Issue 10, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

Editorial // when internal policy hurts students >> PAgE 4 Volume 142 · Issue 10 · Nov. 5, 2008

thebruns.ca

the brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

Silver Wave Film Festival

Mixed Emotions

ARTS / PAGE 10

SPORTS / PAGE 8

Where movie buffs can get their fix

Reds hockey defeats STU, lose two in weekend play

10 Tonnes of Food Students raise enough to run food bank for two months NEWS / PAGE 2

Fredericton mourns loss of STU professor Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

It is with great sadness that the Brunswickan reports on the loss of Saint Thomas University’s John McKendy.

The body of the 60-year-old sociology professor was found in his Douglas home on Friday morning. On Monday, the RCMP has closed the case surrounding

his death.

RCMP Cpl. Claude Tremblay says the body of Nicholas Wade Baker, 27, was found in a rented car in a Moncton hotel parking lot on Saturday morning at about 11 a.m. Baker was the main suspect in McKendy’s homicide, says Tremblay.

Foul play is not suspected in the death of Baker. Tremblay says that the investigation on the case is closed as there are no other suspects at this time.

Police did not release information on the relationship between McKendy and Baker or other details surrounding the murder, though CBC reported on

Monday that Baker was married to McKendy’s daughter in 2007.

STU’s Director of Communications and Media Relations, Jeffrey Carleton, says that the University is working with McKendy’s family to finalize memorial services, which are scheduled for midweek.

Classes at STU will be cancelled for the service.

Counselling services have been offered since the date of the tragic event, and will continue throughout this week.

“The STU community is still in shock, and trying to come to terms with this

terrible news,” says Carleton.

McKendy came to STU in 1974.

His research was centered around sociological theory, social inequality, and the sociology of religion. He was greatly committed to learning, and taught passionately in the school’s Aquinas program.

“I know I speak for our St. Thomas community in offering our condolences to John’s family. John was a well-known, respected and valued member of our community who will be missed by his students, colleagues and friends,” says President Michael Higgins in a statement

released by the University.

STU Students’ Union President Duncan Gallant calls it a tough time for students.

“This is a very tragic situation. John McKendy was a talented professor. He was well liked and highly regarded by students. He was one of the good professors – he was very dedicated to students. His students are taking it hard.

This is an all around sad experience, and he will be missed.”

The school is in the process of organizing a scholarship in Professor McKendy’s name.

Student paper left in the cold

Time for action: council Hilary Paige Smith

Josh O’Kane

The Brunswickan

The Brunswickan

The cost of an education is only getting more expensive, and the UNB Student Union has decided to take a stand.

Following an impassioned presentation

by Vice President External Jon O’Kane at last week’s Student Union meeting, a motion passed for the Union to formally position themselves against rising education costs.

According to O’Kane, upon completion of a four year undergraduate degree in New Brunswick, a student receiving government financial aid will have accumulated $34,000 in debt. New Brunswick’s student debt load is highest nationally, topping the average level by $10,000.

The Canadian government recently terminated the Millennium Scholarship Foundation, replacing it with the Canada Student Grant Program. The termination of this scholarship program has resulted in a $7 million dollar loss for New Brunswick students.

The government of New Brunswick also provides all New Brunswick students choosing to study in this province with a $2,000 bursary. Should the student live and work in New Brunswick for five years following their undergraduate degree, they will be given a $10,000 tuition tax rebate.

O’Kane speculates that the blanket sum of $2,000 would be better served if given to high needs and low-income students, as opposed to all first year students. He also feels that the $10,000 tuition tax rebate is more of a human resources retention strategy than a financial aid program.

The policy recently adopted by the UNB Student Union is not a fresh one, says O’Kane. The New Brunswick Student Alliance has been developing this policy for years and O’Kane has been researching its merits for months.

The foremost aspect of the policy is a student loan debt cap. This debt cap would ensure that students pay no more than $6,000 of their loan each year, resulting in no more than $24,000 for

A written and verbal agreement between the current president of the St. Thomas University Students’ Union and the editorial board of the Aquinian was breached last Thursday.

The Aquinian is the official student newspaper of STU, and has been autonomous since 1986.

On April 25, the Aquinian and the STU SU executive discussed funding options for refurbishment of their newsroom at the cost of about $3,000.

In an e-mail from current STU SU president Duncan Gallant dated April 30, Aquinian managing editor Chris Fox was told that, either through government grants or through the STU SU, the Aquinian would get the money it needed to upgrade its newsroom.

The e-mail reads: “we will guarantee you have the funds available to revamp your office.”

Gallant did not take office as president until May 1, though at the time he was the Union’s VP education.

The newspaper’s initially requested an increase in their student media fees to obtain the desired funding, but Gallant noted in the e-mail that the STU SU would like to avoid the difficulties involved in a one-year fee increase.

The Aquinian examined the routes of government grants and other financial aid initiatives, but both proved fruitless.

Gallant said in his letter to the Aquinian: “if you have a running surplus the easiest way for you to buy your office equipment immediate (sic) would be to spend part of that and we would make sure to replace it in the fall if the government grants did not come through.”

The Aquinian spent the money to refurbish their newsroom in August at the cost of $1,919.24, and submitted an expense report to the SU. Instead of being re-imbursed, however, the SU executive told the Aquinian that in accordance with internal policy, the

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

The UNBSU student representative council met last Thursday, with discussions including positioning the SU’s stance on financial aid for postsecondary education. Pictured above are SU executive members Greg Melanson, Jon O’Kane, Bethany Vail, Stephanie Lord, and Lisa Solte. an undergraduate degree. O’Kane says that this will “catapult New Brunswick students ahead of the national average.”

Another aspect of the policy is an Income Contingent Loan Repayment Program, which dictates that students do not have to pay more than they can afford per payment period and if loans have not been paid within 15 years, the loan is absolved. The policy also seeks to provide assistance to groups that need it most, such as aboriginal and first generation students whose parents have not attended postsecondary institutions and low income students with the desire to learn.

O’Kane notes that now is the time for action, as provincial budgets are currently in negotiation.

“This decision is being made right now

and if we sit on our hands, it’s not going to be made in our favour. We need to make sure that before the budget is decided that we’re vocalizing everything that’s important to us so that we are strong stakeholders,” O’Kane says. “Whenever you are acting with government you need to make sure you are keeping that professional and tactful mindset so that you are a very reasonable stakeholder, considered thoroughly and equal to everyone else.”

To show the government that university students are stakeholders and to better the chances of the government considering this policy for implementation, the Student Union will hold a Day of Action.

“The Day of Action is intended to draw public, government and media attention

so that we can foster an investment in the community that student issues are important to the community as a whole.

We believe that the programs right now are not properly structured to reach out to as many New Brunswick students as possible. The Day of Action is to amplify the student voice, so that we can send that message out to as many people as possible,” says O’Kane.

Plans for the Day of Action are still in development, but students can expect to see posters saying “Missing: An Accountable Government.” Postcards are also being sent to Premier Shawn Graham, with messages revealing the amount of debt a student has incurred.

The Day of Action will take place on Nov. 13.

SEE AQ PAGE 3

brunswickannews

2 • Oct. 5, 2008 • Issue 10• Volume 142 • news@thebruns.ca

Ten tonnes scared up for food bank Eating away at

disorders

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

STU participated in the 15th annual installment of Trick-or-eat on Halloween night. The event is a nation-wide fundraiser for food banks. STU raised 10 tonnes of food for our local food bank- enough food to feed everyone who comes to the bank for the next two months.

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

On Halloween night, hordes of St. Thomas students wandered the streets of Fredericton, doing their part to “take a bite out of hunger.”

Trick or Eat is a nation-wide event of the student-founded charity, Meal Exchange. Meal Exchange raises food and money for local food banks and has raised over $2 million dollars in food or 727,200 meals since 1993.

This Halloween, more than 350 students came out, dressed in costume and ready to help “scare up some food.” This year’s efforts raised 10 tonnes of food, which tops last year’s Trick or Eat by four tonnes.

Emily Bosse, Social Issues

Advocate for the St. Thomas Student Union and organizer of this year’s Trick or Eat, says, “When we were unloading at the food bank, there were about 361 boxes and that is enough to feed everyone who comes to the food bank for two months.”

St. Thomas is not the only campus to participate in this event; there are more than 50 campuses and schools nation-wide that take part. The event not only serves to better the community, it also brings students together for a greater cause.

“It’s something that I think people are comfortable coming out to and it does make a huge difference. The food bank is dependent on what we bring them and it is really bonding.

You have close to 400 people there beforehand and when they go out to the buses, and they’re pulling away, everyone is cheering because they are just so excited to do something good for

the community,” says Bosse.

Michelle Twomey, a first year student, participated in Trick or Eat for the first time and for her, it was not just a fun Halloween activity. She also felt that Trick or Eat raises awareness in the community and made Fredericton citizens more mindful of local poverty.

“When you walk up to peoples houses and you say ‘Hi, I’m from Trick or Eat, we’re looking for canned goods for the Fredericton food bank’ and then you see the look on their face. It’s like ‘Oh, now I remember we have a food bank.’ It’s almost like you’re spreading awareness to the people door-to-door,” she says.

Bosse feels that community members are welcoming towards students as they participate in a worthy cause and often slip them some candy, in addition to canned goods.

“A lot of people have misconceptions about the student

body, like they’re just people who party all of the time and don’t care about the community. So when they have students come to their door and ask for food on behalf of the food bank, they’re generally extremely receptive and generous.”

