Issue 8, Vol 143, The Brunswickan

Volume 143 · Issue 8 • October 28, 2009

brunswickan

Halloween Last minute costume ideas pg. 11, pg. 14 Spooky events in Fredericton pg. 9 Trick-or-eat; Smashing Pumpkins pg. 2

Pop Explosion Exclusive coverage of the Halifax festival pg. 10

Football See coverage of the AFL on pg. 13

brunswickannews

2 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Smashing pumpkins Sandy Chase The Brunswickan

Every All Hallows Eve, a long line of Harrison house students robed in all black snakes across the quad bearing a giant pumpkin for sacrifice.

The Harrison House pumpkin sacrifice is just one of the many events that will be happening this Halloween week on campus. The annual sacrifice is a 37 year old tradition, making it the oldest residence tradition in Canada.

“It started 37 years ago with some residents of Harrison House, they just went onto the roof and threw a pumpkin off. And the year after they decided to do it again, and it evolved into a ceremonious event,” said Cory Marshall, one of this year’s “Loyal Guardians” of the pumpkin. Marshall explained that the pumpkin, which is carved with the face of the Janus, the two-visaged Roman god of begin-

Trick or Eaters to canvas for canned food Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

The pumpkin sacrifice is the oldest residence tradition in Canada. It’s been taking place every Halloween night for 37 years. nings and endings, represents a good academic harvest.

The solemn event will commence at Harrison House at 10 p.m. on Halloween night, where a train of students will carry the 400 pound pumpkin to

Joy Kidd House. There, the pumpkin’s candles will be lit and then returned to Harrison and carried to the roof. From there, Marshall said “We throw it over the edge and it explodes in a fiery ball of amazingness.”

On Halloween night, 300-400 students will be roaming the streets, helping to “take a bite out of hunger” with Trick or Eat. The event, run through St. Thomas University, is one of the most popular campus events of the year, attracting hundreds of students, staff and faculty members. Participants go door-to-door in the community, from as close as the College Hill area to New Maryland, canvassing for non-perishable food items.

Trick or Eat is a campaign of Meal Exchange, a charitable organization devoted to students eradicating hunger in their communities. Every October, universities across the country take part in the campaign, raising tonnes of food for local food banks and soup kitchens.

Emily Bosse, event coordinator for Trick or Eat, said 10 tonnes of food were raised in last year’s event alone; a total monetary value of $42,000 worth of food.

Bosse said some students who are unfamiliar with the event may not be as likely to take time away from their evening for it.

“I think students who don’t know what it is sometimes can be pretty reluctant to give up their night of partying.

When we go into classrooms we explain that (the event) is done by 8 p.m. and what this is for and how it works, people certainly begin to get excited,” she said.

Emotions run high the night of the

event, Bosse said. The buses used for shipping participants across the city are typically filled with cheering, costumeclad students excited to begin canvassing.

“All the students that we have there are always really, really excited to go out into the community. It’s amazing. You’re on the buses and people are cheering and it is pretty incredible and I think people enjoy it. You see people from all corners of the campus community, from profs to people from athletics, clubs and societies, theatre, really, anywhere on campus are all pulling together towards a common cause.”

Bosse said the event is well received by the Fredericton community. Now that the event has been running for a number of years, Trick or Eat is established in the community and residents have come to expect canvassers.

Bosse said the event helps to dispel perceptions that students are just partiers and don’t contribute to the city.

“A lot of the time, when students are featured in the media, it’s something like couch burnings on Graham Street.

And to have a lot of stories running at the same time and awareness of a huge amount of students mobilizing for a cause for the better is a change in how students are presented in the media and in the community and certainly, I think it puts forward a positive perception,” she said.

Staff at the local food banks, both the student one on STU campus and the food bank downtown, are ecstatic when tonnes of food begin to pour in. Trick or Eat is designed to fill the lull in donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The event begins at 5 p.m. in James Dunn Hall on the St. Thomas campus with registration, sorting and shipping students across the city in cars and on buses. Students return to James Dunn at 8 p.m. to celebrate with free pizza and candy.

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Oct 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 3

Pushing through bad weather

Take from the rich, give to the poor: Broadbent Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The seventeenth annual bed push took place this past Friday night. Erica Gorman (above left) presents co-organizer Matt McGowan wiith a plaque as a thanks for the efforts of the men of Neville/Jones.

Lee Larrett The Brunswickan

The men of Neville/Jones house pushed through snow and extreme cold in support of Women in Transition House (WITH), a local home for battered women and their children.

They arrived exhausted at Fredericton’s Boyce Farmers Market the morning of Saturday Oct. 24.

“Despite the weather and the major

damage done to the bed, the guys continued to push all night, never once thinking about stopping,” said Chad Ramsay, co-coordinator of the Neville/Jones bed push.

The bed posed more than one challenge for the men. “The rear tires of the bed were blown and being pushed on just the rims. The front steering column was also broken and a rear push bar was held on by one nut and bolt,” Ramsay said.

Even with the mechanical bed problems, the team completed their run from the Lancaster Mall in Saint John to the Farmers Market in Fredericton in a record breaking eight hours and 20 minutes.

“That’s ten minutes better than the previous record for doing the push,” Ramsay said.

“This just showed the real heart of this fundraiser is done by the guys in the house who went above and beyond.”

When the bed push team arrived at the market they were met by the women of Women In Transition House Inc. (WITH). Neville/Jones house was able to present them with a ceremonial cheque for $12,500.

Fundraising will continue for the rest of the year and a formal cheque for the final amount raised for the house charity will be given to WITH in the spring.

A haunted Maggie Jean Sandy Chase The Brunswickan

The annual Maggie Jean Chestnut Haunted House will take place again this Halloween. On the evening of Friday , Oct. 30 Renaissance College will be transformed into a terrifying fundraiser for the Fredericton food shelter.

The event will take place in the old Victorian style Renaissance College building, which according to Maggie Jean’s President, Arpad Kormendy, adds to the haunted feeling.

“The whole Victorian house has a feel to it that gives it a really nice atmosphere.

Walking down long hallways that are kinda tight, panel walls, creepy staircases, creaky floors.”

The Haunted House will start with a waiting area that has Tarot card and palm readings, along with caramelized apples and other treats. Kormendy alluded to the theme of the haunted house without giving away any of the details.

“Rumours published in the Brunswickan have alluded to the possible sale of Renaissance College, so that’s sort of public knowledge. So we’re playing on that idea that if Renaissance and Maggie Jean were going to be sold off, and if it

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Maggie Jean Chestnut House, home to Renaissance College, will yeild a few spooks this Friday night. was at Halloween, how creepy would that be? How creepy could we make it, so that if you were a potential buyer, we’d wanna scare the crap outta you,” Kormendy said.

“The tour guide is going to try to sell you the house, so every time you go into one of these rooms, we’re going to try and make it like a real house but with a strange Halloween twist to it.”

Admission is two dollars or a nonperishable food item with all proceeds of the event going to the Fredericton Food Shelter. Tours start at 8 p.m. and run until midnight.

Former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent brought his audience to its feet following an impassioned speech before the Fredericton community last Monday evening.

The presentation addressed the issues surrounding poverty and inequality, notably the issue of child poverty. The lecture was a joint initiative of UNB and the New Brunswick Department of Social Development.

Broadbent, a prominent figure in the history of Canadian politics, served as leader of the NDP from 1975 to 1989. He was the first president of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and is currently teaching in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University.

Kelly Lamrock, minister of Social Development for the province, introduced Broadbent, calling him one of the most influential figures in Canadian political history. “I can’t imagine a political figure who transcends partisan politics in the way that is appropriate for a topic as important as this one. In fact, those who remember Ed’s political career will probably know in many ways he seemed to transcend them even when he was engaged in them,” he said.

Broadbent, 73, began by complimenting the New Brunswick government on their poverty reduction initiative.

The initiative, aimed at reducing poverty in the province, includes a ‘What was said’ report, which includes opinions of those living in poverty on issues of poverty reduction.

He continued by briefly addressing the issue of the global economic crisis,

acknowledging that Canadians are living through the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.

“My view is that we can use this occasion simply to re-establish the status quo in Canada or we can move decisively forward,” he said.

“I believe there’s never been a better time in recent history when the core democratic value of equality can be seen both as an ethical and a practical option.”

Broadbent said that governments around the world have been forced to acknowledge that the current system of values used for addressing social justice issues is “disastrously wrong.”

“If ever there was a time I think for discussing the relevance of alternative values to practical politics and the daily lives of Canadians, it’s now.”

