“The length of the drive certainly becomes taxing, but there’s something about driving in northern Ontario; the beautiful lakes and trees. We’re constantly reminded of how nice of a place we have to live in.

“But yeah, they definitely become long

drives,” she adds, laughing.

In respect to the amount of effort required on a daily basis by musicians, the singer-songwriter credits her experience at MuchMusic for her understanding of the work involved.

“One important thing that I learned there is that regardless of the size of your project, musicians are always working very hard. People like Kanye West would come in, and you’d realize, you know, that’s that person’s full-time job; to constantly entertain people. And it’s tough, no matter who you are. I definitely have gained respect for any type of performer.”

Beacons was released on June 2 in Canada and is available through major music outlets. You can witness the charming orchestral group of seven at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on Oct. 24.

Organized Crime

Live on stage Saturday Oct. 17

$100 Prize for “BEST ROCKERS”

HAPPY HOUR $1.75 KEITHS, $150 MIXED DRINKS FROM 10-12

brunswickannews

2 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

No students at meet and greet FROM GREET PAGE 1 where their money goes. At least I’m here and hopefully I can lobby for them in some capacity.”

If elected, Amey said her number one priority would be to create awareness within the faculty of education about the SU: what it does, where their money goes, and the opportunities the SU can offer students. “ Students pay big bucks to come here, they’re a client of their education and I don’t think people realize a lot of the resources that are available to them or how they can actually influence how decisions are made.

They are passive recipients of their education rather than acting as the client that pays for it.”

Derek Ness, running against Joshua Bojahra for the position of Arts Representative, explained that he was running because he has always been heavily involved in student politics.

“It’s important to be involved, to have your say and your fellow students say put out there,” he said.

Ness said his main priority is to “create awareness for my fellow students as to where all the money goes that they pay to the student union fees, to technology fees,

to tuition fees. It’s not always made clear.”

He said it’s also important, “to get a voice out there from the department to the SU to say ‘This is what we’re doing, do you have things you would like to see done and what are your suggestions for that.’”

Bojahra was contacted after the event.

“I am running because I want to make sure that the Arts students of UNB are represented by someone with experience,” he said.

Raising awareness of the opportunities available to Arts students is at the top of Bojahra’s priority list. He says he wants to draw attention to the programs available for studying abroad.

“I believe that every student should take the opportunity to study in another country at least once in their university career.”

Rachel McKinley is running uncontested for the position of Forestry & Environmental Management Representative.

“Last year, forestry went without a rep and nobody ran again in the spring election, so it would have been another year with a vacant spot on the SU for forestry and environmental management, and I think it’s really important that my faculty has a voice.”

Brad McKinney, the sole candidate for Residence Liaison, said his reason for running, “is that there’s 1500 people in resi-

dence that would not have a say otherwise, and that’s bad. Last year we didn’t really know who our Residence Liaison was or that the position even existed. So to actually get that out there and make people aware that the SU cares is good.”

Houghton had one message for students: Vote. “It does seem smaller because the bigger election comes in the spring when all the positions are available, but it is important to have these positions filled. If all of these positions are filled it will be the first year that every position [on council] will have somebody in it,” she said.

Although it’s a yes or no vote for all candidates except the arts representatives, Houghton hopes that this election will let students know what the candidates think and what they plan to do with their position.

Even with a yes or no vote it is important that students be informed about the candidates.

The option exists for students to negate a candidate they feel shouldn’t hold the position.

In response to this McKinley added, “I would love to see tons of people vote yes or no ... for those people who vote, don’t vote no because you think it’s funny. Only vote no because you disagree with the candidate that’s running.”

Synnott says ‘man-up!’

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Dr. Anthony Synnott from Concordia University asks, with all the talk about sexism and racism, where’s the ‘ism’ for men?

Katie Brennan The Brunswickan

A new human rights issue was brought to light this past week at UNB: what about men’s rights?

On Thursday, Oct. 8 Dr. Anthony Synnott from Concordia University stood in front of a roomful of students and professors and spoke about his new book Re-Thinking Men: Heroes, Villains and Victims. Synnott sat in the hot seat as he discussed his theories on masculinity and equality for men. He believes that in the quest for women’s rights, men’s rights have been either forgotten or ignored.

Synnott points out that during and since the feminist movement, society has portrayed men as inferior and a social problem.

Synnott suggested that it is not uncommon to hear women complain that a “good man is hard to find,” to see comics or t-shirts that read “so many men, so little ammo,” or “men are stupid, throw rocks at them.”

Synnott takes this further by saying, “Prejudice against ethnic groups is called ‘racism’; prejudice against women, ‘sexism’; and prejudice against men is considered really, really funny.”

Continuing to draw attention to society’s prejudice against men, Synnott admits that men do commit more homicides and crime than women, but men are also killed more in homicides than women.

So why are men killing men, and why aren’t we doing something to stop it?

Because men are seen as naturally more aggressive and dangerous, he suggested.

Hate literature discusses how men are ‘in fact’ the inferior and more violent sex, proving their point by using the examples of male villains throughout history such as Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, etc.

Synnott reminds us of history’s heroes: Gandhi, Churchill, Mandela, Terry Fox, etc, as well as the reality that the majority of men are not killers and rapists.

Synnott is not only concerned with the negative portrayal of men in society but

also the lack of support men receive. He said that while it is true that male dominated jobs have higher wages and are unionized more than female dominated jobs, but jobs that men are more likely to have are the jobs that have recently been cut.

Women, he says, have taken over the workforce and there is not nearly the amount of organizations or support groups out there for men as there are for women. And, Synnott said, because of this, men make up the majority of the homeless population.

And there are other statistics we are choosing to ignore, he said. There are more females enrolled in post-secondary education than males. He says men usually work in more high risk environments and are more prone to health issues, yet there is a higher percentage of men who do not have healthcare. Less money, Synnott says, is put into the research of male-specific diseases and there are fewer academic studies done about male problem areas.

Although talking about heavy subject matter, in a roomful of people ready to jump down his throat, Synnott was able to crack lots of jokes and keep his audience smiling. And after being interrupted a few times by inquiries about his sources, followed by some debates, questions were taken, putting Synnott’s viewpoint under the microscope. After his presentation, Synnott seemed relieved to be finished.

He said that he often faces hostile and defensive audiences and that it surprises him how closed-minded people can be toward his unique perspective.

Synnott calls out to men to “man-up,” a term he learned from a student. But he does not share her definition, which requested that men, “Get beer, not white wine. Don’t get the baguette, get the steak. Stop whining, and just do it… oh, and hit on us more.”

No, Synnott requests that men start organizing and fighting for their rights as women have done. Because as we have all learned at some point or other, ignoring problems does not make them go away, they only come back later to bite you even harder.

“So gentlemen, man-up! There are things to do here.”

brunswickannews

Oct 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 3

Tractors ‘drive away hunger’

Community College On Campus

Sandy Chase

The plans for New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) to join UNB on campus were unveiled at a news conference on Friday Oct. 9.

The building will be 49,000 square feet and will be located between the Wu Conference Center and Marshal d’Avray Hall. The province of New Brunswick has promised $11 million for the project. The $15-million new building for NBCC will have room for twice as many students as the current facility, which has room for 200. UNB is leasing the land for the NBCC building to the province for $1 a year for 50 years, said a report on the CBC. The NBCC will offer programs in health, business administration, information technology, engineering technology, applied media arts, and wireless Internet.

The Brunswickan

If you had one hundred thousand pounds of food, you probably wouldn’t have to buy groceries for the rest of your career in University.

At a food bank, one hundred thousand pounds of food will last about a month. Farm Credit Canada, a lending company for farmers, is in the middle of their 6th annual food drive, known as the Drive Away Hunger tour.

The tour started in 2004, when an Ontario employee decided to drive his open-cabbed tractor around for eight days collecting non-perishable food items. Since then, the tour has blossomed into a national event that has raised almost two million pounds of food for food banks across the country.

While the original spirit of that tractor tour has been maintained, the event has expanded to include six different tractor drives across Canada as well as smaller events at all of Farm Credit Canada’s one hundred different locations.

“We do planning ahead of time, we partner with schools and businesses... we give them about a month to start food events and the day of the tractor tour that’s when we come around and collect the food that they’ve collected over the past month,” said Shaun Humphries, the communications manager for the Drive Away Hunger tour.

“Last year [one of the] tractor tours we did was in Nova Scotia, we raised over one hundred thousand pounds of food, so we’re hoping to be around that again. Across the

Search called off for missing kayaker

Submitted

A tractor is making its way across New Brunswick collecting food bank donations. It’s last stop is at the Fredericton Lighthouse on the Green on Oct. 16 - World Hunger Day. country we raised almost one million pounds of food for food banks across Canada so that’s again our goal for this year to match or beat that total.”

This year in New Brunswick, the tour will be starting in Moncton on Wednesday Oct. 14 and two tractors will be touring the province for two days before the tour ends by the lighthouse in Fredericton on Friday Oct. 16. According to Food Banks Canada, over 15,000 people a month will use the services provided by food banks in New Brunswick alone.

Humphries explained that the timing of the drive is good for food banks as they begin to gear up for Christmas, a time of high demand for their services.

“I went on a tour last year in Nova

Scotia, and for someone behind the scenes working the communication side I really didn’t really get much of a feel until I was out there seeing kindergartners carrying huge bags of food out,” Humphries said.

“You see the wheels spinning in the kids heads, just to see that, it made it all worthwhile for all the behind the scenes work that goes on to pull this off, that’s the key, and to raise one hundred thousand pounds for the food bank of Nova Scotia that was huge too.”

New Brunswick’s Drive Away Hunger tour will end at the lighthouse in downtown Fredericton at noon on Friday Oct. 16; anyone who can attend is encouraged to bring a nonperishable donation for the food drive.

Atlantic institutions sign agreement to make transfers easier

Sarah Ratchford CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief

Post-secondary institutions in the Atlantic region have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to make the process of transferring schools easier within the region, by creating more official transfer agreements between and among Atlantic schools.