Trick or Eaters bundle themselves into Halloween garb and are then shipped all over the city by bus. Students with vehicles also volunteer to drive, so that the others are not burdened with copious amounts of cans.

On average, a group of Trick or Eaters can fill the trunk of a car to the brim with food. Volunteer drivers are repaid for gas and students are compensated for their efforts.

Aside from the satisfaction of a deed well done, students are given a pizza party. Twomey says, “I’m definitely doing it again next year. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed helping out. It was worth more than the free pizza.”

the brunswickan.

Annual General Meeting

November 24th, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.

At some point in their lives, just about every woman criticizes her appearance. Some of this negativity stems from the popular media, and it is difficult not to judge oneself and others when constantly faced with images of “beautiful,” stickthin models.

Often, the negative self-image held by some women turns into issues with food, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge-eating, and other forms of disordered eating.

Third-year nursing students at UNB are doing something about all of these issues. Each Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon and from 6-8 p.m., and Thursday from 2-4 p.m., a drop-in clinic called Reflections of Women is being held in room 309 of Tibbits East Hall.

Peer counselor Meaghan Westbury says the clinic is run by six nursing students. It is open to women who are students at UNB and STU. The clinic covers a different topic each week, including anger, control, perfectionism, assertiveness, selfcare, and body image, among others. Clients can go to the clinic either to discuss their own issues or simply to learn about the topic of the week. Westbury also says that clients can complete a 24hour recall of their diet to find out whether they have healthy eating habits. The counsellors assess that information, and then inform clients how to improve their health in general, referring clinic attendees to appropriate resources if clients are at risk.

“It’s a long process, it doesn’t happen overnight, so we encourage clients to come in for a session each week,” Westbury says.

“A lot of people with eating issues have underlying issues,” Westbury says. “It could be abuse or insecurities; it’s a lot about control.

Every situation is different, so all of the women who run the clinic have had training with the “It’s not about Food” program offered through Counseling Services and directed by Dr. Nancy Buzzell, where they learned how to peer facilitate and counsel.

The nursing students learned how to counsel on topics from healthy eating to assertiveness.

Westbury is happy with the success of the clinic so far.

“We’ve had a better turnout than expected already, and everyone who’s left has seemed happy with the information learned. It’s just

so special because this is our clinic.

We established it. We did the marketing, we recruited people, we’ve done the conference on how to counsel people, you know? It’s a product of our efforts, and it’s even more successful than we thought it would be.”

Another peer counsellor at the clinic, Samantha Jones, seems equally proud of Reflections of Women: “This clinic was created by students. It’s student driven, for students,” she says.

The nursing students’ instructor is Kate Weaver, RN, PhD. Weaver has expertise in the field of eating disorders, and has completed two nationally funded post-doctorates.

Weaver says that eating disorders do not receive the research attention they deserve, and that women who suffer from them need to be heard.

“They need to be given an opportunity to be heard and strengthen their voices. I’d like to see more sustainable resources happen.”

Weaver draws attention to the ways in which university life can foster eating issues. When students eat at meal hall, she points out, the food they eat is dictated each day.

The pressures of university life, she says, often cause women to develop unhealthy relationships with food in order to obtain control over their own lives.

“In this appearanceoriented society, people can get uncomfortable with themselves,” she says.

In women aged 15-24, anorexia nervosa is the leading cause of death, Weaver says ruefully. Jones adds that 91 per cent of women in college attempt to control their weight through dieting, and 35 per cent of all dieters become pathological in their dieting.

Equally disturbing is the fact that, according to Jones, onequarter of women on university campuses meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.

The nursing students, however, are trying to remain positive.

“I want everyone to feel comfortable coming here,” says Westbury. “It’s a really safe space, it’s confidential. We don’t want these women to suffer in silence, and just having someone to talk to can really help. We have a lot of information to pass along, and hopefully it’ll be the starting point of their journeys—because eating disorders are curable.”

On Nov. 12, a “lunch and learn” will be held at the University Women’s Centre to educate participants on disordered eating and “clear away the cobwebs of misunderstanding” surrounding disordered eating, Weaver says.

For more information, call 450-6770 or visit http:// reflectionsofwomen.webs.com .

Some stats on eating disorders: -91% of women in college attempt to control their weight through dieting.

-35% of all dieters progress to pathological dieting -1/4 of women in university campuses meet disgnostic criteria for an eating disorder -5-20% of eating disorder patients die as a result of their illness.

brunswickannews

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 3

SUB to get new focal point

NB loses an independent news source Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNBSU President Bethany Vail stands outside of what was once Travel Cuts at the main entrance of the SUB. The space is being converted to a new Welcome Centre for the Student Union.

Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Last month, Travel Cuts moved out of its space in the Student Union Building.and opened up some prime real estate. Situated just in front of the main doors, the space is visible by almost everyone who enters the SUB. So who ended up grabbing this prime piece of SUB real estate?

None other than the Student Union themselves.

In a little while, the Student Union will have the space converted into a Welcome Centre for UNB students and visitors.

“Along with it being the point of contact for all students and visitors when they come into the SUB, it’s also going to be kind of like a branch of our Student Union offices,” explained Student Union president Bethany Vail.

The lease has just been signed for the Welcome Centre, which will open

some tiem this month.

The Student Union’s two full time staff members will have their offices moved up to the Welcome Centre.

This will make the Student Union more easily accessible and more visible.

“Right now when you walk into the SUB it’s not very welcoming,” said Bethany Vail. “When students come in and they have questions, they don’t really know where to go. Students in the past don’t really know where the Student Union is, or how to find the Student Union.”

Students will be able to find answers for questions about the health and dental plan, yearbook inquiries, and questions about the city of Fredericton. There will also be a Student Helping Tree, information pamphlets on the Student Union, and much more.

“This is a great step forward for the Student Union because it’s not only increasing visibility of the Student Union and allowing the students to reach out and find us, but it’s also creating accessibility,” said the SU president.

“Currently the Student Union offices are not wheelchair accessible, which is kind of embarrassing,” said Vail. The new location will give students with disabilities access to the Student Union. With the SU offices in their current location, students in wheelchairs are forced to deal with the problem of SU staff needing to come up to the hall to talk to them.

This situation is far from ideal.

“What is fantastic about this is that we are going to be able to be wheelchair accessible, accessible to those students with disabilities, and I think it’s a fantastic move for the Student Union,” said Vail.

The new Welcome Centre has also furthered some other changes in the SUB. The Paper Trail will be moved into the Welcome Centre in January.

The photocopying and scanning services of the Paper Trail will be offered in the Welcome Centre, and the Centre will also sell tickets for concerts and events.

However, because of a deal that is ending with Canada Post, the SUB will no longer have a place to send packages after this term. Everything

STU paper down $2000 FROM AQ PAGE 1

newsroom funding would need to be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the student representative council.

Council met on Thursday, Oct. 30, where in a secret ballot, the 13 voting members voted 9-3 against a motion to honour the agreement with the Aquinian. One member abstained from voting.

Debate lasted close to three hours, the majority of which did not pertain to the actual agreement which was to be honoured.

Pertinent questions – such as the validity of the written agreement and the authority of Gallant promising nearly $3,000 before his presidential mandate began on May 1 – were largely ignored.

Discourse focused more so on issues such as ways around honouring the agreement, the Aquinian’s budgetary decisions, and the public availability of its constitution and budget.

Gallant remained quiet during the three hours of discussion, speaking only to make the initial motion and to remind members of meeting policy.

After making the motion at the start of the meeting, though, Gallant did note of the April 25 executive meeting that “at that time there was a consensus to approve it based on conditions in the proposal itself, as well as other proposals were met.”

Members of the executive expressed different views at council.

Both VP Student Life Mark Henick and VP Administration Corben McLean were vocal about finding alternatives to the donation of the money.

A loan from the SU was suggested as an alternative, but both Fox and Aquinian Editor-inChief Bailey White stated that they were not comfortable with such a proposal at the time. Both editors stated that a loan would result in burdening the existing or future editorial board of the Aquinian.

Nearing the two-hour mark of the meeting, debate continued over issues unrelated to the initial contract. Some persons in attendance questioned the discussions.

“It’s not our money we’re playing with,” SU General Manager Tina Reissner said. “We’re playing with students’ money. Essentially, the students are shareholders and we should focus on that.”

Fox explained that he was more concerned about the fundamental

argument.

“Under the terms of the contract, what could be done?” he said.

No one on council directly answered the question, though Henick reiterated the loan, which Fox said was not the stipulation in the initial contract.

The funding for the newsroom was originally intended to come from the STU SU’s surplus from the previous academic year.

SU General Manager Tina Reissner said at council that the Union’s accountant warned them in May not to spend their surplus, but Fox said that no one alerted any Aquinian staff member of this until after they made purchases in August to enhance their newsroom.

“If this doesn’t get approved,” said Fox at council, “then the actions of the Union are directly hurting students and the paper.

If we weren’t guaranteed this, we wouldn’t have spent this money.”

No official minutes were taken at the executive meeting in April when the decision of the grant was reportedly made. According to STU SU bylaws, these meetings are considered confidential. At times when the STU students’ representative council is unable to meet, such as during the summertime, governing power falls upon the executive council.

the brunswickan. anyone can write or shoot for the bruns.

drop us a line at 447.3388, editor@thebruns.ca or come to our weekly story and photo meetings in SUB room 35, wednesdays at 12:30.

else that the Paper Trail does will remain, and it will all be transferred over into the Welcome Centre in the winter semester.