One of the “alternative values” that Broadbent proposed during his speech was an increase in taxation for the top 10 per cent of earners. This tactic would help to eradicate child poverty in Canada by taxing those “most able to contribute,” Broadbent said.

According to Broadbent, there are approximately 180,000 Canadians who live in the highest earning bracket, making more than $600,000 a year in taxable income.

“By increasing their tax rate from 25 to 35 per cent we could generate $3.7 billion a year in revenue, which would be more than is necessary to double the national child benefit supplement for low income families,” Broadbent said. His statement was met by thunderous applause from the crowd. “[This] would make a major dent in child poverty across our country. With just a single move we would reduce inequality and take the lives of thousands of our children out of a state of misery. It’s only one example of what can be done to get us back on the path to a more equal Canada,” he said.

brunswickannews

4 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Ch-ch-ch-changes for the GSA Lee Larrett The Brunswickan

Relaxing in the comfortable atmosphere of the Grad House, Acting President Graeme Hall and VP Communications Jason Edwards shed some light on what UNB graduate students have been up to lately.

The elected Graduate Student Association (GSA) President stepped down over the summer to take a job in Ottawa, and an interim President kept the GSA productive over the summer. Graeme Hall took it from there.

There is an election currently taking place, nominations for which were due Friday Oct. 23. There are seven positions on the GSA executive: President, VP External, VP Internal, VP Communications, VP Finance, VP Administration, and VP Clubs and Societies. Two people who are already elected into position are running again for the same position.

Jason Edwards is running again for the position of VP Communications, and Krista Amolins is running again for VP Clubs and Societies. Hall is running for President.

Prior to the end of the nomination period, Hall said that there were interested candidates for six out of the seven executive positions. He says that this is good turnout for grad students.

“When it comes to the grad student life, we’re busy, it’s hard to take on all these extra tasks,” he says.

Another topic on the GSA’s agenda is re-examining the health insurance plan

Student Council Lee Larrett The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Elections for the 2009-10 Grad Student Association are in the works. Pictured above is the under-frequented Grad House, a bar on campus with great deals on local beer. for grad students. Hall explained that the plan was selected years ago and the cost has been increasing over time.

The issue, he says, is that the international student rate has been increasing at a higher percentage year by year as compared to other policies.

“We’ve received emails from people not being able to have their families covered, or having to maybe leave school next semester because they’re unable to afford health care because of the increase in fees,” Edwards said.

Approximately 30 per cent of Grad students at UNB are international students, so the GSA is taking this issue very seriously. The association is looking at a

health and dental plan through the CFS as an alternative that provides cheaper rates and comparable coverage.

The GSA is watching as the face of graduate studies in New Brunswick may be changing.

“What [New Brunswick] is thinking is instead of having a school of grad studies for each individual university, is to have a school of grad studies for the province,” Hall said. This allows Grad students in New Brunswick to take courses from all three of New Brunswick’s Universities that offer graduate studies while staying registered in their home school.

The Grad house adds to the program at UNB, agreed both Hall and Edwards.

“It’s a good atmosphere,” said Edwards, calling attention to the fair trade coffee free to grad students and members of the grad house. The house is non-profit, selling local Happy Baker sandwiches at cost, and using its liquor license to sell liquor at cost while donating all returnable bottles to different societies.

The grad house also holds events, including the weekly Thursday night Clancy music series featuring cheap Clancy drinks and local live music. All students are welcome at the Grad house, and to partake in the free coffee and cheap drinks non-grad students need a $10 pass to cover the fees Grad students have paid as part of their student fees.

This week’s UNB Student Union council meeting was cancelled due to a lack of “substantive items to discuss,” according to SU President Jon O’Kane. The executive circulated their reports to council, which give accounts of what they have accomplished in the past week. Councilors will have an opportunity at the next meeting to raise questions concerning the reports. Reports to council were largely about work being done on the Governance Review Committee and planning of consultation sessions.

The committee will look at the way in which council is organized. Currently, discussions are in the works to determine who will be eligible to sit on the committee and other details.

There will be open consultation sessions, similar to the recently held open budget meeting, where students can raise concerns on issues like proper representation on council.

The agenda would have only contained reports to council from the executive, which are usually don’t provoke discussion in council, so the executive decided to cancel.

At the next week’s council meeting, which is scheduled to occur on Nov. 2, UNB President Dr. Eddy Campbell will be on hand to present on the university’s Strategic Plan.

Council meetings are open to al fulltime undergraduate students.

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Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 5

editor@thebruns.ca

Economics in Harperdom: the Economic Action Plan

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper, above, has been quite proud of the progress made by his Economic Action Plan. Is his pride justified, or are the Tories using our economic misfortunes as a marketing ploy?

The Opinionator Nick Howard What happens when an unsustainable economic philosophy meets a political party with an overactive ego?

The Conservative Government’s Economic Action Plan™ (EAP). There are two glaring problems with the EAP, but both require us to take a step outside of the ideas we have been fed for the last few months of Harperdom.

The first is the basic public conception of Canada’s economy, which leads us to assess the current economic recession in often misled terms. Second, the use of the economic recession as a political marketing ploy is shameless; it is driven by an overactive ego which has many other negative impacts on decision making in Canada.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Harper’s governmnt has a neoliberal economic focus. Harper is an economist and a conservative one at that; he never had a chance.

The timing for this debate on the EAP is good, I am writing following a talk given by Ed Broadbent at UNB on Inequality and Poverty. The economic recession, as Broadbent explained, offered a perfect opportunity to take a newly equitable economic direction in Canada; instead, Harper is reasserting the status quo of neoliberal philosophies.

Economic growth, resulting in continued increases in the standard of living and achieved through privatization, are the tenets of neoliberalism and the purpose of the EAP. One of the problems, of course, is that to be considered a participant in the economy, or in economic terms, to be a member of society, you must be spending money – making demands.

However, many people cannot afford to be full participants in markets and are ignored by economic calculations like economic growth and standard of living. The standard of living is calculated by Canada’s GDP (the total monetary amount of all goods and services produced) divided by Canada’s population. This presumes that all people in Canada are economically “productive”. But, this clearly is

not true.

The EAP is feeding this inequitable conception of economics. It is striving to “restart” economic growth in Canada to create a “healthy economy”.

Sure, the EAP is meeting its goals, but isn’t it amazing that we never hear any justification for those goals, aside from the fact that they are “restarting the economy”.

The fact is that the basic goals of the EAP do not deal with the big picture.

They attempt to grow the economy with no regard to its sustainability – will our natural resources maintain infinite economic growth? No. With no regard to sustainable development of human capital (i.e. students), the possibility for another fall in production (possibly a recession) is great when it takes years and years for students, for example, to pay off their debts and become economically productive. The EAP money should be going where it is most needed – where it will be used to contribute most to the sustainability of our economy: those in the lowest income brackets.

The use of the EAP as a free marketing tool for the Conservative party is indicative of the leadership currently installed in Ottawa: stubborn and egotistical, not traits one wishes to see in the leader of a democratic state.

I understand that parties are partisan organizations, but when it comes to taxpayers’ money – and in terms of the EAP billions are involved – there are no party lines. That money comes from Conservatives, Liberals, NeoRhinos and Communists. The money is given to the Government of Canada – not the Conservative Government, not the Conservative Party and certainly not to Harper. Public spending on a scale of the EAP should represent tax dollars at work, the Canadian national ideal stepping in to help its citizens; the ideal isn’t blue, it is colourless.

The EA P may sound good to Canadians, especially with Harper whispering sweet economic-nothings in our ears. But, an examination of the foundation on which the plan is based reveals cracks and faults and a general disinterest in Canadian well-being.

Intention is a large part of decisionmaking, and the Conservative intentions in the goals of the EAP seem questionable at best.

The Global Eye Sam Perlmutter Over the last year, good news about the Canadian economy has been about as difficult to find as wins for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In response to the economic crisis last year, Stephen Harper and his gang of conservative cronies in Ottawa unleashed the Economic Action Plan (EAP), one of the largest stimulus packages in Canadian history.

The action plan committed to spending almost $40 billion over two years, and was designed to help stimulate the economy and weather the expected global recession.

Almost a year later the economic action plan has been a huge success.

The action plan has succeeded on two fronts: reviving the economy and contributing to valuable infrastructure projects that will have a positive impact for years to come.

Fundamentally, the action plan was designed to help the economy in the short-term. In light of the credit crunch and falling consumer confidence in 2008, this plan was to inject funds into the economy and keep it going until consumers and businesses had weathered the economic storm and regained confidence. Not only has the plan succeeded in protecting the economy, but the tangible results of it have also been very positive.