Peter Halpin, executive director of the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU), says the agreement is meant to formalize the process of transfers between community colleges and universities.

The MOU was developed so that students would not have to repeat former learning experiences. According to the document, the agreement also provides students with “the opportunity to complete and/or further their post-secondary training in the Atlantic region to the greatest degree possible.”

The agreement is signed by 22 institu-

this week in brunswickannews

tions across all four Atlantic provinces.

“The purpose was to, in an official and public way, make clear that the working relationship between community colleges and universities is open to collaboration and cooperation,” says Halpin.

Halpin says it is important that the public, and especially students in Atlantic Canada, understand the agreement.

“This is very much about students. It’s designed so that students have mobility within our region to transfer between the respective institutions.”

The agreement, which came into effect as of June 1, 2009, has been an ongoing process.

Halpin says it took time to set out the principles of the agreement in a collaborative fashion.

Details surrounding the actual transfers will differ from school to school.

“Every university has its own policies and qualifying standards,” Halpin explains. He says that agreements already exist between schools like the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College, and that the MOU will be a “recognition of programs and the flow of students back and forth.”

The MOU will honour existing longstanding agreements.

Patsy MacDonald is the college regis-

trar for all 13 Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) campuses. Her job is to help with the consistency of policy across the campuses, as well as to work within the different schools.

“It’s nice to have this written in an MOU. I think there’s been a lot of cooperation between universities and colleges without the agreement in place, [so] this will just aid students to transfer more seamlessly,” she says.

When asked if the MOU has had an impact on registration thus far, MacDonald responded that it’s still too early to tell, but that “there’s optimism.”

“I think what we’re looking for is looking that students don’t have to repeat learning. They can take when they’ve achieved at university and bring it to college and vice versa.”

MacDonald says that both universities and colleges in the Atlantic region are planning to work harder to make the transition from school to school easier on students.

She says this will broaden the possibilities for a thorough education in the Atlantic provinces.

“From a regional point of view, it’s in the interest of our region to ensure seamless integration between community colleges and universities,” says Halpin.

Fredericton man JimVanderfluit went missing Thursday Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. when he went to check on his kayak, which was docked by the Nashwaak River. On Friday a police diving team searched the banks of the Nashwaak and St. John rivers.A search helicopter, fire department boats and theYork-Sunbury Search and Rescue team were part of the search. Heavy rains hampered the search, raising the water level and increasing the murkiness of the water. Police said the search didn’t yield any information. 50 year oldVanderfluit, a roofer, was last seen wearing a yellow hoodie, blue jeans and work books and is 5’7” with a slight build and sandy blonde hair.The Police say the has been put on hold indefinitely due to weather conditions.

TANNING SPECIALS

3 LOCATIONS 530 Queen St. 458-9771 1113 Regent St. 454-8267 154 Main St. 472-5048

TWO FREE TANS

20% OFF VERSA SPA SUNLESS MIST TAN 10/31/09

brunswickanfeature

4 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

the brunswickan presents

DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT a feature by Hilary Paige Smith “It’s a little cold out for a skirt, isn’t it slut?”

These were the words I heard shortly before 9 p.m., walking alone on a sparsely populated Fredericton street on a night in mid-September. The sun was just retiring for the evening, bathing the surrounding apartments in pink light. It was one of the warmest days of the month and my dark dress cleared my knees. I wasn’t cold, but shivered when I noticed a white car slow down, sidling up out of the corner of my eye.

“It’s a little cold out for a skirt, isn’t it slut,” the male passenger asked. I didn’t recognize him. He was partially hidden in shadow, only the whites of his eyes glowing in the half-light. He and the unseen driver laughed, sped up and drove into the night.

I stood there, dumbfounded. They were gone and I was a slut, what could I have done?

According to a Violence Against Women Survey completed by Statistics Canada in 1993, 87 per cent of Canadian women revealed they had experienced some form of sexual harassment. A study entitled “The Joke’s Over: Student to Student Harassment in Secondary Schools,” completed in 1995 in Ontario also revealed that eight out of ten female university students were victims of sexual harassment on campus.

Sexual harassment against women happens every day, whether it is identified by victims or not. Incidents as simple as a “drive-by shouting,” when a car full of men shout things at women on the streets, to being grabbed by an unwelcome man in a bar can all be classified as sexual harassment.

Jenn Gorham, program coordinator with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, an organization devoted to ending sexual violence against women and children, said the centre rarely receives reports from women about small incidents on streets and in bars.

“I think that for most women, that’s just part of being a woman and walking around,” she said, adding that she is “infuriated” by how commonplace sexual harassment of this nature has become.

“It’s infuriating and frustrating and sad too, the fact that it’s so commonplace, that we just say “Jerks” or “Whatever” and brush it off like, ‘that is just how some guys are’ or ‘that’s just what happens.’”

Gorham said that, because of the quickly passing nature of the incidents, it can be extremely difficult to get help or adequately respond to the harassers. Her advice is that

women must evaluate the situation for themselves before responding, minding their safety should the harassers become more aggressive.

“You would never want to engage in a situation that could then put you in danger. You don’t know. It could just be guys driving by, thinking they’re having a laugh and they move on and if you called them on it, they would be like ‘Oh gosh, whoa,” but you may have the flipside of this, escalating it to a dangerous situation,” she said.

Karlie Hanoski, a volun-

at the Women’s Centre, recounted an experience during a residence pub crawl where a man was openly aggressive to her and had to be asked to leave the bar.

“A gentleman decided that he wanted to dance with me, so he grabbed my arms and tried to pull me off the bar stool and go to the dance floor, but we got him out of that bar pretty quickly,” she said, laughing.

“From my own p er s on a l experience, [s e x u a l harassment] hasn’t happened f requently,

te er a t

t he University Women’s Centre, said that sometimes it is difficult to assess the situation while it is happening.

“Sometimes you don’t even recognize it as harassment until after the fact,” she said.

Sexual harassment of this nature is not considered a crime, rather a violation of human rights. It is not until harassment becomes assault or the incidents happen repeatedly and with aggression that the police become involved.

“As a person who wants to walk down the street unmolested and not have people shouting stupid stuff at me, yeah, I feel like that should be a crime,” Gorham said.

Kathleen Heaney, another volunteer

but t h at doesn’t mean it’s not an issue.

It certainly is an issue in the community.”

Both Heaney and Hanoski said they have experienced cat calls and honking from passing cars on the street.

Gorham said there are many factors that come into play when looking at why a handful of men choose to harass women.

“Power imbalances between men and women [come into play]; you know, you have a woman walking alone down the street and four guys in a car, you have a very distinct power imbalance here.

She’s vulnerable. She’s alone. They have the power. Because they recognize that,

they abuse it,” the program coordinator mentioned in her list that also included issues like gender stereotypes portrayed in the media and myths about what the true meaning of sexual violence is.

Hanoski attributed “drive by shoutings” to strength in numbers and stereotypes in the media.

“It’s never just the singular guy. It’s usually a truck full of guys when this thing happens.”

All of these women agreed the idea that women are “asking for it” if dressed in revealing clothing while they are out at a bar is laughable.

“I think my response to that is when we see a man at a bar dressed up in a nice button down shirt and really nice jeans, we’re not assuming they’re asking for it,” Heaney said.

Gorham likened the “asking for it” myth to a man who was robbed while wearing expensive clothes, an expensive watch and carrying a wad of cash.

“The idea that if somebody, male or female, was mugged or robbed and we blamed them f o r that because they had expensive clothes and expensive jewellery, it’s ludicrous. You would never do that, yet we do that exact same thing when a woman dresses a certain way and she is assaulted.”

Despite saying that harassment, especially while out walking, is not a frequent problem in their lives, Hanoski and Heaney said they do not feel comfortable walking alone at night in high-risk areas like the downtown core.

“I don’t think it’s fair. I think women should be able to walk wherever they want and feel safe. It makes me really sad to think some women feel unsafe walking alone at night. It can’t be very welcoming for the university community,” Heaney said.

Gorham provided the following advice to women who feel victimized by harassment: it is not your fault and you should talk about it with other women who have had similar experiences.

Sexual harassment happens every day in both its most serious and simplest forms.

Not all men do it. Not all men approve of it. Hell, even women do it. The point is, it’s a problem and it has to stop. To all of the men who do this; next time you want to yell compliments at a girl, take her to dinner and say them nicely. If you want to yell insults, keep them to yourself.

do you have feature ideas? send them to editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickanfeature

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • FR

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, DON’T BLAME YOURSELF.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Jenn Richard (left) and Jenn Gorham of the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. The Centre offers a number of services to women in the area, including sexual assault counselling, support groups and self protection workshops. Gorham says women need to be aware of what constitutes harassment, and not shy away from protesting from “every day” incidents such as a butt slap or snide comment.

Women still face many barriers Mark Timms The Baron

SAINT JOHN, N.B. (CUP) -- According to Rosella Melanson, executive director of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, three of the most important issues that affect New Brunswick women are: 1. THE PAY GAP Whether you compare annual wage or hourly wage, on average women still earn a lot less than men.

“Closing that gap would be a key step in solving a lot of the issues that women face,” says Melanson.

She attributes the gap to the fact that “traditional women’s jobs” are often undervalued and

underpaid. Secretaries in New Brunswick schools get paid less than janitors; traditionally, women have always been paid less.

Also, Melanson said that a lot of women don’t take advantage of opportunities for advancement in their present jobs because they are the ones primarily responsible for childcare.

2. CHILDCARE “If you were going to plan a society where 75 per cent of women with preschoolers are in the labour force -- where would you put the children?”

According to Melanson, New Brunswickers don’t seem too concerned with the quality of their day-care facilities.

“If we think that education is important, we should be concerned with childcare as well,” she adds.

Childcare shouldn’t solely be a women’s issue, but it becomes one because more often than not the responsibility of rearing children is left to women.