So when will this new Welcome Centre open? “Well right now we’re going through the motions of getting the Welcome Centre painted and getting everything finalized,” the president explained. “But it will be open this semester. Probably some time in November,” she said.

The cost of opening up the Welcome Centre will be minimal.

The University is going to pay for the painting, and the general transformation from the old Travel Cuts building into the Welcome Centre. The Student Union is going to move some of their computers and equipment up into the new space, so that will also help to minimize costs.

The Welcome Centre will give the students a place to go with their questions, and it will bring the SU up from the burrows of the SUB and out into the open. The Student Union, says Vail, will be more visible and it will be better able to foster relations with the students.

The Carleton FreePress, after less than a year in business, has ended publication. The small independent newspaper was published out of Woodstock, New Brunswick as an independent voice for Carleton County, and serve an alternative to the Woodstock Bugle-Observer.

The Bugle-Observer is owned

by Irving’s Brunswick News Inc, which owns all of the province’s English-language dailies and most of its weeklies.

On Monday, Oct. 27, the FreePress printed its final issue.

“We have tried everything,” said FreePress founder and publisher Ken Langdon in a recent press release. “Our staff has been heroic, right down to the last person. We’ve got a good paper. We’ve earned a place in the fabric of Carleton County, but in the end we simply cannot compete with Irving’s financial power.”

“For most of our short lifetime we have been beating very long odds,” wrote FreePress editor Bob Rupert in one of his final editorials.

Earlier this year, the Canadian Association of Journalists awarded the FreePress its prestigious Presidents’ Award for its “dedication to serving their community with an independent eye.”

The FreePress was put in a bad situation when the BugleObserver announced that it was cutting its ad prices in half

for the next year and its per issue price for customers from $1.25 to 25 cents. Last week, it offered a yearlong special buy at 29 per cent of its regular ad rate.

“Brunswick News can afford to drop a few million dollars here to get the BugleObserver’s monopoly back and the Irving chain’s manager is willing to do what it takes here to discourage any others who might take heart from our success to compete in other New Brunswick markets,” said Langdon.

The general manager of weekly newspapers for Brunswick News, Kelly Madden, disagrees with Langdon’s assessment. In a press release issued Monday, Madden stated that the BugleObserver’s ad rates actually increased by 4.5 per cent over the last year.

“The Carleton Free Press failed to note that they were first offering free newspapers when the Bugle Observer responded with a 25 cent newspaper offering. What The Carleton FreePress failed to disclose was that the Bugle Observer’s 25 cent newspaper offering was valid for 4 weeks only between September 12 and October 5th – a much shorter duration than the free newspaper offering by the Carleton FreePress,” Madden said.

As when any publication shuts down, it is the readers who suffer. The FreePress was a fresh voice in New Brunswick that brought something different to the table.

“We feel badly for our readers, we feel badly for our advertisers and we feel badly for a community that really needs an honest paper with the courage to publish all of the news – even if it hurts,” said Rupert.

In the end, the little paper that could, couldn’t.

brunswickanopinion

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 4

editor@thebruns.ca

STU SU’s internal flaws hurting students Editorial

the brunswickan Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief • Josh O’Kane Managing • Tony von Richter News • Sarah Ratchford Arts • Doug Estey Sports • Mitchell Bernard Photo • Andrew Meade Copy • Dan Hagerman Production • Christian Hapgood Online • Dave Evans Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

Internal policy flaws and potential misuse of power and judgment have landed the Aquinian, the official student newspaper of St. Thomas University and a sister publication of the Brunswickan, in a tough financial position.

Debate raged on for nearly three hours last Thursday night at STU’s student council meeting, although there were very few questions raised about the real issue at hand – whether or not the SU would go through with a promise made in writing by its own president.

Instead of debating the actual motion to honour the agreement, and if not, why the agreement should not be honoured – councillors and executive members rambled on proposing alternatives and loopholes to avoid spending the money that was promised.

The problem is that these junior politicos were so blinded by looking for these alternatives and loopholes that they neglected to recognize their own folly – their elected president had already promised the money to the Aquinian.

However, policy restrictions reportedly force the STU SU to take issues such as this to a twothirds majority vote.

The issue that should have been debated then was whether or not STU SU President Duncan Gallant had the authority to guarantee the funding. Is this SRC policy retroactive? Or was it in effect when the decision was made in the first place? In either case, should Gallant be chastised for abusing his power? The STU SU constitution does note that the executive body (which Gallant said was in consensus about the funding, provided the Aquinian achieved certain objectives) has the

Contributors Ashley Bursey, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Josh Fleck, Colin Hodd, Nick Howard, Kerri Krawec, Brandon McNeil, Colin McPhail, Greg Melanson, Cameron Mitchell, Jens Ourom, Hilary Paige Smith, Steve Smith, Lisa Solte & Alex Wickwire.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Drop by SUB room 35 to get involved.

Kyle Albright / Special to The Brunswickan

The STU SU voted 9-3 last Thursday against honouring a verbal and written agreement their president had already made with the Aquinian promising funding to refurbish their newsroom. The Aquinian spent out of their own small surplus to do so, only to find they would not be reimbursed. authority in the summer months council debated for nearly three Compromising this well-being decision, reneging on a previous to make governing decisions for hours over how they could avoid could very well also compromise guarantee that could have strong the SU because the representative giving money to another student the freedom of publication of consequences, legal or otherwise. council is not in session. group, when it was already the Aquinian, as well as the While this is a STU issue on the Gallant stated at council that guaranteed to the group. Or was opportunities available to their small scale, it’s an issue that is there was consensus among the it guaranteed? If or if not, how student writers and editors. important on a broader scale. If The funding the Aquinian it can happen to this group of executive at the April 25 meeting effective is the group’s own internal requested was to refurbish their students at STU, who’s to say that – and yet at least two VP’s, Mark policy?

Henick and Corben McLean, The Brunswickan editorial board newsroom. We at the Brunswickan it won’t happen to another group both vehemently tried to escape does not support the actions of the know the importance of an effective at STU, or at another university? honouring the agreement last STU SU. Ineffective measures of newsroom, and how crucial it is to It should greatly concern week. What happened here? accountability and faulty internal maintain an effective space for a students at any institution that an This in turn brings up the policy have compromised the newspaper production schedule elected body can apparently decide issue that no official minutes were financial situation of another while having a space for students to to reverse a prior decision and taken at the executive meeting student group. Therefore we drop by and voice their concerns. effectively compromise a fellow on April 25, where the funding remind students – whether they To say that the newsroom that this student organization due to their was supposedly granted to the go to UNB or STU – that it year’s Aquinian editorial board own internal policy issues. This Aquinian. It was stated at council is fundamentally important to inherited was in rough shape decision harms the Aquinian, that it is not policy to take minutes challenge the decisions made by would be an understatement – and their student voice, which in turn we therefore throw our support harms the students they serve. The at executive meetings. your elected governing bodies.

The real debate at council should While we are not STU behind making their newsroom Brunswickan is fairly certain that have been over how accountable students, this issue has severely more accessible. harming student constituents is Whether or not this issue opens against the STU SU’s mandate. the STU SU executive is. affected the financial well-being STU’s student representative of another member of the press. up again, the STU SU made a poor -The Brunswickan editorial board

letters to the editor.

Dear editor, Last week’s article by Sarah Ratchford entitled “Inquiry launched” contained a number of factual errors and unqualified information.

Although I appreciate the Brunswickan’s efforts to raise awareness within the student body about hatemotivated activity on campus, I believe that it is important to correct three important points that were misreported in the

article.

First, the article did not qualify the context of the postings made by the accused student on the prank.org website. Despite the innocuous sounding name of the website, much of the content contained within it is virulently racist, sexist, and homophobic.

The offensive content posted by the accused student had nothing to do with pranks or jokes (and even if it had, such things do not excuse the promotion of hatred

and genocide).

Instead, the student’s postings were elaborate pseudo-scientific arguments in favour of a dangerously fascistic white supremacist worldview.

Second, the article incorrectly stated that the firearms which the accused student posted photos of were “air rifles”. There were no photos of “air rifles” posted. The accused student posted photos of handguns and semi-automatic military-style rifles which they allegedly own.

These are all deadly weapons that are classified as restricted firearms in Canada. The accused student also posted a description of how they effectively conceal a handgun in their jacket, and directed others on how to do the same.

Third, it was mistakenly reported in the article that I am “concerned mainly with pictures of guns posted by the student.”

This is not the case. I had stated

that I believed the main concern of UNB’s administration to be the pictures of the guns posted by the accused student. My main concern is with the hatemotivated material that was posted on the website. I have stated this consistently since I first brought the issue to the attention of the Dean of Law. There is little or nothing that I can do about firearms owned by an alleged bigot. However, there is much that we as students united together can do about hate activity within our campus community. The racist, sexist, homophobic, religiously intolerant, and genocidal material posted by the accused student is my main concern, and it is what I believe that we as students must actively expose, oppose, and confront whenever it appears at UNB or elsewhere.

Shane Martinez LLB Candidate (2010)

TANNING SPECIALS

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About Us The Brunswickan, in its 142nd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a nonprofit, 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 10,000.

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 400 words 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 Editor-in-Chief.