The first and maybe most important success of this plan is on the economic front. The Bank of Canada recently predicted that Canada’s economy would grow 3% in 2010, and even more in 2011. Third quarter growth is expected to reach 2%, followed by 3.3% in the fourth quarter, which would officially mark an end to Canada’s recession.

Canada is expected to emerge from this with the lowest national debt of any G7 country, and still boasts one of the strongest banking systems in the world.

While the Conservatives are not missing any opportunity to attach their name and logo to the government’s stimulus action (after having watched Pierre Trudeau’s and Jean Chretien’s liberals perfect the art), the successes of the action plan have given them ample opportunities

to boast.

Ninety per cent of the funds in the action plan have been committed, and 4,000 different projects have already begun. The plan is expected to create or maintain 220,000 jobs by the end of 2010, and is also doling out billions more in EI benefits, which leads to the real success of the action plan, which is taking place on the ground around the country.

The EAP has done a great job dealing with the big picture, and helping Canada’s economy as whole. What is possibly more impressive is what it has done on a smaller scale all across the country.

In addition to the billions being spent on infrastructure projects, the EAP has committed $650 million for social housing. Toronto’s public library system, the world’s busiest per-capita, is receiving $3 million.

Native reserves, long neglected by the federal government, are receiving over $15 million from the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program (RInC), including over 50 projects in Ontario building and upgrading hockey rinks and community centers.

Not only have the conservatives stabilized the economy; they have turned the recession into a great opportunity for growth. Infrastructure funds are not just being used to help the economy get on track. They are also dealing with problems and issues that have long existed in Canada.

The EAP will have dramatic long and short-term effects. In the shortterm it is helping to pull us out of the recession, but it is also leaving a very positive and meaningful impact for the long-term. Many of the projects being done now will have lasting value, and

will serve and benefit communities around Canada for years to come.

Native communities have long lacked infrastructure such as community centers that are proven to help with issues like substance abuse and gangs. The homerenovation credit has helped allow many people that previously may have been unable to renovate their houses to do so, in many cases modernizing them and making them more energy efficient.

University campuses are able to upgrade their facilities and better serve their students. The benefits from this stimulus package can be seen everywhere around us, including on our own campus.

Among the most impressive things about the EAP is just how many Canadians it will benefit both directly and indirectly. All of us benefit indirectly through its ability to stabilize the Canadian economy. But more directly, millions of people around Canada will now get to enjoy upgraded or brand new facilities. Construction projects are creating jobs, and EI benefits are reaching more unemployed Canadians for longer periods of time.

You can bash the Conservatives for using the stimulus for partisan gain, which they clearly are, but that doesn’t change how successful the EAP has been in meeting its goals. Pulling the economy out of recession is integral for maintaining a high standard of living and allowing continued growth and development.

The Harper government has many flaws and deficiencies, but thankfully they’ve been able to provide a steady hand to steer us through the worst of the economic storm, leaving in their trails projects that will benefit Canadians in all facets of life.

brunswickanopinion

6 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Halloween and skankiness are synonymous

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

The Looking Glass Sarah Ratchford

Halloween: time for candy, themed dress-up parties, and skanking it up.

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love Halloween. It’s my favourite holiday. October 31 is the perfect time to shed all inhibitions and dress up as something wild and crazy, whether it reflects you or someone you’d like to be like.

That said, it seems as though many people’s ambitions end at looking like a total asshole. Pimps and hoes abound even more than they usually do in Fredericton’s bustling downtown core.

That said, I realize that a few of you are out for fun one night stands on Halloween nights and regular old nights alike. If this makes you happy, go ahead and keep on doing what you’re doing. If you’re looking to meet someone and/or present yourself in a respectable manner, however, read on.

Halloween and skankiness appear to mean the same thing in the minds of all women aged 15 onwards. What is with these costumes?

Every woman is dressed up as either a Playboy bunny, a nearly nude French maid, a porn star, or a movie star who looks like a porn star.

Hold up, this isn’t quite true. Some women choose to be things like cute ladybugs or bumblebees. But when did insects start dressing in booty shorts, stilettos and too much mascara?

The reason women do this is beyond me. If you want to tell people you’re a skank, you might want to rethink your self perception.

the brunswickan

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.

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Costumes like the ones above don’t necessarily send the best message. This Halloween, forgo the skanky nurse costume and be creative.

The costume folly certainly does not stop at women. Men are equally guilty of choosing ridiculous costumes.

Too many men I see out on Halloween are dressed as either a pimp or hobo, or they just don’t dress up at all.

Let’s face it. You aren’t going to pick up a girl dressed as a pimp, and the hobo clothes were probably just scraped off your rotting garbage pit of a bedroom floor.

And failing to dress up is lame. It says you have no sense of humour.

So, university students, use your brains. Think up a clever costume that

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says something about you.

Ladies, how many times have you quoted our famously, shockingly fabulous foremother Coco Chanel, who said “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous?”

Practice that. Showing your butt and prancing around in a bra is not cool, and all it says about you is that you’re easy and relatively brainless.

Not fabulous.

To top it off, you’re clearly freezing that exposed tush off. It’s like minus 10.

And for the men out there: you

know you want a partner you can bring home to mama. So stop dressing like a pimp and be something cute, like Prince Charming or Harry Potter. This will attract the right kind of girl who thinks you’re funny.

So ladies, stop going out dressed like sluts if you want to be regarded as more than a pair of breasts and legs.

Gentlemen, stop going out dressed like pimps, who in real life just aren’t all that nice. Start looking like you respect yourself and be funny or creative without relying on the grotesqueness of skanky costumes.

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.

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Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 7

Student

Viewpoint.

What are you being for Halloween?

Let everyone know whats on your mind.

“A dead vollyball player.”

Amanda Murphy

“A vampire.”

Amy Acker

“A gynecologist.”

Colton Jonah

Carson Puts

“A priest.”

Kyle Bateman

“Mummies.”

Misel Samir

“Coltons Patient.”

“A nun.”

Philippe Leclair

“A vapire victim.”

Sherry Clouston

“A chipmunk.”

Stef Loukes

brunswickanopinion

8 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

brunswickan Making international friendships the presents

poems.

Culture Shock Danielle Bodie

As an international student, when you first arrive in a foreign country you try to identify with anything that is familiar. When I’m in Fredericton I look for anything familiar, whether it is a familiar food, a familiar smell or most of all a familiar face.

There is nothing better than being able to talk about things from your home country with people from the same background. As a Bahamian I know only another Bahamian or Caribbean person would understand what island life is all about.

Whether it’s the amazing seafood, the vibrant Caribbean beat found only in our music, or if it is simply the longing for sun, sand and sea. There is truly nothing better than being able to talk about similarities with people from your home country.

However, it is equally refreshing to find out that you have something in common with someone who is originally from another part of the world.

International student friendships come in all forms. They can form over similar interests, similar dislikes, or even similar ways of dress. But it is always interesting to see how they

By Yasmin Glinton

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Friendships with international students are great opportunities to learn about other cultures and learn new languages. come about.

When I first moved to Fredericton I missed everything about my home country. Then I was introduced to more international students who felt the same as I did. We all missed home, we all longed for anything familiar.

The similarities continued to develop over time.

The best thing about being a part of the international group is that you have friends from every part of the world. You are introduced to so many different things.

In my first year of university I learned words from about 5 different languages as I talked with my new friends from all over the world. I have learned to appreciate the differences among my fellow students, not just the differences. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, where you are from, or what you look like. As an international student we are all away from home and that is one thing we all have in common. Friendship comes in many colors, races, languages, shapes and sizes.

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letters to the editor.

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The Brunswickan Annual General Meeting Monday, November 9 5:30 pm Room 26, SUB

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Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 •9

Fool for Love is not for the faint of heart

Brian Savoie The Brunswickan

The last time I saw an actor play a cowboy, he was highly distracted by the charismatic antics of his cowboy counterpart.

This production lacks that, so all you Brokeback lovers have been forewarned.

“Fool for Love” by Sam Shepard is set in the western US close to thirty years ago. It tells the story of Eddie (Aidan Dewhirst) and his high school sweetheart May (Ashley Harding) in his quest to become a cowboy/rodeo performer.

The entire play runs in real time in a small motel room and like fly on a wall, the audience sees and hears everything.

While waiting for the play to start, I asked stage manager Marisa Martin to describe the play in three words. By the end of the play I knew she had chosen the perfect three: “intense romantic drama.”