3. VIOLENCE

“We’ve come a long way in that today; we can talk about it,” she said.

“We now have transition houses where women can seek shelter and receive counselling, so as to give them an environment in which they can sort out their lives.”

These houses have only surfaced in the last 20 years. There is also an issue with different women being beaten by the same man. Melanson calls it a sign that men should get more involved with the fight against domestic abuse.

Melanson adds two more issues that, though they affect a smaller portion of women, still are areas that require immediate attention: 4. HOME SUPPORT SERVICES Home support services are services provided to people with disabilities who would otherwise be required to live in a retirement home. The concern here is that the individuals (mostly women) who provide these services are not properly compensated for the time involved in their jobs and both the service providers and the individuals with disabilities suffer due to insufficient funding for

the program.

Although this issue affects only a very small number of people, it is a women’s rights issue since 98 per cent of the workers involved are female.

Melanson calls it another issue that shouldn’t be a woman’s issue but, based on the majority of people affected, it is.

“We’re lucky that anyone wants to do that job,” said Melanson.

“We need to improve the working conditions.”

5. LACK OF CIVIL LEGAL AID While criminal legal aid is well funded by the government, civil legal aid is not. Melanson points out that while men are more likely to commit crimes and therefore use criminal legal aid, women who leave their husbands are often left hanging because money for civil legal aid just isn’t there.

There is some funding available for battered women seeking divorce, but if you’re not the victim of at-home violence there’s very little out there for you.

end the violence.

brunswickanopinion

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 6

editor@thebruns.ca

Has the UN failed, or does it have potential?

Flickr CC

The purpose of the United Nations is to “maintain international peace and security, and to that end to take effective measures for the prevention and removal of all threats to the peace.” As our Opinionator puts it, “The UN has the potential to be the world’s parliament.” There is evidence both for and against this.

The Opinionator Nick Howard The UN represents an attempt at a global democratic order. As conceptions of borders and limits expand with cultural globalization and international trade, the necessity of a supranational democratic body becomes increasingly important.

As Mr. Perlmutter demonstrates, the UN is certainly flawed. Is the organization irreparable?

Certainly not. Has the UN failed entirely, as our alarmist fellow student would have us believe?

Most definitely not. The truth is that the UN has been misconceived in its mission and its intent.

The UN was born out of a time of war to generate peace through democratic means. Its war-time predecessor, the League of Nations, had a mission statement closer to the one Mr. Perlmutter describes: “actually dealing with oppressive regimes and armed conflicts”. The creation of the UN placed the focus of the organization not on direct action, but on democratic governance and direction.

The UN has the potential to be the world’s parliament, the democratic governing body which oversees affairs relevant to every nation of the world. The number of different countries represented in the UN (almost all the countries in the world), make inevitable its historic inability for direct action. The economic and social differences among all the member-nations make contribution to and formation of a UN justice system challenging. However, the ability to take direct action does not necessarily equate to usefulness.

Our parliamentary system, for example, depends on several other systems to take direct action on its behalf (e.g. justice and executive branches).

What comes out of the House of Commons is only law because the justice system enforces it.

While the UN may not have firepower directly, this does not render the organization useless.

NATO is like a justice system with no parliament to democratically steer it. It functions, arguably, on a shoot first, ask later basis. The International Courts in The Hague represent the judiciary of the UN, waiting for a system to enforce its binding decisions. The EU flounders in its own economic and bureaucratic uselessness, awaiting guidance in the form of ideals and direction from a cohesive power. The African Union is still fledgling; the AF is pulling itself together, makeshift, out of historically disastrous African economies.

This is where the UN can begin to define itself.

The UN can bring these international organizations together to democratically ‘govern’ world affairs. As in Canadian Parliament, where MPs seek the best for their regions, self-interested nations serve as a check and balance for legislative decisions. The form this style of organization will take is up to the UN to decide, and such a system may not be feasible until the world realizes that non-cooperation in global affairs simply is not possible. I am convinced that day will come, from climate change or other global disaster, sooner than we may think.

In order for any supranational UN system to function, the Security Council must go. The egotistical belief that large rich countries deserve a veto on any democratic decision will never sit well with the rest of the world. If a veto is necessary, it should be in the hands of a group of UN officials to decrease the partisanship inherent in national ambassadors. Or, at the very least, make the veto a democratically reached decision, not a unilateral one.

The UN is based on ideology; an ideology of peace, equality and fair treatment. The fact that unrestricted ideology rarely serves any purpose does not mean that ideology is a bad word.

Ideology is important to provide direction and method, to ensure that we strive for our best rather than settling for our worst. Though Mr. Perlmutter may not agree with me, I believe that people are capable of self-sacrifice and fairness when pushed in that direction. The UN can set the direction and the tone for international affairs, a tone of tempered ideology and hope for the future of our world.

send us letters to the editor.

The Global Eye Sam Perlmutter

“The United Nations is designed to make possible the lasting freedom and independence for all its members.” Those were the words of U.S. President Harry Truman upon the founding of the United Nations in 1945.

The United Nations charter states that the purpose of the UN is “to maintain international peace and security, and to that end to take effective measures for the prevention and removal of all threats to the peace”, and to “take appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”. The member nations pledged a “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights”.

It’s too bad the UN is incapable of doing any of this. Most people will likely agree that establishing universal peace is not possible, but the United Nations has failed to establish just about anything lasting. The UN’s record on dealing with human rights is even more laughable.

History is littered with examples of failure by the United Nations, and with the emergence of the European Union, African Union, and the continued presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the UN is becoming less and less relevant in today’s society.

In 1994, the United Nations failed to stop the Rwandan genocide. They failed so miserably they even wrote a report about it five years later, outlining how badly they had handled the situation. In the 1990s the UN again stood by while Serbs slaughtered Muslims in Srebrenica. NATO forces eventually took up the fight, and ended the conflict. More recently, the UN has been unable to end Robert Mugabe’s oppressive regime in Zimbabwe, or protect Tamils in Sri Lanka from civil war.

Just last week, Manuel Zelaya, the ousted Honduran president, placed a call to the United Nations from a cell phone in the Brazilian embassy. “I call on the United Nations to restore the rule of law and the freedom that Honduras deserves”. Sadly for President Zelaya and Hondurans, that’s not likely to happen.

The failure of the United Nations can be traced all the way back to its charter. An organization that is “based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all members” is going to have a very hard time fulfilling its mandate when power is concentrated so strongly among five member nations.

All resolutions calling for troops or military action

must pass through the Security Council. There’s one rather large problem with this. The five permanent members, France, Great Britain, Russia, China, and the United States, all have veto power. And they don’t check their partisan interests at the door.

While the United Nations may have been created in a post-war idealistic frenzy, it seems content to ignore reality in assuming its structure can help it fulfill the mandate of its charter. Giving these five countries veto power sabotages the ability of the Security Council to live up to the lofty goals set out for it.

Independent nations are always going to place their own self-interest over the idealized concept of the ‘collective good’. The United States or China only care about ‘collective good’ (ex. protecting human rights in Africa) if it happens to benefit them.

In Sudan, for example, government sponsored militias are terrorizing the Christian population of Darfur. But the Sudanese government exports oil to China, where an ever-increasing demand for oil fuels their growing economy. So as long as the oil keeps flowing to Beijing, don’t look for China to vote in favour of a resolution condemning Sudanese human rights practices. Such is the nature of the Security Council.

Another example of the great impartiality and altruism that oozes from the United Nations is the UN Commission for Human Rights. In 2005, half of all their resolutions were targeted against Israel.

Never mind the human rights abuses going on in China, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, or a handful of other countries.

The overwhelming evidence that the United Nations is governed by partisan interests is continually marginalizing its influence. The United Nations has no accountability, and even on the rare occasions they actually get around to condemning a dictator or oppressive regime they lack the resources to enforce.

All this speaks to the underlying problem of the United Nations. The UN charter and its founding principles were based on an idealistic vision, very much in the mold of President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Point Plan in 1918. The only problem is that the vision for “the removal of all threats to peace” completely ignores reality.

Nations will not sacrifice their independence or sovereignty for the ‘greater good’. They will not commit troops from their national armies to the United Nations. However, they will use the United Nations to extend their foreign policy agendas, especially in the case of the five permanent members of the Security Council.

The result of this, fifty years later, is a large failure.

The United Nations members spend more time engaging in bureaucratic wrangling than actually dealing with oppressive regimes and armed conflicts.

The UN’s inability to protect human rights and resolve armed conflicts has made it practically useless as an organization.

The UN has failed.

brunswickanopinion

Feminist myths debunked

the brunswickan Editorial Board

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

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

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 7

The Looking Glass Sarah Ratchford I am a feminist. When men find out this little detail about me, they usually display either terror or extreme dislike.

The issue is not my feminism, but others’ misunderstanding of what feminism really is. People have these ingrained connotations of feminists as bra burning wild women who are out to stomp men with their combat boots. My brand of feminism is not about hating men; it’s about ending oppression.

I’ve chosen to let you all in on this because of the sexual harassment feature we ran this week. I want to let people know that many feminists are out to enhance equality and make the world a better place, not hate on men.

I am a proponent of liberal feminism.

My thinking is this: men are no better than women, and women are no better than men. We are all human beings, and we start

out on the same level. We should be judged on our character and the way we treat others, not by gender.

Feminism is about ending oppression, not just for women, but for other oppressed groups as well, including racial minorities, the poor, people with disabilities, children, and people of misunderstood and underrepresented religions.

Anyone who claims to be a true feminist and stands up for women will also stand up for other groups who face hard times.

Many people, such as Anthony Synnott who spoke at UNB this past Thursday, would argue that women are not facing severe oppression anymore. They would argue that we’ve more than caught up, and ask, ‘What about men?’

I need to speak against this mindset.

Women face some form of subtle oppression every day—leering, ass-grabbing in bars, “drive-by shoutings”. I wouldn’t have the time to sit and count the number of times a man has stared at my breasts instead of my face during conversation.