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The fine art of bovine defecate The Opinionator Nick Howard I have been accused of bullshitting.

This seems to be an inherently negative term, but I think that assumption requires some examination. So what is bullshit?

Harry Frankfurt, professor emeritus of philosophy at Princeton University, wrote a book simply titled On Bullshit. In it he makes a distinction between lying and bullshit. Where the liar is concerned with avoiding the truth, the bullshitter is lacking any concern whatsoever toward the truth.

Frankfurt offers this insight into bullshit: “bullshit is often used to make the audience believe that one knows far more about the topic by feigning total certainty or making probable predictions.” In other words, bullshit is the skill of appearing knowledgeable about topics with which one has only a cursory familiarity. Then, why the negativity? Bullshit certainly sounds like a useful skill.

Before I go much further I would like to blame science, a stance which is only too rarely taken. We constantly hear how universally awful religion is, so now it’s science’s turn. Science has ruined the art of bovine defecate.

This most exalted of arts has been denigrated by the scientific obsession with empirical truth. Where, may I ask, is the beauty and adventure in a world lacking in bullshit?

In fact, I will go so far as to say that bullshit is safe. It may be a negative term, but it is not going anywhere. I

know this because I go to university.

I go to classes without reading the text and speak intelligently about the content. I write papers having flipped Superman-style through the book under examination. But it’s ok! I refuse to feel guilty anymore.

Instead I will celebrate this wonderful ability that is bullshit. And finally we bullshitters have a spokesperson.

Pierre Bayard in his new ironic book, How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read puts to ease the bullshitter’s mind: “…it is sometimes easier to do justice to a book if you haven’t read it in its entirety – or even opened it.

Throughout this book I will insist on the risks of reading – so frequently underestimated – for anyone who intends to talk about books...”

This should be required reading (or at least skimming) for all University students. Bullshit is as necessary on a University campus as breathing.

And Mr. Bayard would know, he is a professor of French Literature at the University of Paris. Finally, someone to whom we can rally – Bullshitters Unite! It mustn’t be a closeted term anymore; it belongs out in the open, to be appreciated. I know you use it, and I know you love it.

What would life be without the joys of bovine defecate? Dull, monotonous and frighteningly Brave New World-esque (yes I’ve actually read that one). So relax, don’t worry about the truth, and just let something interesting come to you.

The Opinionator is a weekly opinion column by UNB student Nick Howard, presenting a no-holds barred approach to current events or anything that smacks of unquestioned perspective. He can be reached at nphoward@gmail. com.

brunswickanopinion

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 5

Taking advantage of the brilliance of society Student Beat Jon O’Kane

In 1968, the USS Scorpion lost communication with naval bases and was missing somewhere at sea. No information was known regarding its speed, trajectory, or how much time had elapsed between engine failure and communication loss. The search to find the lost vessel seemed impossible, given so little circumstantial information was available.

A navy officer and mathematician, Dr. John Craven, assembled a group of Navy officials, current specialists, mathematicians, and other relevant experts to determine the resting place of the vanished submarine. Intriguingly, these experts were encouraged to work independently and provide

individual answers of the location of Scorpion using the skill set and background they were strongest in.

No expert was able to locate the ship on their own.

However, Dr. Craven aggregated the knowledge of the experts, compiling the data and producing a weighted mean of their calculations.

The group’s mean location was only off by a few hundred yards and the Scorpion was salvaged.

This is just one remarkable example of how, provided the opportunity for people to produce solutions, independently collected, humans are astonishingly smart.

We can learn much form the amazing case of Dr. Craven and the Scorpion. If we, as a society, can collectively produce near ideal responses to intrinsically complicated problems, we should exercise this ability more often.

As our province continues to grow, we must bolster our postsecondary education programs.

Universities and colleges in New

Brunswick have a long history of being critically underfunded.

We must, and our government has committed to, transform the way we approach education to ensure that every qualified, capable New Brunswick student has access to an affordable education.

Back room decisions and the politics of personalities have shaped financial aid structures into the product of a few legislators with personal agendas. To truly transform our education in the best interests of our students and provincial community, we must consult the masses.

Just as Dr. Craven was able to find the Scorpion, taking advantage of the brilliance of our society can lead us ever closer to the ideal policies of structuring financial aid and funding out universities.

The government has spoken and, especially after students and community members rallied to save UNBSJ, the premier and his cabinet promised to listen to the province’s concerns and value the opinion of all relevant

The ugly head of pointless bureaucracy Mugwump Tony von Richter

Ridiculous IOC regulations could mean an unfamiliar looking Team Canada in 2010

The event that I’m looking forward to the most at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is easily the men’s hockey tournament.

It will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the year when a team of all-stars takes the ice wearing the familiar red and white uniforms of Hockey Canada.

Except things won’t look so familiar if a long-ignored International Olympic Committee ruling is enforced.

Starting with a few teams in the Beijing Olympics (notably the Brazilian and Argentinean soccer teams), the IOC refused to allow individual sport federations to display a logo on their jerseys.

According to the IOC’s website the organization acts as a catalyst to the Olympic Movement, the goal of which is: “to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”

It’s been a few days since

this story broke and I’m still wondering what part of “friendship, solidarity and fair play” that ridiculous jersey regulations fall under. In fact, the IOC is actually hurting the goal of the Olympic movement to “educate youth through sport” as this decision may make hockey less accessible to Canadians.

Hockey Canada President Bob Nicholson told the Canadian Press that Hockey Canada may have to raise their registration fees for the first time in a few years due to lost revenue from jersey sales and other revenue related to the Hockey Canada logo.

Now I’m sure there was some type of important principle for the IOC to create this rule in the first place, but enforcing it after years of ignoring it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially when it could hurt the development of sport in countries around the world.

To me this is pointless bureaucracy, and the IOC is enforcing rules just because they are there, not because

they actually provide a positive benefit.

There are very few things in this world that make me angry, but pointless bureaucracy is right at the top of the list.

The IOC isn’t alone in this pointlessness however as the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has refused to sign a form requesting that Hockey Canada be exempt from the jersey policy, something they have done many times in the past. The COC hasn’t provided a valid explanation for not signing off on Hockey Canada’s request, other than to say that the rule is now being enforced unlike previous Olympics.

It’s often been said that when you play for Team Canada, you play for the logo on the front not for the name on the back. Unfortunately, because of some pointless regulations, there may not be a logo to play for anymore.

Tony von Richter is the Managing Editor of the Brunswickan. Feel free to contact him at managing@ thebruns.ca.

stakeholders.

These stakeholders, including the UNB Student Union, have agreed that current funding mechanisms such as the $2,000 First Year Student Bursary are ill methods of addressing the affordability of education. How can we restructure financial aid to ensure that no student is left behind?

Implement an annual student loan debt cap of $6,000, for example. When the government assesses need through student loan applications, allow for any requiredfundsoverafixedamount such as $6,000 to be distributed in the form of a non-repayable grant. This would in turn, cap an average New Brunswick four year undergraduate degree at less than $24,000, ahead of the national average. This provincial mechanism would complement federal programs which target funding at low and middle income students.

Put in place a repayment assistance program that provides for no student to pay more than their ability to pay. An income contingent loan repayment

program could cap payments at 20 per cent of a student income such that they are not constantly burdened and unable to provide for themselves once leaving school. We must apply a sunset clause to this policy, though, to ensure that no student making smaller payments is accumulating interest as time elapses and they pay off their loan more slowly.

In Nova Scotia, a new program absolves provincial student loans after 15 years.

Provide access grants to underrepresented groups and, most importantly, enhance early outreach programs to convey to young students the value of an education. No cultural, social, or financial barrier should stand in the way of a student and their potential.

These policies are the pragmatic solution to financial aid mismanagement that our provincial government is searching for. Ask the crowd, the experts, and the specialists and the collective answer of these policies addresses the high need high debt crisis that New Brunswick is facing.

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tell us. send your letters to the editor via email by friday at 5 p.m. maximum 400 words.

editor@thebruns.ca

We have only a short time to see these policies addressed in the provincial budget. Premier Shawn Graham stated in June 2006 that the direction of financial aid will be decided in the next year. The Spring budget is being developed as every day passes. The government knows the position that the crowd has offered, but will they respond and address the changes that need to happen?

Do what you can to shape the direction New Brunswick approaches education and join the cause for an affordable, accessible education for all.

New Brunswick is searching frantically for our Scorpion of education. Will politicians invest our money in an endeavour that will be miles off? Or will they adhere to wisdom of the masses, and take progressive steps towards the best solution? There has never been a better time to listen.

Jon O’Kane is VP External of the UNB Student Union. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB student leaders examining issues that are pertinent to students.

6 • Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10• Volume 142

iewpoint V

brunswickanopinion

The old man rant

the brunswickan.

Question: What is another store you would like to see in the SUB?

“XXX movie store.”

Bob Saget

“West 49.”

Dale

“Grocery store or market.”

Jon Burns

“An art gallery.”

Kevin Jervis

“A Classy Chinese outfit.”

Ryan MacDonald

“A DVD rental place with a GOOD selection.” Sean Smith

“A Pharmacy.”

Dara Kelly

“An Arcade.”

Matt Judd

“Subway.”

Sean Campbell

I

a satire from Dave Evans

don’t know what all of the buzz is about. I didn’t go, but I heard that Buzz Hargrove, former head of the Canadian Auto Workers union, was at UNB a little while ago, talking about the necessity and benefit of labour union activity in Canada. What a bunch of bull. There was a time, yes, that labour unions provided protection from “evil capitalist monsters,” cackling in the shadows with greasy moustaches, “exploiting” their workers.