I attended a partial dress rehearsal with no stage lighting assembled. Beyond that, the set wasn’t even fully put together, but the essence of this production shone through. The caliber of acting from all parties left me astonished; I never realized UNB had such talent lying right on its doorstep.

The only other two cast members, Andrew Jones, a veteran theatre actor since 1996, and Tom Fanjoy, a student in the process of completing his theatre

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Sam Shepard’s “Fool for Love” is being presented by Theatre UNB at Memorial Hall from Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Oct. 31. degree at UNB, lend their voices in supporting roles which serve to enrich the performance. Their characters are mainly catalysts in the plot line, advancing it and giving depth to May and Eddie.

It was the performances of Dewhirst and Harding that left me speechless.

Their talents transported me into that

tiny motel room and for an hour and a half I felt like I was there in the western United States, watching two people struggling to find a compromise that would make their love work.

Fool for Love is not a play for the faint of heart. It is a true drama that lacks any sort of comedic relief aside from the

A little Halloween inspiration Alison Clack The Brunswickan You’re never too old for Halloween, and the number of adult and youth centric Halloween events around the city this week prove it.

For those who want to start their Halloween celebrations before night falls there will be an impressive haunted house being put on by Engineers and Geo-scientists Fredericton at the Charlotte Street Arts Center. Tickets for the haunted house will be $10 at the door, or $6 for students with valid student IDs. The haunted house will be throughout the centre with attendees being free to wander on their own on the first floor.

Tours through the rest of the building (on the second floor and through the ‘dungeons’) will require guides.

Doors open for a family tour on Saturday at 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. for those who want a lower scare factor. Those who are bit more adventurous and want an adrenaline rush should check out the tours on Friday and Saturday starting at 6 p.m.

Friday and 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The event is a benefit to support Fredericton Arts and Learning.

If you’re feeling a little lazy in the midst of midterm season then no worries, there are plenty of events on campus to keep you satisfied.

Canada’s longest running residence tradition, Harrison House’s Pumpkin Sacrifice, will be taking place this week-

end. The tradition has been happening annually since 1973, always draws a crowd on campus and will probably be the most epic pumpkin smash you’ll ever see.

Maggie Jean Chesnut House will also be continuing their tradition of a haunted house. The event supports the Fredericton Food Bank. Admission is $2 or the donation of a non-perishable food item.

This haunted house will take you on a tour through 811 Charlotte Street, home to MJC residence and Renaissance College. The walk through the historical building is sure to give some a fright with re-enactments of spooky movie scenes.

The haunted house runs from 8 p.m. until midnight on Friday, Oct. 30.

There’s also plenty to do for creatures of the night in Fredericton.

Charlotte Street Arts Center will also be holding a “Danse Macabre” on Friday night from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m..

The event will be a 19+ costume ball featuring a live (unnamed) band and prizes.

Tickets for the event are $25 and can be purchased at the centre and Westminster Books.

If one night of costume ball isn’t enough for you then head on over to the Boyce Farmers Market on Saturday, October 31. The event, which starts at 9

p.m., will feature a performance by 80s cover band Pretty in Pink.

Proceeds for the shows will go to the Fredericton Food Bank. Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Reid’s and Tony’s Music Box. For those who are willing to venture out a little further than the banks of the South side an AC/DC tribute band will be playing at the Musiplex on the Northside Saturday night. The event is for 19+ and doors open at 8 p.m., but tickets for the show must be purchased by 6 p.m. on Friday.

Fredericton’s bars will be providing a plethora of events for Frederictonians on All Hallow’s Eve. The Capital Complex will be celebrating a day early this year with a special Halloween ((IPN)) on the Oct. 30.

If you feel like dancing then nearly every bar in town has specials on for Halloween. If sweaty dance clubs aren’t your thing then wander over to the Cellar to take in a special Halloween show by Weak Sized Fish.

Doors for the Cellar show open at 10:30 p.m. As an added bonus for those who want to be slightly more frugal on Halloween (or who just want to save their money for more beer), cover at this show will be free.

exclusive video footage from halifax pop explosion and other entertaining endeavours is available on our website.

www.thebruns.ca

melancholy of Eddie’s character, which is a result of his unrequited love.

Fool for Love tackles themes rarely pursued, reasons for which were revealed by talking to director Dave MacDonald.

At the beginning of the semester, he was trying to find a play that fulfilled his desires for a challenging directing debut.

He had read more than a dozen plays in five days and Fool for Love was the first one to really jump out at him. He saw immediately that it had what he wanted in terms of substance, content and rich characters. He says before he was halfway through it, he knew that it was the play for him.

Even while sitting in a fully lit room, watching actors move about on an uncompleted set kept me on the edge of my seat for more than an hour. I plan on being the first in line for opening night.

The play opens Wednesday Oct. 28 and runs until Oct. 31. Curtain is at 8 p.m. at

Memorial Hall and tickets can be bought at the door for $10 ($6 for students).

I give this production five lucky horseshoes out of five.

grog |gräg|

noun 1 a cocktail made from beer and rum.

2 a FREE event for all UNB Business Students & Faculty hosted by the UNB Business Society on October 29 at 4:00 PM in the Cellar pub. Included are FREE APPETIZERS and plenty of good times!

Take this opportunity to meet your peers and Profs! For more information, contact The Business Society at bizsoc@unb.ca or call (506) 453-3521. Remember, this event is totally FREE!

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

brunswickanarts

10 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

From Ontario to Halifax: Ohbijou and The Acorn

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Ohbijou, who performed a set at the Halifax Pop Explosion on Friday night followed by a show at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton on Saturday, on stage at St. Matthew’s United Church.

Doug Estey The Brunswickan

I’m sitting in a pew near the altar of St. Matthew’s United Church. There are - I’m guessing - maybe two hundred

more audience members along with me, including those in the balcony above.

It’s Friday evening. Perhaps an odd time to be sitting in a church, but as the harsh temperatures and howling winds of winter begin to roll in through Halifax, it’s a welcome rest for my cold feet.

8 p.m. according to my phone, which I

quickly mute as the last few stragglers duce their sought-after sound is evi- their own.

Beginning their set in complete find their way into their seats and the dent, but the honest charisma radiating from each one of them is something darkness, save for the scattered strands lights dim. exclusive to the live performance un- of Christmas mini-lights strewn across And she begins to sing. the stage, the band makes use of mulShe, in this case, is Brantford, folding before me.

Casey Mecija’s sense of humour can tiple electric and acoustic guitars and Ontario native Casey Mecija; singer, two drummers to deliver an ambiance songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist - Jill- only be described as adorable.

“I remember when I first moved unmatched by other performances at of-all-trades, if you will - of up-andcoming Ohbijou, a fun-loving seven- to Toronto for school,” she recounts the Pop Explosion.

In some of The Acorn’s tracks, the to us with wide eyes, “and this man piece indie pop act from Toronto.

If you’ve heard an Ohbijou album, came up to me on the street and shouts, reverberating guitars and constant, mot ivated you a lready know what her Dedication to faithfully reproduce their sound is evident, but the d r u m m i ng recorded voice honest charisma radiating from each one of them is something c r e a t e a n almost postsounds like. If you’ve exclusive to the live performance unfolding before me. rock feel seen the band live, you offset by the know the raw depth and sheer honesty of her croon is multiplied ‘hey you!’ before proceeding to show odd horn and key-driven melodies me - you know - his umm, yeah.” The before opening up to pure, honest, exponentially.

Take that and factor in tastefully audience is losing it, laughing. “It was folk-like vocals. In others, an almost tribal drum beat plays home to a clapdelivered, yet honest violin-driven simply horrendous!”

She continues on with little anec- ping sing-a-long. At both ends of the melodies and resounding bass, delicate percussion and a full complement of dotes throughout the evening; icing on spectrum, it’s clear that I’m not the sound from a trumpet, cello, mandolin the cake of a beautifully orchestrated, only one who’s feeling it.

Despite the wonderfully pleasing and Glockenspiel, and you might have heart-warming performance by her sound they’ve created, The Acorn an idea of the performance I’m witness- band.

To our dismay, but with utmost remains modest and undeniably hiling here with the awe-inspired crowd satisfaction, Ohbijou’s set is finished. arious in between tracks, entertaining in St. Matthew’s Church.

The concert featured both new and The show, however, most certainly us with wild stories of touring while attempting to recognize the nature of old songs from the critically acclaimed isn’t.

The following act, performed by the venue and relating to members of Beacons and fan favourite Swift Feet for Troubling Times, with the group close friends (and provincial neigh- the crowd.