Yes, women are beautiful. But no, this kind of behaviour are not taken as compli-

ments. Most of the time, when women are singled out as sex objects they feel worthless and good for nothing but their bodies.

When I’m harassed like this, it feels as if all of my accomplishments as a person have been erased, and all that remains are my physical traits.

I work hard to develop myself as a person, both intellectually and spiritually. Why, then, should I be paid attention to only for my looks?

Men who objectify women need to know that their behaviour is extremely disheartening and hurtful for women.

Conversely, the men who do the objectifying need to understand that they’re hurting nice, respectful guys’ chances to meet women, as well as their own. If a woman goes to a bar and constantly runs into unwanted sexual attention, chances are she won’t return.

Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is that, after all of our years of fighting to be free of sexual exploitation, women also act as harassers.

I was discussing this column with a couple of male friends. They immediately

said ‘Woah’ when I began bashing the actions of men in bars.

It turned out that they recently went to a bar together, and a woman ran over to them, shouted “Boys!” and simultaneously grabbed both of their penises.

Really?

Really. This issue is not only man to woman. It is woman to man, woman to woman, man to man, etc.

Why should people get away with this kind of behaviour when its only effect is negative?

Because they can, that’s why. More men and women need to speak out for their right to be treated as human beings, with respect.

The next time someone grabs your butt in a bar, do not shrug it off. Do not let yourself be abused. Grab the person by the arm and say something.

If you don’t stand up for yourself, you put yourself in a situation where your self-worth can be diminished.

True, chances are nothing will come of your rebuke. But maybe, just maybe, the person who assaulted you will be surprised and check themselves.

brunswickanopinion

8 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

Students want part of Action Plan pie Cody Jack The Brunswickan Hey Conservative Government! Where is my money? Canada’s “Economic Action Plan” allows the government to dole out cash left, right and centre for a bunch of infrastructure projects across the country. UNB just got 15 million to help build the new Currie Centre, for example.

With all this money flying around I am starting to feel like the second cousin twice removed of someone who just won the lottery. I’m family, but just not important enough to get a piece of the pie. Sure I might see some of the benefits down the road, like a ride in my uncle’s new BMW, but the question arises... Why the hell don’t I deserve my own friggin’ BMW?!

The last thing this country needs is new members of the workforce with ridiculous debt loads. I can’t stimulate the economy by living out of a cardboard box Mr. Harper! The new grant program is a step in the right direction, but it is inadequate to fit the needs of students. The maximum grant for low-income students is $2000 and the maximum for middle-income

students is $800. That will cover some of the costs of tuition and maybe your books for one semester. Students deserve more.

As many student organizations have noticed, student debt is growing and is not being fully addressed. Just last week this topic sparked debate over how the $13,000 in UNBSU surplus money should be spent. I mean, $13, 000 dollars in the long run is not a lot, but it is something. And it is more than our current government is sending our way.

Let us look at the example of the 15 million dollars that was given to UNB. This is the scenario of getting to ride in our uncle’s new BMW. Although future students will get to benefit from this new facility, it will only be those students who can afford to go to school who will see its benefits. Student debt is rising and the Currie Centre isn’t going to save me any money or help get me out of debt.

Students are getting the shaft during this recession, and they’re getting the shaft when it comes to aid. After a summer which saw the highest student unemployment rate in decades, we have not seen an adequate response to our reality.

To the Politicians of Canada: We, the students of Canada, deserve better from you. I can only eat Kraft Dinner for so long.

Fear and Loathing in Canadian Politics

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Is it possible that Canadian politics are too boring to care about? Maybe if more of the above was involved...

Jon Salmon The Brunswickan That’s the problem with Canadian politics.

We have yet to elect a beast so crooked, so twisted, that the general public has had to band together and demand its head. Kill that and the body will follow, you know? We lack that sense of unity as a people that our brothers to the South have felt time and time again. Canadian politics bores people. And who should blame them? We haven’t had anything exciting happen since they proved that Stephen Harper runs off of lithium batteries. What? They didn’t prove that? Well there ya go, someone should look into it.

A leader that is forced to lead people out of a disaster of epic proportions has to be a great politician. He or she has no choice. How in

hell are you going to be hated more than the degenerate pig that drove the country into the ground? The only way to do that is to actually pardon the twisted bastard that left you that comfy throne. The only one misguided enough to do that was a man with a car for a last name, and everyone knows you can’t send a car to do a human’s job.

That’s not to say that we haven’t had our share of brain dead mutants at the helm of our great land. Mulroney accepted ill-gotten gains from a German businessman, but come on, that’s small peaches compared to the States. Nixon orchestrated a complicated break-in and cover- up to feed his heinous means. Now that’s entertainment.

And that’s really all we need as a people.

Think on that. Our first prime minister was a raging alcoholic. He was elected on two separate occasions and quite often

found himself vomiting violently on podiums around the country. One especially patriotic morning he awoke in a small broom cupboard, hanging upside-down like a bat, jabbering about White Rabbits.

This is exactly why the next Liberal candidate has to be a coked up wino. We Canadians must suffer through at least one unbearable prime minister. Not unbearably mundane, as happens to be the case more often than not. Unbearable for being so corrupt that the gutters he ends up in spit him back out and then gargles with acid rain to get his taste out of the street.

This must happen because no matter how bad the next one is, no one is going to say, “Hey, remember that guy that increased the unemployment rate to 1 in 5 people and sold all of our uranium to North Korea? I miss that dopey jackal”.

the brunswickan presents

comics.

brunswickanopinion

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 9

Student

Viewpoint.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving delicacy?

Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“Jigs Dinner.”

“Sugar Pie.”

Andrew Meade

Christian Hapgood

“Leftovers.”

James Warman

Colin McPhail

“Mustard pickles.”

“Pumpkin pie.”

Jamie Blom

“Turkey.”

Lauren Ellis

“The Panel.”

Jeremy Blom

“Pumpkin pie.”

“Stuffing.”

Mitchell Goodine

Rainer Henry

brunswickanopinion

10 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

The hypocrisy of the green revolution Lynda Schroeders Intercamp

EDMONTON (CUP) – Green is the name of the suddenly hip and sickeningly bourgeois environmental consciousness that has recently erupted. Green is also the color of money.

Green is the color of puke.

And puke I shall if I see one more book attempting to teach me how to become a green citizen.

The idea of selling a commodity addressing the issue of over-consumption has always smacked of irony in my opinion, but this irony was elevated to the level of farce when I encountered an entire display table of these titles at my favourite store to not buy books in (that’s right, I’m one of those cheap schmucks who reads entire volumes at Chapters).

Each of these books is salted with some sound advice on natural cleaning products (baking soda, salt, vinegar, and lemon juice — everything a baby can swallow but doesn’t want to), the three Rs and the importance of supporting the local economy. All things your grandparents could have told you if you’d ever bothered to ask about their lives before the nursing home.

Unfortunately, the majority of these books sidestep the issue of rampant overconsumption in favour of recommending new products. In Green For Life, Gillian Deacon will educate you about carcinogens in your makeup and chlorine in diapers and baby wipes. But instead of coming to a full stop with this sobering information, she goes on to endorse the superiority of Burt’s Bees and Seventh Generation products.

It’s not that you buy too much, appar-

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

In our haste to conform to the oh-so-trendy “green” lifestyle, are we starting to over- consume supposed environmentally friendly products such as reusable totes, water bottles and coffee cups? ently. You just bought the wrong stuff.

The bad stuff. And if you have a shred of decency you’ll go out and buy the right stuff at one of the stores conveniently listed in Appendix A at the back of this book.

Did I mention that green is the color of money?

Nobody wants to hear that they should

use their sheets until they’re tissue paper thin, that they should patch these gauzy sheets when they get a hole, or that they should cut them into rags for housecleaning once they are past the point of mending.

It’s way more fun to go out and buy unbleached, organic bamboo bed linens.

Speaking of fun, wouldn’t it be great if

every store on the planet decided to promote itself with a reusable shopping bag?

If grocery chains were actually concerned about the environment and not just out to make a buck, they’d quit selling their reusable bags. Instead they would give these bags away for a limited period of time – ten days, two weeks, whatever they consider fair warning – and then

they’d quit supplying the plastic ones.

They would piss off a lot of people, they would lose a little profit and they would do nature a tremendous service.

The crisis facing the natural world can be reduced to one word: waste. Writing and reading books about it is as futile as reading a book on weight loss instead of going for a run.

brunswickanopinion

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 11

Don’t leave me hanging...Ellipses can often give readers the wrong impression Christopher Olson The Link

MONTREAL (CUP) – I know we all lead busy lives. I understand if a message has to be entirely in lowercase because pressing the caps lock key takes too much effort.

Heck, I can be forgiven for using acronyms and linguistic shorthand to save time when cramming at the keys on a teensy, tiny cell phone. But a pox on the next man or woman who dares to use ellipses in their next email.

Unlike the texting language that has

developed as a result of instant messaging, ellipses are a form of punctuation that drags out every...single...moment, until there’s nothing left. This has also led to some of the most egregious abuses of the English language this side of Rosie O’Donnell’s blog.

When they’re not making every sentence read like a bad suspense novel, ellipses add unintendednuanceandsubtexttoemailsfrom mymother.Forinstance:“Didyouhearthey’re not bringing back Canadian Idol this year?

Probablybecauseoftheeconomy...Bytheway, when are you going to pay a visit...”

Firstly, if you’re using an ellipses in place of a question mark, just use a question mark.

Secondly, is it just me, or does the invitation

to come home now seem like a trap set up by someone who may or may not be my actual mother?

Also, how bad is the economy, exactly?

Too traumatizing to talk about, apparently, like that brother we don’t acknowledge much anymore... the one who, well... you know.

While clearing out my inbox, I routinely make note of the improper use of ellipses when sifting through the spam. For instance, this message, which was quickly deleted after I noticed the frequency of dollar signs, begins using ellipses correctly: “I know, it sounds like hype, but we take it one step further, Mr. Olson... We will GUARANTEE that it works for you, or.....