However, I’m pretty sure that things called workers’ rights bills and government legislation prevent blatant abuse of employees here in the Canada of today. Yet, the ridiculousness somehow persists; a bunch of people seem to think that they should get paid the most they can, for the least amount of work. I’m pretty sure I saw a news headline somewhere that said, “Hargrove promotes hard-work and determination.” That’s rich, considering the CAW seems to think someone who only has their grade ten should have the right to make $40 an hour by tightening a bolt for seven hours a day. I’m sure there are tons of single mothers out there, forced to work three minimum wage jobs to feed their kids, while some union guy rolls around in his money bin for doing nothing. The only person allowed to have a money bin is Scrooge McDuck, and I’m sure if his workers tried to unionize, he’d beat the hell out of them with his pimp cane. Not to mention all that garbage the CAW was spewing out of their mouths a while back about forcing GM to keep their plants open, just so they can protect their damn jobs. GM can’t AFFORD to keep these plants open, making cars/trucks that no one wants to buy, but that’s alright, because again, some people are afraid they’ll have to work REAL jobs. I guarantee you that the big three, GM, Ford and Chrysler will go bankrupt because they won’t be able to afford to pay their workers anymore; good job Buzz, you’re putting your own guys out of work.

They whine and complain that all the jobs are being sent to Mexico; AGAIN, it’s only because they can’t pay them what they want.

You want to keep your job? How about you ask for a realistic wage and work with your company instead of putting your foot in your mouth. We need more examples like Wal-Mart; workers try to unionize, simply shut down the store and tell them to go to hell. You ever wonder why they have everyday low prices? Well now you know.

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 7

brunswickansports

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 8

sports@thebruns.ca

Reds drop the ball in AUS finals

After landing the best record in season, the Reds fall short in the final

V-Reds Results Wednesday, october 29th Hockey UNB - 7 STU - 4 Friday, October 31st Men’s Basketball UNB - 80 Husson College - 82 Saturday, November 1st Men’s Soccer UNB - 1 UPEI - 0

Colin McPhail The Brunswickan

It was a tale of heartbreak for the UNB men’s soccer team this past weekend at the AUS Championships. After a thrilling victory in the semi-finals, the Reds lost in the championship game by one goal.

UNB travelled to Mount Allison with confidence as they were seated first overall at the end of the regular season. Their strong play through the season resulted in a bye for the quarter-finals. The quarters were played on Friday and saw the host Mounties fall to the hands of Dalhousie 2-0. Then later that day UPEI defeated Moncton 3-1.

The following day, UNB faced UPEI in the semi-finals. It was a well played match that saw the Reds control most of the play and create good scoring chances, but they couldn’t cash in. After 120 minutes of playing time, the scoreless game went to a shootout.

UNB’s penalty shot takers were perfect as they went five for five, while UPEI failed to convert on their last attempt and the Reds took the shootout 5-4 and advanced to the final.

“Against UPEI it was a hard fought game,” said UNB coach Miles Pinsent. “With Ken Morrison and Nagib Miguel out of the starting line-up other players

Men’s Basketball UNB - 75 Lee Academy - 92 Hockey UNB - 2 St. FX - 5 Men’s Volleyball UNB - 3 MUN - 0 Sunday, November 2nd Women’s Basketball UNB - 66 U Maine Orono - 78 Special to the Brunswickan

Despite a strong season effort, and a thrilling victory over UPEI in the semi-finals, the UNB Varsity Reds fell to the Dalhousie Tigers in the championship game of the AUS men’s soccer finals on Sunday. needed to fill some big roles. Ashley Crook, Keegan Marcus, and Pablo Urbina all really stepped up their play. UPEI never really threatened to score and we failed to convert our chances. The boys came through in the shoot-out though going a perfect five for five to win it.”

After edging Saint-Mary’s 2-1 in the other semi-final, the Dalhousie Tigers took the field against the Reds on Sunday afternoon for the AUS Championship. It was an exciting game that saw both teams trading chances and creating good offensive pressure, but only to be turned away by an equally strong

One-on-one with...

Adeel-Sahibzada

Kristen Johnson

defensive pressure. The Tigers struck first from free kick that was sent into the eighteen-yard box where it was potted in to give them a 1-0 lead. The Reds turned it up a notch but could not solve the posts or Tigers’ keeper Ben Ur, the eventual tournament MVP. The squad gave it their all, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough as their season came to a close at the final whistle and the Dalhousie Tigers were crowned 2008 AUS champions.

“The field was in bad shape,” commented Pinsent at the end of the weekend. “The rough terrain

dictated that it was not going to be the tidy possession game that the Varsity Reds prefer. Instead all of the teams were forced to play long balls and try and get in position to fight for the knock downs and play from there. The UNB boys adapted well to the pitch. They played very disciplined defence in both games. The difficulty was in creating chances on goal and then converting them. I am proud of the guys and they way they conducted themselves and they way they played all season. There were some real gutsy performances from injured players like Ken Morrison,

Galen Smith, and Matt Lally.”

Now the Reds must look toward the future. They will lose some key players, but in turn have a great crop of young talent for the next few years. UNB fell short this year, but will take this defeat and turn it into motivation for the 2009 season.

“I am pleased with how the many young players that we used this year reacted to the league. We will be a strong side again in 2009 and over the next few years. Obviously one of our recruiting priorities will be around finding players that will help us score goals.”

Reds win Battle of the Hill

Men’s Volleyball UNB - 3 MUN - 0 Women’s Volleyball UNB - 3 ACA - 0 Men’s Soccer UNB - 0 DAL - 1 Hockey UNB - 3 SMU - 4

Upcoming V-Reds Events Friday, November 7th Hockey St. FX @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Saturday, November 8th Women’s Volleyball MUN @ UNB 2:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Women’s Basketball ACA @ UNB 6:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym

Brandon MacNeil The Brunswickan

Hockey SMU @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre

UNB Media Services

UNB Media Services

Sport: Men’s Basketball Yr: 1

Sport: Women’s Basketball Yr: 1

Why did you choose UNB? I chose UNB because of coach Baker. I was really impressed at how he approached his players.

Coach Baker showed tremendous commitment to the program and its players. Furthermore, my teammate Lonzel Lowe also made a commitment to attend UNB.

Why did you choose UNB? I chose UNB because I was able to receive my education, and I want to continue playing basketball with the V-Reds.

Best piece of advice from a coach?

“Play like you are the best and train like you are in second place.”

Coach O’Neill.

Who was your childhood idol?

Prophet Muhammed (SAW) – he is a true role model for me, and everyone else in this world. He has had the greatest influence in my life and he truly is a shining example to follow.

What is your desired profession?

To be a high school math and physical education teacher, while coaching school teams.

What was your first job?

I was a cashier at Safeway for two years.

What is your personal goal this year?

To make myself, everyone from home, my team, my coach, and the university proud for their choice of bringing me in from Regina.

The Aitken University Centre drew a large crowd last Wednesday when the Varsity Reds opened their home schedule against St. Thomas.

The annual “Battle of the Hill” was an entertaining game for fans that featured periodic displays of finesse, but was overshadowed by some sloppy play.

After introductions of the 20082009 V-Reds, and last year’s AUS championship banner being elevated to the rafters, it was time for puck drop.

It didn’t take long for the Reds to get the fans cheering. Less than a minute in, Jimmy Cuddihy took advantage of an awkward bounce, and slid it past Matt Davis, the St. Thomas net minder.

Five minutes later, on the power play, Justin “Chavez” DaCosta found himself pinching in the slot and able to fire a Justin Bailey rebound into the back of the net.

Half way through the first frame, STU was credited with a controversial goal. Several St. Thomas players were hacking at the loose puck, while goaltender Derek Yeomans was sprawling across the net. Yeomans made a couple pad saves on the goal line before the ref called a goal.

“It was an absurd call,” said Dave Bowman, who was on the ice at the time. “The referee wasn’t even in the right position to make the call.”

The Reds were not too fazed however, as they restored their two goal lead shortly after. Again, on the power play, Hunter Tremblay took a pass from Kyle Bailey and rifled it passed Davis.

Davis was forced to make several big saves toward the end of the first

Men’s Basketball ACA @ UNB 8:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Sunday, November 9th Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNB forward Rob Pearce (18) collides with a St. Thomas player in action at the Aitken Centre last Wednesday. The Reds defeated the Tommies 7-4. period, as UNB dominated the play, forcing STU to take numerous penalties.

St. Thomas was back within one goal at the start of the second period.

Seventeen seconds later, Kevin Henderson tipped a shot from the point, to beat Davis.

After getting into some penalty troubles, UNB allowed another goal on a 5-on-3 disadvantage. Once again, however, they responded instantly, as Tremblay netted his second of the game, with a beautiful snap shot to the top shelf.

Late in second period, rookie defenseman Jonathan Harty coughed up the puck, causing a 3-on1. STU capitalized with a goal, to bring them within one, despite being grossly outshot.

Rookie goaltender Travis Fullerton, of Riverview, N.B., came in to start the third period. Yeomans was replaced after a shaky two periods.

At the halfway point of the final period, Jimmy Cuddihy doubled the lead, with his second of the game.