I arrived at this show with no idea bours) of the band that calls themselves exceeding expectations on all fronts.

Their dedication to faithfully repro- The Acorn, builds on the foundational what to expect, and I’m leaving with a atmosphere already established in smile on my face, touched by the clever the church by interacting with the humour and talent displayed before me audience and striking up a sound all this cold Friday evening in Halifax.

“

”

brunswickanarts

Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 11

A thousand fingertips, beer and loud guitars

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Attack in Black appeared at the Seahorse Tavern with Dog Day on Saturday as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion. They performed in Fredericton the evening prior at the Capital Bar.

Stephanie Allen The Brunswickan

Last week, Halifax welcomed an assortment of artists and musicians to celebrate the 17th annual Halifax Pop Explosion.

The city was humming with visitors much like myself, eager to indulge in culture and tunes. The festival started on Tuesday and ran through Saturday, with an after party and benefit on Sunday,

Oct. 25th.

Big names MSTRKRFT and Girl Talk brought in tons of fans (and hardcore partiers) on Friday and Saturday night. Although I was personally too broke to experience either, I managed to catch Ohbijou, The Acorn, Attack in Black and Dog Day. These are four contrasting groups who all tugged on my heartstrings in their own ways.

I’m an emotional concert-goer. Seriously. I had to bite my hand to prevent myself from crying when I saw Radiohead last year. With that in mind, I really wasn’t surprised by how moved I was by

all four groups. They were all very charming, especially The Acorn, who had the audience in stitches between songs. That being said, one band definitely stood out for me: Attack in Black.

They, along with three other bands, played at the Seahorse Tavern on Saturday. The bar was at capacity, but standing in line in the rain only made me all the more eager to experience the music of the modest Welland-born group. I was lucky enough to get in and nab a spot directly in front of the stage with about ten minutes to spare before the the amplifiers started buzzing and the band started to play.

Stephanie Allen / The Brunswickan

The Acorn succeeded Ohbijou at the Friday evening performance at St. Matthew’s United Church as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion.

Their set opened suddenly, with a kind of energy that I have never felt at a live performance. They played some new material with a somber-yet-mysteriouslyuplifting vibe that filled the venue. No matter the level of sobriety, everybody seemed fixated on this small-town gem.

If I were to sum up Attack in Black’s performance in one word, I would choose “honest”. The guys did not act bored or over-enthused. They seemed at peace for their hour on-stage, even during more emotional moments in their music.

With a unique sound and level heads, it was plain to see that these guys have

Procrastinators take note: last-minute costumes Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

It’s that time of year again: Halloween.

You realize last minute that you need to dress up for a costume party, and your brain is a total tabula rasa.

Never fear. The Brunswickan is here to help you coordinate an emergency costume.

It’s never too late to think up something really complex and involved, but it’ll be easier to scrounge up more classic items, like witch accessories or zombie paint. No matter what you decide, remember that Value Village is your friend, and cheap polyester pre-packaged costumes are your enemy. You want to assemble different pieces for the costume to look authentic.

For the procrastinating Halloweiner on a budget, try one of the following: 1.) Queen of Hearts (or any other card): Get two pieces of thick white Bristol board. Paint them with the design on a playing card and attach them with

string. If you suck at painting, get an artistic friend to do it. Paint some hearts on your face, wear a tiara, and you’re set.

2.) A zombie. Buy some green face paint. Paint your face green. Draw some scars on with a brown eyeliner or facepaint. Pick up some fake blood while you’re at it, or to get into the zombie mindset, just bite your friend and use that. Cut up some old jeans and roll them around in the mud a bit. Do the same with a ratty old tee. If you’re a girl, you can be an attractive zombie with some red lipstick, a cute (but zombified) tee, and bedhead hair.

3.) A vampire. Dress in black, whiten your face and add fake blood down the sides of your mouth. Slick your hair back and viola! Be really mean and creepy all night to enhance the effect.

4.) A mime. Wear either black or black and white stripes. Get some white gloves and a little round black hat. Open your eyes really wide and line with eyeliner them to make them stand out. Practice your mime skills and tip-toeing around.

Be really irritating and mime whatever it is you want to say. Be a zombie mime. Or a pirate zombie mime. It’s Halloween, the

possibilities are endless.

5.) A witch. Classic, but with good reason. Wear an LBD and a pointy witch hat. You can be a classy witch with black gloves and a cigarette holder (think Coco as a witch), or you can be a scary one, with long black nails and lots of black makeup. Walk around muttering creepy spells and make a voodoo doll out of hair for extra effect.

6.) A cute idea for couples: switch your gender roles. Men, go as your lady wearing a spaghetti-strap dress with your chest hair sticking out. Wear fishnets (be sure to get an extra-large pair!). Wear a wig, false eyelashes, and get high heels if you can find a pair to fit your man feet.

You’ll look hilarious and find out what it’s really like to literally walk a mile in a woman’s shoes.

Women, get a blazer from a thrift store and pair with straight-leg pants. Slick your hair back, and put it in a ponytail if it’s long. Draw on a moustache and walk around scratching your nether region for extra authenticity.

7.) A refrigerator. Get a large box and a smaller box of the same width to go on top of that. Attach the boxes, and cut out a hole so your head can fit through. Cut the bottom out of the bigger bow so your legs can stick out, promoting walkability.

Cut all the way up one side of the boxes so that the front can swing open, and attach handles so that there is a freezer and a fridge door. People can open the freezer to see your head, or close it if they get sick of looking at you. Carry a box of beer in your arms so that when they open the fridge it’s stocked full of beer. Hilarious.

8.) For the artistically inclined: be a painting. Get a large piece of cardboard about the size of your body and paint it. Ta da!

9.) For the uber slack: be the i-pod commercial. Dress in tight black from head to toe and carry your ipod around all night. Be sure to dance like a maniac, though, or else you’ll risk looking like you’re dressed as an emo kid.

Halloween is this Saturday, Oct. 31, so get cracking.

found their musical niche.

This was not my first time hearing them, but their live performance blew me away. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to a bar show in ages. Maybe I was stoked to be taking photos of a band I have grown to admire.

Maybe they just kicked serious ass.

Regardless, I sincerely hope that a lot of you caught them at The Capital last week. If you haven’t heard of these guys then I strongly suggest you get on it. With relatable lyrics and catchy beats, it won’t be long before you’re tapping your foot along to their sound stuck in your head.

brunswickanarts

12 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Zombie walks are the new black Josh Kolm

cd reviews by andrew olsvik.

The Lance

After being submitted to years of coverage in ain’t-that-weird trend stories, Zombie Walks have become a mainstream event. It’s not just the goth kids from your high school anymore, horror film fans turn up by the hundreds and have made the walks a common and expected annual phenomenon.

Since organizing a walk three years ago to celebrate his “love of all things zombie,” Jake Witalec has been running them in Windsor, Ontario annually, acting as main organizer, although he admits there isn’t much work involved.

“I am just the man who shoots the flare. Organizing an event like this requires very little. All the work revolves around preparing the costumes, rallying the troops, and making sure that everyone is in good spirits and has a good time.”

In case you aren’t aware of the workings of a Zombie Walk, the general rules are pretty straightforward. More outgoing than the photogenic vampireloving crowd, participants meet at a starting point in various levels of makeup and costumes. Then the horde stumbles in unison from place to place, groaning, requesting human flesh to feed on and generally making a spectacle of themselves.

“Many people get incredibly passionate about the Walk,” Witalec notes.

Despite the simple rules, people have been known to show up with a specific zombie species in mind and hold to it fairly strictly.

Flickr Creative Commons

Zombie walks are becoming a commonplace thing in cities across the continent.

“Many use the chance to dress up as their favourite pop culture zombies. We have all kinds of zombies show up. Some really creative people participate.”

The authors of the aforementioned trend pieces have been known to stretch the idea of the Zombie Walks to represent a social protest, as filmmakers like George A. Romero have been known to do.

“We are just a bunch of fantastic and strange people having a good time; there is no deeper meaning,” Witalec responds, although the love of horror and zombies may be a social response. “The city needs something, and it might just be zombies.”

In addition to the Walk, a turnout of 150 people offers a great opportunity to do something good in the community.

“It’s an excuse to be silly, but this year we are collecting donations for charity, which I think gives our [event] even a more positive purpose.”

One of the earliest zombie walks was held in Toronto in 2003, drawing six participants at the behest of local horror fans.

Five years later, a charity walk in Grand Rapids, MI drew more than 3,300. Now, many urban centres around the world have zombie walks, ranging from a dozen Czech students limping through Prague to thousands of zombies being refused entrance to Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Zombie Walks, flash mobs and similar spectacle-based events are expected realities, but those involved don’t think they’ve become pedestrian just yet.