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

WE WILL PAY YOU $100!”

Ignore the use of words in all caps for a second. This doesn’t read like a very good endorsement. Unfortunately the email continues, and here the writer completely loses my interest by the addition of even more ellipses: “I’ve never seen an offer like that... So, please, go to our website and see for yourself...”

Suddenly I’m not so sure this is such a good deal. Those first ellipses almost seems like an open invitation to reflect on the credibility of the offer and its bold claims.

And what about the second ellipses? It doesn’t sound so confident anymore. It’s not even in caps.

Victor Hugo once said, “The thinking of a genius does not proceed logically. It leaps with great ellipses.” But it was probably Canadian author Terry Griggs who wrote the final epitaph of the modern ellipses, which she called “the serial dribble of grammatical snot.” The minds of geniuses are punctuated by ellipses. The emails of the masses, however, are merely, and severely, populated by them.

Whether filling up space in our inboxes or bloating our blog posts, ellipses are rarely, if ever, necessary. Just look at how much dramatic pause a single, teensy, tiny, comma adds to a sentence. What could ever compete with that?

brunswickaninternational

12 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

New Traditions Embraced

The process of learning what is familiar Hansika Gunaratne The Brunswickan

Flickr CC

While it can be difficult for international students to adjust, traditions like Thanksgiving can make it easier to bond with Canadians and learn about Canadian culture.

Culture Shock Danielle Bodie

As an international student, part of adjusting to being away from home is adapting to new traditions. One of my favorite North American traditions is Thanksgiving. I enjoy the meaning behind the holiday. It incorporates good food along with family and friends while being grateful for everything that you have. I like that concept.

My first thanksgiving was spent

in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia with a friend and her family. I enjoyed the experience to the utmost. Thanksgiving was all I imagined it to be. The whole family came over and ate as they laughed and shared stories. It was great to see that no matter what part of the world you were from, everyone still appreciates good food, family and friends. I felt right at home. After this experience I got a better understanding of what Thanksgiving really is, and I was very grateful to my friend and her family for sharing this with me.

Different countries have holidays or celebrations that celebrate how thankful and grateful they are. International students in Fredericton have learned to

appreciate the idea of Thanksgiving.

Here in Fredericton the international student community is a family. Whether students are sharing a meal from the Diplomat Restaurant, or there is a turkey being carved, or whether we’re just gathered as a group sharing food from different countries, we are all grateful for each other.

As a student away from home I am grateful for people who have embraced me and showed me the traditions of their country. I am also grateful for family and friends and the opportunity to study abroad and learn new things about other people and their countries.

These are the things that I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving.

As an international student, I feel a longing to be around the familiar. But what exactly is the familiar?

The familiar is whatever you make it. Your home country may be where your family comes from and where you were born. But what if you grew up in a country other than your home country? Or you moved from region to region? Did you ever feel that you couldn’t recall what was familiar to you initially? That is what happened to me. I had the opportunity to live in different countries early in my life. Life gave me lemons without international instructions on what do with them.

I was born in Sri Lanka, and grew up in the city of Colombo for the first 13 years of my life. I am thankful for this because, if I had grown up in the United Arab Emirates, which is where I spent the rest of my teen years, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have the same values as I do now. I am grateful for the fact that I entered into a new lifestyle in the Emirates at the age of 13 and not much younger, otherwise I would have become someone totally different.

For the first time ever in my life I was required to adapt to my new life after leaving my friends of more than ten years back in Colombo. I studied at an all girls’ school in Colombo, so most people’s behaviour at my new school in Dubai was new to me. I had just begun to discover boys, gossiping, and other typical teenage experiences, and each new experience was equally

exciting to me.

I must say that the concept of familiarity is rather foreign to me. I am often uncertain whether I should compare any current situations to my past experiences.

I am not afraid to familiarize myself with new ideas if that helps make my dreams into realities, but several questions seem to repeatedly come up.

What could have been so wrong with continuing to live in my home country?

Did it all begin because of the need for more scope for my future? Should I feel guilty that my current efforts are ultimately about the means to acquire my future basic needs of life?

Currently I appreciate the places life has taken me, the experiences I have had and my good fortune. So in spite of my questions, my self-made lemonade tastes delicious so far. When I step out of the excitement of new experiences, I see into the big picture where my parents are letting me have what they did not, and it is my responsibility to make the most of my opportunities.

I find myself adapted to a new daily routine soon after getting into it. However, adapting to a new environment is not the same. There are different levels of adaptation: you can adapt to become someone else completely, or adapt to copy whatever is different and new to you, or adapt so selfishly that you make the minimum changes possible.

Lastly, you can adapt naturally because you are in fact in love with the differences of your new environment. I am still adapting, but whatever changes I see in myself, they happened naturally because I was always thrilled to be here.

As I start my second year at UNB, I would like to say to those of you from another corner of our globe, that everything is bound to get as familiar as that little bit of anxiety that comes with all that is new. Hang in there!

brunswickaninternational

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 13

Children most victimized by war

International recipe of the week Haitian potato salad

Ingredients: •

4-6 potatoes, peeled

•

1 cup sweet peas

•

1-2 carrot, peeled and diced

•

half an onion, minced

•

2 teaspoons salt

•

Onion powder

•

1-2small beet

•

2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise

•

2-4 eggs

•

1cup red& green bell pepper diced

Wiki media

Often it is the last people you’d expect to be affected by war: children. War inflicts harm on children in many ways.

Speak Out Ayat Abed Isaid

The ABC of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), a glossary of terms in IHL, explains that children must receive “the benefit of special protection.” In particular, it specifies their preferential treatment with regard to food and medical assistance. IHL provides special guarantees for detained children with regard to the inviolability of their nationality and their civil status, as well as for family reunification.

It has been realized over the past decade that innocent children are also facing the consequences of war. UNICEF states that more than two million children have been killed in armed conflicts over the last decade, 12 million are homeless, and many others have suffered from psychological disorders. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said in her report to the UN Human Rights Council this September that “the toll on children is now more brutal than ever.”

Armed conflict has changed the lives of many children. Those children are not just getting lost in the crossfire; they are also targeted and taken as child soldiers and deprived of basic human rights.

Children are the most helpless people in our world. As mentioned on the United Nations official site, more than half the deaths of children in Somalia were caused by measles and diarrhea; these are considered common afflictions

which are only fatal if left untreated.

An official from UNICEF said, “Even if they have never seen a gun, millions of children suffer from wars, as resources that could have been invested in development are diverted into armaments. Indeed, one of the most distressing realities of our time is that most wars have been fought in precisely those countries that could least afford them.”

Coomaraswamy believes that children need to be protected and given their full rights to “education, liberty of movement, the right to protection against sexual and gender-based violence and the right to basic services.”

Children should be well protected because they are the roots for the future growth of our world. We need to create a fair and just society for all people.

A society that is willing to fight for its children and their future. We want our children to grow and contribute to their own society; we should not use them as weapons to win a war.

Preparation: - Boil potatoes and carrot in water with a half a teaspoon salt for about 1015 minutes or until tender & and soft. .

- Boil beet separately in water with 1 teaspoon salt until tender, then peel and mince Boil eggs separately in water with 1/4 teaspoon salt until hard.

- In a bowl, place cubed potatoes, minced beet, sweet peas, carrots, onion, red and green bell peppers and mix with mayonnaise. Add black pepper.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 •14

THE NEW CITIES IN FREDERICTON

Submitted

The New Cities appear with Mariana’s Trench at the SUB on Friday, Oct. 16 in touring support of their 2009 release, Lost In The City Lights.

Doug Estey The Brunswickan

Just a few years ago, six hard-working musicians from Trois-Rivieres were down on their luck. With one EP recorded, a few mixed tracks in the works and their booking agency pressing them for another release, The New Cities were undergoing what lead singer David Brown describes as “a rough time.”

“Some labels had interest in us but we weren’t really sure if it was going

to happen or not. Things were kind of depressing. It’s something that happens often when you’re a band without a lot of music released to date.”

The future was foggy for Brown and his companions until former Treblecharger vocalist Greig Nori, now a producer for Sony BMG, heard a copy of the band’s EP. “He’s fantastic,” the singer exclaims. “He just straight up asked us if we wanted to use [Sony BMG’s] studio to see if we could come up with something great. Before we knew it we had eleven tracks recorded and everyone was getting really excited.

“Greig really expanded our vision,” admits Brown. “When we were producing our first tracks we were heavily

influenced by bands like Death From Above and The Faint. Being from a small town, we had never really thought about making music that would appeal to a wider audience.”

For example, from their EP to Lost In The City Lights, the group’s new album released earlier this year, they’ve expanded from recording one or two guitar tracks on a song to “having around fourteen.”

Likewise, the amount of effort The New Cities have poured into the development of the album has been massive.

“It took us about two and a half years altogether,” Brown says. “Really, that’s quite a while but we weren’t really under the pressure that a band

might be under for, say, their second album. So maybe the next time around it will be different. But we were lucky enough to have the time to make things sound the way we wanted.”

The band toured with Ten Second Epic over the summer and began a two-month tour alongside Mariana’s Trench last Sunday. From there, they’ll be swiftly whisked off on a plane to the UK to tour for an additional three weeks before returning to North America for more potential dates.

You could say they’re a little busy, but they haven’t lost their modesty in the process.

“I think the biggest thing we’ve learned from all of this is that you gotta

work hard. Non stop. Even if you think you’re getting there, you never have to let things go. You have to stay on it; never give up.

When you keep working, and you’re still dreaming, then you know you can really go somewhere.

We started with a small independent Canadian release. Now we’re touring across the country and flying to the UK just to play music. It’s really fantastic.”

Tickets across the east coast have been sold out for The New Cities and headliner Mariana’s Trench. The two bands will play on the UNB Fredericton campus at the Student Union Building on Friday, Oct. 16.