Soon after, fresh off making the save of the game, Matt Davis went down in a heap of pain, with what looked like a groin strain. This forced St. Thomas’ backup goaltender, Guilliaume Miszczak, to enter the

game.

Beautiful passing by the V-Reds brought them into STU territory, where Kyle Bailey flipped the puck over Miszczak’s pad. Davis then reentered the game, after Miszczak let in a goal on the only shot he faced, leaving him with a sparkling goal against average.

Several scrums broke out late in the game, as frustration settled in for the winless St. Thomas team.

The game ended 7-4 for UNB. Fullerton was only forced to make one save in his one period of action, as STU was outshot 43-13.

Saturday night, UNB was on the road, in Antigonish, to battle St. FX. The Reds lost the 5-2, despite outshooting their opponent.

On Sunday, the Reds were in Halifax, facing St. Mary’s in an afternoon affair. UNB continued its struggles and suffered another loss, this time in overtime. Their record now sits at 3-1-2.

This weekend, St. FX and St. Mary’s are both in town to face the V-Reds. UNB will be looking for revenge on both teams after this weekend past. St. FX will take on the Reds Friday night, while St. Mary’s will face off with them Saturday.

Puck drop for both games is set for 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball ACA @ UNB 1:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Men’s Basketball ACA @ UNB 3:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym

Athletes of the Week

Jennifer Acheson (left) Swimming 1st Year BSc St.Stephen, NB

Kyle VanGenne (right) Vollyball 3rd Year BRSS Dawson Creek, BC

brunswickansports

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 9

A BRIEF LOOK AT A WEEKEND’S WORTH OF UNB SPORTS Woodsmen stand in first place at break The UNB Woodsmen have jumped out of the gate quickly in the 2008-2009 campaign, garnering 2,394 points in their first two competitions, good enough for sole possession of first place in the Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (C.I.L.A.). This past weekend, the team visited Sir Sanford Flemming College in Lindsay, Ontario. The men’s A & B teams finished third and fourth overall, while the women’s team finished third overall in their division.

Men’s cross-country off to CIS championships The UNB cross-country team will be off to the CIS championships this weekend, after qualifying for the event at the AUS championships held in Moncton on Oct. 25.

The men’s cross-country team finished second in the Atlantic championships, high enough to earn a berth in the national finals. Matt Pieterson, a 2008 national duathlon champion finished 3rd, Adam Campbell, a national team member in both triathlon and mountain running, finished 8th place, co-captain Shawn Miller finished 14th, co-captain Derek Ferguson finished 21st, and Peter Gaudet rounded out the UNB roster in 28th.

This past weekend’s competition marks the end of the first half of season for UNB. The men and women’s teams will take a well-deserved break until Christmas before their next competition on Jan. 31, at McGill University in Montreal.

The CIS championships are hosted by Laval and will be held on Saturday on the Plaines d’Abraham.

Swimmers capture numerous medals at double duel meet UNB swimmers captured 20 medals this weekend in Halifax while dueling both Dalhousie Tigers and the Mount Alison Mounties. The UNB Reds came home victorious on both the men and women’s side against the Mount Alison Mounties, with the men winning the dual 63-33, and the women beating the Mounties 77-28. Dalhousie was the winner of both their duels against the Varsity Reds.

Women’s Rugby capture Maritime championship It was a spectacular end to the season for the women’s rugby squad.

The UNB women’s rugby team captured the Maritime University championships this past weekend when they defeated Dalhousie 7-0, on UNB’s home turf.

On Sunday at Loyalist’s Field, UNB came out with one of their best efforts of the season. UNB’s Janet Jorgennson scored the lone try of the match, while Maggie Pitts made the convert to give UNB a 7-0 advantage. UNB then held off Dalhousie on en route to claim the Maritime title.

UNB scored two gold medals in the women 200m freestyle by Jennifer Acheson and in the women 400m by Shannon Donnelly. UNB scored another 17 silver and bronze medals in various races. The Reds next duel will take place on Nov. 15 when they head to Mt. A.

Women’s Volleyball take match against Acadia On Sunday, the women’s volleyball team faced off against Acadia on their home court.

UNB brought home a straight set victory 25-21, 25 18, 32-30 against the Axewomen.

The Reds won behind terrific blocking and the strong leadership of Melanie Doucette.

Doucette was busy setting up the big attacks of Jill Blanchard, Erica Hay, Christina Ross, Tanya Paulin, and Barb Vriends, on her way to a player of the match. Next action for V-Reds is Saturday, Nov. 8 when they take on MUN.

Shaw talks championship chemistry Alex Wickwire The Brunswickan

The UNB Cougars baseball club team leader Peter Shaw is a twotime national champion. He is best known for his pitching performances at the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball championships over the past two seasons and notably, his back-toback no-hitters thrown in the 2007 championships in Moncton. Being the winning pitcher in the Canadian national championship game, Shaw attained something any ball player would want on his resume. On top of that, he is one of the top players in the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association. Shaw sat down with the Bruns to speak his mind and reflect on the baseball team’s recent success.

It has been an amazing two seasons for the Cougars baseball club. Winning back-to-back titles shows not only the team’s depth, but it’s ability to still field a superior team year after year. When asked about the two national titles, Pete replied, “I didn’t think that we’d win the first one. I knew we were a foolish team going into this year, and then about half way through the season the bats

weren’t producing and people were hurt. But after we won the first one, and I knew we could win the second one.”

Baseball is a game that you can fail at seven out of 10 times and still be considered successful. This knowledge usually leads to ball players being very relaxed and goofy individuals. The UNB team is no different. Shaw is just one of the team’s many outrageous personalities on the Cougars club, and he elaborated on what it was like playing “on a team of idiots.”

“Last year, [I was] shagging fly balls in the outfield. Sky Perley put out his hand and said, ‘Sky Perley, how are ya?’ From that point on, I just kinda felt in with the team,”said Shaw.

The national champions have some of the best team chemistry any manager could ask for. Head coach Mark “Sparky” Clark is beloved by his entire team, especially Shaw.

“Sparky is easily the most hilarious coach I’ve ever had. He knows his stuff really well. Sparky, he has a way with his teams - he makes us wanna play for him more than any other coach has done that for me. He treats us all like sons,” said Shaw.

Due to their competitive club status, the UNB Cougars do not receive much funding from the university in comparison to the varsity athletes on campus. Shaw shared his opinions on the team being considered a competitive club at UNB. “It kind of makes us who we are.

We play for the love of the game,” said Shaw.

In fact, the team doesn’t mind the club status, simply because it doesn’t pressure them off the field or at practice.

“Friday afternoon, I usually finish up Stats class and then head on down to the Cellar. Before practice, we all go down, have a pitcher or two,” said Shaw. After some beer, the team would head to Royals field to tune up before their weekend games. “We’d chat in the outfield, and when a ball would come, we’d throw elbows and wrestle for it. Maybe that’s why we’re so good - in a game it’s easy to catch a ball when nobody’s around you,” said Shaw jokingly.

Whatever the reason, rest assured that Shaw and the UNB Cougars will be training hard in the off-season to prepare for a run at their third straight national championship.

In men’s action, the UNB Ironmen were unable to claim their fourth consecutive Maritime championship as they fell to Dalhousie, 29-0, in Halifax over the weekend.

Photos: (Top) Member of the UNB swim team has great start during a heat at the Dalhousie Double Dual meet this past weekend. Photo by Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan. (Right) Alex Feix en route to a first place in chainsaw at UNB. Photo by Grant Virgin / Submitted. (Bottom) The Reds dig an attack by Acadia in league play last Sunday. Photo by Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan. (Left) UNB women’s rugby team celebrates after capturing the Maritime championship. Photo by Chelsey Ellis / Submitted.

the brunswickan. come chat with the sports department.

weekly meetings every friday @ 11 a.m.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 • 10

Ageless beauty in the ballroom

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

After opening for Coldplay in late October, Stars headed up a long awaited show with Hey Rosetta! at the ballroom in UNB’S Student Union Building last Wednesday. The band shrugged off technical difficulties at the beginning of their set to deliver a blowaway performance. Lead singer Torquil Campbell finished the set by asking the entire audience to sit down on the floor as Stars rung out their last song.

A closer look at Fredericton’s artistic landscape Alison Clack

The Brunswickan

A young aspiring artist, or even someone who just calls music their hobby, may come to Fredericton and

think that there’s no opportunities for them. Scratch the surface, however, and there are dozens of centres and venues for new and old students to create and enjoy art all around the city.

Fredericton on the surface might not seem to have a great deal of opportunitiesforsomeonewhowants to create art. However, in reality there

are places all around town that cater to artistic endeavours, whether they be for someone looking to spend an hour on something creative or some looking to put something together with a lot more substance.

Those who might not have the ability or the opportunity to paint canvases but have an artistic itch to paint have to look no further than

the Clay Café. The Clay Café PaintYour-Own-Pottery Studio is located at 620 Queen Street downtown.

The café, as the name suggests, allows customers to come in and select an unfinished pottery piece that you would like to paint. After the pottery is painted the café fires it in the kiln and has it ready to use in a couple of days. The average pottery piece that most students might want ranges around $8 - $30 plus taxes.

Because of the pricing it might not be the kind of place that an average student can afford to frequent.

For something a little closer to home students can visit the Eaton Multimedia Centre in Marshall d’Avray Hall.

The centre, which isn’t widely know to most students outside the multimedia faculty, houses a great number of audio visual facilities, computer labs with production software, and sound recording labs.