“Even if people expect it or plan for it, it seems to make an impression,” Witalec says. “A large costumed crowd can be quite a sight. As zombie walks become more popular, things keep changing, and people seem to be moving forward with these social experiments.”

But why would these groups with roots in underground organizations representing an alternative culture be willing to compel more and more people to join their ranks?

Oh, right. Zombies. That’s what they do.

Chicago post metal icons have had a busy year. In addition to switching labels, releasing the Ephemeral EP and contributing a song to Hydrahead’s Champions of Sound split 7”, Pelican are set to release their fourth full length album this week. With What We All Come To Need, Pelican have pulled out all the stops, recruiting Aaron Turner (Isis), Greg Anderson [Sunn0)))], Allen Epley (the Life and Times, Shiner) and Ben Verellen (Harkonen, Helms Alee) to guest on a handful of the album’s eight tracks.

Though being hailed as somewhat of a departure from the band’s previous work, What We All Come To Need still retains the epic riffs that Pelican have come to be known for.

One of the most talked about albums of the year finally made its way to North America last week. Florence Welch and her Machines rocketed into indie stardom during the summer with their debut album Lungs, which has since been certified platinum in the UK and is poised to do the same this side of the ocean.

An infectious collection of immaculately crafted and performed pop songs centered on Florence’s captivating voice, Lungs is being hailed as one of the best pop albums of the year; one not to miss.

Pelican What We All Come To Need

Released October 27, 2009; Southern Lord

Florence and the Machine Lungs Released October 20, 2009; Island

brunswickansports

Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 13

sports@thebruns.ca

Special teams fail Red Bombers in UNBSJ rematch Colin McPhail The Brunswickan

The setting was another cold fall evening for the second meeting between the UNB Red Bombers and the UNBSJ Seawolves in the inaugural season of the AFL. This time, however, the match was held on a very muddy field, which played an important part in the outcome of the game, at Shamrock Park in Saint John. Some things did stay the same. It was another defensive struggle that ended in a narrow Seawolves victory.

Injuries to key players, a poor offence, and more special teams mishaps once again proved to be the downfall for the Bombers in the 10-6 loss.

“We’re all frustrated. The coaches are frustrated, the players are frustrated. We have the personnel to do it. We have the plays to do it. It’s just a matter of clicking,” said Offensive Coordinator Mike Demeio.

The first quarter was riddled with good defensive pressure against both the pass and the run, sluggish offensive plays and only two first downs. The offences began to click in the second quarter, though. The Seawolves put together the game’s first efficient drive, helped by a 48-yard run, and settled for a field goal making it 3-0.

Bombers’ quaterback Brendan Conford was not to be outdone and was mounted an offensive charge that saw tight-end Andrew Guest make a catch good for 24-yards and a 64-yard touchdown play by wide receiver Andrew Hubbard. After a missed extra point attempt, the Red Bombers went into the second half with a 6-3 lead.

Luckily for the fans, the play picked up in the second half. Seawolves quaterback Jeremy McAuley led an efficient drive down to the Bombers’ 21-yard line, but to no avail as the end result was a missed field goal. In turn, the Bombers’ took the ground game due to the loss of one of their more potent offensive weapons in Hubbard, who missed most of the second half. Nonetheless, the run proved to be effective. Running backs Josh MacArthur and Tommy Broad were able to make significant gains, but unfortunately could not punch into the endzone.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Red Bombers will look to secure home field advantage for the semi-finals as they finish the regular season this weekend in Moncton against the Raiders.

The turning point of the game came late into the third quarter after 66-yard run by Broad that landed the Bombers on the Saint John 18-yard line. Kicker/offensive tackle Zac Cann stepped up kicked a field goal to grab a six point lead. As the kick sailed through the air, one official said that it went wide, while the other called it a good kick. In a controversial call, the officials came to the consensus that a re-kick would take place.

Consequently, Cann missed wide right and the game remained 6-3. Minutes later, McAuley connected with Seawolves wide receiver Justin Cavan for a 62-yard touchdown play giving Saint John a 10-6 lead.

With a minute left, the Red Bombers were given a great chance to regain the lead, when the Seawolves fumbled a punt attempt and turned over the ball to the Bombers on

their 26-yard line. Conford would throw three incompletions and return the ball back to UNBSJ, who would simply run out the clock and improve to 3-0. The Bombers fall to 1-2.

“We were able to march down and get ourselves into scoring positions offensively on at least 3 tries and we couldn’t come up with [those] field goals that we needed and we missed our convert. When you look at those 10 points not going on the board, it really hurt us,” commented Head Coach Mike Dollimore on the squad’s offensive breakdowns.

Demeio explains the lack of production by the offense by saying that “it comes down to polishing the offence. We had two touchdowns that could’ve been on the board and we missed three field goals and

the brunswickan presents

the panel voice your opinion

we missed a convert. That’s ten points not on the board. We’re just missing that little connection and that polish on offence. At this point in the season, you need to have that and we don’t have it.”

Even with the loss, Defensive Line Coach Jamie Edwards is still content with the defence.

“I thought we played great. We had one blown coverage and, unfortunately, it was on the touchdown. We made a few adjustments to tackle the weather and this bad field. We loaded up the line of scrimmage which brought up four [defensive backs] instead of five DB’s and in the process of doing the system this week a guy missed his coverage. Other than that, I thought the boys played well and I’m excited for next week.”

Who will be the World Series Champion: Yankees or Phillies?

Colin McPhail

Tony von Richter

Unidentified Leafs Fan

A-Rod finally decides to play in the postseason. Their pitching has been superb. They have home field advantage. They were the best team in the regular season.

C’mon, it’s their first season in the new stadium - it’s meant to be. I have to go with the Yankees.

I’d love to say Phillies, but I think the Yanks are just too hard to beat this season. The combination of strong pitching, an excellent lineup, and I can’t believe I’m going to type this, the suddenly clutch hitting of A-Rod will prove too tough for the Phillies to overcome.

Don’t talk to me about championships...

Sports Editor

Defensive bright spots include a couple of sacks by Connor Embleton and an interception by Elliot Hicks.

Bombers’ defensive back and team captain Justin DeMerchant left the field with a positive outlook.

“Everyone’s a little dissapointed, but I think we had a lot of positives tonight and I think we showed that we can match up well with these guys. So, if we get a few things to go our way, we’ll beat them in the championship game. There’s no sense in getting down on yourself about a game like tonight. You can’t focus on the things that we did wrong. We got to go back and get the attitude that we can beat these guys and work on the things that we can do to show them that next will not have the same result.”

CUP Sports Bureau Chief

Sports Fan

Pete Shaw UNB Baseball

The Phillies. Because I hate the Yankees.

brunswickansports

14 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Woodsmen: a cut above the rest

Welcome back, Rugby Reid Nystuen The Sheaf

Submitted

The Woodsmen’s Coach and veteran player Mike Downing (above), the 2008-09 CILA MVP, didn’t miss a beat on Saturday as dominated the individual super-swede and is seen here winning the vertical chop contest.

Grant Virgin The Brunswickan What began in the early hours of Saturday morning as snow quickly turned into a consistent pelting of cold, wet rain, creating less than desirable conditions for the 44th Annual UNB Woodsmen Competition. It was under these adverse circumstances that the UNB Woodsmen Men’s A-team methodically marched toward its first Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA) victory of the year, garnering 1251 points of a possible 1400.

The home team was dominant from the word go, with its team leaders paving the way. Player, coach and 2008-2009 CILA MVP Mike Downing was victorious in the individual super-swede, while A-team captain Bill Freeman won dry-land log burling (rolling). In doubles events, Downing and Jordan Mulherin were triumphant in the vertical chop with a time of 35 seconds, while Ryan Cameron and Alex Feix dominated the underhand chop with a lightning time of 28 seconds.

The A-boys also dominated in the team events going a perfect 4-0 after winning

the log deck, pulp-throw, team swede, & team crosscut.

Freeman appeared pleased with the team’s performance. “The weather for this competition probably couldn’t have been worse, but we worked too hard to let it affect our performance. Overall our day was very strong; however, there were a few weak points that leave room for improvement but, at the end of the day, we took the win and I’m proud of our guys.”

The competition wasn’t without its controversy. In arguably the day’s most difficult event, the kettle boil, Mulherin was able to light a fire with wet wood and wet matches and boil his can of water in an incredible time of four minutes and eight seconds. The time would have stood alone, however Mulherin was penalized two minutes for not wearing safety gloves and was consequently bumped into third place.