Giving You Say Party! We Say Die! some XXXX Alison Clack The Brunswickan

It seems lame to give a band an entirely good review, but every once and a while a CD comes along that deserves entirely positive praise.

You Say Party! We Say Die!’s new album, XXXX, is one of these albums.

The Abbotsford, British Columbia natives released XXXX, their fourth album, and third album off of the Paper Bag Records label, on September 29, 2009.

The album was produced by Howard Redekopp, who has worked with

numerous acclaimed acts such as Tegan and Sara and The New Pornographers.

While some songs like, “Glory,” have the same hyper, make-you-want-tojump-up-and-dance feeling as some of their older songs, the band seems to be experimenting a bit with a newer, sound.

Songs like, “There is X X X X (Within My Heart),” are more melodic than dance-punk and frantic than previous singles such as, “Downtown Mayor’s Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule! or “What’s the Holdup.”

Overall, the album continues on a trend to-

ward a more matured, mellowed sound (although still packing some punch) that they started with single, “Monster”, from their last album, Loose All Time.

A long with a matured sound comes along some more mature themes. A lot of the albums songs deal with relationships and their various aspects.

“Dark Days,” is a more sober – but danceable - description of someone’s love, who comes to them on their dark days, and “steals them out of the night.”

The album’s name

and a number of the songs’ titles include the ambiguous XXXX. Further listening to the song lyrics reveals that the XXXX stands for love. Although it is up to the listener to decide why they believe the band chose to leave out the actual word.

Overall, the listener would have to assume that the album takes a positive look at love. Song titles like, “Heart of Gold” –a nod to fellow Canuck Neil Young? – “Make XXXX,” and all “XXXX/ Loyalty” all And I have to take that same positive view and apply it to the album. I have always liked YSP! WSD! but at times I have to admit they are a bit to frantic for me to be able to chill out and just enjoy them. This album provides listeners with a chance to relax and give the songs a listen while still giving them the same energetic sound that they came to love with previous albums.

brunswickanarts

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 15

Gaming: The Casual Divide

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Casual gamers (left) are a new category of video game participants that contrast sharply against the traditional MMO/FPS “hardcore” gamer (right.)

Morgan Alan The Cord

Last month, Nintendo announced that it would cut the price of its Wii console by $50 to combat slumping sales numbers.

The move says a great deal about the financial success of the Wii, given that this minor price-drop is the console’s first price reduction since its release nearly three years ago.

Contrast the Wii’s relatively consistent price point to its competitor, Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3). Since its launch in 2006, the price of the PS3 has undergone

a cumulative $300 price drop, and a cheaper-to-make offshoot, the PS3 Slim, was released.

The PS3’s predecessor, the PlayStation 2, sold nearly 140 million units and was the best-selling video game console of all time. Today, the Wii is outselling the PS3 on a two-to-one basis – so what changed?

Shifts in gamer demographics are central to understanding this transformation in sales. Video game players can generally be divided into two groups: “casual” gamers who prefer games with straightforward concepts and “hardcore” gamers who are more invested in game competition and depth.

It’s incorrect to compartmentalize all individuals who play video games, or even attempt to find a concrete definition for a casual or hardcore gamer. That being said, there is a generally agreed-upon

division between those who view video games as an informal hobby and those who have a more in-depth personal investment in the medium.

The PS2’s success laid in its ability to simultaneously appeal to hardcore and casual gamers. A look at the top-selling games for that console reveals a diverse list of titles, ranging from the lighter “EyeToy” and “Madden” game series to more complex series like “Dragon Quest “and “Metal Gear Solid.”

A single, unifying console is nowhere to be seen this generation. Video game players have become increasingly polarized by consoles, with casual gamers tending to prefer Nintendo’s Wii, and the more hardcore crowd gravitating towards the PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

This polarization, combined with the global recession, has had a profound

impact on the gaming industry. Gaming companies are willing to pander to casual gamers because, simply put, they are far less picky. In cold cost-benefit analysis, a casual game thrown together by some junior programmer is far more cost-effective than a multi-year, blockbuster hardcore title that’s developed over multiple years.

But it is clear that video games are quickly approaching a casual ceiling, and that the ability of casual gamers to sustain the industry is rapidly diminishing.

Gaming companies have grown complacent in the ability of casual gamers to buy cheap-to-make titles; this has allowed the market to become saturated with truly awful games.

“So what?” you may argue. “Just because you’re not interested in ‘Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour’ doesn’t

mean no one else is.”

Though that argument is valid, it’s a short-term observation. Casual gamers are characterized by their lack of brand loyalty and passive attitude towards the gaming medium. When the next flashy technological innovation comes along, the casual market may very well take their money elsewhere.

If and when the well of casual support dries up for those games, companies will be left with their core support of hardcore gamers who have been ignored.

Though game companies may succeed in fostering a sustained loyalty from casual gamers, they are ultimately too shortsighted for the loyalty to persist.

And when the day comes that the casuals have fled, the hardcore crowd will remain, waiting to be pandered to yet again.

Cornish shines in ‘Bright Star’

Young actress makes a lasting impression as the love of poet John Keats

Emily Manuel Concordia University

Fanny Brawne wants to be noticed.

That much is clear from the opening scenes of Jane Campion’s newest film, “Bright Star,” as she painstakingly stitches outlandish outfits and engages in clever repartee with suitors. She believes that everything can be perfect, from her precisely hand-made clothing to her romances.

When she catches the attention of young poet John Keats, all of that changes.

Their story is one of helpless young love, of uncontrollable emotions and circumstances. The dramatic love affair between Brawne and Keats inspired some of Keats’ greatest poems.

The film is visually spectacular, with Campion using the natural imagery of

Keats’ poetry to reflect the tumultuous nature of young love.

When the couple is together and happy the English countryside blossoms, full of flowers and butterflies. When they are apart it rains and snows incessantly.

In “Bright Star,” the audience is absorbed entirely into Fanny’s world. Abbie Cornish is spectacular as Fanny, coming into her own after languishing in minor roles in films like 2008’s “Stop-Loss.”

Here she performs with extraordinary restraint, playing Fanny with a sense of trembling, barely contained passion. She allows the audience to experience with Fanny the gradual unravelling of her tightly wound composure.

An experienced director, Campion is a rarity in being both a female and an Australian filmmaker. The film is rife with her trademark intimacy, best showcased in her Oscar-winning film, “The Piano.”

In “Bright Star,” it is as if Campion is whispering the story directly into the audience’s ear.

However, she erred in her treatment

Submitted

Bright Star, a new film by Jane Campion, debuted in theatres on Oct. 2. of important supporting characters, like Paul Schneider’s Mr. Browne, who is never quite understood because he was not given time to develop.

The audience never has a clear picture of Keats’ life outside of his relationship with Fanny. His writing, illness and per-

sonal life are all experienced from Fanny’s perspective, making the film only loosely biographical. We see Brawne and Keats within the context of their relationship, from its coy beginning to its abrupt end, which is quietly devastating. It’s a thoughtful, moving progression to watch.

Stay for the credits where Ben Whishaw, whose subtle performance as Keats takes a back seat to Cornish’s Fanny, is allowed to shine in a recitation of Keats’ poetry.

“Bright Star” opened in theatres Oct. 2.

brunswickanarts

16 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

cd reviews by andrew olsvik.

“What about Canada? It’s paradise, with pines and ice” Doug Martsch sings on “Hindsight”, the second track from Built to Spill’s magnificent seventh album, There Is No Enemy.

An hour of captivating Crazy Horse guitar jams swirled with Martsch’s signature soaring vocals, There Is No Enemy is a glorious return to the sound that launched Built to Spill into indie rock stardom in the late ‘90s and influenced a slew of bands to come, from Death Cab for Cutie to Modest Mouse.

In an age where the future of the music industry is so uncertain, it is comforting to know that a handful of dudes with guitars and a drum kit can still make rewarding music.

This year’s Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle is the first Hip Hop artist to win the prize since Dizzee Rascal in 2003; she beat out much bigger names such as Bat for Lashes and Florence & the Machine.

Her rhymes are impressive and diverse, covering subjects ranging from personal relationships to politics to

A look at The Last Woman Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Built to Spill There Is No Enemy

Released October 6th, 2009; Warner Bros

the socioeconomic situation of Great Britain.

In a genre dominated by North American artists, Speech Therapy, with its jazzy beats and extraordinary production, is a refreshing and culturally relevant album deserving of the Mercury.

Speech Debelle Speech Therapy

Released June 1st, 2009; Big Dada]

For John Bemrose, nature is an essential character in his work.

The Canadian novelist and arts journalist made an appearance at the University of New Brunswick on Thursday, Sept.

8 to read from his most recent novel, The Last Woman, which was released in late September.

The Last Woman is Bemrose’s second novel. His first novel, The Island Walkers, garnered critical attention and praise upon its publication in 2003. The novel was a Giller Prize nominee and was long listed for the Man Booker Prize. The Ontarionative’s journalistic work has appeared in both Maclean’s magazine and The Globe and Mail.

Bemrose is the third author to appear in this year’s reading series.

“It’s a pleasure [to be at UNB] because it just happens to be the thirtieth anniversary of the last time I was here. My wife and I stayed on a farm for two months in the valley and became enthralled at the time with the beauty and peculiar atmosphere of the area,” Bemrose said.

Bemrose’s reading was roughly an hour long, highlighted by the author’s reading of two passages from The Last Woman.

The novel, published by McLelland and Stewart, is set in Ontario’s cottage country on the border of a First Nations reserve. It follows the lives of three people, Ann, Richard and Billy, and the love triangle that ensues when their group is brought together.

“The trees draw past to the rhythmic

So there’s hair down there?

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Last Woman is Canadian novelist/arts journalist John Bemrose’s second novel. scuff of his boots. Birch. Cedar. Poplar. A massive pine goes by-green, airy boughs afloat against the blue. Behind him, yet another car is approaching. Walking backward now, he puts out his thumb. Sun floods through the windshield, lighting the face of a woman in dark glasses. She is watching him coolly, but he knows there’s no hope- a woman alone- and before she can blow by him he has turned away,” Bemrose read from the first chapter of his novel as the small audience listened attentively.