An audio-visual equipment pool, which is open for all UNB students to use, is also housed in the building.

This is a place where students can take out various audio-visual equipment for the day - beware as stiff charges apply to students who bring things back late.

The Eaton multimedia lab is a great resource for any students looking to create short films or documentaries, record some music

(ideal for aspiring musicians), or the computer equipment to manipulate the work they already have.

For those who are more into appreciating the arts rather than creating them there are dozens of venues around town to see shows, watch plays, and view paintings and sculpture.

Probably the most famous of these locations is the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. The gallery, which was created by Lord Beaverbrook in the 1950’s, houses paintings by some of the world’s most famous artists.

Works by Sandro Botticelli, the Group of Seven, and Emily Carr can all be found within the Beaverbrook Art Gallery’s walls. In addition to those works the crown jewel of the gallery’s collection are works by Salvador Dali which are housed in the main lobby.

The gallery includes artists that many people in Fredericton would never have dreamed of seeing (the knowledgeable docents at the gallery will tell you that is exactly the reason why Beaverbrook built it). The cost of the gallery is minimal considering the calibre of art you get to see; it’s only $3 for students.

The Playhouse is another Fredericton staple for the arts.

Plays are always being shown at the Playhouse as well as musical acts.

Some incredible musicians have

played this stage including Ron Sexsmith, Leonard Cohen, and Wilco.

Upcoming events at the Playhouse include performances like, “Classic Albums Live: Led Zeppelin IV” which will happen on Thursday, Nov. 13.

If you’re looking for something a little more low-key then many of the local bars and cafés hold shows and open mic nights regularly.

Crumbs Café and Dolan’s Pub have open mic nights every week Fridays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10 p.m. respectively. The Capital also has open mic night every Tuesday night.

In addition to open mic night the Capital Bar Complex features dozens of artists playing every week. Within the past couple of weeks big-name acts like Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains and Two Hours Traffic have played there.

The city of Fredericton has also demonstrated its arts and culture opportunities to the government of Canada. The city has recently been named a ‘Culture Capital of Canada’ for 2009. The award means the city will receive up to $500,000 from the government of Canada.

The money from the award will, among other things, go towards artist-in-residency programs and public art projects.

Indie films with silver lining Doug Estey

The Brunswickan

November is an exciting time for movie buffs in Fredericton.

The fruitful relationship between the University of New Brunswick and the NB Film Coop will see the 8th annual Silver Wave Film Festival hit the capital city next week, where a total of 82 films will be screened.

UNB’s role with the NB Film Co-op and the festival itself dates back to the inception of the university’s film program in the 1990s when co-op member and professor Barry Cameron helped to establish a strong working connection between the two.

This year the campus’ Tilley Hall will serve once again as an important venue at Silver Wave.

The festival’s executive director Tony Merzetti is ecstatic.

“We’re very excited about the festival this year. There’s going to be a lot of great local talent on display.”

Almost half of the films being shown were produced right here in New Brunswick, with nine other countries being spoken for in the wide variety of international films hitting the big screen.

Merzetti explains the significance of the part the festival plays with UNB students.

“A lot of the students who go through the film program at UNB have gone on to produce films with the NB Film Coop. It was a natural fit that the university would be one of the main venues for the festival.”

One of the most talked about productions appearing the the Silver Wave Film Festival this year is Michael Melski’s Growing Op, which sparked a lot of local buzz last year during its filming and which will grace the Silver Wave

screen as the opening event.

Growing Op is a comedic tale of a teenage son looking to adhere to the normal status quo while being brought up by his two loving parents who also happen to be harbouring a marijuana growth operation in their home.

Melski, a critically acclaimed playwright and filmmaker from Nova Scotia, wrote and directed the film. If this production is to set the stage for other things to come at the Silver Wave Film Festival, then it’s looking inevitably like an event that shouldn’t be missed.

All-access passes for the festival are $50 a pop, but students can obtain $20 passes for all Tilley Hall screenings.

The Silver Wave Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, November 13 at 8 p.m. with Growing Op showing at Tilley Hall 102. If you aren’t interested in a pass, then you can catch the show along with a kickoff gala precursor at the Crowne Plaza for $8 with a valid student ID.

brunswickanarts

Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142 •11

A place to park their van and drink Alison Clack

The Brunswickan

Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains recently came to Fredericton to play at the Capital Complex’s ‘Pop Explosion Hits Fredericton.”’

The concert series consisted of nearly a week of musical acts, a great number of whom happened to also plai in Halifax for the Pop Explosion weekend. The concerts featured artists like Two Hours Traffic, Tom Fun Orchestra, Matthew Barber, and The d’Urbervilles.

The Capital’s “Pop Explosion Hits Fredericton” started on Oct. 21, and culminated in the final show on Oct. 28, in which Grainger headlined.

The show, which was on a rainy Tuesday night, had a disappointing turnout for the level of artist that was playing but it didn’t seem to deter the band from playing a great show.

The band seemed to be using the show as a chance to have fun and drink. Grainger said at the beginning of the set that the band came because it was an opportunity to park their van and drink.

The band also seemed to use it to

Pop Tart Ashley Bursey

Mike Erb / The Brunswickan

Following up on their explosive performances in Halifax a few days prior, Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains appeared at The Capital on Tuesday, Oct. 28. check out some of the acts that played before them. Grainger could be seen throughout the show hanging out in the audience and watching both Jellyroll and Owen Steel play before he took the stage.

When Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains did finally take the stage at around 1 a.m. the atmosphere in the bar seemed to change completely.

Despite the limited number of people the place seemed to be teeming with energy.

The room became one hot and

sweaty mess of drunken people and wicked music. The band gave the show all they had despite saying they were only there to “park their van and get drunk,” according to Grainger.

Throughout the show the band interacted with the audience. Bassist Nick Sewell held his bass out for the audience several times allowing them to hit strings as he strummed.

The band also seemed to be incredibly into their music – not necessarily in a pompous or arrogant way but that they were passionate

about it. Grainger had his eyes closed most of the set; he seemed stuck in the moment in the music.

The CDs and band paraphernalia at the end of the show were almost all gone. The band, however, was willing to stick around, say hi, and sign merchandise for anyone who wanted.

Upcoming shows at the Capital include Stereo Airing and She Roars! on Friday, Nov. 7; & Scott MacDonald, The Names and Faces, and All of Green on Saturday, Nov. 8.

No one in the crowd seemed bothered or daunted about coming back to the show at the Playhouse once the concert started.

The opening act was modern crooner Royal Wood. This singersongwriter kept the audience interested throughout by telling jokes and personal stories related to his songs.

One story was how he wrote a song about his parent’s love when he was asked for a song to play when his brother’s to-be wife would walk down the aisle. The stories helped the listener feel a connection to his songs and truly endeared the audience to him.

His slightly awkward, quirky sense of humour also endeared

the audience between songs but the quirkiness could be seen in the songs he did play. At one point in the show Wood played one of the songs from Willy Wonka, updating it but still giving that eccentric feeling of a dozen Oompa-Loompas singing at you.

After a short intermission Jill Barber took the stage. She opened her set with her new album’s title track, ‘Chances.’

Barber’s music was a step back into time with a big band jazzy style mixed with a little of her classic folk. The quality of her singing rivaled that of a recording.

In addition to her great performance Barber showed throughout that she was very

humble and grateful to the audience. She thanked the audience several times for the audience coming back despite the blackout the previous night.

Her thankfulness extended to the previous night as well. Barber greeted all of the show-goers on the steps of the Playhouse the night of the power-out, thanking them for coming out and talking with fans.

The giving spirit crept into the dedication of one of her songs; Barber thanked all of the loves of her life (as, if it hadn’t been for them, she could not have written all of her love songs).

The mix of classic music, talented musicians, humbleness, and good storytelling made this into a great show for music lovers.

Old music, new musicians Alison Clack

The Brunswickan

Some old time music came alive in Fredericton only this past Monday, Oct. 27.

That was the day that Jill Barber started off her Maritime tour in Fredericton. The opening show was not without problems however; the stop was originally scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26, but was rescheduled due to a power outage in parts of the downtown area.

The little black box I’m sitting amongst boxes of unpacked clothes in my new room.

There’s an empty closet in front of me. My bed was haphazardly made up two days ago and my night table is, for the time being, a wooden stool with an alarm clock tossed on top.

But there’s one part of my new bedroom that has been, gloriously, unpacked; a shining corner of this room that isn’t cluttered with cardboard boxes and dishclothwrapped mugs.

This delightful acquisition was a loan from my new landlords; a piece they didn’t need, but one that turned out to be the pièce de résistance.

Blame American Dad or Family Guy. I don’t even watch Entourage, but when Adrian Grenier came on that screen, even Perez Hilton came second - and not because Grenier’s particularly handsome, either; I just wanted to see what was up in their version of Hollywoodlandia.

So sue me. I always assumed I was the anti-television; someone who was more into second-hand bookstores than buying DVD seasons of CSI. And while I do appreciate a good dose of celebrity culture, I’m more of an Internet junkie than a Tivo whore.

That’s why, when September rolled around and I moved from the place I was subletting to a new house that was sans television, I didn’t think it would be a big deal. “I hardly ever even watch TV,” I scoffed. “I have the Internet in case I want to check out a rerun.”

I was dead wrong.