The UNB men’s B-team finished seventh overall; nonetheless, there were some good indicators that a bright future is on the horizon. The B-boys finished mere seconds behind the UNB men’s Ateam in the log deck giving them second place and rookie Peter Keddy won the pole-climb with a time of 4.47 seconds.

“I think the B-boys have yet to realize their potential as a team. The talent and

skill is there, I think they will be a different squad come the end of the season,” said Downing The UNB Women finished an encouraging fifth overall. Led by Taisa Brown’s victory in the Axe Throw, Brooke Carten’s second place finish in the pole-climb, and a strong second place performance in the pulp-throw.

The women appear to have laid a strong framework for an improvement on last season’s fourth in CILA finish.

Coach Downing said, “The women are off to a good start, I’m anxious to see what they can do at the next competition [ at Sir Sanford Flemming College on November 7, 2009]. I have a feeling they’ll build on what they did today for the Flemming show in two weeks” The competition, sponsored by the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental management, was coordinated and run entirely by UNB Forestry students and required over 65 volunteers.

Freeman added, “Without volunteers there wouldn’t be a UNB Woodsmen Competition. This year’s volunteers were incredible, they handled miserable snow, rain, and cold and did an amazing job to boot. I want to extend huge thanks to all of them for allowing us to compete.

Today they were UNB’s sixth-man.”

SASKATOON (CUP) – After endless lobbying and 85 years of exclusion, rugby will finally return to the Olympics.

On Oct. 9, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ratified the executive board’s recommendation to add rugby sevens to the 2016 Olympic program in Rio de Janeiro.

Rugby sevens is not the traditional 15-players-per-side game that some Canadians may have witnessed or played in high school or university. Rather, it has only seven players per side and is played in seven-minute halves. Thus: rugby sevens.

The game is played on a field the same size of normal rugby, providing a lot more space for the players to create offensive chances.

Rugby sevens breeds the most fit and physical players and tests speed, power, endurance and skill.

Olympic inclusion has been sought for rugby sevens for a number of years.

In 2005, when London was awarded the 2012 summer games, baseball and softball were dropped from the Olympic program and in turn opened up two vacancies for new sports. Rugby along with golf, squash, karate and roller sports were all vying to fill these two spots, although in the end no new sport was added. One of the reasons for rugby’s exclusion was the lack of a women’s competition.

After the failure in 2005, the International Rugby Board (IRB) took aggressive steps to ensure inclusion for the next summer Olympic Games. The IRB

invested money to further develop the women’s game, which culminated in a very successful Rugby Sevens World Cup in Dubai last March and featured a coinciding men’s and women’s tournament.

Needing only a majority of the vote, rugby received a resounding endorsement from the IOC members with the vote 81-8 in favour of rugby’s re-introduction into the Olympics. Golf’s bid of inclusion, backed by Tiger Woods’ declaration that he would compete, was also ratified with a vote of 63-27.

Although the next summer Olympics will be hosted by London in 2012, rugby and golf fans will have to wait for the 2016 Olympics to watch their favourite sports performed on the world’s greatest stage.

Although rugby games are shorter, rugby sevens is played in a tournamentstyle format and held over two or three days with each team playing a few games per day. These tournaments are very colourful, festive and often play host to a party atmosphere.

Quirky costumes are also a staple of rugby sevens fanfare. At New Zealand’s Wellington’s World Sevens Series in 2008 the Borat “mankini”-style swimsuit had to be banned because too many spectators were wearing it.

Some countries, such as China, only provide funding to Olympic sports. And while others are not as exclusive, some still strongly tie funding to Olympic sports, such as the United States. In Russia only Olympic sports are allowed to be on the curriculum taught in schools.

The inclusion of rugby sevens into the Olympics is a huge boost for the international rugby community. It opens up government funding to the sport that it has never had. This will undoubtedly contribute to the global growth and popularity of the sport and also increase playing numbers and competitiveness.

Halloween for sports fans Alex Wickwire The Brunswickan

All Hallows Eve is coming and with it comes the question of what costume to wear. Sick of seeing Jokers, legendary wrestlers and bloody dog Michael Vicks? If you’re a sports fan looking for an original costume, then keep reading this article (if you’re not, immediately send this to ten friends or you’ll have fallen dead at midnight on Halloween).

The sports world gives us daily entertainment, business opportunities, and even cases for charity. So, why not base some Halloween festivities on it? Athletes are public figures, so why not have a laugh at their expense?

When considering your costume this year, don’t be afraid to make fun of any admitted and proven steroid users. Why

not put on a David Ortiz jersey or fan shirt then walk around all night with a big plastic syringe hanging off your butt?

Feel free to take the same approach for such athletes as Marion Jones, Rodney Harrison or Mark McGuire.

Why not mock the Montreal Canadians? Get a trio of Habs haters together and draw numbers 13, 21 and 91 on red shirts. Stick Cammalleri, Gionta and Gomez labels on the back then get some blue face paint and three Smurf hats.

For a couple who loves sports, dress up as Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila.

The possibilities are endless when portraying a Myspace celebrity and a human growth hormone junkie with a paper trail of domestic violence. It’s especially funny given that Merriman stopped taking growth hormone, mustered a mere 18 tackles so far this year and has yet to post a sack this season.

If you’re not out to insult anybody with your Halloween costume, keep with the domestic teams and create your own version of “Chris Boshasaurus”. Even if you just dress like a dinosaur and put on a Raptors #4 jersey, it’s still likely to be a one-of-a-kind costume. On the subject

of unique costumes, take the initiative to think up a creative “Varsity Red.” Maybe the university will be so excited about a mascot they’ll give you a plaque!

Find a Patriots hoody, chop off the sleeves and decline to speak with anybody while filming them all night. Voila!

You’re Bill Belichick.

Big time sports fans might try to be mini-activists with their costumes. An NBA purist just might dress in a Kevin Durant Seattle Super Sonics jersey, but make up the costume like that of a zombie in reference to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s nickname “The Zombie Sonics.” A big time NHL fan ought to throw together a crude “Hamilton Coyotes” jersey and wear ‘coach’ Gretzky 99 on the back, just for comedy’s sake.

Regardless of what you decide to dress up as, try and be original. Sure it’s corny to dress in a costume, but the one time a year it’s accepted, you might as well go all out. If you see someone dressed up to mock your favorite player, don’t start a brawl, just laugh it off. Pointless violence over Halloween costumes would make a great headline, but it’s really not something anybody wants to write about.

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New Zealand All Blacks (black shorts) and the South Africa Sprinkboks (white shorts) will be top competitors in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

brunswickansports

Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143 • 15

this week in brunswickansports VReds hockey continues winning ways Even a trip to Nova Scotia to play their toughest competitors did not slow down the locomotive that is UNB’s men’s hockey squad. The Reds improved to 4-0 in this early 2009-2010 AUS season by narrowly defeating Acadia 3-2 on Friday night and then dropping Saint Mary’s 7-4 on Saturday. The Reds’ leaders and, coincidentally, their top scorers were at it again. John Scott Dickson chipped in a power play goal with helpers from Hunter Tremblay and Chris Culligan to open the scoring against Acadia. Minutes later Daine Todd made it 2-0 with Ben Shuttron and Johnathan Harty picking up the assits. Acadia would comeback and even it up, but with less than two minutes on the clock Luke Gallant scored on the power play and kept the Reds undefeated. Culligan and Todd picked up assists giving them a two point night each. Travis Fullerton stopped 28 out of 30 shots for the win and named the first star.

The Reds’ showed the offensive power on Saturday putting in seven goals. Todd picked up a pair, while Dickson, Harty, Josh Kidd, Lachlan MacIntosh and Tremblay added singles. Fullerton picked up another win stopping 31 out of 35 shots. UNB showed its offensive depth as 13 of its 18 skaters made the score sheet. The Reds will play the 167th battle of the hill against STU tonight at the LBA.