Bemrose’s work pays close attention to nature, describing the landscape in vivid detail. The author likened nature to a main character in his book, adding that he wove it into the lives of his protagonists. “[Nature] is a very big part of my life.

It’s a presence that I’ve been able to count

on all my life when I’m feeling exhausted or depressed. It’s always there and always has had a kind of restorative power for me,” Bemrose said.

The Last Woman has become close to Bemrose’s heart, he said. He likened the piece to childhood, something difficult to be objective about, both exaggerating it’s faults and virtues to himself.

Bemrose’s advice to aspiring writers is to both read and write as much as they can.

“Reading, for a writer, is about as important as anything he or she can do.

Read widely and as deeply as you can and write, write, write and don’t be afraid to make a mess,” the author said.

Rawi Hage, author of DeNiro’s Game, will be the next author appearing in the reading series.

this week in fredericton.

Dinner theatre: One Last Kiss @ Trinitea’s Cup Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 at 6:30pm

Allow the cast of the Trinitea’s Cup dinner theatre to take you back in time over fifty years to a live airing of “Maritime Bandstand.” Call (506) 458-8327 for bookings and for more information or visit www.theatreinthecup.ca.

Big John Bates, The Nuclear & Co @ The Cellar Thursday, October 15 at 10pm

Come check out a fun-packed lineup including Big John Bates and The Voodoo Dollz, The Nuclear and The Rockin’ Billies at the Cellar. $6 at the door, doors open at 9.

Skratch Bastid @ Nicky Zee’s

Saturday, October 17 from 10pm to 2am Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Pubic hair can often be a pressing, but difficult topic to address properly.

SexWith Veronica Veronica VanHalen On my coffee table there is a 1982 edition of Penthouse magazine. It’s a fantastic conversation piece, but inevitably, everyone gasps at the presence of pubic hair.

Specifically, female pubic hair.

In contemporary pornography, hair is nowhere to be found, but this little time capsule shows us that things weren’t always so.

What happened? And more importantly, do the hair- styles of porno pubes reflect those of the public’s privates?

Here’s where the conversations always turn into heated debate.

Have you ever watched a really amateur porno? You know what I’m talking

about. The ones where the “actors” are shaved and you get a wonderful view of red, irritated skin that only gets more irritated as the lovers continue?

Amateur lets you see the more realistic side of things, from cellulite to stretch marks and yes, even body hair.

Pubic hair is much like men’s facial hair. It can be thick and coarse, and yet the skin underneath is quite soft. If your skin is going to become irritated and your hairs are going to come ingrown, then which do you think looks worse: neatly coiffed hair, or irritated and stubbly skin?

We, as North Americans, live in a haira-phobic society. In porno, both men and women shave their genitals bare, but in the real world it seems that significantly more women shave themselves bare than do men.

Some people don’t have problems with irritation, particularly those with fine blonde hair. If this is you, maybe you find being bare more comfortable, but if

not, no one should be made to feel that they must shave.

Some people are made uncomfortable by bare genitals: hair shows sexual maturation. No one wants to see an untamed wilderness (appropriately called a bush) between their lover’s legs, but you don’t have to remove it all. Landscaping can keep things tidy and presentable.

If you’re feeling adventurous, stenciling shapes into your hair is not unheard of, although you may get some laughs.

So then comes the argument about oral sex. Who wants a mouth full of hair?

Imagine if it stuck in your teeth… blech!

If you keep it trimmed, you should still have plenty of space around the contact areas. Hair doesn’t grow inside the vagina, nor does it grow on the penis.

Having said this, I cannot stress this point enough: keep it groomed! Grooming is the balance between bare and bushy, a nice middle ground that most can agree on.

“Having rocked the bar many times before, Skratch Bastid is now ready to raise it.” One of the east coast’s top DJs is in town and going at it all night long. Drinks specials all night. Don’t miss out.

Sleepless Nights & She Roars! @ The Capital Saturday, October 17 from 10pm to 2pm

Halifax sensation Sleepless Nights and local favourite She Roars! will appear together at the Capital for probably the biggest amped up dance party ever.

Get your groove on for $8 in advance (Backstreet, Reads) or $10 at the door.

Reggae Night feat. Dub Antenna @ Wilser’s Room Wednesday, October 14 from 10pm to 2am

If you haven’t been to a Reggae Night at the Wilser’s Room, you haven’t witnessed a true reggae experience in Fredericton. Step up to the Wilser’s Room for drinks and live music experience provided by Dub Antenna.

In-Flight Safety with Library Voices @ The Capital Thursday, October15 at 10pm

They’ve been across the country and back through snowstorms without winter tires, and now they’re here in Fredericton to unleash the sounds of their brand new album with special guest Library Voices.

High on the Arts @ The Charlotte Streets Arts Centre Friday, October 16 from 7pm to 11pm

Taking a closer look at exactly what it takes to create art as presented by the Fredericton Arts Alliance. An auction as well as live music and dance will be ongoing. Tickets are $35 available from the FAA or at the door.

brunswickanarts

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 17

Hagerman’s Funky/Fresh Horoscopes!

By Dan Hagerman Aries

Taurus

Libra

Scorpio

Aquarius

(March 21st - April 19th)

(April 20th - May 20th)

(September 23rd - October 23rd)

(October 24th - November 22nd)

(January 21st - February 18th)

Your love of candy will continue to grow unabated this week, dear Scorpio. Unfortunately, the last pack of Skittles at your local store will already be taken by the person ahead of you in line. Tell him or her that they’re expired and that only you can safely eat them. They’ll be so confused that they’ll believe you!

Your lucky American power trio band is Grand Funk Railroad.

While at the local dance parlour, people will be astounded at your dancing ability, dear Aquarius. Or, more specifically, your lack thereof.

Unfortunately, the Latin Dance class you thought you took was actually a Latin class. On the bright side, you can conjugate verbs like it’s no one’s business. Unfortunately, on the dance floor, it isn’t. Your lucky water is unsalted.

Be wary the next time you pick fresh flowers, dear Aries. The next batch you pick will be swarming with bees, who will fly in with knives and demand all the money that you’ve got. I guess times are tough for bees too, nowadays. Your lucky fresh prince is William.

You will discover a fondness for young wines this week, dear Taurus.

Oddly, the wines will be so young that they are actually still grapes.

You will pluck them and put them into a wine bottle and pretend that it’s actual wine, but deep down, you’ll know the truth. Your lucky deodorant is not as nice-smelling as you think it is.

The skill of checking expiry dates will gain extra usefulness this week, dear Libra. When you ask your yogurt if it’s expired, and it answers back “yes,” you have to remind yourself that it’s probably trying to trick you into leaving it so it can gain even more sentience and throw it out. Your lucky analrapist* is Tobias Fünke.

Gemini

Cancer

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Pisces

(May 21st - June 21st)

You will be feeling substantially less awake when midterm season rolls around, dear Gemini. You can counteract this by getting a lot more sleep, a lot more caffeine, or a lot more showers. Unfortunately, being a student, you will never be able to have all three at once. Your lucky car has license plates saying “FRESH” and dice in the mirror.

(June 22nd- July 22nd) The next date you have will be worryingly forward, dear Cancer.

Instead of the usual date ideas like movies, restaurants or TreeGo, your date will suggest meeting up at a jewelery store specializing in rings.

Luckily, you’ll actually be taken next door, to where they sell onion rings.

Sweet! Your lucky smell is New Car Smell.

(November 23rd - December 21st)

(December 22nd - January 20th)

(February 19th - March 20th)

Leo

Virgo

(July 23rd - August 22nd)

(August 23rd - September 22nd)

You will find an odd set of footsteps on the ground while exiting your favourite class this week, dear Leo. They will be regularly shaped, but the footsteps will be one inch deep in pavement. Luckily you’ll see your friend the Fire Golem nearby and you will understand what’s going on. Your lucky landfill is the Fresh Kills Landfill.

You will be unsure of what to do with your lucky chicken this week, dear Virgo. It will have been sitting on your desk for about 3 weeks now, and it’s not getting any younger.

Fortunately, since your chicken is made out of rubber, your decision need not be hurried. Your lucky surfer is Funky Kong.

You will walk into a grocery store and be delightedly surprised this week, dear Sagittarius. All of the fruits and vegetables will be local, very green (if they’re supposed to be), and smell delicious.

Unfortunately, you will be compelled to eat all of them without paying and get arrested. Your lucky Prince single is F.U.N.K.

*analrapist- Somebody who combines the professions of analyst and therapist, thus becoming an analrapist.

Okay, Lindsay, are you forgetting that I was a professional twice over — an analyst and a therapist. The world’s first analrapist.

Your moves will be even smoother than usual this week, dear Capricorn. You will flow from one smooth pose to another, only stopping to flash grins at unsuspecting bystanders. Changing to that new toothpaste really worked out well for you! Nine out of 10 dentists rock! Your lucky year is your freshman year.

A brisk wind will take you off your feet this week, dear Pisces. You will be lifted up and carried from one end of the city to the other with alarming speed. Luckily for you, this phenomena is entirely intentional, as you chose to wear an outfit made entirely out of umbrellas. You clever thing, you. Your lucky milk is unexpired.

brunswickansports

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 18

sports@thebruns.ca

Tides beginning to turn for UNB swimming Christopher Cameron The Brunswickan

After suffering disappointment in the 2008 - 2009 season, the UNB swim team is looking to turn it around.

This season they will have a new head coach, Daniel Monid, as Paula Stewart is on maternity leave.

After a season where only three swimmers made CIS Championships, Monid believes this year will be different.

“When we finished third last year it just was not the season we wanted to have,” said Monid. “This year is all about taking every athlete that we have and pushing them to be their best.”

UNB opens up their season with the Amby Legere AUS Invitational at Sir Max Aitken pool this weekend. UNB will host teams from Mount Allison, Dalhousie, UPEI, and first time participant, Acadia.