There were nights I would come home to an empty house. My books were sitting, invitingly, on the simple white bookshelf. My computer was

refreshed and ready to serve as my window on the world. I hated it.

It was then I would sit and think about the afternoons I spent painting my toenails and watching terrible reality shows on Slice; the evenings we vegged out to reruns of The Hills, or ordered pizza and guilty pleasured the night away to So You Think You Can Dance?

So we began a new addiction: video rental. I was never a big moviewatcher, either, but the three-for-$5 Mondays at a local video store became more and more appealing as my separation from television lengthened.

It got to the point where I was cherishing my minutes on the treadmill at my gym because it allowed me a few precious minutes with my favourite television shows.

News programs became Pulitzerprize worthy; stand-up comics were glowing examples of comedic genius; and even the cheesiest of TV commercials was almost deserving of Superbowl status.

And then, after two months of taking every scrap of television I could get, it happened. I moved from that little North Side apartment to a place in downtown Fredericton, where my monthly rent actually includes (gasp) cable - and my landlords offered me this spare television they were planning to put in storage.

Of course, I accepted. Myself and another coworker had been discussing it; we were sick of being left out of this fictional world inside these little black boxes. She said she was about to make the plunge to get cable; I told her my new place was already good to go. “Cable tonight!”

I cheered. I was surprised at my own readiness to embrace television, but prepared to accept my obvious dependence on late-night sitcoms and Entertainment Tonight.

I’m a pop culture addict. While I’ll never give up my TMZ, I guess it’s true: I want my, I want my MTV after all.

Ashley Bursey is the former Arts Editor of The Brunswickan.

brunswickanarts

12 • Nov. 5, 2008 • Issue 10 • Volume 142

Hagerman’s happy horrorscopes

Tackling the Freshman Fifteen Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Aries

(March21st - April 19th)

You may feel that your pirate costume from Halloween won’t have any use until next year, dear Aries, but you’re wrong! Wear it the next time you go to a bank to deposit a cheque, and try to convince yourself that they’re laughing with you and not at you! Your lucky space captain is Zapp Brannigan.

Taurus

(April 20th - May 20th)

You may be feeling more musical this week, dear Taurus.

You will write the best song ever written, however it will only be audible to dogs. On the plus side, the most prestigious of dog critics will give you howlingly good reviews and wag their tails. Your lucky documentaries are fictional documentaries.

Gemini (May 21st - June 21st)

Resist the urge to be two-faced to your enemies this week, dear Gemini. Or, if the need to arises, be three or four-faced. That way, if you’re going to be an awful person, at least you’ll be an awfully interesting person as well! Your lucky types of numbers are even.

Cancer

(June 22nd- July 22nd)

You will be feeling especially protective of your friends this week, dear Cancer. You should carry around excessive amounts of bubble wrap so that you always have enough to protect your friends from any threats, real or imagined. Your lucky sprinkles are anything other than rainbow sprinkles.

Leo

(July 23rd - August 22nd)

You will have an uncontrollable urge to be overly theatrical this week, dear Leo. When you receive a midterm and discover that you performed below your expectations, launch into a tearful soliloquy about the sorrows of life. You will receive bonus marks if you can do it in iambic pentameter. Your lucky coloured traffic light is yellow.

Virgo

(August 23rd - September 22nd)

You will feel more oriented towards serving people this week, dear Virgo. Holding open doors for people will come naturally to you. It may become too natural, as you will now be stuck holding open doors for eternity. Bring a book with you everywhere. Your lucky projectile weapon is a BB gun.

Libra

(September 23rd - October 23rd)

You may feel your argumentative impulses on the rise this week, dear Libra. You will argue with things that even you had previously believed in. You will even start arguing with yourself, though you will usually end up losing. Your lucky deodorant is blue.

Scorpio

(October 24th - November 22nd)

You will grow increasingly complex this week, dear Scorpio. Not only will your friends have a more difficult time understanding you, but you will also develop an increasingly large infatuation with trying to take the square root of negative one. Your lucky socks are woolen.

Sagittarius

(November 23rd - December 21st)

You will be feeling especially philosophical this week, dear Sagittarius. You will begin to question not only reality, but also the lack of reality of Super Mario games. What if punching bricks actually destroyed them and gave you money? The mind boggles. Your lucky speed is Mach 2.

Capricorn

Whoever said that the “Freshman Fifteen” was a myth has clearly never been a university student.

I am a first year student at St. Thomas University. If you saw me walking down the street, you probably wouldn’t take notice; I fall into the average ranks of the population. I am an average height, have an average amount of money in my bank account, wear pretty average clothing and, prior to September, I was an average weight.

University is a breeding ground for obesity. Cafeterias are teeming with greasy French fries, cream-based pasta sauces, butter-drenched veggies and more carbohydrates than you can shake a scale at. Even healthier option items like salads and wraps come with their share of hidden calories. The average serving of salad dressing can contain more than 200 calories and the average wrap, before you add meat, cheese or condiments, has about 300.

Then, when the weekend rolls

Indie Pop Night with DJ Bones featured a special twist this Hallow’s Eve, with a costume contest supported by Forward Music Group. Winners First Place - Jens Ourom, pictured right, evidently put a lot of thought into his scream within a scream.

Second Place - Armed to the teeth with baby and pistol in hand, Becky Fitzgerald dressed up as Sarah Palin-turned-pornstar. ‘Nailin’ Paylin’, if you will.

Third Place - Brunswickan Editor-in-Chief Josh O’Kane took the third place prize with his Radiohead “costume,” comprised of a large bristolboard radio/boombox on to his head.

Upcoming events

The Wooden Sky @ The Capital Drawing huge attention from MTV and CBC Radio 3, Okkervil River-inspired The Wooden Sky is slated to appear at The Capital on Sunday, November 9th. The show starts at 8 p.m. and cover is $6.

(December 22nd - January 20th)

(January 21st - Febuary 18th) Your friends will find you to be overly democratic this week, dear Aquarius. Whether it be deciding on lunch or choosing what to wear, you must have more than 50 per cent of everybody around you telling you what to do. Your lucky DVD format is DVD9.

Pisces

(Febuary 19th - March 20th)

Your will be especially frugal this week, dear Pisces.

You will discover that you don’t need light or heat in your room, as long as you have a really warm computer. Facebook will give you all the warmth you need, anyway. Your lucky slippers have Spongebob Squarepants on them.

My self control has been steadily slipping ever since I got here. My defining moment came a few weeks ago when I purchased Halloween candy for a day that women and children from Transition House visit and trick or treat door-to-door in our residence.

I opened it, thinking “Hey, what is one little holiday treat?”

Before the week was out, I had eaten the entire bag. Stuffing my face was easy, like taking candy from a baby, literally.

Losing the weight will not be so easy. Before I became officially aware that I had packed on some pounds, I took my first trip to the gym. It has been a tremendous help and I make an attempt to get myself down there at least four times a week.

As for healthy eating,

daily special, but opt out of vegetables that look extrabuttery in favour of salad toppings like carrot, cucumber and chick peas.

If you don’t want to be left out of late-night pizza, than limit yourself to one piece and satisfy salty cravings with Smart Pop 100 Calorie packs of popcorn and flavour it with Kernels popcorn seasoning.

Also, let yourself have your favourite fatty meal once a week, like a Friday night out or a Sunday morning hangover breakfast.

No, I did not gain the ‘Freshman Fifteen’ already, but I see now how easily it can happen. I have yet to step on a scale and don’t intend to until I feel lighter and healthier. For now, I’ll just replace the candy I mercilessly devoured and drag my treat-loving butt to the gym.

k e e p y o u r protein intake up by eating the meat provided in the

So scary you’ll screAM!

Everything you do will make people highly suspicious of you this week, dear Capricorn. Whether it be walking to class, eating at a fancy restaurant, or wearing a William Shatner mask to work, people will find something off about you. Your lucky disc in Final Fantasy IX is Disc Three.

Aquarius

around, all hell breaks loose. If it’s not a calorie-laden, sugary sweet drink with friends, it’s the drunken 3 a.m. pizza and garlic fingers. Unfortunately, as St. Thomas is a small school, they limit our food selection on weekends, with no sandwich bar and no salad bar. The only thing open, apart from the daily specials, is a grill that dishes out mozza sticks, grilled cheese, hamburgers and chicken nuggets.

The weeks before I took my leap into post-secondary education were fraught with fear and anxiety. Would I make new friends? Would I keep my old ones? Would I find the work too difficult and flunk out?

The last thing on my mind was how much difficulty I’d have when asked “would you like fries with that?” on a regular basis.

During the first few weeks, I indulged a little. Who wouldn’t when their dorm room window opens to the back of the cafeteria and the smell of cooking grease wafts tantalizingly inside? I went home for the weekend after three weeks of school and saw that I hadn’t gained a pound.

Great, guess I could eat more than I thought. Wrong.

As of Thanksgiving weekend I had gained five sloppy pounds.

Filmmaking Joy in NB Filmmakers in the province have until Friday, November 7th to apply for $16,000 of production support from the New Brunswick Film Co-op. The funding is available through the 2008 New Brunswick Joy Award, which attempts to recognize emerging filmmakers in providing assistance in their endeavours. For more information, hussle over to www.lindajoy.com.

The winner of the award will be announced at the Silver Wave Film Festival (Nov. 13-16.)

FATTOOTH @ The Cellar Montreal’s FATTOOTH are hitting The Cellar along with Hard Charger on Friday, November 7th.

Cover is $5.