Women’s volleyball still undefeated in exhibition play After putting on a volleyball clinic for the Chaleur Volleyball Club in Bathurst, the Reds squared off against UdeM at the Ecole Secondaire Nepisiguit. UNB tried out a new line-up and seemed to struggle with their ball control especially on service reception all afternoon. Despite having 17-12 and 20-16 leads in game one Moncton fought back forcing UNB to squeeze out a close first set. Moncton took that momentum and ran to a quick second set win before the Varsity Reds returned the favour in the third to go up 2-1. Much like set one, UNB looked to have control in set four with three and four point leads late but once again Moncton wouldn’t go away taking their first lead at 24-23 eventually winning 26-24 for force a fifth set. Moncton jumped all over the V-Reds in set five building a 11-7 lead, but somehow UNB found a way to outscore them 8-2 behind some strong blocking to win the match 3-2. With this win, the Reds improve to 10-0 in exhibition play and are 10th in the CIS rankings.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Special to the Brunswickan

Men’s soccer make playoff push The UNB men’s soccer squad solidified their spot in the 2009 AUS playoffs this past weekend.The Reds picked up another four points by drawing 1-1 against Memorial Saturday afternoon and then defeating 2-0 on Sunday. Shea Nordheim scored the single tally on Saturday, while veteran Ken Morrison scored both goals on Sunday and Matthew Lally picked up the clean sheet. It was a special weekend for Morrison as he played his final two home matches for UNB and he went out in style.“Ken had yet another dominating performance this weekend. He was the difference-maker in what were two very close games against Memorial,” said head coach Miles Pinsent.The Reds look to improve the fourth place position in the standings in their final two matches at Acadia and Moncton.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The seemingly untouchable Tom Brady Chad Klassen The Peak

BURNABY, B.C. (CUP) – Are we playing football or what? Well, apparently when Tom Brady’s the quarterback, the NFL turns into a flag football league.

In fact, according to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs’ nudge on the Patriots’ pivot a couple of weeks ago, flag football might actually allow for more contact on quarterbacks than the NFL. A year after Brady missed the entire season from an inadvertent hit to the knees by Bernard Pollard, the pocket around him is now an apparent “no-hit” zone.

The league has gone to the extreme in making sure nobody comes in contact with Brady’s knee. The Ravens’ linebacker, Suggs, who was trying to make a play in a tight battle in Foxboro, was flagged 15 yards on a roughing the passer call after “bumping” into the three-time Super Bowl champion who’s being treated like a baby.

Baltimore’s sideline was up in arms with the call – and for good reason; it extended a Patriot drive and resulted in a touchdown.

It’s actually surprising the referees didn’t call back Suggs’ sack and strip in the third quarter, when he blindsided Brady and forced a fumble for a Ravens touchdown.

Notwithstanding the glaring issue with

Suggs’ (non-) hit is that football is designed to be a physical contact sport.

Athletes know exactly what they’re getting into when they sign up – the excessive pounding and physicality that defines what the sport’s all about.

Suffice it to say, when you see Brady tapped on the knee and referee Ron Winters throw a flag after Brady’s best sell job, it’s pretty embarrassing. Just ask Ray Lewis.

A great quarterback, while indeed being a rare commodity, has to be able to stand up and take a hit, even if it’s a low one. What does Brady expect? To be able to stand in the pocket for five seconds without fear of being touched? It’s ridiculous, and we’re starting to see, if we hadn’t already before, the kind of prima donna Brady really is.

Rodney Harrison, an NBC analyst and a former teammate of Brady’s, said it best on Sunday Night Football: “horrible call.

You can’t make this call. And Tom Brady, if you’re listening . . . toughen up.”

It comes down to the integrity of the game; the call had a direct impact in the outcome of a critical early-season AFC battle, which New England took 27-21 at home.

Suggs’ penalty wasn’t the lone bad call.

The Pats were also the beneficiary of another ridiculous roughing the passer penalty in the first half – both turning into 14 points.

It would be one thing if undisciplined penalties by the Ravens’ defense or turnovers offensively gave Brady second and third opportunities to score. But the Pats

were given a free pass to march downfield and put up touchdowns.

It’s clear that the league has taken Polland’s hit and gone too far in trying to protect its quarterbacks.

Certainly, it’s important for any league to protect its star players, and quarterbacks are football’s lifeblood. Pro Bowl players like Brady bring notoriety and attention, attracting season ticket holders and television viewers, which generate massive revenue for the networks that pay big dollars to air NFL games.

However, there’s a big difference between implementing rules aimed to keep quarterbacks healthy and stretching the rules to the point where guys like Suggs are penalized for merely trying to do their job.

As it stands now, defensive players are pretty well deemed out of the play if they’re driven into the ground by an offensive lineman and trying to take down the quarterback from their knees.

And the baffling part of it all is the fact Suggs made his best effort to dodge Brady, merely nudging his knee as he tried to avoid contact.

The NFL seriously has to re-evaluate its approach towards protecting its quarterbacks. The integrity of the game is undoubtedly more important than any Pro Bowl quarterback that’s passed through the league. Brady is not above the NFL or the game of football. We can live without him.

Women’s soccer: high hopes crushed After starting the 2009 AUS season 0-6, it seemed as if the Reds were bringing it around by winning two out of three and keeping playoff hopes alive. With upcoming games against Memorial, Acadia and Moncton, the very teams they had to past to grab a playoff spot, it seemed almost possible.

However, this past weekend the Memorial Sea-Hawks erased those hopes and eliminated the girls from playoff contention. The were shutout 2-0 and lost 4-2 in a shootout.

Samantha Legacy and Robyn Potter scored for the Reds. The Reds will look to end the season on a positive note as they travel to Acadia and Moncton this weekend.

brunswickansports

16 • Oct. 28, 2009 • Issue 8 • Volume 143

Why the Maple Leafs suck One Man Advantage Colin McPhail Growing up in a bilingual northern New Brunswick community, I was faced with a childhood full of Leafs and Habs fans.

There I was, a lonely Rangers fan in a mixed up red and blue world. I was taunted and teased (except for ‘94 thank you very much), but the times have changed and now I’m giving no quarter.

I would attack the Canadians, but they recently beat my beloved Rangers; so I’ll keep my mouth shut (for now). However, as I write this the Toronto Maple Leafs sit 0-7-1 with one point, 15 goals for, 35 against and sit last in the NHL. Suffice it to say, the Leafs suck.

Here’s why.

In the post-lockout era, the prestigious Maple Leafs organization has gone steadily downhill. The 13-time Stanley Cup winning team hasn’t seen the playoffs since the 2003-04 season (granted, the 2004-05 season was a lockout) and starting off the 2009-10 campaign with 8 straight losses doesn’t help things.

Fun Fact #1: The Leafs haven’t won the Cup since 1967. The second longest streak in the NHL. The current Leafs squad has no franchise player; something that management should have fixed before Mats Sundin left. Recent acquisition Phil Kessel will not fill that void.

Kessel is a great player, but will not be able to produce as expected with that poor excuse for a supporting cast that laces up their skates each night. Oh, and major shoulder surgery guarantees a lifetime of injury-free hockey, right?

Fun Fact #2: The Leafs traded their first and second round picks in the upcoming

2010 NHL Entry Draft for Kessel. I hope their new sniper can carry the team, because they’re flushing their future down the toilet.

I think Cliff Fletcher and John Ferguson Jr. forgot what the meaning of depth was?

Brian Burke tried his best to wrangle some talent, but ended up having to give away important draft picks due to the Leafs’ lack of assets. Their top six forwards, the ones who are supposed to score, have combined for 11 goals, 9 assists, 20 points and are -13 for the season so far. Toronto’s top line might be worthy of second line status on some teams, but most teams would peg these guys as third line material.

Fun Fact #3: Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh’s third line, have combined for 10 goals, 6 assists and are a +11 so far.

While throwing their draft picks in the toilet, Leafs management decided to chuck several million in their too. Here’s a list a of overpaid Leafs: Blake will receive $4.5 million this season, Hagman gets $3 million, Stempniak gets $3.5 million, Komisarek gets $4.5 million, Beauchemin gets $4.2 million, Finger gets $3.5 million and Van Ryn will receive 3.35 million dollars this season. You have to be kidding me? I know the Rangers like to overpay players, but those players are supposed to produce. Lee Stempniak last year scored 14 goals, 30 assists, 44 points and was a -12 and he gets $3.5 million this year. Burke is thanking his predecessors, I’m sure.

Fun Fact #4: A list of notable NHLers who will make $3.5 million this year: Rob Blake, Marc-Andre Fleury, Nathan Horton, David Krejci, Robyn Regehr Brent Seabrook, Jordan Staal, Jarret Stoll, Marco Sturm, Ryan Suter, Ryan Whitney, and Justin Williams.

Did I mention their goaltending was awful?

The Maple Leafs are lucky they have a such solid fan base. Oddly enough, I’m not hearing the usual “this year will be the year” from the Leafs faithful.

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Invariably, the only two things Canadians can count on this year: a Roll up the Rim contest and a poor performance by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well, that and taxes.

Oct 29/30 Sub Blue Lounge