This year the V-Reds have seven new recruits added to the roster, most of whom fill places in events where the team lacked strength a year ago.

“It’s interesting to see how well things are shaping up this season,” said Monid. “Everywhere we did not final last year: female breaststroke, female freestyle sprints, men’s sprint-freestyle and sprint-butterfly have all become strong races for us.”

Joining the men’s team is Stephan Mader of Trinidad and Tobago and Ryan Steeves. Mader will fill the two races UNB struggled in last year, sprint-freestyle and sprint-butterfly.

The ladies team has welcomed Jacquline Merchantson, Monica MacDonald, Danielle Losier, Tiffany

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

UNB’s Varisty Red swimmers will dive back into the pool on Oct 16, 17 and 18 as they kick of the AUS season with the Amby Legere AUS Invitational in the Sir Max Aitken Pool.

Yvonne-Cook and Megan Sullivan.

Monid will look to Canada Games participants MacDonald, who competed in sprint butterfly and Losier, in breaststroke, to have an immediate impact. Merchantson and Danielle Merasty also participated in Canada Games, bringing added experience with them.

“They’ve been training all through August,” said Monid. “They have come to the team this year with more

experience and I can see our women’s team is getting much stronger.”

Looking toward this weekend, Monid expects the team will be fired up for their first competition.

“They have been working hard this year,” said Monid. “When it’s our top four against their top four in relays we’re going to be competitive, aside from all the individual events.”

Dalhousie is expected to win, due to the number of swimmers they have.

the brunswickan presents

the panel voice your opinion

Monid was quick to point out that although Dalhousie consistently wins meets as a team, UNB has won more CIS medals than DAL since Stewart started with the program nine years ago.

“When it comes to overall team scores we just don’t have the numbers yet and probably never will,” said Monid. “Our program has not been designed that way. It is quality over quantity.”

Can men’s vball end DAL’s 23 year AUS Championship streak?

Colin McPhail

Tony von Richter

Christopher Cameron

When you hear university basketball, you think the Dalhousie Tigers. I don’t think there’s been a better candidate to be named a dynasty in the history of sports.

I’m sorry boys, but I have put my money on Dalhousie. However, I also said that women’s soccer is going to surpise everyone.

I think they can. With half of this year’s team being returning players the Reds have a strong core of veterans who will be able to carry the load and form the nucleus of what should be a very competitive team this season.

I just asked my guns, Jay and Dan. They say DAL better watch out.

UNB’s about to unleash a massive whooping.

Sports Editor

Monid, a former UNB swimmer and four time AUS male swimmer of the year, noticed a sense of unity with this year’s team he never experienced in his years swimming as a Varsity Red. “Our team unity is something I’ve never seen before,” said Monid.

“Everyone gets along and encourages each other. When you have a team that is strong and united as a group they are going to push each other and themselves to be the best individually.”

CUP Sports Bureau Chief

Sports Fan

Christian Hapgood Varsity Red

Absolutely not. We need to focus all our energy on hockey.

brunswickansports

Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143 • 19

Reds tally two wins in Helen Campbell tournament Colin McPhail The Brunswickan

sports@thebruns.ca

It was a big weekend for UNB Athletics as the Aitken Centre hosted both the ACCREON Helen Campbell Women’s Basketball Tournament and the ARC Financial Eric Garland Men’s Basketball Tournament. Four teams competed in each tournament.

The Helen Campbell tourney had four women’s basketball squads competing: Royal Military College, St. Francis Xavier, Thompson Rivers University and the host Varsity Reds. UNB Head Coach Jeff Speedy was excited at this opportunity to get his team out on the court.

“It’s a chance to kick everything off and get the buzz started that will hopefully carry through for the next five

months.”

The tournament began on Friday with St. FX crushing RMC 72-42. The following match was far more exciting as the Reds were edged by the TRU Wolfpack 80-78. Amanda Sharpe posted the high score with 32 points. The Reds are expecting big things from the fourth year Fredericton native and she put on an impressive display. Alisha Sterling also reached double figures with 17 points.

Saturday’s matches were not for thrill

seekers, as both matches ended in blowouts. After defeating RMC by 30 points the previous day, St. FX were in turn handed a 30 point loss by TRU. Later in the evening, UNB destroyed RMC 8831. This time the Reds had four players with points in the double figures. Sharpe led the way with the game high 22 points, while Emma Russell, Laura Fowler and Samantha Kaminsky tallied 15, 11 and 10 points respectively.

On the final day of competition TRU

completed the full sweep by defeating RMC 65-31. In the afternoon, Sharpe led the Reds again as she scored 18 points in a narrow 51-48 defeat of St. FX. Russel also chipped in with a 10 point outing.

The Reds performance is something that UNB can be excited about, as they put on an efficient display defeating one of the AUS’ top contenders, St. FX, who coincidentally ended UNB’s season last year in the AUS quarterfinals. Coach Speedy also saw this tournament as a

great learning opportunity.

“The most important thing about the tournament is just getting a chance to play some games. It’s a chance for us to work on things and work out kinks and figure out who we are and what we need to do to reach our goals and that kind of stuff.”

The UNB squad is looking to improve on its 8-12 record last year as they begin the AUS season Nov. 6 against Dalhousie in the Lord Beaverbrook Gym.

brunswickansports

20 • Oct. 14, 2009 • Issue 6 • Volume 143

Brian swims laps Brian Savoie The Brunswickan

Fall is almost every student’s favourite season. We’re all tired of working, we’ve got our tans, our fancy new haircuts and a whole new school term to look forward to. In the last issue, The Brunswickan tackled the problem of finding time to stay fit. Even though we can’t keep our tans, most of us hope to stay in our “skinny” pair of jeans.

Setting goals and examining your own priorities of what well being was to you were the major themes that were covered in that article.

We’re all taught to pursue an educational career that leads us to something we “theoretically” would want to do for the rest of our lives. And it seems strange to me that this idea is so rarely applied to our own health and well being. You would be hard pressed to find a student who has never gone to a gym and you would even be more hard pressed to find one still going on a regular basis. We all have had spurts where we’ll go steady for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two, but for the bulk of us, the gym isn’t the place to be.

The key to becoming healthy and reaching your weight goals is to find something that you enjoy doing and look forward to. I never looked forward to a treadmill after the first week of going to a gym and the prospect now of climbing onto one is daunting. I’m simply not a runner and that is why it never worked for me. The key for me was swimming.

Swimming is something that I have been doing on a fairly regular basis since my first year of university. It’s something that motivates me to go to school when classes don’t. Swimming is the type of activity that appeals to all generations, and when I show up every day to the Sir Max Aitken Pool there is always a mix of ages ranging from 17 to 80 year olds.

Swimming uses close to every major muscle group in your body and when you mix up your strokes you cover them all. The calories burned in an hour of swimming range from 350 to over 500 depending on your stroke and your speed. It’s all low impact, so your joints don’t get worn out and the cardio workout from swimming is second to none.

The problem that many non-swimmers have is that they haven’t swum more than fifty metres since their swimming lesson days and they get discouraged when they try a few laps. Most people who are even moderately in shape can throw on a pair of running shoes and jog for a couple of kilometres, but swimming sometimes feels more like an art form when you first start. Splashing your arms fast and kicking with all your might gets you nowhere if you have no idea how to put them together.

It is best to go slow when you first start out and take your time. It’s also important to realize that Front Crawl or “freestyle” isn’t the be all and end all of swimming strokes. Especially for first time swimmers, different strokes should be used. Breaststroke has always been toted as the stroke for everyone and anyone and I have to agree. It is equivalent to a fast walk and you use your legs, chest and arms doing it.

So go find a towel, throw on a bathing suit and hike down to the SMA Pool. Do a few laps and feel the benefits for yourself

VReds gear up for upcoming season

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNB’s Daniel Quirion battles against a couple of UQAM defenders in a 81-67 victory for the Reds. Quirion posted 14 points in his 21 minutes on the court.

Alex Wickwire The Brunswickan

This season comes with lots of anticipation as the men’s basketball team looks back on a year where wins can be counted on one hand. They kicked off the year with a n exhibition against STU. Although it was an informal game, UNB showed the speed and intensity you’d expect to see in a playoff atmosphere.

Returning players showed their skills and rookies got plenty of floor time as well.

Veterans like Mike Anderson and Alex DesRoches showed their playmaking skills and outside shooting, while Colton Wilson showed his strength under the basket. CIS All-Rookie award recipient Dustin Anthony

looked even faster than he did last season, and Antwaan Parks looked much more comfortable running the half court offence.

Rookie Daniel Quirion showed why he was so popular all summer, constantly making perfect passes and rarely any mistakes.

This preseason game which proved, if nothing else, that Varsity Reds basketball will be very fun to watch this year.

The Eric Garland tournament went on over the weekend at the Aitken Center.

Visiting teams included St. FX, University of Quebec-Montreal and the Lee Academy.

Reds coach Brent Baker juggled his lineups, resting certain players and trying out new combinations. “It’s preseason so we can play a number of different combos and it really works the kinks out for us as much as anything. Really it’s a chance to showcase the recruits and guys we’ve gotten in so that’s what we’re trying to do with that.”

The Reds beat UQAM 81-67 Friday night. Alex DesRoches led the team by playing 36 minutes, scoring 18 points and taking home player of the game honours.

The round robin continued with UNB facing St. FX in a close game that came down to a fourth quarter in which X-Men outscored the Reds 23-17 and won by two points, 77-75 being the final score. V-Reds’ Grand Manan native, Colton Wilson scored 25 points in 39 minutes and was named player of the game. The main story of this game was the 39 per cent UNB shot from the floor, sinking a sub par 30 of 76 shots.

UNB took their final game of the tournament 83-72, beating the Lee Academy on Sunday afternoon.

This new-look Men’s basketball team is carrying more hype for this season than ever in recent memory. Be sure to support the team Nov. 6 as Dalhousie comes to town.